Wyoming County, New York

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

Etymology - Origin of County Name

from a modified Delaware Indian word meaning "broad bottom lands"

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Wyoming County was formed from the southern portion of Genesee county in 1841; length E. and W. 25, breadth N. and S. 18 miles; centrally distant from New York 325, and from Albany 264 miles. The surface of the county is but gently undulating, and the general character of the soil is a most sandy or gravelly loam, well adapted to the culture of grain and grass. The Genesee river touches the southeastern corner in the town of Castile. Allen’s creek, so named from the infamous Indian Allen, who committed many murders on the frontier inhabitants in this region, rises in this county, and flowing northeasterly through a portion of the county of Genesee, empties into the Genesee river in the town of Wheatland, Monroe county. The Holland Land Company, to whom this country originally belonged, still own some small tracts. It is divided into 13 towns. (Historical Collections of the State of New York, Past and Present, John Barber, Clark Albion & Co., 1851)

Wyoming County was created from Genesee in 1841, with the addition of three townships from Allegany County in 1846. It lies within the foothills of the Allegany Plateau of western New York, a source of several streams that have carved out ancient valleys since the last glacial age. Along a portion of its eastern boundary flows the Genesee River during its northward passage through the rock cliffs near Portageville. This historic and scenic region, once the homeland of the Senecas, now lies within Letchworth Park, known as the “Grand Canyon of the East.” Mary Jemison, famed White Woman of the Genesee, lived in Castile. Full History at NYSAC

Geography

Wyoming County is in the western part of New York State, east of Buffalo and slightly west of due south of Rochester. The county is in the Holland Purchase Region.

The county is largely rural, dotted with small towns. Even the county seat, Warsaw is quite small. Much of the area is wooded, used for timber. Some that are predominantly maple are tapped each spring for the production of maple syrup. Agriculture is mostly small family dairy farms, or hobby farms for people who work in Buffalo or Batavia. Apple orchards were once a major agricultural endeavor, but only a few are left. The area is well known for outdoor sports, being an excellent area for fishing, hunting, and snowmobiling.

An active geologic fault runs down the Dale valley through Linden, to the east of Batavia and out into Lake Ontario. Movement of the fault is an occasional source of minor earthquakes, which, at most, have toppled a couple chimneys. The Dale Valley has been developed as a source of salt by way of brine wells, for the chemical industry. A pipeline moves the brine to Niagara Falls.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 596 square miles (1,545 km²), of which, 593 square miles (1,536 km²) of it is land and 4 square miles (9 km²) of it (0.59%) is water.

Oatka Creek, an important tributary of the Genesee River has its source in the Town of Gainesville.

Neighboring Counties:

• Genesee County, New York - north
• Livingston County, New York - east
• Allegany County, New York - southeast
• Cattaraugus County, New York - southwest
• Erie County, New York - west

Cities and Towns:

County Resources:

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