Yates County, NY History

The Yates County chapter from French's Gazetteer of New York (1860).  French's Gazetteer is a standard reference source for New York State for the period just before the Civil War, and most later gazetteers borrowed heavily from it, with or without acknowledging their debt to the authors. The Yates County chapter identifies the following localities:  Barrington, Benton, Bellona, Benton Center, Fergusons Corners, Italy, Italy Hill, Italy Hollow, Jerusalem, Branchport, Kinneys Corners, Shermans Hollow, Yatesville, Middlesex, Middlesex Center, Overackers Corners, Milo, Penn Yan, Milo Center, Himrods Corners, Potter, Rushville, Potter Center, Voak, Starkey, Dundee, Eddytown, Rock Stream, Big Stream Point, Shannons Corners, Starkey Corners, Torrey, and West Dresden.  5+ pages, PDF format.  Download now for $1.75.

The Yates County chapter from Mather & Brockett's Geographical History of the State of New York (1848).  While the treatment of Yates County in this historically significant early gazetteer is very brief (just three pages), to which we have added the section of Mather & Brockett about land grants and patents in New York State, it includes some material about the Rhode Island-born Quaker evangelist and mystic, Jemima Wilkinson, who called herself "the Universal Friend" and preached a policy of strict sexual abstinence, who settled in Yates County with her flock. She is credited with creating an hospitable environment for religious visionaries in the Finger Lakes area.  3++ pages, in PDF format.  Download now for $1.75.

See also: Noted Women of the Genesee Country by Mary Hotchkin Hoag (undated). 

The 1962 Kiondaga of Keuka College

Keuka, a small college in Keuka Park, NY, gets rather little attention naturally.  However, it's been around for a good many years.  This yearbook came into our possession a while ago, and we decided to share it.  We'll get to it eventually, but if you let us know that you're interested we'll get to it sooner.  Interested?  Contact us! (e-mail preferred)

Needless to say, we're always looking for additional Yates County material to publish.