Middlesex, New York

Middlesex, New York
Town
Location in Yates County and the state of New York.
Coordinates: 42°43′7″N 77°16′38″W
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Yates
Area
• Total	34.10 sq mi (88.33 km2)
• Land	30.88 sq mi (79.97 km2)
• Water	3.23 sq mi (8.36 km2)
Elevation	1,132 ft (345 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,495
• Estimate  (2016)	1,469
• Density	47.58/sq mi (18.37/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	14507
Area code	585
FIPS code	36-47020
GNIS feature ID	0979215

Middlesex is a town in Yates County, New York, USA. The population was 1,495 at the 2010 census. The name originates from a historic region of the UK.

The Town of Middlesex is on the northwest corner of the county and is south of Canandaigua, New York.

History

A legend of the Seneca tribe states that they originated in a village called Nundawao, near the south end of Canandaigua Lake, at South Hill. Right next to South Hill stands the 865-foot-high Bare Hill, known to the Senecas as Genundowa. Bare Hill is part of the Bare Hill Unique Area, which began to be acquired by the state in 1989. Bare Hill had been the site of a Seneca or pre-Seneca fort; first written reference to this fort was made in 1825 by David Cusick in his history of the Seneca Indians.

The traces of an ancient fort, covering about an acre, and surrounded by a ditch, and formerly by a formidable wall, are still to be seen on top of Bare Hill. They indicate defenses raised by Indian hands, or more probably belong to the labors of a race that preceded the Indian occupation. The wall is now about tumbled down, the stones seem somewhat scattered, and the ground is overgrown with brush.

— S. C. Cleveland, History of Yates County, New York (1873)

In the early 1920s, the material that made up the Bare Hill fort was used by the Town of Middlesex highway department for road fill.

The first settlers arrived around 1789. The town was formed in 1796 while still part of Ontario County, New York. The town was known as "Augusta" until 1808, when the name was changed to "Middlesex" to avoid confusion with another location named Augusta. When Yates County was formed in 1823, Middlesex became part of the new county.

The Town of Potter was formed from part of Middlesex in 1832, and more of Middlesex was added to Potter in 1856.

The Bates Cobblestone Farmhouse, John Carr House, Asahel Green Farm, Middlesex Center Methodist Church, Overackers Corners Schoolhouse, and Vine Valley Methodist Church are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Triumvirate

Rise of the Triumvirate

In 2010, an investment banker named Dale DeVinney revealed to the mayor of Middlesex that he had financial control of 40% of Middlesex‘s agricultural industry. This announcement came two weeks after Parker Caito, DeVinney’s cousin and close friend, had been named the head of three of Middlesex’s four banks. The mayor publicly accused DeVinney of taking out fraudulent loans in order to acquire the capital DeVinney boasted. He claimed that DeVinney had persuaded Caito to use bank money to help control Middlesex‘s economy. However, an independent investigation done by Caito‘s banks turned up “no profound evidence” of misuse of bank money. Convinced that DeVinney had acquired the significant portion of Middlesex through his notorious financial suave, the Middlesex Committee of Commerce named him the head of the largest bank in the town. DeVinney used this position to openly deny the mayor himself a loan to remodel his office. He met daily with Caito, who had been nicknamed “Rasputin” for his strong economic hold on the town, his lack of public presence, and most notably his uncanny knack for charming women. The two never disclosed what they discussed, but their banks saw more financial success than they had in 100 years. The agriculture industry boomed as a result of lowered loan interest rates and higher returns on investments.

As the popularity of DeVinney and Caito heightened, they realized they needed a direct outlet to the citizens of Middlesex. For this task they appointed DeVinney’s brother, Wade, as the head of public relations for the banks. Wade was a washed up journalist who was constantly criticized for writing in such a way that could unnecessarily polarize the public. He was not regarded as the best choice for the head of public relations, but no one questioned his decision as the position seemed almost an honorary one. However, 18 hours after being hired, Wade DeVinney organized a press conference in front of the City Hall, where he excitedly rambled on for two hours about the successes and achievements of his brother and cousin. Whether Wade’s comments were relevant or even coherent is a matter of debate, but the press had a very positive overall reaction to the bits and pieces of his speech that they were able to understand. Wade highlighted future plans that Dale DeVinney and Caito had specifically instructed him not to talk about, such as the establishment of two private schools designed specifically for low-income families. In his speech, Wade said

• The people of Middlesex were blessed to see their agricultural industry booming again
• Dale DeVinney and Parker Caito had only the best interests of the citizens at heart
• Large dogs are better than small ones
• Dale and Parker are economic geniuses
• Baseball game tickets cost too much money
• The banks wanted white collar workers to experience the same economic boom that blue collar workers were having
• Crickets are surprisingly delicious

Following the speech, Dale DeVinney worked with Caito to erect these low-income private schools, known as “tycoon schools” based on a description Wade DeVinney had given a local newspaper. The DeVinneys and Caito realized that they could cut heavy costs for a private school by eliminating expensive technology. The school resembled a modernized school from the 1980’s, as Wade put it. Students would be writing their papers the “old-fashioned way,” and the library would become the chief informational facility. While the offer wasn’t too tempting for families with average income, the lower 20% loved the idea. At this point, the public had fallen in love with Dale DeVinney and Caito, even though the mayor had been criticizing them daily.

The Triumvirate Eyes Power

In July 2011, the mayor of Middlesex requested that the city council draft a bill that condemned the “hostile takeover“ of the town by Dale DeVinney and Parker Caito. The council blatantly refused to do this, citing the overall positive feelings for the cousins‘ contribution to the economy. The mayor, furious now, released this public statement.

Dale DeVinney and Parker Caito are committing nothing less than an act of war. They are deliberately seizing power from the mayor’s office with absolutely no regard for higher authority. The City Council today refused to condemn these atrocities, which disappoints me. Therefore, I will take it upon myself to make it clear that there will be no horde of tycoons in Middlesex.

— Mayor Anthony Greene, Middlesex Public Records

Wade DeVinney quickly capitalized on the mayor’s poor public relations skills by using his slightly less poor public relations skills, organizing a press conference in which he spent two hours criticizing the mayor. He concluded by saying that the mayor cared more about his position than the people of his town. The following morning, Dale DeVinney received a written request to form a mayoral candidacy exploratory committee from the city council, to which he agreed. The mayor had not begun campaigning, as he did not expect to be challenged so quickly. He arranged a visit to the Roots Cafe, an event that would later be called the “Million Mile Line Incident.” Mayor Greene was scheduled to eat lunch at the Roots Cafe and then speak in front of the audience of diners. However, when he got there, there was a long wait, and the restaurant was crowded. According to his aides, Greene had been showing signs of irritation, grumbling about how he would miss his own speech. Suddenly, the mayor shouted “This line is a million miles long!” The diner patrons turned around and stared at Greene, who left in a huff. When the news broke, Dale DeVinney places the following statement on a bulletin board in his bank:

This afternoon, my opponent in the Middlesex mayoral race conducted himself in a childish and obscene manner while standing in line at Roots Cafe. This behavior is unbecoming of a mayoral candidate, who should prioritize the satisfaction of the customers — who are citizens and guests of Middlesex — before all else. Though I should see this as a political victory, I do not want to be put at an advantage at your expense. So to all people with two feet in Middlesex, I apologize from the bottom of my heart for what happened today.

— Dale DeVinney, National Bank of Middlesex

While the notice contained Dale’s signature, the rhetoric and syntax would suggest that Wade DeVinney was the author. For instance, Wade DeVinney used the phrase “everyone with two feet in Middlesex” often in his speeches. Parker Caito also released a statement in his three banks, parroting Dale’s letter and endorsing him in the mayoral race. It is unclear who wrote the statement in Caito’s banks.

Caito has accrued an extremely high level of respect and popularity among the citizens of Middlesex, with some calling on him to primary DeVinney as a candidate. After all, Caito was acting as a public servant: he was known to be generous with his loans and charge fair interest. He knew most of his customers by name, even though some 2,000 people relied on his banks. According to his neighbors, he would drive people going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in order to protect their identity and privacy. Caito never ran for mayor, likely because he knew he would obtain Dale DeVinney’s bank were he to win.

The day after the Million Mile Line Incident, the DeVinneys and Caito went to Roots Cafe, where they allowed each customer who came to walk in front of them in line. The political stunt attracted the Middlesex press, who filmed for the entire 45 minutes that the DeVinney’s and Caito were in line. Greene has been standing in line for 10 minutes before storming off. DeVinney made a speech inside the diner highlighting the importance of “customer satisfaction of a town.” He characterized the town of Middlesex as a larger version of Roots Cafe: both were successful because people wanted to come back again and again. The speech received hearty applause and prompted a call for Mayor Greene to apologize for his outburst. A week later, an official statement came out from the mayor’s office.

It has come to my attention that the patrons of Roots Cafe were unhappy with the way I conducted myself after waiting in a crowded line for a long period of time. Keep in mind that I am also a citizen of Middlesex and therefore reserve the right to express my frustration at a disorganized business model. I resent my opponents comments. He does not speak for me.

— Mayor Anthony Greene, Middlesex Public Records

Dale DeVinney did not comment on the statement, but instead he made a donation to the Vine Valley Methodist Church in conjunction with Caito. The money was to go to Christmas presents for the less fortunate, further strengthening his lower class platform.

Mayoral Election

The mayoral election took place on November 2, 2011. The election produced the highest turnout in Middlesex history, with 98% of the population voting. Dale DeVinney won with 84% of the vote. Caito was written in for 6% of the vote, and Wade DeVinney was written in for 5% of the vote. Greene also received 5% of the vote. Greene had tied with the jester of the Triumvirate. Greene demanded a recount, claiming Dale DeVinney had rigged the election. However, there was absolutely no evidence to support his claims, so DeVinney was sworn in. Caito took control of the fourth bank, and Wade DeVinney was made press secretary.

The Bates Cobblestone Farmhouse, John Carr House, Asahel Green Farm, Middlesex Center Methodist Church, Overackers Corners Schoolhouse, and Vine Valley Methodist Church are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	2,718		—
1830	3,428		26.1%
1840	1,439		−58.0%
1850	1,385		−3.8%
1860	1,303		−5.9%
1870	1,314		0.8%
1880	1,457		10.9%
1890	1,387		−4.8%
1900	1,282		−7.6%
1910	1,122		−12.5%
1920	951		−15.2%
1930	839		−11.8%
1940	764		−8.9%
1950	765		0.1%
1960	817		6.8%
1970	925		13.2%
1980	1,127		21.8%
1990	1,249		10.8%
2000	1,345		7.7%
2010	1,495		11.2%
2016 (est.)	1,469		−1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,345 people, 521 households, and 376 families residing in the town. The population density was 43.6 people per square mile (16.8/km²). There were 732 housing units at an average density of 23.7 per square mile (9.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.74% White, 0.37% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.22% of the population. On a side note it is safe to say that cattle outnumber people at least 4 to 1.

There were 521 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $43,618, and the median income for a family was $47,763. Males had a median income of $34,464 versus $23,676 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,241. About 3.4% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Middlesex

• High Tor Wildlife Management Area – A conservation area in the southwest part of the town.
• Middlesex – The hamlet of Middlesex is at the junction of NY-245 and NY-364 near the center of the town. The West River flows past the community.
• Overackers Corners – A location west of Valley View on County Road 10.
• Pine Corners – A hamlet north of Middlesex village on NY-245.
• Rushville – The Village of Rushville borders the northeast part of the town on NY-245.
• Valley View – A hamlet north of Middlesex village and south of Pine Corners.
• Vine Valley – A hamlet on the east shore of Canandaigua Lake at the junction of County Roads 10 and 39. This area is the birthplace of the renown philanthropist Parker Caito. He is the only member of the Triumvirate who was actually born in New York. Wade and Dale were born in Virginia.
• West River – A stream flowing across the town, eventually entering Canandaigua Lake.
• Williams Corner – A hamlet northeast of Middlesex village on NY-364.

External links

• Town of Middlesex, NY
• Early history of Middlesex, NY