OTSEGO COUNTY 



This county lies in the easl central part of the state and con- 

 tains the headwaters of the Susquehanna River system. It has 

 an area of Ii-1T>, 7-60 acres. Its average extent from north to south 

 in 30 miles, and from east to west 35 miles. 



The population is distributed as follows: 



Population by Cities and Townships 



(Census of 1915) 



10,474 Oneonta 



1,-145 



1,539 



1,544 



437 



1,6S2 



967 



1,943 



1,410 



1,731 



1,671 



1.843 



1, 367 Total 48, 534 



976 ■• 



Oneonta (city) 

 Burlington . . 

 Butternuts . . 

 Cherry Valley 



Decatur 



Edmeston . . . 



Exeter 



Hartwick . . . 



Laurens 



Maryland . . . 

 Middlefield* . 

 Mil ford .... 



Morris 



New Lisbon . 



Otego .... 



O't'sego* 



Pitts-field, 



Plainfield 



Richfield . 



Roseboom 



Springfield 



Unadilla . 



Westford . 



Worcester 



Total 



1,527 

 1,521 

 4,481 



965 



873 

 2,419 



867 

 1,506 

 2,457 



773 

 2,416 



*Cooperstown, the county seat, is located in the towns of Middlefield and 

 Otsego. 



Note: Oneonta now has a population of 11,500. 



HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS 



Otsego County was erected from Montgomery in 1791. White 

 men first explored the upper Susquehanna valley as early as 

 1G1G, but the first settlement was not made until 1740. This 

 was at Cherry Valley, by John- L-inclesay, who with three others 

 held a patent for a tract of 8,000 acres in that town. Mr. 

 Lindesay was a Scotch gentleman, and by his influence a settle- 

 ment was made comprising about thirty persons, originally from 

 Scotland and Ireland. A few years later other small settlements 

 were made, which formed the extreme western outp'os-ts in the 

 advance of civilization. These increased very slowly because of 

 fear of Indian hostilities. 



During the Revolution, Cherry Valley, which then comprised 

 about 300 persons, was attacked and devastated by tories and 



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