Adams 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 ...

in Jefferson 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. Named after

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...

, the town had a population of 5,143 at the 2010 census. The town contains a village also named Adams. The village and town are south of

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 ...

History

Settlement began around 1800 at Adams village. David Smith built a sawmill at the present site of Adams in 1801. Renamed for John Adams in 1802 (the year after his presidency ended), the town of Adams was created from the survey townships of Aleppo and Orpheus. The eastern part of Adams was taken in 1804 to form the town of Rodman. During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, the town of Adams formed a local militia for home defense. The Talcott Falls Site 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 v ...

in 1974.

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 the ...

, the town has an area of , of which are land and , or 0.36%, are water.

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island ...

is a major north-south highway through the middle of Adams. It has three interchanges within the town limit. New York State Route 177 runs eastward from U.S. Route 11, another north-south highway, at Adams Center. New York State Route 178 runs westward from Adams village. The town is to the west of the

Tug Hill Plateau Tug Hill, sometimes referred to as the Tug Hill Plateau, is an upland region in northern New York State, famous for heavy winter snows. The Tug Hill region is east of Lake Ontario, north of Oneida Lake, and west of the Adirondack Mountains. The r ...

. Sandy Creek flows westward through the southern part of the town, and Stony Creek flows through the northern section. Both creeks are direct tributaries of

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...

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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 4,782 people, 1,864 households, and 1,293 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 RosenberPopul ...

was 112.8 people per square mile (43.5/km²). There were 2,019 housing units at an average density of 47.6 per square mile (18.4/km²). The town's racial makeup of the town was 97.97%

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 on ...

, 0.29%

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 have o ...

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 ...

, 0.27% Native American, 0.36%

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 ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.21% 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 0.88% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

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 0.65% of the population. There were 1,864 households, of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% 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 t ...

living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.05. 27.5% of the town's population was under age 18, 6.9% from age 18 to 24, 30.0% from age 25 to 44, 23.2% from age 45 to 64, and 12.3% were age 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males. The town's median household income was $38,012, and the median family income was $48,354. Males had a median income of $34,000 versus $25,610 for females. The town's

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 ...

was $17,707. About 6.6% of families and 9.6% 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 12.7% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations

* Adams – The village of Adams is near the southern town line on US-11 at NY-178. * Adams Center – 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 ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

north of Adams village on U.S. Route 11 at NY-177. *Butterville – A location at the western town line on County Road 76. *Coopers Corners – A former location in the town. *Green Settlement – A hamlet on County Road 76 west of Adams Center. *Honeyville – A location on County Road 177 east of Adams Center. *Lisk Settlement – A former location in the town. *Lyon Corners – A location near the western town line on County Road 76. *North Adams – A hamlet near the northern town line by North Kellog and Cady Roads. *Sanford Corners – A location on County Road 66 in the northwestern corner of the town. *Smithville – A hamlet on County Road 75 on the western town line. *Talcott Corners – A location on US-11 in the northeastern corner of the town. *Thomas Settlement – A hamlet on NY-178 in the southwestern corner of the town.

Notable people

Emma Whitcomb Babcock Emma Whitcomb Babcock (, Whitcomb; April 24, 1849 – 1926) was an American litterateur and author. She did considerable work as a book reviewer, and contributed to various leading magazines. She was the author of ''Household Hints'', a domest ...

(1849–1926), litterateur and author * William E. Blackstone (1841–1935), evangelical Christian and

Zionist Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...

Alvan E. Bovay Alvan Earle Bovay (July 12, 1818January 13, 1903) was an American politician and one of the founders of the Republican Party. He served in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1859 and 1860, representing Fond du Lac County. Early life and educatio ...

, co-founder of the Republican Party *

Charles Grandison Finney Charles Grandison Finney (August 29, 1792 – August 16, 1875) was an American Presbyterian minister and leader in the Second Great Awakening in the United States. He has been called the "Father of Old Revivalism." Finney rejected much of trad ...

(1792–1875), prominent evangelist *

Mary Ninde Gamewell Mary Ninde Gamewell (, Ninde; 1858 – August 26, 1947) was an American writer and a missionary to China under the Methodist Board. Her book, ''Ming-Kwong, City of the Morning Light'' (1924) became the textbook on China issued by the Central Commi ...

(1858-1947), American missionary in China; writer * Henry Keep (1818–1869), born in Adams, noted financier and president of several railroad firms. He left an estate of over four million dollars. *

J. Sterling Morton Julius Sterling Morton (April 22, 1832 – April 27, 1902) was a Nebraska newspaper editor and politician who served as President Grover Cleveland's United States Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Agriculture. He was a prominent Bourbon Dem ...

(1832–1902), father of

Arbor Day Arbor Day (or Arbour in some countries) is a secular day of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, dependi ...

Philander Smith Philander Smith (November 23, 1809 – February 24, 1882) was an American real estate agent and philanthropist. Philander Smith College is his namesake. Biography Philander Smith was the son of David Smith, whose 1801 sawmill in upstate New Y ...

(1809–1882), son of mill operator and original settler David Smith,

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

Philander Smith College Philander Smith College is a private historically black college in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is a founding member of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). Philander Smith College is accredited by ...

and father-in-law of William E. Blackstone (above) *

Henry Benjamin Whipple Henry Benjamin Whipple (February 15, 1822 – September 16, 1901) was the first Episcopal bishop of Minnesota, who gained a reputation as a humanitarian and an advocate for Native Americans. Summary of his life Born in Adams, New York, he was ...

(1822–1901), first Episcopal bishop of Minnesota

References

External links

*
Early Adams history
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams (Town), New York Towns in Jefferson County, New York