Alexander is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Genesee County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. The population was 2,534 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Alexander Rea, an early settler, and is on the southern border of the county. It includes a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

also named

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

History

Alexander Rea purchased in the town in 1802 for $56.20 and founded the village of Alexander. The next year he laid out a road, now Walnut Street and Route 98, north of the settlement. The town of Alexander was incorporated in 1812, from a part of the town of

Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...

. The town includes the

Alexander Classical School The former Alexander Classical School, today Alexander Town Hall, is located on Buffalo Street in Alexander, New York, United States. It is a three-story cobblestone building erected in the 1830s. It has a number of distinctions among cobblestone ...

, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of 35.5 square miles (92.0 km²), of which 35.5 square miles (92.0 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km², or 0.08%) is water.

Tonawanda Creek Tonawanda Creek is a small tributary of the Niagara River in Western New York, United States. After rising in Wyoming County, the stream flows through Genesee County before forming part of the boundary between Erie County and Niagara County. ...

, a tributary of the

Niagara River The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...

, flows northward through the town. The southern town line is the border of Wyoming County.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 2,451 people, 860 households, and 651 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 69.0 people per square mile (26.6/km²). There were 893 housing units at an average density of 25.1 per square mile (9.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.45%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.29%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.20% Native American, 0.33%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.08% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.65% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.49% of the population. There were 860 households, out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.26. In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.5% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $43,500, and the median income for a family was $51,364. Males had a median income of $37,553 versus $21,020 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $20,031. About 5.0% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 10.3% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the town of Alexander

– The village of Alexander is in the south central part of the town. *

Attica Attica ( el, Αττική, Ancient Greek ''Attikḗ'' or , or ), or the Attic Peninsula, is a historical region that encompasses the city of Athens, the capital of Greece and its countryside. It is a peninsula projecting into the Aegean Se ...

– A part of the village of Attica is within the south town line. *Brookville – A hamlet near the east town line. *East Alexander – A

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

located near the intersection of Brookville and West Bethany roads at the east town line. *Little Tonawanda Creek – A stream that flows past Brookville, East Alexander, and West Bethany before joining Tonawanda Creek north of the town. *North Alexander – A location north of Alexander village on the Alexander Road (Route 98). *Ray – A hamlet in the northeast corner of the town. *West Bethany – A community located east of Alexander Village on Bethany Road, at the town line with

Bethany Bethany ( grc-gre, Βηθανία,Murphy-O'Connor, 2008, p152/ref> Syriac: ܒܝܬ ܥܢܝܐ ''Bēṯ ʿAnyā'') or what is locally known as Al-Eizariya or al-Azariya ( ar, العيزرية, " laceof Lazarus"), is a Palestinian town in the West B ...

Notable people

* Daniel Burling, former New York State Assemblyman *

Barber Conable Barber Benjamin Conable Jr. (November 2, 1922 – November 30, 2003) was a U.S. Congressman from New York and former President of the World Bank Group. Biography Conable was born in Warsaw, New York on November 2, 1922. Conable was an Eagle Scout ...

, former U.S. congressman and president of the World Bank *

Alvarus E. Gilbert Alvarus Eleazer Gilbert (August 17, 1825 – August 20, 1891) was an American farmer and politician. Gilbert was born in Alexander, New York and went to the public schools. In 1839, he moved to Wisconsin Territory and settled in New Berlin, Wi ...

, former Wisconsin State Assemblyman *

Henry Hawkins Henry Hawkins, 1st Baron Brampton, (14 September 1817 – 6 October 1907), known as Sir Henry Hawkins between 1876 and 1899, was an English judge. He served as a Judge of the High Court of Justice between 1876 and 1898. Background and educatio ...

(1790–1845), businessman, state assemblyman, founder of

* Horace E. Houghton (1835-1897),

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

and Wisconsin state legislator *

Al Keller Alvah August “Al” Keller (April 11, 1920 in Alexander, New York – November 19, 1961 in Phoenix, Arizona) was an American racecar driver. NASCAR Keller participated in the NASCAR Strictly Stock/Grand National series from 1949 to 1956 w ...

, NASCAR and Champ Car Driver *

Allen Manvel Allen Manvel (September 26, 1837 – 1893) was the eleventh president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Manvel was born in Alexander, New York. In 1859 he began employment with the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad as a c ...

, eleventh president of the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison, Kansas, Atchison and Top ...

John M. Stowell John Maxell Stowell (1824–1907) was an American politician in Wisconsin. He served as the 26th Mayor of Milwaukee. Early life Stowell was born in Alexander, New York in 1824. He attended Alexander Classical School and Marietta College befor ...

, former Wisconsin State Assemblyman, mayor of Milwaukee

References

External links

Early history of Alexander, NY
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander (Town), New York Towns in Genesee County, New York