Attica, New York

History

In 1802, Zerah Phelps became the first European-American landowner in the Attica area, which had for centuries been part of territory of the Seneca Nation, one of the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. As allies of the British, they were mostly forced out of New York after the American Revolution, when the Crown ceded control of its territory to the new United States.

He built and owned a gristmill, and was also the first business owner in Attica. By 1810 the settlement had grown into a town., Malaria and plague drove the settlers to higher ground. During the War of 1812, many people fled to this area from Buffalo, which was vulnerable to British attack from the Great Lakes.

In 1837, Phelps' Settlement was incorporated, becoming the village of Attica. The village is named after a region in Greece.

In 1854, Dr. Orin Davis established a health institute to which people from around the country traveled for treatment.

In 1883, Eugene Norton created what became known as the Pineapple Cheese Factory. In 1918 the company's molds and patents were sold to the Kraft Cheese Company. The Stevens family has bred and raised thoroughbred livestock. One of their horses took first prize at the World's Fair. Agriculture remains an important element of community culture and economy.

From the History section of Attica (village), New York on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.