Seward 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
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 ...
,
New York, United States. The population was 1,637 at the
2000 census. The town is named after senator, governor, and secretary of state
William H. Seward
William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined oppon ...
.
The Town of Seward is in the northwestern part of the county and is northeast of
Oneonta.
History
The first settlement took place ''circa'' 1754 near Seward village.
During 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 ...
, much of the town was destroyed due to conflict between loyalist and revolutionary factions.
The town was formed in 1840 from part of the
Town of Sharon.
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 (0.19%) is water.
The western town line is the border of
Otsego County.
New York State Route 10
New York State Route 10 (NY 10) is a north–south state highway in the Central New York and North Country regions of New York in the United States. It extends for from the Quickway ( NY 17) (Future Interstate 86) in Deposit ...
is a north–south highway.
New York State Route 165
New York State Route 165 (NY 165) is an east–west state highway in eastern New York in the United States. It serves as a connector between NY 166 in the Otsego County town of Roseboom and NY 10 in the Schoharie County town ...
is an east–west highway, with its eastern terminus at NY-10 at Janesville.
New York State Route 145
New York State Route 145 (NY 145) is a state highway in eastern New York in the United States. The highway extends for from NY 23 in the Greene County town of Cairo to U.S. Route 20 (US 20) in the Schoharie County tow ...
is a north–south highway in the northeastern part of Seward.
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 1,637 people, 588 households, and 449 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 (25.0/sq mi). There were 683 housing units at an average density of 18.8 per square mile (7.2/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.50%
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 ...
, 0.31%
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 ...
, 0.18%
Native American, 0.06%
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 ...
, 0.73% 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 1.22% 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 ...
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 2.75% of the population.
There were 588 households, out of which 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% were
married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $40,438, and the median income for a family was $44,813. Males had a median income of $31,827 versus $24,076 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 $18,227. About 5.9% of families and 8.8% 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 11.4% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Seward
*Clove – 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 southeastern part of the town, on County Road 63. It was once called "The Clove," a corruption of the Dutch "Klauver Kloof," meaning "clover valley."
*Dorloo – A hamlet in the western section of the town on NY-165, west of Seward village.
*Gardnersville – A hamlet east of Seward village, located on NY-10 and named after Dow Gardner, an early settler.
*Hyndsville – A hamlet on NY-10 in the southeastern part of the town named after a settler family.
*Janesville – A hamlet on NY-10 in the southeastern part of the town.
*Lawyersville – A hamlet at the eastern town line on NY-145, named after an early family.
*Seward – The hamlet of Seward is in the northern section of the town on NY-165.
*Webers Corners – A hamlet by the western town line on NY-165.
*Zeh Corners – A hamlet in the northeastern part of the town on County Road 30.
References
External links
Town of Seward, NY
{{authority control
Towns in Schoharie County, New York
Towns in New York (state)