Butternuts is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

located in Otsego County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 1,786. The Town of Butternuts is located in the southwestern part of the county, and is west of Oneonta.

History

Butternuts is generally believed to be named for three butternut (a.k.a. white walnut) trees growing from one stump that originally marked the corner of the townships of what is now New Lisbon, Pittsfield and Morris when this entire section of the county was surveyed by Richard Smith before the Revolution. Said tree was depicted as the corporate logo of the Butternuts Woolen & Cotton textile firm but was cut down by the Lull family to build their log cabin. In 1787, Abijah Gilbert and Jacob Morris, early owners of land in the county, were among the first who settled the town, Morris giving Gilbert land of his choice as payment for his services. Ample waterpower sites allowed for many industries in addition to agriculture that benefitted by the wide fertile valley floor along the Butternut and Unadilla. The town was established from part of the Town of Unadilla in 1796. The north part of Butternuts was annexed to form the Town of Morris in 1849, and additional territory was taken from the Town of Unadilla in 1857.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and 0.02% is water. Butternuts Creek is an important stream flowing through the town. It was named by early settlers, who noted some unusual butternut trees growing near it.

New York State Route 51 New York State Route 51 (NY 51) is a north–south state highway in the central part of the U.S. state of New York. The highway runs generally in a southwest to northeast direction from NY 8 in the hamlet of Mount Upton to ...

is a north-south highway in Butternuts, and was one of the first concrete-paved highways in Upstate New York, starting from Mt. Upton northwards ''circa'' 1919. The Butternut Creek flows diagonally through the town, from Morris to the creek's

confluence In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...

with the Unadilla River in the southwestern corner of the town.

Butternuts town lines

*The northern line borders the Town of Morris in Otsego County. *The eastern line borders the Town of Otego in Otsego County. *The southern line borders the Town of Unadilla in Otsego County. *The western line lies along the

Unadilla River The Unadilla River is a river in the Central New York Region of New York State. The river begins northeast of the hamlet of Millers Mills and flows generally south to the village of Sidney, where it converges with the Susquehanna River, which d ...

, bordering the towns of

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

and Guilford in Chenango County.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 1,792 people, 715 households, and 502 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 902 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.32%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.78%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.39% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.45% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population. There were 715 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.98. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $40,536, and the median income for a family was $45,368. Males had a median income of $31,473 versus $25,446 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $19,223. About 6.6% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Butternuts

*Church Corners – A location on the northern town line. *Copes Corner – A

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

southwest of Gilbertsville on NY-51, most noted for a county-owned campgrounds on the Butternut Creek, once site of a proposed flood control dam that would have flooded Gilbertsville and much of the valley. *Filer Hill – An elevation east of Rootville. *Freer Corner – A hamlet east of Gilbertsville near the eastern town line. * Gilbertsville – The Village of Gilbertsville is located on NY-51. Listed on the historic register, it was formerly called "Butternuts." *Heslops Corner – A hamlet northeast of Gilbertsville located at the junction of County Highways 4 and 8. *Hugheston Corner – A location near the southeastern corner of the town. *Mallory Corner – A location near the southern town line. *Rootville -- A location southeast of Gilbertsville, located on County Highway 5, north of Wells Bridge, once a busy hamlet founded by Major Charles Root, a cheese manufacturer who operated many small factories around the region a century ago. *Toll Corner – A hamlet east of Gilbertsville on County Highway 8.

Notable people

* Winchel Bacon: abolitionist farmer and teacher who served in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

– farmed and taught in Butternuts, and married a local girl, before moving to Wisconsin * Samuel B. Garvin: lawyer, judge,

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

and

New York County District Attorney The New York County District Attorney, also known as the Manhattan District Attorney, is the elected district attorney for New York County, New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws (federal l ...

– native of Butternuts * Jared Comstock Gregory: mayor of

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

and thrice Democratic nominee for

Congressman A member of congress (MOC), also known as a congressman or congresswoman, is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The t ...

– born in Butternuts * Elisha Mills Huntington: lawyer,

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

state legislator, state and federal judge, and Commissioner of the U.S. Land Office – native of Butternuts * Isaac Van Duzen Reeve:

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

officer who fought in the

Seminole Wars The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were a series of three military conflicts between the United States and the Seminoles that took place in Florida between about 1816 and 1858. The Seminoles are a Native American nation which co ...

, the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

and the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, rising to brigadier general – born a native of Butternuts, New York * Jesse C. Smith: lawyer,

New York State Senator The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

, and brigadier general who was a commander at the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

– native of Butternuts * Joseph G. Thorp: lumberman and member of the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those o ...

– born in Butternuts * E. C. Walker: lawyer, politician and

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

– native of Butternuts

References

External links

Early history of Butternut Valley

{{authority control Towns in Otsego County, New York Towns in New York (state)