Murray 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 Orleans 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 6,259 at the 2000 census. The Town of Murray is on the east border of the county, northwest of the City of Rochester.

History

Murray was first settled . The Town of Murray was established in 1808 from the town of Northampton before the formation of Orleans County, while still part of Genesee County. Later, Murray was reduced by the creation of new towns:

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(1813, now in Monroe County), Clarkson, (1819, now in Monroe County) and Kendall (1837). In 1850, the community of Holley incorporated, setting itself off from the town.

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 (0.19%) is water. The eastern boundary is shared with the Town of Clarkson in Monroe County, marked by New York State Route 272. The

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigability, navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, ...

passes through the town, along with

New York State Route 31 New York State Route 31 (NY 31) is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York (state), New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with New York State Route 104, NY ...

New York State Route 104 New York State Route 104 (NY 104) is a east–west state highway in Upstate New York in the United States. It spans six counties and enters the vicinity of four cities—Niagara Falls, Lockport, Rochester, and Oswego—as it foll ...

(Ridge Road) and

New York State Route 387 New York State Route 387 (NY 387) is a state highway located within the town of Murray in Orleans County, New York, in the United States. It serves as a north–south connector between NY 31 in the hamlet of Fancher and NY&nbs ...

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 6,259 people, 1,886 households, and 1,308 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 2,014 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 83.64%

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 ...

, 14.63%

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, 0.29% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.66% from other races, and 0.66% 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 6.29% of the population. There were 1,886 households, out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% 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, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 40.5% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 64.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 56.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $38,672, and the median income for a family was $45,184. Males had a median income of $32,795 versus $26,113 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 $14,620. About 4.2% of families and 6.9% 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 9.5% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Pitts Ellis, Wisconsin legislator, was born in Murray.'The Convention of 1846,' Milo Milton Quaife, Wisconsin Historical Society, Biographical Sketch of Pitts Ellis, pg. 770 * Jacob Hinds, former Canal Commissioner for New York State

Communities and locations in Murray

* Holley - The Village of Holley, on the

, is in the southeast part of the town. *Fancher – A community located around the intersection of Routes NY-387 and NY-31 in the western part of the town. *Hindsburg (also spelled Hinsburg, Hinsberg, Hindsburgh, Hindsville) – A location on the west town line. *McCargo Lake – A small lake by the west town line. *Murray – The hamlet of Murray is on Ridge Road (NY-104). *Brockville – A hamlet north of Fancher on NY-387. *Hulberton – A hamlet east of Fancher by the Erie Canal.

References

External links

The Town of Murray website

{{authority control Rochester metropolitan area, New York Towns in Orleans County, New York Towns in New York (state)