The first building on the future site of the village, a log cabin, was erected around 1820. The village of Bolivar was incorporated in 1882.
As "the heart of the Allegany Oil Field", the Bolivar-Richburg area rose to significance during the oil boom era of the late 1800s. During the brief initial oil boom of the 1880s it was purportedly the wealthiest locale, per capita, in the United States. By the early 1900s the initial boom, with its economic and population impacts, had significantly faded, but secondary oil recovery techniques applied to the oil fields drastically rejuvenated the industry in the area. By the early 1930s Bolivar village boasted an imposing new school, well-paved streets, a modern sewage treatment facility, and a thriving Main Street economy. The village and town of Bolivar adopted the description "Land of the Deer and the Derrick" in the mid-1900s. The village is home to the high school of the Bolivar-Richburg Central School District, which merged in the fall of 1994. The Bolivar Free Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Geography
Bolivar is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of. Root Hollow Creek enters the village from the east, joining with Little Genesee Creek flowing north-south through the west edge of the village, leading to the Allegheny River. Bolivar is at the junction of New York State Route 275 and New York State Route 417. Bolivar was served by the Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad and predecessors, by the Bradford, Eldred & Cuba Railroad System, and by the Olean, Bradford & Salamanca Railway and predecessors. The early PS&N predecessors and the BE&C were 36" narrow-gauge railroads while the PS&N and OB&S were standard-gauge railroads, the latter being electric-powered. Notable People: Frank Gannett graduated from Bolivar High School in 1893. Bob Torrey graduated from Bolivar High School in 1974.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,173 people, 451 households, and 294 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,560.3 people per square mile. There were 500 housing units at an average density of 665.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 98.55% White, 0.68% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.17% Asian, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population. There were 451 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.27. In the village, the population was spread out with 31.2% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males. The median income for a household in the village was $29,286, and the median income for a family was $36,442. Males had a median income of $32,019 versus $20,735 for females. The per capita income for the village was $12,804. About 18.2% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.8% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.
