Manchester is a town in Ontario County, New York, USA. The population was 9,258 at the 2000 census. The town was named after one of its villages.

The Town of Manchester includes a village called Manchester. The Erie Canal and the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) pass through the town.

History

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The town was first settled around 1793 and was established as the "Town of Burt" from part of the Town of Farmington in 1821. In 1822, the name was changed to "Manchester".

Manchester has a strong place in the history of the Mormon religion, as it is believed to be the place where the prophet Joseph Smith discovered the sacred Golden Plates.

Geography

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 97.9 km² (37.8 mi²). 97.8 km² (37.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.0 mi²) of it (0.08%) is water.

Demographics

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As of the census of 2000, there were 9,258 people, 3,589 households, and 2,447 families residing in the town. The population density was 94.6/km² (245.0/mi²). There were 3,815 housing units at an average density of 39.0 persons/km² (101.0 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.69% White, 0.53% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. 1.14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,589 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 10.4% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 31.8% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01.

Communities and locations in the Town of Manchester

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• Bunker Hill -- A location in the northeast part of the town near Gypsum.
• Clifton Springs -- The western part of the Village of Clifton Springs is in the town.
• Gypsum -- A hamlet on the east town line.
• Littleville -- A hamlet on the south town line.
• Manchester -- The Village of Manchester.
• Manchester Center -- A hamlet in the east part of the town.
• Port Gibson -- A hamlet on the north town line located at the Erie Canal.
• Shortsville -- The Village of Shortsville is south of Manchester village on Route 21.

External links

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• Early Manchester history

Ontario County, New York | Towns in New York