First Pioneer Settlers to the Chemung Area
This article is a brief summary of the Seneca and early pioneer settlers of the Chemung River Valley and Town of Chemung. There are many exceptional websites on the Seneca, Iroquois and Six Nations and I feel they can say it best. In the future I hope to have additional information on the pioneer settlers.
Long before European and colonial settlers began moving into the area, a large well established village was located along the winding Chemung River, in present day Town of Chemung. Old Chemung Indian Village, a large village of Iroquois. The Seneca Tribe were a peaceful people and farmed the river flats, which were abundant in corn and other vegetables. The flats, a large area of land adjacent to the Chemung River (formerly Tioga River) fertile from the spring flooding, providing the Seneca with abundant crops.
March 1783 the legislature of the State of New York passed an act favorable to settlers in the valley and to those holding military warrants for land. Settlers began moving into the valley in 1784. Early settlers poled or pulled their way up the river in flat boats, Durham boats or canoes, while others walked along the river bank or carried their belongings on oxen sleds, following the Susquehanna and Chemung Rivers.
The earliest known settler to the present day Town of Chemung was David Bosworth in 1780 and the Isaac Baldwin Sr. Family in 1784. In the spring of 1786, Maj. William Wynkoop, William Buck and son Elijah, Daniel McDowell, Joseph Bennett, Thomas Burt, Enock Warren and his son, Enoch Jr. settled in the area of the current Town of Chemung. Known at that time as Buckville, it became a town on March 22, 1788, within the County of Montgomery. Montgomery stretched out over most of Central New York and on February 16, 1791 the county was divided and Tioga County was created. Another split was made in 1836 when Chemung County was formed. Other early settlers to the area were: Jacob Lowman, Jonathan Griswold, John Squires, Abijah Batterson, Ebenezer Green, James Wilson, Uriah Wilson, David Burt, Justus Bennett, Benjamin Wynkoop, John Hillman, Joseph Drake, Moses De Puy, Jacob Decker and Samuel Westbrook.
General James Clinton, from the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition and son of New York State Governor Clinton, was one of the three commissioners of the state appointed to make a survey of the Chemung Country to determine the rights of the early settlers there. A reported survey confirmed on February 12, 1789 that 207,656 acres were surveyed. Of these, 28,300 acres were military locations, 159,186 acres were disposed of to settlers and 20,170 acres were vacant. The settlers paid 18 pence an acre. Titles were issued in October and November of 1788. Although some actual settlement reportedly occurred years before that date.
Tri-Counties Genealogy and History by Joyce M. Tice - http://www.joycetice.com/jmtindex.htm
References:
-A History of the Valley and County of Chemung, Ausburn Towner
-New York History Net, Webmaster Stony Brook Search Engine, Stony Brook State Univ. of New York
-New York State History, Univ. of Albany
-Old Fort Niagara Assoc., Youngstown, NY in cooperation with NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, CCNN Web Design
Long before European and colonial settlers began moving into the area, a large well established village was located along the winding Chemung River, in present day Town of Chemung. Old Chemung Indian Village, a large village of Iroquois. The Seneca Tribe were a peaceful people and farmed the river flats, which were abundant in corn and other vegetables. The flats, a large area of land adjacent to the Chemung River (formerly Tioga River) fertile from the spring flooding, providing the Seneca with abundant crops.
March 1783 the legislature of the State of New York passed an act favorable to settlers in the valley and to those holding military warrants for land. Settlers began moving into the valley in 1784. Early settlers poled or pulled their way up the river in flat boats, Durham boats or canoes, while others walked along the river bank or carried their belongings on oxen sleds, following the Susquehanna and Chemung Rivers.
The earliest known settler to the present day Town of Chemung was David Bosworth in 1780 and the Isaac Baldwin Sr. Family in 1784. In the spring of 1786, Maj. William Wynkoop, William Buck and son Elijah, Daniel McDowell, Joseph Bennett, Thomas Burt, Enock Warren and his son, Enoch Jr. settled in the area of the current Town of Chemung. Known at that time as Buckville, it became a town on March 22, 1788, within the County of Montgomery. Montgomery stretched out over most of Central New York and on February 16, 1791 the county was divided and Tioga County was created. Another split was made in 1836 when Chemung County was formed. Other early settlers to the area were: Jacob Lowman, Jonathan Griswold, John Squires, Abijah Batterson, Ebenezer Green, James Wilson, Uriah Wilson, David Burt, Justus Bennett, Benjamin Wynkoop, John Hillman, Joseph Drake, Moses De Puy, Jacob Decker and Samuel Westbrook.
General James Clinton, from the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition and son of New York State Governor Clinton, was one of the three commissioners of the state appointed to make a survey of the Chemung Country to determine the rights of the early settlers there. A reported survey confirmed on February 12, 1789 that 207,656 acres were surveyed. Of these, 28,300 acres were military locations, 159,186 acres were disposed of to settlers and 20,170 acres were vacant. The settlers paid 18 pence an acre. Titles were issued in October and November of 1788. Although some actual settlement reportedly occurred years before that date.
Tri-Counties Genealogy and History by Joyce M. Tice - http://www.joycetice.com/jmtindex.htm
References:
-A History of the Valley and County of Chemung, Ausburn Towner
-New York History Net, Webmaster Stony Brook Search Engine, Stony Brook State Univ. of New York
-New York State History, Univ. of Albany
-Old Fort Niagara Assoc., Youngstown, NY in cooperation with NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, CCNN Web Design
