Southern Tier

{{dablink|This article describes the region of New York. The term "Southern Tier" is also sometimes used to refer to the [[Deep South]].}} {{Geobox|Region | name = Southern Tier | native_name = | other_name = | other_name1 = | category = Region | image = Downtown Binghamton at Night.jpg | image_size = 210 px | image_caption = [[Binghamton, New York|Binghamton]] at night | flag = | flag_size = | symbol = | symbol_size = | etymology = | country = [[United States]] | state = [[New York]] | region = [[Upstate New York]] | district = | capital = | capital_lat_d = | capital_lat_m = | capital_lat_s = | capital_lat_NS = | capital_long_d = | capital_long_m = | capital_long_s = | capital_long_E = | capital_elevation_imperial = | part_type = Counties | part_count = 7 | part = [[Allegany County, New York|Allegany]] | part1 = [[Broome County, New York|Broome]] | part2 = [[Cattaraugus County, New York|Cattaraugus]] | part3 = [[Chemung County, New York|Chemung]] | part4 = [[Delaware County, New York|Delaware]] | part5 = [[Steuben County, New York|Steuben]] | part6 = [[Tioga County, New York|Tioga]] | part7 = | part8 = | part9 = | part10 = | city = [[Binghamton, New York|Binghamton]] | city1 = [[Corning (city), New York|Corning]] | city2 = [[Elmira, New York|Elmira]] | city3 = [[Hornell, New York|Hornell]] | city4 = [[Olean, New York|Olean]] | city5 = [[Salamanca, New York|Salamanca]] | municipality_type = | municipality_count = | area_imperial = | highest = | highest_location = | highest_lat_d = | highest_lat_m = | highest_lat_s = | highest_lat_NS = | highest_long_d = | highest_long_m = | highest_long_s = | highest_long_EW = | highest_elevation_imperial = | lowest = | lowest_location = | lowest_lat_d = | lowest_lat_m = | lowest_lat_s = | lowest_lat_NS = | lowest_long_d = | lowest_long_m = | lowest_long_s = | lowest_long_EW = | lowest_elevation_imperial = | population_as_of = | population = | population_density_imperial = | established_type = | established = | leader = | timezone = [[Eastern Standard Time]] | utc_offset = -5 | timezone_DST = [[Eastern Daylight Time]] | utc_offset_DST = -4 | code_type = Area code | code = [[Area code 607|607]], [[Area code 585|585]] & [[Area code 716|716]] | code1_type = | code1 = | free_type = | free = | free1_type = | free1 = | map = Map of New York highlighting Southern Tier.png | map_size = 210px | map_caption = {{colorbox|green}} Core Southern Tier counties
{{colorbox|lightgreen}} Peripheral counties | map_locator = | map_locator_x = | map_locator_y = | website = http://www.steg.com/ | footnotes = }} '''The Southern Tier''' is a geographical term that refers to the counties of [[New York State]] west of the [[Catskill Mountains]] along the northern border of [[Pennsylvania]]. It is a loosely defined term that generally includes the counties that border [[Pennsylvania]] west of [[Delaware County, New York|Delaware County]] inclusive. The specific definition of the region varies widely. The region is bordered to the south by the [[Northern Tier (Pennsylvania)|Northern Tier]] of [[Pennsylvania]], and together these regions are known as the [[Twin Tiers]]. {| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto" |+ ''The seven counties almost always included in the Southern Tier '' |- ! Pop. 2010 !! County!!Major Cities and Villages |- ||48,946||[[Allegany County, New York|Allegany County]]|| [[Wellsville (village), New York|Wellsville]], [[Belmont, New York|Belmont]], [[Alfred (village), New York|Alfred]] |- ||200,600||[[Broome County, New York|Broome County]] || [[Binghamton, New York|Binghamton]], [[Endicott, New York|Endicott]], [[Johnson City, New York|Johnson City]], [[Vestal, New York|Vestal]] |- ||80,317||[[Cattaraugus County, New York|Cattaraugus County]] || [[Olean (city), New York|Olean]], [[Salamanca (city), New York|Salamanca]], [[Ellicottville (village), New York|Ellicottville]], [[Randolph (village), New York|Randolph]], [[Little Valley (village), New York|Little Valley]] |- ||88,830||[[Chemung County, New York|Chemung County]] || [[Elmira, New York|Elmira]], [[Horseheads (village), New York|Horseheads]] |- ||47,980||[[Delaware County, New York|Delaware County]] || [[Delhi (village), New York|Delhi]], [[Sidney (village), New York|Sidney]], [[Hancock (village), New York|Hancock]] |- ||98,990||[[Steuben County, New York|Steuben County]] || [[Corning (city), New York|Corning]], [[Bath (village), New York|Bath]], [[Hornell, New York|Hornell]] |- ||51,125||[[Tioga County, New York|Tioga County]] || [[Owego (village), New York|Owego]], [[Waverly, Tioga County, New York|Waverly]] |} Occasionally but less frequently included in the "Southern Tier" designation are [[Schuyler County, New York|Schuyler County]], [[Chautauqua County, New York|Chautauqua County]] (primarily the "South County" region in the [[Conewango Creek]] watershed; other areas are part of the [[Niagara Frontier]]), [[Yates County, New York|Yates County]], [[Cortland County, New York|Cortland County]], [[Tompkins County, New York|Tompkins County]], and (far more rarely) [[Schoharie County, New York|Schoharie County]], [[Chenango County, New York|Chenango County]], and [[Otsego County, New York|Otsego County]] (the last three of these, along with Broome County, are also commonly considered part of the "[[Central Leatherstocking Region]]"), however Schoharie County is also listed as part of the [[Capital District]]. At least one definition used by the state Department of Transportation includes [[Sullivan County, New York|Sullivan County]], which usually isn't included in other definitions. The [[National Weather Service]] office in Buffalo occasionally includes [[Wyoming County, New York|Wyoming County]] and, more rarely, [[Southtowns|Southern Erie County]] in its definition. The Encyclopedia of New York State lists only Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, and Steuben Counties as part of the Southern Tier, with anything east of that being considered [[Central New York]]. Other definitions define it as the [[Elmira, NY MSA]], the [[Corning, NY USA]] and the [[Binghamton, NY MSA]], which includes Steuben, Chemung, Tioga and Broome Counties but not Chautauqua, Cattaraugus or Allegany, which are considered [[Western New York]]. The New York State Division of Local Government Services presently classifies the following fourteen counties as members of the Southern Tier: Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, and Tompkins. This definition corresponds to the same 14 counties in New York State that are members of the [[Appalachian Regional Commission]] formed in 1963. In virtually all contexts, the Southern Tier is considered a part of the broader [[Upstate New York]] region. Much of the Southern Tier is in [[area code 607]], with the exception of Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties, which are in [[area code 716]] or [[area code 585]]. The westernmost portion of the Southern Tier is also located in [[New York's 29th congressional district]] as of 2007; the rest is divided among [[New York's 24th congressional district]] and [[New York's 22nd congressional district]], the last of these containing a curious [[gerrymandering|gerrymander]] ribbon that runs through Binghamton, connecting the heavily liberal enclave of [[Ithaca, New York|Ithaca]] to other like-minded areas in upstate. The [[ZIP code prefixes]] 147 (Jamestown region), 148 - 149 (Elmira region), and 137 - 139 (Binghamton region) are set aside for the Southern Tier. ==Geography== [[File:Allegany State Park Mt. Tuscarora 2007.jpg|right|thumb|Allegany State Park]] The Southern Tier is generally hilly without being mountainous. Both the [[Delaware River|Delaware]] and [[Susquehanna River|Susquehanna]] rivers flow through the Southern Tier in their upper reaches, as does the [[Allegheny River]] in the western Southern Tier. The Southern Tier makes up the northernmost portion of [[Appalachia]] and lies on the [[Allegheny Plateau]]. It is defined on its western boundary by the Chautauqua Ridge in Chautauqua County, and including this ridge and extending eastward across the northern bounds of the region, the continental divide between the [[Great Lakes]] and the [[Mississippi River]] watersheds exists. The [[Eastern Continental Divide]] runs directly through the region, in Steuben County. ==History== The Southern Tier has long been home to the people of the [[Iroquois]] Confederacy. There were major settlements along the Allegheny River in Cattaraugus County (which the Senecas acquired by defeating the [[Wenrohronon]] in 1638), at [[Painted Post]] in Steuben County, at what is today the northeast side of [[Corning (town), New York|Corning, New York]], near [[Horseheads (village), New York|Horseheads]] in Chemung County and along the [[Susquehanna River]]. The [[Seneca Nation]] has a reservation today along the Allegheny River and a headquarters at [[Salamanca (city), New York| Salamanca]]. There are also Indian lands (with no current Indian residents) on [[Cuba_(town),_New_York#Cuba_Lake|Cuba Lake]] in Allegany County. The region was quickly settled by whites after the Revolutionary War, when settlers were again allowed west of the Appalachian divide. The Southern Tier shared in the economic growth of the early 19th century, but its hilly terrain made it less suitable to canal-building and, later, railroading, than the more level corridor to the north between Albany and Buffalo. However the Southern Tier with its broad river valleys still had some economic advantage over the more rugged Northern Tier of Pennsylvania. Railroads did arrive and the [[Erie Railroad]], which followed the water-level of the Allegheny, Susquehanna and Delaware watersheds brought industrial progress to the region about the time of the [[American Civil War]]. The railroad and available fuel from the region's dense forests attracted Corning Glass Works to Steuben County in 1868. The region became home to prosperous farms and small factory towns (with the exception of larger Binghamton) during the first half of the 20th century. But declines in U.S. manufacturing hit the region hard and it suffered even more than other parts of upstate [[New York]] and northern [[Pennsylvania]]. The region's addition to the [[Appalachian Regional Commission]], often credited to the influence of U.S. Sen. [[Robert F. Kennedy]], provided economic stimulus over the last 40 years. Government funds built the Southern Tier Expressway, highway links to the [[New York State Thruway]], encouraged the growth of state colleges at Wellsville, Alfred and Binghamton and sought with mixed success to attract business interests relocating from the [[New York Metropolitan Area]] and urban Western New York. For two decades, the region has tried to remake itself as a tourist destination and relocation area for retirees from big Northeastern cities. Meanwhile, agriculture and manufacturing struggle to compete regionally and globally. ==Education== {{incomplete|date=October 2011}} [[Binghamton University]] (the State University of New York-Binghamton) is one of the [[SUNY]] system's four [[SUNY#University centers|University Centers]]. Other 4-year and graduate institutions within the core counties include [[St. Bonaventure University]] in Olean, [[Alfred University]], [[Elmira College]], and [[Houghton College]]. Technical and community colleges include [[Alfred State College]], [[Broome Community College]], and [[Corning Community College]]. Institutions of higher learning outside the core counties include [[Cornell University]], [[Hartwick College]], [[Ithaca College]], SUNY Colleges in [[State University of New York College at Cortland|Cortland]] and [[SUNY College at Oneonta|Oneonta]], [[Jamestown Community College]], and [[Tompkins Cortland Community College]]. ==Transportation== The [[Southern Tier Expressway]] - [[Interstate 86 (east)|Interstate 86]] and [[New York State Route 17]] - serves the Southern Tier. The highway is the region's major corridor and connects to [[U.S. Route 219]] in Salamanca, [[U.S. Route 15]] in Corning, and [[Interstate 81]] and [[Interstate 88 (east)|88]] in Binghamton. [[Greater Binghamton Airport]] is the largest airport in the area and has flights to [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]], [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], and [[Washington, DC]]. [[Elmira-Corning Regional Airport]] also serves the area with flights to DC and areas in [[Connecticut]]. Bus service is provided along the entire I-86/NY 17 corridor by [[Coach USA]]'s Shortline/Erie services from Jamestown to New York City, and [[Trailways]] connects the Southern Tier with [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]], [[Dubois, Pennsylvania|Dubois]] (at the western end in Salamanca), [[Sunbury, Pennsylvania|Sunbury]]/[[Lock Haven, Pennsylvania|Lock Haven]] (at Elmira), and [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]], [[Albany, New York|Albany]] and [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]] (at Binghamton). [[Amtrak]] currently does not serve the area. Proposals for [[high-speed rail in New York]] have included a route from Binghamton to New York City through [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]], a route that could at least partially be upgraded for high-speed rail. As of 2011, the highest priority for high-speed rail projects in New York is in the [[Empire Corridor]], of which no part crosses the Southern Tier. The hilly terrain of the Southern Tier's I-86 corridor is not ideal for high-speed rail service, especially compared to the relatively flat and straight land in the Empire Corridor. ==Economy== Government services are the largest employer in the area. Of second and declining importance is manufacturing. The region's manufacturing economy has suffered for decades, but factories are found in the region's larger communities. Fortune 500 materials maker [[Corning Inc.]] is headquartered in Steuben County. In addition to glass products, other factories in the region make televisions, furniture, metal forgings and machine tools. There is a Southern Tier Brewing Company in [[Lakewood, New York]] which is located in Chautauqua County. [[Agriculture]] is also a major part of the economy. Leading products are dairy, vegetables orchard fruit and wine grapes. The area includes the northern extent of the [[Marcellus Formation|Pennsylvania oil field]] and natural gas, crude oil and oil sands continue to be extracted from Southern Tier wells as they have for over a century. The western and northern edges of the Southern Tier are known as [[ski country]], and the hilly terrain (that forms a [[continental divide]] known as the Chautauqua Ridge) is notorious for frequent and heavy [[lake effect snow]]. As a result, [[Ellicottville (village), New York|Ellicottville]] has become a "ski town" with both the Holimont and Holiday Valley resorts in the vicinity; the two resorts draw numerous tourists, particularly from [[Canada]], for which [[U.S. Route 219]] provides easy access. ==Media and entertainment== Most of the Southern Tier is either served by the Elmira-Corning television market or the Binghamton television market. Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties are out of these stations' ranges, however, and are instead served by the Buffalo and Erie television markets. [[Lilly Broadcasting]] owns three stations (two in Erie and one in Elmira) that primarily serve the Southern Tier regions. The Olean, Elmira-Corning, and Binghamton radio markets directly serve the Southern Tier, and the Ithaca market indirectly serves some of the area. Notable newspapers include The Leader of Corning, the Elmira [[Star Gazette|Star-Gazette]], the Binghamton [[Press & Sun-Bulletin]], Hornell Evening Tribune, the Wellsville Daily Reporter, the [[Olean Times Herald]] and the [[Salamanca Press]]. There is very little professional sport in the Southern Tier, although Binghamton has a AA baseball team (the [[Binghamton Mets]]) and [[American Hockey League]] franchise ([[Binghamton Senators]]) while Elmira hosts an [[ECHL]] team (the [[Elmira Jackals]]). Depending on the boundary definition, [[Watkins Glen International Speedway]], a [[NASCAR]] and [[Indy Racing League]] sanctioned [[road racing]] track, is located in the Southern Tier region. Other lesser teams include the [[Elmira Pioneers]] and [[Jamestown Jammers]] (baseball), [[Olean Diesel]], Crystal City Dragons, Broome County Green Machine and [[Binghamton Tiger Cats]] (amateur football), and several teams in the [[New York Collegiate Baseball League]]. Only one major league franchise has ever resided in the Southern Tier: the professional basketball team [[Elmira Colonels]], which played from 1952 to 1953. ==External links== *[http://www.sobriquetmagazine.com/dotst/decrepitudeofthesoutherntier.html DotST]: A photographic project devoted to chronicling the decline of the Southern Tier. ==See also== *[[Twin Tiers]] *[[Northern Tier (Pennsylvania)]] *[[Erie Triangle]] *[[New York-Pennsylvania border]] {{New York}} {{coord missing|New York}}