Romulus, New York

Romulus, New York
Town
Romulus, New York

Location within the state of New York

Coordinates: 42°43′19″N 76°50′26″W / 42.72194°N 76.84056°W
Country United States
State New York
County Seneca
Area
 • Total 51.3 sq mi (132.9 km2)
 • Land 37.8 sq mi (97.9 km2)
 • Water 13.5 sq mi (35.0 km2)
Elevation 758 ft (231 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 2,036
 • Density 53.9/sq mi (20.8/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 14541
Area code(s) Area code 607/315
FIPS code 36-63440
GNIS feature ID 0979431

Romulus is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 2,036 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the mythical founder of Rome, Romulus, a name assigned by a clerk with an interest in the classics.

The Town of Romulus is in the central part of the county, northwest of Ithaca, New York.

History

Before the American Revolution, this area was controlled by both the Cayuga tribe and the Seneca tribe. Jesuit missionaries visited the area in the 17th Century. A punitive action in 1779 destroyed native villages and drove many of the Native Americans away. Romulus contains the area of Kendaia (Apple Town), a former Iroquois (Cayuga) village destroyed by the residents in anticipation of the arrival of the Sullivan Expedition on September 5, 1779.

After the war, this town became part of the Central New York Military Tract, land for veterans of the Revolution. Returning natives were provided with land at the north end of Cayuga Lake. This reservation was partly in the eastern side of modern Romulus. The first non-native settlers arrived around 1789.

The town was formed while still part of Onondaga County in 1794. In 1800, part of Romulus was used to make the Town of Fayette. The north part of Romulus was used to form the Town of Varick in 1830.

The town also contains the former Seneca Army Depot (1941 - 1990s), built during World War II and finally phased out after the Gulf War. It was a major employer for citizens of Romulus and surrounding parts of Seneca County. The Seneca Army Airfield, located along NY-96A, provided a long runway for transport aircraft.

Willard State Hospital was converted to a state prison drug treatment center in 1995.

(Portions of a diary written by Henry McLafferty Jr (1819–1859) are available online from the Rochester Public Library: Romulus Revisited: Extracts from the Diary of Henry McLafferty, Jr. 1856–1857).

Geography

The town lies between Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake at latitude 42° 45' 8" N. and longitude 76° 50' 2" W. at an altitude of 705 ft (214 m).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 51.3 square miles (133 km2), of which 37.8 square miles (98 km2) is land and 13.5 square miles (35 km2) (26.34%) is water.

Romulus is in the Finger Lakes District of New York and lies between Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake.

New York State Route 89, New York State Route 96, New York State Route 96A, and New York State Route 414 are all north-south highways in the town.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,036 people, 583 households, and 420 families residing in the town. The population density was 53.9 people per square mile (20.8/km²). There were 812 housing units at an average density of 21.5 per square mile (8.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 81.88% White, 13.75% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 1.87% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.96% of the population.

There were 583 households out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 124.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 137.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $42,404, and the median income for a family was $45,938. Males had a median income of $39,417 versus $25,938 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,332. About 9.1% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Romulus

References

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

External links

Coordinates: 42°45′08″N 76°50′01″W / 42.75222°N 76.83361°W