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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 ver, 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.

I AKES. There are numerous small lakes 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

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

king of England.* Another of 01 000 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, was patented by 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, Prant. 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?" 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."

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.

Middleville, 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.

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