Phinney was invited to Cooperstown by Judge William Cooper, the wealthy land developer who had established the Otsego County, New York village.
Besides endorsing Cooper's political opponents, Phinney went so far as to sponsor a petition to change the name of Cooperstown to "Otsego Village."
Phinney's company contributed to Cooperstown's status as a major publishing center through the first half of the 19th century.
From 1833 to 1840, Elihu Phinney, Jr. held office as the supervisor of the Town of Otsego (in which the Village of Cooperstown is located).
It was claimed that Abner Doubleday, the supposed inventor of baseball, regularly played the game on Phinney's farm.