Township Then and Now

Ridgebury Township is located between Chemung County, New York on the North and the township of Athens on the East, Smithfield and Springfield on the South and South Creek on the West.

Then - Ridgebury was established in 1818 from the townships of Athens and Wells. The name of the town came from Samuel Bennett, who named his farm "Ridgeberry" due to the berries that grew abundantly on the hillside. Ridgebury was originally covered with rock-oak, chestnut, and white and yellow pine trees.

Bentley Creek passes from the South to the North through the entire length of Ridgebury. This creek name was derived from Green Bentley, who was believed to be the first settler on the creek.

This first settlers to the Township were two families, who are believed to come to town in 1805 from Orange County, New York. They came with ox teams and several cows. The settlers homes were made of logs with bark for the roof. Venison, bear steaks, wild turkeys, grouse and trout were the main course of the meals the whole year through.

Now - Ridgebury Township's population (2000): 1,982
Villages: Bentley Creek, Centerville, Middletown
Township area: 38.3 square miles
Township Road System: 60.04 miles
State Highway System: 26.12 miles
School District: Athens and Troy
Emergency Services: Full Fire, Full Ambulance and State Police Coverage