Chateaugay (town), New York

Chateaugay, New York
—  Town  —
High Falls, Chateaugay, NY
Chateaugay, New York Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 44°55′21″N 74°04′27″W / 44.9225°N 74.07417°W / 44.9225; -74.07417Coordinates: 44°55′21″N 74°04′27″W / 44.9225°N 74.07417°W / 44.9225; -74.07417
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Franklin
Government
- Type	Town Council
- Town Supervisor	Donald W. Bilow (D)
- Town Council	Members' List • William Trombly (R) • Frederick Cook (R) • Helen Ryan (R) • Arthur M. McCormick (D)
Area
- Total	49.8 sq mi (128.9 km2)
- Land	49.8 sq mi (128.9 km2)
- Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	972 ft (296 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	2,036
- Density	40.9/sq mi (15.8/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s)	518
FIPS code
GNIS feature ID

Chateaugay ( /ˈʃætəɡeɪ/) is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,036. The name is derived from a location in France, which was applied to a local land grant.

Within the Town of Chateaugay is a village named Chateaugay. The town is in the northeast corner of the county.

History

The first settlement took place in 1796.

The town was formed in 1799 before Franklin County was established from parts of the Towns of Champlain and Plattsburgh. By 1802, Chateaugay comprised most of Franklin County. Subsequently, its territory was reduced to form other towns. The Town of Malone was set off from Chateaugay in 1805. When Franklin County was established from Clinton County, part of Chateaugay remained in Clinton County. The Town of St. Armand was taken off in 1822 and placed in Essex County. The remaining three towns derived from Chateaugay remained in Franklin County: Bellmont (1833) and Franklin (taken from Bellmont in 1834), and Burke (1844), .

Chateaugay was the hometown for Orville H. Gibson. Orville Gibson founded the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1902. Gibson died August 21, 1918 in St. Lawrence State Hospital, a psychiatric center in Ogdensburg, New York.

In 1856, a tornado demolished more than one hundred structures in the town.

In 1868, the community of Chateaugay set itself off by incorporating as a village.

Since 1934, the McCadam Cheese Cooperative (founded in 1876) has made some of the best cheddar cheese in the world in Chateaugay.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 49.8 square miles (128.9 km²), all land.

The northern town line is the international border with Canada (Quebec), and the east town line is the border of Clinton County.

US Route 11 is an east-west highway. New York State Route 374 is a north-south highway intersecting US-11 at Chateaugay village.

The Chateaugay River, a tributary of the St. Lawrence River flows northward through the town from Lower Chateaugay Lake.

Nicknamed "the frozen hell of New York".

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there are 2,036 people, 714 households, and 477 families residing in the town. The population density is 40.9 people per square mile (15.8/km²). There are 865 housing units at an average density of 17.4 per square mile (6.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town is 89.69% White, 6.39% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 2.95% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. 6.19% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 714 households out of which 30.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% are married couples living together, 9.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% are non-families. 27.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.46 and the average family size is 2.97.

In the town the population is spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 126.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 134.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $32,609, and the median income for a family is $37,639. Males have a median income of $29,716 versus $21,125 for females. The per capita income for the town is $15,541. 17.5% of the population and 12.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 23.1% of those under the age of 18 and 14.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Communities and locations in the Town of Chateaugay

• Brayton Hollow – A hamlet northwest of Chateaugay village by the west town line on County Road 35.
• Chateaugay – The Village of Chateaugay is centrally located within the town on US-11 at NY-374.
• Chateaugay Chasm – A location at the west town line.
• Chateaugay River – A tributary of the St. Lawrence River.
• Chateaugay State Fish Hatchery – A fish hatchery near the east town line.
• Earlville – A hamlet near the east town line on County Road 39.
• High Falls Park – A park southwest of Chateaugay village.

References

1. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

• Early Chateaugay history
• History of Chateugay's early days
• Link to old photos^{[dead link]}
• More old photos^{[dead link]}
• Shatagee Woods