The Spafford's 1824 Gazetteer typing project is one of the first of several valuable group projects we have planned for 1998. In 1824 the boundaries of the counties of Herkimer and Montgomery were quite different than they are today. Familiarizing yourself with some of the place names mentioned in the old township profiles can help you better pinpoint the whereabouts of your earliest area ancestors. Some of the 1824 townships are now in neighboring counties. The section below, prepared by Kathleen Teague covers the Towns of Russia, Salisbury, Schuyler, Warren and Winfield.

RUSSIA, a Post-Township at the N. end of Herkimer County, 20 miles N. of Herkimer, formerly Union, erected in 1806 from Norway; name changed to Russia, April 6, 1807: bounded N. by St. Lawrence County, E. by Hamilton County, S. by Norway and Newport, W. by Oneida and Lewis Counties; comprehending all that part of Herkimer County N. of Norway, and being about 40 miles long N. and S., and about 16 wide. But the settlements are confined to 7 or 8 miles of the S. end, or rather a narrow strip along W. Canada creek, at the SW. corner of the town. The northern part is clothed with impenetrable forests of spruce, fir, larch, and some pine, and the soil is as forbidding as its forest woods would indicate. Yet there are tracts of arable land, on which farmers might get a poor living; but the general character of the land is very uninviting. The N. end sends some small waters to Oswegatchie river; and Moose, Beaver, and one or 2 other creeks, run W. to Black river, from its wilds, N. of and near the centre. Brown's Tract, as it is called, is principally in this town, consisting of 7 townships, only remarkable for the moral virtues of their names on the Map. But the southern part is well supplied with mill-streams, and has a tolerable soil. The roads, from Johnstown and Herkimer to the Black River country, unite at W. Canada creek, in the principal settlement of Russia. A new church has been erected about the centre of the settlements, for all religious denominations, where is also a school-house. The Post-Office is 20 miles N. of Herkimer, about the centre of the settled part of this township. Population, 1685: taxable property, $279,303; 339 electors; 8,489 acres of improved land; head of cattle, 2,104; horses, 363; sheep, 3,342; 21,076 yards of cloth: 4 grist mils, 6 saw mills, 2 fulling mills, 2 carding machines, 1 trip hammer, 1 distillery, and 1 ashery: 9 school districts. Nobleborough, is the name of a tract of wild land, in the S. part of Russia.

SALISBURY, a Post-Township of Herkimer County, 14 miles NE. of Herkimer, bounded N. by Hamilton County, E. by Stratford of Montgomery Co., S. by Manheim, W. by Fairfield and Norway. The E. part of the tract called Royal Grants is in this town, as is the patent of Jerseyfield, in which rises the W. branch of E. Canada creek, and E. branch of W. Canada creek also. On the SE., for a few miles, E. Canada creek forms the boundary. The inhabitants are principally Yankees; and Yankee-bush, in the SW. part of the town, has a Presbyterian meeting-house, 4 miles E. of the academy in Fairfield, and 21 from Utica. Here is a small library, a school-house, and a few dwellings. The SE. part of the Town is called Pine Bush, where the soil is a light sand; Yankee-bush has a loamy soil. Spruce creek is a fine mill-stream, and there are abundance of sites for mills. The roads are pretty numerous and good. The Black river State road from Jonnstown leads across the S. end, and is opening considerable intercourse. It crosses the main road of the Town, 1 mile E. of Yankee-bush, and 25 from Johnstown. This Township and Manheim, formerly in Montgomery County, were attached to Herkimer County in 1817. Population, 1,438; taxable property, $272,144; 271 electors; 6,504 acres of improved land; 1,780 cattle, 272 horses, 2,313 sheep; 16,040 yards of cloth: 3 grist mills, 8 saw mills, 3 fulling mills, 3 carding machines, 1 trip hammer, 2 distilleries, and 3 asheries: 9 school districts.

SCHUYLER, a Township of Herkimer County, about 8 miles NW. of Herkimer, 6 miles E. of Utica, and 86 from Albany; bounded N. by Newport, E. by Herkimer, S. by the Mohawk river, or the town of Frankfort, W. by Oneida Co. Its mill-streams are some small brooks that fall S. into the Mohawk. The soil is of a good quality, with some hills, and there are abundance of springs and brooks. It has the Mohawk turnpike along that river, where are fine flats, and its other roads are sufficiently numerous. There is 1 Baptist Church. Population, 1,837: taxable property $297,911; electors, 313; 9,162 acres improved land; 1,901 cattle, 462 horses, 3,015 sheep; 14,721 yards cloth; 2 grist mills, 2 saw mills, 2 fulling mills, and 1 carding machine.

WARREN, a Post-Township on the S. line of Herkimer County, 10 miles S. of Herkimer, 15 N. of Otsego, and 68 W. of Albany; bounded N. by German Flats, E. by Danube, S. by Otsego County, W. by Columbia. The situation is elevated, just at the head of the Lakes that form the Susquehanna, and the surface handsomely undulated by arable hills, and rich and fertile vallies. And there are many small cedar swamps, that supply fencing timber. The rocks are calcareous, or a calcareous sandstone, and much of the soil is a rich calcareous mold. As is usual in limestone tracts, there are large springs, chasms and clefts in the rocks, and a mass of curious and singular appearances in the stones. One of these springs is of sufficient volume to turn a grist mill, within 80 rods of the fountain. The waters of this town are small, but there are 4 grain mills, 9 saw mills, 3 fulling mills, 2 carding machines, 1 trip hammer, 2 distilleries, and 4 asheries. Iron-ore is found, and a pigment, from which is prepared a durable brown paint. In the SE. corner are 2 small ponds that discharge into Otsego Lake, and here is a small Village: It is situated on the 3d Great Western turnpike, 64 miles from Albany, and has the Warren Post-Office, 11 miles from Herkimer. This is sometimes called the Village of the Little Lakes, of Warren V., as it ought to be called. The geological character of at least a part of this town, Columbia, and Winfield, requires a passing notice, with the position, being at the extreme southeastern angle of the great secondary formation of the western part of this State. See the Map, on which the boundaries of the primitive, transition, and secondary formations are indicated, by a waving line, and see also Geology. Population, 2,013; taxable property, $331,311; electors, 396; 11,540 acres improved land; 1955 cattle, 731 horses, 4,561 sheep : 14,426 yards cloth manufactured in the household way: 12 school districts.

WINFIELD, a Post-Township in the SW. corner of Herkimer County, 15 miles, SW. of Herkimer, and 75 W.NW. of Albany; bounded N. by Litchfield, E. by Columbia, and Otsego County, S. by Otsego County, W. by Oneida County. Its area is equal to 5 miles square, and it has the great western turnpike from Albany. It was erected in 1816, from the towns of Richfield and Plainfield, of Otsego County, and Litchfield, of Herkimer County. The public buildings are 3 meeting-houses; 1 for Presbyterians, and 2 for Baptist; and 10 schoolhouses. The principal stream is the Unadilla, flowing southerly through the centre, but there are other streams also, on which are valuable mills, one of which issues from a durable spring in the N. part, and drives the machinery of 6 mills, within 100 rods from where it rises from the ground. Near the centre is a valuable Medicinal Spring, which contains sulphate of Soda. The general face of the lands is level, the soil a coarse sand, or gravel, very productive, and the geological character and position require a passing notice, this town being near the SE. extremity, in a long narrow projection from the great secondary region of the west. See Geology, and the Map. The lands are owned by the cultivators. Staple productions, clover seed, beef, pork, butter and cheese, and most kinds of grain. The inhabitants are Yankees, or immigrants from New-England, of good morals, and very industrious. - Population, 1,752: taxable property, $240,752 : 328 electors, 6,131 acres improved land; 1,585 cattle, 434 horses, 4,267 sheep: 18,209 yards cloth; 4 grist mills, 13 saw mills, 5 fulling mills, 3 carding machines, 1 trip hammer, 5 distilleries, and 7 asheries. - The farmers, including buildings, fences, and husbandry, in this town, are entitled to particular notice and commendation. Such farmers are the proper persons to furnish clean clover seed, quite a business in this and some of the adjoining townships in the S. of this County.

5/14/98: Kathy has been flooded with queries from our visitors asking her for information. FYI, Kathy typed the above information but is not an historian, does not own the book that this passage was typed from, and can't help you with your personal research. We request that you direct queries about the above townships to those who know best, our historical societies. Kathy and other typing volunteers would like to correspond with you if you're researching the same families.

Many thanks to new volunteer Kathleen Teague for preparing this segment of the 1824 Gazetteer. Kathleen is researching two common Mohawk Valley surnames, Butler and Fox, and looks forward to meeting experienced researchers of these early families.

"My research is on my ggg-grandparents, John R. L. BUTLER and his wife Margaret Lucretia FOX (Quimbey), who married 23 May 1826. They had twelve children, five of which were born in Herkimer Co. I have them in the Town of Salisbury for the 1830 Census and Town of Manheim for the 1835 Census. The children born during that time were:

• 4) Norman b. 22 Jul 1830
• 5) Abigail b. 9 Jun 1832
• 6) Sally b. 2 Jul 1834
• 7) Henry b. 11 Oct. 1836
• 8) George b. 16 Sep 1838

"We believe John R. L. Butler was born abt 20 Mar. 1804/06, maybe in Greene Co., and Margaret was born abt 23 May 1805, maybe in Schoharie Co. Oral history has said she was married first to a ____ QUIMBEY and had one son by him, William b. 30 May 1820. I'm looking for John and Margaret's parents, proof of birth for all, and proof, if any, of Margaret's first marriage. I am hoping for church records or something that will help in researching this family. Butler and Fox are very common names in that area. Oral history has also said there may be relatives in the Burtonsville area, Montgomery Co. I have found several cemeteries with my surname in that area, but haven't been able to establish any link to them.

1830 Census Town of Salisbury, Herkimer Co.: John R. L. Butler, 1m under 5; 1m 5-10; 1m 20-30; 1f under 5; 1f 20-30; 1f 70-80

John's wife was Margaret Lucretia Fox (Quimbey) Children that were enumerated were: William (Quimbey) b. 30 May 1820
Lucy Butler b. 14 Feb. 1827
John Butler b. 17 Sept. 1828

The children born while they were living in the area were:
Norman Butler b. 22 Jul 1830/31
Abigail Butler b. 9 Jun. 1832
Sally Butler b. 2 Jul. 1834
Henry Butler b. 11 Oct. 1836
George Butler b. 16 Sep. 1838

The old woman living with the family during the 1830 census is a mystery to me. She is probably the mother or mother-in-law. She may be the clue. Either a Fox or Butler that died during that time of 1830-1840, woman in her 70's to 85. Most of the children lived to adulthood. I'm unsure of a couple of them as we have not been able to find any information on them.

In the 1840 Census they are in the County of Onondaga, Town of Manlius. In the 1850 Census, Town of Constantia, Oswego County. They built a home there. They were listed in the 1875 Census, Town of Constantia, Oswego Co. living alone. In the 1880 Census, Town of Constantia, Oswego Co. Margaret was living with her grandchildren, Leonard and Matilda Wicks, and John died around 1878. The 1875 Census is where we got the information on where John R. L. and Margaret were born. That has not been proven yet. Any help would be greatly appreciated."

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