Jerusalem, New York
Encyclopedia
Jerusalem is a town
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 Yates County
Yates County, New York
Yates County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 25,348. The county seat is Penn Yan. The name is in honor of Joseph C. Yates, who as Governor of New York signed the act establishing the county....

, 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...

 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 4,525 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the ancient city of Jerusalem in the Middle East.

The Town of Jerusalem is on the south border of the county and is southwest of Geneva
Geneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...

, 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

Jerusalem was within the Phelps and Gorham Purchase
Phelps and Gorham Purchase
The Phelps and Gorham Purchase was the purchase in 1788 of the pre-emptive right to some 6,000,000 acres of land in western New York State for $1,000,000 . This was all land in western New York west of Seneca Lake between Lake Ontario and the Pennsylvania border...

. It was first settled around 1791. Among the earliest settlers were the evangelist Jemima Wilkinson
Jemima Wilkinson
Jemima Wilkinson was a charismatic American evangelist who preached total sexual abstinence and the Ten Commandments to her congregation of "Universal Friends." Her family were strict Quakers, most of her views were from her upbringing in the Quaker religion.As a young woman, she was plagued by a...

 and her congregation.

The town was an original town of the county. It was established in 1789, while still in Ontario County
Ontario County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 100,224 people, 38,370 households, and 26,360 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile . There were 42,647 housing units at an average density of 66 per square mile...

 and became part of Yates County when the county was created in 1823. The area around Bluff Point was annexed to the town in 1814.

Jerusalem has been divided to form other towns in the county: in 1803, the Town of Benton
Benton, New York
Benton is a town in Yates County, New York, United States. The population was 2,640 at the 2000 census. The town is named after an early resident.The Town of Benton is located in the northeast part of the county...

 was taken from Jerusalem, and itself later divided to make other towns.

Branchport
Branchport, New York
Branchport is a hamlet in the town of Jerusalem in Yates County, New York, United States. It is a "crossroads community" which contains about 85 dwellings, six stores, two churches, a library and a firehouse....

 is a purported birthplace of Seneca leader Red Jacket
Red Jacket
Red Jacket was a Native American Seneca orator and chief of the Wolf clan...

.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 65.4 square miles (169.4 km²), of which, 58.9 square miles (152.6 km²) of it is land and 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²) of it (9.97%) is water.

The south town line is the border of Steuben County
Steuben County, New York
Steuben County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 98,990. Its name is in honor of Baron von Steuben, a German general who fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War, though it is not pronounced the same...

. The town contains parts of each branch of Keuka Lake
Keuka Lake
Keuka Lake is an unusual member of New York's Finger Lakes because it is Y-shaped, instead of long and narrow. Because of its shape, it was referred to in the past as Crooked Lake...

.

New York State Route 54A
New York State Route 54A
New York State Route 54A is a state highway in the western part of New York, United States. It runs in a northeast to southwest direction through part of the Finger Lakes district of New York. The southern terminus of NY 54A is at NY 54 south of Hammondsport. The northern terminus...

 crosses the town.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 4,525 people, 1,606 households, and 1,117 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 76.8 people per square mile (29.7/km²). There were 2,523 housing units at an average density of 42.8 per square mile (16.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.39% White, 0.55% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.29% 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 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population.

There were 1,606 households out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% 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, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town the population was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 18.7% from 18 to 24, 20.2% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $38,488, and the median income for a family was $45,254. Males had a median income of $31,071 versus $25,115 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 $18,099. About 6.6% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Jerusalem

  • Bluff Point – A hamlet west of Keuka Park on NY-54A. Bluff Point is also the name of end of the peninsula
    Peninsula
    A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....

     that extends between the two north branches of Keuka Lake and is south of the community with that name.
  • Branchport
    Branchport, New York
    Branchport is a hamlet in the town of Jerusalem in Yates County, New York, United States. It is a "crossroads community" which contains about 85 dwellings, six stores, two churches, a library and a firehouse....

    (originally, "Esperanza") – A hamlet
    Hamlet (place)
    A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...

     at the northwest tip of Keuka Lake on NY-54A. Branchport became an incorporated village in 1867, but later abandoned that status.
  • Darby Corners – A location in the south of the town, west of Branchport on County Road 32.
  • Friend – A hamlet in the northwest part of the town on County Road 31.
  • Guyanoga – A hamlet north of Branchport.
  • Guyanoga Valley – A valley in the north-central part of Jerusalem, north of Branchport.
  • Keuka College
    Keuka College
    Founded in 1890 and located on the shores of Keuka Lake in New York State’s Finger Lakes region, Keuka College is an independent, four-year, residential, coeducational college that places emphasis on career and pre-professional education....

    – A four-year-college in Keuka Park.
  • Keuka Lake State Park
    Keuka Lake State Park
    Keuka Lake State Park is a state park located on the north end of the west branch of Keuka Lake in Yates County, New York. Keuka Lake is one of the Finger Lakes...

    – A state park
    State park
    State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...

     in the southeast part of the town, southeast of Branchport.
  • Keuka Park
    Keuka Park
    Keuka Park is a hamlet in Yates County, New York, United States. The hamlet is on the shore of the east branch of Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes region.Keuka College is located in Keuka Park next to the lake.- References :...

    – A hamlet on the west shore of the east fork of Keuka Lake.
  • Penn Yan
    Penn Yan, New York
    Penn Yan is a village in Yates County, New York, USA. The population was 5,219 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Yates County and lies at the north end of the east branch of Keuka Lake, one of the Finger Lakes....

    – The Village of Penn Yan borders the northeast part of the town.
  • Sherman Hollow – A former community located in the northwest part of Jerusalem.
  • Sugar Creek – A stream flowing through Guyanoga Valley into Keuka Lake near Branchport.
  • Yatesville – A hamlet at the north town line, mostly in the Town of Potter
    Potter, New York
    Potter is a town in Yates County, New York, in the United States. The Town of Potter is located in the northwest part of the county and is south of Canandaigua, NY. The population was 1,830 at the 2000 census.- History :...

    .

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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