according to the earliest recorded history ("annals and recollections of oneida county, jones, 1851"), sanger bought of land for $500 (fifty cents/acre). sanger sold the portion east of sauquoit creek, thought to be , to joseph higbee (or higby), within a year, for $500 (one dollar/acre), a shrewd deal netting him the land where the majority of new hartford's commercial development occurred for no cost. a subsequent survey showed the area higbee purchased was actually . some accounts say the land was purchased from george washington.