oned, one Schoolcraft erected a modest
structure on the site of the Susquehanna House. Schoolcraft's house
became in a short time the leading tavern of the community, where poor
grog and worse food were dispensed to the villagers and wayfarers,
doubtless much to the gratification of their primitive tastes.

About the same period, 1804-5, one Joseph Westcott, from the present
town of Milford, erected a store nearly opposite the residence of D.M.
Miller. These stores--Dinninny's, mentioned in the preceding chapter,
Dietz's and Westcott's--were all of the most primitive order, and,
especially the first named, contained but a meagre stock of goods, the
stock generally consisting of a barrel of New England rum of the most
violent nature, several old bull ploughs, a little crockery ware, a
few cooking utensils, and a small amount of dry goods. There was but
little money and the merchant's trade was carried on mostly in the way
of barter, the tradesman exchanging his merchandise for grain, lumber
and shingles.

Early in the history of the town, a Mr. Walling, the grandfather of
J.R.L. Walling, located to the east of Oneonta creek, near where his
descendant above named now lives. One Newkirk also settled on Chestnut
street, on the lot adjoining Philander Lane's. Lawrence Swart settled
on the farm now owned and occupied by Henry Wilcox, about the same
time that Jacob Dietz came into the settlement.[A]

[Footnote A: There were other families among the settlers by the name
of Hillsinger, Couse, Whitmarsh, Harsen, Sullivan, White and Morrell.]

At the time of Swart's settlement the land on the lower end of River
street was covered by a dense forest of hemlock and maple. Over those
attractive and well-tilled fields now composing Mr. Wilcox's farm,
roamed at that time the bear and the panther, and glided with little
molestation numberless rattlesnakes of the largest and most poisonous
species. The settlement along the river, below the residence of George
Scramling, seemed to proceed slowly, as the land below this point was
considered of but little value, while the heavy growth of hemlock
precluded the rapid clearing away of the forest. To the north and east
of the village the hillsides yielded a vast quantity of the more
valuable timber.

For news outside of the little settlement the inhabitants had recourse
to the _Freeman's Journal_, at that time published by one of the
pioneers of journalism in Otsego county, John H. Prentiss