'Locke' is a
town in
Cayuga County,
New York,
United States. The population was 1,900 at the 2000 census. The town was named after
John Locke, an
English philosopher.
The 'Town of Locke' is on the south border of Cayuga County and is southeast of
Auburn, New York.
History
Locke was in the
Central New York Military Tract, used to pay soldiers of the
American Revolution. The first settlers arrived in 1790. They found evidence of the earlier occupants,
Native Americans, in the form of ruined villages and burial grounds.
The Town of Locke was formed in
1802 from the
Town of Genoa, then known as the "Town of Milton." Part of Locke was used in 1817 to form the
Town of Groton (now in
Tompkins County, New York). Another division of Locke in 1831 formed the
Town of Summerhill.
A devastating fire in 1912 destroyed about thirty buildings in Locke village.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 63.2
km² (24.4
mi²). 63.2 km² (24.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.08%) is water.
North-south
New York State Route 38 intersects east-west
New York State Route 90 in Locke village.
The Owasco Inlet is a stream flowing northward through the town into
Owasco Lake. Hemlock Creek joins the Owasco Inlet at Locke village. The town is in the
Finger Lakes District of New York.
Demographics
As of the
census2 of
2000, there are 1,900 people, 704 households, and 539 families residing in the town. The
population density is 30.1/km² (77.9/mi²). There are 760 housing units at an average density of 12.0/km² (31.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 98.26%
White, 0.26%
African American, 0.42%
Native American, 0.42%
Asian, and 0.63% from two or more races. 0.42% of the population are
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There are 704 households out of which 39.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% are
married couples living together, 10.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% are non-families. 17.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.70 and the average family size is 3.00.
In the town the population is spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 100.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $37,885, and the median income for a family is $41,250. Males have a median income of $28,793 versus $22,188 for females. The
per capita income for the town is $16,580. 8.9% of the population and 7.0% of families are below the
poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.8% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Communities and locations in Locke
★ 'Centerville' -- An historic location south of Locke village.
★ 'Chipman Corners' -- A
hamlet in the southeast of the town on County Road 161 (Chipman Corners Road).
★
Fillmore Glen State Park -- A
state park partly in Locke at the north town line.
★ 'Locke' (formerly "Milan") -- A hamlet near the center of the town at the junction of NY-38 and NY-90 and the confluence of Owasco Inlet and Hemlock Creek.
★ 'Shaw Corners' -- A location east of Locke village on NY-90.
★ 'Satterly Corners' -- A location north of Shaw Corners on County Road 54 (Toll Gate Road).
★ 'Toll Gate Corners' -- A hamlet at the north town line near the state park.
External links
★
Town of Locke, NY
★
History of Locke, New York
★
Area photos, maps, history and genealogy