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120-602: The State of New York sometimes defines the WNY region as including just five counties: Allegany , Cattaraugus , Chautauqua , Erie , and Niagara . The state's Empire State Development Corporation and state health authorities have both mapped the region this way. The state has also used this regional boundary to set policy during the COVID-19 pandemic . More commonly, WNY has been defined to include at least Genesee , Orleans , and Wyoming counties as well. Almost all descriptions of WNY in

240-610: A humid continental climate heavily influenced by both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario . Winters are long and cold, often lasting from around mid-November to early April. There are often snows before and after that period, as well. Western New York is known for its lake effect snows, which can result in highly localized, sometimes intense and even historic snow events. Lake effect storms are a result of cold air picking up water vapor as it blows over warm lake waters. Lake effect snows are usually most active between November and February and typically diminish when Lake Erie freezes over. Generally,

360-732: A trail that followed the Allegheny River ; they also named the county after this. The county is part of the Western New York region of the state. The county is bisected by the Genesee River , flowing north to its mouth on Lake Ontario . During the mid-nineteenth century, the Genesee Valley Canal was built to link southern markets to the Great Lakes and Mohawk River . The county was also served by railroads, which soon superseded

480-698: A Friday fish fry special. The fish fry retains particular popularity during Lent , when Catholics are still barred from eating meat on Friday. Italian-American food is a specialty in western New York. Most towns in the region have pizzerias. The Texas hot , introduced by Greek immigrants in the 1920s, has a strong following in the region, and several hot dog stands offer the dish. Longstanding Texas hot stands include Ted's Hot Dogs in Buffalo (1927), Rigas Texas Hot in Wellsville (1921), and Johnny's Lunch in Jamestown (1936;

600-499: A Great Lakes/Interior Northeastern area, with a dose of Appalachia in the Southern Tier , an overlapping region of the state. Buffalo appears to have similarities to other Great Lakes cities/areas, while having Northeastern proclivities. The similarities with Chicago and Milwaukee run the list from sharing a common industrial base traditionally built around steel and automobile manufacturing. The cities were both developed during

720-550: A daily rural route between Buffalo and various locations in Pennsylvania; New York Trailways also serves Buffalo and Rochester, connecting to various locations, as does Greyhound Bus Lines . One discount " Chinatown service " operates in Western New York; Ocean Travel runs an overnight express service between Buffalo, Rochester and New York City. In its early history, Western New York was settled by native cultures including

840-860: A group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located directly south of Lake Ontario in an area called the Finger Lakes region in New York , in the United States . This region straddles the northern and transitional edge of the Northern Allegheny Plateau , known as the Finger Lakes Uplands and Gorges ecoregion, and the Ontario Lowlands ecoregion of the Great Lakes Lowlands . The geological term finger lake refers to

960-511: A long, narrow lake in an overdeepened glacial valley, while the proper name Finger Lakes goes back to the late 19th century. Cayuga and Seneca Lakes are among the deepest in the United States, measuring 435 and 618 feet (133 and 188 m), respectively, with bottoms well below sea level. Though none of the lakes' widths exceed 3.5 miles (5.6 km), Seneca Lake is 38.1 miles (61.3 km) long, and at 66.9 square miles (173 km )

1080-465: A result, the grapes are protected from disastrous spring frost during shoot growth, and early frost before the harvest. Additionally, due to the long, narrow, north-to-south positioning of the Finger Lakes, the slopes on the east and west side provide for variations in sunlight exposure, temperature, soil, and more; this leads to a great diversity of growing environments within the region and ultimately in

1200-526: A year-round destination with numerous festivals. At their peak in the 1960s, over a dozen ski resorts were in Western New York, most of them in Cattaraugus County. Allegany County, New York Allegany County is a county in the U.S. state of New York . As of the 2020 census , the population was 46,456. Its county seat is Belmont . Its name derives from a Lenape word, applied by European-American settlers of Western New York State to

1320-460: Is "The City of Light". Buffalo experienced steady growth during the 19th century and at one point was one of the 10 most populated cities in the United States. According to some, Rochester was "America's First Boomtown" and was a key player in the flour industry (hence its initial nickname "Flour City"). Its growth was attributed to both the completion of the Erie Canal and its resulting significance in

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1440-605: Is 8 miles from the northernmost point on the Finger Lakes Trail, but was built as a feeder reservoir for the Erie Canal . It is maintained by the New York State Canal Corporation . Oneida Lake , to the northeast of Syracuse , is sometimes included as the "thumb", although it is shallow and somewhat different in character from the rest. As with Onondaga and Cazenovia Lakes, it drains into Lake Ontario via

1560-406: Is New York's largest wine -producing region. Over 400 wineries and vineyards surround Seneca, Cayuga, Canandaigua, Keuka, Conesus, and Hemlock Lakes. Because of the lakes' great depth, they provide a lake effect to the lush vineyards that flank their shores. Due to the size and concentration of these lakes, the region retains residual summer warmth in the winter and winter's cold in the spring; as

1680-508: Is home to the state's oldest nesting bald eagle site, dating back to the early 1960s. The nesting bald eagles of Hemlock Lake have fostered a resurgence of bald eagles throughout New York State. Hemlock Lake, originally known as "O-Neh-Da" which is Seneca for "Lake of Hemlock Trees", is home to the nation's oldest sacramental winery , founded by Bishop McQuaid in 1872. Today, O-Neh-Da Vineyard continues to make premium natural pure grape wine for churches and foodies alike. The Finger Lakes region

1800-483: Is its largest urban center. Letchworth State Park is a major geographical feature. The fourth region is that of the western Finger Lakes Region composed of parts of Seneca, Steuben, Schuyler, and Chemung counties. While parts of the Finger Lakes are considered within Western New York (as either a region or quadrant) the eastern portions are typically considered a part of Central New York. The Genesee region and Western Finger Lakes region are often combined and described as

1920-581: Is part of New York's 23rd congressional district . In the New York State Senate , it is part of the 57th district and is represented by Republican George M. Borrello, and the 58th district is represented by Thomas F. O'Mara. In the New York State Assembly , the county is in the 148th Assembly District represented by Republican Joseph Giglio. The Allegany Board of Legislators consists of 15 members from five three-member districts. As of 2023 ,

2040-612: Is the largest in total area. The origin of the name Finger Lakes is uncertain. Currently, the oldest known published use of finger lakes for this group of 11 lakes is in a United States Geological Survey paper by Thomas Chamberlin that was published in 1883. This paper was later cited and Finger Lakes formally used as a proper name by R. S. Tarr in a Geological Society of America paper published in 1893. Older usage of Finger Lakes in either maps, papers, reports, or any other documents remains to be verified. The eleven Finger Lakes, from west to east, are: Cazenovia Lake to

2160-464: The Allegheny River , as its name would suggest. The highest point in the county is Alma Hill , with an elevation of 2,548 feet (777 meters) above sea level. This is the highest point in the state west of the Catskill Mountains. The highest point of Interstate 86 is located in the town of West Almond with an elevation of 2,110 feet. This is also believed to be the highest point of any interstate in

2280-524: The American Revolutionary War and the forced cession by the Seneca of most of their lands in western New York. New York State sold off the lands cheaply to attract new European-American settlers and agricultural development. Allegany County was created by the state legislature on April 7, 1806, when Genesee County, New York , was partitioned to set aside some 1,570 square miles (4,000 km ) to

2400-694: The American Revolutionary War , some Iroquois sided with the British and some with the Americans, resulting in civil war among the Iroquois. In the late 1770s, British-allied Iroquois attacked various American frontier settlements, prompting counter-attacks, culminating in the Sullivan Expedition of 1779, which destroyed most of the Iroquois towns and effectively broke Iroquois power. After the Revolutionary War,

2520-568: The Buffalo and Rochester areas as two different metropolitan areas. If it were counted as a state, the population of Western New York would rank as the 37th most populated state in the United States. The following cities are found in the 17 western counties: Batavia , Buffalo , Canandaigua , Corning , Dunkirk , Elmira , Geneva , Hornell , Jamestown , Lackawanna , Lockport , Niagara Falls , North Tonawanda , Olean , Rochester , Salamanca , Tonawanda . The following villages are found in

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2640-644: The Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres . Team loyalties of sports fans in the rest of upstate New York are more divided. Most baseball fans support the Cleveland Guardians , New York Yankees and New York Mets , although the Toronto Blue Jays have seen an increase in support due to the influx of Canadians in the area - as well as the region's proximity to Toronto, the Blue Jays' increased on-field success in

2760-565: The Buffalo Sabres , the region is also home to a number of Toronto Maple Leafs , New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins supporters. "Friday night fish fry " is also regionally popular, a holdover from when Catholics were forbidden to eat meat on Fridays. It is usually skinless cod although most restaurants in the area claim they use the higher quality haddock, and is frequently beer-battered, deep fried, and served with French fries and cole slaw. Numerous restaurants in Western New York have

2880-985: The Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES include: Andover Central, Whitesville Central, Wellsville Central, Bolivar-Richburg Central, Scio Central, Genesee Valley Central, Belfast Central, Fillmore Central, Friendship Central, and Cuba-Rushford Central. Districts with their buildings outside the County include Portville, Pioneer, Letchworth, and Keshequa. There are two private schools: Immaculate Conception in Wellsville and Houghton Academy in Houghton. There are also two Montessori Schools in Wellsville and Alfred. Allegany County comprises 29 towns and 10 villages. † - County seat ‡ - Not wholly in this county 42°15′N 78°01′W  /  42.25°N 78.02°W  / 42.25; -78.02 Finger Lakes The Finger Lakes are

3000-1200: The Corning Museum of Glass , the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University , the Strong National Museum of Play , the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum , the Finger Lakes Boating Museum , the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center , the Sciencenter , the Museum of the Earth , the National Soaring Museum , the Rockwell Museum , the Seward House Museum, the William H. Seward and the Samuel Warren Homesteads of

3120-526: The Finger Lakes region. Western New York also includes several Seneca Nation enclaves. If it were counted as a single area, the population of Western New York would number just over 2.6 million, and would rank as the 24th largest metropolitan area of the United States, between the Pittsburgh metropolitan area and the Sacramento, California metropolitan area . However, the U.S. Census Bureau has classified

3240-676: The Fox sisters was relocated to Lily Dale in 1916. Joseph Smith Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement , reported receiving the Book of Mormon in Palmyra, Wayne County. The women's civic organization Zonta was founded in Buffalo in 1919. In the late 20th century this area became part of the Rust Belt of the United States, being a focal point for the transportation of grain, steel, and coal. The opening of

3360-594: The Harriet Tubman Home at Auburn recalls the life and work of the African-American "Moses of her people." On the northern end of the Finger Lakes are also Seneca Falls , the birthplace of the women's suffrage movement; Waterloo , the birthplace of Memorial Day ; and Palmyra , the birthplace of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . An annual outdoor drama, The Hill Cumorah Pageant , produced by

3480-472: The Hudson Bay area. During the glacial maximums, subglacial meltwater and glacial ice widened, deepened, and accentuated the existing river valleys to form subglacial tunnel valleys . Glacial debris, possibly terminal moraine left behind by the receding ice, acted as dams, allowing lakes to form. Despite the deep erosion of the valleys, the surrounding uplands show little evidence of glaciation, suggesting

3600-582: The New York State College of Ceramics (a member of SUNY ), Alfred State College , and Houghton University . The county has twelve school districts with their buildings in the county and parts of an additional six districts. Districts include: Alfred-Almond Central, Canaseraga Central that are part of the Greater Southern Tier BOCES with a facility in Hornell. Districts in association with

3720-634: The Northwest Territory established the next year and formed part of a new state.) Native title, with the exception of several reservations, was extinguished in the Treaty of Canandaigua in 1794, while the Phelps and Gorham Purchase and Holland Purchase opened the territory for settling. During the War of 1812 Western New York was part of the borderland frontier between the United States and British Canada and became

Western New York - Misplaced Pages Continue

3840-551: The Ossian, New York , area to Livingston County, and establishing the current border between them. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,034 square miles (2,680 km ), of which 1,029 square miles (2,670 km ) is land and 5.1 square miles (13 km ) (0.5%) is water. Allegany County is in the southwestern part of New York State, along the Pennsylvania border. Allegany County does not lie along

3960-669: The Oswego River and then into the St. Lawrence River ultimately draining into the Atlantic Ocean . Chautauqua Lake , Findley Lake and Kinzua Lake to the west are not considered Finger Lakes; all three drain into the Allegheny River and eventually into the Gulf of Mexico , and in the case of Kinzua and Findley, as with DeRuyter to the east, the lakes are the artificial creation of dams . Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, Honeoye, and Otisco are considered

4080-558: The Phelps and Gorham Purchase . The area is primarily served by Buffalo and Rochester media markets , although there is considerable overlap between these two markets, as well as other American and Canadian media markets (particularly from nearby Toronto ). In terms of the combined statistical areas used by the United States Census Bureau , Western New York consists of the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY area,

4200-558: The Rochester Metropolitan Area . The northern part of Western New York features four railroad stations in service on the Empire Corridor : Rochester , Buffalo-Depew , Buffalo-Exchange Street and Niagara Falls . The Buffalo-Exchange Street and Niagara Falls stations do not see as much rail service as the other two Western New York stations due to the fact that, west of Depew Station, Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited leaves

4320-607: The Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY area, and the Elmira-Corning, NY area. Western New York is in some contexts considered a sub-region of " Upstate New York " (when that term is used to describe all of New York State outside Long Island and the New York City metropolitan area ); in most cases however, New Yorkers identify by specific regionalities such as Western New York or Central New York in preference to

4440-754: The Seneca Nation of Indians , the Olean Area Transit System and Access Allegany to provide public transportation to most of the Southern Tier. In addition to the public transportation authorities, which provide limited intercity connections, several commercial intercity bus services also operate. Coach USA operates a loop service between Buffalo, Jamestown and Olean; the bus connects to a route to New York City in Olean and to Megabus service to Toronto and New York City in Buffalo. Fullington Trailways operates

4560-515: The Welland Canal in 1957 effectively rendered the narrower Erie Canal obsolete, further exacerbating economic problems in the region. The area saw an economic decline during the period of deindustrialization , leaving many empty steel mills including those of Bethlehem Steel , which was the 2nd largest steel mill in the world. The plant located in Lackawanna , New York provided nearly 25,000 jobs to

4680-651: The headwaters of the Susquehanna River and Hudson River watersheds (the former in the foothills of the Catskills, the latter through the Mohawk Valley and southern Adirondack Mountains ). These glacial finger lakes originated as a series of northward-flowing streams. Around two million years ago, the area was glaciated by first of many continental glaciers of the Laurentide Ice Sheet moved southward from

4800-425: The natural gas is now accessible for extraction. While some large landowners have leased their lands, and a number of small landowners would like to follow suit, many residents of the Finger Lakes oppose the fracking process due to concerns about groundwater contamination and the industrial impact of the extraction-related activities. The first direct actions and local legislative actions against fracking occurred in

4920-492: The 1620s; some relics of their presence, including Fort Niagara and a portage road that follows modern New York State Route 394 between Lake Erie and Chautauqua Lake , are still visible in the region. Western New York's land was acquired from the Iroquois through the Nanfan Treaty , which ceded the territory to England at the end of the Beaver Wars in 1701. At the time, four of the British colonies ( Pennsylvania , New York , Massachusetts and Connecticut ) laid claim to

Western New York - Misplaced Pages Continue

5040-1905: The 17 western counties: Addison , Akron , Albion , Alden , Alexander , Alfred , Allegany , Almond , Andover , Angelica , Angola , Arcade , Arkport , Attica , Avoca , Avon , Barker , Bath , Belmont , Bemus Point , Bergen , Blasdell , Bloomfield , Bolivar , Brockport , Brocton , Burdett , Caledonia , Canaseraga , Canisteo , Cassadaga , Castile , Cattaraugus , Celoron , Cherry Creek , Churchville , Clarence , Clifton Springs , Clyde , Cohocton , Corfu , Cuba , Dansville , Delevan , Depew , Dresden , Dundee , Dunkirk , East Aurora , East Randolph , East Rochester , Eden , Elba , Ellicottville , Elmira Heights , Fairport , Falconer , Farnham , Forestville , Franklinville , Fredonia , Gainesville , Geneseo , Gowanda , Hamburg , Hammondsport , Hilton , Holley , Honeoye Falls , Horseheads , Interlaken , Kenmore , Lakewood , Lancaster , Le Roy , Leicester , Lewiston , Lima , Limestone , Little Valley , Livonia , Lodi , Lyndonville , Lyons , Lockport , Macedon , Manchester , Mayville , Medina , Middleport , Millport , Montour Falls , Mount Morris , Naples , Newark , Newfane , North Collins , North Hornell , North Tonawanda , Nunda , Oakfield , Odessa , Orchard Park , Ovid , Painted Post , Palmyra , Panama , Pavilion , Penn Yan , Perry , Perrysburg , Phelps , Pike , Pittsford , Portville , Randolph , Red Creek , Richburg , Riverside , Rushville , Savona , Scottsville , Sherman , Shortsville , Silver Creek , Silver Springs , Sinclairville , Sloan , Sodus , Sodus Point , South Corning , South Dayton , Spencerport , Springville , Tonawanda , Van Etten , Victor , Warsaw , Waterloo , Watkins Glen , Wayland , Webster , Wellsburg , Wellsville , Westfield , Williamsville , Wilson , Wolcott , Wyoming and Youngstown . Western New York has

5160-432: The 1885 Erie County Fair (known as the Hamburg Fair) in Hamburg, New York , Frank and Charles Menches sold a ground beef sandwich, which is one of the earliest claims of the invention of the hamburger . Beef on Weck is a regional favorite and a local invention in which sliced warm roast beef is piled high on a Kummelweck roll topped with caraway seeds and large grained salt, au jus and horseradish are often added to

5280-430: The American economy during the 19th century. Large scale immigration from Ireland, Italy, Poland, Great Britain and Germany soon followed into the region. The New Religious Movement known as Spiritualism was among several that arose in the early 19th century burned-over district of Western New York. Its major center is Lily Dale , one of the largest spiritualism communities in the United States. The original house of

5400-484: The Board consists of 15 Republicans. The current chairman is W. Brooke Harris. The County Administrator is Carissa M. Knapp. Allegany County is divided into 29 towns and 10 villages. There are no cities as designated by New York State Law. The border between Allegany and Steuben County runs through the Village of Almond . The towns and villages by County Legislative District are as follows: District I: Angelica, Belfast, Caneadea, Centerville, Granger, Hume, Rushford, and

5520-464: The Buffalo area. Outside of the cities, agriculture has always been a major factor in the economy, especially dairy farming . Ski country runs through Western New York. Glenwood and Ellicottville both have multiple ski resorts within their boundaries; Ellicottville, in particular, has seen massive gentrification from the development of the large ski resorts within the town boundaries and has attempted to build on that growth by branding itself as

5640-408: The Buffalo media market define it as this 8 county area. Most organizations that use WNY in their name including the WNY College Consortium, the WNY Genealogical Society, WNY PRISM, the Psychological Association of WNY, and the WNY Land Conservancy describe themselves as working in these 8 counties. Others, such as Clarion Publications, the publisher of the WNY Travel Guide and WesternNY.com, have used

5760-466: The Civil War era, virtually unchanged from the nineteenth century. Belhurst Castle , Geneva, a stone mansion in the Romanesque Revival style, now serves as an inn. Sonnenberg mansion at Canandaigua is a later nineteenth-century residence in the Queen Anne style, known for its restored period gardens. Geneva on the Lake is a villa (1910–14) that recalls those on Italian lakes. Now an inn, it has European-style gardens. Many buildings and historic districts of

5880-408: The Colera family is also tied to several other Jamestown stands such as AJ Texas Hots, which launched in 1968, and Michael's, which operated from 1976 to 2021). The region produces many agricultural products, including milk, maple syrup, apples, cherries, potatoes, sweet corn, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, and grapes. As with the rest of Upstate New York , dairy farming is an important part of

6000-452: The DEC's Rules and Regulations for the Use of State Lands, 6 NYCRR Part 190, as well as any other applicable state statutes, rules and regulations. These are sensitive areas because they protect public drinking water. The 584-mile (940 km) Finger Lakes Trail and its branch trails run through the southern portion of the Finger Lakes region and also constitute a portion of the 4,600 mile North Country National Scenic Trail . Hemlock Lake

6120-467: The East Branch of the Tioughnioga River, which flows south. The next valley contains Limestone Creek , which flows north. Other lakes have also made the claim of being the 12th Finger Lake, including Silver and Onondaga lakes, although Onondaga, as a dimictic lake , has some significant limnological differences. DeRuyter Reservoir , sometimes called Tioughnioga Lake or DeRuyter Lake, a man-made Finger Lake southwest of Cazenovia Lake on Limestone Creek,

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6240-413: The Empire Corridor en route to the Midwest. For a period of time, there were proposals to service these four stations with high-speed rail . A major objective of implementing high-speed rail service was to better connect Western New York as well as the rest of Upstate New York with New York City. However, little of substance has come of these proposals. Service to other parts of Western New York ended from

6360-430: The Federal Style is the Prouty-Chew House (1829) at Geneva, portions of which were altered at various times in new fashions. Three Greek Revival mansions are situated near three lakes: The Richard DeZeng House, Skaneateles (1839); Rose Hill, Geneva (1839); and Esperanza, Penn Yan (1838). The latter two are open to the public. The Seward House in Auburn, a National Historic Landmark , is a mansion more characteristic of

6480-439: The Federal and Greek Revival periods. The Finger Lakes region, together with the Genesee Country of Western New York, has been referred to as the burned-over district . There, in the 19th century, the Second Great Awakening was a revival of Christianity ; some new religions were also formed. The region was active in reform and utopian movements. Many of its Underground Railroad sites have been documented. For example,

6600-421: The Finger Lakes bioregion . In December 2014, the government of New York banned all fracking in the state, citing pollution risks. Trash from New York City is also sent to landfills in the area. The Finger Lakes region is a central part of the Iroquois homeland. The Iroquois tribes include the Seneca and Cayuga nations, for which the two largest Finger Lakes are named. The Tuscarora tribe lived in

6720-400: The Finger Lakes and beyond. By the late 18th century, with the French governmental influence gone from Canada, Iroquois power had weakened relative to the steady growth in European-Americans' populations, and internal strife eroded the political unity of the Iroquois Confederacy as it faced pressures from colonists itching to move west and a desire to keep them out of Amerindian lands. During

6840-447: The Finger Lakes east of Otisco Lake. The first is the Tully Valley , which includes a chain of six small lakes called the Tully Lakes at the south end that could collectively be a "Finger Lake" that never formed because of a terminal moraine . The moraine caused the Tioughnioga River to flow south instead of north, the opposite of the Finger Lakes' waters. The next two valleys to the east contain Butternut Creek , which flows north, and

6960-429: The Finger Lakes is Binghamton University (SUNY), the University of Rochester , Nazareth College , St. John Fisher University , Roberts Wesleyan College , Monroe Community College , and Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester; Elmira College in Elmira; Corning Community College in Corning; and the State University of New York at Geneseo . The Finger Lakes region is home to several museums. These include

7080-410: The Finger Lakes region are notable, in addition to these historic houses. Implemented in August, 2010, the Hemlock-Canadice State Forest covers 6,684 acres (27.05 km ) that encompass the two western Finger Lakes, Hemlock and Canadice . These lakes have provided drinking water for the City of Rochester for more than 100 years. To protect water quality, the city acquired much of the property around

7200-517: The Finger Lakes region as well, from ca. 1720. The Onondaga and Oneida tribes lived at the eastern edge of the region, closer to their namesake lakes, Oneida Lake and Onondaga Lake . The easternmost Iroquois tribe was the Mohawk . The Finger Lakes region contains sites of unknown cultural affiliation and age. The Bluff Point Stoneworks is one such site as its age and who may have constructed these enigmatic stone structures has not been determined. During colonial times, many other tribes moved to

7320-414: The Finger Lakes region for nearly two centuries after first contact, often playing the French off against the British interests in savvy demonstrations of political competence. The renowned ingenuity and adaptability of the Iroquois people were key tools of resistance against hostile European powers rapidly spreading throughout North America, eager to dominate and increasingly brutal toward Native Americans in

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7440-410: The Finger Lakes region, seeking the protection of the Iroquois. For example, in 1753, remnants of several Virginia Siouan tribes, collectively called the Tutelo - Saponi , moved to the town of Coreorgonel at the south end of Cayuga Lake near present-day Ithaca and lived there until 1779, when their village was destroyed by the Sullivan Expedition . Iroquois towns in the Finger Lakes region included

7560-919: The Finger Lakes' craft beer industry has grown significantly in recent years. In 2018 the region was home to the second-highest number of breweries in New York after the Hudson Valley . The area is also known for higher-education learning. The largest is Ivy League institution Cornell University , in Ithaca. Other notable schools are Ithaca College , also in Ithaca; Syracuse University , SUNY Upstate Medical University , State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry , and Le Moyne College , in Syracuse; SUNY Cortland, in Cortland; Tompkins Cortland Community College in Dryden, Ithaca, and Cortland; Wells College in Aurora; Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva; Keuka College in Keuka Park ; Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua and Geneva; New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls and Cayuga Community College in Auburn. Nearby

7680-458: The Finger Lakes, was a major railroad center; locomotives were repaired there for many years and rail passenger cars are built there today (2022). Conesus remains the home of the oldest producer of pure grape sacramental wine in the Western hemisphere. Notable among the historic buildings of the region (most linked below) is the Granger Homestead (1816), a large village house in Federal Style at Canandaigua, New York. Another example of

7800-414: The Finger lakes lie, existed prior to the Last Glacial Maximum and developed over multiple glaciations. Finally, although sub-glacial scour during the Last Glacial Maximum removed the majority of pre-existing sediment down to the bedrock bottoms of the Finger Lakes, patches of interglacial deposits are likely preserved locally within or near hanging valleys on the margins of their valleys. For example,

7920-412: The Hopewell. The territory of Western New York, until the 17th century, was held by the Neutral Nation in the northern Niagara region and the Wenrohronon and Erie Indians around the Allegheny River . The Seneca nation and their allies in the Iroquois Confederacy eliminated those tribes in wars during the Beaver Wars between 1638 and 1701, with any survivors being assimilated into the Senecas (in

8040-513: The Iroquois and other Indians of the region were assigned reservations. Most of their land, including the Finger Lakes region, was opened up to purchase and settlement. Roughly the western half of the Finger Lakes region comprised the Phelps and Gorham Purchase of 1790. The region was rapidly settled at the turn of the 19th century, largely by a westward migration from New England , and to a lesser degree by northward influx from Pennsylvania. The regional architecture reflects these area traditions of

8160-405: The New York State Oil Producers Association sponsored the dedication of a monument at the site describing the history of the oil industry in North America. There is a small park with parking and a footbridge to the monument. The remainder of the reservation is mostly utilized for cottages on Cuba Lake , Seneca-run gas stations, and woodlands. Higher education facilities include Alfred University ,

8280-505: The New York. The county is unique from a watershed perspective as it is providing water to three major watersheds of North America: The eastern part near Alfred has Canacadea Creek that goes into the Canisteo River, Susquehanna River and eventually to Chesapeake Bay. The Genesee River bisects the county from south to north, flowing north out of the County through Letchworth State Park with its three waterfalls on to Rochester over three more waterfalls to its mouth on Lake Ontario and then on to

8400-403: The Rochester area is the " white hot ", a hot dog with a slight variation of ingredients that appears without the distinctive pink color of most hot dogs; when ordering a hot dog in Rochester it is common to be asked to clarify whether it should be "red or white". In urban areas in Western New York, education, business, light manufacturing and tourism have replaced heavy manufacturing which left

8520-450: The Seneca town of Gen-nis-he-yo (present-day Geneseo), Kanadaseaga (Seneca Castle, near present-day Geneva), Goiogouen (Cayuga Castle, east of Cayuga Lake), Chonodote (Cayuga town, present-day Aurora), Catherine's Town (near present-day Watkins Glen ) and Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor, New York . As one of the most powerful Indian nations during colonial times, the Iroquois were able to prevent European colonization of

8640-671: The St. Lawrence River and Atlantic Ocean. The southwestern part of the County flows into the Allegheny River that flows into the Ohio and then to the Mississippi River basin to the Gulf of Mexico. In June 1972 the remnants of Hurricane Agnes stalled over the area, dropping more than 20 inches (510 mm) of rain. Flooding took place in the valley communities of Wellsville, Belmont, Belfast, and others in

8760-525: The Western Southern Tier ) comprises Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties. The region is mountainous. The largest urban center is Jamestown , and Lake Chautauqua and Allegany State Park are major geographical features. The third region, the Genesee Region, comprises Monroe, Livingston, Wayne, Orleans, Ontario, and Yates counties and parts of Genessee and Wyoming counties. Rochester

8880-428: The age of 18 living with them, 54.20% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.30% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.04. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.40% under

9000-468: The age of 18, 15.50% from 18 to 24, 23.90% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 32,106, and the median income for a family was $ 38,580. Males had a median income of $ 30,401 versus $ 21,466 for females. The per capita income for

9120-505: The area at the end of World War II. Rochester and Buffalo were especially hard-hit with the exodus of manufacturing jobs to other areas of the United States and nations like China and Mexico. Niagara Falls was also hard-hit and has shed half of its population since its peak in 1960. Today, major corporations in Western New York include Kodak , Wegmans , Bausch & Lomb , Xerox , M&T Bank , KeyBank and Moog , among many others. General Motors continues to operate three facilities in

9240-648: The canals in their capacity for carrying freight. Part of the Oil Springs Reservation , controlled by the Seneca Nation , is located in the county. For centuries, Allegany County was the territory of the Seneca people , at the westernmost nation of the Five Nations of the Haudenosaunee , a confederacy of Iroquoian languages -speaking peoples. European-American permanent settlement did not take place until after

9360-599: The case of the Erie and Neutral) or Huron (in the case of the Wenro). The Neutral territory is currently held by Tuscaroras , who moved up from the Carolinas while refugees from the Erie tribes moved south to the Carolinas. French forces settled in parts of what is now Western New York through much of the 17th century, beginning with Étienne Brûlé 's pass-through of the region in 1615 and Joseph de La Roche Daillon 's missionary journeys in

9480-444: The church, draws thousands of visitors each year. Hammondsport was the home of aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss , and favorable air currents make the area a popular spot for glider pilots. Elmira , just to the south, was the home of Mark Twain in his later life, and the site of an infamous Civil War prison. Corning is most noted as the home of Corning Glass Works and the Corning Museum of Glass . Hornell , just southwest of

9600-438: The county by 3 points. In 2010, Andrew Cuomo lost by a wide margin while Senator Chuck Schumer carried it by a narrow margin of 49.46% to Jay Townsend's 48.86% a margin of 78 votes. It was one of only two counties that Senator Kirsten Gillibrand lost to Wendy Long in 2012 . In the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, Republican Donald Trump received over two-thirds, the first for a Republican since 1988. Allegany County

9720-420: The county was $ 14,975. About 10.50% of families and 15.50% of the population were below the poverty line , including 19.20% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over. Allegany County is considered to be a strongly Republican county. In 2004, it voted for George W. Bush over John Kerry 63% to 34%, and in 2008 it voted for John McCain over Barack Obama 59% to 39%. It has been reported that in

9840-537: The county. Long a necessary transportation waterway for the Seneca and other Native Americans, and successive European-American settlers, since the late 20th century, the Genesee River has been extremely popular with canoeists. The river is also favored by fishermen as it abounds in smallmouth bass , trout and panfish . As of the census of 2020, there were 46,456 people. Based on earlier (2000) censuses, there were 18,009 households, and 12,192 families residing in

9960-710: The county. The population density was 48 people per square mile (19 people/km ). There were 24,505 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile (9.3/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 97.03% White , 0.72% Black or African American , 0.28% Native American , 0.72% Asian , 0.37% from other races , and 0.88% from two or more races. 0.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.3% identified as being of German , 16.6% English , 13.8% Irish , 11.9% American and 7.0% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000 . 96.5% spoke English and 1.3% Spanish as their first language. There were 18,009 households, out of which 31.50% had children under

10080-403: The current border between Allegany and Wyoming counties. On May 11, 1846, Allegany County lost 50 square miles (100 km ) to Livingston County , reducing the total to 1,090 square miles (2,800 km ), and establishing the western portion of the current border with Livingston County. On March 23, 1857, Allegany County lost another 40 square miles (100 km ) to Livingston County, passing

10200-417: The current border between Genesee and Steuben counties, and reduced the size of Allegany County to 1,200 square miles (3,100 km ). On June 12, 1812, the legislature authorized the attachment of Cattaraugus County, New York , to Allegany County for administration reasons, but for practical reasons this action did not take place at that time. However, on April 13, 1814, the eastern half of Cattaraugus County

10320-460: The east, although smaller, is sometimes called "the 12th Finger Lake", because it is similar in shape and limnology. It is in Appalachian hill terrain, lying mostly in the historic village of Cazenovia , and is linked to other Finger Lakes by US 20 and NY 13 . It may have been formed in the same manner as the Finger Lakes, as satellite photos show three valleys similar in character and spacing to

10440-566: The eastern flank of the Cayuga Lake, near Union Springs, New York , record the presence of a paleolake that existed prior to Cayuga Lake. This paleolake, which is called Glacial Lake Nanette , was a proglacial lake that filled the bedrock valley currently occupied by Cayuga Lake from about 50,000 BP calibrated until it was overridden by a glacial readvance that occurred prior to 30,000 BP calendar and buried it beneath younger glacial till . This research shows that bedrock valleys, in which

10560-451: The economy. New York State is a leading producer among the states of dairy, maple, and wine. Perhaps the best-known food specialty of Western New York is Buffalo chicken wings (known locally simply as 'wings' or 'chicken wings'). The two best-known places to get wings are Duff's and the Anchor Bar , which have a strong local rivalry in Buffalo and both are expanding outside the city. At

10680-416: The facility doubles as a gateway to Canada, and a good portion of its passengers (33%) are Canadian. The second major airport in Western New York, Greater Rochester International Airport , does not see as much traffic as Buffalo-Niagara International Airport. Still, located just three nautical miles southwest of Downtown Rochester, the facility provides convenient access to airline service for many residents of

10800-452: The flour industry. Olean was originally planned to be a similar major hub, but it proved to be at a major disadvantage: located near the headwaters of the Allegheny River (a factor its planners had hoped would make the city a gateway to the Midwest), the river was too shallow to support large boat travel or shipping on a consistent basis. As a region, Western New York played a significant role in

10920-455: The growing season. Lost in its famed winters, Western New York summers are among the sunniest in the Northeast [REDACTED]   Canada and are generally very pleasant. Thanks in part to breezes blowing over Lakes Erie and Ontario (which are usually cooler than the air temperature in the summer), most of Western New York enjoy generally cooler and more comfortable summers than other regions in

11040-482: The heaviest amount of snow in Western New York during the winter falls near the southern end of Erie County as well as in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Wyoming counties. Spring and fall in Western New York are usually short and changeable. The presence of the lakes allows for fruit growing and wine production along areas adjacent to both lakes, which retard the development of damaging spring and fall frost, thereby extending

11160-635: The ice was thin, or at least unable to cause much erosion at higher elevations. The deep cutting by glacial erosion left some tributaries hanging high above the lakes—both Seneca and Cayuga have tributaries hanging as much as 120 m (390 ft) above the valley floors. Based upon sediments cores, seismic stratigraphy, and radiocarbon dates, the finger lakes became ice-free about 14,400 BP calendar . At this time scouring by ice and meltwater ceased and these lakes filled initially with proglacial lake rhythmites . The deposition of proglacial lake rhythmites occurred between 14,400 and 13,900 BP calendar. After

11280-610: The lakes. Over the decades, the land reforested, but a few traces of its past, such as stone walls or cottage foundations, remain. Today these two lakes, with their steep, forested, largely-undeveloped shorelines and deep, clear water, provide visitors a glimpse of the Finger Lakes of the past. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) manages this State Forest for compatible public access for recreation, including fishing, hunting , nature study, boating and hiking. Activities in Hemlock-Canadice State Forest are subject

11400-580: The last 170 years, the only Democratic candidates to win were Franklin Pierce in 1852 and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Even in 1964, when Republican nominee Barry Goldwater lost the county by 14 points, he still managed to carry the towns of Centerville, Caneadea, Granger, Hume, and Rushford. In 2006, neither Democrat Eliot Spitzer nor Hillary Clinton carried it in their otherwise landslide elections for governor and US senator, respectively. Eliot Spitzer lost 48.98% to John Faso 's 49.03%. Hillary Clinton lost

11520-567: The local economy. Republic Steel also had a large integrated steel mill located in South Buffalo . General Motors in Tonawanda is the largest vehicle engine plant in the world, which still is a major contributor to the Buffalo area economy. Ford Motor Company also maintains a large manufacturing facility in Woodlawn , New York, which is just south of Buffalo . Western New York is culturally

11640-571: The magins of the Laurentide Ice Sheet retreated into the Ontario lowlands after 13,900 BP calendar, The accumulation, at first, of massive gray clays followed by dark gray to black, laminated, organic-rich muds, accumulated without interruption until present within the Finger Lakes. Detailed studies of Marine Isotope Stage 3 and 4 age sediments exposed at a locality called the Great Gully on

11760-514: The mid-1960s to 1970. The Erie Lackawanna 's Phoebe Snow served on a southeastern trajectory from Buffalo to Elmira , Binghamton , Scranton and Hoboken ; service ended in 1966. The E-L's Lake Cities originated in Chicago , passing through Western New York's Jamestown , then through the rest of the Southern Tier , Orange County and terminating at Hoboken, NJ; service ended on January 6, 1970. The Pennsylvania Railroad 's Buffalo Day Express

11880-551: The mid-2010s, and the affiliation with the longstanding minor league Buffalo Bisons . The Pittsburgh Pirates have some following in southwestern New York, and teams with national fanbases such as the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs also have followings. The region has no clear favorite professional basketball franchise, with the Brooklyn Nets , Cleveland Cavaliers , New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors all claiming parts of

12000-536: The minor Finger Lakes. Other, smaller lakes, including Silver , Waneta , and Lamoka lakes, dot this region. Silver Lake , west of Conesus Lake, would seem to qualify because it is in the Great Lakes watershed, but Waneta and Lamoka lakes, sometimes called the "fingernail" lakes, are part of the Susquehanna River watershed , draining into a tributary of the Chemung River . East of Oneida and Cazenovia Lakes are

12120-421: The new county. The first County Seat was established at Angelica, New York , where it remained for half a century. It was later moved to Belmont , a village located along the Genesee River . On March 11, 1808, the borders were adjusted so that 230 square miles (600 km ) of Steuben County passed to Allegany County, and 600 miles (1,000 km) of Allegany County passed to Genesee County. This established

12240-596: The principal site that has been well-studied is the Fembank exposure of interglacial deposits on the west margin of Cayuga. This deposit provides direct evidence that some version of Cayuga Lake and its bedrock valley existed prior to Last Glacial Maximum. Much of the Finger Lakes area lies upon the Marcellus Shale and the Utica Shale , two prominent natural gas reserves. Due to the recent increase in fracking technology,

12360-447: The region as part of their regional broadcasting territories. (Western New York puts more emphasis on college basketball , where the "Big 4" Division I programs—Canisius, Niagara, St. Bonaventure and UB—all have strong followings and rivalries; while most attention has been centered around the men's college basketball teams, the recent success of UB and St. Bonaventure's women's teams has led to increased attention to women's basketball in

12480-680: The region. A few shortline railroads also offer rail service, including the New York and Lake Erie Railroad and the Arcade and Attica Railroad . The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority runs regular bus service throughout the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority serves Rochester and surrounding counties, and the Chautauqua Area Regional Transit System serves Chautauqua County. First Transit contracts with

12600-418: The region. Rochester Components Operations, formerly known as Rochester Division, produces fuel system components. Lockport Operations, formerly Harrison Thermal Systems, produces cooling system components and was awarded $ 154 million for additional and future products in 2022. Finally, Tonawanda Power Train originally opened in 1938 as a Chevrolet engine plant and continues producing 4 and 8 cylinder engines in

12720-513: The region. The college basketball scene once had enough clout to help drive Buffalo's NBA team, the 1970s-era Buffalo Braves , out of the city.) Syracuse University sports, being the closest major-conference school to the region, also has a sizable following in western New York, particularly in basketball. College football interest is minimal, with no team having a major following (not even UB, who has struggled to maintain its Division I football program despite modest success). For hockey, other than

12840-517: The same climatic zone. Interstate System U.S. Routes Western New York has two airports that provide significant regular passenger service, Buffalo-Niagara International Airport and Greater Rochester International Airport . Buffalo-Niagara International Airport is the most patronized airport facility in Western New York. While it primarily serves as the regional airport for the Buffalo-Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area ,

12960-493: The same or similar dish under other names, usually containing the word "plate". The Rochester Red Wings baseball team concessions at Frontier Field , for example, offer the "Home Plate". A component of the garbage plate and many other local dishes is a topping known in Rochester as "hot sauce." The term in this context does not refer to a pepper sauce , but to a spiced sauce containing bits of meat. Another food associated with

13080-592: The same period in American history , so the street patterns, architecture , and ethnic communities share a similar appearance. Linguistically, Western New York is part of the Inland North region of American English, which means it is subject to the Northern Cities vowel shift ; a distinct variant of that accent, " Buffalo English ", is heard in many parts of the region. Finally, most Western New York sports fans support

13200-570: The sandwich. Butter lambs are a popular tradition in Buffalo during the Lenten season leading into Easter . The Broadway Market, a market in Buffalo, is famous for this product. The Rochester area is known for the Garbage Plate . It was created and continues to be served by Nick Tahou Hots on West Main Street. The name "Garbage Plate" is trademarked by Nick Tahou's, but other Rochester restaurants serve

13320-438: The scene of various military actions. The two major Western New York cities, Buffalo and Rochester, benefited greatly from the opening of the Erie Canal . With its strategic position at the western end of the Erie Canal, the eastern end of Lake Erie and proximity to Niagara Falls and Canada, Buffalo emerged as a major port. Niagara Falls provided Buffalo with a ready supply of power, so much so that one of its enduring nicknames

13440-537: The states' Revolutionary War debts, the states were required to extinguish their western land claims . Massachusetts extinguished its claim to the territory in exchange for receiving the profits from its sale to settlers. New York was the only colony not to extinguish its western claim, and by way of the 1786 Treaty of Hartford , the land, with the exception of a small triangle that was ceded to Pennsylvania in 1792 , officially became Western New York. (Had New York extinguished its claim, it would have likely become part of

13560-475: The term Western New York to describe a much larger area consisting of 17 counties. In addition to those counties mentioned, they add Chemung , Livingston , Monroe , Ontario , Schuyler , Seneca , Steuben , Wayne , and Yates as well. The rest of this article uses that definition. The 17 counties have a land area of 11,764 square miles (30,470 km). They include the area of the Holland Purchase and

13680-564: The unsettled territory, as did New France until the Seven Years' War . Most of Western New York was officially off-limits to all of the colonies as a result of the establishment of an Indian Reserve over the area following the Seven Years' War. By the 1780s, only New York and Massachusetts still maintained their claims to the territory, which was separated from mainland New York by a Preemption Line . Under federal policy designed to extinguish

13800-543: The vague and broader term Upstate New York. Western New York is generally considered to have 2-4 subregions: The Greater Niagara Region (or the Niagara Frontier), comprises Niagara and Erie counties and parts of Genesee and Wyoming counties. It is named for its major features, the Niagara river and Niagara Falls . Buffalo is its largest urban center. The Chautauqua–Allegheny Region (also known as Southwestern New York or

13920-408: The village of Angelica. District II: Amity, Clarksville, Cuba, Friendship, New Hudson, Ward, and the villages of Belmont and Cuba. District III: Alma, Bolivar, Genesee, Independence, Scio, Willing, Wirt, and the villages of Bolivar and Richburg. District IV: Andover, Wellsville, and the villages of Andover and Wellsville. District V: Alfred, Allen, Almond, Birdsall, Burns, Grove, West Almond, and

14040-605: The villages of Alfred, Almond, and Canaseraga. The Oil Springs Reservation is an Indian reservation of the Seneca Nation shared with Cattaraugus County having a total area of only one square mile (2.6 km ). This is the site of the famed spring described by the Franciscan Missionary Joseph DeLa Roch D'Allion in 1627, the first recorded mention of oil on the North American Continent. In 1927,

14160-707: The yielded wine. The main grape varieties grown are Chardonnay , Riesling , Gewürztraminer , Pinot noir , Cabernet Franc , Vidal blanc , Seyval blanc and many Vitis labrusca (American native) varieties or cultivars. With the passage of the Farm Winery Act in 1976 , numerous wineries are now open to visitors. Wineries are a growth industry of the region, contributing through their production and by attracting visitors. The Finger Lakes American Viticulture Area (AVA) includes two of America's oldest wineries, O-Neh-Da Vineyard (1872) on Hemlock Lake and The Pleasant Valley Wine Company (1860) on Keuka Lake. Aside from wine,

14280-527: Was another route serving Western New York, traveling south to Baltimore via Olean and Harrisburg ; this train was discontinued in 1967, but an unnamed Penn Central (PC) successor lasted through April 30, 1971, when AMTRAK assumed most of the remaining U.S. rail passenger service but declined to serve the Baltimore-Harrisburg-Buffalo route of the former PRR/PC. The Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad and WNY&P both operate freight service in

14400-446: Was so attached and administered from Belmont. This attachment was ended on March 28, 1817. With continued settlement through the mid-nineteenth century, the legislature periodically adjusted county borders as new counties were organized in western New York. On April 1, 1846, Allegany County lost 120 square miles (310 km ) to Wyoming County , reducing the size of Allegany County to 1,140 square miles (3,000 km ), and establishing

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