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OTSEGO COUNTY.
This county was erected from Montgomery, Feb. 16, 1791, and em¬
braced the 2 original towns of Otsego and Cherry Yalley. A part
of Schoharie was taken off in 1795, and a part of Delaware in 1797.
It lies upon the highlands at the head of Susquehanna Kiver, s. e.
of the center of the State. It is centrally distant 66 miles from
Albany, and contains 1,038 sq. mi. Its surface is a hilly upland,
divided into several ridges separated by deep, broad valleys. The
declivities are generally gradual; and the highest summits are 400
to 700 ft. above the valleys and 1,700 to 2,000 ft. above tide. The
ridges have a general n. e. and s. w. direction. A high and rocky
upland extends into the s. e. corner from Delaware, terminating
upon Schenevas Creek in an abrupt and wall-like declivity 300 to
500 ft. high. The other ridges of the co. have a nearly uniform elevation, and generally terminate
in steep declivities upon the valleys of the streams. The principal streams are Unadilla River,
forming the w. boundary, Wharton and Butternut, Oak, and Otego Creeks, Susquehanna River,
Cherry Yalley and Schenevas Creeks. Charlotte River forms a small portion of the s. boundary.
Besides these, there are a large number of smaller creeks and brooks, tributaries to the above. A
few small streams rise in the n. e. corner and flow into the Mohawk. Otsego Lake, in then. e. part,
is a fine sheet of water 8 mi. long and about 1 mi. broad. It is 1,193 ft. above tide, and is sur¬
rounded by hills 400 to 500 ft. high. Its outlet forms the principal head branch of the Susque¬
hanna. Schuyler Lake, n.w. of Otsego, is a similar sheet of water, 3J mi. long. The other bodies
of water in the co. are small ponds. The rocks in the n. e. corner consist of the limestones of the
Helderbergh division. The hills in the s. part are composed of the shales of the Hamilton group
and the shales and sandstones of the Portage and Chemung groups. The summits in the extreme
s. part and s. e. corner are crowned by the red sandstone and shales of the Catskiil group. Al¬
most all the valuable quarries of the co. are found in the limestone region of the n. e. The soil in
the n. e. is a good quality of gravelly and calcareous loam; but further south it is a clay and shaly
loam upon the hills, and a gravelly loam and alluvium in the valleys. The uplands are best adapted
to grazing; and the river intervales are well adapted to the cultivation of grain. The people are
principally engaged in stock raising and dairying. More than three-sevenths of all the hops pro¬
duced in the State are grown in this co. The manufacturing interests are limited, though the
available water-power is very great.
The county seat is located at Cooperstown, in the town of Otsego, at the foot of Otsego Lake.1
The courthouse is a brick edifice in the w. part of the village.2 The jail, near by,' is built of
stone, but has few of the modern improvements or conveniences. The average number of inmates
is 8, supported at a weekly cost of $3.00 each. The clerk’s office is a fireproof brick build¬
ing, contiguous to the courthouse. The co. poorhouse is situated upon a farm of 153 acres in
Middlefield, 4 mi. s. of Cooperstown. Its average number of inmates is 90. The children attend
the district school. The farm yields a revenue of SI,400. The general arrangement and manage¬
ment of this institution are far better than the average. The only work of internal improvement in
the co. is the Albany & Susquehanna R. R., now in process of construction. It extends along
Susquehanna River and Schenevas Creek, through Unadilla Otego, Oneonta, Milford, Maryland,
and Worcester.
Five weekly newspapers are published in the co.3
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by William Andrews. It soon after passed to John H.
Prentiss, who changed its name to
The Oooperstmvn Federalist, under which title it was published
until 1828, when the name was again changed to
The Freeman’s Journal. In 1850 it passed into the
hands of Samuel M. Shaw, by whom it is now pub¬
lished.
The Otsego Republican was published at Cherry Valley in 1812
by Clark & Crandal.
The Watcbtower was established at Cherry Valley in 1813. In
1814 it was removed to Cooperstown, where it was
published hy Israel W. Clark until May, 1817, when
Edward B. Crandal became proprietor, and continued
the publication until 1831. |
1
Thomas Farrington, of Tioga, Alvin Bronson, of Oswego,
and Archibald Campbell, of Dutchess, were the commissioners
appointed to locate the co. seat.
2
The first county officers were Wm. Cooper, First Judge;
Jacob Morris, County Cleric; Richard B. Smith, Sheriff; and
James Cannon, Surrogate.
3
8 The Otsego Herald and Western Advertiser, the first paper pub¬
lished in the co., and the second in the State w. of
Albany, was commenced at Cooperstown, April 3, 1795,
by Elihu Phinney, a native of Conn. Mr. Phinney con¬
tinued its publication until 1803, when he died. It was
then published by his sons, E. & H. Phinney, until
1821, when it was discontinued.
The Impartial Observer was established at Cooperstown in 1808
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