Livingston County, New York

Not to be confused withLivingston, New York.

Livingston County
County
Livingston County Courthouse
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state ofNew York
New York's location within theU.S.
Coordinates:42°44′N77°46′W
Country	United States
State	New York
Founded	1821
Named for	Robert R. Livingston
Seat	Geneseo
Largest village	Geneseo
Area
• Total	640 sq mi (1,700 km2)
• Land	632 sq mi (1,640 km2)
• Water	8.5 sq mi (22 km2) 1.3%
Population (2020)
• Total	61,834
• Density	97.9/sq mi (37.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5(Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4(EDT)
Congressional district	24th
Website	www.livingstoncounty.us

Livingston Countyis acountyin the U.S. state ofNew York.As of the2020 census,the population was 61,834.Itscounty seatisGeneseo.The county is named afterRobert R. Livingston,whohelped drafttheDeclaration of Independenceand negotiated theLouisiana Purchase.The county is part of theFinger Lakesregion of the state.

Livingston County is part of theRochesterMetropolitan Statistical Area.

History

On February 23, 1821, Livingston County, New York was formed fromOntarioandGenesee Counties.The twelve original towns were:Avon,Caledonia,Conesus,Geneseo(county seat),Groveland,Leicester,Lima,Livonia,Mount Morris,Sparta,Springwater,andYork.

Part ofNorth Dansvillewas annexed fromSteuben Countyin 1822 and became a separate town when Sparta was divided in 1846. At the same time, the town ofWest Spartawas also formed from Sparta. The towns ofNundaandPortagewere annexed in 1846 and the town ofOssianwas annexed in 1857 fromAllegany County.

Avon, Williamsburgh, and the hamlet ofLakevillecompeted for the honor of becoming the Livingston County seat, but the distinction was bestowed upon Geneseo, the principal village and center of commerce. TheWadsworthsdonated a suitable lot, beautifully situated at the north end of the village. The brickcourthousefaced Main Street, the jail of wood construction was built directly west, and a one-storycobblestonebuilding for the County Clerk's office was built east of the courthouse. Until construction was completed in 1823, court was held in the upper story of the district school on Center Street (east of the present-day Livingston County Museum) and prisoners were housed inCanandaigua.In 1829 the county opened apoor housefarm just outside the village.

Livingston County Flag

Livingston County Flag

The County Flag was adopted in 1971 for the county's 150th anniversary. The significance of the colors and design relates to features and history of the county:

Yellow – the golden grain of the northern towns;

Blue – theGenesee River;

Green – the forests in the southern towns;

White –saltandlimestone,prominent minerals in the county;

Balanceand crossedquills– in honor of New York's firstChancellorRobert R. Livingston, for whom the county was named.

Senecas and Pioneer history

TheSeneca Nation of Indians,once the most numerous and powerful of theSix Nations of the Iroquois,were called the "Keepers of the Western Door" because they guarded the western boundaries of theHaudenosauneeterritory, which included the lands aroundSeneca Lakewest to Lake Erie. Many of the principal towns were in the fertile Genesee Valley, part of what is now Livingston County.Little Beard's Town,or Genesee Castle, located near present-dayCuylervillein the Town ofLeicester,was one of the largest.

Sullivan Campaign of the Revolutionary War

In 1779,General George WashingtonorderedGeneral John Sullivanto organize the largest American offensive movement of theRevolutionary Warto displace the Iroquois and gain control of New York's western frontier. Sullivan's army of approximately 5000 men trekked into the heart of theSenecaterritory with orders to destroy all settlements.

On September 13, 1779, hundreds of Indians andLoyalistsambushed roughly 25 of Sullivan's scouts on a hill overlookingConesus Lakeat a site now known as theAmbuscadein the town of Groveland. At least 16 Americans were massacred including anOneidaguide. Scout leader Lt. Thomas Boyd and Sgt. Michael Parker were captured and their mutilated remains were discovered a day later when the army reached Little Beard's Town in Cuylerville, a hamlet in the town of Leicester. This site was the largest Indian settlement in western New York and the western limit of the Sullivan Campaign. Sullivan's army found the village deserted as most of the Indians and Loyalists had retreated west toFort Niagarato avoid confrontation.

The army buried Boyd and Parker then burned the village and thousands of surrounding acres of crops. Upon retreat, the army discovered the bodies of the soldiers of Lt. Boyd's scouting party at the Ambuscade and buried them withmilitary honors.

After fulfilling General Washington's instructions to destroy more than 40 Indian settlements and food supplies throughout theFinger Lakes,Sullivan's army returned toEaston, Pennsylvania.The mission was considered successful and helped to lessen the threat to white settlers across the state.[1]ArchivedJune 16, 2017, at theWayback Machine

The enthusiasm generated by soldiers of General Sullivan's army prompted the rapid development of the Genesee Valley and the area that now comprises Livingston County. Within five years following theTreaty of Parisin 1783, ending the Revolutionary War,colonistsbranched out from well-established settlements inNew Englandand theMid-Atlantic states,with visions of reaping the benefits this vast wilderness land had to offer. News of the beauty and fertility of the area spread as far as Western Europe.

Seneca treaties

The destruction of the Iroquois villages during the Sullivan Campaign greatly impoverished the Senecas but did not deprive them of title to the land. This led to the creation of a series of treaties in order to facilitate westward expansion of white settlers. These treaties were not all supported by the Iroquois and consequently forever altered their culture.

After the Treaty of Paris, Messrs.Phelps and Gorhampurchased fromMassachusettsthe rights to approximately eight million acres west of what is referred to as the oldPre-emption Line.The two men negotiated a treaty with the Seneca which was intended to extinguish Indian claims to this land. Approximately two-thirds of present-day Livingston County was covered by this treaty.

In 1790, Phelps and Gorham sold about 1,200,000 acres toRobert Morris,known as the "financier of theAmerican Revolution."Morris then sold the land to a company of English capitalists, withSir William Pulteneyobtaining the majority interest. Charles Williamson, agent for Pulteney, took an absolute conveyance of the "Genesee Tract." The first permanent white settlement he established was the small village Williamburgh in Groveland at the confluence of the Genesee River and theCanaserega Creek.The village prospered until 1806 before it was abandoned.

The remainder of the original purchase was bought bySamuel Ogdenin 1791 for Robert Morris, who then sold most of it to theHolland Land Company,reserving 500,000 acres, known as theMorris Reserve.By the terms of the sale, Morris obligated himself to extinguish the Indian title to the land sold. However, his involvement in land speculation left him penniless and imprisoned for debt for several years.

The 1794Treaty of Canandaiguarecognized the sovereignty of theSix Nationsand restored their title to lands in western New York. But as pressure by western developers increased, theTreaty of Big Treein 1797 was negotiated in the Wadsworth brothers'log cabinin Geneseo. This treaty included the western one-third of Livingston County and extinguished Indian title to practically all the lands west to theNiagara Frontier,excepting a handful of Indianreservations.

The Pioneer Wadsworths

Col. Jeremiah WadsworthofHartford, Connecticut,one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the post-Revolutionary War era, invested heavily inland speculationin this region. In 1788, he made the arduous trip to the Genesee country to judge its worth and finding it unimaginably rich. After purchasing more than 200,000 acres (50 square miles) along theGenesee River,Col. Wadsworth offered his young cousins, brothersJamesandWilliam Wadsworth,2000 acres of prime farmland in and around what is nowGeneseo.In return, they represented the Colonel's interests by establishing a home farm (known as theHomestead) and promoting settlement and progress.

The Wadsworth brothers acquired thousands more acres, becoming the largest single landowners in western New York. Theyleasedthe majority of the land totenant farmerswith generous lease agreements. James and William were known far and wide for their philanthropy and innovative farming methods. The legacy of James and William Wadsworth and their vast land holdings has been carried forward generation after generation and the prominent family still remains synonymous with the Genesee Valley to present day.

Genesee Valley Canal

The opening of theErie Canalin 1825 brought prosperity across the state and realization of the benefits of internal navigation. The Genesee Valley lacked access to broader markets other than via theGenesee River,often too dangerous to navigate. Planners envisioned a lateralcanal,cutting through the core of Livingston County, as the means of uniting the Erie Canal with theAllegany River,thereby connecting theOhioandMississippi Rivers,allowing freight and passenger transportation all the way toNew Orleans.

Construction of the Genesee Valley Canal started inRochesterin 1837, reachingMount Morrisby 1840. A junction toSonyeaopened in 1841 and then a branch was built toDansville,completing 52 miles. Extending the canal through to Nunda and Portage was most challenging, as workers battled the area's most rugged terrain along theGenesee River gorge.After years of delays, 17 locks between Nunda andPortagevillewere completed in 1851.

By the time that the last segment connecting to theAllegany Riverwas finally finished in 1862, however, railroad technology had outpaced canals. This forced the Genesee Valley Canal to close by 1878; thetowpathbecame the bed of theGenesee Valley Canal Railroad.Railroads rapidly became the primary mode of transportation as they criss-crossed the entire county. Although the Genesee Valley Canal was short-lived, the lasting effect expanded job opportunities for thousands of new immigrants, opened markets for the area's abundant goods, and overall enriched the quality of life for residents.

Today, the old Genesee Valley Canal Railroad bed has become part of the Genesee Valley Greenway Trail.

Important sites and events

Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, Lima

One of the first coeducational schools in the country, incorporated 1834, founded by the Genesee Conference of theMethodist Episcopal Churchand operated until 1941.Genesee College,founded on the same site in the 1840s, eventually relocated and becameSyracuse University.Presently the site is occupied byElim Bible Institute.

Water Therapy: Avon Springs and the Jackson Sanitarium

View from Sanitorium, 1890s

The area around present-dayAvonand easternCaledoniawas known by the Seneca as "Canawaugus,"or" the place of stinking waters "due to the prevalence ofsulfurin the springs on the west side of town. The Seneca believed the water's mineral characteristics hadhealth benefitslong before the white settlers arrived. In 1821, Richard Wadsworth was the first white man in Avon to build a showering box and promote the curative properties of the sulfur water. The reputation of Avon Springs grew throughout the 19th century, peaking just before theCivil War era.Guests sought health cures as well as relaxation and recreation opportunities in the Genesee Valley. By about 1900, most of the numerous hotels andspaswere gone.

Nunda and Dansville also boasted mineral springs and attracted travelers from around the world to enjoy the medicinal effects of water therapy. Most well-known was the sprawling resort in Dansville operated by Dr. James C. Jackson, a leadingholistic healthadvocate andabolitionist.Dr. Jackson is credited with inventingGranula,America's first coldbreakfast cereal,and along with Dr. Harriet Austen, endorsed exercise and less constraining clothes for women. The resort stayed in the Jackson family until the early 1900s. DuringWorld War I,the sanitarium was used by thefederal governmentas a hospital for wounded soldiers. In 1929,bodybuilderBernarr Macfaddenbought the facility and named it the Physical Culture Hotel. His larger-than-life personality and national magazine with the same name boosted the popularity of the place into the 1950s.

The Shakers of Groveland

The onlyShakercolony in western New York began moving fromSodus,Wayne County, New Yorkto the hamlet ofSonyeain Groveland in 1836. The Shakers practiced celibacy,agrariancommunal living, and self-sufficiency.

The Groveland site was convenient as a stopping place for Shakers traveling between their western societies in Ohio and their parent village atNew Lebanon, New York.The 1,700-acre farm, with its fertile flatlands and the access to theGenesee Valley Canalbenefited the Shakers’ cottage industries. They made flat brooms, dried apples, dried sweet corn, and fancy goods such as sewing boxes.

Groveland's Shaker population peaked with 148 members in 1836. In 1857, they had 130 members, which shrank to 57 in 1874. Shaker membership everywhere had diminished to the point where the society had to begin consolidating its population at fewer sites. In 1892, the remaining 34 Groveland members moved to the North Family of the Shaker community atWatervliet, New York.

After the Shakers left Groveland,State of New Yorkpaid the Shakers $115,000 for the buildings and 1,800 acres of land at Groveland, for theCraig Colony for Epileptics.

Several diaries and journals from the Shakers' early years at Groveland can be found at the Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio.These manuscripts are also available on microfilm at more than 20 locations throughout the U.S.

Civil War regiments

ThreeCivil Warregiments were organized in Livingston County. The104th New York Volunteer Infantryor ‘Wadsworth Guards’, named in honor ofGen. James S. Wadsworth,formed September 1861 atGeneseo.The camp was located at the head of North Street in thevillageand known as Camp Union. The two other regiments were organized atPortagenear present-dayLetchworth State Park.In 1862, the130th Infantry regimentformed and later converted to acavalryunit known as the1st New York Dragoons.The same year the136th Infantry Regiment,also known as the ‘Ironclads’, was organized.

The Caledonia Fish Hatchery

RochesternativeSeth Green'sgroundbreaking experiments in artificial fish propagation led to the establishment of the first fish hatchery in theWestern HemisphereinCaledoniain 1864. The hatchery is managed by theDepartment of Conservationand has remained active into the 21st century.

Genesee Valley Hunt

The Livingston County Hunt was established in 1876 by Maj. William Austin Wadsworth. By the early 1880s, the organization was called the Genesee Valley Hunt and the Valley became known as thefox-huntingcenter of North America. The Genesee Valley Hunt remains active and is one of the oldest in the U.S.

Salt mining

Salt was discovered more than 1000 feet below the surface in Livingston County in the early 1880s. Salt mines opened in the towns of Leicester (Cuylerville), Livonia, Mount Morris, and York (Retsof). The Retsof mine became the largest salt-producing mine in the United States and the second largest in the world.The industry was a major employer throughout most of the 20th century until the mine collapsed and flooded in 1994.American Rock Salt opened a new mine in 1997 at Hampton Corners in the Town of Groveland and soon afterwards became the largest operating salt mine in the U.S.

Murray Hill, Mt. Morris

Once the terrestrial lands of the Seneca Indians, a wide area in Western New York known as the Mt. Morris Tract was purchased in 1807 by four couples – Mr. and Mrs. John R. Murray Sr., Mr. and Mrs. William Ogden, Mr. and Mrs.John Trumbull,all of New York City, and Mr. and Mrs.James WadsworthofGeneseo.

In 1837, the land was subdivided and John R. Murray Jr. established a home on the property that would be known as "Murray Hill." He brought his bride, Anna Vernon Olyphant of New York City, to live in a simple but elegantmansionoverlooking the Genesee Valley. The couple improved the grounds withformal gardensandFish Pondsand entertained distinguished guests for the next 25 years.

Over the course of the next seven decades, the estate had a succession of proprietors. In 1882, while under the ownership of Col. Charles Shepard and wife, a fire completely destroyed the Murray mansion. A new, less magnificent home was built together with extensivebarnsandstables.

By 1930, New York State was seeking a site in the area for one of three newtuberculosissanatoriumsto help control and prevent a disease that was the cause of nearly 4000 deaths in upstate New York that year. Although Livingston County had a low rate of tuberculosis as compared to urban centers, the Murray Hill site was chosen as the ideal spot for this facility to serve the western region due to its central location, favorable weather, easy accessibility torail linesand state roads, and proximity to advanced healthcare centers atCraig Colonyin Sonyea andStrong Hospitalin Rochester. All of these factors, including the restorative nature of the surroundings and the strong community support, added to the desirability and were pivotal factors inGovernor Franklin D. Roosevelt'sfinal decision to build a hospital on this site in 1932.

Construction of the 200-bed facility was completed and it opened in 1936. In addition, the campus complex included residences for staff and physicians, anauditorium,greenhouse,power plantandlaundry.A separate children's 50-bed ward was constructed and opened the following year. Over the course of the next 35 years, the tuberculosis hospital served patients who often spent several months recuperating. Preventative efforts and advances in the use ofantibioticsimpacted the spread of tuberculosis and resulted in the closing of the hospital by the state in 1971.

Livingston County acquired the site and bordering park lands for $1.00 in 1972, using the main hospital building as askilled nursing facilityuntil 2004 when it was determined that a more modern facility was required. The adjacent Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation was built to accommodate the growing needs of the area and the other buildings on the campus now house various county departments and agencies.

Geography

According to theU.S. Census Bureau,the county has a total area of 640 square miles (1,700 km²), of which 632 square miles (1,640 km²) is land and 8.5 square miles (22 km²) (1.3%) is water.

Livingston County is located in theFinger Lakesregion, south ofRochesterand east ofBuffalo.

Letchworth State Parkis partly in the western part of the county. TheGenesee Riverflows northward through the county.

TheRochester and Southern Railroad(RSR) traverses the county from Greigsville south throughMount Morristo Dansville.

Adjacent counties

• Monroe County– north
• Ontario County– east
• Steuben County– southeast
• Allegany County– south
• Wyoming County– west
• Genesee County– northwest

Major highways

• Interstate 390
• U.S. Route 20
• U.S. Route 20A
• New York State Route 5
• New York State Route 15
• New York State Route 15A
• New York State Route 36
• New York State Route 39
• New York State Route 63
• New York State Route 65

Government and politics

Livingston County is heavily Republican. 1964 was the only time in history that Livingston County voted for the Democratic presidential candidate. Aside from 1964, Livingston County has voted Republican in every presidential election since the Republican Party's founding in 1854. Livingston County also votedWhigin every presidential election from 1828 to 1852. Since Johnson's win in 1964, the closest that a Democratic presidential candidate has gotten to winning Livingston County wasBill Clintonin 1996, when he lost toBob Doleby just 113 votes.

United States presidential election results for Livingston County, New York

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	18,182	57.90%	12,477	39.73%	742	2.36%
2016	17,290	57.57%	10,697	35.62%	2,044	6.81%
2012	14,448	53.97%	11,705	43.72%	617	2.30%
2008	16,030	53.17%	13,655	45.29%	464	1.54%
2004	17,729	59.20%	11,504	38.41%	715	2.39%
2000	15,244	56.00%	10,476	38.48%	1,503	5.52%
1996	10,981	43.68%	10,868	43.23%	3,289	13.08%
1992	12,122	45.21%	8,648	32.25%	6,044	22.54%
1988	14,004	59.10%	9,506	40.11%	187	0.79%
1984	16,389	68.60%	7,399	30.97%	104	0.44%
1980	11,193	49.85%	9,030	40.22%	2,231	9.94%
1976	14,044	58.96%	9,629	40.43%	146	0.61%
1972	15,886	69.13%	7,031	30.60%	63	0.27%
1968	11,659	59.75%	6,989	35.82%	865	4.43%
1964	7,120	34.53%	13,481	65.38%	18	0.09%
1960	13,681	63.77%	7,765	36.19%	8	0.04%
1956	15,523	75.68%	4,989	24.32%	0	0.00%
1952	14,760	71.37%	5,901	28.53%	19	0.09%
1948	11,310	62.62%	6,409	35.48%	343	1.90%
1944	11,383	64.04%	6,351	35.73%	41	0.23%
1940	12,629	66.18%	6,397	33.52%	58	0.30%
1936	12,353	65.18%	6,088	32.12%	512	2.70%
1932	11,114	62.13%	6,529	36.50%	245	1.37%
1928	11,632	64.05%	5,545	30.53%	983	5.41%
1924	10,472	69.56%	3,676	24.42%	907	6.02%
1920	9,488	68.84%	3,571	25.91%	724	5.25%
1916	5,211	57.66%	3,608	39.92%	219	2.42%
1912	3,726	41.52%	3,203	35.70%	2,044	22.78%
1908	5,700	59.74%	3,567	37.38%	275	2.88%
1904	5,884	61.46%	3,252	33.97%	438	4.57%
1900	5,608	56.72%	3,877	39.21%	402	4.07%
1896	5,461	55.18%	4,101	41.44%	334	3.38%
1892	4,886	52.13%	3,672	39.18%	815	8.70%
1888	5,584	54.80%	4,067	39.92%	538	5.28%
1884	5,191	53.39%	4,039	41.54%	493	5.07%
1880	5,522	55.53%	4,242	42.65%	181	1.82%
1876	5,267	55.21%	4,244	44.49%	29	0.30%
1872	4,753	58.59%	3,350	41.30%	9	0.11%
1868	4,823	58.19%	3,465	41.81%	0	0.00%
1864	4,580	56.31%	3,553	43.69%	0	0.00%
1860	5,178	58.85%	3,621	41.15%	0	0.00%
1856	3,597	49.76%	1,652	22.86%	1,979	27.38%
1852	4,096	54.91%	3,055	40.95%	309	4.14%
1848	3,730	55.55%	839	12.49%	2,146	31.96%
1844	3,773	56.38%	2,709	40.48%	210	3.14%
1840	3,916	59.32%	2,634	39.90%	52	0.79%
1836	2,643	58.15%	1,902	41.85%	0	0.00%

Office	District	Area of the county	Officeholder	Party	First took office
Congressman	New York's 24th congressional district	All	Claudia Tenney	Republican	2020
State Senator	54th State Senate District	All	Pam Helming	Republican	2016
State Assemblyman	133rd State Assembly District	All	Marjorie L. Byrnes	Republican	2019

Livingston County is governed by a 17–member legislature headed by a chairman. Livingston County is part of the 7th Judicial District of theNew York Supreme Courtand the 4th Division of theNew York Supreme Court, Appellate Division.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	27,729		—
1840	35,140		26.7%
1850	40,875		16.3%
1860	39,546		−3.3%
1870	39,309		−0.6%
1880	39,562		0.6%
1890	37,801		−4.5%
1900	37,059		−2.0%
1910	38,037		2.6%
1920	36,830		−3.2%
1930	37,560		2.0%
1940	38,510		2.5%
1950	40,257		4.5%
1960	44,053		9.4%
1970	54,041		22.7%
1980	57,006		5.5%
1990	62,372		9.4%
2000	64,328		3.1%
2010	65,393		1.7%
2020	61,834		−5.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–19601900–1990 1990–20002010–2020

2000 Census

As of the2000 Census,there were 64,328 people, 22,150 households, and 15,349 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile (39 people/km²). There were 24,023 housing units at an average density of 38 units per square mile (15/km²).

The county's racial makeup was 94%White,3%African American,0.27%Native American,0.76%Asian,0.03%Pacific Islander,0.85% fromother races,and 1.04% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 2.27% of the population. 22.5% were of German, 17.7% Irish, 14.3% Italian, 12.8% English and 7.0%Americanancestry according to the2000 Census.95.8% spoke English and 2.0% Spanish as their first language.

There were 22,150 households, of which 34% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3.05.

23.40% of the county's population was under the age of 18, 14.20% were from age 18 to 24, 28.90% were from age 25 to 44, 22.10% were from age 45 to 64, and 11.40% were age 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.00 males.

The county's median household income was $42,066, and the median family income was $50,513. Males had a median income of $36,599 versus $25,228 for females. The county's per capita income was $18,062. About 5.80% of families and 10.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.70% of those under age 18 and 6.50% of those age 65 or over.

2010 Census

As of the2010 Census,there were 65,393 people, 24,409 households, and 15,943 families residing in the county. The population density was 103.5 people per square mile (40.0 people/km²). There were 27,123 housing units at an average density of 43 units per square mile (17/km²).

The county's racial makeup was 93.8%White,2.4%African American,0.29%Native American,1.2%Asian,0.03%Pacific Islander,0.76% fromother races,and 1.4% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 2.76% of the population. In 2017, 26.3% were of German, 21.2% Irish, 14.2% Italian, 13.5% English and 5.6%Americanancestry according to the 2017American Community Survey.93.5% spoke English and 2.6% Spanish as their first language.

2020 Census

Livingston County Racial Composition

Race	Num.	Perc.
White(NH)	54,611	88.32%
Black or African American(NH)	1,071	1.73%
Native American(NH)	125	0.2%
Asian(NH)	653	1.1%
Pacific Islander(NH)	6	0.01%
Other/Mixed(NH)	2,647	4.3%
HispanicorLatino	2,721	4.4%

Communities

Larger settlements

#	Location	Population	Type	Area
1	†Geneseo	8,031	Village	Center
2	Dansville	4,719	Village	South
3	Avon	3,394	Village	North
4	Mount Morris	2,986	Village	Center
5	Conesus Lake	2,584	CDP	Lakeside
6	Caledonia	2,201	Village	North
7	Lima	2,139	Village	North
8	Livonia	1,409	Village	Lakeside
9	Nunda	1,377	Village	South
10	Lakeville	756	CDP	North
11	East Avon	608	CDP	North
12	Hemlock	557	CDP	Lakeside
13	Springwater	549	CDP	Lakeside
14	York	544	CDP	North
15	Leicester	468	Village	Center
16	Livonia Center	421	CDP	Lakeside
17	Dalton	362	CDP	South
18	Retsof	340	CDP	Center
19	Conesus	308	CDP	Lakeside
20	Cuylerville	297	CDP	Center
21	Groveland Station	281	CDP	Center
22	South Lima	240	CDP	North
23	Fowlerville	227	CDP	North
24	Piffard	220	CDP	Center
25	Greigsville	209	CDP	North
26	Wadsworth	190	CDP	Center
27	Cumminsville	183	CDP	South
28	Scottsburg	117	CDP	South
29	Kysorville	110	CDP	South
30	Woodsville	80	CDP	Lakeside
31	Hunt	78	CDP	South
32	Linwood	74	CDP	North
33	Websters Crossing	69	CDP	Lakeside
34	Byersville	47	CDP	South

Towns

• Avon
• Caledonia
• Conesus
• Geneseo
• Groveland
• Leicester
• Lima
• Livonia
• Mount Morris
• North Dansville
• Nunda
• Ossian
• Portage
• Sparta
• Springwater
• West Sparta
• York

Villages

• Avon
• Caledonia
• Dansville, Livingston County, New York
• Geneseo
• Leicester
• Lima
• Livonia
• Mount Morris
• Nunda

Hamlet

• Coopersville

Notable people

• Cornelia Wadsworth Ritchie Adair,published diarist and matriarch ofGlenveagh CastleandJA Ranch,was born into the Wadsworth family of Geneseo.
• Lois Bryan Adams(1817–1870), writer, journalist, newspaper editor
• James C. Adamson,NASAastronaut, grew up in Geneseo.
• Chester A. Arthur,21st President of the United States, was son of aBaptistminister and moved toYorkin 1837, attending the Old Brick School there. His infant brother, George, is buried atPleasant Valley Cemeteryin York.
• Harriet N. Austin,awater curephysician,dress reformer,and women's rights advocate, was associated for many years with theJackson SanitoriuminNorth Dansville
• Cassius McDonald Barnes,American Civil Warsoldier, served as the 4thGovernor of Oklahoma Territory;born in Livingston County.
• Ross Barnes,famousMajor League Baseballplayer, was born atMt. Morris,Livingston County, in 1850.
• Isabel Chapin Barrows,first woman employed by theUnited States State Department,worked for a time at the Jackson Sanitorium inDansvilleand met her husband,Samuel June Barrows,there.
• Clara Barton,volunteer nurse during theCivil War,organized the first chapter of theAmerican Red CrossatDansville,Livingston County, in 1881.
• Francis Bellamy,author of the "Pledge of Allegiance,"was born in the village ofMt. Morrisin 1855 and lived there until 1859.
• James G. Birney,abolitionist and politician, is buried atWilliamsburg Cemetery, Groveland.
• Sarah Hopkins Bradford,writer and historian, was born inMt. Morris.
• Claude Fayette Bragdon,important architect, lived in Dansville for about four years beginning in 1877, where his father was a newspaper editor.
• William A. Brodie,Grand Master of Mason in New York,laid the foundation stone of theStatue of Libertyin 1884. He was Livingston County treasurer and spent most of his life inGeneseo.
• Charles R. Cameron,consulin Brazil,Chile,andCuba,andconsul-generalin Japan, spent over forty years in theUnited States Foreign Service.He was born inYork.
• Rev.Augusta Jane Chapin,born inLakeville, Livonia,was the first woman in America to receive anhonoraryDoctor of Divinitydegree.
• Emma Lampert Cooper,a prominentoilandwatercolorartist, was born inNunda.
• Cornplanter,Senecawar chief, diplomat, and veteran of theFrench and Indian Warand theAmerican Revolutionary War,was born atCanawaugus,now part of Caledonia.
• Millard Fillmore,13th President of the United States,apprenticedfor four months as a teenager at awool-cardingand cloth-dressing mill inWest Sparta.
• Clinton Bowen Fisk,American Civil Warbrigadier general, banker, 1888 US presidential candidate for theProhibition Party,and person whomFisk Universityis named; born in York.
• James W. Gerard,American Ambassador to Germany,was born at Geneseo.
• Walter E. Gregory(1857-1918), physician; first chairman of the Southern Livingston County chapter of the American Red Cross
• Seth Green,the "Father of Fish Culture," established the first North Americanfish hatcheryatCaledoniain 1864; it is now also the oldest in the country.
• Handsome Lake,aSenecareligious leader, was born at Canawaugus, now part of Caledonia
• Vivika Heino,notedceramicist,was born in Caledonia
• Eben Norton Horsford,scientist and inventor, developed a new formula forbaking powder,eventually producing Rumford Baking Powder. He was born inLeicester.
• William H. C. Hosmer,poet, was native of Avon.
• Mary Seymour Howell,native ofMt. Morris,was an educator and fought forwoman suffrage.She was a colleague ofSusan B. Anthonyand wrote the equal suffrage bill for theNew York State Assembly,passed in 1892.
• Washington Hunt,United States Congressman,New York State Comptroller,andNew York State Governorfrom 1851 to 1852, lived inPortageas a boy and was educated at theGeneseoAcademy.
• Helen Hunt Jackson,a writer and advocate for westernNative Americangroups, married into the Hunt family ofPortage
• Mary Jemison,the "White Woman of the Genesee," taken captive byNative Americans,lived much of her life among theSenecaatLittle Beard's Town,near present-dayCuylerville.After 1797, she resided on her 18,000-acre reservation, today part ofLetchworth State Park.
• Tom Keene / George Duryea,American actor, was likely native of Oakland in the town of Portage
• Belva Ann Lockwood,women's rights activist, educator, and politician, was educated atGenesee Wesleyan Seminary.
• Sara Jane McBride,entomologistand early womanfly tyer,was born inMumfordand lived inCaledonia.
• Elizabeth Smith Miller,women's suffrageadvocate anddress reformer,was born atGrovelandand designed the "Bloomer Outfit,"popularized byAmelia Bloomer.
• Annetta Thompson Mills,born inPortage,founded the first formal school for theDeafinChina.
• Henry Granger Piffard(1842–1910), New York dermatologist and author of the first systematic treatise ondermatologyin America
• Henry Jarvis Raymond,United States Congressmenand founder of theNew York Times,was fromLimaand attended theGenesee Wesleyan Seminarythere.
• Jessie Belle Rittenhouse,American poet and critic, was born atMt. Morris,and received the firstRobert Frost Medalfrom thePoetry Society of Americain 1930.
• Anne Graham Rockfellow,architect, was born inMt. Morrisand was the first woman to graduate fromMITwith a degree in architecture in 1887.
• John Samuel Rowell(1825–1907), agricultural inventor and manufacturing industrialist, was a resident ofSpringwater
• Emily Maria Scott(1832–1915), artist and founder of theNew York Water Color Club,was born in Springwater
• Daniel Shays,Revolutionary Warsoldier and leader ofShays' Rebellion,is buried in Scottsburg Union Cemetery inConesus.
• Curt Smith,author and political speechwriter, was born inCaledoniaand graduated fromSUNY Geneseoin 1973.
• Annie D. Fraser Tallent,pioneer, was the first white woman to enter the territory of theLakota peopleinSouth Dakotain 1874. She was originally fromYork.
• Alice Hay Wadsworth,nationalanti-suffrageleader, was wife ofSenator James W. Wadsworth Jr.and was president of theNational Association Opposed to Woman Suffragefrom 1917 to 1920.
• James Wadsworth,pioneer, land speculator, and education advocate, settled theGeneseoarea and later helped to fund New York Statecommon schoollibraries.His brotherWilliamalso was a pioneer and officer in theWar of 1812.
• James Jeremiah Wadsworth,American politician and diplomat, was native of Geneseo.
• James S. Wadsworth,American Civil Wargeneral who was killed at theBattle of the Wilderness,had his hometown in Geneseo.
• Ferdinand Ward,American swindler, was a native of Geneseo.
• Henry I. Weed,Wisconsin state senator and lawyer, was born in Livingston County.
• Julia Ann Wilbur(1815–1895) resided on the northern edge of Avon and was anabolitionistandsuffragist
• Frances E. Willard,suffrage and temperance leader, began an early career of teaching atLima'sGenesee Wesleyan Seminarybefore becoming the national president of theWoman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)and influencing the passage of the19th Amendment.
• John Young,New York State Governor,was born inConesusand opened alaw officeinGeneseobefore embarking on his state and federal legislative career.

See also

• Livingston County Courthouse (New York)
• List of counties in New York
• List of New York State Historic Markers in Livingston County, New York
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Livingston County, New York

Further reading

• Sullivan, James; Williams, Melvin E.; Conklin, Edwin P.; Fitzpatrick, Benedict, eds. (1927), "Chapter II. Livingston County.",History of New York State, 1523–1927(PDF),vol. 2, New York City, Chicago: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., p. 673-79,hdl:2027/mdp.39015019994048,WikidataQ114149636

External links

• Livingston County webpage
• Livingston County HistorianArchivedApril 18, 2016, at theWayback Machine
• Information from the Chamber of Commerce
• Livingston CountyatCurlie
• Brief histories of Livingston towns