After the American Revolution, William Cooper relocated his family from Burlington, New Jersey, to the foot of Otsego Lake, where his vision of a tamed wilderness attracted European settlers to the newly created village. Inspired by the landscape, his son James Fenimore Cooper wrote The Pioneers and other works that carried tales of upstate New York to readers around the world. Beyond the Coopers, the Clark family left a profound mark on Cooperstown. Edward C. Clark, a lawyer from New York City, prospered through the successful marketing of the Singer sewing machine after partnering with Isaac Merritt Singer in 1851. The Clark family's success led to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Otesaga Resort Hotel, Fenimore Art Museum, The Farmers' Museum, Clark Sports Center, and Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital.