Arcadia, New York

Arcadia is a town in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 14,889 at the 2000 census.

The Town of Arcadia is on the south border of the county and is east of Rochester, New York.

History
The town was first settled around 1791. The Town of Arcadia was formed from the Town of Lyons in 1825.

An asylum for the mentally retarded was established in Arcadia in 1789.

Hydesville, New York was a hamlet in the Town of Arcadia. It no longer exists, but was the hometown of the spiritualist Fox Sisters.

In 1957, the Bergen Swamp Preservation Society acquired Zurich Bog for conservation.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 52.1 sqmi, of which, 52.0 sqmi of it is land and 0.1 sqmi of it (0.19%) is water. The Erie Canal passes across the town and through the Village of Newark. The east end of "The Wide Waters," a wide part of the canal is in the town.

The terrain contains many drumlins from past glaciation.

The south town line is the border of Ontario County.

New York State Route 31 (east-west) intersects New York State Route 88 in Newark just south of the Erie Canal.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,889 people, 5,776 households, and 3,910 families residing in the town. The population density was 286.1 people per square mile (110.5/km²). There were 6,115 housing units at an average density of 117.5 per square mile (45.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.44% White, 3.84% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.11% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.53% of the population.

There were 5,776 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,755, and the median income for a family was $46,239. Males had a median income of $32,602 versus $24,419 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,403. About 8.9% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.3% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Arcadia

 * Arcadia &mdash; The former community of Arcadia is now part of the Village of Newark.
 * Brantling Hill &mdash; A large drumlin in the northeast corner of the town. It is the location of a ski slope.
 * Fairville &mdash; A hamlet near the town's center on Fairville Station Road (County Road 233.)
 * Fairville Station &mdash; A hamlet northeast of Newark on Fairville Station Road (County Road 233.)
 * Hydesville &mdash; A hamlet north of Newark village on Minsteed Road (County Road 228.) The village is called the birthplace of Modern Spiritualism, due to the efforts of natives Kate and Margaret Fox
 * Marbletown &mdash; A hamlet on Marbletown Road (County Road 336) near the south town line.
 * Minsteed &mdash; A location in the northwest corner of the town.
 * Mud Mills &mdash; A hamlet northeast of Newark on Welcher Road (County Road 234.)
 * Newark &mdash; The Village of Newark, located on the Erie Canal and the intersection of NY-31 and NY-88.
 * Stebbins Corner &mdash; A location west of Hydesville on Tellier Road (County Road 225.)
 * Zurich &mdash; A location in the northeast corner of the town on Zurich Road (County Road 237).


 * Zurich Bog &mdash; A swamp west of Zurich is the lowest point in the town and a registered national landmark. It is also known as "Mud Pond," an open body of water within the bog. It was called "Big Swamp" to the early settlers and "Bottomless Pit" to natives.  The swamp is about three  miles long and a mile wide.