~~~ Early Northampton People & Events ~~~

The following history was taken from:
"History of Montgomery and Fulton Counties, N.Y.", (New York: F. W. Beers & Co.) 1878, page 232-233.

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    This town was formerly a part of Broadalbin, and was taken off February 1st, 1799.  The first town meeting was held May 24th of the same year.  This town takes in the whole some, and parts of other patents and purchases.  First is the Northampton patent, after which the town is named.  A part of Bergen's purchase is also included.  His warrant bears date October 7th, 1785; the tract begins at the northwest corner of the Northampton patent.  A portion of Norman McLeod's grant of 3,000 acres, dated September 29th, 1770 is in this town; also 31 lots of Jeremiah Van Rensselaer's.  The Baptist  church of Northville is supposed to stand upon lot No. 4 of this patent.  The Sacondaga patent also covers a portion of the southwest part of this town.

From the Records

    The records in the town are partially lost, but a few interesting items may be gleamed from the remnants accessible.
    In 1797, Elijah Sheldon and Calvin Young are recorded as commissioners of highways; and in 1795, Calvin Young, Alexander Murray, and Peter Hubbell.
    In 1795, the first road was laid out, from the bridge at S. P. Corey's, on the best ground, to the Hog's Back, at Hunter's creek.  Within the next two years roads were laid out through other parts of the town.
    In 1805 it was voted that John Porter be excused from paying a fine for killing deer out of season; and that hogs be free commoners, provided they were sufficiently yoked.  The next year, a sufficient yoke was defined as one "in length, the width of the neck above the neck, and half the width of the neck below the neck".
    The town treasury must have been in a singular condition in 1808, when it was "voted that the money now on hand be put at good double security."
    In 1814 $80 was raised for the poor.
    In 1813 the first school districts were laid out, eleven in all; now there are fourteen.
    In 1817 it was voted that the "supervisors and others should build suitable buildings for the poor," for whom $300 was reported raised.
    In 1818 it was voted to allow John Fay $6 for transporting guns and ammunition from this town to Albany.
    In 1821 it was "resolved, by a great majority, that the town meeting be held at J. Van Arnam's, near the meeting-house.
    In 1826 the supervisor was instructed to vote against the poorhouse system.

Officials from Northampton

    This town has furnished its full quota of national and State legislators, including John Fay, M. C., (elected in 1820) and Alex St. John, C. S. Grinnell, Joseph Spier, Darius Moore, William A. Smith, ___ Hayner, L. I. Marvin, John Patterson, Joseph Covill, ___ Gleason, William Coppernoll and William F. Barker, members of the State Legislature.  This town has also furnished the county officers as follows:  Amasa Shippee, elected sheriff in 1840; superintendent of the poor, ___ Sanford; superintendent of schools, Jason Bacon, Flood B. Sprague and Ira H. Van Ness. 

The following is a list of early Supervisors and Town Clerks:

Supervisors

Alexander St. John	1799-1803
John Nash	1804-1805
Abram Van Arnam	1806
John Fay	1807-1813
Joseph Spier	1814-1822
Nathaniel Wescott	1823-1836
John Patterson	1837-1841
Nathan B. Lobdell	1842-1843
Abram H. Van Arnam	1844-1845
William Slocum	1846-1847
Cyrus Stone	1848-1849
Fay Smith	1850-1851
William A. Smith	1852
William Slocum	1853-1854
Morgan Lewis	1855-1856
Seth Cook	1857-1858
William F. Barker	1859-1860
H. D. Smith	1861-1862
Gilbert Le Fever	1863-1864
H. D. Smith	1865-1866
A. Newcomb Van Arnam	1867-1868
Thomas H. Rooney	1869-1872
A. Newcomb Van Arnam	1873-1875
George M. Gifford	1876
Robert Humphrey	1877

Town Clerks

John Dennison	1800-1803
Abram Van Arnam	1804-1805
J. A. Van Arnam	1806
Daniel Brownell	1807
Jacob Van Arnam	1808-1809
J. Lobdell	1810-1812
William Hammond	1813
Godfrey T. Shew	1814-1815
Nathaniel Lobdell	1816-1820
Abram Van Arnam, jr.	1821
Joseph F. Spier	1822-1828
C. S. Grinnell	1829-1830
Flavel B. Sprague	1831-1833
John Patterson	1834-1835
Wright Newton	1836-1837
William H. Van Ness	1838
Seth Cook	1839-1840
D. R. Smith	1841
M. W. Newton	1842-1843
Peter D. Gifford	1844
Harvey D. Smith	1845-1846
Benjamin Smith	1847-1848
William H. Van Ness	1849
Seth Cook	1850-1851
John W. Cook	1852
Morgan Lewis	1853-1854
Joseph M. Gifford	1855
H. D. Smith	1856-1857
A. J. Smith	1858-1859
S. B. Benton	1860
Charles A. Baker	1861
John W. Cook	1862-1863
J. H. Smith	1864
A. Pulling	1865
B. N. Lobdell	1866
A. Pulling	1867-1868
P. Conkling	1869-1870
R. S. Gifford	1871
Amos H. Van Arnam	1872
Theodore Scribner	1873
C. E. Manning	1874
Jonathan Baker	1875
George N. Brown	1876
George Van Arnam	1877

First Events

    The first school-house was in what is now District no. 1, at Fish House and nearly or quite on the site of the present one.
    Thomas Foster built the first grist mill in the town, on Hunter's creek, in what is now the village of Northville.  Mr. Fuller has a mill now upon the same site.
    The first clothier's store was also on Hunter's creek, within the corporate limits of Northville.  It was built by a Mr. Potter, and long ago went to decay.
    The first marriage in the town was that of Alexander St. John and Martha Scribner, in 1798.  The first child born in the town was Godfrey Shew.  The  first death was that of Gideon Olmsted.
    The brick store opposite the Osborn House, at Fish House, and built by Hon. John Fay, is probably the oldest brick building in the town, as it was built in 1809.  The brick house owned by Mr. Spiers, in Northville, was built in 1820; and the "Marvin House", at Fish House, in 1824.
    The first frame house, after Sir William's, was built by John Nash, near the outlet of Vlaie creek, in the vicinity of Fish House; also a blacksmith shop.
    Tradition says that the first log house in the town was built near the south end of Fish House bridge, on the north side of the road, and in after years owned by a Mr. McNutt.

Bridges

Covered Bridge at Fish House

    The Northville Bridge, which spans the Sacondaga at Northville, was built in 1860, at a cost of about $2,500, and is as good as new. 

Railroad Investments

    In 1875 the Gloversville and Northville Railroad was completed to its present terminus opposite Northville at the town bridge.  The town issued its bonds in 1872 to the amount of $20,000 to aid in the construction of the road, and about $80,000 was invested in the line as individual subscriptions by citizens of the town.