Murray 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 Orleans 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 6,259 at the 2000 census. The Town of Murray is on the east border of the county, northwest of the City of Rochester.

History

Murray was first settled ''circa'' 1809. The Town of Murray was established in 1808 from the town of Northampton before the formation of Orleans County, while still part of Genesee County. Later, Murray was reduced by the creation of new towns:

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

(1813, now in Monroe County), Clarkson, (1819, now in Monroe County) and Kendall (1837). In 1850, the community of Holley incorporated, setting itself off from the town.

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 (0.19%) is water. The eastern boundary is shared with the Town of Clarkson in

Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: * Monroe County, Alabama *Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida * Monroe County, Georgia *Monroe County, Illinois *Monroe County, Indian ...

, marked by

New York State Route 272 New York State Route 272 (NY 272) is a north–south state highway in the western portion of New York in the United States. It extends for just over along the Orleans– Monroe county line from an intersection with NY 104 in Clark ...

. The

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 ...

passes through the town, along with

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 ...

New York State Route 104 New York State Route 104 (NY 104) is a east–west state highway in Upstate New York in the United States. It spans six counties and enters the vicinity of four cities—Niagara Falls, Lockport, Rochester, and Oswego—as it follows ...

(Ridge Road) and

New York State Route 387 New York State Route 387 (NY 387) is a state highway located within the town of Murray in Orleans County, New York, in the United States. It serves as a north–south connector between NY 31 in the hamlet of Fancher and NY 1 ...

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 2000, there were 6,259 people, 1,886 households, and 1,308 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 201.6 people per square mile (77.9/km²). There were 2,014 housing units at an average density of 64.9 per square mile (25.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 83.64%

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 ...

, 14.63%

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 ...

, 0.29% Native American, 0.13%

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, 0.66% 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, 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 ...

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of any race were 6.29% of the population. There were 1,886 households, out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% 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, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 40.5% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 64.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 56.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $38,672, and the median income for a family was $45,184. Males had a median income of $32,795 versus $26,113 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 $14,620. About 4.2% of families and 6.9% 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 9.5% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Pitts Ellis, Wisconsin legislator, was born in Murray.'The Convention of 1846,' Milo Milton Quaife, Wisconsin Historical Society, Biographical Sketch of Pitts Ellis, pg. 770 * Jacob Hinds, former Canal Commissioner for New York State

Communities and locations in Murray

* Holley - The Village of Holley, on the

, is in the southeast part of the town. *Fancher – A community located around the intersection of Routes NY-387 and NY-31 in the western part of the town. *Hindsburg (also spelled Hinsburg, Hinsberg, Hindsburgh, Hindsville) – A location on the west town line. *McCargo Lake – A small lake by the west town line. *Murray – The hamlet of Murray is on Ridge Road (NY-104). *Brockville – A hamlet north of Fancher on NY-387. *Hulberton – A hamlet east of Fancher by the Erie Canal.

References

External links

The Town of Murray website

{{authority control Rochester metropolitan area, New York Towns in Orleans County, New York