Clayton 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 the town of Clayton in Jefferson 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 village population was 1,978 at the 2010 census. Clayton is the home of the Antique Boat Museum and Clayton Opera House. The village is a summer resort, offering galleries, boutiques and quality services to summer visitors.

History

The area was originally inhabited by Algonquian tribes, but they were driven out by the

Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

. Radiocarbon dating of a nearby dig site indicated Clayton was once home to a 2-3 long house, 180 person palisade ringed habitation, ''circa'' 1470. The community was formerly called "French Creek" and "Cornelia". By 1853, the population was 426. Clayton incorporated as a village, by vote of its citizens, in 1872. The arrival of the railroad in 1873 marked a major turning point in the local tourist industry. The Clayton Historic District and Capt. Simon Johnston House are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

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 village has a total area of , of which are land and , or 37.62%, are water. Clayton is located on the south bank of the

St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...

. To the west is French Creek Bay where French Creek enters the St. Lawrence. Opposite the village in the St. Lawrence is

Grindstone Island Grindstone Island is the fourth largest of the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River and the second largest of the American islands in the St. Lawrence. The island lies near Lake Ontario and is part of the United States of America. In parti ...

, one of the large islands of the

Thousand Islands The Thousand Islands (french: Mille-Îles) constitute a North American archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada–US border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for abo ...

New York State Route 12 New York State Route 12 (NY 12) is a state highway extending for through central and northern New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 11 (US 11) in the town of Chenango (just nor ...

intersects

New York State Route 12E New York State Route 12E (NY 12E) is a state highway located entirely within the northwestern part of Jefferson County in northern New York in the United States. The southern terminus is at NY 12F in the village of Brownville. ...

in the village. NY-12 leads south to

Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...

, the Jefferson

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

, and northeast parallel to the St. Lawrence River to Alexandria Bay. NY-12E leads southwest along the St. Lawrence to Cape Vincent.

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 1,821 people, 828 households, and 492 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 1,123.8 people per square mile (434.0/km²). There were 1,049 housing units at an average density of 647.4 per square mile (250.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.83%

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 ...

, 1.26%

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 ...

, 0.55% Native American, 0.49%

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 ...

, 0.16%

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 ...

, 0.77% 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 0.93% 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 2.14% of the population. There were 828 households, out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% 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, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.85. In the village, the population was spread out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males. The median income for a household in the village was $31,354, and the median income for a family was $42,208. Males had a median income of $31,094 versus $28,375 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 $18,247. About 6.3% of families and 11.7% 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 12.9% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over.

Transport

Clayton is accessible by automobile via

, which turns east from its northward course in the village. The northern terminus of Route 12E is in the same location. From

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island ...

, it can be reached by taking Exit 50S to Route 12. Beginning in 1873, the village was served by the Clayton Division of the

Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad The Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad was a railroad that grew, in stages, from Rome, New York to Watertown and then to Ogdensburg, New York and Massena, New York. The original Rome and Watertown Railroad terminated in Cape Vincent, NY on ...

(RW&O), which later became a part of the

New York Central The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Midw ...

network. At its peak, multiple express trains per day ran from

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...

and

Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...

to bring passengers and freight to Clayton's ferry terminal, which was the gateway to the Thousand Islands region. Facilities included a train yard and locomotive shed. The New York Central passenger trains included direct

sleeping car The sleeping car or sleeper (often ) is a railway passenger car (rail), passenger car that can accommodate all passengers in beds of one kind or another, for the purpose of sleeping. George Pullman was the American innovator of the sleeper car. ...

service. Passenger service to Utica ceased in 1950, with bus service to Watertown remaining.New York Central timetable, September 24, 1950, Table 51 service dropped Freight service continued until 1972, after which the tracks were torn out. The station and ferry terminal were converted into Frink Park, a public venue for performances and mooring for visiting ships, while the rail yards were incorporated into the property of the Frink-America snowplow factory, which was demolished in 2010. The property has since been redeveloped into a hotel, which was finished in 2013. The remainder of the right-of-way within the village is maintained as the Sissy Danforth Rivergate Trail, a multi-use recreational trail maintained by the Thousand Islands Land Trust and the Rivergate Wheelers ATV club.

References

External links