TOMPKINS, county of New-York, hounded by Seneca county N.W., Cayuga N., Cortlandt E., Tioga S., and Seneca Lake separating it from Steuben county W. Length from east to west 30; mean width about 20, area 600 square miles. Ex tending in Lat. from 42° 17' to 42° 38' N., and in Lon. from the meridian of NV. C. to 0° 36' E.
The south side of Tompkins touches the dividing ground between the sources of Cayuta and Oswego Creeks, flowing southwardly into Susquehannah River, and those of Catherine's Creek flowing into Seneca Lake; Ithaca Creek entering the head of Cayuga Lake, and Owasco Creek flowing into Owasco Lake. The surface of the county is with but little exception hilly, indeed might be called mountainous, though the relative level is very dif ferent. The arable surface along the southern side of the county exceeds an elevation of one thousand feet above the ocean level. The level of Seneca Lake is nearly four hundred and forty feet. Ca yuga is a few feet lower, but no part of the county falls below 420 feet relative oceanic level.
The soil is very productive in grain, grasses, and fruit. The climate is sensibly effected by differ ence of height. The seasons of harvest, and the ripening of fruit, is not earlier, if so early, as on the margin of lake Ontario, a degree of latitude more By the post office list of 1831, there were 31 post offices in this county, at the following places: Ben sonville, Burdette, Caroline, Cayuga Inlet, Danby, Dryden, Enfield, Etna, Fall Creek, Groton, Hec tor, Hector Falls, Ingersoll's store, ITIIACA, the county seat, Jacksonville, Lansingville, Logan, Ledlowville, MacLean, Macklinburgh, Newfield, North Hector, North Lansing, Peru ville, Reynolds ville, Slaterville, South Lansing, Tru mansburgh, Vernon, West Dryden.
Ithaca, the seat of justice, Tompkin's county, stands on a point above the junction of two branch es of Falls Creek, about two miles southward from the head of Cayuga Lake, 28 miles N.N.W. from Owego on Susquchannah, about 40 very nearly due N. from Athens in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, and by post road 290 miles from, and only 22 min utes E. of W. C. N. Lat. 42° 28'.
Ithaca is a very flourishing and commercial vil lage, situated in a fine, well cultivated and pictu resque vicinity.
Population of the whole county in 1820 was