Two centuries
ago the land where Croghan, New York sits was a densely forested wilderness.
The first known settlers of the area were the Oneida Indians, one of the
Iroquois tribes. They occupied the forest and surrounding river banks.
The main industries of the area were logging, lumbering, and tanneries. The great river enabled the logs to be floated down the river to the sawmills. The mills were built on the rivers to utilize the water power. Later, as the land was cleared by logging, farming began.
The downtown are of Croghan has survived two major fires, one in 1902 and the other in 1912. The one in 1912 destroyed nearly the entire business district of the community but, in a very short time it was completely rebuilt. In recent years the total acreage has increased somewhat, and the population has grown slightly but, for the most part, the quaint little village retains the unique character it has fostered throughout its history. Today the town is still made up of the people from the French, German, and Swiss decent. The economy includes Dairy Farming, Forestry, Tourism, Maple Syrup Production, paper manufacturing & Packaging, and Retail. |
