Wheatfield, New York

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Wheatfield, New York
Wheatfield, New York (New York)
Wheatfield, New York
Wheatfield, New York
Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 43°5′32″N 78°53′42″W / 43.09222, -78.895
Country United States
State New York
County Niagara
Area
 - Total 28.6 sq mi (74.1 km²)
 - Land 27.9 sq mi (72.3 km²)
 - Water 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km²)
Elevation 577 ft (176 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 14,086
 - Density 504.6/sq mi (194.8/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 14120, 14304, 14132
Area code(s) 716
FIPS code 36-81380[1]
GNIS feature ID 0979632[2]
Location within Niagara County.
Location within Niagara County.

Wheatfield is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 15,768 at the 2005 census estimate. The name stems from the agricultural use of the town lands: Growing Wheat.

The Town of Wheatfield is in the southwest part of Niagara County.

Contents

[edit] History

The Town of Wheatfield was formed in 1836 from the Town of Niagara. It is situated in the southwest part of the county, surrounded by the Town of Lewiston and Town of Cambria to the north, Town of Pendleton to the east, City of North Tonawanda and Niagara River to the south, and the City of Niagara Falls and Town of Niagara to the west.

The first town meeting was held on June 6, 1836, in the schoolhouse of District No. 7, on the north line of the Town. Soil of the Town is generally clay loam and somewhat difficult to cultivate, but heavy crops of wheat can be grown on the land, thus giving the Town its name - Wheatfield.

Within Wheatfield, starting in 1843, German immigrants established the communities of Bergholz, St. Johnsburg, Walmore, Martinsville, and Gratwick. The latter two towns are now part of North Tonawanda.

Later other communities were formed at railroad stops and along some well traveled highways. The River Road section of the Town became a prosperous farm section in the 1920s that included the showplace "Wheatfield Farms". Along the river, there were vacation cottages, beaches, an amusement park, and nightclubs. Permanent housing has replaced many of the cottages and remnants of some bygone structures are still visible as one travels along River Road today.

During World War II, industries located in the Town. The largest was Bell AeroSpace Company which produced the World War II fighter plane, P-39 Airacobra, and later, products for the aerospace industry. During the post war period, other small industries and businesses were established in the Town, especially those serving the tourist trade such as motels and restaurants.

Growth and prosperity in the Town continued as families migrated from nearby communities creating new neighborhoods. During this period, Summit Park Mall was built and opened in 1972 to serve the people of Wheatfield and nearby communities.

The largest spurt of growth in the Town began in the 1980s and still continues today with many new housing developments emerging and new industrial and business parks being built. The population of the Town now exceeds 13,000, which classifies it as a town of the first class. Even with the growth of the Town, farming is still carried on with dairy farming being our main enterprise.

As we journey through the 21st century, the Town will most assuredly continue to grow and prosper in an orderly manner, controlled by the Wheatfield Master Plan along with the Town Planning and Zoning Boards.

Probably the earliest settler on the site of North Tonawanda was George N. Burger, who came in 1809 and built a log tavern on the river; he remained a resident until about 1825. Joshua Pettit came in 1810 and settled near the Niagara Iron Works, where he opened a tavern. He was the father of Mrs. Daniel C. Jacobs and Mrs. Whitman Jacobs. Stephen Jacobs, a soldier at the battle of Bunker Hill, located on the river two miles (3 km) below in 1817, where he purchased 196 acres (0.79 km²) of Augustus Porter, paying eight dollars an acre. He died in Niagara Falls in January, 1840. William Vandervoorte settled here in 1825, occupying a log house which tradition says was the only one then in existence. It was his intention to make a business of purchasing staves and timber for the Boston market, and ultimately to open a mercantile business. In 1828 he finished the first public house in the place, which was called the Niagara; it was burned in 1844. Later he purchased 1,000 acres (4 km²) of land of the Holland Company and sold to Prussian immigrants the largest part of their possessions on Tonawanda Creek and its vicinity. He established the first bank in 1836. As before indicated, little progress of a business nature was made here until the opening of the Erie Canal. The interior of the town was still almost an unbroken wilderness and as late as 1850 a large part of the area of the town was unimproved. The prospects at Tonawanda in 1824, as viewed by interested persons, is indicated in the following advertisement:

[edit] Das Haus

Das Haus is the heritage museum of the Historical Society of North German Settlements in Western New York. It is an original log house built in 1843 by immigrants who left Germany to find religious freedom. In the Town of Wheatfield they founded the communities of Bergholz, Martinsville and Walmore, and later St. Johnsburg.

In Das Haus and in a replica barn called Der Stall, the museum shows the German style of the building they used later, as well as items typical of rural life in the Town during the 19th century. The Town of Wheatfield Garden Club maintains planting typical of that time.

The museum is open on Sunday afternoons from 2 to 4 P.M. starting with the third Sunday in May and running through the third Sunday in October. Appointments can also me made. For more information or a list of publications issued by the society, write to the address above or contact Wilma Lass, 716-731-9905 or Elaine Timm, 716-998-5897 or etimm01@aol.com

[edit] Original First Officers

Supervisor: N. M. Ward.

Town Clerk: Edwin Cook.

Assessors: Isaac Smith, James Sweeney, Hiram Parks.

Justices of The Peace: L. B. Warden, John Sweeney.

Commissioners of Highways: Elias Parks, Matthew Gray.

Collector: Stewart Milliman.

Overseer of the Poor: William Towsley.

Constables: Milliman, Daniel Jacobs, Calvin Champlin, Seth Roberts

Commissioners of Schools: Isaac Young, James Sweeney, Loyal Edwards.

[edit] Officials of the Township of Wheatfield (Town of Wheatfield)

Supervisor: Timothy Demler

Town Clerk: Kathy Harrington

Assessors: Bridgette Grawe

Attorney: Robert O'Toole

Planning Board: Richard W. Muscatello

Commissioners of Highways: Art Kroening

Histoian: Chuck D.Cederman

Zoning Board of Appeals: Terrence McIntyre

Constables: Ron Dworzanski

Commissioners of Schools: Robert Gallagher

Economic Development Committee: John Petrozzi

Firearms Permit Review Board: Paul Cozad

Drainage Committee: Ron Moore

Website Task Force Committee: Don Wallace

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 28.6 sq mi (74 km²). Of it 27.9 sq mi (72 km²) is land and 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km²). of it 2.41% is water.

The Niagara River is part of the western border of the town.

[edit] Adjacent Cities & Towns

[edit] Major Highways in the Town of Wheatfield

  • U.S. Route 62 (Niagara Falls Blvd.), North-South highway that crosses the town from Amherst town line to Niagara Falls city line.
  • New York State Route 265 / New York State Route 384 (River Rd.), North-South Highway through west part of town that parallels the Niagara River with both New York Routes NY 265 and NY 384; from the Niagara Falls city line to the North Tonawanda city line.
  • New York State Route 425 (Shawnee Rd.), North-South roadway through the town from North Tonawanda city line to Cambria town line.
  • New York State Route 429 (Ward Rd.), North-South roadway through the town from the North Tonawanda city line to the Lewiston town line.

[edit] Demographics

Wheatfield, NY is Considered to be a part of the Buffalo-Niagara Metro Area. As of the population estimates in July 2005, the town's current population is 15,768[1], which is an 11.9% increase from 2000, in fact this is one of the fastest growing towns in the State of New York. This makes it the fastest growing town or city in Western New York. As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 14,086 people, 5,305 households, and 3,893 families residing in the town. The population density was 504.6 people per square mile (194.9/km²). There were 5,555 housing units at an average density of 199.0/sq mi (76.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.44% White, 0.99% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population.

There were 5,305 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $51,700, and the median income for a family was $61,315. Males had a median income of $42,076 versus $27,233 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,184. About 2.5% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Public Schools

Niagara Wheatfield Senior High School: Grades 9 - 12

Edward Town Middle School: Grades 6 - 8

Colonial Village Elementary School: Grades PreK - 5

Errick Road Elementary School: Grades PreK - 5

West Street Elementary School Grades PreK - 5

Tuscarora Indian School: Grades PreK - 6

[edit] Private Schools

Wheatfield Christian Academy: Grades PreK - 12

St Peters Lutheran School: Grades PreK - 8

Holy Ghost Lutheran School: Grades PreK - 8

St. John Lutheran School: Grades PreK - 8

Starpoint Central Schools: Grades k - 12

[edit] Additional information about Wheatfield

Within the Town of Wheatfield there is a Boy Scout troop and a Cub Scouts pack, located at Adams Fire Company on Nash Road.

Wheatfield, NY is also home to The Summit mall In recent years the Summit mall has declined, to where there are now only 3 anchor stores inside including Sears, Bon Ton, and Steve & Barry's University Sportswear

Wheatfield was at one time originally home to Perkins family restaurant. The chain's restaurants in Western NY were bought out by Dennys and they took over until it closed in 2004. Yianni's Restaurant now occuipies the building that once was the biggest social hangout of the towns youth.

John Wayne Bobbitt is the town's most famous, or infamous resident and graduated from Niagara Wheatfield Senior Highschool in 1985.

Also Wheatfield, NY is the future home of the "Oz Theme Park" Located near Love Canal (just to the east of the site)

Wheatfield does not have a post office, so residents use the nearest one and in as a result have that town or city name as an address. They use North Tonawanda, NY's, Niagara Falls's or Sanborn's zip code.

The Town is also home to the Gath, Fadale and Zimmerman families but contrary to popular belief, the La Scala family resides in the town of Niagara, not Wheatfield.

The Town has seen fit to purchase a firetruck whose sole purpose thus far upon acquiring has been to cater to two middle aged women who enjoy the thrill of riding on the back whilst sirens a blare.

[edit] Communities and locations in Wheatfield

(Most communities in Wheatfield are connected through urban sprawl).

  • Bergholz -- A hamlet in the northwestern part of the town near the airport.
  • Hoffman -- A location on the eastern border of the town.
  • Nashville -- A location on US-62 in the southeast part of the town.
  • Niagara Falls International Airport (IAG) -- Part of the airport is in the northern part of the town.
  • Sawyer -- A hamlet on US-62 adjacent to the City of North Tonawanda.
  • Shawnee -- A hamlet on US-62 (Niagara Falls Boulevard).
  • St. Johnsburg -- A hamlet on US-62 near the center of the town.
  • Walmore -- A hamlet in the northwest part of the town on Lockport Road.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

[edit] External links

North: Sanborn, Lewiston
West: Niagara Falls, Town of Niagara Town Of Wheatfield East: Pendleton
Southwest: Grand Island, Niagara River South: N. Tonawanda, Erie Canal Southeast: Amherst
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