Gowanda, New York
Encyclopedia
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. The Erie County portion of Gowanda is part of the Buffalo
–Niagara Falls
Metropolitan Statistical Area
, while the Cattaraugus County portion is part of the Olean
Micropolitan Statistical Area.
The Village of Gowanda is partly in the Town of Collins
in Erie County and the Town of Persia
in Cattaraugus County.
Gowanda Airport (D59) is a general aviation grass strip, located northwest of the village. Located in Gowanda, Zoar Valley
features over 2000 acres (8.1 km²) of wilderness, hiking trails and waterfalls.
, which opened in 1994, and the Collins Correctional Facility
, which opened in 1982, are adjacent to the village. They are medium security prisons and overlook the village below. Gowanda Correctional facility houses over 1100 inmates and feature one of the largest sex offender
counseling programs of the New York State prison systems. Collins Correctional houses less than 800.
The Village of Gowanda was first incorporated in 1848 and was re-incorporated in 1878 under a new state regulation and extended its territory to absorb the nearby hamlet of Hidi.
Most of the village in Erie County was destroyed by a fire in 1856, and another fire in 1875 burned many businesses in the Cattaraugus part.
The Bank of Gowanda
building and Gowanda Village Historic District
are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The Heritage Harvest Festival is held every year in the fall with many local business and private home owners opening up their homes for historical tours. A scarecrow contest is also held where local businesses compete in building scarecrows. Afterwords, the scarecrows are hung up around town to scare the children on Halloween. Gowanda also features Pine Hill Cemetery tours which are free and open to the public. The events usually last 2 hours and are held every weekend during the month of October at midnight. The tours include period reenactments of those buried in the cemetery and detailed stories of their lives. A staged reenactment of the 1861 murder of Private Lee Crawford and Beulah Snyder also takes place. Locally brewed Chuck Barlow's Millhouse Cider sponsors the event and offers refreshments during the festivities.
Parts of the 1987 comedy movie "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles", starring Steve Martin and John Candy, were filmed at the Gowanda Train Depot, as well as the Olympia Diner on Main Street.
In August 2009 a great flood occurred in Gowanda and devastated much of the town. Houses and cars were washed away. During the flood, Gowanda’s water reservoir was completely destroyed leaving the town without water. It has been estimated that it will take a year to rebuild the reservoir. There were two fatalities directly caused from the flooding. President Barack Obama has since declared it a disaster. FEMA has been tapped to assist the town in rebuilding. The Tri-County memorial hospital was devastated beyond repair during the flood. Plans are underway to relocate the hospital to another location out of the flood zone which would utilize $18.5 million in FEMA aid. TLC, the operators of Tri-County memorial, will need to raise $2.3 million to fund the project. The proposal has come under fire from residents of towns to the southeast, such as Cattaraugus
and Little Valley
, who note that Gowanda is located less than 15 miles from hospitals in either direction (Dunkirk and Springville), while residents of Cattaraugus and Little Valley must travel 25 miles or more to the nearest hospital.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.2 km²), of which 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) is land and 0.62% is water.
The village is split by Cattaraugus Creek
, the dividing boundary between Erie and Cattaraugus counties with the northern part of the village in Erie County and the southern in Carragaugus.
The village is located on US Route 62 as well as County Road 4 (Broadway Road), NY-39
, and NY-438
.
The Cattaraugus Reservation
is to the west of the village.
of 2000, there were 2,842 people, 1,161 households, and 667 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,772.3 people per square mile (685.8/km²). There were 1,277 housing units at an average density of 796.4 per square mile (308.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 62.47%% White, 0.49% African American, 41.54% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.21% from other races
, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.41% of the population.
There were 1,161 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $29,565, and the median income for a family was $39,094. Males had a median income of $32,279 versus $25,281 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $16,323. About 9.5% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and lies partly in 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...
and partly in Cattaraugus County
Cattaraugus County, New York
Cattaraugus County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,317. The county seat is Little Valley.-History:...
. 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. The Erie County portion of Gowanda is part of the 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...
–Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
Metropolitan 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...
, while the Cattaraugus County portion is part of the Olean
Olean, New York
Olean is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. Olean is the largest city in Cattaraugus County, and serves as the financial, business, transportation and entertainment center of the county. It is one of the principal cities of the Southern Tier region of New York.The city is...
Micropolitan Statistical Area.
The Village of Gowanda is partly in the Town of Collins
Collins, New York
Collins is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The town is on the south border of the county and is considered to be one of the "Southtowns" of Erie County. The population indicated by the 2000 census was 8,307. The population for 2007 is estimated at 7,092, a loss of 1,215...
in Erie County and the Town of 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....
in Cattaraugus County.
Gowanda Airport (D59) is a general aviation grass strip, located northwest of the village. Located in Gowanda, Zoar Valley
Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area
The Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area is a conservation area located at the confluence of the main and south branches of Cattaraugus Creek, on the border of Erie County and Cattaraugus County in western New York, USA...
features over 2000 acres (8.1 km²) of wilderness, hiking trails and waterfalls.
Correctional Facilities
Formerly the Gowanda Psychiatric Center, the Gowanda Correctional FacilityGowanda Correctional Facility
The Gowanda Correctional Facility is a medium security prison for males located in New York, United States. The prison is located in the south part of Erie County in the Town of Collins. It is co-located with the Collins Correctional Facility, another medium security prison...
, which opened in 1994, and the Collins Correctional Facility
Collins Correctional Facility
Collins Correctional Facility is a medium security prison in New York in the USA. The prison is in the Town of Collins in Erie County, New York.- External links :*...
, which opened in 1982, are adjacent to the village. They are medium security prisons and overlook the village below. Gowanda Correctional facility houses over 1100 inmates and feature one of the largest sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
counseling programs of the New York State prison systems. Collins Correctional houses less than 800.
Education
Gowanda is home to Gowanda Middle School, Gowanda High School, Gowanda Elementary School, Gowanda Christian Academy, St. Joseph's Roman Catholic School which are all primary and/or secondary schools.History
The village was settled around 1810 and was originally called "Aldrich Mills." The village later adopted the name "Lodi," which was in conflict with another community in New York, so that name was dropped when the village was incorporated.The Village of Gowanda was first incorporated in 1848 and was re-incorporated in 1878 under a new state regulation and extended its territory to absorb the nearby hamlet of Hidi.
Most of the village in Erie County was destroyed by a fire in 1856, and another fire in 1875 burned many businesses in the Cattaraugus part.
The Bank of Gowanda
Bank of Gowanda
Bank of Gowanda is a historic bank building located at Gowanda in Cattaraugus County, New York. It was built in 1914, to the designs of Edvard Moeller. It is a two story, five-sided Neoclassical style building constructed of load bearing concrete masonry and clad in red brick...
building and Gowanda Village Historic District
Gowanda Village Historic District
Gowanda Village Historic District is a historic district located at Gowanda in Cattaraugus County, New York. The district encompasses five early 20th century commercial buildings constructed 1925-1926. The Neoclassical style structures housed the Gowanda Cooperative Savings and Loan Association,...
are 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...
.
Notable events
Featured in AAA's travel guide, Gowanda features the Hollywood Happening. It was previously called the Harley Happening but was changed after much controversy in the Gowanda Pennysaver. It lasts from Friday to Sunday, usually the first weekend in June. Main Street of Gowanda is shut down for the event which provides parking for the numerous motorcycles and many beer tents are available. Many local Western New York rock, country and blues bands are featured. There are many food and merchandise vendors who sponsor and participate in the event. Attendance of the 2008 Hollywood Happening was estimated to be around 22,000 people for the entire weekend.The Heritage Harvest Festival is held every year in the fall with many local business and private home owners opening up their homes for historical tours. A scarecrow contest is also held where local businesses compete in building scarecrows. Afterwords, the scarecrows are hung up around town to scare the children on Halloween. Gowanda also features Pine Hill Cemetery tours which are free and open to the public. The events usually last 2 hours and are held every weekend during the month of October at midnight. The tours include period reenactments of those buried in the cemetery and detailed stories of their lives. A staged reenactment of the 1861 murder of Private Lee Crawford and Beulah Snyder also takes place. Locally brewed Chuck Barlow's Millhouse Cider sponsors the event and offers refreshments during the festivities.
Parts of the 1987 comedy movie "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles", starring Steve Martin and John Candy, were filmed at the Gowanda Train Depot, as well as the Olympia Diner on Main Street.
In August 2009 a great flood occurred in Gowanda and devastated much of the town. Houses and cars were washed away. During the flood, Gowanda’s water reservoir was completely destroyed leaving the town without water. It has been estimated that it will take a year to rebuild the reservoir. There were two fatalities directly caused from the flooding. President Barack Obama has since declared it a disaster. FEMA has been tapped to assist the town in rebuilding. The Tri-County memorial hospital was devastated beyond repair during the flood. Plans are underway to relocate the hospital to another location out of the flood zone which would utilize $18.5 million in FEMA aid. TLC, the operators of Tri-County memorial, will need to raise $2.3 million to fund the project. The proposal has come under fire from residents of towns to the southeast, such as 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 :...
and 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....
, who note that Gowanda is located less than 15 miles from hospitals in either direction (Dunkirk and Springville), while residents of Cattaraugus and Little Valley must travel 25 miles or more to the nearest hospital.
Geography
Gowanda is located at 42°27′48"N 78°56′11"W (42.463197, -78.936350).According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 village has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.2 km²), of which 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) is land and 0.62% is water.
The village is split 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...
, the dividing boundary between Erie and Cattaraugus counties with the northern part of the village in Erie County and the southern in Carragaugus.
The village is located on US Route 62 as well as County Road 4 (Broadway Road), NY-39
New York State Route 39
New York State Route 39 is an east–west state highway in the western portion of New York in the United States. It begins and ends at intersections with U.S. Route 20 apart...
, and NY-438
New York State Route 438
New York State Route 438 is a north–south state highway located entirely in Erie County, New York, in the United States. Though signed as north–south, the route runs in an almost east–west direction for between Gowanda and Irving through the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation. The...
.
The Cattaraugus Reservation
Cattaraugus Reservation, Erie County, New York
Cattaraugus Reservation is an Indian reservation located partly in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 2,001 at the 2000 census....
is to the west of the village.
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 2,842 people, 1,161 households, and 667 families residing in the village. 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 1,772.3 people per square mile (685.8/km²). There were 1,277 housing units at an average density of 796.4 per square mile (308.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 62.47%% White, 0.49% African American, 41.54% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.21% 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 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.41% of the population.
There were 1,161 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% 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, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $29,565, and the median income for a family was $39,094. Males had a median income of $32,279 versus $25,281 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 village was $16,323. About 9.5% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Gowanda
- Beverly Hills Park – A trailer park in Gowanda on Sandhill Road.
- Chang Hu Park – A memorial park dedicated to the late Dr. Chang Hu who was influential in the town's planning and building process.
- Gowanda Correctional FacilityGowanda Correctional FacilityThe Gowanda Correctional Facility is a medium security prison for males located in New York, United States. The prison is located in the south part of Erie County in the Town of Collins. It is co-located with the Collins Correctional Facility, another medium security prison...
– A NYS Medium Security prisonPrisonA prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
located right next to Collins Correctional Facility separated by Middle Road. Middle Road is the border between the town of Collins and the village of Gowanda. - Hutzenlaub Hill – A large hill on the outskirts of Gowanda which have had several German immigrant families settle there over multiple generations.
- McIntosh Woods – Woods located between the town of Collins and the village of Gowanda. It was named due to the now wild McIntosh apple trees which were planted for the former psychiatric facility patients to enjoy.
- Riverside Park – located along the Cattaraugus Creek in the heart of Gowanda which was revitialized into a historic park area.
- Zoar Valley – A scenic valley formed by Cattaraugus Creek.
External links
- Gowanda Area Historical Society & Museum
- Gowanda information
- Gowanda Chamber of Commerce information
- The Hollywood Happening
- Gowanda Central School District