User:JimDunning/Sandbox/Wayne County Revamp

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Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. State of New York. It lies on the south shore of Lake Ontario, forming part of the northern border of the United States with Canada. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, a Revolutionary War hero and American statesman.

Its location during the early westward expansion of the United States, on an international border and in a fertile farming region, has contributed to a rich cultural and economic history. Two world religions sprung from within its borders, and its inhabitants played important roles in Abolitionism in the years leading up to the Civil War. Nineteenth century War of 1812 skirmishes, Great Lakes sailing ship commerce and Erie Canal barge traffic have since yielded to contemporary recognition as one of the world's most productive fruit growing regions.

History[edit]

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the land Wayne County encompasses was originally part of the Iroquois Confederacy, which had existed from around August 31, 1142.[1] When counties were established in New York State in 1683, it became part of Albany County. This was an enormous county, including the northern part of New York State and all of the present State of Vermont, extending (in theory) westward to the Pacific Ocean. In 1804, after numerous acts of subdividing, Seneca County was formed by the splitting of Cayuga County, which, in turn, was reduced in size by combining portions of Seneca and the remainder of Cayuga County to form Tompkins County in 1817.[citation needed]

In 1823, Wayne County was formed by combining portions of Seneca and Ontario Counties.

Westward expansion[edit]

The first non-Native American settlers of the region located along the Ganargua River, just west of present-day Palmyra. In 1788 the area became part of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase, a 6,000,000 acre tract of land sold to Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Sir William Pulteney, a British baronet and English land speculator. Pulteney and his partners purchased a 1,000,000 acres of the former Phelps and Gorham Purchase in 1790.[2]

The first westward road was one coming from near Utica, New York to Geneva, New York, and, with the building of the Cayuga Bridge in 1800, was the road chosen by nearly all of the westward travelers. This highway left the Wayne region somewhat isolated and settlers desiring to locate here came by way of streams and lakes lying to the north of this road. It was only a few years after that the "New road" came west, passing through the county, opening up the fertile Ganargua lands to easier settlement.[3]

The first permanent settlement was started by John Swift and Col. John Jenkins in March 1789, about two miles from Palmyra. In May of this same year a small colony made up of the Stansell and Leatherby families located at the junction of Ganargwa and the Canandaigua Outlet, calling the place Lyons, from a fancied likeness of the place to the spot on the Rhone, where that great city had its site.[3]

While Phelps and Gorham sold some land to settlers, they were unable to make payments on their land and much of the land in the Phelps Gorham purchase either reverted to Massachusetts and was resold or conveyed directly to Robert Morris, a major financier of the Revolutionary War and signer of The Declaration of Independence. In 1792, he in turn sold approximately 1,200,000 acres to The Pulteney Association owned by Sir William Pulteney and two other minor partners. The Pulteney Purchase, or the Genesee Tract as it was also known, comprised all of the present-day counties of Ontario, Steuben and Yates, as well as portions of Allegheny, Livingston, Monroe, Schuyler and Wayne. After Pulteney's death in 1805 the land was known as the Pulteney Estate.[4]

Sir William Pulteney selected Charles Williamson as land agent to develop the purchased 1,200,000 acres. In 1792, Williamson, a Scotsman came to the unsettled wilderness in upstate New York to develop the land by building roads, selecting sites for towns, dividing land into lots, and building gristmills, taverns, stores and houses.[4] Williamson selected Sodus Bay as the point for a future commercial center, on the idea that the lake and the Saint Lawrence River would be the outlet for the products of the region. In 1794 he had roads cut from Palmyra to Phelpstown. The town was surveyed by Joseph Colt in lots of a quarter acre; a hotel was built; $20,000 dollars was expended in the first two years in improvements. Sodus quickly passed from having an uncertain future to the head of the towns of the region.[3]

Great Lakes Commerce[edit]

Until the opening of the Erie Canal in 1823, Pultneyville, New York, at the mouth of Salmon Creek, was Wayne County's only port. Through the Saint Lawrence River, shipping in this small hamlet gave the county access to the Atlantic Ocean and the world. During the early years of the 19th century, activity in Pultneyville focused on agricultural commerce from the surrounding region (as far south as Canandaigua) and the maritime trade on the Great Lakes. This traffic extended to the Atlantic Ocean ports on America's northeast coast via the St. Lawrence, including New York City. In 1865, it was home to nearly 30 lake captains. In 1874 the first railroad appeared and the center of trade moved to Williamson and Pultneyville's siginificance as a commerce center sharply declined.[citation needed]

Religion: Wayne County and the Second Great Awakening[edit]

Kate and Margaret Fox

Wayne County played host to key events in the development of significant American religions during the country's Second Great Awakening period of the early 19th century. Palmyra became the birthplace of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 1820s. The Fox Sisters heard rappings from a dead peddler in Hydesville and spawned a movement that eventually garnered a million followers at its peak,[5] and Sodus Bay contained a significant, albeit short-lived, community of Shakers about the same time.[6]

Spiritualism and the Fox sisters[edit]

Spiritualists often set March 31, 1848 as the beginning of their movement. On that date, Kate and Margaret Fox, of Hydesville, reported that they had made contact with the spirit of a murdered peddler. What made this an extraordinary event was that the spirit communicated through audible rapping noises, rather than simply appearing to a person in a trance. The evidence of the senses appealed to practical Americans, and the Fox sisters became a sensation. Demonstrations of mediumship (séances and automatic writing, for example) proved to be a profitable venture, and soon became popular forms of entertainment and spiritual catharsis. The Foxes were to earn a living this way and others would follow their lead.[7]

Joseph Smith, Hill Cumorah and Mormonism[edit]

Joseph Smith, Jr.
Illustration by Charles William Carter, 1886

Hill Cumorah in Palmyra is where Smith discovered the Golden Plates which contained the writings of the Book of Mormon.

On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates of the Book of Mormon, deposited in a stone box.

— Joseph Smith, Jr.

Smith visited the hill each year on the fall equinox (September 21, 22, 23 or 24) between 1823 and 1827 and claimed to be instructed by "holy messengers", including the angel Moroni. Smith said he was finally allowed to take the Mormon record on September 22, 1827. No one else saw the actual plates until June 1829, and even then, only nine of the thirteen people who observed the plates were allowed to handle them.

The hill (which was then unnamed) was only a few miles from Joseph Smith's home on the main road toward Canandaigua from Palmyra to Manchester and is not far from Carangrie Creek and the Clyde River. According to geologists, the hill, a drumlin was formed during the retreat of the last Ice Age glaciers and it rises approximately 110 feet above the surrounding valley floor.

Smith organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and his followers eventually trekked westward, founding Salt Lake City, Utah. The Hill Cumorah Pageant is held annually in Palmyra by the church, which reported a worldwide membership of over 12.5 million in 2005.[8]

War of 1812[edit]

Two small skirmishes were fought in the county during the War of 1812: one in Sodus[citation needed] and the other in Williamson. In 1814 British troops landed in the Williamson hamlet of Pultneyville and an agreement was made with the villagers permitting the invaders to seize supplies without resistance. A dispute broke out, however, and weapons fire began on both sides, including cannon bombardment from Lake Ontario. A few citizens were killed or wounded and two were taken prisoner as the British fled.

Underground Railroad[edit]

During the American Civil War Wayne County inhabitants were active in support of the Underground Railroad due to the area's proximity to slave-free Canada.[citation needed]

Erie Canal[edit]

The Erie Canal transits the southern edge of the county. The villages of Lyons, Newark, and Palmyra all became homes to canal locks when the Albany to Rochester section of the canal opened on September 10, 1823. On that day these communities became part of a direct water-link between the eastern seaboard metropolises of New York City and Baltimore and America's quickly growing western frontier.

Hoffman Essays[edit]

Wayne County high school seniors are offered the opportunity to win a scholarship by the The Augustus L. and Jennie D. Hoffman Foundation Scholarship Essay Program. Established in 1954 to encourage the study of local history, students research and write essays on some aspect of Wayne County history or civic affairs. Between its inception and 2007 over 600 essays have been submitted.

Historical societies[edit]

In addition to the county historical society, there are a number of other historical preservation orgnanizations. Most of these are town or village based.

Law and Government[edit]

The county is governed by a Board of Supervisors, comprised of the town supervisors from each of the county's fifteen towns. The board's chairman is selected from amongst the supervisors. The 2007 county budget was $154 million.[9]

The county seat is the village of Lyons and bi-weekly board meetings are held in the Wayne County Court House in the village.

Education[edit]

Geography[edit]

Wayne County is in the western part of New York State, east of Rochester and northwest of Syracuse, on the south shore of Lake Ontario. Sodus Bay is located on the north shoreline of the county. Wayne is bounded by five other New York counties: the northern boundary is Lake Ontario with Canada on the opposite shore; the western boundary is Monroe County; and the eastern boundary is Cayuga County; the south boundary is shared with Ontario and Seneca Counties.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,585 km² (1,384 mi²). 1,565 km² (604 mi²) of it is land and 2,020 km² (780 mi²) of it (56.35%) is water.

The Clinton Formation, a band of red hematite across the county, led to a thriving iron industry during the 19th Century. Furnaces were located in the Towns of Ontario and Wolcott.

Towns and villages (incorporated communities)[edit]

The county is completely rural and has no cities. Its largest political subdivision (incorporated communities) is the town, followed by the village. There are the 15 towns and nine villages.

Unincorporated communities[edit]

Wayne county has a number of unincorporated communities. Most are considered hamlets.

Major Parks and Cultural Institutions[edit]

Notable Festivals and Parades, with dates[edit]

Economy[edit]

Major industries/products[edit]

Taxes[edit]

Demographics[edit]

County population[edit]

In 2005 the county's estimated population was 93,609, a slight drop from the decennial count in 2000 (93,765), and a 5 percent increase from the official count in 1990.[10] Families made up 70 percent of the households in Wayne County in 2005. This figure includes both married-couple families (59 percent) and other families (12 percent). Nonfamily households made up 30 percent of all households, Most of these households were people living alone, but some were comprised of people living in households in which no one was related to the householder. Source: American Community Survey, 2005

As of the census² of 2000, there were 93,765 people, 34,908 households, and 25,063 families residing in the county. The population density was 60/km² (155/mi²). There were 38,767 housing units and the average population density was 25/km² (64/mi²).[11]

There were 34,908 households out of which 36.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 22.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the county the population was spread out with 27.40% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 30.10% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,157, and the median income for a family was $51,495. Males had a median income of $36,825 versus $26,470 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,258. About 6.00% of families and 8.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.70% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over.

Racial/ethnic makeup[edit]

The racial makeup of the county was 93.80% White, 3.25% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.87% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.41% of the population.

Religious makeup[edit]

List of Census-recognized cities and towns in the county[edit]

Colleges/Universities in county, sporting teams in county, similar lists[edit]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Barbara, Mann (1997). "A Sign in the Sky: Dating the League of the Haudenosaunee". American Indian Culture and Research Journal. 21 (2). American Indian Studies Center. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ McKelvey, Blake (1927). "Historic Aspects of the Phelps and Gorham Treaty of July 4-8, 1788" (PDF). Rochester, New York: Rochester Public Library. Retrieved 2007-01-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ a b c Sullivan, James (1927). "The History of New York State". Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc. Retrieved 2007-01-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b "Williamson". Pultneyville Historical Society. 2003–2006. Retrieved 2007-01-07.
  5. ^ Stuart, Nancy Rubin (2005). The Reluctant Spiritualist. Harcourt Books. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Martin, John H. (Fall 2005). "Saints, Sinners and Reformers". The Crooked Lake Review. Retrieved 2007-01-07.
  7. ^ Carroll 1997; Braude 2001
  8. ^ Statistical Report 2005, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  9. ^ "Wayne County, New York: County Budget". Wayne County, New York. December 16, 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau, 2005 Population Estimates, Census 2000, 1990 Census". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2007-01-07.
  11. ^ "U.S. Census (2000) - Fact Sheet (Wayne County, NY)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2007-01-07.

Sources[edit]

"The Hoffman Foundation Scholarship Essay Program". Wayne County, NY: Office of the County Historian. Retrieved 2007-01-07.

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