In 1784 the federal government acquired a section of land from the Iroquois  
nation west of the Unadilla River known today as the town of Brookfield. 
In 1791 Stephen Hoxie and a young companion traveled from Rhode Island as  
agents for would-be-settlers to purchase land in this newly opened territory. 
In Albany, Hoxie bought 13 lots in Brookfield, sight unseen. He would soon  
discover the beauty, wealth of resources, and viability of his investment. 

 Concurrently, Captain Daniel Brown and his family were journeying westward  
to homestead on this land. These two men were not only among the first  
settlers, but were soon to become the first entrepreneurs in Brookfield. 

 Brookfield possessed abundant natural resources. Two of its greatest assets  
were the rolling hills covered with numerous varieties of timber and several  
strong and swift waterways Iying in the valleys in between. The Unadilla  
River forms Brookfield's eastern border. Beaver Creek (so named for a large 
dam built by the industrious creatures of the same name) almost bisects the 
town from north to south. Mill Creek runs between these two over numerous  
falls and a branch of the Chenango River cuts across the northwest corner of  
the town. 

 It was on Mill Creek in 1792 that Brown built the first sawmill. Another  
early settler, John Button, built the first gristmill a short distance away  
near a 70-foot waterfall on the creek which was thereafter known as Button's  
Falls. 

 These developments began a period of rapid settlement in the area.  The
pioneers for whom Hoxie bought parcels of land journeyed to Brookfield to
claim their land and establish farms. However, at this time three wealthy  
Eastern speculators, Michael Myers, Jedidiah Sanger, and John I. Morgan bought 
up a great deal of the unsold government lands in Brookfield and Sangerfield. 
Some of this land was subsequently sold to settlers, but the largest portions 
were merely leased to area emigrants. For nearly a century, this land was 
controlled and leased by these men and their descendants greatly impeding 
progress and improvements in the town. Many of the earliest settlers moved on 
not wishing to continually farm and pay rent to landlords to seek lands of 
their own to purchase or homestead. It was not until the descendants of some 
of these men began to sell their shares in the property that Brookfield 
increased in the number of small, individual landholders. Even today, however, 
a large portion of the southwest quarter of the town is state-owned property, 
repurchased for its forestry and other natural resources. 

 In spite of this limitation on the amount of land open to purchase by the  
early settlers, those who were able to buy land tended to build their  
homesteads and watermills along the waterways. Most of the communities in  
Brookfield were established around such mills. Mill Creek and Beaver Creek 
were seen as ideal for such enterprises and many saw- and gristmills sprang up 
along their banks. The village of Brookfield (previously Clarkville) was one 
of the earliest settlements on Beaver Creek. A gristmill on the Unadilla River 
was the beginning of the settlement of Leonardsville so named for Reuben 
Leonard, a wealthy entrepreneur and the first storeowner in the area. To the 
north of Leonardsville, the village of Unadilla Forks also had a mill as its 
focus. 

 Severe flooding, often due to the spring thaws, was all too common along  
these waterways and several of the early mills were destroyed. Some owners  
simply rebuilt, others relocated to what they thought were safer locations.  
As the milling settlements grew, other small scale manufactories and  
businesses opened, such as tanneries, potasheries, wagon shops, and farm  
equipment suppliers. All of these were mainly for trade within the town and  
few of these business ventures grew much beyond their k~cal clientele.  

 The villages of North and South Brookfield were settled a bit later, the 
former on a tributary of the Chenango River in the northwest corner of the  
town and the latter on Beaver Creek. Both sites were ideal for the popular  
and potentially prosperous sawmills and gristmills which were quickly  
established. The area around North Brookfield also proved to be well suited  
to the growing of hops. Another successful business in North Brookfield was 
the wagon factory of Gorton and Fitch. 

 Until the Civil War, lumbering small crop farming, and dairy herding were  
the most common activities of the area's settlers. The farmers tended not to  
specialize, leaving the main industry of milling to the local merchants and  
entrepreneurs. Specialization in farming began in the 1860s as pasture land  
was gradually cleared and could support larger dairy herds. One of these  
early dairy farmers established a cheese factory on his land to process the  
enormous quantities of milk his herds produced. His example was soon  
followed by other dairy farmers and as the manufacture of cheese grew, so  
did the demand for milk and these mutually reinforcing endeavors made dairy 
farming a profitable venture. 

 Cheese factories opened in Brookfield, Leonardsville, Unadilla Forks, West  
Edmeston, and North Brookfield in rapid succession. One of the more  
elaborate factories was a chain of processing plants in Unadilla Forks opened 
in 1863, powered by steam engines, and owned by E. D. Lamb. 

 Two other points of interest set Brookfield apart from the other towns in  
Madison county. Sources vary slightly, but it is generally accepted that the  
first county fair was held in Brookfield in 1839, sponsored by the Madison  
County Agricultural Society. For several years the fair traveled the county, 
setting up at a different site every year. It finally settled in Brookfield  
as its permanent home after the northern parts of the county expressed  
little interest in hosting the fair. It has been on its present site in the  
village of Brookfield for nearly a century, having grown from an initial  
three acres rented from a local farmer to its present 38 acres including  
numerous permanent exhibit halls and a racetrack. 

 The fair's exhibitors have come from all parts of the county and even  
include a few traveling exhibits from other parts of the state. Most  
activities and competitions reflect the county's wide range of livelihoods  
and interests including livestock competitions, handcrafts, garden produce, 
baking, farm implements, 4-H activities, and horse show. Of course it would 
not he a fair without central amusement park rides, games and food stalls.  
The county fair has had cycles of both attendance and participation, but  
still thrives and is supported by both county and out-of-county enthusiasts.