Williamsville, New York
Encyclopedia
Williamsville is a village in Erie County, New York
in the United States
. The population was 5,573 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Jonas Williams, an early settler. It is part of the Buffalo
–Niagara Falls
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
Williamsville is located mostly within the town of Amherst
, but Creek Road and Creek Heights in the south part of the village are in the town of Cheektowaga. The village is in the northeastern quadrant of Erie County.
Williamsville is also a postal ZIP code: 14221 (14231 for PO Boxes); however, that zip code contains large sections of the town outside of the village and also includes significant commercial areas within Clarence
.
The Williamsville Central School District
is a school system covering Williamsville, most of the eastern part of Amherst, and a small portion of the western end of Clarence.
and Buffalo
crossed Ellicott Creek
just above Glen Falls. The water power offered by the waterfall attracted millers. The first mill was built by Jonas Williams in 1811, giving the village its first name, "Williams Mills." It still stands today, next to Glen Park
, and is known as the Williamsville Water Mill. Several other mills were built near Glen Falls during the 19th century. In 1841, a raceway was constructed to divert water from Ellicott Creek to the mills, creating an island known today as Island Park. A stage coach stop, tavern, and inn was built along the main road near Ellicott Creek by Oziel Smith in 1832. Today it is known as the Eagle House. The close crossing of the main road and Ellicott Creek's Glen Falls was the initial attraction, around which Williamsville grew. The village was incorporated in 1850.
St. John Neumann served as founder and first pastor of SS Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church from 1836 to 1840.
During the War of 1812
, American troops were stationed in Williamsville in the area between Garrison Road and Ellicott Creek. American soldiers and British prisoners were treated in a field hospital and log barracks that lined Garrison Road. A small cemetery, located on Aero Drive between Wehrle and Youngs Road, was used to bury the men who did not survive. General Winfield Scott
used the Evans House as his headquarters in the Spring of 1813 when his entire army of 5,000-6,000 men were stationed in Williamsville. In 1813, when the British burned Buffalo, people fled to the safety of Williamsville and nearby Harris Hill.
In 1983 Williamsville passed an Historic Preservation Code to conserve its old buildings.
Every summer in Williamsville, Old Home Days is held in Island Park, located directly on Main Street in the village. The Carnival begins with a parade on the opening Tuesday, and for four days, thousands of people ride the rides, enjoy the food, and see the people Williamsville has to offer. The festival is in remembrance of several women who in the mid-19th century would come to the park once a summer to drink tea and catch up on the years past.
In 2010, government downsizing activist Kevin Gaughan
campaigned to dissolve the village government. After a highly contentious campaign, a dissolution referendum was held on August 17, 2010, where voters rejected dissolution by a 5-1 margin.
Williamsville has several parks. Glen Park, 10 acres (the site of an amusement park in the 1940s and 1950s), offers views of Ellicott Creek as it falls over the Onondaga Escarpment, forming the 27-foot-high Glen Falls; Island Park has a large pavilion and is the site of Old Home Days and the Taste of Williamsville events during the summer.
Other recreational facilities in town include a rollerskating rink and the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) Lehigh Valley Railroad Path.
SS Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church is located on Main St.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all land.
Ellicott Creek
flows through the village from south to north. The Onondaga Escarpment
runs through the village east-west. Glen Falls marks the place where Ellicott Creek falls over the escarpment. An early name for Ellicott Creek was "Eleven Mile Creek."
Main Street is New York State Route 5
(East-West). Joseph Ellicott had the "Great Iroquois Trail," an ancient path from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, improved. It was known as the "Buffalo Road" and, later, "Main Street." North Union Road, NY-277
is a major north-south road through the west end of the village. Transit Road, surveyed by Joseph Ellicott, was named for an important surveying instrument. Transit Road marks the boundary between townships (Amherst
and Clarence
, Cheektowaga and Lancaster
, inter alia. Joseph Ellicott's surveys of western New York divided the Holland Purchase
land into a grid of more or less square of townships with boundaries aligned north-south and east-west, a system related to the Public Land Survey System
(PLSS) used in most of the rest of post-colonial America. In western New York, strict accordance to the PLSS was not required or followed, since the land was not federally owned, but had passed directly from the Seneca
Indians to land speculators such as the Holland Land Company
.
The New York State Thruway
(Interstate 90
) passes through the south part of the village and connects to Interstate 290
. A Thruway toll plaza located near the village has been a matter of controversy for years and recent proposals suggest it may be moved farther east.
of 2000, there were 5,573 people, 2,534 households, and 1,337 families residing in the village. The population density
was 4,447.8 people per square mile (1,721.4/km²). There were 2,640 housing units at an average density of 2,107.0 per square mile (815.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.29% White, 0.68% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.32% from other races
, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population.
There were 2,534 households out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were married couples
living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.2% were non-families. 42.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the village, the population was spread out with 19.4% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 25.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 75.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $47,557, and the median income for a family was $65,300. Males had a median income of $43,500 versus $32,172 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $27,177. About 2.5% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
, which is composed of six elementary schools, Country Parkway Elementary, Dodge Elementary, Forest Elementary, Heim Elementary, Maple East and Maple West Elementary (grades K-4); four middle schools including Casey Middle, Heim Middle, Mill Middle, Transit Middle (5-8); and three high schools, Williamsville East, North and South (9-12). The private schools of Williamsville include Saints Peter and Paul, St. Gregory the Great, St. Mary's of Swormville and Christian Central Academy.
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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 5,573 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Jonas Williams, an early settler. It is part of the 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...
–Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area
The Buffalo-Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area, designated by the United States Census Bureau, encompassing two counties – Erie and Niagara – in Western New York, with a population, as of the 2010 census, of 1,135,509 inhabitants...
.
Williamsville is located mostly within the town of Amherst
Amherst, New York
Amherst is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 122,366. This represents an increase of 5.0% from the 2000 census. The town is named for Jeffrey Amherst, a British Army officer of the colonial period...
, but Creek Road and Creek Heights in the south part of the village are in the town of Cheektowaga. The village is in the northeastern quadrant of Erie County.
Williamsville is also a postal ZIP code: 14221 (14231 for PO Boxes); however, that zip code contains large sections of the town outside of the village and also includes significant commercial areas within Clarence
Clarence, New York
Clarence is a town located in the northeastern part of Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 30,673 according to the 2010 census. This represents an increase of 17.42% from the 2000 census figure . Clarence is also the name of a postal district in the south part of the town...
.
The Williamsville Central School District
Williamsville Central School District
Williamsville Central School District is a public school district in New York that serves the village of Williamsville, as well as the towns of Amherst, Cheektowaga, and Clarence. The district enrollment is approximately 10,600 students throughout 13 schools in the district. The district...
is a school system covering Williamsville, most of the eastern part of Amherst, and a small portion of the western end of Clarence.
History
The community developed where the major road between BataviaBatavia (city), New York
Batavia is a city in Genesee County, Western New York, USA, located near the middle of Genesee County, entirely within the Town of Batavia. Its population as of the 2000 census was 16,256...
and 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...
crossed Ellicott Creek
Ellicott Creek
Ellicott Creek is a stream in Western New York, United States. It is a tributary of Tonawanda Creek, which in turn into the Niagara River.-Course:...
just above Glen Falls. The water power offered by the waterfall attracted millers. The first mill was built by Jonas Williams in 1811, giving the village its first name, "Williams Mills." It still stands today, next to Glen Park
Glen Park, Williamsville, New York
Glen Park is a walking park in Williamsville, New York. It is bordered by the Glen Falls waterfall on Ellicott Creek, and the inactive Williamsville Water Mill.-History:...
, and is known as the Williamsville Water Mill. Several other mills were built near Glen Falls during the 19th century. In 1841, a raceway was constructed to divert water from Ellicott Creek to the mills, creating an island known today as Island Park. A stage coach stop, tavern, and inn was built along the main road near Ellicott Creek by Oziel Smith in 1832. Today it is known as the Eagle House. The close crossing of the main road and Ellicott Creek's Glen Falls was the initial attraction, around which Williamsville grew. The village was incorporated in 1850.
St. John Neumann served as founder and first pastor of SS Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church from 1836 to 1840.
During the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, American troops were stationed in Williamsville in the area between Garrison Road and Ellicott Creek. American soldiers and British prisoners were treated in a field hospital and log barracks that lined Garrison Road. A small cemetery, located on Aero Drive between Wehrle and Youngs Road, was used to bury the men who did not survive. General Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
used the Evans House as his headquarters in the Spring of 1813 when his entire army of 5,000-6,000 men were stationed in Williamsville. In 1813, when the British burned Buffalo, people fled to the safety of Williamsville and nearby Harris Hill.
In 1983 Williamsville passed an Historic Preservation Code to conserve its old buildings.
Every summer in Williamsville, Old Home Days is held in Island Park, located directly on Main Street in the village. The Carnival begins with a parade on the opening Tuesday, and for four days, thousands of people ride the rides, enjoy the food, and see the people Williamsville has to offer. The festival is in remembrance of several women who in the mid-19th century would come to the park once a summer to drink tea and catch up on the years past.
In 2010, government downsizing activist Kevin Gaughan
Kevin Gaughan
Kevin P. Gaughan is an attorney and an advocate of government reform, in particular for the establishment of regional government and regional consciousness within the Buffalo-Niagara region, which encompasses the cities of Buffalo, New York and Niagara Falls, New York, their suburbs and...
campaigned to dissolve the village government. After a highly contentious campaign, a dissolution referendum was held on August 17, 2010, where voters rejected dissolution by a 5-1 margin.
Landmarks
Other recreational facilities in town include a rollerskating rink and the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) Lehigh Valley Railroad Path.
SS Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church is located on Main St.
Geography
Williamsville is located at 42°57′45"N 78°44′33"W (42.962546, -78.742435), northeast of BuffaloBuffalo, 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...
.
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 village has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all land.
Ellicott Creek
Ellicott Creek
Ellicott Creek is a stream in Western New York, United States. It is a tributary of Tonawanda Creek, which in turn into the Niagara River.-Course:...
flows through the village from south to north. The Onondaga Escarpment
Onondaga (geological formation)
The Onondaga Formation is a group of hard limestones and dolostones of Devonian age that form an important geographic feature in some areas in which it outcrops, in others; especially its Southern Ontario portion, the formation can be less prominent as a local surface feature.In upstate New York...
runs through the village east-west. Glen Falls marks the place where Ellicott Creek falls over the escarpment. An early name for Ellicott Creek was "Eleven Mile Creek."
Main Street is New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
(East-West). Joseph Ellicott had the "Great Iroquois Trail," an ancient path from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, improved. It was known as the "Buffalo Road" and, later, "Main Street." North Union Road, NY-277
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
is a major north-south road through the west end of the village. Transit Road, surveyed by Joseph Ellicott, was named for an important surveying instrument. Transit Road marks the boundary between townships (Amherst
Amherst, New York
Amherst is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 122,366. This represents an increase of 5.0% from the 2000 census. The town is named for Jeffrey Amherst, a British Army officer of the colonial period...
and Clarence
Clarence, New York
Clarence is a town located in the northeastern part of Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 30,673 according to the 2010 census. This represents an increase of 17.42% from the 2000 census figure . Clarence is also the name of a postal district in the south part of the town...
, Cheektowaga and Lancaster
Lancaster (town), New York
Lancaster is a town in Erie County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town population has 39,019 residents.The Town of Lancaster has a village also called Lancaster. The Town and Village are currently exploring consolidation of governmental functions. Both town and village are east of...
, inter alia. Joseph Ellicott's surveys of western New York divided the Holland Purchase
Holland Purchase
The Holland Purchase was a large tract of land in what is now the western portion of the U.S. state of New York. It consisted of about 3,250,000 acres of land from a line approximately 12 miles to the west of the Genesee River to the present western border and boundary of New York State.The land...
land into a grid of more or less square of townships with boundaries aligned north-south and east-west, a system related to the Public Land Survey System
Public Land Survey System
The Public Land Survey System is a method used in the United States to survey and identify land parcels, particularly for titles and deeds of rural, wild or undeveloped land. Its basic units of area are the township and section. It is sometimes referred to as the rectangular survey system,...
(PLSS) used in most of the rest of post-colonial America. In western New York, strict accordance to the PLSS was not required or followed, since the land was not federally owned, but had passed directly from the Seneca
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
Indians to land speculators such as the Holland Land Company
Holland Land Company
The Holland Land Company was a purchaser of the western two-thirds of the western New York land tract known as the Phelps and Gorham Purchase. This tract was known thereafter as The Holland Purchase...
.
The New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
(Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
) passes through the south part of the village and connects to Interstate 290
Interstate 290 (New York)
Interstate 290 runs for near Buffalo, New York from I-90 to I-190. It connects Buffalo with its northern suburbs of Amherst and Tonawanda, and provides a route to Niagara Falls that bypasses the city of Buffalo. I-290 also connects to Interstate 990, and through this connection,...
. A Thruway toll plaza located near the village has been a matter of controversy for years and recent proposals suggest it may be moved farther east.
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 5,573 people, 2,534 households, and 1,337 families residing in the village. 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 4,447.8 people per square mile (1,721.4/km²). There were 2,640 housing units at an average density of 2,107.0 per square mile (815.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.29% White, 0.68% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.32% 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 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population.
There were 2,534 households out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% 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, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.2% were non-families. 42.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the village, the population was spread out with 19.4% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 25.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 75.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $47,557, and the median income for a family was $65,300. Males had a median income of $43,500 versus $32,172 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 village was $27,177. About 2.5% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
School districts
Children of school age may attend public schools within the Williamsville Central School DistrictWilliamsville Central School District
Williamsville Central School District is a public school district in New York that serves the village of Williamsville, as well as the towns of Amherst, Cheektowaga, and Clarence. The district enrollment is approximately 10,600 students throughout 13 schools in the district. The district...
, which is composed of six elementary schools, Country Parkway Elementary, Dodge Elementary, Forest Elementary, Heim Elementary, Maple East and Maple West Elementary (grades K-4); four middle schools including Casey Middle, Heim Middle, Mill Middle, Transit Middle (5-8); and three high schools, Williamsville East, North and South (9-12). The private schools of Williamsville include Saints Peter and Paul, St. Gregory the Great, St. Mary's of Swormville and Christian Central Academy.
Notable residents
- Thomas DaoThomas DaoLing Yuan "Thomas" Dao was a Chinese American physician and specialist in breast cancer, its causes and treatment, who was one of the earliest proponents of minimalist alternatives to radical mastectomy as a treatment option for breast cancer, in addition to advocacy of breast self-examination and...
(1921–2009), physician who developed breast cancerBreast cancerBreast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
treatment alternatives. - Rob LalondeRob LalondeRob Lalonde is an American Ice Hockey player. Lalonde has played in the Hockey East, ECHL, and AHL.-Playing career:A native of Williamsville, New York, Lalonde attended Merrimack College. In the 2004–05 season he scored the second highest amount of goals of any player on Merrimack's defense,...
Professional ice hockey player - St. John Neumann (1811–1860), Canonized Roman Catholic Priest and Bishop who was the founder and first pastor of SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Williamsville.
- Todd MarchantTodd MarchantTodd Marchant is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League . He played nine seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and almost six seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, along with just over a season with the Columbus Blue Jackets and a game with the...
Professional ice hockey player - Robert MoogRobert MoogRobert Arthur Moog , commonly called Bob Moog was an American pioneer of electronic music, best known as the inventor of the Moog synthesizer.-Life:...
(1934–2005), inventor of the Moog synthesizerMoog synthesizerMoog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
and founder of Moog MusicMoog MusicMoog Music is an American company based in Asheville, North Carolina which manufactures electronic musical instruments. The current Moog Music is the second company to trade under that name.-R.A. Moog Co. and the original Moog Music:... - Ryan DunnRyan DunnRyan Matthew Dunn was an American reality television personality and daredevil best known for being a member of the Jackass and Viva La Bam crew. He hosted Homewrecker and Proving Ground...
(1977-2011), actor/stuntman who starred in CKY and Jackass, among others. - Jamey Rodemeyer A teenager who gained national attention for committing suicide after he was bullied for being gay.
External links
- Official website
- A History of the Town of Amherst, New York — Sue Miller Young, 1965