Newstead is the northeasternmost
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
Erie County,
New York, United States. The population was
8,689 at the 2020 census.
The name is reportedly derived from
Newstead Abbey in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
.
Newstead is northeast of
Buffalo, and its principal community is the village of
Akron.
History
The town was first settled ''circa'' 1801.
The town of Newstead was established in 1823 as the "Town of Erie" from the eastern part of the town of
Clarence. In 1831, the town's name was changed to "Newstead", reportedly on the advice of
Abigail Fillmore, who was fond of the poetry of
Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...
.
A fire in the 1870s destroyed town records, leaving little historical information about the town between 1823 and 1870.
The discovery of
gypsum and the growth of the related
cement industry helped promote 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 is land and , or 0.56%, is water.
Newstead is in the northeast corner of the county, and
Tonawanda Creek defines the northern boundary.
Adjacent towns
*
Clarence - west
*
Royalton in
Niagara County - north
*
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
in
Genesee County - east
*
Pembroke in Genesee County - east
*
Darien in Genesee County - southeast
*
Alden - south
*
Lancaster - southwest
The village of
Akron lies within the town, east of the town's geographic center.
Major highways in the Town of Newstead
*
Interstate 90 (
New York State Thruway) (east-west), passes through the southern part of town from Clarence to Pembroke.
*
New York State Route 5 (Main St.), east–west highway that passes through the southern part of town from Clarence to Pembroke.
*
New York State Route 93 (Maple Rd., Lewis Rd., Buell St. in Newstead; Cedar St., Buffalo St., Buell St. in Akron), north–south highway from
Youngstown that travels through Niagara County and into Newstead and has its southern terminus south of Akron at
NY 5 (Main Street).
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 8,404 people, 3,371 households, and 2,332 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 3,623 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.20%
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 ...
, 0.40%
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 ...
, 0.77%
Native American, 0.12%
Asian, 0.10% from
other races, and 0.40% 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 0.52% of the population.
There were 3,371 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were
married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $40,580, and the median income for a family was $50,255. Males had a median income of $34,306 versus $24,011 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 $18,447. About 2.9% of families and 4.2% 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 ...
, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Newstead
*
Akron –
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 ...
located on NY-93, north of NY-5.
*Akron Airport (9G3) – A general aviation airport on the hilltop east of Akron village.
*
Akron Falls County Park – Located within the village of Akron, along the banks of Murder Creek. The park provides picnicking, walking trails, and some sports fields.
*
Akron Junction – A former location where a defunct railroad line branched. This location is on a hiking/bicycle trail north of Leisurewood Recreational Community.
*Falkirk – A previous community in Newstead, now absorbed into Akron village.
*Hawkins Corners – A location now of historical interest only, south of Akron.
*Leisurewood Recreational Community – A large seasonal community composed of trailers and recreational vehicles, occupied primarily during the summer months. It is southwest of Akron.
*Murder Creek – A tributary of
Tonawanda Creek that flows through the town. The name stems from when an Indian man was killed there.
*
Murrays Corner – A hamlet on NY-5 by the intersection of Crittenden Road, southeast of Akron village.
*
Sand Hill – A small
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 ...
in the northwest part of the town, consisting of a few residences and a church. The hamlet is by the intersection of Rapids and Crego roads.
*
South Newstead – A location near the border with the town of
Alden at the junction of South Newstead and Buckwheat roads. Residences and farms are scattered through the area. Formerly, a post office was located in this area.
*
Swifts Mills – A location of historical interest in the north part of the town, located on Murder Creek.
*
Tonawanda Reservation – A small inhabited part of this
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land land tenure, held and governed by a List of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States#Description, U.S. federal government-recognized Native American tribal nation, whose gov ...
is in the eastern part of the town. Several retail establishments sell discount cigarettes and untaxed gasoline.
Recreation
Newstead and the town of
Clarence have constructed several miles of biking and jogging trails that link the towns on a former railroad right-of-way. The
Octagon House in the village of Akron is open to visitors who wish to examine this architectural style.
Newstead, because of its vast expanses of open space, has become a popular place for golf course construction.
Notable people
*
Jack Davis, industrialist
*
Charles F. Tabor, former
New York State Attorney General
References
External links
Town of Newstead official website
{{authority control
Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area
Towns in Erie County, New York
Towns in New York (state)