French Creek 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 Chautauqua 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 New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, United States. The population was 997 at the 2020 census. The town is named after the stream flowing through it, which ultimately flows to the

Allegheny River The Allegheny River ( ; ; ) is a tributary of the Ohio River that is located in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York in the United States. It runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border, nor ...

in Pennsylvania. The town of French Creek is located in the far southwestern corner of the state.

History

The land was first settled ''circa'' 1811. The town of French Creek was founded in 1829 from part of the town of Clymer.

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 0.06%, is water. French Creek, which flows southward through the town, is a tributary of the

. Its tributaries are Beaver Meadow Brook, Cutting Brook and Herrick Creek. New York State Route 426 is a major north–south route through the town and intersects New York State Route 474, an east–west highway at Cutting.

Adjacent towns and areas

French Creek is bordered by the state 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 ...

to the west and south. To the west is Venango Township and to the south is Wayne Township, both in

Erie County, Pennsylvania Erie County is the northernmost county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 270,876. Its county seat is Erie. The county was created in 1800 and later organized in 1803. The county is part of the Nort ...

. The north town line is the border of the town of Mina, and the east town line is shared with the town of Clymer.

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 935 people, 332 households, and 260 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 592 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.93%

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 ...

, 0.11% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.11% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. There were 332 households, out of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.0% 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, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.21. In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.1% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,667, and the median income for a family was $38,688. Males had a median income of $28,583 versus $19,444 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 $15,496. About 9.7% of families and 12.4% 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 14.8% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Ely B. Dewing, Wisconsin State Assemblyman *

Tommy Leach Thomas Andrew Leach (November 4, 1877 – September 29, 1969) was an American professional baseball outfielder and third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball from 1898 through 1918 for the Louisville Colonels, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago ...

, major league baseball player who was in the first World Series

Communities and locations in the town of French Creek

*Cutting – A hamlet in the south part of the town on State Route 474. * French Creek – A stream that flows through the town into Pennsylvania; tributary of the

. *French Creek – The

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 ...

of French Creek, located on County Road 4 (French Creek–Mina Road) and French Creek. *Marks Corners – A location in the northeast corner of the town. *Marvin – A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town. *Morgan Corners – A hamlet in the east side of the town at Bush and Ravlin Roads. * Peek'n Peak – A skiing area in the western part of the town.

References

External links

Town of French Creek official website
{{authority control Towns in Chautauqua County, New York Towns in New York (state)