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OTSEGO COUNTY.
streams. The hills generally have gradual slopes and rounded summits, and are elevated 250 to
300 ft. above the valleys. The town is drained s. by Oak and Parker Creeks, flowing into the
Schenevas. The soil is a sandy and gravelly loam. Decatur^ (p. v.,) near the s. w. corner,
contains a church and 120 inhabitants. The first settlements were commenced in or about 1790,
by Jacob Kinney, originally from New Milford, Conn., at or near the village of Decatur.1 The
first religious association (M. E.) was formed at an early period.2
EOMESTOI—was formed from Burlington, April 1, 1808. It lies upon the w. border of the
co., n. of the center. The surface is an elevated upland, broken by numerous irregular valleys.
The highest elevations are 400 to 500 ft. above Unadilla River, which forms the w. boundary,
Wharton Creek flows across the s. e. corner. Mill Creek and several other small streams take their
rise in the town. Smiths Pond is a small sheet of water in the n. e. corner. The soil is a sandy
and clayey loam. Edmeston Center (Edmeston p. o.) contains 3 churches, a grist and saw
mill, and tannery. Pop. 275. West Edmeston, (p.v.,) on Unadilla River, and partly in
Brookfield, (Madison co.,) contains a church and 35 houses. South Edmeston (p. v.) con¬
tains a population of about 300 inhabitants. Of the first settlement in town, authentic data
of the precise date are wanting. It was made, however, on Unadilla River, during tbe interval
between the close of the French War, in 1763, and the commencement of that of the Revolution,
in 1775, by Col. Edmeston, an officer of the French War, and Percifer Carr, a faithful soldier who
had served under him.3 The first church (Bap.) was formed at Taylor Hill, March 8, 1794; Rev.
Stephen Taylor was the first preacher.4
EXETER—was formed from Richfield, March 25, 1799. It is an interior town, lying n. w.
of the center of the co. The surface is hilly and broken, consisting mainly of elevated uplands.
Angel and Tunnieliff Hills, lying in this town, are 400 to 500 feet above the valleys. The town
is drained e. by several small streams flowing into Schuyler Lake, and s. by Butternut and
Wharton Creeks, both of which are in this town. The soil is a clay and gravelly loam, well
adapted to grazing. Exeter Center (Exeter p. o.) contains 2 churches and 106 inhabitants.
Selmylers Lake, (p. v.,) at the outlet of Schuyler Lake, on the e. border of the town, contains
2 churches and 280 inhabitants. West Exeter (p. v.) contains 1 church and 100 inhabitants.
The first settlements were made by John Tunnieliff and Hendrick Herkimer, before the Revolu¬
tion, near Schuyler Lake, and William Angel, on Angel Hill, in 1789.5 The first church was Prot.
Epis.; Rev. Daniel Nash first pastor, in 1797.®
HARTWICK6— was formed from Otsego, March 30,1802. Its n. line was changed in 1803. it
is the central town in the co. It is a hilly upland, the highest summits being 200 to 350 ft. above
the valleys. Its e. part is drained by the Susquehanna, and its w. part by Otego Creek. The soil
is chiefly a sandy and gravelly loam, with an occasional mixture of clay. Hartwick, (p. v.,)
on Otego Creek, in the w. part, contains 4 churches, 2 iron founderies, several mills, and other
manufacturing establishments. Pop. about 400. Hartwick Seminary, (p. v.,) in the
valley of the Susquehanna, contains the “Hartwick Theological and Classical Seminary,”7 a
church, and 20 dwellings. Soutli Hartwick (p. v.) contains a church and 17 houses.
Toddsville, (p. v.,) upon the line of Otsego, in the n. e. corner of the town, contains the Union
Cotton Factory8 and about a dozen dwellings. Clintonville, a hamlet in the s. e. corner, is
the seat of the Clinton Cotton Factory.9 The Hartwick Patent, including the greater part of the
area of this town, was granted April 22, 1761; and settlements were made in the town before the
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Graves kept the first inn; and James Kenada erected the firsy
gristmill, both at Edmeston Center.
4 The census reports 5 churches; 2 Bap., 7th da. Bap., M.E.,
and Univ.
6 About the same time, or soon after, Asahel Williams and
Hagur Curtis settled in the s. part of the town; Joshua and
Caleb Angel, on Angel Hill; Seth Tubbs and Bethel Martin, at
West Exeter; T. Brooks and M. Cushman, on the flockdunga.
John Tunnieliff kept the first store and tavern. John Harts-
horne erected the first gristmill, on Herkimer Creek.
6 The census reports 6 churches; 2 M.E.,Cong., Bap., Prot. E.,
and Union.
7 Named from Chrisian John Hartwick, the patentee of the
Hartwick Patent.
8 This institution, established in 1815, was originally endowed
hy John Christopher Hartwick with a fund of $80,000.
9 The Union Cotton Factory was erected in 1809, and burned
down and rebuilt in 1848. It gives employment to about 40
hands.
10 The Clinton Factory, erected in 1847, gives employment to
35 hands, and turns out 624,000 yards of printed cottons pe*
annum. |
1
Jacob Brown, John and Calvin Seward, and Oliver McIntyre
settled soon after; and Sloan, from Columbia co., settled
near the village, in 1797. Mr. Sloan opened the first tavern
and the first store, N. of the village. John Champion erected the
first gristmill, and James Stewart the first carding and fulling
mill, about 1810. The first school was taught by Samuel Thur-
ber, in 1798. The first death is supposed to have been that of
Mr. King, about 1797.
2
The census reports 2 churches; M. E. and Bap.
3
® At the close of the war, Col. Edmeston, for his military ser¬
4
vices, received the grant of a tract of land covering a large por¬
5
tion of the town on which he made the first settlement. At his
6
England, from whom no safe title could be obtained for many
7
years,—which greatly retarded the settlement of the town.
8
During the Revolution, the hired men of Mr. Carr were killed
9
while at work, his barn was burned, his property destroyed, and
himself and family were taken prisoners by the British and In¬
dians and detained to the close of the war. Abel De Forest and
Gideon De Forest were among the early settlers on the Unadilla;
Aden Deming and James Kenada, at Edmeston; and Stephen
Taylor, on Taylor Hill, where the first school was taught. Rufus
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