Rediscovering Paul Busti (1749–1824)

Paul Busti of Milan arrived in America in 1797 by way of Amsterdam.¹ As the new chief operations officer for the Holland Land Company, Busti controlled the development of western New York, plus substantial tracts in central New York and northwestern and north central Pennsylvania. The total area of land under Busti's control was roughly equivalent to the present size of his native Lombardy. After 1803, the Holland Land Company extended to Busti nearly free reign over their assets (Evans 1924, 429). Under this responsibility, Busti's decisions influenced the economic, political, cultural, and physical development of these territories, especially the establishment of counties, towns, cities, and reservations of the Seneca Nation. Busti secured legal protection of Company assets and employed the best lawyers of the era in numerous cases. A landmark legal decision in the U.S. Supreme Court was achieved under his authority.² Busti also oversaw corporate...