Wheatfield, New York

Wheatfield, New York
Town

Location in Niagara County and the state of New York.
Wheatfield, New York

Location in Niagara County and the state of New York.

Coordinates: 43°5′32″N 78°53′42″W / 43.09222°N 78.89500°WCoordinates: 43°5′32″N 78°53′42″W / 43.09222°N 78.89500°W
Country United States
State New York
County Niagara
Government
 • Type Town Council
 • Town Supervisor Robert B. Cliffe (R)
 • Town Council
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 (2010)
 • Total 18,117
 • Density 649.1/sq mi (250.6/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.

Wheatfield is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 18,117 at the 2010 census. The name stems from the agricultural use of the town lands, the growing of wheat.

The Town of Wheatfield is east of Niagara Falls International Airport.

History

Bergholz German Band, based in Wheatfield

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.

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 (4.0 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.

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.

Emigration historian Eugene Camann, founder and curator, is the fourth generation of his family to live in the village, also home to his descendants, the fifth, sixth and seventh generations. He bought the 1843 log house and converted it into the museum, largely with artifacts and items he spent a lifetime collecting. The museum is sponsored and maintained by the Historical Society of North German Settlements in Western New York.

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 be 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

Original First Officers

Supervisor: Tyler Sense

Town Clerk: Taylor Turpin

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.

Officials of the Township of Wheatfield (Town of Wheatfield)

Supervisor: Robert Cliffe

Town Clerk: Kathy Harrington

Assessors: Bridgette Grawe

Attorney: Robert O'Toole

Planning Board: Richard W. Muscatello

Superintendent of Highways: +Paul Siegmann

Historian: Walter Bissett

Zoning Board of Appeals: Terrence McIntyre

Constables: Robin Zastrow

Superintendent of Schools: Lynn Fusco

Economic Development Committee: William Wagner

Firearms Permit Review Board: Paul Cozad

Drainage Committee: Paul Siegmann

Website Task Force Committee: Don Wallace

Emergency Services Departments

The Town of Wheatfield is divided into five (5) Fire Districts where the individual districts are responsible for providing Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Response to their district within the Town. All five fire companies are 100% volunteer and mutual aid is used in almost every alarm of fire to provide the highest quality of fire protection possible. All Fire and EMS calls are dispatched by Niagara County Fire Control. Only one Wheatfield Fire company (Shawnee) runs an ambulance, the other Town Fire Companies contract with either Tri-Community Ambulance Service Inc., Twin City Ambulance, or Rural / Metro Medical Services of Western New York.

Wheatfield Fire Companies

Bergholtz Volunteer Fire Company
Frontier Volunteer Fire Company
St. Johnsburg Volunteer Fire Company
Shawnee Volunteer Fire Company
Adams Volunteer Fire Company

Ambulance Company

Tri-Community Ambulance Service Inc.

Geography

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

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

Adjacent cities and towns

Major highways in the Town of Wheatfield

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 per square mile (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.

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

Private schools

Wheatfield Christian Academy: Grades PreK - 12

St. Peter's Lutheran Church and School: Grades PreK - 8

Holy Ghost Lutheran School: Grades PreK - 8

St. John Lutheran School: Grades PreK - 8

Additional information about Wheatfield

Within the Town of Wheatfield there is a Boy Scout troop 833 and a Cub Scout Pack 833 pack, located at Adams Fire Company on Nash Road.

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.

Notable people

Communities and locations in Wheatfield

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

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

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