Clifton 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 St. Lawrence 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 675 at the 2020 census. The town takes its name from a mining company. The Town of Clifton is in the southern part of the county, within the

Adirondack Park The Adirondack Park is a park in northeastern New York (state), New York protecting the Adirondack Mountains. The park was established in 1892 for "the free use of all the people for their health and pleasure", and for watershed protection. At , ...

History

The first settlers came to work at the Clifton Iron Mine ''circa'' 1866, which built its first iron furnace the same year. The town was formed in 1868 from the Town of Pierrepont. The first town meeting was held in the office of the Clifton Iron Mine. Early inhabitants arrived to work the local mines.

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 has a total area of , of which is land and (10.13%) is water. Part of the southern town line is the border of

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

and Herkimer counties. The

Oswegatchie River The Oswegatchie River is a river in northern New York (state), New York that flows from the Adirondack Mountains north to the Saint Lawrence River. The Oswegatchie River begins at Partlow Lake in Hamilton County, New York. The river continues t ...

flows through the town. Cranberry Lake, a large Adirondack

lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

occupies much of the eastern part of the town.

New York State Route 3 New York State Route 3 (NY 3) is a major east–west state highway in New York, in the United States, that connects central New York to the North Country region near the Canada–US border via Adirondack Park. The route extends for ...

crosses the town as a major east–west highway.

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 791 people, 323 households, and 215 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 775 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.08%

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 ...

, 1.52% Native American, 0.88% from other races, and 1.52% 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 1.52% of the population. There were 323 households, out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% 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, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.90. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,950, and the median income for a family was $38,875. Males had a median income of $34,583 versus $23,500 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 $15,619. About 13.1% of families and 17.4% 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 25.8% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Clifton

*Bear Mountain – An elevation southeast of Cranberry Lake village. * Benson Mines – A location in the southwestern part of the town that was one of the original settlements of the town. * Brown's Falls Reservoir – A reservoir located west of Newton Falls. *Buck Island – A small island in Cranberry Lake, southeast of Joe Indian Island. *Clarksboro – A former hamlet, site of the Clifton ore reduction mill, remains of which are still visible at Twin Falls. *Cooks Corners – A hamlet near the western town line, northwest of Cranberry Lake village, also referred to as the Windfall. * Cranberry Lake – 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 ...

in the eastern part of the town, on the north shore of Cranberry Lake. The population is about 850. The community is on

. * Cranberry Lake – A lake on the east branch of the Oswegatchie River. It is the third largest lake in the Adirondack Park. *Dead Creek Flow – A part of Cranberry lake in the southwestern part of Clifton. *Joe Indian Island – An island of Cranberry Lake. *Lows Lake – The northwest part of the lake is in the southeastern corner of Clifton. * Newton Falls – A hamlet near the western part of the town on County Road 60. * Newton Falls Reservoir – A reservoir located east of Newton Falls. * Olmstead Pond – A lake located south of Cranberry Lake. * Star Lake – A hamlet and resort area in the southwestern part of the town on NY-3 and on the eastern shore of a

also called Star Lake.

References

External links

Early Clifton history
{{authority control Towns in St. Lawrence County, New York Towns in New York (state)