Editing Herkimer County, New York (section)

==History==
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2023}}
{{See also|Montgomery County, New York}}
[[File:American Bicentennial - Battle of Oriskany - 13c 1977 issue U.S. stamp.jpg|thumb|left|General [[Nicholas Herkimer]], commander at the [[Battle of Oriskany]] in 1777 and namesake of Herkimer County]]
In 1791, Herkimer County was created as one of three counties split off from Montgomery (the other two being [[Otsego County, New York|Otsego]] and [[Tioga County, New York|Tioga]] counties) as New York State was developed after the [[American Revolutionary War]]. Its area was much larger than the present county, however, and was reduced subsequently as more counties were organized.

Part of Herkimer County was included in the [[Macomb's Purchase]] of 1791, during the wide-scale sale of public lands after the state forced [[Iroquois]] tribes allied with the British during the war to cede their territory. Suddenly the state was selling {{convert|5|e6acre|km2}} of land in upstate, central and western New York.

In 1794, [[Onondaga County, New York|Onondaga County]] was split off from Herkimer County. This county was larger than the current Onondaga County, and included the present [[Cayuga County, New York|Cayuga]], [[Cortland County, New York|Cortland]], and part of [[Oswego County, New York|Oswego]] counties.

In 1798, portions of Herkimer and Tioga counties were taken to form [[Chenango County, New York|Chenango County]].

Another part of Herkimer was split off to form [[Oneida County, New York|Oneida County]]. It was then larger than the current Oneida County, including the present [[Jefferson County, New York|Jefferson]], [[Lewis County, New York|Lewis]], and part of [[Oswego County, New York|Oswego]] counties.

In 1802, parts of Herkimer, [[Clinton County, New York|Clinton]] and [[Montgomery County, New York|Montgomery]] counties were combined to form the new [[Saint Lawrence County, New York|St. Lawrence County]].

The rural economy was first based on general agriculture and then wheat, but after the opening of the Erie Canal, Herkimer farmers found that they could not compete with grain farmers to the west. By the mid-19th century, they had begun to specialize in dairy farming and created a cheese industry that supplied the New York City market, among others.

During the [[American Civil War]], Herkimer contributed five companies to the [[34th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment]], leading to the unit's nickname "The Herkimer Regiment".

The [[Herkimer County Jail]], constructed in 1834, was used to hold the murderer [[Chester Gillette]] before his trial at the Herkimer County Courthouse. The jail is now disused, except for tours by the [[Herkimer County Historical Society]].

The [[Herkimer County shootings]] took place in 2013, killing five people.