Rodman 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 Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 1,176 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a public official, Daniel Rodman. The town is in the southeastern part of the county and is south of

Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...

History

Prehistoric remains in the town document the lives of the original natives. The region was part of

Macomb's Purchase Macomb's Purchase is a large historical area of northern New York in the United States purchased from the state in 1791 by Alexander Macomb, a merchant who had become rich during the American Revolutionary War. He acted as a land speculator, sellin ...

. The town was first settled around 1801. Rodman was organized as a town in 1804 from part of the town of Adams. The town was originally called "Harrison" after an early landowner, but was later changed to "Rodman", the name of the clerk of the legislature, due to confusion with other similarly named communities. Part of Rodman was used in 1808 to form the Town of Pinckney (Now part of Lewis County).

Notable people

* Rodman native Benjamin Burr (1818-1894) served in the Wisconsin State Assembly and was a businessman in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. * Rodman native Adele M. Fielde (1839–1916) became a Baptist missionary in China. She wrote books about China, parliamentary procedure, and the Swatow dialect. * Rodman native

Mary A. Hitchcock Wakelin Mary A. Hitchcock Wakelin (, Barnes; after first marriage, Hitchcock; after second marriage, Wakelin; April 28, 1834 – February 25, 1900) was a 19th-century American educator and temperance reformer. In 1874, she started the movement that res ...

(1834-1900) was a temperance reformer. * Rodman native Frank Winfield Woolworth (1852-1919) made a fortune from his "five and dime" mercantile empire.

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 , or 0.13%, are water. The town is north of Syracuse and south of

, on the western slopes of the

Tug Hill Tug Hill, sometimes referred to as the Tug Hill Plateau, is an upland region in northern New York State, famous for heavy winter snows. The Tug Hill region is east of Lake Ontario, north of Oneida Lake, and west of the Adirondack Mountains. The r ...

Plateau. The eastern town line is the border of Lewis County. New York State Route 177 is an east–west highway crossing the town. The North and South Branches of Sandy Creek run through Rodman and eventually join near Litt's Bridge at the western border of the town.

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 1,147 people, 385 households, and 314 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 27.2 people per square mile (10.5/km²). There were 455 housing units at an average density of 10.8 per square mile (4.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.34%

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 ...

, 0.17%

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 ...

, 0.61% Native American, 0.09% 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 0.78% 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 1.39% of the population. There were 385 households, out of which 46.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.1% 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, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. 13.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.26. In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,339, and the median income for a family was $43,750. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $25,764 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 $15,453. About 6.7% of families and 9.5% 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 11.6% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Rodman

*Babbits Corners – A location in the southeastern part of the town at the junction of NY-177 and County Road 189. *Dillen – 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 northwestern corner of the town on County Road 155. *East Rodman – A hamlet near the eastern town line on County Roads 69 and 156. It was also called "Whitesville". *Rodman – 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 ...

) at the junction of County Roads 69 and 97 in the west-central part of the town. *Ross Corners – A location in the southwestern part of the town on County Road 97. *Shingle Gulf – A canyon in the northeastern part of Rodman. *Tremaines Corners – A hamlet southeast of the center of the town on County Roads 95 and 177. *Whitford Corners – A location in the northwestern part of the town on NY-177. The location was also called "West Rodman" and "Toad Hollow". *Zoar – A hamlet northeast of Rodman village, formerly known as "Unionville".

References

External links

Town of Rodman official website

F.W. Woolworth information

{{authority control Towns in Jefferson County, New York