Genesee Valley, W N.Y. A beautiful, broad valley with rich alluvial soils, it was already being used by the Seneca Nation prior to the Revolutionary War. Immediately after the war, postcolonial settlement occurred rapidly. With the completion of the Erie Canal, soon followed by RRs, the valley and region stretching to its W became the breadbasket not only of N.Y. state but for the whole country, with Rochester, the “flour city,” as its center. Even today, grain growing remains an important industry; others include dairying, beef and horse raising, and growing and processing of vegetables. Valley has the cultural and historical legacy of the development of W N.Y. from the late 18th cent. onward.
