Guilford
Founded: In 1793 and was then called Oxford. In 1813, the eastern part of Oxford split off to form Eastern. In 1817, Eastern changed the town name to Guilford.
Hamlets within the town: East Guilford, Guilford (earlier called Fayette), Guilford Center, Latham Corners, Mt. Upton, North Guilford, Rockdale, Rockwell Mills and Yaleville
Named after: Early Guilford residents came from Guilford, Conn.
Current population: 2,922 (2010 U.S. Census)
Notable People: Joshua and John Mersereau were the first settlers and were spies for George Washington. Daniel S. Dickinson (1800-1866) was a New York politician and served as a United States Senator (1844-1851).
Interesting facts: The hamlet of Guilford had a large number of inventors. Mt. Upton had a horse-pulled hearse factory. Rockwell Mills made the uniforms for Civil War soldiers in a mill, now the home of The Old Mill Restaurant. A carved wooden angel that hung outside at “The Angel’s Inn” in Guilford Center is now in the permanent collections at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City. The Guilford Center Church, which is still standing, was built in 1820 and is now the home of the Guilford Historical Society. Lady Upton was a famous race horse from Mt. Upton. Capt. Joseph Latham built the Latham Inn, commonly referred to as “The Tavern” in 1818.
Industry past: Agriculture. The Rockwell Woolen Mills manufactured Civil War Uniforms. A Borden’s Milk Plant collected milk from local farmers and shipped the milk using the railroad. Ontario & Western Railroad passed through Guilford until the railroad closed in 1957.
Industry present: Agriculture still plays a major role in the economy of Guilford.
