Wilton 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 ...

in Saratoga 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. The population was 17,361 at the 2020 census. The Town of Wilton is in the northeastern part of the county, northeast of

Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over ...

, which it borders.

History

The region, once called "Palmertown," was first settled by Europeans around 1764. The Town of Wilton was created in 1818 from the Town of Northumberland. The

Grant Cottage State Historic Site Grant Cottage State Historic Site is an Adirondack mountain cottage on the slope of Mount McGregor in the town of Moreau, New York. Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, died of throat cancer at the cottage on July 23, 188 ...

is located in Wilton, in an area known as Mount McGregor, which is the highest peak of the Palmertown Range, mostly north of Wilton. This site is the place where

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union A ...

died of throat cancer in 1885 just after completing his memoirs.Official website of the Town of Wilton
/ref> A narrow-gauge railway built in 1882, the

Saratoga, Mount McGregor and Lake George Railroad The Saratoga, Mount McGregor and Lake George Railroad was a railroad leading from North Broadway in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA, controlled by the financier Joseph William Drexel. The railroad ran for approximately through the towns of Sarato ...

, ran through Wilton.

Notable people

* Henry D. Barron, Wisconsin jurist and legislator *

, U.S. President (died here) * Edgar T. Brackett, politician and businessman * Tabor B. Reynolds, physician and politician *

Seneca Ray Stoddard Seneca Ray Stoddard (1844–1917) was an American landscape photographer known for his photographs of New York's Adirondack Mountains. He was also a naturalist, a writer, a poet, an artist, and a cartographer. His writings and photographs helpe ...

, photographer and naturalist * Roy J. McDonald, NY Senator

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 (0.25%) is water.

U.S. Route 9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, between ...

and the Adirondack Northway ( Interstate 87) are parallel north–south highways.

New York State Route 50 New York State Route 50 (NY 50) is a state highway in the Capital District of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 5 in Scotia. Its northern terminus is at a junction with ...

is a north–south highway in the eastern part of Wilton.

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 2020, there were 17,361 people.

Government

The Town Council is a five-member legislative body, consisting of the Supervisor and four councilmen. The Supervisor is the presiding officer of the council, the chief administrator of town affairs, and the town's legislative representative on the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors. Other elected officials are the Town Clerk, Superintendent of Highways and two Town Justices. Supervisor - Art Johnson (R, C, I) Council people: * John Lant (R, I) * Steven Streicher (R, C) * John McEachron, Sr. (R) * JoAnn Klepetar (D) Town Clerk - Susan Baldwin (R, C, I) Highway Superintendent - Kirklin Woodcock (R, C) Town Justice: * Gearald Worth (R, C) * David Towne (R, I, C)

Communities and locations in Wilton

*Ballard Corners – 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 ...

by the eastern town line on NY-50 at the junction of County Road 33. *Barnes Corners – A location in the southeastern part of the town on NY-50. *Dimmick Corners – A location in the northeastern part of the town on County Road 32. *Gurn Spring – A hamlet southeast of Wilton village on County Road 33. *Kings Station – A hamlet south of Wilton village on US-9. *Loughberry Lake – A small lake in the southwestern section of Wilton. * Mt. McGregor Correctional Facility – A New York state medium security prison at the northern town line (now closed). On its grounds lies the Grant Cottage. *Travers Corners – A hamlet south of Wilton village. *Wilton – The hamlet of Wilton in located on US-9 at the junction with County Roads 101, 32, 33, and 34, in the northern part of the town.

References

External links

Wilton Fire Department

Wilton Emergency Squad

Greenfield Fire District

Wilton Town Court
{{authority control Towns in New York (state) Towns in Saratoga County, New York