It's easy to find simple facts about Middlefield, New
York. The Census Bureau estimates the town's population in
2009 is 2,451, an increase of 2.31% since 2000. The estimated
median household income in 2007 was $49,296, compared with $39,625
in 2000 (but still below the New York State figure of
$53,514). The median age is 45.1 -- older than the state and
national figure -- but for young people still in school Middlefield
spends more per pupil than do most places.
But to know how Middlefield
is doing today it is good to understand where it has been. It's
also advisable to make a distinction between the Town of
Middlefield (64.4 sq. mi.in Otsego County) and the
hamlet of the same name, formerly known as Clarksville. You
can meet the founders of Clarksville/Middlefield and follow the
first 3/4 of a century of its growth in
"Middlefield and the Settling of the New York Frontier" by
Dominick J. Reisen. It is subtitled "A Case Study of
Development in Central New York, 1790-1865" and traces activity in
Middlefield from the designation of tracts of land recently brought
under jurisdiction of a newly-established state and republic to the
days when young men left their comfortable rural community to
preserve a nation split by the Civil War.
Reisen's research allows us to meet the pioneers who came to a wild
setting, cleared the forest and began the work of making the land
productive and the community prosperous. His study is filled
with details of life on what's been called America's original
frontier; e.g., it took seven to ten days of labor for a settler to
clear one acre. There are vivid portraits of the individuals
who brought commerce, agriculture and order to the community.
They include George Clarke, the British land speculator who gave
the place its original name; the beloved Dr. Sumner Ely, the town's
first physician and later town supervisor; and Joshua Pinney, the
tavern keeper turned temperance advocate, who established the first
school in Middlefield. It seems that almost anyone who did
anything had the effect of contributing to the hamlet's
development.
Although the hamlet was on the
outskirts of the frontier, wild by any definition, it would be a
gross misstatement to characterize these people as backward,
uneducated and poor. Indeed, by every measure, the leaders of
this hamlet had proven themselves to be just the opposite.
They were enlightened, educated and visionary. They displayed
a high regard for fashion as seen in the tastefulness inherent in
the architectural styles which they followed in building their
homes. Additionally, some of them were amassing wealth far
beyond the reach of the common farmer. All factors pointed to
launching Clarksville toward a prosperous future.
-- from "Middlefield and the Settling of the New York Frontier"
Middlefield had to struggle for a decent road network and from the
earliest days was often overlooked in favor of its more famous
neighbor, Cooperstown. But those residents who attained a
degree of prosperity would express it by building a fine home, and
to this day Middlefield is a showcase of tasteful
architecture. There are detailed decriptions, and several
photographs, of the gems of Middlefield habitation. As basic
needs were met the residents organized churches and other
institutions, including a Masonic lodge (the study of Freemasonry is one of the
principal interests of the book's publisher, Square Circle
Press).
Reisen carries the history of Middlefield through many economic
swings and shows how developments elsewhere in New York State
influenced it for good or ill. The opening of the state's
canal system and later the advent of railroads -- both of which
bypassed Middlefield -- condemned it to a small town status.
But the fact that Middlefield never grew too big or too quickly,
and the good documentation of events from the 1790s through the
Civil War era, have allowed Mr. Reisen to reconstruct seventy-five
years of community life, and reflect the development of central New
York.
Historian Dominick J.
Reisen joins Bill Jaker on
OFF THE PAGE to tell about his hometown, whose story can serve as a
standard for other local historians seeking both the uniqueness of
a locale and the broader historical picture. To join in the
conversation call during the live 1:00 PM broadcast to 888/359-9754
or post an e-mail to OffThePage@WSKG.ORG.
