Editing Great Valley, New York

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Great Valley, New York
| settlement_type          = [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|Town]]
| pushpin_map              = New York
| pushpin_label            = Great Valley
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location within the state of New York
|coordinates              = {{coord|42|11|41|N|78|38|53|W|region:US-NY|display=inline}}
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[New York (state)|New York]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in New York|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Cattaraugus County, New York|Cattaraugus]]
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = [[Town Council]]
| leader_title             = [[Town Supervisor]]
| leader_name              = Daniel J. Brown ([[United States Democratic Party|D]], [[United States Republican Party|R]])
| leader_title1            = [[Town Council]]
| leader_name1             = {{Collapsible list
 |title       = Members' List
 |frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
 |title_style = <!-- (optional) -->
 |list_style  = text-align:left;display:none;
 |1           = • Ted LaCroix ([[United States Democratic Party|D]], [[United States Republican Party|R]])
 |2           = • Lori L. Finch ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
 |3           = • Ann Rockwell ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
 |4           = • Daniel R. Smith ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
}}
|established_title        = 
|established_date         = 
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_cousubs_36.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 7, 2024}}</ref>
|area_total_sq_mi         = 50.23
|area_land_sq_mi          = 50.12
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.11
|area_total_km2           = 130.08
|area_land_km2            = 129.81
|area_water_km2           = 0.27
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_ft             = 1460
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=060XX00US3600930257 |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Great Valley town, Cattaraugus County, New York |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=March 7, 2024}}</ref>
|population_total         = 1991
|population_density_sq_mi = 39.72
|population_density_km2   = 15.33
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]s
|postal_code              = {{ubl|14741 (Great Valley)|14748 ([[Kill Buck, New York|Kill Buck]])|14779 ([[Salamanca, New York|Salamanca]])|14731 [[Ellicottville (village), New York|Ellicottville]])}}
|area_code                = [[Area code 716|716]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 36-009-30257
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0979015
|website                  = {{URL|www.greatvalleyny.org}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 2022
|pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusEst2020-2022">{{cite web |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=US Census Bureau |access-date=March 7, 2024}}</ref>
|population_est = 1969
}}
{{Coord|42|12|52|N|78|38|11|W|type:city_region:US-NY|display=title}}

'''Great Valley''' is a [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|town]] in [[Cattaraugus County, New York|Cattaraugus County]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States. The population was 1,991 at the 2020 census.<ref name="Census 2020"/> The town is named after its local geographical setting, a relative comparison of two tributaries (the other being the neighboring [[Little Valley, New York|Little Valley]]) of the [[Allegheny River]].

The town of Great Valley is centrally located in the county, northeast of the city of [[Salamanca (city), New York|Salamanca]].

== History ==
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2021}}
The town's area was first settled ''circa'' 1812, with the first settlement, [[Kill Buck, New York|Kill Buck]], coalescing in 1818.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patterson |first=Mildred Slade |date=1950 |title=Early days of the hamlet of Kill Buck |url=https://www.salamancapress.com/news/early-days-of-the-hamlet-of-kill-buck/article_9a810ebc-21b3-11ed-a818-0fb47c37001b.html |access-date=August 22, 2022 |website=The Salamanca Press |language=en}}</ref> The Town of Great Valley was incorporated in 1818, taken from part of the town of [[Olean (town), New York|Olean]]. In 1831, the town of [[Allegany, New York|Burton]] was made from the southeast part of Great Valley, and in 1842 the town of [[Carrollton, New York|Carrollton]] was made from the southwest part of Great Valley.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|130.1|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|129.8|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.3|km2|1|disp=flip}}, or 0.20%, is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020"/>

The [[Allegheny River]] flows through the southeast corner of the town, and Great Valley Creek is an important stream in the town.

[[U.S. Route 219]] is a major north-south highway in the town and intersects [[New York State Route 98]] in Great Valley village.

=== Adjacent towns and areas ===
Great Valley is south of the town of [[Ellicottville, New York|Ellicottville]] and north of the town of [[Carrollton, New York|Carrollton]]. The west boundary is formed by the towns of [[Salamanca (town), New York|Salamanca]] and [[Little Valley, New York|Little Valley]], as well as the city of Salamanca and the [[Allegany Reservation]]. Great Valley's east boundary is formed with the towns of [[Humphrey, New York|Humphrey]] and [[Allegany (town), New York|Allegany]]. A very small part of southwestern Great Valley borders the town of [[Red House, New York|Red House]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1820= 271
|1830= 647
|1840= 852
|1850= 1638
|1860= 1525
|1870= 1641
|1880= 1859
|1890= 1705
|1900= 1497
|1910= 1775
|1920= 1336
|1930= 1366
|1940= 1215
|1950= 1375
|1960= 1408
|1970= 1745
|1980= 2014
|1990= 2090
|2000= 2145
|2010= 1974
|2020= 1997
|estyear=2022
|estimate=1969
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2022"/>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 2,145 people, 843 households, and 596 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|42.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 1,196 housing units at an average density of {{convert|23.8|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 96.36% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.79% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.17% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.70% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.47% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.51% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.93% of the population.

There were 843 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.7 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,784, and the median income for a family was $42,209. Males had a median income of $31,581 versus $21,792 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $17,749.  About 3.1% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
*[[DeHart H. Ames]], former New York state senator
*[[Chauncey J. Fox]], former New York state senator
*[[Nelson I. Norton]], former US congressman

== Communities and locations in Great Valley ==
*[[Allegany Indian Reservation|Allegany Reservation]] – Part of the [[Iroquois]] reservation is in the southwest corner of the town.
*[[Allegany State Park]] – A small section of the park is in the southwest corner of the town.
*Great Valley – the [[hamlet (place)|hamlet]] of Great Valley is centrally located in the town. The town is at the convergence of County Roads 18 and 38, [[New York State Route 98|NY-98]], as well as [[U.S. Route 219|US 219]].  Great Valley Creek flows southward through the community.
*[[Great Valley Airport]] (N56) - A general aviation airstrip with a turf runway (Runway 6-24, length 3800 feet), operated by and adjacent to Katy's Fly-In Restaurant (formerly Eddy's).  It is about one mile southwest of the hamlet of Great Valley.
*Great Valley Creek – A stream that flows into the town at the north town line and out the southeast corner of the town to join the [[Allegheny River]] in Salamanca, New York.
*[[Holiday Valley Resort]] – A ski resort that straddles the town's northern border with [[Ellicottville, New York|Ellicottville]].
*[[Kill Buck, New York|Kill Buck]] – A hamlet east of Salamanca on Route 219, named after a chief of a local tribe.
*Peth – A hamlet southwest of Great Valley village on US Route 219, at the terminus of County Route 67.
*Rock City and [[McCarty Hill]] State Forests – A sprawling state forest, covering the northwestern corner of Great Valley and covering portions of several surrounding towns.
*[[Salamanca (city), New York|Salamanca]] – A small part of the city of Salamanca overlaps the southwest corner of the town.
*Sugartown – A hamlet northeast of Great Valley village, near the east town line on NY Route 98.
*Willoughby – A hamlet east of Great Valley village on County Road 18.

The seasonal theme park Pumpkinville is in the neighboring town of Humphrey but carries a Great Valley mailing address.

==Transportation==
[[Great Valley Airport]] is located one nautical mile (1.85&nbsp;km) southeast of the [[central business district]] of Great Valley.<ref>{{FAA-airport|ID=N56|use=PU|own=PR|site=15344.*A}}. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective April 8, 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/opdm/aviation/repository/air_dir/n56.pdf | title = Great Valley Airport (N56) | publisher = New York State Department of Transportation}}</ref>

The [[Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad]] runs a line through Great Valley, paralleling Route 219. It is used almost exclusively for freight; no passenger service is available on the line.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gwrr.com/railroads/north_america/buffalo_pittsburgh_railroad#m_tab-one-panel|title=Rail|work=Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad|access-date=September 21, 2018}}</ref>

==Education==
Public school students mostly attend [[Ellicottville Central School]], which contrary to its name is located in the northern part of the Town of Great Valley. A public school operated in Great Valley until the early 1970s; much of the lot on which the now-demolished building once stood remains vacant (part has been used for a post office), and the street serving the school (School Street) has since been removed, with only a sidewalk remaining.

==Religion==
Two churches, one an independent Methodist church (formerly part of the [[Church of the United Brethren in Christ]] and [[Evangelical United Brethren Church]] before 1968 and [[United Methodist Church]] before 2022) and one a [[Baptist church]], are located next to each other in the hamlet of Great Valley. An additional United Methodist Church in Sugartown, also previously an EUB church before its merger with the UMC, operated until 1981 before merging with its nearby counterpart. Healing Reigns Fellowship is located in Kill Buck.

Also in Great Valley is the nondenominational Little White Church, which was built in 2007 and has only once (at its dedication) been used for a church service, instead serving primarily as a wedding venue and roadside attraction.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Everts |first=Deb |date=2024-10-18 |title=Tiny roadside church site of family wedding in Great Valley |url=https://www.salamancapress.com/news/tiny-roadside-church-site-of-family-wedding-in-great-valley/article_6df94e80-8b02-11ef-976b-bfe810eb7a24.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawGA8o9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHSNFKHJpR4gY5wE2Cyqyp4SsDe6O32x-T4HWBLEx_dmB8-xnl6QhD9yE1Q_aem_jq0LPOpTF9GdpDCr3z6o3A |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=The Salamanca Press |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.greatvalleyny.org/ Town of Great Valley official website]
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/%7Enycattar/1879history/great_valley.htm  Early history of Great Valley]

{{Cattaraugus County, New York}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Cattaraugus County, New York]]
[[Category:Towns in New York (state)]]
[[Category:1818 establishments in New York (state)]]