Salamanca (town), New York

Salamanca is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 544 at the 2000 census. The name is from a major investor in a local railroad.

The Town of Salamanca is in the south part of the county. The City of Salamanca borders the town.

History
The area was first settled by European-Americans after the American Revolution around 1815. This was historically the territory of the Native American Wenrohronon, who were driven out by the Seneca Nation in the Beaver Wars of the 1650s. Many of the early arrivals were whites who settled on Native American land with the informal permission and toleration of the tribal members.

The area was a sparsely populated, rural, farming and lumber industry region until the arrival of four railroads. They made their hub at the community of Salamanca.

The Town of Salamanca was formed in 1854 from part of the Town of Little Valley. At that time it was called the "Town of Bucktooth," named after a notable Native American who lived in the area. In 1869, the Town of Red House was created, taking away the south part of the Town of Salamanca. In 1870 the community of Salamanca began to set itself off, first as a village, and later as a city.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.2 square miles (47.3 km²), all of it land.

New York State Route 353 is a north-south highway in the town. The Southern Tier Expressway runs through the Seneca reservation in the middle of the town. New York State Route 417 closely parallels the Expressway.

Adjacent towns and areas
The Town of Salamanca is divided into two parts by the Allegany Reservation, which sees itself as an autonomous entity. This division parallels the Allegheny River. North of the town is the Town of Little Valley, and south of Salamanca is the Town of Red House. On its west side, Salamanca forms a border with the Towns of Coldspring and Napoli. To the east is the Town of Great Valley.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 544 people, 210 households, and 160 families residing in the town. The population density was 29.8 people per square mile (11.5/km²). There were 238 housing units at an average density of 13.0 per square mile (5.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.06% White, 0.37% Black or African American, 1.29% Native American, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population.

There were 210 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.8% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 108.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $43,889. Males had a median income of $32,344 versus $17,813 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,214. About 2.5% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Salamanca

 * Allegany Reservation – The Seneca reservation runs through the center of the town.
 * Allegheny River – The river runs through the center of the town and the Seneca reservation.
 * Allegany State Park – A small part of the park is in the south part of the town.
 * Bucktooth Run – A small stream that enters the Allegheny River west of Salamanca City.
 * Jimerson Town – A hamlet southwest of the City of Salamanca. It is the home of the Allegany Reservation's governmental headquarters.
 *  Kill Buck  – A hamlet east of Salamanca on Route 219, named after a chief of a local tribe.
 * Little Valley Creek – A stream flowing into the Allegheny River in Salamanca City.
 * Newton Run – A stream flowing into the Allegheny River east of Bucktooth Run.
 * Salamanca – Most of the City of Salamanca is inside the town lines (and also inside the Seneca reservation).
 * Shongo – A hamlet inside the Seneca reservation on NY-417 in the southwest part of the town.
 * Titus Run – A stream flowing into the Allegheny River from the south.