Forestport is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

Oneida County, New York Oneida County ( ) is a county in the state of New York, United States. As of February 26, 2024, the population was 226,654. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, one of the Five Nations of the Iroquois League or '' ...

, United States. The population was 1,477 at the 2020 census. The Town of Forestport is located in the northeastern corner of Oneida County. The northern part of the town is in the

Adirondack Park The Adirondack Park is a park in northeastern New York (state), New York protecting the Adirondack Mountains. The park was established in 1892 for "the free use of all the people for their health and pleasure", and for watershed protection. At , ...

History

Forestport was created from the Town of Remsen in 1869. At the end of the 19th century, many of the town's population were found to be involved in a conspiracy to divert funds set aside for

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

repair for the

Black River Canal The Black River Canal was a canal built in northern New York in the United States to connect the Erie Canal to the Black River. The canal had 109 locks along its length. Remains of several of the canal's former locks are visible along New York ...

. Sections of the Black River Canal were pick axed so as to profit from repair work, infamously known as the "Forestport Breaks".

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (2.25%) is water. The eastern town line is the border of

Herkimer County Herkimer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,139. Its county seat is Herkimer. The county was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. It is name ...

, and the northern town boundary is the border of Lewis County. The Black River and Kayuta Lake define the western town line.

Demographics

At the 2000

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, there were 1,692 people, 736 households and 479 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 2,027 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.52%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.35%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.30% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.06% of the population. There were 736 households, of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.84. 22.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.7 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $34,455 and the median family income was $39,352. Males had a median income of $30,119 compared with $25,060 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $18,494. About 7.1% of families and 8.9% 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 ...

, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Forestport

*Anos Siding – a location in the northeastern part of the town. * Forestport - the

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

of Forestport is located on the banks of the Black River off NY 28 in the southwestern part of the town. * Forestport Reservoir – A reservoir located by the hamlet of Forestport. *Forestport Station – a hamlet east of Forestport. *Holiday House – a location on NY 28 north of Woodgate. * Long Lake – a

lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

in the northeastern part of the town north of Woodgate. * Meyers Hill – An elevation located northeast of Woodhull. *Nichols Mills – a location in the northeastern part of the town. * Otter Lake – a hamlet located on NY 28 in the northeastern corner of the town. * Otter Lake – a lake located in the northeastern corner of the town by the hamlet of Otter Lake. * Round Lake – A lake located southeast of Long Lake. * White Lake – a lake and hamlet south of Long Lake and adjacent to Route 28. * Woodgate - located seven miles north of the hamlet of Forestport on SR 28. *Woodhull – a hamlet southwest of Forestport.

References

External links