Johnstown (city), New York
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The City of Johnstown, located within the Town of Johnstown, is the county seat of Fulton County, New York. As of the 2000 census, the city had population of 8,511. The city bears the name of John Johnson, the son of its founder, Sir William Johnson. Johnstown and the adjacent City of Gloversville are together known as the "Glove Cities." It is known for being the birthplace of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, one of the founders of the women's rights movement in the United States.
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[edit] History
The city, originally John's Town, was founded in 1762 by Sir William Johnson, a Baronet, and named by him for his son, John Johnson.[1] William Johnson came to the British colony of New York from Ireland in 1732.[2] He was the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, as well as a Major General in the British forces during the French and Indian War. He received as a reward for his services large tracts of land in what is now Hamilton and Fulton counties, where he established Johnstown and became one of New York's most prosperous and influential citizens. Having begun as an Indian trader, his business interests came to include various enterprises including a lumber business and a flour mill. Johnson, the largest slaveholder in the county and perhaps in the state of New York, had some sixty slaves working these businesses.[3] In acknowledgement of Johnson's successful business endeavors, the local Native American inhabitants dubbed him "Warragghivagey," or "he who does much business."[4]
As the area initially owned and settled by Johnson grew, he convinced the Governor, Lord William Tryon to establish a new county in upstate New York, west of Albany County. This new county was named Tryon, after the governor, and took Johnstown as its county seat.[5] The county courthouse, built by William Johnson in Johnstown in 1772 still stands today.[6] Sir William Johnson died in 1774 before the American colonies declared their independence from Britain.
Although the majority of the fighting during the American Revolution raged elsewhere, Johnstown did see its share of fighting late in the war. With area residents not knowing of Cornwallis' defeat and surrender at the Battle of Yorktown in Virginia, about 1400 soldiers fought at the Battle of Johnstown, one of the last battles of the American Revolution, on October 25, 1781. The Continental forces, led by Col. Marinus Willett of Johnstown, ultimately put the British to flight.[7] During that time, many British loyalists fled both Johnstown and the surrounding area for Canada, and Sir William Johnson's home suffered vandalism at the hands of Continental soldiers quartered there.[8]
After the American Revolution, Johnstown became part of Montgomery County when the name of Tryon County was changed to honor the Continental General Richard Montgomery who died at the Battle of Quebec during the American Revolution. Sir William Johnson's manor house and estate were purchased by Silas Talbot, a naval officer and hero of the American Revolution. Talbot moved to Johnstown with his family, eventually coming to serve as a member of the New York Assembly (1792-1793) and as a congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives (1793-1794) from that district. He later supervised the building of the USS Constitution (Old Iron Sides) in 1797 at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, Massachusetts.[9] Talbot commanded the USS Constitution, largely in the West Indies, from 1799 to 1801, when he retired from the U.S. Navy.[10]
Some forty years later, in 1838, Johnstown's county affiliation changed yet again when what by then remained of Mongomery County was divided into two separate counties: Montgomery and Fulton. While the village of Fonda became the new county seat of Montgomery County, Johnstown became the county seat of Fulton County. One of the men instrumental in shaping Fulton County was Judge Daniel Cady, a prominent Johnstown resident. Cady, sometimes called "the father of Fulton County," named the new county after Robert Fulton who was related by marriage to Cady's wife, Margaret Livingston. Robert Fulton, an inventor, is perhaps best known for devising the improvements that made steamboats commercially viable.[11]
Judge Daniel Cady was one of Johnstown's most important citizens. With indirect connections by marriage to John Jacob Astor and that family's lucrative business interests, Daniel Cady, adept at managing these connections and his own business interests, joined the ranks of the weathiest landowners in New York. After moving to Johnstown in 1799, he married Margaret Livingston, whose father, Col. James Livingston, fought at the battles of Quebec and Saratoga during the American Revolution. Col. Livingston is credited with frustrating Benedict Arnold's attempted treason by firing on the Vulture, the boat intended to carry Arnold to safety.[12] A public servant as well as astute lawyer and businessman, Judge Cady served in the New York state legislature from 1808 until 1814. In 1814 he was elected, as a Federalist, to one term in the United States House of Representatives. In 1816, he returned to Johnstown from Washington and resumed his legal practice. He later served as a judge on the New York Supreme Court, Fourth District, from 1847 until 1855. Cady died in Johnstown 1859 and is buried in the cemetery there.[13]
While of great interest in his own right, Daniel Cady is today perhaps best known as the father of the prominent women's rights activist, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was born in Johnstown in 1815. Stanton spent her childhood in Johnstown, where she studied at the Johnstown Academy, one of the first schools to receive a teaching certificate issued by the newly formed New York state education system in the later 1800s. After leaving to continue her education in Troy, NY, Stanton returned to Johnstown with her husband Henry Brewster Stanton, a lawyer and abolitionist.[14] Because of this, Johnstown, together with perhaps Seneca Falls, NY, where the first Women's Rights Convention was held in 1848, lays claim to being the birthplace of the Women's Rights Movement in the United States.[15]
During the late 1800’s Johnstown became known as the glove making and leather producing capital of America. By the early 1900’s Johnstown along with its neighboring city of Gloversville, became known as the glove making center of the world. The two cities were even nicknamed and are still referred to today as the Glove Cities.
The industry had its ups and downs. Tax and tariff laws directly effected the glove and leather industry. The tanneries and glove shops saw a boom as a result of World War II. Most of the “Military Black” leather gloves worn by Servicemen were produced in Fulton County, New York.
Throughout most of the history of the glove industry in Johnstown, most companies used home workers to sew the gloves. Men cut the gloves from leather in factories and women would hand sew the gloves at home. Later when the sewing machine came into play many women moved to the factories to work, however, right up until the last years of the 20th century home workers could still be found around the area.
The last half of the 20th century saw a steady decline in the glove industry mainly due to low wage manufacturing jobs being available overseas. Countries like China and The Philippines produce most of the world’s gloves today. While some companies still remain in the Glove Cities, just a few manufacture their product in America. They use overseas labor to sew gloves. Today only one glove manufacturer calls Johnstown home, while Gloversville has a few still.
The leather industry has declined also, but some local companies have survived by wisely changing with the worldwide industry and many are now niche trade leather companies. The remaining businesses concentrate on one or two types of leather. They remain ready to adapt to changes in trends. There are still two tanneries operating in Johnstown and a few more in Gloversville. Another handful of state-of-the-art leather finishing facilities can be found there with another dozen or so leather dealers.
Many, many fringe businesses once existed to support the glove and leather industries around Johnstown. Box manufacturers, thread dealers, sewing machine repairmen, chemical companies and many others made a living helping to supply and service the industry. These companies saw their demise with the decline of businesses located in the region.
At one time Johnstown and Gloversville were home to hundreds of glove companies and dozens of leather tanners and finishers. Tens of thousands of people were employed by or affiliated with the glove and leather industries making it a large part of the history of Johnstown, New York.
One of the early industries to establish itself in Johnstown was the Knox Gelatine plant built in 1890 by Charles Knox, a prominent Johnstown resident. Charles Knox developed the granulated, unflavored gelatin still used in food preparation today. When Knox died in 1908, his wife, Rose M. Knox, assumed management of the business. She became one of the earliest successful American businesswomen. The Knox Foundation was very generous to the city and examples can still be found there today. Both Knox Junior High School and Knox Field were gifts to Johnstown. The Knox Gelatin plant, a major employer in Johnstown, closed in 1975.[16].[16]
Johnstown, New York is currently regarded as a leader and example of upstate communities. The Fulton County Economic Development Agency is a very successful model for communities that have lost so much to overseas manufacturing, but yet stay proactive in attracting new business and industry through tax breaks and aggressive marketing. The city is centrally located with access to the New York State Thruway and is host to three modern industrial parks with room to grow.
[edit] Geography
Johnstown is located approximately 50 miles west of Albany, New York, situated about one-third of the way between Albany and the Finger Lake region farther to the west. It lies in the picturesque Mohawk Valley of upstate New York. Located in what is now Fulton County, it is slightly north of the route once followed by the Erie Canal through what is now Montgomery County. Although not a hilltown, Johnstown is close to the Adirondack Mountains that stretch across the northern portion of Fulton County. The Cayadutta Creek just south of the city provided water power needed to generate the electricity required by the various industries that grew up in Johnstown.[17]
Johnstown has the following geographic coordinates: (43.00735, -74.372109).GR1 According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.6 km² (4.9 mi²). 12.6 km² (4.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.21% is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 8,511 people, 3,579 households, and 2,208 families residing in the city. The population density was 676.2/km² (1,751.1/mi²). There were 3,979 housing units at an average density of 316.1/km² (818.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.57% White, 0.62% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population.
There were 3,579 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,603, and the median income for a family was $39,909. Males had a median income of $30,636 versus $22,272 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,324. About 9.3% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] References
- Decker, Lewis G. Images of America: Johnstown. Arcadia Publishing (an imprint of Tempus Publishing, Inc.); Charlestown, SC. 1999. ISBN 0-7385-0174-3.
- Griffith, Elizabeth. In Her Own Right: The Life of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Oxford University Press; New York, NY. 1984. ISBN 0-19-503729-4.
- Historic Johnstown, New York accessed September 19, 2006.
- Mystic Seaport Library; Manuscripts Collection (Silas Talbot) accessed September 19, 2006.
- Williams-Myers, A.J. Long Hammering: Essays on the Forging of an African American Presence in the Hudson River Valley to the Early Twentieth Century. Africa World Press, Inc.; Trenton, NJ. 1994. ISBN 0-86543-303-8.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Decker, back cover
- ^ Decker, p.7
- ^ Williams-Myers, p. 24; 29-30
- ^ Decker, p. 29
- ^ Decker, p.7
- ^ Decker, p.8
- ^ Historic Johnstown, New York (Battle of Johnstown)
- ^ Decker pp 32-33; 116
- ^ Mystic Seaport Library (Silas Talbot); Decker p. 31
- ^ Mystic Seaport Library (Silas Talbot)
- ^ Decker, p 33
- ^ Griffith, p 4
- ^ Griffith, p 5
- ^ Griffith
- ^ Decker, pp 16 & 33
- ^ Decker, pp 53-66
- ^ Decker, p. 66
[edit] External links
- City of Johnstown (homepage)
- Darci's Place (Biography of Charles Knox, founder of Knox Gelatin in Johnstown, NY)
- Historic Johnstown, New York
- Historic Johnstown, New York (Battle of Johnstown)
- Historic Johnstown, New York (Rose Knox, First Lady of Johnstown)
- Revolutionary Day (narrative and walking tour of historic sites of the American Revolutionary period in Johnstown, NY)
- Sir William Johnson & Johnson Hall
- University of Rochester; Steam Engine Library (biography of Robert Fulton)
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
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County Seat: Johnstown (city) |
|---|---|
| Cities |
Gloversville | Johnstown |
| Towns |
Bleecker | Broadalbin | Caroga | Ephratah | Johnstown | Mayfield | Northampton | Oppenheim | Perth | Stratford |
| Villages |
