Rodman 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
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. The population was 1,176 at the 2010 census.
The name is derived from a public official, Daniel Rodman.
The town is in the southeastern part of the county and is south of
Watertown.
History
Prehistoric remains in the town document the lives of the original natives.
The region was part of
Macomb's Purchase Macomb's Purchase is a large historical area of northern New York in the United States purchased from the state in 1791 by Alexander Macomb, a merchant who had become wealthy during the American Revolutionary War. He acted as a land speculator, sel ...
. The town was first settled around 1801.
Rodman was organized as a town in 1804 from part of the town of
Adams
Adams may refer to:
* For persons, see Adams (surname)
Places United States
*Adams, California
*Adams, California, former name of Corte Madera, California
* Adams, Decatur County, Indiana
*Adams, Kentucky
*Adams, Massachusetts, a New England to ...
. The town was originally called "Harrison" after an early landowner, but was later changed to "Rodman", the name of the clerk of the legislature, due to confusion with other similarly named communities.
Part of Rodman was used in 1808 to form the
Town of Pinckney (Now part of
Lewis County).
Notable people
* Rodman native
Benjamin Burr (1818-1894) served in the Wisconsin State Assembly and was a businessman in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
* Rodman native
Adele M. Fielde (1839–1916) became a Baptist missionary in China. She wrote books about China, parliamentary procedure, and the Swatow dialect.
* Rodman native
Mary A. Hitchcock Wakelin
Mary A. Hitchcock Wakelin (, Barnes; after first marriage, Hitchcock; after second marriage, Wakelin; April 28, 1834 – February 25, 1900) was a 19th-century American educator and temperance reformer. In 1874, she started the movement that res ...
(1834-1900) was a temperance reformer.
* Rodman native
Frank Winfield Woolworth
Frank Winfield Woolworth (April 13, 1852 – April 8, 1919) was an American entrepreneur, the founder of F. W. Woolworth Company, and the operator of variety stores known as "Five-and-Dimes" (5- and 10-cent stores or dime stores) which featured ...
(1852-1919) made a fortune from his "five and dime" mercantile empire.
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 0.13%, are water.
The town is north of
Syracuse
Syracuse most commonly refers to:
* Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse
* Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area
Syracuse may also refer to:
Places
* Syracuse railway station (disambiguation)
Italy
* Provi ...
and south of
Watertown, on the western slopes of the
Tug Hill
Tug Hill, sometimes referred to as the Tug Hill Plateau, is an upland region in northern New York state, notable for heavy winter snows. The Tug Hill region is east of Lake Ontario, north of Oneida Lake, and west of the Adirondack Mountains. The ...
Plateau. The eastern town line is the border of
Lewis County.
New York State Route 177
New York State Route 177 (NY 177) is an east–west state highway in the North Country of New York in the United States. It extends from Interstate 81 (I-81) exit 42 in the Jefferson County town of Adams to NY 12 w ...
is an east–west highway crossing the town.
The North and South Branches of Sandy Creek run through Rodman and eventually join near Litt's Bridge at the western border of the town.
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 1,147 people, 385 households, and 314 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 455 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.34%
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 ...
, 0.17%
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 ...
, 0.61%
Native American, 0.09% from
other races, and 0.78% 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 1.39% of the population.
There were 385 households, out of which 46.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.1% 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, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. 13.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,339, and the median income for a family was $43,750. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $25,764 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 $15,453. About 6.7% of families and 9.5% 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 11.6% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Rodman
*Babbits Corners – A location in the southeastern part of the town at the junction of NY-177 and County Road 189.
*Dillen – 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 corner of the town on County Road 155.
*East Rodman – A hamlet near the eastern town line on County Roads 69 and 156. It was also called "Whitesville".
*Rodman – A hamlet (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 ...
) at the junction of County Roads 69 and 97 in the west-central part of the town.
*Ross Corners – A location in the southwestern part of the town on County Road 97.
*Shingle Gulf – A canyon in the northeastern part of Rodman.
*Tremaines Corners – A hamlet southeast of the center of the town on County Roads 95 and 177.
*Whitford Corners – A location in the northwestern part of the town on NY-177. The location was also called "West Rodman" and "Toad Hollow".
*Zoar – A hamlet northeast of Rodman village, formerly known as "Unionville".
References
External links
Town of Rodman official websiteF.W. Woolworth information
{{authority control
Towns in Jefferson County, New York
Towns in New York (state)