John Barker Church was a British-born merchant who made a fortune supplying the American and French armies during the Revolutionary war and helped fund the war. He married Angelica Schuyler Church, the eldest daughter of General Philip Schuyler. Angelica Church's sister Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton was married to Alexander Hamilton. In 1797, the young United States paid back its war debt to Church in the form of 100,000 acres of land in Western New York. John and Angelica Church's son Philip Schuyler Church travelled to what is now Allegheny and Genesee Counties to take possession of the land, with his surveyor Moses Van Campen. A planned village was laid out with the plots and design to be reminiscent of Paris, France. In the center of the circular drive is the village park. Philip named his planned village Angelica, after his mother. The historian John S. Minard wrote of the town's establishment in Allegany County and Its People :
"The town was formed by an act of the Legislature, passed Feb. 25, 1805, and described as "being in width twelve miles," just that of the Morris Reserve, and in length "from south to north extending thirty-four miles from the Pennsylvania line," taking in about two-thirds of the towns of Granger and Grove. It was taken from Leicester, and when erected was a part of Genesee county.. It still stands on the banks of the Genesee near Angelica, New York.
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,411 people, 564 households, and 382 families residing in the town. The population density was 38.7 people per square mile. There were 774 housing units at an average density of 21.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 97.87% White, 0.28% Black or African American, 0.50% Native American, 0.07% Asian, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population. There were 564 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.03. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $37,891. Males had a median income of $28,958 versus $21,328 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,348. About 8.1% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
