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Olean, New York

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Olean, New York
Nickname: 
Enterprising City with the Hometown Touch
Location of Olean in New York State
Location of Olean in New York State
CountyCattaraugus County
Government
 • MayorDavid Carucci
Area
 • Total
16.0 km2 (6.2 sq mi)
 • Land15.4 km2 (5.9 sq mi)
 • Water0.6 km2 (0.2 sq mi)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total
15,347
 • Density999.2/km2 (2,588/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
WebsiteOlean, NY

Olean is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 15,347 at the 2000 census.

The City of Olean is within the Town of Olean and is located in the southeast part of the county. Olean is the largest city in Cattaraugus County, and serves as the financial, business, transportation and entertainment center of the county.

History

The location was first settled around 1808.

Some claim the city was named after Olean Shepard, the first child born to settlers. However, the founders of the settlement had wanted to name the community "Hamilton," after Alexander Hamilton, but the Post Office was called "Olean Point" (where Olean Creek flows into the Allegheny River), after the petroleum found in the area. It's rumored that Shepard actually inherited much of this petroleum reserve, but distant relatives, in conjunction with corrupt attorney Martin R. Greenstein, managed to bargain the town to gain control of the reserves themselves while changing the name of the town as a trade-off. This name was simplified to Olean around 1823, before it became a village.

The City of Olean was incorporated in 1854. Oil was discovered in 1874, and played a big role for a short period in the development of the city. Olean's peak population was estimated at 24,000 during the 1950s.

Geography

Olean is located at 42°4′57″N 78°25′51″W / 42.08250°N 78.43083°W / 42.08250; -78.43083Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (42.08264, -78.430965)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.0 km² (6.2 mi²). 15.4 km² (5.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (3.73%) is water.

The city is located where the Olean Creek flows into the Allegheny River and by the Southern Tier Expressway (Interstate 86 and New York State Route 17). New York State Route 417 passes east-west through the city and intersects New York State Route 16, a north-south highway.

Demographics

File:Oleanabove.JPG
An aerial view of downtown Olean taken in the mid-60s

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 15,347 people, 6,446 households, and 3,803 families residing in the city. The population density was 999.2/km² (2,588.0/mi²). There were 7,121 housing units at an average density of 463.6/km² (1,200.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.31% White, 3.47% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.24% of the population.

There were 6,446 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,400, and the median income for a family was $38,355. Males had a median income of $32,341 versus $22,469 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,169. About 13.9% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Facts about the City of Olean

  • Home of the Huskies
  • Home to famous Rock City Park
  • The Olean Business Institute and a branch of Jamestown Community College are within the city
  • St. Bonaventure University is a few miles to the west bordering Town of Allegany.
  • CUTCO national headquarters is based in Olean and is Olean's largest employer.
  • Dresser-Rand Industries global headquarters is based in Olean.
  • Olean's oldest church is St. Stephens Episcopal Church, established in 1830.

Famous People from Olean Area

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