Salamanca (city), New York

Salamanca is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States, located inside the Allegany Indian Reservation. The population was 6,097 at the 2000 census.

The city is surrounded by the Town of Salamanca. The city of Salamanca is the only U.S. city that was built on land leased from an Indian reservation. The lease from the Senecas is in effect until 2030.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16.2 km²), of which, 6.0 square miles (15.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it (3.69%) is water.

Salamanca is located on a reservation of the Seneca Nation of Indians (one of the six tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy), and the city population of about 6000 is about 35% Native American. The city lies on the Allegheny River and is adjacent to the Allegany State Park.

The Southern Tier Expressway (Interstate 86 and New York State Route 17) passes south of the city, as does US Route 219 and New York State Route 417.

History
Salamanca was originally called "Hemlock," a name derived from the fact that there were numerous hemlock trees throughout the surrounding majestic mountains of the Mighty Ohi:yo'. In 1999, the past land leases for houses built on Indian land expired. Despite treaty agreements that declared all Seneca land as "free to buy," the Senecas have nonetheless declared all land bought on the reservation to not be owned by the purchaser, but leased from the Seneca nation. The previous leases had had only nominal payments. Many people living in the city did not agree on the amount of lease payments, and this caused bitterness, lawsuits, and appeals to government officials. In the end, the new leases were put into effect, and sixteen households were seized and their owners evicted from their homes for refusing to sign the lease. The current lease is in effect until 2030.

Casino gambling
The Seneca Nation of Indians opened a gambling casino in Salamanca in May 2004. About 1,000 new jobs were created by the current casino operation, creating a housing shortage for the influx of workers. The 25% share of the revenue going to the city and county have enabled the city to try to refurbish its worn-down image.

However, noticeable, significant change has not yet occurred in the city, with new construction in only a few select areas. Main Street and US Route 219 (which runs through the city) remains largely untouched with little to no renovation and is populated by cigarette, tobacco, coffee shops, gas stations and empty storefronts. Some have criticized the current trend of developing the "New Salamanca" as a tax free cigarette/gas haven.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,097 people, 2,469 households, and 1,575 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,015.6 people per square mile (392.3/km²). There were 2,749 housing units at an average density of 457.9 per square mile (176.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.26% White, 0.66% Black or African American, 20.74% Native American (U.S. Census), 0.33% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 1.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.82% of the population.

There were 2,469 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.2% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,579, and the median income for a family was $30,996. Males had a median income of $25,549 versus $19,180 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,812. About 18.0% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.7% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

 * John F. Elsen - 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics Torch Bearer, January 1, 2002. Retired partial owner and Executive VP Fancher Furniture Company. WWII B-17 Heavy Bomber ball turret gunner.
 * Rachel L. Hutchison - Little-known granddaughter of Abraham Lincoln and notable member of the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association.
 * Mike Collins - Washington, D.C. political and public relations consultant. Formerly National Press Secretary of the Republican National Committee and Republican National Congressional Committee.  Media strategist behind 1994 GOP takeover of the House of Representatives.
 * Ray Evans — musician/songwriter; composed the Christmas song "Silver Bells".
 * Hon. Edward B. Vreeland — banker, congressman, co-author of the "Aldrich-Vreeland Bill" that transformed the United States Banking system in the early 20th century. Senator Aldrich was represented Rhode Island and was the maternal grandfather of Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller, Governor of New York in the 1960s.
 * Hon. Albert T. "Ab" Fancher — 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, that boasts one of the largest barns in New York.
 * David G. Elsen, United States Golf Teachers Federation, Professional, www.usgtf.com. First to set the current course record of 63 (-7) at Elkdale Country Club, 1992.
 * Paul Owens — player, scout, coach and general manager with the Philadelphia Phillies during the second half of the 20th century; club manager in 1983 when the Phillies went to the World Series. Raised in Salamanca's East End; graduated from local schools and St. Bonaventure University.
 * William O'Dell — Chairman of the Cattaraugus County Democratic Committee, Commissioner of the NYS Industrial Relations Board of Appeals during the administration of Mario Cuomo in the 1980s.
 * William O. Valent — principal of the Salamanca High School for more than two decades beginning in the late 1950s, then Superintendent of Schools.
 * Thomas Edward Hogan – historian, teacher, and educational planner and administrator, authored “City in a Quandary: Salamanca and the Allegany Leases”: New York History [January 1974]. This is considered to be an authoritative work cited by such published historians of NYS Indian history as Dr. Laurence M. Hauptman, author of The Iroquois in the Civil War from Battlefield to Reservation.
 * Carson Waterman — Seneca Indian artist whose work graces everything from the walls of leading museums and galleries to the Seneca Allegany Casino to a subway station in Buffalo, New York to such published works as the Allegany Seneca Storybook, and Seneca Coloring Book.
 * Gordon Canfield — American politician, member of the House of Representatives for New Jersey's 8th Congressional district.
 * Ira Joe Fisher — Daytime television personality and weather reporter.