Forestville 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 ...

) in Chautauqua 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 697 at the 2010 census. The hamlet is within the town of

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

and in the northeast part of the county. It was an incorporated

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 ...

from 1848 to 2016.

History

The first settlers were the Tupper brothers in 1805. The community began in 1808 as "Walnut Falls". Also known as "Moore's Hills," the name was changed to "Forestville" in 1820. The village was incorporated in 1848. The "Bell Tower" at the high school is the oldest standing brick structure in the north county. The Bell Tower landmark was re-constructed in the early 2000s by Forestville Central School, led by then-Facilities Manager and longtime resident Steve Arnold (class of ‘55). A

barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G. ...

carriage house A carriage house, also called a remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack. In Great Britain the farm building was called a cart shed. These typically were open f ...

located at 29 Lodi Street is the oldest standing wooden structure in northern Chautauqua County. In 2015, following emergency loans from the county, the inhabitants were called to vote on the dissolution of the village. Dissolution was approved by a 137–97 vote. The Village of Forestville was officially dissolved on December 31, 2016.Time Warner Cable News, ''Village of Forestville Set to Dissolve and Transition Into Town of Hanover'' by Mark Goshgarian, November 17, 2016
Retrieved Jan. 21, 2017.

Notable people

George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades. Early years Abbott was born in Forestville, New Yo ...

, Broadway producer and playwright, was born in Forestville on June 25, 1887. A New York State historical marker honoring Abbott was placed on Main Street and unveiled by the Hanover Historian Vincent P. Martonis on June 25, 2008. *

Edgar Anderson Edgar Shannon Anderson (November 9, 1897 – June 18, 1969) was an American botanist. He introduced the term ''introgressive hybridization'' and his 1949 book of that title was an original and important contribution to botanical genetics. HIs wo ...

, botanist * Cyrus D. Angell, major landowner in Forestville and surrounding area in the 19th century; noted for developing the

Belt Theory Belt may refer to: Apparel * Belt (clothing), a leather or fabric band worn around the waist * Championship belt, a type of trophy used primarily in combat sports * Colored belts, such as a black belt or red belt, worn by martial arts practit ...

of oil discovery, that oil existed in "belts" akin to underground rivers, giving rise to the practice of "Yardstick Geology". A number of local landmarks along Angell Road are named after Cyrus D. Angell. *

Emily Montague Mulkin Bishop Emily Montague Mulkin Bishop (, Mulkin; November 3, 1858 – November 22, 1916) was an American Delsartean lecturer and instructor in dress, expression and physical culture. She was recognized as one of the noted editors and authors on this subje ...

(1858-1916), Delsartean lecturer, instructor, author * William J. Colvill, Union colonel in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

who led the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry in the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

, former Minnesota Attorney General and US congressman from Minnesota *

Les Dye Lester Henry Dye (July 15, 1916 – August 11, 2000) was an American football end in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Syracuse University. Career Dye served as the athletic director at ...

, former NFL player

Geography

Forestville is in the southwest part of the town of Hanover at (42.471658, -79.174028). 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 hamlet has a total area of , all land. Walnut Creek is joined by Tupper B1942 business map of Forestville; Water Supply 1964 US Gov't Printing Office; Floods 1965 U. S. Gov't Printing Office rook north of the hamlet and flows northward to

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...

New York State Route 39 New York State Route 39 (NY 39) is an east–west state highway in the western portion of New York in the United States. It begins and ends at intersections with U.S. Route 20 (US 20) apart. The western terminus of NY ...

passes east–west through the hamlet as its main street and intersects county routes 85, 87, and 89. Route 39 leads east to Gowanda. Fredonia is to the west via Route 39 and

U.S. 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. S ...

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 770 people, 304 households, and 209 families residing in what was then a 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 787.9123 people per square mile (303.4/km²). There were 324 housing units at an average density of 331.5 per square mile (127.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.45%

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 ...

, 0.26%

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 ...

, 1.04% Native American, 1.43% 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 1.82% 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 2.47% of the population. Of note, there is an estimated 91% of the population that is classified as "white". There were 304 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.99. In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males. The median income for a household in the village was $32,778, and the median income for a family was $41,042. Males had a median income of $32,159 versus $25,139 for females. The per capita income for the village was $15,993. About 4.8% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.

Events

The Forestville Fall Festival, formerly known as the Forestville Apple Festival, is held yearly, the first weekend in October. It features products from the apple harvest, a craft fair, parade, special events, and a harvest dinner.

References

External links

Village of Forestville government
{{authority control Villages in New York (state) Villages in Chautauqua County, New York Former villages in New York (state) Populated places disestablished in 2016