Early History of Afton, Chenango Co., NY - Part 1

Brief History of Town of Afton, Chenango Co., NY

by Hillis Craig

Afton Enterprise, February 25, 1926

The following article was selected from a group of papers as written by members of the civic class of the Afton High School as part of their regular class work.  It was written by Hillis Craig, and is published by the Enterprise for the excellent manner in which it was written, in order to show something of the type of work done in our local schools, and because it might be of interest to our readers.

 

Afton was first part of the present town of Bainbridge, which was settled February 16, 1791.  At this time Bainbridge was known as Jericho.  Its name was changed on April 15, 1814, in honor of Commodore Bainbridge of the American Navy.  The part of Bainbridge which is now called Afton, was called South Bainbridge.  Later on November 18, 1857, Afton was separated from Bainbridge and was then given the name of Clinton for a time until a short time after, it was given its present name.

 

After receiving its name from Afton Water, a small river in Ayrshire, Scotland, made vivid and famous by Burns.  Afton is situated in the foot hills of the Catskills where, on the old Ellis place, there was a quarry on what is now called Ellis Hill. There was also a quarry located on the Corbin farm near Bennettsville.  Corn, tobacco and hops were the most important crops grown at that time.  In later years, however, the farmers have found dairying more profitable.

 

The population of the town in 1878 was 2,237.  The population of the town has not increased much but the village has.  This in understood because the farmers move into the village when they had made their living.

 

The first settlement was made in July, 1786, by Elnathan Bush, who came from Sheffield, Massachusetts, with his wife and four children.  They came as far as Cooperstown on horseback and thence by canoe down the Susquehanna, leaving Cooperstown May 2, 1786.  Thus it can be seen that it took about a month from Cooperstown to Afton where it would take us only about two hours drive by auto now.  The settlement was made opposite Stowell's Island near what is now called Stowell's Crossing, or near the present site of Oscar Nesbitt's farm.

 

Hezekiah Stowell, who first settled at Bettsburg, was the owner of this island from which its name was derived.

 

One of the early ministers who preached in Afton became a great colonel in the [Revolutionary] War.  His name was Dominie Johnston (Col. Witter Johnston).

 

Mr. Bush who had visited this locality with a view to settlement before the Revolutionary War, later bought a place of Mr. Stowell. The Kirbys and the Bixbys were other early settlers.

 

The first inn in the town of Afton was located at Bettsburg on the Johnston farm in 1783.  This inn, which was built of logs, was kept by Asa Bush, the son of our first settler. 

 

There was a ferry located at Bettsburg.

 

The Landers family were early settlers.  Ebenezer Landers, one of four brothers, and who later served in the Revolutionary War, came from Massachusetts to Unadilla with Oxen over the snowdrifts.  Here they fitted out canoes with which to row down the Susquehanna River when the ice broke out, but tiring of their wait, they attempted to journey on foot.  Mr. Landers carried the feather bed over his shoulders and his wife carried her baby and by that way the plodded through the deep snowdrifts.

 

Richard and Live Church settled one-half mile below Afton on the East side, then called Brooklyn in 1788.  Brooklyn was then the largest part of Afton.  The first church was located there, "the Universalist Church," which still stands. At that time there was a bend in the river which went north to the Frank Scott farm then south around the land where the fairground is now located.  The stone tavern was located across from the Universalist Chruch.

 

To be Continued.