- -I -Mll - - = MM ~~~~~ —--- ---- -- CITY HALL AND PARK OF NEW YORK. A GEOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: EMhBRACING ITS HISTORY, GOVERNMENT, PHYSICAL FEATURES, CLIMATE, GEOLOGY, MINERALOGY, BOTANY, ZOOLOGY, EDUCATION, INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS, &c. WITH A SEPARATE MAP OF EACH COUNTY. THE WHOLE FORMING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE STATE. BY J. H, MATHER AND L. P. BROCKETT, M. P. UTICA: PUBLISHED BY JOHN W. FULLER & CO. 1851. Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1848, by H. H. HAWLEY & CO., in the Clerk's office of the District Court of the Northern District of New York. PREFACE. Tins Work has been prepared with great care and labor and presents the following claims to the patronage of the people of New York. It gives historical sketches of the first settlement of the state, and of each County, compiled from the most authentic sources, also the date of the settlement of each town, in chronological order. It presents the Geography of the State, accc.manied by Maps of the State, and of each County,- correctly celineating the county and towh lines of boundary, and representing the localities of the most important cities and villages. These maps are of very great importance to the scholar and reader of this work, aiding him in his knowledge ol lo(ality, without which all geographical research is only sulerfcial. In the absence of a reference map, they serve as a substitute to a good degree, especially in defining the boundaries of counties and towns, being free from names, they are perfectly distinct to the eye. It also gives all the most valuable particulars of the late Geological Survey, not only in relation to the Geology and Mineralogy, but also to the Eotany and Zoology of tle State. To the Politician it is a valuable manual, furnishirg him with the new Constitution, the organization ol the different departments of the State Goverr ment, the history of the land purchases, which have been the source of much controversy in the State, and the Statistics of wealth, manufactures and population in each County. To the friend of education, this book is valuable on account of its full and accurate statistics of the history, progress. and present condition of the Public Schools, the Normal School, the Universities, Colleges and Academies in the state, together with the Common School System.* It is emphatically a book FOR. TEE FAMILY, and as such we offer it to the people of the State of' New York. *Sooon after this work w.ent to press the office of County Superintendant of Schools was abolished by the Legislalure. 80 79 78 76 75 71 7 3 A72 71 -42 2 12 ~~~5~5O59 I <2 / 18 AA 17'~ 3 0D 41, 51 22 1 1 406i3 6- 2 3 — 13, 3 23 ra~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - CONT ENTS. PHYSICAL FEATURES OF NEW YORK, 13. Lakes, 15. Boundaries, 13. Rivers, 17. General Features, 13. CLIMATE OF NEW YORK. 18. NATURAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY, 21. Class II Aves-birds, 39. Tabular View of the Rocks of New Class III Reptiles, 43. York, 24. Class IV Amphibia, 43. Mineralogy, 29. Class V Fishes, 43. Mineral Springs, 30. Class VII Crustacea, 46. BOTANY, 32. Class VIII Mollusca, 46. ZOOLOGY, 39. Class IX Insects, 47. Class I Mammalia, 39. CIVIL HISTORY OF NEW YORK. DUTCH COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION, 48. Mines, 101. Discovery and Settlement, 48. GJVERNMENT OF NEW YORK, 102. Director Minuit's Administration, 50. Constitution of New York, 102. Director Van Twiller's Administra- Government of Counties, Towns, tion, 52. and Villages, 119. Director Kieft's Administration, 53. PUBLIC EDUCATION, 120. Governor Stuyvesant's Administra- Origin and History of the Common tion, 58. School System, 120. ENGLISH COLONIAL GOVERNMENT, 62. Present Condition of Common The State Administration, 77. Schools, 121. INTERNAL IMPROVEMIENTS, 94. State Normal School, 123. PURSUITS OF THIE PEOPLE. 100. City School Organization, 124. Agriculture, 100. Universities, Colleges, and AcadeCommerce, 100. lnies, 126. Manufactures, 101. GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES. Land Purchases, 129. VI Richmond, 169. I Albany County, 131. VII Westchester, 173. II New York County, 139. ViiI Ulster, 181. Long Island, 152. IX Dutchess, 186. III Kings County, 154. X Orange, 191. IV Qeens, 159. XI Montgomery, 199. V Suffolk, 164. XII Washington, 204. XII CONTENTS, XIII Columbia, 209. XXXVII Broomre, 323. XIV Clinton, 214. XXXVIII Madison, 326, XV Ontario, 219. XXXIX Cattaraugus, 330, XVI Herkimer, 223. XL Chautauque, 334. XVII Rensselaer, 228. XLI Cortland, 340. XVIII Otsego, 233. XLII Franklin, 343. XIX Saratoga, 239. XLIII Niagara, 347. XX Onondaga, 248. XLIV Sullivan, 354. XXI Tioga, 254. XLV Schenectady, 357. XXII Schoharie, 257. XLVI Putnam, 361. XXIII Steuben, 262. XLVII Warren, 364. XXIV Delaware, 266. XLVIII Oswego, 369. XXV Chenango, 269. XLIX Tompkins, 373. XXVI Iockland, 273. L Erie, 377. XXVII Oneida, 277. LI Livingston, 382. XXVIII Cayuga, 286. LlI MHlonroe, 388. XXIX Essex, 290. LIII Yates, 393. XXX Greene, 295. LIV Wayne, 396. XXXI Genesee, 299. LV Orleans, 399. XXXII St. Lawrence, 302. LVI Chemung, 402. XXXIII Seneca, 307. LVII Fulton, 406. XXXIV Lewis, 310. LVIII Hamilton, 410. XXXV Jefferson, 313. LIX Wyoming, 413. XXXVI Allegany, 320. STATISTICAL TABLES. Table I 417. Table IV 430. Table It 420. Table V 431. Table III 423. Table VI Governors of the state, 43,W SIGNS USED ON THE MAPS. ~' Capital of the State. Q County Seats. Villages not County Seats. Universities and Colleges. 4 Forts. / Battle Fields. k Falls. STATE OF NEW YORK. TOPOGRAPHICAL GEOGRAPHY. PHYSICAL FEATURES OF NEW YORK. Square Miles, 45,658, (exclusive of the Lakes.) Population, 2,603,995. Date of discovery, 1609. Valuation in 1845, $605.646,095. Boundaries. New York is bounded North by Lake Ontario, the river St. Lawrence and Canada; East by Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut; South by the Atlantic Ocean, NeW'v Jersey and Pennsylvania; West by Pennsylvania, Lake Erie and the Niagara river. Its extreme length from North to South is 310 miles; from East to West, including Long Island, 408 miles; exclusive of that island 340 miles. It extends from 40~ 30' to 45~ North Latitude, and from 5~ 05' East to 2a 55' West Longitude from Washington. General Features. The Hudson and Mohawk rivers naturally divide the State into three sections, of unequal size. The first comprises Long Island, and that portion of the State lying east of the Hudson river and Lake George. The second embraces all of the State lying north of the Mohawk and Oswego rivers; and the third and largest, the vast, fertile tract, south of those two rivers. These three sections may be called the Eastern, Northern and Southern. The ranges of mountains of these different sections are numerous, and some of them quite elevated. In the Eastern division, the Taghkanic range forms the eastern boundary of the state, from Lake Champlain to Putnam county. At this point it turns southwestward, and the Hudson forces a passage through it. On the west side of the Hudson it assumes the name of the Kittating mountains, and continues its course, into New Jersey and Pennsylvania, under that name. The Northern section, comprising that portion of the State lying north of the Mohawk and Oswego rivers, has six ranges of mountains running northeasterly. 2 14 STATE OF NEW YORK. 1. The Palmertown range, some portions of which have also received the names of Black, and Tongue mountains. This range rises in the northern part of Saratoga Co., runs northeast through the tongue of land which separates Lake George from Lake Champlain, and finally terminates in bold and precipitous cliffs, at the shore of the latter lake, south of Ticonderoga. 2. The Kayaderosseras, or Luzerne mountains. These are about six miles wide and seventy long, running from Montgomery Co., through Saratoga and Warren counties, along the Western side of Lake George to Ticonderoga. The Hudson breaks through it on the line of Warren and Saratoga counties. 3. The Clinton range. This extends from Montgomery Co. northeast, through Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren and Essex counties, to Point Trembleau on Lake Champlain. It is the largest range of mountains lying north of the Mohawk. At its most elevated portion there are numerous distinct peaks, forming a remarkable group, known as the Adirondack. The Mohawk forces a passage through its southwestern extremity. This range divides the waters flowing into the St. Lawrence, from those flowing into the Mohawk and Hudson. Its principal peaks are Mounts Marcy, Mcintyre, McMartin and Dial mountain. The -first is the highest in the State, being 5467 feet above tide water. 4. The Au Sable, or Peru range. This range commences in Montgomery Co., and, running parallel with the others through Fulton, Hamilton and Essex counties, terminates in the south part of Clinton county. It is one hundred and sixty miles long, and higher than the preceding ranges. White Face, its loftiest peak, is 2000 feet in height. 5. The Chateaugay range. This is the longest and highest range in the state. Commencing on the line of the Kaa+sbergs, in Herkimer Co., it maintains an altitude of nearly 2000 feet through the counties of Hamilton, Franklin and Clinton; and crossing the Canada line terminates upon the Canada plains. 6. A range commencing ten or twelve miles from the northern extremity of the Chateaugay range, and trending along the slope of the St. Lawrence. This has been little explored, and is of less extent than the last. The St. Regis, Grasse and other rivers descending into the St. Lawrence divide it into several distinct portions. The Northern section has also two smaller ridges worthy of notice. 1. The Highlands of Black river. This ridge extends from the sources of Black creek, west, and northwest, about sixty miles, covering much of the country between Black river on one side, and the plains north of Oneida Lake on the other. Its altitude is given at from twelve to sixteen hundred feet; and it has frequently a rolling surface upon its top of several miles in width. 2. The Hassencleaver mountain. Hassencleaver ridge, extending from Herkimer county into Oneida, occupies the space between the Highlands and the Mohawk river. It is twenty miles long -about nine miles broad at its base-and has an altitude varying from eight to nine hundred feet, with a rolling surface. PHYSICAL FEATURES. 15 The third, or Southern section may be subdivided into two distinct portions —the Eastern and the Western. The Eastern division has three distinct ranges of mountains 1. The Highlands of Orange and Putnam counties, running to the northeast. 2. The Shawangunk, running in a similar direction, and skirting the valley of the Rondout. 3. The Catskill, or Kaatsberg, whose direction is northwest through the counties of Ulster, Albany and Schoharie, to the valley of the Mohawk. Those portions of this range lying in the counties of Albany and Schoharie, are called the Helderberg mountains. The southwestern section, also called western New York, gradually rises, from the shore of Lake Ontario, till-it obtains its highest elevation, in the southern tier of counties. The first of the terraces, composing this ascent, extends from the Genesee river, near Rochester, to the falls of Niagara, at Lewistown, a distance of eighty miles, and from six to ten miles in width. It is called the Ridge Road, and is supposed once to have formed the shore of Lake Ontario. It is about three hundred feet above the surface of the Lake. The second extends from this ridge road to the falls of the Genesee, at Nunda and Portageville, where there is another abrupt declivity of nearly 300 feet. This surmounted, the ascent is gradual to the summit level, at a height of 1500 to 2000 feet in the southern portion of Chautauque, Cattaraugus, Allegany and Steuben counties. These terraces, though all quite fertile, are each characterized by a difference of soil and of forest trees. NOTE. The following table presents the names, situation and elevation of the principal summits of these different ranges. Feet. Mount Marcy, Adirondack Group, Essex county,... 5,467:' McIntyre, " i,183 " McMartin, " " " " about- - 5,000 Dial Mountain or Nipple Top, 4 ".. 4,900 White Face,..... 4,855 Mount Seward, Adirondack group, Franklin county, *. * 4,000 Round Top, Catskill mountains, Greene county,.. 3,804 High l'eal, " " " " *. 3,718 Pine Orchard, " ".... 3,000 Shawangunk, - -. Orange ". 1,866 New Beacon, or Grand Sachetm, Highlands,..... 1,685 Butter Hill, ". 1,520 Old Beacon, "... 1,471 Breakneck Hill, ".. 1,187 Anthony's Nose, ".. 1,128 Mount Defiance, near Ticonderoga,...... 750 Palisades,....... 550 Fort Putnam, near West Point,..... - 500 Harbor Hill, Long Island,. - 319 Richmond Hill, Staten Island,.. 307 LAKES. New York abounds in lakes of great beauty and surrounded by the most lovely scenery. Lake Erie, lying on the western border of the state, is the most extensive. It is 268 miles in length, and from 30 to 50 in breadth. Its surface.is greatly elevated, being 565 feet above tide water, and 334 above Lake Ontario. Its greatest depth is 270 feet, though its mean depth does not exceed 120. Only 60 miles of its coast lie within the state, and these afford but 16 STATE OF NEW YORK. three good harbors, viz: Buffalo, Black Rock, and Dunkirk. The ainount of its navigation, however, is very great, and rapidly increasing. During the autumnal months, it is subject to storms of great violence. Area of the lake 8030 sq. miles. NOTE. The amount of business on Lake Erie is much greater than that upon any otherof our inland seas. In 1845 the amount of shipping, registered, enrolled and licensed, for the district of Buffalo alone, was about 25,000 tons; and this was but a small portion of that employed upon the lake. In 1844 more than 40,000 tons of shipping were owned by the American ports on that lake, aside from the English shipping, and that coming from other lakes, The increase is estimated at not less than 10 per cent. per annum. The entire lake trade of 1845 was estimated at $122,000,000, of which probably three-fourths passed over Lake Erie. Several of the steamers (of which there are some hundreds), employed on this lake, are of more than 1000 tons burthen; and for convenience and excellence of accommodations are unrivalled. Lake Ontario is the second in size and importance, lying upon the northwest of the State. It is of a very regular, elliptical form, 190 miles in length, 55 in its extreme width, and about 485 in circumference. It is in some places over 600 feet in depth, having a mean depth of 492 feet, and in every part sufficient water for the largest vessels. Its surface is 334 feet lower than that of Lake Erie, and 231 feet above the level of the Atlantic. The commerce of Lake Ontario is extensive; and its ports open usually earlier than those of Lake Erie. Of these, the principal, lying in the state of New York, are Oswego, Sacketts Harbor, and Port Genesee or Charlotte. It is less subject to Violent storms and heavy swells than Lake Erie. Its area is 5400 sq. miles. Lake Champlain, forming a portion of the eastern boundary, is a long and narrow sheet of water, of great beauty and containing a number of fine islands. Of these, Valcour and Schuyler, besides several smaller islets, belong to New York; the others to Vermont. Its extreme length is 134 miles; its breadth varies from 40 rods to 14 miles; and its depth from 54 to 282 feet. In the winter it is usually entirely closed by ice for about two months. During the remainder of the year, large steamers and sloops navigate its waters, richly freighted with the produce of the counties along its shores. Lake George, or Horicon, named by the French, Lac Sacrament, on account of the purity of its waters, lies south of Lake Champlain, It is two or three miles in breadth and thirty-six in length. Its surface is 243 feet above tide water. It discharges itself into Lake Champlain by a descent of 150 feet. A steamboat plies upon its waters during the summer. The lake is surrounded by hills, towering to the height of 1200 or 1500 feet. The numerous islands which stud its placid surface; the transparency of its waters, which reveals the pebbles beneath, at a depth of 40 feet; and the rich and varied scenery which surrounds it, all combine to render it one of the most delightful resorts in the state, to the invalid or the man of business. The northern portion of the State abounds with small lakes, seldom exceeding six or eight miles in length, and two or three in breadth. Their number is probably not less than 200. Some of these, among the Adirondack group of mountains, are greatly elevated. Avalanche lake, in Essex county, is 2900 feet, Colden lake, in the same county, 2750 feet, and Racket lake, in Hamilton county, 1731 feet above tide water. The central portion has a chain of' lakes of considerable size and importance. PHYSICAL FEATURES. 17 They extend through the counties of Oneida, Oswego, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Yates, Ontario and Livingston; and are hardly surpassed in beautiful and picturesque scenery. The principal lakes inthis chain are Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Crooked and Canandaigua. The first four are navigated by steam and canal boats. They are generally from 300 to 600 feet deep, and from 400 to 700 feet above the surface of the Atlantic. The other lakes, connected with this chain, are Onondaga, Cross, Otisco, Cazenovia, Skeneateles, Owasco, Honeoye, Canadice and Conesus. These are all small, but are worthy of notice, for the beautiful scenery which surro-nds them. Extensive salt springs abound on the shores of the Onondaga, whose waters are, notwithstanding,,fresh. The only other lakes of importance are Otsego and Canaderaga in Otsego county, and Chautauque, in Chautauque county. RIVERS. The Hudson, 320 miles in length, is the largest river lying wholly in the State, and one of the finest navigable streams in the United States. It rises among the Adirondack group of mountains, and flows almost directly South to the bay of New York. It is navigable for steamboats of the largest size, and sloops, to Troy, 160 miles from its mouth. In the number and magnificence of its steamers, and in the extent of business done upon its waters, it is probably surpassed only by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The principal branches of the Hudson are, the Hoosick on the east side, and the Mohawk on the west. The Hoosick, rising in Berkshire county, Mass., runs northwest and west, and furnishes many fine mill seats. The Mohawk takes its rise in Oneida and Lewis counties. It pursues at first a southerly course; then, changing to east southeast, it forms the valley of the Mohawk. Its length is about 130 miles. The other tributaries of the Hudson are, on the east, Schroon branch, the outlet of Schroon lake; Battenkill, Kinderhook and Croton rivers; on the west, Wallkill, Rondout, Esopus, Kaaterskill and Sacandaga, besides several smaller streams. The St. Lawrence forms the northwestern boundary of New York, for a hundred miles; and is the outlet of the great American lakes. It conveys to the ocean a larger body of water than any other river in the world, except the Amazon. It is navigable for sloops as far as Ogdensburg, 60 miles from Lake- Ontario. Below this point, the frequent rapids render navigation difficult and dangerous. The Thousand Islands lie near its junction with Lake Ontario, a portion of which, and some others belong to the United States. This group actually exceeds 1500 in number. The Oswego is the next in importance in the State. Its whole length is 120 miles. Under the name of Mud creek, it rises in Ontario county, and flowing easterly receives, through the Canandaigua outlet, the waters of Canandaigua lake. Proceeding eastwardly under the name of the Clyde, it receives the waters of Seneca 18 STATE OF NEW YORK. and Cayuga lakes through their common outlet, and assumes the name of Seneca river. After a still farther enlargement by the waters of Onondaga lake, it takes the title of Oswego river; and suddenly curving towards the northwest, collects from the Oneida river its tribute of the waters of Oneida lake, and discharges itself into Lake Ontario. It has about 100 feet fall after assuming the name of Oswego river, and furnishes, by its constant supply of water, valuable mill privileges. Seven thousand square miles of territory are drained by its waters; and, by means of the Oswego Canal and locks, it is navigable for its whole extent. The Allegany river, one of the sources of the Ohio, takes its rise in Allegany county, and is navigable for steamers of small draft from Olean, a distance of'about 40 miles, to the state line. The Susquehanna and Delaware both take their rise in this state, and, though not navigable to any considerable extent, afford fine seats for mills. The other principal rivers of the state are, the Niagara, which is the connecting link between Lakes Erie and Ontario, and forms the celebrated falls of the same name; The Genesee, distinguished for its immense water power, and for being the feeder of the Genesee Valley Canal; It is navigable almost to Rochester, and is 145 miles in length, emptying into Lake Ontario. The Black, the third river in size, lying wholly in the state, and also discharging its waters into Lake Ontario; it is 120 miles in length, and navigable for 40 miles. The Chenango and the Chemung, important tributaries of the Susquehanna; The Oswegatchie, rising in Herkimer county, the principal tributary of the St. Lawrence. The other streams flowing into the St. Lawrence are Indian, Grasse, Racket, St. Regis and Salmon rivers. Chazy and Saranac are the chief streams flowing into Lake Champlain. CLIMATE OF NEW YORK.* From the extent and diversity of its surface, it is impossible to give a general description of the climate of New York, which would apply with equal truth to each section of the state. We can only say that it is subject to great extremes of heat and cold; and that, although in the same latitude, which in Europe produces the fig, the olive and the grape, its more severe climate admits only of the culture of the hardier plants and grains. The state, though subject to sudden and severe changes, may be considered healthy. The number of deaths to the population is not greater than in the other states; nor do malignant diseases prevail to any considerable extent. * The facts on which this article is based have been collected from a chapter on the climate of the state in Gordon's Gazetteer; from the reports of the Re. gents of the University; and from a paper in the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture. CLIMATE. 19 In the eastern counties, consumption and other diseases of the lungs are the prevailing maladies; in the western counties, bilious affections are more prevalent. Cholera Infantum is a common and fatal disease with children in the cities and large towns, during the summer and autumn. It has been ascertained, by numerous observations made in this state and New England, that an elevation of surface of 350 feet produces a diminution of heat, equal to the addition of a degree of latitude. Hence we see the influence of our mountain systems upon the climate of the state. In order to present more clearly the peculiar characteristics of the climate to the scholar, we shall divide the state into six districts, viz. 1st, Long Island; 2d, The valley of the Hudson; 3d, The valley of the Mohawk; 4th, The district north, and north east of the Mohawk, extending from Lake Ontario to Lake Champlain; 5th, The district south and south west of the valley of the Mohawk, extending from the valley of the Hudson to the smaller Lakes; and 6th, The country west of the smaller Lakes. The following table, prepared with great care, exhibits the mean, or average temperature; the mean annual maximum, or highest degree of heat; the mean annual minimum, or lowest degree of temperature; the average annual range of the Thermometer; and several other particulars, which show the length and forwardness of the seasons, and the progress of vegetation. It contains the results of observations made at 59 different places, for a period of 15 years. TABLE OF THE CLIMATE OF NEW YORK. No. of No of Facts observed. Aerae ation Oservatio^s. Observations. Robins first seen, - - March 19, 44 266 Shadbush in bloom, - - May 1, 48 168 *Peach in bloom, - - - May 2, 57 175 Currants in bloom, - - May 4, 58 269 Plum in bloom, - - May 6, 52 264 Cherry in bloom, - May 7, 52 250 Apple in bloom, - - - May 15, 59 374 Lilac in bloom, - - May 15, 45 151 Strawberries ripe, - - - June 12, 58 210 Hay harvest commenced, - July 8, 34 127 Wheat harvest commenced, - July 25, 45 186 First killing frost, - - Sept. 23 57 471 First fall of snow, - - Nov. 5, 536 Mean, or average temperature, 46~ 49' 59 577 Mean annual maximum of heat, 920 00' 59 550 Mean annual minimum, below zero, 12~ 00' 59 551 Mean ann. range of the thermometer, 1040 00' 59 550 We will now proceed to consider the climate of the several districts, into which we have divided the state, in their order. 1st District. Long Island. The climate of this district is remarkable for the uniformity of its temperature. The greatest heat of summer is on an average 110 less, and the greatest cold of winter from 10~ to 18~ less, than in other parts of the state. The spring is somewhat backward, trees blooming a week later than in the interior of the state; yet strawberries ripen, and the wheat harvest commences earlier than the average of the state. * This is the average for the southern and middle portion of the state only. 20 STATE OF NEW YORK. Frost occurs at a much later period in autumn, than in any other section. At East Hampton, it is a full month, and at Jamaica and Flatbush, nearly three weeks, later than the average of the state. 2d District. The Valley of the Hudson. This valley is remarkable for the great annual range of the thermometer; the heat of summer and the cold of winter being equally intense. The average temperature of Albany is nearly 2~ higher than that of the state. The extreme cold of winter at Kinderhook, Lansingburgh, Cambridge, Salem and Granville, causes the mercury to sink 10~ lower than in the southern towns of the valley. The spring opens a week or ten days later, at Albany, and above that city, than at the city of New York. 3d District. Valley of the.Mohawk. The average annual temperature of this valley is 1~ less than that of the state. Northerly and easterly winds prevail in this section. The latter seems to be a diversion of the south, or south west wind, which, prevails in the valley of the Hudson. Utica, in this district, may be considered as a fair representative of the general climate of the state, as its temperature is about the average temperature of the whole state. 4th District. Jorth and.JVorth East of the Valley of the Mohawk. The climate of this region is characterized by a low average temperature, extreme cold in.winter, great range of the thermometer, backward seasons, and early frosts. Gouverneur, in St. Lawrence Co. reports a lower degree of temperature in winter, and with one exception, a lower annual average of temperature, than any other town in the state, from which meteorological records have been received. The average annual temperature of the whole district is more than 2~ lower than that of the remainder of the state. 5th District. The Region South of the Mohawk, extending to the smaller Lakes. The average annualtemperature of this section is about 2~ lower than that of the state, and the. autumnal frosts occur from 4 to 13 days earlier. Vegetation is uniformly backward, yet the robin appears earlier than in other sections. Pompey, in Onondaga county, is the coldest place reported, its annual temperature being 310 lower than that of the state; yet the cold of winter is not so intense, nor do the autumnal frosts occur as early there, as in the state generally. 6th District. That portion of the State J4rest of the small Lakes. The climate of this section, like that of Long Island, is characterized by uniformity. The mean temperature does not differ materially from that of the whole state, but the average annual range of the thermometer is only 960, while that of the state is 104~. Vegetation in the spring is somewhat in advance of the state generally, corresponding with that of Albany. The prevalent local wind of this region is from the southwest. In the autumn it is violent throughout the whole section, and frequently attended with rain; but on Lake Erie, probably owing to its meeting with other currents of wind, it frequently manifests extraordinary fury in September and October, and occasionally produces disastrous shipwrecks. The extreme heat of summer is very uniform throughout the state. Only 5 places, out of 55, show a difference of over 3~ from the average of the state, which is 92~. The average time throughout the whole state, from the blooming of the apple tree, to the first killing frost in autumn, is 174 days. On the west end of Long Island it is 121 days more; and in St Lawrence county 22 days less. These are the extremes. NATURAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK. I. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY, GEOLOGY may be defined as that science which treats of the structure of the earth, and the substances which compose it. An examination of the banks of rivers, the sides of precipices, &c., shows that there are two kinds, or classes of rocks; the one being deposited in layers, or strata, of variable thickness, are called stratified rocks, and bear evidence of having been, at some remote period, deposited as a sediment, from water; the other irregular in shape, containing numerous crystals, and most of the metals in common use, and forming the basis of the lofty mountain chains, are termed unstratified rocks, and were undoubtedly brought into their present form by the action of fire, which then existed, and probably still exists, in the interior of the earth. Granite is the principal constituent of the unstratified rocks, and probably formed the original crust of the earth. It still exists below all the other rocks. Owing, however, to violent convulsions of nature, (such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, &c.,) which have occurred since the layers above it were deposited, it has in many places been forced up through fissures in these layers, so as to appear on the surface, or has raised them up, so as to form mountains or hills. If these were still covered with water, or became again submerged by a subsequent convulsion, new layers were again deposited, frequently at considerable angles with the first deposit. The figure represents such an occurrence. \\ \\\\,'.\\\\ = _ ~,xxx....\\\Wx,\\\xxxxx, C *x \..`.\\\,,,, x: lj,\~x.x\\\\ = /- --- Of *~\ \ \\\\\\\\\':'..\xX X,',"" -< a, represents the unstratified rock upon which the layers b, b, had been deposited in a horizontal positions but by a convulsion of nature, the whole mass had been upheaved, and the granite had forced 2* 22 STATE OF NEW YORK. its way to the surface; being however still submerged, new layers c, c, were deposited, at an angle of nearly 45o with the first. Hypersthene and primitive limestone also occur among the unstratified rocks. THE STRATIFIED ROCKS are divided into six orders or systems, as they are called; viz.,-beginning at the lowest strata, or those next succeeding the unstratified rocks, we have, I. THE PRIMARY, OR PRIMITIVE SYSTEM, consisting of disintegrated granite, deposited by the waters; and probably again modified by the action of the subterranean heat. The rocks, composing this system, are known as gneiss, mica schist, and hornblende. There is no evidence of the existence of either animal or vegetable life, during the period while this strata were depositing. Nearly all the metals, used in the arts, are found in these rocks, and in the granite on which they rest. II. THE TRANSITION SYSTEM. This system embraces a great variety of formations, and occupies a large portion of the crust of the earth. Its lower strata consist of limestones, sandstones, and shales or slaty rocks. Above these, is a layer of sandstone, known as the old red sandstone, which is succeeded by a limestone, forming the bed of the vast coal formations, which furnish so large an amount of fuel to the world. Over these is deposited a magnesian limestone, and another layer of red sandstone, distinguished as the new red sandstone. The period, when these deposits were made, was characterized by extraordinary luxuriance of vegetable life. The coal deposits are all of vegetable origin, and were reduced to their present form, by the influence of heat, decay and pressure. In the rocks belonging to this system are also found, in immense quantities, the lower orders of animals, shell fish, snails, and a few fishes, and amphibious reptiles.'None of them, however, belong to species now known to be in existence. III. THE SECONDARY SYSTEM, composed of oolitic limestone, greensand, and chalk. This system contains a large number of fossils, both animal and vegetable. Among the former are those gigantic amphibious animals, mostly belonging to the lizard and crocodile tribes, whose skeletons, found both on this continent and in Europe, have excited so much attention. There are also many shells, fishes, insects, and a few quadrupeds. Several hundreds of species of plants have been found in the secondary rocks. These fossils, vegetable and animal, with scarcely an exception, belong to extinct species. IV. THE TERTIARY SYSTEM. This consists of deposits of clay, sand and gravel, in some instances hardened into rock, but generally containing evidence of the comparative recentness of its deposition. It contains an immense number of fossils, both animal and vegetable; of these about 12 per cent. have been identified as belonging to existing species, and the remainder generally bear a marled resemblance to plants and animals now in existence, which the fossils of the earlier periods do not. V. THE DILUVIAL DEPOSITS, called also the erratic block group. In thi system are included the boulders, scattered so abundantly over many sections of the earth's surface, and many of the more extensive deposits of sand, gravel and clay, which are evidently the result of GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 23 the resistless action of an overwhelming deluge. These deposits con.tain numerous animal and vegetable forms, the greater part of which belong to existing species, although occasionally extinct races are found. VI. THE ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS, including the deltas, or earthy deposits at the mouths of rivers, the beds of lakes which have become drained, the valleys of rivers subject to periodical inundations, the shores of oceans, seas, &c. These also contain, in untold quantities, relics of animal and vegetable existence, but, with very few exceptions belonging to races now known. The gigantic mastodon has been found in these deposits. We have been thus particular in noticing the fossils belonging to each system, be'cause they serve as way-marks, by the aid of which, even the most unlettered may read the progress of the earth's history, from the period, when it was first set in motion, a vast mass of molten granite, devoid of vegetable or animal life, to the present time, when its green fields, and its innumerable hosts of living and moving beings, attest with myriad voices, the power and wisdom of the great Creator. The whole of these-formations do not exist in every part of the world;' but wherever geological explorations have been made, it has been found that the same order is observed; and, that, although some one, or more, of these systems are absent, those which are present follow the arrangement we have described. In the state of New York the secondary formation is wanting,* as well as the upper members of the transition system,* and in most parts of the state the tertiary system.It will be seen, by the following table, that coal is not laid down among the formations of the state. All the formations of New York, except the alluvial and diluvial deposits, and the beds of tertiary, on the St. Lawrence, are below the coal measures; the Catskill group, which is the highest member of the transition system in New York, being the layer immediately beneath it. It is true that there are layers of Anthracite, an inch or two in thickness, an'd extending over a few feet of surface, between the strata of rocks of an earlier era, in various parts of the state; but coal does not exist in the state, in sufficient quantities to be of any practical value. This deficiency, however, is abundantly made up by the vast coal fields of Pennsylvania and Ohio, which, by means of the extended systems of internal improvement, are rendered so easily accessible. The prevalence of limestone in nearly all the formations is worthy of notice, affording, as it does, the basis rock best adapted to yield the materials for fertilizing the soil. The table exhibits the geological formations of the state, according to the arrangement adopted by the state geologists in their late survey. III., IV. and V. of this arrangement are comprised under the general head of the Transition system, heretofore described. * The existence of a small bed of oolite in Saratoga county, and the somewhat doubtful era of the red sandstone of Rockland county, can scarcely be considered as exceptions to this statement. 24 STATE OF NEW YORK. TABULAR VIEW OF THE ROCKS OF NEW YORK, ARRANGED IN SYSTEMS, GROUPS AND FORMATIONS. Systems. Groups. Formations. I. Alluvial. Alluvial. Diluvial, including II. Diluvial. boulders, &c. Clays and sands. III. Old Red sand- Old Red sandstone, Conglomerate, stone system. or Catskill group. Old Red sandstone. Chemung sandstones and flagstones, Erie group, Ludlowville shales. Helderberg limestone, Schoharie grit, Brown argillaceous sandstone, Helderberg series, Encrinal limestone, Oriskany sandstone, Green shaly limestone, Pentamerus limestone. Onondaga salt and gypseous rocks, IV. New York tran- Limestone and green shales, sition system. Ontario group, Argillaceous iron ore, Medina sandstone, soft, green and variegated. Grey sandstone and conglomerate, Lorraine shales and roofing slates, Utica slate, Trenton limestone, Champlain group, Birdseye limestone, Chazy limestone, Calciferous sandrock, Potsdam sandstone. Light green shales, sometimes dark and V. Taghkanic, or Ta- plumbaginous. conic system. Grey and clouded limestone, Brown sandstone. VI. Gneiss, or Primary Gneiss, hornblende, and mica slate, system. Talcose slate and steatite. VII. Superincumbent VIIo. Superincumbet Greenstone, trap and porphyry. rocks. Granite, Hypersthene rock. VIII. Unstratified VIII.; Unstratified Primary limestone, serpentine, 1'~~~~~~rocks.' ___Magnetic iron ore. There are in the state two tracts of primary and unstratified rocks. The first is nearly circular in form, and occupies the counties of Essex, Warren and Hamilton, and portions of Saratoga, Fulton, Herkimer, Oneida, Lewis, Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Franklin and Clinton. The Black river forms its southwestern boundary, from Wilna, in Jefferson, to Remsen, in Oneida county. The second is in the southeastern part of the state, of a somewhat triangular form, and comprises Putnam and Westchester, together with the larger part of New York, and part of Rockland, Orange and Dutchess counties. These two sections together occupy nearly one third of the state. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGYo 25 They contain extensive and valuable mines of iron, lead and plumbago, both in the northeastern and southeastern portions of the state. Their surface is generally broken and elevated, towering up to the height of more than a mile above tide water, in the Adirondack group, and attaining a considerable, though less lofty altitude in the beetling cliffs which overlook the waters of the Hudson. The soil is less arable and fertile than in the lands of the limestone formations, but is covered, except in the older counties, with a gigantic growth of oak, pine and hemlock timber. The gneiss of this system furnishes a fine building material, and under the name of granite, is abundantly quarried for that purpose. The serpentine, primitive limestone, and steatite, are also largely quarried for the purposes of the arts. These rocks abound in minerals of great interest to the mineralogist. Garnet, beryl, chrysoberyl, pyroxene, sphene, tourmaline, apatite, colophonite, scapolite, Labradorite, epidote, &c. &c. Geologists differ in opinion, on the question, whether the Taghkanic, or Taconic system should be ranked with the Primary, or the Transition system. It is composed of brown sandstone, limestone and green shales, or slaty rocks. It contains some minerals, and furnishes a fine limestone for building, but has few, or no fossils. The soil which overlays this system is generally good, and often highly fertile. Its range is quite extensive, although frequently of no greatwidth. It comprises nearly the whole of the counties of Washington, Rensselaer and Columbia, part of Dutchess, Ulster, Greene, Albany and Saratoga, and trending westward occupies a narrow tract in Schenectady, Montgomery, Herkimer and Oneida, and expands more widely in Oswego and Jefferson counties. We next come to the New York system, as it has been appropriately named, comprising, according to the table, four distinct groups. We commence with the lowest of these, the Champlain Group. The constituents of this group are various kinds of sandstone and limestone, slate, conglomerate, and a peculiar stone, compounded of lime and sandstone, and hence called calciferous (or limebearing) sandrock. Of these the Potsdam sandstone furnishes a beautiful and durable building material, and is also used in the manufacture of glass, and the preparation of sand paper. The Trenton and birdseye* limestones are used for the purposes of the arts. The Lorraine shales, and the Utica slate are employed for roofing, and to some extent for writing slates. The grey sandstone and conglomerate furnish stone suitable for grindstones. The rocks of this group, and particularly the limestones and slates, abound in fossils of the earlier periods; encrinites, trilobites and numerous others, unlike any of the crustaceous animals now in existence. The soil, throughout the territory occupied by this group, is generally good, and much of it is highly fertile, being constantly enriched by the decomposition of the limestone, slate and sandstone, which is This limestone receives its name from thexabundance of encrinites which it contains, which give it, when polished, an appearance somewhat resembling birdseye maple. 26 STATE OF NEW YORK. effected by the combined action of air and water. The group occupies a very considerable, but irregular territory. It appears occasionally in small beds, then dips beneath the surface, and again appears, as the surface rock, over an extensive tract. In the forms of Potsdam sandstone, calciferous sandrock, birdseye and Trenton limestone, and Utica slate, it bounds the great primary region of the northeast in every direction, varying in width from two to fifty miles. It also makes its appearance in narrow beds on either side of the Hudson. The Ontario Group, which comes next in order, consists of three distinct portions; the lowest a marly sandstone, generally soft, and either red, green, brown, or variegated,-decomposing rapidly, when exposed to the atmosphere, and denominated Medina sandstone; next, a series of soft, green, slaty rocks, also easily decomposed, and overlaid by clayey ani flinty limestones, alternating with each other, and finally terminating in the limestone over which the Niagara pours its resistless cataract; and lastly a group of limestones, containing gypsum or plaster of Paris, water lime and salt, known as the Onondaga salt group. This group, considered with reference to practical purposes, is the most valuable of the transition system in the state. It includes the salt springs in Salina and its vicinity, and at Montezuma, which yield so large an amount of revenue to the state; the gypsum beds, which furnish such inexhaustible resources for the fertilization of the soil, as well as for the various purposes of the arts, to which this valuable mineral is applied; and the water lime, called, after its preparation, hydraulic cement, a material indispensable to the proper construction of canals, aqueducts, cisterns, and other masonry exposed to the action of water, and one which has proved of the greatest service in the construction of the public works of the state. The fossils of this group are numerous and interesting. Shells of bivalve molluscous animals, corallines and madrepores, together with unequivocal traces of vegetable existence, mark this era. Its minerals are not numerous. The clayey limestones contain iron ore; fluor spar and selenite appear occasionally, and sulphur springs gush up from different sections. Its soil is of unsurpassed and perpetual fertility, being constantly enriched by the slowly decomposing lime and gypsum. It is the granary of the state, and before the wide prairies of the west waved with the golden grain, it supplied nearly the whole country with bread-stuffs. The oak, beech, maple, elm, butternut, hickory and black walnut, are the principal forest trees. The Ontario group commences at the southwestern extremity of Lake Ontario in Canada, and extends eastward with a medium breadth of twenty miles to its termination in Montgomery county. The Helderberg series comprises four kinds of limestone and three of sandstone. Of these the Helderberg limestone is extensively used as a flagging stone, under various local names; it is also employed to some extent as a building material; the Oriskany sandstone is also used as a building material; it occasionally contains lime. Of the remaining layers, one of the sandstones is dark, shaly and brittle; the other calcareous and abounding in fossils. Two of the limestones contain large quantities of fossils, and derive their names from that GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 27 fact; in one the encrinite, one of the most beautiful of the crustaceous fossils, is predominant; in the other, the pentamerus, whose shell bears some resemblance, in form, to that of the common oyster. The remaining limestone is slaty and easily decomposed. The Helderberg limestone is cavernous, and many of its caves have been explored for a considerable distance. They contain stalactites and stalagmites of great beauty. The principal minerals of this formation are bog iron ore, calcareous and fluorspar, jasper, sulphate of strontian, in great abundance, satin spar, alum, bitumen and small veins of anthracite. The soil, overlying these rocks, is generally either a fine clay, or sand lying upon clay. Marl occurs quite frequently. By suitable cultivation it yields good crops of wheat and other grains. The timber is usually oak, chestnut, hickory, pine and hemlock. This group occupies a narrow tract, commencing in the western part of Orange county, and passing northeasterly through Ulster to the Hudson; thence along the banks of that river, to Albany county, where it turns westwardly, passes through the centre of the state immediately south of the Ontario group, forming the bed of most of the small lakes in western New York, and terminates on the shores of Lake Erie. The Erie Group is divisible into two portions, the lower, denominated Ludlowville shales, is composed of soft slaty rocks, alternating with thin beds of limestone, and is easily decomposed; the upper, called the Chemung group, consists of thin, even beds of gray sandstone, with intervening shales, or beds of slate. Some of the fossils, found in this group, possess great beauty; and show the approach to that period of vegetable luxuriance, which marks the coal formation. Ferns, and other vegetable fossils frequently occur, and the avicula, delthyris and other shell fish, strongly resembling some living species, are found imbedded in the rocks. The minerals of this group are few, and of no great importance. Petroleum, or mineral oil, called, in some parts of the state, Seneca oil, occurs in several localities, and the shale is often so strongly impregnated with it as to burn quite freely. Carburetted hydrogen, or inflammable gas, also issues from the surface in a number of places, and in such quantities, as to be used, in one or two instances, for illuminating villages, light houses, &c. The soil where the Ludlowville shales form the surface rock, though apparently rough and broken, is rendered fertile by the constant decomposition of the rock. It is well adapted to the culture of wheat and other grains. As we ascend, to the more elevated surface of the Chemung sandstone, we find a marked change in the character of the soil; the white pine and hemlock take the place of the oak, maple and beech of the lower lands, and attain a gigantic growth. These lands produce the grasses luxuriantly, and, as they become cleared, will afford pasturage to vast herds of cattle and sheep. The Erie group covers nearly the whole of Chautauque, Cattaraugls,Wyoming, Allegany, Steuben, Yates, Tompkins, Chemung and Tioga counties, together with portions of Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Ontario, Livingston, Genesee and Erie, as well as a narrow tract in Sullivan, Ulster, Greene, Schoharie and Otsego counties. This completes what, for convenience, has been termed the New 28 STATE OF NEW YORK. York Transition system. The remaining group properly belongs to the Transition system of the English Geologists, and is by them denominated the Old Red sandstone, that rock being its principal con' stituent. The State Geologists, from the fact of its being the predominant rock of the Catskill mountains, have given it the name of the Catskill group. It consists of two distinct formations, viz., the Old Red sandstone overlying the Chemung sandstone, and the conglomerate strata, which are immediately beneath the coal bearing limestone of Pennsylvania. Between the layers of the former are interposed soft shales combined with mica. The sandstone is generally of a deep red color, and imparts the same hue to the soil which covers it. It contains comparatively few fossils; the scales and bones of some lizard-like fish have been discovered in it. The minerals of this group are few, and of but little importance. Bog iron ore and calcareous spar are those most worthy of notice. The conglomerate affords fine grindstones, and has been used to some extent for millstones. The soil is generally good; the sandstone decomposing readily under atmospheric influence, mingles with the vegetable mould and renders it fertile. Hemlock, beech, maple, elm, basswood, butternut, &c. are the principal timber trees; the oak is seldom found in this formation. The Red sandstone of the Catskill group is mostly confined to the vicinity of the Kaatsbergs; occupying the county of Delaware, and portions of Sullivan, Ulster, Greene, Otsego, Chenango and Broome; but the conglomerate extends westward, and caps the highest hills of the southwestern counties. The Diluvial deposits skirt the shores of the St. Lawrence, Lake Champlain, and the Hudson, and compose the surface of the northern half of Long Island. They consist of a stiff blue clay beneath, a yellowish brown clay above this; and sand on the surface. The marine shells, found in these clays, belonging in some instances to extinct species, show that these deposits were made at an earlier period than those thrown down by rivers or oceans, in modern times. To this system belong also the boulders, scattered so widely over the state. The Alluvial deposits, consisting of gravel, sand, loam, &c. thrown up by the waves, or deposited on the shores of lakes, and the banks of rivers, and still in the process of aggregation, constitute the last of the geological formations of the state. To these belong portions of the valleys of the rivers and lakes and the southern half of Long Island. The soil of both these classes of deposits is usually fertile. The class of rocks known as trap and porphyry, do not, in this state, constitute a separate formation. They occur either in columnar masses like the Palisades, on the west bank of the Hudson, near New York, or in narrow veins or dikes, traversing rocks of an entirely different constitution. They are evidently the result of the action of subterranean fire. Porphyry is only found occupying a tract of a few miles in length, on Lake Champlain. In connexion with the -Geology of the state, the "Ridge road" is deserving of notice. This road consists of a bank of sand, gravel and GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 29 other alluvial and diluvial deposits, varying in height from 100 to 150 feet; and extending along the whole southern coast of Lake Ontario, at a distance of six or eight miles from it, forming a natural highway. It is said that a somewhat similar ridge exists along the northern shore of the Lake. That this ridge once, and at no very distant period, formed the southern shore of the lake, is proved, by the existence of small sand hillocks, evidently heaped up by the action of the waves; by the entire absence of Indian mounds and fortifications, on the north side of the ridge, and their frequent appearance, immediately south of it; and above all, by the structure and composition of the ridge itself. The deep channels, cut in the rocks, ky many of the rivers of the state, are also a subject of geological interest. The Hudson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, and some of the northern streams, either have banks regularly sloping to the water's edge, or, if they occasionally pass through narrow and precipitous defiles, have not won for themselves a passage, by the action of their waters upon the rocky barrier which opposed them, but have availed themselves of a route opened by some convulsion of nature. Such is not the case with the Mohawk, the Chenango, the Genesee, and the Niagara. Descending from elevated table lands, they have, by their ceaseless flow, hewn out a channel through the shales, slates and marly sand and limestones, in some instances 400 or 500 feet below the level of the surrounding country. The constant action of the waters upon these decomposing rocks has also caused the falls of Niagara to recede, as some geologists conjecture, a distance of five or six miles, and this recession is still in progress. MINERALOGY. We have already adverted to the minerals, peculiar to the different formations, but a somewhat more particular description of the mineral wealth of the state seems requisite, in a work like ours. Among the useful metals, Iron is most abundant in New York. It is found in five forms. 1st. The Magnetic Oxide, most abundant in Essex, Clinton, Franklin, Warren. Orange and Putnam counties, but occurring also in considerable quantities in Lewis, St. Lawrence and Jefferson. This variety is adapted to the production of malleable iron and steel, and for this purpose is superior to any in the United States, and equal to most of the foreign ores. The quantity is immense, a single vein (the Sandford vein in Newcomb, Essex county,) being estimated by Prof. Emmons to contain ore sufficient to yield at least three millions of tons, of malleable iron; several other veins, in the same neighborhood, contain nearly as much more, and the mines of Orange county, though worked for nearly a century, are still very productive. This ore is confined to primary rocks. 2d. The Specular Oxide, found in St. Lawrence, Jefferson and Franklin counties, imbedded in sandstone. This variety is well adapted to castings. Though less abundant than the preceding, it is found in large quantities. 3d. The Argillaceous ore, called also bog iron ore, found in various parts of the state, evidently deposited by alluvial and diluvial action, in the clay or gravel. It is principally used for castings. 30 STATE OF NEW YORK. 4th. The Hematitic ore, fiequently occurring in crystals of fantastic and beautiful forms. This ore occurs extensively in Richmond, Orange,.Ulster, Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, Warren and Wayne counties. It is also found in smaller quantities in Rockland and Westchester. It usually makes its appearance in the lower limestones of the transition system. When combined with the magnetic oxide, it improves its quality. 5th. The Carburet of Iron, called also Black lead, Plumbago and graphite, occurs abundantly in Dutchess county, and in considerable quantities in Essex and Clinton counties. Lead is found, in immense quantities, atRossie and its vicinity, in St. Lawrence county, and less abundantly in the Shawangunk mountains, in Sullivan and Ulster, and in Dutchess, Columbia, Lewis and Monroe counties. It does not seem to be confined to any particular geological era, occurring in nearly all the formations. Zinc and Copper occur in various parts of the state, but not in sufficient quantities to be of much practical value. Alrsenic has been discovered in Putnam county..Manganese, in the form of manganese wad, occurs in Columbia, Lewis and Dutchess counties, and is used to some extent for bleaching. Manganesian garnet is found in New York county. Barytes and Strontian are abundant in Schoharie and Jefferson, and probably exist in some of the other counties..lum, principally in the form of efflorescence, is found in several parts of the state. The existence and value of the deposits of gypsum, and water lime, has already been noticed, in speaking of the Onondaga salt group. Serpentine and its allied minerals, soapstone, talc, carbonate, hydrate and sulphate of magnesia, (Epsom salts,) together with asbestus and amianthus, occur abundantly in Putnam, Orange, Westchester, Jefferson and St. Lawrence, and in considerable quantities in Monroe, Orleans, Genesee, Albany, Cayuga, Essex, Rensselaer and Niagara counties. Those minerals, which are only of interest to the mineralogist, are enumerated under the counties in which they occur. MINERAL SPRINGS. These are of various kinds. 1. Chalybeate Springs. The most celebrated of these, are those of Saratoga county, which are fully described in another part of the work. There are a few, but of no great strength or notoriety, in other parts of the state. 2. Sulphur Springs. These are widely disseminated. Those at Avon, in Livingston county, have attained the greatest celebrity. Those in the vicinity of Rochester, Monroe county, and Chittenango, Madison county, are perhaps next in importance. The State Geologists report sulphur springs in twenty-eight counties of the state. 3. Brine Springs occur in every part of the Onondaga salt formation, and are also found, though of less strength, in other parts of the state. They are supposed to be impregnated by deposits of rock salt, at some distance below the surface. Those in the towns of Salina and Montezuma are the most important and valuable. 4. Acid Springs, or those in which the water is strongly impregnated with sulphuric acid, are found in Genesee, Erie and Orleans counties. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 31 5. Petrifying Springs, so highly charged with carbonate of lime as to deposit it upon whatever the water falls, and thus give it a coating of limestone, are found in Madison and Saratoga counties. 6. Oil Springs, the waters of which are covered with a thick pellicle of Petroleum, or mineral oil, are found in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties. 7. Springs evolving Nitrogen Gas. The most celebrated of these are those of'New Lebanon, in Columbia county, and of Hoosick, in Rensselaer county. There is also one, of some note, near Canoga, in Seneca county. S. Springs evolving Carbutetted Hydrogen, or inflammable gas. These abound in the neighborhood of Lake Erie, and the Niagara river. The village of Fredonia, and the light house at Barcelona, in Chautauque county, are illuminated by them. Springs of the same character are also found in Dutchess, Oneida and Monroe counties. Aarl, a valuable fertilizing agent, exists in vast beds in Madison, Monroe, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange and Wayne counties, and in considerable abundance in Rensselaer, Wash ington, Saratoga, Albany, Schoharie, Herkimer, Cortland, Oneida, St. Lawrence, Niagara and Erie counties. Peat is less widely distributed. It occurs, however, on Long Island, and in Richmond, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, Putnam, Westchester, Columbia, Clinton, Oneida and Cattaraugus counties. The attention of farmers should be directed to this, on account of its value, both for fuel, and as a manure. The gneiss and granite of the primary region, as we have already remarked, form elegant and durable building materials. The Potsdam sandstone, from its power of resisting atmospheric influence, and the facility with which it may be cut in any desired shape, is highly valued for building. The Chemung gray sandstone and the red sandstone of Rockland county are also prized by builders. The MIedina sandstone is more liable to decomposition, but is used to some extent. The limestone formations furnish a great number of varieties of marble, suitable not only for architectural purposes, but for the arts. The most celebrated ornamental varieties are the' black marble of Glen's falls, which equals any of the foreign varieties; the Chazy black marble, considered as fully equal to the best Irish; the variegated marbles of St. Lawrence and Rockland counties; the slate and dove colored of Otsego, Oneida and Onondaga; the birdseye of the Champlain group; and the white marble of Westchester, Dutchess, Columbia, Washington and St. Lawrence counties. The Singsing marble is largely employed, as a building stone, in New York city. The serpentine rocks, in several parts of the state, afford slabs, of sufficient size, to be used for the manufacture of furniture. The Utica slate, and some of the slate formations in the northern part of the state, furnish slates of excellent quality, both for roofing and writing. The gray sandstones and conglomerate of the Champlain and Erie groups, furnish grindstones of superior quality, and from the Shawangunk grits, millstones have been manufactured, which compared well with the French buhrstone. It will be seen, by the brief sketch we have given of the Geology and Mineralogy of the state of New York, that her mineral resources 32 STATE OF NEW YORK. are equal to her agricultural, commercial and manufacturing facilities. True, she does not possess coal, or so far as has yet been ascertained, the precious metals; but the former is abundantly supplied by the neighboring states of Pennsylvania and Ohio; and the latter, paradoxical as it may seem, have never conduced to the wealth, or prosperity of any state, which has possessed them. Her mines of iron, lead and plumbago; her salt-springs and beds of water lime and gypsum; and her quarries of granite, sandstone and marble are, to her citizens, a more valuable inheritance than the gold and silver mines of Mexico, and will confer upon them a greater and more lasting prosperity. II. BOTANY. IT would be entering into a far more elaborate view of the subject than the limits of this work permit, to trace out even an abstract of the vegetable wealth of New York. From its geographical position, diversity of soil, surface, and climate; its holding a middle place between the north and south, nearly all the great features of the United States flora are here produced. Immense forests still occupy the uncultivated regions north and west, consisting mainly of pine, oak and beech, while the chestnut, hickory and maple, with a host of other less numerous, but not less valuable trees, are scattered over its territory. The mountain sides and woods are clothed with an undergrowth of shrubs; as the whortleberry, rhododendron and mountain laurel; under whose shade, and in the open fields, flourish hundreds of more humble herbaceous plants, among which will be found many that are rare and curious, as well as of great beauty and utility. Anemone, Ranunculus, and Violets, often before the snow has entirely disappeared, put forth their blossoms in every sheltered nook of wood and meadow. These, with the cowslip (Caltha palustris), the woodbine (qAquilegia), bloodroot (Sanguinaria), and many of that wide spread tribe, the Cruciferae, or crosslike plants, serve to mark the opening spring. As the season advances, nature assumes much gayer colors. The beautiful blue Lupine (Lupinus perennis), Desmodiums, and the wild Sensitive plant (Cassia nictitans), whose leaves close together, when touched by the hand, are frequent on sandy soils. Common in our swamps and boggy ground, is the Side Saddle flower, or Hunter's cup (Sarracenia), bearing a single, nodding, dark red flower, a wonder by itself, but more so, when viewed in connection with the singular structure of its leaves. These are not flat, as in other plants, but hollow, and somewhat pitcher shaped, arranged in a circle around the base of the stem, their open mouths turned upwards to catch the falling rains. At the orifice of each leaf is a broad lip, furnished with short stiff hairs pointing downwards, and forming a trap, for numerous insects, that seek the water, always contained in them. A luckless fly once entered, it is impossible for him to return; and he is forced to go onwards, until dropping, he perishes in the water beneath. Of what use, in the economy of the plant, these dead insects are (the cup being often half filled with BOTANY. 33 them) is not, as.yet, well known; but possibly they serve in some degree as nutriment. Another plant well worthy of notice for its elegance and exquisite fragrance, is the white Pond Lily (JVymphlea odorata). The roots, which are rough and knotty, creep along the muddy bottoms of ponds and slow-flowing streams; while the large round leaves, of a bright and glossy green, cover the water above, in many instances for acres, contrasting well with the pure white flowers. Like the primrose and wonderful four o'clock, which almost serve to mark the hour, Nymph ea expands its buds early in the morning, and whether the day be clear or cloudy, before noon, regularly closes, and sinks beneath the surface. The leaf stalks are long and flexile, varying with the depth of water, and forming, a: every wandering school boy knows, a secure retreat for fish. Spatter Dock, or Yellow Pond Lily (XJuphar advena), is common in every ditch, but an allied genus (J.Nelumbium), or Sacred Bean, is rare; Big Sodus Bay, Lake Ontario, is the only known locality in the state. In shallow water, along the Hudson, above the Highlands, and through-the western counties, is the Vallisneria or Tape Grass, remarkable for the peculiar spiral form of its stems, which always permit the flower to float upon the surface whatever may be the rise of tide. Besides those just mentioned, the more frequent plants of low grounds and margins of streams are the Iris, Sweet Flag, or Calamus root (./corus calamus), Yellow Lily, (Lilium Canadense), Forgetme-not (Mtyosotis), whose bright blue flowers continue from early spring till frost, Arrow leaf (Sagittaria), Cat-tail flag (Typha palustris), with numerous varieties of Rush (Juncus), and Sedges (Carex), the last sometimes eaten by cattle, for want of more nutritious food. Virgin's bower (Clematis Virginiana), a handsome indigenous vine creeping over bushes and fences is often cultivated for its quick growth and abundant blossoms. in the Lobelia tribe, we have the Cardinal Flower (L. Cardinalis), noted for the splendor of its scarlet blossoms; Indian Tobacco (L. Infiata), the grand panacea of the Thompsonians; the L. Syphilitica, also used by them; Water Gladiole (L. Dortmanni), much less common than either of the preceding, and L. JNuttallii, confined to the sandy swamps of Long Island. In the deep recesses of woods and swamps, the Arum and the Orchis tribes are met with. Of the former, Indian Turnip (Airum triphyllum), well known for its acrid root, and Water Arum (Calla palustris), are good examples. The Orchids, from the strange forms and brilliant colors of their contorted flowers, are well worth the trouble it takes to cultivate them. Platanthera grandiflora, or tall purple Orchis, is one of the most beautiful, although Arethusa, Pogonia, our three species of Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium), and the graceful White Lady's Tress, are not less deserving a place in the garden. Plants of the great group Composite, to which the Asters and Goldenrods belong, forming one ninth of our entire flora, are characteristic of the autumnal vegetation. Some Asters are fine garden plants, but, like the whole class, chiefly interesting for their gorgeous appear 34 STATE OF N-EW YORK. ance. From the sweet scented golden-rod (Solidago odora), a fragrant volatile oil, sometimes used in medicine, is distilled. Yarrow (./chillea), Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), Tansy ( Tanacetuni vulgare), and some few others are medicinal; most of the order, however, are but weeds, as every farmer who has had his lands overrun with Canada thistle and pigweed, can testify. The seeds of the Sunflower (Ilelianthus annuus) yield, under pressure, an oil similar in quality and uses to that of. linseed. Jerusalem Artichokes are the tuberous roots of the Helianthus tuberosus. They are too watery to be used as food. Neither of the two last are natives of the state, but they are occasionally found in waste places near habitations, Angelica, Sweet Cicely (Osmorrhiza), Sanicle (Sanicutla), Cicuta (Cicuta maculata), types of the order of umbelliferous plants are well known; Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), poisonous in its wild state, is, when cultivated, the esculent carrot of the garden. Poison Hemlock (Coniurn maculatunm), by a draught of which Socrates is related to have died, with some other introduced and native plants, as the Milkweed (.sclepias), Plantain. Canada Thistle, Poke weed (Phytolacca decandra), Thorn Apple (Datura Stram.onium), Oxeye Daisy (Chrysanthemum), and Dandelion (Leontodon), belong to a class that might be named " wayside pilants," from their commonly occupying a position beside the roads and fences. Plantain (Plantago major) has been called by the Indians " white man's footstep," because it is found wherever he has placed his dwelling; and with a faithfulness not equalled in the human race, is constantly in his path. The more it is trodden down the wider does it spread, and the more luxuriantly does it grow. The Eglantine or Sweet Brier (Rosa Rubiginosa), such a general favorite with the old and young, is a member of the large family Rosacece, of which our state can boast many representatives. Among these are the Rose, seven or eight species of Blackberry (Rubus), Strawberry (Fragaria), Fivefinger (Potentilla), (one species of which (P. tridentata) is a little Alpine plant found only on the summitsof the mountains), Thornbush (Cratcegus), Service berry or Shad bush (/lmelanchier), Wild Plum and lofty Wild Cherry. The last is used in cabinet work, being as dark and heavy as some inferior kinds of mahogany. Of Labiatna or the mint tribe, Spearmint, or Julep weed (JKentha Viridis), Peppermint (.2I. Piperita), Penny Royal, Catnep, Balm, (JlMelissa) and Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum incanumn), are very generally known. A few of the Nightshade tribe (Solanacece), are natives of the state, such as Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara),deadly Nightshade (S. JNigrum), and Winter Cherry (Physalis), which are all of suspicious appearance, and reputed poisonous. Buckwheat is one of the Polygonacece; and of the same order are the common Sorrel (Rumex acetosella), Water Dock (R. crispus), and Smart weed (Polygonum). Shrubby plants are numerous; many species are highly ornamental; others, firom their virtues, are admitted into the Pharmacopwas; others, again, are poisonous. Of this latter class are some of the species of Sumach (Rhus); the most virulent of these, is the Swamp Sumach (Rhus venenata), simple contact with which, or mere exposure to its BOTANY. 35 effluvium, being sufficient in many cases to cause a most painful eruption on the skin. Mercury, or Poison Oak, is less active than the preceding, but sufficiently so, to cause all those who are easily afflicted by vegetable poisons to shun its neighborhood. The leaves of the common Sumach (R. glabra), are used in the manufacture of morocco. The large flowering Rose bay (Rhododendron maximum) is a shrub from six to twelve feet in height, with broad and thick leaves, growing in tufts from the extremities of the branches; and large showy flowers, in dense terminal clusters. It is said to be the most beautiful flowering shrub in the United States, and is sometimes cultivated in lawns and door-yards. The wild upright Honeysuckle (A.zalea, or Rhododendron nludiflorum), and the broad leaved Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) make the woods gay by the profusion of their purple blossoms. The dwarf Laurel (Kalmia angustifolia), known also by the names sheep-poison and lamb-kill, is a pretty little bush, but has a bad reputation, the leaves being said to poison sheep. The last two are common in the southern counties, while in the west the glaucous Kalmia takes their place. The Elder (Sambucus CanadensiN) and the Hazel (Corylus timericanus), prized for its nuts, which, though sweeter, do not equal in size, the filbert of Europe, are to be seen in every coppice. Whortleberries are the product of several species of Vaccinium. The earliest in the market is the dwarf blue Whortleberry ( V. Pennsylvanica), growing in sandy woods, and on hill sides and summits of the mountains. The Bilberry (V. corymbosum) is frequent in swamps and wet shady woods. The agreeably acid Cranberry, an almost indispensable article of food, is the fruit of two species of Vaccinium, ( V. oxycoccus and V. macrocarpon). The former abounds in the northern and western parts of the state, and the latter, which is the common American cranberry seen in the market, is most frequent in the south. The banks of every stream and rivulet are fringed with the Willow (Salix), Alder (./lnus), and Spice wood (Laurus Benzoin). This last is a shrub easily recognized, by its smooth brittle branches and glossy foliage. The bark has an agreeably spicy taste; and a decoction of the young twigs is often used, as a medicinal drink, in the spring of the year. In the moist thickets, conspicuous from its red fruit, is the Winter berry (Prinos), once used for the cure of fever and ague; but, for this purpose, it is much inferior to the Dogwood (Cornusfltorida), which possesses many of the peculiar properties of Peruvian Bark. Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Virginica) is, in the eyes of the superstitious, a most notable shrub, because, in the moment of parting with its foliage, it puts forth a profusion of gaudy yellow blossoms, giving to November, the counterfeited appearance of spring. The most important vegetable productions of the state are undoubtedly the forest trees, of which we can boast numerous species. The cone bearers (Coniferae), which are nearly all evergreen-trees, are well represented in our Flora. We have no less than nine species of Pines. Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida) forms nearly all the woodland of Long Island, and covers a great extent of barren country, west of Albany; it is serviceable for little else than fuel and making charcoal. White, or Weymouth pine (P. strobus) is met with in most parts of 36 STATE OF NEW YORK. the state, but chiefly on the head waters of the Hudson, Delaware, Allegany, and rivers entering into Lake Ontario: indeed nearly all the western counties were once covered with dense forests of this noble tree, nor can we wonder that it is rapidly disappearing beneath the axe, when 65,000 acres must be annually cleared, to meet the demand for lumber, 650,000,000 feet of which are obtained from New York alone. Hemlock Spruce (P. Canadensis) affords an inferior kind of timber, lasting well if protected from the weather; but in exposed situations it warps, splits and soon decays. The bark is extensively employed in tanning, and although inferior to oak, it makes very good leather. Balm of Gilead, or Balsam Fir (P. Balsamea), is not found lower than the Catskill mountains; but is abundant in the northern counties, especially among the Essex mountains. The turpentine, sold under the name of Canada Balsam, is obtained by operning the blisters which form beneath the bark. Black Spruce (P. nigra) is employed principally for the yards and lighter spars of vessels, for which purpose it is admirably fitted by its lightness and strength. White Spruce (P. alba) is a small tree found in swamps, and on the sides of the northern mountains, rarely south of Catskill. The Indians split the small tough roots into fibres for sewing their bark canoes. Tamarack (P. Pendula) differs from all other pines, in its leaves, which fall at the approach of winter. Belonging to the same natural family (Coniferae) are the Red Cedar (Juniperus Virginiana), noted for its great durability; White cedar (Cupressus Tihuyoides) constituting the cedar swamps of Long Island; Arbor Vitma (Thuya occidentalis), conspicuous along the banks of the Hudson for its cone like l growth; although it is sometimes found in swampy places, and then is known by the name of White cedar. We have also the Yew (Taxus Canadensis), which is very different from the vew tree of Europe, though identical in Botanical character-with us it is a shrub of humble growth, trailing over rocks, and found in woods, beneath the shelter of taller evergreens. The Oaks are almost, if not quite, equal in value to the Pines, and much more numerous, as regards species. White Oak (Quercus alba) is always considered one of our most valuable timber trees. The wood is of great strength and durability, and is used when these qualities are required, as in ship building and heavy frame work for machinery. When sawed into plank, the wheelwright, the wagonmaker, and indeed, almost every mechanic, uses it more or less in his labor. Black Oakl (Q. tinctoria) furnishes Quercitron bark, an article of export, and used in dyeing; Scarlet Oak (Q. coccinea), and Black Chestnut Oak (Q. montana), are much prized.by the tanner. Other species are Willow Oak (Q. phellos), with narrow leaves; Chinquapin (Q. prinos), a dwarf species bearing edible acorns; Swamp White Oak (Q. bicolor); Mossy Cup Oak (Q. oliveformis); Pin Oak (Q. palustri-s) and Black Jack (Q. nigra); the last is indigenous to Long Island only. The White-Elm (Ulmus dnAericana) is a most graceful species, and when growing in moist rich soil one of the largest of our forest trees. The Slippery Elm (U. fulva), a smaller tree, growing'on higher ground, is well known for the mucilaginous properties of its inner bark. Thomas' Elm (U. racemosa), so named from the per BOTANY. 37 son who first described it, is rather frequent on river banks in the middle and western parts of the state. Of the Ash (Fraxinus), we have only three species, the White, Black and Grey. White Ash (F. Americana) has elastic, tough wood, and is used in the manufacture of carriages, agricultural implements, &c. From its splitting freely, it is much employed by the cooper for hoops. Sugar Maple (.2cer saccharinum) is a large and handsome tree, well known as furnishing the maple sugar which is obtained, by boiling down the sap, procured from the trees, during the months of February and March —Birdseye and Curled Maple are accidental varieties in the wood of this species. Red Maple (J.. rubrum), White or Silver leaved Maple (,.. dasycarpum), Mountain Maple, or Moose wood (.J. Spicatum and dt. Pennsylvanicum), are the only other species. T-he Walnut tribe are valuable, both for food and timber. Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), and Butternut (J. cinerea)., occur in most parts of the state. Shell bark Hickory (Carya alba) bears the commonwhitewalnut,so pleasanttocrack by the winter fireside. The bark of this tree separates in long flat scales, with loose, detached ends, giving the trunk a ragged appearance; Moker-iut (C. tomenlosa), Pig-nut (C. porcina) and Bitter-nut (C. amara) are the only remaining New York species. The Beech (Fagus) and Chestnut (Castanea) are both noble growing trees. The wood of the Beech is heavy and compact, but not durable. - Chestnut, on the contrary, though light and open grained, bears exposure, for a great length of time, without decay. The American Chestnut is considered a variety of the European, differing-only in its smaller and sweeter nuts. The Canoe Birch is the Betula papyracea. From the bark of this species, which readily peels off in long thin sheets, and slips of cedar, the Indians manufacture their canoes. The wood of the Black Birch (Betula lenta), is considerhbly used in cabinet making.- The Dwarf Birch (Betula nana) is an Alpine shrub, found only on the high mountains of Essex county. The Sycamore (Platanus), the Poplars, and the Willows, are of little value, except as shade- trees. Not so the Locust (Robiniapseudo-acacia), a tree of rapid growth and graceful form. Its wood is exceedingly hard and nearly indestructible, and is mostlv used for trenails, and gate posts, and in ship-building. It is net a native of the state, but is cultivated for sale, and as an ornamental tree. The Tulip tree (Liriodendron Tulipifera) is the pride of our northern forests for its majestic growth, symmetrical form, and handsome foliage. It not unfrequently rises to the height of seventy feet Without a branch, and is covered in May or June with innumerable tulip shaped flowers. The Magnolia - (JMagnolia glauca) is found only in the swamps of Long Island, and there but sparingly. Its flowers exhale a heavy, but not unpleasant, perfume. One other species, the Cucumber tree (JM. acuminata), is not uncommon in the western parts of the state, and is thus named from the appearance of the seed cone. Of vast importance, as furnishing directly or indirectly the food of man and animals, are the grasses; and no class of plants is so widely 3 38 STATE OF NEW YORK. distributed as this. They form the principal portion of the herbage of the earth, giving to the hills and plains their lovely green. Though our Flora contains many native species, only a small number are of value, our meadow grasses being, with few exceptions, of foreign origin. The principal of these are, Timothy (Phleum pratense), making the best of hay; Sweet Vernal grass (.nthoxanthum odoratum), which, when half withered, gives out a pleasant odor of vanilla; Meadow grass (Poa pr atensis), Blue grass (P. compressa) and Rough grass (P. trivialis), most of which have spread over all our pasture grounds. Wheat (Triticum), Rye (Secale) and Oats (.vena), are extensively cultivated in all parts of the state. Zizania aquatica, or wild rice, a favorite food of the Indians, and affording sustenance to myriads of wild fowl, is a native of the northern counties. The Wild Oat and Chess (Bromus), into which our farmers wrongly believe that wheat and rye degenerate, are common. Phragmites, the largest grass of the northern states, looking at a distance like broom corn, grows by the river side, and borders of swamps and ponds. Some grasses are peculiar to the sands; their matted roots, forming a:thick sod, prevent the loose soil from being carried away, by the water or wind. Many others, by their annual decay,aid in fertilizing the soil, that would otherwise be arid and unproductive. Ferns and Fernlike plants occupy a wide extent of territory. Most common of all is the Brake (Pteris), under cover of which the sportsman is sure to find the rabbit, or the partridge. Maiden: Hair (3diantum), a delicate fern, with dark brown polished stems, is not uncommon. The Walking Fern (d.splenium rhizophyllum) is remarkable for striking root from the extremities of the fronds. The Climbing Fern (Lygodium) is the only species of the tribe, with a twining.stem, found in so high a latitude. The tall Osmunda (0. cinnamomea) grows in large bunches, in damp woods and low grounds; sometimes attaining the height of a man. Club Moss (Lycopodium), a creeping evergreen, is in great request at Christmas time, to form festoons and wreaths. The Scouring Rush (Equisetum) is used for polishing wood and metals. In the report of the recent Geological and Botanical survey, ordered by the legislature, the whole number of species of flowering plants, in the state, is said to be about 1450. ()f these, 1200 are herbaceous, and 150 may be regarded as ornamental. Of woody plants there are 250 species, including about 80 that attain to the stature of trees. Of plants that are. reputed medicinal, we have (native and natural. ized) 160 species. The naturalized plants exceed 160 species. We must here leave this short notice of New York plants, though we have, by no means, exhausted the materials, nor even touched upon many, that are most frequently met with, in a morning walk. Those who would pursue the- study must seek their information in two large volumes, written by Dr. Torrey, which form the Botanical part of the Natural History of New York. ZOOLOGY. 39 III. ZOOLOGY. Class I. JMammalia. By mammalia are meant, all those animals having warm blood, a double heart, that is, one with two auricles and two ventricles, and bringing forth their young alive and suckling them. Being, with a few exceptions, four footed animals, they are frequently called quadrupeds. Naturalists have divided these into a number of distinct orders, of which only five are found in this state. These are 1st, Marsupiata, or pouched animals. One species, only, belonging to this order, is found in the state, viz. the opossum. 2d, Carnivora, or flesh eaters. Of these we have five species of bats; the mole and shrew mole; six species of shrews; the black bear; the raccoon; wolverine; skunk; fisher; weasel, or black cat, called also Pennant's martin; the pine martin, or American sable; the small and the brown weasel; the New York ermine, or ermine weasel; the mink, or minx otter; the common otter; the dog, about thirty varieties, five of which are native; the common wolf, two varieties, the grey, and the black; the panther; the northern, or Canada lynx; the wild cat, or bay lynx; the seal; the hooded seal; and perhaps, the walrus. 3d, Rodentia, or gnawers. Among these are the grey fox; the red, striped, and flying squirrel; the woodchuck, or Maryland marmot; the deer mouse, or Labrador rat; the beaver; the musquash, or muskrat; the porcupine; the Norway, or brown rat; two species of black rat; the common mouse; the jumping mouse; six species of meadow mice; the grey rabbit; and the northern, or prairie hare. 4th, Un.gulata: animals whose toes are covered with a horny case, or hoot. Of these, we have the hog; the horse; the ass; the ox; the goat, the sheep; the American or fallow deer; the moose; the stag, and the reindeer. 5th, Celacea, or the whale tribe. The only species of this order, known to exist in the waters of the state, are, the right whale; the sperm whale; the beaked whale, or rorqual; the broad nosed whale; the social whale, or black whale-fish, called also the howling whale, and bottle head; the common porpoise; the grampus, or thrasher, also called the blackfish whale; and the sea porpoise. Fossil.ammalia. Of these, but three species, it is believed, have been found; viz, 1st the fossil elephant, of which but a single tooth has- been discovered. 2d, The American elephant, of which several teeth have been found in Monroe county. 3d, The mastodon, frequently, but improperly, called mammoth. Remains of this animal, and indeed skeletons nearly entire have been discovered in some 15 or 20 localities in the state, in Orange, Ulster, Monroe, Suffolk, Livingston, Chautauque, Albany, Cattaraugus, Genesee, and Niagara counties, Class II. JIves-Birds. Six orders of birds are found in the state, viz. 1st, Jdeciitres, birds of prey, including eagles, hawks, vultures, and owls. 2d, Passeres, birds of passage. These include most of those 40 STATE OF NEW YORK. birds with which we are familiar, and whose departure for a more southern clime in autumn, renders winter more cheerless, as their return in spring, makes the approaching summer more joyous and delightful. 3d, Gallince, the cock tribe, including not only our domesticated fowls, but the wild turkey, grouse, prairie hen, &c. 4th, Gralle, waders.'his includes all those long legged birds which obtain their subsistence on the borders of streams; the plover, crane, heron, poke, &c. 5th, Lobipedes, lobefooted birds; the coot, dipper, &c. 6th, J.atatores, swimmers. This includes loons, gulls, gannets, wild ducks and geese, &c. The following catalogue embraces all the birds, of these different orders, known to exist in the state. Order I. ACCIPITREs. Family 4. Alcedinide. Spotted Canada Warbler, King fisher tribe. Spotted [Birds of prey, Belted kingfisher. Blue grey " Family 5. Trochiidce. Blackburnian Family 1. Vulturid e. Humming bird tribe. Bay breasted Vulture tribe. Red throated humming bird Black poll Turkey buzzard. Family 6. Certhide. Prairie Family 2. Falconidce. Wren tribe. Blue, yellowbacked " Falcon tribe. White breasted nuthatch, Black throated, blue, " Golden eagle. Red bellied " Summer yellow bird, Brown or bald eagle, Brown creeper, Black throated green American fish hawk, Varied creeping Warbler, Pine Rough legged buzzard, House Wren, Chestnut sided " Red tailed " Wood " Hemlock Red shouldered" Mocking " Cape May Broad winged " Marsh " Kentucky, Swallow tailed hawk, Winter Hooded Duck " Short billed" Green, black capped" Pigeon, Family 7. Paridie. Blue grey gnat-catcher, American sparrow" Tomtit tribe, Family 12. 2Muscicapidce. Slate colored " Crested tit, Fly catchers. Cooper's " Black cap " American redstart, American goshawk, Carolina " Small green crested fly Marsh harrier, Family 8. Sylviadce. catcher, Family 3. Strigidat. Blue bird tribe. Yellow bellied fly catcher, Owl tribe. Golden crested kinglet, Wood pewee, Great horned owl, Ruby crowned " Phebe bird, Snowy " Blue bird. Olive sided kingbird, Hawk " Family 9. Merulidc. Great crested " Little screech." Thrush tribe. Family 13. Vireonida. Great grey, " Common mocking bird, Greenlet tribe. Long eared " Brown thrush, Yellow throated greenlet, Short eared Cat bird, Solitary Barred " American Robin, White eyed Acadian Wood thrush, Warblin " American barn" Hermit " Red eyed " Olive backed " Yellow breasted chat. Wilson's " Family 14. Laniidce. Order II. PASSERES. Family 10. Motacillidc. Shrikes [Birds of passage.] Titlark tribe. Northern butcherbird. rds opassage.] American titlark, Family 15. Corvidce. New York water thrush, Crow tribe. Family 1. Caprimnulgidce. Oven bird, or Blue jay, Whippoorwill tribe. WhiWppeoprwsllw t~ribe. Golden crowned wagtail. Canada" Whippoorwill, Nighthawk. Family 11. Sylvicolidce. Magpie, Family 2 Hirundinre. Warblers. Common crow,'Swalow tribe. Yellow throat, Raven, Chimney swallow, Mourning Warbler, Fish crow, Purple martin, Worm eating " Family 16. Quiscalidce. White bellied swallow, Whistling " Oriole tribe. Bank " Blue winged, " Common crow blackbird, Barn " Golden Rusty Cliff " Tennessee " Meadow lark, Family 3. Ampelidre. Nashville " Golden oriole, Fruit eaters. Orange crowned, Orchard " Black throated waxwing, Myrtle bird, Red winged" Cedar bird. Red poll " Cow bunting, ZOOLOGY. 41 Boblink,or Ricebird. Pinnated grouse, Family 7. Phalaropodidca. Family 17. Fringilihdac. e or Heath hen, prairie hen,Red Phalarope, Finches. Spruce grouse. Hyperborean lobefoot, or Blue Grosbeak, Sea goose, Ros breasted grosbea Order IV GRLL Wison's Holopode. Snowbird, Order IV. GRLE. Fox colored sparrow, [Waders.] Song " - Order V. LOBIPEDES. Bay winged, " Family 1. Charrid. beooed birds.] or grassbird, Plovers.Lobe ooted bi White throated " American ring plover, Family i. Pdicipid White crowned" Piping Coot or Dipper tribe. Black throated bunting, Wilson's American coot, Yellow winged " Kill deer ed grebe or dipper, Varied " Golden It Horned grebe or dipper, Varied " Golden.w'histino ~Crested grebe, Field " WhistlingRe neked Chippingbird, Turnstone Dipperor pied dobchick Tree bunting, American oyster catcher. or ped dobhic Savannah " Family 2. Gruidce. Blue striped " Crane tribe. Order VI NATATORES Seaside finch, American crane,. Quail head, Great blue heron,[Swimmers.] Swamp Finch, Great white " i Yellowbird or White crested" Famly, Arcidw. Americangold finch, or White poke, B Puffin tribe Pineinch, Blue heron, Blac Guillemot,r Mrr Lesser redpole, Lousiana " Mealy " Green " Sea Dove, Crested purple finch, Small bittern, Arctic Puffin, Cardinal Grosbeak, American "' azor bill, Chewink or Black crowned night heron, Family. Colymbid. Ground robin, Yellow " " " Ground robin, Yellow 6 Great loon or diver, Indigo bird, Family 3. Tantalide. lied throated loon Red th roated loon Red " Stork tribe. Family 3. Procelrid. Black winged red bird, White ibis,3. Procel6srit. Lapland snow " Glossy Large shearwater, or White " " Family 4. Scolopacidee, Parffin e Horned lark, Curlew tribe. Little Pine bull finch, Long billed curlew, Wilson's P smerican cros~bill, Jack Wilson's Petrel, or Anmerican crossbill, Jack "cikn Wite winged" Small Esquimaux " Mother Carey's chicken, Fork tailed Petrel. Family 18. Picidac. Long legged sandpiper, Fork tailed4. Petrcnd [Borers.] Semipalmated' Family 4. Pelicanigd. [Borers.] Semi-palmated Woodpecker tribe. Purple "'elican tribe. Crested woodpecker Buffbreasted " Cormorant, Red headed Curlew Double crested cormorant, Hairy " Black breasted " Brown Pelican, Downy " Schinz's " American Gannet. Yellow billed " Pectoral Family 5. Larid Red " " Red breasted "Gull tribe. Arctic " Wilson's " Black Skimmer, Banded Sanderling, Common ern, Golden winged" Spotted sand lark, ye or High hole. Grey MBla Family 19 Cuculide. Yellow leg, Arcts Cuckoo tribe. Solitary Tatler Sandwich Yellow billed cuckoo, or Jack snipe, Roseat Black " " Varied Tatler, R eae Family 20. CoIumnbidac Willet or stone curlew, Sinvery Pigeon tribe. Marlin, iter gull, Wild Pigeon, Ring tailed marlin, Great b guAan Carolina turtle dove. Dowitchee orCom Amern Red breasted snipe, BLonaare' OrderIII. GAINE. Common American snipe, Bapae ~~~wOrder coc..ALLINX!ok A l,'Fork tailed' American wood c Three toed ck. Family 5. Rallidc. KThree toed Family 1. Phasianide. Rail tribe. Killiwake, Pheasant tribe. Salt water meadow hen Arctic hawk gull, Wild Turkey. Fresh t Pomarine Introduced and domesti- Mud hen, Family 6. Anatide. cated. New Yor rail Goose and Duck tribes. New York rail, Peacock, Sora " Buff breasted shelldrake, Guineafowl, Red" C ommon cock. Florida Gallinule, ooded Common cock. Heeded " Family 2. Tetraonide. Family 6. Recurvirostridae Canvass back duck, Grouse tribe, Avoset tribe. Red head American quail, Lawyer, Broad bill Common partridge, American Avoset. Creek Ruffed grouse, Bastard 42 STATE OF NEW YORK. Pied duck, Broad billed coot, or Black duck, Ruddy i Butter bill, American widgeon, or Old wife White winged coot, Bald pate, Buffle headed Wood duck, European widgeon, Whistler, Blue winged teal, Wild goose, Harlequin " Green " White fronted goose, Eider Pintailed duck, Brant, King Shoveller, or spoonbill, American swan. Surf duck or coot, Grey duck, or Gadwall, Class II. Reptiles. There are but three orders of reptiles found in the state, viz. 1st, Chelonia. The turtle tribe. Among the animals belonging to this order are the green turtle, which, though a native of warm climates, occasionally makes its appearance in the waters of New York bay, and Long Island sound; the leather turtle, a gigantic species; the soft shell turtle found in the Mohawk, and in the lakes; the snapping turtle; the salt water terrapin, or mud turtle; the smooth terrapin, which resembles the preceding in its appearance and habits; the painted tortoise; the spotted tortoise or speckled turtle; the wood or fresh water terrapin; the red bellied terrapin; Muhlenburg's tortoise; the geographic, and the pseudo-geographic tortoise, both distinguished by the geometric lines upon their shells; the mud tortoise, found only in the southern counties; the musk tortoise, also called mud turtle, and mud terrapin; the common box, or checkered, tortoise, also called box turtle; and Blanding's box tort ise. 2d, Sauria. The lizard tribe. There are but two species of this tribe, known to exist in this state, viz. the blue tailed skink or lizard, called also the striped lizard, found in the southern counties; and the brown swift, frequenting the woods, in every part of the state. 3d, Ophidia. The serpent tribe. Most of these are harmless, only two species being venomous. Of the harmless species, we have the common black snake, from three to six feet long; the pilot black snake, or racer, found in the Highlands and Fishkill mountains; the chain snake, also called racer; the milk or chicken snake, also called house snake, checkered adder, &c.; the striped snake; the ring snake, black and red, small; the grass or green snake; the brown water snake, or water adder-this snake has its tail tipped with horn, and is frequently regarded with dread, but without cause; the striped water, green water, or water garter snake; the yellow bellied snake; the small brown snake: the ribbon snake; the red snake, very small, and found under stones and logs; the hog nosed snake, called also deaf adder, spreading adder, &c The two venomous species are, the copper head, called also red adder, dumb rattlesnake, red viper, &c.; and the northern rattlesnake. The popular belief that the latter add a new rattle every year is erroneous. Instances have been known where there were forty-four of these fibulae or rattles on the tail of a single snake, and that not of a very large size. They are found abundantly, in the rocky and unsettled portions of the state. The deer and the hog destroy them rapidly-the latter eating them. ZOOLOGY. 43 Class IV..tmphibia. Animals living both on the land, and in the water. There are but four families of amphibia, in the state. 1st, Ranidce. The fiog tribe. The following are,all the species of this family in the state: The common bull frog; thelarge northern bull fiog, found in lakes George and Champlain, and their tributaries; the spring frog, the kind most usually eaten; the marsh or pickerel frog, used for bait, and called also, from its spots, tiger, and leopard frog; the shad frog, which makes its appearance in the early spring; the wood frog, a very nimble animal; the hermit spadefoct, a singular animal, between a frog and a toad; the common American toad, a harmless and useful animal; Pickering's hylodes,,a very small toad; the peeper or cricket frog, called in Savannah, the Savannah cricket; the northern, or common tree toad, and the squirrel tree toad. 2d, Salamandridae. The salamander tribe. These are usually, though incorrectly, called lizards. Among them are the yellow bellied salamander; the violet colored, the red backed, the painted, the salmon colored, the blotched, the long tailed, the granulated, the striped back, the red, the scarlet, and the blue spotted salamander. 3d, Sirenidce. The triton tribe. Of these we have the tiger triton, with a tongue like a fish; the common spotted; the dusky, and the grey triton. 4th, lmphiumidce. The proteus tribe. The banded proteus, or great water lizard, a very singular animal, having the body of a lizard, and the gills of a fish; and the Alleghany hell-bender, another curious amphibious animal, very voracious, and from 12 to 24 inches in length, are the only species of this family in New York. Class V. Fishes. The fishes, belonging to the state, are very numerous. Fishes are divided into two sub-classes, BONY and CARTILAGINOUs. The first sub-class has six orders, viz. 1st, Pectinibranchi, having gills arranged regularly, like the teeth of a comb. This order embraces many of our common fish, both in fresh and salt water. Those best known are the perch, bass, bullhead, sheepshead, porgee, pilot fish, mullet, black fish or tautaug, cunner, sucker, mackerel, &c. &Sc. In all the fishes belonging to this order the rays of the fin are bony. The same arrangement of the gills occurs in the three succeeding orders. 2d, Abdominal, those having belly fins and ventrals. This order includes the shad, herring, salmon, trout, catfish, pipe fish, dace, shiner, carp, pike, pickerel, minnow, &c. This, and the four succeeding orders, have soft rayed fins. 3d, Jugular. having shoulder fins, and ventrals attached to the bones of the shoulder. It includes the cod, haddock, hake, halibut, flatfish, flounder, turbot, sole, lumpfish, &c. 4th, p.dpodal, without fins. This order includes the eel and conger. 5th, Lophobranchi, those having tufted gills. This order is small, comprising two species of pipe fish and the Hudson river sea horse. 6th, Plectognathi, those having the gills concealed under the 44 STATE OF NEW YORK. skin. The balloon fish, puffer, and globe fish are examples of this order. Sub-class TI. CARTILmGINOUS FISHES. These are divided into three orders, viz. 1st. Eleutheroponi, those having free gills. This order is represented in the state only by the sturgeon. 2d, Plagiostomaa, those having the gills attached. This includes the shark and ray tribes. 3d, Cyclostomi, those having circular openings on each side of the neck for respiration. This includes the lamprey, frequently called tamper eel. FOSSIL FISHEs. Twenty-five species of these have been enumerated by the Messrs. Redfield. A number of them are extinct species. The following catalogue contains the names of all the fishes as yet discovered in the waters of this state: Sub-class I. Bony Fishes. Order I. PECTINIBRANCHI. Four spined stickleback, Spotted caranx, M any spined " Hair finned blepharis, or [Spine rayed.} Family 3. Scienidce. Hair finned dory, Family 1. Percidce. Sheepshead family. Rostrate argyreiose or Perch family. Lafayette, Dory, American yellow perch, s eakfish, Hairfinned Rough Lake sheepshead, Blunt nosed shiner, or Rough headed" A Silvery Corvina,? Bristly dory, Sharp nosed " " Branded Banded seriole, Slender t " Sharpfinned " Blue fish, Striped sea bass, Black sheepshead, Bottle headeddolphin, Ruddy " King fish, Spotted lampugus, Little white " Big drum, Long finned harvest fish, Small black " Banded" Short finned White lake " Banded Corvina, Family 7. Teuthidre. Black Huron or black bass, Speckled redmouth, Surgeon. Champlain pickering, Yellow finnedFamily. Athrinid Yellow pike perch, Squirrel fish, Family. Alverside Grey - " Banded pristipoma, Dotted silverside, Tesselated darter, Black triple tail Slender Groper, Family 4. Sparide. Family. Muilid. Black sea bass, Porgee family. Mullet family. Growler, Sheepshead, Striped mullet, Fresh water bass, Sand porgee, Whie Black do. " Rhomboidal" Rock Obscure do. " Aculeated gilthead, Spotted Common pond fish, Big porgee, or Family 15. GobidaE Black eared " Scup. Goby family, Coachman, Family 5. Chetodontide. Sea weed blenny, Spineless perch, Banded Ephippus, or Radiated shanny, Unarmed Uranoscoe, Three tailed porgee, American btter fsh Northern Barracuta, Moon fish, Thick lipped eel pot, Cirrous Lepisoma. Razor fish.d Family 2. Triglidce. Family 6, Scombridce. Bordered Gurnard family. Mackerel tribe. Sea d wolf, Web fingered gurnard, Spring Mackerel, arieged goby. Red " Fall " Family 1. Lophidea. Banded " Spansh " Toad fish family. Spinous Common tunny, American angler, Sea swallow, Striped bonito, Gibbous mouse fish, Common bullhead, Spotted cybium, Smooth Brazen " i Silvery' hair tail, or Short nosed malthea, Smooth browed"? Ribbon fish. Dotted Greenland " Common sword fish, Bat American sea raven, New York pilot fish, Common toad fish, Small sea scorpion,. Northern crab-eater, Two spined toad fish. Spotted" " Carolina lichia, Family 12. Labridal Northern sebastes, Silvery trachinote, Common bergall, or Little star gazer. Spinous " or Cmunner, American Aspidophore, lSpinous dory, Spotted do. Spotted wrymouth, Black pilot, New York tautaug, or Two spined stickleback, Southern caranx, Black fish. New York - Yellow ZOOLOG. 48 O'fdr It. ABDOMINAL. Spotted pipe fish, gusty flat fish, [Soft rayed fishes.] Family 5. Salionide. Toothed, " - Salmon Family1 Oblong Fldounders Family 1i SilWride, Brook trout, Long toothed" Catfish family. Red bellied" Spotted Turbot, Oceanic catfish) Lake- " New York sole. Milbert's arius, Mackinaw Salmonl, Family 3. CyclopteridM Great lake catfish, Common sea" Lump fieh. Common' or American smelt; Family 4. EChineidcas Organized, 1772. Population, 40,554. Valuation, 1845, $5,991,847. TOWNS. 1. Argyle, 1788. 2. Cambridge, 1788. W 3. Easton, 1788. 4 Fort Ann, 1788. 5. Granville, 1788. S 6. Hampton, 1788. _ [ 7. Hebron, 1788. 8. Kingsbury, 1788. 6 9. Salem, 1788. 10. Whitehall, 1788.' 11. Hartford, 1788. 12. Greenwich, 1803. 13. Putnam, 1806. 14. White Creek, 1815. 15. Jackson, 1815. j 16. Fort Edward, 1818. 17. Dresden, 1822. Jl~ountains. U. Taghkanic range. Y. Peterborough range, 1. French, or Luzernemountains. 7 Rivers, &rc. C. Hudson river. a. I [ Wood creek. b. Pawlet river. c. Poultney, or Fair Haven riv.- 1 er. d. Batten kill. f. Black creek. g. White creek. k. i 7 Hoosick river. i. Moses kill. Falls. Baker's falls. Great falls.12 B' Lakes. W. Lake Champlain. t X. Lake George. j. Big Pond. J Forts. Fort Edward. Fort Ann. -- Battle Fields. Kingsbury. Fort Ann. Whitehall. 2 14 Villages. SALEM, SANDY HILL, Fort Edward, Whitehall, Union village, White Creek. BOUNDARIES. North by Essex county and the state of Vermont; East by Vermont; South by Rensselaer county; West by Saratoga and Warren counties, and Lake George. SURFACE. Three distinct ranges of mountains are found in WASHING TON COUNTY. 205 thig county; viz. the Taghkanic, extending along its eastern boundary, with an average width of about five miles; the Peterborough, with a variable height, running from north to south, through the centre of the county, broken through by the Hoosick, Pawlet, and Poultney rivers, and the Batten kill, and maintaining a breadth of from six to eight miles; spurs of this ridge extend toward the river in Greenwich and Easton; and' lastly, the Palmertown range, here taking the name of French, or Luzerne mountains, and occupying the narrow peninsula which separates Lake George from Lake Champlain. These ranges, interspersed with occasional valleys, render the face of the county diversified and picturesque. RIVERS, &c. The county is abundantly watered. Beside the Hudson, the principal streams are, the Hoosick, Pawlet, and Poultney, or Fair Haven rivers, Batten kill, Wood creek, Moses kill, White and Owl creeks. FALLS. Baker's falls, on the Hudson, have an almost perpendicular descent of fifty feet, at the village of Sandy Hill. Great falls, on the Batten kill, have a total descent of sixty feet, in the towns of Easton and Greenwich. LAKES. Lakes George and Champlain form portions of the boundary of this county. Long Lake, in Argyle, is three or four miles in length. CANALS. The Champlain canal crosses the Hudson at Greenwich, and connects with Lake Champlain at Whitehall, furnishing 32 miles of navigation in this county. CLIMATE. Cold, but healthful. The spring opens some two weeks later than-in Orange, Dutchess, and the lower counties on the Hudson. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The northern part of the county is primitive, and the underlying rock chiefly granite. On the shores of the lakes there is an admixture, and apparent confusion of all the formations, probably the result of some convulsion of nature. In the southern part of the county, the rocks are principally transition, intermixed with occasional patches of primitive. Limestone, graywacke, and slate, alternate upon the surface in this section. Magnetic and hematitic iron ore, marl, lime, marble, water lime, graphite, lamellar pyroxene, massive feldspar, and epidote, are the principal minerals of the county. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is generally good, and produces fine crops of wheat, but is better adapted to grazing than the culture of grain. The principal timber is oak, hickory, chestnut, maple, butternut, pine, and hemlock. PURSUITS. The people are, for the most part, engaged in agricultural pursuits. Oats, corn, flax, and potatoes are largely 10 206 STATE OF NEW YORK. raised, and considerable quantities of wheat, rye, and barley. Butter, cheese, wool, and pork are produced in great abundance. In the quantity of wool grown, it was, in 1845, the second county in the state. 2JManufactures are increasing in importance. Flour, lumber, cotton and woollen goods, leather, and iron, are the principal articles manufactured. Cormmerce.- The Champlain and Hudson canal affords a convenient mode of transportation to the produce of the county, which is well improved. The tolls received on produce passing through this county in 1845, were about $70,000. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. The staples of the county are potatoes, oats, corn, flax, butter, cheese, wool, and pork. SCHOOLS. The county contained, in 1846, 246 district schoolhouses, in which were taught 13,414 children, at an expense of $16,950 for tuition. The schools were maintained, on an aver — age, eight months each. Number of volumes in the district libraries, 27,656. It had also twenty-two select schools, with 327 scholars, and five academies, with 345 pupils. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, and Universalists. Churches, eighty-eight. Clergymen, seventytwo. HISTORY. The first settlement in the county was made at Argyle, in 1742, by eighty-three families of h ighlanders, who emigrated from Scotland, under the direction of Capt. Laughlin Campbell, who had obtained a grant of 30,000 acres from Governor Clarke. These emigrants were intended to serve as defenders of the frontier, from incursions of the French and Indians. As they were scantily provided with food and clothing, application was made to the colonial legislature for aid, till they should be able to sustain themselves. This the house of assem. bly refused to grant, on the ground, it is said, that they had discovered that the Governor and Surveyor General insisted upon their fees and a share of the lands. Captain Campbell sought redress, but in vain, and with the remnant of his fortune, purchased a small farm in the province. His unfortunate followers were rescued from starvation by enlisting in an expedition against Carthagena. In 1755, Fort Edward was erected, by Generals Lyman and Johnson, and in 1756, Fort Ann. Salem was settled the same year, by two companies of emigrants, one from Scotland and Ireland, the other from New WASHINGTON COUNTY. 207 England, In 1764, Alexander Turner and others, who had received a grant in 1761, settled in the town of Salem. Not far from the same period, settlements were made in Kingsbury. In 1758, an obstinate and bloody battle occurred, between a body of 500 American troops, under the command of Major (afterwards General,) Putnam and Major Rogers, and a party of French and Indians, under the command of a French officer, by the name of Molaire. The battle ground was two miles north of the village of Kingsbury. The French commander had stationed a part of his troops in ambuscade for the Americans, and hoped to surprise them; but Putnam, with the coolness which always characterized him, maintained his position, and a fearful conflict ensued. Putnam was taken captive by the Indians, but the bravery of the American troops prevailed, and they finally routed the enemy, who left ninety dead behind them. The Indians bore off Putnam as a prisoner, to Canada, inflicting on him the most cruel tortures; and but for the interposition of the French commanders would have burned him at the stake. In May, 1775, Whitehall, then called Skenesborough, from its first settler, Major Skene, was seized by a detachment of volunteers from Connecticut. In 1777, the American force stationed there, not being sufficient to protect it against Burgoyne, the fort, stores, and a large number of batteaux loaded with provisions, were burned by the Americans, to prevent their falling into his hands. In July, 1777, a severe skirmish took place at Fort Ann, between the 8th British regiment and a body of 400 or 500 invalid American troops, under the command of Colonel Long. The British suffered severely, and would have been taken or destroyed but for the want of ammunition on the part of the Americans. On the 27th of July, 1777, Miss Jane Me Crea was murdered by the Indians near Fort Edward.* * The following version of this tragical affair is compiled from Neilson's "Burgoyne's Campaign," and is professedly derived from the most authentic sources, It will be seen that it differs materially from the accounts heretofore published. Miss McCrea was the daughter of a New Jersey clergyman, and had come, some years before, to reside with her brother on the west bank of the Hudson, five or six miles below Fort Edward. David Jones, her suitor, resided about five miles above, on the same side of the river. He had embraced the royal cause, and was In the army of Burgoyne. On the 26th of July, 1777, Miss McCrea came from her brother's to the house of Peter Freel, who lived close under the walls of Fort Ed. ward, on a visit. She remained there over night, and the next morning went to the house of Mrs. McNeil, afterwards Mrs. Campbell, a cousin of General Frazer, who was at that time in Burgoyne's army. This house was at a distance of about eighty rods from the fort. While at the house of Mrs. McNeil, the commander of the fort sent out a party of fifty men, to reconnoitre the position of the enemy. When about a mile fiom the fort, this party fell into an ambuscade of Indians, about 208 STATE OF NEW YORK. VILLAGES. SANDY HILL, in the town of Kingsbury, is a half shire village of this county, It was incorporated in 1810. The village is well laid out, the streets enclosing a triangular area in the centre of the village, which was once the scene of Indian barbarities. The Hudson furnishes an immense water power which is but partially improved. Population 1200. SALEM, the other half shire village, was incorporated in 1803. It is situated in the midst of a fertile agricultural region, and is celebrated as a mart for wool. The Washington Academy is an old institution, and has sent out a considerable number of eminent scholars. Population 800. Whilehall, in the town of the same name, is eligibly situated at the foot of Lake Champlain, of which it is one of the principal ports. It is connected with the Hudson river by means of the Champlain canal, as well as by several lines of stages running to Troy, Albany, and Saratoga; and with Montreal by steamers which ply daily upon the lake. Thus favorably situated for. commerce, its growth has been rapid and healthful. Population about 25 Union Village, situated in the towns of Greenwich and Easton, is a thriving and pleasant manufacturing village, with a flourishing academy, and a number of large manufactories. Population 1400. North White Creek is a pleasant village, in the town of White Creek, in the midst of an agricultural region. It is a great mart for wool. Population 750. Cambridge, in the town of the same name, is the seat of Washington Academy, a flourishing and highly popular institution. Fort Edward and Fort Ann are small villages, worthy of notice principally on account of their historic interest. 200 in number, and fled towards the fort. The Indians pursued and killed eighteen of their number. As they passed the house of Mrs. McNeil, six of the Indians rushed in and seized Mrs. McNeil and Miss McCrea, and hurried with them to the main body of the Indians. Both of the ladies were placed upon horses, which they had probably stolen from the vicinity. As they ascended a hill about a mile from the fort, Miss McCrea Was shot by one of the Indians, and fell from her horse. The savage who shot her, scalped her, and having secured the most valuable articles of her clothing, rolled her body down the declivity of the hill. On the ensuing day her body, and that of a young American officer who had also been killed by the Indians, were found and buried near a small creek about three miles from Fort Edward, by the Americans from the fort. Mrs. McNeil was not killed, but plundered of most of her clothing, and brought to the British camp. Jones, Miss McCrea's suitor, had never sent for her, nor is it certain that he knew that she was in the vicinity of the fort. He is reported to have been killed at the battle of Bemis' Heights, on the 19th of September following. XIII. COLUMBIA COUNTY. Square miles, 624. Population, 41,416. Organized, 1786. Valuation, 1845, $8,925,423. 19 /5. r?'^ "'^ " A T —-q \' t 7 17. 210 STATE OF NEW YORK. TOWNS. 1. Hudson, 1785. 11. Taghkanic, 1803. 2. Canaan, 1788. 12. Austerlitz, 1818. 3. Claverack, 1788. 13. Ghent, 1818. 4. Clermont, 1788. 14. New Lebanon, 1818. 5. Germantown, 1788. 15. Stuyvesant, 1823. 6. Hillsdale, 1788. 16. Copake, 1824. 7. Kinderkook, 1788. 17. Gallatin, 1830. S. Livingston, 1788. 18. Stockport, 1833. 9. Chatham, 1795. 19. Greenport, 1839. 10. Ancran, 1803. Mountains. U. Taghkanic range. Rivers and Creeks. C. Hudson river. b. Claverack creek. c. Copake. d. Ancram. -g. RoeliffJansen's. h. Vallitje. i. Kinderhook. Falls. Kinderhook falls. Lakes and Ponds. k. Copake lake. 1. Charlotte. m. Fish. j. Whiting's pond. Villages. HUDSON. Kinderhook. New Lebanon. Valatie, or Vallitje. Columbiaville. BOUNDARIES. North by Rensselaer county; East by the state of Massachusetts and Dutchess county; South by Dutchess county; and West by the Hudson river. SURFACE. The surface of Columbia county is greatly varied, but may be regarded as composed of two long and broken valleys, on the east of which the Taghkanic range forms a natural boundary between the county and the state of Massachusetts; the high banks of the Hudson form the western boundary, and the Peterborough mountains constitute the dividing ridge through the centre of the county. The western valley rises on e north and sou h, causing its waters to flow towards the centre; while the eastern, being highest in the centre, sends its streams north and south. The western valley being much the broadest, gives the county the form of a basin, retaining all the waters that rise in it, and discharging them into the Hudson, through the Kinderhook and Roeliff Jansen's cre ks. RIVERS. The Hudson is the' rincipal river; the other streams of the county are Kinderhook, Claverack, Copake, Roeliff Jansen's and Vallitje creeks. LAKES. Fish, Whiting's pond, Copake and Charlotte, are the only lakes worthy of notice. RAILROADS. The Hudson and Berkshire, and the Great Western railroad pass t rough the county; and the route of the Harlaem railroad is laid out through it. CLIMATE. The climate varies with the surface. In the valleys it is mild and pleasant, with early seasons; on the moun COLUMBIA COUNTY. 211 tains, it is colder and more backward. The county is regarded as very healthy. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The Taghkanic mountains, in the eastern part of the county, are primitive, and composed mainly of granite, and granular limestone. The remainder of the county-is transition, and its principal rocks are graywacke and blue limestone, below which, fbr the most part, lies a bed of slate. The minerals are, iron ore of superior quality, lead ore, sulphuret of copper, oxide of manganese, sulphuret of zinc, heavy spar, peat, marl and marble. There are several mineral springs, both sulphurous and chalybeate, in the county. Those at Lebanon are much frequented, and considered as possessing valuable medicinal properties.* The sulphur springs in the town of Stockport are attracting considerable attention. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. Portions of the county are highly fertile, while others are less productive. The marl and lime which abound in the county, furnish ample means for enriching it, to the highest degree of productiveness.'The timber of the county is principally pitch pine, hickory, oak, maple, elm and chestnut. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the leading pursuit. Much attention is given to the culture of grain and the rearing of cattle. The growth of wool is very large. Manufactures are also an important pursuit in the county. The principal articles are cotton and woollen fabrics, including prints, flour, iron an; brass ware. Cimonerce. An active trade is carried on from Hudson and the other river towns of the county, with New York and other home ports, employing a number of steamers, sloops and barges. The produce of the inland towns finds its way to a market by the railroads. Mines. There are some iron mines in the county. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Oats,.potatoes, corn, rye, butter, cheese and wool. SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were in the county, 184 district school-houses, in which schools were taught, an average period of nine months. 11,275 scholars received instruction, at an expense for tuition, of about $22,038. The district libraries numbered 22,540 volumes. There were, the same year, in the county, twenty-six select schools, with 435 pupils, and four academies with 238 students. * The following is the late Dr. Meade's analysis of the waters of the New Lebanon spring. Two quarts f water contain grs. Muriate of lime, 1 Of gases. Nitrogen gsq, 13 cubic inches. MIuriate of soda, (common salt,) 1 3-4 Atmospheric air, 8 " " Sulphate of lime, 1 1-2 - Carbonate of imne, 3-4 21 - 5 212 STATE OF NEW YORK. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Dutch. Reformed, Baptists, Presbyterians, Friends, Episcopalians, Jews, Lutherans, Shakers, Universalists, Congregationalists, Unitarians, and Roman Catholics. The whole number of churches is seventy-four; of clergymen, sixty. HISTORY. This county was originally a portion of two manors. The manor of Rensselaerwyck included all except the seven southernmost towns, which constituted the manor of Livingston, granted in 16S4, 1685, and 1686, and confirmed to the proprietor in 1714. In 1710, a company of seventy German families, part of those sent over by Queen Anne, settled in the present town of Germantown, which they called East Camp. In 1725, an arrangement having been made between George I. and the proprietor of the Livingston manor, a tract of 6000 acres was secured to them, of which forty acres were to be reserved for the use of a church and school, and the remainder divided equally among the inhabitants. The other six towns, Clermont, Livingston, Taghkanic, Gallatin, Copake, and Ancram, still constitute the Livingston manor. The leases are generally long, and the ents payable in produce. The northern towns, mostly belong to the manor of Rensselaerwyck. Difficulties have frequently occurred between the proprietors of these manors and their tenants. In 1766, the military forces were called out to quell the disturbances in the town of Claverack, in the Rensselaer manor, and a conflict ensued in which several lives were lost. Similar occurrences have taken place within a year or two past. The county was mostly settled by Swedish and Dutch emigrants, with the exception of Germantown, already mentioned, and Hudson, which was founded in 1783, by enterprising citizens of Rhode Island and Nantucket, The manorial system has perhaps prevented, in some degree, the full development of the capabilities of the county; yet it has, with slight exceptions, uniformly enjoyed a high degree of prosperity. VILLAGES. HUDSON city, the capital of he county, is pleasantly situated on the banks of the HudsQn, here about fifty feet above the level of the river, It was formerly largely engaged in commerce, but the interests of this, as well as all our other commercial ports, were greatly injured by the action of the French and English, relative to neutral vessels, and the course necessarily adopted by our government in return, prior to the late war with Great Britain. After recovering from the severe losses occatsioned by these events, the citizens of hudson engaged in the whale fishery, COLUMBIA COUNTY. 213 but with indifferent success. The coasting trade is prosecuted to some extent. There are some manufactories here, principally of sperm oil and candles, malt liquors, iron, and carriages. The Hudson Academy is an old chartered institution, and the Hudson Female Seminary, is a new and flourishing school. The Hudson Lunatic Asylum is a private institution. but well conducted, and enjoying a large amount of patronage. The city is supplied with excellent water, by means of an aqueduct. The Hudson and Berkshire railroad adds materially to the business facilities of the city. Population, 5,657. Valatie is an important manufacturing village, in the town of Kinderhook, situated at the junction of the Valatie (a corruption of Vallitje) and-Kinderhook creeks; here are four large cotton mills, two iron foundries, and several other manufactories. Population, 1600. Kinderihook village, in the town of the same name, is delightfully situated on a plain, five miles east of the Hudson. It has several manufactories, and a flourishing incorporated academy. It is the birth place of ex-President Van Buren, and his beautiful country seat, Lindenwald, is about two miles south of the village. Population, 1500. Columbiaville, in the town of Stockport, is a manufacturing village of some importance. Its manufactures consist mainly of cotton sheetings. The Hudson River Seminary, a manual labor institution, is located here. There are in the town of Stockport, several other manufacturing villages. The principal are Glencadia, Springville, Hudson Print Works, and Chittenden's Falls. New Lebanon Shaker Village, in the town of New Lebanon, called by the inhabitants the " Village of the Millennial Church," is situated on the west side of the Taghkanic mountains. This is one of the largest settlements of this singular people. Th'ey have here a very large church, arched over throughout its entire extent; ten dwelling houses for their families, or communities, which consist of from 60 to 150 persons each, and numerous workshops and manufactories. Their grounds are highly cultivated, and their society prosperous and wealthy. This settlement was founded a few years after that at Neskayuna. noticed under Albany county. Population about 600. Two and a half miles from this village, are the New Lebanon springs, which are a fashionable resort for invalids and pleasure seekers, during the summer; the scenery here is very delightful. 10* XIV. CLINTON COUNTY. Square miles, 933. Population, 31,278. Organized, 1788. Valuation, 1845, $1,666,140. II\ TOWVNS. 1. Plattsburgh, 1795. 7. Ellenburgh, 1830. I IO^A 97 z 2. Champlain, 1788. 8. Saranac, 1834. 3. Peru, 1792. 9. Au Sable, 1837. 4. Chazy, 1804. 10. Blaclkbrook, 1837. 5. Mooers, 1804. 11. Clinton, 1842. 6. Beekmantown, 1820. CLINTON COUNTY. 215.Mountains. JJ. Au Sable range. GG, Chateaugay. 1. Lyon. m. Rand Hill. Rivers, a. Great Chazy. b. Little Chazy. c. English. d. Salmon. e. Little Au Sable. i. Au Sable. j. Saranac. Falls. Sheffield. Lakes. W. Lake Champlain. g. Chateaugay. h. Chazy. Battle Fields. Plattsburgh. Lake Champlain. Villages. PLATTSBURGH. Chazy. Redford. Clinton. Peru. BOUNDARIES. North by Canada East; East by Lake Champlain; South by Essex county; and West by Franklin county. SURF x._E. A plain, about eight miles in width, extends along the eastern border of this county, inclining gently to Lake Champlain. West of this, the surface becomes hilly and broken, giving rise to the Au Sable range of mountains; still farther west, the Chateaugay, which have their origin in Canada, rear their lofty and wooded ridges. Their course is from north-east to south-west. RIvERS. The principal rivers in the county are the Au Sable, Saranac, Great Chazy, Little Chazy, English, Salmon, and Little Au Sable. FALLS. The Au Sable has a number of falls within a few miles of its mouth. At Birmingham, the water plunges over a precipice eighty feet in height, and then flows through a ravine of two miles in length, and an average width of fifty feet, with perpendicular walls of granite from seventy-five to 150 feet high. The Saranac has also a number of falls, three of them exceeding in perpendicular descent, forty feet each. LAKES. Lake Champlain washes the eastern border of the county. The other principal lakes are Chateaugay and Chazy. CLIMATE. In common with the northern counties generally, it has a rigorous climate. The winters are long, and snow falls to a great depth. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. The county is wholly of primitive formation, except a narrow strip of limestone, along the'shore of the lake. Hypersthene, granite and gneiss, are the prevailing rocks. Iron is the most abundant and valuable mineral. Both bog and magnetic ores occur in large quantities. Black marble is found near Plattsburgh, of excellent quality. Peat is very plentiful. In Beekmantown, is a sulphur spring, and also one of carbonated water. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. In the level section upon the lake, the soil is principally a clayey loam, and is very productive. As the country rises, it becomes less fertile. The summer crops are best adapted to the soil. The forests are covered with a dense growth of timber, of oak, pine, maple, hemlock, &c. Large quantities of sugar are produced from the maple. 216 STATE OF NEW YORK. PURSUIrs. The inhabitants are for the most part engaged in agricultural pursuits. Some grain is raised, but the rearing of cattle and sheep is a-more favorite and profitable business. The preparation of lumber for market also furnishes employment to many of the citizens. Mlanufactures are increasing in importance, but are, at present, chiefly limited to the manufacture of pig and bar iron, nails, glass, flour, lumber, and woollen goods. Commerce. The shipping of the Champlain district amounted, in 1845, to 3192 tons, the greater part of which is owned in this county. Several steamers ply on the lake, as well as sloops, schooners, &c. Mines. There are extensive iron mines in the county. The marble quarries, near Plattsburgh, are in high repute. STAPLES. Butter, cheese, beef, pork, corn and potatoes. SCHOOLS. 138 district schools were maintained in the county an average period of six months, in 1846. $8958 was expended for the instruction of 8056 children. The school libraries numbered 14,460 volumes. There were also in the county, nineteen private schools, with 527 pupils, and three incorporated academies with 191 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Roman Catholics, Friends, and Episcopalians. There are thirty-three churches and forty-five clergymen of all denominations. HISTORY. At the close of the French war, this county was visited by numerous speculators, in quest of pine and oak timber:; but no permanent settlements were established till 1765, or 1766, when a grant having been made to two officers of the British Navy, Messrs. Stewart and Freswell, of 2000 acres of land, in two tracts, one situated in Plattsburgh, and the other in'Peru, a few families removed here, but were soon driven off by the revolutionary war. The descendants of one of them, however, (Mr. Hay,) still occupy his property. Grants were also made previous to the revolution, to two gentlemen named Beekman and Deane, with each of whom several partners were associated. A settlement was made in Deane's patent, in 1768, (though not by purchase from him,)by Mr. James Framboise. Being driven out by the enemy in 1776, he served in the American army through the war, and, in 1784, returned to his farm, which is still held by his family. A German nobleman, Count Vredenburg, who had married a lady of the Queen's household, in England, obtained a grant of 30,000 acres of land, which he located on Cumberland bay, in the present town of Plattsburgh. He resided here, in great CLINTON COUNTY. 217 splendor, for several years, previous to the revolution, at-the commencement.of which:he sent his family to Montreal, but remained himself, for some time, on his estate, and at length ysteriously disappeared. It.was supposed, that he was robbed and murdered. His house, and a saw mill which he had erected, some three miles from his residence, were burned, at the time of his disappearance. In July, 1783, Lieutenant (afterwards Major General) Benjamin Mooers, with two other officers, and eight men, ascended the Hudson in a boat, from Fishkill landing, and, taking the route by way of Lake George, and Lake Champlain, reached Point au Roche, nine miles above Plattsburgh, on the 10th of August, and commenced a settlement. In 1784, Judge Zephaniah Platt, and several others, who had formed a company, for the purchase of military warrants, located their lands on Cumberland bay, and laid out the town of Plattsburgh, reserving ten lots, of 100 acres each, as gifts to the first ten settlers, who should remove thither, with their families, and another hundred acre lot for the first male child, born in the settlement. These gifts were soon claimed, and the settlement prospered steadily from this period. During the late war with Great Britain, one of its severest battles occurred wi-;i in the limits of this county-we allude to the battle of Plattsburgh, and the simultaneous naval conflict, between the squadrons of Commodore Downie and Commodore McDonough, on the 11th of September, 1814. In this battle, a force of 1500 regulars, and about 2500 militia, under General Macomb, defeated and routed a force of 14,000 well appointed, and veteran troops, the victors of a hundred battle fields; and the squadron, under the command of Commodore McDonough, destroyed a force. considerably its superior, on the lake. The loss of the British land forces, was more than 2000, in killed, wounded, prisoners, and deserters; that of the Americans, not more than 150. On the lake, the English loss was about 1000, in killed, wounded, and prisoners; that of the Americans, 110. The British commander, Commodore Downie, was killed, in- the naval action. The mineral wealth of this county, and its vast forests of valuable timber, will undoubtedly continue to attract emigrants hither, and no where will industry receive a more ample reward. VILLAGES. PLATTSBURGH, in the town of the same name, is the county seat, and is situated at the head of Cumberland bay. It has numerous manufactories, and is the proposed terminus of 218 STATE OF NEW YORK. the Ogdensburgh and Lake Champlain railroad; several railroads are now in the course of construction, which will probably connect this road with Boston, and other ports on the Atlantic. Plattsburgh is a United States military post, and the government have erected extensive stone barracks here, anJ a permanent breakwater fo: the protection of the harbor. The Saranac here furnishes a fine water power, descending by a succession of falls, about forty feet. The manufactures of the village are principally cotton and woollen goods. Population, 2500. Near the village are the ruins of the temporary barracks and breast works, occupied by the troops of General Macomb, during the late war with Great Britain. One mile north of these is the house occupied by the British commander, General Prevost, as his head quarters, during the siege. Between this and the village, the marks of cannon shot can still be seen on the trees and other objects. At a distance of about five miles from the village, on a hill overlooking the village of Beekmantown, is the spot where the British troops met the first repulse in their approach to Plattsburgh, on the 6th of September. In this skirmish, several of the British officers and about 100 men were killed. The British camp was north of the Saranac river. Clintonville, on the Au Sable river, situated partly in this ahd partly in Essex county, is a thriving village, largely engaged in the various manufactures of bar and rolled iron, nails, chain cables, &c. which are produced here, in large quantities. The Arnold Hill mine, near the village, furnishes magnetic iron ore of very superior quality. Population, 1000. Peru is a flourishing village, in the town of the same name. Population, 900. Redford, in the town of Saranac, is famous for its manufacture of crown glass, which is of superior quality. Population, 700. Chazy is a small, but thriving village, in the town of the same name. It has some manufactures. The Chazvr black marble, quarried near this village, bears a high reputation. Champlain, in the town of the same name, is a village ofsome importance. The village of Keeseville, on both sides of the Au Sable, is partly located in this town, and, in point of importance, is only second to Plattsburgh. It is more particularly described in Essex county. XV. ONTARIO COUNTY. Square Miles, 617. Population, 42,592. Organized, 1789. Valuation, 1845, $12,624,438. 10 a 4 2 12 13 TOWNS. 1. Bristol, 1789 9. Seneca, 1789. 2. Canandaigua, 1789. 10. Victor, 1812. 3. East Bloomfield, 1789. 11. Manchester, 1821. 4. Farmington, 1789. 12. Hopewell, 1822. 5. Gorham, 1789. 13. anadice, 1829. 6. Naples, 1789. 14. West Bloomfield, 1833. 7: Phelps, 1789. 15. South Bloomfield, 1836. 8. Richmond, 1789. Rivers. a. Mud Creek. b. Canandaigua Outlet. c. Flint Creek. d. Honeoye. Lakes. BB. Seneca. h. Canandaigua. e. Honeoye. f. Caneadea or Canadice. g. Hemlock. Colleges. Geneva. Villages. CANANDAIGUA. Geneva. Vienna. Port Gibson. BOUNDARIES. North by Monroe and Wayne counties; East by Seneca county and Seneca lake; South by Yates and Steuben counties; and West by Livingston and Monroe counties. 220 STATE OF NEW YORK. SURFACE. The surface of Ontario county is diversified, being naturally divided by a north and south line, taking the Canandaigua lake in its course. The whole eastern portion is spread out in beautiful plains and gentle undulations. The western portion comprises numerous swells of rich rolling land, interspersed with fertile vales. In the southwestern portion of the county, these swells form some bold elevations, towering into highlands, having an altitude of twelve or fourteen hundred feet. RIVERS. Mud creek, Canandaigua outlet, Flint creek and Honeoye, are the principal streams. LAKES. Canandaigua lake is fourteen miles long, from one to two broad, and surrounded by diversified and beautiful scenery. The other lakes are Seneca, Honeoye, Caneadea and Hemlock. CANALS. The Erie canal just touches the county at Port Gibson, and the Seneca and Cayuga canal commences at Geneva. RAILROADS. The Auburn and Rochester railroad has a circuitous course, from east to west, through the county. CLIMATE. The climate is mild and equable. In some sections remittent and intermittent fevers prevail in autumn, but the county, as a whole, is decidedly healthy. It is well adapted to the growth and perfection of the peach, apple and other fruits. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. Slate is the underlying rock of the county, but it is generally covered with limestone, and, on the higher hills, with graywacke. In the southern part, the clay slate sometimes appears on the surface. In the west it alternates with the limestone, forming an excellent soil. The county lies mostly within the limits of the Ontario group. Water lime, gypsum and marl are abundant. Iron ore is also found in large quantities. Sulphur springs exist in Manchester. One of the most interesting features in the mineralogical history of this county, is the carburetted hydrogen or inflammable gas, in Bristol and Canandaigua. The gas forces its way through fissures in the rocks, and in Bristol through tlie waters of a stream, where it is most abundant; when lighted it burns with a steady, brilliant flame, till extinguished by storms, or by design. The gas has the odor of pit coal, and burns without smoke, but deposits a small quantity of bituminous lampblack. The hillocks where it appears are destitute of verdure, and no plant will live within its influence. There are similar springs in East Bloomfield and Richmond. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The constituents of the soil render it quite fertile, and the northern and central towns are peculiarly adapted to the raising of wheat and other grains. It also yields grass and fruits abundantly. The timber is principally oak, chestnut, hickory, with beech, maple, and some pine in the southern part. ONTARIO COUNTY. 221 PURSUITS. The people generally are engaged in tilling the earth, and find a rich return for their toil, in the abundance it produces. More wheat is raised in this county, than in any other in the state. It also produces more wool. All kinds of fruit congenial to the climate, are produced in large quantities. The manufactures of the county are limited, as it has comparatively little water power. They are chiefly flour, the-various woollen fabrics, leather, malt and distilled liquors. Its commerce is confined to the transportation of its produce, and that principally on the Seneca lake. STAPLES. These are, wheat, wool, oats, barley and butter. SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were 220 district schools, which were taught an average period of eight months, and contained 14,617 pupils, The amount paid for tuition was $21,519. There were 27,106 volumes in the school libraries. There were in addition, thirty-five select schools, with 706 scholars, two academies, and one female seminary, with 246 pupils, and one college with eight professors, and, including both departments, 260 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Friends, Universalists, Dutch Reformed, Unitarians and Roman Catholics. Total churches seventy-six-clergymen ninety-five. HISTORY. The whole of this county, as well as the counties of Steuben, Genesee, Allegany, Niagara, Chautauque, Monroe, Livingston, Erie, Yates, and the western half of Wayne and Orleans, was included in the lands ceded by New York to Massachusetts, and by that state to Messrs, Gorham and Phelps, in 1787. In 1788 Oliver Phelps, one of the proprietors, left Granville, Massachusetts, to explore this far distant and unknown country, amid the tearful adieus of his family and friends, who parted with him, not expecting his return. On his arrival at Canandaigua, he assembled the chiefs of the Six Nations, and purchased from them their title to two and a half millions of acres of land. In 1789, he opened, at Canandaigua, the first land office in America, for the sale of hfrest lands to settlers. His system of surveys by townships was subsequently adopted by the United States government, in their surveys of new lands. Almost the whole of the lands of this county were thus sold to actual settlers, a large proportion of whom were from New England. With a soil of extraordinary fertility, and a thrifty and industrious population; possessing scenery of unrivaled beauty, and removed fiom the danger of hostile incursions, the growth of 222 STATE OF NEW YORK. this county has been rapid and prosperous, since its first settlement. VILLAGES. CANANDAIGUA VILLAGE in the town of Canandaigua, was laid out by Messrs. Gorham and Phelps, in 1788, and is the county seat. It is delightfully situated, on an ascent, at the northern extremity of the lake of the same name, commanding a fine view of that beautiful.sheet of water. Its buildings, many of them handsome, are principally situated on a single broad street, running north and south, and are surrounded by highly cultivated gardens. The Canandaigua academy, located here, was founded by the munificence of Messrs. Gorham and Phelps, and is amply sustained by the liberality of the inhabitants. It is also the seat of the Ontario female seminary, an ancient and respectable institution. Population about 3000. Geneva, in the town of Seneca, was founded by Messrs. Annin and Barton, in 1794. In the beauty of its situation, it is unrivaled among the many beautiful villages of western New York. Situated at the northwest extremity of Seneca lake, its principal street runs parallel with the shore of the lake, at an elevation of about 100 feet, and from many of its residences terraced gardens extend to the banks of the lake. It has some manufactures, but is chiefly distinguished for its refined society, and for the advantages it affords as a retreat for the scholar, the retired merchant, or the gentleman of fortune. The college, here, has an able corps of instructors, and is rising in reputation and usefulness. In beauty of location it is not surpassed by any institution in the United States. It has a flourishing medical department. There is also in this village a female seminary. Population about 4000. East and West Vienna, in the town of Phelps, are thriving villages, situated one mile distant from each other, on the outlet of Canandaigua lake. They are in the midst of a fine agricultural region and have some manufactories. East Vienna has a female seminary. The Auburn and Rochester railroad passes through the village. Population 1500. Rushville, partly in this county and partly in Yates, is a village of some importance. Population about 800. Port Gibson, in the town of Manchester, is the only place where the Erie canal touches the county. XVI. HERKIMER COUNTY. Square Miles, 1370. Population, 37,424. Organized, 1791. Valuation, 1845, $6,572,473. TOWNS. 1. German Flats, 1788. 2. Herkimer, 1788. 3. Schuyler, 1792. 4. Norway, 1792. 5. Fairfield, 1796. 6. Frankfort, 1796. 7. Litchfield, 1796. 8. Warren, 1796. 9. Manheim, 1797. 10. Newport, 1806. 11. Russia, 1806. - 12. Columbia, 181. 13. Winfield, 1816. 14. Danube, 1817. 15. Salisbury, 1817. 16. Ohio, 1823. 17. Stark, 1828. 18. Little Falls, 1829. - 19. Wilmurt, 1837..Mountains. GG. Chateaugay. j.d.8- Otsquaga. i. Hassencleaver. Rivers. F. Mohawk. a. Black. / h. East Canada Creek. f. West Ir' Canada Creek. b. Beaver. c. Moose. II Falls. g. Trenton. t. Little. 4 Lakes. d. Moose. i Villages., HERKIMER. Little /0 Falls. Fairfield. ll, BOUNDARIES. North by St. Lawrence county; East by Hamilton, Fulton and Mont- 6 gomery; South by Otsego; and 18 West by Oneida and Lewis counties.7 / 1 SURFACE. The surface is di- ( I 17 versified, and crossed by moun- 3 13 tains in every direction. The / Chateaugay range enters the 224 STATE OF NEW YORK. county from the northeast, and runs southwest and unites with the Otsquaga Hills, which form the dividing ridge between the Mohawk and Susquehanna. This ridge is broken through, by the Mohawk river, at Little Falls. It varies in height from 700 to 1200 feet. The Otsquaga Hills run from east to west, extending across the whole southern portion of the county. They are about 1000 feet high. Between the Chateaugay mountains and the western line of the county, are the Highlands of Black river, which are broken through by West Canada creek. The Hassencleaver mountain, an isolated summit, having a base of eight or nine miles, and a height of 800 or 1000 feet, also occupies its central portion. The northern portion is elevated and rugged, but has not been thoroughly explored. The dividing ridge, between the waters of the St. Lawrence and the Mohawk, crosses it. RIVERS. The Mohawk passes through the county from east to west. Its principal tributaries are the East Canada and West Canada creeks. The latter, in a course of sixty miles, falls 1220 feet, or on an average twenty-three feet to the mile. The Black, Moose, Beaver, and the head waters of the Oswegatchie river, all aid in draining the northern portion of the county. FALLS. The Little Falls, at the village of that name, on the Mohawk, deserve notice. They received their name in contradistinction to the Great Falls of the Mohawk, at Cohoes, They extend, upon the river, three-fourths of a mile, the fall in that distance being forty-two feet, divided into two rapids, each of nearly a fourth of a mile in length, and separated by a stretch of deep water. The beauty of the fall is very much increased by the depth of the river bed, below the adjacent banks of the defile, through which it passes. This defile is about 100 rods wide, two miles in length, and rises from 360 to 400 feet above the river, which has worn for itself this deep channel through the crumbling rocks, which compose the mountain. The scenery is highly picturesque and beautiful. Trenton Falls, on the West Canada creek, are described under Oneida county. AKES. There are numerous small laies scattered over the northern part of the county, among which Moose lake is the largest. CANALS AND RAILROADS. The Erie canal, and the Utica and Schenectady railroad, pass through the county, on either side of the Mohawk. CLIMATE. The climate, owing to the numerous mountains, is cold, but healthy. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The northern part of the county is HERIIMER COUNTY. 225 primitive, the rocks being either granite or gneiss. On the borders of the East and West Canada creeks, as well as in some other sections, this is overlaid with limestone and slate. South of the Mohawk, the prevailing rock is slate, covered with sandstone, or limestone, except at Fort hill, where the granite again makes its appearance. Its minerals are quartz, crystals of rare size and beauty, heavy spar, calcareous spar, pearl and brown spar, sulphuret of zinc, galena, iron and copper pyrites, bog iron ore, fibrous celestine, tourmaline, and anthracite, though not in sufficient quantities to be of any practical value. Fossils, of great beauty and perfection, are found in the vicinity of Trenton falls, and petrifactions on the Otsquaga creek, in the town of Stark, SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is generally arable, and some portions of it highly productive. It is better adapted to grass than to grain, The northern portion is said to be barren and unproductive. The timber is principally oak, hemlock, pine, beech, chestnut, black birch, hickory, butternut, elm and maple. Pine and hemlock are abundant in the northern section. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the pursuit of a majority of the inhabitants. From the hilly character of the surface, more attention is necessarily paid to grazing, than to the culture of grain, and Herkimer stands in the front rank of grazing counties. Its cheese is particularly celebrated, and almost one fourth of the whole amount produced in the state, is made in this county. More than eight millions of pounds mere made in 1845. It also ranks high in the production of butter, wool and pork. Some attention is paid to manufactures, for which the water falls of the principal streams afford fine facilities. The principal articles are leather, cotton and woollen goods, flour, lumber and paper. The transportation of its produce upon the Erie canal, constitutes the only commerce of the county. STAPLES. Cheese, butter and wool. SCHOOLS. There are 200 public school-houses, in which schools were taught, in 1846, an average period of eight months, and 11,800 children received instruction, at a cost, for tuition, of;$15,459. The district libraries numbered 22,750 volumes. The county has also thirty-three select schools, with 442 pupils, three academies, and one female seminary, attended by 321 pupils. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Baptists, Dutch Reformed, Universalists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, Unitarians and Jews. HISTORY. A tract of land, twelve miles square, lying between the East and West Canada creeks, in this county, constituted the royal grant, which Sir William Johnson obtained of old King Hendrick, and which was afterwards confirmed by the 226 STATE OF NEW YORK,. king of England.* Another of" n' nn acres, lying in the northern part of the county, was granted in 1770, and called the Jerseyfield patent. The fertile tract now known as the German Flats, wag patentedby a company of German Lutherans, in 1725. It consisted of a little more than 9000 acres of excellent land. Their residence was called Burnet's field, after Governor Burnet. A church was erected here, previous to the revolution, and a parsonage of stone, which having been fortified, received the name of Fort Herkimer. In common with the adjacent counties of Montgomery, Fulton, Otsego, Oneida and Schoharie, Herkimer suffered from the incursions of the savages and tories, during the revolutionary contest. The brave old general whose name it perpetuates, died at his residence, in Danube, in this county, in August, 1777, of wounds received at the battle of Oriskany. In 1778, the village of Herkimer was burned by the Indians and tories, under the direction of the Mohawk chieftain, Erant. Fortunately their approach had been discovered by the inhabitants, who fled to Forts Dayton and Herkimer, for protection. Two individuals, however, were killed, every house and barn destroyed, and the cattle, horses and sheep driven away by the Indians. In 1780, a party of Indians and tories visited Little Falls, for the purpose of destroying the mills there, which were of great importance to the inhabitants. They accomplished their object, killed one man, and took five or six prisoners. Two of the occupants of one of the mills, concealed themselves in the raceway, beneath the water wheel, and after the conflagration of the mill, and the departure of the Indians, made their escape. VILLAGES. HERKIMER, the county seat, is handsomely situated in the valley of the Mohawk, in the town of the same name. It has a fine hydraulic power, sufficient to drive a large amount of machinery. The academy here is in a flourishing condition. The county buildings are on the most improved models, combining security and comfort. Population about 1000. Little Falls, situated on both sides the Mohawk, in the town of that name, is celebrated for the beauty of its scenery. It is The way in which this land was obtained, was said to be the following. Sir William having received, from England, several rich suits of uniform, the old Sachem, Hendrick, visited him soon after, and spent the night. In the morning he came to Sir William and said, " Me dream last night." " And what did you dream 2" inquired the baronet-. "Me dream you give me one fine suit of clothes," was the reply. The baronet, of course, complied with his request. Not long after, he returned the visit, and in the morning, said to his Indian host, "I dreamed last night." " Ah," said the Indian, "What did you dream?" "I dreamed," replied Sir William, "that you gave me such a piece of land,' (describing it). "Well," said the old Sachem, "Me give it you, but me no dream with you again; you dream too hard for me." HERKIMER COUNTY. 227 largely engaged in manufactures, and has an academy for the education of both sexes, for which the citizens have erected a noble granite edifice. Its houses, mostly of stone, are remarkable for their neat and substantial appearance. Here is a deep cut on the canal, of two miles, through solid rock, which presented an obstacle to the Erie canal, only surpassed by that at Lockport. The canal constructed by the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company, in 1802, is connected with the Erie canal at this place, by a magnificent aqueduct of white marble. The finest quartz crystals in the United States are found here. Population about 3000. Fairfield is a pleasant rural village, the seat of an academy of considerable distinction. The college of physicians and surgeons, of the western district, was formerly located here, and occupied a fine building. This medical school, though formerly highly popular, has recently been discontinued. Mohawk, in the town of German Flats, is situated on the line of the canal. It is a flourishing village, and furnishes a good market for the produce of this section of the county. Population 800. Newport, in the town of the same name, is a thriving village, with considerable manufactures. Population about 600. Frankfort, in the town of the same name, has some manufactures. Population 600. M/iddleville, in the town of Fairfield, Winton, in the town of Salisbury, and Russia, in the town of the same name, are villages of some importance. XVII. RENSSELAER COUNTY, Square Miles, 626. Population, 62,338. Organized, 1791. Valuation, 1845, $12,624,258. 2 i C' 1 0 14 TOWNS. 1. HIoosick, 1788. 8. Troy City, 1796. 2. Pittstown, 1788. 9. Nassau, 1806. 3. Scaghticoke, 1788. 10. Berlin, 1806. 4. Stephentown, 1788. 11. Brunswick, 1807. 5. Petersburgh, 1791. 12. Grafton, 1807. 6. Greenbush, 1792. 13. Lansinburgh, 1807. 7. Schodac, 1795. 14. Sand Lake. jMountains. Y. Peterborough. g. Williamstown. RENSSELAER COUNTY. 229 Rivers and Creeks. C. Hudson River. k. Hoosick. b. Tomhenick Creek. i. Kinderhook. h. Vallitje. e. Wynantskill. f. Poestenkill. Falls. Hoosick. Villages. TROY CITY. Greenbush. Lansingburgh. Scaghticoke Hoosick Falls. BOUNDARIES. North by Washington county; East by the states of Massachusetts and Vermont; South by Columbia county; and West by the Hudson river. SURFACE. The surface of the county is diversified. From the valley of the Hudson it rises, somewhat precipitously, more than 200 feet. Thence the county is rolling, to the base of the Peterborough mountains. These mountains attain their highest elevation near the centre of the county, subsiding into moderate hills, at the northern and southern extremities. This ridge is separated from the Taghkanic range, here called the Williamstown mountains, by a valley from one to three miles in width. RIVERS. This county is abundantly watered. Beside the Hudson, its principal streams are, the Hoosick river, Tomhenick, Kinderhook and Vallitje creeks, Wynantskill, and Poestenkill. RAILROADS. The Western Railroad, which connects Boston and Albany, terminates at East Albany. The Troy and Greenbush Railroad connects this with Troy. The Troy and Saratoga, and the Troy and Schenectady Railroads, both terminate in this county. They cross the Hudson at Troy, on a noble bridge, 1650 feet in length. CLIMATE. The climate of the county is mild, but exposed to great extremes of temperature. It is considered healthful. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The county is wholly of the transition formation. The basis rock is clay slate, upon which is imposed limestone, graywacke, and some red sandstone. Roofing slate is extensively quarried in Hoosick, Stephentown, and Troy. Iron is found in several places, but is little wrought. Marl, of superior quality, is abundant in Sand Lake, and Scaghticoke. Epsom salts are found in Lansingburgh; in the same vicinity are quartz crystals of great beauty. There are several sulphur springs in the county. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. There is considerable variety in the soil, but a loam, composed of sand and clay, and quite fertile, extends over the greater part of the county. Considerable tracts are well adapted to wheat, but grass and summer crops succeed better in the uplands, in the northern and eastern sections. The principal timber is oak, hemlock, spruce, chestnut, and hickory. PURSUITS. Agriculture is extensively and profitably pursued. The productions of the dairy are large. The rearing of cattle, 11 230 STATE OF NEW YORK, horses, and sheep, receives much attention. It is the largest flax growing county in the state. The Manufactures of the county are numerous and varied. The principal articles are flour, cotton and woollen goods, various kinds of iron ware; leather, carriages and sleighs, railroad cars, malt and distilled liquors, oil, &c. Commerce. The commerce of the county is quite extensive, and is carried on principally through the ports of Troy, Lansingburgh, and Greenbush. STAPLES. Flax, oats, potatoes, corn, butter and wool. SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were in the county, 192 district school-houses, in which schools were maintained an average period of nine months, and 13,040 children received instruction. The wages of teachers amounted to $21,83 The number of volumes in the districtlibraries was 26,921. There were also seventy-five private schools, with 1923 pupils, six academies and two female seminaries, with 556 students, and the Rensselaer Institute. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Dutch Reformed, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, Universalists, Unitarians, Friends, and Congregationalists. There are ninety-five churches, and eighty clergymen. HISTORY. All the towns of this county, except Scaghticoke, Pittstown, Hoosick, the rorth part of Lansingburgh, and part of Troy, belong to the Manor of Rensselaerwyck, The farms are generally rented at the rate of ten bushels of wheat for the hundred acres. Pittstown was probably settled at an earlier period than any other portion of the county, emigrants haying located there in 1650. Scaghtlcoke was also settled by Dutch and German families at an early period, probably about 1700. The first settlement on the present site of Troy, was made in 1720, by Derick Vanderheyden. He obtained a lease of 490 acres, now constituting the most densely populated portion of the city, for three and three-quarters bushels of wheat and four fat fowls annually. His descendants continued to occupy the land, and from them it assumed the name of Vanderheyden's ferry, which it continued to bear till 1789, when the more classic appellation of "Troy" was substituted for it. On the 1th August, 1777, a portion of the battle of Bennington was fought within the limits of Hoosick, in this county. A cantonment was erected at Greenbush, for the United States troops, during the late war with Great Britain. CITIES AND VILLAGES. TROY CITY, the seat of justice for the county, is pleasantly situated on the Hudson, six miles north of Albany. It was laid out in 1789, and made the county seat in RENSSELAER COUNTY. 231 1791. It is well built, with wide and well shaded streets. The court house, and several of the other public buildings, exhibit great architectural merit. It is largely engaged in manufactures of almost every description; cast and bar iron, nails, cotton and woollen goods, coaches, sleighs, wagons, railroad cars, flour, distilled and malt liquors, leather, cordage, steam engines, machinery, &c., are the principal. The entire value of its manufactures exceeds $4,000,000 per annum. The schools of Troy have long maintained a high rank. The Rensselaer Institute, founded by, and named after, the late Patroon, is an excellent practical school, designed to furnish young men with a thorough mathematical education, and to fit them for the practice of civil engineering. The Troy Female Seminary, begun in Middlebury, Vermont, in 1814, and removed to Troy in 1821, has long ranked among the first institutions of its kind in the country. Nearly 6000 pupils have been educated in it, many of whom have afterwards become teachers in various parts of the Union. Its former and present principals, have won for themselves the highest reputation as instructors. It has twenty-four teachers and other officers, and more than 200 pupils. The Troy Academy is also an excellent institution. The Lyceum of Natural History has a fine library and cabinet, and is well conducted. The Young Men's Association possess a large and well selected library, a cabinet and reading room, and sustain a course of lectures annually. The city is connected with Schenectady, Saratoga, and East Albany, by railroads, and by means of the last with the great Western Railroad to Boston. Excellent McAdamized roads have also been constructed to Albany and to Bennington; the Erie and Champlain canals, here forming the Junction canal, bring immense quantities of lumber and produce to the city, and receive in return manufactured goods. The commerce of the city is quite large. Three large and seven or eight smaller steamboats, about sixty sloops and schooners, and twenty-five or thirty barges, are owned here, and employed in transporting produce and manufactured articles to New York. There are also several lines of packets plying to other ports, together with a large number of packet and freight boats, on the Erie and Champlain canals. Population 25,000. The village of West Troy, on the west bank of the Hudson, though in another county, may almost be considered a suburb 232 STATE OF NEW YORK. of Troy, with which it is connected by a fine bridge and two ferries. Lansingburgh, in the town of the same name, is three miles north of Troy. It was settled before that city, and was for a considerable period the more important village. It has extensive manufactories. By means of a lock, in the state dam across the Hudson, sloops ascend the river to the village. The Lansingburgh Academy was one of the first institutions of the kind established in the state. The village is one of the oldest in the state, having been organized in 1771, and incorporated in 1787. Population 3500. Scaghticoke Point, in the town of Scaghticoke, is a thriving manufacturing village; cotton, linen, and hemp goods, powder, and powder kegs, are largely manufactured here. Population 1400. Greenbush is a thriving village in the town of the same name, opposite the city of Albany. The -grea't Western railroad, and the Troy and Greenbush railroad terminate here. The United States barracks, erected in 1814, were on an eminence about a mile southeast of the village. They were very extensive, having been intended for the accommodation of 5000 troops, but are now in ruins. Population 1200. Hoosick Falls, in the town of Hoosick, is a thriving manufacturing village. Population 500. Nassau and Berlin, in the towns of the same names, are villages of some importance. Schodac Landing, in the town of Schodac, is a thriving village. XVIII. OTSEGO COUNTY. Square miles, 892. Population, 50,509. Organized, 1791. Valuation, 1845, $5,408,040. f 7(J - y c 2 r ^ TOWNS. 1. Otsego, 1788. 12. Middlefield, 1797. 2. Cherry Valley, 1791. 13. Exeter, 1799. 3. Richfield, 1792. 14. Plainfield, 1799 4. Unadilla, 1792. 15. Hartwick, 1802. 5. Burlington,!792. 16. New Lisbon, 1806. 6. Butternuts, 1796. 17. Decatur, 1808. 7. Milford, 1796. 18. Edmeston, 1808. 8. Oneonta, 1796. 19. Maryland, 1808. 9. Pittsfield, 1797. 20. Westford, 1808. 10. Springfield, 1797. 21. Laurens, 1810. 11. Worcester, 1797. 22. Otego, 1822. Mountains, m. Kaatsbergs. n. Mount Independence. 234 STATE OF NEW YORK. Rivers. II. Unadilla. G. Susquehanna. b. Butternut creek. c. Otsdewa. d. Otego. e. Otsego. f. Cherry Valley. g. Schenevas. h. Elk. Lakes. i. Summit. j. Canaderaga or Schuyler. k. Otsego. Battle Fields. Cherry Valley. Villages. COOPERSTOWN. Cherry Valley. BOUNDARIES. North by Oneida, Herkimer and Montgomery counties; East by Schoharie and Delaware; South by Delaware; and West by Madison and Chenango counties. SURFACE. The surface is greatly diversified by mountains, hills, valleys and plains. The Kaatsbergs extend along its eastern border, connecting, a little above Cherry Valley village, with Mount Independence, whose summit, more than 2000 feet above tide water, affords a noble prospect, opening, in some directions, nearly 100 miles in exteat. At this elevation, a narrow table land ru-s alongthe northern confines of the county, forming the western continuation of the Kaatsbergs, and decliens gradually toward the south, divided, however, by the streams, into nunerous high ridges and deep valleys. There are six principal valleys thus formed, viz. Cherry Valley, the valley of the Elk creek, that of Schenevas creek, the valleys of the Otego and Butternut creeks, and of the Unadilla river. The direction of these valleys is generally south-southwesterly. RIVERS. This county is well watered. The Susquehanna, which forms nearly half its southern boundary, is the principal stream. It takes its rise in Summit lake, whose waters also discharge, in seasons of flood, into the Mohawk. Its course through the county is placid, the descent, in the distance of forty-five miles, probably not exceeding five feet to the mile. The Unadilla, a branch of the Susquehannah, washes the eastern border of the county. The Cherry Valley creek, on whose banks such deeds of blood were committed, in the early settlement of the county, is also a tributary of the Susquehanna, as are the Schenevas, Otego, Otsdewa, and Butternut creeks. LAKES. Otsego lake is nine miles long, and from one to three wide. The hills which encircle it are elevated from 400 to 500 feet above its surface. This lake is 1188 feet above tide water. The purity of its waters, and the rich and varied scenery which surrounds it render it an attractive summer resort. Canaderaga, or Schuyler's lake, is a beautiful sheet of water, five miles long, and from one to two wide. Summit lake is the source of the Susquehanna. It is a OTSEGO COUNTY. 235 small body of water, but has an altitude, above tide water, of 1346 feet. Cromhorn pond, On the Cromhorn mountain, in Maryland, is three miles circumference, and is one of the highest ponds in the state. CLIMATE. Owing to the elevation of tlsis county the climate is cooler than in some other portions of the state. The diversity of its surface insures a perfct drainage, and renders it highly salubrious. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. This county belongs to the transition system. It is underlaid with clay slate, over which is graywacke slate, sandstone, and in the north limestone. In Cherry Valley and Springfield, gray marble of good quality is found. It iS susceptible of a high polish, and abounds with animal fossils. Magnesia is one of its constituents. The graywacke also furnishes an excellent building material. There are some sulphur springs in the county; that at Richfield is highly impregnated, and often visited for its medicinal qualities. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is very fertile. The timber of this section i principally oak, white pine, hemlock, beech and maple. Oats, corn, barley, wheat, hops and potatoes are the principal crops. PURSUITS. Agriculture, particularly the rearing of cattle, horses and sheep, and manufactures are the principal pursuits. There are no mines, but some extensive marble quarries near Cherry Valley. The Susquehanna is the only navigable stream in the county, and is mainly used for the transportation of lumber, of which considerable quantities are sent to market annually. The manufactures of the county are numerous, and increasing in quantity and value with great rapidity. The most important are flour, lumber, cotton and woollen goods, (including prints,) leather, iron, &c, In 1845, they exceeded $1,100,000 in value. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Wool, beef, pork, butter, cheese, and lumber, are the principal productions, SCHOOLS. There were in the county, in 1846, 316 district school-houses, in which schools were taught an average period of eight months; 16,859 scholars were instructed during the year, at an expense for tuition of about $19,385. The district libraries contained 31,366 volumes. There were the same year, in the county, thrity-nine private schools, with 652 pupils, and three academies with 223 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Friends, Universalists, and Unitarians. There were, in 1845, eighty-eight churches of all denominations, and ninety-eight clergymen. 236 STATE OF NEW YORK. HISTORY. The early history of this county contains many events of thrilling interest. The first settlement in the county, was made in 1739, by Mr. John Lindesay, a Scotch gentleman of some fortune and distinction, who, in conjunction with three other gentlemen, had obtained a patent for a tract of 8000 acres, in the present town of Cherry Valley. The place for several years was called Lindesay's Bush. Mr. Lindesay sedulously cultivated the friendship of the Mohawks, with whom this section was a favorite hunting ground, and soon had reason to rejoice that he had done so, for in the winter of 1740, his stock of provisions was exhausted, and on account of the depth of the snow, he was unable to procure supplies from the distant settlements, but the friendly Indians brought food on their backs, and thus administered to his wants. In 1741, by the persuasion of Mr. Lindesay, Rev. -Samuel Dunlap, an Irish clergyman of education and talent, was induced to emigrate, with several of his friends, to the number in all of about thirty persons, to this county. Soon after their arrival, provision was made for the erection of a church, a schoolhouse, and a grist and saw-mill. Mr. Dunlap opened, in 1743, a classical school for boys, the first in the state west of Albany. The settlement progressed but slowly for the next ten years. Mr. Lindesay was not well adapted to the management of an infant settlement, and after expending his fortune in the enterprise, necessity compelled him to abandon it. He entered the army, and died in New York, after serving a few years as lieutenant. A few years later, small settlements were made at Springfield, Middlefield, Laurens and Otego. In 1772, when the county of Tryon was formed, the whole population of Chetry Valley was somewhat less than three hundred; and of the entire western portion of the state, (Tryon county -comprising all that portion of the state lying west of a line drawn through the centre of Schoharie,) but a few thousands. A number of the inhabitants had served in the French war, and had suffered from the hostile incursions of the Indians. During the Revolution, the inhabitants of this county, as well as those of the frontier settlements generally, were agitated with fear of the tories and Indians, but though often alarmed, they did not suffer from the devastating effects of the border wars, in their own settlements, till the autumn of 1778. Rumors of an intended attack of the Indians and tories having reached the inhabitants in the spring, they fortified the church, and Colonel Alden, with a portion of an eastern regi OTSEGO COUNTY. 237 ment, was stationed to defend the settlement. The summer, and two of the autumn months passed, without the appearance of the enemy,.and believing themselves secure, the farmers left the fort, and returned to their homes, On the 6th of November, Colonel Alden received intelligence from Fort Schuyler, of-the approach of a large force of Indians and tories toward Cherry Valley; on the dissemination of this intelligence, the settlers requested permission to remove into the fort, or at least to deposittheir most valuable property there, Colonel Alden denied both requests, and with the most criminal apathy, considering the report unfounded, took no efficient measures to ascertain its truth. He stationed scouts in differs ent districts, but they, actuated by the same feelings with their commander, kindled a fire, lay down to sleep, and were all caps tured by the enemy. On the night of the 10th of November, 1778, the enemy, un, der command of the brutal Walter Butler, and Brant, the Mohawk chieftain, encamped within one mile of the fort, and on the morning of the 11th, approached it. Colonel Alden, in addition to his other imprudences, had lodged the officers of his garrison in different houses in the neighborhood. By means of their prisoners, the enemy discovered in which houses they were lodged, and took them all captives, Colonel Alden himself was not in the fort, and on receiving intelligence of the commencement of the attack, was still incredulous, but ordered the guard to be called in, and went toward the fort, Dearly did he pay for his apathy and incredulity; he was among the first victims of the cruel massacre which now took place. The family of Mr. Robert Wells, consisting of twelve persons, were all murdered in cold blood, and one of the tories boasted that he had killed Mr. Wells while at prayer. The wife and one daughter of the Rev. Mr. Dunlap, the hardy pioneer of the settlement, already mentioned, were also sacrificed, and himself only spared through the importunity of an Indian. The wife and four children of Mr. Mitchell, were also inhumanly butchered by the wretches. Thirty-two of the inhabitants, mostly women and children, and sixteen continental soldiers were killed, and a large number made prisoners; all the houses and other buildings of the settlement were burned; and the sun, which that morning looked on a quiet and happy village, in that beautiful valley, shed its last rays that evening upon smouldering ruins, and lifeless corses weltering in their blood. A conference was held at Unadilla in this county, between General Herkimer and Brant, the year previous to this massa11-* 238 STATE OF NEW YORK. cre, in which the General attempted, though unsuccessfully, to dissuade the Indians from taking part in the contest. Since the close of the Revolution, the progress of this county has been rapid, and its quiet undisturbed by the warwhoop of the Indian, or the battle-cry of the white warrior. VILLAGES, &C. COOPERSTOWN, the county seat, is a village in the town of Otsego. It is situated at the southern extremity of Otsego Lake, and in the beauty of its scenery, and the salubrity of its climate, has few equals among the lovely villages of central New York. The town is largely engaged in the manufacture of cotton goods and paper. Population 1400. Cherry Valley, whose thrilling story has already been narrated, received its name from its situation, and the great abundance of the wild cherry in its vicinity. It is a pleasant village, situated in a delightful valley. The Cherry Valley Academy, a flourishing chartered institution, is located here. Population 1100. Hartwick is principally distinguished for its Lutheran Theological and Classical Seminary, a fourishing and well conducted institution. Springfield, so called from a large, deep spring in the town, has an agreeably diversified surface, and comprises several villages. It has some quarries of very good marble. Salt-spring-ville has its name from a small brine spring near it, from which salt was manufactured during the Revolution, It is worthy of notice for its distance from the great salt springs of the state, and its elevation above tide water. The Chyle is a noted limestone sink, in this town, eighty yards in circuit and about twelve feet deep; it is oval in form. After rains or' thaws, it is filled with water, which gradually discharges itself by small orifices below, giving the water a whirling motion. Unadilla is pleasantly situated on the Susquehanna. It has two fine covered bridges, each 250 feet in length, resting on three arches. It has also conserable lumber trade. A species of sandstone is quarried here for grindstones. Population about 800. Gilbertsville, on the Butternut creek, is a thriving manufacturing village, and has a flourishing academy. XIX. SARATOGA COUNTY. Square miles, 8'00, Population, 41,477. Organized, 1791. Valuatioh, 1845, $6,643,513. 16 f Kl 1 14 \`20 ^ 9~~~~ Fi 1^ j f 240 STATE OF NEW YORK. TOWNS. 1. Ballstown, 1788. 11. Edinburgh, 1801. 2. Haltnmoon, 1788. 12. Hadley, 1801. 3. Saratoga, 1788. 13. Malta, 1802. 4. Stillwater, 1788. 14. Moreau, 1805. 5. Charlton, 1792. 15. Waterford, 1816. 6. Galway, 1792. 16. Corinth, 1818. 7. Milton, 1792. 17. Wilton, 1818. 8. Greenfield, 1793. 18. Day, 1819. 9. Providence, 1796. 19. Saratoga Springs, 1819. 10. Northumberland, 1798. 20. Clifton-park, 1828..Mountains. m. Palmertown Mountains. EE. Kayaderosseras. Rivers. C. Hudson River. F. Mohawk. a. Sacandaga. c. Kayaderosseras or Fish Creek. Falls. b. Cohoes. k. Hadley. n. Glens. o. Bakers. Lakes. f. Saratoga. g. Round, h. Long. i. Owl. Battle Fields. Bemis' Heights. Schuylerville. Villages. BALLSTON SPA. Saratoga Springs. Waterford. Schuylerville. Mechanicsville. BOUNDARIES. North by Warren county; East by Hudson River; South by Albany and Schenectady; and West by Montgomery, Fulton, and Hamilton counties. SURFACE. The surface of this county is much diversified and may be divided into mountainous, hilly, and plain lands. The Palrertown mountains enter the county a few miles west ol Glen's Falls, and sink to its general level near Saratoga Springs. The Kayaderosseras range crosses the northwestern corner, and is broken through, in the town of Day, by the Sacandaga river. South of that town, a lateral spur, extending in a southerly direction, unites with Flint Hill of Schenectady county. The hilly portion lies east of the mountains, while the level embraces the eastern and southeastern sections of the county. RIVERS. The Hudson is the main river, forming its eastern and a large portion of its northern boundary line. It receives in its course, from this county, the Sacandaga, Fish creek, and the Mohawk: river which waters it on the south. FALLS. The " Great Falls" of the Hudson are formed by the Palnertown mountains crossing this river in the town of Corinth. After a rapid of a mile and a descent of thirty feet, the river has a perpendicular fall of thirty feet more. There is a remarkable sluice 120 yards above, twelve yards long and four wide, through which the great body of the water flows with great velocity. Parts of Glen's, Baker's, and Cohoes falls are also in this county, particular descriptions of which are given under Warren and Albany counties. LAKES. Saratoga lake, at the junction of the towns of Malta, SARATOGA COUNTY. 241 Stillwater, Saratoga and Saratoga Springs, is nine miles long and three wide. The shore immediately around the lake is marshy, rendering it inaccessible except in a few- places; the country back rises into lofty ridges and forms a vast amphitheatre ofpicturesque and cultivated landscape. The fine fish which inhabit its waters, and the game that frequent its banks, art objects of much attraction to the spor sman. The visito s to the neighboring springs often resort her, and find ample accommodati ns at the public houses on the western shore. A steamboat plies its waters. Snake Hill projects-into the lake from the east, and rises 200 feet above i s su i. ce. Round lake, four miles in circumference, Long lake, in the town of Ballstown, five miles long and one wide, (a beautiful sheet of water, abundantly supplied with fish,) and Owl lake, are the other lakes worthy of notice. The Champlain canal runs through the eastern border of the county. CLIMATE. The county is subject to extremes of heat and cold. The sandy nature of the soil, in the eastern and southern sections, renders the heat of summer intense, while its location at the junction of the Mohawk and Hudson valleys, causes the cold of winter to be equally severe. It is however considered healthy. The principal diseases are of a pulmonary nature. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. This county comprises primitive, transition, and alluvial formations, and affords to the geologist a rare field of observation and interest. The mountains are primitive in their formation, consisting principally of gneiss, granite, and hypersthene. Fragments of these rocks, corresponding with those in place, in the form of boulders and pebbles, are scattered over the whole county. The transition formation borders the primitive, upon the east and south, and appears in the valley between the great mountain ridges. It consists of pudding stone, sandstone, limestone, argillaceous and graywacke slate, and graywacke. The argillaceous slate, a fragile and crumbling rock, underlies the greater part of the county not included in the primitive region. At the southern.termination of Palmertown mountains, two miles north of Saratoga Springs, occurs a bed of oolitic limestone, extending across the valley which separates the Palmertown from the Kayaderosseras mountains. It is the only known locality of this formation in the state. The diluvial and alluvial deposites include the pine plains, extending from the northern to the southern limits of the county. They also cover the transition formation, and border the streams They consist of sand, clay, marl, and rounded fragments of 242 STATE OF NEW YORK. stone, and in many portions of the county are deposited to an unknown depth. Bog iron ore, magnesia, chrysoberyl, granite, tourmaline, mica, feldspar, apatite, and graphite or black lead, are the principal minerals. But the most remarkable of the mineral productions of this county, are its springs. These are principally acidulous, saline and chalybeate; there are however a few sulphurous waters. There are fifty or sixty of the acidulated mineral springs. They are quite uniform in their temperature, being generally about 50~ Fahrenheit, Their composition is also very similar. They contain carbonic acid, and atmospheric air, from thirtyfive to forty cubic inches to the pint of water; and from thirtyfive to seventy-five grains of solid matter, consisting of chloride of sodium, (common salt,) carbonates of soda, magnesia, lime, and iron, and generally iodine and bromine in minute quantities. One or two of the springs contain but slight traces of iron, and iodine in larger quantities. The principal springs are the Congress, Washington, Putnam's, the Pavilion, Iodine, and Union springs at Saratoga; the Public Well, the New Washington, and the Park springs at Ballston Spa. The analysis of several is subjoined.* * The following is an analysis of one gallon (two hundred and thirty-one cubic inches,) of water from the following springs. CONGRESS SPRING. Grains. Chloride of sodium.... 363.829 Carbonate of soda.. -. 7.200 -1 - lime - 86.143'" magnesia.... 78.621 " iron....841 Sulphate of soda....651 Iodide of sodium Bromide of potassium.. 5.920 Silica -. -. -.472 Alumina -. - -.321 Total grains 543.998 Carbonic acid gas - 284.65 Atmospheric air - - - 6.41 Gaseous contents 290.06 IODINE SPRING. Grains. Chloride of sodium * 137. Carbonate of lime - - - - 26. " iron - - 1. " magnesia. - 75. " soda - - - - 2. Hydriodate of soda, or Iodine - - 3.5 Total grains 244.5 Carbonic acid gas 330 Atmospheric air.. 4. Cubic inches 334. -ARATOGA COUNTY. 243 Their virtues were known to the Indians, but they carefully concealed them from the whites. In 1767, their affection for Sir William Johnson, who had been a long time ill, led them to communicate them to him. They guided him to the High Rock spring, in the town of Saratoga Springs, and the use of the mineral waters for a few-weeks, completely restored his health. In 1773, the first attempt was made to establish a house for the accommodation of visitors. It was unsuccessful. The following year, one John Arnold established a rude tavern near the High Rock spring. He was succeeded by one Norton, who, during the Revolution, abandoned his tavern and joined the British army. After severalchanges, it passed into the hands of a Mr. Bryant, who must be regarded as the first permanent settler. In. 1783, General Schuyler opened a road to the High Rock spring* from Fish creek, and the succeeding year built a small frame house near that spring, where he spent five or six weeks every summer, during the remainder of his life. VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil upon the mountainous portion is light and barren, and on the plains, excepting some alluvial bottoms, which are highly fertile, sandy and productive PAVILION FOUNTAIN. Grains, Chloride of sodium... 226.58 Carbonate of magnesia... 62.50 " lime..... 60.24 " soda - 4.70 Oxide of iron, -. -. 3.10 Iodide of sodium 7 Bromide of potassium'... Silica.....62 Alumina... - -.25 Total grains 361.74 Carbonic acid gas. - - 480.01 Atmospheric air... 8.09 Total cubic inches 488.10 NEW WASHINGTON SPRING, AT BALLSTON SPA. Grains. Chloride of sodium -.. 89.83 Bi-carbonate of soda - - - 18.057 Bi-carbonate of magnesia - 42.042 Carbonate of lime - - - 41.51 Hlydriodate of soda - -. 0.7 Carbonate of iron - - - 3.71 Silex and alumina - - - 1.25 Solid contents in one gallon 197.099 The gas which it emits in great abundance is pure carbonic acid, probably combined with a small quantity of atmospheric air. * This High Rock spring is enclosed in a conical rock of tufa (lime) about four feet high and twenty-seven feet in circumference at its base. The water in this is seven feet eight inches in depth, and rises within two feet four inches of the top. 244 STATE OF NEW YOPRK. of light crops. The timber of the uplands is oak, hickory, and chestnut; of the plains, maple, beech, ash, elm, white and yellow pine. PURSUITS. The people are mainly engaged in agriculture, and large quantities of grain are annually produced. Most of the improved lands are under a careful and profitable cultivation. Manufactures. These are chiefly confined to the southern section, yet they form an increasingly important interest. Flour, lumber, cotton and woollengoods, and iron, are the leading articles. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Oats,.potatoes, corn, and butter. SCHOOLS. There were 216 public:schools, taught on an average eight months, during the year 1840, having in attendance 11,714 scholars, and paying their teachers $16,005. The number of volumes in the district libraries is 25,532. The number of private schools is forty-four, attended by 898 pupils. There are also four academies and one female seminary, with 208 students. RELIGIOUS D-ENOMINATIONS.- Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Dutch Reformed, Congregationalists, Friends, Unitarians, Universalists, and Roman Catholics. The number of churches of all denominations is ninety-six, of clergymen, eighty-nine. HISTORY. The settlements in this county were made at a very early date. Van Schaick's patent, comprising the town of Waterford and the adjacent country; the Saratoga patent north of this, embracing a tract six miles square on the Hudson, and the Apple patent lying on the Mohawk and extending three miles back into the woods towards Ballston lake, were granted about the year 1700. The patent of Kayaderosseras, embracing nearly the whole of the county not previously conveyed, was granted in 1702, to a company of thirteen individuals, of whom David Schuyler and Robert Livingston were the most prominent. The exact date of the first settlement on the other patents is uncertain; on the Kayaderosseras they were made as early as 1715. In 1747, the Indians from Canada attacked the settlement at Fish Creek, now Schuylerville, burned the village, and killed thirty families. After the conquest of Canada, settlements were rapidly made, but confined, for some years, to the neighborhood of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers. Much of the land in this county is still holden under the annual rent of fifteen or twenty cents per acre, payable to the SARATOGA COUNTY. 245 successors of the company to whom the Kayaderosseras patent was granted. This county is particularly distinguished for the events of General Burgoyne's campaign in 1777, and his surrender which took place within its limits. The general circumstances connected with this campaign have been already narrated; but a more particular notice of some of the events which transpired in this county may with propriety be introduced here. After the defeat of Colonels Baum and Breyman at Bennington, General Burgoyne had employed his troops in transport ing military stores from Ticonderoga to Fort Edward, until the 12th of Septe, ber. Meanwhile General Schuyler, who had retreated from Fort Edward to Stillwater, and thence to the islands at the mouth of the Mohawk, had received considerable reinforcements. On the 19th of August, he was superseded by General Gates, who decided to return to Stillwater, which place he reached with his army on the 9th of September. He immediately selected a strong position on Bemis' Heights, and proceeded to fortify his camp. On the 13th and 14th, Burgoyne crossed the Hudson and encamped on the heights and plains of Saratoga. On the 17th he approached within four miles of the American camp, and on the 19th advanced against the left wing of the American army, designing if possible to drive them from their position. The action, at first partial, at length became general, and both sides being repeatedly reinforced, the conflict continued till night. The English remained near the battle field; the Americans retired in good order to their camp, but a short distance from the scene of carnage. Both parties claimed the victory; the English because they held the battle ground; the Americans because they had maintained their position. The British loss, however, was considerably greater than that of the Americans, and in their circumstances, to fight without a decisive victory, was defeat. The day after this battle, General Burgoyne took a position almost within cannon shot of the American camp, fortified his right wing, and extended his left t the r {vi. Both parties retained their position until the 7th of October; Burgoyne in the hope of receiving aid from Sir Henry Clinton, to whom he had sent the most pressing entreaties for assistance; and General Gates in the confidence of receiving new reinforcements daily. Receiving no further intelligence from Sir Henry, and finding himself compelled to diminish the rations of his soldiers, the British General determined to test again the strength of his adversary. 246 STATE OF NEW YORK6 Accordingly he selected 15(0 c'oice troops, whom he commanded in person, aided by three of his bravest generals. With these he advanced to the attack, while a corps of rangers, Indians, and provincials were ordered to take a circuitous route, and show themselves in the rear of the American camp. General Gates perceived the design of the enemy and made such an arrangement of his forces as effectually to defeat General Burgoyne's project; while at the same time, he despatched Colonel Morgan with his corps to a wood which commanded the right flank of the enemy. Having succeededin reaching this, unperceived by the British, Colonel Morgan awaited t, moment when they were engaged with the American force in front to pour a deadly and incessant fire upon their right flank. Meantime, General Gates ordered another division to intercept the retreat of the enemy to their camp. In the attempt to prevent this movement General Frazer, one of Burgoyne's most efficient officers was mortally wounded, and the artillery corps routed. Finding the fortune of the day against him, the British General retreated to his ca closely pressed by the American army headed by the impetuous Arnold, who, with more than his usual, rashness forced their entrenchments; but being wounded and having his horse killed under him, was compelled to retire.'That portion of the British camp occupied by the German troops, was carried by a Massachusetts regiment belonging to Arnold's division. Darkness put an end to the conflict. The advantage gained by the Americans was decisive. The loss of the British in killed, wounded, and prisoners was heavy, and among the number were several officers of distinction. Their camp too was penetrated by the enemy. During the nighlt Burgoyne withdrew with his army to a stronger position on the river heights. Aware that his adversary would soon be compelled to surrender from want of provisions, General Gates did not risk another assault, but contented himself with posting strong bodies of troops at every avenue by which retreat was possible, and awaited the result. Burgoyne attempted a retreat, but could only reach the heights of Saratoga near Schuylerville, where he encamped. Strong bodies of American troops guarded the Hudson and forbade the effort to cross. Driven to desperation, he determined as a last resource to abandon every thing except the arms and provisions which his soldiers could carry, and crossing at or above Fort Edward, press on by forced marches to Fort George. General Gates had foreseen and prepared for this movement; in addition to the strong guards placed at the fords of the Hud SARATOGA COUNTY. 247 son, he had formed an entrenched camp on the high grounds between Fort Edward and Fort George. On learning this fact, the British General found himself compelled to surrender, and accordingly on the 17th of October the treaty of capitulation was signed, and the British army piled their arms on the plains of Saratoga, east of the village of Schuylerville. Congress awarded to General Gates and his army their thanks, and presented him with a medal of gold, struck in commemoration of the event. VILLAGES. BALLSrTON SPA, in the town of Milton, the seat of justice for the county, is pleasantly situated, and is celebrated for its mineral waters, which are similar in character to those of Saratoga. It has a number of manufactories, and considerable business. It is connected with Schenectady, Troy, and Saratoga Springs, by railroad. Population, 1500. Saratoga Springs, situated on a sandy plain, in the town of the same name, is one of the most noted watering places in the world. Broadway, its principal street, is wide and shady, and during the summer, constantly thronged with the gay and fashionable, who resort hither for pleasure and relaxation. It has several fine hotels, which during the summer are crowded with visitors. There are also several academies and female seminaries, and some manufactories. It is connected with Troy and Schenectady by railroad. Population, 3500. There are eighteen or twenty springs in the town, of which Congress, Putnam's, Pavilion, Iodine, Hamilton, and Flat rock, are the principal. They are regarded as efficacious in bilious and scrofulous diseases. Waterford, at the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers, and at the head of sloop navigation on the latter, combines to a great extent, the advantages of railroad, river and canal transportation, and hydraulic power. It is largely engaged in manufactures, which, with its agricultural products, annually amount to between one and two millions of dollars. A bridge 800 feet in length connects it with Lansingburgh. The Waterford sand used for castings, is esteemed the best in the country. Population, about 1800. IMechanicsville is a small but thriving manufacturing village, in the town of Stillwater. Population, 600. Stillwaater, in the town of the same name, is distinguished for the battles fought between General Gates and Burgoyne, near Bemis' Heights, in 1777, and Schuylerville, in the town of Saratoga, for the surrender of the latter, which took place a short distance east of that village. XX. ONONDAGA COUNTY. Square miles, 711. Population, 70,175. Organized, 1794. Valuation, 1845, 915,540,164. 15 1. Lysander,1789. 10. Cicero, 1807. 2. Manlius, 1789. 11. Salina, 1809. 3. Marcellus, 1789. 12. Spafford, 1811. 4. Onondaga, 1789. 13. Lafayette, 1825. 5. Pompey, 1789. 14. Clay, 1827. 6. Pabius, 1798. 15. Elbridge, 1829. 7. Camillus,1799. 16. Van Buren, 1829. 8. Tully, 1803. 17. Skeneateles, 1830. 9. Otsego, 1806. 18. De Witt, 1835. ONONDAGA COUNTY. 249 Rivers. a. Oswego River. d. Chittenango Creek. c. Onondaga. b. Limestone. e. Nine Mile. j. Oneida river. k. Seneca. Lakes. f. Skeneateles. Z. Oneida. g. Onondaga. h. Otisco. i. Cross. Villages. SYRACUSE. Manlius. Skeneateles. Salina. Geddes. Jordan. BOUNDARIES. North by Oswego county and Oneida lake; East by Madison county; South by Cortland; and West by Cayuga counties. SURFACE. The northern portion of the county is level; the southern hilly, but arable. The watershed, or height of'land dividing the northern and southern waters of the state, passes through the southern portion of this county. RIVERS. The Seneca, or Oswego river, with its tributaries, drains most of'the north-western portion. The other principal streams, flowing northward, are the Oneida River, Chittenango, Limestone, Butternut, Onondaga, and Nine Mile Creeks. The Tioughnioga and Cold Creeks, running southward, have their source in this county. LAKES. Oneida lake forms a portion of the northeastern boundary. Skeneateles lake, lying mostly in this county, is a beautiful sheet of water, surrounded by picturesque scenery, and abounding in fish. Its trout are particularly celebrated for their size and abundance. The lake is fifteen miles in length, and from half a mile to one mile in width. Onondaga lake, situated toward the centre of the county, is eight miles long, and from two to four wide. It abounds in fish. Most of the salt springs are near its banks. Otisco and Cross are the only'other lakes of'importance. CLIMATE. The climate of this county is mild and agreeable, more uniform than in some other parts of the state. The diseases of the county are principally of a bilious type. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The northern portion of the county is comprised in that geological formation known as the Ontario group or division, consisting of marly sandstone, soft green shales, and the gypsum and salt rocks, (limestone,) known as the Onondaga salt group.'South of this, limestone containing gypsum predominates, and still farther south, slate is the prevailing rock. Salt is the most valuable and abundant mineral production of this county. The salt is obtained from springs, (probably charged with salt from some deep seated locality of the mineral,) in the town of Salina. Oxide of iron, gypsum, marl, water limestone, or hydraulic cement, selenite, fibrous gypsum, fluor spar, and serpentine, are also found in the county. Sulphur springs exist in Manlius and many other parts of the county. The marble from 250 STATE OF N-EW YORK. the -abundance of encrinites and other fossils which it contains, presents a beautiful birdseye appearance, which renders it a valuable building, material. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is a calcareous loam, intermingled with vegetable mould, and is highly fertile. Maple, basswood, beech, hemlock and pine, are the principal forest trees of the county. PURSUI'S. Agriculture is the occupation of a majority of the inhabitants. The soil of the county seems equally well adapted to grazing and the culture of grain. Large quantities of all the grains, as well as flax, potatoes, and other vegetables are raised. In 1845, more barley was raised in this county than in any other in the state. Large quantities of butter, cheese, wool and pork, are also produced. The county is also largely engaged in manufuctures. In 1845, they amounted to nearly two and a half millions of dollars, consisting principally of flour, lumber, cotton and woollen goods, iron, distilled and malt liquors, leather and paper. Commerce. The junction of the Oswego and Erie canals, in this county, gives it a somewhat extensive commerce, both with the Hudson river and the Lakes. The tolls received at Salina, in 1845, amounted to over $52,000, indicating a business of more than $2,000,000. Mines. Under this head may be included the salt works in the town of Salina. At five different points in this town, salt is produced by the evaporation of brine from the springs.* In 1840, the amount of salt thus manufactured was 2,622,305 bushels. The springs belong to the state, which receives two mills per bushel for pumping the water, and six cents per bushel duty on the salt. Nearly 11,000 men are employed in the business. The production of hydraulic cement, so largely used in canals and cisterns, which is extensively prosecuted in this county, also belongs to the head of mines. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Salt, butter, barley, oats, wheat, wool, and hydraulic cement. SCHOOLS. There were in this county in 1846, 304 school districts. The schools are taught on an average eight months each. $30,857 was expended for the tuition of 24,325 children. The district libraries contained 37,586 volumes. There were also in this county thirty-six unincorporated private and select * The concentration of the brine is accomplished in two ways, viz. 1st, by solar evaporation, for which purpose large shallow vats are constructed, and provided with movable roofs, to protect them from rains; 2d, by boiling, which is accomplished by means of immense shallow boilers. Crystallization takes place, though in different degrees, by both processes; in the former, the crystals are larger, and the variety known in the markets, as coarse salt, is produced. The latter produces the fine or table salt. ONONDAGA COUNTY. 251 schools, with 693 pupils, and seven aca lemies, with 338 pupils. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Roman Catholics, Dutch Reformed, Unitarians, Jews, Universalists, and Friends. HISTORY. In the town of Pompey, a stone was found some years since, about fourteen inches long, twelve broad, and eight thick. It had a figure of a serpent entwined about a tree, and this inscription. Leo X De L.S, VIx 1520- E t n This inscription has been interpreted-Leo X. by the grace (or will) of God, sixth year of his pon ificate, 1520. L. S. the initials ofthe person buried, (as it was undoubtedly a sepulchral monument,)-the cross, an indication that he was a Catholic, and the character n perhaps a rude intimation that he belonged to the masonic fraternity. The date is correct, Leo X. having been elected Pope in 1513-14. It seems probable that some Spanish adventurers, in quest of gold or silver, lured by the report of the salt springs, and hoping to find there the object of their search, had wandered hither from Florida, which had been discovered and explored in 1502. One of the number dying here, his companions erected this simple memorial to mark the place of his burial. In 1655, Father Dablon, a French Jesuit, established himself at one of the Onondaga villages, in the present town of Salina, as a missionary. The succeeding year, the governor of the French possessions in Canada, at his request, sent a colony of fifty men, under the command of the Sieur Dupuys, to settle on the banks of the Onondaga Lake. For a time the Indians were friendly, but at length they became hostile, and the colonists were compelled to escape by stealth. Having secretly prepared boats sufficient to transport themselves and their effects, one of their number succeeded in inducing the Indians to make a feast, and when, after a hearty repast, all had sunk into a profound slumber, he and his comrades availed themselves of the opportunity to escape, and ere the Indians had awaked, they were beyond their reach. In 1666, a French settlement was formed, in the northwestern part of the town of Pompey, and flourished for three years, when a party of Spaniards arrived in the village, and quarreling with the French, instigated the natives to destroy them. The Indians, looking with no favorable eye on either, destroyed both, leaving not a survivor to tell the manner of their death. In the Onondaga Hollow, in the town of Onondaga, formerly stood the town, castle, and council house, of the Onondaga 252 STATE OF NEW YORK. Indians, the most formidable and highly civilized tribe of the Iroquois confederacy. Here the great council fire was always kept burning, and all matters of importance to the interests of the confederacy were decided. All the leagues and treaties with the whites were made here, and from this tribe was selected the grand Sachem, or principal civil chief, while the Mohawks furnished the principal war chiefs. Garangula, Thurenseraj Decanesora, and Sadekanaghtie, were the most celebrated among their orators, in their early intercourse with the whites. Black Kettle was the most renowned of their warriors, and more than once he carried war and devastation among the French settlements, even to the gates of their citadels. He was treacherously murdered in 1697, by a party of Algonquins, at the instigation of the French. In 1696, Count Frontenac, with his usual subtlety, attempted to seduce the Five Nations from their good faith toward the English, and induce them to form a separate treaty of peace with the French. Failing in this, he determined to avenge himself on the Onondagas, whom he regarded as the principal instigators of the opposition to his wishes. Accordingly on the ninth of July, 1696, he set out on an expedition against them, with a large force. The Onondagas, not receiving seasonable succors from the other members of the confederacy, and finding themselves, (though numbering about 1500 warriors,) unable to cope single handed with so formidable a force, abandoned and set fire to their dwellings, and left to the French commander a barren victory. The Onondagas, after the return of the French, repossessed themselves of their beautiful valley and reared again their council house and castle. They were the fast friends of the English, and under the direction of Sir John Johnson, took part with them in the revolution. In consequence of their predatory incursions, Colonel Van Schaick was despatched by General James Clinton, to lay waste their towns. As before, they retired at the approach of the invading force, and destroyed their town and castle; only one of their number was slain. In a few weeks after, they revenged this attack, by an invasion of the settlement of Cobelskill, Schoharie county, in which they butchered several of the unarmed inhabitants. During the late war with Great Britain, they took up arms on the side of the Americans. The first permanent white settler in the county was a Mr. Webster, who came here in 1786, and settled in Onondaga Hollow, intermarrying with the Indians. In 1788, he obtained permission from the Indians for Messrs. Danforth and Tyler to ONONDAG. COUNTY. 253 establish themselves in the same valley. This county was originally part of the Military Tract. In the spring of 1788, settlements were made in several towns of the county. In 1790, Manlius was settled. Since the commencement of the present century, the growth of the county has been very rapid. VILLAGES. SYRACUSE, the county seat, is situated in the town of Salina, on the Erie canal, at its junction with the Oswego canal. It was incorporated in 1825, and owes its rapid growth to the facilities for trade afforded by the canals, and to the extensive salt springs in its neighborhood. From half a million to a million of bushels of salt are annually produced here; beside iron ware, leather, machinery, flour, &c. Population, nearly 10,000. It has several extensive and well conducted hotels; its public schools are of a high order; and its substantial buildings and numerous manufactories indicate the enterprise of its inhabitants. Salina, in the same town, possesses the most productive salt springs in the state, yielding from one to two millions of bushels annually. Its population is about 3000. Geddes and Liverpool, in the same township, the former on the Erie, and the latter on the Oswego canal, are thriving villages, containing productive salt springs. Skeneatele., in the town of the same name, is pleasantly situated at the foot of Skeneateles lake. Its site commands a fine view of the lake, for a distance of seven or eight miles. Its growth has not been rapid, but healthy, and it is one of the most flourishing villages of the county. Population, about 1500. Mkanlius, in the town of the same name, is situated on the Cherry Valley turnpike. It has a flourishing incorporated academy, several manufactories, and about 1200 inhabitants. Jordan, in the town of Elbridge, is situated on the Erie canal, and is engaged to some extent in manufactures. Population, about 1200. Onondaga Hollow, in the town of Onondaga, is pleasantly situated on the great western turnpike, four miles south of Syracuse. The Onondaga academy located here, is an old and flourishing institution. Population, about 800. About three miles south of the village is the Onondaga Indian reservation, where reside the remnant of that once powerful tribe. The legislature, in April, 1846, granted the sum of $300 for the erection of a school-house for the children belonging to this reservation, and a well conducted school is now maintained there. Fayetteville, in the town of Manlils, has an incorporated academy, and is a thriving village. Population, 900. 12 XXI. TIOGA COUNTY. Square miles, 500. Population, 22,456. Organized, 1794. Valuation, 1845, $1,804,21L TOWNS. 1. Owego, 1791. 6. Newark, 1823. 2. Tioga, 1800. 7. Barton, 1824. 3. Spencer, 1806. 8. Nichols, 1824. 4. Berksire, 1808. 9. Richford,1833. 5. Candor, 1811. Rivers, &c. G. Susquehanna. a. West Owego Creek. b. East Owego. c. Cattotong. d. CayNta. Villages. OWEGo. Rushville. BOUNDARIES. North by Tompkins and Cortland; East by Broome; South by the State of Pennsylvania; and West by Chemung and Tompkins counties. TIOGA COUNTY. 255 SURFACE. This, like the other counties bordering on the Pennsylvania line, is elevated. Apparently it was once level, but it is now cut into hills and valleys by the eastern branch of the Susquehanna, and its tributaries, which affords abundance of water for the convenience of the farmer, and in many instances, it may be usedfor manufacturing purposes. On either side of the Susquehanna, are lofty swells of heavy rolling land, yet the creeks are frequently skirted with broad valleys. RIVER@. The Susquehanna, having a south-west course through the southern part, and its branches the East and West Owego, Cattotong and Cayuta creeks, flowing southerly, are the principal streams of the county. RAILROADS. The New York and Erie railroad will probably pass through the valley of the Susquehanna. The Ithaca and Owego railroad is already in operation, connecting the two villages whose name it bears. CLIMATE. The county has a low temperature, owing to the elevation of its surface. It is regarded as healthy. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. This county lies wholly within the Chemung sandstone formation, except a small tract of the old red sandstone upon its southern border. Its minerals are few. Marl is found in the town of Spencer, which is burned for lime. There are several sulphur springs in the county. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is mostly fertile, consisting of a light gravelly loam, with occasional patches of marl and clay. Grass succeeds better than grain in the highlands, but the valleys yield large crops of wheat and corn, while the other crops thrive almost every where. White pine, hemlock, spruce, oak, maple, and beech are the principal timber, and have a dense growth. Maple sugar is produced in considerable quantities. PURSUITS. Agriculture. The people are for the most part engaged in agricultural pursuits. Some grain is raised, and considerable attention paid to the products of the dairy. Mlanufactures. The only manufactures of importance are those of lumber and flour. Commerce. The products of the county find their way to market, by the Susquehanna river, and the Ithaca and Owego railroad. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Oats, corn, potatoes, wheat and butter. SCHOOLS. This county has 139 district schools, taught in 1846, an average period of eight months each, having 8291 scholars, and paying their teachers over $9,329. The school libraries contained, the same year, 12,744 volumes. 286 SrTATE OP NEW YORK, It has nine private schools, with 294 pupils, and one academy, with 125 sttll dents. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Baptists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians. The entire number of churches is thirty-two, of clergyman, forty-two. HISTORY. Tioga county was taken from Montgomery county in 1694. Its name signifies a point or promontory in the river, a junction of waters. It was the Seneca name for the Chemung river. The towns of Richford, Berkshire and Newark were part of the tract known as the " Massachusetts ten townships," which were ceded to that state by New York. Barton, Tioga, Owego, and Nichols, were granted by the state to military claimants. Considerable portions of these townships were sold at eighteen cents per acre. The county was settled by emigrants from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The first settlement was made in 1785, at Owego, by James McMaster and William Taylor, who cleared, the first season, ten or fifteen acres, and raised -a crop of corn from the same land. A few years after its first settlement, there was a great famine in this section of country. It occurred just before harvesting, and for six weeks the inhabitants were without bread of any kind. Meanwhile they subsisted principally upon roots, and though they became very much emaciated and feeble, none died of hunger. It was occasioned by the arrival of a greater number of settlers than usual, and a scarcity in Wyoming that season. Famine is at present little dreaded in this region. VILLAGES. OWEGO VILLAGE, in the town of Owego, is pleasantly situated on the north side of the Susquehanna, and is the county town. It was commenced in 1785, and laid out into lots in 1794 or 1795. It is advantageously situated for trade, has a large water power, and by means of the Ithaca and Owe. go railroad, and the Susquehanna river, a ready access to market. Besides the court house, jail, and county clerk's office, it has four churches, an incorporated academy, and a number of stores and manufactories. A bridge a fourth of a mile in length crosses the Susquehanna at this place. This village takes its name from the Owego creek, which empties into the Susquehanna near it. Population 2500. Rushville or Nichols Village, in the town of Nichols, Candor, Newark, Richfield, and Spencer, in the towns of the same names are all thriving villages. XXII. SCHOHARIE COUNTY. Square miles, 621. Population, 32,488. Organized, 1795. Valuation in 1845, $1,804,165. 6\^ 82 ) -14. TOWNS. 1. Schoharie, 1788. 8. Carlisle, 1807. 2. Blenheim, 1797. 9. Summit, 1819. 3. Broome, 1197. 10. Fulton, 1828..4. Cobleskill, 1797. 11. Conesville, 1836. 5. Middleburgh, 1797. 12. Seward, 1840. 6. Sharon, 1797. 13. Wright, 1846. 7. Jefferson, 1803. 14. Esperance, 1846. Mfountains. m. Kaatsbergs. Rivers, fc. AA. Schoharie Creek. c. Cobleskill. f. Foxes Creek. 258 STATE OF NEW YORK. Lakes, f;c. e. The Vly. Battle Fields. Cobleskill. Middleburgh. Villages. SCHOHARIE. Esperance. BOUNDARIES. North by Montgomery and Schenectady; East by Schenectady and Albany; South by Delaware and Greene, and West by Delaware and Otsego counties. SURFACE. Mountainous. The county is divided into two unequal sections by the Schoharie kill or creek. The main branch of the Kaatsbergs or Catskill mountains cross the south part of the county, through Broome, Blenheim, Jefferson, and Summit, to the line of Otsego county, broken through, however, by the Schoharie creek. A spur from the same range passes northward, through Broome, Middleburgh, and Schoharie, into Schenectady and Montgomery counties. This spur is called the Middleberg, from its position between the Helderbergs and the main range of the Kaatsbergs. The mountains west of Schoharie creek maintain an elevation of from 2000 to 2600 feet. The Middleberg is 1700 feet high, at its most elevated portion, in the south part of the county, but declines gradually towards the east, till it mingles with the Helderbergs. RIVERS AND CREEKS. The Schoharie creek with its tributaries, the Cobleskill, Foxes and Breakabeen creeks, are the principal streams in the county. Bowman's creek, and the Catskill and Charlotte rivers, also take their rise in this county. In the town of Middleburgh is a large marsh, called the Vlaie or Vly, which is the source of the Catskill. CLIMATE. From the elevation of its surface, the climate of Schoharie county is cold, but healthful. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The rocks of this county are transition, consisting of slate, graywacke, and limestone. The latter, however, predominates, and is generally the surface rock of the county. Portions of the Helderberg series, and the Erie and Catskill groups occupy the county. The last two are confined to the southern part. Water limestone is found in great abundance in the northern and central portions of the county. On the west side of Schoharie creek, in the town of Schoharie, are found beds of massive strontianite, of extraordinary beauty. It was regarded by the inhabitants as marble for many years. Arragonite, heavy spar, and calcareous spar, are also found in the water lime formation. Portions of the water limestone have been excavated for lithographic stones, and are said to be equal in quality to the German. Fine specimens of fibrous sulphate of barytes and carbonate of lime are found in Carlisle, and fibrous celestine, and crystallized iron pyrites, in Sthoharie. Bog SICHOHARIE COUNTY. 259 iron ore occurs in the same vicinity. Calcareous tufa abounds on the side of the mountains. Anhydrous sulphate of lime has been discovered in Sharon. Gebhard's cavern, or Ball's cave, in the town of Schoharie, contains numerous apartments abounding in stalactites and stalagmites of great beauty; some of the apartments are large and magnificent. Otsgaragee cavern, in the same town, has numerous large apartments, highly decorated with spars and stalactites. There are other caves in the vicinity, of less extent. There are several sulphur springs; those at Sharon have attained considerable notoriety. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODU TIONS. The flats in the valley of Schoharie cree: are among the most fertile lands in the state. The county generally is fertile, and some sections are adapted to wheat; some portion of the southern towns is sterile and sandy. The timber consists of oak, maple, elm, linden, ash, poplar, hickory, walnut, white pine, and hemlock. The two latter prevail i he southern part of the county. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the employment of a majority of the inhabitants. Oats, rye, barley, wheat, corn, buckwheat, peas, potatoes, and flax, are raised in large quantities, and butter and wool produced to a very considerable extent. Manuftwatures generally have not attained any great importance. The facilities afforded by the hemlock forests, have led to the extensive tanning of leather. The quantity prepared in the county, in 1845, exceeded in value $400,000. Flour and lumber are also manufactured to some extent. The county has no commerce and no mines. The STAPLE PRODUCTIONS are oats, rye, barley, wheat, corn, peas, butter, and wool. SCHOOLS. There are in the county, 184 school-houses. In 1846, schools' were taught, on an average, nine months; 11,043 children received instruction, at an expense for tuition of $13,726. The district libraries contained 17,985 volumes. There were also in the county, twenty-five private schools, with 334 scholars, and two academies with ninety-four pupils. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, Dutch Reformed, Presbyterians, Unitarians, and Universalists. Number of churches fifty-eight, of clergymen fifty-six. HISTORY. The first white settlements in this county were made in the spring of 1711. The benevolent Queen Anne formed the design of establishing a colony of Germans, the families of German soldiers who had served in the English wars, in her transatlantic possessions. She accordingly sent them over to New York, and thence to Albany, and permitted them to select for themselves, from the unoccupied lands of New York, a tract suited to their 260 STATE OF NEW YORK. tastes. They selected the valley of the Schoharie, and the Queen's agent accordingly purchased for them, about 20,000 acres of fertile land, along that creek. Industrious and frugal, these hardy settlers soon acquired a competence, and perhaps in no part of the state, at the commencement of the troubles which preceded the Revolution, could there have been found a more peaceful and happy settlement. Highly cultivated farms, and substantial dwellings greeted the eye of the traveller in every direction. But in those exciting times, differences of opinion'prevailed, and when the conflict ca e on, the citizens of Schohaire county werefound arrayed in hostility against eac other, and, oft times, members of the same family met in deadly strife. The patriots of Schoharie county seemed, in an especial manner, to have excited the hostility of the enemy. Again and again did the marauding hordes of tories and Indians, under the command of Sir John Johnson, Brant, and the infamous Walter Butler, descend upon the farms of the hapless citizens, murdering and scalping all whom they met, without regard to age or sex, plundering and burning their dwellings, and making that fertile and beautiful valley a desolate and gloomy waste. On the 1st of June, 1778, a bloody conflict took place at Cobleskill, in which about fifty whites, regular troops and militia, contended with a force of 350 Indians, under the command of Brant, until twenty-two of their number were killed, and eight or ten more severely wounded. A short distance from Middleburgh village are still visible the remains of the old Middle Fort, which was quite noted in the annals of the border wars in this county. On the 17th of October, 1780, it was attacked by Sir John Johnson with a force of 800 tories and Indians. The garrison of the fort consisted of about two hundred continental troops, and between one and two hundred militia. Their supply of ammunition was scanty, and the commander of the fort, Major Woolsey, entirely unfitted for his station. The garrison, however, determined to defend the fort to the last, and when Major Woolsey proposed to surrender, they opposed it, and as he was so much overcome with fear as to be a subject of derision to the garrison, Colonel Vrooman, a militia officer in the fort, took the command. After continuing the attack through the greater part of the day, without effect, Sir John withdrew down the valley of the Schoharie, burning all the houses and other buildings in his route. In this action the loss of the British was heavy, while SCHOHARIE COUNTY. 261 that of the garrison was but four wounded, two of whom afterward died. There were two other forts in Schoharie county, the Upper, five miles southeast from the middle, on the Schoharie creek, in the town of Fulton; and the Lower, near the village of Schoharie. Many other incidents connected with these incursions are deeply interesting, but pertaining only to individual conflicts, must necessarily be omitted. Justice, however, requires that we should notice, in passing, the brave and fearless Schoharie rifleman, Timothy Murphy, whose services to the cause of freedom were numerous, and rendered with a cheerfulness and devotion worthy of all praise. Such was his skill in the use of his rifle, that the foeman who came within its range, was always sure to "bite the dust." After the Revolution, quiet was restored, and the beautiful valley of the Schoharie was soon again lined with farms and dwellings, which indicated the thrift and competency of their owners. The German language is still spoken by many of the older inhabitants, but their children receive an English education. VILLAGES, &c. SCHOHARIE, in the town of the same name, is a small village situated in the midst of a region rich in minerals. Its public buildings are neat and substantial. Population about 500. Esperance, the only incorporated village in the county, is in the town of the same name. It has some manufactures. Population about 500. Sharon Springs, in the town of Sharon, and near the boundary line of Schoharie, Otsego. and Montgomery counties, has recently become a place of fashionable resort. The sulphur waters are said strongly to resemble those of the White Sulphur springs of Virginia. There is also a chalybeate spring here. The Pavilion, a fine hotel, was erected in 1836, and during the season is usually thronged with visitors.* * The following is Dr. Chilton's analysis of the waters of these springs. Grains. Sulphate of magnesia, (Epsom salts,) - - 42.40 lime - - -11.62 Chloride of sodium - - - - - 2.24 " magnesia - 2.40 Hydrosulphuret of sodium - 2.28 calcium S. Total 160.94 Sulphuretted hydrogen gas, 16 cubic inches. 12* XXIII. STEUBEN COUNTY, Square Miles, 1400. Population, 51,679. Organized, 1796; Valuation, 1845, $6,172,414, 1 8 18 26 30. 1 24 20 5. Paicn3 iot l 30 2 \p 1 ~ 21 19 TOWNS. 1. Addison, 1796. 17. Tyrone, 1822. 2. Bath, 1796. 18. Urbana, 1822. 3. Canisteo, 1796. 19. Erwin, 1826. 4. Dansville, 1796. 20. Hornby, 1826. 5. Painted Post, 1796. 21. Jasper, 1827. 6. Wayne, 1796. 22. Greenwood, 1827. 7. Reading, 1806. 23 Woodhull, 1828. 8. Pulteney, 1808. 24. Campbell, 1831. 9. Troupsburg, 1808. 25. Bradford, 1837. 10. Conhocton, 1812. 26. Lindley, 1837. 11. Howard, 1812. 27. Caton, 183r7. 12. Orange, 1813. 28. Avoca, 1843. 13. Prattsburgh, 1813. 29. Hartsville, 1843. 14. Hornellsville, 1820. 30. Thurston, 1843. 15. Wheeler, 1820. 31. West Union, 1843. 16. Cameron, 1822. STEUBEN COUNTY. 263 Rivers, 0. Chemung river. a. Canisteo. b. Conhocton. c. Bennett's creek.'d. Tuscarora. j. Mud. k. Five Mile. 1. Twelve Mile. q. Cowanesqua. r. Canascraga. s. Tioga river. Lakes. BB. Seneca. m. Crooked. n. Little. o. Mud. p. Loon. Villages. BATH. Corning. Painted Post. Hammondsport. Hornellsville. BOUNDARIES. North by Livingston, Ontario and Yates counties; East by Seneca lake and Chemung county; South by the State of Pennsylvania; and West by Livingston and Allegany counties. SURFACE. This county belongs to the great table land, which extends through-the southern tier of counties; owing, however, to the perishable character of the rocks on which it is based, the rivers have worn deep valleys, whose precipitous banks, frequently 400 or 500 feet in height, give it a greatly diversified surface. The general elevation of the table land is about 1500 feet above tide water. An irregular ridge on the west separates the waters of the Susquehanna from those of Genesee river. RIVERS. The principal stream of the county is the Chemung, formed by the union of the Tioga, the Canisteo, and the Conhocton. The name of the river means "a horn in the water," and is said to be derived from an immense horn or tusk which protruded from the bank of the river many years since. These streams are navigable during the freshet season. Their principal tributaries are Bennett's and Tuscarora creeks, of the Canisteo; and Mud, Five Mile and Twelve Mile creeks, of the Conhocton. The only other streams of any size are the Canascraga and Cowanesqua. LAKES. Seneca lake forms the eastern boundary of the county for about eight miles. Crooked lake extends into it from Yates for about the same distance. Little, Mud and Loon are the names of the other lakes. The latter has a subterranean outlet half a mile long. RAILROADS. The Corning and Blossburg railroad entering the county from the south, terminates at Corning, which is situated at the head of the navigable feeder of the Chemung canal. The New York and Erie railroad will pass through this county. CLIMATE. The surface is so much elevated that the winters are generally cold and severe, and the seasons backward. The county, however, is generally healthy. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The surface rock of this county, to the depth of nearly 1000 feet, is the Chemung group of sand 264 STATE OF NEW YORK. stones and shales. It has some beds of bog iron ore, and several sulphur springs. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. Most of the soil is productive. The uplands are well adapted to grazing. The alluvial flats of the Chemung river t; mprise the richest lands in the county, and are said to exceed those of the Mohawk in fertility. The county north of the Conhocton river, and east of Five Mile creek, is covered chiefly with oak, chesnut, hickory, black walnut, yellow and white pine' timber; between the Canisteo and Conhocton, beech, maple, white pine, and hemlock, are the prevailing forest trees, except a narrow tract on the Canisteo, where oak prevails. South of the Canisteo, beech, maple, white pine, and hemlock, are predominant. The oak and yellow pine lands produce excellent wheat; the other lands are better adapted to grass. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the chief pursuit. Grain islargely produced on the alluvial lands. Great numbers of cattle and sheep are raised on the table lands. The lumber business is an important branch of industry. Manufactures are increasing in importance. Lumber is largely manufactured in the southern part of the county. Flour, leather, and fulled cloths, are also produced in considerable quantities. The Commerce of the county, by means of the spring navigation of the rivers, the navigable feeder of the Chemung canal, and the facilities afforded by the Corning and Blossburg railroad, is quite large and increasing. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Wheat, oats, corn, potatoes, butter, wool, and lumber. SCHOOLS. In this county there were, in 1846, 326 district schoolhouses, in which schools were maintained an average period of seven months. The number of scholars in attendance was 19,771, and the sum expended fbr their tuition $20,918. The district libraries contained 30,125 volumes. There were also twenty-four private schools, with 626 pupils, and one academy and one female seminary, with 148 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Method:sts, Presbyterians, Baptists, Episcopalians, Universalists, Unitarians, and Roman Catholics. There are seventy-five churches, and 114 clergymen of all denominations, in the county. HISTORY. This county is indebted to the enterprsie and energy of Mr. Charles Williamson, the agent of the Pulteney estate, for its early settlement and rapid growth. Finding emigrants unwilling tolsettle upon the elevated lands of this county, while the more alluring flats of the Genesee remained in mar STEUBEN COUNTY. 265 ket, he resolved himself to set the example of emigration to this section. Accordingly, in 1792, with two companions, he cut his way through the forests, and located at Bath. In 1795, the population in the vicinity had increased so rapidly, that Mr. Williamson established a theatre at his new settlement. The succeeding year, the county was organized, and named after Baron Steuben, the Prussian General. The same year a newspaper was established at Bath, and called the Bath Gazette. The population of the county at this time was about 800. The whole county, except the town of Reading, belonged to the Pulteney estate. The emigrants were mostly from Pennsylvania, except in the town of Prattsburgh, which was settled by New Englanders. In the present town of Erwin, formerly stood the Painted Post, so famous in our early Indian annals, erected by an Indian chief, (probably during the first French war,) to commemorate his victory over the whites, and the number of scalps and prisoners, he had taken. VILLAGES. BATH, the county seat, was laid out by Mr. Williamson in 1792. It is on the north bank of the Conhocton, has regular and parallel streets and two public squares, and is regarded as one of the most pleasant villages of western New York. Here is a flourishing female seminary. Population 1500. Corning, situated on the south side of the Chemung river in the town of Painted Post, is admirably located for trade, being at the junction of the Corning and Blossburg railroad, with the navigable feeder of the Chemung canal, and also on the proposed route of the New York and Erie railroad. Its coal trade is already very great, and its growth has been rapid. Population 1200. I-Ianmondsport, situated at the southern termination of Crooked lake in the town of Urbana, is a thriving village. A steamboat plies between this place and Penn Yan. It has also a communication with New York, by means of the Crooked and Seneca lakes, Cayuga, Seneca, and Erie canals. Population 1000. Painted Post, in the town of Erwin, is a flourishing village at the junction of the Conhocton and Tioga rivers. It has a large amount of hydraulic power, which is in part applied to manufacturing purposes. The painted post above described, is in this village. Population 600. Hornellsville is a village of considerable importance, situated on the Canisteo in the town of the same name. XXIV. DELAWARE COUNTY. Square miles, 1362. Population, 36,990. Organized, 1797. Valuation, 1845, $3,478,012. I6'" TOWNS. 1. Harpersfield, 1788. 10. Meredith, 1800. 2. Middletown, 1789. 11. Sidney, 1801. 3- Colchester, 1792. 12. Tompkins, 1806. 4. Stamford, 1792. 13. Hancock, 1806. 5. Franklin, 1792. 14. Masonville, 1811, 6. Walton, 1797. 15. Davenport, 1817. 7. Delhi, 1798. 16. Andes, 1819. 8. Roxbury, 1799. 17. Bovina, 1820. 9. Kortright, 1793. 18. Hampden, 1825. Mountains. h. Blue. m. Kaatsberg. u. Pine. Rivers. G. Susquehanna. H. Delaware. a. Mohawks or West Branch Delaware. i. Little Delaware river. j. Papachton Branch. k. Big Beaver kill. q. Oleout creek. r. Charlotte river. Villages. DELHI. Franklin. Hobart. Deposit. Walton. DELAWARE COUNTY. 267 BOUNDARIES. North by Otsego and Schoharie; East by Schoharie and Greene; South by Ulster and Sullivan, and the state of Pennsylvania; and West by Pennsylvania, Broome and Chenango counties. SURFACE. Delaware county has three distinct ranges of mountains passing through it from southwest to northeast, rendering its surface very.rough and broken. The southeast ridge is a continuation of a range of the Kaatsbergs. The second ridge runs between the Papachton and the Mohawk branch of the Delaware river; while the third, from twelve to eighteen miles in width, is bounded by the Charlotte river and the Susquehanna. The two latter are collectively known as the Blue mountains. A part of the eastern ridge has received the name of the Pine mountains. The surface of the summits and sides of the hills are extremely irregular, and broken by numerous streams. RIVERS. The Mohawks, or main branch of the Delaware, has its source in Schoharie county, running thence in a southwesterly direction nearly 70 miles, through the center of the county, to Port Deposit, where it takes a southeasterly course, and forms the boundary line between New York and Pennsylvania. Its principal tributaries are the Little Delaware and the Papachton branch; tl e latter is sixty-five miles long and receives the Bi: Beaver kill. The Charlotte and Susquehanna form portions of the northern boundary. RRILROADS. The New York and Erie railroad is in process of construction, through the southeast corner of the county. CLIMATE. The climate of this county is subject to sudden and extreme changes. of temperature, yet it is not unfriendly to health. The cold is severe in winter. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. The surface rock of this county is the old red sandstone of the Catskill group underlaid by the shales and sandstone of the Portage and Chemung group. Its minerals are few. Bog iron ore has been discovered in considerable beds; copper extensively diffused, but in small quantities. There are several mineral springs, and a brine spring near Delhi. VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is as varied as the surface, but generally of a good quality. On the hills it is a sandy loam, and in some places stoney. In the valleys is a rich deep mould, and of lasting fertility. It is better adapted to grass than the raising of grain. The county is densely timbered with.beech, birch, maple, ash, elm, basswood, pine, wild cherry, butternut, hemlock, and small quantities of oak. PURsUITS. Agriculture chiefly ngages the attention of the people of this county; considerable quantities of grain are produced, and it is exceeded by few counties in the number of cattle reared. It is second only to Oneida in the manufacture of butter. 268 STATE OF NEW YORK. Manufactures. The water-power of this county is abundant, but little improved. Its principal manufactured articles are leather, flour, lumber, and fulled cloths. The lumber is flaited to market on the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers. The Commerce of the county is not large, its rivers being only navigable in the spring. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter and cheese, oats, potatoes, rye, wool, and lumber. Increased facilities for conveying them to market will be afforded by the railroad now constructing. SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were 288 public schools in session, on an average, seven months each, expending for tuition $14,013, and numbering 12,501 pupils. The district libraries contained 24,027 volumes. There are twenty-three unincorporated private schools, attended by 342 scholars, and two incorporated academies with 124 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINAriONS. Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Episcopalians, Dutch Reformed, and Unitarians. The whole number of churches, is fifty-eight, of clergymen seventy-seven. HISTORY. The county, west of the Mohawks branch, was originally held by several proprietors, but east of that river was comprised in the Hardenburgh patent. In 1768, William, John, Alexander, and Joseph Harper, with eighteen others, obtained a patent for 22,000 acres of land within its limits. The Harpers soon after moved from Cherry Valley, and founded the settlement of Harpersfield. In the spring of 1780, a party of Indians and tories under the command of Brant, destroyed this settlement. Most of the inhabitants had previously fled, a few only remained to make sugar. Several of these were killed, and nineteen made prisoners and carried to Niagara. After the war the place was rebuilt, and Colonel John Harper, who had distinguished himself by his bravery and humanity during the war, spent the remainder of his days there. VILLAGES. DELHI village is the county seat, and contains, besides the county buildings, two churches, an academy, and a number of manufactories. Population 800. Franklin is the seat of the Delaware Institute, incorporated April 25, 1835. Population 700. Hobart, in the town of Stamford, is a village of some importance. It has some manufactories. Deposit, in the town of Tompkins, is a great lumber mart. Much of the lumber which is floated down the Delaware during the spring freshets is deposited here. It is on the proposed route of the New York and Erie railroad. Population 600. Walton, in the town of the same name, is; a small but thriving village on the Delaware. XXV. CHENANGO COUNTY. Square miles, 804. Population, 39,900. Organized, 1798. Valuation, 1845, $4,133,256. II < TOWNS,. Bainbridge, 1791. 4. Greene, 1798. 2. Norwich, 1793. 5. Columbus, 1805. 3. Oxford, 1793, 6. Coventry, 1806. /li ^ \ S_ v ~ f { ^f~~13' 7/^i~lo~l^^ j 4^^fo-^~~~' 3. Oxrford, 1793, 6. Coventry, 1806., 270 STATE OF NEW YORK. 7. German, 1806. 14. Smyrna, 1808. 8. Pharsalia, 1806. 15. Guilford, 1813. 9. Plymouth, 1806. 16. McDonough, 1816. 10. Preston, 1806. 17. Otselic, 1817. 1l. Sherburne, 1806. 18. Linklaem, 1S23. 12. Smithville, 1806. 19. Pitcher, 1827. 13. New Berlin, 18 i7. Rivers. II. Unadilla river. CC. Chenango. G. Susquehanna. h. Otselic. a. Geneganslette creek. e. Canasawacta. Villages. NORWICH. Oxford. Sherburne. BOUND \RIES. North by Madison county; East by Otsego and Delaware; South by Broome; and West by Broome and Cortland counties. SURFACE. This county is comprised in the ex ensive table land, which occupies so large a portion of southern and western New York. The force and velocity of its principal streams, however, have cut deep and broad channels through the rocks, and thus formed ide and beautiful alluvial valleys, giving the county an apparently diversified surface.'i he table land between the Unadilla and Chenango rivers is 1630 feet above tide water. RIVERS. The Chenango, a beautiful stream, and its tributaries, the principal of which are the Geneganslette and Canasawacta, drain the central portion of the county. The Unadilla washes its eastern border, while the Susquehanna crosses its southeastern, and the Otselic its northwestern corner. CANALS. The Chenang) Caial passes through the county in the broad valley of the Chenango river, furnishing a convenient outlet for its abundant produce. CLIMATE. Mill, healthful, and pleasant. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The western part of this county belongs to the Chemung sandstone group; the eastern part to the old red sandstone of the Catskill group, and a small tract at the north to the limestone of the Helderberg series. There are few minerals in the county, the geological formations not being favorable to their production. There are two or three sulphur springs which have some reputation in the treatment of cutaneous diseases. SoIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil on the table lands is admirably adapted to grazing; in the alluvial valleys it is a rich, gravelly loam, yielding abundant crops of grain. The principal forest trees are beech, maple, basswood, elm, butternut, black cherry, and in the south, hemlock and pine. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the leading pursuit. Great attention is paid to the rearing of cattle, horses and sheep., Butter CHENANGO COUNTY. 271 and cheese are largely produced, particularly in the southern towns. The county ranks among the first in the state in the production of butter, cheese, wool and flax. A/Ianufactures are receiving increasing attention. At present, however, the most important are those of flour, lumber, leather, fulled cloths, and cotton and woollen goods. The commerce of the county, through the medium of the Chenango canal, and the Susquehanna river, is large and constantly increasing. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter, cheese, wool, flax and oats. SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were in the county 287 district school-houses, in which schools were maintained an average period of seven months, at an expense for tuition of $16,283; 14,750 scholars attended these schools. The district libraries contained 26,598 volumes. There were also thirty-five select schools, attended by 658 pupils, and four incorporated academies, with 416 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Methodists, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Universalists, and Friends. The entire number of churches, is eighty-three; of clergymen, ninety-four. HISTORY. Chenango was formed from the counties of Tioga and Herkimer, in 1798. The first settlement was made in Oxford, in 1790; another was made at Bainbridge, in 1791. The latter township was granted by the state of New York, to Vermont, as a compensation for losses of individuals who had suffered on account of grants made by the state of Vermont, before the settlement of her difficulties with New York. Most of the early settlers of the county were from New England, and a majority of them from Connecticut. The first settlers in the village of Greene, were a party of French emigrants, some of whom were men of distinction in their own country. After some years, however, owing to pecuniary difficulties, they became discouraged, and removed to Pennsylvania. An academy was established and incorporated at Oxford, in 1794. The town of Sherburne was settled by a party of twenty families, from Connecticut, who organized themselves into a church before emigrating. They arrived at their location on Thursday, and by the succeeding Sabbath had erected a log meeting-house, in which they met for worship, and it is said that not a Sabbath has since passed without divine service. ANTIQUITIES. In the town of Greene is a remarkable mound, which, before it was disturbed by the plough or spade, was about seven feet high, and nearly forty feet in diameter. It 272 STATE OF NEW YORK. contained human bones, flint arrow-heads, and utensils of the natives; and was probably the place where the slain of some sanguinary battle had been entombed. In Oxford, are the remains of a fort, about three-fourths of an acre in extent. Trees of more than 200 years' growth were standing on this fort when it was first discovered. Its position was admirably calculated for defence. When or by whom it was erected is unknown. The Indian traditions on this subject are by no means definite. VILLAGES. NORWICH, in the town of the same name, is the seat of justice for the county. It is pleasantly situated on a neck of land formed by the Canasawacta creek and the river. It is surrounded by a rich agricultural district, whose produce finds here a ready' market. The Chenango canal connects it with Utica and Binghamton. It has a considerable number of manufactories. Here is a flourishing academy, and a female seminary. Population, 1600. Oxford, in the town of the same name, is situated on both sides of the Chenango. It is in the midst of a fine agricultural country, and has considerable trade. The academy here is an old and flourishing one, founded in 1794. Population, 1300. Sherburne, in the town of theosame name, is a pleasant incorporated village, on the line of the canal. It has a chartered academy, and considerable trade. -Population, 700. Greene, in the town of the same name is a flourishing village, situated on the Chenango river and Canal. It has considerable manufactures. Population, 800. Ne w Berlin and Bainbridge, in the towns of the same names, are thriving and important villages. Smithville and Smyrna, are also villages of some importance, XXVI ROCKLAND COUNTY. Square miles, 172. Population, 13,741. Organized, 1798. Valuation, 1845, $2,424,553. // TOWNS. i. HaVeshtraW, 1I88. 3. ClarkstoWn, 1791. 2. Orangetown, 178S. 4. Ramapo, 1791. JMountains. T. Matteawan. d. Closter. e. Nyack Hills. f. Dunderberg. Rivers. C. Haudon. c. Hackensack. a. Ramapo. Saddle. Forts. Stony Point. Villages. NEW CITY. I-Iaverstraw. Piermont. 274 STATE OF NEW YORK. BOUNDARIES. North by Orange county; East by Hudson river; South by New Jersey; and West by New Jersey and Orange county. SURFACE. The surface of this county is very much broken, rising in the west and north-west into the Highlands, or Matteawan ridge. The Closter mountain, or Palisade range, enters from Bergen, New Jersey, and receding on the west, forms the Nyack Hills. The summits of some of these rise to the height of 1000 feet. Between these hills and the Highlands, is a valley formed by the Saddle river. Dunderberg and Caldwell mountains, are in the north part, opposite Peekskill. RIVERS. Rockland county sends forth the Hackensack river and its branches, draining the Nyack valley, and Saddle river, a tributary of the Passaic. The Ramapo, also a tributary of the Passaic, crosses the county in the town of Ramapo. CLIMATE. The climate of this county is healthy; agreeable in summer, but cold in winter. MINERALS AND GEOLOGY. The Nyack Hills belong to the Catskill group, being based on red sandstone and capped with greenstone. The Palisades are composed entirely of trap rock. The Matteawan range is primitive; granite, gneiss, mica, feldspar, hornblende, &c. are its principal constituents. South of the Highlands, the whole country is underlaid with red sandstone, supposed by some of the Geologists to be the new red sandstone. Limestone is abundant in the valleys, and magnetic iron ore in the hills. The other principal minerals are calcareous spar, serpentine, actinolite, zinc ore, green and red copper ores, datholite, stilbite, asbestus, Prehnite, Thompsonite, &c. VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. Notwithstanding the roughness of the surface, the soil is rich and highly cultivated, amply rewarding the labor of the husbandman. This county is well adapted to the culture of both grass and grains. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the leading pursuit, particularly in the more fertile valleys. Manufactures are also carried on to some extent. Iron wire, nails, sheet iron, and lead, cotton and woollen fabrics are the principal articles. COMMERCE. Some shipping is owned on the Hudson, by the inhabitants of the county, of' whom a considerable number are engaged in commercial pursuits. Ice is extensively exported to New York from this county. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. These are corn, potatoes, oats, buckwheat, rye, and ice. SCHOOLS. In this county, there were in 1846, thirty-nine common schools, averaging nine months' instruction each, at an ex ROCKLAND COUNTYo 275 pense of about $7271, and having 2501 pupils. The district libraries numbered 6418 volumes. There are eight private schools, numbering 149 scholars. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Dutch Reformed, Presbyterians, Baptists and Friends. The number of churches, of all denominations, is thirty-two; of ministers, twenty. HISTORY. This county originally belonged to Orange, and many of the early settlements were made within its limits. Orangetown was originally the county seat, before its division, and remained so till 1737, when Goshen, now in Orange county, was made a half shire town. In 1774, the court-house and jail in Orangetown being burned, the county seat was removed to New City. During the revolution, this little county was the scene of many thrilling events. On the 27th of September, 1778, Colonel Baylor, the commander of a troop of cavalry, had crossed the Hackensack with his regiment, and taken post at Tappan; on the night of the 28th, they were surprised by a British force, under General Gray, who attacked them in a barn, where they had their quarters, and sixty-seven out of one hundred and four privates were butchered. The orders of the British guard were to give no quarter; about forty were made prisoners through the humanity of one of the British captains. A fter the capture of i orts Montgomery and Clinton, (the latter of which was in the limits of this county,) by Sir enry Clinton, in 1777, General Washington directed:i lortificati n to be built at Stoney Point, a commanding promontory on the Hudson, and arother at Verplank's Point, opposite the former, on the east bank of the Hudson;the latter was first completed, and both were garrisoned by the Americans. In May, 1779, Sir Henry Clinton ascended the river; the fortress at Stoney Point being unfinished, the garrison abandoned it at his approach, and the garrison at Verplank's Point, or Fort Fayette, as it was called, being surrounded by a superior force, were compelled to surrender.'Sir Henry immediately caused both forts to be strongly fortified, and manned them with efficient garrisons. General Washington determined to recover them, and accordingly despatched General Wayne, with a sufficient corps offight infantry, on the fifteenth ofJuly, to storm the fortress at Stoney Point. The hill on which the fortress was erected, extends into the Hudson, and is surrounded by it on three sides. The other side was a deep morass, passable only at one point, and this enfiladed by the batteries of the fort. A passage to the fortress was also practicable at low water, along the beach, but this too was commanded by the guns of the fort. 276 STATE OF NEW YORK. Notwithstanding these obl tacles, Wayne and his brave associates commenced the attack a little after nightfall of the sixteenth of July, with unloade I muskets and fixed bayonets, and notwithstanding the terrible fire of the enemy, the two columns which had taken the two routes above described, met in the centre of the fort. The British garrison was captured with a loss to the Americans of fifteen killed and eighty-three wounded, and to the British of sixty-three killed, and 543 taken prisoners, beside milita y S tores to the value of nearly $160,000. The subsequent attack upon Fort Fay ette on Verplank's Point, was unsuccessful, and on this account a larger force than could be spared from the American army, being required to defend Stoney Point, it was abandoned, and soon after occupied by Sir Henry Clinton, who retained it during a considerable period. In 1780, the trial and imprisonment of Andre tookplace in the village of Nyack, in this county. He was tried in the old Dutch church, since torn down, and confined in the ancient stone mansion adjacent. His execution took place at a distance of about a quarter cf a mile from the village, not far from the New Jersey line. He was buried near the place of his execution. In 1831, his remains were disinterred, by order of the Duke of York, under the superintendence of Mr. Buchanan, the English consul at New York, and transmitted to England. Dobbs' Ferry, in this county, was also a place of considerable importance during the revolution. Washington's head quarters were for a time near this hamlet. NEW CITY, in the town of Clarkstown, contains the courthouse, jail, and county offices. It is a mere hamlet. Piermont, on the Hudson, in the town of Orangetown, is a village of recent growth, and is principally distinguished as the eastern terminus of the New York and Erie railroad. This route of travel is connected with the city of New York by a regular line of steamboats. A larger amount of milk is probably sent to. New York from this port than from any other on the river. The steamboat pier is about one mile in length. The Palisades terminate here in a steep and precipitous bluff. Population, 1400. Haverstraw, in the town of the same name, is a thriving village on the river, engaged in the coasting trade with New York. The fortress of Stoney Point was in the limits of this town. Nyack, a village in Orangetown, is handsomely situated on Tappan bay, skirted by the Nyack hills on the west. Its celebrity as the place where Major Andre was executed, has been before noticed. Population, about 1000. XXVII. ONEIDA COUNTY. Square miles, 1101. Population, 84,776. Organized, 1798. Valuation, $11,807,289. 13 18 a 2. Steuben, 1789. 7. Rome, 796.13 4. Westmoreland, 1792. 9. Western, 1797. 5. Sangerfield, 1795. 10. Trenton, 1797. 13 e6a 13 278 STATE OF NEW YORK. 11. Augusta, 1798. 19. Vienna, 1807. 12. Deerfield, 1798. 20. Lee, 1S11. 13. Remsen, 1798. 21. Utica, 1817. 14. Camden, 1799. 22. Marshall, 1819. 15. Vernon,1802. 23. Annsville, 1823. 16. Verona, 1802. 24. Kirkland, 1827. 17. Boonville, 1805. 25. New Hartford, 1827. 18. Florence, 1805. 26. Marcy, 1832. 27. Ava, 1846..Mountains. P. Highlands of Black River. i. Hassencleaver mountains. Rivers and Creeks. F. Mohawk river. a. Black. c. Saghdaquida, or Sauquoit creek. d. Lansing's. e. Wood. f. West Canada. j. Oneida. k. Oriskany. s. Fish. t. West branch of Fish. Falls. g. Trenton Falls. Lakes. Z. Oneida. Battle Fields. Fort Schuyler. Oriskany Creek. Forts. FortStanwix. Fort Schuyler. Colleges. Hamilton College, in Kirkland. Cities and Villages. UTICA. ROME. WHITESBORO'. Clinton. Trenton Falls. Oriskany. Waterville. BOUNDARIES. North by Lewis and Oswego counties; East by Herkimer; South by Madison and Otsego; and West by Madison and Oswego counties. SURFACE. Oneida county has a diversified surface. The valley of Oneida Lake extends eastward nearly forty miles, through the centre of the county, and the streams which water the county so abundantly, flow for the most part, through broad and beautiful valleys. The Highlands of Black river rise to an elevation of about 800 feet, in the northeastern part of the county, and in the eastern section the Hassencleaver has an elevation of 1200 feet. In the southern part, a ridgeof no great height divides the waters of the Mohawk from those of the Susquehanna. RIVERS, &c. The Mohawk and Black rivers, Lansing's, Fish, Oriskany, Oneida, Saghdaquida, Wood and West Canada creeks, are the principal streams. Several of these furnish, by their rapid descent, valuable hydraulic power. FALLS. Trenton Falls, on West Canada creek, are much celebrated for their picturesque beauty, and the wild and romantic scenery which surrounds them. The whole descent is 312 feet, and this is accomplished by six distinct falls, all within a distance of two miles. LAKES. The Oneida Lake forms part of the western boundary of the county. Its shores are low and swampy. Its waters abound with excellent fish. ONEIDA COUNTY. 279 CANALS AND RAILROADS. The Erie canal passes through the central portion of the county. In its whole course through this and the adjacent county of Madison, there are no locks. The Oneida Lake canal connects the Erie canal with Oneida Lake; the Chenango canal extends from the Erie canal at Utica, to Binghamton, in Broome county; the Black river canal is designed to connect the Erie canal with Black river. The Utica and Schenectady, and Syracuse and Utica railroads pass through this county. CLIMATE. The climate is generally mild and quite uniform. The temperature is about an average of that of the state. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. From its extent and situation this county embraces a greater variety of geological formations than almost any other in the state The primary system occupies that portion of the county east of Black river. It consists principally of granite, and Black river and Trenton limestone. Bordering upon these we find the Utica slate and the Hudson river group of shales and sandstone. To these succeed the Oneida slate, which indeed is found in almost every part of the county; the Clinton and Lockport groups of limestone, rich in fossils; the Onondaga salt group, consisting here mainly of red and green shales; the Helderberg limestones; the Oriskany sandstone, forming the surface rock of the valleys of the Saghdaquida, Oriskany, Skenandoa and Oneida creeks; the Marcellus shales appearing at a few points in the extreme southern part of the county; and the Hamilton group of limestones. Argillaceous iron ore, gypsum, water limestone, peat, marl, calcareous spar, coccolite, blende, or sulphuret of zinc, and tabular spar, are the principal minerals. There are numerous mineral springs, mostly sulphurous, in the county. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is every where productive, and in the valleys possesses extraordinary fertility. The crops, both of grass and grain, are abundant, and the county ranks among the first in the state, in its agricultural products. Hops are very successfully and extensively cultivated. The timber of the county is principally maple, beech, birch, elm, black walnut, and basswood, with some oak, hemlock, and pine. Large quantities of sugar are manufactured from the maple. PURSUITS. Arriculture is the pursuit of'a majority of the inhabitants. Nearly equal attention is paid to the culture of grain and to the rearing of cattle, horses and sheep. Wheat is not produced in so large quantities as in some of the more western counties, but oats, corn, barley, hops and potatoes are largely cultivated. In 1845, nearly four millions of pounds of butter, and more than three millions of pounds of cheese were made in the county. The clip of wool was also very large. 280 STATE OF NEW YORK. Manufactures are also a prominent pursuit, being prosecuted to a greater extent than in any other county in the state, except Kings and New York. Cotton and woollen goods are largely manufactured. Flour, lumber, distilled liquors, leather and iron ware, are also produced in very considerable quantities. In 1845, the manufactures of the county amounted to nearly $4,000,000. Commerce. The commercial relations of Oneida county are quite extensive. The Erie canal affords the means of transportation for its abundant produce; the Oneida lake canal opens a route to Lake Ontario; the Chenango canal brings the agricultural productions of the southern counties hither, on their way to tide water; and the completion of the Black river canal will also add largely to the commerce of the county. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter, cheese, oats, barley, corn, hops, potatoes, wool and sugar. SCHOOLS. There were in the county in 1846, 399 district school-houses, in which schools were taught an average period of eight months each. 23,735 children received instruction, at an expense for tuition of $29,063. The district libraries contained 23,983 volumes. There were also eighty-seven unincorporated select schools, with 912 scholars; ten academies and four female seminaries, with 624 pupils, and one college with nine professors and 126 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Baptists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, Friends, Universalists, Dutch Reformed and Unitarians. The total number of churches in 1845, was 160; of clergymen, 202. HISTORY. This county was the home of the Oneida Indians, one of the bravest tribes of the Iroquois, and the only one which, during the revolution, maintained friendly relations with the United States. During the French war (in 1758) forts were erected at Rome and at Utica; the former was called Fort Stanwix, the latter Fort Schuyler. Fort Stanwix, on the present site of Rome, was, from its situation at the portage between Wood creek and the Mohawk river, a post of considerable importance, and was fortified at an expense of more than $250,000.. At the commencement of the revolution, however, it was very much dilapidated. In 1766, Rev. Samuel Kirkland, a native of Connecticut, and a graduate of Princeton college, New Jersey, settled among the Oneidas, as a missionary. Through his influence they were restrained from engaging on the side of the British during the war of the revolution. ONEIDA COUNTY. 281 Mr. Kirkland remained among the Indians during the war, was interpreter to the American officers who visited them, and officiated as chaplain to the army during Sullivan's campaign. After the revolution he settled again in Oneida county, and the legislature of the state granted him the township of Kirkland, as an acknowledgement of his valuable services to the state of his adoption. Judge Dean, the efficient Indian agent during the revolution, was also an early settler. He was a native of New England, but spent several years of his boyhood among the Oneida Indians, by whom he was adopted. He subsequently graduated at Dartmouth college, intending to become a missionary to that tribe. The demand for his services during the revolution prevented his fulfilling that intention, and he accepted the office of Indian agent and interpreter, and in that capacity rendered efficient aid to the American cause. The Oneidas granted him, at the close of the war, a tract of land on Wood creek about two miles square, which he subsequently exchanged for a similar tract in Westmoreland. On the extinction of the Indian title, in 1788, the latter was confirmed to him by the state, and he resided upon it during the remainder of his life.* * Two or three years after Judge Dean's removal to Westmoreland, an incident occurred which furnishes a parallel to the often related rescue of Captain John Smith, by Pocahontas. It was a custom among the Indians, that when one of their number had been murdered by a member of another tribe, the blood of some one of the offending tribe must be shed, as an atonement for the offence. The same custom extended to their intercourse with the whites. At this period, an Oneida Indian had been killed by some unknown white man, who had escaped. The chiefs assembled to determine what was to be done. After several days consultation, they decided that the life of Mr. Dean must be forfeited, as an atonement for the murder. Accordingly, the chiefs, eighteen in number, came to his dwelling at midnight, and informed him that they had decided to sacrifice him for the murder of their brother, and that he must now prepare to die. In vain he remonstrated, pleading his past services to their tribe, and urging that he was an adopted son of the Oneidas, and therefore not liable to such a doom. In vain did he represent the hapless condition of his wife and helpless babes. The old chiefs heard him patiently, but their decision was unalterable. He had nearly abandoned all hope of escape, when his attention was arrested by the pattering of a footstep without the door. Soon the latch was raised and a squaw entered; she was the wife of the senior chief, and in Mr. Dean's boyhood, had adopted him as her son. The entrance of a woman into a solemn council was, according to Indian etiquette, at war with all propriety. The chiefs however remained silent. Soon another came, a sister of the first, and the wife of another chief; and presently a third, also the wife of a chief. Each stood near the door in silence, closely wrapped in her blanket. At length the presiding chief bid them " begone." The squaw who first entered, replied, that they must first change their determination, and not kill the good white man, her adopted son. The command to go was repeated, when each of the squaws threw off their blankets, and brandisiing a knife in their extended hands, declared that they would destroy themselves- it one hair of the white man's head was touched. The chiefs were astonished at the whole proceeding, and regarding it as an evident interposition of the Great Spirit in his behalf, reversed their decree, and Mr. Dean's life was spared. 282 STATE OF NEW YORK. Some years previous to the revolution two men named Roof and Brodock established themselves in the vicinity of Rome, and were engaged in the carrying trade. They were compelled to leave during the revolution, but afterward returned and resumed their farms. Early in the summer of 1777, news hvaing reached the county that an expedition was intended against the settlements in the Mohawk valley,'under the command of General St. Leger, Fort Stanwix at Rome, was repaired, garrisoned, supplied with provisions, and its name changed to Fort Schuyler. On the 2d of August, 1777, the garrison consisted of 750 men, under the command of Colonel Gansevoort, and they had sufficient ammunition and provisions for a six weeks' siege. At that time the fort was invested by General St. Leger, who demanded its surrender. The demand was indignantly spurned by the garrison. Hearing of the investment of the fort, General Herkimer assembled about 800 militia, and hastened to relieve the beseiged garrison. On the evening of the 5th of August, he arrived at Oriskany creek, and despatched two expresses to Col. Gansevoort, notifying him of his approach, and requesting him to make a sally from the fort at the time of' his intended attack. These expresses arrived safely on the forenoon of the 6th, and a signal cannon having been fired, Colonel Marinus Willet, the second in command, sallied from the fort with 250 men, and succeeded in carrying the camps of Sir John Johnson and the Indians, capturing their stores, baggage, ammunition, &c., without the loss of a single man. The attack of General Herkimer was less fortunate. St. Leger having heard of his approach, stationed a force in ambuscade on his route. The militia, heedless and self confident, rushed on till their vanguard were surrounded by the enemy. Those in the rear then fled, but the remainder fought with the utmost desperation. Their assailants were mostly Indians and loyalists, and in many cases the two parties were personally known to each other, and private hate was added to national hostility. Rage supplied the place of arms; no quarter was asked or given on either side. Early in the battle General Herkimer was wounded; but seating himself on his saddle, and leaning against the trunk of a tree, he continued to order the battle with the utmost composure. The conflict continued for six hours; at the end of that time the tories and Indians retreated, leaving the militia masters of the field. The loss in killed and wounded on both sides was very great. That of the Americans was nearly 200'killed, and about the same number wounded. After this battle, St. Leger again summoned the fort, but was ONEIDA COUNTY. 283 again defied. Finding, however, that they must be reinforced or eventually surrender, Col. Willet and Lieut. Stockwell, of the garrison, volunteered to go to the head quarters of General Schuyler, at Stillwater, and obtain aid. They left the garrison on the night of the 10th of August, creeping on their hands and knees through the enemy's camp, and after numerous hair breadth escapes, succeeded in reaching Gen. Schuyler's camp and procuring the necessary assistance. General Learned and General Arnold were despatched on this service. The latter, hastening on in advance with 900 troops, captured a tory refugee named Han Yost Schuyler, whom by promises and threats he induced to go to the camp of St. Leger, and alarm the Indians by exaggerating the number of his troops. A friendly Oneida Indian was also sent on the same errand. The stratagem was successful. The Indians, already dissatisfied, abandoned St. Leger at once, on receiving the intelligence of Arnold's approach, and thus deserted, he raised the siege and retreated with the utmost haste, the Indians plundering his troops whenever they found opportunity. One of the most prominent of the early settlers of this county was Judge White, the founder of Whitestown. He was a native of Middletown, Connecticut, and one of the proprietors of the Saghdaquida patent. He removed here in 1784, with his family. In 1788 the town of Whitestown was laid out, and comprised all that part of the state lying west of a line drawn north and south through the city of Utica, a tract of country now containing more than 1,100,000 inhabitants. The same year a treaty was made with the Oneidas, by which they ceded to the state the whole of their lands, except a few trifling reservations. Judge White lived to see the wilderness where he had first located himself, densely populated, and the privations of the settlers exchanged for plenty.* Judge Sanger was another of the early settlers who located in New Hartford. The town of Steuben was granted by the state to Baron Steuben, for his services during the revolution. He resided here during the latter part of his life, and was buried here. * A little incident which occurred soon after the war, illustrates the Indian character very forcibly. An old Oneida chief named Han Yerry, who, during the revolution, had acted with the British, but who was quite friendly to Judge White, came one day with his wife and a mulatto woman to his house, and asked permission to take the little grand-daughter of the judge home to his cabin for the night, making it a test of the strength of his friendship. Judge White consented, considering it best to manifest confidence in the Indian, although he felt many Imisgivings, and the mother of the child could hardly be prevailed on to part with it. The succeeding day was one of deep anxiety to the family of the judge-but just at sunset the Indian and his squaw reappeared with the child, clad in a complete Indian dress. The confidence which the judge manifested mi them, secured their warm and permanent friendship. 284 STATE OF NEW YORK. CITIES AND VILLAGES, UTICA, situated on the south side of the Mohawk, on the site of old Fort Schuyler, is a thriving and business city, in the midst of one of the most fertile and wealthy sections of the state, having a central location. Its locality being on a gentle declivity to the north, commands a beautiful prospect of the Mohawk valley. The streets are spacious, and the buildings neat and commodious. Being connected with Albany and Troy, and with Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo by railroad and canal; with Binghamton by the Chenango canal, and by stages, with the northern and southern counties of the state, it is the centre of an extensive business. It is also engaged in manufactures. Several large steam mills have recently been erected for the manufacture of cotton and woollen goods. The New York State Lunatic Asylum, located here, is a noble institution, and when completed will surpass in extent and convenience any other in the United States. A farm of 160 acres is attached to it. The Utica Academy, and the Utica Female Seminary, are both excellent institutions, and have a high reputation. The Young Men's Association possess a good library and have maintained a course of' lectures for some years. The museum contains a fine collection of curiosities and antiquities. The early growth of Utica was slow; in 1794 it contained but three or four houses. It was incorporated as a village in 1798, and received its present name. It was chartered as a city in 1832. Population 12,190. ROME, on the site of Fort Stanwix (the new Fort Schuyler) is situated at the junction of the Black river and Erie canals. The Utica and Syracuse railroad also passes through it. The village has some manufactories, and is largely engaged in'the forwarding trade. The United States government have an arsenal, magazine, and a number of workshops here. The Rome Female Seminary is well sustained. Population 2800. WHITESBORO', in the town of Whitestown, also a county seat, was incorporated in 1813. It is a pleasant village, finely decorated with shade trees, and is engaged in the manufacture of cotton goods. It has also a very large flouring mill and an extensive pail and tub manufactory. The Whitesboro' Academy is a large and flourishing institution. The Oneida Institute, a manual labor school of a high order, intended for a boarding school, is also located here; connected with it is a farm of 114 acres. The students are required to labor three hours per day. Population 2000. Oriskany is a large manufacturing village in the same town. Broadcloths and cassimeres are the principal articles of manufacture. Population 1200. New Yorkl MIills, in the same town is an important village ONEIDA COUNTXt. 285 largely engaged in the manufacture of cotton goods, Population 1000, Watervill,, in the town of Sangerfield, is a thriving village, engaged in the manufacture of woollen goods, carriage springs, starch, and musical instruments. Population 000, Trznton Falls is a small village, worthy of notice for the picturesque and beautiful falls on the West Canada creek, from which it derives its name. Trenton, in the town of the same name, is a somewhat larger village, incorporated in 1819. Clinton, in the town of Kirkland, is pleasantly situated on the Oriskany creek, nine miles from Utica. The literary institutions of this village and its vicinity, have given it a wide celebrity. Hamilton College, situated a mile west of the village; was founded by the exertions of the venerable Kirkland, and is now in a prosperous condition. It has four fine stone edifices, The Clinton Liberal Institute is a chartered institution. The edifice is of stone, ninety-six by fifty-two feet, and four stories high above the basement, for the male department, and a smaller building for the female department. It is conducted by six teachers. There is a farm attached to this institution, for the benefit of such students as may desire to defray the expense of their education by manual labor. The Clinton Grammar school,. and the Clinton Domestic seminary, a female institution of some note, are also located here. In the vicinity are several manufkctories. Population 800. New Hartford, in the town of the same name, and Oriskany Falls, in the town of Augusta, are flourishing manufacturing villages. Vernon, in the town of Vernon, Sauquoit, in the town of Paris, and Hampton, in the town of Westmoreland, are thriving villages. Oneida Castleton, a post village in the town of Vernon, occupies the place where the councils of the Six Nations were formerly held,-the large white walnut trees under which they assembled are still standing in full vigor, and often, by the autumnal blasts, sing the requiem of that almost annihilated race of the aborigines. 13* XXVIII. CAYUGA COUNTY. Square Miles, 648. Population, 49,663. Organized, 1799. Valuation, 1845, $9,760,050, {l2 19 13.2 7: b9 c ^-L AYiAG -CtONTY. 287 TOWNS 1. Aureiius, 1789. 12. Conquest, 1821. 2. Geneva, 1789. 13. Summer Hill, 1821, 3. Scipio, 1789. 14. Victory, 1821. 4. Sempronius, 1.789. 15. Ira, 1821.. 5. Brutus, 1802. 16. Auburn, 1823 6. Cato, S802. 17. Fleming, 1823. 7. Locke, 1802. 18. Springport, 1823, 8. Owasco, 1802. 19. Venice,.1823. 9. Sennet, 1807. 20. Ledyard, 1823. 10. Mentz, 1808. 21. Moravia, 1833. 11. Stirling, 1812. 22. Niles, 1833. Rivers. a. Owasco Outlet. b. Salmon Creek. c. Owasco Inlet. e. Little Sodus Creek. k. Seneca. Lakes, 8-c. J. Lake Ontario. DD. Cayuga. d. Owasca. f. Skeneateles. g. Duck. i. Cross. 1. Little Sodus Bay, Villages. AUBURN. Aurora. Cayuga, Montezuma. Moravia. BOUNDARIES. North by Lake Ontario; East by Oswego, Onondaga and Cortland counties; South by Tompkins county; West by Cayuga lake, and Seneca and WVayne counties. SURFACE. - The southern section of the county has an irregular surface, rising into ridges on the shores of Cayuga and Owasco lakes. Poplar ridge, the watershed of the county, is between these two lakes, and has an elevation of 600 feet. The northern part is comparatively level, yet has a rolling appearance, in consequence of numerous gravelly hills, which seem like mounds formed by art. RIvERs. The principal streams are the Seneca river, Salmon and Little Sodus creeks. The Seneca has a very sluggish course through a marshy country, LAKES. Cayuga lake on the western border, Skeneateles on the'eastern, and Owasco in the centre, are the largest lakes. Besides these it has Cross, Duck and Otter lakes, and Lock pond. BAYS. Little Sodus bay is an inlet of Lake Ontario. CArALS. The Erie canal crosses the county a few miles distant from the Seneca river, and parallel with it. RAILROADS. The great line of Railroad between Albany and Buffalo also passes through this county. CLIMATE. Mild and temperate, much moderated by the numerous bodies of water around and within it. It is regarded as salubrious. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. This county embraces quite a variety of formations. On the borders of Lake Ontario is found the Medina sandstone; immediately south of'this the Clinton, 288 S;TATE OF NEW YORK. Niagara and. Onondaga limestone groups; next the Helderberg series, and in the extreme southern part of the county, the Ludlowville slaty rocks. Gypsum, water limestone, sulphate of Earytes, Epsom salts, fluor spar, sulphate of iron, and pure sulphur are the principal minerals. Petroleum or mineral oil is found on Cayuga lake. Valuable brine springs occur in Montgomery. Here are also sulphur springs, and a chalybeate spring has been discovered in. the town of Sennet. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIoNS. The soil of this county, in consequence of its peculiar geological structure, is rich, and its lands are among the most fertile and highly cultivated in the state. Wheat yields the most abundant crops; and fruits thrive in great perfection. The timber consists of oak, beech, butternut, eIm, poplar, basswood, pine and hemlock. PURSUITS. The attention of the inhabitants is chiefly turned to agriculture. Large quantities of the various kinds of grain and wool are annually produced, and considerable numbers of cattle reared. Manufactures. The principal articles of manufacture are flour, woollen and cotton goods, leather and lumber. Salt is manufactured in considerable quantities. Commerce. It has a considerable amount of commerce-being connected by the Cayuga lake with the southern countiesby the Erie canal and Auburn and Syracuse railroad with the Hudson and Lake Erie, and by the Cayuga and Seneca canal with the Seneca lake, and the country bordering on it. THE STAPLES of the county are wheat and other grains, potatoes, butter and wool. SCHOOLS. The common schools, in 1846, numbered 256. They were taught an average period of eight months, attended by 16,781 scholars, at an expense for tuition of nearly $21,312. The number of volumes in the school libraries was 29,718. The number of private schools was thirty-five, having in attendance 658 pupils. It has also four academies and one female seminary, with 388 scholars, and one theological seminary with seventy-one students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Friends, Universalists. Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Dutch Reformed, Unitarians, and Roman Catholics. There are in all seventy-seven churches and eighty clergymen. HISTORY. The first settlements in this county were made in Aurelius, Genoa and Scipio, about the time the Indian title was extinguished, in 1789. The first settlement at Auburn was made in 1793, by Col. John L. Hardenburg, from whom it was named Hardenburghs corners. It received its present name in 1805. In Moravia, settlements were commenced in 1794, At that CA tUGA CoUNTY. 289 time there were still some Indians residing on the flats. The county has had a rapid and prosperous growth, and in its zeal for public improvements ranks among the first counties in the state. VILLAGES. AUBURN, the shire town of the county, and one of the most flourishing villages in the state, is situated on the outlet of Owasco lake. Though irregularly laid out, its streets are spacious, and many of its buildings elegant. Besides the county buildings, it contains seven churches, a male and a female seminary, and the Auburn Theological seminary, under the control of the Presbyterians, which has four professors, seventy-one students, and a library of 5000 volumes. The Auburn State Prison, located here, is a massive granite building, erected at an expense of over half a million of dollars. The main building has a front of 276 feet, and is three stories high besides the basement. The two wings, one on either end, are each 242 feet long, and forty-five wide. The whole is enclosed by a solid stone wall, from sixteen to forty feet high, and three feet thick. The number of prisoners is about 700, who labor in work shops during the day, and are confined in separate cells at night. Population 6171. Moravia is a thriving incorporated village, iri the town of the same name. The Moravian Institute is a chartered institution of some note. Population 600. Aurora, in the town of Ledyard; lies upon the Cayuga lake, and is hardly surpassed in the beauty of its location, by any village in western New York. The Cayuga academy is a flourishing institution. Steamboats stop here several times a day on their route between Ithaca and Cayuga bridge. Popuulation 500. Cayuga is a pleasant village on the eastern bank of the Cayuga lake. A daily line of steamboats plies between this place and Ithaca, connecting the Ithaca and Owego and the Auburn and Rochester railroads. A toll bridge, and a railroad bridge, each of them upwards of a mile in length, here cross the Cayuga lake. Mlontezuma. A number of saline springs are here found, from which salt of the best and purest quality has been manufactured ever since the earliest settlement of the country. The Montezuma marshes commence about a mile west of the village, and are known as the Paradise ofnmusquitoes. Population 700. Weedsport is a thriving village on the canal in the town of Benton. It has a large amount of business. Population 800. Port Byron, in the town of Mentz, is a large village, on the Erie canal. It has one of the largest flouring establistments in the state, beside several other manufactories. Population 1000. XXIX. ESSEX COUNTY. Square Miles, 1162. Population, 25,102. Organized, 1799. Valuation, 1845, $1,483,136. 1 1 TrOWNS. 1. Crown Point, 1788. 9. Essex, 1805. 2. Willsborough, 1788. 10. Lewis, 1805. 3. Jay, 1790. It. Moriah, 1808. 4. Elizabethtown, 1798. 12. Keene, 1808. 5. Chesterfield, 1802. 13. Westport, 1815. 6. Schroon, 1804. 14. Wilmington, 1821. 7. Ticonderoga, 1804. -). Newcomb, 1828. 8. Minerva, 1804.. St. Armand, 1844. ESSEX COUNTY. 291 JMountains. EE. Kayaderosseras. GG. Chateaugay. HH. Clinton. JJ. Au Sable. Peaks. g. White Face. k Mount McMartin. m. Mount McIntyre. n. Mount Marcy. o. Mount Defiance, (in Ticonderoga). Rivers. C. Hudson. a. Bouquet. c. Boreas. d. Indian. e. Adirondack. f. Schroon. i. Au Sable. j. Saranac. q. West Branch. Lakes. W. Champlain. 1. Schroon. r. Paradox. s. Pharaoh. t. Crane Pond. u. Harries Lake. v. Rich. w. Delia. h. Teralt. y. Sanford. z. Placid. a. Auger Pond. b~ Warm. c. Rattlesnake. d, Black. e Long. Forts. Ticonderoga. Crown Point. Villages. ELIZABETHTOWN. Westport. Keeseville. Ticonderoga. Essex. BOUNDARIES. North by Franklin and Clinton counties; East by Lake Champlain; South by Warren county; and West by Hamilton and Franklin counties. SURFACE. -The surface of this county is mountainous. Three distinct ranges cross it, and a fourth touches its western boundary. The Kayaderosseras range, beginning at Crown Point, passes over the southeastern towns. The Clinton range extends through the central portion, the Au Sable passes through the northwest section, and the Chateaugay forms a portion of the northwestern boundary. In the towns of Keene, Newcomb,. and Moriah, a group of lofty peaks, known as the Adirondack group, extends from the Au Sable to the Clinton range. Mounts Marcy, McIntire, McMartin, Dial mountain and White face, are the principal of these peaks. Mount Marcy is 5467 feet, or more than a mile, above tide water, Mount McIntire 5183, White face 4855, and Dial mountain 4900 feet high. It is a characteristic of the mountains of this county, that their sides are precipitous and broken. Between the ranges of the mountains are extensive valleys, through which flow large streams. The Adirondack pass, about five miles from the Adirondack iron works, demands a cursory notice. At an elevation of some 2500 feet above tide water, a narrow gorge extends quite through the mountain, whose massive perpendicular walls a thousand feet in height, rear themselves on either hand in gloomy sublimity, as if proudly defying the puny art of man. The pass is nearly a mile in length, and rises in height from 500 to 1000 feet. RIVERS. The principal rivers of the county are the Au Sable, the Saranac, the Bouquet, the Hudson and the Schroon, with their tributaries, and Putnam creek. LAKES. No county in the state probably possesses so great a number of lakes and ponds as Essex. The character of its sur 292 STATE Or NElW YOnK. face is such as to produce this result; in its deep chasim anid mountain gorges, its ravines and dells, bounded by walls of ever during granite, the waters which fall upon the hills, or the product of the melting snows upon its lofty peaks, gather and remain, till they have attained sufficient height to overflow the barriers which restrain them, It is said that there are in the county nearly one hundred lakes and ponds of considerable size. Of these the most important are Schroon, Paradox, Teralt, Rich, Harries, Delia, Sanford, Pharaoh and Placid lakes, and Augur pond. CLIMATE. The temperature is low, particularly on the mountains. In the valleys it is more mild, but the frosts are early and severe. It is not well adapted to the raising of fruit, or those grains and crops which require a long summer. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The rocks in this county are primary, with the exception of a narrow belt of transition on Lake Champlain. They are principally hypersthene, granite, primary limestone, gneiss, hornblende, and magnetic iron ore. Iron is found in immense quantities in almost every part of the county. The principal veins are the Penfield, the Adirondack ores, and the Sanford vein. The latter is estimated to contain at least 3,000,000 tons of pure iron. It is in fact a mass of pure iron ore, unmixed with rock or earth. The iron of this county, in all the qualities which render. that metal valuable, is unsurpassed by any in the United States, and being situated in a densely wooded country, and with a convenient access to the lake, can be smelted and conveyed to market as advantageously as any in the country. There are in the county, and particularly on the shores of the lakes, fossil vegetables and shells. The other principal minerals are Plumbago, marble of the Verd Antique variety, Labradorite, calcareous spar, pyroxene, hornblende, serpentine, scapolite, tabular spar, Bircite, apatite, tourmaline, sphene, colophonlte, graphite, zircon, garnet, epsom salts, porcelain clay, and pearl spar. VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS, SOIL, &c. The soil, though broken, is rich and fertile. The timber is very abundant, and of large size, sonsisting of white and black oak, white and yellow pine, maple, beech, hemlock, poplar, walnut, butternut, birch, ash, elm, basswood, cherry, fir, spruce, &c. Upon Mount Marcy, the gigantic beech and hemlock gradually diminish in size to mere shrubs, and the former, unable to sustain the weight of its stem, creeps on the rocky surface of its elevated summit. The forests abound with game,-and the waters with fish. PURSUITS. A majority of the inhabitants are devoted to agricultural pursuits. The greater part of the county is adapted to grazing, and in some of the valleys grain succeeds well. Potatoes, oats, together with some wheat, corn and rye are grown. Butter and wool are produced in considerable quantities. The preparation of lumber bfr market is a prominent pursuit ESSEX COUNTY. 293 with the inhabitants. The amount of lumber and timber exported is very large. Among the manufactures, that of iron is the most important; it is smelted from the ore in large quantities. The c:ummerce of the county upon the lakes is very considerable, and every year increasing. STAPLES. Iron, lumber, butter, wool, and potatoes. SCHOOLS. There were in the county, in 1846, 167 schoolhouses, in which 7925 children were taught an average period of six months, at'an expense for tuition of $8758. The district libraries contained 13,774 volumes. There were also in the county twenty private schools, with 270 pupils, and two academies, with ninety students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Congregationalists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, and Universalists. The number of churches of all denominations in the county is forty-two, and of clergymen, twenty-nine. HITroRY. In 1731 a fort, called Fort St. Frederick, was erected by the French, at Crown Point, on the bank of Lake Champlain; it was afterward blown up, but the place was again fbrtified, and retained as a military post. In 1756, the French erected Fort Ticonderoga, named by them Carillon. In 1758, General Abercrombie, with a large force, composed of British and provincial troops, attacked the fortress, but was repulsed, with the loss of nearly 2000 killed and wounded. Among the former was Lord Howe, who was universally beloved by the troops. In 1759, both Ticonderoga and Crown Point were abandoned by the French, on the approach of the English forces. The British general garrisoned Ticonderoga, and caused a fort to be erected at Crown Point, which was likewise garrisoned by English troops. In 1775, both fortresses were captured by a corps of Connecticut and Vermont volunteers, under the command of Colonels Ethan Allen,* Seth Warner and Benedict Arnold. Crown Point was evacuated the next year. On the eleventh of October, 1776, the disastrous expedition against Canada was terminated, by the capture of the lake fleet, under the command of General Arnold, near Crown Point. In July, 1777, Ticonderoga was besieged by General Burgoyne; with great labor and difficulty that officer succeeded in * It is related that when Colonel Allen, who had rushed into Fort Ticonderoga, sword in hand, ordered the comnnander of the fort to surrender, he enquired " by what authority'" Colonel Allen immediately replied,' I denand it in the name of the great Jehovah and the continental congress." 294 STATE OF NEW YORK. erecting a battery upon Mount Defiance, which overlooked and enfiladed the fort. General St. Clair, its commander, was thus compelled either to surrender, or evacuate the fort immediately. He chose the latter alternative, anid made his escape, though with some loss. It was then garrisoned by the British. In October, 1777, the garrison, hearing of General Burgoyne's surrender, returned precipitately to Canada. Neither of the fortresses have since been occupied. This county was chiefly settled by emigrants from Vermont, and other New England states. Considerable portions of it are yet covered wittl the primeval forests. VILLAGES. ELIZABETHTOWN is a small village, situated in the midst of beautiful and picturesque mountain scenery. It is the county seat. Population 350. Keeseville, lying upon both sides of the Au Sable river, and being partly in this county and partly in Clinton, is a large and flourishing manufacturing village. Iron, and woollen and cotton goods, are largely manufactured here. It has also flouring mills. saw mills, a brewery, machine shop, tannery, &c. The falls of the Au Sable give it a fine water power. Here is an incorporated academy. Population 2200. Westport is a thriving village on the lake. It has a flourishing incorporated academy. Population 700. Ticonderoga, about two miles from the old fort of that name, is well situated for manufactures, having a' valuable and extensive water power, very uniform in its supply, and being advantageously situated.for commerce. Population 700. Essex is a thriving village and has some commerce. Population 700. Willsborough, in the town of the same name, Au Sable Forks and Jayville, in the town of Jay, are growing and important villages. XXX. GREENE COUNTY. Square Miles, 583. Population, 31,957. Organized, 1800. Valuation, 1845, $2,969,673. Io d; @^^A^^^^idllllU~llillllQ/ TOWNS. 1. Catskill, 1788. 7. Athens, 1805. 2. Coxsackie, 1788. 8. New Baltimore, 1811. 3. Durham, 1790. 9. Hunter, 1813. 4. Windham, 1798. 10. Lexington, 1813. 5. Cairo, 1803. 11. Prattsville, 1833. 6. Greenville, 1803. JMountains. i. Catskill. u. Pine. Rivers. AA. Schoharie kill. C. Hudson. a. Catskill Creek. d. Kaaterskitl. g. Bataviakill. Falls. On the Kaaters kill east branch, three falls. Villages. CATSKILL. Coxsackie. Athens. New Baltimore. BOUNDARIES. North by Schoharie and Albany; East by Hudson river; South by Ulster; West by Delaware and Schoharie counties. SURFACE. The county of Greene has a very hilly and mountainous surface. The Catskill mountains running centrally through the county, divide it into two sections, of which the eastern and northern is the most arable. 296 STATE OF NEW YORK. The eastern fronts of the mountains are precipitous, while upon the west their declivities are more gentle. The Pine mountain, or Kaatsbergs, form the southwestern boundary. The principal peaks of the Catskill mountains are Round Top and High Peak, which have elevations from 3000 to 3800 feet above tide water. RIVERS. The principal streams are Catskill creek, Kaaterskill, Schoharie kill, and Batavia kill. The Hudson forms its eastern boundary. CLIMATE. This county has much diversity of climate. The peaks of the mountains are covered with snow nearly a month later than the valleys, and the summer is shorter, but when vegetation commences, it is more rapid than near the Hudson. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. The transition and red sandstone formations prevail in this county. The predominant rocks of the Catskill division are conglomerates, red and gray shales, slates, slaty and coarse grits; greenish gray and chocolate colored gray sandstone, known as the Catskill or North river flag stone, is abundant. The Helderberg range, consisting of water and common limestone and pyritous slate, predominates in the north portion of the county. The Hudson river group, composed of slate, shales, shaly and thick bedded grits occupies the eastern and southeastern part. Copper, lead, zinc, iron and coal, have been found in small quantities. Calcareous spar and quartz crystals also occur. VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The mountains are sterile-the uplands produce excellent grass, while the valleys are rich, yielding good crops of grain. The timber consists of oak, hickory, cherry, soft and sugar maple, and on the hills beech, birch, and in some places, spruce and hemlock. In the mountainous districts the trees are of great size. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the principal pursuit of the inhabitants. Comparatively little grain is raised. The products of the dairy are large. Many of the farmers are turning their attention to wool growing, for which the county is well adapted. Manufactures. Leather is manufactured to a greater amount than in any other county in the state. The other manufactures are flour, lumber, paper, fulled cloths, &c. Commerce. Catskill, Athens, Coxsackie and New Baltimore, are largely engaged in the coasting trade. The STAPLE PRODUCTIONS of the county are butter, oats, corn and buckwheat. SCHOOLS. There were in this county, in 1846, 170 common schools, giving instruction to 9071 children, an average period of eight months each, at an expense for tuition of 913,147. The district libraries contained 19,713 volumes. GREENE COUNTY. 297 There were also thirty-three select schools, with 601 scholars; four academies and one female seminary, with seventy-seven students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Dutch Reformed, Episcopalians, Friends, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Unitarians. There are in the county, sixtyfour churches, and sixty-four clergymen. HISTORY. Greene county was settled in the latter part of the seventeenth century, by the Dutch.. Cairo and Coxsackie were the principal settlements. Shortly before and after the revolution, many families removed from New England into the county, and a majority of the present inhabitants claim a puritan descent. It is a matter of regret that so little effort has been made to investigate the early history of a county, undoubtedly possessing so much historic interest. The Hardenburgh patent comprises most of the towns of Windham and Lexington. Athens was laid out in part, in 1790, by Edward Brockholst Livingston, and E. C. Goodrich. VILLAGES. CATSKILL VILLAGE, il the town of the same name, was incorporated in 1806. It is the seat of justice of the county, situated on the left bank of the Catskill creek, nearly one mile from the Hudson, and is principally built upon a single street, about half a mile in extent. It is a port for steamboats and sloops, the creek being navigable from a short distance above the village, to the Hudson, opening a direct communication with the city of New York. This village is sustained by a wealthy farming community in its own, and adjoining counties; also by a considerable manufacturing interest. In the business season of the year, Main street, and the wharves indicate great activity in trade and commerce. The prospect of the Hudson from this village is obscured by a high bluff running parallel with the river, yet this bluff affords desirable sites for residences, some of which are occupied and highly improved. The location of this village is important, being the terminus of a number of stage routes, some of which communicate with the valley of the Susquehanna. Its public buildings are neat, and its general appearance that of industry. It has an academy, and a select school for young ladies. Population 3000. Athens, in the town of the same name, pleasantly situated opposite the city of Hudson, was incorporated in 1805,-it is extensively engaged in manufactures, especially of brick and lime. 298 STATE OF NEW YORK. A considerable number of sloops are owned here, which ply to and from New York. A steam ferry connects it with the city of Hudson. Population 1500. Coxsackie Landing, in the town of Coxsackie, is a thriving village, engaged in the coasting trade, and in the manufacture of brick. It has an academy of some note. Population 1500. Prattsville, lying on the Schoharie kill, manufactures more leather than any town in the United States. It received its name from Hon. Zadoc Pratt, who established extensive tanneries here. The village is also engaged in other manufactures. Population 1200. The "Mountain House," so widely celebrated as a summer resort for travellers, is within the limits of the town of Hunter. It is situated on the Pine Orchard, a peak of the Catskill mountains, twelve miles from the village of Catskill, and at an elevation of 2212 feet above the Hudson. The prospect from this point is one of the most extensive and beautiful in the world. The majestic Hudson, with its green islets, its numerous sails. its cities, villages, and highly cultivated farms, is visible, on a clear day, for sixty miles in extent, while in the distance, the dim outlines of the Taghkanic mountains bound the horizon. About two miles west of the "Mountain House" are the Kaaters kill Falls, upon a stream issuing from two lakes in the rear of the hotel. The waters leap over a perpendicular barrier, 175 feet, and pausing momentarily upon a rocky ledge, plunge down eighty-five feet more, and are hid from the view, in the dark ravine through which they seek the valley of the Catskill. The scenery around, the deep green forests, the rugged cliffs, covered with ivy and summer foliage, and the extended prospect, add to the sublimity of the waterfall, and render this one of the most picturesque and magnificent scenes in nature. Ne'w Baltimore, Cairo and Coxsackie are villages of some importance, in the towns of the same names. XXXI. GENESEE COUNTY. Square miles, 473. Population. 28,845. Organized, 1802. Valuation, 1845, $5,873,385.'B' 12 8,0 3 TOWNS. 1. Batavia, 1802. 8. Elba, 1820. 2. Alexander, 1812. 9. Stafford, 1820. 3. Bethany, 1812. 10. Alabama, 1826. 4. Le Roy, 1812. 11. Darien, 1,32. 5. Pembroke, 1812. 12. Oakfield, 1842. 6. Bergen, 1818. 13. Pavilion, 1842. 7. Byron, 1820. Creeks. b. Black creek; c. Allen's d. Oak Orchard. r. Tonawanda. Falls on Allen's Creek in Le Roy. Villages. BATAVIA. Le Roy. BOUNDARIES. North by Orleans and Monroe; East by Monroe and Livingston; South by Wyoming; West by Erie and Niagara. SURFACE. The surface of this county may be considered as a table land, inclined toward the north, and divided into two sections. The first embraces the northern portion, from five to eight miles in breadth, and includes the Tonawanda swamp. Separated from this by a rocky ridge, the second gradually rises to the southern boundary of the county. RIVERS. The general direction of its streams is north-east and north-west, of which Tonawanda, Allen's, (so called after 300 STATE OF NEW YORK. Indian Allen who had his residence in this neighborhood,) Oak Orchard, Black and Murder Creeks, are the principal. RAILROADS. The Tonawanda railroad, entering the county in the town of Bergen, has a southward course through Batavia, to Attica. The Batavia and Rochester connects this with the eastern lines. CLIMATE. Mild, temperate and equable. At the early settlement of the county, intermittent and remittent fevers prevailed, but they are now very rare. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. The whole county is comprised in the transition formation. Its principal rocks are the different varieties of limestone, sandstone and calciferous and marly slate. The minerals are few in number; the most important are gypsum, argillaceous iron ore, marl and peat. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is chiefly a sandy or gravelly loam, highly productive in grass, summer crops, and especially in wheat. The timber of the county is oak, elm, beach, maple, birch, &c. The maple is very abundant, yielding large quantities o? sugar. PURSUITS. The inhabitants are principally employed in agriculture. Wheat is extensively raised. Mlanufactures. Flour, lumber, leather, woollen cloths, and potash, are the principal articles of manufacture. Commerce. The railroads furnish the principal means of transportation within the county. STAPLES. Wheat, potatoes, oats, wool, corn and butter. SCHOOLS. The county, in 1846, contained 166 district schools,.which were in session an average period of nine months each, and were attended by 9,316 scholars. $12,506 was paid to teachers, and the libraries contained 19,458 volumes. There were also seventeen private schools, attended by 431 pupils; three academies, and two female seminaries, with 360 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Eaptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Universalists, Unitarians and Friends. The total number of churches is fifty; of clergymen, sixty-seven. HISTORY. Nearly the whole of this county lies within the Holland Land Company's purchase, from whom the present inhabitants hold their titles. Some small tracts in the southern part of the county, still belong to the successors of that company. A tract of 87,000 acres, comprising the towns of Sweden and Clarkson, in Monroe county, and part of Bergenand Le Roy, in GENESEE COUNTY. 301 this county, and known as the Triangle tract, was sold by Robert Morris, to Messrs. Le Roy, Bayard and McEvers. The first settlement in the county was at Batavia, about the commencement of the present century. The Holland Land Company erected their land office here in 1801. In October, 1804, the settlement contained from twenty to thirty houses, mostly built of logs. -It was at that time very sickly. The fertility of its soil and its adaptation to the culture of grain, caused a rapid immigration, and it was organized as a county, in 1802. It then comprised, however, the present counties of Allegany, Chautauque, Niagara, Erie, Cattaraugus, Orleans, Wyoming, and the western portions of Monroe and Livingston. VILLAGES. BATAVIA village, the county seat, was incorporated in 1823. It is laid out in a plat, two miles square, and has over 300 buildings, a female seminary, the office of the Holland Land Company; and a number of manufactories. Le Roy, in the town of Le Roy, is a thriving village, situated on Allen's Creek, and incorporated in 1834. The village lots are spacious, and the dwellings are generally built of stone, presenting a very neat appearance. The rapid growth of this village is due to the hydraulic power of the creek, which has three considerable falls. The first fall at the village, is eighteen feet, the second about a mile below, twenty-seven feet, and the third within two miles, eighty feet; affording great facilities for manufacturing purposes. A number of sites are occupied by flour, oil, and other mills. It is a remarkable fact that much of the water of this creek disappears before it reaches the highest fall, which is supposed to supply the Caledonia spring in the adjoining town, in Livingston county. It has about 2000 inhabit-ants. Here is a flourishing female seminary. Alexander is a village of some importance, in the town of the same name. It has an incorporated classical school. Population, 500. 14 XXXII. ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY. Square miles, 2,717. Population, 62,354. Organized, 1802. Valuation, 1845, $3,645,208. 13.10 32 _50i 5 TOWNS. 1. Lisbon, 1801. 15. Parishville, 1814. 2. Oswegatchie, 1802. 16. Pierrepont, 1814. 3. Madrid, 1802. 17. Fowler, 1816. 4. Massena, 1802. 18. Morristown, 1821. 5. Hopkinton, 1805. 19. Norfolk, 1822. 6. Brasher, 1805. 20. De Peyster, 1825. 7. Canton, 1805. 21. Edwards, 1827. 8. Russel, 1805. 22. Hammond, 1827. 9. De Kalb, 1806. 23. Lawrence, 1828. 10. Potsdam, 1806. 24. Hermon, 1830. 11. Stockholm, 1806. 25. Pitcairn, 1837. 12. Gouverneur, 1810. 26. Fine, 1842. 13. Louisville, 1810. 27. Colton, 1842. 14. Rossie, 1813. 28. Macomb, 1842. SrT. LA'WRENCE C0OUNTY'. 303,.fountains. PP. Highlands of St. Lawrence county..ivers. I. St. Lawrence. a. Oswegatchie. b. Indian. c. Grasse, d. Racket. e. St. Regis. f. Deer. g. East branch Oswegatchie, h. West branch Oswegatchie. Lakes. k. Black. Falls. On the St. Regis, in Brasher, Hopkinton and Parishville, On the Racket, at Potsdam, Coiton and St. Regis. On the Grasse,.at Canton and Pierrepont. On the Oswegatchie, at Canton and Rossie..Forts. Ogdensburgh. Battle Fields. Ogdensburgh. Villages. CANTON. Ogdensburgh. Rossie. Brasher'sfalls. Potms dam. Gouverneur, Waddington. Massena. Norfolk, BOUNDARIES. North by the river St. Lawrence; East by Franklin county; South by Hamilton and Herkimer; and West by Lewis and Jefferson counties, and the St. Lawrence river. SURFACE. The surface of this county is agreeably diversified. Along the bank of the St. Lawrence river, for a distance of seventy-five miles in length, and from thirty to forty in breadth, the county consists of gentle swells, broad valleys, or extensive plains. Farther south it rises into hills, and finally assumes a mountainous character, in the southeast, where are situated the Highlands of the St. Lawrence. RIVERs. The principal streams of the county besides the St. Lawrence, are the St. Regis, Racket, Grasse, Indian, Oswegatchie and Deer rivers, which by their long and circuitous courses and numerous tributaries, abundantly water it. A natural canal, six miles long, connects the Oswegatchie and Grasse rivers, in the town of Canton. FALLS. Most of these streams have numerous falls or rapids, furnishing a large amount of water power. LAKES. Black Lake is the only one of importance. There are many extensive marshes. CLIMATE. The climate is less variable than in most counties of the state. The air is clear, and the seasons uniform, compensating for the severe cold of winter, and contributing to the health of its inhabitants. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. That portion of the county lying along the St. Lawrence, for a width often or fifteen miles, belongs to the tertiary, or rather the alluvial formation, consisting of clay and gravel; this is succeeded, at a distance of fifteen or twenty miles from the river, by a belt of Potsdam sandstone, running nearly parallel to the St. Lawrence, and varying in width from five to ten miles; the remainder of the county belongs wholly to the primary formation, and consists of hypersthene, gneiss, granite and primitive limestone. 304 STATE OF NEW YORK. The Potsdam sandstone forms one of the finest building materials in the World. Specular iron ore is found in this county in immense quantities, and is largely manufactured. The magnetic and bog iron ores are also quite abundant. Graphite or black lead is found in several localities. Lead exists in vast quantities in the neighborhood of Rossie. Zinc and copper occur frequently. Marble, serpentine, and other forms of carbonate of lime are deposited in various parts of the county; steatite or soapstone is plentiful. The other priinipal minerals are phosphate of lime, sulphate of barytes, quartz crystals, Brucite, talc, pyroxene, hornblende, asbestus, feldspar, albite, Labradorite, mica, spinel, tourmaline, zircon, Babingtonite and sphene. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The greater portion of the land is of excellent quality. The soil consists ofa dark vega etable mould, often underlaid with lime and marl, and is very productive of grasses, grains, &c. Much of the county is yet covered with dense forests of oak, beech, maple, basswood, butternut, ash, elm, hemlock, white and Norway pine. In the marshes white cedar, tamarack and black ash, are the principal trees. From the maple, large quantities of sugar are manufactured. PURSUITS. The people are chiefly engaged in agriculture. Great numbers of cattle are reared, and much attention paid to the products of the dairy. They are becoming interested in manufactures, which at present are mostly limited to flour, lumber, fulled cloths, potash and leather. Commerce. The commerce of the county is increasing in value and importance. Ogdensburgh is the principal port. The shipping of the Oswegatchie district amounted, in 1845, to about 1500 tons. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter, cheese, potatoes, oats, corn, peas, wheat, sugar, wool, potash and lumber. SCHOOLS. There were 402 common schools in the county in 1846, taught an average period of seven months each, and attended by 22,263 children. The teachers were paid $22,023. The libraries contained 33,191 volumes. The number of select schools was twenty-three, with 303 scholars; of academies, four, with 346 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Presbyterians, Methodists, Congregationalists, Baptists, Episcopalians, Universalists and Roman Catholics. Total number of churches, seventy-five; of clergymen, 125. HISTORY. The French erected a fort at Oswegatchie, in this county before 1740, which they named Fort Presentation. This fort was captured by General Amherst, in 1760. The first permanent settlement in the county seems to have been made in 1796, by Judge Nathan Ford, at Oswegatchie. At that time the Oswegatchie Indians had a village near his settlement, and attempted several times to drive him away, but without success. The next settlement was made at Canton, by ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY. 305 Mr. Stillman Foot, in 1799. These were soon succeeded by others, mostly from New England, and a line of settlements was speedily formed along the river. Much of the land in the county is held by the Messrs. Van Rensselaer, Gouverneur Morris and other wealthy capitalists. During the late war with Great Britain, some interesting incidents occurred in this county. On the second of October, 1812, the British, in retaliation for the destruction of a large quantity of their stores at Gananoque, Canada, by Captain Forsyth, commenced a heavy cannonade upon Ogdensburgh, from their batteries at Prescott, a Canadian village, on the opposite bank of the St. Lawrence. They continued the cannonade for two days, and on Sunday, the fourth of October, attempted to storm the town. For this purpose, about 1000 men were embarked in forty boats; as they approached the American shore, General Brown ordered his troops to fire upon them. They did so, and for two hours the British attempted to land, but the galling fire of the Americans was too severe to be endured, and at length they were compelled to retreat to Prescott, with the loss of three boats and a number of men. The American force engaged in this contest, was only about 400 men. On the twenty-first of February; 1813, the British again attacked Ogdensburgh with a large force, and, though encountering the most determined resistance, succeeded in driving out the American troops, and capturing the village. Two schooners, two gunboats and the soldiers' barracks were destroyed, and the enemy returned to Canada. The army of General Wilkinson embarked for the campaign of the autumn of 1813, from Morristown, in this county. Since the war, the increase of population in this county has been exceedingly rapid. Its population has nearly quadrupled in twenty-five years; and from its extraordinary facilities for manufactures, mining and agriculture, its future growth must necessarily be rapid. In 1838, this county and the Canada shore opposite, was the scene of some of the exploits of the Canada Patriots, (so called.) The battle of Prescott was fought at Windmill Point, nearly opposite Ogdensburgh, and several of the citizens of New York, who had aided "the Patriots," were taken prisoners and executed, and others banished to Van Dieman's Land. ANTIQUITIES. In the town of Gouverneur, is an ancient Indian fortification, consisting of an embankment, enclosing three acres, and containing some remains of rude sculpture. VILLAGES. CANTON village is the county seat. It is situated on Grasse river, and contains besides the county buildings, an 306 STATE OF NEW YORK. academy, and some manufactories. A fine wooden bridge, with three piers, crosses the river here. Population, 1300. Ogdensburgh, in the town of Oswegatchie, and at the mouth of Osweatchie river, was incorporated in 1817. It is a flourishing village of about 4000 inhabitants. It has an academy in a very prosperous condition. It is at the foot of sloop navigation on the St. Lawrence, and is the terminus of the proposed Ogdensburgh and Plattsburgh railroad. Potsdam, incorporated in 1831, is the seat of the St. Lawrence academy, a chartered institution, with two large stone edifices, each four stories high. It has also several manufactories. Population, 1200. Rossie is celebrated for its valuable and inexhaustible lead mines. Population, 800. Brasher's Falls, on the rapids of Deer river, is finely situated for manufacturing purposes. Waddington is a manufacturing village in the town of Madrid. It was incorporated in 1839, and is rapidly increasing in population. A bridge connects it with Ogden's island, in the St. Lawrence. Population, 600. Gouverneur is the coldest place in the state. Here is located the Gouverneur Wesleyan Seminary. Population, 600. XXXIII. SENECA COUNTY. _ -_ Square miles, 308. A( 4_~~~ by ( ~ Population, 24,972. / y Organized, 1804. "'/ f ) 8 Valuation, 1845, $5,674,034. ~~~\ ~ —~T —-_ —-_TOWNS. 1. Ovid, 17S9. t~Q',^/ ifj 2. Romulus, 1789. j ~, t z a |,.~l ~3. Fayette, 1800. 4. Junius, 1803. 5. Covert, 1817. 6. Lodi, 1826. I I7. Seneca Falls, 1829. 8. Tyre, 1829. 1) 3 \ l j | (I 9. Waterloo, 1829. I;t? \> > > ) /J 10. Varick, 1830. |Rivers. c. Clyde. k. (I _f.' ~ a % i Seneca. B\ 10 ^"^'^W (ff Lakes. BB. Seneca. DD. I E r iO vDD Cayuga. ialls. Seneca. TO^ r ed - ~Villages W.ATERLOO. 2 X/.~ * A OVID. Seneca Falls. BOUNDARIES. North.-\ — [y HJ ^ by Wayne county; East a; I' vX by Cayuga county and,i/ HI Cayuga Lake; South by i~ / ~'ff,Tompkins county; and 6 f West by Seneca Lake A V5 / and Ontario county. t f ) I\ r SURFACE. The surface of this county rises from the lakes, which bound it on either side, to an altitude of 1200 or 1300 feet above tide water, and presents a pleasing diversity of beautiful valleys and hills. RIVERS. The Seneca outlet is the principal stream, connecting Seneca and Cayuga lakes. The Clyde crosses its northeastern corner. FALLS. The Seneca outlet has a descent of forty-seven feet, at the village of Seneca Falls. LAKES. The lakes are Seneca and Cayuga. 308 STATE OF NEW YORK. CANALS. The Erie canal passes through the town of Tyre, in the north-east corner of this county, and the Cayuga and Seneca canal crosses the county, through the towns of Seneca and Waterloo, connecting the waters of the Seneca and Cayuga Lakes, and the Erie canal, at Montezuma. RAILROADS. The Auburn and Rochester railroad passes through this county, most of the distance running parallel with Seneca outlet and canal. CLIMATE. Mild and temperate. The situation of the county between two considerable bodies of water, prevents the long continuance of snow in winter, and essentially modifies the climate. It is considered healthy. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The rocks of the northern section of this county, belong to the Onondaga salt group; those of the central, to the Helderberg limestones; and the southern to the Ludlowville shales of the Erie group. Gypsum, or plaster of Paris is found in extensive beds near Seneca falls, and is largely exported. Variegated marble occurs near Seneca lake. Petroleum or Seneca oil is found floating on the Seneca lake, and on springs near it. A pool twenty feet in diameter, near Cayuga, constantly gives off nitrogen gas in large quantities. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is mostly a calcareous loam and mould of excellent quality, and well adapted to wheat and grass. Fruit is cultivated to a considerable extent, and attains great perfection. Oak, maple, beech, elm, butternut, and in the highlands, pine and hemlock, are the principal forest trees. PURSUITS. The people are largely engaged in the culture of wheat and grass, and the rearing of cattle. iclanufactures are increasing. The principal articles are flour, cotton and woollen goods, distilled liquors, and leather. Commerce. The county has considerable commerce, both by way of the Seneca and Cayuga lakes, and by the Erie canal. Gypsum and agricultural products are largely exported. STAPLE PRODUC'rIONS. Wheat, oats, corn, hops, plaster of Paris, wool and butter. SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were 110 common schools, taught, on an average, nine months each, and attended by 8065 children. The teachers' wages amounted to $13,023, and the district libraries to 14,956 volumes, There were also twenty-two select schools, with 298 scholars, and three academies, with 248 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Dutch Reformed, Episcopalians, Friends, and Roman Catholics. The whole number of churches is thirty-eight, of clergymen, forty-six. SENECA COUNTY. 309 HISTORY. The first settlers in Seneca county were Messrs. Horatio Jones and Lawrence Van Clief, who located themselves at Seneca Falls, in 1784 or 1785. Mr. James Bennet settled at West Cayuga, in 1787. Colonel Mynderse, who established himself in Seneca Falls in 1795, founded the village of that name in 1816. The county belonged to the Military Tract, granted to the soldiers of the state, by the legislature, and the land titles are derived from them. The Indian title to these lands was not extinguished till 1789. Its growth has been rapid since its first settlement. VILAGES. WATERLOO village, in the town of Waterloo, is a half shire town, lying on the north side of the Seneca outlet, and incorporated in 1824. It is a very flourishing manufacturing village, containing, besides the county buildings, a number of churches and a chartered academy, occupying a fine building, and amply provided with apparatus for the illustration of the natural sciences. Large quantities of limestone are quarried in the vicinity. The Cayuga and Seneca- canal, and the Auburn and Rochester railroad, both pass through the village. Population 3200. OVID, a half shire village, was incorporated in 1816. It is situated on elevated ground, about midway between the lakes, and commands a fine and widely extended prospect. It has a chartered academy. Population 700. Seneca Falls was incorporated in 1831, and, like Waterloo, is situated on the Seneca outlet, the canal and railroad. It derives an abundant hydraulic power from the Seneca outlet, the water of which is constant and steady, and is applied extensively to manufacturing purposes, by means of four dams having a total fall of forty-seven feet. A flourishing academy is located at this village. Population 3000. 14' XXIV. LEWIS COUNTY. Square miles, 1122. Population, 20,218. Organized, 1805. Valuation, 1845, $1,675,000. r-, 1kk0' 7 / b TOWNS. 1. Leyden, 1797. 4. Harrisburg, 1803. 2. Lowville, 1800. 5. Martinsjurgh, 1803. 3. Turin, 1800. 6. Denmark, 1807. LEWIS COUNTY. 311 7. Pinckney, 1808. 11. West Turin, 1830. 8. Watson, 1821 12. Croghan, 1842. 9. Greig, 1828. 13. Osceola, 1842. 10. Diana, 1830. Rivers. a. Black. b. Beaver. c. Moose. e. Independence Creek. f. Deer. g. Otter. i. Fish. j. Salmon. k. Indian. h. West branch of Oswegatchie. Lakes. o. Fish. Falls. Falls on the Black river, at Denmark and Greig. Villages. MARTINSBURG. Lowville. Copenhagen. BOUNDARIES. North by Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties; East by Herkimer; South by Oneida, and West by Oswego and Jefferson counties. SURFACE. The county is divided by the Black river into two nearly equal sections. The eastern ascends somewhat rapidly, from the river, to the mountainous region on its eastern line. The western is rolling and frequently hilly, rising from the Black river, for six or eight miles, and then inclining to the south and west. Broad alluvial flats are found along the Black river. RIvERS. Black and Beaver rivers, Independence, Moose, Deer, Otter, Fish, Salmon, and Indian creeks, and the west branch of the Oswegatchie, are the principal streams. FALLS. Black river has a fall of sixty-three feet, in the town of Leyden, and Deer creek of 175 feet, in the town of Denmark. CANAL. The Black river canal, when finished, will unite with Black river just below the high falls at Leyden. CLIMATE. The climate of Lewis county is cold, but healthy. The winters are long, but the uniformity of the temperature renders them less unpleasant, than would be expected. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The country east of the Black river is primitive in its character. The rock underlying this portion of the county, and frequently appearing on the surface, is granite. West of the river, the whole county is underlaid with a fine compact limestone, which appears every where, on the borders of the streams. The Utica slate also occupies a narrow belt in the western part of the county. Iron ore is very abundant and of a superior quality; lead ore, (galena,) also occurs in considerable quantities. The other minerals worthy of notice are, sulphuret of zinc, (blende,) very beautiful quartz crystals, scapolite, tabular spar, green cocolite, feldspar, sphene, crystallized pyrites, calcareous and fluor spar, manganese, and Rensselaerite. Probably few counties in the state are richer in mineral wealth. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is various, composed of a fertile alluvium, or a gravelly, sandy, and clayey loam. It is susceptible of a profitable cultivation, and furnishes fine grazing. The timber is principally pine, spruce, hemlock, 312 STATE OF NEW YORK. beech, maple, elm, ash, with some white oak and walnut. The eastern section-still has extensive forests. From the maple. are manufactured considerable quantities of sugar. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the chief employment of the inhabitants; the products of the dairy are large. Mlanufactures. The county has abundant water power, but as yet it is but little improved. Flour, lumber, leather, and fulled cloths, are the chief articles of manufacture. Conmerce. There is little or no commerce; the completion of the Black River canal will aid materially in bringing the produce of their rich and fertile lands to market. The STAPLES of the county are butter and cheese, wool, potatoes, oats, and wheat. Considerable quantities of barley, buckwheat, flax, hops, and sugar, are also produced. SCHOOLS. The district school-houses in the county, in 1846, were 150 in number, in which were instructed 6139 pupils. The average length of the schools was seven months. The teachers wages, $6196; the number of volumes in the district libraries, 11,886. There were six private schools with eightythree scholars, and one academy with sixty-two pupils. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Universalists, Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, and Friends. The total number of churches is thirty-seven, of clergymen, forty-four. HISTORY. The whole of this county was originally owned by Alexander Macomb. The western part was afterward sold to a company of capitalists in New York city, and the eastern to a French company at Paris. The first settlers were pioneers from Connecticut and Massachusetts, who made their way, in 1797, from Utica and Fort Stanwix, (now Rome,) at that time small settlements, by a line of marked trees, to the falls of Black river, and from thence to the town of Lowville, where they established themselves. Their families followed, the succeeding winter, through snow so deep as to make it necessary to break paths for the cattle and teams, while mothers, shod with snow-shoes, bore their infants in their arms. For some time after, the farmers were obliged to go forty miles to mill, carrying their grain upon their shoulders. VILLAGES. MARTINSBURG, in the town of the same name, contains the county buildings, a female seminary, and a number of factories. Population 800. Lowville is a village of some business in the town of Lowville. It has an incorporated academy, Population 800. Copenhagen, in the town of Denrriark, is situated on both sides of Deer river. It is a-flourishing village, and engaged in manufactures. Population about 500. XXXV. JEFFERSON COUNTY. Square miles, 1325. SqOanized, 1805. Population, 64,999. Organized, 805. Valuation, 1845, $,6,536,651. 19 16 1 1. Ellisburgh, 1797. 5.TOWNS, 2. Champion, 1800 6. WAdams, 1802. 4. oundsfield, 1800 6. B. roa, n 1802. 4. Watertown, 1800. 8.' Rutlnlle, 1802. 08. -Rutlald", 1802. 314 STATE OF NEW YORK. 9. Lorraine, 1804. 15. Pamelia, 1819. 10. Rodman, 1804. 16. Alexandria, 1821. 11. Le Ray, 1806. 17. Orleans, 1821. 12. Henderson, 1806. 18. Philadelphia, 1821. 13. Antwerp, 1816. 19. Clayton, 1832. 14. Lyme, 1817. 20. Theresa, 1842. Rivers and Creeks. I. St. Lawrence River. a. Black River. b. Indian River. d. Chaumont Creek. e. Perch. f. Stoney. g. Sandy. Lakes, &c. J. Ontario. i. Perch. j. Yellow. k. Hungry Bay. 1. Black River. m. Chaumont Bay. Islands. n. Gallop Island. o. Stoney. p. Grenadier. q. Fox r. Carlton. s. Grindstone. t. Wells. Falls. On the Indian river. On the Black river at Champion, Rutland, and Watertown. Long Falls, Wilna. Forts. Sacketts Harbor. Villages. WATERTOWN. Sacketts Harbor. Brownville. Cornelia. Carthage. BOUNDARIES. North by the St. Lawrence River, and St. Lawrence county; East by Lewis county; South by Oswego county, and West by Lake Ontario. SURFACE. The surface of Jefferson county may be divided into two terraces, the broader of which is on the northwest. The Ridge Road, extending from the Niagara river, at a distance of from six to ten miles from the lake, and undoubtedly indicating the ancient limits of Lake Ontario, is here about 100 feet in height. The surface between this and the lake is level or gently undulating. From this ridge the county has a gentle descent toward the southeast, where an elevated ridge crosses it, and gives it a broken and hilly appearance. RIVERS. The chief streams of the county, besides the St. Lawrence, are the Black and Indian rivers, Chaumont, Perch, Stoney, and Sandy creeks. FALLS. There is a series of falls in the Black river, commencing at the Long falls in Carthage. LAKES. The chief lakes are Ontario, Perch, and Yellow. BAYS. Hungry, Black River, and Chaumont bays areindentations of greater or less extent, upon the lake coast. ISLANDS. Along its western line are situated Gallop, Stoney, Fox, Grenadier, Carlton, Grindstone, and Wells islands. CLIMATE. Equable and healthy. The winters are cold, but without sudden changes. The summer heats are moderated by the lake breezes. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The primary formation is confined to two or three small districts in the county, principally in the JEPFERSON COUNTY. 315 north and northeast part. In Alexandria, there is a small tract where the primitive rocks are near the surface. They are granite, primitive limestone, gneiss, and hornblende. The greater part of the county, however, belongs to the transition formation. The order of arrangement of the rocks of this formation, here, is the following, beginning at the northern part of the county: Potsdam sandstone, extending to a point a little south of Theresa falls; calciferous sand rock and birdseye limestone, appearing as far south as the Black river; Trenton limestone, extending through Houndsfield, Adams, Watertown, and Rutland, and succeeded by a narrow belt of the Utica slate; this is followed by the Lorraine shales, lying in Rodman, Lorraine, and Pinckney. In the southern line of towns, the gray sandstone occurs in small quantities. Bog iron ore, spathic iron, specular iron, arragonite, cacoxene, pyrites, celestine, terenite, tremolite, fluor spar, green malachite, tourmaline, strbntianite, idiocrase, apatite, pyroxene, and massive heavy spar, tufa, peat, and graphite in six sided tablets, are the principal minerals. There is a cave in the town of Pamelia, nearly opposite Watertown, containing a number of apartments, and some fine spars. It has been explored for nearly half a mile. SOIL AND VEGETABLE. PRODUCTIONS. The soil is generally a fertile sandy loam, with some clay and gravel, and susceptible of a high degree of cultivation. In the basin on the northwest,;wheat grows abundantly, but the higher lands in the southeast are more favorable to grazing. The forests abound with oak, maple, beech, birch, walnut, ash, elm, hemlock, pine, tamarack, and red and white cedar. The cranberry grows abundantly in the swamps, and forms an article of export. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the leading pursuit of the people. Great numbers of cattle and swine are reared for the eastern market; the products of the dairy are very large. Potatoes, oats, corn, wheat, rye, barley, and flax are produced in great abundance, and the wool-growing interest is not neglected. The county ranks among the first for agricultural products in the state. The manufactures of the county are extensive and rapidly increasing. The principal articles are flour, lumber, iron, leather, distilled liquors, potash, and woollen goods. The value of articles manufactured in the county in 1845, was nearly $2,000,000. The commerce of this county is large and constantly increasing. About one half of its produce finds its way to a market down the St. Lawrence; the remainder through the Oswego and Erie canals, enters the Hudson, or through the Welland and Western canals, and the great-lakes, is distributed over the Mississippi valley. The shipping of this county amounts to about 5000 tons. The completion of the Black River canal will 316 STATE OF NEW YORK. open a more ready and convenient conveyance for the produce of portions of the county. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter and cheese, potatoes, oats, corn, wheat, wool, flax, barley, and peas. SCHOOLS. There were 368 district schools in the county, in 1846. The averagelength of the schools was seven monthsnumber of scholars;,22,866-amount of teachers' wages, $24,141 -and number of volumes in the- school libraries, 37,552. There are also fifty-four private schools) with 1089 scholars, and two acadefnies, with 173 pupils. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Universalists, Roman Catholics, Dutch Reformed, Unitarians, Friends, and Jews. There are ninety-two churches, and 106 clergymen of all denominations in the county. HISTORY. The first settlement made in this county by whites, was at Ellisburgh, in 1793, by Mr. Lyman Ellis. The next was at Champion, not long after, by settlers from Connecticut. The third was at Watertown, in 1800, by Mr. Henry Coffin, of New Hampshire. In the succeeding year, emigrants from New England settled in Adams, Rodman, Brownville, and Houndsfield; and the year after in Sacketts Harbor and Rutland. Mounds and fortifications of great antiquity, and exhibiting a high degree of architectural skill, are scattered over every part of the county. At the commencement of the late war with Great Britain, Sacketts Harbor was selected as the principal naval dep6t of the lake frontier, on account of the excellency of its harbor. On the twenty-second and twenty-third of April, 1813, General Dearborn, with a force of 1700 men, embarked from this port, to attack York, (now Toronto,) Canada West. The assault on York was successful, though the brave'General Pike, by whom it was led, lost his life by the explosion of the magazine. But the withdrawal of so large a body of troops from Sacketts Harbor, left the important military stores there exposed; and as might have been expected, the British forces at Kingston, availed themselves of the opportunity, to make a descent upon that village. On the twenty-eighth of May, 1813, they appeared off the harbor, with four ships,- one brig, two schooners, two gun boats, and thirty-three flat bottomed boats, containing in all 1200 troops. The alarm of their approach had been given, and General Brown had made every exertion in his power to defend the harbor. The British suffered themselves to delay, in the attempt to capture some boats, coming from Oswego with troops, and thus the militia from the vicinity had time to assemble; but JEFFERSON COUNTY. 317 not more than 1000 troops could be collected in all, of whom more than 500 were raw militia, and about 200 more, invalids. General Brown arranged the militia behind a breast work, hastily thrown up, to oppose the landing of the enemy. In the rear of these he had stationed a part of the regular troops. The regular artillerists occupied Fort Tompkins, and Lieutenant Chauncey, with a small corps, defended the naval stores at Navy Point. The British made an effort to land, but were at first repulsed with severe loss; but after the second fire, the militia became panic struck, and abandoning their breast work, fled in the utmost confusion. Colonel Mills, their commander, was killed in the attempt to rally them. Meantime the enemy effected a landing, and commenced their march towards the village, but met with the most desperate opposition. Finding, however, that he was likely to be overpowered by the superior force of the enemy, General Brown concerted a stratagem which gained him the day, and compelled the enemy to retreat. Learning that the militia, whose flight had prevented success in the onset, were still in the neighborhood, he hastened to them, put himself at their head, ordered them to follow him, and passing silently through a distant wood, in the direction of the enemy's boats, induced the British commander to believe that he intended to cut off his retreat. Alarmed at this, and believing the American force superior to his own, in point of numbers, the British general withdrew his forces with the utmost precipitation, leaving his dead and wounded behind him. He was- not pursued, because pursuit would have exhibited the weakness of the American force. While the battle was at its height, intelligence was brought to Lieutenant Chauncey, that the Americans were about to surrender, and accordingly he, iri compliance with his orders, set fire to the stores and shipping, to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy. Learning his error, however, he made the utmost effort to arrest the flames, and succeeded in saving a considerable portion. The British loss was severe in this action, three of their field officers being killed, and not less than 150 wounded, killed and prisoners. The American loss was about the same in number. After retreating to their shipping, the British demanded the surrender of the village, which was promptly refused. On the thirtieth of May, 1814, a number of boats coming from Oswego, with cannon and rigging for the new vessels, building at Sacketts Harbor, and well manned with sailors, riflemen and Indians, were pursued into Henderson harbor, by five British gunboats, manned with about 200 English marines and sailors. 318 STATE OF NEW YORK. Captain Woolsey, of the American navy, had command of the American boats, and landing as quickly as possible, stationed a part of his riflemen and Indians in ambuscade on each side of the road, and placed a small body of militia in front of the landing, to contest the passage of the enemy. His stratagem was successful. The British rushed on, and the militia fled before them, but the party in ambush poured upon them so deadly a fire as to compel them to surrender, with the loss of twenty killed, and forty or fifty wounded. The number of prisoners was 137. Five gunboats, armed with heavy cannon, were also captured. After the war, the extraordinary facilities afforded by the county, for sustaining an abundant population, gave it a rapid growth, and it is now one of the largest counties in the state. Its population quadrupled between 1810 and 1840, and is still fast increasing. VILLAGES. WATERTOWN, the seat of justice for the county, is a large and flourishing manufacturing village, situated at the falls of the-Black river. Perhaps no village in the United States possesses more extensive and easily available hydraulic privileges. The Black river here has a fall in the space of a mile, of eighty-eight feet, over seven artificial dams and five natural cascades, each of which can be used for manufacturing purposes. The volume of water is estimated at 10,000 cubic feet per second-being sufficient to keep in motion more than one million of spindles. But a small portion of this immense water power, is employed; yet the manufactories of cotton and woollen goods, flour, leather, paper, machinery, pumps, sash, wagons, and carriages are extensive. The Jefferson County Institute, located here, is a highly flourishing and well conducted seminary. It has about 180 pupils. There are several other schools of considerable reputation. The village has also a " Young Men's Association for Literary Improvement," which is in a flourishing condition, and has accumulated a respectable library. Population 4200. Sacketts Harbor, in the town of Houndsfield, is an important village, having one of the best harbors on Lake Ontario. It has also some manufactories, propelled by water power, furnished by a canal, extending from the Black river, near Watertown, to the lake at this place. The United States government has erected extensive stone barracks here for troops. They occupy a lot of about forty acres, surrounded by a fence, on three sides, and the fourth open to the water. In the military burial ground, attached to JEFFERSON COUNTY. 319 the barracks, is a monument to the brave and lamented General Pike, and others, who fell on the northern frontier, during the late war with Great Britain. The government has also a ship yard, and ship houses, in one of which is the frame of a ship of the line, commenced during the war of 1812. During the war, Sacketts Harbor increased with great rapidity; but at its close, it experienced a decline, from which, however, it has revived, amid the general prosperity of the county. Population 2000. Broiwnville, in the town of the same name, is a thriving manufacturing village, situated on the Black river, four miles below Watertown. Population 1000. Dexter, in the town of Brownville9 is a growing and important village. Its harbor has been improved by the United States government, and it has now considerable commerce and some manufactures. Population 1000. Adams. in the town of Adams, is situated on both sides of Sandy creek, which here affords a good water power. It has a young ladies seminary, in a flourishing condition. Population 800. Carthage, in the town of Wilna, is a village of considerable importance. A large quantity of iron is annually manufactured here. Population 600. In the same town is a natural bridge, twelve feet in width, and six feet above the water, extending over the Indian river. There is a small settlement near it. Cape Vincent, -at the head of the St. Lawrence, is a lake port of some importance. Belleville and Ellisburgh, both in the town of Ellisburgh, are thriving villages. XXXVI. ALLEGANY COUNTY, Square Miles, about 1050. Population, 31,611. Organized, 1806. Valuation, 1845, $4,337,756. 25 1i8/^ 22'11 A elica, 1805. 5. Friendsip, 115. 2. Alfred, 1808. 6. Centreville, 1895. 3. Caneadea, 1808. 7. Independence, 1892. 4. Ossian, 1808, 8, Cuba, 182,. ALLEGANY COUPNTY. 321 9. Fumee 1822. 18. Grove5 1827. 10. Allen, 1823. 19. Rushford, 1827. 11. Scio, 1823. 20. Birdsall, 1829. 12. Andover, 1824. 21. Amity, 1830. 13. Belfast, 1824. 22. Genesee, 1830 14. Almond, 1825. 23. Clarksville, 1835. 1.5. Bolivar; 1825. 24. West Almond, 1835. 16. New Hudson, 1825. 25. Granger, 1837. 17. Burns, 1826. 26. Wirt, 1837. Rivers. N. Genesee River. e. Angelica Creek. i. Black. j. Cold. o. Canascraga. p. Little Genesee. Villages. ANGELICA. Friendship. Cuba. Rushford. BOUNDARIES. North by Wyoming and Livingston; East by Steuben; South by the state of Pennsylvania, and West by Cattaraugus county. SURFACE. This county forms a portion of the elevated table land which extends through the southern tier of counties, but the deep channels, worn in the rocks which underlie the county, by the Genesee and other streams, and the long narrow valleys thus fbrmed, give its otherwise level surface, a broken appearance. The height of the table land is from 1200 to 2000 feet above tide water. It declines gradually toward the north. RIVERS. The principal streams are the Genesee river, An gelica, Black, Cold, Canascraga and Little Genesee creeks. CANAL. The Genesee valley canal has been commenced, but is not yet completed. RAILROAD. The line of the New York and Erie Railroad has been laid out across its southern portion. CLIMATE. The elevation of the surface produces a low temperature. The winters are long, and the snows heavy. The county is generally healthy. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. This county lies wholly within the Chemung sandstone formation, though the tops of some of the highest hills are capped with the old red sandstone, and conglomerate of the Catskill groups. Like the rest of this formation, it possesses few minerals of interest. There is, however, some bog iron ore and hydrate of manganese, associated with calcareous tufa. At Cuba is a petroleum, or Seneca oil spring, which has attracted considerable attention. The shales of this vicinity are all bituminous. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. Much of the soil of the county is fertile, consisting of a clayey and sandy loam; but it is generally moist, and better adapted to grass than grain. The forests are quite dense, and the timber is of large size, consisting of oak, maple, beech, basswood, ash, elm, hemlock, white and yellow pine. 322 STATE OF Ni'EW YORK. PURSUITS. The people are mainly devoted to Agricultural pursuits, particularly to raising cattle and sheep. The producte of the dairy are quite large. Manufactures are principally confined to lumber, flour, fulled cloths, leather, oil and potash. Commerce. The county has little commerce. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS Butter, cheese, oats, potatoes, wheat and wool. SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were in the county, 234 district schools, averaging seven months' instruction each, expending for tuition, $13,979, and attended by 13,946 children. The libraries contained 20,595 volumes. The number of private schools was eight, with 142 scholars; of academies two, with 229 pupils. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians and Unitarians. Total number of churches sixty, of clergymen, eighty-seven. HISTORY. Allegany county was taken from Genesee, April seventh, 1806. The two western tier of towns are within the Holland Land Company's purchase. The interest of that company has been purchased by another, since formed. The rest of the county is comprised in the tract constituting the Morris estate. It was first settled by Philip Church, in 1804. In 1838 a remarkable tornado passed over the western section; of a dense forest of 400 or 500 acres, scarcely a single tree escaped uninjured. The wind for the space of twenty miles left traces of its devastation, yet, strange to tell, though several individuals were buried under the ruins of their houses, none lost their lives. In 1846, the towns of Eagle, Pike, Portage and Nunda, were taken from this county and added to Wyoming and Livingston counties. VILLAGES. ANGELICA, located in the town of the same name, is the county seat. It is a pleasant village and has some manufactures. Population 1000. Cuba is a flourishing village. In this place is a spring, from the surface of which is collected the famed Seneca oil, so much used for rheumatism and sprains. It was highly valued by the Indians, and a square mile around the spring has been set apart for the Senecas. Population 800. Friendship is a village of considerable importance, on the proposed route of the Erie railroad. Population 800. Rushford is a thriving and important village. It is increasing in population quite raipidly. Population 1000. XXXVII. BROOME COUNTY. Square Miles, 627. Population, 25,808. Organized, 1806. Valuation, 1845, $2,087,167. ma; TOWNIS. 1. Chenango, 1721, 7. Vestal, 1823. 2. Union, 1731. 8. Conklin, 1824 3. Lisle, 1801. 9. Barker, 1831. 4. Windsor, 1807. 10. Nanticoke, 1831. 5. Sandford, 1821. 11. Triangle, 1831. 6. Colesville, 1821. Mlountains. e. Oquaga. f. Binghamton. g. Randolph. Rivers. CC. Chenango River. G. Susquehanna River. Q. TioughniogaRiver. a. Nanticoke Creek. h. Otselic. Villages. (BINGHAMTON. BOUNDARIES. Bounded North by Cortland and Chenango; East by Delaware; South by the state of Pennsylvania, and West by Tioga county. SURFACE. This county forms the eastern termination of the great table land of the southern tier of counties. Like the other portions of this elevated plain, its surface is much broken by numerous streams, which have worn deep valleys through the soft and perishable sandstones which underlie it. The general ele 324 STATE OF NEW YORK. vation of the surface is from 1400 to 1600 feet above tide water, and the valleys are depressed from 300 to 400 feet below this level. In the eastern part -the Randolph, Binghamton and Oquaga mountains rise above the general level. The Susquehanna sweeps around the base of the latter, making a very extensive bend. RIVERS. The Susquehanna, Chenango, Otselic, Tioughnioga and west branch of the Delaware, are the principal rivers of the county. CANAL. The Chenango canal enters the county with the Chenango river, and terminates at Binghamton. RAILROAD. The route of the New York and Erie railroad has been laid out through the county. CLIMATE. The climate is salubrious, but from the great elevation of the county, necessarily cool. Large bodies of snow fall during the winter, and continue late in the spring. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The eastern and southern parts of the county belong to the Catskill group, and are composed principally of the old red sandstone alnd conglomerate-the western is comprised in the Chemung group, and consists mostly of grey sandstone and slate. Specimens of garnet, tourmaline, agate, porphyry, jasper, &c., have been collected from the pebbles on the banks of the Susquehanna and Chenango rivers. There are several sulphur and one or two brine springs. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The broken character of the soil renders the county generally better adapted to grazing than to the culture of grain. in the valleys of the streams, oats and corn thrive well, and wheat is raised to some extent. The principal timber trees are the white and pitch pine, oak, beech, maple and hickory. Much of the surface of the county is yet covered with wood. PURsuITS. Agriculture is the chief pursuit of the inhabitants. Much attention is paid to the products of the dairy. Some grain is also raised, and summer crops thrive well. Manufactures. The water power of its many streams furnishes abundant facilities for manufacturing purposes, which the people of this county are beginning to improve. The New York and Erie railroad will, when opened, give a new impetus to its manufacturing interests; by affording increased facilities for transportation. Lumber and flour, fulled cloths and leather, constitute the chief articles of manufacture. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter, oats, corn and potatoes. SCHOOLS. There are in the county 170 district schools, which in 1846, averaged seven months instruction each. $8676 was BROOME COUNTY. 325 paid for tuition; and the school libraries contained 13,800 vol. umes. The number of children taught was 8285. There are sixteen select schools, attended by 166 pupils; and one academy, with 212 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Presbyterians, Baptists, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Universalists and Roman Catholics. There are forty-six churches, and sixty-one ministers, of all denominations, in the county. HISTORY. During Sullivan's campaign, in 1779, he encamped at or near the present site of Binghamton, in this county, for several days, awaiting the arrival of the detachment under the command of General James Clinton. No settlement was made in the county, however, till 1787, when Captain Joseph Leonard removed here from Wyoming, Pennsylvania. He was soon followed by Colonel William Rowe, who emigrated from Connecticut. The land in the southern part of the county had been granted a few years previously, to Mr. Bingham, an eminent banker of Philadelphia, associated with whom was a Mr. Cox; and that now composing the northern towns of the county, was purchased in 1786, or perhaps earlier, by a company from Massachusetts. The amount of land belonging to this company was 230,000 acres. Having obtained a grant from the Massachusetts legislature, (this being a portion of the ten townships ceded to Massachusetts by New York,) they purchased the title from the Indians, by a treaty, concluded at the Forks of the Chenango. By the enterprise and good management of General Whitney, the agent of Mr. Bingham, the settlements flourished and increased rapidly in population. In 1806, Broome county was set off from Tioga, as a separate county, and named in honor of John Broome, at that time Lieutenant Governor of the state. A large proportion of the emigrants were from New England, and probably a majority from Connecticut. VILLAGES. BINGHAMTON, formerly Chenango Point, is the shire town of the county. It is rapidly increasing in business, and has become already an important inland town. It is much engaged in manufactures, and furnishes a ready market for the produce of the surrounding country, which is mostly shipped by canal to the Hudson, and by the Susquehanna to Philadelphia. The New York and Erie railroad will soon be opened to this place, and contribute still farther to its prosperity. Toll bridges constructed of wood, cross the Chenango and Susquehanna rivers, from this village. Population, nearly 4000. Chenango Forks, Windsor and Harpersville are villages of some importance. 15 XXXVIII. MADISON COUNTY. Square miles, 582. Population, 40,987. Organized, 1806. Valuation, 1845, $6,490,881. b < & 13^1'10 14. ro1 7 1 TOWNS. 1. Brookfield, 1795. 8. Madison, 1807. 2. Cazenovia, 1795. 9. Nelson, 1807. 3. De Ruyter, 1798. 10. Smithfield, 1807. 4. Hamilton, 1801. 11. Lenox, 1809. 5. Sullivan, 1803. 12. Georgetown, 1815. 6. Eaton, 1807. 13. Fenner, 1823. 7. Lebanon, 1807. 14. Stockbridge, 1839. Rivers,. &c. CC. Chenangoriver. II. Unadilla. k. Oriskany Creek. a. Cowasalon. b. Canaseraga. d. Chittenango. j. Oneida. Lakes. Z. Oneida. e. Cazenovia, or Linklaen. Marshes. f. Great Swamp. Universities. Madison University. Villages. MORRISVILIE. Hamilton. Cazenovia. Canastota. Chittenango. BOUNDARIES. North by Oneida'Lake; East by Oneida and Otsego counties; South by Chenango county, and West by Onondaga and Cortland counties. MAD ISON COUNTY. 327 SURFACE. Diversified, and generally hilly, except where the great swamp extends for a distance of eight or ten miles, along the borders of Oneida Lake. The elevated ridge or watershed, which divides the waters of the Susquehanna from those flowing north, crosses this county near its centre. The hills are, however, generally rounded, and susceptible of cultivation. This ridge is about 1500 feet above tide water. RIVERS. On the south, the county is drained by the Chenango, Otselic and Unadilla rivers. On the north by the Oriskany, Oneida, Cowasalon, Chittenango, and Canaseraga creeks. The Erie and Chenango canals pass through the county. LAK ES. Oneida Lake forms the northern boundary of the county; Cazenovia, or Linklaen lake, called by the natives Haugena, is a beautiful sheet of water, four miles long by one broad, surrounded by a fine waving country. There are several small ponds on the dividing ridge. CLIMATE. Healthful, but cool, and very subject to untimely frosts. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. Slate is the basis rock of the county. It is, however, overlaid for the most part with limestone, of that formation denominated the Onondaga salt group. Along the Oneida Lake, sandstone appears, and is found in boulders throughout the county. Fresh water limestone, containing fresh water shells, is found near the great swamp. Argillaceous iron ore occurs in large quantities, in Lenox. and is used for castings; water lime and gypsum are abundant in Sullivan and Lenox; sulphur and brine springs are found in the same towns, and in the former is a magnesian spring, and several others so highly charged with carbonate of lime as to form incrustations on whatever is cast into them. Marl exists in large quantities, in the northern part of the county. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is generally fertile; in the valleys highly so: adapted to grain in the north, and to grazing in the south. The timber is similar to that of the adjacent counties, consisting principally of hemlock, -maple and beech. The sugar maple is abundant, and yields large quantities of sugar. In the great swamp; cedar, tamarack, &c. are the principal trees. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the principal pursuit of the inhabitants, whose attention is divided between the culture of grain and the rearing of stock. Hops, oats, corn and barley, are more largely cultivated than wheat. Manufactures are considerably extensive, for which the fine water power of the Chittenango and other streams, furnishes ample facilities. Flour, lumber, woollen goods, distilled liquor s, leather, iron and potash, are the principal articles manufactured. The commerce of the county is confined to the transportation 328 STAS.ATE OF NEW YoRK. of its produce and manufactures, upon the Erie and Chenango canals. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS& Hops, cheese, butter, wool, oats, sugar and potash, SCHOOLS. There are in the county 234 district school- houses. The schools were taught in 1846 an average period of eight months; 13,523 children received instruction at an expense of $15,721. Therewere 26,456 volumes in the district libraries. There were, also, in the county, forty-three private schools, with 1072 pupils, and four academies, with 198 pupils. There is one University in the county, chartered in 1846, and called Madisoh Uhiversity. It has in all its departments 209 students. RELIGIOus DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Methodists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Universalists, Friends, Dutch Reformed, and Episcopalians. There are eighty-one churches, and ninety-four clergymen, of all denominations, in the county. HISTORY. Madison county originally formed a part of Chenango county, from which it was taken in 1806. The first settlement in the county was made at the village of Eaton, in the town of the same name, by Mr. Joseph Morse, in 1790. In 1793, Colonel John Linklaen, agent for a company in Holland, settled in Cazenovia. This Holland Company owned a large portion of the county, and their agent sold most of it to New England settlers. The growth of the county was not rapid until the completion of the Erie and Chenango canals by which a market was opened for its produce. VILLAGES. MORRISVILLE, in the town of Eaton, is the seat of justice for the county. It is situated on the Cherry Valley turnpike. It was settled principally by emigrants from Connecticut, and has some manufactories. Population, about 800. Eaton, another village in the same town, has a number of manufactories. Population, about 700. Cazenovia village, in the town of the same name, is pleasantly situated on the south-eastern margin of Linklaen lake. It is well laid out, and has some manufactures and considerable trade. The Oneida Conference Seminary, located here, is under the direction of the Methodist Episcopal church, and is a flourishing and well conducted institution. Here is also a high school and a seminary for young ladies. The village contains nearly 2000 inhabitants, Hamilton village, in the town of the same name, is principally noted as the seat of Madison University, formerly the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution. This institution was incorporated in 1819, and commenced operations in 1820. It received a charter as an University in 1846. It is well endow MADISON COUNTY. 329 ed, has an able corps of professors, and is in a highly prosperous conditi )P. There is also an academy of some distinction, in the village. Population, about 1600. Chittenango, in the town of Sullivan, is largely engaged in the manufacture of water-lime, or hydraulic cement. It has also other manufactures. There is a sulphur spring of some note, one mile south of the village. It has also other springs, charged with carbonate of lime, and celebrated for their petrifying quality. In this village is an academy, under the patronage of the Dutch Reformed Church. Population, 1000. Canastota, in the town of Lenox, is a thriving and busy village, on the canal and railroad. It derives its name from the Indian appellation, given to a cluster of pines, which united their branches over the creek, which passes through the village. In this village is a high school of some celebrity. Population, about 1300. De Ruyter is a small but pleasant village, in the town of the same name. Here is located the " De Ruyter Institute," a flourishing literary institution, under the direction of the Seventh Day Baptists. Population, 500. Madison, in the town of the same name, is a thriving village. Population, 600. Clockville, in the town of Lenox, and Bridgeport, in the town of Sullivan, are villages of some importance. XXXIX. CATTARAUGUS COUNTY. Square miles, 1232. Population, 30,369. Organized, 1808. Valuation, 1845, $3,035,315. 2223 2 18 1'i 3. Franklinville, 18l2. 17. Lyndon, 1829. 4. Perrysburh, 18 18. New Albion, 1830. TOWNS. 1. Olean, 1808. 15. Machias, 1827. 2. Farmersville, 1812. 16. Napoli, 1828. 3. Franklinville, 1812. 17. Lyndon, 1829. 4. Perrysburgh, 1814. 18. New Albion, 1830. 5. Great Valley, 1818. 19. Mansfield, 1830. 6. Little Valley, 1818. 20. Burton, 1831. 7. Ellicottville, 1820. 21. Leon, 1832. 8. Yorkshire, 1820. 22. Dayton, 1835. 9. Freedom, 1820. 23. Persia, 1835. 10. Hinsdale, 1820. 24. Cold Spring, 1837. 11. Connewango, 1823. 25. Humphrey, 1837. 12. Otto, 1823. 26. Portville, 1838. 13. Ashford, 1824. 27. Carrollton, 1842. 14. Randolph, 1826. 28. Rice, 1846. CATTARAUGUS COUNTY. 331 Rivers. K. Allegany. s. Connewango Creek. b. Oil. c. Great Valley. e. Cold Spring. f. Cattaraugus. g. South Branch. n. Ischua. Lakes. 1. Lime. m. Ischua Creek Reservoir. Villages. ELLICOTTVILLE. Olean. Hinsdale. Lodi. BOUNDARIES. North by the counties of Erie and Wyoming; East by Allegany county; South by the state of Pennsylvania, and West by Chautauque county. SURFACE. The surface of the county is elevated and much broken. The high grounds in its centre divide the waters of the Allegany from those ofthe Chautauque Creek. The valley of the Allegany river is from one to two miles in breadth, and has a depression of 700 or 800 feet below the general surface of the county. North of this river, the land rises for fifteen or twenty miles, and attains the summit of the very irregular ridge which commences at Perrysburgh, on the north-west, and terminates at Farmersville, on the east. RIVERS. The Allegany river, Cattaraugus, Oil, Great Valley, Cold Spring, South Branch, Connewango and Ischua creeks, are the principal streams of the county. LAKES. Its lakes are Lime lake and Ischua creek reservoir. RAILROADS. The line of the New York and Erie railroad crosses the southern part of the county. CLIMATE. F rom the elevation of the surface, the climate is cold but healthful. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. This county is wholly within the Erie group. In the northern part, the Ludlowville slate is the surface rock, with occasional alternations of limestone. In the central and southern portions, the Chemung sandstone predominates. On the highest points in the county, the conglomerate of the Catskill group is occasionally found. The Rock City, situated seven miles from Ellicottville, and near the line between Great and Little valley, is a remarkable natural curiosity. The rock here is conglomerate, and by the removal and disintegration of portions of it, large masses from fifteen to thirty-five feet high, have been left standing isolated, and are separated by alleys and passages of various widths. The whole area covered by these blocks is over one hundred acres. The scene is in the highest degree imposing, and impresses upon the beholder the conviction that the name has not been improperly chosen. The minerals are not numerous; the most valuable are, peat, marl, bog iron ore and manganese. There are also some saline and sulphur springs; petroleum or mineral oil, similar to the Seneca oil, found in Cuba, Allegany county,'has been discovered at Freedom. 332 STATE OF NEW YORK. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is well adapted to grazing. Grain thrives better in the northern section than in the southern. Probably no region of equal extent in the United States has produced more valuable timber. The forest trees consist chiefly of pine, oak, hickory, ash, elm, linden, chestnut, walnut, beech, maple and hemlock. The maple is abundant, and affords large quantities of sugar. PURSUITS. The people of this county are an agricultural community, paying more attention however, to the productions of the dairy, and the rearing of cattle, than to the raising of grain. Manufactures. These are in their infancy, and chiefly confined to lumber, flour, fulled cloths, and leather. The manufacture of lumber is prosecuted to a greater extent than in any other county in the state, 200 million feet being exported from the county annually. Commerce. The Allegany is navigable for arks and small steamboats, at high water, to Oleah; large quantities of lumber are exported from this county to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, by this channel. Its STAPLES are lumber, potatoes, oats, butter and cheese. SCHOOLS. The county had, in 1846, 234 district schools, which were in session an average period of six months each. The number of children taught was 11,914; the amount paid for tuition $10,870, and the number of volumes in the district libraries, 16,087. There were twelve select schools, with 264 scholars. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, and Unitarians. The number of churches of'all denominations, is thirty; of clergymen, sixty-seven. HISTORY. This county belonged originally to the Holland Land Company's purchase, and the titles of most of the inhabitants are derived from that Company. The first settlement in the county was made early in the present century, at Olean, by Major Hoops, ofAlbany, who named it after General Hamilton, " Hamilton on the Allegany." The next settlement was in the present town of Persia, in 1813. The growth of the county has been quite rapid. Cornplanter and Big Kettle or Ganoth-jowaneh, two of the most distinguished of the Seneca chiefs, resided in this county. A tract along the Allegany river, extending through the towns of Cold Spring, Little Valley, Great Valley and Carrollton, is still held as a reservattion by the Indians. CATTARAUGUS COUNTY. 33 The Society of Friends in Philadelphia, have taken great pains to instruct the Indians of this county, in the arts of civilization, sending instructors among them, and establishing settlements in the vicinity. Some of the Indians are now quite wealthy, owning well stocked farms, and large saw mills. VILLAGES. ELLICOTTVILLE, the county seat, is situated in the town of the same name. It was incorporated in 1837, and contains besides the county buildings two extensive land offices. The scenery around the-village is beautiful. The town received its name from Joseph Ellicott, late principal agent of the Holland Land Company. Population, 800. Lodi is a thriving manufacturing village on Cattaraugus creek, in the towns of Persia and Collins, in Cattaraugus and Erie counties. The water power is abundant, and only in part occupied. Population, 900. At Hinsdale, isto be the junction of the New York and Erie railroad, and the Genesee Valley canal. The state is constructing a large basin here. An incorporated academy is located in this village. Population, 600. Olean is advantageously situated on the north side of the Allegany river, in the town of the-same name. Large quantities of lumber and other produce are annually exported from this place. It is to be the terminus of the Genesee Valley canal. Population, 500. Franklinville, in the town of the same name, is a thriving village, and has some manufactories. Population, 600. Cadiz, in the same town, is a village of some importance. 15* XL. CHAUTAUQUE COUNTY. Square Miles, 1017. Population, 46,548. Organized, 1808. Valuation, 1845, $4,586,982. 24 TOWNS. 1. Chautauque, 1804. 13. Villenova, 1823. 2. Pomfret, 1808. 14. Mina, 1824. 3. Ellicott, 1812. 15. Ellington, 1825. 4. Gerry, 1812. 16. Carroll, 1825. 5. Hanover, 1812. 17. Sheridan, 1827. 6. Portland, 1813. 18. French Creek, 1829. 7. Harmony, 1816. 19. Charlotte, 1829. 8. Ripley, 1817. 20. Westfield, 1829. 9. Clymer, 1821. 21. Cherry Creek, 1829. 10. Ellery, 1821. 22. Arkwright, 1829. 11. Stockton, 1821. 23. Poland, 1832. 12. Busti, 1823. 24. Sherman, 1832. CHAUTAUQtUE COUNTY. 335 Rivers. a. Twenty Mile Creek. b. Chautauque. c. Canadawa. d. Walnut. e. Silver. f. Cattaraugus. g. Chautauque Outlet. h, Casadaga Creel. j. French. k.Connewango. Lakes. L. Erie. o. Chautauque. p. Casadaga. q. Bear. r. Finley. Villages. MAYVILLE. Jamestown. Westfield. Dunkirk, Fredonia. Fayette. Van Buren. BOUNDARIES. North by Lake Erie and Erie county; East by Cattaraugus county; South and West by Pennsylvania. SURFACE. The surface is hilly and elevated. Through its central portion, at a distance of from three to six miles from Lake Erie, andmnearly parallel with it, runs the dividing ridge which separates the waters of the lakes from those discharging into the Gulf of Mexico. This ridge is elevated from 800 to 1400 feet above tide water. From this altitude it declines to the northwest, toward the lake, and on the southeast toward the Connewango creek and the Allegany river. The land lying on Lake Erie is a rich and fertile alluvium. The hills throughout the county are nowhere precipitous, but capable of cultivation to their summits. RIVERs AND CREEKS. The principal streams are the Connewango creek, which drains the eastern and southeastern portions of the county, and uniting with the waters of the Chautauque outlet, in Poland, forms the Connewango river; Cattaraugus creek, which separates this county from Erie; Silver, Walnut, Canadawa, Chautauque, Twenty Mile, North and South branches of French creek, Great and Little Broken Straw and- Casadaga creeks. Most of these streams furnish. valuable mill privileges. LAKES. Lake Erie forms the northwestern boundary of the county. Chautauque lake, which gives its name to the county, was so called by the Indians from its form; the Indian name Chautauqua signifying a pack tied in the middle. It is a beautiful sheet of water, eighteen miles long, and from one to five in'width. It is 726 feet above Lake Erie, and 1291 above tide water. Its waters are remarkable for their clearness and purity, and are abundantly stocked with fish. Two steamers ply upon it. It is probably the highest body of water in the world, navigated by steam. The Casadaga lakes, three in number, each about a mile in extent; Bear lake, and Finley's lake, are the only other lakes in the county. RAILROADS. The New York and Erie Railroad will pass through this county, and terminate at Dunkirk. Several other railroads have been chartered, but have not been constructed. 336 STATE OF NEW YORK. CLIMATE. The county has a high reputation for the salubrity of its climate. Fruits thrive well here, and attain great perfection both of size and flavor. From the elevation of its surface, the winters are long, but the cold is somewhat moderated by the proximity of the lake. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. This county belongs entirely to the Chemung sandstone group. The rocks of the county consist of alternate layers of sandstone and slaty rocks. In Harmony, Carroll, and some other sections, this sandstone furnishes a fine building material. The crest of the dividing ridge is occasionally crowned with the conglomerate of the Catskill group. Bog iron ore has been found in several localities, but in no great quantity. Shell marl is abundanrit.in the vicinity of the Casadaga lakes. Alum and copperas are spontaneously formed in the town of Sheridan. Mineral Springs. Sulphur springs are quite numerous in the neighborhood of Lake Erie. One in Mina is considerably visited. The inflammable springs, or those containing carburetted hydrogen gas, are worthy of notice. There are anumber of these along the shores of Lake Erie. The village of Fredonia, in the town of Pomfret, is lighted by this natural gas. It also furnishes material for the light house at Barcelona, and might be employed in the same way at numerous other points along the shores of the lake. It is entirely free from any unpleasant odor. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is generally very good. The section on the shores of Lake Erie, extending back for a distance of three or four miles, is a rich alluvium, highly fertile, and well adapted to grains and fruit. The uplands are better fitted for grass, and yield abundant crops. The timber of the county is oak, maple, beech, black walnut, butternut, hickory, with some-pine and hemlock. On Walnut creek, about a mile from its mouth, formerly stood a black walnut tree, 150 feet in height, thirty-six feet in circumference at its base, and tapering regularly eighty feet, to the first limb. This enormous tree was blown down in 1822. It was supposed to be more than 500 years old. The butt, nine feet in length was excavated, and used for a grocery, at Buffalo. When the Erie canal was opened, it was transported to New York and exhibited to thousands. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the pursuit of a majority of the inhabitants. More attention is paid to the rearing of stock and the produce of the dairy, than to the culture ofgrain. The principal grains cultivated are corn, oats, wheat, and some barley and buckwheat. Large quantities of flax and potatoes, are also raised. In the latter crop it occupied a high rank among the counties of the state. Manufactures. The county is not very largely engaged in manufactures. Flour, lumber, leather and iron, are the principal articles, and their entire value is between $700,000 and $800,000. Commerce. The county has some commerce. Van Buren, Dunkirk, Barcelona and Portland are its principal harbors. CHAUTAUQUE COUNTY. 337 STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter, cheese, wool, pork, potatoes, flax, corn and oats. SCHOOLS. There are in the county 308 public schools. In 1846, schools were taught an average period of seven months18,376 children received instruction, at a cost of $17,581. The district libraries contained 30,010 volumes. There are in the county thirty-one unincorporated schools, with 562, pupils; and five academies, attended by 326 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Methodists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Unitarians, Episcopalians, Universalists and Friends. There are seventy-three churches, and 106 clergymen, of all denominations. HISTORY. Tradition relates that the French early established a post at Portland, in this county; but at what time is not certainly known. The only Indian settlement within the limits of the county, when first explored, was in the present town of Carroll, on the Connewango creek. In 1782, a party, consisting of about 800 British and Indians, with a train of artillery and other munitions of war, spent the months of June and July around Chautauque lake, constructing canoes, and making other preparations to descend the Allegany liver and attack Fort Pitt, now Pittsburgh. For this purpose they obstructed the channel of the Chautauque outlet, in order to raise the waters of the lake. The first purchase of lands made in this county, for the purpose of settlement, was in 1801, in the town of Ripley, by Gen. John McMahan. No settlement was effected, however, till 1802, when Col. James McMahan, brother of the general, located himself in the town of Westfield. The same year Edward McHenry settled in the same neighborhood. In 1796. one Amos Sottle had located in Hanover, but removed in 1800 from the county, and did not return for several years. John McHenry, born in 1802, was the first child of white parents born in the county. The privations ofthe early settlers were very great. Often they were compelled to subsist upon the precarious products of the chase, for months, without tasting bread or other provisions. In 1804, the first town was constituted, and embraced the whole of the present county. In 1808 the county was provisionally organized; but not having a sufficient number of inhabitants to entitle it to a separate organization, it remained attached to Genesee county till 1811. The whole of this county was included in the Holland Land Company's purchase, and from that company and its successors, the titles to the property were derived. 338 STATE OF NEW YORK. During the war of 1812, the lake coast was several times invaded by small parties of the enemy, who, however, never accomplished any feats of valor in the county. A party of British landed at Dunkirk, in 1813, to deposite some property which they had plundered from the coast above. Twelve of the boat's crew deserted, immediately on landing, leaving only the officer who commanded the boat, and a single sailor, whom the militia soon compelled to return to their vessel. In 1814, an armed schooner pursued some lake boats into Canadawa creek, and attempted to capture them, but was repulsed by the militia. About 200 of the Chautauque militia were called out by Governor Tompkins, for the defence of Buffalo; undisciplined and unaccustomed to withstand regular troops, they fled early in the action, but were pursued, and a number killed and scalped by the Indians. Ten or twelve of the citizens of the county fell in this retreat, and others were severely wounded. After the close of the war, the growth of the county was extraordinarily rapid. In 1835. the Holland Land Company sold out the lands, together with the outstanding and expired contracts, to Trumbull, Carey and others of Batavia. They had made a like sale of their lands in Genesee county, and the new company had compelled such of the settlers as were unable to complete the payments on their farms, to pay an additional sum per acre, as the price of forbearance. This exaction was known as the Genesee tariff. It soon became generally understood, that the principles of this tariff were to be applied to Chautauque county. Meetings were held by the citizens who felt themselves aggrieved, and definite information demanded from the company, as to their intentions. After some delay the company announced their determination to exact the principal and compound interest from all who would immediately pay for their lands, and to require 25 per cent. advance from those who asked for an extension of time in payment. These exactions, at this period, would have deprived many of the settlers of their farms, and reduced them to ruin. Upon learning the demands of the company, resolutions were passed by the citizens, denouncing their course and declaring their determination not to submit to it. On the sixth of February, 1836, a mass of people, mostly from the interior towns, assembled at Barnhart's inn, about two miles from Mayville, about four o'clock in the afternoon, armed with axes, crowbars, &c.; and having organized, proceeded to Mayville, about eight o'clock in the evening. They attacked the office of the Land Company, demolished the wood building, and finally CHAUTAUQJUE COUNTY. 339 forced open the stone vault, containing the company's books and papers, carried them to Barnhart's, and burned them in the highway. From this time, till 1833, all intercourse between the Land Company and the settlers ceased. In that year a sale was effected of'the property, to Messrs. Duer, Morrison and Seward, (late governor of tle state,) and by them an office was opened in Westfield, and the outstanding claims adjusted to the satisfaction of all parties. VILLAGES. MAYVILLE, the county seat, is a flourishing village, in the town of Chautauque. It was incorporated in 1830. It is beautifully situated, commanding a fine view of the lake. Its public buildings are neat and substantial. The Mayville academy was incorporated in 1834, and is a well conducted institution. A steamboat plies between this village and Jamestown, daily, during the summer. Population 500. Jamestown, situated on the outlet of'Chautauque lake, in the town of Ellicott, is the largest village in the county. It has a fine hydraulic power, which is extensively used in manufacturing. Lumber, wooden ware, sash, lath, flour, cloth, &c., are manufactured here. The Jamestown academy was incorported in 1836, and is in a prosperous condition. This village was incorporated in 1827. Population 1700. Fredonia is a beautiful village, in the town of Pomfret, four miles from Lake Erie. It has some trade, but is chieLy remarkable for its' inflammable spring, which furnishes a sufficient quantity of gas to light the village brilliantly. It was.incorporated in 1829. The academy here, established in 1824, was the first in the county, and sustains a high reputation. Population 1000. Westfield, in the town of the same name, incorporated in 1833, is situated on Chautauque creek, one and a half miles from Lake Erie. It is a thriving, busy village, and has a fine academy, incorporated in 1837. Population 1000. Dunkirk, on Lake Erie, in the town of Pomfret, has been designated as the western terminus of the New York and Erie railroad. It is a village of some business. The United States government have expended about $80,000 in the improvement of' its harbor, which is now commodious for vessels drawing eight or nine feet water. It is open usually somewhat earlier than that of Buffalo. Population 1000. Fayette, at the mouth of Silver creek, in the town of Hanover, has a good steamboat landing, and some trade. Pop. 700. Portland has a good harbor. Barcelona has a light house, illuminated with the gas evolved from an inflammable spring near it, XLI. CORTLAND COUNTY. Square Miles, 500. Population, 25,087. Organized, 1808. Valuation, 1845, $2,318,208. 12 13 9 TOWNS. 1. Homer, 1794. 8. Freetown, 1818. 2. Solon, 1798. 9. Marathon, 1818. 3. Virgil, 1804. 10. Willett, 1818. 4. Cincinnatus, 1804. 11. Cortlandville, 1829. 5. Preble, 1808. 12. Hartford, 1845. 6. Truxton, 1808. 13. Lapeer, 1845. 7. Scott, 1815. Rivers. Q. Tioughnioga. a. Cold Creek. h. Otselic. Villages. CORTLAND. Homer. BOUNDARIES. North by Onondaga county; East by Madison and Chenango; South by Broome and Tioga; and West by Tompkins and Cayuga counties. THE SURFACE is elevated, and gently sloping to the south, CORTLAND COUNTY. 341 forming a part of the high central section of the state. Its northern boundary lies on the watershed, or dividing ridge between the waters flowing into Lake Ontario, and the tributaries of the Susquehanna river. The broad valleys of the streams, and the rounded and fertile hills, give the surface an agreeably diversified aspect. RIVERS. The Tioughnioga, rising near its northern boundary, with its tributaries, waters nearly the whole county. The Otselic, its main branch, drains the southeastern section. Both streams are navigable for small boats, when sw.ollen by the heavy rains of spring and autumn. CLIMATE. Healthy and equable. From the elevation of its surface, the winters are long and much snow falls. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. Slate is the basis rock of the county. On the north this is covered with Onondaga limestone, or the limestone and slate of the Helderberg series. On the south and east the Chemung sandstone and shale [re the surface rocks. The minerals of the county are salt, bog iron ore, and marl. There are also some sulphuretted hydrogen springs. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is generally a gravelly loam, intermingled with the disintegrated lime and slate, and is quite fertile, yielding good crops of grass and grain. The timber is chiefly oak, maple, beech, basswood, butternut, elm, and chestnut. Groves of pine and hemlock are found in the southern part of the county. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the principal pursuit of the inhabitants. Much attention is paid to the rearing of cattle; considerable quantities of grain are also raised. The products of the dairy are large. Malzufactures are increasing in importance in the county. The principal articles are flour, lumber, cotton and woollen goods, leather and potash. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter, cheese, wool, oats, corn, and flax. Considerable quantities of wheat, barley, buckwheat, potatoes, and pork are also produced. SCHOOLS. The whole number of district schools in the county is 180. In 1S46, these were taught, on an average, seven months, and 9,273 children received instruction during the year at an expense of $9470. The district school libraries contained 15,197 volumes. There are in the county twenty-eight private schools, with 443 pupils, and two academies with 233 scholars. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Episcopalians.. There are in the 342 STATE OF NEW YORK. county forty-five churches, and fifty-four clergymen of all denominations. HISTORY. Cortland county comprises a portion of the Military Tract, or lands given by the state of New York to her Revolutionary soldiers. It was principally settled by emigrants from the eastern states, who removed here after the Revolution. Homer, the oldest town, was organized in 1794. The county received its name from General Peter Van Cortlandt, who was a lairge landholder here. It was taken from Onondaga in 1808. VILLAGES. CORTLAND, in the town of Cortlandville, is the largest village, and the seat of justice for the county. It is pleasantly situated on the north branch of the Tioughnioga, and has a number of fine public buildings. The Cortland female seminary is a flourishing institution. The private residences of the citizens are neat, and many of them elegant. Population 1500. Homer, in the town of the sane name, is a beautiful and thriving village on the Tioughnioga. It has an old and flourishing academy of high reputation, with six teachers, and departments for both sexes. In 1846, a large and enthusiastic meeting of its alumni and friends was held, attended with appropriate exercises. The village is one of the most beautiful in central New York. It is considerably engaged in manufactures. The churches, four in number, and the academy, occupy a public square six acres in extent. Population 1400. Truxton and Virgil, in the towns of the same names, are villages of some importance. The former has some manufactures. XLII. FRANKLIN COUNTY. Square miles, 1557. Population, 18,692. Organized, 1808. Valuation, 1845, $1,584,970. 12 6 13 <"~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "h <.1 8 ^ S~ T \llr ^ 6 ^7" -( ^y r ^S^\\ r^ ^| ^ ^ ~66(^h~ 1 1~~4 ( ^5 ^r,;~~' __^J 344 STATE OF NEW YORK. TOWNS. 1. Malone, 1805. 9. Duane, 1828. 2. Chateaugay, 1805. 10. Westville, 1829. 3. Constable, 1807. 11. Belmont, 1833. 4. Dickinson, 1808, 12. Bombay, 1833. 5. Bangor, 1812. 13. Franklin, 1838. 6. Fort Covington, 1813. 14. Burke, 1843. 7. Moira, 1827.' 15. Harrietstown, 1843. 8. Brandon, 1828. Mountains. GG. Chateaugay. g. Seward. h. Adirondack. Rivers. a. Deer. b. Salmon. c. Trout, d. Chateaugay. e. St. Regis. f. Racket. j. Saranac. Lakes. i. Upper Saranac. 1. Lower Saranac. k. Tupper. Forts. Covington. Villages. MALONE. Fort Covington. BOUNDARIES. North by Canada East; East by Clinton and Essex counties; south by Essex and Hamilton counties, and West by St. Lawrence coun'y. SURFACE. Elevated and mountainous, in the southern and southeastern sections, where the Chateaugay range crosses it; elsewhere it is undulating or level. Mount Seward, and the Adirondack group, are peaks of this range. Mount Seward-has never been ascended, but its height is computed at about 5000 feet. Numerous lakes are formed in the valleys of the mountain ranges. RIVERS. The principal rivers are Salmon, Trout, Chateaugay, St. Regis, Deer, Racket, and Saranac. LAKES. Upper and Lower Saranac, Tupper, and numerous others of less importance. CLIMATE. The high latitude, and elevated surface of this county render the climate rigorous. The winters are long and severe. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The mountainous district is principally of the primitive formation, and is composed of hypersthene, granite and gneiss. The two latter, indeed, form the surface rocks of a large part of the county. The transition formation, however, extends over the northern slope of the county, and is mainly composed of the Potsdam sandstone, very fine specimens of which are quarried in Malone, Chateaugay, Moira, and Bangor. In the northeast corner of Franklin township, the calciferous sand rock makes its appearance. The principal minerals are magnetic iron ore, found in Franklin, Duane, and Malone townships, purple scapolite, green pyroxene, graphite in six sided tables, bog iron ore, tufa, peat, and massive pyrites. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil of the north FRANKLIN COUNTY. 345 ern towns is probably equal in fertility to any in the state. The southern townships are less prcductive. It is mainly a sandy loam, occasionally mixed with clay, and i:;uch of it encumbered with stone. It is not well adapted to wheat, but grass, oats, barley, corn, and the esculent roots, thrive luxuriantly. The forests, which cover the central and southern portions, are very dense, and consist of w ite and yellow pine, hemlock, oak, beech, birch, basswood, elm, and white cedar. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the employment of the greater part of the inhabitants, and their attention is particularly directed to the raising of cattle, and the cultivation of summer crops. The preparation of lumber for market, is also the occupation of a considerable number of the citizens of the county. There is some commerce on the Salmon river, the only navigable stream, and a few mines. The iron ores already mentioned will eventually furnish employment to considerable numbers. STAPLES. Potatoes, oats, wheat, corn, butter and wool. SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were 120 district schools in the county, in which 6190 scholars were taught. The schools were maintained an average period of seven months, and $6,041 expended for tuition. The district libraries contained 10,230 volumes. There were also seven select schools, with seventy-four pupils, and two academies, with 113 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, Baptists, Universalists, Episcopalians, and Congregationalists. There are twenty churches, and twenty-nine ministers of all denominations. HISTORY. This county was the home of the St. Regis tribe of Indians, who, under the direction of the French, were so often engaged in hostile incursions upon the colonies of New England and New York, in the latter part of the seventeenth and commencement of the eighteenth centuries. The tribe have still a reservation of eleven miles in length and three in breadth, in the county, lying in the towns of Bombay and Fort Covington. A daughter of Rev. John Williams, of Deerfield, Massachusetts, who, with-his family, was taken captive by this tribe in 1704, remained with the Indians, after her father's return, married one of the chiefs, and one of her descendants was a few years since chief of the tribe. The first settlers were Canadians, who located at French Mills, now Fort Covington about the year 1800. In April, 1804, Messrs. Benjamin Roberts, of Winchester, 346 STATE OF NEW. YORK. Vermont, William Bailey, and Nathan Beman, commenced a settlement at Chateaugay. Soon after, Mr. Nathan Wood, of Vermont, settled in Malone. Constable was settled about the same time. The first standard captured from the enemy, in the late war with Great Britain, was taken at Bombay, by Major G. D. Young, a native of Connecticut, on the 22d of October, 1812. Major Young was commandant of a detachment of the Troy volunteers stationed at French Mills, (now Fort Covington,) and having learned that a party of the enemy had arrived at the village of St. Regis, and that more were shortly expected, resolved to surprise them before they could be reinforced. He accordingly marched a detachment in the night to the vicinity of the village, surrounded the enemy, and captured forty prisoners, with their arms, equipments, &c., one stand of colors, and two batteaux, without the loss of a single man. A skirmish took place on the 25th of October, 1813, at Chateaugay, between the British light troops and Indians, and a detachment of American troops, under General Izard, in which the latter were repulsed with the loss of fifty men. In February, 1814, a detachment of British and-Indians, numbering about 2300 men, made an incursion into Malone, and penetrated as far as Chateaugay Four Corners, when, hearing of the approach of American troops, they retreated in great confusion, suffering severely in their flight, from a storm of snow and hail. Upwards of 200 men deserted during this retreat. Fort Covington, in this county, was erected during the last war, and a part of the army wintered here in 1813-14. VILLAGES. MALONE, in the town of the same name, is the seat of justice for the county. It is situated on both sides of the Salmon river, which here furnishes a large amount of water power, and is surrounded by a fertile country. In the vicinity are extensive veins of valuable iron ore. The village has several manufactories of cotton goods, leather, scythes, pails, &c. The Franklin academy, located here, is in a flourishing condition. Population 1000. Fort Covington, located at the head of navigation, on Salmon river, is a flourishing village, largely employed in the lumber trade, and has an incorporated academy and several manufactories. The fort here was an important military post during the war. The village was then known as the "French Mills." It received its present name in honor of General Covington, who was slain at the battle of Williamsburgh, November 13th, 1813. Population 1000. XLIII. NIAGARA COUNTY. Square miles, 484. Population, 34,550. Organized, 1808. Valuation, 1845, $4,926,089. -^f C 7 w j Y10, / 5t. 6 S1 ~ 12 J i -1 TOWONS. 1. Cambria, 1808. 7. Wilson, 1818. 2. Hartland, 1812. 8. Somerset,'1823. 3. Niagara, S112. 9. Lockport, 1824. 4. Porter, 1812. 10. Newfane, 1824. 5. Lewiston, 1813. 11. Pendleton, 1827. 6. Royalton, 1817. 12. Wheatfield, 1829. Rivers, Sc. M. Niagara River. a. Eighteen Mile Creek. b. Johnson's. c. Tuscarora. f. Howel's. r. Tonawanda. Falls. SS. Niagara Falls. Lakes. J. Lake Ontario. Battle Fields. Niagara. Forts. Niagara. Schlosser. Villages. LOCKPORT. Lewiston. Niagara Falls Village. Youngstown. BOUNDARIES. North by Lake Ontario; East by Orleans and Genesee counties; South by Erie county, and West by Niagara river. 348 STATE OF NEW YORK. SURFACE. Like most of the other counties lying on Lake Ontario, Niagara county is divided by the Ridge Road and the mountain ridge, into three terraces, of which the two northernmost rise gradually from the lake shore to the mountain ridge; while the southern declines almost imperceptibly toward Tonawanda creek. The surface is therefore generally quite level, having no more than sufficient inequality to secure its effectual drainage. RIVERs. The county is well watered. Besides Niagara river, which forms its western boundary, the principal streams are Tonawanda creek, which divides it from Erie county, Tuscarora, Eighteen Mile, Johnson's and Howel's creeks, falling into Lake Ontario; and Cayuga creek, a tributary of Niagara river. FALLS. This county, conjointly with Niagara district, Canada West, includes the world renowned cataract of Niagara. To portray fully the wonders of this stupendous waterfall, exceeds the powers of the human mind, and requires a language commensurate with its grandeur and magnificence. We shall therefore only attempt to describe the different elements which combine to render it the most extraordinary of natural wonders, and leave it to the imagination of the reader to group them into one harmonious whole, although nothing but an actual view of the falls, from several points, can give any adequate conception of its surpassing beauty and sublimity. For a distance of three-fourths of a mile above the falls, the river, over two miles in breadth, hurries forward in a succession of rapids, whose roar, combined with that of the cataract, may sometimes be heard for a distance of twenty miles. The descent accomplished by these rapids, is between fifty and sixty feet, and their imposing grandeur strikes the beholder with admiration and awe. As the waters approach the fall,-the width of the river is compressed to about half a mile. Here it suddenly turns to the eastward, making almost a right angle in its course, and, immediately below the falls, is contracted to a width of only seventysix rods. In consequence of this bend, the view of the cataract from the American side is more in profile than that on the Canada side, where a short distance below the falls a front view is presented, giving the visitor at a glance an idea of its vast magnificence. Just above the falls, in the middle of the river, lies Goat or Iris Island, half a mile long, and about one-fourth of a mile wide, containing seventy-five acres. This has been connected with several adjacent small islands, by bridges, and these again with the American shore. Iris island is heavily timbered, and has a number of fine walks, and a large garden. It extends over the cataract, and presents a wall of perpendicular rock, separating the crescent or Canadian fall, from the American portion of the cataract. This latter is again divided by Luna island, a small islet. There are thus three distinct cascades, one on the Canadian, and two on the American side. The lower fall, or that nearest the American shore, is more than 300 yards in width, and 164 feet in height. The central fall, extending from Luna to Iris island, has the same height, but is only twenty yards in breadth. Both have a gentle curve in their outline. From the comparative shallowness of the waters on the American side, they are constantly dashed into foam, ere they reach the precipice. On the Canadian side of Iris island, is the great Horse Shoe or Crescent fall, over which pour seven-eights of the volume of water composing this mighty stream. It is about 700 yards in widtlh, and 158 feet in height. The deep green of its billows is only-relieved by the crests of white foam which surmount them. To the spectator, standing on Iris island, the cataract is veiled in a cloud of almost NIAGARA COUNTY. 349 impenetrable mist, and all attempts to explore its apparently unfathomable depths seem futile. But in the clear sunlight, this mist is the source of new surprise and admiration; the rainbow, "the crescent of the abyss," with its everchanging hues, spans the impenetrable cloud, and adds new beauty to. the scene. The view from Table rock, on the Canadian side, is more distinct, and gives the spectator a better comparative view of the three falls. Terrapin Bridge, 300 feet from Goat island, extends ten feet over the falls, and near its end, in the water, and upon the edge of the precipice, a stone tower, forty-five feet high, has been erected. The view of the fall from the top of this tower is very grand, but requires some steadiness of nerve. The banks of the river below the precipice constitute an almost perpendicular wall, nearly 200 feet in height, requiring artificial means for descending to the water's edge. For this purpose, three staircases have been erected. The first is on the main land, on the American side, giving access to the ferry. Recently a railway, moved by hydraulic power, has been constructed, to facilitate the descent. The river is crossed in safety in a row boat, propelled by a single person. A second staircase was erected in 1829, on the perpendicular face of Iris island, at the expense of the late Nicholas Biddle. A rude but strong flight of common steps leads down a steep declivity of about forty feet, to the head of the Biddle stair case, which is in the form of a hexagon, enclosing triangular steps, that wind spirally round a large and solid oaken shaft. The descent accomplished by these is about 80 feet. Paths lead from the foot of these stairs, to the river brink, to the verge of the British fall, and to the Central fall, and the Cave of the Winds behind it. The third staircase is on the Canadian side, and conducts the visitor under the overhanging ledge of Table rock. Here he will find a path leading under the Great Crescent fall, by which. if he chooses to venture, he may pass, for a distance ofabout 150 feet, behind this vast mass of waters. The depth of the river, a short distance below the cataract, is 250 feet. The quantity of water poured over the falls has been variously estimated. Dr. Dwight computed it at more than 100 millions of tons per hour. About three miles below the falls, is a whirlpool, produced by the projection of a rocky promontory, against which the waters of the river have, for ages, hurled their angry billows in vain. In this whirlpool, timber and the dead bodies of men or animals, which have been precipitated over the cataract, are often retained for days, and sometimes for weeks, ere they pass the narrow outlet. About a mile below this is a deep ravine, where formerly there was another whirlpool, but the waters, after centuries of unceasing action, wrought out for themselves a more quiet passage. This. gloomy dell was, some seventy-five or eighty years since, the scene of a fearful tragedy,, which will be related in the historical sketch of the county. It is called " the devil's hole." LAKES. Lake Ontario forms the northern boundary of the county. CANALS. The Erie canal passes through the southeastern and southern p rt. ons of the county. RAILROADS. The Buffalo and Niagara falls railroad connects Niagara falls with the lines of railroad from Albany. There is also a railroad connecting Lockport and Niagara falls with a branch extending to Lewiston. CLIMATE. Owing to the vicinity of the lakes, the climate is mild and equable. It is considered healthful. Here, as in Erie county, fruits flourish in greater perfection, and vegetation is earlier than in the same parallels in the eastern counties. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The Medina sandstone is the basis rock of the county, and makes its appearance near the Lake 16 350 STATE OF NEW YORK. shore; above this appears the Clinton group of limestones; the Niagara group forms the surface rock of the second terrace, and abounds in fossils; the Onondaga salt group appears as the surface rock of the third terrace, and contains as usual large quantities of gypsum, and numerous brine springs. Bog iron ore is found in various parts of the county; copper, in minute quantities. has been discovered near Lockport; sulphate of strontian, calcareous spar, anhydrous sulphate of lime, selenite, pearl spar, and occasionally fluor spar, and sulphuret of zinc, are found at Lockport. Sulphur springs are numerous; some of them have considerable reputation. The brine springs are too weak to be of much practical value. There is also a chalybeate spring, and one emitting carburetted hydrogen gas. in sufficient quantity to maintain a steady flame. Shell marl is found in the swamps. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is highly fertile, yielding grains and grasses in abundance. Fruit is cultivated here in great perfection. The timber is mainly oak, beech, maple, tamarack, ash, &c. PURSUITr. A majority of the inhabitants are engaged in agricultuual pursuits. The culture of wheat and-the other grains, occupies the attention of most of the farmers of the county. Butter and wool are also produced in considerable quantities. The manuf ctures of the county are numerous, and constantly increasing in value and importance. Flour is manufactured in large quantities. Lumber, cotton and woollen goods, iron ware, potash and leather, are the other principal articles produced. Their value, in 1845, was nearly two millions of dollars. Commerce. The commerce of the county is quite extensive, both on the lake and on the canal. Lewiston is the principal port on the Niagara river. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Wheat is the great staple of-this county. The other principal agricultural products, are oats, corn, potatoes, peas, butter and wool. SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were in the county 158 district school-houses, in which schools were maintained an average period of eight months each. 11,919 children received instruction, at an expense for tuition of $15,034. The number of volumes in the district libraries was 16,612. 822 pupils were instructed in twenty-nine select schools. There were also in the county one academy, and one female seminary, with 185 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists,, Episcopalians, Friends, Congregationalists, Universalists, Dutch Reformed, Lutherans, and Roman Catholics. There are fifty churches and fifty-nine clergymen of all denominations, inthe county. HISTORY. In 1697, M. de la Salle erected a palisade fort at or near the site of Fort Niagara. In 1712, the Tuscarora Indians removed to this county from NIAGARA COUNTY. 351 North Carolina, and united themselves with the Iroquois confederacy, which thenceforth assumed the name of" the Six Nations." They still hold a reservation of about 5000 acres, lying in the town of Lewiston. They are about 200 in number, and are mostly in prosperous circumstances. They have a church and school, both under the direction of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. In 1725, the French erected a fort at the mouth of the Niagara river, in this county, in pursuance of their design of connecting their Canadian settlements with those on the Mississippi, by a chain of military posts. Here their efficient emissaries, the Jesuit missionaries, won the affections of the simple hearted red men, by their ready compliance with their dress and customs; and extolling the power and grandeur of the French monarchs, incited them to deeds of aggression and bloodshed against the English. Not long after the erection of this fort, a stockade fortress, since known as old Fort Schlosser, situated about a mile above the falls, was also erected. In 1759, Fort Niagara was captured from the French, by the British army, under the command of Sir William Johnson. It was rebuilt and garrisoned anew the same year. During the revolution, it was held by the British, and from its time-stained walls, issued numerous bands of Indians and tories, bound on expeditions of bloody revenge, or lawless plunder, to the hapless valleys of the Schoharie and Mohawk. To this place, too, they brought the prisoners and scalps they had taken, to claim the reward which a British ministry offered for these evidences of their own inhumanity. In 1796, this fort was surrendered to the United States. At that time there was but one white family, beside the occupants of the fort, within the present limits of the county. During the late war with Great Britain, the American garrison, consisting of 370 men, were surprised by an unexpected attack from a force of more than 1200 British troops, who crossed the river, and after a brief but severe struggle, captured the fbrt. Sixty-five of the garrison were killed, and twenty-seven pieces of ordnance, with a large quantity of military stores, fell into the hands of the captors. In March, 1815, it was again surrendered to the United States. On the 14th of September, 1826, Morgan, of antimasonic notoriety, was confined in the magazine of the fort. There can be no doubt that during its occupancy by the French, it was occasionally used as a prison for state offenders; and from that time to the close of the revolution, deeds of crime and blood were committed there, which the light of the judgment day alone will reveal. 352 STATE OF NEW YORK. On the 17th of September, 1763, a company of troops, numbering with the teamsters, about 175 men, were escorting a quantity of stores to Fort Schlosser, and had reached the ravine known as the Devil's Hole, on the Niagara river, when they were beset by a party of Sene:a Indians, who were then in the French interest, and all but two murdered, or dashed to pieces in their fall over the precipice. One, a drummer, was saved by the strap of his drum being caught in the branches'of a tree, in his fall; the other, a man by the name of Stedman, being well mounted, forced his way through the hostile crowd and fled, at the utmost speed of his horse, to Fort Schlosser. His clothes were riddled with balls, but he was unhurt. The Indians considered his escape as miraculous, and gave him a large tract of land, embracing all that he had rode over in his flight. In December, 1813, the British burned Lewiston, Youngstown, Manchester, (now Niagara Falls village,) and the Tuscarora Indian village, alleging the burning of Newark, in Canada West, by the Americans, as an excuse for their barbarity. Early in December, 1837, after the failure of the attack of the " Canadian patriots," (so called,) on Toronto, McKenzie and Sutherland, two of their leaders, who had escaped to the United States, together with some twenty-five of their adherents, took possession of Navy island, in the Niagara river, above the Falls, and remained there nearly a month, bidding defiance to the 3ritish troops, who were congregated on the Canadian shore, to the number of 3000 or 4000 men. The ranks of the "patriots" were constantly reinforced by volunteers from the American frontier, until they numbered about 600. The British fired upon them, and killed one man; the fire was returned, and preparations made to cross into Canada, when by the interposition of General Scott, the island was evacuated, and the patriot army.dispersed. It was during the occupation of this island, that Mr. Wells, of Buffalo, the proprietor of a small steamboat, called the Caroline; formed the project of running his steamer as a ferry boat, between Navy island and old Fort Schlosser, in order to accommodate the numbers who wished to pass and repass daily. Accordingly, on-the 29th of December, the boat commenced running, and having made several trips during the day, was moored at night, beside the wharf at Schlosser. Numbers, who had been attracted by curiosity to the place, were unable to obtain lodgings at the tavern, the only dwelling in the vicinity, and sought accommodations on board the boat. About midnight, the watch on board the steamer observed a boat approaching; he hailed, but before he could give the NIAGARA COUNTY. 353 alarm, a body of armed men from Canada, rushed on board, crying cut them down, give no quarter;" no resistance was made on board the boat; all who could do so, escaped to the shore. Five persons were known to be killed. The boat was cut from her moorings, towed out into the stream, set on fire, and suffered to drift down the river, and over the falls. It was supposed that several persons were on board at the time she went over the cataract. This outrage produced great excitement on the frontier, and had well nigh involved our government in a war with Great Britain. VILLAGES. LOCKPORT, the county seat, is a large and busy village in the town of the same name. It was founded in 1821, and incorporated in 1829. The Erie canal here descends, by five massive double locks, sixty feet. Before reaching these locks, in its progress eastward, the canal passes, for several miles, through a deep cutting of limestone, where the walls of rock, on either hand, rise twenty or thirty feet above the level of the canal. The descent of the canal furnishes an immense water power, which is partially improved. The village has a great variety of manufactures. Several very large flour mills are inoperation. Population, 6800. Niagara Falls Village is a beautiful and thriving place, deriving much of its importance from its proximity to the cataract. It has been proposed to devote the waters of the Niagara at this place, to manufacturing purposes, but it is to be hoped that such a project may never be carried into execution. Population, 1000. Lewiston, in the town of the same name, has considerable trade with Oswego, and other ports on Lake Ontario. Here is also a ferry across the Niagara river, to Queenstown. It is the head of steamboat navigation on the river. Population, 900. Youngstown is a thriving little village in the town of Porter. It has a good steamboat landing, and is connected with the village of Niagara, in Canada, by a steam ferry. Population, 700. Iliddleport, in the town of' Royalton, is a village of some importance. XLIV. SULLIVAN COUNTY. Square miles, 919. Population, 18,727. Organized, 1809. Valuation, 1845, $1,468,283. TOWNS. 1. Mamakating, 1798. 7. Bethel, 1809. 2. Lumberland, 1798. 8. Fallsburgh, 1826. 3. Nevisink, 1798. 9. Cochecton, 1828. 4. Rockland, 1798. 10. Forrestburgh, 1838. 5. Thompson, 1804. 11. Collikoon, 1842. 6. Liberty, 1807. Mkountains. P. Shawangunk mountains. Rivers. H. Delaware river. R. Nevisink. a. Collikoon. e. Mongaup. g. Bashe's kill. k. Beaver kill. i. Little Beaver kill. Falls. On the Mongaup and Nevisink, Fallsburgh and Forrestburgh. Lakes. h. White Lake. 1. Long Pond. m. Round. n. Sand. Canals. Delaware and Hudson canal. Villages. MONTICELLO. Bloomingsburgh. Wurtzborough. Falls. burgh. Cochecton. SULLIVAN COUNTY. 355 BOUNDARIES. North by Delaware and Ulster counties; East by Ulster and Orange; South by Orange county and the Delaware river; and West by the Delaware river. SURFACE. Hilly and mountainous. The Shawangunk mountains occupy the eastern section of the county. The western face of these mountains is precipitous, but they descend by a gentle declivity on the east. The remainder of the county has an elevated surface, divided into numerous ridges, by the streams which intersect it RIvERs. The Delaware forms the south-western boundary of the county; the other principal streams are the Collikoon, Mongaup and Nevisink rivers, Bashe's, Beaver and Little Beaver kills. LAKES. The county abounds with small lakes, among which are White Lake, Long Pond, Round Pond, and Sand Pond. CANALS. The Delaware and Hudson canal passes through the valley of Bashe's kill. CLIMATE. Cold but healthy. Vegetation is about two weeks later than in Ulster and Orange counties. In some parts of the county frost occurs every month. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. This county comprises several geological formations of interest. The western half, and a portion of the northern section, belong to the old red sandstone formation, or Catskill group; the central and southern porti ns are composed of the Chemung sandstone and shales; as we proceed eastward we encounter successively the limestones of the Hamilton group, the Helderberg limestones, the gray Shawangunk sandstone and grit, which forms the largest portion of the surface rock of the county; and the Hudson river slate. The number of minerals is not large. In the vicinity of Wurtzborough, and in other parts of the county, mines of lead ore have been opened, which promise to be productive and valuable. Crystallized iron and copper pyrites, sulphuret of zinc, and quartz crystals of great beauty, have been found in connection with the lead at these localities. The red sandstone affords, in some places, a fine building material. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil of the uplands is fertile and well adapted to the production of the grasses and more hardy grains. In the valley of the Delaware it is cold and wet. The county is well adapted to grazing.. The timber consists principally of pine, hemlock, beech, maple, linden, oak and tulip tree. But little more than one tenth of the soil is under cultivation. PURSUITS. The people of this county are mostly devoted to agriculture. But little grain is raised, and that principally corn, oats and buckwheat. The products of the dairy receive considerable attention. Manufactures. Leather and lumber are extensively manu 356 STATE OF NEW YORK. factured. The latter finds its way to market by the Delaware river. Commerce. The Delaware and Hudson canal furnishes an easy mode of transportation for the produce of the eastern section of the county. The Delaware river is navigable in the spring, and immense quantities of lumber are rafted down it. Mines. There are lead mines near Wurtzborough, in the town of Mamakating. STAPLES. Oats, corn, butter, beef, pork, lumber and leather. SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were in the county, 118 district school-houses, in which 6328 children were instructed at an expense for tuition, of $8793. The schools were in session an average period of eight months each. The district libraries contained 10,379 volumes. There were also eight select schools, with 178 scholars, and one academy with thirteen pupils. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Presbyterians, Dutch Reformed, Baptists, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, and Friends. Total number of churches, twenty-eight; of clergymen, twenty-three. HISTORY. In 1777, or 1778, several persons having been killed by the Indians in Rochester, Ulster county, the commander of the garrison at Honkhill, in Wawarsing, who had two or three hundred troops under his command, determined to intercept the Indians on their return, and punish them for their barbarities. He accordingly called for volunteers, and Lieutenant John Grahams offered his services. They were accepted, and with a lieutenant's guard, consisting of twenty men, he made his way to a place since called Grahamsville, in the town of Nevisink. Unpracticed in the arts of Indian warfare, they were no match for their wily foes. The Indians decoyed them from their position, induced them to waste their fire upon a single Indian, and then shot them down, and scalped them. But three of the number escaped to carry to tie garrison the intelligence of the loss of their comrades. The town of Mamakating belonged to the Minisink patent, and was settled by the Dutch at an early period. The remainder of the county belonged to the Hardenburgh patent, and was not occupied till near the commencement of the present century. The emigrants, with the exception of those who located at Mamakating, were mostly from the eastern states. The county was named in honor of General Sullivan, of revolutionary memory. VILLAGES. MONTICELLO, in the-town of Thompson, was founded in 1804, by Messrs. S. F. andJ. P. Jones, and made the county seat at the organization of the county in 1809. Population, 700. Eloomingsburgh is a pleasant village, in the town of'Mama SCHENECTADY COUNTY. 357 kating. It is in the midst of a fine agricultural country. It has an academy. Population, 600. Wurtzborough, in the same town, is a flourishing village, named after the projector of the Delaware and Hudson canal. Near the village is a lead mine of considerable importance. Population, 500. Liberty, Fallsburgh, and Cochecton, in the towns of the same names, are villages of considerable importance. XLV. SCHENECTADY COUNTY. Square miles, 186. Population, 16,630. Organized, 1809. Valuation, 1845, $2,739,421. j:AA TOWNS. 1. Schenectady, 1684. 4. Neskayuna, 1809. 2. Princeton, 1798. 5. Glenville, 1820. 3. Duanesburgh, 1801. 6. Rotterdam, 1820. Rivers. AA. Schoharie kill. F. Mohawk river. a. Norman's kill Lakes. e. Maria. Cities and Villages. SCHENECTADY. Duanesburgh. Rotterdam. BOUNDARIES. North by Montgomery and Saratoga; Eastby Saratoga; South by Albany and Schoharie; and West by Schoharie, counties. SURFACE. The surface of Schenectady county is agreeably diversified with hills, plains and valleys. Flint hill extends 16* 358 STATE OF NEW YORKo through a part of the southern section, and a spur of the K(ayaderosseras range passes through the town of Glenville, nearly to Schenectady. On the banks of the rivers are extensive flats. RIVERS. The Mohawk, Schoharie kill and Norman's kill, are the principal streams. LAKES. Lake Maria is a smallbody of water in Duanesburgh. CANALS. The Erie canal crosses the Mohawk near the eastern line of the county, and passes along the south west bank of that river. RAILROADS. It has four lines of railroads, the Mohawk and Hudson, Troy, Saratoga and Utica railroads, all centering in the city of Schenectady. CLIMATE. The climate of this county is mild and salubrious, but subject to considerable extremes of temperature. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The Hudson river group, consisting of grits and shales, or slaty rocks, is the prevailing surface rock of this county. The Utica slate makes its appearance in the neighborhood of Glenville. The whole county is overlaid by clay and gravel, to the depth of from fifty to one hundred feet, Bog iron ore occurs near the line of Albany county. There are several localities of calcareous spar, one of which resembles arragonite. Quartz crystals and common jasper are also found in the county. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is various. The extensive alluvial tracts along the Mohawk and other streams, are exceedingly fertile. The hills and plains are either a light sandy or clay loam, less fertile, and sometimes barren. Pine and oak are the principal forest trees. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the leading pursuit of the inhabitants. Wheat and barley are extensively raised. The rearing of cattle occupies some attention. Manufacturers are quite limited. Flour, cotton goods, iron and leather are the principal articles. Commerce. By means of its canal and railroads this county enjoys ample facilities for the transportation of its produce. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Oats, potatoes, corn, barley, rye, buckwheat, wheat, butter and cheese. SCHOOLS. This county had in 1846, seventy-five common schools, with 3614 pupils. They were taught an average period of eight months, at an expense of $4960. The district libraries numbered 7115 volumes. There were two select schools, with twenty-two scholars; an academy with 108 pupils, and a college, with eleven professors and 242 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Dutch Reformed, Presbyterians Methodists, Baptists, Episcopalians, Universalists, Roman Catholics and Friends. The whole number of churches i, twenty four, of clergymen, thirty-four, SCHENECTADY COUNTY. 359 HISTORY. This county was one of the first settled in the state. Previous to the year 1620 several Dutch traders established themselves here, to traffic with the Indians Ibr furs. The first grant of lands was made in 1661, to Arendt Van Corlaer and others, on condition that they purchased the soil from the natives. The deed was obtained in 1672, and signed by four Mohawk chiefs. It comprised a part of the present city of Schenectady. In November, 1665, Governor Nichols granted to Mr. Alexander Lindsay Glen, a Scotch gentleman of ancient and noble descent, a tract lying on the Mohawk, and comprising most of the present town of Glenville. Mr. Glen resided for a number of years in Albany and Schenectady, and in 1690 removed to his patent, where, in 1713, he erected a country seat, which he named Scotia, and which is still standing. According to tradition, Neskayuna was settled in 1640. A patent for land in this town was granted to Harnlon Vedder, in 1664. On the eighth of February, 1690, the village of Schenectady, then containing sixty-three houses and a church, was burned, and sixty-three of its inhabitants murdered, twenty-seven carried captive, and others perished, from the severity of the season, in the attempt to escape. The marauders who thus rushed upon the sleeping and defenceless inhabitants, like wolves upon the sheep fold, were a party of 200 Frenchmen and about fifty Indians, from Canada, who had nearly perished from hunger and cold in their murderous expedition. Having plundered and destroyed the village, they commenced their return, but were pursued by the Albany militia and the Indians friendly to the English, and twenty-five of their number killed. In 1748, the Canadian Indians made another hostile incursion into the county, and killed a Mr. Daniel Toll, who had gone about three miles from Schenectady, in search of some stray horses. On receiving intelligence of his murder, about sixty young men, from Schenectady, started in quest of the enemy. They were soon surprised by a party of Indians in ambush, and more than half their number were killed. The remainder succeeded in reaching a house near by, where they kept the enemy at bay, till the Schenectady militia came to their aid, when the Indians fled and returned to Canada. Thirty-two young men, of the best families of Schenectady, fell in this affray. The county was, with few exceptions, settled by the Dutch, and remained a part of Albany county until 1809. 360 STATE OF NEW YORK. CITIES AND VILLAGES. SCHENECTADY city, the seat of justice for the county, is situated on the south branch of the Mohawk river, fifteen miles northwest of Albany. As has been already stated, it was founded at a very early peri d. Previous to the construction of the Erie canal, it was a place of very considerable business, as goods intended for the western trade were shipped upon the Mohawk at this place. After the completion of the canal, most of this trade was transferred to Albany; but the numerous railroads which now center here, have given it a new impulse, and its business and population have materially increased within a few years past. The city has some manufactories-the principal are flour, paper, cotton goods, iron, leather, tobacco, malt liquors, &c. Population 6555. Union College, which is located here, was founded in 1795, and received its name from the fact that its founders were members of different religious denominations. It has a corps of eleven professors, and three principal edifices, two of brick and one of stone. Its apparatus is very complete, and its library large and valuable. It is amply endowed, and has property to the amount of$450,000. Attached to the college building is a tract of land, 250 acres in extent, a part of which is laid out in walks and pleasure grounds. Its situation is highly picturesque. Rotterdam ig a small manufacturing village, in the town of the same name. Duanesburgh is a village of some importance. XLVI. PUTNAM COUNTY. Square Miles, 216. Population, 13,258. Organized, 1812. Valuation, 1845, $2,929,318.'2 6 TOWNS. 1. Kent, 1788. 4. Patterson, 1795. 2. Philipstown, 1788. 5. Southeast, 1795. 3. Carmel, 1795. 6. Putnam Valley, 1838. Mountains. FF. Highlands, U. Taghkanic Range. Peaks. c. Anthony's Nose. d. Sugar Loaf. e. Bull Hill. f. Breakneck Hill. Rivers. C. Hudson River. S. Croton. b. Peekskill. Laike, Sfc. Mahopack Pond. i. Shaw's Pond. Villages. CARMEL. Cold Spring. BOUNDARIES. North by Dutchess county; East by the state of Connecticut; South by Westchester county, and West by the Hudson river. SURFACE. Putnam is one of the most mountainous counties in the state. The hills are not, however, generally abrupt or precipitous, but rounded and susceptible of cultivation almost to their summits. It is well adapted to grazing. The Highlands extend across the western part of the county. The range commences at the river, in the southwest corner of Philipstown, and takes a northeasterly course, extending into Dutchess county. In Philipstown there are several considerable peaks, the most prominent of which are Anthony's Nose, Sugar Loaf, Eull Hill, Breakneck Hill, and High Peak. The highest of these peaks is 1580 feet above the level of the Hudson. In the eastern part the Taghkanic range extends through the count, from north to south. RIVERS. Beside the Hudson, which forms the western boundary of the county, the Croton river and its branches, and the Peekskill, are the only streams worthy of notice. 362 STATE OF NEW YORK. LAKES. Mahopack and Shaw's ponds, in the town of Carmel, are the only bodies of water of importance. The first is nine miles in circumference, and has two islands; the other is much smaller in extent. THE CLIMATE is healthful, though cool. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. This county belongs to the southeastern primitive district of the state. Granite, gneiss, and primitive limestone are the principal rocks. In the town of Patterson, and at several other points in the county, beds of transition limestone occur. They are, however, of small extent. The principal minerals of this county are iron ore, of the magnetic and hematitic varieties, in great abundance, and of superior quality; copperas, arsenic, copper ores, chrome iron ore, serpentine, asbestus, dolomite, tremolite, pyroxene, scapolite, epidote, zircon, sphene, albite, graphite, peat, and phosphate of lime. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. As might be expected from its geological character, the timber is principally oak, chestnut, ash, maple, hickory, &c. The soil is perhaps naturally sterile, but treated with plaster, produces luxuriant crops of blue grass, herds-grass, and clover. The appearance of the farms indicate that the owners are possessed of competence. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the principal pursuit of the inhabitants. Considerable attention is paid to the dairy, and to the rearing of cattle, sheep, swine and fowls. Much of the produce exposed for sale in theNew York markets is brought from this county. Manufactures receive some attention. The West Point foundry, at Cold Spring, is the largest in the United States, and employs more than four hundred men. There are one or two other foundries in the county. The other manufactures are of comparatively little importance. There are iron mines in Philipstown, Putnam Valley and Southeast. Commerce. There is but one good landing on the Hudson in this county, that of Cold Spring. -Some commerce is carried on from this point. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter, beef, wool and mutton are the principal staples. Calves, lambs, fowls, &c., are also carried to the New York market in large quantities. SCHOOLS. There are in the county sixty-three public schools. In 1846, these schools were taught on an average nine months; 3245 children received instruction, at an expense of $6562. The libraries of the district contained 8618 volumes. There were also, ten private schools, with 124 pupils. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics and Friends. HISTORY. This county was settled at an early period, but remained attached to Dutchess till 1812. At the base of the Sugar PUTNAM COUNTY. 363 Loaf, in Philipstown, stands Beverly house, formerly the residence of Col. Beverly Robinson, a loyalist, who, during the revolution, went with his family to New York, and thence to Great Britain. His estate was confiscated by the legislature, and his family banished. This house was the head quarters of General Putnam, General Parsons, and the traitor Arnold. It was here that Arnold received the intelligence, that his treason was revealed, and from the landing on this estate he made his escape on board the British sloop Vulture. From the foot of the peak called Anthony's Nose, to Fort Montgomery, a chain and boom were stretched, by order of the continental congress, in the autumn of 1776, for the purpose of obstructing navigation, and preventing the enemy from ascending the Hudson. This chain was broken the same year, by the British. In 1778, Captain Machin, the engineer who had constructed the former chain, superintended the making of another, of twice its diameter, whiclh extended from West Point, to a battery at Constitution Island. This was never broken by the enemy, but was taken up every autumn, and replaced in the spring. It weighed 186 tons. VILLAGES. CARMEL, in the town of the same name, is the seat of justice for the county. In picturesque beauty, and healthfulness of situation, Carmel is surpassed by few villages in the state. Declining gradually to the shore of Shaw's lake, a beautiful sheet of water, it presents one of the loveliest landscapes on which the eye can rest. Population 350. Cold Spring, on the bank of the Hudson, in Philipstown, is a thriving village, supported mainly by the mammoth iron foundry, about a mile from the landing. Population 1500. Southeast is a well watered and fertile town. Joe's Hill a noted eminence, extends west from Connecticut, into the centre of the town. Iron ore is abundant in this town, and of good quality. There are several ponds of considerable size. XLVII. WARREN COUNTY. Square Miles, 912. Population, 14,908. Organized, 1813. Valuation, 1845, $976,433. TOWNS. 1. Queensbury, 1788. 6. Hague, 1807. 2. Luzerne, 1792. 7. Chester, about 1809. 3. Athol, about 1800. S. Caldwell, 1810. 4. Bolton, about 1805. 9. Warrensburgh, 1813. 5. Johnsburgh, 1805. 10. Horicon, 1838. MJlountains. EE. Kayaderosseras. HH. Clinton. m. Luzerne. Rivers. C. Hudson. e. Jessup's Creek. f. Schroon Branch. Lakes. X. George. 1 Schroon. d. Brant. Falls. k. Hadley. n. Glen's. o. Baker's. Battle Field. Caldwell. Fort. Fort George. Villages. CALDW.ELL. Glen's Falls. WARREN COUNTY. 365 BOUNDARIES. North by Essex; East by Washington; South by Saratoga, and West by Hamilton county. SURFACE. This county, with the exception of a small portion on the south, has a very elevated and rugged surface. The Luzerne or Palmertown range of mountains- traverses the eastern section, the Kayaderosseras the central, and the Clinton range the western portion of the county. Many of their summits attain an altitude of from 800 to 1200 feet. The towns of Warrensburgh and Luzerne, are comparatively level. RIVERS. The Hudson, Schroon Branch and Jessup's creek, are the principal streams. They have a southerly direction through the county. FALLS. Hadley, Jessup's, and Glen'sfalls, are on the Hudson. LAKES. Lake George, which has already been described, and Schroon lake are the most important. CLIMATE. Cold but healthy. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. With the exception of a small bed of Trenton limestone, in the valleys in the southeast part of the county, the wholecounty is primitive-composed of gneiss, with some hypersthene, granite and primitive limestone. Serpentine is also found in veins between the predominant rocks. Iron is considerably abundant. The magnetic ore is frequent, but does not occur in large masses; porcelain clay, black marble of very fine quality, (from the vicinity of Glen's Falls,) verd antique, black lead or graphite, and peat, are the most important of the useful minerals. Besides these, fluor, zircon, pyrites, massive feldspar, tourmaline, rutile, rhomb spar, quartz crystals of great beauty,.nd calcareous spar occur in several localities. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil of the greater part of the county is sterile. Some fertile land, however, is found in the narrow valleys, and in the level portions above mentioned. A heavy growth of timber covers its hills, consisting of pine, spruce, fir, cedar, oak, maple, beech, elm and ash. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the leading pursuit; but the settlements are sparse, and in many sections the gigantic timber is not yet felled. Many of the inhabitants are engaged in preparing'lumber for market. The county seems to be very well adapted to grazing; corn, oats and potatoes also succeed well. The manufactures are those common to a new country; lumber, leather, potash, flour and fulled cloths. At Glen's Falls, marble is also largely manufactured. The quantity of lumber sent to market from this county is very great. The commerce of the county is mostly confined to the transportation of its own productions to market, by the Champlain canal. TiE STAPLES are lumber, corn, potatoes, oats, butter and wool. 366 STATE OF NEW YORK. SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were 115 district schools, sustained an average period of six months each, and at an expense for teachers wages of $4869. The number of scholars was 4993, and of volumes in the school libraries 7951. There were eleven private schools, with 525 scholars, and one academy, with ninety-five pupils. REuLIIous DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Friends, Universalists, and Episcopalians. The whole number of churches is twenty-eight, of clergymen, thirty-tbur. HISTORY. In the French war of 1754-63, a number of interesting events occured in this county. In August, 1755, General Johnson, (afterwards Sir William,) led a force of about 5000 troops, including 1000 Indians, under the command of Hendrick, the celebrated Mohawk chieftain, to attack Crown Point. About the last of the month he encamped at the south end of Lake George, and made preparations to convey his troops, by water, to the foot of the Lake. The Baron Dieskau, the commander of the French forces, meantime, had descended the lake in search of his antagonist. On the 8th of September, General Johnson received intelligence of his approach, and despatched Colonel Williams, with 1200 men, to attack him. Taking advantage of the dense forests, Dieskau had formed his troops in a crescent, and Williams erelong found himself surrounded by the enemy. He soon fell, as did Hendrick, both fighting with the utmost bravery. Lieutenant Colonel Whiting, of New Haven, Connecticut, the second in command, ordered a retreat, which he conducted with such skill and intrepidity, that his troops returned to the camp without disorder, and took their places in the ranks. Dieskau pressed on in pursuit, but halting his men, to arrange them for the onset upon the English camp, the English forces recovered their firmness and awaited his attack without disorder. The Indians, in the employ of the French, were soon driven off by the cannon, and fled. Dieskau led up the main body of his troops, but in vain; they were repulsed again and again, and after an obstinate action of five hours, the English, leaping over the breastwork, engaged the French hand to hand, and soon put them to flight. Dieskau was mortally wounded and taken prisoner. The loss of the French was very severe. The British commander. General Johnson, was wounded in the early part of the conflict, and resigned the command to General Lyman. For this success, the first which had attended the English arms during the war, General Johnson was rewarded with a baronetcy and a donation of ~5000. WARREN COUNTY. 367 The day following the!:tt le? dt lchw ent from Fort Edward attacked the fugitives of Dieskau's army, on French mountain, and killed the greater part of them. Sir William did not proceed after this vi t y to Crown Point, which if attacked might have been easily carried, but satisfied himself with erecting and fortifying Fort William Henry at the head of Lake Georg In August, 1757, this fort was taken by the Marquis de Montcalm, the commander of the French forces. Colonel Monroe, who commanded the garrison, made a brave resistance, but the failure of General Webb to send him reinforcements, and the want of ammunition, at length compelled him to capitulate, which he did on the most honorable terms. No sooner, however, had the French obtained possession of the fort, than the terms of capitulation were most shamefully broken; the Indians rushed upon the defenceless troops, and plundered and murdered them without resistance. Montcalm had promised an escort, but it was withheld, and they were compelled to flee, as best they might, from the murderous assaults of savages thirsting for blood. The wounded and the women and children were the first lo fall victims to their barbarity, but the more able-bodied did t escape. It was computed that nearly 1500 were thus butchered. The fort was destroyed by Montcalm. Fort George was erected as a substitute for it, on a more commanding site, but was never the scene of any important action. Burgoyne deposited most of his stores here in 1777. Many interesting incidents also occurred during the French war, along the shores of the Horicon lake. At Sabbath-day Point, in 1756, a party of Provincial troops defeated a force of French and Indians, who attacked them. Here, too, Lord Amherst, with his army, stopped on a Sabbath morning for refreshment. Rogers' Rock, is noted as the place where that bold and fearless partizan eluded the pursuit of the Indians, and gave them the impression that he had escaped down the face of the precipice. The name of Pierson's Island, marks the spot where English risoners were confined during the French war. Howe's Point, the spot where that brave and much lamented young nobleman landed, immediately previous to the battle of Ticonderoga, in which he was slain. The first settlement in the county was made about 1770, at Luzerne and Queensburgh. Johnsburgh was settled in 1790. The Jessup patent, in the southern part of the county, com 368 STATE OF NEW YORK. prised 40,000 acres of land. It was granted in 1774, to a large company. The town of Caldwell was founded by Mr. James Caldwell, a large landed proprietor. In most parts of the county the population is sparse. VILLAGES. CALDWELL, the shire town of the county, is delightfully situated on the southern extremity of Lake George. It abounds with interesting associations connected with the early history of this county. Population 300. iBlow y Pond, a short distance southeast of the village, commemorates by its name the bloody conflict of September 6th, 1755. The bodies of nearly 1000 of the slain, mostly Frenchmen, were thrown into it. Glen's Falls, located on the north bank of the Hudson, in the town of Queensburgh, was incorporated in 1839. It is largely engaged in the manufacture of marble, lime, and lumber. The marble is found on both sides of the river, and is highly prized for the beauty of its color, (black) and its freedom from flaws. The falls at this place have a total descent of fifty feet, affording great hydraulic power, and presenting a picturesque and beautiful landscape. A bridge 600 feet in length crosses the river just above the falls. The navigable feeder of the Champlain canal passes through the village. Here is an incorporated academy, and a female seminary. Population 2500. Chester, in the town of the same name, is a pleasant village, situated in the midst of a fertile country. The " Stone Bridge" in the northern part of the town of Chester, is a great natural curiosity. The stream which it crosses, enters the county from Essex, about thirty rods above the bridge, where it falls over a rocky precipice into a natural basin; thence, turning to the east, it divides into two branches; the northern passing under an arch of granite forty feet high and about eighty feet chord, diminishing in size as the stream descends; this branch may be followed 156 feet from the entrance; the southern and larger branch forces its way through the rock, by a passage which is explored with great difficulty, being at times narrow and confined, and at others opening into caverns of great depth, and thirty or forty feet in diameter. At the distance of 247 feet from the entrance, the two streams, having united during their subterranean passage, again make their appearance, beneath a precipice fiftyfour feet high, which terminates the bridge. TLe arch on this side is five feet high and ten wide. XLVII. OSWEGO COUNTY. Square miles, 923. Population, 48,441. Organized, 1816. Valuation, 1845, $5,332,085. TOWNS. 1. Mexico, -1792. 12. Granby, 1818. 2. Redfield, 1800. 13. Hastings, 1825. 3. Williamstown 1804. 14. Albion, 1825. 4. Volney, 1806. 15. Sandy Creek, 1825. 5. Hannibal, 1806. 16. Boylston, 1828. 6. Richland, 1807. 17. Parish, 1828. 7. Constantia, 1808. 18. Amboy, 1830. 8. Scriba, 1811. 19. Palermo, 18.32. 9. New Haven, 1813. 20. Schroeppel, 1832. 10. Orwell, 1817. 21. West Monroe, 1839. 11. Oswego, 1818. 22. Greenboro, 1844. Riters. a. OswegoRiver iei. eida Outlet. b. Lttle Sandy Creek, c. Salmon Ri, d.1. Sa n Creek. Deer Creek.. Osweg Falls. Lakes and Bays J.Ontari. Z. Oneida. kFish. 1. MxicoBa f. Little andy Creek Bay. Battle O elds. Sacketts Harbor. Forts. Oswego. Ontario. Villages. PULASKI. OSWEGO. Fulton. Mexico. 370 STATE OF NEW YORK. BOUNDARIES. North by Lake Ontario and Jefferson county; East by Lewis and Oneida; South by Oneida Lake, Onondaga and Cayuga counties, and West by Cayuga and Lake Ontario. SURFACE. The southeastern, southern and western portions of the county are level, the interior rolling, and the northern portion rising into hills. A ridge, 110 feet in height, runs westerly through the county, about eight miles north of the southern boundary, forming the watershed or dividing line between the northern and southern waters. The Oswego breaks through this at the great falls at Fulton in the town of Volney. RIvERs. The Oswego is the principal river of the county. The other important streams.are Salmon river, Salmon creek, Little-Sandy and Catfish creeks, flowing into Lake Ontario; Scriba and Bay creeks, flowing into Oneida Lake, and Scott and Black creeks, tributaries of the Oswego. The west branch of Fish creek, from Oneida county, drains some of the eastern towns of this county. LAKES, BAYS, &c. Lake Ontario washes the whole northwestern boundary of the county. Oneida lake forms nearly onethird of its southern boundary. Fish lake, and several other small ponds add to its picturesque beauty. Mexico bay is an indentation of Lake Ontario some ten miles broad. Little Sandy Creek bay is a small land-locked inlet from the lake in the northwestern part of the county. The Oswego canal, which connects the Erie canal with Lake Ontario, passes through the southwestern portion of the county, following the valley of the Oswego river. CLIMATE. The climate, influenced by its proximity to the lake, is more uniform than in some of the other counties. Fruits thrive well. It is considered healthful. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The geological formations of this county are v ry simple. The basis rock is a slaty sandstone, making its appearance on the surface in the northwest section of the county. Grey sandstone overlies this on the east, extending into Lewis county. Red sandstone comes next in order, and covers the southern portion of the county, except a narrow strip along the south border. The Clinton group, (limestone,) occurs in several sections of the county, but is generally thickly covered with alluvial deposits. The county has no minerals of importance. There is a single locality of bog iron ore, and some weak brine springs, in the red sandstone formation. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is generally rich and fertile, but better adapted to grazing than the growing of grain. The timber is oak, pine, beech, basswood, ash, butternut and hemlock. The grass crops are very large and of fine quality. OSWEGO COUNTY. 371 PURSUITS. Agriculture is the pursuit of a majority of the inhabitants. The culture of grain and the rearing of cattle, sheep, and swine, each receive a large share of attention. The county is usually reckoned one of the first of the grazing counties. Oats and corn are raised to a greater extent than wheat. Manufactures. Some attention is paid to manufactures, and such is the amount and convenience of the hydraulic power of the county, that we may anticipate a great increase in this respect, when the county becomes more fully settled. At present, flour, leather, and fulled cloths, are the principal articles produced. Commerce. The commerce of this county is large, Oswego being one of the best ports on Lake Ontario. Much of the Canada trade enters the state from this direction, as well as that from Lake Erie by the Welland canal. The commerce on the canal is also very large.* STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter, c eese, wool and oats. SCHOOLS. There are 272 district school-houses in the county. In 1846, schools were taught on an average eight months. 17,143 children received instruction, at an expense of $17,838. The district libraries contained 24,511 volumes. There were in the county, twenty-two private schools, with 403 pupils, and three academies, with 178 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIO"S. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Dutch Reformed, and Roman Catholics. There are fifty-two churches, and seventytwo clergymen of all denominations in the county. HISTORY. In 1722, under the direction of Governor Burnet, a trading hous- was erected at Oswego, on the east side of the river. In 1726, in order to prevent the encroachment of the French, G vernor Burnet erected old Fort Oswego, on the west side of the river. In 1755, Fort Ontario, on the east side of the river, was constructed, under the direction of Governor Shirley. On the 14th of August, 1755, both these forts, with a garrison of 1600 men, and a large quantity of ammunition, were surrendered to the French, under Montcalm, who had besieged them with a well appointed force of 5000 men, and met with stubborn and long continued resistance. In 1759, the pentagonal fort, called Fort Oswego, was built. The post was surrendered to the United States, by the British Government, by the treaty of 1794. During the late war, its garrison, commanded by Lieutenant * TABLE OF COMMERCE OF OS wEGO COUNTY. Tonnage enrolled and licensed, 1845, - - - tons, 11,410 Flour shipped at Oswego, 1845, - - -'44,560 Property shipped for other states by way of Oswego, " 71,416 Tolls on the Oswego canal, 1845, - - " $58,347 372 STATE OF NEW YORK. Colonel Mitchell, with an effective force of less than 300 men, sustained an attack from the British force, which consisted of more than 3000 troops, for two days, and finall retreated in good order, with a loss during the whole conflict of ( ly fortyfour in killed and wounded, while the loss of the enemy was 235. The Briti h, chagrined at their want of suck es s, e\ acuated the fort in about twelve hours. Fort Oswego, on the east of the river, occupies a station a little north of Fort Ontario, and has recently been repaired by the United St..tcs government. It is one of the most important military pos-s on the lake. The settlement of the county did not commence till after the Revolution. The towns west of Osw go ri r belonged to the Military Tract, and were granted by the state to officers and soldiers of the New York line. The townships > the east side of the river constitute a part of " Scriba's patent." These lands were originally granted by the state to Nicholas Roosevelt, of New York, but he not complyi ith the terms of the purchase, a large portion of them were sold to George Scriba, a native of Germany, and then an opule merchant in New York. The town of Richland, part f Volney, and about o be half of Scriba, were purchased by Messrs. Alexander Hamilton, J. Lawrence, and J. B. Church. VILLAGES. OswEGO village, situated o o: sides of the Oswego river, in the towns of Oswego and Scriba, is the half shire town of the county. As the terminus of the Oswego canal, it is a place of considerable importance, having an extensive forwarding trade. It has an inexhaustible water power, and is largely engaged in manufactures. Its flour 1 s are of great size. The harbor is rtificial, and is formed by two piers, extending from the-mouth of the river, one 1250 feet long, the other 250. These were erected by the general government, at an expense of $93,000. The village is regularly laid out and well built. Population about 5000. PULASKI, the other county seat, is a small but thriving village, in the town of Richland. It has valuable water privileges, as yet but partially improved. Population 800. Mlexico, in the town of the same name, is a thriving village, situated on Salmon creek. It has some manufactures, and an academy of some note. Population 600. Orweil. The falls of the Salmon river at this place are worthy of notice. The stream is about ten rods wide, and after rushing over rocks for about two miles, plunges perpendicularly 107 feet. The banks of the- stream are eighty feet high above the falls, and about 200 below them. Fulton is a large and busy village, in the town of Volney, engaged in manufactures, for which the falls in the Oswego, furnish ample facilities. Population 2400. XLIX. TOMPKINS COUNTY. Square Miles, 580. Population, 38,168. Organized, 1817. Valuation, 1845, $4,001,719. \ 9 bI TOWNS. 1. Ulysses, 1801. 6. Hector, 1812. 2. Dryden, 1803. 7. Groton, 1817. 3. Caroline, 1811. 8. Lansing, 1817. 4. Danby, 1811. 9. Enfield, 1821. 5. Newfield, 1811. 10. Ithaca. 1821. Rivers. a. Fall Creek. b. Salmon. c. Six Mile. e. Halsey's. Falls. f. Taghannuc falls in Ulysses. Falls at Ithaca. Lakes. - BB. Seneca. DD. Cayuga. Villages. ITHACA. Trumansburgh. BOUNDARIES. North by Seneca and Cayuga counties; East. by Cortland and Tioga; South by Tioga and Chemung, and West by Chemung county and Seneca lake. SURFACE. Tompkins county forms a portion of the great table land of Western New York. Its southern portion is most ele17 374 STATE OF NEW YORK. vated, rising from 1200 to 1400 feet above tide water while on the shores of Cayuga and Seneca lakes it is 800 or 900 feet lower. 500 feet of this depression, however, occurs within two miles of the lakes, where the streams running northward fall over the ledge of the Chemung sandstone, which forms the limit of the highest terrace of the table land. RIVERS, &c. Salmon, Fall, Six Mile, and Halsey's creek are the only streams of importance. By their rapid descent. they furnish extensive and valuable hydraulic privileges. FALLS. The most remarkable falls in this county are the Taghannuc, upon Halsey's creek, at the distance of one mile from Cayuga lake. The whole descent, within a short distance, is 300 feet. The water falls, in a single cascade, over a precipice 216 feet in height, with a sheet of water sixty feet wide and two feet deep. The falls around Ithaca also possess great attractions to the lover of the wonders of nature. Fall creek has a descent of 438 feet within one mile. On the Cascadilla, is a fall of 100 feet, in the form of a gigantic stairway. LAKES. Seneca lake forms a portion of the Western boundary of this county. while Cayuga lake indents it on the north for a distance of about eighteen miles. The scenery at the southern extremity of the latter is highly picturesque. RAILROADS. The Ithaca and Owego railroad extends from Ithaca to Owego, the county seat of Tioga county. It is twenty-nine and a half miles in length. The proposed route of the New York and Erie railroad is through this county. CLIMATE. The climate of the county is mild and agreeable, modified in some degree, perhaps, by its proximity to the Seneca and Cayuga lakes. Fruits thrive here in great perfection. It is regarded as healthful. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The whole county, with the exception of two small tracts on the shores of the Cayuga and Seneca lakes, in the towns of Lansing and Hector, belongs to the Erie group, and consists in the north, of the Ludlowville shales, and in the south of the Chemung sandstone. The two small tracts, to which we have referred, are patches of limestone, belonging to the Hamilton group, which appear, beneath the sandstone, near the shores of the lake. It has but few minerals. Marl and gypsum occur in considerable quantities. Calcareous tufa has been found, near Ithaca, investing moss, &c. and producing, in popular phraseology, petrifactions. There are two or three sulphur springs, of no great reputation, in the county. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is, from the geological structure of the rocks, highly fertile, and does not require, in most parts, the addition of any fertilizing agent to maintain or increase its productiveness, the decomposed rocks affording a sufficient stimulus. The hills are productive to their TOMPKINS COUNTY. 375 summits, and afford luxuriant grazing, while the valleys yield large crops of grain. Fruit is extensively and profitably cultiva" ted. The timber consists of oak, white and yellow pine, hems lock, beech, maple, basswood, elm, ash, poplar, cherry and chestnut, PURSUITS. Agriculture is the pursuit of a majority of the inhabitants. Oats,_ corn, buckwheat, wheat and potatoes are raised in considerable quantities; the products of the dairy are very large, and^much wool is grown by the farmers. Alanufactures also occupy the attention of a considerable number of the inhabitants. Flour, oil, woollen goods, lumber, leather, distilled liquors, paper and potash, are the principal articles produced. The manufactures of the county in 1845, amounted to nearly one and a half millions of dollars. Commerce. Its commerce is quite extensive. By means of the lakes, it has a direct communication with the Erie canal, while by the Ithaca and Owego railroad the produce of the counties south of it, is brought to a market, and the manufactures of the county distributed over Tioga and Chemung counties, and northern Pennsylvania. STAPLES. Butter, cheese, wool, oats, buckwheat, wheat and potatoes. SCHOOLS. In 1846, there, were in the county 215 district schools, which were in session an average period of eight months, furnishing instruction to 12,881 children, at an expense ibr tuition of $21,045. The number of volumes in the district libraries was 24,648. There were also seventeen private schools, With 497 scholars, and two academies, with 231 pupils. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Unitarians, Dutch Reformed, Universalists and Friends. The whole number of churches, is seventy-four; of clergymen, seventy-five. HISTORY. The towns of Newfield, Danby, and Caroline, were purchased of the state, by Messrs. Watkins and Flint, The remainder, (except a small portion in the northeastern part of the town of Dryden, which belonged to the ten townships granted to Massachusetts,) formed a portion of the Military Tract, and the settlers derived their titles through the soldiers' patents. The county was organized in 1817, and was named in honor of the late Daniel D. Tompkins, formerly Governor of the state, and Vice President of the United States. Previous to the completion of the Erie canal, it was in a languishing condition, but since the opening of the canal, its agricultural and manufacturing interests have greatly prospered. 376 STATE OF NEW YORK. Its early settlers were chiefly from New England. The founders of the town of Lansing, were Germans from Pennsylvania. VILLAGES. ITHACA village, in the town of the same name, is the seat of justice for the county. It -is situated partly on the alluvial flats bordering Cayuga lake, (from which it is about one and a half miles distant,) and partly upon the hills, which form a natural amphitheatre around it. It is regularly laid out, its buildings are neat and tasteful, and its streets well shaded. It is tinely located for trade, communicating freely by means of the lake and canal, with eastern and western New York, and by the railroad and the Susquehanna river, with the coal region of Pennsylvania. The completion of the Erie railroad will still further increase its facilities for business. Its lumber trade is very great. In available hydraulic power for manufacturing purposes, it is second to no village in New York. It is already largely engaged in manufacturing. Here is located an incorporated academy, with spacious buildings, for the instruction of both sexes, a large Lancasterian school, _and numerous select schools, in a flourishing condition. Population, 4200. Trumnansburgh, in the town of' Ulysses, is a flourishing village, with some manufactories. Population, 1000. Danby, in the town of the same name, is a thriving village. Population, 500.. DrydPn, in the town of the same name, Burdette, in the town of Hector, Ludlowville, in the town of Lansing, and Newfield, in the town of the same name, are villages of some importance. L. ERIE COUNTY. Square miles, 876. Population, 78,635. Organized, 1821. Valuation, 1845, $11,831,969. W b 21 191 17 TOWNS. 1. Newstead, 1804. 4. Buffalo, 1810. 2. Aurora, 1804. 5. Eden, 1812. 3. Clarence, 1808. 6. Concord, 1812. 378 STATE OF NEW YORK. 7. Hamburgh, 1812. 15. Alden, 1823. 8. Boston, 1812. 16. Colden, 1827. 9. Amherst, 1818. 17. Lancaster, 1833. 10. Holland, 1818. 18. Black Rock, [837. 11. Wales, 1818. 19. Brandt, 1838. 12. Collins, 1821. 20. Chictawaga, 1838. 13. Evans, 1821. 21. Tonawanda, 1838. 14. Sardinia, 1821. Rivers, &'c. M. Niagara river. b. Ellicott's creek. d. Seneca. f. Cattaraugus g. Cauquaga. h. Two Sisters. e. Cazenove. 1. Buffalo. n. Cayuga. p. Murder Creek. r. Tonawanda Creek. Lakes. L. Erie. Islands. W. Grand Island. Battle Fields. Lake Erie. Buffalo. Cities and Villages. BUFFALO. Black Rock. Williamsville. Springville. Auroraville. BOUNDARIES. North by Niagara county; East by Genesee and Wyoming; South by Cattaraugus and Chautauque counties; and West by Lake Erie and Niagara river. SURFACE. This county lies upon the great western plain. Its northern half is level or gently undulating; the southern is hilly, particularly along the streams; the dividing ridge which separates the waters flowing northward, from the tributaries of Cattaraugus creek, passes through the southern tier of towns. RIVERS. The county is well watered; Tonawanda creek forms its northern boundary. Its principal tributaries are Murder and Ellicott's, or Eleven mile, creeks. Buffalo creek, formed by the union of Seneca, Cayuga, and Cazenove creeks, waters the central portion of the county. The other streams are smaller: the principal are Cauquaga, or Eighteen mile, Two Sisters, Delaware, and Little Buffalo creeks. Lake Erie forms a portion of its western boundary. Grand Island, in the Niagara river belongs to this county. CLIMATE. From its proximity to the lake, the climate is moist, warmer in winter and cooler in summer, than some other portions of the state. The vegetation is from eight to ten days earlier than in the same parallels in the eastern part of the state. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The Onondaga salt group, (limestone,) is the basis rock of this county. It appears on the surface in the northern tier of towns. The Helderberg series succeed this in the towns of Buffalo, Chictawaga, Lancaster and Alden, and these in their turn give place to the Hamilton group of limestones. In the southern half of the county, the Cashaqua, or Ludlowville shales, and the Chemung sandstones form the surface rocks. ERIE COUNTY. 379 The limestone is extensively quarried in the neighborhood of Niagara river and the Lake. It is not, however, generally susceptible of a high polish, but makes a fine building material, when hammer-dressed. Water limestone is found on Grand Island. Petroleum springs rise a few miles southeast of Cayuga creek. Iron pyrites, copper ores in small quantities, and water limestone are the principal minerals. There is a sulphur spring about four miles from Buffalo, and one on Grand Island, containing free sulphuric acid in a very dilutedstate. The bituminous'shale, in which the petroleum springs rise, is so thoroughly impregnated with bitumen that it burns freely when ignited. Geodes, or masses of impure limestone, exhibiting fantastic and singular forms, occur in this as well as in some of the other counties. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is generally good, consisting of warm, sandy, gravelly loam, occasionally mingled with clay, and well adapted to wheat; in the southern part it is more clayey, and is very productive of grass. The timber is large and abundant in the southern part, consisting of oak, beech, maple, linden, elm, ash, poplar, hemlock, white pine, butternut, black walnut, wild cherry, &c. In the north it is principally diminutive oaks and underwood. The peach and other fruits attain extraordinary size and perfection. PURSUITs. Agriculture is the pursuit of a majority of the inhabitants. The culture of grain and of grass occupy nearly equal attention. Mianufactures also form the occupation of a large number of the inhabitants. Flour, lumber, cloths, iron, leather, malt liquors, distilled liquors and potash, are the principal articles manufactured. The flour mills produced, in 1845, flour to the value of more than a million of dollars. The entire value of the manufactures of the county, during the same year, was over $2.300,000. The commerce of Erie county is very extensive. Buffalo and Bla k Rock, the principal lake ports, carry on a large trade with all the states situated upon the upper lakes, and with Canada. The shipping of these ports amounted, in 1845, to 25,000 tons. In addition to this, the immense quantities of produce, manufactures and furniture transported on the Erie canal and its branches, are here transhipped. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter, cheese, oats, wheat, corn, wool, beef and pork. SCHOOLS. There are in the county 291 school districts. In 1846, the schools were taught on an average eight months. The same year, 24,523 children received instruction at an expense of $30,539. The district schoollibraries contained 31,032 volumes. There were fifty-seven private schools, with 1304 pupils; and three academies, with 244 students. The school system of Buffalo has been already described, (see page 125.) 380 STATE OF NEW YORK. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Roman Catholics, Friends, Episcopalians, Universalists, Dutch Reformed, Unitarians and Lutherans. There are in the county ninety-four churches, and one hundred and twenty-five clergymen, of all denominations. HISTORY. The whole county, except a strip a mile wide, on the Niagara river, is within the limits of the Holland Land Company's purchase. Its settlement dates since the conmencement of the present century. Buffalo, the first town in the present limits of the county, was laid out in 1801, but its increase was very slow until 1812, when it became a military post. In December, 1813, the British made a descent upon this county, and burned Buffalo and Black Rock. These villages were soon rebuilt. In 1816-17, a number of persons from Canada and the United States took possession of Grand Island, in Niagara river, now forming a portion of the town of Tonawanda, and dividing the land between themselves, gave out that they were an independent community, and amenable to neither government. After the question of the boundary was settled, they were expelled by force; under the authority of a law of the state; their houses being destroyed by the sheriff and posse of Erie county. In 1525, j ajor Noah, of New York, a learned Jew, and editor of a newspaper in that city, formed the design of building a city of refuge, upon that island, colonizing it with Jews, and making it a resting place for that dispersed people. He erected a monument, which is still in existence, upon the island. But the European Rabbins did not sanction the scheme, and it failed of' completion. Red Jacket, Sagoyouwatha, or Keeper Awake, as his name signifies, the most eloquent and intelligent of his nation, was one of the chiefs of the Senecas, and resided on the Buffalo reservation. He was warmly attached to his tribe, and opposed the whites with the utmost daring, until he saw that resistance was vain. He died in 1832. Mary Jemison, the Seneca white woman, was buried in this reservation. The completion of the Erie canal, in 1825, brought a vast tide of emigration into this county, and it has now become the fourth county in the state in population. CITIES AND VILLAGES. BUFFALO city, the county seat of Erie county, as has been already stated, is a city of modern growth, laid out at the commencement of the present century, and contained in 1817, but one hundred houses. It owes its growth to its advantageous commercial position on the lake, rendering it the depot of the immense quantities of produce, which find their ERIE COUNTY. 381 way through that channel, from the boundless prairies of the west, to tide water, and to the great western railroad which connects with Boston. In 1845, the amount of produce coming from other states by way of Buffalo, was 233,135 tons, of which 118,614 tons were flour. Probably about one half this amount of goods, furniture, &c. was shipped at Buffalo, for other states. The tolls received at Buffalo, in 1845, amounted to $482,000. The harbor of Buffalo is spacious and convenient for vessels of light draught: it is obstructed by the ice in the spring, till a later period than the ports on the Canada side. It has been proposed to construct a ship canal across the isthmus, from the lake to Buffalo creek, which would in a measure obviate this difficulty. The United States government have expended nearly $100,000 in the improvement of this harbor, the construction of a mole, pier, &c. and the erection of a light house. Considerable sums have also been expended, for the same purpose, by the citizens. Buffalo is largely engaged in manufactures of various descriptions. The present population of the city is somewhat over 30,000. It was chartered as a city in 1832. Black Rock, a village in the town of the same name, is about three miles north of Buffalo, on the Niagara river. The harbor is formed by an immense stone pier, or mole, more than a mile in length. By means of this the Erie canal is supplied with water for nearly half its length. This work was erected by the state of New York, at an expense of $300,000. It also furnishes a fine water power, which is employed for flouring mills, sawmills, &c. Black Rock is extensively engaged-in manufactures. The lower or northern terminus of the Erie canal is here: the town increases rapidly in population, and now numbers about 5000 inhabitants. It was burned by the British in December, 1813. Auroraville, in the town of Aurora, possesses fine water power on the Cazenove creek, as yet, however, not fully improved. The Aurora seminary is a flourishing institution. Population, 1000. Williamsville, in the town of Amherst, is a thriving village. Large quantities of water lime, (hydraulic cement,) are manufactured here. Population, about 1000. Springville is a flourishing manufacturing village, in the town of Concord. It has a number of factories, and an incorporated academy. Population, 1200. Trnawanda is a new town, comprising Grand Island and a portion of the main land, as well as some other small islands. The island was purchased some years since by a company called 17* STATE OF NEW YORK. the East Boston Company, who erected here extensive sawmille, for the purpose of preparing ship timber, but in the general depression of business in 1836;-7, they were forced to sus pend operations. The village of Whitehaven was built mainly by this company. LI. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Square miles, about 563. Population, 37,345. Organized, 1821. Valuation, 1845, $8,572,869. 81ia LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 383 TOWNS. 1. Avon, 1789. 9. Groveland, 1812. 2. Geneseo, 1789. 10. Springwater, 1816. 3. Lima,.1789. 1. Mount Morris, 1818. 4. Sparta, 1780. 12. Conesus, 1819. 5. Caledonia, 1802. 13. York, 1819. 6. Leicester, 1802. 14. Portage, 1827. 7. Livonia, 1808. 15. North Dansville, 1846. 8. Nunda, 1808. 16. West Sparta, 1846. Rivers. N. Genesee. a. Cashaqua. b. Conesus Outlet. c. Outlet of Hemlock Lake. d. Honeoye Creek. r. Canascraga. Lakes. f. Conesus. g. Hemlock. Battle Fields. Beardstown. Villages. GENE EO. Mount Morris. Dansville. Avon Springs. Portageville. Nunda. Moscow, Lima. BOUNDARIES. North by Monroe; East by Ontario;. South by Allegany and Steuben; and Vest by Wyoming and Genesee counties. SURFACE. This county is situated on the northern slope of the great dividing ridge which separates the tributaries of the Susquehanna and Ohio, from the waters flowing into the lake. The southern portion of the county is about 800 feet above Lake Ontario, and the descent toward the lake, though for the most part gradual, is divided into two terraces, the one, nearly on a line with the Portage falls, in Wyoming county; the other, a continuation of the mountain ridge of Ontario. This inclined plane is, however, intersected by the valley of the Genesee river, which, with a width o' from two to four miles, has a depth, in the southern part of the county, of not less than 400 feet. A ridge of still greater elevation, traverses the section between the Conesus and Hemlock lakes, bearing northeast. RIVERS. The Genesee river is the great stream of this county, and receives all the waters which rise in, or flow through it. Its principal tributaries are the Canascraga and Cashaqua creeks, and the outlets of the Conesus and Hemlock lakes. The Honeoye outlet forms a portion of the eastern boundary of the county. LAKES. Conesus and Hemlock are the only lakes of importance in the county. The former is nine miles long and nearly a mile broad.' It is well stocked with fish, and is said to be more than 300 feet deep. Hemlock lake is six miles long and one mile wide. It lies partly in Ontario county. CLIMATE. The climate is mild and temperate; more uniform than in some other sections of the state. It is regarded as very healthful. 384 STATE OF NEW YORK, GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. About two-thirds of the county, upon the north, belong to the Ontario group, consisting principally of the limestone of the Onondaga salt group, which, in some cases, approaches very near the surface. In the southern portion, the Ludlowville and Cashaqua shales are the prevailing rocks, though intermingled with limestone. Bog iron ore occurs in the county. Gypsum is abundant. Somebrine springs have been discovered, though not of great value. The sulphur springs of Avon* have a high and deserved celebrity, in numerous diseases, and rank among the best sulphur springs in the United States. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is generally highly fertile, and well adapted to the growth of grain. In the north it consists principally of sandy loam, intermingled with decomposed limestone, which renders it perpetually fertile. In the north, the oak prevails, but is occasionally interspersed with other timber; in the south, oak, maple, elm, basswood, butternut, walnut, ash, hemlock, white pine, &c., are the principal forest trees. PURSUITS. Agriculture. The culture of grain, and the rearing of cattle and swine, form the principal pursuits of the inhabitants of this county. Manufactures are, however, rising in * The following are analyses of the sulphur springs of Avon. That of the Upper spring was made by Professor Hadley, of Fairfield, and that of the Lower, by Dr. S. Salisbury, Jr. of Avon. UPPER SPRING. Grains. Carbonate of lime, - - 8 * Sulphate of lime, - - - - 84 magnesia, - 10 soda, - - - 16 Muriate of soda,.. - 18.4 Amount of saline ingredients. 136.4 One gallon contains per volume. cub. in. Sulphuretted Hydrogen, 12 Carbonic acid gas, - -... 5.6 Gases, 17.6 LOWER SPRING Grains. Carbonate of lime, * - 29.33 Chloride of calcium, - -. 8.41 Sulphate of lime, 5 7.44 magnesia. -. 49.61 " soda, - - - 13.73 Amount of saline ingredients, 158.52 cub. in. Carbonic acid gas, - - - - 3.92 Sulphuretted hydrogen,.. 10.02 Nitrogen, - -.5.42 Oxygen, - - - - - 56 Gases, 19.92 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 385 importance. The principal articles manufactured are flour, paper, lumber, distilled liquors, cloths, &c. Commerce. The Genesee Valley canal furnishes a convenient mode of transportation, fbr the produce of the county, to tide water. There are no mines in the county. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Wheat, pork, and cattle are the great staples of the county. Large quantities of butter, wool, oats, and corn are also exported. Hemp and flax are grown largely in the Genesee valley. SCHOOLS. There are 193 school-houses in this county. The schools were taught, on an average, nine months during the year 1846, and 12,677 children were instructed, at an expense of $19,502. There were 25,121 volumes in the district libraries. There were twenty-four private schools, with 136 pupils, and three academies, with 165 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Episcopalians, Dutch Reformed, Universalists, Unitarians, Congregationalists, Lutherans, Roman Catholics, and Jews. There are seventy-two churches, and ninety-two clergymen of all denominations. HIsToRY. The banks of the Genesee river in this county, were the favorite residence of the Seneca Indians, for a long period before the white man had trod that beautiful valley. In civilization, this tribe were more advanced than the Indians generally, and were considered foremost in the arts of peace, among the allied tribes. They cultivated their fields, built cabins for themselves, and when they could not obtain a supply of food from the forests or the lakes, looked to the products of their soil for sustenance. In 1687, the Marquis de Nonville, governor of Canada, enraged at the firm adherence of this tribe to the English, collect. ed a large force of French and Indians, and commenced an expedition against them. Following the course of the Genesee, he approached their villages with the intention of destroying them, and subjecting the captives he might take to the torture; but the wily Senecas were too crafty for the French commander. They stationed 500 warriors in ambuscade on his route, and having thrown his troops into disorder, by a well directed volley of musketry, rushed upon them, tomahawk in hand. The battle was fierce and bloody; the Senecas were at length repulsed, but not without severe loss on the part of the French. De Nonville could not be persuaded to follow them till the next day, and then found that they had destroyed their villages, and removed their wives and children beyond his reach. Two old men, all that remained, were carried away, killed and eaten by his savage allies. 385 STATE OF NEW YORK. De Nonville returned to Canada, establishing, in his route, a fort at Niagara, which he garrisoned with 100 men. This fort was so closely invested by the Indians, fhl t e ghty-eight out of the hundred perished from starvation, and but for the aid of a party of friendly Indians, the rest would have shared the same fate. In 1779, General Sullivan terminated his campaign on the banks of the Genesee, in this county, alter sending a detachment to Little Beardstown, now Leicester. It was-in this town that the brave Lieutenant Boyd met with his melancholy-fate, being executed with the most horrible tortures by the Indians, at the instigation of the infamous Butler, after his life had been guarantied by Brant. Ebenezer Allen, known as Indian Allen, the first miller of Rochester, a monster of wickedness, settled here soon after the revolution, but in a few years removed. The principal founders and benefactors of the county were William and James Wadsworth, who emigrated from Connecticut in 1790. They purchased large tracts of land,; which, by the rapid tide of immigration, soon became very valuable. Many of the early settlers were from Connecticut, and their enterprise and industry has made them wealthy. VILLAGES. GENESEO, in the town of the same name, is the seat of justice for the county. It is pleasantly situated, about a mile from the river, on the terrace back of the flats. It is well built, and has considerable trade. The Geneseo academy, formerly the Livingston county high school, of which Mr. Wadsworth was the chief benefactor, is located here. It has a spacious building, and is well endowed. In this town are situated the Wadsworth farms, located on the broad alluvial flats of the Genesee, and celebrated for their fertility and superior cultivation. The mansion of the late James Wadsworth is, perhaps, unsurpassed in the state for the beauty of its location. Population 1600. Avon, in the town of the same name, has become a favorite resort of late for invalids and pleasure seekers, from all sections of the country. The healing virtues of its justly celebrated springs were known to the Senecas, long befbre the country was visited by the whites. Red Jacket, a distinguished Seneca chief, was accustomed to resort to them. Population 800. Upon the Genesee flats in this town, the Mechoacan, wild potatoe vine, or man of the ground, (Convolvulus panduratus,) is found abundantly. It has a large bulbous root, three or four feet in length, and frequently six or eight inches in diameter. It is a mild cathartic, resembling rhubarb in its effects. There is a pond on the flats irregularly circular in form, a neck.-of land runs into it and expands within the circle, and upon this are remains of Indian fortifications. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 387 Lima, situated in the town of the same name, is a beautiful village, remarkable for the neatness of its dwel]in;s. The Genesee Wesleyan seminary, located here, is under the control of the Methodists. It w s incorporated in 1834, and placedunder the visitation of the Reg:nts of the Universi y in 1836. It is well endowed, and in a highly flourishing condition. Population 600. Mount Morris, in the town of the same name, is a finely situated, thriving villa e, settled in 1804, by emigrants from Connecticut. It is considerably engaged in manufactures. Population 1400. Dansville, in the town of North Dansville, at the head of the Genesee valley, ibrty-five miles from Rochester, is a large, thriving and busy village. It i, extensively engaged in manufactures, and has an abundant supply of hydraulic power. Paper, flour, leather, iron, cloth, and lumber, in large quantities, are among its principal manufactures. A branch of the Genesee Valley canal extends to this village. Population 1800. Nunda, in the town of the same name, on the proposed line of the Genesee Valley canal, is a place of considerable business. It has a flourishing academy, and several manufactories. The town in which it is situated was annexed to Livingston county, by the legislature, in 1846. Population 1100. Portageville is in the town of Portage, on the west bank of the Genesee river, where it enters the gorge, and is surrounded by beautiful and picturesque scenery. It has great facilities for manufacturing. This town, like the preceding, was taken from Allegany in 1846. The falls and tunnel here are worthy of notice. Population about 1000. LII. MONROE COUNTY. Square miles, 607. Population, 70,899. Organized, 1821. Valuation, 1845, $14,351,436. 2. Gates, 1802. - 12. Ogden, 1817.; /7l12 ^T-^,/ 3. Greece, 1802. 13. Rochester, 1817. 4. Parma, 1808. 14. Henrietta, 1818. 5. Riga, 1808. 15. Rush, 1818. 6. Penfield, 1810. 16. Clarkson, 1819. 7. Mendon, 1812. 17. Wheatland, 1821. 8. Perrinton, 1812. 18. Irondequoit, 1837. 9. Sweden, 1813. 19. Webster, 1838. 10. Brighton, 1814..Rivers. N. Genesee. a. Sandy Creek. b. Black Creek. C. Allen. d. e Sln.oeoye. e Salmon f. Little Salmon. h. Irondequoit. Falls. p. Genesee Falls. Honeoye Falls. MONROE COUNTY. 389 Lakes and Bays. J. Ontario. i. Teoronto, or Irondequoit Bay. j. Braddock's Bay. k. Duck Pond. I. Long Pond. Cities and Villages. ROCHESTER. Pittsford. Brockport. BOUNDARIES. North by Lake Ontario; East by Wayne county; South by Ontario and Livingston counties, and West by Genesee and Orleans counties. SURFACE. This county, like Orleans and Niagara, is divided into terraces by the Ridge-Road, and the mountain ridge, which cross it from east to west. The surface as a whole declines gradually towards the lake. The terrace, at Rochester, is 270 feet above Lake Ontario, and sixty-four feet below the upper terrace, which is nearly on a level with Lake Erie. On the shores of Irondequoit bay, and Irondequoit creek, are numerous conical sand hills, sometimes single, at others united, and rising to an average height of 200 feet. RIVERS. The Genesee is the principal stream. Its tributaries are the Honeoye creek, from the east, and Black, and Allen's creeks, from the West. Sandy, Salmon, Little almon, Ru h, and Irondequoit creeks, flow directly into the lake. BAYs. Teoronto or Irondequoit Bay, Duck Pond, Long Pond, and Braddock's, or Bradlow's Bay, are the principal of the numerous inlets of e lake, upon the coast of this county. The name of the first (Teoronto) is of Indian origin, and signifies "the place where the waves gasp and expire." CLIMATE. The climate of this county, influenced by the nearness to the lake, is mild and equable, and the thermometer has a less average range, than in most parts of the state. Pulmonary affections are, however, becoming increasingly prevalent. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The basis rock of the county is the Medina sandstone, which is widely expanded, and makes its appearance at the surface along the shore of the lake. Above this lies the Clinton group, thinner than in Wayne; next the Niagara group, abounding in fossils; next the Onondaga salt group, which is well developed in some parts of the county, and contains numerous beds of gypsum. There are several salt springs in the county, but the brine is not sufficiently strong to render them valuable. Sulphur springs are numerous, but few of them are visited. The Monroe springs, five miles from Rochester, are the most celebrated. There are also springs strongly impregnated with sulphur in'the town of Ogden. There is a mineral spring at Riga containing iron. Marl is abundant in Wheatland, Chili, and Riga. Gypsum occurs in large quantities in Wheatland. A bed of argillaceous iron ore extends from the Genesee river to the eastern limit of the county, but it is little worked. Blende and galena, the sulphurets of lead and zinc, are also found in the county in small quantities. Fire stone, a magnesian earth used for lining stoves and 390 STATE OF NEW YORK. fire-places, is found abundantly in Ogden and Sweden. There is some limestone suitable for building. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is gravelly loam, usually of great depth, and by the aid of disintegrated limestone, is rendered perpetually fertile. Ti:e timber is mainly oak, beech, and maple, frequently very dense, but in the oak openings more sparse. In the swamps are black oak, pine, and tamarack. The Genesee wheat, so abundantly raised in this county, is found, on analysis, to contain more saccharine matter than that of the southern states, and to combine with less water in the composition of bread. The superiority of its flour is too well known to need remark. PURSUITS. Aericulture holds a high rank among the pursuits of the people of this county. It is the largest grain county in the state. In 1845, there were raised in the county 1,338,000 bushels of wheat, besides large quantities of other grains. Manufactures are also in a highly flourishing condition. The county contains, perhaps, the largest flouring mills in the world, and produces flour annually to the value of more than two and a half iiii lions of dollars. Lumber, cloths, iron, paper, and leather are also extensively manufactured. Com merce. A steamer plies on tih Genesee, between Rochester and Avon, in Livingston county. Steamers from the lake ascend the Genesee to Carthage, which is the port of Rochester; the Erie canal receives a large portion of its immense freights from this county. There are no mines of importance. THE STAPLE PRODUCTION is wheat. Considerable quantities of butter, wool, and pork are also produced. SCHOOLS. There are in the county 240 school-houses. The schools were taught, during the year 1846, an average period of nine months. 19,448 children received instruction, at a cost of $33,994. The libraries of the districts contained 34,468 volumes. There were sixteen private schools in the county, attended by 297 children, and eight academies and female seminaries, with 432 pupils. The organization of the Rochester city schools has been described at page 125. The Rochester university was incorporated in 1846. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Friends, Universalists, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, Unitarians, Dutch Reformed, and Lutherans. HISTORY. This county was settled principally by emigrants from New England, with a few from other states, and other sections of New Yo-rk. In 1726, a station was established at Teoronto or Irondequoit bay, to secure the Indian trade. In 1796, the first permanent settlement was made at Hanford's landing, where was erected the first house in this county, MONROE COUNTY. 391 west of Genesee river. Indian Allen, so notorious in the history of this region, erected a grist mill and saw mill on the hundred acre lot on which part of the city of Rochester now stands, in 1789, receiving a deed of a hundred acres of land adjoining, from Messrs. Phelps and Gorham, the proprietors, for his encourage Xent. In a few years, these decayed and were abandoned. Rochester was not- settled till 1811, and was laid out as a village in 1812. In 1813, the Seneca Indians held a great sacrifice and thanksgiving of several days continuance, on the present site of Rochester. The terror inspired by the incursions of the British and their savage allies, during the late war, prevented the rapid settlement of the county.* After the close of that war, however, its growth was astonishingly rapid. The completion of the Erie canal, by opening a market for the productions of its fertile soil, gave a new impulse to its prosperity, and it is now one of the most populous counties in the state. CITIES AND VILLAGES. ROCHESTER city lies on both sides of the Genesee river, seven miles from Lake Ontario. It is finely situated and handsomely built. The streets are generally wide and well paved. The two sections of the city are connected by several bridges, and by the splendid aqueduct of the Erie canal. It has many fine edifices, among its churches and public buildings. * In 1814, Sir James Yeo, with thirteen vessels of various sizes, appeared off the mouth of the Genesee river, threatening the destruction of the infant settlement. There were but thirty-three people in Rochester capable of bearing arms. They assembled, together with the few who could be gathered from the other settlements, and hurried down to the mouth of the river. The militia were undisciplined and not in uniform, but they were brave and determined. They were marched and counter-marched through the woods, in order to deceive the enemy in regard to their numbers. Presently an officer was sent from the British fleet with a flag of truce. He was received by ten of the most soldier-like of the militia, who, in order to be ready for action. kept fast hold of the triggers of their muskets. The British officer expressing his surprise at this, the officer, to rectify his mistake, ordered his men to ground arms. This astonished the British officer still more, and believing their ignorance to be feigned, he hurried back to the fleet, fully satisfied that a plot was laid for them. In the afternoon of the same day another officer was sent with a flag of truce, the object of the enemy being, if possible, to obtain the provisions stored there, without endangering their own safety. Captain Francis Brown was deputed with a guard to receive the flag. The officer was still suspicious, and finally asked that the military stores and provisions should be given up, on the condition that the settlements were spared-by Sir James Yeo.' No," was the prompt reply of the patriotic Brown, " Blood knee deep first." While this parley was in progress, an American officer with his staff, on their return from Fort Niagara, were accidentally seen, passing from one wooded point to another. This confirmed the suspicions of the British officer, and on his return to the fleet, a vigorous attack was mnade'upol the:woods with bomb shells and balls, which were returned with some effect by a rusty old six pounder, which lad been furbished and remounted for the occasion. After a few hours, Admairal Yeo slipped his cables and ran down to Pulteneyville, where, to his mortification, he learned how he had been outwitted by a handful of militia. 392 STATE OF NEW YORK. This city owes its rapid growth to the vast hydraulic power created by the falls of the Genesee river, which amount to 268 feet within the bounds of the city, there being three falls of ninety-six, twenty, and 105 feet, besides rapids. The passage of the Erie canal through the city, and the navigability of the Genesee river, above and below the falls, render it a central point for the immense trade of the fertile counties by which it is surounded. ester was laid out in 1812 by Nathaniel Rochester, Charles Carrol and William Fitzhugh, and received the name of the- senior proprietor. In 1816 it numbered but 331 inhabitants; and in 1817 it was incorporated as a village, under the name of Rochesterville. In 1834 it received a charter as a city, and now (1846) has a population of more than 25,000 inhabitants.* The quantity, as well as the quality of the flour manufactured here, entitle the city to rank among the first flour markets in the world. Between one and two millions of dollars are invested in this business. Brockport, a village in the town of Sweden, is pleasantly situated on the line of the canal. It has a large trade, particularly in grain. The collegiate school edifice, erected by the citizens at an expense of $25,000, is a noble stone building, five stories high. Population 2000. Wheatland is appropriately named; the fertility of its soil and its adaptation to the culture of grain is such as to render it the granary of the county. It is rich also in gypsum and marl. Scottsville, in this town, was founded by Isaac Scott, in 1800. It is a thriving village, and has some manufactures. Population 600. Mumfordsville and Garbellsmills are small villages in the town. West Mendon, in the town of Mendon, is a manufacturing village of some importance. Port Gene.see, at the mouth of the Genesee river, in the town of Greece, has a customhouse, lighthouse, several large warehouses, &c. Its harbor is good, having thirty feet water within the bar. It has some trade. Pittsford, in the town of the same name, is a thriving village on the canal. Population 800. * About the commencement of the present century, it was proposed in the leg. islature of New York, to build a bridge across the Genesee river, at the present site of Rochester. The project w as strongly opposed, and one member remarked that it was "a God-forsaken place, inhabited only by muskrats, and visited only by straggling trappers, through which neither man nor beast could gallop without fear of starvation, or fever and ague." LII. YATES COUNTY. Square miles, 320. Population, 20,777. Organized, 1823. Valuation, $4,207,936. // 2 8/ \ /1 TOWNS 1. Jerusalem, 1789. 5. Milo, 1818. 2. Middlesex, 1789. 6. Barrington, 1822. 3. Benton, 1803. 7. Starkey, 1824. 4. Italy, 1815. 8. Potter, 1832. Rivers. a. Crooked Lake Outlet. c. Big Stream. e. Flint Creek. f. West. Lakes. BB. Seneca. h. Canandaigua. m. Crooked. Villages. PENN YAN. Rushville. Bellona. Dresden. BOUNDARIES. North by Ontario county; East by Seneca lake; South by Steuben county, and West by Crooked and Cananda. igua lakes, and Ontario county. SURFACE. The surface of this county is greatly elevated. It lies on the northern declivity of t e ridge which separates the waters of the Susquehanna from those flowing into the lakes and the St. Lawrence. Tle southern extremity of the county is elevated from 1200 to 1300 feet above tide water, and in the town of Barrington attains the height of 1600 feet. From this height it descends to the surface of the Canandaigua and Seneca lakes-the former of which is 670, and the latter about 420 feet above the level of the ocean. 394 STATE OF NEW YORK. The hills, however, are never abrupt, but generally gently waving, and rounded at their summits. RIVERS AND CREEKS. The principal streams of the county are Flint creek, Crooked lake outlet, connecting Crooked and Seneca lakes; West river, a tributary of Canandaigua lake, and Big and Rock streams flowing into Seneca lake. The Crooked lake canal follows the course of the outlet, LAKES. Seneca lake forms the entire eastern boundary of the county. Two-thirds of Crooked lake lie within its limits, and Canandaigua lake forms its northwestern boundary. CLIMATE. The climate is temperate and healthful, and fbr the cultivation of fruit is not surpassed by that of any county in the state. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The Ludlowville shale is the prevailing rock, and approaches the surface in the southern part of the county. The soil above this is a marly clay, highly fertile, and particularly favorable to grass crops. The northern portion of the county belongs to the great central limestone formation, but the limestone alternates with slate. Sulphate of iron (copperas) is found native in the eastern part of the county. There is a valuable sulphur spring near the foot of Crooked lake. An inflatnmable gas spring has been discovered near Rushville, and a very productive brine spring has been found at the Big stream falls, near Dundee, in the town of Starkey. VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The timber of the county is large, but not so dense as in some other sections. It consists of oak, hickory, chestnut, black and white walnut, wild cherry, maple, beech, linden, poplar, ash, &c. The apple, pear, plum, cherry, melons and grapes, are all very successfully cultivated here. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the pursuit of a majority of the inhabitants-the elevated and diversified surface of the county renders it well adapted to grazing. In portions of it, however, grain is successfully cultivated. Macnufactures are attracting some attention. The principal articles manufactured are flour, lumber, woollen cloths, oil, distilled liquors and leather. The commerce of the county is confined to lake and canal navigation, and is not very extensive. There are no mines of importance. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Wheat, oats, corn, barley, butter, wool and pork. SCHOOLS. There are in the county 106 public school houses. In these, schools were taught an average period of seven months, in 1846. The number of volumes in the district libraries is 13,644; 6536 children were instructed during the year, at an expense of $8789. There were in the county eighteen private schools, with 218 pupils, and one academy, with twenty-six scholars. YATES COUNTY. 395 RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Baptists, Presbyteians, Episcopalians, Congregationalists and Dutch Reformed. There are forty-five churches, and forty-one clergymen, of all denominations, in the county. HISTORY. This county was entirely included in the Massachusetts grant, and formed a portion of the Pulteney estate. The first inhabitants were from New England and Pennsylvania. This county was the residence of the celebrated Jemima Wilkinson, during the latter part of her life.* VILLAGES, &c. PENN YAN, the seat of justice for the county, is a village in the town of Milo. It is pleasantly situated at the foot of Crooked lake, and received its name from the circumstance that its original inhabitants were Pennsylvanians and Yankees, in equal numbers. Population 2500. Jerusalem, one of the earliest settled towns in the county, is fertile and well cultivated. Bluff point is a high bold tongue of land extending between the arms of Crooked lake. The landscape, which spreads itself before the beholder, from this lofty headland, is one of the most picturesque and beautiful afforded by the scenery of the smaller lakes. Star-key is a hilly but well watered town. The falls of Big stream, in this town, are worthy of the attention, both of the geologist and traveller. The stream, after dashing over a rapid half a mile in length, leaps down 140 feet, into a basin eight or ten rods in diameter, from whence its foaming waters find their way to the lake, by a channel some eighty rods in length. Dundee is a busy and thriving village in the town of Starkey. It has some manufactures. Population 1000. * Jemima Wilkinson, or as she styled herself, the " Universal Friend," was born in Cumberland, Rhoda Island, about the year 1753. She was educated among the Friends. When about twenty-three years of age, she was taken sick, and cidring her illness an apparent suspension of life occurred. After her recovery she professed to have been raised from the dead, and to have been invested with divine attributes, and authority to instruct mankind in religion. She also pretended to foretell future events, and to possess the power to heal the sick and to work miracles; and if any person who made application to tier was not healed, she ascribed it to a want of faith. She asserted that those who refused to b'elieve her claims, would be forever punished for their incredulity. She possessed extraordinary beauty, and though illiterate, discovered great tact in maintaining her extraordinary pretensions. Her memory was said to be very retentive. She settled at Milo, in this county, with her followers, in 1790, and subsequently removed to Bluff Point, where she died, in 1819. The settlement at Milo numbered about forty familes, and was then the largest in the whole Genesee country. A few of her disciples still remain at Bluff Point. LIV. WAYNE COUNTY. Square miles, 572. Population, 42,515. Organized, 1823. Valuation, 1845, $6,818,533. 4 2 13 I2 15p "^f 10 14 b __ _ |__ k TOWNS. 1. Palmyra, 1789. 9. Savannah, 1824. 2. Sodus, 1789. 10. Arcadia, 1825. 3. Williamson, 1802. 11. Marion, 1825. 4. Ontario, 1807. 12. Butler, 1826. 5. Wolcott, 1807. 13. Huron, 1826. 6. Lyons, 1811. 14. Rose, 1826. 7. Galen, 1812. 15. Walworth, 1829. 8. Macedon, 1823. Rivers, Sc. - a. Mud Creek. b. Canandaigua River. c. Clyde. Lakes and Bays. J. Ontario. d. Sodus Bay, e. Port Bay. f. East Bay. h. Crusoe Lake. Villages. LYoNs. Palmyra. Newark. Clyde. Pulteneyville. BOUNDARIES. North by Lake Ontario; East by Cayuga county; South by Seneca and Ontario, and West by Monroe. SURFACE. The surface is much diversified. The Ridge Road extends through the county, from east to west, at a distance of from four to eight miles from the shore of Lake Ontario, and at an elevation of 140 feet above it. North of this road, the descent to the lake is gradual and nearly uniform; south of it, and extending to the mountain ridge, the surface is raised into low hills of gravel and sand, seemingly by the action of the waves of th, lake, which, perhaps, at some remote period, covered this whole region. The mountain ridge forms, here, the watershed of the county, WAYNE COUNTY. 397 dividing the waters which flow into the lake from those which run southerly. RIVERS. The principal streams of the county are Mud creek and the Canandaigua river or outlet. The length of each of these streams is about fifty miles. They unite in the town of Lyons and form the Clyde, a tributary of the Seneca river. BAYS. The lake coast is indented by three considerable bays, viz: Sodus bay, Port bay and East bay. The first of these affords a very good harbor for vessels of light draft. Crusoe lake, in the town of Savannah, is a shallow pond, one and a half miles in circumference. CLIMATE. The temperature is rendered agreeable by the extent of surface exposed to the lake. The county is generally considered healthy. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The Medina sandstone appears on the surface along the shore of the lake. As the land rises, this is succeeded by the Clinton, Niagara and Onondaga groups-all limestones. South of the Ridge-Road, the county is traversed by numerous long, narrow, parallel ridges of sand and gravel, from twenty-five to thirty feet high. Lenticular iron ore and bog iron ore are found in considerable quantities. Gypsum, marl, gypseous marl, and water limestone are abundant. Sulphur springs and weak brine springs occur in several localities. The latter were formerly of considerable importance. In 1810, 50,000 bushels of salt Were manufactured from them. In Wolcott, specimens of heavy spar have been discovered. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil of this county is very fertile, and experience has proved, that the process of cultivation renders it increasingly so, by producing disintegration and decomposition of the earths of which it is composed. The timber is similar to that of the other counties on the lake, consisting of beech, maple, elm, black and white oak, white walnut, some hemlock and pine, black and white ash, &c. PuRSUITS. Agriculture is the principal pursuit of the inhabitants. The diversity of the surface renders grazing and the culture of grain nearly equallyprofitable, and both are practiced extensively. Manufactures are increasing in importance in the county. Large quantities of flour and lumber are produced, and the manufactures of iron, glass, leather, distilled and malt liquors, pot and pearl ashes, employ a considerable amount of capital. The commerce of the county is not large, vessels of light draft only being able to cross the bar, at the mouth of the Sodus bay, on which the principal landings are situated. There are some iron mines, or quarries, as they are denominated, in which considerable quantities of the lenticular iron ore are obtained. _8 398 STATE OF NEW YORK. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, flax, wool, butter, cheese and pork. SCHOOLS. The whole number of school-houses in the county is 227. The public schools were maintained on an average eight months during the year 1846; 15,296 children received instruction, at a cost of $17,635 for tuition. The district libraries contained 25,760 volumes. There were in the county thirty-one private schools, with 871 pupils. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Eaptists, Presbyterians, Friends. Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Dutch Reformed, Universalists, Unitarians and Lutherans. There are in the county seventy-two churches, and eighty-nine clergymen, of all denominations. HISTORY. The settlement of this county dates since the revolution. About two-thirds of its territory, including one quarter of the towns of Galen, Rose and Huron, and all west of these, was included in the Massachusetts grant to Messrs. Phelps and Gorham, and formed a part of the Pulteney estate. The other third belonged to the Military Tract. The emigrants were from New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, England, Scotland, and Germany. During the late war with Great Britain, Sodus, and Pulteneyville, (a village in the town of Williamson,) were invaded by the British, and the former burnt. They were repulsed in each instance, before obtaining the provisions, which were the object of their incursions. In 1829 or 30, the Mormon delusion originated at Palmyra, in this county. Joseph Smith, the reputed prophet and founder of that system, resided in the town of Manchester, in Ontario county, and his leading disciple, Martin Harris, was a thrifty farmer of Palmyra. By money furnished by this man, Smith was enabled to publish the first edition of the book of Mormon, or the Mormon Bible, as it has since been called. In the autumn of 1830, Smith removed to Kirtland, Ohio, afterward to Missouri, and finally to Nauvoo, Illinois. VILLAGES. LYONS, the county seat, is. a pleasant village in the town of the same name. It was first settled in June, 1798, by Mr. Van Wickle and about forty other emigrants from New Jersey and Maryland. It has a fine hydraulic power, obtained by a canal of half a mile in length, from the Canandaigua outlet. The mill privileges afforded by this canal are well improved. The High school here is an excellent institution, surpassed by few academies in the state. Population about 2000. Palmyra, one of the earliest settled towns in the county, has a village of the same name within its limits, situated on the Erie canal. It is a place of considerable business, and extensively engaged in the lumber trade. It is considered one of the most ORLEANS COUNTY. 399 beautiful villages on the canal. Its streets are ornamented with fine shade trees. Here is an incorporated academy. Pop. 2200. Clyde, on the river of the same name, a village in the town of Galen, is a thriving, busy place. It has a number of manufactories. The high school here is incorporated and comprises two school districts, which have united for greater efficiency. It is in a flourishing condition. Population 1200. Sodus contains within its limits the principal harbor of the county. At the mouth of the bay in this town, the United States government have erected a pier, a mile in length, for the improvement of the harbor. The town was burned during the late war with Great Britain. Population about 500. Pulteneyville, a village on Lake Ontario, in the town of Williamson, was also invaded by the British, but their fears of the American riflemen prevented them from doing much injury. Population 500. LV. ORLEANS COUNTY. Square Miles, 372. Population, 25,845. Organized, 1824. Valuation, 1845, $4,761,054. _ _ TOWNS. 1. Murray, 1808. 6. Clarendon, 1821. 2. Ridgeway, 1812. 7. Carlton, 1822. 3. Gaines, 1816. 8. Yates, 1822. 4. Barre, 1818. 9. Kendall, 1838. 5. Shelby, 1818. 400 STATE OF NEW YORK. Rivers, pc. a. Sandy Creek. b. Johnson's. d. Oak Orchard. Lakes. J. Ontario. c. Jefferson. Villages. ALBION. Medina. BOUNDARIES. North by Lake Ontario; East by Monroe county; South by Genesee, and West by Niagara, counties. SURFACE. The county has three distinct terraces, the first. rising gradually from the shore of the lake, to the height of 130 feet, is about seven or eight miles broad, and is terminated by the Ridge-Road. The second, from one to three miles in breadth, rises from the ridge more precipitously, to about the same height, and is terminated by a ledge. The third extends into Genesee county; its ascent, of about 140 feet, is quite rapid. The elevation of this highest terrace above the lake, is, therefore, about 400 feet. RIVERS AND CREEKS. Oak Orchard, Johnson's, and Sandy creeks, are the only streams of importance in the county. The first is about fifty miles in length. By an open aqueduct four and a half miles in length, cut for most of the distance through solid rock, the canal commissioners have turned the upper waters of the Tonawanda creek into Oak Orchard creek, thus increasing the volume of the latter, and rendering it more valuable for hydraulic purposes, and for supplying the feeder of the Erie canal. LAKES. There are no lakes or ponds of any importance in the county. Jefferson lake, in the town of Murray, is the largest, but does not contain more than fifty acres. MARSHES. The great Tonawanda Swamp, which extends over portions of Genesee and Niagara counties, lies partly in this county. It is twenty-five miles in length from east to west, and from two to seven in breadth. It is bounded on all sides by plains a little elevated above its surface. CLIMATE. The exposure of the whole northern boundary of the county to the lake, has the effect of producing a more uniformly mild climate, than that of some of the more southern counties. The county is generally considered healthy. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. In the northern portion of the county, the Medina sandstone prevails, affording in many places, an admirable material for building. In the central and southern portions, the Niagara, Clinton and Onondaga limestones form the surface rock. The mineral productions are principally bog iron ore, and some brine and sulphur springs. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is mostly clay and argillaceous loam, and is highly fertile. The timber of the county, is beech, maple, linden, elm, red, black and white oak, ORLEANS COUNTY. 401 hickory, hemlock, pine, black and white ash, &c. The southern part of the county is more heavily wooded than the northern. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the principal pursuit, and the attention of the farmers is divided between the culture of grain and the rearing of cattle. The county, however, may properly be ranked among the grain counties. Manufactures receive some attention, particularly those of flour, lumber, leather, fulled cloths, iron, and distilled liquors. There is but one harbor on the lake, and very little commerce, nor are there any mines of importance. THE STAPLE PRODUCrIONS of the county are wheat, oats, corn, potatoes and lumber; a considerable quantity of butter and cheese are also produced. SCHOOLS. There are in the county 134 public schools, taught, during the year 1846, an average period of eight months. In these schools, 9841 children received instruction, at an expense for tuition of $11,226. The district libraries contained 16,895 volumes. There were in the county the same year, sixteen private schools, with 313 pupils; three academies and one female seminary, with 330 students. RELIGIous DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Unitarians, Universalists, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Friends, and Dutch Reformed. There are forty-one churches, and fifty-nine clergymen, of all denominations, in the county. HISTORY. This county was first settled by emigrants from New England. It was all included in the grant to Massachusetts; the towns ofBarre, Carlton, Gaines, Ridgeway, Shelby, and Yates were comprised in the Holland Land Company's purchase; whilst Murray, Clarendon, and Kendall, belonged to the Pulteney estate. Murray, the oldest town in the county, was organized in 1808, In a settlement so recent, there is of course little of historical interest. In Ridgeway and its vicinity are remains of Indian'fortifications. VILLAGES. ALBION, a village in the town of Barre, is the seat of justice for the county. It is pleasantly situated upon the canal, near the centre of the county. A flourishing female seminary is-here located, and an incorporated academy. It is surrounded by a rich and fertile country, and is a neat and thriving village. Population, 1600. Holley is a pleasant village in the town of Murray. It has some manufactures. A short distance east of the village, is the Hlolley embankment, one of the largest on the canal, elevated seventy-six feet above the creek. Population 400. 402 STATE OF NEW YORK. Medina, a thriving village in the town of Murray, was incorporated in 1832. It has some manufactures. Population, 1200. Knowlesville, in the same town, is a growing village. Population, 600. Gaines, in the town of the same name, has an incorporated academy. Population, 700. LVI. CHEMUNG COUNTY. Square Miles, 530. Population, 23,689. Organized, 1836. Valuation, 1845, $2,464,634. 10 cY — TOWNS. 1. Chemung, 1791. 6. Southport, 1822. 2. Elmira, 1792. 7; Catlin, 1823. 3. Catharines, 1798. 8. Veteran, 1823. 4. Big Flats, 1822. 9. Cayuta, 1824. 5. Erin, 1822. 10. Dix, 1835. CHEMUNG COUNTY. 403 Rivers. O. Chemung. b. Newtown Creek. c. Catharine's. d. Cayuta. Battle Fields. Elmira. Villages. ELMIRA. Havana. BOUNDARIES. North by Steuben and Tompkins; East by Tompkins and Tioga; South by the state of Pennsylvania; and West by Steuben county. SURFACE. This county forms part of the great table land extending from the counties of Ulster and Greene, to the vicinity of Lake Erie. Its mean-elevation is about 1600 feet above tide water, but the northern portion declines gradually toward Seneca Lake, whose waters are but 456 feet above the level of the ocean. The streams which pass through the county divide this otherwise level surface into ridges, their banks being very high and precipitous. RIVERS. The Chemung or Tioga river is the principal stream of the county. The other streams are, Cayuta Creek,-forming part of the eastern boundary, Wynkoop, Baldwin's and Newtown Creeks, tributaries of the Chemung, and Catharine's Creek, an inlet of Seneca Lake. LAKES. Cayuta Lake, in the northeastern part, is the only pond of importance in the county. Seneca Lake forms a portion of the northern boundary. CANALS. The Chemung canal connects the village of Elmira with Seneca Lake. RAILROADS. The route of the New York and Erie railroad is laid out through this county. CLIMATE. The climate, like that of the table land generally, is cool, but salubrious. The vicinity of Seneca Lake exerts some influence in modifying it. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The basis rock is secondary graywacke slate, sometimes mingled with shale, at others compact, and forming fine building stone. It is covered with a fine, close grained sandstone. In the northern part of the county are beds of limestone. The surface rocks belong to the Chemung sandstone, except a small tract around Seneca Lake, where the Helderberg limestone makes its appearance. The mineral productions of Chemung county are few, and generally unimportant. There is some marl, in various parts of the county, and gypsum in Catharines and Catlin. VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is generally fertile; the pine plains in the towns of Big Flats and Elmira, which were formerly deemed worthless, are found by the application of plaster, to yield abundant crops. The timber. of the county is white pine, hemlock, spruce, oak, maple, elm, beech, ash, linden, 404 STATE OF NEW YORK. &c. The maple is very abundant, and yields large quantities of sugar. The soil of the uplands is better adapted to grass than grain, but the valleys yield abundantly the various grains, peas, beans and hops. PURSUITS. The people of the county are mostly devoted to agriculture; attention being paid to grazing in the uplands, and to the growing of grain in the more fertile valleys. MIanufactures are also increasing in importance. Flour, lumber, cloth, iron and leather, are the principal articles. The opening of a navigable communication between the Hudson and Susquehanna, through the Seneca Lake and Erie canal, by means of the Chemung canal, has opened a market to the inhabitants of Chemung county, and been productive of extensive inland commerce. The Corning and Blossburg railroad, which pours a portion of the mineral wealth of Pennsylvania into New York, has also been of great advantage to the county. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Oats, wheat, corn, buckwheat, butter, and cheese. SCHOOLS. There are in the county 128 schools, maintained during the year 1846, an average period of seven months, affording instruction to 7962 children, at an expense for tuition of'10,336. The district libraries contained 12,197 volumes. There were in the county, the same year, twenty-four unincorporated private schools, with 283 scholars, and one academy and one female seminary, with 134 pupils. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Episcopalians, and Friends. There are twenty-six churches, and forty-one clergymen, of all denominations. HISTORY. The first white settlers in this county located in Elmira, Southport and Big Flats, between 1786 and 1792, having become acquainted with the country while engaged in General Sullivan's expedition, in 1779. They were mostly from Pennsylvania, and from Orange county in this state. Catlin, Catharines, and Veteran, were settled soon after, by emigrants from Connecticut; Erin by Dutch and Scotch emigrants from New Jersey and Delaware county; and Chemung by emigrants from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. During General Sullivan's campaign in 1779, of which we have spoken in the historical sketch of the state, he encountered the enemy's force, consisting of somewhat more than 1000 Indians and tories, under Brant and Colonels Butler and Johnson, at Elmira, in this county. The battle which ensued, called " the battle of the Chemung," was a severe and bloody one. It terminated in the defeat of the enemy, and the destruction of their towns. The land in this CHEMUING COUNTY. 405 county was sold to the settlers, in 1788, at eighteen cents per acre. VILLAGES, &c. ELMIRA, the county seat, is admirably situated for the purposes of trade, being in the midsL of a fertile valley of considerable extent, and connected with Pennsylvania and Maryland, by means of the Susquehanna river, and with almost every part of New York, by the Chemung canal. It is also on the route of the New York and Erie railroad, and from its commercial facilities, must eventually become a place of considerable importance. The first settler in the town was Colonel John Hendy, a veteran who had served under General Sullivan. He united, in a remarkable degree, extraordinary courage and great physical power, and in his conflicts with the Indians, often exhibited both. Population, 3300. In 1790, a treaty was negotiated at this place between the Indian tribes and the United States. Over 1000 Indians were present, and among them most of the principal chiefs. In 1797, Elmira was visited by Louis Phillippe, the present king of the French, accompanied by the Duke de Nemours, and the Duke de Berri. They had travelled on foot from Canandaigua to Elmira, a distance of seventy miles. Mr. Tower, whom they visited, fitted up an ark or flat boat, on board which he conveyed them to Harrisburg. The village has an incorporated academy and female seminary, both in a prosperous condition. There is also a mechanics' association, which has a commodious hall and a public library. It is largely engaged in the manufacture and exportation of lumber, ten million feet of marketable planks and boards being exported annually. Chemuing, the earliest organized town in the county, has a hilly and broken surface, but much of it is fertile. In the south part of the town, is a mound called " Spanish hill," which but for its extent might be considered a work of art. It is elevated 110 feet above and near the river's brink, and has upon its summit vestiges of fortifications which display much skill and judgment. The entrenchments are regular and command the bed of the river. By whom they were constructed is unknown. Catharines, one of the early settled towns, was named after Catharine lMontour, the wife of an Indian sachem. This extraordinary woman was a native of Canada, a half breed, and had been carried into the Seneca country when only ten years of age, and adopted by one of its families. She possessed a good address and had great influence with her tribe, frequently accompanying the chiefs to Philadelphia and other places where treaties were made. Her town, consisting of thirty houses and 18* 406 STATE OF NEW YORK. farms in a high state of cultivation, was destroyed by General Sullivan, in 1779. Havana, in the town of Catharines, is a thriving village on the Chemung canal. It has some manufactures. Population, 1000. Fairport, formerly called Horseheads, from the fact that General Sullivan here killed some seventy or eighty of his pack horses, to prevent their falling into the hand of the Indians, is a thriving village in the town of Elmira. It is considerably engaged in the lumber trade. Population, 600. Mlillport, in the town of Veteran, is a village of some importance. It has a fine hydraulic power. Population, 500. LVII. FULTON COUNTY. Square miles, 500. Population, 18,579. Organized, 1838. Valuation, 1845, $1,308,724. TOWNS. 1. Broadalbin, 1793. 6. Oppenheim, 1908. 2. Mayfield, 1793. 7. Ephrata, 1827. 3. Johnstown, 1798. 8. Bleeker, 1831. 4. Northampton, 1801. 9. Perth, 1838. 5. Stratford, 1805. 10. Garoga, 1843. Jountains. EE. Kayaderosseras. JJ. Au Sable range. k. Mayfield mountain. 1. Klip Hill. FULTON COUNTY. 407 Rivers. a. Sacandaga. c. Cayaduta or Little Canada Creek. f. Fish. h. East Canada. i. Garoga. Lakes. m. Fish Lake. n. Garoga Lakes. Battle Fields. Johnstown. Villages. JOHNSTOWN. KTingsborough. BOUNDARIES. North by Hamilton county; East by Saratoga county; South by Montgomery county, and West by Herkimer county. SURFACE. Mountainous. The Kayaderosseras and Au Sable ranges traverse the county. Mayfield mountain and Klip hill are local names given to spurs of these ranges. RIVERS. On the east the county is drained by Sacandaga river and its branches, West Stoney and Mayfield creeks. On the south by Chuctenunda, Cayaduta, Garoga and Zimmerman's creeks, all flowing into the Mohawk, and on the west by East Canada Creek and its tributaries, Ayres, Fish and Sprite Creeks. LAKES. Fish Lake and the Garoga Lakes are the only considerable sheets of water in the county. CLIMATE. Healthful, but from the elevation of much of the surface, cool. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The rocks of the northern part of the county are primitive, consisting of gneiss, in some of its forms. As we approach nearer the Mohawk, the calciferous or earlier limestone makes its appearance, particularly in the eastern part of the county. In Mayfield, the limestone denominated by Geologists, birdseye, is found, and on the southern limits of the county, the Trenton limestone. The county does not appear to be rich in minerals. Mica, garnet, green feldspar, and porphyritic gneiss, are the principal yet discovered. Quartz, in fine transparent crystals, occurs in the southern part of the county. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil of the southern portion of the county is rich and fertile, and well adapted to grain. Oak, hickory, ash, maple, &c. are the principal forest trees. In th northern part of the county the hemlock and oak are found, and the land is less fertile. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the pursuit of a majority of the inhabitants. In the southern towns a considerable quantity of grain is raised; in the northern, more attention is paid to the rearing of cattle, sheep and swine, and to the products of the dairy. Mannufactures also form an important pursuit in the county, and are annually increasing in value. The principal articles of manufacture are leather, (for which the hemlock forests of the 408 STATE OF NEW YORK, northern portion afford great facilities,) buckskin gloves and mittens, which are made here in larger quantities than ariy where else in the United States; flour, lumber and paper. There is no commerce from the want of navigable streams. There are no mines. THE STAPLE PRODUCTIONS are butter, cheese, wool, oats, rye, flax, potatoes and corn. SCHOOLS. There are 105 public schools in the county. The average number of months during which schools are maintained is seven. The expenses of public school instruction in 1846, were $7168, and the number of scholars 5593.. The district libraries contained 11,292 volumes. Three private schools had nineteen pupils, and two academies eighty-five scholars. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Dutch Reformed, Unitarians, Episcopalians and Universalists. There are in the county thirty-two churches, and twenty-nine clergymen, of all denominations. HISTORY. The first settlements in this county, appear to have been made by German emigrants, in 1724, at Oppenheim and Ephrata. The settlements about Johnstown were made between 1760 and 1770, through the influence of Sir William Johnson and his family. In 1764 or 1765, Sir William erected the residence known as Johnson Hall, one mile west of the village of Johnstown, and resided there till his death. A sketch of his life has already been given, under Montgomery county. The possessions of the baronet in this, as well as in Montgomery county, were confiscated after the revolution, and sold. On Sunday, the 21st of May, 1780, Sir John Johnson made an incursion into Johnstown, and burned thirty-three houses, killed eleven persons and wounded a number more. Colonel Visscher, one of those who were wounded, was scalped and left for dead, but finally recovered. In October, 1781, the battle of Johnstown was fought, on the Hall Farm, in Johnstown. A body of tories and Indians, about 700 in number, under the command of the inhuman Ross and Walter Butler, had made a descent upon the valley of the Mohawk, to plunder and butcher its inhabitants. They had proceeded thus far, marking their course with fire and blood, when Colonel Marinus Willet, with a body of'Mohawk valley troops, attacked them, and after a severe action compelled them to retreat. They were closely pursued, and it was during their flight, that the infamous Butler met with the fate he so justly merited, at the hand of an Oneida Indian.* The loss of the Americans, in this conflict, was about * It is related that when Butler was wounded, and the Oneida Indian who had shot him, rushed upon him, tomahawk in hand, the wretch, who had never shown FULTON COUNTY. 409 forty. Nearly the same number of the enemy were killed, and about fifty taken prisoners. VILLAGES. JOHNSTOWN is a fine and thriving village, in the town of the same name. Its location was selected by Sir William Johnson, and several of its public edifices erected by him. It has a flourishing academy, the bell of which was the gift of Queen Anne, to a chapel called after her, which was destroyed during the revolution. It is the county seat. Population 1000. Kingsboro' is another village in the same township, famous for the manufacture of deerskin gloves and mittens. It has an academy of some note. Population 400. Gloversville, in the same township, is also celebrated for the manufacture of mittens, gloves and moccasins, of buckskin. Population 400. At the confluence of Mayfield creek with the Sacandaga river, is the Fish House village, so named from Sir William Johnson's summer residence, which stood at this point, and at which he was accustomed to spend a considerable portion of each summer, in hunting, fishing and rural amusements. About 1000 acres of the Vlaie, or great marsh, extending over some 5000 acres, lie in this vicinity, and afford a valuable range for cattle in the dry season, and a fine fishing and hunting ground for the sportsman. Rawsonville, in the town of Broadalbin, is a village of some importance. Population 500. mercy to any, however innocent and helpless, who had implored it at his hands, begged for quarter from the Indian. " Me give you Sherry valley quarters," was the broken reply of the savage; alluding to the bloody massacre of Cherry valley, in which Butler had acted so conspicuous a part. With this answer, he buried his tomahawk in the brain of the murderer. LVIII. HAMILTON COUNTY. Square Miles, 1064. Population, 1882. Organized, 1835. Valuation, 1845, $339,228. } bG~|' o ^.~~~~~I Vc^~ ~~ ^^"odr * -'L^^ \ ^ i n i / Lr~~ 4 VC~) /7 H /^^&^fc ^ I.f ^^Il^Ji HAMILTON COUNTY. 411 TOWNS. 1. Wells, S105. 5. Arietta, 1837. 2. Lake Pleasant, 1812. 6. Long Lake, 1838. 3. Hope, 181. 7. Gilnan, 1839. 4. Morehouse, 1835. JMountains. EE. Kayaderosseras. GG. Chateaugay. HH. Clinton range. JJ. Au Sable range. Rivers. a. Sacandaga. b. Oxbow. c. Moose. d. Indian. f. West Canada Creek. Lakes. h. Teralt. j. Long. k. Oxbow. 1. Piseco. n. Pleasant. Villages. PISECO. Lake Pleasant. BOUNDARIES. North by St. Lawrence and Franklin counties; East by Essex Warren and Saratoga; South by Fulton and Herkimer, and West by Herkimer, counties. SURFACE. The surface of this county is mountainous, four chains of mountains traversing it, viz: the Kayaderosseras, Clinton, Chateaugay and Au Sable ranges. Much of it is covered with dense forests and lakes, presenting to the eye an appearance very similar, probably, to that of New England, two hundred years ago. The hills are generally susceptible of cultivation, the soil being strong and productive, and considerable tracts as arable and fertile as the timber lands of the west. RIVERS. The principal streams which drain the county are the Racket, Indian, Sacandaga, Oxbow, Moose and Beaver rivers, and West Canada creek. LAKEs AND PONDS. These are almost innumerable, and in the purity of their waters, the picturesque and majestic scenery which surrounds them, the abundance of trout and other fish which they afford, are equal to any in the world. Long, Indian, Racket, Transparent, Clinch, Crotchet, Pleasant, Round, Piseco, Elm, Oxbow, Beaver and Squaw lakes, are the principal. The forests abound with deer and other game, not excepting panthers, bears, catamounts and wolves. CLIMATE. From its elevation, as well as the density of its forests, the climate is cold, and the winters long. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The county belongs almost entirely to the great northeastern primitive formation; and its rocks are mainly granite, gneiss and hypersthene. Iron has been discovered, and probably the other metals and minerals of a primitive country exist. The ore of iron discovered is the magnetic, and of excellent quality. VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The timber is principally beech, maple, black birch, butternut and elm; the lower range of hills 412 STATE OF NEW YORK. produces pines of gigantic growth. Portions of the county are well adapted to the culture of grain. PURSUITS. The inhabitants are mostly devoted to agricultural pursuits and fishing. The county possesses much land suitable for grazing. The manufactures are principally domestic. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter, cheese, lumber, corn, oats, buckwheat and potatoes. SCHOOLS. There are twenty-six schools in the county, attended by 690 children. The number of months in which schools were taught, during the year 1846, was five, and the amount paid for teacher's wages $677. The number of volumes in the district libraries was 1043. There is one private school in the county. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Baptists and Methodists. There are three churches and three clergymen, of all denominations, in the county. HISTORY. Very little can be said of the early history of this county. The first settlers probably removed from the counties of Montgomery and Fulton, into the wilderness. The first town was organized in 1805. In some sections of the county considerable bodies of Welch emigrants have located themselves. VILLAGES. PISECO, on the Piseco lake, in Arietta, has been designated as the county seat. It is a small but pleasant village. Lake Pleasant, on the lake of the same name, is a small village. It is a favorite resort for sportsmen and anglers. LIX, WYOMING COUNTY. Square Miles about 590. Population, 31,526. Organized, 1841. Valuation,* 1845, $3,652,782. -5 101 8, TOWNS.!. Sheldon, 180.. 9. Attica, 1821. 2. Middlebury, 1812. 10. Castile, 1821. 3. Gainesville, 1814. 11. Wethetrsfield, 1823. 4. Perry, 1814. 12. Eagle, 1823. 5. Orangeville, 1816. 13. Pike, 1827 6. Covington, 1817. 14. Warsaw, 1828. 7. Bennintdon, 1818. 15. Java, 1832. 8. China, 1818. 16. Genesee Falls, 1846. Rivers. N. Genesee River. c. Allen's Creek. d. Seneca. fi. Cattaraugus. g.Nunsko. n. Cayuga. F'clls. s. Portage Falls. Lak7es. i. Silver. Villages. WARSAW. Attica. Genesee Falls. Perry. BOUNDARIES. North by Genesee; East by Livingston; South by Allegany and Cattaraugus; and West by Erie. This sum is exclusive of the three towns of Eagle, Pike and Genesee Falls, added in 1846, from Allegany county. 414 STATE OF NEW YORK. SURFACE. This county occupies, for the most part, the second of those elevated tableaux, or plains, which stretch from Lake Ontario to the southern border of the state, and which are divided from each other by steep and almost perpendicular precipices. The table land on which most of Wyoming county lies, commences with the ledge, which runs through the southern towns of Genesee county, and over which the waters of Allen's creek are precipitated in Le Roy, and rises with an ascent not exceeding ten or twelve feet to the mile, to the ledge over which the Genesee river falls, at Portageville. There are no mountain ridges in the county, and the declivity of the land is but just sufficient to drain it. RIVERS. The Genesee river forms the southeastern boundary of the county, for a distance of nearly twenty miles, and in its fall over the ledge, at Genesee falls, furnishes a valuable hydraulic power. The other principal streams of the county are Allen's creek, (named from the ferocious villain known, for many years, in this region, as Indian Allen,) Tonawanda, Cayuga, Seneca, Wiskoy, and Nunskoy creeks. LAKE. Silver lake, lying partly in Perry and partly in Castile, is a beautiful little sheet of water, five eighths of a mile wide, and three miles long, elevated several hundred feet above the Genesee river. The CLIMATE is generally salubrious. The prevailing diseases are of a bilious type. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The county lies almost entirely within the bounds of the Erie group. In the north the Ludlowville shales predominate. In the south the Chemung sandstone is the prevailing rock. Carbonate of lime, crystallized in fantastic and sometimes beautiful forms,* sulphate of lime, or gypsum, and iron pyrites are abundant. There is some sulphate of barytes, and small seams of anthracite, but, as might be expected in the geological formation of this section, in too small quantities to be of any practical value. The fossils are mainly vegetable, consisting mostly of fucoides, or mosses. There are also, in some portions of the county, fossil shells, but not in great variety. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is generally fertile, particularly along the Genesee valley. The forest trees of this county are, in the north part, the beech, maple, hemlock and elm, with some oak. In the southern portion, pine, basswood and ash. The principal crops are oats, wheat, potatoes, corn, flax, barley, peas and buckwheat. * Among the most singular of these forms are masses, weighinr from ten to three hundred pounds, bearing a striking resemblance, in form, to the turtle. Their homogeneous structure, and some peculiarities in their form, preclude the sup. position that they are fossil animal remains. WYOMING COUNTY. 415 PURSUITS. Agriculture is the principal pursuit. The eastern and northern towns are largely engaged in the culture of grain, particularly wheat and oats. The southern towns are better adapted to grazing. Manufactures are increasing in the county, but as yet are in their infancy. Flour, leather, lumber, pot and pearl ashes, and woollen goods are the principal articles. The entire value of the goods manufactured in the county, in 1845, was estimated at $412,000. There are no mines or quarries, of importance, in the county. The Genesee river canal, affords a convenient mode of transportation for the produce of the eastern towns of the county. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Oats, wheat, potatoes, butter, cheese, wool, beef, pork and lumber. SCHOOLS. There were, in 1846, 198 district schools, in this county. The average amount of instruction given in these was eight months. 20,479 volumes were reported in the district school libraries; and $12,946 was the amount paid for the instruction of 11,517 children. There were also eight private and select schools, with 220 pupils, in the county, and three incorporated seminaries, with 132 students. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Universalists, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics and Dutch Reformed. There are in the county fiftyfour churches and sixty-four clergymen, of all denominations. HISTORY. The first settler in this county was Mr. Elizur Webster, who removed from New England, and settled in the present town of Warsaw, in 1803. His daughter, (now the wife of Hon. A. W. Young of this county,) was the first child born in the county. Many of the early settlers were from Washington and the adjacent counties in Vermont. These generally settled in the vicinity of Warsaw. As a part of the Genesee valley, its fertility attracted a host of emigrants to its borders, and though the youngest county in the state in its organization, it occupies a middle rank in population. Much of the land was formerly owned by the Holland Land Company, but it has, within a few years been very generally purchased by actual settlers. The Gardeau tract, or flats, was a tract of about 10,000 acres, lying on the Genesee river, partly in the town of Castile, which the Indians reserved in a treaty with Robert Morris, in 1797, as a gift to the Seneca white woman, Mary Jemison.* * This extraordinary woman was a native of Ireland, and was taken prisoner by the Indians, when a child twelve or thirteen years of age. She was adopted by an Indian famnily, and embraced the Indian faith, habits and customs. She was 416 STATE OF NEW YORK. Wyoming county formed part of Genesee county, till 1841, when it was organized as a separate county, and, in 1846, the towns of Eagle and Pike, and that portion of Portage lying west of Genesee river, were taken from Allegany county and annexed to it. The last town received the name of Genesee Falls. VILLAGES, &C. WARSAW, the county seat, in the town of the same name, was settled by emigrants from New England, who were highly intelligent and religious, and to this day it is characterized by the intelligence and-morality of its inhabitants. It is situated in the midst of a fine agricultural district, and has some manufactures. The first church edifice erected west of the Genesee river, was standing in Warsaw a few years since. Popu ation 800. Perry is a thriving and busy town, considerably engaged in manufactures. There are two villages in the town, Perry and Perry Centre. There is an academy at Perry, of some note, and a number of manufacturing establishments. Population 1200. At Perry Centre a literary institution, called the Perry Centre Institute, has recently been established. Middlebury has a flourishing academy, incorporated in 1817, located in the village of Wyoming, which is situated in a pleasant valley, and has a population of about 600. Genesee Falls, in the town of the same name, formerly called PorLageville, is situated at the falls of the Genesee river, one of the most romantic and interesting locations in western New York. In the space of two miles there are three distinct falls, of 60, 90, and 110 feet, each possessing beauties of a character peculiar to itself The banks of the river tower up in stupendous perpendicular walls, more than 400 feet in height, and are crowned with gigantic evergreens, which, from their venerable appearance, seem to have maintained their position for ages. Notwithstanding the immense depth to which the bed of the river has been worn, its turns are short and graceful, giving the admiring visitor new, though limited views, at every stage of his progress. In June, 1817, a land slide of about fifteen acres took place from the side of a hill in this town, into the river, which for some time completely dammed it, leaving a perpendicular bank more than 100 feet in height. The hydraulic power furnished by the falls of the Genesee, is improved to a considerable extent. Population 800. married twice to Indian chiefs, and died in September, 1833, at the age of ninety or ninety-one years. Since her death, most of her extensive property has been sold by her heirs. STATISTICAL TABLES. The following Tables compiled with great care, from the state census of 1845, and other authentic smurcea, present the principal agricultural and horticultural products of each county, and of the state, and the number of cattle, sheep, horses and swine, together with the amount of butter, cheese, and wool produced; the principal u. manufactures; and the commercial statistics of the different districts of the state. < TABLE I.Agricultural and Horticultural Products. COUNTIES. Wheat. Rye, Corn. Oats. wheat. Barley. Pea. Beans. Potatoes. Turips. Flax. Albany, - - Bush els, 44,149 163,894 208,254 624,039 183,274 120,978 51,252 4,487 404,594 12,220 lbs.34,985 / Allegany. - - 260,190 31,144 101,140 503,134 61,995 38,132 48,250 2,378 575,196 32,197 95,268 t Broome,- - - 81,388 37,049 172,713 331,425 75,019 1,032 2,929 1,458 182,461 13,349 32,144 - Cattaraugus, 177,927 934 96,540 459,770 24,026 13,671 18,370 1,830 506,919 20,813 42,886 Cayuga,- - - 652,896 4,415 479,151 652,281 94,067 143,516 56,755 3,524 536,933 22,567 139,126 tn Chautauque, 268,261 3,158 313,121 448,834 20,000 32,833 28,746 3,183 686,969 22,143 129,749 Chemung, - - 180,095 10,780 177,965 287,146 104,567 25,265 5,069 1,148 146,901 4,957 27,163 Chenango, - 104,562 40,148 241,205 597,508 70,803 20,147 5,845 1,897 396,096 22,464 114,911 Clinton, - - 114,570 37,998 104,,831 268,258 51,564 21,018 25,823 6,601 620,028 29,246 4,266 Columbia, - - 75,065 302,508 526,629 1,093,850 129,001 9'271 2,653 1,092 415,035 12,812 32,182 Cortland, - - - 96,85 4,532 123,186 400,342 50,157 32,214 12,237 1,276 259,364 25,075 101,344 Delaware, - 50,685 113,114 85,128 648,982 133,235 2,404 3,783 550 467,582 30,152 30,110 Dutchess, - - 86,264 165,782 814,153 1,283,718 89,199 5,671 1,347 692 387,124 84,134 34,633 / Erie, - - - 251,781 11,007 238,295 637,593 31,593 40,485 51,401 4,636 552,091 17,899 36,819. COUNTIES. Wheat, Rye. Cr. Oats. BuckCOUNTIES. I Wheat, | Rye. Corn. I Oats. wheat. Barley. Peas. Beans. Potatoes. Tunips. Flax. | ^ Essex, - Bush els, 84,217 32,160 96,429 241,514 20,690 1,869 31,885 3,144 515,650 25,707 lbs. 7,385 Franklin,- - - 97,999 21,746 70,109 148,378 24,780 6,518 19,622 1,981 623,844 25,459 9,250 Fulton, - - 17,118 42,623 105,;24 287,221 48,694 26,596 22,384 943 166,162 6,287 50,812 Genesee, - - 695,107 2,033 225,615 406,594 19,713 60,716 75,966 3,866 380,710 7,314 19,440 Greene, - - 19,713 84,380 178,027 347,891 106,524 11,209 8,467 3,503 265,978 13,932 14,647 Hamilton,- - - 253 956 4,536 14,625 5,058 810 357 40 26,104 2,422 863 Herkimer, - - 60,700 22,367 180,340 690,413 44,193 101 805 27,507 1,689 263,999 3,976 51,179 Jefferson, - - 421,819 55,457 467 230 709,232 42,128 159,872 153,374 6,974 1,235,139 18,538 20(,545 Kings, - - - 26,992 9,724 124,688 64,786 2,997 360 9,345 4,821 178,434 57,038 Lewis, - - 87,406 9,278 53,180 202,515 25,803 23,119 21,925 678 498,849 22,340 85,281 Livingston, - - 821,762 5,200 257,346 351,233 34,148 93,959 33,429 2,371 268,161 6,742 32,510 Madison, - - 190,364 5,888 230,781 517,789 24,445 229,606 31,312 2,063 393,989 7,399 42,232 O Monroe, - - 1,338,583 3,198 453,463 538,063 31,149 57,102 66,342 4,272 667,491 38,581 10,796 } Montgomery,- - 69,589 80,962 187,700 717,212 119,843 161,396 70,205 2,666 187,905 1,841 72,191 New York, - -60 6,325 2,135 300 30 25 6,085 600 Niagara, - - - 713,318 98 188,166 292,099 20,101 58,340 84,627 2,186 333,658 26,464 9,412 Oneida, - - 115,927 19,676 423,753 971,608 76,614 162,235 26,497 4,159 685,168 31,452 38,000 Onondaga, - - 636,177 10,107 516,496 829,002 51,198 360,421 106,875 4,294 573,896 22,503 107,035 Ontario, - - 918,616 9.569 357,747 533,062 43,690 211,653 50,941 3,773 414,090 13,967 20,240 Orange, - - - 82,881 191,864 603,167 417,388 111,672 1,907 30 332 173,018 24,623 15,350 Orleans, - - 692,127 219 213,703 236,743 8,528 16,872 45,589 3,001 276,433 11,119 13,681 Oswego, - - - 98,880 1,594 285,366 359,767 57,926 16,130 30,648 3,497 541,737 25,529 57,034 Otsego,- - - 109,551 87,925 201,031 1,004,541 117,265 112,261 21,999 2,789 620,921 32,517 89,589 Putnam, - - - 4,913 31,275 120,858 81,416 37,516 62 318 74,430 24,506 2,832 Queens, - - 99,374 61,680 438,661 324,218 67,571 2,600 38,219 20,299 229,876 90,710 1,416 Rensselaer, - - 75,708 201,314 403,548 763,844 64,362 12,382 9,985 4,552 604,025 21,631 282,690 Richmond, - - 10,337 7,501 66,421 27,704 3,016 3,231 269 272 44,230 7,559 100 Rockland, - - 1,705 26,283 95,698 45,120 37,289 133 33 49 59,080 6,207 863 Saratoga, - - 104,661 145,777'. 512,361 620,395 98,208 30,975 29,070 2,312 611,919 22,613 30,619 Schenectady, - - 19,754 56,205 103,729 254,455 54,682 91,451 16,351 1,432 112,842 5,342 19,8401 Schoharie, - - 79,175 120,030 85,173 683,560 147,709 208,321 77,946 2,406 319,914 6,177 70,672 Seneca,- - 483,773 4,094 204,940 292,397 37,611 50,071 6,335 895 169,081 4,690 39,220 St. Lawrence, - 264,832 51,716 304,403 646,556 47,014 48,100 101,555 5,496 1,592,723 56,577 40,508 Steuben, - 457,304 16,378 194,064 635,304 195,165 59,817 52,949 2,680 551,723 29,885 59,413 Suffolk, - - 77,423 60,376 501,939 278,820 51,193 13,791 131 3,302 190,830 97,750 6,328 Sullivan, - - 3,252 64,869 62,362 150,300 67,267 146 41 276 79,786 13,318 6,541 Tioga, - 113,165 9,433 168,160 265,922 80,767 2,632 9.391 890 167,339 6,148 35,575 Tompkins, - - 375,646 8,493 248,752 528,763 158,460 23,873 32,407 2,438 316,334 7,838 55,091 Ulster, 39,323 218281 356,201 429,713 151,130 257 326 271 201,064 19,912 56,025 Warren, - 16,469 32,319 92,746 107,112 22,474 509 8,171 1,038 236,344 9,761. 6,952 X Washington, - 75,497 116,834 471,756 593,423 27,279 9,470 37,676 7,400 969,501 10,436 149,550 3 Wayne, - - 587,818. 4,178 441,543 476,422 57,188 48,236 38,553 3,675 531,941 21,974 98,498 t Westchester, - 23,613 100,016 498,019 316,156 68,944 7.883 304 479 488,534 92,837 3,491 l Wyoming, - - 331,111 811 102,139 456,160 21,935 42,281 41,771 2,699 388,640 12,889 108,193 Yates, 1 - 403,0691 4,564 135,999 224,673 35,933 71,144 6,146 1,184/ 177,740 5,189 11,579 1 Total, -- 13,391,771 2,9.66,322 4,a,722,115 26,,323,051 3,634,079Q3,108,705 1,761,5.0.4 16,2,18.8 2 83,65418 1,3,0,33 2 2,89.7,062 >.s TABLE IL Agricultural Products. No. of Neat No. of lbs. of No. of lbs. of No. of lbs. of COUNTIES. Cattle. No. of Horses, No. of Sheep. No. of Hogs. Butter. Cheese. Wool. Albany,- - 26,840 10,780 66,536 32,807 980,009 111,339 142,747 Allegany, - 51,900 10,261 184,9011 23,573 1,563,054 887,113 349,759 0 Broome, - 30,307 4,540 66,133 15,267 1,153,484 148,752 127,506' Cattaraugus, - 45,256 6,908 103,780 19,844 1,284,635 567,867 196,903 [ Cayuga,. - 41,584 13,932 175,148, 43,546 1,696,764 394,001 412,668 Chautauque, - 66,885 10,506 235,403 32,013 2,130,303 974,474 485,816 [ Chemung, 22,516 5,085 55,498 16,800 724,135 71,553 107,559 Chenango, - 63,745 10,416 223.453 23,949 2,816,291 1,145,057 503,937' Clinton, - - 24,006 6378 63,533 13,476 677,348 184,440 135,613 o Columbia, - 35,718 9,814 172,579 54,477 1,519,610 246.384 352,739 p Cortland, - 39,068 7,049 108,862 18,155 1,588,696 682,201 227,034 W Delaware, - 62,555 8,585 135,633 24,374 3,117,649 135,562 272,230 Dutchess, - - 47,258 11,342 199,993 66,828 1,772,770 164,525 471,097 Erie, - - 57,506 13,527 148,732 38,087 1,728,021 1,288,780 274,638 Essex - - 23,895 5,118 90,495; 12,083 673,366 212,475 198,104 Franklin, - - 20,069 3,878 47,790; 10,343 554,441 240,415 102,830 Fulton, - 20,311 4,548 38,546 11,141 733,958 432,051 81,097 Genesee, 25,689 10,096 156,578 27,364 888,396 313,491 360,998 Greene, - 27,383 6'258 48,541 20,606 1,122,526 123,718 91,318 Hamilton, - - 2,133 288 2,644 788 63,391 10,032 4,608 Herkimer, - - 53,440 10,053 75,964 23,578 1,480,628 8,208,796 158,769 Jefferson, - - 85,934 16,397 184,526 53,068 3,080,767 2,802,314 380,633 Kings,- - - 7,449 4,360 108 9,515 80,059 606 250 Lewis, - - - 32,793 4,570 40,657 15,813 1,266,933 1,420,368 89,229 Livingston, - - 28,808 10,910 218,258 28,819 1,027,611 265,140 514,741 Madison,- - - 45,216 11,774 263,132 28,540 1,531,205 2,022.855 571,274 Monroe, - - 39,305 16,811 173,952 48.493 1,50,397 366,782 402,927 o Montgomery, 30,202 9,010 56,260 24,850 1,26.986 911,292 120,218 New York, - - 831 13,346 22 8,591 12,080 50 Niagara,- - - 27,836 8,614 80,549 30 968 861,300 154 976 180,687 3 Oneida, - - 85,464 17,303 194,589 45,723 3,876,276 3,277,7 0 409,748 Onondaga, - - 4949 16,968 190,429 52,907 2,123,787 749,838 423,864 m Ontario, - - 32,54 2,625 257,821 36,986 1,286,119 424,742 630,739 9 Orange, - - - 59,712 10,226 45,819 57,265 4,108,840 6,717 120,708 Orleans, - - 21,207 7,696 90,525 10,399 781,467 216,950 207,960 > Oswego, - - 41,300 9,008 76,698 27,736 1,j3- 144 933,922 168,100 Otsego, - - 61,706 14,183 270,564 38,485 2,436,718 1,595,407 548,868 Putnam, - - 16,083 2,049 14,062 12,833 77',780 24,361 28,981 Queens, - - 16,271 7,395 21,054 21,148 533,110 10,209 41,348 > Rensselaer, - - 34,734 10,594 170,552 39,262 1409,312 738,841 375,902 Richmond, - 3,669 1,223 148 3,085 81,982 156 m Rockland, - - 6,458 2,495 2,830 6,242 267,178 31 5,771 a Saratoga, - - 36,784 10028 99,706 37,882 1,498,986 336,085 213,464 Schenectady, - 12,043 3,884 19,461 10,971 545,404 155,979 39,989 Schoharie, - 36,902 9,512 75,131 29,625 1,545889 12,532 122,887 Seneca, - - - 17,521 7 267 71965 22,023 816,061 71781 168,400 St. Lawrence, - 77,979 13,470 168,314 38,150 2,529,741 1,281,972 356,713 Steuben, - - 55,482 12,310 217,658 35,987 1,838,420 311,314 424,340 Suffolk, 24,728 6,558 49,851 21,623 584,281 22,501 81,721 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- -55 TABLE II.-CoNTINUED. No. of Neat No. of lbs. of No. of lbs. of No. of lbs. of COUJNTIES. Cattle. No. of Horses. No. of Sheep. No. of Hogs. Butter. Cheese. Wool. Sullivan, - - - 20,507 2,958 19,545 9,808 795,607 17,07 4,531 Tiogak, - 23,999 4,746 54,293 15,764 822,220 170,755 108,695'tpmpkins, 3- 8,174 11,191 135,787 28,348 1,785,604 142,594 306,242 Ulster, - 36,513 8,643 46,522 42,627 1,556,457i 8,946 94,102 Warren,- 13,631' 2,734 28,831 7,549 415,496 95,638 66,868 m Washington, 43,527, 11,115 254,866 42,189 1,639,4i6' 312,736 579,056' Waynest e, - -33,891' 12,258 130,562 35,873 1,466,124 305,067 281,257 WYestcester, -32,848 6,935 21,567 35,609 1,514,242 29,197 54567 Wyoming, - 34,039 8,104 166,365 21,607 1,191,615 763,208 362,015 Yates, - - 18,878 j,523 130,134 18,882 841,643' 130,187 285,396 Total - - 2,072,330 505,155 6,443,855 l,4 79,501,723 3,744,976 13,864,828.9541 TABLE Ilt,,Mranufacturing Statistics. Value of arli- CtUNrTIiS. cles produced Sav Mills. Oi Mills. Fuiling Mills. Cardiig' Ma- Cotton Facto- Woolldn Fac- Iron WoYks. Trip Eam- Distilleriet. in Grist Mills. chines. ries. tories. mers. Albany $526,921 $104,885 $62,563 $18,046 $16,22 $66,000 $193,935.600,500 e 14,500 Allegany1 336,461 215,203 8,600 865996 45,195 76,975 19,500 $3,200 Broome, 118,779 175,833 150 24,448 q26205 6;500 4,00 Cattaraugus, 122,243 202,116 28,193 28,770 9,865 900 1,300 500 Cayuga, 576,937 701,745 5,900 36,737 51,000 59,000 13i9165 29,800 15,750 25,220 Chautauqtie, 315,989 174,5i 8 7,700 42,686 56i300 32,800 59650 13,000 26,250 Chemung, 185,846 162,753 1,800 14,626 12,162 14,000 44;000 200 Chenango~ i855220 99,081 5,900 51,847 53i183 39,183 13,388 13 761 4,865 Clinton, 149,378 176.005 56,799 15,730 56,740 721,450 14,500 Columbia, 392,059 22,749 43,694 44j764 262,250 i32,095 119,647 17,760 Cortland, 180j316 55,529 13,000 19,013 2,337 17,500 6,000 5,300 ~,400 5,000 Delaware, 161,018 152,651 68,105 70,561 35,300 1,000 2,400 Dutchess, 519,128 44,144 94.000 8,103 15,365 418,550 409,250 195,915 25,430 2,256 Erie, 13016,624 347 622 1,200 51,363 53,443 18,000 52,290 338,119 6801 43,641 Essexs 171707 336,152 53,614 24,350 40,500 431,300 3,700} Franklin, 119,960 58,824 4,000 16,025 25;782 20,000 403500 5,040 4,740 6,495 Fulton, 77,002 63,841 2,000 15,097 1i,163 8,784 6,371 4,553 Genesee, 243878 41,932 5,550 22,699 19,756 25,587 33,220 4,890 1,300 TABLE III.-CONTINUED. Value of arti- ^ COUNTIES. cles produced Saw Mills. Oil Mills. Fulling Mills. Carding Ma- Cotton Fac-< Woollen Iron Works. Trip Distilleries.' in Grist Mills. chines. tories. Factories. Hammers. Gireene,'268,6Y4 $60,360 $28,208 $30,1 26 30,200 $27,100'g$2,500 Hamilton, 2,400 10,528 Herkimer, 197,543 97,336 $5,000 45,534 36,449 50581 151,750 43,900 $28,600 23,434 Jefferson, 468,318 212,815 6,100 73,828 70,313 42,500 139,345 179,500 20,650 54,150 Iings, 298,75 321,453 355,400 1,682,830 a Lewis, 117,838 52,759 4,200 9,730 17,910I 9,000 H Livingston, 4-26,170( 46,890 3,500 15,832 30,196 6,600 38,200 700 24,324 > Madison, 364,267 105,805 5,600 25,362 38,312 47.540! 204,470 32,620 8,7 Ou 122,094 4 Monroe, 2,59,687 1 47,353 12,50 74,102 31770 111,849 409,355 8,,00 38,941 m Montgomery. 286,535 71,923 400 25,433 9,355 9,111 19,280 103,867 O New York, 52,294 785,700 750,000 82,200 16,191 2,193,417 60,000 894,700 r NTiagara, 776148 122,899 2,500 35,875 29,184 28,317 3000 27,595 16,050 Oneida, 466,5157 255,350 550 4 41,892 51,376 680,3741 502,593 1 78, 58 28,400 436,446 Onondag, 775,5421 203,408 13,975 29,722 28,046 40,254' 240,110 98,850 9,020 120,778 t Ontario, 568,3147 5(J,892 700 21,754 33,753 72.800 110,4001 20,596 a Orange, 475 378 45,653 87,600 10,457 40,810 115,124; 242,088 139,550 31,878 Orleans, 446,550 57,878 6,500 15,462 21,172 16,100 16,850 20,150 C Oswego, 1,677,725 207,558 4,075 53,944 47,618 13,000i 20,196 18,100 1,400 Otsego, 298,548 109,418 2,500 55,972- 53,273 192,959 8,365 41,950 9,220 35,239' Putnam, 67,888 11,755 6,482 8,120) 397,867 128,212 60() *Queens, 221,78'4 15,685 15.848 10,644 5,000| 127,680 40,000 Rensselaer, 793,2851'79,317 36,060 18,631 18,170 373,157 306,426 285,500 9,900 106,400 Richmond, 19,300 200 4,800 Rockland, 51,219 22,417 200 1,093 80,936 47,250 519,836 4,402 Saratoga, 422,474 170,468 19,115 23,899 163,023 82,030 12,000 80,700 2,900 Schenectady, 50,518 10,134 10,139 3,675 4,570'27,000 2,500 113,000 Schoharie, 131,379 61,609 37,743 46,811 26,312 10,500 5,300 Seneca, $381,929 $52,520 $61,175 $4,691 $10,150 $171,010 $27,375 $80,000 St. Lawrence, 450,719 205,297 3,000 95,828 85,503 45,298 110,173 $19,300 28,870 Steuben, 286,965 381,073 29,151 111,795 33,300 3,000 900 8,008 Suffolk, 166,181 10,815 3,005 4,453 $17,000 24,500 Sullivan, 100,542 144,620 9,781 8,770 32,00 Tioga, 163,935 182,982 2,150 35,543 27,668 17,700 95500 2,500 22,255 Tompkins, 485,781 120,618 25,760 29,357 33,847 133,137 33,920 800 44,226 Ulster, 360,273 89,275 160,426 24,384 23,621 5~,000 35,965 381,500 33,100 8,616 Warren, 38,869 120,942 8,212 8,589 16,000 9,600 X Washington, 248,937 127,636 37,927 30,402 49,559 145,225 25,736 4,260 Wayne, 376,269 448,596 19,143 19,274, 53,930 3,500 49,947 4 Westchester, 197,797 49,058 6,648 9,468 15,680 154.270 348,780 3,050 Wyoming, 196,893 35,703 4,900 24,549 32,093 31,133 13,315 1,500 4,383 " Yates, 273,675 56,328 21,800 19,818 18,932 9,600 10 000 32,400 Total, $22,794,474 $7,577,154 $1,695,026 $1,660,881 $1,678320 $2,979,687 $4,281,257 $8402,587 $586,3-8 $4,222,155,,8001 9,000t, lo ooo 19,818 8,932]_ __~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~B / 240' cv TABLE III.-CONTINUED. Manufacturing Statistics. X Chain ca-l Dyeing and Glass I Rope Oil Clover COUNTIES. Asheries. e Fac- trces. Printing l Paper Mills. Tanneries. Breweries. Factories. Factories tories. Factories. Factories. M Plls a ls T n. r e Albany, $850 $73,127 $34,000 $90 $ 110,008 $351,800, Allegany, 34,203 600 2,680 42,825 2,000 Broome, 6.920 3050,670 Cattaraugus, 41,835 43,544 Cayuga, 26,311 75 600 5,378 820,000 66,857 7,000 Chautauque, 7,011 250 3,700 83,155 Chemung, 2,710 1,000 15,530 Chenango, 16,561 9,820 9,600 86,534 5,300 o Clinton, 18,345 40,102 3,000 t Columbia, 625 $325,000 21,630 33.060 4!),000 P Cortland, 13,815 2,750 19,000 6,000 25,905 1,800 Delaware, 8,317 570 165,034 Dutchess, 22,000 301,200 150 13,800 92,183 125,400 Erie, 23,266 13,200 271,660 61,826 Essex 388 535 12,000 15,200 Franklin, 64,750 25,355 Fulton, 67 775 18,300 122,597 Genesse, 24,270 520 2430 34,230 4,000 Greene, $658 $7, 40,000 00 811,790 Hamilton, Herkimer, 5,e00 $14,600 35,000 217,244 $2,500 Jefferson, 64,482 $36,000 $5,125 60 5,00 100,774 8,080 Kings, 130,000 639,5$5,00 121,000 $6,000 182,880 25,380 Lewis, 16,971 3,000 28,374 675 Livingston, 10,362 900 9 74,500 20,726 1,000 Madison, 28,230 1,000 9,750 79,208 2,800 Monroe, 20,365 900 30 2,943 61,540 244,907 45,800 3 Montgomery, 1,429 1,285 62,416, New York, 6,000 4,800 20,870 132,0001 287,109, Niagara, 43,885 8,000 50,000 20,000 36,6501 6,665 Oneida, 13,496 15,300 3,40 15,000 37,116 23,000 208.446 29,300, Onondaga, 22,779 515 22,383 88,056 21,556 Ontario, 15,00 32,000 7.648 1,000 33.078 22,804 Orange, 7,600 52,500 8,995 27,000 121,274 90,000 r Orleans, 13,239 2,700 4,137 3,600 Oswego, 13,769 20,000 225 18,800 156 399 2,386, Otsego, 12,704 2,737 82,680 20,823 12,000 153,401 4,500 > Putnam, 17, 690 Queen 1,900 20,000 32,500 22,000 Rensselaer, 25,000 63,640 38,000 710 69,395 185,611 114,950 M Richmond, 945,280 Rockland, 300,0_0 840 10900 Saratoga, 300 2,150 2,150 20,864 80,100 Schenectady, [ Scheariet, 4,146 17,402 3,600 400,641 3,500 Seneca, $9,816 11,075 5,000 $30,274 $13,760 St.Lawrence, 213,741 $1,000 1,440 10,000 68,275! 6,500 4 Steuben, 15,715 150 7,000 72,516 COUNTIES. Asherie s. Glass Rope ble Fac- Oil Cloth Printing Clover Paper Mills. Tanneries. Breweries. ( FaCOUNTIES. Ashe tories. Factorinting Mills. _____ ____ ____tories. )Factories. Suffolk, 4,103 6,629 9,100 Sullivan, 20 466,751 Tioga, 475 39,950 Tompkins, 15,203 1,800 1,000 4,726 27,000 47,602 5,000 Ulster, 40,000 150 2,533 57,500 742,943 Warren, 62 500 111,176 Washington, 1,000 1,050 8,000 43,070 1,220 Wayne, 14,791 26,000 5,600 2,427 65,054 11,300 Westchester, 8,000 17,000 34,150 M Wyoming, 22,974 801 500 480 42,176 672 Yates, 2,875 1,490 20,670 TOTAL, $909,195 $378,700 $918,540 $5,000 $270,260 $2,086,986 $124,567 $702,505 $6,585,006 $1,313,273 STATISTICAL TABLES. 429 TABLE III. B, MANUFACTURING STATISTICS. Domestic JManufactures. Number of yards of fulled cloth manufactured in the families of the state, in 1844,.. 1,664,366 Number of yards of cloth not fulled, 2,650,116'~' s linen, cotton, or other cloth, 2.775,657 TABLE III. C. The following table comprises articles not enumerated in the census of 1845, but reported in the United States census for 1840. In most of the items there has been considerable increase. The statistics are for the whole state. Hardware and cutlery were manufactured in 1840 to the amount of... $1,566,974 Machinery,..... 2,895,517 Carriages, wagons and sleighs,. 2,364,461 Sugar,..... 385,000 Confectionary,..... 36,142 Hats and Caps,.... 2,914,117 Bricks and lime,.. 1,198,527 Precious metals,..... 1,106,203 Other metals,..... 2,456,792 Tobacco,...... 831,570 Pottery,.... 159,000 Gun Powder,.. 142,000 Musical Instruments,... 472,910 Furniture,..... 1,971,776 Soap,....... 596,991 Tallow and Wax Candles,.... 565,836 Drugs and Paints,..... 877,816 Turpentine and Varnish,.. 431,467 Cannon,...... 5,600 Small Arms,...... 124,600 Granite, Marble, &c... 966,220 Chocolate,.... 5,000 Total, *22,424,519 430 STATE OF NEW YORK. TABLE IV. COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. A. Total registered, enrolled and licensed tonnage of each district in the state, 1845. Tons. Champlain,..... 3,192 Sackett's Harbor,... 3,419 Oswego,..... 11,410 Niagara,...... 12 Genesee,. 235 Oswegatchie, 1..,. 456 Buffalo,..... 24,770 Sag Harbor,.... 28,348 New York city,.... 550,359 Total, 623,201 B. COMMERCE OF THE STATE. Ships cleared in 1845,.. tons, 1,340,968 Crews,-Men,..... 86,770 Boys,.. 1,362 Ships entered in 1845,.. tons, 1,450,711 Crews,-Men,... 86,430 Boys,..... 1,449 Tons of shipping built in 1845,.. 29,432 C. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. Imports of New York in 1846,.. $70,269,811 Exports ".. 36,423,762 D. ARRIVALS OF SHIPPING. Vessels arrived fiom foreign ports, 1846, 2,289 Coastwise arrivals,.... 4,663 6,952 Number of passengers from foreign ports, 1846, 115,230 STATISTICAL TABLES. 431 E. INTERNAL NAVIGATION,-CANALS.1 Number of tons of products of the forest transported on all the canals of the State in 1845,.. o 881,774 Value of do...... $6,472,237 Number of tons of agricultural produce transported on all the canals of the State in 1845,.. 555,160 Value of do. $29,479,488 Number of tons of manufactures transported on all the canals of the State in 1845,. 160,63S Value of do.. $6,994,932 Number of tons of merchandise carried, &c.. 151,450 Value of do.... $52,542,336 Number of tons of other articles,.. 228,543 Value of do.... $5,140,866 Total number of tons,.. 1,977,565 Total value,..... $100,629,859 Property cleared from the Hudson river on all the canals in 1845,...... $55,453,998 Property which came to the Hudson from all the canals in 1845,... $45,452,301 Total arrived and cleared, $100,906,299* Tolls on all the canals from September 30, 1845, to September 30, 1846,.... $2,764,121 TABLE V. MINING STATISTICS, 1840.t Cast Iron,. tons, 29,088,. Value, $S72,640 Bar Iron,. " 53,692,. " 4,295,440 Lead,. lbs. 670,000,. " 20,100 Other metals,.... 84,564 Granite and other stone,. " 1,541,480 Salt,. bushels, 2,867,884,. 6C 716,971 Total value, $7,531,195 * This includes those canals which are not the property of the State. t These statistics are for the most part far below the truth.. 432 GOVERNORS OF THE STATE. TABLE VI. Governors of the State. 1. UNDER THE DUTCH, "19. John Montgomery, - 1728-31 20. Rip Van Dam, - 1731-32 1. Peter Minuit, - 1624 —33 *21. William Cosby, - 1732-36 2. Wouter Van Twilter, 1633-37 22. George Clarke, 1736-43 3. William Kieft, - - 1637-47 23. George Clinton, 1743-53 4. Peter Stuyvesant, - -1647-64'24. Sir Danvers Osborne, 1753 25. James De Lancey, - 1753-55 2. UNDER THE ENGLISH. 26. Sir Charles Hardy, -. 755-57 *27. James De Lancey, 1757-60 1. Richard Nicolls - 1664-67 28. Cadwallader Colden, 1760-61 2. Francis Lovelace, - - 1667-73 29. Robert Monkton, - 1761 30. Cadwallader Colden, - 1761-65 DUTCH ADMINISTRATION RESUMED. *31. Sir Henry Moore, - 1765-69 32. Cadwallader Colden, - 1769-70 5. Anthony Colve, - - 1673-74 33. John, Lord Dunmore, 1770-71 34. William Tryon, - - 1771-77 ENGLISH ADMINISTRATION RESUMED. INDEPENDENT GOVERNMENT. 3. Edmoud Andross, - 1674-83 4. Thomas Dongan,. - 1683-88 1. George Clinton,. 1777-95 5. Edmond Andross, - 1688-89 2. John Jay, - - 1795-1801 6. Jacob Leisler, - 1689-91 3. George Clinton, - - 1801-04 *7. Henry Sloughter, - 1691 4. Morgan Lewis, - - 1804-07 8. Richard Ingoldsby, - 1691-92 5. Daniel D. Tompkins, 1807-17 9. Benjamin Fletcher. - 1692-98 6. De Witt Clinton, - 1817-22 *10. Richard, Earl of Bello- 7. Joseph C. Yates, - 1822-24 mont, - - - 1698-1701 *8. De Witt Clinton, - - 1824-28 11. John Nanfan, - 1701-02 9. Nathaniel Pitcher, 1828-29 12. Lord Cornbury, -. 1702-08 10. Martin Van Buren, 1829 *13. John, Lord Lovelace, 1708-09 11. Enos T. Throop, - 1829-33 14. Richard Ingoldsby, - 1709-10 12. William L. Marcy, - 1833-38 15. Gerardus Beekman, * 1710 13. William H. Seward, 1838-42 16. Robert Hunter, -. 1710-19 14. William C. Bouck, - - 1842-44 17. Peter Schuyler, -. 1719-20 15. Silas Wright, - 1844-46 *18. William Burnet, - 1720-28 16. John Young, - - -. 1846 * The administratlon of those Governors marked by an asterisk, (*) was terminated by death. NOTE. A few errors escaped notice till the last sheet was in press. The only ones of importance are the following. Page 17. 3d paragraph, for "The first four are navigated," read, "They are all navigated." Page 51 6th paragraph, for "1626," read " 1629." Page 81, 7th paragraph for " 1778," read "1779." Page 84, 6th paragraph, for "1785," read "1795." Page 127, 4th paragraph, St. John's College at Rose Hill, Westchester County, should have been added to the list of Colleges and omitted on the next page. Page 192, Map of Montgomery County, the County Seat should be in 9, instead of 4. Page 224, 5th paragraph for "from east to west," read "from west to east." Page 248, last line, for Otsego read Otisco. Page 290, Map of Essex County, 5 should be 3, and the north-eastern town should be 5. Page 310, for XXIV, read XXXIV,