Lancaster, New York

For other places and things with this name, see Lancaster (disambiguation).

Template:Geobox Settlement Lancaster is a town in Erie County, New York, USA founded by Andrew Fleming. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 39,019.

The Town of Lancaster has a village also called Lancaster. The Town and Village are currently exploring consolidation of governmental functions. Both town and village are east of Buffalo

History

In 1803, the Holland Land Company sold its first plot of land in the future town. The Town of Lancaster was formed from the Town of Clarence, New York in 1833. The town was named after Lancaster, Massachusetts, but the reason for applying this name is not known. Lancaster, however, was originally called Cayuga Creek. Later it incorporated and renamed itself to become what we now know as Lancaster.

In 1857, part of the town was taken to form the Town of Elma.

Beginning in early 1990s the town entered a period of rapid growth.

In 2003, the town and village police departments merged.

Additions to the middle school and the William Street School were finished in 2005.

Lancaster High School is the largest school in both school population and square feet in Erie County. With over 2,000 students, the building expanded twice in 2000 adding a field house and again in 2003 as the school opened up a new wing.

Some of the biggest events the town has to offer are the Fourth of July Parade, the Taste of Lancaster, and the Lancaster/Depew football game held in October. The game dates back to 1919 and was rated one of the top 10 rivalries in the US in a USA Today article.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 37.9 square miles (98.2 km²), of which, 37.8 square miles (98.0 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.16%) is water.

The town is located on the northern and eastern side of Erie County and is east of the city of Buffalo, New York.

Cayuga Creek and Ellicott Creek flow across the town to the west, Ellicott Creek being the more northerly stream.

The west town line is marked by New York State Route 78. The New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) crosses the northern part of the town. New York State Route 33, Genesee Street, crosses the town immediately south of the Thruway, and US Route 20, Broadway, crosses the central part of the town.

Adjacent towns and areas

The Town of Clarence is to the north, and the Town of Elma is on the south. The Town of Alden is on the east, and the Town of Cheektowaga is on the west.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 39,019 people, 15,053 households, and 10,506 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,031.1 people per square mile (398.1/km²). There were 15,627 housing units at an average density of 413.0/sq mi (159.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.00% White, 0.81% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population.

There were 15,053 households out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $48,990, and the median income for a family was $59,712. Males had a median income of $41,501 versus $28,049 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,723. About 2.5% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Lancaster

• Bowmansville -- A small hamlet in the northeast corner of the town, located near Genesee Street (NY-33) and Transit Road (NY-78). Ellicott Creek flows through the hamlet, which took its name from early settler Benjamin Bowman.
• Cayuga Creek -- A stream flowing westward through the town and Como Lake Park.
• Como Lake Park -- A county park in the southwest part of the town, south of US-20.
• Dellwood -- A hamlet at the east town line, north of Town Line Station.
• Depew -- The eastern part of the Village of Depew is in the western part of the town.
• East Lancaster -- A location east of Lancaster village on Broadway (US-20).
• Ellicott Creek -- A stream flowing westward through the town, named after Joseph Ellicott.
• Lancaster - The Village of Lancaster is in the west part of the town, located on US-20.
• Town Line -- A hamlet on Lancaster's eastern town line.
• Town Line Station -- A hamlet on the eastern town line, north of Town Line.

Education

The town is home to Lancaster High School and the other elementary schools (Como Park, Central, John Sciole, Court Street, Hillview), the William Street School (4th, 5th and 6th grades), and the historic Lancaster Middle School (formerly named Aurora Middle School), which was the town's high school prior to the construction of the current one in the 50's. Como Park elementary won the National School of Excellence award in the 90s. They are all part of the Lancaster Central School District. There are also a number of private schools, most notably St. Mary's High School.

Well Known Local Personalities

• Notable journalist Dorothy Thompson was born in Lancaster.
• Len Jankiewicz, Lancaster football coach 1974-current. He played for the Skins from 1967-1968 and is currently the school's athletic director. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft, had a tryout with the New York Jets of the NFL, and is a member of the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame. He has lived in Lancaster his whole life.
• Eric Tarapacki

External links

• Lancaster Information
• Official town website
• Lancaster information
• Lancaster history
• Lancaster Central School District
• Lancaster school information
• Map of Lancaster, NY in 1892
• ePodunk - Lancaster NY