New York State Route 961F
Encyclopedia
New York State Route 961F (NY 961F) is a reference route in the Southern Tier
of New York
in the United States. It extends for 5.9 miles (9.5 km) from an intersection with NY 70
east of the Steuben County
village of Canaseraga
to a junction with NY 36
in the Allegany County
village of Arkport
. Although NY 961F follows a mostly north–south alignment, it is inventoried as an east–west route by the New York State Department of Transportation
(NYSDOT). Unlike most reference routes, NY 961F is signed as a touring route. The highway was part of NY 38 in the 1920s and part of NY 70
from the 1930s to the 1970s.
at an intersection with NY 70
in the town of Burns
. The route heads southward, crossing the Norfolk Southern Railway
-owned Southern Tier Line
by way of an overpass prior to curving southeastward at the base of Tildon Hill, a mountain peaking at 1800 feet (548.6 m) above sea level
. Over the next 2 miles (3.2 km), the highway heads slightly southeastward, running along the western edge of an undeveloped valley formed by Tildon Hill to the west and another plateau 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the east. This section of the route loosely parallels the Southern Tier Line, which runs through the marshy center of the gully. As NY 961F approaches the Steuben
–Steuben County
line, it bypasses the hamlet of Burns, a railside community situated 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) to the east on Burns Road (County Route 14).
The terrain surrounding the highway remains the same in the Steuben County town of Dansville
, where the route takes on a slightly more easterly alignment as the valley narrows in width. It eventually comes within view of the rail line, at which point the road turns back to the southeast and follows the Southern Tier Line along the western edge of a marsh known as The Muck. During this stretch, NY 961F encounters its first pocket of development, consisting of a small handful of isolated farms and homes. The buildings give way to open fields in the town of Hornellsville
, where the route encounters the Canisteo River
and enters the village of Arkport
about 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) into the town. NY 961F turns east at the river, becoming West Avenue as it crosses the Southern Tier Line at-grade and runs past closely spaced homes on both sides of the road. The route soon reaches the village center, where it ends at a junction with NY 36
.
extending from Hornell
to Scottsville
. The spur route was eliminated on March 1, 1921. In the mid-1920s, the former spur became part of NY 38, an east–west highway extending from Angelica
to Penn Yan
via Canaseraga
and Arkport
. In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, NY 38 was reassigned elsewhere in the state while its former routing became part of several new routes. One of these was NY 70
, which began at Whitney Crossings (now Garwoods) and passed through Canaseraga and Arkport on its way to Kanona. NY 70 was realigned in the mid-1970s to follow what had been NY 70A east from Canaseraga. Its former routing between Canaseraga and Arkport became reference route NY 961F.
Southern Tier
The Southern Tier is a geographical term that refers to the counties of New York State west of the Catskill Mountains along the northern border of Pennsylvania. It is a loosely defined term that generally includes the counties that border Pennsylvania west of Delaware County inclusive...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the United States. It extends for 5.9 miles (9.5 km) from an intersection with NY 70
New York State Route 70
New York State Route 70 is a short state highway in the western portion of New York in the United States. It travels through three different counties in just and is the primary road to and from the village of Canaseraga. The northern terminus of the route is at an intersection with...
east of the Steuben County
Steuben County, New York
Steuben County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 98,990. Its name is in honor of Baron von Steuben, a German general who fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War, though it is not pronounced the same...
village of Canaseraga
Canaseraga, New York
Canaseraga is a village in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 594 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a creek that flows past the village, which is reportedly a native term for "lying among milkweeds."...
to a junction with NY 36
New York State Route 36
New York State Route 36 is a north–south state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The highway extends for from the Pennsylvania state line at Troupsburg, Steuben County northward to Ogden, Monroe County, where it ends at an intersection with NY 31...
in the Allegany County
Allegany County, New York
Allegany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,946. Its name derives from a Delaware Indian word, applied by settlers of Western New York State to a trail that followed the Allegheny River. Its county seat is...
village of Arkport
Arkport, New York
Arkport is a village in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 832 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the barges used to ship products through the village...
. Although NY 961F follows a mostly north–south alignment, it is inventoried as an east–west route by the New York State Department of Transportation
New York State Department of Transportation
The New York State Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S...
(NYSDOT). Unlike most reference routes, NY 961F is signed as a touring route. The highway was part of NY 38 in the 1920s and part of NY 70
New York State Route 70
New York State Route 70 is a short state highway in the western portion of New York in the United States. It travels through three different counties in just and is the primary road to and from the village of Canaseraga. The northern terminus of the route is at an intersection with...
from the 1930s to the 1970s.
Route description
NY 961F begins just east of the village of CanaseragaCanaseraga, New York
Canaseraga is a village in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 594 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a creek that flows past the village, which is reportedly a native term for "lying among milkweeds."...
at an intersection with NY 70
New York State Route 70
New York State Route 70 is a short state highway in the western portion of New York in the United States. It travels through three different counties in just and is the primary road to and from the village of Canaseraga. The northern terminus of the route is at an intersection with...
in the town of Burns
Burns, New York
Burns is a town in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 1,248 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Scots poet Robert Burns....
. The route heads southward, crossing the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
-owned Southern Tier Line
Southern Tier Line
The Southern Tier Line is a railroad line owned and operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway in the U.S. states of New York and Pennsylvania. The line runs from Suffern, New York northwest to Buffalo, New York mostly along a former Erie Railroad line. From Suffern to Sparrowbush along which...
by way of an overpass prior to curving southeastward at the base of Tildon Hill, a mountain peaking at 1800 feet (548.6 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. Over the next 2 miles (3.2 km), the highway heads slightly southeastward, running along the western edge of an undeveloped valley formed by Tildon Hill to the west and another plateau 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the east. This section of the route loosely parallels the Southern Tier Line, which runs through the marshy center of the gully. As NY 961F approaches the Steuben
Allegany County, New York
Allegany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,946. Its name derives from a Delaware Indian word, applied by settlers of Western New York State to a trail that followed the Allegheny River. Its county seat is...
–Steuben County
Steuben County, New York
Steuben County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 98,990. Its name is in honor of Baron von Steuben, a German general who fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War, though it is not pronounced the same...
line, it bypasses the hamlet of Burns, a railside community situated 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) to the east on Burns Road (County Route 14).
The terrain surrounding the highway remains the same in the Steuben County town of Dansville
Dansville, Steuben County, New York
Dansville is a town in Steuben County, New York, United States, not to be confused with the nearby village of Dansville in Livingston County. The population was 1,977 at the 2000 census...
, where the route takes on a slightly more easterly alignment as the valley narrows in width. It eventually comes within view of the rail line, at which point the road turns back to the southeast and follows the Southern Tier Line along the western edge of a marsh known as The Muck. During this stretch, NY 961F encounters its first pocket of development, consisting of a small handful of isolated farms and homes. The buildings give way to open fields in the town of Hornellsville
Hornellsville, New York
Hornellsville is a town in Steuben County, New York, United States. United States. The population was 4,042 at the 2000 census. The name is taken from a prominent pioneer family....
, where the route encounters the Canisteo River
Canisteo River
The Canisteo River is a tributary of the Tioga River in western New York in the United States. It drains a dissected plateau, a portion of the northern Allegheny Plateau southwest of the Finger Lakes region, in the far northwestern reaches of the watershed of the Susquehanna River.It rises in the...
and enters the village of Arkport
Arkport, New York
Arkport is a village in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 832 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the barges used to ship products through the village...
about 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) into the town. NY 961F turns east at the river, becoming West Avenue as it crosses the Southern Tier Line at-grade and runs past closely spaced homes on both sides of the road. The route soon reaches the village center, where it ends at a junction with NY 36
New York State Route 36
New York State Route 36 is a north–south state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The highway extends for from the Pennsylvania state line at Troupsburg, Steuben County northward to Ogden, Monroe County, where it ends at an intersection with NY 31...
.
History
What is now NY 961F was state-maintained as early as 1920, by which time the highway had been designated as a spur of Route 15, an unsigned legislative routeLegislative route
In United States, a legislative route or legislative highway is a highway defined by laws passed in a state legislature. The numbering of such highways may or may not correspond to the numbers familiar to the public as part of the state, U.S. highway, and Interstate highway systems...
extending from Hornell
Hornell, New York
Hornell is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 9,019 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early settlers. Its current population has not yet been released by the new census....
to Scottsville
Scottsville, New York
Scottsville is a village in southwestern Monroe County, New York, United States, and is in the northeastern part of the Town of Wheatland. The population was 2,128 at the 2000 census. The village is named after an early settler, Isaac Scott...
. The spur route was eliminated on March 1, 1921. In the mid-1920s, the former spur became part of NY 38, an east–west highway extending from Angelica
Angelica (village), New York
Angelica is a village in Allegany County, New York, USA. The population was 903 at the 2000 census. The village and the town are named after Angelica Church, a daughter of General Philip Schuyler and wife of John Barker Church....
to Penn Yan
Penn Yan, New York
Penn Yan is a village in Yates County, New York, USA. The population was 5,219 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Yates County and lies at the north end of the east branch of Keuka Lake, one of the Finger Lakes....
via Canaseraga
Canaseraga, New York
Canaseraga is a village in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 594 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a creek that flows past the village, which is reportedly a native term for "lying among milkweeds."...
and Arkport
Arkport, New York
Arkport is a village in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 832 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the barges used to ship products through the village...
. In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, NY 38 was reassigned elsewhere in the state while its former routing became part of several new routes. One of these was NY 70
New York State Route 70
New York State Route 70 is a short state highway in the western portion of New York in the United States. It travels through three different counties in just and is the primary road to and from the village of Canaseraga. The northern terminus of the route is at an intersection with...
, which began at Whitney Crossings (now Garwoods) and passed through Canaseraga and Arkport on its way to Kanona. NY 70 was realigned in the mid-1970s to follow what had been NY 70A east from Canaseraga. Its former routing between Canaseraga and Arkport became reference route NY 961F.