Schoharie County

A visit to Upstate New York's Schoharie County is a trip to quaint towns and villages, filled with reminders of simpler times.

Farmers work their land. Brooks babble. Eagles fly. Fish jump in the streams. Unique attractions – grand caves, acres of flowers, working mills and more – all are part of Schoharie County's magic. Stroll Main Street in Historic Sharon Springs. Experience the village green in Jefferson. See covered bridges or bask in the beauty of the nature trails.

Find out why we say Schoharie County is pictureperfect any time of year.

Blenheim, which takes its name from the 40,000- acre Blenheim Patent given to 40 men by King George III in 1769, has farming as its chief occupation. In earlier times, farmers here grew wheat, hops, broomcorn and tobacco. Today the land yields primarily timothy, alfalfa and silage corn. It is home to the Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project of the New York Power Authority, which has a Visitors Center offering exhibits on energy and electricity. Also on the site is the newly restored and refurbished 19th century country estate, Lansing Manor. Not far away is Mine Kill State Park with boating, fishing, picnicking, swimming and a waterfall overlook. One of the most prominent attractions in town is the 226-foot Blenheim Covered Bridge, the longest single-span, single-arch, two-lane wooden bridge in the world.

Broome, originally established in 1797 as Bristol, is home to the Franklinton Vlaie (pond), located along Route 145. It is a scenic recreational, ecological and natural wonder. Bald Eagles often are seen perched along the waterways in the town. Cobleskill, with the village established in 1752, is named for one of its first settlers Jacob Kobel, a German Palatine who came with his family to the region in 1713. One of the six original towns in the county, it is home to two caves that are open to the public – Howe Caverns and Secret Caverns – as well as the Iroquois Indian Museum and the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology. Each August since 1876, the Cobleskill Sunshine Fair has been held at the historic fairgrounds on the edge of the village.

The town lines of Conesville follow the peaks that mark the beginning of the Catskill Mountains. One of the most spectacular attractions in town is Manorkill Falls, just west of West Conesville. The Manorkill Creek flows through the valley, dropping into the Schoharie Reservoir in a breathtaking cascade of waterfalls. The cold mountain waters in the streams are ideal for trout fishing.

Just west of Schenectady is Esperance, established in 1846. The Esperance Historical Museum, housed in the old village schoolhouse and its adjacent carriage barn, tells about the town's agricultural past. Famous sons include George Westinghouse, Jr., who was born in the Village of Central Bridge in 1846; whose father made parts for carriages and farm equipment in his shop there. After briefly attending Union College in Schenectady and serving during the Civil War, George Jr. became an inventor and an industrialist. His most famous invention is the air brake, which led to the formation of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company and the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Today, Esperance is home to the 200-plus-acre public garden in the Landis Arboretum, which offers nature walks among rare trees and plants and special programs throughout the year. The town has many quaint and interesting shops that offer everything from antiques and treasures to cheeses and other specialty foods.

Fulton, the largest town (in acreage) in Schoharie County, was formed in 1828. Dominating the skyline in the central part of the county is Vroman's Nose, rising about 600-feet above the farmlands. Vroman's Nose resulted from glacial action more than 50,000 years ago. It is located on the Long Path, a 335-mile hiking trail that runs from the George Washington Bridge in New York City to Thatcher Park in Albany County. The Max V. Shaul State Park is located along Route 30 at the base of Toe Path Mountain, offering visitors a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, picnicking and camping. Looking Glass Pond, with its freshly stocked bass, is a favorite among anglers and outdoor enthusiasts.

A unique outdoor, educational display of nine fossil trees, dating back 370 million years and the oldest ever discovered, is located in Gilboa near the Town Hall, a half mile from the overlook at the Gilboa Dam. The trees were part of the Gilboa Forest, located on the shores of a tropical ocean in the Devonian Period. The Gilboa Reservoir is a primary water source for New York City.

Jefferson, named after the third president of the United States, contains 24,930 acres. It is home to Woodchuck Hill, the apex of the watersheds for the Delaware, Susquehanna and Hudson rivers. The village of Jefferson features a wonderful village green, established in 1817, and was the origin of the annual Schoharie County Maple Festival, now held in March at the Cobleskill Fairgrounds. The town celebrated its bicentennial in in 2003.

Middleburgh, first formed in 1797, takes its name from the location of the Middle Fort, one of the Schoharie Valley's three fortifications from the American Revolution. The town offers some of the county's most fertile farm- land and is home to the Christopher S. Best House, offering visitors a rare glimpse into a 19th century medical practice.

German Palatines first settled Schoharie in 1713. About a mile north of the village center is The Old Stone Fort Museum Complex, earlier known as the Lower Fort, and one of the three forts in the Schoharie Valley during the American Revolution. In addition to the Old Stone Fort, Schoharie has such historic sites as the 1743 Palatine House, the 1770 George Mann Tory Tavern and the 1870 Court House on Main Street. It is also home to the Easter Egg Exhibit and the Train Car Museum/Depot Lane Complex. On Main Street is the historic Throop Drugstore. While established in 1800, today it is a modern pharmacy combined with an old-fashioned soda fountain and luscious treats. Seward was first settled in 1754 by Palatines – immigrants from Dorlach, Germany – who called it the community New Dorlach. In 1840, the present Town of Seward was formed and named in honor of William H. Seward, then Governor of New York State. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Hamlet of Dorloo was known for the Seward Valley Race Track that featured horse racing on a half-mile track.

In the mid-19th century, Sharon Springs was famous the world over for its restorative mineral springs. The signs of a bygone area are found today in architectural gems -- farmhouses and hotels pre-dating the American Revolution through the turn of the century – retaining the spirit of the early pioneers and Victorian high society. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Village of Sharon Springs is home to walking tours, antique shops, the Sharon Historical Museum and Schoolhouse, the restored historic Roseboro and American hotels and more.

The Town of Summit, first established in 1794, is home to the 60- acre, spring-fed Summit Lake. The town, with its diverse terrain, is a four-season playground with hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and crosscountry skiing. In Charlotteville, the Museum of the History of Charlotteville/Anonymous Arts Museum can be found on Main Street, County Route 6.

In the early 1700s, Palatine Germans settled the Town of Wright, named after New York State Governor Silas Wright. It is home to the Fox Creek Nature Center, offering both interpretive nature trails and outdoor exhibits, starting at the Gallupville House on Route 441 in Gallupville. The most popular annual event in Gallupville is Gas Up, which takes place on the second and third weekends of June. The show offers demonstrations of antique gasoline engines as well as antique trucks, tractors, equipment and autos.