Gerry 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 Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 1,789 at the 2020 census. The town is named after Elbridge Gerry, the fifth Vice President of the United States. The town is centrally located in the county and is north of Jamestown.

History

Settlement began ''circa'' 1810. The town of Gerry was formed in 1812 from a part of the town of

Pomfret Pomfrets are perciform fishes belonging to the family Bramidae. The family currently includes 20 species across seven genera. Several species are important food sources for humans, especially ''Brama brama'' in South Asia. The earlier form of ...

. The size of the town was reduced by the formation of the newer towns of Ellington and

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

. By 1900, the population of Gerry was 1,198. Gerry is best known for hosting an annual rodeo (which has been an annual event in the town since 1945) and a Scandinavian folk festival, both of which are held in the summer.

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 , or 0.05%, is water.

New York State Route 60 New York State Route 60 (NY 60) is a north–south state highway in Chautauqua County, New York, in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S. Route 62 (US 62) south of the city of Ja ...

is a major north-south highway, and Chautauqua County Route 380 cuts through the southwest corner of the town.

Adjacent towns and areas

(

Clockwise Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back up to the top. The opposite ...

) *

* Ellington * Ellicott * Ellery; Stockton

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 2,054 people, 661 households, and 499 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 56.8 people per square mile (21.9/km²). There were 739 housing units at an average density of 20.4 per square mile (7.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.44%

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 ...

, 0.39%

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 ...

, 0.24% Native American, 0.05%

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 ...

, 0.34% 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 0.54% 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 0.68% of the population. There were 661 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% 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 2.98. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 24.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $35,000, and the median income for a family was $36,853. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $18,667 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 $15,272. About 9.8% of families and 12.8% 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 14.2% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,905 people, a decrease of 7.25%, and 722 households, an increase of 9.23%, in the town. The population density was 52.6 people per square mile (20.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.9% (1,805 people) white, 0.16% (3 people) African-American, 0.47% (9 people) Asian, 0.21% (4 people) Native American/Alaskan, 0.05% (1 person) other, and 1.21% (23 people) two or more races. The Hispanic/Latino makeup of the town of any race was 1.05% (20 people). There were 722 households in the town, out of which 29.5% (213 households) had people under the age of 18 living in them. Males made up 47.87% (912 people) of the population while females made up 52.13% (993 people) of the population. 19.74% (376 people) of the population was under the age of 18, 2.73% (52 people) were ages 18 and 19, 4.72% (90 people) ages 20–24, 9.08% (173 people) ages 25–34, 20.21% (385 people) ages 35–49, 20.47% (390 people) ages 50–64, and 23.05% (439 people) were over the age of 65.

Communities and locations in Gerry

*Cassadaga Creek – A stream flowing southward through the western part of the town; tributary of

Conewango Creek Conewango Creek is a tributary of the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania and western New York in the United States. The creek's drainage covers much of southeastern Chautauqua County, New York, and western Cattaraugus County, New York. The creek's ...

and part of the Allegheny River watershed. *Gerry – A

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

located on County Roads 50 and 65, and

, east of Hatch Creek. It was first called Bucklins Corners, after a hotel, and later called "Vermont", a designation stemming from the source of many early settlers, until 1876. *Hatch Creek – A stream that flows into Cassadaga Creek in the southwest corner of the town. *Kimball Stand – A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town on NY Routes 60 and 380 and County Road 44. * Sinclairville – Part of the village of Sinclairville is by the north town line. *Towerville – A hamlet at the west town line on NY Route 380 and County Road 48.

Notable people

Hugh Bedient Hugh Carpenter Bedient (October 23, 1889 – July 21, 1965) was a starting pitcher who played in the American League for the Boston Red Sox (1912–1914) and with the Buffalo Blues of the Federal League (1915). Bedient batted and threw right-hand ...

, former professional baseball player *

John Schofield John McAllister Schofield (September 29, 1831 – March 4, 1906) was an American soldier who held major commands during the American Civil War. He was appointed U.S. Secretary of War (1868–1869) under President Andrew Johnson and later served ...

, former Secretary of War and US Civil War figure

References

External links

*
History of Gerry, NY
{{authority control Populated places established in 1810 Towns in Chautauqua County, New York 1810 establishments in New York (state)