Town of Gowanda, NY Website
The name “Gowanda” is derived from the Seneca Indian phrase meaning “a valley among the hills” or “under the cliffs,” referring to the village’s location below the Zoar Valley gorge along Cattaraugus Creek. Occupied by various Indian tribes before the American Revolution, the westward movement of our growing nation brought the first settlers here from New England early in the 19th century.
What is now Gowanda was settled in 1810 by Turner Aldrich, who bought 707 acres on both sides of the creek from the Holland Land Company. He cleared the land, built a cabin, a sawmill and a gristmill. The settlement was called Aldrich’s Mills until 1823 when the name was changed to Lodi. The village was incorporated as Gowanda in 1848.
https://villageofgowanda.com
