Constable, New York | |
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Town | |
Location within the state of New York | |
Coordinates: 44°56′27″N 74°17′26″W / 44.94083°N 74.29056°W | |
Country | United States |
State | New York |
County | Franklin |
Government | |
• Type | Town Council |
• Town Supervisor | Michael Shea (D) |
• Town Council |
Members' List
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Area | |
• Total | 32.82 sq mi (85.00 km2) |
• Land | 32.81 sq mi (84.97 km2) |
• Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
Elevation | 305 ft (93 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 1,566 |
• Density | 48/sq mi (18.4/km2) |
Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
ZIP code | 12926 |
Area code(s) | 518 |
FIPS code | 36-17871 |
GNIS feature ID | 0978863 |
Constable is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 1,566 at the 2010 census. The town is named after William Constable, a member of the syndicate of original land owners.
The town is in the northern part of the county, along the Canada–United States border north of Malone.
The town of Constable was founded in 1807 from part of the town of Malone. Its territory was reduced later to form other towns: Fort Covington (1817) and Westville (1829).
An early business opportunity involved "line stores", constructed so part of the shop was in Canada and the other end in the United States, allowing subtle shifting of merchandise across the border without the inconvenience of customs duties.
During the Civil War, draftable men slipped easily across the border to Canada to avoid military service.
In June 2015, the town received national attention as David Sweat and Richard Matt, escaped convicts from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York, were the subject of a three-week manhunt in the area. Matt was shot and killed in the nearby town of Malone, while Sweat remained on the run until June 28 when he was captured in Constable, two miles away from the Canada–US border.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 32.8 square miles (85.0 km2), of which 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2), or 0.04%, is water.
The north town line is the international border between the United States and Canada and is the border of Quebec.