Almond is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
in
Allegany County,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, United States. The population was 1,526 at the 2020 census.
The Town of Almond is on the eastern edge of the county. The town has a
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
also called
Almond
The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus ...
. The town is west of
Hornell
Hornell is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Steuben County, New York, Steuben County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 8,259 at the 2020 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early set ...
and is accessible from
Interstate 86 at Exit 33 and
New York State Route 21
New York State Route 21 (NY 21) is a state highway extending for about through the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 417 in the village of Andover, ...
.
History
The first part of the town to be settled was near Karrdale in 1796. When Allegany County was established in 1806, the region now in the Town of Almond was part of the
Town of Alfred. The Town of Almond was formed in 1821. After Almond was established, parts were removed to form the towns of
West Almond and
Birdsall.
A history of the area, ''The Almond Story - The Early Years'', was published by John Reynolds, Town Historian, in 1962. (Copies are available from the Almond Historical Society, whose website is at https://almondhistory.wordpress.com/ . See also https://www.facebook.com/AlmondHistoricalSociety/ .) According to Mr. Reynolds, the town is named for a place in Scotland, and not for the nut, which would most likely not have been available here in the wilderness when the town was named. Consequently, the pronunciation is not the same as that of the nut: the word Almond properly begins with the same sound as the nearby towns of Alfred, Alma, Addison, and Angelica.
The Almond Historical Society maintains a museum of local history at the Hagadorn House, a large yellow house on the corner by the town's only traffic light. The House was built in 1830 and features a large open fireplace and stone oven with original cookware, which had been walled in to conserve heat, but was rediscovered by the last couple to occupy the House, Ken and Marie Hagadorn. These Hagadorns had no children, and left their house to the then-recently formed Historical Society in 1971 to serve as a Museum of treasured furniture, clothing, tools, artwork, and much more. The Society maintains genealogical records and news files for families in the town in the adjacent archives building. The archives are open to the public Fridays from 2 - 4 p.m., and the Museum may be visited at that time or by appointment. The Society holds several open houses throughout the year and publishes a quarterly newsletter.
The Almond 20th Century Club Library had its beginning in 1904, when a small group of energetic and forward-thinking women of the community formed a Reading Circle with weekly meetings. Today, the Library offers up-to-date computers, free wifi, and extensive collections of books, audiobooks, and DVDs for all ages, with access to the resources of the Southern Tier Library System, of which it is a member. It has regular story and craft times for children, a book discussion group for adults, an annual mystery theater, and meeting rooms available for use by the public. The Library's historic brick building, constructed in 1912, is in need of major renovation, and various fund-raising activities are being held. Reconstruction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2020. More information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/almondlibrary or http://almondlibrary.org/ .
Geography
The scenic area consists primarily of long, wooded hills with homes and active or abandoned farmland in the valleys between. According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of 45.8 square miles (118.7 km
2), of which, 45.8 square miles (118.6 km
2) of it is land and 0.02% is water.
The east town line is the border of the Town of
Hornellsville in
Steuben County, New York. The Town of
Burns Burns may refer to:
* Burn, an injury (plural)
People:
* Burns (surname), includes list of people and characters
Business:
* Burns London, a British guitar maker
Places:
;In the United States
* Burns, Colorado, unincorporated community in Eagle ...
is on the northern boundary,
Alfred
Alfred may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series
* ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne
* ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák
*"Alfred (Interlu ...
lies to the south, and
West Almond and
Birdsall lie to the west.
The Southern Tier Expressway (
Interstate 86 and
New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17 (NY 17) is a major state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in Mina and follows the Souther ...
) and
New York State Route 21
New York State Route 21 (NY 21) is a state highway extending for about through the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 417 in the village of Andover, ...
pass through the town.
Canacadea Creek, after joining with the confluence of McHenry Valley and Karr Valley Creeks, flows out the eastern town line toward the
Canisteo River.
[https://www.alleganyco.com/wp-content/uploads/4.-Almond.pdf ]
Climate
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 1,604 people, 632 households, and 439 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 35.0 people per square mile (13.5/km
2). There were 789 housing units at an average density of 17.2 per square mile (6.7/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.95%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.06%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 2.12%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.56% from
other races, and 0.31% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.50% of the population.
There were 632 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,472, and the median income for a family was $48,839. Males had a median income of $32,026 versus $25,000 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $18,805. About 6.1% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
The local public school, Alfred-Almond Central School, is consistently one of the highest-ranked schools in western NY. See
Alfred-Almond Junior-Senior High School
Alfred-Almond Junior-Senior High School is a small public high school located in Almond, Allegany County, New York
Allegany County is a County (United States), county in the Southern Tier of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of t ...
. There is also an active and supportive homeschool community in the area.
Communities and locations in the Town of Almond
*
Almond
The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus ...
– The Village of Almond is at the eastern edge of the town and is partly in Steuben County.
*Bishopville – A
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
on County Route 32 (Bishopville Road) near the eastern town line.
*Canacadea Creek – A stream in the eastern part of the town.
*Karrdale – A hamlet near the western town line on County Route 2(Karr Valley Road).
*Karr Valley Creek – A stream that parallels the Southern Tier Expressway.
*McHenry Valley - A valley extending southwest from the Village along County Road 11(McHenry Valley Road) toward Five Corners in the Town of Alfred.
*North Almond – A hamlet near the north town line.
*Sand Hill – A location west of Almond village.
*Turnpike Road - part of the original Turnpike Road that extended from Bath, NY westward in the early 19th century (now essentially a one-lane road through State Forests).
Notable people
*
Cora Belle Brewster
Cora Belle Brewster (1859 – July 25, 1937) was an American physician, surgeon, medical writer, and editor. She worked as a gynecological surgeon and co-founded two medical journals with her sister, Flora Alzora Brewster, M.D.
Early life and e ...
(1859–?), physician, surgeon, medical writer, editor
*
Mandana Coleman Thorp (1843-1916), American Civil War nurse, singer, patriot; public official
References
External links
Official Town of Almond website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Almond (Town), New York
Towns in Allegany County, New York
Populated places established in 1821
1821 establishments in New York (state)