Senate Resolution No. 853

BY: Senator GRIFFO

COMMEMORATING the 200th Anniversary of the Town of
Annsville, New York

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 Annsville, New York, to
be celebrated with a myriad of events on August 11-12, 2023; and

WHEREAS, The Town of Annsville is located in Oneida County between
Camden and Rome, the foothills of the Adirondacks and Tug Hill,
including the Hamlet of Taberg; and

WHEREAS, In 1793, John W. Bloomfield traveled from New Jersey up the
Mohawk Valley beyond Fort Stanwix to oversee some surveying for a
relative; the following year he returned and, with others, invested in a
6,000 acre tract of Scriba's Patent; and

WHEREAS, John and his wife built a log cabin on the site of what is
now Annsville Elementary School in 1794; they were the first settlers in
the town which bears the name of John's wife, Ann; the large, white,
pillared house across the street was built in 1822-23 by John's cousin,
Joseph Bloomfield; and

WHEREAS, John W. Bloomfield built the first sawmill and gristmill in
the Hamlet now known as Taberg; in 1809, the Oneida Iron and Glass
Manufacturing Company began its operation, and in 1811, a blast furnace
was built for the production of pig iron; it is also said that shot and
shell were produced here for the War of 1812; and

WHEREAS, Charcoal was used in the production of pig iron and
residents of Annsville, particularly those living on Coal Hill Road,
burned wood to make charcoal which they sold to the iron company; this
is where Coal Hill got its name; and

WHEREAS, Elias Brewster of Connecticut settled in Annsville in 1806,
having lived in Western since 1790; he began clearing land and building
a cabin for his family which arrived in April of 1807; Adam P. Campbell
and Nicholas Armstrong settled on the meadows in 1805 or 1806, during
which time a man by the name of Wade settled on the Forks; and

WHEREAS, Dan Taft and a man by the name of Jones settled near where
Vincent Taft now keeps a public house; for a number of years, Dan Taft
kept a noted tavern on the same premises; the old Taft Hotel stood two
and one-half miles southeast of Taberg on the state road and was
destroyed by fire in about 1867; and

WHEREAS, In June of 1803, four brothers, Benjamin, Jonathan, James
and Abraham Morton, came from Springfield, Massachusetts, and settled in
Northern Annsville; in 1805, Jonathan and Samuel Stanford arrived, and

Peter Abbott, a Revolutionary War veteran from Windham, Vermont settled
there in 1806; Daniel Miller from Granville, Massachusetts also settled
up north in 1804 on a farm subsequently occupied by John Whiffen; his
brother, Eliakim Miller, purchased a farm in 1814; and

WHEREAS, The Town of Annsville was officially formed from the
surrounding towns of Lee, Florence, Camden and Vienna on April 12, 1823;
the first town board meeting was held on March 2, 1824, and Benjamin
Hyde was elected the first supervisor; and

WHEREAS, The early settlers of Annsville were rugged individualists
clearing land, planting crops, and building cabins to survive; when this
was done, new needs arose which called for working together as one for
common causes; they founded fire brigades, built roads, and established
schools and churches; they raised families and formed cultural, social
and spiritual organizations; they worked to create a sense of community
with values of tolerance, patriotism and moral courage; and

WHEREAS, This same sense of community and shared values are
reflected in the people and organizations found in Annsville today; and

WHEREAS, A truly charming community, there is a special comfort in
the safety of a small town where the streets are named after familiar
people and landmarks; and

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

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

WHEREAS, In recognition of Annsville'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
commemorate the Bicentennial of the Town of Annsville, New York,
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 the Bicentennial Committee of the Town of Annsville, New
York.