Newark Valley

History

The first permanent settlers arrived around 1791. This area was called Brown's Settlement and was part of the Town of Berkshire until it was organized as the "Town of Westville" in 1823. In 1824, the town changed its name to "Newark," at the suggestion of a settler from New Jersey, but then changed the name to Newark Valley in 1862, to avoid conflict with the name of a village in Wayne County. One of the earliest settlers was Richard Sarles (1753-1849), a native of Bedford (town), New York and a veteran of the American Revolutionary War whose descendants share a common heritage albeit with various spelling permutations (Searles, Sarles, Sarlls). The area where he settled was known as Searlestown, between Newark Valley (village), New York and Flemingville Owego, New York, and the cemetery where he and over two dozen Newark Valley relatives and descendants are buried bears that same name. The Belcher-Holden Farm, Bement-Billings House, Blewer Farm, Daniel Chamberlain House, Morris Clinton House, Farrand-Pierson House, Lipe Farm, Maple Lawn Farm, John Settle Farm, Wade Farm, West Newark Congregational Church and Cemetery, and West Newark School House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 50.4 square miles (130.6 km2), of which 50.3 square miles (130.4 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km2) (0.16%) is water. The eastern town line is the border of Broome County. New York State Route 38 and New York State Route 38B intersect south of Newark Valley village.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  16,169
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  15,526
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  13,576
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,716
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  12,453
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,565
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,308
• Dark-eyed Junco

  Junco hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10,496

Most recent

• M 2.8 — 2025-06-10
  10 km NW of Forksville, Pennsylvania