Wheatfield, New York
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wheatfield is a town in Niagara County, New York, USA. The population was 14,086 at the 2000 census. The name stems from the agricultural use of the town lands: Growing Wheat. The town is in the southwest part of Niagara County. On the south is North Tonawanda. The city of Niagara Falls and the town of Niagara form the western border.
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[edit] History
The Town of Wheatfield was formed in May 1836, and was the last town organized in Niagara County. It is situated in the southwest part of the county, surrounded by the Town of Lewiston and Town of Cambria to the north, Town of Pendleton to the east, City & Town of North Tonawanda and Niagara River to the south, and the City of Niagara Falls and Town of Niagara to the west.
The first town meeting was held on June 6, 1836, in the schoolhouse of District No. 7, on the north line of the Town. Soil of the Town is generally clay loam and somewhat difficult to cultivate, but heavy crops of wheat can be grown on the land, thus giving the Town its name - Wheatfield.
Within Wheatfield, starting in 1843, German immigrants established the communities of Bergholz, St. Johnsburg, Walmore, Martinsville, and Gratwick. The latter two towns are now part of North Tonawanda.
Later other communities were formed at railroad stops and along some well traveled highways. The River Road section of the Town became a prosperous farm section in the 1920's that included the showplace "Wheatfield Farms". Along the river, there were vacation cottages, beaches, an amusement park, and nightclubs. Permanent housing has replaced many of the cottages and remnants of some bygone structures are still visible as one travels along River Road today.
During World War II, industries located in the Town. The largest was Bell AeroSpace Company which produced the World War II fighter plane "P-39 Airacobra" and later, products for the aerospace industry. During the post war period, other small industries and businesses were established in the Town, especially those serving the tourist trade such as motels and restaurants.
Growth and prosperity in the Town continued as families migrated from nearby communities creating new neighborhoods. During this period, Summit Park Mall was built and opened in 1972 to serve the people of Wheatfield and nearby communities.
The largest spurt of growth in the Town began in the 1980's and still continues today with many new housing developments emerging and new industrial and business parks being built. The population of the Town now exceeds 13,000, which classifies it as a town of the first class. Even with the growth of the Town, farming is still carried on with dairy farming being our main enterprise.
As we journey through the 21st Century, the Town will most assuredly continue to grow and prosper in an orderly manner, controlled by the Wheatfield Master Plan along with the Town Planning and Zoning Boards.
Das Haus is the heritage museum of the Historical Society of North German Settlements in Western New York. It is an original log house built in 1843 by immigrants who left Germany to find religious freedom. In the Town of Wheatfield they founded the communities of Bergholz, Martinsville and Walmore, and later St. Johnsburg.
In Das Haus and in a replica barn called Der Stall, the museum shows the German style of the building they used later, as well as items typical of rural life in the Town during the 19th Century. The Town of Wheatfield Garden Club maintains planting typical of that time.
The museum is open on Sunday afternoons from 2 to 4 P.M. starting with the third Sunday in May and running through the third Sunday in October. Appointments can also me made. For more information or a list of publications issued by the society, write to the address above or contact Wilma Lass, 716-731-9905 or Elaine Timm, 716-998-5897 or etimm01@aol.com
Probably the earliest settler on the site of North Tonawanda was George N. Burger, who came in 1809 and built a log tavern on the river; he remained a resident until about 1825. Joshua Pettit came in i8io and settled near the Niagara Iron Works, where he opened a tavern. He was the father of Mrs. Daniel C. Jacobs and Mrs. Whitman Jacobs. Stephen Jacobs, a soldier at the battle of Bunker Hill, located on the river two miles below in 1817, where he purchased 196 acres of Augustus Porter, paying eight dollars an acre. He died in Niagara Falls in January, 1840. William Vandervoorte settled here in 1825, occupying a log house which tradition says was the only one then in existence. It was his intention to make a business of purchasing staves and timber for the Boston market, and ultimately to open a mercantile business. In 1828 he finished the first public house in the place, which was called the Niagara; it was burned in 1844. Later he purchased 1,000 acres (4 km²) of land of the Holland Company and sold to Prussian immigrants the largest part of their possessions on Tonawanda Creek and its vicinity. He established the first bank in 1836. As before indicated, little progress of a business nature was made here until the opening of the Erie Canal. The interior of the town was still almost an unbroken wilderness and as late as 1850 a large part of the area of the town was unimproved. The prospects at Tonawanda in 1824, as viewed by interested persons, is indicated in the following advertisement:
[edit] Original First Officers
Supervisor: N. M. Ward.
Town Clerk: Edwin Cook.
Assessors: Isaac Smith, James Sweeney, Hiram Parks.
Justices of The Peace: L. B. Warden, John Sweeney.
Commissioners of Highways: Elias Parks, Matthew Gray.
Collector: Stewart Milliman.
Overseer of the Poor: William Towsley.
Constables: Milliman, Daniel Jacobs, Calvin Champlin, Seth Roberts
Commissioners of Schools: Isaac Young, James Sweeney, Loyal Edwards.
[edit] Current First Officers
Supervisor: Timothy Demler
Town Clerk: DeEtte S. Ferchen
Assessors: Gerarld Maerten
Attorney: Robert O'Toole
Planning Board: Richard W. Muscatello
Commissioners of Highways: Art Kroening
Collecter: Kathy Harrington
Zoning Board of Appeals: Terrence McIntyre
Constables: Ron Dworzanski
Commissioners of Schools: Robert Gallagher
Economic Development Committee: John Petrozzi
Firearms Permit Review Board: Paul Cozad
Drainage Committee: Ron Moore
Website Task Force Committee: Don Wallace
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 28.6 Sq.Mi. Of it 27.9 Sq.Mi is land and 0.7 Sq.Mi. of it 2.41% is water.
The Niagara River is part of the western border of the town.
US Route 62 crosses the town as "Niagara Falls Boulevard."
[edit] Demographics
Wheatfield, NY is Considered to be a part of the Buffalo-Niagara Metro Area As of the census2 of 2000, there were 14,086 people, 5,305 households, and 3,893 families residing in the town. The population density was 194.9/km² (504.6/mi²). There were 5,555 housing units at an average density of 76.8/km² (199.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.44% White, 0.99% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population.
There were 5,305 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,700, and the median income for a family was $61,315. Males had a median income of $42,076 versus $27,233 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,184. About 2.5% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Public Schools
Niagara Wheatfield Senior High School: Grades 9 - 12
Edward Town Middle School: Grades 6 - 8
Colonial Village Elementary School: Grades PreK - 5
Errick Road Elementary School: Grades PreK - 5
West Street Elementary School Grades PreK - 5
Tuscarora Indian School: Grades PreK - 6
[edit] Private Schools
Wheatfield Christian Academy: Grades PreK - 12
St Peters Lutheran School: Grades PreK - 8
Holy Ghost Lutheran School: Grades PreK - 8
St Matthews Lutheran School: Grades PreK - 8
[edit] Additional information about Wheatfield
Within the Town of Wheatfield there is a Boy Scout troop and a Cub Scout pack, located at Adams Fire Company on Nash Road.
[edit] Communities and locations in Wheatfield
- Bergholz -- A hamlet in the northwestern part of the town near the airport.
- Hoffman -- A location on the eastern border of the town.
- Nashville -- A location on Route 62 in the southeast part of the town.
- Niagara Falls International Airport (IAG) -- Part of the airport is in the northern part of the town.
- Sawyer -- A hamlet on Route 62 adjacent to the City of North Tonawanda.
- Shawnee -- A hamlet on Route 62 (Niagara Falls Boulevard).
- St. Johnsburg -- A hamlet on Route 62 near the center of the town.
- Walmore -- A hamlet in the northwest part of the town on Lockport Road.
[edit] External links
- Town of Wheatfield webpage
- Wheatfield history
- Wheatfield Jr. Blades the local Jr.B hockey team
| Municipalities and Communities of Niagara County, New York (County Seat: Lockport) |
|
|---|---|
| Cities | Lockport | Niagara Falls | North Tonawanda |
| Towns | Cambria | Hartland | Lewiston | Lockport | Newfane | Niagara | Pendleton | Porter | Royalton | Somerset | Wilson | Wheatfield |
| Villages | Lewiston | Middleport | Wilson | Youngstown |
| CDPs | Gasport | Olcott | Ransomville | Rapids | South Lockport |
| Reservations | Tonawanda Reservation | Tuscarora Reservation |
