Big Flats Town Court

Originally called "Great Flatts" by white settlers, the local Algonquins called it "Atsingnetsing", which quickly became Sing-Sing, and is now used to designate a particularly good trout stream about a mile from the hamlet...Big Flats is part of the Rails to Trails program, including a stretch built by Charles Denison, president of the Corning, Painted Post, Coopers Plain, Monteray & Pacific Railroad - a 100 foot track, standard gauge, running from the Fall Brook Railroad to the coal barges on the Chemung Feeder Canal, a great saver of time and labor in transfering the coal shipments. At the time, railroad owners were getting free passes to travel on other railroads all over the country. Dennison sent special passes to his line to the presidents of major railroads, who sent passes to their lines in return. So the Dennisons were able to travel by train, all over the country, as honored guest (he was a railroad president) free. At least until the others found out his passes were only good on a coal dust covered dumpcar. As he explained to the outraged presidents, "My railroad may not be as long as yours, but it's just as wide." Big Flats, considered the best land along the Susquehanna, has records of fur-trading Swedes as early as 1682, German & Moravian settlers in the early 1700's, as well as the oldest Indian village site in NYS, the Algonaquins "Runovea Village". It now has many parks & recreational areas, including Memorial Park for fishing & Bottchers Boat Landing for access to the river. Software engineering & aircraft manufacturing companies are major employers.

The Right Honorables L. Hess & P. Hart

John Thweatt, 607-737-2944