Amherst, New York
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amherst is a town in Erie County, New York, USA, directly northeast of the City of Buffalo. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 116,510. This represents an increase from the 1990 census figure of 111,711. The town is named for Jeffrey Amherst, a British military officer in the Navy.
The Town of Amherst, named the safest town in America (for towns 100,000 to 499,999 in population), encompasses most of the Village of Williamsville. The town is by the northern part of the county and borders a small section of the Erie Canal. The town is the largest and most populous suburb of Buffalo.
Based on statistics reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Amherst is the second safest city in USA overall, after Brick Township, New Jersey. The designation is based on crime statistics for the year 2005 in six categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and auto theft. [1]
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[edit] History
Amherst was formed in 1818 from part of the Town of Buffalo (later the City of Buffalo), which had previously been created from the Town of Clarence. Part of Amherst was used to form the Town of Cheektowaga in 1839.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 138.6 km² (53.5 mi²). 137.9 km² (53.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (0.50%) is water.
Much of Amherst was originally floodplain and marshland, much of which has been drained in recent years to facilitate development of new homes and businesses. The central and southern parts of the town are heavily suburbanized, however the southernmost hamlets (Eggertsville, Snyder) and the Village of Williamsville have managed to retain much of their original character. The northern part of the town is still relatively undeveloped with the prominent exception of the portions along Niagara Falls Boulevard (US 62) bordering the Town of Tonawanda and the Town of Wheatfield, New York. Some sections of northern and eastern Amherst have experienced problems with residential foundations as a result of unstable soil conditions. There are still active farms in the northern part of the town.
Amherst is bordered on the north by Tonawanda Creek and Niagara County, New York. Ellicott Creek flows through the town.
New York State Route 5, locally called "Main Street," passes through the town. The east town line is marked by Transit Road, NY Route 78.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 116,510 people, 45,076 households, and 29,885 families residing in the town. The population density was 844.8/km² (2,188.1/mi²). There were 46,803 housing units at an average density of 339.4/km² (879.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.28% White, 3.90% African American, 0.13% Native American, 5.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 45,076 households out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $55,427, and the median income for a family was $68,951. Males had a median income of $51,667 versus $32,030 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,647. About 4.2% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Communities and locations in Amherst
Areas within Amherst are referred to by the former post office station names. During the 1990's, many of these post offices were closed and consolidated. Mailing addresses to areas within the Town of Amherst are Amherst, East Amherst, Eggertsville, Getzville, Snyder, and Williamsville. Some of these mailing addresses overlap - some areas of Clarence directly east of Transit Road are in Williamsville, although for the purposes of taxes, schools and community resources, these people are residents of the Town of Clarence.
All the areas listed below are governed and run by the Town of Amherst except for the Village of Williamsville, an independent political entity.
- Eggertsville is a suburban community in the southwest part of the town, bordering on Buffalo centered around Eggert Road. The community is named after early postmaster Christian Eggert.
- Getzville -- A location near the center of the town by Campbell Boulevard (Route 270) and Dodge Road. The name comes from early resident Joseph Getz.
- Audubon - A location in the center of the town situated around John James Audubon Parkway. The town police, courthouse, and main library are located here.
- East Amherst (formerly Transit Station) -- An unincorporated community, or hamlet, in the eastern part of the town, shared with the Town of Clarence.
- Grover Cleveland Terrace -- A neighborhood in the southwest corner of the town.
- North Bailey -- A location by the junction of Bailey Avenue and Maple Road. The main post office for Amherst is located on North Bailey.
- Snyder (originally Snyderville after postmaster Michael Snyder} -- A suburban community located between Eggertsville and the Village of Williamsville. The Snyder post office was formerly located at Main and Chateau Terrace, but was closed in the 1990's. Daemen College is located on Main Street (Route 5).
- Swormville - A hamlet in the eastern part of the town, shared with the Town of Clarence. Named for Adam Schworm, prominent landowner and businessman.
- West Amherst - A location in the northwestern part of the town bordered by Niagara Falls Boulevard (US 62) to the west, Sweet Home Road to the east and Maple Road to the south. Principally the section of the town which comprises the Sweet Home central school district.
- Williamsville - Most of the Village of Williamsville is within Amherst, located in the south part of the town.
[edit] Additional Amherst facts
The Town of Amherst is the most populous town in Erie County and has its own economic base of business and industry.
Home to American Idol finalist John Stevens.
Home to pop-rock quartet Cute Is What We Aim For.
[edit] Education
There are four institutions of higher education located in Amherst. The North Campus of the University at Buffalo (housing all of the University programs apart from architecture, planning, and medicine), Daemen College, and one of the three campuses of Erie Community College are located there. Bryant and Stratton offers two year programs.
[edit] Public schools
There are three separate public school districts within the town. The Williamsville district is the largest and comprises the eastern half of the town along with portions of the Town of Clarence. The Amherst district is the southwestern portion of the town with its core in the Eggertsville and Snyder areas. The Sweet Home district is the northwestern portion of the town along with portions of the Town of Tonawanda with its core in West Amherst and Getzville.
[edit] Cultural Resources
- Amherst Museum is a historic house museum dedicated to preserving and communicating the history of the Town of Amherst. The Museum is an official department of the Town of Amherst.
[edit] External links
- Town of Amherst webpage
- Amherst History, c. 1898
- Amherst history
- Town of Amherst charter
- Amherst Town Court
| Municipalities and Communities of Erie County, New York (County Seat: Buffalo) |
|
|---|---|
| Cities | Buffalo | Lackawanna | Tonawanda |
| Towns | Alden | Amherst | Aurora | Boston | Brant | Cheektowaga | Clarence | Collins | Concord | Eden | Elma | Evans | Grand Island | Hamburg | Holland | Lancaster | Marilla | Newstead | North Collins | Orchard Park | Sardinia | Tonawanda | Wales | West Seneca |
| Villages | Alden | Angola | Blasdell | Depew | East Aurora | Farham | Gowanda | Hamburg | Kenmore | Lancaster | North Collins | Orchard Park | Sloan | Springville | Williamsville |
| CDPs | Angola on the Lake | Billington Heights | Cheektowaga | Clarence Center | Eden | Elma Center | Harris Hill | Holland | Lake Erie Beach | North Boston | Tonawanda | Town Line | West Seneca |
| Reservations | Cattaraugus Reservation | Tonawanda Reservation |
