History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 1

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920


USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 1


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U


Y


1865


UN


ED


Cornell University Library


The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library.


There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.


http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924100210974


CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 1924 100 210 974


In compliance with current copyright law, Cornell University Library produced this replacement volume on paper that meets the ANSI Standard Z39.48-1992 to replace the irreparably deteriorated original.


2005


CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY


FROM


The Utica Public Library


(in exchange)


LITH BY L.M. EVERTS, PHILA, PA .


TRENTON FALLS , N. Y.


1667.


HISTORY -OF --


ONEIDA COUNTY,


NEW YORK.


WITH2


(Unstrations and Biographical ketcheg


SOME OF ITS PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS.


PHILADELPHIA: EVERTS & FARISS.


-1878 .-


PRESS OF J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO., PHILADELPHIA.


CONTENTS.


HISTORICAL.


HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.


CHAPTER


PAOE


CHAPTER PAOE


I .- Physical Features


9


XXIV .- Ava ·


417


II .- Pre-Historio Races


14


XXV .- Boonville


419


III .- Indian Occupation 15


XXVI .- Bridgewater


427


IV .- Protestant Missions 29


XXVII .- Camden


432


V .- French Discoveries 36


XXVIII .- Deerfield


439


VI .- Settlements in the Mohawk Valley


45


XXIX .- Florence


447


VII .- Land-Titles .


53


XXX .- Floyd .


449


VIII .- The Revolution


67


XXXI .- Forestport


452


IX .- Second Meeting of the Continental Congress


XXXII .- Kirkland


454


X .- Burgoyne's Campaign . 91


XXXIV .- Maroy .


480


XII .- Relief of Fort Stanwix 115


XXXV .- Marshall


484


XIII .- Surrender of Burgoyne 131


XXXVI .- New Hartford


487


XIV .- Sullivan's Campaign


141


XXXVII .- Paris


495


XV .- Civil Organization


157


XXXVIII .- Remaen


507


XVI .- Internal Improvements


. 174


515


XVII .- The Oneida Civil List .


185


XVIII .- The Learned Professions


191


XIX .- Statistical .


239


XLII .- Vernoo


570


XLIII .- Verona


580


XLIV .- Vienna


587


XLV .- Western


593


XX .- The Village of Utica . . 257


XLVI .- Westmoreland


600


XLVII .- Whitestown.


610


XLVIII .- Biographical


628


XXI .- City of Rome 363 .


XLIX .- Military History and Rosters


639


ILLUSTRATIONS.


PAGE


View of Trenton Falls (Frontispiece)


facing Title-Page.


Ballou Block ·


facing 307


Map of Oneida Connty


· facing


9


Portrait of John J. Fraocis " E. B. Shearman


"


312


Portrait of Rev. Samuel Kirkland


29


"


318


Map Onsida County, showing Patents, Land Grants. 1829


53 Utica City Library


320


Portrait of Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea) 70


Hackett's Block .


between 320, 321


Plan of St. Leger's March . 93 .


Portrait of C. Hackett (steel)


" 320, 321


Portrait of Peter Gansevoort


95


4 John Carton


Owen O'Neil


334


" " Battle of Oriskany .


105


Faxton Hospital


Portrait of H. Barnard


338


N. Y. State Lunatic Asylum, Utica


"


234


E. S. Barnum


Wm. J. Bacon .


347


Robert Middleton (steel) .


between 348-349


Thomas Hopper


348-349


" T. S. Faxton =


facing 349


CITY OF UTICA.


Portrait of Francis Kernan


faoing 257


Residence of Thomas Hopper


the late John Butterfield


between 264, 265


Portrait of John Butterfield


264, 265


Ebenezer Leach


. 353


Hiram Greenman


facing 276


Jacob Hunt (steel)


facing 354


Silas C. Greenman .


276


¥ Alonzo Churchill (steel)


355


Josiah Rathbun


294


Alfred Churchill


. 355


James Benton .


298


John (Jean) B. Marchisi


. 357


Horatio Seymour (steel) .


299


William Russell (steel)


facing


358


Ellis H. Roberts


301


G. A. Foster


"


359


De Witt C. Grove


"


303


C. H. Hopkins .


359


.


382


Baron Steaben Monument


faoing 637


Portrait of Col. Marinue Willett


638


.


" 264


Patrick Cassidy


351


Wm. H. Watson (steel)


facing 352


.


3


330


Plan of the Siege of Fort Stanwix


102


335


View of Connty Infirmary, Rome


facing 234


341


Plan of Rome, in 1810


" Hiram Greenman


E. J. Richardson


between 350-351 " 350-351


HISTORY OF THE TOWNS AND VILLAGES OF ONEIDA COUNTY.


XXII .- Annsville


.


403


XL .- Steuben


526


XLI .- Trenton


534


XXXIII .- Lee 472


XI .- St. Leger's Proclamation 101


XXXIX .- Sangerfield


HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE AND CITY OF


UTICA.


XXIII .- Augusta


. 409


PAGE


facing "


«


4


CONTENTS.


ILLUSTRATIONS.


PAGE


Portrait of Stephen Thorn .


360


FLOYD.


facing


450


FORESTPORT.


Forestport Steam Mills (Denton & Waterbury, proprietors) facing 452


Portrait of Jonathan A. Hill (steel) .


453


Hamilton Codice.


KIRKLAND.


2


Portrait of Thomas Deah .


faoing 456


Horace Bartlett


·


hetween 486, 467


Portraits of W. S. Bartlett and Wife .


466, 487


Residence of Wm. S. Bartlett


466, 467


John S. Barker (with inscription)


facing 467


James L. Blackstons


467


Portrait of Marshall W. Barker


471


LEE.


402 Portrait of Andrew Davidson ·


between 472, 473


Residence of the late Andrew Davidson


472, 473


Portraits of Curtis Spinning and Wife


474, 475


Roswell F. Spinning and Wife


474, 475


Lewis Eames and Wife .


fading 476


Portrait of Jerusha Eames


478


James Eames, Sr.


478


" James Eames, Jr. " 478


Martin Washburn


. 480


MARCY.


facing 420 Residence of James Cavana


facing 482


Edward T. Marson


483


Portraits of Edward T. Marson and Wife .


.


484


MARSHALL.


Residence of Charles A. Hovey (with inscription)


.


facing 486


Mrs. Ira Melvin


487


NEW HARTFORD.


Residence of George Hatfield


facing 490


Morgan Butler .


490


Portrait of Charles McLean (steel)


494


PARIS.


Residence of Moses M. Gray


facing 496


Harvey Head


497


Portrait of Harvey Head 497


" Jonathan E. Head . 497


Residence of L. and J. E. Head


498


Portrait of Lysander Head


" 498


499


Residence of J. P. Tompkins, with Portraite Geo. W. Chapman,


" 500


William Richards between 500, 501


Portrait of William Richards (stsel) " 500,501


Residence of George D. Dunham, with Portraits Portrait of Darius Dunham


504, 505


504, 505


Portraits of Stephen Chapman and Wife


facing 584


REMSEN.


Residence of Jerome B. Witherell, with Portraits Property of J. R. and C. R. Thomas


faciog 508


509


Portraits of Evan Owens and Wife


510


Residence of Didymus Thomas, with Portrait . between 510, 511 510, 511


the late Roht. Roberts, with Portraita


510,511


Chester G. Kent, with Portraits


facing 511


John James,


512


James Mitchell,


" 513


Portrait of Milo Mitohell .


. 513


.


BOONVILLE.


Portrait of Thomas Traffarn


Residence of John M. Fisk, with Portraits


422


Portraits of Walter Booth and Wife .


423


Residence of Samuel Johnson, with Portrait


424


" B. O. Jackson, with Portraits


425


Portrait of A. L. Hayes


428


P. B. Shultz


426


BRIDGEWATER.


Residence of S. Bailey


facing 428


W. N. Southworth


428


Portrait of Silas B. Wood .


429


¥ Nehemiah N. Peirce


430


Old Homestead of Jesse Ives


432


CAMDEN.


Residence of E. B. Upson


facing 432


J. G. Dorranoe, with Portrait


438


McCall Bros. Canning-Factory


437


Portraits of Francis Skinner and Wife


439


DEERFIELD.


Residence of Archibald Blue (double page)


between 440, 441


" 440, 441


Allen L. Blue


440, 441


Portrait of Duncan Blus


440, 441


440, 441


Residence of Peter Walker


James M. Cox, with Portraits


" 440, 441


Stephen Northup (double page)


Rohert Coventry .


. facing 442


¥ Franklin S. Davis (double page) Giles Smith .


facing 443


Portrait of Alexander Coventry


Robert Coventry


445


" Aaron Barnes .


445


Pratt Smith 446


FLORENCE.


Residence and Tannery of W. W. Graves


Portraits of W. W. Graves and Wife


between 448, 449 " 448, 449


PAGE


facing 380 Portrait of Ingham Townsend . .


362


CITY OF ROME.


Residence of A. Ethridge .


facing 364


" Henry Patrick, with Portrait


Portrait of A. Ethridge


.


N. Hyds Leffingwell


"


L. Zenana Leffingwell


370


Residence of D. M. Crowell, with Portraits Portraits of Elijah Crowell and Wife


between 370, 371 ¥ 370, 371


Residence of Jonathan Talcott .


facing 374


E. B. Armstrong, with Portrait George Ahhe, with Portraits


387


Portrait of Harold H. Pops


392


R


Roland S. Doty


D. M. K. Johnson (steel)


401


" M. C. West (atesl) .


ANNSVILLE.


Portraits of Nelson Dawley and Wife


facing 404


406


Portrait of W. J. Lasher


408


AUGUSTA.


Residence of George W. Dodgs


facing 412 "


413


W. G. Strong


Allen L. Blus .


440, 441


¥ 440, 441


between 442, 443


. 444


.


¥ Hugh Roberta, with Portrait


John B. Walls (steel)


Philo Gridley .


365


368


66


370


386


398


Harrison Lillybridge and Wife


L. C. Schermerhoro


5


CONTENTS.


ILLUSTRATIONS.


SANGERFIELD.


PAOE


Portrait of Francie Marion Stetson .


525


Daniel Livermore


James G. Presten


Portraits of Silas B. Crocker and Wife


facing


576


Daniel G. Dorrance (steel)


.


VIENNA.


Portrait of John D. Yager . 592


Residence of Samuel Faulkner facing


592


WESTERN.


Residence of Henry G. Reid, with Portrait


facing 593


Portrait of Thomas McMullin


594


Residence of the late Moses T. White Israel White


John Ellia


between 596, 597


Henry R. Hill, with Portraits


596, 597


C. W. and J. Porter, with Portraits facing 597 597


Portrait of Gen. Henry W. Halleck .


Jabez Hallook, Jr. .


facing 599


¥ Jabez Halleck


599


D. A. Crane, with Portrait . 544 "


Jerome V. Gue


.


WESTMORELAND.


Portraits of Amos Barns and Wife . facing 602


Erastus W. Clark (steel)


= 609


WHITESTOWN.


Portrait of Philo White


facing 614


" Mrs. Nancy R. White


614


Portrait of George Watkins


568


"Evergreen Lawn," Residence of W. D. Walcott


615


Pascal C. J. De Angelis (steel)


facing


569


Portrait of Samuel Campbell (steel)


627


BIOGRAPHICAL.


PAGE


PAOE


Hon. Francis Kernan


facing 257


Stephen Thorn


360


John Butterfield .


between 264, 265


Philo Gridley


361


Jesiah Rathbun .


facing 294


N. Hyde Leffingwell


facing 370


James Benton


298


Daniel M. Crowell


between 370, 371


Hiram Denio


299


Harold H. Pope .


facing 392 "


Horatio Seymour


299


Roland S. Doty . D. M. K. Jobnson


396


Ellis H. Roberts


facing 301


M. Calvin West .


401


John J. Francis .


312


Henry Patrick .


. 402


E. B. Shearman .


318


Phineas Ahbe


. 402


John Carton


¥


330


E. B. Armstrong


. 402


Owen O'Neil


66


334


Nelsen Dawley .


facing 404


H. Barnard


338


Harrison Lilly bridge .


406


E. S. Barnum


341


William J. Lasher


408


William J. Bacon


346


Thomas Traffarn


420


Walter Booth


423


Thomas Hopper .


348


Silaa B. Wood


429


Theodore S. Faxton


349


Nehemiah N. Peirce


430


Hiram Greenman


349


S. Bailey


432


Eaton J. Richardson .


350


Francis Skinner .


439


Alexander Coventry


444


William H. Watson


351


Allen L. Blue


445


Ebenezer Leach .


353


Aaron Barnes


445


Jacob Hunt


354


Peter Walker


445


Corden Hackett .


354


Pratt Smith


446


Alfred Churchill


355


James Cox .


446


Aloozo Churchill


355


Levi C. Schermerhorn


446


Jean Batiste Marchisi


356


William W. Graves


between 448, 449


William Russell .


358


facing 450


Gilbert A. Foster


358


Jonathan A. Hill


. 453


Charles H. Hopkins


359


Thomas Dean


facing 456


John B. Wella


360


William S. Bartlett


between 466, 467


.


528


John C. Owens, with Portraits


between 528, 529


R. P. Roberts,


528, 529


R. R. Roberts, =


facing


529


Portrait of William Lewis


"


530


Residence of the late Rev. R. Everett, D.D., with Portraits 532


Portrait of Sarah Porter .


.


534


" Morris W. Morris


facing 368


TRENTON.


Residence of William H. Comstock .


facing 536


¥ Miss Mary R. Willard


540


Francis A. Wilbur


540


J. J. Davis . 541


Joseph Halleck


· 599


Alexander Pirnie,


¥


545


Mrs. Francis Guiteau, with Portraite 550


Portraits of William J. Babcock and Wife


554


Portrait of Sylvanus Ferria


560


"Union Hall," William P. Dodge, proprietor


560


Property of Henry Joy


.


561


Residence of Colonel T. H. Ferris, with Portraits


CE 565


Portraits of William Perkins and Wife


566


VERNON.


PAOE


Residence of Daniel G. Dorrance facing 572


Silas B. Crocker .


525


526


STEUBEN.


"Crigga," residence of John R. Griffith faoing 528


Residence of Richard D. Davis


between 572, 573 " 572, 573 Portrait of Timothy Jenkins


580


.


401


De Witt C. Grove


"


303


.


facing


Robert Middleton


347


Patrick Cassidy .


351


Ingham Townsend


596


596


600


6


CONTENTS.


BIOGRAPHICAL.


PAGE


James L. Blackstone .


. 471


William J. Babcook .


faoing 554


Marshall W. Barker .


· 471


Colonel Timothy H. Ferris


565


John Kirkland .


472


William Perkins


566


Andrew and Alexander Davidson


between 472, 473


Alexander Pirnie


566


Curtis Spinning .


474, 475


Francis Guitean


567


Roswell F. Spinning .


474, 475


D. A. Crane


567


Lewis Eames


facing 476


George Watkins


568


James Eames


478


William P. Dodge


568


Martin Washburn


480


Pascal C. J. De Angelis


569


Edward T. Marson


483


Ephraim Willard


570


Ira J. Melvin


. 487


F. A. Wilbur .


570


William Richards


between 500, 501


Silas B. Crocker


between 572, 573


Darius Dunham .


504, 505


Timothy Jenkins


facing 576


Stephen Chapman


507


Daniel G. Dorrance


580


Evan Owens


faoing 510


John D. Yager .


592


Chester G. Kent


511


Thomas McMullin


594


Robert and Hugh Roberts .


. 511


Jeptha Brainard


597


John James


. 512


General Henry W. Halleck


597


Jerome Witherell


512


Henry R. Hill .


598


John R. Thomas


512


C. W. and J. Porter


598


Milo Mitchell


513


The White Family


598


James Mitchell .


513


Jabez Hallock, Jr.


facing 599


Francis Marion Stetson


525


Jerome V. Gue .


600


Daniel Livermore


525


Henry L. Reid


. 600


James G. Preston


526


Amos Barns


facing


602


William Lewis .


facing 530


Erastus W. Clark Philo White


facing 614


Dr. Everett


532


Benjamin S. Walcott .


. 626


Richard R. Roberts


533


Samuel Campbell


627


Richard P. Roberts


. 534


Baron Steuben .


628


John C. Owene .


. 534


Colonel Marinus Willett


638


.


.


·


609


John R. Griffith .


531


.


.


Didymus Thomas


514 ·


The Hallock Family


599


.


PAGE


INTRODUCTORY.


" Time rolls his ceaseless course. The race of yore, Who danced our infancy upon their knee, And told our marveling boyhood legends' store Of their strange ventures happ'd by land or sea, How are they blotted from the things that be ! How few, all weak and withered of their foroe, Wait on the verge of dark Eternity, Like stranded wrecks,-the tide returning hoarse


To sweep them from our sight : Time rolle hie ceaseless course." SCOTT.


THE task of writing the history of Oneida County is one of no small magnitude. Geographically it occupies a most remarkable position in the centre of that grand arch of wealthy counties which reaches from the Hudson to Lake Erie. In ancient days it was the home of one of the nations of the most remarkable confederacy of savage people of whom we have any history. The great war-trails of the children of the forest passed along its principal valleys, and these have been succeeded in recent times by the turnpike, the canal, and the iron way, over which have passed an upmeasured commerce and an unnumbered army of immi- gration.


For more than a century it was the pathway of the armies of Gaul and Britain, and, during the Revolution, the centre of attraction by reason of its commanding loca- tion. Battles and sieges have made its grand old woods echo with the thunders of war, and the cries of murdered innocence have mingled with the thrilling yell of the Iroquois amid the smoke of conflict.


Into its pathless wilds came the son of the church, far in advance of permanent settlement, risking, and often losing, his life in the vain endeavor to tame and elevate the savage, whose barbarous instincts were tenacious as those of the wild ostrich in the desert.


Its early settlers were the avant-couriers of various nationalities : phlegmatic sons of the Netherlands ; exiled Palatinates from the banks of the Rhine; sturdy farmers from the " Merry Isle"; wearers of the bonnic Highland plaid and plume; wanderers from the banks of Shannon ; hardy men and women from the classic land of the Druids; bold and venturesome men of rugged New England, aud even the gay and chivalrous sons of France, here sought and found a home on the very verge of civilization. And within the compass of a century the wilderness has been


subdued and made literally "to blossom as the rose"; and where spread the sombre forest over leagues of hill and dale, and only wild beasts and wilder men were found, is now the home of more than a hundred thousand civilized beings, the abode of Peace and busy industry, of intelli- gence and refinement.


The materials for a history of this wonderful region are abundant and accessible, but the difficulty that confronts the historian consists more in a judicious choice from amid the accumulated mass than in the labor involved in collect- ing, and the exercise of careful discrimination and sound judgment are of the first importance.


It has been the desire and aim of the compilers of this work to avail themselves of every possible means of infor- mation within their reach, and many thousand pages of the writings of various authors have been carefully read and utilized in the course of its preparation. Among the works examined may be mentioned the " Documentary and Colo- nial History of New York," Parkman's Works, Smith's " History of the State," Hammond's "Political History," " Annals of Tryon County," Stone's "Life of Brant," " Annals of Oneida County," Morgan's " League of the Ho- de-no-sau-nee," Colonel Willett's "Narrative," Dr. Bagg's " Pioneers of Utica," " Ancient America," Squier's " An- tiquities of New York," Oriskany " Centennial Volume," " Lectures and Addresses of Ex-Governor Seymour," sev - eral local histories, Craig's "Olden Time," the State civil list, legislative manuals, reports of the adjutant-general, " Gazetteer of the State," various works on geology, records of the courts, supervisors, and societies, city and county directories, newspaper files, Lives of Baron Steuben, Dr. Kirkland, and others, " Battles of the United States," " Annals of the West," etc.


In addition to the vast amount of printed information obtained, we have visited every portion of the county, and consulted the oldest living settlers, town authorities, and officers of various societies, churches, schools, etc., and endeavored to the best of our abilities to collect whatever of information, both local and general, could be found.


That we have seen every one who might have furnished information we do not pretend, for such a labor would have required years, and produced a work voluminous beyond the possibility of remunerative publication. Our object has


7


8


INTRODUCTORY.


been to get what was reliable upon all important subjects, and utilize it to the best possible advantage in a volume combining utility and variety, and sufficiently voluminous to satisfy the just expectations of our patrons and the public generally. Our best endeavors have been given to insure accuracy and reliability, without verbosity and useless multiplication of language.


It has been deemed eminently proper that the early his- tory of the county and the various towns should occupy the most important portion of the work, leaving to the future historian the task of preserving whatever may be of value in the passing events of to-day. We have labored assiduously in this magnificent field, whose materials can never be exhausted, and have everywhere met with gener- ous consideration and received valuable assistance from hundreds in all the walks of life, without which our labors would have been practically in vain.


How far our efforts have been commensurate with the importance of the subject is for the people of Oneida County to determine. All we can do is to commit the work to their hands, with the assurance that we have labored faithfully and honestly, and with the hope that they will be reasonable in their criticisms.


The various chapters have been made as complete as our space and the means at hand permitted. In some matters


we have been considerably disappointed, more particularly in obtaining the history of the various military organiza- tions which went out from the county during the War of the Rebellion, and which we had reasonable assurances would be furnished by parties familiar with the subject. In most respects we have been greatly favored.


It would be impossible to mention by name all those who have aided and assisted us in the compilation of the work, but to the following-named persons we are under special obliga- tions for valuable favors rendered : Hon. Horatio Seymour, Hon. William J. Bacon, Hon. Ellis H. Roberts, John F. Seymour, Esq., Joseph B. Cushman, Esq., the various county and city officials, Dr. M. M. Bagg, the press gen- erally, Hon. Horace Capron, of Washington, D. C., Rev. Marinus Willett, of Westchester County, Dr. John P. Gray, of the State Lunatic Asylum, Professor Edward North, of Hamilton College, T. S. Faxton, Esq., Professor Andrew McMillan, superintendent of city schools, Henry S. Miller, Esq., Frank H. Latimore, city librarian, T. D. Curtis, Esq., Dr. D. G. Thomas, Dr. Charles P. Russell, Dr. L. B. Wells, Dr. C. E. Chase, the clergy generally, and the principal manufacturers. To all others we would hereby acknowledge our sincere obligations.


SAMUEL W. DURANT. UTICA, September, 1878.


Y


Lake


Outline Plan of


T


T


ONEIDA CO.N.Y.


N


L


Scale 34 Mile to 1Inch.


U


Hawkmisville P.O.


FOREST


cmvilero


Morence Hill


Florence


C


EVOREN C


F


BOON


Fanpeyville


A/


A


Forestfort


East Fluencero.


Aya "Por si


"Woodiran


0


MurIbut fille


lier


Black Rivert


Point Rock y. Vest BrunchPo


Dunn % Brook


Steubeit Sta.


B


PO.


East Steuben


Camden Po


0


E


LEF


REMSEN


Taberg PO


North Western PO WE STEIN Fraichville's


STEUBEN Bie Brook


Bemas en


3


ME Connellsville


Vee P.O.


MALTO.


Deltaly


AOK


Sang Mills


H


Prospeist P.O.


R


West Vietata


Vierta


umno denPO.


Trenton!


Ar ent on Falls


ERIE CANAL NewLondon


Rome


Floyd. P.o.


Starvs Basm


Shiis


Higoustille


Greens Sors


South Heuton


Dunbarton,


didlemen Vorisberg


MEMY


ARCY Marcy P.O


Verona& Depot


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HISTORY


OF


ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.


BY SAMUEL W. DURANT.


CHAPTER I.


PHYSICAL FEATURES.


GEOGRAPHY.


THE geographical position of Oneida County is a re- markable one. Situated in the centre of the State, it forms the keystone of that magnificent arch of wealthy and populous counties whose extremities rest upon Long Island Sound and Lake Erie, and including the beautiful and historic valleys of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers, the group of charming lakes having the Oswego River for their common outlet, and taking in the fairest and richest portion of the famous " Genesee Country," the granary of the State.


The commercial metropolis of the county, the beautiful city of Utica, may well be termed the " central city," for it stands very near the geographical centre of the Common- wealth, and in the most delightful portion of the Mohawk Valley. Rome, in the centre of the county, and its demi- capital, is distant 110 miles from Albany, and stands immediately on the water-shed which divides the head- streams of the St. Lawrence and the Hudson, the gateway through which passes the mighty stream of commerce and travel between the Atlantic and the great West.


Within the borders of the county are the springs from whence flow in various directions the waters that mingle with the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean at New York. The principal streams are the Mohawk and Black Rivers, and Wood and Oneida Creeks, with their affluents.


The Mohawk River and its branchies, West Canada, Sauquoit, Oriskany. Nine-Mile, and Lansing Kill Creeks, drain the central and eastern portions of the county ; Black River the extreme northeastern portion ; Wood Creek and its branches, Fish Creek, Mad River, and Little River, the northwestern ; and Oneida Creek the southwestern por- tions. In the western part of the county lie a portion of Oncida Lake, the towns of Vienna and Verona, includ-


ing about 10,000 square acres of its arca, whose total is given in the Gazetteer of the State at 57,000 acres. In the town of Forestport is a cluster of small lakelets, the largest of which are Long and White Lakes, cach contain- ing perhaps a square mile of surface; and there are natural ponds in Ava,. Boonville, New Hartford, Sangerfield, Vienna, and perhaps other towns. Three of the great canals of the State are partly within the county, the Erie, Black River, and Chenango, and the Black River feeder, which runs from the State reservoir, in the town of Forest- port, to the village of Boonville, a distance of 12} miles.


Area .- The superficial area of the county, according to the State Gazetteer (a very reliable authority), is 1215 square miles, equivalent to 777,600 square acres, being not far from the area of the State of Rhode Island .*




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