USA > New York > Chemung County > Chemung County, its history > Part 6
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In addition to the industrial activity, there are approximately 94 wholesaling establishments in the city. These 94 establish- ments presently comprise a great portion of all the wholesaling activities in the County. In 1958, city wholesaling operations accounted for $72,880,000 in gross sales.
The primary retailing activity in Elmira is centered in the downtown business section. This downtown section draws cus- tomers from a market area which is much larger than Chemung County. Annual retail sales in Elmira have recently been around $88,000,000. Problems of traffic movement, parking, accessibility to the business area and attractiveness confront the central business district. Attempts to meet these problems will act to retain the status of Elmira as a regional shopping center in the Southern Tier of New York State.
Elmira contains two public high schools and 12 elementary school buildings to serve its population. An active school build- ing program is also underway.
The city government of Elmira maintains a central City Hall and other facilities necessary to support its functions and serv- ices to the community.
Elmira is also the seat of the Chemung County government. County government buildings are located in a park-like setting on Lake St. and this government center forms one of the most pleasing focal points of the city. The above area and the Wis- ner Park area surrounded by the Mark Twain Hotel and several churches reflect the natural beauty of this area which is seen in the countryside surrounding Elmira.
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Elmira College, a four year institution of higher learning for women, is located in the central portion of the city and adds another pleasing focal point of activity.
The Elmira Reformatory, a New York State penal institution for younger men, is another point of interest.
This physical city as generally described above, presently is the living environment for 46,517 people.
This present population is the result of many trends and fluctua- tions throughout the past. From its inception to 1920, the City of Elmira grew steadily. In 1920 the population was 45,393. Between 1920 and 1940, Elmira's population fluctuated back and forth resulting in 45,106 people in 1940. A peak population of all time was reached in 1950 when 49,716 people lived in the city. However between 1950 and 1960, Elmira began to ex- perience "suburbanization," a national trend of moving to the "suburbs." People moved from the City of Elmira, a great many of them to the areas immediately surrounding the city. A corresponding increase in the population of the developed areas of the Towns of Horseheads, Southport, Elmira and Big Flats occurred as the movement accelerated. This trend will continue to result in a diffusion of the population concentration which once characterized the city proper and spread population throughout a wider "metropolitan" area all of which is urban in character.
This is Elmira today as seen from the physical viewpoint. This picture not only helps us to know the community we live in today but also forms the basis of what can be expected in the future.
CITY OF ELMIRA OR OUR COMMUNITY TODAY
References The Chemung Historical Journal
Vol. 1-No. 1 Sept. 1955 Ada E. Meddaugh
Vol. 1-No. 1 Dec. 1955 Elmira's Langdon Family
Vol. 1-No. 3 Mar. 1956 The Irish Of Chemung County
Vol. 1-No. 3 Mar. 1956 Julia Jones Beecher-Elmira's Gay Rebel
Vol. 2-No. 2 Dec. 1956
Elmira's Weather History
The Elmira Reformatory
Rufus Stanley
J. Sloat Fassett
Slabtown Revisited
Vol. 5 - No. 4 June 1960 Hezikiah Woodruff
Vol. 6-No. 1 Sept. 1960 St. Joseph's Hospital
Vol. 6- No. 4 June 1961 Early Photographers
MIDTOWN PLĀZĀ
-
V.f
Midtown Plaza, opened in downtown Elmira in 1959.
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Vol. 2- No. 3 Mar. 1957
Vol. 4- No. 4 June 1959
Vol. 5-No. 1 Sept. 1959
Vol. 5-No. 4 June 1960
Material for further reading:
Ausburn Towner's History of Chemung County (1892)
A Short History of Elmira, Eva Taylor, Steele Memorial Library (1937)
Highlights of History in Chemung County, Winifred Eaton, Chemung County Historical Society (1955)
Elmira Star-Gazette Diamond Jubilee Edition, June 27, 1939.
Elmira Star-Gazette Centennial Edition, July 2, 1953. Elmira Sunday Telegram 75th Anniversary Edition, June 13, 1954.
For further reading of County, City and Town Histories, the following are suggested:
References from The Chemung Historical Journal:
Elmira's Langdon Family
Dec. 1955
Chemung Canal
June 1956
Indian Name for Elmira
September 1956
Beginnings of Elmira
March 1957
The Elmira Reformatory
March 1957
Chemung and the Big Horn
March 1957
Beginning of the Railroads
June 1957
Odyssey of the Roads
June 1957
Early Lumbering Days and Fitch's Bridge
December 1958
Mark Twain in Elmira
September 1958
John Hendy, Our First Farmer
March 1959
100 Years of Tobacco
March 1961
Squash-cutter and the Wolves of West Elmira
Dec. 1960
How Our County Grew
March 1961
Horseheads-Canal Town To Industrial Center Sept. 1955
Town Of Big Flats
Dec. 1955
Erin, The Town With the Good Old Irish Name Mar. 1956
The Town Of Veteran Sept. 1956
The Town Of Baldwin
Dec. 1956
Big Flats-125 Years Ago
June 1957
Legend Of An Erin Well
Sept. 1958
Baldwin's Petition, 1923
June 1959
Elmira Heights Dec. 1960
Other suggestions for further reading:
Atlas of Chemung County, New York-Biers, Ellis & Soule, 1869
Atlas of Chemung County, New York-D. L. Miller Co., 1904
Biographical Records of Chemung Co., New York-Clarke Pub. Co., 1902
Chemung Canal Trust Co., 125th Anniversary booklet
History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler Co .- Everts & Ensign, 1879 Lippincott Co.
Outline History of Seven Counties-Gazette Co., 1885
Pictorial History of New York
Taylor, Eva-A Short History of Elmira
Towner-A Brief History of Chemung County, N.Y .- Barns Co., 1907 Towner-Our County and Its People-Mason & Co., 1892 Van Duzen-Capt. Lewis-Chemung County History
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EARLY NAMES
Early settlers had picturesque names for every hill and valley, every stream and cross roads. For example, in the early days one might take a pleasant little trip from Frog Hollow over Jerusalem Hill to Hardscrabble; then to Panther Lick and from there on Bull Frog Avenue to Stump Town. Then crossing the line into Pennsylvania over Black Foot Trail to Skunk's Misery, on to Pennyville and from there to Slab City; then passing through Sodom, on to Fiddler's Elbow, then through the Irish Woods to Johnny Cake Hollow, ending the journey at Tootely Town.
A little further on is Rush Run where a man named Peter built a mill. There was not a great deal of water power there to begin with, and to make matters worse, Peter fastened his water wheel on hind-side-before. This is the rhyme about it which pioneers sang to the fiddle:
This is Rush Run Bluff, In the state of Pennsylvanny, Where Peter built a mill, And it wouldn't grind him any.
RORICK'S GLEN
A beautiful Indian maiden named Chiwenah loved a young brave, Mintowan. But, alas for Chiwenah, her beloved wooed and wed another. Whereupon the maiden sat at the door of her father's deer-skin tent and wept. So long did she weep that her tears began to carve a furrow in the hillside. At last a spring burst forth and in sympathy blended its waters with the maiden's tears. Gradually the furrow was carved deeper and deeper until it became the gorge which we know as Rorick's Glen.
ELDRIDGE LAKE
In the days of the Red Men, Lake Eldridge was in the midst of a swamp that was covered with a jungle-like growth of trees and vines, and was avoided by all as a place of evil. Many tales were told of braves betrayed there by glimmering lights and calling voices.
"The dark lake has no bottom," said the old men of the tribe.
Even the geese that flew southward were said to refuse to alight upon its waters.
But there came a time when a young brave named Owenah, son of a chief, was known to go often into the swamp alone. His mother and father grieved, and all the people whispered about it. Owenah had been looked upon as one who would be a great warrior worthy to succeed his father as chief. But now he was changed. He listened no longer to stories of war. Now bow and arrow were forgotten. He wandered alone into the swamp and came out empty-handed with neither game, fish or edible roots. Only the swamp seemed to interest him.
LORE OF CHEMUNG COUNTY
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This was because on his first visit he had met a beautiful maiden dressed as a princess sitting on a fallen log weaving a garland of flowers. She had pointed out a pine tree to him saying that at its foot he would find game. As he turned to look at her again, she had disappeared.
Day after day he returned to the swamp hoping to see her. Winter came and went and still she did not appear. At last on a beautiful spring day, he found her weaving flowers as before. She told him that her name was Newanee. Day after day all during the summer the brave and the maiden met each other in the swamp.
When autumn came, he asked her to return with him to his father's lodge and be his wife.
"That cannot be," she said.
Then she walked toward the lake beckoning Owenah to follow. On the dark waters was a beautiful white canoe which Newanee entered and pushed from the shore. As she reached the center of the lake, the sky became suddenly overcast, there was a blind- ing flash of lightening and a terrific crash of thunder; the lake opened, the canoe and the maiden disappeared.
Owenah returned to his home but every day came to the lake hoping that Newanee would appear again.
At last there came a time when he did not return to his father's lodge. After three days a search was made for him. Through the dense swamp to the dread lake went the searchers. There in a beautiful white canoe floating on its dark waters lay the body of Owenah. His spirit had gone to be with Newanee.
(From "A Short History of Elmira, Eva Taylor, 1937)
INDIAN NAMES
Ach-sin-ing "stone upon stone" Mt. Achsining, south of Chemung Other spellings: Achsinnessink, Assinissink, Asinsan, Atsinsink
She-ag-gen Perhaps the Tiago River Other spelling: Theaggen
Tu-te-lo-town Near Waverly Settlement of Tutelo Indians, captives of Iroquois
Gan-ho-tak
"fallen tree"
Newtown Creek
Other spelling: Catatonk
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Ka-his-sack-e "place of tall trees" Between Cayuta Lake and Ganhotak
Ko-bus
Name a contraction of Jacheabus, name of a noted Indian chief.
Indian village on the Chemung, opposite Hendy Creek
Ru-non-ve-a
Site of Big Flats
Perhaps a corruption of the Indian word Ho-non-weg-a, "flowing by the settlement"
Carr's Corners
There is a story about the naming of the five corners in the northwestern part of the village. The Heller family owned con- siderable property around that section, so that it was logical to assume that the land would be named in their honor. However, it was named Carr's Corners for some other property owner. It could not be named "Heller's Corners" because that would in time become "Hell's Half Acre."
The Haunted House
Hallowe'en ghost stories fall short in mystery in comparison with Horseheads' "mystery thriller." Between the old Junction Canal and the "deep cut" of a railroad track, there was a house belonging to a family by the name of Grady. The Gradys had moved and the house had remained empty for several years. It adopted an abandoned look and was ripe for spooks, spies, and witches. So a ghost did appear, wrapped in a white sheet, and it loved to make frantic and wild gestures as it played around in the open yard. Of course, the ghost was the main topic of conversation.
One night, Mr. Murphy and some of his friends were discussing the topic of interest and fear. One man said that he would bet five dollars that no one would be brave enough to fight the ghost. Mr. Murphy took him up on the bet. Two friends went with this daring man to be a check on his task. They approached the house. The men waited behind a barn, but before Mr. Murphy left them, they tried to dissuade him from his task. Dauntless, he marched on to face the ghost. The ghost did his part, for it advanced to meet him with arms and hands ready. As the white spectral arms reached out for him, he lunged at the feet of the spirit. They proved to be the Achilles's heel, for the ghostly opponent was downed. Mr. Murphy reached for its neck. He had such a grasp that a human tongue was seen and a voice gasped, "Don't kill me." A mystery is unraveled much more quickly than it is knit. The ghost of Horseheads was an unfortunate lad of the village who was known to have strange ways.
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Gene, the Frenchman, and His Cross
Just as Eugene Berthod, the Frenchman, was something of a symbol in the community on the Narrows Road so his lofty wooden cross has been a landmark. The white cross stands near the top of the mountain on the brink of what seems an al- most perpendicular expanse of rock.
Through many decades the rocky crag where the cross stands has been marked by legends. One is that many years ago an Indian maiden leaped to her death from this spot. A white man, who made of her affection a plaything, drove her to despair.
Mr. Berthod, however, told another story-his reason for the significance .. of the spot. His version was that a white girl plunged to her death from the crag to save her honor from a Civil War soldier who was pursuing her.
Mr. Berthod was born in Paris, France, and came to this country when he was seventeen years old. The story is that he had no definite destination in view when he left New York City on a westbound train. So when he heard the conductor call for El- mira, he thought to himself, "El Mira, El Mira, mira means wonderful. That's the place for me. I'll try it."
"Gene, the Frenchman" settled in the "Narrows" section and became well known as a market gardener. Many French stu- dents in this area were tutored by Gene Berthod. For a short time he was proprietor of the Mountain House, a famous resort during the Civil War period.
-From The Elmira Telegram
IMPORTANT DATES
1615-Etienne Brule, agent of Champlain, first white man to travel here.
1779-Battle of Newtown, Aug. 29, Gen. John Sullivan defeated the Indians and Tories.
1788-Capt. John Hendy, Elmira's first white settler, establish- ed his home near present Rorick's Glen.
1788-Town of Chemung erected, March 22, as part of Mont- gomery County.
1788-William Jenkins taught first school at Stumptown (Low- man).
1789-John Brees, the first settler, came to Horseheads.
1789-Chemung Baptist Church (now Wellsburg) the first church in county organized Sept. 2.
1792-First frame house in Newtown built by Nathaniel Seeley. 1792-Town of Newtown erected April 10, from Chemung.
1793-Matthias Hollenback opened trading post at Newtown (Elmira).
1795-First Presbyterian Church of Newtown organized.
1798-A log schoolhouse, the first school house in county, built at Newtown.
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1798-The first sawmill in county, built on Seeley Creek by Abraham Miller
1801-Post Office at Newtown established Jan. 1.
1807-First turnpike in county, built from Newtown to Seneca Lake.
1808-Name of town of Newtown changed to Elmira.
1814-First Methodist Episcopal Church of Newtown organized.
1816-"The Telegraph", first village newspaper published.
1822-Town of Erin erected, March 29, from Chemung.
1823-Town of Catlin erected, April 16, from Catharine.
1823-Town of Big Flats erected, April 16, from Elmira.
1823-Town of Southport erected, April 16, from Elmira.
1823-Town of Veteran erected, April 16, from Catharine.
1828-Name of village of Newtown changed to Elmira, April 21, and incorporated the same day.
1829-First Baptist Church of Elmira organized.
1830-Capt. John Hendy threw up the first spadeful of earth for the Chemung Canal during a joyful celebration.
1833-Chemung Canal from Elmira to Seneca Lake opened.
1833-Chemung Canal Bank at Elmira organized.
1834-Lake St. Bridge built.
1836-Chemung County erected, March 29, from Tioga County. 1837-Village of Fairport (Horseheads) incorporated May 15.
1844-First Hook and Ladder Company of Elmira organized.
1844-Cornell, Sage & Co. opened first telegraph office in Elmira.
1845-Name of Village of Fairport changed to Horseheads.
1847-Plank Road from Elmira to Seeley Creek incorporated.
1848-First Roman Catholic Church in Elmira opened. (SS Peter & Paul's)
1849-First Erie Railroad train entered Elmira.
1852-Elmira Gas Works built.
1853-First gas lamps in Elmira lit.
1854-Elmira & Williamsport Railroad completed.
1854-Town of Horseheads erected, Feb. 8, from town of El- mira.
1854-Town of Van Etten erected, April 17, from Erin and Cayuta.
1854-Junction Canal from Elmira to Tioga Point (Athens), Pa. completed.
1855-Elmira College founded.
1856-Town of Baldwin erected, April 7, from Chemung.
1856-Elmira Water Works established.
1858-First meeting of Elmira Y.M.C.A., July 1.
1858-Woodlawn Cemetery dedicated.
1859-Elmira Board of Education organized.
1859-Elmira Free Acadmey incorporated.
1861-Elmira designated a military depot in Civil War; one of three in state.
1862-New County Court House built at Elmira.
1864-Elmira Prison Camp opened.
1864-Elmira chartered as a city, April 7.
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1864-First steam fire engine purchased by Elmira for $4,000.
1867-Opera House (Lyceum Theater) opened in Elmira.
1867-Town of Ashland erected, April 21, from Elmira and Southport.
1870-Lehigh Valley Railroad extended to Elmira via Erie R.R.
1870-Olivia Langdon of Elmira and Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) were married Feb. 2.
1871-First trip of horse-drawn car on Elmira & Horseheads Railway.
1872-Village of Wellsburg incorporated.
1873-First Sullivan's Monument dedicated.
1873-Letter carrier service established in Elmira.
1876-Elmira Reformatory opened.
1876-Lucius Robinson of Elmira elected Governor of New York.
1876-Utica, Ithaca and Elmira Railroad completed.
1876-Tioga Division of Erie Railroad from Elmira to Arnot, Pa. opened.
1876-Village of VanEtten incorporated.
1877-Elmira's first telephone demonstrated at office of J. Lang- don.
1878-Chemung Canal abandoned. First electric company organized.
1882-Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad reached Elmira.
1885-David B. Hill of Elmira elected Governor of New York. 1888-Arnot-Ogden Memorial Hospital completed.
1890-First electric trolley cars used.
1892-Industrial Grounds lot-drawing led to formation of El- mira Heights.
1896-Village of Elmira Heights incorporated.
1898-Spanish-American War.
1899-Steele Memorial Library opened to public.
1900-Elmira and Seneca Lake Railway Co. opened.
1908-Elmira entered organized baseball.
1908-St. Joseph's Hospital opened.
1909-Elmira, Corning & Waverly Railway from Waverly to El- mira opened; Elmira to Corning opened in 1911.
1912-New Sullivan's Monument dedicated, August 29.
1913-Arnot Art Gallery opened.
1915-Elmira YWCA incorporated.
1917-United States entered World War I, April 6.
1923-Watkins Glen trolley route suspended.
1923-Village of Millport incorporated.
1924-Southside High School opened.
1927-Airport established on Caton Avenue.
1930-Elmira, Corning & Waverly trolley line abandoned.
1930-First National Gliding and Soaring Contest held here. Elmira became the Soaring Capital.
1932-Radio Station WESG started broadcasting.
1934-Elevation of Railroads through Elmira completed.
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1935-Willys-Morrow plant purchased by Elmira Industries, Inc. for Remington-Rand.
1938-Lehigh Valley took up tracks between Horseheads and VanEtten.
1935-Finger Lakes flood left 43 dead.
1939-Buses replaced Elmira trolley cars.
1941-Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor and World War II.
1942-Horseheads Holding Point established for handling World War II materiel.
1943-Chemung County Airport opened at Big Flats.
1944-Dominican Monastery opened.
1945-V.E. Day, May 8; V.J. Day, August 15, ending World War II.
1946-May 28, worst flood in history of Chemung Valley.
1947-Radio Station WELM started broadcasting.
1950-Korean conflict began June 25.
1951-Mount Saviour Monastery opened.
1953-Westinghouse Electric Company opened Electronic Tube Division at Horseheads.
1954-Hurricane Hazel hit Chemung County, Oct. 15.
1955-Notre Dame High School opened.
1956-Elmira-Horseheads arterial highway opened (Route 17).
1956-Pennsylvania Railroad discontinues passenger service here.
1956-Television Station WSYE started broadcasting.
1959-Midtown Plaza opened in downtown Elmira.
1960-Erie and Lackawanna Railroads consolidated.
1961-New Lake Street Bridge erected.
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CITY OF ELMIRA
Before it was officially named Elmira in 1828, our community was known as Newtown. By the opening of the 19th Century it was an enterprising and progressive village, formed of three hamlets.
Settlers had commenced to flock to the Chemung Valley in the late 1780's and they found it a profitable field for the cultivation of crops.
Henry Wisner owned the greater portion of the land in the im- mediate vicinity of the town site, which was located in what is now the East Side. Sullivan St., named after Gen. John Sulli- van, was the central highway. Water and Church Sts. and Tuttle Ave. were the only other principal streets. This hamlet was called Newtown.
Another hamlet was formed near Lake St. and called DeWitts- burg in honor of Moses DeWitt, one of the leading men of the state, who resided where Ithaca is now located.
Prior to the formation of DeWittsburg, Mr. Wisner located an- other settlement west of Baldwin St. between Gray and Water Sts. This was called Wisnerburg. All three of these hamlets were formed in or about 1790.
A log court house was erected soon afterward near the corner of Sullivan and Church Sts. It also was the scene of religious services.
The first frame house was erected in 1794 on the river bank by Dr. Amos Park. It was not until 1827 that the first brick house was built, on the north side of Water St. just west of Main St. Samuel Seeley occupied it.
As the 1800s began, roads, dams and bridges were being built in Newtown, and the inhabitants were enjoying prosperity. A turnpike was built from Newtown to Seneca Lake.
In 1815 the village of Newtown was incorporated. The name was changed to Elmira in 1828. However the village was in- formally called Elmira for perhaps 10 or 15 years before 1828. The township name was changed from Newtown to Elmira in 1808 by Judge Emanual Coryell, a member of the State Assembly.
Judge Coryell frequently came here from his home on the Sus- quehanna between Athens and Owego, and one of his favorite stopping places was Nathan Teall's tavern. It was there that pretty, six-year-old Elmira Teall used to climb on the judge's lap. And after hearing her musical name, the judge bestowed the name of Elmira upon the community.
Elmira's first newspaper was The Telegraph, printed by W. Murphy, from 1815 to 1819. Other early newspapers were The
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Investigator, published by Job A. Smith, and The Gazette, its successor and forerunner of today's Star-Gazette.
Construction of the Chemung Canal in the early 1830s brought a business boom to Elmira. Many taverns came and went in the boisterous canal days, among them Hogan's Tavern just west of Baldwin St. Haight's Hotel was built at Lake and Mar- ket, where the Mohawk store now stands. The first hotel was the Kline House, named for its proprietor who also operated a ferry across the river. The Brainard House was built in 1849 on Water St. at Baldwin. Later this became the Rathbun Hotel, a famous holstery which was demolished in 1941. Another well- known hotel was The Langwell, which after more than a 75- year span, was demolished in 1961. Elmira now has one major hotel, the Mark Twain, built in 1927. Three major motels, the Tom Sawyer, the Colonial and the Red Jacket Inn, are in the outskirts of the community.
Elmira's early industries included gristmills, sawmills and dis- tilleries. From dozens of blacksmith shops in the valley streamed tires and fittings for wagons, carts and sleighs; shoes for horses, mules and oxen; log chains, and utensils and hard- ware for homes and barns.
John Arnot came to Elmira in 1819 as a clerk in Stephen Tuttle's store. Later he acquired the store and built a fortune. He was founder of the Chemung Canal Bank in 1833.
Simeon Benjamin came to Elmira from Manhattan in 1835 and within six months had purchased 15 pieces of desirable real _ estate on Lake, Water and Baldwin Sts. As his fortune grew, so did his interest in the community. He was a prime mover in the opening of Elmira College in 1855, and in bringing Dr. Augustus Cowles here as the college's first president.
In the early 19th Century Elmira was a place of culture, good breeding and gracious living. Lawyers, doctors, schoolmasters, engineers and merchants were attracted to the growing town. Elmira was well on the way to becoming the shopping center for surrounding counties.
Immigrants, mostly Irish, were attracted to Elmira jobs when the Chemung Canal was built. Later other tides of immigrants came-English, Scotch, Welsh, Dutch, German, Scandinavian. When the railroads were built there were more newcomers from overseas-Italians, Poles, Ukrainians.
New churches came into being and older congregations had to build larger houses of worship. The telegraph came to Elmira in 1845, the railroad in 1849, and the industrial trend began to take form.
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