According to the Buffalo Museum of Science, the first humans in Genesee County arrived 11,000 years ago. Chipped-stone spear points and mastodon bones have been unearthed at the archaeological excavation of the former Charles Hiscock farm in Byron. The Paleo-Indians, nomadic people who followed herds of animals, traveled through the ancient forest and tundra near Lake Tonawanda. Prehistoric Earthworks in Oakfield and the Divers Lake flint quarry north of Indian Falls add to the evidence of early inhabitants in Genesee County.
The Seneca, members of the Iroquois Confederacy, controlled Western New York until the end of the 18th century. One of their important meeting locations was at a bend in the Tonawanda Creek, near present-day Batavia. The Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, followed by the Big Tree Treaty of 1797, led to the establishment of Seneca reservations. Today, the Tonawanda Indian Reservation, located within the township of Alabama, remains home to many Seneca.
Western New York was divided into several land tracts by investors eager to sell property to pioneers. The Holland Land Company, composed of Dutch bankers, was the largest investor. The name "Batavia" was chosen to honor these Dutch landowners and was derived from the Republic of Batavia in the Netherlands.
Genesee County was officially established on March 30, 1802. At its founding, the county encompassed all of Western New York. As populations grew, surrounding counties such as Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara were formed from parts of Genesee. Today, the county covers 501 square miles and has a population of over 60,000.
Genesee County’s fertile land and diverse soil types have made it one of New York State’s leading agricultural regions. The county is known for its vegetable farms, particularly in Elba, where beets and onions thrive in the rich muck soil. Dairy farming remains the leading commodity, contributing significantly to the county’s agricultural economy.
Genesee County has been blessed with rich deposits of gypsum, limestone, natural gas, and salt. Early industries, such as the Jell-O Company in LeRoy, Wiard Plow in Batavia, and various firearm manufacturers, contributed to the county’s economic development. Today, Genesee continues to host a variety of businesses that take advantage of local resources.
Genesee County has a long tradition of valuing education, from the establishment of the first schoolhouse in 1801 to the founding of Genesee Community College. The county is also home to the New York State School for the Blind, established in 1865. Recreational opportunities abound with attractions such as the Darien Lake Theme Park and the Genesee County Park and Forest.
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1797: Big Tree Treaty with the Senecas provided clear title for the development of land and settlements in Western New York. LeRoy's first settler, Charles Wilbur from Rhode Island, arrived.
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1798: Stafford's first place of business was the Transit Storehouse, which was built of logs by James Brisbane.
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1801: The first school within Genesee County was built (LeRoy). The first sawmill in Batavia was constructed. The first settlement in what is now Oakfield was made on the site of an ancient Indian Village.
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1802: Genesee County and the Town of Batavia were established. The first church service held west of the Genesee River was conducted by the Episcopal Church in LeRoy.
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1803: The first Courthouse built west of the Genesee River was constructed.
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1807: The first of seven public executions by hanging was conducted for murder. The Holland Land Company sold its Pre-Emption rights to the Seneca Reservation to the Ogden Land Company.
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1811: The first library in Genesee County was formed (Alexander).
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1812: The towns of Alexander, Bethany, LeRoy, and Pembroke were formed.
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1813: The town of Bergen was formed.
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1815: The Holland Land Office was built. Pavilion's first tavern opened.
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1816: An arsenal was built after the War of 1812 to protect the region. Eight springs were discovered in Alabama, having healing properties, and a health spa operated during the 19th century. The water was bottled and shipped worldwide.
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1820: The towns of Byron, Elba, and Stafford were formed. The Federal Census listed 19 male and 14 female slaves in Genesee County.
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1823: The village of Batavia was incorporated.
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1824: The Byron Library Society was organized. Elba's first shoe and boot-making business opened at Daws Corners.
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1825: Gypsum was discovered in Oakfield.
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1826: The town of Alabama was formed. The Genesee County Home and Infirmary came into existence and was ready for use in 1827. William Morgan's disappearance fueled anti-Masonic sentiments throughout the Northeast.
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1828: Ely Samuel Parker, Seneca sachem, engineer, and soldier, was born near Indian Falls (Pembroke). During the Civil War, Parker was General Grant's military secretary at Appomattox. The surrender documents are in Parker's writing.
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1829: The first bank west of the Genesee River was the Bank of Genesee, later known as the Genesee Trust, which still functions in Batavia as part of M&T Bank.
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1832: The town of Darien was formed.
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1834: The villages of Alexander and LeRoy were incorporated.
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1836: Train service began when the Tonawanda Railroad reached Bergen, the farthest west the railroad had been built in New York State.
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1837: The LeRoy Female Seminary was founded and chartered as Ingham University in 1857, the first university for women in the United States.
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1840: The Genesee County Agricultural Society was formed, and the first Genesee County Fair was held in Alexander.
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1841: Construction for the second Courthouse for Genesee County began. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks in 1973.
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1842: The towns of Oakfield and Pavilion were formed. The second ("Compromise") Treaty of Buffalo Creek was signed, and Tonawanda Senecas split from the rest of the Seneca Nation.
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1843: Cary Collegiate Seminary opened in Oakfield.
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1844: Manufacturing of carriages began in Darien.
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1852: Dean Richmond moved to Batavia and is credited with consolidating several small railroads that stretched from Albany to Buffalo to form the New York Central Railroad.
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1854: Morganville Pottery produced mostly drain tile and flower pots, also made glazed wares that are valuable collectibles and displayed in museums. The site was excavated in 1973 by the Rochester Museum of Science.
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1857: The Treaty at Tonawanda Reservation was signed.
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1866: Oakfield's Town Clerk's Office was destroyed by a fire that swept away all the town's records from its organization to that time.
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1868: The village of Corfu was incorporated. Construction began for the New York State School for the Blind, established in part to meet the needs of soldiers blinded during the Civil War.
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1873: Mineral Spring water was discovered in Darien.
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1876: The Wiard Plow industry arrived in Batavia, and by 1954, when it closed, it claimed to be the oldest plow manufacturer in the United States.
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1877: The village of Bergen was incorporated. A cheese factory in Alexander was built, producing 272,000 pounds of cheese in its first year of operation. The Genesee County Pomona Grange began.
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1878: The Daily News was first printed.
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1880: Bergen Roller Mills were constructed and operated by steam power.
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1882: The village of Oakfield was incorporated.
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1883: Between 1883 and 1900, 26 greenhouses were built in Corfu.
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1884: The village of Elba was incorporated.
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1886: The village of Bergen was incorporated.
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1889: The Branton family started a dairy business in Batavia. Richmond Memorial Library was presented to the people of Batavia by Mrs. Dean Richmond in memory of her son.
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1890: Oakfield elected the first Prohibition Village President in Western New York.
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1891: Pavilion Salt Co. was incorporated.
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1893: New York Central engine "999" broke the world's speed record on its run between Batavia and Buffalo.
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1896: The first free Rural Mail Delivery in New York State started in Elba.
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1897: Telephone communication began in Darien.
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1899: Pearle B. Wait sold his Jell-O formula to Orator T. Woodward for $450 in LeRoy.
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1900: The first automobile operator's license was issued in the county. The Oakfield Book Club was formed, with membership by invitation only. The Book Club would organize the first library in Oakfield, fund the creation of Triangle Park, and help raise funds for Genesee Memorial Hospital.
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1902: The County Jail and Sheriff's Office were built.
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1903: Elba Telephone Co. was incorporated. Trolley lines were built in Batavia and operated for 26 years.
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1905: United States Gypsum Co. installed new electric lights to illuminate the streets of Oakfield.
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1906: The Darien Grange was organized. Electric current was turned on from Niagara Falls to Batavia.
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1907: A canning factory opened in Bergen, which still operates using migrant labor.
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1909: Pavilion Creamery opened, and 100 pounds of butter were produced on its first day.
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1911: Seven Springs Country Club in Stafford was incorporated. The first airplane flew over the county.
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1912: Lester T. Ross of South Alabama invented a snowplow, and by 1925, the towns of Alabama, Alexander, Bethany, and Oakfield were using his invention to successfully remove snow. Horseshoe Lake Amusement Company was formed as a summer resort in Stafford.
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1913: Two movie theaters opened in Batavia.
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1915: The Elba muck lands opened with the draining of the swamp. The Pavilion Bank building was constructed, and in 1928, it was chartered as Pavilion State Bank. Batavia became a city.
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1916: The Bank of Elba was incorporated. A fire in Alexander consumed 17 buildings. The New York State Police arrived, and "Troop A" was established. Only 13 students remained at Bergen High School, as 69 abandoned their studies to fight in World War I.
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1918: Former Lightweight Champion of England, Bill Heveron, moved to East Pembroke and opened Heveron's "Old English Inn" and Health Camp. Stafford went dry with a vote of 123 against saloons. 397 cases of Spanish Influenza were reported between September and December.
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1919: The Soldiers and Sailors Monument was dedicated, honoring the sacrifices made by Genesee County during the Civil War and subsequent foreign wars. Hawley Motors, Inc. claims to be the oldest Dodge dealership in the United States, owned by the same family for the most years. Mae Walker Patchill began her candy-making business in Byron. Stafford Country Club was started.
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1924: The Bethany hamlet of Linden was terrorized by three murders. The Genesee County Tuberculosis and Public Health Association started Bellaire Health Camp for undernourished children.
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1928: D.W. Airport in LeRoy opened.
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1931: Potter DeWitt Corp. was formed as a heavy construction company in Pavilion and was involved in state projects, including Attica State Prison, Mt. Morris Dam, and St. Lawrence Seaway. The Genesee County Fish and Game Protective Association purchased Godfrey's Pond from the New York Central Railroad Co. in Stafford. New York State erected hen houses containing 68 pens each to accommodate the Western New York Egg Laying Test. In 1943, a Rhode Island Red hen produced 351 eggs in 358 days.
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1932: The Veteran's Administration Hospital was built.
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1935: The County Forest, located in Bethany, was designated as the first County Forest in New York State.
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1936: The cornerstone was laid for the Pavilion Central School District, the county's first centralized school, replacing 14 one-room schoolhouses.
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1937: Professional baseball started with a team named the Clippers in Batavia.
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1940: Batavia Downs Racetrack opened. The first draft boards in the county registered approximately 4,500 men.
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1941: WBTA radio station went on the air for the first time. New York State purchased 1,500 acres in the towns of Oakfield and Alabama for a wildlife preserve in Oak Orchard Swamp. Myron Ground from the Tonawanda Indian Reservation was the first county casualty in World War II.
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1943: Six Flying Fortresses and eight B-25 medium bombers, one named "Genesee County, New York," were purchased as a result of the War Loan Drive.
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1944: Genesee County was declared a Soil Conservation District. Opening day for schools was delayed until September 18th due to a polio epidemic.
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1945: Genesee County Veterans Services began.
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1947: Kutter's Cheese Factory started making small quantities of a large variety of cheese and continues to sell their products throughout the Northeast. Pontillo's Pizzeria opened on Ellicott Street in Batavia, selling pies for 85 cents.
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1949: Boulder Park in Indian Falls included a unique merry-go-round and a miniature steam train.
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1951: The Federal Census showed that approximately half of Oakfield's adult population worked for U.S. Gypsum. Genesee Memorial Hospital was formally dedicated.
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1953: Sylvania Electric opened in Batavia (The plant closed in 1976, causing local economic hardships).
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1954: Exit 47 of the New York State Thruway opened in LeRoy.
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1955: Greta Patterson became the first person to swim 15 miles across Lake Erie.
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1957: The first shopping plaza in Batavia opened at the east end of the town.
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1958: The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, located in Alabama, was established.
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1959: The richest Ice Age Mastodon site in North America was discovered in Byron.
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1963: The Batavia City Council received federal funding for urban renewal and began demolishing the three-story brick buildings constructed during the second half of the 19th century.
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1964: The Jell-O Plant in LeRoy closed. The county provided $245,000 for the construction of a County Airport, which included $115,000 from a federal grant. The historic Brick House in Pembroke was razed to make way for a new junior-senior high school. The Genesee County Symphony was started.
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1965: Bergen Swamp became one of the first of seven sites in the United States to be designated a Registered National Historical Natural Landmark. Barber B. Conable Jr. was elected to the U.S. Congress (He served until 1986 and was appointed President of the World Bank until his retirement in 1991).
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1966: A strong earthquake rocked the area on New Year's Day. A blizzard paralyzed Western New York.
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1967: The first County Legislators were elected. The former VALU store was rejuvenated for Genesee County Community College. According to the Master Development Plan, the freshman class that fall numbered 378 full-time and 375 part-time students.
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1971: Four Hundred Towers, a high-rise for the elderly, opened in Batavia.
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1972: Local author John Gardner's "The Sunlight Dialogues" was published.
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1973: The Cobblestone Building in Alexander was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of the largest cobblestone structures in New York State and one of the few originally designed for public purposes.
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1974: Lei-Ti Campground opened, creating a family camp and recreational facility in Bethany.
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1975: New Headquarters for "Troop A" of the New York State Police was built on West Saile Road (Batavia). YMCA unveiled plans for a swimming pool.
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1977: Blizzard stranded an estimated 3,000 people. Florence Gioia became the first woman elected to the County Legislature. The Landmark Society of Genesee County, established in 1965, bought the old St. James Rectory and restored the exterior and part of the interior.
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1978: Batavia's Victorian-era business district was replaced with a single-story mall and parking lot.
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1979: Genesee County Cablevision began providing service.
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1982: McDonald's opened on LeRoy's Main Street.
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1984: Part of the movie "The Natural," starring Robert Redford, was filmed in the Stafford countryside.
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1987: GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming) was formed to cooperatively deal with the looming solid waste crisis.
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1989: Wilfred S. Brooks became the first African-American County Legislator.
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1991: Former Batavia native, Terry Anderson, was released after being held hostage for seven years in Lebanon.
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1993: A tornado hit Batavia. Scott & Bean, the County's oldest store, closed after 157 years.
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1994: AMTRAK passenger train toppled off the Conrail tracks, and EMS coordinated Genesee County's largest rescue effort ever.
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1996: The County Courts Facility had its ground-breaking ceremonies. New Dwyer Stadium opened.
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1998: Darien Lake became part of the Six Flags chain, transforming the small theme park into a major Northeastern attraction. U.S. Gypsum mines in Oakfield closed after 96 years.
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1999: DeWitt Enterprises was sold to Hanson Aggregate, a building materials company (Pavilion). At the close of this century, agriculture was the county's number one industry. There were 516 farms on 170,878 acres of highly productive farmland, which equaled more than 53 percent of the land in Genesee County, the highest percentage of any county in New York State. Genesee Memorial and St. Jerome Hospitals completed their merger and received a new name: United Memorial Medical Center.
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2000: Rochester Zen Center built a Buddhist retreat at "Chapin's Mill" in Stafford.