From the record
31 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
140 topographic sheets cover 55 settlements here, and 31 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
31 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
Drawn when these were printed as single large sheets: the town seen from the air, and the county divided into its farms with every owner named. Each opens the original at the Library of Congress.
Selected from the Digital Public Library of America's 15 image records catalogued for this county. Every one shown here carries a public-domain status or a licence that permits reuse on a site that carries advertising; non-commercial, share-alike and restricted images are excluded. The selection is spread across the county's towns (at most eight per town), so no single institution's bulk upload crowds out the rest. Each opens the holding library's record, and the complete set at the Digital Public Library of America is one click away.



Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 748 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 48 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.
















































The thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that measured the flow of its streams, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.
Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 380 of them, burning about 470 acres. 29 started naturally and 59 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 148 |
| Debris and open burning | 86 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 59 |
| Natural | 29 |
| Smoking | 23 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 17 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 7 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 5 |
| Fireworks | 2 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 2 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
| Other causes | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. Two of them were set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 April 2003 | Arson/incendiarism | 49 acres | New York Forest Rangers | not named |
| 17 March 2010 | Debris and open burning | 31 acres | New York Forest Rangers | not named |
| 25 March 2009 | Debris and open burning | 25 acres | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 9 April 1993 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 25 acres | New York Forest Rangers | not named |
| 7 August 2001 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 16 acres | New York Forest Rangers | not named |
| 14 April 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 12 acres | New York Forest Rangers | not named |
| 1 May 2004 | Debris and open burning | 6.0 acres | New York Forest Rangers | not named |
| 14 April 2003 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | New York Forest Rangers | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 433 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 13 injuries and about $12,359,250 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 293 |
| Hail | 61 |
| Flash Flood | 58 |
| Flood | 11 |
| Tornado | 6 |
| Lightning | 3 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1986 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | 5 hurt | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cortland | 4 hurt, $5,000 | A tree fell on an occupied car. |
| May 2001 | Lightning | Lapeer | 3 hurt | Lightning struck a barn where people were taking shelter from a thunderstorm. 3 people were injured as the lightning moved through an electrical box in the barn. One victim was reported to be in critical condition. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Gracie | 1 hurt, $59,000 | A strong microburst with estimated wind speeds of 60-85 mph winds, and an estimated peak wind of 95 mph, occurred from the Tompkins and Cortland County border, near Sweetland Road and Nye Road, and ended north of Marathon on the evening of June 22nd. Multiple medium to large trees were observed being uprooted or snapped, as well as some tree damage resulting in property damage. A tree house collapsed due to multiple large trees snapping and falling, resulting in 1 reported injury. A small metal roof gazebo was also lofted 30 feet away from a house. |
| January 1996 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $5,700,000 | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $3,000,000 | no account filed |
| July 2017 | Flash Flood | Virgil | $450,000 | Severe flash flooding led to multiple reports of road closures and swift water rescues in and near the Village of Virgil. Route 392 was impassable. Four people were trapped in a residence on County Road. |
| September 2010 | Flash Flood | South Cortland | $370,000 | Many roads in the county were closed due to flooding. A large section of Route 11 was closed between Polkville and Marathon. Trout Brook over-topped a bridge where it crossed Route 11, and many roads in the Village of McGraw, including Route 41, were closed. |
| June 1998 | Tornado (F1) | Cincinnatus | $150,000 | A severe thunderstorm that had produced wind damage and hail just a short time prior in the town of Taylor became tornadic over Cincinnatus. Post-storm damage surveys indicate that the tornado touchdown was brief with snapped off trees and some house damage incurred. One home had its roof almost completely torn off with the front porch also heavily damaged from falling trees. The swath of damage was only just over 100 yards long with evidence of tornadic winds becoming discontinuous downstream. |
| October 2021 | Flash Flood | Virgil | $100,000 | Severe flash flooding was reported throughout the Town of Virgil. A State of Emergency was placed in effect for the area. |
| August 2013 | Flash Flood | Munsons Corners | $100,000 | Severe flooding was reported in Cortlandville within the Walmart parking lot. People were trapped on top of their vehicles and rescued by emergency personnel. |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | Virgil | $75,000 | Flash flooding damaged and closed three roads near County Route 392. |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | Taylor | $75,000 | Flooding covered several roads in the area, including the villages of East Freetown, Taylor and Cincinnatus. |
| March 2011 | Flash Flood | Cortland | $75,000 | Over a dozen roads were reported flooded in the greater Cortland area with one road having over two feet of water flowing over it. A flash flood was also reported north of Cortland near Preble where northbound Interstate 81 was closed due to flooding at Exit Thirteen. |
| September 2011 | Flash Flood | Willet | $75,000 | Flash flooding of streams and creeks occurred. Many roads were closed due to flooding. |
| October 2021 | Flash Flood | Cortland | $50,000 | Widespread flooding of roads led to many closures in Cortland. |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | Cortland Arpt | $50,000 | Water was covering roads throughout the City of Cortland. |
| June 2005 | Flash Flood | Mc Graw | $50,000 | Heavy rain with amounts up to 3 inches in an hour caused flash flooding. Mosquito Creek flooded roadways and flowed into several basements. 1 house had water into the first floor. State Route 41 was closed due to flooding for half an hour. |
| March 2006 | Flash Flood | Homer | $50,000 | no account filed |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cincinnatus | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 2024 | Tornado (EF0) | Virgil | $37,000 | A small tornado touched down near Daisy Hollow Road in Virgil, NY with mostly tree damage. A few homes sustained minor damage to their roofs. The tornado tracked east northeast along Babcock Hollow Road. The tornado passed near Greek Peak Resort and lifted near Route 11 just south of Cortlandville. It is unclear if the tornado was on the ground the entire path as there were a couple of inaccessible unsurveyed hills. Drone footage from NY Office of Emergency Management showed a cyclonic flow pattern in some trees along Route 11 right before it lifted. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cortlandville | $35,000 | no account filed |
| December 2023 | Flash Flood | Lapeer | $30,000 | Jennings Creek is out of bank and flooding nearby properties. There is also extensive yard and basement flooding in the area. |
| April 2026 | Flood | Cortland | $25,000 | Excessive rainfall created a significant rise and subsequent flooding along the Tioughnioga River near Cortland, NY. The streamgage crested at 10.37 feet during the afternoon of April 1st. The river exceeded the Moderate flood stage which is 10 feet. The main road between Cortland and Marathon was flooded and closed for hours. |
| December 2020 | Flood | Cortland | $25,000 | The Tioughnioga River at Cortland exceeded Moderate flood stage and crested at 11.57 feet on December 25th. |
| October 2019 | Flash Flood | Cincinnatus | $25,000 | A bridge was reported washed out near the Cortland and Chenago county line. |
| May 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Homer | $25,000 | Thunderstorm winds that were estimated at 70 mph knocked down and uprooted several trees. There was some roof damage in a mobile home park and to a few homes. |
| August 2013 | Flash Flood | Munsons Corners | $25,000 | Significant flooding was reported in Cortlandville. |
| November 2006 | Flash Flood | Cortland | $25,000 | Roads flooded throughout the county. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $25,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and wires countywide. Damage was spotty. |
| June 2006 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 1992 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 1992 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Freetown Corners | $20,500 | Strong thunderstorm winds knocked down five trees, causing one to fall on a garage and damaging the roof. Chicken coops were also heavily damaged or destroyed. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Virgil | $20,000 | Strong thunderstorm winds knocked down trees and snapped a pole. |
| August 2021 | Flash Flood | Little York | $20,000 | A neighborhood of manufactured homes was flooded in this area. |
| October 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Virgil | $20,000 | A line of thunderstorms produced damaging wind gusts which knocked down trees across a road. |
| July 2017 | Flash Flood | East Virgil | $20,000 | Severe flash flooding led to multiple reports of road closures and swift water rescues in and near the Village of Marathon. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Marathon | $20,000 | Significant wind damage occurred along Rout 134B, Divers Crossing Road. Hundreds of |trees were snapped and uprooted. The area was about 2 1/2 miles long and 1/2 mile wide. Four homes and one business had damage to roofs from fallen trees. Two structures showed minor wind damage to roofs. Winds were estimated at 70 to 80 mph. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Virgil | $20,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and wires in Cortland, Virgil, and Cincinnatus. |
| September 2000 | Lightning | Marathon | $20,000 | Lightning strike started a barn fire. Major damage to upper floors. No injuries to livestock or humans. |
| June 1998 | Hail | Homer | $20,000 | A thunderstorm intensified to severe levels across western sections of the county. Just after 7 pm EDT, hail to one inch in diameter and downed trees were reported in and just north of Homer. Shortly thereafter, the storm toppled additional trees and power lines in Cortland. |
| December 1996 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $20,000 | no account filed |
| August 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cortlandville | $20,000 | no account filed |
| August 2023 | Tornado (EF1) | Harford | $15,000 | A tornado touched down near the intersection of Route 38 and Purvis Road in far eastern Tompkins County. It then moved northeastward through a mostly wooded area in Cortland County from Harford to Virgil. The most widespread damage was found along Clute Road where several trees were uprooted and snapped and a large shed/storage building had its roof partially torn off and partially collapsed. The tornado then brought down more trees along a property along Stafford Road before continuing northeastward to West River Road. Several snapped and uprooted trees were observed at residences along this road. The last observed damage was in a wooded area between West River Road and the Tioughnioga River and this is where the tornado lifted.||At the time that the tornado touched down in Tompkins County, it was an EF-0, but it became an EF-1 in Cortland County. The majority of damage occurred in Cortland County. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cortland | $15,000 | Strong thunderstorm winds knocked down a tree onto a building which fell through the roof, resulting in significant damage to the structure. |
| October 2021 | Flash Flood | Little York | $15,000 | Numerous roads were flooded in the area and closed to traffic. |
| October 2021 | Flash Flood | Virgil | $15,000 | Flash flooding was covering the road near Greek Peak Ski Area. The rental shop was beginning to flood. Officials were closing the roadway. |
| August 2021 | Flash Flood | Preble | $15,000 | Multiple roads are flooded in Preble. |
| December 2020 | Flash Flood | Cincinnatus | $15,000 | Numerous roads flooded in the area with rocks and debris in many areas. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cortland Arpt | $15,000 | Strong thunderstorm winds knocked down trees in several locations. Trees were down across a few roadways. |
| July 2017 | Flash Flood | Homer | $15,000 | Flood waters were flowing over several streets in Cortland, and rural areas in the western portion of the county. |
| May 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Homer | $15,000 | A thunderstorm produced very strong winds that were estimated around 70 mph. |
| July 2013 | Flash Flood | Gracie | $15,000 | Heavy rain caused rushing water, trees and debris to flow across most roads in the city of Cortland. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Crains Mills | $15,000 | Thunderstorm wind damage occurred at a couple of farms and several residences between Truxton and Cuyler. |
| June 1998 | Hail | Taylor | $15,000 | A thunderstorm that produced wind damage and large hail across western sections of the county earlier in the evening reintensified to severe limits once again further east. Trees and power lines were downed in the town of Taylor and dime sized hail was reported as well. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cortland | $15,000 | Severe thunderstorms toppled numerous trees in Cortland between 2:30 and 2:40 pm EDT. |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cortland | $13,000 | no account filed |
| July 2017 | Flash Flood | Cortland Arpt | $12,000 | Water was flowing over several streets in and around Homer, including Cold Brook Road, Stevens Road and Hewitt Road. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Truxton | $10,000 | Strong thunderstorm winds knocked down trees and wires throughout the area. |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 14 workings inside this county. 9 still produce and 5 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 12 |
| Salt | 2 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P.Overbaugh No.1 Well | Salt | Past Producer | ||
| Surburban No.2 Well | Salt | Past Producer | ||
| Compagni Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Dunhams Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Homer Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Homer Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Homer Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Homer Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Mc Connels Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Mcconnell Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Osbecks Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Polkville Sand and Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Polkville Sand and Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Summerville Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.
Cortlandville town · 13045 · On Trout Brook · Cortland quadrangle
23 sheets, 1903 to 1986
Cincinnatus town · 13040 · On Mead Brook · Cincinnatus quadrangle
16 sheets, 1904 to 1986
Truxton town · 13158 · On Morgan Hill Creek · Truxton quadrangle
23 sheets, 1903 to 1986
Preble town · 13159 · Near The Pinnacle · Tully quadrangle
27 sheets, 1900 to 1986
Cortlandville town · 13045 · Near Carr Hill · Homer quadrangle
22 sheets, 1903 to 1986
Cincinnatus town · 13040 · On Brakel Creek · Cincinnatus quadrangle
16 sheets, 1904 to 1986
Cortlandville town · 13045 · On Blue Creek · Cortland quadrangle
23 sheets, 1903 to 1986
Virgil town · 13803 · On Gridley Creek · Marathon quadrangle
22 sheets, 1903 to 1992