Le Roy (village), New York
| Le Roy | |
| Village | |
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| Country | USA |
|---|---|
| State | New York |
| Region | Western New York |
| County | Genesee |
| Town | Le Roy |
| River | Oatka Creek |
| Center | Main, Clay and Lake street intersection |
| - coordinates | 42°58′39″N 77°59′32″W / 42.9775°N 77.99222°W |
| Highest point | Water tower S of Main St. in eastern half of village |
| - elevation | 960 ft (293 m) |
| - coordinates | 42°58′37″N 77°59′45″W / 42.97694°N 77.99583°W |
| Lowest point | Oatka Creek on N village line |
| - elevation | 820 ft (250 m) |
| - coordinates | 42°59′0″N 77°59′22″W / 42.983333°N 77.98944°W |
| Area | 2.7 sq mi (7 km2) |
| Population | 4,391 (2010) |
| Settled | 1797 |
| - Incorporated | 1834 |
| Government | Village Hall |
| - location | 3 West Main Street |
| - elevation | 920 ft (280 m) |
| - coordinates | 42°58′38″N 77°59′33″W / 42.97722°N 77.9925°W |
| Mayor | George Brady |
| Timezone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP Code | 14482 |
| Area code | 585 |
| Exchange | 768 |
| FIPS code | 36-42026 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0955133 |
  Location of Le Roy within New York
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| Wikimedia Commons: Le Roy, New York | |
| Website: The Village of Le Roy | |
Le Roy is a village in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 4,391 at the 2010 census.
The Village of Le Roy lies in the center of the Town of Le Roy at the intersection of Routes 5 and 19.
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[edit] History
Prior to its incorporation in 1834, the first settlements in the village were to the east of the present village site.
The village was an early center for the manufacture of patent medicines by companies such as S. C. Wells & Co. and household chemicals. Products produced in Le Roy included Mustarine, a patent mustard-plaster compound, and Rough On Rats, a rodent poison. Earliest businesses in the village are the Bank of LeRoy (founded 1834, now Bank of America) and the Gazette-News newspaper (defunct 1993). Le Roy is the birthplace of Jell-O.[1]
Le Roy holds the Oatka Festival every summer, the tradition originating in 1989. This festival includes celebration of the rich culture and history of of the local area with vendors and several of local businesses and restaurants participating each year.
The Keeney House, Machpelah Cemetery, Le Roy House and Union Free School, U.S. Post Office, and Marion Steam Shovel are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[2]
[edit] Chemical spill
Within the Village of Le Roy lies the location of a chemical spill that resulted from a 1970 train derailment. The now quarantined spill site consists of portions of Gulf Road, the former railroad bed, and the properties adjacent to the crossing. An intermittent stream, Mud Creek, is located approximately 500 ft (152 m) to the southeast.
The derailment occurred at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, December 6, 1970. Approximately 2,000 lb (907 kg) of cyanide crystals spilled onto the ground. The cleanup included the removal of the crystals and the overturned car. After the crystals were removed, neutralizers were spread on the ground to counteract the effects of any remaining cyanide. Trichloroethene (TCE) was also released from two ruptured tank cars. Subsequent reports compiled in February of 1971 estimate that approximately 35,000 US gal (132 kL) of TCE had been spilled. An independent geologist hired by Lehigh Valley Railroad to investigate pollution resulting from the spill reported in March 1971 that approximately 30,000 US gal (114 kL) of TCE were spilled. TCE odors were noticed eight days after the derailment in the basement of the Knickerbocker Hotel, which was located 200 ft (61 m) north of the crossing.[3]
[edit] Medical mystery
Beginning in August of 2011, 14 students (13 girls and 1 boy) from the LeRoy Junior-Senior High School began reporting myriad perplexing medical symptoms including verbal outbursts, tics, seizure activity and speech difficulty. Following a thorough workup by local doctors and investigations by independent medical specialist, a number of different diagnoses were applied to describe the symptoms including Tourette syndrome, hysteria and conversion disorder. Several of the teenage girls were interviewed on national television describing their symptoms and difficulty functioning in day to day life. [4]
Unsatisfied with the results of the investigation, victims and their parents spoke out publicly against a diagnosis of conversion disorder, stating that they believed the situation warranted further scrutiny from outside sources. Erin Brockovich, noted environmental activist, speculated that a chemical spill of 1970 might be related to the symptoms the teenagers were experiencing. Brockovich and her team traveled to Le Roy in January of 2012 to investigate further. Soil and wellwater testing began on January 29, 2012 at the site of the 1970 spill and surrounding areas which include the nearby High School. On January 31st it was reported that school officials barred Brockovich and her team from collecting soil samples on school grounds, and subsequently issued security directives to supporting local law officials to prevent any unauthorized testing in the area. [5]
[edit] Geography
Le Roy is located at 42°58′32″N 77°59′26″W / 42.97556°N 77.99056°W (42.975656, -77.990792)[6].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.7 sq mi (7.0 km2). None of the area is covered with water.
Oatka Creek, a tributary of the Genesee River, flows through the village.
New York State Route 19 intersects New York State Route 5 in LeRoy.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 4,462 people, 1,845 households, and 1,114 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,654.8 people per square mile (638.1/km²). There were 1,980 housing units at an average density of 734.3 per square mile (283.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 94.73% White, 2.47% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 1.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.92% of the population.
There were 1,845 households out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the village the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $33,168, and the median income for a family was $43,594. Males had a median income of $36,740 versus $21,306 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,565. About 6.1% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] References
- ^ "Jell-O History", The JELL-O Gallery, Retrieved 2011-05-26.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ http://www.epa.gov/region2/superfund/npl/0203481c.pdf "Lehigh Valley Railroad Derailment Site", "EPA.GOV", Retrieved 2012-01-31.
- ^ "Mass Hysteria In Upstate NY", "Huffington Post", Retrieved 2012-01-31.
- ^ "Brockovich's efforts in Le Roy halted, "BuffaloNews.com", Retrieved 2012-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Le Roy, New York |
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