Upcoming Events

The first business meeting of the year, postponed from April 11, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, May 2, 1 p.m. at the Arkport Village Hall Community Room. We hope you can fit this into your May calendar, and hope to see you there!

Other Events:

The Canisteo Valley Historical Society is resuming its Special Programs with this event:

The Canisteo Valley Historical Society (Arkport, N.Y.) presents a special program, sponsored by the Steuben County Historical Society:
“The Life and Times of a Marine in the Korean War”
Presenter: Dave Clark, first person interpreter
Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 4 p.m.
Arkport Village Hall Community Room (behind the fire hall)
Free to the public, refreshments served
The presentation by Dave Clark will feature a first person historical interpretation.
Major landings, heroic battles, adverse conditions will be presented using a collection of authentic artifacts.
Any area veterans of the Korean War are encouraged and welcome to attend.

Also known as the Canisteo Valley Historical Society, The Canisteo Valley Historical Society is now also accessible on the Web! Access Facebook and/or the website by entering The Canisteo Valley Historical Society or Arkport Historical Society. Stay Tuned for Upcoming Events.

Join Arkport (Canisteo Valley) Historical Society! Only $10 per year per person. ($15 per couple!) If you are a fan or resident of “Good of Old Arkport” come to one of our meetings and meet old friends and new people! We share old photos, talk about old times, have very interesting speakers, and a whole lot more! Meetings are the first Tuesday of various months in the village community center. For more information, call Nancy Glover @ 295-7418

Or Drop a Check in the Mail made out to: Canisteo Valley Historical Society PO Box 123 Arkport, NY 14807

Make sure to include your full name, address and phone number along with your email address if you have one!

Brief History of Arkport

Founded in 1797 by Christopher Hurlbut, Arkport began as a thriving agricultural center. Each spring when the waters were high, area farmers shipped crops, livestock, potash, timber and other items down the Canisteo River to Baltimore on “arks” built of local tall pine trees and other lumber. At the time the Canisteo River flowed from the hills of Bishopville down to the valley just north of Arkport and through the village where the current Marsh Ditch now flows. The arks were loaded behind the current houses on State Route 36 in fields called the ark yards. This practice continued for several years until the time (around 1825) the Erie Canal was built and it became more cost effective to ship goods via the canal. Hence the name Christopher Hurlbut gave his little town: “Ark-Port”!

Soon after, the railroad was built and began service around 1851. The river bed of the Canisteo River was moved to its present site along the western hill. The first railroads were independent companies; The Attica & Hornellsville followed by the Buffalo & Corning which later became a part of the great “Erie”, a name synonymous with railroaders for the next century.

In the later half of the 19th Century, farmers began draining the swampy marsh just north of the village and converted it to extremely fertile muck land. These several hundred acres of rich farm land brought many many families to the area of who’s decedents still call Arkport home.

The village was incorporated around 1913 and has experienced many changes over the years. Many of the names of families have remained in Arkport over the years, a testimony of people choosing to live the good life of small town living in rural America. Current population (as of the 2000 census) stands at 832 living in approximately 350 homes.