"The Seneca Indians were the original owners of this land, but following the American victory in the American Revolutionary War, "all foreign claims of ownership were extinguished, and the power of the Indian Confederacy was broken... but New York and Massachusetts each claimed ownership under conflicting patents.

"[5] "The earliest settlers followed Indian trails, the chief one leading from Fort Niagara to and down the Canisteo, Chemung and Susquehanna rivers.

Settlers from the far east might come by Albany, and the Schoharie and Susquehanna valleys or by Schenectady, Utica, Geneva and Bath.

Whatever way they chose the roads were mostly bridgeless and of the most primitive kind, making travel tedious and difficult.

"[7] "1807: The first settlers moved in the Alfred area, began clearing forests and building log cabins in order to bring their families in.

During the latter half of the 17th century, and the whole of the 18th, this people established strong settlements in the southwestern part of Rhode Island, chiefly in Westerly and Hopkinton.

Out of these by 1800 grew strong settlements and churches in Rensselaer, Jefferson, Madison, Cortland and other counties of this state.

"[8] "The log schoolhouse early sprang up in each neighborhood, and the district school, the singing-school, the spelling-school and the Sabbath-meeting became a part of the life of the community.

As prosperity permitted, the large frame-barn took the place of the pole-sided, straw-shingled stable, and a little later the frame house, with its shaved shingle roof, much smaller generally than the barn, replaced the log hut as the family dwelling.

The ashes, carefully saved from the burned fallows and converted into potash, was the first source of revenue.

Those who could hunt could in that way help supply themselves with food, especially if they were fortunate enough to secure the bounty offered for the killing of wolves.

Flax was raised, prepared by hand, carded, spun, woven and converted into clothing.

The virgin soil, enriched by the ashes of the burned timber, was highly productive; and when the seasons were favorable, good crops of grain rewarded the farmer's toil among the roots and stumps.

[13] In 1888 the Celadon Terra Cotta Company was founded after the discovery of high-quality clay in the town.

The company grew over the next decade to become a leading producer of roof tile and architectural terra cotta.

[15] The new college recruited British ceramicist Charles Fergus Binns as a director and professor.

As a result of the college's prominence, Alfred remained a hub for ceramics even after the burning of the Celadon Terra Cotta Company's local factory in 1909.

[18] Alfred University offers more than 40 majors and courses of study in 5 colleges and schools; its enrollment status is approximately 2,000 graduate and undergraduate students each year.

Alfred State College has about 3,400 undergraduate students in many areas of study including information technology, nursing, surveying, court reporting, and web development.