The Name That Almost Wasn't

The name Schuyler County sounds so familiar to us today, but it almost didn't happen.  That was not the intended name for the county.  When parts of Steuben, Chemung, and Tompkins Counties were taken to form this county, the plan called for the new county to be named Webster County, after the famed Whig politician, Daniel Webster.  That name was rejected and the name Montour County, honoring the local Seneca Indian woman Catharine Montour,  was endorsed by some, but that idea quickly faded. It was finally decided to name it in honor of Revolutionary War general, Philip Schuyler.  At least Catharine Montour and Daniel Webster once set foot in the county, Schuyler had not.  But, Schuyler won out.  The legislature passed the bill, and the governor signed it.  Creation of the new county quickly opened another can of worms--would Watkins or Havana (Montour Falls) be the county seat?  The two towns would battle over that for more than a decade.

Philip Schuyler

from Schuyler County Historical Society files