Castorland is 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 ...

in Lewis 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; it is north of Lowville and southeast of

Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classi ...

. The population was 360 in 2019.

History

The village name means "Land of the Beaver". The name stems from a colony of refugees from the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

, established in 1792 to provide a new home away from the violence in France. The land, , was originally part of

Macomb's Purchase Macomb's Purchase is a large historical area of northern New York in the United States purchased from the state in 1791 by Alexander Macomb, a merchant who had become rich during the American Revolutionary War. He acted as a land speculator, sellin ...

. It was purchased by ''La Compagnie de New York''. "Castorland" is a literal translation of the old Indian name of the area, ''Couch-sach-ra-ga''. Due to many reverses, including harsh winters, poor planning, and loss of livestock and funds, the colony was dissolved in 1814. Many of the original settlers from the Castorland colony returned to Europe or moved to larger communities.

Geography

Castorland is located in the southeast corner of the town of Denmark at (43.887379, -75.514002), on ground rising above the west side of the valley of the Black River, near the point where the Beaver River enters from the east. The village is located on

New York State Route 410 New York State Route 410 (NY 410) is a east–west state highway in Lewis County, New York, in the United States. It serves as a connector between NY 26, NY 126, and the village of Castorland midway between the two highways ...

. The village of Croghan is east, Lowville is to the south, and

is to the northwest. 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 village of Castorland has a total area of , all land.

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 306 people, 115 households, and 74 families residing in the village. 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 1,084.5 people per square mile (422.0/km²). There were 136 housing units at an average density of 482.0 per square mile (187.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.06%

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 ...

, 0.65%

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 ...

, 0.33%

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 ...

, 0.33%

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 ...

, 0.65% 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 0.98% 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 1.31% of the population. There were 115 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% 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, 3.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.23. In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males. The median income for a household in the village was $33,125, and the median income for a family was $45,625. Males had a median income of $35,714 versus $16,806 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 village was $12,101. About 1.4% of families and 13.3% 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 6.7% of those under the age of eighteen and 10.0% of those 65 or over.

Businesses

The Castorland area includes many area businesses including Bellers Auto owned by Nevin Beller, Black River Valley Woodwork, Crafts, Common Sense Plastics, Inc. owned by Kent Widrick, D LAUX Properties owned by Donna M. Loucks, Elmer Moser & Sons, GeDeS owned by Virginia Owens, Donna Loucks, and Susan Parker. There is also Mellnitz's Fire Extinguisher Serv. owned by Newton & Patricia Mellnitz, Nifty Nicks Gift Shop, Northern Remodeling owned by Chet Zehr, Pow-R-Clean owned by Rusty Woods, The Oldmill Woodshop owned by Earl and Lucy Roggie, and Woods Steam Cleaning.

The Castorland Medal

In 1796 the

Paris Mint The Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint) is a government-owned institution responsible for producing France's coins. Founded in AD 864 with the Edict of Pistres, it is the world's oldest continuously running minting institution. In 1973, the mint reloc ...

struck a

half dollar The term "half dollar" refers to a half-unit of several currencies that are named "dollar". One dollar ( $1) is normally divided into subsidiary currency of 100 cents, so a half dollar is equal to 50 cents. These half dollars (aka 50 cent pieces) ...

-sized token (''jeton'') to commemorate the "Franco-American Colony". Since that time numerous restrikes have been made and remain commercially available to collectors. While listed in ''

A Guide Book of United States Coins ''A Guide Book of United States Coins (The Official Red Book)'', first compiled by R. S. Yeoman in 1946, is a price guide for coin collectors of coins of the United States dollar, commonly known as the Red Book. Along with its sister publicatio ...

'', it was not intended for circulation.The Castorland Jeton or demi écus "Half Dollar" of 1796: Introduction
/ref>

References

External links

* {{authority control French-American culture in New York (state) Villages in New York (state) Populated places established in 1792 Villages in Lewis County, New York 1792 establishments in New York (state)