Erie County, New York

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History

When counties were established by the English colonial government in the Province of New York in 1683, present-day Erie County was part of Indian territory occupied by Iroquoian-speaking peoples. It was administered as part of New York colony. Significant European-American settlement did not begin until after the United States had gained independence with the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1783. They forced the Iroquois to cede most of their lands, as many had been allies of the British.

About 1800 the Holland Land Company, formed by Americans and Dutch associates, extinguished Indian claims by purchasing the land from New York, acquired the title to the territory of what are today the eight western-most counties of New York, surveyed their holdings, established towns, and began selling lots to individuals. The state was eager to attract settlers and have farms and businesses developed.

The first towns formed in present-day Erie County were the Town of Clarence and the Town of Willink. Clarence comprised the northern portion of Erie county, and Willink the southern part. Clarence is still a distinct town, but Willink was quickly subdivided into other towns.

In 1861, the hamlet of Town Line in the Town of Lancaster voted 85 to 40 to secede from the Union. Town Line never sought admission into the Confederate States of America and there is no evidence that men from the community ever fought for the Confederacy. Some reporting from that time indicates the vote was a joke. On January 24, 1946, as part of a nationally reported event, Town Line voted to officially return to the Union.

Adjacent Counties & Provinces

• Cattaraugus County
• Wyoming County
• Chautauqua County
• Niagara County
• Genesee County
• Province of Ontario

Cities & Towns

• Alden
• Amherst
• Aurora
• Boston
• Brant
• Buffalo (County Seat)
• Cheektowaga
• Clarence
• Colden
• Collins
• Concord
• Eden
• Elma
• Evans
• Grand Island
• Hamburg
• Holland
• Lackawanna
• Lancaster
• Marilla
• Newstead
• North Collins
• Orchard Park
• Sardinia
• Tonawanda
• Wales
• West Seneca

Other Villages, Hamlets & Communities: Akron, Akron Junction, Alden, Alden Center, Angola, Angola on the Lake, Armor, Athol Springs, Bagdad, Bellevue, Big Tree, Billington Heights, Blakeley, Blasdell, Blossom, Bowmansville, Brighton, Carnegie, Chaffee, Clarence, Clarence Center, Clarksburg, Cleveland Hill, Clifton Heights, Collins Center, Creekside, Crittenden, Dellwood, Depew, Derby, Doyle, Duells Corner, Dutchtown, East Amherst, East Aurora, East Concord, East Eden, East Elma, East Seneca, Ebenezer, Eden Valley, Eggertsville, Ellicott, Elma Center, Evans Center, Farnham, Ferry Village, Footes, Forks, Fowlerville, Gardenville, Getzville, Glenwood, Gowanda, Grandyle Village, Green Acres, Griffins Mills, Harris Hill, Highland-on-the-Lake, Hunts Corners, Jerusalem Corners, Jewettville, Kenilworth, Kenmore, Lake Erie Beach, Lake View, Langford, Lawtons, Locksley Park, Looneyville, Loveland, Marshfield, Millersport, Millgrove, Morton Corners, Mount Vernon, Murrays Corner, New Ebenezer, New Oregon, North Bailey, North Boston, North Evans, Oakfield, Patchin, Peters Corners, Pine Hill, Pinehurst, Pontiac, Porterville, Protection, Sand Hill, Sandy Beach, Scranton, Sheenwater, Shirley, Sloan, Snyder, South Cheektowaga, South Newstead, South Wales, Spring Brook, Springville, Swifts Mills, Swormville, Taylor Hollow, Town Line, Town Line Station, University at Buffalo, Walden Cliffs, Wales Hollow, Wanakah, Water Valley, Webster Corners, Wende, West Alden, West Falls, Weyer, Williamsville, Williston, Windom, Wolcottsburg, Woodlawn, Woodside, Wyandale and Zoar

Indian Reservations

• Cattaraugus Reservation
• Tonawanda Reservation

Links

Wikipedia

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site

Nat'l Reg. of Hist. Places