Busti ( ) 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 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 population was 7,521 at the 2020 census. The town is named after

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 ...

, an official of 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 ...

, but its pronunciation uses a

long i Long i ( la, i longum or '' itterai longa''), written , is a variant of the letter i found in ancient and early medieval forms of the Latin script. History In inscriptions dating to the early Roman Empire, it is used frequently but inconsisten ...

sound at the end, a frequent alteration in the names of several

upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...

towns. It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names. The town of Busti is located at the south end of

Chautauqua Lake Chautauqua Lake is located entirely within Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The lake is approximately long and wide at its greatest width. The surface area is approximately . The maximum depth is about . The shoreline is about of wh ...

, southwest of Jamestown.

History

Settlement began ''circa'' 1811. The town of Busti was founded in 1823 from parts of the towns of

Harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...

and Ellicott. In 1900, the population was 2,192. The

Busti Mill Busti Mill, also known as the Old Mill, is a historic grist mill located at Busti in Chautauqua County, New York, USA. It was built in 1839Carlson, Norman. "Heman Bush and His Busti Mill." The Chautauqua Genealogist 12 No 3 (May 1989): 1-3. Print ...

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 1976. The Dr. John Lord House was listed in 1991.

Notable people

Lorin Blodget Lorin Blodget (May 23, 1823 in Busti, Chautauqua County, New York – 1901), American physicist and writer. Blodget was born near Jamestown and attended the Jamestown Academy. He later attended a college now called Hobart College in Geneva, N ...

, born in Busti in 1823, physicist, statistician and author of ''Climatology of the United States'' (1857). *

Lewis Clarke Lewis Garrard Clarke was an ex- slave who published his experiences in his work, ''Narrative of the Sufferings of Lewis Clarke''. Life Lewis Clarke was born in Madison County, Kentucky, seven miles from Richmond, in 1812. Depending on the sourc ...

, ex-slave writer * Enoch A. Curtis, Fredonia architect *

Ralph Plumb Ralph Plumb (March 29, 1816 – April 8, 1903) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois. Biography Ralph Plumb was born in Busti, New York on March 29, 1816. He attended the common schools. He engaged in mercantile pursuits, and moved to Ohio. ...

, former US congressman from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

George Stoneman George Stoneman Jr. (August 8, 1822 – September 5, 1894) was a United States Army cavalry officer and politician who served as the fifteenth Governor of California from 1883 to 1887. He was trained at West Point, where his roommate was Stonewall ...

, born in Busti in 1822, graduated from

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

and was a major general of cavalry in 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 ...

. He later became governor of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

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 , or 0.03%, is water. The south town line is the border of

Warren County Warren County is the name of fourteen counties in the USA. Some are named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War: * Warren County, Georgia * Warren County, Illinois * Warren County ...

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, ...

. New York State Route 474 intersects

New York State Route 394 New York State Route 394 (NY 394) is a state highway located within Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties in southwestern New York in the United States. Its western terminus is located on the shore of Lake Erie at an intersection with N ...

in the northwest corner of the town near Cottage Park. The lakefront of northern Busti comprises a continuous line of hamlets, originally begun as vacation homes.

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 7,760 people, 3,210 households, and 2,240 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 162.4 people per square mile (62.7/km²). There were 3,876 housing units at an average density of 81.1 per square mile (31.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.96%

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 ...

, 0.52%

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 ...

, 0.08% Native American, 0.44%

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 ...

, 0.44% 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 0.57% 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 0.71% of the population. There were 3,210 households, out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% 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, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.92. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $41,450, and the median income for a family was $47,798. Males had a median income of $38,750 versus $26,148 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 $22,602. About 4.5% 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 8.4% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations

Ashville Ashville or Asheville may refer to: Places United States * Ashville, Alabama * Ashville, Louisville, Kentucky * Ashville, New York * Asheville, North Carolina ** Asheville metropolitan area ** Asheville School ** Asheville High School ** Ashe ...

– 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 ...

near the northwest part of the town on Route 474. *Ashville Bay – A lakeside hamlet on the shore of

. *Boomertown – A hamlet south of Ashville, located on County Road 30. * Busti – The hamlet of Busti at the junction of County Roads 28 and 45 near the center of the town. *Cottage Park – A hamlet near the shore of Chautauqua Lake in the northwest part of the town. * Lakewood – The village of Lakewood and the location of the town government is on the shore of Chautauqua Lake. *Loomises – A lakeside hamlet on Chautauqua Lake. *Maple Point – A lakeside hamlet on the shore of Chautauqua Lake. *Shermans Bay – A hamlet on the shore of Chautauqua Lake and Route 394. *Vukote – A lakeside hamlet on the shore of Chautauqua Lake. *

Stateline Speedway Stateline Speedway is a 1/3 mile racetrack in Busti, New York. Len Briggs, Lloyd Williams, Don Frank and Jerry Frank are among the 5 original owners, The First race was held on July 21, 1956. The first feature was won by Emory Mahan driving a 1955 ...

– A historic 1/3 mile dirt track, located on Kortwright Road

References

External links

Town of Busti official website

{{Coord, 42, 4, N, 79, 18, W, type:city_region:US-NY, display=title Populated places established in 1811 Towns in Chautauqua County, New York 1811 establishments in New York (state)