Salamanca (City), Cattaraugus, New York

Salamanca resides in Cattaraugus County, New York. Salamanca is a city which is located on the Allegany Indian Reservation (Allegany Territory), in a valley between the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains. Also known as Onë:dagö:h, Salamanca is governed by the Seneca Nation of Indians of New York.
Because of its continued habitation by the Seneca Nation, many believe that Salamanca is a native word; however, the city of Salamanca was named for the financier, José de Salamanca, Marquis of Salamanca, who invested in the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad which ran directly through the city and made it prosperous during the railroad's heyday.

"There are streets named after Salamanca in Talayuela, Navalmoral de la Mata, Torremolinos, and Castellón de la Plana. In San Sebastián there is a street called the Paseo de Salamanca in his honor. In Madrid, a neighborhood and a plaza bear his name. The plaza was designed by municipal architect Pablo Aranda, who also designed the pedestal for his statue in the plaza.Salamanca in western New York and its surrounding township were named after him." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_de_Salamanca,_Marquis_of_...

The city of "Salamanca is within the Allegany Indian Reservation of the Seneca Nation of New York (one of the six tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy). The city population of about [6,000] is about [35%] Native American; this does not include Seneca people living in the nearby hamlets of Jimerson Town (one of the two capitals of the nation) and Kill Buck. The city lies along the Allegheny River and is adjacent to Allegany State Park." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salamanca_(city),_New_York

"Nestled in the scenic foothills of the Allegheny River lies the City of Salamanca, New York. Historically this territory was that of the Native American Wenrohronon but in the Beaver Wars of the 1650s the Seneca Nation took over.

Located on a reservation of the Seneca Nation of Indians (one of the six tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy), ... Our City is in a busy section of the Southern Tier being just 60 miles South of Buffalo, 35 miles East of Jamestown, 22 miles West of Olean, and 20 miles North of Bradford, PA. Allegany State Park, the largest State Park in New York State, lies immediately to the South, right in Salamanca's back yard. This year-round active park can be reached via Parkway Drive located in the City."
http://www.salmun.com/

"The Allegany Territory is located along the Allegheny River from the Pennsylvania border upriver to Vandalia, New York, and is located entirely within Cattaraugus County. The Allegany Territory originally included 30,469 acres of land surrounding the Allegheny, of which some 10,000 acres were inundated by the Kinzua Reservoir when the Army Corps of Engineers built the Kinzua Dam in 1964. This territory also includes the City of Salamanca." https://sni.org/

History

"What is now known as the city of Salamanca was originally two separate communities, one on Little Valley Creek and the other on Great Valley Creek; the westernmost one of the two was called "Hemlock", a name derived from the numerous hemlock trees throughout the surrounding mountains. The eastern community (from modern-day Conrath Avenue eastward) was Kill Buck's Town; the eastern half of what is now Kill Buck remains an unincorporated hamlet independent of the city of Salamanca. Hemlock was later renamed "West Salamanca" and (although it was marked on road signs as late as the 1990s) was eventually incorporated into the single city of Salamanca. The city was incorporated in 1913.

Salamanca station, now the Salamanca Rail Museum
At one time the city was a thriving railroad hub, with the Erie Railroad (later Conrail), Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway (BR&P) (later Baltimore and Ohio Railroad) both having facilities there. Generations of Salamanca residents worked for the railroads, and much of the housing was originally built for them by the railroads. The city also benefited from the then-thriving lumber industry that dominated much of southwestern Cattaraugus County at the turn of the century, as boomtowns along the Allegheny River such as Elko, South Valley and Red House (all much-less-populated ghost towns today) all used the railroads to ship their goods upstream. At the time of the city's incorporation, it peaked at under 10,000 residents, not far behind Olean, 19 miles to the east, the major hub of the county; Olean, however, would continue to grow rapidly into the 1950s, while Salamanca's population would begin falling behind almost immediately. The Salamanca Rail Museum was opened in the former BR&P depot in 1984 to house its archives.

The majority of the city, with the exception of a northeastern spur along Great Valley Creek, was constructed on the Allegany Indian Reservation held by the Seneca Nation of New York, as established in various treaties. Under the nation's policy, non-Seneca residents are barred from owning real property on the reservation, and non-Senecas can only lease the property from the Seneca Nation. As arranged by the railroads, the previous leases had nominal payments and covered only the land; improvements (i.e., buildings and houses) were considered to be owned by the non-native citizens.

When the leases expired in the early 1990s, the nation tried to gain more from its leases, raising their costs and asserting not only the land, but the improvements were also subject to the native leases. Numerous people living in the city did not agree on the amount of lease payments or the legitimacy of the Senecas' absolute ownership claim. The controversy aroused bitterness, lawsuits, and appeals to government officials. Congress passed a law explicitly placing the improvements under Seneca jurisdiction, the new leases were put into effect, and fifteen houses were seized and their owners evicted for refusing to sign the leases. The current leases are in effect until 2030, with an option to extend until 2070; proceeds from the lease payments are distributed quarterly to enrolled Seneca Nation members, providing a basic income guarantee.

Despite the lack of ownership, leased land held by non-Senecas is subject to property tax, which the lessee must pay to the city, Cattaraugus County and the Salamanca City Central School District. Seneca-owned land is exempt under the Treaty of Buffalo Creek. Once a Seneca acquires the land, it is taken off the tax rolls; for this reason, the city of Salamanca does not auction-off abandoned properties on the reservation in a property-tax auction, for fear Seneca individuals will buy the land, removing it from the tax rolls.

The Seneca Nation opened a gambling casino in Salamanca in May, 2004. About 1,000 new jobs were created by the casino operation, resulting in a housing shortage in the small town as new workers entered the city. Under the arrangement with the state, a 25% share of the casino's revenue goes to the city and county, which they can use for needed projects. Revenues for the city increased dramatically"
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salamanca_(city),_New_York

Notable People

• George Abbott (1887-1995), theater producer
• DuWayne "Duce" Leslie Bowen (1946-2006) Seneca Historian, speaker and published author of Seneca religion (Longhouse), folklore and history.
• Bucktooth "Soh-so-wa" Bucktooth (1752-1851), "The original settlement at West Salamanca was named Bucktooth for an Indian who settled there before the Reservation was surveyed in 1798." -Allegany Oxbow by Charles Congdon; pg. 183, In the present, there is still an area known as "Bucktooth" through which runs an old, long road -Bucktooth Run. The road stretches between Salamanca and Little Valley (Napoli).
• Ray Caldwell (1888-1967), former MLB spitball pitcher
• Gordon Canfield (1898-1972), member of the House of Representatives for New Jersey's 8th congressional district
• Chuck Crist (1961-2020), former National Football League safety; he returned to his hometown to serve as a principal in the city schools
• Robert DeLaurentis (1966-), an American aviator, the first solo pilot to fly a Piper Malibu Mirage, a small, single-engine plane, around the world[18][19]
• Maxine Crouse Dowler (1933-2015), teacher, Member of the Board of Seneca Nation Educational Foundation
• Ray Evans (1915–2007), musician/songwriter; composed the Christmas song "Silver Bells". The Ray Evans Seneca Theater is named in his honor; it was closed in 2011 due to disrepair and would not reopen until 2013.
• Albert T. "Ab" Fancher (1859-1930), New York state senator in the late 19th/early 20th century; co-owner (with E.B. Vreeland of the Seneca Oil Company, a subsidiary of Standard Oil Company); donated much of the land to New York that now comprises Allegany State Park, the largest state park in New York; developed the Fancher farm, on the western side of Salamanca, which boasts one of the largest barns in New York.
• Ira Joe Fisher (1947-), daytime television personality and weather reporter; born and worked in Salamanca, he spent most of his childhood in neighboring Little Valley.
• George Heron (1919-2011) President of the Seneca Nation of Indians, (1958-1960) and again from (1962-1964). Seneca historian, linguist and proponent against the Kinzua Dam Project. He also served in World War II
• Marvin Hubbard (1945-2015), former pro football player; born in Salamanca, he spent most of his childhood in nearby Red House
• Paul Owens (1924-2003) player, scout, coach and general manager with the Philadelphia Phillies in the late 20th century. Raised in Salamanca's East End; graduated from local schools and St. Bonaventure University, and began his baseball career with the still-extant Salamanca Merchants amateur team.
• Edward B. Vreeland (1856-1936), banker, congressman, co-author of the "Aldrich-Vreeland Bill" that transformed the United States Banking system in the early 20th century. Senator Aldrich represented Rhode Island and was the maternal grandfather of Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller, governor of New York in the 1960s.
• Carson Waterman, Seneca Indian artist known for public art and illustrations in the Allegany Seneca Storybook and Seneca Coloring Book.

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Places and Events of Interest

• Allegany State Park - The state park in western New York State, located in Cattaraugus County just north of the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. The park is divided into two sections: The Red House Area and the Quaker Run Area. It lies within the Allegheny Highlands forests ecoregion.
• Salamanca Historical Society and Museum - The museum is housed in the restored Salamanca Trust Company bank building. Built in 1882, it became the home to the Historical Society and Museum in 2002 and after renovation and restoration during 2003-2004, the Historical Society and Museum moved in and opened officially in 2005. It is very impressive and a beautiful home to the treasures of the area.
• Salamanca Rail Museum - The museum is a fully restored passenger depot constructed in 1912 by the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway. Through artifacts, photos and video presentations, you can experience an era over 90 years ago, when rail was the primary mode of transportation from city to city.
• Salamanca-Seneca Falling Leaves Festival - Thousands of visitors to and residents of the southern tier region look forward to the leaves making their annual transition from green to mixtures of yellow, orange, or red. The unique beauty outside and the balanced days of autumn have always been a cause for celebration and time spent with friends and family. Soon, another Salamanca fall tradition will return for its annual weekend. Usually in September/October
• Seneca-Iroquois National Museum - Known also as the Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center, the museum proudly houses an extensive collection of Hodinöhsö:ni’ historical and traditionally designed decorative and every-day-use items and archaeological artifacts. SINM also are the safe keepers of historical documents, including articles, special publications, historical and family photographs and various multi-media productions regarding the Onöndowa’ga:’ and Hodinöhsö:ni’.
• Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino -This Seneca property nestled at the foot of the majestic Allegany Mountains near the New York/Pennsylvania border. The Salamanca valley area is full of great things to do, from taking in the scenery to exploring quaint shops and boutiques. Seneca Allegany offers a vacation destination with plenty of fresh air and adventure outside, and even more excitement inside.
• Seneca Powwow - The Marvin “Joe” Curry Veterans Powwow, formally known as the Seneca Casino Veteran’s Powwow, is an annual contest pow wow in honor of our veterans. The powwow is a signature event, not only for the Seneca people, but for friends and neighbors locally and across the country who have been a part of the celebration for many years. Usually in July
• Silver Bells Parade - Salamanca was the hometown of music composer, Ray Evans, who wrote the Christmas song - Silver Bells. Every December Salamanca has a parade - “Silver Bells in the City” (Sponsored by the Ray and Wyn Ritchie Evans Foundation and the Seneca Salamanca Chamber of Commerce).