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Steuben County
FORMATION & ORGANIZATION OF STEUBEN COUNTY
Steuben County was named for Friedrich Wilhelm Augustin, Baron von Steuben (1730-1794), a
German-Prussian General who served with George Washington in the American Revolutionary
War. Settlers first became aware of the area during Sullivan's expedition. Until this
time it was inhabited mostly by the Iroquois, which were driven out of the area by
Sullivan in response to the Wyoming Massacre that took place in nearby portions of
Pennsylvania.
Settlement at the end of the war was impeded, however, as ownership of Wes
tern New York was contested and had long been claimed by both Massachusetts and New York.
Finally, on December 16, 1786 a compact was reached between the two states. Massachusetts
received the greater part of New York lying west of Seneca Lake and conveyed about
2,600,000 acres to Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham at the end of 1788.
The portion of the purchase which now constitutes Steuben County was surveye
d by Frederick Saxton, Augustus Porter, Thomas Davis, and Robert James in the summer of
1789. Phelps and Gorham sold the remaining unsold land, in 1790, to Robert Morris of
Philadelphia, who in turn sold it to Sir William Pulteney, of England, in 1792. This has
since been known as the Pulteney Estate, and their agent, Charles Williamson was
responsible for selling the remaining land.
Formed March 18, 1796, Steuben County was
taken from Ontario
County.
Originally it was
divided into six towns, that of Bath, Canisteo, Dansville, Fredericton, Middletown
and Painted Post
.
Since its organization,
portions have been annexed to Allegany,
Yates,
Livingston and
Schuyler Counties,
leaving it with 1,397 square miles
of land area, making it larger than the
state of Rhode
Island. The
County seat is Bath, the village named for Sir
William Pulteney's daughter,
Laura, the Countess of
Bath.
Cities
Corning * Hornell
Towns
Addison * Avoca * Bath (county seat) * Bradford * Cameron * Campbell * Canisteo * Cat
on * Cohocton * Corning * Dansville * Erwin * Fremont * Greenwood * Hartsville * Hornby *
Hornellsville * Howard * Jasper * Lindley * Prattsburgh * Pulteney * Rathbone * Thurston
* Troupsburg * Tuscarora * Urbana * Wayland * Wayne * West Union * Wheeler * Woodhull
Villages
Almond * Arkport * Avoca * Hammondsport * North Hornell * Painted Post * Riverside *
Savona * South Corning
Census-designated Places
Coopers Plains * Gang Mills
Hamlets
Adrian * Gibson * South Hornell * South Canisteo
