Richburg 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 Allegany 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 450 at the 2010 census. The village is partly within the boundaries of the towns of Wirt and Bolivar. The community is east of Olean.

History

Richburg was incorporated in 1881 and was for a time a

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...

"boom town".

L. Frank Baum Lyman Frank Baum (; May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author best known for his children's books, particularly ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and its sequels. He wrote 14 novels in the ''Oz'' series, plus 41 other novels (not includ ...

, later the author of '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and other stories, was manager of a theater, Baum's Opera House, in Richburg from 1881 to 1882. Baum's Opera House was built by Baum's father, an oil executive. Unfortunately, the theater burned in March 1882.Hearn, Michael Patrick. "L(yman) Frank Baum." American Writers for Children, 1900-1960. Ed. John Cech. Detroit: Gale Research, 1983. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 22. Literature Resource Center. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

Geography

Richburg is located in the southern part of Wirt and the northern part of Bolivar in southwestern Allegany County, at (42.087226, -78.156080). Little Genesee Creek, part 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 ...

watershed, flows through the village, which is located at the junction of

New York State Route 275 New York State Route 275 (NY 275) is a north–south state highway in Allegany County, New York, in the United States. It runs for , connecting the village of Bolivar and NY 417 at its southern end with the hamlet of Friendship ...

and County Road 40. Richburg was served (1881–1890 and c.1906-1946) by the Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad (PS&N) and predecessors, and (1881–1885) by the Bradford, Eldred & Cuba Railroad System (BE&C). The early PS&N predecessors and the BE&C were narrow-gauge railroads, while the PS&N was a standard-gauge railroad. The Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad embargoed operation through Richburg in 1946 and was abandoned by order of the

Interstate Commerce Commission The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was a regulatory agency in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads (and later trucking) to ensure fair rates, to eliminat ...

in 1946 to further promote highway motor truck transportation. 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 , all land.

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 448 people, 161 households, and 121 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 484.5 people per square mile (188.0/km²). There were 191 housing units at an average density of 206.6 per square mile (80.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village 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 on ...

, 0.45%

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 ...

, 0.22% Native American, 0.22%

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 0.22% from two or more races. There are no

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 ...

s 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 ...

s of any race. There were 161 households, out of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% 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, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.23. In the village, the population was spread out, with 31.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males. The median income for a household in the village was $21,750, and the median income for a family was $26,875. Males had a median income of $30,156 versus $15,938 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 $10,515. About 16.9% of families and 16.6% 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 18.8% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

Richburg is home to the Elementary Campus of the Bolivar-Richburg Central School District. Housing students in grades K - 5, the Bolivar-Richburg Elementary School provides an education for all students.

References

External links

Village of Richburg official website

{{authority control Villages in New York (state) 1881 establishments in New York (state) Villages in Allegany County, New York