Big Flats (town), New York
Encyclopedia
Big Flats is a town
in Chemung County
, New York
, USA
, New York
. The population was 7,224 at the 2000 census.
The Town of Big Flats is on the west border of the county, west of Elmira
, New York. It is part of the 'Elmira
, New York
Metropolitan Statistical Area'.
.
, the town has a total area of 45.1 square miles (116.7 km²), of which, 44.5 square miles (115.2 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²) of it (1.24%) is water.
The Chemung River
flows through the south part of the town and forms part of the border. Sing Sing Creek flows through the town and is a tributary of the river. As might be expected given the history of the naming of the town, it consists of a broad expanse of relatively flat land, the axis of which lies generally northeast to southwest. It is a river valley, and the land has historically been very good for agriculture, including tobacco. Diligent searching will result in the finding of fossil seashells, and these shells are evidence in support of the conclusion that the land was anciently a sea bottom. Other evidence is found in the rock of the region, which is mostly shale. The western town line is the border of Steuben County
, New York.
The Southern Tier Expressway (Interstate 86
/New York State Route 17
) passes through the town.
of 2000, there were 7,224 people, 2,725 households, and 2,144 families residing in the town. The population density
was 162.4 people per square mile (62.7/km²). There were 2,836 housing units at an average density of 63.7 per square mile (24.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.35% White, 1.18% Black or African American
, 0.01% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races
, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population.
There were 2,725 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.5% were married couples
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.3% were non-families. 17.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $53,435, and the median income for a family was $59,500. Males had a median income of $42,317 versus $28,327 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $23,391. About 1.3% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
can also be found in the residential area of Big Flats which is considered the "Soaring Capital of the World" for its beautiful sailplane view of the vast fields, trees, rivers and other scenery.
After the Elmira-Corning Regional Airport
(no Big Flats in its name), you will see the rapidly growing commercial district. The first shopping center is the Arnot Mall
which now contains over 120 stores including Macy's, Sears, J C Penney, and a Regal 10 Movie theatre. Over the past two decades, many strip malls have formed including Consumer Square with about 40 stores including Dicks(moved to Horseheads), Staples, and Bed Bath and Beyond. Since 2005, two more strip malls have been created with the Big Flats Commons containing Best Buy, Target, and Panera Bread, while The Shops at Chambers, in the Town of Horseheads, focuses on upscale clothing. Restaurants are also well represented in the area with Dozens of big name chains filling the area like Applebee's, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Texas Roadhouse, TGI Friday's, and Chili's all in walking distance of each other. As of Wednesday, March 5, 2008, a Super Wal-Mart opened in Horseheads to replace the regular Wal-Mart in Big Flats, which closed Tuesday, March 4, 2008.
The area is a very popular shopping destination in the Southern tier, attracting people from over an hour away to the area. It is the only major shopping area until Ithaca
and Binghamton, and attracts many shoppers from Northern Pennsylvania where very few shopping centers are available. Another reason Big Flats has grown in popularity is its close proximity to both the Corning Museum of Glass
, a large tourist attraction, and the Watkins Glen International
Racetrack, which is a popular road course used by both NASCAR
and Indy racing.
Big Flats also enjoys a healthy spirit of volunteerism as evidenced in the Big Flats Historical Society and Little League Baseball organizations.
High school sports hold a special place in the heart of this town, as evidenced by local news coverage in 1993. Despite the emotionally charged defeat of the Philadelphia Phillies
by the Toronto Blue Jays
in six games (on a crushing walkoff home run by Joe Carter
off of Mitch Williams (aka "the Wild Thing"), local sports coverage inexplicably led off with the results of the Horseheads
Raiders football game.
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 Chemung County
Chemung County, New York
Chemung County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Chemung County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 88,830. Its name is derived from the name of a Delaware Indian village . Its...
, 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...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 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...
. The population was 7,224 at the 2000 census.
The Town of Big Flats is on the west border of the county, west of Elmira
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
, New York. It is part of the 'Elmira
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
, 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...
Metropolitan Statistical Area'.
History
The Town of Big Flats, which had formerly been called "Great Plains", was organized in 1822 from the Town of ElmiraElmira (town), New York
Elmira is a town in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 7,199 at the 2000 census.The Town of Elmira is in the south-central part of the county, surrounding the City of Elmira on three sides. The town is in the Southern Tier of New York...
.
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 45.1 square miles (116.7 km²), of which, 44.5 square miles (115.2 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²) of it (1.24%) is water.
The Chemung River
Chemung River
The Chemung River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long, in south central New York and northern Pennsylvania in the United States. It drains a mountainous region of the northern Allegheny Plateau in the Southern Tier of New York...
flows through the south part of the town and forms part of the border. Sing Sing Creek flows through the town and is a tributary of the river. As might be expected given the history of the naming of the town, it consists of a broad expanse of relatively flat land, the axis of which lies generally northeast to southwest. It is a river valley, and the land has historically been very good for agriculture, including tobacco. Diligent searching will result in the finding of fossil seashells, and these shells are evidence in support of the conclusion that the land was anciently a sea bottom. Other evidence is found in the rock of the region, which is mostly shale. The western town line is the border of Steuben County
Steuben County, New York
Steuben County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 98,990. Its name is in honor of Baron von Steuben, a German general who fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War, though it is not pronounced the same...
, New York.
The Southern Tier Expressway (Interstate 86
Interstate 86 (east)
Interstate 86 is an Interstate Highway that extends for through northwestern Pennsylvania and southern New York in the United States...
/New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17 is a state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States...
) passes through the town.
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 7,224 people, 2,725 households, and 2,144 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 162.4 people per square mile (62.7/km²). There were 2,836 housing units at an average density of 63.7 per square mile (24.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.35% White, 1.18% Black or African American
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...
, 0.01% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.15% 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 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population.
There were 2,725 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.5% 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, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.3% were non-families. 17.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $53,435, and the median income for a family was $59,500. Males had a median income of $42,317 versus $28,327 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 $23,391. About 1.3% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
Activities, Places to Go and Interesting Facts
Big Flats can be separated into two completely different sections from residential and commercial. In the residential area are many unique stores that have been running for quite some time such as Minier's, Tag's, Harnas, and the Dairy Barn. Harris HillHarris Hill, New York
Harris Hill is a hamlet located in the Town of Clarence in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 4,881 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area...
can also be found in the residential area of Big Flats which is considered the "Soaring Capital of the World" for its beautiful sailplane view of the vast fields, trees, rivers and other scenery.
After the Elmira-Corning Regional Airport
Elmira-Corning Regional Airport
-Top Destinations:-Incidents:On June 23, 1967, Mohawk Airlines Flight 40, operated on a BAC-111 regional jet, crashed in Blossburg, Pennsylvania, shortly after taking off from Elmira-Corning, killing all 34 persons on board....
(no Big Flats in its name), you will see the rapidly growing commercial district. The first shopping center is the Arnot Mall
Arnot Mall
Arnot Mall is a shopping mall located in Horseheads/Big Flats, New York, in Chemung County at 3300 Chambers Road and owned by Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust. Arnot Mall is located along the Southern Tier Expressway at Exit 51A between Corning and Elmira...
which now contains over 120 stores including Macy's, Sears, J C Penney, and a Regal 10 Movie theatre. Over the past two decades, many strip malls have formed including Consumer Square with about 40 stores including Dicks(moved to Horseheads), Staples, and Bed Bath and Beyond. Since 2005, two more strip malls have been created with the Big Flats Commons containing Best Buy, Target, and Panera Bread, while The Shops at Chambers, in the Town of Horseheads, focuses on upscale clothing. Restaurants are also well represented in the area with Dozens of big name chains filling the area like Applebee's, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Texas Roadhouse, TGI Friday's, and Chili's all in walking distance of each other. As of Wednesday, March 5, 2008, a Super Wal-Mart opened in Horseheads to replace the regular Wal-Mart in Big Flats, which closed Tuesday, March 4, 2008.
The area is a very popular shopping destination in the Southern tier, attracting people from over an hour away to the area. It is the only major shopping area until Ithaca
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
and Binghamton, and attracts many shoppers from Northern Pennsylvania where very few shopping centers are available. Another reason Big Flats has grown in popularity is its close proximity to both the Corning Museum of Glass
Corning Museum of Glass
The Corning Museum of Glass, in Corning, New York, explores every facet of glass, including art, history, culture, science and technology, craft, and design....
, a large tourist attraction, and the Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The facility is owned by International Speedway Corporation...
Racetrack, which is a popular road course used by both NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
and Indy racing.
Big Flats also enjoys a healthy spirit of volunteerism as evidenced in the Big Flats Historical Society and Little League Baseball organizations.
High school sports hold a special place in the heart of this town, as evidenced by local news coverage in 1993. Despite the emotionally charged defeat of the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
by the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
in six games (on a crushing walkoff home run by Joe Carter
Joe Carter
Joseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays....
off of Mitch Williams (aka "the Wild Thing"), local sports coverage inexplicably led off with the results of the Horseheads
Horseheads (village), New York
Horseheads is a village in Chemung County, New York, USA. The population was 6,461 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from the number of bleached skulls of pack horses left behind by the Sullivan Expedition....
Raiders football game.
Communities and location in Big Flats
- Arnot MallArnot MallArnot Mall is a shopping mall located in Horseheads/Big Flats, New York, in Chemung County at 3300 Chambers Road and owned by Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust. Arnot Mall is located along the Southern Tier Expressway at Exit 51A between Corning and Elmira...
, shopping mall located in Horseheads - Big FlatsBig Flats (CDP), New YorkBig Flats is a community in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 2,482 at the 2000 census.Big Flats is in the Town of Big Flats.-Geography:Big Flats is located at ....
– The hamlet of Big Flats, located at the junction of the Southern Tier Expressway (NY-17) and NY-352. It is also a census designated place (CDP). - Elmira-Corning Regional AirportElmira-Corning Regional Airport-Top Destinations:-Incidents:On June 23, 1967, Mohawk Airlines Flight 40, operated on a BAC-111 regional jet, crashed in Blossburg, Pennsylvania, shortly after taking off from Elmira-Corning, killing all 34 persons on board....
– An airport with scheduled air service northwest of Elmira. - Fisherville – A hamlet south of the airport and east of Big Flats village on Route 64.
- Golden Glow Heights – A hamlet located by the south town line on the south bank of the Chemung River.
- Harris Hill – A prominent hill south of the airport.
- Harris Hill Gliderport – A small airport on Harris Hill used for glider operations.
- Harris Hill Manor – A hamlet on the north bank of the Chemung River on NY-352.
External links
- Town of Big Flats, NY (official site)
- Tri-Counties Genealogy & History: Town of Big Flats, Chemung County NY