Broome County, New York

Broome County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Named in honor of Joseph Bronck, first settler of the region north of the Harlem River (a peace treaty with the Indians was signed at his home in 1642)

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Broome County, named after Lieut. Gov. Broome, was taken from Tioga in 1806. Length on the Pennsylvania line, 37 miles; breadth on the Tioga boundary 28, on the Delaware 13, and midway 17 miles. Centrally distant from New York, northwest 252, and from Albany, southwest, 145 miles. The surface of the country is broken and mountainous. Among its principal elevations are the Cookquago, the Oquago, and the Randolph mountains. The valleys bordering on its numerous streams are extensive and fertile, producing large quantities of wheat. The soil is generally better adapted to grazing than the culture of grain. Fruit succeeds well. The inhabitants are principally farmers, and it's agriculture is respectable. The Chenango canal enters the county on the north, follows down the vally of the Chenango river, and enters the Susquehannnah river at Binghamtion. The line of the Erie railroad passes throught he county. The county is divided into 11 towns. (Historical Collections of the State of New York, Past and Present, Barber, John, Warner, Clark Albien & Co. 1851)

Broome County is defined by the valleys and hills surrounding the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers and the rich contrast between urban living in the Greater Binghamton area and the surrounding rural environment.

Native Americans inhabited this area until the end of the American Revolution. Two main settlements were Onaquaga, near present-day Windsor, and Otseningo, located along the Chenango River, north of present-day Binghamton. Part of the Iroquois Confederacy, it was considered a threat to the revolutionists. The Sullivan-Clinton campaign removed the Native American population. After the Revolution, land was divided among many land speculators, including William Bingham, who obtained over ten thousand acres at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers. More History

Geography

Broome County is located in south-central New York State, directly north of the border with Pennsylvania in a section of the state called the Southern Tier. The Chenango River joins the Susquehanna River, which flows through the county.

The western half of the county is hilly but has wide valleys that accommodate Binghamton and its suburbs. In the northern portion Interstate 81 takes advantage of another glacial valley. To the east, however, the terrain becomes much more rugged as the land tilts up to the Catskills.

The highest elevation is a U.S. National Geodetic Survey benchmark known as Slawson atop an unnamed hill in the Town of Sanford. It is approximately 2,080 feet (634 m) above sea level. An area due east on the Delaware County line in Oquaga Creek State Park also lies within the same elevation contour line. The lowest point is 864 feet (263 m) above sea level, along the Susquehanna at the Pennsylvania state line.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 715 square miles (1,853 km²), of which, 707 square miles (1,831 km²) of it is land and 9 square miles (22 km²) of it (1.21%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

• Chenango County, New York - north
• Delaware County, New York - east
• Wayne County, Pennsylvania - southeast
• Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania - south
• Tioga County, New York - west
• Cortland County, New York - northwest

Cities and Towns:

County Resources:

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