LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 175th Anniversary of the found-
ing of Wyoming County, New York, on May 19, 2016

WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to honor and recog-
nize the distinguished histories of communities across this great Empire
State, and to celebrate the people and places that make these communi-
ties strong; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the 175th Anniversary of the founding of Wyoming County, New York,
to be celebrated with a myriad of public events on Thursday, May 19,
2016; and
WHEREAS, For the past 175 years, Wyoming County has proudly stood as a
close-knit, safe and vibrant community in western New York State; and
WHEREAS, On May 19, 1841, 13 members of the Wyoming County Board of
Supervisors voted to divide the County of Genesee to create the County
of Wyoming; the inaugural members of the Board included Oliver Hodges,
from the town of Attica; Isaac Pierce, Jr. from the town of Bennington;
Clark Sanford, from the town of Castile; John Smith, from the town of
China; Uriah Johnson, from the town of Covington; Ira F. Pratt, from the
town of Gainesville; Joseph Currier, from the town of Java; Thomas
Durfee, from the town of Middlebury; Labanah Winchester, from the town
of Orangeville; Truman Benedict from the town of Perry; Eleazer Baldwin,
from the town of Sheldon; Allen Fargo, from the town of Warsaw, and
Daniel Wolcott, from the town of Wethersfield; and
WHEREAS, As recorded in the ledger of minutes of the First Sessions of
the Wyoming County Board of Supervisors in Batavia, New York on June 8,
1841, the first resolution of the Board of Supervisors was to appoint
Truman Benedict as the first Chairman, and to recognize that Chester A.
Arthur, 21st President of the United States, lived in the village of
Perry in Wyoming County when he was a boy from 1833-1839; and
WHEREAS, It was also noted that the citizens of Wyoming County were
actively involved in the anti-slavery movement and that the AMERICAN
CITIZEN, an anti-slavery newspaper, was established in the town of
Warsaw in 1836; and
WHEREAS, On April 1, 1846, Eagle, Pike and Genesee Falls (which was
created from the town of Portage) were annexed to Wyoming County, and on
November 17, 1859, a law was enacted to preserve the fish in the waters
of Silver Lake in the towns of Perry and Castile; and
WHEREAS, The boundary line was changed between the Towns of China and
Eagle, in the county of Wyoming, and the Town of China was changed to
the Town of Arcade by the New York State Senate and Assembly on January
19, 1866; and
WHEREAS, On January 24, 1907, New York State Governor Hughes signed a
bill accepting the gift of the 1,000 acre Glen Iris property from
philanthropist and humanitarian, William Pryor Letchworth, to be forever
used as a park; shortly thereafter, the New York State Legislature
passed a resolution naming it "Letchworth Park", which falls partly
within the towns of Castile and Genesee Falls; in 2015, the park was
voted the No. 1 2015 Best State Park in the USA TODAY 10 Best Readers'
Choice Award; and
WHEREAS, On January 1, 1950, Charlotte Smallwood-Cook took office as
Wyoming County District Attorney, the first female District Attorney in
the state; in February of 1964, the County was the first in the state to
establish a medical scholarship program to entice doctors into local
practice; and

WHEREAS, Five decades later, Anne Humphrey was the first woman to be
appointed Chair of the Board of Supervisors; and
WHEREAS, Today, Wyoming County continues its steadfast commitment to
enhancing the quality of life for all of its residents, ensuring a safe,
peaceful and educational climate for individuals and families to thrive;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 175th Anniversary of the founding of Wyoming County, New
York, on May 19, 2016, in order to recognize the significant role the
county plays in the life of the community of the State of New York; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to A. D. Berwanger, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Wyom-
ing County, and to Cindy Amrhein, Wyoming County Historian.