Chautauqua County, New York Explained

County:Chautauqua County
State:New York
Seal:Chautauqua County ny seal.png
Founded:February 9, 1811
Seat Wl:Mayville
Largest City Wl:Jamestown
Area Total Sq Mi:1500
Area Land Sq Mi:1060
Area Water Sq Mi:440
Area Percentage:29
Census Yr:2020
Pop:127657[1]
Density Sq Mi:120.4
Web:chqgov.com
District:23rd
Time Zone:Eastern
Ex Image:Chautauqua County Courthouse, Mayville.jpg
Ex Image Cap:Chautauqua County Courthouse in Mayville
Flag:Flag of Chautauqua County, New York.gif
Named For:Chautauqua Lake

Chautauqua County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 127,657.[2] Its county seat is Mayville,[3] and its largest city is Jamestown. Its name is believed to be the lone surviving remnant of the Erie language, a tongue lost in the 17th century Beaver Wars; its meaning is unknown and a subject of speculation. The county was created in 1808 and organized in 1811.[4] The county is part of the Western New York region of the state.

Chautauqua County comprises the Jamestown–DunkirkFredonia, NY Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is located south east of Lake Erie and includes a small portion of the Cattaraugus Reservation of the Seneca.

History

Prior to European colonization, most of what is now Chautauqua County was inhabited by the indigenous Erie people prior to the Beaver Wars in the 1650s. French forces traversed the territory beginning in 1615. The Seneca Nation conquered the territory during the Beaver Wars and held it through the next century until siding with the British crown, their allies for most of the 18th century, against the American revolutionaries in the American Revolutionary War.

Chautauqua County was organized by the state legislature during the development of western New York after the American Revolutionary War and the ratification of The Treaty of Canandaigua, between the United States and the Council of the Six Nations. It was officially separated from Genesee County on March 11, 1808.[5] This partition was performed under the same terms that produced Cattaraugus and Niagara counties. The partition was done for political purposes, but the counties were not properly organized for self-government, so they were all administered as part of Niagara County.

On February 9, 1811, Chautauqua was completely organized, and its separate government was launched.[6] This established Chautauqua as a county of 1100mi2 of land. Chautauqua has not been altered since.

The first New York Chautauqua Assembly, was organized in 1874 by Methodist minister John Heyl Vincent and businessman Lewis Miller in the county at a campsite on the shores of Chautauqua Lake.[7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (29%) is water.[8]

Chautauqua County, in the southwestern corner of New York State, along the New York-Pennsylvania border, is the westernmost of New York's counties. Chautauqua Lake is located in the center of the county, and Lake Erie is its northern border.

Part of the Eastern Continental Divide runs through Chautauqua County. The area that drains into the Conewango Creek (including Chautauqua Lake) eventually empties into the Gulf of Mexico; the rest of the county's watershed empties into Lake Erie and via Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway into the North Atlantic Ocean. This divide, known as the Chautauqua Ridge, can be used to mark the border between the Southern Tier and the Niagara Frontier. It is also a significant dividing point in the county's geopolitics, with the "North County" being centered on Dunkirk and the "South County" centered on Jamestown each having their own interests.[9]

The county is generally composed of rolling hills and valleys, with elevations ranging anywhere between 1100 and 2100 feet, although the land within a few miles of Lake Erie is generally flat and at an elevation of 1000 feet or lower.[10] The lowest point in the county is Lake Erie, at 571abbr=offNaNabbr=off, and the highest point is Gurnsey Benchmark at 2180abbr=offNaNabbr=off.[11]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics

2020 Census

Chautauqua County Racial Composition[12] !Race!Num.!Perc.
White (NH)106,06383.08%
Black or African American (NH)2,8912.26%
Native American (NH)4970.38%
Asian (NH)7960.62%
Pacific Islander (NH)490.03%
Other/Mixed (NH)5,5924.38%
Hispanic or Latino11,7699.22%

2000 Census

As of the 2000 Census,[13] there were 139,750 people, 54,515 households, and 35,979 families in the county. The population density was 132/mi2. There were 64,900 housing units at an average density of 61/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 94.04% White, 2.18% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.73% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. 4.22% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In terms of ancestry, 17.3% were German, 15.1% were Italian, 11.6% were Swedish, 10.9% were English, 9.3% were Polish, 9.2% were Irish and 5.6% were of American ancestry according to Census 2000. 93.0% spoke English and 3.8% Spanish as their first language.

Of the 54,515 households 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.90% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.00% were non-families. 28.10% of households were one person and 12.60% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.

The age distribution was 24.50% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.

The median household income was $33,458 and the median family income was $41,054. Males had a median income of $32,114 versus $22,214 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,840. About 9.70% of families and 13.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.30% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2010 Census, there were 134,905 people in the county. The population density was 127/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 92.57% (124,875 people) white, 2.37% (3,197 people) African-American, 0.51% (688 people) Asian, 0.51% (689 people) Native American/Alaskan, 0.03% (34 people) Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 1.98% (2,669 people) other, and 2.04% (2,751 people) two or more races. The Hispanic/Latino population of any race was 6.11% (8,241 people). In terms of ancestry, 25% were German, 16% were Italian, 12.8% were Swedish, 16% were English, 10.6% were Polish, 14.9% were Irish and 3.2% were of American ancestry according to the 2010 Census. 92.9% spoke English and 4.1% Spanish as their first language.

The age distribution was 21.83% of the population under the age of 18, 3.82% (5,155 people) ages 18 and 19, 7.50% (10,113 people) ages 20–24, 10.37% (13,985 people) ages 25–34, 18.83% (25,406 people) ages 35–49, 21.07% (28,419 people) ages 50–64, and 16.59% (22,381 people) over the age of 65. Of the population, 49.3% (66,509 people) were male and 50.7% (68,396 people) were female.[14]

Government and politics

All of the county is in the 150th New York State Assembly district, represented by Andy Goodell, and the New York State Senate 57th district represented by George Borrello. The entire county is within the bounds of New York's 23rd congressional district which is represented by Nick Langworthy.

The 2012 redistricting process moved all of Chautauqua County into Goodell's assembly district, while the county also rejoined the former 31st (renumbered again as the 23rd) congressional district along with Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties. Prior to 2013, the county was part of New York's 27th congressional district. Prior to 2003, the county was part of New York's 31st congressional district, but it was controversially redistricted out of that district and into what was the 27th, and was replaced in the 29th district (the old 31st) by Rochester suburbs that had never before been part of the district. Chautauqua County, at the same time, joined southern Erie County and portions of the City of Buffalo in the 27th, areas that had also never been in the same district with each other. In both cases, the suburban additions had significantly more Democratic populations than before, leading to Democrats winning both districts, which led to accusations of cracking-based gerrymandering.

Though the Republican Party has historically been dominant in Chautauqua County politics, the county had been a perfect bellwether county from 1980 to 2008, correctly voting for the winner of each presidential election in all eight elections during that time. However, in 2012, it voted for Republican Mitt Romney even as Democrat Barack Obama won re-election, marking its first miss since 1976. In 2016 the county reverted back to being solidly Republican, as Donald Trump won the county by the largest margin since Ronald Reagan in 1984.

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Chautauqua County is one of nineteen “charter counties” in New York, which grants the county greater leeway in conducting its own affairs. A board of supervisors governed Chautauqua County until 1975, when a new county charter went into effect with provisions for a county executive and a 13-seat county legislature. The county council currently consists of 19 members each elected from single-member districts. As of 2024, there are 14 Republicans and 5 Democrats.[15]

+ Chautauqua County ExecutivesNamePartyTerm
Joseph GeraceDemocraticJanuary 1, 1975 – May 10, 1983
David Dawson (acting)DemocraticMay 10, 1983 – November 25, 1983
John A. GlenzerRepublicanNovember 25, 1983 – December 31, 1989
Andrew W. GoodellRepublicanJanuary 1, 1990 – December 31, 1997
Mark W. ThomasDemocraticJanuary 1, 1998 – December 31, 2005
Gregory J. EdwardsRepublicanJanuary 1, 2006 – November 15, 2013
Stephen M. Abdella (acting)UKNNovember 15, 2013 – December 31, 2013
Vincent W. HorriganRepublicanJanuary 1, 2014 – December 31, 2017
George M. BorrelloRepublicanJanuary 1, 2018 – November 26, 2019
Stephen M. Abdella (acting)UKNNovember 26, 2019 – December 31, 2019
Paul J. WendelRepublicanJanuary 1, 2020 – present
Chautauqua County Legislature
DistrictLegislatorParty
1Kevin MuldowneyRepublican
2Robert BankoskiDemocratic
3Bob ScudderRepublican
4Christine StarksDemocratic
5Terry NiebelRepublican
6Thomas R. HarmonRepublican
7Mark OdellRepublican
8Pierre Chagnon ChairmanRepublican
9Chuck NazzaroDemocratic
10Ken LawtonRepublican
11Robert WhitneyDemocratic
12Elisabeth RankinRepublican
13Paul WhitfordDemocratic
14Daniel PavlockRepublican
15Lisa VanstromRepublican
16John DavisRepublican
17Frank[16] Jay GouldRepublican
18Bill WardRepublican
19John HemmerRepublican

New York State Assembly

Prior to changes in representation of the New York State Assembly, each county had a given number of representatives. The following were representatives of Chautauqua County.

NameTerm StartTerm EndLegislaturesNotes
Ebenezer WaldenJuly 1, 1811June 30, 181235thRepresented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Jonas WilliamsJuly 1, 1812June 30, 181436th, 37thRepresented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Joseph McClureJuly 1, 1814June 30, 181538thRepresented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Elias OsbornJuly 1, 1815June 30, 181639thRepresented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Jediah Prendergast
Richard Smith
July 1, 1816June 30, 181740thRepresented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Robert Fleming
Isaac Phelps
July 1, 1817June 30, 181841stRepresented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Philo Orton
Isaac Phelps
July 1, 1818June 30, 181942ndRepresented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Elial T. Foote
Oliver Forward
July 1, 1819June 30, 182043rdRepresented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Jediah Prendergast
William Hotchkiss
July 1, 1820June 30, 182144thRepresented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Thomas B. CampbellJuly 1, 1821December 31, 182245thRepresented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Niagara Counties
David EasonJuly 1, 1821January 5, 182245thRepresented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Niagara Counties
Isaac PhelpsJanuary 5, 1822December 31, 182245thRepresented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Niagara Counties
James Mullett Jr.January 1, 1823December 31, 182446th, 47thFirst to only represent Chautauqua County
Nathan MixerJanuary 1, 1825December 31, 182548th
Elial T. FooteJanuary 1, 1826December 31, 182649th
Elial T. Foote
Samuel A. Brown
January 1, 1827December 31, 182750th
Nathaniel Fenton
Nathan Mixer
January 1, 1828December 31, 182851st
Abner Hazeltine
Nathan Mixer
January 1, 1829December 31, 182952nd
Abner Hazeltine
Squire White
January 1, 1830December 31, 183053rd

Education

Jamestown Community College has two campuses in the county at Jamestown and Dunkirk. The State University of New York at Fredonia is located in the northern part of the county. Jamestown Business College offered two year degrees, certificates, and a four-year degree in Jamestown, prior to its decision to cease new enrollments in 2024.

Communities

!#!Location!Population!Type!Area
1Jamestown31,146CitySoutheast
2Dunkirk12,563CityLake Shore
3Fredonia11,230VillageLake Shore
4Westfield3,224VillageLake Shore
5Lakewood3,002VillageSoutheast
6Silver Creek2,656VillageLake Shore
7Falconer2,420VillageSoutheast
8Ripley2,415CDPLake Shore
9Jamestown West2,408CDPSoutheast
10Frewsburg1,906CDPSoutheast
11Mayville1,711VillageSouthwest
12Brocton1,486VillageLake Shore
13Celoron1,112VillageSoutheast
14Sherman730VillageSouthwest
15††Forestville697Hamlet/CDPLake Shore
16Sunset Bay660CDPLake Shore
17Cassadaga634VillageSoutheast
18Sinclairville588VillageCenter-East
19Panama479VillageSouthwest
20Kennedy465CDPSoutheast
21††Cherry Creek461Hamlet/CDPCenter-East
22Busti391CDPSoutheast
23Bemus Point364VillageSoutheast
24Chautauqua191CDPSouthwest
† - County Seat

†† - Former Village

Towns

Other hamlets

Indian reservation

Unorganized territory

In literature

Joyce Carol Oates' 1996 novel, We Were the Mulvaneys is set in rural Chautauqua County, near the fictional town of Mt. Ephraim.

See also

Further reading

External links

42.3°N -79.41°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: US Census 2020 Population Dataset Tables for New York. January 2, 2022. United States Census Bureau.
  2. Web site: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Chautauqua County, New York. January 3, 2022. United States Census Bureau.
  3. Web site: Find a County . National Association of Counties . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx . May 31, 2011 . June 7, 2011.
  4. Web site: New York: Individual County Chronologies . 2008 . New York Atlas of Historical County Boundaries . The Newberry Library . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150410224032/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/NY_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm . April 10, 2015 . January 9, 2015.
  5. New York. Laws of New York.;31st Session; Chapter 40; Sections1—2; Page 266.
  6. Doty, William J., et al. ;Historic Annals of Southwestern New York.; 3 Volumes; New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company; 1940; Volume 1; Page 360.
  7. Feinman . Peter . May 2010 . Chautauqua America . The American Interest . 5 . 5 . 83–88.
  8. Web site: 2010 Census Gazetteer Files . August 22, 2012 . United States Census Bureau . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140519062322/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_36.txt . May 19, 2014 . January 3, 2015.
  9. Dean, Nicholas (August 30, 2009). "Legislators Cite North-South Discrepancies", The Post-Journal, Retrieved 2009-08-30.
  10. Web site: U.S. Board on Geographic Names. www.usgs.gov.
  11. Web site: New York County High Points . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130808213347/http://peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=13319 . August 8, 2013.
  12. Web site: P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Chautauqua County, New York.
  13. Web site: U.S. Census website . . January 31, 2008.
  14. Web site: 2010 US Census . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120108042927/http://2010.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=36 . January 8, 2012 . September 13, 2012.
  15. Post Journal
  16. Web site: Legislature - Chautauqua County, NY - Official Website . chautauqua.ny.us.