Brocton 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 Chautauqua 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 name was derived by combining the names "Brockway" and "Minton", two prominent local families. The population was 1,335 at the 2020 census. Brocton is within the town of

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

. The

Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility is a minimum security shock incarceration prison in New York in the United States. The prison is located in the Village of Brocton, in Chautauqua County, New York Chautauqua County is the ...

, a state

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

, is located just north of the village limits.

History

The community was first settled in 1805 by Captain James Dunn. The village of Brocton was incorporated in 1894. Brocton used to be named "Salems Corners (Cross Roads)" after

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

, but was later renamed "Brocton". In 1913, to commemorate the town of Portland's Centennial, a green double-arch was erected over the town's main intersection. It is believed to be the only double-arch east of the Mississippi River. It 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 1996. The St. Stephen's Hotel has been a fixture at the center of Brocton since the mid-1800s.

Brocton Central School

The Brocton Central School District is located in the northwest region of Chautauqua County, which is in the westernmost part of New York State. The school campus houses programs for students pre-k through grade 12, with an entire student population of approximately 750 students. The District is located approximately 60 miles southwest of Buffalo, NY and 45 miles northeast of Erie, PA. Brocton Central School is a component of Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES. In 2013, Brocton and Westfield School Districts merged their football teams together. In September 2013, a 16-year-old Damon W Janes running back and defensive on the Brocton Central football team died after head injuries received during a game against Portville. In 2017, the Brocton/Westfield football team merged with Chautauqua Lake.

Geography

Brocton is located in the northeastern part of the town of Portland, in northern Chautauqua 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 ...

, Brocton has a total area of , all land.

US 20 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...

passes through the village. 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 just north of the village limits, but the closest access is to the east near Fredonia. Lake Avenue (former NY Route 380) intersects US 20 in the center of the village and leads north to

Lake Erie State Park Lake Erie State Park is a state park located in the Town of Portland in Chautauqua County, New York, United States, northeast of the village of Brocton. Its major attraction is its Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest ...

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 1,547 people, 623 households, and 414 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 893.1 people per square mile (345.3/km²). There were 670 housing units at an average density of 386.8 per square mile (149.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.38%

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 ...

, 0.65%

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 ...

, 1.29% Native American, 0.06%

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 ...

, 0.65% 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 0.97% 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 1.94% of the population. There were 623 households, out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% 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, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08. In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males. The median income for a household in the village was $27,500, and the median income for a family was $36,328. Males had a median income of $27,059 versus $22,214 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 $13,901. About 11.4% of families and 13.2% 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 18.5% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over. As of 2017, the updated population of Brocton is 1,418.United States census bureau

Notable people

* Brad Anderson, cartoonist *

Thomas Lake Harris Thomas Lake Harris (May 15, 1823 – March 23, 1906) was an Anglo-American preacher, spiritualistic prophet, poet, and vintner. Harris is best remembered as the leader of a series of communal religious experiments, culminating with a group call ...

, spiritualist *

George Pullman George Mortimer Pullman (March 3, 1831 – October 19, 1897) was an American engineer and industrialist. He designed and manufactured the Pullman sleeping car and founded a company town, Pullman, for the workers who manufactured it. This ulti ...

, industrialist * Don Reinhoudt, strongman

References

External links

Village of Brocton official website
{{authority control Villages in New York (state) Populated places established in 1805 Villages in Chautauqua County, New York 1805 establishments in New York (state)