Hamburg (town), New York
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hamburg is a town in Erie County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 56,259.
The Town of Hamburg is on the western border of the county and is south of Buffalo, New York. Hamburg is one of the "Southtowns" in Erie County. A village called Hamburg is in the town.
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[edit] History
Historical evidence[1] shows that the area was settled originally by the Kahquak and Erie Indians.
Some people have claimed that the name "Hamburg" was selected due to the presence of German settlers in the town, but they did not arrive until long after the town was formed and named.[citation needed]
[edit] The 19th Century
Around 1805 the settlement was known as Barkerville, named after Zenas Barker, the Postmaster. On the site of this building today is the Bay View Hotel. The first landowner in the area was John Cummings, who built the first grist mill in 1806.
The Town of Hamburg was formed by government decree on March 20, 1812 from the (now defunct) Town of Willink. The first town meeting took place on April 7, 1812 at Jacob Wright's Tavern at Wright's Corners, which was renamed to Abbott's Corners, and now Armor. One of the early noted activities of the Town Board in that same year was to place a $5 bounty on wolf hides, due to the complaints of the local settlers who were being bothered by them.
In 1815 mail routes were established. The earliest settlers in the area were from New England. Germans started arriving in the 1830s and set up many successful farms.
On November 29, 1824, a meeting was held in Abbott's Corners, at the home of early settler, Seth Abbott. At a vote of those present, agreement was reached to form a library with the sum of $102. [2]
By 1850, the town was reduced by the formation of the Towns of Orchard Park and West Seneca.
Around 1852 the Erie Railroad was built through the area. In 1868 the Erie County Fair came to the town and has been located there since then. In 1875 the weekly publication of the Erie County Independent began. This is now known as "The Sun". Telephone service in the area started in 1886.
In 1897 a group of women known as the Nineteenth Century Club started a permanent free public library, known as the Hamburg Free Library. Until 1901 it was located in various rented buildings.
Starting in 1890 and to support the growing regional steel industry, Polish and Italians began to arrive in the area.
[edit] The 20th Century
The Hamburg Free Library was moved into a Carnegie library on Center Street on November 8, 1915 where it remained until 1966 when the current library at 102 Buffalo Street was opened.
A trolley car system was established in the early 1900s.
[edit] The 21st Century
In 2003, PETA offered the town $15,000 (payable in non-meat burgers given to area schools) to change its name to Veggieburg. The town declined the offer.[1]
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 107.0 km² (41.3 mi²). 106.9 km² (41.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.05%) is water.
Lake Erie forms the western border of the town and Eighteen-Mile Creek, the southern boundary.
The New York State Thruway (Interstate 90), US Route 62 (South Park Avenue/Buffalo Street), US Route 20 (Southwestern Boulevard), and NY highway 5 pass through the town.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 56,259 people, 21,999 households, and 15,157 families residing in the town. The population density was 526.1/km² (1,362.7/mi²). There were 22,833 housing units at an average density of 213.5/km² (553.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.93% White, 0.49% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.56% of the population.
There were 21,999 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,888, and the median income for a family was $56,974. Males had a median income of $41,440 versus $27,602 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,943. About 3.2% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Communities and locations
- Amsdell Heights -- A hamlet in the western part of the town inland from Wanakah.
- Armor -- A hamlet northeast of Hamburg village on the border of the Town of Orchard Park. This community was originally called "Wright's Corners" and later "Abbott's Corners."
- Athol Springs -- A lakeside hamlet on the west side of the town.
- Blasdell - Village of Blasdell is at the northern border of the town.
- Carnegie -- A location northwest of Hamburg village.
- Clifton Heights -- A lakeside hamlet on the Lake Erie shore.
- Creekview Homes-- A housing development in South Roundtree.
- Eighteen Mile Creek -- A stream that forms part of the south border of the town and empties into Lake Erie south of Walden Cliffs.
- Eighteen Mile Creek County Park -- An undeveloped park on the south town line.
- Hamburg - Village of Hamburg is in the southeast corner of the town..
- Hamburg Airdrome (4G2) -- A small general aviation airport on the south town line.
- Hamburg Fairgrounds -- The location of the Erie County Fair every August and other events throughout the year. Buffalo Raceway is inside the fairgrounds. The fairgrounds are on Route 62 north of Hamburg village.
- Lake View -- A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town inland from Walden Cliffs and site of the Gatling Land Boom.
- Locksley Park
- Mount Vernon -- A lakeside community in the west part of the town.
- Pinehurst -- A lakeside hamlet on the Lake Erie shore.
- Roundtree -- A development south of Athol Springs and north of Carnegie.
- Scranton -- A location bordering the north side of Hamburg village.
- Wanakah -- A lakeside hamlet in the western part of the town.
- Walden Cliffs -- A lakeside hamlet in the southwest corner of the town named after Ebenezer Walden, a prominent WNY citizen and once Mayor of Buffalo, NY.*
- Water Valley -- A hamlet south of Hamburg village on the south side of Eighteen Mile Creek, located on Routes 62 & 75.
- Windom -- A community on the eastern border of the town.
- Woodlawn -- A hamlet in the northwest part of the town.
- Wynterbrooke -- An appartment complex in Hamburg.
[edit] Hamburg information
Hilbert College is in the Town of Hamburg, north of Hamburg village, and part of the south campus of Erie Community College is in the eastern part of the town.
The Erie County Fair, recently renamed America's Fair, is the second largest county fair in the United States and is held at the fairgrounds every year in August.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.townofhamburgny.com/about_the_town.asp Town of Hamburg - History
- ^ http://www.buffalolib.org/libraries/hamburg/history/ A History of the Hamburg Public Library
[edit] External links
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County Seat: Buffalo |
|---|---|
| Cities | |
| 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 |
