History | Tourist Info | Demographics | Climate | Major Employers | Did You Know
About Batavia
HISTORY
As the administrative center for the Holland Land Company, all roads
led to and from Batavia and the economy benefited from its central location
immediately. While Batavia lost its central location with the construction
of the Erie Canal in 1825, it regained its advantageous location with
the construction of railroads starting in 1837.
Today, all major western New York State routes still lead
to Batavia and the New York State Thruway, Interstate 90, borders the
northern boundary of the City. In the heart of Batavia, the
Batavia
is the Birthplace of Western New York. In 1802, Joseph Ellicott, agent for
the Holland Land Company, established the Holland Land Office as his administrative
headquarters. The Holland Land Purchase included 3.5 million acres in Western
New York. The Purchase extended south to Pennsylvania, north to Lake Ontario,
west to Lake Erie, and a few miles to the east of Batavia. Most of the early
settlers came from England, New England, and Pennsylvania with small pockets
of German, Scotch Highlanders and Dutch settlements. In 1802 New York State
established Genesee County and made Batavia the County seat. The City was
incorporated in 1915 and the City Charter was created.
TOURIST
INFORMATION The City and surrounding region offer a wide variety of activities
for people of all ages. The City is home to the The City of Batavia provides an ideal location for travelers
that want to take advantage of all that western New York has to offer.
It is less than an hour from Niagara Falls, Letchworth State Park and
Lake Ontario and less than 30 minutes from the Genesee Country Museum,
one of the largest outdoor living history museums in the country. For further information about major attractions, shopping,
restaurants and accommodations in the area, see the
The
City of Batavia is located directly off Exit 48 of the New York State Thruway,
Interstate 90 and is centrally located between Buffalo and Rochester. State
Routes 5, 98, 33 and 63 also pass through the heart of Batavia.
CLIMATE INFORMATION
Batavia
experiences a number of varying seasonal types of weather. Some of the more
interesting climate patterns are outlined in the table below:
Average Summer Temperature |
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Average Winter Temperature |
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All Time High Temperature |
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All Time Low Temperature |
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Largest Snowfall in one month |
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Average Annual Precipitation |
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Greatest Daily Snowfall |
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Source:Northeast Regional Climate Center |
The City has a number of major employers, providing numerous job opportunities. Some of the larger, local employers are listed in the table below.
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United Memorial Medical Center |
750 |
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Genesee County |
742 |
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Batavia Board of Education |
440 |
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United States Veterans Hospital |
400 |
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Graham Manufacturing |
330 |
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| Genesee ARC | 300
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280 |
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P.W. Minor Footwear |
250 |
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New York State School for the Blind |
220 |
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O-at-ka Milk |
180 |
- The City was named in honor of the short-lived Dutch republic at the turn of the nineteenth century: The Batavian Republic. That Republic took its name from the Batavii, a tribe that lived in the Netherlands in Roman times and was considered to be the ancestor of the Dutch nation.
- The First Business Incubator in the United States, the Batavia Industrial Center, was started in Batavia.
- John Elway, quarterback of the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, hit his first professional home run at Dwyer Stadium while playing minor league baseball.
- In March 1926, over 1,000 people turned out to hear Helen Keller speak in the City.
- The first union Soldier to enlist in the Civil War was from Batavia.
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The
City of Batavia
All
rights reserved.