Village of Arkport Blog

Welcome to the Village of Arkport, a small community located in Steuben County in Western New York. In 1997, Arkport celebrated is Bicentennial anniversary of its founding by Christopher Hurlbut, who served in the Continental Army directly under the command of George Washington. In 1797, he purchased 637 acres in what is now Arkport. As new settlers arrived, the fertile valley became farmland. The Canisteo river, which flows through the village, flows east and south, and eventually reaches the Chesapeake Bay.

In 1800, the New York legislature passed an act declaring the river a public highway for the shipment of goods. Arks were constructed in the town; goods, produce, and timber rafts began their journeys to the regional markets. By 1830, Arkport was a well-established frontier community. In the years that followed, the opening of the Erie Canal took over the river trade. The exodus of settlers to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan kept the population of the village at a constant small number.

Today, Arkport is home to approximately 900 hundred inhabitants. It is mostly a bedroom community, with employment in nearby Hornell and, to the north, the City of Rochester. The village is still a farming community and has several small businesses. The Arkport Central School is one of the more progressive schools in the Southern Tier region of New York State. Village government consists of a Mayor, four trustees, a clerk/treasurer, a small Department of Works, and a well-organized volunteer fire department. Reminisce Magazine, which awarded the village with its “Burma-Shave” theme signs, honored Arkport in 1995; only one community in each state is awarded this program. Community spirit runs high, with annual “Summerfest” celebration each July and a well-organized baseball/softball program for youngsters. The Village Park is filled all summer with adult and youth activities.