By Kevin Thaden
Whenever someone asks me where I am from, I tell them from a small town near Buffalo, New York. The typical response is a reference to lake effect snow, or how cold it was and they’re not wrong. It was not uncommon to sit bundled in the bleachers of a Friday night high school football game in October and have to bring the snow scrape (windshield snow brush). Western New Yorkers (west of the Finger Lakes) keep one in their vehicles all year long. That’s another thing, we like to distinguish ourselves from the so-called “Real New Yorkers” of Manhattan, and the “Up-state New Yorkers” (everywhere else in the state).
I grew up in Brocton, New York. It’s a small village with a declining population of just over 1300 people (World Population Review, 2024). Brocton was established in 1894 (Village of Brocton, 2023) and is known for its proximity to Lake Erie, grape vineyard landscape, and our “Brocton Arch.” The Brocton Arch is located at the intersection of Route 20 and 380, serving as a gateway to the village. The Arch itself was erected in 1913 (Lafrank, 1996) from steel beams from the Lackawanna Steel plant, 50 miles away. At the time, double span arches were popular and were an integral part of the identity of villages and towns.
The Brocton Arch is painted green, representing the prosperity of the town at the turn of the century. Adorning the corona is a dangling sign with the village name. The sign has been the only piece of refurbishment since the arch was built when the original sign became corroded and unsightly in 1946. A large part of the community, the arch houses alternating light bulb colors green and white which are also the colors of Brocton Central School.
On special occasions, the arches are decorated with fauna and pine needles much like a wreathe on a door during the holiday season reinforcing the welcome spirit. The lights are often swapped out to different colors representing the changing of the season, the next holiday, or pride in for our school and town in general.
The Brocton Arch holds significance for the community being unique and believed to be the only four-way street arch still standing east of the Mississippi. It’s a beloved landmark that has become an integral part of the village’s identity. Residents of Brocton often take pride in our arch, considering it a symbol of our hometown pride.
The Brocton Arch has recently been placed on the State and National Registry of Historical Buildings. This arch was constructed in 1913 to commemorate The Town of Portland Centennial. It is believed to be the only double arch east of the Mississippi. (CCVB, 2024)
References:
Bosse, T. (2023, September 19). Brocton Arch Historical Marker. Historical Marker. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=96609
CCVB. (2024). Brocton, village of, Brocton, NY. Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau. https://www.tourchautauqua.com/destinations/brocton-village-of
LaFrank, K. (1996, February 2). Brocton Arch. National Archives and Records Administration. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75316755
Village of Brocton. (2023, November 7). History. Village of Brocton. https://www.brocton.org/history
World Population Review. (2024). Brocton, New York population 2024. https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/brocton-ny-population