Schuyler County, New York | ||
---|---|---|
County | ||
Schuyler County Courthouse
|
||
|
||
Location in the U.S. state of New York |
||
New York's location in the U.S. |
||
Founded | 1854 | |
Named for | Philip Schuyler | |
Seat | Watkins Glen | |
Largest town | Hector | |
Area | ||
• Total | 342 sq mi (886 km2) | |
• Land | 328 sq mi (850 km2) | |
• Water | 14 sq mi (36 km2), 4.1% | |
Population | ||
• (2010) | 18,343 | |
• Density | 56/sq mi (22/km²) | |
Congressional district | 23rd | |
Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
Website | www |
Schuyler County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,343, making it the second-least populous county in New York. The county seat is Watkins Glen. The name is in honor of General Philip Schuyler, one of the four major generals in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War.
When counties were established in New York State in 1683, the present Schuyler County was part of Albany County. This was an enormous county, including the northern part of New York State as well as all of the present State of Vermont and, in theory, extending westward to the Pacific Ocean. This county was reduced in size on July 3, 1766 by the creation of Cumberland County, and further on March 16, 1770 by the creation of Gloucester County, both containing territory now in Vermont.
On March 12, 1772, what was left of Albany County was split into three parts, one remaining under the name Albany County. One of the other pieces, Tryon County, contained the western portion (and thus, since no western boundary was specified, theoretically still extended west to the Pacific). Tryon County's eastern boundary was approximately five miles west of the present city of Schenectady, and the county included the western part of the Adirondack Mountains and the area west of the West Branch of the Delaware River. The area then designated as Tryon County now includes 37 counties of New York State. The county was named for William Tryon, colonial governor of New York.