Cheektowaga, New York
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Cheektowaga (; ) is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town has grown to a population of 89,877. The town is in the north-central part of the county, and is an inner ring suburb of Buffalo. The town is the second-largest suburb of Buffalo, after the Town of Amherst. The town of Cheektowaga contains the village of Sloan and half of the village of Depew. The remainder, outside the villages, is a
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...
also named Cheektowaga. The town is home to
Buffalo Niagara International Airport Buffalo Niagara International Airport is in Cheektowaga (town), New York, Cheektowaga, New York (state), New York, United States. The airport serves Buffalo, New York and Niagara Falls, New York in the United States, and the southern Golden H ...
, Erie County's principal airport. Villa Maria College, Empire State University, and the Walden Galleria are in Cheektowaga.


History

Cheektowaga's earliest known historic occupants were the Iroquoian-speaking Neutral people. They were pushed out by the more powerful
Seneca people The Seneca ( ; ) are a group of Indigenous Iroquoian-speaking people who historically lived south of Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes in North America. Their nation was the farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois Leag ...
, the most western of the Five Nations of the
Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...
Confederacy, who were seeking to control the fur trade. They named this site as ''Chictawauga'', meaning "land of the crabapples" in the Seneca language. It was not until well after the American Revolutionary War that European-American settlers began to live here permanently. The Seneca had been forced to cede most of their land to the United States after the war, as they had been British allies. Cheektowaga was formed from the Town of Amherst on March 22, 1839. Upon the formation of West Seneca on October 16, 1851, it was reduced to its present limits—about . Throughout the 19th century, it was referred to by its original name, ''"Chictawauga"''. Originally a rural farming area, the town was extensively developed for suburban housing during the post-
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
subdivision boom of the 1950s. Aided as well by the construction of highways to serve the area, factories such as the
Westinghouse Electric Corporation The Westinghouse Electric Corporation was an American manufacturing company founded in 1886 by George Westinghouse and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was originally named "Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company" and was ...
plant on Genesee Street were built here (since demolished). The plant generated employment to the area for many decades. The town maintains a strong blue-collar presence. Cheektowaga has a large Polish-American community, much of which relocated from Buffalo's East Side, and about 39.9% of population is of Polish heritage. The Walden Galleria opened in 1989, becoming the Buffalo Niagara region's largest mall. Cheektowaga is home to St. John Gualbert's Parish, which is a small Catholic church housing the Shrine of the Holy Relics of the Saints, believed to be one of the largest collections in the United States. Garrison Cemetery, Our Lady Help of Christians Chapel, and Villa Maria Motherhouse Complex are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.


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 is land and , or 0.21%, is water. The town is bordered by Lancaster on the east, West Seneca on the south, the city of Buffalo on the west, and on the north by Amherst. The town includes the waterways of Scajaquada Creek, Cayuga Creek and Ellicott Creek.


Neighborhoods

* Bellevue – A neighborhood between Union Road and the Depew border. It is home to the Bellevue Fire Department and a portion of Cayuga Creek. It is also home to the historic Bellevue Hotel, a local bar and restaurant which has been in existence since the 19th century. * Cheektowaga – A
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...
corresponding to all of the town outside the villages of Sloan and Depew. * Cleveland Hill – A neighborhood located on the north town line; has its own school district. * Depew – The village of Depew (shared with the town of Lancaster) is in the eastern part of the town. * Doyle – A neighborhood in the Southwestern Corner of Town, bordered by the city of Buffalo's Kaisertown neighborhood, and Town of West Seneca's Clinton Gardens neighborhood. *
Forks In cutlery or kitchenware, a fork (from 'pitchfork') is a Eating utensil, utensil, now usually made of metal, whose long handle terminates in a head that branches into several narrow and often slightly curved tine (structural), tines with whic ...
– A former hamlet near Union Road (NY-277) and Broadway (NY-130). *Maryvale – A neighborhood located just west of the airport, this community is also a school district, containing Maryvale High School. * Pine Hill – A neighborhood on the border of Buffalo, featuring many cemeteries and Villa Maria College. * Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve – A conservation area in the south central part of the town. * Sloan – The village of Sloan, near the Buffalo border. Sloan is the seat of the Cheektowaga-Sloan school district. * South Cheektowaga / South Line – Neighborhood on the border of West Seneca near French Road and extending towards Stiglmeier Park. Several apartment complexes are located in this area. *U-Crest – A neighborhood near Union Road (NY-277) and Genesee Street (NY-33). *Walden – a former name for the neighborhood along Walden Avenue (NY 952Q) next to the Buffalo city line. * Williamsville – A small part of the village of Williamsville (shared with the town of Amherst)


Fire Districts

The Town of Cheektowaga is served by 9 Volunteer Fire districts with 10 companies, and 12 Stations, and 2 Volunteer Municipal Fire Departments with 2 stations within the Town


Weather hazards

On July 30, 1987, an F1
tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...
touched down in the Union Road and George Urban Boulevard area. It grew to an F2 before dissipating. Homes and business suffered serious damage, but there were no fatalities or severe injuries. This tornado is locally memorable as the one which ripped the roof off the Holiday Showcase Restaurant and damaged a nearby Putt Putt® miniature golf center. On June 30, 2006, another F1 tornado touched down not far from the site of the ''1987 tornado''. Again, homes and businesses - including the Holiday Showcase, which was remodeled soon after - were damaged, and a tractor trailer was knocked over on the NY State Thruway, but no one was killed. The Town also falls into the significant "Lake Effect" Snow band that crosses the area, and has been effected by historic Snow events including The Blizzard of '77, the Blizzard of '85, "The October Surprise"," Snowvember", and the 2022 Christmas blizzard.


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 94,019 people, 40,045 households, and 25,869 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 41,901 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.94%
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 ...
, 2.93%
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 ...
, 0.16% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.27% from other races, and 0.75% 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 0.97% of the population. There were 40,045 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% 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, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91. In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $38,121, and the median income for a family was $46,646. Males had a median income of $34,538 versus $25,434 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 $19,627. About 4.6% of families and 6.5% 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 8.7% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over. Major ancestries in the town are Polish (39.9%), German (29.9%), Italian (16.0%), Irish (14.1%), English (5.8%), and French (2.7%).


Education


Higher education

There are two separate higher educational institutions with campuses in the town. * Villa Maria College *
Empire State College Empire State University (SUNY Empire) is a public university headquartered in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Empire State University is a multi-site institution offering associate degre ...


Public schools

There are eight separate public school districts within the town. * Cheektowaga Central School District * Cheektowaga-Sloan Union Free School District * Cleveland Hill Union Free School District * Maryvale Union Free School District * Depew Union Free School District * West Seneca Central School District * Lancaster Central School District * Williamsville Central School District


Media

The town is served by media in Buffalo.


Newspapers

Cheektowaga's weekly newspaper is the ''Cheektowaga Bee''. It was founded in 1977 and is published by Bee Group Newspapers in Williamsville, New York.


Digital-only news

The town's first daily hyperlocal news outlet, ''Cheektowaga Chronicle'', launched in February 2017. It is published by Crabapple Media, LLC. The outlet has since ceased operation as of April 2019


Infrastructure

The east town line is marked by New York State Route 78 (Transit Road). New York State Route 240 (Harlem Road) and New York State Route 277 (Union Road) are major north-south routes through the town. New York State Route 33 (Kensington Expressway), Walden Avenue, and William Street access the New York State Thruway, which is also runs north-south through the town, traveling from the Amherst town line in the north, south to the West Seneca town line in the southwest corner of town. New York State Route 130 (Broadway) is an east-west roadway from the Buffalo city line to the Depew village line. Interstate 190, travels in the town from I-90 to Buffalo City Line and beyond into Downtown Buffalo and north to Niagara Falls. U.S. Route 20 (Transit Road) is a north-south roadway that runs concurrently with NY 78 along Cheektowaga's east border with Lancaster, south of Depew. New York State Route 354 (Clinton Street) is an east-west roadway through the extreme southwest corner of town, and provides the southern border with West Seneca.


Economy

Calspan is based in Cheektowaga.


Notable people

* Andrew Anderson, retired pro basketball player who graduated from Maryvale High School in Cheektowaga * Christine Baranski, actress ('' The Good Wife'', '' Mamma Mia!'') * Ryan Ciminelli, professional bowler * William Fichtner, actor, Graduate of Maryvale High School * Jackson C. Frank, folk musician who survived the Cleveland Hill Elementary fire * Dennis H. Gabryszak, former New York State Assemblyman who previously served as town supervisor * Dennis Gorski, former Erie County Executive * Mickey Harmon, artist and activist * William J. Hochul, Jr., U.S. Attorney who graduated from Cheektowaga Central * Liz Johnson, professional bowler and USBC Hall of Famer *
Chelsea Noble Chelsea Cameron (née Noble; born Nancy Mueller; December 4, 1964) is an American actress known for her role as Kate McDonnell on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television sitcom ''Growing Pains'' (1989–1992). Noble is married to her ...
, actress and wife of actor
Kirk Cameron Kirk Thomas Cameron (born October 12, 1970) is an American actor, author, Evangelism, evangelist, television host, documentarian and producer. He first gained fame as a teen actor playing Mike Seaver on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC si ...
* Danny Ozark, former manager of the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
* Mark Pawlak, poet and educator * Randy Pikuzinski, retired pro soccer player * Ed Rutkowski, former pro football player and Erie County Executive * Altemio Sanchez, serial murderer * Paul Tokasz, retired New York State Assemblyman * David J. Weber, historian * Angela Wozniak, former New York State Assemblywoman, former town council member


Twin towns — sister cities

Cheektowaga is twinned with: *
Łowicz Łowicz is a town in central Poland with 27,436 inhabitants (2021). It is situated in the Łódź Voivodeship. Together with a nearby station of Bednary, Łowicz is a major rail junction of central Poland, where the line from Warsaw splits into ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...


References


External links


Town of Cheektowaga official websiteCheektowaga Chamber of CommerceCheektowaga Historical Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheektowaga (Town), New York Polish-American culture in New York (state) Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area Towns in Erie County, New York Towns in New York (state) Polish communities in the United States Polish-American culture in Buffalo, New York