Savona, an odd name for a village, situated in central Steuben County has a long history, not only its name, but the place as well.
Let’s travel back in time to the early 1790s where Colonel Charles Williamson, a Scottish native, was approached by a group of affluent British investors named Pulteney Associates. The group eyed a land tract of more than one million acres in western New York owned then by a Robert Morris. This land tract was known as the Genesee Tract. Once the purchase was finalized, Williamson’s objective was to modernize the land by building roads and infrastructure, surveying towns and attracting new pioneers to the land which would eventually be called the Pulteney Estate.
In the fall of 1791, Williamson set sail from Scotland with his family and two aides to help him recruit workers when they arrived in America. In 1792, he and his crew trekked northwest from Northumberland, Pennsylvania to the West Branch of the Susquehanna River where it connects with Lycoming Creek. This site is present day Williamsport, Pennsylvania named after Williamson. After Williamsport, they entered the wilderness and worked their way again northwest to the Tioga River. The land was mainly uncultivated with a thick forest of trees, a variety of wild animals wandering the forest and little human population, mainly the Native Americans. The arduous and demanding work of felling trees and road making continued throughout 1792 and by late November a road was available for wagon travel.
The winter handed the workers much difficulty and Williamson reorganized back in Northumberland and recruited more workers. In early spring of 1793, Williamson assembled surveyors, axemen, and settlers to establish a main headquarters. From the Tioga River, they travelled north and connected with the Conhocton River and established a great settlement in a valley which we now call Bath.
After the Bath settlement, other pioneers began to settle different areas of the land tract. One of Williamson’s recruits and road builders, Thomas Corbitt, travelled with the group. Thomas was born in Pennsylvania in 1752 and served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. According to one historical account, Thomas could belt out a countless number of patriotic songs, including “Hail Columbia.” Thomas’s stay in Bath was brief. Later in 1793, he proceeded southeast down the Conhocton River and settled at an intersection of a creek and the river. Thomas named this village Mud Creek. Mud Creek would be the village’s name for a number of years. Thomas built a cabin and maintained a hotel also known to many as a house of entertainment. This hotel or house of entertainment stood at the entrance to Mud Creek. Corbitt was in the lumber business and had also built a saw mill and a home which still stands today. At this time, Thomas’s buildings were the only dwellings between Bath and Painted Post. In 1794, more families settled in Mud Creek, John Doleson (Dolson), Henry Bush, Henry McElwee and his son Henry McElwee, Jr.
Corbitt and Williamson had a good friendship and Williamson knew he could trust Corbitt. They wanted to establish a mail service in Bath. During the 1790s, the mail service was extremely limited. It consisted of hand-written notes folded and passed from person to person. Williamson hired several mail riders to travel from Bath to just north of Williamsport. Corbitt was the first hired mail rider in 1794. He collected the mail from another mail rider and brought it back to Bath. Eventually, Bath instituted its own post-office in 1800. Mud Creek established its own post office in 1823. Their first postmaster was Elisha McCoy, the likely origin of McCoy Street.
In the early 1800s, more families settled in Mud Creek. The Moores in 1808, Whitakers in 1810, and Hughes in 1812. More families settled including the McCoys, McClures, Millers, Whites, and Woodwards. Since Mud Creek was not an incorporated town, United States’ Censuses included all Bath residents, as well.
The Corbitts lived in Mud Creek until times began to downturn for Thomas. He was in financial trouble and removed his family west, still in the town of Bath but outside of Mud Creek. Sadly, after moving, he was not a successful businessman. Friends later heard of his economic troubles and secured a pension for him from the Revolutionary War through Henry Clay. However, Thomas and his wife did not live long after to enjoy that pension. He died December 17, 1829 at 76 years of age. His wife, Sarah Zorn, lived another 10 years and died in 1839.
Thomas was an active Baptist. Before his death, he donated some land for the first Baptist church to be built. Previously, church services were held at the schoolhouse with Reverend Story and other pastors. In 1843, a Methodist Episcopal Church was built on McCoy Street. Former postmaster Elisha McCoy was one of the oldest members of this church. At one time, the Baptists and Methodists held services together and in 1856 the Baptists built their own church, which was located on Church Street. These two churches would prosper for many years through the early 1900s. In January 1948, the two churches would combine to become a federated church. The Methodist Church building was more convenient to use for services. On Sunday, February 1st, 1948, a chimney fire destroyed the Methodist Church. After the fire, all services were held at the church on Church Street. Interestingly, the land donated by Thomas Corbitt is his and his wife’s final resting place at the Old Savona Cemetery adjacent to what is now the Savona Federated Church.
Another interesting establishment in Savona was the Savona Hotel, also known as the Damoth House located on the corner of Main and Lamoka Avenue. In the 1820s, the lot was a cattle and stock yard for managing cattle. In the late 1820s, Horace Mott built a hotel on the corner of Main Street. In 1847, this building was leveled by fire. It was rebuilt by Harley Sears the next year and for the following 40 years only a few changes were made. However, there had been numerous proprietors of the hotel. The hotel had some notorious occurrences over the many years including robberies, deaths, court decisions to transfer owners, selling alcohol during prohibition and more fires. In the early 2000s, the building was finally demolished much to the Savona residents’ disappointment although the building had not been occupied for many years before this.
In 1850, many families were concerned with the name Mud Creek. Trying to attract families to this village was difficult due to the name. Mud Creek did not live up to its name with beautiful foliage in the fall and green scenery in the summer. Marsena Terry, one of the well-respected residents of the village, proposed a name change. In the fall of 1850, Marsena Terry’s proposition was accepted by the village and the name was officially changed to Savona. The village’s name is referred to another Savona in Italy.
In September 1933, in celebration of the 140th anniversary of the settlement and 50th year of incorporation, Alfred Spencer, committee member for the celebration, sent a letter to the Mayor of the Italian city of Savona. What happened next was remarkable. Spencer received a response from the Mayor of Savona, Italy, along with pamphlets, books and other information about the Italian city. This information was used and discussed during the celebration of Savona in 1933.
In the late 1870s, Savona’s development was moving quickly. There were 150 homes with a population of 550. It was also becoming more progressive with a variety of business organizations emerging. There were steam mills, a cider mill and other manufacturing buildings. There was a drug store, several grocery stores, a dry goods store and a hardware store. There was a barber shop, cheese factory, a billiard room and a dressmaker shop. There was also another hotel called the Railroad House Hotel. Residents could enjoy parties, dances and community events there. At this time, Marvin W. Clapp was the owner and proprietor of the hotel.
In the 1880s, two railroad systems went through Savona, the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. The Erie Railroad opened in 1852 and the D.L.&W. opened in Savona in 1882. With the opening of the D.L.&W. Railroad, residents believed they needed an official government. Ultimately, in May 1883, the Village of Savona was incorporated with Hessel Smith as its first mayor and president. Other village officers were G.W. Tolbert, C.M. Gaylord, George Allerton, Simeon Wagner, Elias Kleckler and John A. Stewart.
Two other historical places many residents remember are the Savona Grange and the Savona Free Library. Both have fascinating histories. The Savona Grange was located on Church Street. It received its charter and was organized in February 1875. According to the book “History of the New York State Grange” by Leonard L. Allen, Morris H. Burt was its first master. The master’s job was to lead and moderate meetings, handle agendas and oversee committee members.
The Grange held agricultural lectures and many other types of presentations, neighborhood meetings and educational farm research. As one article in the Steuben County Advocate stated in 1956, “The Grange is a family organization that promotes good fellowship and neighborliness.”
The library also provided educational opportunities in a different way. It offered books and literature for residents seeking a quieter atmosphere to learn. In the mid-1920s, the library was officially organized and located inside the Savona Grange on the second floor. The formal founder of the library was historian Alfred Lyon Spencer and the first librarian was Carrie Morrell Joint. In 1957, the library moved from the Savona Grange into the Village Hall building on McCoy Street.
Most residents who grew up in Savona remember the Savona Central School located on East Lamoka Avenue. Before the 1930s, Savona’s school was located on McCoy Street, at the site where the Village Hall, Library and Fire Department once stood. Before that school, another school building believed to be a log cabin stood near the four corners.
In 1930, Savona’s school system was centralized and in September 1932, a brand-new school building opened on Lamoka Avenue, formerly Railroad Street. It accommodated more than 300 students. The building offered a gymnasium, auditorium, cafeteria and health room along with many other rooms and offices. It remained the elementary and high school until the summer of 1992 when Savona Central combined with Campbell Central to form the Campbell-Savona School District for the 1993 school year.
Savona has a long and rich history and this article only touches the surface. There is much more to discover in local records and files. It is essential to honor the original settlers, especially Thomas Corbitt and his family, who built Mud Creek from nothing but dense forest into a flourishing community through grueling labor and determination. By remembering the courage and sacrifice of those first settlers, residents today can help preserve Savona’s legacy for generations to come.
Kris Dempster is a historian and freelance writer with a passion for preserving local history in Upstate New York. A former longtime resident of Savona in Steuben County, Dempster focuses on uncovering and sharing the stories, people and places that shaped small communities across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes region. His historical and family-history work has been published by North Country Now, the St. Lawrence County Center for History and Culture, and the Jefferson County New York Genealogical Society.