Spencer 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 Tioga County, New York, United States. The population was 2,976 at the 2020 census. The town and its primary village are named after

Ambrose Spencer Ambrose Spencer (December 13, 1765March 13, 1848) was an American lawyer and politician. Early life Ambrose Spencer was born on December 13, 1765 in Salisbury in the Connecticut Colony. He was the son of Philip Spencer and Mary ( née Moore) S ...

. It lies on the western border of the county and is south of

Ithaca Ithaca most commonly refers to: *Homer's Ithaca, an island featured in Homer's ''Odyssey'' *Ithaca (island), an island in Greece, possibly Homer's Ithaca *Ithaca, New York, a city, and home of Cornell University and Ithaca College Ithaca, Ithaka ...

. Inside the town is the Village of Spencer. The village of

Candor Candor or candour may refer to: * Candor or parrhesia, the quality of speaking candidly in rhetoric * ''Candour'' (magazine), a British far-right magazine * "Candour", a song by Neck Deep from their 2014 album '' Wishful Thinking'' * Duty of c ...

borders the town to the east and southeast, with Waverly to the southwest and

Van Etten Van Etten is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Chris Van Etten, American television writer * Hudson Van Etten (1874–1941), United States Navy sailor * Jane Van Etten (born 1871), American composer * Sharon Van Etten (born 1981) ...

to the west, while Danby is to the north.

History

The land for the town was purchased in 1791 and settlement began in 1794. When the town was organized in 1806 from the

Town of Tioga Tioga is a mixed-use development located about three miles west of Gainesville in unincorporated Alachua County, Florida, United States. Tioga can be found along Florida State Road 26 east of the overlap with County Road 241. History Town o ...

(the Old Town of Owego), it contained territory that is now in more newly organized towns:

(1811), Caroline (1811), Danby (1811), Newfield (1811), and Cayuta (1824) in Tioga and other counties. The Halsey Valley Grand Army of the Republic Meeting 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 ...

in 2003. Town resident Cal Harris was tried four times for murder, and ultimately acquitted, over a decade following the 2001 disappearance of his estranged wife.

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 , or 0.68%, is water. The eastern town line is the border of Chemung County and the northern town line is the border of Tompkins County. Conjoined

New York State Route 34 New York State Route 34 (NY 34) is a north–south New York state route located in Central New York. Its southern terminus is at the Pennsylvania state line in the village of Waverly, where it connects to Pennsylvania Route ...

and

New York State Route 96 New York State Route 96 (NY 96) is a northwest–southeast state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange with NY 17 (Future I-86) in the Southe ...

divide at Spencer village.

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 2,979 people, 1,153 households, and 817 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 60.1 people per square mile (23.2/km²). There were 1,271 housing units at an average density of 25.7 per square mile (9.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.28%

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 ...

, 0.67%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

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 ...

, 0.20% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.47% 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 1.01% 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 ...

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 1.28% of the population. There were 1,153 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.03. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $37,432, and the median income for a family was $41,025. Males had a median income of $31,277 versus $25,508 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 $16,312. About 6.2% of families and 8.5% 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 9.5% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Residents are most likely to go to the Spencer-Van Etten Central School district. The mascot is the Panther, with red, black, and silver colors. They are the 2001 soccer state champions and 1994 volleyball champions. The largest rivalry is between the Candor Indians. The football rivalry championship, is the Jug Game, in which Candor had a 10-year run.

Communities and locations in the Town of Spencer

*Cowells Corners – A former location east of Spencer village. *Crum 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 northeastern part of the town. *Empire Lake – A small lake in the southeastern part of the town. * Spencer – The Village of Spencer is centrally located in the town. Part of the village was once called "Bradleytown" and another "Drakes Settlement." *North Spencer (formerly "Huggtown") – A hamlet in the northwestern part of the town on NY-34 and NY-96. *Spencer Lake – a small

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

southeast of North Spencer. *West Branch of Catatonk Creek – A stream flowing from Spencer lake past Spencer Village. *West Candor – A hamlet by the eastern town line on NY-96.

References

External links

Town and Village of Spencer

Spencer-Van Etten Central School District
{{authority control Binghamton metropolitan area Towns in Tioga County, New York