Little Valley (village), New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Little Valley, New York
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Village
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The village's post office
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 Little Valley (village), New York
Location in New York
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Cattaraugus |
| Town | Little Valley |
| Incorporated | 1870 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.00 sq mi (2.60 km2) |
| • Land | 1.00 sq mi (2.60 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,598 ft (487 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,058 |
| • Density | 1,055.89/sq mi (407.67/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
14755
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| Area code | 716 |
| FIPS code | 36-42829 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0955720 |
| Phone exchange | 938 |
Little Valley is a small village in New York State. It is also the main town, or "county seat," for Cattaraugus County. Every August, a fun county fair takes place here, just north of the village.
The village is located in the northwest part of the larger "town" of Little Valley. This area is north of another town called Salamanca. In 2020, about 1,084 people lived in the village. The whole town had about 1,740 residents. Its name comes from being a "smaller" valley compared to the nearby Great Valley. Both of these valleys have creeks that flow into the Allegheny River.
Contents
Village History: How Little Valley Began
Before 1868, another village called Ellicottville was the county seat. But because Little Valley had a railroad line, the county seat moved here. The village of Little Valley officially became a village in 1876. The railroad line, which was very important, stopped running around 1990.
The Little Valley post office is the only building in the village listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special building recognized for its history. The post office was built in 1941 as part of a government program called the Works Progress Administration. Many other buildings in the village are much older. For example, the Civil War Memorial Building was built in 1911, and the old Little Valley Central School building was built in 1921.
A famous person named Ira Joe Fisher grew up mostly in Little Valley. He is known for being a television personality and weather reporter.
Exploring Little Valley's Geography
The village of Little Valley is found in the northwest part of the town of Little Valley. Its exact location is 42°14′58″N 78°47′59″W / 42.24944°N 78.79972°W.
The United States Census Bureau says that the village covers an area of about 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2). All of this area is land, with no large bodies of water.
Little Valley Creek flows past the northeast side of the village. This creek is a smaller stream that flows into the Allegheny River. Another smaller creek called Lees Hollow runs next to Little Valley Creek on the southern side of the village. There's also an unnamed creek that flows right through the middle of the village.
Roads and Transportation
Two main state roads, NY-242 and NY-353, meet in the village. Also, County Routes 5 and 14 come into the village from the north.
Bus services are available in Little Valley. Coach USA has a bus line that goes from Jamestown to New York City. The Seneca Transit System also offers a bus line from Buffalo to Highbanks.
The Pat McGee Trail is a path that goes through Little Valley. It has a major stop at an old train station, which is now a pavilion (a covered open building) in the village.
Little Valley's Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 566 | — | |
| 1890 | 698 | 23.3% | |
| 1900 | 1,085 | 55.4% | |
| 1910 | 1,368 | 26.1% | |
| 1920 | 1,253 | −8.4% | |
| 1930 | 1,196 | −4.5% | |
| 1940 | 1,234 | 3.2% | |
| 1950 | 1,287 | 4.3% | |
| 1960 | 1,244 | −3.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,340 | 7.7% | |
| 1980 | 1,203 | −10.2% | |
| 1990 | 1,188 | −1.2% | |
| 2000 | 1,130 | −4.9% | |
| 2010 | 1,143 | 1.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,084 | −5.2% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 1,074 | −6.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
According to the census from 2000, there were 1,130 people living in the village. These people made up 427 households, and 266 of these were families. The village had about 1,127.3 inhabitants per square mile (435.3/km2) people per square mile. There were 513 housing units, which are places where people live.
Most of the people in the village were White (95.58%). There were also smaller groups of Black (1.86%), Native American (0.80%), and people from other backgrounds. About 1.77% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
Out of the 427 households, 32.3% had children under 18 living with them. About 43.8% were married couples. The average household had 2.37 people, and the average family had 2.99 people.
The median age in the village was 36 years old. This means half the people were younger than 36 and half were older. About 25.0% of the population was under 18 years old.
Culture and Community Life
Local Businesses and Attractions
The biggest attraction in Little Valley is the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds. This is where the yearly county fair is held every August. The fairgrounds have also hosted other events, like horse shows. From 1997 to the late 2010s, it was also home to Little Valley Speedway, a place for motorsports racing.
In 2001, the Little Valley Area Chamber of Commerce was started. This group helps organize events like "Cheers to Little Valley" and "Christmas on Main Street." A newer group, "Friends of Little Valley," also helps promote community events in the village.
Little Valley does not have any big national chain stores. As of 2024, the village has local businesses like a convenience store, a hardware store, two taverns (places to eat and drink), a laundromat, a bank, a credit union, a car dealership, and hair salons. The local grocery store, which had been around for a long time, closed in 2018. Another grocery store opened later but also closed in 2019.
Media and Communication
One weather radio station, WWG32 (162.425), is licensed to the village. It broadcasts weather information.
A radio station called WGWE used to operate from a tower near the village from 2010 to 2021. Now, its license is used by WCGS, which broadcasts programs from the Family Life Network.
Little Valley is part of the Buffalo television market. Because the area has hills, people often need special antennas to get TV channels over the air. Breezeline is the local cable TV provider. High-speed internet is available through Breezeline or Armstrong. Armstrong started offering internet in the early 2020s, which gave people more choices for internet service.
Past Industries and Businesses
The cutlery industry, which makes knives and tools, was very important to Little Valley's early economy. The Cattaraugus Cutlery Company was the last knife maker in the village. It closed in 1963. Its factory building was empty until it was destroyed in a fire in 2015. Another company, W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co., started from Cattaraugus in 1905 and is still in business today in Pennsylvania.
Three weekly newspapers have been published in Little Valley over the years. The Crosby's convenience store chain started in Little Valley in 1966. Its first store opened here.
Bush Industries, a factory, operated in the village until it closed in 2007.
Places of Worship
There are four churches in the village: a Wesleyan Church, a congregational church, an independent Methodist church called Bridge of Hope, and a King James Only Independent Baptist church called Grace Bible Baptist.
The local Catholic Church, St. Mary's, closed in the late 2000s. Its members now go to St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Cattaraugus. The Lutherans also had a church in the village that closed around the same time. That church building is now used by Grace Bible Baptist.
Learning and Education
Most public school students from Little Valley go to Cattaraugus-Little Valley Central School in Cattaraugus. Little Valley Central School used to be in the village until 2000. That's when voters decided to combine it with Cattaraugus Central School. The district kept an elementary school in the village until 2012, when it was closed. The old school building is now used by the county for offices. The former school's alumni association also has a small museum there.
Grace Christian Academy, which is connected to Grace Bible Baptist, runs a small private Christian school in the village.
Sports and Outdoor Fun
Little Valley has teams for Little League Baseball and softball, as well as youth soccer. The Valley Thunder baseball club played in 2014, but they had to play their games in Cattaraugus because there wasn't a proper field in Little Valley. The Thunder team stopped playing in 2015.
The village also supported the Little Valley Panthers youth football team. They played and practiced in Little Valley until 2014. In 2015, they had to move their games to Cattaraugus, and in 2016, the team joined with Cattaraugus's team.
Little Valley has three public parks. There's a small unnamed park in the center of the village. Bicentennial Park is on the west side, next to the County Center. Eric Peters Memorial Park is on the east side. Memorial Park has a public swimming pool, a walking trail, a beach volleyball court, and a Little League Baseball field. There's also another state-owned park and pavilion on the Pat McGee Trail. The Lyle Underwood Memorial facility has a weight room and, when it's cold enough, an ice skating pond. The weight room was removed after a private gym opened in the village in 2023.
See also
In Spanish: Little Valley (villa) para niños
