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At
the time of the first settlement here the territory now
known as York was embraced in the town of Caledonia, and
the settlers, chiefly from Scotland, located first at "Big
Springs," now the village of Caledonia, in 1799 and
1800, and from thence branched out into the section of wilderness
then called "South Woods", and now known as the
Town of York.
The
first town meeting was held on the first Tuesday in April,
1819, at the inn of Nathan Russ. This place of meeting was
designated by the Special Act of Legislature for the formation
of the town.
The
Town of York now consists of seven hamlets, York, Fowlerville,
Linwood, Greigsville, Retsof, Wadsworth, and Piffard. Originally
the Town of York was made up of five villages, York Centre,
Fowlerville, Piffard, and North and South Greigsville, the
two former being the largest and most important places.
Villages
at that time:
York
Centre
The village of York Centre was situated at nearly the geographical
center of the town. It contained three churches, five stores,
one hotel, post-office, copper shop, wagon shop, three blacksmith
shops, a furnace shop, and had a population of some 300.
Fowlerville
The village of Fowlerville lies in the north-eastern part
of the town. It contained two churches, two stores, post-office,
one hotel, a harness, blacksmith and wagon shop, agricultural
works, and a population of 375 or 400, including transient
boarders.
Fowlerville
was first permanently settled by Wells Fowler and William
Taylor, in 1816. The village derived its name from Wells
Fowler, and was chosen by the unanimous resolution of the
inhabitants who resided there.
Piffard
The hamlet of Piffard lies in the southeastern part of the
town of York. It contained one church, one store, post-office,
one hotel, blacksmith and wagon shop, a saw-mill, stave
and barrel factory combined, and a
population of about 150.
The
hamlet derived its name from David Piffard, who located
here in 1824.
The
growth of this hamlet was due to the opening of the Genesee
Valley Canal, and to the public spirit of Mr. Piffard. It
was first known as Piffardinia - later shortened to Piffard.
Greigsville
The two places of this name, North and South Greigsville,
about a mile apart, is situated in the southern part of
the town. These were small hamlets and together contained
two churches, post-office, one store, two blacksmith shops,
and a sawmill
Retsof
This community came about as an outgrowth of the development
of the salt mining industry shortly after 1881. Retsof derived
its name from William Foster (Foster spelled backwards),
who was influential in the incorporation of the Retsof Mining
Company in 1885.
Linwood
The hamlet of Linwood developed shortly before the turn
of the century, mainly as a result of the D.L. & W.
Railroad which was completed through York Township in 1883.
Summary
Agriculture and food production are a large part of the
expanding business in York. Approximately 90% of our land
area is in agriculture.
Our
Water & Sewer Department has expanded our public water
and sewer systems to cover a great portion of the town,
our workers are certified and licensed by the New York State
and we continue to update and improve our services.
The
Highway Department does a fantastic job at keeping our roads
in top shape and work cooperatively with our Water and Sewer
Department, other towns and Livingston County to better
service the Town of York.
New
homes and subdivisions are constantly being constructed.
The property in York has some of the most beautiful views
in the country.
York
Central School is a small school, with many opportunities
for our youth. The School district is continually making
improvements to update its curriculum, extra curricular
activities, our class rooms and the safety of our students.
Sources:
Livingston County Leader
Wednesday, September 10, 1969;
Thanks to Steve Gates, Historian Town of York, New York
The
Town of York is rich in small town charm.
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