Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, BY NATHANIEL S. BENTON, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Northern District of TO THE PEOPLE OF HERKIMER COUNTY I dedicate this humble and unpretending volume. If the manuscript sheets, which have been prepared with some labor, and a scrupulous regard to the best authenticated facts, shall assume the form of a readable book, it will be through their generous appreciation of the writer's efforts. And, if my labors to condense and illustrate the annals of what has hitherto been and now is an interesting portion of one of the largest and most populous states of the American Union, in the destinies of which the citizens of Herkimer county have hitherto so largely participated, shall merit and receive the approval of those so well qualified to form just conceptions of their value and importance, I shall have no hope or ambition left unsatisfied. THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS. Introductory Chapter,.. CHAPTER I. Notice of the Mohawk Indians — King Hendrik,..... CHAPTER II. Early History of the German Tribes,...... Page. 5 15 CHAPTER III. Immigration of the Palatines and Events from 1709 to 1722, . CHAPTER IV. Settlement of the German Flats - Events from 1722 to 1772,.. .... 50 CHAPTER V. Historical events from 1772 to 1783,.... CHAPTER VI. Miscellaneous Incidents from 1783 to the present time,.. 65 109 Erection of the County in 1791-Statute Boundaries- Titles to Lands - - Roads, Canals and Turnpikes - Newspaper Press-Colleges and ment - Agricultural Society,.. CHAPTER X. Political History from 1783 to 1855,.... 129 198 257 CHAPTER XI. Page. Criminal Convictions and Acquittals in Capital and other Cases from 1791 to 1855,...... 285 CHAPTER XII. Biographical Sketches of the Lives of Prominent Men of the County,..... 293 CHAPTER XIII. List of Towns when erected - Boundaries - Local Historical Inci- 388 APPENDIX. No. 1. Petition of Palatines, Indian deed and order of Council for Bur- No. 2. List of patents and grants of land in the county,. 473 475 No. 3. Sir William Johnson's petition to purchase the Royal Grant,..... 479 483 No. 6. Names of Electors of President and Vice President, United States, bly,. 486 ERRATA. The reader is requested to note the following corrections: Page 25, line 3, after the word of there should be a -. 66 25, 5th line from top, for Theidelburgh read Heidelburgh. 31, last line, for navigated read immigrated. "40, 3d line from bottom, for interest read influence. "121, 2d par., line 6, for affairs read offences. "124, 2d par. line 7, for retaining read exerting. "161, 162 and 193, Col. Gansevoort's name is misprinted. 204, 5th par. line 2, read law of attainder. "246, 14th line from bottom, for portion read fraction. "271, 12th line from bottom, for states read state. "320, 2d par. line 11, for county read country. "361, 3d par. 1st line, for cause read care. "369, 2d par. for Edward read Edmund. 66 377, 2d par. 12th line, for Merray read Merry. "407, note, for John Spinner read John P. Spinner. "437, first line, for Klacks read Klocks. The letter J frequently occurs in proper names for I; the reader familiar with the names will be able to make the correction. |