Nichols 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 Tioga 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 town contains a village also called

Nichols Nichols may refer to: People *Nichols (surname) *Nichol, a surname Places Canada * Nichols Islands, Nunavut United States * Nichols, California, an unincorporated community * Nichols Canyon, Los Angeles, California * Nichols, Connecticut * Nic ...

. The town is on the south border of both the county and the state. The town is halfway between

Binghamton Binghamton () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the conflue ...

and Elmira. The population was 2,357 at the 2020 census. The town is named after Colonel Nichols, an early landowner.

History

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 ...

of 1779 passed through the area, destroying the native settlements of those who sided with the British against America in the Revolutionary War . The first permanent settlers arrived before 1787, but they were regarded as squatters by the first official settler, who arrived ''circa'' 1791. The town of Nichols was established in 1824 from part of the town of Tioga.

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 34.7 square miles (89.8 km²), of which 33.7 square miles (87.3 km²) is land and 1.0 square mile (2.5 km²) (2.77%) is water. The

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

marks the northern town boundary and the southern town line is the state line of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. The

Southern Tier Expressway New York State Route 17 (NY 17) is a major state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in Mina and follows the Souther ...

(

New York State Route 17 New York State Route 17 (NY 17) is a major state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in Mina and follows the Souther ...

and future Interstate 86) passes across the town south of the Susquehanna River.

New York State Route 282 New York State Route 282 (NY 282) is a north–south state highway located within Tioga County in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It extends for from the Pennsylvania state line in the town of Nichols, where it con ...

connects NY-17 to the Pennsylvania state line.

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 2,584 people, 966 households, and 723 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 76.7 people per square mile (29.6/km²). There were 1,033 housing units at an average density of 30.7 per square mile (11.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.03%

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 ...

, 0.39%

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 ...

, 0.19%

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 ...

, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, 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 the original p ...

, and 0.35% 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 0.81% of the population. There were 966 households, out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% 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, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.04. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.9% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $37,372, and the median income for a family was $38,558. Males had a median income of $30,824 versus $22,375 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 $15,728. About 9.8% of families and 13.6% 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 18.8% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Nichols

*Briggs Hollow – 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 southeastern part of the town, and the name of a small valley in which the community is located. *East Nichols – A location in the southeastern corner of the town. *Hoopers Valley – A riverside hamlet east of Waverly village on NY-17. *Litchfield – A riverside hamlet at the western town line on NY-17. * Lounsberry – A hamlet northeast of Waverly village on NY-17. It was formerly called ''Canfield Corners''. *

– A village on the south side of the

at NY-17. *Squaw Island – An

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

in the Susquehanna River in the northeastern part of the town. *

Tioga Downs Tioga Downs is a county-fair-themed standardbred racetrack (5/8 mile) and commercial casino located on a site in Nichols, New York. History Tioga Downs originally was a quarterhorse track known as "Tioga Park" in 1976, closing down after its ...

– A casino built in 2006. Features horse racing in the summer months. *Tuffs Island – An island in the Susquehanna River in the northeastern part of the town. *Wapasening Creek – A stream flowing into the Susquehanna River by Nichols village.

References

External links

Town of Nichols

{{authority control Binghamton metropolitan area Towns in Tioga County, New York