Senate Resolution No. 607

BY: Senator WEBB

COMMEMORATING the 200th Anniversary of the Town of
Vestal

WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to honor and
commemorate the distinguished histories of the communities which
comprise the noble body of this great Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Town of Vestal in Broome
County, New York, on January 22, 2023; and

WHEREAS, Three Native American sites existed along the south bank of
the Susquehanna, the most prominent of which was Chugnut at the mouth of
the Big Choconut Creek, and was sadly destroyed in August of 1779,
during the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign; and

WHEREAS, Vestal was established by the New York State Legislature on
January 22, 1823, having previously been a part of the Town of Union;
and

WHEREAS, The Town encompasses 52 square miles between the
Susquehanna River and the Pennsylvania border; the City and Town of
Binghamton from the eastern border, with Tioga County to the west; and

WHEREAS, Two major creeks, the Big Choconut and Tracy Creek, feed
the Susquehanna River, which the Town borders on its northern side; and

WHEREAS, Samuel Murdock was the first ever elected Town Supervisor;
he was born in Connecticut in 1787, and was an early pioneer who became
a prosperous farmer; and

WHEREAS, The Town of Vestal began as a logging and farming
community, later adding light industry in the first quarter of the 20th
Century; and

WHEREAS, The D. L. & W. Railroad was constructed through the Town in
1881, increasing the connectivity between other municipalities while
subsequently boosting the Town's economy; and

WHEREAS, A network of one-room school districts centralized in 1936,
and in 1973, becoming the Vestal Central School District; and

WHEREAS,"The Million Dollar Main Street," the Vestal Parkway,
brought diverse business and retail to the Town; and

WHEREAS, Numerous subdivisions to house International Business
Machines (IBM) and Endicott Johnson Corporation (E-J) employees later
replaced former farmland; and

WHEREAS, Rapid growth ensued as Harpur College established a campus
in 1960 on the former Hazard Lewis Farm; and

WHEREAS, The nearby State University of New York at Binghamton
became Binghamton University, one of the premier public universities in
the Northeast, with an enrollment of over 18,000 students; and

WHEREAS, Census records indicate that Vestal is the only Southern
Tier municipality that continues to increase in population, a testament
to the beauty and prosperity of the Town; and

WHEREAS, Of historic origin, and remaining fruitful over the ebb and
flow of decades of growth and change, the Town of Vestal continues to
provide a high quality of life for its residents; and

WHEREAS, The residents of the Town of Vestal have a bright outlook
for the future of their community, which remains a beautiful place in
which to live and raise a family; and

WHEREAS, The Town of Vestal has been richly served by the dedicated
service of Margaret Hadsell, Town Historian; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of the Town of Vestal's rich history and
enduring contribution to the State of New York, this Legislative Body is
proud to pay tribute to this spirited Town upon the occasion of its
200th Anniversary; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Town of Vestal, recognizing
the significance of the role it continues to play in the life of the
community of the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Town Supervisor, John Schaffer, and Board Members,
Patricia Fitzgerald, Suzanne Messina, Stephen Donnelly, and John
Fletcher.