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LTC Thomas Farrington, 1735-1808 
Birth: Mar. 8, 1735 Andover Essex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay 
Death: Apr. 9, 1808 Delhi, NY

Thomas Putnam Farrington, born March 8, 1735 in Andover, Essex County, Province of Massachusetts April 9, 1808, was the son of Daniel Farrington of Andover, Massachusetts and Elizabeth Putnam, who was born in Salem, Massachusetts. His mother, Elizabeth Putnam, was a granddaughter of Ann Carr Putnam, the primary instigator which started the Salem witch trials hysteria.

Thomas Farrington served in the Revolutionary War under General Rufus Putnam. Thomas was commissioned a Lt. Colonel on January 1, 1777. Prior to that he was serving as a volunteer in the expedition against Canada and as a Captain in the 16th Continental Infantry. 

Thomas was cashiered (dismissed with dishonor) after he was accused of counterfeiting money. He placed a newspaper notice proclaiming his innocence, but he was remanded to jail after his court martial, to face civil charges. According to Thomas' pension papers, son March describes the counterfeiting incident as a “misunderstanding” between Thomas and his commander. Abigail Adams, wrote about the incident and more in a letter dated May 6, 1777 to her husband, future president, John Adams: 

“I must add a little more. A most Horrid plot has been discovered of a Bank of villans counterfeiting to a Great amount, no person scarcly but what has more or less of these Bills. I am unlucky enough to have about 5 pounds LM of it, but this is not the worst of it. One Col. Farrington who has been concerned in the plot, was taken sick, and has confessd not only the Counterfeiting, but as they had engaged and inlisted nearly 2 thousand Men who upon the Troops comeing to Boston were to fall upon the people and make a General Havock. How much mercifull God than man, in this providentially bringing to light these Horrid plots and Schemes. I doubt not Heaven will still continue to favour us, unless our iniquities prevent." 

General George Washington argued for Thomas to be executed, saying: 

“Whoever attempts to destroy their credit, particularly that of those, emitted by the United States, is a flagitious Offender & should forfeit his life, to satisfie the demands of public justice. In the case before us, the enormity of the crime, is aggravated in a peculiar manner by the post, Farrington held”. Despite Washington's call for execution, Thomas was only cashiered. 

Colonel Thomas Farrington settled in 1786 just above the village of Delhi, in a double log house. Putnam and Philip Farrington, his sons, came to Delhi with him. Three Farringtons were enumerated on the 1800 census in Dehli as heads of household: Thomas, March, and Putnam. 

Thomas’ second marriage was to Jerusha Hammond in 1776. Jerusha applied for a widow's pension based on Thomas's service in the Revolutionary War. Jerusha died November 11, 1840 in Meredith, Delaware County, possibly in the home of her stepson, March. There is no evidence the pension was awarded. In 1846, her family members applied for a pension on Thomas's record for themselves. I have no more information on that. 

Burial: Woodland Cemetery Delhi Delaware County New York, USA 
Plot: 204 
Sources: Geni.com, WikiTree, dcnyhisotry.org

View and download the Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 2025 here.

It is that time of year when people are getting ready to plant gardens and take care of their lawns. This is also true for the Delhi Community Gardens. Residents should be aware that the Village has boxes available for planting for individuals who do not have room on their own property to adequately or comfortably plant and tend their own garden box. However, before we can move forward with this in an organized and fair basis, we need someone to take a leadership role to administer this project. It would involve assigning boxes to those who wish to utilize them and to periodically monitor that the boxes are being maintained properly. Having some knowledge regarding gardening would be helpful. If you are interested in volunteering for this role, please see the mayor at Village Hall, 9 Court Street.

The Village of Delhi is seeking bids for a contractor to perform lawn mowing services for delinquent property owners in the Village of Delhi on a monthly basis as determined by the Village. MUST be insured. Bids should be received in the Clerk’s office by May 11, 2026 by noon.  For more information or to submit proposals and estimates, please contact the Village of Delhi, PO Box 328, Delhi, NY 13753, (607) 746-2258.  The Village accepts the right to reject any and all bids.

Kimberly Cairns
Village Treasurer

Jonathan Finney 
B:1758 
D:1843 
Revolutionary War Veteran, Private

Served in: Captain Joseph Palmer’s Company, Colonel Josiah Whitney’s Regiment and Captain Samuel Fish’s Company for 8 days, Capt. Moses Ashley's Company, Col. John Paterson's 15th Massachusetts Regt., 1776 

Jonathan Finney applied for a pension in May 1820. He stated he owned no real estate but had use of part of an old house and a small spot for a garden. He owned 1 cow, 8 hens, 2 small tables, 1 old chest of drawers, 8 old chairs, 4 pewter plates and other modest household goods, including an old Bible and 1 copy of Milton’s Paradise Lost. He stated his occupation was farmer. His application to the War Department was denied. 

Jonathan was born November 8, 1758 Kent, Litchfield County, Connecticut and died August 10, 1843 Delhi, Delaware County, NY. He was the son of Jonathan, age 22, and Phebe (Phelps) Finney, age 24. His wife was Sarah Treadway. They married on June 15, 1789 and had 10 children - Mary, George, Mary “Polly”, Phebe, Seldon, Jonathan, Beri, Harriet, Amasa and William. The Finney’s moved to Delhi, NY around 1800. 

Jonathan Finney died on 10 August 1843, in Delhi, NY at the age of 84. His wife, Sarah, died in 1857, age 93. Jonathan and Sarah Finney, and their son, Seldon, were originally buried in the Old Delhi Burial Ground. Jonathan’s and Sarah’s remains were removed to Woodland Cemetery but their gravestones remain in Old Delhi. Seldon’s remains are still interred in Old Delhi. 

Jonathan Finney’s name was alternatively spelled Phinney, as it is spelled on his son, Seldon’s, gravestone, in the Old Delhi Burial Ground. From his obituary, “In Franklin (Delaware Co, NY) on 20th inst. Mr Seldon Finney of this town (Delhi, Delaware Co, NY {he married} Miss Annis Johnson of the former place. From the Delaware Gazette January 12, 1825. Seldon and Annis were married only 18 months before he died. I haven’t found a record of Annis being buried with him so she may have remarried. His funeral was held at the Delhi Courthouse, now the Delhi Village Hall. 

His gravestone inscription reads, “In memory of Seldon Phinney who died July 9, 1826, AEt 30 yrs”. AEt stands for Aetate, Latin for “at the age of”. Jonathan and Sarah’s gravestones are nearly indecipherable.

Brush and lawn debris will be picked up every Monday starting at 6:00 am from April 6, 2026 through October 12, 2026.

1. Brush and lawn debris should only be placed by the curb over the weekend before the Monday you need it picked up. Please do not put out any earlier. DO NOT PLACE BRUSH AND LAWN DEBRIS IN THE ROAD.

2. Brush should be no larger than 6 inches in diameter and free of dirt and stones.

3. Brush should be separated from other debris.

4. Grass clippings and other small debris should be placed in receptacles. The receptacles will not be taken away. 

Leaves will be picked up every Monday starting at 6:00 am from April 6, 2026 through November 23, 2026.

1. Leaves should only be placed by the curb over the weekend before the Monday you need it picked up. Please do not put out any earlier. Leaves should be secured, to avoid them blowing into the road and causing a traffic hazard. DO NOT PLACE LEAVES IN THE ROAD.

2. Leaves must be separate from brush and all other small lawn debris.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Village of Delhi Board of Trustees will be holding a budget workshop on March 9, 2026 at 6:00 PM at the Village Hall, 9 Court Street, Delhi, NY 13753.

Kimberly G. Cairns
Village Treasurer
Dated: March 4, 2026

This Old Delhi Yarn is to commemorate a Veteran of the American Revolution, Job Sheldon, to celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary. Job Sheldon was born in Cranston, RI Jan 26, 1758 and died in Delhi, NY April 1, 1832. He married Hannah Crawford Tripe (1763-1831) on Sept 28, 1783 in Palatine, Montgomery Co, NY. Job Sheldon was 18 years old when the Revolution began. His war record includes his survival at the siege of Valley Forge, the defense of Forts Mifflin and Mercer, for which he was awarded the badge of honor from Gen. Washington, the Battle of Monmouth, he was a Sgt. of the Guard at the execution of the British spy, Major John Andre, and he was at the Battle of Yorktown when Cornwallis surrendered. Mr. Sheldon was a loyal patriot and continued to fight for his country when he joined the Army during the War of 1812.

In 1831, after his wife, Hannah, died, Mr. Sheldon came to Delhi to visit his eldest son, Crawford (1799-1859) and his wife, Abigail, née Moxham (1800-1881), where he died in 1832. Crawford and Abigail Sheldon were the parents of 6 boys and 3 girls. Their eldest son, Edwin Holmes Sheldon, (1821-1890), married Frances, née Ogden (1824-1870), daughter of Abraham Ogden, from Walton, NY. Edwin H. and Frances Sheldon’s eldest son, Edwin B. Sheldon (1849-1923), married Louisa Bruen Whitehouse (1843-1919). Edwin B. Sheldon was born in Chicago, IL. He was a real estate developer and brother in law to William B. Ogden, (1805-1877), First Mayor of Chicago. W.B. Ogden donated money to build the library in Walton, NY, which is named for him. Edwin B, known as EB, and Louisa had no children. They moved to Delhi from California and built the house they called Longwood, on the hill where Delaware Academy is now. The house burned in 1937 and Delhi School District bought the property in 1938. Edwin H. Sheldon hired an architect from Chicago, a friend of William B. Ogden, to design the beautiful round tower and wrought iron gate for the lychgate (roof) at the Orchard St entrance to Woodland cemetery. Edwin B. Sheldon had the Sheldon mausoleum erected in Woodland Cemetery in 1921 in memory of his beloved wife, Louisa. Many members of the Sheldon family are buried there. One of the many descendants of the Sheldon’s and the Whitehouse’s is Sheldon Whitehouse, United States Senator from Rhode Island.

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

The Village of Delhi is accepting bids for June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027:

Item #1: Heating Oil – Price delivered to Delhi Village Hall and Wastewater Treatment Plant. Bid will be a fixed price; any/all fees must be included.

Item #2: Kerosene – Price delivered to Delhi Village Hall and Wastewater Treatment Plant. Bid will be a fixed price; any/all fees must be included.

Item #3: Propane – Price delivered to Water/Highway Depot Street Building, Wellhouse Building, Highway Garage and Police Range. Bid will be a fixed price; any/all fees must be included.

All items must meet New York State specifications and must be in a sealed envelope clearly marked “Bid for Item #_____.” All bidders shall conform to
Section 1030 by including non-collusion Bidding Certificate as stated in General Municipal Law. All bids must be submitted on a bidding form using one form for each item bid. Bidding forms are available at the Village Clerk’s office.

Sealed bids must be delivered to the Village Clerk, PO Box 328, 9 Court Street, Delhi, NY 13753 no later than Tuesday, March 31, 2026 by 4:00 pm. Bids will be reviewed by the Village of Delhi’s Board of Trustees.

The Village of Delhi reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to accept only those most advantageous of the Village of Delhi.

Do you remember the television show, “Petticoat Junction”? I’m sure you never thought it had anything to do with Delhi. It’s not what you think. Delhi has been the home of many industrious, intelligent, and artistic women.

This yarn will feature just a few of them.

Jennie (Curtis) Cannon ( 1855-1929)
Jennie (Curtis) Cannon married Henry White Cannon in 1879. Henry was related to the Cannon family who founded Cannonsville, NY. They lived in New York City and had a summer home in Delhi, on Main Street, where the Delhi Historical Society is now. The Cannon’s used the little park across the street from their home as a carriage and buggy park. The park was given to the Village of Delhi, to be used only as a public park. It’s now known as Cannon Memorial Park. It was renovated and redesigned by students from SUNY Delhi several years ago and is a lovely place of flowers, benches, Narnia-style street lamps, and the Little Free Library, thanks to the Delhi Rotary Club in 2024. Mrs. Cannon was very active in Women’s Suffrage and hosted meetings at the Cannon House. She was also a generous donor to the Cannon Memorial Library.

Candace (Thurber) Wheeler ( 1827-1924)
Candace (Thurber) Wheeler grew up on a farm where Delaware Academy is now, formerly the Sheldon estate. Her father, Abner Thurber, was a deacon of the Second Presbyterian Church, and a supporter of abolition. Candace married Tom Wheeler, from New York City. She took oil painting lessons from famous artists, including Frederic E. Church and George Henry Hall. Candace worked with Louis Comfort Tiffany in NYC. The beautiful stained glass window in the United Ministry was dedicated to Abner Thurber and given by the Thurber family in 1878.

Wanita (Whittaker) Lewis ( 1914-2017)
Wanita was born in the Town of Tompkins. In 1925 she moved with her family to Delhi when her father was elected Delaware County Clerk. Wanita married Don Lewis in 1933. She taught Sunday School, served as a Girl Scout leader and knit socks for the Red Cross during WW2. In 1962 she began working at the Delaware County Treasurer’s office and became an accountant in that office. Wanita was very active in many organizations. Her accomplishments were noted by people who encouraged her to run for Town of Delhi Supervisor, to which she was elected in 1973. While Wanita was Town Supervisor Eleanor Volante was Delhi Village Mayor. Here’s the tag line - Delhi became locally known as Petticoat Junction.

Some people may think it’s insulting to women but I knew Wanita and she told me this story. Wanita thought it was wonderful and so do I.

Cannon Memorial Park, Main and Franklin streets, Delhi, NY, unknown date. Little Free Library photo by Tracey West Hancock.

I took a short leave of absence from Delhi history due to a tick bite infection. I encourage everyone who spends time in cemeteries, or anywhere outdoors, to take precautions. Use insect and tick repellent and wear appropriate clothes and shoes. It was not fun.

I’ve been thinking about the Old Delhi Burying Ground and the Delhi residents buried there. I’m already looking forward to working in Old Delhi again this spring. I haven’t found, and don’t know if one exists, a list of names of the people who were buried there. I have a list of the names on the gravestones I’ve discovered, so far. I’m researching all the names by combining the names on the dcnyhistory.org website and the 1981 CETA project with the names on gravestones I’ve found that aren’t on either list. I don’t expect to find info on the children buried there. The statistics on infant and childhood mortality in the 1800’s are staggering. Nearly every family lost at least one child and some lost all. Diphtheria was the leading cause of death, especially among children, also measles, scarlet fever and tuberculosis.

Thankfully, we have protections in place now.

While researching Old Delhi I’ve encountered a misunderstanding among several people that all the people buried in Old Delhi were disinterred and reinterred in Woodland Cemetery. There were several important people removed to Woodland Cemetery, the operative word being ‘important’. One of Delhi’s founders was William Youmans, Esq., 1820-1896, whose home, the former Penfield estate, is adjacent to Old Delhi, and who gave a strip of land to be used for entrance and exit to the burying ground. There were at least 3 large monuments for Delhi elite at the juncture of the northwest and southwest sections. Those were the burials and monuments for Erastus Root, Osman Steele, Brig Gen Henry

Leavenworth, his wife, Electa Knapp Leavenworth, and their infant. At least 3 Revolutionary War Veteran’s - Jonathan Finney, Nathaniel Steele and George Fisher, also a founder of Delhi - were removed to Woodland Cemetery. George Fisher originally had a Coffin Man gravestone but when his remains were reinterred in Woodland Cemetery his grave marker was replaced, as I discussed in a previous article. I also plan to upload my photos to Find A Grave.

Mr. Youmans decided he wasn’t happy with the volume of traffic to and from the burying ground so he mounted a 20+ year campaign of litigation with the Village of Delhi for the removal of all burials to Woodland Cemetery. The expense would have to be assumed by the Village and the Village fathers wisely chose not to approve it. Several other families decided to remove their loved one’s remains but I don’t have much info on them at this time. I’ll include the list of names on the gravestones I’ve found in future Old Delhi Yarns.

I will be writing about other aspects of Delhi history in other old yarns, so don’t worry, not every yarn will be gravestones and cemeteries. I want to search for info on who Delhi streets and roads are named for and I’ll try to find info on old houses in Delhi but that’s all for now. Please email any suggestions you have for future stories and feel free to let me know if I got something wrong. My email address is on the Village of Delhi webpage.

I’d like to leave you with one of my favorite winter poems, by Robert Frost, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”. I don’t know why but it reminds me of Delhi.

Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

The next General Village of Delhi Election for officers will be held on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 from 12:00 noon to 9:00 pm at Village Hall, 9 Court St, Delhi, NY 13753 and: 

The Board of Trustees designates as vacant, at the end of the current official year to be filled at the Village Election, the following terms:

Two (2) Trustees for five (5) year term each.

Notice is hereby given that Public Hearings will be held by the Village of Delhi Board of Trustees on January 20, 2026 starting at 5:45 PM at Village Hall, 9 Court Street, Delhi, NY for the purpose of discussing the proposed revision recommendations made by the Zoning Revision Board to include Low Impact Business District, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU), overlay district, Woolerton Street Parking and Signs and Billboards. The regular monthly board meeting will follow the public hearing.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office during the hours of 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. at the Village Hall, 9 Court Street, Delhi, NY.

Pamela Ferguson
Village Clerk

Dated: January 8, 2026
January 15, 2026

The Village of Delhi will be performing Fire Hydrant Testing on Phoebe Lane starting at 9:00 am on Monday, November 24, 2025. During this time the following streets may experience cloudy water: Crestwood Dr, Delview Terrace, Delview Terrace Ext, and Phoebe Lane. If this happens, please run your water until it becomes clear.
 

Please call the Village Clerk’s office with any questions at (607) 746-2258.