Webster (town), New York

Webster is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 37,926 at the 2000 census. Today, Webster is the fastest-growing suburb of Rochester, New York. The town is named after orator and statesman Daniel Webster.

The Town of Webster is located in the northeast corner of the county. There is also a village named Webster in the town. The town's motto is "Where Life Is Worth Living".

History

The site of present-day Webster was first explored by Europeans in 1669. French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle entered Irondequoit Bay (the land of the Seneca Indians), exploring Lake Ontario looking for inland waterways.

On July 25, 1837, Daniel Webster had spoken to a large gathering of Whigs on the Rochester courthouse steps concerning currency regulation and the state of the economy. The Rochester Democrat editorialized that he was "the cleverest fellow in the world for embellishing a story."

The Whig farmers from North Penfield, who were part of Daniel Webster's audience that day, were so impressed by his eloquence that when they petitioned the state legislature for separate town status from Penfield, they chose to name it in his honor. On February 6, 1840, Governor William Seward announced the birth of Webster, New York, then home to 2,235 residents.

The first Town meeting was held at John Lett's tavern, south of the present Village. Town needs were discussed, and the necessary officials elected to meet those needs.

In the early 1900s, citizens felt the need for better fire protection, sanitation facilities, lighting, water and other improvements, and proposed a separate Village be incorporated within the Town. On March 27, 1905, a referendum was approved, by a 27-vote margin, which resulted in the incorporation of the Village of Webster.

Today, citizens interested in the history of Webster make up the "Webster Museum and Historical Society." Volunteers from this organization also staff the Webster Museum located on Lapham Park in the Village.

Geography

The north town line is marked by Lake Ontario, and the east town line is the border of Wayne County, New York. Irondequoit Bay is on the west side of the town.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 91.9 km² (35.5 mi²). 88.2 km² (34.0 mi²) of it is land and 3.8 km² (1.5 mi²) of it (4.09%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 37,926 people, 14,750 households, and 10,679 families residing in the town. The population density was 430.2/km² (1,114.2/mi²). There were 15,218 housing units at an average density of 172.6/km² (447.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.96% White, 1.60% Black or African American, 0.10% Native American, 1.95% Asian, 0.45% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.

There were 14,750 households out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $58,746, and the median income for a family was $69,629. Males had a median income of $50,263 versus $33,197 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,791. About 2.5% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Webster has one main school district, the Webster Central School District (K-12)consisting of 7 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools.It also has several other private/parochial schools. Some of these include The Webster Montessori School (elementary), St. Rita Catholic School (elementary), and Holy Trinity School (elementary).

See also: List of school districts in New York

Notable People from Webster

Wendy O. Williams -- lead singer of the punk band The Plasmatics.
Pat Kelly -- Professional Football Player

Communities and locations in the Town of Webster

Forest Lawn -- A lakeside hamlet in the northwest part of the town.
Glen Edith -- A location on the west side of the town.
Webster -- The Village of Webster.
Union Hill -- A hamlet on the east town line.
West Webster -- A hamlet in the western part of the town.

External links

Monroe County, New York | Towns in New York

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Webster (town), New York