Massena (village), New York
Encyclopedia
Massena is a village in St. Lawrence County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 13,589 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Andre Massena
, one of Napoleon's generals.
The Village of Massena is at the southwestern town line of the Town of Massena
, with a small southeastern section of the community spilling into the Town of Louisville
. The village is located near the northern county border.
André Masséna was one of the original eighteen Marshals of France created by Napoleon.
Massena is the home town of Baseball Hall of Fame member Bid McPhee
, who was born there in 1859.
In 1928 it was the site of a blood libel
against its small Jewish community. Its history has been recorded by the town's longstanding newspaper, The Courier-Observer, formerly named The Massena Observer.
, the village has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²), of which, 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (3.82%) is water.
The village is located on the banks of the Grasse River
and the Raquette River
a few miles south of the St. Lawrence River. Robert Moses State Park is located northeast of the village.The Eisonhower Lock System is located around the area before the Robert Moses State Park and was established in 1954 and has been running ever since.
East-west highways New York State Route 37B
intersects New York State Route 37
in the village, and both intersect New York State Route 420
, a north-south highway.
of 2000, there were 11,209 people, 4,793 households, and 2,938 families residing in the village. The population density
was 2,472.5 people per square mile (955.4/km²). There were 5,103 housing units at an average density of 1,125.6 per square mile (434.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.49% White, 0.36% Black or African American
, 2.11% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races
, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.19% of the population.
There were 4,793 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $30,783, and the median income for a family was $39,919. Males had a median income of $37,552 versus $19,892 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $17,709. About 14.2% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
St. Lawrence County, New York
St. Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 111,944. The county seat is Canton. The county is named for the Saint Lawrence River, which in turn was named for the Catholic saint on whose Feast day the river was discovered by...
, 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 13,589 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Andre Massena
André Masséna
André Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
, one of Napoleon's generals.
The Village of Massena is at the southwestern town line of the Town of Massena
Massena (town), New York
Massena is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The town is on the northern border of the county and is nicknamed "The Gateway to the Fourth Coast". The population was 13,121 at the 2000 census. The town of Massena contains a village also called Massena...
, with a small southeastern section of the community spilling into the Town of Louisville
Louisville, New York
Louisville is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 3,195 at the 2000 census. The town is reportedly named after a French king, but it is pronounced as "Lewis-ville."...
. The village is located near the northern county border.
History
The village was first settled around 1803. Part of its early growth was based on neighboring medicinal springs.André Masséna was one of the original eighteen Marshals of France created by Napoleon.
Massena is the home town of Baseball Hall of Fame member Bid McPhee
Bid McPhee
John Alexander "Bid" McPhee was a 19th century Major League Baseball second baseman. He played 18 seasons in the majors, from until , all for the Cincinnati Reds franchise. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in...
, who was born there in 1859.
In 1928 it was the site of a blood libel
Blood libel
Blood libel is a false accusation or claim that religious minorities, usually Jews, murder children to use their blood in certain aspects of their religious rituals and holidays...
against its small Jewish community. Its history has been recorded by the town's longstanding newspaper, The Courier-Observer, formerly named The Massena Observer.
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 village has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²), of which, 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (3.82%) is water.
The village is located on the banks of the Grasse River
Grasse River
The Grasse River or Grass River is a river in northern New York, in the United States...
and the Raquette River
Raquette River
The Raquette River, sometimes spelled Racquette, originates at Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains in New York. long, it is the third longest river entirely in the state of New York....
a few miles south of the St. Lawrence River. Robert Moses State Park is located northeast of the village.The Eisonhower Lock System is located around the area before the Robert Moses State Park and was established in 1954 and has been running ever since.
East-west highways New York State Route 37B
New York State Route 37B
New York State Route 37B is an east–west state highway located in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. It serves as a business route of NY 37 through the village of Massena. While NY 37B enters the village, NY 37 bypasses it to the south. The western terminus of the...
intersects New York State Route 37
New York State Route 37
New York State Route 37 is a state highway in the North Country of New York in the United States, extending for on a west–east axis. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S. Route 11 in Watertown, Jefferson County...
in the village, and both intersect New York State Route 420
New York State Route 420
New York State Route 420 is a north–south state highway in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S. Route 11 in the town of Stockholm. Its northern terminus is at a junction with NY 37 in the village of...
, a north-south highway.
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 11,209 people, 4,793 households, and 2,938 families residing in the village. 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 2,472.5 people per square mile (955.4/km²). There were 5,103 housing units at an average density of 1,125.6 per square mile (434.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.49% White, 0.36% Black or African American
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...
, 2.11% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.24% 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 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.19% of the population.
There were 4,793 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% 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, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $30,783, and the median income for a family was $39,919. Males had a median income of $37,552 versus $19,892 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 village was $17,709. About 14.2% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
Radio
- 1340 WMSA with Sandy Cook www.1340wmsa.com
- WVLF-FM Mix 96.1WVLFWVLF is a radio station broadcasting a mix of adult contemporary and Hot Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Norwood, New York, USA, the station is currently owned by Stephens Media Group....
www.mymix961.com - WRCD-FM 101.5 The FoxWRCDWRCD is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. Licensed to Canton, New York, USA, the station is currently owned by Stephens Media Group....
www.1015thefox.com
Culture
- In the film Me, Myself, and Irene, the protagonist's goal was to reach Massena, NY, but the scene taking place in Massena was actually filmed in Waterbury, VT.
- Several scenes of the film Frozen RiverFrozen RiverFrozen River is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by Courtney Hunt. The screenplay focuses on two working-class women who smuggle illegal immigrants in the trunk of a car from Canada to the United States in order to make ends meet...
by Courtney HuntCourtney HuntCourtney Hunt is an American screenwriter and film director. She has received much critical acclaim for her debut film, Frozen River, for which she has gained an Oscar nomination, two Independent Spirit nominations, and a Satellite Award nod for the film...
were filmed in March 2007 in Massena.
- The independent film For Ellen starring actor Paul DanoPaul DanoPaul Franklin Dano is an American actor and producer. He has appeared in films such as L.I.E. , The Girl Next Door , Little Miss Sunshine , There Will Be Blood , and Where the Wild Things Are .-Early life:Dano was born in New York City, the son of Gladys and Paul Dano...
and Dakota JohnsonDakota JohnsonDakota Mayi Johnson is an American fashion model and actress. She is the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith and the granddaughter of actress Tippi Hedren.-Career:...
was filmed in Massena in February 2010.
- Comedian Lewis BlackLewis BlackLewis Niles Black is an American stand-up comedian, author, playwright, social critic and actor. He is known for his comedy style, which often includes simulating a mental breakdown, or an increasingly angry rant, ridiculing history, politics, religion, trends and cultural phenomena...
called Massena 'the ice pit' of the north in a segment of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 2008.
- Singer Sammy Davis Jr. of Frank Sinatra's Rat PackRat PackThe Rat Pack was a group of actors originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group, after Bogart's death, that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean...
performed with his uncle in Massena during the summer of 1940.
- The stars of the television show Ghost HuntersGhost HuntersGhost Hunters is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on October 6, 2004, on Syfy . The program features paranormal investigators Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson who investigate places that are reported to be haunted. The two originally worked as plumbers for Roto-Rooter as...
did an investigation in Massena in 2005.