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MADISON COUNTY.
BROOKFIELD—was formed from Paris, (Oneida'co.,) March 5, 1795; and Columbus
(Chenango co.) was taken off in 1805. It is the s. e. corner, town of the co. Its surface is a hilly
upland, broken by the valleys of Unadilla River and Beaver Creek. Unadilla River forms the e.
boundary. Beaver Creek flows through near the center, and the e. branch of the Chenango through
the n. w. part. Several smaller streams take their rise in the town. The soil is a gravelly loam.
Clarkville,1 (Brookfield p.o., ) incorp. April 5, 1834, contains 2 churches, the Brookfield Aca¬
demy, a hoe and fork manufactory, gristmill, and tannery. Pop. 578. Leonardsville (p. v.)
contains 1 church, a bank, and several manufactories.2 Pop.366. North Brookfield (p.v.)
has 275 inhabitants. South Brookfield (p. o.) is a hamlet, and De Lancey3 a p. o. The first
settlement was made by Daniel Brown, in 1791.4 The census reports 6 churches in town.5
CAZENOVIA6—was formed from Paris and Whitestown, (Oneida co.,) March 5, 1795. De
Ruyter was taken off in 1798, Sullivan in 1803, Smithfield and Nelson in 1807, and a part of Fenner
in 1823. It is the central town upon the w. border of the co. Its surface is a rolling upland,
broken by the valleys of Chittenango and Limestone Creeks. The summits of the hills are 300
to 500 feet above the valleys. Owahgena or Cazenovia Lake, in the n. part of the town, is a
beautiful sheet of water about 4 mi. long. Its outlet—Chittenango Creek—forms a part of tlie
boundary between this town and Fenner. In its course it has a fall of several hundred feet, afford¬
ing a great number of valuable mill sites. At the Chittenango Fall the water plunges in a beautiful
cascade perpendicularly over a ledge of limestone rock 136 feet in height. Limestone Creek flows
across the s. part of the town. Hydraulic and common limestone are quarried near Chittenango
Falls. ' The soil in the N. and central parts is a gravelly loam, and in the s. a clayey loam under¬
laid by hardpan. Cazenovia, (p. V.,) incorp. Feb. 7,1810, is beautifully situated on Chittenango
Creek, at the foot of Cazenovia Lake. It contains 7 churches, an academy,7 a bank, and several
manufactories.8 Pop. 1629. New Woodstock (p.v.) contains 2 churches and 273 inhabit¬
ants. Chittenang'6 Falls is a p.o. Settlement was commenced in 1793, by John Lincklaen,
from Amsterdam, Holland.6 The first church (Presb.) was organized May 17, 1799, with 5 mem¬
bers ; and the Rev. Joshua Leonard was the first pastor. The census reports 9 churches in town.7
DE RUTTER8—was formed from Cazenovia, March 15, 1798. Georgetown was taken off in
1815, and German (Chenango co.) in 1806. It is the s, w. corner town of the co. Its surface con¬
sists of hilly upland, broken by the valley of Tioughnioga River. The summits of the hills are
400 to 500 ft. above the valleys. The principal streams are Tioughnioga River and its tributaries..
The soil is a gravelly and sandy loam on the hills and alluvium in the valleys. De Ruyter,
(p. v.,) incorp. April 15, 1833, contains 3 churches, an academy,9 and several manufactories.10 Pop.
727. Sheds Corners is a p. o. The first settlers were Elijah and Elias Benjamin and Eli
Colgrove, in 1793.11 The first church (Bap.) was formed by Elder Joel Butler, Nov. 5, 1799.15
EATON16—was formed from Hamilton, Feb. 6, 1807. It is an interior town, situated near
tlie center of the co. The surface is a rolling upland, broken by the valley of Chenango River
into two ridges, whose summits are 400 to 600 ft. in height. The Chenango flows s. through the
center. The outlet of the Eaton ReserVoir flows through a deep, narrow ravine, and affords a large
number ef valuable mill sites. Hatchs Lake and Bradley Brook Reservoir, and several smaller
reservoirs, are in this town. The soil is a gravelly loam, intermixed with clay in the valleys.
Morrisville,17 (p. v.,) situated on Chenango River, was incorp. April 13, 1819. It contains 3
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in 1793; and Joseph Simms, Isaac Moss, Gideon Freeman, and
David Fay soon after. The first birth was that of a child of
Noah Taylor, in 1794. John Lincklaen built the first saw and
grist mills, in 1794.
10 2 Bap., 2 M. E., Cong., Presb., Prot. E., Union, and Univ.
11 Named from Admiral De Ruyter, of the Dutch Navy.
12 The De Ruyter Institute is under the care of the Seventh Day
Baptist denomination.
18 2 tanneries, 2 sawmills, a gristmill, oil mill, furnace, and
cabinetware manufactory.
w Joseph Messenger and Sam’l Thomson settled in the town
in 1795. Darius Benjamin, Justus, Jeremiah, and Ebenezer
Gage, and Daniel Page were also early settlers. The first birth
was that of Frederick Benjamin, about 1798: Joseph Messenger
opened the first inn, in 1796; Samuel Bowen kept the first store;
Joseph Rich built the first sawmill, in 1807, and the first grist¬
mill, in 1809. The first school was taught by 'Elj Gage, in- the
winter of 1799.
15 There are 6 churches in town; 2 Friends, and 1 each Bap.,
Seventh Day Bap., M. E., and Presb.
16 Named from Gen. Wm. Eaton, commander of the U. S. mili¬
tary forces in the expedition to Tripoli.
17 Named from a family of early settlers in town. |
1
Named from Joseph Clark, formerly State Senator.
2
A fork manufactory, gristmill, sawmill, and tannery.
3
In and near Cazenovia, on Chittenango Creek, are a woolen
4
* John and Elias Button, Lawton Palmer, Sami. H. Burdick,
Sami. Billings, David Maine, Stephen Collins, Thos. and James
Kogers, and Paul and Perry Maxson settled in the town in 1792.
Stephen Hoxie, Simeon, Nathaniel, and Eleazer Brown, Henry
Clark, Robert Randall, Asa Frink, Ethan, Oliver, and Phineas
Babcock, Ira and Nathan Burdick, and Youman York were also
early settlers. John Button built the first gristmill, in 1792;
and Reuben Leonard opened the first store, in 1801. The first
school was taught by Asa Carrier, in the winter of 1796-97.
5
2 Seventh Day Bap., 2 M. E., Bap., Univ.
6
factory, paper mill, oil mill, town clock factory, furnace, ma¬
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chine shop, 2 gristmills, and a sawmill.
8
2 Archibald Bates, Wm. Gillett, Wm. Miles, Benj. Pierson,
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Noah Taylor, Sami. S. Forman, Ira Peck, Nathan Webb, Shubael
10
Brooks, and others named Tyler and Auger settled in the town
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