Root 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
Montgomery 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 1,715 at the 2010 census. The town was named for
Erastus Root
Erastus Root (March 16, 1773 – December 24, 1846) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He is most notable for serving four separate non-consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives in the early 19th Century.
...
, a legislator in the early Federal period.
The Town of Root is in the south-central part of the county and is southwest of
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
.
The
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...
passes the northern part of Root.
History
The Town of Root was part of a
patent
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...
of granted in 1737 to William Corry, George Clark, and others. The first British settler located near Currytown (named for William Corry) before 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 Revolut ...
, but this area was very much the frontier. During the Revolution, the small colonial community was raided and burned by Iroquois allies of the British commanded by Captain
John Doxtader.
Root was once part of the original "Town of Mohawk." It was created in 1823 from part of the
Town of Charleston. After the Revolutionary War, this area received many land-hungry migrants from New England. For decades, its culture largely was a continuation of that brought by the Yankee settlers.
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 is land and (0.41%) is water.
The northern town boundary is defined by the
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk f ...
, and the southern town line is the border of
Schoharie County
Schoharie County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 29,714, making it the state's fifth-least populous county. The county ...
.
In the 20th century, the
New York State Thruway
{{Infobox road
, state = NY
, type = NYST
, alternate_name = Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway
, maint = NYSTA
, map = {{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, type=line, stroke-width=2, type2=line, from2=New Yor ...
was constructed through the northern part of the town, following the course of the Mohawk River.
New York State Route 5S
New York State Route 5S (NY 5S) is a east–west state highway located in the Mohawk Valley of New York in the United States. It extends from a continuation of NY 5A at an interchange with NY 5, NY 8, NY 12, and I ...
also follows the course of the Mohawk and intersects
New York State Route 162
New York State Route 162 (NY 162) is a state highway in eastern New York in the United States. It runs from an intersection with U.S. Route 20 (US 20) in the Schoharie County town of Esperance to an interchange with NY ...
at Sprakers in the northwestern section of Root.
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 1,752 people, 656 households, and 492 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 34.5 people per square mile (13.3/km
2). There were 755 housing units at an average density of 14.9 per square mile (5.7/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.06%
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 ...
, 0.40%
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 ...
, 0.29%
Native American, 0.34%
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 ...
, 0.23% 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 0.68% 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 ...
or
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 1.14% of the population.
There were 656 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% 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, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% 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 3.08.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,060, and the median income for a family was $41,927. Males had a median income of $28,073 versus $22,656 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 $16,206. About 8.4% of families and 11.8% 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 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The Town of Root is a town of the Second Class under New York State law, with an elected Town Board of four members, plus a Town Supervisor, who is a voting member of the Board.
Town of Root Supervisors
Gary A. Kamp (2014–Present)
John W. Thayer (2008–2013)
Brian S. Cechnicki (2004–2007)
John Van Kersen (1992–2003)
John W. Cechnicki (1982–1991)
Communities and locations in Root
*Browns 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 ...
southwest of Root Center.
*
Buttermilk Falls – A waterfall located northeast of Currytown.
*Currytown – A hamlet on NY-162 near the center of Root. The name is derived from "Corry's patent."
*Flat Creek – A location southwest of Currytown, located on Flat Creek. The hamlet contains the Root Town Offices regarding government and facilities regarding maintenance.
*
Flat Creek – A
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the Mohawk River, flowing northward through western Root.
*Kilmartin Corners – A location by the southern town line.
*Little Nose – A landmark near the Mohawk River, which along with Big Nose on the opposite bank marks a place called "The Noses," an area of a break in the Appalachian Mountains, through which the Erie Canal was built.
*Lykers (formerly "Lykers Corners") – A location south of Root Center.
*
Randall – A hamlet in the northeastern part of Root on NY-5S.
*Root Center – A hamlet south of Currytown.
*
Rural Grove – A hamlet southeast of Currytown on NY-162.
*
Sprakers (formerly "Sprakers Basin") – 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 ...
, located on the Erie Canal and Mohawk River and the junction of NY-5S and NY-162 in the northeastern part of Root.
*Stone Ridge – A hamlet on the town line in the northeastern corner of the town on NY-5S.
*Sutphens Hollow – A former community in the northwestern section of Root, located by Flat Creek and formerly called "Hamilton Hollow."
*Yatesville – A former community located by the Mohawk River.
Notable people
*
Stewart Friesen, race car driver
*
Annabel Morris Holvey
Annabel Morris Holvey (, Freeman; October 4, 1855 – February 17, 1910) was an American newspaper editor, publisher, and author of the long nineteenth century, as well as a lecturer and social reformer in the American temperance movement. Her inv ...
(1855–1910), newspaper editor, social reformer
*
George A. Mitchell, founder of
Cadillac, Michigan
Cadillac ( ) is a city in and county seat of Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,371 at the 2020 census, which ranks it the third most-populated city in the Northern Michigan region after Traverse City and Alp ...
References
External links
Town of Root historical links
{{authority control
Towns in Montgomery County, New York
1823 establishments in New York (state)
Populated places on the Mohawk River
Populated places established in 1823