Colton 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 St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 1,451 at the 2010 census. The town, originally named "Matildaville", is named after early settler Jesse Colton Higley. Colton is in the southeastern part of the county, south of

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream o ...

History

The first land patents were issued in 1776. The first settlement took place ''circa'' 1825 near Colton village, in the northern part of the town. Colton was organized in 1843 from part of the town of Parishville. Additional land from Parishville was added to Colton in 1851, and Colton was increased in 1876 from territory taken from the town of Hopkinton. The Zion Episcopal Church and Rectory was 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 ...

in 2003. The Hepburn Library of Colton was added in 2012.

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 t ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (5.04%) is water. Colton is the largest town in St. Lawrence County, which in turn is the largest county in New York state. The southern town line is the border of

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

and Herkimer counties. The

Raquette River The Raquette River ( moh, Ahná:wate), sometimes spelled Racquette, originates at Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains in New York. long, it is the third longest river entirely in the state of New York. The river is a popular destination ...

flows through the western part of the town. The town is in the foothills of the

Adirondack Mountains The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular ...

. Most of the town, the southern part, is inside the

Adirondack Park The Adirondack Park is a part of Forest Preserve (New York), New York's Forest Preserve in northeastern New York (state), New York, United States. The park was established in 1892 for “the free use of all the people for their health and pleasur ...

New York State Route 56 New York State Route 56 (NY 56) is a north–south state highway in eastern St. Lawrence County, New York, in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 3 in the town of Colton. Its nort ...

intersects

New York State Route 68 New York State Route 68 (NY 68) is an east–west state highway located entirely within St. Lawrence County in the North Country of New York in the United States. The western terminus is at an intersection with NY 37 in Oswe ...

at Colton village.

New York State Route 3 New York State Route 3 (NY 3) is a major east–west state highway in New York, in the United States, that connects central New York to the North Country region near the Canada–US border via Adirondack Park. The route extends for be ...

intersects NY-56 in the east-central part of the town at Sevey Corners.

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 1,453 people, 604 households, and 405 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 6.0 people per square mile (2.3/km²). There were 1,163 housing units at an average density of 4.8 per square mile (1.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.17%

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 o ...

, 0.34% Native American, 0.07% Asian, and 0.41% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 0.89% of the population. There were 604 households, out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.90. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $38,875, and the median income for a family was $44,637. Males had a median income of $35,000 versus $22,443 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 $20,528. About 10.5% of families and 14.7% 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 22.5% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Bertrand H. Snell, former US Congressman *

A. Barton Hepburn Alonzo Barton Hepburn (July 24, 1846 – January 25, 1922) was an American politician from New York, famed for being the Chairman of the New York State Legislature's eponymous Hepburn Committee of 1879 that investigated the operations of what b ...

(1846–1922), banker, politician, and philanthropist

Communities and locations in Colton

*Barber Point – A location on the eastern shore of Cranberry Lake. *Brandy Brook – A location in the southwestern part of the town on

. *Burntbridge Pond – A pond located southwest of

Massawepie Lake Massawepie Lake is a lake located in the town of Piercefield, in southern St. Lawrence County, New York, approximately southwest of the village of Tupper Lake, New York. The lake is also surrounded by the Massawepie Scout Camps. The name of t ...

. * Carry Falls Reservoir – A

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

in the northeastern part of Colton. * Church Pond – A lake located south of Stark. It is the source of the

North Branch Grass River The North Branch Grass River flows into the Grass River near Russell, New York Russell is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 1,856 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Russell Attwater, the pionee ...

. * Colton – The hamlet of Colton is located at the junction of NY-56 and NY-68 by the

. The community, in the northwestern part of the town, is the location of the first settlement. * Colton Flow – A part of the

located south of Colton. * Cranberry Lake – A large lake near the southwestern town line, but only a small part of the lake is in Colton. *Granshue Club – A location south of Stark near the western town line. * Higley Flow State Park – A state park west of South Colton. * Hitchens Pond – A lake located on the eastern town line. *Irish Settlement – A hamlet near the town center on NY-56. * Leonard Pond – A pond north of Sevey. * Little Trout Pond – A pond located in the southwestern corner of the town, which is partially in the town of Piercefield. * Lows Lake – A

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

partly in the southwestern corner of Colton. *Sevey – A hamlet in the central part of the town on NY-56 *Sevey Corners – A location in the east-central part of the town on NY-3, south of Sevey. *Shurteff – A hamlet southwest of Sevey on NY-3. * South Colton – A hamlet in the northern part of the Town, south of the hamlet of Colton on NY-56. Sunday Rock was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. * South Colton Reservoir – A reservoir located northeast of South Colton. *Stark – A hamlet by the town line in the eastern part of Colton. * Stark Falls Reservoir – A reservoir south of Stark and north of Carry Falls Reservoir. *Stone Valley Recreational Area - A hiking and fishing area along the Raquette River, north of the hamlet of Colton.

References

External links

Town of Colton, NY

Additional information about Colton
{{authority control Towns in St. Lawrence County, New York