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Argyle
Location in Washington County and the state of New York.
Location in Washington County and the state of New York.
Country United States
State New York
County Washington
Area
 • Total 57.80 sq mi (149.69 km2)
 • Land 56.54 sq mi (146.43 km2)
 • Water 1.26 sq mi (3.26 km2)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 3,782
 • Estimate 
(2019)
3,664
 • Density 65.46/sq mi (25.28/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)
12809
Area code(s) 518 838
FIPS code 36-115-02561

Argyle is a town in Washington County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 3,782 at the 2010 census. The town was named by its many early settlers from Scotland after Argyllshire.

The town of Argyle has the village called Argyle within its borders. Largely an agricultural community since its founding, the town is now experiencing an almost 80-year period of population growth, according to the US Census Bureau, fueled by abundant land and proximity to nearby work, cultural, and outdoor activities. Argyle Town government consists of a town board (an elected town supervisor and four town council members). Residents of Argyle are within New York's 21st congressional district, New York's 45th State Senate district, and the 113th NY State Assembly district. The town has fire protection provided by the J.A. Barkley Hose Company No. 1/Argyle Fire-Rescue Department and near Cossayuna Lake in the southeastern portion of the town by the Cossayuna Volunteer Fire Department. The Argyle Rescue Squad provides emergency medical service. Law enforcement is provided by New York State Police from Troop G, the Washington County Sheriff's Office and by officers of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Region 5 office. Children of school age in both the town and village of Argyle, who use public schools, attend Argyle Central School except for a small area in the northwestern portion of the town, in which students attend Hudson Falls public schools.

Some notable community events include a Memorial Day parade led by Argyle American Legion Post 1518, an annual 4th of July parade and chicken barbeque hosted by the men and women of the Argyle Fire-Rescue Department along with many additional community volunteers, an Argyle Methodist Church Election Dinner, a Thanksgiving Holiday meal provided by F.E.A.S.T (friends ensuring a super thanksgiving) for those wishing to enjoy a traditional thanksgiving meal, a book fair by the Argyle Free Library on July 4th, the Carl Lufkin Memorial Pull for the Cure - a Garden Tractor and 4WD truck pull in July which raises money for several charities helping in the fight against cancer, a haunted house on weekends in October at the Ransom Stiles house and a town-wide garage sale over the Columbus Day Holiday.

Argyle NY Fire-Rescue Department Fire Engine at July 4th Parade
Argyle Fire-Rescue Department fire engine in Argyle, New York 4th of July parade.

On 18 September 2021, Argyle honored its Scottish heritage with a Thistle (national flower of Scotland) Day community celebration after a nearly 100 year hiatus. A parade, chicken and pork barbeques, craft and farmers markets, a concert, and fireworks were part of the day's events.

Voters in Argyle overwhelmingly passed four resolutions on 5 November 2019 allowing alcohol to be sold within the Town and Village ending Argyle's "dry" status which it had maintained since a few years after the repeal of Prohibition. Previously Argyle was the largest dry town in New York State.

In 1983, the former Camp Algonquin summer camp on the east end of Summit Lake was a major film location for the cult slasher movie Sleepaway Camp.

The Town of Argyle will be near the path of totality (98.5%) during the Solar eclipse of April 8, 2024 according to the WEB site timeanddata.com. The communities of Lake Placid, Potsdam, and Plattsburg and many locations in the nearby Adirondack Park will be within the path of totality. The time of maximum solar eclipse in Argyle will be at 3:27.05 pm.

History

The town was formed from the Argyll Patent of 1764 while still in Albany County, Province of New York and became a town in Charlotte County when it was created March 24, 1772. Following the American Revolution, in 1784 the State of New York renamed Charlotte County as Washington County. Since many of the original settlers were from Argyll, Scotland, they adopted the name of their native land to the town. Although population growth was slow, the town was the most populous in the county by 1790.

In 1803, part of the town was used to establish the new Town of Greenwich.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 57.8 square miles (149.7 km²), of which, 56.7 square miles (146.8 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.9 km²) of it (1.92%) is water.

NY Route 40 is a north-south highway in the town.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1790 2,341
1800 4,597 96.4%
1810 3,803 −17.3%
1820 2,811 −26.1%
1830 3,459 23.1%
1840 3,111 −10.1%
1850 3,274 5.2%
1860 3,139 −4.1%
1870 2,850 −9.2%
1880 2,775 −2.6%
1890 2,313 −16.6%
1900 1,995 −13.7%
1910 1,806 −9.5%
1920 1,535 −15.0%
1930 1,452 −5.4%
1940 1,611 11.0%
1950 1,801 11.8%
1960 1,898 5.4%
1970 2,415 27.2%
1980 2,847 17.9%
1990 3,031 6.5%
2000 3,688 21.7%
2010 3,782 2.5%
2019 (est.) 3,664 −3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,688 people, 1,313 households, and 1,000 families residing in the town. The population density was 65.1 people per square mile (25.1/km2). There were 1,798 housing units at an average density of 31.7 per square mile (12.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.94% White, 0.22% Black or African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.03% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population.

There were 1,313 households, out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.4% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.8% were non-families. 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $41,133, and the median income for a family was $44,414. Males had a median income of $32,253 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,403. About 5.3% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Argyle

Communities

  • Argyle – A village within the town, located on NY-40.
  • Argyle airport (1C3) – A grass strip airport northeast of Argyle village.
  • Durkeeetown – A location at the west town line on County Road 45.
  • Goose Island – A hamlet east of Argyle village on County Road 47.
  • Lick Springs – A location west of South Argyle.
  • North Argyle – A hamlet northeast of Argyle village on NY-40.
  • South Argyle– A hamlet south of Argyle village on NY-40.
  • The Hook – An area on County Road 45 where there were once hotels for travelers along a coach road and recently a restaurant called the Hook Pantry, but it has been converted into a house.

Geographic locations

  • Barkley Mountain – An elevation east of the community of Argyle.
  • Cossayuna Lake – The largest body of water in the town, located in the southeast corner (Elevation 422 feet (129 m)).
  • Dead Creek – A stream exiting from Argyle at the west town line.
  • Headwaters of Wood Creek – A stream exiting from Argyle near the northwest corner and running up to Lake Champlain.
  • Moses Kill – A stream passing through North Argyle and Argyle village.
  • Mud Pond – A small lake north of Goose Island.
  • Murdock Mountain – An elevation north of Summit Lake.
  • Summit Lake – A lake west of Cossayuna Lake.
  • Tamarack Swamp – A swamp by the north town line.
  • Todd Mountain – An elevation northwest of Goose Island.


Notable people

  • Alexander Barkley - New York State Republican Legislator during 1865-1866 who lived and died in Argyle. He won statewide election in 1871 and served as Canal Commissioner from 1872 to 1874.
  • Ebenezer Clark - Elected to the 1st New York State Legislature which met from Sep 1777 to Jun 1778. Subsequently elected to the 2nd, 12th, 13th, 15th, and 20-25th state legislatures. Elected by the New York State Assembly in 1799 to serve on the Council of Appointment. Buried in the Old Scots Cemetery in Argyle.
  • Evelyn Clark Colfax - Born in Argyle in 1823 and married Schuyler Colfax (Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives 1863-1869 and first Vice President for Ulysses S. Grant) on 10 October 1844 at the family home in Argyle.
  • Edward Dodd - Moved to Argyle in 1835 from nearby Salem and served as a member of the U.S House of Representatives from 1855 to 1859. He was an early member of the Republican Party.
  • Eliakim Doolittle (1772-1850), composer
  • Julia Spencer-Fleming - Author of mystery novels set in fictional Millers Kill, New York, who lived and attended school in Argyle in the 1970s.
  • John Alexander McGeoch An American psychologist and educator who was born in Argyle in 1897. Considered a modern functionalist, his interests focused on human learning and memory. He was the chair of the department of psychology at the University of Missouri from 1930 to 1935, Wesleyan University from 1935 to 1939, and University of Iowa from 1939 to 1942.
  • Grandma Moses - Renowned American folk artist; worked for a time in Argyle.
  • Robert S. Robertson - U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from the Battle of Corbin's Bridge in May 1864. He was born and raised in North Argyle, and after the Civil War was elected Lieutenant Governor of Indiana in November 1886.
  • Robert B. Scott - U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from a battle during the U.S. - Indian War in 1869. He is buried in Argyle's Prospect Hill Cemetery.
  • David Sheridan - Inventor of catheters and philanthropist, who created three medical catheter plants in North Argyle, thus employing thousands.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Argyle (Nueva York) para niños

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