Willet 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 ...

Cortland County Cortland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population of Cortland County was 46,809. The county seat is Cortland. The county is named after Pierre Van Cortlandt, president of the convention ...

, New York, United States. The population was 1,043 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Colonel Marinus Willet. It is in the southeast corner of the county, southeast of the City of Cortland.

History

Willet was within the former

Central New York Military Tract The Military Tract of Central New York, also called the New Military Tract, consisted of nearly of bounty land set aside in Central New York to compensate New York's soldiers after their participation in the Revolutionary War. Establishment T ...

. The area was first settled ''circa'' 1797. Willet was created from a part of the town of

Cincinnatus Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus ( – ) was a Roman patrician, statesman, and military leader of the early Roman Republic who became a legendary figure of Roman virtue—particularly civic virtue—by the time of the late Republic. Cincinnatus ...

in 1818. In 1865, the population was 982.

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 1.23%, is water. The

Otselic River The Otselic River (aht-SEEL-ik), formerly known as Otselic Creek, is a tributary of the Tioughnioga River in central New York in the United States. It drains a hilly area, mostly forested and agricultural, east of the Finger Lakes at the northe ...

flows southward through the town. The eastern town line is the border of

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 ...

, and the southern town boundary is the border of Broome County.

New York State Route 26 New York State Route 26 (NY 26) is a north–south state highway that runs for through Central New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is located at the Pennsylvania state line south of the town of Vestal in Broom ...

intersects

New York State Route 41 New York State Route 41 (NY 41) is a north–south state highway in Central New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange with NY 17 (Future Interstate 86) in the town of Sanford in Broo ...

at Willet village.

New York State Route 221 New York State Route 221 (NY 221) is a state highway in Cortland County, New York, in the United States. Its western terminus is at an intersection with NY 38 in the town of Harford. The eastern terminus is at a junction with NY&n ...

intersects the conjoined NY-26 and NY-41 west of the village.

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 1,011 people, 368 households, and 281 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 39.1 people per square mile (15.1/km²). There were 525 housing units at an average density of 20.3 per square mile (7.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.42%

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 ...

, 0.20% Native American, 0.10%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 1.29% from two or more races. There were 368 households, out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 18.2% 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 2.75 and the average family size was 3.06. In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $35,893, and the median income for a family was $37,500. Males had a median income of $28,274 versus $21,932 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 $15,552. About 9.2% of families and 12.9% 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 17.1% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Willet

*Burlingame's Mills – A former location in the town east of Willet village. *Georgetown – 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 ...

east of Willet village on NY-41. *Lakeview – A hamlet at the eastern town line on NY-41. *Landers Corners – A location in the southwestern part of the town on NY-26. *Penelope – A hamlet at the southern town line. *Stump Pond – A small lake south of Georgetown. *Willet – A hamlet in the northern part of the town at the junction of NY-26 and NY-41.

References

External links

Town of Willet
at Cortland County website

{{authority control Towns in Cortland County, New York