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–Not graded
History · Cortland West

Half of Cortland West’s homes were built after 1968

Most of Cortland West was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1968. Below: maps from 1903 on.

0on the National Register
8%homes built before 1940
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What stands out about Cortland West’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Cortland West are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19033 editions of the USGS map, 1903 to 1955. Watch Cortland West change.
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Start Cortland West’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Cortland West’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Cortland West on the map, 1903 to 1955

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cortland West. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Cortland West on the 1903 USGS mapCortland West on the 1944 USGS mapCortland West on the 1955 USGS map1903Cortland sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Cortland West.

The story so far

Cortland West, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Cortland West yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Cortland West is a census-designated place and region in Cortland County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, Cortland West had a population of 1,286. The area known as Cortland West is in the town of Cortlandville, on the west side of the city of Cortland .

Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 1,356 to 1,286 (-5%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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Famous people

Famous people close to Cortland West

Nobody well known was born in Cortland West itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

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Amelia BloomerWomen's rights activist · b. 1818
Andrew Dickson WhiteAmerican educator, diplomat, and politician · b. 1832
Alton B. ParkerAmerican judge · b. 1852
David Eugene SmithAmerican mathematician · b. 1860
John Joseph McGrawBaseball player, baseball manager · b. 1873
C
Craig GruberAmerican musician · b. 1951
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Cortland10 historic placesA+Munsons CornersIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Cortland West’s history

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.