Steuben County, New York: 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. 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.
In its earliest years, Steuben County was demographically and geographically linked to the Susquehanna River basin in Pennsylvania, leading to the port of Baltimore. The Canisteo River, navigable as far as Arkport, emptied into the Chemung River and it into the Susquehanna. No natural barriers, such as the Cohoes Falls on the Mohawk, existed to impede transportation, and timber and other agricultural products were easily shipped downriver from what are 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, using it to ship bulky agricultural products was far too expensive.
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.