Orchard Park 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
Erie 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 3,246 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a description of the local landscape, which abounded with
orchard
An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...
s. It is part of the
Buffalo–
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
.
The village of Orchard Park lies north of the center of the
town of Orchard Park.
History
Orchard Park was started by
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
settlers in 1803. The village, formerly called "Potters Corners", was incorporated in 1921. The name change to "Orchard Park" was suggested by a local schoolteacher. Several years later, the town also changed its name from "East Hamburg" to "Orchard Park", after the village.
Orchard Park was a stop on the
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...
, as
fugitive slaves
In the United States, fugitive slaves or runaway slaves were terms used in the 18th and 19th century to describe people who fled slavery. The term also refers to the federal Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850. Such people are also called free ...
stopped over at Quaker-run homes on their way north to
Black Rock in Buffalo from
Collins
Collins may refer to:
People Surname
Given name
* Collins O. Bright (1917–?), Sierra Leonean diplomat
* Collins Chabane (1960–2015), South African Minister of Public Service and Administration
* Collins Cheboi (born 1987), Kenyan middle- ...
.
Geography
Orchard Park is located at (42.762159, -78.741405).
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 village has a total area of , of which is land and (2.88%) is water.
Green Lake is a small artificial lake within the village.
U.S. Route 20A (Quaker Street) passes through the village, intersecting with
New York State Route 240
New York State Route 240 (NY 240) is a state highway in western New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 242 in the Ellicottville community of Ashford Junction in northern ...
/
New York State Route 277
New York State Route 277 (NY 277) is a state highway in New York in the United States. This highway is also called Union Road, along with other names. NY 277 is a major north–south road east of Buffalo, New York, through the ...
. At this intersection the street name of Route 277 changes from Orchard Park Road (which leads toward the city) to N/S Buffalo Street (which leads into the village). This causes people in the village to refer to Route 277 as Buffalo Street and people that aren't from the village to call it Orchard Park Road. This intersection is known locally as the "Four Corners" and is the center of the village.
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 3,294 people, 1,418 households, and 925 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 2,450.4 people per square mile (949.1/km
2). There were 1,459 housing units at an average density of 1,085.4 per square mile (420.4/km
2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.63%
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 ...
, 0.46%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
or
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 ...
, 0.21%
Native American, 0.97%
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 ...
, 0.15% 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 0.58% 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 ...
or
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 0.88% of the population.
There were 1,418 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% 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, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $51,520, and the median income for a family was $70,483. Males had a median income of $46,810 versus $30,679 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 $29,754. About 2.1% of families and 4.3% 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 7.6% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over.
Government
As of April 2015, the mayor of the village of Orchard Park is Jo Ann Litwin Clinton.
The village presently holds a single government function: the Department of Public Works, which maintains the streets, sidewalks, domestic water system and sewer system. This is much reduced from the village's original organization, under which it managed the Orchard Park Police department and the fire department, and operated a sewage treatment plant on Duerr Road and a water treatment reservoir and treatment plant in
West Falls. As the influence of the Town of Orchard Park increased, the municipal functions moved to the town. In the 1980s the sewer treatment functions were turned over to Erie County, and the plant closed. In the early 1990s the water treatment plant and reservoir were abandoned, with water supply being managed by the Erie County Water Authority. The main reason for this change were
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters; recognizing the responsibiliti ...
requirements which the old "Water Plant" could not maintain having been constructed during the Great Depression in the 1930s.
The village DPW continues to maintain the road, water lines, sewer lines and sidewalks year-round with a seven- to eight-man crew. This is reduced from the days when the DPW crew grew in the summer to eleven to twelve men and crews would completely engineer and rebuild entire village streets.
Presidents and Mayors
Presidents
*1921-1923 Thomas Morgan
*1923-1925 Ralph Thom
*1925-1927 Howard Langworthy
Mayors
*1927-1929 Harold Brookins
*1929-1933 Carlton Hambleton
*1933-1935 Leon Lancaster
*1935-1937 Louis Long
*1937-1943 Herbert Anthony
*1943-1947 Edward Long
*1947-1953 Loren Roth
*1953-1966 George Wakeman
*1966-1973 B. Roy Ertell
*1973-1977 Fred Bristol
*1977-1981 Scott McFarland
*1981-1989 George Knaisch
*1989-2005 Patricia Dickman
*2005-2014 John Wilson
*2015-2015 David Rood
*2005-Present Jo Ann Ltiwin Clinton
References
External links
Village of Orchard Park official website
{{authority control
Villages in New York (state)
Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area
Villages in Erie County, New York
Populated places on the Underground Railroad