Cape Vincent is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

in Jefferson County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. The population was 2,777 at the 2010 census. The town is in the northwestern part of the county. In the town is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

also called Cape Vincent. Both town and village are northwest of Watertown.

History

The town was first explored in the 17th century by French explorers and missionaries. At that time, it was home to the

Onondaga people The Onondaga people ( Onondaga: , ''Hill Place people'') are one of the original five constituent nations of the Iroquois (''Haudenosaunee'') Confederacy in northeast North America. Their traditional homeland is in and around present-day Onondag ...

. Modern settlement began in 1801 at Millens Bay. During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...

, Cape Vincent served as an armed camp to oppose the British forces in adjacent

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Tor ...

. The town was formed in 1849 from the north part of the town of Lyme. In 1895, the hamlet of Cape Vincent incorporated as a village. By that time, the region was becoming a famous tourist area due to the

Thousand Islands The Thousand Islands (french: Mille-Îles) constitute a North American archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada–US border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for abo ...

. In 1935, the East Charity Shoals Light was erected at the entrance to the Seaway. The Xavier Chevalier House, Nicholas Cocaigne House, Remy Dezengremel House, Joseph Docteur House, James Buckley House, E. K. Burnham House, Reuter Dyer House, East Charity Shoal Light, Johnson House, Captain Louis Peugnet House, George Reynolds House, Rogers Brothers Farmstead, Tibbetts Point Light, Union Meeting House, Claude Vautrin House, and Warren Wilson House are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which are land and , or 37.28%, are water. The northwestern border of the town is the St. Lawrence River, and the western border is

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...

. Much of the town is on a

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on a ...

projecting into Lake Ontario, where the lake enters the river. The southern section of the peninsula is in the neighboring town of Lyme. Facing the town across the St. Lawrence River is Wolfe Island, the largest of the

. The island is in Frontenac County,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada.

New York State Route 12E New York State Route 12E (NY 12E) is a state highway located entirely within the northwestern part of Jefferson County in northern New York in the United States. The southern terminus is at NY 12F in the village of Brownville. ...

runs along the St. Lawrence River before it turns southeast at Cape Vincent village.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 3,345 people, 867 households, and 601 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 59.2 people per square mile (22.9/km²). There were 2,783 housing units at an average density of 49.3 per square mile (19.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 70.64%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 21.88%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.39% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 6.28% from other races, and 0.45% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 13.27% of the population. There were 867 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.83. In the town, the population was spread out, with 13.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 43.3% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 216.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 251.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $37,330, and the median income for a family was $43,558. Males had a median income of $42,361 versus $22,308 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $16,375. About 8.5% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the town

* Burnham Point State Park – A park on the St. Lawrence River across the channel from the eastern shores of Carlton Island. * Carleton Island – An island in the St. Lawrence River opposite Burnham Point State Park. It was the site of the earliest settlement in Jefferson County, known as "King's Garden", where a fort was built in the late 17th century. * Cedar Point State Park – A state park on the St. Lawrence River near the eastern town line. * Cape Vincent – A village in the northwestern part of the town on NY-12E. It had a railroad station from 1852 until the mid 20th century. *Dablon Point – A headland on Lake Ontario between Mud Bay and Wilson Bay. *Fox Island – A island in Lake Ontario, southeast of Grenadier Island; once owned by former New York Governor Horace White; island auctioned off August 24, 2007, for $3.78 million to Vance Wilson, who claims he will keep the estate as it currently is. *Fuller Bay – A bay of Lake Ontario at the western end of Cape Vincent peninsula. * Grenadier Island – A large island in Lake Ontario, southwest of Cape Vincent. It was an important military installation in the

. *Kents Creek – A stream flowing southwest to enter Lake Ontario at Mud Bay. *Millens Bay – A location northeast of Sunnybank on NY-12E. *Mud Bay – A bay of Lake Ontario at the western end of Cape Vincent peninsula. *Ponds Corners – A location at the junction of County Roads 8 and 56 in the southwestern part of the town. *Rosiere – A hamlet near the southeastern town line on County Road 4. One of the former stations on the old Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad. *St. Lawrence – A hamlet near the eastern town line on County Road 4. It was originally called "St. Oars' Corners", "Gotham's Corners", and "Crane's Corners". *Sunnybank – A hamlet located on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River, northeast of Cape Vincent village on NY-12E. *Tibbets Point – A headland on Lake Ontario, north of Wilson Point. The lighthouse marking the entrance to the St. Lawrence Seaway is now a

youth hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared ...

operated by

Hostelling International Hostelling International (HI), formerly known as International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF), is a grouping of more than seventy National Youth Hostel Associations in over eighty countries, with over 4,000 affiliated hostels around the worl ...

USA.HI-Tibbetts Point Lighthouse 60050
. HIUSA (2013-07-01). Retrieved on 2013-07-12. *Warren Settlement – A hamlet on County Road 4 near the town center. It was settled ''circa'' 1825 by members of the Warren family. *Wilson Bay – A bay of Lake Ontario at the western end of Cape Vincent peninsula. *Wilson Point – A headland on Lake Ontario at the northern headland of Wilson Bay.

References

External links

Town of Cape Vincent official website

Cape Vincent Chamber of Commerce

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cape Vincent (Town), New York Towns in Jefferson County, New York New York (state) populated places on the Saint Lawrence River 1801 establishments in New York (state)