Essex, New York

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Essex, New York
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
motto =

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pushpin_label_position =
pushpin_map_caption =Location within the state of New York
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = New York
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Essex
government_footnotes =
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leader_title =
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established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 97.3
area_land_km2 = 82.1
area_water_km2 = 15.2
area_total_sq_mi = 37.6
area_land_sq_mi = 31.7
area_water_sq_mi = 5.9

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 713
population_density_km2 = 8.7
population_density_sq_mi = 22.5

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 81
elevation_ft = 266
latd = 44 |latm = 16 |lats = 41 |latNS = N
longd = 73 |longm = 24 |longs = 35 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 12936
area_code = 518
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 36-24768
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0978946
website =
footnotes =

Essex is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 713 at the 2000 census. The town is named after locations in England.

The Town of Essex is on the eastern edge of the county and is south of Plattsburgh.

History

Essex was part of a land grant made to Louis Joseph Robart by French King Louis XV. The land grant was lost after the British took over the region after 1763.

The region was first settled around 1765 with the intention of forming a baronial estate like those of the lower Hudson River for landowner and investor, William Gilliland.

The town was formed from a part of the Town of Willsboro in 1805. It was an important shipbuilding location and port, but that economy collapsed after 1849 with the beginning of railroad lines in the region.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 37.6 square miles (97.3 km²), of which, 31.7 square miles (82.1 km²) of it is land and 5.9 square miles (15.2 km²) of it (15.62%) is water.

The Town of Essex borders at, its east town line, Lake Champlain and the state of Vermont.

New York State Route 22 is a north-south highway in Essex.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 713 people, 302 households, and 202 families residing in the town. The population density was 22.5 people per square mile (8.7/km²). There were 522 housing units at an average density of 16.5/sq mi (6.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.72% White, 0.14% Native American, and 0.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.14% of the population.

There were 302 households out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,596, and the median income for a family was $40,104. Males had a median income of $26,905 versus $19,583 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,087. About 10.8% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Essex

*Beggs Point -- Small point in the hamlet of Essex. Horseshoe nail and window sash factories where located here before burning down in the early 1900s. Now the town park with playground, fishing pier and boat launch. Sunrise religious services for Easter.
*Boquet River --Its southern branch flows northward through the western portion of the town.
*Bouquet (formally West Essex or Wessex) -- A hamlet on NY-22 west of Essex.
*Brookfield -- A former hamlet in the western part of Essex settled in 1797 by mostly Morris County, NJ and Dutchess County, NY, farmers and bloomers. Cemetery still exists.
*Buff Point -- A point in the southeast portion of Essex hamlet. Lake depth drops to 100 ft off the cliff.
*Bull Run -- The hill on south Main Street traveling in Essex hamlet
*Crooked S Hill -- The hill west of Boquet after crossing the river. Named from the appearance of Jersey Street (County Road 12) as it twists up the hill.
*Grog Harbor -- A shallow bay between Bluff Point and Cannon Point. Named when liquor smugglers had to dump their cargo.
*Canon Point -- A shallow projection into Lake Champlain at Craterclub.
*Craterclub -- A hamlet on the shore of Lake Champlain, south of Essex hamlet on County Road 9.
*Essex (formerly "Elizabeth") -- The hamlet of Essex on the shore of Lake Champlain at the junction of NY-22 and County Road 9. The hamlet is the location of the town government and is a ferry port to Vermont. The village was the first county seat of Essex County when it was formed in 1799 until 1807, when Elizabethtown became the county seat. It was founded about 1765.
*Essex Station (also known as Merriam Station) -- A location southwest of Essex hamlet on NY-22.
*Sandy Beach -- A private small sand beach in the northeast part of Essex hamlet.
*Split Rock Point -- The easternmost extension of the town into Lake Champlain.
*Whallonsburg -- A hamlet in the south part of the town on NY-22. It was founded about 1770. before a fire in the early 1900s, the hamlet produced furniture and other wood products.
*Whallon Bay -- A bay of Lake Champlain in the southwest part of Essex. The town beach is located here. Governor Pataki owns a home in Whallon Bay.

References

External links

* [http://www.essexnewyork.com Town of Essex, NY]
* [http://history.rays-place.com/ny/essex-ny.htm Early history of Essex]
* [http://www.adkhistorycenter.org/esco/tow/essex.html Essex information]
* [http://www.essexny.org Essex Community Heritage Organization]