Tonawanda (town), New York
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other places with a similar name, see Tonawanda, New York.
Tonawanda is a town in Erie County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 78,155. The name is derived from a creek on the northern border. The name tonawanda means "swift waters" in the Iroquois language.
The Town of Tonawanda is at the north border of the county. It is a northern suburb to Buffalo, New York.
It is often referred to, along with its neighbor, Kenmore, as Ken-Ton.
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[edit] History
This area was under French control from the 16th Century until ceded to the British after the French and Indian War.
Rapid growth began after the construction of the Erie Canal.
The first settlers arrived around 1805.
The Town of Tonawanda was set apart in 1836 from the "Town of Buffalo" (now the City of Buffalo) and lies in the northwest corner of Erie County. At that time it included Grand Island and land that became the City of Tonawanda.
The town lost territory to the newer Town of Grand Island in 1852.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 52.7 km² (20.4 mi²). 48.7 km² (18.8 mi²) of it is land and 4.0 km² (1.6 mi²) of it (7.66%) is water.
The north border of the town is the City of Tonawanda and Tonawanda Creek, which is part of the Erie Canal, and the west border is the Niagara River. The east border, marked by US Route 62 (Niagara Falls Boulevard), is the Town of Amherst. Forming the southern border is the Village of Kenmore and the City of Buffalo.
Interstate 290 (Youngman Memorial Highway) and New York State Route 324 (Sheridan Drive) cross the town from east to west. New York State Route 265 (Military Road), New York State Route 266 (Niagara Street), New York State Route 384 (Delaware Avenue), and New York State Route 425 (Twin Cities Highway) are major north-south roadways.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 78,155 people, 33,278 households, and 21,164 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,605.1/km² (4,156.3/mi²). There were 34,634 housing units at an average density of 711.3/km² (1,841.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.97% White, 1.41% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.
Most residents are of European descent. As of 2000, the major ancestry groups of the town was: German 37.7%, Irish 23.3%, Italian 21.9%, Polish 14.2%, English 13.2%, French 4.5%, Scottish 3.0%, Hungarian 1.8%, Dutch 1.6%, and Native American 1.5%.
There were 33,278 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% 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 2.95.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,453, and the median income for a family was $51,416. Males had a median income of $39,273 versus $27,022 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,947. About 4.8% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Communities and locations in the Town of Tonawanda
- Brighton -- A neighborhood by the east town line.
- Brighton Park -- A park in the northeast part of the town.
- Green Acres -- A neighborhood in the northeast corner of the town.
- Kenilworth -- A neighborhood in the southeast corner of the town.
- Sheridan -- A neighborhood on the western edge of the town, east of the industrial area.
- Sheridan Park -- A park and golf course in the western part of the town.
- Kenmore -- The Village of Kenmore is one of the largest incorporated villages in the state and is completely within the borders of the town.
[edit] External links
- Ken-Ton website
- Tonawanda at the Open Directory Project (suggest site)
- Early Tonawanda history
- Tonawanda Town Court
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
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County Seat: Buffalo |
|---|---|
| Cities | |
| Towns |
Alden | Amherst | Aurora | Boston | Brant | Cheektowaga | Clarence | Collins | Concord | Eden | Elma | Evans | Grand Island | Hamburg | Holland | Lancaster | Marilla | Newstead | North Collins | Orchard Park | Sardinia | Tonawanda | Wales | West Seneca |
| Villages |
Alden | Angola | Blasdell | Depew | East Aurora | Farham | Gowanda | Hamburg | Kenmore | Lancaster | North Collins | Orchard Park | Sloan | Springville | Williamsville |
| CDPs |
Angola on the Lake | Billington Heights | Cheektowaga | Clarence Center | Eden | Elma Center | Harris Hill | Holland | Lake Erie Beach | North Boston | Tonawanda | Town Line | West Seneca |
| Reservations |
