Attica 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 Wyoming 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 7,702 as of 2010. The Town of Attica is on the northern boundary of the county and contains part of 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

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 ...

(the northern part of the village is within the adjacent town of

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 ...

in Genesee County). The Department of Corrections is a major employer, as both the maximum security

Attica Correctional Facility Attica Correctional Facility is a maximum security campus New York State prison in the Attica (town), New York, Town of Attica, New York (state), New York, operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. It w ...

and medium-security

Wyoming Correctional Facility Wyoming Correctional Facility is a medium-security state men's prison in Town of Attica, Wyoming County, New York. The prison is located adjacent to the better-known maximum security Attica Correctional Facility. The Wyoming prison first opened ...

are located here.

History

The Town of Attica was established in western New York in 1811 from a part of the Town of Sheldon. In 1816, part of Attica was taken to organize the new Town of Orangeville. Attica is the location of two state prisons:

's maximum-security

and medium-security

, both located south of the Village of Attica. Since the 1930s Attica had been a prison town, and most correctional officers live here or nearby with their families. On September 9, 1971, in the

Attica Prison riot The Attica Prison Riot, also known as the Attica Prison Rebellion, the Attica Uprising, or the Attica Prison Massacre, took place at the state prison in Attica, New York; it started on September 9, 1971, and ended on September 13 with the high ...

, more than 1200 inmates (of 2200) took over control of the prison. They sought to negotiate with authorities to improve living conditions. The state suppressed the uprising on September 13, 1971 with armed corrections officers, state police, and New York National Guard. Of the 43 men who died, law enforcement gunfire killed 10 hostages and 30 prisoners.

Geography

The town and county are located in western New York. The northern town line is the border of Genesee County. 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 , of which is land and (0.83%) 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. ...

passes through the northwest part of the town. NY-98 intersects NY-238 and

NY-354 New York State Route 354 (NY 354) is a state highway in New York in the United States. NY 354 is one of several highways radiating eastward from its western terminus in downtown Buffalo. The east terminus of NY 354 is in the ...

at the village of Attica.

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 6,028 people, 1,497 households, and 1,053 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 168.8 people per square mile (65.2/km²). There were 1,603 housing units at an average density of 44.9 per square mile (17.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 72.79%

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 ...

, 21.07%

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 ...

, 0.33% 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 ...

, 5.18% 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 0.30% 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 9.16% of the population. There were 1,497 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% 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, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% 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 3.08. In the town, the population was spread out, with 16.8% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 44.2% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 209.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 240.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $44,877, and the median income for a family was $49,375. Males had a median income of $32,060 versus $22,220 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 $17,817. About 3.7% 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 t ...

, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Attica

– Part of the Village of Attica is in the north part of the town. The remainder is inside Genesee County. *

– A New York state prison complex, south of Attica Village. *Attica Center – 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 ...

southeast of Attica Village on Route 238. *Vernal Corners – A hamlet in the northeast corner of the town.

References

External links