Hamburg, New York | |
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Town | |
Motto: The Town That Friendship Built | |
Location of Hamburg in Erie County and New York |
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Location in the United States | |
Coordinates: 42°44′40″N 78°51′30″W / 42.74444°N 78.85833°WCoordinates: 42°44′40″N 78°51′30″W / 42.74444°N 78.85833°W | |
Country | United States |
State | New York |
County | Erie |
Incorporated | 1812 |
Government | |
• Type | Town board |
• Body | Hamburg Town Board |
• Town Supervisor | Steven Walters (Republican) |
Area | |
• Total | 41.35 sq mi (107.10 km2) |
• Land | 41.32 sq mi (107.03 km2) |
• Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2) |
Elevation | 732 ft (223 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 56,936 |
• Estimate (2016) | 58,097 |
• Density | 1,405.92/sq mi (542.83/km2) |
Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
ZIP code | 14075 |
Area code | 716 |
FIPS code | 36-029-31654 |
GNIS feature ID | 0952086 |
Website | townofhamburgny |
Hamburg is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 56,936. It is named after the city of Hamburg, in Germany. The town is on the western border of the county and is south of Buffalo. Hamburg is one of the Southtowns in Erie County. The villages of Hamburg and Blasdell are in the town.
Historical evidence shows that the area was settled originally by the Erie people. Around 1805 the settlement was known as "Barkerville", named after Zenas Barker, the postmaster. On the site of this building today is the Dock at the Bay. The first landowner in the area was John Cummings, who built the first grist mill in 1806.
The town of Hamburg was formed by government decree on March 20, 1812, from the (now defunct) town of Willink. The first town meeting took place on April 7, 1812, at Jacob Wright's tavern at Wright's Corners, which was renamed Abbott's Corners, and now Armor. One of the early noted activities of the town board in that same year was to place a $5 bounty on wolf hides, due to the complaints of the local settlers who were being bothered by them.
In 1815, mail routes were established. The earliest settlers in the area were from New England. Germans started arriving in the 1830s and set up many successful farms. On November 29, 1824, a meeting was held in Abbott's Corners at the home of early settler Seth Abbott. At a vote of those present, agreement was reached to form a library with the sum of $102.
By 1850, the town was reduced by the formation of the towns of Orchard Park and West Seneca. Around 1852, the Erie Railroad was built through the area. In 1868 the Erie County Fair came to the town and has been located there since then. In 1875, the weekly publication of the Erie County Independent began. This is now known as The Sun. Telephone service in the area started in 1886.