STEUBEN COUNTY, NY HISTORY AND LOOKUP

County History Books

History of the Genesee Country (Western New York) Comprising the Counties of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates by Lockwood R. Doty (1925) – 662 Pages
Source: Internet Archive
Book ID: CH.2025.09.17.1916.AR

History of the Settlement of Steuben County, New York by Guy Humphrey Mcmaster, (1853) – 332 Pages
Source: Internet Archive
Book ID: CH.2024.02.02.0359.CD.AR

History of Steuben County, New York by Woodford Clayton, (1879) – 789 Pages
Source: Internet Archive
Book ID: CH.2024.02.02.0356.CD.AR

A History of Steuben County, New York, and Its People Volume 1 by Irvin W. Near (1911) – 536 Pages
Source: Internet Archive
Book ID: CH.2025.09.10.2230.AR

A History of Steuben County, New York, and Its People Volume 2 by Irvin W. Near (1911) – 498 Pages
Source: Internet Archive
Book ID: CH.2025.09.10.2240.AR

Steuben County, New York: A Genealogical Overview

Located in the Southern Tier region of New York and forming the southern gateway to the Finger Lakes, Steuben County is a land of deep river valleys and soaring hills. Its history is rooted in the great post-Revolutionary War land sales, with its development driven by lumber, agriculture, and later, the transformative industries of railroads, glass manufacturing, and winemaking. For genealogists, the county represents a classic New York settlement pattern, with pioneers from New England and eastern New York migrating west in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, leaving a rich documentary trail in their wake.

I. County Formation and Evolution

Understanding Steuben’s origins as a massive tract of land carved from an even larger parent county is key to tracing its earliest residents.

  • 1796: County Formed: Steuben County was created on March 18, 1796.
  • Parent County: The county was formed from a large southern portion of Ontario County. Research for settlers who arrived before 1796 must be conducted in the records of Ontario County, and for the earliest period, in Montgomery County, from which Ontario was formed.
  • Subsequent Formations: The original vast territory of Steuben County was later reduced to contribute land to the formation of several new counties:
    • Allegany County (1806)
    • A small portion was given to Yates County (1823)
    • A portion was used to help form Schuyler County (1854)
  • Name Origin: The county was named in honor of Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, the Prussian-born military officer who served as Inspector General of the Continental Army and played a critical role in training American forces during the Revolutionary War.
  • County Seat History: The village of Bath was established as the county seat upon the county’s formation in 1796 and has remained the center of county government ever since. Its selection was part of the development plan by Captain Charles Williamson, the influential land agent for the Pulteney Association.

II. Settlement and Early History

  • Early Inhabitants: The land was the traditional territory of the Seneca nation, the “Keepers of the Western Door” of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.
  • Pioneer Settlement and Economy: Following the American Revolution, the region was part of the massive Phelps and Gorham Purchase. Settlement was heavily promoted by land agents, who attracted pioneers from New England, eastern New York, and Pennsylvania beginning in the 1790s. The early economy was dominated by lumbering, with the county’s vast forests harvested and rafted down the Cohocton, Tioga, and Canisteo rivers to markets in Pennsylvania. This was supplemented by agriculture in the fertile river valleys.
  • Key Historical Events:
    • Transportation Hubs: The arrival of the Erie Railroad in the mid-19th century transformed the county. The City of Hornell became a major railroad center—one of the largest classification yards and repair shops in the nation—earning it the nickname “The Maple City” for the trees lining its railroad-built neighborhoods.
    • The Glass Industry: In 1868, the Brooklyn Flint Glass Company relocated to the city of Corning, eventually becoming the world-renowned Corning Incorporated. This cemented the city’s identity as “America’s Crystal City” and a global center for glass and ceramic science.
    • The Birth of Finger Lakes Wine: The county is a cradle of the Eastern U.S. wine industry. In 1860, the Pleasant Valley Wine Company was founded in Hammondsport, and its champagne won awards in Europe, establishing the Finger Lakes, and particularly the area around Keuka Lake, as a premier grape-growing region.

III. Genealogical Records and Resources

Research in New York requires visiting several different offices, even within the same county government center.

  • County Offices: The main Steuben County offices are located in Bath, NY.
    • Steuben County Clerk’s Office: This is the central repository for land records (deeds, mortgages) and court records dating back to the county’s formation in 1796.
    • Steuben County Surrogate’s Court: This court, separate from the County Clerk, has jurisdiction over all probate matters. It holds the wills, estate administration files, and guardianship records from 1796 to the present.
  • Vital Records:
    • Birth, Marriage, and Death Records: Statewide registration began in New York around 1880. For records prior to 1880, researchers must rely on non-governmental sources like church registers, cemetery records, family bibles, and newspapers.
    • For records after 1880, requests should be made to the clerk of the town or city where the event took place. Genealogical copies of older records (over 75 years for births, 50 for marriages/deaths) can also be requested from the New York State Department of Health in Albany.
  • Libraries and Societies:
    • Steuben County Historical Society: Located in Bath, this is a primary resource, housing a research library, archives, and museum dedicated to the county’s history.
    • Southeast Steuben County Library (The Corning Library): Holds an excellent local history and genealogy collection, with special emphasis on Corning, the glass industry, and the surrounding area.
    • Steuben County Historian: The county historian’s office is an essential resource for in-depth research, often holding unique indexes, maps, and manuscript collections not found elsewhere.
  • Bordering Jurisdictions:
    • Ontario County, NY (north)
    • Yates County, NY (north)
    • Schuyler County, NY (east)
    • Chemung County, NY (east)
    • Tioga County, Pennsylvania (south)
    • Potter County, Pennsylvania (southwest)
    • Allegany County, NY (west)
    • Livingston County, NY (northwest)

Please share any resources you have and will do lookups or links to resources you are aware of. Thanks