Oswegatchie 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 St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 4,397 at the 2010 census. The name reportedly means "Black Water". It is on the northern border of the county and is adjacent to the city of Ogdensburg.

History

The area was first explored by French missionaries during the 17th century. The town was founded in 1802 from the town of Lisbon upon the formation of the county. After the end of the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

, the British renamed the former French community of La Gallette as Oswegatchie, the name of the local native tribe. After the end of 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 ...

, the community became Ogdensburg, named for

Samuel Ogden Colonel Samuel Ogden (December 9, 1746 — December 1, 1810) was a colonial businessman in New Jersey who had an iron works. He fought on the winning side during the American Revolutionary War. Afterward, he became a developer and land speculator f ...

, who was a member of a group of land speculators and developers who purchased a large tract of land in the region. During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

Ogdensburg and much of the town was captured by British forces. In 1817, the community of Ogdensburg set itself apart from the town by incorporating as a village, and became the City of Ogdensburg in 1868. The Town of Morristown was formed from the western part of Oswegatchie in 1821. Another part was used to make part of the Town of De Peyster in 1825. Mater Dei College was opened in 1960 and closed in 2001.

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, is land and (7.76%) is water. The

Oswegatchie River The Oswegatchie River ( moh, Kaniatarahòn:tsi) is a river in northern New York that flows from the Adirondack Mountains north to the Saint Lawrence River. The Oswegatchie River begins at Partlow Lake in Hamilton County, New York. The river co ...

flows through the town, defining part of the southern town line. The northwestern town line is defined by the

St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...

, and is an international border with Canada.

New York State Route 812 New York State Route 812 (NY 812) is a state highway in the North Country of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 12 and NY 26 in the Lewis County village of Lowvill ...

is a north–south highway.

New York State Route 37 New York State Route 37 (NY 37) is a state highway in the North Country of New York in the United States, extending for on a west–east axis. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S. Route 11 (US ...

is a highway on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River.

New York State Route 68 New York State Route 68 (NY 68) is an east–west state highway located entirely within St. Lawrence County in the North Country of New York in the United States. The western terminus is at an intersection with NY 37 in Oswe ...

is by the northeastern town 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 in ...

of 2000, there were 4,370 people, 1,508 households, and 1,091 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 66.4 people per square mile (25.6/km²). There were 1,896 housing units at an average density of 28.8 per square mile (11.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.49%

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 ...

, 0.30%

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 ...

, 0.34% Native American, 0.32%

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 ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.02% 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 0.50% 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 0.30% of the population. There were 1,508 households, out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.09. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 23.8% 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 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,700, and the median income for a family was $39,459. Males had a median income of $31,096 versus $23,365 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 $16,236. About 8.5% of families and 11.6% 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 15.8% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Oswegatchie

* Black Lake – A long, narrow

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

partly in the western part of the town, which defines the southern town line. *

Eel Weir State Park Eel Weir State Park is a state park in St. Lawrence County, New York. The park is located in the St. Lawrence Valley on the Oswegatchie River approximately from Black Lake and approximately southwest of Ogdensburg. Facilities The park is ...

– A state park southwest of Ogdensburg. *Galilee – A hamlet southwest of Ogdensburg on County Road 6. * Heuvelton – The Village of Heuvelton is in the southern part of the town by the Oswegatchie River and NY-812. *Ivy Ridge – A school for "troubled" teenagers located on the former campus of Mater Dei College, located near the St. Lawrence River, west of Ogdensburg. *Lost Village – Last known location: by Eel Weir State Park on County Road 4. *Northrup Corners – A location by the northern town line on NY-68 and County Road 4. * Ogdensburg – The City of Ogdensburg is at the northern border of the town on the St. Lawrence River. *

Ogdensburg International Airport Ogdensburg International Airport is a public airport located in the town of Oswegatchie, southeast of Ogdensburg, in St. Lawrence County, New York. It is owned by the Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority, which also owns and operates the Ogd ...

(OGS) – An

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

south of Ogdenburg. *Wadhams Hall – Formerly "Wadhams Hall Seminary," it is now a retreat and conference center located by the St. Lawrence River, west of Ogdensburg.

References

{{authority control Towns in St. Lawrence County, New York