town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, United States. The population was 1,974 at the 2020 census. The town is on the county's northern border.
History
The town was first settled ''circa'' 1816, and was founded in 1824 from Ellicottville by Henry Frank Sr., a Revolutionary War veteran from
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.32%, is water.
The north boundary is formed by
Cattaraugus Creek
Cattaraugus Creek is a stream, approximately long, in western New York in the United States.Erie County.
New York State Route 240
New York State Route 240 (NY 240) is a state highway in western New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 242 in the Ellicottville community of Ashford Junction in northern ...
, a north-south route in the eastern part of the town, links the town to the suburbs of Buffalo, as does U.S. Route 219 in the western part of the town.
Adjacent towns and areas
The northern border is formed with the towns of Concord and
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...
in Erie County, and the south border is created by the towns of Ellicottville and East Otto. To the west is the town of East Otto. The east boundary is formed by the towns of Machias and
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 2,223 people, 857 households, and 634 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,023 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.99%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.53%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 0.76% of the population.
There were 857 households, out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,313, and the median income for a family was $44,509. Males had a median income of $32,392 versus $21,500 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $19,136. About 4.0% of families and 6.3% 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 ...
, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Ashford
*Ashford Hollow – A
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
in the southwest part of the town on U.S. Route 219.
*Beaver Siding – A location in the southeast corner of the town, located on County Road 60 and south of West Valley.
*Bellow Corners – A hamlet east of Ashford Hollow, located on County Road 85.
*Buttermilk Creek – A
tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
of Cattaraugus Creek in the north part of the town.
*Edies Siding – A hamlet in the northwest corner of the town by Cattaraugus Creek.
*Fox – A hamlet near the center of the town, east of Ashford Hollow.
*Riceville (also called "East Ashford") – A hamlet near the east town line on County Road 55.
*Riceville Station – A location west of Riceville on Route 240.
* Scoby Power Plant and Dam – A former hydroelectric dam along Cattaraugus Creek on the northern border of the town.
*Thomas Corners – A hamlet in the northeast part of the town on Route 240.
* West Valley – A hamlet and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, the research and development of nuclear power, the military's nuclear w ...