Bolivar ( ) is a
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in
Allegany County,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
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, United States. The population was 2,051 at the 2020 census.
The town is named after
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...
.
Bolivar is on the south border of the county and is east of
Olean. There is also a
village
A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
of
Bolivar in the town.
As "the heart of the Allegany Oil Field" the Bolivar-Richburg area rose to significance during the
oil boom
An oil boom is a period of large inflow of income as a result of high global oil prices or large oil production in an economy. Generally, this short period initially brings economic benefits, in terms of increased GDP growth, but might later lead ...
era of the late 1800s. During the brief initial oil boom of the 1880s it was purportedly the wealthiest locale, per capita, in the United States. By the early 1900s the initial boom, with its economic and population impacts, had significantly faded, but secondary oil recovery techniques applied to the oil fields (starting around 1920) drastically rejuvenated the industry in the area.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which , or 0.03%, is water.
The south town line is the border of
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
.
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 Friendshi ...
terminates at
New York State Route 417
New York State Route 417 (NY 417) is an east–west state highway located in the Southern Tier of New York (state), New York in the United States. It begins at exit 20 of the Southern Tier Expressway (Interstate 86 (east), Inters ...
in the village of Bolivar.
Bolivar was served (1881–1947) by the
Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad (PS&N) and predecessors, (1881–1893) by the
Bradford, Eldred & Cuba Railroad System (BE&C), and (1903–1926) by the
Olean, Bradford & Salamanca Railway (OB&S) and predecessors. The early PS&N predecessors and the BE&C were 36" narrow-gauge railroads while the PS&N and OB&S were standard-gauge railroads, the latter being electric-powered.
Adjacent towns and areas
To the south is
Potter County, Pennsylvania. The east town line is shared by the town of
Alma
Alma or ALMA may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Alma'' (film), a 2009 Spanish short animated film
* ''Alma'', an upcoming film by Sally Potter
* ''Alma'' (Oswald de Andrade novel), 1922
* ''Alma'' (Le Clézio novel), 2017
* ''Alma'' ( ...
, and the west town line is shared with the town of
Genesee. The town of
Wirt is to the north.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 2,223 people, 844 households, and 602 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 5,300 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.83%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.36%
Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.09%
Native American, 0.09%
Asian, 0.09% from
other races, and 0.54% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 0.13% of the population.
There were 844 households, out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.9% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $33,017, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $30,449 versus $18,889 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $13,766. About 13.9% of families and 16.0% 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 ...
, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in the Town of Bolivar
*
Bolivar – The village of Bolivar is in the northwest corner of the town at the junction of Routes 275(Main Street) and 417(Wellsville Street).
*Hoben – A hamlet east of South Bolivar on County road 18 (Brimmer Brook Road) near the south town line.
*
– A stream in the south part of the town.
*Kossuth – A
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
on Route 417(Wellsville Street) in the center of the town.
*Little Genesee Creek – A stream flowing through the northwest part of the town past Richburg and Bolivar village.
*
Richburg – The south part of the village of Richburg is on the north town line and northeast of Bolivar village on Route 275.
*Sawyer – A hamlet by Route 417(Wellsville Street) east of Kossuth.
*South Bolivar – A hamlet at the junction of County roads 33 (South Bolivar Road) and 18(Petrolia Road) near the Pennsylvania border. The community was also known as "Honeoye Corners" and "Honeoye Forks" due to its location near Honeoye Creek.
*Vosburg – A location on Route 417 at the east town line.
References
External links
*
Brief history of the Town of Bolivar
{{authority control
Towns in Allegany County, New York
Towns in New York (state)