West Bloomfield 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
Ontario 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 2,760 at the 2020 census.
The Town of West Bloomfield is on the county's western border and sits parallel to the
Town of East Bloomfield, both of which lie south of the
City of Rochester.
History
The town is within the historic homeland of the
Seneca Nation
The Seneca Nation of Indians is a federally recognized Seneca tribe based in western New York. They are one of three federally recognized Seneca entities in the United States, the others being the Tonawanda Band of Seneca (also in western New Y ...
, and tradition holds that three of the tribe's villages were located in the town. As such, during the spring season when much of the towns farmland is being plowed, it is not uncommon to find arrowheads and other artifacts.The first Europeans to visit the area were members of the
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
in the 17th Century during their westward quests.
Settlement began around 1789 and the Town of West Bloomfield was officially established in 1833 from part of the
Town of Bloomfield.
The West Bloomfield Congregational Church was founded in 1799. The Congregation would meet on top of a hill that would later (in 1806, current building erected in 1875) be home to the actual church building.
The town was home to the Batavia Branch Rail Line, or "Peanut Line", of the
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Midw ...
, which brought much prosperity and business to the town for almost a century. Built in 1853, it was a spur line between the rail hubs of
Batavia
Batavia may refer to:
Historical places
* Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands
* Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
and
Canandaigua
Canandaigua (; ''Utaʼnaráhkhwaʼ'' in Tuscarora) is a city in Ontario County, New York, United States. Its population was 10,545 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ontario County; some administrative offices are at the county compl ...
with stops in both the town itself and its hamlet of Ionia, there was also a trestle constructed on the eastern side of the town that spans the gap now occupied by
NY-64 just before entering the
Town of East Bloomfield. The line provided daily freight and passenger service, with connections to larger stations, and served as an integral part of the towns development. Service was discontinued in 1939, as ridership had fallen due to the usage of the automobile, and the railroad (experiencing its own financial troubles) was not making enough on freight to justify the cost.
The
Ontario and Livingston Mutual Insurance Office and
John and Mary Dickson House 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 ...
.
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 the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (0.16%) is water.
West Bloomfield is the second smallest town in the county by area.
The west town line is the border of
Livingston County, formed by
.
Conjoined
US Route 20
U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. ...
and
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 (NY 5) is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syr ...
cross the town.
New York State Route 64
New York State Route 64 (NY 64) is a north–south state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with NY 21 in the hamlet of Bristol Springs within the town ...
is by the eastern town line, and
New York State Route 65
New York State Route 65 (NY 65) is a north–south state highway located in the western portion of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with U.S. Route 20 (US 20) and NY 5 in the Ontario ...
is in the northwestern corner of West Bloomfield.
The town sits on the southern edge of the Hopper Hills and the northern edge of the Bristol Hills, and features a number of high points with views of the
Finger Lakes Region (including
Honeoye and
Canandaigua
Canandaigua (; ''Utaʼnaráhkhwaʼ'' in Tuscarora) is a city in Ontario County, New York, United States. Its population was 10,545 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ontario County; some administrative offices are at the county compl ...
lake areas).
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 2,549 people, 1,013 households, and 729 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 99.9 people per square mile (38.6/km
2). There were 1,049 housing units at an average density of 41.1 per square mile (15.9/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.27%
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 ...
, 0.43%
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 ...
, 0.31%
Native American, 0.12%
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 ...
, 0.31% 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 0.55% 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 0.78% of the population.
There were 1,013 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% 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, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $43,347, and the median income for a family was $52,206. Males had a median income of $37,340 versus $26,410 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 $20,309. About 1.9% of families and 3.2% 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 0.7% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Executive
The town's executive government is made up of an elected
Town Board
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
(four members) and an elected
Town Supervisor
The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the State of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, townships called "towns", and villages. (The only borou ...
, both positions are part-time; terms are four years. The town does operate its own court for minor criminal, civil and traffic matters; this is presided over by an elected
Court Justice the current serving
Court Justice is Richard L. Whitesell.
Public Works/Utilities
* An elected Highway Supervisor who oversees operation of the West Bloomfield Town Highway Department; this department is also largely used for general "Public Works" as well.
* The majority of residents have
well
A well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, or drilling to access liquid resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The ...
water due to the sparse, rural population. A small, populated section in the central part of the town does have piped water for homes and fire hydrants; the town managed this via the Highway Department until control was ceded to the Monroe County Water Authority around 2011 as part of a deal to receive significant improvements to the system.
* Electric services are provided by companies such as National Grid, Niagara Mohawk and RG&E, however a growing number of residents are turning to alternative forms of power such as solar or wind.
* The town operates Michael Prouty Memorial Park as the sole town park/recreation area. The park is home to a baseball diamond, a multi use sports field area, a pavilion and a playground. In years past, the town operated a summer recreation program for youths at the park, however in recent years due to funding concerns the town has joined with
East Bloomfield to offer a joint program at the central school grounds.
Law Enforcement
The town does not operate its own police department, and the area maintains low crime rates. It instead relies on the services of the Ontario County Sheriffs Office, who post a Deputy in town, and patrolling Troopers of the
New York State Police
The New York State Police (NYSP) is the state police of the state of New York in the United States. It is part of the New York State Executive Department, and employs over 5,000 sworn state troopers and 711 civilian members.
History
The State ...
who will act as a backup unit for the Deputy should the need arise.
Emergency Services
All 911 calls in the town are directed through the Ontario County Sheriffs Office as the town does not have its own call center.
Fire/Rescue
The town utilizes two
volunteer fire stations; one in the northern hamlet of Ionia and a second is located centrally by the town highway garages on
NY-65. In total, roughly thirty men and women operate a combined nine fire/rescue apparatus, responding to ~100 calls for service per year. The majority of fire/rescue personnel are state certified interior/exterior firefighters (those who are not provide support services at scenes) and several hold specialized certifications in the
HazMat
Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabi ...
,
Rope Rescue
Rope rescue is a subset of technical rescue that involves the use of rope, be it steel or cable rope, or more commonly used nylon, polyester, or other type of rope. Kernmantle (kern = core and mantle = sheath) rope as it is called, is available ...
,
FAST and
EMS fields.
EMS/Ambulance
For many years (~1960's-2005), the town operated its own volunteer ambulance squad. Due to low membership, aging equipment and rising costs of operation, the squad was disbanded around 2004/2005. The town initially contracted with a local paid private ambulance service that covered the neighboring towns of
East Bloomfield and
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
. Both those towns however either began paying their members or increased volunteerism and dropped the paid private service, resulting in fewer ambulances in the area and increasingly longer response times. In late 2014, the Chief of the fire department approached the Town Supervisor about concerns regarding the fire departments already limited EMS staffing being forced to deal with increased wait times for an ambulance. In 2015, the town severed its contract with the private service and entered into a new contract with the neighboring municipality of
Honeoye Falls for use of their ambulance and Paramedic fly-car services on a regular basis.
Notable people
*
Joseph H. Bottum
Joseph Henry Bottum (August 7, 1903July 4, 1984) was an American politician. He served as the 27th Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota and as a member of the United States Senate from South Dakota.
Early life
Bottum was born in Faulkton, South ...
, former South Dakota State Senator
*
John Dickson, former US Congressman
*
Anna Gertrude Hall
Anna Gertrude Hall (1882–1967) was a well known children and young adult author. Honored with a Newbery Medal honor in 1941 for her novel, '' Nansen''.
Anna Gertrude Hall was born in West Bloomfield, New York to Myron Edwin and Anna (Sterli ...
, author and librarian
Communities and locations in West Bloomfield
*Bush Corner – 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 ...
east of West Bloomfield village on US-20.
*Factory Hollow – A historic location.
*Ionia – A hamlet on NY-64 in the northeast part of the town.
*Millers Corners – A historic location also known as "Taylorville," was in the northeast part of West Bloomfield. It would later be renamed "Taylorsville", and then, finally, "Ionia".
*North Bloomfield – A hamlet at the west town line, northwest of West Bloomfield village is on NY-65.
*West Bloomfield – The hamlet of West Bloomfield on US-20/NY-5.
*West Bloomfield Station – A historic location.
References
External links
Town of West Bloomfield, NY
{{authority control
Rochester metropolitan area, New York
Towns in Ontario County, New York
1833 establishments in New York (state)