Smyrna 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 ...

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 ...

, New York, United States. The population was 1,280 at the 2010 census. Smyrna is named after a coastal city in ancient Greece, nowadays modern Izmir in Turkey. The town contains a village also named

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...

. The town is on the county's northern border.

History

The land was settled around 1792. The town of Smyrna was founded in 1808 as "Stafford" from part of the town of Sherburne. Within a month, the name was changed to "Smyrna". The Smyrna Elementary School was 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 ...

in 1996. The Smyrna Town Hall-Opera House was listed in 2008.

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 , or 0.18%, is water. The northern town line is the border of Madison County.

New York State Route 80 New York State Route 80 (NY 80) is a west–east New York State Route located within Onondaga, Madison, Chenango, Otsego, Herkimer, and Montgomery counties in New York. Its western terminus is located at a junction with NY ...

is an east-west highway in the town.

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 1,418 people, 472 households, and 371 families residing 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 33.7 people per square mile (13.0/km²). There were 608 housing units at an average density of 14.4 per square mile (5.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.45%

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 ...

, 0.92% Native American, 0.14% Asian, and 0.49% 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 ...

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 were 0.28% of the population. There were 472 households, out of which 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.1% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 16.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.35. In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.2% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $31,607, and the median income for a family was $34,125. Males had a median income of $25,313 versus $21,111 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 $11,541. About 16.6% of families and 17.8% 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 t ...

, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Smyrna

*Beaver Meadow – A hamlet at the western town line on County Road 16. *Bonney – 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 part of the town on NY Route 80. * Pleasant Brook – A stream flowing eastward through the center of the town. It is a tributary of the

Chenango River The Chenango River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Susquehanna River in central New York in the United States. It drains a dissec ...

, part of the Susquehanna River watershed. *Sherburne Four Corners – A hamlet on County Road 20 on the town line at the southeastern corner of the town so that it is situated in four towns of the county. *

– The village of Smyrna on NY-80 at County Road 20. *Upperville – A hamlet northwest of Smyrna village on NY-80. It is the location of the historic Upperville Meeting House, added to the

in 2002.

Notable people

* Willard W. Isham, Wisconsin state assemblyman * Milo Kelsey, Wisconsin state assemblyman * William H. Kelsey, US congressman *

Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his death in 1877. During his time as ch ...

Latter Day Saint 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 ...

leader, lived in Smyrna as a child. A historical marker at the corner of County Route 21 and Cole Road indicates the approximate former location of his boyhood home. * Charlie Palmer, chef

References

External links

Early history of Smyrna, NY

Information about Smyrna
{{authority control Towns in Chenango County, New York