Great Valley's Name Comes From the Land Itself

Great Valley has a name that sounds like praise until you learn it is also plain geography. Great Valley was formed in 1818 from part of the Town of Olean. Its name comes from its local setting, a comparison with neighboring Little Valley along tributary country tied to the Allegany River.

That makes the name practical, not just pretty. Great Valley and Little Valley are nearby words on a map, but they also tell you how people read the land. The town sits where valley shape, creek routes, Route 219 travel, and Cattaraugus County’s hill-and-river pattern all matter.

A person passing through might remember the ski-country feel, the road, or the quiet stretch between busier stops. The name adds a little more. Great Valley is not trying to sound grand in a brochure. It is carrying an old local comparison in its everyday address.

The town name tells you to look at the slopes and drainage before you decide you have seen the place. It turns a drive on Route 219 into a little lesson in how Cattaraugus County names land.