Batavia (city), New York

{{About|the city|the town|Batavia (town), New York}} Batavia is a [[Administrative divisions of New York#City|city]] in [[Genesee County, New York|Genesee County]], [[Western New York|Western]] [[New York]], [[United States|USA]], located near the middle of Genesee County, entirely within the [[Batavia (town), New York|Town of Batavia]]. Its population as of the 2000 census was 16,256. The name Batavia is [[Latin]] for the [[Betuwe]] region of the [[Netherlands]], and honors early Dutch land developers. Batavia is the county seat of Genesee County. The city hosts the [[Batavia Muckdogs]] baseball club of the [[New York-Penn League]]. They won the 2008 championship. In 2006, a national magazine ranked Batavia third among the nation’s [[United States micropolitan area|micropolitans]] based on economic development. The [[New York State Thruway]] ([[Interstate 90]]) passes north of the city. Genesee County Airport (GVQ) is also located north of the city. Its [[UN/LOCODE]] is USBIA.

The Holland Land Company

[[Image:Holland land 8911.jpg|thumb|left|300px|All of western [[New York]] was sold through this office of the [[Holland Land Company]]. It is now a museum.]] The current City of Batavia was an early settlement in what is today called [[Genesee Country]], the farthest western region of [[New York]] State, comprising the [[Genesee River|Genesee Valley]] and westward to the [[Niagara River]], [[Lake Erie]] and the [[Pennsylvania]] line. The area was purchased in 1792 by the [[Holland Land Company]], a consortium of [[Netherlands|Dutch]] bankers. The {{convert|3.5|e6acre|km2|adj=on}} territory, purchased from [[Robert Morris (merchant)|Robert Morris]], a prominent [[American Revolution|Revolutionary]] banker, was known as "[[The Holland Purchase]]". Batavia, the name the Dutch gave the city is a poetic name for the [[Netherlands]]. It comes from the [[Batavians|Batavi]] tribe that lived [[Batavia (region)|there]] in Roman times. The [[Batavian Republic]], which was a short-lived (1795–1806, i.e. concurrent) republic in the Netherlands at the turn of the nineteenth century, was similarly named. One of the provisions of the sale was that Morris had to settle the [[Native Americans of the United States|Indian]] title to the land, so he arranged for his son [[Thomas Morris (New York politician)|Thomas Morris]] to negotiate with the [[Iroquois]] at [[Geneseo (village), New York|Geneseo, New York]] in 1797. About 3,000 Iroquois, mostly [[Seneca tribe|Seneca]]s, arrived for the negotiation. Seneca chief and orator [[Red Jacket]] was adamantly against the sale, but his influence was thwarted by freely distributed liquor and trinkets given to the women. In the end he acquiesced and signed the Treaty of Big Tree, in which the tribe sold their rights to the land except for a small portion for $100,000. [[Mary Jemison]], known as The White Woman of the Genesee, who had been captured in a raid and married her Seneca captor, proved to be an able negotiator for the tribe and helped win more favorable terms for them. In the negotiations Horatio Jones was the translator and [[William Wadsworth (officer)|William Wadsworth]] provided his unfinished home. The land was then [[Surveying|surveyed]] under the supervision of [[Joseph Ellicott]], a monumental task of the biggest land survey ever attempted to that time. In 1801 Ellicott, as agent for the company, established a land office in Batavia and the entire purchase was named [[Genesee County, New York|Genesee County]] in 1802, with Batavia as the county seat. The company sold off the purchase until 1846, when the company was dissolved. The phrase "doing a land office business", which denotes prosperity, dates from this era. The office still exists and is a museum today, designated a [[National Historic Landmark]]. Joseph Ellicott lived in Batavia for many years although he thought [[Buffalo, NY|Buffalo]] would grow to be larger. Batavia has a major street named after him (Ellicott Street and a smaller street, Ellicott Avenue), as well as a large monument in the heart of the city. Batavia was incorporated as a village in 1823. The present counties of western New York were all laid out from the original Genesee County, and the modern Genesee County is but one of many. But the entire area as a region is still referred to as Genesee Country. Thus, Batavia was the core from which the rest of western New York was opened for settlement and development.

The Masonic Scandal

A scandal erupted in Batavia in 1826, when [[William Morgan (anti-Mason)|William Morgan]], a local n'er do well was offended by the local [[Freemasonry|Masonic Lodge]] (Western Star Chapter R. A. M. No. 33 of [[Le Roy, New York]]), and threatened to expose the secrets of the lodge. He was arrested on a minor charge, then released when his charge was paid, into the company of several men, with whom he went, apparently unwillingly. It was developed later that the men were Masons, and they carried him to [[Fort Niagara]], where he was held captive, and from whence he disappeared. Although the Masons claimed he was only bribed to cease publication and leave the area forever, public sentiment was that he was murdered. No conviction was ever obtained. His captors were only charged and convicted with his abduction. The event roused tremendous public furor and anti-Mason sentiment ran high. Anti-Masonry was a factor in politics for many years later, as well as religion. Many [[Methodist Episcopal Church|Methodist Episcopal]] clergy had joined the Masons, and this was one of the reasons the [[Free Methodist Church]] separated.

The Advent of the Erie Canal

The [[Erie Canal]] in 1825 bypassed Batavia, going well to the north at [[Albion (village), New York|Albion]] and [[Medina, New York|Medina]], enabling [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]] and [[Rochester, Monroe County, New York|Rochester]] to grow much faster. With the sale of the western part of the state completed, Batavia became a small [[industry|industrial]] [[city]] in the heart of an [[agriculture|agricultural]] area. It became known for the [[manufacture]] of [[tractor]]s, agricultural implements, [[sprayer]]s and [[shoe]]s. It also was a [[Die (manufacturing)|tool and die]] making center for industries in other areas. The largest manufacturer, Johnston Harvester Company came into being in 1868. In 1910, the business was acquired by [[Massey-Ferguson|Massey-Harris Co. Ltd]], and became a subsidiary of that [[Canada|Canadian]] company, founded by [[Daniel Massey (manufacturer)|Daniel Massey]] in 1847. Batavia grew rapidly in the early Twentieth century, receiving an influx of [[Poland|Polish]] and [[Italy|Italian]] [[immigrant]]s. The City of Batavia was incorporated in 1915.

Recent history

[[Image:Oatka milk 8933.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Oatka Milk plant still processes milk from area [[dairy farm]]s which are fewer but larger in recent times.]] In recent years much of the heavier industry left for other areas of the US, or abroad, and Batavia became part of what has become known as The [[Rust Belt]]. From 1985 to 1991, Batavian and journalist [[Terry A. Anderson]] was held captive in [[Lebanon]] by [[Hezbollah]] partisans, and his sister, Peggy Say, became an ardent campaigner for his release. The construction of the [[Buffalo Federal Detention Facility]], a federal [[immigration detention]] center adjacent to the airport has provided more jobs in the area, as well as expansion of the airport itself, including lengthening the [[runway]] to accommodate larger aircraft in 2005. Inmates at the detention center have included terrorism suspects, such as [[Nabil Ahmed Farag Soliman]], who embarked on a hunger strike in 1999 after two and a half years in federal detention. [[Barber Conable]], political leader and [[World Bank]] president was a former resident. Author [[John Gardner (novelist)|John Gardner]], a Batavia native, set his novel [[The Sunlight Dialogues]] (1972) in 1960s Batavia. Also a native is [[Bill Kauffman]], a political writer and columnist, whose Dispatches from the Muckdog Gazette (2002) is about the city. Author [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]] references Batavia in his novel, [[Tender Is the Night]] (1934), plus popular authors [[Stephen King]] and [[Peter Straub]] mention or set parts of their novel, [[The Talisman (King & Straub novel)|The Talisman]] (1983), in the city. Batavia was referenced in [[The Simpsons]] Season 8 episode [[The Twisted World of Marge Simpson]], when the first order to [[Marge Simpson|Marge]]'s [[pretzel]] business after securing the protection of the local [[mafia]] comes from the Meat Packers Union Hall in Batavia. Batavia is the hometown of trumpet player, [[Joey Pero]].

Geography

[[Image:Tonawanda mill dam 8928.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Old mill dam at the Big Bend of the Tonawanda, downtown [[Batavia, New York]]. The choice of this site for Ellicot's headquarters was probably influenced by a good mill site.]] According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 5.2 square miles (13.6 km²), of which, 5.2 square miles (13.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (1.14%) is water. [[New York State Route 5]] (east-west) intersects [[New York State Route 33]], [[New York State Route 63]], and [[New York State Route 98]] in the city. The [[New York State Thruway]] is immediately north of Batavia.

Demographics

As of the [[census]]{{GR|2}} of 2000, there were 16,256 people, 6,457 households, and 3,867 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 3,133.9 people per square mile (1,209.3/km²). There were 6,924 housing units at an average density of 1,334.8 per square mile (515.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.23% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 5.43% [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.48% [[Native Americans of the United States|Native American]], 0.87% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.02% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.06% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.90% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.45% of the population. There were 6,457 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.01. In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,484, and the median income for a family was $42,460. Males had a median income of $32,091 versus $23,289 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $17,737. About 10.2% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable events

* The First Business Incubator in the United States, the Batavia Industrial Center, was started in Batavia. * [[John Elway]], quarterback of the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, hit his first professional home run at Dwyer Stadium while playing minor league baseball. * In March 1926, over 1,000 people turned out to hear [[Helen Keller]] speak in the city. * The first union Soldier to enlist in the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] was from Batavia. * On September 3, 1993 a [[tornado]] tore through Batavia killing two people.

Notable residents

* [[Nelson Baker]], [[Roman Catholic]] [[priest]] * [[Albert G. Burr]], [[United States Representative]] * [[Paolo Busti]], principal agent of the [[Holland Land Company]] * [[William L. Carpenter]], [[naturalist]] and [[geologist]] * [[William Henry Comstock]], [[businessman]] and [[politician]] * [[James Crossen-Cobourg Car Works]], [[Canadian]] [[railway car]] and [[street car]] builder * [[Marc Ferrari]], [[guitar player]] for the band [[Keel]] * [[Teal Fowler]], [[ice hockey]] player * [[John Gardner (novelist)|John Gardner]], [[novelist]] * [[Robert Haney]], Wisconsin politician and businessman * [[Kevin F. Johnson]], [[soccer]] coach * [[Bill Kauffman]], political journalist and author * [[William Morgan (anti-Mason)|William Morgan]], his book on [[Freemasons|Freemasonry]] and his disappearance in 1826 sparked an anti-Masonic movement in [[United States|America]] * [[Thomas David Morrison]], [[Canadian]] doctor and exiled Mayor of [[Toronto]] 1838-1843 * [[Dean Richmond]], from 1864 to 1866, president of the [[New York Central]] * [[Emory Upton]], [[United States Army]] [[General]] during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] * [[Mary Elizabeth Wood]], [[Librarian]] and [[missionary]]

External links

{{commons category|Batavia, New York}} * [http://www.batavianewyork.com/about_batavia.html Batavia New York website] * [http://downtownbataviany.com/ Downtown Batavia, NY] - Information on the Batavia Business Improvement District - events, programs, properties etc. * [http://wbta1490.com AM-1490 WBTA] - Batavia radio station, only licensed radio station between Rochester and Buffalo * [http://thebatavian.com The Batavian] - Online newspaper and blog from Batavia, NY * [http://history.rays-place.com/ny/batavia-ny.htm Early history of Batavia region] * [http://www.thedailynewsonline.com] - Online version of The Daily News, Batavia's only daily newspaper. * [http://www.hollandlandoffice.com Holland Land Office] * [http://www.presenttensebooks.com/events/HistoricBatavia/index.html Historic Batavia: A City Revealed (images and audio)] {{Genesee County, New York}} {{New York}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Batavia (City), New York}}