History of Whitestown, New York, USA

1854 - Whitesborough
Whitesborough, a handsome post-village in Whitestown township, and semi-capital of Oneida county, New York, on the Mohawk river, the Erie canal, and on the Central rail road, 4 miles N. W. from Utica. It contains churches of 4 or 5 denominations, 1 or 2 academies, a bank, and several factories. Incorporated in 1829. Population of the village estimated at 2200 ; population of the township, 6810.
A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

1858 - Dreadful Railroad Accident!
Morning Herald Office.

UTICA, May 12. - A frightful Railroad accident occurred this morning at 6 ½ o,clock, on the Central Railroad, by the crushing of a bridge over the Saquoit Creek, some 3 ½ miles west of this city, near Whitesboro.

Seven or eight persons are already dead. Five or six others are barely alive, and the injured number forty or more. The killed are, A. MOORE of Rising Sun, Ind, head crushed, since died; two children of ABRAHAM MACK, of Cincinnati; an unknown man lying in the baggage room at Utica; an Irishman aged apparently 60 years, name unknown – his head entirely smashed, and he seems to have died instantly; a negro whose legs are cut off; an infant child of CARL HOVER, St. Louis. The wounded are JAS. WARD, Schenectady, Conductor of the train, badly bruised, but it is believed not dangerously; W. H. PERKINS, grocer, Rochester, N. Y., badly hurt about the head and chest; he probably will not recover; WALTER H. SHUBE, of Rome, Ohio, injured about the spine, but ... Read MORE...

1862 - Whitestown
WHITESTOWN, named from Hugh White, the pioneer settler, was formed March 7, 1788. It originally included an indefinite amount of territory, now forming several counties. Steuben, Mexico, Paris and Westmoreland, were taken off in 1792; Augusta in 1798; Utica in 1817, and New Hartford in 1827. It lies upon the right bank of the Mohawk, a little south-east of the center of the County. A broad, fiat intervale extends along the Mohawk, from which the surface rises in gentle slopes about 100 feet, and from the summits spreads out into a rolling upland. Oriskany Creek ("river of nettles") flows north-east, through near the center of the town, and Sauquoit through the east part. The soil is thiefly a fine quality of gravelly loam and alluvium, well adapted to grain raising.

Whitesboro, (Whitestown p. o.) in the south-east part of the town, was incorporated March 26, 1813. It contains four churches, viz., Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopal and Free Will Baptist; the Whitestown Seminary and... Read MORE...

1869 - Whitestown
WHITESTOWN, named from Hugh White, the pioneer settler, was formed March 7, 1788. It originally included an indefinite amount of territory, now forming several counties. Steuben, Mexico, Paris and Westmoreland, were taken off in 1792; Augusta in 1798; Utica in 1817, and New Hartford in 1827. It lies upon the right bank of the Mohawk, a little south-east of the center of the County. A broad, fiat intervale extends along the Mohawk, from which the surface rises in gentle slopes about 100 feet, and from the summits spreads out into a rolling upland. Oriskany Creek ("river of nettles") flows north-east, through near the center of the town, and Sauquoit through the east part. The soil is thiefly a fine quality of gravelly loam and alluvium, well adapted to grain raising.

Whitesboro, (Whitestown p. o.) in the south-east part of the town, was incorporated March 26, 1813. It contains four churches, viz., Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopal and Free Will Baptist; the Whitestown Seminary and... Read MORE...

1895 - Whitesborough
Whitesborough, whits’bür-rüh, or Whites’town, a post-village in Whitestown township, Oneida co., N.Y., on the Mohawk River, the Erie Canal, and the New York Central Railroad, 4 miles N.W. of Utica. It has 4 churches, a seminary, a town hall, an iron-foundry with machine shop, a cheese-factory, a brick-yard, and a planing-mill. The name of its post-office is Whitestown. Pop. of the village in 1880, 1370; in 1890, 1662.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott

1905 - WRECK ON THE CENTRAL. ENGINE EXPLODED JUST AS ANOTHER TRAIN WAS PASSING.
Every Car Blown From the Rails – Two Railroad Men Killed and Several Passengers Injured.

One of the strangest wrecks in the history of railroading in this section occurred at Whitesboro, three miles west of Utica, at an early hour Saturday morning. Train 23, the western express, was drawn by an engine known as one of the Pacific type. As this engine was passing train 30, the Buffalo special, eastbound, the westbound engine exploded. The full force of the explosion was felt in the second car of the eastbound train, as the westbound engine was directly opposite that car when the explosion occurred.

Both trains were running at full speed and were well filled with passengers, the westbound train being one of the best trains on the road for sleeping car passengers. The coaches opposite the exploding engine were thrown from the tracks in both directions.

It was supposed that a score or more of lives had been lost and that twice that number of people had been severely injured, but... Read MORE...

1906
Whitestown, a township (town) of Oneida co., N.Y. Pop. in 1900, 6235. See also Whitesboro.

Whitesboro, a post-village in Whitestown township (town), Oneida co., N.Y., on the Mohawk River, on the Erie Canal, and on the New York Central and Hudson River R., 4 miles NW. of Utica. It has knitting-mills, a cannery, etc. Pop. in 1900, 1958.

Lippincott's New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns ... in Every Portion of the Globe Publisher J.B. Lippincott Company, 1906

Here's a list of places to go and things to do in and around Whitestown:
Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site:

Explore the site where the Battle of Oriskany took place during the American Revolution.

Take a guided tour to learn about the history and significance of this pivotal battle.

Utica Zoo:

Head to nearby Utica to visit the Utica Zoo, which features a variety of animals and exhibits.

Enjoy a day of family-friendly fun and education about wildlife conservation.

Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute:

Discover art and culture at this institute, which includes an art museum, a performing arts center, and a renowned school of art.

Attend exhibitions, performances, or take art classes to indulge your creative side.

Erie Canal Village:

Step back in time at Erie Canal Village, a living history museum depicting life in the 19th century.
Explore historic buildings, take a canal boat ride, and learn about the impact of the Erie Canal on the region.

Pixley Falls State Park:

If you enjoy the outdoors, visit Pixley Falls... Read MORE...