Westfield, New York
Westfield, New York | ||
|---|---|---|
Town Council Members' List | ||
| Area ZIP code | 14787 | |
| FIPS code | 36-013-79950 | |
| Website | www | |
Westfield is a
History
The area was first settled in 1802 by James McMahan, formerly of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. McMahan established a mill near the mouth of Chautauqua Creek, where it empties into Lake Erie. The mill was later dismantled in advance of the War of 1812 to prevent it falling into the hands of the British. Today some of the millstones from McMahan's mill rest outside the Patterson Library in Westfield village.
The town of Westfield was established in 1828 from parts of the towns of Portland and Ripley.[3]
The Barcelona Lighthouse was constructed in 1829 to overlook Barcelona Harbor and aided sailors on Lake Erie until being deactivated in 1859. It was the first lighthouse in the world to be powered by natural gas.
In 1897, the founder of
An unusually large number of buildings, twenty in all, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with all but one (the Barcelona Lighthouse, listed in 1972) being listed on the register in fall 1983.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Westfield has a total area of 47.3 square miles (122.4 km2), of which 47.2 square miles (122.2 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.2 km2), or 0.14%, is water.[4]
Surrounding towns or areas
Chautauqua Creek serves as much of the boundary between Westfield and Chautauqua.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 2,476 | — | |
| 1840 | 3,199 | 29.2% | |
| 1850 | 3,100 | −3.1% | |
| 1860 | 3,640 | 17.4% | |
| 1870 | 3,645 | 0.1% | |
| 1880 | 3,323 | −8.8% | |
| 1890 | 3,401 | 2.3% | |
| 1900 | 3,882 | 14.1% | |
| 1910 | 4,481 | 15.4% | |
| 1920 | 4,300 | −4.0% | |
| 1930 | 4,785 | 11.3% | |
| 1940 | 4,638 | −3.1% | |
| 1950 | 5,001 | 7.8% | |
| 1960 | 5,498 | 9.9% | |
| 1970 | 5,200 | −5.4% | |
| 1980 | 5,102 | −1.9% | |
| 1990 | 5,194 | 1.8% | |
| 2000 | 5,232 | 0.7% | |
| 2010 | 4,896 | −6.4% | |
| 2020 | 4,545 | −7.2% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 4,513 | [2] | −0.7% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[5] | |||
As of the
There were 2,075 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,534, and the median income for a family was $43,156. Males had a median income of $30,203 versus $23,250 for females. The
Economy
The economy of the town is primarily agriculture, and the major crop is grapes. The Welch Grape Juice Company has ties to this region.[citation needed]
Infrastructure
Transportation
The New York State Thruway (Interstate 90), US 20, NY 5, and NY 394 pass through the town.
.As recently as 1967, the
Notable people
- Grace Bedell, girl who suggested to then-candidate Abraham Lincoln that he should grow a beard
- Francis B. Brewer, US congressman
- George Emerson Brewer, surgeon, urologist
- Jimmy Caci, member of the Los Angeles crime family
- Harry Castlemon, writer
- Bill Catania, racing driver, entrepreneur, National FFA Organization Vice President
- Todhunter School
- Lou DiMuro, Major League Baseball umpire
- Charles G. Groat, geologist
- George W. Patterson, US congressman for the 33rd district and Lieutenant Governor of New York
- Robert Weathers, former NFL running back
- Wisconsin Attorney General
- John Wrench, mathematician
- John H. Haight, Medal of Honor recipient in the American Civil War
Communities and locations in Westfield
- Barcelona – A hamlet located by Barcelona Harbor, a harbor in Lake Erie.
- Bournes Beach – A community at the mouth of Bournes Creek in the northeast corner of the town.
- Camp Vernon Airport – A small in the northeast corner of the town.
- Forest Park – A small community on Lake Erie southwest of Barcelona.
- Hawthorne Park – A lakeside community near Bournes Beach.
- Lombard – A hamlet located in the western part of the town at the crossing of Lombard, Pigeon, and Parker Roads.
- Volusia – A hamlet near Chautauqua Creek in the eastern part of the town.
- in the northern part of the town.
References
- ^ "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Bureau, US Census. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ISSN 0146-3500.
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Westfield town, Chautauqua County, New York". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ New York Central Railroad timetable, November 1967 timetable, Tables 1, 2 http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/ptt/images/tt-1167.pdf
- ^ New York Central January 1968 timetable, p. 2 http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/ptt/images/tt-0168.pdf
External links
 | ||||
Towns | ||||
Villages | ||||
CDPs | ||||
Other hamlets | ||||
| Indian reservation | ||||
| Unorganized territory | ||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
