From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Map Western New York
From the Genesee River to the western line
was approximately the Holland Purchase
Larger version
The Holland Land Company was formed in 1796 by Wilheim Willink and a group of fellow Dutch bankers to purchase a large tract of land in what is now western New York. It consisted of about 3.5 million acres of land from the Genesee Valley to the present western border of the state. The bankers had to form the company and hire trustees in the United States, because it was not legal at that time for them to directly own the property, a status that was changed shortley thereafter.
A sales office was opened in 1801 by surveyer and agent Joseph Ellicott in Batavia where land was sold until 1846 when the company was dissolved. Some plots of land were given to persons upon condition that they establish improvements, such as inns and taverns, to encourage growth.
In 1802 Genesee County was established by New York State, and since then it has been repeatedly split to form all or parts of the counties of Allegany (1806), Niagara (1808), Cattaraugus (1808), Chautaqua (1808), Erie (1821), Monroe (1821), Livingston (1821), and Orleans (1824).
See also: List of New York counties
