Mount Morris 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 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 4,465 at the 2010 census. The town and village were named after Robert Morris, a

Founding Father The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...

of the United States. The town of Mount Morris has a village also called Mount Morris. The town is on the western border of the county and is home to part of

Letchworth State Park Letchworth State Park is a List of New York state parks, New York State Park located in Livingston County, New York, Livingston County and Wyoming County, New York, Wyoming County in the western part of the New York (state), State of New York. T ...

History

The region was first settled by Europeans ''circa'' 1784. It was first known as "Allens Hill", then as "Richmond Hill". The town was formed from the town of

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

in 1818. The former

Genesee Valley Canal The Genesee Valley Canal is a former canal that operated in central New York between 1840 and 1878. It ran for a length of 124 miles, passing through 106 locks. Its course was later used by the Genesee Valley Canal Railroad and today comprises po ...

passed through the town. In 1952

Mount Morris Dam The Mount Morris Dam is a concrete dam on the Genesee River. It is located south of Rochester, New York in the towns of Leicester and Mount Morris in Livingston County, New York, next to Letchworth State Park. History The Mt. Morris Dam was ...

was finished on 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 ...

for flood control.

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 are land and , or 0.21%, are water. The northwest town line is defined by the

. The southwestern half of the town line following the Genesee is the border of Wyoming County.

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 ...

and New York State Route 408 intersect in Mount Morris village.

Interstate 390 Interstate 390 (I-390) is a north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway located entirely within New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the Southern Tier Expressway ( I-86 and New York State Route 17 Y ...

passes near the east town line.

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 ...

) *

* Groveland; West Sparta * Nunda;

Portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) 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 ...

* Castile

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 4,567 people, 1,783 households, and 1,132 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 90.1 people per square mile (34.8/km²). There were 1,925 housing units at an average density of 38.0 per square mile (14.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.05%

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 ...

, 0.92%

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 have o ...

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 ...

, 0.33% Native American, 0.61%

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 ...

, 1.93% 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 1.16% 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 ...

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 4.49% of the population. There were 1,783 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% 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, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,813, and the median income for a family was $38,015. Males had a median income of $31,940 versus $20,625 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 $15,871. About 11.1% of families and 13.1% 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 19.0% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and Locations in the Town of Mount Morris

*Brooks Grove – 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 ...

in the southwest part of the town on Route 408. The name is from the founder, General Micah Brooks. *Deyuitga'oh ("Where the Valley Widens") – A native village once located near where the Mount Morris Dam is currently situated. *

– A

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

on the west border of the town. * Mount Morris – The village of Mount Morris near the northern border of the town. *

– A

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

northwest of Mount Morris village. *Ridge – A hamlet southwest of Mount Morris village on NY-408. *River Road Forks – A location west of Brooks Grove. This location has also been called "River Road". *

Tuscarora Tuscarora may refer to the following: First nations and Native American people and culture * Tuscarora people **''Federal Power Commission v. Tuscarora Indian Nation'' (1960) * Tuscarora language, an Iroquoian language of the Tuscarora people * ...

– A hamlet and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a 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 counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

in the southeast part of the town. *Union Corners – A hamlet on the town line east of Tuscarora.

Notable people

Ross Barnes Charles Roscoe Barnes (May 8, 1850 – February 5, 1915) was one of the stars of baseball's National Association (1871–1875) and the early National League (1876–1881), playing second base and shortstop. He played for the dominant Boston R ...

, one of the early stars of the National Association and

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

; born in Mount Morris *

Francis Bellamy Francis Julius Bellamy (May 18, 1855 – August 28, 1931) was an American Christian socialist Baptist minister and author. He is best known for writing the original version of the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892. Early life Francis Julius Bellamy ...

, author of the

Pledge of Allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is a patriotic recited verse that promises allegiance to the flag of the United States and the republic of the United States of America. The first version, with a text different from the one used ...

; born in Mount Morris * Gus Ganakas, basketball head coach at

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...

in 1970s; born in Mount Morris * George Hastings, US congressman * Sarah Hopkins Bradford, writer and historian; born in Mount Morris * Joe La Barbera, Jazz drummer. *

Mary Seymour Howell Mary Catherine Seymour Howell (August 29, 1844 – February 18, 1913) was a leader, lecturer, and activist for women's suffrage in the United States. She authored the bill granting women the right to vote in New York State that passed in 1892. She ...

, suffragette; born and died in Mount Morris *

Mary Jemison Mary Jemison (''Deh-he-wä-nis'') (1743 – September 19, 1833) was a Scots-Irish colonial frontierswoman in Pennsylvania and New York, who became known as the "White Woman of the Genesee." As a young girl she was captured and adopted into a Sen ...

, the "White Woman of the Genesee" *

Marie Boening Kendall Marie Boening Kendall (1885 – 1953) was an American painter. Life Born in Mount Morris, New York, Kendall studied in New York City under William Merritt Chase. In California she attended the Los Angeles College of Fine Arts, studying with Je ...

, painter * James M. Mead, US congressman *Major General William Augustus Mills (1777–1844), who served during defense of Niagara frontier in War of 1812 *

Charles Gilbert Peterson Charles Gilbert Peterson (January 31, 1848 - October 3, 1918), was an American contractor from Lockport, New York. He was an associate in Peterson & Sons with his father, Gilbert Peterson and brother, Jesse Peterson. The company executed such ...

, contractor *

Gilbert Peterson Gilbert Peterson (August 5, 1824 - November 14, 1890), was an American contractor from Lockport, New York. He was the founder and President of Peterson & Sons, which he ran with his two sons, Charles Gilbert Peterson and Jesse Peterson. The co ...

, contractor *

John Wesley Powell John Wesley Powell (March 24, 1834 – September 23, 1902) was an American geologist, U.S. Army soldier, explorer of the American West, professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions. He ...

, a

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...

and explorer; born in Mount Morris *

Annie Rockfellow Annie Graham Rockfellow (March 12, 1866 – January 17, 1954) was an influential and prolific architect active in Tucson, Arizona during the first half of the 20th century. Life and work Born in Mount Morris, New York on March 12, 1866, Annie was ...

, architect

References

External links

*
Brief history of Mt. Morris, NY
{{authority control New York (state) populated places on the Genesee River Rochester metropolitan area, New York Towns in Livingston County, New York