Portville (town), New York

Portville is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 3,952 at the 2000 census. The name is derived by the town's early role in shipping lumber and other items down river.

The Town of Portville is in the southeast corner of the county, southeast of the City of Olean. There is a village also called Portville in the town.

History

The town was first settled around 1805. The Town of Portville was established in 1837 from part of the Town of Olean.

The former Genesee Valley Canal had its south terminus in the town at Dodge Creek.

In 1875, the town had a population of 2,140.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.0 square miles (93.4 km²), of which, 35.6 square miles (92.3 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.1 km²) of it (1.14%) is water.

Portville is located in the southeast corner of the county. Its eastern town line is the border of Allegany County, New York, and its southern town line is the Pennsylvania border.

The Allegheny River flows through the south part of the town. Dodge Creek, a tributary, joins the river at Portville Village.

New York State Route 305 (running N-S) and New York State Route 417 (running E-W) pass through the town.

Adjacent towns and areas

McKean County, Pennsylvania is south of Portville. The towns of Clarksville and Genesee in Allegany County form the eastern boundary. The Town of Olean is on the west, and the Town of Hinsdale is to the north.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 3,952 people, 1,545 households, and 1,121 families residing in the town. The population density was 110.9 people per square mile (42.8/km²). There were 1,693 housing units at an average density of 47.5/sq mi (18.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.93% White, 0.76% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.68% of the population.

There were 1,545 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,284, and the median income for a family was $41,270. Males had a median income of $34,279 versus $23,494 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,043. About 8.7% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Portville

*Bedford Corners -- A hamlet near the east town line on NY Route 305.
*Carroll -- A hamlet in the southeast corner of the town, east of the Allegheny River.
*Haydenville -- A hamlet on the western town line on County Road 92.
*Lake View Terrace -- A hamlet in the northeast part of the town on County Road 79.
*Main Settlement -- A hamlet in the southeast corner of the town on NY Route 417.
*Mill Grove -- a hamlet on the Allegheny River on Route 305 in the southeast corner of the town. It once marked the south extent of the Genesee Valley Canal.
*Portville -- The Village of Portville in the southeast part of the town on Dodge Creek by the Allegheny River. NY-305 and NY-417 conjoin through the village.
*Stephens Lake -- A small lake north of Weston Mills.
*Toll Gate Corner -- A location in the southeast corner of the town at the junction of Routes 305 and 417.
*Weston Mills -- A hamlet on the north bank of the Allegheny River on Route 417. It was named after the Weston brothers, owners of several businesses.

References

External links

* [http://www.rootsweb.com/%7Enycattar/1879history/portville.htm Early history of Portville, NY]
* [http://www.oleaninfo.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=34 Virtual View of Town of Portville NY from Lillibridge]
* [http://www.pcs1979.com Large site that contains photos, videos, history, sports, current events, and other information on Portville]