208 HISTORY OF Tryon, was organized, which included the balance, or northern frontier of the county, and the West Branch was made the dividing line, the whole of said river belonging to Ulster county. These civil divisions remained unaltered until 1792, when Ostego county was formed from Try on, and the southern boundary was fixed as the West Branch. It now became obvious that another county was necessary from portions of Ulster and Otsego, as those who resided north of the West Branch were obliged to go to Cooperstown to transact their business, and those who attend court, while those on the south side of the same stream did their business at Kingston ; and accordingly, in 1796, the following petition was presented to the legislature, signed by the most respectable citizens of Otsego county, including the supervisors of the respective towns : ^^To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of New York — the petition of the subscribers, inhabitants of the County of Otsego, humbly showeth : — " That the Legislature of this State did, in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four, contemplate the erection of a county by the name of Delaware, composed of part of the counties of Otsego and Ulster. Your petitioners, after due consideration, do think it reasonable that the said county of Delaware should be set off according to the bounda- ries advertised for public consideration. We, your petitioners, do therefore humbly solicit that your honorable House would pass a law for erecting the said county of Delaware. Benjamin Gilbert, William Cooper, Benjamin Griffin, Griffian Craft, Russel Bartlett, William Averill, Eleazer Robins, David Ferguson,
