Bemus Point, New York
Bemus Point, New York | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 From right to left: The Village Casino, Stow Ferry landing, The Italian Fisherman and floating stage) | |
| Motto: Get to the Point… Bemus Point | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Chautauqua |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Bryan P. Dahlberg (R) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.4 sq mi (1.1 km2) |
| • Land | 0.4 sq mi (1.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,322 ft (403 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 340 |
| • Density | 782.9/sq mi (305.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 14712 |
| Area code | 716 |
| FIPS code | 36-05848 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0943649 |
Bemus Point is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 340 at the 2000 census.
The Village of Bemus Point, within the Town of Ellery, is located along the eastern shore of Chautauqua Lake.
Geography
Bemus Point is located at 42°9′46″N 79°23′28″W / 42.16278°N 79.39111°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (42.162886, -79.391230)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.1 km²), all of it land.
The village is immediately north of the location where Interstate 86 crosses Chautauqua Lake.
History
The area currently known as Bemus Point was first settled by William Bemus in 1806. Bemus had purchased land on both sides of Chautauqua Lake from the Land Company in 1805 at a cost of $1.50. He moved his family to the east side of the lake (in the area now known as Bemus Point) on March 9, 1806. The Bemus family lived in a log cabin approximately 500-660 feet northeast of the current ferry landing site. [1]
The ferry located in Bemus Point on watson road was founded in 1811 by Thomas Bemus. On watson road there are many historic houses including the Strok's, Kuntz, and Groths which have been there for over 100 years. Thomas lived on the west side of the lake directly across from Bemus Point, in the area now known as Stow. The original ferry was a raft built by Thomas, and had to be poled across the lake. [1] Today, a cable-drawn ferry exists in its place and is operated by the Chautauqua Lake Historic Vessels Company.
Throughout the 1800’s, Bemus Point gained popularity as a tourist destination, which promoted its growth and development. By the early 1900’s, a dance hall known as the Casino, which still exists under the same name, became a well-known venue for entertainment, particularly big band music. [1]
In the summer, Bemus Point hosts its 'Bemus Bay Pops' concert which involves many local musicians and is also host to the "Chautauqua Idol", similar to American Idol.
The Village of Bemus Point was incorporated in 1911. United States Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby died here.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 340 people, 170 households, and 95 families residing in the village. The population density was 782.8 people per square mile (305.3/km²). There were 218 housing units at an average density of 501.9/sq mi (195.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.65% White, 0.88% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population.
There were 170 households out of which 18.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.1% were non-families. 38.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 24.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.65.
In the village the population was spread out with 17.6% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 27.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 85.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $33,333, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $37,708 versus $25,625 for females. The per capita income for the village was $19,943. About 3.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Schools
The Bemus Point Central School District (BPCSD) includes Bemus Point Elementary School and Maple Grove Junior Senior High School or MGHS.
The current principal of Bemus Point Elementary is Scott P. Sawyer who was once a cheerleader and the current principal of MGHS is Edward Turkasz Jr. www.bemusptcsd.org
References
External links
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (February 2008) |
Municipalities and communities of Chautauqua County, New York, United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other hamlets | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Unorganized territory | ||