Benson is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Hamilton County,

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

, United States. The population was 221 at the 2020 census. The town is on the southern border of Hamilton County and is northwest of

Schenectady Schenectady ( ) is a City (New York), city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populo ...

. The current Town Supervisor is John M. Stortecky .

History

Benson was formed in 1860 from the towns of

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life, or the world at large. As a verb, Merriam-Webster defines ''hope'' as "to expect with confid ...

and Mayfield (now in Fulton County). Benson once possessed an iron mine.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town of Benson has a total area of , of which are land and , or 0.70%, are water. The

Sacandaga River The Sacandaga River is a river in the northern part of New York (state), New York in the United States. Its name comes from the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native American ''Sa-chen-da'-ga'', meaning "overflowed lands". The Sacandaga Ri ...

runs along part of the southeastern border of the town. The southern town line is the border of Fulton County.

New York State Route 30 New York State Route 30 (NY 30) is a state highway in the central part of New York in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with NY 17 (Future Interstate 86) in the Southern Tier to the US–Canada border in ...

passes through the southeastern corner of Benson.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 201 people, 80 households, and 58 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 160 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 99.00%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, and 1.00% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.49% of the population. There were 80 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were

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

living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.81. In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.4% under the age of 18, 13.9% from 18 to 24, 20.9% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $48,250, and the median income for a family was $50,000. Males had a median income of $39,375 versus $23,750 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $20,992. None of the families and 2.4% of the population were living 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 ...

, including no under eighteens and 6.8% of those over 64.

Communities and locations in Benson

* Benson – The

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

of Benson, located on Benson Road at the junction of North Road near the southern town line. * Big Popple – An elevation located north-northeast of Upper Benson. *

Blue Ridge Mountain Blue Ridge Mountain, also known as Blue Mountain, is the colloquial name of the westernmost ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Northern Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. The Appalachian Trail traverses the entire length of ...

– An elevation located northwest of Upper Benson. *

Cathead Mountain Cathead Mountain is a mountain located in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. It is located north of the hamlet of Benson in Hamilton County. In 1910, a wood fire lookout tower was built on the mountain. In 1916, it was replaced with a 50- ...

– An elevation located north of Benson. *Devorse Creek – A

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the Sacandaga River, flowing northward out of Benson. * Four Staves – An elevation located north-northwest of Upper Benson. * Jacksons Seat – An elevation located northeast of Upper Benson. * King Vly Mountain – An elevation located north-northeast of Upper Benson. * Little Cathead Mountain – An elevation located west of Benson. * Little Popple – An elevation located north-northeast of Upper Benson. * Little Roundtop Mountain – An elevation located north of Upper Benson. * Moose Mountain – An elevation located northwest of Upper Benson. *

Rock Lake Mountain Rock Lake Mountain is a summit located in the Adirondack Mountains of New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, locat ...

– An elevation located west-northwest of the hamlet of Benson. *Silver Lake – A lake near the western town line. * Silver Lake Mountain – An elevation located north-northwest of Upper Benson. *

Sugarloaf Mountain Sugarloaf Mountain (, ) is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on a peninsula at the mouth of Guanabara Bay. Rising above the harbor, the peak is named for its resemblance to the traditional shape of concentrated refined loaf suga ...

– An elevation located north-northwest of Upper Benson. * Third Popple – An elevation located north-northeast of Upper Benson. * Three Ponds Mountain – An elevation located northwest of Upper Benson. * Upper Benson – A small hamlet at the western end of Benson Road at Washburn Road, and near the southern town line. *

Vly Mountain Vly Mountain is a mountain located in the town of Halcott, New York, United States in Greene County. The mountain is part of the Catskill Mountains. Vly Mountain is flanked to the northwest by Bearpen Mountain, to the east by Vinegar Hill, to ...

– An elevation located north-northwest of Upper Benson. * Wallace Mountain – An elevation located north of Upper Benson. * White Lake Mountain – An elevation located west-northwest of the hamlet of Wells. * Woods Lake – A small lake northeast of Upper Benson.

References

External links

Benson history
{{authority control Towns in Hamilton County, New York Towns in New York (state)