Bennington, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bennington, New York
Town
Location in Wyoming County and the state of New York.
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Wyoming
Area
• Total	55.26 sq mi (143.13 km2)
• Land	55.05 sq mi (142.59 km2)
• Water	0.21 sq mi (0.54 km2)
Elevation	1,220 ft (372 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	3,359
• Estimate  (2018)	3,240
• Density	61.02/sq mi (23.56/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code	36-05936
GNIS feature ID	0978722
Website	www.benningtonny.com

Bennington is a town in Wyoming County, New York, United States. In 2020, about 3,235 people lived here. The town got its name from Bennington, Vermont.

Bennington is the largest town in Wyoming County. It covers a big part of the county's northwest corner.

History of Bennington

The Town of Bennington was created in 1818. It was formed from a part of the Town of Sheldon. The name "Bennington" came from Bennington, Vermont.

Early Settlement and Growth

In 1802, the area of Bennington was part of the Town of Batavia. Later, in 1808, it became part of the Town of Sheldon. Finally, on March 6, 1818, Bennington became its own town.

John Tolles was one of the first settlers in Bennington. He arrived in the summer of 1802. He settled in an area known by different names over the years.

In 1805, Jacob Wright built the first wooden barn in the town. By 1806, more than twenty families lived in Bennington. They built a tannery (for making leather), a shoe shop, and a blacksmith shop.

The first schoolhouse was built in 1807. A sawmill was also built in the southern part of town. Chauncey Loomis bought a large amount of land in 1806. This land is now known as Bennington Center.

In 1807, another sawmill was built in Bennington Center. The first barn there was built using lumber from this mill. Also in 1807, a road was built from Bennington to Sheldon.

Developing Hamlets

About nine years after the Loomis family settled, Quartus Clapp bought land. He chose a spot near a waterfall on Cayuga Creek. He built a sawmill there around 1816 or 1818. This area was first called Clapp's Mills.

In 1826, Quartus Clapp built the town's first grist mill. A grist mill grinds grain into flour.

In 1827, Gaius B. Rich opened the first store in Clapp's Mills. Hiram Cowles worked at this store in 1831. Mail for the settlers came to this store once a week. Hiram Cowles helped set up the Post Office there. On March 11, 1831, he became the Postmaster. In his honor, the settlement was named Cowlesville.

Another hamlet, Folsomdale, is southwest of Bennington Center. John Fitch came to Folsomdale around 1823. He built a house, planted an orchard, and set up a saw and grist mill.

In 1825, David Scott bought Fitch's property. He started a business selling goods and milling grain. The area was then called Scottsville. Around 1831, Benjamin Folsom came to manage a store for Mr. Scott.

Mr. Scott built a tavern in 1834-1835. Mr. Folsom later owned and ran it. After that, the hamlet was named Folsomdale.

Town Governance and Changes

The first Bennington town meeting was held at David Farnham's home. George Loomis was the first supervisor for the town.

In 1875, there was a plan to divide Bennington into two towns. The new town was to be called "Elmont." However, the plan did not pass in the New York State Legislature.

Until the 1930s, town meetings were held in the schoolhouse. In 1936, the town hall was built. This was part of the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) program. The W.P.A. provided jobs during the Great Depression. The federal government paid for the labor. The building is still used for town meetings today.

Bennington was mostly a farming community for a long time.

The town had several small schools. The last one to close was District #17 in Cowlesville.

Covered Bridges and Famous Connections

Bennington once had six covered bridges over Cayuga Creek. The last one, called the Ellis-Chesbro covered bridge, burned down on March 17, 1966. It was the last covered bridge of its kind in western New York State. This bridge was even used in the movie "The Great Waltz" in 1938.

Frances Folsom was the granddaughter of John B. Folsom. She became the First Lady of the United States. She spent a lot of time in Folsomdale when she was young. Frances Folsom married President Grover Cleveland on June 2, 1886. Their wedding was at the White House in Washington, D.C.

Churches in Bennington

The town of Bennington has been home to several churches. The first Baptist Church in Bennington Center was built in 1832. It was rebuilt in 1887 after a fire.

The United Church of Christ in Bennington Center opened in 1844. The Sacred Heart Catholic Church was built there in 1871. Other churches included the East Bennington Evangelic and United Brethren Church and Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church.

Cowlesville had a Baptist Church built in 1872. It also had a Universalist Church, which was later taken down. Folsomdale had a German Baptist Church and a Free Will Baptist Church.

Geography

The town of Bennington covers about 55.26 square miles (143.13 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.

The western edge of Bennington borders Erie County. The northern edge borders both Erie and Genesee counties.

Important roads like New York State Route 77 and NYS 354 (Clinton Street) go through the town. New York State Route 98 crosses the southeastern part of Bennington.

Population Information

Notable People from Bennington

• George Gilbert Hoskins: A former US Congressman and Lieutenant Governor of New York.
• Justin Rolph Loomis: The second president of Bucknell University.
• Paul J. Smith: An important arts administrator.
• James D. Yeomans: A former commissioner of the Interstate Commerce Commission.

Communities and Locations in Bennington

• Bennington Center (or Bennington) – This is a small community called a hamlet. It is located where Routes 77 and 354 meet.
• Cowlesville – Another hamlet in the northwest part of town, on Route 354. It has its own ZIP code (14037).
• Folsomdale – A hamlet south of Route 354. This was the childhood home of Frances Folsom, who became the First Lady.
• Schoellkopf Scout Reservation – A camp for the Boy Scouts of America. It is south of Route 354.

A tall broadcast tower in the southwest corner of town sends out signals for TV station WNYO-TV and FM radio station WLOF.

See also

In Spanish: Bennington (Nueva York) para niños