West Edmeston in Madison County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Gorton Turtle

— Legends & Lore —

July 15, 2017

1. Gorton Turtle Marker

Inscription. As Tom Dorsey cleared land his wagon load of huge rocks couldn't be moved by horses. A giant turtle surfaced and dragged wagon into the lake.

Erected 2016 by William G. Pomeroy Foundation. (Marker Number 21.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Anthropology & Archaeology. In addition, it is included in the William G. Pomeroy Foundation Legends & Lore Series series list.

Location. 42° 51.738′ N, 75° 21.005′ W. Marker is in West Edmeston, New York, in Madison County. It is on Gorton Lake Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3226 Gorton Lake Road West, West Edmeston NY 13485, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York,

specifically in Central New York,

and in the Syracuse Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

New Netherland,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Sangerfield (approx. 4.9 miles away); a different marker also named Sangerfield (approx. 4.9 miles away); Waterville Civil War Memorial (approx. 5 miles away); Waterville War Memorial (approx. 5 miles away); Birth Place of George Eastman (approx. 5 miles away); Western Star (approx. 5.2 miles away); Bridgewater Depot (approx. 5.4 miles away); Everett Holmes (approx. 5.4 miles away).

Regarding Gorton Turtle.

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The story goes that Irishman Tom Dorsey was clearing large rocks from the land to plant a garden. He was using a lumber wagon led by a team of horses, but it was unable to be moved so he let the wagon sit for several weeks. One day Dorsey was sitting on his front porch when a gigantic turtle emerged from Gorton Lake and dragged the wagon into the lake. Local Brookfield NY storyteller Geneva “Aunt Neva” Watson shared the old tale during an interview with writer George W. Walters for a book called “Chips and Shavings.”

Credits. This page was last revised on February 6, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 23, 2019, by Deryn Pomeroy of Syracuse, New York. This page has been viewed 664 times since then and 39 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on January 23, 2019, by Deryn Pomeroy of Syracuse, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.