Nothing definitive but a possible lead. Follow me here. Elmira by then was part of Chemung Co but hadn't been for long, had earlier been Tioga Co, where there's even a Smithville. There were 3 sets of Smith families. I'm connected to one out of Orange County who may well have been 'over the line' into Chemung since I'd picked up these Smiths because they'd married into my John Hill family, who did move to Tioga / Chemung. > From: Dave & Liz DuBois <ddubois@sinclair.net> > Sue, > > Thank you for both of your responses.  I have > contacted the OCGS for > their help.  I've been a member for many years, hoping > to find a very > elusive Joseph Smith who lived in the Orange County area > and then moved > to Elmira, NY where he died in 1846.  I'll check with > the town and > village historians for Hezekiah Mead.  I keep hoping > something new will > emerge! > > Thanks for your good advice! > Liz

That's an excellent point you make, K Powell. NYS has what seems like 1000s of counties. They kept being carved from bigger ones or dissolved or land traded back and forth between them - it was a real organic process. For a really cool animated map showing the evolution of NYS counties, see "New York County Formation Maps" (just click the little PLAY button):http://www.familyhistory101.com/maps/ny_cf.html  Note that among the twelve original Province of New York counties is Dukes County - composed of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and the Elizabeth Islands!!! (Cape Codders never believe me about this.) NY also included Vermont for a time, so some NY records during that time period are held by Vermont & vice versa. Isn't this fun? I wish ALL states at this site had animations. Julia .^_^. --- On Fri, 6/11/10, K Powell <grannytoad@yahoo.com> wrote: ...Elmira by then was part of Chemung Co but hadn't been for long, had earlier been Tioga Co, where there's even a Smithville...