Gouverneur ( ) 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. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,551. That was down from 7,085 in

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

. The town is named after statesman and landowner

Gouverneur Morris Gouverneur Morris ( ; January 31, 1752 – November 6, 1816) was an American statesman, a Founding Father of the United States, and a signatory to the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution. He wrote the Preamble to the ...

. The Town of Gouverneur contains a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

named Gouverneur. The town is near the southwestern border of St. Lawrence County and is southwest of Canton, the county seat.

History

The region was first settled around 1805. The Town of Gouverneur was formed in 1810 from part of the Town of Oswegatchie (previously an area called "Town of Cambria"). Like many other settlements in the county, the town's growth was hindered by the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

, although rapid growth resumed soon after.Hough, Franklin B. (1853
''"A history of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, New York: from the earliest period to the present time"''
/ref> In 1850, the community of Gouverneur set itself off from the town by incorporating as a village. The town economy was based in part on mining

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

talc Talc, or talcum, is a clay mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate, with the chemical formula . Talc in powdered form, often combined with corn starch, is used as baby powder. This mineral is used as a thickening agent and lubricant ...

, and

zinc Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...

. The

United States Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal serv ...

was 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 1989.

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 72.4 square miles (187.6 km²), of which 71.5 square miles (185.3 km²) is land and 0.9 square mile (2.3 km²) (1.24%) is water. 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 in two directions, westward in the south and eastward in the north.

U.S. Route 11 U.S. Route 11 or U.S. Highway 11 (US 11) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway extending across the eastern U.S. The southern terminus of the route is at US 90 in Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refu ...

, New York State Route 58, and New York State Route 812 converge at Gouverneur village. NY-58 and NY-812 are conjoined southwest of the village, and US-11 and NY-812 are conjoined northeast of the village. Due to the low area population and relatively little through traffic, the area's highways and the Gouverneur Town Court experience relatively light traffic flow.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the town had a population of 6,551 and 2,405 households. The population density was 91.1 inhabitants per square mile (35.2/km²), and there were 2,784 housing units at an average density of 39.1 per square mile (15.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 83.5% White, 4.9% Black or African American, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race, and 5.7% from other races or two or more races. The average household size was 2.4, and the median age was 38.8 years. The median household income was $44,933, and the per capita income was $24,200. Approximately 23.4% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Education (ACS 2019–2023 estimates)

Approximately 82.3% of residents aged 25 and over had at least a high school diploma, and 21.0% held a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Communities and locations in Gouverneur

*Elmdale – 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 northwestern part of the town on NY-58 and the Oswegatchie River. * Gouverneur – The Village of Gouverneur is on US-11 at the Oswegatchie River, near the eastern town line. *Halls Corners – A hamlet in the northern part of the town, south of North Gouverneur. *Little Bow – A hamlet northwest of Gouverneur village. *Natural Dam – A hamlet on NY-58 west of Gouverneur village, where Gouverneur Morris once had a summer home. The name arose due to a large rock, partially blocking the Oswegatchie River. *North Gouverneur – A hamlet in the northern part of the town west of County Road 11. *Reservoir Hill – An elevation by the town line, east of Gouverneur village. *Staplin Corners – A hamlet in the northern part of the town, north of North Gouverneur.

Notable people

* Phil Hanlon (b. 1955), mathematician and former president of

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...

Brian Leonard Brian Leonard (born February 3, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL).He played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and was selected by the St. Louis Ram ...

(b. 1984), former running back for the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

* Edward John Noble (1882–1958), developer and marketer of

Life Savers Life Savers (stylized as LifeSavers) is an American brand of ring-shaped hard and soft candy. Its range of mints and fruit-flavored candies is known for its distinctive packaging, coming in paper-wrapped aluminum foil rolls. Candy manufacturer ...

* Thomas Lee Pangle (b. 1944), political scientist * William R. Rowley (1824–1886), American Civil War general * Lillian Tait Sheldon (1865–1925), composer * Tudi Wiggins (1935–2006), Canadian actress in daytime television dramas * James Franklin Wiley, member of the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those o ...

* Brad Jordan all around badass

References

External links

Gouverneur history

Gouverneur historical map
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gouverneur (Town), New York Towns in St. Lawrence County, New York Towns in New York (state)