Chautauqua, New York
Encyclopedia
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'. The suggested meanings of this Seneca word has become numerous: the place where one is lost; the place of easy death; fish taken out; foggy place; high up; two moccasins fastened together; and a bag tied in the middle.
The town of Chautauqua is in the western part of the county on the northwestern end of Chautauqua Lake. It is northwest of Jamestown
. Chautauqua is famous as the home of the Chautauqua Institution
, the birthplace in 1874 of the Chautauqua
Movement of educational and cultural centers.
, while still part of Genesee County
. The first settler arrived the year before near the current village of Mayville
. When Chautauqua County was created on March 11, 1808, the town's territory was increased to include the eastern tier of townships, so that the town and the new county were coextensive. The town is the "mother of towns" in Chautauqua County since all other towns in the county towns were once part of it. The town is still one of the largest in the county.
The Lewis Miller Cottage, Chautauqua Institution was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and as a National Historic Landmark
in 1966. The Chautauqua Institution Historic District was listed in 1973.
, the town has a total area of 67.3 square miles (174.3 km²), of which, 67.2 square miles (174 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.10%) is water.
)
of 2000, there were 4,666 people, 1,881 households, and 1,269 families residing in the town. The population density
was 69.4 people per square mile (26.8/km²). There were 4,174 housing units at an average density of 62.1 per square mile (24.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.25% White, 1.59% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races
, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.05% of the population.
There were 1,881 households out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples
living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 105.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,379, and the median income for a family was $41,923. Males had a median income of $30,767 versus $23,561 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $19,003. About 7.5% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
and New York State Route 430
, which intersect in Mayville, are the two primary roads in the town. Route 394 comes from Jamestown on the western side of the lake and continues on to Westfield. Route 430 comes from Jamestown on the eastern side of the lake and goes southwest from Mayville to the state line west of Findley Lake where it becomes Pennsylvania Route 430
.
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...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 4,666 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Chautauqua Lake
Chautauqua Lake
Chautauqua Lake is located entirely within Chautauqua County, New York, USA. The lake is approximately long and wide at its greatest width. The surface area is approximately 13,000 acres . The maximum depth is about 78 feet...
. The traditional meaning remains 'bag tied in the middle'. The suggested meanings of this Seneca word has become numerous: the place where one is lost; the place of easy death; fish taken out; foggy place; high up; two moccasins fastened together; and a bag tied in the middle.
The town of Chautauqua is in the western part of the county on the northwestern end of Chautauqua Lake. It is northwest of Jamestown
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
. Chautauqua is famous as the home of the Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua Institution
The Chautauqua Institution is a non-profit adult education center and summer resort located on 750 acres in Chautauqua, New York, 17 miles northwest of Jamestown in the western part of New York State...
, the birthplace in 1874 of the Chautauqua
Chautauqua
Chautauqua was an adult education movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with...
Movement of educational and cultural centers.
History
The town of Chautauqua was formed on April 11, 1804, from the town of BataviaBatavia (town), New York
Batavia is a town in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 5,915 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the Roman name for part of the Netherlands....
, while still part of Genesee County
Genesee County, New York
Genesee County is a county located in Western New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,079. Its name is from the Seneca Indian word Gen-nis'-hee-yo meaning "The Beautiful Valley." Its county seat is Batavia.- History :...
. The first settler arrived the year before near the current village of Mayville
Mayville, New York
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,756 people, 686 households, and 399 families residing in the village. The population density was 875.0 people per square mile . There were 860 housing units at an average density of 428.5 per square mile...
. When Chautauqua County was created on March 11, 1808, the town's territory was increased to include the eastern tier of townships, so that the town and the new county were coextensive. The town is the "mother of towns" in Chautauqua County since all other towns in the county towns were once part of it. The town is still one of the largest in the county.
The Lewis Miller Cottage, Chautauqua Institution was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and as a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1966. The Chautauqua Institution Historic District was listed in 1973.
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 67.3 square miles (174.3 km²), of which, 67.2 square miles (174 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.10%) is water.
Surrounding towns
(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...
)
- 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...
- 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....
; ElleryEllery, New YorkEllery is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, located northwest of Jamestown, New York and with an extended lakefront on the east side of Chautauqua Lake. In the 2000 Census, Ellery had a population of 4,576.-History:...
- North HarmonyNorth Harmony, New YorkNorth Harmony is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 2,521 at the 2000 census.The Town of North Harmony is on the west side of Chautauqua Lake...
; ShermanSherman (town), New YorkSherman is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The town is an interior town in the county, west of Chautauqua Lake. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,553...
- WestfieldWestfield (town), New YorkWestfield is a town in the western part Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 5,232 at the 2000 census. Westfield is also the name of a village within the town.- History :...
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 4,666 people, 1,881 households, and 1,269 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 69.4 people per square mile (26.8/km²). There were 4,174 housing units at an average density of 62.1 per square mile (24.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.25% White, 1.59% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.19% 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 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.05% of the population.
There were 1,881 households out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% 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, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 105.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,379, and the median income for a family was $41,923. Males had a median income of $30,767 versus $23,561 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 $19,003. About 7.5% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
New York State Route 394New York State Route 394
New York State Route 394 is a state highway located within Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties in southwestern New York, United States. Its western terminus is located on the shore of Lake Erie at an intersection with NY 5 in the Westfield hamlet of Barcelona...
and New York State Route 430
New York State Route 430
New York State Route 430 is a state highway located entirely within Chautauqua County, New York, in the United States. Its western terminus is located at the Pennsylvania state line near the hamlet of Findley Lake in the town of Mina. The eastern terminus is located in the city of Jamestown...
, which intersect in Mayville, are the two primary roads in the town. Route 394 comes from Jamestown on the western side of the lake and continues on to Westfield. Route 430 comes from Jamestown on the eastern side of the lake and goes southwest from Mayville to the state line west of Findley Lake where it becomes Pennsylvania Route 430
Pennsylvania Route 430
Pennsylvania Route 430 is an long state highway located in Erie county in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at US 20 in Wesleyville. The eastern terminus is the New York state line near Findley Lake, NY- History :...
.
Places in the town
- Chautauqua – The 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...
of Chautauqua, located on the west shore of Chautauqua LakeChautauqua LakeChautauqua Lake is located entirely within Chautauqua County, New York, USA. The lake is approximately long and wide at its greatest width. The surface area is approximately 13,000 acres . The maximum depth is about 78 feet...
and location of the Chautauqua InstitutionChautauqua InstitutionThe Chautauqua Institution is a non-profit adult education center and summer resort located on 750 acres in Chautauqua, New York, 17 miles northwest of Jamestown in the western part of New York State...
on Route 394. - Chautauqua CreekChautauqua CreekChautauqua Creek is a tributary of Lake Erie, approximately long, in the southwestern corner of New York in the United States. The headwaters of the creek rise in the town of Sherman, in Chautauqua County, and flow in a northerly direction through the town and village of Westfield where they empty...
– A stream forming most of the town's boundary with WestfieldWestfield (town), New YorkWestfield is a town in the western part Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 5,232 at the 2000 census. Westfield is also the name of a village within the town.- History :...
. - Cottage Park – A lakeside hamlet south of Mayville on Route 394.
- Chautauqua Post Office – USPS facility is located on Bestor Plaza inside the gates of Chautauqua Institution.
- Dart Airfield (D79) – A grass runway airfield east of Mayville.
- Dean – A hamlet in the northeast corner of the town on County Road 37.
- Dewittville – A lakeside hamlet on the east side of the lake on County Road 52.
- Dewittville Bay – A bay near Point Chautauqua.
- Hartfield – A hamlet in the northeast part of the town.
- Hartfield Bay – A bayBayA bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
at the north end of Chautauqua Lake. - Irwins Bay – A small bay between Lighthouse Point and Wahmeda.
- Lakeside Park – A small lakeside community south of Mayville.
- Lighthouse Point – A hamlet at a projection into the lake south of Mayville on Route 394.
- Magnolia – A lakeside hamlet in the southeast corner of the town on Chautauqua Lake on Route 394.
- MayvilleMayville, New York-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,756 people, 686 households, and 399 families residing in the village. The population density was 875.0 people per square mile . There were 860 housing units at an average density of 428.5 per square mile...
– The Village of Mayville is the county seatCounty seatA county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
and is located on the northern end of Chautauqua Lake. - Orchard Terrace – A lakeside community south of Chautauqua on Route 394.
- Pleasantville – A hamlet near the east town line on County Road 54.
- Point Chautauqua – A hamlet on a peninsula on the eastern side of the lake.
- Point Pleasant – A projection into Chautauqua Lake south of Mayville.
- Prendergast Point – A projection into Lake Chautauqua in the southeast corner of the town.
- Shorelands – A hamlet on the east side of Chautauqua Lake, east of Mayville on Route 490.
- Summerdale – A hamlet in the western part of the town on NY Route 430New York State Route 430New York State Route 430 is a state highway located entirely within Chautauqua County, New York, in the United States. Its western terminus is located at the Pennsylvania state line near the hamlet of Findley Lake in the town of Mina. The eastern terminus is located in the city of Jamestown...
. - Wahmeda – A lakeside hamlet north of Chautauqua on Route 394.
- Wooglin – A lakeside hamlet on the east side of the lake on Route 490.
See also
- List of Registered Historic Places in Chautauqua County, New YorkNew YorkNew 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...