Arcadia 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 Wayne 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 14,244 at the 2010 census. The Town of Arcadia is on the south border of the county and is east of

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

. The primary postal district covering the Town of Arcadia is ZIP Code 14513 for

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

.United States Postal Service (Newark, New York Post Office)
Retrieved Jun. 3, 2015.

History

The town was first settled ''circa'' 1791. The Town of Arcadia was formed from the Town of Lyons in 1825. An asylum for the mentally disabled was established in Arcadia in 1789. Hydesville, New York was a hamlet in the Town of Arcadia. It no longer exists, but was the hometown of the spiritualist

Fox Sisters The Fox sisters were three sisters from Rochester, New York who played an important role in the creation of Spiritualism: Leah (April 8, 1813 – November 1, 1890), Margaretta (also called Maggie), (October 7, 1833 – March 8, 1893) and Catheri ...

. In 1957, the Bergen Swamp Preservation Society acquired Zurich Bog for conservation. The town is part of the

Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is a National Heritage Area in New York State. It has created signage in a wide area, including placing signs many miles away from any historic site of the Erie Canal. The corridor includes 34 Nationa ...

.National Park Service - Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Brochure, New York
Retrieved Jan. 21, 2015.

Geography

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 , of which is land and (0.19%) is water. The

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

passes across the town and through the Village of Newark. The east end of "the Wide Waters," a wide part of the canal, is in the town. The terrain contains many

drumlin A drumlin, from the Irish word ''droimnín'' ("littlest ridge"), first recorded in 1833, in the classical sense is an elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon or half-buried egg formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated ...

s from past glaciation as well as the Zurich Bog. The southern town line is the border of Ontario County.

New York State Route 31 New York State Route 31 (NY 31) is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its e ...

(east-west) intersects

New York State Route 88 New York State Route 88 (NY 88) is a north–south state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 96 in the Ontario County village of Phelps to a junction wit ...

in Newark, just south of the Erie Canal.

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 2010, there were 14,244 people, 5,792 households, and 3,632 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 273.4 people per square mile (105.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.3%

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 ...

, 4.6%

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.5%

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 ...

, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 2.2% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.9% 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 ...

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 6.8% of the population. There were 5,792 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% 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, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.93. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 20, 5.9% from 20 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $44,993, and the median income for a family was $54,415. Males had a median income of $38,636 versus $33,172 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 $22,331. About 12.2% of families and 15.0% 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 22.3% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Housing

There were 6,194 housing units at an average density of 118.9 per square mile (45.9/km²). 6.5% of housing units were vacant. There were 5,792 occupied housing units in the town. 3,798 were owner-occupied units (65.6%), while 1,994 were renter-occupied (34.4%). The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% of total units. The rental unit vacancy rate was 6.3%.

Communities and locations in the Town of Arcadia

*Arcadia — The former community of Arcadia is now part of the Village of Newark. *Austin — A hamlet containing the "Maple Ridge" and bordering with the town of Sodus. Along Maple Ridge Road and Austin Road. *Brantling Hill — A large drumlin in the northeast corner of the town. It is the location of a ski slope. * Fairville — A hamlet near the town's center along state Route 88. *Fairville Station — A hamlet northeast of Newark along Fairville Station Road, Heidenreich Road Coleman Hill Road and Arcadia Zurich Norris Road. *Hydesville — 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 ...

north of Newark village on Hydesville Road and Parker Road. The hamlet is called the birthplace of

Modern Spiritualism Spiritualism is the metaphysics, metaphysical school of thought opposing physicalism and also is the category of all spiritual beliefs/views (in monism and Mind-body dualism, dualism) from ancient to modern. In the long nineteenth century, Spir ...

, due to the events of natives Kate and Margaret Fox. * Marbletown — A hamlet on Marbletown Road (County Road 336), Miller Road and Silver Hill Road near the south town line. *Minsteed — A hamlet in the northwest corner of the town, on Martin Road, Skinner Road, and Minsteed Road. * Mud Mills — A hamlet northeast of Newark on Welcher Road (County Road 234.), Mud Mills Road, and Sleight Road. *

— The Village of Newark, located on the Erie Canal and the intersection of NY-31 and NY-88. *Stebbins Corner — A location west of Hydesville on Tellier Road (County Road 225.) *Whitings Corners — A hamlet just north of Newark, southwest of Mud Mills, and east of Hydesville. *Zurich — A location in the northeast corner of the town on Zurich Road (County Road 237), Bramer Road, Lembke Road, Deneef Road and Layton Street Road. Has a portion in the town of Lyons. * Zurich Bog — A

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

west of Zurich is the lowest point in the town and a registered national landmark. It is also known as "Mud Pond," an open body of water within the bog. It was called "Big Swamp" to the early settlers and "Bottomless Pit" to natives. The swamp is about three miles long and a mile wide.

Notable people

Electa Amanda Wright Johnson Electa Amanda Wright Johnson (, Wright; November 13, 1838 – January 17, 1929) was an American philanthropist. She was one of the founders of the Wisconsin Industrial School for Girls, and was selected by the governor of Wisconsin several times t ...

(1938-1929), philanthropist, writer

References

http://www.waynepost.com/article/20140525/News/140529944

External links

Town of Arcadia (official website)

Newark-Arcadia Historical Society & Museum

Bergen Swamp Preservation Society

{{authority control Rochester metropolitan area, New York Towns in Wayne County, New York 1825 establishments in New York (state)