Schoharie, New York | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location inSchoharie County and the state ofNew York. | |
| Coordinates:42°40′44″N74°18′44″W / 42.67889°N 74.31222°W /42.67889; -74.31222 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Schoharie |
| Settled | 1718 |
| Established | 1788 |
| Government | |
| • Supervisor | Alan Tavenner |
| Area | |
• Total | 29.96 sq mi (77.60 km2) |
| • Land | 29.83 sq mi (77.26 km2) |
| • Water | 0.13 sq mi (0.33 km2) 0.57% |
| Elevation | 604 ft (184 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,107 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 12157 |
| Area code | 518 |
| FIPS code | 36-65596 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0979470 |
| Website | Town website |
Schoharie (/skoʊˈhɛəriː/skoh-HAIR-ee) is an incorporatedtown in and thecounty seat ofSchoharie County, New York, United States. The population was 3,107 at the 2020 census.[3]
The Town of Schoharie has a village, also calledSchoharie. Both are derived from theMohawk word for driftwood. The town is on the northeast border of the county. It is part of theCapital District of New York.
This area was long occupied by indigenous peoples; in the historic period, theMohawk people, one of the Five Nations of theHaudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy, dominated this territory, ranging up to theSt. Lawrence River and east to the Hudson.
Although the English claimed New York province after taking control from the Dutch, the first European settlements in this area were byPalatine Germans in 1713, after the area was first explored in 1710/11.[4] These Germans were among nearly 3,000German Protestant refugees who sailed to New York in 1710, on ships arranged byQueen Anne's government. They were refugees from the religious warfare along the border withFrance, and also had suffered the loss of crops from an extremely harsh winter in 1709, when theRhine River froze.[5] The English believed the German settlers could help develop the colony and granted them land to the west of English settlements.
Most of the Palatine Germans worked off their passage for several years in two work camps established along the upperHudson River on property ofLivingston Manor, owned byRobert Livingston. When given land, they cleared and established farms. In 1723, 100 Palatine families from the 1710 immigration were granted land just west ofLittle Falls in the Mohawk Valley under the Burnetsfield Patent. Palatine Germans founded other settlements in the valley, as noted in names such as German Flatts and Palatine Bridge.[5] These frontier settlements were vulnerable to attack, but served as a defensive line during theFrench and Indian War and theAmerican Revolution.
Developed for agriculture, the Schoharie Valley was considered a bread basket of the colony because of the amount of wheat produced even during theAmerican Revolutionary War. Raids led byJoseph Brant and his Iroquois allies destroyed most of the buildings in the town of Schoharie.
Schoharie was first known as a district inAlbany County before Schoharie County was organized. Established as a town in Albany County in 1788, it became the founding town of the newly created Schoharie County in 1795. In 1797, part of the town was used to form the towns ofBlenheim,Broome,Cobleskill, andMiddleburgh. Similarly, area for the towns ofEsperance andWright were removed from Schoharie in 1846 as settlement increased in other areas.
Schoharie has continued since its early settlement as a largely agricultural community. Cheesemaking and the dairy industry were important in the 19th century, when products were sold to New York City. Artisan cheesemaking and related trades have been of increasing importance since the late 20th-century.
On August 28, 2011, the Town of Schoharie was flooded byHurricane Irene. Schoharie Creek rose to record levels, resulting in massive destruction of roads, homes, and businesses within the Town. Due to the devastation of what was classified as a500-year flood, federal agencies such as FEMA and the National Guard were called in to assess damages and provide relief, shelter and assistance to affected residents. Many farms in the area suffered severe economic losses due to animals lost or drowned in flood waters, barns deemed unusable, and fall harvest crops ruined.
TheBecker Stone House,Becker-Westfall House,The Colyer House,Sternbergh House, andWestheimer Site are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[6] TheAbraham Sternberg House was added in 2010 andChristian Hess House and Shoemaker's Shop in 2015.[7][8]
On October 6, 2018,a limousine crashed in Schoharie, killing 20 people.[9]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 30.0 square miles (77.6 km2), of which 29.8 square miles (77.2 km2) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.4 km2) (0.57%) is water.
Part of the northeast town line forms the border ofSchenectady County.
Interstate 88 crosses the north part of the town.New York State Route 30 is a north–south highway.State Route 30A diverges from NY-30 near the north town line.State Route 7 parallels the Interstate across the north part of Schoharie.New York State Route 443 intersects NY-30 at Vromans Corners.
TheSchoharie Creek flows northward out of the town to theMohawk River. TheCobleskill Creek enters Schoharie Creek by Old Central Bridge in the northwest part of the town.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 3,820 | — | |
| 1830 | 5,146 | 34.7% | |
| 1840 | 5,534 | 7.5% | |
| 1850 | 2,588 | −53.2% | |
| 1860 | 3,090 | 19.4% | |
| 1870 | 3,207 | 3.8% | |
| 1880 | 3,350 | 4.5% | |
| 1890 | 2,944 | −12.1% | |
| 1900 | 2,700 | −8.3% | |
| 1910 | 2,526 | −6.4% | |
| 1920 | 2,132 | −15.6% | |
| 1930 | 2,193 | 2.9% | |
| 1940 | 2,417 | 10.2% | |
| 1950 | 2,777 | 14.9% | |
| 1960 | 3,063 | 10.3% | |
| 1970 | 3,088 | 0.8% | |
| 1980 | 3,107 | 0.6% | |
| 1990 | 3,369 | 8.4% | |
| 2000 | 3,299 | −2.1% | |
| 2010 | 3,205 | −2.8% | |
| 2020 | 3,107 | −3.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10][11] | |||
As of thecensus[12] of 2000, there were 3,299 people, 1,314 households, and 883 families residing in the town. The population density was 110.7 inhabitants per square mile (42.7/km2). There were 1,435 housing units at an average density of 48.2 per square mile (18.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.30%White, 0.36%Black orAfrican American, 0.48%Native American, 0.12%Asian, 0.18% fromother races, and 0.55% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.97% of the population.
There were 1,314 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% weremarried couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,576, and the median income for a family was $50,000. Males had a median income of $31,737 versus $25,603 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $19,676. About 3.8% of families and 6.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
Municipalities and communities ofSchoharie County, New York,United States | ||
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| Hamlets | ||