Gerry 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 Chautauqua 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 1,789 at the 2020 census. The town is named after

Elbridge Gerry Elbridge Gerry ( ; July 17, 1744 – November 23, 1814) was an American Founding Father, merchant, politician, and diplomat who served as the fifth vice president of the United States under President James Madison from 1813 until his death i ...

, the fifth Vice President of the United States. The town is centrally located in the county and is north of Jamestown.

History

Settlement began ''circa'' 1810 with Amos Atkins, a surveyor, who built the first building, a log cabin. The town of Gerry was formed on June 1, 1812, from a part of the town of

Pomfret Pomfrets are scombriform fish belonging to the family Bramidae. The family currently includes 20 species across seven genera. Several species are important food sources for humans, especially ''Brama brama'' in South Asia. The earlier form of ...

. The first town meeting was held at the home of Major Samuel Sinclair, who was elected the first Supervisor that year. Sinclair is also the namesake of Sinclairville, located within the town. The size of the town was reduced by the formation of the newer towns of Ellington and Charlotte. By 1900, the population of Gerry was 1,198. Gerry is best known for hosting an annual

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqu ...

(which has been an annual event in the town since 1945) and a Scandinavian folk festival, both of which are held in the summer.

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 , or 0.05%, is water.

New York State Route 60 New York State Route 60 (NY 60) is a north–south state highway in Chautauqua County, New York, in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S. Route 62 in New York, U.S. Route 62 (US ...

is a major north-south highway, and Chautauqua County Route 380 cuts through the southwest corner of the town.

Adjacent towns and areas

(

Clockwise Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions or senses of rotation. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands relative to the observer: from the top to the right, then down and then to ...

) * Charlotte * Ellington * Ellicott * Ellery; Stockton

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 2,054 people, 661 households, and 499 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 739 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.44%

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 ...

, 0.24% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.34% from other races, and 0.54% 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 0.68% of the population. There were 661 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% 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, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 2.98. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 24.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $35,000, and the median income for a family was $36,853. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $18,667 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 $15,272. About 9.8% of families and 12.8% 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 14.2% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,905 people, a decrease of 7.25%, and 722 households, an increase of 9.23%, in the town. The population density was . The racial makeup of the town was 97.9% (1,805 people) white, 0.16% (3 people) African-American, 0.47% (9 people) Asian, 0.21% (4 people) Native American/Alaskan, 0.05% (1 person) other, and 1.21% (23 people) two or more races. The Hispanic/Latino makeup of the town of any race was 1.05% (20 people). There were 722 households in the town, out of which 29.5% (213 households) had people under the age of 18 living in them. Males made up 47.87% (912 people) of the population while females made up 52.13% (993 people) of the population. 19.74% (376 people) of the population was under the age of 18, 2.73% (52 people) were ages 18 and 19, 4.72% (90 people) ages 20–24, 9.08% (173 people) ages 25–34, 20.21% (385 people) ages 35–49, 20.47% (390 people) ages 50–64, and 23.05% (439 people) were over the age of 65.

Communities and locations in Gerry

*Cassadaga Creek – A stream flowing southward through the western part of the town; tributary of

Conewango Creek Conewango Creek is a tributary of the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania and western New York in the United States. The creek's drainage covers much of southeastern Chautauqua County, New York, and western Cattaraugus County, New York. The creek' ...

and part of the

Allegheny River The Allegheny River ( ; ; ) is a tributary of the Ohio River that is located in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York in the United States. It runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border, nor ...

watershed. *Gerry – 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 ...

located on County Roads 50 and 65, and

, east of Hatch Creek. It was first called Bucklins Corners, after a hotel, and later called "Vermont", a designation stemming from the source of many early settlers, until 1876. *Hatch Creek – A stream that flows into Cassadaga Creek in the southwest corner of the town. *Kimball Stand – A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town on NY Routes 60 and 380 and County Road 44. * Sinclairville – Part of the village of Sinclairville is by the north town line. *Towerville – A hamlet at the west town line on NY Route 380 and County Road 48.

Notable people

* Hugh Bedient, former professional baseball player *

John Schofield John McAllister Schofield (; September 29, 1831 – March 4, 1906) was an American soldier who held major commands during the American Civil War. He was appointed U.S. Secretary of War (1868–1869) under President Andrew Johnson and later serve ...

, former Secretary of War and US Civil War figure

References

External links

*
History of Gerry, NY
{{authority control Populated places established in 1810 Towns in Chautauqua County, New York Towns in New York (state) 1810 establishments in New York (state) Elbridge Gerry