Chautauqua County, New York

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Chautauqua County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 127,657.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Mayville,<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> and its largest city is Jamestown. Its name is believed to be the lone surviving remnant of the Erie language, a tongue lost in the 17th century Beaver Wars; its meaning is unknown and a subject of speculation. The county was created in 1808 and organized in 1811.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county is part of the Western New York region of the state.

Chautauqua County comprises the Jamestown–Dunkirk–Fredonia, NY Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is located south east of Lake Erie and includes a small portion of the Cattaraugus Reservation of the Seneca.

History

Prior to European colonization, most of what is now Chautauqua County was inhabited by the indigenous Erie people prior to the Beaver Wars in the 1650s. French forces traversed the territory beginning in 1615. The Seneca Nation conquered the territory during the Beaver Wars and held it through the next century until siding with the British crown, their allies for most of the 18th century, against the American revolutionaries in the American Revolutionary War.

Chautauqua County was organized by the state legislature during the development of western New York after the American Revolutionary War and the ratification of The Treaty of Canandaigua, between the United States and the Council of the Six Nations. It was officially separated from Genesee County on March 11, 1808.<ref>New York. Laws of New York.;31st Session; Chapter 40; Sections1—2; Page 266.</ref> This partition was performed under the same terms that produced Cattaraugus and Niagara counties. The partition was done for political purposes, but the counties were not properly organized for self-government, so they were all administered as part of Niagara County.

On February 9, 1811, Chautauqua was completely organized, and its separate government was launched.<ref>Doty, William J., et al. ;Historic Annals of Southwestern New York.; 3 Volumes; New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company; 1940; Volume 1; Page 360.</ref> This established Chautauqua as a county of Template:Convert of land. Chautauqua has not been altered since.

The first New York Chautauqua Assembly was organized in 1874 by Methodist minister John Heyl Vincent and businessman Lewis Miller in the county at a campsite on the shores of Chautauqua Lake.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (29%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Chautauqua County, in the southwestern corner of New York State, along the New York-Pennsylvania border, is the westernmost of New York's counties. Chautauqua Lake is located in the center of the county, and Lake Erie is its northern border.

Part of the Eastern Continental Divide runs through Chautauqua County. The area that drains into the Conewango Creek (including Chautauqua Lake) eventually empties into the Gulf of Mexico; the rest of the county's watershed empties into Lake Erie and via Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway into the North Atlantic Ocean. This divide, known as the Chautauqua Ridge, can be used to mark the border between the Southern Tier and the Niagara Frontier. It is also a significant dividing point in the county's geopolitics, with the "North County" being centered on Dunkirk and the "South County" centered on Jamestown each having their own interests.<ref>Dean, Nicholas (August 30, 2009). "Legislators Cite North-South Discrepancies" Template:Webarchive, The Post-Journal, Retrieved 2009-08-30.</ref>

The county is generally composed of rolling hills and valleys, with elevations ranging anywhere between 1100 and 2100 feet, although the land within a few miles of Lake Erie is generally flat and at an elevation of 1000 feet or lower.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The lowest point in the county is Lake Erie, at Template:Convert, and the highest point is Gurnsey Benchmark at Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Adjacent counties

Chautauqua County is one of the few counties in the US to border two counties of the same name in different states (Erie County in New York and Pennsylvania).

Major highways

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Demographics

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2020 census

Chautauqua County racial composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (NH)	106,063	83.08%
Black or African American (NH)	2,891	2.26%
Native American (NH)	497	0.38%
Asian (NH)	796	0.62%
Pacific Islander (NH)	49	0.03%
Other/Mixed (NH)	5,592	4.38%
Hispanic or Latino	11,769	9.22%

2000 census

As of the 2000 census,<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> there were 139,750 people, 54,515 households, and 35,979 families in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 64,900 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 94.04% White, 2.18% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.73% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. 4.22% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In terms of ancestry, 17.3% were German, 15.1% were Italian, 11.6% were Swedish, 10.9% were English, 9.3% were Polish, 9.2% were Irish and 5.6% were of American ancestry according to Census 2000. 93.0% spoke English and 3.8% Spanish as their first language.

Of the 54,515 households 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.90% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.00% were non-families. 28.10% of households were one person and 12.60% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.

The age distribution was 24.50% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.

The median household income was $33,458 and the median family income was $41,054. Males had a median income of $32,114 versus $22,214 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,840. About 9.70% of families and 13.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.30% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2010 census, there were 134,905 people in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 92.57% (124,875 people) white, 2.37% (3,197 people) African-American, 0.51% (688 people) Asian, 0.51% (689 people) Native American/Alaskan, 0.03% (34 people) Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 1.98% (2,669 people) other, and 2.04% (2,751 people) two or more races. The Hispanic/Latino population of any race was 6.11% (8,241 people). In terms of ancestry, 25% were German, 16% were Italian, 12.8% were Swedish, 16% were English, 10.6% were Polish, 14.9% were Irish and 3.2% were of American ancestry according to the 2010 Census. 92.9% spoke English and 4.1% Spanish as their first language.

The age distribution was 21.83% of the population under the age of 18, 3.82% (5,155 people) ages 18 and 19, 7.50% (10,113 people) ages 20–24, 10.37% (13,985 people) ages 25–34, 18.83% (25,406 people) ages 35–49, 21.07% (28,419 people) ages 50–64, and 16.59% (22,381 people) over the age of 65. Of the population, 49.3% (66,509 people) were male and 50.7% (68,396 people) were female.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Government and politics

All of the county is in the 150th New York State Assembly district, represented by Andy Goodell, and the New York State Senate 57th district represented by George Borrello. The entire county is within the bounds of New York's 23rd congressional district which is represented by Nick Langworthy.

The 2012 redistricting process moved all of Chautauqua County into Goodell's assembly district, while the county also rejoined the former 31st (renumbered again as the 23rd) congressional district along with Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties. Prior to 2013, the county was part of New York's 27th congressional district. Prior to 2003, the county was part of New York's 31st congressional district, but it was controversially redistricted out of that district and into what was the 27th, and was replaced in the 29th district (the old 31st) by Rochester suburbs that had never before been part of the district. Chautauqua County, at the same time, joined southern Erie County and portions of the City of Buffalo in the 27th, areas that had also never been in the same district with each other. In both cases, the suburban additions had significantly more Democratic populations than before, leading to Democrats winning both districts, which led to accusations of cracking-based gerrymandering.

Though the Republican Party has historically been dominant in Chautauqua County politics, the county had been a perfect bellwether county from 1980 to 2008, correctly voting for the winner of each presidential election in all eight elections during that time. However, in 2012, it voted for Republican Mitt Romney even as Democrat Barack Obama won re-election, marking its first miss since 1976. In 2016 the county reverted back to being solidly Republican, as Donald Trump won the county by the largest margin since Ronald Reagan in 1984.

Chautauqua County is one of nineteen “charter counties” in New York, which grants the county greater leeway in conducting its own affairs. A board of supervisors governed Chautauqua County until 1975, when a new county charter went into effect with provisions for a county executive and a 13-seat county legislature.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> The county council currently consists of 19 members each elected from single-member districts. As of 2024, there are 14 Republicans and 5 Democrats.<ref>Post Journal</ref>

**Chautauqua County Executives**
Name	Party	Term
Joseph Gerace	Template:Party shading/Democratic \| Democratic	January 1, 1975 – May 10, 1983
David Dawson (acting)	Template:Party shading/Democratic \| Democratic	May 10, 1983 – November 25, 1983
John A. Glenzer	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican	November 25, 1983 – December 31, 1989
Andrew W. Goodell	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican	January 1, 1990 – December 31, 1997
Mark W. Thomas	Template:Party shading/Democratic \| Democratic	January 1, 1998 – December 31, 2005
Gregory J. Edwards	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican	January 1, 2006 – November 15, 2013
Stephen M. Abdella (acting)	Template:Party shading/Republican \| UKN	November 15, 2013 – December 31, 2013
Vincent W. Horrigan	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican	January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2017
George M. Borrello	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican	January 1, 2018 – November 26, 2019
Stephen M. Abdella (acting)	Template:Party shading/Republican \| UKN	November 26, 2019 – December 31, 2019
Paul J. Wendel	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican	January 1, 2020 – present

**Chautauqua County Legislature**
District	Legislator	Party
1	Kevin Muldowney	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican
2	Robert Bankoski	Template:Party shading/Democratic \| Democratic
3	Bob Scudder	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican
4	Christine Starks	Template:Party shading/Democratic \| Democratic
5	Terry Niebel	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican
6	Thomas R. Harmon	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican
7	Mark Odell	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican
8	Pierre Chagnon Chairman	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican
9	Chuck Nazzaro	Template:Party shading/Democratic \| Democratic
10	Ken Lawton	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican
11	Robert Whitney	Template:Party shading/Democratic \| Democratic
12	Elisabeth Rankin	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican
13	Paul Whitford	Template:Party shading/Democratic \| Democratic
14	Daniel Pavlock	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican
15	Lisa Vanstrom	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican
16	John Davis	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican
17	Frank<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jay Gould	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican
18	Bill Ward	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican
19	John Hemmer	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican

New York State Assembly

Prior to changes in representation of the New York State Assembly, each county had a given number of representatives. The following were representatives of Chautauqua County.

Name	Term Start	Term End	Legislatures	Notes
Ebenezer Walden	July 1, 1811	June 30, 1812	35th	Represented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Jonas Williams	July 1, 1812	June 30, 1814	36th, 37th	Represented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Joseph McClure	July 1, 1814	June 30, 1815	38th	Represented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Elias Osborn	July 1, 1815	June 30, 1816	39th	Represented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Jediah Prendergast Richard Smith	July 1, 1816	June 30, 1817	40th	Represented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Robert Fleming Isaac Phelps	July 1, 1817	June 30, 1818	41st	Represented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Philo Orton Isaac Phelps	July 1, 1818	June 30, 1819	42nd	Represented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Elial T. Foote Oliver Forward	July 1, 1819	June 30, 1820	43rd	Represented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Jediah Prendergast William Hotchkiss	July 1, 1820	June 30, 1821	44th	Represented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties
Thomas B. Campbell	July 1, 1821	December 31, 1822	45th	Represented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Niagara Counties
David Eason	July 1, 1821	January 5, 1822	45th	Represented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Niagara Counties
Isaac Phelps	January 5, 1822	December 31, 1822	45th	Represented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Niagara Counties
James Mullett Jr.	January 1, 1823	December 31, 1824	46th, 47th	First to only represent Chautauqua County
Nathan Mixer	January 1, 1825	December 31, 1825	48th
Elial T. Foote	January 1, 1826	December 31, 1827	49th, 50th
Samuel A. Brown	January 1, 1827	December 31, 1827	50th
Nathaniel Fenton	January 1, 1828	December 31, 1828	51st
Nathan Mixer	January 1, 1828	December 31, 1829	51st, 52nd
Abner Hazeltine	January 1, 1829	December 31, 1830	52nd, 53rd
Squire White	January 1, 1830	December 31, 1832	53rd, 54th, 55th
John Birdsall	January 1, 1831	December 31, 1831	54th
Theron Bly	January 1, 1832	December 31, 1832	55th
Nathaniel Gray	January 1, 1833	December 31, 1833	56th
Alvin Plumb	January 1, 1833	December 31, 1833	56th

Education

Jamestown Community College has two campuses in the county at Jamestown and Dunkirk. The State University of New York at Fredonia is located in the northern part of the county. Jamestown Business College offered two year degrees, certificates, and a four-year degree in Jamestown, prior to its decision to cease new enrollments in 2024.

Communities

File:Chautauqua County, New York Divisions.png


#	Location	Population	Type	Area
1	Jamestown	31,146	City	Southeast
2	Dunkirk	12,563	City	Lake Shore
3	Fredonia	11,230	Village	Lake Shore
4	Westfield	3,224	Village	Lake Shore
5	Lakewood	3,002	Village	Southeast
6	Silver Creek	2,656	Village	Lake Shore
7	Falconer	2,420	Village	Southeast
8	Ripley	2,415	CDP	Lake Shore
9	Jamestown West	2,408	CDP	Southeast
10	Frewsburg	1,906	CDP	Southeast
11	†Mayville	1,711	Village	Southwest
12	Brocton	1,486	Village	Lake Shore
13	Celoron	1,112	Village	Southeast
14	Sherman	730	Village	Southwest
15	††Forestville	697	Hamlet/CDP	Lake Shore
16	Sunset Bay	660	CDP	Lake Shore
17	Cassadaga	634	Village	Southeast
18	Sinclairville	588	Village	Center-East
19	Panama	479	Village	Southwest
20	Kennedy	465	CDP	Southeast
21	††Cherry Creek	461	Hamlet/CDP	Center-East
22	Busti	391	CDP	Southeast
23	Bemus Point	364	Village	Southeast
24	Chautauqua	191	CDP	Southwest

† - county seat

†† - former village

In literature

Joyce Carol Oates' 1996 novel, We Were the Mulvaneys is set in rural Chautauqua County, near the fictional town of Mt. Ephraim.

Notes

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Citations

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External links

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