PURSUITS. The people generally are engaged in tilling the earth, and find a rich return for their toil, in the abundance it produces. More wheat is raised in this county, than in any other in the state. It also produces more wool. All kinds of fruit congenial to the climate, are produced in large quantities. The manufactures of the county are limited, as it has comparatively little water power. They are chiefly flour, the various woollen fabrics, leather, malt and distilled liquors.

Its commerce is confined to the transportation of its produce, and that principally on the Seneca lake.

STAPLES. These are, wheat, wool, oats, barley and butter. SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were 220 district schools, which were taught an average period of eight months, and contained 14,617 pupils. The amount paid for tuition was $21,519. There were 27,106 volumes in the school libraries.

There were in addition, thirty-five select schools, with 706 scholars, two academies, and one female seminary, with 246 pupils, and one college with eight professors, and, including both departments, 260 students.

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Friends, Universalists, Dutch Reformed, Unitarians and Roman Catholics. Total churches seventy-six-clergymen ninety-five.

HISTORY. The whole of this county, as well as the counties of Steuben, Genesee, Allegany, Niagara, Chautauque, Monroe, Livingston, Erie, Yates, and the western half of Wayne and Orleans, was included in the lands ceded by New York to Massachusetts, and by that state to Messrs. Gorham and Phelps, in 1787.

In 1788 Oliver Phelps, one of the proprietors, left Granville, Massachusetts, to explore this far distant and unknown country, amid the tearful adieus of his family and friends, who parted with him, not expecting his return.

On his arrival at Canandaigua, he assembled the chiefs of the Six Nations, and purchased from them their title to two and a half millions of acres of land. In 1789, he opened, at Canandaigua, the first land office in America, for the sale of forest lands to settlers.

His system of surveys by townships was subsequently adopted by the United States government, in their surveys of new lands. Almost the whole of the lands of this county were thus sold to actual settlers, a large proportion of whom were from New England.

With a soil of extraordinary fertility, and a thrifty and industrious population; possessing scenery of unrivaled beauty, and removed from the danger of hostile incursions, the growth of

this county has been rapid and prosperous, since its first settlement.

VILLAGES. CANANDAIGUA VILLAGE in the town of Canandaigua, was laid out by Messrs. Gorham and Phelps, in 1788, and is the county seat. It is delightfully situated, on an ascent, at the northern extremity of the lake of the same name, commanding a fine view of that beautiful sheet of water. Its buildings, many of them handsome, are principally situated on a single broad street, running north and south, and are surrounded by highly cultivated gardens.

The Canandaigua academy, located here, was founded by the munificence of Messrs. Gorham and Phelps, and is amply sustained by the liberality of the inhabitants. It is also the seat of the Ontario female seminary, an ancient and respectable institution. Population about 3000.

Geneva, in the town of Seneca, was founded by Messrs. Annin and Barton, in 1794. In the beauty of its situation, it is unrivaled among the many beautiful villages of western New York. Situated at the northwest extremity of Seneca lake, its principal street runs parallel with the shore of the lake, at an elevation of about 100 feet, and from many of its residences terraced gardens extend to the banks of the lake.

It has some manufactures, but is chiefly distinguished for its refined society, and for the advantages it affords as a retreat for the scholar, the retired merchant, or the gentleman of fortune. The college, here, has an able corps of instructors, and is rising in reputation and usefulness. In beauty of location it is not surpassed by any institution in the United States. It has a flourishing medical department. There is also in this village a female seminary. Population about 4000.

East and West Vienna, in the town of Phelps, are thriving villages, situated one mile distant from each other, on the outlet of Canandaigua lake. They are in the midst of a fine agricultural region and have some manufactories. East Vienna has a female seminary. The Auburn and Rochester railroad passes through the village. Population 1500.

Rushville, partly in this county and partly in Yates, is a village of some importance. Population about 800.

Port Gibson, in the town of Manchester,. is the only place where the Erie canal touches the county.

Square Miles, 1370.

Population, 37,424.

Organized, 1791.

Valuation, 1845, $6,572,473.

TOWNS.

1. German Flats, 1788. 2. Herkimer, 1788. 3. Schuyler, 1792. 4. Norway, 1792. 5. Fairfield, 1796. 6. Frankfort, 1796. 7. Litchfield, 1796. 8. Warren, 1796. 9. Manheim, 1797. 10. Newport, 1806. 11. Russia, 1806. 12. Columbia, 181. 13. Winfield, 1816. 14. Danube, 1817. 15. Salisbury, 1817. 16. Ohio, 1823.

17. Stark, 1828.

18. Little Falls, 1829.
19. Wilmurt, 1837.

Mountains. GG. Chateaugay.
Otsquaga. i. Hassencleaver.
Rivers. F. Mohawk. a. Black.
h. East Canada Creek. f. West
Canada Creek. b. Beaver.
Moose.

Falls. g. Trenton. t. Little.
Lakes. d. Moose.

Villages. HERKIMER. Little
Falls. Fairfield.

C.

BOUNDARIES. North by St. Lawrence county; East by Hamilton, Fulton and Montgomery; South by Otsego; and West by Oneida and Lewis counties.

SURFACE. The surface is diversified, and crossed by mountains in every direction. The Chateaugay range enters the

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 r, 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.

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 unproducti

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