Franklinville, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Franklinville, New York
Town
Town of Franklinville
Franklinville, New York Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Cattaraugus County
Government
• Type	Town Council
Area
• Total	51.98 sq mi (134.64 km2)
• Land	51.81 sq mi (134.19 km2)
• Water	0.17 sq mi (0.45 km2)
Elevation	1,991 ft (607 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,811
• Estimate  (2021)	2,782
• Density	55.45/sq mi (21.41/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	14737
Area code	716
FIPS code	36-009-27342
GNIS feature ID	978972

Franklinville is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. In 2020, about 2,811 people lived there.

Franklinville is located in the northeast part of Cattaraugus County. The village of Franklinville is also found within this town.

History of Franklinville

The area was first settled around 1806. It was known as McCluer Settlement back then. Joseph McCluer was one of the first settlers.

The Town of Hebe was created in 1812. It was formed from the town of Olean. At that time, Olean was the only town in the county. Hebe was very large, covering the entire northern half of the county.

Over time, Hebe's size got smaller. New towns were formed from it. These included Perry (1814), Ellicottville, Freedom, and Yorkshire (1820). Farmersville was formed in 1821.

In 1824, the town was renamed Franklinville. It was named after William Temple Franklin. He worked for the Holland Land Company. He was also the grandson of Benjamin Franklin. In 1829, Lyndon was separated from Franklinville.

Geography of Franklinville

Franklinville is located at 42°18′20″N 078°30′00″W / 42.30556°N 78.50000°W / 42.30556; -78.50000. Its elevation is about 1,991 feet (607 meters) above sea level.

The town covers a total area of about 51.985 square miles. Most of this area, about 51.812 square miles, is land. A small part, about 0.173 square miles, is water.

Important highways in the town include New York State Route 16 and New York State Route 98. These roads mostly run north and south. New York State Route 242 crosses the northwest corner of the town.

The Ischua Creek flows south through Franklinville. It has created the Ischua Valley.

Neighboring Towns

Franklinville is located next to several other towns:

• It is west of the town of Lyndon.
• It is south of the towns of Machias and Farmersville.
• It is north of the towns of Humphrey and Ischua.
• It is east of the town of Ellicottville.

Population Information

In 2000, there were 3,128 people living in Franklinville. There were 1,205 households. About 848 families lived in the town.

The population density was about 60.4 people per square mile. There were 1,569 housing units.

Franklinville's population has been quite steady. Since 1920, it has stayed around 3,000 residents.

Communities and Places

• Cadiz – This is a small community south of Franklinville village. It is on NY Route 16. Cadiz used to be an important business center. An old mill and post office were located here. You can still see the original mill stones.
• Devereaux – A small community in the northwest part of the town. It is located on NY Route 242.
• Fancy Tract – This is a specific location in the northwest part of the town.
• Fitch – A small community in the southern part of the town. It is on County Road 19.
• Franklinville – This is the main village of Franklinville. It is in the northeast part of the town. NY Routes 16 and 98 pass through it.
• The Narrows – A small community west of Franklinville village. It is on County Road 17.

Education in Franklinville

• Ten Broeck Academy and Franklinville Central School – This school was started in 1867. Peter Ten Broeck, a successful farmer and judge, gave a lot of money for it. He wanted to provide free high school education. This was special because few students could continue their education past eighth grade back then. The school was named the Ten Broeck Free Academy. Later, it became part of the public school system. The stone foundation of the current high school building came from the original academy.
• New Life Christian School – This is another school located on Route 16 in Franklinville.
• Blount Library – The Blount Library opened officially on May 10, 1915. Colonel Henry F. Blount gave $5,000 to buy a house for the library. The Carnegie Corporation also gave $2,200 for building the library. The town of Franklinville agreed to give $660 each year to help maintain the library.

Churches in Franklinville

• St. Philomena's Roman Catholic Church – Located at 26 Plymouth Avenue. It was first organized in 1873.
• First Baptist Church – Located on South Main Street. It was first organized in 1825.
• Presbyterian Church – Located at 25 South Main Street. This church closed in 2018.
• St. Barnabas Episcopal Mission – Located on North Main Street.
• Free Methodist Church – Located on South Main Street.
• Christian & Missionary Alliance – Located at Pine & Green Street.

Western New York Maple Festival

The Western New York Maple Festival is a fun event. It happens every year during the last weekend of April. The Franklinville JayCees started it in 1962.

This festival brings thousands of visitors to the village. It shows off local maple producers. You can find delicious maple syrup and other maple products. The festival includes:

• A pageant
• A parade
• A pancake breakfast
• A ham and leek dinner
• A trade show
• A craft fair
• Many vendors

Notable People from Franklinville

• William H. Blyton – He was a state assemblyman in Wisconsin.
• Patricia McGee – She was a former state senator in New York.
• Merlin Mead and others from Cadiz, Franklinville – They were involved with the Underground Railroad.
• Kimberly Pressler – She was Miss New York USA in 1999 and Miss USA 1999.
• Myron H. Ranney – He received the Medal of Honor during the American Civil War.

See also

In Spanish: Franklinville (pueblo) para niños