SafekipediaEssex County, New York
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
Essex County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the North Country region and is one of two counties that are completely inside the Adirondack Park, along with Hamilton County. The county was named after the English county of Essex. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 37,381 people. The main town, called the county seat, is a small place named Elizabethtown. The area is known for its beautiful forests and lakes, making it a great spot for outdoor activities.
History
When counties were established in New York in 1683, the area that is now Essex County was part of Albany County. At that time, Albany County was very large, including parts of northern New York, all of Vermont, and even areas stretching west to the Pacific Ocean. Over time, the size of Albany County changed. On July 3, 1766, parts of it became Cumberland County, and on March 16, 1770, parts became Gloucester County. Both of these new counties are now in Vermont.
On March 12, 1772, Albany County was split into three parts. One part kept the name Albany County, and another became Charlotte County. Later, on May 24, 1915, Essex and Hamilton counties swapped some land. Essex gave up Indian Lake but received Fishing Brook Mountain. As a result, Essex lost 30 square miles (78 km2) but Hamilton gained 20 square miles (52 km2). After these changes, Essex County reached its current size of 1,916 square miles (5,000 km2).
In 1784, Charlotte County was renamed Washington County to honor George Washington, the general of the American Revolutionary War and later President of the United States. Then, in 1788, Clinton County was created from Washington County. Finally, Essex County was formed from Clinton County in 1799.
Geography
Essex County is located in the northeastern part of New York, just west of Vermont. It is the second-largest county in New York by land area. The county's eastern edge is along Lake Champlain, which forms the border between New York and Vermont.
The highest natural point in New York, Mount Marcy, is found in Essex County. The Ausable River helps form part of the county's northern boundary.
Demographics
2020 census
2000 census
In the year 2000, about 38,851 people lived in the county. Many families and individuals called it home. Most people, around 94.84%, were White. Smaller groups included Black or African American people at 2.81%, Native American at 0.31%, and Asian at 0.41%.
Most people spoke English as their first language, with some speaking Spanish or French. Many families lived together, and some people lived alone. The county had a mix of younger and older people, with the average age being 39 years. Some families and individuals had less money than others, with a portion living below the poverty line.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 9,477 | — | |
| 1820 | 12,811 | 35.2% | |
| 1830 | 19,287 | 50.6% | |
| 1840 | 23,634 | 22.5% | |
| 1850 | 31,148 | 31.8% | |
| 1860 | 28,214 | −9.4% | |
| 1870 | 29,042 | 2.9% | |
| 1880 | 34,515 | 18.8% | |
| 1890 | 33,052 | −4.2% | |
| 1900 | 30,707 | −7.1% | |
| 1910 | 33,458 | 9.0% | |
| 1920 | 31,871 | −4.7% | |
| 1930 | 33,959 | 6.6% | |
| 1940 | 34,178 | 0.6% | |
| 1950 | 35,086 | 2.7% | |
| 1960 | 35,300 | 0.6% | |
| 1970 | 34,631 | −1.9% | |
| 1980 | 36,176 | 4.5% | |
| 1990 | 37,152 | 2.7% | |
| 2000 | 38,851 | 4.6% | |
| 2010 | 39,370 | 1.3% | |
| 2020 | 37,381 | −5.1% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 36,438 |  | −2.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020 | |||
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980 | Pop 1990 | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 35,679 | 35,227 | 36,346 | 36,588 | 33,714 | 98.63% | 94.82% | 93.55% | 92.93% | 90.19% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 137 | 931 | 1,025 | 982 | 610 | 0.38% | 2.51% | 2.64% | 2.49% | 1.63% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 64 | 91 | 120 | 99 | 74 | 0.18% | 0.24% | 0.31% | 0.25% | 0.20% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 45 | 142 | 159 | 260 | 229 | 0.12% | 0.38% | 0.41% | 0.66% | 0.61% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x | x | 24 | 8 | 7 | x | x | 0.06% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 18 | 13 | 27 | 33 | 133 | 0.05% | 0.03% | 0.07% | 0.08% | 0.36% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x | x | 299 | 407 | 1,636 | x | x | 0.77% | 1.03% | 4.38% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 233 | 748 | 851 | 993 | 978 | 0.64% | 2.01% | 2.19% | 2.52% | 2.62% |
| Total | 36,176 | 37,152 | 38,851 | 39,370 | 37,381 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Education
Essex County has many school districts where students can learn from kindergarten through 12th grade. Some of these schools include AuSable Valley, Boquet Valley, and Lake Placid Central School District, among others.
There are also private schools such as Mountain Lake Academy and North Country School. For students who want to continue their education after high school, there is North Country Community College.
Transportation
Essex County has several airports for public use, including Lake Placid Airport, Marcy Field, Schroon Lake Airport, and Ticonderoga Municipal Airport.
The county offers bus services that connect major communities. Riders can flag down buses or ask to stop almost anywhere, and sometimes change the route for a small fee. Bus service was interrupted in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some bus routes go from Elizabethtown to places like Essex, Willsboro, Keeseville, Westport, Mineville, Witherbee, Port Henry, Crown Point, Ticonderoga, Keene, Jay, Au Sable, Wilmington, and Lake Placid. Some buses let riders connect to trains at Westport station, which go to New York City and Montreal.
There is also a train that goes through Essex County once a day in each direction between New York City and Montreal, stopping in Ticonderoga, Port Henry, Westport, and Port Kent. This train service was stopped from March 2020 to early April 2023 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and border closures.
Communities
Essex County has several places where people live. Some of the bigger places include towns and villages. The county seat, which is the main town for the county, is Elizabethtown.
The county includes many towns such as Chesterfield, Crown Point, and Elizabethtown. There are also hamlets like Bloomingdale and villages including Lake Placid.
| # | Location | Population | Type | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ‡Saranac Lake | 5,406 | Village | Northwest |
| 2 | Ticonderoga | 3,382 | CDP | Southeast |
| 3 | Lake Placid | 2,521 | Village | Northwest |
| 4 | ‡Keeseville | 1,815 | CDP | Northeast |
| 5 | Mineville | 1,269 | CDP | Southeast |
| 6 | Port Henry | 1,194 | CDP | Southeast |
| 7 | †Elizabethtown | 1,163 | CDP | Northeast |
| 8 | Wilmington | 937 | CDP | Northwest |
| 9 | Schroon Lake | 833 | CDP | Southeast |
| 10 | Willsboro | 753 | CDP | Northeast |
| 11 | Westport | 518 | CDP | Northeast |
| 12 | Willsboro Point | 382 | CDP | Northeast |
| 13 | Witherbee | 347 | CDP | Southeast |
Politics
Essex County often reflects the national election results. Since 1980, it has usually voted for the nationwide winner, except in 1992 and 2024. It supported George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, then Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, followed by Donald Trump in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and Kamala Harris in 2024. Before 1996, Essex County usually voted Republican, only choosing a Democrat once since the Civil War—in 1964.
Notable people
Essex County, New York, has been home to many interesting people throughout history.
John Brown (1800–1859) was an important activist who fought against slavery and lived on a farm in North Elba. His sons John Jr., Watson, and Owen also grew up there.
Sophie Clarke (born 1989), who won the TV show _Survivor: South Pacific, is from Willsboro. Vincent Colyer (1825–1888) was a well-known artist and helper of people in need, including freed people and Native Americans, and was born in Bloomingdale.
Francis Donnelly served his town for 46 years and was one of the longest-serving elected officials in the United States. Carlton Foster (1826–1901) became a leader in Wisconsin and was from here. Ben Goldwasser (born 1983), a musician with the band MGMT, grew up in Westport, as did famous singer Lana Del Rey, known as Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born 1985).
Inez Milholland (1886–1916) was a leader for women's rights and is buried in Lewis Cemetery. Her family had a summer home in Westport, now the Meadowmount School of Music. Solomon Northup (1808 – c. 1863) was born free in Minerva but was wrongly taken and forced into hard labor. He escaped, shared his story, and inspired many. Johnny Podres (1932–2008) was a baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers and was born in Witherbee.
Tom Tyler was a star in old silent movies from Mineville, and Eli Winch (1848–1938) was a leader in Wisconsin politics and was born in Wilmington.
Related articles
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