Editing Livingston County, New York (section)

==History==
On February 23, 1821, Livingston County, New York was formed from [[Ontario County, New York|Ontario]] and [[Genesee County, New York|Genesee Counties]]. The twelve original towns were: [[Avon, New York|Avon]], [[Caledonia, New York|Caledonia]], [[Conesus, New York|Conesus]], [[Geneseo, New York|Geneseo]] (county seat), [[Groveland, New York|Groveland]], [[Leicester, New York|Leicester]], [[Lima, New York|Lima]], [[Livonia, New York|Livonia]], [[Mount Morris, New York|Mount Morris]], [[Sparta, New York|Sparta]], [[Springwater, New York|Springwater]], and [[York, New York|York]].

Part of [[North Dansville, New York|North Dansville]] was annexed from [[Steuben County, New York|Steuben County]] in 1822 and became a separate town when Sparta was divided in 1846. At the same time, the town of [[West Sparta, New York|West Sparta]] was also formed from Sparta. The towns of [[Nunda, New York|Nunda]] and [[Portage, New York|Portage]] were annexed in 1846 and the town of [[Ossian, New York|Ossian]] was annexed in 1857 from [[Allegany County, New York|Allegany County]].

Avon, Williamsburgh, and the hamlet of [[Lakeville, New York|Lakeville]] competed for the honor of becoming the Livingston County seat, but the distinction was bestowed upon Geneseo, the principal village and center of commerce. The [[James Wadsworth (of Geneseo)|Wadsworths]] donated a suitable lot, beautifully situated at the north end of the village. The brick [[courthouse]] faced Main Street, the jail of wood construction was built directly west, and a one-story [[cobblestone]] building for the County Clerk's office was built east of the courthouse. Until construction was completed in 1823, court was held in the upper story of the district school on Center Street (east of the present-day Livingston County Museum) and prisoners were housed in [[Canandaigua (city), New York|Canandaigua]]. In 1829 the county opened a [[Poorhouse|poor house]] farm just outside the village.

=== Livingston County Flag ===
[[File:County Flag.jpg|thumb|Livingston County Flag]]
The County Flag was adopted in 1971 for the county's 150th anniversary. The significance of the colors and design relates to features and history of the county:

Yellow – the golden grain of the northern towns;

Blue – the [[Genesee River]];

Green – the forests in the southern towns;

White – [[Sodium chloride|salt]] and [[limestone]], prominent minerals in the county;

[[Weighing scale|Balance]] and crossed [[quill]]s – in honor of New York's first [[Chancellor of New York|Chancellor]] Robert R. Livingston, for whom the county was named.