A former SUNY Corning Community College student has showcased his love for history, choosing to focus his Eagle Scout project on the settlement of Western New York. Now, after working on the project for nearly three years, it’s been put on display in the Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Library.

Griffin Bates, ’19, says the idea came to him after discovering a handful of original letters dating back to the 18th century in his Steuben county home.

These letters, several of which are included in Griffin's display, include correspondence between Col. Charles Williamson and his associates from both England and throughout Western New York. Col. Williamson was the Land Agent responsible for settling the “Pulteney Estate” and for beginning the settlement of many portions of the state.

“There’s a lot in these letters. Some of them go back and forth with the Germans, some are speaking about a scandal that was going on – that was pretty unique for letters back then,” says Griffin. “These ones [included in the Eagle Scout project] talk specifically about developing Painted Post.”

Griffin is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Historical Studies, so it’s no surprise that after discovering these letters, he quickly began researching not only Williamson’s involvement, but also some of the other key players during that era. This includes William Pulteney, who owned the land at the time and Baron Von Steuben, who is notably known as the namesake of Steuben County.

“What I want people to ultimately take away from this project is to have a better understanding of how this whole area was brought about.”

But Griffin goes on to explain that his project is not just about the letters. In fact, they're only a piece of the bigger picture. He says, "I recognize that I needed this to speak to all sorts of different people."

That's why he felt it was important to also include information on what life was like during that era, along with several other historical landmarks throughout the Southern Tier.

“I want people to be able to have an appreciation for this region. [This shows such] a unique story and narrative."

If you're interested in reading the entire collection of letters (of which Griffin estimates that are about fifty in total) you can do so online, where they've been archived.

His entire project will remain on display on the Spencer Hill campus through the 2020 spring semester.