Hamilton 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, United States. The population was 6,690 at the 2010 census. The town is named after American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. The Town of Hamilton 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 ...

also named Hamilton, the site of Colgate University. The village is on the county's border.

History

The location was formerly called Payne's Corners. The Town of Hamilton was established in 1795, before the county was formed, from the Town of Paris in Oneida County. The original town was reduced to create new towns in the county.

Geography

The southern town line is the border of

Chenango County Chenango County is a county located in the south-central section U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 47,220. Its county seat is Norwich. The county's name originates from an Oneida word meaning 'large bull-thist ...

. 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 41.4 square miles (107.3 km), of which 41.4 square miles (107.1 km) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km) (0.19%) is water.

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 5,733 people, 1,546 households, and 935 families in the town. The population density was 138.6 people per square mile (53.5/km). There were 1,725 housing units at an average density of 41.7 per square mile (16.1/km). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 93.65% White, 1.99% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 2.46% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.83%. Of the 1,546 households 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 29.6% of households were one person and 12.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.96. The age distribution was 15.7% under the age of 18, 40.8% from 18 to 24, 16.8% from 25 to 44, 15.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% 65 or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males. The median household income was $38,917 and the median family income was $50,565. Males had a median income of $31,500 versus $26,643 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,564. About 5.1% of families and 14.4% 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 10.4% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Hamilton

*Beekman Corners – A location between Hamilton village and East Hamilton. *Brooks Corners – A hamletThough the term "hamlet" is not defined under the

Administrative divisions of New York The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the State of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, townships called "towns", and villages. (The only boro ...

law, many people in the state use the term hamlet to refer to a community within a town that is not incorporated as a village. Because a hamlet has no government of its own, it depends upon the town that contains it for municipal services and government. Hamlets often have names corresponding to the names of a local school district, post office, or fire district - though the boundaries are often not identical. Many hamlets are served, at least in part, by post offices and school districts with the names of adjacent hamlets, villages, towns, or cities. Though hamlets do not have official boundaries, the New York State Department of Transportation does put hamlet names on rectangular green signs with white lettering at locations of its choosing. The NYSDOT also provides community identification signs on some scenic byways to be placed at the boundaries of hamlets, as decided by the byway. in the south part of the town on Route 12. *Darts Corner – A location between Hamilton village and East Hamilton. * Earlville – Part of the Village of Earlville is located on the southern town line. *East Hamilton – A hamlet on Route 12, east of Hamilton village. *Excell Corners – A location northeast of South Hamilton. * Hamilton – The Village of Hamilton is in the northwestern part of the town. *Hamilton Center – A hamlet southeast of Hamilton village. *Hubbardsville – A hamlet north of East Hamilton village. *Loomis Corners – A location northwest of South Hamilton. *Poolville – A hamlet north of Brooks Corners. *Shores Corners – A location between Hamilton village and East Hamilton. *South Hamilton – A hamlet in the southeastern part of the town.

Notable people

John Vincent Atanasoff John Vincent Atanasoff, , (October 4, 1903 – June 15, 1995) was an American physicist and inventor from mixed Bulgarian-Irish origin, best known for being credited with inventing the first electronic digital computer. Atanasoff invented the ...

(1903-1995), inventor of the digital computer *

Cordelia Throop Cole Cordelia Throop Cole (, Throop; November 17, 1833 – April 29, 1900) was a 19th-century American social reformer, who lectured, wrote, and edited on behalf the temperance crusade and social purity movement. She made valuable contributions with h ...

(1833–1900), social reformer

References

External links

Official Town of Hamilton, NY Website

Hamilton Public Library & Hamilton Historical Commission on New York Heritage Digital Collections

from ''History of Madison County, State of New York'' by L. M. Hammond (Syracuse NY, 1872) {{authority control Syracuse metropolitan area 1795 establishments in New York (state) Towns in Madison County, New York Populated places established in 1795