The first name of Horseheads was Valley of Horses Heads which was given to them in 1780. The first name was given to them by the Native Americans. The Native Americans and the British soldiers did not want settlers on their land and harassed them. Washington put an army together and cleared the area out so they could live there. 12 people died by Tioga, there are 12 markers to remember them. Once they reached their destination, they went to war for 8 hours but luckily only 4 Yankees died. When they finally finished, they came through Horseheads but all there was were, animals and forests. They kept walking but they were slowed on the way Watkins Glen because of the swamp. They reached Geneseo then turned around and they started back towards Pennsylvania. When they made it back to Horseheads, they realized their horses were sick and tired. Sullivan said that they should destroy the 200 horses. They went down by the creek and killed the horses. When the Native Americans eventually saw all the bones, they thought a good name would be Valley of the Horses Heads.

After that, in 1833, the name became Fairport. They decided to build a canal which ran from the Chemung River to the Seneca Lake. They had this canal but they had no water in the canal. They decided to get water from the Chemung River at Gibson and they carried the water through Big Flats, all the way to the canal. They used one feeder to carry all the water. In 1833, all businesses were open. It was a thriving business. Boats went from the Chemung Canal to Seneca Lake and then through the Erie or Hudson River. More and more people started to come to Fairport because they produced fruits and crops. 
8 Years later in 1841 it was named Horses Heads. They were told by the post office, they couldn’t name it Fairport anymore because there were to many villages and cities around them already named Fairport. So, because of the background politicians voted to name it Horses Heads. 
44 years later in 1885, they had to rename in North Elmira. Politicians of the government thought it was only a one horse’s town, because of this they had to name it something else. So, because the location North of Elmira, the new name was North Elmira. 
In 1886, Eventually after only a year they took a vote and changed the name to just Horseheads!

Fun facts
1.      They have a monument of General Sullivan
2.      The longest lasting manufacture was Horseheads Brick.
3.      There were business men at a bar talking about what to name their city. Then, the bar tender came out and introduced his daughter as Elmira. They decided to name it Elmira!