The History Center on Main Street


61 North Main Street, Mansfield, Pennsylvania 16933

Community Genealogy & History


Explore Local History One Township at a TIme in Tioga & Bradford Counties  PA & Chemung County NY

Town & City of Elmira, Chemung County NY
Town and City of Elmira 
Elmira includes the very early villages of Newtown, Dewittsburg and Wisnerburg. The Village of Newtown was formed from Chemung in 1792.  It was renamed Elmira in 1808. It is called the Queen City.
This page includes both the City of Elmira and the Town of Elmira as well as the Village of Elmira Heights
Elmira Histories
Elmira History by Towner
Elmira History from Seven Counties Outline
Four CountyHistory 1879 - Several Elmira Chapters
Civil War Prison Camp History & Burials
1897 Year Book of NYS Reformatory
1864-1964 History of Elmira's Children's Services
1924 Elmira NY - Elmira Chamber of Commerce
Elmira Street Name Changes
Maps
1836 Chemung County Map
1860 City of Elmira
1879 Chemung County Map
Elmira Articles
1868 - Elmira Forty Years Ago (1828) Articles from Elmira Gazette
1863 Elmira Water Cure
1868 - Elmira's First Physicians
1868 - Elmira's First Lawyers
1868 - Elmira's First Clergy
1868 - Reminiscences of Some Early Chemung County Settlers
1890s Article - fragment
Historical Events of Elmira Fire Department 1828-1978
1909 "In A Social Way"
The Canals
The Days of the Trolley Cars
1876 Elmira Celebrates the National Centennial
1879 Sullivan Monument Dedication - Centennial of Battle of Newtown (letter)
The Arch Creek, Florida - Elmira Connection
1918 - To The City of Elmira - Poem
1909 Ross Marvin Lost His life with Admiral Peary
Elmira Postcards & Photos
1946 Flood
1972 Flood
The Men Who Are Building the Panama Canal
Private Collection Pre WW! Elmira Snow Storm
Bridges in and near Elmira
Elmira Trolley
Popcorn Truck at Wisner Park
More Elmira Articles
Place Names of Origin of Elmira's Irish
1946 Flood photos and article
Famine
Covered Bridges
Beecher Babies
Then and Now
Water Street BT Baldwin & Railroad
Post Offices
Villages Past & Present
Newtown
Dewittsburg
Wisnerburg
Elmira Census Records
1790 Chemung Census
1800 Newtown Census
1820 Elmira Census (Volunteer Needed)
1830 Elmira Census (Volunteer Needed
1840 Elmira Census
1850 Census Town and City of Elmira (DH)
1860 Census Town and City of Elmira
1870 Census Town and City of Elmira (CW)
1880 Town & City of Elmira
1890 Census - Veterans
1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 (Volunteers Needed)
Elmira Directories
1857 Wilson's Elmira City Directory
1860  Boyd's Elmira Directory
1863/64 Brigham's Elmira Directory
1866 Waite Elmira Directory
1868 Galatian - Elmira, Horseheads, Chemung Valley
1868 Child's Gazetteer & Business Directory 
for Chemung & Schuyler Counties
1869/70 Boyd's Elmira Directory
1872/73 Boyd's Elmira & Corning Directory
1874/75 Boyd's Elmira Directory
1876/77 Have typed pages to format
1878/79 Boyd's Elmira Directory
1880/82 Boyd's Elmira Directory 
1882-84 Boyd's Elmira City Directory
1888 Williams' Elmira City Directory
1891 Williams' Elmira City Directory
1892 (Out to Typist CK - Very damaged brittle pages scanned)
1900 Elmira City Directory
1917 Elmira City Directory
1923 Elmira Directory - In Process
Elmira Tax Records
1794 Newtown Tax 1798 Elmira Tax
1799 Tax Assessment, Town of Newtown, Tioga County NY 1800 Tax Assessment, Town of Newtown, Tioga County NY
1801 Tax Assessment, Town of Newtown, Tioga County NY 1802 Tax Assessment, Town of Newtown, Tioga County NY
1803 Tax Assessment, Town of Newtown, Tioga County NY
Elmira Cemetery Records
If You can Provide GOOD Driving Directions or GPS coordinates for any of our 700 cemeteries, please send to Joyce
111. Old Second Street Cemetery Second Street Cemetery Obituaries
140. Baptist Church, Elmira 33. Elmira Correctional Facility, Reformatory
41. Fulton Street Cemetery Fulton Street Cemetery Obituaries
42. Fulton Street Hebrew Cemetery
37. Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens (Town) [Office Records] Forest Lawn Obituaries
106. Catholic Cemetery, St. Peter & Paul -
(Lookups by Sharon BRONSON Vossoughi)
St.Peter & Paul Cemetery Obituaries
53. Jenkins (Town) 117. Sons of Abraham Cemetery
41. Southport Cemetery 119. Sullivan Street Cemetery
Temple B'nai Israel Cemtery 140. Wisner Cemetery
142. Woodlawn Cemetery Woodlawn Obituaries
144. Woodlawn National Cemetery Woodlawn National Cemetery Obituaries
144 Woodlawn (Veteran Burials ONLY) Offsite 17. Woodlawn Hebrew Cemetery
Friends of Woodlawn Cemetery
45. Greatsinger Cemetery (Town) Civil War Burials at Woodlawn
"Recently I was in Elmira and photographed several tombstones in SS Peter and Paul's Cemetery.  I uploaded them to a web site and am happy to share with anyone interested.  My interest is Irish Catholics and I haven't photographed German, Polish, Italian surnames.  If you are interested email me at Rsvossoughi@sbcglobal.net and I will give you access to the photos.
We are four cousins who have spent a delicious but frustrating 20 years trying to untangle the folks from Liscannor Parish County Clare who settled in the Chemung Co. area.  Some of our surnames:  GUTHRIE, O'LAUGHLIN, FINN, READY/REIDY, DONAHUE, MCINERNEY, LIDDY, LOONEY, CUSICK, MANTELL, TIERNEY, CULLINEY, ESPEY, CADIGAN, KELLY, HOLLERAN, O'HARA, MCGRATH, BLAKE, BOLTON, BEHAN, CHERRY, O'LEARY, LEYDON, MADIGAN, MCCARTHY, MALONEY, MCDONOUGH, NAGLE, RYAN and many more."
Sharron BRONSON Vossoughi
Modesto, CA
Elmira Schools
1874 Elmira Public Schools 1878 Elmira Schools
1888 Elmira Schools 1917 - Schools in Elmira
1891 Elmira Schools A Century of Public Education in Elmira 1845-1945
College
1857 Elmira Female College Faculty
1863 Elmira Female College History
1913 In Memoriam, Augustus Cowles, First President of Elmira College
1913 Elmira College Faculty
1916 Elmira College Yearbook - Seniors
Specialty Schools
1858 Academy of Science
1860 Miss Thurston's Seminary for Young Ladies
1860 Cauldwell's Commercial College
1866 Vescelius Commercial College
1891 Great School of Commerce
1899 Warner's Business School
1906 Meeker's School of Commerce
1911 Elmira Business Institute
Public Schools
EFA Alumni 1862-1909
1890s School No. 4 - Graduation
1919 Elmira Free Academy Yearbook Extracts
1924 Southside High School - Dedication
1927 Elmira Heights School
1937 School Play at Thomas Edison
1938 School Near Greatsinger Corners
Parley Coburn & Divan School
School No. 8
Nursing / Medical
1862 Elmira Surgical Institute
1925 St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing
1932 & 1933 Graduates of Arnot-Ogden Nursing School
Arnot Ogden Memorial Hospital School of Nursing Fifty Year Reunion 2000
Religious
1898 St. Mary's School Graduation List
1907 Academy of Angels
1909 St. Patrick's Parochial Graduation
St. Mary's Girls Who Entered Religious Life
Letter to Editor in Star Gazette May 30, 2006

Fassett name has stronger local tie than Washington. 

The Elmira School District is considering  changing the name of  Fassett School to Washington School to reflect the move of the latter school's staff and pupils next year. 

Such a name change will represent another instance of Elmira turning its back on history. J Sloat Fassett, for whom Fassett School is named, is a prominent figure from Elmira's Golden Age. During his life (1853-1924) he served as Chemung County District Attorney, representing the area in the state Senate from 1884-1891, ran unsuccessfully for government on 1891, was a delegate to three Republican National Conventions and served in the House of Representatives from 1905-1911. He and his wife, Jennie Crocker Fassett (of a prominent San Francisco family) traveled to Korea in 1912 and were among the first westerners to visit the Royal Court. 

The one time publisher of the Elmira Advertiser newspaper, Fassett made his fortune in the banking, lumbering and mining businesses. To use the current phrase, Fassett the philanthropist "gave back to his commmunity" in many ways-aiding Elmira College, the First Baptist Church, public playgrounds and social agencies. 

There are countless schools across the country named for George Washington, but only one for J Sloat Fassett. I urge the Elmira School District to keep it that way. Rather than change the name, perhaps district officials could find a way to squeeze a local history course in the current cirriculum for students-and themselves. 

Mark Fleisher (Horseheads) 

Elmira Business Histories & Photos
1783 - Mathias Hollenbeck Store Ledger
1857 Elmira Business Directory
1866 Business Directory
1863 Elmira Business Histories
1863 Business Directory
1874 Business Ads
1868 Town of Elmira Business Directory 1868 City of Elmira Business Directory 1868 History of Elmira Newspapers
1872 Elmira Business Directory 1872 Town of Elmira Farmers
1875 Business Directory 1875 Elmira Newspapers 1880 Elmira Business Directory
1882 Elmira Business Directory 1882-84 Elmira Business Directory 1880 East Elmira Business Directory
1884 Elmira Businesses
Elmira Oil Company - Advertising Card American-LaFrance Elmira China 1897 Ad
Crandal & Brooks 1897 Ad Gus Valois, Barber John Collins - Horse Goods 1897
W. A. Prentice -Household Goods 1897 I. B. Coykendall - Shoes - 1897 Theodore Friendly - Carriages - 1897
Main Street Furniture & Carpet House A. W. Ayers - Monuments - 1897 Frederick S. Ayres, Jeweler & Optician 1897
Jane Wells, Florist Iszard's Department Store Sheehan's Department Store
Chemung Canal Trust Company Rosenbaum's Lafarge & Swarthout, Jewelers 1897
H. Straus, Merchant & Tailor 1897 James T. Wise, Jeweler, 1897 Tabor, Danks & Co., Dry Goods - 1897
S. B. Hubbell, Furniture & Undertaking 1897 Hosmer H. Billings, Bookseller, 1906 T.A. Pagett, Music Dealer
Dr. Carey's Marsh Root Dr. Carey - Oculist and Aurist 1897 The Doylemarx Story 1898-1948
Charles Ackley, Barber Elmira Foundry Photo
Mike's List of Elmira Diners Poray & Howell Auto Service Stations Ed Marks, Pharmacist
1923 Phone Book Ads 1946 Phone Book Ads Hancock Bakery
A Car Built in Elmira 1926 Willys Knight Model 66 Morrow Manufacturing
Photographers in Elmira
1857 Daguerre Studios 1863 Artists - Photograph & Ambrotype
1874 Photographers 1888 Photographers
1923 Elmira Photographers (Dir p. 819)
1857 Moulton's Daguerrian Gallery 1857 Chemung Ambrotype Gallery 1857 J. W. House
1863 Charles C. Doty 1866 A. P. Hart 1866 J. E. Larkin
1866 W. T. Seeley 1866 Miss E. T. Dunn 1866 O. C. Benjamin
VanAken, Elisha M 1878 Hart & Evans 1878 Niles D. Luce
1878 J. H. Whitley 1888 Excelsior View Co 1880s - C. J. Howe
Snook Brothers Luce & Silverman C. Tomlinson
Daggett & Woodside W.C. Rowley H. Sartor
Whitney Stamp (ca 1900) McFarlin - Also McFarlin & Speck
L. Hurley (Mrs. Hurley) Elmira Portrait Company George A. Personius
Charles Fudge (1917) George Millspaugh [1917, 1928]
Historic Hotels in Elmira
D. L. & W. Hotel
Wyckoff House
Oak Ridge Hotel
Globe Hotel
Western Hotel
Elmira House MarkTwain Hotel Rathbun Hotel Langwell Hotel
Elmira Organizations
1863 Elmira's Earliest Masons 1879 - Ch. 46 of Four County History
1885 Elmira Paid Fire Department 1888 Organizations and More Organizations
1879 Fire Department History 1896 Convention of the Order of St. George
1896 By Laws of Elmira Auxiliary Elmira Heights Fire Department Band Father Mathew Society
1917-1948 St. Mary's Boy Scouts 1917 Elmira Directory - Fraternal Orders 1917 Elmira Directory - Associations
1923 Elmira Directory - Clubs & Associations 1923 Elmira Heights Clubs & Associations 1923 Horseheads Clubs & Associations
1889 "The Believers" 1878 Masonic Societies 1878 Odd Fellows Societies
1923 Alpha Zeta Fraternity Convention Held in Elmira 1953 Telephone Pioneers of America ca1927 - Divens Post GAR Disbands
Chemung Chapter of D.A.R. 1897 - 1997
Elmira Churches
Histories, Records, Photos
1874 Churches of Elmira 1888 Elmira Churches
1878 Elmira Churches 1891 Elmira Churches
1900 Elmira Churches 1917 Elmira Directory - Churches
1868 - Elmira's First Clergy
1929-30 Oakwood M.E. Church Directory Selected Records, St.Patrick's Church Park Church Charter Members
1938 Oakwood Avenue Methodist Church 1905 Hedding M.E. Sunday School St. Mary's Baptismal Records 1870s-1890s
1908 Elmwood Avenue Baptist Church 1918 Church of Christ Directory 1854-1900 Park Church - Rev. Thomas K. Beecher Marriages
2005 80th Anniversary Elmira Wesleyan Church Lake Street Presbyterian Church Records Centenary Methodist Church
Selected German Church Records Additional Selected German Evangelical Records German Evangelical Church Records
1829 First Baptist Church - Membership
Elmira Family Bible Records
Flood - Kennedy Bible Records Fanning - Spaulding Bible
Decker - King Bible Simonson - Horton Bible
Gregg - Wisner Bible
Rose - Clapper Bible Evans - Holleran Bible Dinsmore - Treadwell Bible
Elmira Families & Individuals,
Genealogies, Photos
Eileen Collins, Astronaut
William MATCHEW & Mary ? Descendants
Elmira Marriage Page
Charles Davis, Funeral Director
Freeman / Astwood Descendants
1868 - Reminiscences of Some Early Chemung County Settlers
Rev. Edmund M. Mills Charles Edgar BROWN 1880 Autobiography of Elnathan Green
You Can Run, But You Can't Hide Dr. Elizabeth FLOWER "Wheeler" 1869 Eva Green - Frank Edgerton Marriage
Woody Woodhull, Musician and Entertainer Dr. Floyd Harding Jones John Winkler - Nancy Weir Descendants
Davis Family of Chemung County
Elmira Resources
Deaths in Elmira 1867-1881 Marriage Index 1860-1862
Selected Death Certificate Abstracts SBV Marriage - Death Index 1870
Deaths in Elmira 1889
Elmira Resident Photo Album
Wells, Jones, Burt Photos Manning - Skinner Family Photo
Bridget FLETCHER (Hannigan) 1852-1942 Hogaboom Sisters of Elmira
Eldrett-Coon Family photos 1925 & 1952 Joyce M. Tice with her parents 1950
1885 Bessie Wells Play
Can You Identify all of Elmira's Most Famous Shown on this sign?
Elmira Diaries & Letters 
1854 from John Wilson Densmore of Elmira 1865 Evelina Jane Green (excerpts)
Harry B. Cleveland of Elmira 1900 Diary 1837 - 1840 Albert M. Potter Diary
1857 Journal of a Rail Trip by Robert Bulkeley 1891 Emmas PEASE "Wells"
1952 Helen BARBER "Ellison" Diary 1953 Helen BARBER "Ellison" Diary
1954 Helen BARBER "Ellison" Diary 1955 Helen BARBER "Ellison" Diary
Buildings of Note
Snyder Building (1923 Dir P.100)
Robinson Building (1923 Dir P. 98)
Merchants National Bank Building (1923-99)
Hulett Building (1923-96)
Realty and Steele Memorial Buildings (1923-97)
Federation Building
Y.M.C.A.
John W. Jones House & Museum
1917 Buildings, Hotels, Parks
Historic Parks
Brand Park Fitch's Bridge
Eldridge Park Eldrdige Park Carousel Preservation Site Harris Hill
Mountain House Rorick's Glen
Wisner Park Victory Arch
Sullivan's Monument Beecher Monument
Entertainment
Elmira Opera House
Lyceum Theater
Arnot Art Museum
Clemens Center
Remembering Elmira [off-site]
NYS Reformatory
1897 Year Book of the NYS Reformatory, Elmira
Handbook of New York State Reformatory 1916
NYS Reformatory
Reference Books on Hand to Be Transcribed
History of the Elmira Prison Camp
Elmira Wills, Deeds, Legal Documents
Wills Filed in Tioga County NY by Chemung County residents pre 1834
1810 Letter of Administration of Estate of Silas Baldwin
1815 Will of Jesse Carpenter
1823 Will of Hannah SEELEY Cooley 1839 Will of Grant Baldwin 1860 Will of Jesse Carpenter, Jr
1912 Will & Probate of George H. Owen Will of Maria C. BENNETT Morgan of Elmira 1899 
Elmira Military Records
Elmira Prison Revisted
Oysters for Oystermen
Civil War Prison Article - George Farr
Roster of 27th NY Volunteers
April 1917 - Enlistees
World War One Letters
Elmira's Home Defense Corps
Reunion Roster NY V.I. 167th
SS Peter & Paul Honor Roll for World War One Earl L. Bates - WW1 Clifford Elliott - WW1
Richard Floyd Manning - WW1 William J. Hanigan - WW1 Burt Rightmire - WW1
1878 Military Organizations 1918 Elmira Draftees to Fort Slocum
Elmira Sports 
1900 Amateur Baseball Photos
1905 Baseball Team
1917 E.F.A. Undefeated Basketball Team
1948 Elmira Pony League Baseball Title
Township Population Statisticss