Altona

History

The area was home to various cultures of indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Archeological studies have found that by 1300 CE, the St. Lawrence Iroquoians, a distinct group who spoke the Laurentian language, built fortified villages similar to those visited and described by explorer Jacques Cartier in the mid-16th century. They are believed to have been pushed out and defeated later in that century by the Mohawk, one of the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. The first European-American settler arrived circa 1800, after the American Revolution, when New York attracted migrants from New England. In 1857, the town was formed from part of the Town of Chazy. The early economy was based on natural resources: mining, logging, and tanning.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.35%, is water. Most of the town is drained by the Great Chazy River, while the southeastern section is drained by the Little Chazy River and Corbeau Creek. All of the water bodies flow eventually to Lake Champlain. New York State Route 190 (Military Turnpike) is a northwest–southeast highway in the town. U.S. Route 11 crosses the northwestern corner of Altona.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• NORTHERN ADIRONDACK MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL
  High · ELLENBURG DEPOT · 417 students · 8.5:1 ratio
• NORTHERN ADIRONDACK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  Elementary · ELLENBURG DEPOT · 387 students · 11.4:1 ratio
• MOOERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  Elementary · MOOERS · 322 students · 12.9:1 ratio