Cuba (town), New York

Cuba is a town located in Allegany County, New York roughly an hour south of Buffalo, New York. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 3,392. The town is believed by many to be named after the Island of Cuba.

The Town of Cuba was incorporated in 1850 from part of the Town of Friendship and lies on the western border of Allegany County. There is a village of Cuba within this town.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 92.8 km² (35.8 mi²). 91.0 km² (35.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.8 km² (0.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.95% water.

The west town line is the border of Cattaraugus County, New York.

The Southern Tier Expressway (Interstate 86 and New York highway 17) passes through the town running East and West.

Route 305 runs through the town, going North and South.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 3,392 people, 1,336 households, and 915 families residing in the town. The population density is 37.3/km² (96.6/mi²). There are 1,710 housing units at an average density of 18.8/km² (48.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 97.91% White, 0.27% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 1.09% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 1,336 households out of which 31.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% are married couples living together, 9.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% are non-families. 25.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.49 and the average family size is 2.98.

In the town the population is spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $33,939, and the median income for a family is $37,969. Males have a median income of $29,291 versus $21,115 for females. The per capita income for the town is $17,247. 9.4% of the population and 6.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 8.6% of those under the age of 18 and 6.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

History, Business, and Points of Interest

Formerly known as Township 3 Range 2 of the Holland Land Purchase, the settlement of Cuba began in 1817, though the town was not first organized until 1822 and not established until 1850. Between 1810 to the late 1820's the town saw a boom in both settlement and population as many of the town's first businesses, churches and schools were established.

North of the town lies Cuba Lake. Originally constructed as a reservoir for the Genesee Valley Canal in 1858, Cuba Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world at the time. Today it mainly serves as a source of recreation for locals as the lake is surrounded by homes and cottages, many of which are inhabited year-round.

At the spillway end of Cuba Lake sits the Oil Springs Reservation. It was here in 1627 that the first documentation of oil in North America was noted by Franciscan Missionary Joseph De La Roche D'Allion. In 1927, the New York State Oil Producers Association sponsored the dedication of a monument at the site describing the history of the oil industry in North America.

Along with neighboring Friendship, New York, which houses Friendship Dairies, Cuba has been a top producer of dairy products since the late 1800's. In the early 1900's, Cuba was known as the "Cheese Capitol of the World". Today, it is home to the Empire Cheese Factory located on Haskell Road in the south end of Cuba. Empire Cheese is one of the town's top employers. Cuba is also the home of the world renowned Cuba Cheese Shoppe. Located on Genesee Street, the Cuba Cheese Shoppe serves as a retail outlet for many types of cheeses and dairy products. Cuba Cheese has won several awards and is known as one of the top producers of New York State Cheddar. Every year during the first week of June the town hosts Cuba Dairy Week. Cuba is also home to Farnsworth Cookies and many other local businesses.

Cuba is also home to what the locals refer to as the Block Barn on Route 305 just past the Conrail overpass south of the Historic District. Constructed in 1909, this structure, which is made almost entirely of cement, spans nearly 350 feet long and is completely fireproof. It was built to house William Simpson's "McKinney" horses. It has been a popular stable and it was said to have housed horses for the Czar of Russia and once was considered by the Anheuser Busch company as a spot to house its famous Clydesdales.

Notable People

• Charles Ingalls , father of Laura Ingalls Wilder, was born in North Cuba on January 10th, 1836. Charles was portrayed as "Pa Ingalls" in the Little House on the Prairie books. The Town of Cuba holds "Pa Ingalls Day" in his honor.

• Naomi Olive , who was murdered by her 16 year old daughter Marlene and her boyfriend Chuck Riley, was from originally from Cuba. The story was made famous in the 1982 book Bad Blood: A Family Murder in Marin County (http://horror.about.com/od/toppicks/tp/tp_nonfiction.htm), by Richard M. Levine (http://www.reportingcivilrights.org/authors/bio.jsp?authorId=130).

Education

Cuba is located near many educational institutions.

The main high school in Cuba is Cuba-Rushford Middle High School, which formed after a merger of the Cuba and Rushford, New York school districts. The Middle High School sits north of the town on Route 305 and teaches grades 6-12. What is known as the "Old" High School on Elm Street now teaches grades K-5 as the "Old" Elementary School across the street is now abandoned. The mascot of Cuba was the Greyhounds until the merger in the mid 1990's when the mascot was renamed to the Rebels.

West of Cuba between Allegany, New York and Olean is St. Bonaventure University. SBU's campus literally sits on the Olean/Allegany border, therefore it has it's own zipcode. Many of SBU's teams such as the Basketball and Baseball teams play in the Atlantic 10 Conference of NCAA Division 1.

Several of the state's SUNY campuses are near Cuba as well. Olean is also home to a Jamestown Community College satellite campus. About 30 miles east of Cuba in Alfred, New York is Alfred University, while just 15 miles east of Cuba in Wellsville, New York is Alfred State College. Cuba is about an hour south of Buffalo, New York which is home to several University's and Colleges.

Communities and locations in the Town of Cuba

• Black Creek -- A former community in the town, now in the Town of New Hudson. Black Creek is mentioned often in the early history of the town.
• Cuba -- The Village of Cuba is in the western part of the town.
• Cuba Lake -- A lake in the northwest corner of the town.
• North Cuba -- A hamlet north of Cuba village on Route 305.
• Oil Springs Reservation -- A reservation of the Seneca at the western town line.
• South Cuba -- A hamlet south of Cuba village on Route 305.
• Seymour -- A former community in the town located near North Cuba.
• Summit -- A location east of Cuba village on Route 20, also called Cuba Summit.
• Tannery Creek -- A stream flowing across the town and through Cuba village.

External links

• Town of Cuba webpage (http://www.cuba-ny.com)
• Cuba Cheese Shoppe (http://www.cubacheese.com)
• Friendship Dairies (http://www.friendshipdairies.com)
• St. Bonaventure University (http://www.sbu.edu)
• JCC (http://www.sunyjcc.edu)
• Alfred University (http://www.alfred.edu)

Sources

Some information and photos gathered from Cuba, NY official website.