Silver Creek, New York
Silver Creek is a village located in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 2,896. The village is named after a small river that runs through the village.The Village of Silver Creek is on the shore of Lake Erie and within the Town of Hanover.
History
The community was first settled around 1803 and the first school house was erected around 1823. In 1822, a famous black walnut tree, measuring about 10 feet in diameter, was blown over in a storm.The Village of Silver Creek was incorporated in 1848. It was an important port on Lake Erie until railroads reduced shipping.Silver Creek is home to a Skew Arch Railroad Bridge, one of few bridges in the country built on an angle.Silver Creek's most famous resident is Howard 'Bob' Ehmke. He was the pitching hero of the 1929 World Series. While playing for the Philadelphia Athletics, Ehmke struck out 13 Chicago Cubs in Game 1, a World Series record until 1953.Former NBA and ABA professional basketball player George Carter is also a Silver Creek Central graduate. Carter starred at St. Bonaventure University and later participated in the 1971 ABA All Star Game.
Geography
Silver Creek is located at 42°32'39' North, 79°10'2' West (42.544083, -79.167088).According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²), of which, 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.Silver Creek is part of the Lake Erie Basin. The two creeks in the village, Silver Creek and Walnut Creek, empty into the lake.Silver Creek is at the junction NYS Route 5 (Central Avenue) and US Route 20 (Main Street) and north of the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90 Exit 58).Silver Creek is on the New York-to-Chicago Main Line of CSXT and on the New York-Buffalo-Chicago Main Line of the Norfolk Southern Railway.The CSXT line through Silver Creek was formerly operated by the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail), successor to the Penn Central, successor to the New York Central Railroad, successor to the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway, successor to the Lake Shore Railroad, successor to the Buffalo & Erie Railway, the original line.The Norfolk Southern line through Silver Creek was formerly operated by the Norfolk & Western Railway, successor to the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad (Nickel Plate Road [NKP]), the original line.The Penn Central's (former Pennsylvania Railroad) (PRR) Buffalo-Corry (PA)-Pittsburgh line formerly operated through Silver Creek. The single-track lines of the NKP and PRR were jointly operated to form a double-track line which was used by trains of both railroads. The former PRR line was abandoned c. 1976 by order of the Interstate Commerce Commission to promote highway transportation.From c.1907 to c. 1933 Silver Creek was on the Buffalo-to-Erie Main Line of the Buffalo & Erie Railway (successor to the Buffalo & Lake Erie Traction Company), a high-speed electric interurban railway. It was abandoned on order of the New York Public Service Commission to promote highway transportation.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,896 people, 1,150 households, and 770 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,477.9 people per square mile (955.7/km²). There were 1,319 housing units at an average density of 1,128.6/sq mi (435.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.69% White, 0.28% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.24% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. 1.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 1,150 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.03.In the village the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.The median income for a household in the village was $32,446, and the median income for a family was $38,617. Males had a median income of $33,889 versus $19,464 for females. The per capita income for the village was $15,904. 12.9% of the population and 9.8% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 22.8% of those under the age of 18 and 1.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Businesses within the Village of Silver Creek
Silver Creek has many businesses within the village limits. They vary from small business to corporate such as those of Quality Markets (The Penn Traffic Company) and Rite Aid (Rite Aid of NY, Inc.)Silver Creek has hometown favorites like Ellie's Deli and Red's Pizza Express which have become Silver Creek staples. There is also Food King Chinese Restaurant which opened in late 2006 in the space formerly occupied by Jankowski & Co.Rem-Tronics has been another major employer for Silver Creek. They are followed by Excelco Developments and Newbrook Machine Corporation. Another large and well known employer is Petri Baking Products regionally known for their cookies and other baked goods.For your sign and computer/internet needs there is Hae Jude Signs and Final Communications. Both are located in the former Millar Lumber Building on Central Ave. between Hanover and Elm Streets.There are several car dealerships within the area. They are Damon Motors Chrysler Dodge Jeep, Dolce Automotive, and Part Time Automotive. All can provide NY State Safety and Emissions Inspections.The former J.B's Lamplite building downtown has a lot of history to it. In 1972, it was constructed after the former Barone's Market was gutted by fire that same year. Ironically it met the same fate in 2001 after which the original owner decided to sell. It then became RT Creekers until that closed in late 2006. The Silver Creek American Legion Post now currently occupies the building.There is also Uncle Sam's Army-Navy which sells a variety of merchandise pertaining to Military, Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS, and the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of America.Another newer Silver Creek business is The Backline which doubles as both a Teen Nightclub on the weekends and a fitness center during the week. It was formerly the Geitner Theater until it was purchased in 1999 by Karen & Matt Bogosian of Silver Creek.Update: In December 2009, Damon Motors closed its doors forever after nearly 54 years of service to northern Chautauqua County. Guess its a sign of the times as Chrysler was trimming off the amount of dealerships it operates.Recently, Quality Markets celebrated its re-grand opening in early June 2010 under the Tops Markets banner. The store remaining open proves how much of an asset it is to the residents of Silver Creek.
Medical/Law Enforcement/Fire/EMS of the Silver Creek Region
Silver Creek is also served by the Lake Erie Regional Health System with Lake Shore Hospital in Irving, Brooks Hospital in Dunkirk, and Tri-County Memorial Hospital in Gowanda. Its Trauma Facilities are Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, NY and Hamot Medical Center in Erie, PA. In August 2009, a horrific flash flood devastated areas such as Silver Creek, Sunset Bay, and Gowanda. As a result of the flood, the NY State Dept. of Health closed Tri County Memorial Hospital indefinitely until a new building can be constructed in a different location in Gowanda. That leaves Brooks Memorial Hospital, WCA Hospital, and Lake Shore Hospital as the remaining facilities to treat patients in this region. The decision to close Tri County came because of the amount of contamination from the onsite lab and the amount of water and/or raw sewage that flooded into the facility.Silver Creek is also served by a fully staffed village police department with about 15 full and part time employees. The police dept. is also responsible for security during court. They are assisted by the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Department as well as the NY State Police.Silver Creek also has a fully staffed volunteer fire department with 50-60 active volunteers and junior firefighters/explorers. They run in conjunction with the Silver Creek Emergency Squad answering your calls for help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They are trained by both the NY State Office of Fire Prevention & Control as well as the NY State Dept. of Health's Bureau of EMS. In August 2009, The Emergency Squad building and Village Fire Hall sustained substantial damage when a flash flood occurred on August 9. The water flooded the Fire Hall basement destroying the air compressor for the old twin diaphone air whistle as well as destroying the Police Dept.'s evidence room. The overhead doors at the fire hall and squad building were destroyed when the pressure of the water pushed them in like tinfoil. The squad building's glass man door was also shattered by the extreme force of the water. The garage behind the fire hall which housed several of the village's police cruisers were also damaged. A few automotive victims of the flood were the new S-3, a 2009 Dodge Charger; Ambulance 172, a 1991 Ford E-350/Signal Vehicle Products modular style ambulance; S-1 and the old S-4, two Ford Crown Victorias that were scheduled to be retired from service in the future as Silver Creek Police updated its fleet. The village public works department on North Main St. was completed destroyed. They lost all major equipment and trucks with the exception of one dump truck. Their building has since been torn down due to that it was deemed unsafe for entry. They recently acquired a new building in the old Bentges distributing plant on Routes 5 and 20 in the Town of Hanover. Besides the damage to the Squad Building, DPW building, and Village Fire Hall, several homes along Walnut Creek were badly damaged or deemed uninhabitable, the Silver Village Trailer Park was completely leveled by the flood waters of Silver Creek itself. Tenants had to be rescued from their trailers by members of Silver Creek Fire, Sunset Bay Fire, Sheridan Fire, Hanover Hose, Irving Fire, and Forestville Fire. Several village streets were badly damaged or washed away completely by the flood waters. The local funeral chapel, Hole Parker Funeral Home was damaged very badly by the flood waters. The owner has since been able to remain in business after a major cleanup effort was made.The lone catholic church across from the Fire Hall received a lot of damage in the church itself, as well the priest's residence, and the adjoining school building. During the time of the flood, A command center was being established at Silver Creek High School by the Superintendent of Schools David O'Rourke, Village Mayor Kurt Lindstrom, Fire Chief Todd Johnson, County Emergency Services coordinator Julius Leone, Jr., County Executive Greg Edwards, Village Police Chief Timothy Roche as well officials from the American Red Cross, NY State Dept of Health, Chautauqua County Sheriff Dispatch Office, various battalion coordinators from Chautauqua County and NY State Fire Coordinators and the Fire Police Response Team. Also the Town and Village Disaster Coordinators.During the next week following the floods, the clean up began with assistance from the County's 2nd Fire Battalion including Brocton, Chautauqua, Hartfield, Dewittville, Mayville, Portland, Ripley, and Westfield. They had the job of getting the mud off the roads and sidewalks so traffic could start moving again along US 20 and NY 5. Eventually the command center was moved to Mt. Carmel Catholic School after the facility was thoroughly cleaned. Donations were handed out at the High School and Village Fire Hall before all donations were turned over to be distributed at Mt. Carmel school.It made everyone a little bit wiser for the wear since it could have been much worse than it was.Eventually by the end of 2009 and the start of 2010 life for village residents was starting to return to normal. Silver Village has started to rebuild itself. Most of the homes damaged have been repaired. And all roads damaged have since been resurfaced with dirt and asphalt.Starflight is the County run medevac service controlled by Alstar Ambulance and the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Dept. Mercy Flight is a non for profit medevac service based out of Buffalo, NY. Life Star is the medevac service controlled by Emergycare, Hamot Medical Center, and Saint Vincent Health System of Erie, PA. All 3 service the Silver Creek area.Andrew Kehrer is the town prosecutor. He works for the office of District Attorney David Foley. He also has his own law office on Main Street.
Grape Festival
Every September, Silver Creek hosts the Grape Festival. It began in 1968. The Grape Festival has a parade with floats, marching bands, karate demonstrations, dance performances, and old cars and a march by the fire department. There are also mini-bikeperformances, a talent show for Miss Festival of Grapes, Jr. Miss Festival, Little Miss and Prince of the Festival. There is also a 'Grower of the year' Award given to the best grape grower of that year. The winners ride in the parade and compete in the Grape Stomp.In 2008, the Silver Creek Grape Festival made national television on Good Morning America. Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts, Sam Champion and Chris Cuomo visited a farm to stomp grapes for their trip across America during the 2008 election, in which they visited 50 states in 50 days asking about the economy in rural America . Diane Sawyer called it 'the first and maybe last annual GMA grape stomping contest in honor of Lucille Ball, who was born 30 minutes from Silver Creek.' The four competed against each other stomping grapes.The Grape Festival is in honor of Concord grapes.Grape Festival
School
Silver Creek has an exemplary school district. The school has been recognized by Business First as the number one overachieving school district in Western New York, as shown by a comparison of academic outcomes and socioeconomic conditions for the past two years in a row.In Silver Creek, all three of the schools are connected to ensure an easier transition into the next stage of learning. The elementary school is attached to the middle school which forms into the high school and is the end of a student’s grade school education. WebsiteSilver Creek also maintains its own transportation department rather than contracting out for school bus service. In the last 25 years most of the bus drivers have come from all walks of life including some that were retired US Postal Service employees and retired law enforcement officers. The transportation director is responsible for all 30 buses which include the AM Double Trip pickup for Grades 6-12 starting at 6:40am and Grades Pre-K to 5th as soon as the buses empty of their 6th to 12th grade and out of town school students at about 7:45am.This system converts to a single trip system for dismissal at 2:15pm for Pre-K to 5th Grade students and 2:20pm for 6th to 12th Grade students. 4 buses are used for a 3:15pm run for those students who stay for extra help, 9th period detention, and afternoon Vo-Tech students returning from LoGuidice Educational Center in Fredonia, NY.The buses are also used for all school sponsored sporting events that are held at other schools as well as all school sponsored field trips and the annual class night bash for the graduating class for the particular school year. There 2 runs for Vo-Tech in Fredonia, NY, one staring at 8:05am that drops the students off at LoGuidice Educational Center at about 8:25am. AM Vo-Tech students are released to the bus following attendance taking procedures for Silver Creek and morning announcements. The afternoon run starts at 11:00am departing from Silver Creek Central and arrives at LoGuidice at about 11:25am. At this time the AM Vo-Tech students are picked up and returned to Silver Creek Central with the bus departing LoGuidice at about 11:40am and arrive back at SCCS at 12:05pm for their afternoon classes at Silver Creek Central. The same bus departs the bus garage at about 1:45pm to pick up the PM Vo-Tech students at LoGuidice with a departing time of 2:15pm per an agreement with Silver Creek Central Schools and LoGuidice Educational Center due the scheduling of the home school district transporting the students.In the event that Silver Creek Central is open but LoGuidice is closed either for a snow day or some other reason due that of staff training or power outage, SCCS makes adjustments to fit these students into study halls or the HS library during which time they would ordinarily be at Vo-Tech.In the event of a snow day or the need for emergency early dismissal, the following are usually contacted:WKBW-TV 7 ABC Buffalo, NY WGRZ-TV 2 NBC Buffalo, NY WIVB-TV 4 CBS/WNLO CW 23 Buffalo, NY WBUF 92.9 FM WBLK 93.7 FM WJYE 96.1 FM WKSE 98.5 FM WGRF 96.9 FM WTSS 102.5 FM WEDG 103.3 FM WHTT 104.1 FM WYRK 106.5 FM WGR 550 AM WBEN 930 AM WDOE 1410 AM Dunkirk, NYIf the Fire Alarm system at Silver Creek Central School is activated outside of the NY State required fire drills the following Fire Departments, Law Enforcement, and EMS are dispatched:1. Silver Creek Fire and EMS Full Assignment 2. Hanover Center T-511, E-511, M-511, and E-512, any responding Hanover Center Fire Chief 3. Irving T-141, Car 141, M-141 4. Sunset Bay Full Assignment 5. Forestville E-131, A-131, T-131, R-131, any responding Forestville Fire Chief 6. Fredonia T-18, County Rescue 71, and Fredonia Fire Car 11 7. County Fire 1 and Battalion 1, and any responding Alstar Supervisor 8. Sheridan Fire T-162 and E-162, any responding Sheridan Fire Chief 9. Silver Creek Police 10. Chautauqua County Sheriff Town of Hanover Assignment 11. East Dunkirk E-112, R-111, T-111, any responding East Dunkirk Fire Chief 12. Dunkirk Fire Ladder 1 if needed 13. Chautauqua County Hazmat Team if needed 14. Chautauqua County Fire Police Response Team if needed for traffic control and staging
School Athletics
At Silver Creek Central School, the athletics are very well supported. The athletic director is Mr. Sean Helmer. Mr. Helmer replaces Mr. Archie Bradley as Athletic Director who recently retired in 2006 after many years of service to the Silver Creek Central School District as a physical education teacher, Dean of students as well as Varsity Football coach until his retirement. The school colors are black and old gold. The mascot is the black knight. There are over ten choices of different athletics for girls and boys for every season. There are modified, junior varsity, and varsity athletics. The 08-09 boys varsity football team made it to Ralph Wilson Stadium, which is just one of the accomplishments made by the athletes of Silver Creek.The SADD program is also available at Silver Creek High School. It represents for students against destructive decisions. In the past they have had movie nights for younger ages in Elementary school were the children pay for a have a night of movies and food and activities.
