Conewango 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 Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,794 at the 2020 census. The town is named after a creek which flows through the town. The town is on the west border of the county and is northeast of Jamestown.

History

The name is supposed to mean "walking slowly" in the native language, related to the slow-moving creek. The area of the town was first settled ''circa'' 1816. The Town of Conewango was established in 1823 from a part of the town of Little Valley. In 1826, part of Conewango was used to form the town of Randolph, and another part was used in 1832 to make the town of

Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again f ...

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 t ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.06%, is water. The west town line is the border of Chautauqua County. Conewango Creek flows through the town, exiting near the southwest corner.

U.S. Route 62 U.S. Route 62 or U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) runs from the Mexican border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, near the Canadian border. It is the only east-west United States Numbered Highway that connects Mexico and Can ...

and New York State Route 241 pass through the town.

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 ...

crosses the southeast corner.

Adjacent towns and areas

The town of Ellington in Chautauqua County is to the west. The town of Randolph is to the south, and the town of

is to the north. The east border is formed with the town of

Napoli Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 1,732 people, 509 households, and 403 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 47.9 people per square mile (18.5/km²). There were 602 housing units at an average density of 16.7 per square mile (6.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.09%

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 o ...

, 0.17%

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 ...

, 0.81% Native American, 0.17% 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 0.75% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 0.40% of the population. There were 509 households, out of which 43.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.0% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40 and the average family size was 3.86. In the town, the population was spread out, with 40.1% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $34,491, and the median income for a family was $36,719. Males had a median income of $31,435 versus $20,417 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 $13,667. About 16.5% of families and 23.6% 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 34.4% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over. Much of the county's sizable

Amish The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churc ...

population resides in Conewango.

Notable people

* Leigh G. Kirkland, former New York state senator * Bill Rexford, 1950 NASCAR Grand National Champion * Josh Roth, former

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

and NFL Europe player. Voted as one of the "Best of the Best" for small school football players in Western New York from 1984 to 2013 and All-Western NY while at Pine Valley Central School, where he led the team to 2 Sectional titles as a fullback and linebacker. Played college football at the University of Buffalo from 1996 to 1999, rushing for 1,325 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Communities and locations in Conewango

*Axeville – 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 ...

in the northeast corner of the town on County Road 40. An early settler was an axe maker. *Clear Creek – A hamlet on the west town line, southwest of Conewango village and south of Conewango Valley. *Conewango – The hamlet of Conewango, a former station on the

Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the northeastern United States, originally connecting New York City — more specifically Jersey City, New Jersey, where Erie's Pavonia Terminal, long demolished, used to stand — with Lake Er ...

, is in the northwest part of the town on

, NY Route 241, and County Road 40. * Conewango Creek – The principal stream in the region, primarily in Chautauqua County. The name means "walking slowly". *Conewango Swamp

Wildlife Management Area A Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a protected area set aside for the conservation of wildlife and for recreational activities involving wildlife. New Zealand There are 11 Wildlife Management Areas in New Zealand: * Horsham Downs Wildlife Man ...

– A conservation tract in the southeast part of the town. *Conewango Valley – A hamlet straddling the county line, west of Conewango village on Route 62. Conewango Valley is the site of the town's post office, which merged with its Chautauqua County counterpart in the 1960s. * East Randolph – Part of the hamlet (former village) of East Randolph is in the southeast part of the town at NY Route 394 and County Road 9. *Elm Creek – A former community by the east town line on the stream Elk Creek. *Pope – A location in the center of the town on Route 241. *Rutledge – a former community in the southwestern part of the town.

References

External links

Early history of Conewango
{{authority control 1823 establishments in New York (state) Populated places established in 1823 Towns in Cattaraugus County, New York