Fredonia, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fredonia, New York Ganadawao  (Seneca)
Village
Post Office, Fredonia, NY
Fredonia, New York Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Chautauqua
Town	Pomfret
Area
• Total	5.14 sq mi (13.30 km2)
• Land	5.14 sq mi (13.30 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	722 ft (220 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	9,585
• Density	1,865.88/sq mi (720.46/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	14063
Area code(s)	716
FIPS code	36-27419
GNIS feature ID	2390851

Fredonia is a village located in Chautauqua County, New York. It's a small town with a population of about 9,871 people, according to the 2020 census. Fredonia is part of the town of Pomfret and sits just south of Lake Erie. It's also home to the State University of New York at Fredonia, a well-known college.

Fredonia is special because it's one of only twelve villages in New York that still operates under its original special rules, called a charter. Most other villages have changed to a more common village law.

History of Fredonia

The land where Fredonia now stands was likely first lived on by ancient people known as Mound Builders. Later, the Erie people lived here from the 1200s to the 1600s. After them, the Iroquois, especially the Seneca tribe, called this area home.

In 1791, a man named Robert Morris bought the land from Massachusetts. He then sold it to the Holland Land Company. Around 1800, pieces of land were sold to pioneers, and the first settlers arrived in 1803 or 1804. Important early settlers included Zattu Cushing, who became the county's first judge, and David Eason, the county's first sheriff.

First Natural Gas Well

In 1821, something very important happened in Fredonia. William Hart dug the first well in the United States specifically to find natural gas. He dug it by hand, about 27 feet deep, near Canadaway Creek. By 1825, this well supplied enough natural gas to light up two stores, two shops, and a gristmill. The gristmill is now the village's fire station.

Building on Hart's success, the Fredonia Gas Light Company started in 1858. This was the first natural gas company in America. Today, a stone monument in downtown Fredonia marks the spot of this historic first gas well.

Naming the Village

The village of Fredonia officially became a village in 1829. Its original name was Canadaway. This name came from an Indian word, Ganadawao, which means "among the hemlocks."

The name "Fredonia" was created by Samuel Latham Mitchill. He combined the English word "freedom" with a Latin ending. Mitchill actually wanted this name to be used for the entire United States, but that didn't happen. Instead, it became the name for many towns and cities, including this one.

Education and Arts in Fredonia

The Fredonia Academy was the first higher education school in Chautauqua County. It began in 1824 and opened its doors in 1826. This academy later became a State Normal School in 1866. A Normal School was a place that trained teachers.

In 1867, the cornerstone for the Fredonia Normal School was laid. This school eventually grew into the State University of New York at Fredonia (SUNY Fredonia). Today, the old academy building is the village hall and includes the 1891 Fredonia Opera House. This opera house was once a vaudeville theater. It was restored in the 1980s and is now a busy performing arts center.

In 1948, the Normal School became a key part of the new State University of New York (SUNY) system.

Community Firsts

Fredonia has been home to several important "firsts" in American history:

• In the mid-1800s, Fredonia became the home of the first dues-paying Grange. The Grange is a community organization for farmers.
• The first Grange Hall in the United States was built in Fredonia in 1868. This original building (Grange Hall #1) is still standing on Main Street.
• Fredonia also hosted the first meeting of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in 1873. This group worked to reduce alcohol use.

Italian Immigration and Culture

Starting in the late 1880s, many Sicilian immigrants came to Fredonia from Valledolmo, Sicily. They moved to this area because it was good for growing grapes. They hoped to buy land, which was something their families had not been able to do in Sicily for a long time.

You can still see the influence of these immigrants in Fredonia today. For example, Saint Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church was originally called San Antonio's. It was named after the patron saint of Valledolmo, Italy. The strong Italian influence can also be seen in the town's arts, music, and food traditions. Many of these traditions are still similar to those found in Italy.

Recent History and Recognition

During the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games, the Olympic torch passed through Fredonia. A sixth-grade teacher from Fredonia Middle School, Kate Leary, carried the torch through the town.

The Buffalo Bills (an NFL team) and the Buffalo Braves (an NBA team) used to hold their training camps at the Fredonia State campus. The Braves moved to San Diego in 1978. The Bills moved their training camp in 2000.

Samuel L. Clemens, better known as the famous author Mark Twain, had relatives in Fredonia.

In 2020, Fredonia was chosen as the winner of the "Small Business Revolution" reality show. This show helps small businesses in a town. Filming began in March 2020.

Geography of Fredonia

Fredonia is located in the northern part of the town of Pomfret. To the north, it shares a border with the town and city of Dunkirk.

The village covers about 13.4 square kilometers (or 5.14 square miles) of land. There's a small stream called Canadaway Creek that flows north through the village and into Lake Erie.

U.S. Route 20 goes through Fredonia. Also, Exit 59 on the New York State Thruway serves both Fredonia and Dunkirk. This exit connects to New York State Route 60.

Fredonia's Population

In 2010, Fredonia had 11,230 people living there. This was an increase of about 524 people since the 2000 census.

Most of the people in Fredonia are white, making up about 93.82% of the population. Other groups include:

• African-American: 1.80%
• Asian: 1.61%
• Native American/Alaskan: 0.27%
• People of two or more races: 1.27%
• Hispanic/Latino people made up 3.91% of the population.

The population is spread out across different age groups. About 13% of the people are under 18 years old. A large group, about 26.5%, are between 20 and 24 years old. This is likely because of the college in town.

Sister Cities

Fredonia has a special connection with another town far away. It is a "sister city" with:

• Bamberg, Germany

Famous People from Fredonia

Many notable people have connections to Fredonia. Here are a few:

• George Borrello: A New York state senator.
• Pete Correale: A stand-up comedian and writer.
• Alonzo Cushing: A Union officer during the Civil War. He died bravely at the Battle of Gettysburg.
• William Barker Cushing: A U.S. naval officer during the Civil War. He was Alonzo's brother.
• Douglass Houghton: An explorer known for his work in Michigan.
• Dave Fridmann: A Grammy Award-winning record producer.
• Jennifer Stuczynski: An Olympic medalist in athletics.
• Jean Webster: A well-known author.

More About Fredonia

A book called Houses from Books by Daniel D. Reiff studied the houses in Fredonia. The author used Fredonia as an example to show how design books and magazines influenced house styles across the United States. He chose Fredonia because he lived there and surveyed all 2,239 houses in 1984. This study was possible because very few houses in Fredonia had been lost over time.

The Fredonia Commons Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The U.S. Post Office was also listed in 1988.

See also

In Spanish: Fredonia (Nueva York) para niños