Chemung County has a long and rich history. The name "Chemung" dates to 1779 when early settlers named the area after a Native American village situated on the Chemung River. In the Delaware dialect of the Algonquin language, the word "Chemung" means "Place of the big horn." The "big horns" were mammoth tusks, still being discovered in the area today!

In 1779, Newtown Village (Canaweola) was located near what would become the City of Elmira. Settlements were established beginning about 1784 in what is now Chemung County. Migration to the Chemung Valley began as settlers sought to "stake their claim" in Western New York State. The Revolutionary War was of great significance to the development of Chemung County and was, indeed, the pivotal point in opening up land for early settlers.

Chemung County also played a significant role during the Civil War. The Prison Camp for Confederate solders was established in Newtown (Elmira) in 1864. During the camp's existence, nearly 12,000 Confederate prisoners were housed there awaiting the end of the War. Unfortunately, some Confederate soldiers did not live to see the end of the Civil War, and were interred at the Woodlawn National Cemetery ,the only cemetery north of the Mason-Dixon line where Confederate soldiers are buried.

Fascinating history of the Underground Railroad during the Civil War can be found in Chemung County and in the City of Elmira. Elmira was the only regular agency of the Underground Railroad between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Saint Catherine's, Ontario. Explore the trail of the Underground Railroad in Chemung County! Visit the churches in Elmira where escaped slaves hid on their journey to freedom!

Revolutionary War (including the seldom heard Native American perspective) and Civil War reenactments are held annually at the famous Sullivan's Monument Park at the Newtown Battlefield Reservation, located off Route 17/I-86 West. Re-live those haunting and historically significant times that shaped the future of the Chemung River Valley. Today, the Newtown Battlefield Reservation is a beautiful 330-acre County Park and is open for family camping, hiking and picnicking.

 

The Chemung Valley History Museum is located in a restored bank building and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors to the museum can see Native American stone implements, immigrant's belongings, and a woolly mammoth's tusk, representing the name "Chemung." Changing exhibits provide an in-depth view of topics significant to regional history. The Elmira Heights Historical Society is housed in a turn-of-the-century fire station and contains artifacts that record the history of the Village of Elmira Heights. The Big Flats Historical Society contains information on tobacco growing as a historical agricultural component, and the Horseheads Historical Society has a vast collection of works by renowned political cartoonist Eugene Zimmerman.

You can visit the largest concentration of Victorian-era homes in New York State in Elmira's Near Westside Historic District and cross the Chemung River along beautiful Maple Ave, known as "Antiques Alley" for its collection of antique and specialty shops. The Near Westside Historic District is listed on the national Register of Historic Places and offers guided tours, self-guided walking tours and Holiday Open Houses. Charming bed and breakfasts are also located in and around both areas to the delight of our visitors.

If tracing the family tree is your passion, visit the Steele Memorial Library in Elmira, which has the best collection of genealogy research materials between Buffalo and New York City.