Bennington 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 3,359 during the 2010 census. The town was named after
Bennington,
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
.
Geographically, the town of Bennington is the largest in Wyoming County, occupying a significant portion of the county's northwest corner.
History
The Town of Bennington was formed in 1818 from the
Town of Sheldon. The Town of Bennington officially came into existence on March 6, 1818. The name came from
Bennington, Vermont
Bennington is a New England town, town in Bennington County, Vermont, Bennington County, Vermont, United States. It is one of two shire towns (county seats) of the county, the other being Manchester (town), Vermont, Manchester. As of the 2020 ...
.
This narrative was written by :
"In 1802, the land of Bennington was part of the Town of Batavia, Genesee County. Then in 1808, the land was taken from the Town of Batavia, to form the Town of Sheldon. Finally, on March 6, 1818, the land of Bennington was taken from Sheldon to form the Town of Bennington.
In the summer of 1802, John Tolles settled in Bennington. He settled in the area known over the years as Hubbard's Corners, Danley's Corners and the "Beehive".
The first frame barn was erected in the township by Jacob Wright in 1805.
By 1806, over twenty families were located in the town. A tannery, shoe shop and blacksmith shop were erected. By 1807, the first school house was built. A sawmill was also built in the south part of the town near the Sheldon Town line. In 1806, Chauncey Loomis purchased large tracts of land in the third and fourth ranges of the township at the price of one dollar per acre, including all the land now known as Bennington Center. During 1807, a sawmill was built in Bennington Center and the first barn raised was built from lumber produced from the mill. Also in 1807, the road from Bennington to Sheldon was cut out.
Approximately nine years after the Loomis family settled in Bennington, Quartus Clapp set out to purchase his own land further west in the town. He selected a site four miles down Cayuga Creek near a waterfall and built a sawmill in 1816 or 1818. He purchased about a hundred acres, which covered more than half of the valley of the hamlet of Cowlesville. At that time it was known as Clapp's Mills.
During 1826, Quartus Clapp built a grist mill adjoining his sawmill. This grist mill was the first of its kind in this town.
In 1827, Gaius B. Rich came from Attica and established the first store in Clapp's Mills. A young man, Hiram Cowles, clerked in this store in 1831. It was at this store that mail came once a week for the local settlers to pick up. It is believed that Hiram Cowles had a great deal to do in establishing the Post Office at Clapp's Mills, for on March 11, 1831, he was appointed Postmaster. In his honor, the settlement received the name of
owlesville
The hamlet of Folsomdale is three miles southwest of Bennington Center. John Fitch came to Folsomdale, built a house, set out an orchard and built a saw and grist mill, about 1823. Little is known about Fitch but his property was purchased in 1825 by David Scott. He began a mercantile and milling business in this area.
When David Scott owned the land Folsomdale is located on, the name of Scottsville was given to it. About 1831, Benjamin Folsom came to Scottsville to manage a store for Mr. Scott. In 1834-1835, Mr. Scott built a tavern. It was later owned and operated by Mr. Folsom and it was after that, the hamlet was named Folsomdale.
The first Bennington town meeting was held in home of David Farnham. The first supervisor for the town was George Loomis.
On January 23, 1875, a meeting was held in Cowlesville with the purpose of dividing the Township into two towns. A resolution was drawn up and presented to the Board of Supervisors. The board, with a vote of ten to five, approved the resolution to create a new town on February 25, 1875. The new township was to be "Elmont". When the request was sent to the Legislature of New York State, there was some error in proceedings and the proposal died in Albany.
Until the 1930s, town meetings were probably held in the schoolhouse at Bennington Center. In 1936, during Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency, the Works Progress Administration, known as W.P.A., provided jobs in building projects for a long-range value. The Town of Bennington had their town hall built. The federal government furnished the cost of labor for the building. The building is still used for the Town meetings. Several other organizations also use it.
Bennington was mainly a farming community. The 1990 Wyoming County Dairy Princess was from the Town of Bennington.
The Town had several small schools. The last school to close its doors was District #17, located in Cowlesville.
The town of Bennington boasted of six covered bridges to span the Cayuga Creek. The last of the six, known as the Ellis-Chesbro covered bridge, was destroyed by fire on March 17, 1966. It was the last structure of its kind that existed in New York State west of the Finger Lakes. The Ellis-Chesbro Bridge was the location of scenes shot for MGM's motion picture "
The Great Waltz".
Frances Folsom
Frances Clara Cleveland Preston ( née Folsom born as Frank Clara; July 21, 1864 – October 29, 1947) was an American socialite, education activist, and the first lady of the United States from 1886 to 1889, and again from 1893 to 1897 as ...
, the granddaughter of John B. Folsom, became the First Lady of the United States. She spent much time as a young girl in Folsomdale. Frances Folsom was married to President
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...
, June 2, 1886 at the White House in Washington, D.C.
The Town of Bennington has had several churches. The first Baptist Church in Bennington Center was erected in 1832, the second in 1857 and that was destroyed by fire in 1886. It was rebuilt in 1887. BY 1925, the membership had diminished to five. The church was sold to the Cowlesville Baptist Society. They dismantled it and rebuilt it as an addition to their church.
The United Church of Christ in Bennington Center was dedicated in 1844. The Sacred Heart Catholic Church was erected at Bennington Center in 1871. The East Bennington Evangelic and United Brethren Church dates back to the early 19th century. The Catholic Church, Our Lady Help of Christians, in East Bennington was built in 1855. The Cowlesville Baptist Church was built in 1872 and an addition was added in 1924 or 1925. Cowlesville also had a Universalist Church which was dedicated in 1845. In 1914, the building was sold to the I.O.O.F. Lodge. It was eventually dismantled. The German Baptist Church was erected in 1869 at Folsomdale. There also was a Free Will Baptist Church in Folsomdale dedicated in 1858. The building was torn down in the early 20th century.
----
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 , of which is land and (0.40%) is water.
The western town line is the border of
Erie County, and the northern town line is the boundary of Erie and
Genesee counties.
New York State Route 77
New York State Route 77 (NY 77) is a north–south state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The highway runs for across mostly rural areas from an intersection with NY 78 and NY 98 in the Wyoming ...
and
NYS 354 (Clinton Street) pass through the town.
New York State Route 98 crosses the southeastern corner of the town.
Demographics
2000 census
As of the
2000 United States Census
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
there were 3,349 people, 1,208 households, and 966 families 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 60.9/sqmi (23.5/km
2). There were 1,273 housing units at an average density of 23.1/sqmi (8.93/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 99.07%
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 ...
, 0.06%
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 ...
, 0.12%
Native American, 0.12%
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 ...
, 0.03% 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 0.60% 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 ...
or
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 0.27% of the population.
There were 1,208 households, out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.6% 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, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.0% were non-families. 16.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.11.
The town population contained 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $45,448, and the median income for a family was $48,966. Males had a median income of $35,233 versus $28,292 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 $18,247. About 3.4% of families and 6.2% 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 9.2% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
*
George Gilbert Hoskins
George Gilbert Hoskins (December 24, 1824 – June 12, 1893) was an American politician who served as the Lieutenant Governor of New York and United States Representative for the state of New York.
Early life
Hoskins was born in Bennington, N ...
, former US Congressman and Lt. Governor of New York
*
Justin Rolph Loomis
Justin Rolph Loomis (August 21, 1810 – June 22, 1898) was the fourth president of Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, it now c ...
, second president of
Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, it now consists of the College of Arts and Sciences, Freeman College of Management, and the College of Engineering. ...
*
Paul J. Smith, arts administrator
*
James D. Yeomans, former commissioner of the
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was a regulatory agency in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads (and later trucking) to ensure fair rates, to eliminat ...
Communities and locations in Bennington
* Bennington Center (or Bennington) – 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 ...
at Routes 77 and 354.
* Cowlesville – A hamlet in the northwest part of town on Route 354. (
ZIP code 14037)
* Folsomdale – A hamlet south of Route 354 on Folsomdale Road. Former home of
Frances Folsom
Frances Clara Cleveland Preston ( née Folsom born as Frank Clara; July 21, 1864 – October 29, 1947) was an American socialite, education activist, and the first lady of the United States from 1886 to 1889, and again from 1893 to 1897 as ...
, First Lady and wife to
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...
.
* Schoellkopf Scout Reservation – A camp south of Route 354 on Burrough Road owned by the
Greater Niagara Frontier Council
Scouting in New York has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live. The first National Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Headquarters was in New York City, an ...
Greater Niagara Frontier Council
/ref> Boy Scouts of America.
A broadcast tower in the southwest corner of the town serves as the transmitter for WNYO-TV
WNYO-TV (channel 49) is a television station in Buffalo, New York, United States, affiliated with MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Fox affiliate WUTV (channel 29). Both stations share studios on Hertel Avenue near ...
(licensed to Buffalo) and FM station WLOF
WLOF (101.7 MHz) is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Elma, New York and serving the Buffalo metropolitan area. It broadcasts a Catholic talk and teaching radio format. Referred to as '' The Station of the Cross'', WLOF is owned ...
(licensed to Elma).
See also
* Iroquois Central School District
The Iroquois Central School District is a large school district about outside of Buffalo, New York that consists of about of land in the towns of Elma, Marilla, Wales, Aurora, Lancaster, and Bennington. The district consists of about 2,895 ...
References
External links
Town of Bennington website
{{authority control
Populated places established in 1818
Towns in Wyoming County, New York
1818 establishments in New York (state)