Editing Ancram, New York

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Ancram, New York
|settlement_type          = [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Simons General Store Dec 10.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = The historic [[Simons General Store]] (built 1873–4) in the center of Ancram
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|pushpin_map            = 
|pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption    = 
|pushpin_mapsize        = 
|image_map                = Columbia County New York incorporated areas Ancram highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 
|map_caption              = Location of Ancram, New York
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[New York (state)|New York]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in New York|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Columbia County, New York|Columbia]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = [[Town Council]]
|leader_title             = [[Town Supervisor]]
|leader_name              = Jim MacArthur ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
| leader_title1           = [[Town Council]]
| leader_name1            = {{Collapsible list
 |title       = Members' List
 |frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
 |title_style = <!-- (optional) -->
 |list_style  = text-align:left;display:none;
 |1           = • David Boice ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
 |2           = • Amy Gold ([[United States Democratic Party|D]])
 |3           = • Bonnie Hundt ([[United States Democratic Party|D]])
 |4           = • Colleen Lutz ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
}}
|established_title        = Town of Gallatin
|established_date         = 1803

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2016">{{cite web|title=2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2016_Gazetteer/2016_gaz_place_36.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 4, 2017}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 110.68
|area_land_km2            = 110.01
|area_water_km2           = 0.67
|area_total_sq_mi         = 42.73
|area_land_sq_mi          = 42.48
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.26

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 1440
|population_density_km2   =  auto
|population_density_sq_mi =  auto
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 154
|elevation_ft             = 505
|coordinates              = {{coord|42|2|N|73|36|W|region:US-NY|display=inline}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 12502
|area_code                = [[Area code 518|518]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 36-021-02099
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0978679
|website                  = {{URL|www.townofancram.org}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of =  
|pop_est_footnotes =  
|population_est =  
}}
[[File:Ancram, NY, town hall.jpg|thumb|upright|Town hall]]
'''Ancram''' is a [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|town]] in [[Columbia County, New York|Columbia County]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States. The population was 1,440 at the 2020 census,<ref name="2020Census">US Census Bureau, 2020 census, Ancram town, Columbia County, New York https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP&q=Ancram%20town,%20Columbia%20County,%20New%20York Accessed November 6, 2022</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Source is a raw URL to a search result which is likely to not be stable|date=November 2022}} down from 1,573 at the 2010 census.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US3602102099| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212151224/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US3602102099| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Ancram town, Columbia County, New York| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=December 8, 2014}}</ref> The town was named after Ancram (now [[Ancrum]]), [[Scotland]].

Ancram is in the southeastern corner of the county.

==History==
Prior to European colonization, the area had been occupied for thousands of years by varying indigenous cultures. Historic Native American nations included the [[Mahican]] and [[Wappinger]].

Recorded as part of the land grant to the [[Livingston family]], this area on the [[Roeliff Jansen Kill]] was originally called "Livingston Forge" after the iron [[foundry]] developed on the river. Throughout the eighteenth century, the Livingston forge created metal products for the community. The town was sometimes known as "Scotchtown" due to the immigrants of [[Scottish people|Scottish ancestry]] who flocked there in the late 18th century. As the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolution]] drew near, the factory produced shot, cannonballs, and perhaps most importantly, the huge chain that was installed across the [[Hudson River]] at [[West Point, New York|West Point]] as a defense against British ships going upriver. The "Fort Montgomery Chain" was worked up in 1776 at the Ancram foundry and placed across the Hudson River near West Point between Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton.<ref>Lincoln Diamant; Chaining the Hudson; The fight for the river in the American Revolution, PP. 92</ref> On October 6, 1777, British forces attacked the two forts, choosing to outflank the forts on land rather than test the  strength of the chain directly.<ref>Lincoln Diamant; Chaining the Hudson; The fight for the river in the American Revolution, PP. 115-118</ref> It is believed that the chain was confiscated by the British forces when they retreated from the fort several weeks later. Its whereabouts is unknown but one prominent British historian surmises it was shipped to Gibraltar to defend shipping in that British colony.<ref>Lincoln Diamant; Chaining the Hudson; The fight for the river in the American Revolution, PP. 175-176</ref>

After the Revolution, the town was established from part of the town of [[Livingston, New York|Livingston]] in 1803, and was then called "Gallatin". In 1814, the name was changed to "Ancram", after the town in Scotland where the Livingstons had their origins. Part of Ancram was taken to form a new [[Gallatin, New York|town of Gallatin]] in 1830.

Mining of [[iron]] and [[lead]] was important in the early economy; the town of Ancramdale was originally known as "Ancram Lead Mines".

The [[Political subdivisions of New York State#Hamlet|hamlet]] of [[Boston Corner, New York|Boston Corner]] was formerly part of [[Massachusetts]]. Because it was more accessible from Ancram, it was annexed by the New York town on April 13, 1857, by an agreement between the states.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|110.7|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|110.0|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.7|km2|disp=flip}}, or 0.61%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/> Most of the town is drained by the [[Roeliff Jansen Kill]] and its tributary, Punch Brook. The Roeliff Jansen Kill flows west to the [[Hudson River]]. The southeastern corner of the town drains to Webatuck Creek, which flows south to the [[Ten Mile River (Housatonic River)|Ten Mile River]] and thence to the [[Housatonic River]] in [[Connecticut]].

The eastern town line is the border of [[Massachusetts]] and of [[Dutchess County, New York|Dutchess County]]. The southern town line also borders Dutchess County.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1820= 3147
|1830= 1533
|1840= 1770
|1850= 1569
|1860= 1720
|1870= 1793
|1880= 1602
|1890= 1332
|1900= 1238
|1910= 1137
|1920= 1015
|1930= 850
|1940= 1005
|1950= 925
|1960= 1080
|1970= 1215
|1980= 1332
|1990= 1510
|2000= 1513
|2010= 1573
|2020= 1440
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=November 2022|reason=No mention of Ancram at the given link}} 2020<ref name="2020Census"/>
}}

{{update|section|reason=Newer information is available from the 2010 and 2020 census reports|date=November 2022}}

===2000===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,513 people, 595 households, and 430 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|35.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 823 housing units at an average density of {{convert|19.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 97.69% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.06% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.13% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.13% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 0.99% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.93% of the population.

There were 595 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.7 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $45,726, and the median income for a family was $47,708. Males had a median income of $31,196 versus $25,625 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $22,541.  About 5.1% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Communities and other locations==
[[File:Ancram Town Hall (New York).jpg|thumb|Ancram Town Hall]]
*'''Ancram'''  — The [[Hamlet (New York)|hamlet]] of Ancram is in the western part of the town on [[New York State Route 82]] and County Route 7.
*'''Ancramdale''' — A hamlet southeast of Ancram village.
*'''[[Boston Corner, New York|Boston Corner]]''' — A hamlet of Ancram which was formerly in [[Massachusetts]].  The community is adjacent to the Massachusetts border.
*'''[[Taconic State Park]]''' — Part of the park is in the northeastern part of the town.
*'''Weed Mines''' — A location by the northern town line.

==See also==
{{portal|Geography|Hudson Valley|New York (state)}}
*[[List of towns in New York]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Ancram, New York}}
* [http://www.townofancram.org/ Town of Ancram official website]
* [http://www.roejanlibrary.org/  Roe-Jan Community Library]

{{Coord|42|3|N|73|36|W|type:city_region:US-NY|display=title}}

{{Columbia County, New York}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Columbia County, New York]]
[[Category:Towns in New York (state)]]
[[Category:1803 establishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1803]]
[[Category:Mining communities in New York (state)]]