Bolivar is 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 ...

in Allegany 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 village is in the northwest part of the

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 ...

of Bolivar and is east of Olean. The population of the village was 1,047 at the 2010 census. It is named after

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...

History

The first building on the future site of the village, a log cabin, was erected around 1820. The village of Bolivar was incorporated in 1882. As "the heart of the Allegany Oil Field", the Bolivar- Richburg area rose to significance during the oil boom era of the late 1800s. During the brief initial oil boom of the 1880s it was purportedly the wealthiest locale, per capita, in the United States. By the early 1900s the initial boom, with its economic and population impacts, had significantly faded, but secondary oil recovery techniques applied to the oil fields (starting around 1920) drastically rejuvenated the industry in the area. By the early 1930s Bolivar village boasted an imposing new school, well-paved streets, a modern sewage treatment facility, and a thriving Main Street economy. The village and town of Bolivar adopted the description "Land of the Deer and the Derrick" in the mid-1900s. The village is home to the high school of the Bolivar-Richburg Central School District, which merged in the fall of 1994. The Bolivar Free Library was 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 ...

in 2003.

Geography

Bolivar is located at (42.067324, -78.166622). 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 village has a total area of , all land. Root Hollow Creek enters the village from the east, joining with Little Genesee Creek flowing north-south through the west edge of the village, leading to the

Allegheny River The Allegheny River ( ) is a long headwater stream of the Ohio River in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York. The Allegheny River runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border northwesterly into ...

. Bolivar is at the junction of state routes 275 and 417. Bolivar was served (1881–1947) by the Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad (PS&N) and predecessors (1881–1893), by the Bradford, Eldred & Cuba Railroad System (BE&C), and (1903–1926) by the Olean, Bradford & Salamanca Railway (OB&S) and predecessors. The early PS&N predecessors and the BE&C were 36" narrow-gauge railroads while the PS&N and OB&S were standard-gauge railroads, the latter being electric-powered. Notable People:

Frank Gannett Frank Ernest Gannett (September 15, 1876 – December 3, 1957) was an American publisher who founded the media corporation Gannett Company. He began his career in 1906 as half owner of the ''Elmira Gazette''. He soon added newspapers in Ithaca, ...

graduated from Bolivar High School in 1893. Bob Torrey graduated from Bolivar High School in 1974.

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 1,173 people, 451 households, and 294 families residing in the village. 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 1,560.3 people per square mile (603.9/km²). There were 500 housing units at an average density of 665.1 per square mile (257.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.55%

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 ...

, 0.68%

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 ...

, 0.09% Native American, 0.17%

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 ...

, and 0.51% 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 0.17% of the population. There were 451 households, out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% 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, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.27. In the village, the population was spread out, with 31.2% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males. The median income for a household in the village was $29,286, and the median income for a family was $36,442. Males had a median income of $32,019 versus $20,735 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 village was $12,804. About 18.2% of families and 20.0% 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 26.8% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

References

*An extensive repository of photos and documents (over 6,000 items) related to the history (including the area's oil industry dating from 1879), schools and other institutions, and people of the greater Bolivar area (including current and former residents) is maintained on Facebook as the "Bolivar New York Fan Page". The items are organized into dozens of albums, by topic. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bolivar (Village), New York Villages in New York (state) Populated places established in 1820 1820 establishments in New York (state) Villages in Allegany County, New York