The future of the Genesee Country remained uncertain even after the Treaty of Hartford settled the dispute between Massachusetts and New York. The question was no longer who owned the land, but what would become of it.

Before Hartford, uncertainty reigned. Competing state claims clouded ownership and discouraged investment. The treaty transformed a disputed wilderness into a marketable asset. Speculators, investors, politicians, and settlers quickly recognized the opportunity.

While Hartford settled one argument, it spawned several new ones.

By the beginning of 1787, two roads stretched westward across a region that would one day become the Crossroads of America. Each promised prosperity. Each attracted ambitious followers. Yet each offered a very different vision for the future of the Genesee Country.

With the ink on the Treaty of Hartford barely dried, ambitious men set out along both roads.

The race to the future had begun.

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Why has history forgotten John Livingston? While his accomplishments pale in comparison to Continue Reading “Competing Dreams For The Genesee Country—Part I: John Livingston and the Lessees”