The large territory of the county was long occupied by theMohawk Nation and, to the west, the other four tribes of theIroquois (Haudenosaunee) Confederacy (increased to six with the migration of theTuscarora). After European colonization of the Northeast started, the Mohawk had a lucrativefur trade with the French coming down from Canada, as well as the early Dutch colonists, and later British and German colonists.
SomePalatine Germans, who worked in camps on the Hudson to pay off their passage in 1710, later settled in this county in the 1720s and 30s. In addition,Scots-Irish immigrants settled in the present Schoharie County area before theAmerican Revolutionary War, especially near Cherry Creek.
After Great Britain defeated the Dutch in theSecond Anglo-Dutch War and receivedNew Netherland via theTreaty of Breda, they began to establish counties in the New York territory in 1683. The present Schoharie County was first part ofAlbany County. In theory, it extended westward to thePacific Ocean, as the colonists wanted to keep their options open. This county was reduced in size on July 3, 1766, by the creation ofCumberland County, and further on March 16, 1770, by the creation ofGloucester County, both containing territory now part of Vermont.
On March 12, 1772, what was left of Albany County was split into three parts, one retaining the name Albany County.Tryon County was formed from the western portion of the territory (and thus, since no western boundary was specified, theoretically still extended west to the Pacific). The eastern boundary of Tryon County was approximately five miles west of the present city ofSchenectady, and the county included the western part of theAdirondack Mountains and the area west of the West Branch of theDelaware River. The area then designated Tryon County was eventually organized into what are now 37 counties of New York State. The county was named forWilliam Tryon, colonial governor of New York.
In the years preceding 1776, as social and political tensions rose in the colony, most of the Loyalists in Tryon County, then on the frontier, fled toCanada. In 1784, after the peace treaty that ended the Revolutionary War and the establishment of states, the new government changed Tryon County's name toMontgomery County to honor United States GeneralRichard Montgomery, who had captured several places in Canada and died trying to take the city ofQuebec.
This was an area of fighting during theAmerican Revolutionary War. On the frontier, colonists were subject to raids by British and their Iroquois allies. Four of the six tribes allied with the British, hoping to repel the colonists from their territory.
Schoharie County is in central New York State, west ofAlbany and southeast ofUtica.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 626 square miles (1,620 km2), of which 622 square miles (1,610 km2) is land and 4.5 square miles (12 km2) (0.7%) is water.[4]
Much of the southern portion of the county lies within theCatskill Mountains. Land rises in both directions quite rapidly east and east ofSchoharie Creek in the middle of the county. In contrast, the northern part of the county is predominately small hills and valleys. More than 75% of the county's population lives in the north, closer to theMohawk River, the historic transportation route east and west through the state. Schoharie Creek is a northward-flowing tributary of the Mohawk River. The Schoharie Creek watershed spans an area of approximately 950 square miles (2,500 km2). The course of Schoharie Creek includes two reservoir-dam systems.
The Gilboa Dam and theSchoharie Reservoir are part of the New York City Water Supply System. TheNew York Power Authority operates the Blenheim-Gilboa Dam and its reservoir to produce hydroelectric power. The headwaters of theDelaware River are located in the town of Jefferson. Tributaries of theSusquehanna River are located in the towns of Jefferson and Summit.
The highest point is at the summit of Huntersfield Mountain on the southern boundary withGreene County, at 3,423 feet (1,043 m) above sea level. The lowest point is where theMontgomery County line meetsSchoharie Creek, 520 feet (160 m) above sea level. The most prominent geological feature isVroman's Nose, near the village ofMiddleburgh in the town of Fulton.
Schoharie County, New York – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of thecensus[18] of 2000, there were 31,582 people, 11,991 households and 8,177 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 inhabitants per square mile (20/km2). There were 15,915 housing units at an average density of 26 units per square mile (10/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.06%White, 2.14%Black orAfrican American, 0.30%Native American, 0.49%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.36% fromother races, and 0.93% from two or more races. 1.86% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 20.9% were ofGerman, 15.6%Irish, 11.5%American, 10.8%Italian and 9.7%English ancestry according toCensus 2000. 95.5% spokeEnglish, 1.7%Spanish and 1.0%German as their first language.
There were 11,991 households, out of which 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.20% weremarried couples living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.00% under the age of 18, 10.60% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,585, and the median income for a family was $43,118. Males had a median income of $31,725 versus $24,475 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $17,778. About 7.90% of families and 11.40% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 13.70% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.
Schoharie County's primary industry is agriculture. Farms are situated all over the county and farm stands and other agriculture-related businesses are operated throughout it. Many residents work in theCapital District, New York.Walmart has a distribution center in the Village ofSharon Springs. TheI-88 corridor is growing due to the short commute to Schenectady and Albany.
TheCatskills-area villages have a number of historic hotels, as it was a vacation destination in the early 20th century. Vacation homes are common in the county.
The sheriff of Schoharie County, Tony Desmond, received national attention for publicly stating during the 2013 election that he would not enforce theNY SAFE Act.[19] The current sheriff, Ronald R. Stevens, succeeded Desmond in 2018.[20]
From 1828 to 1916 with the exception of 1848, Schoharie County consistently backed Democratic Party candidates in presidential elections; it was the only county in the state to supportWilliam Jennings Bryan overWilliam McKinley in 1896. After 1916, the county has backed the Democratic candidate only twice, in 1964 and 1996.
United States presidential election results for Schoharie County, New York[21]
Passenger rail service in Schoharie County was formerly provided by theDelaware and Hudson Railway on their Susquehanna Division until passenger service was discontinued in the 1960s. Today, freight service continues along the Susquehanna Division provided byNorfolk Southern.
A prominent site in the county is theOld Stone Fort, used for defense against British and allied Indian attacksduring the Revolution. It was later used as an armory during the Civil War.[23]
In 1981 the Iroquois Indian Museum opened in a new building nearHowe Caverns inCobleskill. It has the largest collection of Iroquois art in the United States and includes a performance center where Iroquois present traditional and contemporary music and dance.
