TICONDEROGA, NY

Ticonderoga (, ) is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 5,042 at the 2010 census. The name comes from the Mohawk tekontaró:ken, meaning "it is at the junction of two waterways".

The Town of Ticonderoga is in the southeastern corner of the county and is south of Plattsburgh.

History

In the 17th century, French explorers such as Samuel de Champlain encountered the area.

The town was on the direct route, utilizing rivers and two long lakes, between New York City to the south and the French settlement of Montreal to the north. The town was the setting for historic battles and maneuvers during both the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. Fort Ticonderoga, constructed by the French, who called it Fort Carillon, in the 1750s, marked the location of an important portage between the two lakes.

The Town of Ticonderoga was formed in 1804 from part of the town of Crown Point. By the end of the 18th century, the town was noted for wood products such as paper and lead pencils. The position of the now former Ticonderoga village at the north end of Lake George made it an important port. The village was dissolved on 31 December 1993 after a public referendum, its operations were absorbed by the Town of Ticonderoga.

As early as 1812, Ticonderoga was the site of graphite mining. Commercial mining of graphite began in 1832, though logging remained the chief Industry. Graphite was not widely used in the 19th century, as most writing was done in pen, rather than pencil. It was not until the mid-20th century that pencils came into greater use, with the No. 2 HB pencil becoming the standard writing implement in schools and universities. The iconic Dixon Ticonderoga pencil was named after the graphite that was mined and processed in Ticonderoga.

Historic Fort Ticonderoga is in this town, east of the former village of Ticonderoga.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 7.93%, is water.

The town encompasses both the northern end of Lake George and a portion of Lake Champlain near its southern end. The short, but rapidly flowing, La Chute River connects the two lakes. The eastern town line is the border of Vermont, and the southern town boundary is the county line of Warren and Washington counties.

New York State Route 9N is a north–south highway. Another north–south highway, New York State Route 22, is partly conjoined with NY-9N in the town. New York State Route 74, an east–west highway, intersects NY-9N/NY-22 near Ticonderoga.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 5,042 people, 2,028 households, and 1,352 families residing in the town. The population density was 63.2 people per square mile (24.4/km²). There were 2,581 housing units at an average density of 31.6 per square mile (12.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.08% White, 0.46% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.

There were 2,028 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,160, and the median income for a family was $41,992. Males had a median income of $35,896 versus $21,441 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,418. About 10.5% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Tourism

The H.G. Burleigh House was built in 1894 and is a Queen Anne-style building with Colonial Revival features. It was originally owned by U.S. Congressman Henry G. Burleigh and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1988.

A museum called the Star Trek Original Series Set Tour is in Ticonderoga, on Montcalm Street. It has been, and continues to be, visited by cast members of the show and of its spin-off and movies. The museum was opened by James Cawley, who paid for it with his earnings as an Elvis impersonator, after he inherited a copy of the original set blueprints from a costume designer on the show.

In addition to the Burleigh House, the Amherst Avenue Historic District, Black Watch Library, Central School, Clark House, Community Building, Clayton H. Delano House, Crandall Marine Railway, Ferris House, Fort Ticonderoga, Frazier Bridge, Gilligan and Stevens Block, Hancock House, Lake George Avenue Historic District, Liberty Monument, Silas B. Moore Gristmill, NYS Armory, Pad Factory, Ticonderoga High School, Ticonderoga National Bank, Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company Office, and United States Post Office are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Infrastructure

Rail transportation

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Ticonderoga, operating its Adirondack daily in both directions between Montreal and New York City.

Notable people

Communities and locations in Ticonderoga