Jump to content

Cheektowaga, New York

Coordinates:42°54′14″N78°44′38″W/ 42.90389°N 78.74389°W/42.90389; -78.74389
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the census-designated place of the same name within this town, seeCheektowaga (CDP), New York.
Cheektowaga
Chictawauga(Seneca)
Town
Town of Cheektowaga
Left to right from top:Buffalo Niagara International Airport,Anna M. Reinstein Public Library,Walden Galleria,Cheektowaga Town Hall
Location in Erie County and the state of New York.
Location inErie Countyand the state ofNew York.
Location of New York in the United States
Location of New York in the United States
Coordinates:42°54′14″N78°44′38″W/ 42.90389°N 78.74389°W/42.90389; -78.74389
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CountyErie County
Incorporated1839
Named forCrabapples
Government
•Town SupervisorBrian Nowak (D)
•Town Council
Members
  • Christine L. Adamczyk (D)
  • Linda Hammer (D)
  • Brian Pilarski (D)
  • Brian Nowak (D)
  • Gerald Kaminski (D)
  • Richard Rusiniak (D)
Area
[1]
• Total29.49 sq mi (76.39 km2)
• Land29.43 sq mi (76.23 km2)
• Water0.06 sq mi (0.16 km2)
Elevation
662 ft (202 m)
Population
(2020)
• Total89,877Increase
• Density2,955.39/sq mi (1,141.08/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5(EST)
• Summer (DST)UTC-4(EDT)
ZIP code
14225/14227/14215/14206/14211
Area code716
FIPS code36-029-15011
Websitewww.tocny.org

Cheektowaga(/ˌtʃiktəˈwɑːɡə/;Seneca:Chictawauga) is a town inErie County,New York,United States. As of the 2020 census, the town has grown to a population of 89,877.[2]The town is in the north-central part of the county, and is an inner ring suburb ofBuffalo.The town is the second-largest suburb of Buffalo, after the Town ofAmherst.

The town of Cheektowaga contains the village ofSloanand half of the village ofDepew.The remainder, outside the villages, is acensus-designated placealso namedCheektowaga.The town is home to theBuffalo Niagara International Airport,Erie County's principal airport.[3]

Villa Maria College,Empire State University,and theWalden Galleriaare in Cheektowaga.

History

[edit]

Cheektowaga's earliest known historic occupants were the Iroquoian-speakingNeutral people.They were pushed out by the more powerfulSeneca people,the most western of the Five Nations of theIroquoisConfederacy, who were seeking to control the fur trade. They named this site asChictawauga,meaning "land of thecrabapples"in theSeneca language.[4]

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 ofAmherston March 22, 1839. Upon the formation ofWest Senecaon October 16, 1851, it was reduced to its present limits—about 30 square miles (78 km2). 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 IIsubdivisionboom of the 1950s. Aided as well by the construction of highways to serve the area, factories such as theWestinghouse Electric Corporationplant on Genesee Street were built here (since demolished). The plant generated employment to the area for many decades. The town maintains a strongblue-collarpresence. Cheektowaga has a largePolish-Americancommunity, much of whichrelocatedfrom Buffalo'sEast Side,and about 39.9% of population is of Polish heritage.[5]

TheWalden Galleriaopened 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.[6]

Garrison Cemetery,Our Lady Help of Christians Chapel,andVilla Maria Motherhouse Complexare listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[7]

Geography

[edit]

According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the town has a total area of 29.5 square miles (76.4 km2), of which 29.4 square miles (76.2 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km2), or 0.21%, is water.[2]

The town is bordered byLancasteron the east,West Senecaon the south, the city ofBuffaloon the west, and on the north byAmherst.The town includes the waterways ofScajaquada Creek,Cayuga CreekandEllicott Creek.

Neighborhoods

[edit]
  • 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– Acensus-designated placecorresponding 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 ofLancaster) 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– A former hamlet near Union Road (NY-277) and Broadway (NY-130).[8]
  • Maryvale– A neighborhood located just west of the airport, this community is also a school district, containingMaryvale High School.
  • Pine Hill– A neighborhood on the border of Buffalo, featuring many cemeteries andVilla 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 alongWalden Avenue (NY 952Q)next to the Buffalo city line.[8]
  • Williamsville– A small part of the village of Williamsville (shared with the town ofAmherst)

Fire Districts

[edit]

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[9]

Weather hazards

[edit]

On July 30, 1987, an F1tornadotouched down in the Union Road and George Urban Boulevard area. It grew to an F2 before dissipating.[10]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.[11]

On June 30, 2006, another F1 tornado touched down not far from the site of the1987 tornado.[12]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" Snowband that crosses the area, and has been effected by historic Snow events including TheBlizzard of '77,the Blizzard of '85, "The October Surprise", "Snowvember",and the 2022Christmas blizzard.

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18401,137—
18503,042167.5%
18602,743−9.8%
18702,465−10.1%
18802,327−5.6%
18902,97427.8%
19005,15673.4%
19107,62047.8%
192011,92356.5%
193020,84974.9%
194025,00619.9%
195045,35481.4%
196084,05685.3%
1970113,84435.4%
1980109,442−3.9%
199099,314−9.3%
200094,019−5.3%
201088,226−6.2%
202089,8771.9%
Historical Population Figures
Cheektowaga (town)[13][14][15]

As of thecensus[16]of 2000, there were 94,019 people, 40,045 households, and 25,869 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,183.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,229.3/km2). There were 41,901 housing units at an average density of 1,418.9 per square mile (547.8/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.94%White,2.93%BlackorAfrican American,0.16%Native American,0.94%Asian,0.01%Pacific Islander,0.27% fromother races,and 0.75% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof 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% weremarried couplesliving 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. Theper capita incomefor the town was $19,627. About 4.6% of families and 6.5% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Major ancestries in the town arePolish(39.9%),German(29.9%),Italian(16.0%),Irish(14.1%),English(5.8%), andFrench(2.7%).

Education

[edit]

Higher education

[edit]

There are two separate higher educational institutions with campuses in the town.

Public schools

[edit]

There are eight separate public school districts within the town.

Media

[edit]

The town is served by media inBuffalo.

Newspapers

[edit]

Cheektowaga's weekly newspaper is theCheektowaga Bee.It was founded in 1977 and is published byBee Group Newspapersin Williamsville, New York.

Digital-only news

[edit]

The town's first dailyhyperlocal newsoutlet,Cheektowaga Chronicle,launched in February 2017. It is published by Crabapple Media, LLC.[17]The outlet has since ceased operation as of April 2019[18]

Infrastructure

[edit]

The east town line is marked byNew York State Route 78(Transit Road).New York State Route 240(Harlem Road) andNew 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 theNew York State Thruway,which is also runs north-south through the town, traveling from the Amherst town line in the north, south to theWest Senecatown 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

[edit]

Calspanis based in Cheektowaga.

Notable people

[edit]

Twin towns — sister cities

[edit]

Cheektowaga istwinnedwith:

References

[edit]
  1. ^"2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJuly 4,2017.
  2. ^ab"U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Cheektowaga town, Erie County, New York".census.gov.United States Department of Commerce.RetrievedJuly 16,2021.
  3. ^"Cheektowaga CDP, New YorkArchived2009-06-02 at theWayback Machine."U.S. Census Bureau.Retrieved on May 25, 2009.
  4. ^"Town of Cheektowaga - History".Town of Cheektowaga, New York.Town of Cheektowaga, New York. Archived fromthe originalon February 20, 2012.RetrievedJuly 17,2017.
  5. ^Polish communitiesArchivedJune 2, 2011, at theWayback Machine,Epodunk.Accessed September 11, 2013.
  6. ^Clemens, Chris (March 8, 2014)."The Relic Collection of St. John Gualbert's in Cheektowaga |".Exploring Upstate.RetrievedApril 19,2019.
  7. ^"National Register Information System".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.July 9, 2010.
  8. ^abTown of Cheektowaga(Map). Century Map Company. 1909.RetrievedMay 5,2024.
  9. ^"Cheektowaga Volunteer Firefighter, Rescue & EMS Opportunities - Join Now".Cheektowaga Volunteer Firefighters.RetrievedMay 24,2022.
  10. ^"National Weather Service report on the 1987 tornado (NOAA Website)".Archived fromthe originalon May 9, 2009.RetrievedApril 12,2009.
  11. ^"Cheektowaga Bee newspaper article about the tornado (Cheektowaga Bee website)".Archived fromthe originalon August 29, 2016.RetrievedAugust 22,2016.
  12. ^page at the National Weather Service Website discussing the 2006 tornado
  13. ^"Town of Cheektowaga - History".Town of Cheektowaga. Archived fromthe originalon February 20, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 8,2012.(2009). Retrieved January 8, 2012
  14. ^Twelfth census of the United States, taken in the year 1900.Department of Commerce and Labor. 1906.(1900), page 278. Retrieved January 8, 2012
  15. ^United States summary, 1980-2000 census of population.U.S. Census Bureau. 2004.(2000), page 137. Retrieved January 8, 2012
  16. ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
  17. ^Herr, Jim (February 6, 2017)."Cheektowaga resident launches news website | Cheektowaga Chronicle".Cheektowaga Chronicle.RetrievedJune 28,2017.
  18. ^Herr, Jim (April 13, 2019)."Cheektowaga Chronicle takes hiatus effective immediately".Cheektowaga Chronicle.RetrievedMay 24,2022.
  19. ^Witul, Gregory (October 18, 2014)."Cheektowaga's population mirrors its connections to Poland".Am-Pol Eagle.RetrievedMay 10,2016.
[edit]
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forCheektowaga.


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cheektowaga,_New_York&oldid=1242695227"