Leyden 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 ori ...

in Lewis County, New York, United States. The population was 1,785 at the 2010 census. The town is in the southern part of the county and is north of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

History

Settlement began around 1794. Leyden was formed from the town of Steuben (in Oneida County) in 1797. Leyden formed part of a tract called the "Inman Triangle". The town of Leyden gave up much of its territory to form new towns such as Watson (1821) and

Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...

(1852). Leyden was also partitioned to form the towns of Brownville ( Jefferson County in 1802) and Boonville (Oneida County in 1805), and part of the town of

Wilna Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...

(Jefferson County in 1813). Port Leyden in the town was a port on the former Black River Canal. The town is named after the Dutch city

Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wi ...

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 t ...

, Leyden has a total area of , of which are land and , or 0.66%, are water. The Black River marks the eastern town line, and the southern town boundary is the border of Oneida County.

New York State Route 12 New York State Route 12 (NY 12) is a state highway extending for through central and northern New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 11 (US 11) in the town of Chenango (just n ...

and

New York State Route 12D New York State Route 12D (NY 12D) is a north–south state highway located in the northern part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Oneida County village of Boonville, where it intersects NY&n ...

are principal north-south highways in the town. NY-12 runs closer to the Black River.

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 1,792 people, 676 households, and 488 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 53.8 people per square mile (20.8/km²). There were 807 housing units at an average density of 24.2 per square mile (9.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.05%

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 o ...

, 0.22%

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 ...

, 0.11% Native American, 0.17% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, 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 forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.17% of the population. There were 676 households, out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $29,489, and the median income for a family was $33,512. Males had a median income of $27,424 versus $20,250 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 $14,252. About 13.9% of families and 19.0% 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 t ...

, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Leyden

*Leyden Hill – A former community in the northern part of Leyden. *Locust Grove – A

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

southwest of Port Leyden and on NY-12D. *The Narrows – A narrow part of the Black River channel. * Port Leyden – Most of the village of Port Leyden is at the eastern town line at the Black River and NY-12. * Talcottville – A hamlet west of Port Leyden and on NY-12D.

Notable people

Florence Augusta Merriam Bailey Florence Augusta Merriam Bailey (August 8, 1863September 22, 1948) was an American ornithologist, birdwatcher, and nature writer. Between 1890 and 1939, she published a series of field guides on North American bird life. These guides were often ...

, ornithologist; born in Locust Grove in 1863 * Wallace B. Douglas, Minnesota jurist, lawyer, and politician; born in LeydenMinnesota State Law Library-Wallace B. Douglas

References

{{authority control Towns in Lewis County, New York