Berne, New York

Berne
Town
Motto: The center of the Helderbergs, "It's all down hill from here"[1]

Location in Albany County and the state of New York.
Coordinates: 42°35′50″N 74°7′25″W / 42.59722°N 74.12361°W / 42.59722; -74.12361
Country United States
State New York
County Albany
Government
  Type Town Council
  Town Supervisor George J. Gebe (D)
  Town Council
Area
  Total 64.8 sq mi (167.7 km2)
  Land 64.1 sq mi (166.1 km2)
  Water 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km2)
Elevation 1,345 ft (410 m)
Population (2010)
  Total 2,794
  Density 43.6/sq mi (17.1/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
  Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 12023
Area code(s) 518
FIPS code 36-06211
GNIS feature ID 0978728

Berne is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 2,794 at the 2010 census. The town is at the west border of Albany County.

History

The town of Berne (originally spelled "Bern" until the Berne Post Office was established in the middle of the 19th Century) was created in 1795 from part of the town of Rensselaerville. In 1822 the north half of Berne was spun off to form the new town of Knox.

The earliest settlers were Palatine German refugees. Settlement began before 1750. At that time it was called Beaver Dam (also spelled Beaverdam). The settlers were actually squatters, since in the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, Berne was part of the Rensselaerswyck estate. The head of the Van Rensselaer family was the patroon who owned all the land on which the tenants in the Hudson Valley lived, and used feudal leases to maintain control of the region. Before the Revolutionary War, the patroons acted as feudal lords, with the right to make laws.

The massacre of the Dietz family in 1781 was the only Iroquois incursion in Beaver Dam during the American Revolution. During the War inhabitants fought on both sides of the conflict. Loyalists who supported the British left and went to Canada. Those who stayed and fought the British expected that if they won, they would either be released from their tenancy, or at the least, be allowed to purchase the land at fair market value. Instead, the new government of New York decided to honor the lease contracts of the patroons, who contributed heavily to the politicians.

The first mass meeting of tenant farmers leading to the Anti-Rent War was held in Berne on July 4, 1839. In January, 1845 one hundred and fifty delegates from eleven counties assembled in St. Paul's Lutheran Church to call for political action to redress their grievances.[2]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 64.8 square miles (168 km2), of which, 64.1 square miles (166 km2) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) of it (0.99%) is water.

Here is a map of Berne. The west town line is the border of Schoharie County, New York.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
18105,134
18205,5317.7%
18303,607−34.8%
18403,7403.7%
18503,441−8.0%
18603,065−10.9%
18702,562−16.4%
18802,6162.1%
18902,273−13.1%
19001,947−14.3%
19101,753−10.0%
19201,371−21.8%
19301,210−11.7%
19401,3259.5%
19501,3481.7%
19601,54214.4%
19702,03732.1%
19802,53224.3%
19903,05320.6%
20002,846−6.8%
20102,794−1.8%
Est. 20142,826[3]1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]

As of the census[5] of 2010, there were 2,794 people, 1,099 households, and 805 families residing in the town. The population density was 43.6 people per square mile (17.1/km²). There were 1,385 housing units at an average density of 21.6 per square mile (8.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.89% White, 0.39% African American, 0.39% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population.

There were 1,099 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $47,174, and the median income for a family was $55,685. Males had a median income of $37,324 versus $29,125 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,095. About 3.7% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.

Natural history

Notable people

Churches

Communities and locations in Berne

References

  1. "BerneNY". BerneNY. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  2. Christman, Henry, Tin Horns and Calico, Hope Farm Press, 1978, pp. 128-130
  3. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  4. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  5. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. 'The Legislative Manual of the Wisconsin Legislature 1871,' Biographical Sketch of Adelmorn Sherman, pg. 383

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Berne, New York.

Coordinates: 42°37′31″N 74°08′00″W / 42.62528°N 74.13333°W / 42.62528; -74.13333

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