This is a transcription of the Jackson, 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.
JACKSON–was formed from Cambridge, April 17, 1815. It lies on the E. border of the co., s. of the center. The N. branch of the Taghkanick Range occupies the E. portion of the town, and several parallel ranges extend through the central and w. portions, rendering the entire surface very hilly. The summits of the hills are 300 to 800 ft. above the valleys and are generally crowned with forests. The declivities are often steep and rocky. The principal streams are Batten Kil and a branch of Owl Creek. In the valley between the hills that border immediately upon Batten Kil and those farther w. are several small lakes, known as Long, Big, Dead, and Little Ponds. These lakes are beautiful sheets of water, surrounded by hills, forests, and fine cultivated farms. The soil is a slaty loam and very productive. Jackson Center (Jackson p. o.)contains 16 houses; Colia (p. v.,) on the line of Cambridge, about 30 houses; and Anaquassacook. 12. Portions of this town and White Creek were embraced in the Anaquassacook Patent of 10,000 acres, granted May 11, 1762.8 The first settlers were James Irvine, Peter Magill, and John Miller, all of whom located in the s. part of the town.9 The only church (Ref. Prot. D.) in town was organized Dec. 31, 1833; Rev. Jas. W. Stewart was the first pastor. Geo. Law, one of the projectors and proprietors of the California line of steamships, was a native of this town.
Footnotes
8 This patent was granted to Ryer, Jacob, Freeman, and W. M. Schermerhorn, Johannes, Nicholas, and Peter Quackenboss, Thos. and John Smith, and Joseph Jansen, all of Schenectady.
9 Among the settlers on the Anaquassacook were Hugh Thompson and Ebenezer Billings, and near the ponds John McLean and Jonathan Conger. A schoolhouse was built in 1780, a little w. of Peter Hill’s residence. An inn was kept by Isaac Murray about 1790. John McGill built a store of logs in 1781, on the site of the present residence of Peter Hill.