Russell 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 ...

St. Lawrence County, New York St. Lawrence County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 108,505. The county seat is Canton. The county is named for the Saint Lawrence River, which in turn was named for the Christian saint La ...

, United States. The population was 1,856 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Russell Attwater, the pioneer land owner. The Town of Russell is centrally located in the county and is south of Canton.

History

The town land was purchased by Russell Atwater in 1798. The town was first settled in 1805. Russell Attwater was elected the first town supervisor, when the town was formed in 1807 from Hopkinton from previously named townships: Dewitt, Ballybean and Sarahsburg. In 1813 and 1816, part of Russell was removed to form the Town of Fowler. More of Russell was taken to form, in whole or part, the Towns of Rossie (1813), Pierrepont (1818), and

Fine Fine may refer to: Characters * Sylvia Fine (''The Nanny''), Fran's mother on ''The Nanny'' * Officer Fine, a character in ''Tales from the Crypt'', played by Vincent Spano Legal terms * Fine (penalty), money to be paid as punishment for an offe ...

(1849). During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, an

arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

was located in the town near Russell village. Sold in 1865, it served as a school for many years. The Arsenal was destroyed by fire in 1945. The Russell Town Hall was listed on 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 1996.

Notable people

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

businessman Seymour H. Knox I was born in Russell. *

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

member Seymour M. Knox was born in Russell.

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 (0.54%) is water. The

Grasse River The Grasse River or Grass River (per 1905 decision of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names) is a river in northern New York, in the United States. The river mainly flows northeast from the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains into the St. Lawrenc ...

flows northward through 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 1,801 people, 650 households, and 482 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 18.6 people per square mile (7.2/km²). There were 854 housing units at an average density of 8.8 per square mile (3.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.00%

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, 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 ...

, 0.22% Native American, 0.22%

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, 0.06% from

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, and 0.33% 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 0.11% of the population. There were 650 households, out of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% 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, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.14. In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $31,080, and the median income for a family was $36,118. Males had a median income of $31,927 versus $22,895 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 $13,530. About 15.7% of families and 19.2% 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 27.1% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Russell

*Boyd Pond – A small lake east of Coopers Corners. *Clarks Corners – A location east of Russell village on County Road 24. *Coopers Corners – A location in the eastern part of the town, northeast of South Russell. *Danes Corners – A location north of Russell village. *Degrasse – A hamlet in the southeastern part of the town on County Road 17. *Derbyville – A hamlet south of Russell village on County Road 24. *Devils Elbow – A location on the Grasse River, northwest of Russell village. *Enderbees Corners – A location in the northeastern part of the town at the junction of Count Roads 25 and 27. *Fairbanks Corners – A location near the western town line on County Road 21. *Fordhams Corners – A location east of Stalbird. *North Russell – A hamlet in the northeastern part of the town on County Road 25. *Owens Corners – A location east of Clarks Corners on County Road 24 at County Road 25. *Palmersville – A hamlet southeast of Russell village and near the Grass River. *Putnams Corners – A location north of Russell village. *Reynolds Corners – A location in the eastern part of the town near Coopers Corners. *Russell – The hamlet of Russell is located by the Grasse River on County Road 17. *Scotts Corners – A location north of Russell village. *South Russell – A location in the center of the town on County Road 17. *Stalbird – A hamlet near the western town line, southwest of Russell village. *Van House Corners – A location in the eastern part of the town. *Whipperwill Corners – A location south of Russell village on County Road 24.

References

External links

Town of Russell, NY

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