Although winter may be a memory for this year, it’s never too early to start thinking about hiking safety for next winter when you’re out with snowshoes on.

For instance, if you need to adjust your snowshoes, be sure to take a good look around before you make those adjustments. You never know who or what might approach you when you’re attending the task.

Just ask Col. John Harper. One wintry day back in 1780 he was stooping down to adjust his snowshoes while tending to maple syrup duties in today’s town of Harpersfield in Delaware County. The Revolutionary War was well under way.

Harper was approached suddenly by a group of American Indian warriors, including the infamous Joseph Brant.

For Brant and Harper, this was a reunion -- although not a very happy one -- of two old school buddies. Back in their youth, they became friends at a school they attended in Lebanon, Conn.

Brant approached Harper, and was ready to swing his tomahawk with intent to kill Harper, but stopped.

"Ah! Colonel Harper, is it you?" Brant asked. "I am sorry to see you."

"Why are you sorry?" asked Harper.

"I must kill you, even though I have been your friend for years," replied Brant.

Harper then replied, "I can see no use of killing me when I am willing to go with you peacefully."[an error occurred while processing this directive]

What followed was a three-year period of suffering with Brant’s forces over in the Niagara Falls area before Harper was released and returned to Harpersfield, when the war ended in 1783.

When Delaware County was chartered in 1797 there were only seven towns established, and Harpersfield was one of them. It was organized as a town in 1787, and had been purchased from American Indians. At first, the town was 14 miles wide and 69 miles long. From it, towns and parts of towns in Broome, Chenango, Delaware and Otsego counties were formed. Today, Harpersfield has slightly more than 10 square miles of land.

As the name implies, the Harpers were the founding family of the town. James Harper first came to Maine from Ireland in 1720. His son John settled in Cherry Valley around 1740. Then his son John Jr., later known as Col. Harper, was the founder of Harpersfield and took a prominent role in the Revolutionary War. John Jr.’s son John was the first white male child born in Delaware County.

The town was heavily forested when the first settlers arrived. Gradually the land was cleared and, with the soil being excellent for farming, grain growing and dairying soon became the main occupation of the people.

The settlement was thriving when the Revolutionary War broke out. Most of the settlers were staunch patriots, although there were a few allies to the Tories and American Indians.

Most of the settlers left the area. Harpersfield, among many other communities in the region, were destroyed. On the night before Harpersfield was destroyed, an Indian secretly made his way to Col. Harper’s home to warn him of the danger. He and his family escaped.

In the spring of 1780, 14 men under the lead of Alexander Harper, the colonel’s brother, returned to Harpersfield to make maple sugar.

Although they did their best to keep a low profile from the Tories and Indians, John Harper was then captured and most of the other sugar-makers were killed.

After the war, the Harpers and other families returned to their homes and farms.

On Monday: Freddy was an adventurous pig, created by a writer from Roxbury.

City Historian Mark Simonson’s column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area during the Depression and before. His Monday columns address local history after the Depression. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or e-mail him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is www.oneontahistorian.com.