Local city information for Town of Tonawanda, NY

For other places with a similar name, see Tonawanda, New York.

Tonawanda is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The name is derived from a creek on the northern border. The name tonawanda means "swift waters" in the Iroquois language. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 78,155. The town is at the north border of the county. It is the northern suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is often referred to, along with its composite village of Kenmore, as Ken-Ton.

This area was under French control from the 17th Century until ceded to the British after the French and Indian War.

The first settlers arrived around 1805.

Rapid growth began after the construction of the Erie Canal, completed in 1825.

The town of Tonawanda was set apart in 1836 from the "Town of Buffalo" (now part of the city of Buffalo) and lies in the northwest corner of Erie County. At that time it included Grand Island and land that became the city ofTonawanda.

The town lost territory to the new town of Grand Island in 1852. In 1899, Kenmore incorporated as a village of the town.

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