Batavia is the Birthplace of Western New York. In 1802, Joseph Ellicott, agent for the Holland Land Company, established the Holland Land Office as his administrative headquarters. The Holland Land Purchase included 3.5 million acres in Western New York. The Purchase extended south to Pennsylvania, north to Lake Ontario, west to Lake Erie, and a few miles to the east of Batavia. Most of the early settlers came from England, New England, and Pennsylvania with small pockets of German, Scotch Highlanders and Dutch settlements. In 1802 New York State established Genesee County and made Batavia the County seat. The City was incorporated in 1915 and the City Charter was created. The City of Batavia is located directly off Exit 48 of the New York State Thruway, Interstate 90 and is centrally located between Buffalo and Rochester. State Routes 5, 98, 33 and 63 also pass through the heart of Batavia. This category may contain sites in topical sub-categories as well as links to other geographic categories.
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