Town Line is 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 ...
and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
(CDP) 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 2,367 at the
2010 census.
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 community is located on the boundary between the towns of
Lancaster and
Alden
Alden may refer to:
Places United States
*Alden, California, a former settlement
* Alden, Colorado
*Alden, Illinois
*Alden, Iowa
*Alden, Kansas
* Alden, Michigan
*Alden, Minnesota
* Alden, Oklahoma
*Alden, Pennsylvania
*Alden, New York
**Alden (v ...
. Town Line is notable for having held a nonbinding vote to secede from the United States in 1861, and for having held a ceremonial vote to rejoin the United States in 1946.
Demographics
History
According to Town Line oral lore, in 1861, 125 men gathered in an informal meeting at a local schoolhouse and passed (85 to 40) a resolution to secede from the United States.
Because Town Line was never an
incorporated municipal entity in the first place and had no well-defined boundaries, the resolution had no legal effect; neither the
Confederacy nor the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
ever formally recognized the action. Alden Historical Society archivist Karen Muchow has stated that there are no written records of the action.
According to Muchow, several members of the
German-American community fled to Canada and twenty residents fought for the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
.
While the reason behind the vote is unknown, author Daren Wang and others have opined that Town Line residents—some of whom had emigrated from Germany to avoid conscription—were motivated by opposition to a potential military draft being necessitated by the Civil War.
Town Line held a ceremony on January 24, 1946 to "rejoin" the Union. Hollywood celebrity
Cesar Romero
Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years.
His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...
participated in the festivities. On that day, residents voted, 90 to 23, to rescind the 19th-century secession vote.
[
]
Geography and demographics
Town Line is located at (42.884974, -78.558428). 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 CDP has a total area of , all land.
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 2,521 people, 906 households, and 759 families residing in the CDP.
See also
*Dade County, Georgia
Dade County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia. It occupies the northwest corner of Georgia, and the county's own northwest corner is the westernmost point in the state. As of the 2020 census, the population is 16,251. The county seat and ...
- voted to secede (unrecognized) from the state of Georgia, and from the United States, rejoined in 1945.
References
{{authority control
Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area
Census-designated places in Erie County, New York
Census-designated places in New York (state)
Secession crisis of 1860–61