Lyons 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 ...

Wayne County, New York Wayne County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 91,283. The county seat is Lyons. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, an American Revolutionary War hero and American statesman. Wayne Coun ...

, United States. The population was 5,682 at the 2010 census. It is named after

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...

, France.Lyons, New York -- ''History of Lyons''
, Retrieved Jan. 18, 2015. The Town of Lyons is in the south-central part of the county and contains 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 ...

also named

Lyons Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

, formerly 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 ...

. It is located on 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 ...

, and is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Wayne County.

History

The area was part of the Pulteney Estate. Settlement began ''circa'' 1789. The region was originally known as "The Forks." The Town of Lyons was formed from the Town of Sodus in 1811. The

was completed as far as Lyons by 1821. In 1825, the size of the town was reduced upon the formation of the Town of Arcadia.

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 37.6 square miles (97.4 km²), of which 37.5 square miles (97.1 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 km²) (0.32%) is water.

New York State Route 14 New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

and

New York State Route 31 New York State Route 31 (NY 31) is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its e ...

intersect in the hamlet of Lyons.

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 2010, there were 5,682 people, 2,206 households, and 1,389 families residing in the town. The population density was 151.1 people per square mile (58.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 87.1%

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 ...

, 8.1%

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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.0%

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 ...

, 1.7% from other races, and 2.5% 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 4.7% of the population. There were 2,206 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.94. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 20, 6.2% from 20 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $39,198, and the median income for a family was $53,430. Males had a median income of $40,883 versus $30,914 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 $21,016. About 14.9% of families and 21.3% 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 36.2% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Housing

There were 2,458 housing units at an average density of 65.4 per square mile (25.2/km²); a total of 10.3% of housing units were vacant. There were 2,206 occupied housing units in the town, of which 1,443 were owner-occupied units (65.4%), while 763 were renter-occupied (34.6%). The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% of total units. The rental unit vacancy rate was 12.0%.

Economy

H.G. Hotchkiss moved his Hotchkiss Essential Oil Company to Lyons in 1841, where it became an important business in the local economy.

Arts and culture

The Dipper Dredge No. 3 and Towar–Ennis Farmhouse and Barn Complex 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 ...

. Remnants of the former Enlarged

Lock 56 (also called the Poorhouse Lock) are located along Dry Dock Road near the current Lock 28A and dry docks complex west of Lyons, just off N.Y. Route 31. It was a double-chamber lock built in 1842, and had a lift of 10.12 feet (3.08 m) to the west. The lock was abandoned around 1911.The Erie Canal (Lock 56 - Poorhouse Lock)
Retrieved Jan. 20, 2015. Lyons is part of the

Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is a National Heritage Area in New York State. It has created signage in a wide area, including placing signs many miles away from any historic site of the Erie Canal. The corridor includes 34 Nationa ...

. Erie Canal Lock 28A is located just west of the bridge on Dry Dock Road, off N.Y. Route 31. It was built around 1913, and has a lift of 19.5 feet (5.85 m) to the west.NY Canals (Index of Locks)
Retrieved Jan. 30, 2015. The dry docks complex is adjacent to the lock, operated by the New York State Canal Corporation.

Notable people

Michael Bastian Michael Bastian (born October 13, 1965), is an American fashion designer known for his namesake label, ''Michael Bastian'', and his work for brands such as GANT. He has received recognition for his work, most notably the CFDA Menswear Designer ...

fashion designer Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashio ...

* Jim Boeheim,

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

basketball coach * Willard H. Brownson Rear Admiral, Superintendent of the US Naval Academy from 1902-1905 * John H. Camp, former US Congressman * Ann Collins, equine artist * William Dorsheimer,

Lieutenant Governor of New York The lieutenant governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the Government of the State of New York. It is the second highest-ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket w ...

and U.S. Congressman *

Birgitta Moran Farmer Birgitta Moran Farmer (1881–1939) was an American artist particularly known for her portrait miniatures. Life Farmer was born in Lyons, New York. She attended Lyons Public School and graduated from the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Rochester ...

, miniaturist * Cordelia A. Greene, physician *

Mel Hall Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to: Biology * Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL) * National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL People * Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

player imprisoned for sexual assault against minors *

John M. Holley John Milton Holley (November 10, 1802 – March 8, 1848) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from New York. Born in Salisbury, Connecticut, Holley was graduated from Yale College in 1822. He studied law. He was Admis ...

, former US Congressman * Vashti McCollum, advocate of removal of religious education from public schools, was born in Lyons. * William Patterson, former US Congressman *

Myron Charles Taylor Myron Charles Taylor (January 18, 1874 – May 5, 1959) was an American industrialist, and later a diplomat involved in many of the most important geopolitical events during and after World War II. In addition he was a philanthropist, giving ...

, U.S. Special Envoy to the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...

under Presidents Roosevelt and Truman. CEO of

United States Steel Corporation United States Steel Corporation, more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations primarily in the United States of America and in several countries ...

. * Mildred F. Taylor, NYS Assemblywoman.

Communities and locations in the Town of Lyons

Alloway Alloway ( gd, Allmhaigh, ) is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland, located on the River Doon. It is best known as the birthplace of Robert Burns and the setting for his poem "Tam o' Shanter". Tobias Bachope, the mason responsible for the cons ...

— A

in the south part of the town on NY-14. *

— The hamlet of Lyons at the intersection of NY-31 and NY-14 along the Erie Canal, formerly an incorporated village. *Pilgrimport — A hamlet by the east town line on County Road 244 at the old route of the Erie Canal. *Slaterville — A railroad district community located south of NY-31 which is now part of the hamlet of Lyons. *Zurich — A hamlet at the town line in the northwest part of the town on County Road 237.

References

External links

Lyons, New York website

Lyons Heritage Society

Lyons Fire Department

{{authority control Rochester metropolitan area, New York Towns in Wayne County, New York 1811 establishments in New York (state)