Gloversville, New York

Gloversville, New York
City
City of Gloversville[1]
Gloversville, New York

Location in the state of New York

Coordinates: 43°3′N 74°21′W / 43.050°N 74.350°WCoordinates: 43°3′N 74°21′W / 43.050°N 74.350°W
Country United States
State New York
County Fulton
Incorporated (village)[2] 1853
Incorporated (city)[2] March 19, 1890
Government
 • Type Mayor-Council
 • Mayor Dayton J. King (I)
 • Common Council
Area[4]
 • Total 5.10 sq mi (13.2 km2)
 • Land 5.09 sq mi (13.2 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation 820 ft (250 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 15,665
 • Density 3,027.0/sq mi (1,168.7/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 12078
Area code(s) 518 Exchanges: 725,773,775
FIPS code 36-29443
GNIS feature ID 0951265
Website http://www.cityofgloversville.com

Gloversville, in Fulton County, New York, was once the hub of America's glovemaking industry with over two hundred manufacturers in Gloversville and the adjacent city of Johnstown.[5] In 2000, Gloversville had a population of 15,413,[6] and 15,665 in 2010.

History

The region, historically known as "Kingsborough", was acquired by Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet. In 1752, Arent Stevens bought land. Puritans from New England settled there at the end of the 18th century. The proximity of hemlock forests to supply bark for tanning made the community a center of leather production early in its history. It earned its name for being the center of the American glove making industry for many years. Upon the establishment of a United States Post Office in 1828, Gloversville became the official name of the community.Prior to that Gloversville had been known as "Stump City" because of the large number of tress that had been cut down. In 1890–1950, 90 percent of all gloves sold in the United States were made in Gloversville.[7]

Large tanneries and glove shops employed nearly 80% of the residents of Gloversville and environs. Home workers sewed the gloves from leather that had been cut in factories. Related businesses, such as box makers, sewing machine repairmen, and thread dealers opened to serve the industry.

In 1853, Gloversville incorporated as a village. In 1890, it incorporated as a city.[2]

Until 1936, Gloversville had a very active electric interurban line, the Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Railroad. It ran from Gloversville, through Johnstown, along the Mohawk River to Amsterdam, then to Scotia, then across the Mohawk River, and into downtown Schenectady to the New York Central station. In 1932 in a bold move during the Great Depression it acquired unique Bullet cars in an attempt to revive business. Passenger service ended in 1936, but freight operation continued.[8]

Gloversville was the main headquarters for the Schine movie industry. The Glove Theatre was the Schines' favorite movie house. Hollywood movies sometimes premiered in Gloversville before they opened in California.

The decline of the glove industry left the city financially depressed, with many downtown storefronts abandoned and store windows covered with plywood. Many of the houses were abandoned when people moved out of town to find jobs elsewhere.

Local government

The mayor of Gloversville is Dayton King. He began a four-year term on January 1, 2010 and was reelected to a second term in 2013.

Mayors of Gloversville

Geography and climate

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.10 square miles (13.2 km2), of which 0.20% is water.[4]New York State Route 29A (Fulton Street) is an east-west road through the city. New York State Route 30A is a north-south highway through the east side of the city. Another north-south highway, New York State Route 309 (Bleecker Street) terminates its southern reach at NY-29A in Gloversville. The Cayadutta Creek flows southward through the city, which is southwest of the Great Sacandaga Lake.

The city sits in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains and therefore is within a climatic transition zone. Gloversville experiences the warmer summer temperatures common throughout the Capital Region's Hudson and Mohawk Valleys while experiencing generally more copious precipitation throughout the year than the Capital Region. This manifests in commonplace rolling thunderstorms throughout the summer months and snowfall amounts more akin to the lake-pocked higher elevations of the Adirondacks in the winter months.

Climate data for Gloversville, New York (12078)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 68
(20)		 62
(17)		 83
(28)		 90
(32)		 90
(32)		 96
(36)		 98
(37)		 96
(36)		 99
(37)		 87
(31)		 77
(25)		 66
(19)		 99
(37)
Average high °F (°C) 28
(−2)		 32
(0)		 41
(5)		 55
(13)		 68
(20)		 76
(24)		 80
(27)		 79
(26)		 71
(22)		 58
(14)		 46
(8)		 34
(1)		 55.7
(13.2)
Average low °F (°C) 10
(−12)		 11
(−12)		 21
(−6)		 33
(1)		 44
(7)		 54
(12)		 58
(14)		 57
(14)		 48
(9)		 36
(2)		 28
(−2)		 17
(−8)		 34.8
(1.6)
Record low °F (°C) −29
(−34)		 −26
(−32)		 −14
(−26)		 5
(−15)		 24
(−4)		 34
(1)		 40
(4)		 34
(1)		 22
(−6)		 17
(−8)		 0
(−18)		 −23
(−31)		 −28
(−33)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.20
(81.3)		 2.89
(73.4)		 3.88
(98.6)		 3.95
(100.3)		 4.16
(105.7)		 4.65
(118.1)		 4.35
(110.5)		 4.57
(116.1)		 3.70
(94)		 4.53
(115.1)		 3.10
(78.7)		 3.51
(89.2)		 46.49
(1,180.8)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 24.2
(61.5)		 16.5
(41.9)		 13.4
(34)		 1.7
(4.3)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.1
(0.3)		 3.7
(9.4)		 17.4
(44.2)		 77.0
(195.6)
Source: The Weather Channel[9]

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 15,665 people, 6,521 households, and 3,898 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,027.0 people per square mile (1,169.2/km²). There were 7,570 housing units at an average density of 1,480.8 per square mile (571.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.37%(89.5 Non-Hispanic) White, 4.86% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.60% Asian,and 1.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.67% of the population.[6]

In the city the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.[6]

The median income for a household in the city was $26,755, and the median income for a family was $34,713. Males had a median income of $27,109 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,207. About 14.9% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.6% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.[6]

Education

Gloversville falls almost entirely within the Gloversville Enlarged School District, with small portions of the city falling within Mayfield Central and Greater Johnstown School Districts.[10] Nearly all of Gloversville ESD's schools are within city limits, with the exception of Meco Elementary, which is in the Town of Johnstown within 0.5 miles (0.80 km) of the city's western border. Boulevard Elementary School is partially within the city and partially within the Town of Johnstown.[11][12]

Notable residents

Actress Elizabeth Anne Allen, who played Amy Madison on Buffy the Vampire Slayer was raised in Gloversville, as was fellow actress Betty Buehler.

Harvard University physician, pathologist, and immunologist Dr. Albert Coons grew up in Gloversville. Coons devised the technology of immunofluorescence microscopy and was given the prestigious Albert Lasker Award in 1959 for his achievements in medical science.

Physicist William A. Edelstein, one of the key developers of MRI scanning, was born in Gloversville.

In 1899, the Hollywood producer Samuel Goldwyn immigrated from Poland through England to Canada, walked through snow into the United States at an unmanned border point in rural Maine, eventually making his way to Gloversville, where he worked as a glove maker and commissioned salesman for the Elite Glove Company.[13]

Eugene Goossen (1921–1997), an art historian, was born in Gloversville.[14]

Hall of Fame Harness racing driver Billy Haughton.

Artist Frederic Remington was a one-time resident.

Pulitzer Prize winning author Richard Russo (Empire Falls, The Risk Pool) was raised in Gloversville. The city and its residents were the inspiration for many of his characters and locations in his novels, especially his novel Mohawk.

Kenneth F. Cramer, United States Army Major General and Chief of the National Guard Bureau

Emmy Award winning videographer Richard (Rick) Armstrong, 2012 "Games of the XXX Olympiad" in London England for NBC Sports. Washington D.C. news and sports cameraman and editor covering the White House, Capitol Hill and the NFL for WUSA TV and CBS for 30 years.

References

  1. ↑ "Charter and Code of City of Gloversville". General Code. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Community – Demographic/Historical". City of Gloversville. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Members of the Common Council". City of Gloversville. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "New York by Place and County Subdivision". United States Census Bureau. 2000. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  5. ↑ gloversandtanners http://www.gloversandtanners.com/1910_directory.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  7. ↑ Trebay, Guy (October 21, 2009). "Heir to a Glove Town’s Legacy". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  8. ↑ Middleton. Bullet cars on the FJ&G Railroad.
  9. ↑ "The Weather Channel – Monthly Weather for Gloversville, NY". Weather.com. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  10. ↑ Fulton County Map Viewer (Map). Fulton County, NY. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  11. ↑ Overview of Gloversville showing locations of GESD schools (Map). Cartography by My Topo.com. Acme Mapper 2.0. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  12. ↑ Phillips, Elizabeth. "Gloversville Enlarged School District – Gloversville, NY". Gloversville Enlarged School District, Capital Region BOCES Communications Service. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  13. ↑ Berg, Scott, Goldwyn, A Biography, A. Knopf, NYC. 1989
  14. ↑ Dobryznski, Judith H. (July 17, 1997). "Eugene Goossen, 76, Art Critic". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2010.

Bibliography

External links