165-525: Hammondsport is a village in Steuben County, New York , United States. First settled in 1792 the village is located at the south end of Keuka Lake , one of the Finger Lakes . Beginning in the 1790s the village began to take form, which included a courthouse and a jail. In the 1850s vineyards and the wine industry began to emerge in and around Hammondsport. Pioneer aviation engineer and pilot Glenn Curtiss
330-672: A county seat , which is the location of county government. Nineteen counties operate under county charters, while 38 operate under the general provisions of the County Law. Although all counties have a certain latitude to govern themselves, "charter counties" are afforded greater home rule powers. The charter counties are Albany , Broome , Chautauqua , Chemung , Dutchess , Erie , Herkimer , Monroe , Nassau , Oneida , Onondaga , Orange , Putnam , Rensselaer , Rockland , Schenectady , Suffolk , Tompkins , Ulster , and Westchester . Sixteen counties are governed through an assembly with
495-538: A municipality is defined as a borough, city, town, or village is determined not by population or land area, but rather on the form of government selected by the residents and approved by the New York State Legislature. Each type of local government is granted specific home rule powers by the New York State Constitution. There are still occasional changes as a village becomes a city, or
660-446: A 48-hour period, the village of Hammondsport was among those that were subjected to wide spread damage and ruin. During the prolonged heavy rains much water had drained off the adjacent hills and funneled through Glen Brook, which at its end runs parallel between the hillside and Hammondsport before reachingf Keuka Lake. The torrents of water coming down through the brook at Hammondsport caused the stone retaining walls to give way, allowing
825-466: A canal across New York in the first decade of the 19th century. Shipping goods west from Albany was a costly and tedious affair; there was no railroad yet, and to cover the distance from Buffalo to New York City by stagecoach took two weeks. The problem was that the land rises about 600 feet (180 m) from the Hudson to Lake Erie. Locks at the time could handle up to 12 feet (3.7 m) of lift, so even with
990-499: A county administrator, who acts on behalf of the legislature, the legislature must maintain ultimate control over the actions of the administrator. Many, but not all, charter counties have an elected executive who is independent of the legislature; the exact form of government is defined in the County Charter. In New York, each city is a highly autonomous incorporated area that, with the exceptions of New York City and Geneva ,
1155-624: A deeply cut channel. The final leg had to be cut 30 feet (9.1 m) deep through another limestone mass, the Onondaga ridge . Much of that section was blasted with black powder , and the inexperience of the crews often led to accidents, and sometimes to rocks falling on nearby homes. Two villages competed to be the terminus: Black Rock , on the Niagara River , and Buffalo, at the eastern tip of Lake Erie. Buffalo expended great energy to widen and deepen Buffalo Creek to make it navigable and to create
1320-486: A garden at his rectory in 1830. He soon discovered that the surrounding region would be ideal for growing imported grape vines and planted the first vines in the slopes around Keuka Lake, which established the wine country and its subsequent wine industry in the western Finger Lakes region. The first townspeople to take vine cuttings from Bostwick's vines were John Poppino, Lemuel Hastings and George McClure. Beginning with Andrew Swartout in 1852, grapes from vineyards around
1485-566: A grist mill, three doctors, two dentists, three lawyers, a chiropractor and a veterinarian and a harness shop, along with the airplane works at the Glenn Curtiss Company. In 1921, five local men purchased a wood barrel factory just south of the present D.W. Putnam Wine Company, and named it the Aerial Service Corporation . Two of these men, Henry Kleckler, the president and William Chadeayne, vice president, were formerly with
1650-596: A grist mill. During the winter months, however, operations at the mill stopped due to the freezing water. Subsequently, its life as a grist mill was short lived and after 1840 it was used as a warehouse until 1880 when it was used as a winery by the Glen Wine Company. In 1901 William H. Hallock, owner of the Hallock Bank in Bath, acquired the property. The structure is listed in U.S. National Register of Historic Places Among
1815-698: A harbor at its mouth. Buffalo won over Black Rock, and grew into a large city, eventually encompassing its former rival. In 1824, before the canal was completed, a detailed Pocket Guide for the Tourist and Traveler, Along the Line of the Canals, and the Interior Commerce of the State of New York , was published for the benefit of travelers and land speculators. The entire canal was officially completed on October 26, 1825. The event
SECTION 10
#17328452786411980-459: A hull that developed leaks due to engine vibration. In 1909 the Cricket caught fire and was damaged beyond repair while docked at Hammondsport. By 1921, with the increased use of gasoline powered trucks and cars, large boat traffic on the lake was no longer economically feasible: The Mary Bell was the last large vessel to make the run between Hammondsport and Penn Yan on opposite ends of the lake. In
2145-583: A land-use classification for private land under its Adirondack Park Land Use and Development Plan (APLUDP). The APLUDP extends the boundaries for its classification of hamlets "well beyond established settlements" to allow for growth. In New York, a village is an incorporated area. About 85% of villages fall within a single town. Villages in the State of New York are classified by the Census Bureau as incorporated places . Like all municipal corporations, villages have clearly defined legal boundaries. A village
2310-606: A lesser degree, related rivers, a large part of the continent's interior (and many settlements) would be made well connected to the Eastern seaboard. Among the first attempts made by European colonists to improve upon the future state's navigable waterways was the construction in 1702 of the Wood Creek Carry, or Oneida Carry a short portage road connecting Wood Creek to the Mohawk River near modern-day Rome, New York . However,
2475-417: A mayor and (usually) four trustees. The board is responsible for approving mayoral appointments, managing village finances and property, and approving a budget. The mayor, who is generally the chief executive of the village, may vote in all business before the board and must vote to break a tie. The mayor generally does not possess veto power, unless this is provided for by local law. Administrative duties of
2640-517: A motorcycle engine to power his balloon. Together they built a large building on Kingsley Flats, a low-lying area between the village and the lake and began manufacturing balloons and dirigibles at Hammondsport. Early development of aircraft and seaplanes was carried out by Curtiss in his factory at Hammondsport, and who later had joined with Alexander Graham Bell and others in the Aerial Experiment Association . On July 4, 1908,
2805-728: A point in the Montezuma Marsh . There the Cayuga and Seneca Canal continued south with the Seneca River, and the new Erie Canal again ran parallel to the old canal along the bottom of the Niagara Escarpment, in some places running along the Clyde River, and in some places replacing the old canal. At Pittsford , southeast of Rochester, the canal turned west to run around the south side of Rochester, rather than through downtown. The canal crosses
2970-517: A scraper and a plow, a three-man team with oxen, horses and mules could build a mile in a year. The remaining problem was finding labor; increased immigration helped fill the need. Many of the laborers working on the canal were Irish , who had recently come to the United States as a group of about 5,000. Most of them were Roman Catholic, a religion that raised much suspicion in early America because of its hierarchic structure, and many laborers on
3135-518: A shorter canal from Lake Ontario . The proposal drew attention and some action but was never implemented. Jesse Hawley had envisioned encouraging the growing of large quantities of grain on the western New York plains (then largely unsettled) for sale on the Eastern seaboard . However, he went bankrupt trying to ship grain to the coast. While in Canandaigua debtors' prison , Hawley began pressing for
3300-597: A town; 35.9% were living in a town but outside a village. Whereas cities and villages can cross county boundaries, each town in New York is completely contained within a single county. New York towns are classified by statute as being a town of the first class or a town of the second class . Additionally, a town of the first class can further be classified as a suburban town upon meeting certain criteria. Originally, towns of different classes possessed different powers. Since 1964, all towns, regardless of classification, have had
3465-473: A uniform statewide Village Law (twelve villages still operate under charters issued by the state legislature prior to a revision of the State Constitution in 1874 that forbade chartering villages). Also, villages are part of a town (or towns; some villages cross town borders), with residents who pay taxes to and receive services from the town. Cities are neither part of nor subordinate to towns except for
SECTION 20
#17328452786413630-504: A village becomes a city, the Legislature requires clear evidence, usually in the form of a locally drafted charter, that the community in question seeks to incorporate as a city. The forms of government cities can have are council–manager, strong mayor–council, weak mayor–council or commission. Forty-six cities, the majority, use the mayor–council form. The City of New York is a special case. The state legislature reorganized government in
3795-403: A village dissolves (stops existing), each of which requires legislative action. New York also has various corporate entities that provide local services and have their own administrative structures (governments), such as school and fire districts. These are not found in all counties. Almost every piece of land in the state is part of a city or town, which is part of one county. The exceptions are
3960-482: A village or town but will perform some of the functions of the other form. Villages remain part of the towns in which they are located; village residents pay both town and village taxes, and vote in both town and village elections. Towns can contain several hamlets and communities. If the United States Postal Service (USPS) has a post office in a hamlet it often will use the name of that hamlet, as will
4125-409: A walkway known as a towpath . Its construction, through limestone and mountains, proved a daunting task. To move earth, animals pulled a "slip scraper" (similar to a bulldozer ). The sides of the canal were lined with stone set in clay, and the bottom was also lined with clay. The Canal was built by Irish laborers and German stonemasons. All labor on the canal depended upon human and animal power or
4290-423: Is Sherrill, New York , with just 3,071 inhabitants in 2010. The smallest city by area is Mechanicville, New York , which covers 0.91 sq mi (2.4 km ) (of which 0.08 sq mi (0.2 km ) is water). Some places containing the word "city" in their name are not cities. Examples include Johnson City , Garden City , and New City . Several cities, such as Albany, are divided into wards for
4455-408: Is a municipality that provides services to the residents, services that may or may not include garbage collection, management of cemeteries, street and highway maintenance, street lighting, and building codes. Some villages provide their own police and other municipal services. Villages have less autonomy than cities. While cities are not subject to a town's jurisdiction, villages legally remain part of
4620-622: Is a popular cycling path that follows the canal across the state. In 2000, Congress designated the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor to protect and promote the system. The waterway today referred to as the Erie Canal is quite different from the nineteenth-century Erie Canal. More than half of the original Erie Canal was destroyed or abandoned during construction of the New York State Barge Canal in
4785-413: Is about 565 feet (172 m). The Erie's peak year was 1855, when 33,000 commercial shipments took place. It continued to be competitive with railroads until about 1902, when tolls were abolished. Commercial traffic declined heavily in the latter half of the 20th century due to competition from trucking and the 1959 opening of the larger St. Lawrence Seaway . The canal's last regularly scheduled hauler,
4950-402: Is commonplace to change boundaries and define new CDPs for each census. The Census Bureau formerly referred to CDPs as "unincorporated places" from 1950 through the 1970 decennial censuses. The term CDP was first used for the 1980 census , and minimum population criteria for CDPs were dropped with the 2000 census . Though the term "hamlet" is not defined under New York law, many people in
5115-456: Is contained within one county. Cities in New York are classified by the U.S. Census Bureau as incorporated places. They provide almost all services to their residents and have the highest degree of home rule and taxing jurisdiction over their residents. The main difference between a city and a village is that cities are organized and governed according to their charters , which can differ widely among cities, while most villages are subject to
Hammondsport, New York - Misplaced Pages Continue
5280-548: Is in three towns and two counties. Five towns are coterminous with their single village and have a coterminous town-village form of government. Despite their names, Greenwich Village , the East Village , and Queens Village are not villages, but neighborhoods of the City of New York . A borough is one of the five major administrative divisions of the consolidated City of New York . Boroughs do not currently exist elsewhere in
5445-531: Is now re-watered and again accessible by boats. With several miles of the Canal inland of this location still lying under 20th-century fill and urban construction, the effective western navigable terminus of the Erie Canal is found at Tonawanda. The new alignment began on the Hudson River at the border between Cohoes and Waterford , where it ran northwest with five locks (the so-called " Waterford Flight "), running into
5610-647: Is the primary administrative division of New York. There are sixty-two counties in the state. Five of the counties are boroughs of the City of New York and do not have functioning county governments. While originally created as subdivisions of the state meant to carry out state functions, counties are now considered municipal corporations with the power and fiscal capacity to provide an array of local government services. Such services generally include law enforcement and public safety, social and health services (such as Medicaid ), and education (special needs and community colleges). Every county outside of New York City has
5775-425: Is then voted upon by the qualified voters living in the proposed village only. Some villages have fewer than 500 residents, having incorporated before the present population requirement or fallen below the old 500-resident threshold after incorporation. A village may also be dissolved, returning all government control to the town level. The process of dissolution can be initiated by the village board itself, or upon
5940-406: Is water. The town of Webb ( Herkimer County ) has the greatest land area, at 451 sq mi (1,170 km ). The smallest town, Green Island ( Albany County ), covers 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km ). The town of Hempstead ( Nassau County ) has about 760,000 people (2010 census), making it more populous than any city in the state except New York City . Red House ( Cattaraugus County ),
6105-834: The America , was also designed by Curtiss and launched in Keuka Lake at Hammondsport in 1914, while the people of Hammondsport and the press gathered to witness the landmark event. This aircraft was again flown by Captain Jim Poel, and co-pilot, Lee Sackett, over Keuka Lake during an exhibition at Hammondsport in 2008 and again in 2009. In 1911 Curtiss founded the first flying school in America at Hammondsport. Here he taught Blanche Stuart Scott how to operate an airplane, who became America's first female pilot. During this time Scott resided in Hammondsport at
6270-737: The Day Peckinpaugh , ended service in 1994. Today, the Erie Canal is mainly used by recreational watercraft. It connects the three other canals in the New York State Canal System : the Champlain , Oswego , and Cayuga–Seneca . Some long-distance boaters take the Erie as part of the Great Loop . The canal has also become a tourist attraction in its own right—several parks and museums are dedicated to its history. The New York State Canalway Trail
6435-510: The June Bug , was the first American airplane to fly at least 1 km and was flown by Curtiss from the Hammondsport airfield. The June Bug was later fitted with pontoons and became the first aircraft to perform takeoffs and landings on the water. Hammondsport at Keuka Lake was the site where the first successful flight of a "flying boat" took place in July 1912. The first long distance "flying boat",
6600-510: The 107th New York Infantry Regiment (nicknamed the Campbell Guards), was mustered. Young men from Hammondsport, Bath and Elimra who volunteered for service were assigned to Company G of the regiment which was organized in Elmira, NY . The regiment was mustered into service for three years and left the state to serve on August 13, 1862. Morris Brown, Jr. , a once Hammondsport resident, received
6765-592: The Appalachian Mountains , separating them from the geologically distinct Adirondacks to the north. The Mohawk and Hudson valleys form the only cut across the Appalachians north of Alabama . A navigable canal through the Mohawk Valley would allow an almost complete water route from New York City in the south to Lake Ontario and Lake Erie in the west. Via the canal and these lakes, other Great Lakes, and to
Hammondsport, New York - Misplaced Pages Continue
6930-627: The Appalachians . The Erie Canal accelerated the settlement of the Great Lakes region , the westward expansion of the United States, and the economic ascendancy of New York state . It has been called "The Nation's First Superhighway ." A canal from the Hudson River to the Great Lakes was first proposed in the 1780s, but a formal survey was not conducted until 1808. The New York State Legislature authorized construction in 1817. Political opponents of
7095-462: The Capital Region and west to Buffalo. The area has a population of 2.7 million; about 75% of Central and Western New York's population lives within 25 miles (40 km) of the Erie Canal. There were some 42 commercial shipments on the canal in 2008, compared to 15 such shipments in 2007 and more than 33,000 shipments in 1855, the canal's peak year. The new growth in commercial traffic is due to
7260-540: The Curtiss Aeroplane Company , known as the Mercury Corporation , established in Hammondsport in 1920. As the greater part of Hammondsport's economy was dependent on its wineries, the effects of the prohibition from 1919 to 1933 forced many wineries to stop operations, resulting in an overall decline in the wine industry and subsequent unemployment in Hammondsport, which in turn all but closed down
7425-562: The Genesee River at the Genesee Valley Park , then rejoins the old path near North Gates . From there it was again roughly an upgrade to the original canal, running west to Lockport. This reach of 64.2 miles (103.3 km) from Henrietta to Lockport is called "the 60‑mile level" since there are no locks and the water level rises only two feet (0.61 m) over the entire segment. Diversions from and to adjacent natural streams along
7590-995: The Medal of Honor posthumously on March 6, 1869, for his service in the Union Army at the Battle of Gettysburg , where he daringly captured the Confederate flag. He died in action almost a year later in Virginia. Brown, Jr. was interred at Lakeview Cemetery in Penn Yan at the northern end of Keuka Lake. By the time World War I began in 1914 the village of Hammondsport included twelve wineries, five grape-packing houses, one barrel making factory, four hotels, five grocery stores, five meat markets, three blacksmiths, two livery stables, five barber shops, three pool halls, three movie houses, two men's clothing stores, three hat shops, three lumber yards, four coal yards,
7755-522: The New York Central Railroad and its Auburn Road in 1853) was open the whole way to Buffalo. As the railroad served the same general route as the canal, but provided for faster travel, passengers soon switched to it. However, as late as 1852, the canal carried thirteen times more freight tonnage than all the railroads in New York State combined. The New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railway
7920-570: The New York State Barge Canal began, which was completed in 1918, at a cost of $ 96.7 million. This new canal replaced much of the original route, leaving many abandoned sections (most notably between Syracuse and Rome). New digging and flood control technologies allowed engineers to canalize rivers that the original canal had sought to avoid, such as the Mohawk, Seneca , and Clyde rivers, and Oneida Lake. In sections that did not consist of canalized rivers (particularly between Rochester and Buffalo),
8085-476: The Niagara Escarpment , an 80-foot (24 m)-high wall of hard dolomitic limestone . The route followed the channel of a creek that had cut a ravine steeply down the escarpment. The construction and operation of two sets of five locks along a 3-mile (4.8 km) corridor soon gave rise to the community of Lockport . The 12-foot (3.7 m) lift-locks had a total lift of 60 feet (18 m), exiting into
8250-508: The United States Census Bureau as "a statistical entity defined for each decennial census according to Census Bureau guidelines, comprising a densely settled concentration of population" that is not part of a city or a village "but is locally identified by a name." CDPs may cross town and county borders. CDPs are defined collaboratively by state and local officials and the Census Bureau. They are defined for each census, and it
8415-613: The town assessor . The Hamondsport Advertiser , first published in 1838, and the Hammondsport Herald , first published in 1874, were Hammondsport's first newspapers. In 1931 the Hammondsport newspaper, the Keuka Grape Belt , combined with the Hammondsport Herald and Bath Plaindealer , and operated from 1931 to 1940. Published by the Keuka Grape Belt Co., its circulation served Hammondsport and Steuben County. In 1895
SECTION 50
#17328452786418580-432: The "Home Rule" article) of the state constitution establish the rights and responsibilities of the municipal governments. The New York State Constitution provides for democratically elected legislative bodies for counties, cities, towns and villages. These legislative bodies are granted the power to enact local laws as needed in order to provide services to their citizens and fulfill their various obligations. The county
8745-480: The 1850s the farming industry began to decline when the Erie Railroad came through the area, which subsequently reduced lake traffic. During this time, however, viticulture began to materialize as a new and promising industry, as the temperate climate and well-drained soil along the shores of the lake were ideal for growing grapes. Charles Champlin's Pleasant Valley Wine Company was the first vineyard established in
8910-671: The 1920s. The Genesee Valley Canal was run along the Genesee River to connect with the Allegheny River at Olean , but the Allegheny section, which would have connected to the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, was never built. The Genesee Valley Canal was later abandoned and became the route of the Genesee Valley Canal Railroad . The original design planned for an annual tonnage of 1.5 million tons (1.36 million metric tons), but this
9075-450: The 1995 mockumentary Dadetown was filmed in and around Hammondsport. Village (New York) See also: [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the American state of New York . The state is divided into boroughs , counties, cities, towns, and villages. (The only boroughs,
9240-442: The Bath & Hammondsport Railroad was purchased by local interests and renamed the B & H Railroad. The railroad remained in operation for 120 years. By 1870, Hammondsport had 3000 acres of vineyards; by 1879, 5000 acres; and by 1889, 14,500 acres. Subsequently, Hammondsport is considered the heart of the grape-growing region in New York. The Crooked Lake Canal , after much deliberation with state officials, and labor disputes,
9405-521: The Bath & Hammondsport Railroad, which for years had routinely transported large cargoes of wine and grapes from Hammondsport to other towns. Hammondsport was at the center of aviation development during the first years of the 20th century. The Reverend Claudius G. Curtiss, a Methodist minister, arrived at Hammondsport in 1876. He was the grandfather of Glenn Hammond Curtiss , the airplane designer who first developed aircraft capable of taking off and landing in water, who resided at Hammondsport, where he
9570-505: The Curtis Manufacturing Company (CMC) in Hammondsport. Its great success and national notoriety is said to have "put Hammondsport on the map". Later Glenn became a motorcycle and aircraft designer and manufacturer in Hammondsport, and became a recognized expert on gasoline engines. Curtiss' first involvement with aeronautics occurred in 1904, with his association with Thomas Baldwin , a pioneer balloonist, when Curtiss sold him
9735-577: The Erie Canal into a system. These included the Cayuga-Seneca Canal south to the Finger Lakes , the Oswego Canal from Three Rivers north to Lake Ontario at Oswego , and the Champlain Canal from Troy north to Lake Champlain. From 1833 to 1877, the short Crooked Lake Canal connected Keuka Lake and Seneca Lake . The Chemung Canal connected the south end of Seneca Lake to Elmira in 1833, and
9900-504: The Erie Canal was a landmark civil engineering achievement in the early history of the United States . When built, the 363-mile (584 km) canal was the second-longest in the world after the Grand Canal in China . Initially 40 feet (12 m) wide and 4 feet (1.2 m) deep, the canal was expanded several times, most notably from 1905 to 1918 when the "Barge Canal" was built and over half
10065-492: The Genesee River near Rochester. The former ultimately required building the 1,320-foot (400 m) long "Great Embankment", to carry the canal at a height of 76 feet (23 m) above the level of the creek, which ran through a 245-foot (75 m) culvert underneath. The canal crossed the river on a stone aqueduct, 802 feet (244 m) long and 17 feet (5.2 m) wide, supported by 11 arches. In 1823 construction reached
SECTION 60
#173284527864110230-531: The Hammondsport area, which was followed by Walter Taylor's vineyard, and others. Winemakers from France, including Jules D. Masson, who introduced new varieties of grapes from that country. The Bath and Hammondsport Railroad soon emerged, which connected to the Erie Railroad in Bath eight miles south of Hammondsport, which brought in more people and business to Hammondsport. During the American Civil War , with President Lincoln calling for 300,000 volunteers,
10395-407: The Mohawk River east of Crescent . The Waterford Flight is claimed to be one of the steepest series of locks in the world. While the old Canal ran next to the Mohawk all the way to Rome, the new canal ran through the river, which was straightened or widened where necessary. At Ilion , the new canal left the river for good, but continued to run on a new alignment parallel to both the river and
10560-547: The New York State Canal System as a whole was used to ship 42,000 tons of cargo. Travel on the canal's middle section (particularly in the Mohawk Valley) was severely hampered by flooding in late June and early July 2006. Flood damage to the canal and its facilities was estimated as at least $ 15 million. The Erie made use of the favorable conditions of New York's unique topography, which provided that area with
10725-607: The Saint James Episcopal Church was built. it was the third church, replacing the Episcopal churches that were built in 1833 and 1877. The cornerstone contains documents, including photographs and an 1886 Prayer Book formerly in the cornerstone of the second building. Beginning in 1894 Hammondsport received its first water system from springs that were contained in the Rufus Scofield farm, on Mt. Washington, not far from
10890-402: The State of New York have been granted broad home rule powers enabling them to provide services to their residents and to regulate the quality of life within their jurisdictions. They do so while adhering to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New York . Articles VIII (titled "Local Finances") and IX (titled "Local Government", but commonly referred to as
11055-542: The U.S. Census Bureau as minor civil divisions . Like New Jersey and southern New England , all of New York is incorporated; all residents who do not live in a city or on an Indian reservation live in a town. Towns provide or arrange for the primary functions of local government. While some provide most municipal services for all town residents and selected services for residents of villages, some provide little more than road maintenance. There were 933 towns in New York. As of 2000 , 45.8% of state residents were living in
11220-420: The United States. James Geddes and Benjamin Wright , who laid out the route, were judges whose experience in surveying was in settling boundary disputes . Geddes had only used a surveying instrument for a few hours before his work on the Canal. Canvass White was a 27-year-old amateur engineer who persuaded Clinton to let him go to Britain at his own expense to study the canal system there. Nathan Roberts
11385-415: The Waters". On its return trip, Seneca Chief brought back a keg of Atlantic Ocean water, which was poured into Lake Erie by Buffalo's Judge Samuel Wilkeson , who would later become mayor. The Erie Canal was thus completed in eight years at a total length of 353 miles (568 km) and cost $ 7.143 million (equivalent to $ 192 million in 2023). It was acclaimed as an engineering marvel that united
11550-407: The West would enjoy economic success, and the port at the seaward end of such a route would see business increase greatly. In time, projects were devised in Virginia , Maryland , Pennsylvania , and relatively deep into the coastal states. The Mohawk River (a tributary of the Hudson River ) rises near Lake Ontario and runs in a glacial meltwater channel just north of the Catskill range of
11715-426: The abandonment of short segments of the original 1825 canal. The First Enlargement was completed in 1862, with further minor enlargements in later decades. The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad opened in 1837, providing a bypass to the slowest part of the canal between Albany and Schenectady. Other railroads were soon chartered and built to continue the line west to Buffalo, and in 1842 a continuous line (which later became
11880-451: The area in the 1890s in an effort to consolidate. Other cities, villages, and towns were annexed to become the " City of Greater New York ", (an unofficial term, the new city retained the name of New York), a process basically completed in 1898. At the time of consolidation, Queens County was split. Its western towns joined the city, leaving three towns that were never part of the consolidation plan as part of Queens County but not part of
12045-495: The area of the proposed village must have at least 1,500 inhabitants and not be part of an existing city or village. Additionally, the proposed village can be no more than 5 square miles (13 km ) in area unless its boundaries are to be coterminous with a school, fire, improvement or other district, or the entire town. The process of incorporation begins with a petition by either 20% of residents or owners of 50% of assessed real property. If deemed legally sufficient, incorporation
12210-400: The average family size was 2.83. 24.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males. The median household income was $ 38,182 and the family median income
12375-403: The beginning of the 20th century. Later additions were added to the building on both sides, and thereafter it continued to serve as the Hammondsport school until 1935. In 1836 Mallory Mill was built by Meridith Mallory on Pulteney Street in Hammondsport. Four stories in height, the stone structure was the second largest free-standing building in New York. It had three water wheels used to power
12540-538: The canal (referencing its lead supporter New York Governor DeWitt Clinton ) denigrated the project as "Clinton's Folly" and "Clinton's Big Ditch". Nonetheless, the canal saw quick success upon opening on October 26, 1825, with toll revenue covering the state's construction debt within the first year of operation. The westward connection gave New York City a strong advantage over all other U.S. ports and brought major growth to canal cities such as Albany , Utica , Syracuse , Rochester , and Buffalo . The construction of
12705-460: The canal became obsolete. Subsequently, the canal was financially forced to close in 1877. The first school-house to appear in Hammondsport was built in 1827 at the location where the St. James (Episcopal) Church exists today. In 1858 a private academy opened in a stone building at the corner of Main and Lake Streets in Hammondsport. The structure was later purchased by the Hammondsport school district around
12870-405: The canal suffered violent assault as the result of misjudgment and xenophobia . Construction continued at an increased rate as new workers arrived. When the canal reached Montezuma Marsh (at the outlet of Cayuga Lake west of Syracuse ), it was rumored that over 1,000 workers died of "swamp fever" (malaria), and construction was temporarily stopped. However, recent research has revealed that
13035-420: The canal would not be finished for 30 years. The main delays were caused by felling trees to clear a path through virgin forest and moving excavated soil, which took longer than expected, but the builders devised ways to solve these problems. To fell a tree, they threw rope over the top branches and winched it down. They pulled out the stumps with an innovative stump puller . Two huge wheels were mounted loose on
13200-686: The channel of Tonawanda Creek . From the Tonawanda south toward Buffalo, it ran just east of the Niagara River, where it reached its "Western Terminus" at Little Buffalo Creek (later it became the Commercial Slip ), which discharged into the Buffalo River just above its confluence with Lake Erie . With Buffalo's re-excavation of the Commercial Slip, completed in 2008, the Canal's original terminus
13365-427: The cities of New York and Albany city charters, which were recognized by the first State Constitution in 1777. All other cities have been established by act of the state legislature and have been granted a charter. Cities have been granted the power to revise their charters or adopt new ones. There are no minimum population or area requirements in order to become a city. While there is no defined process for how and when
13530-565: The city of Geneva ; New York City ; and ten Indian reservations . As of 2009 , New York has 62 counties (including New York City's five boroughs ), which are subdivided into 933 towns and 61 cities (including Geneva in both Ontario and Seneca counties, but excluding New York City and Sherrill ). In total, the state has more than 3,400 active local governments and more than 4,200 taxing jurisdictions. Counties and incorporated municipal governments (also known as "general purpose units of local government"; i.e., cities, towns and villages) in
13695-529: The city of Sherrill , which for some purposes is treated as if it were a village of the town of Vernon . Some cities are completely surrounded by a town, typically of the same name. There are sixty-two cities in the state. As of 2000 , 54.1% of state residents were living in a city; 42.2% were living in New York City; 11.9% were living in one of the other 61 cities. In 1686, the English colonial governor granted
13860-470: The coast. Frequently it was not worth the cost of transporting it to far-away population centers. This was a factor leading to farmers in the west turning their grains into whiskey for easier transport and higher sales, and later the Whiskey Rebellion . In the 18th and early 19th centuries, it became clear to coastal residents that the city or state that succeeded in developing a cheap, reliable route to
14025-601: The consolidated city. Each borough individually elects a borough president and used to elect two at-large city council members, in addition to those elected based on each borough's population. The borough presidents once wielded considerable power as members of the New York City Board of Estimate , but the position is now largely ceremonial and advisory. Boroughs function as counties for certain purposes, but have no county government. The five New York City district attorneys , however, are still elected by county (for example,
14190-511: The construction of a canal along the 90-mile-long (140 km) Mohawk River valley with support from Joseph Ellicott (agent for the Holland Land Company in Batavia ). Ellicott realized that a canal would add value to the land he was selling in the western part of the state. He later became the first canal commissioner. New York legislators became interested in the possibility of building
14355-411: The country and helped New York City develop as an international trade center. Problems developed but were quickly solved. Leaks developed along the entire length of the canal, but these were sealed using cement that hardened underwater ( hydraulic cement ). Erosion on the clay bottom proved to be a problem and the speed was limited to 4 mph (6.4 km/h). Additional feeder canals soon extended
14520-614: The county also publish maps that conflict both in the number of hamlets and their boundaries. Nevertheless, all land not within a village is administered by the town. Most of the rest of New York's hamlets, however, have less well-defined boundaries, and most towns have areas that are not considered to be a part of any hamlet. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) puts hamlet names on rectangular green signs with white lettering at roadside locations of its choosing. The NYSDOT and local governments also provide community identification signs on some scenic byways to be placed at
14685-587: The county boundaries—each have a Borough Board made up of the Borough President, the borough's district council members, and the chairpersons of the borough's community boards. A mayor serves as the city's chief executive officer. The most populous and largest city in the state is New York City , with a population of over 8.5 million inhabitants and comprising just over 300 sq mi (777.00 km ) of land (468.87 sq mi (1,214.368 km ) total area, which includes water). The least populous city
14850-507: The creation of the "Western and Northern Inland Lock Navigation Companies" in 1792, which took the first steps to improve navigation on the Mohawk and construct a canal between the Mohawk and Lake Ontario, but it was soon discovered that private financing was insufficient. Christopher Colles , who was familiar with the Bridgewater Canal, surveyed the Mohawk Valley, and made a presentation to the New York state legislature in 1784, proposing
15015-452: The death toll was likely much lower, as no contemporary reports mention significant worker mortality, and mass graves from the period have never been found in the area. Work continued on the downhill side towards the Hudson, and the crews worked on the section across the swampland when it froze in winter. The middle section from Utica to Salina (Syracuse) was completed in 1820, and traffic on that section started up immediately. Expansion to
15180-595: The district attorney for Brooklyn is called the Kings County District Attorney). Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie . Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes , vastly reducing the costs of transporting people and goods across
15345-454: The early 20th century. The sections of the original route remaining in use were widened significantly, mostly west of Syracuse, with bridges rebuilt and locks replaced. It was called the Barge Canal at the time, but that name fell into disuse with the disappearance of commercial traffic and the increase of recreational travel in the later 20th century. Before railroads , water transport was
15510-425: The east and west proceeded simultaneously, and the whole eastern section, 250 miles (400 km) from Brockport to Albany, opened on September 10, 1823, to great fanfare. The Champlain Canal , a separate but connected 64-mile (103 km) north–south route from Watervliet on the Hudson to Lake Champlain , opened on the same date. After Montezuma Marsh, the next difficulties were crossing Irondequoit Creek and
15675-421: The ends of an axle. A third wheel, slightly smaller than the others, was fixed to the center of the axle. A chain was wrapped around the axle and hooked to the stump. A rope was wrapped around the center wheel and hooked to a team of oxen. The mechanical advantage (torque) obtained ripped the stumps out of the soil. Soil to be moved was shoveled into large wheelbarrows that were dumped into mule-pulled carts. Using
15840-690: The executive branch. All town justices were originally part of a town's board. Today, justices belong to a separate judicial branch known as Town Court or Justice Court, part of New York's Justice Court system. A town may contain one or more villages. Many towns have no villages. Five towns are coterminous with their single village and share the same name: Green Island in Albany County ; East Rochester in Monroe County ; and Scarsdale , Harrison , and Mount Kisco in Westchester County . A sixth,
16005-482: The first Christian religious service was held in Hammondsport by Episcopal Reverend Bostwick, who organized the Episcopal Church Society in Hammondsport and resided in a rectory there. In July 1831, Reverend Isaac Flagler, a Presbyterian, arrived and began religious services. On July 25, a Presbyterian religious society was established, and on September 14 a Presbyterian church, consisting of eight members,
16170-501: The first US military officer to pilot a modern aircraft, when he flew solo in the Aerial Experiment Association 's newest aircraft, White Wing , off shore from the village in Keuka Lake. In September of that year, while conducting flying experiments with Orville Wright in Virginia, he was the first member of the military to die in a plane crash. Heavy rains in July 1935 caused flooding and damage across much of southern-central New York. With more than 8.0 inches (200 mm) of rain in
16335-508: The first documented instance of the idea of a canal to tie the East Coast to the new western settlements via New York's waterways was discussed as early as 1724: New York provincial official Cadwallader Colden made a passing reference (in a report on fur trading) to improving the natural waterways of western New York. Colden and subsequent figures in the history of the Erie Canal and its development would draw inspiration from other great works of
16500-494: The first physicians to practice medicine in Hammondsport were Dr. Ezekiel B. Pulling, Dr. Amasa Church, Dr. C. E. Campbell, Dr. Moses T. Babcock, and Dr. Oliver H. Babeock. Among the first lawyers to live and practice in the village, were Benjamin Bennitt, Benjamin F. Drew, and Monroe Wheeler, Esqs. The first election of village officers was held November 22, 1856, which included William Hastings as senior trustee, and Orlando Shepard, as
16665-472: The first telephone office was built in Hammondsport which was needed to accommodate the Curtiss Manufacturing Company with its many business involvements. Hammondsport, on the shore of Keuka Lake, had several docks that accommodated lake-faring vessels that were typically used for trading and ferrying, transporting people and goods between Hammondsport and Penn Yan. The first vessel to set upon
16830-653: The five boroughs of New York City, have the same boundaries as their respective counties.) They are municipal corporations , chartered (created) by the New York State Legislature , as under the New York State Constitution the only body that can create governmental units is the state. All of them have their own governments, sometimes with no paid employees, that provide local services. Centers of population that are not incorporated and have no government or local services are designated hamlets . Whether
16995-473: The force of water. Engineering techniques developed during its construction included the building of aqueducts to redirect water; one aqueduct was 950 feet (290 m) long to span 800 feet (240 m) of river. As the canal progressed, the crews and engineers working on the project developed expertise and became a skilled labor force. The men who planned and oversaw construction were novices as surveyors and as engineers . There were no civil engineers in
17160-420: The heftiest cuttings and viaducts , fifty locks would be required along the 360-mile (580 km) canal. Such a canal would be expensive to build even with modern technology; in 1800, the expense was barely imaginable. President Thomas Jefferson called it "little short of madness" and rejected it. Eventually, Hawley interested New York Governor DeWitt Clinton in the project. There was much opposition, and
17325-536: The hillside. A number of buildings surrounding Pulteney Square make up the Pulteney Square Historic District and are listed in the National Register of Historic Places Hammondsport was settled beginning in 1792 by Samuel Baker, Mr. Aulls and Capt. Amos Stone, and was originally called "Cold Spring Valley", due to its icy-cold spring that emptied into Keuka Lake (then called Crooked Lake ) It
17490-479: The home of Curtiss and his family. Worlf War I flying ace, William Thaw , credited with five confirmed and two unconfirmed aerial victories, also attended the Curtiss flying school. In 1914 another aviation pioneer, Samuel Langley , brought his plane to Hammondsport to be reconditioned by Curtis and flown in a scientific demonstration After a long and distinguished career in avionics Curtiss died unexpectedly in 1930 at
17655-437: The horses, go slack, fall into the water and sink to the bottom, while his boat coasted with its remaining momentum. The privileged boat's team would step over the other boat's towline, with its horses pulling the boat over the sunken towline without stopping. Once clear, the other boat's team would continue on its way. Pulled by teams of horses, canal boats moved slowly, but methodically, shrinking time and distance. Efficiently,
17820-509: The lake were being shipped by boat to Hammondsport, then by wagons, and then by the Bath & Hammondsport Railroad to where it connected to the Erie Railroad at the Bath railroad station and transported to New York . Subsequently, the demand for fresh grapes in New York increased dramatically, which in turn greatly promoted the wine industry in and around Hammondsport. After the flood of 1935
17985-491: The lake. According to the United States Census Bureau , the village has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km), of which 0.3 square miles (0.78 km) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km) (5.41%) is water. Hammondsport is at the south end of Keuka Lake situated at the foot of one of the long hills that forms the Keuka Lake valley. The village is located north of the junction of New York State Route 54 and New York State Route 54A . NY-54A which passes through
18150-579: The lake. From Canastota west, it ran roughly along the north (lower) edge of the Onondaga Escarpment , passing through Syracuse, Onondaga Lake , and Rochester. Before reaching Rochester, the canal uses a series of natural ridges to cross the deep valley of Irondequoit Creek . At Lockport the canal turned southwest to rise to the top of the Niagara Escarpment , using the ravine of Eighteen Mile Creek . The canal continued south-southwest to Pendleton , where it turned west and southwest, mainly using
18315-458: The least populous, has 38 permanent residents (2010 census). The use of "town" in a community's name is irrespective of municipal status. Elizabethtown , Germantown and Stephentown are towns. Cooperstown , home of the Baseball Hall of Fame , is a village, Jamestown and Middletown are cities, and Levittown is an unincorporated hamlet. A census-designated place (CDP) is defined by
18480-572: The limits. Based on the ZIP Code, the United States Postal Service (USPS) identifies the correct location for mail delivery. The New York State Gazetteer , published by the New York State Department of Health in 1995, includes a list of hamlets in the state. The criteria used for inclusion in the Gazetteer are not stated. The Adirondack Park Agency also uses the term "hamlet", though as
18645-513: The local fire department or elementary school. Businesses may also use the name of a hamlet as part of their name. The United States Census Bureau will, with consideration from the town, designate a census-designated place (CDP) that may use the name of one or more hamlets, though boundaries may differ from what is used by the ZIP code, local fire department, etc. Towns in New York may be further subdivided into wards, although as of 2017 , only fifteen of
18810-473: The mayor include enforcing laws and supervising employees. A village may also have a full-time village manager who performs these administrative duties instead of the mayor. In 2007, sixty-seven villages had such a manager. Some villages have their own village justice, while others utilize the justice of the town or towns in which they are located. While most villages are subject to a uniform statewide Village Law, twelve villages operate under charters issued by
18975-611: The mid-19th century; the New York City Council is currently elected from special districts, which are allowed to cross borough lines. New York City has a unique system of divisions, some of which possess governmental power, see Divisions unique to New York City . In New York, a town is a municipal corporation, and is the major division of each county (excluding the five boroughs that comprise New York City ), very similar to townships in other states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. Towns in New York are classified by
19140-409: The most cost-effective way to ship bulk goods . A mule can only carry about 250 pounds (110 kg) but can draw a barge weighing as much as 60,000 pounds (27,000 kg) along a towpath . In total, a canal could cut transport costs by about 95 percent. In the early years of the United States, transportation of goods between the coastal ports and the interior was slow and difficult. Close to
19305-448: The new Borough of Queens. (A small portion of the Town of Hempstead was itself annexed, also.) The next year (1899), the three eastern towns of Queens County separated to become Nassau County . The city today consists of the entire area of five counties (named New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and Richmond). While these counties have no county government, boroughs—with boundaries coterminous with
19470-822: The newly created New York State Canal Corporation , a subsidiary of the New York State Thruway Authority . While part of the Thruway, the canal system was operated using money generated by Thruway tolls. In 2017, the New York State Canal Corporation was transferred from the New York State Thruway to the New York Power Authority . In 2000, Congress designated the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor , covering 524 miles (843 km) of navigable water from Lake Champlain to
19635-441: The north side. When canal boats met, the boat with the right of way remained on the towpath side of the canal. The other boat steered toward the berm (or heelpath) side of the canal. The driver (or "hoggee", pronounced HO-gee) of the privileged boat kept his towpath team by the canalside edge of the towpath, while the hoggee of the other boat moved to the outside of the towpath and stopped his team. His towline would be unhitched from
19800-578: The old canal to Rome. From Rome, the new route continued almost due west, merging with Fish Creek just east of its entry into Oneida Lake. From Oneida Lake, the new canal ran west along the Oneida River , with cutoffs to shorten the route. At Three Rivers , the Oneida River turns northwest, and was deepened for the Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario. The new Erie Canal turned south there along the Seneca River, which turns west near Syracuse and continues west to
19965-502: The only break in the Appalachians south of the St. Lawrence River . The Hudson is tidal to Troy , and Albany is west of the Appalachians. It allowed for east–west navigation from the coast to the Great Lakes within US territory. The canal began on the west side of the Hudson River at Albany, and ran north to Watervliet , where the Champlain Canal branched off. At Cohoes , it climbed the escarpment on
20130-495: The original Erie Canal channel was enlarged to 120 feet (37 m) wide and 12 feet (3.7 m) deep. The expansion allowed barges up to 2,000 short tons (1,800 t) to use the Canal. This expensive project was politically unpopular in parts of the state not served by the canal, and failed to save it from becoming obsolete for commercial shipping. Freight traffic reached a total of 5.2 million short tons (4.7 million metric tons) by 1951. The growth of railroads and highways across
20295-600: The original route was abandoned. The modern Barge Canal measures 351 miles (565 km) long, 120 feet (37 m) wide, and 12 feet (3.7 m) deep. It has 34 locks , including the Waterford Flight , the steepest locks in the United States. When leaving the canal, boats must also traverse the Black Rock Lock to reach Lake Erie or the Troy Federal Lock to reach the tidal Hudson. The overall elevation difference
20460-403: The population. There were 332 households, of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and
20625-480: The power of a board of supervisors , composed of the supervisors of its constituent towns and cities. In most of these counties, each supervisor's vote is weighted in accordance with the town's population in order to abide by the U.S. Supreme Court mandate of " one person, one vote ". Other counties have legislative districts of equal population, which may cross municipal borders; these counties may also have an elected County Executive. Most counties in New York do not use
20790-406: The project was ridiculed as "Clinton's folly" and "Clinton's ditch". In 1817, though, Clinton received approval from the legislature for $ 7 million for construction. The original canal was 363 miles (584 km) long, from Albany on the Hudson to Buffalo on Lake Erie. The channel was cut 40 feet (12 m) wide and 4 feet (1.2 m) deep, with removed soil piled on the downhill side to form
20955-522: The purposes of municipal representation. Each ward elects one member to the city's legislative body, and the wards are redistricted roughly every ten years. These divisions can go by other names by city; in Buffalo they are known as districts . These divisions can either be numbered or named. New York City was divided into wards at various times in its history between 1683 and 1938, although they were gradually replaced by Assembly and Senate districts starting in
21120-513: The relatively early age of 52. His subsequent funeral service was held in Hammondsport at St. James Episcopal Church, with his interment in the family plot at Pleasant Valley Cemetery, just south of Hammondsport in Urbana. Today the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum , located less than a mile south of Hammondsport on State Road, Rt. 54, houses many examples of Curtiss' airplanes and other inventions. Henry Kleckler ,
21285-417: The rising cost of diesel fuel. Canal barges can carry a short ton of cargo 514 miles (827 km) on one gallon of diesel fuel, while a gallon allows a train to haul the same amount of cargo 202 miles (325 km) and a truck 59 miles (95 km). Canal barges can carry loads up to 3,000 short tons (2,700 long tons), and are used to transport objects that would be too large for road or rail shipment. In 2012,
21450-728: The roadside boundaries of hamlets, as decided by the sign provider. Many towns have special zoning or planning districts and planning strategies for their hamlets, and many places welcome signs at the gateways to the hamlets. Some hamlets are former villages that have dissolved their incorporation ( Old Forge in Herkimer County ; Rosendale , in Ulster County ; and Andes in Delaware County , for example). Notwithstanding hamlets are not cities or towns, many of them are called out in formal addresses for those residents residing within
21615-477: The rushing waters to gouge a channel through some of the dirt roads in the village. The flood killed seven people, five of them children. Among the ruin caused to houses and other structures, the flood also destroyed an old warehouse in the glen that housed the Georges Roulet Winnery, thereby flushing out several hundred barrels of aging brandy into the streets of Hammondsport that were previously stored in
21780-450: The same legal powers as were once available only to suburban towns. Even so, towns of different classifications continue to have organizational differences and certain conditions that must be met before a town's classification changes. The town board serves as the legislative branch. The board is composed of one elected town supervisor (or chief executive officer in suburban towns) and a specific number of elected council persons; towns of
21945-422: The seacoast, rivers provided easy inland transport up to the fall line , since floating vessels encounter much less friction than land vehicles. However, the Appalachian Mountains were a great obstacle to further transportation or settlement, stretching 1,500 miles (2,400 km) from Maine to Alabama , with just five places where mule trains or wagon roads could be routed. Passengers and freight bound for
22110-575: The second class generally have two but may have four council persons, whereas towns of the first class generally have four but can have two or six. The supervisor presides over the board, voting on all matters but not possessing veto or tie-breaking power. Certain towns operate under a town manager form of government, creating an executive branch in the town government, as permitted by legislation enacted in 1976. As such, some supervisors have additional authority or executive powers, whereas some towns have town managers or chief executive officers who serve as
22275-637: The so-called " canal age ," including France's Canal du Midi and the Bridgewater Canal in England . The attempt in the 1780s by George Washington to build a canal from the tidewaters of the Potomac into the fledgling nation's interior was also well known to the planners of the Erie Canal. Gouverneur Morris and Elkanah Watson were early proponents of a canal along the Mohawk River . Their efforts led to
22440-635: The state legislature prior to 1874. Before a revision to the State Constitution in that year, villages were formed by the state legislature through granting of charters. Many villages reincorporated, dumping their charters in favor of the Village Law. The villages that retain their charters are Alexander , Carthage , Catskill , Cooperstown , Deposit , Fredonia , Ilion , Mohawk , Ossining , Owego , Port Chester , and Waterford . These villages must still comply with those aspects of Village Law that are not inconsistent with their charters. To be incorporated,
22605-580: The state use the term hamlet to refer to a community within a town that is not incorporated as a village but is identified by a name, i.e. an unincorporated community . A hamlet often has a name corresponding to the name of a local school district , post office , or fire district. Because a hamlet has no government of its own, it depends upon the town or towns that contain it for municipal services and government. Because they do not have governments, hamlets have no clear boundaries . Suffolk County publishes maps that give hamlet boundaries, but towns within
22770-423: The state's 932 towns used this system. In towns operating under the ward system, citizens vote for councilmen who represent a specific area (ward) of the town, as opposed to the at-large councilmen elected in the majority of the state's towns. Towns vary in size and population. The largest town by area is Brookhaven ( Suffolk County ), which covers 531.5 sq mi (1,377 km ), but more than half of that
22935-497: The state, and the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, caused commercial traffic on the canal to decline dramatically during the second half of the 20th century. Since the 1990s, the canal system has been used primarily by recreational traffic. In 1992, the New York State Barge Canal was renamed the New York State Canal System (including the Erie, Cayuga-Seneca , Oswego, and Champlain canals) and placed under
23100-478: The state. Each of the five boroughs of the city is coextensive with a county of the state of New York. Under New York State's General Municipal Law , a borough results when the towns, villages and cities in a county merge with the county itself. This occurred in 1898 when New York City merged with surrounding counties, cities and towns to form its present configuration. The five boroughs are: The boroughs were originally intended to retain some local governance in
23265-508: The submission of a proper petition to the board. The village board must produce a "dissolution plan" that settles specific matters, such as the village's debts, its employees and property, and the financial impact dissolution would have on village and non-village town residents. This plan is voted upon by village voters only. About 15% of villages cross other municipal boundaries. More than 70 villages are located in two or more towns. Seven villages are in two counties. The village of Saranac Lake
23430-405: The term "Board of Supervisors." 34 counties have a County Legislature, six counties have a Board of Legislators, and one county has a Board of Representatives. The five counties, or boroughs, of New York City are governed by a 51-member City Council. In non-charter counties, the legislative body exercises executive power as well. Although the legislature can delegate certain functions and duties to
23595-496: The town of Palm Tree in Orange County was incorporated in 2019 and is coterminous with the village of Kiryas Joel , having acquired land from the town of Monroe . When such an entity is formed, officials from either unit of government may serve in both village and town governments simultaneously. A referendum is held to decide whether residents prefer a village-style or town-style government, which will then function primarily as
23760-419: The town or towns in which they are located. Village residents pay both town and village taxes, and vote in town and village elections. Those services not provided by the village are provided by the town or towns containing the village. As of the 2000 census, 9.9% of the state's population was living in one of the 556 villages in New York. The legislature of a village is the board of trustees, composed of
23925-593: The village after linking with County Road 76. Keuka Inlet and Glen Brook flow past the village. At the 2000 census , there were 731 people, 332 households and 200 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,088.5 inhabitants per square mile (806.4/km). There were 388 housing units at an average density of 1,108.5 per square mile (428.0/km). The racial makeup of the village was 96.58% White , 1.37% African American , 0.41% Native American , 0.41% Asian , 0.41% from other races , and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.27% of
24090-407: The village. Aside from supplying the village with pure spring water, one of the first objectives was to install five fire hydrants at convenient locations about the village. Pressure from the water system came from the gravitational force and the high altitude of the springs.The water system plant was completed in 1865 costing about $ 25,000, paid for and owned by the village of Hammondsport. In 1917,
24255-436: The waters of Keuka Lake was a schooner called The Sally , built in 1808 at Hammondsport by George McClure for the purpose of transporting wheat and other goods from Penn Yan to Hammondsport, where it would be shipped to market in New York. McClure played a fundamental role in Hammondsport's business development. When steam power came into common use there were several steamboats running on Keuka Lake in 1835. The first built
24420-508: The way are used to maintain the canal's level. It runs southwest to Tonawanda , where the new alignment discharges into the Niagara River, which is navigable upstream to the New York Barge Canal 's Black Rock Lock and thence to the Canal's original "Western Terminus" at Buffalo's Inner Harbor . Canal boats up to 3.5 feet (1.1 m) in draft were pulled by horses and mules walking on the towpath. The canal had one towpath, generally on
24585-546: The west side of the Hudson River—16 locks rising 140 feet (43 m)—and then turned west along the south shore of the Mohawk River, crossing to the north side at Crescent and again to the south at Rexford . The canal continued west near the south shore of the Mohawk River all the way to Rome, where the Mohawk turns north. At Rome , the canal continued west parallel to Wood Creek , which flows westward into Oneida Lake , and turned southwest and west cross-country to avoid
24750-485: The western parts of the country had to travel overland, a journey made more difficult by the rough condition of the roads. In 1800, it typically took 2½ weeks to travel overland from New York to Cleveland, Ohio , (460 miles; 740 km) and 4 weeks to Detroit (612 miles; 985 km). The principal exportable product of the Ohio Valley was grain, which was a high-volume, low-priced commodity, bolstered by supplies from
24915-426: The winery during the prohibition years . Great amounts of mud was also deposited on many of the streets, and buried a number of cars, while the railroad line from Bath to Hammondsport was almost completely destroyed. Not long after the flood, the stone walls along Glen Brook in Hammondsport were widened and reinforced with concrete so as withstand heavy rain runoff from the hillside and channel any future flood waters to
25080-497: Was $ 50,125. Males had a median income of $ 32,143 and females $ 28,906. The per capita income for the village was $ 18,308. About 4.6% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those aged 65 or over. Sites on the National Register of Historic Places are Hammondsport Union Free School , Mallory Mill and the Pulteney Square Historic District . Much of
25245-612: Was a mathematics teacher and land speculator . Yet these men "carried the Erie Canal up the Niagara escarpment at Lockport , maneuvered it onto a towering embankment to cross over Irondequoit Creek , spanned the Genesee River on an awesome aqueduct , and carved a route for it out of the solid rock between Little Falls and Schenectady —and all of those venturesome designs worked precisely as planned". Construction began on July 4, 1817, at Rome, New York . The first 15 miles (24 km), from Rome to Utica , opened in 1819. At that rate,
25410-457: Was also known as Pleasant Valley. In 1802, General George McClure purchased several hundred acres of land in Pleasant Valley just south of Hammondsp[ort where he built a saw mill, fulling mill, flour mill and carding machine. During this time he opened a store on the site of Hammondsport, which sold goods produced by the mills, thus laying the foundation for future business there. The village
25575-583: Was an important route for Pennsylvania coal and timber into the canal system. The Chenango Canal in 1836 connected the Erie Canal at Utica to Binghamton and caused a business boom in the Chenango River valley. The Chenango and Chemung canals linked the Erie with the Susquehanna River system. The Black River Canal connected the Black River to the Erie Canal at Rome and remained in operation until
25740-659: Was born in 1878. At this time the population of Hammondsport was almost 1000 people. Not long after his father died Curtiss married Lena Pearl Neff in the Hammondsport Presbyterian Church. In a vacant storefront owned by Mrs. Benjamin Bennett, co-founder of the Hammondsport Herald, he opened up a bicycle shop across from the bandstand on Pulteney Square, which soon grew into a successful business. Here he developed his own gasoline engine which he later produced in
25905-489: Was born in Hammondsport, where he built several types of aircraft, and the first seaplanes, which were tested in Keuka Lake. Hammondsport features a village square, historic buildings, wineries, breweries and museums. Nearby municipalities contain vineyards, and wineries and grape-packing have played a major role in the economy. In 1935, heavy rains lasting three days resulted in mudslides and major flooding, ruining or damaging many homes and structures in Hammondsport, situated at
26070-710: Was called the Keuka Maid , a sidewheeler of 85 feet in length. In the latter half of the 1800s Hammondsport became the home to various steamboat manufacturers which included A. W. Springstead and the Union Dry Dock Company. In 1892 the Dry Dock company built the Mary Bell , considered "The Queen of Lake Keuka", which was the largest steamboat ever to operate on the lake. Some steamboats met an unusual fate while docked at Hammondsport. The Steuben sank while docked there from
26235-572: Was completed in 1884, as a route running closely parallel to both the canal and the New York Central Railroad. However, it went bankrupt and was acquired the next year by the New York Central. The canal continued to compete well with the railroads through 1902, when tolls were abolished. In a November 3, 1903 referendum, a majority of New Yorkers authorized an expansion of the canal at a cost of $ 101,000,000. In 1905, construction of
26400-551: Was completed in three years and opened in 1833, connecting Hammondsport and the Town of Urbana to the Erie Canal . At a width of 42 feet, the canal was built to accommodate the same size boats in use on the Erie Canal. With access via the Seneca Canal to the Erie Canal, which led to the Hudson River , it became possible to ship goods between Hammondsport and New York City by boat. When the Bath and Hammondsport railroad opened in 1874
26565-524: Was exceeded immediately. An ambitious program to improve the canal began in 1834. During this massive series of construction projects, known as the First Enlargement, the canal was widened from 40 to 70 feet (12 to 21 m) and deepened from 4 to 7 feet (1.2 to 2.1 m). Locks were widened and/or rebuilt in new locations, and many new navigable aqueducts were constructed. The canal was straightened and slightly re-routed in some stretches, resulting in
26730-482: Was later renamed for Lazerus Hammond, a settler who arrived in 1810 from nearby Dansville . The first building constructed in the valley is still standing. Hammond officially founded the village around 1826, and it was incorporated in 1856. William Hastings, a member of the Presbyterian church, erected the first store, and started a mercantile business. The village became a center for the New York wine industry. In 1825
26895-406: Was marked by a statewide "Grand Celebration", culminating in a series of cannon shots along the length of the canal and the Hudson, a 90-minute cannonade from Buffalo to New York City. A flotilla of boats, led by Governor Dewitt Clinton aboard Seneca Chief , sailed from Buffalo to New York City over ten days. Clinton then ceremonially poured Lake Erie water into New York Harbor to mark the "Wedding of
27060-477: Was organized, by a committee from the Presbyterian church in Bath, consisting of Reverend Isaac W. Piatt, Reverend Samuel White, with the assistance of two elders. During the 1830s other preachers began arriving and established other churches in Hammondsport, receiving financial assistance and guidance from the American Home Missionary Society . Reverend Bostwick planted the first grapevines in
27225-423: Was the shop foreman at Curtiss' airplane manufacturing works (CMC) in Hammondsport. Curtiss considered Kleckler his "right hand man", and a "master innovator and mechanic" He was also a native of Hammondsport and worked with Curtiss in developing more efficient engines for the "flying boats" pioneered and developed by Curtiss. On May 19, 1908, Thomas Selfridge , while working with Curtiss in Hammondsport, became
#640359