History

Johnsburg, in area the largest town in Warren County, was partitioned from the original Town of Thurman on April 6, 1805. It is located in the northwest corner of the county, and within its boundaries are six hamlets with post offices. They are: Bakers Mills, Johnsburg, North Creek, North River, Riparius and Wevertown. Other neigborhoods include Sodom, The Glen, and Garnet Lake.

In 1788 John Thurman, a wealthy New York City merchant, bought from the state government 25,200 acres of Township #12 of the Totten and Crossfield Purchase. Under the leadership of our founding father, the first clearing took place about 1790 on Elm Hill, located one mile south of today's hamlet of Johnsburg. This name was taken from Thurman's given name and was spelled Johnsburgh until 1893.

Land was cleared along Beaver Brook (now called Mill Creek), and a grist mill and saw mill were erected at the falls of the brook. A distillery was opened which produced a market for rye. In 1795 a woolen factory was built, but was converted to a cotton factory two years later. Thurman erected his Calico printing works, one of the first in America. He also built ash works and made large quantities of pot ash, for which farmers were paid one shilling per bushel for ashes.