Wells, New York

Wells, New York
Town

Location in Hamilton County and the state of New York.
Coordinates: 43°25′59″N 74°17′24″W / 43.43306°N 74.29000°W / 43.43306; -74.29000
Country United States
State New York
County Hamilton
Government
 • Type Town Council
 • Town Supervisor Brian Towers (R)
 • Town Council
Area
 • Total 178.4 sq mi (462.0 km2)
 • Land 177.2 sq mi (459.0 km2)
 • Water 1.2 sq mi (3.0 km2)
Elevation 1,696 ft (517 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 674
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 12190
Area code(s) 518
FIPS code 36-79059[1]
GNIS feature ID 0979615[2]

Wells is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 674 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Joshua Wells, a land agent, who built the first mills in the area. It is in the Adirondack Park and on the eastern border of the county. It is northwest of Schenectady.

History

The area was first settled around 1798. The town was formed in 1805 while still part of Fulton County, and was set off from parts of the towns of Mayfield and Northampton. The town was subsequently reduced by the formation of other towns in Hamilton County, to include Hope (1818) and Long Lake (1837).

The town of Gilman was reportedly named for settler John Gilman. Elias P. Gilman petitioned the state and had surveys of Gilman made in 1838.[3]) Land was taken from Wells in 1841, but much of that region was returned to Wells when Gilman was dissolved in 1860. Wells has been increased subsequent to its initial formation by parts of Mayfield (1812, 1816), Northampton (1816), and Lake Pleasant (1858).

War of 1812

The United States of America declared war on Great Britain on June 18, 1812. The settlers of Wells and Lake Pleasant, New York were afraid of potential attacks from Native Americans who allied with the British Empire to attack American settlements. The Native Americans were seen roaming in the forest hunting, trapping and fishing. Despite no attacks, the Adirondack settlers who considered themselves on the northern frontier boundary of the St. Lawrence, fled from their homes and scattered themselves to the counties of Saratoga, Rensselaer and Montgomery. All inhabitants except the Peck family left Lake Pleasant, and so did a large majority leave Wells. An application was made by a remaining few settlers to New York governor Daniel D. Tompkins for an order to raise a company of volunteers from Lake Pleasant and Wells to create a militia in order to "allay the fears of the inhabitants," to protect them from a possible massacre and to encourage them to return to their homes. The petition was granted and William B Peck of Lake Pleasant was commissioned captain of the Wells and Lake Pleasant Home Guards of Company C under Montgomery counties militia 122 regiment. Lt. John L Francisco of Wells later took command of the militia as William Peck retired from his post.[4]

The War of 1812 brought a need for roads to be built so United States forces could invade Canada. A military road was created through the town of Wells to reach the St. Lawrence river so men and provisions could be transported easily into Canadian territory.[5]

Plane crash

A Massachusetts Air National Guard plane crash occurred on September 17, 1986 in Wells. Four planes were involved in the training mission and two of the four crashed into the Adirondack mountains killing one pilot and injuring the other.[6] The crash is said to have been the inspiration for a two-part episode of The X-Files, set in the nearby village of Northville, New York, but no filming took place in either location.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 178.4 square miles (462 km2), of which, 177.2 square miles (459 km2) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) of it (0.66%) is water.

The eastern town line is the border with Warren County.

New York State Route 30 is a north-south highway. New York State Route 8, an east-west highway, runs conjointly with NY-30 in the central part of Wells.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1820331—
18303402.7%
18403657.4%
185053245.8%
186073838.7%
187081710.7%
18801,11336.2%
18901,29816.6%
1900908−30.0%
1910742−18.3%
1920652−12.1%
1930527−19.2%
19405677.6%
1950507−10.6%
19605396.3%
197060412.1%
19806273.8%
199070612.6%
20007374.4%
2010674−8.5%
Est. 2014662[7]−1.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 737 people, 322 households, and 205 families residing in the town. The population density was 4.2 people per square mile (1.6/km²). There were 778 housing units at an average density of 4.4 per square mile (1.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.61% White, 0.54% African American, 0.81% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.27% of the population.

There were 322 households out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,107, and the median income for a family was $37,500. Males had a median income of $34,821 versus $24,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,174. About 8.5% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Wells

Adjacent towns and areas

The south border of Wells is formed by the Towns of Benson and Hope. The Town of Arietta is at the west border, and the Town of Lake Pleasant is the northwest border. The Town of Indian Lake is the north border. The Towns of Stony Creek, Thurman, and Johnsburg in Warren County are to the east.

References

  1. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ↑ History of Hamilton County
  4. ↑ Loose, Steve. "War of 1812 Pension Application of Washington Craig of Wells." War of 1812 Pension Application of Washington Craig of Wells. N.p., 14 May 2008. Web. 25 Aug. 2013.
  5. ↑ Aber, Ted, and Stella Brooks King. The History of Hamilton County. Lake Pleasant, NY: Great Wilderness, 1965. Print
  6. ↑ Warren, John (18 Nov 2009). "A Short History of Adirondack Airplane Crashes". Adirondack Almanack. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  7. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

Coordinates: 43°23′45″N 74°17′22″W / 43.39583°N 74.28944°W / 43.39583; -74.28944

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