History along the Finger Lakes Trail - Western Region

"First petroleum discovered in the United States in 1627 one mile north and 1000 yards east."  The first discovery of oil in America occured here near Cuba, New York. The oil spring is located near the spillway end of Cuba Lake on the Oil ... Read more

The 3,278-acre Bush Hill State Forest provides many outdoor recreational opportunities, the most common of which are hunting and hiking. In the 1930s, Bush Hill was the site of many work projects carried out by the Civilian Conservation Cor... Read more

The 1,144-acre Farmersville State Forest is a popular hunting and hiking destination. In the 1930s Farmersville was the site of many work projects carried out by the Civilian Conservation Corps or CCC. The CCC, established by the administra... Read more

Swift Hill State Forest covers a total of 1,569 acres. The forest contains a mixture of native hardwood species and planted conifers. The area was settled in the early 1800s. Much of the land now comprising the state forest was cleared for ... Read more

Portageville is named after the Native American canoeists who withdrew their crafts from the water to avoid going over three waterfalls in the Genesee River gorge now known as Portage Falls. They transported their canoes on land for several... Read more

The William Pryor Letchworth Museum is located at Letchworth State Park and showcases the work of Letchworth, who was a businessman and charity leader, to preserve the land and history of people from this spectacular area. Displays include... Read more

Angelica, just off the interstate, was settled in 1802 and established in 1805 by Captain Philip Church who was a nephew of Alexander Hamilton. Church named the town after his mother, Angelica Schuyler Church. The Angelica Park Circle is t... Read more

The Town of Nunda, within the Morris Reserve, was founded in 1808 as a part of Allegany County. The name is from Nunda-wa-ono, a Seneca Indian tribe that once lived in the beautiful hills and valleys along the Genesee river and Keshequa str... Read more

The marker is located In Dansville on Nunda-Dansville Road just east of Shute Rd. It reads, "Nearby is the site of the last cabin in this town, occupied by the Senecas, before their removal to the Buffalo reservation in 1826." More info nea... Read more

 The marker is on Nunda-Dansville Rd (New York State Route 436), on the right when traveling west. It reads, "Route of New York and Erie Telegraph Line constructed in 1848, under the supervision of Ezra Cornell, founder of Cornell Universi... Read more

The primary purposes of Rattlesnake Hill Wildlife Management Area (WMA) are for wildlife management, wildlife habitat management, and wildlife-dependent recreation. This WMA is a 5,100-acre upland tract, situated approximately eight miles w... Read more

The village of Swain was known as a 19th-century railroad junction and today is the site of a small ski resort. The Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad (PS&N) operated between the coal mines of northern Pennsylvania and the Souther... Read more

Slader Creek State Forest covers a total of 1,229 acres and contains a mixture of native hardwood species and planted conifers. The area gets its name from the picturesque stream touches the northern portion of the state forest with severa... Read more

Settled in 1821 by Scottish frontiersman, Almond's name is inspired by the Almond Valley in Scotland. Today Almond has several notable sites, including The Hagadorn House -- home to three generations of the Hagadorn family and open occasio... Read more

The 3,513-acre Bully Hill State Forest provides opportunities for hiking, snowmobiling, camping, bird watching, nature photography and hunting. Note that state forest roads are not plowed in the winter unless there is an on-going timber sal... Read more

"Anna Cadogan Etz (1863-1953) Speeches & news columns helped women obtain right to vote in NY state. Lifelong Hornell resident." Her newspaper column “Suffrage Notes and Comments” appeared in 40 newspapers from 1912 to 1917 when wom... Read more

Housed in the historic Hornell Depot, the museum features an array of Erie train memorabilia and photographs. The City of Hornell created the museum in 2005 to preserve the history and mementos of the men and women of the Hornell area, and... Read more

The Finger Lakes Boating Museum was created in 1996and  preserves and shares the boating activities and boat building heritage of the Finger Lakes. The museum's collection includes more than 200 boats built by many of the 40+ commercial bu... Read more

Hammondsport was first settled in 1792; the village was incorporated in 1856. In addition to its scenic location at the foot of Keuka Lake,  it is known for its contributions both to the New York State wine industry as well as to aviation... Read more

The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, is dedicated to the memory of pioneer aviator Glenn Hammond Curtiss and showcases a collection focused on early aviation and regional history. In addition to seeing the museum displays and exhibits, visitors a... Read more

Birdseye Hollow State Forest features a hiking trail and a multiple-use trail. Located on the area is a portion of the Finger Lakes Trail (foot traffic only), a 558-mile trail that extends from Allegany State Park in southwestern New York t... Read more