Elmira << ehl MY ruh >> (pop. 26,523) is a historic city in south-central New York. It lies on the Chemung River in the rugged Appalachian Plateau region. The scenic Finger Lakes region lies just north of the city.
The first settlement on the site of present-day Elmira was called Newtown. It was part of the Township of Chemung, created by the New York State Legislature in the late 1780’s. In 1792, Newtown joined with two nearby villages, Wisnerburg and DeWittsburg, to form one village, also called Newtown. In 1828, the town took its current name. Elmira was incorporated as a city in 1864. It is the county seat of Chemung County and has a council-manager government.
In the decades before the American Civil War (1861-1865), Elmira was an important stop on the underground railroad, a system that helped enslaved Black people escape to the Northern States and Canada. During the war, the area was the site of a prison camp for captured Confederate soldiers.
In 1870, the American author Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Clemens, married an Elmira native, Olivia Langdon. Twain and his family spent many summers at Quarry Farm, near Elmira. He did some of his best writing there, including work on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). Twain and his wife are both buried in the city. Elmira College is the home of the Center for Mark Twain Studies. Other famous residents of Elmira have included film director and producer Hal Roach and football great Ernie Davis.
Today, education, health care, and retail trade employ many workers in the Elmira area. The area’s manufacturers make such products as glass, fabricated metal products, electronic components, and transportation equipment. The Elmira Corning Regional Airport serves the area. Attractions in the city include a sports arena, performing arts center, and history museum.
