Dunkirk, New York

Dunkirk is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the USA. It was officially incorporated in 1880, though it was first settled around 1805. The population was 13,131 at the 2000 census. Dunkirk is bordered on the north by Lake Erie. It shares a border with the Village of Fredonia to the south, and with the Town of Dunkirk to the east and west. Dunkirk is the westernmost city in the state of New York.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.6 square miles (11.8 km²), of which, 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.88%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,131 people, 5,477 households, and 3,335 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,899.6 people per square mile (1,119.2/km²). There were 6,071 housing units at an average density of 1,340.6 per square mile (517.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.00% White, 4.4% Black or African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 9.14% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.86% of the population.

There were 5,477 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were married couples living together, 16.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,313, and the median income for a family was $35,058. Males had a median income of $29,462 versus $21,682 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,482. About 18.5% of families and 22.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.0% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

 * A branch of Jamestown Community College is in Dunkirk.
 * Dunkirk High School, home of the Marauders, is part of the public Dunkirk City School District.
 * Northern Chautauqua Catholic School is a K-8th grade school under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.

Transportation

 * The Chautauqua County-Dunkirk Airport (DKK), located in the Town of Dunkirk, provides both training facilities and charter services.
 * Railroad service in Dunkirk is served by CSX Transportation (via the Buffalo-Cleveland-Willard (Ohio)-Chicago Main Line) and Norfolk Southern Railway (Buffalo-Cleveland-Fort Wayne-Chicago Main Line).

Media

 * The Observer newspaper is published in Dunkirk.

Notable facts

 * Dunkirk was once home to the world's tallest one-piece wooden flagpole.
 * Dunkirk officially celebrated it centennial (1880–1980) in 1980, featuring a year-long series of events, including a pagent that summer narrating the history of Dunkirk, held outside on the football field of Dunkirk High School. A time capsule containing artifacts from the present, such as letters written by elementary school students, was buried at city hall and scheduled to be opened 50 and 100 years later, in 2030 and 2080, respectively. Long-time city Parks and Recreation Department Director Robert Patterson was the chairman of the centennial.
 * During World War II, up to 425 Italian and German prisoners of war were held at the Chautauqua County fairgrounds on Central Avenue.
 * The Chautauqua County Fair is held each summer in Dunkirk at the fairgrounds off of Central Avenue.
 * The Dunkirk High School varsity baseball team, led by Coach William Walters and pitchers David Orth ('88) and Bob Krzyzanowicz ('89), won the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class B championship in 1988, after which the portion of Woodrow Drive bordering the high school was renamed "Marauder Drive" to honor this achievement.
 * Part of the 1974 film Gone in 60 Seconds was filmed on Fourth Street in Dunkirk.
 * Dunkirk is the destination of Polish immigrants in the novel Jadwiga's Crossing.
 * The National Guard has a base in Dunkirk.
 * The following are on the National Register of Historic Places: Dunkirk Light, Dunkirk Schooner Site, Point Gratiot Lighthouse Complex, School No. 7, and the United States Post Office.

Notable natives

 * Samuel Hopkins Adams, American author, was born on January 26, 1871 in Dunkirk.
 * June Card, operatic soprano and stage director, born in Dunkirk in 1942.
 * Wendy Corsi Staub, NY Times bestselling author
 * H. B. Halicki, director of Gone in 60 Seconds and The Junkman was born in Dunkirk.
 * Richard J. Lutz and Aloysius A. Lutz, co-authors of the novel Jadwiga's Crossing, in which Dunkirk figures, are natives of Dunkirk.
 * Thomas Horan, a Medal of Honor Recipient at battle of Gettysburg 1863 during the American Civil War, was born in Dunkirk in 1839 and died 1902. His grave is at Saint Mary's Cemetery in Dunkirk.
 * Sean Patrick McGraw, country music artist.
 * Van Miller, play-by-play announcer for the Buffalo Bills and WIVB-TV sportscaster
 * Gar Samuelson, Former drummer of thrash metal band Megadeth.