Part of the Niagara Frontier and located in the western area of New York
State, Orleans County covers a total area of 817 square miles, of which 426
square miles are water. The high proportion of water is due to the extension
of Orleans County north into Lake Ontario to the Canadian border (a line
of latitude running through the middle of the lake). For this reason, the
legend of the Milan, the sunken schooner, is included in these pages, along
with Orleans County's notable citizens. George Pullman of railroad car
fame, Santa Claus School founder Charlie Howard, and Disney artist Hank
Porter are gone now, but this region continues to produce local legends.