Vernon 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 o ...

Oneida County, New York Oneida County is a county in the state of New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 232,125. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, one of the Five Nations of the Iroquois League or ''Haudenos ...

, United States. The population was 5,408 at the 2010 census. The Town of Vernon is on the western border of the county. The town contains a village, also named Vernon.

History

The first European settler was Josiah Bushnell, from

Berkshire County, Massachusetts Berkshire County (pronounced ) is a county on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,026. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield. The county was founded ...

, who came in 1794. The town was formed in 1802 from parts of the Towns of Augusta and Westmoreland. Vernon was part of the original Oneida Reservation. In 1859, a remnant group of Oneida people lived in the southwestern part of the town. In 1920, the population of the Town of Vernon was 4,522.

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 th ...

, the town has a total area of 38.1 square miles (98.7 km²), all land. Skanandoa Creek ("''hemlock''", or "''stream of hemlocks''"), was named after the famous

Skenandoa John Skenandoa (; c. 1706 – March 11, 1816), also called Shenandoah () among other forms, was an elected chief (a so-called "pine tree chief") of the Oneida. He was born into the Iroquoian-speaking Susquehannocks, but was adopted into the ...

. It flows through the eastern section of town. The western town line is the border of Madison County and is formed by the

Oneida Creek Oneida Creek is a small river in New York in the United States. The creek enters the southeastern corner of Oneida Lake at a location known as South Bay, a bay of the lake. The name is derived from the Oneida tribe of the Iroquois. Stockbridge F ...

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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 5,335 people, 2,112 households, and 1,484 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 RosenberPopu ...

was 139.9 people per square mile (54.0/km²). There were 2,266 housing units at an average density of 59.4 per square mile (23.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.94%

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 ...

, 0.43%

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 ha ...

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 ...

, 0.41% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.07% 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 0.75% 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 for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population. There were 2,112 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% 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 ...

living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.98. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $38,339, and the median income for a family was $44,951. Males had a median income of $32,848 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 $19,523. About 7.6% of families and 9.8% 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 ...

, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Vernon

*Brewers Corners – 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 ...

on the northern town line and north of Vernon village. *Eaton Hill – An elevation located south of the Village of Vernon. Partially in Madison County. *Gibson Hill – An elevation located south of Vernon Center. * Oneida Castle – The Village of Oneida Castle, northwest of Sherrill. *Sconondoa – A location on the north town line, near Oneida Castle, on NY 365. * Sherrill – The City of Sherrill, the smallest city in the state, is in the western part of the town. Unlike other cities in New York, for some purposes it falls under Vernon's jurisdiction. * Vernon – The Village of Vernon, centrally located in the town, east of Sherrill on NY5. * Vernon Center – A hamlet in the southeastern part of the town, located on NY 26 and is the eastern terminus of NY 31. *

Vernon Downs Vernon Downs is a horse racing track, racino and entertainment facility located in the town of Vernon in central New York. The track was established in 1953 and in 1955 was the location that Adios Harry ran his "Miracle Mile". As tastes change ...

Education

Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School District Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School District is a school district in Verona, New York. Its service area totals to . Service area Most of the district is in Oneida County. There it includes most of the towns of Verona and Vernon and small par ...

operates area schools. W.A. Wettel Elementary School is in Vernon.Home
W.A. Wettel Elementary School. Retrieved on December 11, 2018. and the E.A. Mcallister Elementary School is in Sherrill. The area secondary schools are Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Middle School and Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School.

References

External links

Town of VernonVernon Downs
racetrack {{authority control Utica–Rome metropolitan area Towns in Oneida County, New York