Brant, New York
Encyclopedia
Brant is a town
in Erie County
, New York
, United States
. As of the 2000 U.S. census, the town had a population of 1,906. The town was named after the Mohawk
leader Joseph Brant
.
The Town of Brant is located in the southwestern part of the county and is known as one of the "Southtowns." It is south of Buffalo
.
was originally in the Town of Willink
and was organized March 25, 1839 from parts of the Towns of Evans
and Concord
.
This early source is incorrect in its information about the meaning of Brant's name. His Mohawk name meant "he places two bets". His Christian name came from his stepfather. When natives were baptized, they were given Christian names, often based on the name of the white missionary or priest who converted them. Brant's stepfather was given the Christian name "Barent" which was later shortened to Brant in common use. When Joseph was young, he was known in his village as "Brant's Joseph" and his sister as "Brant's Mary." They later became Joseph Brant and Mary "Molly" Brant.
, the town has a total area of 24.8 square miles (64.2 km²), of which 24.3 square miles (62.9 km²) is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) (1.78%) is water.
The New York State Thruway
(Interstate 90
), U.S. Route 20
and NY 5
, pass through the town.
and the south border is the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation. The Town of North Collins
borders on the east, the Town of Evans
on the north.
of 2000, there were 1,906 people, 710 households, and 528 families residing in the town. The population density
was 78.4 people per square mile (30.3/km²). There were 812 housing units at an average density of 33.4 per square mile (12.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.60% White, 1.26% African American, 3.78% Native American, 0.31% from other races
, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 710 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples
living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,847, and the median income for a family was $47,130. Males had a median income of $35,913 versus $23,646 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $19,803. About 4.0% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 6.9% 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 Erie County
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 U.S. census, the town had a population of 1,906. The town was named after the Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
leader Joseph Brant
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. He was perhaps the most well-known American Indian of his generation...
.
The Town of Brant is located in the southwestern part of the county and is known as one of the "Southtowns." It is south 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...
.
History
The first white settler, Moses Tucker, arrived around 1816. The townTown
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...
was originally in the Town of Willink
Willink, New York
Willink, New York is a former town in Western New York, USA. The name was derived from Willem Willink, one of the original investors of the Holland Land Company....
and was organized March 25, 1839 from parts of the Towns of Evans
Evans, New York
Evans is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 17,594 at the 2000 census. The town derives its name from David E. Evans, an agent of the Holland Land Company and nephew of land agent Joseph Ellicott....
and Concord
Concord, New York
Concord is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 8,526 at the 2000 census. The town is believed to be named after Concord, Massachusetts by early settlers from New England....
.
An Early History
J.H. French's, Gazetteer of the State of New York, Syracuse, New York: R. Pearsall Smith, 1860, contains the following entry for the Town of Brant:- BRANDT[1] – was formed from Collins and Evans, March 25, 1839. It lies upon the shore of Lake Erie, in the S.W. corner of the co. The surface is generally level, with a gentle inclination toward the lake. Cattaraugus Creek forms a part of the S. boundary. The other principal streams are Big Sister, Delaware, and Muddy Creeks. The soil is generally a gravelly loam intermixed with clay. Brandt (p.v.Postal villageA postal village is generally a community, settlement, or hamlet that has a post office and is designated as such by the postal administration. It may be seen as a rural neighbourhood....
) contains 20 houses. Mill Branch (Farnham p.o.) is the Saw Mill Station on the B. & E.R.R., and contains 30 houses. The first settlement was made in 1817, by Moses Tucker[2]. The first religious services were conducted by Benj. Olmsted, in 1820. A union church is the only one in town.
- [1] Named from Col. Joseph Brant, the Mohawk chief. His Indian name was "Tha-yan-da-nee-gah," said to signify "wood partly burned," or "a brand;" and as the Indians are unable to distinguish d from t in their pronunciation, it became Brant. — Asher Wright, Missionary at the Cattaraugus Reservation.
- [2] John, Robert, and Major Campbell, and John West, settled in the town in 1808, and Ansel Smith, Robt. and Wm. Grannis, and Benj. Olmsted, in 1819. The first birth was that of a son of John West, in 1818; the first marriage, that of Levi Grannis and Leah Hallida, in 1819; and the first death, that of Matthew West, in 1822. The first mill was built by Sam'l Butts, in 1822; the first inn was kept by Josephus Hubbard, in 1825; and the first store, by Milton Morse, in 1835. Julia Bradley taught the first school, in 1823.
This early source is incorrect in its information about the meaning of Brant's name. His Mohawk name meant "he places two bets". His Christian name came from his stepfather. When natives were baptized, they were given Christian names, often based on the name of the white missionary or priest who converted them. Brant's stepfather was given the Christian name "Barent" which was later shortened to Brant in common use. When Joseph was young, he was known in his village as "Brant's Joseph" and his sister as "Brant's Mary." They later became Joseph Brant and Mary "Molly" Brant.
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 24.8 square miles (64.2 km²), of which 24.3 square miles (62.9 km²) is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) (1.78%) is water.
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...
), U.S. Route 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...
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...
, pass through the town.
Adjacent areas
The west border of Brant is Lake ErieLake 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...
and the south border is the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation. The Town of North Collins
North Collins, New York
North Collins is the name of both a town and a village in New York:*North Collins , New York*North Collins , New York...
borders on the east, the Town of Evans
Evans, New York
Evans is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 17,594 at the 2000 census. The town derives its name from David E. Evans, an agent of the Holland Land Company and nephew of land agent Joseph Ellicott....
on the north.
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 1,906 people, 710 households, and 528 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 78.4 people per square mile (30.3/km²). There were 812 housing units at an average density of 33.4 per square mile (12.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.60% White, 1.26% African American, 3.78% Native American, 0.31% 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 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 710 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% 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, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,847, and the median income for a family was $47,130. Males had a median income of $35,913 versus $23,646 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 $19,803. About 4.0% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Brant
- BrantBrant (hamlet), New YorkBrant, New York is an unincorporated hamlet in the town of Brant in Erie County, New York, USA.-References:...
, a 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...
located on Route 249. - Cattaraugus ReservationCattaraugus Reservation, Erie County, New YorkCattaraugus Reservation is an Indian reservation located partly in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 2,001 at the 2000 census....
, a Seneca reservation that forms the southern border of the town. - Evangola State ParkEvangola State ParkOpened in 1954, Evangola State Park is a state park in southern Erie County, New York, USA, west of the Village of Farnham, at the border of the Town of Brant and the Town of Evans.New York State Route 5 passes through the eastern part of the park...
, a state parkState parkState parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
is mostly in the town, located on Lake Erie shore. - FarnhamFarnham, New YorkFarnham is a village located in the Town of Brant, Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 322 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, a village in the eastern part of the town, the smallest village in Erie County