Wheatland 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 Monroe 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 4,897 at the 2020 census. The town is home to

Genesee Country Village and Museum The Genesee Country Village and Museum is a 19th-century living history museum covering more than located in the town of Wheatland, New York, United States, in the small hamlet of Mumford, New York, Mumford, about from Rochester, New York, Roch ...

History

The first settlers arrived circa 1789. The town was established on February 23, 1821, as Inverness, from the town of

Caledonia Caledonia (; ) was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the forested region in the central and western Scottish Highlands, particularly stretching through parts of what are now Lochaber, Badenoch, Strathspey, and possibly as ...

. On April 3, 1821, the state legislature changed the Inverness' name to Wheatland, allegedly at the behest of John Garbutt, a former EnglishmanOn June 12, 1810, by action of the Court of Common Pleas of Genesee County, John Garbutt and two other local men became citizens of the United States. markedly devoid of Scottish tendencies. In those days, the growing of wheat and the manufacture of flour were the county's primary economic activity, and the Wheatland area figured prominently in this trade. The US Census of 1850 notes that the counties of Monroe and Livingston led the entire United States in wheat production. As the vast agricultural expanses of the

American Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern c ...

opened up, the local wheat industry went into decline, beginning in the decade prior to the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. This breakdown was exacerbated by severe adverse weather in the latter 1850s. The Romanta T. Miller House and Oatka Cemetery were listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 2014.

Geography

The town of Wheatland is located in the southwest part of Monroe County. It is bordered on the north by the towns of

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

and Chili, on the east by the Genesee River and the towns of

Henrietta Henrietta may refer to: * Henrietta (given name), a feminine given name, derived from the male name Henry Places * Henrietta Island in the Arctic Ocean * Henrietta, Mauritius * Henrietta, Tasmania, a locality in Australia United States * Hen ...

and Rush, and on the south by the town of

in Livingston County, and on the west by the town of Le Roy in Genesee County. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the town of Wheatland has a total area of , of which are land and , or 0.85%, are water. The terrain includes low rolling hills, with flats along the

Genesee River The Genesee River ( ) is a tributary of Lake Ontario flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York in the United States. The river contains several waterfalls in New York at Letchworth State Park and Roch ...

in the east.

Oatka Creek Oatka Creek ( ) is the third longest tributary of the Genesee River, located entirely in the Western New York region of the U.S. state of New York. From southern Wyoming County, New York, Wyoming County, it flows to the Genesee near Scottsville, ...

, the only significant waterway in Wheatland and a major component of the town's history, is a tributary of the Genesee River. The

New York State Thruway The New York State Thruway (officially the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway and colloquially "the Thruway") is a system of controlled-access toll roads spanning within the U.S. state of New York. It is operated by the New York State Thruway ...

crosses through the northwestern part of the town, with the closest access from Exit 47 ( Interstate 490 and State Route 19) in Le Roy.

Communities and locations

* Belcoda – a location north of Mumford * Beulah – a location in the northwest corner of the town * Garbutt – a hamlet on Route 383 between Wheatland Center and Scottsville, formerly called Garbuttsville * Mumford – a

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 ...

near the south town line in the western part of the town on Route 36. Originally called Mackenzie's Corners, it changed its name to Mumfordville, after one of its citizens. * Oatka Creek Park – a county park near Garbutt on the Oatka Creek * Scottsville – a village in the northeast part of the town on Route 383; the sole incorporated community in the town * Wheatland Center – a former hamlet on Route 383 near the Oatka Creek and once known as Hall's Corners

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 5,149 people (4,960 by the 2007 census estimate), 2,011 households, and 1,425 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 2,093 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 92.99%

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 ...

, 4.02%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.39% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.82% from other races, and 0.91% 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 2.18% of the population. There were 2,011 households, of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% 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, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55, and the average family size was 3.02. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $55,239, and the median income for a family was $63,297. Males had a median income of $41,733 versus $30,733 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 $24,024. About 2.1% of families and 3.5% 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 ...

, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools are under the jurisdiction of the Wheatland-Chili Central School District, and include an elementary school, middle school and high school.

Government

The town is governed by a town board, consisting of a town supervisor and four town council members, all elected by registered town voters. The supervisor is elected every two years. Other board members serve four-year terms.

Public services

The

Scottsville Free Library The Scottsville Free Library, located at 28 Main Street in the village of Scottsville, New York, with a small branch at 883 George Street in Mumford, serves the people of the towns of Wheatland and Chili, as well as adjacent areas in Monroe C ...

, at 28 Main Street, serves the village, town, and outlying areas.

References

External links

* {{authority control Rochester metropolitan area, New York Towns in Monroe County, New York Towns in New York (state) 1840 establishments in New York (state) Populated places established in 1840