Irishtown, Olmstedville, Minerva, NY, Minerva Lake - Celtic

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Census Records,
Town of Minerva
including Hamlets of
Irishtown, Leonardsville, Minerva, Olmstedville
by Minerva Historical Society

On this page we will display some of the Census Information as reported in the Minerva Historical Society Publication. The presentation is in the style of a conversation which is very common when setting around a campfire, a fireplace or kitchen table.

For a wide range of Historical Data I would suggest you secure the two volume publication.

1810
When the 1810 census was taken, Minerva was a part of the Town of Schroon. However, it is possible to fairly accurately pick out those families who lived in Dominick," as the names are all together and the same names appear in town records.

There were about 137 people living here in 1810, with 23 families. Ten of these families owned looms and had made during the year 1,884 yards of cloth.

There were five West families and those of William Hill, Rufus Towsley, James Whitehead, James Carey, Abner Tallman, Increase Jones, Edward Talbot, Richard Miller, Samuel Baker, Thomas Leonard, John Seeles, Silvester Goodman, John Ogle, Allen Wing, Solomon Lanfear, David Tyler Jr., and Lenox Burgee.

Photo by EEHealy

Old Tahawus Mining Town Spring 2004

1820
In 1820 there were in Minerva 276 inhabitants, but at least four of the families were living in what is now Newcomb.

There were eight people in town who had been born in another country and had not yet been naturalized. Henry Mends was one of these, and there were three in the family of Robert Shaw and four in the Edward Talbot family born outside the U.S. Collins Hewitt and family had now moved from Pendleton to Minerva, and Alfred White had come from Granville.

1830
In 1830 there were 368 inhabitants and 66 families, with only five aliens -- three in the family of John McGill, and James Lammon and Thomas Williamson or their wives.

Richard O'Neil with a wife and one child, was living here and some of the other new ones were Eleazer Palmer, Hosea and Apollos Dunbar, Jesse Tupper, Roger Ranson, John Garfield, Alanson Boyden, Ara Wade, Elder Thomas Ravlin, Josiah Knowlton, David and Jirah Gates, Thompson S. Barners, and Jasper Harvey.

Aerial View of
Irishtown
Aerial View of Irishtown.
Irishtown School, Church, Cemetery & Baseball Field.

1897 Topographical Map
Click On Map - Link To Source

1840
In 1840 there was a population of 455 with 83 families. The sexes were fairly evenly divided, there being 221 males and 234 females. Of these, seven were between the ages of 70 and 80.

Many new names had been added to the list and many who were here in 1830 had departed. Among the new ones were Michael and Dennis Kelly, Patrick Devlin, James Doherty, Thomas Maguire, Patrick O'Connell, Barnard Fullen, James Garvey, Isaac Vanderwarker, James Searles, Ralph Russell, James Wickham, Lucius Champney, Hiram Gilman, Robert Evans, Patrick and Michael Lynch, Thomas Wilbar, Patrick, Daniel and Lawrence Ward, George Hoefner, Batiste DeLong, John Balfour, and Edmund Butler.

Photo by EEHealy
Lock Muller Community Church
Established 1843

1850
The 1850 census is the first one which gives the names of wives and children. Before that date the name of the head of the household was given along with the number of males and females in certain age ranges.

The population of Minerva in 1850 was 586. The coming of the tannery was no doubt largely responsible for this growth between 1840 and 1850 and for nearly twenty years after.

Some of the new names added were Thomas L. Bibby, Soloman Conary, Amariah Dana, Catherine Donelly with her sons Patrick, Michael, Peter and Thomas, Patrick Farley, Asa and Orson Kellogg, James and William Kelso, Ferdinand LaRose, Robert Lindsay, Daniel Lynn, Patrick McIntyre, Michael McNamee, Henry Middleton, Isabella Mills, Patrick O'Connor, Levi Olmstead, Jordan Rexford, Edmund Ryan, John Toner, James Wamsley, William Wells, Moses Warren, Woodward Willis, Henery Losee, Joseph Wilson, Thomas Byrne, John Galaway and Francis Husselback.

Photo by EEHealy
Aiden Lair Pond Spring 2004

1855
The state census of 1855 is the most useful one as it tells in what county or country a person was born and how long he had lived in the town.

The population of Minerva had grown to 692 and there were 133 houses. Of these forty-seven were log, eighty-two frame and four plank. The valuation ran from $25 to $1000. The thousand dollar houses were owned by Anson West and Richard Evans.

Some of the new names added to the roll were Patrick Bradley, James and Patrick Cassidy, Henry Dornburgh, Joseph Wilson, Robert Kays, John LaPoint, John Mulhern and Thomas Murphy who was usually kmown as Joseph Murphy but listed in the census as "Thomas".

The following table shows the place of birth of the 692 inhabitants:

STATE		NYS COUNTY		COUNTRY
Wisconsin	1	Clinton	1	Scotland	3
Ohio	2	Rensselaer	6	Ireland	123
Pennsylvania	1	Columbia	1	England	5
N.H.	2	Madison	6	Canada	15
Connecticut	9	Green	7	France	2
Maryland	1	Lewis	1	Germany	1
Rhode Island	1	Warren	50
Vermont	54	Hamilton	1
		New York	16
		Washington	44
		Dutchess	3
		Kings	3
		Montgomery	1
		Stuben	1
		Cayuga	5
		Saratoga	1
		Otsego	1
		Tioga	1
		Essex	323

Total	71	Total	472	Total	147

Genealogy Links:

1880 Federal Census,
Minerva Township, Essex County, New York
ESSEX COUNTY, NY
the New York GenWeb Project


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