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OTSEGO COUNTY.
Burlington Green, (Burlington p. o.,) on Butternut Creek, near the center, contains 3
churches and 118 inhabitants; Burlington Flats, (p.v.,) on Wharton Creek, n. w. of the
center, 2 churches, a tannery, gristmill, sawmill, and about 30dwellings; and West Burling¬
ton, (p.v.,) on Wharton Creek, a church and 143 inhabitants. The first settlement was com¬
menced near West Burlington, in 1799, by Robert Garrat and Eber and Benjamin Harrington.1
The first church (Bap.) was formed at Burlington Green, in 1793; Rev. James Southworth was
the first minister.2
BUTTERXIJTS—was formed from Unadilla, Feb. 5, 1796. Morris was taken off in 1849
and a part of Unadilla was annexed in 1857. It lies upon the w. border of the co., s. w. of the
center. Its surface is a hilly upland, divided into several ridges extending sr. and s. Unadilla
River, forming its w. boundary, is bordered by a narrow intervale, from which the highlands rise in
a series of steep bluffs to a height of 500 to 600 ft. Butternut Creek flows s. w. in a deep valley
through near the center of the town. A large number of smaller streams, tributaries to these,
flow in deep valleys among the hills, dividing the ridges and giving to the region a peculiar broken
character. The hills are arable to their summits, and the soil is a good quality of red shale and
gravelly loam. Gilbertsvilie, (Butternuts p. o.,) near the center, contains 4 churches, the
Gilbertsvilie Academy and Collegiate Institute, 3 carriage factories, tannery, and various other
manufacturing establishments. Pop. 442. Settlements were commenced in 1788-89, at Gilberts-
ville, by Gordon and Wyatt Chamberlin and Abijah Gilbert.3 The first church (Cong.) was formed
Sept. 3, 1797; Rev. Wm. Stone was the first preacher.4
CHERRY TALLEY—was formed from Canajoharie, (Montgomery co.,)' Feb. 16, 1791.
Middlefield, Springfield, and Worcester were taken off in 1797, and Roseboom in 1854. It is the
n. e. corner town of the co. Its surface is a hilly and mountainous upland; and much of it is too
rough and rocky for cultivation. Mount Independence, s. s. of the center, is a rocky eminence
1,000 ft. above the valleys and 2,000 ft. above tide. It is the highest summit in the co. A range
of highlands extends along the n. w. boundary. The central and s. parts of the town are drained
by the head branches of the Susquehanna, and the n. part by tributaries of the Mohawk. Tho
soil upon the uplands is a slaty and gravelly loam, and in the valleys a fine quality of calcareous
loam. Upon a small creek in the n. part are the Tekaharawa Falls, 160 feet in height. In the
vicinity are several sulphur springs and quarries of limestone. In the n. w. corner are several
springs of weak brine, from which salt was formerly manufactured. CSaerry Valley,5 (p.v.,)
at the head of the valley of Cherry Yalley Creek, was incorp. June 8, 1812. It contains 3 churches,
tlie Cherry Yalley Academy,6 a bank, newspaper office, gristmill, 2 melodeon factories, and 1
furnace. Pop. 1,000. Salt Springville7 (p.o.) is a hamlet in the n. w. corner. The first set¬
tlement was made on the present site of the village, in 1739, by John Lindesay, an emigrant from
the Londonderry Colony of Scotch-Irish in N. H.8 The first religious services were held in 1743,
by Rev. Samuel Dunlop, a native of Ireland.9
BECATFR10—was formed from Worcester, March 25, 1808. It lies upon the e. line of the
co., s. of the center. The surface is hilly, and broken by the narrow valleys of several small
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6 This institution was incorp. Feb. 8,1796, and is the oldest
academy w. of Schenectady. Its first principal was Rev. Solo¬
mon Spaulding, the reputed author of the Book of Mormon;
his successor was Rev. Eliphalet Nott, the venerable President
of Union College. The institution has maintained a high repu¬
tation for more than half a century; and the female department
under its present organization has attained a wide celebrity.
< Named from the brine springs in the vicinity.
8 Mr. Lindesay was one of the original proprietors of Cherry
Valley, under a patent granted in 1738, by George Clarke, then
Lieut. Governor Of New York, to John Lindesay, Jacob Rose¬
boom, and others. David Ramsey and James Campbell, from
Londonderry, N. H., and Wm. Galt and Wm. Dickson, from Ire¬
land, settled on the patent, in 1742, at and near the village.
John Wells, from Ireland, settled at the village, in 1744. From
the fear of Indian hostilities, the settlement of Cherry Valley
proceeded slowly, there being in 1752, 12 years after the first
settlement, but 8 families in the town; and at the breaking out
of the Revolution, in 1775, the number of families did not exceed
60. James Ritchie kept the first store and inn, anterior to the
war; and James Campbell erected the first gristmill, in 1743-44.
John Wells erected the second gristmill. Rev. Samuel Dunlop
taught a classical school at his own house, in 1743-44,—the first
probably, of the kind w. of the Hudson. The whole settlement
was destroyed by the Indians, and the greater part of the in¬
habitants were murdered and taken prisoners, on the evening of
Oct. 11, 1778. See page 531.
» The census reports 4 churches; 2 M. E., Presb., and Prot E,
10 Named in honor of Commodore Stephen Decatur. |
1
Paul Gardner settled in 1792, and Benj. Card, Willis Potter,
Caleb Gardner, Alexander Parker, Ira Johnson, John Johnson,
Lemuel Hubbell, and SamT Hubbard, about the same time or
soon after, in the vicinity of Burlington FlatB. The first school
was taught by Jos. Wright, at Burlington Green. Paris Briggs
and Willard Church kept the first inns, andWalbridge & Co. the
first store, at Burlington Flats. Augustus and Adolphus Wal-
bridge erected the first mill, at the same place.
2
There are 7 churches in town; 4 Bap., Presb., Scotch Presb.,
3
and Friends.
4
s Daniel and John Eastwood were among the first settlers in
the w. part of the town, and Joseph T. Gilbert, Wm. Musson,
Dr. John Burgess, John Marsh, and Joseph Cox near the center.
The first child born was Jacob M. Houck, about 1790, and the
first death of an adult was that of Sami. Shaw, in 1799; the first
marriage was that of Jos. Cox and Betsey Nichols. The first school
was taught by Levi Halbert, at the house of Jos. Cox. Abijah
Gilbert kept the first inn, at Gilbertsvilie, and Timothy Dimmick
the first store in town, about 1790. The first miU was erected
by Joseph Shaw and Abijah Gilbert.
5
* The cens. reports 5 churches; Cong., Presb., Prot. E., Bap., M.E.
6
This place has been the residence of several of the distin¬
7
guished political and professional men in the State, among whom
8
were John Wells, Esq., the distinguished lawyer of N. Y. City;
9
Hon. Wm. W. Campbell, author of the “Annals of Tryon Co.;”
Bev. EliphaletNott; Jabez D. Hammond, Esq., author of “Poli¬
tical History of New York;” Hon. Levi Beardsley, author of
“Reminiscences ofiOtsego;” Alvan Stewart, Esq.; and James O.
10
Morse, Esq.
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