Le Ray, New York

Le Ray, New York
Town
Le Ray, New York Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 44°4′34″N 75°48′32″W / 44.07611°N 75.80889°WCoordinates: 44°4′34″N 75°48′32″W / 44.07611°N 75.80889°W
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Jefferson
Named for	Jacques-Donatien Le Ray, Comte de Chaumont
Government
• Type	Town Council
• Town Supervisor	Ronald C. Taylor (R)
• Town Council	Members' List • William R. Jesmore (R) • Mark W. Thompson (R) • Michael J. Gracey (R) • Karl J. Vebber (R)
Area
• Total	74.0 sq mi (191.7 km^2)
• Land	73.7 sq mi (190.9 km^2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.8 km^2)
Elevation	459 ft (140 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	21,782
• Density	295.8/sq mi (114.2/km^2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	13637
Area code(s)	315
FIPS code	36-42015
GNIS feature ID	0979141
Website	www.townofleray.org

Le Ray is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 21,782 at the 2010 census. The town is named for Jacques-Donatien Le Ray, from France.

The Town of Le Ray is in the central part of the county and is east of Watertown.

History

Archaeological remains show the presence of aboriginal natives in the town.

The region was part of Macomb's Purchase and was acquired by Gouverneur Morris and James Le Ray in 1800. Settlement began around 1802.

The town was formed in 1806 and included a large portion of northern Jefferson County. Parts of the town was used to create the Towns of Wilna, Alexandria, Theresa, Antwerp, and Philadelphia.

Many of the historic settlements of the town were abandoned due to the formation of Fort Drum, which occupies the eastern part of the town.

The LeRaysville Archeological District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.^[1]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 74.0 square miles (192 km²), of which, 73.7 square miles (191 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) of it (0.43%) is water.

The Black River marks the south town border.

U.S. Route 11 is a northeast-southwest highway through Le Ray. New York State Route 3 passes across the southeast part of Le Ray. New York State Route 26 is a north-south highway. New York State Route 37 is a north-south highway in the western part of Le Ray. New York State Route 342 crosses the south part of the town.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1820	2,944		—
1830	3,430		16.5%
1840	3,721		8.5%
1850	3,654		−1.8%
1860	3,159		−13.5%
1870	2,862		−9.4%
1880	2,660		−7.1%
1890	2,565		−3.6%
1900	2,576		0.4%
1910	2,555		−0.8%
1920	2,366		−7.4%
1930	2,422		2.4%
1940	2,551		5.3%
1950	2,821		10.6%
1960	3,627		28.6%
1970	3,973		9.5%
1980	5,039		26.8%
1990	17,973		256.7%
2000	19,840		10.4%
2010	21,782		9.8%
Est. 2014	22,416	[2]	2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[3]

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 19,836 people, 4,998 households, and 4,303 families residing in the town. The population density was 269.1 people per square mile (103.9/km²). There were 5,245 housing units at an average density of 71.2 per square mile (27.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 70.48% White, 16.36% African American, 0.79% Native American, 2.06% Asian, 0.49% Pacific Islander, 6.09% from other races, and 3.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.94% of the population.

There were 4,998 households out of which 58.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.0% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.9% were non-families. 10.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 27.9% from 18 to 24, 34.7% from 25 to 44, 6.8% from 45 to 64, and 2.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 145.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 167.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,359, and the median income for a family was $33,806. Males had a median income of $21,541 versus $21,074 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,140. About 7.8% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Le Ray

• Black River – The Village of Black River is at the south town line by the Black River.
• Calcium – A hamlet southwest of Fort Drum.
• Doolins Crossing – A location by the eastern corner of the town.
• Dutch Settlement – A hamlet in the north part of the town on County Road 18.
• Evans Mills – The Village of Evans Mills is by the west end of Fort Drum, north of US-11.
• Five Corners – A location in the southwest part of Le Ray.
• Fort Drum – Part of the military reservation occupies the eastern section of the town.
• Gould Corners – A location southeast of Evans Mills, located on US-11.
• Gracey Corners – A location in the southwest of Le Ray.
• Hall Corners – A location near the northeast town line.
• Pine Plains – A location near the eastern corner of the town.
• Westwood Corners – A location on US-11 near the northeast town line.

References

1. Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
3. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
4. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

• Town of Le Ray, NY