Famous Locals
In the late eighteenth century, the land that is now Western New York
was virgin forest and the easiest passable route to the west. In the
beginning of the nineteenth century, historic Genesee County, frequently
called "The United States' First Frontier," was the stopping place for
thousands of pioneers moving west. Settlers from New England, Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, and even the Southern States, settled throughout the Holland
Purchase. Some of the settlers, or their descendants, moved further
west to places like Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
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Resident-Agent Joseph
Ellicott is considered the single most influential individual to
have lived in Western New York during the pioneer era. Joseph Ellicott,
and his land office, were an integral cog in the economic machine
of the Holland Land Company and were responsible for the settlement
of roughly 3.5 million acres of land. Enjoy the latest publication
from Ellicott Scholar and Museum Director Patrick Weissend, now
available in pdf format.
Ellicott pdf |
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| For those
unfortunate individuals who are geographically removed and incapable
of visiting our museum, we now offer our overview video for visitors
online. The nine minute video focuses on the origin and
development of the Holland Land Company and Western New York.
MuseumVideo_wmv |
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History
