Brant, New York

Brant is a town located in Erie County, New York. As of the 2000 U.S. census, the town had a population of 1,906. The Town of Brant is located in in the southeastern part of the county and is known as one of the "Southtowns."

Contents

1 History 1.1 An Early History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Communities and locations in Brant 5 External Links

History

The town was organized in 1839 from parts of the Towns of Evans and Concord. The town was named after the Mohawk leader Joseph Brant.

An Early History

J.H. French's, Gazetteer of the State of New York, Syracuse, New York: R. Pearsall Smith, 1860, contains the following entry for the Town of Brant:

BRANDT[1] – was formed from Collins and Evans, March 25, 1839. It lies upon the shore of Lake Erie, in the S.W. corner of the co. The surface is generally level, with a gentle inclination toward the lake. Cattaraugus Creek forms a part of the S. boundary. The other principal streams are Big Sister, Delaware, and Muddy Creeks. The soil is generally a gravelly loam intermixed with clay. Brandt (p.v.) contains 20 houses. Mill Branch (Farnham p.o.) is the Saw Mill Station on the B. & E.R.R., and contains 30 houses. The first settlement was made in 1817, by Moses Tucker[2]. The first religious services were conducted by Benj. Olmsted, in 1820. A union church is the only one in town.

[1] Named from Col. Joseph Brant, the Mohawk chief. His Indian name was "Tha-yan-da-nee-gah," said to signify "wood partly burned," or "a brand;" and as the Indians are unable to distinguish d from t in their pronunciation, it became Brant. — Asher Wright, Missionary at the Cattaraugus Reservation.

[2] John, Robert, and Major Campbell, and John West, settled in the town in 1808, and Ansel Smith, Robt. and Wm. Grannis, and Benj. Olmsted, in 1819. The first birth was that of a son of John West, in 1818; the first marriage, that of Levi Grannis and Leah Hallida, in 1819; and the first death, that of Matthew West, in 1822. The first mill was built by Sam'l Butts, in 1822; the first inn was kept by Josephus Hubbard, in 1825; and the first store, by Milton Morse, in 1835. Julia Bradley taught the first school, in 1823.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 64.1 km² (24.8 mi²). 63.0 km² (24.3 mi²) of it is land and 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.78% water.

The west border of Brant is Lake Erie and the south border is Cattaraugus Creek with Chautauqua County and Cattaraugus County on the opposite bank.

The New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) and US Route 20 pass through the town.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 1,906 people, 710 households, and 528 families residing in the town. The population density is 30.3/km² (78.4/mi²). There are 812 housing units at an average density of 12.9/km² (33.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 93.60% White, 1.26% African American, 3.78% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. 1.36% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 710 households out of which 29.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% are married couples living together, 12.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% are non-families. 19.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.68 and the average family size is 3.07.

In the town the population is spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $41,847, and the median income for a family is $47,130. Males have a median income of $35,913 versus $23,646 for females. The per capita income for the town is $19,803. 6.4% of the population and 4.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.0% of those under the age of 18 and 6.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Communities and locations in Brant

• The hamlet of Brant, located on Route 249.
• The Cattaraugus Reservation, a Seneca reservation that forms the southern border of the town.
• Evangola State Park, a state park is mostly in the town, located on Lake Erie shore.
• The Village of Farnham in the eastern part of the town.

External Links

• Town of Brant website (http://www.brantny.com/index.php)
• Town of Brant Cemeteries (http://members.tripod.com/~wnyroots/index-brant.html)
• Brant history (http://history.rays-place.com/ny/brant-ny.htm)