Leicester ( ) 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 Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 2,200 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Leicester Phelps, an early inhabitant. Leicester is on the western border of Livingston County. The village of Leicester is at the center of the town. Leicester is west of Geneseo.

History

The area was a major stronghold of the Seneca people until 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 Revoluti ...

, with three major villages: Little Beard's Town, Big Tree, and Squakie Hill. These three settlements were a target of the

Sullivan Expedition The 1779 Sullivan Expedition (also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, the Sullivan Campaign, and the Sullivan-Clinton Genocide) was a United States military campaign during the American Revolutionary War, lasting from June to October 1779 ...

in 1779, to end raids on American communities. The town was first settled around 1789. The town was formed in 1802, but the name, originally spelled "Lester" or "Leister", was changed in 1805 to the current form. The town was later reduced in size by the creation of newer towns: Mount Morris (1813) and

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

(1819). The Coverdale Cobblestone House was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2005.

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 0.01%, are water. The

Genesee River The Genesee River is a tributary of Lake Ontario flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York in the United States. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides h ...

forms the eastern border of the town, and the west town line is the border of Wyoming County. The

concurrent Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...

routes of U.S. 20A and New York State Route 39 form an east-west highway across the town from Pine Tavern to the eastern town line. West of Pine Tavern, US 20A and NY 39 follow separate roadways to the western town line.

New York State Route 36 New York State Route 36 (NY 36) is a north–south state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The highway extends for from the Pennsylvania state line at Troupsburg, Steuben County northward to Ogden, Monro ...

is a north-south highway, intersecting US-20A and NY-39 at Leicester village.

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 ...

) *

* Geneseo * Mount Morris * Castile;

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also mad ...

; Covington

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 2,287 people, 849 households, and 640 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 68.2 people per square mile (26.3/km²). There were 900 housing units at an average density of 26.8 per square mile (10.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.86%

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 ...

, 0.87%

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.09% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.48% 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 0.66% 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 1.01% of the population. There were 849 households, out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% 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 3.04. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $41,230, and the median income for a family was $46,652. Males had a median income of $35,450 versus $26,420 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 $17,655. About 4.6% of families and 8.2% 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 7.3% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Students who reside in the town of Leicester typically attend York Central School. Students living on the borders of Leicester could also attend the schools of bordering towns including Geneseo, Perry and Mt. Morris.

Notable person

* George W. Patterson, US congressman

Communities and locations in the town

*Beards Creek – A tributary of the Genesee River, named after native leader "Little Beard". *Big Tree – Former native community and later a reservation partly in the town. * Cuylerville – 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 ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

northeast of Leicester village on Routes 20A and NY-39. *Gibonville – A former community in the southwest part of the town. * Leicester – The village of Leicester is centrally located in the town on US-20A at the junction with NY-36. *

Letchworth State Park Letchworth State Park is a New York State Park located in Livingston County and Wyoming County in the western part of the State of New York. The park is roughly long, following the course of the Genesee River as it flows north through a dee ...

– A state park at the south town line. *Little Beard's Town – A former native community located near present-day Cuylerville. *Pine Tavern Corners or Pine Tavern – A hamlet southwest of Leicester village on Routes 20A and 39. *Squakie Hill – Former native community and (later) a former reservation at the Genesee River west of NY-36. *Teed Corners – A hamlet near the north town line on NY-36.

References

External links

*
Brief history of Leicester, NY

{{authority control New York (state) populated places on the Genesee River Rochester metropolitan area, New York Towns in Livingston County, New York