Dewitt, New York
History
DeWitt was part of the Central New York Military Tract. The first settlers arrived around 1789.
The original Erie Canal progressed through the town in 1825. DeWitt was formed in 1835 from the Town of Manlius and was named in honor of Moses DeWitt, a major in the militia, a county judge, and one of the first settlers of the county.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 33.9 square miles (88 km), of which 33.8 square miles (88 km) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km) (0.15%) is water.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/DeWitthillshousing.jpg/150px-DeWitthillshousing.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Dewittofficebuilding2.jpg/150px-Dewittofficebuilding2.jpg)
Highways
Interstate 481 is the major highway in DeWitt crossing the center of the town and turning northward along the eastern side of DeWitt. I-481 intersects Interstate 690 in the eastern part of the town and Interstate 90 (New York State Thruway) in the northern part of the town.
New York State Route 92 conjoined with New York State Route 5 intersects I-481 in the east part of DeWitt. New York State Route 91 has its northern terminus at New York State Route 173, which crosses the southern part of the town at Jamesville. New York State Route 298 crosses the northern part of the town, while New York State Route 290 crosses the middle portion of the town. Other state routes of note include New York State Route 598 in the extreme northwest portion of the town and New York State Route 635, which straddles the western town boundary with the City of Syracuse.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Glacial2j.jpg/220px-Glacial2j.jpg)
Bodies of water
Natural bodies of water in the Town of DeWitt include:
- Butternut Creek flows from south of Jamesville Reservoir, under the Erie Canal, and north and east to Limestone Creek, which in turn flows into Chittenango Creek, and ultimately into Oneida Lake
- Meadow Brook, a tributary of Butternut Creek, flows east from Syracuse to DeWitt
- Glacier Lake at Clark Reservation State Park
- Ley Creek (South Branch) flows north and west from near Erie Boulevard in DeWitt, ultimately to Onondaga Lake
Erie Canal
The Long Level section of the Old Erie Canal runs through DeWitt, which in turn is part of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Dewittwegmans.jpg/150px-Dewittwegmans.jpg)
Demographics
As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 24,071 people, 10,068 households, and 6,503 families residing in the town. The population density was 711.0 inhabitants per square mile (274.5/km). There were 10,694 housing units at an average density of 315.9 per square mile (122.0/km). The racial makeup of the town was 89.70% White, 4.89% African American, 2.98% Asian, 0.56% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1840 | 2,802 | — | |
1850 | 3,302 | 17.8% | |
1860 | 3,043 | −7.8% | |
1870 | 3,105 | 2.0% | |
1880 | 3,975 | 28.0% | |
1890 | 4,560 | 14.7% | |
1900 | 5,435 | 19.2% | |
1910 | 7,422 | 36.6% | |
1920 | 10,279 | 38.5% | |
1930 | 9,536 | −7.2% | |
1940 | 10,836 | 13.6% | |
1950 | 15,329 | 41.5% | |
1960 | 22,740 | 48.3% | |
1970 | 29,198 | 28.4% | |
1980 | 26,868 | −8.0% | |
1990 | 25,148 | −6.4% | |
2000 | 24,937 | −0.8% | |
2010 | 25,838 | 3.6% | |
2020 | 26,074 | 0.9% | |
U.S. Decennial Census |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/DeWittneighborhood2.jpg/150px-DeWittneighborhood2.jpg)
There were 10,068 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% 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 2.94.
The age distribution was as follows: 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Dewittofficebuilding1.jpg/150px-Dewittofficebuilding1.jpg)
The median income for a household in the town was $46,759, and the median income for a family was $60,325. Males had a median income of $45,926 versus $29,797 for females. The per capita income for the town was $29,198. About 4.7% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.
As of July 2009, the population was 24,422, up 1.5% from 2000, with the average household income at $57,273. The average condo value in 2009 was $142,735.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Towns_in_Onondaga_County%2C_New_York.svg/220px-Towns_in_Onondaga_County%2C_New_York.svg.png)
Government
Officials in the Town of DeWitt are elected at-large. Current offices are:
- Town Supervisor (two-year term of office)
- Town Clerk (two-year term of office)
- Six Town Councilors (four-year term of office)
- Two Town Justices (four-year term of office)
- Town Highway Superintendent (two-year term of office)
The Town Hall is located at 5400 Butternut Drive, East Syracuse, NY 13057-8510.
Economy
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Jamesville-Quarry-2015-1108.jpg/450px-Jamesville-Quarry-2015-1108.jpg)
- Aspen Dental has its headquarters in the town, near East Syracuse
- Carrier Corporation has an engineering and design center, known locally as Carrier Campus, located in DeWitt
- Hanson Aggregates owns and operates the Jamesville Quarry
Notable people
- Jim Boeheim, head basketball coach at Syracuse University from 1976 to 2023
- Elizabeth Bunnell Read, journalist and suffragist
Communities and places
Village
- East Syracuse – A village east of the Eastwood neighborhood of the City of Syracuse.
Hamlets
- Collamer (formerly "Brittons Settlement") – A hamlet in the northeastern part of DeWitt on NY-298.
- DeWitt (formerly "Youngsville" and "Orville") – The hamlet of DeWitt (also a census-designated place) is near the town center on NY-5.
- Franklin Park – A suburban hamlet in the northwestern part of DeWitt.
- Lyndon Corners – A hamlet in the eastern portion of town.
- Jamesville – A hamlet in the south of DeWitt on NY-173.
- Oot Park – A hamlet by the eastern town line.
Other
- DeWitt Acres – A residential neighborhood next to ShoppingTown Mall.
- Hancock Field Air National Guard Base – A United States Air Force base home to the New York Air National Guard's 174th Attack Wing (174 ATW), and the 274th Air Support Operations Squadron (274 ASOS).
- Messina Springs – A small community near East Syracuse, settled in the early 19th century.
- Morehouse Flats – An early community located north of Jamesville.
- Onondaga County Department of Correction – A jail located east of Jamesville on NY-173.
- Syracuse Hancock International Airport – Half the airport is in the northwestern section of DeWitt.
Visitor attractions
- National historic sites
- Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
- Dr. John Ives House
- Saint Mark's Church, Jamesville
- Southwood Two-Teacher School, Jamesville
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/PERSPECTIVE_VIEW%2C_LOOKING_NORTHWEST._-_Cooper%27s_Tubular_Arch_Bridge%2C_Spanning_Old_Erie_Canal_north_of_Linden_Street%2C_Fayetteville%2C_Onondaga_County%2C_NY_HAER_NY%2C34-DEWI%2C1-4.tif/lossy-page1-220px-thumbnail.tif.jpg)
- State parks and historic sites
- Clark Reservation State Park – a state park south of Syracuse
- Old Erie Canal State Historic Park – a linear state historic park, part of the New York State Canalway Trail, originating near the Town offices in central DeWitt, continuing on to Rome, New York; includes:
- Cedar Bay Park
- The Town of DeWitt has hosted Erie Canal Day, an annual celebration with entertainment games, music, and refreshments at Cedar Bay Park since 1968.
- Cedar Bay Park
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/DeWitt-Fiddlers-Green.jpg/220px-DeWitt-Fiddlers-Green.jpg)
- Municipal parks
- Butternut Creek Recreation and Nature Trail – a 67-acre, partially developed area off of Kinne Road, near Wegmans
- Fiddlers Green Park – a small, developing park in the hamlet of Jamesville
- Maxwell Park – a 105-acre park in East Syracuse
- Ryder Park and Recreation Area – a 12-acre park next to DeWitt Town Hall
- Willis Carrier Recreation Center and Park – a 22-acre park next to Carrier Campus
- Other
- Community Library of DeWitt and Jamesville – the public library that serves the Town of DeWitt as part of the Onondaga County Public Library System
- Drumlins Country Club – owned by Syracuse University, operates two 18-hole golf courses, one private and one public
Education
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Lemoyne_Sign.jpg/200px-Lemoyne_Sign.jpg)
- Jamesville-DeWitt (JD) School District, headquartered in DeWitt, serves portions of the Town
- East Syracuse-Minoa (ESM) School District, headquartered in the Town of Manlius, serves portions of the Town of DeWitt
- Other
Other schools in the Town of DeWitt include:
- Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High School
- Christian Brothers Academy (CBA)
- Le Moyne College
- Manlius Pebble Hill School (MPH)
- Syracuse Hebrew Day School (SHDS)
See also
- Cicero, New York
- LaFayette, New York
- Manlius, New York
- Onondaga, New York
- Salina, New York
- Timeline of town creation in Central New York
References
Notes
- ^ "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: De Witt town, Onondaga County, New York; Riverhead town, Suffolk County, New York". www.census.gov. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
- ^ "DeWitt Family Papers an inventory of its papers at Syracuse University".
- ^ "Town of DeWitt: Town Profile" (PDF). Onondaga County. pp. 9–7.1. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 105.
- ^ "Butternut Creek". New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. n.d. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
- ^ "Ley Creek, South Branch by Tarbell Road". Project Watershed. Izaak Walton League. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "DeWitt New York". city-data.com.
- ^ "2013 Who's Who in Town of DeWitt Government" (PDF). Town of DeWitt.
- ^ Carlic, Steve (September 23, 2007). "Political notebook: Town of DeWitt". Syracuse Post-Standard. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ Town of DeWitt Newsletter, Winter 2005
- ^ "Terms of Use Agreement." (Archive). Aspen Dental. Retrieved on September 23, 1012. " Aspen Dental Management, Inc. and the Aspen Dental Management, Inc. logo are trademarks of Aspen Dental Management, Inc., a Delaware corporation having its principle [sic] offices at 281 Sanders Creek Parkway, East Syracuse, New York. All other marks are property of their respective owners."
- ^ "Zoning Map." (Archive) Town of DeWitt. Retrieved on September 23, 2012.
- ^ Hutchison, Edward (February 23, 2012). "DeWitt Acres and Shoppingtown".
- ^ "Onondaga County Department of Correction". Archived from the original on May 30, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
- ^ "Suburban life. volume (DeWitt, N.Y.) 1974-19??, July 27, 1983, Image 10" (1983/07/27). July 27, 1983: 10.
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(help) - ^ Town of DeWitt Newsletter, Winter 2015, pp. 6, 12
- ^ "Town of DeWitt Parks," Town of DeWitt Newsletter, Winter 2015, p.8
- ^ Town of DeWitt website. Accessed: September 23, 2017.
- ^ "Carrier Park Field of Dreams". Town of DeWitt. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
- ^ "Carrier Park Field of Dreams". Friends of DeWitt. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
- ^ Community Library of DeWitt and Jamesville website. Accessed May 21, 2017
- ^ "jamesvilledewitt.pdf." (Archive) Office of the State Comptroller, State of New York. September 24, 2010. Retrieved on September 23, 2012. "Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District 6845 Edinger Drive DeWitt, NY 13214"
- ^ "Town of Manlius GIS Archived 2007-12-21 at archive.today." Town of Manlius. Retrieved on September 23, 2012.
- ^ "Home." East Syracuse-Minoa Central School District. Retrieved on September 23, 2012. "407 Fremont Road. East Syracuse, NY 13057"
Further reading
- Bruce, Dwight H., ed. (1896). "Early settlers and development of the Town of DeWitt". Onondaga's Centennial. Boston History Co. pp. 1017–1037. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Town of DeWitt official website
- Jamesville-DeWitt School District
- RootsWeb. "1860 Map of the Town of DeWitt". Ancestry.com.
- History/genealogy links for Clay
- Fiddlers Green Park
- https://web.archive.org/web/20131104232430/http://history.rays-place.com/ny/onon-dewitt.htm
- DeWitt Community Library official website