Editing Colton, New York

{{for|the census-designated place|Colton (CDP), New York}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Colton, New York
|settlement_type          = [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = File:Colton, NY, USA - panoramio (10).jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = Landscape in Colton
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|pushpin_map            = New York Adirondack Park
|pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption    = Location within the state of New York
|pushpin_mapsize        = 
|image_map                = File:Colton_NY_Locator_Map.png
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Map highlighting Colton's location within St. Lawrence County.
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = 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        = [[St. Lawrence County, New York|St. Lawrence]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- 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 5, 2017}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 660.33
|area_land_km2            = 626.00
|area_water_km2           = 34.32
|area_total_sq_mi         = 254.95
|area_land_sq_mi          = 241.70
|area_water_sq_mi         = 13.25

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 1530
|population_density_km2   = 2.29
|population_density_sq_mi = 5.93

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 456
|elevation_ft             = 1496
|coordinates              = {{coord|44|28|38|N|74|51|17|W|region:US-NY|display=inline}}
|postal_code_type         = 
|postal_code              = 
|area_code                = 
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 36-17409
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0978854
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}
[[File:Raquette (1).jpg|thumb|375px|The [[Raquette River]] in the Stone Valley Recreational Area]]

'''Colton''' is a [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|town]] in [[St. Lawrence County, New York|St. Lawrence County]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States. The population was 1,451 at the 2010 census. The town, originally named "Matildaville", is named after early settler Jesse Colton Higley.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n87 88]}}</ref>

Colton is in the southeastern part of the county, south of [[Potsdam (village), New York|Potsdam]].

== History ==
The first land patents were issued in 1776. The first settlement took place in March 1824 near Colton village, in the northern part of the town, by Abel Brown and his son, James Brown. Saw mills were established on the Raquette River, in addition to a starch factory built in 1844.

Colton was organized in 1843 from part of the town of [[Parishville, New York|Parishville]]. Additional land from Parishville was added to Colton in 1851, and Colton was increased in 1876 from territory taken from the town of [[Hopkinton, New York|Hopkinton]].<ref>Hough, Franklin B. (1853) [https://www.loc.gov/item/01014242/ ''"A history of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, New York: from the earliest period to the present time"'']</ref>

The [[Zion Episcopal Church and Rectory (Colton, New York)|Zion Episcopal Church and Rectory]] was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2003.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref> The [[Hepburn Library of Colton]] was added in 2012.<ref name="nps">{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/listings/20120525.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places|date=May 25, 2012|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 5/14/12 through 5/18/12 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>

== Education==
Colton has one school district, Colton-Pierrepont Central School. The school had 390 students in 2022.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|254.9|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|242.1|sqmi|km2}}  is land and {{convert|12.8|sqmi|km2}}  (5.04%) is water.

Colton is the largest town in St. Lawrence County, which in turn is the largest county in New York state. The southern town line is the border of [[Hamilton County, New York|Hamilton]] and [[Herkimer County, New York|Herkimer counties]].

The [[Raquette River]] flows through the western part of the town. The town is in the foothills of the [[Adirondack Mountains]]. Most of the town, the southern part, is inside the [[Adirondack Park]].

[[New York State Route 56]] intersects [[New York State Route 68]] at Colton village. [[New York State Route 3]] intersects NY-56 in the east-central part of the town at Sevey Corners.

===Climate===
{{Weather box
|location = Colton 2 N, New York, 1991–2020 normals, 1936-2020 extremes: 580ft (177m)
|single line = Yes

| Jan record high F  =	62
| Feb record high F  =	65
| Mar record high F  =	81
| Apr record high F  =	88
| May record high F  =	93
| Jun record high F  =	101
| Jul record high F  =	101
| Aug record high F  =	102
| Sep record high F  =	90
| Oct record high F  =	81
| Nov record high F  =	72
| Dec record high F  =	67
| year record high F =

|Jan high F = 25.9
|Feb high F = 28.5
|Mar high F = 37.5
|Apr high F = 52.6
|May high F = 66.8
|Jun high F = 75.4
|Jul high F = 79.7
|Aug high F = 78.3
|Sep high F = 70.7
|Oct high F = 57.0
|Nov high F = 43.9
|Dec high F = 32.0
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 16.0
|Feb mean F = 18.6
|Mar mean F = 27.8
|Apr mean F = 42.1
|May mean F = 55.4
|Jun mean F = 64.7
|Jul mean F = 69.0
|Aug mean F = 67.5
|Sep mean F = 59.5
|Oct mean F = 47.6
|Nov mean F = 35.6
|Dec mean F = 23.8
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 6.1
|Feb low F = 8.6
|Mar low F = 18.0
|Apr low F = 31.5
|May low F = 43.9
|Jun low F = 53.9
|Jul low F = 58.2
|Aug low F = 56.6
|Sep low F = 48.2
|Oct low F = 38.1
|Nov low F = 27.3
|Dec low F = 15.6
|year low F =

| Jan record low F  = -27
| Feb record low F  = -36
| Mar record low F  = -15
| Apr record low F  = 7
| May record low F  = 25
| Jun record low F  = 36
| Jul record low F  = 44
| Aug record low F  = 42
| Sep record low F  = 29
| Oct record low F  = 19
| Nov record low F  = -5
| Dec record low F  = -24
| year record low F =

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.69
|Feb precipitation inch = 2.35
|Mar precipitation inch = 2.78
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.56
|May precipitation inch = 3.57
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.02
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.32
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.66
|Sep precipitation inch = 4.07
|Oct precipitation inch = 4.57
|Nov precipitation inch = 3.37
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.07
|year precipitation inch =

|Jan snow inch = 27.2
|Feb snow inch = 28.9
|Mar snow inch = 16.1
|Apr snow inch = 3.4
|May snow inch = 0.2
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.1
|Nov snow inch = 9.8
|Dec snow inch = 22.0
|year snow inch =

|source 1 = NOAA (Hannawa Falls 0.1 SW Snowfall)<ref name = NOAA1>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00301664&format=pdf
|title = Colton 2 N, New York 1991-2020 Monthly Normals 
|access-date = December 13, 2023
}}
</ref><ref name = NOAA2>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=US1NYSL0006&format=pdf
|title = MHannawa Falls 0.1 SW, New York 1991-2020 Monthly Normals 
|access-date = December 13, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = XMACIS2 (2009-2020 snowfall, records & monthly max/mins)<ref name = XMACIS2>
{{cite web
|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = xmACIS
|access-date = December 13, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1850= 506
|1860= 1400
|1870= 1719
|1880= 1974
|1890= 1843
|1900= 1678
|1910= 1499
|1920= 1299
|1930= 986
|1940= 1096
|1950= 960
|1960= 1195
|1970= 1249
|1980= 1292
|1990= 1274
|2000= 1453
|2010= 1451
|2020= 1530
}}
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 1,453 people, 604 households, and 405 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|6.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 1,163 housing units at an average density of {{convert|4.8|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 99.17% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.34% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.07% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 0.41% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.89% of the population.

There were 604 households, out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.4 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $38,875, and the median income for a family was $44,637. Males had a median income of $35,000 versus $22,443 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $20,528.  About 10.5% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
*[[Bertrand H. Snell]], former US Congressman
*[[A. Barton Hepburn]] (1846–1922), banker, politician, and philanthropist

== Communities and locations in Colton ==
*'''Barber Point''' &ndash; A location on the eastern shore of Cranberry Lake.
*'''Brandy Brook''' &ndash; A location in the southwestern part of the town on [[New York State Route 3]].
*'''Burntbridge Pond''' &ndash; A pond located southwest of [[Massawepie Lake]].
*'''[[Carry Falls Reservoir]]''' &ndash; A [[reservoir]] in the northeastern part of Colton.
*'''[[Church Pond]]''' &ndash; A lake located south of Stark. It is the source of the [[North Branch Grass River]].
*'''[[Colton (CDP), New York|Colton]]''' &ndash; The hamlet of Colton is located at the junction of [[NY-56]] and [[NY-68]] by the [[Raquette River]]. The community, in the northwestern part of the town, is the location of the first settlement.
*'''[[Colton Flow]]''' &ndash; A part of the [[Raquette River]] located south of Colton.
*'''[[Cranberry Lake]]''' &ndash; A large lake near the southwestern town line, but only a small part of the lake is in Colton.
*'''Granshue Club''' &ndash; A location south of Stark near the western town line.
*'''[[Higley Flow State Park]]''' &ndash; A [[state park]] west of South Colton.
*'''[[Hitchens Pond]]''' &ndash; A lake located on the eastern town line. 
*'''Irish Settlement''' &ndash; A hamlet near the town center on NY-56.
*'''[[Leonard Pond]]''' &ndash; A pond north of Sevey. 
*'''[[Little Trout Pond]]''' &ndash; A pond located in the southwestern corner of the town, which is partially in the town of [[Piercefield, New York|Piercefield]].
*'''[[Lows Lake (New York)|Lows Lake]]''' &ndash; A [[lake]] partly in the southwestern corner of Colton.
*'''Sevey''' &ndash; A hamlet in the central part of the town on NY-56
*'''Sevey Corners''' &ndash; A location in the east-central part of the town on NY-3, south of Sevey.
*'''Shurteff''' &ndash; A hamlet southwest of Sevey on NY-3.
*'''[[South Colton, New York|South Colton]]''' &ndash; A hamlet in the northern part of the Town, south of the hamlet of Colton on NY-56. [[Sunday Rock]] was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.<ref name="nps1">{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/listings/20110408.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places|date=April 8, 2011|work=WEEKLY LIST OF ACTIONS TAKEN ON PROPERTIES: 3/28/11 THROUGH 4/01/11|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
*'''[[South Colton Reservoir]]''' &ndash; A reservoir located northeast of South Colton.
*'''Stark''' &ndash; A hamlet by the town line in the eastern part of Colton.
*'''[[Stark Falls Reservoir]]''' &ndash; A reservoir south of Stark and north of Carry Falls Reservoir.
*'''Stone Valley Recreational Area''' - A hiking and fishing area along the Raquette River, north of the hamlet of Colton.

==References==
{{portal|New York (state)}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Colton, New York}}
* [http://www.townofcolton.com  Town of Colton, NY]
* [http://history.rays-place.com/ny/colton-ny.htm  Colton history]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20091027051111/http://geocities.com/townofcolton/   Additional information about Colton]

{{Coord|44|33|11|N|74|56|23|W|type:city_region:US-NY|display=title}}

{{St. Lawrence County, New York}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in St. Lawrence County, New York]]
[[Category:Towns in New York (state)]]