Canisteo Valley Historical Society

Membership

As of January 1, 2026, the new dues structure is:  $15 per year per household;  please list the names of household members age 18 and up if applying for household membership.  $150 individual lifetime dues.  There is an option to pay dues online.

For more information, see www.canisteovalleyhistoricalsociety.org or email canisteovalleyhistoricalsoc@gmail.com. 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!

Upcoming Events

SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL and SUMMERFEST

The CVHS will be celebrating America’s 250th birthday (the Semiquincentennial) during Arkport Summerfest.  We will be open Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11, both days 10am – 4 pm. and Sunday, July 12, noon – 4pm.  Come visit our house at 5 East Avenue in Arkport and view our exhibits.  In addition, CVHS will be sponsoring a Cemetery Tour on Heritage Hill on Saturday afternoon, 3 pm, highlighting several of our area’s “famous residents” throughout our history, beginning with our Revolutionary War veterans.  Meet at the first entrance.

“The Ultimate Dining Experience” is a fundraiser for our Society.  The Grand Prize is a dining experience at Racalto’s valued at $500.  There are also prizes of $100 gift cards for MaddieJ’s and the Village Cafe.  Tickets are $10 and will be available for sale at the open house, Friday through Sunday, with the drawing on Sunday afternoon.

As an additional fundraiser, we will also be holding a White Elephant sale Thursday through Saturday in the driveway, or garage, weather dependent.

2026 Meetings

There will be a regular business meeting of CVHS on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 4pm.  After a short business meeting will be a program presented by Larry Jones and Ed Phelps.  The annual meeting of CVHS will be on Tuesday, December 1, 2026 at 4 pm.  Program TBD.  Both are held at the Arkport Village Community Room.

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.