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606 SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
n. part, is a p. o. The first settlements were made, in different parts of the town, in 1794.1 The
first preacher was Rev. Stephen Fenn.2
M S DBEEHLRGII—was formed from Schoharie, March 17, 1797, as “Middletown.” Its
name was changed in 1801. A part was re-annexed to Schoharie March 26, 1798. Fulton was
taken off in 1828, and parts were annexed to Broome in 1849. It is the central town upon the e.
border of the co. Its surface is a hilly upland, divided into two ridges by the valley of Schoharie
Greek, which extends N. and s. through the town. The highest summits are 600 to 800 ft. above
the valley.2 Schoharie Creek receives Little Schoharie Creek from the e. and Line Kil from the
w. The hills bordering upon the streams are usually steep and in many places precipitous. The
soil is a clayey loam upon the hills, and a sandy loam in the valleys. Hops and broomcorn are
extensively cultivated. MMdlefourgli, (p.v.,) upon.Schoharie Creek, contains 5 churches, a
private seminary, 2 steam paper mills, a steam gristmill, 2 foundries, and 110 dwellings. Hunters
Eaiid? (p.v.,) near the s.e. corner, contains 2 churches, a sawmill, gristmill,2foundries,and 101
inhabitants. Mill Valley, on the line of Fulton, contains 2 large tanneries, a gristmill, and 25
dwellings. The first settlements were made by Palatinates, in 1711.3 The middle fort of Scho¬
harie stood a little below the present site of Middleburgh Tillage during the Revolution. There
are eleven churches in town.4
RICHMOMIEIEEE—was formed from Cobleskill, April 11, 1845. It lies upon the w.
border of the co., a little s. of the center. The surface is a hilly upland, separated into two
distinct parts by the valley of Cobles Kil, which extends e. and w. through the center. The
highest summits are 500 to 700 ft. above the valley. The soil is generally a clayey loam. Hops
are extensively cultivated. Kiclimoiiclville,5 (p.v.,) near the center, contains 3 churches, a
foundery, sawmill, gristmill, and 370 inhabitants. Warner ville,6 (p. v.,) upon Cobles Kil, at
the mouth of West Kil, contains 2 churches, a boarding seminary,7 2 tanneries, and 44 dwellings.
West Richmond Ville is a p. o. The first settlement was made before the Revolution, by
George Warner and Ms sons Nicholas, George, and Daniel, from Schoharie.8 The census reports
5 churches in town.10
SCHOHARIE—was formed as a district March 24, 1772, and as a town March 7, 1788.
Sharon, Cobleskill, Middleburgh, and Blenheim were taken off in 1797, and Esperance and Wright
in 1846. A part of Middleburgh was re-annexed in 1798, and a part of Esperance in 1850. It
lies in the N. e. part of the co., its n. e. corner bordering on Schenectady co. Its surface is a hilly
upland, broken by the deep valleys of the streams. The declivities of the hills are generally
gradual slopes, and their summits are 400 to 500 ft. above the valleys.11 Schoharie Creek flows n.
through near the center, receiving Foxes Creek from the e. and Cobles Kil from the w. In the
limestone region in this town are numerous caverns.12 The soil upon the hills is a clayey loam,
and in the valleys a gravelly loam and alluvium. Hops and broom corn are largely cultivated.
Schoharie, (p.v.,) the county seat, is situated upon Schoharie Creek, s. of the center of the
town. Besides the co. buildings, jt contains 3 churches, the Schoharie Academy, 2 newspaper
oflices, an arsenal, and a bank. Pop. 806. Central Bridge, (p. v.,) at the mouth of Cobles
Kil, contains a church, sawmill, gristmill, machine shop, and 12 dwellings. Barton Hill is a
p. o., near the n. e. corner. The first settlement was made in 1711, by a colony of German Palati-
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7 Named from Capt. Geo. Warner, the first settler.
8 Warnerville Seminary was built in 1851, at a cost of about
$25,000, grounds and furniture being $3,000 additional. It has ac¬
commodations for 200 boarding students. A school was in operation
about 3 years, when it was closed aud has not since been opened.
9 Geo. Mann, John and Henry Shafer, Andrew Michael, Elijah
Hadseli, John Lick, and John Dingman settled soon after the Revo¬
lution. The first school (German) was taught by Skinsky.
The first inn was kept by Bohall; the first store by Geo. Skill-
mans; the first sawmill was built hy a company of settlers; and
the first gristmill by David Lawyer, on Cobles Kil. The town is
comprised in the Skinner and portions of the Franklin, John F.
Bouck, and B. Glazier Patents. Bouok’s Patent, of3,600 acres, was
granted March 19,1754, and Glazier’s, of 3,000 acres, July 28,1772.
10 2 M. E., Bap., Evan. Luth., and Christian.
11 The grade of the Albany & Susquehanna R. R., upon the
n. line of this town, is 550 ft. above tide.
12 Ball’s Cave, otherwise called Gebhard’s Cave, 4 mi. E. of the
courthouse, was first explored in Sept. 1831. It descends about
100 ft. Below the surface. A stream of water, with small cascades,
flows through it, and a boat is kept for the use of visitors. About
1853, it was purchased by W. H. Knoepfel, of N. Y., with the
design of making it a popular place of resort. When first ex¬
plored, it abounded in magnificent stalactites, of the purest
white, translucent and fibrous. Nethaway’s Cave, 2 mi. s. E. of
the courthouse, was explored in 1836, by John Gebhard, jr., and
Johns Bonny. A few fine specimens of colored rhombohedral
spar were found in it. |
1
Amos and Caleb Northrop settled in the e. part; Samuel and
Noah Judson, near Utsyanthia Lake; Henry Shelmerdine and
James McKenzie, on West Kil; Stephen Marvin, Erastus Judd,
and Aaron Jones, near the village. These were mostly from
New England. The first marriage was that of Marvin Judd
and Lois Gibbs, Aug. 1800; and tho first death, that of Elsie
Judd, in June, 1799. Heman Hickok taught the first school, in
1799. Canfield Coe kept the first inn, in 1794; and Rodman
Lewis the first store, in 1800. Stephen Judd built the,first saw¬
mill, in 1796; and Hemau Hickok the first gristmill, in 1799.
Eli Jones built the first tannery, in 1810.
2
8 A hill opposite Middleburgh Village was named On-ean-ge-
na, “ Mountain of Snakes.” A mountain just above Middle¬
burgh, on the w. side, was called O-nis-ta-gia-wa; the one next
w., To-wok-nou-ra, or “Spring Hill;” and the one S. e. of Middle¬
burgh, Mo-he-gou-ter.
3
This town comprises parts of Schoharie Patent, Lawyer’s &
Zimmer’s 1st Allotment, Thos. Eckerson’s, Becker & Ecberson’s,
Thos. & Cornelius Eckerson’s, Clark’s, Depeyster’s, Vrooman’s,
John Butler’s, Bouck’s, Lawrence Lajvyer’s, Nicholas Mattice’s,
and the Vlaie Patents.
4
2 M. E., Evan. Luth., Ref. Prot. D., True Dutch &Prot. Epis.
5
Richmondville Union. Seminary and Female Collegiate In¬
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stitute was built by a joint stock company in 1852, at a cost of
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$24,000, including grounds, buildings, and furniture. It was
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burned Dec. 13,1853, and was immediately rebuilt at a cost of
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