[J. Thomas Scharf (1886)] season by the angler for the trout which breed in the clear, cold spring water that flows swiftly over their stony beds. Deer were numerous here as recently as 1780, and some were shot during the early part of the present century. This was the probable attrac-tion of these regions for the red men. The agricultural capabilities of the town are unsur-passed in the county. The numerous intersecting streams, the rich intervales and plains, the fine pas-turage of the uplands, all combine to make Somers a favored territory in this respect. Along the valleys of the Croton and Muscoot Rivers the soil is adapted to the production of any kind of grain in abundance, w hile the higher lands are eminently fitted for graz-ing. In the early days of its history the attention of its people was mainly directed to the fattening of cat-tle for the markets of the cities. Its near contiguity to New York, and the excellent facilities afforded by the turnpike road running directly through the town to that metropolis, rendered the transportation of large droves of sheep and cattle a comparatively easy matter. Hence the early farmers engaged extensive-ly in this trade and it was a rare thing to find a far-mer who was not also a drover. The practice was to