DeRuyter, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids DeRuyter, New York
Town
Old N.Y. State Highway signs at the corner of Utica and Cortland streets (NYS Rt. 13), July 2001
DeRuyter, New York Location in New York Show map of New York DeRuyter, New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Madison
Government
• Type	Town council
Area
• Total	31.23 sq mi (80.90 km2)
• Land	30.41 sq mi (78.75 km2)
• Water	0.83 sq mi (2.15 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,276
• Density	42.0/sq mi (16.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	13052 (DeRuyter 13122 (New Woodstock) 13072 (Georgetown)
Area code(s)	315
FIPS code	36-053-20401
GNIS feature ID	978900

DeRuyter is a small town in Madison County, New York, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,276 people lived there. The town is named after Michiel de Ruyter, a famous admiral from the Dutch navy. His name, "de Ruyter," means "the Rider."

Inside the town of DeRuyter, there is also a village that shares the same name, DeRuyter. The town is located in the southwestern part of Madison County.

History of DeRuyter

DeRuyter was one of the first five towns created before Madison County even existed. It was formed in 1798 from a part of the town of Cazenovia. This area is sometimes called "The Gore" because of a mistake made when mapping the land.

How DeRuyter Got Its Name

Before 1795, DeRuyter was part of a larger area called Whitestown. It was also part of something called the "Lincklaen Purchase." The first name given to this area was "Tromp Township." This name was chosen by John Lincklaen, who worked for the Holland Land Company, to honor another Dutch admiral, Maarten Tromp.

On March 15, 1798, the new town of DeRuyter was officially formed. John Lincklaen again chose a name to honor a fellow countryman, Admiral Michiel DeRuyter. The village of DeRuyter was officially recognized as a village in 1833.

Fun Facts from DeRuyter's Past

• From 1896 to the early 1900s, Sig Sautelle's Circus spent its winters and trained in DeRuyter. Imagine circus performers and animals getting ready for their shows right there!
• The first "Four-County Fair" was held in DeRuyter in 1908. This big fair brought people together from four different counties: Cortland, Madison, Chenango, and Onondaga.
• The first DeRuyter Fireman's Fair took place in 1927.

Geography and Nature in DeRuyter

DeRuyter is located where several counties meet. Its western border touches Onondaga and Cortland counties. The southern border is shared with Chenango County. The village of DeRuyter is in the western part of the town, close to the Cortland County line.

Roads and Travel

New York State Route 13 goes through DeRuyter. This road leads north to Cazenovia and southwest to Cortland. Another road, NY 80, crosses the northeastern corner of the town. It goes west to Tully and southeast to Sherburne.

Waterways and Lakes

The town of DeRuyter covers about 31.2 square miles (80.9 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, but about 0.8 square miles (2.15 square kilometers) is water. The town has several waterways.

The East Branch of the Tioughnioga River flows through DeRuyter. It also has a smaller stream called the Middle Branch. The East Branch flows southwest and joins another branch in Cortland to form the main Tioughnioga River. This river then flows south into the Chenango River, which is part of the larger Susquehanna River system.

DeRuyter Reservoir, also known as Tioughnioga Lake, is in the northwestern part of the town. Even though it's a reservoir, many people call it "DeRuyter Lake." Water from this reservoir flows north into Limestone Creek. This creek eventually joins Chittenango Creek, which flows into Oneida Lake, and finally into Lake Ontario.

Population of DeRuyter

According to the 2000 census, there were 1,532 people living in DeRuyter. The population density was about 50 people per square mile. There were 592 households, and 412 of them were families.

• About 31.3% of households had children under 18 living with them.
• 56.9% of households were married couples.
• The average household had about 2.59 people.
• The average family had about 3.08 people.

The population was spread out by age:

• 27.0% were under 18 years old.
• 6.9% were between 18 and 24.
• 26.7% were between 25 and 44.
• 24.8% were between 45 and 64.
• 14.6% were 65 years or older.

The average age in the town was 38 years.

Communities and Places in DeRuyter

The town of DeRuyter includes several smaller communities and interesting spots:

• DeRuyter – This is the main village, located in the southwestern part of the town on Route 13.
• DeRuyter Reservoir – A large reservoir in the northwestern part of the town. People often call it "DeRuyter Lake."
• Puckerville – A small community (called a hamlet) in the southwestern part of the town, northeast of DeRuyter village on Route 13.
• Quaker Settlement or Quaker Basin – A place in the southeastern part of the town, east of DeRuyter village.
• Sheds – A hamlet in the northeastern corner of the town, where Routes 13, 60, and 80 meet.
• Sheds Corners – Another hamlet located southwest of Sheds on Route 13.

Education in DeRuyter

DeRuyter Central School District

The DeRuyter Central School District is located on Railroad Street, on the eastern edge of the village. This public school teaches students from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade.

About 380 students attend DeRuyter Central School. These students come from DeRuyter itself, and also from nearby areas like Sheds, Cuyler (in Cortland County), and Lincklaen (in Chenango County).

Famous People from DeRuyter

Some notable people have connections to DeRuyter:

• Francis Marion Burdick – An American legal scholar.
• Ezra Cornell – He founded Western Union and Cornell University. As a child, he moved to DeRuyter in 1819.
• Lyman Gage – He served as the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

See also

In Spanish: DeRuyter (Nueva York) para niños