Local History

In 1793, John W. Bloomfield, from New Jersey, traveled up the Mohawk Valley beyond Fort Stanwix, to oversee some surveying for a relative. The next year he returned and, with others, invested in a 6,000 acre tract of Scriba's Patent. In 1794, John and his wife built a log cabin on the site of what is now Annsville Elementary School. This cabin was later the residence of Dr. Beach. They were the first set­tlers in the town which bears the name of John's wife, Ann. The large, white, pillared house across the street was built in 1822-23 by John's cousin, Joseph Bloomfield.

John built the first sawmill and gristmill in the hamlet now known as Taberg. In 1809, the Oneida Iron and Glass Manufacturing Company began its operation and in 1811 a blast furnance was built for the production of pig iron. It is said that shot and shell were produced here for the War of 1812.

Charcoal was used in the production of pig iron and residents of Annsville, particularly those living on Coal Hill Road, burned wood to make charcoal which they sold to the iron company. That is where Coal Hill got its name. The hamlet surrounding this furnace was named Taberg, after an iron mining town in Sweden.

Elias Brewster, who came from Connecticut, settled in Annsville in 1806, hav­ing lived in Western since 1790. He began clearing land and building a rude cabin for his family which arrived in April of 1807.

Adam P. Campbell and Nicholas Armstrong settled on the meadows, in 1805 or 1806. About this time a man by the name of Wade settled on the Forks. Dan Taft, and a man by the name of Jones settled near where Vincent Taft now keeps a public house. Dan Taft for a number of years kept a noted tavern on the same premises. The old Taft Hotel stood two and one-half miles southeast of Taberg on the state road and was destroyed by fire about 1867. Pomeroy Jones notes in his Annals of Oneida County that he remembers staying there one night in June 1814, and that a fine salmon graced the supper table.

The Town of Annsville was formed from the surrounding towns of Lee, Florence, Camden and Vienna on April 12, 1823. The first town board meeting was held on March 2, 1824.

Benjamin Hyde was elected the first supervisor. On April 12, 1998, the Town of Annsville began its centennial year's celebration of 175 years with the following proclamation:

Today we pause to share a special moment of reflection in com­memoration of the 175th Anniversary of the Town of Annsville.

They say the true greatness of a community is found in its people. The early settlers of Annsville were rugged individualists clearing land, planting crops, and building cabins to survive. When this was done, new needs arose which called for working together as one for common causes. They founded fire brigades, built roads, and estab­lished schools and churches. They raised families and formed cul­tural, social and spiritual organizations. They worked to create a sense of community with values of tolerance, patriotism and moral cour­age.

This same sense of community and shared values are reflected in the people and organizations found in Annsville today. It is our responsibility to preserve and perpetuate this rich heritage for fu­ture generations.

The following is a description of the annual fishing feast of the Oneida Indi­ans at the forks on Fish Creek taken verbatim from Annals and Recollections of Oneida County, by Pomeroy Jones, 1851. The forks is located in what is now known as Blossvale, in the southern portion of Annsville where the East branch and the West branch of Fish Creek meet.

The annual fishing feast was held in the spring of the year, when the leaves on the trees had acquired the size of a fox's ear. In their estimation, it was an occasion of importance, and was conducted with much ceremony. Every family in the tribe was expected to be present by one or more representatives. When the whole party had convened, operations were commenced by driving a row of stakes across the stream just below the fishing ground, and filling the interstices with brush so as to entirely prevent the escape of fish. Then they went quite a distance above the fishing ground and by various devices searched out and drove all the salmon down to the ground selected. Then another row of stakes and brush like the first was placed across the stream above the fish.

All being thus made ready the taking of the fish commenced. The old men, women and children were stationed at the lower obstruction and along the mar-gin of the stream to secure the wounded and dying fish, while the more effective portion of the party, with spears and sharpened stakes, commenced taking their now doomed captives. Their aim was to spear them and carry them ashore, but, from the imperfection of their instruments they more frequently failed than were successful and the securing of the wounded at the lower weir was an operation full as exciting to the old men and boys as was the spearing to the fishermen in the stream above.

When all were taken that were within the enclosure, which frequently amounted to hundreds, the cooking feasting commenced. It was emphatically a feast of "first fruits" and lasted until all were satisfied with the boiled, roasted and broiled. The remains were apportioned to each family in the tribe according to its number.