Westport, New York
Westport is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,362 at the 2000 census.
The Town of Westport is on the eastern border of the county and is south of Plattsburgh. Westport is inside the Adirondack Park.
The town claims to be the birthplace of the Adirondack chair.
The Essex County Fair is held in the town.
History
In 1642, Jesuit missionary Isaac Jogues was tortured by Iroquois at Coles Bay. He survived and was eventually saved by merchants from New Amsterdam.
The town was first settled around 1770, but the pioneers were driven out during the American Revolution. The first permanent settlement occurred aound 1785.
The town was founded by William Gilliland (1764), who also established the neighboring towns of Elizabethtown and Willsboro. Gilliland originally called his patent "Bessboro" after his wife.
The Town of Westport was established in 1815 from part of the Town of Elizabethtown. The community of Westport set itself off from the town in 1907 by incorporation. The Village of Westport abandoned this status as an incorporated village in 1992.
Westport is also home to Camp Dudley YMCA, the oldest summer camp in continuous operation in the United States, founded in 1885 by Sumner F. Dudley, moved to Westport in 1891. Westport is known as the ice fishing capital of Essex County. Jake Hipps once pulled a 12 pound smelt from the depths of Northwest Bay.
Notable residents
- Nathan Myrick, founder of La Crosse, Wisconsin.
- Mary Emma Woolley, educator.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 173.2 km² (66.9 mi²). 151.3 km² (58.4 mi²) of it is land and 21.9 km² (8.5 mi²) of it (12.65%) is water.
The east town line is formed by Lake Champlain and the border of Vermont. The town is inside the Adirondack Park.
New York State Route 9N, New York State Route 22, and New York State Route 44 are north-south highways in Westport. NY-9N and NY-22 become conjoined in Westport village. Interstate 87, the Northway, passes across the northwest part of Westport.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 1,362 people, 593 households, and 381 families residing in the town. The population density was 9.0/km² (23.3/mi²). There were 887 housing units at an average density of 5.9/km² (15.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.65% White, 0.15% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population.
There were 593 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $40,000, and the median income for a family was $49,917. Males had a median income of $31,042 versus $26,550 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,063. About 5.2% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
Rail Transportation
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Westport, operating its Adirondack daily in both directions between Montreal and New York City. A bus connection is available from Westport to Lake Placid, New York.
Communities and locations in Westport
Inhabited locations
- Wadhams (formerly "Wadhams Mills" and "The Falls") -- A hamlet in the northern part of the town on NY-22 at the junction of County Road 8 and 10.
- Westport -- The hamlet of Westport, was formerly a village between 1907 and 1992. The community is located on the shore of Lake Champlain on NY-9N at the junction of NY-22.
Geographical locations
- Barber Point -- A projection into Lake Champlain south of Bluff Point.
- Black River -- A stream forming part of the west town line.
- Bluff Point -- A projection into Lake Champlain south of Westport village.
- Cole Bay -- A small bay of Lake Champlain, south fo Northwest Bay.
- Furnace Point -- A projection into North West Bay, north of Westport village.
- Hoisington Brook -- A stream entering Lake Champlain at Westport village.
- Moore Point -- A projection into Lake Champlain south of Barber Point.
- Nichols Pond -- A small lake near the west town line.
- North West Bay -- A bay of Lake Champlain by Westport village.
- Split Roch Mountain -- An elevation at the boundary between Westport and the Town of Essex, known for its rattlesnake population.
- Stacy Brook -- A stream entering Lake Champlain at Coles Bay.