St. Johnsville 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 2,631 at the 2010 census. Accounts vary as to the etymology of St. Johnsville, but most of them state that the town and its village are named after an early surveyor and commissioner, Alexander St. John. Still others credit the naming of St. Johnsville to a former name for the area, St. John's Church. The Town of St. Johnsville is in the northwestern part of the county. The town contains a village, also called St. Johnsville. Both town and village are approximately halfway between Utica and

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 ...

, as part of 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 ...

, is at the town's southern border.

History

The town was first settled around 1725. The territory was part of the Palatine District. In 1769,

Sir William Johnson Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet of New York ( – 11 July 1774), was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Ireland. As a young man, Johnson moved to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Royal Na ...

built a church in the town for the benefit of his Indian allies. A brief skirmish was fought in the town in 1780 near Fort Klock, a fortified house. The Town of St. Johnsville was formed in 1838 from the Town of Oppenheim ( which then became part of the newly created

Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat: *Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton *Fulton County, Georgia *F ...

). In 1857, the community of St. Johnsville set itself off from the town by incorporating as a village. According to the ''Enterprise and News'', Nov. 17, 1937, by 1934, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Reaney had given 120 acres of land to the Village of Saint Johnsville. This land was named Klock Park after Dr. Charles M. Klock, a highly regarded local physician. Today the H.C Smith Benefit Club utilizes the building to host many community events. The First Methodist Episcopal Church of St. Johnsville,

Fort Klock Fort Klock, a fortified stone homestead in the Mohawk River Valley of Upstate New York, was built c.1750 by Johannes Klock, and is a good example of a mid-18th century fortified home and trading post, seeing use during the French and Indian War and ...

, Enlarged Double Lock No. 33 Old Erie Canal,

Nellis Tavern Nellis Tavern is a historic inn and tavern located at St. Johnsville in Montgomery County, New York. It was built about 1747-1750 as a farmhouse and expanded about 1790 to its present form. It is a two-story, five-by-two-bay frame residence co ...

, and

Margaret Reaney Memorial Library Margaret Reaney Memorial Library is a historic library building located at St. Johnsville, Montgomery County, New York. It is a one-story, Classical Revival style brick building over a raised basement. It consists of a cruciform plan main block ...

are 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 ...

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 17.4 square miles (45.0 km²), of which 16.8 square miles (43.6 km²) is land and 0.5 square mile (1.4 km²) (3.11%) is water. The

forms the southern town line. The northern town boundary is the border of

, and the western town line is the border of

Herkimer County Herkimer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,139. Its county seat is Herkimer. The county was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. It is named af ...

, marked by

East Canada Creek East Canada Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed October 3, 2011 river in upstate New York (state), New York, United States. It is a tributary of the Mohawk River ...

. St. Johnsville is the smallest town in the county (by area).

NY-5 The 5th congressional district of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives, represented by Democrat Gregory Meeks. The district is located in Queens. A plurality of the district's population is Africa ...

is an east-west highway in the southern part of the town. The western terminus of

NY-67 New York State Route 67 (NY 67) is an east–west state highway in eastern New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 5 in the town of St. Johnsville. Its eastern terminus is at ...

is at NY-5, east of St. Johnsville village. The southern terminus of NY-331 is near the northwestern part of 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 2,565 people, 1,043 households, and 658 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 152.4 people per square mile (58.8/km²). There were 1,170 housing units at an average density of 69.5 per square mile (26.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.67%

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 ...

, 0.08%

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 have o ...

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 ...

, 0.39% Native American, 0.16%

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 ...

, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.12% 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 0.55% 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 1.36% of the population. There were 1,043 households, out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% 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, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.91. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $30,719, and the median income for a family was $39,830. Males had a median income of $25,000 versus $21,010 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 $15,116. About 9.5% of families and 12.4% 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 20.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of St. Johnsville

– A stream defining the western town line. *

– A historic fortified house, built by Johannes Klock in 1750, located east of St Johnsville village on the south side of NY-5. The property also contains other re-constructed or re-located historic structures. * Klock Park – A park northwest of St. Johnsville village, named after Dr.Charles M.Klock. * St. Johnsville – The Village of St. Johnsville is on the north shore of the Mohawk River on NY-5. * West St. Johnsville (or Upper St. Johnsville) – 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 ...

west of St. Johnsville village on NY-5.

References

External links

St. Johnsville Chamber of Commerce

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Johnsville, New York Towns in Montgomery County, New York Populated places on the Mohawk River