Galen, New York
Encyclopedia
Galen is a town
in Wayne County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 4,439 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the classical physician Galen
.
The Town of Galen is on the south border of the county and west of Syracuse
, New York
.
, there was a French block house and trading post near Clyde.
The town was first settled around 1800 near Marengo.
The town was part of a tract set aside for physicians and surgeons of the Colonial Army
as part of the Central New York Military Tract
used to pay soldiers of the American Revolution
. Galen was formed from the Town of Junius
in Seneca County
in 1812 and became part of Wayne County in 1823, but lost part of its area to form the Town of Savannah
in 1824.
The glass industry was important during the early history of Galen.
, the town has a total area of 60 square miles (155.4 km²), of which, 59.4 square miles (153.8 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (1.00%) is water.
The Erie Canal
passes through the town, incorporating part of the Clyde River. During renovations of the canal, the route was altered, leaving behind remnants of the original Erie Canal.
The southern border of the town also constitutes part of the border between Wayne County and Seneca County
(Town of Junius).
New York State Route 31
is an east-west highway near the Erie Canal, and it intersects New York State Route 414
in the village of Clyde.
of 2000, there were 4,439 people, 1,645 households, and 1,187 families residing in the town. The population density
was 74.7 people per square mile (28.8/km²). There were 1,805 housing units at an average density of 30.4 per square mile (11.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.21% White, 3.36% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.70% from other races
, and 1.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population.
There were 1,645 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples
living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,098, and the median income for a family was $45,175. Males had a median income of $31,900 versus $25,789 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $16,385. About 6.4% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Wayne County
Wayne County, New York
Wayne County is a county located in the US state of New York. It is part of the Rochester, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area and lies on the south shore of Lake Ontario, forming part of the northern border of the United States with Canada. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, an American...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 4,439 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the classical physician Galen
Galen
Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus , better known as Galen of Pergamon , was a prominent Roman physician, surgeon and philosopher...
.
The Town of Galen is on the south border of the county and west of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
History
Before the French and Indian WarFrench and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, there was a French block house and trading post near Clyde.
The town was first settled around 1800 near Marengo.
The town was part of a tract set aside for physicians and surgeons of the Colonial Army
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
as part of the Central New York Military Tract
Central New York Military Tract
The Military Tract of Central New York, also called the New Military Tract, consisted of nearly two million acres of bounty land set aside to compensate New York’s soldiers after their participation in the Revolutionary War....
used to pay soldiers of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Galen was formed from the Town of Junius
Junius, New York
Junius is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 1,362 at the 2000 census.The Town of Junius is in the northwest corner of the county and is east of Geneva, New York.- History :...
in Seneca County
Seneca County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,342 people, 12,630 households, and 8,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 103 people per square mile . There were 14,794 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
in 1812 and became part of Wayne County in 1823, but lost part of its area to form the Town of Savannah
Savannah, New York
Savannah is a town in the southeast portion of Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 1,838 at the 2000 census. Savannah is west of Syracuse, New York...
in 1824.
The glass industry was important during the early history of Galen.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 60 square miles (155.4 km²), of which, 59.4 square miles (153.8 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (1.00%) is water.
The Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
passes through the town, incorporating part of the Clyde River. During renovations of the canal, the route was altered, leaving behind remnants of the original Erie Canal.
The southern border of the town also constitutes part of the border between Wayne County and Seneca County
Seneca County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,342 people, 12,630 households, and 8,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 103 people per square mile . There were 14,794 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
(Town of Junius).
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
is an east-west highway near the Erie Canal, and it intersects New York State Route 414
New York State Route 414
New York State Route 414 is a north–south state highway in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 352 in the Steuben County city of Corning to a junction with NY 104 in the Wayne County town of Huron...
in the village of Clyde.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,439 people, 1,645 households, and 1,187 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 74.7 people per square mile (28.8/km²). There were 1,805 housing units at an average density of 30.4 per square mile (11.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.21% White, 3.36% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.70% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population.
There were 1,645 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,098, and the median income for a family was $45,175. Males had a median income of $31,900 versus $25,789 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $16,385. About 6.4% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Galen
- Angells Corners — A hamlet in the south part of the town on NY-414.
- ClydeClyde, New YorkClyde is a village in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 2,269 at the 2000 census.The Village of Clyde is in the Town of Galen and is northeast of Geneva, NY...
— The Village of Clyde at the Erie Canal and NY-31. - Fergusons Corner — A location in the northwest part of the town on County Road 247.
- Hunt Corner — A location in the northeast corner of the town on County Road 269.
- Lock Berlin — A hamlet in the west part of the town on County Road 245 by the route of the Old Erie Canal.
- Lockpit — A location in the southeast part of the town by the old route of the Erie Canal.
- Marengo — A hamlet in the southwest part of the town, west of Angells Corners.
- Noble Corner — A hamlet on the east town line.
- Pangborn Corners — A location east of Hung Corner at the east town line.
- Shephards Corner — A hamlet northeast of Clyde on County Road 269.
- White Schoolhouse Corners — A location near Shephards Corner at the intersection of NY-414 and County Road 249.