Cattaraugus County, New York - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Cattaraugus County is a county located in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

of 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...

. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,317. The county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

is Little Valley

Little Valley (village), New York

Little Valley is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 1,130 at the 2000 census.The Village of Little Valley is in the northwest corner of the Town of Little Valley....

History

When counties were established in New York State in 1683, the present Cattaraugus County was part of Albany County

Albany County, New York

Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...

. This was an enormous county, including the northern part of New York State as well as all of the present State of Vermont

Vermont

Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

and, in theory, extending westward to the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

. This county was reduced in size on July 3, 1766 by the creation of Cumberland County

Cumberland County, New York

Cumberland County, New York was a county in the Province of New York that became part of the state of Vermont. It was divided out of Albany County in New York in 1766, but eventually became part of Vermont in 1777...

, and further on March 16, 1770 by the creation of Gloucester County

Gloucester County, New York

Gloucester County, New York is a former county in New York that became part of the state of Vermont. It was a part of Albany County in the Province of New York until 1770 and was lost to Vermont in 1777. At that time, Vermont was holding itself out as the Republic of Vermont and did not become a...

, both containing territory now in Vermont.

On March 12, 1772, what was left of Albany County was split into three parts, one remaining under the name Albany County. One of the other pieces, Tryon County

Tryon County, New York

Tryon County, New York was a county in the colonial Province of New York in the British American colonies. It was created from Albany County on March 24, 1772. It was named for William Tryon, the last provincial governor of New York. Its boundaries extended far further than any current county...

, contained the western portion (and thus, since no western boundary was specified, theoretically still extended west to the Pacific). The eastern boundary of Tryon County was approximately five miles west of the present city of Schenectady

Schenectady, New York

Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...

, and the county included the western part of the Adirondack Mountains

Adirondack Mountains

The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties....

and the area west of the West Branch of the Delaware River

Delaware River

The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...

. The area then designated as Tryon County now includes 37 counties of New York State. The county was named for William Tryon

William Tryon

William Tryon was a British soldier and colonial administrator who served as governor of the Province of North Carolina and the Province of New York .-Early life and career:...

, colonial governor of New York.

In the years prior to 1776, most of the Loyalists in Tryon County fled to Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. In 1784, following the peace treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

, the name of Tryon County was changed to Montgomery County

Montgomery County, New York

As of the census of 2000, there were 49,708 people, 20,038 households, and 13,104 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile . There were 22,522 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile...

in honor of the general, Richard Montgomery

Richard Montgomery

Richard Montgomery was an Irish-born soldier who first served in the British Army. He later became a brigadier-general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and he is most famous for leading the failed 1775 invasion of Canada.Montgomery was born and raised in Ireland...

, who had captured several places in Canada and died attempting to capture the city of Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

, replacing the name of the hated British governor.

Ontario County

Ontario County, New York

As of the census of 2000, there were 100,224 people, 38,370 households, and 26,360 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile . There were 42,647 housing units at an average density of 66 per square mile...

was split from Montgomery County in 1789. In turn, Genesee County

Genesee County, New York

Genesee County is a county located in Western New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,079. Its name is from the Seneca Indian word Gen-nis'-hee-yo meaning "The Beautiful Valley." Its county seat is Batavia.- History :...

was split from Ontario County in 1802. Shortly afterwards, Genesee County was made smaller in 1806, by the creation of Allegany County

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...

.

Cattaraugus County was formed in 1808, split off from Genesee County. However, at first there was no county government due to the sparse population. From 1812 to 1814, Cattaraugus County was incorporated in Allegany County; from 1814 to 1817, records of the county were divided between Belmont

Belmont, New York

Belmont is a village within the Town of Amity which is in Allegany County, New York, USA. Belmont is the county seat of Allegany County. The population was 952 at the 2000 census. The name means beautiful hill....

(Allegany County) 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...

(then in Niagara County

Niagara County, New York

Niagara County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,469. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters. It is the location of Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara, and...

). Finally, in 1817, a county government was established for Cattaraugus County.

The first settlement in the county was in Olean and the original county seat was Ellicottville

Ellicottville (village), New York

Ellicottville is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 472 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Joseph Ellicott, principal land agent of the Holland Land Company...

. After 1860, the county seat was moved to Little Valley.

Geography

Cattaraugus County is in the southwestern part of the state, immediately north of the Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

border. The southern part of Cattaraugus County is the only area of western New York that was not covered by the last ice age

Ice age

An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...

glaciation and is noticeably more rugged than neighboring areas that had peaks rounded and valleys filled by the glacier. The entire area is actually a dissected plateau

Dissected plateau

A dissected plateau is a plateau area that has been severely eroded so that the relief is sharp. Such an area may be referred to as mountainous, but dissected plateaus are distinguishable from orogenic mountain belts by the lack of folding, metamorphism, extensive faulting, or magmatic activity...

of Pennsylvanian

Pennsylvanian

The Pennsylvanian is, in the ICS geologic timescale, the younger of two subperiods of the Carboniferous Period. It lasted from roughly . As with most other geochronologic units, the rock beds that define the Pennsylvanian are well identified, but the exact date of the start and end are uncertain...

and Mississippian age, but appears mountainous to the casual observer. The plateau is an extension of the Allegany Plateau from nearby Pennsylvania. Southern Cattaraugus County is part of the same oil field

Oil field

An oil field is a region with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum from below ground. Because the oil reservoirs typically extend over a large area, possibly several hundred kilometres across, full exploitation entails multiple wells scattered across the area...

, and petroleum

Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...

was formerly a resource of the area. It is now mostly played out, but natural gas

Natural gas

Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...

continues to be extracted.

A continental divide

Continental divide

A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not connected to the open sea...

between the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

and Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

watersheds runs through Cattaraugus County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1322 square miles (3,424 km²), of which 1310 square miles (3,392.9 km²) is land and 12 square miles (31.1 km²) (0.94%) is water.

The northern border of the county is formed by Cattaraugus Creek

Cattaraugus Creek

Cattaraugus Creek is a stream, approximately 68 miles long, in western New York in the United States. The creek drains a wooded rural portion of western New York southwest of Buffalo into Lake Erie. In its lower course it flows primarily through the Cattaraugus Reservation of the Seneca tribe...

Adjacent counties

Erie County
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...

, 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...

- north
Wyoming County
Wyoming County, New York
Wyoming County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. At the 2010 census, the population was 42,155. The county seat is Warsaw. The name is from a modified Delaware Indian word meaning "broad bottom lands"...

, 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...

- northeast
Allegany County
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...

- east
McKean County
McKean County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,936 people, 18,024 households, and 12,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 21,644 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...

, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

- southeast
Warren County
Warren County, Pennsylvania
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 41,815. It was formed in 1800 from parts of Allegheny and Lycoming counties; attached to Crawford County until 1805 and then to Venango County until Warren was formally organized in 1819. Its county...

, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

- southwest
Chautauqua County
Chautauqua County, New York
-Major highways:* Interstate 86/New York State Route 17 * Interstate 90 * U.S. Route 20* U.S. Route 62* New York State Route 5* New York State Route 39* New York State Route 60* New York State Route 394...

, 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...

- west

Major highways

Interstate 86
Interstate 86 (east)
Interstate 86 is an Interstate Highway that extends for through northwestern Pennsylvania and southern New York in the United States...

/New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17 is a state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States...

(Southern Tier Expressway)
U.S. Route 62
U.S. Route 62
U.S. Route 62 runs from the US-Mexico border at El Paso, Texas to Niagara Falls, New York, near the United States-Canada border. It is the only east-west US Route that connects Mexico and Canada.Parts of U.S...
U.S. Route 219
U.S. Route 219
U.S. Route 219 is a spur of U.S. Route 19. It runs for from West Seneca, New York at an interchange with Interstate 90, to Rich Creek, Virginia, intersecting at U.S. Route 460. U.S. 219 is found in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia...
New York State Route 16
New York State Route 16
New York State Route 16 is a state highway in western New York, United States. It runs from the Pennsylvania state line, where it is one of the highest highways in the state in elevation, to downtown Buffalo. NY 16 is a major route through Erie County, despite the construction of the...
New York State Route 98
New York State Route 98
New York State Route 98 is a state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S. Route 219 in the town of Great Valley in Cattaraugus County...
New York State Route 240
New York State Route 240
New York State Route 240 is a state highway in western New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 242 in the Ellicottville community of Ashford in northern Cattaraugus County. Its northern terminus is at a junction with NY 324...
New York State Route 242
New York State Route 242
New York State Route 242 is a state highway that runs across Cattaraugus County, New York, in the United States. Although signed as an east–west route, it takes a more northeast–southwest course across the county from NY 394 near the village of Randolph to NY 16 in Machias...
New York State Route 353
New York State Route 353
New York State Route 353 is a north–south state highway located within Cattaraugus County, New York, in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 417 in the city of Salamanca to a junction with U.S. Route 62 in the hamlet of Dayton...
New York State Route 417
New York State Route 417
New York State Route 417 is an east–west state highway located in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It begins at exit 20 of the Southern Tier Expressway in the city of Salamanca and ends at a junction with NY 415 in Painted Post, west of the city of Corning...

Airports

Great Valley Airport

Great Valley Airport is a privately-owned, public-use airport located one nautical mile southeast of the central business district of Great Valley, a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States.- Facilities and aircraft :...

is located in Cattaraugus County, one nautical mile (1.85 km) southeast of the central business district

Central business district

A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...

of Great Valley

Great Valley, New York

Great Valley is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,145 at the 2000 census. The town is named after its local geographical setting, a relative comparison of two tributaries of the Allegheny River.The Town of Great Valley is centrally located in the...

.

There's also an airport outside of Olean

Olean

Olean can refer to:* Olestra, an artificial fat substitute* Olean, New York, the largest city named Olean**Olean , New York, a surrounding municipality* Olean, Missouri...

Demographics

As of the census

Census

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 83,955 people, 32,023 households, and 21,647 families residing in the county. 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 64 people per square mile (25/km²). There were 39,839 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile (12/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.63% White

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...

, 1.06% Black

Race (United States Census)

or African American

Race (United States Census)

, 2.60% Native American

Race (United States Census)

, 0.46% Asian

Race (United States Census)

, 0.02% Pacific Islander

Race (United States Census)

, 0.23% from other races

Race (United States Census)

, and 1.01% from two or more races. 0.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino

Race (United States Census)

of any race. 26.8% were of German

Germans

The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....

, 13.2% Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

, 11.3% English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

, 9.1% Polish, 8.2% Italian

Italian people

The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...

and 7.4% American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.2% spoke English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

and 1.4% Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

as their first language.

There were 32,023 households out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.30% 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, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.40% were non-families. 26.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.20% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 26.50% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,404, and the median income for a family was $39,318. Males had a median income of $30,901 versus $22,122 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 county was $15,959. About 10.00% of families and 13.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.60% of those under age 18 and 9.90% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Cattaraugus County is run by a unicameral legislature with an appointed county "administrator," who serves many executive duties of a county executive but has no legislative veto power and is not elected. The legislators themselves are independently elected (while some also serve as mayors of the villages they represent, their status as mayors does not affect in any way their seats on the legislature and thus it is not a Board of Supervisors). The votes of each legislator are counted in proportion to the number of people that said legislator represents (for example, if a legislator from Olean has 10,000 people in his/her district, and the legislator serving Lyndon only has 5,000, the Lyndon legislator's vote has only half the worth of the Olean legislator's). There are currently 21 members of the legislature with 13 Republicans and 8 Democrats; the county is in the process of reducing that number to 17. Each legislator serves a four year term, with a limit of three terms.

The legislature is a majority Republican, with Michael O'Brien serving as chairman.

01 - Paula J. Stockman (R)
02 - E. James Ellis (R) and Patrick J. Murphy (R)
03 - Norman Marsh (R) and Robert E. Neal (R)
04 - William Sprague (D)
05 - Donna Vickman (R), Charles Hebdon (D) and Jerry Burrell (R)
06 - Michael O'Brien (R) and Joseph McLarney (R)
07 - James Boser (D) and Vergilio Giardini (D)
08 - Mark J. Ward (D)
09 - Kenneth McClune (D) and Carmen Vecchiarella (R)
10 - Leo Nenno (D), John Padlo (D), James J. Snyder (R), William Aiello (R) and Steven Teachman (R)

Cattaraugus County is entirely within the boundaries of the 149th New York State Assembly

New York State Assembly

The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...

District (served currently by Joseph Giglio

Joseph Giglio

Joseph M. "Joe" Giglio is a New York State Assemblyman from the 149th district, which includes all of Cattaraugus County, southern Allegany County and the easternmost towns and villages in Chautauqua County...

), the 57th New York State Senate

New York State Senate

The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...

District (served currently by Catharine Young

Catharine Young

Catharine M. "Cathy" Young is an American legislator on the state level who, as a member of the Republican Party, has represented New York's 149th State Assembly district from 1999 to 2005 and, since May 2005, the 57th State Senate district, which includes all of Chautauqua County, Cattaraugus...

), and the U.S. House of Representatives 29th district

New York's 29th congressional district

The Twenty-ninth district of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives which covers a portion of the Appalachian mountains in New York known as the "Southern Tier." It is represented by Tom Reed...

(served currently by Tom Reed). In the last of these, Cattaraugus County's votes proved pivotal in the 2008 elections: incumbent Republican Randy Kuhl

Randy Kuhl

John R. "Randy" Kuhl, Jr. is an American Republican politician, and former member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. He represented New York's 29th congressional district for two terms before being defeated for reelection by Eric Massa on November 4, 2008 by margin of...

, who had strongly carried the county in 2004 and 2006, lost Cattaraugus County to Democrat Eric Massa

Eric Massa

-March to the Primaries:Freshman incumbent Randy Kuhl had been elected to Congress with slightly over 50% of the popular vote in a three way race in 2004. In early 2005, former U.S. Naval officer Eric J.J. Massa, a long-time friend of 2004 presidential candidate General Wesley Clark filed to run...

in the 2008 elections.

The county is generally considered a "red county," with Republicans usually outvoting Democrats in most statewide and national offices (for instance, in 2004 George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

defeated John Kerry

John Kerry

John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...

in Cattaraugus County by a 60-40 margin) though Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

won the Cattaraugus County very narrowly in 1996. However, in 2006, the county narrowly chose Eliot Spitzer

Eliot Spitzer

Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...

over John Faso

John Faso

John Faso was the Republican nominee for Governor of New York in 2006, and was defeated by Democratic nominee Eliot Spitzer in the largest defeat for a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state's history. This followed his loss to Alan Hevesi four years earlier in his run for State Comptroller...

by a margin of about 1% in the governor's race, and Hillary Clinton surprisingly defeated John Spencer

John Spencer (politician)

John Spencer is the former Mayor of Yonkers, New York . He was the 2006 Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from New York and lost to incumbent Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton.-Early life, military service and education:...

in the county by a 10 percentage point margin. (That being said, in all other positions up for office that year, Republicans—including all congressional and state legislature representatives—still won.) In 2008 it continued its tradition as a red county. John McCain

John McCain

John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....

defeated Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

by a 55-44% margin. In 2010, Republican Carl Paladino

Carl Paladino

Carl Pasquale Paladino is an American businessman and political activist from Buffalo, New York. Paladino is the founder and chairman of Ellicott Development Company, a real estate development company he founded in 1973. He was the 2010 Republican nominee for the New York gubernatorial election,...

carried Cattaraugus County over Democrat (and eventual winner) Andrew Cuomo

Andrew Cuomo

Andrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...

65% to 31%, but Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

Kirsten Gillibrand

Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik Gillibrand is an attorney and the junior United States Senator from the state of New York and a member of the Democratic Party...

and Senator Chuck Schumer, both incumbent Democrats, carried the county by 51% to 46% and 54% to 43% margins respectively.

An emerging trend among Cattaraugus County's villages has been consolidation with their surrounding towns. Limestone

Limestone, New York

Limestone is a hamlet in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 411 at the 2000 census....

voters approved dissolution into the town of Carrolton

Carrollton, New York

Carrollton is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,410 at the 2000 census. The name comes from an early settler.The Town of Carrollton is on the south border of Cattaraugus County...

in September 2009; that took effect at the beginning of 2011. On March 18, 2010, three other villages (East Randolph

East Randolph, New York

East Randolph is currently a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 630 at the 2000 census.The Village of East Randolph is adjacent to the northeast part of the Village of Randolph and is mostly within the Town of Randolph, with a small part inside the Town of...

, Randolph

Randolph (village), New York

Randolph is currently a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 1,316 at the 2000 census.The Village of Randolph is within the Town of Randolph...

and Perrysburg

Perrysburg (village), New York

Perrysburg is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 408 at the 2000 census. It is named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.The Village of Perrysburg is in the south-central part of the Town of Perrysburg...

) followed suit and approved dissolution into their surrounding towns (Randolph Township

Randolph (town), New York

Randolph is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,681 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Randolph, Vermont....

for the first two, and Perrysburg Township

Perrysburg (town), New York

Perrysburg is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,771 at the 2000 census. The Town is named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.The Town of Perrysburg is in the northeast corner of the county...

for the third); these three villages will dissolve at the beginning of 2012.

Additional facts about Cattaraugus County

There are two separate geological formations, both called "Rock City," in the county that have the appearance of a town laid out with streets. One is in Olean

Olean (town), New York

Olean is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,029 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the Latin word "oleum" due to the discovery of crude oil in nearby Ischua....

and the other is in Little Valley

Little Valley (town), New York

Little Valley is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,788 at the 2000 census. The town is named after its local geographical setting, a relative comparison of two tributaries of the Allegheny River.The Town of Little Valley is centrally located in the county...

.

Olean is the largest city in the county and is the major center for business. Ski country

Ski country

Ski country is a term used to describe portions of the boundary between the Niagara Frontier and the Southern Tier of the western part of New York.-Weather:...

runs through Cattaraugus County; two ski resorts, popular with Canadians, lie in the town of Ellicottville

Ellicottville (town), New York

Ellicottville is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,738 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Joseph Ellicott, principal land agent of the Holland Land Company....

; in addition, several snowmobile trails cross the county, including the Pat McGee Trail, a flagship for the county's trail system, and the North Country Trail

North Country Trail

The North Country National Scenic Trail , which stretches approximately from Crown Point in eastern New York to Lake Sakakawea in central North Dakota in the United States, is the longest of the eleven National Scenic Trails authorized by Congress...

.

Cattaraugus County's current promotional nickname is the Enchanted Mountains, despite the fact that the county is mostly hills and that only two comparatively small "mountains" (Mount Seneca and Mount Tuscarora, both in Allegany State Park

Allegany State Park

Allegany State Park is a state park in western New York State, located in Cattaraugus County just north of Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. The park is divided into two sections: The Red House Area and the Quaker Run Area. It lies within the Allegheny Highlands forests ecoregion.The Red...

) exist in the county. During the 1980s, the county used the slogan Naturally Yours to Enjoy.

Cattaraugus County is considered part of Appalachia

Appalachia

Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...

, as well as Western New York

Western New York

Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...

, upstate New York

Upstate New York

Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...

, the Southern Tier

Southern Tier

The Southern Tier is a geographical term that refers to the counties of New York State west of the Catskill Mountains along the northern border of Pennsylvania. It is a loosely defined term that generally includes the counties that border Pennsylvania west of Delaware County inclusive...

, the Twin Tiers

Twin Tiers

The Twin Tiers is a geographical term that refers to the collective counties that lie on the New York-Pennsylvania border adjacent to the 42nd parallel north....

and the Buffalo-Niagara-Cattaraugus Combined 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...

. As a result of this geographic crossroads, the people of Cattaraugus County speak a variety of accents, ranging from mild variants of Appalachian English

Appalachian English

Appalachian English is a common name for the Southern Midland dialect of American English. This dialect is spoken primarily in the Central and Southern Appalachian Mountain region of the Eastern United States, namely in North Georgia, Northwestern South Carolina, Southern West Virginia,...

to Inland Northern American English

Inland Northern American English

The Inland North dialect of American English is spoken in a region that includes most of the cities along the Erie Canal and on the U.S. side of Great Lakes region, reaching approximately from Utica, New York to Green Bay, Wisconsin, as well as a corridor extending down across central Illinois from...

, with a handful of people speaking in the more loud and nasal Buffalo English.

The sales tax in Cattaraugus County is 8% (4% from New York State, 4% from the county).

Famous Cattaraugus County natives and residents

Bill Bergey
Bill Bergey
William Earl Bergey is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player. He played collegiately for Arkansas State University and for the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals and the NFL Philadelphia Eagles....

, professional football player
Governor Blacksnake, Seneca war chief and possibly the world's oldest man
Ray Caldwell
Ray Caldwell
Raymond Benjamin Caldwell, , was an American major league pitcher from 1910 to 1921. He was known for throwing the spitball, and he was one of the 17 pitchers allowed to continue throwing the pitch after it was outlawed in 1920.Caldwell was notorious during his playing career for his addiction to...

, MLB pitcher
Phil "The Showkiller" Ceppaglia, producer for The Tony Kornheiser Show
The Tony Kornheiser Show
The Tony Kornheiser Show is a sports radio talk show out of Washington, D.C. hosted by Tony Kornheiser, which appeared on WTEM from 1992 to 1997; on ESPN Radio between 1998 and 2004; back on WTEM from 2004 to 2006; and on WTWP and then WWWT in 2007 and 2008; and back on WTEM since September 8, 2009...

, attended St. Bonaventure
Anna Botsford Comstock
Anna Botsford Comstock
Anna Botsford Comstock , was a US artist, educator, conservationist, and a leader of the nature study movement, born in Otto, New York, to Marvin and Phebe Irish Botsford....

, 1854–1930, artist, Cornell professor, leader of nature study movement
Chuck Crist
Chuck Crist
Charles Thomas "Chuck" Crist is a former professional American football safety in the National Football League for the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, and the San Francisco 49ers...

of Salamanca, professional football player
Brian Dunkleman
Brian Dunkleman
Brian Dunkleman is a comedian and actor. He is best known as being co-host with Ryan Seacrest on the first season of American Idol on the Fox Network.-Career:...

of Ellicottville, co-host of the first season of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
Ray Evans
Ray Evans
Raymond Bernard Evans was an American songwriter. He was a partner in a composing and songwriting duo with Jay Livingston, known for the songs they composed for films...

(1915–2007) of Salamanca, member of famous songwriting duo alongside Jay Livingston
Jay Livingston
Jay Livingston was an American composer and singer best known as half of a songwriting duo with Ray Evans that specialized in songs composed for films. Livingston wrote the music and Evans the lyrics....
Ira Joe Fisher
Ira Joe Fisher
Ira Joe Fisher is an American meteorologist and poet. He was the weather reporter for CBS's The Saturday Early Show, a position he held from 1999 until 2006...

of Salamanca and Little Valley, weatherman at CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
James F. Hastings
James F. Hastings
James Fred Hastings is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.Hastings was born in Olean, New York. He served in the United States Navy from 1943 until 1946. He was manager and vice president of radio station WHDL from 1952 until 1966...

of Olean, retired former U.S. Congressman (served from 1969 to 1976)
Marvin "Marv" Hubbard
Marv Hubbard
Marvin "Marv" Hubbard was an American college and professional American football player. Originally from Randolph, New York, Hubbard attended Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. He played for the Hartford Knights of the Atlantic Coast Football League...

of Randolph, professional football player
Maureen Keenan LeBoeuf of Olean, first female Department Head at the West Point Military Academy
Don McLean
Don McLean
Donald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...

sang/wrote the original version of "American Pie" while in Olean
Riki Lindhome
Riki Lindhome
Riki Lindhome is an American actress and musician. She is best known for television roles in shows including Gilmore Girls, House, The Big Bang Theory and United States of Tara and is also one half of the musical comedy duo Garfunkel And Oates...

of Portville, actress and member of the satirical musical group "Garfunkel and Oates
Garfunkel and Oates
Garfunkel and Oates is a comedy-folk duo from Los Angeles, California, consisting of actress-songwriters Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome . The two met at the Upright Citizens Brigade theatre in Los Angeles, where they were introduced to one another by comic Doug Benson...

"
Ted Marchibroda
Ted Marchibroda
Theodore "Ted" Joseph Marchibroda is a former American football quarterback and head coach in the National Football League.-Player:...

, NFL Head Coach of Baltimore Colts/Ravens, attended St. Bonaventure University
Paul Owens
Paul Owens (baseball)
Paul Francis Owens was an American front office executive and manager in Major League Baseball.-Philadelphia Phillies:Owens' entire Major League career was spent with the Philadelphia Phillies...

(1924–2003) of Salamanca, professional baseball player, manager, and executive
Stephen Porcello of Portville, celebrated song writer and musician
Kimberly Pressler
Kimberly Pressler
Kimberly Pressler is an entertainment presenter and former Miss USA. She is one of few women to win both the Miss New York Teen USA and Miss New York USA titles.-Pageant career:...

of Franklinville, Miss USA 1999
Timothy L. Kellner of Ischua, U.S. Sniper legend
Margaret Shulock
Margaret Shulock
Margaret Shulock is an American cartoonist who works as a writer-artist on several features.Born in Canastota, New York, she lived in Franklinville, New York and Buffalo, New York. She currently resides in Friendship, New York. She began sending weekly, hand-drawn postcards to her parents, often in...

of Franklinville, cartoonist, part of the ensemble behind the Six Chix
Six Chix
Six Chix is a collaborative comic strip distributed by King Features Syndicate since it debuted in January 2000.The series is drawn by six female cartoonists who rotate the drawing duties through the week based on a fixed schedule:...

comic strip
Peter Tomarken
Peter Tomarken
Peter David Tomarken was an American television personality primarily known as the host of Press Your Luck.-Early life:...

(1942–2006) of Olean, host of Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck is an American television daytime game show created by Bill Carruthers and Jan McCormack. It premiered on September 19, 1983 on CBS and ended on September 26, 1986. In the show, contestants collected "spins" by answering trivia questions and then used the spins on an 18-space game...
Martha Van Rensselaer (1864–1932), educator and founder of Cornell University College of Human Ecology
Cornell University College of Human Ecology
The New York State College of Human Ecology is a statutory college at Cornell University. The college is a unique compilation of studies on consumer science, nutrition, health economics, public policy, human development and textiles, each part of the discipline of human ecology.Students at the...

Dean T. Atkins of East Randolph, nationally known expert in heating and ventillation technology.

In addition, a few minor celebrities have summer homes in the county, including newsman Irv Weinstein

Irv Weinstein

Irwin "Irv" Weinstein is a retired local television news anchor. He hosted WKBW-TV's Eyewitness News in Buffalo, New York, for 34 years, from 1964 to 1998, becoming an iconic broadcaster well known in both the Buffalo area and in Southern Ontario, which was within WKBW's broadcast area. Weinstein...

and former professional football kicker Steve Christie

Steve Christie

Geoffrey Stephen Christie is a former Canadian American football placekicker in the National Football League, who, as a member of the Buffalo Bills, became known for his ability to kick clutch field goals, even in poor weather.-Early career:Christie, who grew up in nearby Oakville, Ontario,...

Newspapers

Salamanca Press
Salamanca Press
The Salamanca Press is a newspaper serving Cattaraugus County, New York. Based in the city of Salamanca, the paper is owned by Bradford Publishing, which also publishes the Bradford Era and the Olean Times Herald....

(weekly, serving Salamanca and a few other small towns)
Olean Times Herald
Olean Times Herald
The Olean Times Herald is a daily newspaper serving the western Twin Tiers region, based in Olean, New York. The afternoon newspaper, one of the few remaining afternoon papers in the nation, is published by Bradford Publishing and is published seven days each week...

(daily, serving all of the western Twin Tiers
Twin Tiers
The Twin Tiers is a geographical term that refers to the collective counties that lie on the New York-Pennsylvania border adjacent to the 42nd parallel north....

)
Olean Source (free weekly)
Special E-Fects (free weekly, based in Ellicottville and serving mostly that town and village)
The Villager (free weekly, based in Ellicottville)
Gowanda Pennysaver News (free weekly)
Randolph Register (monthly)

Radio stations

WPIG
WPIG
WPIG is an FM radio station located in Olean, New York. Branded as the "Big Pig," "The Pig" or simply by its frequency and callsigns at times, the station operates at 95.7 MHz on the FM dial and operates a broad-based country music format...

(95.7, Olean)
WHDL
WHDL
WHDL is an AM radio station licensed to Olean, New York. The mostly satellite and automated oldies outlet is co-owned, along with sister station WPIG, by Backyard Broadcasting, and operates on 1450 kHz. It is the oldest station in Cattaraugus County, signing on on December 11, 1934...

(1450, Olean)
WOLN
WBFO
WBFO, broadcast on 88.7 FM, is the largest NPR member station for Buffalo, New York. It is broadcast from the South campus of the University at Buffalo....

(91.3, Olean, operated out of Buffalo)
WQRS
WQRS
WQRS is a radio station in Salamanca, New York in the Olean, New York broadcasting area. The station broadcasts a country music format and is owned by Pembrook Pines Media Group....

(98.3, Salamanca)
WGGO
WGGO
WGGO is an AM radio station located in Salamanca, New York, United States. The station broadcasts at 1590 kHz and is branded as "ESPN 1590 WGGO: The Twin Tiers' Sports Leader." It is affiliated with ESPN Radio, which is also heard in Western New York via WGR in Buffalo.-History:WGGO signed on June...

(1590, Salamanca)
WGWE
WGWE
WGWE is an FM radio station licensed to Little Valley, New York. The station, with a tower atop Fourth Street in the village of Little Valley, broadcasts a classic hits format on 105.9 MHz and operates under the ownership of the Seneca Nation of Indians; the Seneca nation purchased WGWE's...

(105.9, Little Valley, operated from the Allegany Reservation)
WOEN
WOEN
WOEN is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Olean, New York, USA, the station serves the Olean area. The station is currently owned by Pembrook Pines, Inc. and features programing from ABC Radio , CBS Radio and Westwood One...

(1360, Olean)
WMXO
WMXO
WMXO is a radio station licensed to and located in Olean, NY. The station broadcasts at 101.5 MHz and plays a Hot Adult Contemporary format. The station is currently owned by the Pembrook Pines Media Group and features programing from Jones Radio Network, Premiere Radio Networks and Westwood...

(101.5, Olean)
WTWT
WTWT
WTWT is a radio station broadcasting a Christian rock format. The station is licensed to Calvary Chapel of Russell, Pennsylvania, but its city of license is Bradford, Pennsylvania and its transmitter will be located in Allegany, New York...

(90.5, transmitter in Allegany, licensed to Bradford, PA, operated out of Russell, PA)
WWG32
WWG32
WWG32 is a NOAA Weather Radio station that serves the small Southern area of the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area. It is programmed from the National Weather Service forecast office in Buffalo, New York with its transmitter located in Cattaraugus and its city of license in Little Valley...

(162.425, Little Valley, operated out of Buffalo)

Educational institutions

A branch of Jamestown Community College

Jamestown Community College

Jamestown Community College is a two-year college in the SUNY system. JCC has two campuses in Chautauqua County, New York, located in Dunkirk and Jamestown. A third campus serves Cattaraugus County in Olean. A fourth site is located in Warren, Pennsylvania...

, in Olean provides higher education for residents. Olean Business Institute provides specialized education and is also in Olean. St. Bonaventure University

St. Bonaventure University

St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....

is also in this county.

Cities, towns, villages, and other locations

Allegany
Allegany (village), New York
Allegany is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 1,883 at the 2000 census.The Village of Allegany is by the east town line of the Town of Allegany, west of the City of Olean.St...

(village)
Allegany
Allegany (town), New York
Allegany is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 8,230 at the 2000 census.The Town of Allegany is on the south border of the county, west of the City of Olean. There is a village called Allegany inside this town....

(town)
Ashford
Ashford, New York
Ashford is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,223 at the 2000 census.The Town of Ashford is on the county's northern border.- History :...

(town)
Carrollton
Carrollton, New York
Carrollton is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,410 at the 2000 census. The name comes from an early settler.The Town of Carrollton is on the south border of Cattaraugus County...

(town)
Cattaraugus
Cattaraugus, New York
Cattaraugus is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,075 at the 2000 census.The Village of Cattaraugus lies in the northeast part of the Town of New Albion, north of Salamanca, New York.- History :...

(village)
Coldspring
Coldspring, New York
Coldspring is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It is located in the southwest part of the county, west of the City of Salamanca.- History :The first settler arrived around 1818....

(town)
Conewango
Conewango, New York
Conewango is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,732 at the 2000 census. The town is named after a creek which flows through the town....

(town)
Dayton
Dayton, New York
Dayton is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,945 at the 2000 census.The Town of Dayton is on the western border of Cattaraugus County.- History :...

(town)
Delevan
Delevan, New York
Delevan is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,089 at the 2000 census.The Village of Delevan lies inside the Town of Yorkshire- History :The first lot was cleared around 1821...

(village)
East Otto
East Otto, New York
East Otto is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,105 at the 2000 census. The town is named after an agent of the Holland Land Company, Jacob Otto.The Town of East Otto is on the northern border of the county....

(town)
East Randolph
East Randolph, New York
East Randolph is currently a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 630 at the 2000 census.The Village of East Randolph is adjacent to the northeast part of the Village of Randolph and is mostly within the Town of Randolph, with a small part inside the Town of...

(village, to be dissolved 2012-01-01)
Ellicottville
Ellicottville (village), New York
Ellicottville is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 472 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Joseph Ellicott, principal land agent of the Holland Land Company...

(village)
Ellicottville
Ellicottville (town), New York
Ellicottville is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,738 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Joseph Ellicott, principal land agent of the Holland Land Company....

(town)
Farmersville
Farmersville, New York
Farmersville is a town located in the eastern border of Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,028 at the 2000 census.- History :The area was first settled around 1805, but no permanent settlement was made until around 1817...

(town)
Franklinville
Franklinville (village), New York
Franklinville is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 1,855 at the 2000 census. The community was named after Benjamin Franklin.The Village of Franklinville is in the northeast part of the Town of Franklinville....

(village)
Franklinville
Franklinville (town), New York
Franklinville is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 3,128 at the 2000 census.The Town of Franklinville is an interior town, located in the northeast quadrant of the county. Franklinville is also the name of a village in the town.- History :The town was first...

(town)
Freedom
Freedom, New York
Freedom is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,493 at the 2000 census.The Town of Freedom is in the northeast corner of the Cattaraugus County.- History :The first settlers arrived around 1811....

(town)
Gowanda
Gowanda, New York
Gowanda is a village in New York in the United States and lies partly in Erie County and partly in Cattaraugus County. The population was 2,842 at the 2000 census. The name is a local native term meaning "almost surrounded by hills" or "beautiful place among the hills...

(village)
Great Valley
Great Valley, New York
Great Valley is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,145 at the 2000 census. The town is named after its local geographical setting, a relative comparison of two tributaries of the Allegheny River.The Town of Great Valley is centrally located in the...

(town)
Hinsdale
Hinsdale, New York
Hinsdale is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,270 at the 2000 census. The town was named after another location: Hinsdale, New Hampshire....

(town)
Humphrey
Humphrey, New York
Humphrey is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 721 at the 2000 census. The town is named after politician Charles Humphrey....

(town)
Ischua
Ischua, New York
Ischua is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 895 at the 2000 census.The Town of Ischua is on the eastern border of the county, north of Olean, New York.- History :...

(town)
Leon
Leon, New York
Leon is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,380 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the former Kingdom of León in Spain, though it is pronounced like the American first name, "Lee-on"....

(town)
Lime Lake-Machias
Lime Lake-Machias, New York
Lime Lake-Machias is a census-designated place including part of the Town of Machias, in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,422 at the 2000 census....

(census-designated place)
Limestone
Limestone, New York
Limestone is a hamlet in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 411 at the 2000 census....

(census-designated place)
Little Valley
Little Valley (village), New York
Little Valley is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 1,130 at the 2000 census.The Village of Little Valley is in the northwest corner of the Town of Little Valley....

(village)
Little Valley
Little Valley (town), New York
Little Valley is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,788 at the 2000 census. The town is named after its local geographical setting, a relative comparison of two tributaries of the Allegheny River.The Town of Little Valley is centrally located in the county...

(town)
Lyndon
Lyndon, New York
Lyndon is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 661 at the 2000 census.The Town of Lyndon is on the east border of the county and is north of Olean, New York.- History :The town was first settled around 1806....

(town)
Machias
Machias, New York
Machias is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,482 at the 2000 census.The Town of Machias is an interior town in the northeast quadrant of the county. It is northeast of the city of Salamanca.-History:...

(town)
Mansfield
Mansfield, New York
Mansfield is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 800 at the 2000 census. The name was thought to be that of a noble family in England....

(town)
Napoli
Napoli, New York
Napoli is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It is located in the western half of the county, northwest of Salamanca. The only permanent community in the town is Napoli village, formerly "Napoli Corners." The population was 1,159 at the 2000 census.The town's name presumably...

(town)
New Albion
New Albion, New York
New Albion is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,068 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Albion in Orleans County, New York, the source of some early settlers....

(town)
Olean (city)
Olean
Olean (town), New York
Olean is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,029 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the Latin word "oleum" due to the discovery of crude oil in nearby Ischua....

(town)
Otto
Otto, New York
Otto is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 831 at the 2000 census. The name comes from Jacob S. Otto, an agent of the Holland Land Company.The Town of Otto lies on the northern border of the county.- History :...

(town)
Perrysburg
Perrysburg (village), New York
Perrysburg is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 408 at the 2000 census. It is named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.The Village of Perrysburg is in the south-central part of the Town of Perrysburg...

(village, to be dissolved 2012-01-01)
Perrysburg
Perrysburg (town), New York
Perrysburg is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,771 at the 2000 census. The Town is named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.The Town of Perrysburg is in the northeast corner of the county...

(town)
Persia
Persia, New York
Persia is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,512 at the 2000 census.The Town of Persia is in the northwest part of the county.- History :The town was first settled around 1812....

(town)
Portville
Portville (village), New York
Portville is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 1,024 at the 2000 census. The Village of Portville is within the south part of the Town of Portville and southeast of Olean, New York.- History :...

(village)
Portville
Portville (town), New York
Portville is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 3,952 at the 2000 census. The name is derived by the town's early role in shipping lumber and other items down river....

(town)
Randolph
Randolph (town), New York
Randolph is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,681 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Randolph, Vermont....

(town)
Randolph
Randolph (village), New York
Randolph is currently a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 1,316 at the 2000 census.The Village of Randolph is within the Town of Randolph...

(village, to be dissolved 2012-01-01)
Red House
Red House, New York
Red House is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 38, making it the least populous town in the state. The name comes from a small stream, Red House Creek....

(town)
Salamanca
Salamanca (city), New York
Salamanca is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States, located inside the Allegany Indian Reservation. The population was 6,097 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...

(city)
Salamanca
Salamanca (town), New York
Salamanca is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 544 at the 2000 census. The name is from a major investor in a local railroad....

(town)
Steamburg
Steamburg, New York
Steamburg is a hamlet in the town of Coldspring in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The community is located at the eastern terminus of New York State Route 394, at I-86 exit 17. Also converging on the hamlet is New York State Reference Route 950A Steamburg is a hamlet in the town of...

(hamlet)
South Dayton
South Dayton, New York
South Dayton is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 662 at the 2000 census.The Village of South Dayton lies within the Town of Dayton by the southwest corner of the town and less than a mile from the county line of Chautauqua County.- History :The community...

(village)
South Valley
South Valley, New York
South Valley is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 302 at the 2000 census. The name is from the town's geographical attributes.The Town of South Valley is in the southwest corner of the county...

(town)
St. Bonaventure
St. Bonaventure, New York
St. Bonaventure is a census-designated place and community located in the Town of Allegany in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,127 at the 2000 census....

(census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...

)
West Valley
West Valley, New York
West Valley is a hamlet located within the town of Ashford in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. Located at the intersection of Cattaraugus County Route 53 and State Route 240, the hamlet is home to West Valley Central School and the West Valley Demonstration Project, a nuclear cleanup...

(hamlet)
Weston Mills
Weston Mills, New York
Weston Mills is a hamlet located in the Town of Portville in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,608 at the 2000 census....

(census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...

)
Yorkshire
Yorkshire (town), New York
Yorkshire is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 4,210 at the 2000 census.The Town of Yorkshire is located on the northern edge and the northeast quadrant of the county.- History :...

(town)

Designation in parentheses indicates official level of government.

Indian reservations

Allegany Reservation
Allegany Reservation, New York
Allegany Reservation is an American Indian reservation in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,099 at the 2000 census. The reservation is primarily occupied by members of the Seneca of the Iroquois, but a smaller number of Cayuga, another Iroquois tribe, also reside...

, 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...
Cattaraugus Reservation, Cattaraugus County
Cattaraugus Reservation, Cattaraugus County, New York
Cattaraugus Reservation is an Indian reservation in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 314 at the 2010 census. The majority of the residents are of the Seneca Nation....

, 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...
Oil Springs Reservation, Cattaraugus County

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

History

Geography

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Airports

Demographics

Government and politics

Additional facts about Cattaraugus County

Famous Cattaraugus County natives and residents

Newspapers

Radio stations

Educational institutions

Cities, towns, villages, and other locations

Indian reservations

See also

External links