county - now Yates - February 25, 1814; one-quarter of a township including the village of Dansville to Livingston county, February 15, 1822, and a part to Schuyler county in 1854.
     The county is situated upon the southern border of the state, in the tier of counties adjoining the Pennsylvania line, considerably west of the centre, centrally distant one hundred and eighty-eight miles from Albany. It lies chiefly upon the southern slope of the great dividing ridge or water-shed which separates the waters of Lake Ontario from those of the Susquehanna, and is among the most elevated sections of the state. Its greatest altitude is two thousand, five hundred feet above the ocean.
     It is bounded north by Livingston, Ontario and Yates counties; east, by Schuyler and Chemung counties; south by the Pennsylvania state line and west by Allegany county and a portion of Livingston county. Its area is about fourteen hundred and twenty-five square miles or about eight hundred and thirty-five thousand acres.
     It is an intricate hill country consisting of rolling and irregular uplands, intersected by deep river valleys and by crooked ravines worn by innumerable creeks. The north and west parts of the county occupy the summit, from whence the slope is to the southeastern extremity of the county where the Chemung river passes the line and flows to the Susquehanna.
     The slope towards the valley of the Chemung is from the north, the west and the southwest, where the head waters of the Conhocton, Canisteo and Tioga rivers rise, all of which unite at Painted Post forming the Chemung river. * The streams aside from the rivers which flow down this slope, are creeks of various sizes, the valleys of which vary in width from a few rods to a mile or more, and are surrounded by hills from two to eight hundred feet in height. "But that the abrupt gulf of Crooked Lake pierces deep into the hills from the North and carries off the meagre brooks of two towns seated upon its western bluffs, the county would contain within itself a complete system of waters. The streams would pour down on all sides from a circle of hills and escape only by the narrow gate of the Chemung."
     Some rocks of the county exhibit marine organic remains, and indications of diluvial action are everywhere perceived in the accumulation of gravel, sand, pebbles and boulders scattered over the surface.

*The name of this river, Cononque, in the language of the Senecas, signifies "Big Horn" or "Horn in the Water." It derived its name, it is said, from the circumstance of a horn of immense size having been found in the bed of the river by the Indians, at a former period. The river was often called Tioga, and sometimes, by people living in Pennsylvania, the "Cayuga Branch" of the Susquehanna.

PAGE 24

In the town of Pulteney is a large boulder, the parent bed of which cannot be nearer than the primitive formations of the north of this continent.
     But this deep sea-burial was not of long continuance. The continent rose again from its submergence, and summit after summit lifted its gravel-covered brow above the waters. Before the resurrection was completed, we are told by geologists, Nature made several pauses in her work, and the sea was destined to stand over districts that had been maked out for the dwelling place for man.
     The lake ridge of Ontario shows marks of shores of water, which at various periods stood from an elevation of seven hundred and sixty-two feet to the present level of the lake. Similar indications of ancient shores may be traced at the head of Seneca lake.
     When the waters stood at the highest mark indicated, the area of this inland sea must have been limited by the Highlands and New England range on the east; the shores of Lake Superior on the north; the Alleganies on the south, and the head waters of the Mississippi on the west. Consequently, when the mountains of Steuben appeared, they overlooked a sea which covered the northern counties of the state, the Canadas and the great western valley. This sea would find its outlet by the way of the St. Lawrence, the Hudson, the Connecticut and the Susquehanna rivers.
     The period that marked the emergence of that tract of land now comprised in the five western counties of the state in the southern tier, - was the epoch when the precise drainage features of modern times were determined. The great undulations of the surface which determine the principal water-sheds depend, it is true, upon the conformation of the rocky crust, and probably existed as they now exist in the age anterior to the reign of ice. But all the subordinate details of the drainage were executed while the continent was rising from its last ablution.
     Rocks - Upon the hills of Troupsburgh and Greenwood, the most elevated portions of the county, the rock consists of a thin layer of argillaceous sandstone, highly ferruginous in character and hearing a general resemblance to the iron ore of the Clinton Group. Its decomposition stains the soil a bright red color, and from these indications it has been supposed that valuable beds of ore would be found. Rocks of the Portage Group appear in all the deep ravines and along the water courses in the northern part of the county, while the high grounds are covered with those of the neat Group. At Hammondsport, we find in a ravine, about three hundred feet of rock exposed, belonging to the Portage Group.

PAGE 25

     The mass exposed consists in the lower part principally of shale and thin layers of sandstone from four to ten inches thick. The edges of all the layers exposed are covered with crystals of sellanite or crystalized gypsum. Some distance from the mouth of this ravine an excavation for coal was once made in the black shale which alternates with the sandstone and olive shale. The indications of coal at this point were a few fragments of vegetables, iron pyrites and the odor of bitumen arising from the shale.
     The rocks of the Chemung Group continue along the valley of the Conhocton to Painted Post and follow the Tioga to the south line of the state, the tops of the hills excepted, which are capped by conglomerate in a few places. The valley of the Canisteo is bounded on both sides by almost unbroken ranges of the same group, and the same rocks are seen along the valley of Five Mile creek which appears to have been formerly a continuation of Canandaigua lake valley. The valley of Loon lake is the continuation of Hemlock lake and Springwater valley. In the neighborhood of this lake, large accumulations of drift arise in rounded hills from fifty to sixty feet above the general level, and skirt the valley on either side. The country known as Howard flats is formed of drift hills and ridges, but little elevated above the general level. The deepest wells do not reach its termination.
     Sandstone proper for grindstones has been found along Bennett's and Riggs' creeks, at an elevation of four or five hundred feet above the Canisteo, and about fifteen hundred feet above tide-water. Grindstones have been obtained in Canisteo, Woodhull and in Jasper. At Greenwood village, on the farm of F. X. Ward a salt spring formerly emerged from the green shale. A change in the course of the creek beside which it rose has obliterated it entirely. Salt was made at this spring many years ago by the settlers, and previously by the Indians.
     Wells have been recently drilled in Greenwood and Canisteo for natural gas and petroleum, and a considerable flow of each has been obtained. Companies are organized for the development of these wells and for further tests. Sulpher springs are found in Urbana, Campbell, Jasper and Troupsburgh. On the farm of S. M. Morgan in the town of Lindley, are two mineral springs only a few rods distant from each other, one a sulphur spring and the other strongly impregnated with iron. There is a mineral spring in the village of Woodhull. There are numerous beds of lake Marl and tufa in this county. Near Arkport was a bed of this kind which furnished a considerable quantity of lime. In the town of Troupsburgh, also, is a bed of this marl. There is an extensive deposit of it on the Canaseraga, south of Dansville, from which lime was formerly burned. The summit level between the Can

PAGE 26

aseraga and the Canisteo presents an extensive muck swamp and some beds of marl.
     Elevations. - In the south part of the county the highest lands extend from the western line of the town of Lindley, through Tuscarora, through southern Woodhull, thence northwest through the northwest part of Troupsburgh to the south line of Jasper, thence westward to Greenwood, and southwest to the south part of West Union, where the source of Bennett's creek is eight hundred feet above its junction with the Canisteo, and the surrounding hills from three to four hundred feet higher.
     The following elevations have been determined principally from actual surveys: Lake Keuka, 718 feet above tide-water; Corning, 925; village of Bath, 1090; Hornellsville, 1150; Arkport, 1194; summit between Mud Lake and Bath, 1579; summit between Bath and Arkport, 1840; summit between Arkport and Angelica, 2062; Troupsburgh hills, 2500.
     Lakes, Rivers, Creeks, etc. - Lake Keuka, formerly Crooked Lake, is one of the most beautiful inland lakes in the United States, and has become a most attractive and popular summer resort. It extends from Hammondsport to Penn Yan in Yates county, a distance of twenty-two miles, with a fork to Branchport of seven miles.
     Lake Waneta, nearly three miles long and about half a mile wide, lies partly in the town of Wayne and is elevated above Lake Keuka about two hundred feet. Mud Lake in Schuyler county east of the town of Bradford, and south of Lake Waneta, is fed from the waters of the latter lake by the Tobahanna creek, and the creek running from Pine Grove through Tyrone to the Lake. It is about two miles in length and half a mile in width. The outlet is called Mud Creek and enters the Conhocton at Savona. When the county was first settled, and for several years subsequent, this stream was navigable, and arks floated from Mud Lake down the creek and the Conhocton to the Susquehanna.
     Duck Lake lies in the southeast part of the town of Prattsburgh and is about half a mile ling and a quarter of a mile wide. Lake Salubria is a beautiful sheet of pure water and lies east of the village of Bath. There are two small lakes in the town of Howard, and in the town of Thurston is situated Friends Lake, the outlet of which passes southward through the hills to the Cansiteo. Goodhue Lake, which covers an area of about fifty acres, lies in the northwest corner of the town of Addison and forms the head of Goodhue creek which passes through the town in a southeasterly direction and empties into the Canisteo below Addison village.
     The rivers of the county are the Conhocton, Canisteo, Tioga and Chemung. The lesser streams are the following, locally called creeks.

PAGE 27

Tuscarora, Stephens, Bennetts, Purdy, Crosby, Canaseraga, Neils, Meads, Canacadea, Five Mile, Ten Mile, Twelve Mile, Goodhue, Post, Cold Spring, Mud Creek and some others.
     The great forests of oak, ash, pine, sugar-maple, beech, elm and other trees, which, but a century since, covered the entire county with the exception of small clearings made by the Indians or some of the river flats, have almost entirely disappeared; while thrifty meadows and cultivated fields, fruitful orchards and luxuriant vineyards now fill the valleys and cover the upland slopes.
     The soil is fertile and well adapted to pasturage. Large numbers of horses, milch cows, working oxn and other cattle, sheep and swine are raised. She chief productions are wheat, rye, Indian corn, oats, barley, buckwheat, potatoes, hay, tobacco, wool, grapes, maple-sugar, honey, butter and cheese.
     Extent of territory, variety of soil, difference in altitude and other causes, render Steuben county capable of greatly diversified productions and place her among the foremost of the agricultural counties of New York, while she ranks well among those that excell in manufactured products.
     Of these we may name agricultural implements, carriages and wagons, cooperage, furniture, cut and moulded glassware, iron castings, tanned and curried leather, boots and shoes, machinery, saddlery and harnesses, wine, woolen goods, wire, high wines, beer, flour and lumber.
     During the early years of the county's history, lumbering was the chief industry, and until a comparatively recent date, continued so in some of the towns. Large quantities of lumber and other products were shipped in rafts and arks to different points in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and later these products found an outlet by way of the Genesee, the Penn Yan and Dresden and the Chemung canals. At the present day the county possessess railroad facilities that are unsurpassed by any county in the state.
     Although many thousand acres of timber-land yet remain in the county, it is scattered, and its area small compared with the broad expanse devoted to agriculture, fruit-growing and stock-raising.
     The comparative growth of the county may be seen by the following citation of the census reports for the several enumerations since its organization.
     1800, 1,788; 1810, 7,246; 1820, 21,989; 1830, 33,975; 1840, 46,138; 1845, 53,679; 1850, 66,938; 1855, 62,965; 1860, 66,690; 1865, 66,192; 1870, 67,717; 1875, 73,838; 1880, 77,586; 1890, 80,971.
     At the present time the county consists of thirty-two towns, viz: Addison, Avoca; Bath; Bradford; Cameron; Campbell; Canisteo; Caton; Cohocton; Corning; Dansville; Erwin; Fremont; Greenwood; Harts

PAGE 28

ville; Hornby; Hornellsville; Howard; Jasper; Lindley; Prattsburg; Pulteney; Rathbone; Thurston; Troupsburgh; Tuscarora; Urbana; Wayland; Wayne; West Union; Wheeler and Woodhull.
Savona was formed a separate town in 1859 and annexed to Bath in 1862.

BACK

NEXT

CONTENTS