User:Gyrobo/Gardiner, New York

History
While the Dutch may have explored Gardiner as early as 1663, the first known European settler was Gertrude Bruyn, a Norwegian widow. Settlers did not arrive in "considerable numbers" until the 18th and 19th centuries.

Tuthill
One of the oldest settlements in Gardiner is in the hamlet of Tuthill, located on the banks of the Shawangunk Kill. Peter Deyo Jr. from New Paltz built the first house in Tuthill in 1745, and the Tuthilltown Gristmill was built in 1788. The first store in Gardiner was built in Tuthill. The hamlet was named after a local businessman, Selah Tuthill. Tuthill was born October 26, 1771, and married the daughter of Congressman Cornelius C. Schoonmaker on July 12, 1794. The Tuthills moved, with two slaves, to the area now comprising Gardiner. The family owned gristmills and sawmills in the hamlet, and grew apples and grapes. Although Tuthill was Gardiner's first center of commerce, by the late 19th century "much of its former activity and life [had] passed away".

Libertyville
Libertyville, located in the northeast part of the town, by the Wallkill River, was a center of commerce that waned by the late 19th century. In the early 1800s the hamlet was known by its Native American name, Nescatock. It contained a hotel, several mills, a blacksmith, a general store, a post office, and a school district which crossed the river. The Libertyville school was located west of the river, and children to the east occasionally missed classes due to flooding. Libertyville peaked between 1850 and 1875, and by World War I, was no longer active. In 1929, Libertyville's school closed down.

Demographics
At the time of the 2000 census, there were 5,238 people, 1,997 households, and 1,389 families residing in the town. The population density was 118.0 people per square mile (45.6/km²). There were 2,255 housing units at an average density of 50.8/sq mi (19.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.35% White, 1.76% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.58% of the population.

There were 1,997 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $54,432, and the median income for a family was $62,750. Males had a median income of $40,964 versus $29,474 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,091. About 4.7% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.