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 4
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49
LAURENS
come wrongfully by it. The family soon after returned to New Jersey suffering terribly on the way.
At the close of the Revolution Mr. Sleeper returned with his family and rebuilt the house and mill. In 1794 he sold his grist and saw mills and 1,000 acres of land to Griffin Craft of Cherry Valley, who was the first supervisor of the town in 1811.
In 1815 General Erastus Craft succeeded to his father's estate. He was a member of assembly in 1810, '13 and '14, and served as supervisor of the town for thirteen years. He married a sister of Judge W. W. Campbell of Cherry Valley and has de- scendants in this vicinity and in the west. Other early resi- dents were General William Comstock, a leading merchant, William C. Fields, who represented his district in congress in 1866 General William Armstrong, Erastus and Ezra Dean, Chauncey Strong, Samuel Allen, Jacob Butts, Nathan Newell, Cyrus Hudson, Solomon Harrison, Peter Scramling, Calvin Straight, a Quaker preacher, Solomon Eldred, Rufus Steere, Stephen Whipple and Joshua Matteson.
Rufus Tucker and Daniel Weatherly were early settlers at West Laurens Dr. Ezer Windsor settled above Laurens on the Mount Vision road in 1794. His son Amos was sheriff in 1842.
Thomas Keyes came with his large family from Connecti- cut in 1805 His descendants are influential citizens at One- onta and elsewhere.
VILLAGES: There are three villages in this township, viz: Laurens (population 233), Mt. Vision (population 300), and West Laurens (population 117). Otsego Park, near Lau- rens village, on the line of the O., C. & R. S. electric railway, eight miles from Oneonta, is a new and popular pleasure resort.
CHURCHES: There are three churches in the village of Laurens, viz: Methodist, Christian and Presbyterian ; at Mt. Vision, Baptist and Methodist: at West Laurens, Christian and a Friends meeting house.
SCHOOLS: Number of districts, 12; teachers, 14; child- ren of school age, 265.
Laurens village has an efficient school of eight grades, with two teachers and 80 pupils. It has a library and school appa- ratus and prepares for Regents' examinations.
NEWSPAPERS: "The Otego Valley News, " a weekly paper is published at Laurens. Established, 1899.
Maryland
Area, 29,873 Acres.
Population, 1,998.
1 MILE
WEST
F JORD
Eik Creek
MILFORD,
Schenevus
Chaseyille
Maryland
Creek
FARYLAND
WORCES
This township was formed from Worcester in 1808. The principal stream is the Sche- nevus creek, which flows south-west through the town and empties into the Susque- hanna.
The surface consists chiefly of a hilly upland, broken by D & H Schenerus DELAWARE CO. ravines. The settlement of the town dates back to 1790, at which time Elisha Cham- berlain and the three brothers, Israel, Elephas and Phineas Spencer, located near the present Maryland station on the rail- road. The first settlers where Chaseville is now located were Jotham Houghton and his two sons Jerehamel and Daniel. Daniel was a captain in the war of 1812. Wilder, Ezekiel and John Rice settled near Schenevus, Caleb Boynton in the eastern part of the town, and Joseph Howe in Elk Creek. Early set- tlers and large land owners were Josiah Chase and John Bige. low who came in 1791 and purchased 1,000 acres of land. In 1794 arrived many pioneers, prominent among whom were John Thompson and his sons John and James from Columbia county. They located near the foot of Crumhorn Mountain and their descendants have been leading citizens.
Other settlers in the vicinity of Elk Creek were Earl Wright, Philemon Perry, Eleazer Gove, John Kelly, and the Chase brothers, Asa, Dean, Seth and John, with their families.
One of the first necessities of the early time was a grist mill near at hand. For a long time all grain had been sent to Cherry Valley. There was, therefore, great rejoicing when in 1794, those enterprising pioneers, Israel and Elisha Spencer,
SCHENEVUS HIGH SCHOOL
52
MARYLAND
erected a mill near the present Maryland railroad station. At about the same time Jonathan Houghton built a saw mill near Chaseville, but afterwards removed it to a place near Spencer's Mills. These mills were built by Phineas Spencer, the pioneer carpenter. He was a mechanical genius. He made furniture, plows and coffins. For years he made all the burial cases free of charge. They were doubtless made, as was the custom in those days, of pine boards, colored black by a solution of water with the ashes of straw.
The first death in the town was that of the wife of Josiah Chase. The remains were borne a distance of seven miles to the Maryland cemetery, the bearers being on foot as was the custom, for this was regarded as more respectful to the dead.
VILLAGES: There are four villages in this township, viz: Schenevus (population 613). Maryland (population 227), Chaseville (population 123) and Elk Creek (population 52).
The Schenevus Valley Fair is held annually on the spa- cious grounds near Schenevus village.
SCHOOLS: Number of districts, 15; teachers, 23; children of school age, 481. The Schenevus High school is under the board of Regents, and is well equipped for efficient work. It is supplied with apparatus for the teaching of the natural sciences, with maps, globes, charts, reference books and a circulating library of 1,000 volumes. A Regents' diploma corresponding to an Academic course of four years is conferred upon its graduates.
CHURCHES: At Schenevus, Baptist, Catholic, Episco- pal, and Methodist. At Maryland, Christian, and Lutheran. At Chaseville, Baptist. At Elk Creek, Methodist.
NEWSPAPERS: At Schenevus, the "Schenevus Moni- tor, " a weekly paper, established in 1863.
Middlefield
Area, 37,456 Acres. Population, 2,100.
MILE
SPRING
FIELD
--
Middlefield
OTSEGO
Centey
OOPERST
HARTWICK
Bowerstos
Middlefield
MIDDLEFIELD is the largest township in the county. It was set off from Cherry Valley in 1797. The surface is hilly, the summits being 400 to 500 feet above the valleys. It is well watered by the Cherry Valley and Red creeks, which flow into the Susquehanna.
The first settlement was made at OR Newtown-Martin, now Middlefield, (lo- cally Clarksville), about 1760; but during the Indian wars of the Revolu- tion the place was exposed to great danger, and all the more so on account of the patriotic spirit that sent its best men to the Continental army. The town was, in the end, completely depopulated, but at the close of the war its fertile lands were rapidly taken up by old and new settlers, among whom were William Cook, the four McCollum brothers, Reuben Beals, Bernard Temple, Gardner Blair, Levi H. Pierce, John Parshall. David Anderson, Benjamin Gilbert. James Brad- ley, Capt. Thomas Ransom and Major Jothan Ames.
VILLAGES: There are three villages in this township, viz: Middlefield (population 243), Middlefield Center (popula- tion 108), and Phoenix Mills (population 150). Lentsville is a rural postoffice. Bowerstown is a hamlet (population 70), with postoffice at Cooperstown. Westville is partly in Middle- field, with postoffice and churches in Westford. The "Index Knitting Mills," at Phoenix Mills, employ (including branch at Hope Factory), about 400 hands.
The County Poor House and Farm are situated in this township, on the railroad, three miles south of Cooperstown.
SCHOOLS: Number of districts, 19. Teachers, 18. Children of school age, 322. The village schools are graded and efficiently conducted.
CHURCHES: There are three churches in this township, viz: At Middlefield, Baptist and Methodist; at Middlefield Cen- ter, Presbyterian.
MIDDLEFIEL
Milford
Area, 28,172 Acres.
MIDDLEFIELD
IMILE
HARTWICK
-
Cherry Valle
WESTTO
Milford
F 0
R
D
hami
Cry'm hor
LA
AN
Portlandville
1
! Milford Centero
MARY
CoOF
Cooperstown
Junction
Colliersville
AXSSON
Schen
DELAWARE
THIS township was formed from Unadilla in 1796. The surface is a hilly upland, di- vided into two ridges by the Susquehanna river, which flows through it in a southerly direc- tion. The declivities are in many places very steep. Crum- horn mountain, on the east bor- der. attains an elevation of 600 feet above the valley.
The fertile soil and excellent water power afforded by the rivers early attracted settlers to this region. Among the leading families at Milford village were those of Charles Morris and his sons Richard and David, James Westcott, John Aylesworth, Norman Bissell, Levi Hun- gerford and Jonathan Sweet; at Portlandville, Thomas Mum- ford, Russell Briggs and Col. John Moore, the Edsons at Ed- son Corners, and at Colliersville Isaac Collier, his son Major Peter Collier, and his son-in-law, Jared Goodyear.
VILLAGES: There are four villages in this township, viz : Milford (population, 532), Portlandville (population 352), Colliersville, (population 130), and Cooperstown Junction (population 115). Milford Center (population 100) is a hamlet with rural free delivery from Oneonta.
SCHOOLS: Number of districts, 14; number of teachers, 13; children of school age, 290. The Milford High School is under the Regents, and is efficiently organized in all depart- ments. A specialty is made of commercial training and busi- ness practice. The faculty consists of a principal and five assistants.
CHURCHES: At Milford village, Presbyterian and Meth- odist; at Portlandville, Christian, Episcopal and Methodist; at Cooperstown Junction, Methodist; at Milford Center, Baptist.
NEWSPAPERS: The "Otsego Tidings," and "Teachers' Gazette," at Milford village.
AILRON
ONEONTA
Population, 2,007.
RENS
Susga
MORRIS HIGH SCHOOL
MORRIS HIGH SCHOOL
Morris
Area, 24,035 Acres.
IMILE
PITTSFIELD
Population, 1,689
THERE were early settle- NEW THENAVIGO LISBON ments in this region, but the Co present township was not or- Siali few Berhn MO RER ganized until 1847, when it was set off from Butternuts. The surface is varied and at- Maple LAURENS BUTTERNUT $ Grove tractive, rising in broken up- lands from the fertile valley of the Butternuts creek, which receives numerous brooklets. The western ridge terminates in a steep bluff bordering on the Unadilla river.
The township derives its name from General Jacob Morris, a son of Lewis Morris, who was a signer of the Dec. aration of Independence, and who, with his brother Richard, received a patent of 30,000 acres of land in this vicinity to indemnify them for the loss of property destroyed by the British during the Revolution.
An early and influential settler was Mr. Paschal Franchot, a native of France, who raised here a family of ten children. His son Richard was one of the leading men of his time in the county. He was supervisor of the township, representative in Congress, first colonel of the 121st New York regiment in the rebellion, and the first president of the Albany and Sus que- hanna railroad. Other early settlers whose names have been perpetuated are Ebenezer Knapp, Benjamin Stone, Jeremiah Cruttenden, Jonathan and Ansel Moore, Amos, Jacob and Ich- abod Palmer, Benjamin Lull with his five sons, Benjamin jr., Joseph, Caleb, Nathan and William, Dr. William Yates, and Ziba Washbon.
Some of the customs of those days are thus described by the late Ashel S. Avery of Morris, in his contribution to Hurd's history of the county : "It was a common thing for a shoe- maker (cobbler) to ' whip the cat,' that is, go into a farmer's
57
MORRIS
house, put his kit in the corner of the room, and with one last, made perhaps from a stick off the wood-pile, make the shoes for the whole family-the largest first, then cutting down the last to the next smaller size, the farmer furnishing the leather. 'Rights and lefts' shoes were unknown. The shoe pegs were all made by hand.
"In the square-room of well-to-do people were brass- ornamented andirons in the fire-place. In the summer time this fire-place would be filled with sparrow-grass (asparagus) ; but after wall paper became cheap, fire-boards, with a landscape on them, filled up the space. It was a great invention when the tin baker was made; quite an improvement on the bake-kettle, or the board on which the Johnny-cake was baked before the fire.
"One stage coach ran from Cooperstown to Oxford three times a week. It was a four-horse yellow coach, and looked, in the children's eyes, as large as a circus does now-a-days, The postmaster could have carried any one mail in his hat. The postage on a letter was as follows: To Garrattvsille, 6 cents; to Cooperstown, 10 cents; to Albany, 123 cents; to New York, 182 cents; and to Philadelphia, 25 cents. There were no envel- opes; the sheet of paper was folded up so as to tuck one edge into another, and sealed with a wafer or sealing wax."
VILLAGES: There is only one village in this township, viz: Morris (population, 553). Maple Grove is a hamlet on the southern border (population 44). South New Berlin, on the river, is mostly in Chenango county.
Morris has always been one of Otsego's pleasantest villages. One of the best and best attended annual fairs of the county is that held here by the Butternuts Valley Agricultural Society.
SCHOOLS: Number of districts, 12; teachers, 16: chil- dren of school age, 295. The Morris High School is the oldest union free school in the county. In its building and equip- ment it ranks among the best. Its academic department fits for either normal school or college, and also for professional schools of law and medicine. Its faculty consists of a principal and five assistants.
CHURCHES: At Morris. Baptist, Episcopal (with "Mor- ris Memorial Chapel"), Friends, Methodist, and Universalist: at Maple Grove, Episcopal.
NEWSPAPERS: The "Morris Chronicle," at Morris.
New Lisbon
Area, 26,899 Acres
Population, 1,225.
I MILE BURLINGTON? THIS township was organ- ized in 1806. Among the ear- 1 Lake Tuntle Garrettsville liest settlers were Elnathan Noble from whom Noblesville - was named, Increase Thurston, Otego Lena NEW LISBON Linus N. Chapin, a surveyor, Joseph Neff, a famous violin- Stetsonville PITTSFIELD ist, Elias Cummings, William HARTWICK . New Lisbon Gilbert's Gregory, Amos Perry, John We Cope and Remington Kenyon. Butternuts ·Welcome MORRIS Lake LAUR EN Benjamin Cutler, a soldier of the war of 1812, came from Vermont in 1799. He died in Mt. Vision in 1871, at the age of 101 years and five months.
Garrattsville was named for John Garratt. He and his wife were carried into captivity by the Indians and held by them seven years. It is related that when they saw the Indians ap- proaching their cabin, Mrs. Garratt seized her clock and silver- ware and fled out at the back door, concealing the silver under an inverted pig trough, while the clock was hastily thrown over the garden fence. After an absence of seven years they returned to find their clearing covered with underbrush and weeds, but there, under the pig trough, was found the silver, and down by the garden fence the old clock.
VILLAGES: Garrattsville (population 253) and New Lis- bon, formerly Noblesville (population 169). Lena and Welcome are rural postoffices. Stetsonville is a hamlet with postoffice at New Lisbon.
. SCHOOLS: Number of districts, 16; number of teachers, 16; children of school age, 263.
CHURCHES: At Garrattsville, Methodist, United Pres- byterian, and an Episcopal Mission; at Welcome, Baptist; at New Lisbon, Episcopal.
Oneonta
Area, 21.930 Acres.
Population, 8,910.
THIS township was formed I MILE 7 A REN SỞ WANT MILFORD from portions of Milford and Otego in 1830. The Susque- hanna river flows through Otego NEONTA the southern part, dividing it Emconta Cn Was R.R. Oneonta ON ENO into two ridges. The hills OTEGO 1 south of the river, called South mountain, attain an ---- hanna elevation of about 700 feet >DELAWARE COUNTY above the valley, and 1,800 feet above sea level. The center and northern part of the town- ship is hilly and broken by the Otego, Silver, Oneonta and Emmons creeks. It was a favorite resort of the Indians in the olden time, and the present Main street is believed to be on the line of an Indian trail.
Of white settlers, previous to the Revolution, little is known. The names of Scramling, Young and Alger are all that have come down to us from that time. General Sullivan's de- structive expedition in 1789 broke the power of the aborigines, and after the war the tide of emigration was early turned to this attractive region.
Among the early families were those of Henry Scramling, Frederick Brown, Abram Houghtaling, Wm. Morenus, Peter Swart, James Young, Jacob Wolf and his son Conradt, John and Nicholas Beams, Frederick Bornt, David Alger, Elihu Gif- ford and his seven sons, Solomon Yager and his son David, Jo- siah Peet, Ira Emmons, and Dr. Joseph Lindsay, who was the first physician.
Jacob Van Woert settled at the mouth of Otego creek, An- drew Parish, James Blanchard and Thomas Morenus on the south side near "Round Top." Col. William Richardson built a saw and grist mill on Oneonta creek in the vicinity now known as "Richardson Hill."
60
ONEONTA
At Emmons, on Emmons creek, then a place of some im- portance, Major Asa Emmons built a carding and fulling mill. At Oneonta Plains early settlers were Elisha Shepherd and Asel Marvin.
VILLAGES: There are two villages in this township, - Oneonta, with a population of 7,147, and West Oneonta, popu- lation 207. The plain west of Oneonta village, in the triangle between the rivers, is called Oneonta Plains. It has a consid- erable settlement, and a Methodist church. Postoffice, Oneonta.
SCHOOLS: Number of districts, 14; number of teachers, 38; children of school age, 1,683.
CHURCHES: There are thirteen churches in this town- ship, viz: At Oneonta, Baptist, Free Baptist, Catholic, Chris- tian Science, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, United Pres- byterian and Universalist; at West Oneonta, Baptist and Free Baptist; at Oneonta Plains, Methodist, and a Methodist church at Richardson Hill.
NEWSPAPERS: There are six newspapers published in Oneonta, viz: The daily "Star," and the following weekly papers : the "Herald, " the "Leader," the "Press" and the "'Spy." The "Oneontan" is a monthly and is issued during the school year as the organ of the State Normal school.
ONEONTA VILLAGE.
The village of Oneonta is pleasantly situated on the north bank of the Susquehanna river, and on the line of the Dela- ware and Hudson railroad, nearly midway between Albany and Binghamton, 82 miles from Albany and 61 miles from Bing- hamton. The greater part of the village lies upon a gentle slope that rises from the river for nearly a mile to the north- ward, and affords from its summit a commanding view of the village and of the wooded highlands that surround it in nearly every direction.
Oneonta is a growing and prosperous village, and is becom- ing a railroad and manufacturing center of considerable impor- tance. Its railroad connections are the extensive "Delaware and Hudson" system, the "Ulster and Delaware, " extending from Oneonta to Kingston on the Hudson, the "Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley" road, which crosses the "Delaware and
61
ONEONTA
Hudson" near the village, and the "Oneonta, Cooperstown and Richfield Springs" electric railroad, which is to connect at Her- kimer with the "New York Central."
The "Delaware and Hudson" railroad shops at this point employ nearly 600 men, and the enlargement of the plant, now in process of construction, will materially increase this force.
AURELIA OSBORN-FOX MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Other important industries are the "Oneonta Milling Company," the "Paragon Silk Mills," the branch of the "Gloversville Knitting Company," the "Buckley Shirt Manufactory," the "Dauley & Wright Marble Works." and the extensive cigar manufactories of Doyle & Smith, and Hayes & Bowdish.
62
ONEONTA
The wholesale trade of Oneonta is important, especially in the lines of flour and grain, groceries, crockery, glassware and paper. The "Central New York Fair" is held here each year in the month of September, and is always largely attended.
The "Oneonta Building and Loan Association" contrib- utes to the establishment of homes by its stock loans to mem- bers. A state armory is located here, and an efficient military organization maintained (Company G., Ist Reg't, N. G. N.Y.)
The buildings of the State Normal School, which was es- tablished here in 1889, occupy a commanding position upon the eminence at the northern side of the village. It is one of the best equipped and most successful Normal schools of the state. Other institutions and societies are the "Aurelia Osborn-Fox Memorial Hospital Society," the "Young Men's Christian Association, " the "Oneonta Club, " and the "Woman's Club."
The village is lighted by electricity, has an excellent water supply, complete telegraph, telephone and express service, and the principal business streets are well paved. The electric road extends through the village to the East End suburb, with a branch to the Normal school.
THE VILLAGE SCHOOLS.
The Union Free school, which dates from 1867, employs a superintendent and twenty-three teachers, and has 1,125 pupils enrolled. The High School department, under the Regents, fits for college or business. It is well supplied with apparatus, charts and specimens for the study of the natural sciences. Its business course includes book-keeping, commercial law, type- writing and stenography. With this school will always be asso- ciated the memory of the late Nathaniel N. Bull, for twenty- five years its efficient and much esteemed principal (1870-1895).
The East End suburb, population 564, has a graded school that employs three teachers. It has a new and commodious school building.
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
The library, under the direction of the school board, con- tains 6,000 volumes 'and receives constant additions.
ONEONTA HIGH SCHOOL-ACADEMY STREET BUILDING
Otego
.
Area. 26,634 Acres.
Population, 1,817.
This township was organized from I MILE LAURENS parts of Unadilla and of Franklin, Otsdawa Delaware county, in 1822, and then called Huntsville. In 1830 the name BUTTERNUTS was changed to Otego. The settle- Branch ree Creek ment commenced soon after the Rev- West ONEONTA olution. Among the first were Ran- aw som Hunt, of Bennington, Vt., Capt. per Otago Flax Island Peter and Col. Elisha Bundy, Capt. RR UNADILLA Elisha Saunders, Deacon Lester D Susquehanna Newlands, John, Michael and Nathan DELAWARE Co. Birdsall, Benjamin Edson, a soldier of the Revolution, John Blakely, Rowland Carr, John A. and Andrew Hodge, Michael and Benjamin Shepherd, Sylvester Goodrich, John and Nahum Smith, Thurston Brown, Ben- jamin Estes, James Wait and Daniel Weller.
The population in the early days was, as in Oneonta, a mixture of New Englanders and Mohawk Germans, and much rivalry and frequent fights occurred until chosen champions, John French for the "Yankees" and Peter Scramling for the "Dutch," settled it at a sawmill raising on the premises of Ransom Hunt. The Yankee was the victor, and so peace was established. At Otsdawa early settlers were Frederick Martin, Nathan Emerson, King Hathaway and Henry Sheldon.
VILLAGES: There are two villages in this township, Otego, (population 658), and Otsdawa (population 62).
SCHOOLS: Number of districts, 18; number of teachers, 20; children of school age, 319. The Union Free school at Otego, under the Board of Regents, is well organized for effi- cient work in all departments. The building has lately been remodeled and provided with modern furniture and apparatus. Especial attention is given to vocal and instrumental music. The faculty consists of a principal and four assistants.
CHURCHES: At Otego, Baptist, Free Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, and Presbyterian. At Otsdawa, Free Baptist.
NEWSPAPERS: The "Rural Times, " published at Otego.
Otsego
Area, 32,141 Acres.
I MILD
SPRINGFIELD
EXETER
(Mutter's point
BURLINGTON
Finde Mille Pointy
Snowden
LAKE
T
DA's Creek
Point Judith
othersteck
0
COOPERSTOWN
Cooper)
Monument
Population, 4,497.
OTSEGO is the oldest township in the county. It was organized as a part of Montgomery county in 1788, and included nearly all that portion of the present county west of Otsego lake and the Susquehanna river, which rises therein.
Todas Council Its surface consists mainly Rock R. R MIDDLEFIELD of a hilly upland, divided HARTWICK Phoenix Mills (Inder Pod ALB into ridges by Fly and Oaks creeks. The first white man who passed through this region was Cadwallader Colden, surveyor general, in the year 1737. Six- teen years later, in 1753, Rev. Gideon Hawley was sent to this locality as a missionary to the Indians. The next noted visi- tor was Gen. George Washington who passed through on an exploring expedition in 1783, and "viewed the Lake Otsego at the source of the Susquehanna."
The Indian wars of the Revolutionary period desolated this whole region, but with the return of peace a tide of emigration set in, and the portion now known as Otsego township was es- pecially attractive.
This influx of settlers dates from 1783. Among the first were William and Asel Jarvis. who became prominent citizens. William was a physician, and Asel erected at Fly Creek, in 1813, the first foundry and machine shop. His three sons. Chester, Dwight and Kent, were leading men and active in the old military organizations. Other early settlers at Fly Creek were John Adams, Ebenezer Cheeney and Oliver Bates.
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