Gloversville, New York
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Gloversville is a city in Fulton County, New York, that was once the hub of America's glovemaking industry. In 2000, it had a population of 15,413.
HistoryThe region, known as "Kingsborough" was acquired by Sir William Johnson, later to become one of the most important officials in New York. In 1752, Arent Stevens bought land that included the site of the future city. The location became a settlement for Puritans from New England at the end of the 18th Century. At first this town was called "Stump City" because after the land was cleared for development there were the stumps left from the trees. The proximity of forests to supply bark for tanning made the community a center of leather production early in its history. After this, it earned its name for being the centre of the U.S. glove making industry for many years. Upon the establishment of a United States Post Office in 1828, Gloversville became the official name of the community. At one time, during the heyday of glove production in the middle 20th century, Gloversville's factories and shops produced one out of every three gloves in the world. Aside from a handful of specialty outlets, gloves are no longer produced in Gloversville, as the glove industry has moved primarily overseas. The community was incorporated as a village in 1851. The current mayor of Gloversville is Timothy Hughes, who began his four-year term on January 1, 2006. Notable residentsLegendary film producer Samuel Goldwyn lived here prior to his moving to Hollywood. Before Gloversville, he lived in New York City after moving from Poland and migrating through Canada. While he was living in Gloversville, his last name was Goldfish. This is also the main headquarters for the Schine movie industry. They revered the The Glove Theatre as the favorite of all of the movie houses that they owned. Hollywood movies would sometimes premier in Gloversville, before they were opened in California. The Glove Theatre was on Main Street; around the corner on Fulton St. there was a second movie theatre -- the Hippodrome. In 1953, you could see "High Noon" and "The African Queen" at the Hippodrome as a double feature. Pulitzer Prize winning author Richard Russo (Empire Falls,"Nobody's Fool".The Risk Pool) was raised in Gloversville. The city and its residents were the inspiration for many of his characters and locations in his novels; especially his novel "Mohawk." Actress Elizabeth Anne Allen, who played Amy Madison on Buffy the Vampire Slayer was also raised in Gloversville. Frederick Remington, artist, was a one-time resident. GeographyAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.1 square miles (13.2 km²), of which, 5.1 square miles (13.2 km²) of it is land and 0.20% is water. New York State Route 29A (Fulton Street) is an east-west road through the city. New York State Route 30A is a north-south highway through the east side of the city. Another north-south highway, New York State Route 309 (Bleecker Street) terminates its southern reach at NY-29A in Gloversville. The Cayadutta Creek flows southward through the city, which is southwest of the Great Sacandaga Lake. DemographicsAs of the census[2] of 2000, there were 15,413 people, 6,500 households, and 3,828 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,027.0 people per square mile (1,169.2/km²). There were 7,540 housing units at an average density of 1,480.8/sq mi (571.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.37% White, 1.86% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.67% of the population.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,755, and the median income for a family was $34,713. Males had a median income of $27,109 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,207. About 14.9% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.6% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over. Gloversville High School is the only high school in Gloversville and serves grades 9 through 12. External links
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