Indian Lake, New York

Indian Lake, New York
Town

Indian Lake
Indian Lake, New York

Location within the state of New York

Coordinates: 43°46′57″N 74°17′37″W / 43.78250°N 74.29361°W
Country United States
State New York
County Hamilton
Government
  Type Town Council
  Town Supervisor Bryan Wells (R)
  Town Council
Area
  Total 266.2 sq mi (689.5 km2)
  Land 252.8 sq mi (654.8 km2)
  Water 13.4 sq mi (34.7 km2)
Elevation 1,706 ft (520 m)
Population (2010)
  Total 1,352
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
  Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 12842
Area code(s) 518
FIPS code 36-37374
GNIS feature ID 0979092

Indian Lake is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 1,352 at the 2010 census. The name is from a large lake partly inside the town. There are no permanent stop lights in the town, much less the county. Law enforcement is provided by New York State Troopers.

The Town of Indian Lake is on the east border of the county and is northeast of Utica.

Indian Lake terms itself the "Moose capital of the Northeast." Their welcoming sign on Route 28 even features this critter, and several other examples of this claim can be found throughout the town itself.

History

The Town of Indian Lake was established in 1858 from the Towns of Gilman (now defunct), Long Lake, and Wells. In 1861, Indian Lake was expanded using territory from Gilman and Lake Pleasant, New York.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 266.2 square miles (689 km2). 252.8 square miles (654.8 km². 13.4 square miles (35 km2) of Indian Lake is land making 5.03% of the village, water.

The town lies within the Adirondack Park. Essex County and Warren County border its east. In the village center, the east-west State Highway 28 meets the north-south highway 30. The Hudson River forms part of the eastern town line.

The land that fills its borders is made up of both state and private land. There are dozens of seasonal hunting camps.

Demographics

According to the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,471 people, 651 households, and 425 families residing in the town. The population density is 5.8 people per square mile (2.2/km²). There are 1,722 housing units with an average density of 6.8 per square mile (2.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town is 97.96% White, 0.34% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.75% from other races, and 0.75% multi-racial. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population.

Within the town's 651 households, 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female head of household, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone livin g alone and 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the town the population under the age of 18 is 20.0%, with 4.7% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $32,328, and the median income for a family is $39,438. The median income for males is $29,375 as compared to$23,661 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,940. A lot of people in the town commute south for work, as the Town of Indian Lake itself has very little industry. About 4.4% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Other information

View from a campsite at Lewey Lake (near Indian Lake)
A view of one of the many coves on Indian Lake.
Fall foliage at Indian Lake

The Indian Lake Museum in the hamlet of Indian Lake contains displays relating to the historic Indian population. The Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake has displays of outdoor living in the region. The Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts in Blue Mountain Lake provides cultural events during the summer season. The Indian Lake Library provides books, DVDs, audios and access to the Internet.

The Lake itself was the inspiration for the 1960s hit single INDIAN LAKE by The Cowsills. (The writer having spent vacation there at what used to be Beeches Cottages on Indian Lake.)

Once called the "Whitewater Capital of New York State," Indian Lake remains a haven. State record game has been taken from the forests surrounding Indian Lake.

Communities and locations in Indian Lake

References

  1. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

Coordinates: 43°46′57″N 74°16′19″W / 43.78250°N 74.27194°W