Freedom 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 2,244 at the 2021 census. The town is in the northeast corner of Cattaraugus County.

History

The first settlers arrived in December 1811. Historians have found no specific reason why the town was named Freedom.State and Union: Freedom and Independence
''Olean Times Herald'' (July 2, 2017). Retrieved July 4, 2017. The Town of Freedom was founded in 1820, composed of land from the "Town of Ischua" (now Franklinville). The northern portion of Freedom was transferred to

Arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...

in Wyoming County in 1841. Part of Freedom became the town of

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

in 1844. Salem Welsh Church is 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 ...

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 0.80%, is water. The north town line is the border of Wyoming County, and the east town line is the border of Allegany County. New York State Route 98 is a major north–south highway through the town, and New York State Route 243 begins at the southeast town line.

Adjacent towns and areas

To the east is the town of Centerville in Allegany County, and to the west are the towns of

and Machias. The north town line is formed with the town of

in Wyoming County. The town of Farmersville is on the south.

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 2,493 people, 871 households, and 680 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,033 housing units at an average density of 25.6 per square mile (9.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.88%

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 ...

, 0.16%

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, 0.08%

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 ...

, 0.08% 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 0.72% 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 0.76% of the population. There were 871 households, out of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 16.4% 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 2.86 and the average family size was 3.20. In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $34,654, and the median income for a family was $36,061. Males had a median income of $27,380 versus $22,188 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 $14,145. About 12.2% of families and 11.3% 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 10.3% of those under age 18 and 18.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Daniel F. Bakeman, last surviving veteran of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and party to the longest marriage on record * Idwal H. Edwards, commander of United States Air Force in Europe

Communities and locations in Freedom

*Camp Scouthaven – A

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 ...

camp south of Freedom. *Crystal Lake – A small lake adjacent to NY-98, south of Freedom village. *Elton – 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 southwest corner of the town. It was previously called "Coles Settlement," after early pioneers, and later "Chelsea," the name that appears on maps in 1836 and 1840. *Elton Station – A location south of Elton village. *Fairview – A hamlet at the southeast corner of the town by the western terminus of NY Route 243. *Freedom – The hamlet of Freedom is in the eastern part of town. * Sandusky – a hamlet on Clear Creek near the northern town line on NY Route 98. The settlement was first occupied around 1824 by the construction of a tavern.

References

External links

Town of Freedom official website

{{authority control Towns in Cattaraugus County, New York Towns in New York (state) 1820 establishments in New York (state)