Documentary History of the State of New York, Vol. II
The Conhocton River rises in the north-west part of the County of Steuben, and taking a southeasterly course, passes the town of Bath, the county town, to which place it is navigable for boats of eight tons : about five miles below Bath it is joined by Mud Creek, so called from a lake that forms its source ; and even this small stream is navigable for boats, to Mr. Bartlcs's mills, built on the outlet of the lake, eleven miles from its mouth. Mr. Bartles, from these mills, rafted one hundred thousand feet of lumber, last spring, to Baltimore, by the Susquehannah, and found the business so advantageous, that he is now preparing a much larger quantity for the same market. As you descend the Conhocton, from the
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accession of many streams, the navigation betters, until you reach the main river at the Painted Post.
The Canisteo, which is the next River to the North, rises from a marsh in the north-west corner of the county of Steuben, and, taking a south east course, joins the Conhocton at the Painted Post. It is somewhat singular, that this river is navigable almost to its source. From the opposite side of the marsh, the Canascraga also has its source. This is a branch of the Genesee River, which falls into the River St. Lawrence ; while the Canisteo, a branch of the Susquehannah, falls into the Chesapeak, Both are navigable for boats of ten tons to within nine miles of each other, and the portage now in use may, with very trifling labour, be reduced to five miles. The navigation of the Canisteo has been more used than any of the other branches of the Susquehannah that water the Genesee Country, and has added much to facilitate the moving of the Pennsylvania emigrants ; but the recent settlement of the country has not permitted them even to clear out, much less improve the navigation in the manner it will admit of.