Italy 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 ...

located in Yates County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 1,141. The town takes its name from the country of

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. The Town of Italy is in the southwestern part of the county and is south of

Canandaigua Canandaigua (; ''Utaʼnaráhkhwaʼ'' in Tuscarora) is a city in Ontario County, New York, United States. Its population was 10,545 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ontario County; some administrative offices are at the county compl ...

History

The first European settlers arrived around 1790. The town was part of the

Phelps and Gorham Purchase The Phelps and Gorham Purchase was the purchase in 1788 of of land in what is now western New York State from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for $1,000,000 ( £300,000), to be paid in three annual installments, and the pre-emptive right to th ...

. The town was founded in 1815 from the Town of Naples while still part of Ontario County. When Yates county was established in 1823, the Town of Italy became part of the new county. The town is the location of a large

elm tree Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the flowering plant genus ''Ulmus'' in the plant family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of Nort ...

that was once a council site for local natives. The Smith McLoud House, Italy Valley Methodist Church, and James Fox House 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 ...

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 is water. The total area is 0.27% water. Italy is noted for its sharp hills and upland areas. Flint Creek and West River are two important streams located here. West River flows in a southwest direction through the town of Naples eventually emptying into Canandaigua Lake. Flint Creek has two spring heads flowing East/ northeast separately to the valley floor where they join up. Flint Creek flows through Potter eventually empty into Lake Ontario. Many small mills were located along this creek. Nothing but the occasional grind stone remains as any suggestion of this. The western town line is the border of Ontario County, and the southern town line is the border of Steuben County. The town is at the south end of

Canandaigua Lake Canandaigua Lake is the fourth largest of the Finger Lakes in the U.S. state of New York. The City of Canandaigua is located at the northern end of the lake and the village of Naples is several miles south of the southern end. It is the w ...

and a small part of the lake is inside the northern town line.

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 1,087 people, 421 households, and 293 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 584 housing units at an average density of 14.5 per square mile (5.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.34%

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 ...

, 0.09%

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 ...

, 0.09% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.00%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.37% 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 0.92% from two or more races. 0.55% of the population were

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. There were 421 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% 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 2.96. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $25,795 versus $24,167 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 $14,472. 12.7% of the population and 7.6% of families 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 ...

. 18.4% of those under the age of 18 and 1.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Communities and locations in the Town of Italy

*Flint Creek – A stream flowing through the middle of the town. *Italy (formerly "Italy Hollow") – The hamlet of Italy is on County Road 18 in the south-central part of the town. *Italy Hill – A hamlet near the east town line on County Roads 34 and 35. *Italy-Naples – A location near the west town line. *West River – A stream in the north part of the town. *Woodville – A hamlet by the northwest town line (in Ontario County) on NY-12. *Sunnyside – A community of Canandaigua Lake front properties on Sunnyside Road.

References

External links

Early history of Italy, NY
{{authority control Towns in Yates County, New York