Westville is a
townA 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
Franklin CountyFranklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,599. It is named in honor of American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin...
,
New YorkNew 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 StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the
2000 censusThe Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the town had a total population of 1,823.
The
Town of Westville is on the north border of the county and is north of the
Village of Malone-Notable natives:Notable natives include:*William Almon Wheeler served as Vice President of the United States under Rutherford Hayes. Is buried at Morningside Cemetery in Malone....
.
History
The town was first settled around 1800. The Town of Westville was formed from the
Town of ConstableConstable is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 1,428 at the 2000 census. The town is named after William Constable, a member of the syndicate of original land owners....
in 1829.
The community has always been largely a farming community with rich clay soils in the north and sandy soils in the southern part of the town. The Salmon River meanders through the township and has alwys been important to its early industry and its agriculture. In the 19th century, Westville, was largely settled by Scottish and English people who had migrated from
VermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and other parts of
New EnglandNew England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. The only churches in the community were Protestant, the Presbyterian Church at Westville Corners and
Methodist-EpiscopalThe Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
at Westville Center. Around the time of the
Civil WarA civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
, there was an influx of French-Canadians into Northern New York State and some also took up farming in the community. In the 19th Century into the early 20th Century there were several small industries in the community, a grist-mill, a butter factory, a
starch factoryA starch mill is a mill for making starch. The input is commonly a vegetable such as potato, casava or tapioca. This is pulped, pressed, dried and ground to form a starch powder which is then used as a food ingredient, glue or fabric treatment.-References:...
and several
sawmillsSawmills may refer to:* A sawmill, a facility where logs are cut to length* Sawmills Studio, a famous UK music recording studio* Sawmills, North Carolina...
. Most of these industries were located on the Salmon River. Over time the idustries disappeared and left only farming as the stable economic activity as it is today.
Geography
The north town line is the international border with
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. According to the
United States Census BureauThe 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 34.8 square miles (90.1 km²), all of it land.
The north town line is the border of
QuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
in
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, an international border.
New York State Route 37New 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...
intersects
New York State Route 122New York State Route 122 is an east–west state highway in northern Franklin County, New York, United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 37 in the town of Westville. Its eastern terminus is at a junction with U.S. Route 11 in the town of Burke...
at Westville Center.
The Salmon River flows northward through the town.
Demographics
As of the
censusA 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 1,823 people, 671 households, and 503 families residing in the town. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 52.4 people per square mile (20.2/km²). There were 766 housing units at an average density of 22.0 per square mile (8.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.98% White, 0.66% African American, 0.82% Native American, 0.16% Asian, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population.
There were 671 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were
married couplesMarriage 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, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,452, and the median income for a family was $36,964. Males had a median income of $28,167 versus $20,291 for females. The
per capita incomePer 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 $15,809. About 9.4% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Westville
- Westville – A hamlet
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 northern part of the town on NY-37 at County Road 20. It was formerly called "West Constable" and "Westyville."
- Westville Center – A hamlet at the junction of NY-37, NY-122, and County Road 19, south of Westville.
External links