Altona, New York

For the hamlet located within this town, see Altona (hamlet), New York.

Altona is a town in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 2,887 at the 2010 census. The town was named after the Altona, Hamburg district of Germany. The town contains a hamlet which is also called Altona.

The Town of Altona is centrally located in the county. The western part is inside the Adirondack Park boundary, but the entire town is specifically excluded from the park by statute. Altona is northwest of Plattsburgh, New York.

History

Close to the St. Lawrence River, the area was home to various cultures of indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Archeological studies have found that by 1300 CE, the St. Lawrence Iroquoians, a distinct group who spoke Laurentian, built fortified villages similar to those visited and described by explorer Jacques Cartier in the mid-16th century.

The first European-American settler arrived around 1800. In 1857, the town was formed from part of the Town of Chazy. The early economy was based on natural resources: mining, logging, and tanning.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 101.3 square miles (262.5 km²), of which 101.1 square miles (261.7 km²) is land and 0.3 square mile (0.7 km²) (0.28%) is water.

New York State Route 190 (Military Turnpike) is a northwest-southeast highway in the town. U.S. Route 11 crosses the northwest corner of Altona.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 3,160 people, 888 households, and 653 families residing in the town. The population density was 31.3 people per square mile (12.1/km²). There were 1,007 housing units at an average density of 10.0 per square mile (3.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 82.50% White, 11.96% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 4.75% from other races, and 0.32% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.10% of the population.

There were 888 households out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.12.

The age distribution was 21.9% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 41.1% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 161.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 184.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $41,442. Males had a median income of $31,217 versus $25,491 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,312. About 8.6% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 25.7% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Altona

• Alder Bend – A hamlet in the southwest part of the town and in the state park.
• Altona – The hamlet of Altona is in the western part of the town.
• Altona Correctional Facility – A New York medium security prison, built around a former high school that was given over in 1983. It is north of Altona village.
• Crowley Corners – A hamlet, on NY-190, southwest of Altona village.
• Dannemora Crossing – A hamlet at the west town line.
• Forest – A hamlet in the western part of the town, west of Irona.
• Irona – A hamlet near the north town line, northwest of Altona village.
• Jericho—A hamlet in the southwest part of the town.
• Miner Lake – A lake in the western part of the town, north of Crowley Corners.
• Miner Lake State Park – a park in the western part of the town.
• Purdys Mills – A hamlet south of Altona village.
• Robinson – A hamlet in the southeast part of the town, inside the state park.

Notable Residents

M.D. Barber – Certified Badass.

External links

• Unofficial Town of Altona website
• ePodunk Altona NY