Locke, New York
Encyclopedia
Locke is a town
in Cayuga County
, New York
, United States. The population was 1,951 at the 2010 census. The town was named after John Locke
, an English
philosopher and is the birthplace of Millard Fillmore
, 13th President of the United States
.
The Town of Locke is on the south border of Cayuga County and is southeast of Auburn
, New York
.
, used to pay soldiers of the American Revolution
. The first settlers arrived in 1790. They found evidence of the earlier occupants, Native Americans
, in the form of ruined villages and burial grounds.
The Town of Locke was formed in 1802 from the Town of Genoa
, then known as the "Town of Milton." Part of Locke was used in 1817 to form the Town of Groton
(now in Tompkins County
, New York
). Another division of Locke in 1831 formed the Town of Summerhill
.
A devastating fire in 1912 destroyed about thirty buildings in Locke village.
A second devastating fire occurred on April 10, 1975 destroying eleven buildings causing approximately $650,000 in damage. The fire was a result of a gasoline tanker losing its brakes while descending State Route 90 and crashing into the bank at the intersection of State Route 90 and State Route 38.
, the town has a total area of 24.4 square miles (63.2 km²), of which, 24.4 square miles (63.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.08%) is water.
North-south New York State Route 38
intersects east-west New York State Route 90
in Locke village.
The Owasco Inlet is a stream flowing northward through the town into Owasco Lake
. Hemlock Creek joins the Owasco Inlet at Locke village. The town is in the Finger Lakes
District of New York.
of 2000, there are 1,900 people, 704 households, and 539 families residing in the town. The population density
is 77.9 people per square mile (30.1/km²). There are 760 housing units at an average density of 31.1 per square mile (12.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town is 98.26% White, 0.26% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.42% Asian, and 0.63% from two or more races. 0.42% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 704 households out of which 39.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% are married couples
living together, 10.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% are non-families. 17.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.70 and the average family size is 3.00.
In the town the population is spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 100.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $37,885, and the median income for a family is $41,250. Males have a median income of $28,793 versus $22,188 for females. The per capita income
for the town is $16,580. 8.9% of the population and 7.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.8% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
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 Cayuga County
Cayuga County, New York
Cayuga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was named for one of the tribes of Indians in the Iroquois Confederation. Its county seat is Auburn.- History :...
, 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. The population was 1,951 at the 2010 census. The town was named after John Locke
John Locke
John Locke FRS , widely known as the Father of Liberalism, was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Francis Bacon, he is equally important to social...
, an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
philosopher and is the birthplace of Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president...
, 13th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
The Town of Locke is on the south border of Cayuga County and is southeast of Auburn
Auburn, New York
Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 27,687...
, 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
Locke was in the Central New York Military TractCentral 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...
. The first settlers arrived in 1790. They found evidence of the earlier occupants, Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, in the form of ruined villages and burial grounds.
The Town of Locke was formed in 1802 from the Town of Genoa
Genoa, New York
Genoa is a town in Cayuga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,935 at the 2010 census.The Town of Genoa is located in the southwest corner of the county and is north of Ithaca, New York...
, then known as the "Town of Milton." Part of Locke was used in 1817 to form the Town of Groton
Groton (town), New York
Groton is a town in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 5,794 at the 2000 census. The name is taken from Groton, Connecticut.The Town of Groton contains a village, also called Groton...
(now in Tompkins County
Tompkins County, New York
Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and comprises the whole of the Ithaca metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 101,564. The county seat is Ithaca, and the county is home to Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community...
, 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...
). Another division of Locke in 1831 formed the Town of Summerhill
Summerhill, New York
Summerhill is a town in Cayuga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,217 at the 2010 census. The current town name is that of a location in Ireland....
.
A devastating fire in 1912 destroyed about thirty buildings in Locke village.
A second devastating fire occurred on April 10, 1975 destroying eleven buildings causing approximately $650,000 in damage. The fire was a result of a gasoline tanker losing its brakes while descending State Route 90 and crashing into the bank at the intersection of State Route 90 and State Route 38.
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 24.4 square miles (63.2 km²), of which, 24.4 square miles (63.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.08%) is water.
North-south New York State Route 38
New York State Route 38
New York State Route 38 is a north–south state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with NY 96 in the town of Owego in Tioga County. The northern terminus is at a junction with NY 104A in the town of...
intersects east-west New York State Route 90
New York State Route 90
New York State Route 90 is a north–south state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York, United States. All but five of the route's are located in Cayuga County, with the remaining situated in Cortland County. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S....
in Locke village.
The Owasco Inlet is a stream flowing northward through the town into Owasco Lake
Owasco Lake
Owasco Lake is the sixth largest and third easternmost of the Finger Lakes of New York in the United States of America . The name Owasco can be roughly translated from a Mohawk and Iroquois term meaning "crossing"....
. Hemlock Creek joins the Owasco Inlet at Locke village. The town is in the Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes are a pattern of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York in the United States. They are a popular tourist destination. The lakes are long and thin , each oriented roughly on a north-south axis. The two longest, Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake, are among the deepest in...
District of New York.
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 are 1,900 people, 704 households, and 539 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...
is 77.9 people per square mile (30.1/km²). There are 760 housing units at an average density of 31.1 per square mile (12.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town is 98.26% White, 0.26% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.42% Asian, and 0.63% from two or more races. 0.42% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 704 households out of which 39.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% are 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, 10.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% are non-families. 17.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.70 and the average family size is 3.00.
In the town the population is spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 100.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $37,885, and the median income for a family is $41,250. Males have a median income of $28,793 versus $22,188 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 is $16,580. 8.9% of the population and 7.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.8% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Communities and locations in Locke
- Centerville – An historic location north of Locke village.
- Chipman Corners – A hamletHamlet (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...
in the southeast of the town on County Road 161 (Chipman Corners Road). - Fillmore Glen State ParkFillmore Glen State ParkFillmore Glen State Park is located adjacent to the Village of Moravia in Cayuga County, New York.The primary attractions of the park are the hiking trails with views of a stream and several waterfalls, and the swimming pond, made by damming the stream...
– A state parkState parkState 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...
partly in Locke at the north town line. - Locke (formerly "Milan") – A hamlet near the center of the town at the junction of NY-38 and NY-90 and the confluence of Owasco Inlet and Hemlock Creek.
- Shaw Corners – A location east of Locke village on NY-90.
- Satterly Corners – A location north of Shaw Corners on County Road 54 (Toll Gate Road).
- Toll Gate Corners – A hamlet at the north town line near the state park.
- Grisamore Farms – A popular location for fresh apples, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, pumpkins, edible and ornamental plants.