Potsdam ( moh, Tsi tewate’nehtararénies) 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 ...

St. Lawrence County, New York St. Lawrence County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 108,505. The county seat is Canton. The county is named for the Saint Lawrence River, which in turn was named for the Christian saint La ...

, United States. The town population was 14,901 at the 2020 census. The ZIP Code is 13676. When SUNY Potsdam and

Clarkson University Clarkson University is a private research university with its main campus in Potsdam, New York, and additional graduate program and research facilities in the New York Capital Region and Beacon, New York. It was founded in 1896 and has an e ...

are in session, the population increases by approximately 8,000 students. The town is named after the city of

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream o ...

in Germany. The town of Potsdam also 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 ...

named

. Potsdam is centrally located within the county and northeast of Canton, the county seat.

History

David Clarkson and Garret van Horn were early investors in the town, and settlement began around 1803. The newcomers found Native Americans residing in the town and in the fur trade. The town was established in 1806 from part of the Town of Madrid. Potsdam is one of the original ten towns of St. Lawrence County. Potsdam, N

The community of Potsdam set itself apart from the town in 1831 by incorporating as a village. The community of Raquetteville incorporated as the Village of Potsdam Junction (now Norwood) in 1871. St. Lawrence Academy, the predecessor of the State University of New York at Potsdam was founded in 1816. In 1896,

was founded. The Potsdam area is well known for its reddish-orange

Potsdam sandstone The Potsdam Sandstone, more formally known as the Potsdam Group, is a geologic unit of mid-to-late Cambrian age found in Northern New York and northern Vermont and Quebec and Ontario. A well-cemented sandstone of nearly pure quartz, in the 19th c ...

. A large slab of it is on display at the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

The First Presbyterian Church of Dailey Ridge and French Family Farm 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 an area of 103.4 square miles (267.9 km²), of which 101.5 square miles (262.8 km²) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²) (1.92%) is water. The Raquette River flows northward through the town's center. The Grasse River flows through the northwestern part of Potsdam.

Transportation

U.S. Route 11 and

New York State Route 11B New York State Route 11B (NY 11B) is a state highway in northern New York in the United States. It provides a parallel, more southerly east–west route to U.S. Route 11 between US 11 in Potsdam and US 11, NY 30, an ...

are east–west highways.

New York State Route 56 New York State Route 56 (NY 56) is a north–south state highway in eastern St. Lawrence County, New York, in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 3 in the town of Colton. Its nort ...

is a north–south highway. New York State Route 345 is a northwest–southeast highway that intersects

New York State Route 310 New York State Route 310 (NY 310) is a north–south state highway located entirely within St. Lawrence County in the North Country of the U.S. state of New York. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 11 (US 11) and N ...

near the northwestern town line. The

New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Mid ...

's '' St. Lawrence Division'' runs through the town. Until 1964 the New York Central operated passenger trains from Massena, through the town, to

Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...

, and to Syracuse to meet up with the NYC mainline.

Climate

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 2020, there were 14,901 people and 4,988 households in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 158.2 people per square mile (61.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 86.4% non-Hispanic

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 ...

, 4.3%

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.6% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.1%

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 ...

, 0.36% 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 2.4% 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 forme ...

or Latino of any race were 3.9% of the population. There were 4,988 households, out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.6% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.97. In the town, the population was spread out, with 13.4% under the age of 18, 36.8% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 16.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. The town was 48.6% female and 51.4% male. The median income for a household in the town was $57,977. 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 $23,747. About 19.3% 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 t ...

Local schools and universities

The town of Potsdam consists of the Potsdam Central School District, which includes an elementary school (Lawrence Avenue), a middle school (A.A. Kingston), and a high school ( Potsdam High School). The high school is the home of the Potsdam Sandstoners. There are four universities in the area, including SUNY Potsdam (which is known for its Crane School of Music) and

(a private research university known for engineering and business) in Potsdam, as well as both St. Lawrence University and SUNY Canton in nearby Canton.

Communities and locations in Potsdam

*Bucks Bridge − 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 ...

in the northwestern corner of the town at the Grass River. The Buck's Bridge Community Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 as the Buck's Bridge United Methodist Church. *Burnhams Corners − a location on NY-345 at County Road 35, northwest of Potsdam village. *Casey Corners − a location on County Road 34 in the western part of the town. *

− a private university, southwest of Potsdam village. * Crary Mills − a hamlet. *Hewittville – a hamlet on the western bank of the Raquette River, north of Potsdam village. * Norwood − southern part of the Village of Norwood is by the northern town line on NY-56; formerly called "Raquetteville" and "Potsdam Junction". * Norwood Lake – reservoir southwest of Norwood. *

− Village of Potsdam on the Raquette River. * Potsdam Municipal Airport - Damon Field (PTD) − small airport east of Potsdam village. *Sissonville − a small hamlet on NY-56 north of Potsdam village. *Slab City − a location on County Road 35 is in the western part of the town and south of West Potsdam. *Stafford Corners − a location south of Potsdam village at the southeastern town line. * SUNY Potsdam − a state college southeast of Potsdam village. *Sugar Island − a location in the Raquette River, south of Potsdam village. *Unionville − a hamlet north of Potsdam village on NY-56; site of one of the first cooperative settlements in New York. Membership included several relatives of

Mormonism Mormonism is the religious tradition and theology of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, Mormonism has been applied to various aspects of ...

leader

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, ...

, including his uncle John Smith. *West Potsdam − a hamlet on County Road 34 in the western part of the town, formerly known as "Smiths Corners", known for its gun shows. In 2022, the scheduled February show was cancelled due to the prior shooting death of a SUNY Potsdam student.West Potsdam gun show cancellation
wpfd.info. Accessed September 14, 2022.

Radio

* 1340 WMSA * WRCD-FM 101.5 the Fox * WSNN-FM 99.3 * WTSC-FM 91.1 the Source * WVLF-FM Mix 96.1

Television

* WNPI-DT, a full-power WPBS-TV rebroadcaster in South Colton, primarily serves Ottawa. * WWNY-CD, a low-power WWNY (CBS/Fox) retransmitter, is on WNPI's tower.

Notable people

Gigolo Aunts Gigolo Aunts are an American power pop band, who formed in 1981. Biography Early history The band was formed by middle school students Steve Hurley, Dave Gibbs, Phil Hurley, and Paul Brouwer in 1981 in Potsdam, New York, United States, origin ...

, alternative rock band that formed in Potsdam during the mid-1980s. * Lucinda Banister Chandler (1828-1911), social reformer and author *

Craig Conroy Craig Michael Conroy (born September 4, 1971) is an American former professional ice hockey player and the current assistant general manager of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). A sixth-round selection of the Montreal Canadi ...

, professional hockey player (retired) *

Wes Craven Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...

, film director, educator and creator of the "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Scream" series. Taught at Clarkson * John Gerrish, music professor and American composer * David A. Kyle, noted science fiction fan, author and publisher * Trevor Scott, professional football player * Jason Sutter, professional drummer, currently playing for Marilyn Manson * Jeff Thacher, percussionist of the band Rockapella * George A. Smith, early leader in the

Latter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by J ...

. * John Lyman Smith, Utah Territorial Legislator * Jason Liang, chess player

Bibliography

* *

References

External links

Potsdam Town Site

Potsdam Village Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Potsdam (Town), New York Towns in St. Lawrence County, New York 1831 establishments in New York (state) Populated places established in 1831