The Town of Oakfield was formed when it was separated from Elba in 1842. The village was originally known as Caryville in honor of Col. Alfred Cary who founded the Cary Seminary and who also started the first general store in 1833. In 1837, the name was changed to Plain brook, and shortly after that was changed to Oakfield. The village was incorporated in 1858 and the first officers were elected at a meeting at the Olcott House.
THE OLD INDIAN FORT
Indian mounds and earthworks that have gone into history as the most remarkabel alnd best preserved of any in the state are found in Oakfield. "The Old Fort" orginally covered about 10 acres. The fort consists of breastworks and a ditch which show evidence o artificial grading and engineering skill. Ancient lodges and broken pottery have been found in a part of these works. A mile to the northeast of the Old Fort were the remnants of a bone fort. It is unkown if the bone fort was a mass burial ground for the fallen warriors of the tribe, or the bones of the enemy tribe piled up in order to frighten opponents. The early Seneca name for Oakfield was Te-gat-ai-neaa-ghgue or "double fortified town.
EARLIEST SETTLERS
The first settlements in Oakfield were made in 1801 by Erastus Wolcott and Aaron White. Soon after, in the same year, Gideon Dunham settled and opened the first tavern in Oakfield. The first grist and saw mills were erected in 1811 by Christopher Kenyon, and the first wool-carding and cloth dressing mill was put in operation in 1829 by Othniel Brown. The first store was opened in 1833 by Col. Alfred Cary.
In 1900, Oakfield boasted four churches - Protestant, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, and German Lutheran, a union free school Cary Collegiate Seminary, a bank, a weekly newspaper, three hotels, a large number of stores, a foundry, a fruit evaporator, a wagon shop, a saw mill, a plow and agricultural machinery factory, a stave and heading factory, a plaster mill, a flouring mill, a cement mill, aa fertilizer manufactory, an oil-can factory, a lumber yard and other minor industries.
Village Historian
Oakfield Historical Society
