Elba, New York

Elba
Town
Location in Genesee County and the state of New York.
Coordinates: 43°04′36″N 78°11′20″W / 43.07667°N 78.18889°WCoordinates: 43°04′36″N 78°11′20″W / 43.07667°N 78.18889°W
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Genesee
Government
• Type	Town Council
• Town Supervisor	Lucine M. Kauffman
• Town Council	Members • Wade Chamberlain • Deborah A. Bell • William M. Hynes • Andrew J. Wormuth
Area
• Total	35.7 sq mi (92 km^2)
Population (2010)[1]
• Total	2,370
• Density	66/sq mi (26/km^2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)

Elba is a town in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 2,370 at the 2010 census.^[1]

The Town of Elba is at the north border of the county. The town is north of the City of Batavia. The town contains the village of Elba, located near the town's center.

History

The town was first settled in 1803. The Town of Elba was established in 1820, from a partition of the Town of Batavia. In 1842, part of the town was used to form the Town of Oakfield.

In 1884, the community of Elba set itself off from the town by incorporating as a village.

In 1948, while passing through on his Whistle-Stop Tour, it is rumored that Harry S. Truman referred to Elba, as "Smellba". To this day, being led by Truman's example, Elba is often referred to as "Smellba" by the supposed "higher-brow" towns of Genesee County.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 35.7 square miles (92.5 km²), all of it land.

The north town line is the border of Orleans County, (Town of Barre).

Part of the Alabama Swamp is in the northwest corner of the town, through which flows the Oak Orchard Creek.

North-South NYS 98 and east-west NYS 262 intersect in Elba village.

USGS maps of the area name the section including Ridge Road as Bulgary Ridge. Prior to more recent maps, in 1897 USGS maps, the area was called Vulgary.^[2]

Torrey Farms, one of the largest farms in New York, is located in the town of Elba.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1820	1,333		—
1830	2,679		101.0%
1840	3,161		18.0%
1850	1,772		−43.9%
1860	2,040		15.1%
1870	1,905		−6.6%
1880	1,968		3.3%
1890	1,746		−11.3%
1900	1,526		−12.6%
1910	1,384		−9.3%
1920	1,394		0.7%
1930	1,695		21.6%
1940	1,855		9.4%
1950	1,920		3.5%
1960	2,260		17.7%
1970	2,312		2.3%
1980	2,487		7.6%
1990	2,407		−3.2%
2000	2,439		1.3%
2010	2,370		−2.8%
Est. 2014	2,329	[3]	−1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 2,439 people, 853 households, and 668 families residing in the town. The population density was 68.3 people per square mile (26.4/km²). There were 910 housing units at an average density of 25.5 per square mile (9.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.07% White, 1.72% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 3.90% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.25% of the population.

There were 853 households out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.4% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 102.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $46,161, and the median income for a family was $51,058. Males had a median income of $37,244 versus $24,688 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,470. About 5.9% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Elba

• East Elba – A hamlet on Norton Road in the southeast corner of the town.
• Elba – The Village of Elba is located on Route NY-98.
• Davis Corners – A former community in the south part of the town.
• Daws (also called "Daws Corners") – A location south of Elba village on Route NY-98 at the south town line.
• Five Corners – A hamlet south of East Elba on the town line.
• Langton Corners – A community north of the village on Oak Orchard Road.

References

1. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
2. Ricker, Meredith. "Albion, NY Quadrangle". docs.unh.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
3. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
4. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
5. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

• Town/Village of Elba webpage
• Early Elba, NY history
• Local history page