The map of Herkimer County in the center of New York State
approximates a tall and very thin bent rectangle. The southern
part of the county covers the Mohawk River and its valley's
travel corridor, which includes the Erie Canal, the railroad
which took away its business, and the New York Thruway
(Interstate Route 90), which took away most of the railroad's
business in turn. This is where the largest town and county seat
is located, coincidentally named... Herkimer.
The northern boundary of Herkimer County is in the Adirondack
Mountain wilderness, where we have our farm for "northern"
trees, hardiness zone 3 trees, evergreens and hardwoods both.
It's where customers are invited to hunt deer, turkey, bear, or
fossils, arrowheads, etc., and enjoy summer camping.
I wrote about my great-uncle Bill Barber and his comments to me
emphasizing the inherent value of owning land. I have written
about what that has done for me and perhaps what it can do for
you too. The story of the Herkimer family and the son whose
service as a general in the Revolutionary War gave him local
immortality, giving the new county its name just goes to show
how history is really a constant repetition of the same activity
only with new people and new technologies.
George Santayana (no not Santa Anna, the Mexican "el
presidente" known for the Alamo) was a Harvard professor and
writer who said in 1905, "those who cannot remember the past are
condemned to relive it." Let's learn from all those people
before us who didn't know to own some land. The Herkimers'
example illustrates history is really always the same as George
Santayana said; they knew the value of land just as Mr. Bill
Barber did 50 years later.
Herkimer, herdimer, herchkeimer, hekamar, even erghemar, the
translation of the German family's name had almost 100 (yes,
almost one hundred) spelling variations. Wow, I say. The family
came with other early immigrants to German Flats, also spelled
German Flatts, in 1720. They may have come with some money
already in their pockets, so to speak, and made great use of
their head start. Each of the five adult family members received
a land grant of 100 acres from the New York and New Jersey
governor. In time, the close-knit Herkimers and their many
offspring, Nicholas Herkimer had 13 brothers and sisters, wisely
bought land all along both sides of the Mohawk River. They
bought right where there were extreme rapids, actually little
waterfalls as high as 12 feet. "Portaging" or carrying any boats
around the impassable water was a necessity. Today you can go
and visit the restored grand farmstead home of Nicholas Herkimer
on the southern bank of the Mohawk River just east of the aptly
named town of Little Falls, NY.
Even before canals, rivers were water highways far better
suited to carrying large loads than wagons in the alternately
rocky, muddy, rough up-and-down topography of the eastern
colonies full of so many low altitude mountains. Nicholas
Herkimer did not charge a toll fee to the travelers portaging
their flat bottomed boats, called "bateaux," but as most
travelers were heading west against the unfortunately eastern
flow of the Mohawk he offered laborers (slaves, actually) for a
daily price, and a store to sell provisions. He even had a
candle making factory. Nicholas Herkimer was known for his
honesty and fair dealings with all people, natives, newcomers,
and passersby alike. My hero. Canajoharie, New York had the
Indian Castle, the center of the Iriquois Confederacy's Indian
Government about 20 miles to the east. Nicholas was popular as a
commissioner with the Indians. His father, Johan, had added to
his landholdings, over 2,500 acres by 1772. Johan Herkimer was a
road building commissioner of, the Highland District which
included his original family farm.
(Almost like Highland Hill Farm, how about that?) see
http://www.highlandhillfarm.com Nicholas Herkimer served at the end of French and Indian war of
1754-1763 as a lieutenant. Just like another guy in Virginia
whose life was somewhat similar, that fella's last name was
Washington, Nicholas Herkimer didn't have to buy the uniforms
and supplies for enough men to become a general, like so many
others did. Men like Herkimer and Washington were elected to the
position. General Herkimer died as the result of the injuries he
sustained at the Battle of Oriskany in 1778. He had 800 settlers
against 2,300 Tories, Mohawk and Seneca Indians, with British
regular soldiers, one of his own brothers an officer among
them. Nicholas Herkimer marched his "army" into a trap, planned
in part by the wiley Chief Joseph Brant. Nevertheless,
Herkimer's army heroically staved off the westward thrust of the
British three-pronged attack upon New York.
At the very same time as the Battle of Oriskany, Benedict
Arnold was coming to his aid. He actually turned the British
back with what today would be called "black ops," then he helped
stave off the other two prongs of the British attack both, with
strategic leaderhip at the Battle of Saratoga. Unfortunately for
Benedict Arnold, he did not die as a result of his injuries
received at Saratoga, but that's a whole 'nuther story.
Now that I have given you an intro to Herkimer, if you want to
go there hunting fishing or camping, we have acreage availble
for lease. You can see more of our outdoor opportunities at
http://www.huntingrelics.com
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