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TOWN OF GREENFIELD.
Greenfield lies north of the centre of the cGunty. It is bounded on the north
by Corinth, on the east by Wilton, on the south by Saratoga Springs and Milton and on the west by Providence and
Edinburgh. The town is defined as follows by the Revised Statutes:
The town of Greenfield shall contain all that part of said county beginning at the southeast corner of lot number
seven, in the seventeenth allotment of the patent of Kayaderosseras, and running thence westerly along the north
bounds of the sixteenth allotment of said patent to the southeast corner of Providence; then north on the east
line of the same to the southwest corner of Corinth; then easterly along the south bounds of Corinth to the west
bounds of the twenty-third allotment; then along the same southerly to the north bounds of the seventeenth allotment;
then along the same southwesterly to lot number seven in said seventeenth allotment; then southerly along the east
bounds thereof to the place of beginning.
From the northern boundary of the town the Kayaderosseras mountain range extends in a southwesterly direction to
the southwest corner. In the eastern part are hills forming a part of the Palmertown range. Between the two lies
a valley averaging six miles in width. The historic Lake Desolation lies on the western boundary. Kayaderosseras
creek flOws southerly through the central and southwestern part of the town. - The Adirondack railroad enters the
southeastern corner of the town, runs west,. then north through the centre.
Tradition says that Greenfield was first settled prior to 178 by Anthony Haggerty and Thomas Root. The first settlements
of which anything definite is known were made in 1786 byGershom Morehouse, Charles Dake, William Dake, John Dake,
Benjamin Dake and others near Middle Grove; by William Scott at Scott's Corners, now North Greenfield; b.y Isaac
Reynolds, near Greenfleid Centre, and the Fitch family at St. John's Corners. Gershom Morehouse built the first
saw mill in town, at Middle Grove, in 1786. In 1792 he built the first grist mill in town. Benjamin. Clinch had
the first store in town, at Porter's Corners, in 1787, Joel Reynolds came to Greenfield Centre in 1789 and opened
the first tavern. The place is now the property of Dr. lanthus G. Johnson.
Middle Grove, or Jamesville, is in the southwestern par.t of the town, on the Kayaderosseras creek. Important paper
mills, described elsewhere, are located here. Gréenfleld Centre is a:little east of the centre. Porter's
Corners lies a little northwest of the centre. All are hamlets. The chñrches of Greenfield are: First Congregational
church, organized in 1790; First Baptist, 1791; Baptist church of Jamesville, 1846; M. E. church of Greenfield
Centre, 1800 to 1810; Universalist church of Porter's Corners, 1816; M. E. church of Porter's Corners, 1840. St.
John's lodge No. 22, F. & A. M., the oldest Masonic lodge of the county, was chartered February 20, 1802. Greenfield
Centre lodge No. 308, I. 0. 0. F., was organized February 28, 1872.
Greenfield enjoys the distinction of being the largest township in Saratoga county.
Before the erection of the county its territory lay partly in the district of Saratoga and partly in the district
of Baliston. In 1791 it belonged to the towns of Saratoga and Baliston. In 1792 the western half formed a part
of the town of Milton. The town was erected March 12, 1793, and a part of Hadley, Corinth, and the eastern part
of Day were taken off in 1801. The first town meeting was held April 1, 1794. Since that year the supervisors of
Greenfield have been as follows:
1794, William Scott. 1795, John St. John. 1796, William Scott. 1797-1801, Asahel Porter: 1802-03, John St. John.
1804-07, Salmon Child. 1808-09, Asa C. Barney. 1810-11, John Prior. l812- 15, John Pettit. 1816-17, Samuel McCrea.
1818-19, Charles Dake. 1820, Elisha Wing. 1821-24, Nehemiah Wing. 1825-29, Jonathan Lapham. 1830-31, Henry Miller.
1832-34, Adam Bockes. 1835-38, Edwin C. Weed. 1839-40, Levi Smith. 1841, Freeman Tourtelot. 1842, E. C. Weed. 1843,
Joseph Wood. 1844, Chester Foote. 1845, Calvin W. Dake. 1846, F. Tourtelot. 184749, Frederick J. Wing. 1850-51,
Benjamin F. Prior. 1852-53, Harmon G. Sweeney. 1854, Oscar Granger. 1855, G. Sweeney. 1856, Hiram S. Freeman..
1857-58, Lewis Wood. 1859-60, Abiel C. Allard. 1861-62, Alonzo Russell. 1863-64, lanthus G. Johnson. 1865, F. Tourtelot.
1866-67, Warren Dake. 1868-69, De Witt C. Hoyt. 1870, Warren Dake. 1871-72, Warren Bockes. 1873, John H Smith.
1874-75, James V. Smith. 1876-77, Josiah L. Rowland. 1878, John R. Harris. 1879, Charles W. Spaulding. 1880, John
R. Harris. 1881-83, Benjamin S. Robinson. 1884, Warren Dake. 1885-86, Augustus E. Allard. 1887-88, Jedediali Kilmer.
1889-93, Charles W. Spaulding. 1894- 97, Clifford E. Cady. 1898, Darrow.
Following is a list of those who have served as town clerks:
1794-97, Zenas Winsor. 1798, George Shove. 1799-1801, Lewis Graves. 1802-06, John Bockes. 1807-08, John King. 1809-11,
Giles Robinson. 1812-15, Elihu Wing. 1816, Charles Lewis. 1817-18, John Williams. 1819-21, John Bockes. 1822, John
Williams. 1823, Elihu Gifford, Elihu Wing (vice Gifford, removed from town). 1824 Asahel P. Cronkhite. 1825-27,
Nehemiah Wing. 1828-29, Solomon Dake. 1830, Nehemiah Wing. 1831, Levi Smith. 1832-33, Darius Johnson. 1834-38,
Levi Smith. 1839-40, John S. Peacock. 1841-43, Warren Bockes. 1844, N. D. Morehonse. 1845, Joseph Carr 1846 48,
William H. Bushnell. 1849.51, Theron Barrows. 1852, Charles B. Wing. 1853, James V. Smith. 1854, Ambrose Young.
1855-56, Richard Hewitt. 1857, Andrew M. Young. 1858, Richard Hewitt. 1859-62, George W. Hazard. 1863-64, Henry
C. Olds. 1865-68, Benjamin S. Robinson. 1869, John H. Smith. 1870, Charles S. Tubbs. 1871, Stuart Early. 1872-74,
Charles S. Tubbs. 1875-77, Melvin Spaulding. 1878-79, James G. Weedon. 1880-81, Lee A. Smith. 1882, A. Edson Hall
1883, Edward Rood. 1884, B. S. Robinson. 1885-88. A. Edson Hall. 1889-91, Allen F. Davis. 1892, Arthur W. Johnson.
1893, A. F. Davis. 1894-97, Byron S. Johnson. 1898, Edwin Crosthwait.
The following have served as justices of the peace:
1881, John Morehouse. 1832, Stafford Lapham, Alexander H. Scott. 1833, Stafford Lapham. 1884, Nathan Daniels. 1835,
Henry Miller.. 1836, Alexander H. Scott. 1837, John Williams. 1838, Nathan Daniels. 1889, Henry Miller. 1840, A.
H. Scott, John Morehouse. 1841, John Williams. 1842. Andrew McGaffey. 1843, John Morehouse, Asa Ingerson. 1844,
John Gifford. 1845, John Williams. 1846, Richard Hewitt. 1847, Devine H. Young. 1848, John Gifford. 1849, John
Williams. 1850, Richard Hewitt. 1851, Hiram S. Freeman. 1852, John Gifford, Lewis Wood. 1853, Nelson D. Morehouse.
1854, Moses Ballou. 1855, Joel B. Morehouse. 1856, John Gifford. 1857, Nelson D. Morehouse. 1858, William H. Ingerson.
1859, Moses Ballou, Alexander Scott. 1860, James V. Smith. 1861, Seymour B. Ingharn. 1862, A. H. Scott. 1863, Moses
Ballou. 1864, Daniel Palmer. 1865, Seymour B. Ingham, John Wagman. 1866, James V. Smith, Benjamin F. Weed. 1867,
B. F. Weed, A. H. Scott. 1868, A. H. Scott, Calvin W. Dake. 1869, S. B. Ingham. 1870, Charles S. Latham. 1871,
Calvin W. Dake. 1872, Benjamin S. Robinson, John H. Smith. 1873, Theodore Comstock. 1874, Charles S. Latham. 1875,
James M. Dake. 1876, B. S. Robinson, Starks Dake. 1877, Theodore Comstock. 1878, Charles S. Latham. 1879, Charles
D. Gardnier. 1880, Elihu Wing.' 1881, George H. Hodges, J. V. Smith, William C. Smith. 1882, Charles S. Latham.
1883, William Gray. 1884, J. V. Smith, Charles D. Gardnier. 1885, William C. Smith. 1886, Charles S. tatham. 1887,
Moses D. Rowell. 1888, William G. Boggs, B. S. Robinson. 1889, William C. Smith. 1890, Charles S. Latham, Charles
D. Gardnier. 1891, Charles D. Gardnier. 1892, B. S. Robinson. 1893, Góorge H. Hodges. 1894. Charles S. Latham.
1893, William G. Boggs. 1896, Lee A. Smith. 1897, George H. Hodges. 1898, Charles S. Latham.
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