Wright 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 Schoharie 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 1,516 at the 2020 census.United States Census Bureau, 2020 U.S. Census Results, Wright town, Schoharie County, New York https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP&q=Wright%20town,%20Schoharie%20County,%20New%20York The town was named after governor

Silas Wright Silas Wright Jr. (May 24, 1795 – August 27, 1847) was an American attorney and Democratic politician. A member of the Albany Regency, he served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, New York State Comptroller, United Stat ...

. The Town of Wright is on the county's northeastern corner and is west of Albany.

History

The Town of Wright, in Schoharie County, New York, traces its origins to the early

18th century The 18th century lasted from 1 January 1701 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCCI) to 31 December 1800 (MDCCC). During the 18th century, elements of Enlightenment thinking culminated in the Atlantic Revolutions. Revolutions began to ch ...

. Settlement began in 1735 with the arrival of the Jacob Becker family. In 1772, Johannus Becker built a stone house that remains standing. This house holds historical importance due to an attack on July 26, 1782, by Tories and Native Americans during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, which the Becker family successfully defended.

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 (0.24%) is water. The northern town line is the border of Schenectady County and the eastern town boundary is the border of Albany County. The western town line is partly defined by the Louse Kill, a tributary of the Fox Creek.

New York State Route 146 New York State Route 146 (NY 146) is a state highway in the Capital District, New York, Capital District of New York (state), New York in the United States. It extends for from Gallupville, New York, Gallupville at New York State Rout ...

intersects

New York State Route 443 New York State Route 443 (NY 443) is an east–west state highway in the Capital District of New York in the United States. The route begins at an intersection with NY 30 in the town of Schoharie and ends later at a junction wi ...

, both east– west highways near Gallupville in Wright. The intersection is the western terminus of NY-146.

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 1,547 people, 569 households, and 433 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 622 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.64%

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 ...

, 0.39%

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 ...

, 0.26% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.45% 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 0.65% of the population. There were 569 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% 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, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.07. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $42,898, and the median income for a family was $46,667. Males had a median income of $32,464 versus $27,171 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 $19,711. About 5.5% of families and 8.9% 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 15.3% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Wright

*Echo Pond – A small lake in the northeastern corner of Wright. *Fox Creek – A stream flowing out the eastern border of the town. * Gallupville – 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 southwestern part of the town by the intersection of NY-146 and NY-443. It is also the location of the first settlement in the town. The Gallupville Evangelical Lutheran Church, Gallupville Methodist Church, and Gallupville House are 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 ...

. *Shutter Corners – A hamlet northwest of Gallupville on Route 443. Shutter Corners is located along the Fox Creek and contains a recognized cave known as the Schoharie Cavern, at Shutter Corners.

References

External links

Town of Wright, NY

Berne Historical Project
has genealogy of Hilltown families including most early families from Wright. {{authority control Towns in Schoharie County, New York Towns in New York (state)