Cherry Valley Historical Association
Cherry Valley History
The settlement history of Cherry Valley begins with the patenting of 9,200 acres to John Lindesay (a land grant was made by King George II, to four men, one of whom was John Lindesay, a Scotchman, who had the entire tract assigned to him and settled here in 1739).
He had interests in the Indian trade throughout western New York. Settlement began in 1740 when Lindesay's friend, Reverend Samuel Dunlop convinced seven Scotch-Irish families from New Hampshire to join them in the first settlement on the Allegheny Plateau, the furthest west from the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys. Cherry Valley soon became one of the strongest settlements of the frontier.
One of the most notorious events of the Revolutionary War was the Cherry Valley Massacre of 1778 led by Mohawk War chief Joseph Brant, along with Tory rangers, killing 47 (including 32 non-combatants) -- mostly by tomahawk.
The construction of the Cherry Valley Turnpike (now Route 20) from Albany began in 1799, which brought prosperity to the small village. Soon followed the Cherry Valley Academy (a renowned girl's finishing school), Oliver Judd's iron foundry (a sample of his work is at our present day Lithia Spring fountain), the National Central Bank established in 1818 (presently the NBT Bank), and is the oldest bank in New York State west of Albany.
In 1837 Samuel F B Morse and Amos L Swan (manufacturer of the Cherry Valley Melodeon) developed the first working telegraph machine and established the first telegraph office in the area in 1844 (start of the Information Super Highway of today).
To continue the history of Cherry Valley visit our Museum, or take the Historic Walking Tour of Cherry Valley while you travel through Leatherstocking Country.
Cherry Valley
: A Landscape District and Historic VillageToday the District is home to over a thousand people. The residents are proud of their town's heritage and many are active participants in keeping the area beautiful and yet still filled with vital services. In the handsome buildings of the Village are some of Otsego County's finest restaurants, wonderful Bed and Breakfast establishments, and local and regional services ranging from coffee shops to tile stores. The Lithia Spring has been refurbished and a new community center is being established in an old school building. The community shops for groceries, insurance, health food, books, knick knacks and flowers locally.
Enjoy your visit to Cherry Valley!
Cherry Valley Museum
49 Main Street, Cherry Valley NY, 13320 ---- phone: 607-264-3098
Museum Curator: Barbara Bell