Steuben County (stu-BEN) is a county located in the U.S. state of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 93,584. Its county seat is

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

. Its name is in honor of

Baron von Steuben Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben (born Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Louis von Steuben; September 17, 1730 – November 28, 1794), also referred to as Baron von Steuben (), was a Prussian military officer who p ...

, a Prussian general who fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War, though it is not pronounced the same (). Steuben County comprises the Corning, NY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Elmira-Corning, NY Combined Statistical Area.

History

Ontario County was established in 1789 to govern lands the state of New York had acquired in the Phelps and Gorham Purchase; at the time it covered the entirety of Western New York. Steuben County, much larger than today, was split off from Ontario County on March 8, 1796. In 1823 a portion of Steuben County was combined with a portion of Ontario County to form

Yates County Yates County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 24,774, making it the third-least populous county in New York. The county seat is Penn Yan. The name is in honor of Joseph C. Yates, who as Govern ...

. Steuben County was further reduced in size on April 17, 1854, when a portion was combined with portions of Chemung and Tompkins counties to form Schuyler County. Although it is not much mentioned because it does not fit well into the standard narrative of New York State history, in its earliest years Steuben County was demographically and geographically linked to the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

basin in Pennsylvania, leading to the port of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...

. The Canisteo River, navigable as far as Arkport, emptied into the Chemung River and it into the Susquehanna. There were no natural barriers, like the

Cohoes Falls Cohoes Falls ''Kanien'ké:ha'' (Kanyenkeha or Mohawk language) for "a boat is in the water / is actively submerged"">Mohawk language">''Kanien'ké:ha'' (Kanyenkeha or Mohawk language) for "a boat is in the water / is actively submerged"is a wat ...

on the Mohawk, to impede transportation, and timber and other agricultural products were easily shipped downriver from what are today (2019) the towns of Addison, Canisteo, and Hornellsville. Prior to the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, followed by the railroads, communication with the Hudson Valley and New York City was difficult. Limited to horses, mules, and donkeys, it was far too expensive to be used to ship bulky agricultural products. In 1892 a bill was introduced in the Legislature to split Steuben County, with Canisteo, Corning, and "the south towns" becoming Lincoln County. It did not pass.

Geography

Steuben County Courthouse, Corning, New York

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.0%) is water. Steuben County is in the southwestern part of New York State, immediately north of the Pennsylvania border. The population of Steuben County according to the 2000 U. S. census was 98,726. The county is in the

Southern Tier The Southern Tier is a geographic subregion of the broader Upstate New York region of New York State, consisting of counties west of the Catskill Mountains in Delaware County and geographically situated along or very near the northern border ...

region of New York State.

Adjacent counties

* Ontario County - north *

- northeast * Schuyler County - east *

Chemung County Chemung County is a county in the southern tier of the U.S. state of New York. The population was 84,148 as of the 2020 census. Its county seat is Elmira. Its name is derived from a Delaware Indian village whose name meant "big horn". Chemung ...

- east * Tioga County, Pennsylvania - south * Potter County, Pennsylvania - southwest * Allegany County - west * Livingston County - northwest

Government and politics

Steuben County is governed by a 17-member legislature headed by a chairman

State and federal government

Steuben County is part of: * The 7th Judicial District of the

New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...

* The 4th Department of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 98,726 people, 39,071 households, and 26,216 families residing in the county. The population density was 71 people per square mile (27/km²). There were 46,132 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.43% White, 1.36% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.90%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.81% of the population. 18.6% were of German, 15.2% English, 14.4% American, 13.6% Irish and 8.3% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.5% spoke English and 1.3% Spanish as their first language. There were 39,071 households, out of which 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.70% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.90% were non-families. 27.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.01. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.00% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $35,479, and the median income for a family was $41,940. Males had a median income of $32,155 versus $24,163 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,197. About 9.90% of families and 13.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.70% of those under age 18 and 5.80% of those age 65 or over.

2020 Census

Industry

The largest employer in Steuben County is

Corning, Inc. Corning Incorporated is an American multinational technology company that specializes in specialty glass, ceramics, and related materials and technologies including advanced optics, primarily for industrial and scientific applications. The co ...

(formerly Corning Glass Works), the world headquarters of a large firm (34,000 employed worldwide) which manufactures specialty glass and related products. Related is the nearby Corning Museum of Glass. There is a wine industry in Hammondsport, also the headquarters of the Mercury Corporation, a custom manufacturer, formerly of aircraft and aircraft components. There is a museum of aviation, the

Glenn H. Curtiss Museum The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum is a transportation museum in Hammondsport, New York with a focus on the early aviator Glenn H. Curtiss. The 60,000 square foot facility has a collection of aircraft, vintage motorcycles, automobiles, and aircraft eng ...

, in Hammondsport. Former industries in Steuben County are the Steuben Glass Works, in Corning, and the Erie Railroad repair shops, in

Hornell Hornell is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Steuben County, New York, Steuben County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 8,259 at the 2020 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early set ...

Education

There is one institution of post-secondary education in Steuben County: Corning Community College.

Alfred University Alfred University is a private university in Alfred (village), New York, Alfred, New York. It has a total undergraduate population of approximately 1,600 students. The university hosts the New York State College of Ceramics, which includes The ...

and Elmira College are nearby.

Transportation

Major highways

* Interstate 86 (Southern Tier Expressway) *

New York State Route 17 New York State Route 17 (NY 17) is a major state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in Mina and follows the Souther ...

(Southern Tier Expressway) * Interstate 99 *

U.S. Route 15 U.S. Route 15 (US 15) is a -long United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in Walterboro, South Caro ...

* Interstate 390 * New York State Route 15 * New York State Route 21 * New York State Route 36 *

New York State Route 414 New York State Route 414 (NY 414) is a north–south state highway in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 352 in the Steuben County city of Co ...

* New York State Route 415 *

New York State Route 417 New York State Route 417 (NY 417) is an east–west state highway located in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It begins at exit 20 of the Southern Tier Expressway ( Interstate 86 or I-86 and NY 17) i ...

Airports

Steuben County contains the following public-use airports: * Corning-Painted Post Airport in the Town of Erwin, near Corning and

Painted Post Painted Post is a village in Steuben County, New York. The village is in the town of Erwin, west of the city of Corning. The population was 1,809 at the 2010 census. The name comes from a Seneca carved post found by explorers at the junction o ...

Hornell Municipal Airport Hornell Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) north of the central business district of Hornell, a city in Steuben County, New York, United States. It is included in the National Pla ...

in the City of Hornell

Public Transportation

Local bus service is provided by Hornell Area Transit.

Communities

Larger Settlements

† - County Seat †† - Former Village ‡ - Not Wholly in this County

Towns

* Addison * Avoca *

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

Cameron Cameron may refer to: People * Clan Cameron, a Scottish clan * Cameron (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Cameron (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) ;Mononym * Cam'ron (born 197 ...

* Campbell * Canisteo * Caton * Cohocton * Corning * Dansville * Erwin * Fremont *

Greenwood Green wood is unseasoned wood. Greenwood or Green wood may also refer to: People * Greenwood (surname) Settlements Australia * Greenwood, Queensland, a locality in the Toowoomba Region * Greenwood, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth C ...

* Hartsville *

Hornby Hornby may refer to: Places In England * Hornby, Lancashire * Hornby, Hambleton, village in North Yorkshire * Hornby, Richmondshire, village in North Yorkshire Elsewhere * Hornby, Ontario, community in the town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canad ...

* Hornellsville *

Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

* Jasper * Lindley * Prattsburgh * Pulteney * Rathbone * Thurston * Troupsburg *

Tuscarora Tuscarora may refer to the following: First nations and Native American people and culture * Tuscarora people **''Federal Power Commission v. Tuscarora Indian Nation'' (1960) * Tuscarora language, an Iroquoian language of the Tuscarora people * ...

Urbana __NOTOC__ Urbana can refer to: Places Italy *Urbana, Italy United States *Urbana, Illinois **Urbana (conference), a Christian conference formerly held in Urbana, Illinois *Urbana, Indiana * Urbana, Iowa *Urbana, Kansas * Urbana, Maryland *Urbana, ...

* Wayland * Wayne * West Union *

Wheeler Wheeler may refer to: Places United States * Wheeler, Alabama, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, California, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, Illinois, a village * Wheeler, Indiana, a ...

* Woodhull

Hamlets

* Adrian * Canisteo Center *

Gibson Gibson may refer to: People * Gibson (surname) Businesses * Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment * Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based * Gi ...

* South Hornell * South Canisteo

Notable people

People born in Steuben County: * Stanley C. Armstrong (1888-1950), politician * Josiah H. Bonney (1817-1887), politician *

Olive Byrne Mary Olive Byrne (), known professionally as Olive Richard (February 19, 1904 – May 19, 1990), was the domestic partner of William Moulton Marston and Elizabeth Holloway Marston. She has been credited as an inspiration for the comic book charac ...

(1904-1990), domestic partner *

Edward Conner Edward Conner (1829–1900) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Conner was born on February 3, 1829, in Steuben County, New York. He settled in Woodville, Wisconsin, in 1871. Career Conner was elected to the Assembly in 1888. ...

(1829-1900), republican * Jasper Humphrey (1812-1892), democrat * Artemas Martin (1835-1918), mathematician * Selwyn N. Owen (1836-1916), lawyer * James A. Parsons (c.1868-1945), politician * Omar L. Rosenkrans (1843-1926), republican * Eric M. Smith (born 1980), juvenile murderer * Peter Truax (1828-1909), philanthropist

Footnotes

External links

Steuben County, New York official government site
*

It contains a great deal of info on Steuben County. {{authority control Counties of Appalachia 1796 establishments in New York (state) Populated places established in 1796