USA > New York > Otsego County > Otsego County, New York; geographical and historical, from the earliest settlement to the present time, with county and township maps from origional drawings > Part 3
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
The surface is generally hilly. in the county are in this township, several points exceeding 2,000 feet in height. Among these is Mount Independence, three miles east of Cherry Valley village, and formerly regarded as the highest, but the New York State Survey has recently de- termined a higher point, namely, a hill two and one-fourth miles northwest of Center Valley on which a signal station of the survey has been established. This summit is 2,301 feet above tide, and is the highest known point in the county.
The waters of the central and southern part flow into the Susquehanna, while the northern part is drained by tributa- ries of the Mohawk. The soil is fertile, particularly in the val- leys, where are found many of the finest farms in the county.
The village of Cherry Valley is beautifully situated on Cherry Valley creek near the centre of the township, and is ro- mantically environed by hills. It was the first white settlement in the county, dating from a land grant made by the authorities of New York to John Lindesay and others in 1738, the settle- ment being made two years later. Its name was derived from the abundance of wild cherries that grew in the vicinity.
35
CHERRY VALLEY
The early history of this place is of unusual interest and importance. It has been given in part in connection with the general history of the county. The massacre of 1778 deso- lated the place. A few brave settlers remained under the pro- tection of the garrison, which was called away the next summer ; but a second surprise and massacre by the savages in the spring of 1780 (eight being killed and fourteen carried into captivity), caused the unfortunate settlement to be completely abandoned.
"It was indeed wiped out of existence, all that remained -the fort, the church, and every dwelling being burned, and thus the results of the labors of nearly forty years were de- stroyed and the valley returned into the undisputed possession of the beasts and the birds, and Cherry Valley, a few years be- fore the largest and most prominent of the frontier settlements of New York, was but a name."*
But with the return of peace the settlers who had sur- vived the horrors of war and massacre returned and sought their former homes, though they found only a wilderness, but the hardships they had endured fitted them for their new struggle. The village arose from its ruins and its builders were soon re-in- forced by the western tide of emigration of those days, and in a few years Cherry Valley was again the largest settlement south of the Mohawk.
1401479
In 1783 General Washington, accompanied by Gover- nor George Clinton and other distinguished men, being on an extended tour through the state, visited Cherry Valley. The party was entertained at the house of Col. Samuel Campbell. Judge William W. Campbell (a grandson of Samuel), in his "Annals of Tryon County," relates the following incident of this visit. Gov. Clinton. observing several stout boys, re- marked that they would make fine soldiers sometime. Mrs. Campbell replied that she hoped the country would never need their services. "I hope so, too, Madam," said Washington, "for I have seen enough of war."
Cherry Valley has been the birthplace or residence of some distinguished men, among whom are the following:
Col. Samuel Campbell, a distinguished patriot of the Rev- olution and one of the heroes of the battle of Oriskany, where he took the chief command after Gen. Herkimer was wounded.
* Sawyer's History page 41.
36
CHERRY VALLEY
Col. Samuel Clyde, also one of the heroes of the battle of Oriskany and of the border wars of the Revolution. He was the first sheriff of Otsego county.
Rev. Dr. Eliphalet Nott, president for sixty years of Un- ion College, Schenectady, whose first pastorate was at Cherry Valley.
Hon. William W. Campbell, Justice of the Supreme Court of New York, and author of "Annals of Tryon County," "Life of DeWitt Clinton," and other works.
Hon. Jabez D. Hammond, an eminent lawyer, Otsego County Judge, Member of Congress, author of "Political His- tory of the State of New York, " and "Life and Times of Silas Wright."
Hon. Levi Beardsley, lawyer, State Senator, and author of "Beardsley's Reminiscences. " a valuable contribution to local history.
Dr. Joseph White, an eminent physician and surgeon, president of the Otsego Medical Society, of the New York State Medical Society, and of the Fairfield Medical College. He was almost equally distinguished in law and in finance, a man of wonderfully varied attainments.
Rev. Solomon Spaulding, the first principal of Cherry Val- ley Academy and the reputed author of the "Book of Mor- mon," which he wrote as a romance.
Other noted men of the early time were the lawyers Alvin Stewart, James O. Morse, James Bracket, Isaac Seeley, George Clyde and Horace Lathrop. The Cherry Valley bar was famous throughout the state. Sawyer says in his history : " The history of this country, and probably of the whole world, presents no other case in which a village of less than a thousand people has possessed, at one time, so great an array of legal talent, in active and successful practice."
Among the early settlers who are honorably remembered were also Archibald McKellip, James Thompson, James Can- non, William Peeso, Dr. David Little, Major John Walton Robert Shankland, a native of Ireland and a famous patriot and Indian fighter, James and John Wilson and Edwin Judd.
An old lady, writing of the early times in Cherry Valley, relates the following of Alvin Stewart, the wittiest and most successful lawyer of his time in the state :
37
CHERRY VALLEY
,
"He was a teacher at first in the Academy, and always kept his eyes open when he made the prayer at the opening of the school. One scholar, bolder than the others, said: ‘Mr. Stewart, why do you always keep your eyes open when you pray ?' He said, 'we are commanded to watch as well as pray.' But he was much liked by his pupils. I wish I could remem- ber all the funny things I've heard of him. An old lady told me that once a boy did something against the rule, and he told him to go and get some withes. When the boy came back he told him he thought he should have to kill him; and, as he threatened, he kept poking the withes in the ashes to season them. When school was dismissed, he took up the bundle of sticks and told the boy to run; and he whipt all the benches and chairs, and the boy escaped unscathed. He was addicted to taking too much sometimes, but he afterwards reformed and became a great temperance man."
VILLAGES: This township contains three villages, viz: Cherry Valley (population, 772), Salt Springville (popu- lation, 119), and Center Valley (population, 107).
SCHOOLS: Number of districts in the township 12. Number of teachers 16. Children of school age 295.
The Cherry Valley High School is the successor of the famous old Cherry Valley academy. It is a Regents' school of high grade, with a wide range of scientific and classical instruc- tion. The building has recently been enlarged, improved and supplied with new apparatus. The library contains 1,500 volumes.
CHURCHES : There are four churches : Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal and Presbyterian.
NEWSPAPERS: The "Cherry Valley Gazette," one of the oldest papers in the county (established 1818), is the local organ for Cherry Valley and adjoining townships.
Decatur
Area, 12,841 Acres.
Population, 559.
MILE
ROSEBOOM
DECATUR
-.
WESTFORD
Pond
Decatur
Schonari
DECATUR township was set off from Worcester in 1808. 3 Its surface is hilly, broken by narrow valleys. The principal streams are Oak and Parker creeks tributary to the Schenevus. The first
settlement was made in 1790 by Jacob Kinney near the Parker present village of Decatur. Oak CH WORCESTER The first merchant in the village was Nahum Thompson, who was member of the assem- bly in 1844. The first supervisor was David Tripp, and the first town clerk was Lemuel Fletcher.
The first school was taught by Samuel Thurber about the year 1798.
The first grist mill was erected by John Champion, the grandfather of S. B. Champion, editor of the "Stamford Mir- ror." James Stewart built the first carding mill.
Jacob Brown and his son Jacob came from Columbia county in 1787. Nathan and Gardner Boorn were early settlers. Amos, a son of Gardner, was supervisor for six years. The brothers, Elisha, John and Samuel Waterman, came from Nor- wich, Connecticut, soon after the Revolution. From Elisha was descended the late Lewis Edson Waterman, the inventor of the "Waterman Ideal Fountain Pen." Mr. Waterman was born in Decatur in the year 1837, and died in Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1900.
Other pioneer settlers were John Treat, Charles Treat, Charles Kaple, Orra Ferris, Amos Crippen, Robert Lansing, Chelsea and Lorenzo Dow Davis and Andrew Sloan.
VILLAGES: This is a strictly agricultural township, hav- ing only one village, Decatur, with a population of 70.
CHURCHES: There is only one church in the township, a Methodist church at the village of Decatur.
SCHOOLS: Number of districts, 6. Number of teachers, 6. Children of school age, 75.
Edmeston
Area, 27,075 Acres
Population, 1,767.
I MILE PLAINFIELD EDMESTON was formed from CHENANGO the town of Burlington in 1808. West Bamest CO. The surface is an elevated upland, broken by numerous valleys. The North Edmeston ********** RAILROAD highest elevations are about 400 feet above the Unadilla river which forms its western boundary. The Ed South Eameston. township takes its name from Col. E D Edmeston, an officer in the old French war (1754-1763), who for his services received from the ONT & BURLINGTON it PITTSFIELD NEW LISBON crown a tract of 110,000 acres along the Unadilla river. To this tract Col. Edmeston sent Persifer Carr, a faithful old soldier of his command, who remained here until carried away with his family captive by the Indians, but after the Revolution he returned.
In 1818 William Stickney and Samuel Simons built a forge and trip hammer for the manufacture of axes, rifle barrels, scythes and wrought iron plow shares. The first physician was Dr. Gaines Smith, who came with his family from Vermont in 1800. His grandson, Hon. David B. St. John, became a resi- dent of the town in 1820. Other early settlers in the town who have living descendants were David Chapin, with his large family, Nathan Langworthy, Henry D. Crandall, Stephen Hoxie, Adin and Lyman Deming, John S. Coon, Charles F. Goodrich, Levi D. Banks, Daniel R. Barrett, Abel Matterson, Charles Burlingham, Erastus Waldo, Daniel R. Barrett, Joseph Bootman, James P. Ackerman, Ephriam Chamberlain, Edwin Phelps, John T. Richards, Hiram Wright, Benjamin Peet, George B. Talbot, Elder Taylor, Andrew Hawkins, Silas Coates, Julius Lines, Samuel Hopkins, O. L. Smith, George Arnold, Daniel Chapin and Jacob Talbot.
40
EDMESTON
VILLAGES: There are three villages in this township: Edmeston (population 749), West Edmeston (population 222). and South Edmeston (population 206). North Edmeston is a rural postoffice.
SCHOOLS: Number of districts, 13. Number of teachers, 17. Children of school age, 266.
The Edmeston High School is under the supervision of the Board of Regents. The academic department has a well equipped laboratory, a library of 1, 000 volumes, and all necessary reference books. The faculty consists of a principal and four assistants.
-
EDMESTON HIGH SCHOOL
CHURCHES: There are six churches in the township of Edmeston, namely : Baptist, Methodist and Free Methodist at Edmeston village; Baptist and 7th day Baptist at West Edmes- ton and a Union church at South Edmeston.
NEWSPAPERS: The "Edmeston Local," established in 1882, circulates also as a local organ in the townships of Bur- lington, Pittsfield, Plainfield, and New Lisbon.
Exeter
Area, 11,895 Acres.
4 MILE
PLAINFIELD
RICHFIELD
erkimer
WestE VETER Exeter
Cr.
Rock Dunder
Exeteret
Schuyler Lake
$4 815.0
Population. 1,087.
EXETER was formed from Richfield in 1799. The surface is generally hilly, some of the elevations being 300 feet above the valleys. It is drained by Herkimer and Sutherland creeks which flow into Canadarago lake and by Butternuts and Wharton creeks which flow into the Unadilla river.
BURLINGTON The earliest landed propri- OTSEGO etors in this township were Major John Tunnicliff and William Angell. Major Tunnicliff was a gentleman of intelligence, culture and wealth, who came from Derby, England, in the year 1756, and purchased 12,000 acres of land belonging to the patent that had been recently granted to David Schuyler and others, his purchase lying to the west of Fly Creek and being mainly within the present town- ship of Exeter but extending somewhat into Richfield. Here he built a cabin at a place called "The Oaks," and commenced a settlement, but danger from the Indians soon caused him to abandon it until the close of the French war. when he returned with his family and made here his permanent home.
William Angell was from Rhode Island and located on what has since been known as Angell's Hill, in school district No. 3. His family consisted of six sons and several daughters. His son William G. Angell, was an influential man, and represented his district in congress.
Other early settlers were Jonathan Angell, Seth Tubbs, Jacob Goble, Caleb Clark, Bethel Martin, Amos and Hull Thomas, Joshua Gorton, Uriel Stone, Ashel Williams and Au- gustus Curtiss. John and Aaron Phillips of Cambridge, Mass., came to Exeter in 1790. They established a circulating library
42
EXETER
and in 1822 a Congregational church. Among the early settlers was Hon. Levi Beardsley, an eminent lawyer and author of "Beardsley's Reminiscences and Ancedotes." He came to Exeter in his infancy with his parents in 1790. The family set- tled on "The Herkimer Farm," but afterwards removed to Richfield.
A PIONEER HOME IN THE FOREST.
To give an idea of the trials endured by the settlers in those days we quote from his entertaining book of "Reminis- cences:"
"We left our eastern home with a cart, one or two wagons, one or two yoke of oxen, three or four horses, and a few cattle, sheep, and hogs. The roads were excessively bad, and we took but little household goods with us. My mother was left behind with a sick child. My sister, about two years younger than myself, was with me, stowed in a cart or wagon among the chairs and furniture, and put under the care of a girl brought up by my grandfather."
Some distance this side of Canajoharie they abandoned their vehicles, in consequence of the bad roads, and proceeded on their journey. "Some of the party drove the live stock, and went on the best way they could. My father put a saddle on one of the horses, and on another packed a bed and bedding, on which the girl was to ride. I was placed on the horse behind him, on a pillow tied to the saddle, with a strap under my arms buckled to his waist to prevent me from falling off, and carrying my sister before him we pursued our journey, the girl Sukey, riding the other horse on top of the bed and bedding, and a yearling colt tagging after. This constituted the cavalcade, so far as my father and his family were con- cerned."
Their destination was finally reached, and soon after Mr. Beardsley's father returned to the east and brought his wife and sick child to the new country. He says :
"She rode the horse on a man's saddle, and carried the child, my father in a patriarchal manner walking by her side; and thus the family were at last re-united in the woods at the foot of the beautiful lake, and by the side of the fine little stream known as Herkimer creek, then full of fish, particularly the speckled trout.
43
EXETER
"The house that we moved into was a small log cabin, the body laid up, and part, though not the whole, of the roof covered with black ash and elm bark, which had been peeled from the trees at the season when bark is taken off easily. When opened out and put on the roof and pressed down with poles or small timbers, the rough side exposed to the weather, it makes a good roof that will last several years and shed the rain quite well. The house was only partially covered, and when it rained we had to put our effects and ourselves under that part which was sheltered.
"The floor was of basswood logs, split and hewed partly on one side, and then spiked down making a substantial floor, but only about half was laid. We had no fire place or chimney, and till this was built the cooking must all be done out of doors,
"A mud-and-stack chimney and fireplace were afterwards added as the weather became cold, and to get earth or clay to make mortar to daub the house and make the chimney, a hole was dug under the floor which was our only cellar, in which, in winter, we put a few bushels of potatoes and turnips, and took up one of the flattened logs from the floor whenever we wanted anything from below. I have said there was no door when we moved in. My father on reaching the house with my mother and family, suspended a blanket at the doorway to keep out part of the night air."
THE FIRST WEDDING.
Mr. Beardsley gives a further insight into the customs of those days in his description of the first wedding. He says :
"Let me describe the first wedding, which was the marri- age of a sister of my mother, who was married to Ebenezer Russell; the marriage was at my father's, in the log house. I do not remember how the parties were dressed, but no doubt in their best gear. Judge Cooper, of Cooperstown, was sent for, being the nearest magistrate, and came eighteen miles princi- pally through the woods, to perform the ceremony. The neigh- bors were invited, the old pine table was in the middle of the room, on which I recollect was placed a large wooden bowl filled with fried cakes (nut cakes or doughnuts, as the country people call them). There might have been something else to constitute the marriage feast, but I do not recollect anything except a black
44
EXETER.
junk bottle filled with rum; some maple sugar and water. The judge was in his long riding boots, covered with mud up to his knees, his horse was fed, that he might be off when the cere- mony was over. The parties presented themselves, and were soon made man and wife as his "Honor" officially announced. He then gave the bride a good hearty kiss, or rather smack. remark- ing that he always claimed that as his fee; took a drink of rum, drank health, prosperity and long life to those married, ate a cake or two, declined even staying to supper, said that he must be on his way home, and should go to the foot of the lake that night, refused any other fee for his services, mounted his horse and was off; and thus was the first marriage celebrated."
VILLAGES: There are three villages in this township, viz: Schuyler Lake (population 406), West Exeter (population 167), and Exeter (population 60).
SCHOOLS: Number of school districts, 8. Number of teachers, 11. Children of school age, 158. The Union Free School at Schuyler Lake employs four teachers and is well or- ganized for efficient work.
CHURCHES: There are five churches in this township, viz : at Exeter, Methodist; at West Exeter, Methodist; at Schuy- ler Lake, Baptist, Methodist and Universalist.
Hartwick
Area, 25,980 Acres.
Population, 1,800.
HARTWICK was formed IMILE BURLINGTON OTSEGO Cafe from Otsego in 1802. Its surface is hilly, the highest . CARS. RR Todasyill summits being 200 to 350 Hartwick feet above the valleys. It is hage HAR TWICK HyaE Park drained by several small -17 Iver Hartwick 1.E C streams that flow into the Susquehanna and the east South Hartwick Little Pond branch of the Otego creek. The township was named in MIDDLEFIELD NEW LISBON 05-10 Arnolds Lake Clintonville honor of the Rev. John Chris- LAURENS ILFORD AE B. topher Hartwick who, in 1752, purchased from the Indians for the sum of 100 pounds. a tract of land embracing nearly all of the present township and amount- ing to 21,500 acres. Mr. Hartwick was a native of the duke- dom of Saxe-Gotha in the province of Thuringia in Germany, and had come as a Lutheran missionary to this country. He was for many years a noted preacher throughout the country from New England to Virginia, and it was not until after the Revolution that he settled down upon his purchase and estab- lished a colony. Through the agency of Judge William Cooper he let a great part of his land to settlers at an annual rental of one shilling per acre, with the privilege of purchasing at four- teen shillings per acre. 1
HARTWICK SEMINARY .- In his will Mr. Hartwick left his whole fortune for the establishment of the Seminary that bears his name. The school was opened on the 15th of Decem- ber, 1815, with the Rev. Dr. Ernest Lewis Hazeliuslas princi- pal. It now has three departments-Regents, Collegiate and Theological. The buildings have recently been remodeled and enlarged. The institution is located four miles south of Coop- erstown on the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley railroad.
-16
HARTWICK
Conspicuous among the natives of Hartwick was William H. Bissell who was born in this town in 1811, but early re- moved with his parents to Milford where he grew to manhood. He prepared himself for the medical profession, but abandoned it for the law. In 1837 he removed to Illinois, from which state he served as a colonel in the Mexican war. He also represented his district in congress from 1849 to 1855. In 1856 he was elected governor of the state, was re-elected and died at Spring- field, Ill., in 1860, while serving his second term.
Among the early settlers were the brothers John and Na- than Davidson, William and Nathan Field, Jerry Potter, Jed- ediah Ashcraft, Joseph Marsh, Nicholas and Rufus Steere, Amos and Joseph Winsor, Benjamin and Nicholas Camp, John and Philip Wells, Hopkins Burlingham, Isaac Bissell, Deacon Ziba
HARTWICK SEMINARY
Newland, Amasa Peters, Uriah Luce, Stephen Ingalls, David and Josiah Maples. Daniel Murdock and Col. Henry Wheeler. The first supervisor was Philip Wells, and the first town clerk was Rufus Steere who built the cotton factory at Toddsville.
VILLAGES: There are five villages in this township, viz: Hartwick (population 605), Hartwick Seminary (population 124), South Hartwick (population 63), Toddsville (population 302), and Hyde Park (population 150). Chase is a rural post- office. Clintonville, formerly a cotton cloth manufacturing vil- lage, has now only an electric lighting plant, from which Coopers- town is supplied, postoffice at Milford. On the Fourth of July, 1902, Hartwick village celebrated its 100th anniversary.
47
HARTWICK
SCHOOLS: Number of districts, 16; number of teachers, 17; number of children of school age, 342. The Hartwick Union Free school has a commodious building, newly furnished and provided with a good library, natural history and chemical apparatus, and other appliances for teaching. It is a school of four grades and confers Regents' diplomas on its academic graduates.
HARTWICK UNION FREE SCHOOL
CHURCHES: There are eight churches in this township, viz: At Hartwick, Baptist, Christian and Methodist; at Todds- ville, Union and Methodist; at Hartwick Seminary, Lutheran ; at Hyde Park, Methodist; and a Christian church near Christian Hill in the northern part of the township.
NEWSPAPERS: There are two weekly papers, the "Hart- wick Review" and "Hartwick Visitor," published at Hartwick village. The "Hartwick Seminary Monthly and Eastern Lu- theran." the organ of Hartwick Seminary, is edited and pub- lished at the Seminary.
Laurens
Area, 26,116 acres. Population, 1,483.
I MILE
NEW
LISBON
HARTWI K
DGilbert's Lake
·Mt.Visidn
MORRIS
Creek
LAUREN
· West Laurens
/ MILFORD
Laurens
Otsego Park
OTEGO
ONEONTA
LAURENS was formed from Otsego in 1810. Otego creek, the principal stream, flows nearly south through a fertile and well cultivated val- ley. The first white settler within the present limits of the town was Joseph Mayall. He located in 1773 about one He was a man of great cour-
mile north of the present village. age, and during the Revolution was celebrated as an Indian fighter. In the same year Richard Smith came from Baltimore and erected a fine colonial mansion, called "Smith Hall." one and a half miles north of the village. It has recently been pur- chased and restored by Willard V. Huntington esq. An early settler was the Quaker, John Sleeper, who maintained a peace- ful neutrality during the Revolution, though for a time com- pelled to leave on account of danger from the Indians. He reared here a family of seven sons and five daughters.
The day before the massacre of Cherry Valley, Mr. Sleeper started for New Jersey, and upon arriving at Cherry Valley was urged by his friends to remain over night. But he declined and continued his journey to Bowman's creek, several miles distant, and thereby saved his life.
The day following the massacre, a party of savages passed through Laurens and robbed the family of Mr. Sleeper and burned their buildings. Brant, the Indian chief, arrived soon after and, finding Mrs. Sleeper still there, exclaimed, "My God! Mrs. Sleeper, are you alive?" She replied: "Yes; but they have destroyed all our property. " Brant charged the destruc- tion upon the Senecas, saying: "They would kill their best friends, " and offered to pay her for the loss, but Mrs. Sleeper, being of the Quaker faith, refused, as she believed that he had
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.