Indian Lake 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
Hamilton 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 1,352 at the 2010 census.
The name is from a
lake of the same name that is largely inside the town. There are no permanent stop lights in the town. Law enforcement is provided by New York State Troopers and Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.
The town is on the eastern border of the county and is northeast of
Utica.
Indian Lake terms itself the "
Moose
The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult mal ...
capital of the Northeast". Their welcoming sign on Route 28 even features this critter, and several other examples of this claim can be found throughout the town itself.
History
The town of Indian Lake was established in 1858 from the towns of Gilman (now defunct),
Long Lake, and
Wells
Wells most commonly refers to:
* Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England
* Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground
* Wells (name)
Wells may also refer to:
Places Canada
*Wells, British Columbia
England
* Wells ...
. In 1861, Indian Lake was expanded using territory from the towns of Gilman and
Lake Pleasant.
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 of the town are land, and , or 5.42%, are water.
The town lies within the
Adirondack Park
The Adirondack Park is a part of New York's Forest Preserve in northeastern New York, United States. The park was established in 1892 for “the free use of all the people for their health and pleasure”, and for watershed protection. The park ...
.
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
and
Warren counties border the town to its east. In the village center, the east-west
State Route 28 meets the north-south
Route 30. The
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
forms part of the eastern town line.
Land within the town is a mixture of state and private ownership. There are dozens of seasonal hunting camps.
Climate
Indian Lake has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(
Dfb DFB may refer to:
* Deerfield Beach, Florida, a city
* Decafluorobutane, a fluorocarbon gas
* Dem Franchize Boyz, former hip hop group, Atlanta, Georgia
* Dfb, Köppen climate classification for Humid continental climate
* Distributed-feedback ...
), although it is much colder than most of New York due to its high elevation and northern location. Winters are cold and snowy, while summers are warm and humid. Precipitation is abundant year round, but peaks in summer. The coldest month is January, with a mean temperature of 15.4, while the warmest month is July with a mean of 63.8. Just 0.1 day per year exceeds 90, with the last such instance coming in 1988. Days in the 80s are also relatively uncommon, with an average of just 18 per year. The record high is 105 in June 1919, but the temperature has not exceeded 95 since 1935. The record low is -42 in January 1908. The coldest temperature in a typical year is -22, putting Indian Lake in hardiness zone 4B. The record low high is -12 in 1968, while the record high low in a day is 74 in 2006.
The wettest year on record was 2011 with 60.80", while the driest year ever was 1963 with 27.42". The wettest month ever was June 1922 with 10.31" while the driest month was November 1989, with no recorded precipitation.
Demographics
According to 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 2000, there were 1,471 people, 651 households, and 425 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 5.8 people per square mile (2.2/km
2). There were 1,722 housing units, with an average density of 6.8 per square mile (2.6/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.96%
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 ...
, 0.34%
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 ...
, 0.14%
Native American, 0.07%
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 ...
, 0.75% 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 0.75% multi-racial.
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 ...
or
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 1.22% of the population.
Within the town's 651 households, 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% 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, 6.1% had a female head of household, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone and 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the town, the population under the age of 18 was 20.0%, with 4.7% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,328, and the median income for a family was $39,438. The median income for males was $29,375 as compared to $23,661 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 $17,940. A lot of people in the town commute south for work, as the Town of Indian Lake itself has very little industry. About 4.4% of families and 8.5% 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 6.1% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
Other information
The Indian Lake Museum in the hamlet of Indian Lake contains displays relating to the historic
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
population. The
Adirondack Museum
Adirondack Experience (formerly Adirondack Museum), located on NY-30 in the hamlet of Blue Mountain Lake in Hamilton County, New York, is a museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Adirondacks. The museum is located on the site of an h ...
in
Blue Mountain Lake Blue Mountain Lake may refer to:
* Blue Mountain Lake (Arkansas), a reservoir in Arkansas
* Blue Mountain Lake (New York lake), a lake in Hamilton County in the central Adirondacks, New York
* Blue Mountain Lake (hamlet), New York, a hamlet in the T ...
has displays of outdoor living in the region. The Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts in Blue Mountain Lake provides cultural events during the summer season. The Indian Lake Library provides books, DVDs, audios and access to the Internet.
The lake itself was the inspiration for the 1960s hit single "Indian Lake" by
the Cowsills
The Cowsills are an American singing group from Newport, Rhode Island, six siblings noted for performing professionally and singing harmonies at an early age, later with their mother.
The band was formed in early 1965 by brothers Bill, Bob, and ...
. (The writer
Tony Romeo
Tony Romeo (December 25, 1938 – June 23, 1995) was an American songwriter.
(obituary), ''The New York Times'', June 26 ...
spent vacations there at what used to be Beeches Cottages on Indian Lake.)
Once called the "Whitewater Capital of New York State", Indian Lake remains a haven. State record game has been taken from the forests surrounding Indian Lake.
Communities and locations in Indian Lake
*
Adirondack Lake
Adirondack Lake is a lake located north of Indian Lake, New York. The outlet flows through a creek into Lake Abanakee. Fish species present in the lake are northern pike, white sucker, largemouth bass, black bullhead, yellow perch, rock bass, an ...
– A lake located north of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Bad Luck Mountain
Bad Luck Mountain is a mountain located in 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 sq ...
– An elevation located east-northeast of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Baldface Mountain – An elevation located south of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Beaver Mountain – An elevation located south-southwest of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Bell Mountain – An elevation located east of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Big Bad Luck Pond – A lake located east of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Black Mountain – An elevation located east of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Blue Mountain – A mountain located east of the hamlet of Blue Mountain Lake.
*
Blue Mountain Lake Blue Mountain Lake may refer to:
* Blue Mountain Lake (Arkansas), a reservoir in Arkansas
* Blue Mountain Lake (New York lake), a lake in Hamilton County in the central Adirondacks, New York
* Blue Mountain Lake (hamlet), New York, a hamlet in the T ...
– 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 ...
near a NY-28 and NY-30 intersection. This hamlet is in the northern part of the town, north of Indian Lake hamlet. The Adirondack Museum is located north of the hamlet.
*
Blue Mountain Lake Blue Mountain Lake may refer to:
* Blue Mountain Lake (Arkansas), a reservoir in Arkansas
* Blue Mountain Lake (New York lake), a lake in Hamilton County in the central Adirondacks, New York
* Blue Mountain Lake (hamlet), New York, a hamlet in the T ...
– 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 ...
west of the community of Blue Mountain Lake.
*
Buck Mountain – An elevation located north of Blue Mountain.
*
Burgess Mountain
Burgess Mountain is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of 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 nor ...
– An elevation located southwest of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Blue Ridge – A mountain range south of Blue Mountain Lake. Partially in the Town of
Lake Pleasant.
*
Cascade Pond – A pond located south of the hamlet of Blue Mountain Lake.
*
Casey Mountain – An elevation located east of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Castle Rock – An elevation located north of Blue Mountain Lake.
*
Crotched Pond – A lake located south of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Crotched Pond Mountain – An elevation located south of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Crow Hill – An elevation located south of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Davis Mountain
Davis Mountain is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of 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 northe ...
– An elevation located east of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Dun Brook Mountain
Dun Brook Mountain is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of New York located in the town of Indian Lake east-northeast of Blue Mountain Lake. Tirrell Mountain is located west and Tirrel Pond is located west-southwest of Dun Brook Moun ...
– A mountain located east of Blue Mountain.
*
Eagle Lake Eagle Lake may refer to:
Cities, towns, townships etc. Canada
* Eagle Lake, Haliburton County, Ontario
* Eagle Lake, Parry Sound District, Ontario
* Eagle Lake 27, Ontario (Indian reserve)
* Eagle Lake, Kenora District, Ontario
United States
* ...
– A lake by the west town line and west of Blue Mountain Lake.
*Eagles Nest – A location west of the hamlet of Blue Mountain Lake.
*
Fox Hill – An elevation located east of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Gates Hill
Gates Hill is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of 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 northeast ...
– An elevation located south-southwest of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Harris Rift Mountain
Harris Rift Mountain is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of 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 ...
– An elevation located north of Starbuck Mountain.
*
Hemlock Cobble
Indian Lake is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 1,352 at the 2010 census. The name is from a lake of the same name that is largely inside the town. There are no permanent stop lights in the town. Law enforc ...
– An elevation located south-southwest of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Indian Lake – A large lake with a southwest to northeast orientation in the town of Indian Lake and the
Town of Lake Pleasant.
*
Indian Lake – A hamlet of the same name in the Town of Indian Lake at the intersection of NY-28 and NY-30 and near the north end of the lake called Indian Lake.
*
Kings Flow
Kings Flow is located southeast of Indian Lake, New York. Fish species present in the lake are largemouth bass, yellow perch, white sucker, rock bass, black bullhead
The black bullhead or black bullhead catfish (''Ameiurus melas'') is a specie ...
– A lake located east of Indian Lake.
*
Kunjamuk Mountain
Kunjamuk Mountain is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of 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 no ...
– An elevation located south of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Lake Abanakee – A lake east of the Indian Lake hamlet.
*
Lake Durant
Lake Durant is a lake located 3 miles east of Indian Lake, New York#Communities and locations in Indian Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, New York. It has an area of 289 acres and an elevation of 1769 feet. Fish species present in the lake are largemouth ...
– A lake south of Blue Mountain Lake hamlet.
*
Ledger Mountain
Ledger Mountain is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of New York (state), New York located in the Town of Indian Lake, New York, Indian Lake northwest of Indian Lake (hamlet), New York, Indian Lake.
References
{{Mountains of New ...
– An elevation located northwest of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Little Blue Mountain
Little Blue Mountain is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of New York located in the Town of Indian Lake northwest of Blue Mountain Lake Blue Mountain Lake may refer to:
* Blue Mountain Lake (Arkansas), a reservoir in Arkansas
* Blue M ...
– An elevation located north of Blue Mountain Lake.
*
Little Hardwood Hill – An elevation located south-southwest of Indian Lake.
*
Little Mill Mountain – An elevation located north of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Long Pond – A lake located south of Crotched Pond. Partially in the town of
Wells
Wells most commonly refers to:
* Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England
* Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground
* Wells (name)
Wells may also refer to:
Places Canada
*Wells, British Columbia
England
* Wells ...
.
*
Long Pond Ridge – An elevation located south of Indian Lake.
*
McGinn Hill
McGinn Hill is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of 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 northeas ...
– An elevation located east of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Middle Mountain
Middle Mountain is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the west of Lake Tahoe in the Desolation Wilderness
The Desolation Wilderness is a federally protected wilderness area in the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basi ...
– An elevation located east of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Mill Mountain
Mill Mountain () is a large flat-topped mountain, high, forming the eastern end of Festive Plateau in the Cook Mountains of Antarctica. This mountain was probably sighted by the British National Antarctic Expedition (1901–04) under Captain Ro ...
– An elevation located northwest of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Moose Mountain – An elevation located southwest of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
P Gay Mountain – An elevation located east of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Peaked Mountain – An elevation located north of Blue Mountain Lake.
*
Pine Lake – A lake located north of the hamlet of Indian Lake. Part of the lake is in the town of
Minerva
Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the Roma ...
.
*
Pine Mountain – An elevation located east-northeast of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Porter Hill – An elevation located south-southwest of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*Rock Lake – A lake halfway between Indian Lake hamlet and Blue Mountain Lake hamlet.
*
Round Pond – A lake located east of Crotched Pond.
*
Ruby Mountain – An elevation located east-southeast of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*Sabael – A hamlet on the southwest side of Indian Lake, located on NY-30.
*
Sawyer Mountain
Sawyer Mountain is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of New York located in the Town of Indian Lake west-northwest of Indian Lake.
The Sawyer Mountain Trail is a 2.1 mile, moderate rated, trail located near Blue Mountain Lake Blue Mo ...
– An elevation located west-northwest of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Sprague Pond
Sprague Pond is located southeast of Blue Mountain Lake, New York. Fish species present in the lake are brown trout, golden shiner
The golden shiner (''Notemigonus crysoleucas'') is a cyprinid fish native to eastern North America. It is the so ...
– A lake located southeast of Blue Mountain Lake.
*
Starbuck Mountain
Starbuck Mountain is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of 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 no ...
– An elevation located east of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Stark Hills – An elevation located northwest of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*
Tirrell Mountain
Tirrell Mountain is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of New York located in the Town of Indian Lake east-northeast of Blue Mountain Lake. Tirrel Pond is located southeast, Dun Brook Mountain
Dun Brook Mountain is a mountain locat ...
– An elevation located east-northeast of Blue Mountain.
*
Tirrel Pond
Tirrel Pond is a lake located northeast of the Hamlet of Blue Mountain Lake, New York. Tirrell Mountain
Tirrell Mountain is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of New York located in the Town of Indian Lake east-northeast of Blue Moun ...
– A lake located east-northeast of Blue Mountain.
*
Tongue Mountain
Tongue Mountain is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of New York located in the Town of Indian Lake east-northeast of Blue Mountain Lake Blue Mountain Lake may refer to:
* Blue Mountain Lake (Arkansas), a reservoir in Arkansas
* Blue M ...
– An elevation located northeast of Blue Mountain.
*
White Birch Ridge – An elevation located north of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
*Wilderness Lodge – A location east of Indian Lake near the border with
Warren County Warren County is the name of fourteen counties in the USA. Some are named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War:
* Warren County, Georgia
* Warren County, Illinois
* Warren County ...
.
*
Windfall Hill
Windfall Hill is a mountain located in Adirondack Mountains of 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 northea ...
– An elevation located south-southwest of the hamlet of Indian Lake.
References
External links
Indian Lake Chamber of Commerce A personal account Indian Lake historyAdirondack Experience: The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake(previously the Adirondack Museum)
Indian Lake Library view near Indian Lake
Indian Lake Central SchoolIndian Lake Central School photo blog(not active since 2008)
{{authority control
Towns in Hamilton County, New York