[3] The town is named after a river flowing through it, the Otselic, which is an Oneida word for "place of wild plums".

The Otselic valley is the predominant geographic feature in the town, connecting it to the surrounding region north and south.

[4] The year 1833 was notable for a tornado that passed over the town and measured over a mile in width.

[3] Over 10 square miles (26 km2) or about 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) are state-owned forest lands dedicated to the production of forest products and open to the public for forest-related recreation such as hunting, camping, fishing, hiking and cross country skiing.

The forest cover is mixed hardwoods (maple, cherry, ash, beech, basswood, birch and hemlock[5]) occurring naturally and large plantations of spruce and pine on state-owned lands.

White pine was common prior to European settlement, but due to the high demand for its clear, light, easily worked lumber, pine stands were removed during the nineteenth century and today are almost totally absent.

Logging has always been an important part of the local economy, utilizing high-value hardwoods for sawlogs as well as firewood and softwood poles and pulp.

Hunting, trapping and wildlife-related recreation such as birdwatching and wildlife viewing are important activities.

Red and white winged crossbills from Canada and Alaska have bred in the large conifer plantations on New York State forest land.