USA > New York > Herkimer County > History of Herkimer county, New York > Part 10
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107
THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD.
Battery A of the First Light Artillery was raised in Herkimer county, and was accepted for the service October 9, 1861. It went into camp for artillery instruction at Camp Barry, Washington. On the 22d of March, 1862, the battery was attached to General Casey's Division, Fourth Corps, which embarked at Alexandria April 1, 1862, and landed at Newport News. The battery was engaged in the siege of Yorktown, and on the 3Ist of May took part in the battle of Fair Oaks, in which it had 100 horses killed and the entire battery was captured by the enemy. The company was greatly reduced, and in June, 1862, Captain Bates was authorized to recruit a new company under the old organiza- tion, while the remaining members of the old company were attached to Battery H, Fifth New York Artillery, and to the Seventh and Eighth New York batteries. The new battery was stationed at Camp Barry until July, 1863, after which until it was mustered out it was employed in Pennsylvania and on the border to prevent raids into that State.
Company K of the Second New York Artillery was chiefly raised in Herkimer county, mostly in and near Frankfort. Pliny L. Joslin, of Frankfort, was the first captain ; Charles Howell, first lieutenant, and Joseph C. Tillinghast, second lieutenant ; James Hares, first sergeant ; Theodore S. Crosby, second sergeant; Charles Horton, Eliakim F. Howell, Loren True and James H. Parks, sergeants; Peter W. Gloo, Vernam W. Harvey, James Dodge, Harvey Rogers, Charles Rathbun, Andrew M. Lee, Francis A. Lewis, and Myron K. Ellsworth, cor- porals ; David Smalts, bugler ; Benjamin J. Ford, and Jacob J. Wright, blacksmiths ; John S. Lewis, wagoner, all of Frankfort. While forming this battery was stationed at Staten Island and, in the winter of 1861 went to Forth Worth, Va., where it remained until the summer of 1862. It then joined General Pope's command and participated in the second fight at Bull Run. After that it remained stationed at Fort Corcoran, Va., until May, 1864. The battery participated in the entire campaign of 1864, suffering loss at Spottsylvania, and sharing in many later en- gagements Its loss at Strawberry Plain was very severe and included seven commissioned officers in killed and wounded. On the Weldon Road and at Hatcher's Run the regiment was honorably engaged and during the winter of 1864-5 was in camp in front of Petersburg. During the campaign which closed the war the regiment saw the most active
108
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
service, after which it returned to Washington and in the fall was mus- tered out.
The Sixteenth Artillery was raised in this State and mustered into the service between September 28, 1863, and January 28, 1864. Her- kimer county contributed over one hundred men to its ranks, more than one half of whom were in Company F. The most severe work of this organization was in the trenches in front of Petersburg after Au- gust, 1864. It remained in the service until the close of the war and was mustered out August 21, 1865.
In Capt. John H. Fralick's company (M) of the Second Regiment of Rifles, were between thirty and forty Herkimer county men, with the following officers :
Captain, Jolın H. Fralick, Little Falls; first lieutenant, Eli Morse, Little Falls ; ser- geant, John A. Fralick, Danube; sergeant, Thomas Manion, Manheim; corporals, Paul J. Perry, William Hamilton, Edward A. Tryon, Patrick Marion, James Costello and Andrew Bang, Little Falls ; musician, William Fleming, Little Falls; teamsters, Jesse G. Clute and William A. Wheeler, Little Falls; farriers, Phillip Perry, Danube, and George F. Adams, Little Falls.
The regiment was organized at Buffalo for three years' service and was recruited between July, 1863, and February, 1864. The regiment left Fort Porter in March, 1864, for a camp near Washington. It par- ticipated in the battles of Spottsylvania, North Anna, Bethesda Church, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Weldon Road, Hatcher's Run, and shared in the pursuit of Lee to Appomattox. At Five Forks and Jetersville the regiment was engaged, but without severe loss. After the surrender the regiment returned to Petersburg and pending the negotiations be- tween Johnston and Sherman was ordered to North Carolina to rein- force Sherman. With Johnston's surrender the regiment returned to Petersburg and from there to Buckingham, Va., where it performed provost duty until August, 1865. It was mustered out at Buffalo on the 10th of that month. The regiment left home with 1,500 men and during its term was recruited with more than 300. It returned with between 700 and 800 men. In the service a little more than a year, the regiment took part in nineteen engagements.
The Eighteenth New York Cavalry, mustered into the service Feb- ruary 3, 1864, contained about twenty-five men from Herkimer county. Its term of service was comparatively short and hence it did not suffer
109
THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD.
very heavy losses. The Fourteenth Cavalry was consolidated with this regiment in June, 1864, and the force as thus constituted was in the service until May 31, 1865.
In this very brief sketch of the uprising in Herkimer county and its generous and noble support of the government in the great Civil War, we have not space for mention of the hundreds of heroic deeds done by her volunteers. In the great total of sacrifice in that struggle a single death, a single deed of heroism, the suffering of any individual, count for but little ; together they constitute the history of the greatest of modern wars.
The records show that this county was in the fore front of those com- prising the Empire State in its sacrifices for the good of the country.
A draft was anticipated in this county in the fall of 1862, but the offer of liberal bounties and the energy displayed in promoting enlistments avoided that alternative. Again in the spring and summer of 1863, it seemed as though no effort could raise the troops called for by the pres- ident ; and although the country was electrified by the splendid victories of the Union armies at Gettysburg, Vicksburg and elsewhere, it finally became apparent that a draft could not be avoided. The Twentieth district was composed of Jefferson, Lewis and Herkimer counties and the draft began in Jefferson county on the 25th of August, the proceed- ings taking place in Watertown. Drafting Herkimer county men began on the 27th, and the following table shows the enrollment and the num- ber drawn in each town :
Columbia
Enrollment, 225
Drawn,
64
Danube
16
165
=
46
Fairfield . .
201
=
56
Frankfort
356
103
German Flats
647
=
190
Herkimer
295
16
85
Litchfield
136
66
36
Little Falls
617
=
176
Manheim
213
60
Newport
81
21
Ohio
65
=
16
Russia
231
43
Salisbury
14
174
49
Stark
=
174
=
51
Warren
=
188
=
20
Wilmurt.
19
3
Winfield.
163
44
44
206
67
Norway
196
55
Schuyler
110
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
In the fall elections the State went Republican and the county also by about 1,000 majority.
A new enrollment was ordered late in 1863, and with the repeated calls for troops, bounties were increased and recruiting was pushed with energy. Under the call for 500,000 men a draft was ordered for March 10, leaving thirty-five days after the call in which to fill the various quotas. At that time the county had a credit of 363 enlistments. On the 14th of March another call for 200,000 men was issued and a draft for all deficiencies ordered for April 15, 1864. The draft did not take place until June 8, by which date the enlistments had progressed to such an extent that the deficiency throughout the county was very light. The following table gives the details of this, the last draft made in the county :
Quota under Two Calls. Credits. Deficiency. Excess.
Columbia
65
69
4
Danube
47
47
Fairfield
54
55
. .
Frankfort
100
100
German Flats
188
132
56
Ilerkimer
90
92
2
Litchfield
41
38
3
Little Falls
176
176
Manheim
61
44
17
Newport
60
53
7
Norway
25
18
7
Ohio
24
16
8
Russia
88
44
24
Salisbury
59
48
Schuyler
51
52
..
1
Stark
52
18
1
Warren
58
57
i
Wilmurt.
6
6
Winfield
46
53
7
Another call for 500,000 volunteers was made July 18, 1864, to be followed by a draft September 5. Russia was the first town in this county to fill her quota under this call, and through the payment of enormous bounties and the utmost activity and perseverance of the loyal people, the quota was filled. In spite of these repeated calls and the opposition of those who had already declared the war unnecessary and
111
THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD.
a failure, the fall elections went strongly for the Union, while troops came forward with alacrity to the succeeding calls of the president, and in the spring of 1865 the people of the county had the extreme satis- faction of joining in the grand demonstrations that were made all over the North upon the surrender of the Southern armies.
There is little further to add to the general history of the county that is not given in detail in following chapters and in the histories of the various towns. It is nearly thirty years since the close of the war and almost the whole of that period has witnessed a steady growth in Herki- mer county, in population and general prosperity. This is particularly true of the increase of manufactures, which are fully described in the histories of the towns. At the same time agricultural interests, depend- ing largely upon dairying interests, have been far more prosperous than in many other localities. The opening of the West Shore Railroad in 1883, though holding out considerable promise of benefit, can scarcely be said to have fulfilled public expectations ; but the same statement applies to its entire line. The building of the Adirondack and St Law- rence road and the one extending from Little Falls to Dolgeville, both of which have been put in operation in 1892, cannot fail to be of im- portance to all of the towns north of the river. In short, it may be said that there are few of the interior counties of the State, especially among those that do not depend upon the progress of some large city, that has a brighter outlook than Herkimer.
In the year 1800 the population of Herkimer county was 16,332. The increase since that time as shown by the census reports is as follows : 1810, 24,742 ; 1820, 31,017; 1825, 33,040; 1830, 35,870; 1835, 36,201 ; 1840, 37,477 ; 1845, 37, 424; 1850; 38,244; 1855, 38,566; 1860, 40,561 ; 1865, 39, 154 ; 1870, 39,929 ; 1875, 41,586 ; 1880, 42,- 667 : 1890, 45,608.
The fluctuations of population in the various towns of the county since the census are shown in the following table :
1855
1860
1865
1870 1,637
1875 1,589
1,616
1,380
Danube
1,791
1,711
1,343
1,324
1,238
1,235
1,116
Fairfield
1,493
1,712
1,649
1,653
1,567
1,656
1,553
Frankfort
3,217
3,247
3,087
3,065
3,402
3,025
3,988
German Flats
3,855
3,940
5,074
5,718
7,371
6,746
7,255
Herkimer
2,866
2,804
2,922
2,949
3,322
3,593
4,666
1880
1890
Columbia
1,831
1,893
1,732
112
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
1855
1860
1865
1870
1875
1880
1890
Litchfield.
1,582
1,520
1,397
1,384
1,248
1,218
1,055
Little Falls
4,930
5,989
5,588
5,612
5,846
6,913
7,512
Manheim
1,672
1,868
1,831
2,000
2,173
2,42I
3,809
Newport
2,015
2,113
1,983
1,954
1,790
1,953
1,835
Norway
1,059
1,105
1,080
1,117
1,054
1,045
818
Ohio.
1,087
1,135
928
1,009
986
961
832
Russia
2,288
2,389
2,030
2,220
2,048
2,177
2,145
Salisbury
2,306
2,325
2,123
1,933
1,875
1,884
1,800
Schuyler
1,690
1,715
1,589
1,558
1,497
1,452
1,259
Stark
1,478
1,543
1.522
1,54I
1,395
1,476
1,248
Warren
1,741
1,812
1,611
1,503
1,461
1,430
1,339
Wilmurt
2,268
260
148
191
185
271
375
Winfield
1,397
1,480
1,517
1,561
1,539
1,597
1,665
State Senators,-The first constitution divided the State into four senate districts -- "Southern," " Middle," "Eastern," and " Western." Herkimer county, on its forma- tion, became a part of the last named, but was changed to the Eastern in 1815. An- drew Finck, jr., of Manheim, went from the Western district in 1784, and the next three years ; Michael Myers, of Herkimer, from 1796 to 1801, inclusive; John Meyer, of Herkimer, in 1802; Matthias B. Tallmadge, of Herkimer, in 1803, 1804 and 1805 ; Nathan Smith, of Fairfield, from 1806 to 1814; John 1. Prendergast, of Winfield, in 1815. The gentleman last named was a senator from the Eastern district in 1816, 1817 and 1818, and George Rosecrantz, of German Flats, in the next four years. The second constitution divided the State into eight senate districts, entitled to four sen- ators apiece. Herkimer county belonged to the fifth until May 23, 1836, when it was transferred to the fourth. Under the present constitution this county, with Mont- gomery, Fulton and Hamilton, at first formed the sixteenth district. In 1857 Herki- mer and Otsego were made the twentieth, to which, in 1879, Madison was added ; and in 1892 changed to Herkimer, Saratoga, Schenectady and Montgomery. The repre- sentatives of the district from Herkimer county under the second and third constitutions have been as follows: Sherman Wooster, of Newport, 1823-27 ; Nathaniel S. Benton, 1828-31; Edmund Varney, of Russia, 1842-45; Thomas Burch, Little Falls, 1848, 1849; George II. Fox, Mohawk, 1850, 1851; Frederick P. Bellinger, Herkimer, 1856, 1857 ; Addison H. Laflin, Herkimer, 1858, 1859; George A. Hardin, Little Falls, 1862, 1863 ; John B. Van Petten, Fairfield, 1868, 1869 ; Archibald C. McGowan, Frankfort. 1872-75; David P. Loomis, 1876, 1877; Samuel S. Edick, 1878, 1879.
Albert M. Mills received majority of votes in 1879; Titus Sheard, received majority of votes in 1889.
Members of Congress .- Herkimer county, when formed, became part of a congres- sional district containing, besides, Montgomery, Otsego, Tioga, Ontario, and part of Albany. In 1792 the part of Albany was taken off and Onondaga was added upon its formation. In 1797 Herkimer was put into the ninth district, with Montgomery, Oneida and Chenango. In 1802 it was joined with Oneida and St. Lawrence to form the fifteenth, to which, in 1804, Jefferson and Lewis were added. Oneida was taken off in 1808, and in 1812 the seventeenth district was formed from Herkimer and
113
THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD.
Madison. Ten years later, Herkimer alone became the fifteenth district. In 1832 Herkimer and Lewis became the sixteenth, and in 1842 Herkimer and Montgomery were made the seventeenth. In 1851 St. Lawrence took the place of Montgomery in this district. In 1862 Herkimer county, Jefferson and Lewis were constituted the twentieth district. In 1873 the same district was numbered the twenty-second, in 1883 changed to Herkimer, Otsego and Schoharie ; and in 1892 changed to Herkimer and Oneida, and now called the twenty-fifth. The members of the House of Repre- sentatives from Herkimer county in the several Congresses have been as follows:
VIIIth Congress (1803-5), Gaylord Griswold, Herkimer; XIth (1809-11), John Nicholson, Herkimer; XIVth (1815-17), Westel Willoughby, jr., Newport; XVth and XVIth (1817-21), Aaron Hackley, jr., Herkimer ; XVIIIth (1823-25), John Her- kimer ; XIXth-XXIId (1825-33), Michael Hoffman, Herkimer ; XXIIId and XXIVth, (1833-37), Abijah Mann, jr., Fairfield; XXVth (1837-39), Arphaxed Loomis, Little Falls; XXVIIIth and XXIXth (1843-47), Charles S. Benton, Mohawk; XXXth (1847-49), George Petrie, Little Falls; XXXIst (1848-51), Henry P. Alexander, Little Falls; XXXIId (1851-53), Alexander H. Buel, Fairfield ; XXXIVth- XXXVIth (1855-61), Francis E. Spinner, Mohawk; XXXIXth-XLIst (1865-71), Addison II. Laflin, Herkimer: Warner Miller, of Herkimer, received majority of votes in 1878, 1880.
County Clerks .-- Jonas Platt, February 17th, 1791; Joab Griswold, March 19th, 1798; Elihn Griswold, April 6th, 1804, and March 4th, 1811 ; Peter M. Myers, Febru- ary 28th, 1810, and February 23d, 1813 ; Aaron Hackley, jr., February 12th, 1812, and February 16th, 1815; Walter Fish, April 16th, 1817 ; John Mahon, February 13th, 182]; Jabez Fox, 1823; Abijah Beckwith, 1826; Julius C. Nelson, 1832; John Dygert, 1835; Edwin A. Munson, 1841; Standish Barry, 1847; Elkeuah T. Cleland, 1853; Cornelius T. E. Van Horne, 1856 ; Zenas Green, 1861; Donglass Ben- net, 1867 ; Edward Simms, 1878; Palmer M. Wood, 1880; Arthur T. Smith, 1886 ; Levi C. Smith, 1889; Nelson E. Ransom, 1892.
County Treasurers .-- Robert Ethridge, 1848 and 1866; Horatio W. Johnson, 1851 ; C. C. Witherstine, 1854; Allen W. Eaton, 1857 ; Floyd C. Shepard, 1863 ; Alphonzo D. Marshall, 1872 ; Albert Story, 1878; Caleb P. Miller, 1885 ; Sylvanus J. Waters, jr., 1888 ; Thomas Bailey, 1891.
Assemblymen .- The members of the Assembly from the territory of Herkimer county while it was part of Tryon were Michael Edic and Abraham Van Horne, elected in 1777 and 1778; George Henry Bell and Abraham Van Horne, elected in 1778-79 ; William Petry elected in 178], and 1782; and Andrew Frinck, elected in 1782. From Montgomery county Van Horne was a member in 1786; Henry Staring was elected in 1788, and Michael Myers in 1789-91. Since its organization Her- kimer county has been represented as follows: In 1792, 1793, Michael Myers; 1794, 1795, Jedediah Sanger; 1796, Jonas Platt; 1797, Isaac Brayton, Arthur Breese, Matthew Brown, jr., Lodowick Campbell, Gaylord Griswold, Joshua Leeland, Henry McNeil; 1798, Benjamin Bowen, Matthew Brown, jr., Lodowick Campbell, Isaac Foot, Gaylord Griswold, Henry McNeil, Nathan Smith; 1799, Lodowick Campbell, John Cummins, jr., Phineas Gates ; 1800, Thomas Manly, John Mills, John Meyer ;
15
114
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
1801, Nathan Smith, Evans Wharry, George Widrig; 1802, Nathan Smith, Samuel Merry, jr., George Widrig; 1803, Stephen Miller, George Widrig, Samuel Wright; 1804 and 1805, Evans Wharry, George Widrig, Samuel Wright; 1806, Eldlad Corbet, George Widrig, Samuel Wright; 1807, Jolm Kennedy, George Widrig, Samuel Wright; 1808 and 1809, Aaron Budlong, John M. Petrie, Westel Willoughby, jr. ; 1810, Christopher l'. Bellinger, Rudolph Devendorff, Thomas Manly ; 1811. Christo- pher P. Bellinger, Robert Burch, Hosea Nelson; 1812, Robert Burch, Rudolph 1. Shoemaker, Samuel Woodworth; 1813, John Graves, Hosea Nelson, Rudolph 1. Shoemaker; 1814, Christopher P. Bellinger, Jonas Cleland, Aaron Hackley, jr .; 1815. Jonas Cleland, Aaron Hackley, jr., John. McCombs; 1816, William D. Ford, Henry Hopkins, John McCombs; 1817, Abijah Beckwith, William D. Ford, George Rosecrantz; 1818, Nichol Fosdick, Aaron Hackley, jr., George Rosecrantz; 1819, Jonas Cleland, Nichol Fosdick, Henry Gros; 1820, Philo M. Hackley, Jacob Markell, James Orton ; 1821, Simeon Ford, Thomas Manly, Daniel Van Horne; 1822, Stephen Todd, Simeon Ford, Robert Shoemaker; 1823, Abijah Beckwith, John Dygert, Henry Tillinghast ; 1824, Christopher P. Bellinger, Caleb Budlong, John Graves; 1825, Samuel Dexter, jr., Warner Folts, Jacob Wire; 1826, Jonas Cleland, Nicholas Schuyler, Edmund Varney ; 1827, Frederick P. Bellinger, Daniel (. Henderson, Richard Smith, 2d; 1828, David R. Currier, Abijah Mann, jr., John P. Snell; 1829, John B. Dygert, Abijah Mann, jr., Cornelius Sloughter ; 1830, Frederick P. Bellinger, Russell Hopkins, Abijalı Mann, jr .; 1831, Atwater Cooke, jr., Olmstead Hough, Nicholas Lawyer ; 1832, William C. Crain, Daniel Dygert, David Thorp; 1833, Dudley Burwell, Joseph MI. Prendergast, Sherman Wooster; 1834, Augustus Beardslee, Timothy J. Campbell, Charles Dyer ; 1835, Charles Gray, Peter P. Murphy, Henry Tillinghast ; 1836, Stephen Ayers, Frederick Bellinger, Thomas Hawks; 1837, Henry L. Easton, Aaron Hackley ; 1838, Abijah Mann, jr., Volney Owen; 1839, Benjamin Carver, Atwater Cook, jr. ; 1840, Daniel Bellinger, George Burch; 1841 and 1842, Michael Iloffman, Arphaxed Loomis; 1843, Walter Booth, John T. Hall; 1844, Michael Hoffman, Peter H. Warren ; 1845, Alexander II. Buell, William C. Crain ; 1846, William C. Crain, Henry Eysaman ; 1847, Abijah Beckwith, Jefferson Tillinghast. (Herkimer county had now become two' districts, the first embracing all the towns wholly or partly north of the river, except Schuyler. The members from the first district will be mentioned first.) 1848, James Feeter, Little Falls; Lawrence L. Merry, Mohawk; 1849, Frederick P. Bellinger. Herkimer; Asa Wilcox, Newville; 1850, Asa Vickery, Ohio; Humphrey G. Root, Mohawk; 1851, John H. Wooster, Newport; Daniel Shall, Starkville ; 1852, Jolm IIoover, Clermont; Charles Delong, Richfield Springs; 1853, Arphaxed Loomis, Little Falls; John W. Beckwith, Cedarville; 1854, Gardner Hinkley, Wilmurt ; Dean Burgess, Winfield; 1855, Edmund G. Chapin, Little Falls; William Bridenbecker, Frankfort; 1856, Samuel Greene, Fairfield; Amos H. Prescott, Mohawk; 1857, Jolin II. Wooster, Newport ; Harris Lewis, Frankfort; 1858, William Coppernoll, Ohio; Harris Lewis, Frankfort ; 1859, Solomon Graves, Gravesville ; Lester Green, Dannbe ; 1860, Stephen R. Millington, Norway ; Irving Holcomb, Cedarville ; 1861, John Markell, Manheim Center ; Josiah Shull, Mohawk; 1862, Orson Moore, Russia ; George Springer, Stark- ville ; 1863, Griflin Sweet, Fairfield; Archibald C. McGowan, Frankfort; 1864, John
THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD.
H. Wooster, Newport; Ezra D. Beckwith, Cedarville; 1865, Ilenry Tillinghast, Nor- way; E. Bradley Lee, West Winfield; 1866, Stephen Turtelot, Herkimer ; Archibald C. McGowan, Frankfort; 1867 (the county having been made one district in 1866), Seth M. Richmond, Little Falls; 1868, Elisha W. Stannard, Springfield Center; 1869. Erasmus W. Day, West Schuyler; 1870 and 1871, Daniel A. Northrup, Salisbury Cen- ter ; 1872 and 1873, Eleazer C. Rice, Fairfield ; 1874 and 1875, Warner Miller, Herki- mer; 1876 and 1877, Myron A. McKee ; 1878 and 1879, Titus Sheard ; 1880 and 188], William D. Gorsline; 1882, Albert M. Ross; 1883, George W. Smith; 1885 and 1886, John M. Budlong; 1887 and 1888, P. H. McEvoy; 1889, Dewitt J. Mesick; 1890, John D. Henderson; 1891 and 1892, Henry H. Green.
Herkimer county was represented in the State convention of 1801, which fixed the number of senators and members of the Assembly, by George Rosecrantz, Matthias P. Tallmadge and Evans Wharry. The delegates to the constitutional convention of 1821 were Sanders Lansing, Richard Van Horne and Sherman Wooster. Michael Hoffman and Arphaxed Loomis represented the county in the constitutional conven- tion of 1846.
Lorenzo Caryl, of Little Falls, was appointed State assessor Jannary 28, 1870. X. A Willard, of Little Falls, was canal collector at that place from 1860 to 1862. Michael Hoffman was appointed canal com- misioner April 4, 1833, and William I. Skinner, of Little Falls, was elected to the same office November 8, 1859.
Ezra Graves, of Herkimer, was elected inspector of State prisons November 5, 1872.
· Nathan Smith, of Fairfield, was elected one of the regents of the uni- versity January 31, 1809.
Presidental electors have been chosen from this county as follows : In 1796, Peter Smith ; 1812, George Rosecrantz ; 1816, Nichol Fosdick ; 1828, Rufus Crain ; 1836, Henry Ellison ; 1840, Thomas Burch ; 1848, Asa Chatfield; 1852, William C. Crain ; 1860, Abijah Beckwith; 1878, H. H. Morgan.
116
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
CHAPTER VII.
HISTORY OF CHEESE DAIRYING IN HERKIMER COUNTY.1
B Y referring to the map of Herkimer county, it will be seen that at about half way between its northern and southern boundaries a part of Hamilton county breaks the regularity of the dividing line, advancing into Herkimer, forming an angle. From this angle, nearly all north (about one-half of the county) is a wilderness, covered for the most part with a dense forest. The soil here is light and poor, the climate cold, and when the land becomes divested of its timber, the snow, which here falls to a great depth and remains long on the ground, together with the early and late frosts, must render the land of little value compara- tively for agricultural purposes. This part of the county is the great lumber region, where parties are slowly making their way northward, felling the hemlock for its bark, and the spruce and cedar for flooring- plank, timber, boards and shingles. It is the southern part of Herkimer county with which we have to do ; for here lie her dairy lands, dotted with herds, the produce of which has rendered the county noted throughout the continent and in the markets of Europe.
The Mohawk River divides the southern portion of the county, and as we approach that stream from the angle made by Ilamilton county the general character of the climate and soil improves, the latter increas- ing more and more in its fertility.
The limited space allowed for this chapter will not permit us to treat of the various soils in the several towns, and we can only speak of that which is supposed to be a characteristic feature in rendering the lands of the county superior for dairy purposes.
The rock which underlies a large share of the lands in the towns north of the Mohawk is the Utica slate. It is of a dark color, of a soft or flaky nature, is found cropping out in numerous places, and when exposed to the atmosphere and frosts readily falls in pieces and is mingled with the soil. This rock contains considerable organic matter
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