Cherry Valley 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 ...

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. According to the 2020 US census, the village of Cherry Valley had a population of 487. However, the town has a much higher population. Within the town of Cherry Valley is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

, also called Cherry Valley. The town is in the northeastern corner of the county and is northeast of the City of Oneonta.

History

The modern history of Cherry Valley begins with John Lindesay receiving a land grant from

George II of Great Britain George II (George Augustus; ; 30 October / 9 November 1683 – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Electorate of Hanover, Hanover) and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Em ...

; he moved there in 1739, and seven Anglo-Scottish families from

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

moved into the area the following year. Due to high snow, the community almost failed but was saved by provisions from local natives. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, Walter Butler, a New York

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

, led a mixed force of Indians and Loyalists to the area, resulting in the Cherry Valley Massacre, during which more than 40 people were killed and many were captured. This massacre was followed by a second raid in 1780, leading to the temporary abandonment of the village. The town was established in 1791 from

Canajoharie Canajoharie (), also known as the "Upper Castle", was the name of one of two major towns of the Mohawk nation in 1738. The community stretched for a mile and a half along the southern bank of the Mohawk River, from a village known as ''Dekanohag ...

(in Montgomery County) as one of the original towns in the county. It was subsequently divided, giving rise to several new towns: Middlefield, Springfield, and

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...

(all in 1797) and Roseboom in 1854. In 1812, the community of Cherry Valley set itself apart by incorporating as a village. The town has become known for its arts community, and for a summer festival which attracts opera lovers from the Glimmerglass Festival in nearby Cooperstown. The Tepee was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 2011.

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 40.1 square miles (103.8 km²), all land. The northern town line is the border of Montgomery and Herkimer counties. The eastern town line is the border of Schoharie County.

New York State Route 166 New York State Route 166 (NY 166) is a north–south state highway in Otsego County, New York, in the United States. It extends for from New York State Route 28, NY 28 in the Milford (village), New York, village of Milford to U.S ...

intersects

US Route 20 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. ...

in the town. The Cherry Valley Creek flows southward through the center of the town.

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 1,266 people, 482 households, and 350 families residing in the town. (See table: Historical Population). The population density was . There were 629 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.82%

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 ...

, 0.08%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 0.08% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 0.55% 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 0.24% of the population. There were 482 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.10. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $39,107, and the median income for a family was $44,559. Males had a median income of $28,810 versus $22,417 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 $16,792. About 7.9% of families and 11.3% 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 15.8% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Paul Bley Paul Bley, Order of Canada, CM (November 10, 1932 – January 3, 2016) was a Canadian jazz pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing and his early live per ...

, pianist * Jill Flint, actress * Alan Ginsberg, poet, founded Committee on Poetry in Cherry Valley *

Samuel Morse Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American inventor and painter. After establishing his reputation as a portrait painter, Morse, in his middle age, contributed to the invention of a Electrical telegraph#Morse ...

, inventor and painter * William M. Oliver, politician, attorney, and jurist who served as a

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

for New York State as well as acting

Lieutenant Governor of New York The lieutenant governor of New York is a Constitution of New York, constitutional office in the executive branch of the Government of the State of New York. It is the second highest-ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governo ...

* Charles Plymell, poet * William W. Campbell,

for New York's Sixth District and Justice of The New York State Supreme Court

Communities and locations in the Town of Cherry Valley

*Cape Wykoff – An elevation located northwest of Cherry Valley *Center Valley – 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 ...

in the southeastern corner of the town, located on County Road 50 * Cherry Valley – a village located on NY-166 and Cherry Valley Creek * Judds Falls – A waterfall located north of Cherry Valley * Mount Independence – One of the highest elevations in the county * Salt Springville – A hamlet straddling the northern town line; partially in the Town of Minden *Shankley Mountain – An elevation in the northwestern corner of the town *Sprout Brook, New York – a hamlet five miles north of Cherry Valley on Rte 163

References

External links

Cherry Valley HistoryOfficial page of Historic Cherry Valley BusinessesOfficial Cherry Valley website
{{authority control American Revolutionary War sites Towns in Otsego County, New York Towns in New York (state)