Buffalo, West Virginia
Buffalo, West Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Location of Buffalo, West Virginia | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Putnam |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.65 sq mi (4.27 km2) |
| • Land | 1.40 sq mi (3.63 km2) |
| • Water | 0.25 sq mi (0.65 km2) |
| Elevation | 568 ft (173 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 1,236 |
• Estimate (2012[3]) | 1,255 |
| • Density | 882.9/sq mi (340.9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 25033 |
| Area code | 304 |
| FIPS code | 54-11284[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1536615[5] |
Buffalo is a town in Putnam County, West Virginia, United States, along the Kanawha River. The population was 1,236 at the 2010 census.[6] Buffalo is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).[7]
History
Along with numerous sites in the Kanawha River Valley, Buffalo was originally settled by waves of ancient cultures of prehistoric indigenous peoples. Clovis points indicate the presence of inhabitants more than 10,000 years ago. One of the last cultures, that of the Fort Ancient people, had a few villages such as Buffalo and Marmet that survived into the time of European exploration. Archaeologists have found European trade items among Fort Ancient artifacts.[8]
Historic tribes such as the Huron, from the Great Lakes region, and the Conoy (also spelled Conois and Kanawha) were driven out of the central valley by Iroquois' invading from their base in present-day western New York. Many of the Conoy by the early 17th century had resettled on the west side of the Chesapeake Bay and below the Potomac River. After decades of encroachment by English colonists, surviving Conoy (also called Piscataway by then) went north to Pennsylvania and allied with the Susquehannock and Iroquois.[9]
Note that this is not the site of the 1972 Buffalo Creek Flood disaster; that occurred near Saunders, over 50 miles (80 km) south of the town of Buffalo.
Geography
Buffalo is located at 38°37′1″N 81°58′48″W / 38.61694°N 81.98000°W (38.616994, -81.979938).[10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.65 square miles (4.27 km2), of which, 1.40 square miles (3.63 km2) is land and 0.25 square miles (0.65 km2) is water.[1]
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 268 | — | |
| 1870 | 321 | 19.8% | |
| 1880 | 351 | 9.3% | |
| 1890 | 238 | −32.2% | |
| 1900 | 364 | 52.9% | |
| 1910 | 384 | 5.5% | |
| 1920 | 300 | −21.9% | |
| 1930 | 316 | 5.3% | |
| 1940 | 338 | 7.0% | |
| 1950 | 333 | −1.5% | |
| 1960 | 396 | 18.9% | |
| 1970 | 831 | 109.8% | |
| 1980 | 1,034 | 24.4% | |
| 1990 | 969 | −6.3% | |
| 2000 | 1,171 | 20.8% | |
| 2010 | 1,236 | 5.6% | |
| 2014 (est.) | 1,255 | [11] | 1.5% |
| Source: [12] | |||
2010 census
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,236 people, 518 households, and 344 families residing in the town. The population density was 882.9 inhabitants per square mile (340.9/km2). There were 568 housing units at an average density of 405.7 per square mile (156.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.4% White, 0.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.
There were 518 households of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.6% were non-families. 28.2% 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 2.36 and the average family size was 2.89.
The median age in the town was 42.8 years. 21% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.5% were from 25 to 44; 28.7% were from 45 to 64; and 17.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.8% male and 50.2% female.
Manufacturing
Toyota Manufacturing plant, covering over one million square feet, is located in Buffalo. Transmissions and 4- and 6-cylinder engines are manufactured.
Notable people
- Virginia Mae Brown, set many "first woman" records
References
- ^ a b "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
- ^ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Buffalo town, West Virginia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
- ^ "Population statistics" (PDF).
- ^ Dr. Robert F. Maslowski, "The Kanawha Valley and its Prehistoric People", 2002, Council on West Virginia Archaeology, accessed 31 Oct 2009
- ^ Dr. Robert J. Dilger and James Marshall, "Kanawha County History", Institute for Public Affairs, West Virginia University, 21 Feb 2002, accessed 31 Oct 2009
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
Municipalities and communities of Putnam County, West Virginia, United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
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| Other localities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| Principal cities |  | |
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| Municipalities with population over 5,000 | ||
| Municipalities with population 1,000–5,000 | ||
| Municipalities with population under 1,000 | ||
| West Virginia counties | ||
| Kentucky counties | ||
| Ohio counties | ||