Wayne 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 ...

located in the northeast corner of Steuben County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 1,006. The town was named after the Revolutionary War general,

Anthony Wayne Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 – December 15, 1796) was an American soldier, officer, statesman, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his mil ...

. The Town of Wayne is northeast of

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

History

The region was first settled by Europeans ''circa'' 1791 by Abraham Hendricks, and it was organized as the "Town of Frederickstown" on 18 May 1796, when the County of Steuben was formed from a part of the larger Ontario County. Early settlers include Ephriam Sanford, Anthony Swarthout, Jabez Hopkins, and Joseph Bailey. The town changed its name to "Wayne" on April 6, 1808 in honor of the Revolutionary War hero, General

, and included what is now the smaller hamlet of Wayne, New York. Afterwards, the town was substantially reduced in size by the formation of other towns, including

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...

(1806), Orange (1813) and Barrington, and Tyrone (1822). In 1854, the size of the township was again reduced by moving a parcel of land to the town of Tyrone, which included a large portion of the hamlet of Wayne. Also, a former hamlet in the township, further south, was known as "Wayne Four Corners".

Famous natives and locations in Wayne

Wayne native Jonathan Goble is said to have invented the

rickshaw A rickshaw originally denoted a two- or three-wheeled passenger cart, now known as a pulled rickshaw, which is generally pulled by one person carrying one passenger. The first known use of the term was in 1879. Over time, cycle rickshaws (als ...

in 1859. He was a Marine who traveled with Commodore Matthew Perry's squadron which opened

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

to western trade. He later returned as a Baptist missionary and was inspired to invent the rickshaw in order to transport his invalid wife around the streets of

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

. Francis M. McDowell, one of the seven founders of the National Grange and its treasurer for 21 years was born in Wayne, NY. In the 1860s, he returned to Wayne to grow

grapes A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...

on the shores of Lake Keuka. He was also involved with his brother-in-law Samuel Hallett, in several enterprises. Samuel Hallett is known for building the largest home in Wayne, known as the "Aisle of Pines". It was a 20-column mansion, built in 1854, but it burned to the ground in 1974. A famous landmark in the township was the Keuka Hotel, built in 1895 on the shores of Lake Keuka.

Hoagy Carmichael Hoagland Howard Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s, and was among the first ...

was the pianist and vocalist at the hotel for two seasons, and local legend has it that his 1927 hit song "Stardust" was written while at the Keuka hotel.

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 , of which is land and (8.33%) is water. The northern town line and part of the eastern town boundary are the border of Yates County. The remainder of the eastern town line is the border of Schuyler County. The northern part of the town is on the southeastern shore of

Keuka Lake Keuka Lake ( ) is one of the major Finger Lakes in the U.S. state of New York. It is unusual because it is Y-shaped, in contrast to the long and narrow shape of the other Finger Lakes. Because of its shape, it was referred to in the past as Cro ...

, and part of the eastern section of the town is on the west shore of

Waneta Lake Waneta Lake (previously known as "Little Lake") is a small lake in the Finger Lakes region of the U.S. state, state of New York (state), New York in the United States of America, United States. The lake straddles the border of Schuyler County, Ne ...

. New York State Route 54 runs down the eastern shore of Keuka Lake, and

New York State Route 230 New York State Route 230 (NY 230) is a state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. NY 230 is an east–west highway between the eastern edge of Steuben County to the interior of adjacent Yates ...

loops through the northeastern part of 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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 1,165 people, 494 households, and 363 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 56.3 people per square mile (21.7/km²). There were 1,242 housing units at an average density of 60.0 per square mile (23.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.03%

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 ...

, 0.17% Native American, 1.12% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 0.17% 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 for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 494 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.75. In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 20.9% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $38,056, and the median income for a family was $42,292. Males had a median income of $32,841 versus $23,462 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 $21,563. 8.1% of the population and 5.2% 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 ...

. Out of the total population, 14.6% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Communities and locations in the Town of Wayne

*Grove Springs – 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 ...

on the shore of

, south of Keuka on NY-54. *Keuka – A hamlet on the shore of Keuka Lake at the junction of NY-54 and NY-230. *North Urbana – A hamlet on the west town line. *Sylvan Beach – A hamlet southwest of Wayne hamlet on County Road 97, on the west side of Waneta Lake. *Wayne – The hamlet of Wayne is on the east town line so that it is partly in Schuyler County. NY-230 passes through the Hamlet. *Wayne Four Corners – A location in the south part of the town, east of North Urbana.

References

* *

External links

Town of Wayne
{{authority control Populated places established in 1791 Towns in Steuben County, New York 1791 establishments in New York (state)