Sherburne

Sherburne Historic Park Society and Museum

Founded: 1793

Hamlets within the town: Earlville, Harrisville, Rexford Falls and Sherburne Four Corners.

Named after: Although it is not confirmed, two beliefs are after a hymn or after an original settler named James Sherburne. The town could have been named after the tune “Sherburne” written by Daniel Read in 1783. The early inhabitants had a habit of frequently singing the tune, which was a favorite with them. Many of the earliest inhabitants and settlers of Sherburne were originally from the town of Kent, in Litchfield County, Conn.

Current population: 4,048 (2010 U.S. Census).

Notable people: John Franklin Gray (1804-1881), first practitioner of homeopathy in the United States. Tompkins H. Matteson (1813-1884) was an American painter born in Peterboro, N.Y. Matteson studied at the National Academy of Design. Tompkins ran a studio in New York City from 1841-1850. He died in Sherburne in 1884. Randy Glasbergen (1957-2015) was an American cartoonist and humorous illustrator best known for three decades of newspaper syndication as well as a freelance career. He produced the syndicated strip The Better Half from 1982-2014. He wrote text for hundreds of greeting cards for Hallmark Cards, American Greetings and others.

Interesting fact: The area that became Sherburne, part of the Chenango River Valley, was originally inhabited by the Oneida people until the late 1780s when the state of New York purchased the land from them. These parcels were later sold at auction in New York City.

Industry past: Two knitting mills operated in Sherburne

Industry present: Chenango Valley Technologies continues as a plastic mold injector company making plastic pieces. It formed in 1972 at the Chenango Tool

Company. Southern Tier Pet Nutrition (formerly Chenango Valley Pet Foods, Inc.) has produced premium natural and organic pet foods for a variety of clients for more than 80 years.