Portage (town), New York
| Portage | |
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| — Town — | |
 Portage
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| Coordinates: 42°33′36″N 77°59′04″W / 42.56°N 77.98444°WCoordinates: 42°33′36″N 77°59′04″W / 42.56°N 77.98444°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Livingston |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town Council |
| • Town Supervisor | Ivan C. Davis (D, R) |
| • Town Council |
Members' List
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| Area | |
| • Total | 24.4 sq mi (63.2 km2) |
| • Land | 24.4 sq mi (63.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 884 |
| • Density | 31/sq mi (12/km2) |
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Portage is a town in the southwest corner of Livingston County, New York, USA. The town is near the south end of Letchworth State Park. The name of the town stems from the need to portage (carry) canoes around the falls of the Genesee River.
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[edit] History
The town was first settled around 1810. Portage was formed from part of the town of Nunda in 1827.
The "High Bridge at Portage," built in 1853, was once considered an engineering wonder for wood construction. It was destroyed by a fire in 1875. That same year the bridge was rebuilt in iron according to a design by the railroad engineer Octave Chanute, who later became a pioneer of aviation. The iron bridge still stands today.
[edit] Geography
The western border of the town is formed by the Genesee River and the Genesee River Gorge. The west town line is the border of Wyoming County, and the south town line is the border of Allegany County.
New York State Route 436 is an east-west highway across the town, that intersects New York State Route 70 west of the community of Oakland.
[edit] Adjacent towns and areas
Portage is bounded on the east by the town of Nunda and on the north by the town of Mount Morris. To the south are the towns of Granger and Grove in Allegany County. To the west is the town of Genesee Falls in Wyoming County, on the opposite side of the Genesee River.
[edit] Demographics
Population (year 2000): 859. Estimated population in July 2005: 849 (-1.2% change), Males: 433 (50.4%), Females: 426 (49.6%).
Median resident age: 34.6 years, Median household income: $32,500 (year 2000), Median house value: $53,300 (year 2000). Racial breakdown: White Non-Hispanic (96.3%), Two or more races (2.2%), American Indian (1.2%), Hispanic (0.8%). Ancestries: German (30.8%), English (21.5%), Irish (18.7%), United States (6.8%), Italian (5.7%), Dutch (4.5%).
[edit] Communities and locations in Portage
- Dalton – A hamlet on the east town line.
- Deowesta – A former native town near the portage of the Genesee River.
- Hunt – A hamlet west of Hunt's Hollow on Main Street.
- Hunt's Hollow – A hamlet on NY-70 in the center of the town.
- Keshequa Creek – A stream flowing through the town.
- Oakland – A hamlet in the northern part of the town on Route 436.
- Portage – A hamlet on the western border of the town south of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls on the Genesee River. The hamlet in located on NY-436 across the river from Portageville which is located in Wyoming County. It was formerly called "Portage Station."
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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