The first settler was Eli Place who came in 1792 and built a fur trading post. In the 1800's it contained three churches, one district school, one hotel, four stores, one grist mill and saw mill, one harness shop, two blacksmith shops, one carriage and hearse manufactory (G. Graves proprietor), one undertaking establishment, one shoe shop, three copper shops, one jeweler's shop, one tailor shop and a population of 300.
The first merchants were George Fenno and John Saxton who opened a store in 1820. The first postmaster was John Saxton and the first physician was John Mather in 1827. The Bordens opened their milk plant in 1896. George Romer was the first superintendent. The nationally known race horse Lady Upton was born here in 1864 and was named Kitty. She died in 1907 and a tombstone marker over here grave is located on town road property. She raced for 13 years and her driver was George Cornell.
The first school was built by John Saxton in 1798 and in 1868 a two room school house was built on the site of the first log cabin school. In 1870 the railroad came to Mt. Upton as the branch of the Midland and Oswego.