Richfield Town

Otsego County, New York

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Richfield Town Hall is located at 18 East James Street, Richfield Springs, NY 13439.
Phone: 315‑858‑8809.

Neighborhoods

Beginnings [1]

The Town of Richfield was formed from Otsego in April of 1792 and as then set off, included Exeter and Plainfield, which, on March 25, 1799, became separate towns. Still later, April 17, 1816, another portion of Richfield was taken away, when Winfield, Herkimer County, was erected.

Settlers swarmed into the town soon after the Revolution. They found evidence of earlier occupation by white people, but no evidence of why none remained. Seth Allen, Richard and William Pray, John Beardsley, Joseph Coats, and John Kimball settled in the neighborhood of Monticello [noted as Richfield on modern maps] and Brighton in 1787. In 1789, Daniel Hawks, John Hatch, Ebenezer Eaton, and Joseph Rockwell, took up lands at, and a little west of the village. The following year Obadiah Beardsley settled near Monticello; the Coldwells and others came soon afterward.

Obed Edson and John Rudd kept the first taverns in log buildings, several years before the erection of Jacob Brewster's in Monticello in 1797. Edson's was near Monticello; Rudd's was farther south, probably at the place called Exeter.

The first town meeting was held on April 2nd, 1793. The following were elected to office: Nathan Jeffords, Supervisor; Seth Allen, Town Clerk; Alpheus Loomis, Obadiah Beardsley, Jr., William Tunnicliff, Assessors; Benjamin Hodge, John Beardsley, John Martin, commissioners of highways; Joseph Coats, Robert Martin, Jr., overseers of the poor; James B. Nicholls, James Farr, and Christopher Palmer, constables; James Farr, collector.

  1. Dr. Henry A. Ward, Annals of Richfield, Press of Fierstine Printing House, Utica, N.Y., 1898.

Nearby Towns: Richfield Springs Vlg •


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