Galen 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 4,290 at the 2010 census. The town is named after the classical physician

Galen Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus ( el, Κλαύδιος Γαληνός; September 129 – c. AD 216), often Anglicized as Galen () or Galen of Pergamon, was a Greek physician, surgeon and philosopher in the Roman Empire. Considered to be one of ...

. The Town of Galen is on the south border of the county and west of

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

. The primary postal district covering the Town of Galen is ZIP Code 14433 for

Clyde Clyde may refer to: People * Clyde (given name) * Clyde (surname) Places For townships see also Clyde Township Australia * Clyde, New South Wales * Clyde, Victoria * Clyde River, New South Wales Canada * Clyde, Alberta * Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...

.United States Postal Service (Clyde, New York Post Office)
Retrieved Jun. 7, 2015.

History

Before the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

, there was a French block house and trading post near Clyde. The town was first settled around 1800 near Marengo. The town was part of a tract set aside for physicians and surgeons of the

Colonial Army Colonial troops or colonial army refers to various military units recruited from, or used as garrison troops in, colonial territories. Colonial background Such colonies may lie overseas or in areas dominated by neighbouring land powers such ...

as part of the

Central New York Military Tract The Military Tract of Central New York, also called the New Military Tract, consisted of nearly of bounty land set aside in Central New York to compensate New York's soldiers after their participation in the Revolutionary War. Establishment Th ...

used to pay soldiers of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

. Galen was formed from the Town of Junius in Seneca County in 1812 and became part of Wayne County in 1823, but lost part of its area to form the Town of Savannah in 1824. The glass industry was important during the early history of Galen. Remnants of the former Enlarged

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 ...

Lock 53 (also called the Clyde Lock) are located near the corner of N.Y. Route 31 and Old Route 31, just west of the Village of Clyde. It was built in 1841 as a single-chamber lock, but doubled in 1874. The lock had a lift of 4.63 feet (1.41 m) to the west. It currently sits on private property.The Erie Canal (Lock 53 - Clyde Lock)
Retrieved Jan. 21, 2015.The Travels of Tug 44 (Erie Canal Lock 53)
Retrieved Jan. 21, 2015. 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. Erie Canal Lock 26 is located at the end of Lock Road, off Tyre Road (CR 372) southeast of Clyde. It was built around 1912, and has a lift of 6 feet (1.83 m) to the west.NY Canals (Index of Locks)
Retrieved Jan. 30, 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 (1.00%) is water. The

passes through the town, incorporating part of the Clyde River. During renovations of the canal, the route was altered, leaving behind remnants of the original Erie Canal. The southern border of the town also constitutes part of the border between Wayne County and Seneca County (Town of Junius).

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 ...

is an east–west highway near the Erie Canal, and it intersects

New York State Route 414 New York State Route 414 (NY 414) is a north–south state highway in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 352 in the Steuben County city of Co ...

in the village of Clyde.

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 4,290 people, 1,610 households, and 1,117 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 72.2 people per square mile (27.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.8%

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 ...

, 3.2%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.0%

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 ...

, 0.5% 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 3.1% 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 3.2% of the population. There were 1,610 households, out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% 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, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.13. In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 20, 5.5% from 20 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $49,028, and the median income for a family was $54,528. Males had a median income of $38,682 versus $33,984 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 $21,692. About 6.4% of families and 9.1% 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 13.5% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Housing

There were 1,811 housing units at an average density of 30.5 per square mile (11.8/km²); a total of 11.1% of housing units were vacant. There were 1,610 occupied housing units in the town, of which 1,255 were owner-occupied units (78.0%), while 355 were renter-occupied (22.0%). The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% of total units. The rental unit vacancy rate was 10.8%.

Communities and locations in the Town of Galen

*Angells Corners — A hamlet in the south part of the town on NY-414. *

— The Village of Clyde at the Erie Canal and NY-31. *Fergusons Corners — A location in the northwest part of the town on County Road 247. *Hunts Corners — A location in the northeast corner of the town on County Road 269. * Lock Berlin — A hamlet in the west part of the town on County Road 245 by the route of the Old Erie Canal. *Lockpit — A location in the southeast part of the town by the old route of the Erie Canal. It was originally known as "Meadville." * Marengo — A hamlet in the southwest part of the town, west of Angells Corners. *Noble Corner — A hamlet on the east town line. *Pangborn Corners — A location east of Hung Corner at the east town line. *Shephards Corner — A hamlet northeast of Clyde on County Road 269. *White Schoolhouse Corners — A location near Shephards Corner at the intersection of NY-414 and County Road 249.

References

External links

Historical links for the Town of Galen

{{authority control Rochester metropolitan area, New York Towns in Wayne County, New York 1812 establishments in New York (state)