Colden 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. The population was 3,265 at the 2010 census. The town derives its name from Cadwallader D. Colden, a state senator. Colden is an interior town in the southeastern part of the county. It is one of the " Southtowns" of Erie County.

History

The town of Colden was organized April 2, 1827, from part of the town of

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former Provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

. One of the first settlers was Richard Buffum from

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

. He purchased from the Holland Land Company.

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 0.25%, is water.

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 ...

passes through the southwest part of the town.

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 2000, there were 3,323 people, 1,262 households, and 951 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 93.2 people per square mile (36.0/km²). There were 1,337 housing units at an average density of 37.5 per square mile (14.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.83%

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 ...

, 0.03%

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 ...

, 0.21% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 0.66% 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 0.42% of the population. There were 1,262 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.7% 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, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.01. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $47,230, and the median income for a family was $52,460. Males had a median income of $39,524 versus $28,269 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 $22,510. About 2.7% of families and 3.4% 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 3.0% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Colden

*Buffalo Ski Club – A semi-private ski resort (which includes the former Tamarack Ski resort, the former Sitzmarker Area and Buffalo Area). This is a member-owned club that is open to the public. *Buffums Mills – A historical location in the town. *Colden – The

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 ...

of Colden is in the west part of the town on NY-240. * Glenwood – A hamlet south of the hamlet of Colden on NY-240. *Kissing Bridge – A ski resort on NY-240.

Points of interest

* WIVB-TV Tower, one of the oldest supertall TV towers in the United States.

Notable people

Tim Bender Tim Bender (born August 19, 1957) is an American former snowmobile and NASCAR Busch Series race car driver from Colden, New York. He raced snowmobiles in the 1970s to 1990s and was inducted in the Snowmobile Hall of Fame. He had spot starts in th ...

, snowmobile Hall of Fame rider and

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

driver * John M. Wiley, former US congressman

References

External links

Town of Colden official website
{{authority control Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area 1827 establishments in New York (state) Populated places established in 1827 Towns in Erie County, New York