O T S EG O C O U N TY

' NEW YO RK

G e o gr a ph i c a l __d H i s t o r i c a l

F R O M T H E E A R L I E S T S E T T L E M E N T

T O T H E P R E S E N T TIM E .

W ITH C O U N TY A N D TO W N S H IP M A P S

F R O M . OR IG IN A L D R A W IN G S

By W ‘ a B E D IN F . B A C ON , p . .

N ONEONTA, . Y.

T ON ONTA H ER AL D P lis h r H E E , ub e s . 1 2 90 .

P R EF A C E

Th ere is a growing demand for the means of local geo

a a n d u graphic l historical st dy in schools, and this little manual is intended to meet this dem and for the schools of Otsego

County . It was originally prepared in manuscript for classes in the Oneonta State Normal school and now, with the approval and encou ragement of the school commissioners and teachers of

ff . the county, is o ered in its present form In its preparation I have had the pleasu re of visiting every

n towshipin the county , thus gaining information at first hand and from the most relia ble sources . For events previous to our a I . time, have found excellent m terial The history of the 1878 d county from the earliest times to , by D . Hamilton Hur , l I is very comp ete to that date, and have , with permission , I freely quoted from it . In addition to this have had access to ’ “ ” ’ “ Campbell s Annals of Tryon County , Beardsley s Remi ’ n i sc en c es and Anecdotes, and Halsey s Old New York Fron — t tier, three works of surpassing interest, ogether with a num ’ “ ber of local sketches, including Sawyer s History of Cherry ” ’ ’ a Ric hfield V lley , Ward s Annals of , Campbell s History “ S ’ f ’ of Oneonta, haw s History o Cooperstown, Halsey s “ ’ - Pioneers of Unadilla, and Hotchkin s History of Mary ” ' I e land . am also indebted to the supervisors of the s veral town ships and to others for careful revision of the township maps and of the text , by which the greatest accuracy has been secured . i d While mak ng this study , an opinion previously forme has

i a been essentially mod fied . That opinion w s that farming in u t Otsego co n y had, owing to western competition and other be causes, ceased to profitable ;that there were many abandoned u farms, and that the rising generation tho ght only of getting away from the old homestead and seeking employment else du e where . All such views must be to the depression of f ormer th years, for they are no longer true to e facts . The increase i n rural prosperity evident throughout the state is equally apparent PR EFACE

in this region . Owing to the tendency of population toward o the villages there are some abandoned farmh uses, but there u are no abandoned farm lands in the co nty , and the intelligent n and thrifty farmer is everywhere doing well . This improveme t m dai r m is ost eviden t in the line of y g, which is now the leading

n r and most profitable i dgs t y.

Otsego county h as a most interesting and honorable record . Its early settlers were of good New England and old England stock , and their numerous descendants here and in the west , to which many of them have gone , must read with interest the n v record of pio eer struggles, of victory over sa age and foreign i u u en foes, of heroic strife for the Un on , of modern c lt re and ter ris e p . The study of geography properly commences around the home . The perspective of world study is better from this stand u point , and the children who become thoro ghly interested in it will go on to the stu dy of their own and foreign countries with a i i clearer idea of its nature and mportance . The prevail ng inter es t in local geography is therefore to be encouraged by every

m a means , and it is hoped that this little contribution to it y prove acceptable to the teachers of the county .

While primarily intended as a school text book, the require ments of the business world have also been kept in view in the u a ll preparation of this work . The co nty and township maps,

to da te from original drawings , are thoroughly up , and the de

trav el o u lati on os t- ofli ces scriptive text concerning routes of , p p , p , newspapers, business and manufacturing interests, express , tel graph and telephone facilities, commend it to all classes , while its business - like quality can in no Wise I mpair Its usefuln ess 1 11

- the class room .

E . F . B . 1 2 90 . Oneonta, New York . August,

OTS E G O C O U N TY

— P A R T I G E N E R A L H I S TO R Y

A N D R LOCATION POLITICAL O IGIN .

TS EGO COUNTY i s favorably situated upon the S highlands at the head waters of . the usquehanna u river , a little so theast of the center of the state , and i s th e f contains square miles . It bounded by : following named counties On the north by Oneida, Herkimer and Montgomery ;on the east by Schoharie ;on the south by

n d Delaware ;and on the west by Chenango a Madison . w or It was originally a part of Albany county, hich was an i zed 1683 an d g in , whic h covered a large section of the state ,

and the whole of the present state of Vermont . In the year

1772 In 1784 Tryon county was set off from Albany county.

‘ the name Tryon was c h an ged to M ontgomery and in 1791 Otsego was set off from Montgomery with Cooperstown as its county t seat . As thus formed the coun y, although with its present

: dimensions, was divided into only two townships , viz Otsego th e lying to west of Otsego Lake and the Susquehanna , and

Cherry Valley to the east of those waters . With the increase of population these townships were again and again subdivided

- a c c om until the number is now twenty four , as shown in the

m a panying p .

NATUR AL FE ATU R ES .

The surface presents a great variety of hill and dale with

many beautiful landscapes . In every township are found ele

v ation s 250 500 of from to feet , among which flow a great num

ber of small streams . The greatest elevations are in Cherry

Valley town ship, where several hills rise more than feet GENERAL HIS TOR Y

m r u above tide . The most i po tant water co rses are the Unadilla

river , which constitutes the western boundary , the Susquehanna flowing do wn centrally from Otsego Lake and constituting a

portion of the southern boundary , Wharton and Butternuts

creeks , flowing into the Unadilla river ;Otego , Schenevus and creeksfl o win Cherry Valley g into the Susquehanna , and Oaks Can adara o t e creek , the outlet of g Lake , flowing also into h Sus

i h n n a of u e a . q Otsego Lake , the largest body water in thi s S region , lies within the townships of Otsego, pringfield and

M ddl field . i e . It is eight miles long and about one mile wide an d b It lies about feet above sea level, is surrounded y 400 500 hills that rise from to feet above its surface . It is a c lake of unsurpassed beauty , and many ex ursions are made upon b e b it v means of steam rs and other pleasure boats . Its anks

are also dotted with summer camps and cottages . This lake has ’ b e een made famous as the scene of Cooper s novels , The D er “ ” and The Pioneer .

IX TH E S NATIONS .

This region , before the advent of the white man , has been “ a described s an Indian Paradise . It was a superb hunting

ground , the home of the deer , the elk, the moose , the bear, the otter, the martin , the wolf , the fox , the squirrel, and of numer

ous water fowl, while salmon and other fish abounded in the

rivers and lakes . The natives belonged to a famous Indian league called by “ ” h the English the Six Nations, though the Frenc applied to “ e them the general t rm Iroquois . It is well to know something of the origin and history of

this league , for the colonial settlers throughout the state had

much to do with it . It is supposed to have been formed about 1600 — the year , and consisted at first of five tribes the Onon

S . r dagas , Oneidas, Mohawks , Cayugas, and enecas Later it e c eiv ed u the T scaroras , who came from North Carolina . It was with the Mohawks and Tuscaroras that the white settlers had

. most to do These Indians were fierce and aggressive . From the far east to the Mississippi they were known and dreaded by “

other tribes, none of whom were able to resist them . I have ” “ Old been told , says Colden , by men in New England who re member the time when the Mohawks made war upon the GENERAL H IS TOR Y 9

e Indians , that , as soon as a singl Mohawk was discovered in r bill ‘ their country , the Indians aised the cry from hill to , A Mohawk $ a Mohawk $’ upon which they fled ‘ like sheep before wolves without attem pting to make the least resistance . The fir s t ‘ whites wh o came in contact with the tribes of this confederacy were the French , who lived in peace with them , and the Indians aided them against the English in the “ Old

” ‘ 1754 w ‘ French war ( Later , hen the English had tri umphed over the French , they made friendly treaties with these Indians and thus received their assistance against the rebellious

a n R ev ol u colonists . And so it h ppe ed that in the war of the

En li s h ' th e tion the g , Tories and the Indians were combined against the patriots wh o were fighting for independence . The scattered settlements were almost defenceless against this strong

“ s o - combination of enemies , and all the more because very many of the best men were enlisted in the colonial army an d tt were far from the homes that s o much needed them for de

n fence . All the horrors of that period resulted from this co di

t s In dian s f r o m s tan d oin t h ad tion of hing , but the , their p , a good

rev I Ou s excuse for making war upon the patriot settlers, for p to the war they had made a treaty offensive and defensive with the

English, and as allies were bound to join them in their war n “ up o the rebels . But at the close of the Revolution the poor Indians paid a

n terrible penalty for bei g on the wrong side in that struggle .

' At first the feeling against th em wa s so strong that they ca m e

' near being destroyed or driven out of the state , but through the influen ce of Washington and others they were assigned to reser v a ti on s t an , and measures were aken for their civilization d edu

in cation . The few Indians now remaining the state are the

“ descendants of those fierce warriors of the olden time .

TH E F R S W H L M E I T ITE SETT E NTS .

According to Halsey, white men appear to have been in 1616 b the upper Susquehanna valley in , or a out one hundred a n d sixty years before the revolution . They came as explorers and then as traders . After them in the next century came mis 1 s i on aries . 769 to the Indians Finally . in , arrived surveyors .

” Th o nee s of U n a a lla e n s W e P V b F a c . H e a i r dill i g , y r i ls y . 1 0 GENERAL HIS TOR Y

The first grant of land to white settlers in this region was 1738 made in the year , and consisted of about acres , of located in the northeast part the present county of Otsego .

It was granted by George Clark , the lieutenant governor of New

’ — L in des a L en elet York, to four men John y, Jacob Roseboom ,

Gan es v oort; and Syb ra nt V an S c h aic k . The originator and

a m an leader of this settlement, Mr . Lind say , was a Scotchman , a

he u d in v f rom t . of wealth and cul ure T others , j g g their names,

must have been of the old Dutch stock . Their settlement was

at C herry Valley . i ff These pioneers, with the r families , su ered many priva tions during the first years of their settlement , and in the winter

1740 - 41 a of , would h ve perished but for the assistance of a friendly Mohawk who came to them from the Mohawk valley on c on diti on m ade snow shoes and, learning their destitute , repeated trips to his home, bringing back provisions . This kindness ’ a L in des a s w s the result of Mr . y generous treatment of the a Indians from the beginning . He had m de them his fast friends an d received in turn the same kindness that William Penn an d all other settlers experienced who were just and friendly to these trusting children of nature . In 1741 the little settlement was increased bythe arrival of

r f five families originally f om the north o Ireland . The heads of S these families were Rev . amuel Dunlop , David Ramsay , llt Ga . William , James Campbell and William Dickson They

added about thirty persons to the community . During the next

L in des a re ten years only four new families came . Mr . y had ' i th e m i i tar t red from the settlement , having gone into l y service , and trouble had broken out with the Indians so that progress b 1762 was retarded v constant fear of an Indian war . In there w i e an war ere only eight famil es, and during the Fr nch d Indian

'

it became necessary to build a fort at Cherry Valley , at which a

company of soldiers was stationed . But no seriou s hostilities and took place, at the beginning of the Revolution the settlement

numbered three hundred persons .

a 1770 Ed The town of Edmeston was settled bout by Col . m es ton h , a former officer of the Englis army , who received a

h e tract of acres for his services in t French war . Hartwick dates from a grant made to John Christopher i 1 1 Hartw ck , in the year 76 . GENERAL H$S TOR Y 1 1

In Lau rens the first settlement was made by Joseph M ayall in 1774

M iddlefi ld s 17 . e wa settled in 55 by Wm . Cook and others In 1773 Ebenezer Knapp from Dutchess county settled on But tern u ts creek in the town of Morris . Increase Thurston and Benjamin Lull settled in New Lis 17 bon in 73 . Henry S c h ra m lin g and families bearing the names of Young and Alger settled in Oneonta township before the Revolution , but the exact date is not known . There were several other small settlements within the present l limits of the county before the Revo ution, as at Milford , Ex Ric h field eter , Unadilla , and Springs ;but they assumed no r importance until afte the war .

f OTSEG O COUNTY . D UR I NG THE REV OLUTION .

Up to the time of the Revolution the settlers in this region

m an a ed ' to t had g keep on olerably good terms with the Indians,

' but with th e ou tbreak of the war of indepen den ce a great change i occurred . It was a question which s de the Indians would take i d in the mpending conflict . They would perhaps have si ed with the colonists or remained neutral had it not been f or the oppos u Si r ing infl ence of one man , William Johnson , who had long a t v been among them s the agent of , the Bri ish go ernment , and who had dealt very justly with them . This man found means fi “ ” of uniting ve of the Six Nations against the patriot settlers .

' f rien dl to to h The Oneidas , although y the British , refused fig t against the colonies and consequently their territory was ravaged u t en c ou r by the tories . Througho the struggle the Indians , E i aged by the nglish loyalists and tories , carried on a merc less warfare against the scattered an d feeble settlements of central

New York and Pennsylvania . 1778 m In July , , occurred the great assacre of Wyoming, a S village on the usquehanna river in Pennsylvania , and in the following November a like fate befell the settlement at Cherry a t e Valley . This latter dis ster might have been averted if h warnings given had been promptly heeded by the ofli cer in com mand of the small garrison stationed at that place , for a fort had been built and all the inhabitants might have been brought

Within it . But the commander, Col . Alden , seemed to doubt 1 2 GENERAL HISTOR Y thetruth of the warnings although they came in an ofli ci al communication from the officer in command at Fort Schuyler .

He was one of the first to be killed as he retreated, bravely de

t m - t o . w fending himself , toward the for In this assacre thirty of the settlers together with sixteen soldiers acting as a guard

th e we . outside of fort re slain The fort itself , being defended

c a n n on held s u . with , out against the several assault made pon it s et Failing in these attacks, the savages fire to all the dwellings t e outside h fortifications , and retreated down the Cherry Valley creek taking with them as prisoners about seventy of the in h ab

itan ts a n d. , though nearly all of these were soon released per m i d n tte to return in safety . The military post was mai tained

a t until the next summer, when it was abandoned . A second tack an d massacre in 1780 compelled the remaining inhabitant s to flee for safety , and the place was thus entirely deserted until after the close of the war . These and other Indian massacres aroused the general gov ern m n e t to an act of terrible retribution . A campaign of de struction was organized under the command of Generals S -ulli van and Clinton , who received orders to attack and destroy without mercy all the villages of the hostile tribes of the state . was General Sullivan , who chief in command . first marched from

1 s t th e his camp on the Hudson (May , to scene of the

- late m assacre in the Wyoming valley . From thence he moved to Tioga Point at the confluence of the Che m ung and S u s qu e n han a rivers and built a fort which he called Fort Sullivan . In 1800 M O the meantime Gen . Clinton with men ascended the hawk river, from the Hudson to Canajoharie . He thence made the portage to Otsego Lake with the intention of descending

Poin t th ere the Susquehanna river to Tioga . to form a j unction u with Gen . S llivan . He had transported a large number of u boats across the co ntry from the Mohawk for this purpose .

In these he descended the lake , but found the river too low to

float them , upon which he devised a very ingenious means of e raising the water . H dammed up the outlet of the lake until the water rose nearly three feet , then having all in readiness , s and his boat distributed along the banks , he cut the dam and

so safely floated down on the swelling current . The Indians along the course of the river were greatly as toni s h ed . t at this phenomenon First the wa er fell , and then b suddenly and without any visible cause, rose , earing upon its GENERAL HIS TOR Y 1 3

bosom a hostile fleet . They regarded this as an interposition of

s o in the Great Spirit in favor of their enemies , and fled terror m fro their villages , leaving the invaders to make their journey unmolested . Only a portion of the force kept to the boats , the i “ greater part march ng along the banks of the river. The junc d tion with Sullivan was safely made and the combine forces , n ow n u m berin g men , advanced northward on a mission of devastation through the rich Indian settlements of the Che I ' m u n an d All h . t e g Genesee valleys the villages were burned , fin e h numerous orc ards cut down , and immense quantities of In dl an s corn destroyed . The , after making a brave stand and a t being defeated Newtown, on the present site of Elmira, fled to the ' rotec ti on t p of the Bri ish forts at Niagara , around which the in they encamped and where they , spent winter great dis s b u t th ev trei , their spirit was not broken and were soon again up n the warpath , continuing their depredations upon the white settlements until the close of the Revolution . But the field of conflict wa s changed from the Susquehanna - oh ar ie to the Mohawk and Sch , for on the upper Susquehanna S f there remained nothing to fight for and no one to fight . nc ces s ive conquests by both parties had given the whole region ' the b on l h u m a n back to nature and to Wild easts . Almost the y

' beings who now traversed it were those who followed the an cient trails on their way to the new battle grounds beyond .

It was thus that Otsego county , which had nearly a dozen white settlements at the beginning of the Revolution,was an u n its inhabited wilderness at close, but with peace a new era was soon to dawn upon it .

I TH E FOR M ATION OF TOWNSH PS .

’ r Gen . Sullivan s devastating march made Cent al New York f re better known to the whites than ever be ore , and as soon as leased from militaryservice many of his officers and men h as tened to return as peaceful settlers to a region through which they had so recently passed as destroyers . A great tide r of emig ation also set in from the New England states . Th e settlements made before the war and abandoned during the Indian troubles were also quickly revived as soon as peace

“ returned, and from that time the population rapidly increased , as is apparent from the formation of new townships i m m edi GENE IS TOR . 1 4 RAL H Y

1 1 Be ately following the organization of the county in 79 . tween that date and the end of the century , nine years , eleven new townships were formed by subdividing the original ones, B s M iddlefield viz : urlington , Butternut , Exeter, , Milford ,

Pitts field Plain field Ric h field , , , Springfield, Unadilla , and

I ~ Beltweefi 1 800 1810 Worcester . and seven more townships were

: formed, viz Decatur, Edmeston, Hartwick , Laurens, Maryland, 1822 New Lisbon , and Westford . Otego was formed in , and was 1849 1830 . Oneonta in Morris taken from Butternuts in , 18 4 and Roseboom from Cherry Valley in 5 .

P U I OP LAT ON . The population of Otsego county increased with wonderful 1791 1 830 rapidity from its organization in up to about , since which time it has remained nearly stationary , although some of 1790 the villages have gained . In the population of the county was in 1800 it was in 1810 it was in 1820 it was and in 1830 it was The largest popu la at was 1880 tion recorded any census in , when it was or

- fi e h 18 s twenty v more t an in 30. Since then the village have gained about six thousand , while the rural population has lost 1890 wa s more than this number . In the population 1900 48 939 and in it was ,

O O COU Y I H B LL O TSEG NT N T E RE E I N .

i Otsego contributed its full quota of men to the un on cause . The total number of enlistments credited to the county was 2 925 i 129 , distr buted among regiments in all departments . of — the service infantry , cavalry and artillery . The largest pro

5l s t 76th 12l s t portion of Otsego men were found in the , , , and

152d r 3d In th e l s t egiments of state infantry , in the cavalry , , 2d 3d l s t 87 and artillery , and in the engineer corps . enlisted

. . r 146 in the U S egular army and in the navy . In addition to 526 these , are recorded as enlisting without mention of the regi n the me t or branch of service to which they were assigned . The bombardment and capture of Fort Sumter in Charles r In 1861 ton harbo April, , was the real beginning of. the war . It was immediately followed by the President ’s call for

u an d ' s u res s vol nteers to defend the government pp the rebellion .

To this call Otsego made a prompt response . A company

1 6 GENERAL HIS TOR Y

n and was I that terrible struggle on Willoughby Run , where on the first day the fate of the army depended upon holding the position while other divisions moved to take possession o f 76th 348 Cemetery Ridge . The went into this action with men an d 27 f two ofli cers o ficers , and in half an hour it lost killed

‘ Ou n ded ~ 3O 116 and sixteen w ; men killed and wounded . It was

here that General Reynolds was killed . This corps was splen

“ didly commanded by three men who in succession fell in battle

: i n while leading it . viz Reynolds , at Gettysburg ;Wadsworth ,

S otts lv an i a the Wilderness, and Rice at p y , all within a single year , and the last named after being in command but two days . 76th t On the expiration of three years for which the enlis ed ,

165 r e - 147 of its members enlisted and were transferred to the th , w an Os ego regiment, with whom they served until the close of the war .

The One Hundred and Twenty - First was recruited in Ot H eI'ki m er e sego and counti s . Its first colonel was Hon . Richard c an d its Fran hot of Morris, first Major was Egbert Olcott of

he . C rry Valley Its second Colonel was Emory Upton , one of f the ablest and bravest o ficers in the service , a graduate of West

Point, and under him the regiment became famous . The rec ords of the war department credit this regiment with taking 25 part in battles, including Fredericksburg , Gettysburg , The

S otts lv an i a en Wilderness, p y , Petersburg and the final series of gagem en ts that ended with the surrender of Lee and the close of 14 ffi 212 “ 27 the war . It had o cers and men killed in battle , 596 officers and men wounded . On the Gettysburg battlefield h a s been erected a monument commemorative of the part taken 12l s t t s by the in that ba tle . It i of $ uincy granite and bronze , s u r m ou n ted b and is y the figure of a soldier . It bears, besi des r the historical insc iptions , a bronze medallion of General Emory

. 483 Upton , life size This regiment contained Otsego county

men .

- : e The One Hundred and Fifty Second This regiment, _lik 1 21 s t the , was raised in the twentieth senatorial district , which

re comprised the counties of Otsego and Herkimer . It was c ru ited at Camp Schuyler across the Mohawk from the village of Herkimer and was mustered into the Un i ted States service 15 1862 at that place October , . It was immediately sent to Vir

ginia, where it was actively engaged until the close of the war , GENERAL HIS TOR Y 1 7

Of 1863 s New except during the summer , when it was ent to ' Its York city to aid in the suppression of the draft riots . hardest service occurred after General Grant took command of the Army of the Potomac It was then engaged in the battles at of the Wilderness , at Cold Harbor, and the siege of

Petersburg . Its ranks were so much depleted by sickness and b a t 1 864 losses in attle that the end of June, , it was reduced to 145 11 f enlisted men and o ficers . It took part in the final events 2 that resulted in the surrender of General Lee , and on May , 1 6 m 8 5 . , it marched through Richmond It was ustered out July 13th a , of that ye r . Fer u Among its officers from this county were Col . Alonzo g

on u tan t S of Oneonta, Cleveland J . Campbell of Cherry Valley, adj ;

r e r . Ge g W . Ernst j . of Otsego , quartermaster ;William R Wall an d of Springfield , captain ;Elias Young, first lieutenant ; John i Land . second lieutenant of Company D ;Edmund C . G lbert of H lie u ten Butternuts , captain , and Josiah inds of Otsego, first

r w k G U iah . ant of Company ; B Kendall of Hart ic , captain ; .

c . s ec William R . Patri k first lieutenant ;William I Hopkins,

'

of . ond lieutenant Company H ;Alonzo A Bingham of Otsego , Ed captain ;Charles Hamilton of Roseboom , first lieutenant ;

of . ward W . Butler Roseboom , second lieutenant of Company I i b The reg ment elonged to the first brigade , second division , second army corps , under the command of General Warren . Of

its 400 . men , over were from Otsego county

r V a nAllen The Thi d Cavalry , called the Cavalry , in

, honor of its, first Colonel, was composed of men from Otsego

D elaware S c h oh ar ie an d t . , , other coun ies Its second commander fi s er was Colonel Simon H . Mix , one of the best of cers in the r was l i n . vice , who kil ed an engagement on the Weldon ailroad This regiment did good service aro und Richmond and in North

143 . . Carolina . It contained men from Otsego county In July

865 was w l s t des 1 , it consolidated ith the Mounted Rifles , and “ ” ignated as the Fourth Provisional Cavalry . — First L i ght Artillery This regiment was organized at El Its 78 . mira , but contained Otsego men first commander was was k Colonel Guilford D . Bailey who killed at Fair Oa s while spiking some cannon that had to be abandoned to the enemy . s H e was succeeded by Colonel Charle S . Wainwright , who was h was promoted to Brigadier General in 1864. T is regiment in 18 G ENERAL HISTOR Y

h battle at Williamsburg , Manassas , Chancellorsville and ot er places .

Second Light Artillery : This regiment wa s organized in

New York city , but was largely recruited from the interior of

‘ cl di 150 m en Its the state , in u ng from Otsego county . battle b R u n S otts l flag was inscri ed with the names of Second Bull , p y vania , Cold Harbor , Petersburg, Reams Station and other places .

The Third Light Artillery entered the service as th e Nine

n th tee Infantry Regiment under Col . John S . Clark and was transferred to the Artillery in 1863 and in this capacity served

S c h ofield 23rd with great credit under , being attached to the corps and afterwards on the Atlantic coast , at Hilton Head , n c on Fort Macon , Kingston , Goldsboro , and Charlesto . It tai n ed 66 men from Otsego county .

The First Engineer Corps : This was a body of picked

of men from all parts of the country under the command Col .

. 100 E W . Serrell . Companies G and I contained about Otsego wa s men . It employed in engineer work in Virginia and the

Carolinas , and especially in the siege of Forts Sumter and t o Wagner in Charles on harbor, where it planted the cannon kn wn as the Swamp Angel with which the walls of Fort Sumter were battered down .

TH E . . G A . R POSTS .

are ~ There twelve G . A . R . posts in the county , namely

w . . 26 . Coopersto n , L C Turner Post , No . 24 2 . Cherry Valley , Emory Upton Post , No .

. . 2 2 3 . Gilbertsville , W A Musson Post, No .

. D . u r oe t 65 3 . Hartwick , H N Pos , No .

Geo . d 1 6 . Morris, Kid er Post , No .

, . . 1 19 Oneonta E D Farmer Post , No . .

, . . 18 Otego C A Shepherd Post, No . 9 . 522 Portlandville , Olcott Post, No . . R i c hfield 2 6 , O . 5 . Springs Weldon Post, N n 1 5 Schenevus, Brow Post, No . . U , . . 124 nadilla C C Siver Post , No . . 25 Worcester Johnson Post, No . . GENERAL HIS TOR Y 1 9

i L L A V G Es A N D POSTOFF IC ICS .

' The following is a complete list of villages and hamlets of

os to ffi c e Otsego county . There is a p at each place except h s ( s . where some other place is de ignated T us , Bower town mail o C operstown . Na m e To w ns h ip Bourne Exeter Bowerstown (mail Cooperstown) M iddlefield Brighton (mail R ic hfield Springs) R ic h field Burlington Burlington

Burlington Flats . Burlington

Center V alley Cherry Valley . Hartwick

Clintonville ( mail Milford) Hartwick

Cherry Valley . Cherry Valley Colliersville Milford Cooperstown Otsego

Cooperstown Junction . Milford

u . Decat r . Decatur East Springfield East Worcester Worcester Edmeston Edmeston Elk Creek Maryland

Exeter . Exeter

Fly Creek . Otsego Garrattsville New Lisbon Gilbertsville Butternuts H artwick Hartwick

Hartwick Seminary . H artwick

Hope Factory (P . O . Index) Otsego Hyde Park (mail Index) Hartwick

Ketchum Pitts field . Laurens Laurens

Lena New Lisbon . iddlefield Lentsville . M

Maple Grove . Morris . Maple Valley Westford

Maryland . Maryland . M iddlefield M iddlefield 2 0 GENERAL HIS TOR Y

Na m e To w ns h ip M iddlefield Center M iddlefield n fi ld S r in field Middle Village (mail East Spri g e ) . p g

Milford Milford .

Milford Center (mail . Portlandville) . Milford OTRic hfieId R ich field Monticello ( P . ) Morris Morris Mount Vision Laurens New Lisbon New Lisbon North Edmeston Edmeston Oaksville Otsego Oneonta Oneonta

Oneonta Plains (mail Oneonta) Oneonta .

Otego Otego . Otsdawa Otego Burlington Phoenix Mills M iddlefield Pierstown (mail Cooperstown) Otsego Pitts field Pitts field d Pl ai n field Center Plain fiel . Pleasant Brook Roseboom - Portlandville Milford Ri c hfield Springs Ric hfield Roseboom Roseboom

Salt Springville Cherry Valley . Schenevus Maryland Schuyler Lake Exeter Snowdon Otsego South Edmeston Edmeston So ‘uth Hartwick Hartwick South Valley Roseboom

z South Worcester . Worcester Springfield Springfield r Sp ingfield Center . Springfield Stetsonville (mail New Lisbon) New Lisbon Toddsville Hartwick Unadilla Unadilla Unadilla Center Un adilla Unadilla Forks Plain field Welcome New Lisbon

Wells Bridge Unadilla . GENERAL HIS TOR Y 2 1

West Burlington West Edmeston

West Exeter .

Westford . West L aurens W est Oneonta Westville W 'harton Worcester

A S POLITICAL REL TION .

Otsego county forms an assembly district , and with. Her

kimer it forms the thirty - third state senatorial district ; with

S - Delaware , choharie and Ulster it forms the twenty fourth c on gres s IOn al district: and it is a part of the sixth judicial dis t o ri t, which includes also the counties of Delaware, Madison ,

Chenango , Tompkins, Broome , Chemung, Schuyler, Tioga d and Cortlan .

P P R I O Y NEW S A E S N TSEGO CO UNT .

W ee l u n les s oth er i s indi c t d ( k y w e a e . )

To w ns h ip L o ca tio n

Bu tter n u ts Ots ego Jou rn a l G ilber tsvi lle C h er ry V a l ley Ch er r y V a ll ey Ga zette C h er r y V a ll ey

Edm es ton Edm es ton L oca l Edm es ton

H a r twi c k Har twi ck R evi ew Ha r twi ck Ha r twi c k Ha r twi c k V i s i tor Ha r twi c k

a r t i c r i m M n th l a r t i m i n a r H w k Ha tw c k Se . o y H w c k Se y La u r ens Otego V a ll ey N ews La ur en s M a r yla n d Sc h en evu s M on i tor Sc h en evu s M ilf ord Otsego Ti di n gs M ilf or d

’ M i lf or d $ Tea c h er s Ga zette M ilf ord

M orr i s M or r i s Ch r on i cl e M or r i s

n n O eo ta. On eon ta Her a ld On eon ta

6 ‘ On eon ta Lea der

On eon ta Pr ess

On eon ta Spy

On eon ta D a ily Sta r 22 GENERA L El s roa Y

N a m e

$ Th e On eon ta u

R u r al Ti m es

’ F r eem a n s Jou rn a l

Ots ego F a rm er

R epu bli ca n

’ R i c h fi eId R i calrfi eld Spr i n gs M er c u r y R i c h fi eld Spr i n gs

i' Ri c hfi eld Spr i n gs D a ily

Un a d i lla U n a d illa Ti m es

W or c es ter W or c es ter Ti m es

$ M n h l h l r o t y sc oo pape s .

$ n rJu ly a n d Au gu st o lv .

TH E B S H Y M PU LIC C OOL S STE . The pub lic schools of Otsego county are subject to the

o en general scho l laws of the state , which date from legislative 1 n a c tm en ts of 1853 and 867 . Each tow ship is divided into school districts and each school is under the authority of trus t ees chosen by the parents and taxpayers of the district . The schools are free of tuition to all pupils of school age (5 18 to inclusive) , provided they attend within the districts in which they reside . Those attending in other districts pay a

- moderate tuition fee . School text books are not supplied free unless the district so orders and supplies the means .

The public schools of the county are of four kinds , viz 1 —Rural schools in which only the common English branches are taught . 2— Grade schools in which there are two or more depart ments . 3— Union free schools, graded, supplied with apparatus , b charts , etc . and employing a num er of teachers . 4— High or Academic schools subject to the Regents of the University of New York and enjoying certain advantages by virtue of this relation .

An i n s ec y Union Free School may , upon application and p

n . tio , become a regents or high school In order to do this it n must mai tain an academic department, must have at least $250 s worth of reference book , a microscope and other apparatus for s Cien tific instruction . All public schools receive money from the state to assist in the purchase of reference books and ap paratus .

24 GENERA L H IS TOR Y

The Ulster and Delaware road from Kingston on the $

Hudson to Oneonta . The Cooperstown and Cha rlotte Valley road connecting

with the Ulster and Delaware road at West Davenport . ” Ric h field S rin s elec tric The Oneonta, Cooperstown and p g th e at road , which is to connect with New York Central Mo

h awk and Her kimer . The Unadilla Valley Railroad Company is extending its line from New Berlin to Oneonta via Morris and the Butter

e . nuts vall y , also northward from Bridgewater to Utica

H TH E ALB A NY AND SUS$ UE ANNA RAILROAD . The construction of this important road opened Otsego

county , previously isolated, to the trade and commerce of the world . But it was undertaken before the value of such an I mprove

ment wa s generally appreciated . The discussion and legislation that led to its accomplishment extended over a period of many was a years, and it only after a hard struggle that the me ns were

obtained an d the work begun . The first man who advocated the building of railroads in the 1827 county was Jacob Dietz of Oneonta, who in published arti ’ ” cles on the s ubject in the Freeman s Journal of Cooperstown .

1832 d In 1845 In several roads were chartere but never built . a char ter wa s obtained for a road from Binghamton to S c h enec

e . In tady , traversing the county , but this also fail d Finally 1 851 (April 1 9th ) the present Albany Susquehanna road was chartered and after 13 years of agitation and controversy f u blic in teres t was h e the p sufficiently aroused , t means pro d ide . a s 18 v and the work begun This w in 63 . The road Wa s 1 864 completed from Albany to Cobleskill in the summer of , in 1 865 its to Oneonta August , , and to terminus at Binghamton 1 in 869. January , Among the most active prom oters of this great work were

“ “ Ri c h ard i Franchot of Morris , who was the first president of

' the road , Jared Goodyear of Colliersville , Eliakim R . _Ford and r Harvey Baker (the energetic cont actor) , of Oneonta , and '

I - Arnold B. Watson of Unadilla . n 1 870 the Delaware ” Hudson Canal Company obtained a lease of the Albany

Th e De a w a e a n d H u so n c a n a e x ten s om H on e a P P s e e n n . l r d l d fr d l , , V ia ort Je r vis ,

to v e n ea K i n s ton . Y . a n d w as b u t c efl f or th e t n Eddy ill , r g , N , il hi y ra s portation of coa l. Th e a oa s ys tem of t s c om a n h as s u e ce e th e c a n a r ilr d hi p y p r d d l , whic h is n ow ou t of u s e m a o tion n ea on ou t ex cept a s ll p r r R d . GENERAL HISTOR Y 2 5

99 7 Susquehanna Railroad for years, paying at first per cent 9 and now per cent interest on the par value of its stock . It added also other lines to its system and the whole is now called “ R aie ad the Delaware Hudson .

L R E R E AG RICU TU AL R SO U C S .

According to the census Of 1900 there were in Otsego county v a ‘ h farms ha ing a total of cres, of w ich The r acres were improved . value of farms and farm p operty was as follows : 9 487 540 Land and improvements except buildings $ ,

an d achine 1 223 000 Implements m ry $ , , 3 414 454 Live stock $ , ,

21 475 964 Total $ , , 4 1899 . The value of farm products for the year was $ , Expen ditures for labor and fertilizers

Net Ear n in gS ”

Dividing the net earnings by the number Of farms gives 28 77 h i s $6 . as the average return to the farmer for own labor an d capital .

E S E C Y F R TH E Y A R 1 8 99 ' FA R M PR O D UCTS O OT GO O UNT . O E

CEN SUS OF 1 900 .

CEREALS

HAY H ay and grain 149 789 for hay , Forage 3 3 5 7 (cornstalks , , 9 B us h els VEGETABLES Potatoes 20 4 837 Onions , GENERA L H IS TOR Y

Acres Beans 176 Peas 52 Miscellaneous Vegetables 951

P o u n ds HOPS TOBACCO Hops Tobacco 1 580

B us h els 331 59 446 046 FRUITS Apples , 6 , 11 110 6 683 Pears , , Peaches Nectarines 914 660 Plums and Prunes 583 2 425 313 Cherries , Apricots 15

Acr es $ ua r ts B ERRIES and other small Fruits 153

Nu m ber Va lu e IV K 87 707 L E STOC Cattle , 14 321 Horses , 29 966 Sheep , Swine Mules 30 Asses 8 Goats 13 DAIRY PRODUCTS Gallons of Milk Gallons of Cream sold 2 412 218 Pounds Butter made , , Cheese made

POULTRY Nu m b er I 221 310 Chickens, ncluding Guineas , 4 993 Turkeys , 2 353 Ducks , Geese 911 1 1900 94 Value of Poultry , June , $ , 279 V P 1899 1 11 494 alue of oultry raised in $ ,

. 1899 1 651 Doz of Eggs produced in , , 250 Fleeces shorn 16;643 Pounds of Wool B 65 H ON Y w 1 19 EES E S arms of Bees June , 00 1899 79 Pounds Honey produced in , 360 ; 1 GENERAL H IS TOR Y N\

R L R AL O AG ICU TU S CIETIES .

The Otsego county Agricultural Society holds a fair ah n u all y at Cooperstown . Fairs are also held annually by local Ric hfield societies at Morris, Oneonta, Springs and Schenevus .

P ATRO N OF H B A D RY S US N . This organization has fifteen local societies or granges in

Otsego county . Its objects are educational, financial and i . social It nsures farm property , advocates good roads, and has been influential in the establishment of free rural mail

delivery . Meetings are held every two weeks for the discussion ' Of topics pertaining to the interests of farmers . The state

gives to each grange , on application , an agricultural library of 100 volumes . The membership in Otsego county numbers 665

and consists of farmers and their families . The first grange in this county was organized at Elk Creek in 1886 and since that

date W . H . Chamberlain of Elk Creek has been county deputy and secretary .

S M M R S S U E RE ORT .

The high altitude and salubrious climate of Otsego county

e Ric h field render it an attractive region for summ r residence . b v Springs has long een a fa orite health resort , and Coopers “ a town , with its surroundings, famous s the scene of the Leath ” er s toc kin ts . i g Tales , will never lose charm while Glimmer ” glass invites the wanderer to its placid waters . But while these two places are most noted there are many others where summer dwellers find coolness , health and rural beauty . With its increased railroad facilities , which already link together its

S fif t - most attractive pots , Otsego county , with its y three vil

o f lages , so l ng isolated iom the outer world , is now accessible n from all directio s , and no small portion of its prosperity is

' due to its easy communication : with the great cities to whic h

“ it sends its abundant dairy and other products and from which it receives in sum m er many seekers of rural peace and pleasure .

H E I Y T OTSEGO SOC ET .

The natives of Otsego county , however far they may roam , never forget the old home and do much to perpetu ate the mem GENERAL HIS TOR Y

o ry of it . Those who dwell in and near New York city have 66 organized a society containing now members , the purpose of which is thus set forth in its constitution “ The society is organized for the purpose of establishing a closer intimacy among the present residents of New York city and vicinity who have come from the county of Otsego , and for the purpose of ” l n cultivating socia i tercourse among its members . 26 1901 The society was organized February , , with the D Hon . Silas B . utcher of Brooklyn , a native of the town of

Springfield, as president and Edwin J . Johnson esq . of Brook Ric h field lyn , a native of , as secretary .

O TS EGO L AK E C P ER’S T W N Y N . . , OO O , — ' P A R T I I TH E TO W N S H I P S

B u r l i n gt o n

P l Area Acres . o u ti n , p a o ,

BURLINGTON w a s formed from the township of Otsego in 1792 and was then much larger Pitts field Ed than at present , and m es ton having since been set off

from it . The surface consists chiefly of hilly uplands and ridges

extending north and south , which

v arioiI S e at points , attain an leva 400 tion of feet above the valleys . The principal streams are Butter

nuts and Wharton creeks . Theearly settlers of the township came mostly from Ver

17 . mont, but some from Massachusetts and Connecticut . In 87 ' on ath an W illiam came the five Angel brothers, J , , Joseph , James 1789 and Thomas , and in Captain Gad Chapin , and Perez 179 d . 0 Briggs In came Alexan er Parker, Deacon Benjamin h is Herrington with four brothers , Elijah , Francis, Richard and Elisha ;the four Johnson brothers , Elisha , Harris , Ira and

John , and the three Church brothers , Amasa , Willard and ededia h Cady . About this time came J Peck , a leading citizen who represented the county _in the state legislature from 1 799 1 4 to 80 . He is honorably remembered as the author of the bill establishing the public school system of the state . Other hon ored names in the early days were Jeremiah and Elisha Pratt, Zac h eu s Samuel Gardner , Lemuel Hubble , Uriah Balcom and

Flint . 3 0 B URLING TON

Other respected families of the olden time , whose names

have been perpetuated . are those of Deacon Albert Bolton and

s on his Daniel, Colonel David Gardner, Dan Mather and his

son Andrew A . Mather , Lemuel Bolton and his family of ten

children , Capt . Elisha Parker, a soldier of the Revolution and

Ros well Kelsey .

Caleb Clark, formerly president of the First National Bank

his - i h of Edmeston , approaches his ninetieth year at home e West Burlington , or with his grandchildr n in Oneonta , with

a cheerfulness that is an explanation of his long life . l Burlington is a prosperous agricu tural town . The lead ing industry is dairying, the milk being mostly sent to the

a t . local cheese factories, or to the Borden condensery Edmeston

VI G : LLA ES There are three villages in this township , viz : Burlington (population Burlington Flats (population and West Burlington (population Wharton and

os toffic es Patent are rural p . 1 14 : 3 . . SCHOOLS Number of districts Teachers , Chil 214 dren of school age , .

: th e CHURCHES There are six churches in township , viz : At Burlington Baptist and United Presby terian ;at West u p B rlington , E iscopal and Methodist ;at Burlington Flats,

Baptist and Methodist .

3 2 B UTTERNUTS

ter n u ts wa s derived from the descriptions in the Morris and ‘ ’ Wharton Patents , all beginning at Three Butternut Trees growing from one stump or root . The Messrs . Morris divided s their Patent by lot . General Jacob Morri received from his

- e s . father , L wi Morris, a tract of acres “ Abijah Gilbert of Warwickshire , England , came to Amer

1786 . ica in , spending the winter with relatives in New Jersey It was here he met Richard and Lewis Morris and purchased a 7 1 s 8d 5 8 . . tract of acres for which he paid pounds , before seeing the wilderness that was to become his home . The orig b inal tract included the portion where Gil ertsville now stands , reaching away through the Butternuts valley and back on the

1787 en . hills bounding the village . In G Jacob Morris made n his first expeditio into the region accompanied by Mr . Gilbert, and the settlement of the village began in the same year . “ The second settler was Joseph Cox , also of Warwickshire ,

England . The third settler was a woman , Betsy Nichols , and the first wedding that which celebrated her marriage with Joseph h Cox . Mr . Cox introduced the making of English c eese , still i s quite an industry in that section . Dairying the principal occupation at the present time . “ In those early days the tim ber being so abundant was of b comparatively little value . The main o ject of work was to f r clear the land o crops . The fourth immigrant was John n t Marsh, an e ergetic young pioneer from Connec icut . He

In 17 1 9 . brought a yoke of oxen of great service in logging . Mr Gilbert returned to England and in the following spring brought his family to the log cabin home in America . “ b . h T. w Two sons of A ijah Gilbert , John Y and Joseph , o had been attending school at Schenectady , came to the settle

ment in 1799 . About the same time came also William Musson “ r and Samuel Cotton , with whom Mr . Gilbert fo med a business h p artners ip under the name of Musson , Cotton and Gilbert . 1 This firm established a store on the Musson farm in 806 . “ ’ Religious services were held for some time in Mr . Gilbert s 17 97 . barn , and the first religious society was formed in

n l H i s s n . Edward Thorp was a pio eer north of the vi lage . o 1 8 73 . Henry was a member of Assembly in Charles Root, the

father of Major Charles P . Root , was an early settler in the east

ern part of the township . The Shaw brothers Deacon Samuel , 1796 Col . David and William came from Ma ssachusetts in . B UTTERNUTS

Other pioneers who are honorably remembered were Capt .

John Bryant, and the brothers , Levi and Thomas Halbert .

’ e s u L vi Halbert was the first teacher in the town . The first

‘ perv 1 s or was Lewis Franchot ( 1 796 and the first town clerk H ezekiah Dayton ( 1796

GlL B ER TS V / L L E HIGH S C HOOL

15 . , SCHOOL S : Num ber of dis tricts, Number of teachers

15 h 320. . C ildren of school age , The Gilbertsville High School occupies the substantial

stone building formerly used by the Academy . It is under the S tate an d control of the Regents of the University of the , grants ’ o : Regents diplomas . It provides a classical c urse of four years

m . It is well supplied with apparatus , maps , and anatomical odels - Pupils have access also to the excellent village library . The

faculty of the school consi sts of a principal and four assistants .

CHURCHES : At Gilbertsville , Baptist , Episcopal , Meth

r . odist , and P esbyterian N u EW SPAPERS : The . Otsego Jo rnal , published at

E a is ed 1876 . Gilbertsville. st bl h , C h e r r y V a l l e y

P u l tion Ar ea Acr es. op a ,

CH ERRY VALLEY town ship was organized i n 1789 and then com prised all that portion of the county east of Otsego Lake and the S u s qu e '

hanna river , and including the whole of the present town

bu t of Springfield , with the increase of population it wa s repeatedly subdivided until eight townships had been formed from the original one

Th e i s l surface general y hilly . The highest elevations

' in the county are in this township , several points exceeding n . s IS feet in height Among the e Mou t Independence , three miles east of Cherry Valley village , and formerly regarded

b i t c as the highest , the New York State Survey has re ently de ter m i n ed n a m el a - a higher point , y, hill two and one fourth miles northwest of Center Valley on which a signal station of the i s t survey has been established . This summit fee above h tide, and is the hig est known point in the county . The waters of the central and southern part flow into e i s the Susqu hanna , while the northern part drained by tributa

. i s ries of the Mohawk The soil fertile , particularly in the val leys , where are found many of the finest farms in the county . The village of Cherry Valley is beautifully Situated on is r o Cherry Valley creek near the centre of the township , and b t mantically environed y hills . It was the first white set lement t in the county , dating from a land gran made by the authorities L in des a 1738 of New York to John y and others in , the settle ment being m ade two years later: Its name was derived from the abundance of wild cherries that grew in the vicinity . CH ERR Y VALLEY 3 5

The early history of this place is of unusual interest

and importance . It has been given in part in connection with

: of the general history the county . The massacre of 1778 deso d late the place . A few brave settlers remained u n der the pro

tec ti on ar ris on whi c h of the g , was called away the next summer ; but a second su rprise and massacre bythe savages in the spring 1780 i t i g . of (e gh be n killed and fourteen carried into captivity ) . u m ca sed the unfortunate settlement to be co pletely abandoned . “ It was indeed wiped out of existence all that remained

the fort , the church , and every dwelling being burned , and thu s the resu lts of the labors of nearly forty years were de stroyed a n d the valley returned into the undisputed possession

and be of the beasts and the birds , Cherry Valley , a few years

‘ fore the largest and most prominent of the frontier settlements

of New Ycr k a - w s bu t . , a name

9 But with the retu rn of peace the settlers who had s u r v iv ed the horrors of war an d massacre returned and sought their d former homes , though they foun only a wilderness , but the

hardships they had endured fitted them for their new struggle .

' The village arose from its ruins a n d its builders were soon r e - ih d d force by the western ti e of emigration of those days , and in a f e w years Cherry Valley was again the largest settlement south M h ‘ k of the o aiv .

1783 e In Gen ral Washington , accompanied by Gover

i . nor George Cl nton and other distinguished men , being on an extended tour through the state , visited Cherry Valley . The party wa s entertained at the house of Col . Samuel Campbell . u hi s Judge William W . Campbell (a grandson of Sam el) , in ” Annals of Tryon County , relates the following incident of b re . . , this visit . Gov Clinton o serving several stout boys

M r s . marked that they would make fine soldiers sometime . Campbell replied that s h e hoped the country would never need “ ” I s o , their services . hope , too , Madam , said Washington

‘ ” r for I have seen enough of wa . Cherry Valley h as been the birthplace or residence of

some distinguished men , among whom are the following o Col . Samuel Campbell , a distinguished patri t of the Rev

of olu ti on and one of the heroes the battle of Oriskany , where

wa s . he took the chief comman d after Gen . Herkimer wounded

’ a e 4 1 . S a w y e r s H is t o ry . p g 3 6 CH ERR Y VALL EY

. Col Samuel Clyde , also , one of the heroes of the battle of Oriskany and of the border wars of the Revolution: He was the

first Sheriff of Otsego county . ' f or s ixt e Uh Rev . Dr . Eliphalet Nott , president y y ars of i at on College, Schenectady , whose first pastorate was Cherry

Valley . S on . W . H illiam W Campbell, Justice of the upreme Court “ ” “ of New York , and author of Annals of Tryon County , Life ” o D eVVitt . f Clinton , and other works

Hon . Jabez Hammond . an eminent lawyer, Otsego t “ Coun y Judge , M ember of Congress, author of Political His S ” tory of the tate of New York , and Life and Times of Silas ’ Wright .

n Hon . Levi Beardsley , lawyer , State Se ator, and author of ’ Beardsley s Reminiscences, a valuable contribution to local history .

Dr . Joseph White , an eminent physician and surgeon , S Y president of the Otsego Medical ociety , of the New ork State

Fair field Medical Society , and of the Medical College . He was o s alm t equally distinguished in law and in finance , a man of wonderfully varied attainments .

. t Rev Solomon Spaulding , the firs principal of Cherry Val ley Academy and the reputed author of the Book of Mor mon , which he wrote as a romance . Other noted men of the early time were the lawyers Alvin

. Stewart , James O Morse , James Bracket, Isaac Seeley , George

Clyde and Horace Lathrop . The Cherry Valley bar was famous throughout the state . Sawyer says in hi s history

The history of this country , and probably of the whole world , presents no other case in which a village. of less than a

s o thousand people has possessed , at one time , great an array of ” legal talent , in active and successful practice . Among the early settlers who are honorably remembered a M c K elli were lso Archibald p, James Thompson , James Can ' W Pe s , e o . non illiam , Dr David Little , Major John Walton

Robert Shankland, a native of Ireland and a famous patriot and

Indian fighter, James and John Wilson and Edwin Judd .

, V An old lady writing of the early times in Cherry alley , ' relates the following of Alvin Stewart, the witties t and m ost successful lawyer of his time in the state CH ERR Y VALLEY 3 7

He was a teacher at first in the Academy , and always kept his eyes open when he made the prayer at the opening of

. : . the school One scholar, bolder than the others, said Mr

“ Stewart, why do you always keep your eyes open when you ‘ ’

a s . pray He said, we are commanded to watch as well pray b h i But he was much liked y s pupils . I wish I could remem f ’ ber all the unny things I ve heard of him . An old lady told

t e me that once a boy did something against h rule, and he told

o him to g and get some withes . When the boy came back he told him he thought he should have to kill him ;and , as he threatened , he kept poking the withes in the ashes to season Was b them . When school dismissed , he took up the undle of sticks and told the boy to run ;and he whipt all the benches and chairs , and the boy escaped unscathed . He was addicted too he to taking much sometimes , but afterwards reformed and ” became a great temperance man .

VI G : LLA ES This township contains three villages ,

: c viz Cherry Valley (population , Salt Springville (p pu lation , and Center Valley ( population , 12 SCHOOLS : Num ber of districts in the township .

16 295 . Number of teachers . Children of school age The Cherry Valley High School is the successor of the ’ famous old Cherry Valley academy . It is a Regents school of o high grade , with a wide range of scientific and classical instru h as tion . The building recently been enlarged , improved and supplied with new apparatus . The library contains volumes .

: : CHURCHES There are four churches Baptist,

Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal and Presbyterian .

N W : E SPAPERS The Cherry Valley Gazette , one of the oldest papers in the county (established i s the local organ for Cherry Valley and adjoining townships . D e c a t u r

P u la tion 5 5 9 . Acr es . o Area , p ,

n DECATUR , tow ship was set off from Worcester in 1 8 80 . Its surface is hilly , s broken by narrow valley . The principal streams are Oak and Parker creeks tributary

to th e Schenevus . The first settlement was m ade in 1790 by Jacob Kinney near the

present village of Decatur . The first merchant in the village was Nahu m Thompson , who was member of the assem 44 wa s bly in 18 . The first supervisor David Tripp , and the

first town clerk was Lemuel Fletcher . The first school was taught by Samuel Thurber about the 1 year 798 . th e The first grist mill was erected by John Champion , “ grandfather of S . B . Champion , editor of the Stamford Mir i w . . ror . James Ste art built the first card ng mill Jacob Brown and his s on Jacob came from Columbia Boor n e 1 7 . county in 78 . Nathan and Gardner w re early settlers

f or . s on . Amos, a of Gardner , was supervisor six years The

e . broth rs , Elisha , John and Samuel Waterman , came from Nor wich, Connecticut , soon after the Revolution . From Elisha was descended the late Lewis Edson Waterman , the inventor of the “ Waterman Ideal Fountain Pen . Mr . Waterman was born in ' 1837 Y. 19 . 00. Decatur in the year , and died in Brooklyn , N , in

Other pioneer settlers were John Treat, Charles Treat ,

s L an s In Charle Kaple , Orra Ferris , Amos Crippen , Robert g, w a Chelsea and Lorenzo Dow Davis and Andre Slo n .

VI G : town s hi h a v LLA ES This is a strictly agricultural p, 7 0 . ing only one village , Decatur, with a population of

: in - CHURCHES There is only one church the township , a

Methodist church at the village of Decatur .

: 6 SCHOOLS Number of districts, . Number of teachers ,

6 . 75 Children of school age , .

4 0 EDM ES TON

VILLAGES : There are three villages in this township Edmeston (population West Edmeston (population and South Edmeston ( population North Edmeston is a

os toffic e rural p .

1 u f tea h r : N 3 . o c e s SCHOOLS umber of districts , N mber , 1 7 . 26 6 . Children of school age , The Edmeston High School is under the supervision of the

Board of Regents . The academic department has a well equipped 1 000 laboratory , a library of , volumes , and all necessary reference

. an d f ou r books The faculty consists of a princip al j assistants .

ED M ES TON HIG H S C HOOL CHURCHES : There are six churches in the township of

: Edmeston , namely Baptist , Methodist and Free Methodist at Edmeston village ;Baptist and 7th day Baptist at West Edmes ton and a Union church at South Edmeston .

N W : E SPAPERS The Edmeston Local , established in

‘ 1 882 als o as , circulates a local organ in the townships of Bur Pitts field Plai field i lingtou , , n , and New L sbon . Ex e t e r

Ar ea Acr es . P l , opu a tio n .

EXETER was formed from

m m R ic h field 179 in 9. The surface

is generally hilly , some of the elevations being 300 feet above

the valleys . It is drained by Herkimer and Sutherland creeks which flow into Can adarago lake and by Butternuts and Wharton creeks which flow into

the Unadilla river . B UR U The earliest landed propri etor s in this township were

Tu n n ic lifi Major John Tunnicliff and William Angell . Major

m n an d h was a gentle a of intelligence , culture wealt , who came 1756 from Derby , England , in the year , and purchased acres of land belonging to the patent that had been recently

d an d granted to Davi Schuyler others , his purchase lying to the west of Fly Creek and being m ai n lv within the present town R i hfi ld ship of Exeter but extending somewhat into c e . Here “ he built a cabin at a place called The Oaks , and commenced him a settlement , but danger from the Indians soon caused to o en u abandon it until the close f the Fr ch war . when he ret rned h i s with his family and made here permanent home . William Angell was from Rhode Island and located on what ’

H 3 . has since been known as Angell s ill , in school district No .

His family consisted of six sons and several daughters . His

son William G . Angell , was an influential man , and represented

his district in congress . On ath an Other early settlers were J Angell , Seth Tubbs , GOble Jacob , Caleb Clark , Bethel Martin , Amos and Hull

Au Thomas, Joshua Gorton , Uriel Stone , Ashel Williams and

gustus Curtiss . John and Aaron Phillips of Cambridge , Mass , 1 90 came to Exeter in 7 . They established a circulating library s and in 1822 a Congregational church . Among the early settler was Hon . Levi Beardsley , an eminent lawyer and author of ’ d ” Beardsley s Reminiscences and An c e otes . He came to 1 790 Exeter in his infancy with his parents in . The family set “ r ” to tled on The Herkimer Fa m , but afterwards removed ‘ d R ic h fiel .

A PIONEER IIOM E I N TH E FO R EST .

To give an idea of the trials endured by . the settlers in “ those days we quote from his entertaining book of R em in i s ” c en c es z “ We left our eastern home with a cart , one or two wagons , one or two yoke of oxen , three or four horses , and a few cattle , sheep , and hogs . The roads were excessively bad , and we took d but little household goods with us . My mother was left behin

n with a sick child . My sister, about two years you ger than myself , was with me , stowed in a cart or wagon among the u chairs and furniture , and put nder the care of a girl brought ” up by my grandfather . Some distance this side of Canajoharie they abandoned

h “ their ve icles , in consequence of the bad roads , and r “ “ proceeded on their jou ney . Some of the party drove the live a W w . stock, and ent on the best y they could My father put a and saddle on one of the horses, on another packed a bed and bedding , on which the girl was to ride . I was placed on the on horse behind him , a pillow tied to the saddle , with a strap under my arms buckled to his waist to prevent m e from falling off , and carrying my sister before him we pursued our journey, the girl Sukey , riding the other horse on top of the bed and b edding , and a yearling colt tagging after . This constituted ' a s m the cavalcade , so far y father and his family were con cerned . f Their destination was inally reached, and soon after Mr . ’ BS eardsley s father returned to .the east and brought his wife and ick child to the new country . He says “ ’ a n She rode the horse on a m n s saddle , and ear ed the

e child , my father in a patriarchal manner walking by h r side ; and thu s the family were at last re - united in the woods at the foot of the beautiful lake , and by the side of the fine little a s stream known Herkimer creek , then full of fish , particularly the Speckled trout . EXETER 4 3

a b n th e The house that we moved into was small log ca i ,

u wh ole of body laid up, and part , tho gh not the , the roof covered with black ash and elm bark , which had been peeled from the

o trees at the season when bark is taken ff easily . When opened out and put o n the roof and pressed down with poles or small

w e timbers , the rough side exposed to the eath r , it makes a good roof that will last several years and shed the rain quite well .

The house was only partially covered , and when it rained we

’ had to put o ur effects and ourselves under that part which was sheltered .

on The floor was of basswood logs , split and hewed partly m one side , and then spiked down aking a substantial floor, but

c h i m n e a n d only about half was laid . We had no fire place or y, till this was built the cooking must all be done out of doors .

A mud - and - stack chimney and fireplace were afterwards d ad ed as the weather became cold , and to get earth or clay to make mortar to daub the house and make the chimney , a hole c was dug under the floor whi h was our only cellar. in which , in t win er , we put a few bushels of potatoes and turnips , and took up one of the flattened logs from the floor whenever we wanted anything from below . I have said there was no door when we moved in . My father on reaching the house with my mother i b and fam ly , suspended a lanket at the doorway to keep out part ” of the night air .

H E R W ED D T FI ST ING .

Mr . Beardsley gives a further insight into the customs of

: those days in his description of the first wedding . He says d L et me escribe the first wedding , which was the marri age of a sister of my mother , who was married to Ebenezer ’ Russell ;the marriage was at my father s , in the log house . I do not remember how the parties were dressed , but no doubt in

o their best gear . Judge C oper, of Cooperstown , was sent for, being the nearest magistrate , and came eighteen miles princi pally through the woods , to perform the ceremony . The neigh bors were invited , the old pine table was in the middle of the

room , on which I recollect was placed a large wooden bowl filled with fried cakes (nut cakes or doughnuts , as the country people call them ) . There might have been something else to constitute

bu t the marriage feast , I do not recollect anything except a black EXEI’ ‘ER

junk bottle filled with rum ;some maple sugar and water . The

I n judge was his long riding boots , covered with mud up to his i knees, his horse was fed , that he m ght be off when the cere mony was over . The parties presented themselves, and were soon ” made man and wife as his Honor officially announced . He b o od m then gave the ride a g hearty kiss , or rather smack , re ark f ee ing that he always claimed that as his ;took a drink of rum , drank health , prosperity and long life to those married, ate a cake or two , declined even staying to supper, said that he must the the be on his way home , and should go to foot of lake that night, refused any other fee for his services, mounted his horse ” off a and was ;and thus was the first m rriage celebrated .

VI G : e LLA ES There are three villag s in this township , viz : Schuyler Lake (population West Exeter (population and Exeter (population

: e h 8 o f SCHOOLS Numb r of sc ool districts, . Number 1 1 1 a e 58 . teachers, . Children of school g , The Union Free School at SchuylerLake employs four teachers and is well or an i zed g for efficient work .

: s CHURCHES There are five churches in thi township ,

: S c h u viz at Exeter, Methodist ;at West Exeter , Methodist ;at y

e . ler Lak , Baptist , Methodist and Universalist H a r t w i c k

Ar ea Acr es . P o u la tio n , p ,

HARTW‘ICK was formed

from Otsego in 1802 . Its i s surface hilly , the highest summits being 200 to 350

feet above the valleys . It is drained by several small streams that flow into the Susquehanna and the east

branch of the Otego creek . The township was named in

honor of the Rev . John Chris

to h er 1 752 p Hartwick who, in ,

s u m 1 00 purchased from the Indians for the of pounds, a tract of land embracing nearly all of the present township and amount wa s ing to acres . Mr . Hartwick a native of the duke

S - dom, of axe Gotha in the province of Thuringia in Germany ,

a s and had come a Lutheran missionary to this country . He was for m an yy ear s a noted preacher throughout the country I ' ‘ En l n d r i n n ot u n til a to V i i a . from New g g , and it was after the Revolution that he settled down upon his purchase and estab li s h d e a colony . Through the agency of Judge William Cooper he let a great part of his land to settlers at an annual rental of

one shilling per acre , with the privilege of purchasing at four

teen shillings per acre .

—In H ARTWICK SEMINARY . his will Mr . Hartwick left his whole fortun e for the establishment of the Seminary that

c 15th bears his name . The s hool was opened on the of Decem H a zeli u s 1 815 . . ber , , with the Rev Dr Ernest Lewis as princi It — pal . now has three departments Regents , Collegiate and

Theological . The buildings have recentlybeen remodeled and i s enlarged . The institution located four miles south of Coop

n ers tow on the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley railroad . HAR TW ICK

Con spicuous among the natives of Hartwick was William

b 1811 . re H . Bissell who was orn in this town in , but early w moved with his parents to Milford here he grew to manhood .

He prepared himself for the medical profession, but abandoned

‘ “ $ I n 1837 h e it for the law removed to Illinois , from which state r he served as a colonel in the Mexican war . He also rep esented

e 1849 1855 - In l 856 ~ h e his district in congr ss from to . was

e wa s re - S elected governor of the stat , elected and died at pring 1860 e . w field, Ill , in , hile s rving his second term . Among the early settlers were the brothers John and Na than Davidson , William and Nathan Field, Jerry Potter , Jed edi a h e Ashcraft, Joseph Marsh , Nicholas and Rufus St ere , Amos and Joseph Winsor, Benjamin and Nicholas Camp, John and i Z Philip Wells , Hopkins Burl ngham , Isaac Bissell , Deacon iba

HAR TW IC K S EM IN AR Y

Newland , Amasa Peters, Uriah Luce, Stephen Ingalls , David

. ol and Josiah Maples Daniel Murdock and C . Henry Wheeler . wa s The first supervisor Philip Wells , and the first town clerk was Rufus Steere who built the cotton factory at Toddsville .

VI G : fiv é h h LLA ES There are villages in t is towns ip , viz Hartwick (population Hartwick Seminary (population South Hartwick ( population Toddsville (population and Hyde Park (population Chase is a rural post office . Clintonville , formerly a cotton cloth manufacturing vil an lage , has now only electric lighting plant , from which Coopers is os toffic e town supplied , p at Milford . On the Fourth of July , 1902 100th , Hartwick village celebrated its anniversary .

L a u r e n s

Ar ea a cres . Po u la ti n . p o ,

LAURENS was formed 1 1 from Otsego in 8 0. Otego k cree , the principal stream , flows nearly south through a fertile and well cultivated val

ley . The first white settler within the present limits of

the town wa s Joseph Mayall . He located in 17 73 about on e m was o f r ile north of the present village . He a man _great cou a e wa s g , and during the Revolution celebrated as an Indian y fighter . In the same ear Richard Smith came from Baltimore “ ”

n c . on e and erected a fine colonial ma sion , alled Smith Hall h as and a half miles north of the village . It recently been pur

es . chased and restored by Willard V . Huntington q An early k settler was the $ ua er, John Sleeper , who maintained a peace ful neutrality during the Revolution , though for a time com elled p to leave on account of danger from the Indians . He reared here a family of seven sons and five daughters . f t e The day be ore h massacre of Cherry Valley , Mr . Sleeper started for New Jersey , and upon arriving at Cherry Valley was urged by his friends to remain over night . But he declined ’ h i s and continued journey to Bowman s creek , several miles a dist nt, and thereby saved his life . v The day following the massacre , a party of sa ages p assed through Laurens and robbed the family of Mr . Sleeper and b b d . B d urned their uil ings rant, the Indian chief, arrive soon M rs . M $ after and, finding Sleeper still there exclaimed , y God ” “

. $ : Mrs Sleeper , are you alive She replied Yes; b u t they have destroyed all our property . Brant charged the destruo

: tion upon the Senecas , saying They would kill their best ’ f a friends , and o fered to p y her for the loss , but Mrs . Sleeper, being of the $ uaker faith , refused , as she believed that he had L . l URENS 4 9

come wrongfully by it . The family soon after returned to New ff b th e Jersey su ering terri ly on way . th e n At the close of Revolutio Mr . Sleeper returned with 1794 his family and rebuilt the house and mill . In he sold his grist and saw m ills and acres of land to Grifii n Craft of wa s w 1811 Cherry Valley , who the first supervisor of the to n in . In 1815 General Erastus Craft succeeded to his father ’s t ’ . 1810 13 esta e He was a member of assembly in , and and

served as supervisor of the town for thirteen years . He married

. a sister of Judge W . W . Campbell of Cherry Valley and h a s de s cen dan ts h in this vicinity and in t e west . Other early resi m dents were General Willia Comstock , a leadingmerchant , Fi ld h o i 1 6 . e s w h s 86 William C , represented district in congress in

a n General William Armstrong , Erastus and Ezr Dea ,

Chauncey Strong . Samuel Allen , Jacob Butts . Nathan Newell ,

“ S c r a m lin Cyrus Hudson , Solomon Harrison , Peter g, Calvin m R Straight , a $ uaker preacher, Solo on Eldred, ufus Steere ,

t n d S ephen Whipple a Joshua Matteson . Rufus Tucker and Daniel Wea therly were early settlers at o West Laurens Dr . Ezer Windsor settled ab ve Laurens on the 1 4 i wa s f 1842 H s . Mount Vi s ion road in 79 . son Amos sheri f in Thomas Keyes came with h is large fa m ily from Con n ec ti cut in 1805 H is descendants are influential citizens at One onta and elsewhere .

I : v o V LLAGES There are three illages in this t wnship ,

n n viz : L a u re s _( popu la tio Mt . Vision (population and West Laurens ( population Otsego Park , near Lau

. w l O. . . rens village , on the ine of the , C R S electric rail a y

m n i s . eight miles fro Oneo ta , a new and popular pleasure resort

CHURCHES : There are three churches in the village of

v 1 z : . Laurens , Methodist . Christian and Presbyterian ;at Mt

Vision , Baptist and Methodist ; at West Laurens, Christian and a Friends meeting house . 12 14 SCHOOLS : Number of districts , ;t eachers , ;child 265 ren of school age , .

Laurens village has an efficient school of ei ght grades , with s h as b two teachers and 80 pupil . It a li rary and school appa ’ ratus and prepares for Regents exam inations .

: Th e s NEWSPAPERS Otego Valley New , a weekly l 1 8 9 9 . s . a s e paper i published at L aurens Est b i h d , M a r yl a n d

Ar ea Acr es . Po la tio n , pu ,

This town shi p was formed m c 1 8 fro Wor ester in 80 . The principal s tr ea m i s the Sche ‘

h . nevus creek , whic flows

south - west through the town and empties in to the S u s que

hanna . Th e surface consists chiefly

n of a hilly upla d , broken by

ravines . The settlement of

bac k ' 1 790 the town dates to . at which time Elisha Cham berlai n and the three brothers , Israel . Elephas and Phineas a th e Spencer, located ne r the present Maryland station on rail

l loc a road . The first settlers where Chasevi le is now ed were w Jotham Houghton and his two son s Jere h a m el and D an ielf wa 1 812 Daniel was a captain in the r of . Wilder , Ezekiel and

' n o John Rice settled near Sche evus, Caleb B ynton in the eastern

e . part of the town , and Joseph How in Elk Creek Early set

’ tler s and large land own er s were Josiah Chase and Joh n Bige wh o 1 low came in 791 and purch ased acres of land . In

1794 i on eer s r om in en t oh n arrived many p , p among whom were J o Thomps n and his sons John a n d James from Columbia county.

They located near the foot of Crumhor n - Mountain and their

-s descendants have been leading citizen . Other settlers in’ the vicinity of Elk Creek were Earl

Wright , Philemon Perry , Eleazer Gove , John Kelly, and the m Chase brothers , Asa , Dean , Seth and John . with their fa ilie s . One of the first necessities of the early time was agrist mill near at hand . For a long time all grain had been sent to

. e was Cherry Valley Th re , therefore , great rejoicing when in

1794 e , thos enterprising pioneers, Israel and Elisha Spencer,

5 2 M AR YL AND

erected a mill near the present Maryland railroad station . At about the same time Jonathan Houghton built a saw mill near v ’ Chaseville , but afterwards remo ed it to a place near Spencer s b Mills . These mills were built y Phineas Spencer, the pioneer f r s. ca penter . He was a mechanical geniu He made urniture , f plows and cof ins . For years he made all the burial c ases free

I e w a s of charge . Th y ere doubtless made , was the custom in i those days , of pine boards, colored black by a solut on of water with the ashes of stra w. The first death in the town was that of the wife of Josiah d Chase . The remains were borne a istance of seven miles to the Maryland cemetery . the bearers being on foot as was the

wa s a s . custom , for this regarded more respectful to the dead

: VILLAGES There are four villages in this township , viz : Schenevus (population Maryland (population Chaseville (population 1 23) and Elk Creek (population The Schenevus Valley Fair is held annually on the spa c i ou s grounds near Schenevus village .

: s 23 SCHOOLS Number of district , teachers , ;children

481 . v i . s of school age, The Schene us High school under the

f or w . board of Regents , and is well equipped efficient ork It is

. h ce supplied with apparatus for the teac ing of the natural scien s ,

o with maps , globes , charts , reference b oks and a circulating ’ m library of volu es . A Regents di p loma corresponding

‘ r u on its to an Academic course of four yea s is conferred , p graduates .

E : E is c o CHURCH S At Schenevus , Baptist . Catholic . p t . r n h pal , and Methodis At Maryland , Ch istia , and Lut eran . At e . M Chasevill , Baptist At Elk Creek , ethodist . “ : e NEWSPAPERS At Sch nevus , the Schenevus Moni 1 86 tor, a weekly paper , established in 3 . M id d l e fi e l d

Area 3 7 4 5 6 Ac r es . P o ula tio n , , p ,

MIDDLEFIELD is the largest

was township in the county . It set

i n 1797 off from Cherry Valley . The l surface is hil y , the summits being 400 500 to feet above the valleys . It is well watered by the Cherry Valley f and Red creeks , which low into the

Susquehanna . The first settlement was made at

- M iddlefield Newtown Martin , now , (lo b 1760 cally Clarksville) , a out ; but during the Indian wars of the R ev o lu - was tion the place exposed to great danger, and all the more so on account of the patriotic spirit th at sent its best men to

the Continental army . The town was , in the end , completely

depopulated . but at the close of the war its fertile lands were b rapidly taken up y old and new settlers, among whom were

M c Collu m William Cook , the four brothers , Reuben Beals ,

Bernard Temple, Gardner Blair, Levi H . Pierce , John s Parshall . David Ander on , Benjamin Gilbert . James Brad Joth an ley , Capt . Thomas Ransom and Major Ames .

: VILLAGES There are three villages in this township , viz : M iddlefield (population M iddlefield Center (popu la

' tion and Phoenix Mills (population Lentsville is a

“ i s rural pos toffic e . Bowerstown a hamlet (population with pos to ffic e at Cooperstown . Westville is partly in Middle “

field os toffic e . , with p and churches in Westford The Index ”

t . Knit ing Mills , at Phoenix Mills employ (including branch

400 . at Hope Factory) , about hands The County Poor House and Farm are situated in this township , on the railroad , three miles south of Cooperstown . 19 18 : . . SCHOOLS Number of districts, Teachers , Children 22 3 . of school age, The village schools are graded and efficiently conducted .

CHURCHES : There are three churches in this township v i z f M iddlefield : At Middle ield , Baptist and Methodist ;at Cen ter, Presbyterian . Acres . P o ul i n Ar ea , p a t o ,

THIS township was formed 1 from Unadilla in 796 . The d surface is a hilly upland , i v ided in to two ridges by the S usquehanna river, which flows through it in a southerly dirc o

tion . The declivities are in

many places very steep . Crum

horn mountain , on the east bor 600 der . attains an elevation of t fee above the valley. The fertile soil and excellent water power afforded by the rivers early attracted settlers to this region . Among the leading families at Milford village a n d were those of Charles M orris and his sons Richard David , s James Westcott , John Aylesworth , Norman Bi sell , Levi Hun

erf ord g and Jonathan Sweet ;at Portlandville , Thomas Mum

. Ed ford, Russell Briggs and Col John Moore , the Edsons at

s on Corners, and at Colliersville Isaac Collier , his son Major

i - in - e . Peter Coll er , and his son law , Jared Goody ar

: i s VILLAGES There are four villages in th s town hip, viz ‘ 532 ul Milford (population , ) Portlandville (pop ation

Colliersville , (population and Cooperstown Junction (population Milford Center (population 100) i s a hamlet

with rural free delivery from Oneonta .

C : 14 S HOOLS Number of districts, ;number of teachers , 13 2 90 . ;children of school age, The Milford High School is

under the Regents, and is efficiently organized in all depart

ments . A specialty is made of commercial training and busi

'

ness practice . The faculty consists of a pri n cipal a n d five

assistants .

: CHURCHES At Milford village , Presbyterian and Meth

odist ;at Portlandville , Christian , Episcopal and Methodist ; u n c ti on M eth odis t at Cooperstown J , ;at Milford Center, Baptist .

” “ ’ : NEWSPAPERS The Otsego Tidings , and Teachers '

Gazette , at Milford village .

lN/l o r r i s

l ti n Acr s . P o u a o Area e p ,

THERE were early settle

the. ments in this region , but present township was not or

an i zed 1 847 g until , when it

was set off from Butternuts . The surface is varied and a t v u B U T tracti e , rising in broken p lands from the fertile vallej

w . of the Butternuts creek , hich receives numerous brooklets The western ridge terminates in a steep bluff borderin g on the

Unadilla river . ' Th e town s hi p derives its name from General Jacob Morris ,

s on a of Lewis Morris , who was a signer of the Declaration of h Independence , and who , with his brother Ric ard , received a patent of acres of land in this vicinity to indemnify them for the loss of propertydestroyed by the British during the Revolution . an d l “ An early influentia settler was Mr . Paschal Franchot,

t n e . a native of France, who raised here a family of children His s on Richard was one of the leading men of h i s ti m e in the

was r r s ti . e e en ta v e m county He supervisor of the township, p

12l s t m e Congress , first colonel of the New York regi nt in the

an d S u s u e rebellion , the first president of the Albany and q

‘

. h aVe b hanna, railroad Other early settlers whose names een n perpetuated are Ebenezer Knapp , Be jamin Stone, Jeremiah ' h ' Cruttenden , Jonat an and Ansel Moore , Amos , Jacob and Ich b his a j . r . a od Palmer, Ben amin Lull with five sons Benj min j , b Joseph , Cale . Nathan and William , Dr . William Yates, and

Ziba W a s h bon . Som e of the customs of those days are thus described by ’ A . the late shel S Avery of Morris , in his contribution to Hurd s

“ ' history of the county It was a common thing f or a shoe

$ ’ ’ maker (cobbler) to whip the cat, that is , go into a farmer s M ORRIS 5 7

the house , put his kit in the corner of room , and with one

t off th e - last , made perhaps from a s ick wood pile , make the — shoes for the whole family the largest first . then cutting down t e f h last to the next smaller size , the armer furnishing the ‘ ’

. leather Rights and lefts shoes were unknown . The shoe pegs were all made by hand . “ In the square - room of well - to - do people were brass

a fire - In - ornamented ndirons in the place . the summer time this

fire - place would be filled with sparrow - grass (asparagus) ;but

fire - b h after wall paper became cheap, oards , wit a landscape on

e . was th m , filled up the space It a great invention when the

- tin baker was made ; quite an improvement on the bake kettle ,

oh n n - or the board on which the J y cake was baked before the fire . One stage coach ran from Cooperstown to Oxford three

- . in times a week It was a four horse yellow coach , and looked , ’ as - a - the children s eyes , large as a circus does now days . The postmaster could have carried any one mail in his hat . The

: Garra ttv s ille 6 postage on a letter was as follows To , cents ;to 10 n 18 Cooperstown , cents ;to Alba y , cents ;to New York , 2

d 25 . cents ;and to Phila elphia , cents There were no envel opes ;the sheet of paper was folded up so as to tuck one edge into another , and sealed with a wafer or sealing wax .

: VILLAGES There is only one village in this township .

: th e viz Morris (population . Maple Grove is a hamlet on r Ne w southern borde (population South Berlin , on the river , is mostly in Chenango county . ’ Morris h a s always been one of Otsego s pleasantest villages .

One of the best and best attended ann u al fairs of the county is . that held here by the B utternuts Valley Agricultural Society .

: 12 S CHOOLS Number of districts , ;teachers , chil 2 i s 95 . dren of school age , The Morris High School the oldest

' its union free school in the county . In building and equip fits ment it ranks among the best . Its academic department for c olle e an d either normal school or g , also for professional schools of law and medicine . Its faculty consists of a principal and

five assistants .

: M orris B a ti s t w CHURCHES At , p , Episcopal ( ith Mor ris Memorial Friends , Methodist, and Universalist ; at Maple Grove , Episcopal .

: . NE W SPAPERS The Morris Chronicle, at Morris N e w L i s b o n

Acr es P o ula tion Ar ea , p ,

THIS township was organ o i zed in 1 806 . Am ng the ear liest settlers were Elnathan Noble from _whom Noblesville

was named , Increase Thurston ,

Linus. N . Chapin , a surveyor, f Joseph Nef , a famous violin

ist, Elias Cummings , William “

Gregory , Amos Perry , John

Cope and Remington Kenyon . e Benj amin Cutler, a soldi r of

1812 n 1 9 . 79 . the war of , came from Vermont i He died in Mt

1871 101 . Vision in , at the age of years and five months

. an d Garrattsville was named for John Garratt . He his wife were carried into captivity by the Indians and held by them the a seven years . It is related that when they saw Indians p

r oa c hin n Garr ett p g their cabi , Mrs . seized her clock and silver S ware and fled out at the back door, concealing the ilver under w an inverted pig trough , while the clock was hastily thro n over e the garden fence . After an abs nce of seven years they returned e to find their clearing covered with und rbrush and weeds, but n an d there , u der the pig trough , was found the silver, down by

the garden fence the old clock .

' V IL L AGES z Gar r a tts ville (population 253) and New Lis

bon , formerly Noblesville ( population Lena and Welcome os toffic es os toffic e are rural p . Stetsonville is a hamlet with p at New Lisbon

: b 16 SCHOOLS Num er of districts , ;number of teachers , _ 16 263 ;children of school age , .

S : . CHURCHE At Garrattsville , Methodist , United Pres b terian y , and an Episcopal Mission ;at Welcome , Baptist ; at E is c o al New Lisbon , p p n O n e o n t a

P 93 0 Acres . o ula tion p ,

THIS township was formed from portions of Milford an d

1 u s u Otego in 830. The S q e hanna river flows through

the southern part, dividing it

in to two ridges . The hills

south of the river, called

South mountain , attain an elevation of about 700 feet

above the valley , and feet above sea level . The center and northern part of the town

” i s b a d ship hilly and broken y the Otego , Silver , Oneonta n

' Emmons creeks . It was a favorite resort of the Indians. in the s fi olden time , and the present Main treet is believed to be o the line of an Indian trail . i Of white settlers , previous to the Revolution , l ttle is

n S c r a m lin . g known The ames of g, Youn and Alger are all that ’ have come down to us from that time . General Sullivan s de 1789 r structive expedition in broke the powe of the aborigines , and after the war the tide of emigration was early turned to thi s attractive region .

m r S cr am li n Among the early fa ilies we e those of Henry g,

n M oren u s Frederick Brown , Abram Houghtali g, Wm . , Peter w f s on d S art, James Young, Jacob Wol and his Conra t , John

B or n t and Nicholas Beams, Frederick , David Alger, Elihu Gif

s on s S ol m on o ford and his seven , o Yager and his son David , J was siah Peet , Ira Emmons , and Dr . Joseph Lindsay , who the

first physician .

w e An s Jacob Van oert settl d at the mouth of Otego creek, an d M oren u s drew Parish , James Blanchard Thomas on the “ ” south side near Round Top . Col . William Richardson built a saw and grist mill on Oneonta creek in the vicinity now known “ as Richardson Hill . i m At Emmons , on Emmons creek , then a place of some i As a . portance , Major Emmons built a carding and full ng mill At Oneonta Plains early settlers were Elisha Shepherd and

Asel Marvin .

: VILLAGES There are two villages in this township, h a i o u O neonta, wit a popul t on of and West Oneonta, p p 2 7 lation 0 . The plain west of Oneonta village , in the triangle i . c on s d between the rivers , is called Oneonta Plains It has a

Pos o ffi e . t c er able . settlement, and a Methodist church , Oneonta

S : of 14 t CHOOLS Number districts , ;number of eachers, 38 ;children of school age ,

CHURCHES : There are thirteen churches in this town

v i z : . ship , At Oneonta, Baptist, Free Baptist, Catholic , Chris tian Science , Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian , United Pres b terian n y and U iversalist ; at West Oneonta , Baptist and Free

Baptist ;at Oneonta Plains , Methodist , and a Methodist church at Richardson Hill .

NE W SPAPERS : There are s ix newspapers published in “ : S a n d Oneonta , viz The daily tar, the following weekly ” “ “ ” : papers the Herald, the Leader , the Press and the “ ” “ ” On eon au is Spy. The t is a monthly and issued d u ring a s th e the school year the organ of State Normal school .

E I A E ON ONTA V LL G .

The village of Oneonta is pleasantly situated on the north s bank of the Su quehanna river , and on the line of the Dela

d y ware and Hu son railroad , nearly midwa betwe en Albany and 82 Binghamton , miles from Albany and 61 miles from Bing h a m ton “ . The greater part of the village lies upon a gentle ' slope that r is es f r om the river for nearly a mile to the n orth a ff or ds ward . and from its summit a commanding view of the village and of the wooded highlands that surround it in nearly r eve y direction .

v illa e an d bec om Oneonta is a growing and prosperous g , is ing a railroad and manufacturing center of considerable impor ‘ Its tance . railroad connections are the extensive Delaware ” “ ” o U and Huds n system , the lster and Delaware , extending H from Oneonta to Kingston on the udson , the Cooperstown ” an d Charlotte Valley road , which crosses th e Delaware and ONEONTIA 6 1

n Hudson near the village , and the O eonta Cooperstown and ” R ic hfield r ailr oad whic h is Springs electric , to connect at Her “ ” kimer with the New York Central . “ ” The Delaware and Hudson railro ad shops at this point

600 m en ° a n d l employ nearly , the en argement of the plant , now

n in process of constructio , will materially increase this force .

AUR EL /A OS B OR N ' F OX M EM OR IAL HO S P ITAL

n Other important industries are the Oneonta Milli g Company , “ ” the Paragon Silk Mills , the branch of the Gloversville ” ” Knitting Company , the Buckley Shirt Manufactory , the “ ' a ex ten s iv e c i ar D a u ley Wright M rble Works . and the g h S . manufactories of Doyle mit , and Hayes Bowdish 62 ONEONTA

The wholesale trade of Oneonta is important , especially in ' f th e lines of lour and grain , groceries, crockery , glassware and “ ”

k . paper . The Central New Yor Fair is held here each year i s n e in the month of September , and always largely atte d d . “ ” The Oneonta Building and Loan Association contrib utes to the establi shmen t of homes by its stock loans to m em

’ eflic ien t t bers . A state armory is located here , and an mili ary l ’ t . N . s Y G . . . organization maintained (Company , Reg t , N G ) o es The buildings of the State Normal Scho l , which was

tabli s h ed 1889 n here in , occupy a comma ding position upon the of eminence at the northern side of the village . It is one the

best equipped and most successful Normal schools of the state .

Other institutions and societies are the Aurelia Osbor n - Fox ’ n M emorial Hospital Society, the You g Men s Christian ” ” ’ ” Association , the Oneonta Club , and the Woman s Club . i s b elec tric it c The village lighted y y, has an ex ellent water

s v upply , complete telegraph . telephone and express ser ice , and

u t the principal b siness stree s are well paved . The electric road u extends through the village to the East End sub rb , with a b h m ranc to the Nor al school .

‘ TH E V ILLAGE SCHOOLS .

1867 The Union Free school, which dates from , employs a 1 d - r h a s 1 25 superinten ent and twenty th ee teachers , and pupils d i . e e th e t enrolle The H gh School d partment, und r Regen s ,

fits for college or business . It is well supplied with apparatus ,

h Its c arts and specimens for the study of the natural sciences .

- business course includes book keeping , commercial law , type

writing and stenography . With this school will always be asso c i ated the memory of the late Nathaniel N . Bull , for twenty five years its efficient and much esteem ed principal ( 1870

564 a ' raded The East End suburb , population , has g school I that employs three teachers . t has a new and commodious

school building .

TH E P UB L I IB R AR C L Y .

u the The library , nder the direction of school board , $con v iv t tains olumes and rece es constan additions .

P ula tion Acr es . o Ar ea . p ,

This township was organized from

an d parts of Unadilla of Franklin ,

n 1 822 Delaware cou ty , in , and then 1 830 called Huntsville . In the name

was changed to Otego . The settle ment commenced soon after the Rev

i n m olu t o . A ong the first were Ran

V t. . som Hunt, of Bennington , , Capt

Peter and Col . Elisha Bundy , Capt . e Elisha Saunders . Deacon L ster oh n M i c h ael Newlands , J , and Nathan

‘ Birdsall , Benjamin Edson , a soldier

v a . of the Re olution , John Blakely , Rowland C rr, John A and v a . Andrew Hodge , Mich el and Benjamin Shepherd , Syl ester Ben Goodrich , John and Nahum Smith , Thurston Brown , E jamin stes , James Wait and Daniel Weller .

' u The pop lation in the early days was , as in Oneonta . a

Of NeW En larider s mixture g and Mohawk Germans , and much a rivalry and frequent fights occurred until chosen ch mpions , ” John French f or the Yankees and Peter S c r a m lin g for the ” Dutch , settled it at a sawmill raising on the premises of

Ransom Hunt . The Yankee was the victor , and so peace was

established . At Otsdawa earlysettlers were Frederick Martin a K i n H a th awa . Nath n Emerson , g y and Henry Sheldon

: VILLAGES There are two villages in this township ,

Otego, (population and Otsdawa (population

$ : o f 18 SCHOOLS Number districts, ;number of teachers 20 a e 319 e ;children of school g , . The Union Fr e school at r i s etfi Otego , unde the Board of Regents , well organized for i n all b cient work departments . The uilding has lately been d remodeled and provi ed with modern furniture and apparatus . c Especial attention is given to vo al and instrumental music . s The faculty consists of a principal and four a sistants .

: o CHURCHES At Oteg , Baptist , Free Baptist , E piscopal ,

Methodist, and Presbyterian . At Otsdawa, Free Baptist . “ S E S : The u i . NEW PAP R R ral T mes, published at Otego O t s e go

Ar ea Am . es . P o u la tio n p ,

OTSEGO i s the Oldest

township in the county . It E XET ER was : organized as a part of 1788 Montgomery county in , and included nearly all that portion of the present county west of Otsego lake and the s Su quehanna river , which

rises therein . Its surface consists mainly Of a hilly upland , divided into ridges by Fly and Oaks creeks . The first wh i te man who passed through this region

.was w Cold n s u r ve or 1737 Cad allader e , y general , in the year . Six ‘ 1 53 7 . wa s teen years later . in , Rev Gideon Hawley sent to this l a s loca ity a missionary to the Indians . The next noted visi tor was Gen . George who passed through on an 'Washington “ n 1783 explori g expedition in , and viewed the Lake Otsego ” u at the so rce of the Susquehanna . The Indian wars of the Revolutionaryperiod desolated this re I On bu t whole g , with the return of peace a tide of emigration s et the n ow es in , and portion known as Otsego township was ec i a ll p y attractive .

This influx of settlers dates from 1788 . Among the first

wh o . were William and Asel Jarvis . became prominent citizens

wa s e William a physician , and Asel rected at Fly Creek , in 1813 H i s , the first foundry and machine shop . three sons ,

Chester , Dwight and Kent . were leading men and active in the old military organizations . Other early settlers at Fly Creek were John Adams, Ebenezer Cheeney and Oliver Bates . 1 788 S Y In came also George cott from orkshire , England , and about the same time John Patton from Perthshire , Scot f . i n e P or P land Other p o eers were Abn r ier, whom ierstown 6 6 OTS EGO

was named , and Major George Pier , a celebrated musician . 1 1 m 793 . Hon . Isaac Williams came in He occupied various ' ff 1 813 1 817 1823 portant o ices . In , and he represented his dis

u tri ot in congress . Dari s Warren came here from Connecticut

1 788 wa s . in , and the first man who received a deed of land from i m Judge Will a Cooper. Erastus Taylor came from Bennington ,

V t . . , and raised a family notable for longevity Other early settlers whose names have been perpetuated in h t is vicinity are George Roberts , Ira Tanner , Jesse Teft , Nor man and Bingham Babcock , Martin Coates , Reuben Hinds , t Plat St . John , Andrew Scribner, Levi Pierce , John Badger,

Eleazu r . Russell Williams , John Baldwin and Loomis

: s VILLAGES There are four villages in this town hip , viz : Cooperstown (population Fly Creek (population 238) Oaksville (population and Hope Factory (popu la ' n d B u r n os toffi c es tion Snowdon a o e are rural p .

: b 1 8 SCHOOLS Num er of school districts, ; number of 32 e 803 . teachers , ;childr n of school age ,

CHURCHES : There are ten churches in this township,

: At B viz Cooperstown , aptist , Catholic , Episcopal , Methodist ,

Presbyterian , Universalist . At Fly Creek , Methodist , Presby terian , and Universalist . In the Hinds neighborhood north of

Fly Creek, Methodist .

’ W : u NE SPAPERS Freeman s Jo rnal , Otsego Farm “ ” a d n u . Otsego Republican , all p blished at Cooperstown

P R COO E STOWN .

was b Cooperstown founded y Judge William Cooper , the

. 1 father of J Fenimore Cooper, who in 785 purchased from Colonel George Croghan (who had purchased it from the In dians) , a tract of acres of land lying on the west side of the river and embracing the site of the present village and ex b tending oth north and south of it . He purchased this land before seeing it, but in the fall of the same year, he came with 1786 a party of surveyors , and in January , , took formal pos “ session of his property , afterwards known as the Cooper .

. patent William Ellison , a surveyor , came the same year , 1788 ’ , . M r . o and in under Co per s direction , he laid out the village . OTS EGO 6 7

1789 In , a large house having been built for them , Mr .

Cooper brought his family from Burlington , N . J their former m m home . The youngest me ber of this co pany was the child ’

Ja . o mes , aged two years The name Fenimore , the m ther s maiden name , was later added by himself . This child was destined to become the most famous of American novelists , and the place to which he thus came to be famous as the scene of ' s d his romantic tale . The following is from a graphic escription ’ ' 1871 K of Judge Cooper s arrival written in by G . Pomeroy eese O t esq . f Coopers own b $ One right October afternoon eighty years ago , as the s un as d d d w rawing lengthene sha ows over the landscape , bath

P R P AR K C P ER S T W N C OO E , OO O

i in g in rich au tum nal light the hills which surround the l mpid a s w ter of Otsego lake , there came around the base of Mount b i ts Vision a lumbering family coach , earing , with attendant o v ell ic les th e foun der of Cooperstown and h i s h usehold to their ,

' new home . All the glorious beauties of the changing foliage which have s in c ef c h ar m ed so many thousands who have visited

“ this still rural r etreat, were in their virgin splendor, and as the new comers looked upon the scene and beheld in the reflection of the lake below the dark shades of the evergreens contrasted

he and i m son u s , with t gold. cr h e of the maple and the beech 6 8

they must have been sadly insensible to the chief attraction of their future ab ode if they failed to s ee in it one of the most pere

e t f c combinations of hill and valley , lake and forest, which the e - n . u hand of pai ter could portray The party , n mb ring fifteen m in in all, with the fa ily domestics , was an imposing cavalcade m this primitive region just emerging fro the wilderness . The whole population of the place— thirtyfive in all— were ‘ ’ e m drawn up to rec ive the lord of the manor , who , fro . hence

a s u forth , the first j dge of the county and its largest landed. ll a . proprietor, became the leading spirit of that region

y illa e The g thus begun more than a century ago , although of slow growth has always prospered and kept pace with _m od e r w its ewa ern progr ss . Its st eets are broad and ell kept , driv ys

r r li h 9 9 i e e tf u l , its c am in 9 3 9 j y 1 along the lake and gl g _and _ p g 1 129 81 ' h a s s 11 facilities unsurpassed . It an electric lighting plant , is p

s n plied with pure water, and its pacious hotels and dwellings i ,

of wh om m a e er f vite summer guests , a great nu ber r received ev y ‘

' ; b i a u s e $ - i season The work of the pu l c thoritie . has_. b en gener ou s l - Z y supplemented by Mrs . Alfred Corning u is hed l ro -a g resident , to whom the p ace is indebted $ r. $beau tiful l

- ~ a s len did a edific of the Yo u . park and gymnasium , and for the p e ng ’ Men s Christian Association . To its natural beauty of situation and its advantages as a th e c : summer resort , Cooperstown adds romanti interest that i s

COo er i associated with the Ta les . p “ $ i h i ner an Th e excelled his descr ptions of natural sce y, d reader who bears h i s vivid pictures In m ind will ea s ily rec ogn I ze the localities along the lake made classic by his gen i u ' Cooperstown has been at times the perma nent -or summ er

e home of some famous men , among wh om , b side the great s a l . . noveli t , are S mue F B Morse, Thurlow Weed , Gen John

- A. . n C . , . . _ h Dix Gen Ab er Doubleday , Gen _Geo Starkweat er,

. O s Hon Samuel Nelson , Justice f the United State S upreme

o . . . . f N o . O ew C urt and Col Wm L Stone , editor the York C m m er ci al Advertiser .

' The Otsego County Agricultural Society hold s “an annual f o air at C operstown , which i s largely attended;

. Important benevolent institutions at Cooperstown are. the

Thanksgiving Hospital , in the establishment of which Miss

Co . Susan Fenimore oper a daughter of the novelist , was largely “ , instrumental and the Orphan House of the H oly Savior, OTSEGO 6 9

u o o d of b which is nder the c ntr l of the Episcopal iocese Al any , s but which receives inmates regardles of denominational lines .

TH E OOP RS O I H H OOL C E T WN H G SC .

This institution is fully equipped for thorough instruction .

h b of It is supplied with all needed apparatus , and wit a li rary

n volumes . The academic department , under the Rege ts , e e prepar s for college and for law and other special cours s . The

n faculty consists of a pri cipal and eleven assistants .

' C OOP ER S TO W N HIGH S C HOOL

’ COOPER S GRAV E AND MON UM E NT . James Fenimore Cooper died at his home in Cooperstown

- 14th 1851 . on the of September , , at the age of sixty two years u n re Cooper sleeps in the churchyard beside his kindred , an p tending slab marking the site of his grave . His monument is a at Lakewood cemetery , on the eastern shore of the l ke , just ” is beyond the site of the panther scene in the Pioneer . It

e - fiv e of Italian marbl , twenty feet high , with a figure of t Leatherstocking on the summit . Nat y is represented as load eS in gh is rifle and gazing off on the lak pread out beneath him , while his dog by his side watches his master with eager interest . Pi t t s fi e ld

Ar r ea a c es . P l , op u a tio n

PITTSFIELD was formed 1797 from Burlington in . It retained its original di m en nt 1806 sions u il , when the present town of New Lisbon

was set off from it . It con sists mainly of fertile uplands lying between the valley of w the Unadilla river, hich con s titu tes its we stern boundary , and the Butternuts creek val ley on the east . Some of the earliest settlers came from Pitts

field s h en c eth e . , Mas , and n ame . Among them were Dr Joseph

e . O . Cone, Capt . Aaron Noble and Samuel Tyl r The two lat Pitts field ter settled at village , locally called Pecktown , from

Alvin Peck , who kept the hotel there . D eFores t Capt . Abel , a soldier of the Revolution , was an early settler at Meeker Hill . Gardner H all came from Pownal , t e t. 1797 n V . s o W m . G . h , in His , Hall , became leading physi cian of Ben a m i Edd . j n y the town Seth Harrington and , settled 1 le m in the eastern part about 793 . Jabez Beards y was a pro i v nent settler in the western part on th e river . He was super isor

. p . for eleven years Ca t Joseph Briggs, another veteran of the e h s s on war, came arly from Vermont . He and i Silas were

“ m pro inent citizens . Other early settlers were Augustus and

Gardner Sheldon , Ezekiel Chapin and Stephen Hawkins . This is a prosper ou s agricultural township and is chiefly

' m devoted to dairying , the milk being sent either to the co den sery at New Berlin or to the shipping station at Edmeston . n Pitts field u 70 It co tains one village , , with a pop lation of , and os tofli c e a rural p at Ketchum .

: 12 10 SCHOOLS Number of districts , ;teachers , ;chil d e h 189 r n of sc ool age , .

: ‘ CHURCHES There is a Union church at Ketchum . Ebenezer Chapel in the southern part is supplied by the Bap tis t and Methodist pastors from Morris .

R i c h f i e l d

I l Ar ea, a cr es . P Opu a tio n

This township W as formed 1792 from Otsego in . It then included the townships of

Plain field Exe ter and , which .

were set off from it in 1 799 . The surface is rolling and moderately hilly with a m ean elevation of 150 to 200 feet

a bove Can a dar ago (or S c h u y.

ler) Lake . Several wooded 300 f mountain peaks near the eastern boundary rise eet higher .

Can ada ra o h r i s g Lake . the nort ern po tion of which within this township , lies in a deep valley and is fed by a number of I streams which enter it from the northwest . ts outlet is

Oaks Creek , through which its waters flow southward into the a s Susquehanna river . The settlement of this region was rapid soon a s the close of the Indian wars made it safe to establish

‘ homes in the wilderness . The northern portion of Otsego county was regarded with especial favor in consequence of its r beautiful lake scenery , fe tile soil , good timber and eligible m ills i tes and water privileges . The most important landed proprietor who located here in

D erb En lan d the early times was John Tunnicliff of y, g , who , in 1756 s , purchased acres belonging to the Ot ego patent . In the year 1 774 he made a further purchase of 600 acres from the Schuyler patent , this purchase including a portion of t e Ric hfield h present village of Springs .

I H EI L R C E D SP RINGS .

The springs that have m ade this locality famous as a health resort were long known to the aborigines under the name of ‘ ” Medicine Waters . The following beautiful description is “ given of the original spring and of Can adarago Lake : At the RICHFIELD 7 3

i - summ t of a gently rising eminence in the mist of shrubbery . and overshadowed by the lofty and majestic branches of the fir

of and pine , there issued forth from beneath the roots a gigantic tree a crystal mineral fountain of life and health . About three hundred rods to the south of this fountain was a romantic and

on beautiful lake silently sleeping in a quiet valley , skirted

- either edge by heavily wooded alpine ranges , whose giant forest trees were boldly reflected in the deep blue waters that were dis

’ tu r bed only by the screaming waterfowl or the light canoe of e S the red man as h glided swiftly over its ilver surface . The in elk , moose and timid deer drank from its silent waters the

- wild solitudes of the primeval forest . Two wood covered is lands rested within the bosom of this picturesque lake , one of

IE D S PR IN GS M AIN S TR EE T, R IC HF L

i t o f wh ch has since disap peared , and, as tradition says , the las t e Can adar a os the once powerful tribe , h g , sank with it far ” beneath its dark waters . From the discovery of these Springs and their preparation 1820 l for public use by Dr . Horace Manley in the vi lage dates w its fame as a watering place . The efficacy of the aters was found to be very great in the treatment of many forms of dis ease and with every returning season the number Of visitors in creased . 74 BICH FIEL D

The location of R i c h field Springs is remarkable for natural its o beauty , not only in immediate surroundings, but it oc n pies a position in the midst of the most charmingly d iversified i n mountain and lake scenery . The mountain sides , in many

n an d sta c es especially where bordering upon lakes and streams , m m e s ra are jutted with i p e ledges of rocks , or cut with deep $ vines that aSSI s t in giving that romantic character to this por r t tion of the state of New Yo k which it so eminen ly possesses .

v ic in it alm os t Six beautiful lakes are distributed in this y, within sight of each other . This was a region of popular resort of the aboriginal tribes of the valley of the Mohawk and weste rn part i t“ of the state before the whites encroached upon . To the natural advantages so plain to the red man the wh ite

illu m i brother has added those of art and culture . Electricity nates the streets and pure water from a mountain lake finds its way to the dwellings . Railroad connection is now perfect on W ” the north with the Delaware , Lackawanna and estern and

“ ” the New York Central , to the south with the Delaware and ” f Hudson system by way O Cooperstown and Oneonta .

: v illa es in o VILLAGES There are two g this t wnship , viz Ric h field 1 537 l Springs (population , ) and Monticello (popu ation i s s l r i n Brighton a hamlet with po toffic e at Ric hfie d Sp gs .

: 11 e Of t SCHOOLS Number of districts , ;numb r eachers , 20 ;number of children of school age 558 . The R i c h field Springs Union Free school h as an excellent t building and is supplied with modern appara us, charts , natural r 1 000 . histo y specimens and a circulating library of , volumes

re The academic department , subject to the visitation of the gents , awards classical and scientific diplomas and has also a ’ - n commercial course and a teachers traini g class . The faculty consists of a principal and twelve assistants . Total attendance 45 about 0.

: h CHURCHES There are nine churc es in this township , : Ric h field , o viz At Springs Cath lic, Episcopal, Methodist ,

Presbyterian and Universalist . At Monticello , Baptist, Epis

. copal and Universalist At Brighton , Methodist .

NEWS PAPERS : At Ric hfield Springs are published the ‘ ‘ R i c h field w_ Ri c h field Springs Mercury , eekly , and the Springs ”

Daily during the months of July and August .

R o s e b o o m

Ar ea 1 9 73 9 Acr es . P o u la ti o n , , p , ROSEBOOM was formed

“ from Cherry Valley in 1854 .

M m m m w The surface is diversified , many of the hills rising t o 350 e t a the height of ” f e bove It b the valleys . _is em raced in the original grant to John

L in des a as v y, and w di ided B r e M c K ean into the elvide , ,

$ a nd m wa s t he a D . Long . Beaver a patents This l st town organ

i zed i n . m ll on Or A m e the county and was na ed in of bra Ros boom , wh o R e e n with John oseboom own d , at the b ginni g of the cen

2 0 e t . Mid tury , a tract of , 00 acres lying in the pres n towns of dl field b e V l . , Cherry al ey and Rose oom For m an y years the mercantile business of th e locality was V l was l 1832 t conducted at Cherry _a ley , and it not unti tha a store wa s opened within the presen t limits of th e town This was kept by Daniel An ti s del at L odi (now R os eb o Om ) . The n L 1 first grist mill was built by C or elius ow in 18 8 .

B o c e W Among the early settlers were John y , illiam Pesco , e Simeon Rich , John and P ter Sutphen , Smith Hull, Petei L OW l Coa S u P n , Daniel C ark , Solomon t , Ruf s erki s John Pear

‘ f h e d are el . t t e son , and Isaac Ke ing Some O early _resi nts now

a t a K n living great age . Mrs . Mary ( eeling) Pearson at Pleasa t n Brook is ni ety five , Mrs . L ucyBoyce at Roseboom is ninety ”

Dr ri . Ste ker Of os bO m . . . r R e o is three , and John W eighty seven i s l u i This a prosperous agricu t ral townsh p . The leading th m e r industry is dairying , e ilk being sent to ch ese facto ies .

: b VILLAGES Rose oom ( population . South Valley ’ (popula tion and Pleasant Brook (population Lowell s

. a Corners is hamlet on the eastern border .

: 12 tea c h r sl l h SCHOOLS Number of districts , ; e ; c ild f 148 ren o school age , .

: CHURCHES At Roseboom , Baptist and Methodist , at V South alley , Methodist, Methodist Protestant and Christian ; t at Pleasant Brook , Methodis and Methodist Protestant ;at

Bentley Hollow , Methodist Protestant . Spr i n gfi e ld

Ar ea Acr es . P o u la tion 1 6 2 , p , 7 .

SPRINGFIELD wa s set . off from Cherry Valley in 1 9 7 7 . The s urface i s a roll A ing upland . . promontory east Of the head of Otsego

Lake , called Mt . Wellington .

Of 4 rises to a height 00 feet . It is a prosperous agr ic u l ' tu ral ;town s hip 1762 th e In the year five families took up lands in town ,

' ' K ell Ri c h ard viz ;those of John y, Ferguson and James Young p b T n ar t in the eastern art , Gustavus Klumph and Jaco y at the th e l head of lake . Very few additions were made to this ittle o Of community until after the Rev lution . At the battle Oris

1777 . kany in Capt . Thomas Davy , who has descendants now w living in the town , was killed . In the follo ing year Joseph S ix w Brant, the leader of the Nations came to Springfield ith a

‘

r town . an d c party , bu ned the killed or arried into captivity the h “ is b u t C e . men , t is famous hi f was merciful It recorded that he gathered together the women and children into one house and — left them uninjured a n act not followed by his tory allies . On the return of peace there was an “immediate influx of settlers into this region . Among them were Benj amin Rath wh o a s Of S t e t e t bun and John Cotes , a lad ix e n had ak n par in n of r . the battle Bunker Hill , John James and , Robe t You g r “ Other pioneers afte the Revolution were Moses Franklin , in S . Abner Cooke , Calvin and Luther mith Elisha Hall , the v en tor n m a c hi n e was of the well k own Hall threshing , a pioneer

fi l n r h n was at Spring e d Ce te . Hezekia Hayde a pioneer and his descendants have been distinguished elsewhere . VILLAGES : S pringfield (population Springfield

Center (population 350) and East. Springfield (population

Middle Village is a ham let with p os toffic e at East Springfield .

: er : t 13 r 1 6 n SCHOOLS Numb of dis ricts, ;teache s , ;childre 309 of school age , .

: CHURCHES At Springfield Center, Baptist, Episcopal

n and Universalist ;at East Spri gfield , Episcopal , Methodist b and Pres yterian .

L. oi C. n a d il l a

2 0 1 2 3 4 9 Acr es P o 11 la tion . 6 Area , 8 1 p ,

THIS township was formed

from Otsego in 1792 . It lies at the confluence of the S n s

u eh an n a q and the Unadilla, and is watered by t h e many tributaries of these riv is b ers . It elieved to have been settled to some extent l bu t before the Revo ution , where or by whom is not

L of l u . known . ike all other parts the county , it fi led p rapidly e as soon as peace permitt d . 1790 b u t i m Unadilla village dates from about . its early portance was due to the construction in 1 802 of th e Catskill and t in Susquehanna turnpike , an important highway which erm ated “ ’ as W Slu m an here, the point being known attles Ferry , from

p . 0 11 Wattles , a leading ioneer in that region The village was “ Of m lands the W allace patent . A ong the first settlers were vi a wh o th e fi Aaron Axtell , the ll ge blacksmith , purchased rst r war lot ;Solomon Martin , a soldie of the Revolution and of the 1812 s h erifl of , of the county and member of assembly, fro m whom Martin brook was named ;Daniel Bissell and his kins s man , Guido L . Bis ell ;Dr . Gurdon Huntington , the leadin g physician of that region and member of assembly from 1805 to

1809 . a a m ;Joseph S Br gg, whose son Edward S . Br gg . beca e

b n ' Rebe lion an d -a rigadier general i the l , congressman from Wis “ ” consin ;Moses Axtell , one of the Boston tea party , and a a n d hero of Lexington Bunker Hill ;Stephen Benton , a land an holder d merchant ;Captain Uriah Hanford , William Wilmot ,

b - S the first ca inet maker, amuel Crooker, the four Cone Adan i . ah ardn er h o brothers , Dr j , Daniel , Gilbert and G , w , with a their descendants , h ve had an important share in the develop m v illa e Elis h a u t f ent of the g ; L her, John Fiske , a soldier o

UNADIL LA 8 1

i s establishment and several cigar factories . It one of the most

d n e f or attractive villages on the line of the railroa , bei g not d

S v i ew its d its wide and hady streets, its beautiful river , han some a n d its residences well kept private grounds .

$

' : Th ere ar e e VILLAGES thr e villages in this township, viz : Unadilla (population Unadilla Center (population c and Wells Ro kdale , on the ' ' ' e f is m os tl in en n ; a . Unadilla riv r y g Ch ngo cou ty

H O S : m fof st i t 18 21 SC OL Nu ber di r c s , ;teachers , ;chil

s ch OOl a e 44 r e dren of g , . The Unadilla Union F e School

‘ c 1894 th e me d and A ademy , which in succeeded for r aca em y, er w has a large , mod n building ith superior sanitaryarrange

’ ‘ s aterf an d l r i w e ec t c . as H ment , city lights It ranks a igh School un v of ta te f Of Ne Its under the i ersity the S w York . course of l . t r e m instruction includes the na u al scienc s , ancient and odern ’ e a i s h a s Of$ , . languag s and teachers , train ng cla s It a library

‘ be itleé i r efer n é e bOoks : e over volumes , s é The Acad mic “ ‘ “ ' ’ t r ii s tol n s olle e a nd an re n ts di m department p efpa es e g gr ts ge plo as . ac t c oni s s Of nci an d ei ht s i an The f ul y s t a pri pal g as st ts .

CH UR CH ES EAt Un adilla l , Baptist , Episcopa Metho ‘

d t r W B a n d h an . dist , Presbye ian At ells ridge , Baptist Met o

’ ’ Un adilla Cen tre eth dist . At j , M odist , and a Methodist church ' n h a t S a d t e r . Hill, in easte n part ‘

' : n e a NEWSPAPERS The U adilla Times , a w ekly p per, 111 8 4 established 1 5 . l n Acr s . P o u a ti o 91 0 . Ar ea ; e p ,

VVESTFOR D was s et Off 1 from Worcester in 808 . The s surface is hilly , the summit in many places rising to the h eight of 250 to 400 feet

above the valleys . It is well watered by the numerous branches of the Elk and

Cherry Valley Creeks .

The first settlers came here from Vermont about 1790.

They were Thomas Sawyer, Oliver Salisbury , Ephraim Smith ,

Alpheus. Earl , Artemus, Moses and David Howe , and Benjamin

Chase , who raised seven sons here . Robert Roseboom came from New Jersey and located in the northeastern part near l th e Maple Va ley . He was a prominent man and first super

“ th e f p 1814 . u visor of town , o ficiating in that ca acity until Sam el and Jonas Babcock, soldiers of the Revolution , came from Berk 1795 shire . Mass . , in and their father Josiah joined them in

1 9 b o S w. 79 . The five Sperry r thers gave name to perry Hollo “ ” The Hubbard brothers formed the Hu bbard Settlement and “ ” An the Bentley family gave name to Bentley Hollow . Judge e D ra e d S n e w S . r dr w p , former State Superinten ent of chools and

Of C president the University of Illinois, and his ousin , Judge t C s w Alden Ches er of the Supreme ourt , were natives of thi to n

Ot- e ship . _her pioneers were Oliver Bidlake , Joshua and D xter Flavel Draper, David Adams , Eli Tyler, Martin , John and C Wright , Calvin Holmes , James Badeau , harles Mason , Charles

Pea s le S a m u el Webster, Eleazer y, W_aterman . Andrew Bice , and

Artemas and Jonah Howe, captains of the Revolution . West

ford is a fertile agricultural township largely devoted to dairying .

VILLAGES : Westford (population 167) and Westville

’ ffi e (population Maple Valley is a rural pos to c .

C S : 11 t 10 e S HOOL Number of districts . eachers ;childr n 131 of school age, .

: CHURCHES At Westford, Methodist,Baptist , Congrega tion al a , and Episcopal ;at Westville , Baptist and Methodist ; t

Maple Valley , Christian . W o r c e s t e r

A rea Acr es . P o ula tion , p ,

WORCESTER was formed 1797 from Cherry Valley in , and then embraced in addition to its

present territory , the towns of

Maryland, Decatur and West

ford . These towns were set Off 1 808 from it in . The surface is a is hilly upland . It fertile , par tieu larly along the Schenevus

creek and Charlotte river . The first settlements were made o a i so n fter the Revolut on . i on eer s wa s Prominent among the p Silas Crippen . He was h supervisor eig t years , justice of the peace , judge of the court , m of 181 6 and a ember the state assembly in . He built, about

1796 - - H i s , the first grist mill and saw mill in the town . son t b Phillip was the firs white child orn in the town . He had nine other children . Abram Garfield , the grandfather of Pres t a d ident Garfield , lived near Worces er n sleeps in a burial plot now in the heart of the village . h t S Ot er pioneers were John Wa erman , Henry tever, Moses S Essex , Luther , Lester . , Thomas and Deacon Joseph Flint , S ‘ amuel Russ, Jonathan Jennings, Amos Belding, Hazard S m ith S a m u el , Hartwell, John P . Russ , John Pratt, J . H . Her

Green White, John Alvord, David and

Alpheus Scott and Philip Becker . Uriah Bigelow was the first physician in the town . Abraham Becker, a son of Philip, was a leading lawyer at South Worcester . A prominent pioneer at

East Worcester was John Champion , a native of Connecticut .

At twelve years of age , being too young to carry a musket, he entered the army of the Revolution as a teamster and served i n this capacity until the close of the war . He then married and Of t w removed to the town Worcester, where he se tled on hat is 1 5 i s . 80 known as Elliot Hill, which now in Decatur About

W orc es ter w er e he removed to East , h he built a grist mill and other buildings . He raised a family of twelve children , seven

dau h ter s wh o o d o sons and five g , have numer us escendants , am ng them a num ber of distinguished men . His son Aaron was the father of the well known editor of the Stam ford Mirror .

W OR C ES TER HIG H S C HOOL

h i s Among interesting reminiscences of the early times , Mr Cham pion relates the following :

The first doctor I remember was old Dr . Warner . He

kin d an d did e in was one of the old fashioned , not believ people

continually pouring down medicine to keep well . He used to s a say that people doctored too much , as some politicians now y

- m we are governed too much . Near us settled a newly arried a s couple . The wife was neat as could be , and everything was in

- n . fir s t keepi g with her personal appearance Their born , a son , was W ORCES TER 8 5

- kept, like a doll baby , in the house . It did not thrive , and Dr . s ee Warner was called in to it . He looked it over . admired its perfect form and features, took it up and started out of the

. was house with it The mother alarmed , and said the doctor would kill it if he did not bundle it up . It was in the spring , o and the father f the child was making a garden . The doctor put it down in the newly made onion bed . The baby took up Th a handful of dirt and commenced eating it . e mother was d all more frightened , but it was allowe to eat it wanted , Then “ Old ir the doctor left them with the remark , give it plenty of a , u n its for its l gs , clean dirt for bones , and you will have a large ,

- rosy cheeked , healthy child , instead of a poor , pale , weakly , emaciated creature . Other early Settlers near East Worc ester were Joshua Bige low , Joseph Bowers , James Lockwood , Isaac Caryl , Adolphus a l e . . Gott, Ca vin J nnings, Cary Pepper and Maj Gen J mes

Stewart, whose father , James Stewart , was killed at the battle

s on of Bunker Hill . His , Dr. William Stewart; was a phys 60 i c ian at S outh Worcester for years .

: th i ee In towns h i v 1 z VILLAGES There are villages this p, 1 430 Worcester ( p opulation . East Worcester (population ) and South Worcester (population Worcester i s a flou r is h ing village , provided with electric lights and with pure water from a mountain reservoir 80 feet deep .

H : 15 23 SC OOLS Number of districts . ;teachers , , children Th R e a e 70. e of school g , 4 Worcester High School , under the u n h as , gents , a modern b ildi g , complete scientific apparatus a thorough academic c ou i s e and a well selected library . The faculty consists of a principal and seven assistants .

th e CHURCHES : There are eight churches in township ,

n a h viz : At Worcester , Baptist , Catholic, Co greg tional and Met V Y or odist , at East Worcester , Baptist and Methodist , at South

o . ester, Lutheran and Methodist “ m NEWSPAPERS : Th e Worcester Ti es , established

’

1876 . , published at Worcester

’ m l i n s h i r E A c r a C a e . . S l P . i b e r r e s id e n t . G e o ;I . W , g

’ ’ P r A s s t C a s h ie r . a m l H . o tte S ,

W i l b e r N a t i o n a l B a n k, N Y . N E O N TA . O ,

l Capita ,

Su r lu s p ,

l u r lu s a ndDe os its v er C apita , S p p , o

W Th e gro w th a n d pros pe rit y o f a c o m m u n ity a r e c l ea rly indic a ted b y t h e fi n an cial n th n c n c on di tion o f its Ba n k in g I ns titu ti on s . As a n ill u s tra tio e i rea si g de posits of t h e W il b er Na tion a l Ba n k th e pas t s e v e n y ea rs pl ain ly refl ec t a v ery gra tifyin g c on dition :

De os its un e 1 8 9 6 p , J , De os i ts un e 1 8 9 7 p , J , De os i ts un e 1 8 98 p , J , De os its un e 1 8 9 9 p , J De os i ts un e 1 9 00 p , J , De os i ts un e p , J D e os i ts un e 1 902 p , J ,

' Th e B a n k a l s o e n j o ys th e dis tin c tio n o f h a vin g t h e l a r ge s t s u r pl u s in pr o por tio n to its c a pita l o f a n y n a tio n a l ba n k in C e n tr a l N e w Y o r k .

M OR E TH A N 1 30 P L A C E S H A V E BE EN S E C URE D B Y U S F OR O N E ON TA G R A D U A TE S .

A n A ge n c y is v a l u ab l e in pr o po r tio n. to its

i n fl u e n‘ If i c e . t m e r e l y h e a r s o f v a c a n c ie s

a nd te l ls o u a bou t th e m th a t is s o m eth in y , g;

b u t if it is a s k e d to r e c o m m e n d a te a c h er

a n d . r e c o m m e n d s o u th a t is m r e y , o .

O U R S R E C M M E D O N S .

A R D W . C . B EE N S Y R A U S E N Y . , C , .