Ashford, New York
Encyclopedia
Ashford is a town
in Cattaraugus County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 2,223 at the 2000 census.
The Town of Ashford is on the county's northern border.
, the town has a total area of 51.4 square miles (133.1 km²), of which 51.3 square miles (132.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.12%) is water.
The north boundary is formed by Cattaraugus Creek
, and the north town line is the border of Erie County
, New York.
New York State Route 240
, a north-south route in the eastern part of the town, links the town to the suburbs of Buffalo
, New York
, as does US Route 219 in the western part of the town.
and Sardinia
in Erie County, and the south border is created by the Towns of Ellicottville
and East Otto
. To the west is the Town of East Otto
. The east boundary is formed by the Towns of Machias
and Yorkshire
.
of 2000, there were 2,223 people, 857 households, and 634 families residing in the town. The population density
was 43.3 people per square mile (16.7/km²). There were 1,023 housing units at an average density of 19.9 per square mile (7.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.99% White, 1.53% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.09% from other races
, and 0.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.76% of the population.
There were 857 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples
living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,313, and the median income for a family was $44,509. Males had a median income of $32,392 versus $21,500 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $19,136. About 4.0% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Cattaraugus County
Cattaraugus County, New York
Cattaraugus County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,317. The county seat is Little Valley.-History:...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,223 at the 2000 census.
The Town of Ashford is on the county's northern border.
History
The town was first settled around 1816, and was founded in 1824 by Henry Frank Sr, a Revolutionary War Veteran from Philadelphia, Pa.Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 51.4 square miles (133.1 km²), of which 51.3 square miles (132.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.12%) is water.
The north boundary is formed by Cattaraugus Creek
Cattaraugus Creek
Cattaraugus Creek is a stream, approximately 68 miles long, in western New York in the United States. The creek drains a wooded rural portion of western New York southwest of Buffalo into Lake Erie. In its lower course it flows primarily through the Cattaraugus Reservation of the Seneca tribe...
, and the north town line is the border of Erie County
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
, New York.
New York State Route 240
New York State Route 240
New York State Route 240 is a state highway in western New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 242 in the Ellicottville community of Ashford in northern Cattaraugus County. Its northern terminus is at a junction with NY 324...
, a north-south route in the eastern part of the town, links the town to the suburbs of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, as does US Route 219 in the western part of the town.
Adjacent towns and areas
The northern border is formed with the towns of ConcordConcord, New York
Concord is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 8,526 at the 2000 census. The town is believed to be named after Concord, Massachusetts by early settlers from New England....
and Sardinia
Sardinia, New York
Sardinia, New York is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The town lies in the southeast corner of Erie County and is considered one of the county's "Southtowns." The town is southeast of Buffalo. The population was 2,692 at the 2000 census...
in Erie County, and the south border is created by the Towns of Ellicottville
Ellicottville (town), New York
Ellicottville is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,738 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Joseph Ellicott, principal land agent of the Holland Land Company....
and East Otto
East Otto, New York
East Otto is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,105 at the 2000 census. The town is named after an agent of the Holland Land Company, Jacob Otto.The Town of East Otto is on the northern border of the county....
. To the west is the Town of East Otto
East Otto, New York
East Otto is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,105 at the 2000 census. The town is named after an agent of the Holland Land Company, Jacob Otto.The Town of East Otto is on the northern border of the county....
. The east boundary is formed by the Towns of Machias
Machias, New York
Machias is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,482 at the 2000 census.The Town of Machias is an interior town in the northeast quadrant of the county. It is northeast of the city of Salamanca.-History:...
and Yorkshire
Yorkshire (town), New York
Yorkshire is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 4,210 at the 2000 census.The Town of Yorkshire is located on the northern edge and the northeast quadrant of the county.- History :...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,223 people, 857 households, and 634 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 43.3 people per square mile (16.7/km²). There were 1,023 housing units at an average density of 19.9 per square mile (7.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.99% White, 1.53% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.09% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.76% of the population.
There were 857 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,313, and the median income for a family was $44,509. Males had a median income of $32,392 versus $21,500 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $19,136. About 4.0% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Ashford
- Ashford Hollow – A hamlet in the southwest part of the town on US Route 219.
- Ashford Junction – A railroad junction built in the early 1880s by the Buffalo, Rochester, and Pittsburgh Railroad
- Beaver Siding – A location in the southeast corner of the town, located on County Road 60 and south of West Valley.
- Bellow Corners – A hamlet east of Ashford Hollow, located on County Road 85.
- Buttermilk Creek – A tributaryTributaryA tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of Cattaraugus Creek in the north part of the town. - Edies Siding – A hamlet in the northwest corner of the town by Cattaraugus Creek.
- Fox – A hamlet near the center of the town, east of Ashford Hollow.
- Riceville (also called "East Ashford") – A hamlet near the east town line on County Road 55.
- Riceville Station – A location west of Riceville on Route 240.
- Thomas Corners – A hamlet in the northeast part of the town on Route 240.
- West ValleyWest Valley, New YorkWest Valley is a hamlet located within the town of Ashford in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. Located at the intersection of Cattaraugus County Route 53 and State Route 240, the hamlet is home to West Valley Central School and the West Valley Demonstration Project, a nuclear cleanup...
– A hamlet in the southeast part of the town at the junction of Routes 53 and 240. - West Valley Reprocessing PlantWest Valley Reprocessing PlantWest Valley Reprocessing Plant was a formerly operational plant for the reprocessing of used nuclear fuel at West Valley, New York, USA. It was operated from 1966-72. During this time period, 600,000 gallons of highly radioactive waste accumulated in an underground waste tank...
– A Department of Energy nuclear processing station.