Lets Go Hunting in Herkimer County N.Y.

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 amongst 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