Skaneateles (town), New York
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Skaneateles (skǎn·ē·ǎt'·ləs, preferred, or "skinny atlas," common) is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 7,323 at the 2000 census. The name is from a native term for the adjacent lake: "long lake."
The Town of Skaneateles is on the western border of the county and includes a village, also called Skaneateles. Both town and village are southwest of Syracuse, New York.
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[edit] History
The area was part of the former Central New York Military Tract. The Town of Skaneateles was formed in 1830 from the Town of Marcellus. Early turnpikes facilitated development, as mentioned in the article about the Village of Skaneateles. The town was noted for participation in reform movements prior to the Civil War.
The utopian Skaneateles Community in 1843 acquired and successfully operated a large farm and developed small industries, but failed because of internal difficulties, as well as external concern about its unorthodox social practices. Locally it was sometimes called "No God," because of the atheistic views of members. The Skaneateles Community published a newspaper, the "Comunitist" [sic] between 1844 and 1846, when the community dissolved. Buildings are extant, known as "Community Place," now serving a bed-and-breakfast function.
Some Skaneateles men volunteered for the ill-fated campaign (Patriot War, 1848) to liberate Canada and were imprisoned by the British in Tasmania. Quaker congregations were involved in abolition activity. Underground Railroad sites have been documented in the Town of Skaneateles. Although the larger City of Syracuse nearby was known nationally as center of abolition and Underground Railroad activity, Skaneatles was said (by Beauchamp, an early historian) to have "eclipsed Syracuse as an anti-slavery town."
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 126.3 km² (48.8 mi²). 110.5 km² (42.7 mi²) of it is land and 15.8 km² (6.1 mi²) of it (12.51%) is water.
Much of Skaneateles Lake (one of the Finger Lakes) is in the town. The west town line is the border of Cayuga County. Skaneateles Creek flows out the north end of the lake through Skaneateles village.
US Route 20 is an east-west highway through the town. New York State Route 41A is a north-south highway along the west shore of Skaneateles Lake and New York Route 41 is a north-south highway along the eastern shore. New York State Route 321 is a north-south high entering Skaneateles village from the north. New York State Route 359 is a north-south highway in the southwest part of the town.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 7,323 people, 2,881 households, and 2,082 families residing in the town. The population density was 66.3/km² (171.7/mi²). There were 3,233 housing units at an average density of 29.3/km² (75.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.99% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.
There were 2,881 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.2% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $57,550, and the median income for a family was $69,023. Males had a median income of $51,621 versus $31,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,624. About 1.8% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Communities and locations in the Town of Skaneateles
- Jones Beach -- A hamlet on the east shore of Skaneatles Lake on NY-41.
- Long Bridge -- A hamlet at the north town line, north of Mottville.
- Mandana -- A hamlet down the west side of the lake.
- Mottville -- A hamlet 2 Miles North of Skaneates village on Jordan Street and north of Willow Glen.
- Sandy Beach -- A community on the east side of the lake south of Skaneateles village.
- Shepard Settlement --
- Village of Skaneateles -- North End of Lake
- Skanondaga Heights -- A lakeshore hamlet on the west side of the lake south of Winding Ways.
- Thornton Grove -- A lakeshore hamlet on the west side of the lake south of Winding Ways.
- Thornton Heights -- A lakeshore hamlet on the west side of the lake south of Winding Ways. Across From Veggie Stand.
- Wicks Corners -- A hamlet on the west town line, northwest of Skaneateles village.
- Willow Glen -- A hamlet on Old Seneca Turnpike, located north of Skaneatels village.
- Winding Ways -- A hamlet on the west shore of Skaneateles Lake.
- Highland Way -- A hamlet just east of Skaneateles, Onondaga Rd
[edit] References
- William Beauchamp. "Notes of other days in Skaneateles, written for the Skaneateles democrat in 1876. Cornell Library New York State Literature [[1]]
- Hamm, Thomas D., God's Government Begun: The Society fo Universl Inquiry and Reform, 1842-1846. Indian University Press, 1995.
- Hamm, Thomas D. "Skaneateles Community." Encylopedia of New York State, Syracuse University Press, 2005.
- Fogarty, Robert. "Utopian and Intentional Communities," The Encylcopedia of New York State. Syracuse University Press, 2005.
[edit] External links
- Town of Skaneateles, NY, Government Site
- Khim Winship. ""The Town of Skaneateles." 2005.
- History, Town of Skaneateles
- Skaneateles area Chamber of Commerce
- The Skaneateles Historical Society
- Skaneateles Town Court
- Skaneateles Underground Railroad Sites
- "Skaneateles: Cradle of Communism"
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County Seat: Syracuse |
|---|---|
| Cities | |
| Towns |
Camillus | Cicero | Clay | DeWitt | Elbridge | Fabius | Geddes | LaFayette | Lysander | Manlius | Marcellus | Onondaga | Otisco | Pompey | Salina | Skaneateles | Spafford | Tully | Van Buren |
| Villages |
Baldwinsville | Camillus | East Syracuse | Elbridge | Fabius | Fayetteville | Jordan | Liverpool | Manlius | Marcellus | Minoa | North Syracuse | Skaneateles | Solvay | Tully |
| Principal hamlets |
Amber | Amboy | Apulia | Apulia Station | Borodino | Brewerton | Bridgeport | Cardiff | Cedarvale | Cicero | Clay | Clintonville | Collingwood | Delphi | Delphi Falls | DeWitt | Fairmount | Galeville | Geddes | Hart Lot | Hinsdale | Howlett Hill | Indian Village | Jamesville | Kirkville | LaFayette | Long Branch | Lysander | Marcellus Falls | Marietta | Mattydale | Memphis | Mottville | Navarino | Nedrow | Onondaga Hill | Oran | Otisco | Plainville | Pompey | Pompey Center | Rose Hill | Skaneateles Falls | South Onondaga | South Spafford | Southwood | Spafford | Split Rock | State Fair Grounds | Taunton | Thorn Hill | Van Buren | Vesper | Warners | Watervale |
| Other hamlets |
Jack's Reef | Lakeland | Lyncourt | Messina Springs | Mycenae | Seneca Knolls | Shepard Settlement | Spafford Valley | Village Green | Westvale |
| Reservations |
