History
The land that is now the town was formed by portions of several colonial land grants, including: The Mayfield Patent (1770); Col. Daniel Claus' Patent (1770); Cpt. Norman McLeod's Patent (1770); Lt Benjamin Roberts' Patent (1770); The Kingsborough Patent (1753); The Kayaderosseras Patent (1701); Sacondaga Patent (1741); Glen's Purchase (1770); the Glen, Bleecker, and Lansing Patent (1793); and Chase's Patent (1792). [4]
The first European settlements began under the authority of Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet. His exploits as the British Superintendent of Indian Affairs acquainted him with the lands which were the territory of the Mohawk nation of the Iroquois Confederacy. A settlement known as Philadelphia Bush formed in the southern part of the present town in the early 1760s, and in the eastern part of the present town, settlement was simultaneously started in the basin of the Sacandaga Valley. A settlement on the Mayfield Patent began in 1772, and Johnson erected a grist mill on the Mayfield creek the following year or year after. [5]
The settlements were situated on the war path taken by Sir John Johnson and his Loyalist and Mohawk raiding forces during the Revolutionary War, which devastated the early pioneers. A fort, known as the Sacandaga Blockhouse, was erected in May 1779 to protect the remaining settlers from further raids. However, due to several attacks, the Mayfield area was mostly abandoned by the end of the war. [6]
The town was established in 1793 from the town of Caughnawaga in Montgomery County before the formation of Fulton County in 1838. It was one of the first three such towns formed, and was fully organized on April 1, 1794. Part of Mayfield was taken in 1805 to form the town of Wells (now in Hamilton County). An additional part of Mayfield was added to Wells in 1812. Mayfield was reduced once again in 1842 to form the town of Perth. Mayfield reached its present size in 1860, when a northern section was annexed by Hamilton County to create the town of Benson.
The early economy was based on agriculture as well as lumber and leather production. Limestone was a bountiful resource with several quarries and kilns in operation in the 19th century. [7] The Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Railroad operated within the town from 1875 to 1984. Passenger service ended in the 1930s, and the railroad was operated solely for industrial purposes until it ceased operations.
Roughly six square miles (~4000 acres) of private land in Mayfield was acquired by the state through eminent domain for the creation of the Great Sacandaga Lake in 1930. In 1931, the Adirondack Park was expanded by the state to include the majority of the town. [8] Since that time, the local economy has depended on tourism.
The Oliver Rice House located on Old NY 30 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. [9]
Demographics
Historical population| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|
| 1820 | 2,025 | | — |
|---|
| 1830 | 2,614 | | 29.1% |
|---|
| 1840 | 2,615 | | 0.0% |
|---|
| 1850 | 2,429 | | −7.1% |
|---|
| 1860 | 2,367 | | −2.6% |
|---|
| 1870 | 2,241 | | −5.3% |
|---|
| 1880 | 2,231 | | −0.4% |
|---|
| 1890 | 2,181 | | −2.2% |
|---|
| 1900 | 2,136 | | −2.1% |
|---|
| 1910 | 2,065 | | −3.3% |
|---|
| 1920 | 1,806 | | −12.5% |
|---|
| 1930 | 2,077 | | 15.0% |
|---|
| 1940 | 2,734 | | 31.6% |
|---|
| 1950 | 3,145 | | 15.0% |
|---|
| 1960 | 3,613 | | 14.9% |
|---|
| 1970 | 4,522 | | 25.2% |
|---|
| 1980 | 5,439 | | 20.3% |
|---|
| 1990 | 5,738 | | 5.5% |
|---|
| 2000 | 6,427 | | 12.0% |
|---|
| 2010 | 6,495 | | 1.1% |
|---|
| 2020 | 6,146 | | −5.4% |
|---|
| 2023 (est.) | 6,094 | [2] | −0.8% |
|---|
|
As of the census [11] of 2000, there were 6,432 people, 2,535 households, and 1,804 families residing in the town. The population density was 110.1 inhabitants per square mile (42.5/km2). There were 3,211 housing units at an average density of 55.0 per square mile (21.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.99% White, 0.39% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.47% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.
There were 2,535 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,982, and the median income for a family was $42,289. Males had a median income of $30,326 versus $22,105 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,972. About 5.9% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
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