About this cache:
This cache is located in Pine Tree Park in the Hamlet of Cowlesville (pronounced "coals-ville").
Wyoming County is pretty well known for its agricultural prowess (the old adage being there’s “more cows than people”), but in addition we also have a scintillating history!
Wyoming County is the youngest county in Western New York, being established in 1841. Wyoming County is taken from the Delaware Indian word meaning "broad bottom lands". The Native American history and influence in Wyoming County is significant, particularly the story of Mary Jemison, the “white woman of the Genesee” who was captured and later adopted by the Seneca’s, becoming a beloved member of the tribe. Until 1831, Mary Jemison lived in Gardeau, which now comprises the central portion of Letchworth State Park.
Wyoming County serves as the home and western gateway to Letchworth State Park, often described as the “Grand Canyon of the East” and recognized nationally as the #1 state park in the United States. Letchworth State Park is named after William Pryor Letchworth, who in 1906 bequeathed 1,000 of acres of property that comprised the park’s Upper and Middle falls, as well as Glen Iris, his estate house overlooking the Genesee River Gorge.
Other historically unique facts and figures about Wyoming County:
- President Chester A. Arthur spent a portion of his childhood living in Perry, NY.
- Middlebury Academy in the Village of Wyoming, became the first high school west of the Finger Lakes in 1817. The building still exists today as the Town of Middlebury Historical Society.
- The county seat is Warsaw, which served as a significant stop along the underground railroad during the Civil War. Augustus Frank, U.S. Congressman from 1863-1865, built his mansion in Warsaw and was instrumental in writing and passing the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery.
- The Genesee River runs through Letchworth State Park, creating a gorge that in some places is 600 feet deep, exposing rocks approximately 400 million years old.
- The Arcade & Attica Railroad was established in 1917 and is one of the only active steam-engine excursion locomotives running in New York State.
An immense thank you to Snowman257 and Crys71 for placing this cache.
Fun fine print:
No night caching is allowed for this hide! All final caches are 30 caliber ammo cans or larger. Permission was given to place this cache by the land owner / manager. Please respect their property by leaving no trace, practicing Cache-In-Trash-Out and replacing the cache better than you found it. Enjoy!
