Business in Chemung

Agriculture was a major industry in Chemung from the time of the earliest Native American settlers. After the American Revolution, settlers farmed the fertile plains next to the Chemung River and logged the hillsides. Sawmills and gristmills were some of the first businesses. In 1829, Chemung produced 7,726 yards of linen, making it the area’s largest manufacturer of the cloth. Dairies and creameries flourished throughout the 19th century and tobacco was a major product in the 1890s. In 1880, John H. Holbert began selling water from the Chemung Spring to travelers. The Chemung Spring Water Company still sells water from the spring today.

Back

Chemung

Sturm Farm, 1942 Dairying has long been a successful business in Chemung. J.S. Holbert opened the Chemung Creamery around 1866. By 1892 it was producing 400 pounds of butter and 500 pounds of cheese per day. Photograph courtesy of Mike Tuccinardi
Egg and Poultry order form for Harold Doane’s Farm, 1930s
Owen’s Mill Lumbering was big business in early Chemung. Primarily pine was harvested until the 1860s when hemlock bark began to be used by tanneries. Charles Ruggles & Son shipped nearly 1,300 tons of hemlock bark for use by tanneries in one season in 1882. Photograph from the Mike & Susan Aumick Collection
Chemung Hotel printing plate, 1907 The Chemung Hotel was built by James Warren in the mid-1870s. The hotel changed hands several times before Wright D. Morley purchased it and renamed it the Morley Hotel. The hotel operated under various owners through the 1950s.
Chas. Ruggles & Son trade card Charles Ruggles ran a general store in Chemung from 1865 to 1883 when the building burned. He and his son, Wilson, rebuilt the store and continued to operate it until 1896. From the collection of Mary Ellen P. Kunst, Chemung town historian
Chas. Ruggles & Son trade card From the collection of Mary Ellen P. Kunst, Chemung town historian
Chemung Spring house, c. 1910s John H. Holbert charged people 10 cents a cup for Chemung Spring water in the 1880s. Horses could drink at the trough for free. Photograph from the Mike & Susan Aumick Collection
Chemung Spring Water bottle John H. Holbert began selling water from the Chemung Spring in 1880. In 1910, a factory was built to better utilize the spring.
Chemung Spring Water bottle, 1910 Chemung Spring water was piped into railroad tank cars and shipped to New York City where it was bottled and sold. That ended with the onset of WWI.
Chemung Spring Water bottle, 1997 Today the Chemung Spring Company has 19 employees with 10 vehicles that deliver to homes and businesses within a 60+ mile radius of the spring.
Chemung Speedrome sign, 1954 The Bodine family settled in Chemung sometime in the 19th century. In the 1930s, Eli Bodine operated one of Chemung County’s leading poultry farms. In 1950, he and his son Eli Bodine, Jr. turned one of their corn fields into the Chemung Speedrome. Eli Jr.’s sons Geoffrey, Brett and Todd raced at the Speedrome before making names for themselves on the NASCAR circuit. Photograph courtesy of Mike Aumick

Business in Chemung

Sturm Farm, 1942

Dairying has long been a successful business in Chemung. J.S. Holbert opened the Chemung Creamery around 1866. By 1892 it was producing 400 pounds of butter and 500 pounds of cheese per day. Photograph courtesy of Mike Tuccinardi

Egg and Poultry order form for Harold Doane’s Farm, 1930s

Owen’s Mill

Lumbering was big business in early Chemung. Primarily pine was harvested until the 1860s when hemlock bark began to be used by tanneries. Charles Ruggles & Son shipped nearly 1,300 tons of hemlock bark for use by tanneries in one season in 1882. Photograph from the Mike & Susan Aumick Collection

Chemung Hotel printing plate, 1907

The Chemung Hotel was built by James Warren in the mid-1870s. The hotel changed hands several times before Wright D. Morley purchased it and renamed it the Morley Hotel. The hotel operated under various owners through the 1950s.

Chas. Ruggles & Son trade card

Charles Ruggles ran a general store in Chemung from 1865 to 1883 when the building burned. He and his son, Wilson, rebuilt the store and continued to operate it until 1896. From the collection of Mary Ellen P. Kunst, Chemung town historian

Chas. Ruggles & Son trade card

From the collection of Mary Ellen P. Kunst, Chemung town historian

Chemung Spring house, c. 1910s

John H. Holbert charged people 10 cents a cup for Chemung Spring water in the 1880s. Horses could drink at the trough for free. Photograph from the Mike & Susan Aumick Collection

Chemung Spring Water bottle

John H. Holbert began selling water from the Chemung Spring in 1880. In 1910, a factory was built to better utilize the spring.

Chemung Spring Water bottle, 1910

Chemung Spring water was piped into railroad tank cars and shipped to New York City where it was bottled and sold. That ended with the onset of WWI.

Chemung Spring Water bottle, 1997

Today the Chemung Spring Company has 19 employees with 10 vehicles that deliver to homes and businesses within a 60+ mile radius of the spring.

Chemung Speedrome sign, 1954