Town Offices: 1145 Main Road, Corfu, NY 14036
585-599-4892 or 585-762-8246
fax: 585-762-8233
Town Court: 116 E. Main St., Corfu, NY 14036
585-599-4817
fax: 585-599-3675
Town of Pembroke
(A Mini-History)
Pembroke or O-a-geh (On the Road) as the Indians referred to it, is located in Township 12, Ranges 3 & 4 of the Holland Purchase, and was named for Pembroke in Wales. It was set off from the Town of Batavia, June 8, 1812 and originally contained the whole of Darien and a small part of Alabama. The northern section was part of the Tonawanda Indian Reservation.
The population centers of Corfu (Long's Corners), Pembroke (Richville), East Pembroke (Ellicott Mills), Indian Falls (Tonawanda Falls) and North Pembroke (Mogadore) are located along the Tonawanda and Murder Creeks which are the main waterways crossing the town. Airville, Prospect Hill/Papermill and Pembroke Center were small early settlements.
Pembroke today is a heavily traveled area with four major highways, Routes 5, 33, 77 and the New York State Thruway passing through its borders. Exit 48A opens the town to Interstate 90. The advantages of its location are its accessibility to Rochester and Buffalo. Once mostly a farming area it is fast becoming a bedroom community for people who work in neighboring cities.
Interesting Facts:
THE TOWN OF PEMBROKE was once mostly a rural farming area. It now includes many small businesses, churches, fire districts and a progressive school district. It is a good place to live, raise a family or enjoy retirement. The Town of Pembroke has great potential for industrial development and has many opportunities for all to enjoy.
Pembroke is host, the first Saturday after Labor Day, each year, to the BRICK HOUSE CORNERS FAIR held at the Town Hall grounds where residents and visitors enjoy the entertainment and history of the town.
ELY SAMUEL PARKER (Do-Ne-Ho-Ga-Wa) Grand Sachem Chief--"Keeper of the Western Door of the Long House of the Iroquois"--one of the Town of Pembroke's most famous citizens.
1828-1897
Ely Parker was born in a log cabin over-looking the waterfalls, at Indian Falls, NY, then a part of the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. He volunteered into the Army and became General Grant's Military Secretary. He was instrumental in drafting the final terms of the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House at the end of the Civil War. He was appointed the first Indian Commissioner of Indian Affairs. His remains lie at rest in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo. A Historical Marker designates his birthplace and is located on the Arkon Road near Route 77 in Pembroke.