Chili, New York

Coordinates: 43°06′14″N 77°45′10″W / 43.10389°N 77.75278°W / 43.10389; -77.75278

Chili
Town
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Monroe
Elevation	556 ft (169.5 m)
Coordinates	43°06′14″N 77°45′10″W / 43.10389°N 77.75278°W / 43.10389; -77.75278
Area	39.9 sq mi (103.3 km2)
- land	39.8 sq mi (103 km2)
- water	0.2 sq mi (1 km2), 0.5%
Population	28,625 (2010)
Density	724 / sq mi (279.5379628 / km2)
Established	1822
Town Supervisor	David Dunning (R) First Elected 2007 Town Council Tracy A. DiFlorio (R) Virginia L. Ignatowski (R) Michael S. Slattery (R) Mary C. Sperr (R)
Timezone	EST (UTC-5)
- summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	14514
Area code	585
Location of Chili in New York
Location of New York in the United States
Website: http://www.townofchili.org/

Chili ( /ˈtʃaɪlaɪ/ chy-ly) is a town in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 28,625 at the 2010 census. It is a suburb of the city of Rochester.

The Town of Chili was established in 1822 from part of the Town of Riga.

North Chili was a stop on the Underground Railroad.

History

The Chili area was once the hunting ground of the Seneca Indians. The first white settler was Captain Joseph Morgan who purchased land from Peter Sheffer of neighboring Wheatland.

The area of Chili became part of the newly formed Northampton. With the formation of Monroe County the area became part of the Town of Riga before splitting off into its own Town of Chili on February 22, 1822.

There are two theories about the origin of the name "Chili". One theory is that it was named after the country of Chile which was striving for independence at the time. Some suggest that the town was named after the Chiliasts^[1] religion embraced by some of the early settlers of South Chili.

The local government includes Town Supervisor David Dunning (R) First Elected 2007; and Town Council Tracy A. DiFlorio (R); Virginia L. Ignatowski (R); Michael S. Slattery (R); and Mary C. Sperr (R). The appointed Deputy Town Supervisor is Jordon Brown, employed by Lifetime Assistance Inc. as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.9 square miles (103 km²), of which, 39.8 square miles (103 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²) of it (0.48%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 27,638 people, 10,159 households, and 7,558 families residing in the town. The population density was 695.4 people per square mile (268.5/km²). There were 10,466 housing units at an average density of 263.3 per square mile (101.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.14% White, 5.71% African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.12% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.65% of the population.

There were 10,159 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town, the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $55,097, and the median income for a family was $61,481. Males had a median income of $45,156 versus $29,903 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,887. About 2.0% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations

• Chili Center – The centre of town government and the most urbanized portion of the town.
• Genesee River – Part of the east border of the town.
• North Chili – A hamlet in the northwest part of the town and home to Roberts Wesleyan College.
• South Chili – A rural area in Chili running along the New York State Thruway.
• West Chili – A small community located just to the north of Black Creek Park.

Places of local interest

Public library

The Chili Public Library is the public library serving Chili, New York. It is currently located in the recently erected town government center at 3333 Chili Avenue. Previously, it occupied the old town government complex further east on Chili Avenue.

In June 1959, Chili Town Supervisor George Lusk and the members of the Town Board created the Chili Library Committee to determine need for a library in Chili. The committee submitted its findings to the Town board in June 1960, unanimously agreeing the Town of Chili had a "definite need" for a public library due to growing population and a lack of cultural institutions. At the time, Chili was the only town in the county without a public library. In 1961, Supervisor Lusk put a vote before town residents on a referendum to allocate funds for a new town hall facility, including a section for a town library. The public voted yes, and in 1962, the Chili Public Library became the final member of the Monroe County Library System.

The library opened its doors and began circulating books on October 15, 1962. Librarian Marcia Chapman presented the first library card to Supervisor Lusk.

Roberts Wesleyan College

Roberts is a private, Christian, liberal arts college located in North Chili. The school enrolls approximately 2,000 students. The school hosts various community events on its facilities, including soccer games, swimming lessons, dance recitals, fireworks, concerts, drama productions and many other events.

Sister cities

• Agropoli - Italy
• Chili, Indiana - United States of America

References

1. ^ Historical Digest of Early Chili
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

• Town of Chili
• Chili Public Library