Salamanca, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Salamanca Onë'dagö:h  (Seneca)
City
City of Salamanca
Salamanca Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Cattaraugus
Reservation	Allegany
Named for	José de Salamanca
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
Area
• Total	6.24 sq mi (16.15 km2)
• Land	5.99 sq mi (15.52 km2)
• Water	0.24 sq mi (0.63 km2)
Elevation	1,381 ft (421 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,929
• Density	989.16/sq mi (381.93/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	14779
Area code(s)	716
FIPS code	36-009-64749
GNIS feature ID	0964291

Salamanca (in Seneca: Onë'dagö:h) is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It is located inside the Allegany Indian Reservation, which is one of two areas managed by the Seneca Nation of New York. In 2020, about 5,929 people lived there. The city was named after José de Salamanca, a Spanish nobleman and government official from the mid-1800s. He invested in railroads all over the world, including the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

Discovering Salamanca's Location

Salamanca covers an area of about 6.24 square miles (16.15 km²). Most of this area, 5.99 square miles (15.52 km²), is land, and a smaller part, 0.24 square miles (0.63 km²), is water.

The city is located within the Allegany Indian Reservation. This reservation belongs to the Seneca Nation of New York, which is one of the six tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy. About 19% of the people living in Salamanca are Native American. This number does not include Seneca people who live in nearby areas like Jimerson Town and Kill Buck. The Allegheny River flows through the city, and Allegany State Park is right next to it.

Salamanca is one of only two cities in Cattaraugus County. The other city is Olean.

Salamanca's Weather

Salamanca's Past: A Railroad Town

The area that is now Salamanca used to be two separate communities. One was called "Hemlock" because of all the hemlock trees. The other was "Kill Buck's Town." Hemlock later became "West Salamanca" and eventually joined with Kill Buck's Town to form the single city of Salamanca. The city officially became a city in 1913.

Salamanca station, now the Salamanca Rail Museum

Salamanca was once a very busy place for railroads. Companies like the Erie Railroad and the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway had facilities there. Many generations of Salamanca residents worked for the railroads. A lot of the houses were even built by the railroad companies for their workers.

The city also grew because of the lumber industry. Trees were cut down in the mountains and shipped out by train. Towns like Elko and Red House used the railroads to send their wood. When Salamanca became a city, its population was almost 10,000 people. The Salamanca Rail Museum opened in 1984 in an old train station to keep the history of the railroads alive.

Land Leases and the Seneca Nation

Most of Salamanca is built on the Allegany Indian Reservation. This land belongs to the Seneca Nation of New York. People who are not Seneca cannot own land on the reservation. Instead, they can lease (rent) the land from the Seneca Nation.

For a long time, the leases were very cheap. When these leases ended in the early 1990s, the Seneca Nation wanted to get more money from them. This caused some disagreements and legal issues. Eventually, new leases were put in place. The money from these leases is given to Seneca Nation members every three months. This helps provide a basic income for them.

Even though non-Seneca residents lease the land, they still have to pay property taxes. These taxes go to the city, Cattaraugus County, and the Salamanca City Central School District. Land owned by the Seneca Nation is exempt from these taxes.

Economy and Businesses

Salamanca has several shops owned by the Seneca Nation. These include stores that sell cigarettes, tobacco, coffee, and gas. You can also find a regional hardware store, an antique shop, and a small taqueria called "Rock'n Taco" at the Salamanca Mall. There are three hotels in the city.

Some factories also operate in Salamanca. These include McHone Industries, which makes metal products, and Salamanca Lumber. The Seneca Nation has also started new companies to help the economy grow.

Getting Around Salamanca

Roads and Public Transit

The Southern Tier Expressway (which is also Interstate 86 and New York State Route 17) runs south of Salamanca. Other main roads that go through the city include U.S. Route 219 and New York State Routes 417 and 353.

Salamanca is a central point for public bus services in the area. Buses from Coach USA, Fullington Trailways, the Seneca Transit System, and the Olean Area Transit System all meet in the city. The only active freight train station is on the east side of the city, used by the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad.

Railroad History

In the past, passenger trains from the Erie Railroad and later the Erie Lackawanna Railway used to stop in Salamanca. Trains like the Erie Limited and the Lake Cities served the city. The last passenger train left Salamanca in 1970. Today, the old station is home to the Salamanca Rail Museum.

Some old railroad tracks have been turned into trails for walking and biking. The Pat McGee Trail and the Pennsy Trail are examples of these. The Finger Lakes Trail also goes through the city, mostly using city roads.

Air Travel

Salamanca does not have its own major airport. While Great Valley Airport is nearby, it's mainly for small private planes. There are no commercial passenger flights from there. The closest public airports are Buffalo Niagara International Airport and Bradford Regional Airport.

Places of Worship

Several churches are located in Salamanca. These include the Catholic Church, a Southern Baptist church (House of Prayer), Seventh-day Adventists, the Free Methodist Church, and Lighthouse Baptist Church. There are also a few other independent churches.

Media and News

Salamanca has two radio stations: WQRS (98.3 FM) and WGGO (1590 AM). WQRS plays classic rock music. WGGO is a Catholic radio station. Another station, W288EK (105.5 FM), also broadcasts from Salamanca and plays music from Olean.

The local newspaper is the Salamanca Press. It used to be published every day but became a weekly newspaper in 2009.

There is no direct television broadcasting in Salamanca. The city is part of the Buffalo TV market, so local cable and satellite providers offer those channels. However, because of the hills around the city, it can be hard to get TV signals over the air. Breezeline is the local cable provider.

Salamanca's Population

In 2020, Salamanca had a population of 5,929 people. Most of the residents (69.3%) were White. About 18.6% were Native American, and 2.6% were African-American. About 6.7% of the population reported having two or more races. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 6.7% of the population.

In 2000, there were 6,097 people living in Salamanca. About 31.6% of households had children under 18. The average household had 2.41 people. The median age in the city was 37 years old.

The median income for a household in Salamanca was $24,579 in 2000. For families, the median income was $30,996. About 22.2% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 32.7% of those under 18.

Famous People from Salamanca

• George Abbott (1887–1995) – A famous theater producer.
• Ray Caldwell (1888–1967) – A former Major League Baseball pitcher.
• Gordon Canfield (1898–1972) – A member of the U.S. House of Representatives for New Jersey.
• Chuck Crist (1961–2020) – A former National Football League safety who later worked in Salamanca schools.
• Robert DeLaurentis (1966-) – An American pilot who was the first to fly a small, single-engine plane around the world alone.
• Ray Evans (1915–2007) – A musician and songwriter who co-wrote the Christmas song "Silver Bells". The Ray Evans Seneca Theater is named after him.
• Albert T. "Ab" Fancher (1859–1930) – A New York state senator who helped create Allegany State Park.
• Ira Joe Fisher (1947-) – A daytime television personality and weather reporter.
• Ralph W. Gallagher (1881–1952) – A president and chairman of Standard Oil of New Jersey.
• Marvin Hubbard (1945–2015) – A former professional football player.
• Michael K. Lee (1973-) – A theater actor and singer.
• Paul Owens (1924–2003) – A player, scout, coach, and general manager for the Philadelphia Phillies.
• Edward B. Vreeland (1856–1936) – A banker and congressman who helped change the U.S. banking system.
• Carson Waterman – A Seneca Indian artist known for his public art and illustrations.

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See also

In Spanish: Salamanca (Nueva York) para niños