Allegany County

Year Organized: 1806

Square Miles: 1035

Size of Board: 15

Townships: Alfred, Allen, Alma, Almond, Amity, Andover, Angelica, Belfast, Birdsall, Bolivar, Burns, Caneadea, Centerville, Clarksville, Cuba, Friendship, Genesee, Granger, Grove, Hume, Independence, New Hudson, Rushford, Scio, Ward, Wellsville, West Almond, Willing, Wirt

Cites: Villages of: Alfred, Almond, Andover, Angelica, Belmont, Bolivar, Canseraga, Cuba, Richburg, Wellsville

Schools: Alfred-Almond, Andover, Genesee Valley, Belfast, Bolivar-Richburg, Cuba-Rushford, Canaseraga, Fillmore, Scio, Wellsville, Whitesville

School Districts: Alfred-Almond, Andover, Genesee Valley, Belfast, Bolivar-Richburg, Cuba-Rushford, Canaseraga, Fillmore, Scio, Wellsville, Whitesville

Libraries: Alfred Box of Books, 20th Century Club Library in Almond, Andover Free Library, Angelica Free Library, Belfast Public Library, Free Library of the Belmont Literary and Historical Society, Bolivar Free Library, Essential Club Free Library in Canaseraga, Cuba Circulating Library Association, Wide Awake Club Library in Fillmore, Friendship Free Library, Genesee Library, Colonial Library in Richburg, Rushford Free Library, Scio Memorial Library, David A. Howe Public Library, Whitesville Public Library

Museums: Almond Historical Society and Hagadorn House Museum, Angelica Free Library Colonial Rooms, Canaseraga Shawmut Station Museum, Cuba Historical Society Museum, Cuba Cheese Museum, Richburg Colonial Library - Historical Room, Cuba Military Museum, Dyke Street Museum, Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad Historical Society, Pioneer Oil Museum, Ortlip Art Gallery Houghton College, Richburg Wirt Museum, Rushford Museum, The Schein Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art at Alfred University, Town of Hume Museum, Town of Willing Museum

Parks: Island Park Wellsville

Population: 48946

Demographics:

From US Census: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045216/36003
Population Characteristics

Veterans, 2011-2015
4,163
Foreign born persons, percent, 2011-2015
2.2%
Housing

Housing units, July 1, 2015, (V2015)
25,974
Housing units, April 1, 2010
26,140
Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2011-2015
73.1%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2011-2015
$70,300
Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2011-2015
$990
Median selected monthly owner costs -without a mortgage, 2011-2015
$442
Median gross rent, 2011-2015
$606
Building permits, 2015
49
Families and Living Arrangements

Households, 2011-2015
18,285
Persons per household, 2011-2015
2.36
Living in same house 1 year ago, percent of persons age 1 year+, 2011-2015
86.1%
Language other than English spoken at home, percent of persons age 5 years+, 2011-2015
5.1%
Education

High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2011-2015
88.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2011-2015
20.0%
Health

With a disability, under age 65 years, percent, 2011-2015
10.8%
Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years, percent
6.2%
Economy

In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2011-2015
57.0%
In civilian labor force, female, percent of population age 16 years+, 2011-2015
53.5%
Total accommodation and food services sales, 2012 ($1,000) (c)
50,027
Total health care and social assistance receipts/revenue, 2012 ($1,000) (c)
119,771
Total manufacturers shipments, 2012 ($1,000) (c)
841,770
Total merchant wholesaler sales, 2012 ($1,000) (c)
94,850
Total retail sales, 2012 ($1,000) (c)
271,076
Total retail sales per capita, 2012 (c)
$5,606
Transportation

Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16 years+, 2011-2015
21.4
Income and Poverty

Median household income (in 2015 dollars), 2011-2015
$42,776
Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2015 dollars), 2011-2015
$20,940
Persons in poverty, percent
16.8%BUSINESSES

Total employer establishments, 2014
801
Total employment, 2014
11,744
Total annual payroll, 2014 ($1,000)
372,424
Total employment, percent change, 2013-2014
2.5%
Total nonemployer establishments, 2014
2,530
All firms, 2012
2,710
Men-owned firms, 2012
1,454
Women-owned firms, 2012
920
Minority-owned firms, 2012
185
Nonminority-owned firms, 2012
2,427
Veteran-owned firms, 2012
244
Nonveteran-owned firms, 2012
2,298
GEOGRAPHY

Population per square mile, 2010
47.6
Land area in square miles, 2010
1,029.31
FIPS Code
36003

County History:

A Brief History of Allegany County
Allegany County is located in the Southern Tier of Western New York, with its center approximately 90 miles due south of Rochester. There are about 50,000 citizens residing in the County's twentynine townships, ten villages and numerous hamlets.

Allegany County was created by an act of the State Legislature effective April 7, 1806. The County's population in 1806 was just a few hundred people and grew to almost 30,000 by 1860. Soldiers serving under Generals Sullivan and Clinton during their 1779 campaign to eradicate the Indians from Western New York would soon be some of the first settlers in the Genesee Valley. These rich, fertile farmlands drew land-hungry farmers during the time of the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 and the building of the Genesee Valley Canal shortly thereafter. This latter canal offered new opportunities for harvesting and marketing vast tracts of virgin timber and agricultural products from the Genesee Valley.

Of the many elements of change that have affected Allegany County, the one that had the greatest impact was the arrival of the Erie Railroad in 1851. The immediate improvements in people's lives included rapid transportation of people and mail, access to markets overnight for products shipped to and from the County, and the relocation of the County Seat from Angelica to Belmont in 1859.

The American Civil War of 1861-1865 brought the greatest tragedy and loss of life in Allegany County's history. Over 3,700 men served in the military and approximately 600 were killed. Life on the home front was forever changed as well, with great sacrifices by the women and children who had to "fend" for themselves while operating the family farms, businesses, and social institutions with so many men gone to war.

The growth of large, heavy industry in the mid-to late-1800s was apparent in the County, with many facilities located in the Wellsville area. The first of these was the tanbark/tanning industry that brought about the building of narrow-gauge railroads. The oil boom of the late 1800s and again in the 1920s brought great prosperity to the southern part of the County. The oil industry gave rise to many "spin-off" industries in the area, such as early steam turbine manufacturing, pipeline supply businesses, and additional narrow-gauge railroads serving the oil fields.

Today, the largest area of employment in the County is education. Venerable Alfred University was founded in 1836 and is the nation's second oldest four-year, co-ed Liberal Arts University. Also located in Alfred is the State University of New York College of Ceramics and the State University of New York College of Technology with two and four-year degree programs. In the nearby Village of Wellsville is the Alfred Applied Technology campus, a branch of Alfred State. In the northern part of the County is Houghton College, a four-year, co-ed Liberal Arts College affiliated with the Wesleyan Methodist Church.

The County Seat is in the Village of Belmont with about 400 full-time employees working for the County. The County is governed by a Board of Legislators, consisting of fifteen members with three elected from each of five districts. These Legislators cannot serve in an elected position for any other governmental entity.

Allegany County is fortunate to be located on Interstate 86 and to be served by the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad. The major north-south road is State Route 19. The largest village in the County is Wellsville, home of the Wellsville Municipal Airport/Tarantine Field which is capable of handling corporate jet aircraft.