Lackawanna, New York
Encyclopedia
Lackawanna is a city in Erie County
, New York
, U.S.
, located just south of the city of Buffalo
in the western part of New York
state. The population
was 18,141 at the 2010 census. The name derives from the Lackawanna Steel Company
. It is part of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area
.
The city of Lackawanna is in the western part of the county.
, the area was not open to settlement until 1842 when the land was sold by the Seneca Indians. In 1851 the town of Seneca was formed, the name was changed to West Seneca in 1852, with the area now known as Lackawanna being called West Seneca or Limestone Hill.
Lackawanna was a center of steel
manufacture throughout most of the 20th century. In 1899 all the land along the West Seneca shore of Lake Erie
was purchased by the Lackawanna Steel Company. Construction was started in 1900 and the plant began operation in 1903. The Lackawanna Steel Company
moved to the area in 1902 later, in 1909, the residents of the area voted to split off from West Seneca forming the city of Lackawanna .
The Lackawanna Steel Company was acquired by the Bethlehem Steel
Company in 1922. With the 20th century growth of the Bethlehem Steel plant, at one time the fourth largest in the world, came the continued growth of the city and its institutions. At its peak the plant employed 20,000 people. It attracted people from many lands to settle here and make their homes. However, the latter half of the 20th century saw the decline of the steel plant and finally its closure.
In recent years, efforts have been made to convert the former steel plant brownfields to other uses. The site does have a diversity of tenants, some occupy buildings remaining from the former steel plant and a few in newer buildings. These efforts have been opposed by many sectors, as the alleged contamination of the field has been said by some to have caused cancer and other medical issues. United States Environmental Protection Agency reports are still ongoing and contested. Wind turbine
s were built on the former Bethlehem Steel property in 2007. These initial eight 2.5 megawatt turbines will provide power for up to 9,000 households.
, originally the Lackawanna and Western Railroad, operated from 1851 to 1960. In 1960 it was consolidated with the Erie Railroad
to become the Erie Lackawanna Railway
. The Erie Lackawanna Railway operated from 1960 to 1976 until it was absorbed by Conrail.
(also known as the Buffalo Six) are a group of alleged Al-Qaida members, who were convicted of providing "material support" to Al-Qaida. The group was accused of traveling to Afghanistan
and Pakistan
in the spring of 2001 to attend terrorist training camps. However, they had claimed that their travel was to Pakistan only for the purpose of religious instruction.
The group was arrested in Lackawanna, September 13, 2002, by the FBI. A member of the Lackawanna Cell, Jaber A. Elbaneh
, never returned to the U.S. after his trip to Afghanistan. In September 2003 the FBI announced a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest. He was captured by Yemen police and was convicted and sentenced to a prison in Yemen for involvement in the 2002 bombing of the French oil tanker Limburg off the coast of Yemen. The remaining members of the group pled guilty in December 2003 and were given various sentences in federal prison.
Jaber Elbaneh escaped from a Yemeni prison in 2006 after joining a successful group prison break and was named as one of 23 people, 12 of them Al-Qaeda members, who escaped on February 3, 2006.On February 23, 2006 the U.S. FBI confirmed the escape, as they issued a national Press Release naming Elbaneh as one of the first new additions, since inception in 2001, to the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists
list. On May 20, 2007, Elbaneh turned himself in to Yemen authorities on the condition that his prison sentence would not be extended. The incident of the Lackawanna Six has tarnished the city's reputation, but it is recovering.
In July 2009, it was reported that prior to sending in 130 federal and local members of the
Western New York Joint Terrorism Task Force it was suggested that federal troops
be used to capture the suspects. At the time, Vice President Dick Cheney
and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
felt that the men should be declared enemy combatants and could have been tried by a military tribunal
. President Bush
rejected this proposal and the arrests proceeded without incident.
Our Lady of Victory Basilica
, located in Lackawanna, is a National Shrine. Next to Our Lady of Victory (OLV) Basilica is Holy Cross Cemetery. It has been a parish cemetery since 1849, although burials date back to 1830.
Father Nelson Baker
was responsible for the building of working boy's home (protectory
) in 1898. He also supervised construction of an infants' home in 1907, a maternity home in 1915, Our Lady of Victory Hospital in 1919, and the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory in 1926. Father Baker named the Basilica after the shrine of Notre Dame des Victoires in Paris
, France
, which he visited as a seminarian in 1874. He was in charge of the Basilica and the various institutions of charity until his death at 94, on July 29, 1936.
Father Baker's social programs have evolved into Baker Victory Services, which care for more than 2,500 children each day. Our Lady of Victory Hospital, closed in 1999, is being converted into senior housing . The Homes of Charity provide the funds to continue his social programs through donations, and Our Lady of Victory Basilica had its 75th Anniversary in 2001. In addition, the Catholic Church named Father Baker "Servant of God
" in 1987, the first step towards declaring him a saint. In 1999, Father Nelson Baker
's remains were moved from Holy Cross Cemetery and re-interred inside the basilica. This was a recommended step for his canonization
process. On January 14, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI approved a document of the Congregation for Saints' Causes declaring Father Baker "Venerable." His cause for canonization
continues under review by Vatican officials.
, the city has a total area of 6.1 square miles (15.8 km²), all land. Lackawanna sits on Lake Erie, although the waterfront is occupied by the remnants of the Bethlehem Steel
facility. Smokes Creek (named after Seneca Indian Chief Sayenqueraghta who was nicknamed "Old Smoke") runs through the city before it discharges into Lake Erie.
Abbott Road is a major road that runs north-south through the city. Ridge Road is also a main east-west road in the city.
of 2000, there were 19,064 people, 8,192 households, and 4,775 families residing in the city. The population density
was 3,114.0 people per square mile (1,202.7/km²). There were 8,951 housing units at an average density of 1,462.1 per square mile (564.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.99% White, 9.50% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.30% from other races
, and 3.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.08% of the population. The population of whites includes a significant Yemeni population.
There were 8,192 households out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% were married couples
living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,354, and the median income for a family was $39,237. Males had a median income of $32,063 versus $22,794 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,727. About 13.1% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.4% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
, offers education from Kindergarten through Grade 8. The Global Concepts Charter School, a charter school
in the New York State system, offers education from Kindergarten through Grade 10.
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...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, located just south of the city of 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...
in the western part 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...
state. The population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
was 18,141 at the 2010 census. The name derives from the Lackawanna Steel Company
Lackawanna Steel Company
The Lackawanna Steel Company was an American steel manufacturing company that existed as an independent company from 1840 to 1922, and as a subsidiary of the Bethlehem Steel company from 1922 to 1983. Founded by the Scranton family, it was once the second-largest steel company in the world ....
. It is part of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan 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...
.
The city of Lackawanna is in the western part of the county.
Government
The city of Lackawanna has a mayor-council form of government. A councilman is elected for each of the four wards of the city. The mayor and council president are elected at large. Fire and police services are also provided by city run departments.History
Originally part of the Buffalo Creek ReservationBuffalo Creek Reservation
The Buffalo Creek Reservation was a tract of land surrounding Buffalo Creek in the central portion of Erie County, New York. It contained approximately of land and was set aside for the Native Americans of the region...
, the area was not open to settlement until 1842 when the land was sold by the Seneca Indians. In 1851 the town of Seneca was formed, the name was changed to West Seneca in 1852, with the area now known as Lackawanna being called West Seneca or Limestone Hill.
Lackawanna was a center of steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
manufacture throughout most of the 20th century. In 1899 all the land along the West Seneca shore of Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
was purchased by the Lackawanna Steel Company. Construction was started in 1900 and the plant began operation in 1903. The Lackawanna Steel Company
Lackawanna Steel Company
The Lackawanna Steel Company was an American steel manufacturing company that existed as an independent company from 1840 to 1922, and as a subsidiary of the Bethlehem Steel company from 1922 to 1983. Founded by the Scranton family, it was once the second-largest steel company in the world ....
moved to the area in 1902 later, in 1909, the residents of the area voted to split off from West Seneca forming the city of Lackawanna .
The Lackawanna Steel Company was acquired by the Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
Company in 1922. With the 20th century growth of the Bethlehem Steel plant, at one time the fourth largest in the world, came the continued growth of the city and its institutions. At its peak the plant employed 20,000 people. It attracted people from many lands to settle here and make their homes. However, the latter half of the 20th century saw the decline of the steel plant and finally its closure.
In recent years, efforts have been made to convert the former steel plant brownfields to other uses. The site does have a diversity of tenants, some occupy buildings remaining from the former steel plant and a few in newer buildings. These efforts have been opposed by many sectors, as the alleged contamination of the field has been said by some to have caused cancer and other medical issues. United States Environmental Protection Agency reports are still ongoing and contested. Wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s were built on the former Bethlehem Steel property in 2007. These initial eight 2.5 megawatt turbines will provide power for up to 9,000 households.
Railroads
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadDelaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
, originally the Lackawanna and Western Railroad, operated from 1851 to 1960. In 1960 it was consolidated with the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
to become the Erie Lackawanna Railway
Erie Lackawanna Railway
The Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie–Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad...
. The Erie Lackawanna Railway operated from 1960 to 1976 until it was absorbed by Conrail.
Notable court case
The city of Lackawanna was the defendant in the 1971 district court decision Kennedy-Park Homes Association v. City of Lackawanna. This court decision forbade the municipal government (Lackawanna) from interfering with the construction of a low-income housing development in a predominantly white section of the city. It was decided that such action would amount to racial discrimination.The Lackawanna Six
The Lackawanna SixBuffalo Six
The Buffalo Six is a group of six Yemeni-American childhood friends who were convicted of providing material support to al-Qaeda, based on the fact they had attended an Al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan together in the Spring of 2001.They are:*Mukhtar Al-Bakri,*Sahim Alwan,*Faysal...
(also known as the Buffalo Six) are a group of alleged Al-Qaida members, who were convicted of providing "material support" to Al-Qaida. The group was accused of traveling to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in the spring of 2001 to attend terrorist training camps. However, they had claimed that their travel was to Pakistan only for the purpose of religious instruction.
The group was arrested in Lackawanna, September 13, 2002, by the FBI. A member of the Lackawanna Cell, Jaber A. Elbaneh
Jaber A. Elbaneh
Jaber A. Elbaneh is a Yemeni-American who was labeled a suspected terrorist by the United States after it emerged that he had attended al-Farooq alongside the Lackawanna Six, and remained on at the camp after they returned home...
, never returned to the U.S. after his trip to Afghanistan. In September 2003 the FBI announced a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest. He was captured by Yemen police and was convicted and sentenced to a prison in Yemen for involvement in the 2002 bombing of the French oil tanker Limburg off the coast of Yemen. The remaining members of the group pled guilty in December 2003 and were given various sentences in federal prison.
Jaber Elbaneh escaped from a Yemeni prison in 2006 after joining a successful group prison break and was named as one of 23 people, 12 of them Al-Qaeda members, who escaped on February 3, 2006.On February 23, 2006 the U.S. FBI confirmed the escape, as they issued a national Press Release naming Elbaneh as one of the first new additions, since inception in 2001, to the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists
FBI Most Wanted Terrorists
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Most Wanted Terrorists is a list of fugitives who have been indicted by sitting Federal grand juries in the United States district courts, for alleged crimes of terrorism. The initial list was formed in late 2001 in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks...
list. On May 20, 2007, Elbaneh turned himself in to Yemen authorities on the condition that his prison sentence would not be extended. The incident of the Lackawanna Six has tarnished the city's reputation, but it is recovering.
In July 2009, it was reported that prior to sending in 130 federal and local members of the
Western New York Joint Terrorism Task Force it was suggested that federal troops
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
be used to capture the suspects. At the time, Vice President Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
felt that the men should be declared enemy combatants and could have been tried by a military tribunal
Guantanamo military commission
The Guantanamo military commissions are military tribunals created by the Military Commissions Act of 2006 for prosecuting detainees held in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps.- History :...
. President 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....
rejected this proposal and the arrests proceeded without incident.
Religious institutions
The city of Lackawanna is home to fourteen Protestant churches, the Masjid Alhuda Guidance Mosque (the largest mosque in the Buffalo area), ten Roman Catholic churches; one of which is Our Lady of Victory Basilica (OLV), and Saint Stephen Serbian Orthodox Church.Our Lady of Victory Basilica
Our Lady of Victory Basilica (Lackawanna, New York)
The Basilica of Our Lady of Victory is a national shrine and Roman Catholic parish located in Lackawanna, New York. Due to the multiple charities of founder Father Nelson Baker, the shrine is a popular pilgrimage and visitor destination in Lackawanna....
, located in Lackawanna, is a National Shrine. Next to Our Lady of Victory (OLV) Basilica is Holy Cross Cemetery. It has been a parish cemetery since 1849, although burials date back to 1830.
Father Nelson Baker
Father Nelson Baker
Nelson Henry Baker was a Roman Catholic priest and church administrator in the Buffalo, New York area. At the time of his death in 1936, the "city of charity" he developed under the patronage of Our Lady of Victory in Lackawanna, NY consisted of a minor basilica, an infant home, a home for unwed...
was responsible for the building of working boy's home (protectory
Protectory
A protectory is a Roman Catholic institution for the shelter and training of the young, designed to afford neglected or abandoned children shelter, food, raiment and the rudiments of an education in religion, morals, science and manual training or industrial pursuits.Institutions of this character...
) in 1898. He also supervised construction of an infants' home in 1907, a maternity home in 1915, Our Lady of Victory Hospital in 1919, and the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory in 1926. Father Baker named the Basilica after the shrine of Notre Dame des Victoires in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, which he visited as a seminarian in 1874. He was in charge of the Basilica and the various institutions of charity until his death at 94, on July 29, 1936.
Father Baker's social programs have evolved into Baker Victory Services, which care for more than 2,500 children each day. Our Lady of Victory Hospital, closed in 1999, is being converted into senior housing . The Homes of Charity provide the funds to continue his social programs through donations, and Our Lady of Victory Basilica had its 75th Anniversary in 2001. In addition, the Catholic Church named Father Baker "Servant of God
Servant of God
Servant of God is a title given to individuals by various religions, but in general the phrase is used to describe a person believed to be pious in his or her faith tradition. In the Catholic Church, it designates someone who is being investigated by the Church for possibly being recognized as a...
" in 1987, the first step towards declaring him a saint. In 1999, Father Nelson Baker
Father Nelson Baker
Nelson Henry Baker was a Roman Catholic priest and church administrator in the Buffalo, New York area. At the time of his death in 1936, the "city of charity" he developed under the patronage of Our Lady of Victory in Lackawanna, NY consisted of a minor basilica, an infant home, a home for unwed...
's remains were moved from Holy Cross Cemetery and re-interred inside the basilica. This was a recommended step for his canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
process. On January 14, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI approved a document of the Congregation for Saints' Causes declaring Father Baker "Venerable." His cause for canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
continues under review by Vatican officials.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 6.1 square miles (15.8 km²), all land. Lackawanna sits on Lake Erie, although the waterfront is occupied by the remnants of the Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
facility. Smokes Creek (named after Seneca Indian Chief Sayenqueraghta who was nicknamed "Old Smoke") runs through the city before it discharges into Lake Erie.
Abbott Road is a major road that runs north-south through the city. Ridge Road is also a main east-west road in the city.
Adjacent cities & towns
- City of BuffaloBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo 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...
- north - Town of West SenecaWest Seneca, New YorkWest Seneca is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 44,711 at the 2010 census. West Seneca is a centrally-located interior town of the county, and a suburb of Buffalo...
- east - Village of BlasdellBlasdell, New YorkBlasdell is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 2,718 according to the year 2000 census. The name is derived from Herman Blasdell, the first station master of the Erie and Pennsylvania railroad depot...
- south - Town of HamburgHamburg (town), New YorkHamburg is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 56,259.The Town of Hamburg is on the western border of the county and is south of Buffalo, New York. Hamburg is one of the "Southtowns" in Erie County...
- south - Lake ErieLake ErieLake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
- west
Major highways
Interstate 90Interstate 90Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
(New York State ThruwayNew York State ThruwayThe New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
), runs through the extreme southeast corner of the city.
U.S. Route 62U.S. Route 62U.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...
(South Park Ave.), North-South roadway that runs through the city from Buffalo into Blasdell and Hamburg.
New York State Route 5New York State Route 5New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
(Fuhrmann Blvd., Hamburg Tprk.), North-South roadway through the city that runs from Hamburg to Buffalo. Busy north-south route for traffic to and from Buffalo.
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 19,064 people, 8,192 households, and 4,775 families residing in the city. 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 3,114.0 people per square mile (1,202.7/km²). There were 8,951 housing units at an average density of 1,462.1 per square mile (564.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.99% White, 9.50% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.30% 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 3.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.08% of the population. The population of whites includes a significant Yemeni population.
There were 8,192 households out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% 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, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,354, and the median income for a family was $39,237. Males had a median income of $32,063 versus $22,794 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 city was $16,727. About 13.1% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.4% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
Public
Children in Lackawanna attend school in the Lackawanna City School District. Grades Pre-K to 2 attend Truman Elementary School. Martin Road Elementary School has grades 3-6. In a shared building, Grades 7 through 8 are in the Lackawanna Middle School section and Grades 9 through 12 are in Lackawanna High School section. Lackawanna Senior High School was famous in the 1960s and early 70s because of its dominant football teams (quarterbacked by Ron Jaworski for some of those years).Private
Our Lady Of Victory Elementary School, a private school affiliated with the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, offers education from Kindergarten through Grade 8. The Global Concepts Charter School, a charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
in the New York State system, offers education from Kindergarten through Grade 10.
Notable people from Lackawanna
- Father Nelson Baker - A Roman Catholic priest responsible for building the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory. This "Padre of the Poor" established social programs (for orphans, people with disabilities, unwed mothers, etc.), which still serve over 2,500 people a day.
- R.J. Adams aka Bob Shannon - Film/TV actor, Radio personality |WKBWWWKBWWKB is an AM radio station in Buffalo, New York that operates on a frequency of 1520 kHz. It is owned and operated by Entercom Communications. The station carries a progressive talk radio format. Declaring itself as A New Voice, A New Choice, The Voice of the New Majority; WWKB carries a number...
radio. - Rosemarie Bishop - Author of The Moral Vampire Series of books including Search For A Soul, Noah's Garden, Mrs. Pope, and A Brother's Love.
- Ann Burke - former radio co-host on WGR (Bob & Ann Show, topic Buffalo Bills), was one of the first female sports radio call-in hosts in America.
- Dr. Vincent Burke - Senior book editor at The Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Tom Callahan - Play by play announcer for the Nashville PredatorsNashville PredatorsThe Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
NHL team. - Sam Cardinale - A professional boxing manager for Lackawanna boxers Dick Topinko, Joe Capuani and Poncho Padilla.
- Joe HeskethJoe HeskethJoseph Thomas Hesketh is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1984 through 1994 for the Montreal Expos , Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox . Listed at 6' 2", 170 lb., Hesketh batted right-handed and threw left-handed...
- A former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher who played from 1984 through 1994 for the Montreal Expos, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. - Ron JaworskiRon JaworskiRonald Vincent "Ron" Jaworski is a former American football quarterback and currently an NFL analyst on ESPN. He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia...
- ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
broadcaster and former quarterback for the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Los Angeles Rams, Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. - Jack Jurek - A professional bowler on the Professional Bowlers AssociationProfessional Bowlers AssociationThe Professional Bowlers Association is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional ten-pin bowling in the United States. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the PBA membership consists of almost 4,300 members worldwide...
tour since 1986. - Michael Kogutek - The 1980-81 National Commander of the American LegionAmerican LegionThe American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
. - Thomas Kubiak - An actor who has appeared in The Purple Rose of CairoThe Purple Rose of CairoThe Purple Rose of Cairo is a 1985 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. Inspired by Sherlock, Jr., Hellzapoppin, and Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author, it is the tale of a film character who leaves a fictional film of the same name and enters the real...
and Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
. - Mike MamulaMike MamulaMichael Brian Mamula is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boston College.-College career:Mamula played college football at Boston College...
- Defensive lineman at Boston CollegeBoston CollegeBoston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
who was selected #7 in the first round by the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 1995 NFL draft. - Connie PorterConnie PorterConnie Rose Porter is an African-American author best known for her books for children and young adults. She was the third youngest of nine children of a family living in a housing project. She went on to earn degrees from SUNY Albany and Louisiana State University...
- An author best known for her books for children and young adults. Her novel All-Bright Court is set in Lackawanna. - Ruben Santiago-HudsonRuben Santiago-HudsonRuben Santiago-Hudson is an American actor and playwright, who has won national awards for his work in both areas. In November 2011 he will appear on Broadway in Lydia Diamond's play .-Early life:...
- An actor and playwright. He set his musical Lackawanna BluesLackawanna BluesLackawanna Blues is an American play written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson in 2001. It was later adapted as a television movie that aired in 2005. The play dramatizes the character of the author's primary caregiver when he was growing up in Lackawanna, New York, during the 1950s and 1960s.-Play:The...
in the Lackawanna community of 1956. - Bobby Scanlon - An Irish-American boxer in the 1950s who grew up in Father Baker's orphanage.
- Dick ShawnDick ShawnDick Shawn was an American actor and comedian.-Early life and career:Shawn was born as Richard Schulefand in Buffalo, New York. He played Sylvester Marcus, son of Mrs. Marcus , in Stanley Kramer's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Lorenzo St...
- An actor/comedian/singer who was born Richard Schulefand. His parents owned a store in Lackawanna. Dick Shawn appeared in The ProducersThe Producers (1968 film)The Producers is a 1968 American satirical dark comedy cult classic film written and directed by Mel Brooks. The film is set in the late 1960s and it tells the story of a theatrical producer and an accountant who want to produce a sure-fire Broadway flop...
and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad WorldIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad WorldIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer about the madcap pursuit of $350,000 in stolen cash by a diverse and colorful group of strangers...
among others. - John SlabykJohn SlabykJohn Slabyk was the Art Director/Creative Director for Barack Obama's 2008 campaign for President of the United States.Prior to joining the Obama campaign, Slabyk worked as a Senior Art Director and Graphic Designer for various design firms and advertising agencies in Chicago, such as Ogilvy &...
- A freelance art director and graphic designer who became art director for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. He previously had redesigned the Buffalo SabresBuffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
team logo. - Dr. Lonnie Smith, an award-winning jazz organist who has worked closely with George BensonGeorge BensonGeorge Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
; he has also appeared with Dizzy GillespieDizzy GillespieJohn Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
, Gladys KnightGladys KnightGladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
, and Dionne WarwickDionne WarwickDionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
. - Margaret M. Sullivan - The current editor of The Buffalo NewsThe Buffalo NewsThe Buffalo News is the primary newspaper of the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area, and the area's only daily newspaper. It is the only newspaper owned by Berkshire Hathaway.-History:...
. In 1999, when she was promoted from managing editor, she became the paper’s first female editor and the youngest female newspaper editor in the nation. - Raymond Thorne - An actor who was born Raymond Mihok. He played in films like Playing for KeepsPlaying for Keeps (film)Playing for Keeps is a 1986 comedy film directed and written by brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein. It stars Daniel Jordano, Matthew Penn and Leon W. Grant as a trio of inner-city teenagers attempting to strike it rich by turning a hotel into a rock 'n' roll resort...
and Johnny FlyntonJohnny FlyntonJohnny Flynton is a short film that was directed by Lexi Alexander and was nominated for an Academy Award.. It is based on a true story about a boxer that accidentally kills the wife that he loves.-Reception:... - John B. WeberJohn B. WeberJohn Baptiste Weber was a U.S. Representative from New York.-Early life:John Weber was born at his parents cottage on Oak Street in Buffalo, New York. His parents, Philippe Jacob Weber and Mary Anne Weber , had emigrated to the United States in 1833 from Leutenheim, Alsace and settled in Buffalo...
- Became the youngest colonel (age 20) in the Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
after his appointment to the 89th United States Colored Infantry. He was elected to CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and served one term from 1885 to 1889. Weber was also the first commissioner of the immigration station at Ellis IslandEllis IslandEllis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...