Belfast, New York
Encyclopedia
Belfast is a town in Allegany County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 1,714 at the 2000 census. It was named after the city of Belfast
in Northern Ireland
.
The town of Belfast was established in 1824 as the town of Orrinsburgh from part of the town of Caneadea
. The name was changed to Belfast in 1825 due to the large amount of settlers in the area of Irish descent. The hamlet of Belfast was established as a "mill town" with water power from the Genesee River
, which runs across the town. In 1831, the size of the town increased by adding more territory from Caneadea.
The Genesee Valley Canal
was completed around 1853 and stimulated the growth of the hamlet Belfast, which was later served by three railroads. The canal warehouse known as Rail and Titsworth Canal Warehouse
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2000.
Some trouble arose in the mid-19th century when the increasing English population of the town caused concern for many of the Irish residents. After some initial conflicts, many of the Irish residents moved across to the far side of the river, but were not placated, instead choosing to occasionally enter into the English section and cause trouble; this was met with similar action by the English settlers. Although most of these clashes were minor, a larger conflict occurred from 1846–1847, when a food shortage in the area raised tensions. This was quelled eventually by New York State militia groups. A sawmill
and grist mill were set up by David Sanford in 1809. They were briefly taken control of by the Irish faction in 1847 before the state militia intervened.
In 1889, The Great John L. Sullivan - one of the world's first sports superstars - came to Belfast to train for the last bare knuckle boxing championship with Belfast resident William Muldoon for what was arguably the most important fight of Sullivan's career. Training headquarters were set up in two barns owned by Muldoon. Using training techniques that were way ahead of his time, the trainer got Sullivan into the best shape of his life. Facing Jake Kilrain in Richburg, Mississippi that August, the fight went 72 rounds before Sullivan was declared the winner. In 2009, the training barns - which were virtually untouched for more than 120 years - were opened as the world's only Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame!
Sandstone for grindstones was quarried in the late 1870s above the mouth of White Creek at Rockville.
In the 1980s an Amish
community settled in the town and made their living with farming, sawmilling and furniture making.
Since the 1970s, several pirate radio
stations have used the Belfast post office as a mail drop
to receive letters from listeners. http://www.blackcatsystems.com/pirate/drops/
, the town has a total area of 36.5 square miles (94.5 km²), of which, 36.2 square miles (93.8 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (0.77%) is water.
The Genesee River
flows northward through the northeast corner of the town and is partly paralleled by New York State Route 19
, which intersects County Road 26 in Belfast hamlet.
of 2000, there were 1,714 people, 651 households, and 417 families residing in the town. The population density
was 47.3 people per square mile (18.3/km²). There were 945 housing units at an average density of 26.1 per square mile (10.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.31% White, 0.06% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.23% from other races
, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.
There were 651 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were married couples
living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the town the population was spread out with 31.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $30,909, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $31,473 versus $21,971 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $15,803. About 11.8% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over.
Allegany County, New York
Allegany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,946. Its name derives from a Delaware Indian word, applied by settlers of Western New York State to a trail that followed the Allegheny River. Its county seat is...
, 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 1,714 at the 2000 census. It was named after the city of Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
History
The first settlers had arrived by 1804.The town of Belfast was established in 1824 as the town of Orrinsburgh from part of the town of Caneadea
Caneadea, New York
Caneadea is a town in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 2,694 at the 2000 census. The name is from the natives and means "where the heavens rest on earth."The Town of Caneadea is in the northwest quadrant of the county....
. The name was changed to Belfast in 1825 due to the large amount of settlers in the area of Irish descent. The hamlet of Belfast was established as a "mill town" with water power from the Genesee River
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
, which runs across the town. In 1831, the size of the town increased by adding more territory from Caneadea.
The Genesee Valley Canal
Genesee Valley Canal
- History :On 6 May 1836, an act was passed in the New York Legislature authorizing the construction of the Genesee Valley Canal. It was to run from the Erie Canal on the south side of Rochester south-southwest along the Genesee River valley to Mount Morris, Portageville, and Belfast, and then...
was completed around 1853 and stimulated the growth of the hamlet Belfast, which was later served by three railroads. The canal warehouse known as Rail and Titsworth Canal Warehouse
Rail and Titsworth Canal Warehouse
Rail and Titsworth Canal Warehouse, also known as DeCilio's, is a historic warehouse building located at Belfast in Allegany County, New York. It is the oldest surviving warehouse from along the route of the Genesee Valley Canal, later Genesee Valley Canal Railroad. It was built about 1853 in the...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2000.
Some trouble arose in the mid-19th century when the increasing English population of the town caused concern for many of the Irish residents. After some initial conflicts, many of the Irish residents moved across to the far side of the river, but were not placated, instead choosing to occasionally enter into the English section and cause trouble; this was met with similar action by the English settlers. Although most of these clashes were minor, a larger conflict occurred from 1846–1847, when a food shortage in the area raised tensions. This was quelled eventually by New York State militia groups. A sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
and grist mill were set up by David Sanford in 1809. They were briefly taken control of by the Irish faction in 1847 before the state militia intervened.
In 1889, The Great John L. Sullivan - one of the world's first sports superstars - came to Belfast to train for the last bare knuckle boxing championship with Belfast resident William Muldoon for what was arguably the most important fight of Sullivan's career. Training headquarters were set up in two barns owned by Muldoon. Using training techniques that were way ahead of his time, the trainer got Sullivan into the best shape of his life. Facing Jake Kilrain in Richburg, Mississippi that August, the fight went 72 rounds before Sullivan was declared the winner. In 2009, the training barns - which were virtually untouched for more than 120 years - were opened as the world's only Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame!
Sandstone for grindstones was quarried in the late 1870s above the mouth of White Creek at Rockville.
In the 1980s an Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
community settled in the town and made their living with farming, sawmilling and furniture making.
Since the 1970s, several pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
stations have used the Belfast post office as a mail drop
Commercial mail receiving agency
A commercial mail receiving agency , also known as a mail drop, typically operates as a Private Mail Box Operator.A customer of a CMRA can receive mail and other deliveries at the street address of the CMRA rather than the customer's own street address...
to receive letters from listeners. http://www.blackcatsystems.com/pirate/drops/
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 town has a total area of 36.5 square miles (94.5 km²), of which, 36.2 square miles (93.8 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (0.77%) is water.
The Genesee River
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
flows northward through the northeast corner of the town and is partly paralleled by New York State Route 19
New York State Route 19
New York State Route 19 is a north–south state highway in Western New York in the United States. It is the longest state highway in that region, and the only other one besides NY 14 to completely transect the state from the Pennsylvania state line to the shore of Lake Ontario...
, which intersects County Road 26 in Belfast hamlet.
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 1,714 people, 651 households, and 417 families residing in the town. 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 47.3 people per square mile (18.3/km²). There were 945 housing units at an average density of 26.1 per square mile (10.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.31% White, 0.06% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.23% 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 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.
There were 651 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% 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, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the town the population was spread out with 31.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $30,909, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $31,473 versus $21,971 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 town was $15,803. About 11.8% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Belfast
- Belfast – A hamlet located on Route 19 and the west bank of the Genesee River.
- Black Creek – A stream that joins the Genesee River north of Belfast hamlet.
- Genesee River – An important river in Western New York that empties into Lake OntarioLake OntarioLake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
. - Marshall – A location in the northwest corner of the town.
- Rockville – A hamlet in the western part of the town by the Black Creek.
- Transit Bridge – A former location in the town.