USA > New York > Otsego County > History of Otsego County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 40
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98
Their only sleeping aecomino- dation they very cheerfully gave up to their clerical guest, and stretched themselves out on the floor before the kitchen fire. In the course of the night the wife awoke, and found that the weather had become mueh eolder, and it instantly occurred to her that the occupant of her bed might not have a sufficient quantity of clothing over him. Her eon- eern for his comfort led her to arise, and go silently into his room, and spread upon his bed a part of her own very simple wardrobe. But such a thing was not to be done by a woman and yet escape the observation of such a woman-hater. No gooner had the offense been committed than her guest arose, dressed himself, made his way out of the house to the stable, saddled his horse, and rode off."
This eccentric man died in the town of Clermont, Colum- bia Co., N. Y., on July 12. 1796, as the following extract shows, from a letter to Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, from R. R. Livingston, bearing date " Clermont, 18th July, 1796."
"SIR,-It is proper that I should inform you that on Wednesday last the Rev. Mr. Hartwig landed here from a sloop going to Albany, being, as he said, fatigued with the sloop. He remained at my mother's till Sunday noon,
when, without any previous indisposition other than the asthma, after conversing much at his case with me for an hour, he died, without pain, and perfectly in his senses." In J. Fenimore Cooper's " Chronicles of Cooperstown." page 11, it is erroneously stated that he committed suicide with a razor, in June, 1800. He was buried under the pulpit of Ebenezer church in the city of Albany.
He bequeathed lands for the purpose of founding a Lutheran theological seminary, and upon the proceeds arising from the sale of the lands " Hartwick seminary" was established, which is the oldest Lutheran theological seminary in the United States.
By the first codicil attached to his will he gives all the lands in Hartwick, Otsego County, not disposed of by him. or which were not granted away by his attorney before the revocation of his power, to be laid out into a regular town, closely built, to be ealled the NEW JERUSALEM, with buil !- ings and a hall for a gymnasium, which he entitles a Gym- nasium Evangelicum Ministeriale pro propagatione Evan- gelica Christianx religionis inter Gentiles; and also devises one hundred aeres to be laid out for a glebe of an Evan- gelieal minister, who is to be ealled and appointed by the faculty.
Prominent among those sturdy pioneers who, at the close of the Revolution, left the comforts of an eastern home and sought an abode in the wilds of " Tryon county" was Nathan Davidson, who came from Massachusetts, and located in this town in about the year 1780. He was accompanied to his prospective home by his wife, and they came down the lake from Springfield on the iee. It was late in the spring, and the iee was covered with water, which rendered the journey, to one unaceustomed to the lakes, not at all pleasing. As he approached the shore, and at last found himself safely on terra firma, easting a backward glance, he exclaimed, " You'll never eateh me on that ice again." At this time there was but oue small house on the site of Cooperstown.
As an incident of those early days, illustrating the incon- veniences and hardships encountered by the pioneers, it is related that at one time he journeyed to Schenectady to pro- cure a bushel of potatoes, and brought them home on horse- baek. The potatoes were used for food, and the eyes were planted for seed. For many years the nearest grist-miil was at Cherry Valley. He was a blacksmith by trade, and during the Revolution assisted the colonial eause by shoeing the horses of the soldiery, making swords, ete. He wa- a useful man in the new settlement, working at his trade for the pioneers, who in turn assisted in clearing his land. The first clearing in this vicinity was made by John David- son, and he built the first frame barn in the town. He was an early justice of the peace, and one of the trustees of Hartwick seminary. He died in 1821, leaving a son and daughter. His son, Mr. Clark Davidson. was born here March 14, 1795. He was a prominent and useful citizen. and many years held the position of justice of the prace and postmaster. He died March 11, 1873, in the seventy- eighth year of his age. A son, William C., and a daughter. Catharine L., reside on the old homestead.
John Davidson, a brother of Nathan, came to the town in the following year, and located on an adjoining farm.
150
HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
O .. of the earliest settlers in the town was Lot Crosby, La aj Loin, who came from Rhode Island and purchased .. . hundred acres of land east of Hartwick village. Some ad the descendants are residents of the county.
A jimmer in the north part of the town was N. Lyon, ... Iwated prior to the year 1800.
J.orph Winsor, an honored pioneer, came into Hartwick Ir mu Rhode Island in about the year 1790, and settled on Ibc N. Lyou farm. The incident of purchase is related as ( J .: Mr. Winsor was passing the clearing made by 1 .... n. and in answer to the question if he would sell out, the latter replied, " Yes; I want to move away." The bargain was made, and for an axe and twelve shillings in money the land. was transferred to Mr. Winsor. He re- turned to Rhode Island, and two years after canie to the town and located on his purchase. He died at the age of righty-four years. Three children are residing in the town, viz. : Harris, at Hyde Park ; Isaae, at Portlandville; and Mix. Ada Field, in the vicinity of Toddsville.
The N. Lyon mentioned above, after disposing of his " Ix tterments" to Mr. Winsor, concluded to remove to the wintheru part of the county, and accordingly employed a man to move his household goods, and wife, baby, and a pig as far as lie could go in one day and return. Near night, having. as he thought, gone far enough, he unloaded the goods at the foot of a hemlock-tree, and returned to the settlement. Mr. Lyon made a rude shelter for the wife and baby, and after tying the pig to a tree started off through the wood in search of another team to take him to hi- destination. It is a well-known fact that Bruin ever had a great propensity for making a meal on the " porkers ;" and, when hearing the noise of the pig in the woods, he hastened to the spot and at once made an effort to capture it. Mrs. Lyon, upon seeing his majesty approach, seized a fire-brand and, by waving it in front of him, succeeded in koping himu from his prey. The bear remained during the night, and as daylight appeared retired into the forest.
Two worthy pioneers of Hartwick were William and Na- than Field, who emigrated from Rhode Island in 1787 and x-tiled on lands about one mile northeast of Hartwick vil- lage. After selecting their land they returned to Rhode I-land and married. and immediately thereafter started for their abode in the forest. Here they erected rude cabins, and christened them with the endearing title of HOME.
" Our forest life was rough and rude, And dangers closed us round : But here, amid the green old trees, A home we sought and fomul. Oft through our dwelling wintry blasts Would rush with shrick and moan : We cared not-though they were but frail, We felt they were our own !"
William Field's family consisted of seven children,-three w.h- and four daughters. Elisha, aged seventy-eight, and William, aged sixty seven, are living in the vicinity, and a Laughter, Mrs. Murdock. in Cooperstown. Mr. Field died nod seventy-seven years. Of Nathan's family none are hving. Mr. Elisha Field, mentioned above, has in his pos- .- jim a dog collar which was plowed up on his father's form in about 1856, which bears the following inscription :
lony SLATER HIS Dog AtBAxy MARCH 27 1757
It is supposed that the dog was stolen by the Indians. or that he was lost while hunting with his master through this locality.
Jerry Potter, a soldier of the Revolution, cmigrated to Hartwiek at the close of the Revolution, and soon after re- moved to this town, locating near Hartwick village. Seven children reside in the county, viz. : Irving Potter, in Har :- wiek village ; a daughter, Mrs. A. E. Beaman, in Oneonta : another daughter, Mrs. Dorinda Boland, adjoining the obl farm ; and the following sous on the homestead : Alfred T., William H. H., Isaac L., and Asel W.
Jedediah Ashcraft was an early settler. He came from Connecticut with his wife and children, in 1796. and lo- cated on lands near the central part of the town. His sons settled ou farms in the vicinity. Jedediah, a grandson. survives.
Joseph Marsh, of honored memory, came with his wife from Connectieut in 1807 and located in New Lisbon, and in 1821 moved to Hartwick village. He died on the farm north of the village now owned aud occupied by Mr. H. K. Marsh, who was born in 1809.
Another pioneer was Nicholas Steere, who. with a wife and one son, emigrated from Rhode Island and settled in Hartwick in about 1794. He purchased land on the Cooper patent about three miles northeast from Hartwick village. His son, Ira Steere, grew to manhood here. mar- ried, and had a family of six children, -- three sons and three daughters,-all of whom are living, viz. : Mrs. Martha Perry. resides in the village of Morris; Mrs. Hosea Winsor. in the town of Hartwick ; Mrs. Minerva Jarvis, at Hartwick seminary ; Delos, on his father's farm ; Elizur, on the farm occupied by his grandfather ; and Schuyler, in New Or- leans.
A sturdy pioncer from Rhode Island was Elijah How- kins, who, accompanied by a brother, Rufus, settled in 1790 on a farm about three miles northeast of Hartwick village. In 1793 he sold this farm to Amos Winsor. who had just arrived from Rhode Island, with his wife and children. The old homestead is now owned and occupied by Hosca Winsor, son of John and grandson of Aus s Winsor. Nathan Winsor, son of Russell and grandson of Amos Winsor, resides in Toddville.
Noah Eddy, a soldier of the Revolution, settled in this town at the close of the war, on a farm about three miss west of Toddville. Some of his descendants are residents of the county.
Benjamin and Nicholas Camp were soldiers in the Rer- olutionary war, and soon after located in Hartwick. Bea- jamin died in 1863, aged nearly one hundred years.
A prominent pioncer, and Hartwick's first supervis.r. was Philip Wells, who came from Foster, Rhode Han.l. He was accompanied by two brothers. Jo-haa and John. and by a man named Rhodes Fry. They settled on Ler's abont one mile east of the village. He died in I-12. A grandson, William Burlingham, now owns a portion of . old homestead. John and James, sous of Philip. W. .. were in the war of IS12. and both participated in the Last of Queenstown, where the former was wounded.
Hopkins Burlingham, wife, and eldest daughter w pioneers from Connecticut, and settled southeast from the
160
HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
village. Orman and William Burlingham, sons of Wil- liam, and grandsous of Hopkins Burlingham, reside in the village.
Calvin Goodrich, a prominent pioneer from Sharon, Connectient, came into the county in an early day and located in this town. His family consisted of four sons and five daughters. A son, Channeey Goodrich, born in 1806, is a prominent resident of Milford village, where he has lived thirty years, during which time he has held the office of postmaster seventeen years, and justice of the peace two ternis.
Isaac Bissell, a commissary in the war of the Revolu- tion, settled in this town in 1793, in the Bow Hill district. He died in 1824, aged seventy-seven years.
A prominent pioneer was Deacon Ziba Newland, who came from Norton. Massachusetts, and settled in what is now South Hartwick, in about the year 1792, then twenty- four years of age. Deacon Newland was a nail-maker by trade, and soon after locating set up a shop and forge, which business he followed in connection with farming. He married Lucy Henry, and had a family of nine children. A grandson, Henry Newland, resides in Otego village.
A prominent pioneer was Amasa Peters, from Connee- ticut, who settled on the present site of the village in 1796. He had a family of two sons and six daughters. One daughter, Mrs. Torrey J. Luce, resides in the village, on a portion of the old farm.
Among the earliest settlers in the county was Uriah Luce, who came from Rhode Island, and located near the lake in Otsego. A son, Uriah Luce, Jr., was sheriff in 1798. Torrey J. Luce, a son of John Inee and grandson of Uriah, was born in Cooperstown in 1798, and became a resident of this town in 1837; was a merchant and justice of the peace. Rufus P., a merchant, and the present supervisor of the town, and Henry J., sons of John Luce, are residents of the village. Stephen Ingalls was a pioneer in this town. He came from Cheshire, Mass., in about the year 1780. A son, Samuel M., was member of assembly in 1823.
Among other early settlers were David Mathewson, Abner Alger, John Davison, Joseph Skiff. Mical Robinson, Josiah Maples, Abner Adams, John Webb, Eliphalet Dewey, Perez Bradford, Thomas Johnson, Joel Holbrook, Edward Dowd, Renben Bernard, Jeremiah Hopkins, Isaac Carr, Josiah Burgam, Joseph Clark, Squire Inther, Isaac Hedges, Ichabod Perkins, Joshua Hinman, Thomas Green, Jacob Allen, Nehemiah Burch, Daniel Murdock, Thomas Hall, Jr., David Cole, Benjamin Bissell, Joseph Ashcraft, Isaae Barnes, Jeremiah Rumsey, James Gray, A. Crosby, Joseph Porter, Lewis Adams, Moses Barnes, William Hughes, Stephen Reynolds, Hibbard Fuller, Asahel Whipple, Daniel Green, Sammel Carr, Rhodes Fry, Edmund Skiff, Peter Kendal, John Webb, Moses Bowing, Hibbard Pride, Thomas Cully, Joshua Monroe, Amasa Mudge, Ezekiel Jacobs, David Fisk, Jonathan Runyon. Aaron Rice, Alfred Haselip, Edward Bean, Jr., Dudley Loomis, Alford Hop- kins, Isaac Barnes, William Campton, John Comstock.
In about the year 1866, while workmen were engaged in clearing a piece of land south of the village, they removed a stump five feet in diameter, under which, and intertwined by its roots, was found a stone hearth or fireplace, upon
which the brands or coals were still lying. They also found a number of stone arrow-heads. In counting the grains of the stump it was estimated to be eight hundred and fifty years old.
HARTWICK VILLAGE
is located in the northwestern part of the town, in a beau- tiful valley through which flows the Otego ereck. The present (1877) business interests are represented as follows : general stores, Eldred & Ball, L. R. Sergent, F. II. Robin- son ; dry-goods, groceries, and drugs, Luce Brothers ; hard- ware, Robinson & Butler; grist-, saw-, shingle-, and planing- mills, Cassius Maples; foundry, ete., P. G. Williams. Three blacksmith-shops, two jewelers, two shoe-shops, two harness- shops, three inilliners, and three cooper-shops.
SOUTH HARTWICK
in the southwestern part, Hartwick Seminary and Hyde Park in the eastern, and Toddsville in the northwest parts, are pleasant hamlets.
CLINTONVILLE
is a small hamlet in the southeastern part, on the Susque- hanna. Here are located the Clinton cotton-mills, which were ereeted by Mr. Cockett in about the year 1815. The mills are now owned and operated by Mrs. William M. Clinton.
THE FIRST TOWN-MEETING
was held in 1802, at the house of Joseph Lippitt. The first town-meeting of which any record exists on the town books was held March 6, 1804, at the house of Stephen Holden, and the following officers were chosen, viz. :
Supervisor .- Philip Wells.
Town Clerk .- Rufus Steere.
Assessors .- David Mathewson, Abner Alger, and John Davidson.
Collector .- Joseph Skiff.
Poormasters .- Micah Robinson and Josiah Maples.
Commissioners of Highways .- Abner Adams, John Webb, and Eliphalet Dewey.
Constables .- Perez Bradford, Thomas Johnson, Joseph Skiff, and Joel Holbrook.
Poundmasters (cach man's barn-yard a pound) .- Ed- ward Dowd, Hopkins Burlingham, Nathan Davidson, and Reuben Bernard.
Pathmasters and Fence Viewers .- Jeremiah Hopkins, Nathan Davidson, Isaae Carr, Josiah Burgham, Jos. Clark, Square Luthm, Isaac Hedges, Ichabod Perkins, Amos Winsor, Joshua Himman, Thomas Greene, Jacob Allen, Simeon Ingalls, Nehemiah Burch, Daniel Murdock, Thos. Hall, Jr., Charles Alger, James Brownell, Edward Barr, Jr., Renben Barnard, David Cole, Benjamin Bissell, Jos. Ashcroft, Isaac Barnes, Jeremiah Rumsey, JJames Gray, Royal Crosby, Joseph Porter. Lewis Adams, Thos. John- son, Philip Wells, Moves Barnes, William Hughes, Joseph Winsor, Stephen Reynolds, Hebbard Fuller, Asahel Whip- ple, Daniel Green, and Samuel Carr.
At a meeting hell March 5, 1805, it was
Resolved, That the now present Town of Hartwick shall be to their equal expence by a town tax towards Prosecuting to obtain a doua. tion from the Executors & curators of the late Reverend John C.
ItUn
HARVEY MAPLES.
MRS. HANNAH MAPLES.
HARVEY MAPLES.
Among the old men now living in the town of Hartwick, there is none more worthy of having his life record placed upon the imperishable page of history than the subject of this sketch. He was born in the town Feb. 2, 1807, being the son of David and Lois Maples, they having emigrated from Connecticut and settled in this town about the year 1-00. Like other pioneers, he struggled with the in- conveniences, trials, and hardships incident to the settle- ment of a new country, but he has lived to see cultivated fiells take the place of the forest, swamps and marshes Changed to fertile meadows, and the beautiful farm-house, with its modern conveniences, take the place of the rude log cabin, and villages grow up around him with their story, mills, churches, schools, and comfortable residences. His early life was replete with hardship and toil; his educa- tion much neglected; but during his life he has complied
faithfully with the scriptural injunetion of " Whatsoever your hands findeth to do, do it with your might." At the age of twenty-eight he was married to Hannah, daughter of Seth Robinson, the ceremony taking place Feb. 1, 1835. Her parents were originally from the New England States, and early settlers of the town of Hartwick, where she was born April 10, 1815. Their family consists of only two daughters, Lucinda, who was born March 5, 1836, and was married to Edwin A. Wells, March 26, 1856, and Mary Jane, born Jan. 27, 1838. Mr. Maples has been very successful in business, and by industry and frugality enjoys a well- earned competeney. He always voted the Republican ticket. Not being a member of any church he has given largely of his means for the support of the various churches in the town. His wife is an active member of the Christian church of llartwick.
161
HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Nemwwl. deerased. And the now present town of llartwick to bo et ab : trueh:ed by the profits that shall arise therefrom.
s .. + +++.1. The now present Town of llartwick raise by a Towu tax w . San Irel & fifty dollars to enable a committee to proscente against the l'aventure and curators of the late Rev. John C. Hartwick.
fatevi, That Michaiah Robinson, Stukely Ellsworth, Thomas line . be a Committee to carry into effect the above resolves.
At a special town-meeting legally warned at the house of Stephen 28-Stens on Saturday the 17th day of August 1805, Nathan Davison, · Laitman,
Hrareed, That the town will proscente the business against the Fueralor of the Estate of the late Reverend John Christopher Ilart- . .... deceased.
Melred, That the town will raise the sum of one hundred and sny dollars in addition to what was voted to be raised at the last Manual town-meeting for carrying the above resolve into effect.
Krosleed, That llenry Baker be a witness to see the inhabitants ".gn a power of attorney to authorize the Com'ttee to prosecute agreeable to the foregoing resolves.
RUFUS STEERE, Town Clerk.
The following is a list of the supervisors and town clerks frut 1804 to 1878 :
Supervisors. Philip Wells.
Town Clerks. Rufus Steere. "
1 -05 ...
1 ........
Stukely Elsworth. " ¥
1.1;
1-08
1-09
1-10.
66
66
1-11
66
66
1~12
1,13 ...
1-14
Stukely Elsworth.
Isaac Bureh.
1-15.
IS16.
1~17
1>19.
1-20
66
1522
1-23.
66
66
1-25
Isaac Bureh.
Chester Wright.
66
1-27.
66
1-22
16
1-20
66
1450
66
66
1-32
" Samuel Todd. Chester Wright.
Paris Pray. Robert W. Church.
1-35 Henry Baker.
66
Harkins Smith. ..
.€
1-40
Rufus S. Peters. 1-42 John Diefendorff. " 1-14 ..
=
Chester S. Harrington.
Wm. G. Parce.
1820 .2579
1835
1825 2626
1:60
1830 .2772 1865
2586 1835
1850
.2 190 1810.
1875
CHAPTER XLIL.
TOWN OF HARTWICK-Continued.
1-5 ;.. Shetlield Harrington.
James Steere.
Ephraim Swartwout.
Theron E. Bissell.
Frederick Wilcox.
Henry A. Almy.
Jame, 11. Barney.
A. W. Stearns.
James Browuell. Adelbert Wells. Albert Fields.
Supervisors.
Town Clerks.
1869
James S. Perkins.
1870
..
18,1
Eben M. Temple.
Dolphus S. Luce.
1872
1873 Solomon L. Robinson.
Gen. E. Lewis.
1874
llenry D. Robinson.
1875
Nathan B. Harrington.
The present (1877) town officers are as follows :
Supervisor .- Rufus P. Luee. Town Clerk .- Henry K. Ball.
Assessor .- Win. II. Shore.
Commissioner of Highways .- John M. Houck.
Overseers of the Poor .- Perry Barton, John T. Wilson. Collector .- John W. Beekley.
Constables .- Robert B. Brownell, James K. Harring- ton, Robert W. Gardner, M. H. Mereer, Abner Dean.
AGRICULTURAL AND GENERAL STATISTICS.
In 1865 there were 19,525 aeres of improved land ia Hartwiek, and the eash value of farms was $1,039,106. There were 3635 aeres of land plowed ; in pasture, SIIS; in meadow, 6252; tons of hay, 5117 ; bushels of spring wheat, 576; of winter wheat, 909; bushels of oats. 25 .- 622; bushels of winter rye, 471; bushels of barley, 1494; bushels of buckwheat, 2616; bushels of corn, 11,527; bushels of potatoes, 26,162 ; bushels of peas, 220 ; bushels of beans, 210; bushels of turnips, 1174; bushels of flux- sced, 113 ; pounds of hops, 166,643 ; bushels of apples. 32,484; barrels of eider, 905; pounds of maple sugur. 25,208; pounds of butter, 140,271; pounds of cheese. 136,686.
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS, 1875.
Acres plowed, 3808; in pasture, 8289; mown, 7376; tons of hay produced, 8428 ; bushels of barley, 424; buck- wheat, 4354; eorn, 16,572 ; oats, 50,149 ; rye, 25 ; spring wheat, 624; winter wheat, 602; beans, 70; peas, 205 ; pounds of hops, 76,696 ; potatoes, 43,428 bushels ; p.un.is of butter made, 200,990; cheese, 1965; pork made on farms, 121,85 4 pounds.
Hartwiek has an area of 25,980 aeres, and its as ---- d valuation is $472,725, and its equalized valuation. 8545 .- 580.
POPULATION. 1815
1810 .2002
1814.
2107 1850
Thos. MeIntosh, Jr.
Jarvis Caulkins. .. ..
1.15 1-19.
Thos. MeIntosh. Thos. MeIntosh, Jr.
Chester S. Harrington. ..
1-31.
66 1.59
Edwd. 31. Card. Chauncey T. Smith. ..
1-33 Edward J. Alny.
1.01. Wir. Davison.
Thos. MeIntosh.
.6 66
Thus. Purce. Edwin A. Bissell. .. .. Delos W. Merrell.
Ephraim Swartwout. .4
Win. C. Davison. .
1-67
16
=
66
1-21
1:26.
1:33
1.34
1-36
IN33
Laban Mathewson. Elisha Eldred.
Laban Mathewson.
Laban Mathewson. =
George Clark.
66
I .. J. Luce.
Prentis Brown.
Peter S. Smith.
Churches-Lodges-Hartwick Seminary. THE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF HARTWICK SEMINARY.
REV. JOHN C. HARTWICK, the founder of Hartwich ~ ad- nary, was the pioneer preacher of the gospel in that 1 :- tion of New York State which is now known as this : County. Mr. Hartwick was a native of the dukeins 0:
66
66
"
1876
Eben M. Temple. ..
Elisha Robinson. Orrin Fitch.
162
HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Saxe-Gotlia, in the province of Thuringia, in Germany ; and, according to his own account of himself, was " sent hither, a missionary preacher of the gospel, upon petition and call of some Palatine congregations in the counties of Albany and Dutchess."
The precise date of his arrival in this country is not given. He was born Jan. 4, 1714, and, it is presumed, began his active life here as soon as he was able after his studies were completed. The first few years of his labors were divided between New York, Pennsylvania, New Jer- sey, Virginia, Maryland, and New England; and his rest- less spirit seemed to have no settled purpose, save the preaching of the gospel, until about the year 1750, when he bought from the Mohawk Indians a tract of land contain- ing about thirty-six square miles. For this he paid £100; though, from some defect in the transaction, he never re- alized any benefit from this purchase. This tract was situ- ated on the south side of the Mohawk river, and extended towards Schoharie and Cherry Valley.
Mr. Hartwick, however, was not discouraged by this failure ; and, as the sequel shows, did not give up the in- tention of becoming an extensive land-owner. Four years later, in 1754, he obtained a deed for the tract which in- cludes the present town of Hartwick, Otsego Co., N. Y. . For this he also paid £100. It is not worth our while to discuss his motives in making these purchases ; his version of the matter is that he wished to colonize the tract, to preach the gospel to the savages, and by education and re- ligion to raise up barriers against the encroachments of tyranny and infidelity. This we know, that at his death he left all his worldly effects for the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom. From the proceeds of the sale of the estate was established the institution which still bears his honored name. It is our purpose to notice only such events as pertain to the preaching of the gospel here ; the facts in connection with the establishment and progress of the seminary may be found on another page of this work.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.