Amherst () is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

in Erie County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. Amherst is an inner ring suburb of Buffalo. As of 2020, the town had a total population of 129,595. This represents an increase from 122,366 as reported in the 2010 census. The second largest in area and the most populous suburb of Buffalo, the town of Amherst encompasses the village of Williamsville as well as the hamlets of Eggertsville, Getzville, Snyder, Swormville, and East Amherst. The town is in the northern part of Erie County and borders a section of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing ...

. Amherst is home to the north campus of the

University at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 18 ...

, the graduate campus of Medaille College, a satellite campus of

Bryant & Stratton College Bryant & Stratton College (BSC) is a private for-profit college with campuses in New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as an online campus. Founded in 1854, the college offers associate degree programs at all campuses and bachelor's ...

, and

Daemen College Daemen University is a private university in Amherst, New York and Brooklyn, New York. Formerly Daemen College and Rosary Hill College, the now-nondenominational school was founded by the Sisters of St. Francis in 1947. As of fall 2020, 2,536 s ...

History

The town of Amherst was created by the State of New York on April 10, 1818 from part of the town of Buffalo (later the city of Buffalo), which itself had previously been created from the town of

Clarence Clarence may refer to: Places Australia * Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division * Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow * Clarence River (New South Wales) * Clarence Strait (Northern Territory) * City of Clarence, a l ...

. Amherst was named after Lord Jeffrey Amherst, commander-in-chief of the British army in North America from 1758 to 1763. Timothy S. Hopkins was elected the first supervisor of the town in 1819. Part of Amherst was later separated to form the town of

Cheektowaga Cheektowaga () is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town has grown to a population of 89,877. The town is in the north-central part of the county, and is an inner ring suburb of Buffalo. The town is the ...

on March 22, 1839. The opening of the

in 1825 spurred Amherst's growth, bringing with it with new settlers and increased commerce. German immigrants settled in the northern part of the town as farmers, attracted by the fertile land in the area. The town's water resources encouraged the development of grist mills, saw mills, and other factories along

Ellicott Creek Ellicott Creek is a stream in Western New York, United States. It is a tributary of Tonawanda Creek, which in turn flows into the Niagara River. Course Ellicott Creek originates in southwest corner of Genesee County, just northeast of Darien La ...

. Several communities and hamlets started to develop around this time, such as Williamsville (1810s), Eggertsville and Snyder (1830s), East Amherst and Swormville (1850s), and Getzville (1860s).

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.73%, is water. Much of Amherst was originally

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...

and marshland, portions of which have been drained in recent years to facilitate development of new homes and businesses. The central and southern parts of the town are heavily suburbanized. Despite this development, the hamlets of Eggertsville and Snyder and the village of Williamsville have managed to retain much of their original character. The northern part of the town is still relatively undeveloped, with the prominent exception of the portions along Niagara Falls Boulevard (

U.S. Route 62 U.S. Route 62 or U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) runs from the Mexican border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, near the Canadian border. It is the only east-west United States Numbered Highway that connects Mexico and Can ...

) bordering the towns of Tonawanda and Wheatfield. Some sections of northern and eastern Amherst have experienced problems with collapsing residential foundations as a result of unstable soil conditions. A few active farms may still be found in the northern part of the town. Amherst is bordered on the north by Tonawanda Creek and

Niagara County Niagara County is in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 212,666. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word ''Onguiaahra''; meaning ''the strait'' or ''thunder of waters''. Niaga ...

flows through the town.

Adjacent cities and towns

* Niagara County, Town of Pendleton - north * Niagara County, City of North Tonawanda - northwest * Town of Tonawanda - west * City of Buffalo - southwest * Town of Lancaster - southeast * Town of Cheektowaga - south * Town of Clarence - east

Neighborhoods

Areas within Amherst are referred to by the former post office station names and are not legally incorporated. During the 1990s, many of these regional post offices were closed and consolidated into the central Amherst 14226 post office on Bailey Avenue, leaving only a Williamsville (14221) post office on Sheridan Drive, a Getzville (14068) post office on Millersport Highway, and an East Amherst (14051) post office on Transit Road. Mailing addresses to areas within the town are Amherst, East Amherst, Eggertsville, Getzville, Snyder, and Williamsville. These postal districts are still recognized by the post office and widely referred to by citizens. Some of these mailing addresses overlap: some areas of Clarence directly east of Transit Road have Williamsville addresses, although for the purposes of taxes, schools and community resources, these people are residents of the Town of Clarence. The areas listed below are governed and run by the Town of Amherst except for the Village of Williamsville, an independent political entity. * Eggertsville -- a hamlet in the southwest part of the town, bordering on Buffalo and centered around Eggert Road.

is located on Main Street (Route 5). The community is named after early postmaster Christian Eggert. * Getzville -- a location near the center of the town adjacent to Campbell Boulevard (Route 270) and Dodge Road. The name comes from early resident Joseph Getz. *Audubon - A location in the center of the town situated around John James Audubon Parkway. The town police, courthouse, and main library are located here. * East Amherst (formerly Transit Station) -- An unincorporated community, or

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

, in the eastern part of the town, shared with the Town of Clarence. * North Bailey -- A location at the junction of Bailey Avenue and Maple Road. * Snyder (originally Snyderville after postmaster Michael Snyder) -- A suburban community located between Eggertsville and the village of Williamsville. * Swormville - A hamlet in the eastern part of the town, shared with the Town of Clarence. Named for Adam Schworm, prominent landowner and businessman. * Williamsville - an incorporated village within Amherst, located in the southern part of the town.

Climate

Average high temperatures from May through October range from 60 to 81 degrees. Average high temperatures from November through March range from 31 to 47 degrees.

Economy

In July 2010,

CNNMoney CNN Business (formerly CNN Money) is a financial news and information website, operated by CNN. The website was originally formed as a joint venture between CNN.com and Time Warner's ''Fortune'' and ''Money'' magazines. Since the spin-off of Tim ...

ranked Amherst 42nd in a list of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in America. In 2012, CNNMoney.com ranked Amherst 50th. In 2011 and 2012, Amherst was selected as one of America's 100 Best Communities for Young People by America's Promise Alliance.

Arts and culture

Many festivals are celebrated in Amherst throughout the year. The town is home to the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village. The Town of Amherst Archival Research Center is located in the Harlem Road Community Center, 4255 Harlem Road, Amherst NY 14226 (previously housed in the

Former Reformed Mennonite Church Former Reformed Mennonite Church is a historic Reformed Mennonite church located at Amherst, New York in Erie County, New York. It is a Greek Revival style structure constructed in 1834. It served as a house of worship until 1981. It is now o ...

''See also:'' which was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2003.)

Sports

Amherst is home to the

University at Buffalo Stadium UB Stadium is a stadium in Amherst, New York on the campus of the University at Buffalo. It is primarily used for football, soccer, and track and field events, and is the home field of the Buffalo Bulls. It opened on September 4, 1993, with a gam ...

, Alumni Arena, and Amherst Audubon Field, all utilized by the University at Buffalo

Buffalo Bulls The Buffalo Bulls are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University at Buffalo (UB) in Buffalo, New York. The Bulls compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level as a member of Mid-A ...

. The

Northtown Center The Northtown Center at Amherst, formerly the Amherst Ice Center and the Amherst Pepsi Center, is a 1,800-seat multipurpose arena in Amherst, New York, located adjacent to the University at Buffalo. The current sponsor is Northtown Auto, a Buffa ...

is the town's

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...

arena. The arena is the home of the

Buffalo Beauts The Buffalo Beauts are a professional ice hockey team based in Amherst, New York, United States. The team was established in 2015 as one of the four founding franchises of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), originally named the National Women ...

of the

National Women's Hockey League The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), formerly the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), is a women's professional ice hockey league located in the United States and Canada. The league was established in 2015 with four league-owned teams and ha ...

, the

Bulls Bulls may refer to: *The plural of bull, an adult male bovine *Bulls, New Zealand, a small town in the Rangitikei District Sports *Bucking bull, used in the sport of bull riding * Bulls (rugby union), a South African rugby union franchise operated ...

men's

team, and the

Buffalo Wings A Buffalo wing in American cuisine is an unbreaded chicken wing section ( flat or drumette) that is generally deep-fried and then coated or dipped in a sauce consisting of a vinegar-based cayenne pepper hot sauce and melted butter prior to ser ...

, a professional

inline hockey Roller inline hockey, or inline hockey is a variant of hockey played on a hard, smooth surface, with players using inline skates to move and ice hockey sticks to shoot a hard, plastic puck into their opponent's goal to score points. The spo ...

team competing in

Major League Roller Hockey Major League Roller Hockey (MLRH) is a limited liability company which operates multiple inline hockey Sports league, leagues and tournaments. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria, Virginia, MLRH is one of the only full-contact inline ...

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 122,366 people, 48,894 households, and 29,840 families residing in the town. There were 51,179 housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 83.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 5.7%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2% Native American, 7.9% Asian, 0.0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.5% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 2.3% of the population. There were 48,894 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 31.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.98. The median income for a household in the town was $55,427, and the median income for a family was $68,951. Males had a median income of $51,667 versus $32,030 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $27,647. About 4.2% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over. 51.7% of residents (aged 25 and over) have obtained a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...

or higher, including 26.7% with a Graduate or professional degree.

Education

Higher education

There are five separate higher educational institutions with campuses in the town. *The North Campus of the

, a nationally ranked tier 1 research university. ::All university programs apart from architecture, planning, nursing, dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and public health reside here. *

Daemen University Daemen University is a private university in Amherst, New York and Brooklyn, New York. Formerly Daemen College and Rosary Hill College, the now-nondenominational school was founded by the Sisters of St. Francis in 1947. As of fall 2020, 2,536 s ...

*One of three campuses of

Erie Community College SUNY Erie is a public community college with three campuses in western New York that serve residents in and near Erie County. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system and has locations in Williamsville (North Campus), Buff ...

Bryant and Stratton Bryant & Stratton College (BSC) is a private for-profit college with campuses in New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as an online campus. Founded in 1854, the college offers associate degree programs at all campuses and bachelor's ...

College *A satellite campus of

Canisius College Canisius College is a private Jesuit college in Buffalo, New York. It was founded in 1870 by Jesuits from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. Canisius offers more than 100 undergraduate majors and minors, and around 34 master' ...

Public schools

There are three separate public school districts within the town. *

Williamsville Central School District Williamsville Central School District (commonly abbreviated WCSD) is a public school district in New York that serves the village of Williamsville, as well as the towns of Amherst, Cheektowaga, and Clarence. The district enrollment is approximat ...

::The largest district and comprises the eastern half of the town along with portions of the Town of

. The district is ranked #1 out of 97 public school systems in Western New York. Williamsville high schools were awarded Silver rankings according to 2013 U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools, and rank among the top 2-3% out of over 21,000 high schools nationally. * Amherst Central School District ::Covering the southwestern portion of the town with its core in the Eggertsville and Snyder areas. *

Sweet Home Central School District Sweet Home Central School District is a New York (state), New York State public school district that serves the towns of Amherst, New York, Amherst and Tonawanda (city), New York, Tonawanda, New York of Erie County, New York, Erie County. The sch ...

::Covering the northwestern portion of the town along with portions of the Town of Tonawanda with its core in West Amherst and Getzville.

Government

Crime and public safety

As of 2014, the Amherst Police Department employed 154 officers and 35 full and part-time civilian employees including the Chief, Assistant Chief, and eight captains. Amherst has been ranked as the "Safest City in America" 1996–1998, 2000–2003, and 2010. In many other years it ranked in the top 5. The ranking is based on annual reports by the FBI, including crime statistics in six categories:

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the ...

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ...

robbery Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...

aggravated assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in cri ...

burglary Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murd ...

, and

auto theft Motor vehicle theft (also known as a car theft and, in the United States, grand theft auto) is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle. Nationwide in the United States in 2020, there were 810,400 vehicles reporte ...

. In 2006, Amherst was ranked the second safest city in the United States, after

Brick Township, New Jersey Brick Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township had a population of 73,620, making it the state's 13th-largest municipality and the third most populous municipality in Ocean County ...

. In 2011, it ranked 6th safest out of 400 cities. Most recently in 2014, Amherst was ranked the #1 Safest City in America with a population between 100,000 and 500,000.

Media

Amherst is served by the

Amherst Bee The ''Amherst Bee'' is an American, English language newspaper established in 1879 which serves the Buffalo and Williamsville area of New York, and is part of the Bee Group Newspapers Bee Group Newspapers are a family of suburban newspapers publi ...

newspaper. In 1969

Paul Kurtz Paul Kurtz (December 21, 1925 – October 20, 2012) was an American scientific skeptic and secular humanist. He has been called "the father of secular humanism". He was Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the State University of New York at B ...

founded the publishing house Prometheus Books in Amherst.

Infrastructure

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...

(

New York State Thruway , direction_a = South , terminus_a = {{Jct, state=NY, I, 95 at the The Bronx, Bronx–Yonkers, New York City line , junction = {{plainlist, * {{jct, state=NY, I, 287, Parkway, Saw Mill, NY, 119 in Elmsford, New York, Elmsford * {{jct, state=NY, ...

) passes through the southern part of town. * Interstate 290 (Youngmann Memorial Highway) travels through the town diagonally from I-90 to US 62 and beyond to Tonawanda *

Interstate 990 Interstate 990 (I-990) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway located entirely within the town of Amherst in Erie County, New York, in the United States. It runs in a roughly north–south direction for through the southwestern and central par ...

(Lockport Expressway), located entirely within the Town of Amherst, runs in a roughly north–south direction through the southwest and central part of Amherst until it ends at Millersport Highway (NY 263). *

marks the western town line as Niagara Falls Boulevard as the route heads north, then as Sheridan Drive then Bailey Avenue heading south out of town. *

New York State Route 5 New York State Route 5 (NY 5) is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syra ...

(Main Street) passes through the town. *

New York State Route 78 New York State Route 78 (NY 78) is a state highway in western New York in the United States. While it is signed north–south, the southern portion runs in an east–west direction across Wyoming and Erie counties, from its beginnin ...

(

Transit Road New York State Route 78 (NY 78) is a state highway in western New York in the United States. While it is signed north–south, the southern portion runs in an east–west direction across Wyoming and Erie counties, from its beginning ...

) marks the eastern town line. *

New York State Route 240 New York State Route 240 (NY 240) is a state highway in western New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 242 in the Ellicottville community of Ashford Junction in northern ...

(Harlem Road) is a north–south road from Sheridan Drive (NY 324) south heading out of town. * New York State Route 263 (Grover Cleveland Highway, Millersport Highway) is a north–south road from Bailey Avenue (US 62) to Transit Road. (NY 78). *

New York State Route 270 New York State Route 270 (NY 270) is a north–south state highway in western New York in the United States. It runs through rural and wooded areas of the town of Amherst, New York, Amherst in Erie County, New York, Erie County and the ...

(Campbell Boulevard) is a north–south road from Millersport Highway (NY 263) north out of town. * New York State Route 277 (North Forest Road, Union Road) is a north–south road from Sheridan Drive (NY 324) south out of town. *

New York State Route 324 New York State Route 324 (NY 324) is an east–west state highway located in the western portion of New York in the United States. Officially, NY 324 begins at NY 384 in Niagara Falls and overlaps Interstate 190 (I-1 ...

(Sheridan Drive) is an east–west road through the town from Niagara Falls Boulevard (US 62) east out of town. Millard Filmore Suburban Hospital is located in the center of town on Maple Road.

Notable people

* Anita Álvarez, Olympic synchronized swimmer *

Eric Andersen Eric Andersen (born February 14, 1943) is an American folk music singer-songwriter, who has written songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Linda Ronstadt, the Grateful Dead and many others. Early in his career, in the 1960s, he ...

, singer-songwriter, grew up in the hamlet of Snyder *

Scotty Bowman William Scott Bowman, OC (born September 18, 1933) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs and ...

, former NHL coach *

Richard J. Burke Richard J. Burke (October 9, 1915 – November 4, 1999) was an Irish-American journalist, poet and playwright. He was born in Buffalo, New York on October 9, 1915, the son of Joseph Raymond Burke and Josephine Catherine Keating. He was marrie ...

, journalist, poet, and playwright * Jack Davis, industrialist and politician *

Al Dekdebrun Allen Edward Dekdebrun (May 11, 1921 – March 29, 2005) was an American Football quarterback and politician from Buffalo, New York. As a professional football player, Dekdebrun was a career journeyman, playing in the All-America Football Confer ...

, former pro football quarterback and Amherst Town Supervisor *

Dan Gronkowski Daniel Thomas Gronkowski (born January 21, 1985) is an American former football tight end. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Maryland. He also played for the Denver ...

, former NFL tight end *

Rob Gronkowski Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the New England Patriots, then played h ...

, former NFL tight end for the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

and the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...

Jeffrey Gundlach Jeffrey Edward Gundlach (born October 30, 1959) is an American investor and businessman. He is the founder of DoubleLine Capital LP, an investment firm. Early life Jeffrey Gundlach was born October 30, 1959, in Amherst, New York, to parents Caro ...

, bond manager, graduated from Amherst High School *

Chris Hajt Christopher William Hajt (born July 5, 1978) is a Canadian-born American former ice hockey defenceman. He played 6 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Edmonton Oilers and Washington Capitals during the 2000–01 and 2003–04 seas ...

, former NHL player * James P. Hayes, former New York state assemblyman *

Dan Herbeck Dan Herbeck (born October 31, 1954) is an American journalist and author who is an investigative reporter at ''The Buffalo News''. Biography Herbeck was born in Mineral Wells, Texas, and raised in Amherst, New York. Herbeck graduated high schoo ...

, journalist for ''The Buffalo News'' *

Marc Evan Jackson Marc Evan Jackson (born August 21, 1970) is an American comedian and actor. Some of his roles include Sparks Nevada in the ''Thrilling Adventure Hour'', Kevin Cozner in '' Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' (he also hosts a podcast based on the sitcom, titled ...

, comedian * Bruce Kershner, environmentalist *

Andy Kulberg Andy Kulberg (April 30, 1944 – January 28, 2002) was an American musician notable for his bass playing with the groups Blues Project and Seatrain. He was born in Buffalo, New York, and grew up in Amherst, New York. In 1965, he became a ...

, rock and blues bassist *

Nick Langworthy Nicholas A. Langworthy (born February 27, 1981) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 23rd district since 2023. He also chairs the New York State Republican Committee. Langworthy was named chair of the comm ...

, chair of the

New York Republican State Committee The New York Republican State Committee, established in 1855, is the New York State affiliate of the United States Republican Party (GOP). The party has headquarters in Albany, Buffalo, and New York City.

Wendie Malick Wendie Malick (born December 13, 1950) is an American actress and former fashion model, known for her roles in various television comedies. She starred as Judith Tupper Stone in the HBO sitcom '' Dream On'', and as Nina Van Horn in the NBC si ...

, actress *

Norman McCombs Norman McCombs (born c. 1937) is a businessman and 2013 recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. McCombs developed an oxygen production system that helped ease the pain of millions suffering from lung diseases. President Barac ...

, businessman *

Joe Mesi "Baby" Joe Mesi (born November 27, 1973) is an American retired boxer and Democratic Party politician from Tonawanda, New York. During his career, he defeated former world champion Vassily Jirov as well as former title challengers Bert Cooper ...

, professional boxer, attended Sweet Home High School * Ian Murphy, alternative journalist and

satirist This is an incomplete list of writers, cartoonists and others known for involvement in satire – humorous social criticism. They are grouped by era and listed by year of birth. Included is a list of modern satires. Under Contemporary, 1930-196 ...

Harry Neale Harold Watson Neale (born March 9, 1937) is a Canadian retired NCAA, NHL and WHA coach and general manager, and ice hockey broadcaster. Coaching career Following his playing career, Neale got his head coaching start at Hill Park Secondary Sc ...

, hockey broadcaster and former NHL coach *

Keith O'Neil Keith Daniel O'Neil (born August 26, 1980 in Rochester, Michigan) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts. He earned a Super Bowl ring with the Colts in Super Bo ...

, former NFL player *

Brooks Orpik Richard Brooks Orpik (born September 26, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). A stay-at-home defenseman and locker ...

, NHL defenseman *

Wayne Patrick Wayne Allen Patrick (September 1, 1946 – March 23, 2010) was a professional American football running back for five seasons for the Buffalo Bills in both the American Football League and the National Football League. He was born in Gainesville, ...

, former NFL player *

Michael Ranzenhofer Michael H. Ranzenhofer (born August 15, 1954) is an American politician from the state of New York. From 2009 until 2020, Ranzenhofer was a Republican member of the New York State Senate from the 61st district. Education Ranzenhofer earned a B ...

, New York state senator * Edward Rath III, New York state senator * Mike Robitaille, former NHL player and current Sabres broadcaster * Mark Rubin, former NFL player *

Hugh B. Scott Hugh B. Scott (1949 – February 19, 2021) was a magistrate judge of United States District Court for the Western District of New York. He was appointed on June 1, 1995, and he retired on July 1, 2015. Scott was the first African American to bec ...

, judge *

Billy Sheehan William Sheehan (born March 19, 1953) is an American musician. He is best known for playing the bass guitar with acts such as Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, Niacin, and The Winery Dogs. He is also known for his "lead bass" playing ...

, rock bassist * Barnett Slepian, physician murdered by anti-abortion terrorist James Charles Kopp * John Stevens, 2004 ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to ...

'' finalist * Satish K. Tripathi, president of the State University of New York at Buffalo *

James Whitmore James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American actor. He received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award, plus two ...

, actor, attended Amherst High School * Gordon Yaeger, notable pilot of the

Bell Rocket Belt The Bell Rocket Belt is a low-power rocket propulsion device that allows an individual to safely travel or leap over small distances. It is a type of rocket pack. Overview Bell Aerosystems began development of a rocket pack which it called the ...

* Joe Mack, 2021 1st-round draft pick, playing catcher for the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fra ...

References

External links

*
Town of Amherst official website

Town of Amherst charter
*
New York Heritage - A History of the Town of Amherst, New York, 1818-1965
{{authority control Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area Towns in Erie County, New York