William Gilliland, an investor, bought up large tracts of land in Essex County. The town was first settled around 1792 near New Russia. The town of Elizabethtown was established in 1798 from the town of Crown Point. The community of Elizabethtown in this town became the county seat, succeeding a location in the town of Essex. Parts of the town were used to form the towns of Moriah, Keene, and Westport. The lumber industry and processing iron ore were important in the beginning, but tourism became prominent by the end of the 19th century. The Hand-Hale Historic District and Hubbard Hall are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which is land and, or 1.78%, is water. The Black River, a north-flowing tributary of the Boquet River, marks part of the eastern town line. Interstate 87, the Northway, is a major divided highway passing through the southeast part of Elizabethtown. There are no exits within the town limits; the closest access is from Exit 32 just to the North in Lewis and from Exit 31 just to the east in Westport. U.S. Route 9 is a north-south highway. New York State Route 9N is an east-west highway, which intersects U.S. Route 9 in downtown Elizabethtown. The town is also in the Adirondack High Peaks region, and is from Mount Marcy, the highest point in the state.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,315 people, 497 households, and 318 families residing in the town. The population density was 16.1 people per square mile. There were 794 housing units at an average density of 9.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 97.49% White, 0.68% African American, 0.61% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.38% of the population. There were 497 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.92. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 24.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,244, and the median income for a family was $44,531. Males had a median income of $28,295 versus $23,594 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,059. About 9.1% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Elizabethtown
Black River - A small river that flows north out of Lincoln Pond.
Boquet River - A small stream that flows northward through the center of the town. It is a tributary of Lake Champlain.
Colonial Garden - A display garden in Elizabethtown on US-9 / NY-9N, behind the Essex County Historical Society / Adirondack History Center Museum.
Elizabethtown - The hamlet of Elizabethtown is at the junction of US-9 and NY-9N. The community has been the county seat since 1807.
Euba Mills - A location in the southwest corner of the town on US-9 at the junction of County Road 70.
Hurricane Mountain - A notable elevation in the northwest part of Elizabethtown.
Lincoln Pond - A lake in the southeast part of the town.
New Pond - A small lake at the south town line near Euba Mills.
New Russia - A hamlet south of Elizabethtown on US-9.
Pauline Murdock Wildlife Management Area - A conservation area northeast of Elizabethtown hamlet.
Notable people
Ezra C. Gross, U.S. Representative from New York, March 4, 1819 to March 3, 1821
Robert S. Hale, U.S. Representative from New York, December 3, 1866 to March 3, 1867 and March 4, 1873 to March 3, 1875
Augustus C. Hand, U.S. Representative from New York, March 4, 1839, to March 3, 1841
