Town Of Newstead

History

The Town of Newstead is located in the northeastern corner of Erie County in Western New York. The Town is a rural community with over 40% of the area devoted to agriculture. This agriculture characteristic is the Town's basic heritage going back to its founding in 1823.

The central business district and Town government headquarters is located in the Village of Akron, located in the eastern central part of the Town. A portion of the Tonawanda Indian Reservation is in the northeastern corner of the Town. The Town is physically split in two by a unique geographical feature, the Onondaga escarpment.

In 1788, New York State established the state's counties and towns. Towns were not new in 1788, however, and the laws established that year specified boundaries, town officials and municipal responsibilities that codified, in many instances, arrangements that already existed. At this time, Western New York was part of the Country of the Senecas. The Town of Newstead is one of 932 towns in New York State.