Norway 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 ...

Herkimer County, New York Herkimer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,139. Its county seat is Herkimer. The county was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. It is named a ...

, United States. The population was 762 at the 2010 census. The town is located in the central part of the county and is northeast of Utica. The town borders 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 ...

History

The town was permanently settled around 1787 after an abandoned effort in 1786. Norway was formed in 1792 from the town of Herkimer immediately after the creation of Herkimer County. Norway was originally a very large town, and it was subsequently broken up, directly or indirectly, into about 36 new towns in several bordering counties. In Herkimer County, the towns of Fairfield (1796),

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

(1806),

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

(1823), Wilmurt (now defunct), and

Webb Webb most often refers to James Webb Space Telescope which is named after James E. Webb, second Administrator of NASA. It may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Webb Glacier (South Georgia) * Webb Glacier (Victoria Land) *Webb Névé, Victoria ...

(1836) were made by dividing Norway. Part of Newport was taken from Norway in 1806. The creation of Oneida County, Lewis County,

Clinton County Clinton County may refer to: *Counties named for George Clinton, first and third Governor of New York, and later the fourth Vice President of the United States: **Clinton County, New York ** Clinton County, Ohio *Counties named for DeWitt Clinton, ...

, Hamilton County, and St. Lawrence County from Herkimer County accounts for the remaining towns derived from Norway. In 1825, the town's population was 1,168. Because of poor soil conditions, early farmers eventually turned to raising dairy herds. By 1887, there were six cheese factories in Norway. The former Baptist Church 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 v ...

in 2007.

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 0.76%, are water.

New York State Route 8 New York State Route 8 (NY 8) is a north-south state highway in the central part of New York in the United States. It runs in a southwest-to-northeast direction from the Southern Tier to the northern part of Lake George. The souther ...

crosses the northwestern part of Norway.

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 711 people, 247 households, and 185 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 20.0 people per square mile (7.7/km²). There were 311 housing units at an average density of 8.7 per square mile (3.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.02%

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 ...

, 0.14%

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 ...

, and 0.84% 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 0.42% of the population. There were 247 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% 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, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.21. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 116.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,719, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $29,375 versus $23,846 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 $15,396. About 6.3% of families and 10.1% 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 17.3% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

David Legge Brainard David Legge Brainard (December 21, 1856 – March 22, 1946) was a career officer in the United States Army. He enlisted in 1876, received his officer's commission in 1886, and served until 1919. Brainard attained the rank of brigadier genera ...

, United States Army officer and explorer * Charles S. Millington, politician * Archibald Nichols, politician * George R. Vincent, politician

Communities and locations in Norway

*Black Creek Reservoir – A

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

in the northern part of the town. * Dairy Hill – An elevation in the southeastern part of the town. *Gray – 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 the northern town line on County Road 48. *Hurricane – A hamlet in the northwestern part of the town on NY-8. * Norway (hamlet) – The hamlet of Norway is near the center of the town.

References

External links

Town of Norway official website

Herkimer County Historical Society
{{authority control Utica–Rome metropolitan area Norwegian-American culture in New York (state) Towns in Herkimer County, New York Populated places established in 1787 1787 establishments in New York (state)