Batavia is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

in and the county seat of 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. It is near the center of the county, surrounded by the Town of Batavia, which is a separate municipality. Batavia's population as of the 2020 census was 15,600. The name ''Batavia'' is

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

for the

Betuwe Batavia (; , ) is a historical and geographical region in the Netherlands, forming large fertile islands in the river delta formed by the waters of the Rhine (Dutch: ''Rijn'') and Meuse (Dutch: ''Maas'') rivers. During the Roman empire, it was an ...

region of the Netherlands, and honors early Dutch land developers. In 2006, a national magazine, ''Site Selection'', ranked Batavia third among the nation's micropolitans based on economic development. The

New York State Thruway {{Infobox road , state = NY , type = NYST , alternate_name = Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway , maint = NYSTA , map = {{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, type=line, stroke-width=2, type2=line, from2=New Yor ...

(

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...

) passes north of the city.

Genesee County Airport Genesee County Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport in Genesee County, New York, United States. It is located two nautical miles (4 km) north of the central business district of Batavia, a city located within the Town of Batavia ...

(GVQ) is also north of the city. The city hosts the

Batavia Muckdogs The Batavia Muckdogs are a collegiate summer baseball team in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL). They are located in Batavia, a city in Genesee County, New York, United States. Their home field is Dwyer Stadium in the city of Ba ...

baseball team of the

Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) is a 16-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 2010. As of 2022, all teams are within New York (state). All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to pa ...

, at Dwyer Stadium (299 Bank Street). The Muckdogs formerly were an affiliate of the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

. They won the 2008 New York Penn League Championship. The city's

UN/LOCODE UN/LOCODE, the United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations, is a geographic coding scheme developed and maintained by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). UN/LOCODE assigns codes to locations used in trade and transpor ...

is USBIA.

History

The Holland Land Company

The current City of Batavia was an early settlement in what is today called ''

Genesee Country The Phelps and Gorham Purchase was the purchase in 1788 of of land in what is now western New York State from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for $1,000,000 ( £300,000), to be paid in three annual installments, and the pre-emptive right to th ...

'', the farthest western region of New York State, comprising the

Genesee Valley The Genesee River is a tributary of Lake Ontario flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York in the United States. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hy ...

and westward to 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) ...

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...

, and the

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

line. The tract purchased in western New York (the Holland Purchase) was a 3,250,000 acre (13,150 km) portion of the

Phelps and Gorham Purchase The Phelps and Gorham Purchase was the purchase in 1788 of of land in what is now western New York State from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for $1,000,000 ( £300,000), to be paid in three annual installments, and the pre-emptive right to th ...

that lay west of the Genesee River. It was purchased in December 1792, February 1793, and July 1793 from Robert Morris, a prominent

Revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...

banker, by the

Holland Land Company The Holland Land Company was an unincorporated syndicate of thirteen Dutch investors from Amsterdam who in 1792 and 1793 purchased the western two-thirds of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase, an area that afterward was known as the Holland Purchase ...

, a consortium of Dutch bankers. The village of Batavia was founded in 1802 by resident Land Agent

Joseph Ellicott Joseph Ellicott (November 1, 1760 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania – August 19, 1826 in New York City) was an American surveyor, city planner, land office agent, lawyer and politician of the Quaker faith. Life Ellicott was born in Bucks Cou ...

, under the authorization of

Paul Busti Paul Busti, or ''Paulus Busti'' or ''Paolo Busti'' (baptised 17 October 1749 – 23 July 1824), was the chief operating officer of the Holland Land Company from 1797 until his death. He was one of the first prominent real estate operators in the ...

of the

.History of Batavia, New York
"Village of Batavia" in ''Our County and Its People: A Descriptive and Biographical Record of Genesee County, New York (1899) Batavia, New York, was named by Paul Busti in honor of the

Batavian Republic The Batavian Republic ( nl, Bataafse Republiek; french: République Batave) was the successor state to the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 and ended on 5 June 1806, with the accession of Louis Bona ...

(1795–1806), a republican government of the Netherlands and home of the investors of the

. One of the provisions of the sale was that Morris needed to settle the

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

title to the land, so he arranged for his son Thomas Morris to negotiate with the

Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

Geneseo, New York Geneseo is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Livingston County, New York, Livingston County in the Finger Lakes region of New York (state), New York, United States. It is at the south end of the five-county Rochester metropol ...

in 1797. About 3,000 Iroquois, mostly

Seneca Seneca may refer to: People and language * Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America ** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people Places Extrat ...

s, arrived for the negotiation. Seneca chief and orator

Red Jacket Red Jacket (known as ''Otetiani'' in his youth and ''Sagoyewatha'' eeper Awake''Sa-go-ye-wa-tha'' as an adult because of his oratorical skills) (c. 1750–January 20, 1830) was a Seneca people, Seneca orator and Tribal chief, chief of the Wolf ...

was adamantly against the sale, but his influence was thwarted by freely distributed liquor and trinkets given to the women. He acquiesced and signed the ''Treaty of Big Tree'', in which the tribe sold their rights to the land except for a small portion for $100,000.

Mary Jemison Mary Jemison (''Deh-he-wä-nis'') (1743 – September 19, 1833) was a Scots-Irish colonial frontierswoman in Pennsylvania and New York, who became known as the "White Woman of the Genesee." As a young girl she was captured and adopted into a Sen ...

, known as ''The White Woman of the Genesee'', who was captured in a raid and married her Seneca captor, was an able negotiator for the tribe and helped win more favorable terms. In the negotiations Horatio Jones was the translator and William Wadsworth provided his unfinished home. The land was then

surveyed Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the land, terrestrial Two-dimensional space#In geometry, two-dimensional or Three-dimensional space#In Euclidean geometry, three-dimensional positions of ...

under the supervision of

, a monumental task and the biggest land survey ever attempted to that time. Ellicott, as agent for the company, established a land office in Batavia in 1802. The entire purchase was named Genesee County in 1802, with Batavia as the county seat. The company sold off the purchase until 1846, when the company was dissolved. The phrase "doing a land office business", which denotes prosperity, dates from this era. The office is a museum today, designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

. Ellicott lived in Batavia for many years although he thought Buffalo would grow to be larger. Batavia has a major street named after him (Ellicott Street), as well as a minor street (Ellicott Avenue), and a large monument in the heart of the city. Batavia was incorporated as a village in 1823. The present counties of western New York were all laid out from the original Genesee County, and the modern Genesee County is but one of many. But the entire area as a region is still referred to as ''Genesee Country''. Thus, Batavia was the core from which the rest of western New York was opened for settlement and development.

Masonic Lodge scandal

A scandal erupted in Batavia in 1826, when William Morgan was offended by the local

Masonic Lodge A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...

(Western Star Chapter R. A. M. No. 33 of

Le Roy, New York Le Roy, or more commonly LeRoy, is a town in Monroe County, New York or Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 7,641 at the time of the 2010 census. The town is named after one of the original land owners, Herman Le Roy. The ...

), and threatened to expose the lodge's secrets. He was arrested on a minor charge, then released when his charge was paid, into the company of several men, with whom he went, apparently unwillingly. It was developed later that the men were Masons, and they carried him to

Fort Niagara Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built by New France to protect its interests in North America, specifically control of access between the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, the easternmost of the Great Lakes. The fort is on the river's e ...

, where he was held captive and then disappeared. Although the Masons claimed he was only bribed to cease publication and leave the area forever, public sentiment was that he was murdered. No conviction was ever obtained. His captors were only charged and convicted with his abduction. The event roused tremendous public furor and anti-Mason sentiment. Anti-Masonry was a factor in politics for many years afterward, leading to the creation of the

Anti-Masonic Party The Anti-Masonic Party was the earliest third party in the United States. Formally a single-issue party, it strongly opposed Freemasonry, but later aspired to become a major party by expanding its platform to take positions on other issues. After ...

, as well as religion. Many

Methodist Episcopal The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

clergy had joined the Masons, and this was one of the reasons the

Free Methodist Church The Free Methodist Church (FMC) is a Methodist Christian denomination within the holiness movement, based in the United States. It is evangelical in nature and is Wesleyan–Arminian in theology. The Free Methodist Church has members in over 100 ...

separated.

Erie Canal

The

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

in 1825 bypassed Batavia, going well to the north at

Albion Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...

and

Medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...

, enabling Buffalo and

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

to grow much faster. With the sale of the western part of the state completed, Batavia became a small industrial city in the heart of an agricultural area. It became known for the manufacture of

tractor A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most common ...

s, agricultural implements,

sprayer A sprayer is a device used to spray a liquid, where sprayers are commonly used for projection of water, weed killers, crop performance materials, pest maintenance chemicals, as well as manufacturing and production line ingredients. In agricult ...

s and shoes. It also was a

tool and die Tool and die makers are highly skilled crafters working in the manufacturing industries. Variations on the name include tool maker, toolmaker, die maker, diemaker, mold maker, moldmaker or tool jig and die-maker depending on which area of concent ...

making center for industries in other areas. The largest manufacturer, Johnston Harvester Company came into being in 1868. In 1910, the business was acquired by Massey-Harris Co. Ltd, and became a subsidiary of that Canadian company, founded by Daniel Massey in 1847. Batavia grew rapidly in the early 20th century, receiving an influx of Polish and Italian immigrants. The City of Batavia was incorporated in 1915.

Recent history

Batavia is part of what has become known as ''The

Rust Belt The Rust Belt is a region of the United States that experienced industrial decline starting in the 1950s. The U.S. manufacturing sector as a percentage of the U.S. GDP peaked in 1953 and has been in decline since, impacting certain regions and ...

''. In recent years much of the heavier industry left for other areas of the US, or abroad, and according to U.S. Census data there has been a gradual but consistent decline in the city's population from 1960 forward. The construction of the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility, a federal

immigration detention Immigration detention is the policy of holding individuals suspected of visa violations, illegal entry or unauthorized arrival, as well as those subject to deportation and removal until a decision is made by immigration authorities to grant a vi ...

center next to the airport has provided more jobs in the area, as well as expansion of the airport, including lengthening the

runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...

to accommodate larger aircraft in 2005. Inmates at the detention center have included terrorism suspects, such as Nabil Ahmed Farag Soliman, who embarked on a hunger strike in 1999 after two and a half years in federal detention. In August 2012, Muller Quaker Dairy broke ground on what was to be one of the largest yogurt manufacturing plants in the United States, and employed 170 people in December 2015. Muller Quaker Dairy is a joint venture between

PepsiCo PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the food and beverage market. It oversees the manuf ...

and the Theo Muller Group. On December 10, 2015, the closure of the yogurt plant was announced with the additional news that the facility would be sold to the Dairy Farmers of America cooperative.

Geography and climate

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 city has an area of 5.2 square miles (13.6 km), of which 5.2 square miles (13.4 km) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km) (1.14%) is water. The city also sits directly along the

43rd parallel north The 43rd parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 43 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean. On 21 June the sun averages, wi ...

New York State Route 5 New York State Route 5 (NY 5) is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syr ...

(east-west) intersects state routes 33, 63 and 98 in the city. The

(

) is immediately north of Batavia.

Climate

This

climatic Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...

region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Batavia has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

, abbreviated "Dfa" or "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 15,465 people, 6,644 households, and 3,710 families residing in the city. The city's racial demographic changed slightly from 2000 to 2010.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,256 people, 6,457 households, and 3,867 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,133.9 people per square mile (1,209.3/km). There were 6,924 housing units at an average density of 1,334.8 per square mile (515.1/km). The city's racial makeup was 90.23%

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 ...

, 5.43%

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 ...

, 0.48% Native American, 0.87%

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 ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 1.06% 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 1.90% 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 2.45% of the population. There were 6,457 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was at least 65 years old. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.01. 23.4% of the city's population were under the age of 18, 8.7% were from age 18 to 24, 29.0% were from age 25 to 44, 20.2% were from age 45 to 64, and 18.6% were age 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males. The city's median household income was $33,484, and the median family income was $42,460. Males had a median income of $32,091 versus $23,289 for females. The city's per capita income was $17,737. About 10.2% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Batavia City School District operates public schools, including Batavia High School. Batavia is also where the New York State School for the Blind, a New York State-operated K-12 school, and the main campus of

Genesee Community College Genesee Community College (GCC) is a public community college with its main campus in Batavia, New York. It has campus centers in Albion, Medina, Warsaw, Dansville, Arcade, Lima (previously Lakeville), New York. Thus, the college covers areas no ...

is located.

Notable events

* The first

business incubator Business incubator is an organization that helps startup companies and individual entrepreneurs to develop their businesses by providing a fullscale range of services starting with management training and office space and ending with venture ca ...

in the United States, the Batavia Industrial Center, was started in Batavia.About Batavia
/ref> *

John Elway John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is an American professional football executive and former quarterback who is the president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Elway played college f ...

, quarterback of the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, hit his first professional home run at Dwyer Stadium while playing minor league baseball. * In March 1926, over 1,000 people turned out to hear Helen Keller speak at the high school at the time. * On September 3, 1993, a

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

tore through Batavia, killing two people. * On the night of August 3, 1994,

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

's westbound ''

Lake Shore Limited The ''Lake Shore Limited'' is an overnight Amtrak intercity rail, intercity passenger train that runs between Chicago and either New York City or Boston via two Section (rail transport), sections east of Albany, New York, Albany. The train bega ...

'' derailed near Batavia, and fourteen of the train's eighteen cars went off the tracks. There were no fatalities. * Governor

George Pataki George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. An attorney by profession, Pataki was elected mayor of his hometown of Peekskill, New York, and went on ...

made Batavia the New York State "Capital for A Day" on Wednesday, July 25, 2001. *Batavia was used as a filming location for the 1987 comedy road film,

Planes, Trains and Automobiles ''Planes, Trains and Automobiles'' is a 1987 American comedy film written, produced and directed by John Hughes and starring Steve Martin and John Candy with supporting roles by Laila Robins and Michael McKean. It tells the story of a high-stru ...

Notable people

Terry A. Anderson Terry A. Anderson (born October 27, 1947) is an American journalist. He reported for the Associated Press. In 1985, he was taken hostage by Shia Hezbollah militants of the Islamic Jihad Organization in Lebanon and held until 1991. In 2004, he ra ...

, journalist From 1985 to 1991, Anderson was held captive in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

Hezbollah Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...

partisans, and his sister, Peggy Say, became an ardent campaigner for his release. *

Thom Beers Thom Beers (born July 20, 1952 in Batavia, New York) is an American television producer and narrator/voice-over artist. Career Beers, a former producer and executive with Turner Broadcasting System, Turner Broadcasting and Paramount Syndicated T ...

, TV producer *

David Bellavia David Gregory Bellavia (born November 10, 1975) is a former United States Army soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Second Battle of Fallujah. Bellavia has also received the Bronze Star Medal, two Army Commendation ...

, Iraq War veteran *

Albert Brisbane Albert Brisbane (August 22, 1809 – May 1, 1890) was an American utopian socialist and is remembered as the chief popularizer of the theories of Charles Fourier in the United States. Brisbane was the author of several books, notably ''Social D ...

(1809–1890), socialist writer and newspaper publisher *

Charles H. Burke Charles Henry Burke (April 1, 1861 – April 7, 1944) was a Republican Congressman from South Dakota and Commissioner of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the 1920s. Biography He was born near Batavia, New York, in 1861, and attended the public sc ...

, former US Congressman from South Dakota * Daniel Burling, former New York State Assemblyman *

Albert G. Burr Albert George Burr (November 8, 1829 – June 10, 1882) was a United States representative in Congress from the state of Illinois for two terms, the 40th and 41st Congresses (serving from March 4, 1867, until March 3, 1871). He was a member of ...

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Paolo Busti Paul Busti, or ''Paulus Busti'' or ''Paolo Busti'' (baptised 17 October 1749 – 23 July 1824), was the chief operating officer of the Holland Land Company from 1797 until his death. He was one of the first prominent real estate operators in the ...

, principal agent of the

William L. Carpenter William Lewis Carpenter (January 13, 1844, at Dunkirk, Chautauqua County, New York, Chautauqua County, New York – July 10, 1898, at Madison Barracks, Jefferson County, New York) was a U.S. Army Officer, naturalist and a geologist who helped ...

, naturalist and geologist *

Trumbull Cary Trumbull Cary (August 11, 1787 Mansfield, Connecticut – June 20, 1869 Batavia, New York) was an American banker, lawyer, and politician from New York. Early life Trumbull Cary was born in Mansfield, Connecticut on August 11, 1787. He wa ...

, former New York State Senator *

Ralph Chandler Ralph Chandler (23 August 1829 – 9 February 1889) was a Rear admiral (United States), rear admiral of the United States Navy. He saw action during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War, and later served as commander of the Asi ...

, former

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

* Ralph Chapin, contributor to

Rochester Zen Center The Rochester Zen Center (RZC) is a Sōtō and Rinzai Zen Buddhist sangha in the Kapleau lineage, located in Rochester, New York and established in 1966 by Philip Kapleau. It is one of the oldest Zen centers in the United States. History Since ...

William Henry Comstock William Henry Comstock (August 1, 1830 – March 9, 1919) was an American/Canadian businessman and politician. Born in Batavia, New York, Comstock was educated in Flushing, New York, and on leaving school started work as a clerk. He starte ...

, businessman and politician *

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 Scou ...

, political leader and

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...

president, was a former resident. * James Crossen Jr. (1826-1890), founder of James Crossen-Cobourg Car Works, Irish-born Canadian

railway car A railroad car, railcar ( American and Canadian English), railway wagon, railway carriage, railway truck, railwagon, railcarriage or railtruck (British English and UIC), also called a train car, train wagon, train carriage or train truck, is ...

and street car builder * Albert G. Dow, former New York State Senator *

Benjamin Ellicott Benjamin Ellicott (April 17, 1765 – December 10, 1827) was a surveyor, a county judge and a member of the United States House of Representatives from the State of New York. Born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 1765, Benjamin Ellicott accomp ...

, former US Congressman *

David Ellicott Evans David Ellicott Evans (March 19, 1788 – May 17, 1850) briefly served as a United States representative from New York in 1827. Biography Evans was born in Ellicotts Upper Mills, Maryland. He attended the common schools, moved to New Yor ...

, former US Congressman *

Marc Ferrari Marc Schumann(known professionally as Marc Ferrari) (born January 27, 1962) is an American musician, author, entrepreneur and investor. He is best known for his work as a guitar player in the 1980s and 1990s rock bands Keel, Cold Sweat, and Medi ...

guitar player ''Guitar Player'' is an American popular magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print si ...

for the band

Keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...

John Fisher John Fisher (c. 19 October 1469 – 22 June 1535) was an English Catholic bishop, cardinal, and theologian. Fisher was also an academic and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI. Fisher was executed by o ...

, former industrialist and US congressman from New York *

Teal Fowler Teal Fowler (born December 11, 1970, in Batavia, New York, USA) is a former ice hockey player. Career After playing college hockey for the Merrimack College, he went to Germany and played for minor league teams in Dortmund, Königborn and Iserl ...

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

player * John Gardner, novelist, literary critic, and university professor *

Augustus Hall Augustus Hall (April 29, 1814 – February 1, 1861), a lawyer, was a one-term Democratic U.S. Representative from Iowa's 1st congressional district, and chief justice of the Nebraska Territory. Biography Born in Batavia, New York, Hall was the ...

, former US Congressman from Iowa, Chief Justice of Nebraska Territory * Robert Haney, Wisconsin politician and businessman * Stephen Hawley, New York State Assemblyman * Ronald E. Hermance Jr., former financial executive *

David C. Johnson David C. Johnson (born January 30, 1940 in Batavia, New York) is an American composer, flautist, and performer of live electronic music. Life and career Johnson studied, among other places, at Harvard University (M.A. in composition 1964), wi ...

, composer *

Bill Kauffman Bill Kauffman (born November 15, 1959) is an American political writer generally aligned with the localist movement. He was born in Batavia, New York, and currently resides in Elba, New York, with his wife and daughter. A devout Roman Catholic, ...

, political journalist and author *

George W. Lay George Washington Lay (July 26, 1798 – October 21, 1860) was an American politician and diplomat who served as a U.S. Representative from New York and Charge D'Affaires to Sweden. Born in Catskill, New York, Lay pursued classical studies an ...

, former US Congressman *

Samuel D. Lockwood Samuel Drake Lockwood (August 2, 1789 – April 23, 1874) was an Illinois lawyer and politician who served as the state's Attorney General, Secretary of State, Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court and the state's trustee on the board of the Il ...

, former Illinois Attorney General, Secretary of State, Supreme Court Justice * Thomas C. Love, former US Congressman *

Vincent Maney Stephen Vincent Maney (October 14, 1886 – March 13, 1952) was an American Major League Baseball shortstop who played in one game for the Detroit Tigers on May 18, . Maney was one of several replacement players that the Tigers played that day aft ...

, former MLB player *

Krista Marie Krista Marie is an American country music artist; she is signed to Broken Bow Records subsidiary Holeshot Records. She has charted twice on the ''Billboard'' country singles charts. She is also a former member of The Farm. Biography Marie is ...

, Member of the country band, The Farm *

Paula Miller Paula Jean Miller (born August 1, 1959) is an American politician. She was a Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates 2005–2012, representing the 87th district in the city of Norfolk. She ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic n ...

, former member of

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

* William Morgan, his book on

Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

and his disappearance in 1826 sparked an anti-Masonic movement in America *

Thomas David Morrison Thomas David Morrison ( 1796March 19, 1856) was a doctor and political figure in Upper Canada. He was born in Quebec City around 1796 and worked as a clerk in the medical department of the British Army during the War of 1812. He studied m ...

, Canadian doctor and exiled Mayor of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

1838–1843 * James C. Owens Jr., naval aviator *

Dean Richmond Dean Richmond (1804-1866) was Batavia, New York's railroad magnate, director of the Utica and Buffalo Railroad Company, First Vice President of the New York Central Railroad, and from 1864 to 1866, president of the New York Central. He was born i ...

, from 1864 to 1866, president of the

New York Central The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Midw ...

Julian Sidney Rumsey Julian Sidney Rumsey (April 3, 1823 in Batavia, New York – April 20, 1886 in Chicago, Illinois) served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1861–1862) for the Republican Party. Career Rumsey arrived in Chicago on July 28, 1835, to work in a shi ...

, former Mayor of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

* Albert Smith, former US Congressman *

Phineas L. Tracy Phineas Lyman Tracy (December 25, 1786 – December 22, 1876) was a U.S. Representative from New York, brother of Albert Haller Tracy. Born in Norwich, Connecticut, Tracy graduated from Yale College in 1806. He engaged in teaching for two ye ...

, former US Congressman *

J. C. Tretter Joseph Carl "JC" Tretter Jr. (born February 12, 1991) is a former American football Center (gridiron football), center. He played college football at Cornell Big Red football, Cornell, and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round ...

, NFL Player *

Emory Upton Emory Upton (August 27, 1839 – March 15, 1881) was a United States Army General and military strategist, prominent for his role in leading infantry to attack entrenched positions successfully at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House during the ...

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

General during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

Seth Wakeman Seth Wakeman (January 15, 1811 – January 4, 1880) was an American attorney and politician from Batavia, New York. Initially a Whig, and later a Republican, he was most notable for his service in the New York State Assembly from 1856 to 1857 ...

, former US Congressman * Isaac Wilson, former US Congressman *

Mary Elizabeth Wood Mary Elizabeth Wood (August 22, 1861 – May 1, 1931) was an American librarian and missionary, best known for her work in promoting Western librarianship practices and programs in China. She is credited with the foundation of the first library sc ...

, Librarian and

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

In popular culture

*Author John Gardner, a Batavia native, set his novels The Resurrection (1966) and ''

The Sunlight Dialogues ''The Sunlight Dialogues'' is a 1972 novel by the American author John Gardner. Plot summary The novel is set in the 1960s in Batavia, New York Batavia is a city in and the county seat of Genesee County, New York, United States. It is nea ...

'' (1972) in 1960s Batavia. *Native Batavian

, a political writer and columnist, has a book, ''Dispatches from the Muckdog Gazette'' (2002), about the city. Author

F. Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...

references Batavia in his novel, ''

Tender Is the Night ''Tender Is the Night'' is the fourth and final novel completed by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in French Riviera during the twilight of the Jazz Age, the 1934 novel chronicles the rise and fall of Dick Diver, a promising young ps ...

'' (1934) *Popular authors

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

and

Peter Straub Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

mention or set parts of their novel, '' The Talisman'' (1983), in the city. *Batavia was also referenced in ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'' Season 8 episode "

The Twisted World of Marge Simpson "The Twisted World of Marge Simpson" is the eleventh episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 19, 1997. It was written by Jenn ...

", when the first order to

Marge Marge is a feminine given name, a shortened form of Marjorie, Margot or Margaret (name), Margaret. Notable Marges include: People *Marge (cartoonist) (1904–1993), pen name of Marjorie Henderson Buell, American cartoonist *Marge Anderson (1932� ...

pretzel A pretzel (), from German pronunciation, standard german: Breze(l) ( and French / Alsatian: ''Bretzel'') is a type of baked bread made from dough that is commonly shaped into a knot. The traditional pretzel shape is a distinctive symmetrical ...

business after securing the protection of the local

mafia "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...

comes from the Meat Packers Union Hall in Batavia. *Batavia’s minor league baseball team is referenced in the 2001 major motion picture “

Summer Catch ''Summer Catch'' is a 2001 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Tollin and starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Jessica Biel and Matthew Lillard. The film marked Tollin's feature film List of directorial debuts, directorial debut. The settin ...

,” which stars

Jessica Biel Jessica Claire Timberlake (née Biel ; born March 3, 1982) is an American actress and model. She has received various accolades, including a Young Artist Award, and nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Biel be ...

Environmental Risk Assessment

Toxics Release Inventory

In Batavia, there are multiple companies ranging from food products to manufacturing that release toxic chemicals on a regular basis. The following data comes from the

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...

’s

Toxics Release Inventory The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is a publicly available database containing information on toxic chemical releases and other waste management activities in the United States. Summary of requirements The database is available from the United St ...

(TRI) database. In 2020, these facilities were responsible for 1,522,366 pounds of waste. Of this number, a total of 53,610 pounds was released on land, or into the air and water of the surrounding areas without being managed properly. These oversights in waste management can cause toxic chemicals to leech into the surrounding environment and become toxic to the individuals living there. Of these facilities, 4 are indicated by the EPA to release chemicals that could pose a threat to people in the surrounding communities. The risk indication comes from an RSEI score higher than zero, which signifies a possibility of harm and contamination. These companies include the following: * Graham Corporation *

HP Hood HP Hood LLC is an American dairy company based in Lynnfield, Massachusetts. Hood was founded in 1846 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, by Harvey Perley Hood. Recent company acquisitions by HP Hood have expanded its reach from predominantly New Eng ...

LLC * Chapin International * US Chrome Corporation of New York In total, these companies accounted for 29,724 pounds of the 53,610 pounds of contaminants released in Batavia in 2020, totaling 55.44% of the year's chemical releases. The top 5 contaminants by weight that caused an elevated RSEI score in 2020 are as follows: *

Chromium Chromium is a chemical element with the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in group 6. It is a steely-grey, lustrous, hard, and brittle transition metal. Chromium metal is valued for its high corrosion resistance and hardne ...

(18 lb) *

Nickel Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow to ...

(44 lb) *

Peracetic acid Peracetic acid (also known as peroxyacetic acid, or PAA) is an organic compound with the formula CH3CO3H. This peroxy acid is a colorless liquid with a characteristic acrid odor reminiscent of acetic acid. It can be highly corrosive. Peracetic a ...

(1,318 lb) *

Manganese Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...

(12 lb) *

Lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

(380 lb) If consumed in toxic amounts, either rapidly or slowly over time, these chemicals can cause a multitude of negative health effects in residents surrounding these facilities. Among this list, nickel compounds have been found to be associated with cancer, hematological, immunological, and respiratory complications, manganese has been linked to neurological complications, and lead has been linked to cancer, cardiovascular, developmental, hematological, neurological, renal, and reproductive complications. This is just a short list of all of the possible risks of exposure so independent research is recommended. It is important to note, however, that the very presence of these compounds in released materials does not directly correlate with human ingestion, and that there are many safety measures in place to ensure that this is the case.

Affected Demographics

Each facility listed above is located inside or on the outer boundary of residential areas. In these areas, the population density of lower-income residents, as well as residents of color, is higher than in the areas that do not contain any facilities that potentially toxic chemicals. This trend seemingly holds true in most urban areas. As stated before, the placement of these facilities can have a large impact on the individuals who surround them. Throughout the United States, people of color and people living in impoverished conditions are more likely to live in areas hosting facilities that release toxic chemicals. This disparity accounts for a large difference in the health outcomes of the people in these neighborhoods, including increased asthma rates in children of color compared to their white counterparts, and many other adverse effects.

References

C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American cable and satellite television network that was created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a nonprofit public service. It televises many proceedings of the United States ...

's ''

Alexis de Tocqueville Tour The ''Alexis de Tocqueville Tour'' was a series of programs produced by C-SPAN in 1997 and 1998 that followed the path taken by Alexis de Tocqueville and Gustave de Beaumont through the United States during their 1831–32 visit. It explored many ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Batavia (City), New York Cities in New York (state) Cities in Genesee County, New York County seats in New York (state)

History

The Holland Land Company

Masonic Lodge scandal

Erie Canal

Recent history

Geography and climate

Geography

Climate

Demographics

2010

2000

Education

Notable events

Notable people

In popular culture

Environmental Risk Assessment

Toxics Release Inventory

Affected Demographics

See also

References

Further reading

External links