Otsego County, New York; geographical and historical, from the earliest settlement to the present time, with county and township maps from origional drawings, Part 6

Author: Bacon, Edwin Faxon, 1832-
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Oneonta, N. Y., The Oneonta herald
Number of Pages: 102


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 6


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).


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SCHOOLS: Number of districts, 18; teachers, 21; chil- dren of school age, 44. The Unadilla Union Free School and Academy, which in 1894 succeeded the former academy, has a large, modern building with superior sanitary arrange- ments, city water and electric lights. It ranks as a High School under the university of the State of New York. Its course of instruction includes the natural sciences, ancient and modern languages, and a teachers' training class. It has a library of over 2,000 volumes, besides reference books. The Academic department prepares for college and grants regents' diplomas. The faculty consists of a principal and eight assistants.


CHURCHES: At Unadilla, Baptist, Episcopal, Metho- dist, and Presbyterian. At Wells Bridge, Baptist and Metho- dist. At Unadilla Centre, Methodist, and a Methodist church at Sand Hill, in the eastern part.


NEWSPAPERS: The "Unadilla Times," a weekly paper, established in 1854.


4


Westford


Area, 20,812 Acres.


1 MILE


/ ROSEBOOM


MIDDLEFIELD


Maple .


Valley


Westfordo


Cherry


WESTFORD


DECATUR


/Westville


MILFORD


WORCESTER


MARYLAND


ALP


Population, 910.


WESTFORD was set off from Worcester in 1808. The surface is hilly, the summits in many places rising to the height of 250 to 400 feet above the valleys. It is well watered by the numerous branches of the Elk and Cherry Valley Creeks.


The first settlers came here from Vermont about 1790. They were Thomas Sawyer, Oliver Salisbury, Ephraim Smith, Alpheus Earl, Artemus, Moses and David Howe, and Benjamin Chase, who raised seven sons here. Robert Roseboom came from New Jersey and located in the northeastern part near Maple Valley. He was a prominent man and the first super- visor of the town, officiating in that capacity until 1814. Samuel and Jonas Babcock, soldiers of the Revolution, came from Berk- shire. Mass., in 1795 and their father Josiah joined them in 1799. The five Sperry brothers gave name to Sperry Hollow. The Hubbard brothers formed the "Hubbard Settlement" and the Bentley family gave name to "Bentley Hollow." Judge An- drew S. Draper, former State Superintendent of Schools and now president of the University of Illinois, and his cousin, Judge Alden Chester of the Supreme Court, were natives of this town- ship. Other pioneers were Oliver Bidlake, Joshua and Dexter Draper, David Adams, Eli Tyler, Martin, John and Flavel Wright, Calvin Holmes, James Badeau, Charles Mason, Charles Webster, Eleazer Peasley, Samuel Waterman. Andrew Bice, and Artemas and Jonah Howe, captains of the Revolution. West- ford is a fertile agricultural township largely devoted to dairying.


VILLAGES: Westford (population 167) and Westville (population 72). Maple Valley is a rural postoffice.


SCHOOLS: Number of districts, 11; teachers 10; children of school age, 131.


CHURCHES: At Westford, Methodist, Baptist, Congrega- tional, and Episcopal; at Westville, Baptist and Methodist; at Maple Valley, Christian.


Worcester


Area, 29,030 Acres.


1 MILE


DECATUR


WESTFORD


1


COUNTY


East Worcester


DEN R.R.


Cre


Worcester


Schemevus


A UN


-


MARYLA


5


SCHOHARIE CO


South Worcester


Charlotte


DELAWARE COUNTY


AEG


Population, 2,409.


WORCESTER was formed from Cherry Valley in 1797, and then embraced in addition to its present territory, the towns of Maryland, Decatur and West- ford. These towns were set off from it in 1808. The surface is a hilly upland. It is fertile, par- ticularly along the Schenevus creek and Charlotte river. The first settlements were made soon after the Revolution.


Prominent among the pioneers was Silas Crippen. He was supervisor eight years, justice of the peace; judge of the court, and a member of the state assembly in 1816. He built, about 1796, the first grist-mill and saw-mill in the town. His son Phillip was the first white child born in the town. He had


nine other children. Abram Garfield, the grandfather of Pres- ident Garfield, lived near Worcester and sleeps in a burial plot now in the heart of the village.


Other pioneers were John Waterman, Henry Stever, Moses Essex, Luther, Lester S., Thomas and Deacon Joseph Flint, Samuel Russ, Jonathan Jennings, Amos Belding, Hazard Smith, Samuel Hartwell, John P. Russ, John Pratt, J. H. Her- rington, J. B. Hollenbeck, Green White, John Alvord, David and Alpheus Scott and Philip Becker. Uriah Bigelow was the first physician in the town. Abraham Becker, a son of Philip, was a leading lawyer at South Worcester. A prominent pioneer at East Worcester was John Champion, a native of Connecticut. At twelve years of age, being too young to carry a musket, he entered the army of the Revolution as a teamster and served in this capacity until the close of the war. He then married and removed to the town of Worcester, where he settled on what is


WORCESTER


3


SCHONARY


Cary I's) Lake


84


WORCESTER


known as"Elliot Hill," which is now in Decatur. About 1805 he removed to East Worcester, where he built a grist mill and other buildings. He raised a family of twelve children, seven sons and five daughters, who have numerous descendants, among them a number of distinguished men. His son Aaron was the father of S. B. Champion, the well known editor of the Stam- ford Mirror.


1


.


WORCESTER HIGH SCHOOL


Among his interesting reminiscences of the early [times, Mr. Champion relates the following :


"The first doctor I remember was old Dr. Warner. He was one of the old fashioned kind, and did not believe in people continually pouring down medicine to keep well. He used to say that people doctored too much, as some politicians now say we are governed too much. Near us settled a newly-married couple. The wife was as neat as could be, and everything was in keeping with her personal appearance. Their first-born, a son, was


85


WORCESTER


kept, like a doll-baby, in the house. It did not thrive, and Dr. Warner was called in to see it. He looked it over, admired its perfect form and features, took it up and started out of the house with it. The mother was alarmed, and said the doctor would kill it if he did not bundle it up. It was in the spring, and the father of the child was making a garden. The doctor put it down in the newly made onion bed. The baby took up a handful of dirt and commenced eating it. The mother was more frightened, but it was allowed to eat all it wanted. Then the old doctor left them with the remark, "give it plenty of air, for its lungs, clean dirt for its bones, and you will have a large, rosy-cheeked, healthy child, instead of a poor, pale, weakly, emaciated creature."


Other early settlers near East Worcester were Joshua Bige- low, Joseph Bowers, James Lockwood, Isaac Caryl, Adolphus Gott, Calvin Jennings, Cary Pepper and Maj. Gen. James Stewart, whose father, James Stewart, was killed at the battle of Bunker Hill. His son, Dr. William Stewart, was a phys- ician at South Worcester for 60 years.


VILLAGES: There are three villages in this township, viz : Worcester (population 1,020), East Worcester (population 430) and South Worcester (population 150). Worcester is a flourish- ing village, provided with electric lights and with pure water from a mountain reservoir 80 feet deep.


SCHOOLS: Number of districts, 15; teachers, 23; children of school age, 470. The Worcester High School, under the Re- gents, has a modern building, complete scientific apparatus, a thorough academic course and a well selected library. The faculty consists of a principal and seven assistants.


CHURCHES: There are eight churches in the township, viz: At Worcester, Baptist, Catholic, Congregational and Meth- odist, at East Worcester, Baptist and Methodist, at South Wor- cester, Lutheran and Methodist.


NEWSPAPERS: The "Worcester Times," established 1876, published at Worcester.


-


OTEGO UNION SCHOOL


1


SCHOOL OF MUSIC


UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF


PROF. J. C. RINGWALD, Graduate of the Royal Conser- vatory of Music at Leipsic, Germany, and


MRS. ELLIE MORRIS-RINGWALD, a Graduate of the Same Institution.


BEST INSTRUCTION IN . . .


PIANO, ORGAN, VIOLIN, HARMONY, VOICE CULTURE, THEORY OF MUSIC AND COMPOSITION.


Mr. J. C. Ringwald is a member of the firm of DENNY & RINGWALD, who carry 14 Best and Standard makes of


PIANOS AND ORGANS


Including the World's Most STEINWAY AND WEBER


Renowned Pianos,


.


214 Main Street,


Oneonta, N. Y.


.


Geo. I. Wilber, President. E. A. Scramling, Cashier. Sam'l H. Potter, Ass't Cashier.


Wilber National Bank, ONEONTA, N. Y.


Capital, $100,000,00 Surplus, $200,000.00 Capital, Surplus and Deposits, over $1,700,000,00


("The growth and prosperity of a community are clearly indicated by the financial condition of its Banking Institutions. As an illustration the increasing deposits of the Wilber National Bank the past seven years plainly reflect a very gratifying condition:


Deposits, June 1896, -


-


$743,674 37


Deposits, June 1897,


-


$801,392.56


Deposits, June 1898,


-


-


$859,404.01


Deposits, June 1899 -


- $1,005.224,68


Deposits, June 1900, -


$1.082,173.91


Deposits, June 1901, -


1


$1,312,105.46


Deposits, June 1902, -


$1,452,177 27


The Bank also enjoys the distinction of having the largest surplus in proportion to its capital of any national bank in Central New York.


MORE THAN 130 PLACES HAVE BEEN SECURED BY US FOR ONEONTA GRADUATES . .


An Agency is valuable in proportion to its influence. If it merely hears of vacancies and tells you about them, that is something ; but if it is asked to recommend a teacher and recommends you, that is more. OURS RECOMMENDS.


C. W. BARDEEN,


910


-


SYRACUSE, N. Y.


N


Corporation Line


STREE


MAPLE


AN


NORTH.


SHERMAN


ANNEY


STATE


NORMAL-SCHOOL


Oneonta


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SP


Corporation Line


VA


NUT


STREET


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HOSPITAL


Greek


OP CNTTEN


CONTRAL


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CRU SHOO


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THEATER


R-03:00


TREET


HUDSON


D &H DEPOT


STATK


WORKS


Corporati MAP


CYUSA DUOT


OF THE VILLAGE OF


KAILRON


.GILBERT


MILLER


AUTHER


WILCOX PARK


Corporation SUSQUEHANNA


Copyright 1902


BY EDWIN F. BACON


ONEONTA OTSEGO Co. NEW YORK To accompany BACON'S HISTORY 1902 RIVER


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MALLLL VT


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STREET


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BAKER


ONEONTA MILLING COMPANY


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RIVER ST. EXT.


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WEST


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D&H SHOTS


ILE LAWARE


VIN


UNICH Ira


CLOSMIL-


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FAIR GROUND


MARKET


DAK S


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DRAPER


ST


STREET


SCALE


500 Feet


STREET


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Corporation Lint


..... ... PaoposED · · UNADILLA. VALLI


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