Ontario County Town Petitions

The following table has been adapted from a booklet published in 1999 by the Office of the Ontario County Historian titled Creating Local Government in Ontario County, New York, 1789-1801, by Gilbert Tremain Smith.  

Following the table are links to digitized Town Petition files held and maintained by the Ontario County Department of Records, Archives, and Information Management Services. These documents are but a portion of primary resources held by RAIMS that are utilized by researchers like Gilbert Smith to understand the history and evolution of early Ontario County government. 

TOWN NAME PETITION DATE
Seneca none found
Jerusalem original district, gore added 1791
Augusta (Middlesex) May 26, 1796, on list when organization authorized
East Town undated petition granted, on list when organization authorized*
Sullivan (Phelps) none found, name change undated
Farmington on list when organization authorized*
Toland (Palmira a part) October 27, 1796 for Palmira
Sodus (remainder of Toland) on list when organization authorized*
Northfield April 28, 1795
Bloomfield June 3, 1795
Charlestown (Lima] on list when organization authorized* annexation to Town, June 9, 1798
Hartford (Avon) on list when organization authorized*
Canandaigua original district, Range 3, Town 7 added 1793 gore added, June, 1791.
Bristol October 28, 1796
Middletown (Naples part) October 27, 1795
Pittstown (Richmond)** February 9, 1796
Sparta February, 1796
Geneseo original district, new Town October
31, 1796, also on list with Towns.*

Northampton (several) October 24, 1796

*an undated list of Court actions appears to be from part of the November 1796 term, (perhaps from one day of two creating towns.)

**erected and organized as the Town of Honeoye.