Steuben County History
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Named for "Baron Von Steuben” a German drill master in the Revolutionary War
Steuben County’s great-great-grandmother county was Albany, its great-grandmother county was Tryon, its grandmother county was Montgomery and its mother county was Ontario. The County of Steuben was formed by an act of the legislature from Ontario County on March 18, 1796 and was named after Frederic William Augustus “Baron Von Steuben” a German drill master in the Revolutionary War. Steuben County at that time has a population of about 890 people and an area of about 50 miles square. Over the years, portions have been annexed to Allegany, Yates, Livingston and Schuyler Counties, so that the present size of Steuben County is 1,397 Square miles of land area. As a matter of comparison, Steuben County has 348 more miles of land area than the state of Rhode Island.
In 1788 Phelps and Gorham obtained the Genesee Tract of 2,600,000 acres from Massachusetts by an act of the state legislature. Two years later they conveyed to Robert Morris, the great colonial banker and merchant, the remaining unsold 1,200.000 acres. In 1792 Morris the Colonel Charles Williamson, agent for the Association of British Capitalists, nearly 1,200,000 acres, which became the Pulteney Estate. The territory was surveyed into townships and lots for the Pulteney estate. In 1793 Colonel Williamson commenced a settlement at Bath, now the county seat.
At the Village of Prattsburgh in the northern part of the county is the home of Narcissa Prentic, daughter of Esquire Stephen Prentice, who later married Dr. Marcus Whitman. Dr. Whitman and Narcissa in 1836 went as Presbyterian missionaries to what is now the State of Washington and established a mission there and were later massacred by the Indians whom they had attempted in a somewhat misguided fashion to help. This leaves Narcissa Prentice Whitman the distinction of being the first woman to cross the Rocky Mountains and survive. Her home in Prattsburgh is open to the public.
Nearby at Hammondsport at Keuka Lake, Glenn Curtiss pioneered in the development of aircraft and the Curtiss Museum is open daily for tours.
Steuben boasts worthwhile industries in the field of glass making, producing the beautiful Steubenware of the Corning Glass Center which is open to the public for wonderful tours at all times.
At Bath was located a New York State Soldiers and Sailors Home, which in more recent years has become a Veteran’s Administration Hospital.
Steuben is a rural county with a population of nearly 100,000. Two of the largest industries in Steuben County are agriculture, with over 1,000 farms and mainly dairy farms as well as tourism. With many attractions, much scenic beauty and plentiful accommodations, Steuben County attracts thousands of visitors each year. There are quite a few wineries that have tours and many museums like the Corning Museum of glass and the Glenn Curtiss Museum to visit. Steuben is also the home of the Norman Rockwell museum of Western Art Several manufacturing industries provide employment for our citizens and strengthen our economy. Steuben County, though rural, has grown and offers natural beauty, serenity, and comfortable living throughout its hills and lakelands.
Steuben County remains steeped in the agricultural history and culture of the region. Our agrarian history, combined with the intellectual and educational centers of today help make it a pleasant home and an attraction to many for years to come.