Smithfield 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 Madison 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. Administrative offices are in the hamlet of

Peterboro Peterboro, located approximately southeast of Syracuse, New York, is a historic hamlet and currently the administrative center for the Town of Smithfield, Madison County, New York, United States. Peterboro has a Post Office, ZIP code 13134 ...

. The town and hamlet both are named after Peter Smith, an original land owner. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 1,288. The Town of Smithfield is located in the center of the county.

History

The region was first settled around 1797. The town was organized in 1807 from land taken from the Town of Cazenovia.

2014 tornado

At 7:02 p.m. on July 8, 2014, Smithfield was struck by an

EF2 Elongation factors are a set of proteins that function at the ribosome, during protein synthesis, to facilitate translational elongation from the formation of the first to the last peptide bond of a growing polypeptide. Most common elongation ...

tornado with peak estimated winds of . The tornado killed four people and destroyed several homes. One house was carried and thrown into another home. And additionally, a 3-story house was rolled off its foundation down a hill, the occupant inside was killed.

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 0.04% is water.

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 1,205 people, 415 households, and 315 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 49.5 people per square mile (19.1/km²). There were 446 housing units at an average density of 18.3 per square mile (7.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.68%

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 ...

, 1.00%

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 ...

, 0.83% Native American, 0.25%

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 ...

, and 1.24% 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 0.25% of the population. There were 415 households, out of which 42.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% 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 23.9% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.25. In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.2% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $35,109, and the median income for a family was $38,333. Males had a median income of $28,618 versus $23,125 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 $14,860. About 12.6% of families and 16.2% 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 22.2% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations

*Bliss Corners – A location south of Peterboro. *Eisaman Corners – A location in the northern part of the town. *Embury Corners – A location in the southeastern corner of the town. *

– 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 center of the town, where the

Gerrit Smith Gerrit Smith (March 6, 1797 – December 28, 1874), also spelled Gerritt Smith, was a leading American social reformer, abolitionist, businessman, public intellectual, and philanthropist. Married to Ann Carroll Fitzhugh, Smith was a candidat ...

Estate and Peter Smith Land Office are located. *Siloam – A hamlet northeast of Peterboro.

References

External links

*
Early history of Smithfield

Gerrit Smith information
{{authority control Syracuse metropolitan area 1807 establishments in New York (state) Populated places established in 1807 Towns in Madison County, New York