Seneca Falls (town), New York
Encyclopedia
Seneca Falls is a town
in Seneca County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 9,347 at the 2000 census.
The Town of Seneca Falls contains a village also called Seneca Falls
. The town and the village are east of Geneva
, New York
in the northern part of the Finger Lakes
District.
of 1779 in retaliation for plundering and killing colonists.
The region became part of the Central New York Military Tract
, reserved for veterans, after the conclusion of the American Revolution
. Part of the current town was in a reservation set apart for members of the Cayuga who returned after the war. This reservation was located at the north end of Cayuga Lake.
A canal
was completed in 1818 allowing transit between Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake. This canal was connected to the Erie Canal
in 1828.
The town was established in 1829 from part of the Town of Junius
. The community of Seneca Falls in the town set itself apart by incorporating as a village in 1831.
On March 16, 2010, the people of the Village of Seneca Falls
voted to dissolve the village into the Town of Seneca Falls, effective in 2012.http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100317/NEWS01/3170373/1002/NEWS
, the town has a total area of 27.4 square miles (71.0 km²), of which, 24.2 square miles (62.8 km²) of it is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²) of it (11.63%) is water.
The east town line is partly defined by Cayuga Lake
. The Seneca River
/Cayuga-Seneca Canal
passes across the town. More recently, efforts are underway to complete a scenic trail along the historic canal. The eastern part of the town is part of Montezuma Marsh, an extensive wetland at the north end of Cayuga Lake.
Conjoined US Route 20 and NY-5
form an east-west highway across the town. New York State Route 89
is a north-south highway by the shore of Cayuga Lake. New York State Route 414
is also a north south highway, but has an east-west orientation while conjoined with US-20 and NY-5. New York State Route 318
intersects US-20/NY-5 in the northeast corner of the town.
Home of Vincent Loucks.
of 2000, there were 9,347 people, 3,796 households, and 2,440 families residing in the town. The population density
was 385.6 people per square mile (148.9/km²). There were 4,167 housing units at an average density of 171.9 per square mile (66.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.86% White, 0.87% Black or African American
, 0.22% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.30% from other races
, and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.33% of the population.
There were 3,796 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples
living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,245, and the median income for a family was $48,565. Males had a median income of $36,631 versus $25,094 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $18,462. About 9.7% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
, in the Waterloo Central School District.
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 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...
, 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 9,347 at the 2000 census.
The Town of Seneca Falls contains a village also called Seneca Falls
Seneca Falls (village), New York
Seneca Falls is a village in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 6,861 at the 2000 census. The village is in the Town of Seneca Falls, east of Geneva, New York. On March 16, 2010, village residents voted to dissolve the village, a move that would take effect at the end of 2011...
. The town and the village are east 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...
in the northern part of 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.
History
The region is the former realm of the Cayuga tribe, who were visited by Jesuit missionaries during the 17th Century. Cayuga villages were attacked and destroyed by the Sullivan ExpeditionSullivan Expedition
The Sullivan Expedition, also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, was an American campaign led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton against Loyalists and the four nations of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War.The...
of 1779 in retaliation for plundering and killing colonists.
The region became 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....
, reserved for veterans, after the conclusion 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...
. Part of the current town was in a reservation set apart for members of the Cayuga who returned after the war. This reservation was located at the north end of Cayuga Lake.
A canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
was completed in 1818 allowing transit between Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake. This canal was connected to 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...
in 1828.
The town was established in 1829 from part of 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 :...
. The community of Seneca Falls in the town set itself apart by incorporating as a village in 1831.
On March 16, 2010, the people of the Village of Seneca Falls
Seneca Falls (village), New York
Seneca Falls is a village in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 6,861 at the 2000 census. The village is in the Town of Seneca Falls, east of Geneva, New York. On March 16, 2010, village residents voted to dissolve the village, a move that would take effect at the end of 2011...
voted to dissolve the village into the Town of Seneca Falls, effective in 2012.http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100317/NEWS01/3170373/1002/NEWS
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 27.4 square miles (71.0 km²), of which, 24.2 square miles (62.8 km²) of it is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²) of it (11.63%) is water.
The east town line is partly defined by Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area and second largest in volume. It is just under 40 miles long. Its average width is 1.7 miles , and it is at its widest point near Aurora...
. The Seneca River
Seneca River (New York)
The Seneca River in central New York flows from west to east, from Seneca Lake, through the Montezuma Marsh at the north end of Cayuga Lake to the Seneca's confluence with the Oneida and Oswego rivers at the Three Rivers area north of Syracuse. Much of the river has been channelized to form part...
/Cayuga-Seneca Canal
Cayuga-Seneca Canal
The Cayuga–Seneca Canal is a canal in New York, USA. It is now part of the New York State Canal System.The Cayuga–Seneca Canal connects the Erie Canal to Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake. It is approximately long.-History:...
passes across the town. More recently, efforts are underway to complete a scenic trail along the historic canal. The eastern part of the town is part of Montezuma Marsh, an extensive wetland at the north end of Cayuga Lake.
Conjoined US Route 20 and NY-5
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
form an east-west highway across the town. New York State Route 89
New York State Route 89
New York State Route 89 is a north–south state highway in central New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 13, NY 34, and NY 96 in the Tompkins County city of Ithaca to an interchange with NY 104 in the Wayne County town of town of Wolcott...
is a north-south highway by the shore of Cayuga Lake. 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...
is also a north south highway, but has an east-west orientation while conjoined with US-20 and NY-5. New York State Route 318
New York State Route 318
New York State Route 318 is an east–west state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York, United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 14 at New York State Thruway exit 42 in the town of Phelps. The eastern terminus is at an intersection that...
intersects US-20/NY-5 in the northeast corner of the town.
Home of Vincent Loucks.
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 9,347 people, 3,796 households, and 2,440 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 385.6 people per square mile (148.9/km²). There were 4,167 housing units at an average density of 171.9 per square mile (66.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.86% White, 0.87% 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...
, 0.22% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.30% 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 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.33% of the population.
There were 3,796 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% 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, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,245, and the median income for a family was $48,565. Males had a median income of $36,631 versus $25,094 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 $18,462. About 9.7% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in the Town of Seneca Falls
- Bridgeport – A lakeside 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...
east of Seneca Falls village on NY-89. - Cayuga Lake State ParkCayuga Lake State ParkCayuga Lake State Park is located on the north end of Cayuga Lake in the US state of New York, east of Seneca Falls on the west side of lake, along New York State Route 89....
– 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...
on the shore of Cayuga Lake. - Finger Lakes Regional Airport (0G7) – A general aviation airportAirportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
southeast of Seneca Falls village. - Halsey Corner – A location in the northeast corner of the town on US-20.
- Lehigh Valley Junction – A hamlet north of Seneca Falls village.
- Montezuma National Wildlife RefugeMontezuma National Wildlife RefugeMontezuma National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife preserve operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, encompassing part of the Montezuma Swamp at the north end of Cayuga Lake...
– A federal conservation area partly in the eastern end of the town. - Montezuma Wildlife Management Area – A state conservation area in the east of the town.
- Nichols Corner – A location on the north town line on NY-318.
- Seneca FallsSeneca Falls (village), New YorkSeneca Falls is a village in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 6,861 at the 2000 census. The village is in the Town of Seneca Falls, east of Geneva, New York. On March 16, 2010, village residents voted to dissolve the village, a move that would take effect at the end of 2011...
– The Village of Seneca Falls is located on US-20, NY-5 and the Seneca River.
Seneca Falls Central School District
The public school system for Seneca Falls and its nearby villages is provided by the Seneca Falls Central School District. This district has four schools. The current superintendent is Robert F. McKeveny.- Frank M. Knight Elementary School is a public school, which handles grades K-2 in the Seneca Falls Central School District. It has an enrollment of about 300 students. The principal in 2006 is Michele VanCopenolle.
- Elizabeth Cady Stanton School is a public school which handles grades 3-5. It has an enrollment of about 300 students. The current principal is Andrew Doell.
- Seneca Falls Middle School is a public school which handles grades 6-8. Enrollment is around 350 students. The current principal is Kevin Rhinehart.
- Mynderse Academy is a public school which handles grades 9-12. The enrollment is around 511 students as of 2006. The current principal is Anthony Ferrara.
Waterloo Central School District
Some students attend the schools of the nearby town of Waterloo, New YorkWaterloo (town), New York
Waterloo is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 7,866 at the 2000 census. The town, as well as its major community, are named after Waterloo, Belgium. The current Town Supervisor is James Mooney and the current Town Clerk is Louise Van Nostrand.The Town of Waterloo...
, in the Waterloo Central School District.
Private education
- Finger Lakes Christian School (FLCS) is a private Pre-K through 12th gradeTwelfth gradeTwelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
school in Seneca Falls. It shares the building with Calvary Chapel Seneca Falls. The current principal is Pastor Scott Van Kirk. The school was established in 1991. The school is a ministry arm of Calvary Chapel Seneca Falls, and aims to offer an alternative to public education for ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
children. The school enrolls 75-80 students. Its admission policy is that at least one parent or guardian must be a born-again Christian. As well as the general curriculum, High School pupils attend Bible classes twice a week, and all students have devotional meetings daily with their teachers and attend a weekly Chapel service. FLCS students can choose from interscholastic soccer, basketball and volleyball, music programs, drama, shop and Home Ec.
Colleges
- New York Chiropractic CollegeNew York Chiropractic CollegeNew York Chiropractic College is a leading natural healthcare academic institution located in Seneca Falls, NY. It is one of 18 Chiropractic Colleges in the United States. The school was founded in New York City as Columbia Institute of Chiropractic by Dr. Frank Dean in 1919...
, now in the former location of Eisenhower CollegeEisenhower CollegeEisenhower College was a small college named after U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, located on Cayuga Lake in Seneca Falls, New York. It was founded on September 21, 1965 as a liberal arts college...
.