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Elmira Industrial Association
In 1892, a group of Elmira businessmen including Mathias H. Arnot, Spencer Mead, Charles J. Langdon, and Howard H. Hallock organized the Elmira Industrial Association. With capital stock of $100,000, the association purchased 17 parcels of land north of Elmira that amounted to nearly 500 acres. It then divided the land into 2,160 lots. Each lot sold for $200, but buyers did not get to select particular lots to buy. They made a blind purchase and the parcels were then allotted to buyers during the Great Land Lottery held at the Opera House in Elmira on October 24, 1893.
 Map of the Elmira Industrial Association Grounds, 1892Each of the lots up for sale measured 50 feet by 120 feet. An additional 40 acres were reserved for industrial development. |
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 Drawing of residence on one of the lots, 1892Most of the lots were vacant land, but eight already had houses built on them. No one knew who would be allotted the parcels containing structures until the lottery was held. (courtesy of the Elmira Heights Historical Society) |
 View of Carroll Street with the Opera House on the right, c. 1875The Great Land Lottery began at 11:35am at the Opera House. There were two rotating churns on stage, one with the names of the lot owners and one with lot numbers. Blindfolded boys would draw from each churn to determine who got what lot. The drawing took nine hours. |
 Reproduction of the barrels used at the Great Land Lottery of 1893The Elmira Industrial Association held its Great Land Lottery on October 24, 1893 at the Opera House in Elmira. For nine hours, blindfolded boys pulled buyers’ names and lot numbers from two rotating churns on stage to determine who got each lot. (courtesy of the Elmira Heights Historical Society) |
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