Potsdam, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Potsdam
Town
Market Street in the village of Potsdam
Motto(s):  All Roads Lead to Potsdam
Map highlighting Potsdam's location within St. Lawrence County.
Potsdam Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	St. Lawrence
Area
• Total	103.4 sq mi (267.9 km2)
• Land	101.5 sq mi (262.8 km2)
• Water	2.0 sq mi (5.2 km2)
Elevation	433 ft (132 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	14,901
• Density	144.11/sq mi (55.622/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	13676
Area code(s)	315
FIPS code	36-59564
GNIS feature ID	0977239

Potsdam is a town in New York State. It is located in St. Lawrence County. In 2020, about 14,901 people lived here. When the two local universities are in session, the population grows by around 8,000 students. The town is named after the city of Potsdam in Germany.

Potsdam is in the center of St. Lawrence County. It is northeast of Canton, which is the county seat. The town of Potsdam also includes a smaller area called the Village of Potsdam.

History of Potsdam

Settlement in Potsdam began around 1803. Early investors included David Clarkson and Garret van Horn. When the first settlers arrived, they found Native Americans living in the area. These groups were involved in the fur trade.

The town of Potsdam was officially created in 1806. It was formed from a part of the Town of Madrid. Potsdam is one of the original ten towns in St. Lawrence County.

In 1831, the community of Potsdam became its own village. Another community, Raquetteville, became the Village of Potsdam Junction in 1871. Today, this village is known as Norwood.

Two important universities were founded here. St. Lawrence Academy, which later became the State University of New York (SUNY) at Potsdam, started in 1816. Clarkson University was founded in 1896.

Potsdam is famous for its reddish-orange rock called Potsdam sandstone. A large piece of this sandstone is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C..

Two historic places in Potsdam are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are the First Presbyterian Church of Dailey Ridge and the French Family Farm.

Geography and Nature

Potsdam covers about 103.4 square miles (267.9 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with about 2.0 square miles (5.2 square kilometers) being water.

The Raquette River flows through the middle of the town, heading north. The Grasse River also flows through the northwestern part of Potsdam.

Communities and Locations in Potsdam

A map of Potsdam from 1885, showing important places.

The Town Court building in Potsdam.

• Bucks Bridge − This is a small community (a hamlet) in the northwestern part of town. It is located by the Grasse River. The Buck's Bridge Community Church is a historic building.
• Burnhams Corners − You can find this spot on NY-345 near County Road 35. It is northwest of Potsdam village.
• Casey Corners − This location is on County Road 34 in the western part of the town.
• Clarkson University − A private university located southwest of Potsdam village. It is known for engineering and business programs.
• Crary Mills − Another small community in the town.
• Hewittville − A hamlet on the western side of the Raquette River, just north of Potsdam village.
• Norwood − The southern part of the Village of Norwood touches Potsdam's northern border on NY-56. It used to be called "Raquetteville" and "Potsdam Junction."
• Norwood Lake − A reservoir (a man-made lake) southwest of Norwood.
• Potsdam − This is the main village, located on the Raquette River.
• Potsdam Municipal Airport - Damon Field − A small airport located east of Potsdam village.
• Sissonville − A small community on NY-56, north of Potsdam village.
• Slab City − This place is on County Road 35 in the western part of town, south of West Potsdam.
• Stafford Corners − A location south of Potsdam village, near the southeastern town line.
• SUNY Potsdam − A state college located southeast of Potsdam village. It is famous for its music school.
• Sugar Island − An island in the Raquette River, south of Potsdam village.
• Unionville − A hamlet north of Potsdam village on NY-56. It was one of the first cooperative settlements in New York. Some relatives of Mormonism leader Joseph Smith lived here.
• West Potsdam − A hamlet on County Road 34 in the western part of town. It was once known as "Smiths Corners."

Potsdam's Climate

Potsdam has a varied climate. Summers are generally warm, and winters are cold with snow. The hottest month is usually July, and the coldest is January.

Population and People

In 2020, Potsdam had 14,901 people living in 4,988 households. Most residents were White (86.4%). Other groups included Black or African American (4.3%), Asian (2.7%), and Native American (0.6%). About 3.9% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

The average household had about 2.17 people. About 13.4% of the population was under 18 years old. The median age in Potsdam was 23 years. This is younger than many places because of the large number of university students.

Education in Potsdam

The Potsdam Central School District serves the town's younger students. It includes:

• Lawrence Avenue Elementary School
• A.A. Kingston Middle School
• Potsdam High School

The high school's sports teams are called the Potsdam Sandstoners.

Potsdam is also home to two universities:

• SUNY Potsdam: A state college known for its Crane School of Music.
• Clarkson University: A private research university famous for its engineering and business programs.

Two other universities are located nearby in Canton: St. Lawrence University and SUNY Canton. Because of all these students, Potsdam was once ranked as the 7th "Collegiest College Town in America" by the Washington Post!

Media and News

Radio Stations

You can listen to several radio stations in Potsdam:

• 1340 WMSA
• WRCD-FM 101.5 the Fox
• WSNN-FM 99.3
• WTSC-FM 91.1 the Source
• WVLF-FM Mix 96.1

Television Channels

• WNPI-DT: This station re-broadcasts WPBS-TV and mainly serves the Ottawa area.
• WWNY-CD: This is a low-power re-transmitter of WWNY (CBS/Fox) and uses WNPI's tower.

Transportation Routes

Several important roads pass through Potsdam:

• U.S. Route 11 and New York State Route 11B are east-west highways.
• New York State Route 56 is a north-south highway.
• New York State Route 345 connects the northwest and southeast parts of town. It crosses New York State Route 310 near the northwestern town line.

The New York Central Railroad's St. Lawrence Division also runs through Potsdam. Passenger trains used to operate here until 1964. They traveled from Massena through Potsdam to Watertown and Syracuse.

Famous People from Potsdam

• Frank B. Kellogg: He was the 45th Secretary of State of the United States and won the Nobel Peace Prize.
• Lucinda Banister Chandler (1828-1911): A social reformer and author.
• Craig Conroy: A retired professional hockey player.
• Wes Craven: A famous film director who created the Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream movies. He taught at Clarkson University.
• John Gerrish: A music professor and American composer.
• David A. Kyle: A well-known science fiction fan, author, and publisher.
• Trevor Scott: A professional football player.
• Jason Sutter: A professional drummer who has played for Marilyn Manson.
• Jeff Thacher: A percussionist for the band Rockapella.
• George A. Smith: An early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement.
• John Lyman Smith: A legislator in the Utah Territory.
• Jason Liang: A chess player.
• Renée Fleming: A world-famous opera singer who attended SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music.

See also

In Spanish: Potsdam (Nueva York) para niños