This is a transcription of the White Creek, NY section from Gazetteer of the State of New York: Embracing a Comphrehensive View of the Geography, Geoloy and General History of the State and a Complete History and Description of Every County, City, Town, Village and Locality, with Full Tables of Statistics by J. H. French, Syracuse, N.Y: R. Pearsall Smith, 1860.
WHITE CREEK3–was formed from Cambridge, April 17, 1815. It is the S. E. corner town of the co. The surface of the s. portion is gently rolling, and the central and N. portions are occupied by the Taghkanick Mts. The summits of these mountains are rocky and broken and covered with forests, and their sides are bounded by abrupt declivities and perpendicular ledges. The principal streams are Hoosick River, Owl Kil, Pumpkin Hook,4Center, White, and Little White Creeks. The upper course of Owl Kil is through a deep and narrow valley abounding with picturesque views. A small vein of lead has been discovered three-fourths of a mi. E. of Posts Corners. The soil is a fine quality of gravelly loam. More sheep are raised in this town than in any other in the co. Garden seeds and flax are largely cultivated. North White Creek (p.v.) adjoins Cambridge. White Creek, (p. o.,) Posts Corners, Center White Creek, (p. o.,) Ash Grove, Dorrs Corners, Pumpkin Hook, and Martindale Corners are hamlets. The Walloomsac Patent, lying partly in this town, on the s., was settled by the Dutch. Among the other grants were the Bain, Embury, Grant and Campbell, and Lake and Van Cuyler, Patents. A colony of Irish Methodists settled near Ash Grove about 1770; and here was organized the second M. E. church in America,5by Thos. Ashton (from whom the locality was named) and Rev. Philip Embury. James and Thos. Morrison made the first settlement, near White Creek.6
Footnotes
3 The creek from which the town was named received its name from the white quartz pebbles that form its bed.
4 Said to be a corruption of the Indian Pom-pa-nuck, the name of a tribe of Indians, who removed hither from Conn.
5 Embury preached the first Meth. sermon in N. Y, 3 or 4 years before. The census reports 8 churches in town; 2 Bap, 2 M. E., Friends, Presb, R. C, and Asso. Ref. Presb.
6 Among the other early settlers were Buel Beebe, Maj. John Porter, Ephraim, James, and Robt. Cowan, David Slarrow, Sam’l Clark, John McClung, Geo. Duncan, Robt. and George Gilmore, Wm. Eager, Wm. Selfrage, Sam’l Ball, and John Scott. The early settlers in the E. part of the town were Thomas Ashton, Edmund Wells, John and Ebenezer Allen, David Sprague, Seth Chase, John Harroun, Thos. McCool, John Woods, Simeon Fowler, John Young, Josiah Dewey and John Corey. John Rhodes built the first clothing works, at Pumpkin Hook.