Editing Hope, New York

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

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Town hall of Hope, New York.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Hope Town Hall
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Hamilton County New York incorporated and unincorporated areas Hope highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 260px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Hamilton County, New York|Hamilton County]] and the state of [[New York (state)|New York]].

<!-- 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        = [[Hamilton County, New York|Hamilton]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = [[Town Council]]
|leader_title             = [[Town Supervisor]]
|leader_name              = Robert Edwards ([[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           = • Dianna Downing ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
 |2           = • Mark A. Stuart ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
 |3           = • John E. Stuart, Jr. ([[United States Democratic Party|D]])
 |4           = • Steven Tomlinson ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
}}
|established_title        = Established 
|established_date         = 1818

<!-- 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|accessdate=July 5, 2017}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 107.84
|area_land_km2            = 105.42
|area_water_km2           = 2.42
|area_total_sq_mi         = 41.64
|area_land_sq_mi          = 40.70
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.93

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2010 United States Census|2010]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 403
|population_density_km2   = 3.54
|population_density_sq_mi = 9.16

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 355
|elevation_ft             = 1165
|coordinates              = {{coord|43|18|N|74|15|W|region:US-NY|display=inline}}
|postal_code_type         = 
|postal_code              = 
|area_code                = 
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 36-041-35496
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0979073
|website                  = {{cite web|url=https://townofhopeny.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418191140/https://townhope.digitaltowpath.org:10310/content|archive-date=April 18, 2023|title=Town of Hope}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 2016
|pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusEst2016"/>
|population_est = 373
}}
'''Hope''' is a [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|town]] in [[Hamilton County, New York|Hamilton County]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States. The population was 403 at the 2010 census.

First settled in 1790 and established as a town in 1818, Hope is located in the southeastern corner of the county and is {{convert|49|mi|km}} northwest of [[Schenectady, New York|Schenectady]].

== History ==
Prior to European settlement, the land occupied by present-day Hope was within the territory of the [[Mohawk people|Mohawk tribe]], the easternmost tribe of the [[Iroquois Confederacy]] and one of the original "Five Nations" which founded the confederacy sometime around 1450.<ref>Fenton, William N. (1998). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=LNKNhY0MX8UC&dq=The%20Great%20Law%20and%20the%20Longhouse%3A%20A%20Political%20History%20of%20the%20Iroquois%20Confederacy&pg=PP1 The Great Law and the Longhouse: A Political History of the Iroquois Confederacy].'' Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. {{ISBN|0-8061-3003-2}}.</ref> Despite its longtime control by the Mohawks, Hope was largely uninhabited when, on July 31, 1772, proprietor John Bergen and 23 of his associates purchased 19,589 acres of land from the Mohawk Turtle Clan. The purchase documents were signed by Mohawk Chief Hendricks, who drew a turtle in lieu of a signature. The land that Bergen and his associates bought became known as "Bergen's Purchase."<ref name="townofhopeny.org">{{cite web|url=https://townofhopeny.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418191140/https://townhope.digitaltowpath.org:10310/content|archive-date=April 18, 2023|url-status=dead|title=Town of Hope}}</ref>

[[File:David Isdell house in Hope, New York.jpg|left|thumb|David Isdell's house, the first stone house built in Hope and a scene of confrontation with Native Americans<ref name="Williams, Donald R 1930. Pg. 126">Williams, Donald R. The Adirondacks 1830-1930. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2002. (Pg. 126)</ref>]] 
Hope was first permanently settled in 1790 near the current south town line by Gideon and Jeremiah Homestead, who arrived from [[Massachusetts]].<ref name="townofhopeny.org"/> The first stone house was built in 1801 by David Isdell, on land he had purchased earlier that same year.<ref name="townofhopeny.org"/><ref name="Williams, Donald R 1930. Pg. 126"/> Wary of Indian attack, Isdell incorporated an escape tunnel in his home for "protection against marauders,"  but unfortunately, his youngest daughter was notoriously kidnapped by  Native Americans while picking berries, and was never heard from again; according to one account she perished in an Indian village. Isdell's home, also known as the "Old Eglin House," collapsed in 1930.<ref>{{cite book|last=Williams|first=Donald R.|title=The Adirondacks 1830-1930|publisher=Arcadia - Charleston, SC|date=2002|page=126|isbn=978-0-7385-1094-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w480-4_U8hwC&dq=David+Isdell+indians&pg=PA126}}</ref>

Hope was originally the southern district of the [[Wells, New York|Town of Wells]], but after its electors voted to separate and form a new town, the  southern district was reorganized as the "Town of Hope" on April 15, 1818, with a population of 608 as of the [[1820 United States census|1820 census]]. In the 1830s, [[Montgomery County, New York|Montgomery County]] ceded Hope to Hamilton County, of which Hope currently occupies the most southeastern part.<ref name="townofhopeny.org"/> In 1850, with booming agriculture, mining, [[Sawmill|sawmills]], and [[tanneries]], Hope's total population peaked at 1,125, with the subsequent decrease mainly due to residents moving away as a result of industrial decline. The town's area was considerably reduced on April 5, 1860, when a large portion of western Hope, with a population of 380, broke off to form part of the [[Benson, New York|Town of Benson]].<ref name="townofhopeny.org"/>

While numerous hotels were built during the late 1800s, the population began to decline with the start of the twentieth century, as the town's formerly dynamic industrial businesses began to cease operations. By 1905 the population had fallen to 317 residents, and by 1925 it had plunged to only 163. Much of the developed land fell into disuse, essentially all industrial activity halted, and a number of the town's [[One-room school|one room schools]] closed. Tourism, however, remained an important industry, and [[New York Route 30]] began to provide travelers with lodging, gas stations, and other amenities.<ref name="townofhopeny.org"/> Today, Hope is a largely undeveloped residential community, with an estimated population of 387 as of 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2014/SUB-EST2014.html |title=Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014 - U.S Census Bureau |access-date=March 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150523034651/https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2014/SUB-EST2014.html |archive-date=May 23, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|41.6|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|40.7|sqmi|km2}}  is land and {{convert|0.9|sqmi|km2}}  (2.09%) is water.

The southern border of the town is [[Fulton County, New York|Fulton County]] and the eastern boundary is [[Saratoga County, New York|Saratoga County]].

The [[Sacandaga River]] flows southward through the western part of Hope.

[[New York State Route 30]] is a north-south highway near the Sacandaga River.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1820= 608
|1830= 718
|1840= 711
|1850= 789
|1860= 745
|1870= 698
|1880= 651
|1890= 560
|1900= 463
|1910= 258
|1920= 203
|1930= 134
|1940= 164
|1950= 180
|1960= 234
|1970= 269
|1980= 311
|1990= 358
|2000= 392
|2010= 403
|estyear=2016
|estimate=373
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2016">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2016.html|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|accessdate=June 9, 2017}}</ref>
|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|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 392 people, 155 households, and 113 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|9.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 296 housing units at an average density of {{convert|7.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 99.49% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.26% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]] and 0.26% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.02% of the population.

There were 155 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 33.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $32,000, and the median income for a family was $32,000. Males had a median income of $25,000 versus $19,688 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $15,225.  About 7.8% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 19.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

== Communities and locations in Hope ==
*'''Bennett Lake''' &ndash; A small lake north of Hope Falls.
*'''[[Groff Mountain]]''' &ndash; An elevation located northwest of the hamlet of Hope.
*'''[[Hope (hamlet), New York|Hope]]''' &ndash; The [[Hamlet (place)|hamlet]] of Hope, previously called Hope Center, is on NY-30 and the east bank of the Sacandaga River.
*'''[[Hope Falls, New York|Hope Falls]]''' &ndash; A hamlet east of Hope village on Hope Falls Road.
*'''[[Huckleberry Mountain]]''' &ndash; An elevation located north-northwest of Hope Falls.
*'''Maple Grove''' &ndash; A location in the southeastern corner of Hope.
*'''[[Mason Hill (Hamilton County, New York)|Mason Hill]]''' &ndash; An elevation located south of Hope Falls.
*'''Middle Lake''' &ndash; A small lake between Bennet Lake and [[Murphy Lake (Hamilton County, New York)|Murphy Lake]].
*'''[[Murphy Lake (New York)|Murphy Lake]]''' &ndash; A small lake in the northern part of Hope.
*'''Rand Mountain''' &ndash; An elevation located north of Hope Falls.
*'''Round Top''' &ndash; An elevation located northwest of Hope Falls.
*'''Sacandaga River''' &ndash; A river flowing through the town. [[Groff Creek]] is a tributary and hiking trail beside the river.
*'''Scribner Mountain''' &ndash; An elevation located northwest of Hope Falls.
*'''[[Southerland Mountain]]''' &ndash; An elevation located northwest of the hamlet of Hope.
*'''Sturgis Mountain''' &ndash; An elevation located northwest of Hope Falls.
*'''[[Thomas Hill (Hamilton County, New York)|Thomas Hill]]''' &ndash; An elevation located southeast of Hope Falls.

== Adjacent towns and areas ==
[[Benson, New York|Benson]] is to the west, and the [[Wells, New York|Town of Wells]] is to the north.  The Towns of [[Day, New York|Day]] and [[Edinburg, New York|Edinburg]] in Saratoga County are on the eastern boundary.  [[Northampton, Fulton County, New York|Northampton]] is the southern border.

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyhamilt/history/hope.html  Hope history]

{{Coord|43|18|N|74|15|W|type:city_region:US-NY|display=title}}
{{Hamilton County, New York}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Hamilton County, New York]]
[[Category:Towns in New York (state)]]