Persia is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,203 at the 2020 census. It is in the northwest part of the county. The village of Gowanda is partially in the town.

Name The town is named after the kingdom of Persia, though the basis for this choice is unclear. Newspaper archives and history books "do not give even a small clue to the origin of the oriental name." However, it may follow an early trend of naming locations around Gowanda after ancient places, as seen with Bagdad and Zoar.

History The area that would become the town was first settled in 1810. The town of Persia was founded in 1835 from the town of Perrysburg.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.46%, is water.

The northern border of the town is partly formed by Cattaraugus Creek, with Erie County on the opposite bank, and the east town line is defined by the South Branch of Cattaraugus Creek.

U.S. Route 62 passes through the northwest corner of the town, and New York State Route 353 passes across the south part of the town. Much of the town is served by the north-to-south Broadway Road (County Road 4), which runs from NY 353 into the village of Gowanda, which occupies the northern tip of the town and extends across Cattaraugus Creek into the town of Collins in Erie County.

Adjacent towns and areas (Clockwise) Collins Otto New Albion Dayton; Perrysburg

Demographics

As of the census of 2000 for Persia, there were 2,512 people, 961 households, and 602 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,071 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.74% White, 0.28% African American, 2.51% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population.

There were 961 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,675, and the median income for a family was $39,650. Males had a median income of $29,838 versus $26,304 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,590. About 10.6% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over. + Population in 2010AgeEnumeration and percentage Under 5 years130 5 to 9 years150 10 to 14 years163 15 to 19 years16020 to 24 years12025 to 29 years13630 to 34 years11335 to 39 years14140 to 44 years16145 to 49 years18250 to 54 years20155 to 59 years15560 to 64 years13265 to 69 years11570 to 74 years10275 to 79 years8480 to 84 years7285 years and over87Total : 2,404

Education and language

Language Spoken at Home (2017) CITIZENS 18 YEARS AND OVER (Estimates)Speak only English1,789Speak a language other than English47Spanish21Other languages26Total : 1,836

Educational Attainment (2017) Population 18 to 24 years (Estimates)Less than high school graduate16High school graduate (includes equivalency)40Some college or associate degree49Bachelor's degree or higher11Total : 116

List of supervisors (Town of Persia Supervisor);

Esek B. Nash, 1835–1836 John Thatcher, 1837–1838 tEsek B. Nash, 1839 John Thatcher, 1840–1841 George W. White, 1842 Seth Field, 1843 Esek B. Nash, 1844 John Thatcher, 1845 Esek B. Nash, 1846–1848 Amasa L. Chaffee, 1853 Levi W. Strope, 1854 David N. Brown, 1855–1856 Lemuel S. Jenks, 1857–1868 Wm. W. Henry, 1869–1870 A.S. Bennett, 1871–1872 Charles W. Blackney, 1873–1874 Silas Vinton, 1875–1877 Reuben Ross, 1878 Silas Vinton, 1879–1880 Ward Hooker, 1881–1882 Byron L. Kimble, 1883–1884 Frank C. Vinton, 1885–1887 Joseph H.Schaack, 1888 Frank C. Vinton, 1889–1991 Frank L. Mattock, 1891–1893 H. Ward Hooker, 1894 George B. Taylor, 1895–1897 Irving R. Leonard, 1898–1917 Robert E. Congdom, 1918–1933 Stanley Nielson, 1934–1937 George Lambert, 1938–1955 Andrew J. Musacchio, 1956–1963 Charles Deneen, 1964–1969

Annual events

Hollywood Happening June is the month for the Annual Hollywood Happening. Part of Main Street is closed to vehicle traffic so hundreds of individuals from all over can come to display their motorcycles and take part in the "Harley" Parade on Friday evening. There are vendors, live music, great food, and various activities to partake.

Christmas Lighting In December, a Christmas tree lighting ceremony is held in Chang Hu Park, sponsored by the Gowanda Chamber of Commerce.

Communities and Locations in the Town of Persia

Gowanda – Part of the village of Gowanda is located in the northwest corner of the town. Persia – The hamlet of Persia is located south of Gowanda near the west town line. Snyders Corners – A hamlet at the junction of County Road 4 and NY-353 in the south part of the town. Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area – A small part of this conservation area is in the north part of the town.

References

External links Town of Persia official website Early history of Persia, NY