Guilderland, New York

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Guilderland is a town in Albany County, New York, USA. The population was 32,688 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the Province of Gelderland in the Netherlands.

The Town of Guilderland is on the north border of the county. It is west of Albany, the capital of New York.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Education 5 Emergency Medical Services 5.1 Ambulance and Paramedic level care 5.2 Fire Departments 5.3 Police Department 6 Communities and locations in Guilderland 7 Footnotes 8 External links

[edit] History

The area was originally colonised by the Dutch in the 17th century.

The region was once part of Rensselaer. The Town of Guilderland was formed in 1803 from part of the Town of Watervliet. During WWII there was an ammo dump put in Guilderland to supply fuel and ammo to the war effort.

During the American Revolution the town was divided in its loyalties.

Prospect Hill Cemetery is haunted by a number of spirits unknown as of this date. People have reported inexplicable mists and voices late at night in the fall at or around this old cemetery. There are often cases of opened graves in this and many other cemeteries in Guilderland and the forests are said to come alive with the spirits of the deceased. The earliest reports of this predate the original Dutch settlements in the area, going back to the Mohegan tribes that once tried to inhabit the land, and they have persisted to this day. Today, many visitors to this area have reported strange occurrences, eerie sounds, lights and shadows, the uncanny sense of being chased away and even followed....

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 152.0 km² (58.7 mi²). 150.0 km² (57.9 mi²) of it is land and 2.0 km² (0.8 mi²) of it (1.31%) is water.

The north town line is the border of Schenectady County, New York.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 32,688 people, 13,422 households, and 8,764 families residing in the town. The population density was 217.9/km² (564.3/mi²). There were 13,928 housing units at an average density of 92.8/km² (240.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.07% White, 2.51% African American, 0.14% Native American, 3.82% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.79% of the population.

There were 13,422 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $58,669, and the median income for a family was $68,472. Males had a median income of $48,742 versus $34,796 for females. The per capita income for the town was $29,508. About 2.4% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Education

Guilderland has its own school district, Guilderland Central School District. It has one high school, Guilderland High School, one middle school, Farnsworth Middle School, and five elementary schools.

[edit] Emergency Medical Services

[edit] Ambulance and Paramedic level care

Emergency Medical Services for the Town of Guilderland, except for the Village of Altamont as well as Guilderland Center, are provided by two main, yet separate medical organizations. The primary Basic Life Support Care ambulance agency is the Western Turnpike Rescue Squad^[1], serving the local community since 1939. The Altamont Rescue Squad^[2], established in 1937, covers the Village of Altamont, the hamlet of Guilderland Center, and parts of the town of Knox as well as a small portion of the town of Berne. Advanced Life Support Care is provided by the paid paramedic staff of Guilderland EMS^[3], which is a division of the Guilderland Police Department^[4].

[edit] Fire Departments

There are three main fire departments that also provide first responder medical care and rescue; including Guilderland Fire Department^[5], Westmere Fire Department^[6] Guilderland Center Fire Department^[7], Fort Hunter Fire Department, Altamont Fire Department^[8], North Bethlehem Fire Department and the McKownville Fire Department.

[edit] Police Department

Guilderland has its own police unit which is headquartered in town hall.

[edit] Communities and locations in Guilderland

• Altamont -- The Village of Altamont is in the western part of Guilderland, west of Guilderland Center.
• Dunnsville -- A hamlet in the northwest part of the town.
• Fort Hunter -- A hamlet in the northern part of the town.
• Fullers -- A hamlet northwest of Hartmans Corners on Route 20.
• Guilderland -- The hamlet of Guilderland is located on Route 20. The community was formerly called "Hamilton" and was also previously known as "Glass House" from the amount of window glass produced.
• Guilderland Center -- A hamlet west of Guilderland village.
• Hartmans Corners -- A hamlet northwest of Guilderland village on Route 20.
• McCormacks Corners -- A location northwest of Guilderland village on Route 20.
• McKownville -- A hamlet near the east town line and Albany.
• Meadowdale -- A hamlet by the south town line.
• North Bethlehem -- A hamlet on the south town line.
• Parkers Corners -- A hamlet in the northwestern part of the town.
• Watervliet Reservoir -- A reservoir north of Guilderland Center.
• Westmere -- A hamlet in the eastern part of the town on Route 20 and a suburb of Albany.

[edit] Footnotes

1. ^ http://www.wtrs.org/
2. ^ http://joinfireems.org
3. ^ http://www.guilderlandems.com/
4. ^ http://www.guildpba.com/
5. ^ http://www.guildernet.com/gfd/
6. ^ http://www.westmerefd.org/
7. ^ http://www.timesunion.com/communities/gcfd/
8. ^ http://altamontfd.dyndns.org/

[edit] External links

• Guilderland official website
• Guilderland Chamber of Commerce
• Guilderland Central School District
• Information on Guilderland Town Court

Coordinates: 42°42′16″N, 73°54′41″W