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EspañolWATERTOWN (CITY), NEW YORK
(Redirected from Watertown, New York)
'Watertown' is an American city in the State of New York and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is situated near the U.S. Army base Fort Drum and has a population of 26,705 as of the 2000 census. The city was named for the abundance of falls located on the Black River, which supplied power to its early development as a manufacturing center.
Geographically, Watertown is located in the central part of Jefferson County and lies 72 miles north of Syracuse, New York and some 31 miles south of the Canadian border. The city is served by Watertown International Airport.
The city is renowned as the birthplace of the "Five and Dime", for the invention of the safety pin; for having the longest continually operating county fair in the United States; as well as containing the Red and Black football franchise, which is the oldest surviving semi-professional team in the United States.
The city of Watertown was settled in 1800 by pioneers from New Hampshire, most notably Hart Massey, Henry Coffeen, and Zachariah Butterfield. These pioneers chose the area due to the Black River. The pioneers' vision was an industrial center, which would draw power from the Black River. When the pioneers and their families arrived, they faced many challenges. All of the land was rough and unclear. Elevation was also a problem. The western end of the town was 12 to 15 feet higher than the eastern end, with a large depression in the middle. A small stream also passed through the town. In a few years, the area was cleared for a public square. [1]
A drop in the Black River at Watertown's location promised abundant water power for early industry.
Watertown became the county seat of Jefferson County in 1805 and became an Incorporated Village in 1816. In 1869, Watertown was incorporated as a city. In 1920, the city adopted a city manager style of government.
Previously a more important city than it is today, Watertown suffered economic and population declines throughout most of the 20th century. Today it serves as the center for a large rural area, and as the nearest major community to Fort Drum and the base's large military population. Located 25 miles from the international boundary via the Thousand Islands Bridge, shopping by Canadian visitors is an important part of the local economy.
Notable people born in or who have resided in Watertown:
★ John Foster Dulles, U.S. Secretary of State
★ Al Dulles, director of the Central Intelligence Agency
★ Charles W. Yost, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
★ Robert Lansing, U.S. Secretary of State
★ Frederick Exley, author of ''A Fan's Notes'', 1968, and other works.
★ Leonard J. Farwell, businessman and Wisconsin governor.
★ Oscar S. Gifford, lawyer and South Dakota politician.
★ Richard Grieco, actor, singer, former college football athlete.
★ Robert Guinan, painter
★ Eugene Mosher, a pioneer of human-computer interaction best known for inventing the graphic touchscreen point of sale computer.
★ Viggo Mortensen, star of the ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy
★ Charles Pierce, self-defined ''male actress'' best known for his impersonations of Bette Davis.
★ Savanna Samson, adult film star.
★ Zina D. H. Young, leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and social activist.
★ Frank W. Woolworth, founder of F. W. Woolworth Company/Five and Dime stores.
★ Maggie Rizer, Supermodel & AIDS Activist
★ Paul Finkelman, Historian
★ Albert Bouchard, Drummer for and co-founding member of popular rock band Blue Oyster Cult
★ Joe Bouchard, Bassist for and co-founding member or popular rock band Blue Oyster Cult
In August 2006, Watertown made minor-national news when Reverend Timothy LaBouf of First Baptist Church of Watertown, N.Y., also a city councilman, fired his church's Sunday School teacher of 54 years, Mary Lambert, for being a woman. He cited a change in church policy, literally interpreting the first epistle to Timothy: ''"I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent."'' Mayor Jeffrey Graham was disturbed by this, and said: "If what's said in that letter reflects the councilman's views, those are disturbing remarks in this day and age," Graham said. "Maybe they wouldn't have been disturbing 500 years ago, but they are now." [2] This decision by Timothy LaBouf and other leaders of First Baptist Church of Watertown, N.Y., was rebuked by several other Christian leaders such as J.Lee Grady [3].
Watertown gained national attention when Watertown-native and supermodel, Maggie Rizer, filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Mayor Graham and several other defendants. Rizer's stepfather, John Breen, Jr. pirated as much as $7,000,000 from Rizer's financial accounts so he could play the State-sponsored lottery game, Quick Draw, at several taverns - most notably Mayor Graham's bar, Speak Easy. Breen was convicted and sent to prison on several felony counts and Mayor Graham was forced to give up his State lottery license. A story was featured on a May 2005 episode of ABC's news magazine 20/20.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.3 mi²(24.0 km²). 9.0 mi² (23.2 km²) of it is land and 0.3 mi² (0.8 km²) of it (3.45%) is water.
The Black River flows westward through the city toward Lake Ontario. The Black River is a world-renowned kayaking destination. Competition level kayaking events, such as the Blackwater Challenge, have been held on the river. The name is traditionally said to have been derived from abundant water power available from the river to power mills, particularly paper mills, historically a major industry for the city.
Many highways converge on the city, including US Route 11, NY-3, NY-12, and NY-12F. Interstate 81 passes west of the city.
Jefferson Community College (JCC) is located in the western part of the city near the fairgrounds.
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,705 people, 11,036 households, and 6,500 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,981.3/mi² (1,150.8/km²). There were 12,450 housing units at an average density of 1,389.9/mi² (536.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.13% White, 4.95% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 2.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.59% of the population.
There were 11,036 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,429, and the median income for a family was $36,115. Males had a median income of $31,068 versus $21,294 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,354. About 14.4% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.
On the Internet, Watertown and its surrounding area is covered by ''Newzjunky.com'' which provides 24-hour updates of local news.
The ''Watertown Daily Times'', owned by the Johnson Newspaper Corporation, is the main daily newspaper serving Watertown and surrounding areas of the North Country.
The three major AM radio stations hosted in Watertown are: AM 790 - WTNY, news/talk; AM 1240 - WATN, talk; and
★ AM 1410 - WNER, which is a sports station. The city's FM stations consist of: FM 88.9 - WSLJ, NPR; FM 90.9 - WJNY , classical; FM 93.3 - WCIZ, classic hits; FM 97.5 - WFRY, country (Froggy); FM 100.7 - WOTT, rock; FM 103.1 - WTOJ, light adult contemporary; and FM 106.7 - WBDI, Pop.
The City is also host to three network television stations including: Channel 7: WWNY, CBS as channel 4 on cable; Channel 28: WNYF, Fox as channel 2 on cable; and Channel 50: WWTI, ABC as channel 5 on cable. Time-Warner Cable is the leading cable provider for the Watertown area, while several homes have satellite access through either DirectTV or Dish Network. The city also hosts Channel 16: WPBS, PBS and Channel 23: W23BP, which offers shopping items.
Watertown claims that Rodman native Frank W. Woolworth conceived the idea of his mercantile chain in Watertown in 1878, although the first store was opened in Utica, New York in 1879. The claim is made because Woolworth, employed as a clerk in Moore's Store, set up a successful clearance display of low-priced items, which led to his idea of a store specializing in fixed-price cut-rate merchandise.
The Staten Island Yankees were previously based in Watertown, as was the Davis Sewing Machine Company, predecessor of George P. Huffman's Huffy Corporation (NYSE: HUF), an American maker of bicycles and other sporting goods.
The fictional town of Rivet Town in the movie ''Robots'' is based on Watertown because movie director Chris Wedge resided in Watertown during his teens.
Watertown was the setting for the 1990 Bette Midler film "Stella". While the movie was actually filmed in Canada, several local items were imported to appear in the film, including the local daily newspaper, taxi-cabs and shopping bags from the locally owned Empsalls department store.
Little Trees air fresheners were invented in Watertown in 1951 and is now home to the Car-Freshener Corporation headquarters and manufacturing plant.
Harry Chapin made a famous quote -- "I spent a week there one afternoon" -- about Watertown. His song "A Better Place to Be" was inspired by a story he heard in Watertown. Chapin mentioned both the quote and the origin of the song on his album Greatest Stories Live.
★ Watertown International Airport
★ Public Square, Watertown NY
★ John M. McHugh (congressperson)
★ Paddock Arcade
★ City of Watertown, NY
★ Watertown High Alumni Website
★ Job Search for Watertown and Central New York
★ 1907 bookplate from Flower Memorial Library
'Watertown' is an American city in the State of New York and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is situated near the U.S. Army base Fort Drum and has a population of 26,705 as of the 2000 census. The city was named for the abundance of falls located on the Black River, which supplied power to its early development as a manufacturing center.
Geographically, Watertown is located in the central part of Jefferson County and lies 72 miles north of Syracuse, New York and some 31 miles south of the Canadian border. The city is served by Watertown International Airport.
The city is renowned as the birthplace of the "Five and Dime", for the invention of the safety pin; for having the longest continually operating county fair in the United States; as well as containing the Red and Black football franchise, which is the oldest surviving semi-professional team in the United States.
| Contents |
| History |
| Notable residents |
| Recent events |
| Geography |
| Demographics |
| Media |
| Trivia |
| See also |
| External links |
History
The city of Watertown was settled in 1800 by pioneers from New Hampshire, most notably Hart Massey, Henry Coffeen, and Zachariah Butterfield. These pioneers chose the area due to the Black River. The pioneers' vision was an industrial center, which would draw power from the Black River. When the pioneers and their families arrived, they faced many challenges. All of the land was rough and unclear. Elevation was also a problem. The western end of the town was 12 to 15 feet higher than the eastern end, with a large depression in the middle. A small stream also passed through the town. In a few years, the area was cleared for a public square. [1]
A drop in the Black River at Watertown's location promised abundant water power for early industry.
Watertown became the county seat of Jefferson County in 1805 and became an Incorporated Village in 1816. In 1869, Watertown was incorporated as a city. In 1920, the city adopted a city manager style of government.
Previously a more important city than it is today, Watertown suffered economic and population declines throughout most of the 20th century. Today it serves as the center for a large rural area, and as the nearest major community to Fort Drum and the base's large military population. Located 25 miles from the international boundary via the Thousand Islands Bridge, shopping by Canadian visitors is an important part of the local economy.
Notable residents
Notable people born in or who have resided in Watertown:
★ John Foster Dulles, U.S. Secretary of State
★ Al Dulles, director of the Central Intelligence Agency
★ Charles W. Yost, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
★ Robert Lansing, U.S. Secretary of State
★ Frederick Exley, author of ''A Fan's Notes'', 1968, and other works.
★ Leonard J. Farwell, businessman and Wisconsin governor.
★ Oscar S. Gifford, lawyer and South Dakota politician.
★ Richard Grieco, actor, singer, former college football athlete.
★ Robert Guinan, painter
★ Eugene Mosher, a pioneer of human-computer interaction best known for inventing the graphic touchscreen point of sale computer.
★ Viggo Mortensen, star of the ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy
★ Charles Pierce, self-defined ''male actress'' best known for his impersonations of Bette Davis.
★ Savanna Samson, adult film star.
★ Zina D. H. Young, leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and social activist.
★ Frank W. Woolworth, founder of F. W. Woolworth Company/Five and Dime stores.
★ Maggie Rizer, Supermodel & AIDS Activist
★ Paul Finkelman, Historian
★ Albert Bouchard, Drummer for and co-founding member of popular rock band Blue Oyster Cult
★ Joe Bouchard, Bassist for and co-founding member or popular rock band Blue Oyster Cult
Recent events
In August 2006, Watertown made minor-national news when Reverend Timothy LaBouf of First Baptist Church of Watertown, N.Y., also a city councilman, fired his church's Sunday School teacher of 54 years, Mary Lambert, for being a woman. He cited a change in church policy, literally interpreting the first epistle to Timothy: ''"I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent."'' Mayor Jeffrey Graham was disturbed by this, and said: "If what's said in that letter reflects the councilman's views, those are disturbing remarks in this day and age," Graham said. "Maybe they wouldn't have been disturbing 500 years ago, but they are now." [2] This decision by Timothy LaBouf and other leaders of First Baptist Church of Watertown, N.Y., was rebuked by several other Christian leaders such as J.Lee Grady [3].
Watertown gained national attention when Watertown-native and supermodel, Maggie Rizer, filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Mayor Graham and several other defendants. Rizer's stepfather, John Breen, Jr. pirated as much as $7,000,000 from Rizer's financial accounts so he could play the State-sponsored lottery game, Quick Draw, at several taverns - most notably Mayor Graham's bar, Speak Easy. Breen was convicted and sent to prison on several felony counts and Mayor Graham was forced to give up his State lottery license. A story was featured on a May 2005 episode of ABC's news magazine 20/20.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.3 mi²(24.0 km²). 9.0 mi² (23.2 km²) of it is land and 0.3 mi² (0.8 km²) of it (3.45%) is water.
The Black River flows westward through the city toward Lake Ontario. The Black River is a world-renowned kayaking destination. Competition level kayaking events, such as the Blackwater Challenge, have been held on the river. The name is traditionally said to have been derived from abundant water power available from the river to power mills, particularly paper mills, historically a major industry for the city.
Many highways converge on the city, including US Route 11, NY-3, NY-12, and NY-12F. Interstate 81 passes west of the city.
Jefferson Community College (JCC) is located in the western part of the city near the fairgrounds.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,705 people, 11,036 households, and 6,500 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,981.3/mi² (1,150.8/km²). There were 12,450 housing units at an average density of 1,389.9/mi² (536.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.13% White, 4.95% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 2.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.59% of the population.
There were 11,036 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,429, and the median income for a family was $36,115. Males had a median income of $31,068 versus $21,294 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,354. About 14.4% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.
Media
On the Internet, Watertown and its surrounding area is covered by ''Newzjunky.com'' which provides 24-hour updates of local news.
The ''Watertown Daily Times'', owned by the Johnson Newspaper Corporation, is the main daily newspaper serving Watertown and surrounding areas of the North Country.
The three major AM radio stations hosted in Watertown are: AM 790 - WTNY, news/talk; AM 1240 - WATN, talk; and
★ AM 1410 - WNER, which is a sports station. The city's FM stations consist of: FM 88.9 - WSLJ, NPR; FM 90.9 - WJNY , classical; FM 93.3 - WCIZ, classic hits; FM 97.5 - WFRY, country (Froggy); FM 100.7 - WOTT, rock; FM 103.1 - WTOJ, light adult contemporary; and FM 106.7 - WBDI, Pop.
The City is also host to three network television stations including: Channel 7: WWNY, CBS as channel 4 on cable; Channel 28: WNYF, Fox as channel 2 on cable; and Channel 50: WWTI, ABC as channel 5 on cable. Time-Warner Cable is the leading cable provider for the Watertown area, while several homes have satellite access through either DirectTV or Dish Network. The city also hosts Channel 16: WPBS, PBS and Channel 23: W23BP, which offers shopping items.
Trivia
Watertown claims that Rodman native Frank W. Woolworth conceived the idea of his mercantile chain in Watertown in 1878, although the first store was opened in Utica, New York in 1879. The claim is made because Woolworth, employed as a clerk in Moore's Store, set up a successful clearance display of low-priced items, which led to his idea of a store specializing in fixed-price cut-rate merchandise.
The Staten Island Yankees were previously based in Watertown, as was the Davis Sewing Machine Company, predecessor of George P. Huffman's Huffy Corporation (NYSE: HUF), an American maker of bicycles and other sporting goods.
The fictional town of Rivet Town in the movie ''Robots'' is based on Watertown because movie director Chris Wedge resided in Watertown during his teens.
Watertown was the setting for the 1990 Bette Midler film "Stella". While the movie was actually filmed in Canada, several local items were imported to appear in the film, including the local daily newspaper, taxi-cabs and shopping bags from the locally owned Empsalls department store.
Little Trees air fresheners were invented in Watertown in 1951 and is now home to the Car-Freshener Corporation headquarters and manufacturing plant.
Harry Chapin made a famous quote -- "I spent a week there one afternoon" -- about Watertown. His song "A Better Place to Be" was inspired by a story he heard in Watertown. Chapin mentioned both the quote and the origin of the song on his album Greatest Stories Live.
See also
★ Watertown International Airport
★ Public Square, Watertown NY
★ John M. McHugh (congressperson)
★ Paddock Arcade
External links
★ City of Watertown, NY
★ Watertown High Alumni Website
★ Job Search for Watertown and Central New York
★ 1907 bookplate from Flower Memorial Library
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