Amboy, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amboy, New York
Town
Location in Oswego County and the state of New York.
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Oswego
Area
• Total	37.74 sq mi (97.75 km2)
• Land	37.05 sq mi (95.96 km2)
• Water	0.69 sq mi (1.79 km2)
Elevation	669 ft (204 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,263
• Estimate  (2016)	1,311
• Density	35.39/sq mi (13.66/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code	36-01649
GNIS feature ID	0978673

Amboy is a small town in Oswego County, New York, United States. It's important not to mix it up with another place called Amboy in Onondaga County. In 2010, about 1,263 people lived here. The town got its name from a place in New Jersey.

The Town of Amboy is located in the southeastern part of Oswego County.

History of Amboy

Amboy was first settled around 1805. The town itself was officially created in 1830. It was formed from a part of the Town of Williamstown. Amboy is one of the newer towns in Oswego County.

The land in Amboy has rich soil. It was once great for growing grain. Now, it's mostly used for dairy farming. Many small streams flow through the town. These streams eventually lead to Oneida Lake. There are also several ponds in the western part of Amboy. Panther Lake stretches into the southeastern corner.

Early Settlers and First Buildings

The very first person to settle in Amboy was Joseph Perkins. He came from Connecticut in 1805. He opened a public house, which was like an inn or hotel. Sadly, he died in an accident while working in the woods.

The first settlements were made at a spot known as "Five Corners." David Smith arrived in 1815. Isaac and William Claxton came a few years later. They bought a lot of land in the northeast. John Drought also settled here in 1818.

The area known as "Carteryule" was named after the Carter families. This place once had a post office, a tannery, a saw mill, and a store. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed them all in 1883.

Sage Parks moved to Amboy in 1821. He was a very important citizen. He was the first supervisor of the town in 1830-31. He also built the first grist mill in 1824. A grist mill grinds grain into flour.

The first saw mill in Amboy was built in 1822 by Joseph Murphy. It was located at Carterville.

Education and Community Life

The first school house was built in the winter of 1822-23. It was about two miles east of Amboy Center. Cynthia Stoddard was the first teacher in the town. She taught school the summer before the school house was built.

Early settlers had to work hard. They lived in a forest, far from main roads. They depended mostly on themselves. More settlers arrived between 1821 and 1825. These included John G. Howard, William Henry, and Horace Foote.

Ephraim Mowrey opened the first real hotel in 1822. It was a double log house at the Five Corners. Later, he built a larger hotel.

The first religious group in Amboy was the Freewill Baptists. They started in 1824. Their pastor, Rev. Truman Gillett, helped build a small church. This church building later became the town hall in 1892.

Forming the Town Government

Before 1830, Amboy was part of Williamstown. But the people wanted their own town. They held meetings to decide on a name. It took several meetings to agree! Finally, Frederick Ambrose suggested "Amboy." He got the idea from a town in New Jersey. Everyone liked it!

The town was officially created on March 25, 1830. Five days later, the first town meeting was held. They elected their first officers:

• Sage Parks was the first supervisor.
• Frederick Ambrose was the first town clerk.
• Other important roles included assessors, highway commissioners, and school inspectors.

Many people helped shape Amboy. They built homes and managed public affairs. Some important early leaders included John Jamison and Dorastus Green.

Amboy During the Civil War

When the Civil War started, Amboy showed great patriotism. More than 150 volunteers from the town joined the army. Many of them died fighting for the Union. Some died in Southern prisons. Others were killed in battle or from their wounds. Many more got sick and passed away. The town government supported the soldiers. They paid large bounties to volunteers.

Farming and Industry

Amboy has always been a farming community. In the early days, farmers grew many different crops. Hops were grown for a while. But later, dairy farming became the main activity. Cheese-making was a big part of the industry. In 1894, there were two cheese factories in town.

After the Civil War, there were many timber forests nearby. So, many sawmills were built. At one point, ten sawmills were running! They produced a lot of lumber. By 1894, only two or three were still working.

Schools in Amboy

In 1892-93, Amboy had seven school districts. Each district had its own school house. There were seven teachers in total. About 185 students attended these schools. The school districts were named:

• Carterville
• East Amboy
• North Amboy
• Amboy Center
• West Amboy
• Stone Hill
• Mud Hill

Villages in Amboy

• West Amboy: This village is in the western part of the town. It had a hotel, a cheese factory, and a grist mill. There were also merchants and blacksmith shops. A large tannery used to be here, but it closed down.
• Amboy Center: This small village is in the middle of the town. It had stores and a hotel. The hotel burned down in 1892. There is also a cheese factory here.

Churches in Amboy

Besides the Freewill Baptist church, there was also a Methodist church in Amboy. It was organized early in the town's history. The church building was put up before 1850. Another Methodist group started in Carterville around 1870. Both Methodist churches shared a pastor.

Geography

Amboy covers a total area of about 37.7 square miles (97.7 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 37.1 square miles (96.0 square kilometers), is land. The rest is water.

The eastern border of the town is also the border of Oneida County.

Demographics

According to the census from 2000, there were 1,312 people living in Amboy. These people lived in 468 households, and 353 of those were families. The population density was about 35 people per square mile.

About 40% of the households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (59%) were married couples. About 17% of households were individuals living alone.

The population was spread out by age:

• 30% were under 18 years old.
• 7.5% were between 18 and 24.
• 32.5% were between 25 and 44.
• 21% were between 45 and 64.
• 8.5% were 65 years or older.

The average age in Amboy was 35 years.

The average income for a household in the town was about $33,315 per year. About 13.5% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included about 15% of those under 18.

Communities and locations in Amboy

• Amboy Center – A small village on Route 69.
• Carterville – A small village in the southeastern part of the town.
• East Amboy – A small village east of Amboy Center on Route 69.
• Jamison Corners – A place located east of East Amboy.
• Mud Hill – A small village north of Amboy Center on Route 183.
• North Amboy – A small village near the northern border of the town.
• Panther Lake – A lake found on the southern town boundary.
• Panther Lake – A small village on the town line in the southeastern corner.
• West Amboy – A small village near the western town line on Route 69.

See also

In Spanish: Amboy (Nueva York) para niños