Image from Otsego county New York Geographical and Historical
by Edwin F Bacon, Ph B. 1902 Oneonta NY
| Page 27. EDMESTON. Area 27,075 Acres. Population 1,767. Edmeston was formed from the town of Burlington in 1808. The surface is an elevated upland, broken by numerous valleys. The highest elevations are about 400 feet above the Unadilla river which forms its western boundary. The township takes its name from Col. Edmeston, an officer in the old French war (1754-1763), who for his services received from the crown a tract of 110,000 acres along the Unadilla river. To this tract Col. Edmeston sent Percifer Carr, a faithful old soldier of his command, who remained here until carried away with his family captive by the Indians, but after the Revolution he returned. In 1818 William Stickney and Samuel Simons built a forge and trip hammer for the manufacture of axes, rifle barrels, scythes, and wrought iron plow shares. The first physician was Dr. Gaines Smith, who came with his family from Vermont in 1800. His grandson, Hon. David B. St.John became a resident of the town in 1820. Other early settlers in the town who have living descendants were David Chapin with his large family, Nathan Langworthy, Henry D. Crandall, Stepen Hoxie, Adin and Lyman Deming, John S. Coon, Charles F. Goodrich, Levi D. Banks, Daniel R. Barrett, Abel Matterson, Charles Burlingham, Erastus Waldo, Joseph Bootman, James P. Ackerman, Ephraim Chamberlain, Edwin Phelps, John T. Richards, Hiram Wright, Benjamin Peet, George B. Talbot, Elder Taylor, Andrew Hawkins, George Arnold, Daniel Chapin, and Jacob Talbot. VILLAGES: There are three villages in this township: Edmeston (population 749), West Edmeston (population 222), and South Edmeston (population 206). SCHOOLS: Number of districts 13. Number of teachers 17. Children of school age 266. The Edmeston High School is under the supervision of the Board of Regents. The academic department has a well equipped laboratory, a library of 1,000 volumes, and all necessary reference books. The faculty consists of a principal and four assistants. CHURCHES: There are six churches in the township of Edmeston, namely: Baptist, Methodist and Free Methodist at Edmeston village; Baptist and 7th day Baptist at West Edmeston and a Union church at South Edmeston. NEWSPAPERS: The Edmeston Local, established in 1882, circulates also as a local organ in the townships of Burlington, Pittsfield, Plainfield, and New Lisbon. Transcribed by Karen Flanders Eddy. KARENE1@webtv.net |