Dunkirk, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dunkirk, New York Chadwicks Bay, Ganadawao
City
Aerial view of Dunkirk, facing north over Lake Erie
Dunkirk, New York Location in New York Show map of New York Dunkirk, New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Chautauqua
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
Area
• Total	4.57 sq mi (11.83 km2)
• Land	4.54 sq mi (11.77 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation	617 ft (188 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	12,743
• Density	2,803.74/sq mi (1,082.59/km2)
ZIP Code	14048
Area code(s)	716
FIPS code	36-013-21105

Dunkirk is a city in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. It's located right on the shore of Lake Erie. The city was first settled around 1805 and became an official city in 1880.

As of the 2020 census, about 12,743 people live in Dunkirk. The city is bordered by Lake Erie to the north. It also shares borders with the village of Fredonia to the south and the town of Dunkirk to the east and west. Dunkirk is the westernmost city in the state of New York.

History of Dunkirk

Early Inhabitants and European Settlement

Long ago, the Erie people, who spoke Iroquoian languages, lived in this area. They lived along the southern shore of Lake Erie. In the 1600s, Europeans, mostly French traders, started coming to the Great Lakes. Later, the powerful Seneca people from the Iroquois League moved the Erie people out.

European-American settlement in the area called Chadwick Bay began in 1826. The town was later named after Dunkirk in France.

Point Gratiot Lighthouse on Lake Erie in Dunkirk.

The NRG Energy Power plant along Lake Erie in Dunkirk. It has been closed since 2016.

The Dunkirk Lighthouse at Point Gratiot was built soon after settlement. It is still standing today. In the early 1900s, Dunkirk was a small but busy center for railroads and steamships. Both cargo and passenger ships used the lakes.

The Chautauqua County Fair started in 1821. It began to be held regularly in Dunkirk in 1881. Land was bought to make it a permanent event.

Industry and Growth

A big employer in Dunkirk in the late 1800s was Brooks Locomotive Works. Horatio G. Brooks started this company in 1869. The Brooks factory built almost 4,000 steam locomotives. They won many awards for their locomotives at international shows. Some of their locomotives were even called the fastest and largest in the world.

In 1901, Brooks Locomotive Works joined with the American Locomotive Company. Horatio G. Brooks's daughter later donated his home. It became the Brooks Memorial Hospital in 1898.

Dunkirk grew as a steel town for companies like Roebling until the 1950s. It was also a leader in manufacturing with companies like Plymouth Tube and Ralston Purina. The Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation plant used coal to provide electricity for the region. This plant closed in 2016, which affected Dunkirk's local taxes. NRG Energy bought the plant and planned to change it to run on natural gas instead of coal.

Since the 1970s, Dunkirk's population has gone down. This happened because manufacturing jobs, like those in the steel industry, decreased. Overall, there are fewer jobs in the area now.

International Recognition and Modern Efforts

Dunkirk became famous worldwide in 1946. This was for the Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque campaign. It was a program to help its sister city, Dunkerque, France. Dunkerque had been badly damaged during World War II. The Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque effort became a model for other cities in the United States. They used it to help cities in need around the world.

Starting in the 1980s, the city focused on new ways to grow its economy. They worked on improving their pier and fishing industry. This was to make life better for people living there and to attract more visitors. In 2016, a high-tech drug manufacturing project came to Dunkirk. This was part of a state project called the "Buffalo Billion" to invest in the area.

In 2016, Willie Rosas made history. He was a former police officer. He became the first Hispanic person to be elected mayor in New York State.

Geography and Climate

Location of Dunkirk

Dunkirk is located on the southeastern shore of Lake Erie. It is about 45 miles (72 km) southwest of Buffalo.

The city covers an area of about 4.57 square miles (11.8 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 4.54 square miles (11.7 square kilometers). A small part, about 0.02 square miles (0.06 square kilometers), is water.

Dunkirk's Climate

Dunkirk has a climate that is influenced by Lake Erie. This means the lake helps keep temperatures more moderate, especially in summer. The area is suitable for plants that can handle average winter temperatures between 0°F and 5°F (-18°C and -15°C).

Population Information

In 2010, there were 12,563 people living in Dunkirk. These people lived in 5,477 households. About 3,690 of these were families. The city had about 2,775 people per square mile.

Most of the people in Dunkirk were White (65.70%). About 5.1% were Black or African American. About 0.52% were Native American. About 0.50% were Asian. People from two or more races made up 1.8%. About 26.40% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 28.2% of households had children under 18 living with them. About 39.4% were married couples. About 16.7% were households led by a woman with no husband present. About 39.1% were not families. Many people (33.4%) lived alone. About 16.0% of households had someone aged 65 or older living alone.

The average household had 2.37 people. The average family had 3.02 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 25.3% were under 18 years old. About 9.0% were between 18 and 24. About 26.5% were between 25 and 44. About 21.5% were between 45 and 64. About 17.6% were 65 years or older. The average age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were about 90.9 males.

The average yearly income for a household in the city was $28,313. For a family, it was $35,058. About 18.5% of families and 22.3% of the total population lived below the poverty line. This included 38.0% of those under 18 and 11.1% of those 65 or older.

Education

Dunkirk has several educational options:

• A branch of Jamestown Community College is located in Dunkirk.
• Dunkirk High School is part of the public Dunkirk City School District. Its sports teams are called the Marauders.
• Northern Chautauqua Catholic School teaches students from kindergarten to 8th grade. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.

Media

• The newspaper called The Observer is published in Dunkirk.
• WDOE is an AM radio station in Dunkirk. It is owned by the same company as Fredonia's FM sister station, WBKX.

Transportation

Union Depot, Dunkirk, between c. 1890 and c. 1900.

Air Travel

The Chautauqua County/Dunkirk Airport is in the town of Dunkirk. It offers training for pilots and charter flights.

Railroads

Freight train services in Dunkirk are provided by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway. These lines connect to major cities like Buffalo, Cleveland, and Chicago. The Lake Shore Limited, a daily Amtrak passenger train, goes through Dunkirk but does not stop.

In the past, trains from the Erie Railroad and New York Central used to stop at a station in Dunkirk. Trains from the Nickel Plate and Pennsylvania Railroad stopped at another station. Even in 1968, the New York Central had a daytime train that stopped in Dunkirk. In the late 1990s, Amtrak thought about adding Dunkirk as a stop. It was even listed on some train schedules, but the stop was never actually added.

Roads

The New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) runs along the southern edge of the city. You can get on or off at Exit 59, which is NY Route 60, just east of the city. The Thruway goes northeast about 42 miles (68 km) to Buffalo. It goes southwest about 28 miles (45 km) to the Pennsylvania border.

New York State Route 5 goes through the center of Dunkirk. It leads northeast about 9 miles (14 km) to Silver Creek. It goes southwest about 18 miles (29 km) to Westfield. New York State Route 60 starts in Dunkirk and goes south towards Jamestown, New York.

Notable people

Many interesting people have connections to Dunkirk:

• Samuel Hopkins Adams, an author
• Edna A. Boorady, a lawyer and diplomat
• Mark Brazill, who created the TV show That '70s Show
• Horatio G. Brooks, who started Brooks Locomotive Works
• June Card, an opera singer and stage director
• William L. Carpenter, a U.S. Army officer and geologist
• Richard H. Cosgriff, a Union Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor
• Dave Criscione, a retired Major League Baseball catcher
• Celestine Damiano, a former Bishop of Camden
• Katharine Bement Davis, a social reformer
• Mike DiMuro, an MLB umpire
• Ray DiMuro, a retired MLB umpire
• Francis S. Edwards, a former US congressman
• Mike Friedman, a professional racing cyclist
• Daniel G. Garnsey, a former US congressman
• Dave Graf, a retired NFL linebacker
• Grasshopper, guitarist and songwriter for the band Mercury Rev
• Ross Graves, a former New York politician
• Chad Green, a former minor league baseball player
• H. B. Halicki, director of Gone in 60 Seconds; born in Dunkirk
• Norm Hitzges, a sports radio host and Texas Radio Hall of Famer
• Thomas Horan, a Medal of Honor Recipient from the battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. He was born in Dunkirk in 1839.
• Jerry Interval, a portrait photographer
• Teresa Jordan, a geologist at Cornell University
• Richard P. Klocko, an Air Force lieutenant general
• John T. McDonough, a former Secretary of State of New York
• Sean Patrick McGraw, a country music artist
• Jim McGuire, a former MLB player
• Mark Merchant, a retired minor league baseball player
• Cindy Miller, a professional golfer
• Van Miller, a play-by-play announcer for the Buffalo Bills
• Chris Poland, former guitarist of the band Megadeth
• Gar Samuelson, former drummer of the band Megadeth
• William J. Scheyer, a Major general in the Marine Corps during World War II
• Murray Shelton, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame
• Wendy Corsi Staub, a New York Times best-selling author
• Grace Hyde Trine, a writer and lecturer
• Elisha Ward, a former New York state senator
• Cory Wells, one of the lead singers of the band Three Dog Night

See also

In Spanish: Dunkirk (Nueva York) para niños