The German heritage of the Chemung Valley includes the earliest German settler, Matthias Hollenback, who established a trading post around 1790, and later waves of German immigrants arriving in the mid-19th century following democratic uprisings and after the Franco-Prussian War. German settlers were involved in various industries, such as farming, music, baking, and construction, with their community centered in Elmira and the surrounding towns. The German Evangelical Church of Elmira played a significant role, though it faced anti-German sentiment in 1915, leading to a switch from German to English sermons.
