Tonawanda (city), New York
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- For other places with a similar name, see Tonawanda, New York.
Tonawanda is a city in Erie County, New York in the USA. The population was 16,136 at the 2000 census.
The City of Tonawanda is at the northern edge of Erie County, across the Erie Canal from Niagara County. It is north of Buffalo, New York.
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[edit] History
Tonawanda began as a hamlet in 1808 with the settlement of Henry Anguish who built a log home in 1808 and a tavern in 1811 at the mouth of Tonawanda Creek where it empties into the Niagara River. The hamlet grew slowly until the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825. The lumber industry provided economic opportunity and the two Tonawandas on either side of Tonawanda Creek became a leading lumber processing center by the end of the 19th century. Tonawanda incorporated as a village in mid century and as a city in 1904. It was formerly part of the Town of Tonawanda.
[edit] Historic Figures
- Louis Philip Perew- (died in 1913) An inventor who lived in Tonawanda during the late 1800's and early 1900's. One of his most outrageous creations was his "Automatic Man". This towering Frankenstein made of wood, rubber, and metal was attached to a carriage and could walk down the main streets of town. At 7'5" the "Automatic Man" was quite a sight for the people of the town and talked about around the globe.[1] Other inventions from Louis Philip Perew include "Walk on Water Shoes" and the not-so-well-thought-out "Gunpowder Engine" whose first trial run caused Perew's garage to explode. He had over thirty patents.[citation needed]
[edit] Geography
Tonawanda is located at (43.01119, -78.877399)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.6 km² (4.1 mi²). 9.8 km² (3.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (7.34%) is water.
[edit] Surrounding communities and areas
Tonawanda borders the Town of Tonawanda to the south and east and the City of North Tonawanda in Niagara County to the north. The Niagara River forms part of the western boundary.
[edit] Neighborhoods and locations in the City of Tonawanda
- Gastown -- A neighborhood in the northeast corner of Tonawanda, bordering the Erie Canal. Its name comes from the Gas Light Co., which was built on Long's Point, home of the historical Long's Homestead.
- Millstream -- A neighborhood on the eastern side of the city. It is named for a stream that formerly flowed through the area, but has since been mostly pushed underground.
- "The Hill" -- A region centered around Tonawanda High School, named so for its slightly elevated topography when compared with the rest of the relatively flat city.
[edit] Culture
[edit] Canal Fest
In conjunction with the City of North Tonawanda, the City of Tonawanda celebrates an annual Canal Festival. For one week, members of both communities celebrate Tonawanda's historic location on the western end of the Erie Canal in the largest festival of its kind. The Festival began in 1983 when several state and regional leaders set out to promote the businesses of the Tonawandas, provide fundraising opportunities for local non-profit organizations, and provide recreational activities for the citizens of both Tonawanda and North Tonawanda.
Though the event only took place on the north side of the canal the first year, it soon grew into both cities. Today, the Canal fest is organized by the Canal Fest of the Tonawandas Inc., a non-profit organization. It's estimated that over one-hundred fifty thousand people attend the Canal Fest each year, though an accurate number is impossible to obtain since attending the event is entirely free of charge and there are no turnstiles to measure crowds. The Canal Fest is the largest event held along the Erie Canal today and is in the top percentile of New York State events.
[edit] Gateway Harbor
Also in conjunction with the city of North Tonawanda, Tonawanda is home to Gateway Harbor, a public park that runs along the Erie Canal just before it joins the Niagara River. During summer months, local boaters are free to dock at the park, and the area becomes quite popular during the free concerts set up by the local chamber of commerce. Various local businesses sponsor a series of concerts on both the Tonawanda and North Tonawanda sides of the park.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 16,136 people, 6,741 households, and 4,361 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,643.8/km² (4,252.9/mi²). There were 7,119 housing units at an average density of 725.2/km² (1,876.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.08% White, 0.42% Black or African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.89% of the population.
There were 6,741 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,523, and the median income for a family was $46,242. Males had a median income of $36,980 versus $24,314 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,789. About 4.9% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] External References
- ^ Louis Perew's Automaton. Retrieved on 2006-06-01.
[edit] External links
- City of Tonawanda
- Tonawanda Chamber of Commerce
- Canal Fest of the Tonawandas, Inc.
- Tonawanda City Court
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
| 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 |
