When counties were established by the English colonial authorities in the
Province of New York in 1683, present-day Erie County was inhabited by the
Iroquois. Significant colonization by
White Americans did not begin until after the
United States had gained independence with the end of the
American Revolutionary War in 1783. The U.S. forced the Iroquois to cede most of their lands, as many had been allies of the
British during the conflict. About 1800, the
Holland Land Company, formed by American businessmen and their Dutch associates, extinguished aboriginal claims by purchasing the land from New York, acquired the title to the territory of what are today the eight westernmost counties of New York, surveyed their holdings, established towns and began selling lots to individuals. The state was eager to attract settlers and have homesteads and businesses developed. At this time, all of western New York was included in
Ontario County. As the population increased, the state legislature created
Genesee County in 1802 out of part of Ontario County. In 1808, Niagara County was created out of Genesee County. In 1821, Erie County was created out of Niagara County, encompassing all the land between
Tonawanda Creek and
Cattaraugus Creek. The first towns formed in present-day Erie County were the
Town of Clarence and the
Town of Willink. Clarence and Willink comprised the northern and southern portions of Erie county, respectively. Clarence is still a distinct town, but Willink was quickly subdivided into other towns. When Erie County was established in 1821, it consisted of the towns of Amherst, Aurora, Boston, Clarence, Collins, Concord, Eden, Evans, Hamburg, Holland, Sardinia and Wales. The county has a number of houses and other properties listed on the
National Register of Historic Places listings in Erie County, New York. In 1861, the hamlet of
Town Line in the Town of
Lancaster voted 85–40 to secede from the Union. Town Line never sought admission into the
Confederate States of America and there is no evidence that men from the community ever fought for the Confederacy. Some reporting from that time indicates the vote was a joke. On January 24, 1946, as part of a nationally reported event, Town Line voted to officially return to the Union after 85 years of Union secession. ==Geography==