110-578: The Heidenmauer; or, The Benedictines – A Story of the Rhine is a novel by James Fenimore Cooper , first published in 1832. The novel is a socio-political novel set in 16th-century Germany that focuses on the competition between various socio-political classes and the tension caused by the Reformation . The Heidenmauer is Cooper's second novel in what one critic would call his European Trilogy, following The Bravo and preceding The Headsman . Like
220-523: A Farm & Home store. With its post office, library, and the Baseball Hall of Fame, Main Street resembled a true village square. Today, the village has fewer traditional services for year-round and seasonal residents. Once boasting half a dozen gas stations, the village now has two. Traditional grocers have been reduced to one, and in 1977 Great American was built on the outskirts of town, replacing
330-823: A French revolutionary free-thinker, loses the Italian girl he loves because he cannot accept her simple Christianity. In contrast, in the 1849 The Sea Lions the hero wins his beloved only after a spiritual transformation while marooned in the Antarctic. And the 1848 The Oak Openings features a pious Parson Amen who wins the admiration of the Indians who kill him, praying for them during torture. After establishing permanent residence in Cooperstown, Cooper became active in Christ Episcopal Church, taking on
440-471: A baby with him, but after several years is eventually returned to her parents. Often, he gives contrasting views of Native characters to emphasize their potential for good, or conversely, their proclivity for mayhem. The Last of the Mohicans includes both the character of Magua, who fearing the extinction of his race at the hands of the whites savagely betrays them, as well as Chingachgook, the last chief of
550-561: A bomb shelter in the basement. The Cooperstown Junior/Senior High School was built in 1970 at 39 Linden Avenue, on land donated by the Clark family. The school district offices are located in the high school building. There are, and were, significant residential, commercial, and religious structures in Cooperstown. Original residences related to the founding Cooper family, such as Edgewater and Heathcote, are still standing. Otsego Hall , James Fenimore Cooper's residence which once stood in what
660-535: A character in Anya Seton 's 1944 historical romance Dragonwyck . Cooperstown, New York Cooperstown is a village in and the county seat of Otsego County, New York , United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego , but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield . Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in the Central New York Region , Cooperstown
770-531: A close third in annual attendance to the Hall of Fame and Farmers' Museum. The Cooperstown Historic District , Glimmerglass Historic District , Middlefield District No. 1 School , Fly Creek Historic District , Otsego County Courthouse , and United States Post Office are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Superficially, the downtown commercial district looks not unlike it did in
880-564: A commander in the navy of the United States, &c. was first published in Graham's Magazine of 1843–44 . It was a review of the court martial of Alexander Slidell Mackenzie who had hanged three crew members of the brig USS Somers for mutiny while at sea. One of the hanged men, 19-year-old Philip Spencer, was the son of U.S. Secretary of War John C. Spencer . He was executed without court-martial along with two other sailors aboard
990-498: A common seaman before the mast. His first voyage took some 40 stormy days at sea and brought him to an English market in Cowes where they sought information on where best to unload their cargo of flour. There, Cooper saw his first glimpses of England. Britain was in the midst of war with Napoleon's France at the time, so their ship was immediately approached by a British man-of-war and was boarded by some of its crew. They seized one of
1100-410: A critic, referred to it poetically in A Fable for Critics , writing, "... the women he draws from one model don't vary / All sappy as maples and flat as a prairie." Cooper's lasting reputation today rests largely upon the five Leatherstocking Tales . In his 1960 study focusing on romantic relationships, both hetero- and homo-sexual, literary scholar Leslie Fiedler opines that with the exception of
1210-587: A debt of gratitude—a class of men among whom, I am always ready to declare, not only the earliest, but many of the happiest days of my youth have been passed. Cooper's historical account of the U.S. Navy was well received, though his account of the roles played by the American leaders in the Battle of Lake Erie led to years of disputes with their descendants, as noted below. Cooper had begun thinking about this massive project in 1824, and concentrated on its research in
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#17327724940201320-413: A home on the shore of Otsego Lake and moved his family there in the autumn of 1790. Several years later he began construction of the mansion that became known as Otsego Hall, completed in 1799 when James was ten. Cooper was enrolled at Yale University at age 13, but he incited a dangerous prank which involved blowing up another student's door—after having already locked a donkey in a recitation room. He
1430-543: A lakeside property north of Fenimore Farm, from the Constable family. The house burned to the ground shortly thereafter and was rebuilt by society architect Alfred Hopkins , who also designed a new farm complex, gate house, and assorted dependencies. The estate was featured in a multipage advertisement in Country Life magazine in late 1922 when the property was put up for sale. The manor and greenhouses were razed in
1540-652: A landscape design professor at Cornell University , to design new gardens for Fernleigh. The manor home of Robert Sterling Clark , Red Creek Farm, remains on the outskirts of the Village. His brother F. Ambrose Clark 's "Iroquois Farm" manor house was razed in the early 1980s. Also razed in 1979 was the Mohican Farms manor house, owned by the Clark Estates, in Springfield Center, New York. It
1650-555: A masterpiece and professed great admiration for Cooper's portrayal of nature, only equalled in his view by Walter Scott. Mark Twain , the ultimate Realist, criticized the Romantic plots and overwrought language of The Deerslayer and The Pathfinder in his satirical but shrewdly observant essay, " Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses " (1895). Cooper was also criticized heavily in his day for his depiction of women characters in his work. James Russell Lowell , Cooper's contemporary and
1760-514: A memorial in New York, six months after his death, in February 1852. Daniel Webster gave a speech to the gathering while Washington Irving served as a co-chairman, along with William Cullen Bryant , who also gave an address which did much to restore Cooper's damaged reputation among American writers of the time. Cooper's father was a lapsed Quaker; probably influenced by his wife's family,
1870-434: A modern publisher summarizes his goals as follows: A Letter to My Countrymen remains Cooper's most trenchant work of social criticism. In it, he defines the role of the "man of letters" in a republic, the true conservative, the slavery of party affiliations, and the nature of the legislative branch of government. He also offers her most persuasive argument on why America should develop its own art and literary culture, ignoring
1980-595: A mysterious and independent young woman defending herself against criminal charges. Cooper spent the last years of his life back in Cooperstown. He died on September 14, 1851, the day before his 62nd birthday. He was buried in the Christ Episcopal Churchyard, where his father, William Cooper , was buried. Cooper's wife Susan survived her husband only by a few months and was buried by his side at Cooperstown. Several well-known writers, politicians, and other public figures honored Cooper's memory with
2090-468: A neophyte novel set in England he called Precaution (1820). Its focus on morals and manners was influenced by Jane Austen 's approach to fiction. Precaution was published anonymously and received modestly favorable notice in the United States and England. By contrast, his second novel The Spy (1821) was inspired by an American tale related to him by neighbor and family friend John Jay . It became
2200-567: A portion still exists today as the historic Jay Estate . Following on a swell of popularity, Cooper published The Pioneers , the first of the Leatherstocking series in 1823. The series features the inter-racial friendship of Natty Bumppo , a resourceful American woodsman who is at home with the Delaware Indians , and their chief, Chingachgook. Bumppo was also the main character of Cooper's most famous novel The Last of
2310-414: A story that brings several Cooperstown legends to life. The work of Cooperstown-based novelist and poet Marly Youmans has referred to the area, notably in her epic poem Thaliad (2012), in which a group of child survivors of an apocalypse travel north and make their new home in an abandoned village on the shore of Glimmerglass Lake. ' The Clark family, whose fortune originated with a half-ownership of
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#17327724940202420-488: A supposed-large fortune in money, securities, and land titles, which soon proved to be a wealth of endless litigation. James married Susan Augusta de Lancey at Mamaroneck , Westchester County, New York on January 1, 1811, at age 21. She was from a wealthy family who remained loyal to Great Britain during the Revolution. The Coopers had seven children, five of whom lived to adulthood. Their daughter Susan Fenimore Cooper
2530-474: A thirteen-inch mortar . For his next assignment, he served under Lieutenant Melancthon Taylor Woolsey near Oswego on Lake Ontario , overseeing the building of the brig USS Oneida for service on the lake. The vessel was intended for use in a war with Great Britain which had yet to begin. The vessel was completed, armed with sixteen guns, and launched in Lake Ontario in the spring of 1809. It
2640-473: A trilogy of novels called the Littlepage Manuscripts addressing the issues of the anti-rent wars . Public sentiment largely favored the anti-renters, and Cooper's reviews again were largely negative. Faced with competition from younger writers and magazine serialization, and lower prices for books resulting from new technologies, Cooper simply wrote more in his last decade than in either of
2750-561: Is 99 °F (37 °C), set on July 9–10, 1936. As of the census of 2000, there were 2,032 people, 906 households, and 479 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,317.5 inhabitants per square mile (508.7/km ). There were 1,070 housing units at an average density of 693.8 per square mile (267.9/km ). The racial makeup of the village was 96.21% White , 0.94% African American , 0.10% Native American , 1.62% Asian , 0.34% from other races , and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.31% of
2860-427: Is an 110,000 sq ft (10,000 m ) recreational center with 17 acres (6.9 ha) of outdoor fields established in 1986. The Hall of Fame induction is held annually at the center. The facility was renovated and expanded in 2013. Cooperstown retains a close connection with the baseball world, and "Cooperstown" has become synonymous with the Hall of Fame. Several nationally recognized tournaments are held in
2970-580: Is approximately 60 miles (97 kilometers) west of Albany , 67 mi (108 km) southeast of Syracuse and 145 mi (233 km) northwest of New York City . The population of the village was 1,794 as of the 2020 census . Cooperstown is the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum . The Farmers' Museum in the village opened in 1944 on farmland that had once belonged to James Fenimore Cooper . The Fenimore Art Museum and Glimmerglass Opera are also based here. Most of
3080-670: Is famed for Manhattan's 47-story Singer Building and the Boldt Castle on the St. Lawrence River . The Cooperstown building was originally commissioned by Elizabeth Scriven Clark in 1898 as a YMCA . Her son Robert Sterling Clark gave it to the village in 1932 during the Great Depression . Several prominent buildings in town were designed or updated by noted architect Frank P. Whiting , who originally worked under Ernest Flagg . A resident of New York City and Cooperstown, Whiting
3190-458: Is like his if they please; they have said so of every book I have written, even The Pilot ! But The Heidenmauer is like, and was intended to be like, in order to show how differently a democrat and an aristocrat saw the same thing." Along with his deliberate presentation of themes and characters that represent the European institutions' problems, the narrator too becomes involved, pointing out
3300-771: Is now Cooper Park, has been lost, along with his chalet. Byberry, the cottage built for his daughter, remains on River Street, albeit in altered form. "Fynmere", a grand stone manor from the early 20th century, erected by Cooper heirs on the eastern edge of town, was designed by noted architect Charles A. Platt . Later donated to the Presbyterian Church as a retirement home, the property was razed in 1979. Both its grounds and those of neighboring property Heathcote (extant today), built for Katherine Guy Cooper (1895–1988), daughter-in-law of James Fenimore Cooper III, were laid out by noted landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman . Residences, business, and properties related to
3410-529: Is the Romantic novel The Last of the Mohicans , often regarded as his masterpiece . Throughout his career, he published numerous social, political, and historical works of fiction and non-fiction with the objective of countering European prejudices and nurturing an original American art and culture. Cooper was born in Burlington, New Jersey , in 1789 to William Cooper and Elizabeth (Fenimore) Cooper,
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3520-560: The Somers for attempting mutiny. The Proceedings publication was one of Cooper's print skirmishes. Maritime historian Samuel Eliot Morison called it vindictive revenge for Mackenzie's publishing a critical review of Cooper's inaccurate history of the Battle of Lake Erie , noting that Cooper "flattered himself that his tract would 'finish' Mackenzie as a naval officer, which it certainly did not." Others, however, assert that Cooper recognized
3630-785: The Sterling's best crewmen and impressed him into the British Royal Navy . Cooper thus first encountered the power of his country's former colonial master, which led to a lifelong commitment to helping create an American art independent culturally as well as politically from the former mother country. Their next voyage took them to the Mediterranean along the coast of Spain, including Águilas and Cabo de Gata , where they picked up cargo to be taken to London and unloaded. Their stay in Spain lasted several weeks and impressed
3740-606: The "Village of Museums", until the 1970s Cooperstown also boasted the Indian Museum (adjacent to Lakefront Park), The Carriage and Harness Museum (displaying a world-class collection primarily from F. Ambrose Clark's estate; now the Bassett Hospital offices on Elk Street), and The Woodland Museum near Three Mile Point. The latter, opened in 1962 by heirs to the Anheuser-Busch company, folded in 1974. It ran
3850-417: The 1970s. It has undergone significant change since the late 20th century. Through the 1970s, Main Street was still home to at least five grocery stores, including an A&P . Western Auto had a branch on Main Street and J.J. Newberry 's had built, in 1960, a two-story five-and-dime with a fountain and lunch counter. Smalley's, a stage theater converted into a movie theater, had a single screen across from
3960-416: The Antarctic, 1849). He also turned from pure fiction to the combination of art and controversy in which he achieved notoriety in the novels of the previous decade. His Littlepage Manuscripts trilogy-- Satanstoe (1845), The Chainbearer (1845), and The Redskins (1846)—dramatized issues of land ownership in response to renters in the 1840s opposing the long leases common in the old Dutch settlements in
4070-538: The Atlantic, though some Americans accused Cooper of apparently abandoning American life for European—not realizing that the political subterfuges in the European novels were cautions directed at his American audiences. Thus The Bravo was roughly treated by some critics in the United States. In 1833, Cooper returned to the United States and published "A Letter to My Countrymen" in which he gave his criticism of various social and political mores. Promotional material from
4180-534: The Clark family abound within the village. From the original family seat of "Fernleigh" to the 1928 Georgian manor of "West Hill", the properties are exceptionally well cared for. Fernleigh is a Second Empire stone mansion designed by New Jersey architect James Van Dyke and built in 1869. The original garden at Fernleigh, located to the south of the mansion, included a servants' house and Turkish bath; both details have since been lost. In 1923, Stephen C. Clark, Sr. commissioned Marcus T. Reynolds and Bryant Fleming ,
4290-806: The Cooper Inn, Clark Estates, and the Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home are all Clark properties. In addition, the Clarks were founding partners of, and retain an interest in, the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital. Cooperstown still receives support from the Clark Foundation, which has donated to a variety of causes including various scholarships, non-profit organizations, and village services. The family has also donated land for
4400-495: The Cooperstown Central School District's new high school location − formerly horse stables − as well as for parks such as Fairy Springs and Council Rock, and recently, for a new Little League baseball field. Jane Forbes Clark , the primary family heir today, has continued this commitment. She has purchased strategic land to ensure the preservation of village entry points, as well as overseeing
4510-593: The Cooperstown Municipal Airport, which was a two-runway facility fewer than two miles to the northwest of town center. That field closed in the 1960s. The village is now served by a small grass field in nearby Westville and a larger paved one-runway facility in Oneonta. The sister city of Cooperstown is Windsor, Nova Scotia . This is due to Windsor's claiming to be the birthplace of ice hockey and Cooperstown at one time being considered to be
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4620-485: The Cooperstown Village Library. The Scriven Foundation donates $ 1.5 million every year. According to Clark's presentation, the family's businesses employ 4,198 people, with 3,100 of those positions being full-time jobs. The Cooperstown Central School District has two buildings located in the town. The Elementary School is located at 21 Walnut Street. It was built in the 1950s and was designed with
4730-589: The DeLanceys, Cooper in his fiction often favorably depicted clergy of the Episcopal Church , though Calvinist ministers came in for their share of both admiring and critical treatment. In the 1840s as Cooper increasingly despaired over the United States maintaining the vision and promise of the Constitution, his fiction increasingly turned to religious themes. In The Wing-And-Wing , 1842, the hero,
4840-625: The Hall of Fame. In 2020, the ceremony was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The internationally noted Glimmerglass Festival is closely associated with Cooperstown. Founded in 1975, the company originally performed in the Cooperstown Junior/Senior High School auditorium. In 1987, the company relocated to farmland donated by Tom Goodyear of the Cary Mede Estate 8 miles (13 km) north of
4950-643: The Hudson Valley. He tried his hand with serialization with The Autobiography of a Pocket Handkerchief , first published in Graham's Magazine in 1843, a satire on contemporary nouveau riche. In The Crater; or, Vulcan's Peak (1847) he introduced supernatural machinery to show the decline of an ideal society in the South Seas when demagogues prevail. The Ways of the Hour , his last completed novel, portrayed
5060-640: The Mohicans (1826), written in New York City where Cooper and his family lived from 1822 to 1826. The book became one of the more widely read American novels of the 19th century. At this time, Cooper had been living in New York on Beach Street in what is now downtown's Tribeca. In 1823, he became a member of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. In August of that same year, his first son died. He organized
5170-608: The Mohicans, who is portrayed as Natty Bumppo's noble, courageous, and heroic counterpart. In 1831, Cooper was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Honorary Academician. According to Tad Szulc , Cooper was a devotee of Poland's causes (uprisings to regain Polish sovereignty). He organized a club in Paris to support the rebels, and brought flags of the defeated Polish rebel regiment from Warsaw to present them to
5280-521: The Navy of the United States of America was re-published in an expanded edition. The work was an account of the U.S. Navy in the early 19th century, through the Mexican War. Among naval historians of today, the work has come to be recognized as a general and authoritative account. However, it was criticized for accuracy on some points by some contemporaries, especially those engaged in the disputes over
5390-460: The Navy of the United States of America , a work that he had long planned on writing. He publicly announced his intentions to author such a historical work while abroad before departing for Europe in May 1826, during a parting speech at a dinner given in his honor: Encouraged by your kindness ... I will take this opportunity of recording the deeds and sufferings of a class of men to which this nation owes
5500-758: The Reverend William H. DeLancey. Cooper was one of the more popular 19th-century American authors, and his work was admired greatly throughout the world. While on his death bed, the Austrian composer Franz Schubert wanted most to read more of Cooper's novels. Honoré de Balzac , the French novelist and playwright, admired him greatly. Henry David Thoreau , while attending Harvard, incorporated some of Cooper's style in his own work. D.H. Lawrence believed that Turgenev, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Maupassant, and Flaubert were all "so very obvious and coarse, besides
5610-660: The Revolutionary War, followed in 1843 and Oak Openings in 1848. The nautical works were Mercedes of Castile (in which Columbus appears, 1840), The Two Admirals (British and French fleets in battle, 1842), Wing-And-Wing (a French privateer fighting the British in 1799, 1842), Afloat and Ashore (two volumes exploring a young man growing up, 1844), Jack Tier (a vicious smuggler in the Mexican-American War, 1848), and The Sea Lions (rival sealers in
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#17327724940205720-605: The Whig establishment. Buoyed by his frequent victories in court, Cooper returned to writing with more energy and success than he had had for several years. As noted above, on May 10, 1839, he published his History of the U.S. Navy ; his return to the Leatherstocking Tales series with The Pathfinder, or The Inland Sea (1840) and The Deerslayer (1841) brought him renewed favorable reviews. But on occasion he returned to addressing public issues, most notably with
5830-538: The Whigs endorsed. Cooper himself had come to admire Thomas Jefferson, the bete-noire of the Federalists, and had supported Andrew Jackson's opposition to a National Bank. Never one to shrink from defending his personal honor and his sense of where the nation was erring, Cooper filed legal actions for libel against several Whig editors; his success with most of his lawsuits ironically led to more negative publicity from
5940-475: The area. Cooperstown Dreams Park in nearby Hartwick Seminary hosts 104 level U12 teams for weekly tournaments in the summer. Several professionals, including David Price and Matt Garza, have attended CDP. In 2010, Cooperstown got an official baseball team of its own, the Cooperstown Hawkeyes, a Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League team who play against many other teams from the northeast during
6050-480: The aristocratically tainted art of Europe. Influenced by the ideals of classical republicanism , Cooper feared that the orgy of speculation he witnessed was destructive of civic virtue and warned Americans that it was a "mistake to suppose commerce favorable to liberty"; doing so would lead to a new "moneyed aristocracy". Drawing upon philosophers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau , Burlamaqui , and Montesquieu , Cooper's political ideas were both democratic, deriving from
6160-408: The average family size was 2.83. In the village the population was spread out, with 20.2% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 26.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.8 males. The median income for a household in the village
6270-502: The biographies of William Bainbridge , Richard Somers , John Shaw , John Templar Shubrick , and Edward Preble . Cooper died in 1851. In May 1853, Cooper's Old Ironsides appeared in Putnam's Monthly. It was the history of the Navy ship USS Constitution and, after European and American Scenery Compared , 1852, was one of several posthumous publications of his writings. In 1856, five years after Cooper's death, his History of
6380-612: The birthplace of baseball. According to the United States Census Bureau , the village has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km ), of which 1.5 square miles (3.9 km ) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km ) (2.53%) is water. The source of the Susquehanna River is in Cooperstown at the outlet of Otsego Lake . Blackbird Bay of Otsego Lake is north of the village. The junction of New York State Route 28 and New York State Route 80
6490-534: The consent of the governed, and liberal, concerned with the rights of the individual. In the later 1830s—despite his repudiation of authorship in "A Letter to My Countrymen"—he published Gleanings in Europe , five volumes of social and political analysis of his observations and experiences in Europe. His two novels Homeward Bound and Home as Found also criticize the flamboyant financial speculation and toadyism he found on his return; some readers and critics attacked
6600-494: The corruption of the society to the reader. James Fenimore Cooper James Fenimore Cooper (September 15, 1789 – September 14, 1851) was an American writer of the first half of the 19th century, whose historical romances depicting colonial and indigenous characters from the 17th to the 19th centuries brought him fame and fortune. He lived much of his boyhood and his last fifteen years in Cooperstown, New York , which
6710-623: The east side of Otsego Lake, Bassett Hospital , and The Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home, exemplify Cooperstown's architectural wealth. The Bowers family " Lakelands " manor, neighboring " Mohican Lodge ", and their former estate of " Willowbrook " (1818; presently the Cooper Inn) serve as further examples of grand homes erected by affluent residents. The Bowers family received the land patent extending from current-day Bowerstown to very near Cherry Valley, New York , upon which Congressman John Myer Bowers built Lakelands in 1804. Woodside Hall , on
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#17327724940206820-557: The eastern edge of the village proper, was built c. 1829 by Eben B. Morehouse and was subsequently owned by several prominent individuals, including, in 1895, financier Walter C. Stokes of New York City. Prior to the Stokes' ownership, the home was visited by Martin Van Buren , the eighth President of the United States. The village offices and Cooperstown Art Association are housed in a neo-classical building designed by Ernest Flagg . He
6930-410: The eleventh of 12 children, half of whom died during infancy or childhood. Shortly after James' first birthday, his family moved to Cooperstown, New York , a community founded by his father on a large piece of land which he had bought for development. Later, his father was elected to the United States Congress as a representative from Otsego County . Their town was in a central area of New York along
7040-495: The exiled leaders in Paris. With his friend the Marquis de La Fayette, he supported liberals during the regime changes in France and elsewhere in the 1830s. Though some scholars have hesitated to classify Cooper as a strict Romantic, Victor Hugo pronounced him greatest novelist of the century outside France. Honoré de Balzac, while mocking a few of Cooper's novels ( "rhapsodies" ) and expressing reservations about his portrayal of characters, enthusiastically called The Pathfinder
7150-469: The expansion of the various Clark holdings. In late November 2013, Clark discussed her family's continued support for the community during a meeting of The Women's Club of Cooperstown. The Clark Foundation supports a variety of Cooperstown and Otsego County organizations and causes with donations of $ 7.5 million to charitable organizations every year. The family's Scriven Foundation, formed in 1975, donates to only Otsego County nonprofit organizations, such as
7260-422: The first novel written by an American to become a bestseller at home and abroad, requiring several re-printings to satisfy demand. Set in the "Neutral Ground" between British and American forces and their guerrilla allies in Westchester County, New York, the action centers on spying and skirmishing taking place in and around what is widely believed to be John Jay's family home "The Locusts" in Rye, New York of which
7370-405: The five Natty Bumppo-Chingachgook novels, Cooper's "collected works are monumental in their cumulative dullness." More recent criticism views all thirty-two novels in the context of Cooper's responding to changing political, social, and economic realities in his time period. Cooper was honored on a U.S. commemorative stamp, the Famous American series, issued in 1940. Cooper appears briefly as
7480-435: The founder. William Cooper was appointed as a county judge in the late 18th century and was elected to the state assembly from Otsego County. Cooperstown is one of only twelve villages in New York still incorporated under a charter , the other villages having incorporated or re-incorporated under the provisions of Village Law . Cooperstown is best known as the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum , which
7590-444: The frontier town. He later became a noted American author with The Leatherstocking Tales , a series of novels that includes The Last of the Mohicans . Cooper established the village of Cooperstown in 1786, laid out by surveyor William Ellison. At the time, the area was part of Montgomery County . It was incorporated as the "Village of Otsego" on April 3, 1807. The name was changed to "Village of Cooperstown" June 12, 1812, after
7700-420: The headwaters of the Susquehanna River that had previously been patented to Colonel George Croghan by the Province of New York in 1769. Croghan mortgaged the land before the Revolution and after the war part of the tract was sold at public auction to William Cooper and his business partner Andrew Craig. By 1788, William Cooper had selected and surveyed the site where Cooperstown would be established. He erected
7810-434: The historic pre-1900s core of the village is included in the Cooperstown Historic District , which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980; its boundaries were increased in 1997 and more contributing properties were identified. Before European colonization , Iroquois Indians inhabited the area around the village and Otsego Lake. The name Otsego is from a Mohawk or Oneida word meaning "place of
7920-495: The ill feeling between the author and some of the public. Criticism in print of his naval histories and the two Home novels came largely from newspapers supporting The Whig party, reflecting the antagonism between the Whigs and their opposition, the Democrats, whose policies Cooper often favored. Cooper's father William had been a staunch Federalist, a party now defunct but some of whose policies supporting large-scale capitalism
8030-759: The influential Bread and Cheese Club that brought together American writers, editors, artists, scholars, educators, art patrons, merchants, lawyers, politicians, and others. In 1824, General Lafayette arrived from France aboard the Cadmus at Castle Garden in New York City as the nation's guest. Cooper witnessed his arrival and was one of the active committee of welcome and entertainment. In 1826, Cooper moved his family to Europe, where he sought to gain more income from his books, provide better education for his children, improve his health, and observe European manners and politics firsthand. While overseas, he continued to write. His books published in Paris include The Prairie,
8140-436: The late 1830s. His close association with the U.S. Navy and various officers, and his familiarity with naval life at sea provided him the background and connections to research and write this work. Cooper's work is said to have stood the test of time and is considered an authoritative account of the U.S. Navy during that time. In 1844, Cooper's Proceedings of the naval court martial in the case of Alexander Slidell Mackenzie ,
8250-494: The lists as a political writer in a series of letters to Le National , a Parisian journal. He defended the United States against a string of charges brought by the Revue Britannique . For the rest of his life, he continued skirmishing in print, sometimes for the national interest, sometimes for that of the individual, and frequently for both at once. This opportunity to make a political confession of faith reflected
8360-439: The lovely, mature and sensitive art of Fennimore Cooper." Lawrence called The Deerslayer "one of the most beautiful and perfect books in the world: flawless as a jewel and of gem-like concentration." Cooper's work, particularly The Pioneers and The Pilot , demonstrate an early 19th-century American preoccupation with alternating prudence and negligence in a country where property rights were often still in dispute. Cooper
8470-783: The museum each year, with over 17 million total visits. Other attractions include the Farmers' Museum , the Fenimore Art Museum and its library, and the Clark Sports Center, a large fitness facility, where the annual Hall of Fame Induction is held. Also close by to the village is the Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard located in the hamlet of Fly Creek, and the Brewery Ommegang located south of Cooperstown. The Clark Sports Center
8580-574: The need for absolute discipline in a warship at sea, and felt sympathetic to Mackenzie over his pending court martial. In 1843, an old shipmate, Ned Myers , re-entered Cooper's life. To assist him—and hopefully to cash in on the popularity of maritime biographies—Cooper wrote Myers's story which he published in 1843 as Ned Myers; or, A Life Before the Mast , an account of a common seaman still of interest to naval historians. In 1846, Cooper published Lives of Distinguished American Naval Officers covering
8690-620: The north end of Nelson Avenue. The home is in the Colonial style and today retains many interior and exterior features of the original home. In June 1923 Whiting wrote a featured monograph "Cooperstown in The Times of Our Forefathers" for volume IX of the White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs containing several sketches and measured drawings of homes in Cooperstown. In 1916, financier William T. Hyde acquired "Glimmerglen",
8800-701: The other novels set in Europe, The Heidenmauer is intent on showing the darker side of European institutions in favor of an American perspective. Central to the themes of the book is internal class struggle for power within the Early Modern society in Germany. Each of the classes, including the Church, the Aristocracy and the rising bourgeoisie, have characters which epitomize the individual group and represent this tension. The struggle remains bitter throughout
8910-458: The patent for Singer Sewing Machine , have lived in Cooperstown since the mid-19th century. The family's holdings include interests assembled over a century and a half, which are now held through trusts and foundations. Their dominance is reflected in Clark ownership of more than 10,000 acres (40 km ) of largely undeveloped land in and around greater Cooperstown. In the village, the Otesaga,
9020-405: The patrician liberalism of Lafayette, who sought to recruit him to his causes, and eulogized him as a man who "dedicated youth, person, and fortune, to the principles of liberty." Cooper's distaste for the corruption of the European aristocracy, especially in England and France, grew as he observed them manipulate the legislature and judiciary to the exclusion of other classes. In 1832, he entered
9130-527: The political turn that he already had taken in his fiction, having attacked European anti-republicanism in The Bravo (1831). Cooper continued this political course in The Heidenmauer (1832) and The Headsman: The Abbaye des Vignerons (1833). The Bravo depicted Venice as a place where a ruthless oligarchy lurks behind the mask of the "serene republic". All were widely read on both sides of
9240-404: The population. There were 906 households, out of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.1% were non-families. 41.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and
9350-418: The previous two. Half of his thirty-two novels were written in the 1840s. They may be grouped into three categories: Indian romances, maritime fiction, and political and social controversy—though the categories often overlap. The 1840s began with the last two novels featuring Natty Bumppo, both critical and reader successes: The Pathfinder (1840) and The Deerslayer (1841). Wyandotte , his last novel set in
9460-587: The public as a park. The village was developed within part of the Cooper Patent, which William Cooper – who later became a county judge – purchased in 1785 from Colonel George Croghan , former Deputy to Sir William Johnson , British Superintendent of Indian Affairs of the Northern District. The land amounted to 10,000 acres (40 km ). William Cooper founded a village on Otsego Lake . His son, James Fenimore Cooper , grew up in
9570-510: The rock", referring to the large boulder near the lake's outlet, today known as "Council Rock". It is a large boulder whose top is above the water's surface and can be seen from shore. It is believed to have been a meeting place for Native Americans prior to the American Revolutionary War . A small parcel of land near Council Rock was presented to the Village of Cooperstown in 1957, on the condition that it remain open to
9680-546: The roles of their relatives in Cooper's separate history of the Battle of Lake Erie . Whig editors of the period regularly attacked anything Cooper wrote, leading him to numerous suits for libel, for example against Park Benjamin, Sr. , a poet and editor of the Evening Signal of New York. Cooper's writings of the 1830s related to current politics and social issues, coupled with his perceived self-promotion, increased
9790-518: The roles of warden and vestryman . As the vestryman, he donated generously to this church and later supervised and redesigned its interior with oak furnishings at his own expense. He was also energetic as a representative from Cooperstown to various regional conventions of the Episcopal church. But only several months before his death, in July 1851, was he confirmed in this church by his brother-in-law,
9900-675: The summer, with home games played at historic Doubleday Field. In 2014 the team was voluntarily suspended from the league. Notable historic year-round or summer residents of Cooperstown included: Aside from James Fenimore Cooper, noted Cooperstown authors include his daughter Susan Fenimore Cooper , the author of Rural Hours , and his great-great-grandson Paul Fenimore Cooper , author of Tal: His Marvelous Adventures with Noom-Zor-Noom (1929, 1957, 2001). Other writers include modern author Lauren Groff , who has written extensively about her hometown, notably in The Monsters of Templeton ,
10010-585: The third Leather-Stocking Tale in which Natty Bumppo dies in the western land newly acquired by Jefferson as the Louisiana Purchase. There he also published The Red Rover and The Water Witch , two of his many sea stories. During his time in Paris, the Cooper family became active in the small American expatriate community. He became friends with painter (and later inventor) Samuel Morse and with French general and American Revolutionary War hero Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette . Cooper admired
10120-473: The town's bowling alley. Most Main Street shops now cater to the tourist trade and feature gifts and souvenirs. The Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce, established in 1917, looks to develop business and trade in the Cooperstown region. Serving also as a visitor center in its main office, the Chamber also manages a seasonal kiosk on the corner of Main and Pioneer St for tourists. Cooperstown was formerly served by
10230-492: The village, where the Alice Busch Opera Theater was built, the first new opera-specific hall in the United States built since 1966. It has a popular summer season with a reputation for producing high quality opera and commissioning new works. The Baseball Hall of Fame is the main site of the village, and has been attracting baseball fans since 1939. According to the Hall of Fame, 260,000 tourists visit
10340-460: The whole novel, thus leaving all of the characters thoroughly unattractive to the reader. The aforementioned class struggle is part of a larger attempt by Cooper to inspect European society and compare it to the American ideals, trying to un-romanticize Europe's cultural institutions. In 1832 correspondence, Cooper commented that he did not think it was better than The Bravo but "it is a good book and better than two thirds of Scott's. They may say it
10450-505: The works for presenting a highly idealized self-portrait, which he vigorously denied. In June 1834, Cooper decided to reopen his ancestral mansion Otsego Hall at Cooperstown. It had long been closed and falling into decay; he had been absent from the mansion nearly 16 years. Repairs were begun, and the house was put in order. At first, he wintered in New York City and summered in Cooperstown, but eventually he made Otsego Hall his permanent home. On May 10, 1839, Cooper published History of
10560-602: The young sailor, the accounts of which Cooper later referred to in his Mercedes of Castile , a novel about Columbus . After serving aboard the Sterling for 11 months, he joined the United States Navy on January 1, 1808, when he received his commission as a midshipman . Cooper had conducted himself well as a sailor, and his father, a former U.S. Congressman, easily secured a commission for him through his long-standing connections with politicians and naval officials. The warrant for Cooper's commission as midshipman
10670-598: Was The Spy , a tale about espionage set during the American Revolutionary War and published in 1821. He also created American sea stories . His best-known works are five historical novels of the frontier period, written between 1823 and 1841, known as the Leatherstocking Tales , which introduced the iconic American frontier scout, Natty Bumppo . Cooper's works on the U.S. Navy have been well received among naval historians, but they were sometimes criticized by his contemporaries. Among his more famous works
10780-441: Was $ 36,992, and the median income for a family was $ 50,250. Males had a median income of $ 39,625 versus $ 20,595 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 26,799. About 5.0% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over. The Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is a yearly ceremony where inductees are officially added to
10890-418: Was a writer on nature, female suffrage, and other topics. Her father edited her works and secured publishers for them. One son, Paul Fenimore Cooper, became a lawyer and perpetuated the author's lineage to the present. In 1806, at the age of 17, Cooper joined the crew of the merchant ship Sterling as a common sailor. At the time, the Sterling was commanded by young John Johnston from Maine. Cooper served as
11000-490: Was also a midshipman at the time. Cooper later dedicated The Pilot , The Red Rover and other writings to Shubrick. Assigned to humdrum recruiting tasks rather than exciting voyages, Cooper resigned his commission from the navy in spring 1810; in the same time period he met, wooed, and became engaged to Susan Augusta de Lancey, whom he married on January 1, 1811. In 1820, when reading a contemporary novel to his wife Susan, he decided to try his hand at fiction, resulting in
11110-474: Was also a noted artist. He designed the Farmers Museum farm buildings and the shingle-style manor at "Leatherstocking Falls Farm", the residence of Dorothy Stokes Bostwick Smith Campbell, the landscaping for which was done by the all-female firm of Wodell & Cottrell in the 1930s. Whiting also designed 56 Lake Street. In 1932 Whiting designed and built his residence, "Westerly", on a half-acre lot at
11220-425: Was constructed at Cooperstown. The village is also served by County Routes 31 and 33. Cooperstown has a humid continental climate (Dfb), with cold, very snowy winters, warm summers, and abundant precipitation year-round. Freezing temperatures have been observed in every month of the year, except for July. The record low temperature is −34 °F (−37 °C), set on February 9, 1934, and the record high temperature
11330-429: Was expelled in his third year without completing his degree, so he obtained work in 1806 as a sailor and joined the crew of a merchant vessel at age 17. By 1811, he obtained the rank of midshipman in the fledgling United States Navy , conferred upon him by an officer's warrant signed by Thomas Jefferson . William Cooper had died more than a year before, in 1809, when James was 20. All five of his sons inherited
11440-688: Was formerly the summer home of the Spaulding sporting good family from Buffalo. Edward Severin Clark built a farm complex at Fenimore Farm in 1918, which has been adapted as the Farmers Museum . His stone manor, built in 1931, was bequeathed to the New York State Historical Association and today serves as the Fenimore Art Museum . Other structures, such as the Baseball Hall of Fame , The Otesaga Hotel , Clark Estate Office, Kingfisher Tower , which lies on
11550-592: Was founded by his father William Cooper on property that he owned. Cooper became a member of the Episcopal Church shortly before his death and contributed generously to it. He attended Yale University for three years, where he was a member of the Linonian Society . After a stint on a commercial voyage, Cooper served in the U.S. Navy as a midshipman , where he learned the technology of managing sailing vessels which greatly influenced many of his novels and other writings. The novel that launched his career
11660-505: Was founded in 1939 by Stephen Carlton Clark . According to an interview conducted in 1906 by the Mills Commission , nearby resident Abner Graves attributed the game's invention to his deceased friend, Abner Doubleday . Graves stated that Doubleday invented baseball on a cow pasture within the village in 1839, the present site of Doubleday Field , but this claim is universally discounted by baseball historians . Once known as
11770-647: Was in this service that Cooper learned shipbuilding, shipyard duties and frontier life. During his leisure time, Cooper would venture through the forests of New York state and explore the shores of Lake Ontario. He occasionally ventured into the Thousand Islands . His experiences in the Oswego area later inspired some of his work, including his novel The Pathfinder . After completion of the Oneida in 1809, Cooper accompanied Woolsey to Niagara Falls , who then
11880-509: Was one of the early major American novelists to include African, African-American and Native American characters in his works. In particular, Native Americans play central roles in his Leatherstocking Tales . However, his treatment of this group is complex and highlights the relationship between frontier settlers and American Indians as exemplified in The Wept of Wish-ton-Wish , depicting a captured white girl who marries an Indian chief and has
11990-567: Was ordered to Lake Champlain to serve aboard a gunboat until the winter months when the lake froze over. Cooper himself returned from Oswego to Cooperstown and then New York City. On November 13 of the same year, he was assigned to the USS ; Wasp under the command of Captain James Lawrence , who was from Burlington and became a personal friend of Cooper's. Aboard this ship, he met his lifelong friend William Branford Shubrick , who
12100-498: Was signed by President Jefferson and mailed by Naval Secretary Robert Smith , reaching Cooper on February 19. On February 24, he received orders to report to the naval commander at New York City. Joining the United States Navy fulfilled an aspiration he had had since his youth. Cooper's first naval assignment came on March 21, 1808, aboard the USS Vesuvius , an 82-foot bomb ketch that carried twelve guns and
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