Stillwater 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
Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York, and is the fastest-growing county in Upstate New York. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was enumerated at 235,509, representing a 7.2% increase from the 2010 populat ...
, United States, with a population of 8,287 at the 2010 census. The town contains a
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
called
Stillwater. The town is at the eastern border of the county, southeast of
Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...
and borders both
Rensselaer and
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
counties.
Saratoga National Historical Park
Saratoga National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the Town of Stillwater in eastern New York, 30 miles north of Albany.
The park preserves the site of the Battles of Saratoga.
Description
The park prese ...
is located within the town's limits. There is a hamlet in
Minerva, Essex County, New York, with the same name which has nothing to do with this town.
History
![Stillwater, N](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Stillwater%2C_N.Y._LOC_75694851.jpg)
The area was occupied by
Iroquois
The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...
and
Mohican
The Mohican ( or , alternate spelling: Mahican) are an Eastern Algonquian Native American tribe that historically spoke an Algonquian language. As part of the Eastern Algonquian family of tribes, they are related to the neighboring Lenape, who ...
natives when the colonial period began. In 1709,
Peter Schuyler
Pieter Schuyler (17 September 1657 – 19 February 1724) was the first mayor of Albany, New York. A long-serving member of the executive council of the Province of New York, he acted as governor of the Province of New York on three occasions ...
built Fort Ingoldsby in town because of its location on the frontier of the
French and Indian Wars
The French and Indian Wars were a series of conflicts that occurred in North America between 1688 and 1763, some of which indirectly were related to the European dynastic wars. The title ''French and Indian War'' in the singular is used in the U ...
. A replica of Schuyler's fort currently serves as the Stillwater Blockhouse Museum. Settlers began arriving after 1730. 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 Revolut ...
residents participated in the war, and part of the
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) marked the climax of the Saratoga campaign, giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. British General John Burgoyne led an invasion ...
was fought in the town so that the town now refers to itself as the turning point of the American Revolution.
Stillwater was established as a town in 1791, when Saratoga County was formed. In 1816, the
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 ...
of Stillwater
incorporated as a village. In 1859,
Mechanicville became the town's second village. The Stillwater Free Library was established in 1949 by Barbara Alexik and Elizabeth Beiter in the building formerly home to the St. John's Episcopal Church. The
Stillwater United Church 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 2006.
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 43.6 square miles (112.8 km
2), of which 41.4 square miles (107.1 km
2) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km
2) (5.07%) is water.
The eastern town line is the border of
Rensselaer County
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 161,130. Its county seat is Troy. The county is named in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the ...
and
Washington County, marked by the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
.
U.S. Route 4
U.S. Route 4 (US 4) is a long United States highway that runs from East Greenbush, New York, in the west to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the east, traversing Vermont.
In New York, US 4 is signed North-South to reflect its alignment in the s ...
, partly conjoined with
New York State Route 32
New York State Route 32 (NY 32) is a north–south state highway that extends for through the Hudson Valley and Capital District regions of the U.S. state of New York. It is a two-lane surface road for nearly its entire length, with f ...
follows the Hudson River through the town.
New York State Route 423
New York State Route 423 (NY 423) is an east–west state highway located within the town of Stillwater in Saratoga County, New York, in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 9P on the eastern shore ...
is an east-west highway in the northern part of Stillwater.
New York State Route 9P
New York State Route 9P (NY 9P) is a state highway in central Saratoga County, New York, in the United States. It is an alternate route off U.S. Route 9 between Malta and Saratoga Springs that connects US 9 to the eastern sho ...
is a north-south highway in the northwestern part of the town by
Saratoga Lake
Saratoga Lake is a lake in the eastern part of Saratoga County, New York (state), New York. The lake is approximately long, about wide at its widest point, and about deep.
The lake is bordered by the city of Saratoga Springs on the northwest ...
.
New York State Route 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 ...
runs along the southern town line.
Demographics
At the 2000
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 ...
,
there were 7,522 people, 2,786 households and 2,109 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 181.9 per square mile (70.2/km
2). There were 3,054 housing units at an average density of 73.8 per square mile (28.5/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.21%
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 ...
, 0.41%
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 ...
or
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 ...
, 0.11%
Native American, 0.47%
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 ...
, 0.01%
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 ...
, 0.11% 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 0.69% 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 ...
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 0.62% of the population.
There were 2,786 households, of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% 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, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.3% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.10.
27.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.
The
median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...
was $47,579 and the median family income was $53,023. Males had a median income of $37,428 and females $27,257. 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 ...
was $19,291. About 5.3% of families and 6.7% 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 8.6% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Students attend school at
Stillwater High School. The school is located in the village of Stillwater and serves grades K to 12 in two buildings.
Notable people
*
Winchel Bacon
Winchel Dailey Bacon (August 21, 1816March 20, 1894) was an Americans, American farmer, abolitionism, abolitionist activist, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was a prominent American Baptist Churches USA, Baptist layman in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and repr ...
,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
legislator
*
Charles H. Baxter, Wisconsin State Senator
*
Abigail Fillmore
Abigail Fillmore ( née Powers; March 13, 1798 – March 30, 1853), wife of President Millard Fillmore, was the First Lady of the United States from 1850 to 1853. She began work as a schoolteacher at the age of 16, where she took on Millard Fillm ...
(1798–1853),
First Lady of the United States
The first lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never ...
, wife of
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853; he was the last to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House. A former member of the U.S. House of Represen ...
*
Ebenezer O. Grosvenor (1820–1910), lieutenant governor and state treasurer of
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
*
Lemuel Roberts
Lemuel Roberts was a soldier and historian of the American Revolutionary War.
Youth
Lemuel Roberts was born 1751 in Canaan, Connecticut, to Lemuel Roberts and Lydia (Purchase) Roberts. He moved with his family to Stillwater at the age of 10. He ...
,
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
soldier and historian lived in Stillwater as a boy in the 1760s.
Communities and locations in the Town of Stillwater
*Bemis Heights – 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 ...
by the Hudson River, north of Stillwater village on US-4.
*Brown's Beach – A hamlet in the northwestern part of the town, by the south end of Saratoga Lake on NY-9P.
*East Saratoga Junction – A location in the southern section of the town.
*Ketchums Corners – A historic location in the northwestern part of the town, near Saratoga Lake.
*
Saratoga National Historical Park
Saratoga National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the Town of Stillwater in eastern New York, 30 miles north of Albany.
The park preserves the site of the Battles of Saratoga.
Description
The park prese ...
- A historic park in the northeastern part of the town.
*Snake Hill – A hamlet in the northern part of the town near Saratoga Lake on NY-9P.
*
Stillwater – A village located by the Hudson River and US-4.
*Stillwater Junction – A hamlet in the southeastern part of the town on County Road 75.
*Wayville – A hamlet by the northern town line on County Road 70.
*Willow Glen – A hamlet by the southern town boundary on NY-67.
See also
*
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) marked the climax of the Saratoga campaign, giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. British General John Burgoyne led an invasion ...
References
External links
Town of StillwaterVillage of StillwaterStillwater Free LibraryThe Arvin Hart Fire Company Saratoga National Historic Park
{{authority control
Towns in Saratoga County, New York