Binghamton Area of New York State

Broome & Chenango Counties 

The early days of Broome and Chenango counties in Southwest New York, and their various towns and townships, are recalled through a mixture of colorful tales and factual data in this NEW 27 Page Booklet reprinted primarily from two hard-to-find books: the 1841 edition of Historical Collections of the State of New York by John Warner Barber and Henry Howe, and the 1940 edition of New York, a Guide to the Empire State, a WPA project.
The spiral-bound book has the original fine print enlarged for easier reading. A clear vinyl sheet has been added to protect the front cover.

The communities mentioned include:
BROOME COUNTY: Barker, Chenango Forks, Hyde, Chenango, Binghamton, Conklin, Corbotville, Windsor, Colesville, Harpersville, Lisle, Lisle Centre, Union Village, Nanticoke, Sanford, Triangle, Clark's Union Village, Union, Vestal.
CHENANGO COUNTY: Bainbridge, Columbus, German, Greene, Guilford, Lincklaen, McDonough, New Berlin, Norwich, Otselic, Oxford, Atarsalia, Pitcher, Plymouth, Preston, Sherburne, Smithville and Smyrna

Among the many and diverse topics in the book are: the Chenango Canal; the 1779 Expedition of Gen. Sullivan against the Indians; Capt. Joseph Leonard and other early settlers; Land Negotiations with the Indians; Area Churches; Castle Farm; Jonathan Edwards, the celebrated devine; a 9-year-old's adventures with the Indians; a Pumpkin Freshet; a Strange Thanksgiving; How John and Joshua Mersereau Prevented a Disaster in the Revolutionary War; the Indian Salt Mystery; Early Settlers in Greene; the Naming of Cork Island; a Visit by Talleyrand; a Mound, and Indian Antiquities; the Academy at Oxford, and the Religious Dedication of the Citizens of Sherburne.

Surnames mentioned (alphabetized by first letter only) include: Adams, Andrews, Ashley, Bradley, Barnet, Blackman, Baldwin, Balcom, Bingham, Bush, Buck, Barney, Brown, Cary, Coley, Cumming, Corwin, Cox, Dimmick, Dean, Dutremont, Fisk, Frederick, Fitch, Gregory, Gear, Green, Gray, Huse, Howe, Hovey, Hawley, Hudson, Juliard, Keeler, Ketchum, Lyon, Lockwood, Morris, Mersereau, Manly, Niles, Osborn, Palmer, Patterson, Page, Pixley, Porter, Padgett, Phelps, Race, Rose, Raymond, Robertson, Starkweather, Sage, Shimeall, Storrs, Sharp, Smith, Stoddard, Squires, Stow, Tillotson, Tracy, Trent, Wilcox, Whitney, Wilson, Woodbridge, Williston.

ILLUSTRATIONS depict Binghamton, the Courthouse and other buildings in Norwich, and the Village of Oxford.

The Howe/Barber history covers the development of this area until about 1841, while excerpts from the WPA book, give a nostalgic glympse from a 1940 vantage point, including interesting historical notes, especially as they relate to sightseeing possibilities. There's also a small map of the area from a 1948 booklet printed by the New York Telephone Company.

Wouldn't this make a unique gift?