Williamstown, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Williamstown, New York
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Town war memorial, July 2022
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| Nickname(s):
The Cranberry Capital of New York, Billytown
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Location in Oswego County and the state of New York.
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Oswego |
| Established | March 24, 1804 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 39.16 sq mi (101.43 km2) |
| • Land | 38.67 sq mi (100.16 km2) |
| • Water | 0.49 sq mi (1.27 km2) |
| Elevation | 633 ft (193 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 1,277 |
| • Estimate
(2016)
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1,265 |
| • Density | 32.71/sq mi (12.63/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
13493
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| Area code(s) | 315 |
| FIPS code | 36-82073 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0979641 |
Williamstown is a small town located in Oswego County, New York, in the United States. In 2010, about 1,277 people lived there.
The Town of Williamstown is found on the eastern edge of Oswego County. It's known as "The Cranberry Capital of New York" and sometimes called "Billytown."
Contents
History of Williamstown
After the American Revolutionary War, people started planning to settle lands west of the Hudson River. In 1791, Nicholas and John Roosevelt bought a huge area of land. This land covered most of what is now Oswego and Oneida counties, plus a small part of Herkimer County. This large purchase was known as the Roosevelt purchase.
In 1794, George Scriba bought this land, and it became known as the Scriba Patent. Scriba then divided much of his land into smaller areas called townships. He named the area that is now Williamstown "Franklin, Township No. 5."
The first person to settle in Franklin was Ichabod Comstock in 1801. Judge Henry Williams moved to Franklin from Camden, New York in 1802. Soon after Williams arrived, the people decided to rename the town Williamstown in his honor.
Williamstown officially became a town on March 24, 1804. It separated from Mexico, which was part of Oneida County at that time. Oswego County itself was not formed until 1816.
Geography of Williamstown
Williamstown shares its borders with several other towns. To the northeast, it's next to Redfield. To the northwest, it borders Orwell. On its western side, you'll find Albion. To the south, it's next to Amboy. Finally, to the east, it borders Florence, which is in Oneida County.
The United States Census Bureau reports that Williamstown covers about 39.2 square miles (101.5 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 38.7 square miles (100.2 square kilometers), is land. The remaining 0.5 square miles (1.3 square kilometers) is water.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 652 | — | |
| 1830 | 606 | −7.1% | |
| 1840 | 842 | 38.9% | |
| 1850 | 1,121 | 33.1% | |
| 1860 | 1,144 | 2.1% | |
| 1870 | 1,833 | 60.2% | |
| 1880 | 1,820 | −0.7% | |
| 1890 | 1,215 | −33.2% | |
| 1900 | 1,023 | −15.8% | |
| 1910 | 896 | −12.4% | |
| 1920 | 767 | −14.4% | |
| 1930 | 706 | −8.0% | |
| 1940 | 710 | 0.6% | |
| 1950 | 707 | −0.4% | |
| 1960 | 739 | 4.5% | |
| 1970 | 883 | 19.5% | |
| 1980 | 1,008 | 14.2% | |
| 1990 | 1,279 | 26.9% | |
| 2000 | 1,350 | 5.6% | |
| 2010 | 1,277 | −5.4% | |
| 2016 (est.) | 1,265 | −0.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In the year 2000, there were 1,350 people living in Williamstown. These people lived in 449 households, and 338 of these were families. The town had about 34.9 people per square mile.
Many households had children under 18 living with them (43%). More than half (55.9%) were married couples. About 11.8% of households had a female head with no husband present.
The average household had about 3 people, and the average family had about 3.4 people. The population was spread out by age. About 34.6% of the people were under 18. About 7.4% were 65 years or older. The average age in the town was 31 years old.
Communities and Interesting Places
Williamstown has several small communities and notable locations:
- Checkered House – This spot is in the western part of the town. You can find it on Route 13.
- Happy Valley – This is a small village, called a hamlet, on the western border of the town. It was started in the 1860s. In the 1930s, the government decided to turn Happy Valley into a nature reserve, so people moved out.
- Kasoag – This hamlet is right in the middle of Williamstown. Kasoag was once an old trail used by the Oneida Indian tribe. They used it to travel from Oneida Castle to the Salmon River. Many old items from the Oneida people are still found here today. In 1810, William Hamilton built the first settlement in Kasoag. The original dam he built for his saw mill is still standing.
- Maple Hill – This hamlet is north of the main Williamstown village. It began around 1860. Calvert Comstock, a well-known businessman from Rome, started it. He owned many timber and saw mills. Between 1862 and 1863, a store, a school, and a post office were built in Maple Hill. Comstock also added more train tracks for the Williamstown & Redfield Railroad, known as the "Maple Hill Railroad." He did this to help transport timber. By 1876, most of the valuable timber was gone, and Maple Hill was mostly abandoned, except for a few farmers.
- Ricard – This is another hamlet located in the northern part of the town.
- Williamstown – This is the main hamlet of Williamstown. It's in the southeastern part of the town, also on Route 13.
- Case Wall – The Case Wall is a famous and historic sight. It is located two miles north of the Town of Williamstown. Jonathan Case Jr. built this amazing wall between 1838 and 1880. He originally built it to keep travelers and people passing by away from his award-winning apple orchards.
Most of the stones for the Case Wall came from the old roads or were plowed out of fields. What's incredible is that the wall has no mortar or cement to hold it together! All the rocks were chosen by hand and made level using only a chisel and a maul (a heavy hammer). Some of the stones weigh as much as 300 pounds. In some places, the wall is seven feet tall and five feet wide. In certain areas, it was wide enough to ride a horse and buggy on top. The Case Wall is also two miles long.
Officials in Williamstown are working to get the Case Wall listed on a national registry. This would make it against the law for people to take the flat stones from the wall, which has been a problem.
Notable People from Williamstown
Many interesting people have come from Williamstown:
- Jerome Case (1819–1891) – A famous manufacturer and politician.
- George F. Comstock (1811–1892) – A judge and federal official.
- Chauncey S. Sage (1816–1890) – A state assemblyman, meaning he helped make laws for the state.
- Wilbur H. Selleck (1850–1913) – Another state assemblyman.
- Lot Smith (1830–1892) – A pioneer who was part of the Mormon movement.
- Harriet Taylor Treadwell (1870–1931) – An educator and a suffragist, meaning she worked for women's right to vote.
Images for kids
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Route 183 at the Williamstown town line.
See also
In Spanish: Williamstown (Nueva York) para niños
