When the Palatines arrived at the Schoharie Valley in 1712, the world they stepped into was a century in the making. This formative period of the valley’s history has never been fully told, nor has the true impact these rebellious German refugees had on pushing New York’s western frontier as far as they did, as fast as they did. Until now.
The three-volume series Skohere and the Birth of New York’s Western Frontier 1609 – 1731 is a trilogy about the Palatines and a biography of the Schoharie Valley and the people and events that helped shape its earliest colonial history.
Volume III completes the series, following the dramatic journey of the Palatines to the Schoharie Valley and, after bitter experiences for many, to the Mohawk Valley and Pennsylvania.
Their story, though, is not theirs alone. They impacted lives of those who either helped or stood in the way of reaching their elusive Promised Land. Key to their experiences in the Schoharie Valley was a unique relationship with the Mohawk people who provided land and helped them survive. Along the way, the Palatines redefined Anglo-Haudenosaunee diplomacy and pushed frontiers.
This vivid narrative tracing one of the great immigration stories will challenge and enhance the known history of the Schoharie Valley and the genesis of New York’s western frontier.
Author Jeff O’Connor is an authority on Schoharie County’s colonial and Revolutionary War history, long associated with local and regional historical organizations and sites. Author of The Old Stone Fort-Guardian of Schoharie County’s History Since 1772 (self-published, 2020) and the Skohere and the Birth of New York’s Western Frontier 1609-1731 trilogy series (self published, Vol. I 1609-1686, pub. 2022; Vol. II 1687-1702, pub. 2023; and Vol. III 1703-1731, pub. 2024).
He and his wife operate Turning Point 1777, providing walking and driving tours of Schoharie County, popular speaking events, historical flag reproductions, and living history.
All three volumes can be purchased at the Turning Point 1777 bookstore here.
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