Cheektowaga, New York Explained

Cheektowaga
Official Name:Town of Cheektowaga
Settlement Type:Town
Mapsize:260px
Image Map1:New York in United States (US48).svg
Map Caption1:Location of New York in the United States
Coordinates:42.9039°N -78.7439°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Erie County
Established Title:Incorporated
Established Date:1839
Named For:Crabapples
Leader Title:Town Supervisor
Leader Name:Brian Nowak (D)
Leader Title1:Town Council
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:76.39
Area Total Sq Mi:29.49
Area Land Km2:76.23
Area Land Sq Mi:29.43
Area Water Km2:0.16
Area Water Sq Mi:0.06
Elevation Ft:662
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:89877
Population Density Km2:1141.08
Population Density Sq Mi:2955.39
Timezone1:EST
Utc Offset1:-5
Timezone1 Dst:EDT
Utc Offset1 Dst:-4
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:14225/14227/14215/14206/14211
Area Code:716
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:36-029-15011
Blank2 Name Sec2:Wikimedia Commons

Cheektowaga (; Chictawauga) is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town has grown to a population of 89,877.[2] The town is in the north-central part of the county, and is an inner ring suburb of Buffalo. The town is the second-largest suburb of Buffalo, after the Town of Amherst.

The town of Cheektowaga contains the village of Sloan and half of the village of Depew. The remainder, outside the villages, is a census-designated place also named Cheektowaga. The town is home to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Erie County's principal airport.[3]

Villa Maria College, Empire State University, and the Walden Galleria are in Cheektowaga.

History

Cheektowaga's earliest known historic occupants were the Iroquoian-speaking Neutral people. They were pushed out by the more powerful Seneca people, the most western of the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, who were seeking to control the fur trade. They named this site as Chictawauga, meaning "land of the crabapples" in the Seneca language.[4]

It was not until well after the American Revolutionary War that European-American settlers began to live here permanently. The Seneca had been forced to cede most of their land to the United States after the war, as they had been British allies. Cheektowaga was formed from the Town of Amherst on March 22, 1839. Upon the formation of West Seneca on October 16, 1851, it was reduced to its present limits—about . Throughout the 19th century, it was referred to by its original name, "Chictawauga".

Originally a rural farming area, the town was extensively developed for suburban housing during the post-World War II subdivision boom of the 1950s. Aided as well by the construction of highways to serve the area, factories such as the Westinghouse Electric Corporation plant on Genesee Street were built here (since demolished). The plant generated employment to the area for many decades. The town maintains a strong blue-collar presence. Cheektowaga has a large Polish-American community, much of which relocated from Buffalo's East Side, and about 39.9% of population is of Polish heritage.[5]

The Walden Galleria opened in 1989, becoming the Buffalo Niagara region's largest mall.

Cheektowaga is home to St. John Gualbert's Parish, which is a small Catholic church housing the Shrine of the Holy Relics of the Saints, believed to be one of the largest collections in the United States.[6]

Garrison Cemetery, Our Lady Help of Christians Chapel, and Villa Maria Motherhouse Complex are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 76.4sqkm, of which 76.2sqkm is land and 0.2sqkm, or 0.21%, is water.

The town is bordered by Lancaster on the east, West Seneca on the south, the city of Buffalo on the west, and on the north by Amherst. The town includes the waterways of Scajaquada Creek, Cayuga Creek and Ellicott Creek.

Neighborhoods

Fire Districts

The Town of Cheektowaga is served by 9 Volunteer Fire districts with 10 companies, and 12 Stations, and 2 Volunteer Municipal Fire Departments with 2 stations within the Town[8]

Weather hazards

On July 30, 1987, an F1 tornado touched down in the Union Road and George Urban Boulevard area. It grew to an F2 before dissipating.[9] Homes and business suffered serious damage, but there were no fatalities or severe injuries. This tornado is locally memorable as the one which ripped the roof off the Holiday Showcase Restaurant and damaged a nearby Putt Putt® miniature golf center.[10]

On June 30, 2006, another F1 tornado touched down not far from the site of the 1987 tornado.[11] Again, homes and businesses - including the Holiday Showcase, which was remodeled soon after - were damaged, and a tractor trailer was knocked over on the NY State Thruway, but no one was killed.

The Town also falls into the significant "Lake Effect" Snow band that crosses the area, and has been effected by historic Snow events including The Blizzard of '77, the Blizzard of '85, "The October Surprise","Snowvember", and the 2022 Christmas blizzard.

Demographics

As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 94,019 people, 40,045 households, and 25,869 families residing in the town. The population density was 3183.8sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 41,901 housing units at an average density of 1418.9sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 94.94% White, 2.93% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of the population.

There were 40,045 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $38,121, and the median income for a family was $46,646. Males had a median income of $34,538 versus $25,434 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,627. About 4.6% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Major ancestries in the town are Polish (39.9%), German (29.9%), Italian (16.0%), Irish (14.1%), English (5.8%), and French (2.7%).

Education

Higher education

There are two separate higher educational institutions with campuses in the town.

Public schools

There are eight separate public school districts within the town.

Media

The town is served by media in Buffalo.

Newspapers

Cheektowaga's weekly newspaper is the Cheektowaga Bee. It was founded in 1977 and is published by Bee Group Newspapers in Williamsville, New York.

Digital-only news

The town's first daily hyperlocal news outlet, Cheektowaga Chronicle, launched in February 2017. It is published by Crabapple Media, LLC.[13] The outlet has since ceased operation as of April 2019[14]

Infrastructure

The east town line is marked by New York State Route 78 (Transit Road). New York State Route 240 (Harlem Road) and New York State Route 277 (Union Road) are major north-south routes through the town. New York State Route 33 (Kensington Expressway), Walden Avenue, and William Street access the New York State Thruway, which is also runs north-south through the town, traveling from the Amherst town line in the north, south to the West Seneca town line in the southwest corner of town. New York State Route 130 (Broadway) is an east-west roadway from the Buffalo city line to the Depew village line. Interstate 190, travels in the town from I-90 to Buffalo City Line and beyond into Downtown Buffalo and north to Niagara Falls. U.S. Route 20 (Transit Road) is a north-south roadway that runs concurrently with NY 78 along Cheektowaga's east border with Lancaster, south of Depew. New York State Route 354 (Clinton Street) is an east-west roadway through the extreme southwest corner of town, and provides the southern border with West Seneca.

Economy

Calspan is based in Cheektowaga.

Notable people

Twin towns — sister cities

Cheektowaga is twinned with:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. July 4, 2017.
  2. Web site: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Cheektowaga town, Erie County, New York . www.census.gov . United States Department of Commerce . July 16, 2021 . en.
  3. "Cheektowaga CDP, New York ." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 25, 2009.
  4. Web site: Town of Cheektowaga - History. Town of Cheektowaga, New York. Town of Cheektowaga, New York. July 17, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20120220192805/http://www.tocny.org/Home/TownHistory.aspx. February 20, 2012. dead.
  5. http://www.epodunk.com/ancestry/Polish.html Polish communities
  6. Web site: The Relic Collection of St. John Gualbert's in Cheektowaga . Clemens. Chris. March 8, 2014. Exploring Upstate. en-US. April 19, 2019.
  7. Town of Cheektowaga. 1909. May 5, 2024. Century Map Company.
  8. Web site: Cheektowaga Volunteer Firefighter, Rescue & EMS Opportunities - Join Now . May 24, 2022 . Cheektowaga Volunteer Firefighters . en-US.
  9. Web site: National Weather Service report on the 1987 tornado (NOAA Website) . April 12, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090509150117/http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/torlsr.htm . May 9, 2009 . dead .
  10. Web site: Cheektowaga Bee newspaper article about the tornado (Cheektowaga Bee website) . August 22, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160829051348/http://www.cheektowagabee.com/news/2012-08-02/Front_Page/Memories_swirl_about_tornado.html . August 29, 2016 . dead .
  11. http://www.erh.noaa.gov/buf/tornado063006/index.php page at the National Weather Service Website discussing the 2006 tornado
  12. Web site: U.S. Census website . . January 31, 2008 .
  13. News: Cheektowaga resident launches news website Cheektowaga Chronicle. Herr. Jim. February 6, 2017. Cheektowaga Chronicle. June 28, 2017. en-US.
  14. Web site: Herr . Jim . April 13, 2019 . Cheektowaga Chronicle takes hiatus effective immediately . May 24, 2022 . Cheektowaga Chronicle . en-US.
  15. News: Witul . Gregory . October 18, 2014 . Cheektowaga's population mirrors its connections to Poland . Am-Pol Eagle . May 10, 2016.