Editing Barton, New York (section)

== History ==
The [[Sullivan Expedition]] of 1779 passed through this region. The first settlers arrived ''circa'' 1791.

The Town of Barton was established in 1824 from the town of [[Tioga, New York|Tioga]]. The region was already settled in 1796 when John Shepard bought {{convert|1,000|acre|km2}} by the current location of [[Waverly, Tioga County, New York|Waverly]]. It is reported that the town was named after [[Belva Ann Lockwood]] of [[Royalton, New York]] (near [[Lockport, New York|Lockport]]), one of the first female lawyers in the country, the first woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court and the first woman to be on an official ballot running for president of the US in 1884 and 1888. But, see the town's own webpage for a better explanation of the history of the town name.[https://townofbarton.org/]

One of the most interesting points in the town was the J.E. Rodeo Ranch."<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.tiogacountyny.com/towns_villages/barton_history.php |last = Shipman |first = Patricia |title = Town of Barton History |publisher = Official web site of Tioga County, New York |access-date = 2009-02-01 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081228221145/http://www.tiogacountyny.com/towns_villages/barton_history.php |archive-date = 28 December 2008 |url-status = dead }}</ref> The 1940s and 1950s were also the heyday of Colonel Jim Eskew's famous J. E. Rodeo organization,<ref name="storyofrodeo"/> the only rodeo ranch east of the Mississippi River.<ref name="storyofrodeo">{{cite book |last= Westermeier|first= Clifford P.|author2=Bill Crawford|author3=Kristine Fredriksson|title= Man, Beast, Dust: The Story of Rodeo|orig-year= 1947|year= 2005|publisher= University of Nebraska Press|isbn= 0-8032-9843-9|pages= 269–270&nbsp;"|chapter= Tumbleweeds In The East|chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xSxgZsh0FhwC&q=eskew&pg=PA269|quote=<br /><u>pp. 269-270</u> "There exists, more or less, a gentlemen's agreement between the Eskew organization and others of a similar nature to the effect that the J E group is to work in the eastern and northeastern section of the United States in staging rodeos for cities, towns, state and country fairs, and in supplying an entire show or just the stock and featured contract performers."<br /><u>p. 270</u> "The location of the J E Ranch at Waverly, in the south-central part of New York State has created a tremendous interest in rodeo sports in the East."<br /><u>p. 270</u> "The season in the East opens in April and takes this organization into Connecticut, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.}}</ref> The rodeo traveled throughout the [[Mid-Atlantic (United States)|Mid Atlantic]] and [[New England]] states.<ref name="storyofrodeo"/>