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DELAWARE COUNTY.
The co. seat is located at Delhi.1 The present courthouse was erected in 1820.2 The co. clerk’s
office and jail3 are in separate buildings, adjacent to the courthouse. The poorhouse is an old, two
story wood building, situated upon a farm of 175 acres about 2 mi. s. of Delhi Tillage. The
average number of inmates is 65, supported at a cost of $1.00 per week each. The farm yields an
income of $250. The N. Y. & Erie R. R. extends along the Delaware, and the Albany & Susque¬
hanna R. R. through the n. w. corner. Soon after the completion of the N. Y. & E. R. R., in 1849,
plank roads were built, extending from several of the stations into the interior of the co.4
The co. has 7 weekly newspapers.5
The Hardenburgh Patent,6 embracing 10 mi. square, lying s. of the e. branch of the Delaware,
was granted April 10, 1708, to Johannes Hardenburgh, of Kingston, Ulster Co., and associates,
who had previously purchased the lands of the Indians. A tract of 250,000 acres, between
the w. branch of the Delaware and a line a mi. e. from the Susquehanna, was bought from
the Indians at “ Johnson Hall,” Montgomery co., June 14, 1768, by John Harper, Sen., and Gen.
Wm., Joseph, and Alex. Harper and others. On the s.e. side it extended from Utsyanthia Lake
down the Delaware to the mouth of a small stream called Camskutty. Within this tract 5 towns,
with full privileges of townships, were created by patent in 1770; but in none of them was an
organization ever effected under this authority.7
Under their grant of 10 mi. square the proprietors of the Hardenburgh Patent claimed all the
land between the branches of the Delaware, and leased it to actual settlers.8 In 1844, the settlers,
who had previously paid annual rents, refused longer to submit to what they believed to be a wrong
and fraud, and they called for legislative and judicial aid. In the mean time, the lessors prosecuted
for rent. In 1845, associations were formed to prevent the collection of rent; and when the sheriff
attempted to make a levy, or to sell property for rent, men disguised as Indians appeared to prevent
the sale, determined thus to stay proceedings until the question of title should be legally settled.
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The Franklin Visitor, and is still published.
The Walton Journal, commenced in 1856 by E. P. Berray, was
continued 2 years.
The Village Record was established at Hobart in 1856,
by G. VV. Albright.
The Walton Blade was commenced in 1856 by E. P. Berray, but
was soon after discontinued.
6 Most of the Hardenburgh Patent was surveyed by Ebenezer
Wooster, in 1749; and in that year the proprietors released to
each other certain lots, bounded by monuments on the Delaware
and Papakunk Kivers. After the Devolution it was found that
the monuments were lost, and an act, passed March 29,1790,
appointed Charles Tappen and Jas. Cockburn commissioners
to make a survey of certain lines, to be properly marked by
stone heaps every 2 mi. along the division lines. The tract was
divided into great tracts, numbered from 1 to 42. Of these, 35
to 42 lay between the branches of the Delaware, and parts of 2
to 8 s. of the e. branch.
7 These towns were as follows:
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Names of
Townships. |
Date of
Patent. |
Acres. |
Patentees. |
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Bedlington,
Franklin,
Goldsborough,
Strasburgh,
Whiteborough, |
May 24,1770,
Feb. 26,1770,
June 15, 1770,
Dec. 4, 1770,
March 10,1770, |
27.000
30.000
6,000
37.000
38.000 |
John Lake and asso¬
ciates.
ThomasWharton and
Reese Meredith.
Edward Tudor, Ber¬
nard Ratzer, and
John Clark.
John Butler and asso¬
ciates.
Henry White and as¬
sociates. |
The quitrents of these lands were fixed at 2 shillings sixpence
per 100 acres, payable annually on the Feast of the Annuncia¬
tion of B. V. M. There was generally in the patent 1 name to
each 1000 acres of the grant, although the bona fide owners were
usually few in numbers.
8 A select committee of the Assembly, in 1846, reported the
following tracts under lease in this co.: Kortright Patent, 20,000
acres, mostly leased in fee, at sixpence sterling per acre. It
was offered for sale at $2 per acre. Desbrosses Tract, (Harden¬
burgh Patent,) 60,000 acres, mostly leased in fee between 1790
and 1807, at 1 shilling per acre after the first 7 years. Farms
from 100 to 200 acres. Morgan Lewis Estate, 20,000 acres, about
15.000 under perpetual lease, at 20 bush, of wheat per 100 acres
after 15 years: for the first 5 of the 15 years it was rent free, 5
years for one-half rent, and 5 for three-quarters. O. and
S. Verplanck, 3 tracts, originally 50,000 acres, of which less than
20.000 were under .lease. R. R. Livingston and Mrs. Mont¬
gomery, 20,000 acres, under perpetual lease, on a rent of 20 bush,
of wheat per 100 acres. Cen. Armstrong, 8,000 acres, under
lease for 3 lives, at 20 bush, of wheat per 100 acres. Hunter's
and Overing’s large tracts in this co., Sullivan, and Greene, ia
fee, with a rent of 12J to 15 or 18 cents per acre. |
1
The courthouse was located by the judges, justices, and
supervisors; and the sum of $1200 was granted April 4, 1798,
for the erection of the co. buildings, on a lot given by Levi Bax¬
ter and George Fish. Under an act of March 28, 1806, the
sheriff’s mileage was reckoned from the courthouse; and under
an act of June 18,1812, a tavern was allowed to be kept in the
courthouse. The courthouse and jail was burned April 17,1820,
and a prisoner confined for some trifling offence perished in the
flames. An act passed April 11,1820, authorized a loan of $8000
for rebuilding, and the present edifice was erected in the sum¬
mer of that year. About a dozen prisoners, on “ the limits” at
the time the jail was burned, were released upon bail; and it
happened that while the co. was without a jail there was no
occasion for its use; but within a few hours after a prison room
was so far completed as to hold a prisoner, it was needed and
occupied.
2
Supervisors’ meetings and courts were held at the house of
Gideon Frisbie until the courthouse was completed. The first
co. officers were Joshua H. Brett, First Judge; Patrick Lamb,
Wm. Horton, and Gabriel North, Judges; Isaac Hardenburgh
and Alex. Leal, Mss£. Justices: Ebenezer Foote, Clerk; Elias
Butler, Sheriff; and Anthony Marvin, Surrogate.
3
The jail is of wood, warmed by furnaces. It contains 4
rooms, and generally has 1 or 2 inmates.
4
During the first 10 years of this century several turnpikes
were built through this co., and these tended greatly to pro¬
mote settlement, by opening routes to market.
5
Tlie Delaware .Gazette was established at Delhi,
Nov. 18,1819, by John Jas. Lappan. In 1833 it was
sold to A. M. Paine, by whom it is now published.
The Delaware Republican was started at Delhi, July 4,1822, by
Elijah J. Roberts, and was continued about 2 years.
The Delaware Journal was started at Delhi in 1834, by Geo.
Marvine, and was continued 1 year. It was revived by
Boune & McDonald, but was again discontinued.
Tlie Delaware Fxpress was started at Delhi, in Jan.
1839, by Norwood Bowne, the present publisher.
6
Voice of the People, an anti-rent paper established at Delhi in
1845, by Wm. S. Hawley, was continued about 4 years.
The Deposit Courier was started in March, 1849, by C. E. Wright,
and was continued till May, 1853. From the same office,
in Sept. 1853, Sylvester D. Hulse issued
Tlie Deposit Union Democrat, and still continues to
publish it.
Tlie Bloomville Mirror was begun May 28,1851, by
S. B. Champion. The first number contained but 101
words, and till July no price was fixed. The “ office,”
located in the corner of a mill, consisted of 10 lbs, of
type without a press; and the paper was “ printed” by
striking with a mallet on a block laid over the type.
It has grown into respectable size, and has an unusually
large patronage for a country newspaper. It is now
printed on a power press.
7
Tlie Hobart Free Press was started Jan. 1855,by E. B.
Fenn.
8
The Weekly Visitor was commenced April 14,1855, at Franklin,
by Geo. W. Reynolds. It has been changed to
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