Jedediah Sanger

Jedediah Sanger
Member of the New York Senate from the Western district
In office November 4, 1800 – April 11, 1804
In office November 1, 1796 – April 8, 1800
Member of the New York State Assembly from Herkimer and Onondaga County
Member of the New York House of Representatives
In office January 6, 1795 – April 9, 1795
Member of the New York State Assembly from Herkimer County
Member of the New York House of Representatives
In office January 7, 1794 – March 27, 1794
New Hartford Town Supervisor
In office 1789–1792
First Judge, Oneida County
In office 1798–1810
Side Judge, Herkimer County
In office 1791–1798
Personal details
Born	(1751-02-28)February 28, 1751 Sherborn, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	June 6, 1829(1829-06-06) (aged 78) New Hartford, New York, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Hill Cemetery Utica, New York, U.S. 43°04′39″N 75°15′29″W / 43.077600°N 75.257950°W / 43.077600; -75.257950
Political party	Federalist
Spouse(s)	Sarah Rider ​ ​ (m. 1771; died 1814)​ Sarah B. Kissam ​ ​ (m. 1815; died 1825)​ Fanny Dench ​ (m. 1827)​
Children	4
Occupation	Judge politician farmer land speculator businessman
Signature

Jedediah Sanger (February 28, 1751 – June 6, 1829) was the founder of the town of New Hartford, New York, United States. He was a native of Sherborn, Massachusetts, and the ninth child of Richard and Deborah Sanger, a prominent colonial New England family. During the Revolutionary War he attained the rank of 1st Lieutenant having fought in the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Siege of Boston (1776), and during the New York Campaign.

After the war, he settled in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, where he began farming, trading, and running a tavern. He was involved in several civic activities and was appointed Lt. Colonel of the New Hampshire militia. After a fire destroyed his property, leaving him bankrupt, he started over in the frontier of New York.

Sanger settled in what was then called Whitestown. He became a land agent or speculator, buying large tracts of land on both sides of Sauquoit Creek and reselling smaller lots. He was involved in land transactions, one of which involved George Washington, for the area that would become New Hartford, New York. Between 1789 and 1820, he operated a paper mill, grist mill, and saw mill there. He also purchased land at Sangerfield, Skaneateles, Chittenango, and Weedsport; He established mills in some of these towns. To facilitate travel between the settlements, Sanger was an investor in the Seneca and Chenango Turnpikes (now New York State Route 12). Sanger gave his name to a town, Sangerfield, New York, a Masonic lodge, and other places in New York. He is noted as the first settler and founder of New Hartford through two historical markers.

Among his various business pursuits, he was engaged in agriculture and manufacturing. He was a town supervisor, county judge, and state assemblyman and senator. He helped establish churches and a school.