Pomfret, New York
Encyclopedia
Pomfret is a town
in Chautauqua County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 14,703 at the 2000 census.
The Town of Pomfret lies in the north-central part of the county, south of Dunkirk, New York
.
The Town of Pomfret was formed in 1808 from the Town of Chautauqua
, being the first partition of Chautauqua after the county was formed. Pomfret later lost substantial parts of its territory during the formation of five new towns of the county.
, the town has a total area of 44.2 square miles (114.5 km²), of which, 43.9 square miles (113.7 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (0.63%) is water.
The northwestern part of the town borders Lake Erie
.
The New York State Thruway
(Interstate 90
) and US 20
pass through the town. NY 60
is a major north-south highway, and NY 5
runs along the shore of Lake Erie.
)
of 2000, there were 14,703 people, 5,105 households, and 2,971 families residing in the town. The population density
was 335.0 people per square mile (129.3/km²). There were 5,558 housing units at an average density of 126.6 per square mile (48.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.28% White, 2.07% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races
, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.33% of the population.
There were 5,105 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.2% under the age of 18, 30.7% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,444, and the median income for a family was $47,252. Males had a median income of $35,669 versus $25,997 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $16,506. About 4.6% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 14,703 at the 2000 census.
The Town of Pomfret lies in the north-central part of the county, south of Dunkirk, New York
Dunkirk (city), New York
Dunkirk is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the USA. It was officially incorporated in 1880, though it was first settled around 1805. The population was 12,563 at the 2010 census. Dunkirk is bordered on the north by Lake Erie. It shares a border with the Village of Fredonia to the south,...
.
History
The town was first settled around 1806.The Town of Pomfret was formed in 1808 from the Town of Chautauqua
Chautauqua, New York
Chautauqua is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, U.S. . The population was 4,666 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Chautauqua Lake. The traditional meaning remains 'bag tied in the middle'...
, being the first partition of Chautauqua after the county was formed. Pomfret later lost substantial parts of its territory during the formation of five new towns of the county.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 44.2 square miles (114.5 km²), of which, 43.9 square miles (113.7 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (0.63%) is water.
The northwestern part of the town borders 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...
.
The New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The 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...
(Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 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...
) and US 20
U.S. Route 20 in New York
U.S. Route 20 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Newport, Oregon, to Boston, Massachusetts. In the U.S. state of New York, US 20 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley to the Massachusetts state line in the Berkshire Mountains. US 20 is the longest...
pass through the town. NY 60
New York State Route 60
New York State Route 60 is a north–south state highway in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S. Route 62 south of the city of Jamestown in the town of Kiantone. Its northern terminus is at a junction with NY 5...
is a major north-south highway, and NY 5
New York State Route 5
New 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...
runs along the shore of Lake Erie.
Adjacent towns and areas
(ClockwiseClockwise
Circular motion can occur in two possible directions. A clockwise motion is one that proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top...
)
- 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...
; DunkirkDunkirk (town), New YorkDunkirk is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, USA. The population was 1,387 at the 2000 census.The Town of Dunkirk surrounds the City of Dunkirk, which is a separate entity, not a part of the town.- History :...
- SheridanSheridan, New YorkSheridan is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 2,838 at the 2000 census.The Town of Sheridan is on the county's northern border, east of the City of Dunkirk.- History :The town was first settled around 1804....
; ArkwrightArkwright, New YorkArkwright is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, in the USA. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,126. The town is named after Richard Arkwright, the inventor of a spinning device....
- StocktonStockton, New YorkStockton is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 2,331 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Richard Stockton, who signed the Declaration of Independence....
- PortlandPortland, New YorkPortland is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 5,502 at the 2000 census.The Town of Portland is on the shore of Lake Erie west of the City of Dunkirk. The Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility is within Portland. Because the residents of this...
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 14,703 people, 5,105 households, and 2,971 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 335.0 people per square mile (129.3/km²). There were 5,558 housing units at an average density of 126.6 per square mile (48.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.28% White, 2.07% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.33% of the population.
There were 5,105 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.2% under the age of 18, 30.7% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,444, and the median income for a family was $47,252. Males had a median income of $35,669 versus $25,997 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $16,506. About 4.6% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Pomfret
- Bear Lake – A small lake west of Lily Dale, partly in the town.
- Canadaway Creek – A stream flowing northward through the town toward Lake Erie.
- Cassadaga Lake (or Cassadaga Lakes) – Is a lakeLakeA lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
composed of two large sections joined by a narrow channel. The northern large section is in Pomfret, and the southern is in the Town of StocktonStockton, New YorkStockton is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 2,331 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Richard Stockton, who signed the Declaration of Independence....
. - Cordova – A hamlet west of Fredonia on County Road 78.
- FredoniaFredonia, New YorkFredonia is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 11,068 as of 2009.The Village of Fredonia is in the Town of Pomfret south of Lake Erie...
– The Village of Fredonia on the northern town border. - Fredonia Reservoir – A lake intersected by Canadaway Creek.
- Greencrest – A lakeside hamletHamlet (place)A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
on the shore of Lake Erie, partly in Pomfret. - Lamberton – A hamlet located on Route 20 in the northern part of the town.
- LaonaLaona, New YorkLaona is a hamlet in Chautauqua County, New York, United States, near the village of Fredonia. It is part of the town of Pomfret, New York and New York State Route 60 runs through it. Laona is at an elevation of 850 ft above sea level....
– A hamlet southeast of Fredonia on NY Route 60New York State Route 60New York State Route 60 is a north–south state highway in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S. Route 62 south of the city of Jamestown in the town of Kiantone. Its northern terminus is at a junction with NY 5...
. - Lily DaleLily DaleLily Dale is a spiritualist community of the Modern Spiritualist movement located in Chautauqua County, New York, USA. Lily Dale became renowned for Spiritualism when members moved the home of its American founders, Kate and Margaret Fox, to the town after it was purchased in 1927.Lily Dale is a...
– Lily Dale is a center of Spiritualism and borders the Village of CassadagaCassadaga, New YorkCassadaga is an incorporated village located in Chautauqua County, New York, in the United States. The village is located within the northeast corner of the Town of Stockton, east of the village of Stockton, south of and immediately adjacent to Lily Dale in the Town of Pomfret, and north of the...
and the north end of Cassadaga Lake. - Mud Lake – A pondPondA pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
east of Cassadaga Lake. - Nortons Switch – A location in the western part of the town.
- Reed Corners – A hamlet east of Fredonia at the junction of US 20 and NY60.
- Shumla – A hamlet on County Road 72 by the eastern town line.
- Van Buren Bay – A lakeside hamlet on the shore of Lake Erie on the shore of Van Buren Bay And on NY5.
- Van Buren Point – A lakeside hamlet on the shore of Lake Erie, located on a headland also called Van Buren Point. Only part of the community is in Pomfret.
Notable natives and residents
- Joel Hills Johnson (1802–1883), Mormon pioneer, published poet and gospel hymn writer, Utah politician, founded the Utah towns of Enoch and Johnson.
- Justus Smith StearnsJustus Smith StearnsJustus Smith Stearns was an American lumber baron and businessman. He was Michigan's secretary of state in 1899 and 1900.- Biography :...
, prominent businessman born in this town.