Odessa, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Odessa, New York
Village
Odessa, New York Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Schuyler
Area
• Total	1.14 sq mi (2.94 km2)
• Land	1.14 sq mi (2.94 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,043 ft (318 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	517
• Density	454.71/sq mi (175.63/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	14869
Area code(s)	607
FIPS code	36-54452
GNIS feature ID	0959224

Odessa is a small village in Schuyler County, New York. In 2020, about 517 people lived there.

It's located on the western side of the Town of Catharine. Part of the village is also in the Town of Montour. Odessa is north of the city of Elmira.

History of Odessa

The land where Odessa now stands was first bought in 1794. This purchase was made by John W. Watkins and Royal Flint. A man named Phineas Catlin Sr. received 200 acres of this land for his military service.

Key Dates in Odessa's Past

Here are some important moments in Odessa's history:

• 1801: The first building, a grist mill, was built by R.C. Johnson. A grist mill grinds grain into flour.
• 1837: Phineas Catlin Jr. rebuilt the grist mill and also built the first sawmill.
• 1839: The village was officially mapped out. It was known as Catlin Mills back then.
• 1845: The village name changed to Odessa. No one knows for sure why this name was chosen.
• 1850s: The first school was a log cabin. It later moved to Church Street.
• 1854: Schuyler County was formed. Odessa had been part of five different counties before this!
• 1855: The first Post Office opened in Odessa. Joseph L. Darling was the first postmaster.
• 1856: The first church, a Baptist Church, was built.
• 1875: The school moved to College Avenue, near where the high school is today.
• 1876: A large fire destroyed four buildings on Main Street.
• 1877: Odessa became a "dry" town, meaning alcohol sales were not allowed. This lasted until prohibition ended.
• 1884: The first telephone lines were installed.
• 1892: The Lehigh Valley Railroad tracks were laid, and a train station was completed.
• 1903: Odessa officially became an incorporated village.
• 1905: The village bought its first fire equipment. Horse races also started on Mitchell Farm, which is why Speedway street got its name.
• 1908: The Union School was officially created, and a second story was added to the school building.
• 1910: The Odessa Fire Department was officially formed. Electric street lights replaced old kerosene lanterns.
• 1911: Graves from the old Odessa cemetery were moved to Laurel Hill Cemetery.
• 1912: The Odessa Opera House was built. This building later became the Village Offices and Fire Department.
• 1926: The village bought its first motorized fire truck.
• 1938: Odessa's water system was built, using spring water.
• 1946: Passenger train service to Odessa stopped.
• 1961: A very large retail store, Cotton Hanlon, was destroyed by fire. This was the biggest fire in the area's history.
• 1968: The old Village Hall and Fire House (the Opera House) was declared unsafe.
• 1970: A new Village Hall and Fire House was built.
• 1976: Another large fire damaged the Agway store. The Lehigh Valley railroad went bankrupt, and the tracks were removed.
• 2000: The village's water system was updated.
• 2003: Odessa celebrated its 100th anniversary as an incorporated village.
• 2010: Voters in Odessa decided not to combine the village with the nearby towns of Catharine and Montour.
• 2018: Gerry Messmer became the new Mayor of Odessa.
• 2019: Dylan Houseknecht became the first student from Odessa-Montour Central School to win a New York State Wrestling Championship. He was the first student athlete to win an individual State Championship in any sport for the school.

A famous person from Odessa is Frank Garrison. He was a contestant on the third season of the TV show Survivor, called Survivor: Africa.

Geography of Odessa

Odessa is located at 42°20′11″N 76°47′21″W / 42.33639°N 76.78917°W / 42.33639; -76.78917.

The village is where several roads meet, including County Roads 7 and 15, and New York State Route 224 and New York State Route 228. Odessa is also south of the bottom end of Seneca Lake.

Population Information

In 2010, there were 591 people living in Odessa. These people lived in 246 households. About 164 of these households were families.

The population density was about 509 people per square mile. Most of the people living in the village were White (96.60%). A small number were African American, Native American, or from other races. About 1.46% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 34.1% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.46 people. The average family had 3.04 people.

The median age in the village was 37 years old. This means half the people were younger than 37, and half were older. About 25.8% of the population was under 18.

The median income for a household in Odessa was $41,250. For families, the median income was $51,429. About 8.9% of all people in Odessa lived below the poverty line. This included 12.0% of those under 18.

See also

• In Spanish: Odessa (Nueva York) para niños