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. 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; ti 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 engages 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. 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 floated 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 DENOMINATIONS. 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. 7. German, 1806. 8. Pharsalia, 1806. 9. Plymouth, 1806. 10. Preston, 1806. 11. Sherburne, 1806. 12. Smithville, 1806. 13. New Berlin, 1807. 14. Smyrna, 1808. G. Susquehanna. Rivers. II. Unadilla river. CC. Chenango. BOUNDARIES. 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 extensive 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 wide and beautiful alluvial valleys, giving the county an apparently diversified surface. The 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 Chenango Canal passes through the county in the broad valley of the Chenango river, furnishing a convenient outlet for its abundant produce. CLIMATE. Mild, 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 |