Editing Otsego County, New York (section)

==History==
{{See also|Montgomery County, New York}}

[[Image:Otsego County 1791.png|thumb|right|220px|Map of Otsego County, at its formation]]
[[Image:Simeon DeWitt Otsego County NY c.1792.png|thumb|right|220px|Map of Otsego County, New York, by [[Simeon De Witt]] c. 1792-1793]]
[[Image:Otsego County NY 1829.png|thumb|right|220px|1829 map of Otsego County, New York]]

In 1789, [[Ontario County, New York|Ontario County]] was split off from Montgomery. The area split off from [[Montgomery County, New York|Montgomery County]] was much larger than the present county, as it included the present [[Allegany County, New York|Allegany]], [[Cattaraugus County, New York|Cattaraugus]], [[Chautauqua County, New York|Chautauqua]], [[Erie County, New York|Erie]], [[Genesee County, New York|Genesee]], [[Livingston County, New York|Livingston]], [[Monroe County, New York|Monroe]], [[Niagara County, New York|Niagara]], [[Orleans County, New York|Orleans]], [[Steuben County, New York|Steuben]], [[Wyoming County, New York|Wyoming]], [[Yates County, New York|Yates]], and part of [[Schuyler County, New York|Schuyler]] and [[Wayne County, New York|Wayne counties]].

===Formation===
Otsego County was one of three early counties split off from Montgomery (the other two being [[Herkimer County, New York|Herkimer]] and [[Tioga County, New York|Tioga]]) after the American Revolutionary War. Otsego County was officially established on February 16, 1791, with [[Cooperstown, New York|Cooperstown]] as its county seat. The original county consisted of three large [[townships]]:
* [[Cherry Valley, New York|Cherry Valley]] in the northeast,
* [[Otsego, New York|Otsego]] in the northwest, and
* [[Harpersfield, New York|Harpersfield]] in the south.

Otsego and Cherry Valley together roughly covered the area of modern Otsego County, while Harpersfield covered the area south of the current county as far as the [[Delaware River]].

[[George Clinton (vice president)|Governor George Clinton]] made the original appointments to Otsego County government positions, including:
* Richard R. Smith, county sheriff, from Otsego township,
* Jacob Morris, county clerk, from Otsego township,
* [[William Cooper (judge)|William Cooper]], chief judge, founder of Cooperstown and from Otsego township,
* [[Jedediah Peck]], associate justice from Otsego township,
* Edward Griswold, associate justice from Cherry Valley
* Platt Townsend, associate justice from Harpersfield,
* Alexander Harper, commander of the county militia, from Harpersfield.

===New towns===
By 1793, four towns had been added to the county by division of the existing towns:
* The Otsego township had been divided into the towns of:
** [[Burlington, New York|Burlington]] in the west,
** [[Otsego, New York|Otsego]] in the northeast,
** [[Richfield, New York|Richfield]] in the north, and
** [[Unadilla (town), New York|Unadilla]] in the south.
* Harpersfield had been divided into the towns of:
** [[Franklin (town), New York|Franklin]] in the west and
** [[Harpersfield, New York|Harpersfield]] in the east.

In 1795, a piece of Otsego County was joined with a portion taken from [[Albany County, New York|Albany County]] to create [[Schoharie County, New York|Schoharie County]].

In 1797, a piece of Otsego County was joined with a portion taken from [[Ulster County, New York|Ulster County]] to create [[Delaware County, New York|Delaware County]].

In 1843, [[Otsego County, Michigan]] was named after the county in New York.<ref>https://www.michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan/public/michigan/county-guides/guides/otsego</ref>