Herkimer 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 ...

Herkimer County, New York Herkimer County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 60,139. Its county seat is Herkimer (village), New York, Herkimer. The co ...

, United States, southeast of Utica. It is named after

Nicholas Herkimer Brigadier-General Nicholas Herkimer (also known as Nikolaus Herchheimer; – August 16, 1777) was an American military officer who fought during the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War. He died in 1777 from wounds suffered during the ...

. The population was 9,566 at the 2020 census, down from 10,175 in 2010.US Census Bureau, QuickFacts, Herkimer town, New York https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/herkimertownherkimercountynewyork The town contains a village also called Herkimer. Herkimer County Community College is located in Herkimer village.

History

Herkimer was first settled ''circa'' 1722, in an area originally called "Stone Ridge", now the village of Herkimer. Early settlers were primarily

German Palatines Palatines () were the citizens and Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, princes of the List of states in the Holy Roman Empire, Palatinates, Holy Roman States that served as Kaiserpfalz, capitals for the Holy Roman Emperor. After the fall of the Holy ...

. Johan Jost Herchheimer, a farmer who also engaged in trade and transport on the

Mohawk River The Mohawk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 river in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson R ...

, settled in the German Flatts District of Albany County in 1725, on the south side of the Mohawk River, within the present-day town of German Flatts, incorporated in 1788. He owned of the land, including a strategic

portage Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...

around Little Falls on the Mohawk, where his eldest son

established a farmstead. In 1788, the town of Herkimer, on the north side of the river, was incorporated and named after him. Herkimer County Courthouse Sept 09

During the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

, the

Mohawk Valley The Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains, northwest of the Capital District. As of the 2010 United States Census, ...

was ravaged by raids of the French and their native allies. By 1770, Nicholas had established great wealth through farming and trade during the wars, and had also gained military experience as a captain of a militia. He would later fight in the

Battle of Oriskany The Battle of Oriskany ( or ) was a major engagement of the Saratoga campaign during the American Revolutionary War. On August 6, 1777, an American column of Tryon County militia and Oneida people, Oneidas marching to relieve the siege of Fort ...

. In 1906, the murder trial of Chester Gillette brought many spectators to the county courthouse in Herkimer village. The Herkimer County shootings took place partially in Herkimer on March 13, 2013.

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 . Land comprises of the town, and of the town (1.76%) are water.

West Canada Creek The West Canada Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 river in upstate New York (state), New York, United States. West Canada Creek is an important w ...

empties into the

by Herkimer village. On the opposite shore of the Mohawk River are the villages of Mohawk and Ilion. The

New York State Thruway The New York State Thruway (officially the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway and colloquially "the Thruway") is a system of controlled-access toll roads spanning within the U.S. state of New York. It is operated by the New York State Thruway ...

and

New York State Route 5 New York State Route 5 (NY 5) is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Sy ...

run through the southwestern part of the town. New York State Route 28 is a north–south highway that intersects NY-5 in Herkimer village.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,962 people, 4,114 households, and 2,386 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 4,513 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.83%

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 ...

, 0.97%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 0.18% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.41% from other races, and 0.56% 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 1.17% of the population. There were 4,114 households, out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.0% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.90. In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.2% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $28,763, and the median income for a family was $42,296. Males had a median income of $30,828 versus $20,845 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,211. About 7.9% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Herkimer

*Beacon Light Corners – A location near the western town line. * East Herkimer – A hamlet east of Herkimer village on NY-5. *Eatonville – A hamlet near the northeastern corner of the town. * Hasenclever Hill – An elevation located north of Herkimer. * Herkimer – The village of Herkimer is by the southern town line, on NY-5 by the Mohawk River. *Kast Bridge – A hamlet north of Herkimer village on NY-28. *Mirror Lake – A small lake north of Herkimer village. * Oak Hill – An elevation located northwest of Herkimer. Located partially in the Town of Schuyler. * Osborne Hill – An elevation located northwest of Herkimer. Located partially in the Town of Schuyler. * Schrader Hill – An elevation located north of Herkimer; partially in the Town of Newport. * Steuben Hill – An elevation located northwest of Herkimer.

References

* Herkimer Home
State Historical Site
– Little Falls, NY

NY (Route 5)

External links

Town of Herkimer official websiteHerkimer County Historical Society website
{{authority control Utica–Rome metropolitan area Populated places established in 1922 Towns in Herkimer County, New York Towns in New York (state) 1922 establishments in New York (state)