Leon 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. The population was 1,253 at the 2020 census. The name is derived from the former

Kingdom of León The Kingdom of León; es, Reino de León; gl, Reino de León; pt, Reino de Leão; la, Regnum Legionense; mwl, Reino de Lhion was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in 910 when t ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, though it is pronounced like the American first name, " LEE-un". The town is on the western border of the county, northwest of the city of

Salamanca Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritag ...

History

The area that would become the town was first settled ''circa'' 1819. The town of Leon was founded in 1832 from a part of the town of Conewango. The Leon Grange No. 795 and Leon United Methodist Church are 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 ...

. Leon's post office, ZIP Code 14751, opened June 20, 1837. It closed on July 24, 2010.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 0.07%, is water. The west town line is the border of Chautauqua County.

Conewango Creek Conewango Creek is a tributary of the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania and western New York in the United States. The creek's drainage covers much of southeastern Chautauqua County, New York, and western Cattaraugus County, New York. The creek's ...

, a tributary of 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 ...

, crosses the northwest part of the town, and Mud Creek flows through the south part of the town.

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 ...

is a major north-south highway through the western part of the town.

Adjacent towns and areas

Leon is south of the town of

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

and north of the town of Conewango. To the east is the town of

New Albion New Albion, also known as ''Nova Albion'' (in reference to an archaic name for Britain), was the name of the continental area north of Mexico claimed by Sir Francis Drake for England when he landed on the North American west coast in 1579. Thi ...

. The west boundary is shared by the town of Cherry Creek in Chautauqua County.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 1,380 people, 378 households, and 289 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 38.1 people per square mile (14.7/km²). There were 464 housing units at an average density of 12.8 per square mile (4.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.13%

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 ...

, 0.07% Native American, 0.14%

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 0.65% 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 0.29% of the population. There were 378 households, out of which 44.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.64 and the average family size was 4.30. In the town, the population was spread out, with 42.3% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $30,333, and the median income for a family was $32,946. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $22,266 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 $10,189. About 26.1% of families and 35.1% 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 50.2% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over. An estimated 76% of the population of Leon are members of the

Old Order Amish The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsace, Alsatian origins. They are close ...

, a factor in the town's continued population growth since the middle of the 20th century, a rarity in a county where population has otherwise been in general decline.

Notable people

* Charles N. Daniels, former architect * Albert T. Fancher, former New York state senator *

Wilbur F. Sanders Wilbur Fisk Sanders (May 2, 1834 – July 7, 1905) was a United States senator from Montana. A leading pioneer and a skilled lawyer, Sanders played a prominent role in the development of Montana Territory and the state's early political hi ...

, former U.S. senator

Communities and locations in Leon

– A stream flowing through the northern part of the town. *East Leon – 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 5. *Kendall Corners – A location by the eastern town line on County Road 5. *Leon (or "Leon Center") – The hamlet of Leon, centrally located in the town on County Road 6 and US Route 62. *Millmans Corners – A location west of Leon village by the east town line on Route 6. *Meyers Corners – A location at the north town line on Route 62. *Mud Creek – A stream flowing westward past Leon is a tributary of Conewango Creek. The first settlement was made along Mud Creek. *Rays Corners – A hamlet near the east town line on County Road 44. *Thompsonville – A former community in the southeast part of the town.

References

External links

Town of Leon official website

Little Valley Area Chamber of Commerce

{{authority control Towns in Cattaraugus County, New York