Editing Otsego, New York

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

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|image_skyline            = 
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

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|image_map                = Otsego County outline map Otsego red.png
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Otsego County map with the Town of Otsego in Red
|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        = [[Otsego County, New York|Otsego]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = Town Supervisor 
|leader_name              = Meg Kiernan
|leader_title1            = Town Clerk/Tax Collector 
|leader_name1             = Pam Deane
|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           = 152.94
|area_land_km2            = 139.57
|area_water_km2           = 13.37
|area_total_sq_mi         = 59.05
|area_land_sq_mi          = 53.89
|area_water_sq_mi         = 5.16

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 3641
|population_density_km2   = 26.68
|population_density_sq_mi = 69.10

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      =<ref name=ToO/>
|elevation_m              = 421
|elevation_ft             = 1381
|coordinates              = {{coord|42|44|5|N|74|57|32|W|region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}<ref name=ToO>{{cite gnis
  | id = 979329
  | name = Town of Otsego
  | access-date = December 29, 2017 }}</ref>
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 13337
|area_code                = [[Area code 607|607]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 36-55695
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0979329
|website                  = {{URL|http://townofotsego.com/|Town website}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}

'''Otsego''' is a [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|town]] in the north-central part of [[Otsego County, New York|Otsego County]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States. The population was 3,641 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Otsego_town,_Otsego_County,_New_York?g=060XX00US3607755695|title=2020 Census Data|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 2, 2023}}</ref> The town is named after [[Lake Otsego (New York)|Lake Otsego]], which forms part of the town's eastern border. Most of the village of [[Cooperstown, New York|Cooperstown]] is within the town.

== History ==
Gideon Hawley, a missionary, arrived in this area in 1753. [[William Cooper (judge)|William Cooper]] purchased land (Cooper Patent) that now is marked, in part, by Cooperstown. Major settlement began around 1788.

The Town of Otsego was organized while still in [[Montgomery County, New York|Montgomery County]] in 1788 and is the oldest town in the county.

===People of note ===
*[[James Fenimore Cooper]] (1789–1851), author who lived much of his life in Cooperstown and died there.
*[[Daniel DeWitt Tompkins Davie]] (1816–1877), American photographer, was born in Otsego.
*[[Isaac Singer]] (1811–1875), inventor who worked at a machine shop in Fly Creek in the 1830s. The family of his future business partner, [[Edward C. Clark]], has been a major benefactor of Cooperstown since the 19th century.
*[[Jane Lippitt Patterson]] (1829–1919), writer, editor
*[[Sarah Maria Clinton Perkins]] (1824-1905), social reformer, newspaper editor
*[[David Shipman (colonist)|David Shipman]] (1730–1813), the "Leatherstocking" and "Deerslayer" of [[James Fenimore Cooper|James Fenimore Cooper’s]] novels, was a resident of Town of Otsego living in a log cabin on the east bank of Oaks Creek.<ref>{{cite web
 | url = http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/county/otsego/book/ottwn/otseearlyset2.htm
 | title = Otsego town  
 | last = young 
 | first = holice
 | date = 2001
 | website = usgennet.org
 | publisher = usgennet
 | access-date = April 16, 2017
| quote = data}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|57.8|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|53.89|sqmi|km2}}  is land and {{convert|5.162|sqmi|km2}}  (6.18%) is water.

[[Otsego Lake (New York)|Otsego Lake]] forms most of the eastern boundary, and [[Canadarago Lake]] forms part of the western boundary.

[[New York State Route 80]] is a highway along the western shore of Otsego Lake. [[New York State Route 28]] comes into Cooperstown from the south. At Cooperstown, NY-80 joins NY-28 and they run concurrently towards Fly Creek. Past Fly Creek the NY-28/NY-80 concurrency ends at [[New York State Route 205]] in the western part of '''Otsego'''. NY-80 joins NY-205 and continues concurrently toward the west. NY-28 continues on northward out of the town.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1820= 4186
|1830= 4363
|1840= 4120
|1850= 3901
|1860= 4303
|1870= 4590
|1880= 4690
|1890= 4917
|1900= 4497
|1910= 4287
|1920= 4223
|1930= 4345
|1940= 4074
|1950= 4304
|1960= 4121
|1970= 3998
|1980= 4012
|1990= 3932
|2000= 3904
|2010= 3900
|2020= 3641
|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=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

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 3,904 people, 1,701 households, and 1,029 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|72.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 2,193 housing units at an average density of {{convert|40.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 97.75% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.64% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.08% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.69% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.26% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.59% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.54% of the population.

There were 1,701 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.0% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,036, and the median income for a family was $48,320. Males had a median income of $33,684 versus $22,868 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $26,305.  About 4.5% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

== Communities and locations in the Town of Otsego, New York == 
*'''[[Brookwood Point]]''' &ndash; A projection into Otsego Lake north of Cooperstown.
*'''[[Cattown, New York|Cattown]]''' &ndash; A hamlet west of Fly Creek and Oaksville on NY-80.
*'''Chalk Lake''' &ndash; A small lake located west of Fly Creek.
*'''Chestnut Hill''' &ndash; An elevation located east of the corner of Goose Street and Bailey Road.
*'''[[Cooperstown, New York|Cooperstown]]''' &ndash; [[County seat]], Most of the Village of Cooperstown is within the town borders.
*'''[[Fitch Hill]]''' &ndash; An elevation near Pierstown on Armstrong Road.
*'''[[Five Mile Point]]''' &ndash; A projection into Otsego Lake near the northern town line.
*'''[[Fly Creek, New York|Fly Creek]]''' &ndash; A hamlet west of Cooperstown on conjoined NY-28/NY-80. The [[Fly Creek Methodist Church]], [[The Cornfield (Fly Creek, New York)|The Cornfield]], [[Fly Creek Grange No. 844]], and [[Fly Creek Historic District]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref>
*'''[[Hutter Point]]''' &ndash; A projection into Otsego Lake, north of Five Mile Point.
*'''[[Index, New York|Index]]''' &ndash; A hamlet south of Cooperstown on [[New York State Route 28|NY-28]]. Partially in the Town of [[Hartwick, New York|Hartwick]].
*'''King Hill''' &ndash; An elevation on the northern town line, partly in the town.
*'''[[Leatherstocking Falls]]''' &ndash; A waterfall located on [[Leatherstocking Creek]] near the eastern town line. 
*'''[[Metcalf Hill]]''' &ndash; An elevation northeast of Fitch Hill.
*'''Mud Lake''' &ndash; A small lake located west of Fly Creek.
*'''Muskrat Pond''' &ndash; A small lake located northwest of Fitch Hill.
*'''[[Oaksville, New York|Oaksville]]''' &ndash; A hamlet west of Fly Creek on NY-28/80.
*'''[[Pail Shop Corners, New York|Pail Shop Corners]]''' &ndash; A hamlet north of Fly Creek.
*'''[[Panther Mountain (Otsego County, New York)|Panther Mountain]]''' &ndash; An elevation on the eastern shore of Canadarago Lake.
*'''[[Pierstown, New York|Pierstown]]''' &ndash; A hamlet near the western side of Otsego Lake.
*'''[[Red House Hill]]''' &ndash; An elevation on the west side of Otsego Lake near Five Mile Point.
*'''[[Six Mile Point]]''' &ndash; A projection into Otsego Lake, north of Hutter Point.
*'''Snowdon''' &ndash; A hamlet near the western town line on NY-80.
*'''[[Taylortown, New York|Taylortown]]''' &ndash; A location north of Pail Shop Corners. At the corner of County Route 26 and Honey Joe Road.
*'''[[Three Mile Point]]''' &ndash; A projection into Otsego Lake, south of Five Mile Point.
*'''[[Toddsville, New York|Toddsville]]''' &ndash; A hamlet southwest of Cooperstown. Partially in the Town of [[Hartwick, New York|Hartwick]].
*'''Tunnicliff Hill''' &ndash; An elevation north of Snowdon.
*'''[[Twelve Thousand, New York|Twelve Thousand]]''' &ndash; A location in the northwestern corner of the town.
*'''Whalen Hill''' &ndash; An elevation in the southwestern corner of the town. Partially in the town of [[Hartwick, New York|Hartwick]].
*'''Wileytown''' &ndash; A hamlet in the southwestern part of the town on NY-205.

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://townofotsego.com/  Town of Otsego webpage]
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyotsego/ots.htm  Early map and brief history of Otsego, NY]

{{Otsego County, New York}}

{{authority control}}

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