Allegany | |
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Town | |
Location of New York in the United States |
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Coordinates: 42°05′22″N 78°29′37″W / 42.08944°N 78.49361°WCoordinates: 42°05′22″N 78°29′37″W / 42.08944°N 78.49361°W | |
Country | United States |
State | New York |
County | Cattaraugus County |
Incorporated | 1831 |
Government | |
• Mayor | John Hare (R) |
Area | |
• Total | 71.59 sq mi (185.43 km2) |
• Land | 70.94 sq mi (183.72 km2) |
• Water | 0.66 sq mi (1.70 km2) |
Elevation | 1,421 ft (433 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 8,004 |
• Estimate (2016) | 7,662 |
• Density | 108.01/sq mi (41.70/km2) |
Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
ZIP code | 14706 |
Area code(s) | 716 |
FIPS code | 36-009-01297 |
Website | Town of Allegany |
Allegany is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 8,004 at the 2010 census.
The Town of Allegany is on the south border of the county, west of the City of Olean. There is a village named Allegany inside this town.
The origin of the name Allegany is uncertain. It may have come from the name of a tribe called Allegewi that lived along the Allegheny River’s banks. It may also be based on an old Native American word meaning ‘lovely’ or ‘beautiful.’
The town was first settled around 1820 by Ebenezer Reed who moved from Connecticut. The Town of Allegany was formed on April 18, 1831 as the "Town of Burton" from a part of the town of Great Valley. On March 28, 1851, the name was changed to "Allegany."
In 1836, part of Allegany was used to form the Town of Humphrey.
A new community to be called "Allegany City" was proposed in 1837 to be built south of the Village of Allegany, but the plan was halted after a planned railroad changed its route.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 71.7 square miles (185.6 km²), of which, 71.2 square miles (184.3 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (0.68%) is water.
The Allegheny River flows through the town. The Southern Tier Expressway (Interstate 86 and New York State Route 17) passes across the town. New York State Route 417 (Old State Road) parallels the Expressway, and New York State Route 16 passes through the southeast corner of the town.