Natural Bridge is 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 ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in Jefferson 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 2010 census it had a population of 365. It is located in the northeastern corner of the town of

Wilna Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

and is east of Watertown. The name "Natural Bridge" was derived from Natural Bridge Caverns,

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 ...

cave Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's Planetary surface, surface. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance undergrou ...

which the Indian River runs underground through. Natural Bridge Station is a location along a railroad line southeast of the community in Lewis County.

History

In 1812, a hunter, Aleaser Carr, crossed the Indian River on what he assumed to be a log while hunting. Much to his amazement while hunting a short time later, he again came to the river on the same side as before he crossed. After an examination by himself and a party of hunters, it appeared that he had unknowingly recrossed the river on what turned out to be a marble arch. Consequently, this is how Natural Bridge received its name. Settlement began in the area in 1818. The former king of Spain,

Joseph Bonaparte Joseph Bonaparte (born Giuseppe di Buonaparte, ; ; ; 7 January 176828 July 1844) was a French statesman, lawyer, diplomat and older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte. During the Napoleonic Wars, the latter made him King of Naples (1806–1808), an ...

, known in America as the Count de Survilliers, owned land consisting of a one-mile square. After coming to look at his land in 1828, he was impressed by the limestone arch and with being so close to his lake, "Lake Bonaparte" ( to the northeast), he decided to build a second summer residence in Natural Bridge in 1829. He resided here with his "Madame" until 1835. The house was destroyed in September 1905 in a fire that also consumed two hotels and their barns, the country store, and another dwelling house. An old story which still proves to be a mystery today is of the Joseph Bonaparte residence. The cellar of the residence was supposedly connected by secret passage to the caverns so that if he ever needed to escape, he had this passage. Natural Bridge Caverns, the hamlet's namesake, was formerly operated as a

show cave A show cave—also called tourist cave, public cave, and, in the United States, commercial cave—is a cave which has been made accessible to the public for guided visits. Definition A show cave is a cave that has been made accessible to ...

, with tourists being ferried by boat on the underground portion of the Indian River.

Geography

Natural Bridge is located along the eastern edge of Jefferson County at (44.068527, -75.494749), in the eastern part of the town of Wilna. It is bordered to the east by the town of

Diana Diana most commonly refers to: * Diana (name), given name (including a list of people with the name) * Diana (mythology), ancient Roman goddess of the hunt and wild animals; later associated with the Moon * Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997), ...

in Lewis County. 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 CDP has a total area of , all land. The Indian River flows northward through the community to the east of the downtown area. Natural Bridge is located on

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 ...

southeast of

Fort Drum Fort Drum is a U.S. Army military reservation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, near the western border of northern New York, United States. The population of the CDP portion of the base was 12,955 at the 2010 census. ...

, at the western edge of the

Adirondacks The Adirondack Mountains ( ) are a massif of mountains in Northeastern New York (state), New York which form a circular dome approximately wide and covering about . The region contains more than 100 peaks, including Mount Marcy, which is the hi ...

. Watertown, the Jefferson

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

, is to the southwest via Routes 3 and 3A, while Harrisville is to the northeast.

Demographics

As of the censusAmerican FactFinder" (http://factfinder.census.gov ). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2010-02-19 of 2010, there were 365 people, 139 households, and 100 families residing in Natural Bridge. The racial makeup of the population was 94.8% White, 1.1% African American, 2.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, and 1.1% from two or more races. 2.2% were Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% Mexican and 0.8% Puerto Rican. There were 139 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were Husband and Wife, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were Nonfamily. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.05. In the village the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males. The median income for a household in the community was $26,838, and the median income for a family was $25,662. Males had a median income of $18,571 versus $15,536 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 CDP was $10,349. About 20.4% of families and 26.4% 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 43.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

RW&O Railroad, Natural Bridge, NY
{{authority control Hamlets in New York (state) Census-designated places in New York (state) Census-designated places in Jefferson County, New York Hamlets in Jefferson County, New York