USA > New York > Geography of the state of New York. Embracing its physical features, climate, geology, mineralogy, botany, zoology, history, pursuits of the people, government, education, internal improvements &c. With statistical tables, and a separate description and map of each county > Part 26
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9. Pittsfield, 1797.
10. Springfield, 1797.
11. Worcester, 1797.
12. Middlefield, 1797.
13. Exeter, 1799. .
14. Plainfield, 1799
15. Hartwick, 1802.
16. New Lisbon, 1806.
17. Decatur, 1808.
18. Edmeston, 1808.
19. Maryland, 1808.
20. Westford, 1808.
21. Laurens, 1810.
22. Otego, 1822.
Mountains. m. Kaatsbergs. n. Mount Independence.
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Rivers. II. Unadilla. G. Susquehanna. b. Butternut creek. c. Otsdewa. d. Otego. e. Otsego. f. Cherry Valley. g. Schene- vas. b. Elk.
Lakes. i. Summit. j. Cinaderaga or Schuyler. k. Otsego. Battle Fields. Cherry Valley.
Villages. COOPERSTOWN. Cherry Valley.
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BOUNDARIES. North by Oneida, Herkimer and Montgomery counties; East by Schoharie and Delaware; South by Dela- ware; and West by Madison and Chenango counties.
SURFACE. The surface is greatly diversified by mountains, hills, valleys and plains. The Kaatsbergs extend along ita eastern border, connecting, a little above Cherry Valley vil- lage, with Mount Independence, whose summit, more than 2000 feet above tide water, affords a noble prospect, opening, in some directions, nearly 100 miles in extent.
At this elevation, a narrow table land ru' s along the northern confines of the county, forming the western continuation of the Kaatsbergs, and decliens gradually toward the south, divided, however, by the streams, into numerous high ridges and deep valleys.
There are six principal valleys thus formed, viz. Cherry Val- ley, the valley of the Elk creek, that of Schenevas creek, the valleys of the Otego and Butternut creeks, and of the Unadilla river. The direction of these valleys is generally south-south- westerly.
RIVERS. This county is well watered. The Susquehanna, which forms nearly half its southern boundary, is the principal stream. It takes its rise in Summit lake, whose waters also discharge, in seasons of flood, into the Mohawk. Its course through the county is placid, the descent, in the distance of forty-five miles, probably not exceeding five feet to the mile.
The Unadilla, a branch of the Susquehannah, washes the eastern border of the county. The Cherry Valley creek, on whose banks such deeds of blood were committed, in the early settlement of the county, is also a tributary of the Susquehanna, as are the Schenevas, Otego, Otsdewa, and Butternut creeks.
LAKES. Otsego lake is nine miles long, and from one to three wide. The hills which encircle it are elevated from 400 to 500 feet above its surface. This lake is 1188 feet above tide water. The purity of its waters, and the rich and varied scenery which surrounds it render it an attractive summer resort.
Canaderaga, or Schuyler's lake, is a beautiful sheet of water, five miles long, and from one to two wide.
Summit lake is the source of the Susquehanna. It is a .
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small body of water, but has an altitude, above tide water, of 1346 feet.
Cromhorn pond, on the Cromhorn mountain, in Maryland, is three miles circumference, and is one of the highest ponds in the state.
CLIMATE. Owing to the elevation of tl is county the climate is cooler than in some other portions of the state. The diver- sity of its surface insures a perf.ct drainage, and renders it highly salubrious.
GEOLOGY AND MINERALA. This county belongs to the transi- tion system. It is underlaid with clay slate, over which is graywacke slate, sandstone, and in the north limestone.
In Cherry Valley and Springfield, gray marble of good quality is found. It is susceptible of a high polish, and abounds with animal fossils. Magnesia is one of its constituents. The graywacke also furnishes an excellent building material. There are some sulphur springs in the county ; that at Richfield is highly impreg - nated, and often visited for its medicinal qualities.
SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is very fertile. The timber of this section is principally oak, white pine, hem- lock, beech and maple. Oats, corn, barley, wheat, hops and potatoes are the principal crops.
PURSUITS. Agriculture, particularly the rearing of cattle, horses and sheep, and manufactures are the principal pursuits. There are no mines, but some extensive marble quarries near Cherry Valley.
The Susquehanna is the only navigable stream in the county, and is mainly used for the transportation of lumber, of which considerable quantities are sent to market annually.
The manufactures of the county are numerous, and increas ing in quantity and value with great rapidity. The most impor- tant are flour, lumber, cotton and woollen goods, (including prints,) leather, iron, &c. In 1845, they exceeded $1,100,000 in value.
STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Wool, beef, pork, butter, cheese, and lumber, are the principal productions.
SCHOOLS. There were in the county, in 1846, 316 'district school-houses, in which schools were taught an average period of eight months; 16,859 scholars were instructed during the year, at an expense for tuition of about $19,385. The district libraries contained 31,366 volumes.
There were the same year, in the county, thrity-nine private schools, with 652 pupils, and three academies with 223 students.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyte- rians, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Friends, Universal- ists, and Unitarians. There were, in 1845, eighty-eight churches of all denominations, and ninety-eight clergymen.
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HISTORY. The early history of this county contains many events of thrilling interest. The first settlement in the county, was made in 1739, by Mr. John Lindesay, a Scotch gentleman of some fortune and distinction, who, in conjunction with three other gentlemen, had obtained a patent for a tract of 8000 acres, . in the present town of Cherry Valley. The place for several years was called Lindesay's Bush.
Mr. Lindesay sedulously cultivated the friendship of the Mo- hawks, with whom this section was a favorite hunting ground, and soon had reason to rejoice that he had done so, for in the winter of 1740, his stock of provisions was exhausted, and on account of the depth of the snow, he was unable to procure sup- plies from the distant settlements, but the friendly Indians brought food on their backs, and thus administered to his wants.
In 1741, by the persuasion of Mr. Lindesay, Rev. Samuel Dunlap, an Irish clergyman of education and talent, was in- duced to emigrate, with several of his friends, to the number in all of about thirty persons, to this county. Soon after their ar- rival, provision was made for the erection of a church, a school- house, and a grist and saw-mill.
Mr. Dunlap opened, in 1743, a classical school for boys, the first in the state west of Albany.
The settlement progressed but slowly for the next ten years. Mr. Lindesay was not well adapted to the management of an infant settlement, and after expending his fortune in the enter- prise, necessity compelled him to abandon it. He entered the army, and died in New York, after serving a few years as lieutenant.
A few years later, small settlements were made at Spring- field, Middlefield, Laurens and Otego.
In 1772, when the county of Tryon was formed, the whole population of Cherry Valley was somewhat less than three hun - dred; and of the entire western portion of the state, (Tryon county comprising all that portion of the state lying west of a line drawn through the centre of Schoharie,} but a few thou- Bands.
. A number of the inhabitants had served in the French war, and had suffered from the hostile incursions of the Indians.
During the Revolution, the inhabitants of this county, as well as those of the frontier settlements generally, were agitated with fear of the tories and Indians, but though often alarmed, they did not suffer from the devastating effects of the border wars, in their own settlements, till the autumn of 1778.
Rumors of an intended attack of the Indians and tories hav- ing reached the inhabitants in the spring, they fortified the church, and Colonel Alden, with a portion of an eastern regi-
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ment, was stationed to defend the settlement. The summer, and two of the autumn months passed, without the appearance of the enemy, and believing themselves secure, the farmers left the fort, and returned to their homes.
On the 6th of November, Colonel Alden received intelligence from Fort Schuyler, of the approach of a large force of Indians and tories toward Cherry Valley ; on the dissemination of this intelligence, the settlers requested permission to remove into the fort, or at least to deposit their most valuable property there.
Colonel Alden denied both requests, and with the most crim- inal apathy, considering the report unfounded, took no efficient measures to ascertain its truth. He stationed scouts in differ- ent districts, but they, actuated by the same feelings with their commander, kindled a fire, lay down to sleep, and were all cap- tured by the enemy.
On the night of the 10th of November, 1778, the enemy, un- der command of the brutal. Walter Butler, and Brant, the Mo- hawk chieftain, encamped within one mile of the fort, and on the morning of the 11th, approached it.
Colonel Alden, in addition to his other imprudences, had lodged the officers of his garrison in different houses in the neighborhood. By means of their prisoners, the enemy discov- ered in which houses they were lodged, and took them all captives.
Colonel Alden himself was not in the fort, and on receiving intelligence of the commencement of the attack, was still incred- ulous, but ordered the guard to be called in, and went toward the fort. Dearly did he pay for his apathy and incredulity ; he was among the first victims of the cruel massacre which now took place.
The family of Mr. Robert Wells, consisting of twelve per- sons, were all murdered in cold blood, and one of the tories boasted that he had killed Mr. Wells while at prayer.
The wife and one daughter of the Rev. Mr. Dunlap, the har- dy pioneer of the settlement, already mentioned, were also sa- crificed, and himself only spared through the importunity of an Indian. The wife and four children of Mr. Mitchell, were also inhumanly butchered by the wretches. Thirty-two of the inhabitants, mostly women and children, and sixteen continental soldiers were killed, and a large number made prisoners; all the houses and other buildings of the settlement were burned; and the sun, which that morning looked on a quiet and happy vil- lage, in that beautiful valley, shed its last rays that evening upon smouldering ruins, and lifeless corses weltering in their blood.
A conference was held at Unadilla in this county, between General Herkimer and Brant, the year previous to this massa-
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ore, in which the General attempted, though unsuccessfully, to dissuade the Indians from taking part in the contest.
Since the close of the Revolution, the progress of this county has been rapid, and its quiet undisturbed by the warwhoop of the Indian, or the battle-cry of the white warrior.
VILLAGES, &C. COOPERSTOWN, the county seat, is a village in the town of Otsego. It is situated at the southern extremity of Otsego Lake, and in the beauty of its scenery, and the salubrity of its climate, has few equals among the lovely villages of cen- tral New York.
The town is largely engaged in the manufacture of cotton goods and paper. Population 1400.
Cherry Valley, whose thrilling story has already been nar- rated, received its name from its situation, and the great abun- dance of the wild cherry in its vicinity. It is a pleasant village, situated in a delightful valley.
The Cherry Valley Academy, a flourishing chartered insti- tution, is located here. Population 1100.
Hartwick is principally distinguished for its Lutheran Theo- logical and Classical Seminary, a flourishing and well conducted institution.
Springfield, so called from a large, deep spring in the town, has an agreeably diversified surface, and comprises several vil- lages. It has some quarries of very good marble.
Salt-spring-ville has its name from a small brine spring near it, from which salt was manufactured during the Revolution, It is worthy of notice for its distance from the great salt springs of the state, and its elevation above tide water.
The Chyle is a noted limestone sink, in this town, eighty yards in circuit and about twelve feet deep; it is oval in form. After rains or thaws, it is filled with water, which gradually discharges itself by small orifices below, giving the water a whirling motion.
Unadilla is pleasantly situated on the Susquehanna. It has two fine covered bridges, each 250 feet in length, resting on three arches. It has also conserable lumber trade. A species of sandstone is quarried here for grindstones. Population about 800.
Gilbertsville, on the Butternut creek, is a thriving manufac- turing village, and has a flourishing academy.
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XIX. SARATOGA COUNTY.
Square miles, 800. Organized, 1791.
Population, 11,477. Valuation, 1845, 06,643,513.
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TOWNS.
1. Ballstown, 1788.
2. Halfmoon, 1788.
3. Saratoga, 1788.
13. Malta, 1802.
14. Moreau, 1805.
15. Waterford, 1816.
16. Corinth, 1818.
17. Wilton, 1818.
7. Milton, 1792.
8. Greenfield, 1793.
9. Providence, 1796.
10. Northumberland, 1798.
18. Day, 1819.
19. Saratoga Springs, 1819.
20. Clifton-park, 1828.
Mountains. m. Palmertown Mountains. EE. Kayaderosseras.
Rivers. C. Hudson River. F. Mohawk. a. Sacandaga. c. Kaya- derosseras or Fish Creek.
Falls. b. Cohoes. k. Hadley. n. Glens. o. Bakers.
Lakes. f. Saratoga. g. Round. h. Long. i. Owl.
Battle Fields. Bemis' Heights. Schuylerville.
Villages. BALLSTON SPA. Saratoga Springs. Waterford. Schuy- lerville. Mechanicsville.
BOUNDARIES. North by Warren county; East by Hudson River ; South by Albany and Schenectady ; and West by Mont- gomery, Fulton, and Hamilton counties.
SURFACE. The surface of this county is much diversified and may be divided into mountainous, hilly, and plain lands. The Palmertown mountains enter the county a few miles west of Glen's Falls, and sink to its general level near Saratoga Springs. The Kayaderosseras range crosses the northwestern corner, and is broken through, in the town of Day, by the Sacandaga river. South of that town, a lateral spur, extending in a south- erly direction, unites with Flint Hill of Schenectady county. The hilly portion lies east of the mountains, while the level em- braces the eastern and southeastern sections of the county.
RIVERS. The Hudson is the main river, forming its eastern and a large portion of its northern boundary line. It receives in its course, from this county, the Sacandaga, Fish creek, and the Mohawk river which waters it on the south.
FALLS. The " Great Falls" of the Hudson are formed by the Palmertown mountains crossing this river in the town of Co- rinth. After a rapid of a mile and a descent of thirty feet, the river has a perpendicular fall of thirty feet more. There is a remarkable sluice 120 yards above, twelve yards long and four wide, through which the great body of the water flows with great velocity. Parts of Glen's, Baker's, and Cohoes falls are also in this county, particular descriptions of which are given under Warren and Albany counties.
LAKES. Saratoga lake, at the junction of the towns of Malta,
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4. Stillwater, 178S.
5. Charlton, 1792.
6. Galway, 1792.
11. Edinburgh, 1801.
12. Hadley, 1801.
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Stillwater, Saratoga and Saratoga Springs, is nine miles long and three wide.
The shore immediately around the lake is marshy, rendering it inaccessible except in a few plic s; the country back rises into lofty ridges and forms a vast an phitheatre ( f pictures que and cultivated landscape. The fine fish which inhabit its waters, and the game that frequent its banks, are objects of much attrac- tion to the spor sman. The visito 's to the neighboring springs often resort her , and find ample accommodations at the public houses on the western shore. A steamboat plies its waters.
Snake Hill projects into the lake from the east, and rises 200 feet above i & su f' ce.
Round lake, four miles in circumference, Long lake, in the town of Ballstown, five miles long and one wide, (a beautiful sheet of water, abundantly supplied with fish,) and Owl lake, are the other lakes worthy of notice.
The Champlain canal runs through the eastern border of the county.
CLIMATE. The county is subject to extremes of heat and cold. The sandy nature of the soil, in the eastern and southern sections, renders the heat of summer intense, while its location at the junction of the Mohawk and Hudson valleys, causes the cold of winter to be equally severe. It is however considered healthy. The principal diseases are of a pulmonary nature.
GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. This county comprises primitive, transition, and alluvial formations, and affords to the geologist a rare field of observation and interest. The mountains are primitive in their formation, consisting principally of gneiss, granite, and hypersthene. Fragments of these rocks, corres- ponding with those in place, in the form of boulders and peb- bles, are scattered over the whole county. The transition for- mation borders the primitive, upon the east and south, and ap- pears in the valley between the great mountain ridges. It con- sists of pudding stone, sandstone, limestone, argillaceous and graywacke slate, and graywacke. The argillaceous slate, a fragile and crumbling rock, underlies the greater part of the county not included in the primitive region.
At the southern termination of Palmertown mountains, two miles north of Saratoga Springs, occurs a bed of oolitic lime- stone, extending across the valley which separates the Palmer- town from the Kayaderosseras mountains. It is the only known locality of this formation in the state.
The diluvial and alluvial deposites include the pine plains, ex- tending from the northern to the southern limits of the county. They also cover the transition formation, and border the streams. They consist of sand, clay, marl, and rounded fragments of
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stone, and in many portions of the county are deposited to an unknown depth.
Bog iron ore, magnesia, chrysoberyi, granite, tourmaline, mica, feldspar, apa- tite, and graphite or black lead, are the principal minerals.
But the most remarkable of the mineral productions of this county, are its springs. These are principally acidulous, saline and chalybeate ; there are however a few sulphurous waters There are fifty or sixty of the acidulated mineral springs. They are quite uniform in their temperature, being generally about 50º Fahrenheit. Their composition is also very similar. They contain carbonic acid, and atmospheric air, from thirty- five to forty cubic inches to the pint of water ; and from thirty- five to seventy-five grains of solid matter, consisting of chloride of sodium, (common salt,) carbonates of soda, magnesia, lime, and iron, and generally iodine and bromine in minute quantities. One or two of the springs contain but slight traces of iron, and iodine in larger quantities.
The principal springs are the Congress, Washington, Put- nam's, the Pavilion, Iodine, and Union springs at Saratoga; the Public Well, the New Washington, and the Park springs at Ballston Spa. The analysis of several is subjoined .*
* The following is an analysis of one gallon (two hundred and thirty-one cubic Inches,) of water from the following springs.
CONGRESS SPRING.
Grains:
Chloride of sodium
363.829
Carbonate of soda
7.200
lime
86.143
"
magnesia
78.621
iron
.841
Sulphate of soda
.651
lodide of sodium
5.920
Stlica .
.472
Alamine
. . 321
Total grains
543.998
Carbonic acid gas
284.65
Atmospheric air
5.41
Gaseous contents
290.06
IODINE SPRING.
Chloride of sodium
137.
Carbonate of lime
26.
iron
1.
«
magnesia
soda
2
Hydriodate of soda, or Iodine
3.5
Total grains
244.5
Carbonic acid gas Atmospheric air
330.
Cubic inches
334.
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Bromide of potassium
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Their virtues were known to the Indians, but they carefully concealed them from the whites. In 1767, their affection for Sir William Johnson, who had been a long time ill, led them to communicate them to him. They guided him to the High Rock spring, in the town of Saratoga Springs, and. the use of the mineral waters for a few weeks, completely restored his health.
In 1773, the first attempt was made to establish a house for the accommodation of visitors. It was unsuccessful. The fol- lewing year, one John Arnold established a rude tavern near the High Rock spring. He was succeeded by one Norton, who, during the Revolution, abandoned his tavern and joined the British army. After several changes, it passed into the hands of a Mr. Bryant, who must be regarded as the first permanent settler.
In 1783, General Schuyler opened a road to the High Rock spring* from Fish creek, and the succeeding year built a small frame house near that spring, where he spent five or six weeks every summer, during the remainder of his life.
VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil upon the mountainous portion is light and barren, and on the plains, excepting some alluvial bottoms, which are highly fertile, sandy and productive
PAVILION FOUNTAIN.
Grains.
Chloride of sodium
226.58
Carbonate of magnesia
62.50
lime
60.24
soda
4.70
Oxide of iron,
8.10
Iodide of sodium
2.75
Bromide of potassium
Silica
. . 62
Alumina
.25
Total grains
361.74
Carbonic acid gas
490.01
Atmospheric air
8.09
Total cubic inches
488.10
NEW WASHINGTON SPRING, AT BALLSTON SPA.
Grains.
Chloride of sodium -
89.83
Bi-carbonate of soda
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18.057
Bi-carbonate of magnesia
42.048
Carbonate of lime
41.51
Hydriodate of soda
0.7
Carbonate of iron
3.71
Bilex and alumina
1.25
Solid contents in one gallon
197.099
The gas which it emits in great abundance is pure carbonic acid, probably com- bined with a small quantity of atmospheric air.
. This High Rock spring is enclosed in a conical rock of tufa (lime) about four feet high and twenty-seven feet in circumference at its base. The water in this is weven feet eight inches in depth, and rises within two feet four inches of the top.
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of light crops. The timber of the uplands ie oak, hickory, and chestnut ; of the plains, maple, beech, ash, elm, white and yel- low pine.
PURSUITS. The people are mainly engaged in agriculture. and large quantities of grain are annually produced. Most of the improved lands are under a careful and profitable cultiva- tion.
Manufactures. These are chiefly confined to the southern section, yet they form an increasingly important interest. Flour, lumber, cotton and woollen goods, and iron, are the leading articles.
STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Oats, potatoes, corn, and butter. '
SCHOOLS. There were 216 public schools, taught on an aver- age eight months, during the year 1846, having in attendance 11,714 scholars, and paying their teachers $16,005. The num- ber of volumes in the district libraries is 25,532.
The number of private schools is forty-four, attended by 898 pupils. There are also four academies and one female seminary, with 208 students.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodist-, Baptists, Presbyte- rians, Episcopalians, Dutch Reformed, Congregationaliste, Friends, Unitarians, Universalists, and Roman Catholics. The number of churches of all denominations is ninety-six, of cler- gymen, eighty-nine.
HISTORY. The settlements in this county were made at a very early date.
Van Schaick's patent, comprising the town of Waterford and the adjacent country ; the Saratoga patent north of this, embra- cing a tract six miles square on the Hudson, and the Apple patent lying on the Mohawk and extending three miles back into the woods towards Ballston lake, were granted about the year 1700.
The patent of Kayaderosaeras, embracing nearly the whole of the county not previously conveyed, was granted in 1702, to a company of thirteen individuals, of whom David Schuyler and Robert Livingston were the most prominent.
The exact date of the first settlement on the other patents is uncertain; on the Kayaderosseras they were made as early as 1715.
In 1747, the Indians from Canada attacked the settlement at Fish Creek, now Schuylerville, burned the village, and killed thirty families. After the conquest of Canada, settlements were rapidly made, but confined, for some years, to the neigh- borhood of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers.
Much of the land in this county is still holden under the an- nual rent of fifteen or twenty cents per acre, payable to the
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successors of the company to whom the Kayaderosseras patent was granted.
This county is particularly distinguished for the events of General Burgoyne's campaign in 1777, and his surrender which took place within its limits. The general circumstances con- nected with this campaign have been already narrated; but a more particular notice of some of the events which transpired in this county may with propriety be introduced here.
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