Fort Plain, New York

Fort Plain, New York
Village
Fort Plain, New York

Location within the state of New York

Coordinates: 42°55′51″N 74°37′29″W / 42.93083°N 74.62472°WCoordinates: 42°55′51″N 74°37′29″W / 42.93083°N 74.62472°W
Country United States
State New York
County Montgomery
Government
 • Mayor Guy Barton
Area
 • Total 1.4 sq mi (3.7 km2)
 • Land 1.4 sq mi (3.5 km2)
 • Water 0.1 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation 305 ft (93 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 2,322
 • Density 1,700/sq mi (630/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 13339
Area code(s) 518
FIPS code 36-26924
GNIS feature ID 0950490

Fort Plain is a village in Montgomery County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 2,322. The village is named after a fort built on a plain at the junction of the Mohawk and Osquaga rivers, during the American Revolution.[1]

The village of Fort Plain is at the border of the Towns of Minden and Canajoharie and is west of Amsterdam.

Because of its small size and the close connections with neighboring communities, some former residents who now live in more populous regions use Fort Plain to refer collectively to the actual village of Fort Plain and the surrounding villages of Nelliston, Canajoharie, and Palatine Bridge.

History

The village is in a region where a branch of the Mohawk had four major villages. In 1738, the governor of New York built a stone house for the use of his sons. Other early settlers included Palatinate Germans.

The village is built at the foot of the hill where the fort once stood. The fort, a Revolutionary War fort, was constructed in 1776 and a blockhouse was maintained here throughout the war. While many of the village's men were fighting elsewhere, the women, dressed as men, were able to fend off Indian attacks by manning the walls of the fort.

Fort Plain became an incorporated village in 1832. The opening of the Erie Canal was an economic boom. It became a center of manufacturing during the Nineteenth century for textiles and furniture.

Fort Plain is also the birthplace of the first black professional baseball player, Bud Fowler. Fowler appeared in an exhibition game with a team from Lynn, Iowa in 1878, 68 years before Jackie Robinson played in a professional baseball game.

Fort Plain is also home to a large number of Amish and now, Montgomery County has one of the largest populations of Amish in the country.

The Fort Plain Conservation Area and United States Post Office are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[2]

Notable residents

Geography

Fort Plain is located at 42°55′51″N 74°37′29″W / 42.930846°N 74.624799°W.[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2), of which, 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (3.55%) is water.

The village is located on the south bank of the Mohawk River, where the Otsquago Creek' enters the Mohawk. The Erie Canal, using the Mohawk River, is adjacent to the village. The Village of Nelliston is on the opposite shore of the river.

New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) passes through the community. Fort Plain is at the intersection of NY Route 80 (Reid Street), NY Route 5S (Canal Street), and NY Route 163. NY 163 has its northern terminus at NY 80 in the village.

Demographics

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 2,288 people, 960 households, and 599 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,680.0 people per square mile (649.6/km2). There were 1,108 housing units at an average density of 813.5 per square mile (314.6/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 98.60% White, 0.09% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.48% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.44% of the population.

There were 960 households out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the village the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $27,476, and the median income for a family was $40,302. Males had a median income of $28,462 versus $21,557 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,369. About 10.5% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

References

  1. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 129.
  2. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13.
  3. ↑ "Local actress made a mark in Hollywood". The Daily Gazette. May 6, 1996. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  4. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  5. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links