Le Roy (village), New York

History

Prior to its incorporation in 1834, the first settlements in the village were to the east of the present village site.

The village was an early center for the manufacture of patent medicines by companies such as S. C. Wells & Co. and household chemicals. Products produced in Le Roy included Mustarine, a patent mustard-plaster compound, and Rough On Rats, a rodent poison. Earliest businesses in the village are the Bank of LeRoy (founded 1834, now Bank of America) and the Gazette-News newspaper (defunct 1993). Le Roy is the birthplace of Jell-O.

Le Roy holds the Oatka Festival every summer, the tradition originating in 1989. This festival includes celebration of the rich culture and history of the local area with vendors and several local businesses and restaurants participating each year.

The First Presbyterian Church of Le Roy, Keeney House, Machpelah Cemetery, Le Roy House and Union Free School, Augustus S. Tyron House, U.S. Post Office, and Marion Steam Shovel are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Le Roy is located in eastern Genesee County at (42.975656, -77.990792), southwest of the center of the town of Elba.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.7 sqmi, of which 6678 m2 is water.

Oatka Creek, a tributary of the Genesee River, flows through the village.

New York State Route 19 intersects New York State Route 5 in LeRoy. NY 19 (Lake Street to the north, Clay Street to the south) leads north 8 mi to Bergen and south 19 mi to Warsaw. NY 5 (Main Street) leads east 7 mi to Caledonia and west 10 mi to Batavia, the Genesee County seat. Interstate 90, the New York State Thruway, passes north of Le Roy, with access from Exit 47 (I-490/NY 19) 4.5 mi north of the village.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,462 people, 1,845 households, and 1,114 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,654.8 PD/sqmi. There were 1,980 housing units at an average density of 734.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 94.73% White, 2.47% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 1.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.92% of the population.

There were 1,845 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $33,168, and the median income for a family was $43,594. Males had a median income of $36,740 versus $21,306 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,565. About 6.1% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Bob Beyer, assistant basketball coach currently with the Sacramento Kings
• Warren A. Cowdery, early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement
• Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis, abolitionist
• Graham N. Fitch, former US senator from Indiana, brigade commander in the Union Army during the American Civil War
• John Ganson, former congressman
• Augustus P. Hascall, former congressman
• S. Percy Hooker, former New York state senator
• Emily E. Ingham, founded former Ingham University
• William Lathrop, former congressman from Illinois
• Mary Macaulay, first woman telegrapher to hold a national elective office in a union
• Lorenzo Sawyer, former judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Vince Scott, CFL player

References

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau.
2. (April 2020}}{{cbignore). "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Le Roy village, New York". U.S. Census Bureau.
3. [http://www.jellogallery.org/jellohistory.html "Jell-O History"] {{webarchive. link. (February 13, 2014 , ''The JELL-O Gallery'', Retrieved May 26, 2011.)
4. {{NRISref
5. (March 22, 2013). "National Register of Historic Places Listings". National Park Service.
6. (September 19, 2014). "National Register of Historic Places Listings". National Park Service.
7. (February 12, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
9. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].