Hornell, New York
Encyclopedia
Hornell is a city in Steuben County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 9,019 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early settlers. Its current population has not yet been released by the new census.
The City of Hornell is located within the Town of Hornellsville
. Hornell is about 55 miles south of Rochester and is near the western edge of Steuben County.
Hornell is nicknamed the "Maple City" after the large maple
trees that once grew throughout the town and covered the surrounding hills of the Canisteo Valley. Hornell has the largest Saint Patrick's Day
parade and celebration in the area, bringing many out to welcome spring and show their green. It has also become a tradition that Mayor Shawn Hogan finds an innovative way of making his way down main street on this particular day.
Hornell Municipal Airport (4G6) is located a few miles north of the city on Route 36
. The airport has a hard surface runway capable of landing small jets, a rotating beacon and fuel.
What is now Hornell was first settled in 1790 under the name "Upper Canisteo" to distinguish it from the community of Canisteo
, then known as "Lower Canisteo". The family of Benjamin Crosby were the first settlers in what is now Hornell. The area was incorporated as a town
in 1820, as "Hornellsville." The name comes from early settler George Hornell, who built the first gristmill
here.
The City of Hornell was chartered in 1888 as the "City of Hornellsville," (having been first organized as the "Village of Hornellsville" in 1852). The name was changed to Hornell in 1906.
The terrible floods of 1935 put parts of the city under water, prompting the creation of a system of levees to prevent any more serious flood problems.
There use to be a city park called Union park that was destroyed by the urban renewal of the 1970s.
In 1950, Hornell had a population near 16,000 people.
The current mayor of Hornell is Democrat Shawn Hogan, who has held the position since January 1986. Hogan is the longest-serving current mayor in New York State.
In 2009 Kirk W. House produced Around Hornell, a historic photo book in Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America" series. Around Hornell also includes the surrounding rural communities of Canisteo, Dansville, Fremont, Hartsville, Hornellsville, and Howard.
and Dunkirk
on Lake Erie
via a southern tier route. Another route, the (Buffalo and New York City Railroad) was added in 1852, branching from Hornell northwestward to Buffalo
. For the next hundred years Hornell enjoyed prosperity with its steam engine shop doing the repairs for the entire railroad line. The railroad then came upon hard times as trucking picked up more and more of the freight business. In 1972, the line filed for bankruptcy. Just a few days later floods from Hurricane Agnes
destroyed about 200 miles (321.9 km) of roadbed along the Canisteo River
, removing all hope of reorganizing the railroad.
Hornell has struggled since to regain its former prosperity. The Erie shops are now Alstom
's main North American assembly and manufacturing site for the production of AC traction motors, railway cars, and passenger locomotives. Car bodies are shipped from Sao Paulo
, Brazil
and completed as final cars in Hornell. Prior to Alstom
, the shops were operated by Morrison Knudsen. After a difficult period Alstom Transport has won a contract worth $194 million USD to execute the complete overhaul of the Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) metro fleet. The entire refurbishment and testing process will be managed by Alstom’s Train Life Services (TLS) unit and take place in the facility in Hornell, NY (which is the largest of its kind in the United States).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), all of it land.
Hornell is on the Canisteo River
and surrounded by the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains
.
New York State Route 21
conjoined with New York State Route 36
passes through the city, which is just south of the Southern Tier Expressway (Interstate 86
/ New York State Route 17
). County Roads 65, 68 and 109 also lead into the city.
The City is served by two railroads - it is on the Norfolk Southern
's Buffalo-East Coast mainline and is the eastern terminus of the mainline of the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad.
of 2000, there were 9,019 people, 3,596 households, and 2,218 families residing in the city. The population density
was 3,309.0 people per square mile (1,275.6/km²). There were 4,100 housing units at an average density of 1,504.2 per square mile (579.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.73% White, 2.38% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races
, and 0.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.29% of the population.
There were 3,596 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples
living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,184, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $31,727 versus $18,854 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,419. About 18.7% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.1% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
Public schools include:
(The North Hornell School is physically located in the village of North Hornell, but is still a part of the Hornell City School District).
Private Schools:
The current Superintendent of Schools is George Kiley. In June 2007 the Hornell Evening Tribune newspaper announced that a school planning committee is proposing a $100,000,000.00 project to re-organize the schools and improve assessment results.
The NY School Report Card for the Hornell City School District can now be found at the NYSTART site.
Radio
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
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 9,019 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early settlers. Its current population has not yet been released by the new census.
The City of Hornell is located within the Town of Hornellsville
Hornellsville, New York
Hornellsville is a town in Steuben County, New York, United States. United States. The population was 4,042 at the 2000 census. The name is taken from a prominent pioneer family....
. Hornell is about 55 miles south of Rochester and is near the western edge of Steuben County.
Hornell is nicknamed the "Maple City" after the large maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
trees that once grew throughout the town and covered the surrounding hills of the Canisteo Valley. Hornell has the largest Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...
parade and celebration in the area, bringing many out to welcome spring and show their green. It has also become a tradition that Mayor Shawn Hogan finds an innovative way of making his way down main street on this particular day.
Hornell Municipal Airport (4G6) is located a few miles north of the city on Route 36
New York State Route 36
New York State Route 36 is a north–south state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The highway extends for from the Pennsylvania state line at Troupsburg, Steuben County northward to Ogden, Monroe County, where it ends at an intersection with NY 31...
. The airport has a hard surface runway capable of landing small jets, a rotating beacon and fuel.
History
Canisteo (village), New York
Canisteo is a village in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 2,336 at the 2000 census.The Village of Canisteo is in the northwest corner of the Town of Canisteo and is southeast of Hornell, New York.- History :...
, then known as "Lower Canisteo". The family of Benjamin Crosby were the first settlers in what is now Hornell. The area was incorporated as a town
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 1820, as "Hornellsville." The name comes from early settler George Hornell, who built the first gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
here.
The City of Hornell was chartered in 1888 as the "City of Hornellsville," (having been first organized as the "Village of Hornellsville" in 1852). The name was changed to Hornell in 1906.
The terrible floods of 1935 put parts of the city under water, prompting the creation of a system of levees to prevent any more serious flood problems.
There use to be a city park called Union park that was destroyed by the urban renewal of the 1970s.
In 1950, Hornell had a population near 16,000 people.
The current mayor of Hornell is Democrat Shawn Hogan, who has held the position since January 1986. Hogan is the longest-serving current mayor in New York State.
In 2009 Kirk W. House produced Around Hornell, a historic photo book in Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America" series. Around Hornell also includes the surrounding rural communities of Canisteo, Dansville, Fremont, Hartsville, Hornellsville, and Howard.
Railroads and Hornell
The New York and Erie Railroad arrived in Hornell in 1850, which connected New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Dunkirk
Dunkirk (city), New York
Dunkirk is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the USA. It was officially incorporated in 1880, though it was first settled around 1805. The population was 12,563 at the 2010 census. Dunkirk is bordered on the north by Lake Erie. It shares a border with the Village of Fredonia to the south,...
on Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
via a southern tier route. Another route, the (Buffalo and New York City Railroad) was added in 1852, branching from Hornell northwestward to 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...
. For the next hundred years Hornell enjoyed prosperity with its steam engine shop doing the repairs for the entire railroad line. The railroad then came upon hard times as trucking picked up more and more of the freight business. In 1972, the line filed for bankruptcy. Just a few days later floods from Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes was the first tropical storm and first hurricane of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season. A rare June hurricane, it made landfall on the Florida Panhandle before moving northeastward and ravaging the Mid-Atlantic region as a tropical storm...
destroyed about 200 miles (321.9 km) of roadbed along the Canisteo River
Canisteo River
The Canisteo River is a tributary of the Tioga River in western New York in the United States. It drains a dissected plateau, a portion of the northern Allegheny Plateau southwest of the Finger Lakes region, in the far northwestern reaches of the watershed of the Susquehanna River.It rises in the...
, removing all hope of reorganizing the railroad.
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
's main North American assembly and manufacturing site for the production of AC traction motors, railway cars, and passenger locomotives. Car bodies are shipped from Sao Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and completed as final cars in Hornell. Prior to Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
, the shops were operated by Morrison Knudsen. After a difficult period Alstom Transport has won a contract worth $194 million USD to execute the complete overhaul of the Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) metro fleet. The entire refurbishment and testing process will be managed by Alstom’s Train Life Services (TLS) unit and take place in the facility in Hornell, NY (which is the largest of its kind in the United States).
Geography
Hornell is located at 42°19′N 77°40′W (42.3244, -77.6603). Hornell is at an altitude of 1,160 feet (354 meters) above sea level.According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), all of it land.
Hornell is on the Canisteo River
Canisteo River
The Canisteo River is a tributary of the Tioga River in western New York in the United States. It drains a dissected plateau, a portion of the northern Allegheny Plateau southwest of the Finger Lakes region, in the far northwestern reaches of the watershed of the Susquehanna River.It rises in the...
and surrounded by the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
.
New York State Route 21
New York State Route 21
New York State Route 21 is a state highway extending for through the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at NY 417 in Andover. The northern terminus is at NY 104 in Williamson...
conjoined with New York State Route 36
New York State Route 36
New York State Route 36 is a north–south state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The highway extends for from the Pennsylvania state line at Troupsburg, Steuben County northward to Ogden, Monroe County, where it ends at an intersection with NY 31...
passes through the city, which is just south of 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...
). County Roads 65, 68 and 109 also lead into the city.
The City is served by two railroads - it is on the Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
's Buffalo-East Coast mainline and is the eastern terminus of the mainline of the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad.
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 9,019 people, 3,596 households, and 2,218 families residing in the city. 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 3,309.0 people per square mile (1,275.6/km²). There were 4,100 housing units at an average density of 1,504.2 per square mile (579.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.73% White, 2.38% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.38% 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 1.29% of the population.
There were 3,596 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% 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, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,184, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $31,727 versus $18,854 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 city was $14,419. About 18.7% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.1% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
Parks and Recreation
There are several parks in the city of Hornell including:- Maple City Park is adjacent to the Hornell High School and is maintained by both the school district and the city. It includes tennis courts, a baseball field, softball field, multiple half-basketball courts, a playground, a 6-lane rubber track, and a turf field (football and soccer). It is the home of the Hornell DodgersHornell DodgersThe Hornell Dodgers are a collegiate summer baseball team in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. The team is composed of college students from schools all over the country who are often recruited by the coaches and the general manager...
NYCBL baseball team and the Hornell Red Raider athletic teams. Hornell's annual "Music Under the Stars" drum and bugle corpsDrum and bugle corps (modern)A drum and bugle corps, also known as a drum corps, is a musical marching unit consisting of brass instruments, percussion instruments, and color guard. Typically operating as independent non-profit organizations, drum corps perform in competitions, parades, festivals, and other civic functions...
event also takes place on the turf field at this site.
- Veterans Memorial Park at James Street (formerly known as simply James St. Park) has many sports fields, pavilions, the city pool, and several playgrounds. 4 July celebrations, including fireworks, are located at this park.
- Shawmut Park is where the Hornell skate park is located. Many youth football and baseball games are also played on the fields. There was, at one time, an effort for Rails to Trails to create a bike/hike trail from this park northwestward.
Education
There are five public schools and one private school located in Hornell.Public schools include:
- Hornell High School (grades 7-12)
- Intermediate School (grades 3-6)
- Bryant School (grades PK-2)
- North Hornell School (grades PK-2)
- Columbian School (Admin. Office & HeadStart)
(The North Hornell School is physically located in the village of North Hornell, but is still a part of the Hornell City School District).
Private Schools:
- St. Anns Catholic School (grades K-8)
The current Superintendent of Schools is George Kiley. In June 2007 the Hornell Evening Tribune newspaper announced that a school planning committee is proposing a $100,000,000.00 project to re-organize the schools and improve assessment results.
The NY School Report Card for the Hornell City School District can now be found at the NYSTART site.
Noted Inhabitants
- Bob CraneBob CraneRobert Edward "Bob" Crane was an American actor and disc jockey, best known for his performance as Colonel Robert E...
, Actor. Star of "Hogan's Heroes, began his career as a disc jockey on Hornell's WLEA and became the highest-paid DJ in America before landing his famed TV role as Colonel Hogan. - Capt. Richard Crosby, Revolutionary War hero who served under George Washington.
- Bill DuganBill DuganWilliam H. Dugan is a American former professional American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, and the New York Giants....
, former NFL offensive Lineman with the Seattle Seahawks, MInnesota Vikings, and New York Giants. - Frank Kelly Frias, Artist. Legendary for his work as a science fiction artist, he created Alfred E. Neumann of MAD Magazine fame.
- Hon. George Hornell, Judge, NYS Assemblyman, and the city's namesake.
- John KeelJohn KeelJohn Alva Keel, born Alva John Kiehle was an American journalist and influential UFOlogist best known as author of The Mothman Prophecies.-Biography:...
(born 1930), Author ("The Mothman PropheciesThe Mothman PropheciesThe Mothman Prophecies is a 1975 book by author John Keel.The book combines Keel's account of his investigation into alleged sightings of a large, winged creature called Mothman in the vicinity of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, during 1966 and 1967 with his own theories about UFOs and various...
") - Bill PullmanBill PullmanWilliam James "Bill" Pullman is an American film, television, and stage actor. Pullman made his film debut in the supporting role of Earl Mott in the 1986 film Ruthless People. He has since gone on to star in other films, including Spaceballs, Independence Day, Lost Highway, Casper and Scary Movie 4...
(born 1953), Actor who has appeared in over 40 films including "Sleepless in Seattle", "Independence Day", "A League of their Own" and "Wyatt Earp". - Carl Marino (born 1970), Actor/Model who has appeared in several Television Shows and Movies, including "Trauma", "I (Almost) Got Away With It", "Contagion", "True Blue" and "Sedona's Rule". He has the lead/title role on the television show "Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda". He has also been in national TV commercials as well as international modeling campaigns.
- Brigadier General Daniel Hayes Daley (born 1920), Air Force officer and World War II pilot who was the first Permanent Professor and Head of the Department of Aeronautics at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado.
- Jimmy Wachter (born 1964), SALT Award nominated and winning Actor/Singer/Choreographer known for his cabaret "Colour Me Streisand". He has also appeared in various musical roles on the stage including "The Producers", "Bathhouse: The Musical", "All Shook Up", "Curtains", and "Judy's Scary Little Christmas" where he portrays legendary Judy Garland and plays including the controversial "Corpus Christi".
- Vice Admiral Lyndon SpencerLyndon SpencerLyndon Spencer was a Vice Admiral in the United States Coast Guard.-Biography:Spencer was born on January 26, 1898 in Hornell, New York., and died in Connecticut on April 12th, 1981. He married Lucile Littlefield in 1920 and had two children.-Career:...
, U.S. Coast Guard officer in command of the USS Bayfield (APA-33)USS Bayfield (APA-33)USS Bayfield was a built for the United States Navy during World War II, the lead ship in her class. Named for Bayfield County, Wisconsin, she was the only U.S...
. The vessel played a pivotal role in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. - Mike WaufleMike WaufleMike Waufle is an American football coach. He currently serves as defensive line coach under head coach Hue Jackson for the Oakland Raiders. Waufle has also served as defensive line coach for the Oakland Raiders from 1998–2003. Waufle has coached at the college and pro level, and also as both...
Currently the Assistant Head Coach / Defensive Line Coach for The Oakland Raiders. 2007 World Champion with the New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(Super Bowl XLII). 2002 AFC Champion with the Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(Super Bowl XXXVII). Former United States Marine. Received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Commandant of the Marine Corps (General James T. ConwayJames T. ConwayJames Terry Conway is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who was the 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps...
) in 2009.
Media
Radio
- WLEAWLEAWLEA is a radio station broadcasting a combined talk radio and oldies format. Licensed to Hornell, New York, USA, the station serves the Elmira-Corning area. The station is currently owned by Pmj Communications, Inc...
- AM 1480 - WCKRWCKRWCKR is a radio station broadcasting a Country music format. Licensed to Hornell, New York, USA, the station serves the Elmira-Corning area. The station is currently owned by Pmj Communications, Inc.....
- FM 92.1 - WKPQWKPQWKPQ is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Hornell, New York, USA, the station serves the Elmira-Corning area including the Canisteo valley and northern Pennsylvania...
- FM 105.3