Little Falls | |
|---|---|
City | |
 | |
 Location within Herkimer County | |
  Little Falls  Little Falls | |
| Coordinates:43°2′36″N74°51′35″W / 43.04333°N 74.85972°W /43.04333; -74.85972 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Herkimer |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Council |
| • Mayor | Deborah Kaufman (R) |
| • Common Council | |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.99 sq mi (10.33 km2) |
| • Land | 3.84 sq mi (9.94 km2) |
| • Water | 0.15 sq mi (0.39 km2) |
| Elevation | 420 ft (128 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,605 |
| • Density | 1,199.8/sq mi (463.23/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 13365 |
| Area code | 315 |
| FIPS code | 36-42741 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0955522 |
| Website | thisislittlefalls |
Little Falls is a city inHerkimer County, New York, United States. The population was 4,605 at the time of the2020 census, which is thesecond-smallest city population in the state, ahead of only the city ofSherrill.[2] The city is built on both sides of theMohawk River, at a point at which rapids had impeded travel upriver. Transportation through the valley was improved by construction of theErie Canal, completed in 1825 and connecting theGreat Lakes with theHudson River.
The city is located at the northeastern corner of thetown of Little Falls and is east ofUtica.
Little Falls has a picturesque location on the slope of a narrow and rockydefile, through which the Mohawk River falls 45 feet (14 m) in less than a mile (1.6 km), forming a number of cascades.
Little Falls was first settled by Europeans around 1723, whenGerman Palatines were granted land under the Burnetsfield Patent. It was then the westernmost European settlement in the colony of New York. The need toportage around the falls promoted a trading location on the site of the future city. It was the first settlement in the town.[3] The settlers were attacked during the French and Indian War, but rebuilt their farms.
The small settlement here was destroyed by Iroquois Indians, mostlyMohawk, and Tories in June 1782. The village was not resettled until 1790, and it was known at times as "Rockton" and "Rock City." Little Falls was incorporated as a village in 1811, and reincorporated in 1827. The City of Little Falls was chartered in 1895.
The Western Inland Canal (early attempt of the Erie Canal) was constructed in 1792 and helped the local economy. TheErie Canal, completed in 1825, passes through the city. Lock 17 of the New York State Erie Canal replaced the three locks of the original 1825 Erie Canal and is 40.5 feet (12.3 m) in height.
With dairy farms located throughout the town, Little Falls was a major center for the manufacturing of cheese in the third quarter of the 19th century. Its products were shipped to market in New York City and other major cities. In the 20th century it attracted immigrants from eastern and southern Europe, who worked in factories for textiles, gloves and other products.
In 1900, 10,381 people lived in Little Falls. It had its peak of population in 1920 with 13,029. Increasing urbanization of larger cities and the decline of manufacturing in the Mohawk Valley in mid-century have led to a decline in population.
In 1903, a westboundNew York Central special newspaper trainderailed due to excessive speed on a sharp curve killing the engine crew. In 1940, a much more seriouscrash at the same location of a fifteen car luxury passenger train killed 31.
In October 1912, workers attwo textile mills in the city went on strike following a decrease in pay. The strike, led by theIndustrial Workers of the World, lasted into the following year and saw a violent confrontation between strikers and police.
The following are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places:James Sanders House,Italian Community Bake Oven,Little Falls City Hall,Little Falls Historic District,Overlook,Emmanuel Episcopal Church,South Ann Street-Mill Street Historic District, and theUnited States Post Office.[6][7][8][9]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.3 km2), of which 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2) are land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), or 3.79%, are water.[2] Little Falls is mostly on the north bank of theMohawk River, near a waterfall which was smaller than another waterfall on the river inCohoes. The cliff on the south bank of the Mohawk River in the city is known as Rollaway.[citation needed]
New York state routes 5,167,169 and170 converge on Little Falls. NY 170 has its southern terminus in the city, while NY 169 has its southern terminus south of the city, in the town ofDanube.
Little Falls is served byThe Times Telegram of nearbyHerkimer, which was formed in 2015 by the merger of the locally basedEvening Times into Herkimer'sEvening Telegram, as well as theObserver-Dispatch in Utica. Two radio stations,WIXT (1230 AM) andWSKU (105.5 FM), are licensed to the city. Little Falls is also served by stations in the Uticatelevision market.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 5,387 | — | |
| 1880 | 6,910 | 28.3% | |
| 1890 | 8,783 | 27.1% | |
| 1900 | 10,381 | 18.2% | |
| 1910 | 12,273 | 18.2% | |
| 1920 | 13,029 | 6.2% | |
| 1930 | 11,105 | −14.8% | |
| 1940 | 10,163 | −8.5% | |
| 1950 | 9,541 | −6.1% | |
| 1960 | 8,935 | −6.4% | |
| 1970 | 7,629 | −14.6% | |
| 1980 | 6,156 | −19.3% | |
| 1990 | 5,829 | −5.3% | |
| 2000 | 5,188 | −11.0% | |
| 2010 | 4,946 | −4.7% | |
| 2020 | 4,605 | −6.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] | |||
As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 5,188 people, 2,339 households, and 1,277 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,367.0 inhabitants per square mile (527.8/km2). There were 2,646 housing units at an average density of 697.2 per square mile (269.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.78%White, 0.29%Black orAfrican American, 0.33%Native American, 0.58%Asian, 0.06% fromother races, and 0.96% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.54% of the population.
There were 2,339 households, out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.4% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.4% were non-families. 39.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 24.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,965, and the median income for a family was $34,583. Males had a median income of $28,807 versus $21,040 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,139. About 9.3% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
Business and legal records fromAlexander Ellice, James Phyn, and John Porteous comprise theLittle Falls Business and Legal Records collection atThe Buffalo History Museum.[13] They range in date from 1764-1862 and are not digitized or online.
Municipalities and communities ofHerkimer County, New York,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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