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 HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 A 
 CORTLAND COUNTY 
 
 W/TH ILLUSTRATIONS AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF 
 SOME OF ITS PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS 
 
 EDITED BV 
 
 H . P . SMITH 
 
 SYRACUSE, N. Y. 
 D. MASON & CO., PUBLISHERS 
 

 D. MASON & CO., 
 
 PDBLISHEKS ANB PRINTERS, 
 
 63 WEST WATER ST., 
 
 SYRACUSE, N. Y. 
 
 
INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 WHILE it may seem to the uninitiated a task involving but little difficulty to prepare 
 for publication a work no more comprehensive in character than this volume, and 
 containing merely a history of a single county, still it is not out of place here to assure 
 all such readers that the task is one involving a vast amount of labor and research, 
 watchful care, untiring patience, and fair discrimination. This need not be said to any 
 person who has had experience in similar work. In attempting the production of a 
 creditable history of Cortland county the publishers and the editor did not underestimate 
 the difficulties of this task, and came to it fully imbued with both a clear idea of its 
 magnitude and determination to execute it in such a manner that it should receive the 
 general commendations of all into whose hands it should fall. It is believed that this 
 purpose has been substantially carried out, and that, while a perfect historical work has 
 never yet been published, this one will be found to contain so few imperfections that the 
 most critical readers will be satisfied. 
 
 It is the general plan of the publishers in the production of county histories to secure, 
 as far as possible, local assistance in preparing the work, either as writers, or for the 
 purpose of revising all manuscripts; the consequence being that the work bears a local 
 character that could not otherwise be secured, and, moreover, comes from the press far 
 more complete and perfect than could possibly be the case were it entrusted entirely to 
 the hands of a comparative stranger to the locality treated of In carrying out this plan 
 in this county the editor has found such generous co-operation and assistance that to 
 merely mention all those who have liberally aided in the work is impossible ; the 
 satisfaction of having contributed to a desirable public work must be their reward. But 
 we cannot pass unnoticed tlic names of a few who have given most generously of their 
 labor and time towards the consummation of the work : To Hon. R. Holland Duell, Hon. 
 A. P. Smith and David E. Smith for aid in preparing the chapter on the bench and bar 
 
Introductory. 
 
 of the county, most of the writing of which was done by the last named gentleman ; to 
 Dr. Caleb Green and Dr. Frederick Hyde, the former for writing; and the latter for revising 
 much of the chapter on the medical profession; to George L. Warren, II. W. Blashfield 
 and others for assistance in preparing the history of the Masonic order; to Hon. Wm. H. 
 Clark, B. H. Jones, V. G. Kinney, Wm, O. Bunn, Ed. L. Adams, W. O. Greene and E. P. 
 Fancher, <>f the county press, for generous aid and the use of their valuable newspaper 
 files; to Mrs. Dr. Frederick Hyde for valuable documents; to Alonzo Blodgett for 
 use of valuable scrap-book ; to Charles Kingsbury and T. Mason Loring for valuable 
 historic materials ; and many others in the different towns whom we cannot mention for 
 want of .space. In this connection we should be greatly neglectful of courtesy if we did 
 not acknowledge our great obligation to the work of the late Hon. Horatio Ballard, whose 
 published reminiscences contain so much that is of the greatest value to the historian of 
 the towns of Cortland and Homer ; and the same meed of credit is due to the indefatigable 
 work of the late Hon. Nathan Bouton, whose published pamphlet embraces almost the 
 entire history of the town of Virgil. With these brief and inadequate acknowledgments, 
 the work is commended to its readers by the publishers and 
 
 The Editor. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER \. — .\„/!ira/ Cliaractcyistics — 
 Boundaries and Topography of the 
 Territory now Embraced in Cortland 
 County— Its Rivers, Creelis and Lakes 
 
 — Geologic Forn'iat ions — Climatic Fea- 
 tures — General Character of the Soil 
 
 — Timber 9 
 
 CHAPTER II. — i%V/<;; J of the Aborigines 
 
 — The Iroquois and their Great Con- 
 federacy - The Different Tribes and 
 their Limitations — Traditionary Origin 
 of the Confederation — Legend of Ta- 
 oun-ya-\vat-ha — Tribal Relations — 
 The "Clan" System — Social Rela- 
 tions and Personal Peculiarities of the 
 Iroquois — Their Amusements — The 
 Councils — Origin of the Warlike Ten- 
 dency of the Iroquois — The French 
 Colonists and their Struggles with the 
 Indians — Defeat of the Adirondacks 
 
 — Military Organization and Charac- 
 teristics — Treatment of Prisoners — 
 Physical Traits — Their Downfall Fore- 
 shadowed 13 
 
 CHAPTER III. —Indian Relations in Cen- 
 tral New York — The Territory of 
 Cortland County with Reference to the 
 Indian Tribes — The Leni Lenape — 
 Their Traditionary Origin — Their Re- 
 lations with the Iroquois — The Pecu- 
 liar Office Assigned Them — Final Su- 
 premacy of the Iroquois — Indian Vil- 
 lages — Their Personal Habits and 
 Social Customs — Religious Beliefs, 
 Marriages, Festivals, etc 26 
 
 CHAPTER IV. — Eiiropeaft Discoveries and 
 Settlements — Jacob Cabot at New- 
 foundland — The Brothers Cortreal — 
 Discover)- of the St. Lawrence River 
 
 I'Af; K. 
 
 — Ponce de Leon's Discovery of Flor- 
 ida — Spanish Discoveries and Con- 
 quests — French Acquisitions to the 
 Northward — Settlement of Quebec — 
 English Settlement at Jamestown — 
 Establishment of Dutch Settlements 
 on the Hudson River -r Claims of 
 Rival Nations — Arrival of the Jesuits 
 
 — Champlain's First Meeting with the 
 Indians — The Expedition — Indian 
 Wars — E.xtension of the Fur Trade — 
 Jesuit Missionary Work — French and 
 English Rivalr)- and their Negotiations 
 with the Indians — Attack on Montreal 
 
 — Expedition Planned by Frontenac 
 
 — Burning of Schenectady — Treaty of 
 Utrecht — The Iroquois in the Caro- 
 linas 35 
 
 CH.APTER V. — Previous to County Organi- 
 zation — An Indian " Summer Resort " 
 
 — Early Records and State Divisions 
 
 — Genealogy of Cortland County — 
 The Military Tract — Its Origin and 
 History — Land Bounties to Soldiers 
 
 — Proportions of Bounties — Action 
 of Congress in Relation Thereto — The 
 Tract Ordered Surveyed, Mapped and 
 Divided — Conditions Imposed upon 
 Grantees — The "State's Hundreds" 
 School and Gospel Lots — Division 
 into Townships — Fraudulent Land 
 Titles — Vexatious Litigation — For- 
 mation of the Present Towns of the 
 County 46 
 
 CHAPTER VI. — Formation of the County — 
 A Division of Onondaga County De- 
 manded — The Petition of Southern 
 Residents for that Object — Important 
 Provisions of the Law Organizing Cort- 
 
 5 
 
Contents. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 land County — Origin of Name — 
 Changes in the Townships — Organi- 
 zation of the Courts — First County 
 Officers — Early Political Parties- 
 Pioneers of the County — Delays in 
 Early Settlement — Comparative Dates 
 of Other Settlements— Routes of In- 
 coming Pioneers — Privations of Early 
 Settlers — Winter Travel in OUkn 
 Xinies — The First Settlers in Cort- 
 land County — Mrs. Beebc's Lonely 
 Life in the Wilderness — Settlements 
 in the Different Towns Previous to 
 , 8 lo — Population at ibat Date — 
 Opening of Early Roads — Turnpike 
 Road Companies — Necessity for 
 Grist-mills — Tht- First Churches — 
 Early Schools 5-V 
 
 CHAPTER VII.— T'//^' Second Decade — 
 Dwellings and Surroundings of Early 
 Settlers — Household Conveniences — 
 House Raising— The Pioneer's First 
 Agricultural Work — " Logging Bees" 
 
 — The Settler's Diet — Scarcity of 
 Money — Advantages of Asheries — 
 The Tioughnioga River as a Highway 
 to Market — The Head of Navigation 
 
 — Port Watson Village — The First 
 Newspaper in the County— Its Chief 
 Characteristics — Old Advertisements 
 
 — The First Court House — An Old 
 Building Document — Village Rivalry 
 
 Further Organizations of Turnpike 
 
 Companies — Change of Boundary — 
 The First Newspaper in Cortland Vil- 
 lage—An Early Celebration — Strug- 
 gle over the Site of the Gaol — Its 
 Final Location in Cortland — News- 
 paper Recrimination — The First Ag- 
 ricultural Society — The Old County 
 Clerk's Office ■• 63 
 
 CHAPTER VIII.— T/ie Third Decade — 
 Condition of the Community — Aban- 
 donment of the Tioughnioga as a 
 Freight Highway — The Erie Canal 
 Project and Its Influence in the County 
 — The Constitutional Convention of 
 1821 and the Changes Wrought there- 
 by in the County — The First Railroad 
 Charter — Salina and Port Watson the 
 Terminal Points — More Turnpike 
 Companies Incorporated — The Canal 
 Mania — Ths Syracuse and Port Wat- 
 
 son Canal Project — Other Internal 
 
 Im|)rovenients — Statistics 75 
 
 CHAPTER \X. — Froin 1830 lo /he present 
 time — Beginning of the Third Decade 
 — Condition of the County at Large — 
 New Road Companies Organized — 
 The County Poor House — Building 
 of the New Court House — Railroad 
 Agitation — Incorporation of Two 
 Companies for Lines Through Cort- 
 land — Organization of the Second 
 Agricultural Society — Political Remi- 
 niscences—The Leaders of Other 
 Days — The Campaign of 1 844 — 
 Changes in Congressional and Sena- 
 torial Districts — Town Boundaries 
 Altered — Town Genealogy — Devel- 
 opment of Dairying Interests —Public 
 Ecfucation- The Old Stage Routes — 
 The Railroad Again — A New Char- 
 ter Obtained— The Road Finished — 
 Public Demonstrations of Satisfaction 
 
 — Effects on Villages — The First 
 Death Penalty — Political Events — 
 Building of a New Jail — New Rail- 
 road Connections — .Statistics 79 
 
 CH.A PTER X.— Military History — The ybth 
 Regiment — "General Training " Days 
 
 — Military Dignitaries in the Old Mi- 
 litia — Cortland County in the War of 
 the Rebellion — The News from Bull 
 Run — Its Effects at the North — The 
 County .Aroused — An Important 
 jyieeting — Suggestions for the Or- 
 ganization of a Regiment — Meetings 
 Held Throughout the County— Re- 
 cruiting— The 76th Regiment Or- 
 ganized—Camp Established on the 
 Fair Grounds — The Green-McNett 
 Trouble — Departure of the Regiment 
 — Reorganization — Line and Staff 
 Officers — Off for New York- Or- 
 dered to Washington — Camp Life at 
 Meridian Hill — Ordered to Freder- 
 icksburg — Colonel Wainwright As- 
 sio-ned to the Command of the Regi- 
 ,nent — The First Battle — Examples 
 of Heroism— The Second Bull Run — 
 South Mountain and the Conflict — 
 ,At Fredericksburg — The Bloody 
 Field of Gettysburg — .'\n Execution 
 — In the Wilderness — At Spottsylva- 
 nia — In Petersbnrg — " Expended in 
 the Service " — Home 92 
 
Contents. 
 
 C H A PTE R XL— Military History — The 
 157M Rfi^inii'iit — Recruitinj^ the 
 157th Regiment — Sources of the Dif- 
 ferent Companies — Staff and Line Of- 
 ficers — Camp Mitchell — Ordered to 
 the Front — In Camp at Arlington 
 Heights — The Regiment Assigned — 
 The First Death — At Centreville — 
 Christmas in Front of Fredericksljurg 
 
 — In Burnside's "Mud Campaign" 
 
 — Battle of Chancellorsville — Severe 
 Marching — Gettysburg — The Roll 
 Call after the Battle— Recruiting and 
 Reorganization — Engagement at Hil- 
 ton Head — An Incident — Major 
 Place as Provost Marshal — Mustered 
 Out 107 
 
 CHAPTER y.\\. — Military History^— The 
 185//; Regiment and Other Organisa- 
 lions — Organization of the Regiment 
 
 — The Cortland County Companies — 
 Their Officers — In Camp at Syracuse 
 
 — Ordered to the Front — Assignment 
 to the First Brigade, Fifth Corps — A 
 Spy Captured — A Winter Camp — 
 Demonstration on the Weldon Rail- 
 road — Winter Quarters Again — 
 Marching Orders — Hatcher's Run — 
 Lender a Terrific Fire — Capture of 
 Major Bush and His Detail — Colonel 
 Jenny's Situation and Resignation — 
 At Fort Steedman — At Quaker Farm 
 
 — Colonel Sniper's Bravery — Heavy 
 Losses — The Fate of the Colors — 
 Five Forks — The End Approaching 
 
 — At Appomattox — Other Organiza- 
 tions — Summary 112 
 
 CHAPTER WW. — Official Action in the 
 War of the Rebellion — The First Act 
 
 — An Important Resolution — Action 
 of the Board of Super\'isors Relative 
 to Payment of Bounties — The Com- 
 mittee of 1864 — Money Borrowed for 
 the County — The Bountv Committee 
 
 — Further Sums Raised — A County 
 Bounty Offered — The Call for 500.000 
 Men — Bounties Increased — Issue of 
 Bonds — Loans by the County to the 
 Towns — Statistics 117 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. — The Cortland County 
 Press — The First Newspaper — The 
 Pioneer Journalist — Description of 
 the Cortland Courier — Changes in 
 
 rAi;K. 
 Proprietorship and Names — Dr. Jesse 
 Searl's Career as a Publisher — An- 
 other Change — A Sheet of 1 830 — A 
 Glimpse at Its Contents — Rufus A. 
 Reed and His Connection with Cort- 
 land Journalism — The Predecessors 
 of the Cortland Cozcnty Republican — 
 The Oldest Paper in Cortland Village 
 
 — Ancestors of iht Standard — The 
 Western Courier — Establishment of 
 the Democrat — Seth Haight's Ad- 
 ministration — H. G. Crouch Enters 
 the Arena — The Cortland American 
 
 — C. P. Cole and the Gazette — '\\\^ 
 Republican Banner — The Cortland 
 
 Journal — First Issue of the Cortland 
 Standard — The Cortland County 
 Democrat !iT\A Its Predecessors — The 
 AfcGrawville Sentinel — The Otsclic 
 
 Valley Register — The Newspaper 
 Death Roll , 119 
 
 CHAPTER XX.— The Bench and Bar of 
 Cortland County — The Old English 
 Courts — Establishment of Courts in 
 America — Creation of ihe Court of 
 Appeals — The Supreme Court — Its 
 Judges and Their Duties — The Court 
 of Common Pleas and the County 
 Court — Justice's Courts and Courts 
 of Special Sessions — Judicial Offices 
 
 — The Bar of Cortland County - Its 
 Early Eminent Members — Roll of 
 Attorneys' Oaths — The Present Bar 
 
 — Biographical Notes 1 33 
 
 CHAPTER y.\\.— The Cortland County 
 
 Medical Society 1 50 
 
 CHAPTER y^VW. — Secret Societies, etc.— 
 The Free and Accepted Masons of 
 Cortland County — The First Lodge 
 in the County— Its Old Records — 
 Other Lodges Instituted — The Inde- 
 pendent Order of Odd Fellows — 
 Lodges and Officers — Other Societies 177 
 
 C H A PTE R X V 1 1 1. — County Societies. Build- 
 ings, etc. — The Cortland County Ag- 
 ricultural Society — Its First Fairs — 
 List of its Presidents — The Cortland 
 County Farmers' Club — Its Organiza- 
 tion and First Officers — \'alue of Its 
 Work — List of Officers — The Cort- 
 land County Bible Society — The 
 Young Men's Christian .Association — 
 County Buildings iSo 
 
Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX.— Histor>- of the Town of 
 
 Homer 183 
 
 CH.M'TER XX. — Histor)' of the Town of 
 
 Cortlandville 236 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. — Histor)' of the Town of 
 
 Virgil 3'9 
 
 CHAPTER XXH. — History- of the Town of 
 
 Marathon 345 
 
 CHAPTER XXH 1.— History of the Town of 
 
 Cincinnatus 3*^^ 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. — History of the Town of 
 
 Truxton 377 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. — History of the Town of 
 
 Cuyler 387 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. — History of the Town of 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. — History of the Town of 
 
 Scott 405 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. — History of the Town 
 
 of Solon 412 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. — Histor)- of the Town of 
 
 Freetown 4'7 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. — History of the Town of 
 
 Taylor 423 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. — History of the Town of 
 
 Willet 428 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. — History of the Town of 
 
 Harford 433 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. - History of the Town 
 
 of Lapeer 44' 
 
 Preble 
 
 395 I CHAPTER XXXIV. — Biographical 445 
 
 PORTRAITS. 
 
 Blanchard, Silas, portrait facing 232 
 
 Blodgett, Alonzo I)., portrait f;icing 474 
 
 Chamberlain. A. L., portrait facing 194 
 
 Cole. A. Leroy, portrait facing 238 
 
 Duell, R. H., portrait facing 134 
 
 Freer. Anthony, portrait facing 4S2 
 
 Freer, Stephen D., portrait facing 242 
 
 Gage. C. W., portrait lacing 214 
 
 Gates, Alonzo W., portrait facing 456 
 
 Hathew-ay, Samuel Gilbert, portrait facing 48 
 
 Hitchcock, C. B., portrait facing 472 
 
 Hitchcock, Manufacturing Company's Works, 
 
 the, View of. facing 293 
 
 Hobart, Manley, portrait facing 206 
 
 Hoose, James Harmon, portrait facing 276 
 
 Hyde, Frederick, portrait facing t68 
 
 McGraw, Perrin H., portrait facing 312 
 
 Messenger, H. J., portrait facing 298 
 
 Mudge, Ebenezer, portrait facing 92 
 
 Salisbury, Nathan, jr., portrait facing 450 
 
 Salisbury, J. H., M. D., portrait facing 460 
 
 Squires Building, the. View of. 47° 
 
 Squires. James S., portrait facing 467 
 
 Squires, James S." View of residence of. 47 1 
 
 Sturtevant, James W., portrait facing 304 
 
 Tripp, James H., portrait facing 360 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL. 
 
 Blanchard, Silas 453 
 
 Blodgett, Alonzo D 473 
 
 Chamberlain, Alfred L 452 
 
 Cole, Azor Leroy 486 
 
 Freer, John A 482 
 
 Freer, Anthony 483 
 
 Freer, Joseph De Puy 484 
 
 Freer, Stephen Decatur 485 
 
 Gage, Charles W 457 
 
 Gates, A. W 455 
 
 Green, Dr. Caleb 487 
 
 Hatheway, Maj.-Gen. Samuel G 489 
 
 Hitchcock, Caleb Bardano 472 
 
 Hobart, Deacon Manley 500 
 
 Hoose, James Harmon 477 
 
 Hyde, Dr.^^Frederick 49S 
 
 Messenger, Hiram J 445 
 
 Mudgp, Ebenezer 45' 
 
 Salisbury. James Henry, B.N.S., A.M., M.D. . . 459 
 
 Salisbury, Nathan 449 
 
 Squires, James S 467 
 
 Sturtevant, James Watts 447 
 
 Tripp, James H 475 
 
HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 CORTLAND COUNTY. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 XATIKAI. CHARACTERISTICS. 
 
 Boundaries and Topography of the Territory now Embraced in Cortland County — Its Rivers, Creeks and Lakes 
 -Geologic Formations — Climatic Features — Oeneral Character of the Soil — Timher. 
 
 THE county of which this work gives a 
 history lies nearly in the center of the 
 State of New York, from east to west, and 
 but a little south of the center, from north 
 to south. It is about twent}'-six miles in 
 extent from north to south, and about twen- 
 ty miles from east to west, containing four 
 hundred and eighty- five square miles. Its 
 eastern and western boundaries are parallel 
 with each other, and its northern and south- 
 ern boundaries nearly so; the towns of 
 Truxton and Cu}'ler, in the northeast cor- 
 ner of the county, extend a fraction of a 
 mile farther north than the other two towns 
 in the northern part of the county, and the 
 same is true of \\'illet and a portion of 
 Marathon, in the southeastern corner of the 
 count)-. Cortland county is bounded on the 
 north by Onondaga county, on the east bj- 
 Chenango and Madison counties, on the 
 south by Broome and Tioga counties, and 
 on the west by Tompkins and Cayuga 
 counties. 
 
 The territory now embraced within the 
 limits of Cortland county formerly com- 
 prised four whole and two half townships in 
 the southeastern corner of what was known 
 as the " Military Tract " (which will be de- 
 scribed a little farther on). The county was 
 named in honor of Pierre Van Cortlandt, 
 the first Lieutenant-Governor of the State 
 of New York, and an extensive owner of 
 and dealer in lands in the Military Tract. 
 It lies upon the northern spurs of the Alle- 
 ghan\- mountains, and embraces several of 
 the more elevated points in the central por- 
 tion of the State. The dividing ridge, or 
 "water shed," from which flow southward 
 the clear waters of the Tioughnioga and its 
 tributaries to unite with the Susqtiehanna 
 river, and northward the streams that help 
 to swell the tide of Lake Ontario, lies in the 
 northern portion of the county; streams 
 flowing eastward to the Tioughnioga, and 
 others flowing westward to Cayuga lake, 
 are also divided at a point near Virgil \-il- 
 
 9 
 
lO 
 
 HiSTURV OK CORTI.AND COUNTV. 
 
 lage. The surface of the county is made 
 up of liilly ranges, wliich are separated by 
 valleys narrowed down at some j^oints to 
 mere ravines, and at others widening out 
 into broad, level and productive plains. The 
 highlands are divided into three general 
 ridges, which cxtcnil across the county in a 
 northerly and southerly direction. The first 
 of these occupies the extreme eastern bor- 
 der of the county, and is drained u[)on its 
 western slopes by the Otselic river ; the 
 second ridge lies between the Otselic and 
 the Tioughnioga rivers, being drained by 
 both ; and the third comprises the highlands 
 to the westward of the Tioughnioga. The 
 southern portion of the county is made up 
 of a succession of high hills, the most ex- 
 tensive of which are the Ovvego hills, run- 
 ning in a northeasterly and southwesterl>' 
 direction across the towns of Virgil and 
 Harford, and near the foot of which is the 
 water-shed above mentioned ; they are di- 
 vided generally by narrow valleys, and are, 
 in common with the three ranges before 
 alluded to, cut through by the ravines and 
 valleys of the small tributaries of the Otselic 
 and Tioughnioga, running lateral to the 
 three principal ranges of hills. 
 
 The northern portion of the county spreads 
 out into a high plateau, somewhat broken 
 by hills. This plateau has an average ele- 
 vation of about 1,200 feet above tide- water, 
 while the ridges are from two hundred to 
 five hundred feet higher. A broad plain 
 occupies the center of the western portion of 
 the county, into which most of the valleys 
 of the tributaries of the Tioughnioga open. 
 The highest points in the county are 
 Mount Topping in Preble, the Truxton hills 
 in the northeastern portion, and the Ouego 
 liills in Virgil and Harford. These attain 
 an elevation of from 1,600 to 2,000 feet. 
 The configuration of the surface of the coun- 
 ty thus described gives it a varied and, in 
 many localities, a picturesque aspect. 
 
 The Tioughnioga river constitutes the 
 principal drainage of the county, flowing 
 southward nearl)- through its center. It en- 
 ters the county in two branches, the eastern 
 branch flowing from Madison county into 
 the town of Cuyler, near the northeastern 
 corner of the county, and continuing south- 
 westerly through the towns of Cuyler, Tru.x- 
 ton and Homer. The western branch has 
 its source in a number of small lakes in the 
 northern part of the town of Preble. This 
 branch flows southward thrt)ugh the towns 
 of Preble, Homer, and a portion of Cort- 
 land, when it bends to the eastward, uniting 
 with the east branch near the boundaries of 
 Cortland village, and thence flows in a south- 
 w^esterly direction through Cortland\ille, the 
 eastern portion of Virgil, the northeastern 
 corner of Lapeer, and Marathon, uniting 
 with the Chenango river at Chenango Forks, 
 in Broome county. The principal tribu- 
 taries are the Otselic river, which enters this 
 county from Chenango county, flowing 
 through a deep valley in the town of Cin- 
 cinnatus and continuing in a southwesterly 
 direction, uniting with the Tioughnioga in 
 the northern part of Broome county, after 
 flowing through the central portion of the 
 town of Willet. Trout brook rises in the 
 eastern part of Solon, and flows nearly west 
 through that town and Cortlandville, until 
 it unites with the Tioughnioga about a mile 
 southeast of Cortland village. Cheningo 
 creek rises in the town of Taylor and flows 
 northwestward through a portion of Trux- 
 ton, in the southwestern corner of which it 
 unites with the Tioughnioga. Labrador 
 creek has its source in Labrador lake, a small 
 body of water in the extreme northern part 
 of the town of Truxton, flows nearh- south, 
 and unites with the river in about the cen- 
 ter of the town. Cold brook rises in the 
 eastern part of the town of Scott, flows 
 .southeasterly and empties into the west 
 branch of the Tioughnioga in the northern 
 
Natural Characteristics. 
 
 II 
 
 part of Homer. Factory brook rises in the 
 western part of Scott, flows southeasterly, 
 and unites with tlie Tioughnioga in Homer 
 village. Otter creek has its rise in the ex- 
 treme western part of the county, flows 
 easterly and empties into the Tioughnioga 
 near Cortland \ illage. The town of Virgil 
 is drained b}" \"irgil creek, which flows west- 
 wardly, and Cunningham (or Gridley) creek, 
 flowing eastward to the Tioughnioga. Har- 
 ford is drained by the Owego creek, and 
 Marathon by Merrill's creek, which empties 
 into the Otselic river in Broome count}'. 
 
 Besides all these streams, there are nu- 
 merous others of lesser importance, which 
 are not known by distinctive names ; the 
 greater part of the count}' is well watered 
 by numerous springs of excellent water. 
 Skaneateles lake borders the extreme north- 
 western corner of the county (town of Scott), 
 the inlet to which drains that portion of the 
 county. 
 
 The largest bodies of water in the county 
 are a series of small lakes in the northern 
 part of the town of Homer and extending 
 into Preble, and two lakes in the northern 
 part of the latter named town. In the 
 southwestern portion of the town of Cort- 
 landville, about three miles from Cortland 
 village, are three small ponds, fed by springs, 
 and furnishing at their bottoms an almost 
 inexhaustible supply of marl of an excellent 
 quality. These deposits have been worked 
 and a vast amount of superior quick-lime 
 manufactured, since the localit}' was first 
 settled. Marl is also found in smaller quan- 
 tities and of an inferior quality in the town 
 of Preble and the northern part of Homer. 
 
 Cortland county is in the third geological 
 district of the State, the remainder of the 
 district being composed of the counties of 
 Montgomery, Fulton, Otsego, Herkimer, 
 Oneida, Lewis, Oswego, Madison, Ononda- 
 ga, Cayuga, Chenango, Broome, Tioga and 
 the eastern half of Tompkins. Slate is the 
 
 basis rock of this count}-. The Hamilton 
 group, extending from Onondaga county, 
 enters the northern part of the town of 
 Truxton. In Preble, Truxton and portions 
 of Homer are found quantities of the Gen- 
 esee slate. It usuall}- projects from the hills 
 which bound the valle}s in those localities. 
 The Portage and Ithaca groups extend over 
 the towns of Cortlandville and Solon, the 
 larger portion of Homer and Scott, and the 
 " terrace " between Truxton and Solon. 
 They are found on either side of the Tiough- 
 nioga, but become narrower as they increase 
 in thickness going southward. Specimens 
 are also found along the borders of the Otse- 
 lic river in Willet and Cincinnatus. These 
 groups form a number of important quar- 
 ries, which have been of great value to the 
 county at large. The more prominent of 
 these are located a short distance above 
 Port Watson ; a second one is about a mile 
 below Port Watson, and a third between 
 Homer and Cortland. These quarries have 
 supplied a large portion of the flat building 
 stone used in the two villages of Homer and 
 Cortland, and most of the flag-stones for 
 walks, etc. Above the layers of stone in 
 these quarries there is a line of concretion, 
 with shale, of a foot or more in thickness. 
 Above this are layers of slaty, broken and 
 decomposed shale and sandstone, forming 
 the refuse of the quarry. Some of the lower 
 layers of sandstone contain vegetable im- 
 pressions and, owing to the alteration which 
 the material of the plants has undergone, 
 show small accumulations of coal. The 
 lower parts of these quarries consist of large 
 flag-stones, the surface of which is often 
 waved, as the sand}- bottom of a stream is 
 sometimes impressed by genth- flowing wa- 
 ters. These ripple marks carr}- the imag- 
 ination back to the remote period when 
 these same rocks formed the soft floors of 
 shallow Silurian seas. 
 
 The Chemung group extends over the 
 
12 
 
 HiSTORV OF Cortland County. 
 
 southwestern part of the town of Virgil, and 
 is the hi<j;hcst elevation in the county. The 
 same group is discernible near the bound- 
 ary lines of the towns of Freetown, Cincin- 
 natus, Willet and Marathon. 
 
 Bog ore has been found in .■^mall speci- 
 mens in some of the swamps of the county, 
 but is not believed to exist to any great ex- 
 tent. Albite, or white feldspar, is found in 
 small quantities in Scott, Truxton and Solon. 
 Specimens of basaltic hornblende have been 
 found in the northern part of the county. 
 Calcareous tufa is common in some of the 
 eastern portions of the county. 
 
 On the west branch of the Otselic river is 
 a calcareo-sulphurous spring, the water of 
 which is quite strongly impregnated with 
 the mi.xed ingredients of sulphur and lime. 
 There are several other sulphurous springs 
 in the county, and the Little York lakes, a 
 few miles north of Homer, are slightly im- 
 pregnated with sulphur. 
 
 The climate of Cortland county is char- 
 acterized, in common with that of southern 
 central New York, by great variability. 
 The region south and southwest of the Mo- 
 hawk river valley exhibits a lower temper- 
 ature, by from four to eleven degrees, than 
 the average of the State, and autumnal 
 frosts occur from one to two weeks earlier. 
 The physical features of the county would 
 indicate a climate somewhat colder than 
 that of the western portion of the State in 
 the same latitude, chiefly on account of its 
 greater average elevation. The valley in 
 which is located the village of Homer is 
 1,096 feet above tide-water; this against 
 417 feet for the valley in which is built the 
 village of Ithaca. The mean temperature 
 of Homer is fort}'- four degrees and se\en- 
 teen hundredths, while that of Ithaca (with a 
 difference in latitude of only eleven minutes) 
 is forty-seven degrees and eighty-eight hun- 
 dredths, showing a difference in mean tem- 
 perature of three degrees and seventy-eight 
 
 hundredths. The daily range of temperature 
 is a marked feature of the climate of the 
 county, especially as experienced in the late 
 summer and early autumnal months, when 
 the mercury often shows a rapid depression 
 towards nightfall ; this, with wide range of 
 temperature and the sudden changes during 
 the different seasons, exerts a strong influ- 
 ence upon the health of residents. 
 
 The soil of the county may be generally 
 characterized as chiefly a sandy or gravelly 
 loam on the hilly portions, while in the val- 
 leys it is of a similar character, with a large 
 admixture of disintegrated shale, slate and 
 limestone. It is generally better adapted 
 to grazing than to the raising of grains, 
 though many portions are very productive 
 in this respect. Agriculture and dairying 
 form the chief occupations of the inhab- 
 itants, outside of the villages. The cultiva- 
 tion of fruits has been carried on to a con- 
 siderable extent, but the cold winters and 
 early frosts render it inipracticable to suc- 
 cessfully grow an\' but the hardy kinds. 
 
 The county was originally heavih' tim- 
 bered, chiefly with maple, beech, elm, bass- 
 wood, pine, hemlock and cherry. On some 
 of the higher hills is considerable chestnut 
 and oak, and interspersed throughout the 
 whole is some white ash and birch. Less 
 than a century ago the hills and valleys of the 
 county were covered with a grand old forest 
 of these various kinds of trees, beneath 
 whose silent shade, as far as we may know, 
 only the copper-hued hunter and warrior 
 had followed his narrow trail, and through 
 which flowed the beautiful river with its 
 romantic Indian name ; a stream gradually 
 but surely diminishing under the influence 
 created by the advance of ci\-ilization. 
 Here in the forest depths then roamed the 
 timid deer, the stolid black bear, and among 
 the thick branches hid the stealthy wild-cat 
 and panther. The gray wolf in vast num- 
 bers made the night air echo with his 
 
History of the Aborigines. 
 
 13 
 
 discordant howl, and smaller animals, the 
 raccoon, the hedgehog, and squirrels with- 
 out number, peopled the wilderness. The 
 wild turkey and partridge often furnished 
 food for the red hunter and his family; 
 
 pigeons, innumerable as the leaves, made 
 their summer homes in the forest branches, 
 while the majestic eagle often took his 
 lofty flight abo\e the tallest monarchs of 
 the wood. 
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 
 history of the ABORKilXES. 
 
 Their Origin — Physical Peculiarities — The Iroquois and their Great Confederacy — The Different Tribes and 
 their Limitations — Traditionary Origin of the Confederation — Legend of Ta-oun-ya-wat-ha — Tribal Relations — 
 The "Clan" System — Social Relations and Personal Peculiarities of the Iroquois — Their .Amusements — The 
 Councils — Origin of the Warlike Tendency of the Iroquois — The French Colonists and their Struggles with the 
 Indians — Defeat of the Adirond<icks — Military Organization and Charcteristics — Treatment of Prisoners — Physical 
 Traits — Their Downfall Foreshadowed. 
 
 ALTHOUGH the history of Cortland 
 county, as a section of the Empire 
 State embraced within certain defined 
 boundaries, dates back onh' to the year 
 1808, yet its historic records may be traced 
 far into the remote past, through a period 
 when it was either an undefined section of 
 larger definite tracts with boundaries and 
 names, or merely a comparatively small and 
 
 • 
 
 unknown portion of the great wilderness of 
 the western continent ; through a period 
 when it and its surrounding vicinity was 
 peopled only by that barbaric race who are 
 everywhere known and recognized by the 
 generic name of Indians. W'hile the his- 
 tory of this peculiar people, after they be- 
 came intimately associated with the white 
 race, ma\' be intelligently written, there is 
 very little known of them previous to that 
 time that is not based upon tradition and 
 fragmentary legend. Their remote past is 
 shrouded in obscurity. 
 
 This absence of connected written history 
 is, however, partially compensated b}' nu- 
 merous relics in the form of implements of 
 rude husbandr}-, warfare and the chase, 
 which have been found in different parts of 
 the country, upon the sites of their former 
 
 villages, their burial places, and elsewhere. 
 It is quite generally believed by those who 
 have studied the subject, that this country 
 was once occupied by a race of people more 
 numerous and of much higher mental ca- 
 pacit\^ and culture than the Indians. While 
 there are evidences in support of this theory, 
 apparentl)' quite conclusive in character, it 
 is still a theor\-, and such it must ever re- 
 main. But while we ma\- safely conclude 
 that it is by no means impossible that some 
 race altogether different from the Indians 
 existed here before them, there are strong 
 probabilities that, if such was the case, the 
 race was inferior rather than superior to the 
 people discovered here by the Europeans. 
 
 The origin of the Indians is, perhaps, even 
 more obscure than that of the possible ab- 
 origines of this continent ; there is little 
 regarding it that is not traditional. Able 
 writers have advocated the theory that they 
 are identical with the ]\Iound Builders, who 
 have left behind them those remarkable 
 monuments of their existence, while others 
 equally able claim that there is a wide 
 chasm between the two that cannot be 
 spanned in a rational manner. Of the lat- 
 ter the most eminent is, perhaps, Bancroft, 
 
14 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 who says : " It has been asked if our Indians 
 are not the ureclcs of more civilized nations." 
 His answer is: "Their language refutes 
 the h}'pothesis ; every one of its forms is 
 a witness that their ancestors were like 
 themselves, not yet disenthralled from nat- 
 ure." ^ 
 
 Many elaborate disquisitions have been 
 written upon this branch of our subject; a 
 number of modern writers give credence to 
 the theory of a northwestern immigration 
 by the barbarous hordes of Asia. John de 
 Laet, a Flemish author, was an advocate of 
 this thcor)-, and one of the first to note a 
 resemblance in the features, complexion and 
 manners of the Sc\-thians, Tartars and Sa- 
 moeides and those of the American Indians. 
 Bancroft supports the theory as follows : 
 "The American and Mongolian races of 
 men, on the two sides of the Pacific, have a ' 
 near resemblance. Both are alike strongly 
 and definitely marked by the more capa- 
 cious palatine fossa, of which the dimen- 
 sions are so much larger that a careful ob- 
 server could, out of a heap of skulls, readily 
 separate the Mongolian and American from 
 the Caucasian, but could not distinguish 
 them from each other. Both liave the orbit 
 of the eye quadrangular, rather than oval ; 
 both, especiall}- the American, have com- 
 paratively a narrowness of the forehead ; 
 the facial angle in both, but especially in the 
 American, is comparatively small ; in both, 
 the bones of the nose are flatter and broader 
 than in the Caucasian, and in so equal a 
 degree, and with apertures so similar that, 
 on indiscriminate selections from the two, 
 an observer could not, from this feature, 
 discriminate which of them belonged to the 
 old continent ; both, but especially the 
 American, are characterized by a promi- 
 nence of the jaws. Between the Mongolian 
 of southern Asia and of northern Asia, there 
 is a greater difference than between the 
 
 1 Bancroft's History of the U. S., II, 417. 
 
 Mongolian Tartar and the North American. 
 The Iroquois is more unlike the Peruvian 
 than he is unlike the wanderer on the steppes 
 of Siberia. Physiology has not succeeded 
 in defining the qualities which belong to 
 every well-formed Mongolian, and which 
 never belong to an indigenous American ; 
 still less can geographical science draw a 
 boundary line between the races." ^ 
 
 Priest, in his American Antiquities, ex- 
 presses the conclusion that "Asia and Amer- 
 ica were peopled by similar races of men." 
 
 These e\'idences bear the appearance of 
 conclusiveness, and it is almost certain that 
 no stronger proof as to the origin of the 
 Indians will ever be adduced. It is the 
 most reasonable theory that has been ad- 
 vanced to account for the remarkable race 
 of men that peopled this country when it 
 was first visited b\' the white race. 
 
 The territory under consideration in this 
 work was a part of the vast domain of the 
 Iroquois Confederacy,- which extended, in 
 general terms, from the Hudson river to the 
 Genesee, and from the north to the south 
 boundary of this State. The Confederacj- 
 was composed of the following nations, lo- 
 cated in the following order from east to 
 west : The Mohawks, (Ganeagaonos), on 
 the river bearing their name ; the Oneidas, 
 (Onayotekaonos) ; the Onondagas, (Onun- 
 dagaonos) ; the Cayugas, (Gwengwehonos) ; 
 and the Senecas. (Nundawaonos), mostly 
 located adjacent to the several lakes bearing 
 
 "^History of tlu- U. S., II, 460-61. 
 
 2 Iroquois was not a name applied by the Indians to 
 themselves, but was given them by the French, and is 
 said to have been formed from two Indian words; but 
 its meaning is vailed in obscurity. By the Dutch the 
 five confederated nations were called "Maquas." They 
 distinguished themselves as "Mingoes," meaning 
 "United People." Parkman says, "their true name is 
 ' Hodenosaunee,' or ' People of the Long House,'" be- 
 cause the five nations were ranged in a long line through 
 Central New York, and likened to one of their long 
 bark houses. Kuttenber says they bore the title of 
 " Aquinosbione, " or " Konosbioni," ha\ing the same 
 meaning. 
 
History of the Aborigines. 
 
 IS 
 
 their respective names.' The origin of this 
 Confederac)- is, at least to a great extent, 
 merely traditional. The Iroquois them- 
 selves ascribe it, as they also do the origin 
 of the individual nations, to a supernatural 
 source. The\-, like the Athenians, sprang 
 from the earth itself. "In remote ages 
 they had been confined under a mountain 
 near the falls of the Osh-wah-kee,- or Os- 
 wego river, whence they were released by 
 Tharonhyjagon, the Holder of the Heavens." 
 Schoolcraft inclines to the opinion that the 
 Confederation is to be referred to a com- 
 paratively recent date — early in the fif- 
 teenth century. Mr. Webster, the Onon- 
 daga Indian interpreter, who should be 
 excellent authority, ascribes it to about two 
 generations before the white people came 
 to trade with the Indians. PjTlaeus, a mis- 
 sionary among the Mohawks, to "one age, 
 or the length of a man's life," before the 
 white people came into the country. Oth- 
 ers have accredited its origin to the severity 
 of their wars with other nations, but with- 
 out date; while Clark, "from the perma- 
 nency of their institutions, the peculiar 
 structure of their government, the intricacy 
 of their civil affairs, the stability of their 
 religious beliefs, and the uniformity of their 
 pagan ceremonies, differing from other In- 
 dian nations in important particulars," thinks 
 it must have had a longer duration than is 
 given it by the others mentioned. Most of 
 their traditions agree that the Confederation 
 was formed on the banks of Onondaga lake, 
 
 1 Gallatin classes the Iroquois in three divisions : the 
 eastern, consisling of the confederation known as the five 
 nations ; the western, of the Wyandots, or Hurons, and 
 the Attionandrons, or neutral nation, north, and Erigas 
 and Andastes, or Guandastogues, (Guyandots), south of 
 Lake Erie ; and the southern, of the Tuscaroras, the Tute- 
 los, and the Nottowas, of North Carolina. The Tusca- 
 roras and Tutelos removed to the north and were incor- 
 porated into the Confederacy, the former in 1 715 becom- 
 ing its sixth member, and the latter in 1758. — Indian 
 Tribes of Hudson' s River, Rl'TTKNliER. 
 
 -Signifying, says Clark's Onondaga. "I see every- 
 where and see nothing." 
 
 near where the village of Liverpool is situ- 
 ated. 
 
 Long years ago, says the Iroquois tradi- 
 dition, Ta-oun-ya-wat-ha, the deity who 
 presides over the forests and streams, left 
 his abode in the clouds to come and re- 
 move obstructions from their streams, to 
 teach them how to cultivate the soil and 
 become a united and prosperous people. 
 In the vicinity of the site of Oswego he dis- 
 closed his mission to two Onondaga hunters, 
 whom he prevailed upon to accompany him 
 in his beneficent work ; having accom- 
 plished which, he divested himself of his di- 
 vine character, and took up his abode among 
 the men of earth. He located his habita- 
 tion in a beautiful spot on the shore of Te- 
 onto (Cross) lake, on the present boundary 
 between Onondaga and Cayuga counties, 
 where he built his cabin, and afterwards 
 t»ok a wife from the Onondagas, by whom 
 he had an only and beautiful daughter, who 
 was tenderly loved b\' him. His excellent 
 counsels, wisdom and sagacity won the 
 warmest esteem of the people, who gave 
 him the name of Hiawatha, signifying "very 
 wise man." Under his direction the On- 
 ondagas soon advanced to pre-eminent dis- 
 tinction as the wisest counselors, the most 
 eloquent orators, the most successful hunters 
 and the bravest warriors. 
 
 While Hiawatha was dwelling peacefully 
 among "the people of the hills," they were 
 attacked by a powerful enemy from the 
 north of the great lakes, who laid waste 
 their villages, and slew inen, women and 
 children indiscriminately ; utter destruction 
 seemed inevitable. In their dire extremity 
 they appealed to Hiawatha. After thought- 
 ful contemplation he advised a council of 
 all the tribes that could be gathered together, 
 saying, "I shall sit in council with j'oii. 
 Our safety is in good counsel and speedy, 
 energetic action." ^ The council is be- 
 
 ' Other writers give this as, "Our safety is not alone 
 
i6 
 
 History ok Cortland County. 
 
 lieved to have been held on the banks of 
 Onondaga (Oh-nen-ta-ha) lake. 
 
 A vast assemblage of chiefs, warriors, 
 men, women and chiKlrcn gathered and 
 kept the council fires burning for three days, 
 awaiting the presence of the venerable Hia- 
 watha, without whom they resolved to not 
 proceed. Messengers were at length dis- 
 patched for him ; they found him troubled 
 in mind and filled with gloomy forebodings, 
 which had caused him to resolve that he 
 would not attend the council. But he was 
 at length prevailed upon to go, and taking 
 his beloved daughter they embarked in the 
 venerated white canoe and glided down the 
 placid Seneca and into the beautiful Onon- 
 daga lake. When the}- were recognized by 
 the multitude a great shout of welcome rose 
 on the air. As they ascended the steep 
 bank of the lake and approached the coun- 
 cil ground, suddenly a loud sound was 
 heard as of rushing winds. All eyes were 
 turned upward, when a dark cloud was be- 
 held rapidly closing down upon them, in- 
 creasing in size as it came nearer. The 
 entire council, with the exception of Hia- 
 watha and his daughter, sought safety in 
 flight. The old man uncovered his silvered 
 head and enjoined his daughter to await the 
 impending calamity with fortitude and resig- 
 nation. Sudden!)-, with a mighty swoop, 
 a huge bird, with long and distended wings 
 and a pointed beak, came down and crushed 
 the beautiful girl to the earth, destroying 
 her semblance of humanity, and itself dying 
 in the collision. The frightened warriors 
 cautiously returned, only to behold the ter- 
 rible scene. The great bird was covered 
 with a beautiful white plumage, from which 
 each warrior plucked a plume for his crown. 
 From that time and incident the Iroquois 
 braves have alwa\-s worn the plumes of the 
 white heron as their martial decoration. 
 
 in the chil:) ami d.irl, l)ut in wise counsels ; " or, " Be- 
 come a united people anil you will conquer your ene- 
 mies." 
 
 Despairing and desolate, Hiawatha re- 
 mained for three days prostrate upon his 
 face on the ground. Every one present 
 shared the old man's grief; he at lengtli 
 gained sufficient composure to enable him 
 to take part in the deliberations of the coun- 
 cil. Various plans were discussed, to which 
 Hiawatha listened in silence. When all had 
 concluded, he addressed the council. After 
 briefly alluding to his own bereavement, he 
 referred to the threatened invasion, and sug- 
 gested that they should reflect for one day 
 upon the speeches that had been made. 
 The following day the council again assem- 
 bled and amid breathless silence listened to 
 the following words from the sage coun- 
 selor: — 
 
 " Friends and Brothers: You have come many 
 of you a great dist.mce from your homes; you 
 have convened for one common purpose, to jiro- 
 mote one common interest, and that is to provide 
 for our common safety. To oppose these hordes 
 of northern foes by tribes, singly and alone, would 
 prove our certain destruction. We can make no 
 progress in that way; we must unite ourselves 
 into one common band of brothers. Our war- 
 riors united would surely repel these rude invad- 
 ers and drive them from our borders. Let this 
 be done and we are safe. 
 
 "You, the Mohawks, sitting under the shadow 
 of the ' Gnat Tree,' whose roots sink deep into 
 the earth, and whose branches spread over a vast 
 country, shall be the first nation, because you are 
 warlike and mighty. 
 
 "You, Oneidas, a people who recline your 
 bodies against the ^Everlasting Stone,' tliat can- 
 not be moved, shall be the second nation, be- 
 cause you give wise counsel. 
 
 "You, Onondagas, who have your habitation 
 at the ' Great Mountain,' and are overshadowed 
 by its crags, shall be the third nation, because 
 you are greatly gifted in speech and mighty in 
 war. 
 
 " You, Cayugas, a people whose habitation is 
 the ' Dark Forest,' and whose home is every- 
 where, shall be the fourth nation, because of your 
 superior cunning in hunting. 
 
 " And you, Senecas, a people who live in the 
 
History of the Aborigines. 
 
 17 
 
 open country and possess much wisdom, shall be 
 the fifth nation, because you understand better 
 the art of raising corn and beans, and making 
 cabins. 
 
 " You five great and powerful nations must 
 unite and have but one common interest, and no 
 foe shall be able to disturb or subdue you. 
 
 "And you. Manhattans, Nyacks, Metoacks 
 and others, who are as the feeble bushes; and 
 you, Narragansetts, Mohegans, Wampanoags and 
 your neighbors, who are a fishing people, may 
 place yourselves under our protection. Be with 
 us and we will defend you. You of the south 
 and you of the west may do the same, and we 
 will protect you. We earnestly desire your friend- 
 ship and alliance. 
 
 " Brothers, if we unite in this bond, the Great 
 Spirit will smile upon us and we shall be free, 
 prosperous and happy. But if we remain as we 
 are we shall be subject to his frown ; we shall be 
 enslaved, ruined, perhaps annihilated forever. 
 We shall perish and our names be blotted out 
 from among the nations of men. 
 
 "Brothers, these are the words of Hiawatha. 
 Let them sink deep into your hearts. I have 
 said it." 
 
 The council adjourned one da\' to give 
 time for due consideration of this address 
 and its recommendations. Upon assem- 
 bling the next day the wisdom of the prop- 
 ositions of Hiawatha was unanimously con- 
 ceded; and thus, according to tradition, was 
 formed that remarkable league of the five 
 Indian nations which no outward power has 
 been able to break. Whatever may have 
 been the actual circumstances surroundine 
 its origin, its wonderful effectiveness, its 
 permanency and its adaptability to its pur- 
 poses cannot be questioned and stamp the 
 mind that conceived it as a genius of the 
 highest order. 
 
 Having accomplished his work on earth 
 and admonished b}- the death of his daugh- 
 ter that his mission was ended, Hiawatha 
 prepared to take his departure. As the as- 
 sembled council was about to separate, he 
 arose in a dignified manner and said: — 
 
 " Friends and Brothers : I have now fulfilled 
 my mission on the earth. I have done every- 
 thing that can be done at present for the good 
 of this great people. Age, infirmity and distress 
 set heavily upon me. During my sojourn among 
 you, I have removed all obstructions from the 
 streams. Canoes can now pass safely every- 
 where. I have given you good fishing waters 
 and good hunting grounds. I have taught you 
 the manner of cultivating corn and beans, and 
 learned you the art of making cabins. Many 
 other blessings I have liberally bestowed upon 
 you. 
 
 " Lastly, I have now assisted you to form an 
 everlasting league and covenant of strength and 
 friendship for your future safety and protection. 
 If you preserve it, without the admission of other 
 people, you will always be free, numerous and 
 mighty. If 'other nations are admitted to your 
 councils they will sow jealousies among you, and 
 }'ou will become enslaved, few and feeble. Re- 
 member these words ; they are the last )ou will 
 hear from the lips of Hiawatha. Listen, my 
 friends ; the Great Master of Breath calls me to 
 go. I have patiently waited his summons. I 
 am ready. Farewell." 
 
 As his voice died away, sweet sounds 
 were heard in the air ; and, while all atten- 
 tion was directed to the celestial melody, 
 Hiawatha, seated in the white canoe, arose 
 in mid air, and the clouds shut him out from 
 earthly sight ; the while the melody gradu- 
 ally died away and ceased. 
 
 Parkman considered that "both reason 
 and tradition point to the conclusion that 
 the Iroquois fi;rmed originally one people. 
 Sundered, like countless other tribes, by 
 dissension, caprice, or the necessities of a 
 hunter's life, they separated into five distinct 
 nations." ^ 
 
 Clark, the able historian of Onondaga 
 county, says : " By the early French writers, 
 the Mohawks and Oneidas were styled the 
 lower or inferior Iroquois ; while the Onon- 
 dagas, Cayugas and Senecas were denom- 
 inated the upper or superior Iroquois, be- 
 
 iParkman's ycsiiits. 
 
i8 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 cause they were located near the sources of 
 tlie St. Lawrence river. Tlie Mohawks, 
 wlio arc cominnnly supi)<>sed to be the first 
 nation in tlic Confederacy, and were con- 
 sidered the most warlike people in the land, 
 were also styled elder brothers of the other 
 nations, and so esteemed themselves. . . . 
 To (them) was always accorded the high 
 consideration of furnishing the war captain, 
 or 'Tckarahogea,' of the Confederacy, which 
 distinguished title was retained with them 
 till the year 1 8 14, when the celebrated 
 Hoa-ho-a-quah, an Onondaga, was chosen 
 in general council at Btiffiilo, to fill that im- 
 portant station." 
 
 The central and unique characteristic of 
 the Iroquois league was not the mere fact 
 of five separate tribes being confederated 
 together ; such unions have been frequent 
 between different civilized and half-civilized 
 peoples, though little practiced among the 
 savages of North America. The peculiar 
 feature that distinguished the " People of 
 the Long House" from, probabl}-, all the 
 world beside, and which bound together 
 this great band of ferocious warriors as with 
 a living chain, was their system of clans, 
 which extended through all the different 
 tribes. The word "clan" is used as best 
 representing the peculiar artificial families 
 established by the Iroquois, and not because 
 their clan system resembled any other. No 
 light tie could hold in harmonious devotion 
 to a common interest such a fierce and bar- 
 barous people as these. The problem was 
 eminently worthy of the mind that solved 
 it ; as solved, it held them inflexibly, yet 
 unrestrainedly, to all matters relating to 
 their federated existence, and at the same 
 time secured the utmost freedom and elas- 
 ticity in their tribal and national relations — 
 a most important consideration with a peo- 
 ple entertaining the highest possible regard 
 for personal liberty. 
 
 The Iroquois Confederacy was divided 
 
 into nine of these clans, or families, the 
 names of which were as follows : Wolf Rear, 
 Beaver, Turtle, Deer, Snipe, Heron, Hawk 
 and Potatoe. When the union was effected 
 each of the original five tribes into which 
 each of the five nations was divided, trans- 
 ferred one-fifth of its numbers to every 
 other nation. • These tribes, or clans, formed 
 two divisions, the second subordinate to the 
 first, which was composed of the four first 
 named. The members of each division 
 were regarded as brothers to those in that 
 division to which they belonged, while they 
 were only cousins to those in the other di- 
 visions. Each clan constituted a family, 
 and while all of its members were accounted 
 brothers and sisters, they were also brothers 
 and sisters of the members of all the other 
 clans ha\'ing the same device, or name. 
 The indissoluble and powerful bond thus 
 formed b_\' the ties of consanguinity, was 
 still further strengthened through the mar- 
 riage relation. Marriage was originally 
 prohibited between members of the same 
 division, but in time the restriction was lim- 
 ited to those of the same clan. It was held 
 to be an abomination for two persons of the 
 same clan to intermarr\-, and the prohibi- 
 tion was strictly enforced ; hence every in- 
 dividual family must contain members from 
 at least two of the clans or tribes. The 
 child belonged to the clan of the mother, 
 not the father, from whom it inherited 
 nothing. All rank, titles and possessions 
 passed through the female. 
 
 E\ery member of each clan being thus 
 taught from infancy that they belonged to 
 the same family, a bond of the strongest 
 possible kind was created throughout the 
 
 1 Accounts differ, some declaring that every clan (or 
 tribe) extended through all the tribes, and others that 
 only the Wolf, Hear and Turtle clans did so. It is cer- 
 tain, however, that each tribe, Mohawks, Oneidas, On- 
 ondagas, Cayugas or Senecas, contained a part of the 
 three clans named, and of several of the others. — John- 
 son's History of lirie Coiinly, 
 
History of the Aborigines. 
 
 19 
 
 Confederacy. The Oneida of the Wolf clan 
 no sooner appeared among the Cayugas, 
 for example, than those of the same clan 
 took him in charge as their special guest, 
 and admitted him to the most confidential 
 intimac)'. The Seneca of the Turtle clan 
 miglit wander into the country of the Mo- 
 hawk.s, at the farthest extremity of the 
 "Long House;" but there he had a claim 
 upon his brother Turtles which they would 
 not think of repudiating. If at any time an 
 inclination was felt toward conflict between 
 different tribes, it was instantly checked by 
 the knowledge that if persisted in, the hand 
 of the Heron might be lifted against his 
 brother Heron in another clan ; the hatchet 
 of the Bear might be hurled at the head of 
 his kinsman Bear. And so powerful was 
 this influence that for two centuries, or 
 more, and until the league was disintegrated 
 by overwhelming outside forces, there were 
 no serious dissensions between the tribes of 
 the Iroquois. Surely it was one of the most 
 remarkable confederacies in the historj- of 
 the world. 
 
 "This system of clanship," says Park- 
 man, "was of very wide prevalence. In- 
 deed, it is more than probable that close 
 observation would have detected it in every 
 tribe east of the Mississippi ; while there is 
 positive evidence of its existence in by far 
 the greater number." 
 
 The son of a chief could ne\'er be a chief 
 by hereditary title, though he might become 
 one through personal merit ; but a grand- 
 son, great-grandson or nephew might suc- 
 ceed him.i 
 
 This rule, though binding, was quite 
 elastic, and capable of reaching to the far- 
 
 iChamplain noticed this law of descent among the Hu- 
 10ns in 1615, and probably referred it to its true origin, 
 namely, a child must be the son of his mother, while he 
 might not be of his putative father; "a consideration," 
 says ParUinan, "of more than ordinary force in an In- 
 dian community." The same observation had been made 
 some years before, by Capt. John .Smith, with reference 
 to the tribes in Virginia. 
 
 thest limits of the clan — each of which 
 was allowed to select its chief from among 
 its own members. Almost invariably the 
 chief was succeeded by a near relative, and 
 always on the female side ; but if such were 
 manifestly unfit, his successor was chosen 
 at a council of the tribe from among re- 
 moter kindred, in which case he was pro- 
 posed by the matron of the late chief's 
 household. 1 In any event the choice was 
 never adverse to the popular decision. The 
 new chief was inducted into office by a 
 formal council of the sachems of the league; 
 on assuming his office he dropped his own 
 name and substituted that which, since the 
 formation of the Confederacy, had belonged 
 to his especial chieftainship. He ^\■as re- 
 quired to be a skillful hunter, and liberal 
 with his game. He must also be a good 
 physician, able to advise and assist the sick 
 under every combination of circumstances. 
 It was his duty to care for orphans, to har- 
 bor strangers, and to keep order in his town. 
 But he, like the sachem, had no power of 
 compulsion ; he must keep up his reputa- 
 tion and control by a courteous, prudent 
 and winning behavior.^ 
 
 The tribes were by no means equal in 
 numbers, distinction and power. So marked 
 were the differences that, according to Col- 
 den and other writers, onl}- the three most 
 prominent were recognized by some early 
 observers — those of the Turtle, the Bear 
 and the Wolf; and yet, with no other law 
 than common usage under this league, and 
 no means of enforcing justice, these uncult- 
 ured savages dwelt together in communities 
 aggregating thousands, with a harmoin- that 
 civilization might envy. 
 
 In reference to social matters, Parkman 
 says that, "though \-ain, arrogant, boastful 
 and vindictive, these Indians bore abuse 
 and sarcasm with an astonishing patience. 
 
 1 Lafitau. 
 
 2 Loskiel. 
 
20 
 
 HiSToRV OF C0RT1.AN1> CoUNTV. 
 
 Though greedy and grasping, he was lavish 
 without stint, and would give away his all 
 to soothe the moans of a departed relative, 
 gain influence and applause, or ingratiate 
 himself with his neighbors. In his dread 
 of public opinion, he rivaled some of his 
 civilized successors. All Indians, and espe- 
 cially these populous and stationary tribes, 
 had their code of courtesy whose require- 
 ments were rigid and exact; nor might any 
 infringe it without the ban of public censure. 
 Indian nature, inflexible and unmalleable, 
 was peculiarly under the control of custom. 
 Established usage took the place of law — 
 was, in fact, a sort of common law, with no 
 tribunal to expound or enforce it. . . . All 
 were prompt to aid each other in distress, 
 and neighborly spirit was often exhibited 
 among them. When a young woman was 
 permanentl)' married, the other women of 
 the village supplied her with firewood for 
 the year, each contributing an armful. 
 When one or more families were without 
 shelter, the men of the village joined in 
 building them a house. In return the re- 
 cipients of the favor gave a feast, if they 
 could ; if not, their thanks were sufficient,^ 
 Among the Iroquois and Hurons, and, 
 doubtless, among the kindred tribes, there 
 were marked distinctions of noble and base, 
 prosperous and poor ; yet, while there was 
 food in the village, the meanest and poorest 
 need not suffer want. He had but to enter 
 the nearest house and seat himself by the 
 fire, when, without a word on either side, 
 food was placed before him by the women. 
 "Contrary to the received opinion, these 
 Indians, like others of their race, when liv- 
 ing in communities, were of a very social 
 
 1 In referring to the charity of the Indians, K.igueneau 
 wrote in hi.s Relation: "As often as we have seen tribes 
 broken u]), towns destroyed, and the people driven to 
 flight, we have seen them to the numberof seven or 
 eiglit hundred jiersons received witli open arms by char- 
 itable hosts, who gladly gave them aid, and even distrib- 
 uted among them a part of the lands already ]ilanted, 
 that they might have the means of living." 
 
 disposition. Besides their incessant dances 
 and feasts, great and small, they were con- 
 tinuall)- visiting, spending most of tlicir time 
 in neighbors' houses, chatting, joking, ban- 
 tering one another with witticisms, sharp, 
 broad, and in no sense delicate, yet always 
 taken in good part. Every village had its 
 adepts in these wordy tournaments, while 
 the shrill laugh of young squaws, untaught 
 to blush, echoed each hardy jest and rough 
 sarcasm." 
 
 According to the same writer, there was 
 another cotincil besides the general council, 
 between which antl that of the subordinate 
 chiefs the line seems not to have been very 
 clearly defined. It appears to have been 
 essentialU' popular, and poptilar in the best 
 sense. Any man took part in it whose age 
 and qualifications fitted him to do so. It 
 was merely the gathered wisdom of the na- 
 tion. Lafitati, the Jesuit, who was familiar 
 with the Iroqtiois at the height of their 
 prosperity, compared it to the Roman Sen- 
 ate, and defines it as the central and con- 
 trolling power, so far, at least, as the sepa- 
 rate nations were concerned. He describes 
 it as "a greasy assemblage, sitting stir Icnr 
 dcrricrc, crouched like apes, their knees as 
 high as their ears, or lying, some on their 
 bellies, some on their backs, each with a pipe 
 in his mouth, discussing affairs of state with 
 as much coolness and gravity as the Span- 
 ish Junta or the Grand Council of Venice." 
 
 The warriors also had their councils, and 
 the women, too; and the opinions and 
 wishes of both were represented by deputies 
 in the councils of the old men, as well as in 
 those of the sachems. Indeed, the govern- 
 ment of this unique republic rested wholly 
 in councils; therein all questions — of so- 
 cial, political, military and religious mat- 
 ters — were settled. In this blending of 
 individual, family, tribal, national and fed- 
 eral interests, lay the secret of the marvel- 
 ous power of the Iroquois — a power which 
 
History of the Aborigines. 
 
 21 
 
 for a century and a half successfully opposed 
 the hostilities of the French ; which made 
 them, during- the century from 1664 to 
 1763, an unconquerable niass between the 
 contending French and Fnylish colonists in 
 America, alike feared and courted by both; 
 which enabled them to exterminate or sub- 
 due the neighboring tribes with whom they 
 had long waged wars. 
 
 The Iroquois were not always the fierce 
 and blood-thirsty people which they were 
 found to be when the French made their 
 first settlements in Canada. The circum- 
 stances which led them to measurably for- 
 sake their former occupations of peaceful 
 husbandry and the chase, and involved them 
 in a war with the Adirondacks, are thus 
 graphically narrated by Colden : " The 
 Adirondacks formerly lived three hundred 
 miles above Trois Rivieres, where now the 
 Utowawas are situated ; at that time the\- 
 employed themselves wholly in hunting, 
 and the Five Nations made the planting of 
 corn their business. By this means they 
 became useful to each other, by exchanging 
 corn for venison. The Adirondacks, how- 
 ever, valued themselves as delighting in a 
 more manly employment, and despised the 
 F"ive Nations, in following business which 
 the\' thought only fit for women. Rut it 
 once happened that the game failed the 
 Adirondacks, which made them desire some 
 of the young men of the Five Nations to 
 assist them in hunting. These young men 
 soon became more expert in hunting, and 
 more able to endure fatigue, than the Adi- 
 rondacks expected or desired ; in short, 
 they became jealous of them, and one night 
 murdered all the young men they had with 
 them. The Five Nations complained to 
 the chiefs of the Adirondacks of the in- 
 humanity of this action ; but they con- 
 tented themselves with blaming the murder- 
 ers, and ordered them to make some small 
 presents to the relatives of the murdered 
 
 persons,! without being apprehensive of the 
 resentment of the Five Nations ; for they 
 looked upon them as men not capable of 
 taking any revenge. 
 
 "This, however, provoked the Five Nations 
 to that degree that they soon resolved by 
 some means to be revenged ; and the Adi- 
 rondacks, being informed of these designs, 
 thought to prevent them by reducing them 
 with force to their obedience. 
 
 "The Five Nations then lived where 
 Mont Real now stands ; they defended 
 themselves at first but faintly against the 
 vigorous attacks of the Adirondacks, and 
 were forced to leave their own country and 
 fly to the banks of the lakes, where they 
 now live. As they were hitherto losers by 
 the war, it obliged them to apply them- 
 selves to the exercise of arms, in which they 
 became daily more and more expert. Their 
 
 III was customary with the Iroquois, as with other 
 Indian nations, to eNpiate murder by means of presents 
 given to the friends of the deceased. It is a most pecul- 
 iar reflection that the efforts were directed not to li)ring- 
 ing the murderers to a just punishment, but to satisfying 
 those who had a right to feel aggrieved. Murder was 
 the most heinous crime e.\ce])t witchcraft, and was rare. 
 If the slayer and the slain were of the same household or 
 tribe, the aflair was regarded as a family quarrel, to be 
 settled by the immediate kin on Ijoth sides. This, under 
 the pressure of public opinion, was commonly effected 
 without bloodshed. But if the murderer and his victim 
 were of different clans or nations, still more if the slain 
 was a foreigner, the whole community became interested 
 to prevent the discord or the war which might arise. To 
 this end, contributions were made and presents collected. 
 Their number and value were determined by established 
 usage, and differed with different nations. The Iroquois 
 demanded 100 yards of wampum for the murder of a man 
 and 200 for that of a woman. If the victim was of a for- 
 eign tribe, a higher compensation was demanded, as it 
 involved the danger of war. Authors differ as to the re- 
 sult which followed in case of refusal on the part of rela- 
 tives of the deceased to accept the proper atonement, 
 which they might do if they chose. Some have held that 
 the murderer was given the relatives as a slave, but they 
 might by no means kill him. Colden says they "have 
 such absolute notions of liberty that they allow no kind 
 of superiority of one over another, and banish all servi- 
 tude from their territories." I.oskiel intimates that the 
 punishment of death may be intlicted. Under these 
 regulations, capital crimes were rare. 
 
22 
 
 History of Cortland Couxty. 
 
 sachems, in order to raise their people's 
 spirits, turned tliem against the Satanas, a 
 less warlike nation, who then lived on the 
 banks of the lakes ; for they found it was 
 difficult to remove the dread their people 
 had of the valor of the Adirondacks. The 
 Five Nations soon subdued the Satanas, and 
 drove them out of their country ; and their 
 people's courage being thus elevated, they 
 from this time not only defended themselves 
 bravely against the whole force of the Adi- 
 rondacks, but often carried the war into the 
 heart of the Adirondacks' countrj', and at 
 last forced them to leave it, and to fly into 
 that part of the country where Quebec is 
 now built." 
 
 While the war was waging between the 
 Adirondacks and the Iroquois, the French 
 colonists, having already shown their en- 
 mity to the latter, drew most of the other 
 nations to Quebec, tlirough the influence 
 of the fur trade, and supplied them with fire- 
 arms. These nations then joined in the war 
 against the Iroquois, and the Adirondacks 
 resolved upon the utter destruction of the 
 Five Nations ; but their discipline had be- 
 come weakened by the restlessness of the 
 younger warriors, a fact that the Iroquois 
 were not slow to discover and take advan- 
 tage of. They became more than ever obe- 
 dient to the counsels of their chiefs, and 
 more active in the execution of every un- 
 dertaking. They opposed strategy against 
 the superiorit}- in numbers and arms of the 
 enemy, fighting them from ambuscades and 
 causing them severe losses. The Iroquois 
 finally obtained arms from the Dutch, who 
 had begun a settlement on the site of Al- 
 bany, and the war was vigorously continued 
 until it culminated in the almost utter an- 
 nihilation of the Adirondacks. Governor 
 Champlain and his French forces learned 
 too late that, in allying to themselves the 
 Adirondacks and other nations not in union 
 with the Confederacy, they had united their 
 
 fortunes with the conquered instead of with 
 the conqueror. The Quatoghies, or Hu- 
 rons, who were allied with the Adirondacks, 
 suffered the same disastrous defeat in a 
 fierce battle fought within sight of the 
 French settlement at Quebec. 
 
 With the same terrible, implacable and 
 deadly vengeance the Iroquois pursued and 
 fought other enemies ; the Neutrals and the 
 Fries to the westward, and the Andastes in 
 the south, were subsequently almost wiped 
 out of existence as nations, and they became 
 the savage lords of the Continent, their sway 
 extending over the vast territory estimated 
 to be twelve hundred miles long and eight 
 hundred broad, embracing a large part of 
 New England, and reaching to the Missis- 
 sippi. The French settlers in Canada, and 
 the Cherokees and Catawbas in the far South 
 were all humbled by their power. 
 
 "At one period," says Schoolcraft, "we 
 hear the sound of their war crj' along the 
 shores of St. Mary's, and at the foot of Lake 
 Superior ; at another under the walls of 
 Quebec, where they finally defeated the 
 Hurons under the eyes of the French. They 
 put out the fires of the Gahkas and Fries. 
 They eradicated the Susquehannocks. They 
 placed the Lanappes, the Nanticokes and 
 Muncees under the yoke of subjection. 
 They put the Metoacks and Manhattans 
 under tribute. They spread the terror of 
 their name all over New England. They 
 traveled the whole length of the Appalachi- 
 an Chain, and descended like the enraged 
 Yagisho and Megalonyx on the Cherokees 
 and Catawbas. Smith encountered their 
 warriors in the settlement of Virginia, and 
 La Salle on the discovery of the Illinois." 
 
 From these conquered nations the Iro- 
 quois exacted tribute, and drew con- 
 scripts for their armies. The Tuscaroras, 
 of the Carolinas, were incorporated into the 
 Confederacy in 1713, after which it was 
 known as the Six Nations. From their 
 
History of the Aborigines. 
 
 23 
 
 great valor and success in war, and the ex- 
 tent of territory conquered by them, they 
 have been aptly termed, "the Romans of 
 the New World." When it is remembered 
 that probably at no time could they bring 
 into the field more than two thousand of 
 their own warriors, and yet subjugated na- 
 tions twice as large in numbers, and spread 
 terror among the French settlements in 
 Canada, threatening their utter destruction-, 
 the wonder of their achievements is almost 
 overwhelming. 
 
 Yet their military organization was scarce- 
 ly worth the name, though it was, doubt- 
 less, better than that of some of the other 
 nations. They rarely acted in perfect con- 
 cert as a great Confederacy ; their warfare 
 being commonly carried on by detached 
 parties. Thej' were in a chronic state of 
 war. The inveterate pursuit of the Hurons, 
 Eries and Andastes, for example, all of 
 whom were valorous and mighty nations, 
 forms an unexplained passage in their his- 
 tory. Any one of their warriors who might 
 desire to avenge even a personal affront, or 
 desired to distinguish himself in battle, 
 might take the war path, followed by whom- 
 soever he could attract to his cause. He 
 first communicated his design to two inti- 
 mate friends ; if they approved it, an invita- 
 tion was extended in their names to the 
 warriors of the village to attend a feast of 
 dog's flesh, which was always partaken of 
 at such times. There the purpose was pub- 
 licly proclaimed ; the war dance and war 
 songs were indulged in, and the leader 
 hurled his hatchet into the war post. Any 
 who chose joined him ; and, after a night 
 of gluttonous debauchery, the war party set 
 out, decked in their finest apparel, and their 
 faces hideously painted. The)- were ac- 
 companied on such occasions b}' the women, 
 who took with them the old clothing of the 
 warriors, and brought back the finery in 
 which they marched forth. These expedi- 
 
 tions generally provoked retaliation, when 
 vengeance was wreaked on any of the of- 
 fending nation with whom they came in con- 
 tact. Consequently thfe history of Indian 
 warfare is largely a record of daring deeds 
 performed by individuals and small bands 
 of warriors, who, ambushed and otherwise, 
 constantly harassed their enemies, tortured 
 their captives, and kept them in continual 
 fear. This mode of warfare was what so 
 distressed and decimated the American col- 
 onies in their early settlements. 
 
 The discipline and personal bravery of 
 the Iroquois were adapted to the forests in 
 which their warfare was most effective. In 
 an open country, against a drilled and dis- 
 ciplined force of white soldiers, they were 
 less to be dreaded. "Their true superiority 
 was a moral one. They were in one of 
 those transports of pride, self-confidence, 
 and rage for ascendency which, in a savage 
 people, marks an era of conquest.^ They 
 were proud, arrogant, vindictive, sagacious 
 and subtle, esteeming themselves by nature 
 as superior to other mankind." They styled 
 themselves, "Onguehonwe," signifying, 
 "men surpassing all others;" and great 
 care was taken to instill this idea into the 
 minds of their children. 
 
 The military status of the Iroquois is dif- 
 ferently estimated by different authors ; 
 while it would scarcely be just to compare 
 them with civilized armies, they would not, 
 in many respects, suffer by such a compar- 
 ison. De Witt Clinton awards them the 
 following words of high praise : "They re- 
 duced war to a science, and all their move- 
 ments were directed by system and policy. 
 They never attacked a hostile country till 
 they had sent out spies to explore and des- 
 ignate its vulnerable points, and when they 
 encamped they observed the greatest cir- 
 cumspection to guard against surprise. 
 Whatever superiority of force they might 
 
 1 Paikman's yc'siiits. 
 
24 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 have, they never neglected the use of strat- 
 agem, employing all the craft}' wiles of the 
 Carthaginians. To produce death by the 
 most protracted suffering was sanctioned 
 among them by general immemorial 
 usages." 
 
 The cruel and remorseless tortures in- 
 flicted h^' the Iroquois upon their captives 
 forms a dark page in their history, while the 
 fortitude and heroism with which they them- 
 selves endured such tortures is the marvel 
 of civilization. Even women were not ex- 
 empt from them ; but let it be said to their 
 credit that they never violated the persons 
 of their female prisoners, however shame- 
 less were their practices among themselves.^ 
 Bancroft significantly says: "We call them 
 cruel ; but they never invented the thumb- 
 screw, or the boot, or the rack, or broke on 
 the .wheel, or e.xiled bands of their nations 
 for opinion's sake, and never protected the 
 monopoly of a medicine man by the gal- 
 lows, or the block, or by fire." 
 
 That the Iroquois were superior to other 
 nations of their race in the western hemi- 
 sphere, and even to the civilized races of 
 Mexico and Peru, is proved by the average 
 size of their brain, which, as found by Mr. 
 Morton, averaged eighty-eight inches in five 
 crania ; this is within two inches of the Cau- 
 casian mean. Among this remarkable fam- 
 ily were found the fullest development of 
 Indian character and intelligence. "They 
 unified and systematized the elements which, 
 among other nations, were digressixe and 
 chaotic." 
 
 There were, also, strongly marked phys- 
 ical differences between the Indian tribes. 
 The Iroquois were erect, commanding and 
 
 'This forbearance tovvartl.s female captives was ]irob- 
 ably the result of superstition, rather than an inherent 
 heroic virtue, to which some writers ascribe it. Karly 
 writers bear abundant testimony of their unchastity. . . . 
 Morgan, one of their most earnest advocates of the pres- 
 ent day, admits that the passion of love among them had 
 no other than an animal existence. — COLUE.v, P.vrkman, 
 and Documentary History. 
 
 dignified ; they were reserved and haughty, 
 cool, deliberate and cunning. Other na- 
 tions, with different habits, were more nerv- 
 ous, social and excitable, and less com- 
 manding in figure. The causes of these 
 differences are thus pointed out by Charles 
 T. Hoffman, esq. : "The Pawnees, following 
 the buffalo in his migrations, and having 
 alwa}'s plenty of animal food to subsist upon, 
 are a much better fed and a larger race than 
 those who find a precarious subsistence in 
 the forest chase, while the woodland tribes, 
 who, though not so plump in form, are of 
 a more wiry and, perhaps, muscular make, 
 have again a -decided advantage in figure 
 and gait over the fishing and trapping tribes 
 of the northwest that pass most of their time 
 in canoes. This difference in character and 
 physical appearance between the different 
 Indian tribes, or rather between those which 
 have such different methods of gaining a 
 livelihood, has not been sufficiently attended 
 to by modern authors, though it did not 
 escape the early French writers on this 
 country. And yet, if habit have any ef- 
 fect in forming the character and temper of 
 a rude people, it must of course follow that 
 the savage who lives in eternal sunshine 
 upon flowery plains, and hunts on horse- 
 back with a troop of tribesmen around him, 
 must be a different being from the solitary 
 deer-stalker who wanders through the dim 
 forest, depending upon his single arm for 
 subsistence for his wife and children." 
 
 The settlement of this continent by rep- 
 resentatives of European nations, as here- 
 after further referred to, was alike the pre- 
 curser of the downfall of the great Iroquois 
 Confederacy and the ultimate entire ex- 
 tinction of the American Indian ; a result 
 due more to the indi\'idual character and 
 mental structure of the conquered, than to 
 any special defects in the organization of 
 the Confederacy. They lacked the mental 
 capacity and tractability to enable them to 
 
History of the Aborigines. 
 
 25 
 
 adapt themselves to the conditions essential 
 to their permanence among or adjacent to 
 the new race. What might have been the 
 result had the Inilians been brought more, 
 or even as much, in contact with the virt- 
 ues of the Europeans, as with their vices, 
 it profits nothing to inquire. As it was, 
 their savage nature seems to have been in- 
 tensified, rather than subdued or modified. 
 While the labors of the early missionaries, 
 heroic and unselfish as they were, undoubt- 
 edly had a good influence, their own rec- 
 ords give ample evidence of the difficulties 
 attending the conversion of the savages ; 
 instances of genuine and permanent con- 
 version have been extremely rare. Father 
 Gabriel Marest, a missionary of 17 12, said : 
 "It is necessary first to transform them into 
 men, and afterwards to labor to make them 
 Christians;" which epitomizes the whole 
 problem ; and it appears to have been 
 easier to make a Christian of a man than a 
 man of an Indian, in the sense intended by 
 the missionary, Marest. 
 
 The large liberties granted by the pecul- 
 iar Confederacy was an element of danger 
 to a people given, as they were, to the 
 gratification of their appetites and passions. 
 Thus licensed and then brought in contact 
 with the questionable policy of the Europe- 
 ans towards them, the consequences could 
 not well have been otherwise than what 
 they were. Their decline may be said to 
 have begun when their conquests ended. 
 They soon fell into a hopeless dependency, 
 without the means, and probably without 
 the ambition or the desire, to oppose the 
 rapid encroachments of the whites upon 
 their domain. As early as 1753 their dis- 
 solution was foreshadowed, though it did 
 not actually occur until about a quarter of 
 a century later. At a conference with the 
 
 Six Nations at Onondaga, September 8th, 
 1753, Colonel William Johnson thus ad- 
 dressed them : — 
 
 "Brethren of the Six Nations — It Grieves 
 me sorely to find the road hither so grown up 
 with weeds for want of being used, and your fire 
 almost expiring at Onondaga, w'here it was 
 agreed by the wisdom of our ancestors that it 
 should never be extinguished. You know it was 
 a saying among them that when the fire was out 
 here you would be no longer a people. I am 
 now Sent by Your Brother, the Governor, to 
 clear the road, and make up the Fire with such 
 wood as will never burn out, and I earnestly 
 desire You would take care to keep it up, so as 
 to be found always the same when he shall send 
 among you. A belt. 
 
 " Brethren of the Six Nations — I have now 
 renewed the Fire, swept and cleaned all your 
 Rooms with a new White Wing, and leave it 
 hanging near the fireplace, that you may use it 
 for cleaning all dust, dirt, &c., which may have 
 been brought in by strangers, no friends to You, 
 or Us. A string of wampum. 
 
 " Brethren of the Six Nations — I am sorry to 
 find on my arrivall among You that the fine 
 Shady Tree which was planted by your fore- 
 fathers for your ease and Shelter should be now 
 leaning, almost blown down by northerly winds. 
 I shall now endeavor to set it upright, that it may 
 flourish as formerly while the roots spread abroad, 
 so that when we sit or stand upon them You 
 will not feel them shake, should any storm blow, 
 then should You be ready to secure it. A belt. 
 
 "Brethren of the Six Nations — Your Fire 
 now burns clearly at the old place. The Tree 
 of shelter is set up and flourishes; I must now 
 insist upon your quenching the Fire made with 
 Brambles at Swegachey, and recall those to their 
 proper home who have deserted thither ; I can- 
 not leave disswading you froin goeing to Canada ; 
 the French are a delusive People, always en- 
 deavoring to divide you as much as they can, 
 nor will they let slip any opportunity of makeing 
 
 advantage of it A large belt." — 
 
 Dm. Histor}<, Vol. II., 653. 
 
26 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 INDI.\N REUVriONS IN CEMKAI. NEW YORK. 
 
 The Territory of Cortland County with Reference to the Indian Tribes — The I.cni Lenape — Their Traditionary 
 Origin — Their Relations with the Iroquois — The Peculiar Office Assigned Them — Final .Supremacy of the Iroquois 
 — Indian \'illages — Their Personal Habits and Social Customs — Religious Beliefs, Marriages, Festivals, etc. 
 
 WHILE the territory with which we are 
 chiefly interested in this work was, 
 during its Indian occupation, a portion of 
 the broad domain of the great Confederacy 
 described in the preceding chapter, it is also 
 true that, as far as history can inform us, 
 no considerable Indian village was ever lo- 
 cated within the present limits of Cortland 
 county, and little of the bloody warfare 
 which so long formed the principal occupa- 
 tion of the Five Nations occurred within 
 its borders.! q^^ unbroken forests, um- 
 
 1 The Wyoming Indians occasionally visited the valley, 
 (Otselic) during the few first years after the settlement 
 commenced. The Onondagas and Oneidas, also, made 
 periodical visits. In 1796 forty of the Oneidas camped 
 on the ground occupied by the Brick store (Cincinna- 
 tus) ; and during the fall and winter they killed forty- 
 two bears. 
 
 They (Dr. Japheth Hunt and family, pioneers of Mar- 
 athon) entered the valley of the Tioughnioga from the 
 south, in canoes, in the year 1794, and located on a piece 
 of land on the east side of the river, about a mile south 
 of the village of Marathon. Upon this rismg ground 
 were discovered a great number of excavations or depres- 
 sions, of a circular form in close pro.ximity, rendering the 
 surface of the ground uneven. Each of these depressions 
 upon examination was found to contain human bones, 
 which had apparently been deposited here for several pre- 
 ceding centuries. Upon removing the road a few years 
 since from the top to the base of this hill, some of these 
 depressions were opened by the plow, and were found to 
 contain not only human bones, but several curiouslv 
 carved vessels or pots, of a substance resembling clay, 
 probably wrought by the Indians. — GooDWi.v. 
 
 About one mile south of the \-illage (of Marathon), on 
 the ea.st bank of the river, is the site of an old Indian vil- 
 lage and burial ground. Tradition says that this was 
 once the seat of a powerful tribe of Indians. — French's 
 Gazetteer. 
 
 We are informed by old residents of Cincinnatus that 
 bands of Onondagas visited that town every summer for 
 many years, and as late as 1820 ; that they tilled small 
 pieces of ground, hunted and exchanged venison vrith the 
 settlers for bread ; and that there was a burial ground not 
 far from the present village of Cincinnatus. 
 
 brageous with lu.xuriant foliage in summer, 
 and stretching their barren arms to the win- 
 try blast on hillside and valley ; the beauti- 
 ful river that winds its way southward, and 
 its many clear, spring-fed tributaries, once 
 undoubtedly formed a favorite hunting and 
 fishing ground of the Onondagas, while they 
 escaped the bloody scenes "in which the once 
 powerful nation were often so prominent ; 
 the reason for this was almost wholly one 
 of location. It is not improbable, more- 
 over, that the hunters of the Leni Lenape, 
 or Delawares, at one period in their history, 
 followed the Tioughnioga as far northward 
 as this. This nation, according to tradition, 
 came from the far western part of the Amer- 
 ican* continent, whence the)- migrated east- 
 ward to the Mississippi, where they fell in 
 with the Iroquois, likewise proceeding east- 
 ward. On this side of the Mississippi the 
 country was occupied by the Alligewi, a 
 powerful nation who had many large towns, 
 with fortifications of earth on the rivers 
 flowing through their lands. They refused 
 to allow the Lenape to settle in their 
 country, but gave them permission to pass 
 on eastward. Upon seeing the great num- 
 bers of the Lenape, however, they became 
 alarmed and treacherously attacked those 
 who had crossed the riverand threatened with 
 destruction all who attempted to cross. The 
 Lenape, being to weak to force their passage 
 against so powerful an enemy, made common 
 cause with the Iroquois, and, after a number 
 of sanguinary battles, the Alligewi, to avoid 
 destruction, fled down the Mississippi and 
 never returned to their abandoned country. 
 This tradition was entertained also by the 
 Mahicans (or Mohegans) who inhabited the 
 
Indian Relations in Central New York. 
 
 country immediately east of the Hudson i 
 river, and were, according to Heclcvvelder's 
 Historical Account of tlu Five Xations, a 
 branch of the Lenape family. The tradition 
 continues that the Iroquois and the Lenape 
 dwelt together for a long period in their 
 conquered territory, rapidly increasing in 
 numbers. Finally some of the Lenape 
 hunters and warriors crossed the mountains 
 to the Atlantic, discovering on their way 
 the Delaware and the Susquehanna rivers. 
 L^pon their return thej' gave so favorable an 
 account of the new countrj-, that it led to 
 the belief among the nation that it was des- 
 tined by the Great Spirit for their occupa- 
 tion. They accordingly migrated thither, 
 making their central possessions on tlie Del- 
 aware. There they divided themselves into 
 three tribes — the Turtle, the Turkej" and 
 the Wolf — named in their language the 
 Unamis, the Unalachtgos and the Minsis. 
 The first t\vo chose the countrj' nearest the 
 sea, for settlement, while the latter located 
 to the northward between them and the 
 Iroquois, their territory originalh" extend- 
 ing from the headwaters of the Delaware 
 and Susquehanna southward to the moun- 
 tainous regions of New Jersey and Penn- 
 sylvania, and from the Hudson river west 
 and southwest beyond the Susquehanna. 
 
 Whatever may or may not be true of 
 this tradition, the territory just alluded to 
 was formerly occupied by a branch of this 
 nation, who e%'entually became parties to 
 the treaty made by William Penn. The 
 Delawares dwelt at peace with the Iroquois 
 for many years ; but at length the Iroquois, 
 growing more numerous and powerful, be- 
 came distrustful of their neighbors, whose 
 numbers were also rapidly increasing, and 
 endeavored to involve them in difficulties, 
 especially with the Cherokees, then occu- 
 pying the banks of the Ohio river and its 
 branches. Between these and the Dela- 
 wares a bloody war ensued. The treachery 
 
 of the Iroquois was finally discovered by 
 the Delawares and they resolved to seek 
 revenge by tlie extermination of the Iro- 
 quois nation. So strong were their pros- 
 pects of success that the Iroquois were im- 
 pelled to resort to strategy as a means of 
 terminating tlie conflict ; otherwise the\- 
 were fearful that "their extirpation would be 
 inevitable."! Heckwelder even attributes to 
 the severit}- of these wars tlie formation of 
 the great Iroquois league. 
 
 The plans of the Iroquois were to pacify 
 the Delawares (characterized by ^Marryat, 
 in his Diary of America as their most for- 
 midable enemy) by urging upon them the 
 novel proposition that they should as- 
 sume the office of zvomen'} in which they 
 should act as mediators and judges among 
 their warlike neighbors, leaving the Iroquois 
 to devote their entire energies to conquer- 
 ing their enemies, the French. They, tliere- 
 fore, sent tlie following message "to tlie Del- 
 awares: "It is not profitable that all na- 
 tions should be at war with each other ; for 
 this will at length be the ruin of the whole 
 Indian race. We have, therefore, considered 
 of a remedy by which the evil will be pre- 
 vented. One nation shall be tlie zcotiian. 
 We will place her in the midst, and the 
 other nations who make war shall be the 
 man and live around the woman ; no one 
 shall touch or hurt the woman, and if any 
 one does it, we will immediately say to him, 
 why do >ou beat the woman? Then all the 
 men shall fall upon him who has beaten her. 
 The woman shall not go to war, but en- 
 deavor to keep peace with all. Therefore, 
 if tlie men who surround her beat each 
 other, and the war be carried on with vio- 
 
 1 Loskiel, part I, cli. X, p. 124. 
 
 2 Wars between these savage nations were never ter- 
 minated except through the interposition of women, 
 whose prerogative it was to demand a cessation of hos- 
 tilities. The men, however, tired of war, maintained a 
 persistent hostile attitude ; they considered it an evidence 
 of cowardice to intimate a desire for peace. — Heck- 
 welder. 
 
History of Cortland County. 
 
 lence, the woman shall have the right of 
 addressing them. 'Ye men, what are ye 
 about? Why do ye beat each other? We 
 arc almost afraid. Consider that your wives 
 and children must perish, unless ye desist. 
 Do yc mean to destroy yourscKes from the 
 face of the earth?' The men shall then hear 
 and obey the woman. "' 
 
 This appeal to the magnanimity of the 
 Delawares \\as a high tribute to their char- 
 acter for valor and integrity, as well as a 
 skillful and ingenious one on the part of the 
 Iroquois. A weak or vacillating nation 
 could not have undertaken such a work. 
 Unhappily they accepted the proposal, that 
 was to rob them of their power in war, 
 "which had," according to Heckwelder, 
 "e.xalted them above all the other Indian 
 nations." 
 
 Upon the assent of the Delawares to the 
 proposition of the Iroquois, the latter or- 
 dered a bounteous feast at which their dupes 
 were solemnly installed into their novel of- 
 fice as women, with an exhortation counsel- 
 ing them among other things, to henceforth 
 make agriculture their employment and 
 means of subsistence. This singular treaty 
 is supposed to have taken place near the site 
 of Albany, between the }'ears 1609 and 1620. 
 The treaty was participated in bj- the Dutch, 
 and "bj'it," say-s Moulton, "the Dutch se- 
 cured for themselves the quiet possession of 
 the Indian trade, and the Five Nations ob- 
 tained the means to assert that ascendency 
 which they ever after maintained over the 
 other native tribes, and to inspire terror far 
 and near among the other savages of North 
 America." 
 
 Whether or not these traditions are wor- 
 thy of full credence, it is certain that the 
 relative positions of the Delawares and the 
 Iroquois were reversed, as to their military 
 stains, the former being looked to for the 
 preservation of peace. W'hile these pro- 
 
 itxjskiel, part I, ch. X, p. 124. 
 
 ceedings, resulting in the Delawares being 
 forced to submit to the humiliation of being 
 made " women," have been generally as- 
 sumed by writers to be true, several have 
 labored to refute what they believed to be a 
 gross error; notable among these are Rut- 
 tenber, in \\\s Liciian Tribes of the Hudson's 
 River and Heckwelder, p. 44, 45. 
 
 At the beginning of the Revolutionary 
 war the Delawares, who in 1763 had num- 
 bered six hundred warriors, were divided ; 
 the greater portion of them having migrated 
 across the mountains to the Ohio river, 
 where they located at Muskingham. They 
 were drawn into that war and their numbers 
 so reduced that " they lost all desire of be- 
 coming a civilized people," although the 
 Moravian missionaries labored long and 
 faithfulh' among them. They participated in 
 numerous attacks upon the western frontier 
 posts, having joined Pontiac ; but a peace 
 was established with them in 1 765 and they 
 were gradually followed across the moun- 
 tains by their brethren, so that by the year 
 1786, according to Lossing, there was not a 
 Delaware east of the Alleghanies. In 181 8 
 they ceded all their lands to the United 
 States. The vestiges of the Delawares are 
 now in the Indian Territory, whence they 
 furnished one hundred and seventy soldiers 
 to the Union cause during the war of the 
 rebellion ; let that fact stand to their lasting 
 credit, whether or not they ever visited the 
 valley of the Tioughnioga to any consider- 
 able extent. ^ 
 
 1 Goodwin, in his History of Cortland Coiintv, relates a 
 " legend of the Tioughnioga," for which he claimed "au- 
 thority and corroborating facts sufficient to entitle it to a 
 place in history," to the effect that a small settlement of 
 the Lenape Indians was once made near the mouth of 
 Cold brook, in the present town of Homer ; this was 
 early in the sixteenth century, and they came to this val- 
 ley in quest of quiet repose where they might peacefully 
 pursue the chase. Here they suffered from the incursions 
 of the " Mingoes," until finally they were impelled to cry 
 out for revenge. Their old chief was disabled and in- 
 firm, and he therefore, called young "Ke-no-tah," whom 
 he counseled in a speech to talce his place at the head of 
 
Indian Relations in Central New York. 
 
 29 
 
 Before passing on to events that followed 
 upon European settlement, it will be inter- 
 esting to refer briefly to some of the social 
 
 the warriors and attack their enemies. The choice was 
 ratified by a council of the braves. The aged sachem had 
 a beautiful daughter named "Allahalah," who had been 
 promised in marriage to Kenotah. One day before the 
 departure of the war party, three savages from among their 
 enemies appeared at the old chief's cabin and demanded 
 the surrender of their village. Hearing this Altahalah 
 bounded away to Kenotah and informed him of tlie event. 
 He met the three ambassadors, and such was the power 
 of his eloquence before them that they quailed, and left 
 the village muttering curses of vengeance. The follow- 
 ing night the Mingoes came and attacked the village. A 
 fierce and bloody contest ensued, resulting in the suc- 
 cess of the Lenape ; but the old chieftain was found by 
 his daughter dead upon the field. AVhile she was bend- 
 ing over his cold form, a powerful savage stealthily crept 
 to her side, seized her in his arms and quickly disap- 
 peared in the thick forest. The shriek of the maiden 
 aroused the warriors and pursuit was immediately made 
 and continued through the night, when all traces of the 
 trail were lost. When the last rites were paid to the 
 dead, Kenotah gathered the remainder of his warriors 
 about him, took their lead and again started in pursuit 
 of the captors of his bride. For weeks and months their 
 weary search was pursued, but without avail. At last 
 one evening, during a violent thunder storm, the pursu- 
 ers saw their enemies, by a flash of lightning, sleeping at 
 the bottom of a ravine ; but the maiden was not with 
 them. .Awaiting another vivid flash of lightning, Keno- 
 tah and his braves fell upon their enemies and left them 
 all dead upon the ground. Kenotah called in vain for 
 Altahalah, and the thought that she was wandering alone 
 in the forest drove him to the verge of madness and de- 
 spair. The valley of the Tioughnioga was deserted. The 
 Lenape had abandoned their homes made desolate by the 
 Mingoes and joined the " Moncey.s," whose council fires 
 burned at Minisink, on the Delaware river. One even- 
 ing at some undefined subsequent date, a beautiful In- 
 dian maiden might have been seen sitting on the bank of 
 " her native river " (according to the legend), her loos- 
 ened hair hanging in long braids over her unclad shoul- 
 ders, while*she sweetly sang her lover's favorite song. 
 Anon she gazed down the river and presently heard the 
 light sound of dipping oars. A moment more and she 
 beheld the white plume of her affianced. Kenotah had 
 found his bride. 
 
 This is a pretty enough legend; but if the author had 
 " various corroborating facts derived from the traditions 
 of the early Indian occupants of the Wyoming valley, to 
 clothe it with a garb of undoubted reality," it is much to 
 be regretted that such facts and other details as to its 
 source were not given with the story; if absolutely true, 
 it would stand as, perhajjs, the only real evidence that a 
 permanent Indian village was ever located in the Tiough- 
 nioga valley within the limits of Cortland county. 
 
 customs, domestic habits, religious and su- 
 perstitious beliefs, festivals, games, etc., of 
 this people who were once the sole human 
 occupants of this soil that now blossoms un- 
 der the hand of civilization. It has been 
 written that, "while hopelessly unchanging 
 in respect to individual ^nd social develop- 
 ment, the Indian was, as regarded tribal re- 
 lations and social haunts, mutable as the 
 wind." 1 Their villages and habitations were 
 constantly subject to changes made desira- 
 ble on account of the results of their wars, 
 or to remove beyond the reach of possibly 
 dangerous neighbors, or to occupy more de- 
 sirable lands for their primitive agriculture. 
 The extermination of game, too, had its in- 
 fluence in this respect. Some of the Iro- 
 quois nations, however, had villages which 
 had more the appearance and character of 
 permanency. Of these the Senecas, who oc- 
 cupied the most fertile portion of the State, 
 were most conspicuous and carried their ag- 
 riculture to the greatest perfection. General 
 Sullivan reported that, in 1779, the "In- 
 dian town of Genesee contained 128 houses, 
 mostly large and elegant. It was beautifully 
 situated, encircled by a clear flat extending 
 a number of miles, over which fields of corn 
 were waving, together with every kind of 
 vegetable that could be conceived of." In 
 Stone's Life of Brant, the author says "they 
 had many towns and large villages laid out 
 with considerable regularity. They had 
 framed houses, some of them well finished, 
 having chimneys and painted ; they had 
 broad and productive fields." This is con- 
 trary to the often entertained opinion. Their 
 ordinary dwellings difiered in shape and 
 size, but were generally about thirty feet 
 square and nearly as high. The sides were 
 formed of hickory saplings set in two par- 
 allel rows and bent inward, thus forming an 
 arch. To these, transverse poles were bound 
 and the whole covered with bark held in 
 I 1 Parkman. 
 
3° 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 place by smaller poles fastened to the frame- 
 work b\- strips of linden bark. An open 
 space a foot wide extending along the peak- 
 served as both window and chimney. Scaf- 
 folds or bunks were arranged along the sides 
 and covered with skins, for sleeping places, 
 beneath which was stored firewood, etc. In 
 cold weather the inmates slept huddled to- 
 gether about the fires, rangetl through the 
 center of the house. In some of the larger 
 structures the sides were formed of upright 
 posts, and the roofs of separate poles. The 
 Iroquois followed this general mode of 
 building until comparatively recent times. 
 
 The Indian towns were commonly but a 
 confused mass of houses arranged with little 
 regard to order and covering from one to 
 ten acres ; they were often fortified and sit- 
 uations favorable to defense were always 
 chosen. The fortifications were constructed 
 of timber palisades, against which earth em- 
 bankments were thrown up. The large 
 quantities of timber used in the fortifications 
 left the many clearings which were after- 
 wards devoted to agriculture. 
 
 The staple article of food with the Iro- 
 quois was corn, "cooked without salt in a\'a- 
 riety of different ways," each, says Parkman, 
 "more odious than the last." Corn thus 
 cooked with beans was one of their dainties. 
 Their bread, an article of daily consumption, 
 was of inferior quality and made of corn. 
 Dog flesh was held in high esteem ; venison 
 a luxury for feasts, for which captive bears 
 were also sometimes fattened. The cook- 
 ing previous to the advent of the French 
 fur-traders, who supplied them with copper 
 kettles, was done in earthen pots which were 
 made by the women. The women spun twine, 
 also, from native hemp, by rolling it on their 
 thighs, from which to make their fishing 
 nets; and they pounded the corn in huge 
 mortars of wood hollowed out by alternate 
 burnings and scrapings. The women per- 
 formed the household drudgery and worked 
 
 in the fields. To the men belonged the work 
 of making imjilemcnts of war and the chase, 
 building canoes of bark or b)- hollowing out 
 logs. 
 
 The dress of both women and men con- 
 sisted of skins of various kinds, worn in the 
 shape of kilts, or in doublets thrown over 
 the shoulders. These were subsequently 
 superseded by a kind of coarse cloth pro- 
 cured of the whites. The rich wore a piece 
 of black, blue or red cloth, about two yards 
 long, fastened around their waists and orna- 
 mented \»ith ribbons and wampum. The 
 poor were content with a bear skin ; these 
 were also worn by all classes in the winter, 
 or, instead, a kind of pelisse, made of beaver 
 skins. Stockings and shoes were made of 
 deer and elk skins ; some wore shoes made 
 of corn husks. The garment which was 
 most worn b}- the women was a sort of pet- 
 ticoat of cloth about two yards long wound 
 about the hips and tightly fastened, falling 
 a little below the knee; this was worn day 
 and night. Women of rank wore fine un- 
 der-garments with red collars. 
 
 All Indians were fond of ornamentation, 
 the women especially so ; in their decora- 
 tions consisted their wealth and they also 
 designated their rank. The men paid par- 
 ticular attention to their wives' ornamenta- 
 tion and thought it scandalous to appear the 
 better dressed. 
 
 Much pains was taken in painting their 
 faces and in some cases in tattooing almost 
 their entire bodies. Each day their faces 
 received a fresh coating, of which vermilion 
 was the favorite color. A piece of gold, sil- 
 ver or wampum was sometimes worn in a 
 hole pierced through the cartilage of the 
 nose, while from their ears, stretched and 
 distended bj' heavy ornaments, depended 
 rings, sparkling stones, feathers, corals or 
 crosses. The hair was also often thus deco- 
 rated, and was worn by the women at full 
 length, often reaching below their hips. 
 
Indian Relations in Central New York. 
 
 31 
 
 They anointed it with bear's grease to make 
 it shine. The women of tlie Delawares, ac- 
 cording to Loskiel, never braided or plaited 
 their hair ; it was folded and tied round with 
 a piece of cloth, and sometimes rolled up and 
 a serpent's skin wrapped around it. The 
 men did not wear their hair long, and some- 
 times pulled it out except a little on the 
 crown of the head. This was often orna- 
 mented with plumes. The Iroquois studied 
 and practiced ornamentation and dress more 
 than any other Indian nation. 
 
 Marriage among the Iroquois was in- 
 dulged in early in life ; often at eighteen by 
 the men and fourteen b)- the women. The 
 ceremony was of the simplest character, 
 usually consisting of a present from the 
 suitor and its acceptance b\' the bride ; she 
 returned a dish of boiled maize and an arm 
 ful of fuel. Divorces were attended by 
 even less ceremony ; the most trivial causes 
 were sufficient for a separation. While mo- 
 nogamy was the rule, poI)'gam\- was tole- 
 rated, especially among the chiefs. Pro- 
 visional, or experimental, marriages were 
 common and usually of short duration ; the)- 
 were entered into in the same manner as the 
 permanent marriage, through the presenta- 
 tion and acceptance of gifts. A woman thus 
 sometimes accumulated a handsome fortune 
 in wampum and the like, before she was re- 
 ally settled in life. This sort of matrimony 
 was no bar to a license, boundless and appa- 
 rently universal, unattended \\-ith loss of 
 reputation on either side. ' 
 
 Although the Indians were taciturn, mo- 
 rose and cruel in their warlike expeditions, 
 in their own homes they were extremely 
 social, patient and forbearing, engaging in 
 their festal seasons in a continuous round 
 of dancing, feasting and gambling. The 
 latter pastime was constantly indulged in, 
 the stakes often involving all the worldly 
 property of the players. One of the de- 
 
 l Parkman's ycsiiils. 
 
 vices used was a number of plum-stones, 
 the sides of which were flattened and one 
 side of each painted black ; these were 
 thrown up from a wooden bowl, and the 
 betting w^as upon the number of black or 
 white sides that would fall uppermost. This 
 game possessed for them a wonderful fas- 
 cination, two entire villages sometimes en- 
 tering the contest. Their dances were to 
 the sole music of a sort of drum made by 
 stretching a deer skin over one end of a 
 hollow log. The common dance was held 
 in a large house or in an open field around 
 a fire. The men shouted in this and leaped 
 and stamped violently, showing their won- 
 derful agility ; but the women observed the 
 utmost decorum, never speaking a word to 
 the men ; they kept their bodies upright 
 and straight and their arms hanging loosely 
 at their sides. This kind of dancing is still 
 indulged in by the Onondagas. Other 
 dances were participated in by the men 
 only ; and others still were adapted to spe- 
 cial occasions. Chief among these was the 
 dance of peace, or dance of the calumet, 
 in which the pipe was handed around. A 
 song, devoted especially to this ceremony, 
 was sung by all. The war-dance was also 
 a prominent ceremony, following the return 
 of a war party. It was often thrilling in 
 the extreme ; but its details need not be 
 given here. 
 
 Feasting was often indulged and some- 
 times participated in by whole villages, 
 upon the in\-itation of some especially prod- 
 igal host. To refuse an invitation to such 
 a feast was considered a grave offense, and 
 the debauchery sometimes continued 
 throughout the entire day, being inter- 
 spersed with singing, jesting, laughing and 
 smoking. If the feast partook of a medical 
 character, as was sometimes the case, it was 
 incumbent upon the guest to eat all that 
 was placed before him, even if he died in 
 the effort. Should he fail, the host would 
 
32 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 be outraged, the community shocked and 
 the spirits rise in vengeance ; disaster would 
 befall the nation. If the guest, however, 
 found himself utterly unable to swallow his 
 portion, there was one way out of the di- 
 lemma ; another of the compan}', upon 
 being rewarded with a present, might finish 
 the meal. 
 
 The God of the Iroquois was called 
 " Hawenniio," meaning, "he rules — he is 
 master;" and their belief in immortality 
 was almost universal. Animals, even, were 
 immortal and were worshiped. The Iro- 
 quois had, also, another God, with equal 
 claims to supremacy with the one men- 
 tioned. He was called "Areskoui," the 
 god of war. A third deity was " Taren- 
 yowagon," whose place and character is not 
 well defined. He has by some been iden- 
 tified with " Hiawatha," to whom the Iro- 
 quois ascribe their great Confederation. 
 They also had numerous objects, animate 
 and inanimate, to which were attributed 
 supernatural powers and were supplicated. 
 These were called by the Iroquois "Okies," 
 and by the Algonquins, " Manitous." They 
 existed throughout the world and controlled 
 the destinies of the Indians. For the most 
 part they took the form of animals. Each 
 Indian had his guardian " Manitou," to 
 whom he looked for counsel, guidance and 
 protection. The points of the compass 
 were also looked upon as "Manitous;" 
 there was a Summer-Maker and a Winter- 
 Maker, the latter being kept at bay by 
 throwing brands of fire into the air. The 
 hunter endeavored to propitiate the game 
 he pursued, and was often known to address 
 a wounded bear in a long harangue before 
 dispatching him. This was also true of 
 fish. Sa\-s Parkman : "The fish were ad- 
 dressed (by the fishing party) every even- 
 ing, by one chosen for that duty, who ex- 
 horted them to take courage and be caught, 
 assuring them that the utmost respect should 
 
 be paid to their bones." The fishing-nets 
 were also objects of solicitude, and that they 
 might the better do their work, they were 
 married every year to two young girls, with 
 a ceremony far more formal than that ob- 
 served in human wedlock. 
 
 The Iroquois had five difierent festivals 
 annually. The first was held in the spring, 
 after the close of sugar-making, and was in 
 gratitude for the abundance of the sap. 
 The aged chiefs exhorted the young men 
 to lives of virtue as a road to a continuance 
 of the favor. It closed with dancing, sing- 
 ing and games. 
 
 The second festival occurred immediately 
 after corn-planting, when thanks were given 
 for the favorable seed-time and the Great 
 Spirit invoked to grant a good crop. 
 
 The third was the well-known green corn 
 feast, when thanks were rendered for the 
 valuable gift, and immense quantities of the 
 young corn was cooked in \'arious ways 
 and eaten. Songs and dances formed a 
 large portion of the accompanying ceremo- 
 nies, closing with the famous succotash 
 dance. 
 
 The fourth festival was held at the close 
 of the corn harvest, and was one of thank- 
 fulness for the crop, followed by festivities. 
 To these festivals three days were formerly 
 set apart for each ; latterly, one day only 
 has been given to each. 
 
 The fifth and crowning festival of the 
 year was held late in Januarj' or early in 
 February, immediately after the return of 
 the hunters from the chase; it was cele- 
 brated with great pomp and ceremony. 
 When the preliminary preparations had 
 been made, runners were dispatched to 
 every cabin in the nation to give notice of 
 the event. The fires were put out in all 
 the cabins, each of which was then visited 
 and purified by persons appointed for that 
 purpose, who scattered the ashes, swept the 
 hearth and rekindled the fire. On the sec- 
 
Indian Relations in Central New York. 
 
 33 
 
 ond day the managers of the festival visited 
 each house to receive the gifts of the peo- 
 ple, consisting of articles of food, incense or 
 sacrifice. This was continued for several 
 da)-s, during which time the assemblage at 
 the council-house engaged in sports. On 
 the day preceding the last, preparations 
 were made for the great sacrifice. The 
 gifts which had been collected were pre- 
 sented separately by the giver to the mas- 
 ter of ceremonies, and hung around the 
 council-room. The sins of the people, sup- 
 posed to have been conveniently transferred 
 to the managers, were in turn transferred 
 to two persons dressed in white, and from 
 them to two white dogs, which had been 
 previously fantastically painted with red 
 figures, and decorated with wampum, rib- 
 bons and feathers, and killed by strangula- 
 tion. The dogs were taken to the council- 
 house, laid upon a platform amid the most 
 devout solemnity, and afterwards taken to 
 the fire and each in turn thrown into it. 
 This act was preceded by praj-er and song. 
 The multitude around the fire threw bas- 
 kets of herbs, tobacco, etc., upon the burn- 
 ing carcasses, which were entirely consumed. 
 A convenient and enjoyable method of dis- 
 posing of the year's sins of the tribe. 
 
 The prevailing readiness of the Indian to 
 believe in the supernatural led to the ex- 
 istence in every community of numbers of 
 medicine- men, sorcerers and the like, who 
 professed to control the spirits, cure disease 
 and protect their patrons from various other 
 ills. They thus obtained a powerful influ- 
 ence over the minds of their fellows. The 
 Indian doctors could cure wounds and had 
 methods not devoid of virtue for the relief 
 of simple diseases. One of these was the 
 sweating oven, an earthen arch into which 
 the patient crawled to undergo perspiration 
 from the heat of stones piled about the 
 oven. From this he was plunged into a 
 bath of cold water. Beaver's oil was much 
 
 used, also ; but their principal reliance for 
 the cure of disease was magic and mysti- 
 cism. Disease was supposed to arise from 
 supernatural causes ; so the patient was 
 pinched, beaten, surrounded bj- deafening 
 noises and incantations, to drive out the 
 evil spirits. These, together with dancing, 
 singing, feasting and the accompanying 
 din in the cabin of the patient, were be- 
 lieved to be sufficient for a cure, if he were 
 not beyond hope. It would seem that such 
 a process would either cure a patient or 
 place him beyond the reach of mortal cares. 
 
 Divination and sorcery prevailed to a 
 wonderful e.xtent and was implicitly trusted 
 by all. The sorcerers professed to be able 
 to penetrate the future, and many moment- 
 ous measures were inaugurated upon their 
 predictions. The\- made sacrifices to the 
 ruling spirits whom they wished to propi- 
 tiate. Dreams, too, were the guiding ora- 
 cles with many of the Indians and caused 
 a great deal of their misery and misfortune. 
 Their duty, their destiny, war and peace, 
 rain and drought, all were revealed by a 
 class of professional dreamers and inter- 
 preters. But witchcraft (purely) was held 
 in the utmost abhorrence and was punisha- 
 ble with death in all cases. A witch might 
 be killed by any one on sight, with impunity. 
 As late as 1805, two witches (so-called) 
 were tomahawked by Hon Yost, at Oneida. 
 
 The most ancient method of burial among 
 the Iroquois was to first place the corpse 
 upon a scaffold about eight feet high and 
 allow it to lie there until the flesh decom- 
 posed and fell awa\' from the bones, which 
 were then interred. Latterly and after their 
 contact with the whites, the corpse has been 
 clad, a grave dug about three feet deep and 
 lined with bark and the body laid therein. 
 Beside it were placed a kettle of provisions, 
 deer-skin and sinews with which to replace 
 the moccasins which, it was believed, would 
 be worn out in the long journey to the spirit 
 
34 
 
 History of Coktj.am) County. 
 
 land, bows and arrows, a tomahawk, knife and 
 sometimes a gun. The i];ravc was then filled 
 with earth upon which the women knelt and 
 wept. After a little time the men began a 
 doleful cry and solemnly returned homeward. 
 
 "With the Delawares," says Loskiel, "the 
 first degree of mourning in a widow con- 
 sists in her sitting down in the ashes near 
 the fire and weeping most bitterlj-; she then 
 rises and runs to the grave, where she makes 
 loud lamentations, returning again to her 
 seat in the 'ashes. She will neither eat, 
 drink, nor sleep and refuses all consolation. 
 But after some time she suffers herself to be 
 persuaded to arise, drink some rum and re- 
 ceive some comfort. However, she must 
 attend to the second degree of mourning 
 for a whole }'ear; that is, to dress without an\- 
 ornaments and wash herself but seldom. 
 As soon as she appears decent, combs and 
 anoints her hair, and washes herself clean, 
 it is considered a sign that she wishes to 
 marry again." Funeral and burial cere- 
 monies differed considerably with different 
 Indian nations. 
 
 The wampum of the Indians not only 
 served as a currenc}', but was used as an 
 ornament and as the public archives. This 
 fact rendered it of great importance to them. 
 It was of two kinds — purple or black, and 
 white, the black being estimated at twice 
 the value of the white. The purple was 
 made from the inner portions of the conch, 
 and the white from the pillar of the peri- 
 winkle; both kinds were fashioned into 
 round or oval beads about a quarter of an 
 inch long and perforated; they were then 
 strung on a fibre of deer sinew, and latterlj- 
 on a linen thread. As a substitute for gold 
 and silver its value was fixed bj- law, but 
 its valuation was subject to variation, at 
 different times and in different places. Three 
 purple beads were equal to a stiver in Dutch, 
 or an English penny, each equal to two 
 cents of United States currency. The price 
 
 of a string six feet long, called a fathom of 
 wampum, was held at fi\'c shillings in New 
 England. Previous to the advent of the 
 whites wampum was largely made of small 
 bits of wood of equal size and stained black 
 or white; its manufacture from shells was 
 difficult for the Indians; but the Dutch in- 
 troduced the lathe in its manufacture, and 
 by supplying a far superior article, soon 
 practically controlled the trade. It was 
 made principally at Hackensack, N. J. Por- 
 celain and glass imitations soon became 
 abundant, which may have been the first 
 example of counterfeiting in America. 
 
 The most important use to which wam- 
 pum was applied was in the confirmation 
 of ctimpacts and treaties between nations, 
 both Indian and European; feathers had 
 been used in early days. Every speech, 
 and its principal parts, were made valid by 
 a string or belt of wampum. A black belt 
 signified a warning against evil, and if it 
 was marked in red and had a hatchet of 
 white wampum in the center, it meant war. 
 Black or purple always signified some mat- 
 ter of grave importance, while white was 
 the symbol of peace. 
 
 Hospitality among the Iroquois was the 
 most generous, not onl)^ among their own 
 kindred, but was extended towards the 
 stranger with equal freedom ; it was regarded 
 as a sacred duty from which none were ex- 
 empt. Whoever refused relief to any one 
 was guilty of a grave offense and made him- 
 self liable to revenge from the offended. An 
 instance is related by Loskiel in which a 
 party of two hundred warriors of the Huron 
 nation, who had taken the war path against 
 the Delawares, were led to give up their 
 purpose by the generous hospitality ten- 
 dered them b\- the latter. No evidence is 
 wanting to show that this trait in the breast 
 of the savage Indian was at least as prom- 
 inent as among those who now occup)- his 
 once wild home. 
 
European Discoveries axd Settlements. 
 
 35 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 KUROPKAN DISCOVERIliS AND SETTl.EMKN TS. 
 
 Jacob Calwt at Newfouiullaiul — The Brolheis Cortreal — Discovery of the St. Lawrence River — Ponce de 
 Leon's Discovery of Florida — Spanish Discoveries and Conquests — Frencli .\cquisitions to the Northward — 
 Settlement at Quebec — P^nglish Settlement at Jamestown — Establishment of Dutch Settlements on the Hudson 
 River — Claims of Rival Nations — .\rrival of the Jesuits — Champlain's First Meeting with the Indians — The 
 Expedition — Indian Wars — Extension of the Fur I'rade — Jesuit .Missionary Work — French and English Rivalry 
 and their Negotiations with the Indians — .\ttack on Montreal — Expedition Planned by P'rontenac — Burning of 
 .Schenectady — Treaty of Utrecht — The Iiof|uois in the Carolinas. 
 
 THE history of the locahty of which the 
 territor}' uiuier consideration in this 
 work forms one of the prominent divisions 
 extends back to a remote period of the past, 
 and is intimatel)' associated with the early 
 discoveries and settlements of civilized peo- 
 ple on this continent. While there are evi- 
 dences that the surrounding region was 
 visited by ci\ilized races a century before 
 the landing of the Pilgrims and almost as 
 long before the first permanent Dutch set- 
 tlements on the Hudson River, it is not 
 deemed essential to more than refer to the 
 faint historical landmarks from so remote a 
 period. Let us, rather, follow the course 
 of discovery, settlement and claim on this 
 side of the Atlantic, from the time when 
 the resolute little band of Puritans disem- 
 barked from the Mayflou'cr. The relations 
 of this region to the I-Luropean powers were 
 at that time of a very indefinite character. 
 James I was on the throne of England and 
 Louis XIII on that of France, with Riche- 
 lieu as his prime minister. A century and 
 a quarter previous, and fi\'e years after the 
 bold voyage of Columbus, in 1497, John 
 Cabot discovered Newfoundland and por- 
 tions of the adjacent country. Three years 
 later the coast of Labrador and the entrance 
 to the Gulf of St. Lawrence were explored 
 by two brothers from Portugal, named Cor- 
 treal. In 1508 the St. Lawrence river was 
 discovered by Aubert, and four years later, 
 in I 5 12, Ponce de Leon discovered Florida. 
 In 1534 the St. Lawrence was explored by 
 
 the F"renchman, Jacques Cartier, as far as 
 Montreal. In 1539 Florida was explored 
 by Ferdinand de Soto. These discoveries 
 opened up the new country for active com- 
 petition b\- the different maritime powers 
 of the Old World. Spain conquered Mexico 
 in 1 52 1 and in 1540 carried her conquests 
 into Peru. Stimulated by her success and 
 her greed, she took possession of Florida 
 and the Gulf territory, and in i 565 planted 
 the first Spanish colony in North America, 
 at St. Augustine, Florida. 
 
 In the mean time the French were gain- 
 ing a foothold far to the northward. In 
 1540 Cartier, having sailed up the broad 
 river to which he gave the name of the illus- 
 trious saint, had returned to France and 
 was again sent over with Jean Francis de 
 Robarval, who was appointed by the king 
 as lieutenant-general over the new countries. 
 In 1543 Robarval came the second time 
 from France, with the pilot, Jean Alphonse 
 of Saintougc, and they took possession of 
 Cape Breton ; settlement was also begun at 
 Quebec. In 1608 Quebec was founded and 
 placed under the governorship of Cham- 
 plain, the original discoverer of the Iroquois 
 Indians. In the previous year, 1607, the 
 English made their first permanent settle- 
 ment at Jamestown, under Capt. John Smith. 
 In 1609 Henry Hudson, a bold English 
 na\igator, but then in the employ of the 
 Dutch East India Company, sailed into the 
 noble river which now bears his name, lead- ' 
 ing to the permanent settlement of the 
 
36 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Dutch in that region in 1623, in a colony 
 which they named New Netherlands. Thus 
 three European nations laid claims to por- 
 tions of the territory now embraced in the 
 State of New York and formed the ad- 
 vance guard of the present dominant inhab- 
 itants of the continent. 
 
 England, by virtue of the discovery of 
 Cabot, who sailed under letters patent from 
 Henrj' VII, and that of his son Sebastian 
 made the following j'ear, exploring the coast 
 from Newfoundland to Florida, claimed a 
 territory eleven degrees in width and ex- 
 tending westward indefinitely. Had the 
 powers of England known what a boundless 
 expanse of rich and undiscovered country 
 lay to the westward of her explorations, it 
 is possible that even she would have been 
 prompted by modesty from claiming so wide 
 a water-front "extending indefinitely west- 
 ward." 
 
 France claimed a portion of the Atlantic 
 coast; while Holland, by virtue of Hudson's 
 discover}^ claimed the country from Cape 
 Cod to the southern shore of Delaware bay. 
 In 1 614 the Dutch established a fort on 
 Manhattan island and one at Albany in the 
 following year, becoming the actual posses- 
 sors of the soil. In 162 1 the Dutch East 
 India Company was formed and took pos- 
 session of New Amsterdam. In 1625 a few 
 of that remarkable order known as Jesuits 
 arrived on the banks of the St. Lawrence, 
 and in time crowded most other Catholic 
 missionaries out of Canada and the lake 
 region, substantially monopolizing the ter- 
 ritory. In 1627 Cardinal Richelieu organ- 
 ized the company of New France, or the 
 compan)' of a Hundred Partners, the objects 
 of which were proclaimed to be the exten- 
 sion of the fur trade, the discovery of a new 
 route to China, and the conversion of the 
 Indians. "The Comjiany actually succeeded 
 in extending the fur trade, but not in going 
 to China by way of Lake Erie, and not to 
 
 any great extent in converting the Indians.^ 
 By the terms of their charter they were to 
 transport six thousand emigrants to Canada 
 and to furnish thcni with an ample supply' 
 of both priests and artisans. Champlain was 
 made Governor. His early experience was 
 not the most pleasant or gratifying. When 
 the French first assumed prominence in 
 Canada they found the Iroquois and the 
 Adirondacks at war, as before stated, and 
 they espoused the cause of the latter, sup- 
 plying them with fire-arms. Champlain 
 and his. allies met, on the lake which now 
 bears his name, a party of two hundred Iro- 
 quois; both parties landed and a battle 
 began; but the murderous and mysterious 
 effect of the new weapons filled the Iroquois 
 with consternation and the\- retreated to the 
 wilderness. This was the first meeting of 
 the famed Iroquois with the whites; and, 
 while it was an impressive and thrilling re- 
 ception, it was scarcely calculated to inspire 
 in the savage breast a very exalted opinion 
 of the invaders, except as to their ability to 
 kill at long range. 
 
 Emboldened by success, Champlain with 
 a few Frenchmen and a force of four hun- 
 dred Hurons, renewed hostilities against 
 the Iroquois in 1615, resulting in that re- 
 markable expedition directed against the 
 stronghold of the Onondagas. The expe- 
 i dition proceeded to the upper waters of the 
 Ottawa ri\er, thence crossed over to Lake 
 j Nipissing, and, having discovered Lake Hu- 
 i ron, were joined by the nation of that name. 
 They came down through the lakes and across 
 the country until they reached the Iroquois 
 fort, which was attacked. The assaulting 
 party were defeated and compelled to re- 
 treat from the localit)'. The location of 
 this fort has long been in dispute ; some have 
 placed it u])on the banks of Onondaga lake, 
 but the generally accepted opinion now is 
 that it stood on the shore of Oneida lake. 
 
 ^ Johnson's History of Erii: Couti/y, 
 
European Discoveries and Settlements. 
 
 37 
 
 A dreary winter was passed by Cham- 
 plain, who had been wounded by two Onon- 
 daga arrows, "one in the leg and the other 
 in the knee," before he was able to leave 
 the Hurons and go back to Quebec. These 
 attacks upon the Iroquois provoked a war 
 which ended only with the extinction of 
 French dominion in North America. The 
 Iroquois, now also armed with guns, 
 made their power felt on cver\- battle-field. 
 Bancroft says upon this subject: "Thrice 
 did Champlain in\ade their countr\-, until 
 he was driven with disgrace from the wilder- 
 ness. The Five Xations in return attempted 
 the destruction of New France. Though '■ 
 repulsed they continued to defy the prov- I 
 ince and its allies, and under the eyes of 
 its go\'ernor openh' intercejjted convoys 
 destined for Quebec The P'rench authori- 
 ty was not confirmed b)- the founding of a 
 feeble outpost at Montreal, and Fort Rich- 
 elieu at the mouth of Sorrel river scarcely 
 protected its immediate environs. The Iro- 
 quois scoured e\-ery wilderness to la\- it 
 more waste. Depopulating the whole coun- 
 try on the Ontario, they attained an ac- 
 knowledged superiority over New France. 
 The colony was in perpetual danger and 
 Quebec itself was besieged." 
 
 In the year 1653 each of the Five Na- 
 tions entered into peace treaties, which left 
 the colonists for a time at rest; but the Iro- 
 quois meanwhile invaded the territory of 
 the Fries and, after a severe contest, as- 
 saulted that nation in a fort and wiped them 
 from the face of the earth. This was fol- 
 lowed by a long war upon the Andastes, or 
 Guyan,dots, lasting until 1675, in which the 
 Iroquois were finally victorious. 
 
 Of the three rival bands of colonists the 
 French and Dutch developed a thriving fur 
 trade with the Indians, spreading rapidly 
 among them at the same time both kinds 
 of fire-arms — rum and guns; while the 
 English devoted themselves more to agri- 
 
 culture. In 1664 the English conquered 
 New Amsterdam, aod their conquest was 
 made permanent in 1670, its name being 
 changed to New York. With few excep- 
 tions, the Iroquois remained the firm allies 
 of the English until the latter were defeated 
 in the war of the Revolution. But from 
 the time of the English supremacy over the 
 Dutch, a spirited rivalry was kept up be- 
 tween the French and English. The former 
 were indefatigable in extending the fur trade, 
 and their missionaries hesitated at no ob- 
 stacle, opposition or hardship in carrying 
 the cross among the Indians. In 1642 
 Father Jogues, commissioned as an env'oy, 
 was hospitably received by the Mohawks 
 and he offered the friendship of France to 
 the Onondagas. During the temporary 
 peace with the French, Father Simon Le 
 Moyne appeared as a missionarj" among the 
 Onondagas, which became one of the most 
 important mission fields on the continent. 
 It was the policy of the Jesuits to not alone 
 convert the savages to Christianity; indeed, 
 it may be doubted if that was their chief 
 motive in coming among them. They came 
 not alone to extend the church, but also to 
 conciliate the Indians towards the French 
 through the medium of the church, enabling _ 
 the latter to extend the power and domin- 
 ion of that country. While they found it 
 comparatively easy to make friends and some 
 converts among the less biased tribes in 
 other sections of the country, they found in 
 the Onondagas a nation shrewd, wily and 
 strong, more so, perhaps, than their brethren 
 of the Confederacy, who felt no inclination 
 to favor the French and little towards Chris- 
 tianity through the medium of French 
 priests. 
 
 Onondaga was the center of the great 
 Confederacy, the place of meeting of all 
 their great councils; where gathered the 
 sachems and chiefs and warriors of the Five 
 Nations to discuss and settle the most ini- 
 
38 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 portant questions and public measures. 
 Hence it was viewed by the Jesuits as the 
 field above all others for their work; and 
 they labored faithfully in that locality. If 
 the)- were not signally successful, it must be 
 credited more to the capacity and condition 
 of those whom they sought to influence, 
 than to their own want of persistence, en- 
 ergy and heroism. 
 
 By 1665 French trading posts were es- 
 tablished at Michillimacinac, Green Bay, 
 Chicago and St. Joseph, and the French 
 resolved to put an end to the frequent in- 
 cursions of the Iroquois. In June of that 
 year M. de Trac)' was appointed Vicero}- 
 of the French possessions in America and 
 landed at Quebec with four regiments of 
 infantr}'. In September Daniel de Runy, 
 Knight, Lord de Courcelles, who had re- 
 ceived the appointment of Governor of 
 Canada six months previousl}', arrived with 
 a regiment, some families and the necessary 
 means for the establishment of a colony. 
 Courcelles, with a force of five hundred 
 men, started on an e.xpedition into the Mo- 
 hawk country on the 9th of January, 1666. 
 After a dangerous march of thirty-five days 
 on snow-shoes, in which his men suffered 
 severely by freezing, he arri\ed w ithin twen- 
 ty leagues of the Mohawk villages, only to 
 learn that most of the Mohawks and Onei- 
 das were absent on a war expedition. On 
 the 22d of May, 1666, the Senecas sent ten 
 ambassadors to Quebec to sue for peace, 
 with a request that they be considered as 
 faithful subjects of the French king, and 
 that Frenchmen be sent to settle among 
 them and " Blackgowns" to preach to them. 
 A treat)- to this effect was concluded on the 
 25th of May, which was ratified b)' the 
 Mohawks and Oneidas on the I2th of July. 
 During these negotiations a party of Mo- 
 hawks made an assault upon the garrison 
 at Fort St. Anne, which was retaliated by 
 M. de Tracv through another incursion into 
 
 the Mohawk countr)- : but his wily foe fled, 
 leaving only their empty villages to be 
 burned bv- the French soldiers. 
 
 On the 13th of October, 1666, the Iro- 
 (]uois ambassadors of the Onondagas, Ca- 
 \ugas, Senecas and Oneidas visited Quebec 
 and requested a confirmation of the con- 
 tinuance of the king's protection, under a 
 treaty involving several conditions ; in the 
 consequent treaty the Mohawks afterwards 
 acquiesced. In 1667 (July 31) the peace 
 of Breda was established between Holland, 
 I Flngland and France, and in the following 
 )-ear a treat)- was signed between France 
 and Spain. Hut the general peace thus in- 
 augurated was of short duration; the Iro- 
 quois were soon again in conflict with the 
 French, causing them much suffering, loss 
 of harvests and constant dread. But after 
 the appointment of Count de Frontenac as 
 (iovernor and Lieutenant-General of Can- 
 ada in April, 1672, confidence was restored 
 through his conservative management, and 
 another peace treaty was ratified in 1673. 
 
 In 1684 the Senecas again began hostil- 
 ities against the French, b)- the capture of 
 seven hundred traders' canoes and an attack 
 upon Fort St. Louis. For this outrage M. 
 de la Barre, then Governor of New France, 
 planned an expedition against the Senecas. 
 Upon learning, however, that Col. Dongait, 
 Governor of New York, had promised the 
 Senecas a reinforcement of four hundred 
 horse and an equal number of foot sol- 
 diery, the expedition was suddenl)' aban- 
 doned and a treaty made " with indecent 
 haste" with the Onondagas, Oneidas and 
 Cayugas. This event caused the deposal 
 of M. de la Barre, who was superseded by 
 the Marquis de Nonville, with instructions 
 to observe strict neutrality. After a thorough 
 examination of the situation De Nonville 
 communicated to his king that the only wa)- 
 to protect their fur trade and retain their 
 possessions was through a successful war. 
 
European Discoveries and Settlements. 
 
 39 
 
 This counsel was acted upon and reinforce- 
 ments sent out. In the summer of 1687 
 he arrived on an expedition, with nearly two 
 thousand PVench and five hundred Indian 
 allies, at Irondequoit Hay, near the site of 
 Rochester, whence he marched against the 
 Seneca villages. Defeated in an attack upon 
 the French force on the march, the Senecas 
 burned their \'illages and fled to the Ca- 
 yugas. De Nonville destroyed their stores 
 of corn; but these being immediately re- 
 placed by the other Confederate nations, little 
 was really accomplislied b)- the expedition, 
 except to further enrage the Iroquois. After 
 building a fort at the mouth of the Niagara 
 river, the Go\'ernor witii most of his forces 
 returned to Montreal. Alarmed at this bold 
 incursion into the strongest portion of their 
 country b)' so superior a force, the Iroquois 
 appealed to Go\'. Dongan for protection. 
 He advised them to not make peace with 
 the French and promised them reinforce- 
 ments. De Non\ille, however, called a 
 meeting of the chiefs of the P^ive Nations at 
 Montreal, for peace negotiations, and the 
 Indians decided to send representatives 
 thither. 
 
 In 1687, while the French and English 
 were at peace, the New York colonists de- 
 termined to participate in the valuable fur 
 trade of the northwest. To carr\' out this 
 project they induced the Iroquois to liber- 
 ate several Huron captives to act as guides. 
 The party was led b)' Major McGregory and 
 was intercepted by a body of French, cap- 
 tured and their goods given over to the 
 Indians. The lake Indians had favored the 
 project of the English colonists; but after 
 this disaster were anxious to disabuse the 
 minds of the French of that fact. To that 
 end Adario, a celebrated Wyandot chief, 
 with a party of one hundred warriors, 
 marched against the Iroquois. On the way 
 the)- were informed of the peace negotia- 
 tions before alluded to and were advised by 
 
 the commander of Fort Cadaraqui (Ontario, 
 or Niagara) to give up their mission. As 
 such action and the establishment of the 
 proposed peace would leave the Iroquois 
 free to invade the Wyandot country, 
 Adario resolved to prevent it; he succeeded 
 effectually by waylaying and capturing the 
 entire Iroquois embassy on its way to 
 Montreal, with the forty young warriors 
 who acted as a guard to the embassy, many 
 of whom were killed. Among the captives 
 was the head chief of the Onondagas, upon 
 whom the wily Wyandot fully impressed 
 the belief that this act was instigated by the 
 F'rench Governor. He then dismissed the 
 capti\'es, loaded with presents. 
 
 Fully believing in the base treachery of 
 De Nonville and refusing to accept his asser- 
 tions that he was not a party to the Wyan- 
 dot chief's deed, the Iroquois were filled 
 with rage and the most intense desire for 
 revenge. Twelve hundred warriors, there- 
 fore, landed, on the 26th of July, 1688, on 
 the Island of Montreal at its upper end, and 
 before any opposition could be made, swept 
 that portion of the island as with the besom 
 of destruction ; burning, pillaging, and 
 slaughtering without mercy. In the follow- 
 ing October this terrible work was repeated 
 on the lower portion of the island. This 
 was followed by the forced abandonment of 
 the fort at Niagara and Fort Frontenac, and 
 the power of the revengeful Iroquois seemed 
 almost equal to the overthrow of the French 
 dominion in Canada. Many of the Indian 
 allies of the French left them and joined the 
 English, enabling them to open a trade, and 
 the French colony was left in a pitiable con- 
 dition. 
 
 But this deplorable condition of affairs 
 with the French was soon to meet with a 
 favorable change, through the re\olution in 
 England which drove James II from the 
 throne and opened a war with France. 
 Count de P'rontenac, whose former admin- 
 
40 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 istration in the colony had given satisfaction, 
 was again sent out as Governor of New 
 France. He arrived October 2d, 1689, and 
 immediatcl)- attempted peace negotiations 
 with the Iroquois. This attempt failing, he 
 planned and fitted out three expeditions in 
 the winter of that year, one against New 
 York, one against Connecticut and a third 
 against New England. The first attack by 
 number one of these expeditions was upon 
 the village of Schenectady, on the night of 
 February 9th, 1690, when the entire village, 
 with the exception of two houses, was burfi- 
 ed, the people slaughtered or taken prisoners 
 and their property carried away. There 
 were before the burning, "upwards of eighty 
 well-built houses in the town." This disas- 
 ter so discouraged the dwellers at Albany 
 that they resolved to abandon their homes 
 and remove to New York; they went so 
 far as to pack many of their effects for re- 
 moval, but were dissuaded from their pur- 
 pose by the reproaches and encouragement 
 offered by a party of the defeated Mohawks 
 who had come to mourn with them o-ver 
 their losses. Great blame is attached to the 
 English colonists for their want of energy 
 and activity during this period, when com- 
 pared with the vigilance and valor of the 
 French under the admirable direction of 
 Frontenac; but through it all the Iroquois, 
 with rare heroism and loyalty, adhered to 
 their allegiance with the English, who 
 seemed more willing to sacrifice them than 
 to serve their own cause. 
 
 In the summer of 1691 the New York 
 and New England forces united in a com- 
 bined attack upon the French by both land 
 and water ; the former, under command of 
 Major Peter Schuyler, was directed against 
 Montreal, and the latter, comprising thirty 
 sail, was commanded by Sir William Phips, 
 and made Quebec its object of attack. Al- 
 though Schuyler inflicted quite a heav}' loss 
 upon the enemj', both the expeditions failed 
 
 of their expected success. But the Iroquois 
 gave the French colony no peace ; they 
 forced a cessation of the fur trade, prevented 
 the tillage of their lantls, causing a famine, 
 and drove the old French Governor to des- 
 peration over his inability to prevent the 
 continued incursions and assaults of the In- 
 dians; to revenge them he finall_\- burned 
 two Iroquois prisoners at the stake. 
 
 On the 6th of June, 1692, the Iroquois 
 formed a treaty of alliance and friendship 
 with Major Richard Ingoldesby, then Gov- 
 ernor of New York ; and on the i 5th of Jan- 
 uary, 1693. Count de Frontenac, impelled 
 by the dissatisfaction and despondence of the 
 French colonists at having so long been held 
 upon the defensive, organized an expedition 
 into the Mohawk country, in which si.x 
 hundred French and Indians participated. 
 Three of the Mohawk castles were captured 
 and three hundred prisoners taken. The re- 
 mainder of that year and the \-ear 1694 
 were spent in attempts to negotiate a peace 
 between the Iroquois, who were again dis- 
 heartened by the French and the raid into 
 the Mohawk country, but without avail. 
 Seeing no immediate prospects of peace, 
 Count de Frontenac determined upon strik- 
 ing a final and eft'ective blow at the Iroquois. 
 He accordingly gathered all the French mi- 
 litia, and their Indian allies, with all of the 
 western Indians he could control, and em- 
 barked from the southern end of the Island 
 of Montreal on the 4th of July, 1696. The 
 expedition was designed to strike a terrible 
 blow at the center of the Five Nations — the 
 Onondagas ; but its effect was lost in a great 
 measure through information carried to them 
 by an escaped Seneca. The Onondagas fled 
 from their village, with the exception of one 
 old chief, said to have been a centenarian, 
 who remained in his cabin, as a heroic 
 method of ending his da\-s ; he was tortured 
 to death, enduring the ordeal with charac- 
 teristic fortitude. 
 
European Discoveries and Settlements. 
 
 41 
 
 This incursion by the French, while it cost 
 the Onondagas only the loss of one old man 
 and the destruction of their corn, left the 
 French in a worse condition than before ; 
 the absence of the agricultural portion of 
 the colonists left their crops to ruin and a 
 famine ensued, which was rendered more 
 unendurable through frequent raids by the 
 restless Iroquois. Affairs mended only with 
 the treaty of Ryswick, concluded September 
 1 2th, 1697. This treaty left unsettled some 
 points relative to the exclusion of the Iro- 
 quois from its provisions, leaving them open 
 to attack by the French, and to the ex- 
 change of prisoners. But the English firmly 
 maintained their ground on both, and the 
 French were obliged to yield. French and 
 English rivalry continued, however, and was 
 greatly augmented by the influence of the 
 Jesuits among the Iroquois, large numbers of 
 whom were induced to go to Canada to live, 
 where they were taught by the missionaries 
 and fed and clothed by the colony. This 
 alienation caused the English to hold re- 
 peated councils with the Iroquois for the 
 purpose of regaining whatever of their form- 
 er influence that had been lost. The Eng- 
 lish made the most liberal promises of pro- 
 tection through the erection of forts and 
 supplies of arms and ammunition. At one 
 of these councils held August nth, 1701, 
 representatives of each of the Five Nations 
 promised that "they would discredit the idle 
 tales of the French, continue firm to the 
 Crown of England, if it will protect them 
 from its enemies, and were thankful for the 
 promise of Protestant ministers." At a suc- 
 ceeding conference they were advised by the 
 English to seize all Jesuits and send them 
 to Albany, where they would receive one 
 I'.undred pieces of silver, eight for each 
 capti\e. To this the Indians agreed. To 
 continue the peaceful relations thus brought 
 about, the Colonial Assembly of New York 
 enacted a stringent law in 1700, imposing 
 
 the penahy of death by hanging upon ev- 
 ery Jesuit who voluntarily came into the 
 province. Liberal presents were made to 
 the Iroquois chiefs, and five of their number 
 were taken to England to hold up before 
 their uncivilized gaze the magnificence of 
 the great government that was offering them 
 protection. But all of these efforts on the 
 part of the English were not sufficient to 
 prevent the ratification of a treaty of peace 
 between the Iroquois and the French in 
 August, 1 70 1, in which negotiations they 
 are believed to have been largely influenced 
 by the great losses they had continually sus- 
 tained. 
 
 Although the eighteenth century opened 
 upon a scene of peace in the New World, 
 it was not of long duration. Queen Anne 
 succeeded to the English throne in 1702, 
 and then followed what is known as " Queen 
 Anne's War," between the rival nations, 
 which was not concluded until the treaty of 
 Utrecht, April nth, 1713. New- England 
 was ravaged during this struggle ; but New 
 York was almost exempted from its touch, 
 while the F"ive Nations maintained their 
 neutralit)- with commendable success. By 
 the treaty of Utrecht the French were en- 
 joined from attacking the Five Nations, who 
 were acknowledged as subjects of Great 
 Britain, while free trade with them was guar- 
 anteed to both France and FLngland. 
 
 In 1713 the Iroquois, with no fighting on 
 their hands at the north, took a hand in a 
 contest that was going on in Carolina be- 
 tween the whites of that territory and the 
 Tuscaroras, a powerful nation of North Car- 
 olina. The latter were defeated, many were 
 killed and many captives were sold as slaves 
 to the allies of the English. The remainder 
 were adopted by the Five Nations, were as- 
 signed territory just west of the Oneidas, 
 and became known as the Sixth Nation. 
 
 The period from 1744 to 1748 witnessed 
 another war between France and England, 
 
42 
 
 IIisToKV OF Cortland County. 
 
 which was concluded by the treaty of Aix- 
 la-Chapellc, made April 30th, 1748. This 
 struggle was chiefly for the possession of the 
 Mississippi valley, but it also opened the old 
 question of Iroquois supremacy. The treaty 
 which caused a cessation of hostilities was 
 imperfect and left unsettled so nian\- impor- 
 tant questions that the contest was again be- 
 gun in 1755. The earh- French successes 
 which followed caused the Iroquois, now 
 about cquall)- divided between Canada and 
 New York, to weaken in their alliance to the 
 English, and the di\-isions among them in- 
 creased as the war progressed. In April, 
 1757, the Senecas, Onondagas and Cayugas 
 made open peace with Canada ; but they 
 were, chiefly through the influence of Sir 
 William Johnson,' made to observe a fair 
 degree of neutralit}-. This war was for the 
 most part a bloody contest with the savage 
 allies of the French, producing desolation 
 and devastation on the colonial borders, 
 especially in Pennsylvania. In 1756 forts 
 were built at Oneida Castle and Onondaga, 
 and a block house at Canaseraga, and at a 
 council held at Onondaga June 19th, 1756, 
 permission was gi\-en Colonel Johnson to 
 erect a fort or magazine at Oswego Falls. 
 
 The war, at first a succession of PVench 
 victories, was finally turned in favor of the 
 English, and was concluded by the treaty 
 of Paris in 1763, leaving lingland in posses- 
 sion of Canada and the country west of the 
 Mississippi. Territorial disputes followed, 
 however, between the Indians and the. col- 
 onists, which finally led to the making of a 
 treat)-, ratified by Sir William Johnson in 
 July, 1770, establishing what was called the 
 "Property Line." This treaty recognized 
 
 iSir William Johnson \va.s sent to America in 1734 as 
 the agent of his uncle, a great lanflholcler in the .Mohawk 
 vallev. He gained an almost unbounded influence over 
 the Mohawk nation, chiefly by hi» ready affiliation with 
 them and his integrity in dealing. He subsequently made 
 his power conspicuous throughout the Six Nations and 
 was entrusted l)y the British government with the man- 
 agement of its affairs in that connection. 
 
 as Indian lands all the territory lying north 
 and west of the Ohio and Alleghany rivers 
 to Kittaning; thence in a direct line to 
 the nearest fork of the west branch of the 
 Susquehanna river; thence following that 
 stream through the Alleghanies, b\- the way 
 of Htirnctt's Hills and the eastern branch of 
 the Susquehanna and the Delaware into 
 New York, to a line parallel with the Una- 
 dilla, and thence north to Wood Creek east 
 of Oneida lake. But this polic\- was not 
 potent to appease the complaints of the 
 Indians at the encroachments of the settlers, 
 which paved the way for the hostilities of 
 the Iroquois and the western Indians against 
 the colonists during the war of the Revolu- 
 tion, then near at hand. 
 
 In 1775 the great struggle for American 
 independence began. Sir William Johnson 
 had died suddenly in the previous year, and 
 his office of superintendent of Indian affairs 
 devolved upon his nephew, Gu\' Johnson, 
 who retained much of the influence over the 
 Indians enjoyed by his uncle. The Si.x 
 Nations were at first disposed towards neu- 
 trality, but the efforts of the English, chiefly 
 through Johnson, Brant (Thajendanegea) 
 and John Butler, soon overcame such dis- 
 position. Brant was sent to England, where 
 he was honored and feasted; returning in 
 the winter of 1776, he at once began the 
 work of organizing a force of Iroquois war- 
 riors. In the spring of 1777 he appeared 
 at Oquaga (now Windsor, Broome count}) 
 with a force of Indians and tories; in June 
 he ascended the Susquehanna to Unadilla, 
 whence he drove oft' cattle and sheep, and 
 frightened the inhabitants of that section so 
 I that they retired to Cherr\- Valle}- and other 
 less exposed places. Soon afterward Brant 
 withdrew his forces from the Susquehanna 
 and joined Sir John Johnson and John But- 
 ler at Oswego, where preparations were 
 made for a descent upon the Mohawk settle- 
 ments. In August, 1777, Fort Schuyler 
 
European Discoveries and Settlements. 
 
 43 
 
 was attacked and the bloody battle of Oris- 
 kaiiy was fought. The Oneidas remained 
 neutral during these events, for which course 
 their crops, castles and wigwams were after- 
 wards destroyed by Brant. 
 
 Following these events was perpetrated 
 a long list of Indian and Tory atrocities upon 
 the unprotected frontier settlements in New 
 York and Pennsylvania, among which were 
 the massacres of Wyoming and Cherry Val- 
 ley in 1778, with man\- others, at later dates, 
 the record of which is filled with deeds of 
 bloodshed, \'indicti\'e torture, heroic defense 
 and marvelous fortitude, and is printed 
 upon thousands of historic pages. Intt) the 
 details of these events it is not the province 
 of this work to enter; it was their perpetra- 
 tion, howe\^er, that led Congress and Gen- 
 eral Washington to inaugurate an expedition 
 in the spring of 1779 which exerted a pow- 
 erful influence upon the closing scenes of 
 the drama in which the Iroquois had played 
 so conspicuous a part. General Sullivan 
 was given command of this expedition and 
 his force comprised three divisions: one 
 from New Jersey, under General Ma.xwell; 
 one from New England, under General 
 Hand, and a third from New \'ork, under 
 General James Clinton (father of Gov. De 
 Witt Clinton). The first two divisions men- 
 tioned, numbering thirty-five hundred men, 
 under command of General Sullivan, left 
 Wyoming, Jul}- 31st, 1779, and moved up 
 the east side of the ri\er. The\- were 
 joined at Tioga Point by Clinton's force, 
 which swelled the command to more than 
 four thousand. Near the site of P.lmira 
 they encountered Butler with a small force 
 of Indians and tories ; a battle was fought, 
 Butler was defeated and the expedition 
 met with little subsequent opposition, 
 marching into the Genesee country de- 
 stroying the Seneca villages, burning dwell- 
 ings, felling orchards, cutting and burning 
 corn and other corps, and leaving a track 
 
 of utter desolation. " The Indians shall 
 see," said the commander of the expe- 
 dition, "that we have malice enough in our 
 hearts to destroy everything that contributes 
 to their support," and this expressed intent 
 governed the actions of the expedition. 
 F"orty Indian towns were burned, among 
 j them Genesee Castle, the capital of the 
 Onondagas, with its " one hundred and 
 j twenty-eight houses, mostly large and ele- 
 ' gant," while Kanadaseagea, the capital of 
 the Senecas, and Kanandaigua shared the 
 same fate. The terror-stricken Iroquois 
 fled to Niagara, where many perished dur- 
 ing the ensuing hard winter from lack of 
 habitual food and diseases engendered there- 
 by — a state of affairs for which the British 
 were largely responsible, as the Indians 
 looked to them for the means of subsistence 
 in their emergency. 
 
 In partial conjunction with the Sullivan 
 campaign, though it occurred a little earlier, 
 was the expedition into the Onondaga 
 country b}' Col. Van Schaick, assisted by 
 Lieutenant Willet and Major Cochran, of 
 the garrison at Fort Schuyler. A plan for 
 this movement ha\'ing been formed by Gen- 
 eral Schu)'ler and approved by the com- 
 mander-in-chief, the three officers named 
 started from P'ort Schuyler at the head of 
 between five and six hundred men, on the 
 19th of April, 1779. Great secrec)' was 
 maintained even as to the destination of the 
 expedition, and all Indians were detained at 
 the fort. On the third day of his march 
 Col. Van Schaick reached his destination. 
 The place where they first reached Onon- 
 daga lake was at Green Point, whence they 
 proceeded to the mouth of Onondaga creek, 
 and passed across it on a large sycamore 
 log. Here Capt. Graham captured an 
 Onondaga warrior, the first that had been 
 seen; scouts also came upon the expedition 
 at this point and the alarm was quickly 
 spread among the nation, resulting in the 
 
44 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 immediate retreat of the Indians. A si<ir- 
 mish was fought, but resulted in only a 
 trifling loss to the Indians. Their villages 
 and property were completely destroyed by 
 burning. Twelve Indians were killed and 
 thirty-four made prisoners. After the de- 
 struction of the villages, the expedition re- 
 turned, reaching Fort Schuyler on the 24th, 
 after an absence of five and a half days. 
 
 The e.xpedition of Sullivan substantially 
 destroyed the Iroquois League. While its 
 form remained to a certain extent, the forces 
 that bound it together were rendered prac- 
 tically powerless; but they were not yet 
 conquered as far as predatory warfare was 
 concerned. A reorganization was effected 
 in the winter and, under the leadership of 
 Corn-Planter, fell upon the Oneidas and 
 Tuscaroras, burned their castle, church and 
 village and sent them defeated to the white 
 settlements near Schenectady ; there they 
 remained, devoted to the cause of the colo- 
 nists, until the close of the war. In the 
 mean time Sir John Johnson collected five 
 hundred Indians and refugees, and passed 
 through the woods from Crown Point to 
 Johnson Hall, for the double purpose of se- 
 curing some buried treasure left by him, 
 and to punish his old neighbors. Both ob- 
 jects were accomplished ; the village which 
 then occupied the site of Fonda was burned, 
 and many isolated dwellings for several 
 miles along the Mohawk, always excepting 
 those of Tories, were also laid in ashes. In 
 the succeeding autumn Johnson, with a 
 larger force and accompanied by Brant and 
 Corn- Planter with five hundred warriors, 
 entered the Schoharie valley, leaving devas- 
 tation in their track; they also paid another 
 visit of destruction upon the Mohawk valley, 
 destroying dwellings as far up as Fort Plain. 
 There they were met by Gov. George Clin- 
 ton at the head of a force of militia, wliich 
 was joined on the way by a strong party of 
 Oneidas, led by their chief, " Atyatarongh- 
 
 ta." The forces of Brant and Johnson were 
 defeated and fled, the latter retreating to 
 his boats on Onondaga lake and escaping to 
 Canada by way of Oswego. Other similar 
 iricursions were made in the lower counties 
 of the Hudson and in the Mohawk valley in 
 1 78 1, in one of which the notorious Butler 
 was killed by an Oneida Indian. Thus 
 ended the border incursions in New York. 
 
 In retaliation for the bloodshed and dev- 
 astation by the Iroquois throughout her bor- 
 ders the New York Legislature was inclined 
 to drive them all from her limits ; but, chiefly 
 through the influence of Washington and 
 Schuyler, more humane counsels prevailed. 
 At the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, 
 Oliver Wolcott, Richard Butler and Arthur 
 Lee were appointed by the Federal govern- 
 ment as commissioners to adjust the claims 
 of the Si.x Nations. A council for the pur- 
 pose was held at Fort Stanwi.x in 1784, 
 where reservations were assigned to each of 
 the Six Nations, except the Mohawks. The 
 Oneidas and Tuscaroras had already been 
 provided for through special legislation. In 
 1788 the Indian title to the lands embraced 
 in the Military Tract was extinguished. 
 
 We will close this chapter with a brief 
 reference to the work of the missionaries 
 among the Onondagas, which has already 
 been mentioned. Taking advantage of the 
 temporary peace between the Iroquois and 
 the French in 1654, Father Simon Le Moyne 
 appeared among the Onondagas as a mis- 
 sionary. He left Montreal on the 17th of 
 July, "accompanied by a j-oung man of 
 piety and fortitude who had long been a 
 resident of that country." On the 5th of 
 August he had nearly reached the end of 
 his journey and wrote in his Relation : 
 "We traveled four leagues before reaching 
 the principal Onondaga village. I passed 
 many persons on the way, who kindly sa- 
 luted me, one calling me brother, another 
 uncle, and another cousin. I never had so 
 many relations. At a quarter of a league 
 
European Discoveries and Settlements. 
 
 45 
 
 from the village I began a harangue in a sol- 
 emn and commanding tone, which gained 
 me great credit. I named all their chiefs, 
 families and distinguished persons. I told 
 them that peace and joy were my compan- 
 ions and that I shattered war among the dis- 
 tant nations. Two chiefs addressed me as I 
 entered the village with a welcome, the like 
 of which I had never before experienced 
 among savages." 
 
 It was on the i6th of August that Father 
 Le Moyne discovered the salt springs and 
 made the first salt ever produced there by a 
 European, "as natural," he wrote, "as from 
 the sea." He made the first baptism of a 
 young captive of the Neuter nation, who 
 had been instructed in the faith by a Huron 
 convert. Father Le Moyne's visit to the 
 Onondagas was made at the special request 
 of Ondessonk, the then great chief of the 
 nation, who asked him to select " on the 
 banks of our great lake a convenient place 
 for a French habitation." In the following 
 year (1655) he was followed by Fathers Jo- 
 seph Chaumonot and Claude Dablon, who 
 "were received with the strongest proofs of 
 friendship." They founded the mission of 
 St. John the Baptist, which is supposed by 
 the best authorities to have been located on 
 "Indian Hill," two miles south of the village 
 of Manlius. The first sacrament of holy 
 mass was celebrat(?d by these Fathers in the 
 in the cabin of "Teotonharason," one of the 
 women who came from Quebec with the 
 missionaries, on Sunday, November 14th, 
 1655. She became a woman of wealth and 
 high character and made a public profession 
 of religion, teaching the faith among the 
 people. The location of St. Mary's of 
 Ganentaha was also fixed in that year by 
 Fathers Chaumonot and Dablon. The Re- 
 lation says of it: "This day for the first 
 time we visited the salt spring, which is only 
 tw^o leagues from here, near the lake Ganen- 
 taha, and the place chosen for the French 
 
 settlement, because it is in the center of the 
 Iroquois nation, and because w'e can from 
 thence visit in canoes various localities upon 
 the rivers and lakes." 
 
 Early in the spring of 1656 Father Da- 
 blon returned to Quebec for reinforcements 
 to strengthen the hearts of the missionaries. 
 He, with his guides, crossed Oneida lake on 
 the ice and proceeded by the usual northern 
 trail to the mouth of the Salmon river, reach- 
 ing Montreal on the 30th of March. Fa- 
 ther Chaumonot remained at Onondaga, and 
 the following summer was joined by Fathers 
 Dablon, Le Mercier, Rene Mesnard, Jacques 
 Fremin, and Brothers Ambrose Broar and 
 Bourgier, to found the mission of St. Mary's 
 of Ganentaha. They arrived on the shore 
 of Onondaga lake at 3 o'clock of the iith 
 of Jul}-, where many of the old men and 
 chiefs of the Onondagas awaited them. On 
 the 17th they began the erection of their 
 dwellings and a fort on the east shore of the 
 lake, in the town of Salina, where the out- 
 lines of the fort were found by earl\- settlers. 
 
 This mission was for a time quite prosper- 
 ous, but was finally broken up through the 
 rivalries engendered by the European gov- 
 ernments. In 1665 a number of French 
 families returned, under the guidance of mis- 
 sionaries, and settled near the Indian fort and 
 village located in the vicinity of the present 
 village of Jamesville. Here was established 
 the mission of St. Jean Baptiste, and in the 
 following year a chapel was built. Three 
 years later (1669) the French were again 
 at war with the Iroquois; but Father Le 
 Moyne, full of religious zeal, again appeared 
 among the Onondagas, having been driven 
 from among the Mohawks, and was received 
 with affection. The missionaries would, un- 
 doubtedly, at all times have been safe among 
 the Indians, even if their efforts were not the 
 most successful, had it not bfcen for the con- 
 stant warring of the whites. About the \-ear 
 1700 the Jesuit missions began to decline, 
 
46 
 
 History of Cortland County, 
 
 partly owing to the efforts of the Enghsh to 
 plant the Protestant faith among the Indians. 
 The Earl of Belmont, then Go\ernor of New 
 York, proposed to erect a fort and a chapel 
 at Onondaga, and King William sent over a 
 set of communion plate and turnitiirc for tiic 
 chapel. These plans were interrupted in 
 1 702 by the king's death ; but they were re- 
 newed by Queen Anne, who became a zeal- 
 ous patron of the missions among the Five 
 Nations. 
 
 Missions were established by the Mora\'i- 
 ans among the Onondagas in 1750, when 
 Bishop Cammerhoff and Brother David Zeis- 
 berger, journeyed to Onondaga from Beth- 
 lehem, Pennsylvania. The\- were kindly 
 received by the Indians and given permis- 
 sion to remain with them one or two years 
 to learn their language. This mission was 
 continued at intervals for several years ; but 
 it was never very influential. 
 
 The Rev. Samuel Kirkland began his 
 work among the Oneidas in August, 1766, 
 remaining among the Indians for over forty 
 years, and gaining a wide-spread influence 
 through the entire Iroquois Confederacy. 
 His counsel to the Oneidas was potent to 
 secure their neutrality and often their friend- 
 ship to the colonists during the war of the 
 Revolution. He was in all respects one of the 
 
 most useful and successful of the devoted 
 men who sought to plant good seed in the 
 benighted minds of the Iroquois. He died in 
 1808. Since that time numerous and per- 
 sistent efforts have been made by represent- 
 atives of tile different Protestant churches 
 to convert and christianize the Onondagas 
 and their brethren. Prominent among them 
 were Eleazer Williams, who visited the On- 
 ondagas in 1 8 16; afterwaril he was joined 
 by Revs. Wm. A. Clark and Ezekiel G. Gear. 
 It was at the suggestion of the latter that a 
 school was opened at Onondaga by one of 
 their own people — Mary Do.xtater, who had 
 been educated by the Philadelphia Quakers 
 and had taught among the Oneidas ; the 
 school was begun in 1S20, but she died a few 
 years later. Re\-. Rosman Ingals began re- 
 ligious work among the Onondagas in 1841, 
 after the Methodist faith, and after August 
 I st, I S42, preaching was kept up every third 
 Sunday. In that j'ear a building was pro- 
 cured and fitted up for a church ; it was used 
 until 1846, when a new school- house was 
 built and used for a church. Here Rev. 
 Daniel Fancher preached with considerable 
 success. In 1848 a new and commodious 
 church was erected, and religious work 
 among the Onondagas has been unweary- 
 ingly continued since. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 I'RKVIOUS T(.) COUNTY OR(,;.\N[Z.\ ITOX. 
 
 An Indian ".Summer Resort " — Early Records anil Stale Divisions — Genealogy of Cortland County — The 
 Military Tract — Its Origin and History — Land Bounties to Soldiers — Proportions of Bounties — .Vction of Congress 
 in Relation Thereto — The Tract Ordered Surveyed, Mapped and Divided — Conditions Imposed upon (Irantees — 
 The "Slate's Hundreds" — School and (lospel Lots — Division into Townships — Fraudulent Land Titles — 
 Vexatious Litigation — Formation of the Present Towns of tlie County. 
 
 IN the foregoing chapters it has been our 
 purpose to give a record of the conspic- 
 uous events in the history of the nation of 
 Indians who were most nearly identified 
 
 with the territory now embraced in Cort- 
 land county, and their relations with their 
 confederates in the mightiest savage organ- 
 ization ever known, and with the whites 
 
Previous to County Organization. 
 
 4;^. 
 
 after tlicir advent. While it is true that few 
 of these events occurred in what is now this 
 county, yet every person now dwelHng here 
 must feel an interest in the people who 
 roamed through our productive valleys be- 
 fore the sound of the white man's axe 
 echoed in the unbroken forest, and who, 
 after early ci\'ilized settlement had begun,' 
 frequently visited their old camping grounds 
 in this vicinity, planted the little clearings, 
 and mingled freely vvith the pioneers and 
 their families, as will be noted farther on 
 in this work. Such is the reason (if any 
 is needed) for de\-oting the opening chap- 
 ters of the history of the county to the 
 predecessors of civilization around and 
 within its borders. 
 
 Cortland count)-, as defined since the )'ear 
 1808, was, perhaps, more fortunate than 
 any other in the Empire State in escaping 
 the terrors of border wars and devastating 
 incursions by Indians and Tories. While it 
 was somewhat central in the broad domain 
 of the Six Nations, it seems to have been 
 surrounded by the thrilling scenes and 
 deeds of early times, while they penetrated 
 very little within its borders. The Iro- 
 quois and their enemies fought all around 
 the county, if we may use the expression, 
 but left it comparatively unscathed. As 
 far as the Indians were concerned, we must 
 believe that the territory of Cortland coun- 
 ty was a peaceful Arcadia where the red 
 brother of tlie Onondagas and, perhaps, 
 some of his brethren of other nations, came 
 to enjoy the chase, to till their little open- 
 ings, and to roam through the valleys or 
 drift down the winding Tioughnioga; but 
 not to fight. It was to him a sort of sum- 
 mer resort. 
 
 Before referring directly to the formation 
 and subsequent history of Cortland county, 
 we may profitably note briefly some of the 
 interesting early records and events of this 
 locality. At the close of the Revolution 
 
 Central Xew Yovk Avas still a wilderness; 
 but the march of armies and the incursions 
 of small parties had made known to man_\' 
 its desirable characteristics for permanent 
 civilized settlement. After the Duke uf 
 York had superseded the Dutch, in 1683, 
 the province of New York was divided into 
 I twelve counties, viz. : Albany, Duchess, 
 Kings. New York, Orange, Queens, Rich- 
 mond, Suffolk, Ulster, Westchester, Dukes 
 and Cornwall. In 1693 the latter two were 
 surrendered to Massachusetts. In 1768 
 Cumberland county was added, and Glouces- 
 ter in 1770; these were subsequently yielded 
 to New Hampshire and afterward became 
 ; a part of Vermont. In 1772 the count)' of 
 I Tryon was formed from Alban)-, and its 
 name changed in 1784 to Montgomery. 
 In 1789 Ontario count)' was formed of all 
 that part of Montgomery county lying 
 west of a north and south line across the 
 State through Seneca lake, two miles east of 
 Geneva. Herkimer county was taken from 
 Montgomery and organized in 1791, em- 
 bracing all the territory west of Montgom- 
 cr)', north of Otsego and Tioga counties, 
 and east of Ontario county. In 1794 Onon- 
 daga county was erected from the western 
 part of Herkimer, and included all of the 
 "Military Tract," which embraced the pres- 
 ent counties of Cayuga, Seneca, Onondaga 
 and Cortland, with that part of Tompkins 
 lying north of a line drawn east from the 
 head of Seneca lake to the southwest corner 
 of Cortland county, and all that part of Os- 
 wego county lying west of the Oswego_ 
 river. Hence the territor)' of Cortland 
 count)- was, from 1772 to 1794, included in 
 Montgomery and Herkimer counties. In 
 1788 all that part of the State of New York 
 lying west of a north and south line across 
 the State, crossing the Mohawk river at 
 "Old Fort Schuyler" (Utica), was erected 
 into a town called Whitestown, in lionor of 
 Judge White, who had settled at what is 
 
48 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 now Whitcsboro, in 1784. In 1786 settle- 
 ment had only so far progressed that Mont- 
 gomery county contained a population of 
 15,057, and the great town of Whitestown 
 contained only about two hundred; that was 
 less than a century ago, and the same ter- 
 ritory now contains several millions. It 
 does not require a graphic pen to cause one 
 to marvel at the transformation which has 
 fallen upon the then wilderness of Central 
 New York, changing it to a fruitful, blossom- 
 ing garden, spread with thickly populated 
 cities and villages and laced with innumer- 
 able railroads. It is an exhibition of growth 
 never equaled in any other country. 
 
 Whitestown was afterwards divided into 
 three towns, the original town extending 
 from its former eastern limits to the present 
 western line of ]\Iadison county. The town 
 of Mexico included the eastern half of the 
 "Military Tract," and the town of Peru the 
 western half 
 
 The genealogy of Cortland county may, 
 therefore, be traced as follows : — 
 
 Albany county formed 1683 
 
 Try on county formed 1772 
 
 Changed to Montgomery 1784 
 
 Herkimer county formed 1791 
 
 Onondaga county formed 1794 
 
 Cortland county formed from On- 
 ondaga 1808 
 
 The boundaries of the new county were 
 as follows : Beginning at the southeast cor- 
 ner of the township of Cincinnatus (one of 
 the townships in the tract commonly known 
 as the "Military Tract"), and running'thence 
 north along the east bounds thereof and of 
 the townships of Solon and Fabius ; thence 
 westerly to the northwest corner of lot No. 
 51 in the township of TuUy; thence south 
 along the east bounds of the townships of 
 Sempronius, Locke and Dryden, to the 
 southwest corner of the township of Virgil; 
 thence easterly along the south bounds of 
 the townships of Virgil and Cincinnatus to 
 the place of beginning. 
 
 THE MILITARY TRACT, 
 It has already been stated herein that the 
 territory now embraced within the bound- 
 aries of Cortland county formerly com- 
 prised four whole and two half townshijxs in 
 the southeastern corner of what was known 
 as the "Military Tract." This famous tract 
 had its origin in congressional and legis- 
 lative action whereby land bounties were 
 offered to soldiers. On the 1 6th of Sep- 
 tember, 1776, Congress "resolved itself in- 
 to a Committee of the Whole, to take into 
 consideration the report of the Board of 
 War, and after some time the President re- 
 sumed the Chair and Mr. Nelson reported 
 that the Committee have had under con- 
 sideration the report from the Board of \\'ar, 
 and ha\e made sundry amendments, which 
 they ordered him to lay before Congress. 
 Congress then took into consideration the 
 report of the Board of War and the amend- 
 ments offered by the Committee of the 
 Whole, and thereupon came to the following 
 resolutions : — 
 
 " That eighty-eight battalions be enlisted as 
 soon as possible, to serve during the present war ; 
 and that each State furnish their respective quotas 
 in the following proportions : — 
 
 New Hampshire 3 battalions. 
 
 Massachusetts Bay 15 " 
 
 Rhode Island 2 " 
 
 Connecticut — 8 " 
 
 New York 4 
 
 Pennsylvania _. 12 " 
 
 Delaware - _ - i " 
 
 Maryland .- 8 
 
 Virginia 15 " 
 
 North Carolina 9 " 
 
 South Carolina -.. 6 " 
 
 Georgia — i " 
 
 That twenty dollars be given as a bounty to each 
 non-commissioned officer and private soldier who 
 shall enlist to serve during the present war, unless 
 sooner discharged by Congress. 
 
 •' That Congress make provision for granting 
 lands in the following proportions to the officers 
 and soldiers who shall so engage in the service 
 
Previous to County Organization. 
 
 49 
 
 and continue therein till the close of the war, or 
 until discharged by Congress, and to the repre- 
 sentatives of such officers and soldiers as shall be 
 slain by the enemy. 
 
 " Such lands to be provided by the United 
 States ; and whatever expenses shall be neces- 
 sary to ])rocure such lands, the said expenses 
 shall be paid and borne by the States, in the 
 same proportion as the other expenses of the 
 war, viz. : — 
 
 To a Colonel 500 acres. 
 
 " Lieutenant -Colonel 450 •' 
 
 " Major 400 
 
 " Captain 300 " 
 
 " Lieutenant 300 " 
 
 " Ensign 150 " 
 
 " each non-commissioned of- 
 ficer and soldier 100 " "' 
 
 In addition to the above, Congress passed 
 an act on the 12th of August, 1780, provid- 
 ing for tand bounties as fWlows : — 
 
 To a Major-General 1,100 acres. 
 
 " Brigadier-General 850 " 
 
 The bloody depredations by the Indians 
 and Tories on the frontier during the revo- 
 lutionary period, and especially during the 
 years 1779 and 1780, and the neglect of 
 several States other than New York to fur- 
 nish their proper quota of troops for the 
 protection of the lives and property of set- 
 tlers, caused the Legislature of New York 
 to enact a law in 1781, requiring the enlist- 
 ment of "two regiments for the defense of 
 the frontier of New York." The term of 
 service was to be three years, unless sooner 
 discharged, and the good faith of the State 
 was pledged to the fulfillment of promises 
 and payment of such services. "The Coun- 
 cil of Appointment of the State of New- 
 York was empowered to commission the 
 field officers, and the Governor of the State, 
 the captains and subalterns." 
 
 At the close of the war, in 1783, the Leg- 
 islature of New York State took action upon 
 the bounties promised by the United States 
 Congress for military service, and relative 
 
 1 Extract from proceedings of Congress, 
 
 to the granting of land gratuities by the 
 State, through a resolution dated March 
 27th, 1783, and introduced by Mr. Duane, 
 which read as follows : — 
 
 '■'■Resolved, therefore (if the honorable, the 
 House of Assembly concur herein), That, besides 
 the bounty of land so promised as aforesaid, the 
 Legislature will by law provide that the Major- 
 Generals and Brigadier-Generals now serving in 
 the line of the army of the United States, and 
 being citizens of this State, and the officers, non- 
 commissioned officers and privates of the two 
 regiments commanded by Colonels Van Schaick 
 and Van Cortlandt ; such officers of the regiment 
 of artillery commanded by Colonel Lamb and 
 of the corps of sappers and miners as were, when 
 they entered the service, inhabitants of this 
 State ; such of the non-commissioned officers and 
 privates of the said last-mentioned two corps as 
 are credited to this State as part of the troops 
 thereof; all officers designated by any act of 
 Congress subsequent to the i6th of September, 
 1776; all officers recommended by Congress as 
 persons whose depreciation on pay ought to be 
 made good by this State and who may hold mil- 
 itary commissions in the line of the army at the 
 close of the war ; and the Rev. John Gano and 
 Rev. John Mason .shall severally have granted 
 to them the following quantities of land, to-wit : — 
 Non-commissioned officers and 
 
 privates, each 500 acres. 
 
 Major-General S-5o° " 
 
 Brigadier -General _. 4,500 " 
 
 Colonel 2,500 " 
 
 Lieutenant -Colonel 2,000 " 
 
 Major . 2,000 " 
 
 Captain 1,5°° " 
 
 Regimental Surgeon. 1,5°° " 
 
 Chaplain 2,000 " 
 
 Subaltern 1,000 " 
 
 Surgeon's Mate 1,000 " 
 
 " That the lands so to be granted as bounty 
 from the United States, and as gratuity from the 
 State, shall be laid out in townships of six miles 
 square ; that each township shall be divided into 
 156 lots of 150 acres each, two lots whereof shall 
 be reserved for the use of a minister or ministers 
 of the Gospel, and two lots for the use of a school 
 or schools; that each person above described 
 
50 
 
 History oi' Cortland County. 
 
 shall be entitled to as many such lots as his 
 bounty and gratuity land as aforesaid will admit 
 of; that one-half the lots each person shall be 
 entitled to shall be improved at the rate of five 
 acres for each hundred acres, within five years 
 after tiie grant, if the grantee shall retain pos- 
 session of such lots ; and that the said bounty 
 and gratuity lands be located in the district of 
 this State reserved for the use of the troops by 
 an act entitled, 'An Act to pre\ent grants or 
 locations of the lands therein mentioned, passed 
 the 2Sth day of July, 1772.' 
 
 "Resohrd, That His Excellency, the Governor, 
 be reijuested to communicate these resolutions in 
 such manner as he shall conceive most proper. 
 
 " Rcsohai, That this House do concur with 
 the Honorable, the Senate, in the last preceding 
 resolutions. 
 
 " Ordered, That Mr. John Laurence and Mr. 
 Humphrey carry a cojjy of the preceding reso- 
 lution of concurrence to the Honorable, the 
 Senate." 
 
 After several amcndnient.s and minor 
 modifications of this legislative action an 
 act was passed on the 28th day of February, 
 1789, in which it was provided, "That the 
 Commissioners of the Land Office shall, 
 and they are hereby authorized to, direct 
 the Surveyor- General to lay out as many 
 townships in tracts of land set apart for 
 such purposes as will contain land sufficient 
 to satisfy the claims of all such persons who 
 are, or shall be entitled to grants of land by 
 certain concurrent resolutions and by the 
 eleventh clause of the Act entitled 'An act 
 for granting certain lands promised to be 
 given as bounty lands by the laws of the 
 State,' and for other purposes therein men- 
 tioned, pas.sed the nth day of May, 1784; 
 which townships shall respectively contain 
 60,000 acres of land and be laid out as 
 nearly- in squares as local circumstances will 
 permit, and be numbered from one pro- 
 gressively to the last, inclusive; and the 
 Commissioners of the Land Office shall like- 
 wise designate every township by such name 
 as they shall deem proper." 
 
 The s"ame act also provided, "that the 
 Surveyor-General, as soon as may be, shall 
 make a map of each of said townships, and 
 each township shall be subdi\'ided on such 
 map into one hundred lots, as nearly square 
 as may be, each lot to contain si.\ hundred 
 acres, or as near that quantity as may be; 
 and the lots in every township shall be num- 
 bered from one to the last, inclusive, in 
 numerical order." Under this law General 
 Simeon Dewitt, assisted b)- Moses Dewitt 
 and Abram Hardenburgh, laid out the entire 
 tract, the former " plotting and mapping 
 the boundaries, and calculating its area." 
 
 After the survey, the making of the maps 
 and their deposit in the offices of the Sur- 
 veyor-General and the Secretary of State, 
 the Land Commissioners were directed to 
 "advertise for six successive weeks in one or 
 more newspapers printed in each of the cities 
 of New York and Albany (whereof the news- 
 paper published by the printer to this State, 
 if any such there be, shall be one), requiring 
 all persons entitled to grants of bounty or 
 gratuity lands, who had not already exhib- 
 ited their claims, to exhibit the same to the 
 Commissioners on or before the first day 
 of Januarv', 1791." 
 
 The same act ordered that " All persons 
 to whom land shall be granted by virtue of 
 this act, and who are entitled thereto by any 
 act or resolution of Congress, shall make an 
 assignment of his or her proportion and 
 claim of bounty or gratuity lands under any 
 act or acts of Congress, to the Surveyor- 
 General, for the use of the people of this 
 State." 
 
 Following this action on the part of the 
 grantees referred to in the last paragraph, 
 it was provided that for all lands thus as- 
 signed to the State, an equal number of 
 acres should be given them by the State, 
 and so far as possible in one tract and under 
 one patent, "provided the same does not 
 e.xceed one- fourth of the quantity of a town- 
 
Previous to County Organization'. 
 
 51 
 
 ship." This arrangement was made for the 
 benefit of those holding claims to land in 
 the State of Ohio, in a tract set apart by 
 Congress for the satisfying of claims by per- 
 sons who had served in the Re\olutionary 
 War, entitling them to one hundred acres 
 each. They were thus enabled to secure 
 their entire claim of si.\- hundred acres in 
 one tract. But if a person neglected to re- 
 linquish his claim to the one hunclred acres 
 in Ohio, the sixth part of what his patent 
 called for reverted to the State, giving rise 
 to the term, "State's Hundred." Eight 
 dollars (48 shillings) were taxed each pat- 
 entee as a survey fee, in case of the non- 
 payment of which fifty acres of his land re- 
 verted to the State ; hence arose the term 
 "Survey Fifty." 
 
 A further provision obligated the grantees 
 of such lands to make actual settlement 
 upon each si.x hundred acres "that may be 
 granted to any person or persons, within 
 seven years from the first of January next 
 after the date of the patent b}- which such 
 lands shall be granted ; and on failure of 
 such settlement, the unsettled lands shall 
 re\-ert to the people of the State." 
 
 An exception and reservation was made 
 to the people of the State of all the " gold 
 and silver mines" in the lands granted. 
 
 The Indian title to the lands embraced 
 in the Military Tract was extinguished at 
 the treaty of Fort Stanwix, on the 12th of 
 September, 1788. 
 
 The act of February, 1789, provided that 
 six lots in each township should be reserved 
 and assigned, one for promoting the spirit 
 of the Gospel and for public schools ; one 
 for promoting the spread of literature in the 
 State, and the other four to satisfy the sur- 
 plus share of commissioned officers not cor- 
 responding with the divisions of six hun- 
 dred acres and to compensate such persons 
 as might draw any lot or lots parts of which 
 were under water. 
 
 At the time under consideration the Land 
 Commissioners consisted of the Governor 
 (or the person administering the State gov- 
 ernment for the time being), the Lieutenant- 
 Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, 
 Secretary of State, Attorney General, the 
 Treasurer and Auditor, the presence of three 
 being necessary for the transaction of busi- 
 ness. These Commissioners held a meeting 
 in the office of the Secretary of State on 
 the 3d of July, 1790; there were present 
 His Excellency George Clinton, Governor; 
 Lewis A. Scott, Secretary; Gerard Banker, 
 Treasurer; Peter T. Curtenius, Auditor. 
 Maps of the surveys of twenty-six townships, 
 as made by the Surveyor- General, were laid 
 before the Commissioners. The townships 
 were respectively subdivided into one hun- 
 dred lots as nearly square as possible, each 
 lot containing si.x hundred acres. The Com- 
 missioners then caused the townships and 
 the lots to be numbered according to law, 
 as we have indicated it, and designated them 
 by the names of famous men as follows: — 
 
 1. Lysander. 14. Tully. 
 
 2. Hannibal. 15. Fabius. 
 
 3. Cato. 16. Ovid. 
 
 4. Brutus. 17. Milton. 
 
 5. Camillus. 18. Locke. 
 
 6. Cicero. 19. Homer. 
 ■ 7. Manlius. 20. Solon. 
 
 8. Aurelius. 21. Hector. 
 
 9. Marcellus. 22. Ulysses. 
 
 10. Pompey. 23. Dryden. 
 
 11. Romulus. 24. Virgil. 
 
 12. Scipio. 25. Cincinnatus. 
 
 13. Sempronius. 26. Junius. 
 
 This tract contained 600,000 acres and 
 embraced within its limits the present 
 counties of Onondaga, Cortland, Cayuga, 
 Tompkins and Seneca, with portions of 
 Oswego and Wayne. Cortland, as at pres- 
 ent bounded, was situated in the southeast- 
 ern corner of the tract. The townships, as 
 surveyed, should not be confounded with 
 
52 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 what is now known as a town. In early 
 years a township often embraced several 
 towns. I lomer township included the pres- 
 ent towns of Homer and Cortland ; Virgil 
 embraced the towns of Virgil, Harford and 
 Lapeer; Cincinnatus included the present 
 towns of Cincinnatus, Marathon, Freetown j 
 and Willet ; Solon included the present 
 towns of Solon and Taylor ; and Preble 
 contained the towns of Preble and Scott. 
 As settlement advanced the extensive towns 
 of pioneer times were divided and subdi- 
 vided, for the more convenient transaction 
 of the increasing public business. 
 
 On the first of January, 1791, the com- 
 missioners met and proceeded under the 
 laws to determine by ballot who were en- 
 titled to claim the lands. Ninety-four per- 
 sons drew lots in each township, and lots 
 were also drawn for the Gospel, for litera- 
 ture, etc., as before indicated. 
 
 In August, 1792, the Commissioners, 
 acting under a provision for grants of lands 
 to the hospital department and others, 
 caused the survey and numbering of town- 
 ship 27, which was given the name of 
 Galen. 
 
 In January, 1795, there being several 
 unsatisfied claims for military bounty or 
 gratuity lands, and the twenty-seven town- 
 ships being disposed of, the Commissioners 
 resolved that the Sur\'e}-or-General should 
 lay out still another township, as number 
 28. This was afterwards named Sterling, 
 and sufficed to satisfy all remaining claims. 
 
 Many frauds were perpetrated in con- 
 nection with the titles to these military 
 claims, to prevent which an act was passed 
 in January, 1794, requiring all deeds and 
 conveyances made and executed prior to 
 that time to be deposited with the Clerk of 
 Albany county for examination, and all 
 such as were not so deposited should be 
 considered as fraudulent. Claimants' names 
 were posted in alphabetical order in the 
 
 clerks' offices at Albany and Herkimer, for 
 the full inspection of all who were inter- 
 ested. 
 
 The numerous contested claims filled the 
 courts with \exatious litigation, almost 
 every lot causing trouble of this nature. 
 Squatters settled on the soldiers' honest 
 claims and it was found difficult and ex- 
 pensive to eject them by process of law. 
 Land sharks possessed themselves of con- 
 veyances bearing anterior dates to those 
 held by honest purchasers, who were sub- 
 jected to threats of violence or long perse- 
 cution in the courts, if they did not abandon 
 their justly acquired property. Not seldom 
 these land pirates were successful in their 
 schemes ; but on some occasions they en- 
 countered old soldiers who showed a dispo- 
 sition to take the law into their own hands 
 for the protection of their rights ; men who 
 had faced the foe on many a bloody field, 
 and were not to be easily driven from the 
 lands they had thus earned. Goodwin, the 
 author of the Pioneer History of Cortland 
 County, is authorit)' for the statement that 
 in the eastern part of Cortland dwelt one 
 of these veterans whose occupancy of a 
 bounty claim did not accord with the 
 notions of justice entertained by a land 
 pirate. The old soldier "was an associate 
 with the chivalrous sons who marched to 
 Quebec when winter's awful tempest op- 
 posed their progress, and who crossed the 
 ice-choked Delaware, regardless of chilling 
 winds and angry waves ; again defying the 
 rage of battle beneath the burning sun at 
 Monmouth — kindred spirits to those who 
 fought at Lexington, Concord and Bunker 
 
 Hill After locating on his lot, and 
 
 at a time when hope painted to his eager 
 vision long years of future happiness, he 
 was called upon by one of these gentlemen 
 Shylocks, who informed him that he held a 
 conveyance of his lot, and that he was the 
 only legal owner, and gave him a very po- 
 
Previous to County Organization. 
 
 S3 
 
 lite invitation to evacuate his possessions. 
 But the stern old patriot — the hero of 
 many battles, and who carried on his per- 
 son the certificates of his valor — was not 
 thus hastily to be ejected from his revolu- 
 tionary inheritance. The fire that once 
 glowed so brightly in the old man's eyes 
 on the field of battle was rekindled, and he 
 would sooner have fallen a martyr to justice 
 and right, than have obsequiously acqui- 
 esced in the mandate of his ungallant op- 
 pressor. The conveyance was at length 
 laid open and examined and found to bear 
 a date prior to his own. In short, it was 
 a forgery. When the defrauder found that 
 the stern, heroic warrior would not j'ield to 
 his demand, he threatened him with the 
 terrors of law and the cost of an ejectment 
 suit. This, however, only caused a smile 
 to play over the face of the worthy pioneer 
 
 of civilization He knew that his 
 
 possessions were legally bequeathed to him, 
 as a comparatively small gift for the sacri- 
 fices he had made in the cause of human 
 emancipation ; and to be thus deprived of 
 a home which he had purchased with sac- 
 rifices and blood, would not comport with 
 the principle for which he had contended, 
 and he spurned the intruder from his pres- 
 ence." 
 
 It is to be regretted that the historian 
 did not give us the name of this successful 
 veteran. The act of 1794, before alluded 
 to, while undoubtedly checking the frauds 
 and greatly facilitating the settlement of 
 claims, did not entirely dispose of the liti- 
 gated disputes and contentions. Finally, 
 in the year 1797, the dwellers on the great 
 Military Tract wearied of the continued 
 struggle for their rights and unanimousl}- 
 united in petitioning the State Legislature 
 to pass a law authorizing measures for the 
 speedy and equitable adjustment of all dis- 
 putes relating to their land titles. An act 
 was accordingly passed, appointing Robert 
 
 Yates, James Kent and Vincent Mathews 
 a Board of Commissioners, with full powers 
 "to hear, examine, award and determine 
 all disputes respecting the titles to any and 
 all the military bounty lands." The Gov- 
 ernor was authorized to fill all vacancies in 
 this Board. 
 
 The Commissioners vigorously began 
 and prosecuted their task. Most of the 
 awards of 1798-99 are signed by Vincent 
 Mathews and James Emmott ; later ones 
 by Vincent Mathews and Robert Yates, 
 and some in iSoi-02 by Vincent Mathews, 
 James Emmott and Sanders Livijigston. 
 After a long period of vexatious labor, all 
 the disputed claims were passed upon and 
 the inhabitaats of the Military Tract have 
 since rested in security and peace. 
 
 Following is a complete list of all the 
 original townships of the Military Tract, 
 the different present towns which have been 
 formed from them and the counties in which 
 they are situated : — 
 
 No. Township. Present Towns. County. 
 
 .. I. Lysander. Lysander and part of Granby, Onondaga 
 
 Oswego 
 
 2. Hannibal. Town and west part of the city of Os- 
 
 wego, Hannibal, and north part of 
 
 Granby, Oswego 
 
 3. Cato. Victory and Ira, north part of Con- 
 
 quest and Cato, CajTiga 
 
 4- Brutus. Mentz and Brutus, and parts of Con- 
 
 quest, Cato, Montezuma, Throop 
 and Sennet, Cayuga 
 
 5. Camilhis. Van Buren and Elbridge, and p.art of 
 
 Camillus, Onondaga 
 
 6. Cicero. Clay and Cicero, Onondaga 
 . 7. ManHus. De Witt and Manlius, and part of 
 
 SaHna, Onondaga 
 
 8. .'Vurelius. Fleming, Auburn city and Owasco, 
 
 most of Throop and Sennet, part of 
 
 .Aurelius, and one lot in Montezuma, Cayuga 
 
 9. Marcellus. Skatieateles and .MarceHus, parts of 
 
 Spaffbrd and Otisco, Onondaga 
 
 10. Pompey. Pompey, most of Lafayette, three lots 
 
 in Otisco, Onondaga 
 
 11. RomuUis Romulus, west part of Fayette and 
 
 Varick, and four lots in Seneca 
 
 Falls, Seneca 
 
 12. Scipio. Scipio and Venice, south part of Led- 
 
 y.trd, 5ve lots in Niles, and a small 
 point of the northwest comer of 
 Moravia, Cayug.a 
 
 13. Sempronius. Moravia, Sempronius and most of 
 
 Niles, and part of Spafford, Onondaga 
 
 14. TuUy. Tully, south part of Spafford, and 
 
 Otisco. Scott and Preble, Cortland 
 
 M5. Fabius. .\nd north part of Tnixton and Cuylcr, Onondaga 
 
 Cortland 
 
54 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 No 
 
 . Township. 
 
 Prf.sknt Towns. 
 
 
 COUNTY. 
 
 No 
 
 . TowNSHir. 
 
 Present Towns. 
 
 County. 
 
 16. 
 
 Ovid. 
 
 Ovid, Lodi and Covert, 
 
 
 Seneca 
 
 24. 
 
 Virgil. 
 
 Virgil, most of Harford and Lapeer, 
 
 
 ■7- 
 
 Milton. 
 
 Genoa, 
 
 and Lansing, 
 
 
 Cayuga 
 Tompkins 
 
 
 
 and two and one-quarter lots in Corl- 
 landville, and one lot {20) in Free- 
 
 
 18. 
 
 Locke. 
 
 Locke and Summer Hill, 
 
 
 Cayuga 
 
 
 
 Utwn, 
 
 Cortland 
 
 
 
 and (Iroton, 
 
 
 Tompkins 
 
 25- 
 
 Cincinnatus. 
 
 Freetown, Cincinnatus, and most of 
 
 
 4-, J. 
 
 Homer. 
 
 Homer and most of Cortlandville, 
 
 Cortland 
 
 
 
 Marathon, 
 
 Cortland 
 
 20- 
 
 Solon. 
 
 Solon, Taylor, and south part 
 
 .f Tru.v- 
 
 
 26. 
 
 Junius, 
 
 Jimius, Tyre, Waterloo, and north 
 
 
 V 
 
 
 ton and Cuyler, 
 
 
 Cortland 
 
 
 
 part of Seneca Falls, 
 
 Seneca 
 
 21. 
 
 Hector. 
 
 Hector, 
 
 
 Schuyler 
 
 '-'7- 
 
 (lalen. 
 
 (Jalen and Savannah, 
 
 Wayne 
 
 22. 
 
 Ulysses. 
 
 Ulysses, Enfield and Ithaca, 
 
 
 Tompkins 
 
 28. 
 
 Sterling. 
 
 Sterling, and east part of Wolcott and 
 
 
 23- 
 
 Dry den. 
 
 Nearly the whole of Dryden, 
 
 
 Tompkins 
 
 
 
 Hutler, 
 
 Cayuga 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 FORMATION OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 A Division of Onondaga County Demanded — The Petition of Southern Residents for that Object* — Important 
 Provisions of the Law Organizing Cortland County — Origin of Name — Changes in the Townships — Organiz.ation 
 of the Courts — First County Officers — Early Political Parties — Pioneers of the County — Delays in Early Settle- 
 ment — Comparative D,ates of Other Settlements — Routes of Incoming Pioneers — Privations of Early Settlers — 
 Winter Travel in Olden Times — The First Settlers in Cortland County — Mrs. Beebe's Lonely Life in the Wilder- 
 ness — Settlements in the Different Towns Previous to iSlo — Population at that Date — Opening of Early Roads - 
 Turnpike Road Companies — Necessity for (Irist-Mills — 'I'he First Churches — Early Schools. 
 
 AS miglit be apprehended, there were in- 
 ternal causes, originating in the neces- 
 sities of the inhabitants, the growth of set- 
 tlements, the con\-enicnt transaction of busi- 
 ness of a public nature, etc., which led to 
 the formation of Cortland county as a sep- 
 arate civil organization. Some of the prin- 
 cipal of these causes were enumerated in 
 the original petition to the Legislature for 
 the division of Onondaga county, which 
 read as follows : — 
 
 "To the Honorable, the Legislature of the State 
 of New York in Senate and Assembly con- 
 vened : The Petition of the Subscribers, inhab- 
 itants of the towns of Fabius, Tully, Solon, 
 Homer, Virgil, and Cincinnatu.s, humbly shew- 
 eth : — 
 
 " Tliat the county of Onondaga is ninety-si.x 
 miles in length, and at an average breadth of 
 about twenty-five miles ; that from the extreme 
 of the southern boundary of the said county to 
 tlie court house is sixty miles, — which operates 
 greatly to the inconvenience of many of your pe- 
 titioners in giving their attendance at court. That 
 the population of said county is now very great,' 
 
 1 The population of Onondaga county in 1810 was 25,- 
 987- 
 
 and is daily increasing, which renders it impossi- 
 ble for our Court of Common Pleas and (ieneral 
 Sessions of the Peace to transact with due expedi- 
 ency the legal business of said county ; whereby 
 the suitors of said courts e.xperience great delay 
 of justice, which, in the opinion of your petition- 
 ers, is equivalent to a denial of justice. That 
 your petitioners humbly conceive that a division 
 of the said county will be of signal advantage to 
 the inhabitants of the said towns of Solon, Fa- 
 bius, Tully, Homer, Virgil, and Cincinnatus, and 
 also to the inhabitants of the northern part of said 
 county. 
 
 " Your petitioners, tlierefore, humbly pray tliat 
 the before-mentioned towns be erected into a 
 new county by the name of Courtlandt, and that 
 there be three Courts of Cotnmon Pleas and Gen- 
 eral Sessions of the Peace held in the said county 
 as follows, viz. : on the second Tuesday of April, 
 and the first Tuesday of September and Decem- 
 ber, in every year, after the due organization of 
 the said county. 
 
 "And your petitioners as in duty bound will 
 ever pray." 
 
 This petition was signed by seven hun- 
 dred and forty-seven of the prominent resi- 
 dents of the fi\e towns desiring the separa- 
 tion. On the 4th day of February, i8o8, 
 
Formation of the County. 
 
 55 
 
 the petition was introduced in the Senate by 
 the Hon. John Ballard, a resident of Homer 
 and a member from the western district. It 
 was referred to a committee composed of 
 Messrs. Ballard, Buel and Yates. On the 
 following day Mr. Ballard made a report in 
 favor of the prayer of the petitioners, pre- 
 senting at the same time a bill to that effect, 
 which was thereupon read the first and sec- 
 ond times and referred to the Committee of 
 the Whole. In this Committee it was called 
 up on the 8th, when it was ordered to be 
 engrossed. On the loth it was read for the 
 third time and passed. 
 
 It was sent on the same day to the Assem- 
 bly, read and referred to the Committee of 
 the Whole. Here it met with considerable 
 opposition, as important measures usually do. 
 The northern towns of Onondaga count)' 
 remonstrated against the proposed division 
 of the county, and opposition was fostered 
 among the people to such an extent that the 
 Hon. Joshua Forman, the founder of Syra- 
 cuse and then in the Assembl}-, made a char- 
 acteristically eloquent and forcible speech 
 against the measure. But it was all without 
 avail ; Cortland County was to be, and it was 
 — and is. The bill became a law on the 8th 
 day of April, 1 8o8. Following are the more 
 important sections of the law which gave 
 this count}- a place among the civil organ- 
 izations of the State : — 
 "An Act to Divide the County of Onondaga, 
 
 passed April 8th, i8o8. 
 
 " I. Be it enacted by the people of the State 
 of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- 
 bly, that all that part of the county of Onondaga, 
 to wit : Beginning at the south corner of the town 
 of Cincinnatus, and thence running north along 
 the east line of the towns of Cincinnatus, Solon 
 and Fabius, to the northeast corner of lot num- 
 ber sixty, in said town of Fabius ; thence run- 
 ning west along the north line of that tier of lots, 
 through the towns of Fabius and Tully, to the 
 northwest corner of lot number fifty-one, in said 
 town of 'I'ully ; thence south along the east line 
 of the county of Cayuga, to the southeast corner 
 
 of the towns of Virgil and Cincinnatus, to the 
 place of beginning, shall be one separate and dis- 
 tinct county, and shall be called and known by 
 the name of Cortland. 
 
 "II. And be it further enacted, that the 
 Courts in and for the said county shall be held at 
 the school house on lot number forty-five in the 
 town of Homer. 
 
 "III. And be it further enacted, that all that 
 part of the town of Fabius situated in the county 
 of Cortland shall be called Truxton ; and all that 
 part of the town of Tully in said county of Cort- 
 land shall be called Preble." 
 
 Other sections of the Act provided that 
 Cortland county should have one Member 
 of Assembly ; that it should form a part of 
 the Western Senatorial District and part of 
 the Thirteenth Congressional District. 
 
 The passage of this Act, forming as it did 
 the town of Preble from Tully, and Trux- 
 ton from Fabius, gave the new county six 
 townships — Virgil, formed from Homer in 
 1804; Cincinnatus, formed the same year 
 from Solon ; Homer, Solon, Preble and 
 Truxton. No changes were made in the 
 towns during the first decade of the centurj'. 
 
 The Act of the Legislature erecting the 
 I county provided for the holding of three 
 courts of Common Pleas and General Ses- 
 sions of the Peace ; they were to be held on 
 the second Tuesday of April, and the first 
 Tuesdays of September and December, in 
 every year after the due organization of the 
 county. These courts were to have "the 
 same jurisdiction, powers and authorities as 
 the courts of Common Pleas and General 
 \ Sessions of the Peace in the other counties 
 of the State ha\-c in their respective coun- 
 ties." Suits previously commenced, how- 
 ever, were not to be affected so as to work 
 a wrong or prejudice to any of the parties ; 
 nor were any criminal or other proceedings 
 on the part of the State to be in the least 
 affected by the change ; on the contrary, all 
 such civil and criminal proceedings were to 
 be prosecuted to trial, judgment and e.xecu- 
 
56 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 tion. It was also provided that the courts 
 of the new county should "be held at the 
 school- house on lot 45, in the town of Ho- 
 mer." John Keep was the first County 
 Judge, receiving his appointment on the 3d 
 day of April, 18 10. 
 
 As before stated, Cortland county was 
 made a part of the Western Senatorial Dis- 
 trict and of the Thirteenth Congressional 
 District, and was entided to one Member 
 of Assembly ; this latter fact continued until 
 1823, when two Members, Daniel Sherwood 
 and John Gillett were elected. Ephraim 
 Fish was the first Member, elected in 18 10, 
 taking his seat at the opening of the 33d 
 session. Further first officers of the county 
 were John Ballard, County Clerk, appointed 
 April Sth, 1808; succeeded by Reuben 
 Washburn, April 3d, 18 10. Asahel Minor, 
 Sheriff, April Sth, 1808 ; succeeded by Wm. 
 Mallory June 9th, 180S, (by appointment), 
 and Joshua Ballard April 3d, 18 10. John 
 McWhorter, Surrogate, appointed April 
 8th, 1808; succeeded by Mead Merrill, 
 April 3d, 1810.1 
 
 The polidcal parties of the country at the 
 time under consideration were the Demo- 
 cratic and Federal ; but the era was not yet 
 inaugurated when the political field was an- 
 nually filled with the hotly engaged con- 
 testants of later days, determined to show 
 that the fate of the country depends upon 
 the success of their respective parties. 
 
 In order to place clearly before the reader 
 the events leading to the formation of the 
 county, its boundaries, its condition at the 
 time of its formation, etc., necessary to a 
 proper understanding of its detailed history, 
 we have anticipated by about seventeen years 
 the first settlements within its borders. Let 
 us now revert to the history of that period. 
 
 The pioneers of this county came, in the 
 main, from New England — brave, hardy, 
 
 1 For county officials ,-ifter 1810, see civil list in subse- 
 quent pages. 
 
 energetic, persevering Yankees. While it 
 was not for them to perform great and 
 heroic deeds, in the common understanding 
 of the term, they nevertheless participated 
 in events about their own hearthstones and 
 in the thick forests that surrounded their 
 primitive dwellings, which should record 
 their names on the imperishable rolls of 
 honor beside those of men who have mar- 
 shaled armies to drench with blood a hun- 
 dred battle-fields. They were men who 
 must have lived not so much for the enjoy- 
 ment of living, as for the future good that 
 might accrue from their earthly work. 
 Many of them had taken active part in the 
 stern events of the Revolution, while all had 
 felt the inspiring influences born of the 
 knowledge that henceforth they and their 
 country would be free; and they came into 
 the wilderness full of rugged enthusiasm 
 and an unflinching determination to create 
 peaceful and permanent homes for them- 
 selves and their posterity. 
 
 Settlement in Cortland county was de- 
 layed beyond that of most other sections of 
 this State. The Indian title to the rich 
 garden of the Genesee country was extin- 
 guished before the Military Tract was ceded 
 to the State, and it lay on the great thor- 
 oughfare from the populated country farther 
 east. The Phelps and Gorham purchase, 
 through the energy of its owners and east- 
 ern agents, was rapidly settled at an early 
 date, about fifty townships having been sold 
 by the year 1790; while the central por- 
 tions of the State, hilly and covered with a 
 heavy growth of timber, was looked upon 
 with little favor by prospective pioneers. 
 Hence, it was not until the fall of 1791 that 
 a permanent white settler began his home 
 in this county, on the banks of the Tiough- 
 nioga river. At that date the valleys of the 
 Susquehanna and Chenango rivers had been 
 settled to some e.xtent for more than five 
 years. The site of Binghamton had been 
 
Formation of the County. 
 
 57 
 
 occupied two years. Onondaga valley had 
 been settled about five years. Salt had 
 been manufactured at Salina for three years. 
 Norwich had been settled three years ; Ith- 
 aca two years. Oxford, Chenango county, 
 was settled in 1790, and mills had been 
 erected at Rochester in 17S8. 
 
 The pioneers of this count}-, or a large 
 majority of them, came in either by way of 
 the Susquehanna, the Chenango, and the 
 Tioughnioga, from the south and east; or 
 southward from Manlius through Truxton, 
 and later from Onondaga Vallc)-. The In- 
 dian trails were followed, where practicable, 
 until State roads were opened, and many 
 of the limited domestic outfits of the early 
 settlers were brought up the Tioughnioga 
 in canoes. Journeys of hundreds of miles, 
 from Massachusetts and other Eastern 
 States, were made in what were then called 
 " Connecticut covered wagons," which toiled 
 onward through the wilderness day after 
 day, the pioneer and his family sleeping in 
 or beside them at night. The forests were 
 peopled with innumerable deer, so that the 
 pioneer seldom wanted for excellent meat ; 
 but often when the journey was unexpect- 
 edly prolonged, the little store of supplies 
 was exhausted, and the travelers were forced 
 to depend upon roots to keep away the 
 wolf of hunger.^ Many of the pioneers had 
 never seen an Indian ; but the greater part 
 of them had read or heard of their bloody 
 deeds on the border, and met them for the 
 first time with much trepidation. In almost 
 every instance, however, the settlers were 
 kindly received, and were often placed 
 under obligations almost for life itself, to 
 
 1 An old lady relating to us the hardships through 
 which they had passed, remarked that, "had it not been 
 for the deer that roamed at large, they should have suf- 
 fered still more severely, and perhaps unto death, as roots 
 and venison were their only food for many a long and 
 gloomy day;" and the tears came in the eyes of this 
 sainted mother of Israel as she told her tale of privation, 
 suffering and sorrow. — Goodwin's Pioneer History of 
 Cortland County. 
 
 the generous and faithful -deeds of the red 
 men. 
 
 Many of the early settlers came into the 
 county in the winter season, and often suf- 
 fered severe hardships. Deep snows buried 
 the indefinite trails from sight, and made 
 progress throiigh the forests exceedingly 
 slow. But three miles a day were traveled 
 at times for days together ; and when these 
 unusual delays caused a scarcity of food, as 
 just alluded to, the situation of the pioneer, 
 in the midst of a snow-covered forest, with 
 wife and children looking to him for care 
 and sustenance, was not an enviable one. 
 
 In the }'ear 1789 Amos Todd and Joseph 
 Beebe left their homes in New Haven, 
 Conn., and journeyed through the wilder- 
 ness to Windsor, in Broome county. Thej' 
 were brothers-in-law, Mr. Beebe having 
 married the sister of Mr. Todd, and she 
 shared the fortune of her husband and 
 brother in their new and primitive home. 
 Two years after their settlement in Wind- 
 sor they became convinced that the valley 
 of the Tioughnioga held out greater induce- 
 ments for them than were offered in their 
 present locality ; they accordingly deter- 
 mined to penetrate still further into the wil- 
 derness. After a tedious journey, accom- 
 panied by the usual toil and hardship, they 
 reached a point on or near the site of Ho- 
 mer village, where they erected the first 
 rude dwelling constructed by white men 
 within the limits of this county. These 
 three pioneers reached their destination in 
 the fall, and immediately built their house, 
 which stood near the bridge on Main street, 
 just north of Homer village. The dwell- 
 ing was built mainly "of poles, twelve by 
 fifteen feet." During the following winter 
 the two men returned to Windsor for the 
 remainder of their household goods which 
 had been left behind. Instead of making 
 the journey as anticipated, the)- were snow 
 bound for six weeks, leaving Mrs. Beebe 
 
58 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 alone in the wilderness, her only compan- 
 ions the howling wolves and other beasts 
 of the forest. But her remarkable bra\er\- 
 and hopeful patience sustained her through 
 the long period of loneliness and anxiety as 
 to the fate of all that was dearest to her. 
 It was an example of womanly heroism of 
 which there are few parallels.' 
 
 The two men packed their goods in a 
 canoe, and at the earliest possible moment 
 started towards the waiting wife and sister. 
 At Binghamton they were joined by John 
 Miller, a native of New Jersey, and in due 
 time reached the loneh- woman. Mr. Mil- 
 ler explored the East river section, and 
 then returned southward. In the spring he 
 came into the county accompanied by John 
 House, James Matthews, James Moore, 
 Silas and Daniel Miller. All of the.se men 
 located near the site of Homer village, Mr. 
 Miller on lot 56, (now in Cortlandville) ; 
 Messrs. Beebe and Todd subsequently set- 
 tled on lot 42. Darius Kinney came to 
 Homer in 1793, and other settlers in that 
 vicinity rapidly followed, more particular 
 records of which will be found in the his- 
 tory of the town of Homer. In 1797 Ho- 
 mer contained but ninety-two inhabitants. 
 
 In the year 1792 Joseph Chaplin came 
 into the town of Virgil and made the first 
 permanent settlement ; he located on lot 
 50 and two years later moved on his family. 
 He explored and surveyed the State Road 
 from Oxford, Chenango county to the Cay- 
 uga lake during the first season, afterw.ard 
 employing assistants and fulfilling his con- 
 tract for the construction of the road. It 
 was completed in 1793-94; after which he 
 brought in his family. About the same 
 time a road was surveyed and partially cut 
 through the wilderness from the south, near 
 the river, until near the present site of Mar- 
 
 ' A more detailed account of this event, and one that 
 sheds some new light upon it, will be fmind in the hi-- 
 lory of the town of Homer. 
 
 athon village, when, diverging from the 
 stream, it crossed the south line of lot nimi- 
 ber 72, about three-fourths of a mile east of 
 the village of Marathon, and, continuing in 
 a northerly direction, intersected the State 
 road on lot 42 in Freetown and so passed 
 on northward through the county to the 
 Salina salt works, gi\'ing it the name of "the 
 Salt Road." These two roads were the 
 first in the county that were worthy of 
 being called roads. 
 
 The next settlers came into \'irgil in 
 1795, after which time, as will be learned 
 in the history of that town, settlement was 
 made from year to year, though not so 
 rapidly as in some other portions of the 
 county. 
 
 Ezra Rockwell and his sons, Thomas and 
 Ezra, jr., came into the present town of 
 Taylor in 1793; they were from Leno.x, 
 Mass., and settled on lot 78, a bounty for 
 the father's services in the Revolution. 
 Two years later (1795) Thomas Rockwell 
 removed to Cincinnatus, occupying lots 9 
 and 19, the latter including the site of Cin- 
 cinnatus village. Settlements in Taylor 
 were few until after i8io. 
 
 The first actual settlers of the town of 
 Marathon were Dr. Japheth Hunt and wife, 
 then aged people, two sons, James and Wil- 
 liam, and three daughters, Betsey, Nancy 
 and Hannah. The family came up the 
 Tioughnioga in canoes in the year 1794, 
 and located about a mile south of the site 
 of the village. Settlements had progressed 
 but to a limited extent by 1 8 10. In the 
 same year (1794) Nathaniel Potter, Jonah 
 Stiles, Christopher Whitney, David Morse 
 and Benjamin Brown located in the town 
 of Truxton, and a large number of settlers 
 had located in the town by 18 10. Settle- 
 ment within the present limits of Cincinna- 
 tus was begun in 1795, about which time 
 John Kingman, Thaddeus Rockwell Zurial 
 Raymond, Dr. John McWhorter, and Sam- 
 
Formation of the County. 
 
 59 
 
 uel Vining came in. By the year iSiO set- | 
 tlement in this town had ad\anced so that 
 the population was about 1,500. Solon was 
 first settled in 1 794, by Roderick Beebe and 
 Johnson Bingham, the former locating on 
 lot 75, a portion of which has since been 
 called Mt. Roderick ;. he was from Massa- 
 chusetts and Mr. Bingham from Connecti- 
 cut. During the succeeding five or six 
 years settlement in this town progressed 
 slowly. 
 
 In 1794 the first of those energetic men 
 — men of brain as well as muscle — who 
 laid the foundation for the present prosper- 
 ity of the town of Cortlandville, made a 
 
 1 
 settlement near the site of the present thriv- j 
 
 ing village. Jonathan Hubbard and Moses 
 Hopkins both came that year, the former | 
 becoming the owner of the greater part of 
 the land on which the village now stands, 1 
 and the latter locating on lot 64, just west 
 of the village. They came in by way of 
 Cazenovia and Truxton. Several accessions 
 were made in the settlement during the 
 years 1796 and '97, and from that time to 
 1810 pioneers came in rapid!)-, attracted by 
 the natural features of the spot and in a 
 greater degree, doubtless, by the influence 
 of their predecessors. By the year 18 10 
 the nucleus of a village was established, 
 while a settlement of still greater activity 
 existed at Port Watson. The lands in that 
 vicinity had passed into possession of a few 
 eastern men, the principal one of whom 
 seems to have been Elkanah Watson, whose 
 name appears in the records of the County 
 Clerk's office with wonderful frequency from 
 the year 1800 through the succeeding twelve 
 or fifteen years, as the seller of lots in the 
 \illage of Port \\'atson. Watson's home is 
 given as in "Albany county (now Pittsfield), 
 Massachusetts." Many of his sales were 
 made by attorney, and will be more partic- 
 ularly referred to in the history of the town, 
 in a subsequent chapter. 
 
 Settlement was begun in Freetown in 
 1795 and in Preble in the next year; the 
 former town by Ensign Rice, who settled 
 on lot No 2, which was drawn by Robert 
 Smith, a soldier of the Revolution. Rice 
 was a son-in-law of Smith and the latter 
 also settled on the lot in 1800. James 
 Cravath and John Gill were the first settlers 
 in Preble, the former removing from Pompey 
 Hill, whither he had migrated from Con- 
 necticut; he located on lot 68 and Gill on 
 lot -jQ. 
 
 In the \ear 1797^ Ebenezer Crittenden 
 settled within the present town of Willet. 
 He came from Barrington, Mass., married 
 a wife in Binghamton, and, with their child, 
 he pushed a canoe containing his family and 
 household goods up the river to the chosen 
 spot for their pioneer home. About twenty 
 families had located in the town b\- 18 10. 
 
 The town of Scott was settled in 1799; 
 Lapeer in 1802 and Harford in 1803. In 
 the latter but few families had arrived b}' 
 
 1 Our authority for the date given above is Goodwin's 
 History. French's Gazetteer gives tlie date of Critten- 
 den's arrival as 1793; but it is probable that this is in- 
 correct. In this connection the following statement from 
 Elder S. G. Jones, of Virgil, who formerly lived there, is 
 important. He says : " Do not make the mistake of 
 crediting Ebenezer Crittenden with being the first settler 
 of the old town of Cincinnatus (including Freetown, Mar- 
 athon and Willet. ) Elnathan Baker was the first settler 
 and located on the east side of the Otselic, a mile and a 
 half north of Dyer Hill. I .saw his son fifty years ago 
 — the Rev. Elnathan Baker. We visited thesite of his 
 father's log hut ; it was then grow n up with trees six to 
 ten inches through. He said that the only white man he 
 saw while they lived there was Dr. McWhorter. A 
 young Irishman came to their cabin one day and reported 
 that his father had been shot by an Indian ; the bullet 
 being lodged in his thigh. Dr. McWhorter extracted the 
 ball, and after the wounded man's recovery he and his 
 son went down the Otselic and the Susquehanna to their 
 home. It was reported that he was shot in after years 
 by the same Indian. North of the cabin of Mr. Baker 
 was what was known fifty-eight years ago, as the " Indian 
 orchard," comprising some fifty trees. The younger 
 Baker says his father planted the seeds from which this 
 orchard grew, and he saw the work done; the trees were 
 growing when they left the locality, which was « hen he 
 was ten years old. He died in Luzerne county, I'a. 
 
6o 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 1810. Peter Gray, a native of Fishkill, 
 Duchess county, was the first white settler 
 in Lapeer,' locating on lot 70. Peleg Bab- 
 cock, with his brothers, Solomon and Asa 
 Howard, came into the town of Scott in 
 '799. from Leyden, Mass. The former lo- 
 cated on lot 82, with Solomon and Asa H. 
 beside him on the same lot. Settlement 
 in this town was slow, until later than 18 10. 
 "The population of the towns that had 
 come into existence by the year 18 10 as 
 shown b\- the census report was as follows : 
 
 Homer, 2,975 
 
 Solon, 1 ,263 
 
 Virgil, 906 
 
 Cincinnatus, 1,525 
 
 Preble 1 , 1 79 
 
 Tru.xton, i ,03 i 
 
 In the portion of this work which is to be 
 devoted to a general review of the history 
 of the county, it is unnecessary to follow 
 farther the course of settlement in the differ- 
 ent towns, as those matters will be treated 
 in full detail in subsequent chapters The 
 reader has learned in the foregoing few- 
 pages that, during the first decade of the 
 present century, settlement by white people 
 had become firmly established in nearly all 
 sections of the county, while in the more 
 favored Iccalities it had progressed rapidly, 
 with assurances of still faster growth in the 
 immediate future. Lots in many sections 
 had already been cut into smaller farms and 
 were changing hands at gradually advanc- 
 ing prices. While the primeval forest still 
 covered a large portion of the county, still 
 the settlers, who had occupied their farms 
 for periods ranging from ten to fifteen years, 
 cleared acre after acre and, hampered as 
 the}' were by numerous obstacles and trying 
 circumstances which would in these days 
 appear insurmountable, were rapidly plac- 
 
 1 Primus Grant, a colored man, purchased lot 594 and 
 settled thereon in 1799. He died on his farm and was 
 buried l)y the side of the " liig brook." 
 
 ing their cleared lands luidcr a state of cul- 
 tivation. 
 
 The principal difficulty with which the 
 pioneer had to contend was the absence of 
 roads, mills and markets. The first author- 
 ized road in the county was the old State 
 Road before alluded to as having been 
 opened by Joseph Chaplin ' and finished as 
 far as his contract went, in 1794. This road 
 extended from Oxford, Chenango county, 
 to Ludlowville, on the eastern shore of Ca- 
 yuga lake, a distance of about sixty miles. 
 Coming into this county in the southeastern 
 part, it passed through Willet, thence along 
 the north line of the present tow n of Mar- 
 athon and through Virgil. 
 
 At this time several roads had been 
 opened through the northern part of what 
 is now Onondaga county, and, in 1796, $500 
 was appropriated from the first money com- 
 ing into the hands of the Surveyor-General 
 for the improvement of the roads of the 
 country. What the final result of this ap- 
 propriation was, we have been unable to de- 
 termine. 
 
 Within a few years after the opening of 
 the State Road, and before 1 800, a road from 
 Port Watson to Solon was opened, and 
 about the same time numerous short inter- 
 secting roads were laid out in different parts 
 of the county. The main road from Cort- 
 land village to Virgil was opened in 1806.- 
 
 In the year 1 807 the Salina and Che- 
 nango Turnpike Company was incorporated 
 by the Legislature. The company com- 
 
 ' Mr. Chaplin was drowned a few years later in the 
 Hudson river at Co.\sackie. See history of town of Virgil. 
 
 - " At this period (1800) a road had been cut through 
 to X'irgil Corners, to intersect the State Road. Another 
 had l5een cut through to Locke — now Groton ; a third 
 to McGrawville ; a fourth to Truxton, and a fifth to Ho- 
 mer." — Goodwin. It is probable that Mr. Goodwin's 
 statement refers merely to the " cutting out " of these 
 roads, or a portion of them at least, and not to their being 
 opened and worked. The late Nathan Bouton gives the 
 date of the o|)ening of the road from Virgil to Cortland 
 as 1806, and his authority on the subject can scarcely be 
 questioned. 
 
Formation of the County. 
 
 6i 
 
 prised Samuel Coe, Reuben Cross, Chaun- 
 cey Hyde, Daniel Hudson, Elisha Alvord, 
 Joseph Smith, Samuel Trowbridge, Levi 
 Bowen and John Ballard. Sev-eral of these 
 men were residents of this county. The 
 road was to run from Salina, through On- 
 ondaga Hollow to the north line of Tully ; 
 thence southerly through the towns of Tully, 
 Homer, Virgil and Cincinnatus to Lisle, and 
 thence to Chenango Point (Binghamton.) 
 There were 6,000 shares of stock put in 
 market, at $20 per share. 
 
 On the 4th of April, 1 8 1 1 , a road was au- 
 thorized from Manlius to intersect the turn- 
 pike in the northeast corner of lot 87, in the 
 town of Truxton. 
 
 June 2d, 18 1 2, the Cortland and Seneca 
 Turnpike Company was incorporated, with 
 Jonathan Hubbard, David Jones and Parley 
 Whitmore as corporators. The road began 
 at the house of Daniel Miller in the town of 
 Homer, and ran thence to Ithaca. The cap- 
 ital of the company was $25,000 divided 
 into shares of $20 each. The company were 
 authorized to erect a toll gate as soon as 
 twelve miles of the road were finished. This 
 road was not built, probabl\% until after 
 1 8 16, as in that year the charter of the com- 
 pany was revived by the Legislature. 
 
 Much of the business of the Legislature 
 from 1800 to 1820 was in connection with 
 the incorporation of turnpike companies and 
 other road matters ; and in 1804 <i Board of 
 Turnpike Commissioners was appointed by 
 the State, whose duty it was to inspect the 
 State roads, hear complaints relative to the 
 highways, and kindred duties. Their com- 
 pensation was two dollars per day. 
 
 During the period under consideration 
 grist-mills were exceedingly scarce in Cort- 
 land county, and, indeed, throughout Central 
 New York ; the nearest to most of the set- 
 tlers were thirty or forty miles distant, and 
 several of the earliest years of settlement 
 had elapsed before there were any even at 
 
 that distance. The prevailing substitute for 
 mill-stones was an enormous mortar made 
 by digging and burning a hollow in the top 
 of a hickory or other hard wood stump, after 
 the manner of the Indians. Into this the 
 corn was put and pounded into coarse meal 
 by the action of a heavy pestle attached to 
 a sweep or spring-pole. This primitive 
 method was followed even after mills were 
 built at Onondaga Hollow, Manlius, Che- 
 nango Forks and Ludlowville ; for it was not 
 always that a journey could be made by in- 
 habitants of Cortland county to either of 
 those distant points with a small grist ; they 
 were all nearly or quite forty miles distant 
 for most of the settlers of the county, and 
 more than that for many. As there were 
 no roads, the trail being followed by marked 
 trees, with often considerable streams to 
 ford, the grists being mostly transported 
 upon "dra}-s,"i or carried in a single bag 
 on horseback, it will be readily imagined 
 that " going to mill" was not the light task 
 that it soon afterward became.'- It was, 
 therefore, a source of great relief to the early 
 settlers of this county when Asa White and 
 John Keep, of Homer, built the first grist- 
 mill in the county, at Homer village, in 
 
 1 The "dray" was simply a large crotched limb or 
 tree, across which were nailed a few boards ; to this the 
 horse was attached. 
 
 2 Mr. Orellana Beebe, of Taylor, informed Mr. Good- 
 win that he was compelled, one spring, in order not to 
 neglect other necessary work, to send his ten-year old 
 son to Genoa, after either grain or flour. The boy 
 mounted the horse and started with three bags, each con- 
 taining eight pounds of maple sugar, which would pay 
 for three bushels of wheat. The distance was forty 
 miles, and the road a line of blazed trees. Reaching his 
 destination after a long and fatiguing day, the httle fel- 
 low was filled with grief when informed by 'Squire Brad- 
 ley that he could not have the grain. He was much re- 
 lieved, however, when the kind man agreed to open a 
 barrel of flour in the morning and give him the value of 
 the sugar in that. With his precious load the boy reached 
 the residence of Judge Bingham, on the Salt Road, at 
 nightfall, where he was kept over night, and at ten o'clock 
 the next day he turned the flour over to the admiring 
 father and mother. Of such determined character were 
 the boys of that day. 
 
62 
 
 HiSTOUY OF CuRTI.ANI) CuUNTV. 
 
 1798, which was followed within the suc- 
 ceeding two or three years by that of Jona 
 than Hubbard, on the west branch of the 
 river and now within the corporation of 
 Cortland \'illage.' While these mills were 
 not comparable in any sense to what is con- 
 sidered in this day as necessary in a good 
 flouring mill, they were, nevertheless, a 
 blessing to the pioneers, the magnitude of 
 which can scarcely be appreciated. Other 
 mills, both grist and saw-mills, .succeeded 
 each other in diflerent parts of the count}', 
 as the needs of the inhabitants demanded — 
 in Virgil in 1805 ; in Truxton in 1809, etc., 
 as hereafter noted. 
 
 Previous to the beginning of the century 
 most of the limited supplies of groceries 
 used b}' the inhabitants of the county were 
 procured in Manlius, or at other distant 
 points whither it was necessary to go to get 
 milling done ; but it must not be supposed 
 that" groceries" were then considered the 
 necessity that they soon became, under the 
 advance of civilization.- Maple sugar in 
 any quantity the settlers could make on 
 their own farms, and tea and coffee were 
 not by any means a daily beverage with 
 many of them until long after the period 
 under consideration. By the )'ear 18 10, 
 however, there were stores in the little vil- 
 
 1 Jonathan Huljbaid must have had an interest in 
 the Homer (village) mill as early as 1800, as Mrs. Hub- 
 bard, of Cortland, possesses an article of agreement dated 
 June 23d, iSoo, made between Jonathan Hubbard (senior) 
 and Asa White of the first part, and James Turner of the 
 second part, whereby the first parties lease to Turner for 
 the sum of fifty dollars, "a privilege of water to carry a 
 fulling mill at their mills on lot number 45 in Homer, at 
 all times when it does not damage their mills now 
 erected," etc. 
 
 2 "The early pioneers located in these dense forests 
 erected their rude unadorned cabins, hoping for the sure 
 rewards of industry, perseverance and economy. But 
 they were often subjected to great inconvenience and 
 sufferipg, for the want of the necessary articles of hus- 
 bandry, and also those of subsistence. We have been 
 told of instances of whole families living for successive 
 weeks upon turnips and salt ; of others wlio boiled roots 
 gathered in the forest and ate them with a relish thai is un- 
 
 lages of Homer, Cortland, Port Watson and 
 a few other points in the county, which 
 were a great convenience to the inhabitants 
 and will be found further noticed in the sub- 
 sequent town histories. 
 
 Religious and educational matters early 
 commanded the attention of the people of 
 this county. The first church was organ- 
 ized in the town of Homer as early as 180 1, 
 and religious services had been observed 
 since 1793.' In June, 1807, a commodious 
 house of worship was dedicated, with a ser- 
 mon, by the Rev. Mr. Darrow. The edifice 
 stood upon the site now occupied by the 
 haudsome brick church in rear of the "green " 
 in Homer village. The organization of a 
 Baptist church was effected' through the 
 joint labors of the inhabitants of Cortland, 
 Port Watson, on the East river and in 
 Homer, in the same year (1801) and a build- 
 ing erected in 181 1, about " one- half mile 
 north of the old court-house." A Conere- 
 gational church society was formed in Tully 
 (now Preble) in 1804, and in Virgil in the 
 succeeding year. A Methodist meeting 
 was held in the house of Jonathan Hubbard 
 in Cortland in 1804, and a class was soon 
 after formed, and other religious organiza- 
 tions rapidly followed the march of settle- 
 ment in other and more remote portions of 
 
 known to the epicurean lords of the present day. To them 
 a mess of parsley presented by a neighboring hand was 
 regarded as an act of marked and generous attention. 
 Grain and potatoes were not to be had in the country. 
 David Merrick (of Cortland) sent his team through the 
 woods to Geneva by a neighbor, to whom he gave five 
 dollars, just enough to purchase two bushels of wheat. 
 It was procured and ground ; but on the return one of 
 the bags was torn open by coming in contact with a tree, 
 and the flour of one bushel was lost ; the remainder was 
 emptied on its arrival by .Mrs. .Merrick into a four quart 
 pan." — Goodwin. 
 
 1 The records in the County Clerk's oflice bear evidence 
 that on the 20th day of April, 1805, the I'irst Religious 
 Society of Homer, represented by Thomas L. Bishop, 
 .\dmatha Blodgett and Eliphalet Price, trustees, pur- 
 chased for $1.00 sl.\ acres on lot 45, Homer village, "for 
 the purpose of erecting a meeting house and all necessary 
 outbuildings, and a burying ground." 
 
The Second Decade. 
 
 63 
 
 the county, extended reference to which 
 will be found in the proper course of the 
 town histories herein. 
 
 Contemporaneous with the organization 
 of religious societies and the building of 
 churches, the establishment of schools was 
 effected, the first of which was opened in 
 Homer in the year 1798 ; the building stood 
 near the railroad crossing just north of Ho- 
 mer village. A second one was built a 
 little later on the northeast corner of the 
 "green." A school was taught in Cincin- 
 natus in 1797; in Marathon in 1 803 ; in 
 Preble in 1801 ; in Scott in 1803 ; in Solon 
 in 1804; in Truxton in 1799; in Taylor in 
 1 8 10; in Harford in 1806, etc. Indeed, in 
 every neighborhood where there were fam- 
 ilies of children (and that was the rule in 
 almost every neighborhood in early times) 
 it was considered one of the first duties of 
 the settlers to provide, by the most availa- 
 ble means, for their education. It mattered 
 little what were the conditions — how far 
 the little ones must trudge through the 
 woods, or how hard the seats they were 
 compelled to occupy through each day — to 
 school they were sent at the earliest possible 
 time ; thus assuring the intelligent commun- 
 ities that grew up throughout the county. 
 
 The information that we have been able 
 to obtain as to the first birth in the county 
 has not been very satisfactory ; but it was 
 probably that of Stephen Potter, of Trux- 
 ton, in 1794. Mr. Potter's father was killed 
 in the year 1798, by a falling tree. The 
 first death in the county of which we find 
 reliable record was that of Mrs. Thomas 
 Gould Alvord, of Homer, in 1795. 
 
 It may not be uninteresting to close this 
 chapter (which carries the general county 
 histor\' through the first decade of the cen- 
 tury) with a brief reference to a few of the 
 quaint names found among those of the 
 early settlers. The gradual change in the 
 character of names given to children has 
 often been remarked ; very few of the old 
 bible, classical and heroic names are now 
 inflicted upon offspring. This change will 
 be a desirable one, or otherwise, according 
 to the tastes of different persons. We find 
 among the names of early Cortland county 
 residents, numerous examples of the Asaphs, 
 Zerahs, Keziahs, Zadocs, etc., of olden 
 times ; but perhaps the most astonishing 
 of the entire list were those of Increase 
 Hooker, Remembrance Curtiss, and, to cap 
 the climax, Preserved Fish. Yet, after all, 
 " What's in a name? " 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE SECOND DEC.VDE. 
 
 Dwellings and Surroundings of Early Settlers — Household Conveniences — House Raising — The Pioneer's 
 First .\gricultural Work — " Logging Bees" — The .Settler's Diet — Scarcity of Money — .Advantages of Asheries — 
 The Tioughnioga River as a Highway to Market — The Head of Navigation — Port Watson Village — The First 
 Newspaper in the County — Its Chief Characteristics — Old Advertisements — The First Court-House — An Old 
 Building Document — Village Rivalry — Further Organization of Turnpike Companies — Change of Boundary — 
 The First Newspaper in Cortland Village — .\n Early Celebration — Struggle Over the Site of the Gaol — Its Final 
 Location in Cortland — Newspaper Recrimination — The First Agricultural Society — The Old County Clerk's Office. 
 
 THE progress of settlement and improve- 
 ment in Cortland county during the 
 second decade of the century was not very 
 rapid, although in the vicinity of the villages 
 
 of Cortland and Homer the prospects were 
 most encouraging. The war of 1812-15 
 retarded settlement here, as it did in all 
 parts of the country not yet thickly popu- 
 
64 
 
 HlbTUKV OF COKTI.AND COUNTV. 
 
 lated, and Central New York, as we have 
 previously hinted (and we believe the state- 
 ment will apply with equal force to the 
 comparatively small extent of territory with- 
 in the present bounds of Cortland county), 
 was for quite a period looked ii[)on as about 
 the least desirable point in the State for 
 settlement ; large tracts of it were hilly, and 
 nearly the whole was covered with an ex- 
 ceptionally heavy growth of timber, much 
 of which was of the hardest species of 
 wood ; moreover, the territory was remote 
 from what promised to be the main thor- 
 oughfares of travel and commerce, making 
 it inconvenient of access. But in spite of 
 these objectionable features, many resolute 
 and determined men, with little but their 
 own brawny muscles to depend upon for 
 their living and the improvement of their 
 farms, had made long journeys across the 
 wilderness country, or had pushed their 
 frail barks, containing their earthly all, down 
 the Otselic and up the Chenango orTiough- 
 nioga, built their rude dwellings and begun 
 a warfare upon the forest that would not 
 cease until it was transformed into pleasant 
 and profitable homes. These pioneers were, 
 as a rule, poor in the world's- goods ; if they 
 owned -a yoke of o.xen, a few very primitive 
 household utensils, and a small stock of 
 provisions, they were accounted in pretty 
 good circumstances. The houses they first 
 erected were scarcely worthy the name ; 
 yet who will say that there was not more 
 of happiness and its twin, contentment, in 
 many of them than is often found in the 
 modern palaces of the wealthy ? The dwell- 
 ing of that period was frequently a mere 
 cabin of small logs, such as could be handled 
 by one man, covered with bark. It was 
 not always that it contained a floor, and if 
 so, it was made of split logs, or "punch- 
 eons," which did not always lie upon the 
 precise level that was desirable. The set- 
 tler who had neighbors within a reasonable 
 
 distance in numbers sufficient to aid him in 
 putting up a log house, of even small di- 
 mensions, was very fortunate ; while the 
 dweller in a house, say sixteen feet square, 
 roofed with shingles, with a floor of boards 
 and a glass window, was almost reverenced 
 for his exalted worldly thrift. 
 
 The furniture in these early dwellings 
 was of a character to correspond with the 
 houses. A feather bed was a luxury occa- 
 sionally, but not often, brought from the 
 haunts of civilization. Bedsteads, other 
 than such as the pioneer could construct of 
 poles and strips of bark, were still rarer, 
 while a real chair, as differing from a bit of 
 slab split from a log, with holes bored in 
 the corners and rough legs inserted, was 
 seldom seen. The settler's clothing for the 
 first few years after his arrival was eked out 
 of what he brought with him ; and this soon 
 became patched out of all semblance of its 
 former appearance. If a man came upon 
 his lot alone, as was frequently the case, he 
 put up his little cabin, sometimes miles from 
 his nearest neighbor, and there lived as best 
 he could, with the occasional kind service 
 of a neighboring matron to bake his bread. 
 
 And new-comers were always sure of a 
 warm welcome in any and every locality ; 
 their arrival meant so much more improve- 
 ment, so many more dwellings, so many 
 more acres cleared, so much nearer neigh- 
 bors, so much more civilization. If a new 
 house was to be raised for one of them, 
 notice was given to all within a circuit of, 
 perhaps, a dozen miles, resulting m the 
 gathering of as many men, but men who 
 were adepts at the business ; and before 
 night, under the blows of their skillful axes, 
 and often the inspiriting influence of the 
 nimble whisky jug (then considered a prime 
 necessity in the work-field), the new-com- 
 er's dwelling was ready for his occupancy, 
 and could be given its last touches by its 
 owner at his leisure. 
 
The Second Decade. 
 
 65 
 
 If he came very early in the season, he 
 might get a Httlc corn planted among the 
 stumps of the little clearing, to the making 
 of which his first and most energetic efforts 
 were devoted. If he could not effect this, 
 he labored early and late to prepare a piece 
 of ground for the sowing of a little winter 
 wheat in the fall. In this work the "log- 
 ging bee" was a powerful factoi" in those 
 days. Like the house-building, it often 
 called together the settlers over a wide ex- 
 tent of territory, as neighborhoods are now 
 viewed, with their teams, if the_\- possessed 
 them. A "boss" was appointed who su- 
 perintended the work ; the trees had been 
 felled and the ground burned over, and the 
 blackened logs were "snaked" with marvel- 
 ous energy and rapidity jnto pro.ximity 
 with each other, when the\- were rolled into 
 huge heaps and consigned to the flames. 
 The workmen were sometimes divided into 
 gangs, among whom a spirit of riwilr}' 
 would spring up, and the work would be 
 rushed on with redoubled energ\-, a liberal 
 share of which was the indirect result of 
 the circulating jug. So was prepared the 
 land for the pioneer's corn and wheat. The 
 winters were given up largely to the split- 
 ting of rails with which to lay the "worm" 
 fence in the spring, and to providing plenty 
 of wood for the great household fire-place. 
 
 The daily food of the early settler was 
 necessarily of tlie plainest character. Corn 
 bread, made of the coarse pounded meal, 
 with occasionally a change to wheat, with 
 pod^a^ a standard meat, except when it 
 gax'^^va)- to venison procured of the In- 
 dians, was the usual order. Many of the 
 settlers brought with them into the wilder- 
 ness a cow, and sometimes a few sheep. 
 But the keeping of the latter was attended 
 with nightly risk from the prowling, sneak- 
 ing wolves ; while the bears made frequent 
 raids upon the pens of the porkers. When 
 the sheep were successfully wintered, their 
 
 wool furnished the stock for the household 
 clothing. Tea and coffee were rare lux- 
 uries for a time ; but the great maples, 
 which were found in all parts of the county, 
 furnished maple sugar of the best kind ; the 
 big kettle and some buckets, or, much more 
 often, the hand-hewn sap troughs, were an 
 essential part of every farmer's utensils. 
 Old residents of the country districts (now 
 fast pa.ssing away) will recall many a hilar- 
 ious evening in the midst of the "sap-bush," 
 beside the glowing, crackling fire, over 
 which steamed and bubbled the sweet ex- 
 tract. 
 
 Money was scarce — very scarce. If the 
 early farmer fortunately raised more pro- 
 duce than he needed for his famih', he 
 might exchange it for tea or coffee, or lin- 
 sey-woolsey, or a farming tool ; but to get 
 mone\' for it was not so easily accomplished ; 
 there soon, however, arose a source from 
 which the settlers of the county derived in- 
 finite benefit — that was the numerous ash- 
 eries that were put in operation on all sides. 
 F"or the product of these — the "black salts," 
 or potash — there was always a good mar- 
 ket. The land had to be cleared of the 
 forest, and the wood could as well be burned 
 in the arches of the asheries, except that it 
 must be cut and drawn to them, as to burn 
 it to waste upon the land ; while the uncon- 
 verted ashes, made to quite an extent in 
 every household, were in good demand 
 everywhere, or they were leached and boiled 
 down to the black salts in the asheries, and 
 then converted into potash. 
 
 For the marketing of potash, maple su- 
 gar, whisky, pottery (which pretty nearl)- 
 covered the early productions of the county 
 that could be profitabl)^ shipped away), the 
 Tioughnioga was the great highway. In 
 the spring, fall, and usually in June, when 
 there was generally a freshet, the river was 
 a rushing, turbid torrent on which scores of 
 a species of craft called arks were floated 
 
66 
 
 History of Ccjrtland County. 
 
 down to the Sus(|tR-haniia, and on that 
 stream to 1 larrisburg, Northumbcrlaiul, 
 Siinbur)-, aiul points on tlie Chesapeake 
 ba)-. These arks were built, in some in- 
 stances, ninety feet long, and with a depth 
 of six or seven feet, carrying an enormous 
 tonnage. After the building of dams was 
 commenced in the ri\er, the arks gave way 
 to scows or flat boats, which, singly or in 
 pairs, lashed together, could pass through 
 the sluices, which the laws provided should 
 be left in the dams, with a greater degree 
 of safety than the ungainly arks. 
 
 Port Watson was the head of navigation,' 
 which fact was influential in giving the vil- 
 lage that sprang up in that vicinity a pres- 
 tige which made it for a number of years a 
 powerful rival of Cortland, and even of Ho- 
 mer. It had been surveyed and mapped 
 in the year 1800, by Harvey I. Stewart, 
 laid out into streets and put in the market 
 by Elkanah Watson, whose residence is 
 given in the records of the county as "late 
 of Albany (Pittsfield), Mass. ; " he after- 
 wards lived at Port Watson, which received 
 his name. Many of the sales of Watson's 
 lands were made by attorney, as will ap- 
 pear in the town history of Cortlandville, 
 and were made to Jonathan Hubbard, Na- 
 than Blodget, Moses Hopkins, and later 
 well known early settlers. 
 
 In the year 18 10 an event occurred that 
 must be looked upon as one of importance 
 in any new community ; this was the estab- 
 lisliment in Homer village of the first news- 
 paper published in the count)-. It was 
 called the Cortland Courier, and was pub- 
 
 1 .\ii Act of the Legislature passed .Vpril I5lli, 1814, 
 provided that the " Western branch of liie Chenango 
 river, commonly called the Onondaga branch, from the 
 Forks on lot 66, in the town of limner, in the county of 
 Cortland, to the upper bridge, on lot 45, in said town, be 
 and the same is hereby declared to be a public highway." 
 The same act authorized the Judges of the Supreme 
 Court to appoint commissioners to examine dams and 
 direct alterations in them whei'e necessary to make them 
 conform to the Laws. 
 
 lished by James and Samuel Percival. Our 
 utmost efforts have been unavailing to se- 
 cure a copy of this paper, before its name 
 and proiirietorshij) were changed ; but 
 James Percival afterward (in i8i 5) started 
 the Cortland Rtptiblicaii, in the village of 
 Cortland, aiul, judging by that journal, the 
 pioneer newspaper of the county was a 
 creditable production. In the year 1S12 it 
 seems to ha\'c passed into the hands of H. 
 R. Bender and R. Washbtirne, who changed 
 its name to The Farmers Jounial. In the 
 following year (18 13) Dr. Jesse Searl be- 
 came its proprietor, changing its name to 
 the Repository, and published it for about 
 twelve years. Of this paper we have se- 
 cured some stra\' numbers, to which a brief 
 reference will be made, leaving the details 
 of its experience, with that of other county 
 journals, until further on. The Repository 
 
 \ was, like all newspapers of that period, 
 printed on )-ellowish-hued paper, coarse and 
 rough in te.xture. There were four wide 
 columns on each page, the type used being 
 
 ! the size known as pica ; there were no rules 
 used between the columns. The distin- 
 guishing features of all early newspapers 
 was the entire absence of all local news in 
 
 I their columns, while page after page was 
 
 I given up to detailing foreign events, which 
 would seem to have possessed but little in- 
 
 I terest to the pioneers of a new countr\-. If 
 
 ! we look in their columns for local informa- 
 tion, it must all be gleaned from the adver- 
 tisements. From this source, in a number 
 
 I of the Repository of J tine, 1 8 14, we learn 
 that Robert Lewis had commenced stock- 
 ing-weaving in "the town of \'irgil, on lot 
 13, about 2 1-2 miles sotith from Mr. Gard- 
 ner's tavern in Homer. " 
 
 Thomas L. Bishoji offered for sale "that 
 well-known tavern stand at the lower end of 
 this village (Homer) near where the East and 
 West Turnpike crosses the North and South 
 road leading from Onondaga to Owego." 
 
The Second Decade. 
 
 67 
 
 Jacob Wheeler, of Cortland village, of- 
 fered generous wages to a good journeyman 
 blacksmith. 
 
 C. Burroughs, of Port Watson, " wishes 
 to inform his friends that he has repurchased 
 the Carding Machine lately occupied by L. 
 B. & A. Rice, which he purposes to keep 
 rimning the remainder of the season. He 
 has also a new machine for carding Merino 
 Wool — has employed E. W. Edgecomb to 
 attend to carding, and flatters himself that 
 those who favor him with custom will meet 
 with entire satisfaction." 
 
 Rice & Jenks gave notice that " they have 
 four machines now ready for carding wool 
 at the upper and lower ends of this village. 
 Terms — Six cents in cash down, or every 
 tenth pound of wool ; or ten cents per 
 pound paj'able on the first of January next." 
 
 The " Homer W'oUen Manufacturing 
 Company" informed the i)ublic that " their 
 Factory is now in operation, with a full com- 
 plement of hands. They ofier to take good 
 clean wool and manufacture it at the halves, 
 (that is deliver one-half of the cloth from 
 the press in a workmanlike manner.)" This 
 advertisement is signed by Jabez N. Cush- 
 man, Agent. 
 
 But perhaps the most unique advertise- 
 ment in the paper is that of Joseph S. Mer- 
 ris, of Homer. It is headed, verbatim, with 
 the words, "Blue Dying." There has been 
 a vast amount of "blue dying" by distressed 
 humanity since this little yellow newspaper 
 was printed. 
 
 The list of letters, as printed, remaining 
 in the Homer post-office comprises nearlj- 
 one hundred names, scattered in all parts of 
 the county. President Madison publishes 
 his proclamation raising the blockade of 
 American ports, and the details of the de- 
 thronement of Bonaparte are given, with 
 other foreign intelligence; but not a line of 
 news that might be termed local. During 
 the year 1S14 the Repository was published 
 
 by Searl & Osborn. Further details of the 
 press of the count)' will be given in a sub- 
 sequent chapter. 
 
 An act of the Legislature passed April 
 5th, 1810, appointed Joseph L. Richardson, 
 of Auburn, Nathan Smith, of Herkimer, and 
 Nathaniel Locke, of Chenango, as a Board of 
 Commissioners to select a site for a county 
 court-house. The courts were then being, 
 and had previoush- been, held since the 
 county was organized in the school-house 
 in Homer. Then began a strife between Ho- 
 mer, Cortland and Port Watson, each pre- 
 senting, with all possible urgency, its claims 
 as the most eligible point for the public 
 buildings. The citizens of each village 
 seemed to intuitively foresee that the county 
 seat would some day become the center for 
 a thriving village, and they labored accord- 
 ingly. The hamlet at McGrawville also 
 ad\-anced its claims as the most eligible site 
 for the court-house. 
 
 Jonathan Hubbard, of Cortland, was then 
 in the \igor of his years and actixe on all 
 occasions for the advancement of the vil- 
 lage. In the public building matter he found 
 his opportunity ; he quietly visited all of the 
 commissioners at their homes and it may be 
 assumed that whatever of argument there 
 was in favor of locating the buildings in 
 Cortland, was energetically advanced. His 
 argument embraced an offer of a free con- 
 veyance of land on " court-house hill," 
 which offer was, undoubtedly, a strong in- 
 ducement with the commissioners; for the 
 county was poor. Mr. Hubbard had made 
 an arrangement with Samuel Ingalls, who 
 owned the land, by which it was to be con- 
 veyed to the county, Mr. Ingalls probably 
 assisting in the matter. Mr. Hubbard also 
 paid $1 ,000 out of his private purse towards 
 the subsequent building of the court-house. 
 
 After a careful consideration of the dif- 
 ferent proposed locations, the commissioners 
 finally settled upon the commanding emi- 
 
68 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 nonce just west of the village of Cortland, 
 as it then existed (now known as Monroe 
 Heights). As is common in similar cases, 
 the decision pro\oked groans and com- 
 plaints of dissatisfaction from the disap- 
 pointed residents of the other localities men- 
 tioned.' But there was no appeal from the 
 decision of the commissioners, and the first 
 county court-house was erected in 1812— 13 
 on what was long known as "Court- House 
 Hill." 
 
 The court-house was a wooden structure, 
 with a steeple and spire, its front facing the 
 village ; standing upon such an eminence, 
 it presented a not insignificant appearance ; 
 while the view from its windows was a masf- 
 nificent one. After the frame of the build- 
 ing was erected, it was finished by Josiah 
 Cushman, who entered into contract with 
 John Keep, Jonathan Hubbard and Mead 
 
 'A ludicrous representation of the commanding struct- 
 ure, and of some of the op]josing interests, was ])repared 
 by a wag, which was rendered from existing circumstances, 
 somcwliat amusing. The "was-to-lie" elegant and 
 dignified edifice appeared quite accurately drawn on old- 
 fashioned foolscap, rearing aloft its hold outlines of pine 
 and liemlock, and looking down with defiant scorn on 
 the outraged citizens of Homer and Port Watson. Two 
 lines of lieavy cordage were attached to it ; one leading 
 to Homer, the other to Port Watson, and t<) each of these 
 were clinched the firm hands, as with a tiger's grasp, of 
 several of the prominent and most influential leaders 
 of the aggrieved ])arties. There they stood, pulling as 
 if for life, resolved upon at least bringing the stupend- 
 ous fabric to their notions of right, inasnmch as they had 
 failed in securing the good will and approbating judg- 
 ment of the self-willed commissioners. If thev could 
 not bring them to a correct judgment they could at least 
 pull the magnificent structure down. Hut look again. 
 On the other side of the "legal pile" stands William 
 Mallory, grasping a still heavier piece of cordage, deter- 
 mined on contesting the skill and strength of the oppos- 
 ing forces. His heels are imbedded in the earth as he 
 braces himself to the work of j>reservation. But the scene 
 was suddenly changed on turning the paper over, though 
 the ludicrous picture was measurably the same. There 
 it stood an unyielding mass of timber. There stood the 
 venerable Mallory holding on to his rope, while a smile, 
 peculiar to him alone, played over his flushed counte- 
 nance. But where were his hitherto unyielding oppo- 
 nents ? Their cords had parted and forced them into the 
 unpleasant attitude of turning double semi-circles down 
 the steep pathway. — GooiiwiN. 
 
 Merrill, tlie regularh- appointed Building 
 Commissioners, on the 4th day of March, 
 181 2. The original contract is now in pos- 
 session of Mrs. Jonathan Hubbard, of Cort- 
 land, and has been kindly loaned us for in- 
 sertion in this work. It will be read with 
 interest, and contains, perhaps, the only at- 
 tempt at a desciiption of the building now 
 extant : — 
 
 " Menioranduni of an agreement made this 4th 
 (lay of March, in the year one thousand eight 
 hundred and twelve between Josiah Cushman, 
 of the town of Homer, in the county of Cortland, 
 and State ol New York, of the first part, and 
 John Keep, Jonathan Hubbard ami Mead Mer- 
 rill, of town, county and Stale aforesaid, of the 
 second ])an. as Commissioners for building the 
 court house in said county. a[)pointed in con- 
 formity to an Act entitled, 'An .\ct to fix the 
 site of a court house and gaol in the county of 
 Cortland,' dated April 5, iSio. 
 
 "Witnesseth — That the party of the first part 
 has contracted and agreetl with the parties of the 
 second part to complete the house now erected 
 for the court house in said county all above the 
 underpining, except the two lower rooms in the 
 south end, and the painting of the house; said 
 house is to be finished as to the view of the out- 
 side, doors and windows, and the division of the 
 house into rooms, above and below, as near as 
 may be agreeable to the plan hereunto attached 
 
 ! and signed by the |)arties ; the outside to be cov- 
 
 i ered with 1st rate [line stuff clapboards suitable 
 thickness, from six to eight inches wide ; fals sills 
 to be cased ; water-tables, corner boards, cor- 
 nices, front door ami side-lights similar to Mead 
 Merrill's new dwelling house; windows to con- 
 
 ' tain twenty-four lights of glass, eight by ten 
 inches, and cased with single archatri\es — the 
 first deck of the step is to be made with two 
 
 ■' thicknesses of inch pine boards jointed, corked, 
 pitched and well nailed ; ballistrades with ])osts 
 and urns, plain, souare banisters on said deck . 
 
 I the second story to be finished with selling, ])ilas- 
 ters and doric capitals, witli cornices to both 
 stories, similar to the other part of the house; 
 with a decent t'ircular roof coveted with tin, ami 
 a suitable iron s[)ire, schrolls and vane. .All below 
 the first deck of the stept to be comenced by the 
 
The Second Decade. 
 
 69 
 
 first day of July next, except the outside doors, 
 which, together with the uper part of the stejU 
 are to be compleated by the first day of Septem- 
 ber next. The lower floors to be laid with white 
 ash stuff 1 and i-4th inches thick, ]jlaincd, jointed 
 and matched, and well nailed. The floors in the 
 rooms above to be laid with pine stuff i and 
 I -4th inches thick, plained, matched and well 
 nailed. The floors in the court room to be laid 
 with second rate pine board, inch thick, plained, 
 jointed, lined with 1-2 incii boards and well 
 nailed. The court room to be finished in the 
 form of Seneca court room ; all the rooms and 
 hall are to be seiled up to the bottoms of the 
 windows with second-rate pine stuff suitable for 
 the purpose, anrl the sides of the room and over- 
 head are to be lathed, plastered and white- 
 washed. A Barr in sriuare form and suitable size 
 to be in the northeast room below, and a butery 
 in the northwest room of suitable size and con- 
 venient shelves. A circular staircase in the porch, 
 twist rail; said rail and banisters to be made of 
 cherry timber. Outside doors to be made of 
 two- inch stuff"; two hall doors to be six-panel, 
 and one of four panel ; ten inside doors five of 
 them to be made of i and :-2 inch plank, and 
 five doors made of 2 and i-4th inch plank ; the 
 side door to be cased with single architrave ; is 
 to be five chimney pieces, one to be worth four 
 dollars in court room ; tw^o in the jury rooms 
 worth three dollars ; two in kitchen and ban- 
 room worth two dollars and fifty cents; is to 
 l)uild a good and sufficient chimney with two 
 fire places below and ditto above in the court 
 room ; and the other chimney to be finished, 
 together with hearths, etc. ; and to find all the 
 materials for said house, and the labour, board- 
 ing the hands, etc., are to be provided at the 
 expence of the said Cushman ; all the materials 
 are to be of suitable quality, well seasoned and 
 proportionable to the ])urposes for which they are 
 designed, as herein mentioned. The whole work 
 is to be done in a neat, plain, substantial, work- 
 manlike manner, and to be completed -by the 
 15th day of April, in the year one thousand eight 
 hundred and thirteen. In consideration of the 
 same being done agreeable to the true intent and 
 meaning of this article, the parties of the second 
 part agree and bind themselves to pay the party 
 of the first part, his heirs or assigns, the sum of 
 
 sixteen hundred dollars, payable as follows : 
 Two hundred dollars within two days from the 
 date hereof; one hundred dollars by the first day 
 of May next ; one hundred dollars by the first 
 day of July next ; seven hundred dollars in ma- 
 terials for building when called for by the party 
 of the first part, or in good merchantable neat 
 stock by the first day of October next ; one hun- 
 dred dollars by the first day of March, 1814, and 
 two hundred dollars by the first day of March, 
 181 5; the two last payments to bear interest 
 from the com[)letion of the said house. 
 
 " In witness whereof, the parties to these pres- 
 ents have hereunto set their hands and aflixed 
 their seals, the day and year first above written." 
 This old document is signed by the par- 
 ties and witnessed by John Morse and Ira 
 Brown. 
 
 The Board of Supervisors for the year 
 1 8 14 directed by resolution that the court- 
 house be " painted a spruce yellow, trimmed 
 with white, or the whole white, as the com- 
 missioners for building the court-house shall 
 direct." Also, " that the commissioners be 
 requested to undcrijin the same with stone;" 
 and " that the public ground around the 
 court-house may be leased out for the term 
 of three years from the first Tuesday of 
 October inst., to be well stocked to grass at 
 the expiration of the term of time." Another 
 1 resolution directed tiiat " the court-house be 
 rented to Stephen B. Loundsbury, for the 
 sum of twenty-five dollars for one year from 
 the first Tuesday in October inst." 
 ' The privilege of occupying the court- 
 I house at a small rental, the occupant to keep 
 the rooms clean, was e.xtended to different 
 persons for a number of years, as will be 
 seen from the following e.xtract from the 
 proceedings of the lioard of Supervisors of 
 1819: — 
 
 " It is agreed between the board of supervisors 
 of the county of Cortland and Peleg Babcock 
 and Moses Hopkins as follows, to wit, : The said 
 Hopkins agrees to pay the county eight dollars 
 for the use that the said Babcock has made of 
 the court-hou.se previous to this date, and the 
 
70 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 supervisors agree to let the said Babcock have 
 
 the use of said house, except when wanted for 
 
 puhhc business, one year at twenty-five dollars, 
 
 he keeping the same clean. The said Ho])kins 
 
 and Babcock agree to jjay the said sum for the 
 
 use of the same. 
 
 "Oct. 8, 1810. ,, ,, 
 
 ' ■• Pei-kc. Babcock. 
 
 " Moses Hopkixs. 
 "\\'. Adams." 
 
 Similar leases were made for the grounds 
 
 belonging to the count)-. 
 
 On the 5th of April, 1813, an act was 
 passed b\- the State Legislature, directing 
 that the courts be held at the court house in 
 the village of Cortland on the 2d Tuesday 
 in Ma\' and September, and the last Tues- 
 da)' in December. But the settlement of 
 these questions did not, unfortunately, end 
 the rivalry between the villages, which will 
 be again referred to a little farther on. 
 
 At this period much of the State legis- 
 lation was directed to the opening and im- 
 provement of roads, many of which origi- 
 nated in, or passed through Cortland coun- 
 ty. As railroad companies are organized 
 in these latter days, so turnpike road stock 
 companies were then organized as specu- 
 lati\^e enterprises, the companies building 
 and improving the highways, and getting 
 their recompense from the collection of 
 tolls. On the 25th of March, 18 14, was 
 organized and incorporated what was called 
 the Fifth Great Western Turnpike Road 
 Company. The road was to begin at the 
 termination of the Fourth Great Western 
 Turnpike Road Company's road, in Homer 
 (coming through Truxton from the north- 
 west), and continue through Locke into Ca- 
 yuga county. There were a thousand shares 
 of stock provided for, at $20 per share. 
 Jabez Bradley, David Ogden, John Tillot- 
 son, Elbert Palmer, Amos Todd, Enos 
 Stimpson and Hezekiah Roberts were the 
 incorporators. 
 
 On the 15th of April, of the same year, 
 the Homer and Cayuga Turnpike Road 
 
 Company was incorporated. Its road was 
 to begin at Daniel Miller's house, in Homer 
 (probably on lot 56, now adjoining the 
 northeastern corner of the corporation of 
 Cditland \illage), running thence to Cort- 
 land village near the court-house; thence 
 to intersect the Fifth Great Western Turn- 
 pike Compan\-'s road, and so on westward. 
 In this company there were 1,000 shares 
 of stock at $20 per share. Henry Bloom, 
 Wait Ball and John Kingman were desig- 
 nated as the persons who were to lav out 
 this road. 
 
 On the 12th of April, 18 16, the Homer 
 and Geneva Turnpike Road Company was 
 incorporated, whose road was to run from 
 ftear the house of Daniel Miller, Homer, 
 by the most eligible route to the house of 
 John I'^Ilis, in Dr_\-den; thence along the 
 State road to Cayuga lake in the town of 
 Genoa; 1,500 shares of stock were in mar- 
 ket at $20. 
 
 On the 28th of March, 1817, the Homer 
 and Elbridge Turnpike Road Company was 
 incorporated. The road was to begin on 
 lot 45, in Homer, and run through the 
 towns of Scott, Spafiford, and the village of 
 Skaneateles to Elbridge. The shares in this 
 company were placed at $25, and 1,500 
 were in market. Other similar companies 
 were organized and incorporated, some of 
 which, undoubtedly, did not accomplish the 
 object for which they were started; but 
 man}- of them did, thus opening up better 
 communication between this inland section 
 and the settlements of more thickly popu- 
 lated regions, attracting more rapid settle- 
 ment and generally benefitting the county. 
 
 On the 14th of April, 181 5, the State 
 Legislature passed an act which slightly 
 changed the southern boundary of the coun- 
 ty. One of its sections provided that "all 
 that part of the line between the counties 
 of Broome and Cortland, l,\-ing west of the 
 Onondaga branch of the Chenango river, 
 
The Second Decade. 
 
 ;i 
 
 shall be as follows: Beginning at the south- 
 east corner of lot 600 (one of the lots of 
 the Boston Ten Townships, so called), thence 
 westerly on the south line of the north tier 
 of the short or square lots, so called, to the 
 west line of the count)' of Cortland; and 
 the tier of lots called the long lots and the 
 north tier of the short or square lots, so 
 called, shall hereafter belong to the count)' 
 of Cortland, and hereafter be the boundary 
 line." Another provision of the same act 
 related to the equalization of the taxes and 
 the establishment of title on the lands affect- 
 ed by the change. 
 
 On the 30th day of June, 181 5, an event 
 of great importance to Cortland village, 
 and, indeed, to the whole count)', occurred 
 in the establishment of a newspaper in Cort- 
 land village, b)' James Percival. This jour- 
 nal contained four wide columns on each 
 page, was strongly Republican in politics, 
 and appears to have been ably conducted, 
 as compared with other papers of that 
 period. But what was of still greater im- 
 portance, probably, it gave the residents of 
 this town and village a weapon with which 
 to fight its bloodless battles with the rival 
 villages. For a short time its utterances 
 were of a peaceful nature, its very first 
 number containing the following extended 
 notice of the approaching celebration of 
 the Fourth of July at Homer : — 
 
 " At a meeting of the young gentlemen of 
 this village, held for the purpose of making ar- 
 rangements relative to carrying this important 
 resolution into effect, it was thought to be ex- 
 pedient and proper that a suitable respect be 
 paid to an event so great, so noble and so joy- 
 ous as that period of time when our national in- 
 pependence was declared and our rights secured. 
 In a Republic which yet enjoys the fruits of our 
 hard-earned liberty, who can forbear to honor 
 this day and render a proper tribute to the 
 memory of the patriot band who left us the long 
 to be remembered inheritance at the e.xpense of 
 their blood I 
 
 " Under these impressions the Committee of 
 Arrangements respectfully request the citizens of 
 Cortland county, independent of political dis- 
 tinctions, to attend. 
 
 " Order. 
 
 " The day will commence with the discharge 
 of cannon. The procession will form at the 
 house of Major Enos Stimpson at 10 o'clock 
 a. m., and will march from there to tlie meeting 
 house in the following order : — 
 
 " The guard in front with martial music. 
 
 " Spectators from different parts. 
 
 " Elder citizens of the town and vicinity. 
 
 " Young gentlemen in general. 
 
 " Band of music. 
 
 "" National flag borne by the son of a Revo- 
 lutionary patriot. 
 
 " Singers. 
 
 " Ladies. 
 
 " Committee of arrangements. 
 
 " Marshals, mounted. 
 
 " Reverend clergy. 
 
 " Vice-president and orator. 
 
 " President and chaplain." 
 
 The exercises at the "meeting-house" 
 consisted of pra)'er, vocal music, reading of 
 the declaration of independence, instru- 
 mental music, oration, etc. The assemblage 
 was entertained, after tiie public proceed- 
 ings, at the house of Enos Stimpson, where 
 " toasts were drank under the discharge of 
 cannon." 
 
 While all this seems to the rising genera- 
 tion of to-da)', accustomed as they are to 
 displays of magnificence and grandeur on 
 such occasions, like the puny eflbrts of chil- 
 dren, it was in those days an event of great 
 importance and was carried out with the 
 greatest satisfaction to all the participants. 
 
 We have already referred to the acti\'e 
 rivalry between the villages of Cortland, 
 Homer and Port Watson. At this period, 
 say from 18 15 to 1820, their relatixe im- 
 portance and prospects may be stated thus : 
 Homer was the largest of the three places, 
 and was growing faster than the others ; its 
 business was larger, at least at the begin- 
 
72 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 nin<;j of the period mentioned. Port Wat- 
 son was the liead of navigation on the river 
 — a matter of no small importance at that 
 time; what little manufactiu"ini,' and milling 
 had developed was principall}' in that direc- 
 tion, and the sales of lots into which the 
 land had been divided, on both sides of the 
 stream and its branches, was pushed with 
 vigor; it will be acknowledged, even at 
 this late day, that, as a site for a village, 
 Port Watson was admirably chosen. But 
 Cortland had the court-house ; it was irre- 
 vocably settled that this village would be the 
 county seat, the importance of which fact 
 was not underestimated by settlers. More- 
 over, among its business men were some of 
 bold enterprise and indomitable energy. 
 Asahel Lyman had established a store, and 
 had come to stay. William and Roswell 
 Randall, two men who were to exercise a 
 powerful influence upon the growth of the 
 village, had decided in its favor, as against 
 Port Watson, and were well established in 
 mercantile business, in distilling and the 
 manufacture of potash. This situation of 
 affairs in the ri\'al \'illages, coupled with the 
 establishment of a newspaper in 1815, as 
 alluded to above, were sufficient to indicate 
 to the sagacious observer, that sooner or 
 later Cortland village would take the lead ; 
 but the others were not disposed to ac- 
 knowledge that fact, nor to permit its con- 
 summation without a struggle. Hence the 
 bitter rivalry, the recrimination by the ed- 
 itors of the opposing newspapers, and the 
 efforts on the part of communities and in- 
 dividuals to promote the growth and ad- 
 vancement of their own localities at the ex- 
 pense of the others. Out of this feeling 
 grew the struggle over the location of the 
 county gaol and the attempt to secure the 
 removal of the court-house to Homer vil- 
 lage. 
 
 On the 15 th of April, 18 17, the Super- 
 visors were authorized to raise a sum not 
 
 exceeding $5,000, by tax, for tlic purchase 
 of a site and the erection of the jail build- 
 ing. Moses Hopkins, the enterprising pio- 
 neer, J^illy Trowbridge and George Rice 
 were made commissioners to superintend 
 the building of the structure. A meeting 
 of the Board of Supervisors was ordered 
 for the second Tuesday of May, succeeding, 
 " and if in their opinion the gaol should be 
 located on the flat in Cortland village, they 
 are empowered to purchase a lot and erect 
 the building thereon ; " otherwise they were 
 to occupy the lot now owned by the county 
 (on the hill). The latter site was decided 
 upon ; but it appears, naturally enough, 
 that there were men in the Board of Super- 
 visors, as well as out of it, who would let 
 no opportunity slip b}- which they might 
 benefit Homer village as against Cortland, 
 and a bold attempt was made to secure the 
 location of even this unimportant county 
 building at that point. The development 
 of the scheme may undoubtedly be traced 
 in the following action of the Board of 
 Supervisors, in October, 18 16: — 
 
 " Resolved, That the minds of the board be 
 known whether it be lawful to build the gaol on 
 the public grounds separate from the court house. 
 
 "Ayes — Messrs. Holland, Sherwood, Hedges, 
 Rice, Lucas and Babcock. 
 
 " Nays — Phelps. 
 
 •'■Resolved, That there be three commissioners 
 appointed to superintend the building of a gaol. 
 
 ''Resolved, That Obadiah Boies, Wm. Lucas 
 and George Rice be commissioners to superin- 
 tend the building of said gaol.' 
 
 ''Resolved, That the site of gaol be altered 
 from where it now stands. 
 
 " Ayes — Phelps, Lucas, Babcock and Hedges. 
 
 " Nays — Holland, Sherwood and Rice. 
 
 "Resolved, That there be a petition presented 
 to the honorable the Legislature of this State 
 ])raying the appointment of three disinterested 
 men to alter the site of the gaol. 
 
 "Ayes — Phelps, Lucas, Babcock and Hedges. 
 
 1 These names would indicate a change in the Building 
 
 Cummibsion since first appointed. 
 
The Second Decade. 
 
 73 
 
 " Nays — Holland, Sherwood and Rice. 
 
 " Motion made to reconsider the vote taken 
 to petition the Legislature to ap|)oint three com- 
 missioners to alter the site of the gaol. 
 
 " Motion lost. 
 
 " Resolved, That the vote taken to enter the 
 protest of Messrs. Rice, Sherwood and Holland 
 be reconsidered. 
 
 '• Unanimous. 
 
 ''■Resolved, That instead of entering said pro- 
 test on the clerk's book it be kept on file in his 
 office. 
 
 ''Resolved, That the clerk shall, at the rec|uest 
 of any individual, give a certified copy to any 
 individual of any proceedings or writings of the 
 Board of Supervisors, then in his hands, at the 
 expense of said individual 
 
 ^'■Resolved, That the treasurer redeem all 
 county orders presented to him with the first 
 money that comes into his hands. 
 
 ^^ Resolved, That the treasurer ])ay five hun- 
 dred dollars to Obediah Boies. William Lucas 
 and George Rice, the Commissioners appointed 
 to superintend in building a gaol in the countv 
 of Cortland, of the first money that comes in his 
 hands not otherwise appro])riated. 
 
 "■^ Resolved, That there be a committee of five 
 chosen to form or procure a draft of a gaol for 
 this county by December term. 
 
 "Resolved, That John Keep, John Miller, John 
 Ballard, William Mallory and .Samuel G. Hatha- 
 way be the above committee." 
 
 The Republican newspaper, to which ref- 
 erence has already been made, passed out 
 of the control of Mr. Percival at the end of 
 September, 1815, with the following an- 
 nouncement : " The public are informed 
 that from this day I shall relinquish my 
 concern in the office of the Cortland Repub- 
 lican, published by Osborn & Campbell, 
 whose talents are ample and whose political 
 tenets are orthodox." 
 
 In the issue of this paper of November 
 1st, 1 8 16, a long letter appeared signed "C. 
 v.," in which the correspondent speaks of 
 the unscrupulous eflbrt of the Supervisors 
 to fi.K the site for the gaol in Homer, when 
 the court-house was in Cortland ; the writer 
 
 then proceeds to show how entirely out of 
 place the jail would be in Homer, although 
 that village would pay the most money to 
 have it in their midst. It appears that a 
 meeting had been held two evenings pre- 
 vious to the issue of the paper containing 
 this letter, at the house of Moses Hopkins, 
 of which Colonel Obadiah Boies was chair- 
 man and Roswell Randall secretary. The 
 following resolutions were passed ; — 
 
 "Resolved, That we view with deep detestation 
 and abhorrence the late conduct of a majority of 
 the Board of Supervisors, in surreptitiously and 
 under false and deceitful pretenses, endeavoring 
 to remove the site of the public buildings, estab- 
 lished by Legislature. 
 
 " Resolved, That we regard with equal abhor- 
 rence tine conduct of a junto of ambitious and cor- 
 rupt demagogues, aided by an upstart and hol- 
 low-hearted office-seeker, whose tergiversations 
 are as notorious as his apostasy, in endeavoring 
 to change the site aforesaid, heedless of the con- 
 tentions and bitter animosities which will rankle 
 in the bosoms of the two contending interests in 
 the county." 
 
 Other newspaper letters of a ver)- bitter 
 character followed, but ne\'er a word of edi- 
 torial on the subject. It was charged that 
 a committee traveled over the county ob- 
 taining signatures to a petition for the re- 
 moval of the site to Homer, at the same time 
 representing that their efforts were directed 
 towards fi.xing it "on the flat" in Cortland ; 
 and that signatures were obtainedof men who 
 were not present, etc. Meetings were held at 
 James Chatterton's house in Virgil, in Solon, 
 in Cincinnatus, and perhaps other southern 
 towns, to protest vehementh' against locat 
 ing the site in Homer. 
 
 The result of the matter appears in an 
 editorial in the Republican of March 7th, 
 1 8 17, as follows : — 
 
 " We have the pleasure of informing the friends 
 of justice, that the attempt of a few designing 
 men to rob the citizens of the county of their 
 rights, has completely failed — that the intrigue 
 and deception has been exposed and that they 
 
74 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 have been defeated ; not because they have not 
 made every exertion which could be resorted to 
 in a desperate cause; but justice was not on 
 their side. The liill was lost in the .\ssembly." 
 
 The editor closes his remarks with a brief 
 reference to the "deep-rooted and deadly 
 hostilit}' of the Homer \illage people to the 
 (growing prosperity and respectability of our 
 village ; " which was certainly strong enough 
 language for the most ardent Cortland ad- 
 vocates. 
 
 The first jail was accordingly erected in 
 1 817-18 on "Court-House Hill," a little 
 north of the court-house ; it was a square 
 brick structure, two stories in height; the 
 cells being made of heavy maple planking. 
 It appears to have occupied several years in 
 building, as the Board of Supervisors in the 
 )'ear 1825 resolved to " receive the jail as it 
 now is and discharge the commissioners 
 from any further service respecting said 
 jail." The commissioners were Obadiah 
 Boies, Wm. Lucas, Geo. Rice. 
 
 This controversy was only one feature of 
 the strong feeling that lasted for years be- 
 tween the ri\-al villages, and served as an 
 unfailing text for scathing editorials in the 
 newspapers of the different localities for 
 years. 
 
 On the 4th of November, 181 5, Elnathan 
 Andrews, Luther Geere, David Woodcock, 
 Parley Whitmore, Wm. Mallorj' and Oliver 
 Wiswell gave notice in the newspaper that 
 they would appl)- to the next Legislature for 
 a grant to establish a road from Daniel Mil- 
 ler's house in Homer, to Cortland ; thence 
 to Dryden and thence to Ithaca. Previous 
 to this date there was no road running from 
 Cortland toward East river, except as trav- 
 elers went by Homer village and then over 
 the hills. 
 
 A similar publication was made in the 
 following year (18 16) that the Legislature 
 would be petitioned for authority to open a 
 road through Cincinnatus, Solon, Truxton, 
 
 Fabius and Pompey to the Salt Springs. 
 This highway became known as the "Salt 
 Road ; " it was probably constructed in 1819 
 or 1820, as we find notice of a meeting to 
 be held in Tru.xton on the i 2th of March, 
 1 8 19, to organize the Onondaga and Che- 
 nango Turnpike Company. In this latter 
 year the Legislature was also petitioned for 
 a turnpike road from Cortland to Virgil Four 
 Corners ; thence to the Susquehanna and 
 Bath Turnpike and on to Owego. 
 
 On the 30th day of March, 1818, a meet- 
 ing was held at Hopkins's Hotel, in Cortland, 
 for the purpose of organizing an agricultu- 
 ral society. After discussing the subject, the 
 following resolution was adopted: "AV- 
 solvcd. That if our neighbors and the sur- 
 rounding towns will concur therein, we will 
 form ourselves into an association to be 
 known by the name and style of 'The Agri- 
 cultural Society of the County of Cortland.' " 
 This meeting resulted in the organization of 
 the first society of the kind in the county, 
 which will be further described in its proper 
 place. 
 
 Previous to the year 18 19 the county 
 records had been kept in different places in 
 the care of the clerks, or in the court-house 
 after 1813, and, of course, exposed to dan- 
 ger from fire and loss. On the 12th of 
 March an act was passed by the Legislature 
 authorizing the Board of Supervisors to 
 raise the sum of $1,200 by general tax, with 
 which to purchase a site and build a fire- 
 proof building for the safe deposit of all 
 public records. The second section of the 
 act reads as follows : — 
 
 " James Chatterton, Samuel G. Hathaway and 
 Grove Gillett shall be a Board of Commissioners 
 to purchase a suitable lot to erect said building 
 on, which lot shall front the main street in Cort- 
 land \illai,'e, and also to superintend the erection 
 of said building; and the said Commissioners, 
 or a majority of them, may draw their order on 
 the treasurer of said county for the said sum of 
 .$1,200 whenever it may come into his hands." 
 
The Third Decade. 
 
 75 
 
 This action resulted in the well known 
 building which sufficed as a County Clerk's 
 office for nearly sixty years (until 1876), 
 occupying the site of the present handsome 
 and substantial structure. It became a well 
 known landmark to every resident of the 
 county ; and although it was often, in late 
 years, the subject of ridicule, and constantly 
 menaced with danger the \aluable records 
 kept in it, it withstood both for the long 
 period mentioned. 
 
 The equalized valuation for the different 
 towns of the county, as fixed b)- the Board 
 of Supervisors, for the }-ear 1820, was as 
 follows : — 
 
 
 Re.\i.. 
 
 I'K.KSllNAI.. 
 
 TnlAI,. 
 
 Preble, 
 
 $109,322 
 
 $ 3.2SO 
 
 $II2,6oS 
 
 Homer, 
 
 578.236 
 
 27,606 
 
 605,842 
 
 Virgil. 
 
 180,519 
 
 7.381 
 
 187.900 
 
 .Solon, 
 
 158.924 
 
 1.434 
 
 160,358 
 
 Truxton, 
 
 322.213 
 
 8,662 
 
 330.875 
 
 Scott, 
 
 84.579 
 
 844 
 
 85.423 
 
 Cincinnatus, 
 
 92,280 
 
 9,287 
 
 101,567 
 
 Freetown, 
 
 64.339 
 
 6.309 
 
 70.648 
 
 Harrison, 
 
 75.552 
 
 4,064 
 
 79.616 
 
 Willet, 
 
 62,236 
 
 2,057 
 $70,930 
 
 04.293 
 
 
 $1,728,200 
 
 $1,799,130 
 
 The same Board of Supervisors resolved 
 that the bounty for killing wolves in the 
 
 county should be twenty dollars, and seven 
 dollars and fifty cents on whelps. And 
 that was only sixty- four years ago. They 
 also resolved that the count)' should pay to 
 William Lucas forty-five dollars for the use 
 of a certain house near Homer village for 
 the term of two years, for the purpose of 
 keeping paupers. Peleg Babcock was at 
 that time occupying the court-house, and 
 caring for it at a certain rental, and the Su- 
 pervisors resolved to retain him in the posi- 
 tion for another year, for twenty-five dol- 
 lars, "by his giving suret)\" He was also 
 authorized to "make a good picket fence 
 from the northeast corner of the court-house 
 to the southeast corner of the gaol, with a 
 gate through the same," and present his bill 
 for the same. 
 
 During this decade (from 18 10 to 1820) 
 changes were made in the towns of the 
 county b}' the formation of Scott from 
 Preble, April 14th, 1815; of Freetown from 
 Cincinnatus, April 21st, 1818; of Marathon 
 from Cincinnatus (as "Harrison") on the 
 same date, and of Willet from the same 
 town on the same date. 
 
 CHAPTER Vni. 
 
 TIIK THIRn DECAHK. 
 
 Condition of the Community — Abandonment of the 'rioughnioga as a P'reight Highway — The Erie Canal 
 Project and its Influence on the County — The Constitutional Convention of 1S21 and the Changes Wrought thereby 
 in the County — The First Railroad Charter — .S.alina and Port Watson the Terminal Points — More Turnpike 
 Companies Incorporated — The Canal Mania — The Syracuse and Port Watson Canal Project — Other Internal 
 Improvements — Statistics. 
 
 THE opening of the third decade of the 
 century found the inhabitants of the 
 several small villages in Cortland county 
 still striving under somewhat adverse cir- 
 cumstances and surroundings to supply the 
 community at large with their household 
 necessities and the few luxuries then in de- 
 mand, at the same time gradually building up 
 
 for themselves mercantile and manufactur- 
 ing interests which they hoped would in 
 future years remunerate them for their early 
 labors. The farming communities were 
 still engaged during liberal portions of each 
 year in divesting their lands of the original 
 forest and putting them under culti\ation ; 
 for them it was still a period of severe toil 
 
76 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 and privation, witli the satisfaction at the 
 close of each year, if no ill fortune had 
 overtaken them, that they were in no worse 
 circumstances than they were at the begin- 
 ning, while their farms were slowly but 
 surely appreciating in value, productive- 
 ness and consequent revenue. Much of the 
 land in the countw particularly in the out- 
 l)-ing districts, was still either forest- covered 
 or thickly studded with stumps of all sizes,' 
 while the inhabitants were yet, to a large 
 extent, dwelling in log houses. Markets 
 for the limited surplus produce were distant 
 and not easih- accessible;' the eight to ten 
 days' journey to Chenango Forks; six to 
 eight to Ludlowville or Manlius Square, of 
 the earlier days, were things of the past, to 
 be sure; but Homer and Cortland were 
 still a long distance from some portions of 
 the county, when the character of the roads 
 was considered, and their markets were not 
 very favorable to producers, chiefly on ac- 
 count of the long distances all household 
 goods had to be hauled by team; and 
 money, as used for a medium of exchange 
 with the farmingpopulation, was very scarce. 
 While the roads had been opened with 
 distant and populous places, most of them 
 were still anything but well kept highways. 
 Goods and farming implements came into 
 the county chiefly from Albany, by way of 
 Schenectady, thence through the canal to 
 Little Falls, then through W'ood's Creek, 
 Oneida lake, the Onondaga river (as it was 
 called) and the Tioughnioga; or, by land 
 from Albany and Utica direct; these were 
 long and expensive routes, and necessarily- 
 caused high prices, which were onerous to 
 the farmers and mechanics. The surplus 
 produce, and the whisky, potash, pottery 
 ware, maple sugar, etc., which were ex- 
 ported from the county, still found their 
 way largely down the Tioughnioga and 
 Susquehanna rivers in arks and scows, or 
 \\'ere transported to distant markets with 
 
 teams; but within a few years after the be- 
 ginning of the decade, the waterways, as 
 routes for the transportation of freight were 
 abandoned, and the intermittent occupation 
 of the old pilots and captains in the county, 
 who plumed themselves considerably upon 
 their reputations as successful navigators of 
 the freshet tides of these capricious streams, 
 was gone forever. 
 
 It will be understood, therefore, that the 
 inhabitants of Cortland count)', from the 
 highest to the lowest and from the remotest 
 boundaries to the busiest centers, felt the 
 deepest interest in the great project of a 
 canal from Lake Erie to the Hudson river, 
 which promised to bring ample and eco- 
 nomical transportation facilities even so near 
 as thirty-three miles from their doors. 
 
 This was a period, also, of great political 
 activity; the great struggle of i8i6,i which 
 which had placed DeWitt Clinton in the 
 Governor's chair was still fresh in the pub- 
 lic mind, and that statesman was preparing 
 
 l"Here (in this county) the parties were arrayed un- 
 der the respective banners of Republican and Federal. 
 John Miller, of Truxton, was the Republican candidate 
 for Member of Assembly. In the bitterness of the cam- 
 paign Mead Merrill accused him of stealint; meal from a 
 building occupied by one Scott, a tenant of Miller's. 
 Miller sued Merrill for slander and the defense inter- 
 posed was a justification of the charge. The action was 
 brought on for trial at the Cortland circuit. The public 
 mind of the county was deeply agitated. Counsel of the 
 highest standing in the State were retained. The cele- 
 brated and peerless Elisha Williams, of Hudson, and 
 Thomas J. Oakley, of Poughkeepsie, conducted the case 
 for the plaintiff; and John W. Hulbert, of Auburn, then 
 the most eloc|uent advocate of Central New York, was 
 the leading counsel for the defense. The court-room 
 was filled to its utmost capacity during the several days 
 of the trial. The severe and exciting cross-examination 
 of John Scott by Williams is still remembered by those 
 who heard it. The witness suffered himself to be over- 
 whelmed in contradictions, became hopelessly confused 
 and lost his balance of mind. Notwithstanding, at the 
 the close of the evidence the defense claimed that the 
 circumstances proved had established a justification of 
 the charge, while the plaintiff claimed that the defense 
 had failed. And then ensued a forensic disjjlay before 
 the jury, not since surpassed, or perhaps etjualed, in the 
 courts of this county. The jury rendered a verdict for 
 the plaintiff." — Hon. Horatio Ilallard's Kcminisccnccs. 
 
The Third Decahe. 
 
 71 
 
 for his work in the interest of the canal 
 enterprise. The period of poHtical activity 
 continued until 1820, which campaign was, 
 perhaps, the most exciting since that of 
 18 16. In those days the house of Moses 
 Hopkins, in Cortland village, appears to 
 have been a sort of political headquarters, 
 where the prospects of prominent can- 
 didates were discussed, "slates" made (if 
 such political accessories were then known), 
 and the omnipresent cheap whisk}' of that 
 period absorbed in unknown quantities. 
 
 The Erie canal was completed and opened 
 in 1825, which auspicious event was hailed 
 with the utmost satisfaction in this county, 
 as well as in all other parts of the State.' 
 The farmers realized that now they could 
 find shipment, either by their own efforts 
 or through the leading merchants of Cort- 
 land and Homer villages, for all of their sur- 
 plus produce, as near as Syracuse or Man- 
 lius, while merchants and manufacturers 
 accepted with pleasure the fact that trans- 
 porting their wares into the count)- would 
 be both greatly facilitated and reduced in 
 cost. 
 
 In the spring of 1817 Samuel Nelson be- 
 came a resident of Cortland — a man'who 
 subsequently attained to the highest judicial 
 honors in the gift of his country. He was 
 a delegate from this county to the Consti- 
 tutional Convention of 182 1, and the young- 
 
 1 The enthusiastic editor of the Cortland Republican in 
 commenting upon a report of the Canal Commissioners 
 in 1818 (De Witt Clinton, S. Van Rensselaer and Myron 
 HoUey), said: " Remote as we are (it was thirty-three 
 long miles from the canal) it is not probable we shall ex- 
 perience any immediate l)enefit from it." But along the 
 line of the canal the editor foresaw great possibilities. 
 *'The yelling of savages and the howling of woh'es," he 
 predicted, " will be succeeded by the sounds of the axe- 
 man's blows and the bleating of the flocks ; " and 
 
 "' Where the hooting owl doth to the moon complain,' 
 anthems will be chanted to the IJod of Nations in those 
 churches which a pious and thankful people will con- 
 secrate to his service. Schools and academies will rise 
 where now the savage huts, scattered promiscuously 
 through the dreary wilderness, are the only human habi- 
 tations." 
 
 est member of that body. Under the con- 
 stitution passed by that convention, the 
 judiciary of the State was reorganized. In 
 the legislative session of 1823 the State 
 was divided into eight circuits, correspond- 
 ing with the eight Senatorial Districts, for 
 which eight circuit judges were to be ap- 
 pointed by the governor and the Senate. 
 Cortland county became part of the Sixth 
 Circuit. James Clapp, of Oxford, Da\id 
 Woodcock, of Ithaca, and Samuel Nelson 
 were candidates for the appointment of 
 judge in the Sixth Circuit. All of them 
 were strongly supported, but Nelson won 
 the prize. 
 
 Previous to the Constitutional con\-ention 
 alluded to, sheriffs and county clerks were 
 appointed by a tribunal located in Albany, 
 known as the "Council of Appointment." 
 This tribunal was abolished b\' the conven- 
 tion, and those offices made elective by the 
 people. In 1823 Samuel Hotchkiss, who 
 had been deputy county clerk in this coun- 
 t}' since 181 5, was elected clerk, and held 
 the office for twelve successive j'ears, be- 
 ing an efficient and popular officer. In the 
 same year Moses Hopkins was elected 
 sheriff. 
 
 In the year 1 829 the Salina and Port Wat- 
 son Railroad Company was incorporated. 
 Jedediah Barber and Andrew Dickson, of 
 this county, were members of the original 
 company. The road was to start at Salina, 
 run through Syracuse and Onondaga Hol- 
 low to the "headwaters of the Tioughnioga ; 
 through Hotner to Cortland, and thence to 
 Port Watson." Cars on this road could be 
 run, under the law, by either steam or an- 
 imal power. The capital stock was fi.xed at 
 $350,000, and seven years were allowed for 
 the completion of the road ; if not finished 
 in that time the law became inoperative. 
 This road never went any farther, that we 
 can learn, than the application to the Leg- 
 islature. 
 
78 
 
 History of Coktlaxu Countv. 
 
 This mo\'cnicnt indicates tliat tlierc were 
 prominent men in the county who still be- 
 lieved in the future importance of Tort 
 Watson ; it was acceding considerable to 
 project a railroad through the v^illages of 
 Homer and Cortland, and make its proposed 
 terminus at that point; and that was but 
 fifty-five years ago. 
 
 Up to this period of the county's history 
 there had been three terms of court held ; 
 but the Board of Supervisors of 1824, with 
 an eye to econoni)', passed the following 
 resolution : — 
 
 "Resolved, That we petition to the next Leg- 
 islature to abolish the September term and alter 
 the May term from the second Tuesday to the 
 last Tuesday." 
 
 It ma\- not, moreover, be uninteresting to 
 know that the same Board passed the fol- 
 lowing prudential and humane measure: — 
 
 "■Resolved, That Jabe/ B. Phelps and Martin 
 Keep be a committee to see to the prisoners' 
 fare, and procure a lightning rod and one stove 
 for the court-house." 
 
 We find no record of any such change as 
 that contemplated by the first of these two 
 resolutions. Three years later, however, (in 
 1827) the time of holding the terms of courts 
 of Common Pleas and General Sessions of 
 the Peace was changed to the third Tuesday 
 in April, the second Tuesda\' in September, 
 and the second Tuesday in December. 
 
 The opening of roads, the improvement 
 of those already open, and the organization 
 uf turnpike companies, continued to occupy 
 the attention of the people during this dec- 
 ade. In 1824 the Onondaga and Cortland 
 Turnpike Company was incorpgrated, with 
 Barak Niles, John Miller, Elijah Miles and 
 Joshua Forman as corporators. The act of 
 incorporation provided that the company 
 should make a good ami sufficient turnpike 
 road, to begin at Sjracuse and running 
 thence "until it intersects the Onondaga 
 river, in the town of Truxton," and thence by 
 the mast eligible route to thedwellingof John 
 
 McWhortcr, in Cincinnatus." There were 
 1 ,250 shares of stock at $20 per share, with 
 the usual provision for toll-gates, tolls, etc. 
 
 In the same year Beach Ufford, Jeremiah 
 Whipple and Ichabod S. Spencer were ap- 
 pointed by the State as Commissioners to 
 lay out a road from Canastota, by the most 
 eligible route, to intersect the Geneganselet 
 turnpike in the town of Cincinnatus. 
 
 In 1825 Bildad Beach, Samuel Tj'ler and 
 Barber Kinion were appointed Commission- 
 ers to lay out a road from the canal at Ca- 
 millus, Onondaga county, by way of Mar- 
 cellus and Otisco to Port Watson. 
 
 By way of further internal impro\-ements 
 it was undoubtedly encouraging to the res- 
 idents of the county in 1825, as it certainly 
 is amusing to the present reader, to learn 
 that it was seriously contemplated in that 
 year to construct a canal from Syracuse to 
 Port Watson, and that the Canal Commis- 
 sioners were instructed to make the neces- 
 sary examinations as to the feasibility of 
 the project. Two years later (in 1827) we 
 find the following on a kindred topic in the 
 Cortland Journal : — 
 
 "Upon the subject of the canal from Manlius 
 to Chenango Point, little has been said. It is 
 of so much importance to the commercial and 
 agricultural interests of this .section of the State, 
 that we hope spirited efforts will be made to have 
 an act passed in relation to it. More on this 
 subject hereafter." 
 
 But, contrary to the last editorial sen- 
 tence, little or nothing was heard on the 
 subject thereafter. About that period it 
 was looked upon as a remarkably poor 
 season for canals when two or three new 
 ones were not projected and discussed. 
 
 In April, 1826, an act of Legislature was 
 passed making Cortland county a part of the 
 Sixth Senatorial District, and giving it two 
 Members of Assembly. John Lynde and 
 Augustus A. Donnelly were elected to the 
 Assembly in that year. 
 
 Down to the year 1829, although the 
 
P'KOM 1830 TO Till-: PkKSENT TlME. 
 
 79 
 
 village of Cortland had become a thriving 
 little place of several huiidrctl inhabitants, 
 and settlement in the \icinit\' had progressed 
 considerably, these places were still a part 
 of the town of Homer; but on the i ith of 
 April, 1829, an act was passed b\- the Leg- 
 islature dividing Homer in halves, and 
 designating the southern half as the town 
 of Cortlandvillc. The boundaries of this 
 town were changed in 1845 by the addition 
 of lot No. 10, and that part of lot 9 of the 
 
 town of Virgil lying east of the Tioughni- 
 oga river, and the following year that por- 
 tion of lot No. 8 lying east of the ri\er in 
 Virgil was also annexed. 
 
 At the close of the third decade the jiop- 
 ulation of the towns then in existence was 
 as follows: Homer, 3,307; Solon, 2,033; 
 Virgil, 3,912 ; Cincinnatus, 1,308; Preble, 
 1,435 ; Truxton, 3,885 ; Scott, 1,452 ; Free- 
 town, 1,051 ; Marathon, 895 ; Willet, 804; 
 Cortlandvillc, 2,fiji. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 I'ROM 1S30 TO Till-; PRESENT TIME. 
 
 lieginnini; of tile Third Decade — Condition of the County at Large — New Road Companies Organi/.ed — The 
 County Poor-IIouse — liuilding of the New Court-House — Raih-oad Agitation — Incorporation of Two Companies 
 for Lines through Cortland — Organization of the Second Agricultural Society — Political Reminiscences — The 
 Leaders of Other Days — The Campaign of 1844 — Changes in Congressional and Senatorial Districts — Town 
 Boundaries Altered — Town Genealogy — Development of Dairying Interests — Public Education — The Old Stage 
 Routes — The Railroad Again — A New Charter Obtained — The Road Finished — Public Demonstrations of Satis- 
 faction — Effects on Villages — The First Death Penalty — Political E\ents — Building of a New Jail — New Railroad 
 Connections — Statistics. 
 
 BETWEEN the events recorded in the 
 last chapter and the middle of the cent- 
 ury, the histor\- of Cortland county may 
 be briefly summarized ; it was a period of 
 slow but sure growth in all directions; the 
 establishment of new business enterprises 
 to meet the wants of the increasing popula- 
 tion ; the multiplication of churches and 
 schools; the beginning of manufacturing in 
 a small way ; the clearing of lands in the 
 country districts, with improvement in the 
 methods of farming and the development 
 in the later years of the dair\-ing interest. 
 All this was interspersed and \-arieci with 
 projects and rumors of projects for opening 
 railroad communication with the outside 
 world. 
 
 There was some legislation during this 
 period which had a bearing upon this count}-. 
 In June, 1832, Cortland, Tioga and Tomp- 
 kins counties were made to constitute tlie 
 
 2 2d Congressional District, by act of Legis- 
 lature ; the district was entitled to two mem- 
 bers. Samuel G. Hathaway, of Solon, was 
 elected in that year. The Oxford and Cort- 
 landvillc Turnpike Company was incorpor- 
 ated in 1835, for the purpose of building a 
 road from Oxford across the " new bridge 
 in Cincinnatus," on lot No. 19, running 
 through Solon to Cortland village. Austin 
 Hyde, Benjamin Butler, Chas. Kingman, 
 Roswell Randall, John F. Hill and Harry 
 McGraw were made commissioners to re- 
 ceiv-e subscriptions to the stock of the com- 
 pany. 
 
 It was in this year also that the village 
 of Homer was incorporated. Its population 
 was then considerably less than a thousand ; 
 but it was still the leading business center 
 ' of the county and continued such for more 
 than twenty j'ears, in spite of the feet that 
 Cortland was the county seat. 
 
So 
 
 Hjstorv of Cortland Cointy 
 
 In Mard». 1S36, the poor-house, with 
 iS{> acres of land, was purchased by the 
 county for $5,000, The house was origi- 
 nally enacted by John Keep, near thebegin- 
 ninsj of the centxiry. $6,000 were raised. 
 $3,000 of which were borrowet.1 of the Srate 
 and the remainder raised by tax in the j-ears 
 1S37, 1838 and 1^39- The purdiasc was 
 
 made from Mr. Munson. who bought 
 
 of Mathew S. Bennett, the purchaser from 
 Mr. Keep. Munson was the fin?t poor-mas- 
 ter ; he was foUowe^^l b\- ^[r. Se\nnour, 
 
 Al\-ali Harmon. Sanford Bouton, Morgan 
 L. Hopkins, Nathaniel IV^ynton, Al\-ah Ben- 
 jamin, Clinton Rindge, Saw\-er, A. W. 
 
 Gates cmd Jerome \\"heeler, the present in- 
 cumbent. The brick structure was erected 
 under Mr. Gates's administration, and the 
 new building for the insane in i SS:;. 
 
 In the \-ear 1S36 the new court-house 
 was erected, the act* being passed in April. 
 William Bartlit,J Elejtxer \V. Edgcomb and 
 Anthony Freer were the commissioners. 
 Although the site of the old building was a 
 most commanding one, it was found, as the 
 business of the courts incie;i5ed, that the 
 steep hill which had to be ascended sev~eral 
 times each court day by all who w~ere in- 
 terested in the proceedingSs was a serious 
 incv>n\-enience ; the changing of the site was 
 therefore left to the Super\-isors, a majoritj- 
 of whom decided in fe\-or of the remo\-al. 
 A sum not exceeding $6,000 was to be 
 taken from the treasur\\ .wd $1,000 more 
 \\-,is authoriied to be niised by lax- tor the 
 purpose ; the selection of die new site was 
 left to the Supervisors at their next annual 
 meeting. After considerable deliberation 
 the present location on the comer of Court 
 and Church streets was selected and the 
 structure V - .ndence 
 
 of the bef ,, 
 
 In I $37 an act Wsts passed authorizing 
 the incorponuion of a jail in the new build- 
 ing, at a cwst not tv> exceexi $^,000. In pur- 
 
 suance of this provision a jail was constructed 
 in the rear basement of the court-house, 
 which aftervvard gave place to the present 
 substantial stone structure built above the 
 ground. Additional sums of $3,000 were 
 borrowed in the years 1S3S and 1S39. with 
 whicli to complete these public buildings. 
 
 The continued agitation of railroad proj- 
 ects resulted, in the spring of i S36. in the 
 in the inc\>ryK>nition of the Sjracuse. Cort- 
 land and Binghamton railroad company. 
 
 Shut in. as the inhabinmts of this countj' 
 had been, from easy and rapid communica- 
 tion with the rest of the State, which was 
 more fortunate in this respect, the exultant 
 anticipations of the farmers along the rich 
 \-alleys of the Tioughnioga and the trades- 
 men of the prominent villages in the countj- 
 o\-er this prospect of a railroad, may be left 
 K» the imagination of the reader. But rail- 
 road building was not then so well under- 
 stood as it became within the succeeding 
 few years, and this project was doomed to 
 aband- -nment. This organiiation was gi\-en 
 tour \-ears only in which to construct their 
 road. Ae route of which is indicated by its 
 name. Among the commissioners who 
 were authorized by the act K> recei\-e sub- 
 scriptions for stock we find the names of 
 Henrx' Stephens (afterwards president of the 
 Sxxacuse and Binghantton rulroad), E, \V. 
 Edgcv>mb. Augustus Donnelly. Samuel G. 
 Hathaway. E. C~ Reed. Roswell Randall 
 and WlUiani Randall. These names of 
 Cortland countj- men. or many of them, are 
 found in connection with all measures of 
 importance: to them is undoubtedly due 
 much of the credit for the early growth of 
 die material interests of the counlj-. An- 
 other railroad company incorporated that 
 \-ear w;»s the Ow . ■ ± Its 
 
 road was to run fix- ^.^ -..1 Dr>-- 
 
 den and th<aice to Cortland and Homer. 
 Xdther of these projects, as is well known, 
 was consummated : but their incorporation 
 
From 1830 to the Present Time. 
 
 81 
 
 shows that the idea of railroad communica- 
 tion with the other portions of tlie State was 
 not allowed to sleep, imbued the inhabitants 
 with faith in their ultimatel\- standing on a 
 level with other localities in this respect, 
 and gave assurance that it was a question 
 of only a short period before the locomotive 
 and its train would dash through the fertile 
 valleys of the county. 
 
 On the 1st of October, 1838, the exist- 
 ing County Agricultural Society was organ- 
 ized, with a board of officers comprising 
 many of the more prominent men in the 
 county. The first fair was held that }"ear, 
 continuing with increasing interest from 
 year to year, until a spirit of emulation was 
 aroused in the farming and mechanical 
 classes which resulted in great and perma- 
 nent benefit. The history of this society 
 will be found in its appropriate place in these 
 pages. 
 
 During the period from 1840 to 1845, or 
 a little later, politics were uppermost in 
 Cortland count}', as well as- in other parts 
 of the countr\-. Here the Whigs were a 
 little in the majority, and they were quite 
 abl\- marshaled by the prominent local 
 leaders, among whom may be mentioned 
 William Andrews, David Mathews, Harry 
 McGraw, Cephas Comstock, John J. Adams, 
 Tercius Eels, Alanson Carley, Isaac A. 
 Gates, Gideon Babcock, Joel B. Hibbard, 
 Danforth Merrick, Jedediah Barber, James 
 C. Pomero}-, Daniel Hawks, and otliers. 
 The Democrats, if inferior in numbers, were 
 not so in political prominence and ability. 
 Their hosts were under the leadership of 
 such men as Joseph Re\nolds, Samuel G. 
 Hathawa\-, Henry Stephens, Roswell Ran- 
 dall, William Bartlit, Edward C. Reed, 
 Townsend Ross, George Ross, J. De Puy 
 Freer, Anthony F"reer, John Gillet, Alanson 
 Coats and others among the older heads ; 
 with Horatio Ballard, Henry S. Randall, 
 Frederick Hyde, Henry Brewer, William 
 
 H. Shankland, James S. Leach, William P. 
 Lyndes, Andrew Dickson, William B. Al- 
 len, S. G. Hathaway, jr., and Oliver Glo\er 
 as the ycninger element. 
 
 The //'///> and the recently established 
 Danocrat were the organs of the respective 
 parties, and their editors and contributors 
 made the local campaign a lively and in- 
 teresting one. The Whig made the most 
 of Ogle's storj- of Mr. Van Buren's "gold 
 spoons" and extravagance in the White 
 House — all amounting to the remarkable 
 sum of five or ten thousand dollars — while 
 the Dciiwcrat showed up the terrors of Nick 
 Biddle's United States bank — then ex- 
 ploded and bejond the power of mischief 
 — the sinfulness of hard cider and coon- 
 skins nailed up on a log-cabin to dry ; and 
 the general weaknessess of "old granny 
 Harrison," The Whigs had the best of the 
 performance during the campaign. The 
 September and October elections were a 
 cjxlone. The November elections finished 
 the work. 
 
 Again, in 1844, the political legions of 
 the county went forth to battle for the wel- 
 fare of their country, and a repetition of the 
 scenes of four years previous was enacted. 
 Mass meetings, processions, the glory of 
 banners without number prevailed, and a 
 general political jubilee was held, which 
 many now living will easily call to mind.* 
 
 1 The boys and young men in each party entered into 
 the prerailing rivalry. The glee clubs, or some of them, 
 were the most grotesque organizations, considered in a 
 musical sense, but for making noise the Cortland Polk and 
 Dallas glee club was simply huge. They could " Hur- 
 rah for Polk ! " much more harmoniously than ihcy could 
 sing their songs. Sinclair was the foreman in the Demo- 
 cral office, and a zealous Democrat in politics. He han- 
 dled the pyramid of bells in the glee club, and fairly howl- 
 ed when he sang I His voice was sonorous, and by way 
 of diverting the Whigs along .Main street, every hour or 
 two he would thrust his head out of the office window 
 and shout, " H-u-r-r-a-h f-o-r P-o-l-kl" until the sound 
 would reach the ears of Conger, in his law office in the 
 William Randall building, on the corner of Main and 
 Court streets, grate harshly uix)n those of James C. Pom- 
 eroy, stir up the quiet 'Squire Adams and staid Hiram 
 
 6 
 
82 
 
 History of Cortland Countv. 
 
 In the year 1842 an act of Legislature 
 made tlic counties of Cortland and Cayuga 
 to comprise the Twenty-fifth Congressional 
 District, which remained in force until the 
 change which constituted the district of the 
 counties of Cortland and Onondaga. In 
 1846 Cortland was placed in the Twent}-- 
 third Senatorial District, with Broome and 
 Tioga counties. It now, in connection with 
 Onondaga county, comprises the Twenty- 
 fifth Senatorial District. By the constitu- 
 tion of 1846 Cortland count}- lost one 
 Member of Assembly, having previously 
 elected two. The Courts of Common Pleas 
 and General Sessions of the Peace were also 
 abolished, and the County Court, with one 
 county judge, substituted. 
 
 Several changes were made in the town 
 boundaries during this decade (1840 to 
 1850). An act was passed in May, 1845, 
 erecting the towns of Lapeer and Harford 
 from the southern half of Virgil.' In De- 
 Hopkins, usually found at Oren Stimpson's store, and so 
 up to the Whig headquarters at the Cortland House, 
 where the portly Danforth Merrick would utter an e.N- 
 
 pletivein disgust at "that Polk machine in the 
 
 Democrat off\ce'." The U'/iii;, unluckily, adopted the 
 phrase editorially, and from thenceforward that " Polk 
 machine " was in operation when Conger was within 
 ear-shot. It was " Hurrah for Polk 1 " at five o'clock in 
 the morning, at midnight, and nearly all the hours be- 
 tween, until the Whigs gave up in despair. The laugh 
 was agamst them. .Another incident of this canvass was 
 the roorback forgery and its circulation by the Whigs ; 
 and still another, the printing of a private letter involv- 
 ing Joel B. Hibbard, who was inclined to the anti-slaverv 
 side, and the .■\bolitionists, of whom there were three or 
 four hundred in the county, under the lead of (ohn 
 Thomas, on purpose to cast that vote for the benefit of 
 the Democrats and adversely to Mr. Clay, whose position 
 on the <|uestion of Texas annexation was not satisfactory 
 to the Abolitionists. — H. C. Crouch's Reminiscences of 
 the Corlland County Press. 
 
 1 ".\fter the tide of revolution had rolled away and the 
 people were becoming comparatively happy, conflicting 
 claims and unpleasant controversies were renewed, hav- 
 ing a strong tendency to create bitter recriminations be- 
 tween inhabitants of adjoining States, and especially those 
 of New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts and 
 New \m\.. The controversy pending the conflicting 
 claims of the two latter States grew out of an anli(|uated 
 and pretended right on the part of Massachusetts to a 
 
 cember, 1849, Taylor was erected from the 
 eastern half of Solon; and in i85olotNo. 20 
 in Virgil was annexed to Freetown. This 
 was the last change of boundaries made in 
 the county, with the exception of the forma- 
 tion of the town ofCuyler from Tru.xton in 
 the fall of 1858, which may properh^ be 
 noted here, arid followed with the geneal- 
 ogy of all of the towns in the coimt)-, 
 thus: — 
 
 Homer was formed in Onondaga county 
 March 5th, 1794, and embraced the pres- 
 ent town of that name and the present 
 towns of Solon, Virgil, Taylor, Cincinnatus, 
 Marathon, Freetown, Willet, Lapeer, Har- 
 ford and Cortland. 
 
 Solon was formed from Homer March 
 9th, 1798, and embraced the present towns 
 of Solon, Cincinnatus, Marathon, Freetown, 
 Taylor and Willet. 
 
 certain portion of land lying within the boundaries of 
 ! New York. In 1786 the question at issue was finally 
 settled Ijy an amicalile adjustment of the differences of 
 opinion, tiirough the united exertions of commissoners, 
 duly apponited and clothed with the confederative power 
 to arrange the matter in controversy, and thus silence the 
 clamor which had for a long time tended to create un- 
 pleasant remarks as well as to weaken the bonds of fra- 
 ternal fellowship. The commissioners granted to Massa- 
 chusetts 6, 144,000 acres of lan-d, known as the Genesee 
 country. This tract comprised all the land of the State 
 west of a line beginning at the mouth of the great .Sodus 
 Bay on Lake Ontario, and running due south through 
 the middle of Seneca lake to the north line of Pennsyl- 
 vania, excepting one mile in width the whole length of 
 Niagara river, which was ceded to New York, .\nother 
 tract, afterward known as the ' .Massachusetts ten town- 
 ships,' embracing 230,400 acres, lying between the 
 Owego and Chenango rivers, was also ceded without the 
 least equivalent to Massachusetts, reserving to New York 
 barely the right of sovereignty. The former was sold to 
 Oliver Phelps anil Nathaniel Oorham, and the latter was 
 purchased by |ohn lirown & Co., for a fraction over 
 .$3,300. It ^^■ill be observed that we have heretofore 
 spoken of Virgil as township No. 24 of military lands. 
 It should, howe\'er, be noted that the whole of the town 
 of Virgil did not originally belong to the military grant. 
 A strip of about one and a half miles wide running across 
 its southern side from east to west was taken from the 
 ten townships grant to Massachusetts." — Goodwin. 
 
 This strip is now in the towns of Harford and Lapeer, 
 with a small tract in Marathon, as will be seen on the 
 map herein. 
 
From 1850 to iiie Present Ti.mk. 
 
 Cincinnatus was formed from Solon April 
 3d, 1804, and embraced the present towns 
 of Cincinnatus, Marathon, Freetown and 
 Willet. 
 
 Virgil was formed from Homer April 3d, 
 1804, and embraced the present towns of 
 Virgil, Harford and Lapeer. 
 
 Preble was formed from Tully (Onondaga 
 county) April 8th, i 808, embracing the pres- 
 ent towns of Preble and Scott. 
 
 Truxton was formed from Fabius (Onon- 
 daga county) April 8th, 1808, and embraced 
 the present towns of Truxton and Cuyler. 
 
 Scott was formed from Preble April 14th, 
 1815. 
 
 Marathon, Freetown and Willet were 
 formed from Cincinnatus April 2 1st, 1818. 
 
 Cortlandville was formed from Homer 
 April iith, 1829, with its present bounda- 
 ries, except that lot No. 10 and a portion of 
 lot 9 were added to it in 1845-46. 
 
 Lapeer and Harford were taken from 
 Virgil May 2d, 1845. 
 
 Ta}-lor was formed from Solon December 
 5 th, 1849. 
 
 Cuyler was formed from Tru.xton No- 
 vember 1 8th, 1858. 
 
 By the middle of the centur\' Cortland 
 county had taken her place in most partic- 
 ulars beside the older and larger divisions 
 of the State ; an exception should, perhaps, 
 be noted regarding her manufacturing in- 
 terests, which were still small. The farmers 
 had brought their domains generally into a 
 good state of cultivation, especially in the 
 valleys and near to the business centers, 
 while those living farther back upon the 
 hills were rapidly clearing their lands of 
 the remaining forests and stumps. 
 
 It was about this time that the dairying 
 interest of the county began to receive that 
 degree of attention from the farmers to 
 which it was entitled ; and from that date 
 down to i860, the product was largely in- 
 creased and the quality so much improved 
 
 that its reputation in the great markets was 
 soon enhanced to within one or two coun- 
 ties of the highest in tlie State — a rejiuta- 
 tion that has steadily advanced during the 
 succeeding years. 
 
 Meanwhile the inhabitants of the county 
 were not at all backward in the matter of 
 education. The Cortland Academy (in Ho- 
 mer) was at the height of its long career of 
 prosperity ; the Cortlandville Academy, in- 
 corporated in 1842, started out under the 
 most favorable auspices upon a course of 
 many years of usefulness and success ; the 
 Cincinnatus Academy was incorporated in 
 1855 and soon became a popular and suc- 
 cessful institution ; and churches and excel- 
 lent district schools were rapidly multiplied 
 on ever}' hand. 
 
 But the greatest obstacle to material ad- 
 vancement was still the difficulty of reach- 
 ing markets and of tra\'eling beyond the 
 boundaries of the county, except by meth- 
 ods that had begun to be looked upon as 
 somewhat primitive. The plank road con- 
 structed between Cortland village and Syr- 
 acuse in the years 1849-51 afforded a de- 
 gree of relief, enabling passengers to take 
 either of two lines of stages each way per 
 day, which made the trip in about six hours, 
 while freight was transported in heavier 
 loads and in much shorter time than over 
 the former turnpikes; the plank road was 
 wood in its way, but it was not what was 
 needed. The old-fashioned coaches, d'rawn 
 by four horses, guided by skillful dri\-ers, 
 who swung them up with a grand flourish 
 at the doors of the famous hostelries — Van 
 Anden's and Harrop's in Homer ; the Ea- 
 gle and the Cortland House in Cortland and 
 scores of lesser establishments along the va- 
 rious turnpikes leading to Syracuse, Owego, 
 Binshamton, Truxton and Cazenovia and 
 other points — were often overloaded with 
 passengers. Old residents still recount many 
 amusing and interesting incidents connected 
 
84 
 
 History of Cortland County, 
 
 with tlio former coaching dnjs ; but, \\ liilc 
 tliat method of travel was untioiibtedly pict- 
 uresque in fa\orable seasons and conducive 
 to iieahh and plcasui'c, it was decided!)- slow 
 when compared with the locomotive. It 
 was doomed. The turnpikes, and later the 
 plank road from Cortland to Syracuse, were 
 necessaril)' thronged with heavily-laden 
 wagons during the greater portion of each 
 year, transporting the products of the county 
 to the canal and railroads, and returning 
 with goods for the merchants and stock for 
 the young manufacturing interests of the vil- 
 lages ; but this mode of freighting scotched 
 the wheels of progress and growth, and the 
 leading minds of this county and vicinity 
 felt the force of that fact and deplored it. 
 The Tioughnioga, and the Susquehanna, as 
 far as it applied to this section, had long been 
 given up as permanent and useful channels 
 of transportation ; the waters of the Tiough- 
 nioga, once a broad a!id rapid stream, were 
 gradually but surely diminishing, and the 
 last freighting of much importance on its 
 freshet tides was done as late as about 1 840. 
 
 In this condition of affairs and for all these 
 reasons, it is litde wonder that one of the 
 unfailing themes of discussion and the con- 
 stant hope and dream of the inhabitants, in 
 their semi-isolated situation, was a railroad. 
 It had been discussed in all its bearings 
 ever since the first charter was granted, by 
 men who fully appreciated its importance 
 and ,were ready and willing to contribute 
 largely to its success, and by others all the 
 way down in the scale of brain, energy and 
 wealth to those who could not have bought 
 a single spike and could scarcely summon 
 the energy to drive one. Everybody wanted 
 a railroad. 
 
 Syracuse was pushing forward under the 
 impulse of her salt interests and canal and 
 railroad connections, while farther north 
 Oswego sat at the foot of the great lake 
 system of the country, thriving upon her 
 
 comniLrcial marine. To the southwartl 
 15inghamton, with a population of 10,000, 
 contiguous to the opening coal fields of 
 Penns\-lvania, with the consequent extensive 
 railroad connections, gave promise of being 
 the bustling city of to-day. These were 
 some of the outside business centers toward 
 which Cortland stretched her burilcned 
 hands, but which could be reached only by 
 the slow means of horse-power; her inhab- 
 itants saw the tide of commercial and man- 
 ufacturing prosperit}- swelling around them 
 in all directions, but were helpless — with- 
 out a railroad. 
 
 Hence, the renewed agitation of the sub- 
 ject of a road from Syracuse to Bingham- 
 ton, running through the central portion of 
 this county, in 1848-49, found hundreds of 
 earnest men ready to favor it to the utmost 
 of their ability ; among them were several 
 of the original charter petitioners. Again 
 the Legislature was petitioned and a char- 
 ter obtained. Meetings were held in the 
 towns of the count}', and along the entire 
 line, at which the proposed road was ex- 
 plained and its advantages advocated. Sub- 
 scription books were opened, and, early in 
 the year 1850, such progress was made in 
 this direction that steps were taken for pre- 
 liminar)' surveys. W. B. Gilbert, a thor- 
 oughly competent engineer, was engaged 
 for the surve\\ But it must not be pre- 
 sumed that this line of road was to be fin- 
 ished without meeting with obstacles. Dif- 
 ficulties in the way of organizing the corn- 
 pan}-, growing, to some extent, out of per- 
 sonal feeling, were encountered, and just as 
 the work of construction was begun, the 
 country began to feel the effects of one of 
 those periodical financial revulsions to which 
 it has on several occasions been subjected. 
 Those persons who had money became wary 
 about letting it leave their possession for 
 even such a boon as a railroad ; those who 
 had little or none, saw the apparent neces- 
 
. From i8so to the Present Time. 
 
 8S 
 
 sity of hoarding all they could get for future 
 needs ; many who had subscribed in good 
 faith for stock in the road, found themselves 
 unable to fulfill their obligations. 
 
 Yet, in spite of all this, and through the 
 persevering efforts and the indomitable en- 
 ergy of those who were at the head of the 
 enterprise, many of whom were residents of 
 this county, with the liberal subscriptions 
 of all classes throughout the counties tra\'- 
 ersed by the line, the work was finished in 
 1854. 
 
 A formal opening of the road occurred on 
 the 1 8th and 19th of October, of that year. 
 An excursion train of twenty-seven cars 
 ran over the road from Syracuse to Bing- 
 hamton and return, which was so loaded 
 with enthusiastic passengers that many were 
 compelled to stand. The gratification felt 
 in this county over the auspicious event was 
 exhibited in the ringing of bells, firing of 
 cannon and display of banners at every sta- 
 tion, while immense crowds congregated to 
 witness the fruition of their long-deferred 
 hopes. 
 
 The original plans of the projectors of 
 this road included connections with the Syr- 
 acuse and Oswego road to Lake Ontario, 
 and, of course, direct connection with the 
 Erie canal in Syracuse. The feasibility of 
 making these connections was used as 
 among the strongest arguments in favor of 
 the construction of the road. But the com- 
 pany were unable to secure the coveted con- 
 nection to Oswego, or even to run their 
 tracks through to the canal for the rapid and 
 economical transfer of freight to the great 
 waterway. Another company was, there- 
 fore, organized under the general act to 
 construct a broad gauge line to Oswego 
 from Syracuse, on the east side of Ononda- 
 ga lake and the Oswego ri\'er. But no 
 satisfactory arrangement for this purpose 
 could be made with the holders of the 
 mortgage bonds of the existing road to 
 
 Binghamton, and operations had to be sus- 
 pended. 
 
 These untoward circumstances crippled 
 the road and so restricted its operations and 
 profits that in 1856 the bondholders were 
 forced to foreclose and sell it. It was bought 
 by J. M. Schermerhorn, then of Homer, 
 and the company subsequently reorgan- 
 ized. The road was finished to the canal, 
 and arrangements were perfected whereby 
 the Erie railroad would accommodate the 
 cars of the Delaware, Lackawanna and 
 Western road for the transportation of coal 
 and freight, making the Syracuse, Bingham- 
 ton and New York road (as it was re- 
 named) the proper and most available chan- 
 nel for carr}-ing their coal to the canal at 
 Syracuse and to Oswego, Canada and the 
 great West. This road passed into the 
 hands of the great corporation, the Dela- 
 ware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad 
 Company, a double track was laid, and it 
 is now one of the best equipped and most 
 successful branches in the State 
 
 While the sale of this first railroad in this 
 county under the mortgage was disastrous 
 to the original stockholders, none of whom 
 realized anything directly from their invest- 
 ments, it is doubtless true that not one of 
 them failed to see in the near future that 
 their money had thus been wisely expended. 
 Every acre of land in the county was in- 
 creased in value, while the annual benefits 
 to farmers, tradesmen and manufacturers, 
 after the road went into operation, could 
 scared}- be over-estimated. 
 
 The construction of railroads in this coun- 
 ty produced the common effect of building 
 up some of the villages at the expense of 
 others. It was about the period under con- 
 sideration, or a little later, that Cortland 
 began to show unmistakable indications of 
 rivaling and outstripping her sister \-illage 
 on the north ; though the almost phenom- 
 enal growth of the former i)lace did not be- 
 
86 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 gin until some years later. Preble and 
 Little York, which were (especially the 
 former) busy and thriving villages previous 
 to the ad\'ent of the railroad, soon came to 
 a stand-still, if they did not actually retro- 
 grade, in favor of Homer and Cortland ; the 
 same may be said of Virgil and Blodget's 
 Mills, the former once thriving and grow- 
 ing village suffering materially from its per- 
 manent isolation from railroad communica- 
 tion. Marathon is situated far enough south 
 of Cortland to prevent the loss of much of 
 its business in that direction, while it has 
 profited by the contiguity of Lisle (Broome 
 count)") on the south, and the hamlet of 
 State Bridge and East Virgil on the north. 
 It is, moreover, in the midst of an excel- 
 lent grazing and agricultural district, and 
 became a market of importance for butter 
 and other products, so that its advancement 
 has been continuous. Cincinnatus, Taylor, 
 WiUet, Scott, and most of the hamlets of 
 the county have not directly gained in 
 business importance through the construc- 
 tion of the railroad. 
 
 On the 2d day of September, 1853, the 
 first and only death penalty ever inflicted in 
 Cortland county was paid by Patrick O'Don- 
 ohue, for the murder of Mrs. Jane Ann 
 Kinney, of Truxton, on the 3d of Septem- 
 ber, 1852. The following account of the 
 traged)' is condensed from Goodwin's his- 
 tory : — 
 
 "O'Donohue's daughter, Elizabeth, a girl of 
 ten years, had been forbidden to visit ti.e house 
 of Mrs. Kinney. This command she disobeyed, 
 and to escape the vengeance of her father's fiend- 
 like temper, her two elder sisters secreted her in 
 a ledge of jagged rocks, and then informed their 
 father that she had been stolen. O'Donohue 
 hastened from his work in the woods, accom- 
 panied by his wife and two or three children, all 
 in a high state of e-xcitement. He was falsely 
 made to believe that the abductor was no other 
 than the husband of Mrs. Kinney, whom he pre- 
 sumed to be his enemv. 
 
 "A search for the little girl was instituted by 
 the father and his son, the former carrying a 
 loaded gun. The search was given up about the 
 middle of the forenoon ; at about this time Mrs. 
 Kinney and her daughter were on their way to 
 the residence of a neighbor, and of necessity had 
 to pass by the house of O'Donohue. Just as 
 they drew near it they were met by the murderer, 
 who angrily asked Mrs. Kinney if she had seen 
 Elizabeth. Receiving a negative answer, he flew 
 into a terrible passion, leveled his gun and fired 
 at Mrs. Kinney ; the contents of the weapon 
 grazed her side, causing her to stagger forward. 
 O'Donohue was now more enraged than before. 
 Reversing his gun he struck the defenseless wo- 
 man several blows, the second of which dislo- 
 cated her neck. Not yet satisfied he flew at the 
 daughter, who had fallen from fright, and plunged 
 the bayonet of the gun into her body; although 
 she seized the weapon, the demon wrenched it 
 from her grasp and thrust it again and again into 
 her body. The tragedy was discovered, soon 
 after it was committed, by Charles McKnight. 
 As he approached the spot his hfe was threat- 
 ened by O'Donohue, but he gained a full view 
 of the victims. He advised the murderer to go 
 to the village and give himself up to the author- 
 ities, presuming him to be crazy. He told him 
 that men suffering from a diseased mind were 
 not always responsible for their acts ; perhaps he 
 would not be punished. The murderer seemed 
 to accept the counsel, for he, with his wife and 
 son, started toward the village, where he was 
 afterward arrested. His indictment followed at 
 the October term of the County Court, and he 
 was tried at the following July Oyer and Ter- 
 miner. Hon. Schuyler Crippen was the presid- 
 ing judge, associated with John S. Dyer and 
 Noah H. Osborne. R. Holland Duell, then 
 district attorney, and General Nye, appeared 
 in behalf of the people; Horatio Ballard and 
 Daniel Gott, counsel. The prisoner was found 
 guilty of murder in the first degree, on the 3d 
 of August, 1853. O'Donoliue w-as hung in the 
 court-house on the date before mentioned." 
 
 We now approach the period in the his- 
 tory of Cortland count}' when the great 
 political movement began which resulted in 
 the formation of the Republican party in 
 
From 1830 to the Present Time. 
 
 87 
 
 the year 1855, and led thence rapidly down 
 to the beginning of a foiirj-ears' war, which 
 drenched the country in the blood of her 
 own sons — a war born of the insatiate pur- 
 pose of a section of the Republic to perpet- 
 uate in a civilized country an uncivilized and 
 uncivilizing institution, the keystone of 
 which was, property in the bodies and souls 
 of men, women and children. The organ- 
 ization of the new party in this county was 
 effected pursuant to the following call : — 
 
 "Republican County Convention. Those 
 electors of the County of Cortland who are op- 
 posed to the extension of .slavery over the Ter- 
 ritories of the United States, and to the reception 
 into the Union or annexation of States, Territories 
 or Countries, where slavery already exists and are 
 in favor of forming a new party for the defense 
 of freedom against the encroachments of the slave 
 power, are requested to meet in Convention at 
 the Court House in Cortland Village, on Wed- 
 nesday, the 15th day of August, at one o'clock, 
 P. M., for the purpose of choosing delegates to 
 the State Republican Convention at Syracuse, 
 on the 26th day of September next, and for tran- 
 sacting such other business as may be necessary. 
 Dated Cortlandville, July 20th, 1855. 
 
 "C. Green, Samuel Babcock, Chas. H. Whea- 
 don, J. M. Schermerhorn, Jos. R. Dixon, Joseph 
 Conger, G. W. Phillips, Geo. W. Samson, E. F. 
 Thomas, H. F. Lyman, S. Brewer, F. Goodyear, 
 Michael Spencer, Wm. R. Stone, Wm. Elder, 
 L. D. Davis, Josiah Stone, W. H. Harrington, 
 N. Jones, jr., Samuel Plumb, Geo. P. I^ann, An- 
 drew Hutchings, Lora Gross, O. H. Smith, John 
 J. Adams, E. Mudge, C . W. Copeland, Israel 
 Palmer, J. B. Gates, H. T. Townley, A. Mudge, 
 Edwin Norton, R. P. Babcock, A. \V. Clark, A- 
 D. C. Barber, Joseph .\twater, A. Salisbury, 
 Isaac W. Brown, Manly Hobart, Newell Jones, 
 Jabez Briggs, Geo. K. Stiles, G. N. Woodward, 
 H. Bowen, H. A. Jarvis, J. W. Strowbridge, 
 Horace Buel, James Freeman, L. H. Utley, M. 
 Woodruff, Thos. G. Copeland, A. G. Tuttle, R. 
 Lambert, E. W. Edgcomb, Z. B. Mason, R. 
 Palmer, James T. Hawley, William McGraw, 
 Deloss C. McGraw, T. Boland, Judah Cowles, 
 L. G. Calkins, Russel Cowles, A. Caldwell, Wm. 
 C. -Angel, M. R. Smith, Nelson L. Brooks, Na- 
 
 than Bouton, N. Haight, Theodore Hooker, 
 John Hillsinger, S. Conger, F. M. Buell, John 
 R. Earl, J. T. Bostwick, T. G. Jones, Edwin 
 Darby, S. Lucas, M. G. Lee, Israel Gee, Edward 
 Gee, Arthur Holmes, D. Corey, Wm. W. Brown, 
 L. W. Holmes, H. D. Corey, Miner Webster, 
 Emory Potter, Elijah Jipson, Shuball Carver, 
 Jacob Hutchings, J. H. Parker, G. L. Oakley, G. 
 W. Crocker, Eben. Perkins, Jesse Rogers, Wm. 
 Squires, Nathaniel Bouton, C. S. Hyatt, E. F. 
 Phillips, J. Taggart, David Scofield, Mose.s-Van 
 Buren, J. L. Gillett, H. Orcutt. J. Van Orsdale." 
 
 This call was first published on the 29th 
 of July, 1855. The convention was iield 
 and delegates appointed to attend the State 
 Republican convention in Syracuse, on 
 the 26th of September. The new party 
 started out under what appeared favorable 
 prospects as far as related to this county. 
 The W^iig, of Homer, changed its name to 
 the Republican, which title it has since re- 
 tained. H. G. Crouch, who had for several 
 years published an excellent Democratic 
 organ in Cortland, left the Democrat, which 
 passed into the hands of Edwin F. Gould 
 and soon became the Cortland American, 
 the organ of the Know-Nothing party. The 
 new Republican party received the expected 
 ridicule and predictions of disaster from the 
 organs of the opposite faction ; but it was 
 destined for a great future, which has passed 
 into histor)-. The resolutions of the new 
 organization, passed at the first county con- 
 vention, were as follows : — 
 
 " Whereas, The system of human bondage is 
 radically antagonistic to the principles of religion 
 and the dictates of morality — a curse to any 
 country that cherishes or sustains it ; and espe- 
 cially opposed to the genius of our free institu- 
 tions; and at war with their welfare and per- 
 petuity. 
 
 " And, whereas. The South, in conjunction with 
 dough-face abettors, for years has evinced a deter- 
 mination by all means, and at ail hazards, to 
 strengthen and extend this system, which design 
 has been strikingly manifested in the passage of 
 the Fugitive Slave Law — in the repeal of the 
 Missouri Coni[)romise. and more recently in 
 
88 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 tyrannizing by a ruffian mob over the citizens of 
 Kansas — suppressing the freedom of speech — 
 corrupting the ballot box — sporting with their 
 lives — and tram])ling under foot their property; 
 therefore — 
 
 " Resolved, That we will consent to no further 
 compromise with slavery, that we demand the 
 immediate and unconditional repeal of the Fugi- 
 tive Slave Law — that we will resist to the last 
 extremity the admission into the Union of another 
 Slave State, and the spread of slavery over another 
 foot of American soil. 
 
 '^Resolved, That the freemen of the north, 
 whether Whigs, Democrats, Know Nothings, 
 Know Somethings, or Abolitionists, are now called 
 upon for the vindication of their insulted man- 
 hood as well as the defense of their country's 
 freedom, to break loose from party ties, to lay 
 aside old political predilections, and unite in one 
 common cause — resistance to the encroach- 
 ments of the Slave Power. 
 
 "Resolved, That slavery is sectional — but that 
 Freedom is national ; and that those who rally 
 for its defense are not sectionalists or disunionists; 
 but guard the corner stone upon which are pil- 
 lared the prosperity and very existence of our 
 whole country. 
 
 "Resolved, That while we are laboring to re- 
 strain and banish from our land the system of 
 physical bondage, we would not be unmindful of 
 that vile and degrading servitude to the intoxi- 
 cating cup that oppresses so many thousands ; 
 but we bid God speed to every effort calculated 
 to deliver and restore them, and especially to 
 those at the ballot-box ; and that we have full 
 confidence in our present Prohibitory Liquor 
 Law." 
 
 The local political field continued to be 
 occupied by quite active spirits until the 
 memorable campaign of 1859-60, when 
 Abraham Lincoln was made president of 
 the United States, taking upon himself one 
 of the greatest burdens ever borne by man. 
 Cortland was then in the 23d Senatorial Dis- 
 trict, with Madison and Chenango ; P. H. 
 McGraw was elected Senator. R. Holland 
 Duell was elected to Congress, Geo. B. Jones, 
 district attorney, and J. A. McVean Mem- 
 
 ber of Assembly, and the Republican ticket 
 generally triumphed. The contest between 
 A. P. Smith and Hiram Crandall for county 
 judge was especially spirited, daily editions 
 of both Republican and Democratic organs 
 being issued in support of the respective 
 candidates, who were, as usual in such 
 cases, made to appear by the opposite or- 
 gans as most decidedly unfit for the office. 
 Mr. Crandall was elected. The Civil War 
 was ushered in with the attack on Fort 
 Sumter on the 9th day of April, 1861, the 
 history of which, as it relates to this county, 
 is given in another chapter. 
 
 It had for several years, prior to i860, 
 been apparent to the Supervisors of the 
 county that something must be done to 
 provide better jail accommodations. The 
 old jail under the court-house had been 
 frequently enlarged and repaired, and in 
 1859 the Supervisors authorized Abram 
 Mudge to associate himself with another 
 competent person to estimate the cost and 
 propose plans for a new jail suitable for the 
 county and report at the meeting of i860. 
 In November, i860, the board authorized 
 the raising of $8,000 for the purpose of 
 building a jail substantially on the plans 
 suggested b}- Mr. Mudge, who, with W'm. 
 E. Tallman, was made the building com- 
 mittee. The present excellent jail was the 
 result of this action. ^ 
 
 1 It was in the Board of Supervisors of 1865 that 
 Erving Taintor, the "Bard of Harford," offered a reso- 
 lution providing, in substance, for application to the 
 Legislature for such alteration of the laws as would al- 
 low the dog ta.x to be applied to the school fund. .Ap- 
 pended to the resolution in the old record liook appears 
 the following poetical argument in favor of the resolu- 
 tion : — 
 
 Now, in the Scriptures it is said 
 
 Vou shall not take the children's bread 
 
 .\nd give it to the dogs ; 
 Neither shall men, or boys, or girls. 
 Or lovely women take their pearls 
 
 .\nd cast them to the hogs. 
 
 But e'er intent on doing good, 
 C'live hogs and dogs their proper food, 
 \n<\ knowledge to the fools; 
 
A. L. CHAMBERl.AIX 
 
From 1830 to the Present Time. 
 
 89 
 
 Between the years 1865 and 1870 the 
 people of the count)', and especially of 
 Cortlandville, became very enthusiastic over 
 the subject of further railroad construction, 
 which would give them better connections 
 with other portions of the State. The vil- 
 lage of Cortland had fully entered upon the 
 period of growth which has since given it 
 justly earned fame from Lake Erie to the 
 Hudson river ; manufacturing interests were 
 springing up or being earnestly discussed 
 in Cortland, Homer, Marathon, McGraw- 
 ville and other localities; the farming com- 
 munities were prosperous, the dairying in- 
 terest having shown a wonderful increase 
 since i860 and become an important source 
 of revenue; cheese factories had been es- 
 tablished in all parts of the county, and the 
 quality of their product, with that of the 
 county butter, ranked second to those of 
 only one or two other counties in the State. 
 This state of affairs found the towns through 
 which it was proposed to run new railroad 
 lines ready to lend them their aid through 
 the liberal issue of bonds, or in other ways. 
 
 In 1869 the Ithaca and Cortland Railroad 
 Company was formed, for the construction 
 of a line terminating at these two villages. 
 In aid of this project the town of Cortland 
 voted to bond itself for $100,000. The 
 road was completed and opened, and finally 
 extended to Elmira, making a valuable 
 
 So, 'tis the fashion now to raise 
 By various means and various ways, 
 Money for our schools. 
 
 Now, if a thieving dog you keeji. 
 Or one that never killed a sheep. 
 
 Or dog of any kind, 
 Let him be taxed to raise a store 
 Of several hundreds, if no more, 
 To cultivate the mind. 
 
 Then, every dog of every breed 
 Will teach the children how to read. 
 
 Or help their education; 
 .\nd thus a useless race be made. 
 That never learned a trade, 
 
 To benefit the nation. 
 
 connecting link with the D., L. & W., and 
 
 e\'entually proving of much benefit to the 
 county at large. 
 
 Immediately following the agitation of 
 this railroad enterprise, the Auburn branch 
 of the great Midland line, which might or 
 might not come through Cortland, became 
 a topic of earnest and widespread discus- 
 sion. Cortlandville and other towns were 
 willing to bond themselves in large amounts 
 to attract the road in this direction. When 
 it subsequently appeared improbable that 
 this object could be accomplished, and in 
 response to the generally existing feeling in 
 the county in favor of railroad building to 
 almost any point, the Utica, Chenango and 
 Cortland Railroad Company was formed ; 
 prominent men became interested in this 
 organization, one of the foremost of whom 
 and one whose interests would be large!}- 
 subserved by the proposed road, being Hon. 
 Perrin H. McGraw, of McGrawville. The 
 charter of the company is dated April 9, 
 1 870. Preliminary surveys had been made 
 under direction of Fred. E. Knight, of Cort- 
 land village, as chief engineer, and after the 
 company was fully organized the work of 
 construction was begun. In aid of this 
 road the town of Cortlandville voted to 
 bond for $150,000; Solon for $44,000; 
 Cincinnatus for $45,500; Taylor for $20,- 
 000 ; Mr. McGraw was made president of 
 the company and the work of grading was 
 rapidly pushed forward for a time. But 
 difficulties of a serious character arose, into 
 the details of which we need not enter, and 
 the work was suspended after about eighteen 
 miles were graded, bridges and culverts 
 built and more than $300,000 expended. 
 The suspension was due chiefly to trouble 
 with contractors, underestimates of cost, the 
 later failure of negotiations for consolida- 
 tion with the Midland Company and the 
 financial panic of 1873—74. Almost the 
 whole sum, for which the towns named issued 
 
90 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 their bonds, has been expended on this line. 
 Whether all of the towns will finall)- pay 
 these bonds entire, is a question for the 
 future to decide; although some of them 
 will do so, the town of Cortlandville among 
 the number; her bonds having been re- 
 funded at five per cent, interest. 
 
 The line of this road passed through 
 McGrawville, Solon, down the valley of the 
 Gee brook, Taylor to the Otselic valley to 
 an intersection with what was known as the 
 De Ruyter branch of the Midland ; it is 
 generally conceded to be a natural and de- 
 sirable route for a railroad. Since the sus- 
 pension of work on the line various plans 
 have been suggested and discussed and 
 efforts made to finish the road, but as yet 
 (1884) nothing has been accomplished. It 
 is believed, however, by those competent to 
 judge, that it will be put in operation at a 
 not distant day. The first of Board of 
 Directors were David R. Pierce, of Otselic; 
 Addison Taylor and John S. Blackman, of 
 Cincinnatus; Calvin L. Hathaway, of Solon; 
 P. H. McGraw, O. S. Kinney, H. P. Good- 
 rich, Allen B. Smith, Chauncey Keator, 
 Charles C. Taylor and James S. Squires. 
 The board met at the Messenger House in 
 Cortland, March 14th, 1870, and elected P. 
 H. McGraw, president; B. F. Tillinghast, 
 vice-president; J. S. Squires, treasurer; 
 Frank Place, secretary. 
 
 The branch of the Midland Railroad did 
 finally come through Cortland county, and 
 was subsequently leased by the Utica, Ithaca 
 and Elmira road and is now operated bj- it. 
 These lines that are now in successful opera- 
 tion give ample railroad connections east, 
 west, north and south, and have done much 
 to aid in the development of the resources 
 of the county. This process of develop- 
 ment and the growth of the county in vari- 
 ous respects during the past twent)- years 
 will be better understood bj- reference to a 
 few statistics from the census reports, with 
 
 which and the civil list this chapter will be 
 closed : — 
 
 The aggregate population of Cortland 
 county in 1855 was 24,575. I" l^So it had 
 increased to 25,825. Cortland village had 
 a population in 1855 of 2,1 17, which in- 
 creased to 4,050, in 1880. Homer village 
 increased her population during the same 
 period from 1,625 to 2,331; and Marathon 
 from 500 to 1,006. At the former date the 
 acreage of improved land was 194,736, 
 against 218,736 in 1875. In 1855 the 
 amount of butter made in the county was 
 2,379,257 pounds, against 2,995,101 twenty 
 years later ; while the cheese production 
 increased in the same period in a similar 
 ratio. In manufactures the growth, espe- 
 cially during the past ten or twelve years, has 
 been even more marked. That this ad- 
 vancement will continue in the future there 
 is little doubt. 
 
 CORTI,.\XD county CIVIL LIST. 
 
 County Judges.i — John Keep, appointed- 
 April 3d, 1810; William Mallory, January 
 31st, 1823; Joseph Reynolds, March 9th, 
 1833; Henry Stephens, May 17th, 1838; 
 Daniel Hawks, elected June, 1847; Lewis 
 Kingsley, November 7th, 1851; R. Holland 
 Duell, November 6th, 1855; Stephen Brew- 
 er, November 14th, 1859; Hiram Crandall, 
 November, 1859; Abram P. Smith, Novem- 
 ber, 1867; S. S. Knox, November, 1882. 
 
 County Clerks.'- — John Ballard, appoint- 
 ed April 8th, 1808; Reuben Washburn, 
 April 3d, 1810; John Ballard, March 4th, 
 1811 ; Mead Merrill, April 2d, 181 3 ; Will- 
 iam Mallory, March 2d, 1815 ; Joshua Bal- 
 lard, July 7th, 1819 ; Matthias Cook, Feb- 
 ruary 14th, 1S21 ; Samuel Hotchkiss, elected 
 1822; Orin Stimpson, 1834; Gideon C. Bab- 
 
 1 Previous to the adoption of the Constitution of 1846 
 this office was filled by the "Council of .\ppointnient " 
 at Abany. 
 
 - This office was made elective by the Constitution of 
 1821. 
 
From 1830 to the Present Time. 
 
 91 
 
 cock, 1840; Samuel Hotchkiss, jr., 1843; 
 Rufus A. Reed, 1849; Allis W. Ogdcn, 
 1858 ; De Witt C. McGraw, 1861 : Frank 
 Place, 1867; W. S. Maycumber, 187C; 
 Howard J. Harrington, 1879; R. W. Bourne, 
 1882. 
 
 District Attorneys. — Augustus Donncll}', 
 1 8 19; Edward C. Reed, 1827 ; William H. 
 Shankland, 1836; Horatio Ballard, 1844; 
 Augustus S. Ballard, 1847; R. Holland 
 Duell, 1850; Edward C. Reed, appointed 
 1856 ; Abram P. Smith, elected 1856 ; Geo. 
 B.Jones, 1859; Alvah D. Waters, 1865; 
 Riley Champlin, 1870; Lewis Bouton, No- 
 vember, 1870; Benjamin T. Wright, 1873; 
 Byron A. Benedict, 1876; Irving H. Pal- 
 mer, 1882. 
 
 Sheriffs.' — Asahcl Minor, April 8th, 
 1808; Wm. Mallor\-, appointed June 9th, 
 1808; Joshua Ballard, April 3d, 18 10; Billy 
 Trowbridge, March 25 th, 18 14; Wm. Stew- 
 art, March 2d, 1815 ; Noah R. Smith, Feb- 
 ruary 13th, 1819; Moses Hopkins, Febru- 
 ary 1 2th, 1821 ; David Cove, elected 1822; 
 Adin Webb, 1828; Wm. Andrews, 1831 ; 
 Gilmore Kinney, 1834; E. W. Edgcomb, 
 1837; Alanson Carley, 1840 ; Christian Etz, 
 1843; George Ross, 1846; J. C. Pomeroy, 
 1849; Frederick Ives, 1852 ; John S. Sam- 
 son, 1855 ; Silas Baldwin, 1858; Frederick 
 Ives, 1861 ; N. H. Haynes, 1864 ; Isaac W. 
 Brown, 1867; John D. Benton, 1870; N. 
 H. Haynes, 1873; Harlow G. Borthwick, 
 1876; Gerret S. Van Hoe.sen, 1879; H. G. 
 Borthwick, 1882. 
 
 Treasurers.- — Justin M. Pierce, 1848; 
 Edwin F. Gould, 185 i ; Isaac M. Seaman, 
 1854 ; Horace L. Green, 1857 ; Lora Gross, 
 i860; Daniel H. Burr, 1863; George W. 
 Webster, 1866 ; John S. Cornue, 1869 ; A. 
 
 • This office was made elective in 1821. 
 
 - In all of the civil lists availalile this office is dated 
 from 1848. Obadiah Boies was treasurer of this county 
 from its organization and held the office until 1822, when 
 he was succeeded by Kdmond .Mallory, who was followed 
 in 1825 by William Mallory. 
 
 S. Waters, 1872; Robert Bu.shby, 1875; 
 
 the present incumbent. 
 
 Surrogates.' — John McWhorter, ap- 
 pointed April 8th, 1808; Mead Merrill, 
 1810; Luther F. Stevens, 1811; Adin 
 Webb, 1816; Jabez B. Phelps, 1823 ; Chas. 
 W. Lynde, 1828; Townsend Ross, 1832; 
 Anthony Freer, 1836; Adin Webb, 1840; 
 Anthony Freer, 1844. 
 
 Members of Assembh'. — Ephraim Fish, 
 1 8 10; Billy Trowbridge, 181 1; Wm. Mal- 
 lory, 1814; S. G. Hathaway, 1815 ; Joseph 
 Reynolds, 1816; John Miller, 1817; S. G. 
 Hathaway, 1818; Joseph Reynolds, 18 19; 
 John Miller, 1820; John Osborn, 1821 ; 
 Daniel Sherwood, 1822 ; John Gillett, 1823; 
 Matthias Cook and Wm. Barto, jr., 1824; 
 Josiah Hart and J. Chatterton, 1825 ; John 
 Lynde and Augustus A. Donnelly, 1826; 
 Nathan Dayton and Cephas Comstock, 
 1827; Nathan Dayton and John L. Boyd, 
 1828; Gideon Curtis and Alanson Carley, 
 I 829 ; Henry Stephens and Chauncey Keep, 
 1830; Fredus Howard and Chas. Richard- 
 son, 183 1 ; Andrew Dickson and J. L. 
 Woods, 1832 ; David Mathews and Enos S. 
 Halbert, 1833 ; Oliver Kingman and S. Bo- 
 gardus, 1834; Barak Niles and Aaron 
 Brown, 1835 ; Chauncey Keep and Cephas 
 Comstock, 1 >i^6 ; Josiah Hine and John 
 Thomas, 1837; John Osgood and David 
 Mathews, 183S; G. S. Green and George 
 Isaacs, 1839; Jabez B. Phelps and Wm. 
 Barnes, 1 840 ; Nathan Heaton and Lovel 
 G. Mickels, 1841 ; Orin Stimpson and Jesse 
 Ives, 1842 ; H. McGraw and George N. 
 Niles, 1843 ; J. Kingman, jr., and Piatt F. 
 Grow, 1844; John Pierce, 2d, and Geo. J. 
 J. Barber, 1845 ; Amos Graves and John 
 Miller, 1846 ; Timothy Green, 1847 ; James 
 Comstock, 1848; Ira Skeel, 1849; Lewis 
 Kingsley, 1850; Alvan Kellogg, 1851; 
 Geo. W. Bradford, 1852 ; Ashbel Patterson, 
 
 1 After the adoption of the Constitution of 1846 this 
 office has been merged with that of county judge. 
 
92 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 1853; Jolm 11. Knapp, 1854; Georj^e J. 
 Kingman, 1855; Joseph Atwater, 1856; 
 Nathan Bouton, 1857 ! Artlnir Holmes, 
 1858; John A. McVcan, i860; Loammi 
 Kinney, 1861 ; Thomas Barry, 1862; Henry 
 
 B. Van Hoesen, 1863; B. F. TilHnghast, 
 1864; Dann C. Squires, 1865; Stephen 
 Patrick, 1866 ; Horatio Ballard, 1867 ; Ray- 
 mond P. Babcock, 1868 ; Hiram Whitmarsh, 
 1869; Charles I'oster, 1870; Henry S. 
 Randall, 1871; Dann C. Squires, 1872; 
 Geo. W. Phillips, 1873; Geo. W. Phillips, 
 1874; Daniel E. VVhitmorc, 1875 ; Judson 
 
 C. Nelson, 1876; Deloss McGraw, 1877; 
 Orris U. Kellogg, 1878; Geo. H.Arnold, 
 1879; Samuel A. Childs, 1880; Alburtis 
 
 A. Carley, 1881 ; Alburtis A. Carley, 
 1882. 
 
 Members of Congress from Cortland 
 County. — John Miller, 1824; Edward C. 
 Reed, 1830; S. G. Hathaway, 1832; Jo- 
 seph Reynolds, 1834; Lewis Riggs, 1840; 
 Harmon S. Conger, 1846; R. Holland 
 Duel), 1858, 1871 and 1873. 
 
 State Senators from Cortland County. — 
 William Mallory, 1818; S. G. Hathaway, 
 1822; Chas. W. Lynde, 1S30; \Vm. Bart- 
 lit, 1841 ; Geo. W. Bradford, 1853, 1855; 
 Perrin H. McGraw, i860. 
 
 Secretaries of State from Cortland Count)-. 
 — Henry S. Randall, 185 i ; Horatio Bal- 
 lard, 1 86 1. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 MII.nWKV history. — the 76TII RICOIMENT. 
 
 Early Organizations — Military Spirit in Early Days — "General Training" Days — Military Dignitaries in the 
 Old Militia — Cortland County in the War of the Rebellion — The News from Bull Run — Its Effects at the North 
 — The County Aroused — .An Imiiortant Meeting — Suggestions for the Organization of a Regiment — Meetings 
 Held Throughout the County — Recruiting — The 76th Regiment Organized — Camp Established on the Fair 
 Grounds — The Green-McNett Trouble — Departure of the Regiment — Reorganization — Line and Staff Officers — 
 Off for New York — Ordered to \Yashington — Camp Life at Meridian Hill — Ordered to Fredericksburg — Colonel 
 Wainwright Assigned to the Command of the Regiment — The First Battle — Ex.amples of Heroism — The 
 Second Bull Run — .South Mountain and the Conflict — .At Fredericksburg — The Bloody Field of Gettysburg — An 
 Execution — In the Wilderness — M Spottsylvania — In Petersburg — "Expended in the Service" — Home. 
 
 ALTHOUGH Cortland county is one of 
 the smallest in the State, she has every 
 reason to be proud of her military record. 
 Many of the early residents, or their imme- 
 diate relatives, took part in the war of 1 8 1 2, 
 and it is stated tliat sixteen soldiers of the 
 Revolution drew lots and located in this 
 county. The sad story told by many hun- 
 dreds of graves, marked and unmarked, re- 
 veals what a host went out from here to 
 fight for the preservation of the Union in 
 the last terrible conflict. 
 
 The first military organization directly 
 affecting the territory embraced within the 
 coiuit)', dates back to 1796. In March, 
 
 1794, after the erection of Onondaga county 
 from Herkimer, various appointments were 
 made for the new count)-, particularl)' for 
 the battalions of Major John L. Harden- 
 burgh, Moses Dewitt and Asa Danforth, 
 the latter of Onondaga count)'. In 1796 his 
 battalion was made a regiment, its material 
 to come from the townships of Hannibal, 
 Lysander, Cicero, Manlius, Pompey, Fabius, 
 Solon, Cincinnatus, Ttilly, Virgil, Camillus, 
 Sempronius, Locke, Dr)-den, and the Onon- 
 daga Reservation. Mr. Danforth was made 
 Lieutenant- Colonel coinmandant. 
 
 In tliose days the military spirit was more 
 active than at the present time. The war of 
 
KISKNEZER MUUGK. 
 
MiLiTARV History. — The 76x11 Regiment. 
 
 93 
 
 the Revolution had terminated but a few 
 years before, and the Federal constitution had 
 recently gone into effect. The new govern- 
 ment was looked upon as to a certain extent 
 experimental, doubts being felt of its perma- 
 nenc)-. Foreign complications were threat- 
 ening the peace, while the borders were still 
 menaced by the Indians. Therefore the 
 wisdom of kecing up efficient military or- 
 ganizations in every county was generally 
 acknowledged. Military honors and office 
 implied much more distinction than in later 
 years, and were sought with corresponding 
 avidity. Seekers after political preferment 
 were prompt to join the military ranks as a 
 step thereto, while the wearing of a uniform 
 and the pleasure and excitement of "train- 
 ing days" attracted the masses of those lia- 
 ble to military duty. Wherever they were 
 held, thousands flocked to the scene, filling 
 the adjacent highways, perching on the 
 fences and climbing trees. The farmers came 
 in with barrels of new cider in their wagons, 
 which fluid was supplemented by the pop- 
 ular golden ginger bread, and general hilar- 
 ity ensued on all such occasions. 
 
 The old militia organization continued in 
 this State until the year 1862, when it gave 
 way to the "National Guard of the State of 
 New York," and this was, in turn, swallowed 
 up by the organization of the vast northern 
 armies for the suppression of rebellion. Go- 
 ing back to the year 1818 (and probably 
 even earliei'), we find indications of an act- 
 ive martial spirit in Cortland county. At 
 that time it appears that the Thirty- sixth 
 Brigade embraced the county, of which 
 Martin Keep was brigadier-general, Enos 
 Stimson, brigade-major and inspector, and 
 Augustus Donnelly, aid-de-camp. The lat- 
 ter officer was appointed on the ist of June 
 of that year, under brigade order, dated at 
 headquarters in Homer. The same order ap- 
 pointed Lieut. S. G. Hathaway, Capt. Sam- 
 uel Bull, Capt. John J.Adams, Capt. 
 
 Hemenway and Lieut. Chauncey Keep, a 
 
 coiul martial. Another brigade order of that 
 year commanded all non-commissioned offi- 
 cers and musicians to meet September ist 
 at 9 o'clock, at the public square. Homer, 
 for military exercise. "Col. Elijah Wheeler 
 will issue similar orders to his regiment of 
 artillery and riflemen." The 58th Regiment, 
 under comfnand of Col. Martin Phelps, was 
 ordered to parade on the 15th of Septem- 
 ber, on the public square at Homer ; and 
 the 4th Regiment, Col. Wheeler, on the i6th 
 of September, in Solon. 
 
 A brigade order of August, 1819, was 
 signed by Martin Phelps as brigadier-gen- 
 eral, and appointed Andrew Dickson, pres- 
 ident, Capts. Washington Parker, Wm. H. 
 Warner, and Solomon Baker, jr., and Ad- 
 jutant Azariel Blanchard, a court martial. 
 In that )-ear the regiments of Cols. Dickson, 
 Hathaway and Reynolds were ordered to 
 parade. In 1820 S. G. Hathaway became 
 commander of the 36th Brigade. In 1833 we 
 find notice published by Col. Judah Pierce, 
 jr., commanding the 67th Regiment, of a 
 court martial to be held in Truxton in May 
 of that year. In 1853 this count}- was em- 
 braced in the 5 2d Regiment, commanded 
 by Col. O. M. Welch, which, with the 51st 
 Regiment of Onondaga county, formed the 
 24th Brigade. A four days encampment of 
 the brigade was held in Syracuse, in Au- 
 gust of that year. 
 
 But we need not follow through the many 
 succeeding years the almost innumerable 
 changes and promotions that occurred in 
 the officers of the old militia organization 
 of the county ; suffice it to say that the mil- 
 itary spirit of those days, coupled, as it often 
 was, with political distinction, developed 
 many officers \\ho would undoubtedly have 
 pro\en their heroism and bravery on a hard 
 fought field, if such had been their destiny ; 
 but, hapijil)-, they li\-ed ihrough an era of 
 peace, closely following upon the bloody 
 
94 
 
 History of Cortland Cuuntv. 
 
 heels of war. The annual reviews of the 
 several regiments of the county were for 
 many years held cither in Homer, Virgil, 
 Cincinnatus or Solon ; in later years some 
 of the "trainings" were held in Cortland 
 village, in the fields then vacant south of 
 Tompkins and west of South Main street. 
 In the Reminiscences published a few years 
 since by Hon. Horatio Ballard, he gave the 
 following account of military affairs here- 
 abouts in early times, which will recall vivid 
 recollections of their martial experience in 
 the minds of the few who are left of the elder 
 organizations : — 
 
 "The regiment embracing the undivided town 
 of Homer, Preble and Scott was a noble one. It 
 was composed of a company of cavalry, grena- 
 diers, artillery, rifle and infantry. Military pride 
 was then cultivated and upheld throughout the 
 ranks of society. I hope there are some yet liv- 
 ing who will remember the splendid 'troop of 
 cavalry ' as it paraded on the ' green' in Homer, 
 commanded by Joshua Ballard, and officered by 
 the cherished names of David Coye, Isaac Rindge, 
 Stephen Knapp, Henry De Voe, and others, with 
 Roswell Lee as trumpeter, and ' Hi.' Herrick as 
 color-bearer; or the brilliant company of gren- 
 adiers, dressed in beautiful uniforms and com- 
 manded by Hezekiah Roberts, with Jeremiah 
 Day on the fife, and Jerry Selkreg on the drum, 
 as his chief musicians ; or the heavy artillery, 
 with its brass ordnance, marching with stately 
 tread through the streets of Homer, and com- 
 manded by Benajah Tubbs ; or the rifle com- 
 pany, in uniform of green tunics and feathers in 
 caps, moving on the double-quick, and com- 
 manded by John Etz. 
 
 "0, who that shared them ever shall forget 
 
 The emotions of that spirit-rousing time," 
 
 when the old-fashioned "general training day' 
 
 occurred in the village of Homer, and General 
 
 Daniel Miller,' in full military dress, including 
 
 1 General Miller, whose name has often occurred in 
 these pages, was for a time on the Niagara frontier in the 
 War of i8i2. It is said of him (hat he gained his knowl- 
 edge of how to handle men by military tactics through 
 practice with kernels of corn, before he left his home ; but 
 he acknowledged after his return, that when it came to 
 commanding men in the field, he found a vast difference, 
 which made it difficult to apply his hard-earned knowledge. 
 
 a tall, straight yellow jjlume and chapeau and 
 buff pants, bestriding his caparisoned horse, with 
 erect and stately mein and commanding look, 
 took his station with his staff" to receive the 
 marching salute of the regiment. A jjicket guard 
 had to be stationed to withstand the jjress of the 
 multitude. 
 
 " It was a marked era in the history of the old 
 brigade when Roswell Randall became its com- 
 mandant. He was a model military officer, 
 possessed of faultless taste in the matters of mil- 
 itary dress, and was fond of the splendors of mil- 
 itary parades. The brigade staff was composed 
 of Enos Stimson, brigade inspector; J. De Puy 
 Freer, judge advocate; John D. Matthews, sur- 
 geon ; Henry S. Randall, aid ; Hiram C. Mc- 
 Kay, quartermaster, and George Barber, pay- 
 master. On the resignation of Major Stimson, 
 the writer of this number was appointed by the 
 governor as brigade inspector. 
 
 " In the uniform of the general and staff", and 
 the trappings of the horses, the military regula- 
 tions were fully carried out. Nothing was want- 
 ing. The county was laid under contribution 
 for the best horses for annual parades. These 
 were palmy days in the military annals of the 
 county. 
 
 " General Randall possessed manly beauty and 
 a graceful horsemanship, combined with a thor- 
 ough knowledge of inilitary evolutions. He was 
 ambitious to sustain the organization of the mili- 
 tia, and to have the reviews command not only 
 the respect but the admiration of the people. 
 His words and his example were felt throughout 
 the military ranks of the county, and were effect- 
 ual in improving discipline and exciting admira- 
 tion for the parades and maneuvers of the regi- 
 ments. 
 
 "This was the period when Eleazer May was 
 the colonel of the regiment which met at Homer; 
 William Squires, colonel of the regiment which 
 met at Virgil; Eli C. Dickinson, colonel of the 
 regiment which met at Cincinnatus; and Judah 
 Pierce, colonel of the battalion which met at 
 Truxton. 
 
 "The general and staff' were accustomed to 
 ride in carnages until within a short distance of 
 the hotel quarters, and then to mount the led 
 horses and ride into town under the animating 
 blasts of the bugle, and with quickened pace, 
 
MiLiTARV History. — The 76111 Regiment. 
 
 95 
 
 forming in platoon before tlie hotel, when every 
 rider Vould deliver at command a ])istol shot. 
 This was a sort of prelude for the awakening 
 scenes of the day. .\fter the review was a state- 
 ly march of tlie regiment from the jiarade ground 
 along the streets of the town, escorting the gen- 
 eral and staff, with banners flying, and the mul- 
 titude electrified with scores of 'ear- piercing 
 fifes,' and scores of 'spirit-stirring drums,' em- 
 phasized with the roar of cannon. Then came 
 the halt and the official dismissal, and thus 'gen- 
 eral training day' was closed. 
 
 "The only surviving regimental commandant 
 of that period is Colonel William Squires, now 
 (1878) a resident of Marathon. In the vigor of 
 his years he had a passion for the military. He 
 soon rose to the command of a regiment, and 
 then it was that he began to display that re- 
 markable magnetic power over a corps of men 
 in the field which gave him renown. He would 
 maneuver a regiment so that they would go 
 through successive evolutions with the regularity 
 of the pieces in a game of chess. It was a no- 
 ble military spectacle, and gave delight to the 
 encircling field of beholders. But the general 
 and most of his staft", and the field officers of the 
 several regiments, have been dismissed from 
 duty in life's campaign." 
 
 CORTLAND COUNTY IX THE WAR OF THE 
 REBELLION. 
 When the startling news of the defeat of 
 the northern army at Bull Run in 1861 
 came flashing from the telegraph, the peo- 
 ple from among whom had marched that 
 army — a host great in numbers and be- 
 lie\'ed to be invincible against the boasting 
 enemies of the government — could scarce- 
 ly believe the appalling intelligence. The 
 great army beaten by a lot of rioters I Fly- 
 ing in defeat to the defenses of Washing- 
 ton ! It could not be true. The sequel is 
 well known history. The North, for a mo- 
 ment paralyzed, quickly recovered, and 
 united in one grand military eftbrt to put 
 down the unholy attempt to sever the Union 
 and perpetuate an institution founded and 
 fostered in human oppression and wrong. 
 
 One of the minor features, yet one which 
 was momentous in its consequences, of this 
 great effort, was the meeting of a few ear- 
 nest men in a law office in Cortland village, 
 to consider what could be done here to- 
 wards aiding the government in its wrestle 
 with the rebels. At this meeting there was 
 much diversity of opinion. One full com- 
 pany, that of Captain Clark, had already 
 left the county in the 23d Regiment N. Y. 
 v., many had gone in the old 12th Regi- 
 ment and other organizations, and it was 
 feared b\- some that another company could 
 not be organized in the county, and if it 
 could that it would not be wise to thus drain 
 the community of its young and able-bodied 
 men. Others held different views. In at- 
 tendance at the meeting was Nelson W. 
 Green, a man of sanguine, nervous temper- 
 ament, who had been partially educated at 
 West Point, whence he was discharged on 
 account of a wound. It was, Mr. Green 
 who advanced and supported the sugges- 
 tion that an entire regiment could be easily 
 raised in Cortland count}'. After proper 
 consideration it was decided to make the 
 attempt, and Colonel Green was accordingly 
 authorized by the State to proceed with the 
 work. A circular was prepared setting 
 forth the object in view, and giving instruc- 
 tions to recruits as to what course to pur- 
 sue, and signed by about thirty of the lead- 
 ing citizens of Cortland village ; these were 
 distributed throughout the county. Meet- 
 ings were held in every town, and enlist- 
 ments went forward so rapidly that an order 
 was soon obtained for the formation of a 
 military camp at Cortland. The grounds 
 of the County Agricultural Society were 
 leased for this purpose, and on the 26th of 
 September, 1S61, the enlisted men were 
 as.sembled in camp. Recruiting continued 
 in every school district, and the organiza- 
 tion of the regiment under the inspiring 
 number, Seventy-Si.x, seemed to be near at 
 
96 HiSTORV OF CORTLAXD COCSTY. 
 
 band, wbco, oc Z'eceniber. art »mi t5ak>gae 
 
 event C'Ccnrred ■% :teii~e ex'rite- 
 
 ment. and threatened to end the carmoay ^^^ Grt^- — "Hje {XEoaer ^itxiii mx ka¥« 
 
 and peace of the reganent Amoag th ^"^ 
 
 as Andrew. . 7" , ^' . 
 
 - . A Oreen — I>o woa recse B> ooer hit 
 
 - :y, woo na . :: ' ' ' 
 
 joiied the regiment in October with abG_ Mc>»en:— I <to.sadiocdasw 
 
 ie«i-enty men. To these were ac: i ^ '^CtA. Gieai (tfemoondng: and ckawiBg a 
 
 or t- : r'nt from \ates c :_ ,r ssaJl Sauh &: Wesson petnl) — W3I Toa re- 
 
 H. - - -O was mae^r- s. IiCEienanc rire lO tost ijaart^rs ? 
 
 in Company A. In the Latter part of No- -Cape McXetr — I w51 boc sk. 
 
 ins rmnn r-m and to Allegfianir cocnt^- to 'J^s^rter^ 
 
 pFOcnre more nien. We will grre the de- "'- -^ - ::— as-sir. 
 
 soc ar: ^loot me ityna dare. 
 Smrth : — ^_ 
 
 - Og t&e ttimu of Carcain McXai. Colonel ^ . - t-;_ _,,,_l- \r<-v— - i.,,,^^^--,-^^ 
 
 ■ -::- -"-"-rT" — : ^■"'" "- !-t3;j nsed tEs; leave - - , y, - 
 
 TO ?irr tiD scrnfe is. ._ .„.^ ., 
 
 i : ^ _ _ ; _ _ : T-.c_ Wjir '1:1 -_ 
 
 - .- J - -. — c paj'Sr as _— -_ 
 
 -ed. Heis Car'taEa McNett 
 
 aica:!--— 1- . :i„ _ 
 
 '^'^^^^^^^^ ■ " Ms pacrajtsc cxntzse. endeared Mmsrif to n..:.: 
 xahsLWzz ,: -VetxDT _,: .-.„-. __-- - ^ _ _ ^^^^^^ 
 
 McXecr made a fcrnial resstartce. btcr nnhcn:- . T trhe^ t^ 
 
 in die fectc^sn cfsar cblLowed eMs a^^. ^Bctte- 
 
 _ - _ -a— LijT was mBbnEe-i ; c 
 
 ordered Cac'Csni McSes m. cfiose sefesc m dse faines W.jod bo i~ .-- 
 
 laid BO sscectam die fects- aad m demean it*"^ 
 
 pamEsaoQ som dse ccnunandanc of die ^asc -.-t=catvr 
 
 ~ xbsz day merdie oEcecs ot die resanjaii:. wsert 
 
 '^ *^°*P- . ^ dte ir~ 
 
 - provai of tae coarse '^g''" by Coiciiei Or:: 
 
 bete -_---- . . - -^ --: -- ..-_,.3,^; --^_,.:-^ Teener- - 
 
 some drtnimlrv. and on his retnm. wtsea riifing -qs^^ss.^ 
 
 diaE'^Iie capcan was oa^ds the door s ftfffciffg csHfaer Genaal W.doc aCTn aiec die oc: - 
 
 ' 3Z &- ■ 
 
 dsooaa near el wtiere ke had rsoned ej get Cofcuid Greai was arrested^ on a err- - : 
 
 : ^^ :5- As CapQiQ ^ _ ' - . 
 
 2ear die doer. --.^ 
 
Military History. — The 76TI1 Regiment. 
 
 97 
 
 Oyer and Terminer to be held in January fol- 
 lowing, to answer an indictment to be found 
 against him for assault with intent to kill." ' 
 
 Orders were received on the i6th of De- 
 cember to proceed to Albany and on the 
 1 8th the regiment left home and friends for 
 the dangers and hardships of the battle- 
 field. They arrived at Albany on the even- 
 ing of the same day and were placed in 
 barracks, where many suffered severely from 
 the cold. 
 
 A court of inquiry had been ordered in 
 Colonel Green's case and, after an investi- 
 gation of three days, he was placed in com- 
 mand of the regiment by the governor, on 
 the 28th. 
 
 While the 76th had been recruiting in 
 Cortland county, similar work had been in 
 progress in Otsego county, resulting, early 
 in January, in the departure for Albany 
 from Cherry Valley of six companies (con- 
 solidated into five) of the 39th regiment of 
 National Guard, under command of Col. 
 John D. Shaul, who had tendered the sen,'- 
 ices of his regiment to the government. 
 These five companies were captained by A. 
 L. Swan, J. E. Cook, J. W. Young, E. N. 
 Hanson and N. Bowdish. The. Cortland 
 branch of the 76th numbered about 800 
 men ; the governor wisely concluding that 
 it would not be politic to send Col. Green 
 and Capt. McNett to the front in the same 
 regiment, transferred the latter and his com- 
 pany to the 93 d New York, then stationed j 
 at Albany. At the same time, Capt. J. V. 
 White, who had joined the 76th with about 
 forty-five men, was transferred by his re- ! 
 quest to the 3d New York Artillery. The 
 remaining companies of the 76th were con- 
 soUdated into seven — A, B, C, D, E, F, 
 and G. Three companies were then trans- 
 ferred from the Otsego regiment to the 
 
 1 Colonel Green was subsequently tried, the jury failed 
 to agree and a nolU prosequi was entered npon the in- ] 
 dictmenL | 
 
 76th, Captain Swan's company becoming 
 Co. H ; Captain Cook's Co. I, and Captain 
 Young's Co. K. Each of these companies, 
 so far as possible, retained its own officers. 
 The field and staff officers were appointed 
 as follows : — 
 
 Colonel — N. W. Green, of Cortland. 
 
 Lieutenant-Colonel — John D. Shaul, of 
 Springfield. 
 
 Major — Charles E. Livingston, of New 
 York city. 
 
 Surgeon — J. C. Nelson, of Truxton. 
 
 Assistant-Surgeon — Geo. W. Metcalfe, 
 of Otsego county. 
 
 Chaplain — H. Stone Richardson, of New 
 York Mills. 
 
 Adjutant — Heman F. Robinson, of Cort- 
 land. 
 
 Quartermaster — A. P. Smith, of Cort- 
 land. 
 
 Quartermaster-Sergeant — Albert J. Jar- 
 vis, of Cortland. 
 
 Commissary-Sergeant — William Storrs, 
 of Allegany. 
 
 The line officers of the regiment were 
 as follows : — 
 
 Company A — Captain, Andrew J. Gro- 
 ver ; First Lieutenant, Charles H. George ; 
 Second Lieutenant, H. W. Pierce. 
 
 Company B — Captain, Oscar C. F"ox ; 
 First Lieutenant, C. D. Crandall; Second 
 Lieutenant, W. Stuart Walcott. 
 
 Company C — Captain, Gilman J. Crit- 
 tenden ; First Lieutenant, E. R. Weaver; 
 Second Lieutenant, M. P. Marsh. 
 
 Company D — Captain, Charles L. Wat- 
 rous; First Lieutenant, E. D. Van Slyck ; 
 Second Lieutenant, • 
 
 Company E — Captain, Wm. H. Powell; 
 First Lieutenant, John H. Ballard; Second 
 Lieutenant, S. M. Powell. 
 
 Company F — Captain, John F. Barnard; 
 First Lieutenant, E. A. Mead ; Second 
 Lieutenant, Wm. W. Green. 
 
 Company G — Captain, Wm. Lansing; 
 
98 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 First Lieutenant, Aaron Saj^cr; Second 
 Lieutenant, James L. Goddard. 
 
 Company H — Captain, Amos L. Swan; 
 First Lieutenant, M. B. Cleveland; Second 
 Lieutenant, Robert Story. 
 
 Company I — Captain, John E. Cook; 
 First Lieutenant, H. A. Hiodyett; Second 
 Lieutenant, Riciiard Williams. 
 
 Company K — Captain, John W. Young; 
 First Lieutenant, C. A. Watkins; Second 
 Lieutenant, C. M. Gaylord. 
 
 On the 1 6th day of January the 76th 
 received orders to march to New York on 
 the following day. On the 17th they 
 marched to the capitol, where a beautiful 
 stand of colors was presented to the regi- 
 ment by S. R. Campbell, esq., in behalf of 
 his mother, Mrs. Samuel Campbell, of New 
 York Mills. Mr. Samuel Campbell had 
 been a sort of a godfather to the regiment, 
 as he had presented the colonel and chap- 
 lain each with a fine black steed, fully 
 equipped, and in man\- other ways had 
 shown his devotion and liberality. The 
 beautiful banner was accepted by Colonel 
 Green in an appropriate speech. 
 
 After these ceremonies the regiment em- 
 barked for New. York where they arrived 
 the following day at noon. They went into 
 quarters at the City Hall Park Barracks, 
 where they remained until January 21st, 
 when the regiment was transferred to Riker's 
 Island, about ten miles up East river. Leav- 
 ing New York, the regiment reached Phila- 
 delphia on the 30th, and on the afternoon of 
 the 31st was in Baltimore. At midnight 
 the following night they reached Washing- 
 ton, going into camp at Meridian Hill. 
 Here occurred the first death in the regi- 
 ment, that of William B. Potter, a private 
 in Company A. He died on the 19th of 
 February, 1862. His body was sent home 
 to his friends in the town of Taylor. 
 
 On the 24th day of Februarj' the 76th, 
 which was not yet assigned to a brigade, 
 
 was moved from Meridian 11 ill to occup)' 
 Forts De Russey, Massachusetts, Totten and 
 Slemmer. About this time it was decided 
 by the authorities that the regiment was 
 not in fit condition to take the field, on ac- 
 count of internal dissensions which had 
 arisen. Most of the officers had united in 
 preferring charges against Col. Green, which 
 charges were then in course of investigation 
 in Washington. This placed Lieut.-Colonel 
 Shaul in command of the regiment. Colo- 
 nel Green was final!}- sent home and dis- 
 missed the service. This unfortunate con- 
 troversy for a time almost destroyed the 
 prospective usefulness of the regiment and 
 it was generally agreed that nothing would 
 thoroughly harmonize the existing dififcr- 
 ences but an active campaign. 
 
 On the 2 1st of Ma\' the regiment was 
 ordered to Fredericksburg, producing a 
 gratifying change in the feelings of men and 
 officers, and on the following morning, after 
 marching five miles to Washington, took 
 a steamer down the Potomac to Aquia 
 creek, where they disembarked about mid- 
 night and bivouacked. In the afternoon 
 of the ne.xt day the march was continued 
 towards Fredericksburg, eighteen miles dis- 
 tant. At 10 o'clock in the night of the 
 following da\', weary and saturated with the 
 falling rain, the 76th came in sight of Fred- 
 ericksburg. It had been assigned to Brig- 
 adier-General Abner Doubleday's Brigade, 
 and remained in camp near F"redericksburg, 
 with little to vary the monotony and routine 
 of camp life, until August 9th. Foraging 
 expeditions, in which the 76th was notori- 
 ously successful, were often organized, ^ and 
 
 1 It was customary to settle with the owners of live 
 stock carried off on these expeditions with what were 
 termed " slow notes," which the reluctant denizen of the 
 Confederacy was compelled to accept for want of anything 
 more satisfactory. KoUowing is a verbatim copy of one 
 of these notes, given by the 76th : — 
 
 "The undersigned freely acknowledges to have re- 
 ceived, on the 1st day of July, 1S62, from Wal- 
 lace, of King George county, \'a., for the use and service 
 
Milharv lIisTORV. — The 76111 Regiment. 
 
 99 
 
 served to relieve tlie monotony of both diet 
 and camp life. 
 
 After remaining on the north bank of 
 the Rappahannock about a week, the regi- 
 ment was sent across the river to guard the 
 city, depot, bridge, etc. Major Livingston 
 of the 76th was made Militar}- Governor, a 
 position which he filled with the most thor- 
 ough efficiency. 
 
 On the 2d of Jul)-, Colonel William P. 
 Wainwright having been assigned to the 
 command of the regiment, he assumed the 
 position and at once instituted regular and 
 persistent drill, which had thus far been 
 much neglected. This constant drill, though 
 soon looked upon with some disfavor by the 
 rank and file, was afterward estimated at its 
 true value ; for it was but a short time before 
 the regiment was engaged in one of the 
 severest battles of the war. 
 
 That the reader may more clearly under- 
 stand the part which the 76th took in this 
 battle it may be well to state the different 
 organizations composing King's Division, 
 the First Division of the First Corps. The 
 First Brigade of this division was under com- 
 mand of General Hatch, and comprised the 
 2d regiment of U. S. Sharpshooters and four 
 regiments of New York troops. The Sec- 
 ond Brigade was under command of Gen- 
 eral Doubleday, and comprised the 76th and 
 the 9Sth New York Regiments and the 56th 
 Pennsylvania, to which was afterwards added 
 the 7th Indiana. The Third Brigade was 
 untler General Gibbon and comprised one 
 Indiana and three Wisconsin regiments. 
 
 On the 9th of August orders were re- 
 ceived for this division to leave Fredericks- 
 
 of the U. S. of America, one pony, eight mules, six fat 
 cattle, ten good sheep, one wagon load of potatoes, one 
 wagon load of vegetables, which I have valued at one 
 thousand dollars. This voucher will be payable at the 
 conclusion of the war, upon sufficient testimony being 
 presented that the said Wallace has been a loyal citizen 
 of the U. S. from the date hereof. 
 
 "Cn.iRi.Es H. Watkins, a. Q. M., U. S. A. 
 "By order of Brig.-Gen. Abner Doubi.edav." 
 
 burg and join the First Corps at Culpepper. 
 At ten o'clock of the loth the 76th reached 
 Chancellorsville, where information was re- 
 ceived that General Banks was then en- 
 gaged with Stonewall Jackson, and the 
 troops must be hurried up to reinforce him. 
 The inarch was kept up through that and 
 the following days, and the next morning 
 intelligence was received that a bloody bat- 
 tle had been fought at Cedar Mountain on 
 the 9th, and Jackson had withdrawn his 
 forces. The brigade of General Doubleday 
 camped between Culpepper Court House 
 and Cedar Mountain, and on the i6th 
 marching orders were received ; from that 
 date until the 21st the brigade was in mo- 
 tion most of the time, but to little purpose. 
 In the mean time the army had withdrawn 
 to the north bank of the Rappahannock, 
 while Jackson, heavih' reinforced from Rich- 
 mond, confronted us on the opposite bank. 
 On the 21st artillery firing was begun by 
 both armies, and the 76th was marched 
 about a mile to take a position in rear of a 
 battery, passing in plain view of a rebel 
 battery, by which it was shelled. This was 
 the first time the regiment was under fire. 
 The next morning vigorous cannonading 
 was reopened and kept up for three days, 
 during which several men in the 76th were 
 wounded, but none killed. On the 24th 
 the regiment was marched to Warrenton, 
 and on the 26th to Sulphur Springs, where 
 an artillery engagement was in progress. 
 Remaining here through one night they 
 joined with the remainder of General Pope's 
 army, which had waited in vain since the 
 22d for reinforcements, and turned in re- 
 treat towards Washington. 
 
 The 28th of August, 1862, will long be 
 remembered by survivors and friends of the 
 76th as the day on which the regiment was 
 first brought into actual battle. The event 
 is thus described by the historian before 
 quoted : — 
 
 LOfC 
 
lOO 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 "As the brigade again took up its line of 
 march, evidences were multiplied that things 
 were coming to a crisis. Constant cannonading 
 was heard in different directions ; squads of cav- 
 alry rode furiously through the cross-roads and 
 fields, while the smoke of battle could be seen 
 rising in ominous clouds in the distance. After 
 passing ("lainesville a mile or two, as the brigade, 
 and more particularly that portion of it formed 
 by the 76th, was moving over a level tract of 
 half a mile in extent, with a wood in their front 
 and a hill at their left, they were nearly paralyzed 
 for a moment by a terrible discharge of artillery 
 from the hill, and so near that the flash from the 
 guns dazzled their eyes. . . . Some dropjjcd 
 down ; others rushed forward upon those in ad- 
 vance, while others still were inclined to turn 
 back. Never was the example of a cool and 
 courageous man more opportunely set than by 
 Colonel Wainwright at this critical juncture. 
 Riding at the head of his regiment, he instantly 
 turned his horse, and coolly riding back toward 
 the rear of the column, between it and the rebel 
 battery, as well by his easy and unconcerned 
 manner as by his words, allayed the excitement 
 and brought every man to his place. 
 
 " 'O, my boys, don't run. don't run. Think a 
 moment how it would sound to say, "the 76th 
 ran." ' 
 
 " No pen can describe the magic effect of those 
 words, and that collected self-possession. Quiet- 
 ly turning his horse he allowed him to almost 
 walk toward the head of the column ; and, al- 
 though the shells came thicker and faster, and 
 with a more dangerous and destructive aim, the 
 men kept steadily on until the wood was reached. 
 But a few moments elapsed after entering the 
 wood before sharp and continuous musketry 
 firing was heard very near and up the hill hid- 
 den by the woods. A strange officer came rid- 
 ing down through the wood shouting : — 
 
 " ' Come on ! Come on, quick ! ' 
 
 "The 76th was immediately in motion, over 
 fences, through bushes, around the trees, over 
 logs, the bullets and shells tearing through the 
 woods like a hail storm. Several of the men 
 were killed and wounded before leaving the wood. 
 After going about twenty rods the regiment 
 emerged into an open field. Here was battle in 
 real earnest. Just in front and a litde to the left 
 
 were the gallant boys of the 'Iron Brigade' 
 (three Wisconsin and one Michigan regiments), 
 fighting and falling in a manner terrible to be- 
 hold. Just at this juncture, as the rebels were 
 ])reparing in great numbers, in the woods be- 
 yond, for a charge u])on our lines, the 76th and 
 the s6th Pennsylvania were ordered into line to 
 fill a gap between the 6th and 7th Wisconsin 
 Regiments. By this timely movement the noble 
 'Iron Brigade' was saved from total annihilation. 
 
 " On coming near the enemy Colonel Wain- 
 wright thought it prudent to deploy a few files 
 as skirmishers. He called up Captain Crover, 
 Company A, and told him what he wanted. 
 How well and nobly it was jjerformed was evi- 
 denced by several wounds received on that oc- 
 casion. 
 
 " During a lull in the action a body of men 
 was seen moving on the extreme left flank. As 
 they came foi ward they shouted : 
 
 " ' Don't shoot your own men.' 
 
 " .-Vt that distance it seemed doubtful whether 
 they were friends or enemies, and it w'as not 
 without hesitation that the Colonel gave the or- 
 der, 'By the left oblique. Aim! Fire!' No 
 rebel of that column who escaped death, will 
 forget that volley. It seemed like one gun. . . . 
 When the smoke cleared away a little, the few 
 left of that mass of human beings, who had so 
 rapidly left the woods a few moments before, had 
 disappeared, but the ground was literally covered 
 with their dead and wounded. The 76th went 
 into this fight with 224 men, of which, in the 
 hour's struggle, ten were killed, seventy- two 
 wounded, and eighteen missing. Five officers, 
 four of whom w ere captured, were wounded, and 
 many of the wounded were unable ever to take 
 the field. 
 
 "Among the many examples of rare heroism 
 performed in this engagement it will be just to 
 mention the following : William H. Miller was 
 early wounded in the foot, but refused to be car- 
 ried from the field, and remained on the ground 
 loading and firing. John L. Wood continued 
 firing after his thumb was shot off, until he re- 
 ceived a mortal wound. Daniel McGregor re- 
 ceived a wound in his thigh from which he after- 
 wards died, yet he rested on his other knee and 
 continued firing until too weak from loss of blood. 
 Sergeant Lawrence Banker, dying on the field, 
 
Military History. — The 76TH Regiment. 
 
 lOI 
 
 sent his brother from his side with tlie words : 
 'Leave me and rush to the front!' Albert OHn, 
 wounded in the arm, continued firing until dis- 
 abled by another shot in the shoulder. James 
 J. Card, although covered with blood from a 
 wound m the head, continued firing until he was 
 shot in the arm. Captain Fox received a ball 
 in his lungs, and Captain Sager, while bra\ely 
 leading his men, was terribly wounded, a bullet 
 passing entirely through his body. All the offi- 
 cers displayed great bravery and coolness, call- 
 ing out in Colonel Wainwright's report the ex- 
 pression : 'I cannot too much praise the men 
 who supplied want of previous military prepara- 
 tion by their own nerve and resolution.' " 
 
 Similar conduct characterized this noble 
 organization all through its terrible and 
 destructive campaign, and the above ex- 
 amples of special acts of bravery are not 
 intended to reflect in any way upon other 
 members of the regiment, many of whom 
 afterwards displayed equal heroism ; but 
 which cannot manifestly all be noted in 
 detail. 
 
 On the 29th of August the 76th sus- 
 tained an honorable part in the second bat- 
 tle of Bull Run, losing in the three days of 
 fighting, skirmishing and marching, nine 
 officers and eighty-eight men killed and 
 wounded, and one officer and forty- eight 
 men missing. The general retreat was con- 
 tinued until the night of September 1st, 
 when the 76th reached Upton Hill, ending 
 the short but severe campaign. Following 
 is a summary of the report of Colonel 
 Wainwright : — 
 
 " Beginning with the retreat from Cellar 
 Mountain and, in the case of the 76th, with the 
 march from Fredericksburg, it is seldom that an 
 army is required to undergo more than our men 
 performed. With scarcely a day's intermission, 
 the Third Corps to which this regiment belonged 
 was either making forced marclies, often in the 
 night, and through the hottest days of August, 
 frequently without proper water, much of the 
 time without food, or engaged in battles as se- 
 vere and destructive as had taken ])lace during 
 
 this war. The regiment had already been under 
 fire at five different battles. It had left New 
 York with nearly one thousand men. The ex- 
 ])osures of camp and those diseases incident to 
 acclimation, had so reduced it that when it left 
 Fredericksburg it contained about four hundred 
 and fifty officers and men, and now, after the 
 struggles of this campaign, though several had 
 rejoined it from Fredericksburg and elsewhere, 
 it only numbered about two hundred and twenty- 
 five. Of the thirty line officers, only six re- 
 mained — a fearful reduction in both officers 
 and men." 
 
 Colonel Wainwright's report was accom- 
 panied by a request that the regiment be 
 recruited, supplied with officers and a little 
 rest be given to put it in condition to take 
 the field. The only answer to this request 
 was an order to march, half- equipped, to 
 South Mountain, Antietam and elsewhere. 
 On the 6th of September the division 
 was ordered to march through Washington, 
 across the Potomac and into Maryland. On 
 the 14th they passed through Frederick 
 City, Md., and the next day played a con- 
 spicuous and honorable part in the terrible 
 battle of South Mountain. Up the side of 
 that steep and rugged eminence, in the 
 calm quiet of a beautiful Sabbath afternoon, 
 the troops toiled toward the scene of ap- 
 proaching carnage. As the brigade neared 
 the summit, firing in front became more 
 distinct and they soon entered the last line 
 of forest skirting the crown of the moun- 
 tain. Here a halt was made and bayonets 
 fixed. The brigade occupied the left of 
 the division, and the 76th the extreme left 
 of the brigade ; so that the left flank of the 
 regiment was uncovered. On the right 
 of the 76th was the 56th Pennsylvania. 
 Through the woods came the rebel bullets, 
 tearing the trees and shrieking overhead, 
 whije just ahead came the cheers and yells 
 of the opposing troops. Hatch's Brigade 
 had preceded Doubleday's Brigade and was 
 now hcavih- engaged. While thus bravely 
 
102 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 holding the ground, Doubleday's Brigade 
 rushed with a shout to their reUef. Hatch's 
 Brigade retired, while tlie 76th and other 
 regiments poured the deadly hail upon the 
 enemy. Charge after charge was made by 
 the rebels to break our lines, but each was 
 repulsed, and thus for half an hour this 
 brigade stood its ground against vastly 
 superior numbers.^ 
 
 Through the remainder of this destruc- 
 tiv-e battle the 76th bore itself with the 
 most heroic braver)-, suffering several direct 
 attacks from the enemy, about twenty men 
 of the little band, including Colonel Wain- 
 wright, falling killed or wounded from the 
 effects of one single volley. It was, per- 
 haps, the severest fighting the regiment 
 took part in during the war. 
 
 The next morning the fragment of a 
 brigade was given opportunity to light fires, 
 after the decisive victor}', but their coffee 
 and hard tack was scarcely disposed of before 
 they were to march towards Boonesborough. 
 The wounded were sent back to Fredericks- 
 burg, while the troops went forivard after a 
 retreating enemy. The 76th took part in 
 the battle of Antietam, in which several 
 were wounded, but its action was chiefly in 
 support of artiller)'. 
 
 The 2Sth of October found the 76th 
 again across the Potomac and ten miles into 
 the State of Virginia, where they remained 
 two days. On the ist of November the 
 brigade was sent to Snicker's Gap to pre- 
 
 1 Charles E. Stamp, of Company A, who was promoted 
 to color-bearer for gallantrj- in 5a\ing the colors at Gaines- 
 \-ille, was carrjing the colors in this occasion. As the 
 regiment was ordered to ad^'ance, not obeying quite as 
 promptly as this hero desired, he rushed forward about a 
 rod in advance of the regiment, while the bullets were 
 falling thickly around him, and planting the flag staff in 
 the ground, shouted: "There! come up to that." But 
 he made too good a mark, and before the regiment had 
 time to obey the order, a fatal ball pierced his forehead 
 and Charley Stamp, one of the truest and best men in 
 the regiment, was mustered out of the army militant and 
 mustered into the army triumphant. — Smith's Ilistetry 
 o/tlu "jbth Regiment. 
 
 vent an attack from that direction, in sup- 
 port of a cav^alrj' force under Gen. Pleasan- 
 ton. The brigade was at this time under 
 command of Lieut. -Colonel Hoffman, of 
 the 56th Pennsylvania. During the suc- 
 ceeding three days the 76th was under fire 
 most of the time. On the 6th of Novem- 
 ber, after hard marching, they reached 
 Warrenton and camped four days within 
 two miles ,of the town. Here Col. Wain- 
 wright rejoined the regiment. Ten days 
 later the regiment went into camp at Brooks's 
 Station, on the railroad from Aquia Creek 
 to Fredericksburg, where it halted just six 
 months before, after its first day's march in 
 Virginia. On the I2th of December the 
 regiment crossed the Rappahannock near 
 Fredericksburg and assumed guard of the 
 lower pontoon bridge at that point. In 
 the battle which opened the next day 
 Doubleday's division formed the, extreme 
 left of the army and the brigade in which was 
 the 76th was on the right of that division. 
 The battle raged from nine in the morning 
 until eight in the evening, and our men 
 suffered terribly. The principal feature of 
 the battle, as far as Doubleday's Di\ision 
 was concerned, was its brilliant charge over 
 a broad plain, facing a destructive fire of 
 shot and shell, while from the right swept 
 down the death-dealing missiles from rebel 
 batteries. In this charge the 76th partici- 
 pated with its accustomed gallantry-. The 
 regiment went into the battle with 1 1 2 pri- 
 vates ; of this handful, eleven were killed 
 and wounded. 
 
 While stationed near Fredericksburg the 
 division was compelled to lose its brave 
 commander. General Doubleday was trans- 
 ferred to another division of the same corps, 
 and was succeeded by General Wadsworth. 
 General Doubleday was the man who fired 
 the first gun in Fort Sumter; he was a 
 soldier from principle, a man of great 
 bravery and the oflicers and men of the 
 
Military History. — The 76TH Regiment. 
 
 103 
 
 76th parted with him with the most sincere 
 regret. 
 
 January 20th, 1863, Gen. Burnside issued 
 an order announcing to the .Vrmy of the 
 Potomac that they were soon to move, as 
 he had decided upon a winter campaign. 
 E^verything was put in readiness and the 
 grand army ad\-anced. Tliree days of 
 marching through swollen streams, caused 
 by heavy rains, while the mud was of that 
 depth that rendered progress nearly im- 
 possible, and the 76th found themselves 
 again in their old winter quarters, Burnside 
 having abandoned the proposed campaign. 
 
 On the 28th of April the regiment broke 
 camp and marched to the Rappahannock, 
 which they reached four miles below Fred- 
 ericksburg, where they aided in laying a 
 pontoon bridge, and the following night 
 made preparations for the expected battle 
 of the ne.xt day. Captain Swan, of Co. H, 
 was wounded by a piece of shell during 
 that night. The following day was occupied 
 by vigorous artillery firing and the next 
 morning, in a dense fog, the 76th was or- 
 dered on picket duty part way across the 
 open plain in front. The position was 
 reached, but when the fog lifted, the regi- 
 ment found itself within a few rods of the 
 rebel arm}-. A fearful volley was fired by 
 the latter, but the 76th fell flat on their 
 faces and the bullets passed over their heads. 
 All that day the regiment lay there close to 
 the enemy, not daring to lift a hand. At 
 length under the cover of darkness a hast\' 
 retreat was made from the undesirable situ- 
 ation. Several were wounded during the 
 day. 
 
 On the 2d of May the whole F"irst Corps 
 crossed to the north side of the Rappahan- 
 nock and were hurried on towards United 
 States Ford, twenty miles up the river, 
 where they bivouacked for the night. At 
 daylight next morning the stream was 
 crossed and at si.x o'clock the 76th reached 
 
 the battle-field, where the fight soon opened 
 with great fury. During the first day's 
 fighting the regiment supported a battery 
 of thirty-six guns, which repeatedly re- 
 pulsed charges by Stonewall Jackson's forces, 
 and on the 3d retreated with the army 
 across the river, arriving in the afternoon at 
 Falmouth, tired and discouraged with re- 
 peated failures to accomplish anything de- 
 cisive. 
 
 On the 13th the first addition of men 
 was made to the 76th, about fifty being as- 
 signed to it from the 24th New York, and 
 two hundred more, with five officers, were 
 added on the 24th from the 30th New York. 
 The succeeding month was spent in camp 
 in Falmouth. 
 
 It having become apparent towards the 
 last of May that General Lee's army was 
 contemplating some general movement, 
 General Hooker submitted to President Lin- 
 coln a suggestion that all the troops whose 
 operations could have an\- influence on Lee's 
 army should be placed under one command. 
 This was not done ; but certain other orders 
 relating to prospective operations were 
 transmitted instead ; and for two weeks the 
 army of the Potomac was in that state of 
 unrest which usually preceded some mo- 
 mentous movement. 
 
 After a campaign of marching, some of 
 which was the most severe the regiment was 
 ever compelled to undergo, the 76th left the 
 soil of Virginia on the 25th of June, and, 
 crossing the Potomac at Edwards's Ferry, 
 marched past Sugar-Loaf Mountain on the 
 26th and went into camp at Jefferson, Mary- 
 land. The next day their camp was not far 
 from the battle-field of South Mountain ; the 
 following day they marched to Frederick 
 City, and on the 29th, w hile acting as wagon- 
 guard, they marched a distance of thirty 
 miles to Emmettsburg, where they went into 
 camp. Here the regiment was mustered for 
 I pay by Major Grover, then in command ; but, 
 
104 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 it being late in the day, a portion of the regi- 
 ment went on picket duty, and the certifi- 
 cates of muster could not be signed b}- the 
 Major that night ; indeed, they were never 
 signed by him, for before another day had 
 passed, Major Grover and nearly one third 
 of the brave men who answered to that 
 muster, were called into that grand army 
 from the roll-call of which none will be 
 absent. 
 
 The first gun in the bloody battle of Get- 
 t\sburg was fired by the 76th ; and all 
 through that period of carnage, too terrible 
 almost for narration, the noble regiment was 
 in the thickest of the fight. In General 
 Cutler's report of this battle he says: "Ma- 
 jor Grover, commanding the 76th N. Y. 
 Volunteers, a brave and efficient officer, was 
 killed early in the action, and the command 
 devolved upon Captain John E. Cook, and 
 most ably and faithfully did he perform his 
 duty." 
 
 The summing up of that field of death, 
 as it relates to the 76th, is thus given by the 
 historian of the regiment, as follows : — 
 
 " The regiment went into the fight with three 
 hundred and forty-eight men and twenty-seven 
 officers, and in half an hour it lost two officers 
 killed and sixteen wounded; twenty-seven men 
 killed and one hundred and twenty-four wounded; 
 making a total of killed and wounded, in the half 
 hour, of eighteen officers and one hundred and 
 fifty-one men, or over half the officers and nearly 
 half the men expended in that brief period." 
 
 The first of August found the 76th under 
 orders to march to Beverly Ford on the 
 Rappahannock, near the place where it was 
 first under fire in 1862, with Captain B}-ram 
 in command. 
 
 On the 12th of September about two 
 hundred and fifty conscripts were added to 
 the thinned ranks of the regiment, and be- 
 fore daylight of the 1 6th they were on their 
 way to Culpepper, where they were paid 
 off Here the time until October 12th was 
 spent in drilling recruits, which had swelled 
 
 the ranks of the regiment to about one 
 thousand. From this time until near the 
 last of the year the 76th was undergoing 
 hard service, in long marches during inclem- 
 ent weather, on picket duty, in support of 
 batteries, and in skirmishes, principally in 
 the vicinity of the Rappahannock, w'here 
 Meade's army was then operating. 
 
 On the 1 8th of December an event oc- 
 curred in the regiment which it would be a 
 pleasure to overlook ; this was the execu- 
 tion of Winslow N. Allen, a private in Com- 
 pany H, for desertion. Others who had re- 
 ceived the death sentence for desertion had 
 been pardoned, and almost to the hour of 
 execution, the unfortunate man entertained 
 the hope that the death penalty would be 
 revoked. As the hour for the execution 
 drew near Captain Swan visited the unfort- 
 unate soldier and assured him that he must 
 no longer indulge in hope, as it was all in 
 vain, and he should prepare for his awful 
 doom. As the ominous sound of the drum 
 was heard, which was the signal to march to 
 the place of execution, he said: "Captain, 
 you have been kind to me, which I can only 
 return by my prayers for your welfare." 
 Handing the captain his pocket book he 
 said: "Take this; it is all I have, and when 
 I am gone, please lay this (a fervent prayer 
 for one in his situation printed on a card) 
 on my breast." 
 
 As the solemn procession moved to the 
 place of execution, Allen marched with a 
 steady tread, but the sight of the open coffin 
 and the yawning grave quite unmanned 
 him. As the officer closed the reading of 
 the charges, specifications, findings and or- 
 der for his execution, the captain whispered: 
 "Winslow, I can go no further with you; 
 the rest of your dark journey is alone. Have 
 you any last words for your wife and child ?" 
 "No; only tell them I love them all." 
 These were his last words. The captain 
 stepped back ; the officer gave the signal ; 
 
Military History. — The 76TH Regiment. 
 
 105 
 
 the report as of a single gun rang out and 
 Winslow N. Allen fell lifeless upon his coffin. 
 
 On the 2d of February the 76th was pre- 
 sented with a new stand of colors by the 
 ladies of Cherry Valley. The old flag was 
 now torn with the shots of at least eleven 
 battles, in the front ranks of which it had 
 been carried, and it was sent to Albany. 
 Fourteen bullets, one shell and three frag- 
 ments of shell had passed through the hon- 
 orable banner. 
 
 On the 4th of May, 1864, the Second 
 Brigade broke camp at Culpepper and 
 moved on the Rapidan river. This brigade 
 was composed of the 76th, under command 
 of Lieut.-Col. Cook ; the 14th Brooklyn, 
 Col. Fowler; the 147th N. Y., Col. Miller; 
 the 95th N. v.. Col. Pye, and the s6th Pa., 
 Col. Hoffman. The brigade was under com- 
 mand of General J. C. Rice. It crossed the 
 Rapidan at Germania Ford and encamped 
 near the Wilderness Tavern. On the skir- 
 mish line, the first day of the battle of the 
 Wilderness, the following officers of the 76th 
 were captured: Capt. J. D. CK'de, First 
 Lieut. Wm. Cahill, and Second Lieut. James 
 Casler, of Company B. First Lieut. Wm. 
 Buchanan, and Second Lieut. Wm. H. 
 Myers, of Company F. Capt. E. J. Swan, 
 First Lieut. Homer D. Call, and Second 
 Lieut. Job K. Norwood, of Company K. 
 Major Young was also captured the same 
 day, and spent a year in rebel prisons. 
 
 The part taken in the battles of the Wilder- 
 ness by the Second Brigade (including the 
 76th) is indicated by the fact that when it 
 was reformed by Gen Rice, at 4 o'clock of 
 the last day's fighting, it comprised detach- 
 ments of eight regiments, the whole embrac- 
 ing but four hundred and eight men — less 
 than half of one regiment. 
 
 On the 9th of May, and the two or three 
 days following, the regiment was engaged in 
 the battle of Spottsylvania. Here the brave 
 General Rice was mortally wounded, and 
 
 after his leg had been amputated he told the 
 surgeon, when asked which way he would 
 be turned to rest the most comfortably, to 
 "turn my face to the enemy." General 
 Rice was the third general who had been 
 killed in less than a year while leading the 
 76th and its companion regiments. 
 
 On the 23d came the battle of North 
 Anna, in which the 76th was honorably en- 
 gaged. In his report of this action Col. 
 Hoffman said : " In this action the officers 
 and men behaved splendidly. I think to 
 them is due the credit of saving the artil- 
 lery from being cut off, and in all probabil- 
 ity saving the army from a terrible disaster." 
 The 76th was then under command of Capt. 
 S. M. Byram. 
 
 On the 13th of June the regiment crossed 
 the Chickahoniiny, and on the i6th the 
 James river was crossed and the march 
 towards Petersburg begun. On the 17th 
 the brigade was moved up to the front, 
 where breastw-orks were thrown up before 
 the strongly posted enemy, who were at- 
 tacked on the morning of the iSth. In the 
 fighting that followed, Capt. Byram, in com- 
 mand of the regiment, fell severely wounded 
 and never returned to the field. The brig- 
 ade suffered severely, its casualties being 
 eighty-four officers and fifteen hundred and 
 fourteen men killed and wounded. Col. 
 Hoffman's report said: "During the cam- 
 paign the officers and men of the brigade 
 have evinced great bravery, patriotism and 
 fortitude. From May 3d to July 31st, a 
 period of nearly ninety days, not more than 
 five days passed that they were not under 
 fire of the enemy." 
 
 In the operations in front of Petersburg; 
 the destruction of the Weldon railroad ; the 
 sharp engagements at Hatcher's Run in the 
 latter part of October ; on the Hicksford 
 raid, etc., the 76th bore honorable part. 
 
 Under date of December 7th, 1864, we 
 , find the following statement in the history 
 
io6 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 of the regiment from which we have so lib- 
 erally drawn in preparing this sketch : — 
 
 "The original term of enlistment of all the 
 members of the 76th Regiment expired before this 
 date, and had there been no re-enlistments, this 
 history had terminated at this point. But so 
 many had re-enlisted the preceding winter and 
 spring, that two companies yet remained. These 
 were under command of W. Earle Evans, now 
 lieutenant, originally a private in Company F. 
 The patriotism of these men will continue this 
 narrative to the end of the war, and the triumph 
 of the Union arms." ' 
 
 In the expedition resulting in the destruc- 
 tion of the Southside railroad, in February, 
 1865, the 76th was engaged and lost from 
 the handful of men who formerly belonged 
 to the regiment, one killed and two wounded. 
 The only officers of the old regiment en- 
 eased were Lieuts. Martin Edgcomb and 
 Geo. B. Hill. And so through that won- 
 derful race after Lee's army, which evacu- 
 ated Richmond under the pressure of Grant's 
 tireless army, until, baffled, disheartened 
 and conquered, the rebel general offered 
 capitulations at Appomattox on the 9th of 
 April, the little remnant of the magnificent 
 organization that left Cortland to aid the 
 government in its terrible struggle with 
 treason, pressed on to the front, as it had 
 always done, adding to its long list of he- 
 roic deeds. 
 
 After the grand review in Washington, 
 " most of the volunteer forces," says the 
 historian of the regiment, "were mustered 
 out, the veteran regiments being retained 
 until the last. As the organizations reached 
 
 1 The last report of the olJ S<rz'enty-SixtA was made on 
 the 15th of January, wh3e under the command of Cap- 
 tain E. B. Cochrane. 
 
 their homes they met with such receptions 
 as returning heroes deserve — processions, 
 banquets, speeches and all the outward 
 tokens of welcome. Alas! no such recep- 
 tion awaited the 76th. Its time having ex- 
 pired in 1S64. but few of the men remained 
 in the ser\'ice, and they had been absorbed 
 in another organization. It had lost its 
 identity, and its few remaining members 
 came home singly and alone. But each 
 member will ever point with just pride to 
 those four words which sum up its glorious 
 history : — 
 
 " ' Expended in the service.' " 
 The following is a chronological list of 
 the battles participated in by the Sevent}"- 
 SLxth Regiment: Rappahannock Station, 
 Va., August 21st, 1862; Warrenton, Sul- 
 phur Springs, Va., August 26th ; Gaines- 
 ville, Va., August 28th ; Second Bull Run, 
 Va., August 29th, 30th ; South Mountain, 
 Md., September 14th ; Antietam, Md., Sep- 
 tember 17th ; Snicker's Gap, Va., Xov^em- 
 ber i-3d ; Fredericksburg, Va., December 
 1 2th, 13th; Chancellors\'ilIe, Va., May i- 
 5th, 1S63; Gett>'sburg, Pa., July i-4th ; 
 Mine Run, Va., November 27th ; Wilder- 
 ness, Va., May 5th, 6th, 1864; Laurel Hill, 
 Va., May 8th ; SpottsyK'ania, Va., May 
 I2tfi; North Aima, Va., May 24th; Tolo- 
 potomy Creek, Va., June 1st; Coal Harbor, 
 Va.,June3-5th; Petersburg, Va., June i8th 
 Weldon Railroad, Va., August iS-2ist 
 Poplar Grove Church, Va., September 30th 
 First Hatcher's Run, Va., October 28th 
 Hicksford Raid, Va., December 6-1 2th 
 Second Hatcher's Run, Va., February- 6th, 
 1865; Five Forks, Va., April ist; Lee's 
 Surrender at Appomattox, Va., April 9th. 
 
Military History. — The is/tii Regiment. 
 
 107 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 military history. — the 157TII REGIMENT. 
 
 Recruiting the 157th Regiment — Sources of the Different Companies — SatlTand Line Officers — Camp Mitchell 
 — Ordered to the Front — In Camp at Arlington Heights — The Regiment Assigned — The First Death — At 
 Centerville — Christmas in Front of Fredericksburg — In Burnside's "Mud Campaign" — Battle of Chancellors- 
 ville — Severe Marching — Gettysburg — The Roll Call After the Battle — Recruiting and Reorganization — Engage- 
 ment at Hilton Head — An Incident — Major Place as Provost Marshal — Mustered Out. 
 
 THIS regiment was raised chiefly in 
 Cortland and Madison counties. Com- 
 pany C came from the towns of Cincinnatus, 
 Taylor, Cuyler and Willet. Company D 
 from Marathon, Freetown, Preble and Scott. 
 Company E from Cortland, Virgil and Har- 
 ford. Company H from Homer and Trux- 
 ton ; and Company K from McGrawville, 
 Marathon, Solon and Truxton. The re- 
 mainder of the regiment was made up of 
 Madison county men, except about thirty, 
 who came from Chenango county. The 
 regiment was ordered to rendezvous at 
 Hamilton, Madison county, and while here 
 on the 19th of September, 1862, was mus- 
 tered into the United States service for a 
 term of three years unless sooner discharged. 
 The following were the regimental and line 
 officers : — 
 
 Colonel — P. P. Brown, Jr. 
 
 Lieutenant - Colonel — George Arrow- 
 smith. 
 
 Major — J. C. Carmichael. 
 
 Quartermaster — P. H. McGraw. 
 
 Surgeon — H. C. Hendrick. 
 
 Assistant- Surgeons — J. M. Crawe, F. 
 D. Beebe. 
 
 Adjutant — O. E. Messinger. 
 
 Company A — Captain, J. H. Smith; 
 First Lieutenant, George R. Seaton ; Sec- 
 ond Lieutenant, J. L. Palmer. 
 
 Company B — Captain, T. J. Randall; 
 First Lieutenant, J. C. Ware ; Second Lieu- 
 tenant, C. H. Van Slyke. 
 
 Company C — Captain, Frank Place ; 
 
 First Lieutenant, J. A. Coffin ; Second Lieu- 
 tenant, Job D. Potter. 
 
 Company D — Captain, W. O. Dunbar; 
 First Lieutenant, S. Z. Miner ; Second Lieu- 
 tenant, Luther L. Stillman. 
 
 Company E — Captain, B. B. Andrews; 
 First Lieutenant, J. K. Backus ; Second 
 Lieutenant, B. F". Jones. 
 
 Company F — Captain, J. R. Stone; First 
 Lieutenant, W. A. Stone ; Second Lieuten- 
 ant, Samuel Wickwire. 
 
 Company G — Captain, Abram Tuttle ; 
 First Lieutenant, W. D. Bailey ; Second 
 Lieutenant, H. Frank. 
 
 Company H — Captain, William Beck ; 
 First Lieutenant, Buck; Second Lieu- 
 tenant, George Adams. 
 
 Company I — Captain, William Bellin- 
 ger ; First Lieutenant, T. W. Priest ; Sec- 
 ond Lieutenant, William Snider. 
 
 Company K — Captain, N. M. Daniels; 
 First Lieutenant, William Barnum ; Second 
 Lieutenant, L. V. Kinney. 
 
 The following constituted the non-com- 
 missioned staff: — 
 
 S^geant-Major — 15. S. Fitch. 
 
 Quartermaster-Sergeant — C. O. New- 
 ton. 
 
 Commissary-Sergeant — A. W. Kings- 
 bury. 
 
 Hospital Steward Paige. 
 
 Drum-Major — Alexander Bates. 
 
 On the 25th of December the regiment 
 left Camp Mitchell for the front. They ar- 
 rived at Albany on the morning of tiie fol- 
 
io8 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 lowing day, where a stand of colors was 
 presented them, and soon afterward the 
 regiment was en route for New York cit\ , 
 where they arrived in the evening, and 
 passed the night in City Hall Barracks. In 
 a few days they were ordered to Washing- 
 ton, and went into camp temporarily on 
 Arlington Heights. On Tuesday, the 30th 
 of September, the first march of the regi- 
 ment was ordered to Camp Chase. On the 
 I ith of October marching orders were re- 
 ceived, and when reveille was sounded, long 
 before daybreak on the following morning, 
 the tents were quickly struck, and the reg- 
 iment was soon ready for the advance. Af- 
 ter a weary march they arrived at Fairfax 
 Court House, where the regiment was as- 
 signed to the First Brigade, Third Division 
 of the Eleventh Corps, under General Franz 
 Sigel. The division was under command 
 of General Carl Schurz. 
 
 While at Fairfax Henry Richardson, of 
 Company G, being employed on a detail to 
 prepare a place for hospital tents, was struck 
 by a stray bullet and instantly killed. Had 
 Richardson moved his head but slightly, 
 the fatal missile would have struck Major 
 Carmichael, who was standing very near 
 him. The death of Richardson cast a gloom 
 over the entire regiment, and the scene 
 when his lifeless body was taken away was 
 one of the deepest sadness. 
 
 The regiment remained here about three 
 weeks, when they were ordered to Center- 
 ville. After a few weeks here marching 
 orders were received, and on the I5tl» the 
 regiment joined Burnside's army ; here the 
 organization was ordered to prepare for in- 
 spection, in prospect of their taking part in 
 the battle of Fredericksburg, which was then 
 in progress. Christmas was passed in front 
 of Fredericksburg. On the 19th of Janu- 
 ary the regiment was ordered to prepare 
 for march at an hour's notice, with three 
 days' rations. On the morning of the 20th 
 
 camp was struck, and the columns started 
 on the advance. One of the characteristic 
 Virginia rain storms soon afterward began, 
 and within two hours the movement of ar- 
 tillery and the pontoon trucks was impossi- 
 ble. On the morning of the 2 1 st the enemy, 
 with full kuDwledge of the movement, had 
 posted near the river at Kelly's Ford, "Burn- 
 side stuck in the mud," a legend in which 
 there was, unfortunately, too much of truth. 
 
 The regiment was ordered into winter 
 quarters in a fine oak forest, known as 
 Oakland Farm, where the erection of quar- 
 ters was begun. These were scarcely fin- 
 ished when orders were received, on the 5th 
 of February, before daylight, from Colonel 
 Brown in person, to be ready to move at 
 dawn. 
 
 The ne.xt day's march was through mud 
 and rain, and on the afternoon of the 6th 
 the column halted and went into camp 
 about two miles from Burke's Station. The 
 157th participated in the battle of Chancel- 
 lorsville on the 2d of May, where the loss 
 in killed and wounded was quite heavy. 
 The regiment was forced to leave their 
 killed and wounded on the field in the 
 hands of the enemy. Colonel Brown, in 
 speaking of the part taken by the regiment 
 in this engagement, says: "The 157th did 
 its duty well. My officers proved them- 
 selves brave and efficient men, and the be- 
 havior of the regiment was such as to give 
 full confidence to the future." The colonel 
 placed the number of killed, wounded and 
 missing in this engagement at one hundred 
 and three ; the list, however, was imperfect, 
 as the number greatly exceeded Colonel 
 Brown's estimate. 
 
 On the morning of May 5th the regiment 
 returned to their camp, where they remained 
 until the 12th of June, when marching 
 orders were recei\ed, and they advanced a 
 distance of nine miles, camping near the 
 old grounds at Hentwood Church. The 
 
Military History. — The 157TH Regiment. 
 
 109 
 
 march of the next day was one of great 
 severity. A tramp of twenty-five miles in 
 tlie month of June, on a dusty thorough- 
 fare, under the scorching rays of a southern 
 sun, is not a pleasure jaunt by any means, 
 and members of the 157th who read these 
 lines will remember that welcome bivouac 
 in the green woods at the close of this day's 
 fatiguing march. 
 
 After many days of severe marching, of 
 which the reader has already gained an idea 
 in the history of the 76th regiment, the 
 157th reached the bloody field of Gettys- 
 burg, in which it performed honorable serv- 
 ice and lost many of its brave men and 
 officers. At the close of the great struggle 
 it was a sad sight to look upon the thinned 
 ranks of the 157th; of the five hundred 
 men who two days before marched up to 
 meet the enemy, less than three hundred 
 now remained. A relic of those bloody 
 hours remains in the roll call taken on an 
 envelope with a pencil, by Major Car- 
 michael. It reads as follows : — 
 
 " First roll-call after first day'.s battle at Get- 
 tysburg, evening of July i, 1863. Co. A, six 
 privates, one corporal, one sergeant ; Co. B, five 
 privates, one corporal ; Co. C, six privates, one 
 corporal, one sergeant ; Co. D, six privates, one 
 corporal, one sergeant; Co. E, two privates; Co. 
 F, five privates, two corporals, one sergeant ; 
 Co. G, seven privates, two corporals ; Co. I, two 
 corporals. Total, thirty-nine privates, eight cor- 
 porals, four sergeants. Total fifty -one." 
 
 Many prisoners were taken from the 
 regiment and were hur'ried off to those so- 
 called prisons, life in which was far more to 
 be dreaded than death on the battle-field. 
 
 Colonel Brown being ordered north, the 
 command of the regiment devolved upon 
 Major Carmichael. On the 25th of July 
 the march was taken up for Warrenton 
 Junction, a distance of thirteen miles, where 
 they remained until the 1st of August, 
 when they marched to Greenwich and went 
 into camp. On ^Monday, the 3d of August, 
 
 the troops marched to near Catlett Station, 
 and on the 6th at midnight orders came to 
 the division to proceed to the depot, pack- 
 ing everything for a passage to Alexandria. 
 Taking the cars they arrived at that city on 
 the morning of the 8th. At noon they 
 boarded a steamer, which transported them 
 down the Potomac to Hampton Roads, 
 and thence to Newport News, where 
 they arrived the following day. On the 
 morning of the lOth the regiment boarded 
 a steamer for passage to Charleston, S. C, 
 and on the afternoon of the 12th they 
 crossed the bar at Stony Inlet and disem- 
 barked on Folly Island. Here they re- 
 mained until the i6th, when they were 
 marched up the beach to the Rope Ferry 
 where they crossed to Morris Island and 
 proceeded to the front on three days' picket 
 duty. The regiment remained in camp at 
 Folly Island until February 7th, when 
 marching orders were received. In a con- 
 test with the enemy soon after the 157th 
 lost one man from Co. I and one wounded. 
 
 Near the close of April, 1864, '^ recruit- 
 ing party returned to the regiment. Colonel 
 Carmichael bringing with him a stand of 
 colors presented to the regiment by the 
 citizens of Cortland county. Soon after 
 the regiment proceeded to Jacksonville, 
 Florida, where the brigade was dissolved. 
 An order dividing the regiment into two 
 commands was received on the 20th of 
 April. The larger, of six companies, to- 
 wit. A, B, C, D, E, and F, under Colonel 
 Brown, was to be stationed at Fernandina, 
 while the remaining companies, G, H, I, 
 and K, under Lieiit.-Colonel Carmichael, 
 where to proceed to Picolata, about forty- 
 five miles above Jacksonville, on the St. 
 John's. 
 
 On the 2 1 St of April the regiment broke 
 camp and moved to boats, the band and 
 regimental colors of blue going with Col. 
 Brown, while the Cortland banner remained 
 
I!0 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 with Lieut.-Col. Carmichael. On the 15th 
 of June the 157th was at Hilton Head, 
 with Col. Brown again in command. Here 
 a new brigade was formed, consisting of the 
 157th. 144th. 41st New York Vols., and the 
 104th Pennsylvania, under command of 
 Col. Davis, of the latter regiment The 
 157th was in the engagement which took 
 place near Charleston the 5th of July, and 
 lost one man taken prisoner. On the 2Sth 
 of November companies A, B, C, G, and 
 H. under command of the lieutenant-colonel, 
 left Fort Pulaski for Hilton Head. The 
 regiment was in the engagement at Honey 
 Hill, where thirtj- men were wounded. Cap- 
 tains McWilliams and Lieutenants Grant 
 and Forbes among the number. The battle 
 of Honey Hill was a sharp contest, and the 
 157th added new laurels to those already 
 honorably won. In the engagement the 
 157th and the 56th were fighting side by 
 side, when the former fell back for ammuni- 
 tion. The enemy, observing this move- 
 ment, increased their forces at that point 
 and drove back the 56th. At this juncture 
 Col. Carmichael ordered up the 157th, com- 
 manded them to charge and they dashed 
 in upon the enemy, checked their onslaught 
 and, dri\nngthem back, re-established the 
 line. Loss, fortj" men. 
 
 On the 5 th of December a reconnaissance 
 in force was made on the Coosahatchie 
 Road, where Col. Carmichael came near 
 losing his life. The incident is related as 
 follows by a private of the regiment : 
 "Reaching a clearing on the right of the 
 road, the line was wheeled to the right, to 
 face an earthwork or redoubt on a knoll be- 
 yond, having an embrasure for one gun. 
 Two or three rebel ca\-alr)Tnen were dis- 
 covered near the work, who disappeared, 
 lea\-ing the scene apparently rebelless. CoL 
 Carmichael, e\adently disliking the appear- 
 ance of the place, halted his line when with- 
 in easy musket range, and, with two ca\-al- 
 
 rjmen, proceed to reconnoitre the position. 
 The colonel had passed one-third of the 
 distance round when a volley was poured 
 from a force of -the enemy secreted in the 
 redoubt; the cavalr}-men wheeled and with- 
 drew, but the horse of the colonel was struck 
 by a ball and threw its rider. The colonel 
 arose from the tall grass, when another vol- 
 ley was fired at him. By that time the 
 I57th's skirmishers were excited, and, with- 
 out orders, commenced a rapid fire. The 
 colonel ordered the men to cease firing, and 
 crawling through the grass and bushes, 
 succeded in getting to the rear without a 
 bullet wound, yet severely injured by the 
 fall from his horse." 
 
 On the 9th of December the regiment 
 participated in an engagement, losing fifteen 
 wounded, one mortally. February- 27th, 
 1S64, five companies of the 157th, D, E, 
 I, H, and K, embarked for Georgetown. S. 
 C. About a week afterward the remainder 
 of the regiment followed. The quarters of 
 the 157th at this place were in stores on 
 Main street The town was guarded by a 
 provost-guard under Major Frank Place, as 
 provost - marshal. Lieut-Col. Carmichael 
 commanded the regiment and CoL Brown 
 the post The Georgeto«"n post was made 
 a center for recruiting negro soldiers, and in 
 consequence of orders fi-om headquarters, 
 promulgated to that effect the countr\- in 
 that Nncinitj- was neariy depopulated of 
 blacks, who hurried within the L^nion lines. 
 Among these uncultured f>eople Major 
 Place was a magnate of superlative great- 
 ness. He gave a patient ear to their many 
 grie\-ances and even solemnized marriages 
 and granted divorces for them. 
 
 The garrison of Georgetown consisted of 
 the 157th and four companies of the 107th 
 Ohio. On the first of April they were re- 
 inforced by the 25 th Ohio, four, companies 
 of the 56th New York, six companies of the 
 107th Ohio, 54th (colored) Massachusetts, 
 
Military IIistukv. — The 157x11 Regiment. 
 
 1 1 1 
 
 32d U. S. C. T., two companies of the 4th 
 Massachusetts Ca\-alr\-, and a section of ar- 
 tillery for the purpose of forming an expe- 
 dition into the interior of the State. April 
 5 th the column moved off. Gen. E. E. Pot- 
 ter, commanded the expedition ; Col. P. P. 
 Brown, the Second Brigade ; and Lieut-Col. 
 Carmichael, the 157th Regiment. The night 
 of the 5th was passed in the vicinity of Po- 
 tato Ferry, on Black River. At six o'clock 
 on the following morning the march was 
 resumed, and after a severe tramp they 
 encamped near Kingstree. The following 
 night they went into camp at Montgomery's 
 plantation, and the night of the 8th was 
 passed at Brewerton. April 9th the march 
 was again taken up, and, when within two 
 miles of Dingle's Mills, they were informed 
 that a battery of three guns commanded the 
 approach to Sumpterville, and that the bat- 
 tery was located on the opposite side of a 
 swamp one mile wide, and covering the 
 road leading through it. Preparations were 
 immediately made to capture the battery, 
 and after the several positions had been 
 taken up by the various commands, the 
 157th was ordered to the front, and Com- 
 pany I thrown forward as skirmishers, under 
 command of Col. Carmichael. 
 
 When nearly through the swamp the men 
 were fired upon by the enemy's skirmish- 
 ers, and one man wounded. Company I 
 immediately returned the fire, when the col- 
 onel ordered the firing to cease, and halted 
 his men. At this juncture the firing of the 
 enemy also ceased, and they hailed to learn 
 who the advancing party were. The an- 
 swer, "The 157th New York Volunteers" 
 had hardly ceased to reverberate through 
 
 the tangled wildwood, ere the enemy again 
 opened a sweeping fire. PLmerging from the 
 swamp, the colonel halted his command 
 behind a fence in front of the rebel position, 
 and awaited the arrival of his regiment, 
 which had become scattered. While wait- 
 ing for his men to collect, an aid of Gen. 
 Potter came through the swamp to ascer- 
 tain the position, and the colonel's reply 
 was, "Wait ten minutes, captain, and you 
 can return to the general by way of the 
 road." During this time the enemy directed 
 a brisk fire with grape and canister, and 
 scarcely had one-half of the regiment formed 
 in line, when Col. Carmichael gave the or- 
 der to charge. With a yell the men leaped 
 the fence, and with a double-quick charged 
 the battery, from which the enemy fled, 
 leaving their guns and colors, together with 
 their dead and wounded on the field. It 
 was a dashing exploit, reflecting great credit 
 upon the men of the 157th and their gallant 
 commander. Colonel Carmichael's loss was 
 twenty-two killed and wounded, and that 
 of the enemy much greater. 
 
 Succeding the engagement at Dingle's 
 Mills, the 157th participated in a spirited 
 contest at Lampter and Rafting Creeks. 
 On the lOth of July, 1865, the rolls were 
 finished and the regiment mustered out 
 of service, the work being completed Au- 
 gust 1st. 
 
 The following is a list of battles partici- 
 pated in by this regiment ; Chancellorsville, 
 Gettysburg, Hagerstown, Fort Wagner, 
 siege of Charlestown, first and second John's 
 Island, Camp Milton, Honey Mill, Partridge 
 Hill, Deveaux Neck, Statesburg, Dingle's 
 Mills, Lampter Creek, Rafting Creek. 
 
itz 
 
 ElDaToay OF CoaxT..^. 
 
 CEAPTEB. XEL 
 
 MILrT\HY SISTfjaY.— THE i*rm HBTHtKYT 
 
 _ "icrrtT" '_ 'nrr:iir;c^ - 
 
 T^irrrnc F^r — 
 — Tie Eac 
 
 -it A^pmaiDx — 'Dt&e- Or 
 
 T KK tSftn. Regimiesn: was argsnized tn 
 Onondags. ani Cardswi cnnntfeg. and 
 
 1 tire zzd of 
 
 ~_. ^ _ - - E, F 3ad G 
 
 wse Wata. Cardamf catattr. tiieir <.iiTF«:t:rT 
 beniT 3S 5:ilow~: Company- E — Lantsin. 
 Race— - "^ - "-'-^ liesOEaam:. Heiierr 
 
 brake PiecEu ConrDarprF — Cantain. Toim 
 
 Givens Camnany G — Cay lain. Ajhem HI 
 Barae-: First Lienisianc EEram CIsrk; 
 Secc - '- — ■ — " " ;: MZnie-. 
 
 A. ^ : was in die trHd 
 
 Le^ than a. year, it gefemed (^adive and 
 
 ng- iecfmared 
 _ui -- „ i. ,1- . --.^^__^_ii5. Erevicus 
 tn its d^arture ir '^^as encamped Sir a tew 
 <fev5 rn. Svracnse; sad. k& fiur Gcr PitfiiC. 
 
 here s rebel ^y w<& captnredasCiEe^ckE^ 
 
 line at tiie rijtfr. Hs peswed tn be- a. pcs- 
 
 ' ~ ;3r- 
 
 ii:^ _ ;ies 
 
 and defeases ium. Gts- Point tn t&e ec- 
 treme 1^: Otfes af — - -ase 
 
 were of oaurse rCTise_ i-i- _v. . ^- iiii^-- 
 ' *ardit tried, tound guilts" and shot 
 
 Ott r<»^ rdttL rfw- cfiviaan was nHTwed ap 
 ScuinTr Tcer 
 
 :._ was esT ^^ _ . _ : . '"-: a 
 
 movemeit was mTurt^ against rfte Sautfiscie 
 Satlroad. in wiiicii an engagement accnrred. 
 die ri^tn. aenr— r - — — - - -.rr: tnreeaf 
 iis men were 3me >~TmT7 
 
 was artETwards again accnpied and noTfring 
 iismroed - - .- . -fj^ 
 
 Eegtmenr. _-._. __ ^ _ ^ iJier. 
 
 wtien a dencnscraiicn was made agsins: 
 ± n Railrnad. wiiicit was an impar- 
 
 meit W35 iTTmrrpffTgnF4^ nr rffr fff !u\n tile esiiecStion consSEd of Warrei s (tiie 5^) 
 S^ant line rt brsa.- ' ■ 
 
 near WatraiStan>-ii .n _i.- --^^ i- ^-- i— - — -.,, = -^ ^,:___ _ -. ^. --- — 
 
 road- mad was descmyed. die rasHs heng hfrttPff 
 
 On. the irir i3t Ocmbei- the rS^th: w^ ^i- in iiies iuade by- the ties, and beit si as tn 
 
 man 
 
 „ iixoL The (fivison was com- and a "-■'*•»• anmrnit at e^i^ sapniies can— 
 ^ - and die tnred. In the gsgerfrtfcm the iS^th bore 
 
 - - — ~ -. innsnicnoHS part. 
 
 The regiment resnmsed and w^at nnn 
 was in camp nesr Paniar Gkave t~h 1 1 i r h .-snrp near Parke bCECon. whee cunnnEt- 
 ■aimi Lhae t6th. of OcniQ^ WMe rn mmp jhie \»iiim' qnamrrr wee sooii. hrriTt tram 
 
Military History. — The 185TH Regiment. 
 
 113 
 
 the pine forest wherein the camp was lo- 
 cated. A commodious log church was built 
 and roofed with tent cloth furnished by the 
 benevolent Christian Commission. Here 
 the regiment remained until the 5th of 
 February-, 1865. 
 
 On the 4th of February orders were re- 
 ceived to be in readiness to march at a 
 moment's notice, and the ne.xt morning, a 
 Sabbath, before daylight, the division was 
 ordered to march towards Hatcher's Run. 
 In the afternoon of that day occurred what 
 is called the second battle of Hatcher's Run, 
 in which the 185th did noble service and 
 suffered considerably. During the early 
 part of the engagement the 185th was held 
 in reserve ; but about the middle of the 
 afternoon the brigade was ordered forward 
 to relieve the Second Division of the Fifth 
 Corps. This division occupied a position 
 in front of a piece of woods. Beyond it 
 was an open field upon the opposite side of 
 which were some buildings and a sudden 
 declivitj', which was occupied by the enemy, 
 ser\-ing as an intrenchment. Gen. Ayres's 
 Division had here suffered terribly. 
 
 As the first brigade marched for nearly 
 half a mile along the road through the 
 woods, it was met by the wounded, fresh 
 from the bloody carnage, some with wounds 
 hastily bandaged, and others yet untouched 
 by the surgeon, or in the jaws of death. 
 This experience was a trying one to the 
 men of the regiment — more so, perhaps, 
 than the shock of battle itself; but the 
 brave men. many of them with blanched 
 cheek and tight-closed lips, pressed for- 
 ward. The regiment had scarcely formed 
 a line when a terrific fire was opened by 
 the enemy. Colonel Sickel was one of the 
 first woundad and turned the command 
 over to Colonel Jenney. He, realizing the 
 hazard of attempting to hold his exposed 
 position against the enemy in his covered 
 attitude, ordered the brigade forward. The 
 
 order was obeyed in excellent form, through 
 a galling fire. The field was won, though 
 at considerable sacrifice. Among the 
 wounded was Captain John Listman, 
 whose leg was afterwards amputated at 
 the hip. Adjutant Mudge was also wound- 
 ed here, and never returned to the field. 
 
 The advanced position was held until 
 darkness when the brigade retired to the 
 main line. After the engagement Colonel 
 Jenney sent Major Bush to establish a line 
 of pickets on the right flank. While per- 
 forming this dutj% and when scarcely out 
 of speaking distance of his regiment, the 
 major and a squad of men were captured. 
 Major Bush was sent to Libby Prison, and 
 the regiment lost his valuable services. 
 The brigade was warmly commended by 
 General Griffin for its gallant service ; and 
 the praise was fairly earned. 
 
 The regiment again went into camp, and 
 the second day after the battle Colonel Jen- 
 ney left the organization, on account of the 
 following circumstances : When he was 
 commissioned as colonel of the 185th he 
 was major of the Third New York Artillery 
 and acting as provost-judge of North Caro- 
 lina, stationed at Newbern ; after receiving 
 notice of his promotion, he had been taken 
 prisoner by the enemy and paroled ; with 
 this status he was mustered as colonel and 
 took the 185th to the front, expecting to 
 obtain an immediate exchange. But while 
 he regarded himself as bound by his parole, 
 the War Department held the opinion that 
 the officer who captured him had no au- 
 thority to parole him, and that Colonel 
 Jenney was therefore to be regarded as an 
 " escaped," and not a "paroled" prisoner. 
 In this situation he remained during his 
 period of service with the regiment After 
 endeavoring in vain to induce the secretary 
 of war to relieve him from the responsibility 
 of his unfortunate position by an order de- 
 claring that he was not properly paroled 
 
114 
 
 History of Cortland CoUiNTV. 
 
 and sending him on duty, he was forced to 
 seek relief by resignation. This resignation, 
 sent in about the middle of January, had 
 been accepted and an order honorably dis- 
 charging him had been received by General 
 Griffin just previous to the Hatcher's Run 
 engagement ; but at Colonel Jenney's re- 
 quest it was retained by the general until 
 after the advance was made, when it was 
 turned over to him. Lieut.-Col. Gustavus 
 Sniper was at once promoted and bra\-ely 
 commanded the regiment during the re- 
 mainder of its term of service. 
 
 On the 25th of March the division was 
 ordered out before daylight to oppose an 
 attack of the rebels on Fort Steedman, then 
 occupied b\- the 14th New York Artillery, 
 and forming a portion of the lines encircling 
 Petersburg. The enemj- made a deter- 
 mined assault, with the intention of .sever- 
 ing the lines at that point ; but the attempt 
 failed totally and the rebels were driven 
 back with heavy losses in killed, wounded 
 and about 2,000 prisoners. About three 
 o'clock in the afternoon an attack was made 
 on the extreme left, involving the 185th, 
 in which the Union arms were victorious. 
 
 The regiment returned to camp at 
 Hatcher's Run and remained until the 
 29th, at which date Giant had determined 
 upon an advance of the left wing of his 
 army. Orders to march were received on 
 the 28th, the movement to begin at three 
 o'clock the ne.xt morning. The Fifth and 
 Second Corps moved out southward until 
 they crossed the run, then turned north- 
 ward towards the enemy's right. The Sec- 
 ond Corps crossed the run at the Vaughn 
 Road, while Warren cro.ssed four miles be- 
 low, where the stream by its junction with 
 GravelK' run became Rowant\- creek, and 
 then moved up towards the Boydtown 
 Plank Road. At two o'clock \Varren's 
 Corps, including the iS5th, reached Quaker 
 Farm, where they met the enemy, and an 
 
 engagement followed. The Union forces 
 were retreating in disorder, especially the 
 Second Division, when General Chamber- 
 lain, commanding the First Division, rode 
 up to Colonel Sniper, exclaiming: " l""or 
 God's sake, colonel, can you save the day 
 with your regiment?" The colonel replied: 
 "General, I will try." The 185th was im- 
 mediateh' formed in line uf battle, standing 
 alone, as the 198th PennsyK'ania had shared 
 in the retxeat, and was ordered to charge 
 the eneni)-. Forward the)- went over a 
 rise of ground, beyond which they were 
 met by the advancing lines of the rebels 
 in hot pursuit of the retreating division. 
 Against the oncoming forces the gallant 
 regiment threw itself, hurled back the en- 
 emy and turned the tide of the day; but it 
 was at fearful cost. The killed and wounded 
 in the regiment numbered one hundred and 
 eight}-. In some of the companies all of 
 the officers were either killed or wounded. 
 This heroic charge was the work of but 
 less than half an hour, but it has been char- 
 acterized as one of the most desperate, as 
 well as important in its results of any in 
 the war. 
 
 The fate of the colors of the 185th during 
 this charge was most thrilling. B. B. Wil- 
 ton was color-bearer at that time ; he soon 
 fell wounded. A private then seized the 
 flag, and was immediately killed. Another 
 private of Company D then grasped the 
 banner and instantly fell wounded. Pri\'ate 
 Herman Rice, of Coinpan)^ B, next seized 
 the colors, but his arm was pierced by a 
 bullet, and they again fell. At this juncture 
 Colonel Sniper, who was dismounted and 
 in the thickest of the fight, seized the fallen 
 flag, waved it on high and shouted, "Men 
 of the 185th — forward!" A wild cheer 
 went up, the regiment rushed forward and 
 the field was won. For his personal brav- 
 ery Colonel Sniper was warmly compli- 
 mented b)- the general officers, while the 
 
MiiJTARV History, — The 185x11 Reciment. 
 
 1 1 
 
 brave regiment was also showered witli con- 
 gratulations. 
 
 During the 30th and 31st important 
 events transpired, resulting in severe fight- 
 ing for the possession of the White Oak 
 Road, during which the enemy was repulsed, 
 losing hea\'ily in prisoners, and Sheridan's 
 forward movement to Fi\e l-'orks, after 
 much hard fighting. The battle of Five 
 Forks, one of the most prominent of the 
 engagements that were instrumental in ter- 
 minating the rebellion, was fought on Sat- 
 turday, April 1st, beginning in the after- 
 noon and continuing until da)-light the next 
 morning. In this engagement the Fifth 
 Corps was on the right and in the hottest 
 of the contest. Several officers and many 
 privates of the 185th were killed or wound- 
 ed, and the regiment added to its already 
 exalted reputation for bravery and heroism. 
 The victor)' won in this battle was a most 
 decisive one, and told clearly that the re- 
 bellion, as far as it was represented by Lee's 
 army, was substantially crushed. 
 
 As darkness approached, on the 1st, the 
 batteries along the entire line in front of 
 Petersburg opened a bombardment that 
 filled the heavens with its thunder, and 
 lighted up the night with its glare. The 
 rebel works were vigorously assaulted on 
 Sunday morning, the 2d, and the outer 
 lines carried, while the Sixth Corps, with 
 two divisions of Ord's, dro\'e ever\'thing 
 before them up the Boydtown road at dawn; 
 then wheeled to the left and swept down in 
 rear of the rebel works, capturing guns and 
 thousands of prisoners. Other equally im- 
 portant successes were achieved at other 
 points along the lines that were rapidly 
 drawing in towards Petersburg and Rich- 
 mond, and admonishing General Lee that 
 his doom was at hand. So evident had 
 this fact become to him that he telegraphed 
 Jefferson Davis in Richmond, at 10 o'clock 
 a. m. of Sunday : — 
 
 " My lines are broken in three places. Rich- 
 mond must be evacuated this evening." 
 
 Richmond was evacuated that night. Be- 
 fore noon of the next day the fall of the capi- 
 tal of the Confederac)', that had cost so man\- 
 lives, was flashed to all parts of the world. 
 
 The concluding operations of the cam- 
 paign, ending at Appomattox on the 9th of 
 April, need not be detailed here. Griffin 
 and Ord, with the Fifth, Twenty-fourth and 
 one division of the Twenty- fifth Corps, 
 by extraordinary marching, reached Appo- 
 mattox about daylight on the morning of 
 the 8th. Since the evacuation of Richmond 
 and Petersburg the 185th had performed 
 some of the severest marching of the war, 
 interspersed with skirmishing and fighting, 
 often without food and with very little rest. 
 
 A correspondence had begun between 
 Generate Grant and Lee on the 7th, and 
 the capitulation was completed at Appo- 
 mattox on the 9th. The position of the 
 two confronting armies on the morning of 
 surrender is thus graphically described in 
 Greeley's history of the rebellion : — 
 
 ■• Sheridan was with his cavalry near the Court- 
 House, when the Army of \'irginia made its last 
 charge. By his order his trooi)ers, who were in 
 line of battle, dismounted, giving ground gradu- 
 ally, while showing a steady front, so as to allow 
 our weary infantry time to form and take posi- 
 tion. This eft'ected, the horsemen moved swift- 
 ly to the right and mounted, revealing lines of 
 solid infantry in battle array, before whose wall 
 of gleaming bayonets the astonished enemy re- 
 coiled in blank despair, as Sheridan and his 
 troopers, passing briskly round the rebel left, 
 prepared to charge the confused, reeling mass. 
 A white flag was now waved by the enemy, be- 
 fore General Custer, who held our cavalry ad- 
 vance, with the information that they had con- 
 cluded to surrender. Riding over to Appomat- 
 tox Court-House, General Sheridan was met by 
 General Gordon, who re([uested a suspension of 
 hostilides, with the assurance that negotiations 
 were then pending between Generals Grant and 
 Lee for a capitulation." 
 
ii6 
 
 HiSroRV OI'- Cl)[<TI.A\D COUNTV. 
 
 Lieutenant Hiram Clark, of Company G, 
 
 in the 185th, was tlie last man killed in the 
 Army of Virginia.' He was in command 
 of the skirmish line at Appomattox, and 
 while the flag of truce was being shown, 
 was struck by a rebel shell, which nearly 
 cut him in twain. He was buried under a 
 tree near the Court- House. 
 
 After the surrender the 185th was de- 
 tailed, with some other regiments, to take 
 charge of the rebel prisoners, and look after 
 the captured arms and munitions ; this duty 
 occupied several days. The arms and am- 
 munition were sent to Burkesvillc. 
 
 The 185th remained three days in camp, 
 and were then ordered to Wilson's Station, 
 on the Southside railroad, where they re- 
 mained until May ist, marching thence to 
 Manchester, across the James river from 
 Richmond. On the 5th of May orders 
 were received to march to Alexandria ; 
 starting on the morning of the 6th, they 
 crossed the Pamunkey river on pontoons, 
 marched through Bowling Green, crossing 
 the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg, and 
 arrived at Arlington Heights on the 13th, 
 after marching all night. After partaking 
 in the grand review of the army by the 
 president, in Washington, on the 23d of 
 May, the regiment returned to camp, and 
 was mustered out of service on the 30tli. 
 On the following day, at 3 o'clock p. m., 
 they left Arlington for home, arriving in 
 Syracuse on the 3d da}' of June, where they 
 received a generous welcome. The regi- 
 ment was paid off at Camp White on the 
 lOth of June, by Major Littlefield. 
 
 OTHER ORCJAXIZATIOXS. 
 
 Besides the large bodies of x-olunteers, 
 
 1 It has been often stated and printed that Lieutenant 
 Clark was the last man killed in the war of the rebellion. 
 This cannot, of course, lie true, as fighting in the south- 
 west was continued for sonic time after Lee's surrentler. 
 The killing of the last man in the war occurred in Texas. 
 
 whose movements have been described, 
 man}- of the _\'oung men of this county en- 
 listed in other organizations, either in bod- 
 ies or singly. A company was raised early 
 in the year 1861, which joined the 23d 
 Regiment, anil was mustered in at I'llmira 
 on the 1 6th of May. Its officers were 
 Martin C. Clark, captain ; Alvah D. Wa- 
 ters, lieutenant; B. B. Andrews, ensign; 
 Stephen V. Larabee, first sergeant ; Cor- 
 nelius Lansing, Leonard Hathaway and 
 Alvin F. Bailey, sergeants. The regiment 
 served two \'ears, and was commanded at 
 the time of its mtister b}' Colonel H C. 
 H oft man. 
 
 A company was raised, principally in 
 Homer, which joined the "Old Twelfth" 
 Regiment, from Onondaga county, which 
 was mtistered at Elmira on the 23d of April, 
 1 86 1, for three months. A large majority 
 of its members re-enlisted at the expiration 
 of that term of service. The officers of this 
 company w ere George W. Stone, captain ; 
 Lucius C. Storrs, lieutenant ; George Sny- 
 der, ensign. 
 
 SL"M.\I.\RV. 
 
 In the war of the rebellion, Cortland 
 county, according to the census of 1865, 
 lost by death in the field, two hundred and 
 thirty-three volunteers, belonging to the 
 following regiments: loth New York In- 
 fantry, 7 ; I2th, 7; 15th, i; 23d, 3; 32d, 
 1 ; 44th, 3; 50th, 6; 51st, i; 57th, i 
 64th, 1; 76th, 51; 8ist, i; 105th, I 
 109th, 4; iiith, i; 114th, 5; 117th, I 
 I2lst, i; I22d, 1; 129th, 1; 137th, 2 
 138th, I ; 146th, I ; 147th, I ; 149th, I 
 157th, 55; i6ist, i; i68th, i ; 185th, 18 
 loth New York Cavalry, 8; 12th, i ; 19th 
 2. 1st Battery, 2. 2d New York Regular 
 Artillery, 2; 3d, I ; 5th, 3 ; 9th, 10; l6th, 
 4; other States, 8; United States Regu- 
 lars, 2; unknown, 11. Total, 233. 
 
Official Action in the War of the Rebellion. 
 
 117 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 OFI-rCI \L ACTIOX IX THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 
 
 The First Public .'Vet — .\ii Impcirtaiu Resolution — Action of the Board of .Supervisors Relative to Payment of 
 Bounties — The Committee of 1864— Money Borrowed for the County — The Bounty Committee — Further Sums 
 Raised — A County Bounty Offered — The C.1II fur 500,000 Men — Bounties Increased — Issue of Bonds — Loans 
 by the County to the Towns — .Statistics. 
 
 THK first public act on the part of tlie 
 officials of Cortland count}-, in aid of 
 the Union armies for the putting down of 
 the rebellion, was done on the 12th day of 
 November, 1 862, by the Board of Super- 
 visors. It consisted of a resolution offered 
 by Mr. S. A. Childs, of Scott, as follows: — 
 
 " Reso/veii, That this Board request Hon. 
 Henry S. Randall to proceed to .-Vlbany to make 
 the necessary proofs to the governor and adju- 
 tant-general, in respect to the number of volun- 
 teers who shall be credited to this county, and 
 to confer with those officers in respect to the 
 draft to be made from this county." 
 
 This resolution was the precurser of the 
 long series of public measures, embracing 
 the most prompt and vigorous action in aid 
 of the go\ernment, embracing a liberal ap- 
 propriation of money and the enlistment of 
 hundreds of brave men, which followed 
 during the period of the war. 
 
 Mr. Randall made the visit as requested. 
 The next measure was the passage of the 
 following resolution on the 21st of Novem- 
 ber, 1862, which is self-explanatory: — 
 
 " Rcso/vc-if, 'I'hat the Board of Suijer\isors of 
 Cortland county do approve of and recommend 
 the passage of an act by the Legislature, direct- 
 ing that in each of the towns of said county in 
 which money has been raised, in pursuance of a 
 vote in town meeting, or by the action of prop- 
 erly authorized persons, to pay bounties to or for 
 raising volunteers who have enlisted from said 
 towns into the service of the United States since 
 July 2d, 1862, a tax shall be levied to repay the 
 monies so raised and actually expended for said 
 objects." 
 
 The committee of the Board of Super- 
 visors on military aftairs for 1 864 comprised 
 
 Messrs. M. Van Hoesen, George W. Phil- 
 lips and Solomon Goddard ; they found 
 plenty of work. Petitions began to come 
 in from a majority of the towns of the 
 county, asking the board to offer an addi- 
 tional bounty of $300 to all volunteers un- 
 der the recent call of the president for 300,- 
 000 men. Upon these petitions a majority 
 report was made to the effect, in brief, that 
 owing to the comparatively small number of 
 the petitioners, and that such action was 
 contrary to a recent act of the Legislature, 
 the board would decline to act. This re- 
 port was adopted, and the committee were 
 directed to go to Syracuse for conference 
 with a like committee of that county. The 
 several towns were instructed by the board 
 to hold special town meetings on the 15 th 
 of December, for the purpose of getting the 
 voice of the tax payers upon the proposition 
 to raise money to pay a bounty of three 
 hundred dolors to all volunteers. The 
 town meetings were held and the board au- 
 thorized to pay the bounty. The county 
 treasurer was accordingly empowered to 
 borrow a sum not to exceed $103,800, for 
 which county bonds should be issued, to 
 pay the proposed bounty to all volunteers 
 enlisting after January ist. A committee 
 consisting of Messrs. S. K. Welch, George 
 W. Phillips and M. \'an Hoesen was ap- 
 pointed to supervise the payment of boun- 
 ties and kindred matters. 
 
 A special meeting of the board was called 
 for February loth, 1864, at which action 
 was taken to raise $70,000, or as much as 
 should be necessary, to pay bounties for 
 
ii8 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 volunteers under the calls of October i/tli, 
 1863, and I-'ebruary 1st, 1864. This action 
 was not intcntlcil to conflict with previous 
 measures. At the same time recruitint;' 
 agents were instructed to push their work- 
 as fast as possible. 
 
 The ne.xt special meeting was held on the 
 6th of July, and a committee was appointed 
 consisting of five members — Messrs. Geo. 
 W. Phillips, D. McGraw, M. Van Hoesen, 
 P. Mallory and Silas Blanchard — to take 
 into consideration the propriety of offering 
 a county bounty for volunteers under the 
 recent call for 500,000 men. Town meet- 
 ings were again recommended, and the 
 offering of $150 for one year men, $250 
 for t\\'o year men, or greater sums, if deemed 
 expedient. In this the towns concurred, 
 and the treasurer was authorized to borrow 
 the necessary amount for the proposed 
 bounties ; each town was made liable for 
 its proper proportion of the amount raised. 
 Messrs. George W. Phillips, M. Van Hoe- 
 sen, D. McGraw, S. E. Welch and Hiram 
 Crandall were appointed a committee to 
 supervise the payment of bounties under 
 this measure. 
 
 At the annual meeting of this \-ear (1864) 
 the county treasurer was empowered to 
 issue bonds payable in Maft:h, 1873, for a 
 sum sufficient to pay all outstanding indebt- 
 edness on account of bounties. 
 
 The report of the committee upon filling 
 the quota under the call for 500,000 men 
 stated, in effect, that in order to obtain vol- 
 unteers, they were compelled from time to 
 time to increase the amount of bounty 
 offered until it reached the sum of $1,000; 
 competition in other counties was also in- 
 strumental in necessitating this increase. 
 To pa\' the bounties under this call, the 
 treasurer issued bonds as follows : — 
 
 $31,700, payalile March 1st, 1865, with interest. 
 
 40,300, " " 1866, with annual interest. 
 
 40,000, " " 1867, " " 
 
 40,000, " " 1868, 
 
 32,500, payalile March 1st, 1869, with annual interest. 
 
 20,700, " " 1870, " 
 
 57.300, " " 1871, 
 
 59,770. •• 1872, 
 
 44.000, " " '873, with semi-annual int. 
 
 7.000, " " 1875. 
 
 Tdtal, $373,270. 
 
 A special meeting of the Supervisors was 
 called for December 30th, 1864, at which 
 a committee of five was appointed to take 
 into consideration the payment of bounties 
 for volunteers under the final call for 300,- 
 000 men, made December 19th, 1864. The 
 commitfee was composed of Messrs. Phillips, 
 Goddard, O. V. Forbes, M. Van Hoesen and 
 D. O. Surdam. Special town meetings were 
 recommended, with the offer of $400 for 
 one year men, $500 for two year men, and 
 $600 for three year men. The sum of $15 
 brokerage was also proposed for each en- 
 listment procured. The treasurer was au- 
 thorized to make another loan of the neces- 
 sary amount for this purpose. 
 
 At the annual meeting of 1865 a report 
 of the committee acting on the last call was 
 made. The resolutions passed by the board 
 upon that call were adopted in all of the 
 towns, except Marathon, Solon and Trux- 
 ton. The committee also reported that 
 they deemed it inexpedient or impossible 
 to pa\' for filling the quotas in the several 
 towns of the county by the sale of bonds by 
 the treasurer ; they, therefore, resolved to 
 loan to the Supervisors of the respective 
 towns the county bonds in sufficient sums 
 to pay for the same. Most of the towns 
 accepted this proposal. 
 
 At the annual meeting in November, 
 1865, proceedings were had relative to 
 reimbursements by the State for bounty 
 moneys. 
 
 The following table exhibits the amount 
 paid in filling the quotas of the several towns 
 of the county, under the various calls for 
 volunteers in the War of the Rebellion, and 
 tha total amount paid for each, and the 
 amount paid on the principal in 1 864 : — 
 
The Cortland County Press. 
 
 119 
 
 TOWNS. 
 
 Cincinnatus 
 Cortlandville. 
 
 Cuyler 
 
 Freetown. . .. 
 
 Harford 
 
 Homer 
 
 Lapeer 
 
 Marathon . . 
 
 Preble 
 
 Scott 
 
 Solon 
 
 Taylor 
 
 Truxton 
 
 Virgil 
 
 Willet 
 
 Total.... 
 
 
 $ 6,600 
 27,600 
 9,000 
 
 3,900 
 
 6,900 
 15.000 
 2,100 
 7,200 
 6,600 
 
 9,300 
 
 2,700 
 6,000 
 13,800 
 12,600 
 
 3,900 
 
 E o 
 < 
 
 
 $23,050 
 80,050 
 19.050 
 14,050 
 •4,575 
 53,675! 
 11,825 
 
 31,775 
 
 22,175 
 
 6,150 
 
 $ 5,235 
 =6, «4S 
 3,720 
 2,215 
 5.435 
 15,890 
 
 23,675 
 13,900 
 47,175 
 22,550 
 
 7.905 
 2,604 
 
 5,61; 
 
 165 
 ■,815 
 
 $133,200 $383,675 $ 78,090 $594,965 $55,850 00 
 
 $ 34,885 
 ' 34.105 
 31.770 
 20.165 
 26,910 
 84,565 
 13,925 
 38,975 
 36,680 
 18,090 
 2,700 
 36,290 
 27,700 
 
 59,940 
 28,265 
 
 < 
 
 i 3,2 [8 88 
 11,684 04 
 3.077 75 
 1,948 70 
 2.33' 38 
 7,346 97 
 i.S'i 74 
 4,231 23 
 3,091 32 
 1,678 29 
 293 12 
 3,221 59 
 3,007 18 
 6,380 76 
 2,828 05 
 
 The whole amount of bonds issued in 
 the county for bounties was $610,070, fall- 
 ing due as follows : — 
 
 On or before March i, 1865 .... $ 57,600 
 
 On or before March i, 1866 126,300 
 
 On or before March i, 1867 86,200 
 
 On or before March 1, 1868 77. 7°° 
 
 On or before March i, 1869 62,100 
 
 On or before March j, 1870 67,200 
 
 On or before March i, 1871 64,200 
 
 On or before March i, 1872 59.77° 
 
 On or before March i, 1875 9,000 
 
 Total $610,070 
 
 The enlistments and bounties paid in 
 each town will be found in the town his- 
 tories in later pages. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE CORTL.WD COUNTY PRESS. 
 
 The First Newspaper — The Pioneer JouinaHst — De'icriptioii of the "Cortland Courier"' — Changes in Pro- 
 prietorship and N.imes — Dr. Jesse Searl's Career as a Publisher — .Vnother Change — .-V Sheet of 1830 — A Glimpse 
 at its Contents — Rufus A. Reed and His Connection with Cortland Journalism — The Predeces.sors of the "Cortland 
 County Republican" — The Oldest Paper in Cortland Village — .\ncestors of the "Standard" — The "Western 
 Courier" — Establishment of the " Democr.-it " — Seth H.aight's .Administration — H. G. Crouch Enters the .\rena 
 — The "Cortland American" — C. P. Cole and the "Gazette" — The "Republican Banner" — The "Cortland 
 Journal " — First Issue of the " Cortland Standard " — The " Cortland County Democrat " and its Predecessors — 
 The " Cortland News " — The " M.arathon Independent" and its Predecessors — The " McCJrawville Sentinel" — 
 The " Otselic \'alley Register" — The Newspaper Death Roll. 
 
 ALTHOUGH the territoiy of Cortland 
 county was more backward in point of 
 settlement than many other portions of this 
 State, it is an indication of the general in- 
 telligence of the pioneers that a newspaper 
 was demanded and supported here earlier 
 than in many localities where settlement 
 was much farther advanced. 
 
 James Percival was the pioneer journalist 
 of Cortland county. He issued the first 
 nuinber of the Cortland Courier in Homer 
 village in the year 18 10; the exact date we 
 have been unable to obtain, nor have we 
 succeeded in finding a copy of the paper 
 while it bore the name above given. The 
 
 Courier made its appearance one \-ear be- 
 fore there was a newspaper at Onondaga 
 Hollow ; two years before there was one at 
 Buffalo, and nineteen years before there was 
 one at Syracuse. Previous to its issue the 
 few inhabitants of Cortland county must 
 have depended for their local news (and it 
 was very little they got at the best) on news- 
 papers printed in Onondaga county, of 
 wdiich Cortland county was a part until 
 1808. There were the Gazette, started at 
 Manlius in 1 806, b\- Abraham Romeyn ; 
 the Herald of the Times, at the same place 
 in 1808, beyond which the early settlers of 
 this county who felt the need of newspapers 
 
120 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 were compelled to resort to those of New 
 York or otiicr large cities. 
 
 Like all of the early newspapers, the 
 Cortland Courier \\'?\.?, an insiLjnificant affiiir, 
 when compared with the handsome sheets 
 of the present day. It was not more than 
 one-third as large as the present Cortland 
 Standard ; was printed on dingy, yellowish 
 paper, in large type and without column 
 rules ; but judging from later editorial work 
 by Mr. I'ercival, its editor, the Courier was 
 a paper the utterances of which commanded 
 respect. Mr. Percival continued to publish 
 it until some time in the year 1812, when it 
 passed into the hands of H. R. Bender and 
 R. Washburne, who changed its name to the 
 Farmer s Journal ; this firm paid more par- 
 ticular attention to the agricultural interests 
 of the county, but e\-idently without attain- 
 ing such a measure of success as to justify 
 their continuance in the profession ; so they 
 sold to Dr. Jesse Scarl, in the year 181 3. 
 
 Again the name was changed, as well as 
 the general character of the paper. Dr. Searl 
 calling it the Cortland Repository. Of this 
 paper a few numbers are extant, the more 
 prominent features of which have already 
 been referred to. It was still printed on paper 
 of rough te.xture and dingy hue and com- 
 prised four pages of four \\ide columns to 
 the page. Ample room is given in its col- 
 umns to foreign news, but for many consec- 
 utive numbers not a line of what might, by 
 the most liberal construction, be termed lo- 
 cal news is found in its columns. Yet, as 
 newspapers averaged at that period, the Re- 
 pository appears to have been a very cred- 
 itable publication. The proprietor, as was 
 then customary, kept books for sale, and 
 advertised juvenile spelling books, Colum- 
 bian readers, Starkweather's arithmetic, 
 History of Charles the XII, Spafiford's Gaz- 
 etteer of the State of New York, A Life 
 of Bonaparte, Testaments, etc. He also 
 published and offered for sale two sermons on 
 
 the Origin of Oral Evil, delivered at Pom- 
 pey in 1814, by the Rev. Jabez Chadwick. 
 Dr. Searl continued the publication of tiie 
 Repository until the }-ear 1825, during which 
 period (or a portion of it) he made himself 
 a worthy antagonist in political discussions, 
 and personal wordy conflicts with rival edit- 
 ors in Cortland village which would scarcely 
 be admitted to the cokimns of even the most 
 radical and \indictive newspaper of to-day. 
 
 Milton A. Kinney was the purchaser of 
 the paper from Dr. Searl, and he, following 
 in the wake of his illustrious predecessors, 
 rechristened his sheet as the Cortland Ob- 
 server. Under his management the journal 
 was greatly impro\'cd. Copies of it pub- 
 lished along in 1830 show it to have been 
 somewhat enlarged, printed on vastly better 
 paper, column rules used, smaller type and 
 a general better style. - Local news, how- 
 ever, except an occasional stray item, seems 
 to have been beyond the ideas of the editor 
 as to the needs of his readers. 
 
 In the issue of August 13th, 1830, we find 
 the announcement of the breaking out of a 
 virulent disease in the towns of Spaffbrd, 
 Scott, Preble and Truxton, which, in the 
 opinion of Drs. Porter of Marcellus, Mil- 
 ler, of Truxton, and Owen, Bradford and 
 Wakely, of Homer, was small-po.x ; several 
 persons had already died of it. In the same 
 number the editor goes to the Ithaca Chron- 
 iele for a report of an Anti-Masonic meet- 
 ing held a week earlier in P"reetown in this 
 county. At that meeting Samuel S. Whit- 
 man and Charles W. Lynde were chosen 
 delegates to the senatorial convention, to 
 be held in Cortland village on the second 
 Wednesday in September. 
 
 Among the prominent advertisers of that 
 period were James McNeil, general store ; 
 the Homer furnace, "constantly in blast," 
 by J. Sanders, jr., & Co. ; A. Burr, harness 
 shop ; tailoring, by Wm. and John L. Brown ; 
 S. B. Hitchcock, boots and shoes, and H. 
 
The Cortland County Press. 
 
 121 
 
 S. Babcock, tailoring. William Sherman's 
 " Homer Exchange" is also liberallj- adver- 
 tised. 
 
 The Observer favored the nomination of 
 Henry Clay, and was Anti-Masonic in its 
 State politics. Mr. Kinney continued the 
 publication of the paper until 1833, when it 
 passed into the hands of Simon S. Bradford, 
 who conducted it for three years. Strange 
 to say he did not change its name. The 
 next owner was a Mr. Holmes, but he does 
 not appear to have kept it long, as he took 
 it about the year 1836, and sold it to Rufus 
 A. Reed in 1837; but Mr. Holmes had the 
 paper long enough to change its name to 
 the Homer Eagle. In the year 1828 Mr. 
 Reed, with a man named Osborn, had 
 started the Cortland Cfuvnic/e in the village 
 of Cortland; this paper was conducted solely 
 by Mr. Reed in 1832, and in 1837, as above 
 stated, he purchased the Homer Eagle and 
 consolidated the two under the name of the 
 Republican and Eagle. Mr. Reed was a 
 man of unusual intelligence and a good 
 writer ; he made his paper a Whig and later 
 a Republican organ of influence and good 
 character. Mr. Reed was elected county 
 clerk in 1849, and held the office until 1855. 
 He continued the publication of his paper 
 until 1852, when E. F. & C. B. Gould be- 
 came its owners and again changed its name 
 to the Cortland County Wliig. Two years 
 later, in the latter part of 1854, it passed into 
 the hands of Joseph R. Dixon, who gave it 
 the name of the Cortland County Republi- 
 can, for which change there was ample rea- 
 son in the altered name of the Whig party. 
 Mr. Di.xon was for a short time in compan\' 
 with one of the Gould brothers, and after- 
 ward, during the year 1855 with W. H. 
 Case, but he soon assumed the entire con- 
 trol of the concern. He was a man of ex- 
 cellent abilities, thoroughl}- educated and 
 had acted as professor of mathematics in 
 the academ\- at Homer for a number of 
 
 years. He always bore a high reputation as 
 a man of unimpeachable integrity and noble 
 Christian character. In assuming the edi- 
 torial chair he wrote as follows ; — 
 
 " At the suggestion of a few jiersonal and 
 political friends the undersigned has made ar- 
 rangements to become the editor and joint pro- 
 prietor of this paper. He has assumed this 
 responsibility, it is true, without the benefit of 
 long experience ; but he believes that his com- 
 mon sense, his general knowledge of the world, 
 his integrity of purpose, and his attachment to 
 the fundamental princi]jles of the Whig party, 
 will enable him to discharge the duties of the 
 station he proposes to occupy in a such a manner 
 as to satisfy the reasonable expectations of those 
 who read the JVlii:^. . . . We shall labor to 
 promote the interests of education, morality, 
 temperance and freedom ; to diffuse useful in- 
 formation among our readers, and to secure the 
 return of Wm. H. Seward to the Senate of our 
 nation. With these intentions we enter upon 
 our work, looking to our friends for a cordial and 
 hearty support." 
 
 No one who is familiar with the Whig 
 and the Republican during the long period 
 while they were edited and owned by Mr. 
 Dixon, will deny that he ever knowingly- 
 departed from these clearly expressed in- 
 tentions, or failed in any way to do the best 
 that in him lay to promote the welfare of 
 his political party as well as of the com- 
 munity at large. He continued the publi- 
 cation of the paper until 1876, ^ when it was 
 purchased by Wm. O. Bunn, the preseiTt 
 publisher. In order to give the name of 
 the paper more of a local signifiance, he 
 changed its title, in 1877, to the Homer Re- 
 publican. Upon Mr. Bunn's accession he 
 at once improved the paper and the print- 
 ing establishment connected with it, mak- 
 ing it one of the best country weeklies and 
 job printing concerns in the State. He is 
 
 1 Mr. Dixon was killed on the track of the Syracu.se 
 and Binghamton Railroad, while engaged in surveying. 
 His widow, who was a sister of K. V. and C. B. Clould, 
 stil.l resides in Homer village. 
 
122 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 thoroughly versed in politics and soon gave 
 the Republican a reputation in this direction 
 very flattering to him, and at the same time 
 making it bright and newsy. Its patronage 
 was, of course, largely increased. In Janu- 
 ar)-, 1882, he associated George Fisher in 
 the editorial management of the paper, in 
 which connection he is still retained. Mr. 
 Hunn is now internal revenue collector for 
 the district, with headquarters in Syracuse; 
 but he still exercises an oversight of his 
 f)ffice. The Republican is a credit to Ho- 
 mer and a welcome visitor in man\' house- 
 holds. 
 
 There are at the present time three news- 
 papers published in Cortland village, the 
 oldest of which, going backward through 
 its lineal ancestors, is the Cortland Standard. 
 On the 30th day of June, 181 5, was issued 
 the first number of the Cortland Republican, 
 by James Percival. He was a fluent and 
 rather forcible writer and had, presumably, 
 gained a little valuable editorial experience 
 during his career in Homer, to which allu- 
 sion has already been made. The Repub- 
 lican, true to its name, was strictlj- Repub- 
 lican in politics. It was a small paper, with 
 four columns of "small pica" on a page 
 and printed on paper of the usual yellow- 
 white color, the best that could be obtained 
 at that time. There were few editorials in 
 its columns and the customary dearth of 
 local news. In the issue of September 30th, 
 1815, just three months after its birth, the 
 editor printed the following announcement : 
 "The public are informed that from this 
 day, I shall relinquish m\- concern in the 
 office of the Cortland Republican, published 
 by Osborne & Campbell, \\hose talents are 
 ample and whose political tenets are or- 
 thodox." 
 
 In August, 1 8 16, it was announced that 
 Mr. Campbell had retired from the Repub- 
 lican establisliment, Mr. Obadiah Boies 
 taking his place; but it was onlj- for a few- 
 
 months ; in December of that year Mr. 
 Campbell was back in the establishment, 
 and in the following year the firm became 
 B. S. & D. Campbell. These gentlemen 
 published the paper until May, 1821, giving 
 it a life of almost six years — a period of 
 existence much longer than the average of 
 newspapers at that time. The ri\alry be- 
 tween the villages of Homer and Cortland, 
 to which allusion has already been made, 
 reached its height during this period, and 
 out of that and their opposite political 
 creeds, with the usual business opposition, 
 grew a prolonged and bitter newspaper war- 
 fare between the Republican and the Re- 
 pository, printed in Homer b\- Ur. Jesse 
 Searl. This frequentl}' descended into per- 
 .sonalities of the most vindictive character 
 which, while the}- established the fact that 
 the Campbell Brothers were vigorous writers, 
 could not have failed to lower the dignity 
 of their journal. 
 
 In the month of April the firm of B. S. 
 & D. Campbell was dissolved, the latter 
 continuing the business. At about this 
 time serious dissension arose in the ranks 
 of the Republican part)' and the campaign 
 of 1820 was especially exciting. This or 
 other causes, or both, led to the establish- 
 ment in Homer village in 1821, of the 
 Western Courier, b}- two young men named 
 Roberts and Hull. After a very short time 
 this establishment was removed to Cort- 
 land, and then began a wordy battle more 
 bitter and persistent than the former one to 
 which we ha\e referred, between the new- 
 candidate for political fa\'or and the Repub- 
 lican. But it appears that the new-comers, 
 with the Courier, were on the rising tide of 
 politics, and on the i6th of May the per- 
 plexed editors of the Republican announced 
 that as there were then three newspapers 
 in the county, where the patronage was 
 scarely sufficient for one, they had resolved, 
 after six years of labor, to reduce the size 
 
The Cortland County Press. 
 
 123 
 
 of their paper ; and that for the present a 
 small sheet only would be issued, at half 
 the former price. 
 
 As near as we have been able to ascertain, 
 this movement was made merely to fulfill 
 advertising contracts and the Republican, 
 as a newspaper, ceased to exist at that time, 
 until revived by Rufus A. Reed, in 1832, 
 to be consolidated with the Homer Eagle, 
 as before detailed. The Campbell brothers 
 subsequently went to Sandusk)% Ohio, 
 where they engaged in the newspaper bus- 
 iness. Mr. Reed conducted the Republican 
 for about five years, before its consolida- 
 tion. During a portion of this period his 
 office was in the second storj' of what was 
 long known as Elder's store, when Webb & 
 Edgcomb having, in 1836, erected the three 
 story brick structure on the corner of Main 
 and Port Watson streets, since transformed 
 into the Keator Block, the office was re- 
 moved to the corner rooms in the third 
 story. In writing of Mr. Reed's editorial 
 career, Mr. H. G. Crouch (again alluded to 
 a little further on) said : "The shifting polit- 
 ical elements in opposition to Gen. Jackson 
 had doubtless left to the two papers, the 
 {Republican and the Hoinei- Eaglt) an un- 
 certain tenure, and upon the crystallization 
 of those elements into the \\ hig part)-, un- 
 der the leadership of Hcnr}' Cla\% Mr. Reed, 
 then a young man and an excellent printer, 
 'read his title clear' to the organization of 
 a strong majority party in the county, with 
 such advantages as accrue to that special 
 relationship, consisting in a large measure 
 in rendering x'aluable assistance to aspiring 
 politicians, with the least possible return of 
 either favors or thanks ; more often than 
 otherwise the blackest ingratitude. Mr. 
 Reed prospered moderately, but whether in 
 prosperity or adversit)-, his was the same 
 cheerful temperament, which made the bad 
 seem to him to be ver\- much the same as 
 good fortune." 
 
 The Western Courier was continued as 
 such until 1824, when its name was changed 
 to the Cortland Journal. It was published bj' 
 D. Smith in 1824, but for how long a period 
 we have been unable to learn. Chas. W. 
 Gill then took it and transferred it some 
 time before 1S27 to J. J. Cantine, in whose 
 hands it was during the latter year and 
 probabl>- until the year 1832, when the name 
 of the paper was again changed to The Cort- 
 land Advocate. Henr\- S. Randall, soon 
 after his entrance into political life, became 
 its editor ; he was possessed of literary abil- 
 ity of a high order, but was not a practical 
 printer and soon wearied of the annoyance 
 and detail connected with the regular pub- 
 lication of a newspaper; he accordingly 
 sold the establishment to David Fairchild, 
 who, as early as 1838, removed it to Ovid, 
 N. v., where he started the Ovid Bee. This 
 again left Cortland without a second news- 
 paper. During at least a part of its exist- 
 ence (1833) the Advocate was published by 
 C. \\. Mason. 
 
 At this period the leaders of the Democ- 
 racy throughout the count)' embraced a 
 large majorit)- of the prominent legal gen- 
 tlemen and other personages conspicuous 
 in the political arena, although there was 
 a small Whig majorit)- in the voting popu- 
 lation. The State administrations and the 
 Senatorial and Congressional districts, were 
 almost uniformly Democratic ; hence there 
 were numerous men of that political com- 
 plexion who aspired to prominence. 
 Among them were such as Joseph Reynolds, 
 S. G. Hathawav', Henr)' Stephens, Roswell 
 Randall, Wm. Bartlit, Edward C. Reed, 
 Townsend Ross, George Ross, J. De Pu)- 
 
 I Freer, Anthony Freer, John Gillet, Alanson 
 Coats, and others of the older men ; and 
 Horatio Ballard, Henr)- S. Randall, Fred- 
 erick Hyde, Henry Brewer, Wm. H. Shank- 
 land, James S. Leach, Wm. L)-ndes, An- 
 
 , drew Dickson, VV^m. B. Allen, Oliver Glover, 
 
124 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 of the younger generation. It was the 
 prominence and ncti\'it)' of such men, 
 coupled with the exciting pohtical campaign 
 of 1840, that led to the establishment of a 
 Democratic "organ " in Cortland village. 
 A stock subscription of about $800 was 
 raised and an arrangement made for the 
 publication of the Coi'tlaud Democrat with 
 Seth Haight and Henrj- W. De Puy, the 
 latter a young man from Fayetteville, On- 
 ondaga county, and a recent graduate from 
 college. Haight was a practical printer, 
 having learned his trade in the Advocate 
 office, under Mr. Randall's proprietorship ; 
 he was a genial, convivial sort of man of 
 fiir abilities. The Democrat was started in 
 the spring of 1 840, the office being located 
 over a hat store then kept by Canfield 
 Marsh, on or near the site of the Union Hail 
 Block. 
 
 Meantime the Republican and Eagle had 
 become the Cortland County Wliig, which 
 guided the party of that name through the 
 excitiiig campaigns of that and the following 
 years. Prominent in that party then were 
 such men as William Andrews, David 
 Mathews, Harry McGraw, Dr. John Miller, 
 Cephas Comstock, John J. Adams, Tercius 
 Eels, Alanson Carley, Isaac A. Gates, Gid- 
 eon Babcock, Joel B. Hibbard, Danforth 
 Merrick, Jedediah Barber, James C. Pome- 
 roy, Daniel Hawks, and many others who 
 were uncommon and influential men, in dif- 
 ferent parts of the county. The political 
 campaign of 1840 will not soon be forgotten 
 by any who witnessed or took part in it ; 
 but the Whigs carried oft' the spoils. In 
 the spring of 1841, Mr. De Pu\- retired from 
 the Democrat, Mr. Haight continuing its 
 publication alone. In April the office was 
 removed into what is now the Keator Block. 
 The Democrat was a creditable looking 
 journal for that period ; had six columns to 
 the page and was made up of a little news, 
 considerable politics and more selections of 
 
 a literary character. Mr. Haight was little 
 of a writer, and employed Henry S. Randall 
 to assist in his editorial work. In the spring 
 of 1840 Henry G. Crouch entered the office 
 to, as he puts it, take the leadership of the 
 sweeping and roller brigade, and it was a 
 portion of his duty to trudge a mile and re- 
 turn out to Mr. Randall's farm on the Virgil 
 road, for that careful writer to revise his 
 proof sheets. For a few years at this time 
 Harmon S. Conger was the editor of the 
 Whig, though Mr. Reed kept his interest 
 in the establishment. Mr. Conger was then 
 a young and ambitious law\-er, and he soon 
 attained a position of distinction in the 
 'county as a political leader. In 1846 and 
 1 848 he was elected to Congress in this dis- 
 trict, the first term over Wm. H. Shankland. 
 The campaign of 1844 was similar to its 
 predecessor in everything except the bitter 
 asperities of rival newspapers and individu- 
 als. Not long subsequent to the close of 
 this campaign Mr. Reed removed the WJiig 
 to Homer, where he continued to publish it 
 until he was elected county clerk in 1849, 
 as before stated. The division of the Dem- 
 ocratic party in 1848 was disastrous to Mr. 
 Haight and the Democrat ; ^ the paper sup- 
 ported Cass, and the publisher's lack of ed- 
 itorial training was a serious embarrassment; 
 the Democrat lost much of its influence and 
 prosperity and Haight finally sold it to 
 
 1 In the supplement of the Corllaiid Standard, to which 
 allu.sion has been made, we find tlic following reminis- 
 cence from James H. Sinclair, who was working in the 
 /),n/ihia/ office at the time of the occurrence : " In the 
 summer of 1845 we advertised for an apprentice — ' one 
 from the country preferred.' One afternoon a little white- 
 haired chap, with uncommonly large, intelligent-looking 
 eyes, came to the door and said he had called in response 
 to the advertisement, and wished to learn the trade. We 
 doubted whether he would fill the bill, as he was not 
 more than twelve years of age, and slight in his make-up; 
 but he was anxious — he had walked up from Marathon, 
 and wanted to try it. lie did; and little did I think, 
 while initiating that mile of a lad, perched upon a box to 
 bring his head above the frame, in the mysteries of the 
 printer's case, that later he would develop into a ' Petro- 
 leum \'. N'asby;' but he did." 
 
The Cortland County Press. 
 
 125 
 
 James S. Leach, a representative Cortland 
 county Free Soiler of that period and a 
 lawyer of considerable pniniinL-ncc, now a 
 resident of Syracuse. He kept the paper 
 about a year ; but the Free Soil movement 
 was already doomed, and Mr. Leach sold 
 the establishment to two young men named 
 Quimby and Hyatt, from Ithaca. Their am- 
 bition in the newspaper line was apparently 
 soon satiated, for, in 185 i, Mr. Crouch, now 
 an accomplished printer and able writer, 
 bought the concern, which he conducted 
 with ability and success until August, 1855, 
 when he sold to lulwin V. Gould. Under 
 Mr. Crouch's direction the Democrat be- 
 came one of the leading country weeklies 
 of that political creed in the State. He is 
 now the editor and publisher of the Kings- 
 ton Arg/ts, which is also an excellent jour- 
 nal. At about the time when Mr. Crouch 
 sold the Dcnwcrat the Know-Nothing ex- 
 citement was at its height, and Mr. Gould 
 soon changed the name of the paper to the 
 Cortland American, and devoted it to the 
 interests of the new party. Mr. Gould pub- 
 lished the paper for about two years; but 
 it was finally throttled by the death of the 
 Know-Nothing organization, and the Dem- 
 ocrats were for a brief time without an or- 
 gan in the county. 
 
 Soon after the American ceased to exist 
 a young man named J. D. Robinson estab- 
 lished the Cortland Gazette, purchasing the 
 material of the defunct paper ; this was in 
 1857 ; he continued its publication until the 
 spring of 1858, when he sold out to John R. 
 Bedcn. A few months later it passed into 
 the hands of C. P. Cole. The Gazette was, 
 of course. Democratic in politics ; was a 
 four-page paper, seven columns to the page 
 and $1 a year; its circulation within the 
 first few years of its existence was about 
 500. The office was in the third story of the 
 Dickson (now Keator) Block, which building 
 seems always to have possessed an attrac- 
 
 tion for printing establishments. Mr. Cole 
 was a practical printer, a writer of consid- 
 erable abilit)' and had gainetl a little edito- 
 rial experience on the Syracuse Courier. 
 He improved his paper, added to his job 
 printing material, increased the circulation 
 of the Gazette to about 1,000 copies and for 
 a time had a good paying business. 
 
 We must now note the founding of a new 
 paper which was eventually consolidated 
 with the Gazette. In the year 1858 Messrs. 
 E. D. Van Slyke, now publisher of the 
 Hamilton Democratic Republican, and P. H. 
 Bateson started the Rcpithlican Banner in 
 Cortland village. Their expressed object 
 was to give the people a journal which 
 should be free from the dictation of the 
 politicians of the county and the columns 
 of which should always be open to the 
 respectable discussion of any topic of in- 
 terest, even though the publishers did not 
 agree with the sentiments of the writers. 
 Mr. Van Sl)'ke was, at the time the Banner 
 was started, a law student in the office of 
 R. Holland Duell. Mr. Bateson was a 
 graduate of Cortland Academy in Homer, 
 and also came to Mr. Duell's office to com- 
 mence the stud\^ of the law. The two 
 young men became intimately acquainted 
 and their newspaper enterprise was the 
 sequel. The capital of the firm was, by 
 dint of considerable exertion, raised to ex- 
 actly five dollars, and the office was estab- 
 lished in some unfinished rooms in Mr Van 
 Shke's dwelling on the corner of Green- 
 bush and what was then called Venettc 
 street. The two prospective publishers 
 walked to McGrawville and bought of 
 Abram Pr}-nc the material of the Central 
 Reformer, which had just departed its news- 
 paper existence, paying for it mainly with 
 properly secured notes ; the price paid was 
 $500. The first number of the paper ap- 
 peared on the 1st of September, 1858, and 
 was successfully brought to the notice of 
 
126 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 the Cortland public (or the publishers, at 
 least, were) by the issue of an extra an- 
 nouncing the laying of the Atlantic Cable, 
 the news of which had to be brought from 
 Syracuse on the cars, something like half 
 an hour before the Gazette issued its extra. 
 
 On account of ill health Mr. Bateson 
 remained with his partner but about six 
 months ; he subsequently became a Uni- 
 versalist preacher. After about five months 
 the Banner office was removed to the sec- 
 ond stor\- of Barnard's Block, where the 
 Dexter House now stands. The Banner 
 was a success, as such ventures are com- 
 monly considered, and shortly after its re- 
 moval, S. G. Hitchcock, an excellent prac- 
 tical printer, now living in Syracuse, bought 
 a half interest with Mr. Van Slyke, and in 
 the course of a year a power press was 
 added. Mr. Hitchcock, desiring to make a 
 western tour, sold his interest to his part- 
 ner in i860 or 1 86 1. This interest was 
 transferred within a few weeks to A. M. 
 Ford, now publisher of the Dryden Herald. 
 
 When the 76th Regiment was organized 
 in Cortland, in the autumn of 1861, Mr. 
 Van Slyke's patriotism prompted him to 
 join it; he accordingly made an arrange- 
 ment with Mr. Cole, by which tlie latter 
 was to buy the Banner establishment, con- 
 solidate it with the Gazette, and change the 
 politics to Republican and the name of the 
 paper to the Gazette and Banner. Mr. 
 Cole conducted the paper with varying suc- 
 cess until his death in April, 1869. After 
 passing through the hands of his uncle, J. 
 V. P. Gardner, of Utica, the establishment 
 was purchased by Wm. H. Livermore, who 
 changed the name of the paper to the 
 Cortland Weekly Jonrnal, issuing the first 
 number under the new title on the 20th of 
 May, 1 869. The paper was then an eight- 
 column sheet, but was enlarged to nine 
 columns on the I 8th of August, 1870. On 
 the 7th of July, 1870, Mr. Livermore began 
 
 tlu: i)ublication of the Homer Herald, sim- 
 ilar in size and appearance to the Journal ; 
 it was printed in the Cortland office, but 
 devoted to the interests of the town of 
 Homer and largely circulated in that part 
 of the county. Mr. Livermore made a good 
 newspaper and built up a successful busi- 
 ness, which he carried on until January I ith, 
 1872, when he sold the establishment to 
 Edward and Emma Molloy, of South Bend, 
 Ind. ; they stopped the publication of the 
 Herald, continuing the Journal until May 
 1 8th following, when it was sold to Wesley 
 Hooker, consolidated with the Cortland 
 Standard, purchased by him of F. G. Kin- 
 ney, and named the Cortland Standard and 
 Journal. Mr. Livermore is now in Wash- 
 ington in the employ of the government. 
 
 The first number of the Cortland Stand- 
 ard was issued by F. G. Kinney on the 
 29th of June, 1867. Mr. Kinney is a prac- 
 tical printer of long experience and an able 
 writer. In his salutatory he assumed it as 
 a matter of general expression that there 
 should be published in the shire town a 
 paper which should more exactly meet 
 the views and reflect the sentiments of 
 the people of the count)' ; he expressed 
 his determination to make a family paper 
 the character of which should be unexcep- 
 tionable, at the same time that it was out- 
 1 spoken and manly on all the political and 
 moral cjuestions of the da}-. On account 
 of delay in getting his power press, the first 
 few numbers of the paper were taken to 
 Homer and printed ; the first number was 
 sent out free, and two weeks then inter- 
 vened before the regular publication began. 
 Mr. Kinney made an excellent paper and 
 continued its publication until the 1st of 
 May, 1 872, when he sold to Weslej- Hooker, 
 as above stated, he having at the same time 
 purchased the establishment of the Cortland 
 Journal and the defunct Homer Herald. 
 The whole was consolidated in one concern. 
 
The Cortland County Press. 
 
 127 
 
 making one of the most complete country 
 printing establishments in Central New 
 York. Mr. Hooker stated in his introduc- 
 tory editorial that in his opinion Cortland 
 village needed just two papers and no more 
 — one for each political party; said he: 
 " More than two are an unnecessary tax on 
 the community, and an imposition and bur- 
 den it is very likely to resent and refuse to 
 carr)-." Mr. Hooker had profited by an 
 experience of twenty years as a printer, 
 business manager and editor, and he quick- 
 ly made his influence felt for the good of 
 the paper. He said that while it would be 
 Republican in politics, it should be inde- 
 pendent and fearless in its course, not hesi- 
 tating to criticise and admonish when it 
 seemed neces.sary ; and above all, it would 
 not be the organ of any faction. This 
 course he consistentl}' followed until, on the 
 1st of April, 1876, when he sold his estab- 
 lishment to the Hon. William H. Clark, of 
 Wayne county, who is the present proprie- 
 tor and editor. Mr. Clark assumed his im- 
 portant position while )'ct a young man. 
 He was a graduate of Union College, and 
 had studied law and was admitted to the 
 bar six years before he came to Cortkmd, 
 which period he had spent in the practice 
 of his profession in Wayne county. His 
 introductory editorial was a brief, pertinent 
 and graceful statement of what he should 
 labor to accomplish — the perpetuation of 
 the high position and excellent reputation 
 then enjoyed by the Standard and Journal, 
 and the advancement of the interests of the 
 Republican party. Since his proprietor- 
 ship began Mr. Clark has greatly improved 
 his paper and his establishment generally ; 
 among the changes made are the curtailing 
 of the name of the paper to the Cortland 
 Standard and its enlargement to nine col- 
 umns to the page, making it one of the 
 largest and most attractive country weeklies 
 in the State. Up to the time of Mr. Hook- 
 
 er's withdrawal the office was located in the 
 
 third story of the block un the corner of 
 Main and Orchard streets. But the quar- 
 ters there, although better than had ever 
 before been enjoyed by a Cortland news- 
 paper, were too crowded for the fully 
 equipped establishment, and Mr. Clark re- 
 moved to A. Mahan's building on Court 
 street, on the i.st of January, 1879, occupy- 
 ing the first floor and a portion of the base- 
 ment. This gave much more commodious 
 accommodations ; but the immediate ad- 
 dition of new presses and a large quantity 
 of other new material soon filled the new 
 quarters to such an extent that more room 
 became almost an imperative necessity. 
 This state of affairs led Mr. Clark to embark 
 with others in the erection of the splendid 
 new brick "Standard Block" on the corner 
 of Main and Tompkins streets, into which 
 the office was removed on the 1st of May, 
 1883, where the amplest accommodations 
 had been especially prepared for it. At 
 the time of his removal to the new build- 
 ing Mr. Clark published a valuable supple- 
 ment to the Standard, from which much 
 of the data for this chapter is derived. In 
 it we find the following description of the 
 establishment, the importance and com- 
 pleteness of which entitles it to a place in 
 these pages : — 
 
 " The practical experience gained in managing 
 a printing office had taught us what its needs 
 were, and it was the intention to meet them in 
 the most thorough and satisfactory manner. It 
 is with pleasure that we are able to say that two 
 months of work in the new office have not called 
 attention to a single material point in which the 
 arrangement could be improved. 
 
 " The new quarters of the Standard are located 
 on the first floor and basement of the southwest 
 store in the Standard Building. In front is 
 , Tompkins street, and at the side a wide alley be- 
 longing to the building, which can ne\er be ob- 
 structed, and the space beyond, which is still 
 ; oiien. The frontage on Tompkins street is twen- 
 
128 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 ty-seven and a half feet, and the depth is about 
 sixty-three feet. The business office is on Tomp- 
 kins street, and is a room tlijrteen feet deep by 
 nineteen feet long. It has a glass front reaching 
 from the floor to the ceiling, and is handsomely 
 finished on the other three sides in western chest- 
 nut, with a pauL-lcd ceiling, painted in parti- 
 colors. The floor is of cherry and maple ; the 
 furniture of ash, with the tops of the desks and 
 counter of polished cherry. A [lortion of the 
 furniture, though ordered, is not yet coniiileted, 
 but we e.xpect will be in place very soon. From 
 the walls, the faces of Emerson, Bryant, Lowell, 
 Longfellow, Whittier and Holmes, look down, 
 in the handsome Atlaiitk portraits, approjiriately 
 framed, and a fine steel engraving of Garfield 
 bears them worthy company. In addition to the 
 door communicating with the composing room, 
 tlie office is connected with this room by a sliding 
 window at the end of the main desk, and is in 
 communication with the press room on the floor 
 below by means of a speaking tube and call bell. 
 It is also connected with the Cortland and Ho- 
 mer Telephone Exchange. As a business office, 
 we believe it is uneciualed for beauty and con- 
 venience in any other printing establishment in 
 the country, outside of the cities. 
 
 " Opening out of this ofiice, and lighted by a 
 long and large window, is the private editorial 
 room, occupying the remainder of the Tompkins 
 street front, and finished like the business office, 
 in western chestnut. Both of these rooms are 
 heated and ventilated by steam, the direct and 
 indirect systems of radiation being combined, 
 and the entrance of fresh, warm air, and the es- 
 cape of bad air are so arranged that the atmos- 
 phere of the rooms may be changed entirely every 
 fifteen minutes. This work, as well as the steam 
 heating in the composing and press rooms, and 
 in other parts of the building, was done by 
 Messrs. Bates & Johnson, who have establish- 
 ments in New York, .Albany and Syracuse, and 
 enjoy the reputation of being among the most 
 thorough, intelligent and trustworthy of steam 
 engineers. In the rear of the business and edi- 
 torial rooms is the comjKJsing and job room, 
 where all the newspaper and job work is set uj), 
 and all the Hghter job work printed on the Gor- 
 don presses. The room is about fifty feet long, 
 well ventilated, and filled with light from five 
 
 large west windows, reaching from the ceiling 
 nearly to the floor, and double glass doors with 
 glass transom. Under the care of the efficient 
 foreman, Mr. H. (i. Joy, the room is a model of 
 neatnesss and good order, as well as a most 
 cheerful and healthful place for labor. Under- 
 neath the business, editorial, composing and job 
 rooms, and running back the full sixty-three 
 feet from Tompkins street, is the pre.ss room, 
 where the cylindar newspajjer and job presses 
 are located, together with the 'Otto Silent Gas 
 Engine,' which furnishes power to run the entire 
 machinery of the office. The presses are set 
 upon heavy frames of cedar, fastened down by 
 bolts running to the base of stone walls, which 
 are sunk into the earth trom two to two and a 
 half feet, giving foundations which are as solid as 
 rock. 
 
 " This room, like the comijosing room, is 
 floored with Georgia pine, and is ceiled both 
 above and on the sides. It is high, excellently 
 lighted by eight large windows, and l)y double 
 glass doors, with glass transom, and is also well 
 ventilated. 
 
 " In the rear portion of the room are located 
 large stock closets, with sliding shelves for book- 
 paper, etc., and beside them stands a large case 
 of twenty-eight drawers, twenty-three by thirty 
 inches each, in which are kept the cardboard, 
 and flat papers used in the job department. 
 Facing these is the paper-cutter, and the table 
 on which rests the card-cutter. The ruled pa- 
 pers, note heads, bill heads, etc., etc., and cut 
 cards are kept in the composing and job room 
 above, ready at hand for printing on the Gordon 
 
 j presses. 
 
 I " All of the shafting and pulleys for the various 
 presses is suspended from the ceiling of the base- 
 ment, belts running through the ceiling and the 
 floor above, and connecting with the presses in 
 
 ' the composing room. All of the presses are 
 connected with cone pulleys, giving any rate of 
 
 ! speed desired. 
 
 " The store room, opening out of the Staiidani 
 press room, is a large cellar, extending under 
 about half of the post-office, in which is located 
 the low-pressure boiler which furnishes steam for 
 heating. A considerable portion of this cellar 
 is floored, and the room is so light and dry that 
 it furnishes a most convenient store room for 
 
The Coktlaxd County Press. 
 
 129 
 
 news and other papers in bundles, and for the 
 various articles about a printing office which it 
 is desirable to have on hand, and not desirable 
 to have in the way. 
 
 "The space afforded b) tins room, cumLiined 
 w ith the other rooms above described, is about 
 three times that of the old office in the third 
 story of the Moore block, which the Standard 
 occupied on the first of May, 1876, while the 
 facilities of the office for turning out work have 
 increased in nearly the same proportion." 
 
 The direct predecessor of the Cortland 
 County Democrat was the Cortland Demo- 
 crat, which was started in the year 1864, 
 b)- II. G. Crouch, of whom particular men- 
 tion has already been made, and M. P. Cal- 
 lendcr ; this sheet may, perhaps, be called 
 a revival of the Democrat which Mr. Crouch 
 had prexiously published, and which had 
 passed into the hands of C. P. Cole, to be- 
 come transformed into a Republican jour- 
 nal. The Democrat was purchased in 1866 
 by C. A. Kohler, a native Swede, who was 
 possessed of a t^ood deal of natiu-al ability 
 and a sterling Democrat. It was while Mr. 
 Kohler was conducting the paper that Ben- 
 ton B. Jones took the first steps in the edi- 
 torial profession, which has since that time 
 almost entire!)' engrossed his attention. He 
 was then a young law)-er in the village of 
 Cortland, who was gradual!)- acquiring an 
 excellent practice, when Mr. Kohler called 
 on him to assist in the promulgation of 
 Democratic doctrine through the columns 
 of the Democrat. So well did Mr. Jones 
 fulfill the mission that a large share of the 
 editorial work thereafter fell upon his shoul- 
 ders. L. S. Crandall bought Mr. Kohler's 
 interest in 1866, or '67, Mr. Jones still con- 
 tinuing to do a share of the editorial labor 
 until 1868, when he bought out Mr. Cran- 
 dall. In assuming the responsibility of 
 conducting the organ of the Democratic 
 party in the county, Mr. Jones wrote as 
 follows : — 
 
 " In accepting the duties consequent upon 
 
 such assumption, we feel constrained to ask the 
 co-operation and assistance of all Democrats in 
 our efforts to make the Democrat &f\xs,i class family 
 newspaper. Our political affinities being so well 
 known throughout the county, it is, perhajjs, un- 
 necessary for us to assert that we have always 
 sujjported to the best of our ability, in pros|)erity 
 and adversitv alike, those grand old Democratic 
 principles whicli lie at the very foundation of our 
 government, and that, as the editor of this paper, 
 we shall continue to support those principles. 
 We promise to do our level best to sow the seeds 
 of discord and dissatisfaction in the ranks of the 
 dominant party, while at the same time we do 
 everything in our jjower to strengthen the Dem- 
 ocratic ])arty." 
 
 These outspoken promises Mr. Jones has 
 fulfilled, as far as he has been able, for the 
 past sixteen years.' He enlarged his paper 
 from the first, at the same time advancing 
 the subscription price to $2, and he so con- 
 ducted the Democrat that it was given a 
 cordial support. The political situation in 
 the comity during the most of the period 
 of Mr. Jones's pro})rietorship of the paper 
 has been such that he could expect very 
 little support of a public character, and he 
 has received about what he expected ; but 
 he has kept on in the path marked out in 
 his introductory editorial and has won the 
 respect even of those who do not agree with 
 the political sentiments of his journal. He 
 has from time to time added to his office 
 outfit, in the way of new and improved ma- 
 chinery, types, etc., until it is second to none 
 in its capacity to turn out excellent work 
 of all kinds. Mr. Jones moved the office 
 (which had been previously located in the 
 Squires Block, and over the present store of 
 Wm. Riley, on Main street,) to the Keator 
 Block, and in 1871 to the old Eagle Block, 
 which has given way to the new Squires 
 Building. In 1877 he fitted up commo- 
 
 1 From May 1st, 1874, until .\ugiisl, 1875, xhe Bviiiofrat 
 was in tlie hands of Roberts & Lamont and David Tall- 
 madge; but it came ijack into Mr. Jones's ownership al 
 the latter date. 
 
 9 
 
I30 
 
 HlSTDRV OF CoRTI.ANU COUNTV. 
 
 dioiis quarters in the building since occu- 
 pied by him on West Court street. 
 
 The third ne\vs])a])er published at the 
 present time in Cortland village, the Cort- 
 land Nc^vs, was first issued on the 25th of 
 June, 1880, by C. H. HucU and E. M. Lans- 
 ing. The former was a native of Tru.xton, 
 but resided for some time in New York city, 
 where he had been in different waj's con- 
 nected with newspapers. Mr. Lansing 
 remained in the establishment but a short 
 time. Mr. Buell. labored under many em- 
 barrassments, as is often the case in similar 
 undertakings, but his energy and perse- 
 verance made his paper a success. In 
 the celebrated Normal School controversy 
 he supported with ability the views of the 
 Local Board and Dr. Hoose, which finallj' 
 prevailed. 
 
 In January, 1882, the Nctvs establish- 
 ment was taken by F. G. Kinney, who has 
 conducted it since that date. The causes 
 leading to the establishment of this paper 
 are given as the opposition offered by the 
 other Republican paper (the Standard) to 
 the policy of the Republican leaders, and its 
 opposition to the action of the Local Board 
 of the Normal School in its adherence to the 
 employment of Professor J. H. Hoose as 
 principal, against the efforts of the superin- 
 tendent of public instruction, who desired 
 Prof Hoose's removal. With these contro- 
 vesies this work need not be concerned. The 
 Nczvs, as stated, took strong ground in favor 
 of the retention of Dr. Hoose as principal 
 of the school, and a long controversy ensued 
 between the two Republican journals ; at 
 the same time the dissensions in the ranks 
 of the Republican part}' in the county, with 
 the aggressi\'c action of the prohibition fac- 
 tion, opened the way to a Democratic suc- 
 cess in the fall of 1882, when that party 
 elected its county judge and surrogate, dis- 
 trict attorney and county clerk — a very 
 unusual occurrence in Cortland count)'. 
 
 The office of the Nczvs has always been 
 located over No. 13 Main street. 
 
 The MaratlioH Independent was estab- 
 lished in Marathon in 1870, by Wallace 
 Kelley, acting for B. B. Jones, of the Cort- 
 land Dcnwerat. A paper called the Mara- 
 thon Mirror had previously, in 1862, been 
 started in that village by G. A. Dodge, who 
 transferred it in the following year to P. D. 
 & C. A. Van Vredenburg; they abandoned 
 it after a few years. In 1868 C. D. Smith 
 revived it as the Marathon Neivs ; he con- 
 ducted it about a year when it was sus- 
 pended. The material of this establishment 
 was bought by Mr. Kelley, and on the 19th 
 of July, 1870, he issued the first number 
 of the Independent. The paper was con- 
 ducted one year by Kelley, who, during 
 that period, was acting as the agent of Mr. 
 Jones ; at the end of that time he purchased 
 the establishment and conducted it success- 
 fully until 1876. He was a man of great 
 industr)' and a good printer, qualifications 
 which enabled him in a comparativelj- con- 
 tracted field to build up a successful and 
 profitable business, where many others 
 would have filled. 
 
 In the fall of 1875 Mr. Kelley was at- 
 tacked by consumption which so impaired 
 his strength that in June, 1876, he was 
 forced to betake himself to the Adirondack's. 
 He placed his business in the care of Ed. 
 L. Adams, who had just completed his ap- 
 prenticeship in the office. Returning in 
 the fall, Mr. Kelley gave up hope of recov- 
 ery and offered his ofifice for sale. It was 
 purchased on the first of December of that 
 year by Charles A. Brooks, an employee 
 of Mr. Kelle\', and A. H. Da}-, a business 
 man of Marathon. This firm employed 
 Mr. Adams as editor of their paper and 
 conducted it successfully until May ist, 
 1878. At this date Mr. Adams had only 
 just reached man's estate, and he purchased 
 the interest of Mr. Day, the firm becoming 
 
The Cortland County Press. 
 
 Ill 
 
 Brooks & Adams. This continued until 
 January 1st, 1880, at which time Mr. Adams 
 bought his partner's interest and has since 
 owned the estabUshment alone. 
 
 When Mr. Kelley issued the first number 
 of the Independent the office was equipped 
 with a hand press and an old-fashioned job 
 press. Under Mr. Adams's efficient man- 
 agement it has become a first-class estab- 
 lishment ; has a Campbell cylinder press, 
 two power job presses, a power paper cut- 
 ter, steam-engine, with an excellent outfit 
 of other material. More than two hundred 
 new subscribers have been added to the list 
 in the year 1883. The first issue was a six- 
 column folio; it was enlarged in 1871 to 
 seven columns, and again enlarged in 1881 
 to eight columns; in June, 1883, it was 
 changed into a five-column quarto and 
 otherwise improved. Mr. Adams has won 
 an extended reputation as a humorist, based 
 upon the establishment of a column devoted 
 to that class of writing in 1879, and has in 
 many ways shown himself to be an enter- 
 prising journalist. 
 
 Early in June, 1878, the McGi-azvville 
 Scntiiiel issued its first number, a youth of 
 eighteen years, named Wm. A. Huntington, 
 being the proprietor. The office was located 
 on the first floor above the ground floor of 
 what is now known as the Empire House, 
 but at that time was commonl\- called the 
 Empire Block. The paper was then a five 
 column folio and its subscription list was not 
 very large. The motto adopted and since 
 retained was, "For the public good." The 
 industry and diligence of the young pro- 
 prietor soon increased the circulation of his 
 paper and it was changed to a si.x-column 
 folio. The first copy was printed on a small 
 army press ; but this was soon changed for 
 a Washington hand press and in December, 
 1882, a Guernsey cylinder press was sub- 
 stituted and is still in use. In the following 
 year the office was removed to the Frieson 
 
 Block, and at the expiration of its second 
 year to the Graves Building, where it now 
 is. Mr. Huntington conducted the paper 
 for five years, when he disposed of the 
 property to the Sentinel Publishing Com- 
 pany, consisting of E. P. and J. R. Fancher. 
 For the last three years the paper has been 
 a seven column folio. Its circulation is 
 increasing, its list now exceeding 300. 
 Terms, $1.00. 
 
 The Otselic Valley Register. — This paper 
 was established at Pitcher, Chenango coun- 
 ty, on the 8th of April, 1874, by J. E. Ly- 
 ons, who, after publishing it about four 
 months, suddenly disappeared and has never 
 since been heard from. The paper was 
 then taken in hand by a stock company and 
 was conducted by Eneas Fenton for a period 
 of about four months, and then disposed of 
 to John Henry Graves; he continued its 
 publication for about two years and then 
 removed the establishment to Cincinnatus, 
 where he shortly afterward sold it to D. V. 
 Joyner. He enlarged the sheet to a seven 
 column folio, and on the 3d day of Novem- 
 ber, 1879, sold out to Will O. Greene, who 
 immediately began making improvements 
 both in the paper and the methods of car- 
 rying on the business. The paper soon as- 
 sumed a position with the other local jour- 
 nals of the county and vicinit)'. Mr. Greene 
 still conducts the establishment with satis- 
 faction to his readers and profit to himself 
 The Register is still a se\en column paper 
 and is independent in politics. 
 
 The history of the newspapers now liv- 
 ing in Cortland county being concluded, it 
 remains for us to devote a few words to 
 those ventures in journalism that have gone 
 before. Among these was the True Anier- 
 iean and Religious Examiner, which was 
 started in Cortland village in 1845, by C. B. 
 Gould. The following year it passed into 
 the hands of S. R. Ward, a negro of much 
 natural talent, who changed its name to the 
 
13^ 
 
 History of Corti.an'd County. 
 
 True Atncrican. Ward published it about 
 two years, wlicn it was suspended. 
 
 The Liberty Herald wn'-, put forth in 1845, 
 or about that date, by James W. Eels and 
 Nathaniel Goodwin. The former was a 
 ])rinter in R. A. Reed's office and the latter 
 a member of the floating population who 
 li\-ed at Little York, near the residence of 
 Orrin Cravath, a prominent abolitionist and 
 master of one of the stations on the "Un- 
 derground Railroad," to which mystic thor- 
 oughfare many of the slaves who escaped 
 to Canada were indebted for their freedom. 
 The Liberty Hei-ald a.x\d other anti-slavery 
 publications were sent to Mr. Cravath, who 
 placed them in the hands of Goodwin ; he 
 traveled about the county selling and giving 
 them away. There were then several hun- 
 dred abolitionists in the county; among 
 them a kw hundred dollars were raised, a 
 second-hand outfit purchased and the Her- 
 ald went forth on its mission. The office 
 was in the " ILlder" store building and John 
 Thomas, one of the staunchest and most un- 
 compromising abolitionists, was the editorial 
 writer. His effusions have been character- 
 ized, by one who read them, as "red hot." 
 But the cause was not then a popular one, 
 and it requires money to print newspapers. 
 Eels soon retired from the concern and his 
 place was taken for a time b)- a Dr. Sted- 
 man, from Tioga county. But this journal, 
 like the other abolition organ before alluded 
 to, passed into the hands of Samuel R. 
 Ward, the black orator and preacher. It was 
 finally suspended and the material taken to 
 De Ruyter. Such were the earnest and un- 
 selfish efforts of the men of Cortland county 
 who strove in the cause of human freedom 
 — a cause wliich in later years triumphed 
 and brought honor to all who labored in it. 
 The Moruiiig Star was published in Mc- 
 Grawvilie in 1850 and was probably the 
 
 successor (whether immediate or not, we are 
 not inf)rincd) of the ALeGrau'-i'ille Ji.vpress, 
 which was started by A. H. Benedict, who 
 afteward became a well-known teacher of 
 penmanshi[) in tiiis section. But the Star 
 ceased to shine after a comparatively brief 
 existence, being followed by the Central 
 Reformer, which was published in 1858, in 
 connection with the Central College at Mc- 
 Grawville. 
 
 The South Cortland Lniniiiary had a 
 brief existence about the year 1839, and was 
 published by M. Reynolds. It was removed 
 to Eayette\'ille, Onondaga county, by Hon. 
 Wesley Bailey, and its name changed to the 
 Fayettei 'ille L 11 miliary. 
 
 A very small candidate for public favor 
 was started in Cortland on the 9th of Octo- 
 ber, 1820, by T. J. Sutherland and D. Hills. 
 The subscription price was onl)' 50 cents, 
 but that was probably enough, as there were 
 only two columns on each of the four pages 
 of the paper. It was called the Village 
 Museum. The salutatory was as ponderous 
 as the paper was insignificant ; it began: "In 
 viewing the present advancements which 
 have been made in the progress of science 
 and literature in this place, we have ven- 
 tured to introduce this little miscellaneous 
 stranger," etc. Readers were assured that 
 political discord would be excluded from its 
 columns; "neither will we disgrace our 
 pages with slanderous productions of mis- 
 creants." Then followed an apology for 
 the \iiuth of the publishers. The Museum 
 failed to entertain after a few months. 
 
 The Neiv York Confederacy was a suc- 
 cessor of the Llryden Nczus and was 
 published in both Dryden and Cortland in 
 1857, and a few succeeding years by G. Z. 
 House.' 
 
 '(Jllier short-lived journals are referred to in the his- 
 tory of llii; towns. 
 
The Bench and Bar of Cortland County. 
 
 133 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE liKXCH AXI) BAR OF CORTLAND COUNTY. 
 
 • Tlie Old English Couvts — Eslahlishiiieiu of Couits in America — Creation of the Court of Appeals — The 
 Supreme Court — Its Judges and their Duties — The Court of Common Pleas and the County Court — fustice's 
 Courts and Courts of Special Sessions — Judicial Offices — The Bar of Cortland County — Its Early Eniinonl 
 Mcnilicr-. — Roll of Attorneys' Oaths — The Present Bar — Biographical Notes. 
 
 ALTHOUGH as a distinct count)- our 
 records are recent, the early history 
 of otir bench and bar takes us back to jtidi- 
 cial sj'stems \'er\' different from tliose with 
 which we are now familiar, and very similar 
 to those of England. For the British gov- 
 ernors, after the peace of Westminster, in- 
 troduced such of the courts of the mother 
 country from time to time as seemed 
 adapted to the new colonies ; and although 
 our constitution of 1777 abolished such as 
 were hostile to the democratic sentiments 
 of the new era, it preserved with consider- 
 able entirety the legal fictions and the judi- 
 cial systems of its inheritance. It was thus 
 that our new country found in existence 
 stich courts as the Common Pleas, Chan- 
 cery, Court of Probate, Court for the Trial 
 of Impeachments and the Correction of 
 Errors, and others long since abolished, or 
 merged in those of the present day. The 
 old Court of Assizes, and Court of Oyer 
 and Terminer had already passed away, 
 and the federal constitution had taken from 
 the State the Court of Admiralty; but most 
 of those mentioned above still attested our 
 early relations with the complex systems 
 of England. 
 
 *The following brief history of the courts 
 of our State, at the time when Cortland 
 county was formed, is made necessary by 
 the relations which some of the leading 
 members of our bar have sustained to those 
 tribunals. 
 
 During the exciting times succeeding the 
 administration- of the tyrannical Governor 
 Andros, and just after the execution of 
 
 Leisler and the arrival of Governor Slough- 
 tcr, and while the new charter of liberties 
 was agitating our colony, the Court for the 
 Correction of Errors and Appeals v\'as es- 
 tablished. It consisted of the governor and 
 council, its powers resembling our present 
 court of final resort.. The revolution neces- 
 sitated a change, which gave rise to the 
 Court for the Trial of Impeachments and 
 the Correction of Errors, which was still in 
 e-xistencc when our county was organized. 
 The constitution of 1846, which made so 
 many changes in our jtidicial systems, en- 
 tirely remodeled this court. It divided it, 
 in fact, creating the Court of Appeals in 
 place of the Court for the Correction of 
 Errors, and leaving the Court for the Trial 
 of Impeachments still composed of the Sen- 
 ate and its president, together with the 
 judges of the new court. The convention 
 of 1867-68 reorganized the Court of Ap- 
 peals, and in 1869 the people ratified the 
 change, which resulted in the present court 
 of final resort. 
 
 On account of the great mass of accumu- 
 lated business, a Commission of Appeals 
 was created in 1870, continuing until 1875, 
 possessing powers very similar to those of 
 its sister court, and designed to relieve the 
 latter. With it, one of our early bar, Judge 
 Gray, was connected as a prominent mem- 
 ber. 
 
 The, Supreme Court, as it now exists, is 
 a combination of ver}' diverse elements. 
 The Court of Chancery, the Court of Ex- 
 chequer, the Court of Oyer and Terminer, 
 the Probate Court, the Circuit Court and 
 
134 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 the Supreme Court proper, have all com- 
 bined to make up this important branch of 
 our system. But during our early county 
 history several of these courts existed inde- 
 pendently of each other, some of our early 
 lawyers being amongst their leading mem- 
 bers. The Court of Chancery, which had 
 been organized when the Court of Assizes 
 was abolished in 1683, was the beginning 
 of the equity branch of our present Su- 
 preme Court. It was reorganized shortly 
 after the Revolution and, with some slight 
 modifications by our constitution of 1821, 
 and by subsequent enactments, it continued 
 until 1846, when it merged into the new 
 Supreme Court. Its descendant is our 
 Special Term, the presiding judge repre- 
 senting the vice-chancellor, the duties of 
 chancellor being filled by the General Term 
 bench. The Court of Exchequer, having 
 been erected in 1685, was made a branch 
 of the old Supreme Court just after the 
 Revolution, and so continued until finally 
 abolished in 1830. In our earliest colonial 
 history there had been a Court of Oyer and 
 Terminer, but it was discontinued durine 
 the time of King William, its name, how- 
 ever, surviving to designate the criminal 
 part of the Circuit. This brings us to the 
 old Supreme and Circuit Courts with which 
 the Court of Chancer)' united under the 
 constitution of 1846 to complete the prin- 
 cipal branch of our present system. At the 
 time the history of Cortland county began 
 the Supreme Court of this State consisted 
 of five justices. It had been the practice 
 to hold four terms a year, two in Albany 
 and two in New York. But towards the 
 close of the last century the Circuit system 
 was established, somewhat on the plan of 
 that of I'Lngland. It was enacted tliat the 
 judges should, during their vacations, hold 
 courts in the various counties of the State, 
 and return the proceedings to the Supreme 
 Court when it convened again, when they 
 
 should be recorded and judgment rendered. 
 Just before the separation of Cortland coun- 
 ty from Onondaga this system was simpli- 
 fied by the division of the State into four 
 districts. To each of these districts was 
 assigned a judge, whose duty it was to hold 
 Circuits in each of the counties therein, at 
 least once in each year. It had already 
 been enacted that the Courts of Oyer and 
 Terminer (the criminal part of the present 
 Supreme Court) should be held at the same 
 time and place as the Circuit, and should 
 consist of the Circuit judge, assisted by two 
 or more of the judges of the Court of Com- 
 mon Pleas of the coimty. This Circuit sys- 
 tem was very similar to the present, except 
 that our Special Terms are substituted in 
 place of the Court of Chancery. After the 
 constitution of 1821 the State was divided, 
 as at present, into eight judicial districts, 
 each being pro\'ided with a Circuit judge, 
 in whom were vested certain equity powers, 
 subject to appeal to the Chancery ; while 
 the Supreme Court proper held much the 
 same position as our present General Term. 
 In 1846 the new constitution abolished the 
 Court of Chancery, giving the powers there- 
 tofore held b}- it to the Supreme Court, 
 which it reorganized substantially as it ex- 
 ists to-day. Such is the history of the 
 higher courts of this county and State. 
 
 The s\-stem of local judicature has also 
 changed to correspond with that of the 
 State at large. The Court of Common 
 Pleas, organized contemporaneously with 
 the colonial Court for the Correction of 
 Errors and Appeals, has given way to the 
 County Court ; while the offices of county 
 judge and surrogate have been combined 
 where the county population does not ex- 
 ceed forty thousand. During the eight- 
 eenth centur}- the Court of Common Pleas 
 consisted of a first judge assisted by two or 
 more associates, all of whom were ap- 
 pointed by the governor. Its powers were 
 
The Bench and Bar of Cortland County. 
 
 135 
 
 very similar to those of the present County 
 Court, the associate judges corresponding 
 to the justices of sessions on our present 
 criminal bencli. The constitution of 1846 
 aboHshed the Court of Common Pleas, and 
 created the County Court and Court of 
 Sessions as they exist to-day. A list of 
 the first judges of the Court of Common 
 Pleas and of the County Court appears in 
 another place in this work, together with 
 those of the surrogates and district attor- 
 neys of this county. 
 
 The Surrogate's Court has changed less 
 than an}^ of the others during the period 
 covered by the history of this count}-. In 
 the earliest times, even before the Dutch 
 supremacy gave way to the Knglish, there 
 had been a short-lived Orphan Court. Then 
 the P2nglish go\ernment introduced the 
 Prerogative Court, which, in turn, gave way 
 to the Court of Probates after the Revolu- 
 tion. Surrogates were then appointed in 
 each county, having much the same powers 
 as at present, from whose judgments appeals 
 to the Court of Probates lay. This was the 
 system in operation during the first fifteen 
 years of our county histor)-. In 1823 the 
 Court of Chancer)- took the place of the 
 Court of Probates, as to appeals, but the 
 office of surrogate remained as before. This 
 continued until the constitution of 1846, 
 when, in this count)-, amongst others, the 
 powers and duties of the surrogate were 
 vested in the county judge, as at present. 
 
 Our Justice's Courts and Courts of Spe- 
 cial Sessions have remained substantially 
 unchanged since the colonial period, and 
 require no extended history. 
 
 As of interest in connection with our 
 judicial system, the office of district attorney 
 may be mentioned as one which has under- 
 gone considerable modification. Before our 
 county was organized, the State had been 
 divided into seven districts for each of which 
 was an assistant attorney-general, whose 
 
 duties were very similar to those of our 
 public prosecutors to-day. Indeed, the 
 name now given to that officer arises from 
 the fact that he was formerly the district 
 attorney- general. The present office, as 
 distinct from the attorney- generalship, was 
 created just before our county organization, 
 the number of districts being finally in- 
 creased to thirteen. At first Cortland county 
 was in the ninth district with Cayuga, 
 Chenango, Madison and Onondaga, until 
 1817, when, for a year, it was in the thir- 
 teenth, with Broome, Seneca and Tompkins 
 counties. Since 1818 each county has had 
 its own district attorney, the name still be- 
 ing preserved in its original form. The list 
 herein of those who have held this office 
 dates from that year. 
 
 The offices of county judge, district at- 
 torney and first judge of the Court of Com- 
 mon Pleas have, with t)ne or two excep- 
 tions, been filled by attorneys at law. Not 
 so with that of surrogate, however, for in 
 the early history of the county, and until 
 the great changes of 1846, it was the rule 
 that laymen should fill that office, as well as 
 those of county clerk, sheriff and others of 
 lesser rank ; it should also be mentioned 
 that for some time after the constitution of 
 1846, so great was the amount of law busi- 
 ness in this vicinit)^ that general terms of 
 the Supreme Court were held at Cortland; 
 an honor which has not been ours, however, 
 since the last war. Such has been the his- 
 tory of the courts, of Cortland count)-; a 
 development of a practical, complete system 
 from the unnecessary, antiquated methods 
 inherited from Great Britain. 
 
 Our county organization was scarcely 
 complete until the year 18 10, when, against 
 much opposition, the county seat was lo- 
 cated at Cortland. Homer and Port Wat- 
 son, the latter being then the chief com- 
 mercial point in this section, had both as- 
 pired to that honor, as elsewhere detailed in 
 
1^6 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 these pages. But the energy of Jonathan 
 
 lliihb.irtl ;iiul a few others decided the 
 matter, and what was thereafter known as 
 (."inirt-IIuuse Hill was selected as the site 
 for the count}- buildings. The conrt-house 
 was completed three years thereafter, and, 
 with the jail adjoining, was used for a quar- 
 ter of a century, a period of great legal in- 
 terest, as will he seen as we |)roceed. In 
 1838 the Su[)ervisors, unwisely enough, 
 selected the present site, and erected the 
 edifices now in use. It ma)- be interesting 
 to know that when lliey took the warranty 
 deed of the present court-house lot from 
 John J. Speed, in 1837, Speed deeded to 
 them twice as much land as lie hail title to, 
 and described it in such a way that by 
 no possibilit)- can the boundaries be ascer- 
 tained, even were the title perfect. 
 
 The history of the bar of Cortland coun- 
 t)' presents the names of men whose repu- 
 tation has not been confined to this section, 
 nor to this State alone; names, however, 
 mingled with the naturally large number of 
 those whose only records are their scrawl- 
 ing signatures in the count\- archives. 
 There is, in the clerk's office, a ver\- inter- 
 esting document which acts as an admirable 
 guide in research relati\e to the early bar 
 of the county. It consists of a must)- roll 
 of yellow, ragged paper, much the worse 
 for dust and vermin, the sheets being 
 fastened together by wafers, like some an- 
 cient chronicle. It has a veritabl)- antiiiue 
 appearance, despite the fact that it is only 
 three-quarters of a century old. It is in- 
 teresting because it contains the official 
 oaths of all of the attorneys of our Court 
 of Common Pleas from the spring of 1808, 
 down through the next forty }'ears. Some 
 thirt)--five feet of this roll contain in the 
 neighborhood of a hundred and fifty names, 
 all but about a dozen long ago forgotten. 
 Among the first eighteen signatures is that 
 of Townsend Ross, a man of considerable 
 
 prominence in his time, both in Jegal affairs 
 and in the other walks of ci\il life lie 
 was one of the assistant judges of Common 
 Pleas for a time, as w-ell as surrogate for 
 some )-ears, besides which his name appears 
 in many other capacities in the early records. 
 The name of the afterwards prominent Vic- 
 tory Birdseye also appears among the early 
 ones, lie, although a resident of PomiJC)', 
 was for some time intimately connected 
 with our courts as a prominent practitioner, 
 and his eminent success in later life is well 
 known b)- man\- now living in the county, 
 his record as a member of the Constitu- 
 tional Convention in 1821, of two Con- 
 gresses, of .several sessions of the Assembly 
 and of the Senate, being of the highest 
 character. 
 
 In old fashioned English scrij)!, opposite 
 the date, "October 18, 1809," '^ t'^c name 
 of Glen Cuyler, the same who had already 
 been surrogate of Cayuga several years, and 
 was to be several years to come. His de- 
 scendants are still well known in this vicin- 
 ity, among his grandchildren being the late 
 Mrs. R. H. Duell. 
 
 jMthough he was not an acti\-e practi- 
 tioner, we finil the name of Roswell Ran- 
 dall in the list, signed in a style the exact 
 model of the penmanship of his son, sworn 
 to in 1 8 14, before Mead Merrill, a rnaii 
 likewise widely known in his day. Mr. 
 Randall was a very active man, and one of 
 the most public spirited citizens of that 
 time. There is still preserved in the clerk's 
 office, in a tattered condition, an old roll of 
 official oaths, covering a period of ten )-ears 
 (1808-1818), very similar in appearance to 
 the one heretofore described. Supplement- 
 ing this is an ancient - appearing record 
 book, with cover most!)- gone, containing 
 oaths of judges of the Common Pleas, jus- 
 tices, surrogates, officers of the militia, and 
 numerous others, covering our first half 
 century. And as an evidence of his popu- 
 
The Bench and Bar of Cortland County. 
 
 137 
 
 larity and public spirit, the name of Gen- 
 eral Randall (as he was always called in 
 later life) appears more frequently than any 
 other in the long list. 
 
 Subscribed to the same oath as that of 
 Roswell Randall is the well known signa- 
 ture of Henry Stephens, for many years 
 one of the most prominent lawyers of Cort- 
 land county. Mr. Stephens had studied 
 law with Eleazer Burnham, of Aurora, a 
 man of wide reputation, both as an attorney 
 and a publicist, and also with Glen Cuyler, 
 of the same place, and consequently could 
 boast of the best of legal training. He was 
 a man of commanding presence, a strong 
 man physically, as he was mentally and 
 morall}'. Besides being for many years the 
 first judge of Common Pleas in the county, 
 and the great rival at the bar of Judge Nel- 
 son, he was a man of great public spirit, as 
 was attested by his brilliant record in the 
 Assembly, as president of the S. B. and N. 
 Y. R. R. Company, as prime mover in 
 founding the Agricultural Society, and in 
 other important enterprises. Judge Ste- 
 phens lived to a good old age, it being but a 
 few years ago that he was seen on our 
 streets. He was honored by the entire 
 community, not only as among the best in 
 his profession, but also because of his ex- 
 emplary private life. 
 
 At this early period, the leading counsel- 
 or of the county, and one whose opinions 
 were also sought from distant parts of the 
 State, was Oliver Wiswell. Although not 
 widely known as a trial lawyer, he was a 
 man of great energy and prominence in 
 public matters, an able assistant judge of 
 Common Pleas, and one whose legal opin- 
 ions were highly esteemed. For some years 
 he was a partner of Judge Stephens, and 
 their names figure largely in the calendars 
 of that time. They constituted the earliest, 
 and, for a long time, the leading law firm 
 in Cortland. 
 
 The old (then new) court-house on the 
 hill witnessed one of the most celebrated 
 trials in the history of the county, in 1817. 
 There had been a severe political struggle 
 between the Republicans and the Federals 
 the fall previous, during which Dr. John 
 Miller, of Truxton, then the leading physi- 
 cian of the county, had been the candidate 
 of the former party for Member of Assem- 
 bly. Among the leaders of the Federals 
 was Mead Merrill, one of the most prom- 
 inent men in the county, one who had held 
 the office of surrogate and of county clerk 
 for many years, and whose opinion, even in 
 political strifes, was of no little weight. In 
 the excitement of the campaign he had 
 charged Miller with stealing, a political ac- 
 cusation which, like many since, was 
 prompted far more by malice than by truth. 
 The result was a slander suit, the defendant 
 pleading the truth in justification. The 
 cause came on for trial at the Cortland 
 Circuit amidst the greatest excitement. 
 P'or the plaintiff appeared lili^ha Williams, 
 then and thereafter the leader in the As- 
 sembly chamber, and the celebrated Thom- 
 as J. Oakley, soon after attorney-general 
 and prominent Member of Congress ; while 
 the defendant, besides having the best local 
 counsel, had secured the services of John 
 W. Hurlbert, of Auburn, who at that time 
 stood peerless as a trial lawyer in this part 
 of the State. The hearing lasted several 
 days, and has never since been equaled in 
 Cortland in interest, nor in the display of 
 legal and forensic talent. The result for 
 the plaintiff was received by the Republi- 
 cans as a great victory, and slander was not 
 so popular for the ne.xt half century or 
 more. 
 
 On the roll of attorneys' oaths, before 
 mentioned, with the date January i, 18 16 
 (written, by the common January error, 
 for 1817), appears the name of Samuel Nel- 
 son. B\- curious mistake, no jurat appears, 
 
138 
 
 History of Cortlaxd County. 
 
 so that the greatest light of onr bar wa~ 
 oev€x admitted vith proper formalities. 
 Mr. Nelson opened his office in what is now 
 called the Sam? - ^ r -:, which had been 
 erected but a } = . r. and began prac- 
 
 tice. He was, more than any of oar bar 
 since his tirr : lover of the 
 
 law. L"-^ ^. _- -_i. Kent. Storj- 
 
 and G- coniemporaries and 
 
 - he was thorough- 
 
 pretation- Add to this a stability' of char- 
 acter that was the .3 
 knew h'~ --•'■- '^- 
 
 -. the rival of Henr^- 
 
 - - , j 
 
 Avr r oadis there stiU re: 
 
 of Samuci Nrfson dated July 13th. idio, as 
 
 appear 
 
 aasociateo wrm 
 eje ^ ■ - .- 
 
 ;.- to very little In 1820 
 
 il ConventicHi, 
 lames Kent. Victorv Birds- 
 
 Xd- 
 
 as 
 
 r Kent, cniei jusace spencer. 
 
 -.-ears later. 
 
 still rerr 
 
 da: 
 
 clerks oSice 
 
 courts a year in diis count}-, a ; : . - 
 
 ing his agnatnrcL In 1831 Judge Neison 
 -A-as ad\-anced to the Supreme Court bench 
 as associate, succeeding Hon. WHIiam L. 
 Marcy. who had jnst been dec^d to the 
 United States Senate. After -serving for 
 six years in that capacit>-, he w^ made 
 chief jostice, in place of Judge Savage, his 
 former legal instmctor, wlio had resigned. 
 Se\-en years later he recei*-ed the highest 
 legal appointment widiin the gift of die 
 government, that of justice <^ the Snpreme 
 Conrt of the United States. This position 
 be held until advanced age and ill health 
 compelled him to resign in 1872. He was 
 also a member of the Constitntional Con- 
 vent' ?46, when so many changes 
 ~:rr - onr judicial s\-stem, in which 
 his extewsrve experience and dear 
 were of the greatest service. 
 . -^elson died not long after his resig- 
 - 3, leaving the record of an exeanfiary 
 life, — his Ids mourned by the bar of the 
 
 rtivdy August 31st, 1824, and 
 
 _^ -— "ing the 5-ears 1816 to 1820 
 diat die great outer)' against dueling went 
 The pulpit had warred against it 
 and so scandalons had it become 
 ^ ^lative enactments were renewed, 
 omcers of the law were warned to vigilaiice, 
 one was compdied under penalty' 
 _. - it: Thottsands of diese old anti- 
 ng oaths exist tfaroogfaoat die State in 
 the official ardiives, mosdy &ded and moth- 
 eaten, curious relics of a comparativdy re- 
 cent barbarism. Every attorney was oUiged 
 to 3gn one before be coold be admitted, or 
 " -e he could hold any office. The kA- 
 -g copy illustrates die rigfateoos preju- 
 dice and strict legislation, as wdl as tlie an- 
 cient orthography, of diat day : — 
 
 - 1 do soienmly swear that I have not been 
 
 engaged m a dewd by spnding or acsepdng a 
 
 ~ '- a Dwd or br fiting a Dvd or in 
 
 ner in violatioo of die act entided 
 
The Bkncii and Bar of Cortlaxu County. 
 
 139 
 
 an act to surpress Dweling since the first day of 
 July in the year of our lord one thousand F-ight 
 hundred and sixteen. Nor will I be so Con- 
 seamed directly or indirectly in any Uwel Dur- 
 ing the continuance of the said act and whit an 
 Inhabitant of this state." 
 
 Such was the anti-diieling oath of 1817, 
 this particular one having been signed by 
 Townsend Ross and others of his contem- 
 poraries. 
 
 Among those first admitted to practice at 
 our Court of Common Pleas was Daniel 
 Gott, then of Pompey, whose application 
 was sworn to before "S. Nelson, comr." in 
 1819. Although not a member of our bar, 
 Mr. Gott was an extensive practitioner in 
 our courts, and was one of the leaders in 
 Syracuse, where most of his life was passed. 
 
 Although it was the rule that the "first 
 judge" of Common Pleas should be an at- 
 torney, it seems to have been broken in the 
 case of John Keep, who held office for thir- 
 teen years, beginning in 18 10, and continu- 
 ing until the appointment of Wm. Mallory. 
 He had been justice of the peace years be- 
 fore the organization of our county, and for 
 that reason was considered best fitted for 
 the new position. He was a man whom 
 every one respected for his upright charac- 
 ter and his unaffected concern for the public 
 good. 
 
 The first attorney's oath in the handwrit- 
 ing of Samuel Hotchkiss, so long thereafter 
 the clerk of the county, is subscribed, with 
 an awkward attempt at a flourish, "H. 
 Gray,'' and dated the last day of December, 
 1823. Next to Judge Nelson, Judge Gray 
 has attained the highest eminence as a jurist 
 of any member of the Cortland bar, having 
 spent a large portion of his life upon the 
 bench, and having been engaged in many 
 of the most important cases of the last half 
 century. He was born in 1802 in Washing- 
 ton county, and was graduated at Union 
 College with the class of 1 821. He had 
 already studied law with Chief Justice Sav- 
 
 age (with whom Nelson had studied before 
 him), but soon after his graduation he came 
 to Cortland and completed his preparatory- 
 work with Nelson & Dayton. Immediately 
 following his admission to the bar Mr. 
 Gray spent a few months in Dryden, Tomp- 
 kins county, after which he returned to be- 
 come a partner of Judge Ross in Homer. 
 Subsequently his associations with our bar 
 were severed in a great degree by his re- 
 moval to Elmira, where he has since resided. 
 In 1836 he was Member of Congress during 
 one session, and five years later was district 
 attorney of Chemung county. In 1846 he 
 was made circuit judge of the Sixth Judicial 
 District, which position he held until the 
 Supreme Court was reorganized, when he 
 continued on the bench for many years as 
 one of its justices. When the Commission 
 of Appeals, heretofore mentioned, was or- 
 ganized in 1 870 he was one of its members, 
 and so continued until the completion of its 
 labors five years later. Judge Gray is a 
 man of great judicial power, and is still one 
 of the oldest and most honored of his pro- 
 fession in the State. 
 
 Prominent in our earlier annals was Major 
 Adin Webb, who, though not a lawyer bred, 
 was surrogate of the county for many years, 
 and whose name has often appeared in this 
 work. He was born in Connecticut in 1780, 
 and as a young man came to Cazenovia, and 
 later to Homer. In early life a teacher, 
 later a merchant, he passed most of his ma- 
 turer years in public service. He was sur- 
 rogate from 1816 to 1823, and from 1840 to 
 1844, besides holding many other positions 
 of responsibility. He is always spoken of 
 as a man of the highest morality, whose ex- 
 emplary life made him esteemed by all who 
 knew him, as well in the strife of politics 
 as in the more peaceful walks of life. 
 
 Mention should be made of Judge Ira 
 Harris, late of Albany, now deceased, who, 
 when a boy, was a law student in the office 
 
140 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 of Judge Donnelly. When he was six years 
 of age (in 1808) his family muNcd to Preble, 
 where his boyhood was passed. At the age 
 of twent)'-two he was graduated from Un- 
 ion, three years after Judge Gray. After 
 luuing studied in Cortland a short time, he 
 went to Albany, and, like his distinguished 
 companions. Judges Nelson and Gray, en- 
 tered the office of Chief Justice Savage. 
 From that time his residence continued to 
 be at Albany until his death, a few years 
 since. He was twice elected Member of 
 Assembh', was a member of the Constitu- 
 tional Convention of 1846, and was once 
 State Senator. His course as justice of the 
 Supreme Court from 1847 until 1859 was 
 marked by many of the ablest opinions to 
 be found in our reports. At the beginning 
 of the war he succeeded Mr. Seward in the 
 United States Senate, where he proved him- 
 self the careful statesman as well as the pro- 
 found jurist. His later years were devoted 
 to the Albany Law School, of which he was 
 for a long time dean, and the excellent rep- 
 utation of which is largely due to his eftbrts. 
 Among the early lawyers and judges not 
 heretofore mentioned, h^dward C. Reed, 
 Nathan Dayton and Joseph Reynolds were 
 so prominent as to deserve mention. Mr. 
 Reynolds, as a young man of twenty-four, 
 came to Cortland count}- in 1809, his sole 
 possessions consisting of two cows which he 
 drove through the woods from Saratoga 
 county. Purchasing a small farm in Virgil, 
 on credit, he soon paid for it through his 
 indomitable perseverance, and thereupon 
 began one of the most successful careers 
 which we have to record. As his relation 
 to the bar was only through his judgeship, it j 
 is improper in this place to follow his course [ 
 minutely; it is brieflj- outlined by saying 
 that he held most of the important county 
 offices in succession ; that he was many , 
 )'ears a judge of the Common Pleas, and for 
 fi\e )'ears first judge (corresponding to 
 
 county judge at this time). As presidential 
 elector, congressman, and Member of As- 
 sembly he left a brilliant record, and at his 
 death his large fortune and the high esteem 
 in which he was held, stood as monuments 
 to his ability and character. 
 
 Dajton was born in the same county as 
 Reynolds (Washington) and was nine j-ears 
 his junior. He was admitted to the bar in 
 1819, settling in Tru.xton, whence he re- 
 moved to Cortland to enter into partnership 
 with Samuel Nelson. He was afterwards 
 district attorne}' in our count}-, but in 1831 
 his connection with our bar was broken by 
 his removal to Lockport. There he was 
 soon elected first judge of the Court of 
 Common Pleas, and in 1834 he became cir- 
 cuit judge. He died in 1859, one of the 
 most respected citizens of Niagara county. 
 
 Edward C. Reed came from New Hamp- 
 shire in 1 8 16, and became a partner of 
 Judge Ross in Homer. Although not an 
 advocate of prominence, he twice filled the 
 office of district attorne}-, and was a mem- 
 ber of the Twent}'-Second Congress, and 
 was esteemed a wise and careful counselor. 
 
 Under the date of December i ith, 1827, 
 on the roll of attorneys' oaths, appears the 
 name of William Henr}- Shankland, and 
 immediately following it, that of Horatio 
 Ballard, each looking as if written but ten 
 years since, so like are the}- to those of half 
 a century later. Judge Shankland was born 
 in Cherry Valley, Otsego county, in 1804. 
 Four years later his parents, who were 
 farmers of the well-to-do kind, moved to 
 Onondaga county, where the bo}hood and 
 early manhood of the future judge was 
 passed. Like so many other leading citizens 
 of the second and third quarters of this 
 century, he received his academic education 
 at Pompey. This being completed, he en- 
 tered the law office of Sanders Ya.i\ Rens- 
 selaer, in the same county ; but with a nat- 
 ural desire to re\-isit his nati\-e place he re- 
 
The Bench and Bar of Cortland Countv. 
 
 141 
 
 turned to Otsego, and entered the office 
 of Robert Campbell, a man of considerable 
 prominence at that time at Cooperstown. 
 His legal studies were completed at Pompey 
 Hill, in the office of Daniel Gott, where he 
 remained until his admission to the bar in 
 1827. He immediately opened an office in 
 Cortland, where he soon secured an exten- 
 sive practice, and where, five years later, 
 he was appointed district attorney of the 
 county. This office he filled longer than 
 any other incumbent either before or since 
 him, holding it for ten )-ears (according to 
 private records ; six according to the State 
 records). When the constitution of 1846 
 took effect, Mr. Shankland was appointed 
 a justice of the Supreme Court of this dis- 
 trict, and at the expiration of his short term, 
 was re-elected, in 1849. While a member 
 of this court. Judge Shankland was one of 
 those who, under the constitution, formed 
 part of the Court of Appeals bench, a posi- 
 tion which he filled with the highest credit. 
 His opinions, which are frequently met in 
 the reports, are marked by great clearness, 
 and are prized by the bar for their brex'ity 
 and decision. From 1852 until 1866 Judge 
 Shankland resided in Syracuse, but the 
 later j'ears of his life were passed in Cort- 
 land. Here he was engaged in extensive 
 practice, with his son as partner, until old 
 age compelled him to relinquish business a 
 year or two before his death. At the age 
 of seventy-nine, respected by all of the 
 State bar and by all who knew liim, in Jan- 
 uary, 1883, Judge Shankland's life closed ; 
 a life characterized by justice, integrity and 
 all of the virtues of a Christian man. 
 
 Horatio Ballard was born in Homer in 
 August, 1803, thus being the senior, by 
 several months, of his confrere, Judge 
 Shankland. He received his early educa- 
 tion in the Pompey and Cortland Academies, 
 both being well known in those days as very 
 excellent schools. He studied law with 
 
 Judge Stephens at Cortland, and with the 
 Hon. Freeborn G. Jewett, at Skaneateles, 
 the latter one of the most prominent of the 
 lawyers, jurists and publicists of his time. 
 It was while here that he met and con\'ersed 
 with Daniel Webster and Joseph Story, who 
 were coaching through the State, a remin- 
 iscence which he delighted to recall in later 
 life. Mr. Ballard w^as admitted to practice 
 at the age of twenty-four, and for many 
 \-cars thereafter was the partner of Judge 
 Stephens in Cortland. He very soon arose 
 to prominence at the bar, and the firm of 
 Stephens & Ballard became one of the best 
 known in this part of the State. In 1842 
 Mr. Ballard succeeded Mr. Shankland as 
 district attorney, and thereafter was delegate 
 to the national convention that nominated 
 Polk, and to the one that nominated Bu- 
 chanan. In 1 86 1 he was elected secretary 
 of state, and in 1 866 represented this county 
 in the Assembly. The succeeding year he 
 was a member of the Constitutional Con- 
 vention, in which body he was one of the 
 most active workers. Mr. Ballard died in 
 1 879, the most widely known and respected 
 man in our county ; " A man of worth ; a 
 man of letters and of manners, too;" an 
 honor to the bar, the county and the State. 
 In our list of county judges appears the 
 name of Lewis Kingsley. He was born in 
 Cincinnatus in 1823, where he afterwards 
 studied law with Barak Niles, and later with 
 Benjamin F. Rexford in Norwich. He was 
 admitted to practice at Utica in 1846, and 
 five years later was elected to the bench of 
 the county. Before the war his relations 
 with our bar were broken by his removal 
 to Norwich, where he continued the prac- 
 tice of the law until his death, some years 
 since. 
 
 Henry S. Randall's name is one of the 
 most prominent in the catalogue of Cortland 
 county attorneys. He was born in Madi- 
 son county in 181 1, and after preparation in 
 
142 
 
 History ok Cortland County. 
 
 the Cortland and Geneva Academies, en- 
 tered Union College, graduating with the 
 class of 1830. He studied law with Judges 
 Stephens and Shankiand, and was admitted 
 to the bar in 1834. We might end our 
 sketch at this point, so far as relates to his 
 history as a lawyer, since he never devoted 
 any time to practice. But on account of 
 his prominence as a citizen, we add the fol- 
 lowing brief summary. The year after his 
 admission to the bar Mr. Randall was a 
 member of the national convention which 
 nominated Van Buren. It had been his in- 
 tention to be a farmer in the highest and 
 most scientific sense, and in this he suc- 
 ceeded, writing and editing several books 
 and papers on the subject, and being among 
 the foremost movers of great agricultural 
 enterprises. In 1851 he was elected sec- 
 retary of state, and in 1871 Member of As- 
 sembly, both times on the Democratic ticket. 
 In 1853 Mr. Randall began the great work 
 of his life, the biography of Thomas Jeffer- 
 son. This was completed several years 
 later, in three volumes, and ranks as one of 
 the most carefully prepared and exhaustive 
 biographies by an)- American author. For 
 a long time he was president of the State and 
 the National Wool Growers' Associations, 
 and was the author of several important laws 
 and works on the subject. He also devoted a 
 large portion of his time to educational 
 matters both in this county, and, while sec- 
 retary of state, in the various other counties 
 of New York. As a result of his zeal in 
 this respect he was made president of the 
 State Normal School at Cortland, and so 
 continued until his death. He also occu- 
 pied many other positions of trust, all of 
 which he filled with eminent ability. More 
 than any other man who has made Cortland 
 his permanent home, Mr. Randall was char- 
 acterized by the broadness of his views, and 
 his energy in laboring for the public good. 
 The friend of scholars and the companion of 
 
 statesmen, he died in 1877, his loss mourned 
 by the communit)' that knew him, and the 
 State and nation as well. 
 
 The most brilliant orator of thirty- five 
 years ago, in Cortland, was Robert O. Reyn- 
 olds. He was admitted to the bar in 1 839, 
 and soon thereafter removed to Chenango 
 county, where he was extensively engaged 
 in the practice of the law both in Norwich 
 and in Greene. In 1 843 he was elected 
 district attorney of that county ; but four 
 years later he returned to Cortland, where 
 the remainder of his life was spent. He 
 was a fine trial lawyer, a fluent and witty 
 speaker, but in later life a \ictim of intem- 
 perance, which ended in misery a brilliant 
 and promising career. 
 
 Roswell K. Bourne was among the ener- 
 getic lawyers of his time, and one of the 
 comparatively small number whose descend- 
 ants are still among us. He was born in 
 Otselic, in 181 3, and, indeed, spent most of 
 his life in Chenango county. After com- 
 pleting his academic education at Cazenovia 
 Seminary, he began the study of law with 
 Barak Niles, in Cincinnatus. W'hile study- 
 ing for the bar he taught school in Pitcher 
 Springs, and, on being admitted, opened an 
 office there, where he remained until 1857 
 as an active practitioner. In that }'ear he 
 removed to Cincinnatus, where the remain- 
 der of his life was passed. Mr. Bourne is 
 described by those who knew him as a very 
 positive, energetic man, and a thoroughly 
 public spirited citizen. 
 
 Augustus L. Ballard, a younger brother 
 of Hon. Horatio Ballard, was a student in 
 the office of the latter, and was admitted to 
 the bar in 1844. His son entered into 
 partnership with his brother, and for a 
 number of years the firm of H. & A. L. 
 Ballard was the leading one of the county. 
 He was district attorney in 1847, a position 
 to which his great abilities as a trial lawyer 
 especiall)' adapted him. He was a very 
 
The Bench and Bar op' Cortland Countv. 
 
 ■43 
 
 active, energetic man, a characteristic which 
 probably hastened his death. He went 
 west before the war, for the benefit of liis 
 healtli, and died while there. 
 
 Among the best criminal lawyers of the 
 State was the late Hon. Milo Goodrich who, 
 though not a member of our bar, had a 
 large practice in our courts. He was ad- 
 mitted in 1845, '" •^''"^ same class with Judge 
 Duell, at our present court-house. For 
 many years thereafter he resided in Dryden, 
 during which time he represented his dis- 
 trict in Congress one term, and in the Con- 
 stitutional Convention of 1867. He after- 
 wards removed to Auburn where he died a 
 few years since. 
 
 In 1847 James A. Schermerhorn was ad- 
 mitted to the bar at Cortland, where he 
 opened an office on the site of the present 
 edifice which bears his name. He did not 
 enter e.xtensix'ely into the practice of the 
 law, howe\er, and subsequently spent but 
 a small portion of his time in Cortland. Be- 
 ing a gentleman of wealth, he lived in re- 
 tirement, in his early years traveling ex- 
 tensively both in Europe and America, and 
 latterly residing in his beautiful home at 
 Glen Haven. 
 
 Among the oaths and certificates of 
 study, signed by applicants for admission, 
 is one subscribed in a very correct, neatly 
 shaded hand, in marked contrast to his 
 well known signature of later years, by 
 Hiram Crandall. Mr. Crandall was from 
 Chenango count}', but he received his early 
 education in the Homer Academy, going 
 thence into the office of Judge Shankland, 
 where his legal studies were pursued until his 
 admission to the bar in 1846. He then entered 
 into partnership with his former legal in- 
 structor, with whom he remained until the lat- 
 ter was made member of the Supreme Court. 
 He then entered into partnership with Rob- 
 ert O. Reynolds, with whom he remained 
 nine years. He was for a time, before 
 
 the war, the postmaster at Cortland village. 
 Thereafter, in 1859, he was elected county 
 judge and surrogate, which office he held 
 for eight years until succeeded by Judge 
 Smith. He was for many years, and until 
 his death in 1881, attorney for the Fjrst 
 National Bank in Cortland, and as si|ch 
 did a large office business, which was mc^ire 
 to his taste than the labors of the court- 
 room. He was one of the most genial, 
 good natured of men, an ornament to the 
 community as well as to the bar of the 
 county. 
 
 Charles F"oster was a native of Rens- 
 selaer county, and, like many others whose 
 names appear herein, received his early 
 education in Pompey Academy. He then 
 entered Yale College, where he was gradu- 
 ated in 1844. After his graduation he en- 
 tered the office of the Hon. Victory Birds- 
 eye, at Pompey. He also attended the 
 New Haven Law School for a time, studied 
 in Syracuse with B. D. & G. Noxon, and 
 was finally admitted at Catskill General 
 Term in 1847. He then returned to Pom- 
 pey and entered the office of Daniel Gott, 
 where he remained five years, removing 
 thence to Cortland. Here he continued the 
 practice of the law until his death some 
 years since. During the latter part of his 
 life he was a member of the prominent law 
 firm of Duell & Foster. In i86g he was 
 elected to the Assembly, where he re- 
 mained one winter. Mr. Foster was a very 
 careful counselor, and a highly respected 
 citizen. 
 
 The present bar of our county consists 
 of between thirty-five and forty active 
 practitioners. As has always been the 
 case, however, the business is monoplizcd 
 by a comparatively small number, say one- 
 fourth of those whose names appear upon 
 the rolls. It is judged impracticable at this 
 time to give more than a passing glance at 
 those who are still actively engaged in busi- 
 
144 
 
 History ok Corti.anu County. 
 
 ness. While custom has decreed dc mortitis 
 nil nisi boiiinii concerning the Hving, it is 
 impossible to write so uniformly, or to 
 totally lay aside the bias which is necessary 
 to personal acquaintance. The limits of 
 this chapter, moreover, will not allow more 
 than is here attempted, lest it encroach too 
 mucii upon other portions of the work. 
 
 The senior member of the present bar is 
 Hon. R. H. Duell, who was admitted in the 
 same class with the late Milo Goodrich, in 
 1845. J'^'c^gs Duell is a native of Herkimer 
 county, having been born in the town of 
 Warren in 1823. His academic education 
 was completed at Syracuse, where, at the 
 age of nineteen, he began the stud)- of law 
 in the office of Hon. Charles B. Sedgwick. 
 Two years later, in July, 1845, he was ad- 
 mitted to the bar and began practice in the 
 town of Fabius, Onondaga county. He 
 moved thence to Cortland in 1847, '^0 ac- 
 cept a partnership with Judge Stephens, 
 and has since resided here. Judge Duell's 
 political career has been remarkably suc- 
 cessful from the first. In 1850 he was 
 elected district attorney, and in 1855 coun- 
 ty judge and surrogate. This office he re- 
 signed just before the close of his term, on 
 account of his election as a member of the 
 Thirty-sixth Congress. In 1870 he was 
 a member of the national legislature, and 
 and at the close of his term was appointed 
 commissioner of patents. After serving in 
 that capacity until 1877, he returned to 
 Cortland, where he resumed the practice of 
 the law. 
 
 Next in seniority at our bar stand Geo. 
 B. Jones and Amos L. Kenney, both ad- 
 mitted at the Cortland General Term, in 
 1848. Mr. Jones was born in Columbia 
 county, but a greater portion of his life has 
 been spent in this part of the State. He 
 was educated in Homer and in Cazenovia, 
 and received his early legal training in the 
 office of Hon. Horatio Ballard. Soon after 
 
 his admission he opened an office in Mc- 
 
 (ira\\\ille, where he remained several years. 
 Just before the war he removed to Cortland, 
 where, in i860, he succeeded Judge Smith 
 as district attorne\'. This office he held 
 two consecutive terms, a distinction not 
 customar)' in this county. He was for a 
 long time one of the justices of the peace 
 of Cortlandville, and has enjoyed a good 
 practice at the bar. 
 
 Amos L. Kenney was born in Truxton 
 and was a member of the graduating class 
 of 1843 'it Hamilton College. After study- 
 ing five years he was admitted to the bar 
 and has since been an active practitioner in 
 his native town, making a specialty of sur- 
 rogate proceedings and conveyancing. 
 
 In 1855 Oliver Porter came to Cortland 
 from Delaware county, where he had been 
 admitted to the bar, and began practice in 
 Homer, where he has continued to reside. 
 He was born in Sullivan county in 1824, 
 receiving an academic education at Monti- 
 cello, and pursuing his law studies there. 
 He has been one of the most active practi- 
 tioners in our courts for many j-ears. 
 
 Of the legal class admitted at the Januar\- 
 General Term of 1856, held at Cortland, 
 three names are especially prominent — 
 those of Nathaniel C. Moak, Merton M. 
 Waters and Abram P. Smith. Mr. Moak 
 was from Cherry Valley and was never con- 
 nected with our bar. He has resided of 
 late in Alban\', where he has attained a 
 wide reputation as editor of various legal 
 text-books and reports, and as one of the 
 leading Court of Appeals practitioners of 
 the State. 
 
 Hon. A. P. Smith was born in East Vir- 
 gil, April 9th, 1 83 I. He was educated for 
 the profession of teaching, attending the 
 Homer Academy and graduating from the 
 State Normal School at Albany in 1853. 
 After teaching about a year in Marathon 
 he came to Cortland and began the study 
 
The Bench and Bar of Cortland County. 
 
 145 
 
 of law with Hon. Horatio Ballard, with 
 whom he remained until his admission to 
 the bar. In the fall of that year he was 
 elected district attorney of the count}', hav- 
 ing been in the profession but eight months. 
 During the war Mr. Smith was connected 
 with the 76th New York Volunteers and 
 subsequently wrote a history of that regi- 
 ment, which has attained a wide circulation 
 among the soldiers of the State. In the 
 fall of 1867 he was elected county judge 
 and surrogate, being re-elected in 1871 and 
 again in 1877. He thus held that office 
 for sixteen consecutive years, having been 
 at the time of his retirement longer on the 
 county bench than any one in the State. 
 Judge Smith has had a very extensive law 
 practice, and has now in partnership with 
 him his son, the firm being A. P. & D. E. 
 Smith. 
 
 Mr. Waters was born in Truxton, receiv- 
 ing his academic education in De Ruyter. 
 He studied law in the office of Reynolds & 
 Crandall, in Cortland, and immediately 
 after his admission began practice in the 
 same village. His brother, Alvah D. 
 Waters, admitted shortly after, entered 
 into a partnership with him, which con- 
 tinued until 1870. In 1865 Alvah D. 
 Waters was elected district attorney and 
 held that office at the time of his death. 
 In 1875 Mr. Waters took into partnership 
 with him his son-in-law, Stratton S. Knox, 
 who had studied in his office and who had 
 been admitted to the bar in September of 
 that year. The firm continued doing an 
 extensive business until December, 1881, 
 when Mr. Waters removed to Syracuse. 
 Mr. Knox continued in business until tiic 
 fall of 1883, when he was elected county 
 judge and surrogate on the Democratic 
 ticket, which office he still holds. 
 
 Ira L. Little, of Marathon, is also among 
 the older members of the bar at present. 
 He was born in Wallkill, N. V., in 1830, 
 
 and was graduated at Harford University, 
 Pennsylvania. He studied law and was 
 admitted in Pennsylvania in 1853, but re- 
 moved to Binghamton two years later and 
 in 1855 was admitted to practice in this 
 State. Soon after he came to Marathon, 
 where he has since resided. Mr. Little has 
 devoted a large portion of his time to liter- 
 ary work, although keeping up considera- 
 ble business as counselor in our courts. 
 
 In the same town of Marathon resides 
 another of the earlier bar. George A. 
 Hulbert is a native of Truxton, where he 
 was born in 1829. His early education at 
 the Cortlandville Academy was followed 
 by legal studies in Hamilton and in Ballston, 
 until his admission in 1851. He spent a 
 short time in the west, where he was ad- 
 mitted to the Chicago bar in 1853. For 
 the last twenty years Mr. Hulbert has re- 
 sided in Marathon, being extensively en- 
 gaged in the produce trade, as a member 
 of the old New York firm of Wm. Hulbert 
 & Brothers, He has not been engaged in 
 law practice for some years. 
 
 In 1858 there were admitted at the Cort- 
 land and Binghamton General Terms John 
 S. Barber and William H. Warren. Mr. 
 Barber was a native of Broome county, 
 having been born in Colesville, November 
 1st, 1824. His academic course was com- 
 pleted at Ithaca, and his legal studies with 
 M. M. Waters in Cortland. In the January 
 term of 1858 he was admitted to the bar at 
 Binghamton, and has since been in business 
 in Cortland. Mr. Barber's health for some 
 time made active practice impossible, but 
 he has devoted a large amount of time to 
 real estate business, and has become one 
 of the most careful and successful financiers 
 of our county. 
 
 William H. Warren was born in Exeter, 
 Chenango county, N. Y., and was one of 
 those whose names have added to the roll 
 of Pompey Academy. He studied law with 
 
146 
 
 MlSTURV UK CoRTl.AN'I) CoUNTY. 
 
 Hon. Huralio l^allard, and for a long time 
 was his partner. He was admitted in No- 
 vember, 1858, and inimediateiy arose to 
 the first rank as a trial lawyer. He was 
 also for a time in partnership with his 
 brother, L. E. Warren, now of Auburn ; 
 and later with Hon. O. U. Kellogg. He 
 has been one of the most successful advo- 
 cates at our bar. 
 
 Benjamin T. Wright studied law in the 
 office of McDowell & Edwards, in Lisle, 
 and was admitted in 1864. He served in 
 the Union ranks during a portion of the 
 war, and on his return settled in Marathon. 
 In 1873 he was elected district attorney of 
 the county, and has since resided iu Cort- 
 land, doing a very flattering law business. 
 
 Frank M. Benjamin came to this county 
 from Herkimer in 1840, when eight years 
 of age. He studied law with R. K. Bourne, 
 at Cincinnatus, and was admitted in 1859. 
 In 1863 he went to Chenango county, but 
 returned in 1867 and began practice in 
 Cincinnatus, where he has since remained. 
 
 William J, Mantanye was born at Free- 
 town in 1843, and after graduation at the 
 Homer Academy, studied law with Hon. A. 
 Holmes, and with Hon. A. P. Smith, of 
 Cortland. He was among the first to en- 
 list at the beginning of the war, and served 
 with the Army of the Potomac until dis- 
 charged, after the surrender of Lee. He 
 was in all of tiie principal battles in which 
 the 76th N. Y. Vols, were engaged, and 
 was taken prisoner at Gettysburg. In 1 867 
 he was admitted to the bar, and opened an 
 office in Marathon, where he has been 
 favored with an e.vtensive practice. 
 
 Admitted in the same year as Mr. Man- 
 tanye, at the November General Term, was 
 Irving H. Palmer. He was born in Virgil 
 in 1841, and was graduated at the Cortland 
 Academy. His law studies were pursued 
 in the office of Duell & Benedict, after 
 which he began practice in Cortland. In 
 
 1882 lie was elected district attorney, which 
 office he still retains. 
 
 Mr. Palmer's predecessor in office was 
 Byron A. Benedict, who was elected in the 
 presidential year of 1876, and re-elected 
 three years after. Mr. Benedict is a native 
 of this county, and a graduate of the Ho- 
 mer Academy. He was admitted to the 
 bar in 1869, and soon after, on the death 
 of Mr. Foster, entered into partnership with 
 Judge Duell, with whom he still remains. 
 The firm has been one of the most prom- 
 inent ever in the county. 
 
 The oldest law firm in the county at pres- 
 ent is that of Bouton & Champlin, the 
 partnership having been formed in 1869. 
 Lewis Bouton was born in Virgil in May, 
 1838, and was admitted to the bar in 1867. 
 In November, 1870, he was elected to the 
 office of district attorney, which position he 
 held three years. He was elected one of 
 the justices of the peace in 1883, and is still 
 in office. His partner, Riley Champlin, 
 was born in Solon in 1838, and studied law 
 in the office of Ballard & Warren, in Cort- 
 land. He was admitted to the bar in No- 
 vember, 1868, at Binghamton, and within 
 a few months entered into partnership with 
 Mr. Bouton. In April, 1870, he was ap- 
 pointed district attorney of the county in 
 place of Alvah D. Waters, deceased. The 
 firm has been very successful in business, 
 and has attained a very satisfactory position 
 at the bar of this section of the State. 
 
 Proniiiicnt among the younger members 
 of the bar is Hon. O. U. Kellogg, a native 
 of the town of Cincinnatus. Mr. Kellogg 
 was graduated at the Albany Law School 
 in 1869. In the same year he came to 
 Cortland, and entered the office of Hon. A. 
 P. Smith, where he remained until 1874. 
 In 1875 he was one of the leading counsel 
 for the contestants in the celebrated Shaw 
 will case, the most important action of the 
 kind ever tried in the count)'. In 1877 he 
 
The Bench and Bar of Cortland County. 
 
 147 
 
 was elected Member of Assembly on the 
 Democratic ticket. Mr. Kellogg, in addi- 
 tion to his extensive law practice, is largely 
 engaged in stock raising, having one of the 
 finest stock farms in New York, besides 
 several others in the west. 
 
 George S. Sands was born in Delaware 
 county, August 19th, 1849, but came to 
 Cortland when quite young. Here he re- 
 ceived his preparatory education in the 
 Academy and Normal School, afterwards 
 attending the Andes Collegiate Institute. 
 After a three years' course in the law office 
 of M. M. Waters, he was admitted to the 
 bar in 1873. Mr. Sands has served as town 
 clerk two terms and as justice of the peace 
 for six years, and is now in active practice. 
 
 Among the graduates of the Alban\' Law 
 School of the class of 1875 was Horace L. 
 Bronson, born in Virgil in 1853. Mr. 
 Bronson received his education in the Ho- 
 mer Academy and Cazenovia Seminary, 
 after which he entered the office of Hon. A. 
 P. Smith, where he remained until he en- 
 tered the Law School. He has since re- 
 sided in Cortland, where he has an extensive 
 and successful practice. 
 
 Among the leading firms of the county 
 is that of Eggleston & Smith, composed of 
 Joseph E. Eggleston and Dorr C. Smith. 
 Mr. Eggleston is a native of Cortland, and a 
 graduate of the Normal School. He was 
 admitted to the bar in September, 1875, 
 and immediately opened an office in Cort- 
 land, where he has met with flattering suc- 
 cess. His partner, Mr. Smith, was born in 
 Moravia, in 185 1. He was graduated at 
 Genoa Academy, after which he entered 
 the office of Hon. A. P. Smith in Cortland. 
 He was admitted to the bar at the Albany 
 General Term in January, 1875, and began 
 practice immediately in Cortland. The 
 firm was established in 1880, and has had a 
 very large calendar of cases at each term 
 since that time. 
 
 Miles E. Burlingame was born in W'illet, 
 N. Y., November 8th, 1838, and received 
 his education in the common schools of the 
 county. He studied law in the office of A. 
 McDowell, at Lisle, Broome county, N. Y., 
 and at the Albany Law School. He was 
 admitted to the bar at Albany in 1872, and 
 receix'ed a diploma from the law school soon 
 after. He has continued his residence in 
 Willet, where he is now practicing. 
 
 Lucius P. Hollenbeck was born in Tully, 
 N. Y., in 1837. He was admitted to the bar 
 in 1873. He has made a specialty of the 
 pension business, since that time, in Cort- 
 land. 
 
 Although not now an active member of 
 the bar, mention should be made of William 
 H. Shankland, jr., son of the late Judge 
 Shankland, For several years the firm of 
 Shankland & Shankland did a large busi- 
 ness in Cortland, but the death of the senior 
 member, and the removal of his son to Al- 
 bany to accept the deputy clerkship of the 
 Court of Appeals, deprived the county bar 
 of two of its most valued members. Mr. 
 Shankland intends to remain permanently 
 in Albany. 
 
 Among the older and retired members of 
 the bar should be mentioned Hon. A. Jud- 
 son Kneeland, the present Member of As- 
 sembly from this county. Mr. Kneeland 
 was born in Spaflbrd in 1821, and was grad- 
 uated at the Cortland Academy in 1843. 
 He studied law with Hon. Ira Harris in Al- 
 bany and was admitted to the bar in 1848. 
 He has held a number of offices of trust in 
 this and Yates counties, but has not actively 
 engaged in practice in some years. Since 
 1875 he has been justice of the peace in Ho- 
 mer, and in the fall of 1883 was elected to 
 the Assembly on the Republican ticket. 
 
 John W. Suggett, a native of this county, 
 and a graduate of the Cortland Normal 
 School, completed his scholastic work at 
 Cornell Universit}'. He studied law with the 
 
148 
 
 History of Cortland Countv. 
 
 late Judge Crandall, and opened an office in 
 Cortland immediately on his admission to 
 the bar. He has devoted much of his atten- 
 tion to patent law, and has a large practice 
 in the Federal court, as well as in those of 
 our own State and county. 
 
 Henry D. Waters, of Cuyler, brother of 
 M. M. Waters, of whom a sketch has already 
 been given, and of A. D. and George L. Wa- 
 ters, also members of the bar, is a member 
 of a legal famih-. He is a native of the 
 county, and during the rebellion was among 
 the most active in the army, where he re- 
 ceived wounds, the effect of which he still 
 bears. He is now engaged in practice in 
 Cuyler and is the present clerk of the Board 
 of Supervisors. 
 
 William P. Robinson was born in Cort- 
 land in 1848, and received his education in 
 the Cortland Academy and Normal School. 
 His law studies were pursued with Hon. H. 
 Crandall, and he was admitted to the bar in 
 1876. He has since devoted his attention 
 to other pursuits, and is now one of the lead- 
 ing merchants of the county. 
 
 James T. Steel was born in Solon in 1840, 
 and after studying with Ballard & Warren 
 in Cortland, was admitted to the bar in 1871. 
 He was a member of the 185th X. V. Vol- 
 unteers during the rebellion. 
 
 William D. Tuttle was born in Salisbury, 
 Herkimer county, in 1849. He was a stu- 
 dent in the McGrawville Academy and the 
 Cortland Normal School. His legal studies 
 were pursued with Judge Crandall. From 
 1878 to 1 88 1 Mr. Tuttle served as one of 
 the school commissioners of the county, 
 since which he has practiced law in Cort- 
 land. 
 
 Franklin Pierce was born in Marathon in 
 1853, and received his preparatory educa- 
 tion in Cortland Normal School and Caze- 
 novia Seminary. For a time he was a stu- 
 dent at Amherst, but completed his college 
 course at Syracuse in 1879. He studied law 
 
 with Waters & Knox and was admitted to 
 the bar in September, 1S79. He has since 
 removed to Homer, where he is practicing 
 in his profession. 
 
 John O'Donnel, after pursuing his legal 
 studies with H. C. Miner at De Ruyter, was 
 admitted to the bar in May, 1881. He 
 immediately opened an office in Truxton, 
 where he has since remained. He has held 
 the office of town clerk several terms, and 
 has had a fair share of the legal business of 
 his vicinity. 
 
 Willard J. Van Auken was born in Al- 
 bany county in 1862, and attended common 
 schools and Union Classical Institute at 
 Schenectady until 1881, when he was grad- 
 uated at the latter. He studied law with 
 Hon. J. H. Clutes at Albany, and was grad- 
 ated at the Albany Law School in 1883. 
 He was admitted to the bar at Binghamton 
 in May, 1 883, and in the fall of that year 
 began the practice of the law at McGraw- 
 ville, where he now resides. 
 
 Jerome Squires was born in Lapeer, 
 March 10, 1845. He was a student at the 
 Marathon Academy, and studied law with 
 Judge Smith and with John Courtney, jr., 
 until 1 880, when he was admitted to the bar. 
 He has since resided and practiced law in 
 Cortland. 
 
 Arthur L. Knight is a nativ'e of Scott, and 
 was born in 1S52. He was graduated at the 
 Homer Academy in 1871 and at S>'racuse 
 University in 1878. He studied law with 
 Uuell & Benedict until 1882, when he was 
 admitted to the bar. He is now engaged in 
 the pratice of law at Canastota. 
 
 Eliot F. Stone was born in Homer, April 
 1st, 1857, and was graduated at the academy 
 at that village in 1877. He studied law with 
 Waters & Knox, and was admitted to the 
 bar in 1882. He is now one of the justices 
 of the peace in Homer. 
 
 Rufas T. Peck, was born December 24th, 
 1836. His father, Lyman Peck, was a res- 
 
The Bench and Bar of Cortland County. 
 
 149 
 
 ident of Solon, in which town his grand- 
 father, Stephen N. Peck, was one of its first 
 settlers in 1805. His paternal ancestors 
 were of English stock, and the progenitor 
 of the family in this country, Deacon Wil- 
 liam Peck, was one of the charter members 
 of the New Haven Colony in 1638. His 
 mother, Almira Thompson, daughter of 
 Zenas Thompson, is of Scotch descent, and 
 her ancestors were among the early families 
 of New England. His early education was 
 obtained in the common school and at New 
 York Central College, and for fourteen years 
 he was a successful teacher, followed by 
 three years as a merchant in his native town. 
 In the fall of 1874 he was elected, on the 
 Republican ticket, school commissioner of 
 the northern district of Cortland county, by 
 re-election served two terms, and received 
 the nomination for a third term, which he 
 declined. He read law with Hon. R. Hol- 
 land Duell, of Cortland, and was admitted 
 to the bar at the January term of the Su- 
 preme Court held at Albanj' in 1876, but 
 has only practiced law in connection with 
 his private business affairs. In P"ebruary, 
 1876, he became identified with the publish- 
 ing house of Maj. L. H. Evarts, of Phila- 
 delphia, and since that date, the firm of 
 Evarts & Peck have published the history 
 of many of the largest cities and counties in 
 the United States. Their published works 
 are popular and will go down to future 
 generations as the authentic record of these 
 localities. 
 
 Henry L. Gleason studied law with 
 Holmes & Palmer at Cortland, and was ad- 
 mitted to the bar in 1872. Soon after he 
 entered into partnership with Mr. Palmer, 
 and so remained for some time. For the 
 last few years he has not been in active 
 practice, but is now secretary of the Hitch- 
 cock Manufacturing Company. 
 
 E. D. Crosley was admitted to the bar 
 in 1879, having studied law with Judge 
 
 Duell at Cortland. He is now located in 
 Scott. 
 
 Gage E. Tarbell was born in Chenango 
 county, in 1856. He was educated in the 
 Clinton Liberal Institute at Clinton, N. Y. 
 He began the study of law in the office of 
 E. J. Arnold in Greene in 1877, and was 
 admitted to the bar three years later. He 
 moved to Marathon the same year, where 
 he is still engaged in the practice of law. 
 
 One of the most enterprising of the 
 younger firms of the county is that of J. & 
 T. E. Courtney. The senior member stud- 
 ied law in Marathon, in the office of \Vm. 
 J. Mantan\-e, and began practice there, but 
 soon removed to Cortland where he has been 
 located some six or seven years. His brother, 
 Thomas E. Courtney, studied in Cazenovia 
 Seminary, and pursued his legal work in the 
 law department of Hamilton College. He 
 began practice in Cortland, and in i88i en- 
 tered into partnership with his brother. The 
 firm has been verj' energetic and successful, 
 and is now doing a large business. 
 
 John E. Winslow is a native of Virgil. 
 He studied law at home and in the ofl^ce of 
 Hon. O. U. Kellogg at Cortland. After his 
 admission to the bar he was elected justice 
 of the peace of the town of Virgil, although 
 he still keeps his office in Cortland with Mr. 
 Kellogg, where he has a very successful 
 practice. 
 
 Another of the younger members of the 
 bar is Fred Hatch, the present clerk of 
 the village of Cortland. Mr. Hatch studied 
 law in the oflice of Judge Shankland, after 
 which he opened an office in Cortland, where 
 he still remains. His practice is flattering 
 to his efforts, and his success is assured. 
 
 M. Stanley Bierce, one of the justices of 
 the peace of the town of Cortlandville, is 
 also a member of the bar, although he has 
 not devoted his attention to the practice of 
 the law. 
 
 Benton B. Jones and Hon. \Vm. II. Clark, 
 
ISO 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 editors of two of the village papers, are also 
 members of the bar, but have not followed 
 their profession. 
 
 James Dougherty, for several years super- 
 visor from Solon, has recently removed to 
 Cortland, and opened a law office with I. II. 
 Palmer. Mr. Dougherty has all of the qual- 
 ifications of a good lawyer. 
 
 The youngest member of the present 
 Cortland bar is D. E. Smith. Mr. Smith 
 was born in Cortland in i860, and completed 
 his collegiate studies at Syracuse University. 
 He studied law with his father, Hon. A. P. 
 Smith, and is now in partnership with him. 
 Mr. Smith is the compiler and author of 
 the first part of this article, down to the his- 
 tory of the living members of the bar. 
 
 FIR.ST JUDGES OF THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS 
 AND JUDGES OF THE COUNTY COURT. 
 
 Name. Date of Election or Appointment. 
 
 John Keep 18 10 
 
 William Mallory . - 1823 
 
 Joseph Reynolds 1833 
 
 Henry Stephens x 838 
 
 Daniel Hawks 1847 
 
 Lewis Kingsley 185 1 
 
 R. Holland Duell 1855 
 
 Stephen Brewer _ 1^59 
 
 Hiram Crandall 1859 
 
 Ahram P. Smith 1867 
 
 Stratton S. Kno.x 1883 
 
 SURROGATES. 
 Name. Dale of Election or Appointment. 
 
 John McWhorter 1808 
 
 Mead Merrill : 1810 
 
 Lutlier F. Stephens 1811 
 
 John McWhorter 1815 
 
 .\(lin Webb 1816 
 
 Jabez B. Phelps _ _ 1823 
 
 Charles W. Lynde._ 1828 
 
 Townsend Ross _ . 1832 
 
 .Anthony Freer _ 1 836 
 
 Adin Webb 1 840 
 
 Anthony Freer 1 844 
 
 County jfi/i/i^e since 1847, 
 
 DISTRICT ATTORNEYS. 
 
 [Since 18 19.) 
 
 Augustus A. Donnelly . 1819 
 
 F.hvard C. Reed 1827 
 
 William H. Shankland 1836 
 
 Horatio Ballard 1842 
 
 .\ugustus S. Ballard 1847 
 
 R. Holland Duell 1850 
 
 Edward C. Reed 1856 
 
 .\bram P. Smith 1856 
 
 George B. Jones 1859 
 
 A. D. Waters _ 1865 
 
 Riley Champlin 1870 
 
 Lewis Bouton 1870 
 
 B. T. Wright -.- 1873 
 
 B. A. Benedict 1876 
 
 L H. Palmer 1882 
 
 CHAPTER XVL 
 
 THE CORTL.Wn COUNTY MEDIC.-\L SOCIETY. i 
 
 THE Cortland County Medical Society 
 was organized in 1808 in accordance 
 with a law, enacted by the Legislature in 
 1806, incorporating the New York State 
 Medical Society, and which law also re- 
 quired medical societies to be formed in 
 every county of the State. This enactment 
 was approved by Gov. Morgan Lewis, April 
 4th, 1806. 
 
 Cortland county was organized in the 
 spring of 1808, having until that time con- 
 stituted a part of Onondaga. As soon 
 after the organization of the county as 
 practicable, namely, on the lOth day of 
 August, 1808, the following gentlemen, 
 legally cpialified to practice medicine and 
 surgery, convened at the house of Captain 
 
 1 Prepared by Dr. Caleb Green, of Homer. 
 
The Cortland County Medical Society. 
 
 151 
 
 Enos Stimson (now "The Windsor") in 
 Homer village : Drs. Lewis S. Owen, Luther 
 Rice, John Miller, l-Llijah G. Wheeler, Rob- 
 ert D. Taggart, Ezra I'annel, Allen Barney 
 and Jesse Searl. 
 
 These pioneers in the nictlical profession 
 of the count)- then and there formed a 
 medical association under the name of the 
 " Cortland County Medical Society," which 
 has continued in active operation since that 
 date to the present time. 
 
 The organization was effected b}- the 
 election of the following members as officers 
 of the societ\' : Dr. Lewis S. Owen, presi- 
 den ; Dr. John Miller, \ice-president ; Dr. 
 Jesse Searl, secretary ; Dr. Robert D. Tag- 
 gart, treasurer. 
 
 Drs. Miller, Barney and Taggart were 
 appointed a committee to draft a code of 
 by-laws for the government and regulation 
 of the society. 
 
 At the time of the semi-centennial anni- 
 versary of the society, August lOth, 1858, 
 the honored and venerable Dr. John Miller, 
 of Truxton — then our president — was the 
 only one of the founders of the society still 
 living in the county. 
 
 So far as the records show, the societ}- 
 was not represented in the State Medical So- 
 ciety until 1 8 14, when Dr. John Miller was 
 sent as delegate. 
 
 The opportunities for a thorough medical 
 education at the time of the formation of 
 this society were limited, and only those of 
 wealth or who resided in convenient prox- 
 imity to the few medical colleges then exist- 
 ing in the country could have the advantage 
 of systematic instruction. Not one of the 
 founders of the society had graduated in 
 medicine. Dr. Miller, while a private pupil 
 of Dr. Rush, in Philadelphia, had attended 
 the lectures of Rush and Shippen, two of the 
 founders of the medical department of the 
 University of Pennsylvania, but did not 
 complete his university course, l^ut these 
 
 men had been sufficiently instructed to know 
 the value of education, and most of them 
 sought to supplement it by the diligent study 
 of such works as were then to be had. As 
 early as 18 14 or 181 5 measures were taken 
 to found a library for the use of the society, 
 and Drs. Owen and Miller were appointed a 
 committee to select such books as they had 
 the means of purchasing. PVom time to time 
 most of the surplus funds in the treasury 
 were expended in the purchase of books, 
 until a choice library of standard books and 
 periodicals accumulated to the amount of 
 about 200 volumes. After 1845 this co-op- 
 erative plan of keeping up a central library, 
 by additions to it, was discontinued, and 
 each member urged and encouraged to sup- 
 ply himself with and study the latest and 
 best works and periodicals, and thus to keep 
 abreast of the advances in medical knowl- 
 edge. 
 
 From the early records of the Onondaga 
 County Medical Society we learn that the 
 first meeting of that society was held July 
 1st, 1806, three months after the passage of 
 the act establishing the State Society. At 
 that meeting Dr. Jesse Searl, of Homer, be- 
 came a member of the society. At the next 
 meeting of the society, held October 7th, 
 1806, among the persons proposed for mem- 
 bership were Dr. Robert D. Taggart, of 
 Preble, and Dr. John Miller, of Truxton. 
 These three gentlemen were among the or- 
 ganic members of the Cortland County So- 
 ciety, and afterwards so prominent in its his- 
 tory, and were the only Cortland county 
 physicians, so far as the records show, who 
 were also members of the original Onon- 
 daga Society. 
 
 The following gentlemen were the organic 
 members of the Onondaga County Medical 
 Society : Drs. William Adams, Deodatus 
 Clark, John W. Frisbie, Gordon Needham, 
 Smith Weed, Jesse Searl, James Jackson, 
 Daniel Tibbals, Isaac Benedict, Salmon 
 
152 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Thayer and Walter Colton. At the next 
 meetinfj of the Society in October, 1806, the 
 following were proposed for membership, 
 viz. : l^rs. Jesse Munger, Robert D. Tag- 
 gart, John C. Merwin, Silas Park, David 
 Holbrook, John Miller, Calvin Wright, 
 George Eagur, Joseph l^^ly, Samuel Porter, 
 Bildad Beach and Samuel Furniss. 
 
 At the organization of the Onondaga So- 
 ciety, Dr. F"risbie was elected president, Dr. 
 Needham vice-president. Dr. Tibbals treas- 
 urer and Dr. Walter Colton secretary. 
 
 We shall give brief sketches of the pio- 
 neers of tliis society, as well as of some of its 
 more active members during the first half 
 century of its existence.' 
 
 Dr. Lewis S. Owen, the first president of 
 the society, was born in the town of New 
 Lebanon, Columbia county, N. Y., in 1772. 
 His earl)- education was obtained in the 
 common schools of his native town. For 
 a short time he attended the academic 
 department of Williams College, prepar- 
 atory to commencing the study of med- 
 icine, which was in 1795 or '96, with Dr. 
 Stringer, of Albany, then a very prominent 
 practitioner of that city. He concluded his 
 medical pupilage with Dr. McClellan, also 
 of Albany, and was licensed by the courts 
 of Albany county in 1798, and came to the 
 town of Homer in 1799, in which town he 
 continued to li\etill his death in 1849, lack- 
 ing but one month of fifty years' residence 
 there. It is believed that Dr. Owen was the 
 first physician who permanently located in 
 what is now the county of Cortland. The 
 country was new, the roads were bad, and 
 often mere cattle paths through the woods. 
 This state of affairs rendered his labors severe 
 and fatiguing, but he pursued the practice 
 of his profession steadily for nearly twenty- 
 five years. He was said to have been a man 
 of discriminating judgment and was reputed 
 a sound and successful practitioner. 
 
 Dr. Owen was one of the original found- 
 
 ers of the society in 1808, was elected its 
 first president and held that office by an- 
 nual election till 1820. 
 
 Dr. Owen was one of the founders of 
 Cortland Academy, in 18 18, and one of its 
 trustees during the remainder of his life, 
 and was for several years president of the 
 board of trustees. The last twenty or more 
 years of his life were mainly devoted to 
 agricultural pursuits. 
 
 Dr. Jesse Searl, one of the best known 
 and most influential for good in e\'er\- word 
 and work, was a native of Southampton, 
 Mass. He was born in i 767, educated in 
 the common schools of his native town, and 
 pursued his medical studies with Dr. Wood- 
 bridge, of Southampton. He commenced 
 practice in the \-icinit)- of his native town, 
 but came to this State not far from i8oo, 
 fixing his first residence in Fabius, Onon- 
 daga count}'. He came to Homer in 1803 
 or '04 and diligently pursued the practice 
 of his profession until the year 1812, when 
 he purchased and assumed the editorship 
 of the Cortland Repository, at that time the 
 only newspaper published in the county. 
 From that time he attended but little to 
 professional calls — at least, devoted him- 
 self mainly to editorial work, printing and 
 publishing. Being a frail man physically, 
 he could not endure the hardships incident 
 to a physician's life in a new country, and 
 hence his motive for renouncing medical 
 practice for a less laborious occupation. It 
 is related that while he devoted himself to 
 medical service he was faithful to the trusts 
 imposed upon him, and by his s}'mpathy 
 with the sick and kindness of heart won the 
 confidence and esteem of his employers. 
 Dr. Searl's education, general and profes- 
 sional, was somewhat in advance of most of 
 his cotemporaries, and he continued to im- 
 prove it b}- diligent study and observation. 
 He had the best private medical library in 
 the county. He was a subscriber and 
 
The Cortland County Medical Society. 
 
 153 
 
 reader of the only medical periodical then 
 published in this country — the Medical 
 Repository, published in New York. He 
 was a regular attendant upon all the meet- 
 ings of the County Society — was its first 
 secretary, and held that position by annual 
 election until the year 1820. 
 
 He was eminently a religious man and 
 a worthy member of the Congregational 
 Church from 1806 to the time of his death 
 in 1834, at the age of sixty-eight years. 
 " In all of the affairs of life, as a man, a 
 Christian, a conductor of a public news- 
 paper, and as a physician. Dr. Sear! was 
 consistent and faithful in their varied duties, 
 and the poor always found in him a friend 
 in time of need." 
 
 Dr. Robert D. Taggart was the son of 
 the Rev. Samuel Taggart, of Colerain, 
 Mass., and a twin brother of Dr. Samuel 
 Taggart, jr., formerly of Byron, Genesee 
 county, N. Y., and also a brother of the 
 Hon. Moses Taggart, formerly one of the 
 judges in the Supreme Court of this State. 
 Dr. Taggart was born, reared and obtained 
 his general and medical education in Cole- 
 rain. He came to this State in 1804. He 
 first resided for a short time in Pompey, 
 Onondaga county. He came to Preble in 
 1 805 and for a few months was a teacher of 
 common schools, but was solicited by some 
 of the people to establish himself as a phy- 
 sician, which he soon did. He was the first 
 physician who settled in that town, if we 
 except Doctor, afterwards Judge, Jabez B. 
 Phelps, who, on account of some physical 
 disability, never entered into general prac- 
 tice. His medical education was rather im- 
 perfect, even for that day, but he was a man 
 of good sense, not rash, and acquired the 
 confidence of the people and was popular 
 as an accoucheur. He was a man of " good 
 humor," having a good fund of anecdote 
 and quick at repartee. In 183 i he removed 
 to Byron, Genesee county, and entered into 
 
 partnership with his brother. He died in 
 
 1843- 
 
 Dr. Ezra Pannel was also a native of 
 Colerain, Mass., and was a part of the time 
 of his pupilage a fellow-student with Dr. 
 Taggart in the office of Dr. Ross of his na- 
 tive town. Little is known of his early 
 history. He came into this county and 
 settled in the town of Truxton in 1807, 
 where he combined farming with the prac- 
 tice of his profession until about 1822, when 
 he removed to Monroe county. 
 
 Dr. Elijah G. Wheeler came into this 
 county from New Jersey in 1804 or '05 
 and settled in the town of Solon. He was 
 well educated, a man of good abilities, and 
 had the reputation of being a good practi- 
 tioner of medicine, " but unfortunately was 
 addicted to habits of intemperance, which 
 rendered him an unsafe person to take 
 charge of the sick. That very much in- 
 jured his business and usefulness." He 
 died about 1825. 
 
 Dr. Luther Rice was a son of Deacon 
 Rice, one of the pioneers in the settlement 
 of this county, who came into Homer — 
 now Cortlandville — in 1796. It is not 
 known where this son was educated, but he 
 established himself in practice in Homer 
 about the year 1800. He was one of the 
 original members of the County Society. 
 He removed to Alleghany county, but the 
 date is not known. 
 
 Dr. Allen Barney settled in the town of 
 Homer in 1807. After a few years he re- 
 moved to Cortland. He was a man of pe- 
 culiar characteristics ; obstinate in opinion, 
 impatient of contradiction, receiving much 
 credit for sense and ability by his roughness 
 and crispness of speech. He removed to 
 the State of Ohio in 181 2, and died there 
 soon afterwards. 
 
 The last, but by no means the least, of 
 the original founders of the Cortland Coun- 
 ty Medical Society to be noticed is Dr. 
 
154 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 John Miller. We avail ourselves of the 
 highly interesting memorial sketch given of 
 him by the late Dr. George W. Bradford, 
 in the Transactions of the Nczv York State 
 Medical Society for 1862. 
 
 Dr. Miller was born in the town of 
 Amenia, Duchess count}', N. Y., on the 
 lOth of November, 1774. His early op- 
 portunities for education were very limited, 
 he having attended a common school but 
 one \-ear and a classical school in Connecti- 
 cut for about the same length of time. 
 With these meager advantages he com- 
 menced the study of medicine in 1793 with 
 Dr. Miller, an uncle of his, in his native 
 county. After little more than a year he 
 went to Easton, Washington county, and 
 entered the office of Dr. Moshier. While 
 pursuing his studies with Dr. Moshier he 
 received a severe injury by being thrown 
 from a horse. Owing to the severity of 
 this injur)' he was obliged to suspend his 
 studies for more than two years, during 
 which time he was at his home in Duchess 
 county. After several months of this en- 
 forced idleness he was advised by Dr. Baird, 
 of New York, to seek a position in the then 
 small navy of the United States. With this 
 purpose in view, but much against the 
 wishes of his family, he went to New York, 
 where he was presented, by Dr. Baird and 
 others, with letters of recommendation to 
 Dr. Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia, whith- 
 er he repaired and presented his credentials. 
 At that time young Miller was in bad 
 health, very thin in bod\', and more than 
 si.x feet in height. The venerable signer 
 of the Declaration, not a little amused that 
 so ghostly looking a young man should 
 think of entering the navy, said to him : 
 "Young man, you look much better fitted 
 for a skeleton in my office than for a post 
 in the navy." But as he had somewhat 
 recovered from the fatigue of his journey. 
 Dr. Rush went with him to visit the presi- 
 
 dent of the United States, the venerable 
 John Adams, residing in Philadelphia, then 
 the seat of the general government, antl 
 ! through the influence of Dr. Rush obtained 
 the place he sought. He was directed to 
 report himself to the surgeon of the United 
 States brig Ncu' York, then soon to sail for 
 Tripoli. At this interview with President 
 Adams, Dr. Rush and young Miller were 
 invited to dine with the president the next 
 da}'. The in\itation was accepted, and at the 
 president's table they met General Wash- 
 ington, Fisher Ames, and several other 
 distinguished characters of that day. 
 
 On farther acquaintance Dr. Rush ad- 
 \ised Miller to resign his post in the navy, 
 and at the same time offered him a place 
 in his famil)' and a position in his office as 
 a private pupil. This most advantageous 
 offer he gladl\- embraced, and remained 
 with him nearly two years, accompanying 
 the doctor in his rides into the country and 
 attending his lectures in the Universit)' of 
 PennsN'lvania, and those of Dr. Shippen. 
 P'rom Philadelphia he returned to Wash- 
 ington county in 1798, and entered into a 
 partnership with his former instructor, Dr. 
 Moshier, where he remained until 1801. 
 He was licensed to practice medicine and 
 surger\' by the Vermont Medical Society 
 in 1800. P^rom Washington county he re- 
 moved, in 1801, to what is now Tru.xton, 
 Cortland county, and established liimself in 
 the practice of his profession, which he pur- 
 sued unremittingi}' for more than twenty- 
 five years, and occasionally for some years 
 longer. 
 
 P"ew men had the capacity for physical 
 endurance and unwearied perseverance like 
 him. The countrj' being new, the roads 
 were always bad, and sometimes almost im- 
 passable, yet he performed an amount of 
 labor almost incredible, frequent!)' riding 
 thirty, forty, and even more than fifty miles 
 a day — at all times, b)' night as well as 
 
The Cortland County Medical Societv. 
 
 155 
 
 day, in storm as well as sunshine, with an 
 energy that no obstacle could resist. Many 
 are the anecdotes related of his adventures 
 in the forests and by-paths of Truxton, 
 often by torch-light, to attend on some fam- 
 ily perchance too poor to pay the doctor 
 for his services. 
 
 As a practitioner Dr. Miller possessed in 
 an eminent degree the confidence of his 
 employers. His strong mind and retentive 
 memory enabled him readily to seize on the 
 phases of disease and to recall the measures 
 of treatment indicated, and his promptitude 
 and readiness in the administration of relief ' 
 to the sufferer at once secured the confidence 
 of the sick. His strict attendance to those 
 entrusted to his care, as well as his kindness 
 of heart, which led him to sympathize deep- 
 ly in all their sufferings, all convinced those 
 who employed him that his whole energies 
 were enlisted in their welfare. Amidst all 
 his incessant labors he found time to culti- 
 vate his mind b)' reading much of the cur- 
 rent medical literature, and his well balanced 
 mind and retentive memory enabled him to 
 make the best use of what he read. 
 
 He was elected an honorary member of 
 the New York State Medical Society in 
 1808, and at the time of his death was the 
 oldest member of the society by nine years. 
 At the semi-centennial anniversary of the 
 society in February, 1857, Dr. Miller 
 was present by special invitation. He 
 entered into the spirit of the meeting with 
 all the ardor of his nature, and many of 
 the members present, who, for the first time, 
 there saw him will long remember ''the old 
 man eloquent" and their pleasant and 
 profitable acquaintance with their venerable 
 fellow-member. Such was his character and 
 standing in his profession, and his gentle- 
 manly intercourse with each member of the 
 society, that all loved to meet him and to 
 confer honor and their kindest favors upon 
 one so much esteemed and highly venerated. 
 
 Dr. Miller, while yet in the vigor of his 
 days, left the practice of his profession and 
 turned his attention to agriculture. Not- 
 withstanding this, he still manifested an in- 
 terest in his profession, always greeting its 
 members with warm cordiality. He pur- 
 sued agriculture with the same character- 
 istic earnestness, both on the farm and in 
 the agricultural society, that he had ahva}-s 
 shown in the practice of medicine. 
 
 The intelligence and energy with which 
 he entered into all the affairs of state was 
 such that he early became prominent in 
 public life. His first public office was that 
 of coroner, to which he was appointed b}- 
 Gov. George Clinton in 1802. He was ap- 
 pointed postmaster in 1805, and retained 
 the office for twenty years. He received 
 the appointment of justice of the peace in 
 181 2 and discharged its duties until 1821. 
 He was one of the judges of the county 
 courts from 1817 to 1820. He was elected 
 as a Member of the Assembly from this 
 county in 18 16, and re-elected in 1820 and 
 again in 1846. This same year he repre- 
 sented his county in the convention for re- 
 vising the constitution of the State. In 
 1826 and 1827 he represented the Twenty- 
 second Congressional District in the Con- 
 gress of the United States. In all these 
 
 o 
 
 positions of public trust he e\'inced the 
 same energy and determined will and 
 prompt action that he had shown in his 
 professional career. His readiness to sacri- 
 fice personal interest and ease to the public 
 good, and his experience in public life with 
 the honesty of purpose manifested in his 
 intercourse with his associates enabled him 
 to exert a commanding influence over any 
 deliberative body. These, with his usual 
 energy, his eminent personal vivacity, ren- 
 dered him a welcome guest in all social 
 gatherings. 
 
 In person Dr. Miller was tall in stature, 
 and even in his last years still retained his 
 
iS6 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 firm step and erect position and never ex- 
 hibited the decrepid old man in appearance 
 or in loss of intellect, but entered into con- 
 versation with all the energy and fire of his 
 youthful days. 
 
 During the epidemic pneumonia which 
 prevailed in 1812-13 his labors were her- 
 culean and very successful. 
 
 In the temperance cause he spent much 
 time and large sums of money in the dif- 
 fusion of temperance publications among 
 the inhabitants of his town, holding meet- 
 ings in the se\'eral school-houses, and urg- 
 ing with earnest eloquence the adoption of 
 the practice of total abstinence. He was 
 firm in the belief of the beneficial effect of 
 a wise prohibitorj' law to prevent the traffic 
 in into.xicating liquors. In this cause Dr. 
 Miller took an early and active part. Dur- 
 ing his pupilage he once saw a beautiful 
 child sacrificed in consequence of the in- 
 toxication of the physician when called to 
 its relief in an hour of suffering. This 
 made a deep and lasting impression on his 
 mind and led him at the very beginning of 
 his professional career to firmly resolve to 
 abstain from all intoxicating drinks. In 
 this determination he persevered to the end 
 of his life. He was long an officer in the 
 New York State Temperance Society and 
 often attended its meetings at Albany. 
 
 At an early day the doctor gave to the 
 Presbyterian Church and society two valu- 
 able lots of land in the center of the village 
 for a church and parsonage, and also one 
 other lot as a site for a public school-house, 
 besides contributing liberall)- to the expense 
 of erecting and furnishing these public build- 
 ings. His seat in church was always occu- 
 pied by himself or family. 
 
 In the support of the varied objects of 
 benevolence of the age and of the institu- 
 tions of the Gospel in his own vicinitj' Dr. 
 Miller was a firm friend and a contributor. 
 
 The legend of his romantic courtship and 
 
 marriage would occupy more space than we 
 have to give to it. Suffice it to say that, 
 before coming to this county in 1801, he 
 had formed an attachment to and an engage- 
 ment with a young lady living in Troy, N. 
 Y., whom he expected to become his part- 
 ner and help-meet through the journey of 
 life. After his settlement in Tru.xton the 
 correspondence was for some months kept 
 up constantly and matters went on smoothly. 
 After some time letters were not received 
 by either party as formerly and at last ceased 
 altogether. They each came to the conclu- 
 sion reluctantly, and in bewilderment, that 
 the other had become false to the engage- 
 ment promi.se. At last the doctor received 
 a letter from a friend in Troy, saying that 
 the young lady was to be married to a per- 
 son there in a few days from the date of his 
 letter, and, knowing that John Miller could 
 never do a dishonorable thing, suspected 
 something wrong. There were no tele- 
 graphs or swift mail trains in those days. 
 The letter of his friend was received only 
 twenty- four hours before the expected wed- 
 ding. This was late in March when the 
 winter roads were breaking up and were 
 consequently at their worst. What should 
 be done ? With a promptness inspired by 
 desperation he instantly resolved to retrieve 
 what he supposed had been lost. He 
 mounted his faithful horse Gcrshoiii, who 
 possessed a physical endurance and deter- 
 mined energy equal to that of his master 
 and, turning his head toward Troy, one hun- 
 dred and thirt}- miles distant, started. In 
 less than twent)'-four hours the journey 
 must be accomplished and with Gcrshom 
 alone. And splendidly did the noble ani- 
 mal accomplish his task, reaching the west 
 bank of the Hudson just in time'to plunge 
 aboard the last boat that was to cross that 
 night, and was in a few minutes standing, 
 with foaming flanks and distended nostrils, 
 before the door of his future mistress. The 
 
The Cortland County Medical Society. 
 
 157 
 
 wedding guests were assembling No time 
 was to be lost. He knocked at the door. 
 The father of the girl opened it. There 
 stood the young doctor bespattered with 
 mud and riding-stick in hand. No time 
 for apologies. "Is Phebe at home ?" "Yes." 
 "Can I see her?" "Walk in; I will in- 
 form her that you are here." In a few 
 minutes Phebe made her appearance, ex- 
 planations followed and a speedy reconcilia- 
 tion was the result. Their letters had been 
 intercepted by the rascally fellow who went 
 home that night wifeless. 
 
 They were married in 1805 and a happy 
 union it proved to be. Mrs. Miller was a 
 lady of rare accomplishments, of ardent piety 
 and in all respects a fit companion for her 
 worth)- husband. They had eight children 
 — five sons and three daughters. Mrs. 
 Miller died in 1834, much lamented, aged 
 59 years. 
 
 Dr. Miller retained his wonted faculties 
 almost to the last hour of his long life ; 
 was perfectly sensible of the steady and 
 sure approach of death, yet with calmness 
 and systematic carefulness made every prep- 
 paration for the end. 
 
 Thus he actively and usefully lived, thus 
 he quietly and calmly died on the 30th day 
 of March, 1862, leaving abundant evidence 
 of his preparation for an entrance, through 
 the grace of our Lord and Savior, into the 
 rest prepared for the just. 
 
 A large concourse of his friends and fel- 
 low-citizens attended his funeral and among 
 them a large number of the members of the 
 County Medical Society. An impressive 
 sermon was delivered by the Rev. Caleb 
 Clark, who for more than forty years had 
 been the confidential friend and the spiritual 
 adviser of himself and family. The Medical 
 Society, through their committee consisting 
 of Drs. F. Hyde, G. \V. Bradford and C. 
 Green, presented memorial resolutions ex- 
 pressive of love, veneration and esteem for 
 
 their deceased brother and sympathy for his 
 family and friends. 
 
 We iiave devoted perhaps too much of 
 our limited space to the biographical sketches 
 of the pioneers — the founders of the soci- 
 ety — but the extended notice of Dr. ]\Iiller 
 seemed to be demanded by his place in the 
 history of the society and that of the county 
 and State. The history of the county re- 
 quired more than a passing notice of his 
 worth and deeds. 
 
 But there have been other worthies in the 
 first half century of the society's history 
 who were so much identified with its interest 
 and progress, as well as that of the county 
 and State that, at least, a brief notice of them 
 should be recorded. 
 
 Dr. Levi Boies, of Cortland village, was 
 the first licentiate of the society, becoming 
 a member in 18 12, and was long a respect- 
 able practitioner and valuable citizen. 
 
 Dr. John Lynde was the first member of 
 the society who ever attended a full course 
 of lectures in a chartered medical college, 
 he having attended the course in the College 
 of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, in 
 1 812. He was a prominent practitioner in 
 Homer for many years, when he removed to 
 Ogden, Monroe county, where he died some 
 years ago. 
 
 Dr. Miles Goodjear, of Cortland, was the 
 first member of the society who ever re- 
 ceived the degree of Doctor of Medicine, 
 and which was conferred on him by Yale 
 College in 18 16. 
 
 Dr. Goodj'ear was born at Hamden, New 
 Haven county, Conn., November 14th, 1793 
 — Thanksgiving Day. His father died 
 when he was four years of age. His mother 
 lived to the ripe age of eighty-six years. 
 At about the age of fifteen he entered a 
 mercantile establishment, thinking that 
 trade might be his vocation, but soon per- 
 ceived that "it would not do, as he was 
 I likely to give away all the goods and so con- 
 
1S8 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 eluded to get a profession." As prepara- 
 tory to professional study he took lessons 
 in Latin and chemistry under the tutelage 
 of the Re\-. l^Iiphalet Coleman. As his 
 guardian refused to furnish him the means 
 of education, he had to borrow money in 
 order to complete his studies. It was early 
 in the war of 1812-14 that he matriculated 
 in the medical department of Yale College. 
 A brother who had a family was drafted to 
 serve in the war, but Miles took his place, 
 serving at New London a few weeks until 
 the college term opened, when he was re- 
 leased, as students were exempt by law. He 
 was a member of the first class that gradu- 
 ated in the medical department of the col- 
 lege. After his graduation he made a jour- 
 ney to Niagara Falls on horseback, accom- 
 panied by his friend and class-mate, Dr. 
 Smith. Rochester at that time had but few 
 houses and l^uffalo was a mass of blackened 
 ruins, having been burned b\- the British 
 during the then recent war. This journey 
 was full of interest to the ardent young bot- 
 anists soon to enter on medical practice. He 
 practiced a few months in Genoa, N. Y., and 
 then came to Cordand, but finding the field, 
 as he thought, fully occupied, removed to 
 Danby, Tompkins count)-, where he re- 
 mained a year, and was then induced to re- 
 turn to Cortland, which ever afterwards was 
 his permanent residence. In 18 18 he joined 
 the County Medical Society, and soon be- 
 came one of its most active and reliable 
 members — always attending its stated meet- 
 ings when not absent from town or other- 
 wise inevitably detained. "He loved his 
 profession and pursued it as such and not as 
 a trade. He respected the claims of his call- 
 ing and was keenly sensitive to its honor, 
 and observed its ethical usages in letter and 
 spirit. He sought in his professional inter- 
 course first to confer the greatest good on 
 the patient ; next, to observe the kindliest and 
 most sacred regard for the good navie of the 
 
 attending physician." He was eminently 
 the friend of young medical men and 
 always ready to give them encouraging 
 words and to overlook their mistakes and 
 deficiencies. 
 
 He was president of the society in 1824 
 and 1 83 1, and from 1834 to 1840 inclusive, 
 and again in i 847. The society commemo- 
 rated the fiftieth anniversary of his member- 
 ship by reading a poem written by Miss E. 
 Hathawa)- and dedicated to him, entitled the 
 " Good Physician." 
 
 Such was the pre-eminent confidence of 
 his fellow-citizens in his courage, skill and 
 judgment that, on the outbreak of the first 
 epidemic of Asiatic cholera in 1832, they 
 sent him to Albany and New York to in- 
 vestigate the nature, prophylaxis and treat- 
 ment of the dread disease. Many years after- 
 ward, being in New Haven during the very 
 fatal epidemic of j-ellow fever in Norfolk, 
 Va., he offered himself to the common coun- 
 cil to be sent professionally to the help of 
 the stricken city, "but word being received 
 of the abatement of the pestilence, he was 
 allowed to come home to other self-denials." 
 In 1 85 1 he represented the Medical Asso- 
 ciation of Southern Central New York in the 
 American Medical Association at Charles- 
 ton, S. C. In his various journeyings dur- 
 ing his professional vacations, which he took 
 for the benefit of invalid members of his 
 famil)-, he visited Chicago, St. Louis, Louis- 
 ville and New Orleans, alwa\-s making pleas- 
 ant and profitable acquaintances among the 
 distinguished members of the profession in 
 those places. 
 
 During the war of the rebellion he visited 
 the hospitals of Washington, intending to 
 stay as long as his funds should hold out. 
 Here his cheerful service among "our boys" 
 proved a great blessing, and when his purse 
 became exhausted, instead of coming home, 
 he enlisted as an assistant surgeon in a reg- 
 iment, and was sent to the front at Freder- 
 
The Cortland County Medical Sociktv. 
 
 159 
 
 icksburg, where for some time he did the 
 duties of regimental surgeon. But the 
 fatigue and wearing nature of his labors 
 were too much for a system already begin- 
 ning to feel the infirmities of age, and he 
 was allowed to return, but on the way en- 
 countered perils near!)' as great as those in 
 active service in the enemy's front, having 
 been left at a poor Virginia cabin, sick with 
 fever, and with a family so poor that the 
 cow and pig shared the hut with the bipeds 
 of the place, and the dietary consisting of 
 corn meal alone. But he survived these 
 perils, and, after resting awhile, returned to 
 his home quite fresh and well. 
 
 He occasionally visited New Haven, 
 Conn., and the scenes of his childhood and 
 youth, in his native town and county, nearly 
 alwa)-s taking some member of his family 
 with him. During one of these sojourns at 
 this place occurred the opening of the new 
 Medical College. On this occasion he met 
 on the platform three of the professors to 
 whose lectures he listened about forty years 
 before, and he was the onl\- matriculant of 
 the first class present. 
 
 Like many other medical men of his 
 early day, the principal branch of natural 
 history specially cultivated b)- him was 
 botany. In this Dr. Goodyear was an ex- 
 pert. He taught it to his children and his 
 students, who, under the inspiration im- 
 parted to them by their teacher, became 
 enthusiastic in its pursuit. And this en- 
 thusiasm was not limited to his home and 
 office, for many a one, in his extensive inter- 
 course with the people, was influenced by 
 it to pursue this fascinating department of 
 inquiry. Much of the tcdiousness and even 
 fatigue of his long rides over the hills, 
 through the forests, by the swamps and 
 river borders was relieved by the delight 
 yielded on every hand by the sight of some 
 new or rare, or even familiar flower or plant, 
 and those at home were rarely disappointed, 
 
 on his return, in the receipt of a rich botan- 
 ical contribution. His neighbors were often 
 surprised in looking over his flower borders 
 to find some new beauties that their un- 
 trained eyes had never seen before, and 
 could have been easily persuaded that they 
 were rare and expensive exotics. But when 
 told that they grew in abundance in the 
 neighboring woods, or yonder swamp, or 
 by Otter creek, or on the banks of the 
 Tioughnioga, their surprise was not dimin- 
 ished. 
 
 His botanical studies kept him ever 
 young, as an intelligent pursuit of any 
 branch of natural history will do to its ar- 
 dent votary. It is rest and vacation to the 
 weary doctor, and nianj-fold enhances the 
 pleasure of his periods of vacation travel 
 when they are taken. F.very where, in 
 every plant, shrub or tree, under every 
 stone or old log, in the very ooze or mud 
 beds of pond or river nature reveals herself 
 in an endless series of pleasure-giving sur- 
 prises, and when the microscope is added 
 to the means of observation and study, the 
 pleasure of the student is almost unlimited. 
 Dr. Goodyear was by no means indifferent 
 to other departments of natural science 
 than botany, but regarded every revelation 
 of it as but a thought of the Creator, and, 
 as such, worthy of interested attention. It 
 is said that he was much interested as well 
 as proficient in chemistry and physics. 
 
 Like too many physicians, especially of 
 his time, he was careless in the collection of 
 his dues — even in charging for his services. 
 Very often his charges were wholly inade- 
 quate, and in the matter of collection, he 
 allowed his patient to fix the amount he 
 would pay, and thus between charging and 
 collection his income was small. Besides 
 this, there was a large list of those who 
 never paid an)' thing, but freely and unhes- 
 itatingly called on him for service and sac- 
 rifice. "Keenly se;isitive to a kindness, he 
 
i6o 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 endeavored to repay the same ; as sensitive 
 to neglect, he still continued to feel kindly 
 toward all. Ever unwilling to owe any 
 man anything, and often doing without 
 comforts until he had the money in hand to 
 pay for them, it was strange to him that 
 people could ask for his services for a gen- 
 eration without seeking to recompense him 
 for the same. Yet when real inability ex- 
 isted he considered it a privilege to minis- 
 ter, and that not grudgingly." He once 
 told the writer that one of the greatest sins 
 for which he had to repent was not that he 
 had given the poor so little, but the rich so 
 viiich, — alluding to the easy manner in 
 which he had often allowed a long account, 
 severely earned, to be balanced by those 
 able to pay in full the customary and legit- 
 imate fees. 
 
 Dr. Goodyear's interest in his old class- 
 mates was manifested hy his correspondence 
 — his and their letters passing from one to 
 another in the manner of circulars. One 
 of his classmates was Professor Jared Kirt- 
 land, of Cleveland, the distinguished natur- 
 alist of Ohio, with whom he kept up a very 
 pleasant correspondence. 
 
 Three years before his death a daughter 
 died at Portage, Wis. She was the fourth 
 child whom he had buried — the last but 
 one. An invalid most of her life, he had 
 undertaken the journey, extending to the 
 Falls of St. Anthony, for the benefit of her 
 health. After marked impro\ement, she 
 suddenly declined in health, and died away 
 from home. This was a great source of 
 depression to him at the time. 
 
 On the 29th of January, 181 7, he was 
 married to Miss Polly Goodyear, a distant 
 relative of his, and living in his native town. 
 Much as we desire time and space for re- 
 counting the many virtues of this most ex- 
 cellent woman and most worthy helpmeet 
 of such a man, we are obliged barely to re- 
 fer to her long and happy association as the 
 
 wife of the "Good Physician," and as an 
 affectionate mother, devoted friend and 
 neighbor. She survived her husband more 
 than six years — kept fresh and fragrant 
 his memory in the annual meetings of the 
 County Society by the decoration of its 
 tables with the choicest flowers of "the 
 month of roses," which the good doctoral- 
 ways loved so well — a custom which has 
 been in a good measure perpetuated by his 
 only surviving child. 
 
 Their Golden Wedding was duly cele- 
 brated on the 29th of January, 1867 — the 
 doctor entering into its festivities with his 
 usual zest. He was gratified beyond meas- 
 ure by the great pains his friends had taken 
 to make it an occasion of joy, and appeared 
 to good advantage in his in\'ariable dress 
 coat and ruffles. He spent the following 
 summer with his family in New Haven, re- 
 visiting every spot dear to his childhood. 
 In February, 1869, he visited Philadelphia, 
 remained some time, and returned home 
 greatly invigorated. More cheerful than 
 usual during the next summer and the fol 
 lowing winter months, his steps grew slower. 
 But he abated not a whit his interest in 
 every thing, he buffeted any storm, an- 
 swered any call, and every day but his last 
 w^as dressed with the usual neatness and 
 care, which those who knew him will re- 
 member so well. He died on the morning 
 of March 1st, 1870, aged seventy-six years. 
 
 Dr. Lewis Riggs was born in Norfolk, 
 Conn., on the i6th of January, 1789. His 
 father was of English, his mother, of Scotch 
 descent. They were good examples of the 
 early inhabitants of New England, and 
 both are said to have been persons of re- 
 markable force and energy of character. 
 Their family consisted of seven sons and 
 two daughters, and were trained to habits 
 of industry and frugality. Lewis was the 
 youngest son, and although brought up to 
 the labor of the farm, displayed much me- 
 
The Cortland Colwtv Medical Society. 
 
 i6i 
 
 chanical talent as well as aptness for the 
 acquirement of a knowledge of books. 
 While at home he had the advantages of a 
 common school education, and also of sev- 
 eral terms at an academy in his native 
 town, thus acquiring what was considered 
 a good English education. But the lack 
 of means prevented his pursuit of a college 
 course, to which he aspired. His taste and 
 talent for mechanical employment led to his 
 apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade to 
 Mr. Samuel N. Gaylord, with whom he 
 came to Cortland in the spring of 1805. 
 In after years, when riding over the coun- 
 try as a practitioner of medicine, he was 
 able to point to not a few houses and barns 
 which he helped to build. After working 
 at his trade for about two years he returned 
 to Connecticut, where a part of the time he 
 plied his trade, and a portion of the time 
 attended school. In the spring of 1809 he 
 decided on the profession of medicine, and 
 commenced his student life in the office of 
 Dr. Samuel Woodward, of Torringford, 
 Conn., a practitioner of high repute, and the 
 father of the afterwards distinguished alien- 
 ist of the Worcester As\'lum, and who was 
 his fellow student. In the office of Dr. 
 Woodward his opportunities for medical ob- 
 servation were superior for the times. In 
 May, 1812, he received a county license to 
 practice, but continued in the office of his 
 preceptor during the summer, but in Octo- 
 ber of that year he went to Philadelphia to 
 attend a course of medical lectures in the 
 Uni\'ersity of Pennsylvania. Here he sat 
 under the instruction of Drs. Rush, Philip 
 Syng Physic, Dorsey and Wistar — the 
 leaders in medical thought at that period. 
 This was the last course of lectures deliv- 
 ered by the venerable Rush at the close of 
 a long and active life as civilian, medical 
 practitioner, author and medical professor. 
 He died April 19th, 181 3. Dr. Physic has 
 been called the father of American surgery, 
 
 as Dr. Rush was confessedly the father of 
 American medicine. To listen to the in- 
 struction of these men was a rare oppor- 
 tunit\- for \oung Riggs, and was not allowed 
 to pass without being improved, and the 
 lessons made impressions which lasted for a 
 life time. l-'rom C()n\'ersations which the 
 writer had with Dr. Riggs in the latter years 
 of his life, it is certain that Dr. Physic, 
 equally with Dr. Rush, was impressed by 
 the diligence and acuteness of perception of 
 the young student from Connecticut, and as 
 the testimonials which he bore away from 
 these men, and now in the hands of Dr. H. 
 O. Jewett, of Cortland — having the "sign 
 manual" of one of the signers of the Declar- 
 ation, and of the father of American sur- 
 gery — abundantl)' show. 
 
 From Philadelphia he returned to his 
 native State, when, after looking about for 
 a few weeks, concluded to "go west," and 
 so in the spring of 1813 came to the State 
 of New York and located at \'ernon, Onei- 
 da count}-. Here he soon acquired a fair 
 amount of business, but after a while he 
 became ambitious of the wider field of a 
 more populous town and, in 1818, removed 
 to Homer and opened a drug store, intend- 
 ing to associate trade with practice as less 
 laborious than an entire devotion to general 
 work in the professional field. But he soon 
 found himself engaged in large practice. 
 The same year he became a member of the 
 County Society. For about ten vears he 
 continued the practice of his profession in 
 Homer, but in the summer of 1828 sold his 
 property and "practice" to Dr. Metcalf and 
 removed to Trumansburg, engaging as a 
 partner in a dr\- goods store. We have no 
 explanation of this strange movement for a 
 physician well prepared for professional 
 work, but find it pleasant to make a record 
 of the fact he did not long remain in a busi- 
 ness which ill-befitted him and with which 
 he naturally became dissatisfied. Dr. Met- 
 
l62 
 
 History ok Cok,tlanu County. 
 
 calf, for some reason, did not remain in 
 Homer long and Ur. Riggs was persuaded 
 by his former patrons in that town to re- 
 turn to his legitimate calling. Theic he 
 applied himself with his characteristic ener- j 
 gy to professional work and soon became 
 one of the leading practitioners, and for 
 several )-ears performed a large share of the 
 medical and surgical practice of the town. 
 In 1834 Dr. Riggs formed a copartner- 
 ship with Dr. Ashbel Patterson, formerly 
 of Danby, Tompkins county, and continued 
 the association for about seven years. After 
 the dissolution of this business relation he 
 was nominated in the fall of 1840 b\- his 
 political party to represent the district in 
 Congress. He was elected and served his 
 constituents as the representative of the 
 Twenty-second District in the Twenty- 
 seventh Congress, 1841-42. This led to 
 his retirement from practice and to his en- 
 gagement in other enterprises which would 
 relieve him from the labors of professional 
 work. He purchased the flouring mill 
 south of the village and erected a new stone 
 building on its site, superintending its con- 
 struction and planning man}- of the details 
 of its machinery. But this did not distract 
 his attention entirely from his interest in 
 medicine, and he frequently responded to 
 professional calls from his old friends and 
 patrons. 
 
 In the spring of 1847 'i'-' 'i^d an attack 
 of hemiplegia, which confined him to his 
 bed for several weeks and threatened the 
 termination of his life. From this attack 
 he gradually recovered and in a few months 
 was able to resume his accustomed employ- 
 ments. But he never recovered his former 
 strength and activity. Still his memory, 
 . except for certain words and names, and 
 his mental faculties generally seemed but 
 slightly, if at all, impaired. 
 
 He attended to some calls about the vil- 
 lage bv those who still insisted on ha\ing 
 
 the opinion and advice of "the old doctor," 
 and also attended at times to consultation 
 visits in the countr}-. 
 
 But his infirmities from year to year crept 
 gradually on him, of which he had the clear 
 perception and the good sense to acknowl- 
 edge. And yet he was able to perform 
 some work and rarely suffered e.xcepting 
 temporarily until the fall of 1869, when he 
 was prostrated by a slow fever which con- 
 fined him to his room, and much of the 
 time to his bed, during the following win- 
 ter and spring. At the approach of warm 
 weather he began to rally and was so far 
 impro\-ed as to be able to walk about the 
 village, although his steps were slow, neces- 
 sitated by those heart degenerations pecul- 
 iar to advanced life and which caused 
 paroxysms of difficult respiration. But as 
 the months wore on, at the approach of 
 autumn, it became evident that the end 
 was near. His ])arox\-sms of dyspncea be- 
 came more frequent. His last days were 
 those of a very gradual failure, and the last 
 hours were a quiet sinking to rest, appar- 
 ently conscious to the last. He died about 
 midnight of the 7th of November, 1870, in 
 the eighty- second \'ear of his age. 
 
 Dr. Riggs was twice married. P"irst to 
 Miss F"anny Olmstead, a lady of quiet and 
 amiable disposition and purely domestic 
 habits. B\- her he had five children, four 
 daughters and a son Mrs. Riggs, after 
 several years of feeble health, died of acute 
 pneumonia, on the 31st of January, 1862. 
 He afterwards married Mrs. Sarah Lilly, 
 with whoni he spent the remainder of his 
 days. 
 
 Dr. Riggs possessed a good phj'sique 
 with a large amount of \'ital stamina and 
 great physical and moral courage. His 
 countenance was strongly marked, his eyes 
 were dark, his brow prominent, his mouth 
 firm and compressed, bordering on the se- 
 vere. His personal appearance conveyed 
 
The Cortland County Medical Society. 
 
 163 
 
 at once the impression of unusual force of 
 character. He possessed a mind naturally 
 vigorous and well poised ; was thorough, 
 bold and independent in his thoughts and 
 actions and firm in his convictions. 
 
 For these notes of the life of Dr. Riggs 
 we are indebted to the very able and in- 
 teresting biographical sketch read at the 
 annual meeting of the County Societ\- in 
 December, 1870, by Dr. H. O. Jewctt, of 
 Cortland. We regret that we ha\e not 
 room for a more extended notice. 
 
 Dr. George W. Bradford was born in the 
 town of Otsego, near Cooperstown, N. Y., 
 May 9th, 1796, and died at Syracuse, Oc- 
 tober 31st, 1883. He was of the seventh 
 generation in direct descent from the famous 
 William Bradford, the second go\ernor of 
 Plymouth colony. His father, Esek Brad- 
 ford, a native of Providence, R. I., removed 
 from Woodstock, Conn., about 1793, to 
 that portion of the town of Otsego now 
 called Hartwick. George was the third 
 child and oldest son of a family of ten chil- 
 dren. 
 
 The opportunities for education at that 
 early day in a new country were extremely 
 limited — the nearest school-house being 
 two miles awa)- and his school term being 
 limited to the few months between late fall 
 and early spring ; but this short time was 
 compensated b)- its most energetic and dili- 
 gent use. He early acquired a taste for 
 books and became a devoted reader of the 
 best literature accessible. In i8i2and 1813 
 he was sent to an academ\- at Woodstock, 
 Conn., where among his school-mates was 
 the afterwards celebrated surgeon and clin- 
 ical teacher, Dr. George McClelian, the father 
 of Gen. George B. McClelian. In 18 14 he 
 was sent to a classical school at Clinton, N. 
 Y. In the fall of 18 16 he entered as a 
 student the office of Dr. Thomas Fuller, of 
 Cooperstown, the leading physician of that 
 vicinit)'. Here he alternated severe study 
 
 with horse- back rides in company with his 
 preceptor, receiving the double benefit of 
 health and the acquisition of professional 
 knowledge in the form of clinical instruc- 
 tion and observation — an educational ad- 
 vantage not lighth^ to be estimated. He 
 never had the benefit of systematic lectures 
 in college, a fact which he always lamented. 
 In 1 8 19 he removed to Preble in this coun- 
 t\- where he duly commenced the practice 
 of medicine. In I'ebruary, 1820, he re- 
 t'lrned to Cooperstown and was licensed to 
 practice medicine by the Otsego County 
 Medical Society. About 1821 or 1822 he 
 removed to Homer, where, for about si.xty 
 years, he continued the practice of his pro- 
 fession. In October, 1820, he was elected 
 a member of the Cortland County Medical 
 Society. Si.x years afterward he was chosen 
 secretar}^ of that society, an office which he 
 held for forty-fi\'e )'ears consecutively, 
 when, from increasing disabilit}' from deaf- 
 ness, he resigned, but was still continued in 
 the ofiice of treasurer until 1 88 1, when he 
 declined a re-election, having permanently 
 removed to Syracuse. At the time of 
 his resignation as secretar}- the society 
 passed resolutions expressive of its high 
 estimate of the faithful and intelligent man- 
 ner in which he had performed the duties 
 of secretar}- and treasurer and of how much 
 of the prosperity of the societ}- was due to his 
 vigilant administration. In 1841 Dr. Brad- 
 ford was elected a delegate to the State 
 Medical Society for four years and in 1847 
 was elected a permanent member of that 
 society, and the same year was elected one 
 of the delegates to the American Medical 
 Association, which then met in Philadelphia 
 and where he became a permanent member 
 of that body at the time of its permanent 
 organization. In 1858 he was elected vice- 
 president of the State Medical Societ\- with 
 his associate, the accomplished Brinsmade, 
 in the president's chair — declining the 
 
164 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 solicitation of the nomin^itiiiL;" committee to 
 accept tlic nomination for the presidency. 
 
 Besides tliose that strictly related to his 
 profession, he was the recipient of various 
 honors military, civil and literary. In 185 i 
 he was elected as Member of Assembly of 
 the State Le.yislature, where he proved him- 
 self to be an iiulustrious and capable mem- 
 ber of several committees and especially of 
 the one on medical colleges and societies. 
 In November, 1863, he was elected to the 
 State Senate, and in 1855 was re- elected to 
 the same position. An interesting chapter 
 might be written of his perseverance and 
 tact in securing the passage of the bill pro- 
 viding for anatomical materiel for medical 
 
 o 
 
 colleges (his celebrated "Bone Bill") and 
 for the establishment and maintenance 
 of various educational and benevolent in- 
 stitutions. In 1 856 he was elected a mem- 
 ber of the American Association for the 
 Advancement of Science, and in the same 
 year was elected to membership in the Wis- 
 consin Historical Society, to the library of 
 which he in after years contributed several 
 valuable historical \\-orks. In 1858 Genesee 
 College conferred on him the honorary dc 
 "ree of Master of Arts. Some of the most 
 important services of his long and busy 
 life were those given to Cortland Academy, 
 at Homer, to the trusteeship of which he 
 was elected in 1832, a position which he 
 held for thirtj'-eight years. In conjunction 
 with the late Dr. Woolworth, for many years 
 its principal, he rendered most efficient 
 service in the cause of education as well as 
 in every work of benevolent enterprise and 
 Christian endeavor. In 1864 as a member 
 of the electoral college he cast his vote for 
 Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Bradford was often 
 called upon to act as secretary of various 
 societies and kept the records of the County 
 Bible Society for about forty years. 
 
 At the request of the Cortland County 
 Medical Society in 1880 — it being the 
 
 si.xtieth anniversary of his connection with 
 the society — he gave a summary of the 
 changes which had occurred during that 
 period in the practice of medicine. 
 
 From the first years of his professional 
 life Dr. Bradford became a generous patron 
 of medical literature. About 1820 he be- 
 came the constant reader of Tlie Pliila- 
 delphia Jotinial of the Medieal c'V Pliysieal 
 Scicnees until the change of its title to that 
 of lite Aiiieriean Journal of the Medieal 
 Scienees in 1827, which he continued to 
 read, as well as many other journals, up to 
 1 88 1, the time of his removal from Homer. 
 It is not difficult to perceive that one who 
 thus furnishes his mind with the best 
 thoughts and a record of the most recent 
 discoveries and observations of the leading 
 minds in the profession, must be well 
 grounded in the principles which should 
 guide him. .As a writer said of him in a 
 local journal in 1876: " He is wo/ of the 
 'old school' for his school is like the Lord's 
 mercies, ' neiv every morning.'" In gen- 
 eral literature ho was the reader of the best 
 books and journals. In common with 
 many of our profession he was much inter- 
 ested in all departments of natural science, 
 but made a specialty of botany, and many 
 years ago made a report to the Regents of the 
 University on the plants of Cortland county. 
 
 It will be seen from Dr. Bradford's habits 
 of reading and study that his librar\- must 
 have grown with his \-ears and as he chose 
 well his collection, must have been not onl)- 
 large but \aluable. It was one of the larg- 
 est medical libraries in Central New York, 
 if, indeed, it did not e.xcel any other. He 
 had a plan, which rapidly growing infirmity 
 allowed him to carr)' out onl_\' in part, viz.: 
 the distribution of his books among his 
 medical friends, knowing full well that, 
 however rare and valuable, when on the 
 auctioneer's counter they would count for 
 little more than the coarsest paper stock. 
 
The Cortland County Medical Society. 
 
 165 
 
 On the 17th of March, 1S18, Dr. Brad- 
 ford was united in marriage to Miss Mary 
 Ann Walker, of Middlefield, Otsego county, 
 N. Y. The\' had three cliikh'cn. The eldest, 
 a son who died in infancy at Cooperstown. 
 The next, Emeline M., the accomplished wife 
 of Wm. W. Northrop, esq., of New York 
 cit}', and Helen Sabina, who died in March, 
 1 84 1, aged 17 }'ears. On the 17th of 
 March, 1868, Dr. and Mrs. Bradford cele- 
 brated their Golden Wedding, " upon which 
 occasion a large number of their neighbors 
 and friends honored themselves and their 
 esteemed hosts by their presence, congrat- 
 ulations and gifts." Mrs. Bradford survived 
 this joyous event but six years. On the 
 26th of November, 1874, at 7 o'clock in 
 the morning " the golden bowl was broken." 
 
 In middle life Dr. Bradford was what is 
 denominated tough, wirj-, enduring. In 
 early life he was delicate, but by horse- back 
 riding, most rigid temperance in eating and 
 drinking and great regularity of habits — 
 or habits as regular as a busy medical prac- 
 titioner could observe in all hours, times and 
 seasons — he acquired great powers of re- 
 sistance against the adverse influences of 
 exposure and fatigue. But to us he seemed 
 reckless as to personal protection, for not 
 until 1864 would he wear, e\'en in the cold- 
 est weather of winter, either overcoat or 
 gloves. In Jul}-, 1863, while treating the 
 gangrenous wound of a soldier just returned 
 from the field of Gettysburg, he suffered 
 septic poisoning through an abrasion on his 
 right hand, which resulted in long continued 
 and fearful inflammation with thecal ab- 
 scesses of the palm and fingers, loss of 
 tendons, contractures and ankylosis and the 
 consequently dangerous prostration, render- 
 ing the prognosis for a long time doubtful 
 and the public mind full of anxious inquiry 
 as to his condition and prospects. We can- 
 not better describe Dr. Bradford as he ap- 
 peared in his prime than to quote an 
 
 account given by his former pastor, the 
 Rev. T. K. Fessenden, who was intimately 
 associated with him in every good word and 
 work for several years. He says : "When 
 I first knew him in 1842 he was, I think, 
 between forty and fifty years of age, dimin- 
 utive in stature, not over nice in his dress 
 and appearance, often blunt and even curt 
 in his manner of speaking, but always truth- 
 ful. There was a rare common sense in 
 his views and mode of speaking. There 
 was a pleasant smile on his countenance, 
 a quiet humor in his remarks and in his 
 social intercourse which made him a most 
 genial companion, while his honesty, ten- 
 derness and manifest deep interest in his 
 intercourse with the sick gained for him the 
 confidence and love of those who employed 
 him. He had a great abhorrence of quack- 
 ery and trickery, and this often led him to 
 speak of it in not very complimentary terms 
 — sometimes so as needlessly to offend. 
 But I think the largest portion of the best 
 people of Homer then employed him and 
 regarded him as a wise, skillful, entirely 
 trustworthy and successful physician. I 
 had occasion to know much of his religious 
 character. No one could be an inmate of his 
 family and not see that the one great aim 
 of his life was to do the will of God. He 
 was a generous supporter of charitable and 
 religious objects and institutions. There 
 was not a more liberal and public spirited 
 donor to benevolent objects, in proportion 
 to his means, in the congregation or com- 
 munity. He was a friend to whom all 
 classes could go with the assurance of kind- 
 ness and sympathy in their troubles. He 
 did not reap a harvest of wealth ; men of 
 the world might feel that his life work was 
 not conspicuous or eminently successful, but 
 when tested by the true standard, — by per- 
 sonal worth, by professional fidelity, by the 
 confidence and love of the good in the com- 
 munity in which he lived and by the bless- 
 
1 66 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 ings wliich lia\'e flowed frmn his character 
 and sacrifices for tlie good of others, I be- 
 lieve he will receive the approval 'well done, 
 good and faithful servant ; enter thou into 
 the joy of thy Lord.' " 
 
 The last two years and a half of his life 
 were spent in Syracuse at the home of his 
 granddaughter, Mrs. Dow, who, with her 
 mother, Mrs. Northrop, ministered lovingly 
 to his comfort during the declining months 
 of his life. The choicest portions of his 
 librar\-, medical and miscellaneous, were ar- 
 ranged in cases about the walls of his room, 
 so that he might still feel that he was at 
 home with his friends about him and with his 
 books and journals, and although memory 
 was mostly gone, he daily enjoyed brief 
 and pleasant converse. And thus life ebbed 
 away. Late in the night of October. 30th, 
 1883, he was resting as quietly as an infiint 
 on its mother's breast. When light broke 
 on the earth on the morning of the 31st, it 
 was found tliat the wheels had ceased to 
 move, — he was at rest. 
 
 The funeral services were held in the Con- 
 gregational Church in Homer in the after- 
 noon of November 2d, and which were con- 
 ducted bj' the pastor, the Rev. W. A. Rob- 
 inson, assisted by the Rev. Dr. Edward 
 Hitchcock, who pronounced a brief but ap- 
 propriate discourse on the occasion from 
 Heb. iv: 9. In speaking of Dr. Bradford he 
 said : — 
 
 "Few lives furnish richer material for 
 stimulating biography. On its title-page 
 could be fairly written ; ' The upright citi- 
 zen ; the skillful physician ; the conscientious 
 representative; the wise legislator; the pure 
 patriot ; the zealous reformer ; the conserv- 
 ative thinker; the patient investigator; the 
 progressive scholar; the judicious adviser ; 
 the faithful friend ; the sympathetic helper ; 
 the large-hearted philanthropist ; the con- 
 scientious, consistent Christian man.'" 
 
 His medical brethren bore his remains to 
 
 their final rest in the beautiful Glen wood 
 Cemetery, and then assembled to pass me- 
 morial resolutions. 
 
 Dr. I'hineas H. Burdick, of Preble, was 
 born in De Ruyter, Madison county, N. Y., 
 June 3d, 1800. 
 
 His father was a farmer of moderate 
 means and was able to give his son only 
 the advantages which the common school 
 could aftbrd him, and that mainly during 
 the winter months, working on the farm 
 during the summer. But his ambition to 
 become a tcaclicr stimulated him to push 
 his studies with such vigor that he was early 
 qualified to assume the duties of that call- 
 ing. His wages, whether earned on the 
 neighbors' farms or in the school-room, 
 during his minority, were always returned 
 to his father, so that at his majority, "with 
 weakened physical powers, penniless, un- 
 aided and alone, he set forth to the acquire- 
 ment of a noble profession," determined to 
 succeed, "which, with alternate study and 
 teaching, together with tiie strictest econo- 
 my, he accomplished in due time, with no 
 mean acquirements, as attested b}- his life- 
 work." 
 
 His medical studies were had in the of- 
 fice of Dr. Hubbard Smith, of De Ru}-ter, 
 and Dr. Jehiel Stearns, of Pompey, — the 
 latter for many years the leading surgical 
 authorit)- in Central New York. He at- 
 tended medical lectures in the college at 
 Castleton, Vt., but did not complete the 
 course requisite for graduation. He was 
 licensed to practice medicine b\' the Onon- 
 daga County Medical Society in 1828, and 
 commenced the duties of his profession in 
 Scott in this county during the same year ; 
 also in 1 828 becoming a member of the 
 Cortland County Medical Society. " He 
 was twice married ; first to Miss Sally Dyer, 
 of Homer, who, not long after, died of 
 small-pox, contracted from the messenger 
 who came to obtain the services of the doc- 
 
The Cortland County Medical Soctetv. 
 
 167 
 
 tor. Two years later he was married to 
 Miss Laura J. Phelps, daughter of Judge 
 Jabez B. Phelps, who was also a ph\sician, 
 but never engaged in the practice of med- 
 icine. " 
 
 In 1833 Dr. Burdick renio\ed to Preble, 
 where he lived and labored up to the time 
 of his sickness and death — a period of 
 thirty-seven years. His earl\- professional 
 life, as that of many other j'oung physi- 
 cians, witnessed severe struggles with pov- 
 erty. " During several of the earlier years 
 of professional life he rode wholly on horse- 
 back, being unable to purchase a vehicle to 
 ride in. The first carriage he ever owned 
 he bought for five dolliirs — a rattling, 
 ricket}' thing, but he said he felt proud of 
 it — it was his." 
 
 " By assiduit}^ in business he was crown- 
 ed with success and at length acquired a 
 competence quite equal to that attained b\- 
 country ph)-sicians ; though, through man- 
 ifold charities, he had unquestionabl}- given 
 away much more than his accumulated 
 property. He was a cheerful giver, often 
 bestowing more liberalh' than his means 
 would warrant." 
 
 Though suffering from difficulty of breath- 
 ing and other infirmities, he continued to 
 attend diligentl}- to the duties of his pro- 
 fession until a few weeks before his death, 
 giving himself little relaxation from work, 
 rarely taking a vacation. 
 
 Amid all his labors he took great inter- 
 est in public affairs and especially in the 
 condition of the common schools of the 
 town, making his early experience as a 
 teacher available in the interest of a higher 
 standard of education. For several years 
 he was superintendent of public schools. 
 For several years during the administrations 
 of Jackson and Van Buren he served as post- 
 master. Aside from these instances he 
 steadih- refused any political preferment. 
 
 He was for forty-two )-ears a member of 
 
 the County Medical Society and always 
 very punctual in attendance at its meetings, 
 contributing to its proceedings and serving 
 it as delegate to the New York State Med- 
 ical Society for four years, and of which he 
 was elected a permanent member in 1853. 
 He was also sent as delegate to the Amer- 
 ican Medical Association, of which he be- 
 came a permanent member. In 1851 the 
 Regents of the University conferred on him 
 the honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine. 
 
 Strict integrity was among his character- 
 istics. He was eminently a religious man. 
 " For the last thirty years of his life he was 
 a most e.xemplary professing Christian, and 
 for the last decade a ruling elder of the 
 Presbyterian Church." 
 
 For the last eight years of his life he was 
 able to leave much of the burden of his 
 work to his son. Dr. Daniel W. Burdick, 
 who had graduated at Geneva Medical 
 College in 1862. 
 
 "Yet he maintained his interest in his 
 profession, read his medical journals and 
 continued business to some extent until 
 September, 1869, which, and the following 
 month of October, he spent in traveling in 
 the western part of the country. It was 
 by exposures during this journey that he 
 added to his previous trouble of shortness 
 of breath on taking active exercise, and a 
 troublesome cough which continued to -in- 
 crease after his arrival home ; and by the 
 first of February, 1870, he was confined to 
 his house, most of the time unable to lie 
 down, — sleeping in the erect posture and 
 suffering terribly at times from paroxysms 
 of dyspncea. He had all the signs of 
 hypertrophy of the heart and valvular le- 
 sions, with pulmonary congestion, h\'dro- 
 thorax and general anasarca. 
 
 "After about eight weeks of the most in- 
 tense suffering, which was borne through- 
 out with the same evenness of temper and 
 Christian fortitude that had e\-er character- 
 
1 68 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 ized him, in the triumph of living faith, he 
 died March 28th, 1870. At his funeral, on 
 the 30th, the whole community seemed to 
 turn out, and especiall\- the old men and 
 women of the town, to whom for so many 
 years he had been a devoted and sympa- 
 thizins^ friend — in a sense, a confessor, and 
 a judicious adviser in times of trouble." 
 
 At a meetin<^ of the members of the 
 County Medical Society, present on the oc- 
 casion of the funeral, suitable resolutions 
 were passed, commemorative of the services 
 and virtues of their deceased brother, and 
 Dr. H. C. Hendrick, of McGraw\'ille, was 
 requested to prepare a memorial sketch of 
 Dr. Rurdick, to be presented at a subse- 1 
 quent meeting of the societ)'. At the 
 meeting of the society, December 14th, 
 1870, Dr. Hendrick read a highl_\- interest- 
 ing memorial record, which was communi- 
 cated to the State Medical Society and 
 published in its Transactions for 1871. 
 
 Dr. Horace Hronson, of Virgil, was of 
 Scotch descent. 
 
 He was born at Catskill, N. Y., Septem- 
 ber 8th, 1796. When four or five years of 
 age the family removed to Vernon, Oneida 
 county, N. Y. Here he had his early ed- 
 ucation in the common schools of the place | 
 and was an apt scholar, developing when 
 quite young a taste for natural history 
 studies. It appears that he became a mem- 
 ber of Hamilton College, but did not com- 
 plete the curriculum of college studies by- 
 graduation. During his college course he 
 devoted much attention to chemistry and 
 became much attached to Dr. Noyes, the 
 professor in that department. We are not 
 able to give the date of his commencing the 
 study of medicine, but it was in the office 
 of Dr. Lewis Riggs, then of Vernon, and 
 probably completed in the office of Dr. 
 Hastings, of Clinton ; nor the date of his 
 first connection with the Medical College 
 at Fairfield, N. Y., where it is said he at- 
 
 tended four full courses of lectures and 
 graduated in 18 19. He spent much time 
 with Dr. Hadley, the professor of chemistry 
 and materia mcdica, working in the college 
 laboratory and pushing his inquiries into 
 chemistry and pharmacy, as well as botany, 
 geology, and mineralogy. His love for the 
 natural sciences continued through his whole 
 professional life. He made extensive col- 
 lections and his cabinet was rich in the de- 
 partments of mincralog}- and paleontology. 
 One of his red-letter periods was a visit 
 from Professor Emmons, of .Alban}-, one of 
 the distinguished geologists of the State 
 Natural History Survey, and who was in- 
 debted to Dr. Bronson for the determina- 
 tion of important scientific facts relating to 
 his specialt)-. 
 
 Sometime, probabK' in 1S20, he visited 
 his former friend and instructor. Dr. Lewis 
 Riggs, of Homer, who ad\ised him to settle 
 in Virgil, which he did soon after. He be- 
 came a member of the County Medical 
 Society on the 17th of October, 1821. At 
 that time there was only one other member 
 of the society who had received the degree 
 of Doctor of Medicine, and that, as before 
 mentioned, was Dr. Miles Goodyear, of 
 Cortland. 
 
 Dr. Bronson had but few professional 
 neighbors when he began the practice of 
 medicine, and those often inaccessible in an 
 emergency. He was thus thrown on his 
 own resources, which a sound mind and 
 thorough professional training enabled him 
 to marshal eftectivel)-. In the departments 
 of surgery and obstetrics, especially the 
 latter, he was eminently successful. 
 
 He held the obligations required b_\' the 
 principles of medical ethics in \'ery high 
 regard. 
 
 " He was very forbearing to those whom 
 he had aided, and lost much in the delin- 
 quency of his patients. He was a good 
 citizen, hospitable to his acquaintances and 
 
-^ ^J\j<i,C>0- 
 
The Cortland County Medical Society. 
 
 169 
 
 generous to the needy. He was a friend 
 to the cause of education and also a strong 
 friend of temperance and kindred reforma- 
 tory causes. He sustained a h'gli reputa- 
 tion as a man of integrity." He was for 
 many years a consistent member of the 
 Presbyterian Church. 
 
 For several j'ears he was conscious of a 
 steadily advancing cardiac trouble, which 
 grew worse in the latter half of 1873 and 
 terminated his useful life on the 30th of 
 January, 1874. At the next meeting of 
 the County Medical Society, in June, 1874, 
 his distinguished pupil. Dr. Frederick Hyde,' 
 read a high!)' interesting biographical sketch 
 of him. 
 
 One of the most astute and popular 
 practitioners among the early physicians 
 of this county was Dr. Azariah Blanchard, 
 of Truxton. He became a member of the 
 County Societ}' in 1821 and continued the 
 practice of medicine in Truxton for about 
 twenty-five years, when he removed in 
 1846 to Milwaukee, Wis., where he con- 
 tinued his professional work for several 
 years and until the infirmities of age com- 
 pelled him to desist. He died in 1S68, full 
 of years and honors and rich in the esteem 
 and affection of his numerous acquaintances. 
 A Milwaukee journal in noticing his de- 
 cease said : " Dr. Blanchard has been a 
 resident of Milwaukee twenty-two years, 
 and we can say without exaggeration that 
 no man ever lived in this communit}- who 
 had fewer enemies — we might say he had 
 none, for his daily life was marked by such 
 a guileless simplicity and Christian conduct 
 in all his relations, which justly rendered 
 him a most estimable and beloved citizen. 
 His heart was warm, not merely toward his 
 fellow-men, but toward his countr)-. Dur- 
 ing the war his patriotic sympathies were 
 always alive, and like a good man he prayed 
 
 1 Sketches of the lives of Dr?.. Frederick Hyde and C. 
 Green will be found in another portion of this work. 
 
 to live to witness the crowning triumph of 
 the nation." 
 
 Dr. Lyman Fldredge, of Cincinnatus, 
 became a member of the County Society 
 in 1829, having been licensed by the Her- 
 kimer County Society. For many years he 
 was an extensive practitioner and kept him- 
 self well posted in the literature of his pro- 
 fession. 
 
 Dr. Eleazer H. Barnes, of Marathon, be- 
 came a member of the County Society in 
 1840, and pursued his profession for many 
 years with diligence and success. For the 
 last few years, owing to increasing physical 
 disabilities, he has mainly retired from prac- 
 tice. 
 
 Dr. Homer O. Jewett was born in Leb- 
 anon, Madison county, N. V., and when he 
 was twelve years of age his father removed 
 to Homer in this count)-. His father was 
 a native of Lanesboro, Mass., being the son 
 of one of the Revolutionar\- heroes who 
 faithful!}- served his country throughout 
 that war. 
 
 Dr. Jewett had the usual experiences of 
 the farmer's boy of his period — constant 
 work and rigid economy. The farm which 
 his father purchased is now the site of Glen- 
 wood Cemetery. 
 
 Besides the limited opportunities of the 
 common schools he enjoyed the advantages 
 of the academy at Homer under the ad- 
 niinistration of Prof Samuel B. Woolworth, 
 to whose counsel and encouragement he 
 attributes much of the success that maj- 
 have resulted from his educational course. 
 
 When, in his eighteenth year, his father 
 sold his farm and retired from business, 
 leaving to his son the wide world for a por- 
 tion, the son turned his attention to teach- 
 ing, and while pursuing the business of the 
 pedagogue he began the study of medicine, 
 but before going on with his medical course 
 he still further extended and established his 
 school education by two more terms in 
 
170 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Cortland Acadcm\-. After this he entered 
 tlie office of Dr. A. B. Sliipman, alternating 
 medical stud}' with teaching in order to be 
 able to ilcfray the expenses of the lecture 
 courses, much of the time devoting sixteen 
 of the twenty- four hours to the business of 
 teaching and study. 
 
 In the winter of 1841-42 he attended 
 the first course of lectures ever delivered in 
 the medical department of the University 
 of the City of New York. He also at- 
 tended the second course given there and 
 graduated in March, 1843. The faculty 
 of the medical department of the university 
 at that time consisted of Drs. Valentine 
 Mott, Mart)'n Paine, Granville Sharpe Pat- 
 tison, John Re\ere, John \V. Draper and 
 (iunning S. Bedford, one of the most bril- 
 liant and successful bodies of teachers that 
 ever graced the halls of medical learning 
 in this country. Dr. Payne was his oracle 
 
 — an oracle well chosen — and in him he 
 saw only what was wise and noble and 
 generous. He showed his pupil many kind 
 attentions, proffering him the freedom of 
 his private office, giving him several valu- 
 able works together with much safe advice 
 
 — altogether and reasonably giving him 
 the impression that he was a favorite jnipil, 
 all of which proved a healthful stimulus to 
 his ambition. 
 
 After practicing a few weeks with his 
 preceptor in the summer of 1843, he estab- 
 lished himself at Summer Hill, Cayuga 
 count)-, where he remained six years. Here 
 he had a wide field and unobstructed and 
 which he thoroughly and successfull)- cul- 
 tivated, acquiring much valuable experience 
 in the way of diagnostic skill and thera- 
 peutic tact. 
 
 In the summer of 1849 he removed to 
 Cortland where he still pursues the duties 
 of his calling. 
 
 For more than thirty years, and until 
 within the last five or six, it was his rule 
 
 never to refuse a call that he could attend, 
 regardless of the condition of the patient, 
 the inclemency of the weather, the con- 
 dition of the roads, the time of the day or 
 night, or the distance from home — a state- 
 i nient which will apply to a vast majority of 
 medical practitioners who conscientiously 
 and industriously devote themselves to the 
 duties of their profession as the medical 
 advisers and friends of the families in their 
 respective neighborhoods. 
 
 Dr. Henry T. Dana was born in Fenner, 
 Madison county, N. Y., in 1836, and was 
 the youngest son of Judge Sardis Dana. 
 
 He received "his early education at home 
 and in the local schools, and later in the 
 Cazenovia Seminary. 
 
 He became a private pupil of Dr. James 
 H. Armsby, the distinguished professor of 
 anatomy in the Albany Medical College, in 
 which college he graduated in 1863. The 
 same \'ear he located in Tully, Onondaga 
 county, where he practiced his profession 
 until 1869 when, his health becoming im- 
 paired, he removed to Chicago, 111., and 
 resided in that city about three years. In 
 1872 he removed from Chicago to Cortland 
 and resumed the practice of medicine which 
 he still continues with increasing success. 
 
 In 1874 he was appointed U. S. examin- 
 ing surgeon for pensions and held that 
 position until the fall of 1883, when a board 
 of examining surgeons was appointed and 
 on its organization he was elected its presi- 
 dent. In 1877 he was elected president of 
 the County Medical Society. 
 
 The Cortland County Medical Society was 
 ably represented in the medical branch of 
 the army service during the War of the Re- 
 bellion. 
 
 Dr. Judson C. Nelson, of Truxton ranks 
 his fellow surgeons of this count}- in point of 
 time of enlistment. 
 
 Dr. Nelson was born in Danby, Tomp- 
 kins county, N. Y., June 3d, 1824. His 
 
The Cortland County Medical Society. 
 
 171 
 
 father, the Rev. Caleb Nelson, was, for many 
 jears, the pastor of the Baptist Church in 
 Danb)', afterwards living in Spencer and 
 Candor, Tioga county. 
 
 Dr. Nelson was educated in the common 
 schools of Tioga county. 
 
 In medicine he was educated in Geneva, 
 where he was the private pupil, for three 
 years, of Dr. Thomas Spencer, then the 
 distinguished professor of the institutes and 
 practice of medicine in Geneva Medical 
 College, in which institution he attended 
 three courses of lectures, graduating in Jan- 
 uar\-, 1848. On the 20th of the ensuing 
 No\'ember he was married to Miss Henrietta 
 S. Walter, of Newark, Tioga count}-. 
 
 In March, 1848, he commenced the prac- 
 tice of medicine in Truxton, where he has 
 since pursued his professional work with 
 unusual success and popularity. 
 
 He was elected a permanent member of 
 the State Medical Societj- in 1875. He is 
 also a member of the Central New York 
 Medical Association, as well as of the Cort- 
 land Medical Societ\-. 
 
 "At the breaking out of the Rebellion, in 
 1 86 1, he began enlisting men in his own 
 and adjoining towns, first for the 23d Regt. 
 N. Y. S. Vols., and then for the 76th Regt. 
 N. Y. S. Vols., to which he was commis- 
 sioned as surgeon Dec. nth, 1861." He 
 served his regiment faithfully when, owing 
 to failing health, from a severe illness due 
 in part to severe work and also to the effect 
 of the climate, he was obliged, on the i ith 
 of Jul}-, 1862, at Fredericksburg, V^a., to 
 resign his position in the regiment altogether 
 and return to his home, as the medical offi- 
 cers of his division and himself believed, a 
 confirmed invalid. After spending some 
 time, however, at Avon Springs, he so far 
 recovered that earl}- in Januar}', 1863, and 
 b}- special contract with the surgeon -general, 
 he entered upon the duties of a medical | 
 officer in the U. S. General Hospital, De- j 
 
 partment of Washington, in which capacity 
 he occupied several positions of trust and 
 responsibility. He first served as ward 
 physician in Trinity General Hospital until 
 its discontinuance in April, 1863, then in 
 Mount Pleasant General Hospital until 
 December, 1863, when he was put in charge 
 of the Regular Army Post Hospital on the 
 Potomac, opposite Mt. Vernon, where he 
 remained until the following April, when he 
 was relieved by the regular surgeon of the 
 post. " He was then ordered to Finley 
 General Hospital and put in charge of three 
 surgical wards, where a large amount of 
 operative surgery devolved upon him and 
 where he remained (with the exception of 
 two weeks on duty with Surgeon Antisell 
 in attending the sick and wounded officers 
 who reported there from the front during 
 the great battles of the Wilderness, Cold . 
 Harbor and Petersburg) until the expira- 
 tion of his term of ser\-ice in November, 
 1864. 
 
 " On retiring from the hospital Dr. Nel- 
 son received the public thanks of the sur- 
 geon in charge for his faithful attendance 
 to duty and from the inmates of his wards 
 a very \aluable case of amputating and 
 general operating instruments as a testi- 
 monial of their appreciation of his services 
 in their severe trials and afflictions. 
 
 " He was in the battle of Fort Stevens, 
 one of the defenses of Washington, July 
 1 2th, 1 864, when Generals Early and Breck- 
 enridge made their famous assault on that 
 city." 
 
 Dr. Nelson has alwa}-s been a Democrat, 
 though during a portion of the war period 
 he voted with the Republicans. He has 
 held the office of supervisor of his town since 
 1872 — now on the thirteenth }'ear of con- 
 tinued service. 
 
 In the fall of 1875 he was elected as 
 Member of Assembly in its 99th session, 
 1876; and again in the fall of 1882 to its 
 
172 
 
 History of Cortland CoUiVTY. 
 
 io6th session, 1883. At the session of '83 
 he ser\ed as chairman of the committee on 
 the pubhc health and also on the committee 
 on charitable institutions. 
 
 On the 20th of June, 1883, he was mar- • 
 ricd the second time to Miss Florence Irwin 
 Snyder, of MiddleburLj, Schoharie count}-, 
 N. Y. 
 
 Dr. Henry C. Hendrick, of McGraw\ille, 
 is of English Puritan stock, whose charac- 
 teristics modified and softened in the course 
 of their history, have been fairly preserved 
 to the present generation. His grandfather, 
 Joel Hendrick — born in 1772 — remo\'ed 
 from Southington, Conn., to Guilford, Che- 
 nango county, N. Y., when a young man — 
 was one of the pioneers of that town and 
 reared his family there. His son, Leontes, 
 the father of the doctor, was born there in 
 1796; removed to Coventry in the same 
 count)' in 1832 when tiie subject of this 
 sketch was between four and fi\'e years old. 
 Dr. Hendrick was born in Guilford, Sep- 
 tember nth, 1827. He attended the vil- 
 lage district school and sometimes what was 
 called a "select school," and several terms 
 at the Oxford Acadcmj-. He became a 
 teacher and taught in the district and select 
 schools some twehe terms. This has given 
 him an interest in schools and he has ever 
 fince been more or less connected with 
 school boards 
 
 He studied medicine with his brother, the 
 late Dr. E. F. Hendrick, of Danbury, Conn., 
 who was a prominent surgeon in the war of 
 1 86 1, serving as surgeon of the 15th Conn. 
 Vols. 
 
 Dr. Hendrick attended a course of lect- 
 ures in Geneva Medical College in 1852 and 
 graduated in the medical department of the 
 University of Michigan in 1853; practiced 
 medicine in Willet four years ; removed to 
 McGrawville in December, 1857, where he 
 still resides. 
 
 He entered the niilitar\- service in the War 
 
 of the Rebellion in the summer of 1862, re- 
 ceiving his commission from Gov. Morgan 
 as surgeon of the 157th Regt. N. Y. Vols., 
 August 15th 1862 ; served in that capacity 
 nearly three years and was mustered out 
 July 31st, 1865. 
 
 lie served in extra service as follows: 
 On staff of Gen. Carl Schurz in charge of 
 3d Division i ith Corps Hospital at Brooks's 
 Station, Va., from March, 1863, to the 23d 
 of June following. Was assigned by Med- 
 ical Director Suckley in general charge of 
 the dressing department of 1 ith Corps Hos- 
 pital, third and fourth days of the battle of 
 Gettysburg. Assigned as one of the med- 
 ical examining board. Folly Island, S. C, 
 Sept. 2ist, 1863. October 2 1 St, 1863, was 
 made chairman of special examining board 
 to inquire into the sanitary condition of 
 certain regiments on Foil)- Island. On the 
 1 6th of Januar)', 1864 appointed chief med- 
 ical officer 2d Brig., Folly Island. In March, 
 1864, was post surgeon at Jacksonville, Fla., 
 and in April, 1864, post surgeon at Fernan- 
 dina. On the 13th of July, 1864, appointed 
 member of medical examining board at Hil- 
 ton Head, S. C, and at the same place July 
 19th, 1864, was appointed chief medical offi- 
 cer of Provisional Brigade. August 24th, 
 1864, appointed post surgeon, Hilton Head, 
 chief medical officer of " District of Hilton 
 Head, Fort Pulaski, Beaufort, St. Helena 
 and T\-bee Island." October 24, 1864, ap- 
 pointed post surgeon in charge of troops and 
 Confederate prisoners (600 officers) at P"t. 
 Pulaski, Ga. January 1 ith, 1865, was placed 
 in charge of P"icld Hospital \o. 1, Coast Di- 
 vision, S. C. 
 
 At the close of the service he was com- 
 missioned " Lieutenant-Colonel by Brevet 
 for meritorious service during the war" — 
 his rank as surgeon being " Major of Cav- 
 alry." 
 
 On calling to say good-bye to his friend, 
 the medical director of the department, he 
 
The Cortland County Medical Society. 
 
 173 
 
 handed him the subjoined document, which 
 was certainly a handsome recognition of the 
 doctor's faithful and efficient services during 
 the war : — 
 
 "Office of Medical Director. 
 
 " Dep.artment of the Solth. 
 " Hilton Head, S. C, July 12, 1865. 
 "To Surgeon Henry C. Hendrick, 
 
 •• 157th Regt, N. Y. Vols. 
 " Sir, 
 
 " On your bfing mustered out of the service 
 of the U. S. — the term of enlistment of your 
 regiment having expired, it gives me great pleas- 
 ure to testify to your imiform excellent conduct 
 as an officer and gentlemen since vou have been 
 on duty in this department, and to the able man- 
 ner in which you have discharged your official 
 duties. 
 
 •• Very Respectfully, 
 
 " Your Obedient Servant, 
 
 •• Meredith Clvmer. 
 "Lieut. Col. U. S. Vols., and 
 
 " Med. Director. D. S." 
 
 On being mustered out of service the 
 doctor returned to the peaceful duties of 
 his profession which he had patriotically left 
 three years before. 
 
 Dr. Hendrick has been twice married — 
 first to Miss Eliza J. Moonc}', of AVillet, who 
 died June 12th, 1858; and again Septem- 
 ber 5th, i860, to Miss Marinda McGraw, 
 daughter of the late Harry McGraw, of Mc- 
 Grawville. 
 
 Dr. Hendrick is a member of the Presby- 
 terian Church, and for the past fifteen years 
 has been an elder in that church. 
 
 Dr. James W. Hughes was born in Men- 
 don, Monroe county, N. Y., May 23d, 1832. 
 He pursued his preparatory studies in Cort- 
 landville Academ\% teaching a portion of 
 the time in the village schools, and a year 
 and a half in northern Mississippi, and en- 
 tered Williams College in 1856. He sub- 
 sequently was professor of mathematics in 
 Cortlandville Academy, devoting his spare 
 hours to the stud}' of medicine with Dr. 
 Miles Goodyear, and, after attending two 
 
 courses of lectures in the University of the 
 City of New York, he graduated in 1863. 
 In September of the same year he was 
 commissioned assistant surgeon of the 59th 
 Regiment N. Y. Vet. Vols., and entered on 
 his duties at once. In May, 1864, 'le "'^s 
 detailed for duty in the di\-ision field hos- 
 pital, and had charge of two of its wards 
 until August, when he was proinoted to the 
 more important and responsible position of 
 one of the division operating staff On the 
 4th of March following he was commissioned 
 surgeon of the I52d Regiment N. Y. Vols., 
 and on the 25th of the same month was, by- 
 order of Major- General Francis C. Barlow, 
 made division surgeon, and put in charge 
 of the division field hospital, in which posi- 
 tion he ser\ed until the close of the war. 
 
 On being mustered out he returned to 
 his home in Cortland and commenced the 
 practice of medicine, and still continues his 
 professional work in that place. 
 
 In natural history Dr. Hughes "follows 
 in the footsteps of his illustrious predeces- 
 sor," the venerated Goodyear, in his taste 
 for botany and horticulture. His familiar- 
 it}- with the flora of Cortland county ren- 
 ders him an authority in that department. 
 
 He keeps his library well supplied with 
 the latest and best professional books and 
 journals. 
 
 As a physician he is faithful in his devo- 
 tion to the interests of his patients. 
 
 Dr. Hughes is an elder in the Presby- 
 terian Church. 
 
 Dr. John H. Knapp was born in 18 19. 
 Studied medicine in the office of Drs. White 
 & Lyman, of Sherburne, and was licensed 
 to practice in the spring of 1843. Having 
 practiced in Marathon and Etna, he finally 
 fi.Ked his residence at Harford, where he 
 has largely enjoyed the confidence and re- 
 spect of the communit}- as a ]jh\sician and 
 citizen. 
 
 He united with the County Medical So- 
 
i;4 
 
 History of Cortland Couni v. 
 
 cict)- ill 1858, and was its president in 1861 
 and again in 1867. 
 
 In 1855 Dr. Knapp represented his coun- 
 ty in the Legislature as Member of the As- 
 sembl}', and has also served his town in the 
 Board of Supervisors. 
 
 In Ma)', 1863, lie was appointed b\- Pres- 
 ident Lincoln as surgeon of the board of 
 enrollment for the 23d New York Congres- 
 sional district, and remained as such to the 
 close of the war,— having examined in that 
 time probably over 6,000 men. 
 
 Dr. John D. Tripp, of Virgil, was born 
 in Dryden, N. Y., August isth, 1843. His 
 preparatory education was received in the 
 common school and in Dryden Academy. 
 
 He enlisted in the army in September, 
 1 861, was injured in Fort Totten, and dis- 
 charged in 1862; returned to Dryden and 
 commenced the study of medicine under 
 the instruction of Dr. Isaac S. Briggs ; at- 
 tended medical lectures at Geneva, and in 
 the spring of 1864 was examined and ap- 
 pointed medical cadet. During the winter 
 of 1864-65, was assigned to the department 
 of the east, with headquarters at New York 
 city, and, by doing night duty, was per- 
 mitted to attend the spring session of lect- 
 ures at Long Island College Hospital, and 
 graduated from that institution in June, 
 1865. He then did duty for a time as as- 
 sistant surgeon. 
 
 In October, 1865, he settled in Virgil, 
 where he continues the practice of his pro- 
 fession. He became a member of the Coun- 
 ty Medical Society, June, 1866, and in 
 1878 was elected its president. He has 
 read before the society several interesting 
 papers, more especially on the recent dis- 
 coveries in the functions of the nervous 
 system. 
 
 The County Society has always main- 
 tained a representation in the State Med- 
 ical Society as well as in the American 
 Medical Association, and in the District 
 
 Medical Associations of Central New York, 
 also in the neighboring county medical so- 
 cieties. 
 
 The society adopted the code of ethics 
 of the American Medical Association after 
 the organization of the latter in 1847, which 
 had also been adopted b)' the State Socie- 
 ty, so that it was, in the matter of ethics, 
 in conformit)' with the State and national 
 societies. 
 
 But when, in 1S82, the State Society, at 
 a thinl)' attended meeting, but packed for 
 a purpose, adopted what is called the "new 
 code," against the most serious and earnest 
 protests and warnings of the minority pres- 
 ent, as well as against a large majority of 
 the constituent county societies, — refusing 
 to postpone the consideration of the subject 
 for even one night, — the Cortland County 
 Medical Societ)' refused to comply with the 
 demand of the State Society to revise its 
 code of ethics so that it should conform to 
 that of the State Societ)'. B\- a large ma- 
 jorit}- — twenty-three to four — the Coun- 
 ty Society stands by the national code, and 
 is largely represented in the new State 
 Medical Association. 
 
 The society in its meetings, annual or 
 semi-annual, has, with few exceptions, held 
 its proceedings and discussions in a most 
 harmonious spirit. It has been the aim of 
 its members at such times to elicit and im- 
 part practical information, — to draw out 
 the valuable results of individual experi- 
 ence, observation and study, while a healthy 
 esprit dc corps has been maintained. 
 
 CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF MEMBERS. 
 Name. Dale of Election. 
 
 Lewis S. Owen 1808 
 
 I ohn Miller 1808 
 
 Luther Rice 1808 
 
 Elijah C. Wheeler 1808 
 
 Rohert D. Taggart 1808 
 
 Ezra Pannel ... 1808 
 
 .Mien Barney 1808 
 
 Jesse Searl _ i8o8 
 
The Cortland County Medical Society. 
 
 i;5 
 
 Mordecai Lowe 
 
 Joseph Sawtell 
 
 Levi Boies 
 
 John Lynde 
 
 Marcius Simmons 
 
 Joel R. Carpenter 
 
 Peleg B. Peckham 
 
 Miles Goodyear 
 
 Lewis Riggs 
 
 Alvan Ryan ... 
 
 Oliver P. Raymond — 
 
 Geo. W. Bradford 
 
 Azariah Blanchard 
 
 Horace Bronson 
 
 Elias P. Metcalf 
 
 Joseph H. Ellis 
 
 Eleazer W. Grain 
 
 Joseph Ballard 
 
 Hiram N. Eastman _ . 
 Phineas H. Burdick . . 
 Alanson Burroughs . _ . 
 
 Turnis Turner 
 
 Sylvester F. Pelton _ . _ 
 
 Harvey Houghton 
 
 Archelaus Green 
 
 Daniel M. Wakely..- 
 
 Hubbel Fox . . _ 
 
 Corrington Babcock__ 
 
 Robert C. Owen 
 
 Isaac Noyes 
 
 Arabert B. Smith 
 
 Alanson Owen 
 
 Lyman Eldredge 
 
 Constantine P. Weaver 
 
 Isaac S. Briggs 
 
 Daniel Havens 
 
 Hiram Brock way . 
 
 Henry Williams 
 
 Marsena Terry 
 
 Ira L. Babcock 
 
 John Jeffrey 
 
 brvil P. Laird 
 
 Frederick Hyde . . 
 
 Azariah B. Shipman . . 
 
 George W. Maxson 
 
 Melvin A. Webster 
 
 Francis A. Decker 
 
 William M. Freeman . 
 Christopher L. Main . _ 
 
 809 
 812 
 812 
 
 8'5 
 817 
 818 
 818 
 818 
 819 
 820 
 820 
 821 
 821 
 822 
 823 
 824 
 826 
 828 
 828 
 828 
 828 
 828 
 828 
 828 
 828 
 828 
 828 
 828 
 828 
 828 
 829 
 829 
 830 
 830 
 830 
 831 
 83' 
 831 
 832 
 833 
 833 
 833 
 833 
 833 
 834 
 834 
 834 
 836 
 
 Ashbel Patterson 1836 
 
 Edwin P. Healy 1838 
 
 Jonathan W. Jones 1839 
 
 Eleazer H. Barnes 1840 
 
 David W. Houghtaling 1840 
 
 Hiram \Viggins 1840 
 
 Joseph Shipman 1841 
 
 Leander Green . 1841 
 
 William J. Wilson 1842 
 
 Franklin T. May berry -1842 
 
 Lysander B. White 1842 
 
 Anson B. Caul - 1843 
 
 Henry P. Eells . . 1844 
 
 Lyman H. Davis 1844 
 
 Caleb Green __ 1 845 
 
 James Finn 1845^ 
 
 George N. Woodward . _ 1846 
 
 W. B. Sturtevant - - 1846 
 
 Charles N. Kingman 1846 
 
 Titus B. Davidson 1847 
 
 Charles Thomas 1848 
 
 William Fitch 1849 
 
 Lorenzo J. Keen . 1850 
 
 Daniel E. Foot 1852 
 
 Marcellus R. Smith 1853 
 
 Charles H. Swain 1853 
 
 Dix A. Shevalier 1853 
 
 Franklin Goodyear 1854 
 
 Henry C. Hendrick 1855 
 
 William H. Niles 1855 
 
 Charles S. Richardson 1858 
 
 A. D. Read 1858 
 
 J. H. Knapp 1858 
 
 Jerome Angel _ _ _ 1858 
 
 T. C. Pomeroy 1859 
 
 G. L. Newcomb 1862 
 
 D. W. Burdick 1863 
 
 WilHam Galagher _ 1863 
 
 I. D. Warner 1865 
 
 A. L. Head .1865 
 
 H. O. Jewett 1865 
 
 James W. Hughes 1866 
 
 J. D. Tripp 1866 
 
 William Witherell 1866 
 
 L. C. Warner .1867 
 
 N. R. Barnes 1867 
 
 J . C. Nelson 1867 
 
 De Forest Hunt 1867 
 
 S. C. Webb .1867 
 
176 
 
 History ok Cortland County. 
 
 M. G. Hyde 
 
 O. G. Dibble - 
 
 D. C. Waters 
 
 William B. Niles .... 
 George G. Bosworth . . . 
 Marcellus L. Halbert.. 
 
 Henry T. Dana 
 
 George D. Bradford 
 
 Owen C. Hall - 
 
 Amasa Quivey 
 
 J. B. McClellan 
 
 Francis G. Wheelock . . 
 Kdward W. McBirney. 
 
 Dewitt C. Clark 
 
 Herman D. Hunt 
 
 Francis W. Higgins — 
 
 Charles E. Bennett 
 
 Frank H. Green 
 
 CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF PRESIDENT 
 
 Lewis S. Owen 1808, 
 
 John Miller 1820, 
 
 John Lynde 
 
 Lewis S. Owen 
 
 Miles Goodyear 
 
 Lewis Riggs._ .-1825, 
 
 Jesse Searl 
 
 A. Blanchard . _ _ 1828, 
 
 Levi Boies 
 
 Miles Goodyear 
 
 Horace Bronson _ 
 
 Lewis Riggs . 
 
 Miles Goodyear 1 834 to 
 
 A. B. Shipman 
 
 Miles Goodyear 
 
 A. B. Smith 1843, 
 
 Horace Bronson 
 
 Lyman Eldredge 
 
 Miles Goodyear 
 
 P. H. Burdick 
 
 Frederick Hyde 1849, 
 
 P. H. Burdick 
 
 Caleb Green . 
 
 C. ^L Kingman - . 
 
 Geo. W. Maxson 
 
 L.J. Keen 
 
 (ieo. W. Bradford 
 
 William Fitch 
 
 John Miller 
 
 F. Hyde.. 
 
 868 
 869 
 869 
 
 871 
 
 87, 
 
 872 
 
 872 
 
 87s 
 
 875 
 
 875 
 876 
 
 877 
 
 877 
 880 
 880 
 881 
 882 
 
 820 
 821 
 
 822 
 
 823 
 824 
 826 
 827 
 829 
 830 
 831 
 832 
 833 
 840 
 
 841 
 842 
 
 844 
 
 845 
 846 
 847 
 848 
 850 
 85J 
 85-' 
 853 
 854 
 
 855 
 856 
 
 857 
 858 
 
 859 
 
 C. ^L Kingman 1 860 
 
 J. H. Knapp._ 1861 
 
 Caleb Green 1862 
 
 Horace Bronson 1863 
 
 S. Beebe.. 1864. 1865 
 
 L D. Warner 1866 
 
 J. H. Knapp ...1867 
 
 J. C. Nelson.. i868 
 
 S. C. Webb 1869 
 
 H. C. Hendrick 1870 
 
 Isaac S. Briggs _ . 1871 
 
 E. H. Barnes .1872 
 
 H. O. Jewett -1873. '874 
 
 M. G. Hyde 1875, 1876 
 
 H. T. Dana. 1877 
 
 J. D. Tripp 1878 
 
 D. W. Burdick. 1876 
 
 A. (Quivey ..1880, 1881 
 
 Marcellus R. Smith . _ 1882, 1883 
 
 Charles E. Bennett 1 884 
 
 CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF SECREI ARIES. 
 
 Jesse Searl 1808 to 1820 
 
 Lewis Riggs - 1820 to 1823 
 
 Jesse Searl 1823 to 1825 
 
 Geo. W. Bradford 182510 1870 
 
 Caleb Green 1870 to 1884 
 
 PRESENT MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY. 
 
 Jerome Angel, - Union Valley 
 
 E. H. Barnes, . - - - Marathon 
 
 Charles E. Bennett, Cortland 
 
 Isaac S. Briggs, . . Dryden, 'I'omp. Co. 
 
 Daniel W. Burdick, Homer 
 
 George D. Bradford, Homer 
 
 Dewitt C. Clark, Marathon 
 
 Henry T. Dana, Cortland 
 
 William Fitch, .Dryden, 'I'omp. Co. 
 
 Caleb Green, Homer 
 
 Frank H. Green, Homer 
 
 M. L. Halbert, Cincinnatus 
 
 A. L. Head, Homer 
 
 H. C. Hendrick, McGrawvilie 
 
 F. W. Higgins, Truxton 
 
 James W. Hughes, Cortland 
 
 Herman D. Hunt, Preble 
 
 Frederick Hyde, Cortland 
 
 Miles G. Hyde, - Cortland 
 
 Homer O. Jewett, . _ Cortland 
 
 John H. Knapp, Harford 
 
 (George W. Maxson, Scott 
 
Secret Societies, etc. 
 
 177 
 
 Edward W. McBirney, \\'\\\et 
 
 Judson C. Nelson, . _ Truxton 
 
 A. D. Read,. - - - - Marathon 
 
 Marcellus R. Smith,. Cincinnatus 
 
 J. D. Tripp - .Virgil 
 
 Sumner C. Webb, Homer 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 secret societies, etc. 
 
 The Free .ind Accepted Masons of Cortland County 
 Other Lodges Instituted — The Independent Order of Odil 
 
 THE orders of Odd Fellows, Masons, 
 and others somewhat similar in char- 
 acter, have always been well represented in 
 this county, and the different lodges now 
 embrace many of the leading citizens; this 
 is especially true of those ancient and hon- 
 orable orders, the Free and Accepted Ma- 
 sons and the Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows. 
 
 The first Masonic Lodge in Cortland 
 county (then Onondaga) was known as 
 Homer Lodge No. 137, which was char- 
 tered by the Grand Lodge of the State of 
 New York to brethren residing in the 
 county and vicinity on the 9th day of May, 
 I 806. Under this charter the lodge worked 
 until June 6th, 1833, when the warrant was 
 forfeited. 
 
 The old records of this lodge are still 
 preserved by the present lodge in Homer 
 and the charter was deposited in the ar- 
 chives of the Grand Lodge but a few years 
 ago, by L. E. Barker,^ of Homer village. 
 Hung in the lodge rooms at Homer are also 
 the old warrant of Washington Chapter 
 No. 29 Royal Arch Masons; also the war- 
 rant of the old Preble Lodge. 
 
 The next lodge in the county was insti- 
 tuted at Preble, its charter bearing the date 
 of Nov. lOth, 1814; it was called Hesper 
 
 1 We are indebted to Mr. Barker for important assis- 
 tance in this connection, and also to Geo. I^. Warren, 
 of Cortland village. Mr. Barker was Master of Homer 
 Lodge from 1865 to 1871, and District Deputy Grand 
 Master m 1S70-71. 
 
 — The First Lodge in tlie County — Its Old Records — 
 Fellows — Lodges ami OITicers — Other Societies. 
 
 Lodge No. 237 and was suspended June 
 5th, 1834. 
 
 On the 8th of January, 1 821, a warrant 
 was issued to Miles Dunbar, as master; 
 Alanson Coats, senior warden; Arnold 
 Hicock, junior warden, and other brethren, 
 to hold a lodge in Tru.xton, to be called 
 Truxton Lodge No. ^^^. The warrant 
 was surrendered June 8th 1832. 
 
 A warrant was issued to Benjamin S. 
 Campbell, master; Jabez B. Phelps, senior 
 warden; Nathan Dayton, junior warden, 
 and other brethren, on the 6th of June, 
 1823, to hold a lodge at Cortland (then in 
 the town of Homer) by the name of Cort- 
 land Lodge No. 371. This lodge held its 
 meetings at Port Watson, and the warrant 
 was surrendered June 8th, 1832. 
 
 In June, 1825, a warrant was issued to 
 Jacob Hemingway, master; Caleb Sher- 
 man, senior warden; Wm. Lincoln, junior 
 warden, and other brethren, to hold a lodge 
 in Virgil, to be called La Fayette Lodge 
 No. 409. This lodge forfeited its charter 
 June 8th, 1832. 
 
 A tt'arrant was issued to Malicah Church, 
 master; John Davis, senior warden; Bar- 
 nabas Hastings, junior warden, and others, 
 June 1st, 1825, to hold a lodge at Harrison 
 (now Marathon) by the name of Western 
 Union Lodge No. 417. The warrant was 
 surrendered and work discontinued June 
 5th, 1835. 
 
 During the Anti-Masonic political cru- 
 
178 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 sadc the orilcr in this cuiint}', as in most 
 other sections, rcniainecl dormant and so 
 continued from about the date last men- 
 tioned durinj4 a period of more tlian twenty 
 years. But in June, 1X59, CorthiiuK'ilie 
 Lodge No. 470 was chartered. The follow- 
 ing brethren were charter members: Joseph 
 Reynolds, Horace Dibble, C. S. Mattison, 
 R. H. Duell, S. R. Hunter, Franklin Good- 
 year, Horace L. Green, C. B. Chittenden, 
 A. 1'. .Smith, J. A. Schermcrhorn, S. L. 
 Thompson, ( ). V, Eldredge, B. Bulman and 
 Josiah Hart, jr. This lodge has had a 
 membership of over four hundred. The 
 present officers are: S. S. Kno.x, W. i\I. ; 
 Fitz Boynton, S. W. ; C. T.. Kinney, J. W. ; 
 F. M. Keator, treasurer; VVm. F. Bnrdick, 
 secretary; H. J, Harrington, S. D. ; H. T. 
 Hollister, J. D. ; P. Van Bergen, tiler; J. J. 
 Taggart, organist. 
 
 On the 20th of Sepetmber, 1854, Homer 
 Lodge No. 352 was instituted under a dis- 
 pensation from the Grand Lodge of the 
 State of New York, Joseph D. Evans, grand 
 master, with the following charter members: 
 Ashbel Patterson, M. D. ; Cornelius B. 
 Gould, Lj'man Reynolds, E. C. Reed, 
 Stephen Knapp, H. D. Patterson, Wm. R. 
 Smith, Elijah Button, I'".lijah Baker, Josiah 
 Patterson, FVank Richardson, M. E. Wal- 
 pole, Elnathan W. Vanderlyn. On the 3 1st 
 day of August, 1855, the lodge was duly 
 constituted under a warrant and the follow- 
 ing officers were installed by Geo. N. 
 Williams, deputy grand master: Ashbel 
 Patterson, master; Ella R. Stephens, senior 
 warden; Hammil Thompson, junior, war- 
 den ;Wm. L. Sherman, treasurer; Josiah 
 Patterson, secretary; A. W. Kingsbury, 
 senior deacon; E. \V. \'anderl\'n, junior 
 deacon; Jas. McNiel, tiler. 
 
 The present officers of the lodge are: 
 Chas. E. Wills, W. ma.ster; R. A. Goodell, 
 senior warden; Philo Jones, junior warden; 
 John J. Murray, treasurer; Robert J. Wat- 
 
 son, secretary; F. D. Carpenter, senior 
 deacon; L. L. Rood, junior deacon; Isaac 
 Smith, tiler. Geo. Murra}-, jr., C. H. Gil- 
 lett and B. H. Griffin are the trustees. 
 This lodge is incorporated. 
 
 Royal Arch Masonry. — The first Royal 
 Arch Masonry of which we have any record 
 in this county was in 1809, when a dispen- 
 sation was granted to comps. George Rice, 
 Hooker l^allard, Samuel Hoar, jr., and 
 others to hold a lodge at Homer, by the 
 name of Centre Mark Lodge No. 50. On 
 the 7th of February, 18 10, a warrant was 
 issued to Geo. Rice, high priest; Asahel 
 Minor, king; Reuben Washburn, scribe, 
 and others, to hold a chapter of Royal 
 Arch Masons in Homer by the name of 
 Washington Chapter No. 29. This chap- 
 ter was represented in the Grand Chapter 
 by companion George Rice, Joshua Ballard, 
 Joseph Crofoot, Jabez B. Phelps, Nathan 
 Gillett, Luther Nicols, Benjamin Enos, F^d- 
 ward C. Reed, William Andrews, Benjamin 
 Chamberlain and Orin Stimpson. The 
 chapter could not withstand the Anti-Ma- 
 sonic prejudice and forfeited its charter, 
 until tile year 1865, when a dispensation was 
 granted and the chapter revived. 
 
 On the 8th of F""ebruary, 1866, a charter 
 was granted to Roswell K. Bourne, high 
 priest; S. Adams, king; Geo. L. Warren, 
 scribe, and companions John W. Osgood, 
 W. H. Crane, G. W. Davenport, R. W. 
 Bourne and Horace Dibble, to hold a chap- 
 ter of Royal Arch Masons in Cortland, to 
 be called Cortland Chapter No. 194. There 
 have been on the rolls of this chapter 102 
 members and the chapter is now in a flour- 
 ishing condition. Following are the present 
 officers: Geo. L. Warren, H. P.; A. Sager, 
 K. ; O. Hitchcock, S. ; Fitz Boynton, treas.; 
 W. F. Burdick, sec'y; C. E. Selover, C. of 
 H. ; W. D. Tisdale, R. A. C. ; H. T. Dana, 
 P. S.; Fitz Boynton, M. 3d V.; C. E. 
 Ingalls, M. 2d v.; T. T. Bates, M. 1st 
 
Secret Societies, etc. 
 
 '79 
 
 v.; P. Van Bergen, tiler; J. J. Taggart, 
 organist. 
 
 Knights Templar. — The first and only 
 Comrnandery of Knights Templar ever or- 
 ganized in the county is Cortland Com- 
 rnandery No. 50, Knights Templar, which 
 was chartered in October, 1871, to the fol- 
 lowing named Sir Knights: W. H. Crane, 
 Geo. L. Warren, A. Sager, J. D. Benton, 
 Wm. F. Burdick, M. A. Rice, R. E. Hill, 
 E. M. Seacord, A. B. Wooster, P. Van Ber- 
 gen, Wm. S. Copeland, C. W. Kinne, M. J. 
 Robinson, Seth Hobart. All these Sir 
 Knights except two received the order of 
 knighthood in St. Augustin Comrnandery 
 38, at Ithaca. The present officers are: 
 Wm. F. Burdick, E. C . ; R. C. Shattuck, 
 general; Geo. L. Warren, capt. general; A. 
 Sager, treas. ; E. M. Seacord, sec'y ; H. T. 
 Dana, prel. ; M. A. Rice, senior warden ; D. 
 C. Smith, junior warden ; C. F. Thompson, 
 St. br. ; O. Hitchcock, sw. br. ; Fitz Boyn- 
 ton, warder; C. F. Baldwin, C. E. Ingalls 
 and Geo. W. Loomis, guards ; P. Van Ber- 
 gen, captain of the guard. 
 
 independent order of odd fellows. 
 
 The first lodge of this order in Cortland 
 county was instituted F"ebruar\- i6th, 1847. 
 The charter was granted by the Grand 
 Lodge of the State of New York on Janu- 
 ary 19th, 1847, to Tioughnioga Lodge, No. 
 263. The charter members were Lyman 
 Reynolds, Isaac Fairchild, Horace P. Good- 
 rich, John H. Ferguson and Wm. P. Ran- 
 dall. When the State was subsequently 
 divided into the Northern and Southern 
 Jurisdiction, .or Grand Lodges, the number 
 of this old lodge was changed to 50 of North- 
 ern New York. This is all the information 
 we have been able to obtain relative to the 
 first lodge of Odd Fellows in this county. 
 
 Homer Lodge No. 280 I. O. O. F., was 
 instituted on the 30th of March, 1847, by 
 R. F. Russell, D. D. G. M. of Cayuga 
 
 District. The petitioners for the charter 
 were D. H. Strickland, German Thompson, 
 Wm. Dalrymple, Samuel Wallace and H. 
 L. Bowen. The lodge proved very pros- 
 perous, increasing largely in numbers and 
 in wealth, under the Jurisdiction of the 
 Grand Lodge of Northern New York. In 
 August, 1866, the union of Northern and 
 Southern New York was made ; P. G. H. 
 W. Blashfield was representative of Homer 
 Lodge at that session, held in New York 
 city. Subsequently it became necessary to 
 renumber the lodges, which was done. Ho- 
 mer being changed to No. 99. On the 1st 
 of March, 1875, lodge rooms were destroyed 
 by fire with all their contents, causing a 
 loss of one thousand dollars to the lodge, 
 yet not one meeting was lost, for at the 
 regular night of meeting the lodge took 
 rooms in the Masonic Hall and continued 
 to occupy them while the block was being 
 rebuilt and a new hall fitted. Fortunately 
 the lodge had a surplus fund to meet the 
 emergency, so the new hall was furnished, 
 and a balance of several hundred dollars 
 left in the treasury. 
 
 The lodge still continues in a healths- 
 condition. The present elective officers 
 are C. F. Williams, N. G. ; E. E. Warfield, 
 V. G. : George S. Gilbert, secretary ; S. P. 
 Miller, treasurer. 
 
 Marathon Lodge No. 415 I. O. O. F., 
 under the Jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge 
 of Northern New York, was instituted 
 January 2d, 1852, and its first officers were: 
 Nelson Roe, N. G. ; Israel W. Taft, V. G. ; 
 Henry W. Burlingame, secretary. The 
 lodge was run with uniform success until 
 August 7th, 1877, when its lodge room and 
 property were destroyed by fire, entailing a 
 loss upon the institution of several hundred 
 dollars. It was reorganized under a dupli- 
 cate charter November 14th of the same 
 year, but has never entireh- regained its 
 former prosperity. 
 
I So 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 When the Graiul Lodges of Northern 
 and Southern New York were consoHdated, 
 the number of the lotlgc was changed to 
 167, which it retains. 
 
 The jjresent officers of tiie lodge are : 
 Fred. S. Dellow, N. G. ; Isaac Stevens, V. 
 G. ; Lewis A. Burgess, secretary. 
 
 Vesta Lodge No. 555, was instituted in 
 Cortland, December 15th, 1870. The lodge 
 meets Monday evenings in Odd Fellows' 
 Hall. The present officers are : Charles B. 
 Roethig. N. G. ; L Whiteson, V. G. ; A. M. 
 Delavan, secretar\-; D. C. Johnson, treasurer. 
 
 Lion luicanipment meets also in Odd 
 Fellows' Hall on the first and third Wednes- 
 days of each month. Its officers are: H. 
 W. Blashfield, C. P. ; Arthur Nelson, H. 
 P.; S. N. Gooding, S. W. ; F. G. Kinney, 
 scribe ; C. E. Ingalls, treasurer. The Fln- 
 campment was instituted in 1871. 
 
 There are lodges of Odd Fellows now in 
 existence in Cortland village, Marathon, 
 Homer and Preble. There have also been 
 several other lodges of the order, which 
 ha\e also since been suspended, of which 
 we ha\'e no definite data. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 COUNTY SOCIETIES, lU'ILI IIXG.S, ETC. 
 
 The Cortland County Agricullur.il Society — Its First Fairs — List of its Presidents — The Cortland County 
 Farmers' Club — Its Organization and First Officers — Value of its Work— List of Officers — The Cortland County 
 Bible Society — The Young Men's Christian Association — County Buildings. 
 
 THE County Agricultural Society. — The 
 formation of the first agricultural so- 
 ciety in Cortland county in 1818 has been 
 described in the general history, with the 
 details of the first fair held. It is not known 
 just when this first organization closed its 
 career of usefulness, but it is probable that 
 there was not a long interval between that 
 event and the organization of the second 
 society in 1838. It is conceded that to 
 Henry Stephens, more than to any other 
 person, is due the credit of making the first 
 organization a success. 
 
 On the first day of October, 1838, a 
 meeting was held at the court-house for the 
 purpose of organizing the second and pres- 
 ent agricultural society. W'm. Berrj' was 
 chairman of this meeting and Henry S. Ran- 
 dall secretary. The first officers chosen 
 were John Miller, president ; Joseph Reyn- 
 olds and Peter Walrad, vice-presidents ; 
 Rufus Boies, treasurer ; Paris Barber, sec- 
 retary. The first fair was held at the Eagle 
 
 Ta\ern in Cortland \illage and was consid- 
 ered a success for that period, although it 
 was considered necessary in I 840 to reduce 
 the liighest premium from $3 to $2. Jesse 
 Ives was chosen president in 1841, and in 
 the following year an appropriation was se- 
 cured from the State, for the advancement 
 of agricultural interests, through the medium 
 of the socict)-. The fairs were held at the 
 court-house, in the Eagle Tavern, and per- 
 haps elsewhere until the grounds in Homer 
 village were secured. These were occupied 
 until 1857, when the present tract of land 
 between the villages was secured. Im- 
 provements have been made and buildings 
 erected from time to time on these grounds, 
 until now the)- -are admirably adapted to 
 their purposes and among the most com- 
 modious and convenient fair grounds in the 
 State. 
 
 Following is a list of the presidents of 
 the society who have been elected annually, 
 beginning with the )-ear 1S41 : Jesse Ives, 
 
County Societies, Buildings, etc. 
 
 i»i 
 
 Dan Hibbard, Wm. Randall, Jedediah Bar- 
 ber, Rufus Boies, H. S. Randall, Amos 
 Rice, James S. Leach, Peter Walrad, Hiram 
 Hopkins, Noah Hitchcock, Antlion\- Freer, 
 Paris Barber, Israel Boies, Alfred L. Cham- 
 berlain, Joshua Ballard, S. D. Freer, Manly 
 Hobart, W. P. Randall, VV. E. Tallman, S. 
 D. Freer, Geo. Murray, Wm. A. Boies, H. 
 
 B. Van Hoesen, C. C. Taylor, A. L. Cham- 
 berlain, F. H. Hibbard, A. D. Blodyett, H. 
 Dennison, J. C. Carmichael, S. D. P'reer, A. 
 L. Merrill, James M. Smith (four successive 
 years), James H. Clark, A. D. Blodgett, 
 James M. Smith, L. J. Fitzgerald (1882-83), 
 
 C. W. Gage, 1884. 
 
 The Cortland County P'armers' Club. — 
 This organization was formed in the year 
 1878, through the call of a meeting at the 
 ofiRce of John S. Barber, esq., for Wednes- 
 day, February 13th. Allen B. Benham was 
 chosen temporary chairman of the meeting 
 and T. Mason Loring temporary secretary. 
 A. P. Rowley stated the object of the meet- 
 ing, and on his motion the following officers 
 were appointed: president, A. D. Blodgett; 
 vice-president, Dwight H. Hitchcock ; sec- 
 retary, T. Mason Loring. On motion of 
 James M. Smith, A. P. Rowley, was chosen 
 treasurer. A. P. Rowley, A. B. Benham, 
 Charles Copeland and T. Mason Loring 
 were made a committee to prepare a code 
 of by-laws. Chas. H. Price, one of the mem- 
 bers, offered the gratuitous use of a room in 
 Taylor Hall Block, for the temporary con - 
 venience of the club, and the first regular 
 meeting was held there on the 23d day of 
 February, 1878. At this meeting the fol- 
 lowing question was discussed : " Plaster, 
 its uses and the time of appl)ing it." 
 
 The club received numerous acquisitions 
 to its membership during the first year of 
 its existence, and its intelligent discussions 
 of questions of importance to the farmers of 
 the county awakened a good degree of in- 
 terest. During its life of about si.x years the 
 
 club have invited and been addressed by 
 many able men, among whom may be 
 named Prof Roberts and Prof Law, of 
 Cornell University, Hon. Harris Lewis, 
 president of the State Dairymen's Associa- 
 tion, Mr. Powell, of Syracuse, James Root, 
 of Skaneateles, and others. 
 
 In the membership of the club are many 
 men who are both practical and theoretical 
 farmers of distinction, who have given their 
 best thoughts to the consideration of vari- 
 ous important topics, either in carefully 
 prepared papers, or in extemporaneous dis- 
 cussion. Among the more prominent of 
 these we may mention Hon. B. F. Tilling- 
 hast, Hon. Stephen Patrick, A. D. Blodgett 
 (president of the club since its formation), 
 H. P. Goodrich, D. E. Whitmore, Dr. King- 
 man (veterinary surgeon), A. B. Benham, Le 
 Roy Gillett, A. P. Rowley, T. Mason Loring, 
 Charles Taylor, Dr. Jewett, Prof J. H. Hoose, 
 A. Sager, Prof. Milne, Robert Purvis, Martin 
 Sanders, George Conable, Dr. Gazlay, B. S. 
 Conger, M. F. Cleary, and many others. 
 
 The club has met every two weeks since 
 its organization, except during the summer 
 work season, and has accomplished an 
 amount of good that is inestimable. 
 
 The efficiency displayed and the satisfac- 
 tion given by the first officers of the club, 
 as given above, is testified to by the fact 
 that the president and treasurer have held 
 their offices ever since their first election ; 
 H. P. Goodrich was vice-president for five 
 years ; while the secretary's office has been 
 filled by C. M. Bean and W. A. Bean since 
 the first election. Hon. B. I". Tillinghast is 
 now the vice-president. 
 
 The Cortland County Sportsmen's Club. 
 — This club was organized and incorporated 
 in April, 1866, by J. A. Schermerhorn, J. 
 
 C. Carmichael, J. S. Ormsby, F. E. Knight, 
 M. H. Mills, W. R. Randall, D. C. McGraw, 
 
 D. H. Burr, J. B. Fairchild, F. O. Hj-att, V. 
 Carpenter and M. Coats. 
 
I»2 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 The princij)nl objects of the chib were the 
 preservation of game and fish in the coun- 
 ty, the proper enforcement of the laws 
 bearing upon tliat subject, and the general 
 elevation of manly sports. In these direc- 
 tions the club accomplished excellent re- 
 sults, but it was dissolved about two years 
 
 CORTLAND COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY. 
 
 This socict)' was organized in Cortlaml 
 village on the 27th of August, 1816. Its 
 first officers were : Rev. Elnathan Walker, 
 president ; Elder Alfred Bennett, vice-pres- 
 ident ; William Sears, corresponding secre- 
 tary ; Jesse Searl, recording secretary ; 
 John Keep, treasurer. The society has ac- 
 complished much good, more than twenty 
 thousand dollars having been contributed 
 to the spread of the Bible. 
 
 In the Cortland Observer, printed at Ho- 
 mer village, of the date of September 24th, 
 1830, we find the following, which is of in- 
 terest in this connection : — 
 
 "Anniversary. — The annual meeting of the 
 Cortland Auxiliary Bible Society was holden at 
 Cortland village on the 21st inst. An apjiropri- 
 ate discourse was delivered by Rev. Alfred Ben- 
 net. The report of the directors was read by 
 the Rev. Luke Lyons, by which it ap[)ears that 
 fifty-seven destitute families in the county have 
 been supplied by the society since the last an- 
 nual meeting, besides fifty bibles which have 
 been given to the poor by a generous individual; 
 that the county has been nearly supplied; that 
 a debt due the parent society has been paid ; 
 that $133 remain in the treasury, and that $422 
 have been transmitted to the American Society 
 on the extra supjjly. . . . The officers chosen for 
 the ensuing year are as follows : Rev. Luke Ly- 
 ons, president; John Osborn, vice-president; 
 Franklin Sherrill, corresponding secretary ; Jesse 
 Searl, recording secretary and treasurer. 
 
 " Directors — Rev. John Keep, Rev. Alfred 
 Bennet, John Keep, esq., John Hubbard, Dan- 
 iel Miller, Lemuel Dady, Rufus Boies, Gideon 
 Hoar, Augustus Donnelly, Nathan Dayton, Sam- 
 
 uel B. Hitchcock, Charles Chamberlain, F.lisha 
 Grow, Jared Babcock, Asa G. Atwater, Joseph 
 L. Clapp." 
 
 The Young Men's Christian Association. 
 — This association was organized March 
 1 7th, 1 868, with the following charter mem- 
 bers : A. F. Tanner, C. W. Collins, H. C. 
 Smith, H. F. Benton, R. A. Smith, L. D. 
 Garrison, J. A. Todd, J. D. Fredericks, W. 
 H. Myers, T. F:. Pomeroy, A. N. Rouns- 
 vcll, Lewis Bouton. 
 
 F'ollowing were the first board of officers 
 of the association : — 
 
 President — A. F. Tanner. 
 
 Vice-president — H. C. Smith. 
 
 Recording secretary — J. D. Fredericks. 
 
 Corresponding secretary — C. W. Collins. 
 
 Treasurer — R. A. Smith. 
 
 Directors — H. F. Benton, W. H. Myers, 
 A. N. Rounsvell. 
 
 The first business meetings of the asso- 
 ciation were held in Fireman's Hall, and 
 the first devotional meetings in the Squires 
 block. Early in 1 869 the association moved 
 into rooms in Taylor Hall block, where they 
 remained until F\^bruary, 1882, when they 
 again moved into the Schermerhorn block, 
 and now occupy the entire third floor of 
 that block. Four large rooms are used, 
 including a parlor, gymnasium, reading 
 room and prayer room. 
 
 The present membership, consisting of 
 males onl\-, is 130. The rooms contain 
 about $200 worth of furniture, and furnish 
 about the only attractive place for young 
 men to spend their leisure to their profit. 
 The rooms are open every day (e.xcept Sun- 
 day) from 8 a. m. to 10 p. m. Bible classes, 
 gospel and young men's meetings are held. 
 
 The present officers of the association are 
 as follows : — 
 
 President — Elmer Bangs. 
 
 Vice-president — Dr. E. B. Nash. 
 
 Recording secretary^ — E. G. Gould. 
 General secretary — W. N. P. Dailey. 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 183 
 
 Directors — C. F. Brown, E. Jennings, 
 C. E. Selover, W, D. Tuttle, B. L. Webb.' 
 
 THE county clerk's office. 
 
 Tlic memory of the old and insignificant 
 structure, which served as a place of deposit 
 for the valuable county records during a 
 period of nearly sixty years, has not yet 
 faded away ; indeed, it is perpetuated by 
 numerous lithographic prints which have 
 been scattered through the county — an 
 honor that probably woukl not have been 
 paid the old building had its use not been 
 prolonged until it actual])' became the 
 laughing stock of citizens and strangers. 
 But the imperative necessity for a new 
 building became at length so pressing that 
 in 1873 the Board of Supervisors appointed 
 a committee to examine into the subject 
 and report. With these initiatory steps Su- 
 pervisor Matthias Van Iloesen, of Preble, 
 was, perhaps, more prominent!}' identified 
 than other member of the board. 
 
 A preliminary report was made to the 
 effect that a new clerk's office was needed 
 (a self-evident fact), and that one of proper 
 size and character could be built for from 
 $15,000 to $18,000. The subject rested in 
 abej'ance until the next year (1874), when 
 another committee was appointed with 
 broader powers. Mr. Ilicok, of Homer, 
 
 made a proposition that, as the town of 
 Homer would build and present to the 
 county a suitable office, it was the duty of 
 the board to accept the offer and locate it 
 in that village. This proposition (which 
 was the last flickering attempt to locate a 
 portion of the county buildings in Homer) 
 was rejected. 
 
 The last mentioned conmiittee reported, 
 in 1875, in favor of the erection of a two- 
 story brick structure, fire-proof and to be 
 located either on the old site, or on land 
 owned by the county just west of the court- 
 house; the building to cost about $17,000. 
 In December, 1875, the location was defi- 
 nitely fixed on the old site and proposals for 
 the building were solicited. The bid of L. 
 G. Viele was accepted by the building com- 
 mittee of the supervisors (composed of M. 
 'Van Hoesen, W. A. Bentlcy and D. Mc- 
 Graw) and the present handsome and con- 
 venient structure was erected. It was ready 
 for occupancy in February, 1877, and the 
 contents of the old building (which had 
 been temporarily deposited elsewhere), were 
 rearranged under the supervision of Deputy 
 Howard J. Harrington and placed on file 
 in excellent order. R. W. Bourne is the 
 present county clerk, and Howard J. Har- 
 rington, who has been in the office for about 
 sixteen years, is deputy. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF HOMER. 
 
 THE town of Homer embraces a part of 
 the original township No. 19 of the Mil- 
 itary Tract (Homer) and lies on the western 
 border and just north of the center of the 
 county. It is bounded on the north by the 
 
 1 This account of the Y. M. C. .V. was UiiuUy fuinished 
 by the general secretary. 
 
 towns of Preble and Scott ; on the east by 
 Truxton and Solon ; on the south by Cort- 
 landville, and on the west by Cayuga county. 
 The siu'face of the town is broken by the 
 east and west branches of the Tioughnioga 
 river and its two tributaries. Cold brook and 
 Factory brook. The western part of the town 
 
1 84 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 consists of an elevated upland, rising to the 
 lieight of fifteen hundred to sixteen hun- 
 dred feet above tlic tide. The valley of the 
 western branch of the Tioughnioga in the 
 town is of nearh' an a\erage width of a mile, 
 and is elevated one thousand and ninety-six 
 feet above tide. The eastern valley is much 
 narrower. A ridge of hills lies between these 
 two valleys, ranging from two to five hun- 
 dred feet in height above the Tioughnioga, 
 and a similar ridge occupies the southwest 
 corner of the town. 
 
 The soil of the river valleys is a deep, rich 
 alluvial and dark loam, which is well adapted 
 to tillage. On the hills it is a sandy or grav- 
 elly loam, better adapted for pasturage. 
 
 The township of Homer, when erected in 
 1794, and down to the year 1829, embraced 
 the present town of Cortlandville. Prior to 
 the year 1791, when Amos Todd and Jo- 
 seph Beebe explored this beautiful valley, the 
 territory now comprised within the bounda- 
 ries of the town of Homer, as well as the sur- 
 rounding vicinity, was known to the whites 
 only on maps and charts, and though con- 
 stituting a part of the State of New York, 
 was considered, chiefly on account of its lo- 
 cation, of but minor importance to settlers. 
 Previous to its settlement by Todd and 
 Beebe there was but a legendar}- history 
 of the localit}', consisting of reminiscences 
 treasured in the mcmor}' of the scattered 
 remnants of the Indian tribes who had oc- 
 cupied the banks of the Chenango and the 
 Tioughnioga^ rivers. The natural beauty 
 of hill, dale and valley in this region, with 
 the material advantages surrounding, soon, 
 however, attracted other eyes than those of 
 the red man, which led to the beginning of 
 settlement on the site of the present quiet, 
 rural village of Homer,^ whose spires and 
 
 1 The name of the Tioughnioga, in the Indian lan- 
 guage, was O-nan-no-gi-is-ka, signifying " .shagbark, " or 
 hickory. 
 
 ^llonicr was called liy the Indians, " Te-wis-ta-no- 
 ont-sa-ne-ha," signifying, " the place of tlie silversmith." 
 
 domes lend additional attractiveness to the 
 valley. 
 
 To record the events in the lives and early 
 settlements of those hardy adventurers who 
 first located on the banks of the Tiough- 
 nioga, or reared their cabins on the hill- 
 sides, is in part the task before us. Fortu- 
 nately some records were kept of early 
 events in this region, at a time w'hen they 
 were available and could receive verification. 
 There also remain here and there the aged 
 resident, whose memory reaches back to 
 early days and whose co-operation has en- 
 abled us to give the principal facts connected 
 with the history of this and other towns.^ 
 
 The first settlers in the town of Homer, 
 as they were also of the county, were Amos 
 Todd and Joseph Beebe, the latter's wife 
 Rhoda, and John Miller, whose experiences 
 will be given a little farther on. In the 
 spring of 1792 Mr. Miller, after a visit 
 home, rcttirncd with John House, James 
 Matthews, James Moore and Daniel Miller. 
 
 In 1793 Darius Kinney, Roderick Owen, 
 John Ballard and Captain David Russell 
 came into the town. In 1794 Jonathan 
 Hubbard and Moses Hopkins (who located 
 in the present town of Cortland) came in, 
 and were followed in 1795 by Thomas L. 
 and Jacob Bishop, Thomas Wilcox, Zebu- 
 Ion Keene, John Stone, Joshua Atwater, 
 Libeus Andrews, John Keep, Solomon and 
 John Hubbard, Thomas G., Ebenezer and 
 Charles Alvord. 
 
 In 1797 Joshua Ballard, John Albright, 
 Asa White and Caleb Keep came into the 
 town, and in 1798 considerable accession 
 was made to the population, by persons set- 
 
 1 It is worthy of mention that the people of Homer 
 have always been noted for their patriotism to their coun- 
 try, their religious character and their longevity; there 
 still reside here a number of early settlers who have 
 passed through the different stages of the history of the 
 town, to its present conditiim of growth and prosperity ; 
 to them we are indebtecrfor valuable assistance, and espe- 
 cially to Charles Kingsbury, Hosea Sprague, Thomas U. 
 Chollar, and others. 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 185 
 
 tling in various parts of the territory, but 
 more especially along the borders of the 
 cast and west branches of the river. While 
 the names of all who came in after this date 
 cannot probably be given, we can mention 
 the following : Stephen Knapp, Daniel, 
 Samuel and Gideon Hobart, Titus Stcbbins, 
 Samuel Hotchkiss, Dr. Lewis S. Owen, Dea- 
 con Noah Hitchcock, Zenas Lilly, Timothy 
 Treat, Enos Stimson, William Lucas, Asahel 
 Miner, Col. Benajah Tubbs, John and Rich- 
 ard Bishop. 1 These pioneers all came into 
 the town prior to 1800, and constituted the 
 beginning of the new settlement. They 
 were the men who suffered many and great 
 hardships, privations and inconveniences 
 while subduing the wilderness, all the de- 
 tails of which it is impossible at this late 
 day to obtain. Those who followed during 
 the first quarter of the nineteenth century 
 also endured privations and made sacrifices 
 that are little realized at the present day. 
 They all possessed aggressive spirits and 
 labored not for themselves alone, but for 
 their children and future generations as well. 
 For this life and purpose they abandoned 
 the hearthstones of their boyhood days, the 
 endearments of social ties, cultivated asso- 
 ciations and the many luxuries common to 
 older settlements. 
 
 The forefathers of Homer could have been 
 none other than men of enterprise, with pos- 
 itive characters and unfaltering determina- 
 tion, to have attained so high a degree of 
 success in their eflbrts for the extension of 
 civilization into what was then an unknown 
 wilderness. 
 
 Amos Todd and Joseph Beebe, whose 
 advent into the old town of Homer has been 
 already alluded to, migrated from New 
 Haven, Conn., and located at Windsor, 
 Broome county, N. Y., during the year 
 
 * Several of these i)ioneers settled within tlie |ii'eseiit 
 limits of Coitl.aiulville and becime identilied with tl\.it lo- 
 cility. See history of thai town. 
 
 1789. They explored the valley of the 
 Tioughnioga in the summer of 1790 and in 
 1 791 left Windsor to become the first settlers 
 in Cortland county and, probably, in the 
 town of Homer. They were accompanied 
 by Mr. Beebe's wife, Rhoda, who was 
 Todd's sister. The current narrative of 
 the early experiences of these pioneers, as 
 it has often been told and written, is as fol- 
 lows : — 
 
 Coming up the valley from the southward 
 they selected the site for their primitive 
 home just north of the present village of 
 Homer, within a few rods of the bridge 
 across the Tioughnioga, and nearly opposite 
 the residence occupied in later years by 
 Erastus Goodell. Their rude dwelling was 
 composed mainly of poles and was, perhaps, 
 twelve by fifteen feet in its dimensions. 
 Before this temporary abode was finished 
 their team strayed away into the forest. 
 Leaving Mrs. Beebe alone, the two men set 
 out in pursuit of the animals. Without any 
 protection other than the four walls of her 
 unsubstantial cabin, which was yet without 
 roof or floor, and with no door save simply 
 a blanket hung upon the poles to cover the 
 opening, the brave woman remained alone 
 three davs and nights. Durinsj these lone:, 
 lonely hours she is said to have retained a 
 tranquil mind and received no annoyance 
 save such as was caused by the howling 
 wolves and occasional screaming panther, 
 which at that time often made the nights 
 hideous. She received but one call during 
 the time the men were absent, and that was 
 by a wolf which, being rather timid, only 
 displaced the blanket door sufficiently to in- 
 troduce his nose and take a survej' of the 
 apartment and the shrinking woman. 
 
 A severer trial, however, awaited this 
 pioneer woman. During the following 
 winter her brother and husband were com- 
 pelled to return to Wintlsor for their house- 
 hold effects, etc. At the end of their jour- 
 
1 86 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 ney they were snow bound for a period of 
 six weeks, during which time Mrs. ]?eebe 
 remained in her lonely wilderness home, the 
 sole occupant of the forest and her "palace 
 of poles." She must have been blessed 
 with far more tlian ordinary courage and 
 fortitude or she could never have lain calmly 
 down in a dense forest, night after night, 
 many miles distant from any human habi- 
 tation, to rest by the lullabys of the wolves 
 and jianthcrs. Mrs. Becbe is said to luu'e 
 been tluis situated, and it was not until the 
 middle of the winter that her husband and 
 brother pushed their frail craft to Bingham- 
 ton, where they were joined b)- John Mil- 
 ler, father of the afterward well known dea- 
 con Daniel Miller. The little canoe was 
 again pushed from shore and on their way 
 homeward up the river "the men took 
 turns in directing its course and removing 
 obstacles, or following on foot and driviu"- 
 the cattle." Sometimes the stream was 
 found too shallow and the boat was drawn 
 across the rift by o.xen and then again set 
 afloat. Time, which is the author of all 
 changes in human aftains, at last brought 
 the pioneers near to their wilderness home. 
 The imagination of the reader can best de- 
 pict the meeting of the two men with the 
 brave and lonely wife and sister. So runs, 
 in substance, the narrative of the first set- 
 tlement of this town. 
 
 Unfortunately for the authors and cir- 
 culators of this interesting story, there is a 
 somewhat different version of it given upon 
 undoubted authority (that of Mr. Charles 
 Kingsbury, of Homer) which it is our duty 
 to reproduce. Mr. Kingsbury has written 
 and published many reminiscences of earlj' 
 times, and of the account of the winter jour- 
 ney of the three men from ]5roonie county, 
 says: "Now, it strikes me as being singu 
 lar that those first settlers should pull from 
 shore in midwinter and be able to propel 
 their frail craft, not only against the current 
 
 of the stream ; but the winter must have 
 been of a much milder type than modern 
 winters, or the stream would have been 
 filled with hea\'y ice which, of course, would 
 have seriously obstructed the navigation. 
 It appears that this story lacks confirma- 
 tion." These are Mr. Kingsbury's own 
 words, aiul the narrati\e as best substan- 
 tiated to him is to the effect that " Mr. and 
 Mrs. Bcebe and Mr. Todd, a brother-in-law 
 of Beebe, and at that time unmarried, came 
 up the river in a boat from Windsor and 
 landed on the west bank about midway be- 
 tween the present Port Watson bridge and 
 the point where the two branches of the 
 river unite.i There they constructed a 
 temporary cabin of a few logs, but mostly 
 of poles, and the men returned to W'indsor 
 for provisions and such articles as they could 
 bring back, and which their circumstances 
 imperatively demanded. It has been as- 
 serted almost times without number, that 
 Mrs. Beebe remained alone during their ab- 
 sence ; but it now appears upon good au- 
 thority that she had a daughter named 
 Clara, who remained with her. For some 
 cause, at present unknown, the men were 
 detained much longer than they expected 
 to be ; even more than twice the length of 
 time they had marked out had already 
 passed. Mrs. Beebe's small stock of pro- 
 visions was exhausted, and she was reduced 
 to the necessity of resorting to roots and 
 the barks of trees to appease their hunger 
 and sustain life. At length she came to 
 the conclusion that some serious misfortune 
 had befallen her husband and brother, and 
 that some decided effort was necessary on 
 her part ; the only alternative which pre- 
 sented itself, which appeared at all feasible, 
 was to make the journey down the river 
 through the forest on foot. This bold res- 
 olution she finally adopted, although well 
 
 'This would locate their first settlement within the 
 
 present boundaries uf Cortlandville. 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 187 
 
 aware that the woods were inhabited by 
 wild animals, many of which were fierce 
 and dangerous. She hoped by keeping near 
 to the stream, to avoid the danger of being 
 lost in the woods, and thus by patient and 
 persevering effort, she would at length suc- 
 ceed in emerging from the forest and dis- 
 covering a settlement. The day for begin- 
 ning the journey was fixed, the small means 
 she possessed were in readiness, when, some- 
 time in the night preceding her start, upon 
 looking out of her cabin, she discovered a 
 light some distance down the river. This was 
 something so unusual that it created much 
 interest in her mind, and, watching it closely, 
 she saw it was approaching. In a little 
 time it drew near and with it her iiusband 
 and brother, with a stock of provisions and 
 other goods which they so much needed." 
 
 This cabin was their temporary residence 
 during the time the men were engaged in 
 building a log house, on the farm upon 
 which Mr. Beebe located, west of Homer 
 village, on lot 43, on the south side of the 
 road formerly known as "the turnpike." 
 Here the Beebes spent the remainder of 
 their lives, Mrs. Beebe dying in 1830 and 
 her husband in 1802. An old-fashioned 
 headstone marks their graves, in what is 
 now Glenwood Cemetery. Like a majority 
 of the early settlers, Mr. and Mrs. Beebe 
 were very worthy people. We find their 
 names among the earliest members of the 
 first Baptist Church society of Homer. 
 
 Mr. Todd subsequently settled on the 
 form adjoining Mr. Beebe's on the east, 
 where himself and his wife passed their lives. 
 They were also worthy and respected mem- 
 bers of the community. Both of these fam- 
 ilies reared a number of children, all of 
 whom removed from the town. Harry S. 
 Beebe, son of Joseph, succeeded his father 
 on the farm, but subsequently removed to 
 the State of Pennsylvania, where he died 
 several years ago. 
 
 This last account of the first settlement 
 in this count}' is undoubtedly reliable and 
 correct, in the main, as we have it directly 
 from one who is, probably, the oldest na- 
 tive citizen now living in the old town of 
 Homer, to whom Mrs. Beebe herself related 
 the circumstances; going with him to the 
 spot upon which their first cabin was built, 
 which she was enabled to recognize by a 
 spring of water issuing from the ground near 
 to and in a certain direction from the loca- 
 tion of the cabin. The land on which the 
 dwelling was built was owned and occupied 
 in later years by Samuel Hotchkiss. 
 
 This last account of the first setdement 
 in the county by white persons becomes of 
 considerable importance when we consider 
 its authenticit)-, its bearing upon the most 
 prominent of the early experiences of the 
 pioneers, and the fact that it removes the 
 first settlement from the town of Homer to 
 a point within the present boundaries of 
 the town of Cortlandville. 
 
 As we have before stated, John Miller 
 accompanied Todd and Beebe on their sec- 
 ond journey up the Tioughnioga river and 
 in the spring of the year, 1792, brought to 
 the town of Homer his wife and two sons ; 
 they came from the State of New Jersey and 
 constituted the third family in the town ; 
 although John House, James Mathews and 
 James Moore accompanied him on his re- 
 turn from his former home in the spring of 
 the year last named. It appears by an old 
 record that the Miller family formerly re- 
 sided in the State of Maryland, about fifty 
 miles west of Baltimore ; but at what time 
 is not known ; nor is the place in New Jer- 
 sey, from which he is said to have migrated 
 to this county, known at this time, as far as 
 we have been able to learn. He settled on 
 lot 56, now embraced in the town of Cort- 
 landville, and further reference to the family 
 will be found in the history of that town. 
 
 John House, James Mathews and James 
 
i88 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Moore, wlio came into the town witli the 
 Millers, were from Binghamton ; they 
 camped at the forks of the river, where their 
 wives reniainetl while the pioneers went 
 forward and erected cabins for their tempo- 
 rary homes. " Mr. Mathews built on the 
 upper end of Mr. Miller's lot (56). Mr. 
 House about eight rods west of where Eb- 
 enczer Cole afterward lived. Mr. Moore 
 near the bridge just south of the cotton fac- 
 tory."' 
 
 Darius Kinney came into the town from 
 Brimfield (from which Massachusetts town 
 very many of the early settlers in this sec- 
 tion migrated), and located in 1793 on the 
 East river. Mrs. Kinney was a sister of 
 the wife of Judge Keep. Mr. Kinney re- 
 sided on that farm about four years, and 
 near the dwelling of Judge Keep on the 
 site of the present county poor-house. Mr. 
 Kinney then disposed of his farm and pur- 
 chased another in tlie valley of the west 
 branch of the river, since owned by Abel 
 Kinney (now owned by a Mr. Gallup), 
 where he died in 1S16. Mrs. Kinney sur- 
 vived her husband something more than 
 twenty- five years and was one of the little 
 band that constituted the first Congrega- 
 tional Church in Homer, in October, 1801 ; 
 at the time of her death she was the last of 
 the little company. 
 
 The Ballard family came from Holland, 
 Mass. John located on the east side of the 
 Tioughnioga, and three years later settled 
 on the farm subsequently owned by Paris 
 Barber. It was owned at that time by 
 Capt. David Russell, who had erected a 
 double log house near the northwest corner 
 of Mr. Barber's orchard. 
 
 During the year 1795 several small com- 
 panies came in by way of Manlius and 
 Truxton. Thomas L. and Jacob Bishop, 
 from Brimfield, located on lot 25, on lands 
 afterward owned by Noah Hitchcock, now 
 
 KiooiUvin's I/istoiy. 
 
 occupied by his son, Dwight Hitchcock. 
 The farm was known in early days as the 
 Vanderlyn farm. Thomas Wilco.x came 
 from Whitestown, N. Y., and located on 
 lot 64, where Joshua IkiUard afterwards 
 lived. Zebulon Keene located on the farm 
 
 afterward owned by Mr. Sheffield. 
 
 John Stone, from Brimfield, settled on lot 
 25, on what was subsequently known as the 
 Albert Baker farm. Joshua Atwater located 
 on lot 13, northwest of the village; Ezra 
 and Joseph Atwater were his sons. 
 
 Solomon and John Hubbard, brothers, 
 came from Massachusetts in 1795 or '96; 
 the former settled on lot 25 and the latter 
 on lot 26, a little north from the present 
 village. These men were active, intelligent 
 citizens and their eftorts in \arious direc- 
 tions for the good of the community became 
 in after j'ears important and influential. 
 Solomon Hubbard's residence, when origi- 
 nally erected, was looked upon as one of 
 the largest and most pretentious in the 
 county. 
 
 Thomas G., Ebenezer and Charles Al- 
 vord came in from Farmington, Conn., in 
 1795 or '96, and settled in the northwest 
 part of the town on lot No. 13. The form- 
 er, however, drew lot 56. When he reached 
 Manlius on his journey into the county he 
 was met by two "land-sharks," who, on 
 learning the number of the lot on which the 
 old hero was intending to settle, coolly in- 
 formed him that they had been to Homer 
 and that they were well acquainted with 
 '■• the position of his land, and would assure 
 him that it was of very little value, was wet, 
 the greater part of it being covered with 
 water. By virtue of plausible lies of this 
 character they induced him to part with 
 six luindi-ed acres of most \'aluable land for 
 a few dollars. 
 
 In 1795 luion Phelps emigrated from 
 Morristown, N. J., and settled on the north- 
 east corner of lot 50 in the extreme south- 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 189 
 
 east corner of the present town of Homer ; 
 there, on the hill adjoining the town of 
 Solon, he located on a hundred acres of 
 land which he had bought of George Clin- 
 ton. It is believed that Mr. Cilnton drew 
 this lot as bountj' land for services rendered 
 in the army. The location of Mr. Phelps 
 was about three miles from the valley, be- 
 tween which points there was at that time, 
 of course, no road. Mr. Miller, on lot 56, 
 (where T. Mason Loring now resides) was 
 desirous of opening better means of com- 
 munication with his neighbor Phelps ; he 
 accordingly started for the purpose of locat- 
 ing a road by "blazing" trees — making 
 what was early called a bridle-path. Leav- 
 ing the valley, he proceeded, as he sup 
 posed, in the direction of Mr. Phelps's 
 house ; he made good progress, finding the 
 route a very feasible one. Pushing on as 
 fast as the bru.sh and his labor marking the 
 trees would admit, he finally emerged from 
 the forest into a clearing. His astonish- 
 ment may be imagined on finding himself 
 not more than half a mile in a southeasterly 
 direction from the place where he left the 
 valley, and but a short distance from the 
 ground now occupied as a burying-ground. 
 He made a second attempt, but again failed 
 utterly. Procuring a compass, his third ef- 
 fort at road making was successful. ^ 
 
 William W. Phelps was a son of Enon 
 Phelps and a printer by trade. He was at 
 one time connected with one of the county 
 Democratic papers, but subsequently re- 
 moved to the western part of the State, 
 
 1 This is by no means an isolaled instance of the kind. 
 Most old settlers will remember similar experiences on 
 either their own part or that of their neighliors. It has 
 been often proved that it is an absolute impossibility for 
 a person unacquainted with woodcraft to follow any point 
 of the compass through a thick forest ; he may do it liy 
 chance, but as an intention the probabilities are all against 
 his success. On the other hand, the Indian, by some 
 power that is difficult of comprehension l.iy civilized man, 
 finds no trouble in going miles through an impenetrable 
 forest direct to a distant point, and seldom or never err- 
 ing. Instinct, as it is called, often seems to baffle reason. 
 
 where he became a leader among the 
 Mormons, then located in that section, and 
 printed their bible. Later still he returned 
 to Homer and baptized his father, mother 
 and brother. Enon Phelps cleared up his 
 land and planted the first apple orchard in 
 the town. 
 
 Joshua Ballard came from Holland, Mass., 
 in 1797, and selected a location on lot 45. 
 He was twenty-one years old at that time. 
 During the next year he returned to his 
 native State and brought back with him his 
 young and interesting wife. They came 
 by the way of Cazcnovia into the town of 
 Homer on horseback. Mr. Ballard taught 
 the first school in the old town and gave 
 valuable aid to the Cortland Academy, be- 
 ing one of its founders and most prominent 
 supporters. He was appointed sheriff on 
 the lOth of April, 18 10; was a member of 
 the Legislature of 1816; was appointed 
 county clerk in July, 18 19, soon after which 
 he removed into the boundaries of the pres- 
 ent town of Cortlandville. 
 
 In 1798 Daniel Crandall came to Homer 
 and worked for Judge Keep, chopping the 
 timber and clearing ten acres of land on 
 the site of the county poor-house farm. 
 He was a native of Voluntown, Windham 
 county. Conn. He came in alone and it is 
 believed he made the entire journey on 
 foot. Late in the season after his arrival 
 he was seriously wounded by an axe cut in 
 his foot, which made it impossible to con- 
 tinue his labor in the woods. Under these 
 circumstances he collected a few tools and 
 began the business of "cobbling" in Judge 
 Keep's house. Here he was permitted to 
 occupy a small space in one corner of the 
 family room, which was not a large one, 
 and contained a bed, a loom and other do- 
 mestic furniture, for the use of which and 
 his board he ga\'e the judge one day's work 
 in each week. He soon became sufficiently 
 expert in his new avocation to begin mak- 
 
190 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 ing boots and shoes, and so spent tlie win- 
 ter in industry. It is quite probable that 
 this was the first nmnufacturing of any 
 kind, other tlian spinnint^ and weaving, car- 
 ried on in the county. Mr. Crandall sub- 
 sequently returned to Connecticut, and in 
 the winter of 1 799-1 800 was married and 
 rcmoxed with his wife back to Homer; the)' 
 made the journey with an ox team, crossed 
 the Hudson river on the ice, opening and 
 breaking his own road a ])ortion of the dis- 
 tance, and being twenty-one days on the 
 way. He afterwards helped to chop the 
 trees from the ground now occupied by the 
 " green " in Homer village, and also to 
 build the structure there for school and re- 
 ligious purposes. He purchased fifty acres 
 of land on lot 38, which included the site 
 of the East River Mills, where he built a 
 log-house; he moved into it when it was 
 without a door and the gables were open, 
 and kept his oxen, a cow and a calf through 
 the first winter on "browse." The wolves 
 attempted to kill the calf, but, strange to 
 relate, the cow and oxen fought desperately 
 in the feeble animal's defense and came off 
 victorious. Captain Crandall built the first 
 saw-mill at East River, and subsequently, 
 in compan)- with Samuel Griggs, erected 
 the first grist-mill at that point. He was 
 one of the sixteen persons who constituted 
 the first Baptist Church society in Homer. 
 In the pioneer days Mr. and Mrs. Cran- 
 dall were in the habit of walking to the 
 house of Judge Keep 'for the purpose of 
 attending meeting, that being the place 
 where, for some years, religious and other 
 public gatherings were held, Mr. Crandall 
 carrying their first-born child in his arms. 
 On one of these occasions the)' had pro- 
 ceeded about half a mile, when they came 
 into a small opening in the forest where the 
 water bubbled in several springs from the 
 ground and formed a little rivulet. Here 
 they suddenly encountered a large bear, 
 
 deeply engaged in digging roots from the 
 soft ground for her cubs ; the bear, being 
 a mother and suddenly surprised, instantly 
 reared on her haunches and for a few mo- 
 ments intently surveyed her enemies. It 
 was a critical time ; Mr. and Mrs. Crandall 
 confidently expected an attack, and that at 
 the next moment they might be clasped in 
 the too ardent embrace of the animal and 
 their flesh be torn by her teeth. But after 
 a few moments, when her curiosity was 
 apparently satisfied, the bear turned and 
 disappeared in the forest, to the great relief 
 of the church-goers. 
 
 In 1797 John Albright located on lot 29. 
 He was an excellent citizen, respected by 
 his friends, and his experience was of a very 
 interesting character. He passed through 
 much of the severest service in the Revolu- 
 tionary War, faithfully and honorably serv- 
 ing his country. He was of Swiss parent- 
 age and early in life followed the tailoring 
 business ; but he did not like the work to 
 which he was apprenticed, and the son of 
 his foster-parent having been drafted, young 
 Albright saw an opportunity of escape from 
 his irksome position by taking the place of 
 the drafted son in the colonial service, sur- 
 rendering his indentures to the tailor's trade. 
 After his enlistment he was ordered to Fort 
 Montgomery, Orange county, where he was 
 stationed during the siege. He was after- 
 wards engaged in the defense of Fort Stan- 
 wix, and was subsequenth' captured by To- 
 ries and Indians and taken as a prisoner to 
 Canada. Afterwards he was a participant 
 in the terrible march of the Continental 
 army from Philadelphia to Valle)' Forge, 
 where they could have been tracked upon 
 the frozen ground b)- their bleeding feet. 
 Finally he was in the siege of Yorktown, 
 which ended in the capitulation of Corn- 
 wallis. For his services to his countr)- he 
 drew the military bount)- lot on which he 
 located. 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 191 
 
 Daniel Todd, brother of Amos Todd, lo- 
 cated on a farm lying directly south of Mr. 
 Beebc's. It is now known as the Bedell 
 farm. Titus Stebbins settled immediately 
 south of Amos Todd prior to the year 1800, 
 and Chester Boies located to the north of 
 Stebbins, where he was succeeded by Bildad 
 Hotchkiss. The latter was succeeded on 
 this farm by Samuel Bunn ; it is at present 
 owned b}- his widow and children. Mr. Bunn 
 gained the reputation of being an honest, 
 upright and respected member of the com- 
 munity. A short distance to the east and 
 adjoining his farm was that of Pliny Polly, 
 the first settler on that farm. One of his 
 daughters became the wife of Charles Todd, 
 son of Daniel Todd ; another the wife of A. 
 Harris, of Little York, and another married 
 a son of Dr. Carpenter, of East River ; he 
 removed to the west. 
 
 Asa White and Caleb Keep came from 
 Monson, Mass., before 1798. The former 
 located on lot 45, within the present limits 
 of the village, and built his house on the 
 grounds so long occupied in subsequent 
 years by the residence of Jedediah Barber. 
 He was the father of Horace and Hamilton 
 White, afterwards bankers in Syracuse. He, 
 in company with John Keep and Solomon 
 Hubbard, built the first grist-mill in the 
 county, in 1798, on the site of the present 
 mill near the northern end of the village. 
 
 Other considerable accessions were made 
 to the population during the year 1798, 
 many of whom settled along the two 
 branches of the river. Stephen Knapp came 
 in with his brother-in-law from Goshen, 
 Orange Co., N. Y., to make explorations. 
 Knapp's father had been killed in the War 
 of the Revolution, leaving him to make his 
 own way in the world ; for this laudable 
 purpose he sought the wilderness country 
 and purchased a large tract of land. Re- 
 turning to Goshen he made preparations to 
 permanently remove to his new possessions ; 
 
 but he was delayed until the year 1798. He 
 came in by the way of Poughkeepsie, Kings- 
 ton, the head waters of Schoharie county; 
 followed down the river to Prattsville ; 
 thence to Harpersfield, crossing at Wattles's 
 ferry ; thence to Oxford ; thence to Solon, 
 w here he took the Salt Road about two miles 
 to 'Squire Bingham's ; thence over the hills 
 to Judge Keep's and thence to the house of 
 John Ballard, where he remained some time. 
 One hundred acres of the land bought by 
 Mr. Knapp, which afterward constituted the 
 homestead, was a portion of what is now 
 the cemetery grounds. His house, a simple 
 log cabin, stood where the "tool house" 
 of the cemeter}' is now located. Two hun- 
 dred acres were below the village and within 
 the present boundaries of Cortlandville (on 
 lot 55) on both sides of the river, and two 
 hundred acres on lot 85, also in the town of 
 Cortlandville. During the following winter 
 after Mr. Knapp's location his mother, Hes- 
 ter Knapp, with her family consisting of Ste- 
 phen, Daniel, James, Nathaniel and two 
 daughters, Polly and Sally, came in over the 
 route as above given. Stephen Knapp be- 
 came a man of prominence and energy ; one 
 whose influence in bringing the wilderness 
 under civilizing influence was permanent and 
 important. During the earlier years of his 
 life in Homer the broad valley of the Ti- 
 oughnioga was covered with a dense forest, 
 and it was easier for him to reach the lands 
 on his lower tracts by following down the 
 bed of the stream, than by making a jour- 
 ney through the wood. Mr. Knapp mar- 
 ried Abigail Treat, and was the grandfather 
 of William O. Bunn, late editor of the Ho- 
 mer Republican, and deputy U. S. Internal 
 Revenue collector, with headquarters at 
 Syracuse. Mr. Knapp lived to the vener- 
 able age of eighty-four years, sixty-six of 
 which were passed in the town of Homer. 
 
 Daniel Knapp, older brother of Stephen, 
 erected a dwelling house on the north part 
 
192 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 of the farm aiul iiL-ar tlic four corners of the 
 road at the cemetery, which he opened af- 
 terward as a tavern and kept it as such for 
 several years. The succeeding residents of 
 this farm were Chauncey Keep, Mr. Dick- 
 son, and General Martin Keep, who bought 
 the property about 1824 and resided there 
 ten years, removing to Tompkins county. 
 The farm has since been owned by Walter 
 Jewett, and by Paris Barber, who sold the 
 grounds of the cemetery to the association. 
 With the exception of twenty acres on the 
 east side of the road, the farm is now and 
 has been for some time owned by Henry 
 Dennison. 
 
 A short distance up the river on the op- 
 posite side of the stream and near the foot 
 of the hill is the location where Stephen 
 Knapp resided for some years, now owned 
 by Andrew Kingsbury. Aaron Knapp 
 settled south of his brother Daniel, on the 
 farm now owned by Allen Smith. 
 
 Enos Stimson was from Monson, Mass., 
 and settled on the site of the well known 
 Schermerhorn residence in Homer village. 
 He built a small house and hung out a tav- 
 ern sign ; but he was compelled to send his 
 wife and children away the following spring, 
 on account of the ravages of the small-pox. 
 They sojourned at the house of Aaron 
 Knapp, where they were vaccinated. An 
 incident occurred during the absence of 
 Mrs. Stimson, which shows what a strong 
 appetite the Indian had acquired for the 
 white man's "fire-water." Twelve Onon- 
 daga Indians called one evening at Mr. 
 Stimson 's inn, where they drank freely, and 
 became exceedingly hilarious. Demanding 
 more liquor, it was refused by the landlord ; 
 but they were not at all disposed to depart 
 until their now raging desires were grat- 
 ified. They became threatening in their at- 
 titude, and prepared to attack Mr. Stimson, 
 who was compelled to seek safety up the 
 the stairs, pulling the ladder after him. 
 
 The field was now clear, and it was but a 
 few moments before the bottles and decant- 
 ers were emptied of their contents down 
 the capacious throats of the red drunkards. 
 A bacchanalian revel followed. In the 
 midst of it, and after vainly searching for 
 more jugs to empty, an old sachem found 
 a bottle half filled with " picra," from which 
 he took a liberal drink ; passing it on to a 
 young chief, he swallowed the whole of its 
 contents. The effect was pitiful and at the 
 same time decidedly comical. The two 
 sickened Indians felt sure they were pois- 
 oned to death ; and, indeed, there was dan- 
 ger of such a result. At this juncture, while 
 some of the party were guarding the hole 
 through which Mr. Stimson had disappeared 
 into the upper regions, and others were 
 bending over the supposed dying Indians, 
 another one, who was in that glorious con- 
 dition of uncertainty which might be ex- 
 pected under the circumstances, rushed 
 hurriedly out of the door, and, mistaking 
 the side of the well curb for a yard fence, 
 gave a leap, and the next instant was at the 
 bottom of the well. This method of dilut- 
 ing the spirits he had swallowed did not 
 please the old warrior, and he yelled and 
 cursed with all the ardor and variations of 
 which the language was capable ; but there 
 was too much of similar amusement going 
 on in-doors to make it possible for his com- 
 panions to hear him for some time. When 
 assistance finally came he was drawn out of 
 the well with blankets, a wetter and a 
 wiser savage. With the coming of morn- 
 ing, and the disappearance of the entire 
 stock of liquor, the Indians regained their 
 reason, and the besieged landlord was per- 
 mitted to descend to his proper sphere. 
 
 The Hobart family, consisting of the two 
 brothers, Daniel and Samuel, were from 
 Monson, Mass.; Daniel located on lot 43, 
 west of the village ; Samuel on lots 1 5 and 
 16, between the village and Little York. 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 193 
 
 Gideon settled witli his father, and remained 
 on the same farm until his death in 1857. 
 
 Titus Stebbins came from the same town 
 and settled on lot 43. It is now occupied 
 by his son-in-law. Lyman Hubbard. 
 
 Samuel Hotchkiss came from New Haven, 
 Conn., in ijyS ; located on lot 44. He be 
 came a prominent citizen, attainintj a most 
 enviable position in the community. He 
 was county clerk several terms between 
 1822 and 1843, and was given other posi- 
 tions of trust. George Eldridge now occu- 
 pies this farm. 
 
 Noah Hitchcock, before mentioned, came 
 in from Brimfield, and located on lot 25, 
 north of the \-illage. He became one of 
 the leading farmers of the count}', and a 
 respected citizen. 
 
 Zenas Lilly was an early resident whose 
 life was closely identified with the growth 
 of the town. He was also from Brimfield, 
 and first located on lot 33, where he re- 
 mained about twelve years, when he sold 
 out and settled on "Factory Hill." Some 
 years later he disposed of his property and 
 settled in Lenox, but he subsequently re- 
 turned to Homer and located on lots 34—5. 
 
 Timothy Treat was from Berkshire, Mass., 
 and settled about eighty rods north of the 
 later residence of John Barker, subsequent- 
 ly owned by Mr. Bowen. He had a family 
 of eight children, one daughter becoming 
 the wife of Stephen Knapp. 
 
 William Lucas and Asahel Miner were 
 from Woodbury, Conn. The former locat- 
 ed on lot 35, and became a prominent and 
 valuable citizen. His children removed to 
 the State of Ohio. Mr. Miner settled on 
 the farm afterward occupied by Lucas 
 Welch, and was the first sheriff of the coun- 
 ty. His son, Martin Miner, was long a 
 prominent citizen of Cortland village. 
 
 Colonel Benajah Tubbs came from Wash- 
 ington county, and located on the site where 
 George W. Phillips's store afterward stood. 
 
 He was one of the early merchants, and 
 continued in business for many years. 
 
 Dr. Lewis S. Owen came from Alban\-, 
 and located on lot 66. After remaining 
 there three years he removed to Homer 
 village, and erecteil a house on tlie site 
 of the present residence of George Murra\', 
 where Dr. Robert Owen li\'cd for some 
 years. 
 
 After the year 1800 the town began to 
 fill up with settlers at a more rapid rate. 
 Those who had already made homes for 
 themselves were gradually clearing their 
 farms and homesteads, and surrounding 
 themselves with such evidences of civiliza- 
 tion and comfort as were available, making 
 it more attractive to future prospectors. 
 It is manifestly impossible, even if it were 
 desirable, to name and locate all the set- 
 tlers of the town from the beginning of the 
 century down ; a few of the more prom- 
 inent may, however, be briefly referred to. 
 
 E]3hraim P. Sumner came in from Con- 
 necticut in 1800, and located on lot 47, 
 where his son of the same name now lives. 
 He purchased two hundred acres, and died 
 in 1843. His wife died in 1840. 
 
 Noah Carpenter came in from Pomfret, 
 Windham county, Connecticut, and located 
 on lot 16, north of the village. His son, 
 Asaph H. Carpenter, was born during the 
 journey of his parents from the East. He 
 lived on the parental homestead until his 
 death recently. Francis B. Carpenter, one 
 of the eminent artists of the country, and a 
 resident of New York city, is a son of A. 
 H. Carpenter. 
 
 Thomas, Nathan and Samuel Stone were 
 from Brimfield, and located on lot 46. 
 
 Levi Phillips came in with his brother 
 Waterman (who settled in the town of Cort- 
 landvillc), and located on lot 16; he came 
 with an ox team from Connecticut, bought 
 fifty acres, and subsequently added ninety- 
 seven more. He died in 1845 and his 
 
 13 
 
194 
 
 History of Cortj.and County. 
 
 witidw in 1850; Iiis son, Orcii, long occu- 
 pied tile homestead. 
 
 In the \xar 1801 several additional set- 
 tlements were made. Among them was 
 that of Seth Keep, who came from Massa- 
 chusetts originalh', but migrated to Homer 
 from Vermont, locating on the northeast 
 corner of lot ^^. 
 
 Gad Hitchcock was from Monson, Mass.; 
 his son, Horace Hitchcock, was for many 
 years a respected citizen of the village. 
 
 John Coats located near the site of the 
 Congregational Church in 1802. 
 
 In the same year Thomas ChoUar came 
 frcjm Windham, Conn., and remained in the 
 town about three years, during which time 
 he made explorations in various parts of the 
 surrounding country, informing himself 
 thoroughh- upon the soil and other pecul- 
 iarities of the region. In the latter part of 
 1804 he selected a location on lot 17, upon 
 which he settled in 1809. Mr. Chollar was 
 a prominent citizen; he was the father of 
 Thomas D. Chollar, who now lives in Ho- 
 mer village. 
 
 Rev. Alfred Bennett came into the town 
 in 1803, and settled on the farm now owned 
 by Nicholas Starr ; he soon after entered 
 the ministr\', and became a noted and suc- 
 cessful divine. His church work will be 
 referred to hereafter. 
 
 In this )'ear, also, Jacob Sanders, Levi 
 Howen and Klijah Pierce settled in the town. 
 Mr. Sanders was from Swansey, Mass., 
 and located on lot 56 (now Cortlandville). 
 Levi Bowen settled on lot 7, near Little 
 York, coming here from Wiiodstock, Conn. 
 He died in 1832, lea\'ing eight chiklren. 
 Mr. Pierce was from Brimfield. 
 
 Moses Butterfield came from Canterbury, 
 Conn., in 1803, and located about a half mile 
 in a northeasterly direction from the Miller 
 farm at East River, and on the same side of 
 the stream ; it was on lot 47, and where 
 Charles Kingsbury now resides. In the 
 
 s])ring of that \-ear he built a house on the 
 lot, and planted a small piece of corn on a 
 s])ot which was supposed to have been cut 
 and cleared of timber by the Indians. Mr. 
 Butterfield returned to Connecticut, and in 
 October of the same \-ear returned again to 
 Homer, bringing his family. They passed 
 their first night at Deacon Miller's, and he 
 accompanied them to their home the next 
 morning. On going to the doorway (the 
 door itself was not yet in existence, and the 
 gables were open) Mrs. Butterfield looked 
 in, turned around, and with a look of home- 
 sickness and despair, said to her hus- 
 band : — 
 
 "Mr. Butterfield, is this my home?" 
 
 By dint of hard labor, however, Mr. But- 
 terfield soon had a respectable floor antl 
 roof for his house, splitting the "puncheons" 
 out of logs, and smoothing them down with 
 his axe. 
 
 Adjoining the farm of Mr. Butterfield on 
 the east is the one on which his brother, 
 Parker Butterfield, first located in 1806; he 
 resided there until 1822, when he sold to 
 Ward Woodward, who came here from New 
 Hampshire. Mr. Woodward became a re- 
 spected citizen of the highest moral charac- 
 ter, and was long a consistent member of 
 the Congregational Church. 
 
 About a mile from Mr. Butterfield John 
 Frazier settled on a small farm on lot 36, 
 in 1803. He was born in i 749 in I-^ngland, 
 entered the country's service, or, rather, 
 was dragged from his bed and forced to en- 
 list under the banner of King George, and 
 served in the arni\- of General Burgoyne ; 
 he remained in the same division until the 
 battle of Stillwater, and the surrender of 
 his army to General Gates, in October, 
 1777. At that time he escaped from the 
 service, and subsequently reached Pomfret, 
 Connecticut, where he was employed by 
 General Putnam. There he was married 
 in 1799, and removed to Homer, as stated. 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 195 
 
 Mc thought to make sure of a valid title to 
 his land by paying for it ; but he failed in 
 this, and paid for it a second time, and his 
 title being disputed, he actually paid for a 
 portion of it the third time, and exen then 
 was forced to abandon it altogether ; he 
 died in the alms house in .1839. This inci- 
 dent will give the reader an idea of the 
 trouble arising out of earh' land titles on 
 the military tract, as narrated in the pre- 
 ceding history of that tract. 
 
 When Mr. Frazier came in from Fomfret 
 he drove seven cows for Samuel Griggs, 
 who came at the same time and located on 
 lot 38. He was a prominent farmer; was 
 president of the first agricultural society in 
 1822, and very active in the construction 
 of the Alban\- turnpike through Cortland 
 count}^ He removed to Cayuga count}' 
 in 1829 or 1830, where he died. 
 
 Zebadiah Abbott migrated from Brim- 
 field in 1803 and settled on the eastern 
 . part of lot 42, one-half of which he pur- 
 chased, and resided there until 1820, when 
 he died. His wife survived him about twenty 
 years, and though she was totalh- blind and 
 partially deaf, manifested the patience and 
 resignation born of a Christian character. 
 Their sons were Asa, Joseph and Nathan, 
 who became valuable citizens. 
 
 Adjoining Mr. Abbott's farm on the east 
 is the one on which EH Sherman located ; 
 he also came from Brimfield, Mass., in 1804, 
 and lived on this farm and greatly improved 
 it, until 1866, when he died at the age of 
 87 years. The farm is now occupied by 
 Philander Manchester. 
 
 Adjoining the farm of Mr. Sherman is 
 that where Frederick Partridge settled in 
 1803, or '04; he purchased land of Mr. 
 ^ Abbott, on lot 47. He lived here about 
 ten years, and was noted for his strict so- 
 briety and temperance principles — some- 
 thing of an exception in those days. He 
 was succeeded on the farm by Samuel Sher- 
 
 man, who also came from Brimfield, and 
 settled on the Partridge farm in 18 14. He 
 became pecuniarily involved, and for the 
 purpose of meeting his obligations, hauled 
 cherr\- lumber from Homer to Boston, Mass. 
 He also drew wheat to Albany, where, after 
 discharging his load, would return with a 
 cargo of merchant's goods, or stock for me- 
 chanics. 
 
 James Horton also lived on a lot that 
 was taken from Mr. Abbott's farm ; but at 
 preciseh- what period is not now known. 
 He engaged in the tanning and currying 
 business and was a skillful mechanic. 
 
 Benjamin Knight, a native of Monson, 
 Mass., first came to Homer in 1801, in the 
 month of February, having probably made 
 the journey on foot in ten days, and at an 
 inclement season of the )-ear. In January, 
 1802, he returned to Massachusetts, accom- 
 plishing the journey in twelve days. The 
 next month he returned to Homer, again 
 being twelve days on the road. He located 
 on the southern part of the lot originally 
 purchased by Judge Keep and subsequently 
 again returned to Connecticut where, on 
 the I ith day of September, 1803, he mar- 
 ried Susan Goodell, of Pomfret ; she was a 
 sister of the wife of Judge Keep and also of 
 the wife of Darius Kinney. Thus the three 
 sisters came from Connecticut and settled 
 within the radius of a mile. On this farm 
 Mr. Knight resided during the remainder of 
 his life. He united with the Congregational 
 Church in 1806 and died in 1843, at the age 
 of 66 years. 
 
 Capt. Zephaniah Hicks, originally of 
 Rhode Island, migrated from Connecticut 
 in 1805, and located on the southeast corner 
 of the State's hundred, on lot 17. He has 
 been described as an active, energetic, high- 
 minded man ; generous, humane and cour- 
 teous. His prompt and manly greeting 
 gained him the good-will of his neighbors 
 and gave him much influence in all pioneer 
 
196 
 
 History of Coktiand County. 
 
 gatherings. He removed in 1835 to Ing- 
 ham, Michigan. Jacob Hicks was his son, 
 who was two years old when he came to 
 I lomer. He afterward settled on lot 27, and 
 is now deatl. Capt. Hicks's da\iL;IitLr mar- 
 ried Silas l{Ibridge Mann, afterward a [)rom- 
 inent merchant in Jordan, N. V. 
 
 In 1806 Col. Da\'id Cove, from Ri))al- 
 ton, X'ermont, and Lemuel I?ates, from Cin- 
 cinnati, came into tiie town. The former 
 located on lot 45, where he lived many years. 
 He purchased the first acre sold as a vil- 
 lage lot, and followed his trade as a joiner. 
 In 181 5 he bought one hundred acres on 
 lot 44. His shop stood on the site after- 
 ward occupied by C. O. Newton's store, on 
 IVIain street, now occupied by Higbce's 
 store. Mr. Coye filled several county offices, 
 among which was that of sheritT in 1825. 
 He was the father of eleven children. Mr. 
 Bates settled on lot 26 ; his sons were Joseph 
 and Ransford Bates. 
 
 William Shearer came from Washington 
 county in 1807 and located on lot ^6. 
 Stephen and Joel R. Briggs, Arial Tickner 
 and Erastus Hayes were from Otsego county 
 and also came into the town in 1807, locat- 
 ing on lot 50, in the southeast corner of 
 the town. Joel R. Briggs afterward lived 
 on lot 38. 
 
 Deacon Ira Brown came from Brimfield 
 in 1808 and located on lot 34, but subse- 
 quently removed to Cortland. 
 
 Joseph Bean settled in the town in 1809; 
 his sons were Jeremiah, who lived in Cin- 
 cinnatus, and Samuel, of Homer. In the 
 same year Noah R. Smith and Matthias 
 Cook came in. The former located on lot 
 45, in the village ; he was from Middletown, 
 and became a prominent and useful citizen; 
 he was sheriff of the county in 18 19. Mr. 
 Cook was from Albany and engaged in the 
 hatting business, which he continued for 
 many years; his partner at one time was 
 Col, Benajah Tubbs. Mr, Cook was hon- 
 
 ored with the appointment of county clerk 
 in 1 82 1 ; was elected to the LegislaUiic in 
 1824, and was also justice of the ]3eace. 
 
 Deacon Jesse Ives and Andrew Burr 
 came in in the }car 1810. Mr. I\'es was 
 from Litchfield, Conn., and located on lot 
 16, where he originally purchased ninety 
 acres. He was an industrious and enter- 
 prising farmer and uni\ersally respected. 
 He died November 27th, 1857, at the age of 
 81 years. He was the father of Frederick 
 Ives, one of the prominent citizens of Cort- 
 land village. Mr. Burr was from Sharon, 
 Conn. He located on the lands afterward 
 owned and occupied by William Kingsbury, 
 and now by Augustus Kingsbury. He 
 was early engaged in the tanning business, 
 but subsequently sold out to Mr. Kings- 
 bury, and engaged in the saddlery and har- 
 ness business, which he followed for thirty 
 years. He made his influence felt on the 
 growth of the village, erected several dwell- 
 ings and otherwise labored for the good 
 of the community. 
 
 Richard Graham and Henry Corl came 
 in and located, the former on lot 28, in 
 181 I ; he was from Herkimer county. Mr. 
 Corl came from Schenectady originally, but 
 came here from Locke, Cayuga county, and 
 settletl on lot 8. A few years afterward he 
 settled on his farm on "the hill," which was 
 given his name. 
 
 During the progress of the war, from 
 1812 to 181 5, settlement was greatly inter- 
 rupted in all parts of the county. Down to 
 this period we have noted most of the more 
 prominent persons who came into the town 
 — making a list that is much more com- 
 plete than can now be given in any other 
 town in the count}'. 
 
 A noteworthy arri\al in 18 I 2 was that of 
 George W. Samson, 1 who came here from 
 
 ' Mr. Samson was originally a seafaring man. His 
 first voyage was to Charleston, S. C, at the time of the 
 great fire in 1796. In 1800 he sailed for England, at the 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 197 
 
 Plympton, Mass., and settled first on lot 19, 
 near the place since occupied by Joshua Pratt 
 and his son David and still later by Harry 
 Lathrop. Mr. Samson removed to lot 29, 
 where close to the Tru.xtLHi turnpike he ex- 
 pended much labor in excavating the hill- 
 side for tiie purpose of making the founda- 
 tions of a building. He erected his house 
 in 1 8 14, moved into it and the following 
 year opened it as a hotel, giving the place 
 the name of Mt. Etam.' This was for many 
 years a popular and well known stopping 
 place on the turnpike. At this time there 
 were but four families in the East Homer 
 school district. Mr. Samson sold his tavern 
 to Peter Westerman and engaged in the 
 same business in Preble, and later in Homer 
 village, where his son long kept the "Tem- 
 perance House." 
 
 William Wood, a nati\'e of Hinsdale, Ver- 
 mont, migrated to Herkimer, N. Y., and in 
 1814 came to Homer, at first locating on 
 the road leading from the valley on the east 
 branch of the river to Enon Phelps's, on lot 
 48. He lived there two years and removed 
 southward on lot 58, and in 1 8 19 to lot 39, 
 on the hill and adjoining the farm of Capt. 
 Crandall. After planting an orchard and 
 otherwise extensively improving the place, 
 he was forced to leave it for want of a valid 
 title. He removed into the valley and sub- 
 sequently to the hill on the northwestern 
 side of the river, where he died in 1 850. His 
 farm on lot 58 is now embraced in the town 
 of Cortlandville. 
 
 John Burnham purchased of Mr. Hilliiud 
 300 acres of land on lot 30, adjoining the 
 
 time of the war between that country and France ; the 
 vessel was captured by a French cruiser in the channel 
 and the crew taken into the port of Brest. Mr. Samson 
 was taken from there under an escort and afterward saw 
 the inside of thirteen different prisons. Upon his arrival 
 at Nantes the American Consul procured his release. In 
 1803 he sailed as mate of the brig Apollo and visited 
 m.any of the southern ports. His death occurred in Ho- 
 mer in February, iS68, at the age of 86 years, 
 t Named from the llible history of Samson. 
 
 town of Tru.xton, cleared it of the forest and 
 in 1S18 erected a saw-mill; he afterward 
 bought land on lot 20, adjoining his first 
 purchase on the north and annexed it to his 
 farm, where he li\ed until 1864 and died. 
 A portion of his first purchase was made 
 of John B. Henry, who settled on lot 30 in 
 1804. 
 
 Erastus Goodell, father of C. B. and Eras- 
 tus, jr., located on the State's hundred, lot 
 7, in 1816; they were from Sturbridge, 
 Mass. He became a prominent farmer. 
 
 William Andrews came in from Fabius, 
 Onondaga county, in 1817. He secured 
 the confidence of his fellow-citizens to such 
 a degree that he was honored with several 
 offices ; he was constable and under-sherifif 
 from 1820 to 1843 and in 1831 was elected 
 sheriff on a Union ticket. He was one of 
 the well known men of the county for many 
 3'ears. 
 
 Daniel Josling located in 1818 on lot 17; 
 he was from Windham, Conn. Kenneth 
 Scudder, from Monmouth, N. J., settled in 
 Herkimer county in 181 3, but subsequently 
 came to Homer, locating on lot 18; he died 
 in 1843. 
 
 From this date on to the year 1825, the 
 progress of settlement in the town of Homer 
 was uninterrupted. What was almost an 
 unbroken wilderness a quarter of a century 
 before was rapidly becoming a rich and 
 prosperous farming country, while the \-il- 
 lage was already the leading place of busi- 
 ness in the county — a prestige it retained 
 for many years. The town suffered long, in 
 common with other parts of the county, for 
 want of railroad communication; the busi- 
 ness of teaming for the transportation of the 
 products of the town to Syracuse, while an 
 important industry in itself, was at the same 
 time a discouraging sign of the helplessness 
 of the community in this respect. When 
 the charter of the first proposed railroad 
 was obtained in 1836 the hearts of the 
 
198 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 residents of tlic town beat high witli antici- 
 pation of speedy reHef from their isolation ; 
 but they wore doomed to disappointment, 
 and two more decades passed before the 
 consummation of tlicir liopes was reached 
 in the construction and opening of the Syr- 
 acuse and J-iingliamton railroad. In this 
 important enterprise the people of the town 
 of Homer took a prominent and active in- 
 terest, realizing that much of the future 
 prosperity of the town depended upon it. 
 It would be invidious at this time to single 
 out those men who devoted their means and 
 energies directly to the work, while all did 
 whatever they were able towards the com- 
 pletion of the road ; and when it was finally 
 opened, there was an era of rejoicing on 
 every hand. The disappointments and ap- 
 parent losses which subsequentl)' fell upon 
 the town through the sale of the road, 
 although grievous at the time, are now all 
 forgotten in the general prosperity of the 
 community — a prosperity that could never 
 have been attained without railroad com- 
 munication with distant points. 
 
 From about the )-ear 1850, the dairying- 
 interest of this town has kept pace, at least, 
 with that of other portions of the county 
 and vicinity ; the quantity and quality of 
 the product has increased and ad\anced ; 
 cheese factories have been erected and the 
 housewives of Homer have gained a repu- 
 tation for their work in the dairj' of which 
 they may well feel "proud. The Homer 
 cheese factory, so-called, is situated a mile- 
 and a half north of Homer village, on the 
 farm of Frederick G. Williams. It was 
 erected in 1864, is two stories high and 32 
 by 175 feet in extent. A large business is 
 done there, which is now controlled by a 
 stock company. 
 
 TOWN organization. 
 
 Having given the early settlements of the 
 town to as recent a date as is practicable, 
 
 we will now revert to the first organization 
 of the town of Homer. This event oc- 
 curred on the 5th of March, 1794, when 
 the county of Onondaga was erected, of 
 which Homer was then a part. The town 
 officers were not, however, drawn entirely 
 from within the present town limits ; Virgil 
 and Solon, then a part of Homer, and each 
 embracing towns since formed, as detailed 
 in the general history, were permitted to 
 share in the political honors and emolu- 
 ments of that earl}' da\-. Political ambition 
 and activity was then at a low ebb, if we 
 may judge by the following record from the 
 town book : — 
 
 " State of New York, | 
 
 / ss 
 Onondaga County, ) 
 
 '•]]7ieiras, The town of Homer, in said coun- 
 ty, on the 5th day of April, did neglect to ap- 
 point the necessary town officers for the year 
 one tliousand seven hundred and ninety-five, 
 and, 
 
 " W/irrcas, By a law passed on the ylh day 
 of March, one thousand seven hundred and 
 eighty-eight, directing three justices of the peace 
 of said county to nominate, and under their 
 hand and seals, appoint such officers as under 
 said act is necessary — therefore, we, Asa Dan- 
 forth, Hezekiah Scott and Daniel Keeler, three 
 of the justices of the peace, appointed in and for 
 said county, nominate, and by these presents do 
 appoint : — 
 
 " For Supervisor — John Miller. 
 
 ■'Town Clerk — Peter IngersoU. 
 
 " Assessors — Thomas L. Bishop, Moses Hop- 
 kins, Joseph Beebe, Daniel Miner, Roderick 
 Beebe. 
 
 " Commissioners of Highways — Samuel Ben- 
 edict, David Russell, Moses Hopkins. 
 
 "Overseers of the Poor — Joseph Beebe, 
 Christopher \Vhitney. 
 
 "Constable and Collector — John House. 
 " Signed, " Asa. D.\nforth, 
 
 " Hezekiah Scott, 
 " Daniel Keeler." 
 
 The meeting at which these appointments 
 were made was held at the house of 
 " 'Squire " Miller, on the 9th of April, 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 199 
 
 1795. The first annual town meeting for 
 the election of officers was held at Mr. Mil- 
 ler's house, on the 8th of April, 1796, when 
 the following were elected : — 
 
 Supervisor — John Miller. 
 
 Town clerk — Peter Ingersoll. 
 
 Assessors — Ezra Rockwell, l^illy Trow- 
 bridge, Daniel Miner, Francis Strong, Da\id 
 Russell, Jacob Bishop. 
 
 Collectors — Roderick Beebe, Barzilla 
 Russell. 
 
 Overseers of the poor — Zera Beebe, 
 Thomas L. Bishop, Oliver Tuthill. 
 
 Constables — Barzilla Russell, Roderick 
 Beebe. 
 
 Overseers yf highwaj's — William Tut- 
 hill, Ebcnezer Jones, Zera Beebe, Samuel 
 C. Benedict, Joseph Beebe, Solomon Hub- 
 bard, John Morse. 
 
 Fence viewers — Elnathan Baker, George 
 Trowbridge, John Bingham, David Jack- 
 son, John House, Moses Hopkins. 
 
 These early elections were carried on in 
 a different spirit from that which character- 
 izes the political contests of the present 
 time. There was seldom much rivalry, and 
 none of the bitterness of later days. In the 
 year 1800, however, there was quite a 
 spirited contest. 
 
 At the town meeting in 1796 it was 
 agreed by vote, "That e\'ery man should 
 make his own pound ; and that hogs run 
 at large without yokes or rings ; that fences 
 be made four and a half feet high, and not 
 to e.xceed four inches between logs or 
 poles." 
 
 In the following year (1797) it was agreed 
 by a unanimous vote, "That every man in 
 the town may provide his own pound for 
 every creature that does him damage, and 
 yet be entitled to damage the same as at 
 the town pound ; that hogs be free com- 
 moners; that three feet of sound fence 
 shall not be more than fi\e inches between 
 earth, logs or erass." 
 
 The special meeting that year was held 
 at the house of Daniel Knapp, at which the 
 following were a portion of the proceedings, 
 c|uoted verbatim : — 
 
 " Voted, ist, That the inhabitants of the town 
 build a bridge across the river at the nulls. 
 
 '• 2(1, That the Ijridge be built by a lax on 
 tlie inhabitants of the town of Homer, as filed in 
 the secretary's office of this State. 
 
 " 3d, That Martin Keep, Aaron Knapp and 
 Solomon Hubbard be a committee to report 
 what plan said bridge he built upon." 
 
 Such were the problems that engrossed 
 the chief portion of the official attention of 
 our forefathers. 
 
 The town was divided into highway dis- 
 tricts in 1797. In 1798 a wolf scalp com- 
 manded a premium of from five to ten dol- 
 lars, according to size ; bear's, five dollars ; 
 panther's, ten dollars, and fo.x's, fifty cents. 
 
 Following is a list of the supervisors and 
 town clerks of the town of Homer, the su- 
 pervisor's name being given first in each 
 instance : — 
 
 1795, John Miller, Peter Ingersoll; 1796, 
 John Miller, John Keep; 1797-98, Joshua 
 Atwater, Thomas L. Bishop; 1799, James 
 Knapp, Thomas L. Bishop; 1800, Caleb 
 Keep, Joshua Ballard; 1801, John Ballard, 
 Joshua Ballard; 1 802-03, Joshua Ballard, 
 Joshua Atwater; 1804 to 1806 inclusive, 
 John Ballard, Joshua Ballard; 1807-08, 
 Asahel Miner, Joshua Ballard; 1809, Mead 
 Merrill, Adin Webb; 1 8 lO-i i, Daniel Mil- 
 ler, Adin Webb; 181 2-13, William Lucas, 
 Adin W'ebb; 18 14, Moses Kinney, Adin 
 Webb; 1815 to 181 8 inclusive, Wm. Lucas, 
 Adin Webb; 1819-20, Levi Bowen, Adin 
 Webb; 1821 to 1829 inclusive, Martin 
 Keep, Adin Webb; 1 830-3 i, Martin Keep, 
 Orin Stimpson; 1832-33, Noah R. Smith, 
 Orin Stimpson; 1834, Chauncey Keep, 
 John Sherman; 1835, Horace White, John 
 Sherman; 1836, Wm. Walter, John Sher- 
 man; 1837-38, Wm. Weaker, G. J. J. Bar- 
 ber; 1839, John Keep, Erasmus Bowen; 
 
200 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 1840 to 1S42 inclusive, Cliaunccy Keep, 
 Erasmus Bowen; 1843, Lemuel D. New- 
 ton, Erasmus Bowen; 1844, Noah Hitch- 
 cock, jr., Loammi Kinney; 1845, Joseph 
 L. Clapp, Loaniini Kinney; 1846, Lemuel 
 D. Newton, Loammi Kinney; 1847, Geo. 
 J. J. Barber, Horace Pierce; 1848, Fred- 
 erick Ives, Horace Pierce; 1849, Frederick 
 Ives, Rufus A. Reed; 1850, Samuel Sher- 
 man, Horace S. Babcock; 1851, Giles 
 Chittenden, Horace S. Babcock; 1852-53, 
 Manly Hobart, Horace S. Babcock; 1854, 
 Jacob M. Schcrmerhorn, Nathaniel Jones; 
 1855, Peter Walrad, B. D. Benedict; 1856, 
 Peter Walrad, Uri H. Patterson; 1857, 
 Peter Walrad, Edwin Miles; 1858, Giles 
 Chittenden, Edwin Miles; 1859-60, Giles 
 Chittenden, C. O. Newton; 1861-62, Geo. 
 W. Phillips, Wm. H. Burnham; 1863, Geo. 
 W. Phillips, John H. Munger; 1864-65, 
 Geo. W. Phillips, Martin Miner; 1866-67, 
 Alphonzo Stone, Martin Miner; 1868 to 
 1870 inclusive, Geo. W. Phillips, Martin 
 Miner; 1 87 1, Manly Hobart, Martin Miner; 
 1872-73, Vernon T. Stone, Martin Miner; 
 1874-75, John H. Hicok, Martin Miner; 
 1876-77, S. McClellan Barber, William A. 
 Kellogg; 1878, S. McC. Barber, J. Clayton 
 Atwater; 1879-80, Wm. O, Bunn, J. Clay- 
 ton Atwater; 1881, John J. Murray, J. 
 Clayton Atwater; 1882, H. Wilson Blash- 
 field, J. Clayton Atwater; 1S83, Wm. H. 
 Crane, J. Clayton Atwater. 
 
 At the annual town meeting held in the 
 town hall in Homer, on the 20th of Feb- 
 ruary, 1883, the following officers were 
 elected : — 
 
 Supervisor — Wm. H. Crane. 
 
 Town Clerk — J. Clayton Atwater. 
 
 Justices of the Peace — Melvin J. Pratt, A. 
 J. Kneeland, Stephen Klock, Elliot L. Stone. 
 
 Assessors — A. Dwight Kingsbury, C. 
 H. Sherman, James H. Clark. 
 
 Commissioner of Highways — Harrison 
 W. Southwick. 
 
 Collector — John York. 
 
 Inspectors of Election, District No. i — 
 Irving Alexander, Abram Griffith; ap- 
 pointed, PLllis Briggs. 
 
 District No. 2 — Frank Galluss, Ossian 
 B. Andrews; appointed, Wm. A. Coon. 
 
 District No. 3 — Harlan P. Hull, Vernon 
 T. Stone; appointed, Andrew P. Hender- 
 son. 
 
 Town Auditors — A. W. Hobart, Chas. 
 B. Goodell ; appointed, Frank D. Carpenter. 
 ' E.xcise Commissioners — Warren Salis- 
 bury, H. W. Southwick, W. B. Beach. 
 
 Overseers of the Poor — Augustus W. 
 Kingsbury, Stephen P. Hoag. 
 
 Constables — Wm. A. Shirley, Alfred B. 
 Raymond, Elisha W'iUiams, John Bennett, 
 Wm. T. Sanders. 
 
 Game Constable — Henr>' L. Carpenter. 
 
 HOMER TN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 
 
 No town came forward with more readi- 
 ness to aid in putting down the gigantic re- 
 bellion which threatened the life of the gov- 
 ernment than did old Homer. Enlistments 
 were made from the town at the very first 
 call for soldiers, which were followed as long 
 as there was opportunity, by the most pa- 
 triotic offers of service and life, and gener- 
 ous outlay of money, in aid of the govern- 
 ment. A special meeting of the town offi- 
 cers was held at the town hall on the 6th 
 of July, 1 862, pursuant to a call of the free- 
 holders, for the purpose of taking into con- 
 sideration the propriety of raising mone)' 
 for soldiers' bounties, to encourage enlist- 
 ments to meet the call of the government 
 for troops. The names of the freeholders 
 signed to the call for the meeting were : 
 George Murray, S. S. Day, Charles Tower, 
 G. S. Simmons, D. S. Totman, S. Plumb, 
 B. W. Payne, Thomas Holbrook, E. Stim- 
 son, M. C. Darby, R. F. Smith, W. T. 
 Hicok, Joseph R. Di.xon, G. W. Bradford, 
 D. D. R. Ormsb}-, Josiah Stone, J. Sanders, 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 20 1 
 
 C. O. Newton, Samuel Babcock, L. Darb\', 
 Ira Green and H. S. Babcock. The meet- 
 ing passed the following : — 
 
 " Resolved, That the electors proceed to vote 
 upon the question of raising hy tax fifty dollars 
 to be paid to each person who shall volunteer 
 from the town of Homer, from July 2d, 1862, 
 until the whole number of the quota shall be 
 raised." 
 
 The limit of the period during which en- 
 listments might be made under this resolu- 
 tion was from July 2d to the 3d day of the 
 following September, or until the time of a 
 draft which might be ordered by the author- 
 ities ; the number of such volunteers not to 
 exceed that of the quota for the town under 
 the two previous calls for soldiers. 
 
 Under this resolution three hundred and 
 sixty-three persons voted, three hundred and 
 sixty of whom were in favor of it. The 
 finance committee, whose duty it was to 
 receive and disburse the money raised un- 
 der the resolution, to procure from the next 
 Legislature legal sanction of the proceed- 
 ings, and to co-operate with the town au- 
 thorities in carrying out the measure, were 
 Geo. W. Bradford, N. Randall, J. RI. Scher- 
 merhorn, G. J. J. Barber, George Cook, W. 
 T. Hicok and A. W. Kingsbury. This fifty 
 dollar bounty was paid by the town outside 
 of the State or county ; but thereafter the 
 town made the amount of its bounties to 
 correspond with the suggestions and regu- 
 lations of the Board of Supervisors of the 
 county, thus preventing unnecessary com- 
 petition among the different towns in filling 
 their quotas. Whenever calls were made 
 for troops, and the quotas of the towns were 
 established, with the amount of bounties to 
 be paid throughout the county, the free- 
 holders of Homer never failed to call special 
 meetings for the consideration of the mat- 
 ters involved. Thus, when the president 
 issued a call for 500,000 men in 1864, an- 
 other special town meeting was called un- 
 der date of July 2 1st, wliich was signed by J. 
 
 Murray, P. C. Kingsbury, I. W. Brown, W'm. 
 Coggshall, Geo. W. Bradford, C. M. Clark, 
 Geo. J. J. Barber, Thomas D. Chollar, D. 
 D. R. Ormsby, W. T. Hicok, C. A. Collins, 
 J. M. Pierce, O. Bowen, Samuel Babcock, 
 George Murray, Lorenzo Bennett and Luke 
 Babcock. The meeting was held on the 
 30th of Jul\% pursuant to the call, and the 
 following was offered for consideration : — 
 
 " Whereas, On the 27th day of July, 1864, 
 the Board of Supervisors of Cortland county in 
 special session, at the court-house in Cortland 
 village, in said county, recommended to the 
 electors of the several towns to hold special 
 meetings in their respective towns and adopt the 
 following resolution : — 
 
 " Resolreii, That the town of Homer hereby 
 offers bounty to each volunteer of $150 for all 
 who enlist for one year, and the sum of $250 to 
 each volunteer who may enlist for two years, or 
 for a longer term, and who shall be accepted and 
 mustered into the service of the United States 
 and credited to said town, under the last call of 
 the president of the United States for 500,000 
 troops; and in case other counties offer larger 
 bounties than those above named, these offers be 
 correspondingly raised, if deemed expedient by 
 the committee, — therefore, 
 
 ^^ Resolved, That this meeting does now pro- 
 ceed to vote on the above resolution, by the town 
 clerk recording the ayes and noes of each elector 
 who may desire to vote on said resolution." 
 
 The certificate of the clerk showed that 
 the whole number of votes cast was one 
 hundred and forty-seven, of which one 
 hundred and forty-two were in favor of it. 
 
 On the 30th of August, 1864, the free- 
 holders of the town again met to consider 
 the propriety of raising the bounty of sol- 
 diers ; this meeting terminated in a request 
 to the town clerk to call a special town 
 meeting of the electors of the town, to be 
 held on the 7th day of September, 1864. 
 The meeting was held and the following 
 resolution adopted : — 
 
 " Resolved, I'hat the town of Homer will en- 
 dorse the resolution of the war committee of the 
 
202 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Board of Supervisors, given on the 3d day of Sep- 
 tember, increasing the bounty to volunteers and 
 substitutes to one thousand dollars ; and that we 
 hereby instruct our supervisor to endorse the same 
 to date from the 3d day of September, 1864, and 
 for all volunteers who have enlisted and have 
 been credited to the town under the president's 
 last call for 500,000 men, except tiie thirteen men 
 previously credited." 
 
 At a meeting of the board of town audi- 
 tors of the town of Homer on the lOth day 
 of November, 1 864, the following resolution 
 was adopted : — 
 
 " Jieso/vfi/, That the supervisor of the town 
 of Homer be directed to levy upon said town at 
 the next meeting of the Board of Supervisors of 
 the county, the sum of eight hundred dollars, for 
 the purpose of paying additional bounty and in- 
 cidental expenses incurred in filling the quotas 
 of this town under the call of the president of 
 July, 1864." 
 
 The following resolution was also passed 
 at that meeting : — 
 
 " Resolved, That the sum of fifty-eight dollars 
 and eighty-five cents be raised in like manner, 
 for roads and bridges in said town." 
 
 Another special town meeting was held, 
 pursuant to call, on the 10th of January, 
 1S65, at which the electors of the town voted 
 to offer a bounty of $400 to each volunteer, 
 or substitute who should enlist for one year; 
 $500 for two years, and $600 for three 
 years. The number of votes cast at this 
 meeting was one hundred and twenty-six, 
 of which one hundred and fifteen were in 
 favor of the measure. It was also further 
 resolved that Chester RI. Clark, Nathan 
 Randall and J. H. Munger be a town com- 
 mittee for the purpose of procuring enlist- 
 ments to fill the quota of the town, under 
 the last call of the president for 300,000 
 men. 
 
 At a town meeting held on the 21st of 
 February, 1865, it was resolved to pay a 
 bounty in addition to that offered pursuant 
 to the action of the Board of Supervisors, 
 sufficient to make the whole amount $1,000. 
 
 We have thus given at considerable 
 length all of the important proceedings by 
 the town authorities in the matter of filling 
 the different quotas of soldiers, the pay- 
 ment of bounties, etc. It will be seen that 
 the proceedings conformed in all essential 
 particulars to those of the Board of Super- 
 visors of the count}-, as detailed in the 
 chapter of the general history devoted to 
 this subject ; and as the meetings in the 
 different towns held for the same purpose, 
 and the proceedings of the same were, in 
 their main features similar to those above 
 described, we shall not deem it necessary 
 to occup)' our space with their iletails in 
 the separate town histories in subsequent 
 pages. 
 
 The names of all the \-olunteers of the 
 town of Homer are given in the following 
 list, except those of the first thirteen enlist- 
 ments. Of those we have only the names 
 of George Snyder and Eugene R. Rawson, 
 his brother-in-law, who was promoted to 
 lieutenant-colonel, and killed in Jul}', 1865, 
 and Joseph Hotchkiss : — 
 
 Call of October 17th, 1863. Bounty 
 paid, $300. Total, $15,000. — Oscar El- 
 mer, Charles A. Ford, William A. Wilcox, 
 Hiram Burt, Ezra P. Haight, Lester H. 
 Benedict, William H. Tubbs, Alonzo Miller, 
 Deloss Sperry, William A. Benedict, Beman 
 Crosby, Arden Haight, Albert Dyde, Icha- 
 bod Chapman, Burdin H. Barrett, Albert 
 G. Sheffield, Charles J. Earle, Oliver Scher- 
 merhorn, William H. Gillett, Richard S. 
 Valentine, Rensselaer Mills, John Reys, 
 Dwight Chapman, Franz Dick, Franklin B. 
 Corl, E. Washburn Moore, John G. Sim- 
 mons, Jay J. Salisbury, Joseph Bushby, 
 James M. D. Pierce, Edwin B. Swift, Frank- 
 lin Winslow, Luman S. Hicks, Charles 
 Doole, George W. Burdick, John G. John- 
 son, William Connell, Robert S. Howard, 
 Martin Darling, William Reese, Benjamin 
 Wilson, James Oakly, Nathaniel Butler, 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 203 
 
 Benjamin F. Biirch, Thomas Dunn, William 
 Sears, William H. Brotherton, Lavvison 
 Stebbins, Theodore De Bar, Thomas Jones. 
 
 Call of Jul}- 1 8th, 1864. Bount\- paid 
 $1,000, except $500 to three, and $700 to 
 four. Total bounty, $52,300. Brokerage, 
 $'.375- — Michael O'Brien, sub. for P. C. 
 Kingsbury, William Morehead, sub. for 
 Charles E. Bates, Lewis V. Huttleson, Al- 
 bert J. Donaldson, Daniel A. Berry, sub. for 
 S. M. Barber, Daniel Hands, sub. for J. H. 
 Price, Lewis W. Shorinder, sub. for Levi 
 Klock, John Smith, sub. for C. A. Persons, 
 James Mongovan, sub. for Stephen Klock, 
 Simon Fox, sub. for M. M. Hibbard, John 
 Ripley, William W. Briggs, Robert P. Bush, 
 Peter Conine, Philo Conine, Philip Conine, 
 Washington Dayton, Leroj- Galpin, Chris- 
 topher H. Gettey, Theron Geutcheous, 
 Frederick H. Goodell, James W. Henry, 
 Earl A. Hill, William Howe, Henry D. 
 Keeling, James R. Mann, Charles M. Ma- 
 cumber, John R. Miller, Asahel P. Nott, Asa 
 Palmer, Earlman R. Palmer, Henry M. Phil- 
 lips, Elijah B. Pender, Martin L. Rose, Ruel 
 H. Rose, Jeremiah Starkey, George W. 
 Stebbins, Olivier H. Topping, Charles H. 
 Weaver, William M. Whiting, Peter York, 
 Chas. H. Gould, sub. for Jed. Barber, 2d., 
 William E. Kerby, Thomas Baldin, Abra- 
 ham Wolf, John Williams,' sub. for D. N. 
 Hitchcock, Jacob Stickle, John Brown, sub. 
 for H. P. Hull, William Bliss, sub. for J. D. 
 Hull, William T. Reed, William O'Conner, 
 Thomas Green, sub. S. H. Hibbard, Edwin 
 M. Seaver, Beverly Johnson, Archie Taylor. 
 
 Call of December 19th, 1864. Bounty 
 paid, $300. Total, $15,500. Brokerage, 
 $390.00. — John Blanch, James Williams, 
 Eugene Collins, James Kelly, Patrick Foley, 
 Patrick Mansfield, Jeptha W. Owen, Rob- 
 ert W. Leach, William B. Kimball, James 
 Hall, John Cameron, William Garwood, 
 Louis Zenloich, Joseph Lewis, John Sum- 
 mons, Renna Wearanger, David Williams, 
 
 Elisha S. Lawrence, James Francis, William 
 L. Stickney, Nathan Givens, Richard Epps, 
 Joseph Dunger, John Cane, Frederick Roj-, 
 Samuel Rand. 
 
 Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
 calls October 17th, 1863, February and 
 March, 1864, $15,000; paid for filling 
 quota, call July i8th, 1864, $53,675 ; paid 
 for filling quota, call December 19th, 1864, 
 $15,890. Grand total, $84,565. 
 
 HOMER VII.L.VGE. 
 
 What is now the pleasant and prosperous 
 village of Homer was once, of course, but 
 a mere collection of houses, around which 
 the insignificant business of early days grad- 
 ually collected ; there was then more busi- 
 ness in the surrounding vicinity of what is 
 now the center of the village, than directly 
 among the dwellings that constituted the 
 nucleus of the place. Every new settle- 
 ment shows more or less hesitancy about 
 selecting its business center. Here springs 
 up a small industry ; there is built what be- 
 comes a popular public house, and yonder 
 is located a store by a man who shows a 
 capacity for success, and the mind of the 
 little public vacillates until some, perhaps, 
 trivial event decides the question of the site 
 of a village in favor of some particular lo- 
 cality. Of tlie scattering industries referred 
 to we will speak, before entering upon the 
 business history of the village proper; they 
 were w^hat gave early life and energy to the 
 young settlement, and are thus worthj- of 
 particular mention. 
 
 The Wright Hotel. — On the northward 
 of Amos Beebe's farm, and separated from 
 it, is the farm on which James Wright was 
 quite an early settler. Whence he came, 
 or just how long he remained, is not now 
 known ; but he cleared his land of the for- 
 est, placed it under cultivation, and, after a 
 few years' residence in a log cabin, erected 
 a frame dwelling of larjfer dimensions than 
 
204 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 characterized most of the earl)- dwellings, 
 and eventually opened it as a hotel. It 
 may seem singular to many at the present 
 day that a public house should be opened 
 in a locality apparently secluded ; but this 
 was on one of the main thoroughfares 
 through Central New York, then denom- 
 inated the Cooperstown Turnpike, which di- 
 verged from the Great Western Turnpike at 
 Cherry Valley, and came westward through 
 the central portion of the State. This road 
 was heavily traveled for man)- years by 
 teams hauling produce, etc., and especially 
 wheat to .\lbany. It was prior to the con- 
 struction of railroads or canals, and conse- 
 quently a tavern for the accommodation of 
 the teamsters and other travelers, if not an 
 actual necessity, would be a great conven- 
 ience, and sure to command considerable 
 business. Such turnpike inns were thickly 
 scattered throughout the State in early 
 days. 
 
 Mr. Wright kept his hotel for many years, 
 and spent the remainder of his life on the 
 same farm, which is now owned by the 
 heirs of Edmund Butler, to whom it was 
 deeded by Wright, 
 
 A little northward from Mr. Wright's 
 lived a Mr. Tanner, who was one of the 
 first (if not the ver)- first) weaver in the 
 town. He made a specialt)' of weaving 
 coarse hair cloth for use in sieves. He died 
 at that place. 
 
 The first tailor in the vicinity of Homer 
 village was Hooker Ballard, who came here 
 in 1803. He is remembered as a worthy 
 man and a good workman, who lived a quiet 
 and retiring life. 
 
 Nathan Stone came to the \icinit)- of Ho- 
 mer village in 1800, and for man)- )-ears 
 worked at his trade of brick and stone mason. 
 He located upon the farm now occupied by 
 Erastus Jones. His brother, David Stone, 
 the youngest of five brothers, also came 
 here and worked at the trade of carpenter. 
 
 We have already referred to the arrival 
 of Daniel Crandall in 1798, and his work- 
 ing at shoe mending, and finally at shoe 
 making, in the house of Judge Keep, at 
 East River. He was undoubtedly the first 
 shoemaker in the town, and perhaps in the 
 count)-. 
 
 Samuel Hotchkiss, who came in 1798, 
 was originally a shipbuilder; he located a 
 little east of Mr. Todd's farm, and worked 
 as a carpenter. He built the house now- 
 occupied b)- Thomas Fisher, in which he 
 lived for a time. He had charge of the 
 erection of the frames of many of the houses 
 in this vicinity at an earl)- day. 
 
 During the earlier years of the history of 
 the town the manufacture of whisky was 
 one of the leading industries ; it probably 
 stood at the head in this respect. It was a 
 practical and profitable method of dispos- 
 ing of surplus grain at home, instead of 
 transporting it many miles to other mar- 
 kets. The liquor was then used with a 
 freedom that would at the present time 
 cause a general sentiment of horror in any 
 conmiunity ; but at the same time, the 
 knowledge of chemistry was not .so pro- 
 found among the distillers as it is to-day, 
 and their products consequently were of a 
 much purer and more wholesome character 
 than a great deal of the spirits sold at present. 
 As late as the year 1829, as we are informed 
 on good authority, there were ten distil- 
 leries in the town, at least si.x of which w-ere 
 within the present boundaries of Homer, 
 and four within the limits of Cortland\ille. 
 It is probable that there were more ; but per- 
 haps it is well to not push the investigation 
 any farther. Orrin Utley had one at East 
 River; Samuel Griggs one "on the turn- 
 pike," and Ira Bowen one where the Homer 
 cheese factory now stands ; Benajah Tubbs 
 one on " Brewery Hill ; " Dr. Lynde one 
 where Amos Hobart now lives, and Jede- 
 diah Barber one in the villa"e. The lover 
 
Town of Homkr. 
 
 205 
 
 of ardent spirits in those days could go to 
 a distillery, buy his gallon of whisky for 
 twenty- five cents, and be presented with a 
 jug in which to carrj- it home. Yet it is 
 said that, while there was undoubtedly 
 much more liquor consumed to the number 
 of the population than there is now, still 
 there was no more of what ma)- be called in- 
 toxication than there is at the present day. 
 
 The business of tanning leather was one 
 of the prominent early industries, also. 
 Hitchcock & Bennett, two skillful boot and 
 shoe manufacturers, erected a tannery on 
 the summit of the hill near David Han- 
 num's farm, at an early day, and continued 
 the business there for many years. Andrew 
 Burr, who came to Homer village in 1809, 
 in compan\- with a man by the name of 
 Coats, erected a tanner}-, in addition to other 
 buildings which he had built ; but it appears 
 that the business did not prosper under 
 their management, as Mr. Burr sold out his 
 interest in 1816, and not long afterward Mr. 
 Coats disposed of his share in it and re- 
 moved from the town. 
 
 Homer village is delightfully situated on 
 the west branch of the Tioughnioga river, 
 on the southern boundary of the town, and 
 nearly central from east to west. It is three 
 miles north of the village of Cortland, on 
 the Syracuse, Binghamton and New York 
 Railroad. For a number of years in the 
 early history of the place it was the most 
 important village in Cortland county; it 
 now contains four churches, an academy, 
 a newspaper, a bank, two hotels, several 
 manufactories, numerous stores, and about 
 2,500 inhabitants. The streets and walks 
 of the village are broad and ornamented 
 with beautiful and thrifty shade trees, and 
 lighted with gas. There arc many tasteful 
 residences and several fine business blocks. 
 Main street is about a mile in length ex- 
 tending north and ,':outh and embraces 
 most of the business part of the village. 
 
 Near the center of the village is a beau- 
 tiful park, along the west side and facing 
 which stand the Baptist, Congregational, 
 Methodst and Episcopal Churches, and the 
 Cortland Academy. The village contains 
 two public halls — Keator (formerly Bar- 
 ber) and Wheadon Hall ; the former is 
 finished and furnished in good style and 
 has a seating capacity of one thousand ; 
 the latter is forty by fifty feet in size. 
 
 The family that first settled on any part 
 of the ground now occupied by Homer 
 village, was, from the best information now 
 available, that of John House, who located 
 in the northeastern part of the village, near 
 what is now known as the upper bridge, and 
 probably on the site of the present residence 
 of Erastus Goodell; but there is some dif- 
 ference of opinion in the minds of the pres- 
 ent generation as to the exact site of the 
 dwelling. But little is now known of Mr. 
 House — whence he came, the length of 
 time he remained, or whither he went. He 
 was succeeded on his place of residence by 
 Stephen Knapp, who had previously lived 
 in a house at the foot of the hill, on the 
 farm now owned by Andrew Kingsbury. 
 Mr. Knapp was succeeded on the farm near 
 the bridge by William Cummins, and he by 
 Henr}' Woodward. 
 
 Asahel Miner came to Homer about the 
 year 1797 and located first on the road 
 north of the old factory building. In 1803 
 he removed to the village and occupied the 
 house where his son, Martin Miner, subse- 
 quently li\-ed for many years. Asahel 
 Miner resided on this place until his death 
 in 18 17. It has been said of him that dur- 
 ing his residence in Homer (which was 
 about twenty years) he was called to fill 
 more positions of responsibility and trust 
 than any other man in the town. Among 
 the early settlers of Homer village were the 
 five brothers by the name of Ballard, who 
 came here from Brimfield, Mass., and 
 
206 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 located upon grt)und now occupied b\' tlic 
 village and its immediate vicinity. Their 
 names were John, Hooker, Slicrebiah, Jon- 
 athan and Joshua. John and Hooker Bal- 
 lard came to Homer in 1803. The former 
 purchased a farm on the west side of Main 
 street, locating his first dwelling on the site 
 of Mr. Schermerhorn's house. This dwell- 
 ing was used by him as a tavern and was 
 the one in which he was succeeded by Enos 
 Stimson, and where the Indian orgie oc- 
 curred, as before narrated. In 1804 John 
 Ballard was elected a member of the Legis- 
 lature and in 1807 was elected to the State 
 Senate. He was clerk of the county in 
 1808-09 and 1811-12. Joshua, who ar- 
 rived here in 1797-98, bought a farm on 
 the east side of the river, being a part of 
 the farm since occupied by E. Kingsbury. 
 He subsequently purchased land lying be- 
 tween Main street and the river, and erected 
 buildings on or near the corner of Albany 
 and Main streets. 
 
 Hooker Ballard purchased a farm adjoin- 
 ing that of John on the south and extend- 
 ing to the south line of lot 45, which now 
 forms the boundary line between the towns 
 of Homer and Cortlandville. Jonathan 
 Ballard located on lot 54, adjoining the 
 farm of Mr. Knapp. The two farms owned 
 by Daniel Knapp, and those of Hooker 
 and Jonathan Ballard, were situated in the 
 corners of four different lots — 44, 45, 54 
 and 55 — one corner of each farm meeting 
 at the same point. 
 
 The original house, now occupied by Mr. 
 Schermerhorn, was erected by Caleb Bal- 
 lard. He died in 1836 and his brother, 
 Marsena Ballard, married his widow, re- 
 moving from the town a few years later. 
 In 1830 the property passed into possession 
 of Andrew Dickson, by whom important 
 additions were made. Marsena Ballard 
 bought it of him ; it then became the resi- 
 dence of Col. Williams and Robert Ellis be- 
 
 came its nc.Nt owner ; he refitted antl im- 
 proved it. The premises subsequently passed 
 into the hands of the present owner, who in 
 the course of time made the additions and 
 improvements which gave the place its pres- 
 ent magnificent appearance. 
 
 Joshua Ballard, before 1820, erected the 
 house afterwards owned and occupied by I. 
 M. Samson. The eastern part of this build- 
 ing was fitted up for a store. In 1822 it 
 was kept as a hotel and was afterwards 
 owned and occupied by Col. Benajah Tubbs. 
 In 1 8 19 Mr. Ballard removed to Cortland 
 village. 
 
 A little northward of the cabin built by 
 John Ballard, Hezekiah Roberts erected a 
 house on the southeast corner of the lot now 
 occupied by A. T. Ney. He also built the 
 house now occupied b}' James P. Sher- 
 man ; but the dates when these buildings 
 were erected are not now known. The lat- 
 ter named house was, subsequent to the year 
 1840, owned by Townsend Ross, and then 
 by Oliver M. Shedd. It is stated that Rev. 
 John Keep, who came to Homer in 1821 or 
 1822, also resided here for several years, 
 being succeeded by Chas. W. Lynde. Al- 
 bert Sherman now owns and occupies the 
 premises. 
 
 The two houses on Main street, one at 
 present owned by Miss Emily Ormsby and 
 the other by G. Frazier, were evidently 
 built at an early day ; they were formerly 
 owned by E. and C. Shirley, who came to 
 Homer about 1825. 
 
 Andrew Burr, who occupied the house 
 situated on the east side of Main street, 
 directly south of the building erected on the 
 corner of Albany street by Joshua Ballard, 
 came to Homer from Connecticut in 1809. 
 Who built the house occupied by him is 
 uncertain. It was at first three stories in 
 height and was used for a time as a hotel. 
 Mr. Burr purchased the building and re- 
 duced its height to two stories. 
 
( 
 
 Town of Homer. 
 
 207 
 
 Jared Babcock came to the town at an 
 early day and erected the building on the 
 north side of Albany street, second house 
 from the corner. He, in company with J. 
 T. Clapp, also erected the building long 
 known as the old brewery and were engaged 
 ill the brewing of strong beer for many 
 years. The business was disposed of to 
 Almus Stebbins, who continued it mitil the 
 building was burned. 
 
 The residence next to that of Mr. Bab- 
 cock on the east appears to have been built 
 at an early day, but by whom is not known. 
 Almus Stebbins began his residence there 
 prior to 1830 and lived there a number of 
 years. It was afterwards occupied by Mosely 
 Clark, who was succeeded by Col. Eleazer 
 May, both of whom died there at upwards of 
 ninety years of age. Calvin Bosworth and 
 family removed to the house next and re- 
 mained for a time. 
 
 Just east of the residence of Mr. Babcock 
 and across the river at the stone bridge is a 
 dwelling occupied by Charles Mead, the 
 front portion of which was built by Clement 
 Hayden in 181 5. The house on the oppo- 
 site corner, occupied by George Martin, was 
 also built at a very early day. A little north 
 of this on what is now a vacant lot was the 
 house of Isaac Chaffy, who was an early 
 settler. He was a house joiner, was a 
 member of the Congregational Church and 
 of the choir, and for several years their or- 
 ganist. 
 
 Going northward from the present resi- 
 dence of A. K. Hibbard we come to the 
 site formerly occupied by Seth Shaw, where 
 his dwelling stood at a very early day. The 
 front of his house was two stories high, the 
 rear but one, as it stood on the side hill. 
 Mr. Shaw was a wheelwright and manufac- 
 tured the wheels used in those days for 
 spinning wool and flax. He was a brother- 
 in-law of Titus Stebbins and died about 
 1825 or 1826. 
 
 In 1808 Adin Webb erected a dwelling 
 house on the site now occupied by the 
 Barber Block, but a few years afterward 
 disposed of it and purchased a lot of Capt. 
 Hezekiah Roberts, now occupied by the 
 Baptist Church, where he built a house. 
 He subsequently sold this to Chauncey 
 Keep, and lived two years in the southern 
 part of the village. In J 823 he removed 
 to Cortland. 
 
 Daniel Glover, an enterprising mechanic, 
 occupied the first residence south of Mr. 
 Clark's. He came to Homer in 1825, or 
 1826. He, in company with others, erected 
 "Mechanics' Hall" a few years afterward 
 and subsequently purchased the house on 
 North Main street of M. B. Butterfield, 
 where he remained until he went to live 
 with his son-in-law, where he died. His 
 house in the soutli part of the village was 
 for several years owned and occupied by 
 Judah Pierce, sen., who died there. 
 
 The oldest house now standing in the 
 village of Homer was erected by Andrew 
 Burr and is now owned by Miles Van Hoe- 
 sen, it being a wing of the house in which 
 he resides. It was used as a meeting-house 
 for a time. 
 
 In the year 1800 there were but six 
 houses within the present corporation limits; 
 these have been noticed in connection with 
 the many others above referred to. In 
 1798 the first school-house was erected; it 
 stood about twelve rods bej'ond where the 
 railroad crosses the road leading to Little 
 York. The first grist-mill was also erected 
 in that year, where the Darby mill now 
 stands; there religious meetings were first 
 held ; but there seems not to hav'e been any 
 trading carried on up to this time. 
 
 MERCANTILE INTERESTS. 
 
 The first store in Homer village stood a 
 little north of the present residence of J. A. 
 Sherman ; it was, as was customary in early 
 
2o8 
 
 History oi-' Curtland County. 
 
 times, filled with a miscellaneous stock of 
 goods for the retail trade, adapted to the 
 wants of pioneers. The building was 
 erected b\' Iliv.ekiah Roberts, who also 
 built the house now occupied by Mr. Sher- 
 man, prior to 1809. It is not known how 
 long Mr. Roberts remained in the \'illage, 
 or where he went. He appears to have 
 been a man of some prominence in the 
 community; was made the commander of 
 an indei)endent company of light grenadiers 
 which became famous for the excellence of 
 its drill and discipline. In 1821 or 1822 
 the Rev. John Keep took possession of the 
 house erected by Mr. Roberts and resided 
 in it several years. The house and store 
 subsequently became the property of Chas. 
 W. Lynde, who continued mercantile busi- 
 ness for several years and resided in the 
 house several years after closing his business. 
 He accumulated considerable property, be- 
 ing considered one of the wealthiest men 
 in the place at the time he left. He was 
 surrogate of the county from 1828 to 1831 
 inclusive, and State Senator from 1831 to 
 1 834 inclusive. He resided in Homer about 
 twenty years and removed to New York, 
 or Brooklyn, about the year 1840. The 
 old store was occupied subsequent to Mr. 
 L)-nde's period of trade by Giles Chittenden, 
 and later by G. W. Sturtevant & Co., but 
 was several years ago removed to the west 
 part of the village, on Cayuga street, re- 
 paired and fitted up for a dwelling. Hiram 
 Herrick lived in it for a time and afterwards 
 Oliver Arnold, whose heirs now own it. 
 
 Some of the older residents of Homer 
 believe that Reuben Washburne was the 
 first merchant in the village; but if this is 
 true, it cannot be definitely settled at this 
 time. The old building he occupied was a 
 frame structure and is now owned by Justin 
 Pierce. It formerly stood between the 
 Windsor House and William Sherman's 
 " Homer Exchange, " and now stands just 
 
 back of the latter building. Mr. Washburne 
 died just before Mr. Sherman built his store, 
 and upon the erection of the Exchange, the 
 old .store was removed to its present position. 
 Mr. Washburne raised a respectable 
 family, one son becoming a ilistinguished 
 physician. During the war he was surgeon 
 of a New York regiment and died during 
 that period. His widow, a daughter of ex- 
 congressman Reed, formerly of Homer, is 
 now in California. 
 
 Goodwin states in his History that the 
 first merchant in Homer was John Coats and 
 that "his store stood on the ground near 
 Harrop's sign post " (the Mansion House), 
 but if so, it could not have been so early; 
 as it was after he and Andrew Burr sold 
 out their tannery before referred to and not 
 much before 18 16, when Coats left town; 
 nor could Coats and Burr, who erected 
 their tannery in 1809 have been early 
 enough to have afterwards established the 
 pioneer store in the place. 
 
 Jedediah Barber was the first permanent 
 merchant who settled in the place. He 
 came to the village in i8i i, but did not en- 
 gage in the mercantile trade until 1813. 
 The original part of his store, long known 
 as the "Great Western," was erected about 
 that time. He entered into business with 
 limited means, but was very successful and 
 eventually became the heaviest dealer in 
 the Tioughnioga valley, establishing a finan- 
 cial reputation unrivaled in the county.' 
 
 The "Great Western" stood where the 
 Keator block (former!)- called the Barber 
 block) is now located and was known by 
 that name up to the time it was burned. 
 The Keator block was built on these 
 grounds some ten years afterwards, the lot 
 
 1 A wager was iiiacie between two men at one time rel- 
 ative to the stock of goods Mr. Barliej- carried. One bet 
 that any article of commercial value needed in the county 
 could be found in his store. The other taking the bet, 
 they called for a goose yoke. Upon inquiry it was 
 found in stock and the bet was paid. 
 
Town of Homek. 
 
 309 
 
 being idle during tlie interim. Mr. Barber 
 did more to improve and beautifs- the vil- 
 lage of Homer than an)- other man and 
 left a name identified with the history of 
 the count)-. 
 
 Benjamin Roberts hauled the first stock 
 of goods sold by Mr. Barber from Albany 
 in a four-horse wagon. He also moved 
 Horace Wilson from Massachusetts to Ho- 
 mer in 1824 or 1825, it taking three weeks 
 to make the trip. 
 
 William Sherman, the second pioneer 
 merchant, came to Homer during the sum- 
 mer of 18 1 5, and first engaged in the man- 
 ufacture of nails. In 1827 he erected the 
 "Homer Exchange," corner of Mill and 
 Main streets, and for nearh' thirty years 
 thereafter conducted a heav\' mercantile 
 trade. 
 
 About the year 1 8 19 Colonel Benajah 
 Tubbs erected the building on the corner 
 of Albany street, at present occupied by 
 G. Chittenden. Mr. Tubbs was succeeded 
 in the store b}' Thaddeus Archer, following 
 whom came Horace White, Marsena Bal- 
 lard and Amos Graves. The cost of the 
 brick part of the structure was $4,000. 
 
 Caleb Ballard, son of John Ballard, en- 
 gaged in trade a few }-ears before his death 
 in 1830. His brother, Marsena, succeeded, 
 [nirchasing the goods left by his brother, 
 but after a few years left the town. 
 
 In 1853-54 Mr. Sherman built his new- 
 brick structure to the south and adjoining 
 the " Exchange." His brother, John Sher- 
 man, and William E., now deceased, were 
 at one time actively engaged in the mer- 
 cantile business with him. John subse- 
 quently left the firm and established the 
 store on the corner of Main and Clinton 
 streets, where W. A. Keilogg's residence 
 is now, and continued there some time. 
 
 George J.J. Barber succeeded his father, 
 Jedediah, as a merchant, and afterwards 
 formed a partnership with C. O. Newton, 
 
 who has been engaged in mercantile busi- 
 ness in the village for more than thirt\- 
 years. George J. J. Barbtr is now a resi- 
 dent of Syracuse. 
 
 George W. Phillips is well-known in the 
 county as an enterprising merchant of over 
 thirty years' standing. Mr. Phillips has 
 been nine years supervisor of the town and 
 was assemblyman two years. 
 
 Giles Chittenden was one of the success- 
 ful earl)- merchants of the place. He com- 
 menced business in Hezekiah Roberts's 
 store, as before stated, and afterwards built 
 the store now occupied by Geo. W. Phil- 
 lips. He has been for fifty years a money 
 lender and has accumulated a large fortune. 
 
 Prior to the year 1849 the stores of the 
 village were general in character, each car- 
 rying a full line of all kinds of goods; but 
 about the time mentioned business began 
 to be divided, difterent merchants dealing 
 in special lines. 
 
 About 1854 Danziger Brothers began 
 the manufacture of clothing on Main and 
 James streets, where they carried on an ex- 
 tensixe business for eight years, both whole- 
 sale and retail. They are now located in 
 Syracuse in the same business. O. H. Short, 
 son of the well known Hammond Short, also 
 carried on dr)- goods business tor a few years. 
 He was succeeded by Kingsbur)- & Walrad 
 in I 86 1, who traded in the Wheadon block 
 until 1866, when W. H. Haines formed a 
 partnership with Mr. Kingsbury, and under 
 the name of Haines & Kingsbury did busi- 
 ness in the Keator block (formerly the Bar- 
 ber block) until 1869, when G. D. Daniels 
 succeeded Mr. Haines, the firm name being 
 Kingsbury & Daniels. In 1875 C. A, Skin- 
 ner was taken into the firm, which is now 
 known as Kingsbury, Daniels & Co. 
 
 Arnold, Woodruff & Pierce formed their 
 partnership in 1877. J. D. Hebard engaged 
 in the trade of fancy goods and notions a 
 year or so afterward, and is now- carrying a 
 
2IO 
 
 History ok Cortland County. 
 
 special line. In 1877 Miss E. S. Dresser & 
 Co. established the millinery business and 
 are still engaged in it. In 1880 Mrs. G. \V. 
 Cottrell also began this trade, and in 1832 
 Mrs. Baldwin, who was succeeded by Miss 
 Libbie Fisher in the spring of 1883. Each 
 of these ladies carries on a successful busi- 
 ness. 
 
 Grocers. — The general store of former 
 times excluded special lines, and especially 
 in the grocerj' business. The following short | 
 sketch relates particularly to that branch of 
 trade : The general store of early days sup- 
 plied the inhabitants with all their family 
 groceries ; this w as the case down to a com- 
 paratively recent period. Not far from the 
 year 1832, when "Mechanics' Hall" was j 
 built, Benjamin Roberts kept a small gro- < 
 eery in the east part of that building. Wm. 
 Smith probably kept the next grocery store 
 in the village. It was in the building now- 
 occupied by ^Ir. Simmons as a meat market. 
 Mr. Smith traded there a number of )'ears. 
 Tiie special line of groceries was carried a 
 number of years before the war by Horace 
 Storr, and some time afterward b\' G. K. 
 Farrington, who was succeeded in 1865 by 
 P. F. Smith & Co. The firm soon changed 
 to Riggs & Smith (1866) and remained such 
 until 1877, when Smith sold out to Riggs. 
 but in 1878 Mr. Smith bought out Mr. 
 Riggs and now conducts the business. His 
 store is well stocked and his trade is good. 
 Mr. Smith's store was burned down on the 
 1 6th of December, 1883. He immediately 
 rebuilt and moved into his new and com- 
 modious quarters during the month of Sep- 
 tember following. 
 
 L. P. Babcock began the grocery busi- 
 ness in 1862. In 1868 he sold to his son, 
 O. A. Babcock, who took in Geo. H. Daniels 
 and traded with him until 1872, when Ljtle 
 F'erguson bought Daniels out and remained 
 until 1875. Wm. Gilkerson took his place 
 in 1876 and sold out to John Gilkerson in 
 
 1877, and was succeeded by Joseph Mapie- 
 thorpe in 1878, but in 1879 Mr. Babcock 
 took the store alone. His store was burned 
 Deceml)cr 4tli, 1879. 
 
 The firm of I'Vederick & Hovey was es- 
 tablished in 1882, in the building erected by 
 Henry Watrous, who had been in the gro- 
 cer)- business some years previous. The 
 business carried on bj- Andrews Brothers, 
 grocers, was established by O. B. and Ho- 
 mer Andrews in September, 1882. The 
 present store building of Newcomb & 
 Churchill was erected by F. T. Newcomb 
 in 1878. Mr. O. C. Churchill bought out 
 Mr. New comb in 1879 aiul in 1882 tlie pres- 
 ent partnership was formed. 
 
 Druggists. — The drug business was first 
 conducted in Homer b\- Geo. Cook, who 
 kept his stock on one side of his hat store. 
 His establishment was on the corner of Main 
 and Pine streets. He sold his stock to Ed- 
 win Miles, who was succeeded bj- J. H. 
 Munger and he b}' W. C. Coggeshall, who 
 continued the business until December, 
 1 87 1, when J. C. Atwater bought an inter- 
 est. .\ few months later W. H. Kellogg 
 became a member of the firm and they have 
 since carried on the business together. Dr. 
 Loomis kept a drug store for some years, 
 and about the \-ear 1 86 1 John Watson put 
 a line of drugs in his store; he was suc- 
 ceeded in I 880 by C. .A. Watson. 
 
 Confectioners. — The pioneer fruit and 
 confectioner}- store of Homer was estab- 
 lished b\' H. A. Kendall in 1846. He did a 
 good business for a number of \'ears. Geo. 
 W. Cottrell afterwards carried on the busi- 
 ness and has been very successful. Jolinston 
 Brothers established their store in 1877. In 
 1880 H. H. Johnston took the business and 
 has continued it to the present time. 
 
 Manufactures, Milling, etc. — Clement 
 Hayden began the business of cabinet ma- 
 ker in Homer as early as 181 5, and for a 
 time carried on quite an extensive business ; 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 21 I 
 
 but, owing to the influence of some bad 
 habits, became bankrupt. His house was 
 the one at present occupied by Cliarles 
 Mead, the largest portion of which was used 
 as a cabinet shop. The house was subse- 
 quently owned by Philip Putnam, and after- 
 wards by Joseph Clapp, who erected one of 
 the additions on the rear. Cabinet and fiu'- 
 niture manufacture was next carried on in 
 Homer by two brothers, E. and C. Shirk-)-, 
 natives of New Hampshire, who came to 
 Homer about 1825. The)- continued the 
 trade for several years and became the own- 
 ers of a lot on the west side of Main street 
 (the north corner of what is now James 
 street), where the)- erected a large addition 
 to the building already on the lot. This 
 building was consumed b)- fire some )'ears 
 afterward. The Shirley brothers eventually 
 dissolved partnership ; C. Shirley went to 
 Syracuse and the other brother carried on 
 business for some years in a shop on James 
 street, w-ith sale rooms on Main street. 
 
 William N. Brockwa)' began furniture 
 manufacture in 1852. His large wareroom 
 was kept filled with a variety of finel}- made 
 and finished goods ; he employed a number 
 of skilled hands and built up a very large 
 trade. His place of business was first lo- 
 cated on the corner of Cayuga and Main 
 streets, where he also carried on the busi- 
 ness of undertaking. In 1855 he removed 
 into the handsome warerooms now occu- 
 pied by Tripp & Williams, where he con- 
 tinued until 1882, when the above named 
 firm succeeded him. Injanuar)-, 1884, Mr. 
 Tripp went out of the firm, leaving Mr. 
 Williams sole proprietor. 
 
 The first saddle and harness business in 
 Homer was probably carried on by An- 
 drew Burr, who began the enterprise prior 
 to 1 8 16, while he was yet engaged in the 
 tannery business. For man)- )-ears there- 
 after he followed this trade very success- 
 fully. Eight or ten years later Mr. Burr 
 
 formed a partnership with Hammond Short, 
 who came to Homer from De Ruyter, Mad- 
 ison county; they continued together for 
 several )-ears. In the mean time Mr. Short 
 erected the house south of Mr. Burr's resi- 
 dence, now occupied by Thomas S. Ran- 
 ne)- ; he also built another structure on the 
 same lot which he occupied as a harness 
 shop, in w-hich he continued the business 
 several )'ears succeeding the dissolution of 
 the firm, and until the erection of Mechan- 
 ics' Hall, in 1833, when he removed his 
 business into that building, taking forty feet 
 of the eastern front. This building, for 
 man)- )-ears the most pretentious in the \-il- 
 lage, was erected by a compan)- consisting 
 of Horace Babcock, Hammond Short, Dan- 
 iel Glover and a Mr. Bliss. Mr. Burr pur- 
 chased the building previously occupied by 
 Mr. Short, and removed it to the opposite 
 side of the street, where he continued the 
 harness business for some \-ears. He died 
 in 1872. Both Mr. Short and Mr. Burr 
 had the reputation of being reliable me- 
 chanics and enterprising business men. 
 
 C. H. Wheadon w-as long engaged in 
 this branch of manufacture and trade, be- 
 ing at first associated with Mr. Short, and 
 continuing alone during a period of more 
 than thirty years in all. Ira Tubbs was 
 was also a harness maker for sexeral years, 
 
 I occup)'ing a shop in the Mechanics' Hall. 
 
 ! R. B. Newcomb began the business in 
 1869, and in 1878 sold out to his son, W. 
 
 j B. Newcomb, who still continues it. C. A. 
 
 ! Ford & Co. ha\e been engaged in the trade 
 
 \ since 1872, at w-hich time the)- bought out 
 Mr. Wheadon. 
 
 George Murra)- established the hardware 
 trade and tin and copper manufacturing in 
 Homer in 1842. His store was the pioneer 
 in the village in that line ; he continued for 
 many )-ears, until succeeded b)- his sons, 
 G. & J. Murra)-, in 1869, who enlarged the 
 stock, extetided the scope of the business 
 
212 
 
 History of Cokti.and County. 
 
 and built u[) a \'cr\' lart^c trailc. J. J. Mur- 
 ray is now the sole proprietor ; it is tlie 
 only hardware store in Homer. 
 
 Samuel H. Hitchcock came tu the tovvii 
 at an earl)- tia\-. ills father, Peter Hitch- 
 cock, who lonj; resided with his son, was 
 elected one of the deacons of the first church 
 of Homer upon its organization. Mr. 
 Hitchcock settled first upon the land re- 
 cently owned by David Hannum, near the 
 summit of the hill ; his brother-in-law, John 
 I5ement, also settled near him. Thoc two 
 men erected a tanner)-, but how long thc)- 
 continued the business we have been unable 
 to learn. The)- were both practical boot 
 and shoe makers, and subseijuently moved 
 to the village, where Mr. Hitchcock carried 
 on the latter business in a building owned 
 by Mr. Rowen, on Main street. It is stated 
 on good authority that Hitchcock & Bc- 
 ment obtained from the government the 
 first patent for securing the soles of boots 
 and shoes to the uppers with w-ooden pegs. 
 
 Daniel Glover removed to Homer from 
 De Ruyter, Madison county, about the )-ear 
 1825 or 1826. He was a thrift)' mechanic, 
 and followed boi)t and shoe making for many 
 years. He was one of the company that 
 erected Mechanics' Hall, and continued his 
 business in that building for several years. 
 
 Lorenzo Bennett was an early boot and 
 shoe maker, and was succeedeil by Bene- 
 dict & Corey. In 1845 Asa Core)- was 
 succeeded by David B. Corey, and contin- 
 ued until 1 86 1, when A. H. Bennett suc- 
 ceeded Mr. Benedict. In 1877 Mr. Corey 
 died, and since that time Mr. Bennett has 
 successfully carried on the business. 
 
 Messrs. Chollar & Jones kept a prosper- 
 ous boot and shoe store in the place for a 
 number of years, beginning in 1849. They 
 were practical business men, well c|ualified 
 for their work, and secured a liberal patron- 
 age. After a partnershij) of seven years 
 Mr. Chollar continuetl the business alone 
 
 until 1879, wlicii he was succeeded by Al- 
 len & Shattuck, who still continue it. In 
 1874 C. I-",. Wills began this trade in a small 
 wa)-, and, with considerable increase in his 
 stock, is now engaged in it. 
 
 The first silversmith in the \illage of 
 Homer, who made a permanent location, 
 was John Osborne. He erected a building 
 directly east of the one on the corner of 
 Main street, north of (iiles Chittenden's 
 present residence, and w hich \\ as used for a 
 long time as the post-office. Mr. Osborne 
 came to Homer about the year 1826, and 
 followed his calling until somewhat ad- 
 vanced in age, when he sold his business 
 and spent the remainder of his life in retire- 
 ment ; he died many years since. He was 
 succeeded in this line by I). U. R. Ormsby, 
 whiise honorable business career extended 
 over many years. George Dana traded after 
 this for a time, but left the village in 1881. 
 J. J. Reider began the business in 1879, and 
 is now the onl)' jeweler in the village. 
 
 Matthias Cook came to Homer about the 
 year 1809, and began the manufacture of 
 hats — the first establishment of the kind 
 in Homer. He erected a building suitable 
 for his purpose, which is still standing near 
 the river. Mr. Cook was a young man 
 possesseil nf industr)' ,uul integrit)-, and 
 built up a successful trade. He was made 
 county clerk in 1821 ; Member of Assem- 
 bl)- in 1824, antl received a second nom- 
 ination in 1831. but was defeated by An- 
 drew Dickson. This e\ent produced sucli 
 a depressing efifect u])on .Mr. Cook's mind 
 as to partiall)- unsettle his reason, in which 
 condition he committed suicide in No\'em- 
 ber, 1831. .After Mr. Cook's death his 
 son, B. K. Cook, succeeded to his father's 
 business; but his death about the year 
 1832 transferred the establishment to his 
 brother, George Cook, who continued it for 
 many years, graduall)- relinquishing the 
 manufacturing branch. 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 213 
 
 C. A. Collins, hatter and clothier, began 
 business in 1850, and still carries a stock of 
 hats, though his principal trade is in ready- 
 made clothing. I'. Higbee is also engaged 
 in the same business. He was associated 
 with Mr. Babcock from 1877 to iiS7g, and 
 witli Mr. Darb\- until recently. The mer- 
 chant taik)ring business in Homer, formerly- 
 conducted by C. A. Collins, has been since 
 1S82 in the competent hands of Mr. D. B. 
 Quick. 
 
 In 1798 the first grist-mill in the town, as 
 it was also the first in the count}', was 
 erected by John Keep, Solomon Hubbard 
 and Asa White. It was biu-ned in 1840 and 
 at once rebuilt as the present Uarby mill. 
 The first stones were procured from the 
 bank east of Lyman Hubbard's. The bolts 
 were purchased by Mr. White in Utica. 
 The mill in its original condition produced 
 flour of a ver}' ordinary' character; but it 
 being the onI\' one in the county, the in- 
 habitants were not disposed to be very par- 
 ticular as to the fineness or qualitx' of their 
 flour. Mr. White subsec]uentl)- jjurchased 
 the interests of his partners and refitted and 
 greatly improved the mill. The structure 
 was at that time probably the most preten- 
 tious and imposing building in the place; 
 for there religious meetings, public gather- 
 ings, social parties and balls were held. At 
 one of the early social parties the managers 
 were placed in a rather unpleasant predica- 
 ment, as neither rum nor molasses was to be 
 found in town. The lack of these necessa- 
 ries at a ball in those days would luu-e been 
 considered almost an unpardonable breach 
 of gallantr}' on the part of the gentlemen, 
 so a special messenger was dispatched post 
 haste a distance of thirty miles to Manlius 
 Square, for a gallon of rum and half as much 
 molasses, with which "black strap" was 
 made for the company. The grist-mill 
 passed through many hands. Messrs. Bowen 
 & Goodell owned it in 1855. Tovvnsend 
 
 Ross and Noah R. Smith each owned it for 
 a time. In 1863 Darby & Wilcox sold ft to 
 L. & L. Darby, who transferred it to Stone 
 & Sheldon in 1865. In 1871 Darby & Son 
 bought it and in 1871 Darby & Huntington 
 were the owners. In 1875 L. &W. H. Darby 
 took it and in 1880 the present owner, W. 
 H. Darby, became the proprietor. The mill 
 has four run of stone and grinds 15,000 
 bushels of wheat annuall}-. 
 
 Adjoining the old mill built b)- Keep, 
 Hubbard and White, was a wool carding 
 and cloth dressing mill built by Analgias 
 Jenks at a very early day. It was a great 
 convenience to the people and did a large 
 business. There were a number of proprie- 
 tors, among whom were Henry Devoe, Jus- 
 tin Pierce and Simeon S. Bradford. The 
 mill was burned in 1841 and was not re- 
 built. 
 
 Aaron Benedict built the original grist- 
 mill on the site of the present stone mill, 
 south of the village, having bought the site 
 of Daniel Knapp ; it was a frame building 
 and gave place to the stone structure, built 
 by Dr. Lewis Riggs in 1837 ; he sold it to 
 Mr. Westcott. J. A. Tisdale is the present 
 owner and has recently converted it to a 
 roller mill. A saw-mill was connected with 
 this grist-mill for many years. 
 
 The original cotton factory that stood op- 
 posite the present stone structure, now used 
 as a grist-mill by Geo. W. Southwick, was 
 built soon after the beginning of the cent- 
 ury by Asa White. It was a profitable en- 
 terprise until it was burned soon after the 
 War of 181 2. A grist-mill was then built 
 on or near that site, but that was torn down 
 to give place to the present stone structure, 
 which was erected by a stock company in 
 1834. In the company were Jedediah Bar- 
 ber, Wm. Sherman, Colonel Williams, Judge 
 Berry and others. Its use was abandoned 
 for quite a period. J. O. Pierce & Co. bought 
 it in 1S51 and kept it eight years. In 1859 
 
214 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 it was sold to J. B. Kent, now a merchant 
 in Syracuse. In 1862 John L. Boorum & 
 Co. purchased it, dismantled it of the cot- 
 ton machinerj- and arranged it for flax- 
 breaking purposes. It then was idle a few 
 years previous to its being changed to a 
 grist-mill by its present owner in 1875. 
 Barney Payne was a member of the firm of 
 J. O. Pierce & Ci). During their proprietor- 
 ship tiiere were 5 i looms and 2,400 spindles 
 in the factory. They manufactured wide 
 cloths, sheeting, batting and flour sacks. 
 Steam power was added in 1852, and the 
 basement was used as a machine shop for 
 building and repairing. On the second floor 
 was the carding and spinning and on the 
 third weaving, while the fourth was devoted 
 to spinning and dressing. The cotton was 
 bought in New York and the manufactured 
 goods returned there for sale. Belonsine 
 to the factory were thirty or forty acres of 
 land on which stood thirteen or fourteen 
 tenement houses for the employees. Labor 
 was then very cheap. W'eavers worked b\- 
 the rut and could earn but from $2.50 to 
 $5.00 a week. Skillful spinners received 
 twent}- shillings and board ; mule spinners 
 $9.00 a week and other hands about $2 a 
 week. They were paid off every three 
 months, but in the mean time credit was 
 given them at the general store on the prem- 
 ises and belonging to the firm. Cotton was 
 then worth from seven and a half to eleven 
 cents a pound and although wages were low 
 this industry, with its large number of em- 
 ployees, served to keep up a good degree of 
 activity in the village. 
 
 William Sherman came to Homer village 
 in the summer of 1815 and located near the 
 cooper shop. He soon after erected a ma- 
 chine shop for the manufacture of nails — 
 the first factory of the kind in the State. 
 The machinery was adapted to feed, cut and 
 head the nails, without manual assistance. 
 On the liead of each nail was stamped the 
 
 letter "S." Four-penny nails were then 
 worth twenty-five cents a pound. Mr. Sher- 
 man and Mr. Barber were aLso engaged in 
 the manufacture of oil at an early period. 
 
 The first cooperage was done in the \il- 
 lage b)- Benjamin S\-monds at an early day ; 
 he was located between the residence of Mr. 
 Cook and the river, and continued the busi- 
 ness until late in his life, when he was fol- 
 lowed by his sons. They finally sold out 
 and went to Katon, Madison county. 
 
 The tannery now owned by Abel Gere 
 was originally established by Chester Col- 
 lins and p;iijah Pierce. It was built for them 
 b}- Hosea Sprague, who removed a build- 
 ing from near the site which had been used 
 as a pottery. The building was erected in 
 ' 1825 and was burned in 1878, when the 
 present structure was built. Twent)--fi\-c 
 years ago Thomas Boland owned the prop- 
 ; erty, continuing it for eight years. Wm. 
 Coggeshall succeeded him for eight j^ears, 
 and in 1875 the present owner took it. 
 
 Jacob Sanders, jr., located in Homer \il- 
 lage in the fall of 1825, erected buildings 
 and began the foundr}- business on a very 
 limited scale at first. His bellows used to 
 raise the heat for melting ore was moved 
 by horse-power. This foundry was on the 
 east side of Main street at the southern end 
 of the village. The iron plow had been in- 
 vented not long previous and Mr. Sanders 
 entered quite largely into the manufacture 
 of this necessary farm tool. His business 
 constantly increased and in 1838 he erected 
 the building on the opposite side of the 
 street, enlarged his plant and put in a ma- 
 chine shop. This structure was burned on 
 the night before elecfion in 1 844, but the 
 steam-engine was saved. Mr. Sanders im- 
 mediately rebuilt and continued the busi- 
 ness until 1853, when he transferred the 
 property to J. W. & A. Stone, who have 
 for the long period since that time con- 
 ducted the establishment. The\- no\\- manu- 
 
''__,/:7 -^-Y/^C/:^- 
 
 'U 
 
 ^a^^^e^'. 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 215 
 
 facture circular saw-mills, mill and general 
 machinery, farming machinery, etc. 
 
 The edge tool manufactory of R. Hlan- 
 shan & Co. stood on the cast bank of the 
 river and was run by steam, for the manu- 
 facture of a.xes and other edge tools. The 
 building was erected b)' William Heberd, a 
 brother-in-law of Jedediah Barber. The 
 business wasoriginally begun prior to 181 2. 
 
 Messrs. Gross & Robinson began the 
 manufacture of writing ink in Homer in 
 1853, on a rather limited scale. They 
 made the American chemical writing fluid, 
 which attained a large sale. The business 
 is now abandoned. 
 
 The planing-mill and carpenter shop of 
 George W. Almy was erected in 1853. Tiie 
 building was thirt}- b_\' si.vty feet and a 
 fifteen horse-power engine drove the ma- 
 chiner\-. A turning shop was afterward 
 built for the manufacture of tool handles. 
 A large business was carried on for a num- 
 ber of years. A shoe- peg factor}- was 
 afterwards placed in the same building. 
 The mill was run b}' Hicok, Barber & Co., 
 until their failure a few years since. 
 
 The great cutter manufactory of Gage, 
 Hitchcock & Co. was first established by 
 Gage & Bishop in 1868. The firm manu- 
 factured during their first year 105 cutters 
 and emplo\ed but one man. The original 
 firm continuetl until 1879, when it was 
 changed to its present composition. In 
 that year 3,000 cutters were made; in 
 1880, 8,000; in 1 88 1, 14,000; in 1882, 
 15,000, and in 1883, 15,000. About 100 
 men are employed and their product is 
 shipped to all parts of the Northern States. 
 
 The butter firkin factor)- of S. M. Clark 
 was established in 1873, and is now- manu- 
 facturing about 15,000 tubs and 10,000 
 pails annually, giving employment during 
 the bus)- season to twelve to fifteen men. 
 
 Westcott's foundr)- and machine shop 
 was established by George N. Westcott, in 
 
 1877. It is a successfully managed estab- 
 lishment, doing an exclusive jobbing busi- 
 ness, and is well supplied with machiner)- 
 and tools for general custom work. 
 
 The Hon-ier oil cloth manufacturing com- 
 pany is becoming one of the leading in- 
 dustries of the place. The compan)- was 
 organized in 1882, since w'hich time the 
 business has increased beyond the anticipa- 
 tions of the managers. Under the efincient 
 immediate direction of George Murray, jr., 
 another large building is soon to be erected 
 to meet the demands of the business. The 
 capital stock of the company' was made 
 $100,000, which will undoubtedl)' be in- 
 creased. The product of the factor)- is 
 carriage and floor oil-cloths, with a present 
 capacity of 600 yards per da)-. The pres- 
 ent officers of the compan)- are : Coleman 
 Hitchcock, president; Charles O. Newton, 
 vice-president; George Murray, jr., secre- 
 tary and treasurer. The board of directors 
 consists of Coleman Hitchcock, C. O. New- 
 ton, George Murra)-, jr., Byron Ma.xson 
 and W. F. Hitchcock. 
 
 A manufacturing interest of importance 
 was established in Homer in July, 1874, by 
 Willett Fisher, for the production of the 
 celebrated Fisher platform spring wagon 
 gears. Only four or five men were em- 
 ployed at the first, which number has in- 
 creased to twenty-one. About 3,500 gears 
 are manufactured annual!)-, which find a 
 market in all parts of the countr)-. 
 
 In the year 1875 \V. N. Brockw-a\- began 
 the manufacture of platform spring wagons 
 in Homer, in a building opposite the found- 
 r)- at the southern end of the \illage. The 
 first )-ear about fift)- wagons were turned 
 out and an equal number of -buggies. Un- 
 der good management the business rapidl)- 
 increased, until it is one of the most prom- 
 inent industries of the place. Several large 
 new- buildings have been erected, nearer the 
 center of the village, and a fifty horse 
 
2l6 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 power cn^nnc funiislics motive ])o\ver for 
 the cstablishiiieiit. Tlic blacksniitli shop luis 
 twelve fires, is i6ob)- 30 feet and employs 
 40 men in ironing the wajjons. About 150 
 men arc employed and 2,500 excellent 
 \ehicles are turned out aniuiall}'. 
 
 The banking; business of Homer is now 
 transacted b_\- the I'"irst National Hank w hicli 
 was organized on the 7th of September, 
 1878, with a cash capital of $100,000. 
 lousiness was begun in this institution on 
 the 8th of October of the year mentioned. 
 The executive officers have remained un- 
 changed since the organization, with one 
 exception. They are G. N. Cojieland, presi- 
 dent ; George Murray, xice-president ; W. 
 H. Crane, cashier. The directors arc J. M. 
 Schermerhorn, J. P. Cottrell, George Con- 
 able, G. W. Phillips, A. W. II. .hart, Nathan 
 l\.inne\-, P. C. Kingsbur)-, A. P'rancisco, 
 with the president, \ice-president and 
 cashier. 'Phc bank has been \ery success- 
 ful and its credit is high. 
 
 it will be inferred from the foregoing rc- 
 \iew of the manufacturing and mercantile 
 interests of Homer village that rapid strides 
 in those directions have been made since 
 the incorporation of the place ; indeed, a 
 good deal had been accomplished in this 
 respect previous to that event. The popu- 
 lation had reached about one thousand, and 
 it was generally belie\'ed that the \'illage 
 would be the leading one of the county. 
 But better facilities for communication with 
 distant markets were sadly needed. All 
 hopes of making the Tioughnioga river per- 
 manently available as a commercial high- 
 way had been gi\en up, and reliance placed 
 upon State roads, teams, stage coaches and 
 ordinary wagons. Prior to the opening of 
 the Erie canal in 1825, the merchants' 
 goods were brought up to Albany, then 
 conve\-ed by land to Utica and thence to 
 Homer; or, were sent through Wood creek, 
 Oneida lake, Onondaga river and down the 
 
 Tioughnioga. Wheat, potash and other 
 products were either shipped on rafts and 
 boats down the Tioughnioga and Susque- 
 hanna rivers to Baltimore, or were trans- 
 pt)rted to distant markets by teams. This 
 unpromising state of affairs led to frequent 
 and an.xious discussion of railroad connec- 
 tiiiii with the outer world, resulting finall}' 
 in the building of the Syracuse and Bingham- 
 ton Railroad. The charter was first secured 
 in 1836, but the road was not built antl 
 opened for business until 1S54. iJeacon 
 Amos Rice, Jedediah Barber and Israel 
 Boies, of Plomer, were very prominent in 
 forwartling this enterprise, which was des- 
 tined to be of such vast importance to the 
 tow 11. Further details of the construction 
 and opening of this railroad will be found 
 elsewhere in these pages. 
 
 Incorporation. — By the year 1821 Ho- 
 mer village had reached an important posi- 
 tion in the count}'. There was not \'er\' 
 nuich wealth in the place, but a good deal 
 of business was done, princif)all)- in the 
 way of exchange. Jedediah Barber, Cap- 
 tain Tubbs, Hezekiah Roberts, Giles Chit- 
 tenden, Keep & Dickson and Andrew Burr 
 each had a store. The cotton factory and 
 grist-mill were doing a prosperous business; 
 numerous asheries and distilleries were in 
 operation; travel was considerable, stages 
 running north and south through the val- 
 le\', from S\"racuse to Binghamton and Owe- 
 go, and to De Ruyter. Goods were 
 transported from Albany to Homer at one 
 dollar per hundred pounds, and hotel pat- 
 ronage was good. There were then (1821) 
 but three brick houses in the village — that 
 of Dr. Owen, where George Murray now 
 resides, and those of Newell Jones and Cap- 
 tain Tubbs. 
 
 Mr. William O. Bunn came to the village 
 in 1834 and has given us a brief description 
 of the place at that time. The number of 
 stores had considerabh' increased. Russell 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 217 
 
 Williams carried on a general trade in a 
 wooden bnilding where \\'. Kellogg's resi- 
 dence is now located, and William and John 
 Sherman where John Arnold is now. Dea- 
 con Loammi Kinney, now more than eighty 
 years old, cut and made clothing for the 
 gentry in a little shop standing on ground 
 now occujiied b\- the Homer bank. Har- 
 din Slocum was located near by in a gun 
 shop, where he repaired and made guns for 
 many years. Mr. Barber's store stood where 
 the Keator block now is. Coye & Stone 
 had a wagon shop where the Wheadon block 
 stands. Joel Heberd was near by in a gen- 
 eral store and just south of him Dr. Lewis 
 Riggs was located. Harr\' Coburn sold 
 groceries, and Mr. Southwick was conduct- 
 ing the cotton factory. Cahin Slocum 
 kept the hotel which is now the Hotel 
 Windsor. Wm. Heberd was offering cast 
 steel axes (work done by Stephen \'ail) at 
 $1.75 ; old axes jumped and ground for 
 seven shillings, as we learn from the Cort- 
 land Observer. Giles Chittenden was deal- 
 ing in dry goods. Miles Morgan and E. & 
 C. Shirle)^ were in the cabinet business. 
 
 Such was the general business aspect of 
 the village when steps were taken for its 
 incorporation. P"or this purpose a meeting 
 of the inhabitants was called in the base- 
 ment of the old Calvary Church, which was 
 long used as a town hall, on the first Tues- 
 day in June, 1835, under and in pursuance 
 of the act of Legislature, entitled an act to 
 incorporate the village of Homer, passed 
 May iith, 1835. Augustus Donnell\- and 
 Lewis B. Canfield presided as inspectors of 
 the election of trustees directed to be chosen. 
 Candidates were voted for separately, re- 
 sulting as follows : Augustus Donnelly, 
 David Coye, Russell Williams, Hammond 
 Short, Lewis S. Owen, Geo. J. J. Barber. 
 Jonathan Hubbard was chosen clerk. 
 
 These trustees held a meeting at the office 
 of Augustus Donnelly on the i8th of June, 
 
 at which Mr. Donnelly was elected presi- 
 dent of the board. The board again con- 
 vened on the 25th of June, and their first 
 enactment was as follows : — 
 
 "It is hereby ordained by the trustees of the 
 village of Homer, that from and after the first 
 day of July next, all firingof crackers and squibs 
 be prohibited at all time; that all firing of can- 
 non, guns and pistols, ringing of bells, making 
 any noise so as to disturb the quiet of the inhab- 
 itants within the corporation between the hours 
 often o'clock in the evening and four o'clock in 
 the morning, be prohibited, under the penalty 
 of five dollars for each offence." 
 
 The following arc the present officers of 
 the village : — 
 
 . Trustees — Coleman Hitchcock, Joseph 
 W^atson, Frank T. Newcomb. Philip Zim- 
 mer and James A. Sherman. 
 
 Clerk — John M. Coats. 
 
 Treasurer — Charles O. Newton.' 
 
 Police Justice — A. Judson Kneeland. 
 
 Police Constable — Wm. A. Shirley. 
 
 At the meeting of the village board on 
 June 25th, above referred to, they resolved to 
 take into consideration the expediency of rais- 
 ing money for the purpose of building a fire 
 engine house, procuring hooks, ladders and 
 " for such other business as shall be deemed 
 necessary." For this purpose a special 
 meeting was called for Friday, the 3d day 
 of July. It was there decided to build a 
 suitable house, large enough to contain two 
 engines, the building to be located in the 
 center of the public green ; the cost to be 
 $150. A small hand engine was subse- 
 quently bought, which is still in use and 
 sustaining the reputation it has always 
 borne for efficienc)' in extinguishing fires, 
 in spite of its insignificant size. The little 
 engine-house is also still standing. 
 
 These were the facilities for extinguishing 
 fires until in March, 1873, when steps were 
 taken towards the purchase of a steam fire 
 
 1 Mr. Newton failing to qu.ilify, the board appointed 
 W. TI. Crane, who now fills tlie ofhce. 
 
2l8 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 engine. This was accomplished at a cost 
 of $5,600, including hose cart, 1,000 feet 
 of hose and other appurtenances. Hoel 
 Pierce was the first engineer, at a salary of 
 $125 a year. .\ W. Hobart, C. Collins 
 and John Van Hoescn were made a com- 
 mittee to purchase a lot for the engine 
 house. This resulted in the purchase from 
 T. D. Chollar of a lot 28 feet front and 
 43^ feet deep on James street, for which 
 $285 was paid. The engine house was 
 built in 1873 b\- -A. H. Pcrr\- at a cost of 
 $2,100. 
 
 Post-Office. — Townsend Ross was the 
 first postmaster in the \'illage of Homer. 
 The office was first located in a building 
 near the store of George W. Phillips. John 
 Osborne was the second official in the office, 
 and he was followed b\- Dr. Lewis Riggs, 
 who came to Homer 1818. Then there 
 were successively in the office, George Ross, 
 J. P. Stone, G. J. J. Barber, A. \\'. Kings- 
 bur}' and the present incimibent, Newell 
 Jones. Each of the last three mentionetl 
 held the position eight years. I-"ivc mails 
 are received and distributed daih- from the 
 post-oflice at the present time. 
 
 Hotels. — The first tavern established in 
 Homer village was kept by John Ballard; 
 it was opened to the little public soon after 
 Mr. Ballard came in, in 1803. He pur- 
 chased his farm on the west side of Main 
 street and built his log cabin on the ground 
 now occupied b\^ the residence of J. M. 
 Schermerhorn ; to this he added a room 
 inclosed with boards and hung out his sign 
 of entertainment. It is probable that this 
 pioneer hotel was not kept open more than 
 a short time. 
 
 The first permanent hotel in the village, 
 was what is now the Hotel Windsor, which 
 was built by Major Stimson, who conducted 
 it for many years. In 1829 he was suc- 
 ceeded by Calvin Slocun>, who continued it 
 until 1850. Thomas Harrop was the ne.xt 
 
 proprietor of the house ; he gave it his own 
 name, but retired five years later and was 
 followed by L. Van Anden ; the house en- 
 joyed a prosperous career as Van Anden's 
 Hotel. He was followetl b\- John Patten, 
 who kept it for several years, since which 
 time there have been numerous changes in 
 the management, which need not be special- 
 ly alluded to. The present proprietors, 
 Thomas White & Son, took the house in 
 1883, and under their experienced direction 
 it has become a popular one. 
 
 The Mansion House was erected about 
 the same time as the other house. The 
 The e.xact dates in either case are not 
 1 available, but it is generally believed both 
 houses in their original form, were built as 
 early as the War of 1812. Judge Bowen 
 was probabl}- the first landlord of the Man- 
 sion House, and afterwards his son, Oren 
 Bowen, kept it down to 1853, when it was 
 sold to Amos Graves. T. D. Chollar was 
 the next owner (1859) but three years later 
 he sold it to Richard Beck, of New York, 
 whose heirs still own it. The house was 
 leased to Thomas \\'hite in i860, he suc- 
 ceeding Thomas Harrop, who had con- 
 ducted it as a temperance house under Mr. 
 Chollar's ownership. In 1868 Ingles & 
 Mills took the house for three years. A 
 Mr. Tripp then occupied it ; then Thomas 
 White until 1877; John Klock until 1879; 
 George Crane until 1881; Thomas White 
 again until 1883. In April of that year 
 the property passed under the management 
 of John R)'an, the present proprietor. 
 
 The third hotel in the village was the 
 building at present occupied and owned as 
 a dwelling house by Miles Van Hoesen. 
 It was not open to the public ver\' long. 
 
 The fourth public house was built in 
 1 8 16 by Joshua Ballard, and is at present 
 used as a store and dwelling by I. M. Sam- 
 son. Peter Westerman kept it for a time 
 about 1824. He was followed by Benajah 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 219 
 
 Tubbs, who was there in 1832. Jud^e 
 Harris, a son-in-law of Mr. Tubbs, then 
 kept it for a time and was followed bj' Geo. 
 W. Samson, 1838-39; Hiram Bishop, 
 1848-50; George VV. Samson to 1853; 
 I. M. Samson, his son, from 1853 to 1873, 
 when it was closed to the public. 
 
 A glimpse over the local newspapers 
 twenty years after the incorporation of the 
 village (1855) will give us an indication of 
 its growth and its business status at that 
 time. Here we find notice of a meeting 
 of the stockholders of the American Chem- 
 ical Ink Company, of which H. H. Gross 
 was president. Babcock & Kinney an- 
 nounced a great rush at the Homer clothing 
 store. Wm. Sherman & Son were in the dr\- 
 goods trade and made announcement indi- 
 cating a thrivingbusiness. Mrs. Preston dec- 
 orated the heads of the ladies, and Chester A. 
 Collins was then doing a successful business 
 as a merchant tailor. George W. Phillips 
 offered to make hafd times easier by selling 
 his dr)- goods cheaper than the cheapest. 
 C. O. Newton, grocer\'man, advertised a 
 large stock of goods, but during the follow- 
 ing year formed a copartnership with Geo. 
 J. J. Barber and V. T. Stone, in the "Great 
 Western." Paris Barber was engaged in 
 the lime, plaster and sand trade. ChoUar 
 & Jones were in a shoe store in the north 
 half of the Bank block, doing a business 
 of $10,000 a year. E. F. Phillips carried 
 a stock of gloves, etc., and Lorenzo Ben- 
 nett of boots and shoes. E. H. Osborne, 
 and Geo.W. Bradford were selling books, and 
 Hepry B. Burr was in the insurance busi- 
 ness. Ray-mond Smith was manufacturing 
 wagons near the southern ri\'er bridge and 
 Wm. N. Brockway had just entered his new 
 furniture warerooms. Chas. W. Wheadon 
 announced the removal of his stock of new 
 harness, saddlery, etc., a few doors south 
 of J. Barber's store. D. D. R. Ormsby 
 was in the jewelry business, while L. P. 
 
 Wood sold the heavier metals in the shape 
 of iron and copper ware at No. 8 Sherman 
 Building. Bennett & Woodruff sold cloths 
 and clotliing. W. P. Beck was the well known 
 daguerrean artist. A. Roberts, who had 
 purchased the grocery store of Wm. R. 
 Smith, advertised ice for sale. What is now 
 the Hotel Windsor was then \'an .\nden's 
 Hotel, while the Mansion House was then 
 occupied b\- Thomas Harrop, for many 
 years a popular landlord. W. L. & C. A. 
 Morgan kept a restaurant under Wheadon's 
 Hall. R. D. Cornwell & Co. had a liverj' 
 stable and ran a daily line of stages to Glen 
 Haven. J. C. Terry also was in the livery- 
 business. J. Ball, G. W, Bradford, Josiah 
 Patterson, C. Green and W. R. Brown were 
 the physicians of the place. 
 
 Schools. — The first school-house erected 
 in the village of Homer was located about 
 twelve rods beyond where the railroad 
 crosses the wagon road leading to Little 
 York. The second school building stood on 
 the public green ; it was a small, rude aftair 
 and was built prior to i8oi. The third build- 
 ing for school purposes was also erected on 
 the green ; it was a two-story structure in 
 which were employed two teachers. This 
 building stood until the y-ear 1839, when it 
 was sold at auction and bid off by " Squire " 
 Canfield for the Methodist Church society. 
 In it the first court in the county was held 
 prior to 1809. The building' is at present 
 owned by Pembroke Pierce and stands on 
 the corner of ICagle and Cayuga streets In 
 the year 1 8 19 the first academy building 
 was erected. It was originally two stories 
 high and of wood, 54 by 32 feet in dimen- 
 sions ; subsequent additions were made until 
 it was 54 by lOO feet. It was used until 1 869, 
 when the present handsome structure was 
 erected. 
 
 Joshua Ballard was the first teacher in the 
 town of Homer ; but it is not now known 
 how long he presided in either of the early 
 
220 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 school-houses. The next teacher of ])ronii- 
 nence was Adin Webb, who is described as 
 "a tall, straight, sprightly young man, dig- 
 nified in deiiieanor and with a good educa- 
 tion." With but <Mie year as an exception 
 Mr. Webb taught seventeen successive 
 j'ears. He was a native of Windham county. 
 Conn. ; his father was one of tile heroes of 
 the Revolution and served in that portion 
 of the army that was engaged in the battle 
 of Bennington and the capture of Burgoync. 
 In 1800 Mr. Webb was married to Deborah 
 Carter, and the\- came with his parents to 
 this State, locating near Cazenovia lake. 
 In 1805 he was solicited b\- friends to come 
 to Homer and teach the village school for a 
 term of ten months. Being a capable singer 
 he taught singing school at the same time, 
 and being successful in both \ocations, he 
 decided to remain and make his permanent 
 home in Homer. During the whole period 
 of his residence here he was leader of the 
 choir in the Congregational Church.' 
 
 In this connection mention should be 
 made of the name of Stephen W. Clark, 
 who for a number of )-ears was principal of 
 the Academy. He was a man of varied at- 
 tainments and was the author of an analysis 
 of the English language, an etymological 
 chart and a practical grammar, in which 
 words and phrases are classified according 
 to their offices and their various relations to 
 one another, all of which works met with 
 general recognition. Mr. Clark was the third 
 son of Joseph and Mary Clark, and younger 
 brother of M}Mon H. Clark, e.x-governor of 
 New York. He was born at Naples, N. Y., 
 April 24th, 1 8 10. After spending his earlier 
 years in agricultural pursuits in his native 
 town and as a mercantile clerk in Canan- 
 daigua, he finished his preparatory studies 
 in Franklin Academy, Prattsburg, N. Y., 
 and entered Amherst College in 1833. Here 
 
 1 Further reference to Mr. Webb'.s life will be found 
 
 in the liisl()r\' of the town of C\)rtlan(l. 
 
 he devoted himself especially to the study 
 of natural sciences, graduating with honor 
 in 1837. He soon entered upon his chosen 
 profession and followed teaching almost 
 withotit interruption for man}- years. He 
 was at different times principal of Croton 
 Academy, the Monroe Collegiate Institute, 
 East Bloomficld .\cadem_\' and Cortlantl 
 Academy. 
 
 From the common school which was so 
 long and so successfully taught by Adin 
 Webb on the sj^aciotis "green" grew the 
 Cortland Academy, which has for si.xt)--five 
 years nestled among the chtirches, gradu- 
 ally and siux'U' earning a rc])titation and 
 making for itself a history honorable to its 
 conductors and to the county. The academy 
 was chartered under its present name on the 
 2d of Eebruar)-, 1819. Among its original 
 trustees were Rev. l^lnathan Walker, Dr. 
 Lewis S. Owen, Dr. John Miller, John Os- 
 borne, Chaimcey Keep, David Coye, Noah 
 R. Smith and Rufus Boies. Revs. Alfred 
 Bennett, John Keep and Hon. E. C. Reed 
 were soon after elected to fill vacancies in 
 the board. Prosperit}- attended the school 
 almost from its first opening. The inhab- 
 itants of Homer and surrounding towns took 
 a deep and abiding interest in the institu- 
 tion, patronized the school liberallj- and 
 
 I aided its success in man\' other ways. It 
 soon became the most popular and widely- 
 
 ' known institution of learning within a cir- 
 cuit of man}' miles. The only endowment 
 ever possessed by the academy, other than 
 the good will of the people, was the use of 
 a county school lot, which was sold in 1835 
 for $3,733. The prosperit}' of the academ}- 
 continued until the breaking out of the Re- 
 bellion, which partiall}' paralyzed its work 
 for a time. 
 
 In 1873, an unsuccessful cftbrt having 
 been made to secure an endowment, and 
 the condition of educational matters in the 
 village demanding the prox'ision of better 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 221 
 
 facilities fisr free instruction, fi\e districts 
 were mainly consolidated in Union District 
 No. I , of Homer, the trustees of the acad- 
 emy resigned their trusts, according to law, 
 to a board of education, the district as- 
 sumed all the indebtedness of the academy, 
 and guaranteed to maintain a first-class 
 classical and academic tlcpartment, and the 
 school was reorganized under the present 
 system and name. Each year since this 
 change was effected has increasingh- shown 
 its wisdom and witnessed the growing pros- 
 perity and success of the institution. 
 
 It is impossible in this brief sketch to 
 name the subordinate teachers who, during 
 all these \'ears, have helped forward the 
 good work of the school ; much less can the 
 man\' noble names enrolled among the grad- 
 uates of Homer be here recorded. The first 
 principal of the academy was Prof Catlin. 
 He was shortly succeeded by Prof Noble 
 D. Strong. Then came Prof A\'er\', now 
 of Hamilton College ; Prof Franklin Sher- 
 rill, and Dr. Taylor, now of Auburn. In 
 1830, Dr. Samuel H. W'oolworth, now Sec- 
 retary of Board of Regents, accepted the 
 principalship, which position he held for 
 twenty-two years. To him the school was 
 greatly indebted for its prosperity' and com- 
 manding influence during this period and 
 for years succeeding. He was followed b\' 
 Prof Stephen W . Clark, who remained for 
 twelve years. Then, during the trying days 
 of the academy's history, came successively 
 Profs. Nichols, Sanford and Manley. The 
 first year following the reorganization the 
 school was under the charge of Prof C. W. 
 Verrill, since which time (1871) it has been 
 under the care of Prof Kzra J. Peck, A. M. 
 
 A substantial fund is in trust for the acad- 
 em\-, through the bequest of Zebadiah Co- 
 burn, tiie avails of which are used in pay- 
 ment of tuition for Christian _\-oung men of 
 all denominations who stud)- here in prep- 
 aration for the university. 
 
 The present instructors of the academy 
 are: E.J. Peck, A. M., principal; Latin 
 and Greek. Miss C. E. Hutchings, A. B., 
 preceptress ; Higher English, French and 
 German. H. Frank Miner, A. B., mathe- 
 matics and natural science. Charles V. 
 Coon, preparatory. William A. Coon, first 
 intermediate department. Mrs. H. M. Shel- 
 don, second intermediate department. Miss 
 F"lora Copeland and Miss Kmily C. Ormsby, 
 third intermediate department. Mrs. S. C. 
 Webb, first primary department. Miss 
 Elma L. Williams, second primary depart- 
 ment. 
 
 The board of education consists of Wm. 
 A. Robinson, president, Thomas D. Chol- 
 lar, Edward J. Bockes ; terms e.Kpire 1885. 
 Vernon T. Stone, George Murra)-, jr., 
 Sumner C. Webb, M. D. : terms expire 
 1883. J. Clayton Atwater, Caleb Green, 
 M. D., George W. Phillips; terms expire 
 1884. 
 
 CHURCHE.S. 
 
 The First Baptist Church. — The three 
 Baptist Churches, namely, in Homer, Cort- 
 land and McGrawville, having had a com- 
 mon origin in the original Baptist Church 
 of the old town of Homer, it is proper that 
 a preliminary sketch should be made in this 
 place, beginning in the spring of 1793, 
 after four or five families had moved in and 
 made a permanent settlement, and reaching 
 up to the organization of the present socie- 
 ty in 1827. 
 
 The first inhabitants of Homer, irrespec- 
 tive of creed, met in common on the Sab- 
 bath for worship, until the )-ear 1 80 1, when 
 circumstances occurred which led the Bap- 
 tist members of the little community to 
 make provision for their divine worship. 
 On the 3d day of October, 1801, sixteen 
 persons united and were publicl\- recognized 
 as a Baptist Church. The council consisted 
 of Rev. James Bacon, New Woodstock ; 
 
222 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Rev. Natliaii liaker, De Ruyter. witli one 
 la)- brotlicr, and Rev. Joseph Cornell, a 
 missionary wlio was providentially present. 
 This was the first church of an)' denomina- 
 tion formed within the limits of Cortland 
 county; but it was only nine da)'S earlier 
 than the organization of the Congregational 
 Clnirch. The names of the first members 
 of the Baptist society were John Keep, 
 Joseph Beebe, Daniel Crandall, Peleg Bab- 
 cock, Cornish Messenger, Roderick Beebe, 
 James H. Wheeler, Frances Keep, Rhoda 
 Beebe, Submit Keep, Rhoda Miner, Martha 
 Messenger, Mary Bishop, Susannah^ Cran- 
 dall, Esther Wilcox and Moll)' Wheeler. 
 John Keep was appointed clerk of the 
 church, which office he held for twent)- 
 seven years. Joseph Beebe was appointed 
 deacon, but he died about se\'en months 
 later, and Prince Freeman, of \'irgil, was 
 appointed to the office. 
 
 No regular pastor was stationed in the 
 hamlet for some time ; but an ordained 
 minister named Leisure preached for the 
 church once in two months until Re\'. Ru- 
 fus Freeman was called to preach once a 
 month for one year. Prior to this time 
 they had occasional sermons from Rew 
 Joseph Cornell, James Bacon and P. P. 
 Root. 
 
 The first effort to raise mone)- to support 
 the Gospel was an a\'erage assessment upon 
 each member, which amounted to seven 
 dollars and two cents. The highest amount 
 paid was two dollars and si.x cents and the 
 lowest thirteen cents. 
 
 Rev. Alfred Bennett subsequently be- 
 came pastor of the clurrch. He was a re- 
 markabl)' gifted man and became known 
 throughout the country as such. He 
 served this church twenty years, having 
 come to the town in 1803 and united with 
 the church in 1804. He began preaching 
 in 1805. In April, 1806, the church rec- 
 ord shows the following : — 
 
 ■•*\'otcil, that Brother .Mfred IV-nnctt have 
 liberty to improve his gifts where (Jod, in His 
 Providence, shall oi)en a door." 
 
 A resolution was recorded in Februar)-, 
 1807, calling him to ordination, which e\'ent 
 occurred on the i8th of June of that year, 
 in Judge Keep's barn, which is still stand- 
 ing. At the same meeting whicii passed 
 this resolution for the ordination, the fol- 
 owing was passed : — 
 
 "Voted, that Dr. .^sa Bennett be on trial for 
 a deacon." 
 
 It appears he united with the church by 
 letter in 1806. Thomas ChoUar united 
 with the church by letter in iSio, and was 
 made a deacon in 1812; he filled that office 
 for about thirty years. His son. Deacon 
 T. D. Chollar, was called to the same office 
 forty-two years ago and has ever since 
 maintained the same high Christian stand- 
 ard of character of which he had an exam- 
 ple in his father. 
 
 The increase and changes in the pioneer 
 church during the first ten years of its life 
 were as follows: Added by baptism, 67; 
 b)' letter. 65 ; dismissed b)- letter, 47 ; 
 seven were excluded and fi\e died. Dur- 
 ing this period the meetings were held al- 
 ternately in Homer, Cortland village, Port 
 Watson, on the East river; and finall)', b\- 
 the united energies of the denomination, a 
 site was secured on the road from Homer 
 to Cortland, at the point wliere it turns 
 northward, now within the boundaries of 
 Cortland village; there a comfortable church 
 building was erected; it was 52 by 36 feet, 
 with galler\- on three sides, and without 
 steeple. This church was erected in 181 1 
 and was consecrated to the worship of God 
 in June, 18 1 2. In the building of the 
 church a debt was incurred of about $i,ooo, 
 or nearly one- half its cost, and they were 
 without means to pay it; but before a year 
 had passed the society had doubled its 
 membership, the debt was paid off and the 
 
Town ok Homer. 
 
 223 
 
 regular congregations were large and de- 
 vout. In the revivals of that period, forty- 
 nine heads of families were converted and 
 brought into the ciiurch. 
 
 As early as 1808 the societj- voted to 
 meet on a given day to improve themselves 
 in singing : from that time forward a few of 
 the members devoted their indefatigable ef- 
 forts to raising the standard of the church 
 music. From 181 1 to 1821 was a period 
 of remaikable prosperity to the church, the 
 nimiber of members increasing from si.xty- 
 eight to over four hundred. In 1820 there 
 was a revival which added to the number 
 largely; but towards the close of the year 
 the little communit)- suffered irreparable 
 loss to its Christian workers in the death of 
 Rev. EInatlian Walker, of the Presb}-terian 
 Church, and not long after, the death of 
 Deacons Jacob Hobart and Asa Bennett, 
 and John Keep. 
 
 In 1820 Moses Curtis and Oliver Sted- 
 man were elected deacons of the church. 
 During this second decade of its existence 
 there were added to the church b_\- baptism 
 ],^;^, and by letter 107 ; there were dis- 
 missed by letter seventy-nine; twenty-one 
 were excluded and twent\'-tuo died. In 
 the year 1827 the church contained nearl\- 
 500 members, and the little edifice had be- 
 come far too small to contain the congre- 
 gations who assembled from .S.ibbath to 
 Sabbath, The result was the establishment 
 of three Baptist Churches — one in Homer 
 village, one in Cortland \'illage, and one in 
 McGrawx'ille. New buildings were erected 
 in these places, leaving the mother church 
 in the center, which was, however, soon 
 abandoned, and a new structure erected in 
 Cortland, as stated in the history of that 
 village. After these changes the pastor 
 continued his labors in Homer village until 
 1832, when lie was succeeded in the Cort- 
 land church by Rev. I'eleg Card, and he 
 by Rev. Alfred Gates ; in the McGraw- 
 
 ville church b)' Abner Sylvester. The 
 number of members added to the church 
 from 1820 to the time of its division in 1827 
 was about 122 by baptism and fift>--two b)- 
 letter. 
 
 The great popularity of Rev. ^Alfred J3en- 
 nett led to his being offered and solicitetl 
 to take the nomination for Assemblyman 
 against Samuel Nelson. The latter was a 
 candidate who could be defeated only by 
 one whose popularity would draw the en- 
 tire strength of the Republicans, and the 
 approaching convention for the revision of 
 the State constitution made the election 
 one of the greatest importance. But Mr. 
 Bennett demurred to allowing the use of 
 his name for political office, and finally pos- 
 itivel}- declined ; he was, however, made 
 the candidate against his wishes, and was 
 defeated only b\' a few votes from members 
 of his church, who voted against him from 
 Christian principle. 
 
 As the church became larger, and the 
 community advanced in culture and refine- 
 ment, Mr. Bennett's innate modesty and 
 distrust of his own power led him to urge 
 the society to accept his resignation, and 
 put in his place a man with broader educa- 
 tion. With much reluctance these requests 
 were finally acceded to, and after securing 
 the services of Rev. W. R. Whiting, Mr. 
 Bennett resigned and accepted the office of 
 agent of the foreign missionary board of 
 the Baptist Church in the United States, 
 which place he filled for twent}' years. 
 Rev. Mr. Whiting remained with the church 
 about two years, and then became con- 
 nected with the American Union Baptist 
 Bible Societies, and for the next forty years 
 labored on translations of the Bible, in 
 which work he became eminent. 
 
 The next pastor was the Rev. Edward 
 Bright, D. D., now editor of the Examitier, 
 the most extensively circulated Baptist 
 journal in the world. Following him came 
 
224 
 
 History ok Cortland County. 
 
 Revs. Reuben Morey, Hezekiali Harvey, 
 Mr. Clark, G. W. Brighani, and some oth- 
 ers, for short periods, until 1880, when 
 Rev. S. E. Wilco.x became pastor. He 
 has recently resigned (1884). The mem- 
 bership is now two hundred and si.xty. T. 
 D. ChoUar, M. A. Radway, M. M. Newton, 
 Joel (^ates are the deacons. C. 1.. Bene- 
 dict is superintendent of the Sunday-school. 
 The Congregational Church.' — This has 
 often been styled a church with a history, 
 not onl\- as one of the oldest churches of 
 this denomination in tiiis \icinity, but es- 
 pecially because of its eventful record, and 
 its prominence and influential position 
 among the churches of Central New York, 
 is this designation appropriate. The early 
 settlers of the town often impress their 
 characteristics upon the subsequent history 
 of that town in a marked degree. If they 
 are pious and God-fearing men, the insti- 
 tutions they found and the prevalent tone 
 of society they give will long manifest the 
 effects of their godly and self-sacrificing 
 character. Homer was peculiar!}' blessed 
 in this respect. Of the two men, Amos 
 Todd and Joseph Beebe, who made the 
 first settlement here in 1791, the first named 
 was a constituent member of the Congre- 
 gational Church, and the other a member 
 and office-bearer in the Baptist Church. 
 As soon as si.x families had settled here, in 
 '793. religious worship was in.stituted upon 1 
 the Sabbath, and it has been steadily main- [ 
 tained from that day to this. Well may 
 "Father" Keep e.xclaim in his historical 
 sermon, preached in 1824, "Memorable 
 was the day and mighty in its influence 
 upon the character of this town when these \ 
 six families erected a public altar for the 
 honor of God." Such was the character of 
 these pioneers of society here that it passed 
 into an adage that it would not do for any 
 but " go-to-meeting folks " to settle in Ho- 
 
 1 Prepared by Rev. William A. Ro1)insoii. 
 
 mer. At the first the Sabbath services were 
 held in the houses or barns of the settlers, 
 and most frequently near the present Glen- 
 wood Cemetery. The first school-house — 
 a rude log structure, built in 1795, which 
 stood a little north of the present site of the 
 village, was sometimes used as a meeting- 
 place. In the fall of 1798 a grist-mill was 
 built upon the site still occupied for like 
 purpose near Mill street, in this village. 
 This structure was used as a place for Sab- 
 bath worshijj when the cold was not too in- 
 tense. During these }-ears the inhabitants 
 themselves conducted their public services 
 on the Lord's day. From the spring of 
 1798, however, there were occasional visits 
 to the town by missionaries sent out by the 
 Connecticut Missionar)- Society and the 
 Presb}'terian (jeneral Assembly. 
 
 The first sermon preached in town was 
 by Rev. Asa Hillyer, D. D., of New Jersey, 
 in the early summer of 1798. Not long 
 after Rev. Seth Williston, of blessed mem- 
 ory in all this region, spent some weeks in 
 special labors here, and a number were 
 hopefully con\erted to God. September 
 lOth, 1799, the first religious society of 
 Homer was organized, and duly incorpor- 
 ated on the 25th of November following. 
 This society still maintains a vigorous ex- 
 istence, supporting the institutions of the 
 Congregational Church.' 
 
 1 In the society's record book, following the preamble 
 and articles of this organization, is the following cove- 
 nant : " Know all men by these presents. That we whose 
 names are hereunder written, for the consideration of 
 twelve cents, received of the Board of Trustees of the 
 first religious society of Homer, etc., do covenant, prom- 
 ise and agree to pay the sums set to our names, to be aj)- 
 propriatcd to the maintenance of the preaching of the 
 Clospel," etc.. with a proviso that any ])ersons removing 
 to a greater distance than four miles from the jjlace of 
 worship should be discharged from their obligations un- 
 til their return. Various sums are subscribed, as $150, 
 $100. fifty cents, etc., down to twelve and a half cents. 
 ( If the latter there is a large proportion. Xe.vt on the 
 book appears a record of the election of two trustees, Ue- 
 cember 6th, 1799. In the record it is staled — ''There 
 being no elders, church warden or vestry belonging to 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 225 
 
 A few days after the incorporation of tliis 
 society, viz.: December 1st, 1799, a build- 
 ing, designed to serve the double purpose 
 of a school-house and place for public wor- 
 ship, was dedicated, the sermon, from I. 
 Kings, VIII chapter, 38th verse, being 
 preached by Rev. Mr. Lindsley. This pe- 
 culiar edifice was divided within by an im- 
 mense swing partition, and stood near the 
 northeast corner of the present village 
 green. Prior to the organization of the 
 first religious society, the formation of a 
 church had been proposed, and at a meet- 
 ing held in the fall of 1798 twenty persons 
 presented themselves for that purpose ; but 
 questions of church polity and denomina- 
 tional preference arose, and though dis- 
 cussed temperately, and in a Christian 
 spirit, caused the postponement of any 
 church organization, all continuing to wor- 
 ship together and to sustain the first relig- 
 ious society. A satisfactory adjustment of 
 the questions about polity was made in the 
 fall of 1 80 1, and on October 12th fourteen 
 persons entered into solemn covenant with 
 God and with each other, as "The Congre- 
 gational Church of Homer." The follow- 
 ing were the constituent members in this 
 important organization : Eliphalet Rice, 
 elected the first deacon of the church, April 
 2ist, 1803, and his wife, Mary; Samuel 
 Hoar and his wife, Dorothy ; Timothy 
 Treat and his wife, Beulah ; Darius Kinney 
 and his wife, Lydia, who was the last sur- 
 vivor of the original fourteen, dying in 1845 ; 
 Peter Hitchcock, the second deacon, elected 
 December 13th, 1804; John Ballard, Thom- 
 as L. Bishop, John Baker, Daniel Miner 
 and Amos Todd, already mentioned as one 
 of the two pioneers of the settlement of the 
 town. 
 
 At the time of the formation of the 
 
 said society, the members do agree, nominate and ap- 
 point that the said society shall be hereafter distinguished 
 by and tal^en for tire first religious society in the town of 
 Homer." 
 
 church, Mr. Abial Jones, who is styled in 
 the records "a candidate preacher," was 
 chosen as the moderator and served in the 
 ministry of the word till the following year. 
 In the fall of 1802 Rev. Nathan Darrow 
 came to Homer and December loth he 
 was called to the pastorate of the church. 
 Accepting their invitation he was ordained 
 and installed February 3d, 1803, by a 
 council of representatives of the churches 
 in Manlius, Geneva, Owasco, Lisle, Pom- 
 pey, Clinton and Cazenovia. This was a 
 marked e\'ent in the history of this church 
 and of religious progress in Central New 
 York. Less than a year after this, " the 
 middle association " was formed at Marcel- 
 lus, this church being one of the constitu- 
 ent churches and being represented by its 
 pastor and Deacon Rice. Rev. Mr. Darrow 
 is described as a man of medium size, with 
 brown hair, a light hazel eye, endowed with 
 good natural talent, but without extensive 
 culture ; somewhat austere in his manner, 
 but full of energy and decision, and faithful 
 in the discharge of his duties. He filled 
 the ofifice of pastor till 1808, and the 
 church, which numbered about twenty 
 when he came, had received ninety-three 
 additions under his ministry, nearly half of 
 them the fruit of a revival enjoyed in 1806. 
 During his pastorate the church took efficient 
 action in looking after the education of the 
 children and youth of the town, instituted 
 "the standing committee," to attend to ex- 
 ecutive affairs of the church, and established 
 "the Thursday p. m. meeting," which has 
 been sustained with remarkable vigor to the 
 present time. In 1805 a church edifice, 
 50 by 72 feet in size, was erected upon the 
 site now occupied by the present church 
 edifice, six acres of land, including the pres- 
 ent village green, having been given to the 
 society for this purpose and for public uses. 
 It was a great undertaking for that day, to 
 build so commodious and elegant a struct- 
 
 "5 
 
226 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 ure ; and with subsequent repairs and en- 
 largements, it served the uses of the con- 
 gregation till replaced by the present 
 edifice. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Darrow was succeeded in the 
 pastorate by Rev. Elnathan Walker, who 
 was ordained and installed October 24th, 
 1809. ^''■- Walker was a person of digni- 
 fied bearing and fine personal presence. He 
 was tall and erect in carriage, easy and 
 graceful in speech and gesture, of fair com- 
 plexion and clear gray eyes, looking out 
 through the spectacles which he constantly 
 wore. He was a native of Taunton, Mass., 
 and a graduate of Brown University. He 
 is the only pastor who has died in town. 
 His death occurred June 4th, 1S20, and 
 occasioned universal sorrow. A plain marble 
 shaft in the cemetery bears this inscription 
 to his memor)' : — 
 
 "This monument is erected by an affectionate 
 people, as the last testimony of respect to their 
 beloved pastor." 
 
 The pastorate of Mr. Walker covered 
 what was a determining period in the growth 
 and prosperity of this church and society. 
 The church, which numbered 99 members 
 when he came, had increased to 427 at the 
 time of his death. Especially did the three 
 marked revivals enjoyed during this time 
 contribute to this result. The memorable 
 one of 1812-13 added 188 persons to the 
 church in a single year. That of 18 16 was 
 also one of especial power, while the one 
 that immediately preceded Mr. Walker's 
 death was inaugurated by a peculiar victory 
 of divine grace over personal estrange- 
 ments and animosities. Some members of 
 the church had become alienated from the 
 pastor and at length a council was called to 
 consider and act in reference to these griev- 
 ances; but being debarred by the rules of 
 the Presbytery (with which the church had 
 become associated in 181 1) from acting 
 oflScially, the members of the council set 
 
 themselves at work to effect a reconciliation. 
 In this they were remarkably successful and 
 the records say, " Mutual concession and 
 forgiveness commenced and after a most 
 tender and melting season of two days, all 
 their difficulties were amicably settled." 
 
 The successor of Mr. Walker in the pas- 
 torate was Rev. John Keep, who was in- 
 stalled November 7th, 1 82 i. Mr. Keep was 
 a man of sterling good sense, strong in his 
 convictions and interested in all matters of 
 public welfare. He, with the church, took 
 pronounced position upon temperance, and 
 were foremost in every good work. In 1824 
 the meeting house was thoroughl)' repaired 
 and re-dedicated November 23d. The fol- 
 lowing year the Presbyterian Church at 
 Cortland was formed, several members be- 
 ing dismissed from Homer to co-operate in 
 its organization. In 1826 the church was 
 blessed with a revival and fiftj'-seven addi- 
 tions. In July, 1827, the present Baptist 
 Church of Homer was established. The fol- 
 lowing year the town of Homer was divided 
 by act of Legislature and the town of Cort- 
 land organized. The academy, which had 
 been incorporated in 18 19, found in Mr. 
 Keep a wise counselor and staunch sup- 
 porter. Under Mr. Keep's leadership the 
 church inaugurated the holding of so-called 
 "protracted meetings" in 1831, and six 
 such seasons were held within three years 
 and large accessions made to the member- 
 ship of the church. In the last of these 
 meetings held in June, 1833, Rev. Jed. 
 Burchard labored in his own eccentric way 
 and with mixed results of good and evil for 
 the church ; as one effect, the pastor re- 
 signed his charge and was dismissed the 3d 
 of October, 1833. 
 
 In December of the same year Rev. Den- 
 nis Piatt was called to the pastorate and was 
 installed March 12th, 1834. Mr. Piatt was 
 a decided and positive man and held a firm 
 hand in the discipline of the church. He 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 227 
 
 was a good sermonizer and possessed of no 
 ordinary executive ability. The year 1835 
 was a year of in- gathering, eighty-two be- 
 ing added to the church. Mr. Piatt resigned 
 his pastorate and was dismissed April 7th, 
 , 1842, His death occurred in Norwalk, 
 Conn., in 1878. All of his successors in 
 the pastoral office are yet living at the time 
 of this writing, and therefore no reference 
 will be made to their personal characteris- 
 tics. The immediate successor to Mr. Piatt 
 was Rev. Thomas K. Fessenden, who. was 
 called by the church December ist, 1842, 
 and installed early the next year. The year 
 of his installation was also a year of revival, 
 si.xty-three being added to the church. 
 The chapel was erected in 1843 and dedi- 
 cated with appropriate services January 
 1 2th, 1844. Another revival was enjoyed 
 in 1850. During Mr. Fessenden's pastor- 
 ate, W'hich was terminated at his request, in 
 1853, 276 persons were added to the church. 
 Throughout this period the benevolent con- 
 tributions, which were faithfully watched 
 over for many years by Dr. Geo. W. 
 Bradford, steadily increased. For a year 
 after Mr. Fessenden's dismissal the pulpit 
 was ably supplied by Rev. Thomas Louns- 
 bury, D. D. March 6th, 1855, Rev. J. A. 
 Priest w^as invited to the pastorate and soon 
 after installed, and again a pastor's first year 
 of service was gladdened with a precious 
 revival and eighty-two added to the church. 
 The pastoral relation with Mr. Priest was 
 dissolved in May, 1858, at his urgent re- 
 quest, on the ground of his health. Sep- 
 tember 7th of the same year Rev. Albert 
 Bigelow was called to the pastorate, soon 
 after installed and continued in that ofl^ce 
 till he resigned and was dismissed October 
 1st, 1863. The 8th of the previous July 
 the present commodious and elegant church 
 edifice was publicly dedicated to the service 
 of the Most High. The sermon on the in- 
 teresting occasion was preached by Presi- 
 
 dent Fisher, of Hamilton College, and Rev. 
 John Keep was present and participated in 
 the services. In addition to the generous 
 and liberal efforts of the church and society 
 in building its substantial house of worship, 
 the later years of Mr. Bigelow's pastorate 
 witnessed the inception of the War of the 
 Rebellion, and pastor and people felt the 
 urgent demands upon their patriotism and 
 nobly responded with earnest efforts to 
 provide men for the army, and generous 
 contributions through the Sanitary and 
 Christian Commissions to alleviate the hor- 
 rors of war. 
 
 February 23d, 1864, Rev. John C. Hol- 
 brook, D. D., was called to the pastorate 
 and was installed in July, 1865. In 1868 a 
 very powerful revival was experienced and 
 148 were added to the church. The same 
 year the church withdrew from the presby- 
 tery, with which it had been connected on 
 the " plan of union, " and assisted in the 
 formation of the " Central Association." 
 In October of the same year the " State 
 Association " met at Homer, Deacon S. 
 Holmes serving as moderator, and L. \V. 
 Bacon, D. D., preaching the sermon. In 
 September, 1870, Dr. Holbrook accepted a 
 call to Stockton, Cal., and was dismissed 
 from his pastorate of this church. 
 
 April l8th, 1871, Rev. Wm. A. Robinson 
 received a unanimous call to the pastorate 
 and began his labors here June 8th. He 
 was installed by council on the 13th of the 
 following December. In 1873 the State 
 Association again met in Homer, H. M. 
 Storrs, D. D., serving as moderator, and 
 Wm. M. Taylor, D. D., preaching the ser- 
 mon. The following year the chapel was 
 thoroughly repaired and refurnished. In 
 1S75 the church edifice was renovated and 
 improved in its interior, at an expense of 
 over$i,200. October 12, 1876, the church 
 and congregation celebrated with great in- 
 terest the 7Sth anniversary of the formation 
 
228 
 
 History ok Cortland County. 
 
 of the church. An historical sermon was 
 preached b)' the pastor. Letters from for- 
 mer members and from the sons of Homer 
 in the ministry were read, su<^gestive trib- 
 utes were paid to some of the earher pas- 
 tors and deacons, and the work and influence 
 of the church set forth in appropriate ad- 
 dresses. The present pastorate has con- 
 tinued at the time of tliis writing nearly 
 thirteen years, being the longest upon the 
 record of the church. It has covered a 
 period of peculiar transition. Very many of 
 the fathers and mothers who were conver- 
 sant with the earlier history of the church 
 have finished their earthly course during 
 these years. Marked changes have also 
 occurred in the business condition of the 
 village and town, and in the character of 
 the population. Reorganization of the 
 academy, long the pride of the town, has 
 also been effected during this time, and a 
 school brought up to the efficiency and 
 success of its palmiest days. The pastor of 
 this church has been for nearly eleven years 
 president of the board of education, and 
 has helped to secure the results in the quality 
 and work of the academy which have been 
 accomplished. Amid all these changes this 
 church has kept steadfastly on its way, 
 doing a noble work and exerting an in- 
 fluence that is widely recognized by an intel- 
 ligent and genuine public spirit, by a ready 
 and generous beneficence. By a staunch 
 and evangelical faith, and by the endca\or 
 to use those methods that tend to build up 
 and strengthen true Christain character in 
 young and old, it has been true to its for- 
 mer history and able to maintain its honor- 
 able position. 
 
 The review of the record of this church, 
 so closely and influentially identified with 
 the history of the town, discloses several 
 causes which, under God's blessing, have 
 contributed to its notable strength and effi- 
 ciency. It has been blessed with a succes- 
 
 sion of able and consecrated officers. Its 
 
 ministers have been faithful and ilevoted, 
 and some of them men of rare ability and 
 power. lis deacons have been earnest and 
 capable, and not a few of them have been 
 conspicuous examples of the truth that 
 "they that have used the office of a deacon 
 well, purchase to themselves a good degree 
 and great boldness in the faith which is in 
 Christ Jesus." The church has also enrolled 
 upon the list of its members an unusual 
 proportion of men and women, strong in 
 their convictions, catholic in their spirit, 
 devoted in their piety, generous in their 
 giving, and consecrated in their life and ex- 
 ample. It has from the first taken a wise 
 and consistent interest in the right training 
 of the young. Throughout the years it has 
 watched over the home nurture and school 
 instruction of the \-outh with sedulous care. 
 It was foremost in the sacrifices which 
 brought the academy into being, and which 
 have accompanied its history. Its Sa,bbath- 
 school was just about coeval in date of 
 origin with the academy, and it has enjoyed 
 the faithful labors of officers and teachers 
 throughout these more than si.xty-five 
 years. In benevolent contributions to car- 
 ry forward the great evangelical movements 
 at home and abroad, this church has an en- 
 viable record. By its organization of young 
 and old for this end, and by its stated gifts, 
 it has fostered the missionary spirit, and 
 tried to do its part in fulfilling our Lord's 
 great commission to his followers. For 
 man)- years there has been upon the whole 
 a steady increase in the amount of such 
 benefactions, till for the last decade, under 
 the faithful care of Dr. S. C. Webb, they 
 have averaged over $i,6oo per year. The 
 social meetings have from the first been 
 both the evidence and the aid of genuine 
 spiritual life. The Thursday p. m. meet- 
 ings, already spoken of, and the young peo- 
 ples' meetings have contributed greatly to 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 229 
 
 the efficiency and growth of the church. 
 More than a score of the sons of the church 
 have entered the ministry, and many of 
 these in missionary fields at home and 
 abroad, or in important pastorates, have 
 wrought ably in the Master's name. About 
 2,500 persons have been enrolled as mem- 
 bers of the church. Its greatest numerical 
 strength was during the pastorates of Mr. 
 Fessenden and Dr. Priest. According to 
 the report of 1883, its membership now 
 numbers 405 persons. 
 
 Reviewing the notable history of this 
 church, who can fail to be impressed with 
 the thought of the breadth, imjjortance and 
 duration of its direct and indirect influence. 
 From this quiet, rural town, by its aid, 
 streams of blessing have flowed out and on, 
 whose renewing and refreshing power has 
 been felt near and far, and whose results for 
 human good only eternity can disclose. If 
 "they who direct an age's intellect are more 
 potent than they who do its deeds," cer- 
 tainly the work of a church like this, which 
 has done so much to direct the intellect, 
 inspire the faith, cultivate the character and 
 shape the life of so man\', may claim an im- 
 portance and grandeur which words cannot 
 fulh* portray. 
 
 The Methodist Episcopal Church. — Mem- 
 oranda from which to make a history of this 
 church is exceedingly meagre. The church 
 records have been mislaid or lost, and but 
 few facts are now attainable. The first organ- 
 ization was formed at the comparativelj- re- 
 cent date of 1833. The Methodists of 
 Homer were formerly connected with the 
 church in Cortland, and thirteen of the orig- 
 inal members of the Homer church were 
 from that society. To these were added six- 
 teen others, making the first membership of 
 the Homer church twenty-nine, a little band 
 which has grown into a flou&ishing society. 
 The first public services were held in the 
 second story of the public school-house, 
 
 which was afterward purchased, repaired, 
 and transformed into a church. This was 
 used until the year 1841, when a new church 
 was built at a cost of about $2,400 ; Rev. 
 George Parsons was the pastor at that time. 
 In 1864 the church was enlarged and re- 
 paired, during the pastorate of Albert L. 
 York. Again, in the year 1881, an addi- 
 tion was made to the church building by 
 raising it and putting under it a basement. 
 It was also refitted and furnished, at a cost 
 of about $4,400 ; Rev. R. C. F'ox was then 
 pastor. 
 
 The first trustees of the church were 
 Caleb Cook, David Baker and Samuel 
 Lane. 
 
 The successive pastors, with the years 
 of their service, have been the follow- 
 ing : — 
 
 Nelson Rounds, 1834; Rufus Stoddard, 
 1835-36; John Crickman, 1837; John E. 
 Robie, 1838; E. L. Wadsworth, 1839; 
 John Nason, 1840; George Parsons, 1841- 
 42; William Bixby, 1843-44; John E. 
 Robie, 1845; E. G. Bush, 1846; Z. D. 
 Paddock, 1847-48; William N. Cobb, 
 1849; J. Hartwell, 1850-51 ; S. H. Brown, 
 1852-53; Isaac Foster, 1854; W. H. Wil- 
 lis, 1855-56; H. Gee, 1857-58; H. S. 
 Richardson, 1859-60; J. L. Wells, 1861- 
 62 ; A. L. York, 1 863-64 ; Alexander 
 Hale, 1865; D. R. Carrier, 1866-67; A. 
 M. Lake, 1868-69; A. N. Damon, 1870- 
 72; J. V. Benham, 1873-74; M. S. Leet, 
 1875 ; S. Ball, 1876-78; R. C. Fox, 1879- 
 81 ; M. S. Leet, 1882-84. 
 
 Trustees — S. F. Salisbury, ¥. Pierce, J. 
 Wilber, W. H. H. Blaney, E. J. Bockes, J. J. 
 Woodruff, J. J. Arnold, Warren Salisbury, 
 Charles Joslyn. 
 
 Stewards — S. F. Salisburj-, J. J. Wood- 
 ruff", Charles Joslyn, M. J. Pratt, J. J. Ar- 
 nold, Warren Salisburj-, H. D. Allen, H. C. 
 Wildey. 
 
 Local elder — L. J. W'heelock. 
 
230 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Local preacher — E. D. Tcrpcnning. 
 
 Class leaders — F. G. Williams, John 
 Van Denberg, J. J. Woodruff, J. J. Arnold, 
 G. N. Bryant, K. N. Warfield, 
 
 The congregation, at present under the 
 charge of Rev. M. S. Leet, is in a flourish- 
 ing condition, and the membership is some- 
 thing o\'cr two hundred. 
 
 Calvary Church. — The first service of 
 the Episcopal Church within the limits of 
 the present town of Homer, was held in 
 tiie Congregational meeting-house, bj- the 
 Rev. Reuben Hubbard, rector of St. James's 
 Church, Uanbury, Conn., in June, 1813. 
 Mr. Hubbard was visiting relatives then 
 living here and had many kinsfolk among 
 the early settlers of the town, and on one 
 or more Sundays in June, 18 13, was in- 
 vited by the Rev. Mr. Walker, the pastor 
 of the Congregational Church to officiate 
 in his pulpit. While \isiting here Mr. 
 Hubbard called on a family in the western 
 part of the town by the name of Terrill, 
 and baptized several children. This was 
 probably the first time a sacrament of the 
 Episcopal Church was ever administered in 
 this county. 
 
 The next ten years came and went with 
 no record of visitation of any clergyman 
 of this church, except that Bishop Hogarth 
 passed through the county and preached, 
 but whether at Homer or Cortland is not 
 known. 
 
 In 1823 Mr. Hubbard again visited Ho- 
 mer and on the evening of February 23d 
 preached in the Congregational Church, by 
 invitation of Rev. Mr. Keep, then its pas- 
 tor. In 1828 Mr. Hubbard again came to 
 Homer and again on March 2d preached in 
 the Congregational Church, b\- invitation 
 of Rev. Mr. Keep. 
 
 In February, 1831, Rev. Henry Gregory, 
 then missionary at Moravia and Genoa, 
 visited Homer and held service on Monday 
 evening, February 14th, in the upper room 
 
 of the old academy, and shortlj' afterward 
 arrangements were made by which Mr. 
 Gregory was to officiate at Homer one- 
 third of the time. It was soon determined 
 to organize a parish and due notice 
 ha\ing been gi\'cn according to law, on 
 Monday, June 6th, 1831, Calvary parish 
 was regularly organized by the election of 
 Daniel Glover and Augustus Donnelly, 
 wardens ; Lyman Kendall, John C. Mar- 
 vin, Asa Austin, Am'mi Beers, Hiram Bliss, 
 Joel Hubbard, Marsena Ballard, Albert F. 
 Boland, vestrj-men. On December 5th, 
 1831, the first meeting of the vestry with 
 reference to building a church was held, 
 and on June 21st, 1832, the corner-stone of 
 Calvary Church was laid ; on Advent Sun- 
 day, December 2d, 1832, the church was 
 occupied for the first time. The Rev. 
 Thomas Meacham officiated for several 
 months on the Sundays when Rev. Mr. 
 Gregory was absent, and on February 14th, 
 1 833, the Rev. Mr. Gregory, having resigned 
 his charge at Moravia and Genoa, became 
 rector of the parish and continued as such 
 until November loth, 1835, when here- 
 signed to become a missionary to the In- 
 dians at Green Bay. The Rev. Charles 
 Jones succeeded him and remained in charge 
 of the parish till October 23d, 1836, when 
 the Rev. Mr. Gregory was invited to take 
 the rectorship again, at a salary of $500 
 and expenses of his return. June 13th, 
 1837, Mr. Gregory reached town and re- 
 sumed his charge. In September, 1838, 
 Mr. Gregory was granted leave of absence 
 for one year, in order that he might go as 
 missionary to the Indians at Fort Leaven- 
 worth, Kansas. The Rev. Mr. Ogle acted 
 as minister of the parish during the rector's 
 absence. In November, 1 840, Mr. Gregory 
 was c^^lled to the rectorship of St. Paul's 
 Church, SyraQjse, and offered his resigna- 
 tion to the vestry, which was regretfully 
 accepted. In Januarj-, J 841, Re\'. E. B. 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 231 
 
 Foote, of Newark College, Delaware, was 
 invited to become the rector of the parish, 
 and shortly after he accepted the charge, 
 which, however, he retained but two years, 
 when he was succeeded b)- Re\'. Samuel 
 Goodale, who remained as rector until July 
 I st, 1 846, when he was succeeded by Rev. 
 G. M. Skinner, who remained until the fall 
 of 1848, when the Rev. Charles E. Phelps 
 became rector and continued as such until 
 August, 185 I. He was succeeded b\^ the 
 Rev. Reuben Hubbard, who remained three 
 years and w as succeeded by the Revs. Geo. 
 L. Foote and H. V. Gardner, as ministers 
 in charge of Calvary Church and the out- 
 lying parishes of Cortland, McLean and 
 Tru.xton. In 1857 Rev. Peyton Gallagher 
 became rector. He was followed b\' the 
 Rev. C. S. Percival, who resigned in the 
 spring of 1864. In the fall of 1865, after 
 an interval of more than a year without a 
 service, the church was opened and services 
 were resumed. Lewis B. Henry, esq., of 
 New York City, having returned to this vil- 
 lage, acted for a time as lay reader, and 
 through his influence among church people 
 in New York, funds were raised by which 
 the interior of the building was refitted, 
 and in- April, 1866, Rev. A. W. Cornell, of 
 Jamaica, L. I., was called to the rectorship. 
 Mr. Cornell remained in charge of the par- 
 ish until the sunmier of I 87 I. From that 
 time until 1874 only occasional services 
 were held by visiting clergymen. In the 
 fall of 1874 Rev. J. W. H. Weibel was 
 called to the rectorship and remained nearly 
 two years, since which time services have 
 been held at very infrequent intervals, until 
 the present year, when Rev. A. D. Allen, 
 missionary in charge, has established regular 
 and stated services. 
 
 LITTLE YORK. 
 
 This hamlet is situated in the northern 
 part of the town of Homer, on the line of 
 
 the Syracuse and Binghamton railroad ; it 
 is a small place containing one grist-mill, a 
 store, hotel and about twenty houses. 
 
 The early settlers on this lot (No. 6) 
 where Jabez Cushman, who was one of the 
 very first ; William and I. Blashfield, and 
 Oren Cravath. Cushman was probably from 
 Massachusetts, and erected the mills, the 
 saw- mill being built first. This mill was in 
 use in 1813, when Thomas Howard removed 
 to Preble, and ma)' possibly have been the 
 one in which the lumber was sawed for the 
 first frame houses built in Preble before 
 1806. Mr. Cushman also built the carding- 
 mill at this place, in an early period. Daniel 
 Radway probably purchased it of him. In 
 the Cortland Observer of December 28th, 
 1832, we find the following: — 
 
 " The subscribers having taken the woolen fac- 
 tory in Little York, of Mr. Daniel Radway, will 
 manufacture cloths, cassimeres, satinets and flan- 
 nels as low as any other establishment in the 
 county. They will manufacture either on .shares 
 or by the yard, all colors except indigo blue. 
 Also carding and cloth-dressing at the usual 
 prices. The best of machinery for manufactur- 
 ing will be put into operation. Being all expe- 
 rienced workmen, they flatter themselves that 
 they will give general satisfaction. 
 
 " Ralph Palin, 
 " Joseph Bradley, 
 
 " WiLLL'VM TaVLOR. 
 
 " Homer, June 20, 1832." 
 
 This business continued prosperous for 
 many years, Jedediah Barber owning it at 
 one time ; but it gradually declined, as was 
 the case with all similar factories in the vi- 
 cinity, and the building is now used as a 
 general shop by B. J. Salisbury. 
 
 The grist-mill was erected soon after the 
 building of the factory ; but it changed 
 hands a number of times. J. E. Gushing 
 bought one-half of it in 1840 and contin- 
 ued in it until i860; Gideon Curtis owned 
 the other half Anthony Kenyon, Gustavus 
 Lyman, whose name was changed at his 
 
232 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 request by the legislature to Nathaniel Brad- 
 ford, and others owned the mill. Mudgc 
 & Son have owned it for about twelve years 
 past and it now does a good class of cus- 
 tom work only. Mr. Powers Mudge has the 
 entire management of the mill. 
 
 It is probable that the early trading at 
 Little York was done by Jabez Cushman 
 (but nothing very definite regarding it is 
 known) until the arrival of Isaac Otis and 
 Gideon Curtis in 1830. They had an in- 
 terest in the mill property and probably 
 had a small store in connection with their 
 other interests. Curtis was an intelligent 
 Quaker and was Member of the Assembly 
 in 1829. Mr. Otis removed to the West. 
 Mr. Curtis continued the store from 1834 
 to 1846. In 1844 J. E. Cushing joined 
 with Curtis in the store and in 1 846 bought 
 out his partner ; since that time he has con- 
 ducted the business alone. The post-office 
 has always been kept in the store, the pro- 
 prietors of which have been the postmasters. 
 
 A public house has been kept in Little 
 York from an early period. Mr. Cushing 
 first kept a boarding-house during his stay 
 in the place, and in 1833 John L. Wilcox 
 built a private house which he afterwards 
 transformed into a tavern ; this was subse- 
 quently burned. The present hotel was 
 erected in 1875, by Chas. Foster. Charles 
 Gay took possession of the property in 1 883. 
 
 The shop for the manufacture of churns 
 and chopping knives was established in 1 883, 
 by Isbell & Cushing. Their knives are 
 made from the best Sheffield steel, are cor- 
 rugated and reversible, and promise to at- 
 tain a large sale. They also manufacture 
 the celebrated rotary gang churn. 
 
 Of the early settlers on this lot one of the 
 most prominent was Oren Cravath, a noted 
 abolitionist and one of the foremost sup- 
 porters of the "underground railroad," an 
 organization engaged in helping southern 
 slaves to attain their freedom. 
 
 In order to secure the stoppage of the 
 railroad trains at Little York (which was at 
 first refused by the companj) the citizens 
 built a small frame depot, the use of which 
 they gave to Frank Donegan, an industri- 
 ous employee of the road. On the morn- 
 ing of May 15th, 1877, while Mrs. Donegan 
 was out milking her cow, the building 
 caught fire ; it was a period of drought, and 
 before assistance could be rendered the little 
 structure was burned to the ground, and the 
 lives of five children, the oldest of whom was 
 but nine years, were sacrificed. The people 
 of Little York rendered all possible assist- 
 ance to the afflicted family and immediately 
 rebuilt the present depot. 
 
 EAST HOMER. 
 
 This is a small hamlet situated on the east 
 branch of the Tioughnioga river, and con- 
 tains a hotel, Methodist church, a store, 
 two blacksmith shops and a carpenter and 
 wagon shop. 
 
 The first settlement made on this site 
 was in 1797, by John Albright, a Revolu- 
 tionary soldier who, for his services in that 
 struggle, was assigned a bounty lot, which 
 he resolved to set out in search of, thinking 
 he would dispose of it and return to New 
 York. He had married and had four daugh- 
 ters. Mrs. Albright had a different object in 
 view, and, as sometimes happens, her plans 
 were carried out. She resolved to accom- 
 pany her husband on his expedition into 
 the wilderness, and if they succeeded in lo- 
 cating their lot, to settle upon it and make 
 it their home. The family left New York 
 with a span of horses and wagon and pro- 
 ceeded as far as Johnstown, then in Mont- 
 gomery county, where they left their wagon 
 and children in the care of friends and pro- 
 ceeded on horseback, arriving in Homer in 
 the year above noted. 
 
 They succeeded in finding their lot (No. 
 29), built a log cabin on a small piece of 
 
SU.AS BLANCHARI). 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 233 
 
 ground which they cleared, returned to 
 Johnstown and brought their family and 
 Httle outfit to their forest home. Upon 
 this lot is situated the little village of East 
 Homer. Mr. Albright's house stood a few 
 rods distant from the site of the Methodist 
 chapel. From Charles Kingsbury's pub- 
 lished reminiscences of Homer, we copy the 
 text of the original deed which secured to 
 Mr. Albright his land : — 
 
 "The deed 'grants and confirms unto John 
 Albright all that tract of land lying and being in 
 the county of Montgomery, and in the township 
 of Homer, known as lot No. 29, containing si.x 
 hundred acres, with all the rights and appur- 
 tenances to the same belonging; excepting and 
 reserving to ourselves all gold and silver mines, 
 and also five acres of every one hundred acres 
 of the said lot of land for highways ; on condi- 
 tion that within the term of seven years from the 
 first of January next ensuing the date thereof, 
 there shall be one actual settlement made on the 
 tract or lot of land hereby granted. Otherwise, 
 these, our letters patent to the estate hereby 
 granted shall become void.' " 
 
 This deed is dated at the city of New 
 York the eighth day of July, 1790, and 
 passed the secretary's office on the 4th of 
 the following September. It is quite a cu- 
 riosity, and bears the old-fashioned heavy 
 detached seal of the state, which is made of 
 wax enclosed in paper and tied with a stout 
 string to the parchment. 
 
 After Mr. Albright's settlement in the 
 wilderness he experienced some trouble and 
 several narrow escapes from wild animals. 
 On one occasion, after having killed and 
 dressed a pig, he carried some of the pieces 
 to a brook a few rods away, when a wolf, 
 which had scented the blood, bounded on 
 the scene. Mr. Albright placed himself in- 
 side the fence surrounding the yard ; but 
 none too soon, for the wolf was close to the 
 fence on the other side. When Mr. Al- 
 bright assumed the offensive from behind 
 the fence the cowardly brute disappeared in 
 the forest. 
 
 On another occasion Mr. Albright started 
 in search of his cows. He soon learned by 
 the sound of their bell that they were in 
 the woods on the opposite side of the river. 
 He forded the river, but as night came on 
 the sound of the bell ceased, the animals 
 having lain down. As he stood under the 
 branches of a tree, gun in hand, listening 
 for some sound which would indicate the 
 whereabouts of tiie cows, he heard a move- 
 ment in the boughs of the tree directly over 
 his head. Immediately a large bear de- 
 scended the tree, reaching the ground near 
 where Mr. Albright stood, and he shot him. 
 Before he had finished reloading his gun a 
 second bear came down from the same tree 
 and escaped. The third bear then came 
 down and was shot, and while Mr. Albright 
 was reloading two more of the animals de- 
 scended from the tree and disappeared in 
 the woods; thus he killed two out of five 
 bears, in the darkness. 
 
 A Mr. Holford was probably the second 
 inhabitant of east Homer ; he built his cabin 
 for the tiiTie being on Mr. Albright's land. 
 On one occasion when Mr. Albright was 
 absent fropi home, Mrs. Holford heard a 
 disturbance near the house, where a pig was 
 shut in a pen. On going to the door she 
 discovered a bear of such size and strength 
 that he took the pig of 135 pounds weight 
 and carried him bodily over the fence. 
 Mrs. Holford comprehended the situation 
 at a glance and hastening into the house, she 
 grasped the loaded gun, ran out and fired at 
 the bear with such excellent effect that he 
 fell dead in his tracks. The pig was un- 
 harmed. 
 
 An early settler at east Homer was James 
 Smith, who came to that localitj- in 1798 
 and built a log cabin near the southwest 
 corner of the lot, a few rods from the pres- 
 ent road, on the southeast side and a short 
 distance from Mt. Etam. Whence he came 
 is not now known, but he spent se\'eral 
 
234 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 years of his life here and liad two sons, one 
 of whom, Cornelius Smith, lived to an ad- 
 vanced age and passed his entire life in the 
 town. 
 
 The first tavern in the vicinity of East 
 Homer (on lot 29) was built b}- George W. 
 Samson, who removed to the place in 181 2. 
 He erected his buildings on the steep hill- 
 side, excavating for that purpose, and 
 opened a hotel in 1825, to which premises 
 he gave the name of Mt. Etam. From a 
 spring on the side of the hill he brought ex- 
 cellent water in a pipe, for domestic uses 
 and to suppl}- a reservoir at the roadside 
 for travelers. Near at hand he set up a post, 
 on the side of which and protected from the 
 weather by a glass, was posted a paper on 
 which was inscribed, in one of Mr. Samson's 
 poetic effusions, the invitation of the foun- 
 tain, as follows : — 
 
 " Come, traveler, slake thy parching thinst, 
 And drive away dull care ; 
 Thou needst not broach thy little purse, 
 For I am free as air. 
 
 " My source is on the mountain side. 
 My course is to the sea ; 
 Then drink till thou art satisfied, 
 Yea, drink, for I am free." 
 
 Mr. Samson resided at Mt. Etam for a 
 number of years, but finally sold the prem- 
 ises to Peter Westerman, and removed to a 
 hotel in Preble. 
 
 In the year i8o6, or 1807, Benjamin Goff, 
 an industrious laboring man, came to East 
 Homer from Vermont. He married the 
 eldest daughter of John Albright and dur- 
 ing the life of his first wife resided on the 
 eastern side of Mr. Albright's lot. He af- 
 terward married the youngest sister of his 
 first wife; he kept the tavern from 1831 to 
 1837, '■'' the same house now kept by Mrs. 
 L. R. Rose, to which locality he removed 
 when Mr. Albright made a division of his 
 property. Luther R. Rose was Mr. Goff's 
 son-in-law; he kept the hotel from 1840 
 
 until his death in 1881, and it is continued 
 by his widow.' Travel, however, has been 
 comparatively light through this place since 
 the completion of the Utica, Ithaca and El- 
 mira railroad through the valley, as else- 
 where described. Formerly the village and 
 vicinity was given an appearance of thrift 
 and business by the passing teams engaged 
 in the transportation of goods, and by stages, 
 all of which made East Homer a stopping 
 place for rest or refreshment. Tavern-keep- 
 ing at such points was then a profitable bus- 
 iness ; but like many other small villages 
 located between those of greater size, the 
 building of the railroad carried awaj- the 
 larger share of its trade to other points. 
 
 Trade and Manufactures. — Benjamin 
 Goff was the first citizen of East Homer to 
 engage in a manufacturing industry. He 
 began early in the manufacture of rakes and 
 other minor agricultural implements and 
 eventually carried on quite a profitable bus- 
 iness. He subsequently built a saw-mill, 
 which is now in the possession of his heirs. 
 
 The present blacksmith and wagon shop 
 was erected b\' Henry Meeker some years 
 prior to the last war. The structure was 
 originally built for a grist-mill and was used 
 as such for a time. It was finally sold to 
 Leroy Smith and others, and at last passed 
 into possession of D. D. Locke, who changed 
 it to a wagon shop about the year i860. 
 S. B. Hoag took possession of the property 
 in 1876, and is now manufacturing about 
 forty wagons annually. 
 
 Jabez Haight began blacksmithing in 
 East Homer at a very early da)-, and fol- 
 lowed the trade for over forty years. His 
 son, George Haight is a skilled taxidermist 
 and has become eminent in that \\ork. 
 
 Physicians. — Dr. Sheldon Hinman came 
 to this place in 1864 and is the only phy- 
 
 ' It is woilhy of remark that at one time Mr. GofTs 
 father ami mother, ami liis wife's parents all resided with 
 him, making four occupants of one dwelling all of whom 
 were lietween the ages of 82 and 89 years. 
 
Town of Homer. 
 
 235 
 
 sician now in East Homer. He is of the 
 homceopatliic school, a Ucentiate of the 
 Cortland County Medical Society. He 
 succeeded Dr. Barris, who was eclectic in his 
 practice. He was the first physician here. 
 
 Post-Office. — The post-office of East 
 Homer was probably first kept by William 
 Haight. He came to the village in the 
 year 1809 and was for several years an em- 
 inent preacher in the Methodist Church. 
 He married the second daughter of Mr. 
 Albright, became a drunkard, forfeited his 
 license, but afterward reformed and did use- 
 ful work for the church. William Bennett 
 afterward took the post-office, and was the 
 first to establish a store. Mrs. Bennett fol- 
 lowed the trade until 1883, when it passed 
 into the hands of the present proprietor, 
 W. R. Woodward. Mrs. Melissa Haight 
 now has charge of the post-office. 
 
 The Methodist Episcopal Church. — This 
 church had its beginning in the humble 
 home of Mr. Albright, of which denomina- 
 tion he was an exemplary member; his 
 house was the place of worship for quite a 
 period. The present church building is an 
 old structure, the main part having been 
 erected in 1841, since which time it has 
 been somewhat improved and repaired. It 
 was dedicated in 1842. Rev. H. Hawley 
 was the first pastor. The present member- 
 ship is between sixty and seventy. The 
 Rev. T. F. Harris came here from Wood- 
 stock in 1883 and assumed charge of the 
 church; he is also superintendent of the 
 Sabbath-school. The present trustees are 
 Abram Grit'fith, Pardon Lyon, Levi Klock 
 and Andrew Briggs. 
 
 Hibbard's cheese and butter factory is 
 situated about a mile and a half north of 
 East Homer. The building was erected in 
 1866, and is 30 by 120 feet, two stories 
 high. Modern appliances have been put 
 in for the perfect manufacture of butter 
 and cheese, and a larwe business is done. 
 
 EAST RIVER. 
 
 This is a hamlet of a dozen houses on the 
 line of the Utica, Ithaca and Elmira rail- 
 road, about four miles from Cortland village. 
 James Horton was an early resident at this 
 place and carried on a tannery. He was 
 thrifty in his business and secured a compe- 
 tency. His tannery buildings were once 
 burned ; but he rebuilt them and finally 
 disposed of his real estate to Conrad Kleine, 
 who continued the business for several 
 }'ears on a much larger scale. The tannery 
 was subsequenth' burned again and was not 
 rebuilt. 
 
 The first saw-mill erected at East River 
 was located near the present P^ast River 
 Mills, and was built by Daniel Crandall. He 
 had purchased and moved to lot No. 38 in 
 1800, and built for himself a house on the 
 site now occupied by the mill. It was a 
 characteristic pioneer structure, apparently 
 not adapted for occupancy by human be- 
 ings; but Mr. Crandall was a man of in- 
 dustry, sound judgment and integrit}', and 
 he prospered accordingly. In company 
 with Saniuel Griggs he finally erected a 
 grist-mill, which did a good business for a 
 number of years. He also erected other 
 buildings on his farm and at the time of his 
 death (1857) had a large and excellent house 
 there. 
 
 The water power at this site is a very 
 valuable one. In 18 16 Eli Carpenter came 
 from Tolland, Conn., purchased a share in 
 the water privilege and lands contiguous 
 thereto and put up a fulling-mill and facili- 
 ties for dyeing and dressing cloth, with 
 carding machine, etc. This establishment 
 was very prosperous for several years and 
 the business was further extended by Mr. 
 Carpenter in the manufacture of carpets of 
 brilliant colors, d)-ed by himself In the 
 mean time Mr. Crandall's mills had become 
 somewhat impaired by age and about the 
 
236 
 
 History of CoRXLANn County. 
 
 year 1835 or 1836, he became the sole 
 owner of the site and water power, and pro- 
 ceeded to erect new mills. The business 
 revived, but the domestic manufacture of 
 cloth declined yearly and was eventually 
 abandoned. The mills erected by Mr. Car- 
 penter are still standin<^, but have been 
 much enlar<^ed and changed to meet the 
 growing needs of the vicinity. A large bus- 
 iness is done in the manufacture of flour and 
 feed and in the production of lumber. Al- 
 fred Utley succeeded Mr. Carpenter in the 
 mills, following whom came the present 
 proprietors, the Holmes brothers in the 
 saw-mill, and the Cortland Wagon Company 
 in the grist-mills, which are managed for 
 the company by Wm. H. Moore. Mr. Car- 
 penter was a man of energy and business 
 ability and prospered in whatever he under- 
 
 took. He was justice of the peace a num- 
 ber of times, and died in 1863. 
 
 Hosea Sprague, a native of Brimfield, 
 Mass., came to East River with his brother- 
 in-law, Samuel Sherman, in I 82 I. He was 
 a good mechanic, a carpenter and joiner, at 
 which he worked until the year 1850, when 
 he settled in Homer village and retired from 
 business. Mr. Sprague was one of the pio- 
 neer carpenters of the town and has helped 
 to erect many of the early buildings in this 
 part of the county. He still lives in Homer 
 village and enjoys good health at the age of 
 ninety-three years. 
 
 The mill built by Asa Austin passed into 
 the hands of Samuel Summers ; then to 
 Isaac and Wm. Miller ; then to John Ham- 
 mond, who sold it to Samuel Byram, the 
 present owner. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 HISTORY OF TIIK TOWN OF CORTLANDVILLF.. 
 
 Tllh^ town of Cortlandville . was not 
 formed until the iith day of April, 
 1829, at which time it was set off from the 
 old military township of Homer (No. 19) 
 of which it comprises the southern half; 
 two lots from the town of Virgil have been 
 added to Cortlandville since its first forma- 
 tion. It is bounded on the north by the 
 town of Homer; on the east by Solon and 
 Freetown; on the ' south by Virgil and 
 Freetown, and on the west by Tompkins 
 county. It is nearl}- centrally located be- 
 tween the northern and southern county 
 boundaries, and upon its western border. 
 Its surface is sufficiently varied to give it a 
 picturesque aspect, being made up of lofty 
 hills in the eastern and southern portions, 
 gentle eminences between the eastern and 
 western branches of the Tioughnioga river 
 
 and in the central and western portions, 
 while along the river and in the vicinity of 
 the junction of the two branches of the 
 stream are broad level valleys that are not 
 excelled for beauty and productiveness. 
 Upon the broad plain which stretches away 
 southward and westward from the locality 
 where the waters of the two river branches 
 start southward towards the sea, seven dif- 
 ferent valleys of varying widths converge 
 from as many different points of the com- 
 pass. On this plain has grown the beautiful 
 village of Cortland. The surrounding hills, 
 broken by these numerous valleys; the 
 broad plain cleft by the classic stream and 
 its swiftly-flowing tributaries and stretching 
 away to a distance of two miles in either 
 direction, and the thriving village set in the 
 midst, combine to form a scene of rare nat- 
 
Town of Coktlandville. 
 
 237 
 
 iiral beaut\- when viewed from any adjacent 
 eminence, and a site worthy of a great city. 
 
 The soil of the town of Cortlandville is 
 composed of a rich alluvial deposit along 
 the \alleys of the streams, while portions of 
 the ]5lain in the central part of the town 
 and the hilly regions are gravelly and ar- 
 gillaceous loam. There is very little of the 
 town that is not susceptible of cultivation, 
 but the hilly portions are, perhaps, better 
 adapted for grazing than for tillage. 
 
 The town is well watered and drained; 
 both the east and west branches of the 
 Tioughnioga flow through it, forming a 
 junction not far from the center, the main 
 stream then continuing southward to the 
 boundary. Into the river and its branches 
 flow Otter creek from the west and Trout 
 creek from the east, which are in turn fed by 
 numerous clear springs that send their whole- 
 some waters through all parts of the town. 
 
 This region was originally heavily tim- 
 bered, beech, maple, elm and hemlock being 
 most abundant, and interspersed with ash, 
 cherry and other woods. Much of the site 
 of Cortland village was formerly covered 
 with a forest of towering elms. 
 
 Speaking with direct reference to the 
 boundaries of the town, John Miller and his 
 family were the first settlers within the 
 present limits of the town of Cortlandville, 
 outside of the extreme probability that 
 Beebe and Todd built their first habitation 
 in the town, as stated by Mr. Kingsbury, 
 in the preceding history of the town of Ho- 
 mer. Mr. Miller made his permanent set- 
 tlement in the spring, 1792, having explored 
 the valleys of the Tioughnioga branches the 
 previous season, with Amos Todd and Jo- 
 seph Beebe. He had two sons, of one of 
 whom but little is known ; but he probably 
 died at an early age. The other was Daniel 
 Miller, afterwards well known throughout 
 the county as " Deacon " and " General " 
 Miller. 
 
 The family settled on lot 56, where they 
 erected a rude shanty at the junction of the 
 two roads now leading from the villages of 
 Homer and Cortland to Truxton, and just in 
 front of the present residence of T. Mason 
 Loring. Daniel Miller was about eighteen 
 years old at the time of their arrival in town.' 
 They paid for their land and began improv- 
 ing it by clearing off the timber. Not long af- 
 terward a young man appeared on the scene 
 and laid claim to the land on the ground 
 that he had been a soldier and had drawn 
 the lot, and had not conveyed it away ; that 
 if they had bought and paid for it they had 
 been imposed upon ; furthermore that he 
 himself was a minor and could not legally 
 have conveyed the land to any one. Un- 
 der these circumstances Mr. Miller made a 
 bargain with him, by which he was to re- 
 main with Mr. Miller until he was twenty- 
 one years old, when he could give them a 
 title to the land. When that time arrived, 
 the Millers paid him for the land and he dis- 
 appeared. It afterwards developed that he 
 had deceived them in regard to his age, and 
 that he was not twenty-one when he sold 
 them the land. His friends, being dissatisfied 
 with the terms on which he had settled with 
 Mr. Miller, sent him away, circulated re- 
 ports of his death, and then claimed the land 
 as his heirs ; this scheme was not successful, 
 however, and they then brought him to 
 life and began anew. During several years 
 Mr. Miller was harassed with threats, dis- 
 
 1 When Mr. Miller came to the spot where he built his 
 dwelling he thrust into the ground a willow twig which 
 he had broken from a little tree in front of a settler's 
 house on the way. The settler's wife was indignant and 
 told her husband that the man who had just passed on 
 horseback had ruined their tree, upon which the irate 
 pioneer followed Mr. Miller, overtook him and berated 
 him for breaking their tree ; but he returned crest-fallen 
 when he saw that it was a mere whip which had been ap- 
 propriated. This twig has grown into a great tree, the 
 two branching trunks of which now measure respectively 
 sixteen and twelve and a half feet in circumference. It 
 is an old and well-known landmark at the junction of the 
 two roads. 
 
23S 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 putes and vexations of various kinds, until 
 at length a final settlement was made and 
 another deed obtained. He now supposed 
 that all trouble about his farm was ended. 
 But still later another stranger appeared and 
 presented a claim to fifty acres on the north- 
 east corner of the lot, which had been sold 
 for non-payment of taxes. He claimed to 
 be the purchaser and to hold a valid title 
 to the land. This included the ground on 
 which the Millers had made most of their 
 improvements ; consequently there was no 
 other course available but to settle ^\ ith the 
 intruder, which they finally did by the pay- 
 ment of four dollars an acre. Thus, after li\'- 
 ing seven years in a log cabin, which would 
 now be considered hardly good enough for 
 a horse stable, and paying for their land 
 twice and for a portion of it three times, 
 they secured a valid title. 
 
 John Miller died June iith, 1806, at the 
 ageof 75 years ; his wife, Hannah, died Oc- 
 tober 25th, 1818, aged 69 years. Daniel 
 Miller became a man of prominence. The 
 military organization of the State was then 
 thoroughly maintained and in March, 1803, 
 he received the commission of lieutenant in 
 a company of infantry from George Clin- 
 ton, then governor of the State. This was 
 followed by a commission as captain in 
 1806, and as lieutenant-colonel in 1808. In 
 February, 181 2, he received his commission 
 as brigadier-general, and was called with 
 his brigade to the Niagara frontier. It is 
 said of him that he persistently studied mil- 
 itary evolutions with kernels of corn on a 
 board, until he became a competent tacti- 
 cian. He united with the Congregational 
 Church in Homer in 1820 and from that 
 time until his death was a prominent mem- 
 ber and an office-holder in the society. He 
 died in 1845. His wife was a sister of the 
 Rev. John Keep, who was for twelve years 
 pastor of that church. Mr. Miller left two 
 sons, one of whom was Dr. Abram Miller. 
 
 Gen. Miller is remembered as a man of con- 
 templative cast of mind, of unswerving in- 
 tegrity and habitual dignity of manner. He 
 was an ardent lover of nature. 
 
 Succeeding the Miller family the next 
 settlers in the tow n were Jonathan Hubbard 
 and Moses Hopkins, both of whom came in 
 1794. Mr. Hubbard selected lands amid 
 the stately elms on the site of Cortland vil- 
 lage, much of which east of Main street he 
 owned. His first dwelling stood about on 
 the site of the National Bank of Cortland, 
 corner of Main and Court streets. Mr. Hop- 
 kins purchased a large tract of land west of 
 the hill now known as " Monroe Heights," 
 on lot 64. 
 
 It was fortunate for the future town that 
 such men as Jonathan Hubbard and Moses 
 Hopkins were its pioneers. They came, as 
 did a great majority of the early settlers in 
 this region, from New England — that cra- 
 dle of strong, resolute, active men. These 
 two, as well as many of their early success- 
 ors, were men of strongly marked charac- 
 ters, possessed of sagacious foresight, clear 
 minds and determined wills ; they came into 
 the wilderness to accomplish something 
 worthy of themselves, with no thought of 
 obstacles and no dread of consequences. 
 Well may it be said, then, that the county 
 was fortunate in having the first inroads 
 toward ci\-ilization made b\" such men. 
 
 I\Ir. Hubbard was about twenty years old 
 when he came into Cortland — young, vig- 
 orous and filled with enthusiasm. He fore- 
 saw (perhaps had already learned the fact 
 from personal experience) that one of the 
 first and most important necessities of pio- 
 neer families was a grist-mill. There was 
 already one in the county, built in Homer a 
 year or two previous, but there was ample 
 room for more. Choosing the most eligible 
 site, therefore, Mr. Hubbard made the build- 
 ing of a grist-mill his first occupation. It 
 was located where now stands the mill of 
 
'■*W^^'iPS?pvS->' 
 
 A. LEROY COLE. 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 239 
 
 Thomas F. Braj-ton, and was the first one in 
 the town; it was long known as Hubbard's 
 mill, and still later as "the Red Mill." As 
 soon as the structure was far enough ad- 
 vanced Mr. Hubbard and his joung wife, 
 a sister of David McClure, occupied it 
 as a residence until his dwelling was built. 
 In just what year the mill was finished 
 and put in operation appears to be in doubt. 
 It has been given as early as 1797 and as 
 late as 1803. It was between those dates 
 and undoubtedly not long after the one first 
 given. In any event his daughter Abigail, 
 afterward the wife of Daniel Hawks, a prom- 
 inent Cortland attorney and county judge, 
 was born while the family lived in the mill ; 
 her birth occurred in May, 1805. In the 
 same year his wife died, and, in 18 10, he 
 married Polly Trowbridge ; from this union 
 was born in March, 1813, Jonathan Hub- 
 bard, jr., who was, until his death in 1883, 
 one of the prominent and respected citizens 
 of Cortland village. In 1806 the first Jon- 
 athan Hubbard joined with Loren Blodgett, 
 son of Nathan Blodgett, whose settlement 
 will be noted a little farther on, and erected a 
 grist-mill at Blodgett's Mills, so named from 
 Mr. Blodgett. This was the second mill 
 built in the town, and its erection consti- 
 tuted about the first settlement at that point. 
 Jonathan Hubbard died on Christmas Day, 
 in the year 18 14, at the comparatively early 
 age of forty years ; but he filled his life with 
 work which made an enduring impression 
 upon the town, as will hereafter appear. 
 
 Moses Hopkins was also a man of more 
 than ordinary intelligence and force of char- 
 acter, energy and enterprise. He built one 
 of the early taverns in the village of Cort- 
 land, on the corner near where the Ta}'lor 
 Hall block now stands ; it was long a pop- 
 ular house, where public meetings of all 
 kinds were held. The building was quite a 
 commodious wooden structure and was sub- 
 sequently occupied as a young ladies' sem- 
 
 inary. Mr. Hopkins held the offices of 
 deputy sherifl" and sheriff of the county. 
 His first dwelling stood about on the site 
 occupied in later years by his son, Hiram 
 Hopkins. 
 
 John Keep made a permanent settlement 
 in 1795 on lot 56, where he built the orig- 
 inal part of the county poor-house. He was 
 from Massachusetts. Mr. Keep and his wife, 
 Miss Frances Goodell, were baptized by 
 Rev. Daniel Irish, in September, 1798, be- 
 ing the first administration of the rite in 
 Cortland county. They were also among 
 the sixteen who constituted the first Baptist 
 church of Homer, in 1801, and gave libe- 
 rally of their time, money and influence to 
 the building up of that society and for the 
 general good of the community. Judge 
 Keep was made a justice of the peace as 
 early as 1797, long before the organization 
 of this county, and in 18 10 he was first 
 judge of the Court of Common Pleas, the 
 first officer of that character in the county, 
 which position he filled with honor until 
 1823. He was not bred to a profession, but 
 his eminent integrity and sound judgment 
 enabled him to fill his judicial office with 
 satisfaction. 
 
 An incident in the life of Judge Keep, 
 which was related by a former inmate of 
 the alms house, is worthy of passing notice. 
 Just before the family of Judge Keep finally 
 removed from his home on the banks of the 
 river he made his accustomed prayer in 
 which he entreated that "the house he was 
 about to leave might ever remain in the fu- 
 ture as it had been in the past, an asylum 
 for the poor, the unfortunate and the dis- 
 tressed." 
 
 Not many years later the house and farm 
 were sold to the county for an alms house, 
 making it, indeed, for all time, " an asylum 
 for the poor and distressed." 
 
 From an old book containing a record of 
 Judge Keep's official acts, we quote verba- 
 
240 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 ti)ii the following which will be read with 
 
 interest: — 
 
 " County of Onondaga, ss. : 
 
 "To-\vit: Beit remembered that on the 29th 
 day of May, in the year of our Lord One Thou- 
 sand Eight Hundred, Levi White was convicted 
 before me, John Keep, one of the justices of the 
 peace of said county of Onondaga, of doing ser- 
 vile work on Sabbath day, the eighteenth day of 
 this present instant, May, at the town of Solon. 
 (}iven under my hand and seal, the day and year 
 above said. 
 
 "Fine, 75 cents; costs 37 cents 5 mills. 
 
 "John Keep, Justice of the Peace. 
 " Onondaga County, ss. : 
 
 "Viz.: Be it remembered that on the 26th 
 day of December in the year of our Lord One 
 Thousand Eight Hundred, Elijah Hayden was 
 convicted before me, John Keep, Esq., one of 
 the justices of the peace in and for the said 
 county, of swearing ten profane oaths, in the 
 town of Homer, in the said county. Given un- 
 der my hand and seal the day and the year 
 above said. 
 
 " Fine paid, $3.75." 
 
 It would seem that the penalty for swear- 
 ing one oath must have been thirty-seven 
 and a half cents. This appears, when viewed 
 from the stand-point of the present day, as 
 a high penalty, and leads one to reflect 
 upon the enormity of the income which 
 might have been derived from this source 
 if Judge Keep could have held his office 
 until 1884 and had "let no guilty man es- 
 cape." 
 
 From among the records of various mar- 
 riage ceremonies performed by Judge Keep, 
 we select a few of people who will be re- 
 membered by old residents as prominent in 
 Cortland and Homer : — 
 
 "Homer, 26th June, 1800. This day 
 married Asa White, jr., to Clarissa Keep, 
 both of Homer." Mr. White was the father 
 of Horace and Hamilton White, the suc- 
 cessful bankers, later of Syracuse. 
 
 "March 14th, 1799. This day married 
 Asahel Minor to Rhoda Keep, both of Ho- 
 
 mer." Mr. Minor was the first clerk of Cort- 
 land county, and held other positions of 
 trust. 
 
 "April 4th, 1799. This day married 
 Wm. Lucas to Sallic Knapp, both of Ho- 
 mer." Mr. Lucas was a prominent man 
 and an office holder for about a quarter of 
 a century. 
 
 " Married at Homer, March 25th, 1802, 
 Prosper Cravath to Miriam Kinne." Of this 
 family Mr. Ballard wrote in his Reminiscences 
 as follows: — "Whether we view this mar- 
 ried couple with their daughters, 'like olive 
 plants around their tabic,' in their Cortland 
 home, remarkable for the beauty of the land- 
 scape surrounding it, made up of plain, river 
 and distant hill ; or in their new dwelling- 
 place on the plains of Wisconsin, rising above 
 all is the memory of that parental dignity and 
 tenderness, that child-like simplicit)' of man- 
 ner and integrity of heart, all consecrated 
 by a Christian faith daily strengthened on 
 the altar of devotion. Such were their shin- 
 ing traits of character." 
 
 The meetings preliminary to building the 
 First Baptist church of Homer (which stood 
 at the junction of Adams street with the 
 road to Homer) were held at his house ; the 
 first one in August, 1806, when John Keep, 
 Asa Bennett and Benjamin Salisbury were 
 chosen a committee to found a constitution. 
 
 Previous to the year 1800 a large tract 
 of land, bordering the river eastward of 
 Cortland village, was owned by Elkanah 
 Watson, a Massachusetts man, from whom 
 Port Watson received its name. It may be 
 that others were interested with him in the 
 speculation which was intended as the foun- 
 dation of a thri\ing village at that point ; 
 but the sales of land are nearly all made in 
 his name, or that of his attorney. The tract 
 was surveyed by Harvey I. Stewart, prob- 
 ably as early as 1800, and laid out in streets 
 and lots, and the latter placed in market. 
 The principal street was Washington street, 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 241 
 
 running north and south on the line of the 
 present street ; but it is said to have been 
 originally laid out much wider (eight or ten 
 rods in width) and was intended for a mag- 
 nificent avenue of a mile or more in length, 
 directly through the center of the future 
 village ; it was extended northward across 
 the west branch of the Tioughnioga, which 
 was to have been bridged at that point, 
 about midway between Hubbard's mill and 
 the confluence of the two branches of the 
 river ; the bridge was never built, but streets 
 were opened running from the road to- 
 wards Truxton, north of the stone bridge, 
 eastward to meet the main (\\'ashington) 
 street. Running eastward from Washing- 
 ton street were laid out and opened nar- 
 rower avenues, reaching to the river, which 
 were named from the numerals. 
 
 There are records of land sales in this vi- 
 cinity, made b)' Elkanah Watson prior to 
 1800, and from that time to 18 12, scores of 
 transfers of lands in and about Port Watson 
 are on record. A few examples of these sales 
 will be interesting : — 
 
 In 1800 Watson sold to Charles Todd 
 Hotchkiss, 100 acres on lot 41 (see map) for 
 80 pounds. 
 
 In 1805 Jonathan Hubbard bought lot 
 142, of the Port Watson survey, for $50. 
 In the same year Alfred Allen bought of 
 Watson lot 149, "on town plot of Port Wat- 
 son," for $45. 
 
 In the next year Moses Hopkins bought 
 of Watson lot 126, "on town plott of Port 
 Watson," for $26.06. 
 
 In 181 1, Watson sold to "Luman Rice, of 
 the village of Port Watson, all that village lot 
 lying in the village of Port Watson, known 
 as lots 60 and 61, bounded by Washington 
 street, containing each one-half acre," for 
 $95 ; also the north half of lot 29 on " East 
 Homer river," bounded "west by road ; east 
 by lot 30, and south by a line through the 
 middle of lot 29." 
 
 In 1 8 1 2 Watson sold to Thomas Tillot- 
 son for $2,000 one-fourth of lot 66, with 
 saw-mill, hotel and store-houses. Tillotson 
 is recorded as from Rhinebeck. This sale 
 indicates that there was a saw-mill at or 
 near the confluence of the river branches 
 earlier than 181 2, and a hotel near by; but 
 we have been unable to learn anything more 
 definite of them. 
 
 Jacob, well known as "Captain," Badgley, 
 purchased "lot 120 of the town platt of 
 Port Watson," in 18 12, for $50. Capt. 
 Badgley was an uncle of Alonzo Blodgett. 
 
 In October, 18 10, Thomas and Andrew- 
 Stockholm bought of Watson land on the 
 "east bank of East river, due east of the 
 south line of 6th street, in the village of Port 
 Watson, and at the northwest corner of lot 
 15 ; thence east four chains; thence south 
 ten chains, to north line of lot 21 ; thence 
 east twenty-seven chains to the east bank of 
 the river ; then up the river to the place of 
 beginning — about five acres," for $200. 
 
 Watson also sold to Nathan Blodgett, 
 grandfather of Alonzo Blodgett, a part of 
 lot 66, lying "immediately west of Port 
 W'atson, on the south side of West Homer 
 river — twenty acres, for $240." William 
 Lowe joined in this sale, which was made 
 in December, 1805. 
 
 These transfers are given merely as ex- 
 amples of many others, indicating the ac- 
 tivity in the land traffic at that point; it is 
 much to be regretted that the map of Port 
 Watson village is not now available ; while 
 we have found traces of such a map, our 
 utmost efforts have failed to secure it. 
 
 Sales of lots at Port Watson continued 
 
 to be pushed with vigor ; the point was 
 
 clearly the head of navigation on the river, 
 
 and the site was in e\'ery wa\- so favorable 
 
 for the location of a village that it was not 
 
 until after the first decade of the century 
 
 that the then hamlet of Cortland began to 
 
 outstrip Port Watson in growth and prestige. 
 
 16 
 
242 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 During the year 1795 a few more settlers 
 came into tlie town. Among these was 
 Dr. Lewis S. Owen, who came from Albany 
 and located on lot 66, where he subsequently 
 erected the first frame house in the county. 
 It stood a little east of where Russell Hub- 
 bard lived in later years. Dr. Owen re- 
 moved to Homer village after three years. 
 In the same year Thomas Wilcox, from 
 W'hitestown, settled on lot 64, and Reuben 
 Doud, originally from New Haven, James 
 Scott, John Morse and Levi Lee all located 
 on lot 75. 
 
 Considerable accession was made to the 
 population of the town during the succeed- 
 ing five years and prior to the beginning of 
 the century. In 1796-97 Samuel Critten- 
 den and Eber Stone came from Connecticut 
 and located on lot 66. The}- bought one 
 hundred and sixty acres, the tract belonging 
 to them being divided by a line nearly par- 
 allel with the present Main street. Mr. 
 Crittenden afterward built a house a little 
 east of the site of A. Mahan's store. He 
 made the journey from Connecticut with an 
 ox team, being twentj'-five days on the 
 road. Mr. Crittenden removed to Tomp- 
 kins county prior to 1858, where he held 
 several judicial ofiices and represented the 
 count)- in the Legislature three successive 
 years. 
 
 Aaron Knapp settled on lot 55 during 
 the period under consideration, and Enoch 
 Hotchkiss on lot 76. In the year 1798 
 Samuel Ingalls and his son, Samuel, jr., 
 migrated from Columbia county, N. Y., and 
 located on lot 75, the former becoming 
 the owner of much of the land on which 
 the southwestern portion of the village is 
 situated. He built and kept the first tavern 
 in the town. 
 
 During the first decade of the century, 
 although the advancement of settlement 
 was not remarkably rapid, many men and 
 families located within the boundaries of the 
 
 town who were destined to wield an influ- 
 ence in the community and leave the per- 
 manent impress of their toil and energy 
 upon the new county. Many of these have 
 alread)- been mentioneil in the history of the 
 town of Homer, and while we cannot trace 
 the precise dates of arrival and localities of 
 settlement of all those worthy pioneers, 
 something ma\- be said of the more i:)romi- 
 nent of them ; others will be found in sub- 
 sequent pages devoted to the village history 
 of the town. 
 
 David Merrick came from Massachusetts 
 in the year 1 800 and located on lot 44. He 
 was accompanied by his son Danforth, after- 
 ward a prominent citizen. In iSio they set- 
 tled in Cortland village on lot 65,' where 
 he built what was then the largest hotel in 
 the place, just west of the Cortland House 
 site, which he kept as a tavern more than 
 twenty }-ears. 
 
 Obadiah Boies and Joshua Hassett arrived 
 in town about cotemporar\- with Mr. Mer- 
 rick. Mr. Boies built his dwelling about 
 where the Union Hall block now- stands, and 
 Mr. Bassett near the site of the First Na- 
 tional Bank. Mr. Boies became a promi- 
 nent citizen and held the office of county 
 treasurer for man\' years. Mr. Bassett was a 
 jeweler, the first in the village. 
 
 Waterman and Levi Phillips were from 
 Connecticut, and the former located on lot 
 69, near where Trout creek joins the 
 Tioughnioga, where he purchased one hun- 
 dred acres. He afterward removed to Ho- 
 
 iMr. Merrick came lo Wliilestown in Lhe year 1797, to 
 purchase a tavern stand and 100 acres of land, then val- 
 ued at $300. His means being limited, he concluded 
 not to purchase and returned home. The next year he 
 again visited Whitestown for the express purpose of clos- 
 ing a bargain, but the property was then valued at $10,- 
 000, and consequently he did not secure it, ami came on 
 to Hoiner. .\ few years later, having been ejected from 
 his premises three times, and being threatened with the 
 s.ime treatment a fourth lime, he concluded to leave and 
 settle at Little York ; but in 1810 he returned to Cort- 
 land village. 
 
r?y 
 
 ^.M 
 
 '?''e&ry 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 243 
 
 mer village. Jefferson, Abel K., and George 
 Phillips were his sons. 
 
 At this time (iSoo) there was no road be- 
 tween Homer village and the little settlement 
 at Cortland; or, at least, none other than a 
 mere cutting through the woods. One of 
 the pioneers of Cortland who drew saw-logs 
 to the Homer mill in the winter of 1800—01, 
 said that two trips a day through the mud 
 and slush, "snaking" a log one way, was 
 all he could accomplish. A road had been 
 cut out to Virgil Corners where it inter- 
 sected the State road ; another had been 
 cut through to Locke (now Groton) ; a third 
 to McGrawville ; a fourth to Truxton and 
 the one to Homer, above mentioned. 
 
 In the )'ear 1800 W'ilmot Sperr\- located 
 in the town, on lot 73 ; he was from Wood- 
 bridge, Conn. Two years later William 
 Mallory came in from Columbia county and 
 permanently located. He soon afterward 
 built a house where the Keator block now 
 stands, corner of Main and Port Watson 
 streets. He was the second sherift' of the 
 count}-, appointed in 1809, and was' a man 
 of unusual character and acquirements. In 
 i8i4hewas elected to the Assembly and 
 as county clerk in 1815. In 1819 he was 
 elected to the State Senate, and was ap- 
 pointed count}' judge in 1823. He died in 
 
 1837- 
 
 John A. Freer came into town at this 
 time from Duchess county, and located on 
 lot 74. He became a prominent citizen of 
 the village, as did also his sons, Anthony 
 and S. D. Freer, the latter of whom still 
 lives there. 
 
 In 1S03 Samuel McGraw made the long 
 journey from New Haven and located on 
 lot 87, where he purchased 100 acres. In 
 1 809 he removed to the site of McGrawville, 
 (which was named from him) where he pur- 
 chased 200 acres ; at that time there were 
 but three families in the vicinit}' of the vil- 
 lage of McGrawville. Mr. McGraw was a 
 
 man of prominence and did much toward 
 building up the place which bears his name. 
 He was the father of twelve children, eight 
 of whom were sons. He died in 1849. 
 One of his sons, Harry McGraw, became a 
 prominent citizen of Cortland, held several 
 offices, and was the father of Hon. P. H. 
 McGraw, now of McGrawxille. 
 
 James T. Hotchkiss came into town in 
 1803, from Woodbridge, locating on lot 54, 
 northwest of the village. He was conspic- 
 uous in the War of 1812 and fell at the 
 battle of Oueenstown, in 18 13, while serving 
 as one of Gen. Dearborn's life-guards. He 
 left eight children who became well known 
 and respected people. 
 
 The first church organization in the 
 county (1801) has already been alluded to in 
 the history of the town of Homer. It was 
 the result of joint efforts on the part of the 
 good people in Homer (village), Cortland, 
 Port Watson and East River, and led to the 
 building, in 181 1, of a church which stood 
 about "one-half mile north of the old court- 
 house," as its location has been defined. 
 Its site was in reality on the northwest cor- 
 ner at the junction of North Main street 
 with Adams street and the Homer road. 
 
 The first ]\Iethodist meetings in this town 
 were held at the Iwuse of Jonathan Hubbard 
 in 1 804, and they were continued at private 
 houses, school-houses, etc., until the time 
 arrived when a societ}' was organized and a 
 church built in 1S21, as detailed in subse- 
 quent pages. Elder Bachellor was a Meth- 
 odist minister who preached on a circuit 
 embracing Cortland village, as early as 1 805. 
 
 Among the earliest settlers in the eastern 
 part of the town were Russell Dodd, Rufus 
 Persons, Enon Phelps and others. Enon 
 Phelps (father of E. W. Phelps, who came 
 to this localit}- in 1817) remained where he 
 settled in this town but one year (1795-96), 
 and then removed to Homer. Mr. Persons 
 was a native of Connecticut, was married 
 
History of Cortland County. 
 
 January 1st, 1807, and moved upon the 
 farm now occupied by Lorenzo Persons, 
 wliere he built a saw-mill. 
 
 Isaac Alger, a native of Vermont, came to 
 New York State in 1 Soo. He was the father 
 of Joseph C. Alger, of McGrawville, who 
 came there from Schoharie county in 1831. 
 His first wife was a daughter of Job Card, 
 one of the early settlers on lot 57. His 
 present wife was Mary B. Cowles, daughter 
 of Judah Cowles, also an early settler, who 
 came from Chathanf, N. Y., and located on 
 land now owned by Charles O. Alger, in 
 1810. 
 
 Nathan Blodgett was one of the more 
 prominent of the early settlers locating 
 here in 1804. He was from Massachusetts 
 and his purchase of lands from Elkanah 
 Watson has already been noted. He died 
 in 1845, leaving five children — Loren (be- 
 fore mentioned as building the first mill at 
 Blodgett's ^lills), Lewis, Benjamin Franklin, 
 Lydia and Elizabetli. The son, Benjamin 
 F., succeeded to the ownership of the farm. 
 He was a useful and respected member of 
 the community and made the farm one of 
 the best in this section. His life exhibited 
 the Christian virtues in an enviable degree. 
 He left four children ; a daughter married 
 Dr. T. C. Pomeroy, now of Syracuse, and 
 another the Rev. O. H. Seymour. His son, 
 Alonzo Blodgett. now owns and occupies ' 
 the homestead near Brajton's mills, where 
 he has built a handsome residence. 
 
 Jacob Sanders settled on lot 56 in 1803 i 
 he was from Swansea, Mass. He had a 
 family of ten children, who became well 
 known and respected people. 
 
 John Calvert came from Washington 
 county to Virgil in 1800 and about 1812 
 removed to lot 82, between Cortland and 
 McLean, where Leroy Gillett now lives. 
 
 Nathan and James Knapp were early set- 
 tlers on lot 84, south of Cortland village, 
 and Gilbert Budd and Jeremiah Chase on j 
 
 lot 74. John Stillman located on lot 65, 
 now within the village limits, at a very early 
 day. Judge Keep's old record book con- 
 tains Mr. Stillman's marriage to Mary Hub- 
 bard, sister of the pioneer, Jonathan Hub- 
 bard, under date of January 22d, 1801. 
 Elisha Crosb\- and Lemuel Ingalls were 
 early settlers also on lot 65. John McNish 
 was also an early farmer in the vicinity of 
 South Cortland. 
 
 Gideon Curtis, a native of Massachusetts, 
 came here in 1 807 and located near the 
 Port Watson bridge, where he owned a 
 tannery for a time. He afterwards removed 
 to Little York. He was a member of the 
 Legislature in 1822. 
 
 In 1808 John Ingalls located on lot 74 
 and Lemuel and Jacob Cady, who came 
 from Massachusetts, on lot y^, all southwest 
 of the village towards South Cortland. Ed- 
 mund Mallory, from Duchess county, set- 
 tled on lot 74. also, and John Wicks on J^. 
 
 Oliver Wiswell, the first lawyer in the 
 town and the first postmaster (1814), prob- 
 abl\- came before 18 10. Other early attor- 
 ne\-s were Henry Stephens and Samuel N. 
 Perkins, the former of whom became very 
 prominent ; was sent to the Legislature ; 
 was county judge and later president of the 
 Syracuse and Binghamton railroad. 
 
 These pioneers of the town who came in 
 before the year 18 10, though their num- 
 bers were comparatively small, were gene- 
 rally men of strong characters and wills, 
 men whose lives and works left an indeli- 
 ble impression upon the town. 
 
 The second decade of the century wit- 
 nessed long strides in the advancement and 
 growth of the town, and the establishment 
 of its early institutions. The erection of the 
 court-house pursuant to the act of April, 
 1810. and the rivalry it occasioned in the 
 three villages of Homer, Port Watson and 
 Cortland, have been detailed in a previous 
 chapter. The little hamlet of Cortland be- 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 245 
 
 gan to assume the character of a village, 
 and mills, asheries, distilleries and tanneries 
 were multipl}-ing in difterent parts of the 
 town. William and Roswell Randall came 
 to Cortland village in 18 12 and soon began 
 the important business enterprises which 
 placed them at the head in this respect, a 
 position which thc>- occupied for many 
 years. They were originally from Stoning- 
 ton but came to Cortland from Brookfield, 
 Conn. Saw-mills had been erected at South 
 Cortland, Blodgett's Mills, one near Horace 
 Dibble's carding-mill and one at Port Wat- 
 son. The carding-mill operated for so 
 many j-ears by Mr. Dibble was built as 
 early as 181 5, by David McClure and in 
 iSiB^ Moses Hopkins advertised in the 
 Republican that he had " two new carding- 
 machines ready for operation in Mr. Hig- 
 day's shops, a little east of the Red mills 
 (formerly Hubbard's mill)." 
 
 1 " Goodwin's Pioneer History makes mention of a Wil- 
 liam Sherman, who came to Homer in the summer of 
 1815, and 'soon after he erected a machine shop for the 
 manufacture of nails — the first of the kind in the Slate 
 of New York — the machinery being so arranged as to 
 feed, cut, head and stamp without assistance. On the 
 head of each nail was stamped the letter S. Four-penny 
 nails were then worth twenty-five cents per pound.' I 
 am under the impression, however, that Sherman began 
 manufacturing nails in this building, which was erected 
 by a man named McClure about 1816, and had a saw- 
 mill in the rear, run by the same water privilege, and 
 that he subsequently removed the nvichinery to Homer, 
 where he continued to manufacture nails for a number 
 of years. Mr. Dibble states that when he passed through 
 Cortland in 1821, nails were then being made here by 
 Sherman's machine, and I have now in my possession 
 several nails with the letters W and S stamped on their 
 heads, which were with some difficulty drawn out of the 
 clapboards covering the rear of the old liuilding, by me, 
 a few moments before these lines were written, and which 
 there is every reason for believing were among the first 
 nails manufactured by that machine." 
 
 This paragraph is printed in a pamphlet recently 
 issued in Cortland as a historical advertising medium ; 
 but there is probably no ground for presuming that \Vd- 
 liani Sherman ever made nails in Cortland. The nails 
 Ijearing his initials on the heads were doubtless made by 
 him in Homer and sold to the builder of the carding- 
 mill. The fact of their being found in that old structure 
 is no argument in favor of the supposition that they were 
 made there. 
 
 The Randalls had at least two asheries 
 within the present limits of the village, and 
 distilleries dotted the landscape in every di- 
 rection. Whisky, as we are told by an old 
 resident, was so plenty that one could go 
 and buy a gallon for twenty- five cents "and 
 have a jug thrown in to carry it home in." 
 
 The first school was established, the 
 building standing on the site of the Messen- 
 ger House, and the old Baptist Church soci- 
 ety was in a flourishing condition. 
 
 In the year 1 8 1 5 further school facilities 
 being demanded, steps were taken which led 
 to the building of the old school-house 
 which preceded the academy. Moses Hop- 
 kins, Samuel S. Baldwin and Solomon Hub- 
 bard were the trustees of the districts. No- 
 tice was given by them that proposals 
 would be received for building a school- 
 house 26 by 56 feet in dimensions, and two 
 stories high. The structure was erected in 
 1 8 16, and from that time onward was occu- 
 pied for school purposes below, while the 
 upper story was often used for religious 
 meetings. In the year 1841 it was enlarged 
 and became the well known and successful 
 academy. It stood between the Presbyte- 
 rian and Methodist churches, on Church 
 street. In 1868 it was removed and the lot 
 given to the Normal School grounds. 
 
 William Wood, a native of Hinsdale, 
 Vermont, migrated to Herkimer, N. Y., 
 and in 18 14 came into the town of Homer, 
 locating at first on the road leading from 
 the East river valley to the farm of Enon 
 Phelps, on lot 48. Here he resided two 
 years, when he removed southward to lot 
 58 in the town of Cortlandville, and again 
 removed in 18 19 to lot 39 in Homer, ad- 
 joining the farm of Capt. Crandall; but 
 after planting an orchard and making other 
 valuable improvements on the place, he was 
 forced to leave it in 1833, for want of a 
 valid title. He removed into the valley, 
 and subsequently to the hill again, on the 
 
246 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 northwest side of the river, where he died 
 in 1850, as stated in the preceding history 
 of Homer. His farm on lot 58 passed into 
 the hands of Asa Loring, who came to the 
 town from Petersham, Mass., in 181 8 and 
 bought Mr. Wood's interest in the farm. 
 Mr. Loring removed to lot 48 in Homer, 
 but again changed his location to the old 
 Deacon Miller farm at the junction of the 
 Homer and Cortland roads leading to Trux- 
 ton. Mr. Loring early manifested a deep 
 interest in the science of surveying and ea- 
 gerly availed himself of whatever knowledge 
 he could gain on the subject; he began its 
 practice at. the age of nineteen and soon 
 gained a reputation for industry and ac- 
 curacy that was most en\iable. He fol- 
 lowed the business until he was more than 
 eighty years old, retaining his sight to such 
 a degree that he never had to use glasses. 
 Mr. Loring held various offices — commis- 
 sioner of schools, commissioner of highways, 
 commissioner of deeds, etc., and in 1825 
 was elected captain of a company of in- 
 fantry, in the old 58th regiment, then under 
 command of Roswell Randall. Following 
 is a transcription of Captain Loring's muster 
 roll of 1 826 now in possession of his son, T. 
 Mason Loring, which will show some of the 
 men who then gave their aid to the military 
 organization of the State: — 
 
 Captain — Asa Loring. 
 
 Lieutenant — Polydore B. Corwin. 
 
 Ensign — John McGraw. 
 
 Sergeants — Austin Graves, Alonzo Tis- 
 dale, Elisha H. Cohin, James S. V^an Valk- 
 enberg. 
 
 Corporals — Wm. Eldredge, Samuel 
 Thompson, James Stewart, Evander Hise. 
 
 Musicians — Speilman Graves, Amos 
 Sparks, Lyman Palmer, Lester Graves, 
 Walter G. Dye, Ari T. Boynton, Orin Hise. 
 
 Privates — Stilman Eaton, Tilly Coburn, 
 Nehemiah Lewis, Reuben G. Doud, Amos 
 Pritchard, Morris Bishop, Smith P. Brock- 
 
 wa)', Hiram Boon, Horatio Brockway, Jo- 
 seph Brockway, Aaron Coburn, Lyman 
 Graves, I-lvander Hise, Levi Davis, Henrj- 
 Canehan, Ezekiel Hotchkiss, Robert Dal- 
 giish, Jos. Whitnej", Aaron S. Reynolds, 
 Hiram Baker, Isaac Allen, Lothrop Far- 
 nam, Alvirus Stedman, Oliver Bugby, Geo. 
 Stoning, James Stewart, \\"m. Jacobs, Nel- 
 son Spencer, Archibald Campbell, Gilmore 
 Kinne}', Clark Pendleton, Whitman Rowe, 
 Ezra Mills, Chas. Higgins, Philip Kno.x, 
 Zimri Russell, Harry Coburn, Zalmon P. 
 Barnum, Daniel Danielson, David Fisk, 
 Isaac Fisk, J. E. Buchanan, Danford Hise, 
 Joseph King, Loren Keep, Parker Butter- 
 field, Fred K. Austin, Edwin Cook, Ben- 
 jamin Johnson, Jacob Ogden, Truman 
 Doud, Nelson Clark, Samuel King, Samuel 
 B. Houd, Philander Merrill. 
 
 These were the men, many of whom were 
 from this town, who helped to increase the 
 glory of the old " general training da\-s. " 
 
 On the 30th day of June, 18 15, occurred 
 an event in Cortland, which is always one 
 of importance in every new community. 
 That da\' witnessed the issue of the first 
 newspaper in the town, and the second one 
 in the county. It was published, during 
 the first few months of its e.vistence, by 
 James Percival, and was a very creditable 
 journal for the period ; but its columns are 
 of very litde account in furnishing historical 
 matter, as \\as common witli earlj' newspa- 
 pers. Local news was almost entirely ig- 
 nored by the editor, while column after col- 
 umn was devoted to events happening in 
 foreign countries. Further reference to this 
 newspaper will be found in the chapter de- 
 voted to the press of the county, in the 
 general history of the county. 
 
 In the Republican of September 13th, 
 1 8 17, appeared a notice of which the fol- 
 lowing is a transcription : — 
 
 '■ DOCTOR G00DVE.\R, 
 
 •' From New Haven, Conn., has opened an 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 247 
 
 office in this village, where he is ready to attend 
 to the duties of his profession; and respectfully 
 solicits the patronage of the public, so far as they 
 shall (after an acquaintance) find him deserving. " 
 
 This was the beginning, very modestly 
 announced, of a professional career extend- 
 ing over a period of about sixty years, by 
 one of the most eminent and deserving 
 physicians of the count}' or State. The 
 name of Miles Goodyear became a cherished 
 household word in numberless homes, where 
 his gentle and successful ministrations to 
 the distressed will never be forgotten.' A 
 daughter of Dr. Goodyear is now the wife 
 of Dr. Frederick H\-de, of Cortland \illage; 
 she is a lady of rare intelligence and acquire- 
 ments, beloved b)- all who know her. 
 
 Jethro Bonney was an early settler at Port 
 Watson, coming here from Essex county in 
 1816. Mead Merrill was the owner of a 
 saw-mill at Port Watson at that time and 
 Mr. Bonney leased the mill. He operated 
 it but a few years, however, wlun he re- 
 moved with his famil)' to Ponipey. After a 
 residence of many years in different locali- 
 ties, he returned to Cortland and died in the 
 village. Sally Bonne}', who now lives on 
 Pendleton street, was his daughter. 
 
 The early advancement of the agricultu- 
 ral interests of the count}- was manifested 
 by the organization of an agricidtural soci- 
 ety in the year 1 8 1 8. The first fair was held 
 in the fall of that year. This e\ent was 
 looked upon b}- the inhabitants of the vil- 
 lage, as well as those of the country sur- 
 rounding, as of prime importance and likely 
 to result in permanent benefit to the com- 
 munity. Elaborate preparations were ac- 
 cordingly made for the fair, which were suc- 
 cessfully carried out. The date was the 3d 
 day of November, and in the glowing ac- 
 count given of the event in the village paper 
 we find that "at the rising of the sun there 
 were three discharges of cannon, reniinding 
 
 1 More extended notice of Dr. Coodyear will be found 
 in the history of the Cortland County Medical Society. 
 
 US that, imder Providence, with one hand we 
 defend our soil and liberties, and with the 
 other reap the harvests." The attendance 
 was evidently quite large and the exhibition 
 of stock, etc., creditable for that period. After 
 the committees had prepared their reports a 
 procession was formed which marched to the 
 court-house, accompanied by a band of 
 music. There the proceedings were opened 
 by "an able and pertinent prayer," by the 
 Rev. Thomas Purinton, of Truxton. Pres- 
 ident Levi Bowcn, of Homer, addressed the 
 audience and vice-president John Miller 
 opened the reports of the committees and 
 delivered the certificates to the successful 
 exhibitors. The exercises closed with a 
 prayer by "the Rev. p:iijah Bachellor, of 
 Homer, commending the society and spec- 
 tators to the protection of heaven." A 
 sumptuous dinner was then served at David 
 Merrick's tavern. The premiums offered 
 amounted to only about $100; but in that 
 day this seemed to be sufficient, when coup- 
 led with the deep interest of the farmers of 
 the county to produce a good exhibition 
 of farm products. 
 
 About the year 1820 Nelson Spencer 
 came to Cortlandville, from Hartford, Conn., 
 and purchased a tract of land in Port Wat- 
 son which covered the spot where the two 
 branches of the river unite. There he erected 
 a paper-mill, several tenant houses, a store 
 building, and founded a large business in 
 the manufacture of paper, book-binding 
 and book-selling. It soon became one of 
 the most important manufacturing indus- 
 tries in the county. 
 
 In the spring of 1832, Spencer having 
 failed, the property passed into possession 
 of Thomas Sinclair and John J. Speed, both 
 of Ithaca. Mr. Sinclair removed his family 
 to Cortland and undertook the work of re- 
 fitting the mill, which had become a good 
 deal run down ; nothing but coarse paper 
 had yet been made there, with machinery 
 
248 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 of the most primitive kind. The paper was 
 made b)' a haiul process, dipping the pulp 
 from a vat in a seive-likc frame and forming 
 the sheet b)- gently shaking the frame, a 
 tedious process and requiring skillful ma- 
 nipulation. Speed & Sinclair, as the new 
 firm was called, put new machinery in the 
 mill and made the manufacture of fine pa- 
 pers a specialty; their product soon stood 
 foremost in the local market. Mr. Sinclair 
 died in the spring of 1841, and the mill was 
 for a time leased to the employees.' 
 
 The old paper-mill subsequently passed 
 into the hands of Wm. H. Smith and John 
 Duff, and perhaps others, and was finally 
 bought by Daniel Bradford, of Cortland, 
 who conducted it chiefly for the manufact- 
 ure of coarse paper. Mr. Bradford took it 
 in about the j-car 1847, '^'^d continued the 
 business until 1864, when the buildings 
 were purchased by Sears, Freer & Cottrell 
 (Francis Sears, S. D. Freer and John B. 
 Cottrell) and machinerj- introduced for the 
 manufacture of linseed oil. This partner- 
 ship was dissolved in 1866 and Mr. Freer 
 conducted the works until 1871, when the 
 business was abandoned. In July, i88i,the 
 property was bought by the Cooper Broth- 
 
 1 John J. Speed possessed many noble traits of charac- 
 ter, accompanied with some peculiarities. In the dis- 
 patch of business he was rarely excelled. He was a Vir- 
 ginian by birth and a prominent member of the Methodist 
 denomination. All enterprises of mora! reform found 
 in him an enthusiastic friend. He was an exemplary mem- 
 ber of the church, bold and outspoken in all that related 
 to its welfare and the order of its religious exercises. 
 The old Methodist chapel had a basement room. It 
 happened on a warm summer Sabbath, during the fore- 
 noon exercises, that several mastiffs which had accompa- 
 nied their masters' teams to the church, came trotting 
 through the 0])en doors and along the aisles, apjiarently 
 in search of their owners, and in some instances mount- 
 ing the pew doors with their fore feet. This was too 
 much for Father Speed. He abhorred dogs. At the 
 close of the sermon he arose in his place (with a red 
 silk handkerchief around his head to protect its naked- 
 ness from the flies) and announced the proposal that in 
 the afternoon the people assemble in the basement, and 
 the dogs in the audience-room. No dogs attended that 
 church thereafter. — Hon. Horatio Ballard's Rc-minis- 
 cences. 
 
 ers, who now condtict a very successful 
 foundry and machine shop. 
 
 With the completion and opening of the 
 Erie canal in 1825, furnishing cheap and ex- 
 tensive transportation facilities between 
 Syracuse and eastern markets and ports, 
 the people of Cortland county and vicinity 
 were imbued with an earnest desire for rail- 
 road connection with the great waterway at 
 Syracuse, thirty miles distant ; this feeling 
 found expression in an application to the 
 Legislature of 1826 for a railroad charter, 
 the road to run from Binghamton to Syra- 
 cuse, directly through Cortland county. 
 The charter was granted (the first in the 
 State) but the road was never built under its 
 authority. It was thirty j-ears later before 
 Cortland was favored with railway connec- 
 tions to distant points. 
 
 In writing of the settlement and estab- 
 lishment of business in Cortlandville prior 
 to the year 1829, we have referred to that 
 territory only as a portion of the old " ten 
 miles square" of the town of Homer. Cort- 
 landville, as a town, had no existence until 
 in April, 1829, when it was set off from 
 Homer, by a line dividing it in halves from 
 east to west along the lines of the two mid- 
 dle tiers of lots. The boundaries of the 
 town thus established remained unchanged 
 until the year 1845, when lot No. 10 in 
 Virgil was added to this town ; and in the 
 next year all that portion of lot No. 9 in 
 Virgil Ij'ing east of the Tioughnioga river 
 was added to it. 
 
 It has been otir purpose thus far in the 
 history of this important town to give the 
 dates of arrival of most of the prominent 
 pioneers, where they located, etc., and the 
 establishment of some early industries ; but 
 it is manifestly impossible to follow individ- 
 ual arrivals farther, or to note all the im- 
 portant events in their lives, except as such 
 will necessarily appear in the village histo- 
 ries in subsequent pages. 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 249 
 
 TOWN ORGANIZATION. 
 
 The first town meeting for the town of 
 Cortland\ille was held at the old Eagle Tav- 
 ern on the 2d day of March, 1830. Present, 
 Henry Stephens and Samuel M. Perkins, 
 as stated in the records. Henry Webb was 
 chosen clerk pro tevt. Reports from the 
 school commissioners, highway commis- 
 sioners and poormasters were read and ac- 
 cepted, and the next meeting ordered held 
 at the court-house, on the 2d Tuesday of 
 March, 1831. The following town officers 
 were elected : — 
 
 Commissioners of highways — Parker 
 Butterfield, Eleazer May, Wm. R. Bennett. 
 
 Assessors — Harr>' McGraw, Daniel Mal- 
 lory, Dan Hibbard. 
 
 School commissioners — Rufus Boies, 
 Gilbert Edgcomb, jr.. Asa Loring. 
 
 School inspectors — Marvin Huntington, 
 Joseph C. Morse, Chas. Chamberlain. 
 
 Commissioners of the gospel and school 
 lot — Rufus Boies and Canfield Marsh. 
 
 Poormasters — Daniel Miller, Tercius 
 Eels. 
 
 Constables — Eleazer Carpenter, H. S. 
 Brockway, Hezekiah M. Sanders, Gilmore 
 Kinney. 
 
 Collector — Micah Hotchkiss. 
 
 Sealer of weights and measures — Ed- 
 ward Allen. 
 
 Justices of the peace — Jacob Badgley, 
 Hiram McGraw, Jonathan L. Woods. 
 
 John Miller had been made the first su- 
 pervisor and Homer Gillett, town clerk ; 
 they were re-elected in 1831. At the first 
 town meeting $100 was appropriated for 
 the support of the poor, and a like sum for 
 bridges. The town was divided into fifty- 
 three road districts, and several new roads 
 were laid out, notable among which were 
 what is now Mill street, Railroad street and 
 a portion of Port Watson street. At that 
 time a road known as "the Baptist road" 
 ran from Port Watson, starting on the Main 
 
 street a little northward from the bridge, 
 diagonally across the "square," coming out 
 near the junction of Adams street with the 
 road to Homer, where the old Baptist church 
 was situated. Much of the flat land just 
 east from the village and in the vicinity of 
 the present location of the D., L. & W. de- 
 pot was then low and swampy ; so much so 
 that the "Baptist road ' had to be "cordu- 
 royed" to render it passable ; and the anti- 
 quarian in a small way can find there the 
 logs of the old roadway in some places at 
 the present day. Another road then ran 
 over "court-house hill" from about where 
 V^irgil street joins Tompkins street, coming 
 out on the north end in the vicinity of Ad- 
 ams street. Both of these roads were sub- 
 sequently closed ; on account, it is said, of 
 the fact that too many people from the 
 southern portions of the county who came 
 to the business center to trade, took one or 
 the other of these roads which naturally car- 
 ried them past Cortland and into Homer. 
 
 At the town meeting of 183 1, which, it 
 will be remembered, was ordered held at the 
 court-house, it was ordered that the next 
 meeting be held again at the Eagle Tavern. 
 It might prove interesting and may be amus- 
 ing to know the real reason for this change; 
 but it is one of those abstruse matters that 
 will, probabh', never be solved. 
 
 More roads were opened in 1832, among 
 which was the one running westward from 
 the "back road" between Homer and Cor- 
 land villages, and that from South Cortland 
 to Virgil. Extensive changes were also 
 made in the road districts of the town. In- 
 deed, the principal business of the town 
 officers in those days fell upon the highway 
 commissioners. In 1834 Greenbush street 
 was extended to the " Baptist road." 
 
 It was down to the date last mentioned 
 and for fifteen or twenty years previous, 
 that the Tioughnioga river presented an 
 animated scene about three times a year. 
 
250 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 When tlic fall rains occurred and when the 
 snow melted away in the spring, as well as 
 often in the month of June, the stream would 
 be filled to overflow and became a wild rush- 
 ing torrent. Then there was bustle and 
 excitement at the different business points 
 along its banks, and espcciall)- at Port Wat- 
 son, wliich was calleil the head of naviga- 
 tion. At that place a boat-yard did a lively 
 business for many years, and arks and scows 
 in large numbers were built for the trans- 
 portation of produce, potash, whisky, pot- 
 ter)-- ware, maple sugar and such other 
 commodities as could be spared and turned 
 into money in the markets of Pcnns)-l\ania 
 along the Susquehanna. When the waters 
 of the river began to rise, these craft, some 
 of which are said to have been ninety feet 
 long, were moored at the Port Watson dock 
 and a strong complement of tcmporar\- 
 'longshoremen engaged to load them as 
 rapidly as possible. The famous pilots, 
 among whom were Marsena Morgan, Cap- 
 tain Radgely, Major Shapley, Luman Rice, 
 Wakefield, Chapman and others, assumed 
 unusual importance, esjiecially in the eyes 
 of the younger generation, to whom a water 
 trip to Baltimore was then looked upon 
 with more awe than a voyage to England 
 can now inspire. When the boats were 
 loaded, the pilots and the crews would go 
 on board, the lines were cast off and away 
 down the swift current they went, singly or 
 lashed together by twos or threes, amid the 
 plaudits of their owners and others on the 
 dock. 
 
 It was at such times that the local news- 
 papers complacently enlivened their col- 
 umns with such announcements as the fol- 
 lowing, under date of April 6th, 1818: — 
 
 PORT WATSON — HIGH \V.VIT:R. 
 
 CLE.'VRED. 
 
 Exporter — G. Rice, master, for HanislHirj;: 
 kiden with cheese and gypsum. 
 
 Crazy y<i'i/' — I,. Rice: laden with gypsum, 
 for Harrishurg. 
 
 Dutch Trader — Shapley, master; gypsum. 
 
 j'Varii:;atnr — Parsons, for Columbia ; gypsum. 
 
 Brotlicr 'yoiiatJiaii — Taylor, " " 
 
 Gold Iluntcr — Sherwood, " " 
 
 Indian Chief — Billings, " " 
 
 Restdulion — May ; for Marietta, gy]isum. 
 
 Perseverance — Wakefield, '■ " 
 
 Enterprise — Wakefield. for Middletown ; 
 gypsum. 
 
 Lazy Torn — Wakefield, for Nortluimberian<l; 
 gypsum. 
 
 Sour Cnvit — Wnkefiel<], for Nortlunnherland; 
 gypsum. 
 
 Yankee Ro,i;ue — Wakefield, Sunbury ; gypsum. 
 
 A few days later, and doubtless on the 
 trip above referred to, Luman Rice met 
 with a terrible accident, while endeavoring 
 to land at Northumberland. He had coiled 
 a rope around his left arm, with one end of 
 it fast to the boat. He threw the other 
 end around a tree that leaned over the river, 
 when the momentum of the boat instantly 
 tightened the coil and severed his arm, as 
 if with a knife. He fell into the stream, 
 and actually swam ten rods with his bleed- 
 ing limb, until he was rescued. His wounded 
 member had to be amputated. In the 
 following year (18 19) the following craft 
 cleared from Port Watson in November: — 
 
 Boat S'cvif till re — Cross, master; for Colum- 
 bia, with thirt\'-eight barrels of salt. 
 
 Independence — Chapman, master, for Colum- 
 bia, with thirty-si.\ barrels of salt. 
 
 Rani^vr — ^\"akefield : thirty-si.x barrels of salt, 
 for the same port. 
 
 Ark, Neptune — May, master, for Middle- 
 town, with thirty barrels salt. 
 
 With the construction of numerous dams, 
 necessitating the building of shallow scows 
 only for river transportation, and greatly 
 increasing the risk and danger, with the 
 gradual diminution of the volume of water 
 in the river, these methods of transportation 
 had to be abandoned ; but old settlers used 
 to relate, in the most vi\'id style, incidents 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 251 
 
 connected with river na\-igation — the 
 "shooting" of dams, running of rapids, 
 grounding in sharp bends, and their night 
 amusements when tied up at different points 
 — ■ that would vie with the wildest tales of a 
 Mississippi river pilot. There was very lit- 
 tle boating down the Tioughnioga after the 
 year 1840. 
 
 In the summer of 1832 considerable ap- 
 prehension was felt throughout the country 
 on account of a threatened invasion of Asi- 
 atic cholera. The appearance of the dread 
 disease in New York city was announced 
 over the land, and active measures were 
 adopted in all sections to avert its terrors. 
 J. Badgley, H. Stephens, H. McGraw, J. L. 
 Woods, justices of the peace, and Tercius 
 Eels, overseer of the poor, met on the 3d 
 day of July of that year, under the law of 
 June 22d, "for the preservation of the pub- 
 lic health," to determine if it was expedient 
 to constitute a board of health and appoint 
 a health officer for the town of Cortland- 
 ville. 1 
 
 Messrs. Harry McGraw, Joshua Ballard, 
 Mead Merrill, Danforth Merrick, Wm. Bart- 
 lit, Wm. H. Shankland and Wm. Randall 
 were made a board of health, with Dr. 
 Miles Goodyear as health officer. This 
 board adopted ordinances providing in sub- 
 stance that no stage or other public con- 
 veyance should carry through the town any 
 person sick with cholera or who had been 
 exposed to it, unless such person bore a cer- 
 tificate that no danger need be apprehended 
 in the case, under a penalty of $100. Cit- 
 izens were required to cleanse their prem- 
 
 1 In the Cortland Advocate of this date appeared the 
 following card : — 
 
 "Contemptible Speculatio.v. — To the editor of tlie 
 Advocate: I understand that vultures are abroad pur- 
 diasing 'cholera medicines,' such as camphor, etc., in- 
 tcntling to reap a rich harvest from the miseries of the 
 human family. May heaven avert the doom, but if the 
 cholera should appear among us, it is hoped the .=pecu- 
 lators will ticed the medicines they have acquired by 
 such dishonorable means. Scott." 
 
 ises, under penalty of $25. The health offi- 
 cer was required to report all cases of infec- 
 tious diseases to the board at 9 o'clock each 
 morning and citizens were also requested to 
 report all infectious cases. 
 
 The disease swept over the countr)% but 
 owing to these precautions on the part of 
 the people of Cortland county, and partic- 
 ularly of this town, and the interior location 
 of the county away from the great lines of 
 through travel, the epidemic was but little 
 felt here. 
 
 An institution called the " Cortlandville 
 Literary Association" was organized No- 
 vember 29th, 1852. Its officers were Fred- 
 erick Hyde, president ; G. K. Stiles, vice- 
 president; H. G. Crouch, secretary; Ste- 
 phen Brewer, treasurer. A committee of 
 five was appointed to arrange for a course 
 of lectures. Lewis Kingsley, Rev. H. R. 
 Dunham, E. F. Gould, H. G. Crouch and 
 James L. Burst were the executive commit- 
 tee. It may be assumed that with such 
 men as those named at the head of this as- 
 sociation, it accomplished its aim, and fur- 
 nished the people with good lectures. 
 
 Although the inhabitants of the town of 
 Cortlandville had their hopes of railroad 
 communication with distant markets raised 
 to a high pitch on several occasions, begin- 
 ning with the grant of a charter for a road 
 from Syracuse to Binghamton in 1826, their 
 hopes failed of realization until 1854-55, 
 when the Syracuse and Binghamton railroad 
 was opened for business. The first steps 
 towards the inauguration of this enterprise 
 were taken in 1848-49, and the work of 
 construction was begun in 1852. The road 
 was built entirely by subscription, and this 
 town was not behind any other in the 
 county in supporting the enterprise ; the 
 farming comnnmit)', as well as the citizens 
 of the villages, opened their purses and lib- 
 erally contributed towards the desired ob- 
 ject. The road was finished and formallj- 
 
252 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 opened on the i8th and 19th of October, 
 1854, the details of which event have been 
 given in the general history. It was sub- 
 sequently sold on a mortgage, to the loss 
 of indivitlual stockholders ; but even with 
 that disaster charged against it, the benefits 
 to the town at large from the road can 
 scarcely be overestimated. 
 
 The advent of the locomotive displaced 
 the former important stage business through 
 the \-alley, of which Cortland was a promi- 
 nent station ; changed the prospects of vil- 
 lages and gave to this town and especially 
 to the village of Cortland an impetus the 
 force of which is still felt, and which enabled 
 it to far outstrip the other towns of the 
 county. Previous to 1835 Homer was the 
 leading \illage, but the population was 
 about equal in the two towns at that date. 
 At the time of the completion of the rail- 
 road, Cortlandville had nearly si.x hundred 
 more inhabitants than Homer, while the 
 county seat was fairlj- started on its career 
 of prosperity and growth which has contin- 
 ued to the present time. 
 
 In the )ear 1852 the stone bridge at 
 what was theiv known as Mudge's mills, 
 was built, and five years later (in 1857) ^^^^ 
 town appropriated $400 to rebuild the 
 bridge at Port Watson. Henry Stephens, 
 P. H. McGraw and J. P. Ingraham were 
 made a committee to decide on what kind 
 of abridge should be constructed. In 1873 
 the iron bridge at Blodgett's Mills was con- 
 structed, at a cost of over $5,000. 
 
 For a few years preceding and succeed- 
 ing 1870 the people of this town, as well 
 as of some other parts of the county, be- 
 came deeply imbued with a desire for more 
 railroads, and they were, in consequence, 
 prominently instrumental in the construc- 
 tion of the (formerly) Ithaca and Cortland 
 road; the bringing in this direction of the 
 branch of the Midland road, and tlie inau- 
 guration of the enter[)rise of building the 
 
 Utica, Chenango and Cortland railroad, 
 which has not yet been finished. In aid of 
 these roads the town voted to bond itself to 
 the amount of $100,000 for the Ithaca and 
 Cortland road, and $150,000 for the Utica, 
 Chenango and Cortland road. While these 
 heavy in\cstmcnts have at times imposed a 
 grievous burden upon the tax-payers, it is 
 generally conceded that the additional rail- 
 road connections thus secured are well worth 
 the price. To them maj- be attributed much 
 of the late phenomenal growth of Cortland 
 village. Something of an efibrt has been 
 made within the past two or three years to 
 inaugurate a contest against the payment of 
 the railroad bonds of the town ; but it is a 
 pleasure to write that at the regular meeting 
 in Januar)-, 1884, it was definitely settled 
 that the bonds should be paid in full. 
 
 Following is a list of the supervisors and 
 town clerks of the town, from its organiza- 
 tion to the present time, the name of the 
 super\isor being given first in each in- 
 stance: — 
 
 1830-31, John Miller, Homer Gillett. 
 1832, Washington G. Parker, Homer Gil- 
 lett. 1833-34, Joshua Ballard, Homer Gil- 
 lett. 1835, Harry McGraw, Homer Gil- 
 lett. 1836, Joshua Ballard, Homer Gillett. 
 
 1837, Harry McGraw, Homer Gillett. 
 
 1838, Dan Hibbard, Tercius Eels. 1839— 
 40, H. McGraw, Tercius Eels. 1841, 
 Oren Stimpson, James C. Pomero)-. 1842, 
 Abiram L. Bassett, R. A. Reed. 1843-44, 
 Abiram L. Bassett, J. C. Pomeroy. 1845, 
 Marcus McGraw, Adin Webb. 1846-47, 
 Oren Stimpson, Adin Webb. 1848, Hi- 
 ram McGraw, Adin Webb. 1849, Hiram 
 Hopkins, Adin Webb. 1850, Hiram Mc- 
 Graw, Adin Webb. 1851, Amos Rice, 
 Adin Webb. 1852, Hamilton Putnam, 
 Adin Webb. 1853, Abram Mudge, Adin 
 Webb. 1854-55, Harvey S. Crandall, 
 Adin Webb. 1856-57, Abram Mudge, 
 Adin Webb. 1858, Deloss McGraw, Adin 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 253 
 
 Webb. 1859, S. E. Welch, Adin Webb. 
 i860, C. L. Kinney, Adin Webb. 1861, 
 Francis H. Hibbard, Adin Webb. 1862- 
 63, S. E. Welch, Adin Webb. 1864-65, 
 Deloss McGraw, H. A. Randall. 1866, S. 
 E. Welch, H. A. Randall. 1867, Norman 
 Chamberlain, H. A. Randall. 1868, S. E. 
 Welch, A. N. Rounsville. 1869. S. E. 
 Welch, W. J. Mantanye. 1870, S. E. 
 Welch, Lewis Bouton. 1871, Deloss Mc- 
 Graw, Geo. L. Waters. 1872, S. E. Welch, 
 Geo. L. Waters. 1873-74, Wm. D. Fred- 
 erick, Geo. S. Sands. 1875, Deloss Mc- 
 Graw, L. P. Hollenbeck. .1877, T. Mason 
 Loring, L. P. Hollenbeck. 1878-79, De- 
 loss McGraw, L. P. Hollenbeck. 1880, 
 Deloss McGraw, L. P. Hollenbeck. 1881- 
 82-83, R. Bruce Smith, L P. Hollenbeck, 
 1884, Deloss McGraw, H. A. Dickinson. 
 
 The record of the town of Cortlandville 
 in the War of the Rebellion is a noble one. 
 The call for help in putting down the un- 
 holy attack upon the life of the government 
 had scarcely gone forth before a company 
 went forward under Captain Martin C. Clark 
 and Lieut. Alvah D. Waters, while enlist- 
 ments in other organizations were frequent. 
 And when the darkest days of the contest 
 came, and call after call for great armies of 
 soldiers were issued from the national capi- 
 tal, men and money were both freely fur- 
 nished by Cortlandville to fill the se\eral 
 quotas. Special meetings were held in ac- 
 cordance with directions of the Board of 
 Supervisors, as already detailed in the his- 
 tory of the town of Homer, and the votes 
 were in each instance almost unanimous for 
 increasing the bounties paid for enlistments 
 to the highest figures proposed. In the 
 cemetery in the village, and in many an un- 
 marked grave on southern battle-fields, lie 
 the remains of the brave men who went 
 forth from this town to offer up their lives 
 in sacrifice for the Union. Much of the 
 record of their deeds has already been w rit- 
 
 tcn in the chapter of the general history 
 devoted to that subject. The names of all 
 the men who enlisted from the town and 
 were paid bounties, is as follows: — 
 
 Call of October 17th, 1863. Bounty 
 paid to each, $300. Total, $27,600. — Ed- 
 ward P. Merritt, Henry Hollenbeck, Abel 
 G Tuttle, George Ellsworth, John R. Be- 
 den, George L. Waters, Wilson J. Dayton, 
 John G. Cobb, Alfred B. Hicks, Darius 
 Lindsley, Frank Dolson, John D. Frederick, 
 Franklin Hotchkiss, Daniel Johnson, Al- 
 bertus Pierce, Sylvester Rounsevell, Isaiah 
 Simpson, John L. Mann, John B. Daball, 
 John Paulson, William H. Mason, Andus 
 Berggren, John Lundin, James Stowell, H. 
 Deloss Cole, Franklin D. Russell, William 
 Otis Tiffany, Joseph Hicks, Clark A. Edg- 
 comb, George A. Marshal, Michael P. Mas- 
 ten, Oringer Stimpson, Harrison Webster, 
 Nathan P. Allen, William C. Tripp, Peter 
 C. Carr, Stephen A. Hastings, James M. 
 Boorr, John Sullivan, Peter Smith, William 
 Jones, Henry Ward, Robert Gilmore, John 
 Jones, James Pierce, Charles H. Waters, 
 Charles A. Van Hagen, Frederick B. Farn- 
 ham, Charles R. Leonard, William A. Clark, 
 John W. Stebbins, William Brown, Isaac 
 Benson, Adin W. Danes, James H. Curtis, 
 William Hollenbeck, Charles B. Hollenbeck, 
 Caspar Hable, Theodore F. Noble, William 
 H. Burdick, George W. Newton, John W. 
 Dougherty, Winfield S. Carrier, John J. 
 Joyner, vet., Archibald Bowker, John H. 
 Crocker, Edmund Andrews, Gillispie B. 
 Corwin, vet, Lyndon H. Goodenough, John 
 C. Sherman, Charles H. Estabrook, Barney 
 Carter, George W. Barrett, Albert G.Wood, 
 vet., Martin Edgcomb, vet., William H. My- 
 ers, vet., John Van Rensselaer, Watts L. 
 Bishop, vet., John Corl, Elwood F. Gates, 
 Roswell Johnson, Charles Francis, vet., 
 Franklin J. Johnson, Samuel Hammond, 
 Darius S. Ellis, George Harrington, Albert J. 
 Jarvis, vet., Robert Arlow, Charles W. Cook, 
 
254 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 William H. Galpin, Thomas G. Meacham, 
 James Simpson. 
 
 Call of July i8th, 1864. Bounty paid 
 $1,000, except $600 paid to seven ; $300 
 to five ; $500 to four ; $700 to two ; $900 
 to one, and $925 to one. Brokerage $25. 
 Total bounties, $77,925. Total brokerage, 
 $2,125. — John Gray, jr., Henry J. Mudge, 
 W'ni. W. Hatha\va\-, sub. for A. B. Rowley, 
 Ezra R. Puterbaugh, sub. for I. Y. Carr, 
 Miles Sage, sub. for H. P. Randall, Alonzo 
 
 D. Goodwin, sub. for PI A. Fish, John 
 Brown, sub. for Chas. E. Rowe, Thomas J. 
 Mills, sub. for I. D. Warren, Wm. Norris, 
 sub. for E. L. Stillman, Daniel Auringer, 
 sub. for C. Wickwire, Patrick Nolan sub. 
 for H. Bingham, R. Garrutt, sub. for J. D. 
 Schermerhorn, James Harrington, sub. for 
 
 E. D. Chafy, Francis White, sub. for R. B. 
 Smith, James Neaville, sub. for C. W. Col- 
 lins, John Wesley, sub. for T. Parks, Seth 
 Rogers, sub. for A. D. Blodgett, James 
 Snow, sub. for H. E. Rogers, Eugene D. Ar- 
 nold, Charles O. Alger, Charles F. Beers, 
 Frank H. Bement, Horton E. Bates, Daniel 
 E. Baker, E. Clinton Ball, Joel Benson, Ira 
 T. Brum, Frederick Burch, William Burns, 
 Charles H. Chamberlain, Elisha P. Crosby, 
 Alonzo Carpenter, Thomas Ellsworth, 
 Charles C. Etz, John AI. Fish, Joseph Fisher, 
 Matthias W. Fritz, Charles E. Gurley, 
 George Goodell, Alphonso Gross, Harrison 
 Givens, Andrew Hall, Cornelius Hicks, Da- 
 vid W. Hodges, Eli B. Hubbard, Grove E. 
 Jarvis, Refine Eatting, David Eoomis, Dan- 
 iel Maltbj^ P'rank Alabury, Eucian Maburj-, 
 William H. Miller, William N. Owen, Al- 
 bert W. Pierce, Royal E. Palmer, Frank F. 
 Peck, Albertus H. Peckham, Powell C. 
 Plumb, Joseph G. Rockwell, Burdette Rich- 
 ardson, William E. Simpson, Melvin Sher- 
 man, \\'illard Smith, William P. Stone, 
 Hamilton Spoor, Daniel S. Terwilliger, Wil- 
 liam H. Traver, Martin Totman, Charles E. 
 Wood, David ¥. Wallace, Isaac B. Wain- 
 
 wright, Orlando Barber, Charles Barnes, 
 Pembroke Pierce, R. D. Graham, Wm. S. 
 Bunnell, sub. for I. W. Brown, Edward 
 Fleck, sub. for J. M. Pomero)-, Wm. H. 
 Douglass, sub. for Deloss McGraw, Hiram 
 E. Hawley, George H. McGee, sub. for J. 
 A. Nixon, Chas. W. Fox, sub. for Carmi 
 Persons, Bernard Gill, George Washin<jton, 
 Major Coles, George Washington, Franklin 
 Kenfield. George E. Kelley. 
 
 Call of December 19th, 1864. Bounty 
 paid to each, $600, except $300 to one, and 
 $500 to seven. Total bounties, $33,700. 
 Total brokerage, $855. Of this bounty the 
 town paid $8,100. — Wm. Kilkenny, sub. for 
 J. S. Barber, Simeon D. Sampson, Frank 
 Eoomis, Henry E. Jones, George Dunlap, 
 George Martin, Charles Smith, James 
 Rudd\-, Frederick Kane, Henry Ferris, Jo- 
 seph Fenton, Isaac Brjant, Wm. Brown, 
 Charles Deitzer, James Washington, Henry 
 Williams, Edinboro Taylor, James Smith, 
 Owen McEntyre, John Kelley, F. A. Bur- 
 dell, Patrick Hunt, \\'illiam Riley, August 
 
 I Bank, Matthew Beatty, Randolph Mann, 
 Anthony Howard, Charles Howard, Daniel 
 T. Shaw, John McCarty, George J. Will- 
 iams, Peter West, Andrew Bradley, William 
 Burtell, Michael Murra}-, Charles Herron, 
 George Winter, Daniel J. MuUau, John 
 Eambert, Phillip Herrberg, Patrick Tully, 
 William West, Eewis Holberg, James K. 
 Miller, Thomas P. Fitzgerald, John Snell, 
 John Talbert, Thomas Farlay, Thomas By- 
 ran, George Clark, John Hughes, Frank 
 Ma}', Peter \\ ells, Benjamin McMarlin, John 
 
 j Simpson, James Kinlcck, Freeman A. Hun- 
 ter, Richard Freeman. 
 
 Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
 calls October 17th, 1863, February ist, 1864, 
 March, 1864, $27,600.00; paid for filling 
 quota, call July i8th, 1864, $80,050.00; 
 paid for filling quota, call December 19th, 
 1864, $26,455.00; grand total, $134,- 
 
 I 105.00. 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 25s 
 
 CORTLAND VII.LACIE. 
 
 A little to the north of the center of the 
 town of Cortlandville, the diversified topog- 
 raphy of which renders it a series of pictur- 
 esque landscapes, is situated a broad plain 
 a little less than two miles in average ex- 
 tent in either direction, apparently level, 
 but descending very gradually to the east- 
 ward. Near its western boundary, but sep- 
 arated from it by a narrow portion of the 
 plain itself, rises a rounded hill to the height 
 of from one to two hundred feet; this hill 
 is somewhat longer from east to west than 
 in its north to south diameter. Along its 
 foot on the western and northwestern sides, 
 flows the clear, spring-fed stream called Ot- 
 ter creek. Across the plain from north to 
 south and near its eastern boundar)- flows 
 the Tioughnioga river, formed b}- its two 
 branches ; one coming down directly from 
 the northward, and the other (the west 
 branch) flowing along at the foot of the 
 high hill which forms the northern btiund- 
 ary of the plain, jutting down into it and 
 separating the two valleys of the river 
 branches. From seven different points of 
 the compass valleys of varying widths, but 
 all of them possessing features of natural 
 beauty, open upon this broad plain. If there 
 is a spot in the Empire State that is better 
 adapted, either in practical adxantages or 
 natural attractiveness, for the site of a vil- 
 lage or city, it is not known to the writer ; 
 and here has grown, during the past eighty 
 years, the present populous and thriving 
 village of Cortland. 
 
 The first settlements within the present 
 corporate limits of this village have already 
 been referred to in the early pages of the 
 history of the town. With the location and 
 pioneer labors of such men as Jonathan 
 Hubbard, Moses Hopkins, Obadiah Boies, 
 William Mallory, David Merrick, Joshua 
 Bassett, Oliver Wiswell, Henry Stephens, 
 and scores of others to whom we shall 
 
 herein refer, will forever be honorably as- 
 sociated the early growth and prosperity of 
 Cortland ; and their noble example seems 
 to ha\e brought to life in the later daj's of 
 unexampled advancement in the village 
 the same qualities which inspired their 
 hearts when the broad \-alle\- was forest- 
 covered and the liill-tops echoed with the 
 nightly howls of the wolf 
 
 Jonathan Hubbard and Moses Hopkins 
 were the pioneers of Cortland village ; and 
 when in 1804 the former had become set- 
 tled in his first dwelling — the first one built 
 on the site of the village — on what is now 
 the corner of Court and Main streets, there 
 were but two other houses within the pres- 
 ent corporation limits, unless, perhaps, a 
 few had been erected at Port Watson. Mr. 
 Hubbard lived only long enough to seethe 
 nucleus of a village rising around him ; but 
 his work down to his death on Christmas 
 day, 1 8 14, was of the greatest influence 
 upon the future of the place. 
 
 Mead Merrill was one of the earl\- settlers 
 in what is now the corporation of Cortland. 
 He lived near Port Watson and made many 
 permanent improvement>s in that section. 
 He built a saw-mill there which was in oper- 
 ation in 1 8 16 and about the year 1820, or 
 earlier, erected the substantial house recent- 
 ly owned and occupied by Frederick Con- 
 able. Mr. Merrill is credited b}' Mr. Ballard, 
 in his published Rcunnisaiices, as being the 
 leader of the Federal political party until its 
 dissolution. He was appointed surrogate in 
 the spring of 18 10 and county clerk in 18 13. 
 Mr. Merrill was a strong Universalist in 
 religious belief, and it was largely by his 
 efforts that the cobble-stone church was 
 erected here. 
 
 Josiah Cushman was a resident of Cort- 
 land village (or its site) soon after 1800, 
 and became well known through his build- 
 ing of the first court-house, as heretofore 
 described. 
 
256 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Nathan Luce was one of the carhest 
 merchants in Cortland, and about tlic year 
 1S18 built a hotel which, with subsequent 
 enlargements, made the long famous Eagle 
 Tavern, and which was burned in 1862. 
 
 Jacob Wheeler came here in 181 2 and 
 was, probablj-, about the first blacksmith in 
 the village and a maker of edge tools. He 
 was an industrious and enterprising man 
 and did not purpose to fail in life through 
 the delinquencies of creditors, as is shown 
 b\- the following card, which appeared in 
 the newspaper: — 
 " Dear Friends : — 
 
 " All notes and accounts whicli remain un- 
 settled on the first day of August next will have 
 to be paid to a justice or constable without any 
 reserve, for I will pay my debts. 
 
 "jAcor. Wheeler." 
 
 His shop was on the site of the Freer 
 foundry. 
 
 Joshua liassett was another of the first 
 prominent citizens to locate on the site of 
 Cortland village. His residence stood 
 where the Calvert block now is. He with 
 his son, W. H. Bassett, were the first jew- 
 elers and silversmiths in the place. 
 
 William Bartlit settled in Cortland village 
 not long after the beginning of the century. 
 He was a saddle and harness maker, the 
 first in the place, and long had a prosperous 
 trade, giving employment to a number of 
 hands. His advertisement appears in the 
 local paper soon after it was started in 1 8 1 5. 
 Mr. Bartlit was one of the commissioners 
 appointed to superintend the building of 
 the court-house. He was elected to the 
 Senate in 1842, from the (then) seventh 
 district. 
 
 The literary tastes of the people of Cort- 
 land village were exhibited as early as 1 8 1 5, 
 when an association was formed for the es- 
 tablishment of "The Cortland Village Li- 
 brary," the trustees being Levi Lee, John 
 Burnham, Roger Edgcomb, Nathan Blodg- 
 
 ett and Roswell Randall. The library was 
 purchased, embracing a respectable number 
 of the then standard works in historical and 
 general literature. It was a circulating li- 
 brary and was kept in the office of the county 
 clerk during its existence of several years. 
 Roswell Randall is said to have been the 
 moving spirit in this enterprise.' 
 
 Among other prominent citizens of the 
 little village who came here as early as 1 8 1 5^ 
 or earlier, were James Percival, the accom- 
 plished editor of the first new'spaper printed 
 here and already- more fully noticed ; Ben- 
 jamin S. and David Campbell, also printers 
 and editors, who became proprietors of the 
 Cortland Republican in Februar\', 1S17, the 
 former being then sheriff of the county ; 
 and Asahel Lyman, who, about the year 
 1 8 16, erected the old brick building still 
 standing on the corner of Main street and 
 Groton avenue, and owned by John S. 
 Samson. This is now the oldest brick 
 building in the village. Here Mr. Lyman, 
 and later the firm of A. P. & G. N. L}-man, 
 did a prosperous business for a number of 
 years. Samuel Hotchkiss, also, settled in 
 Cortland as early as 1815 and became a 
 prominent citizen. He was made deputy 
 clerk of the county by Wm. Mallory in 
 18 1 5, and held the office under him and two 
 succeeding clerks, Joshua Ballard and Mat- 
 thias Cook, until January 1st, 1823. He 
 was elected clerk under the new constitu- 
 tion of 1822 and held the office for twelve 
 successive years. He was again elected for 
 the term beginning in January, 1844, and 
 again in 1847. Mr. Hotchkiss lived in Cort- 
 land a respected citizen until 1883, when 
 he died. 
 
 1 We are compelled to record the fact that little has 
 been done since the time of this first lil)rary (which was 
 a very creditable one for that jieriod) towards establish- 
 ins; a library in Cortland village, until quite recently, 
 when the ladies have taken the matter in hand. They 
 should receive such support as will result in the speedy 
 establishment of a large library which will be a credit to 
 the village. 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 257 
 
 Edward Allen came to Cortland in 18 17, 
 and became a citizen of the village ; he was 
 universally respected and his life might 
 well have served as a model for the young 
 men of his time. He was a blacksmith and 
 purchased a lot on Mill street and adjoining 
 on the east the corner premises of Samuel 
 Nelson, now owned and occupied by Fred- 
 erick Ives. Charles Collins has built his 
 handsome brick dwelling where stood the 
 one-story house of Mr. Allen. Mr. Ballard 
 gives the following account of Mr. Allen's 
 life: "His life is a striking illustration of 
 manual labor dignified by nobility of char- 
 acter. His trade was that of a blacksmith. 
 His pecuniary means were limited. He was 
 endowed with robust health and freedom 
 from personal vices. He was honest, in- 
 dustrious and intelligent, full of neighborly 
 kindness and sociall)' alwa}-s welcome. He 
 was attentive to all the public questions of 
 that period and became influential ; filled 
 the office of justice of the peace, and was 
 one of the county superintendents of the 
 poor for several years. Mrs. Allen is well 
 remembered for unafifected dignity and se- 
 renity of manner, nobleness of person and 
 Christian devotion. They had sons and 
 daughters that adorned the household and 
 who in after life reflected honor upon their 
 parents." One of the sons (Edward) re- 
 moved to Aurora, Illinois, where he became 
 mayor of the city and State Senator. Wil- 
 liam also removed to that city and became 
 wealthy and influential. 
 
 Judge Samuel Nelson came to Cortland 
 in 1818. His eminent career has already 
 been detailed herein. Between the years 
 1815 and 1820 the little village grew apace 
 and a number of new establishments were 
 opened. The mercantile firm of Lyman & 
 Blair was formed and did an extensive busi- 
 ness for several years. Chas. W. Lynde 
 opened a new store just south of where the 
 Union Hall block now stands. Grove Gil- 
 
 lett opened a tavern where A. Sager'sdrug 
 store is located. David Campbell built his 
 dwelling on Main street, on the lot now oc- 
 cupied by Mr. Garrison. Joseph R. Cran- 
 dall opened his carriage and sleigh manu- 
 factory, which is referred to in our record 
 of the manufacturing interests. 
 
 In the mean time the two brothers, Wil- 
 liam and Roswell Randall, who established 
 themselves here as early as 18 13, had ex- 
 tended their business operations to a won- 
 derful extent for so small a place and early 
 a period. They had two large stores, one 
 operated by Roswell, where the new Squires 
 block stands, and the other run b\- William 
 in the Randal! Bank building. They owned 
 distilleries and asheries, two of the former 
 being located on South Main street. They 
 dealt in everything the farmers had to dis- 
 pose of, from tow cloth to live stock, and 
 early laid the foundation of the wealth they 
 subsequently acquired. 
 
 The settlement of Dr. Goodyear in the 
 village has already been alluded to. . David 
 Merrick came here just as the village began 
 its growth and became a prominent cit- 
 izen. He built what was then the most 
 pretentious hotel in the place, which stood 
 just west of the site of the Cortland House. 
 Here Samuel Nelson boarded when he first 
 began the practice of the law in Cortland. 
 He had several sons. Danforth built the 
 Cortland House and conducted it for man\- 
 years. Marcus was a physician and re- 
 moved to the west and Miner Merrick still 
 lives in the town. 
 
 William Elder was one of the early res- 
 idents of the village and one of the first 
 manufacturers in the vicinity. About the 
 year 1824 he became the owner of real es- 
 tate at Port Watson, where he built the well 
 known tannery, which did a large business. 
 He removed to the village at an early day 
 and became conspicuous in all movements 
 for the welfare and advancement of the vil- 
 
258 
 
 History of Coriland Countv. 
 
 lage. He was a prominent nicnihcr of the 
 Prcsbj'tcrian Church and was one of the 
 building committee for the erection of the 
 cluirch edifice. He was a trustee in tlie for- 
 mation of the old cemetery, w hich was loca- 
 ted in what is now the Normal School 
 grounds, and was also a trustee for man\' 
 years of the academy. He was one of the 
 first boot and shoe merchants and manufact- 
 urers in the village and carried on a prosper- 
 ous business for many years. Mr. Elder 
 had four daughters, one of whom married 
 the Rev. Lemuel S. Pomero\-; anotlicr the 
 Rev. Azariah Smitii, of Manlius; and a third 
 married the Rev. Addison J. Strong. 
 
 Among the persons employed at an early 
 day by W. & R. Randall was Elcazcr \V. 
 Edgcomb, who acted in the capacity of 
 clerk. He was iniiustrious and possessed of 
 excellent business capacity, which soon 
 placed him in a foremost position in the 
 village. Mr. Ballard wrote of him: "He 
 was an efficient salesman behind the counter; 
 as a trader in produce in the towns along 
 the Susquehanna river, in which he largely 
 engaged, he was an accomplished pilot of 
 boats from the wharf at Port Watson to 
 Harrisburg, in Pennsylvania, and for about 
 twenty years, beginning in 1830, he was 
 one of the most active and influential po- 
 litical managers in the county. In 1823 
 he formed a copartnership with Adin Webb 
 in the mercantile business, occupying the 
 store formerly used by W. & R. Randall, 
 and becoming very prominent among the 
 early merchants; an ashery was connected 
 with their business. Produce was exten- 
 sively purchased by them for transportation 
 down the river. Their chief clerk for years 
 was Hamilton White, who subsequently be- 
 came a leading banker of Syracuse. It was 
 in the employ of this firm that Marsena 
 Morgan and 'Major' Shapley gained im- 
 perishable renown as skillful river pilots. 
 In No\'ember, 1837, Mr. P^dgcomb was 
 
 elected sheriff He was village magistrate 
 several years and was one of the building 
 committee for the erection of the present 
 court-house. Mr. I'kigcomb married the 
 eldest daughter of Major Adin Webb. She 
 is still a resident of the village. " 
 
 We have already referred to the early set- 
 tlement of Nathan Blodgett near the junc- 
 tion of the east and west branches of the 
 river about a mile east of Main street. He 
 died there at a good old age, leaving his 
 son, Henjamin Franklin Plodgett, in posses- 
 sion of the homestead. We again quote 
 from Mr. Ballard: "Benjamin adopted it as 
 his home, adding to its value by the erec- 
 tion of a commodious new dwelling. On 
 the 16th of April, 1832, during the ministry 
 of Nathaniel E. Johnson, he united with the 
 Presbyterian Church, his w ife luuing previ- 
 ously unitctl with the same church in 1826. 
 In all his relations with the 
 chuich .uid society Mrs. Blodgett exhibited 
 marked loveliness of demeanor. 
 One of his daugliters married Dr. Theodore 
 Pomeroy and another Rev. O. H. Seymour. 
 His son, Alonzo, succeeded to the owner- 
 ship of the homestead and his exemplary 
 life reflects that of his revered father." Lo- 
 ren Blodgett, another son of Nathan Blodg- 
 ett, w'as associated with Jonathan Hubbard 
 in building the first mill at Blodgett's Mills 
 in 1806. He was a prominent and useful 
 member of the Baptist Church and an in- 
 telligent and enterprising citizen. 
 
 William Mallor)-, already mentioned, 
 moved into the village before 1815, and be- 
 came a prominent and influential citizen 
 and politician. He built his residence on 
 the site of the Squires block. On the same 
 lot was a small building which served the 
 purposes of county clerk's office until the 
 old brick building was erected in 1819. Mr. 
 Mallory had a distillery a little west of the 
 Rock Spring cheese factory. He was sher- 
 iff from 1800 to 1810; count}^ clerk from 
 
Town ok Corti.andvili.e 
 
 259 
 
 1815 to 1819, and in 1823 was appointed 
 judge of the Court of Common Pleas, suc- 
 ceeding Judge Keep. 
 
 The life of Adin Webb has been alhided 
 to in the history of the town of Homer; but 
 he was so long a prominent citizen of Cort- 
 land \illage that his career merits some at- 
 tention here. He came to Cortland from 
 Homer in 1 823, and became a member of the 
 mercantile firm of Webb & Edgcomb, and 
 afterwards of the firm of Webb & Bishop. 
 Previous to this time he had taught school 
 for seventeen successive years in Homer. 
 He was elected town clerk in 1809, which 
 office he held twenty years. In 18 16 he 
 was appointed surrogate and held that of- 
 fice for seven years. In 1829 he was elected 
 sherift'; in 1S40 he was again appointed 
 surrogate, holding the office four years, and 
 in 1845 he was made town clerk of Cort- 
 landville, which office he held for eleven 
 years. He united with the Congregational 
 Church of Homer in 18 13, and when he re- 
 moved to Cortland joined the Presbyterian 
 Church. For man\- }-ears he was chorister 
 and a few of the older inhabitants of the 
 place, who have listened to his voice Sab- 
 bath after Sabbath, will remember him, per- 
 haps, in that capacity more vividly than in 
 any other. It is sufficient praise of Mr. 
 Webb to say that all of the public trusts to 
 which he was called were deserved by him 
 and their duties fulfilled with abilit\- and 
 loyalty to the public good. 
 
 Joshua Ballard was a cotemporary of Mr. 
 Webb and came to Homer in 1797, and for 
 one season taught one of the first schools 
 there. He removed to Cortland about the 
 year 1819, in which year he was apppointed 
 county clerk. He was one of the founders 
 of the Cortland Academy and raised and 
 commanded the first ca\ alr_\- compan\- in the 
 county. Various town offices were conferred 
 upon him and he was an eminently respected 
 and useful citizen. Of these two men Mr. 
 
 Ballard wrote : " The public confidence in 
 the intelligence, integrity and fidelity of 
 Joshua Ballard and Adin Webb, evidenced 
 in their services in these various civil 
 stations, is a sufficient encomium upon 
 their memory as citizens. One reached 
 in age almost eighty-one, the other eighty- 
 five, and the pilgrimage of each was distin- 
 guished by the even tenor of a Christian 
 example." 
 
 Early in the year 18 18 the first steps 
 were taken towards the organization of the 
 first county agricultural society, Levi Boies, 
 Chas. W. Lynde antl Henr\- Stephens being 
 the committee to draft the constitution. 
 This society will be found described in an- 
 other place in these pages. 
 
 We have spoken of Joshua "Bassett as 
 having been the first jeweler in the village. 
 Of his family and others of his time we quote 
 as follows from Mr. Ballard: " In the third 
 number of the first village paper, and over 
 the date of July 1 2th, 1815, Joshua Bassett 
 and his son, William H. Bassett, announce 
 to the public that thev are ' clock and 
 watchmakers, gold and silversmiths and have 
 lately opened their shop in Cortland, where 
 they make to order all kinds of work in their 
 line, ha\'ing recently received from New 
 York a fresh supply of materials.' This 
 shop was upon the same lot as the dwelling 
 
 house of Mr. Bassett. Located on the west 
 
 I 
 
 side of Main street and about in the center 
 of the village, it was one of the hand- 
 somest as well as one of the most eligible 
 sites of the town. Part of it is now occu- 
 pied b)' the Calvert block and the First 
 National Bank. 
 
 "There were sons and ilaughters in the 
 family of Mr. Bassett, and for over sixty 
 years the family name was represented in 
 the village. Parents and children were dis- 
 tinguished for intelligence and uprightness 
 of character. The eldest son, Wm. H., pos- 
 sessed more thaiv ordinary talent. He spent 
 
26o 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 some \'cars in Philadelphia as a ]ni|)il of dis- 
 tinguished artists. He became an accom- 
 plished engraver and a member of the 
 Graphic Companj- located in Hartford, 
 Conn., then perliaps the most celebrated 
 company of artists in the United States. . . 
 He was attractive in person, cjracefnl in man- 
 ner, winning in conversation and an e.\qiiis- 
 ite humorist. The second son, Abiram L. 
 was a genius in his way, and an acute ob- 
 server of men, especially of their follies and 
 weaknesses, and lu.xuriated in fun. Pao-es 
 might be written of his grotesque operations 
 on the unsuspecting, which are still related 
 with the traditions of that period. One of 
 the daughters married Wm. Randall and 
 another married Samuel Moody Perkins, 
 one of the early attorneys of the villao-e 
 
 ■' •' fc> * 
 
 ■' Adjoining the premises of Mr. Bassett 
 on the north, were the grounds of Col. Oba- 
 diah Boies, a time honored name of Cort- 
 land, and one intimately connected with the 
 enterprises and political movements of that 
 period. For a time he was proprietor of 
 the village newspaper. He was a man of 
 ability, active and influential, and filled va- 
 rious stations of public trust. . . . Levi 
 Boies, a brother of the colonel, was an early 
 resident and physician who for years had 
 an extensive and lucrative practice. His 
 residence was just west of the Cortland 
 House site, where John S. Samson now 
 lives. He married a daughter of David 
 Merrick. 
 
 " John Thomas came to Cortland in 1824 
 and became the law partner of Henry Ste- 
 phens. He was a graduate of Yale College 
 and a man of exxeptional ability. He rep- 
 resented the county in the Legislature in 
 1837. He became a resident of Galesburg, 
 111., just before the late war. Daniel J. Betts 
 was at one period a partner of Mr. Thomas. 
 He came from Cooperstown in the sprino- 
 of 1823, to fill the position of clerk in equity 
 in the sixth circuit, to which he was ap- 
 
 pointed b_\- Judge Samuel Nelson. Mr. 
 Betts was an able man and was rapidlj- 
 gaining a foremost position in his profes- 
 sion, when, by overtaxing his strength and 
 taking a severe cold, he was prostrated with 
 a fever and died in the fiill flush of man- 
 hood. 
 
 " Truman Doud's name must forex'cr be 
 intimately connected with the early ad- 
 vancement of Cortland village. He was 
 one of the most active and enterprising bus- 
 iness men of the ]ilace while he li\'ed, and 
 became the owner of a large tract of land on 
 both sides of the east branch of the Tiougii- 
 nioga between the old Miller farm and Bra}'- 
 ton's mill ; was an extensive dealer in cattle 
 and horses, shipping them to Philadelphia 
 and other eastern markets. It is said of iiim 
 by an old resident that ' he was a man who 
 had a good many irons in the fire and none 
 of them burned.' He died at the early 
 age of forty-four years and his loss was 
 deeply felt throughout the community. The 
 scenes at the funeral were unusually im- 
 pressive for that period. In addition to 
 other evidences of regard tor his memory, 
 upwards of fifty citizens of the highest re- 
 spectability formed in procession on horse- 
 back at the residence, nearly two miles from 
 the cemetery, and, leading the carriages in 
 attendance, accompanied the remains to the 
 grave. "^ 
 
 Abram Mudge was a pi-ominent citizen 
 of early years and long owned the old " red 
 mill," now operated by Thomas F. Brayton. 
 Mr. Mudge was the supervisor of the town 
 a number of years and was the father of 
 Ebenezer Mudge, now of this village, and of 
 Byron and Romeyn Mudge. Byroii Mudge 
 married Julia Rollo, a lady whose memory 
 will be long cherished in Cortland. 
 
 At this point it will be proper and in- 
 teresting to quote from Mr. Ballard his 
 comparison of the village in early days with 
 
 ^Mr. Iiallard's Rt'/nijiisct'/ices. 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 261 
 
 its condition at the time of liis writing, but 
 a few years since. Said he : "It is a pleas- 
 ure to recount events in the history of the 
 village. A few are still living who were fa- 
 miliar with its site when it was covered 
 by a majestic forest, dotted only by half a 
 dozen humble dwellings. It was not then 
 imagined that in the circle of a lifetime it 
 would become one of the handsomest towns 
 in the Empire State. Standing upon the 
 elevated ground just east of the village, at 
 an hour when the morning sun is lighting 
 up the distant, gentlj'-swelling hills, cover- 
 ing the mists of the valley with a roseate 
 hue, while beyond temple, tower and town 
 reflect the radiance of the King of Day, 
 with the foreground beautified by a spark- 
 ling, flowing stream, altogether compose a 
 landscape not to be forgotten. 
 
 "Take another stand-point on the eleva- 
 tion at the west end of Court street, at an 
 hour when town and plain, river, valley, and 
 distant hills are covered with a sunset glow-, 
 and gaze upon that scene until it melts 
 into the softened gray of tw'ilight, and )'ou 
 have a panorama of surpassing beauty. 
 The luxurious fields are adorned with grand 
 old elms, whose strength and beauty have 
 increased during the lapse of years until 
 the}' have become monuments to perpetu- 
 ate the memor}- of the founders of the vil- 
 Jage. 
 
 " Earl)- residents occaisonall)- return here 
 from their distant homes in the West and 
 look with delight upon the growth and 
 beauty of Cortland. It possesses many nat- 
 ural advantages. To these w-ere added the 
 enterprise and energy of sagacious men. 
 Quite early in its local history advances be- 
 gan in its material prosperity and the cul- 
 tivation of the morals of society. Although 
 the date of its origin was about the year 
 18 1 5, scarcely a building of that period now 
 remains of its original foundation. All 
 have been taken down, all pushed aside, to 
 
 be supplanted by loftier and more costly 
 structures. The old yellow store, which 
 Stood for nearly forty years on the southeast 
 corner of Main street, built and occupied by 
 Wm. and Roswell Randall, the theatre of 
 their early fortunes, and once resonant with 
 the vocies of their far-famed clerks, Eleazer 
 W. Edgcomb and Delos Moody, had to 
 move from its position and take a place 
 on a retired street. Jacob Wheeler's 
 blacksmith shop has given place to the 
 foundry, and the modest home of Daniel 
 Laisdell, for }-ears a furniture dealer, has 
 been dismissed for the tasteful residence 
 of Stephen Brew'cr. Luce's tavern has 
 yielded the supremacy to the Messenger 
 House. The Squires block is upon the lot 
 which for years was the cherished home 
 of the Hon. William Mallory ; and upon 
 the same lot was a small wooden building 
 kept as a clerk's office as late as the summer 
 of 1 8 19. Nearly opposite these premises 
 was the lot on which stood the residence 
 and office of Oliver Wis well. Judge Wis- 
 well and Judge Stephens were law partners. 
 It was the earliest law firm in the county 
 and for years they stood at the head of the 
 bar. But residence and office have gone 
 into the past, and the grounds upon which 
 they stood are now covered with beautiful 
 flowers, which are suggestive of other things 
 which are beautiful — of gentleness, faith 
 and hope. 
 
 " Passing along upon the west side of 
 Main street, the corner is reached where 
 once stood a tavern which for several years 
 was the principal inn of the village — after- 
 wards converted into a female seminary 
 and finally crumbled away to make room 
 for the Ta)-lor Hall block. 
 
 " On the lot now owned by the Wick- 
 wire brothers stood a building in former 
 years which was the store of Chas. W. 
 Lynde, and afterwards of his brother, Geo. 
 Lynde, both prominent and influential men. 
 
262 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 the former a State Senator, the latter an ac- 
 complislied physician. 
 
 " The old store of Tercius Eels has moved 
 back to allow the splendid Garrison block- 
 to come to the front. The corner lot where 
 stands the noble brick edifice of Major Aaron 
 Sager and the Dexter House, was once oc- 
 cupied by a tavern building of ordinary size, 
 owned by Grove Gillett, with whom Sam- 
 uel Nelson, afterward one of the judges of 
 the Supreme Court of the United States, 
 took board for a time. 
 
 " Almost the only landmarks of early 
 years in the way of buildings now left on 
 their original foundations are the Lyman 
 stores, so called, and the dwelling house 
 built by Samuel Nelson — the former owned 
 by John S. Samson, the latter by Frederick 
 Ives. They were both attracti\e buildings 
 at the period of their erection and their 
 durabilitj' proves the worth of the materials 
 and the faithfulness of the workers. In 
 that dwelling house Samuel Nelson spent 
 the first three years of his married life, and 
 in an upper room in that brick store he be- 
 gan the practice of law in the year 1817." 
 
 In referring to the business pursuits of 
 the citizens of Cortland village at the be- 
 ginning of the year 1821, Mr. Ballard wrote 
 as follows : — 
 
 " Then Truman Doud, Harry Griffin, 
 Gideon Messenger, Rufus Jennings and 
 others, were engaged in the purchase from 
 time to time, of immense droves of cattle 
 for the Philadelphia market. Joshua Bal- 
 lard and Bela Pierce, from )-ear to jear, 
 were purchasing horses of prime value, 
 sometimes for market in Philadelphia and 
 sometimes for market in the city of Hart- 
 ford. In the month of March in the year 
 1 82 1 they started a procession of fifty 
 horses from this village to Philadelphia, and 
 the following year another drove to Hart- 
 ford. At the same period our merchants 
 and produce buyers were loading arks of 
 
 forty tons burthen and boats of half that 
 tonnage, with gypsum, salt, oats, potatoes 
 and pork, and floating them in the seasons 
 of freshet, from the wharves at Port Wat- 
 son, for Northumberland and Harrisburg 
 on the Susquehanna. Crowds of spectators 
 were accustomed to assemble on the banks 
 of the Tioughnioga, just above the bridge 
 at Port Watson, to witness the start of the 
 fleet of arks and boats on the swollen cur- 
 rent of the river, accompanied with shouts 
 and adieus to the merry crews as they 
 darted down the stream." 
 
 It was on the 23d day of November, 
 18 1 5, that the local newspaper announced 
 the opening of the dry goods store of Asahel 
 L\man — the first establishment of that 
 character in the \-illage. It was in the old 
 brick building now occupied for the same 
 purpose by John S. Samson, or on that site. 
 Mr. Lyman was from Massachusetts, " pos- 
 sessed an intelligent mind, a handsome per- 
 son and an agreeable address." Of his 
 family and his business connections, Mr. 
 Ballard saj-s : " In a year or two he formed 
 a copartnership with Sylvester Blair, the 
 brother of Mrs. Lyman, and for many years 
 the mercantile firm of Lyman & Blair ex- 
 isted, attended with success. Mr. Blair was 
 endowed with an excellent capacity for bus- 
 iness and in his earh- jears was active and 
 enterprising. He was fortunate in his mar- 
 riage. His wife was Nancy Lyman of 
 Newark. Beautiful in person, and lovely 
 in character, she lent a charm to the domes- 
 tic circle. In 1829 he originated a pottery 
 establishment in this village and for years 
 carried on an extensive trade in that line, 
 in connection with his mercantile business. 
 In after years Madison Woodruff became 
 the proprietor of the pottery where stone 
 ware of superior quality and workmanship 
 is still manufactured." 
 
 " Mr. Blair built a brick dwelling house on 
 the lot now occupied by Masonic Hall 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 263 
 
 block, and a brick store adjacent, wliich he 
 occupied up to the time of his death, which 
 occurred in the city of New York, in Octo- 
 ber, 1839. The copartnership of Lyman & 
 Blair was dissolved in the autumn of 1826. 
 About the year 1840 Mr. Lyman retired 
 from business, and was succeeded by his 
 sons, Asahel P. and Geo. N. Lj-man, who 
 continued in trade until about the year 1 846, 
 and having disposed of their property here, 
 they located in the west, Asahel in Sheboy- 
 gan and George at Ripon, Wisconsin. 
 
 "About the year 18 17 Samuel Blair, a 
 brother of Sylvester, became a resident in 
 Cortland. He was an intelligent man, affa- 
 ble and gentle in manner, leading a quiet 
 life and pursuing the business of cooperage. 
 Mrs. Blair was a woman of decided worth. . 
 . . . Her life was spared to witness a won- 
 derful success in the acquisition of wealth 
 attending her sons, Chauncej- B. Blair, Ly- 
 man Blair and W'm. Blair. Chauncey, at 
 an early day, emigrated to Michigan City 
 and engaged largely in the purchase and 
 sale of lands. He finally went to Chicago 
 and became president of the Merchants' 
 National Bank, and after the great fire his 
 was the onl)^ banking-house that was not 
 compelled to succumb to the great confla- 
 gration, but continued to meet its engage- 
 ments and pursue its business. 
 
 " Lyman Blair has amassed a fortune in 
 Chicago in the 'packing business,' so called, 
 and is now somewhat retired from active em- 
 ployment. \Vm. Blair has also gathered a 
 fortune, and his firm is one of the foremost 
 hardware establishments in Chicago. Ann 
 Eliza Blair married Eleazer VV. Densmore, 
 of Chicago. Caroline Blair married Parker 
 Crosby, formerly a resident of Cortland. 
 
 "Another son, Samuel Blair, is a resident 
 of Cortland, by occupation a farmer, in the 
 enjoyment of a pleasant liome, surrounded 
 in abundance with all that is needful in this 
 life, a kind husband and a good citizen. 
 
 " Such is a brief retrospect of this remark- 
 able family, affording a useful illustration of 
 what can be accomplished by individual 
 enterprise, beginning without money, but 
 sustained by devoted industry, frugality, 
 patience and an exalted moral worth. The 
 mother reached the age of seventy-seven, 
 and the father almost eighty-one. 
 
 " Asahel P. Lyman, in Sheboygan, 
 Wis., engaged in the mercantile trade and 
 in the commerce of the lakes, and be- 
 came the owner of several vessels, and 
 encountered the risks attendant upon such 
 property. 
 
 " George N. Lyman, at Ripon, embarked 
 largely in real estate enterprises and the 
 purchasing af cattle for market. 
 
 " There is one other member of the family 
 of Asahel Lyman who is worthy of remem- 
 brance. He had an only daughter, named 
 Dolly Ann, whose name will sound familiar 
 to many still residing here. About the year 
 1824 Mr. Lyman became the owner of, and 
 resided in, the house built by Judge Nelson 
 and now owned by Frederick Ives. There 
 Dolly Ann passed happy years in the spring- 
 time of Hfe. She was thoroughly educated, 
 refined in taste, gentle and attractive in 
 manner. In 1826, and while William Bacon 
 was the minister, and when the services 
 were held in the old court-house on the hill, 
 a remarkable addition to the recently formed 
 church took place. While in the flower of 
 youth, Dolly Ann Lyman, Ursula Webb, 
 Sarah Boies Dayton, Pamelia Hubbard, 
 Emeline Avery, Minerva Dayton, Stata 
 Hotchkiss, Ada, Laura, Lavinia, Phebe and 
 Esther Cravath, Daniel Wheeler, William 
 Curtis Boies, Thomas Farnham and many 
 others were enrolled as members. For 
 years afterwards these were household 
 names in Cortland, and they are yet hal- 
 lowed in memory. To allude to them now 
 it seems like ' light from heaven's shore,' 
 most of them having gone to their rest. In 
 
264 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 after years Dolly Ann became the wife of 
 Ceylon North, of Ripon, Wis." 
 
 Thus beneath the laboring and govern- 
 ing hands of such men and women as have 
 been brieflj' mentioned, the young village 
 grew in wealth and numbers and strength, 
 and waited patiently for the day when her 
 turnpike stages should give place to rail- 
 roads and her streets become busy with the 
 hum of manufacturing machinery. We 
 cannot follow the records of individual life 
 and labor beyond the comparatively early 
 settlers, except as they will further appear 
 in these pages in the history of the pro- 
 fessions and the industries of the place, 
 where manj' names that will always be 
 prominent in every reference to the advance- 
 ment of the village will be found associated 
 with the various mercantile and manufac- 
 turing establishments that are the outgrowth 
 of their enterprise. 
 
 The forefathers of Cortland loved amuse- 
 ment, as well as their descendants ; but in 
 early days there was little to divert atten- 
 tion from the daily routine of work. Gen- 
 eral training and the old-fashioned celebra- 
 tion of the F"ourth of July were about all 
 the events towards which the inhabitants 
 turned for amusement, except such other 
 as they could devise themselves. The 
 owners of fast horses in the village of to- 
 day will find it difficult to believe that it 
 was more than sixty years ago that racing 
 was inaugurated in what was then consid- 
 ered grand style and which would not suffer 
 in comparison with later events of that 
 character ; yet such is the case, as appears 
 from a newspaper announcement of Aug. 
 20th, 1820, as follows: — 
 
 " Cortland Races. — The heats will commence 
 at Cortland village, on Tuesday, the 19th day 
 of September next, and continue three days; 
 free for any horse, mare or gelding, carrying 
 weight for age; three mile heats. 
 
 "A purse of $100 will be awarded to the win- 
 ning horse on the first day. $75 to the winning 
 
 horse on the second day — first day winning 
 horse excluded. 
 
 "The five per cent, entrance money required 
 on the purses of the first two days to constitute 
 a purse to be awarded to the swiftest three-year- 
 old colt on the third day — one mile heat. 
 
 " The riders must be dressed in jockey style. 
 No jockeying or running in company will be tol- 
 erated, and should it be discovered, the purse will 
 Ijc withheld. 
 
 " .\11 differences will be settled by the judges. 
 "Truman Doud, 
 "Chas. W. Lvnde, 
 "Stephen Knapp, 
 " RoswELL Randall, 
 
 "Judges." 
 
 Mr. Ballard gives the following account 
 of the first event of this kind : — 
 
 " At length the long wished for day arrived, 
 and such a gathering in of people from this and 
 adjacent counties, Cordand had not before wit- 
 nessed. It was delightful autumnal weather. 
 Far-famed horses had been ]jracticing on the 
 course for several days previous. Everything 
 denoted a great trial of speed. The contestants 
 were here from remote counties and adjacent 
 States. Intelligence of the coming struggle 
 reached throughout the adjacent country and for 
 the week agricultural pursuits were suspended. 
 
 " The spot arranged for these races was the 
 beautiful level easterly of the Ithaca and Elmira 
 railway station. The course was circular, one 
 mile around. On a natural mound nearly in the 
 center, the judges' stand was built. The multi- 
 tude encircled the field and were held in order 
 by an appropriate police. As the hour approached 
 the horses were led in. Soon the riders in full 
 jockey dress appeared. In a few moments the 
 bugle sounds, the horses and their riders come to 
 the scratch, and five in number contend for the 
 prize. On no occasion since has there been an 
 equal struggle of bottom and speed in Cortland. 
 On this day the grey mare, ' Highland Polly,' 
 won the purse. It was a memorable week in 
 the history of Cortland. The races were re- 
 peated for a year or two afterward until a boy 
 rider named Hiles, from Dryden, was thrown 
 against a tree and instantly killed, to the dismay 
 and horror of the crowd. Thus ended, from 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 265 
 
 that day on, the running of 'heats' in Cortland. 
 Soon the circus and the menagerie began to ap- 
 pear and they supplied the people with amuse- 
 ment. Meanwhile the race-course of former 
 years is crossed by the railway, the bugle call 
 for the courser is exchanged for the locomotive 
 whistle and the running of horses for the rush of 
 trains." 
 
 Meanwhile the "Cortland Village Li- 
 brary" was established! (1815), the trustees 
 being Levi Lee, John Burnham, Roger 
 Edgcomb, Nathan Blodgett and Roswell 
 Randall ; the first agricultural society was 
 organized (1818) and its first fair held in 
 November of that year ; the Presbyterian 
 Church was erected (1826) as elsewhere de- 
 tailed; the Baptist Church was erected 
 (1833) ^nd dedicated on the 9th of October 
 of that year ; the " Cortland Village Female 
 Seminar)-" was founded (1828), with Wm. 
 Randall, Henry Stephens, Nathan Dayton, 
 Wm. Elder, Danforth Merrick and Rev. 
 Luke Lyons prominent among the early 
 trustees; the academy was opened (1842) 
 and its long career of usefulness begun ; 
 the railroad was completed (1854) causing 
 rejoicing throughout the county, which was 
 soon followed (i860) bj- the advent of 
 Hiram J. Messenger and the era of exten- 
 sive building operations inaugurated by 
 him ; an era of manufacturing operations 
 which has not yet closed, and probably 
 never will close, and has led up to the pres- 
 
 ' "What is eminently needed in this village is a well- 
 • selected circulating or lending library, under the care and 
 supervision of the Young Men's Christian Association. 
 Such libraries exist in almost every considerable town 
 throughout the State. Their usefulness is fully vindicated. 
 What a refuge of rest and improvement it would afford 
 after the weary hours of toil ! How many it would tend 
 to wean from the resorts of idleness and vice ! It is 
 almost a reproach to our town that, with its five thousand 
 inhabitants, it has no circulating library. He would be 
 a public benefactor who would start such an enterprise. 
 Il is only a question of time. It will come and it will 
 Iria.iipii. The wealth of intelligence and virtue which 
 it would add to the place would be more valuable and 
 lasting than added gold. The growing capacity of the 
 working classes would appreciate and improve the priv- 
 leges conferred thereby." — Mr. Ballard's Rmiiniscences. 
 
 ent exalted position of the village in all 
 things bearing upon its material prosperity. 
 
 Incorporation and Subsequent Public 
 Measures. — For si.x weeks prior to the 1st 
 of October, 1853, the following notice was 
 published in the columns of the Cortland 
 Democrat, printed in Cortland village : — 
 
 " Take notice : That an application will be 
 made at the ne.xt court of Sessions to be held at 
 the court-house in Cortlandville, in and for the 
 county of Cortland, on the second Monday of 
 October next, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon of 
 that day, or as soon thereafter as petitioners can 
 be heard, for an order to incorporate the follow- 
 ing described territory as a village by the name 
 of Cortland, situate lying and being in the town 
 of Cortlandville in said county, bounded and 
 described as follows : — Beginning at the south- 
 west corner of lot No. 65, Cortlandville, south 
 one and three-fourths degrees west, ninety-four 
 rods, crossing the Dryden road, to a stake near 
 the west bounds of the Virgil road, for the south- 
 west corner. Thence south 88 and a half de- 
 grees east one rod twenty links, to the center of 
 said Virgil road, 81 rods to the center of Main 
 street, 219 rods to the center of Pendleton street, 
 two hundred and twenty rods to a stone stake 
 on lot No. 75, for the southeast corner. Thence 
 north one and three-fourths degrees east forty- 
 four rods to the north line of said lot No. 
 75, being the center of Port Watson street, 
 two hundred and eighty-one rods eighteen 
 links to the center of Main street, crossing the 
 west branch of the Tioughnioga River, three 
 hundred and twenty rods to an apple tree, for 
 the northeast corner. Thence north eighty-eight 
 and a half degrees west, eight rods to the center 
 of the Truxton road, one hundred and seventy- 
 eight and a half rods to the center of said river, 
 two hundred and six rods to the center of the 
 Syracuse and Binghamton railroad, two hundred 
 and ninety-eight rods and twenty-three links to 
 the center of the plank road leading from Cort- 
 land to Syracuse, three hundred and twenty rods 
 to the west line of said lot No. 65, for the north- 
 west corner, in the center of the road leading by 
 the premises of I. I. Adams to Homer village. 
 Thence south one and three-fourth degrees west, 
 one hundred and forty-four and a half rods along 
 
266 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 the road and the west line of the lot No. 65, to 
 the center of the Groton road, two hundred and 
 twenty-six rods to the place of beginning, contain- 
 ing 640 acres, or one square mile; and notice is 
 hereby further given that an accurate survey and 
 majj of the above described territory and an accu- 
 rate census of the resident population of such ter- 
 ritory as it was on the 23d day of Augu.st, 1853, 
 and the names of every head of a family resid- 
 ing therein on such day, and the number of per- 
 sons belonging to every such family, have been 
 left with Edwin F. Gould, a resident of said ter- 
 ritory, at his office therein, subject to examina- 
 tion at all reasonable hours by every person in- 
 terested in such application." 
 
 Tiie application for the order of the 
 court was signed by the following per- 
 sons : Horace P. Goodrich, James W. 
 Sturtevant, E. N. Doud, O. R. Robinson, W. 
 A. Thayer, R. H. Diiell, James S. Squires, 
 M. Rowley, D. C. Cloyes, H. G. Buell, 
 George S. Taylor, John Rose, N. McDan- 
 iels, H. F. Lyman, Car! Aug. Kohlcr, David 
 Fisk, Daniel Schernierhorn, J. S. Samson, 
 Oliver Hitchcock, John L. Luce, Wm. Ga- 
 ger, Daniel P. Rounds, David Peck, Horace 
 Buell, L M. Seaman, J. B. Horton, A. G. 
 Burr, Jeremiah Van Valen, Daniel Smith, 
 Samuel S. Woodruff, Henry Woodruff, Ed- 
 win F. Gould. 
 
 This constituted the first step towards 
 giving the village of Cortland a corporate 
 existence. The population of the village on 
 the date mentioned was twelve hundred and 
 fift}'-nine. 
 
 On the 5th of November, 1853, a meet- 
 ing of the electors within the boundaries de- 
 scribed was held at the town hall for the 
 purpose of voting upon the question of in- 
 corporation. At this meeting 232 votes 
 were cast, 130 of which were in favor of the 
 application, and 102 against it. An elec- 
 tion of village officers was held on the 26th 
 of November, at which Joseph Reynolds, 
 Horace P. Goodrich, William O. Barnard, 
 James W. Sturtevant and William A. 
 
 Thayer were elected the first board of trust- 
 ees. Joseph Reynolds was elected presi- 
 dent of the board, and Charles Foster clerk. 
 Three assessors were elected, in the persons 
 of Abram Mudge, David Fisk and David 
 R. Hubbard ; Leavitt Cudworth was elected 
 collector; Wm. R. Randall, treasurer, and 
 Henry Scutt, pound-master. Village by- 
 laws were adopted at the meeting of the 
 8th of December, 1853. The yard in rear 
 of the store of D. Schermerhorn was ar- 
 ranged for the village pound. On the 15th 
 of December a resolution of the board was 
 adopted, that an engineer be employed to 
 take the level of Otter creek, to ascertain 
 "if the water from said creek can in any 
 manner be made more available to the use 
 of the village." A report on this topic was 
 made at the ne.xt meeting embodying the 
 statement that the bed of Otter creek 270 
 rods above the Cortland House is three feet 
 above the level of the sidewalk at the Cort- 
 land House. The water question was dis- 
 cussed, as it has been on so many occasions 
 since, and "laid over." As far as Otter creek 
 is concerned it has "lain over" until the 
 present y-ear (1884). 
 
 The first list of accounts audited by the 
 village board was a bill of $2.50 in favor of 
 A. Green; of $2.50 to Stephen Brewer; 
 $3.75 each to Ancil Snow and Z. C. Allis; 
 and $9.40 to Charles Foster. 
 
 Under the administration of the new 
 village government improvements were 
 rapidly introduced. Provision was made 
 for the purchase of adequate fire extin- 
 guishing apparatus, which was eftected in 
 the latter part of the year 1S54; streets were 
 improved and sidewalks ordered in various 
 parts of the village. Among the latter 
 were : — 
 
 "A plank walk u\wn the west side of Main 
 street from \V. R. Randall's corner opposite the 
 post-office, north to the turn of the plank road 
 at ^\'elcll's corner. 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 267 
 
 " A plank walk upon the east side of Main 
 street from Doud & Clark's marble shop south 
 to L. Reynolds's store building; the portions of 
 said walk now laid with stone to be relaid with 
 that material or plank substituted therefor at the 
 option of the owners of the respective lots. 
 
 " A plank walk on both sides of Port Watson 
 street, from Main to Greenbush street. 
 
 "A plank walk on the north side of Mill street 
 fron'^Iain street to the railroad. 
 
 " A plank walk on the east side of Church 
 street, from Mill street to Port Watson street. 
 
 " A plank walk on both sides of Railroad street 
 from Church to Greenbush street, and on the 
 south side of Railroad street from Greenbush 
 street to the railroad." 
 
 When we reflect that it was only tliirty 
 years ago that these and many other sim- 
 ilar improvements were needed, the rapid 
 advancement of the village is vividl}- ap- 
 parent. 
 
 At the meeting of the board held on the 
 5th of August, i860, the following pream- 
 ble and resolution was adopted, whicli is 
 self- explanatory : — 
 
 " Whereas, James A. Schermerhorn, of the 
 village of Cortland, in behalf of himself and as- 
 sociates, has petitioned the constituted authorities 
 of said village for the privilege of opening the 
 streets, lanes and thoroughfares of said village, 
 for the purpose of introducing main and service 
 pipes, that the various buildings, etc., may be 
 furnished with gas — 
 
 " Now, therefore, we the subscribers, believing 
 the said introduction of gas to be a public ben- 
 efit to our village, by virtue of the authority 
 vested in us as officers of said village, hereby au- 
 thorize the said Schermerhorn and associates, or 
 assigns, to lay said pipes and open said streets, 
 agreeable to said petition, being an exclusive 
 privilege for twenty-five years, the three first 
 without tax." 
 
 This act concluded with the usual provis- 
 ion against injuring the streets and was 
 signed by all of the trustees. 
 
 Down to this time there had been pro- 
 gress made in the village in other directions 
 than the introduction of gas. Numerous 
 
 sidewalks had been laid, and they were 
 gradually increasing in width, while the 
 number of roving cows that found their 
 way from the streets to the public pound 
 constantly decreased. In 1861 the village 
 by-laws then in existence were repealed en- 
 tire, and new ones substituted, which were 
 broader in scope and more stringent in the 
 government of the place, and in 1864 a new 
 charter was adopted. 
 
 Gas pipes having been introduced through 
 the village and the company's works being 
 in operation, $130 was appropriated by the 
 trustees of 1 863 for the erection of ten gas 
 street lamp posts, and $125 for gas for 
 lighting the same. This was an improve- 
 ment that was heartily appreciated ; Thos. 
 Stephenson took the first contract for light- 
 ing the lamps, at fifteen cents a night. 
 
 Cortjand village was re-chartered b}' the 
 Legislature of 1864, and the first election 
 under the new charter was held on the 3d 
 day of May of that year. Chas. Foster was 
 elected president. Theodore Cornvvell and 
 Abram Mudge were elected trustees to 
 serve two years ; A. Leroy Cole and Henry 
 Bates for one year. Harlow G. Buell was 
 elected treasurer. Moses Rowley was 
 elected assessor ; and Joseph T. Bates, col- 
 lector. Meetings of the board were set 
 down for the first Monday of each month. 
 The by-laws were amended and new ones 
 adopted to meet the growing requirements 
 of the \illagc and the new government be- 
 gan its work with energy. 
 
 In Februar\-, 1866, resolutions were 
 adopted empowering Chas. Foster to apply 
 to the Legislature for power to borrow mon- 
 eys with which to pave Main street, and to 
 amend the charter so as to allow the ap- 
 pointment of police constables for the village, 
 not exceeding four in number. The first 
 named resolution referred to the first piece 
 of paving done in the village. The sum to 
 be borrowed was not to exceed $4,000. 
 
268 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 The contract for the work was executed in 
 June, 1866, at a cost of $3,500, for wliich 
 amount the village bonds were issued, pay- 
 able in four equal annual installments. 
 
 It was at this time that the question of 
 securing the location of the Normal School 
 in this village was agitated. Three sites 
 were offered by the village authorities for 
 this purpose, each containing five acres of 
 land of a valuation of from $5,000 to $8,000 
 each, with the sum of $25,000 in cash, if 
 the school should be located here. Hora- 
 tio Ballard and Chas. Foster were author- 
 ized to proceed to Albany on the 20th of 
 November, 1866, to present these proposals 
 to the proper authorities, with discretionary 
 power to increase the amount of cash offered 
 to $50,000. The same gentlemen were 
 made a committee to prepare petitions for 
 circulation outside of the corporation, to 
 raise funds in aid of this measure. 
 
 The proposal (upon the $50,000 basis) 
 was accepted by the commission, provided 
 the amount of the donation should be in- 
 creased to $75,000 in case that amount 
 should be found necessary, and a meeting 
 of the citizens of the \'illage was held on the 
 iith of December, at which this question 
 was voted upon. Three hundred and twelve 
 voted in favor of accepting the proposition 
 of the commission, to ele\en against it. 
 The site of the building between Church 
 and Greenbush streets was selected May, 
 1857, '^'^^ the structure erected by J. N. 
 Greene, under the supervision of Mr. Wil- 
 cox, the architect. Its further history is 
 given a little farther on. 
 
 On the first day of May, 1873, a special 
 election was held to vote upon an act " to 
 supply the village with pure and whole- 
 some water," for which a ta.x was to be im- 
 posed. The vote was largely against the 
 measure. Another effort in this direction 
 was made in 1874, when Frederick Knight, 
 Frederick Ives, N. J. Parsons, John McF"ar- 
 
 land and William R. Randall were appointed 
 a committee to report the present means of 
 furnishing water for fire purposes, and also 
 to report .some means whereby sufficient 
 water could be procured. Nothing came 
 of these efforts, except their possible influ- 
 ence on later measures. 
 
 In the year 1875, it having become ap- 
 parent that a new engine house was an im- 
 perative necessity, steps were taken by 
 which the present handsome and substantial 
 structure was erected, at a cost of about 
 $7,500. L. J. Viele was the builder. In 
 the same year a proposition to raise $5,900 
 with which to purchase a steam engine, 
 hose, etc. was voted down ; but the follow- 
 ing year the measure was adopted, and 
 $5,000 was raised for the purchase of en- 
 gine and equipments and $2,500 for addi- 
 tional wells, with wliich the \'illage is now 
 thoroughly supplied. 
 
 The \illage was divided into four wards 
 in December, 1877, chiefly for the purpose 
 of locating fires more readily by strokes of 
 the bell corresponding to the number of the 
 ward. Main street was made the dividing 
 line north and south and Court and Rail- 
 road streets east and west. 
 
 While the above improvements constitute 
 some of the more important measures 
 adopted for the better government and the 
 general welfare of the village, many other 
 minor impro\'ements have kept pace with 
 the rapid growth of the place. Especially 
 is this true of the opening of streets, the 
 improvement of those already open, the 
 building of sidewalks, and other matters de- 
 noting a thorough understanding of what is 
 needed and a determination on the part of 
 the authorities to make Cortland village 
 second to none in the State as a place of 
 business or residence. 
 
 Following is a list of the presidents and 
 clerks of the village, from the date of its in- 
 corporation to the present time, the name 
 
Town of Cortlandvii.le. 
 
 269 
 
 of the president being given first in each 
 instance : — 
 
 1853 to 1856, inclusive, Joseph Reynolds, 
 Chas. Foster; 1857, A. S. Higgins, Chas. 
 Foster; 1858, A. S. Higgins, H. Crandall. 
 1 859-60, Thos. Keator, H. A. Randall ; 1 86 1 , 
 Thos. Keator, Chas. Foster; 1862, Allen B. 
 Smith, \Vm. R.Stone; 1863, Henry Brewer, 
 H. L. Collins; 1864, John T. Barnes, B. B. 
 Andrews; 1865, Chas. Foster, B. B. An- 
 drews; 1866, Chas. Foster, H. A. Randall; 
 1867, Chas. Foster, I. H. Palmer; 1868-69, 
 Chas. Foster, H. A. Randall; 1870, H. 
 Crandall, H. A. Randall; 1871, J. S. Bar- 
 ber, I. M. Seaman; 1872, W. H. Crane, B. 
 
 A. Benedict; 1873, W. D. Tisdale, Dorr C. 
 Smith; 1874, J. C. Carmichacl, Dorr C. 
 Smith ; 1 875, Jas. AI. Smith, Dorr C. Smith ; 
 1876, Jas. C. Carmichael, John C. Putnam; 
 1877-78, J. S. Barber, E. S. More; 1879, R. 
 
 B. Smith, E. S. More; 1880, L.J.Fitzgerald, 
 E. S. More; 1881-82, I. H. Palmer, J. 
 Hubbard; 1883, A. Mahan, J. Hubbard;' 
 1884, D. E. Smith, F. Hatch. 
 
 CHURCH HISTORY. 
 Methodist P2piscopal Church. — In the 
 year 1804 there were but three dwellings 
 within the present boundaries of Cortland 
 village, one of which was that of Jonathan 
 Hubbard, and stood on the northeast cor- 
 ner of Main and East Court streets, where 
 the National Bank of Cortland is now lo- 
 cated. A religious society had been par- 
 tially organized in Homer, but as far as 
 known no services had been held on or very 
 near the site of Cortland village. At this 
 time the Rev. William Hill, who had for- 
 merly been a Baptist preacher, came to Cort- 
 land. Mr. Hubbard was a Presbyterian, 
 but his Christian faith was broad enough to 
 enable him to welcome any minister of 
 Christ. He accordingly took Mr. Hill into 
 his home, assisted him in sending notices to 
 
 1 J. Hubbard died during the year, and the vacancy 
 was iilled by F. Hatch. 
 
 all of the families within reach, and the first 
 meeting was held in his house. Mr. Hill 
 went away, leaving an appointment for his 
 second service, and so continued doing un- 
 til the winter of that },ear, when he received 
 into the church Jonathan and Mary Hub- 
 bard, James Hubbard, Abigail Hubbard, 
 Elijah Batchelor, Martha Batchelor, Isaac 
 Bassett, Polly Bassett, William Bassett and 
 Catherine Sherwood, and formed a class, with 
 Mr. Batchelor as leader. This was the germ 
 of the Methodist Church in Cortland. It was 
 then attached to the Cayuga Circuit, Genesee 
 District, of the Philadelphia Conference. 
 
 Preaching was contiimed with regularity 
 once in two weeks, later by Elder Batchelor, 
 while he remained here; after which praj^er 
 and class-meetings were held. In the year 
 1 8 ID the first quarterly meeting was held 
 in Cortland, in an unfinished barn. The 
 work went on with sufficient good results 
 to inspire the little body of Christians with 
 faith in the future, until 1S12, when Rev. 
 James Kelsey was appointed to the charge. 
 There were then tweh'e or fifteen families in 
 the little hamlet and others in the \'icinit}'. Mr. 
 Kelsey was a man of much power and a great 
 revival followed his ministry, almost every 
 family, or some members of it, joining the 
 church. Solomon Cogswell, one of the early 
 settlers at Port Watson, was then class-leader. 
 
 The meetings during this early period 
 were held in private houses; in the school- 
 house after it was built and later in the up- 
 per room of the academy. Often in sum- 
 mer, when the congregation was too large 
 for the most available building, the people 
 would repair to the woods, and there, under 
 the thick foliage, offer their adoration to God. 
 
 Thus matters went on until the year 1 82 1 , 
 when, on the 13th of March, a meeting of 
 the male members of the church was held 
 at the house of John Stillman. Rev. Mr. 
 Kelsey was chairman and Solomon Cogs- 
 well clerk. At that meeting was formed 
 
270 
 
 HisioRv OK Cortland Countv. 
 
 the " I'irst Society of the Mcthothst Episco 
 pal Clnirch of Homer. " John Stilhnan, 
 Jonathan Hubbard and Isaac Bassctt were 
 chosen trustees. Mr. Cogswell and Amos 
 Norton were added a little later. At this 
 nieetini:^ it was tlecided to make an effort to 
 build a church edifice. For about ten years 
 Cortland xiUas^e had boasted a court-house 
 and a jail, but no house of worship graced 
 its streets. To their honor, be it said, the 
 inhabitants of the place gave the movement 
 their undivided assistance. A building 
 committee was appointed consisting of Chas. 
 W. Lynde, Roswell Randall and Samuel 
 Nelson. It was made a condition that no 
 debt should be contracted in erecting the 
 building, and the work of obtaining sub- 
 scriptions went on. The corner-stone was 
 laid on the 4th of Jul\-, iS_'i, -with imposing 
 and somewhat peculiar ceremonies. The 
 entire community was invited to participate 
 in the event. The meeting was held in the 
 forenoon in the old Baptist meeting-house, 
 north of the village, where services were 
 opened by a prayer by Rev. Alfred Ben- 
 nett. Major Adin Webb, with liis choir 
 from Homer, conducted the music, and Rev. 
 George W. Densmore delivered the dis- 
 course. Then, at the close of the services, a 
 procession was formed under the marshal- 
 shipof Gen. Daniel Miller and Martin Keep, 
 which marched through the beautiful grove 
 of forest trees that skirted the northern part 
 of the village and down Main street to the 
 site of the church. The stone was laid by 
 the building committee, and addresses were 
 made by Re\'. Mr. Kelsey and Rev. Mr. 
 Baker, of Auburn. After these ceremonies 
 the procession marched to the hotel of Na- 
 than Luce, on the site of the Messenger 
 House, where a dinner was served " at 
 thirty-one cents each. " After the cloth was 
 removed, toasts were drank to the number 
 of twenty or more, am(.>ng them being such 
 subjects as "our country," "the dough- 1 
 
 faces," "agriculture," "the army and 
 navy," "slavery," "our donors," "the 
 ladies," etc. All this seems strange at this 
 day, as a part of the ceremonies of laying 
 the corner-stone of a Methodist church ; 
 but at that time it was considered an ap- 
 propriate and fitting programme. 
 
 The clunxli building was i^ot finished 
 until the year 1823, on account of a scarcity 
 of money. It was finally consecrated by 
 Rev. Geo. W. Densmore. A revival was 
 cxperinced in IcSjq and another memorable 
 one in 1 <S39. 
 
 A Sunday-school was established in 
 1 83 1, and a female missionary society the 
 same year. The present handsome church 
 edifice was erected in 1 866, at a cost of about 
 $30,000 and the societ)* is now and has 
 been for many \'ears in a thri\"ing condition. 
 Following is a list of all the pastors who 
 have served the church and the dates of 
 their ministr\' : — 
 
 1804-05, William Hill; 1806, Joseph Poi- 
 hcmus; 1807, J. P. Weaver; 1808, Jo.seph 
 Scull; 1809, Elijah Batchelor; 1810, Ann- 
 ing Owen ; 181 I, I'^lijah Batchelor; 1812, 
 James Kelsey; 1813, Dan. Barnes; 18 14, 
 Palmer Roberts; 1 8 1 5, Jonathan Huistus; 
 1816, Loring Grant; 181 7-18, James Kel- 
 sey; 1819, J. Kimberlin ; 1 S20, James Kel- 
 sey ; 1 82 1 , Geo. W. Densmore ; 1822, Elias 
 Bowen ; 1823, John Dempster ; 1824, Seth 
 Mattison ; 1825-26, Geo. W. Densmore; 
 1827, Zenas Jones; 1828, C. N. Flint; 
 1 829-30, Geo. White ; 1 83 i , W. W. Ninde ; 
 1832-33, J S. Mitchell; 1834-35, Robert 
 Fox; 1836, P. M Way; 1837, Joseph 
 Cross; 1838, Selah Stocking ; 1839-40, H. 
 F. Rowe; 1841-42, Selah Stocking ; 1843, 
 Fred Humphreys; 1844-45, Moses Adams; 
 1846-47, Hanford Collins; 1848, J. B. Ben- 
 ham; 1849-50, W. N. Pearnc; 1851-52, 
 Daniel Cobb; 1853-54. L D. Davis; 
 1855-56, A. S. Graves; 1857-58, G. W, 
 Bridge; 1859-60, E. C.Brown; 1861, A. 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 271 
 
 J. Grover; 1862-63, E. Hoag ; 1864-65, 
 E. Owen ; 1 866-67-68, E. C. Curtis ; 1 869- 
 70-71, J. T. Crippen; 1872-73-74, A. 
 Roe; 1875-76, J. Alabaster; 1877-78, 
 G. W. Izer; 1879-80, Elijah Horr; Rev. 
 W. H. Annable is the presnt pastor. 
 
 The Presbyterian Church. — On the 25th 
 of November, 1824, pursuant to previous 
 notice, a meeting of the citizens of Cortland 
 was held in the court-house, for the pur- 
 pose of forming a Presbyterian church and 
 society. Daniel Budlong was called to the 
 chair and David Joline appointed secretary. 
 A constitution was reported for considera- 
 tion and, it ha\ing been read, further action 
 was deferred, on motion of William Elder, 
 until the next meeting, which was held on 
 the 2d of December, 1824, on which day 
 the constitution was adopted and the soci- 
 et}^ formed. On motion of Hon. Samuel 
 Nelson, seconded by Hon. Henry Stephens, 
 six trustees were chosen, as follows : — 
 Wm. Randall, Wm. Elder, Prosper Cravath, 
 Salmon Jewett, ]\Ioses Kinne and Lemuel 
 Dady. In the following spring a church 
 was organized and the Rev. Wm. Bacon 
 began his ministry, with a membership of 
 only six, and a salary of $600. 
 
 Before two years had elapsed the society 
 numbered one hundred and thirty-seven, 
 embracing nearly one-fourth of the entire 
 population of the village. The church edifice 
 w-as dedicated January ist, 1828. The ser- 
 mon was preached by Rev. D. C. Lansing, 
 of Auburn, from the text Gen. xxviii. 17, 
 " This is none other but the house of God, 
 and this is the gate of Heaven." In Octo- 
 ber, 1827, Rev. Luke Lyon succeeded Mr. 
 Bacon, and remained until June, 183 i. 
 
 Mr. Lyon w^as succeeded by Nathaniel E. 
 Johnston, who remained until November, 
 1834; then he resigned, and Rev. Joseph 
 Q. Foot became pastor. In October, 1837, 
 Rev. Peter Lockwood succeeded Mr. Foot, 
 and remained until July, 1842. Mr. Lock- 
 
 wood was succeeded by Rev. H. R. Dun- 
 ham, who continued into the year 1856. 
 He was succeeded by Rev. O. H. Seymour, 
 who remained until 1863, when Irving L. 
 Beman became pastor, and continued until 
 May, 1866. After Mr. Beman the pulpit 
 was supplied by Rev. S. F. Bacon, A. G. 
 Hopkins, and Dr. Condit. In October, 
 1869, Rev. Samuel H. Howe became pas- 
 tor, and remained until September, 1872. 
 In May, 1873, he was succeeded by Rev. 
 Thomas Street, and under his auspices the 
 semi-centennial celebration of the church 
 was observed in April, 1875. It was then 
 announced by Mr. Street that the member- 
 ship of the church "from six, in 1825, had 
 reached the number on its rolls of one thou- 
 sand two hundred and two." Mr. Street was 
 succeeded by the Rev. Alfred J. Hutton, and 
 he by the Rev. J. L. Robertson in August, 
 1882. The trustees are James C. Cirmi- 
 chael, Alonzo D. Blodgett, Calvin P. Wal- 
 rad, Samuel Keator, Leavitt D. Garrison, 
 Edward H. Brewer, Marcus McGraw, Dr. F. 
 Hyde. J. Milne, superintendent of Sabbath- 
 school. 
 
 The Baptist Church. — The First Baptist 
 Church of Christ in Cortlandville was or- 
 ganized, and publicly recognized as such, 
 on the 3d day of October, 1801, and was 
 the first Christian church organized in 
 Cortland county, then a township ten miles 
 square in Onondaga county. 
 
 The church thus organized consisted of 
 sixteen members, viz., males, — John Keep, 
 Joseph Beebee, Daniel Crandall, Peleg Bab- 
 cock, Cornish Messenger, Roderick Beebee, 
 and James Wheeler : females, — Frances 
 Keep, Rhoda Beebee, Submit Keep, Rhoda 
 Miner, Martha Messenger, Mary, Bishop, 
 Susannah Crandall, Esther Wilcox, and 
 Molly Wheeler. The officers were : John 
 Keep, clerk, which office he filled for 
 twenty-seven years, or until the church was 
 divided ; Joseph Beebee w-as appointed 
 
272 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 deacon, who died about seven nmntlis subse- 
 quent to his a[)pointment, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Prince Freeman, of Virgil. 
 
 The church had no settled pastor until 
 June, 1807, when the Rev. Alfred Bennett 
 was ordained to the work of the gospel 
 ministry, having been licensed to preach the 
 gospel in April, 1806, by a vote of the 
 the church, of which he became a member 
 in April, 1804. There seems to have been 
 no regular salary paid, or agreed to be paid, 
 t(3 him b\- the church. The first meeting- 
 house built by this church was a wooden 
 structure, commenced in 181 1, and cost two 
 thousand dollars ; the size of which was 
 fifty-two by thirty-six feet, with a gallery 
 on three sides. It was dedicated in June, 
 181 2, and was located one-half mile north 
 of the old court-house, on the road leading 
 from Cortland to Homer. ' 
 
 The Rev. Alfred Bennett remained pas- 
 tor of the church until the j^ear 1827, at 
 which time the church was divided, a por- 
 tion forming the church at McGrawville, 
 another a church at Homer, and he became 
 the pastor of the Homer branch. 
 
 The second meeting-house built by the 
 church was a wooden structure, and was 
 built in the village of Cortland, on the site 
 of the present one, at a cost of about three 
 thousand dollars, and was dedicated Octo- 
 ber 9th, 1833. Their present brick church 
 edifice was commenced in the autunin of 
 1872, and was completed in 1874, at a cost 
 of thirty-two thousand five hundred dollars. 
 It was dedicated February 22d, 1874. It is 
 si.\ty-five feet wide and one hundred and 
 ten feet long, with a seating capacity in the 
 audience-room of eight hundred persons. 
 
 The following is a list of pastors, com- 
 mencing in 1827: Rev. Peleg Card, from 
 1827 to 1830; Rev. Nathan Peck, from 
 1830 to 1833; Rev. Zenas Freeman, from 
 
 1 Further details of this fir,st church will be found in 
 the history of the town of Ilomcr, preceding. 
 
 1833 to 1836; Rev. Ozeb Montague, from 
 1836 to 1840; Rev. J. P Simmons, from 
 1840 to 1 851; Rev. Henry Bowen, from 
 185 I to 1 86 1 ; Rev. Thomas Goodwin, from 
 1 86 1 to 1863 ; Rev. Andrew Wilkins, from 
 1863 to 1870; Rev. William N. Tower, from 
 1870 to 1874; Rev. William M. Kincaid 
 became pastor in 1874, and was succeeded 
 by the present pastor. Rev. J. W. Putnam. 
 
 Trustees. — James S. Squires, E. P. Slaf- 
 ter, Frank Hastings, F. H. Cobb, N. Cham- 
 berlain, F. S. Capen, C. F. Brown, E. A. 
 Fish. 
 
 E. A. F"ish, superintendent of Sunday- 
 school. 
 
 The Universalist Church. — The first 
 Universalist Society in Cortland was formed 
 November i6th, 1813, at the court-house. 
 The following persons were elected trustees: 
 Moses Hopkins, Allen Baney, John Cham- 
 berlain, David Merrick, Mead Merrill and- 
 Roger Edgcomb; John Chamberlain, clerk. 
 
 The Cayuga Association of Universalists 
 convened at the Baptist Church in Cortland 
 June 7th and 8th, 1815. June 19th, 1829, 
 a meeting was held at the home of David 
 Merrick, when a society was formed by the 
 name of the " First Universalist Society of 
 Homer " (Homer at that time comprised the 
 present towns of Homer and Cortlandville). 
 David Peck, Jacob Badgley and David Mal- 
 lery were elected trustees, and Lewis Boies, 
 clerk. Since 1833 the society has held 
 regular annual meetings, electing its officers, 
 etc. The present neat church-edifice was 
 completed in 1837, at a cost of about six 
 thousand dollars. The lot upon \\hich it is 
 located was donated by Calvin Bishop. 
 Since the building of the church the organ- 
 zation has been called the " First Univer- 
 salist Society of Cortlandville ;" and on the 
 9th of January, 1872, the church and so- 
 ciety was organized, adopting the Articles 
 of Faith of the Universalist Association of 
 the State of New York. Its prosperity has 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 273 
 
 \'aricd at diftcreiit periods of its liistor\-, but 
 at all times having some faithful, earnest, 
 Christian members, who havx- borne its 
 standard through evil as well as good re- 
 port. The church has secured an annual 
 income from a legacj' bequeathed to it b\- 
 Roswell Craw, of the town of Virgil. The 
 following are some of the pastors who have 
 officiated for the society : Doolittle, Saun- 
 derson, Bollard, Strickland, Whitcomb, 
 Brown, Corgill, Fish, Crain, Austin, Peck, 
 H. W. Hand ami Rev. Cieo. Adams, who 
 is the present pastor. 
 
 The trustees are Josiah Hart, H. J. Mes- 
 senger, Rev. and Airs. H. W. Hand, W. W. 
 Kelsey, W. T. Blanchard. 
 
 Grace (Protestant Episcopal) Church. — 
 In 181 7 missionaries of the Protestant 
 Episcopal Church from ]\Ianlius and On- 
 ondaga Hill officiated in Cortland count)-, 
 but it was not until after the organization 
 of a congregation at Homer, in June, I 83 I, 
 that services were held at Cortlandville. 
 The Rev. Henr\- Gregory, then missionary 
 at Homer, officiated and preached in the 
 Presbyterian church. This was ])robably 
 the first public use of the liturgical worship 
 in Cortland\ille. As there was no conven- 
 ient place for the people tc) meet, and the 
 distance to Homer was only two miles, those 
 who were attached to the communion usu- 
 ally went to the latter place to worship, and 
 remained niai)\- \^ears destitute of regular 
 services. 
 
 In 1833 the Rev. H. Gregory officiated 
 and preached once, and in 1835 eleven 
 times. Upon the settlement of Rev. Sam- 
 uel Goodale in Homer, in 1844, he held a 
 third service on Simdays in Cortlandville, 
 and this was continued until June, 1846. A 
 Sunday-school also was successfulh- kept 
 up the same time. 
 
 In 1847 tilt- Rev. Geo. M. Skinner, from 
 Homer, officiated nineteen times and con- 
 ducted a bible-class. In October (26th) of 
 
 that year Bishop De Lanccy preached in 
 the Presbyterian Church. The services 
 more commonly were lield in the large room 
 of the academ\', or in the stone meeting- 
 house. 
 
 In 1848 a societj' was incorporated under 
 the name of Grace Church, and asked ad- 
 mission into union with the convention. 
 On account of some supposed informality 
 in the paper, however, it was not at that 
 time received. From November, 1848, to 
 1852, the Rev. Charles E. Phelps had charge 
 of Grace Church in connection with Homer, 
 but seldom officiated, on account of the 
 difficult}' of finding a suitable place of wor- 
 ship. About this time the ladies of the 
 congregation very zealously and success- 
 fully solicited subscriptions for the building 
 of a church edifice, but the work was post- 
 poned. 
 
 In June, 1850, the use (jf the court-house 
 was obtained, and Rev. Mr. Phelps held a 
 Sunday afternoon ser\ice there every fort- 
 night. 
 
 In 1852 Mr. Phelps was succeeded b\- the 
 Rev. Reuben Hubbard, who, in the follow- 
 ing jear officiated four or five times, the 
 services being held in the Baptist Church. 
 
 In 1854 the missionary at McLean, the 
 Rev. George L. Foote, assumed charge of 
 Grace Church, and officiated at Cortland- 
 ville one^fourth of the time. By him the 
 hoi}- communion A\as first administered 
 there in public to eleven persons. 
 
 At Plaster, in 1855, the Rev. H. V. 
 Gardner, Rector of Calvary Church, Homer, 
 was associated with Mr. Foote in mission- 
 ary services, and by this arrangement ser- 
 vices were held, for a time, every Sunday 
 afternoon at Cortlandville. Mr. Gardner 
 remo\'ed from this mission in April, 1857, 
 and in the following August the Rev. Pey- 
 ton Gallagher entered upon it, officiating 
 at Cortlandville once a fortnight, — the ser- 
 vices being held in the session- room of the 
 
274 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Presbyterian Cliinch. This arrangement 
 after about one year was broken off by the 
 ill-lieaith of Mr. Gallagher, and Cortland 
 county was left without services, except 
 that the Rev. Edward Pid.sley from McLean 
 officiated once a month in Cortlandville. 
 
 In 1859 fresh efforts were made for the 
 erection of a church edifice, and were 
 crowned with complete success. Since then 
 its pastors have been as follows, the date at 
 which each was called only being given : — 
 
 i860. Rev. T. G. Meacham; 1863, Rev. 
 Thomas Applegate ; August, 1865, Rev. 
 George S. Teller; July, 1868, Rev. John 
 Boyle ; January, 1869, Rev. Albert Danker; 
 August, 1869, Rev. J. M. Benedict was 
 called. In February, 1872, Rev. J. P. Fos- 
 ter was called. August, 1875, Rev. J. A. 
 Robinson was called, and is the present 
 rector. 
 
 The present vestry are Henry B. Hub- 
 bard, Henry L. Rogers. 
 
 Wardens, S. M. Benjamin, E. M. Hul- 
 bert, A. Mahan, Wm. Newkirk, H. C. Ca- 
 ney, Wesley Hooker, Chas. H. Parker, 
 Edward D. Webb. 
 
 Catholic. — The first Catholic Church in 
 Cortland was erected in 1855, by Rev. Mr. 
 Callen. It was a wooden structure, and 
 located on Washington street. The rapidly 
 increasing Catholic population soon neces- 
 sitated the building of a more spacious edi- 
 fice, and the present fine church-building on 
 North Main street was erected in 1868, by 
 Rev. B. F. McLoghlin, who is the present 
 pastor. The building is still unfinished, 
 lacking a tower, which, when built, is to 
 contain a chime of bells. The church has 
 about one thousand members. 
 
 The First Congregational Church. — In 
 the year 1 88 1 steps were taken towards form- 
 ing a Congregational society and the erection 
 of a church edifice in Cortland. An active 
 interest was soon aroused, different means 
 were adopted for the raising of funds and 
 
 the project of church building was soon 
 fairly under way. The corner-stone of the 
 edifice was laid on the 5th day of Septem- 
 ber, 1882, in presence of a large audience. 
 
 The exercises were opened with singing 
 by the congregation, leil by the choir. Col. 
 F. Place, Mrs. B. T. Wright, Miss Lina 
 Palmer, Messrs. W. D. Lord and Geo. H. 
 Briggs. 
 
 Rev. J. A. Robinson, pastor of the 
 fCpiscopal Church, read from the i6th chap- 
 ter of Matthew, also the looth Psalm, and 
 was followed with an earnest prayer by 
 Rev. J. W. Putnam, pastor of the Baptist 
 Church, after which Rev. J. L. Robertson, 
 pastor of the Presbyterian Church, gave out 
 the hymn, which was sung by the congrega- 
 tion. 
 
 Rev. C. M. T)'ler, pastor of the Congre- 
 gational Church of Ithaca, delivered an in 
 teresting and appropriate address. 
 
 Mr. Peter Burns, of Syracuse, placed the 
 corner-stone in position in the southwest 
 corner of the building. 
 
 Rev. H. T. Sell, the pastor of the church, 
 read the following list of articles, which were 
 inclosed in the tin box placed in the cavity 
 in the stone: " A copy of the Bible; copies 
 of recent date of the Democrat, Standard, 
 News and Congregatiotialist ; proceedings 
 of the Board of Supervisors of Cortland 
 county, from 1814 to 1825, as published in 
 the Ncivs ; manuscript history of the 
 church, including names of the oflRcers and 
 members of the church, and of the superin- 
 tendent, teachers and members of the Sab- 
 bath-school; names of the architect, builder 
 and building committee of the church; 
 photograph of the pastor. Rev. H. T. Sell ; 
 Roy's Manual of Congregationalism ; and a 
 collection of coins of the present time." 
 
 The exercises were closed with singing 
 by the congregation and benediction by 
 Rev. C. M. Tyler. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Sell has remained in charge of 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 275 
 
 the church from the first. The trustees are : 
 George B. Jones, James H. Blanchard, 
 Frank Place, Edward H. Bates, Alonzo W. 
 Gates, L. Melvin Loop, Ira W. Watkins, 
 Geo. W. Davenport, R. C. Tillinghast. A. 
 E. Buck, superintendent of Sunday-school. 
 
 SCHOOLS. 
 
 Institutions for the education of the 
 young have always occupied a prominent 
 place in the history of Cortland village, 
 and the school system has gradually and 
 in conformity to the needs of the com- 
 munity grown from the smallest beginning 
 to its present prosperous and commendable 
 position. The dates of the building of the 
 early common school-houses we have been 
 unable to obtain ; but we may rest assured 
 that while much of the site of the x-illare 
 was still forest-covered, the children of the 
 scattered inhabitants found a place where 
 they could receive the rudiments of educa- 
 tion. So active and interested in this im- 
 portant subject were the early inhabitants 
 that about ten years after the village had 
 begun to assume its character, namely, in 
 the year 1828, an educational institution 
 was founded in its midst, which had an 
 honorable and useful career. 
 
 In April, 1828, a statute was passed in- 
 corporating the " Cortland Village Female 
 Seminary." The act declared that the 
 "Design and object of this incorporation is 
 the establishment and support of a seminary 
 for the education of females." The pay- 
 ment of ten dollars was the price of mem- 
 bership and this gave the right to vote for 
 trustees. In the same year (1828) a'school 
 was opened in the large building then stand- 
 ing a little back from the street on the lot 
 now occupied by the Taylor Hall block. 
 Oliver Brewster, then recently arrived in 
 the place from Onondaga, took the man- 
 agement of the boarding hall, which was 
 kept in the building. Miss Jane Ingersoll, 
 
 of Springfield, Mass., was made principal 
 of the school, aided by Miss Brewster (after- 
 ward the wife of Samuel B. Woolworth, 
 secretary of the Board of Regents), Miss Mc- 
 Donald of Ithaca, teacher of drawing, and 
 Miss Dutton, of New Haven, teacher of mu- 
 sic. It was an accomplished faculty and soon 
 gave the school an exalted standing and an 
 extensive reputation. Among the ladies who 
 received their education at this institution 
 and who subsequently reached distinguished 
 positions in married life were Miss Wal- 
 bridge, of Lockport, who became the wife 
 of Gov. Washington Hunt; Miss Noxon, 
 wife of Hon. Geo. F. Comstock, of Syra- 
 cuse ; Jane R. Polhemus, of Auburn, wife 
 of Hon. Henry S. Randall ; Ellen Birdseye, 
 of Pompey, the wife of Charles Wheaton, of 
 Syracuse ; Miss Earl, of Onondaga, wife of 
 Hon. Vivus W. Smith, of Syracuse ; Emily 
 Wood, of Syracuse, wife of Mr. Brackett, 
 and many others. Among the daughters 
 of Cortland who attended the institution 
 Mr. Ballard recalled the names of Emeline 
 Allen, Maria Allen, Antoinette Randall, 
 Wilhelmina Randall, Lucy Maria Randall, 
 Harriet Randall, Ursula Webb, Helen Bal- 
 lard, Dolly Ann Lyman, Marette Elder, 
 Venette Stephens, Elvira Goodyear, Blen- 
 dina Miller, Annette Edgcomb and Caroline 
 Blair. For a number of years the institution 
 was self-sustaining and it exerted a salutary 
 influence upon the social life of the village. 
 Cotemporaneous with this seminary a 
 "classical school for young men" was 
 opened in the building afterward occupied 
 by the Cortlandville Academy, under the 
 principalship of J. N. Bellows, a brother of 
 the celebrated divine, of New York city. 
 The trustees of this school were Roswell 
 Randall, Miles Goodyear, Eldward Allen, 
 Asahel Lyman, William Bartlit, Gilmore 
 Kinney, Jonathan I. Wood. The advertise- 
 ment of this institution announced that 
 j'oung men " were fitted for the store, or 
 
276 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 the counting-room, or for colUcgc, or in the 
 art of teaching, accompanied with lectures 
 upon scientific subjects. ' Ideas, not words,' 
 is the motto of tliis scliooi." This institu- 
 tion was a practical success and protluc- 
 tive of much good. The existence of two 
 such schools in the little x'illage, which were 
 well supported and abl_\' conducted, is ample 
 evidence of the interest felt by the people 
 in the cause of education during this period. 
 
 The " Cortland Female Seminary " had a 
 prosperous existence of about ten years, 
 when its splendid career was closed to make 
 way for a still more extensi\'e educational 
 institution — the old academy. The popula- 
 tion of the village was then about 1,500; 
 the acadeni}' of Homer was at the height 
 of its long and eminent career, and the want 
 of an academic institution in Cortland was 
 deeply felt, both for the accommodation of 
 the public and the reputation of the county 
 seat. The first meeting for this purpose was 
 held on the 27th of No\-ember, 1841 ; this 
 was followed by others, at which negotiations 
 relative to the site and other matters were dis- 
 cussed during the year i S42. The first report 
 made to the regents of the university bears 
 date the 3d day of Januarj-, 1843, and gives 
 the condition of the Cortlandville academ)- 
 up to the 6th of December, 1842, the close 
 of its first term, as follows: — The \-alue 
 of the ground and building, $2,700. The 
 number of volumes in the library, 206, and 
 value thereof, $170.69. Philosophical ap- 
 paratus, \-alue, $154.50. 
 
 The first faculty of the academ>^ was 
 C(';mposed of Joseph R. Dixon, principal ; 
 Henry E. Ranney, assistant teacher; Miss 
 Catharine Hamlin, principal of female de- 
 partment; Miss Fanny Nelson, assistant 
 preceptress. One hundred and twcnt\-five 
 students attended the first term. Such was 
 the comparative!}' humble beginning of this 
 afterward prosperous and respected institu- 
 tion. In after years it reached a high 
 
 standard of merit and its ])atronage was so 
 liberal as to req'iire extensive additions to 
 the building. 
 
 Pursuant to an arrangement, the use of 
 the acadeni}' lot was conveyed to the State 
 to form a part of the Normal School grounds 
 on the condition that the academic depart- 
 ment be maintained in the new school, and 
 that children of parents and wards of guar- 
 dians residing within the bounds of the cor- 
 poration should receive their tuition free of 
 charge. Accc)rding!}', earl}- in 1869 the 
 academy was closed and the building re- 
 moved. 
 
 The State Normal School. — The State 
 Normal and Training ScIkkjI in Cortland 
 was established under ch. 466, laws of 1866. 
 The corner-stone, which is on the northern 
 front of the building, bears on its eastern 
 face this inscription : — 
 
 "Laid by M. W. John I,. I.t-wis. P. (;. M., 
 Sept. 17. A. L. 5867." 
 
 And on the northern fiice the following: 
 
 " State Normal School, erected by the village 
 of Cortland, A. D. 1867. Charles Foster, jjresi- 
 clenl. Frederick Ives, Aaron Sager, J. C. Car- 
 michael, B. B. Woodworth, trustees: H. M. Wil- 
 co.x. architect; J. C. Greene, builder." 
 
 Buildings and Grounds. — The building is 
 made of brick ; its extreme length east and 
 west is 238 feet; the width of the center is 
 85 feet ; there are three stories above the 
 basement. The building was designed to 
 accomiuodate boarders, the third stor}- con- 
 taining dormitories. The second story 
 contained school-rooms and twc5 suits of 
 rooms for teachers. The first story con- 
 tained in the center of the building an 
 office, a library, a parlor, a large dining- 
 room, and rooms for the janitor ; school- 
 rooms for the schools of practice are situ- 
 ated on the east and west ends of this floor. 
 The heating apparatus was for steam. The 
 boilers exploded l'"ebruar}' 20th, 1 870. and 
 stoves were used to heat the buildine: until 
 
JAMES HARMON HOOSE. 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 277 
 
 1875, when furnaces took the place of the 
 stoves. The boarduig department was dis- 
 continued after a few years ; the dining- 
 room and the teachers' rooms were con- 
 verted into school-rooms. The Legislature 
 made, in 1879, an appiopriation to repair 
 the building and to enlarge the grounds on 
 the east. The library was moved at this 
 time into the spacious room that was for- 
 merly the dining-room. The building, 
 grounds, and other propert)- belonging to 
 the school, cost the corporation of the vil- 
 lage of Cortland about $98,000. 
 
 Library, Cabinets and Apparatus. — The 
 school received the library and apparatus 
 that belonged to the Cortlandville Academj-. 
 Large additions have been made to them 
 from time to time; the Legislature also 
 made, in 1 871, an appropriation of $5,000 
 to increase the librar\- and apparatus. Mrs. 
 Henr)' S. Randall donated, in 1880, the 
 valuable private cabinet of geological and 
 mineralogical specimens which her husband 
 had collected ; this cabinet occupies a large 
 room in the third stor}' of the building and 
 is known as the Randall Cabinet. Dr. 
 Thomas B. Stowell, of the chair of science 
 of the school, has selected a valuable col- 
 lection of apparatus. The librar\- has an 
 extensive collection of valuable books. 
 Normal students enjoy rare opportunities 
 in having access to the library, to cabinets, 
 and to the apparatus of the school. 
 
 Organization of the Local Board. — Hon. 
 Abram B. Weaver, Superintendent of Pub- 
 lic Instruction, appointed, December i6th, 
 1868, nine citizens of Cortland to be the 
 local board of the school. These gentle- 
 men were Hon. Henry S. Randall, Hon. R. 
 Holland Duell, Dr. F"rederick Hyde, Hon. 
 Horatio Ballard, and Messrs. Charles C. 
 Taylor, Norman Chamberlain, William 
 Newkirk, Henry Brewer, and Arnold Staf- 
 ford. Mr. Randall was made b)- the board 
 chairman, Mr. Duell secretar\', and Mr. 
 
 Taylor treasurer. Mr. Stafford died June 
 27th, 1872, and Mr. Robert Bruce Smith 
 
 : was appointed to fill the vacancy. Mr. 
 
 i Randall died August I2th, 1876, and Mr. 
 James S. Squires was appointed to the vacan- 
 cy; Dr. Hyde was appointed chairman of the 
 board at this time. Mr. Ballard died Oc- 
 tober 8th, 1878, and Mr. James C. Car- 
 michael was appointed to the vacancy. 
 The officers of the board now are : Dr. 
 Hyde president, Mr. Norman Chamberlain 
 secretary, and Mr. Taylor treasurer. Mr. 
 Newkirk succeeded Mr. Duell as secretary, 
 and Mr. Chamberlain succeeded Mr. New- 
 
 ; kirk. 
 
 Opening of the School- Facult}'. — The 
 school opened March 3d, 1869, with the 
 following board of instructors : James H. 
 Hoose, principal, science and history of 
 education ; Norman F. Wright, ancient lan- 
 guages ; Frank S. Capen, mathematics ; 
 Thomas B. Stowell, natural sciences ; Mar- 
 tha Roe, superintendent of training school, 
 teacher of methods ; Helen K. M. Babcock, 
 history, rhetoric, geography ; Martha E. 
 Couch, modern languages ; Marianne Bates, 
 vocal music, four hours daily ; Lemoyne A. 
 Hoose, drawing, four hours daily ; Helen 
 K. Hubbard, principal of intermediate de- 
 partment ; Margaret Hunter, principal of 
 primary department ; Charles A. Fowler 
 (temporary), part time, assistant intermedi- 
 ate department. 
 
 Teachers who have been connected with 
 the school : ^ — 
 
 James H. Hoo.se, A. M., Ph. D., Princi- 
 pal, mental science and philosophy of edu- 
 cation, ^Larch 3d, 1869. 
 
 Norman F. Wright, A. M., Latin and 
 Greek, March 3d, 1869 -January 30th, 
 1877. 
 
 Thomas B. Stowell, A. M., Ph. D., nat- 
 ural sciences, March 3d, 1869. 
 
 I'riie dales refer respectively to the beginning and 
 close of service. 
 
278 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Frank S. Capen, A. M., mathematics, 
 March 3d, 1869. 
 
 Martha Roc, mctliods, and superintend- 
 ent of training school, March 3d, 1869. 
 
 Helen E. M. Babcock, history, rhetoric, 
 geography, until 1870, then modern lan- 
 guages, March 3d, 1869-July 2d, 1872. 
 
 Mrs. Martha E. Couch, modern lan- 
 guages, March 3d, 1869-July 20th, 1869. 
 
 Marianne Bates, vocal music, March 3d, 
 1869-July 20th, 1869. 
 
 Mrs. Lemoyne A. Hoose, drawing, 
 March 3d, 1869-July 20th, 1869. 
 
 Helen K. Hubbard, principal and critic 
 in intermediate department, March 3d, 
 1869-July 2d, 1872. 
 
 Margaret Hunter, principal and critic in 
 primary department, March 3d, 1869-Feb- 
 ruary ist, 1870. 
 
 Charles A. Fowler, assistant in interme- 
 diate department, March 3d, 1869-July ist, 
 1870. 
 
 Mary Morton, drawing, September 8th, 
 1869-January 28th, 1873. 
 
 Mrs. O. S. Douglass, vocal music, Sep- 
 tember 8th, 1869-October 1st, 1869. 
 
 Mary F. Hall, critic in intermediate de- 
 partment, September 8th, 1869-July ist, 
 1870. 
 
 Mrs. Helen D. Kendall, critic in primary 
 department, September 8th, 1869-July ist, 
 1870. 
 
 Mary F. Hendrick, reading, elocution, 
 gj'mnastics, rhetoric, English literature, 
 September 8th, 1869. 
 
 Mary Marsh, vocal music, October 1st, 
 1869-January 2Sth, 1872. 
 
 Mrs. Helen M. Smith, principal and critic 
 in primary department, February i6th, 
 1870-September 14th, 1870. 
 
 Amanda J. Hopkins, critic in intermedi- 
 ate department until September 24th, 1873, 
 then principal and critic, September 14th, 
 1870-June 27th, 1876. 
 
 Sarah M. Sutton, English grammar and 
 
 history, September 14th, 1870-January 
 27th, 1874. 
 
 Mrs. Theodore Perkins, principal and 
 critic in primary department, September 
 14th, 1870-January 31st, 1 87 1. 
 
 Mary E. Lester, principal and critic in 
 primary department, February 15th, 187 i- 
 January 28th, 1873. 
 
 Julia H. Willis, critic in primary depart- 
 ment, February 15th, 1871-January 20th, 
 1872. 
 
 James H. Shults, principal of academic 
 department until September, 1877, then 
 department of English, physics and Greek, 
 first time, September 6th, 1871-July 1st, 
 1873; second time, September 6th, 1876- 
 July 2d, 1878. 
 
 Emily E. Cole, principal and critic in 
 primary department, February 14th, 1872- 
 January 23d, 1883. 
 
 Clara E. Booth, modern languages, Sep- 
 tember 4th, 1872. 
 
 Mary A. Hubbard, principal and critic 
 in intermediate department, September 4th, 
 1872, died September 24th, 1873. 
 
 Helen P. Eels, critic in primary depart- 
 ment, P'ebruary 12th, 1873-July ist, 1873. 
 
 Sara A. Saunders, critic in primary de- 
 partment, September 3d, 1873. 
 
 Henrietta Van Ness, critic in intermedi- 
 ate department, September 24th, 1873- 
 June 30th, 1874. 
 
 M. Anzolette Drake, vocal music and 
 drawing, September 3d, 1873-January 
 19th, 1874. 
 
 James M. Milne, principal academic de- 
 partment, then Latin and Greek, first time, 
 September 3d, 1873-June 27th, 1876; sec- 
 ond time, September 5th, 1877. 
 
 Mrs. E. P. Halbert, vocal music and 
 drawing, January 19th, 1874. 
 
 Samuel J. Sornberger, Ph. M., English, 
 science, Latin, first time, September 2d, 
 1874-June 27th, 1876; second time, Sep- 
 tember 4th, 1878. 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 279 
 
 Elizabeth Rase, critic in intermediate 
 department until September 6th, 1878, 
 then principal and critic, September 2d, 
 1874. 
 
 Mrs. Lottie T. Corlcw, critic in interme- 
 diate department, September 6th, 1876— 
 May 2d, 1882. 
 
 Josephine Folger, critic in intermediate 
 department. May 2d, j882-June 27th, 1882. 
 
 Ellen J. Pearne, critic in intermediate 
 department, September 6th, 1882. 
 
 Mary L. Roberts, principal and critic in 
 primary department, January 23d, 1883. 
 
 Organization of the School. — The school 
 is organized into two departments; one is 
 that of theory, and the other is that of 
 practice. The department of theory com- 
 prises three courses of study. The ele- 
 mentary English^ course extends over two 
 two years ; the advanced English course 
 extends over three years ; and the classical 
 course extends over four years. The last 
 year of each course is devoted to profes- 
 sional work; this work includes the history 
 and philosophy of education and of teach- 
 ing and practice in the art of teaching. 
 This department of practice consists of the 
 thoroughly organized school of about 300 
 pupils whose ages extend from five years 
 upwards ; these pupils are classified into 
 ten grades, the lowest being designated as 
 the first. There are a few pupils in the 
 school who have passed out of the tenth 
 grade and do not rank as normal students ; 
 these pupils are classified as academic pupils 
 and recite in normal classes. Students must 
 be sixteen years of age, at least, in order 
 to be registered as normal students. Tu- 
 ition and rent of text-books are free to 
 normal students. The department of prac- 
 tice is under the supervision of the teacher 
 of theories of practice ; while the depart- 
 ment is under the immediate personal su- 
 pervision of four experienced and capable 
 critics who devote all their attention to the 
 
 work of the teachers-in-training. The 
 principal of the school devotes directly, 
 also, much of his attention to the welfare 
 of this department of the school. Theories 
 of teaching are tested, observations are re- 
 corded, and the teachers-in-training have 
 the benefits of all results obtained from 
 these professional studies. Graduating 
 classes visit various systems of public schools 
 in the cities of the State in order to in- 
 spect them professionally. 
 
 Attendance of Normal Students. — The 
 following table exhibits the yearly at- 
 tendance of normal students from the 
 date of opening of the school to the close 
 of the fifteenth annual report of the local 
 board : — 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 c 
 
 
 Average 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 el 
 
 1 
 
 Age. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 VE.\R. 
 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 V 
 
 to 
 
 
 V 
 
 
 
 
 
 .c 
 
 a 
 
 W 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 b 
 
 s 
 
 ^ 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 z 
 
 < 
 
 S 
 
 E^: 
 
 I 
 
 March 3, 
 
 1869. to October i, i 
 
 869-. 
 
 116 
 
 S3 
 
 19 
 
 '9 
 
 2 
 
 October I 
 
 1869, to October i, 
 
 1870. 
 
 322 
 
 123 
 
 19 
 
 ^9 
 
 3 
 
 October 1 
 
 1870, to October i, 
 
 1871. 
 
 401 
 
 162 
 
 20 
 
 "9 
 
 4 
 
 October I 
 
 1871, to October i, 
 
 1872. 
 
 370 
 
 161 
 
 19 
 
 19 
 
 5 
 
 October i 
 
 1872, to October I, 
 
 1873. 
 
 390 
 
 163 
 
 20 
 
 ''9 
 
 6 
 
 October i 
 
 1873, to October i, 
 
 1874. 
 
 399 
 
 ■77 
 
 20 
 
 19 
 
 7 
 
 October I 
 
 1874, to October i, 
 
 1875. 
 
 370 
 
 '79 
 
 20 
 
 22 
 
 8 
 
 October I 
 
 1875, to October I, 
 
 1876. 
 
 377 
 
 157 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 9 
 
 October i 
 
 1876, to October i, 
 
 1877. 
 
 398 
 
 177 
 
 20 
 
 '9 
 
 10 
 
 October i 
 
 1877, to October i, 
 
 1878. 
 
 361 
 
 197 
 
 21 
 
 20 
 
 II 
 
 October i 
 
 1878, to October i. 
 
 1879. 
 
 324 
 
 '53 
 
 21 
 
 20 
 
 12 
 
 October i 
 
 1879, to October I, 
 
 18S0. 
 
 449 
 
 220 
 
 21 
 
 20 
 
 ^3 
 
 October I 
 
 1880, to October i, 
 
 1881. 
 
 364 
 
 213 
 
 19 7 
 
 19 
 
 14 
 
 October i 
 
 1881, to October 1, 
 
 1882. 
 
 498 
 
 226 
 
 19.84 
 
 19. II 
 
 ■5 
 
 October i 
 
 1882, to October i. 
 
 1883. 
 
 504 
 
 275 
 
 20 
 
 19.16 
 
 The following brief address which Dr. 
 Hoose made to the citizens at the close of 
 commencement exercises, January 22d, 
 1884, gives a concise statement of the 
 prosperity and condition of the school : — 
 
 These exercises close fifteen years of history 
 of the Cortland Normal School. Two thousand 
 three hundred and forty-one different normal stu- 
 dents have been connected with the school in 
 this time. These students have represented 
 nearly all the counties in the State. 
 
 The records of the school show that 449 nor- 
 mal students were enrolled during the year which 
 ended Oct. ist, 1880; the average age of the 
 
28o 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 ladies was twenty years, and that of the gentle- 
 men was twenty-one years ; that 364 normal 
 students were enrolled for the year whicli ended 
 Oct. I St, 1881 : the average age of the ladies 
 being nineteen, and that of the gentlemen being 
 about nineteen and one-half; that 498 were en- 
 rolled for the year which ended Oct. ist, 1882. 
 150 of this number entering in September, 1882 ; 
 the average age of the women being a little 
 above nineteen years, and that of the men being 
 nearly twenty ; that 504 normal students were 
 enrolled for the year which ended Oct. ist, 1883; 
 the average age of the women being about nine- 
 teen and one-fifth years, and that of the men be- 
 ing twenty years. 
 
 The average age of the normal student indicates 
 the maturity of mind, the scholarshij), and the 
 experience in teaching which students possess ; 
 it indicates also the \alue of the school when it 
 is considered what the students can do as teachers 
 in the public schools of the State. The higher 
 the average age the more valuable to the State 
 is the Normal .School. Hence a high average 
 age of the students is of greater importance, if 
 possible, to the jiurposes of the scliool than the 
 number in attendance. 
 
 Including this ]jresent class. 418 normal stu- 
 dents have been graduated. These graduates 
 occupy places of ini])ortance and of prominence 
 in the educational ranks of the country. Our 
 graduates are in demand for those positions 
 which require superior qualifications of scholar- 
 shij) and of executive ability ; they are command- 
 ing marked success as teachers and as men and 
 women. Our graduates take high rank in all 
 higher institutions where they enter and pursue 
 higher branches. 
 
 Estimates made for the first ten years of the 
 school show that over fifty per cent, of our nor- 
 mal students teach more or less during any given 
 year of their attendance. Inasmuch as a large 
 majority of the students attend school more than 
 one year, it follows that nearly all normal stu- 
 dents teach more or less in the public schools of 
 the State ; and very many teach years. These 
 facts show that our school is the center of great 
 influence in the commonwealth. 
 
 In order to exhibit the rank of the Cortland 
 Normal School among the Normal Schools of 
 the State, the following statistics of attendance 
 
 are pre.sentcd from the published report for the 
 year which ended Oct. 1st, 1882. 
 
 Albany Normal School enrolled 401 normal 
 students; Brockport, 407; Buftalo, 261 ; Cort- 
 land, 498 : Fredonia, 180; Geneseo, 461; Os- 
 wego, 394; and Potsdam, 406. Cortland out- 
 ranked them all, and the attendance was larger 
 for 1883 than it was for 1882. 
 
 These statistics demonstrate the wisdom which 
 has controlled the administration of the local 
 board since the school began its liistory. The 
 board has proceeded on the theory that the cit- 
 izens of the State, who pay the taxes which sup- 
 port the school, demand in return men and wom- 
 en who can teach better schools because they 
 have been here ; that the public demands men 
 and women of sterling character, who are lo)al 
 to theirduties ; that it is the business of the school 
 to give to its students these qualifications. His- 
 tory bears all honor to the board for the success 
 which has crowned its administrations. 
 
 Memorandum of History. — The Cort- 
 land Normal School has liad a career that 
 will go down into history as one of tiie 
 most remarkable in the annals of educa- 
 tional history in the United States. Hon. 
 Abram B. Weaver was Superintendent of 
 Public Instruction when the school opened 
 in 1869. Hon. Neil Gilmour succeeded 
 him in the ofifice in April, 1874, and he 
 was succeeded in ofifice in April, 1883, by 
 Hon. W. B. Ruggles. The school opened 
 March 3d, 1869, and flourished from the 
 beginning, because the local board estab- 
 lished at first a firm and conscientious pur- 
 pose to serve only the best interests of the 
 school ; the board has never deviated from 
 this purpose. 
 
 It began to appear in 1876 that the super- 
 intendent of public instruction had con- 
 cei\'ed a purpose to control the normal 
 school system of the State. This purpose 
 revealed itself towards the Cortland Nor- 
 mal School in a series of overt acts which 
 were calculated to destroy the unity and 
 harmony of the administration of the school, 
 and to wrest from the board its legal pre- 
 rogatives of authority. 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 281 
 
 The superintendent's first overt act was 
 a charge against the loyalty of Dr. Thomas 
 B. Stowell, of the chair of science in the 
 ■school; this charge was, in August, 1876, 
 to the principal, who replied to the super- 
 intendent that his charge had no foundation 
 in fact. The second overt act was the man- 
 ner in which the superintendent filled the 
 vacancy in the local board caused by the 
 death of Mr. Randall, which occurred in 
 August, 1876. The board followed its 
 previous custom and recommended to the 
 superintendent a suitable person to fill the 
 vacanc\- ; but he appointed in September, 
 1876, without notice and without explana- 
 tion, another gentleman, Mr. J. S. Squires. 
 No divided vote had ever been cast in the 
 deliberations of the board before the advent 
 of this appointee. The third act was a 
 vain effort to secure the resignation from 
 the board of Hon. R. H. Duell. 
 
 The fourth act of the superintendent was 
 a fruitless effort, made in 1877, to compel 
 the board to nominate to him, against its 
 best judgment, a certain gentleman for the 
 chair of Latin and Greek, then vacant. 
 Pending the confirmation of the nominee 
 of the board, an attempt was made to cause 
 the retirement from the board of its presi- 
 dent, Dr. Hyde ; failing in the attempt, 
 the nominee of the board. Prof James M. 
 Milne, was confirmed June 5th, 1877. The 
 sixth act was an extraordinarj- order issued 
 June 1 2th, 1877. directing the board to re- 
 nominate to him for re-appointment all the 
 members of the faculty. There being no 
 vacancies, the board sent to him a memo- 
 randum of the facult}' as it then existed ; 
 he assumed this statement to be a recom- 
 mendation, and purported to reconfirm, 
 July 5th. the appointments, attaching to 
 his confirmation conditions not pro\-ided 
 for by statute ; chief among these condi- 
 tions was the clause: "Said approval to 
 continue in force during the pleasure of the 
 
 local board and the superintendent." The 
 seventh act took place in a meeting of 
 the principals of the Normal Schools of the 
 State, convened by his order, and held at 
 Albany in December, 1877. The superin- 
 tendent presided; he alluded to several 
 personal matters, and said among other 
 things, that the principals " must obey him." 
 The eighth act was his manner of appoint- 
 ing Mr. J. C. Carmichael to fill the vacancj- 
 in the board caused by the death of Mr. 
 Ballard, which occurred October 8th, 1878; 
 the appointment was made October 28th 
 with no consultation with the board. The 
 superintendent continued to 1880 to mani- 
 fest his displeasure with the board and with 
 its administration, because neither it nor 
 the principal of the school could be won 
 by favor or b\- fear to deviate in the least 
 from the plain line of clearly defined duties 
 which the}' legall)' and morally owed to 
 the State. The superintendent was a can- 
 didate to be his own successor in office, in 
 April, 1880. The principal of the school 
 and members of the board expressed a 
 preference for Hon. John I. Gilbert, who 
 was also a candidate for the position; but 
 Mr. Gilbert was unsuccessful, and the form- 
 er superintendent was reinstated. 
 
 The superintendent made, in 1880, his 
 ninth effort to gain control of the school. 
 He sent, June 28th of that year, an auto- 
 graph order to Dr. Hoose, directing the 
 latter to send to him by Jul)^ 6th his "per- 
 emptory resignation " as principal of the 
 school. The board was composed at this 
 time of Messrs. Hyde, Duell, Taylor, Cham- 
 berlain, Newkirk, Brown and Smith ; and 
 Messrs. Squires and Carmichael. The first 
 seven mentioned members of the board, 
 constituting the majority, claimed by law 
 a voice in selecting teachers for the school ; 
 they requested the specific charges against 
 the principal ; the superintendent replied, 
 Juh' 6th, that "there are no charges" and 
 
282 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 that he virtually proposed to act independ- 
 ently of the board. Dr. Hoose refused, July 
 8th, to resign ; the superintendent with- 
 drew, July 1 2th, his approval of the cm- 
 plo)-mcnt of Dr. Hoose, that had been given 
 by him in July, 1877 ; the board by act, on 
 July 17th, refused to concur with the super- 
 intendent. August 4th lie purported to 
 appoint another principal to the school ; 
 August 7th the board refused to recognize 
 this appointee, and offered to agree with the 
 superintendent on a case to construe the 
 statute, and carry the matter to the courts ; 
 the superintendent offered, August 19th, to 
 consent to carry the case to the courts, pro- 
 vided the board would first give to him the 
 control of the school, and threatened to 
 close the school in case the board did not 
 comiily with his terms. August 26th the 
 board refused to comply with his terms. 
 The term opened Sept. ist. ; the appointee 
 of the superintendent appeared at the build- 
 ing and demanded possession of it, in the 
 name of the superintendent; the board re- 
 fused to recognize him as principal, and di- 
 rected Dr. Hoose and the teachers to open 
 the school ; his appointee then ordered all 
 the teachers to withdraw from the building 
 as he retired to his office at the Messenger 
 House. The faculty was composed at that 
 time of Dr. Hoose, Dr. Thos. B. Stowell, 
 Prof S. J. Sornberger, Mrs. E. P. Halbert, 
 Misses E. Rase, S. A. Saunders, E. E. Cole ; 
 and Prof F. S. Capen, Prof J. M. Milne, 
 Miss M. Roe, Miss M. F. Hendrick, Miss C. 
 E. Booth, and Mrs. Corlew. The first seven 
 mentioned teachers obeyed the orders of 
 the board ; the vacancies in the faculty were 
 filled immediately ; the list of these teach- 
 ers who taught, were : — D. Eugene Smith, 
 Wm. C. Bennett, Helen E. Bradford, Gard- 
 ner Fuller, R. S. Bingham, Kate M. Sorn- 
 berger, Helen K. Hoose, Herbert M. Hill, 
 Hiram J. Messenger, Mary A. Knapp, Wil- 
 liam L. Bates, E. M. Ladd. 
 
 The superintendent purported to remove 
 from the school, Sept. 2d, those six teach- 
 ers who remained with the principal, obedi- 
 ent to the concurrent authority of the board, 
 but they continued to teach, nevertheless; 
 this was his tenth overt act against the 
 school. The next was his order to close 
 the school, issued Sept. 7th. The board 
 refused to close the school, or to allow it to 
 be closed by others. The twelfth act of the 
 superintendent was his application at the 
 special term of the .Supreme Court for a 
 writ of mandamus to compel the board to 
 accept his construction of the statute. The 
 case was argued Oct. 27th, 1880; the de- 
 cision was not rendered until Jan. 4th, 1881 ; 
 it sustained the position of the superintend- 
 ent, although the final service was not made 
 upon the board until Feb. 7th, 1 88 1. The 
 school continued to flourish from Sept. 1st, 
 1880, notwithstanding the attacks of the 
 superintendent, who also refused to certify 
 to any of the current expense accounts 
 of the school for the term. A class of 
 eighteen normal students was graduated 
 January i8th, 1881, but the superintendent 
 refused to prepare diplomas for the grad- 
 uates. 
 
 Under the orders of the court the superin- 
 tendent took sole charge of the school P^eb. 
 7th, 1881. The board carried the case to the 
 General Term of the Supreme Court ; it was 
 argued May 13th, the decision was handed 
 down Sept. 20th, 1 88 1 , and affirmed the de- 
 cision of the court below. The board car- 
 ried the case to the Court of Appeals Dec. 
 20th, 1 88 1 . January 3 i st, 1 88 1 , the super- 
 intendent argued in court on his motion to 
 to throw the case out of court on the ground 
 that the board having obeyed the courts 
 below had lost its right of appeal. The 
 court denied, Feb. 7th, his motion. The 
 case was argued before the Court of Appeals 
 March 24th, Hon. Samuel Hand appearing 
 for the board. April 18th the court handed 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 283 
 
 down its decision, reversing the courts below. 
 April 26th, 1882, Dr. Hoose and the six 
 teachers thus sent out by the superintendent 
 re-entered the school under command of 
 the courts. The superintendent vainly ap- 
 pealed, in May, to the Legislature to enact 
 a law giving to him absolute control of the 
 Normal Schools of the State. He then 
 sought in vain, in June, July, and August, 
 
 1882, the Chancellor of the Regents to unite 
 with him to remove the board from the Cort- 
 and Normal School. In Oct., 1882, Miss 
 Martha Saltsman, of Harford, Cortland 
 county, began an action for a mandamus to 
 compel the superintendent to grant to her a 
 diploma, she having graduated January 1 8th, 
 1 88 1. In December the superintendent 
 prepared diplomas for her, and for the bal- 
 lance of her class. He certified in January, 
 
 1883, to the current expense accounts of 
 the school and for a portion of the salaries 
 due for the time when he had possession of 
 the school. Measures were instituted to 
 collect from the State the balance of salaries 
 due to April 26th, 1882, and the Board of 
 of Claims awarded to the teachers in Jan- 
 uary, 1884, the amount of salary due for 
 said time. 
 
 This controversy was watched with deep- 
 est interest by friends of education every- 
 where, and public sentiment generally sus- 
 tained the local board, and those teachers 
 who remained under the board. The bus- 
 iness men of Cortland continued to furnish 
 the supplies which were necessary to meet 
 the needs of the school during the time that 
 the superintendent refused to certify to the 
 bills ; all of these bills have been paid. 
 Among the citizens of Cortland village who 
 sustained the board were Hon. A. P. Smith, 
 Mr. D. F. Wallace, Major A. Sager, Mr. 
 Morgan L. Webb, Mr. H. Hubbard, and Mr. 
 George Warren. 
 
 The school is in a highly prosperous 
 state, notwithstanding this controversy. 
 
 The self-sacrifice, devotion, firmness and 
 perseverance of the majority-seven of the 
 board and of their sympathizers have ele- 
 vated to a higher plane the tenure and in- 
 dependence of the position of the teachers, 
 and the dignity and worth of the profession 
 of teaching, and have given a new and il- 
 lustrious example of manhood defending 
 the freedom and rights of American citizens. 
 The legal points which the controversy 
 established are the following (89 New York 
 Reports, pp. 11-12): — 
 
 " The superintendent of public instruction 
 has no power to remove the princiijal of a nor- 
 mal school established under the act of 1866 
 (Chap. 466, Laws of 1866), without the con- 
 currence of the local board. 
 
 "The provision of said act (§4) declaring 
 that the ' employment ' of teachers in said schools 
 shall be subject to the approval of the superin- 
 tendent, refers to the act of hiring. When the 
 approval is once given, the contract of employ- 
 ment is complete, and the teacher can only be 
 discharged by the authority in whom the power 
 to employ is vested, /. e., by the concurrent act 
 of the local board and the superintendent. 
 
 " It is not within the power of the superin- 
 tendent, by annexing conditions to his approval, 
 to change the law regulating the discharge of 
 teachers of these schools. 
 
 " The local board of a normal school employed 
 one H. as principal, which employment was ap- 
 proved by the superintendent ' to continue in 
 force during the pleasure of the board and the 
 superintendent ; ' thereafter the superintendent 
 withdrew his approval and directed the local 
 board to recommend another principal, and 
 upon its declining so to do, made an appoint- 
 ment himself which the board refused to recog- 
 nize. In proceedings by inandainus to compel 
 such recognition, held, that the superintendent 
 had no authority to attach to his approval the 
 qualification stated ; that, notwithstanding the 
 action of the superintendent, H. remained 
 principal, and the refusal of the board ' to make 
 a new appointment was not an omission to dis- 
 charge its duties' within the meaning of the 
 amendatory act of 1869 (Chap. 18, Laws of 
 
284 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 1869) and so did not authorize the superintend- 
 ent to discharge sucli iluties." 
 
 CORTLAND VILLAGE POSTAL SERVICK. 
 It is ordinarily a difficult matter to give a 
 detailed record of the post-office of any 
 given village, as the t)nly documents from 
 which such a record can be made arc on 
 file in the Post-office Dei)artment at VV'ash- 
 ington. An c.\cc[)tion nia\-, ho\\e\er, be 
 made of the Cortland village ol'iice, owing 
 to the enterprise of Wm. H. Clark, proprie- 
 tur of the Cortland Slaiu/an/, who obtained 
 data from the deiiartnient records at the 
 time the office was removed into the new 
 Standard building on the night of April 2d, 
 1883, anil printed therefrom in his journal a 
 liistor)' of the pi)st- office from its first estab- 
 lishment, h'rom that record we compile 
 the following : — 
 
 The first postmaster of Cortlaiul village 
 was Oliver Wiswell, one of the earliest law- 
 yers in the place, who resided wliere W. R. 
 Randall now lives, and k-e[)t the olTice in a 
 front room. llis term of office extended to 
 Jidy 25tli, I. Si 7, when Roswell Randall suc- 
 ceeded him, and continued to serve for 
 about fotn- years, keeping the office in his 
 store, on the corner now occupied by the 
 Keator block, being followed by Samuel 
 Nelson, a]3pointed Maj- nth, 1822. This 
 gentleman resided where Mr. 1'. Ives now 
 lives, corner of Main and Mill streets, and, 
 as near as we can learu, kept the post-office 
 in his house. The post-office of that time 
 was a ver)' small afiair compared with the 
 one of the present, as persons were consid- 
 ered luck)- who received one letter a month, 
 and in order to get that had often to pay as 
 high as twenty- five cents. The mail was 
 brought froin Syracuse b)- a fom-horse 
 stage, the horn announcing its arrival being 
 " tooted " vigorously from the upper end 
 of Main street to Mr. Nelson's door. The 
 arrival of the one m.iil and the ile|)arture of 
 the same were the onl\- cnli\enin<j e\'ents 
 
 of the day. Postmaster Nelson afterwards 
 became, first, chief justice of the State of 
 New York, and, later on, associate justice 
 of the Supreme Court of the United States. 
 He also recei\'ed the degree of LL. D. from 
 Columbia College. He died in 1872 in 
 Cooperstown, at the age of 82. Charles 
 Lynde succeedetl him, the date of liis ap- 
 pointment being June 2d, 1823. Mr. Lynde 
 was a merchant and kept the office in his 
 store, which was on Main street, on the spot 
 where Mrs. Thomas Keator now resides. 
 He had charge of it until Dec. 20tli, 1824, 
 I when his brother, John Lynde, took his 
 I place. The latter gentleman was a doctor, 
 and kept, as was the custom then, the post- 
 office and his business office together. He 
 lived about half way between Cortland and 
 Homer. lie remained in office u[) to April 
 28th, 1825, when Roswell Randall was ap- 
 pointed for the second time. His office was 
 in the old Lagle block, which stood on 
 South Main street, and was absorbed in the 
 new Squires block. He, in turn, was suc- 
 ceeded by Canfield Marsh, appointed July 
 28th, 1830, who was a manufactin-er of and 
 dealer in hats. His store was an old wood- 
 en building situated where Union Hall 
 block now stands. 
 
 About this lime the name of the village 
 was changed by dropping the " u " from 
 " Courtlandt," making it " Cortlandt Vil- 
 lage." Richard Scouten, the proprietor of 
 the old Eagle Tavern, was the next post- 
 master, his date of appointment being Nov. 
 14th, 1839. lie kept the post-office in the 
 tavern, which at that time was two stories 
 high. A third story was added shortly 
 afterward, and in Januar)-, 1862, the whole 
 structure was burnt down, Isaac Fairchilds 
 owning it at the time. The post-office, 
 however, before this e\ent had passed into 
 the hands of Joel 15. Hibbard Feb. 24th, 
 1841. Mr, Hibbard was a partner of An- 
 drew Dickson, who afterwards had charge of 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 285 
 
 the office himself, and kept a general country 
 store in a brick block built by Messrs, Bishop 
 & Mclgcomb, on the site of the present Kea- 
 U)V block The next postmaster whose name 
 is on record was Tercius liels, appointed 
 May 15th, 1841, who was a merchant and 
 kept his store and the office in a long, low, 
 white building, afterwards occupied by 
 Charles W. Collins, where Garrison's block 
 now stands. Danforth Merrick, who kej)! 
 the " Cortland Ta\'ern" (on the site of the 
 Cortland House), took the post-office tem- 
 porarily, and kept it in his hotel from May 
 24th, 1842, till Sept. 6th, 1842, when An- 
 drew Dickson, before mentioned, took 
 charge of it, remo\ing it again to the site of 
 the present Kcator block. Jehiel Taylor, 
 a mechanic, came next, his appointment 
 bearing date April i8th, 1849, ^"d trans- 
 ferred the office to a small wing attached to 
 the building where Eels had kept it. Upon 
 the expiration of Ta\'lor's term of office, 
 Hiram Crandall was appointed and filled 
 the ])lace till March 19th, 1 86 1. He first 
 kept the office near where the National l^ank 
 of Cortland now is, and afterwards removed 
 it to where Mahan's block is at present lo- 
 cated, Nos. 9 and 1 1 Court street. This 
 building was a small wooden structure, 
 about twenty feet square, formerl}- an old 
 justice's office, and which was afterwards 
 moved up to No. 92 Adams street, where it 
 is now occupied by John Van Rensselaer. 
 Here we find the first record of a separate 
 building being used for post-office purposes 
 alone, unassociatetl with any other business 
 or profession. 
 
 At this time, too. the " t " at the end of 
 "Cortlandt " was dropped, making the name 
 of the office read " Cortland Village. " 
 
 With the incoming of a Republican ad- 
 ministration, on the 19th of March, 1861, 
 Horace A. Jarvis was appointed, and held 
 the position for over seventeen years (the 
 longest term of any postmaster in the place). 
 
 up to July 13th, 187S. He commenced 
 where the gas office now is, in the rear of 
 the National Hank of Cortland, but shortly 
 afterward removed to where the office was 
 before its change to the Standard building 
 (in the building on the corner of West Court 
 and Main streets). Mr. Jarvis was the first 
 to introduce the glass and lock-boxes. 
 James A. Nixon, the present incumbent, 
 was appointed July 13th, 1878, and has 
 since made many- and marked imjjrove- 
 ments. The name of the office was still 
 further changed, Sept. 23d, 1880, by drop- 
 ping the word " Village," leaving it plain 
 "Cortland," as it will probabU' always con- 
 tinue. 
 
 The new location in the Standard build- 
 ing is eminently fitted for accommodating 
 the office, combining as it does all the con- 
 veniences of steam heat, good ventilation, 
 plenty of light and an abundance of room. 
 The jiresent apartment has two entrances 
 on Tompkins street in addition to the one 
 upon Main, thus providing for the preven- 
 tion of the crowd and rush usually attendant 
 upon the delivery of the mails. 
 
 The business sections of the office arc in- 
 closed by glass, including the delivery de- 
 partment, which is in the form of an elon- 
 gated bay, the w-hole constructed in a con- 
 venient and appropriate shape for the rapid 
 dispatch of business. On the extreme right 
 is an entrance into the business room, and 
 on the same side are the Yale lock-boxes, 
 229 in number. Mr. Nixon's administra- 
 tion of the office gives excellent satisfaction 
 to the communitN'. 
 
 The Professions. — Readers of the gen- 
 eral county history embodied in preceding 
 chapters are already familiar with the 
 records of the legal and the medical pro- 
 fessions of this county. The former has 
 contributed man\' eminent men to the 
 count)-, by far the larger portion of them 
 having, naturally, been residents of this 
 
286 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 village. For the details of their ]irofessional 
 lives, their labors performed in public office 
 and in other fields to which the)- have been 
 called, the reader is rcferretl to the chapter 
 devoted to that profession. The medical 
 profession, too, has been especially honored, 
 and is at the present time, by the names 
 of man\- who have devoted their lives to 
 the healing of mankind in this county, and 
 who occupy positions of high distinction in 
 their chosen profession. These will be 
 found properl)- treated in their appropriate 
 place and hence need not be further referred 
 to in this connection. 
 
 The Dental Profession of Cortland Vil- 
 lage. — The first dentist in the village of 
 Cortland was Dr. Levi R. Gleason, who 
 came here in about the year 1852. He was 
 a native of the town of Virgil, was an ex- 
 cellent operator and a worthy citizen. He 
 remained about ten years and sold out his 
 business and office appliances to Dr. F. O. 
 Hyatt, a native of Otsego county. Dr. 
 Hyatt came into the county in 1844, locat- 
 ing first in Marathon. He received his 
 dental education in Towanda, Pa., under 
 Dr. Mcintosh and L. B. Hyatt, and began 
 practicing first in Marathon in 1848. He 
 then took up his residence in Cortland as 
 stated. He soon gained an enviable business 
 and a reputation as a first-class operator. 
 
 Dr. Hyatt is, aside from his profession, 
 an artist of recognized ability, possessing 
 genius and talent of a high order, especially 
 as a portrait painter. Although he never 
 had instruction in the art, some of his works 
 evince merits that entitle them to rank with 
 those of our eminent artists. His first at- 
 tempt was a portrait of his brother, C. S. 
 Hyatt. The distinctive features of e.Kcellent 
 portraiture were so apparent in this work 
 that he has since received commissions from 
 a large number of prominent men, both in 
 Cortland county and at a distance. In the 
 fire on the corner of West Court and Main 
 
 streets. May 24th, 1884, Dr. Hyatt lost 
 about one hundred and fifty choice paint- 
 ings, besides his dental rooms. 
 
 Dr. Monroe Frank came to Cortland about 
 1868, and not long afterward Dr. A. H. 
 Matson, now a leading dentist of Syracuse, 
 located here. They remained but a few 
 years. Messrs. Pettingill & Spencer then 
 opened rooms and remained in the business 
 about nine years. They were succeeded 
 by Dr. Todd, who was a student in Dr. 
 Hyatt's office. He continued four or five 
 years when he sold to H. G. & C. E. In- 
 galls, who have now carried on a successful 
 practice about twelve \-ears. 
 
 George L. Holden came to Cortland from 
 McGrawville and practiced a few years, 
 when he died, in 1877. Dr. G. H. Smith 
 came also from McGrawville and studied 
 with Dr. Hyatt from 1871, and in 1879 
 formed a partnership with him. He is still 
 here. G. \V. Hull has enjoyed a successful 
 practice here for a number of years, and L. 
 T. White, also, who has been in practice a 
 few years. 
 
 The Cortland Water Company. — The 
 water drawn from the numerous wells of 
 Cortland village has always been of an ex- 
 cellent character. These wells were dug 
 through the gravelly soil and stoned up in 
 the ordinary manner, until the invention 
 and patenting of the well known driven 
 well by Mr. Suggett, of Cortland village. 
 Since that event driven wells almost with- 
 out number have been put down in the vil- 
 lage, the soil being especially well adapted 
 for the use of that device. Not onl\- this, 
 but the same plan was adopted some years 
 since as a means of supph'ing the village 
 with water for extinguishing fires and other 
 public purposes. Driven wells were sunk 
 of several inches calibre and four or more 
 of them connected with one discharge pipe 
 at the top, to which the suction of a fire 
 engine could be attached. These wells 
 
Town of Cortlandvii.le. 
 
 287 
 
 have served their purpose effectively and 
 have been put down on most of the prom- 
 inent street corners. But the recent rapid 
 growth of the village and the distance of 
 the wells from each other, with constantly- 
 increasing danger from fires, has made it 
 apparent that some other and more exten- 
 sive system of water works was one of the 
 imperative needs of the place. The sub- 
 ject was often agitated, as we have already 
 stated, of bringing water into the village 
 from Otter creek, and other less promising 
 plans have been suggested, but without 
 practical effect, until the year of this writing 
 (1884), when the question of giving the 
 village an abundant supply of pure water 
 has undoubted!}' reached its solution, 
 through the organization of the Cortland 
 Water Works Company. This is a private 
 corporation which entered into a contract 
 with the firm of Hinds, Moffat & Co., of 
 Watertown, to construct and equip a water 
 system on the following general plan : — 
 
 First, To erect a pump house to be lo- 
 cated at the Otter creek springs and to 
 place therein pumps known as the " Worth- 
 ington," of sufficient capacity to pump to 
 summit of court-house hill 1,200 gallons 
 per minute, with proper boiler, feed pump, 
 connections, etc. The land to be purchased 
 and a good and sufficient basin to pump 
 from prepared. 
 
 Second, A ten-inch pipe to run from 
 pump to reservoir. 
 
 Third, Reservoir to be of iron, to be 
 forty feet high and fort}' feet in diameter. 
 
 Fourth, Mains starting from reservoir 
 with ten-inch pipe running down Prospect 
 street to Messenger House corner via 
 Tompkins street, mains to' run from the 
 Wickwire factory on South Main to Grant 
 street, Port Watson street, to cross Dele- 
 ware, Lackawanna and Western railroad, 
 on Court street. Railroad street. Elm, Mill, 
 Grant, Lincoln avenue. West Court, Tomp- 
 
 kins, Reynolds avenue. Union, Church and 
 Greenbush streets. 
 
 Fifth, Hydrants to be placed along line 
 of pipes as trustees of village may direct. 
 The hydrants to be frost proof 
 
 Sixth, Gates to be placed at all places 
 available along pipe so pipes may be re- 
 paired without shutting off from reservoir. 
 
 At the annual meeting held in F'ircmen's 
 Hall, on the i8th day of March, 1884, the 
 following resolution was voted upon and 
 passed : — 
 
 "■Resolved, Third, That the sum of $2,000 be 
 raised by special ta.x, for the puqiose of purchas- 
 ing and contracting for, from the Cortland Water 
 Works Company, the use of forty hydrants of 
 water for protection from fire and for other i)ur- 
 poses during the coming year, to be located as 
 by the board of trustees of the village directed, 
 with three public drinking fountains on Main 
 street." 
 
 The plans of the water company have 
 been carried out in all essential particulars, 
 and the village will hereafter, without 
 doubt, be supplied with water which can 
 be taken into every dwelling and place of 
 business, besides beiijg always at hand for 
 fire purposes. It is one of the most im- 
 portant improvements ever made in Cort- 
 land village. 
 
 Public Halls, Theaters, etc. — The first 
 public hall in Cortland village that was 
 prepared expressly for amusements, public 
 meetings, dancing parties, etc., was what 
 was known as Re}nolds's Hall, and later as 
 Squires's Hall, after the building passed 
 into possession of James S. Squires. The 
 hall continued in use for its intended pur- 
 poses for many years and until H. J. Mes- 
 senger built what is now called Taylor Hall 
 block, in the }-ear 1864. This place of 
 amusement was fitted up with a stage, a 
 limited amount of scenery and other acces- 
 sories to render it available for theatrical 
 entertainments. It was called Messenger 
 Hall until the building was transferred to 
 
288 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Will. 1'". & Clias. 'ra_\-li)r, wlicn tlic name 
 was chaiiLjed to Taylor Hall. The interior, 
 the stage, scenery, etc., ha\-e been renewed, 
 extended and improved at difterent times 
 since it was first opened. 
 
 The subject of a new opera house in 
 Cortland has been often discussed and agi- 
 tated within the past ten )-ears. While the 
 size of the village and the tastes of the in- 
 habitants demanded public amusements df 
 a high order, the fact of there being no atl- 
 equate accommodations for first-class dra- 
 matic and musical organizations has kept 
 many such from making engagements here 
 which otherwise would. 
 
 The current j'ear (1884), which has wit- 
 nessed so many other needed improvements 
 in the village, will also see the consumma- 
 tion of plans for a beautiful theater which 
 will be erected at a cost of about $35,000. 
 For this purpose a number of leading citi- 
 zens have united their means and taken the 
 necessary responsibility. J. II, Kirbx, of 
 S}'racuse, was employed to make the plans 
 for the new theater and has given his pa- 
 trons a buikling which will be a credit to 
 himself and to the place. The seating 
 capacity of the theater is about 1,100 and 
 the walls are of Trenton brick. 
 
 Homer and Cortland Gas Company. — 
 This compan}^ was organized in the j'ear i 
 i860, for the purpose of suppl)'ing the two j 
 villages of Homer and Cortland with ilhini- 
 inating gas. Nathan Randall was the prin- | 
 cipal promoter of the enterprise and J. M. 
 Schermerhorn subsequently became largely 
 interested in it. The first certificate of stock 
 was issued to Mr. Schermerhorn on the 1st 
 day of December, 1861, and the first read- 
 ing of meters was made in October of that 
 year. The works are located midway be- ; 
 tween the villages. The stock passed from 
 the possession of the original holders to Mr. 
 Schermerhorn in 1874, and was afterward 
 bought by the Wilkinsons, Trucsdall S: Hlair , 
 
 and A. C. \\()(id, all of S\"racuse, who now 
 own nearl)' the whole. 
 
 There are at the present time 99 street 
 lamps in Cortland village and 48 in Homer. 
 There are about 400 consumers in tlie for- 
 mer village and 150 in the latter. 11 B. 
 Woodworth has been superintendent since 
 August 3d. 1880, with his office in Cortland. 
 
 Fire Department. — The first movement 
 towards providing the village with adequate 
 apparatus for extinguishing fires was made 
 at the fourth meeting of the board of trus- 
 tees, December 29th, 1853, when the fol- 
 lowing resolution was adopted: — 
 
 ^'■Resolved, That the clerk is hereby author- 
 ize<l to cause a notice to be published in the 
 Cortland Deiiwcrat, calling a meeting of the 
 voters of Cortland for the j)urpose of raising the 
 sum of $1,150 for engine and hose; $150 for 
 engine house and $250 for reservoir and con- 
 ductors. " 
 
 The notice, for some unkown reason, was 
 not published as directed, and at the next 
 meeting, Januar)- ijtli, 1854, a resolution 
 was adopted embodying the same authority 
 and directing that the meeting to vote on 
 the question of raising the above named 
 sums be held on the loth of February, in- 
 stant. Other delays occurred so that the 
 meeting was not held until the i8th day of 
 April. 
 
 The sum authorized to be raised for the 
 engine house was changed from $150 to 
 $100 and the resolutions were adopted. 
 At a meeting of the board on the 29th of 
 May a resolution was passed requesting 
 that those persons who wished to become 
 members of the fire compain- to be organ- 
 ized would hand their names to the trustees 
 on or before the 5th of June, then next. It 
 was also resolved that the engine to be pro- 
 cured should be named the "Tioughnioga." 
 
 The president of the board was then au- 
 thorized to contract for a suitable engine, 
 hose and hose carriage and other necessary 
 apparatus, at as early a date as possible. 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 289 
 
 At the meeting of June 5tli the following 
 names were read as constituting the first 
 fire company of the village : — 
 
 J. C. Jarvis, E. Gurley, Glen Cuyler, E. 
 F. Gould, C. S. Crouch, J. B. Fairchild, A. 
 Lyman, E. Gatty, Giles Rexford, G. Brad- 
 ford, J. A. Graham, John Murray, Ballard 
 Stephens, C. L. Todd, S. Benjamin, I. M. 
 Seaman, H. Buell, H. Bates. J. T. Bates, H. 
 Mead, H. A. Jarvis, J. Knowlton, VVm. 
 Powers, H? Danes, F. Hotchkiss, R. Rounds, 
 T. Cornwell, D. Fisk, jr., A. Sweet, D. Mal- 
 lory, W. Van Schaak, I. Seaman, W. Rooks, 
 E. Merritt, H. Rouse, J. B. Horton, R. Lee, 
 
 W. Gager, C. Jones, Bass, E. Johnson, 
 
 Maycumbcr, J. C. Pomeroy, D. Smith, 
 
 J. Wiles, A. A. Sweet, Chas. Taylor, W. Al- 
 vord, R. Mudge. 
 
 At a meeting held August 2d the follow- 
 ing persons were appointed to fill places of 
 others who had resigned or refused to 
 serve — 
 
 Chas. Snyder, James Carmichael, Geo. 
 Potter, Samuel Bush, John Ticrney, Wm. 
 Burt, C. Rogers, C. W. Crofoot, O. E. 
 House, Lyman Mead. 
 
 It will be quite clear to the older residents 
 of Cortland that nearly all the respected cit- 
 izens of the village at the time the fire com- 
 pany was organized, joined it. 
 
 Stephen R. Hunter, Henry Brewer, G. 
 K. Stiles, Rufus A. Reed and S. D. Freer, 
 were made the first fire wardens of the 
 village. 
 
 At the meeting of the board of August 
 1 8th the name of the engine was changed 
 to "Water Witch." The engine, with hose 
 cart and other apparatus, cost $1056.60, 
 which was paid in Nov., 1854. An addi- 
 tional sum of $150 was voted for the en- 
 gine house early in the year 1855 and a lib- 
 eral amount was expended in digging and 
 enlarging wells, which work was continued 
 by succeeding boards of trustees. 
 
 In March, 1855, proposals were called for 
 
 for the construction of three cisterns on 
 Main street, nine feet deep, of oval form, 
 sixteen feet in the longest axis and ten feet 
 in the shortest, with cobble-stone walls laid 
 in water-lime. Two of these were subse- 
 quently built, with slight modifications, by 
 John Sullivan, at a cost of about fifty dol- 
 lars each. 
 
 In the latter part of 1855 an engine 
 house was built by contract with Ira Meads, 
 costing $262. In the following year $216 
 were raised with which the lot was pur- 
 chased whereon the engine house was built. 
 
 In 1857 three ladders were made by or- 
 der of the trustees. The committee ap- 
 pointed for that purpose reported that the 
 ladders "had been made at a cost of $13.75, 
 and thought those would be all that would 
 be necessary at present." 
 
 The first appropriation of money to the 
 fire company by the village trustees was 
 made in February, i860, to the amount of 
 $25. An appropriation of $150 was made 
 in the same year for purchasing a bell and 
 putting up the same, and for other fire ex- 
 penses. In 1 86 1 the company received from 
 the village $23.30, the amount of tax re- 
 ceived on foreign insurance companies, and 
 additional hose was purchased at a cost of 
 $100.86. New wells and cisterns were also 
 added. 
 
 In 1863 $150 were appropriated for the 
 purchase of hook and ladder apparatus and 
 a like sum for wells and cisterns. Dr. F. O. 
 Hyatt was given authority at a subsequent 
 meeting to purchase hook and ladder truck 
 and appurtenances, at a cost of $360. On 
 the 24th of August of this year a resolution 
 was passed by the trustees, granting the 
 privilege to the Water Witch Fire Company 
 to organize a separate hose company, which 
 should however be under direction of the 
 fire company. 
 
 The board of trustees of 1 864, at their 
 December meeting, voted to accept the res- 
 
290 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 olution of disbandmcnt of tlic hook and lad- 
 der company, and appointed tlie following 
 named gentlemen as members of a new 
 company, with power to meet on the loth 
 of December to elect officers : — 
 
 Byron Phelps, C. W. Collins, \V. W. Gale, 
 M. H. McGraw, Thomas Sims, A. Sager, 
 Frank W. Freeman, L. Uexter, J. P. Hotch- 
 kiss, Geo. J. Allen, M. P. Callender, D. Ed- 
 wards, Harry Lewis, J. A. Corwin, John El- 
 lison, Geo. G. Spcrry, D. T. Williams, and 
 B. H. Webster. At the same time $cSo were 
 voted the new company, with which to pur- 
 chase shirts. 
 
 In March, 1865, the following additional 
 members of the companj' were appointed : 
 — P:. D. Mallory, N. Minturn, J osiah Ste- 
 vens, J. H. Gatland, J. B. P'airchild, John 
 Ryan, Geo. Nottingham, Marvin G. John- 
 son, Simon Lynn, L M. Seaman. 
 
 The Cortland P'ire Department, as organ- 
 ized under the charter, must now consist of 
 a chief engineer, first and second assistant 
 engineers, a secretary and treasurer, with 
 the necessary organized companies. The 
 officers are elected on the last Wednesday 
 of each year. The foremen of companies 
 are empowered to call meetings for the elec- 
 tion of officers. General meetings for in- 
 spection and re\'iew are held in September 
 of each year. At a special meeting held 
 P'eb. 13th, 1866, J. C. Carmichacl was ap- 
 pointed chief engineer. He was succeeded 
 in 1873 by W. W. Gale; 1874, H. F. Shirley; 
 1878, I. H. Palmer; 1880, C. E. Ingalls. 
 
 By a resolution of the board in 1873 
 Water Witch Hose Company was author- 
 ized to become a separate incorporation ; 
 and in 1878 Orris Hose Company was in- 
 corporated. Excelsior Hook and Ladder 
 Company was incorporated in 1877. Em- 
 erald Hose Company was incorporated in 
 1878. 
 
 In the year 1875 e.\tensi\e improvements 
 and additions were made in the fire depart- 
 
 ment ; the present handsome and con\'cn- 
 ient engine-house was erected under a con- 
 tract made with L. G. Viele, and the first 
 steps were taken towards procuring a steam 
 fire engine. At the annual meeting in 1876 
 the sum of $2,500 was voted fur the exten- 
 sion of the well system in the village and 
 $5,000 for engine, etc. A rotary Silsby 
 steamer was purchased, which has since 
 proved its efficiency on several occasions 
 when the \illage has been visiied by de- 
 structive fires. 
 
 P"ollo\ving arc the present officers of the 
 fire department : — 
 
 Chief engineer — M. F. Cleary. 
 
 First assistant — Thomas Button. 
 
 Second assistant — Del. Barber. 
 
 Treasurer — Thomas Grady. 
 
 Secretary — Y\rthur M. Delavan. 
 
 The Cortland Protective Police is an effi- 
 cient organization acting in co-operation 
 with the fire department. F"ollowing are 
 the officers : — 
 
 Captain — A. Sager. 
 
 Lieutenant — R. A. Smith. 
 
 Sergeant — Geo. W. Davenport. 
 
 Treasurer — C. P. W'alrad. 
 
 Secretary — C. W. Collins. 
 
 Property clerk — F. A. Bickford. 
 
 Following are the officers of W'ater Witch 
 Fire Company No. i : — 
 
 P'oreman — A. G. Newton. 
 
 P'irst assistant — B. Delavan. 
 
 Second assistant — John Chamberlain. 
 
 Secretary — O. D. Ra\-mond. 
 
 Treasurer — J. W. I^owen. 
 
 Property clerk — O. D. Ra}mond. 
 
 The officers of Orris Hose ComiKUi}- are 
 as follows : — 
 
 President — C. S. Strowbridge. 
 
 Foreman — Burnett K. "SUWer. 
 
 First assistant — E. L. Rodgers. 
 
 Second assistant — S. H. Strow^bridge. 
 
 Secretar\- — H. A. Dickinson. 
 
 Treasurer — F. R. Woodworth. 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 291 
 
 The officers of Emerald Hose Company- 
 are : — 
 
 President — Daniel Dolan. 
 
 Vice-president — James Dowd. 
 
 Foreman — John Dowd. 
 
 First assistant — John Dallton. 
 
 Second assistant — Thomas Purcell. 
 
 Secretary — A. McSweney. 
 
 Treasurer — Patrick Dwyre. 
 
 Property clerk — Michael Healey. 
 
 The officers of the Excelsior Hook and 
 Ladder Company are as follows : — 
 
 Foreman — F. W. Kingsbury. 
 
 First assistant — Earl Stimson. 
 
 Second assistant — Frank Howard. 
 
 Secretary — Charles Thompson. 
 
 Treasurer — John Phelps. 
 
 Property clerk — Arthur M. Delavan. 
 
 Cortland and Homer Horse Railway 
 Company. — This company was organized 
 in 1882 for the purpose of constructing a 
 street car line which should connect the two 
 villages of Homer and Cortland. Different 
 lines of omnibuses had hitherto run between 
 the villages and their patronage was such 
 as to warrant the prime movers in the en- 
 terprise in going forward with the work. 
 During the summer of 1883 the track was 
 laid from the southern portion of the village 
 to the point where the D. L. & W. railroad 
 crosses the road to Homer, and from Ho- 
 mer to near the same point. Here an un- 
 expected obstacle was encountered in a 
 refusal of the D. L. & W. Railroad Company 
 to allow the street car line to cross its tracks. 
 The question was taken into the courts and 
 a decision from the Court of Appeals was 
 given in favor of the horse railway com- 
 pany. The tracks will now be made con- 
 tinuous to Homer village. 
 
 At a meeting of the stockholders of the 
 company, held the first week in March, 
 1884, the following directors were elected 
 for the ensuing year: — 
 
 Chas. H. Garrison, R. H. Duell, L. D. 
 
 Garrison, J. C. Carmiciiael, W. H. Clark, 
 J. D. Schermerhorn, Wm. N. Brockway, 
 S. E. Welch, C. C. Taylor, L. J. Fitzgerald, 
 E. A. Fish, J. M. Milne and Coleman 
 Hitchcock. 
 
 At a subsequent meeting of the new- 
 board of directors the following officers were 
 chosen : 
 
 President — Chas. H. Garrison. 
 
 Vice-president — J. C. Carmichael. 
 
 Secretary — J. M. Milne. 
 
 Treasurer — S. E. Welch. 
 
 Attorney — R. H. Duell. 
 
 Engineer — F. E. Knight. 
 
 Executive com. — L. J. Fitzgerald, W. 
 H. Clark, J. D. Schermerhorn. 
 
 MANUFACTL'RIXG INTERESTS. 
 
 We have not to go very far into the past 
 in search of the beginning of manufactur- 
 ing in Cortland village ; at least upon a 
 scale that would call for any special atten- 
 tion in this work. While this place has al- 
 ways possessed important advantages as a 
 manufacturing center, and particularly so 
 since its railroad connections have been 
 developed, yet it was many years after it 
 had become entitled to creditable mention 
 among the thriving interior villages of the 
 State before its manufacturing industries felt 
 that forward impulse which has within the 
 past decade made its name familiar in al- 
 most every State of the Union, and given 
 it a growth in population that is almost 
 phenomenal. 
 
 To establish manufactures in e\ery bus- 
 iness center is the hopeful desire of pro- 
 gressive citizens the country over ; for it is 
 well known that they are the never-failing 
 key to advancement. But it is often only 
 after years of patient waiting th^t the bold 
 spirits, imbued with energy and persever- 
 ance, are found who will take the initiatory 
 steps in great undertakings. When this is 
 once accomplished, there are seldom want- 
 
292 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 in^ onoiigli others who will follow in tlic 
 cstablislimcnt of other industries and the 
 community' takes on now life. The manu- 
 facturinyj industries of Cortland, a large pro- 
 portion of wliich have been established 
 within the past ten years, have been almost 
 uniformly successful, and this fact should 
 act as a stimulant to others. Aside from 
 the one feature of water power (and that 
 sooner or later gives way to steam), Cort- 
 land possesses facilities for the manufact- 
 urer that are almost luiexccUeil. Promi- 
 nent among these are her ship|)ing advan- 
 tages — a feature that is of more importance 
 in this connection than any other. 
 
 The Syracuse, l^inghamton and New 
 York Railroad connccls at Hinghamton 
 with the New York, Lake Erie and West- 
 ern, and Delaware, Lackawanna and West- 
 ern Railroads ; at Syracuse with the New 
 York Central and West Shore roads ; the 
 Utica, Ithaca and Elmira connects at El- 
 mira also with the Erie and Delaware, Lack- 
 awanna and Western, and at I-'reeville with 
 the Southein Central, and the Cazenovia, 
 Canastota and De Ruyter Railroad also con- 
 nects at Canastota with the New York Cen- 
 tral — thus giving a choice of shipment 
 over five of the greatest rival lines in the 
 State, and there is good reason for predict- 
 ing that these ample railroad connections 
 will ere long be supplemented by otliers. 
 The village authorities are alive to the im- 
 portance of offering a warm and liberal 
 welcome to all contemplating manufact- 
 urers, which fact is becoming widely known 
 and cannot fail to attract capital. 
 
 Tile heaviest manufacturing interest in 
 Cortland at the present time is that of road 
 vehicles — wagons, carriages and cutters. 
 In connection with this industry Cortland 
 village is known throughout the United 
 States and in many foreign countries. 
 
 Wagon making in Cortland was begun 
 at an early day, one of the first manufact- 
 
 urers being Joseph Crantlall, who began 
 the business in the spring of 1820. He was 
 an enterprising, progressive man and car- 
 ried on cpiite a large business for that 
 period.' The first shop used by Crandall 
 stood on tlic site now occupied by Barney 
 Doud's tavern on Port Watson street ; this 
 old shop was burned. Crandall's second 
 sIio[) was the building now owned by W. P. 
 Randall and occupied b}' Niver's livery sta- 
 ble. Crandall was succeeded in that shop 
 by Wilber & Collins, who afterward sold to 
 William K. Parker. He was the last man- 
 ufacturer of wagons in that building, which 
 was sold to Henry Smith, who used it as a 
 sash factory for a time and sold it to Mr. 
 Randall in 1848. Here he kept one of the 
 most extensive livery stables in the county 
 for a period of thirty years. At one time 
 during his career in this business, in the 
 palmy days of staging from Syracuse to 
 Binghamton, Mr. Randall kept about one 
 hundred horses. 
 
 The manufacture of wagons in Cortland 
 attracted but little attention until the foun- 
 dation was laid for one of the largest estab- 
 lishments in the world — that of the Cort- 
 land Wagon Compan\'. In the year 1869 
 L. J. Eitzgerald and O. C. Gee began mak- 
 ing wagons in the usual manner of similar 
 works in villages, in the building now occu- 
 pied by the office of the Cortland Democrat ; 
 there they turned out about 150 wagons 
 annual!)- and the business was continued on 
 about that basis until 1872, when Mr. Gee's 
 interest was purchaseil by Chas. W. Kinne. 
 The new firm .soon put in operation their 
 plan of building platform wagons for the 
 general market. New buildings were erect- 
 ed on Railroad street, and the new firm 
 turned out 500 wagons the first year of their 
 
 1 .\iiiong Craiiclnll's employees wa.s a lad wlio Uaveled 
 from PeeUskill to Cortland on foot, remaining in the es- 
 tablishment as shop boy for seven months. Mis name 
 was William li. Kirk, now an old, respected and wealthy 
 citizen of Syracuse. 
 

 2; 
 
 ■J 
 
 y. 
 
 o 
 ■J) 
 
 u 
 
Town of Cortlaxdville. 
 
 293 
 
 partnership. The two men were full of 
 business energy and they united their best 
 efforts in carrying out the idea of building 
 an excellent vehicle and pushing the sale to 
 to such a number annually as would enable 
 them to greatly undersell all competitors. 
 
 The wisdom of the plan was rapidly dem- 
 on.strated. The third year (1875) they 
 built and sold i ,000 wagons, and the next 
 year 1,500, at which time the firm took the 
 name of the Cortland Wagon Manufacturing 
 Company and erected their wood-working 
 shop on the site of their present immense 
 factor)', near the railroad depot of the D., 
 L. & W. road. In the year 1876 2,200 wa- 
 gons were built and sold, and in the follow- 
 ing year Mr. Kinne died, leaving the re- 
 sponsibility of a large and growing business 
 on Mr. Fitzgerald's shoulders ; but he has 
 proved fully equal to the work. In 1878 
 the production of the works was the same 
 as in the preceding year, and on the 1st of 
 January, 1879, the present stock organiza- 
 tion was formed — the Cortland Wagon 
 Company — and incorporated, with a cap- 
 tal of $100,000. The directors were L. J. 
 Fitzgerald, W. D. Tisdale, Hugh Duffy and 
 M. D. Welch. During that year between 
 5, 000 and 6,000 wagons were manufactured, 
 which number was increased in 1880, and 
 in 1 88 1, to 8,000. 
 
 In the fall of 1880 the middle building 
 and the east building, which connects the 
 north and south buildings, were erected, and 
 on the first day of April, 1 88 1 , the old works 
 on Railroad street were abandoned and the 
 whole business centered at this point, be- 
 tween the S. B. & N. Y., and U. I. & E. 
 railroads, with special tracks from both roads 
 running into the works. Here the facilities 
 were still more largely increased, until they 
 are now manufacturing and selling 12,000 
 platform spring wagons, buggies and phae- 
 tons, per year; thirty railway cars of an 
 extra large size being owned by the com- 
 
 pany and employed in the transportation 
 of their products to all parts of the United 
 States. 
 
 The present directors of the company 
 are the same as given above, with the ex- 
 ception of Mr. Welch, who withdrew. Mr. 
 Fitzgerald is president ; Hugh Duffy, vice- 
 president and general superintendent ; W. 
 D. Tisdale treasurer, and F. Cyrus Straat 
 secretary. The business has been extended 
 to embrace the manufacture of buggies and 
 the company is now without doubt the 
 largest manufacturers of spring wagons in 
 the world. From 300 to 350 men are em- 
 ployed ; about $18,000 are paid in wages 
 monthly, and the works are valued at 
 $500,000 and cover nine acres of ground. 
 It is an industry of which any city or vil- 
 lage might well be proud. 
 
 C. B. Hitchcock's Buggy and Cutter 
 Works. — In the spring of 1877 C. B. 
 Hitchcock came to Cortland from Cincin- 
 natus and began the manufacture of cut- 
 ters, on Port Watson street. He was a 
 practical carriage painter and had been 
 proprietor of a carriage manufactory in 
 Cincinnatus, whence he removed to satisfy 
 his ambition to do a larger business. In 
 the first }-ear of his trade in Cortland he 
 made and sold 100 cutters, from which 
 moderate success grew his belief that the 
 business could be almost indefinitely ex- 
 tended. To this end he purchased the old 
 Methodist Church building which had been 
 removed to the corner of Elm street and 
 the Syracuse, Binghamton and New York 
 railroad, and in the following year turned 
 out 250 cutters and 100 buggies. Addi- 
 tions were made to the works in 1879 and 
 the product increased to 550 cutters and 
 200 buggies. Since that time annual ex- 
 tensions have been made to the buildings, 
 to meet the necessities of the rapidly in- 
 crejising sales, which reached in 1883 about 
 10,000 cutters and 2,000 wagons. The 
 
^94 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 works now comprise a wood-working;' sliop 
 and engine liouse, 6o by lOO feet in di- 
 mensions ; blacksmith shop, 30 by 1 50 
 feet; painting and stock building, 100 b)' 
 120 feet; a fi\e-stor\- building, 30 by 300 
 feet, occupied by the repositorj-, trimming 
 and shipping departments ; and other small- 
 er buildings. This is now the largest cut- 
 ter manufactory in the world and the busi- 
 ness has grown from $4,000 in 1877 to 
 about $500,000. On the 1st of Januarj-, 
 lS<S4, a stock compau)- was organized, with 
 $150,000 capital. It is the intention of 
 the compan}- to greatly extend the works 
 and begin the manufacture of agricultural 
 implements. The officers of the company 
 are C. B. Hitchcock, president; H. L. 
 Gleason, secretary and superintendent ; H. 
 C. Henry, treasurer. 
 
 The R. C. Tillinghast Carriage and Cut 
 tcr Works. — A more recent, \^et scarcely 
 less successful, manufactorj- in the line of 
 work under consideration is the one whose 
 name is just given. In the latter part of 
 1 88 1 a copartnership was entered into b}- 
 R. C. Tillinghast and F. A. Warner, for 
 the manufacture of carriages and cutters. 
 The main building on Owego street was 
 erected early in the year 1882 and under 
 the immediate supervision of Mr. Warner, 
 who is a thorough-going, practical carriage 
 maker, manufacturing was begun. The 
 business developed at once and before a 
 year had expired large additions were 
 needed to the buildings. The first year 
 between 300 and 400 carriages and about 
 100 cutters were made and sold. This 
 number has now increased to about 1,500 
 carriages and 2,000 cutters. The works 
 comprise six large buildings and their prod- 
 uct annually now reaches a value of 
 $150,000. 
 
 The Cortland Omnibus Companj'. — 
 Raymond Smith came into the town of 
 Homer in 1841 and began farming. In 
 
 1850 he removed into the village where 
 he established a large wagon shop near the 
 lower bridge. He continued the business 
 successfull}' until 1863, when he died. His 
 son, W. T. Smith, succeeded in tlie shop, 
 where he continued until the year 1881, 
 during which period he had acquired an 
 excellent reputation for building omnibuses. 
 This branch of his business increased raji- 
 idly and led to his removal to Cortland and 
 the organization of the Cortland Omnibus 
 Compan)-. From a hundred to a hundred 
 and seventy-five omnibuses are now made 
 by the company annually and are shipped 
 to all parts of the United States. The pop- 
 ularit)- of these vehicles has been gained 
 chiefly upon their lightness and strength 
 and their tasteful styles. In March, 1882, 
 a stock company was formed wliich took 
 control of the works, with Mr. Smitii as 
 superintendent. This is, probabh", the 
 largest manufactory of omnibuses in the 
 United States. 
 
 The E.xcelsior Top Compan\-. — This im- 
 portant enterprise is closely allied with the 
 wagon manufactories alread\- described and 
 is another of the young but very successful 
 industries of Cortland. It had its origin in 
 March, 1881, when L. K. Tenney and 
 Graham Straat rented a portion of the old 
 Gee shop on Port Watson street and began 
 the manufacture of carriage tops in a small 
 wa}', under the above name ; the)* then 
 employed but one man. The business rap- 
 idly increased and in No\-ember, 1SS2, was 
 transferred to Wm. R. Stoppard and Fitz 
 Bo\-nton. This firm continued until the 
 last of the )-ear 1883, when the enterprise 
 passed into the hands of W, H. Newton and 
 Chas. E. Selo\'er, under the firm name of 
 Newton & Selover. The increase of the 
 sale of their goods necessitated frequent 
 extensions of their works, and in 1882 
 ground was purchased on Elm street for a 
 new factor)'. This was occupied on the 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 295 
 
 lOth of January, 1883, and is a building 
 three stories high, 96 by 40 feet in dimen- 
 sions, with an adjoining structure 30 b\' 60 
 feet. Here about sixty-five employees 
 find work and a product vakied at $160,000 
 was turned out in tlie vein 1S83, which was 
 shipped from Maine to Cahfornia. Car- 
 riage tops, dashes, cusliions and backs are 
 made, which give satisfaction to carriage 
 builders wherever they are used. 
 
 Whoever has read thus far of the wagon 
 manufactures in Cortland \illage, and its 
 allied interests, will not fail to be impressed 
 with the fact that here are established some 
 of the most important industries in the 
 country ; and it will not be a difficult task 
 to show that these are supplemented by 
 others entirely different in character, but no 
 less important to the village and of no less 
 wonderful growth. For example, the wire 
 works of the Wickwire Brothers, which is 
 one of the enterprises that first gave an 
 impetus to manufacturing at this point, is a 
 marvel of success and of the deepest inter- 
 est as regards the character of its work. 
 
 Pre\ious to the year 1874 the Wickwire 
 Brothers were engaged in the retail hard- 
 ware trade in Cortland — a business which 
 led them to the idea of establishing a woven 
 wire factory in the village. Thej- accord- 
 ingly put in a small hand loom and began 
 operations, producing about 1 50 square 
 feet of wire cloth per day. This product 
 was placed upon the market and the de- 
 mand rapidly increased. More looms were 
 added and the second year after beginning 
 the new industry the -firm abandoned the 
 hardware trade to devote their entire en- 
 ergies to the other branch. Weaving wire 
 by hand is a comparatively slow process, 
 a fact which \\as early noted by the elder 
 Wickwire, who determined to produce a 
 power lotom. He is possessed of a good de- 
 gree of inventi\e ability, and with the open- 
 ing of the jear 1877 he had the satisfaction of 
 
 seeing in operation a successful power loom 
 of his own design. These machines were 
 put in place of the old hand process, re- 
 ducing the cost of their product and thus 
 still further extending their trade. Thus 
 far the firm had purchased their wire of 
 other manufacturers. Seeing the advantage 
 it would be to them to draw their own wire, 
 they erected the large wire mill near the 
 depot of the U., I. & E. railroad in the 
 year 1880 and began the manufacture of 
 wire on a large scale — the only weavers 
 of wire goods in the country who draw 
 their own wire. This building is four stories 
 high, of brick, and is 40 by 165 feet in 
 dimensit)ns, with a w'ing 40 by 70 feet and 
 engine house 40 by 34 feet. Three large 
 frame buildings in rear of 3 1 Main street 
 are occupied with the weaving, wood-work- 
 ing, painting and shipping business. Forty- 
 five looms are operated, and a force of 100 
 persons is employed. A forty-horse engine 
 is used here while the wire mill demands 
 two engines of 1 50 horse power each. The 
 entire history of this great manufactory is 
 but a recital of Increased demand for goods, 
 with proportionate e.xtension of facilities 
 and gradual cheapening of products. From 
 a business of about $10,000 in 1874, it has 
 gr.own to more than $200,000, and from 
 an output of about 150 square feet of 
 cloth per day, it has increased to 30,000 
 square feet. The price of fine wire cloth 
 has been reduced by this firm from five 
 cents a square foot, to two and a quarter 
 cents. Such is a brief outline of this great 
 industr)', which has conferred and is con- 
 ferring an inestimable benefit upon Cort- 
 land village as well as enriching its pro- 
 prietors. It is such establishments that 
 lay broad and strong the foundations of 
 prosperity in any village where they are 
 located. 
 
 The working of iron in Cortland county 
 has never been carried on \ery extensively, 
 
296 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 although in retrent years it shows good 
 evidence of prospective development. The 
 village of Cortland in its early years had 
 its complement of blacksmith shops, one 
 of the first of which was that of Jacob 
 Wheeler, who was in the business at a very 
 early day. In those days the village black- 
 smith was a more important personage than 
 at the present time, cspeciall)- if he was a 
 man of ingenuity and a good workman. 
 This was undoubtedly the case with Jacob 
 Wheeler, as he advertised in the local paper 
 for a journeyman who understood making 
 axes. His shop was located on the site of 
 the Cortland Machine Conipan\-'s buildings. 
 From the early blacksmiths to the first 
 foundr)' and machine shop was an easy 
 transition. This was established in 1832 
 by Daniel Larned on the site of the Cort- 
 land Machine Company's building. Five 
 years later he transferred it to the Freers. 
 Anthony and S. D. Freer were sons of 
 John A. Freer, who came from Duchess 
 county and located on lot 74. For more 
 than twent)' years they conducted the 
 foundry and machine shop and did a large 
 business. From the year i860 the estab- 
 lishment changed hands several times un- 
 til it was finally acquired by the pres- 
 ent company, which was incorporated 
 in 1875. The Victor mowing machine 
 is made by this company and also certain 
 special wood -working machines, which 
 bear an excellent reputation and have 
 a large sale. The main building, at Nos. 
 14, 16 and 18 Port Watson street, is a three 
 story brick structure, iio by 57 feet in 
 dimensions, occupied by the storage and 
 salesrooms and the office. In the rear are 
 the foundry, machine shop and the wood- 
 working shops, all well supplied with tools 
 and conveniently arranged, with a sixty- 
 horse power Buckeye engine for driving the 
 machinery. The working force at present 
 consists of thirty men, nearly all skilled 
 
 mechanics. The officers of the Cortland 
 Machine Company are C. S. Chamberlain, 
 president; A. T. Dickinson, vice-president; 
 S. B. Elwell, secretary and treasurer, and 
 J. C. Yager, general manager. 
 
 Another extensive foundry and machine 
 shop is that of the Cooper Brothers, which 
 is located on the west bank of the Tiough- 
 nioga river, and occupies the old paper-mill 
 buildings, a description of which has already 
 been given. This property was purchased 
 by the Cooper Brothers in July, 1881, and 
 fitted up in a modest way with machinery 
 for repairing and general work. Their suc- 
 cess was excellent from the outset and in 
 1882 they felt warranted in building a new- 
 foundry with a cajiacity for casting two 
 tons of iron per day. They have also added 
 largely to the machinery equipment of their 
 establishment and are now prepared for 
 almost all kinds of general work. 
 
 An industry of this village which merits 
 especial attention from the historian, not so 
 much from its magnitude as from its age, is 
 that of Horace Dibble's carding-mill. In 
 the year 1821 Mr. Dibble, then a young 
 man who had not long before finished his 
 trade of wool-carder and cloth-dresser, came 
 through Cortland on foot. He spent the 
 night at Merrick's Hotel, on the site of the 
 Barber block, and next morning proceeded 
 on his way through Homer in search of em- 
 ployment. Passing the old building on 
 Otter creek, in rear of which then stood a 
 saw-mill, he was struck with its favorable 
 location, the excellent water power and its 
 adaptability for a carding-mill, and resolved 
 if it were possible some time in the future 
 he would become its owner and establish 
 his business there. It is claimed, but not 
 upon very- good authority, that the build- 
 ing was then occupied b}' Wm. Sherman, 
 afterward the well known merchant of Ho- 
 mer, as a nail factory. However this may be, 
 the building came into possession of Martin 
 
Town of CortlandviIle. 
 
 297 
 
 Merrick about the year 1824, who fitted it 
 up with wool-carding machinery. He con- 
 ducted the business until 1833, when it was 
 offered for sale. Horace Dibble was in an- 
 other county at that time, working at his 
 trade. Learning that the object of his early 
 ambition was in the market, he came im- 
 mediately to Cortland and bought it. Here 
 he has remained, carding wool on the orig- 
 inal machine, for a period of fifty-one years 
 — an example of contentment and industry 
 rarely met with. The great gnarled wil- 
 lows which line the banks of the race-way 
 running from the old building have grown 
 from little sprouts set by Mr. Dibble be- 
 tween the years 1847 'i"'^ 1852. The old 
 building remains nearly the same as when 
 it was erected and is both a well known 
 landmark and interesting as one of the old- 
 est remaining structures in the village. 
 
 Manufacturing in Cortland has been 
 directed during the past ten years into 
 numerous new and novel channels, the 
 products of which have gone into success- 
 ful competition with those of the largest 
 cities in the Union. The business of whole- 
 sale chair- making has developed from the 
 earlj' methods followed in small cabinet 
 works, scattered throughout the country, 
 to startling dimensions through the medium 
 of mammoth establishments, one of which 
 is located in Cortland. The business was 
 originally started as a general furniture fac- 
 tor)- on Port Watson street (on the premises 
 now occupied by the Cortland Steam Mill 
 Company) in the year 1874, by the firm of 
 Hayes & Dellow. It was transferred to 
 Orchard street in the following year, where 
 Lewis S. Hayes became sole owner. It was 
 subsequently transferred to what was known 
 as the Cortland Furniture Company, in 
 which Mr. Hayes was a partner. In 1879 
 the works were removed to their present 
 location on South Main street and South 
 avenue, where new buildings were erected 
 
 expressly for the manufacture of a line of 
 folding chairs which Mr. Hayes had pat- 
 ented in 1878. The business has since been 
 extended to embrace a large variety of fold- 
 ing and adjustable chairs, platform rockers, 
 etc., which are sold throughout the United 
 States and in South Africa, Japan, Aus- 
 tralia and the Sandwich Islands. This is 
 one of the important industries of Cortland. 
 
 Another unusual industry which is help- 
 ing to give Cortland its enviable reputation 
 is that of the Sanford Fork and Tool Man- 
 ufacturing Company, an organization which 
 was effected principally through the efforts 
 of De Forest Sanford, a son of the origina- 
 tor of the celebrated Sanford pitchfork. 
 The company was organized and began 
 operations in 1883. The works are on Elm 
 street and comprise a main building 50 by 
 32 feet in dimensions, and the manufactur- 
 ing building, 40 by 1 00 feet, in which is all 
 of the machinery, driven by a 60-horse 
 power engine. Robert Nixon is president 
 of the company, and E. O. Rickard secre- 
 tary and treasurer, Mr. Sanford being 
 superintendent. Although this industry is 
 yet young, it begins under the most favor- 
 able auspices and can scarcely fail of being 
 an important factor in the manufactures of 
 the village. 
 
 A novel industry has been started since 
 1882 in the Cortland Box Loop Company's 
 works. This comprises the manufacture 
 of carriage loops, buckle and harness loops, 
 which are pressed into perfect shape. The 
 company is composed of E. H. Brewer and 
 C. W. Stoker, two of Cortland's enterprising 
 young men. Their business promises to 
 increase largely. 
 
 The lumber interest of Cortland, both in 
 manufacture and the sale of rough stock, is 
 largely in the hands of Henry F. Benton. 
 He established his yards and planing mills 
 on the corner of Railroad street and the S., 
 B. & N. Y. railroad in 1866, a small plan- 
 
298 
 
 History ok Cortland County. 
 
 in<^-mill being put in the following year. 
 The rapid growth of the village in later 
 j-ears anil Mr. Benton's energy and deter- 
 mination to keep ahead of the deniand.s of 
 his patrons, has given him his now exten- 
 sive establishment. Three acres of ground 
 arc occupied b\' him, about one acre of 
 which is under cover. He handles from 
 three .ind a half to four million feet of lum- 
 ber annually, and manufactures large quan- 
 tities of doors, sash and blinds. About 
 thirty workmen are employed. A glazing 
 dei)artment has been added, which used 
 1,500 bo.xes of glass in 1883. 
 
 .\ casual \'isitor to Cortland might over- 
 look theCortland Machine Cooperage, which 
 is located at the corner of Mill aiul East 
 Ri\cr streets. This establishment was put 
 in operation about the year 1870 by C. 
 \V. Kinne, who sold out to Todd & Wal- 
 lace ; the\- were succeeded b\' Todd & Dol- 
 phin. This firm soon afterward dissolved, 
 when John G. Dolphin continued the bus- 
 iness three or four }-ears. Thomas F. 
 Brayton next took it for a time, and it is now 
 in the hands Robert Ni.xon, who has greatly 
 extended the business. A three story 
 building with basement is occupied for the 
 manufacturing, and another structure 15 
 by 30 feet for storage. The factory has a 
 capacit)- for producing from 60 to 100 bar- 
 rels, or 100 to 150 firkins pvv da\', with a 
 large number of pails and tubs. The goods 
 are sold over a large area, extending as far 
 west as Iowa, and be.ar the best reputation. 
 
 Marble Working. — The only establish- 
 ment of this character in Cortland is that of 
 S. M. Benjamin. He came to Cortland in 
 1850 and helped build the first baker's 
 oven with a Mr. Bancroft. In 1852 he en- 
 tered the employ of Doud & Clark in their 
 m.irble works. In 1 860 he, with his brother, 
 J. W. Benjamin, bought the establishment, 
 under the firm name of Benjamin Brothers, 
 which continued until 1882, when J. W. 
 
 Benjamin died. Since that time S. M. Ben- 
 jamin has conducted the business alone. 
 
 ; It is now a prominent industrj- of the town 
 and count}'. 
 
 The manufacture of pottery is one of the 
 oldest industries in the world, having been 
 practiced by the Egyptians some thousands 
 of years ago ; and the most wonderful 
 feature of it is the fact that there has been 
 ver)' little improvement in the methods of 
 manufacture since that time. To all intents 
 and purposes, the same little revolving hori- 
 zontal wheel is used to-day in connection 
 with the human hanils, for shaping jars and 
 jugs that is referred to in the Bible. To come 
 down to the present time, this is also one 
 of the oldest industries in Cortland. In 
 1829 a small building was erected near Ot- 
 ter creek for this purpose, by Sylvester 
 Blair. His clay was brought from Ambo\-, 
 N. J., to S\M-acuse on boats and tlrawn from 
 there by horses, while the manufactured 
 ware was shipped down the Tioughnioga 
 river in arks or was sold from wagons about 
 the country. This was the oiil}- potter)- 
 within a long distance of Cortland, and the 
 business was a prosperous one for that 
 period, reaching about $io,000 a )'ear. In 
 1835 t^'i^ pottery was sold to Mason & Rus- 
 sell, who a few years latter transferred it to 
 Chollar & Darby. These gentlemen in- 
 creased the business to $12,500 a year and 
 conducted it ten years. In 1849 they sold 
 out to Madison Woodruff, who had then 
 worked in the establishment eighteen years. 
 He added new buildings and pushed the 
 business with so much energy that it was 
 increased in 1858 to $1 5,000 a year. He 
 has conducted it ever since, but of late 
 years he has de\-oted less attention to it. 
 
 ! Mr. Woodruff" has lived in Cortland more 
 than fift)' years and has witnessed its 
 
 j growth from about 400 inhabitants to its 
 present extent. 
 
 Cigars are manufactured in Cortlanel b)' 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 299 
 
 I. H. Holcomb, who established his business 
 in 1873. He now employs five workmen 
 and manufactures more than 200,000 cigars 
 annuall)-. I lis goods are ncarh- all sold in 
 Cortland. 
 
 In Januar}-, 1884, M. I'.. Holton and 
 Henry Corcoran purchased tlie bottling 
 works established by H. C. Harrington, 
 now located at No. 34 Union street. All 
 of the popular summer drinks, ales, lager j 
 and porter are bottled b\- this establishment, 
 for family and other uses. I 
 
 This brief sketch of the prominent manu- 
 facturing interests of this thrixing village 
 will, we think, aniph- fortifx- our statement 
 that Cortland as a manufacturing center is 
 destined to take a foremost position among 
 the villages and cities of the Empire State. 
 With a proper recognition of the importance 
 of such establishments b_\- the community 
 and x'illage officials, and liberal encourage- 
 ment after they are established, such con- 
 summation will be doubl)- assured. 
 
 FINANCIAL IXSTITL'TIOXS. 
 
 In conjunction with the manufacturing 
 and mercantile interests which we have re- 
 viewed, has been built up in Cortland the 
 necessary number of prosperous and wisely i 
 conducted financial institutions to accom- 
 modate the business community. The first 
 of these was the Randall Bank, established 
 b\' \Vm. Randall, and continued with the ' 
 unfailing confidence of the entire community 
 and surrounding villages for many years. 
 Upon the death of his father the banking 
 business was continued by his son, William 
 R. Randall, until it was finallj- closed. 
 During all of that extended period the 
 doors of this staunch institution were never 
 c' -s'-d to the public, who alwa}'s found am- 
 ple acLoii.niodation for their business needs. 
 The bank occupied the rooms now used by 
 the Cortland Savings Bank, in the building 
 on the corner of Main and East Court streets 
 
 — a structure that has changed but very 
 little since it was erected. 
 
 Hiram J. Messenger came to Cortland in 
 I 860, and to his subsequent efforts may be 
 ascribed in a great degree the impetus in 
 growth and business that was given to the 
 village within the few succeeding years. In 
 1863 he erected the Messenger House 
 block, then b\' far the most imposing brick- 
 structure in the village. In June, 1864, 
 he opened the Messenger Bank. In the 
 spring of the same year he purciiased the 
 tract of land on the west side of Main street, 
 beginning near the north side of the Smith 
 & Kingsbury hardware store and running 
 south to the corner of Court street. He 
 reconstructed the old seminar)- building 
 into the hardware store, as it exists to-da\-, 
 and in 1865 built the Taj-lor Hall block 
 (then called Messenger Hall). He next 
 erected the wooden structures which ex- 
 tended to the corner of Court street, and 
 which have been recently burned. In 1867 
 he erected the Masonic Hall block. 
 
 In the year 1864 Mr. Messenger began 
 business in New York city and the greater 
 portion of his time was thereafter passed in 
 that place. 1 he bank which he founded in 
 Cortland did a very prosperous business for 
 several years, but for reasons which need 
 not be detailed here its doors had to be 
 closed in 1868, entailing considerable losses 
 upon its depositors, and creating a good 
 deal of feeling against the banker, as is 
 common under such circumstances. Un- 
 fortunate as this event was for Cortland, it 
 is still undoubtedly true that the spirit of 
 enterprise infused into the business public of 
 the village by Mr. Messenger's rapid and 
 extensive improvements, produced an effect 
 the benefits of which were almost inestima- 
 ble and which continue to this day. Mr. 
 Messenger has been for some years engaged 
 in real estate and insurance business in 
 Cortland. 
 
300 
 
 •History of Cortland County. 
 
 The next bank organized in Cortland 
 was tlie l'"irst National Bank, which was in- 
 corporated under the national law in 1863, 
 and was organi/.etl in I'Vbriiar)-, 1864, with 
 the following directors, the capital stock be- 
 ing $125,000: Thomas Keator, president; 
 Garry Chambers, Artluu' Holmes, Riifus 
 {■".dwards, James S. Squires, Lansing Carley, 
 Nathan Bouton, Dan. C. Squires and Le- 
 ander l'"itts. Thomas Keator, the organ- 
 izer of the bank, died June 35th, 1879, and 
 was succeeded by S. Keator as president. 
 The career of the bank has been a flattering 
 one, and a continuation of the charter for 
 another twent)- years was api)licd for and 
 granted February 24th, 1883, when it was 
 reorganized with the same board of direct- 
 ors. The hank has declared di\itiends of 
 from ten to twelve per cent., free of taxes, 
 every year, and the statement of July 23d, 
 1883, shows a capital stock of $125,000; 
 value of real estate, $l6,000; surplus and 
 undivided profits, $95,000; deposits, $190,- 
 
 370. 
 
 The present board lit directors and offi- 
 cers is as follows : — 
 
 President — Samuel Keator. 
 
 Vice-president — R. Bruce Smith. 
 
 Cashier — E. Keator. 
 
 Directors — Hon. A. A. Carley, M. Van 
 Hoesen, Samuel Keator, Ransom Warren, 
 T. H. Wickwire, Samuel Sager, Hon. O. U. 
 Kellogg, R. B. Smith, V.. Keator, II. Cow- 
 an, C. VV. Stoker, Robert I'urvis, K, C. 
 Carley. 
 
 The National Hank- of Cortland was or- 
 ganized March ist, 1869, as the Bank of 
 Cortland, with a capital stock of $100,000 
 and the following board of directors : — 
 
 James S. Squires, presiilcnt ; W'm. II. 
 Sliaid<land, James A. Schermerhorn, H. P. 
 Goodrich, Horatio Ballard, B. li. Wood- 
 worth (cashier), 1". 11. llibbard, S. E. 
 Welch, Samuel Sager, C. C. Tajlor, Lucius 
 Babcock, Jerome liulbert, J. C. Pomero)-, 
 
 S. R. Hunter, A. B. Lamont and George 
 L. Cole. It continued as the l?ank of 
 Cortland until the first day of January, 
 1875, when it was chartereil as the National 
 Bank of Cortland, with a capital of $100,- 
 000, and the following board of directors : 
 James S. Squires, president ; George L. 
 Cole, Wni. II. Shankland, Ed. M. liulbert, 
 Hamilton Putnam, A. B. Lamont, Byron 
 A. Benedict, Wesley I looker, John S. Sam- 
 son, Nathan Si)encer, .Sanuul Sager and 
 Stephen R. Hunter. 
 
 Following is a statement <if this baid< 
 dated January 5th, 1884: — 
 A'l sciinfS. 
 
 Loans, - -.$290,891 8 1 
 
 Bonds, (Circulauon) 50,000 00 
 
 Reserve, 
 
 Cash, .$32,400 15 
 
 From Banks,.. 36,844 87 69,245 02 
 
 Hanking House, F. and F., 16,500 00 
 
 Redciiiplion I'lnid, 2,250 00 
 
 $428,886 83 
 LiahiHtics. 
 
 Capital stock, .$80,000 00 
 
 Surplus and Profits, 33,099 44 
 
 Circulation, 45,000 00 
 
 Deposits, 270,787 39 
 
 $428,886 83 
 
 Mr. Squires, after successfidl)' filling the 
 office of president of the bank until January 
 8th, 1884, resigned, and Wesley Hooker 
 was elected in his stead. The present 
 board of directors and bank officers are as 
 follows : — 
 
 President — Wesley Hooker. 
 
 Vice-president — Geo. L. Cole. 
 
 Cashier — Chas. E. Selover. 
 
 Directors — Geo. L. Cole, Wesley Hook- 
 er, Wm. II. Clark, Chas. H. Parker, I". 
 Cyrus Straat, Robert Bushb>-, 15. A. Ben- 
 edict, Chas. E. Selover, L. J. Fitzgerald, 
 Hamiltt)n Putnam, l)a\id !•'. Wallace, Chas. 
 W. Collins, Geo. J. Mager, I'". N. Harring- 
 ton. 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 301 
 
 The Second National Bank of Cortland 
 was organized the 25th day of November, 
 1882, with a capital of $100,000, and the 
 following directors : J. S. Bull, Fitz Boyn- 
 ton, L. J. p-itzgerald, George C. Hubbard, 
 J. R. Schermerhorn, George N. Bliss, Har- 
 sison Wells, John D. Schermerhorn, M. H. 
 McGraw, D. F. Wallace, E. A. Fish, H. F. 
 Benton, M. S. Pierce and W. B. Stoppard. 
 The bank is proving a very successful insti- 
 ' tution, and the statement of July 23d 1883, 
 shows a capital stock of $100,000; surplus 
 $6,200; undivided profit $1,487.50; de- 
 posits, $94,000. 
 
 The Cortland Savings Bank was organ- 
 ized April 1 3, 1 866, a charter being secured 
 through the efforts of Hon. Stephen Pat- 
 rick, of Tru-xton, and the original trustees 
 were William R. Randall, president ; Hiram 
 J. Messenger, Thomas Keator, Jcdediah 
 Barber, George \\'. Bradford, Perrin H. 
 McGraw, Henry Stephens. P'rederick Hyde, 
 Horatio Ballard, Henry S. Randall, R. Hol- 
 land Duell, Hiram Crandall, Horace P. 
 Goodrich, James W. Sturtevant, Alphonso 
 Stone, Silas Blanchard, Raj'mond P. Bab- 
 cock, Nathan Smith, Daniel E. Whitmore 
 and Stephen Patrick. The bank was opened 
 September 25th, 1866, in a small room on 
 the second floor of Randall's Bank with 
 Calvin P. Walrad as secretary and treasurer, 
 and from this modest beginning its business 
 gradually increased until it was necessary 
 to secure the large room now occupied (for- 
 merly Randall's Bank), and the deposits 
 amount to nearly $500,000. The trustees 
 are now Frederick Hyde, president ; G. W. 
 Bradford, R. Holland Duell, Henry Brewer, 
 Horace P. Goodrich, Charles C. Taylor, 
 Abram P. Smith, Calvin P. \\'alrad, James 
 C. Carmichael, Morgan L. Webb (treas- 
 urer), Stephen Patrick, Madison Woodruff, 
 Norman Chamberlain, Samuel E. Welch, 
 Alphonso Stone, George N. Copeland, Hen- 
 ry McKevitt, William H. Twiss and A. Le- 
 
 roy Cole, and the statement of the bank, 
 made January 1st, 1883, shows the assets 
 to be $449, 1 5 1 .43 ; liabilities, $426,477.43 ; 
 surplus, $22,674.80. 
 
 MERCANTILE INTERESTS. 
 
 During the seventy years which have 
 elapsed since the first business establish- 
 ments were opened on the site of this vil- 
 lage, the mercantile interests of the place 
 have kept pace with the demands of the 
 community in whatever direction. The 
 superstructure of these interests, laid by such 
 men as the Randalls, Nathan Luce, the 
 Bassetts, Samuel Ingalls and their contem- 
 poraries, was worthy in every respect of 
 the emulation of their successors ; and to- 
 day the mercantile houses of Cortland will 
 compare favorably with those of any other 
 village of its size in the country. 
 
 In early years all of the stores in the 
 growing villages were such as are denomi- 
 nated " general stores, " selling almost 
 everything needled by farmers and house- 
 keepers; and it is within the memory of 
 many now living when the demand for 
 special lines of goods first became sufficient 
 to employ the time and effort of merchants 
 in one particular direction. A brief review 
 of the mercantile interests of this village will 
 form a not unimportant part of its history. 
 
 No history of early times in Cortland 
 could fail to make frequent mention of Wil- 
 liam and Roswell Randall, the pioneer mer- 
 chants. These brothers came to Cortland 
 from Brookfield, Madison county, where 
 they had been engaged in business, in 181 3, 
 and began trading on the corner now occu- 
 pied by the Keator block. Roswell paid 
 especial attention to the indoor business of 
 the store, while his brother looked after 
 their other extensive operations, embracing 
 the building and operation of distilleries, 
 asheries, buying and selling stock, farming, 
 etc. They continued together for many 
 
302 
 
 HlSTOKV OF CORTI.AND CoUNTV. 
 
 years and finalK' dissolved partnership, 
 when Rosuell built the old " Eagle Store, " 
 a pretentious building for that period, stand- 
 ing on the site of the new Squires block. 
 In that building he did an extensive business 
 for many )'ears. William subsequently 
 built the brick building on the corner of 
 Main and Court streets and established the 
 Randall Bank. Of these brothers Mr. Bal- 
 lard wrote : " They amassed wealth, were 
 public-spirited and essentially aided in \'a- 
 rious ways and at successive periods in the 
 growth and beauty of the village. They 
 have left their impress upon the topography 
 of the village, which will not soon pass away 
 — William as a successful financier, bank 
 president and model agriculturist, exempli- 
 fied in his splendid possessions ; Roswell as 
 the finished merchant, faithful postmaster, 
 accomplished brigade commander, the 
 graceful host in the attractions of social life. 
 These brothers gave enduring renown to 
 Cortland. " Tiie family of William Randall 
 consisted of Antoinette, Wilhelmina and 
 William R., the two latter now living'in the 
 village. The family of Roswell Randall 
 were William P. and Henry S. The first 
 named is still a resident of the village. The 
 former died in 1877. He was educated as 
 an attorney, became a prominent politician ; 
 was a writer of decided abilitj- and filled an 
 eminent station in life. 
 
 Nathan Luce was a cotemporar}' in bus- 
 iness with the Randalls and conducted one 
 of the first stores in the place. He later 
 built the original hotel, which afterwards 
 became the well known Eagle Tavern. 
 
 Asahel Lyman was a merchant before 
 1 8 16, in which year he jauilt the block now 
 owned and occupied b_\- John S. Samson. 
 Further reference will be made to his es- 
 tablishment and that of his sons a little fur- 
 ther on. 
 
 Luman Rice was an early business man, 
 became largely interested in freighting 
 
 down the river, as already alluded to, and 
 had a brewery at Port Watson before 18 15, 
 probabl}' the only one ever established in 
 the town. In November, 1815, he adver- 
 tised his brewery, " near Sweet's Tavern, 
 Port Watson, " saying, " considering the 
 vast difference between the effects on man- 
 kind of ardent spirits and this cheap, whole- 
 some and cheering liquor, it is hoped the 
 community will find it to their advantage 
 to patronize the establishment." F"orsome 
 unknown reason he offered the brewery for 
 sale in the next issue of the paper in which 
 the above advertisement appeared. 
 
 In reviewing the records of the present 
 principal mercantile houses of the village, 
 the names of many other early merchants 
 will appear, with brief accounts of their 
 stores. 
 
 The Drug Trade. — It is only about 
 twenty- five years since the ills of this com- 
 munity seemed to demand that sufficient 
 drugs should be kept on sale to warrant a 
 man in devoting his entire store and time 
 to that interest. Previous to 1856 drugs 
 and medicines occupied a share of the 
 shelves of groceries and the general stores 
 and the placards of Brandreth's Pills, Jayne's 
 Expectorant and other popular preparations, 
 hung conspicuously beside those of Ja\a 
 coffee, Young Hyson tea and mayhap silks 
 and velvets. Then it was not necessary 
 for the Cortland county housewife to go 
 shopping from store to store in order to ob- 
 tain her weekly supply of household neces- 
 sities. On the other hand, she could enter 
 any one of the several general stores in this 
 village and purchase her sugar and tea, her 
 calico and sheeting, her "Yankee notions" 
 of whatever kind, her new bonnet and her 
 confectionery for the little one, while her 
 husband was investing in nails, crockery, 
 farming tools, a new hat, a pair of boots, 
 or what not. In 1847 the business por- 
 tion of Cortland village was almost entirely 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 j^j 
 
 confined to Main street between the Cort- 
 land House and the old Eagle Tavern, and 
 near!}' all of it was on the eastern side of 
 the street. Daniel Bradford kept what was 
 called a drug store then, but his stock was 
 almost too comprehensive to deserve that 
 exclusive title. J. W. Sturtevant & Co. 
 had a general store, with a strong leaning 
 towards dry goods ; and general stores 
 were kept by W. O. Barnard, co rncr of 
 Main and Mill streets, Orin Stimpson, Asa 
 Ljnian and James Van Valen ; Henry 
 Brewer had a harness store ; J. McFarlan 
 a furniture store ; Homer Gillett a grocery 
 where C. F. Thompson is now located, and 
 L. Cudworth and I. M. Seaman also sold 
 groceries ; A. & S. D. Freer kept the onh^ 
 hardware store, and Andrew Dickson kept 
 a dry goods store and the post-ofiice in a 
 building then standing where the Keator 
 block is now located. These establishments 
 embraced the business of Cortland \ illage 
 thirt\--five years ago — a short period to 
 witness the development and growth of 
 what has since that time been added. They 
 were the predecessors of the more pre- 
 tentious establishments representing all 
 branches of trade, which we shall proceed 
 to notice as among the more prominent 
 mercantile stores of Cortland \'illage. 
 
 In the year 1847 G. \V. Bradford, then 
 a young man, came to Cortland and entered 
 the store of Daniel Bradford as clerk. He 
 remained here nine years and in 1856 
 opened a drug store in the same store which 
 he has occupied ever since — a period of 
 twenty- nine years, the only example of a 
 merchant remaining in one location and one 
 line of business in this village, for so long a 
 period. His store has been somewhat en- 
 larged and improved, but otherwise is iden- 
 tical with his first place of business. Mr. 
 Bradford is a respected citizen and success- 
 ful business man. 
 
 The first store opened in Cortland for 
 
 ' the exclusive sale of drugs and medicines 
 was that of A. Sager, and was located near 
 the corner of Main and Court streets, on 
 the present site of the Schermerhorn build- 
 ing ; this was in 1857. In 1861 Mr. Sa 
 ger responded to the call of his country, 
 ' joining the 76th regiment, and sold his bus- 
 i iness to Dr. T. C. Pomeroy. He was dis- 
 ' charged on account of disabilities in May, 
 1863, when he returned and again engaged 
 in the same business in the old Barnard 
 block, corner of Main and Mill streets. This 
 was then and for manj- years pre\Mous, per- 
 haps, the most prominent building in the 
 village. It was of brick, three stories high 
 in front and two in the rear, and was built 
 b)- W. O. Barnard, who was for many years 
 one of the leading merchants of the village 
 and located on that corner. When Mr. 
 Sager began business there L. Dexter had 
 a billiard saloon in an old two story wood 
 building adjoining the Barnard block, in the 
 second story of which was Henry Wood- 
 ruffs tailor shop. Mr. Sager continued 
 business until the spring of 1865, when he 
 took Thomas Dalton in partnership ; the 
 firm continued one year when Mr. Dalton 
 withdrew. In April, 1866, the buildings 
 above referred to and their grounds were 
 purchased by Mr. Sager and Mr. Dexter, 
 the former taking the corner building and 
 the latter the wooden structure. In 1870 
 Mr. Sager became associated with W. A. 
 Pierce, under the firm name of A. Sager & 
 Co. This firm continued a year and seven 
 months, when Mr. Pierce withdrew. In 
 1872 the owners of the corner rebuilt the 
 structures into their present commodious 
 and attractive form. The present firm of 
 Sager & Jennings was formed by the admis- 
 sion of E. F. Jennings, in the spring of 
 1 88 1, and is doing a large and growing 
 business. Mr. Sager's services in the army 
 are referred to in the history of the 76th 
 regiment herein. 
 
304 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 About the year 1868 a drugstore was 
 established by Abner L. Smith, who in 
 course of time sold to Brown & Arnold, 
 ami the store then passed into possession 
 of the late George H. Arnold. He sold in 
 1 88 1 to Johnson & Barney and in 1883 W. 
 B. Johnson bought out his partner and is 
 now conducting the business alone at No. 6 
 North Main street. 
 
 In the year 1880 the present firm of 
 Ikown & Maybury was formed ; composed 
 of Charles F. Brown and M. M. Maybury. 
 Their drug store is located at No. 3 North 
 Main street. 
 
 Dry Goods. — One of the first, if not the 
 very first store in Cortland devoted to the 
 exclusive sale of dry goods was that of J. 
 W. Sturtevant & Co., which was established 
 in 1846 at the location now occupied by 
 Dickinson & McGraw. The business was 
 conducted there by that firm for more than 
 twenty years and was favorably known 
 throughout the county and surrounding 
 towns. The firm was composed of J. W. 
 Sturtevant and E. H. Doud and was at first 
 located where Dickinson & McGraw now 
 are. They conducted the business there for 
 more than twenty years and were very suc- 
 cessful. E. A. Fish was admitted to partner- 
 ship in 1 86 1, and the store was afterward re- 
 moved to what is No. 19 North Main street. 
 The general character of the store was aban- 
 doned about 1862, and in 1869 Mr. Doud's 
 interest was purchased by C. P. Walrad, 
 when the firm name was changed to Stur- 
 tevant, Fish & Co. Mr. Walrad came to 
 Cortland in 1856 as a clerk for Sturtevant 
 & Doud. In 1872 Mr. Sturtevant's inter- 
 est was purchased by the junior members 
 of the firm and Fish & \\'alrad successfully 
 carried on the business, removing in 1879 
 to more commodious quarters in the new 
 Schermerhorn building. On the 5th of 
 March, 1883, Fish & Walrad sold the es- 
 tablishment to Geo. J. Mager, and during 
 
 the same month Mr. Walrad again became 
 a member of the firm, which is now Mager 
 & Walrad. Such is the history of this 
 staunch house, one of the oklest in this line 
 in the town. 
 
 S. E. Welch is one of the oldest dry 
 goods houses in the county, having first be- 
 gun in 1845 in Upper Lisle. Previous to 
 that time he had obtained a thorough 
 knowledge of the business b)' working in 
 stores in McGrawvillc. In the fall of 1846 
 he opened a store in McLean, where he 
 remained until 1853, coming then to Cort- 
 land. He has been constantly in the bus- 
 iness here since then. In 1S69 he, in con- 
 nection with J. Rose, built the Union Hall 
 block in which he opened his store. This 
 building suffered from the fire which de- 
 stroyed the Garrison block in Feb., 1884. 
 At this time he began business at his pres- 
 ent location on Port Watson street. Mr. 
 Welch has been entrusted with difterent re- 
 sponsible public and private trusts and has 
 been supervisor of the town for several 
 terms. 
 
 The direct predecessor of the firm of 
 Warren & Tanner was that of Wells & 
 Mills, which began business about 1862. 
 It was then changed to Mills & Kinney and 
 in 1868 to Mills & Warren. In April, 1872, 
 the firm of Warren & Tanner was formed 
 by a union of George L. Warren and James 
 E. Tanner. The store was formerly located 
 one door south of the present location, 
 which was taken in 1882. 
 
 In March, 1864, Adolphus F. and Abram 
 T. Tanner came to Cortland from Dryden, 
 and opened a dry goods and notion store 
 in the Messenger House block. The firm 
 was successful and remained there until 
 1 868, when they removed to the Moore 
 block. When the new Garrison block was 
 finished in 1878 they removed to a commo- 
 dious store in that building, and added car- 
 pets, etc. to their stock. In June, 1883, 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 305 
 
 Abram T. Tanner died, causing not only an 
 irreparable loss to the surviving brother, 
 but lca\-ing a vacanc)' in the community 
 and in the hearts of man\- friends. After 
 the burning of the Garrison block recently, 
 Adojphus F. Tanner fitted up a handsome 
 store in the new Standard building, where 
 he is now located. 
 
 In the 1879 P. K. Brewster, of Syracuse, 
 removed to Cortland and began the dry 
 goods trade. He was joined by C. N. 
 Blowers in 1882, and the firm continued 
 until the death of Mr. Brewster in June, 
 1884, since wfiicli time Mr. Blowers has 
 conducted the business alone. His hand- 
 some store is in the Standard building. 
 
 f. S. Samson's father came into the town 
 of Homer in 181 l, bringing his son with 
 him. John S. was elected sheriff of the 
 count}' ill 1855, since which time he has 
 lived in Cortland. He is now the owner 
 of the old Lyman building, where he car- 
 ries on the dry goods business. 
 
 Books, Stationer)', Musical Instruments, 
 etc. — The first store in Cortland devoted 
 to the exclusive sale of books, stationery, 
 wall paper and kindred goods, was that of 
 the Apgar Brothers, which was opened in 
 the Taylor Hall block 'about the close of the 
 last war. The business was moderately 
 successful, and in 1868 was sold to A. 
 Mahan, an enterprising young man who had 
 been engaged in the produce business in 
 Virgil for several years previous. Mr. 
 Mahan is a man of exceptional business ca- 
 pacity and under his enterprising and dis- 
 creet management the trade of the establish- 
 ment was rapidly extended anil the range of 
 stock enlarged. Musical merchandise was 
 added, and subsequently sewing-machines 
 and other specialities. In 1870 I). F. Wal- 
 lace entered the firm where he remained a 
 member until 1874, the business meanwhile 
 becoming largely increased. In the year 
 last named the firm divided their interests, 
 
 Mr. Wallace retaining the book and station- 
 ery branch and Mr. Mahan taking the mu- 
 sical merchandise and sewing-machine in- 
 terest into the new building which he 
 erected on Court street, Nos. 9 and 1 1. 
 During the ten years since that date, he has 
 devoted his best energies to the building 
 up of a large trade in musical instruments, 
 sewing-machines, etc., which he has ex- 
 tended throughout central New York. He 
 is also a member of the firm of F. .A. Bick- 
 ford & Co., dealers in guns and sporting 
 goods, in the same building. ^Tr. Mahan's 
 business abilit)- and his general character 
 i as a citizen is fully recognized by the com- 
 munity, as e\'idenced in their selection of 
 him as president of the village for the year 
 1883, an office which he filled with the most 
 satisfactory results. In 1 88 1 he erected 
 one of the finest residences in the village, 
 in spacious grounds on North Main street. 
 
 Since the dissolution of the firm of Ma- 
 han & Wallace, the latter has carried on 
 the book and stationery, and wall ])aper 
 business in his store in the Ta\-lor Hall 
 block, in which he has achieved the most 
 flattering success, there being but two or 
 three firms in the country who handle more 
 wall paper than he, outside of the manufac- 
 turers. About a year ago he became the 
 owner of the valuable propert)- on the cor- 
 ner of Main and West Court streets, the 
 buildings upon which were recently burned. 
 Mr. Wallace will erect on the site a block 
 which will be a credit to the place. 
 
 The firm of Bushb}' & Robinson was 
 formed in 1883, and a stock of books, sta- 
 tionery, wall [japer etc., was added to the 
 railroad ticket agenc\' which had pre\-iousl\- 
 been established by Mr. Robinson. .\fter 
 a }'ear the firm separated, Mr. Robinson 
 taking the book and stationery trade to No. 
 24 Main street, and Mr. Bushby retaining 
 the other branch of the business at the for- 
 mer location. 
 
3o6 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 I'"ui'iiiturc. — John Mcl'"arlaii is cmc of 
 the pioneers of Cortland, at least in a bus- 
 iness sense. He came from Now York city, 
 whence he had i^onc from his home in 
 Montgomery count}' and worked at the 
 trade of cabinet-maker three \-ears. Dur- 
 ing the cholera ejiideniic of 1852 he went 
 to Canada, coming from there to Cortland 
 in 1834. He was the first furniture manu- 
 facturer in Cortland, his shop being located 
 for a short time on Church street in the 
 building now used as a dwelling b_\- Mrs. 
 P-dgcomb. He remained there nine 
 
 months and removed to Port Watson street, 
 where he continued in the busniess about 
 seventeen years, as the leader in that line in 
 the county. At the end' of that time, in 
 185 I, J. C. Carmichael became a member 
 of the firm, which remained as Mcl'"arlan & 
 Carmichael until 1866, when the junior 
 partner bought the entire establishment and 
 conducted it until Albert VV. Edgcomb 
 purcliased an interest in the business. On 
 September 1st, 1883, Mr. Carmichael's in- 
 terest was purchased b\- S. M. IJallard, tlie 
 firm becoming jiallard & Edgcomb. The 
 store was removed to No. 32 South Main 
 street where an extensive business is now- 
 carried on. 
 
 R. Beard began the furniture traile in 
 Cortland in 1874. In 1879 he took R. B. 
 Fletcher into the business, which firm con- 
 tinued until 1883, since which time it has 
 carried on the business as R. Beard & Son. 
 The establishment is now located on Port 
 Watson street. 
 
 Harness making. — Harness making and 
 selling was probably first established here 
 by Wm. ]5artlit, on Main street in a build- 
 ing which stood near tlie site of the Scher- 
 merhorn residence. Henry Brewer, one of 
 the pioneer business men of the village, 
 came into tiie place wlu-n he was si.vteen 
 years old and learnetl his trade with Mr. 
 Bartlit .After finishing his ap])renticeship 
 
 he formed a |)artnei'ship w illi ( )li\t'r Cilo\-er 
 and purchased the stock of Mr. Bartlit. 
 The firm continued for onh' a short time, 
 when the first proprietor reijurchased tlie 
 goods, liut soon sold out to Almy & Curtis. 
 The stock was again transferred to Henry 
 Phillips, who was the last proprietor at the 
 original stand. Mr. Brewer began business 
 on his own account in 1834, renting a room 
 in the second stor\- of the small building 
 then standing on the site now occupied by 
 hi. H. Brewer. In January, 1862, this 
 building was burned with the old Eagle 
 Tavern. Mr. Brewer removed across the 
 street, where he remained until 1S64, when 
 he took the first floor and part of the second 
 in the new brick building erected on the 
 original site. He subsequently admitted 
 his son, Ileni\' L. Brewer, to a partnership, 
 undet the title of H. MiL-wer & Son, but 
 upon the tailuie ot the junior member's 
 health this partnership was dissolved and 
 Mr. Brewer coiitnined the business alone 
 until 1874, when he sold to E. H. Brewer 
 & Co., and retired from active service. E. 
 H. Brewer & Co. conducted the establish- 
 ment until 1877, when J. .\. Schermerhorn 
 w as ailmitted, and the firm name changed 
 to Brewer & Scherme?rliorn, who continued 
 in partnershi]) until 1879, when, b_\' the 
 death of Mr. Schermerhorn, E. H. l^rewer 
 became sole pro[)rietor. E. H. Brewer is 
 also the senior iiK-mber of the Cortland Hon 
 Eoo]) Com|)an\'. 
 
 I. & M. Edgcomb began harness making 
 here in 1856, at the location now occupied 
 b_\- Mr. \'an ,\lstine as a shoe store (then 
 the old Barnard block). The\- came to 
 their [iresent location in 1S60. There has 
 been no changt- in this lirni 111 all these 
 \-ears, except the absence of Martin Edg- 
 comb about three years in the ami)-. 
 
 Nathan Peck carrietl on harness making 
 in Cortland a long time, but stopped some 
 twenty years ago. 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 307 
 
 Hardware. — The business in hardware 
 now carried on by Xcwkirk & Hulbert is 
 an outgrowth of the original foundry and 
 machine shops cstabHshed by Daniel Lamed 
 in 1832, which was afterward conducted by 
 the Freers for many years, and since trans- 
 ferred to the Cortland Machine Company. 
 The Freers sold to Chamberlain & Benton 
 in 1861. In 1865 Benton's interest was 
 purchased by H. C. Smith, and Chamber- 
 lain & Smith conducted the business until 
 1873, when they erected the three-story 
 brick building at No. 44 Port Watson street, 
 and engaged in the hardware trade. The 
 business was divided in 1874, the stock 
 company known as the Cortland Foundry 
 and Machine Company taking the foundry' 
 and machine shops, and the Cortland Hard- 
 ware Company succeeding to the hardware 
 business. H. C. Smith then bought out the 
 Cortland Hardware Company and con- 
 ducted the business for a time, and sold to 
 C. F. Chamberlain, who was succeeded in 
 turn by F"loyd Chamberlain. In a short 
 time, however, C. F. Chamberlain again 
 purchased the business, and forming a co- 
 partnership with C. ¥.. Huntington, under 
 the title of C. F. Chamberlain & Co., con- 
 tinued the business a year and then organ- 
 ized the Chamberlain Manufacturing Com- 
 pany. In 1879 W. S. Xewkirk and Ernest 
 M. Hulbert, forming the firm of Xewkirk 
 & Hulbert, succeeded the Chamberlain 
 Manufacturing Company. Upon the com- 
 pletion of the new Standard building the 
 firm removed to extensive quarters in that 
 block. 
 
 The hardware, stove and tinware business 
 now conducted by Smith & Kingsbury at 
 No. 12 North Main street, was established 
 in 1859 by E. D. Mallery, in the old Ly- 
 man building, corner of Main street and 
 Groton avenue. This was the second tin 
 and hardware store in the village, and was 
 started on a very small scale, the storeroom 
 
 now occupied by C. H. Gaylord's grocery 
 being devoted to the sale of hardware, and 
 having a small tin shop in the rear. Soon 
 after the business was established and dur- 
 ing the same \'ear {1859), .Mallery sold to 
 the firm of Mills & Goodrich, who carried 
 on the business four years, in 1863 or 1864 
 securing the frame building then standing 
 on the corner of Main and Court streets 
 (and which had been occupied many years 
 as a seminary), and removing it to the 
 present site turned it into a hardware store 
 and tin shop. Mr. Goodrich then retired 
 from the firm, and Myron H. Mills continued 
 as sole proprietor for two years, when he 
 sold an intere.st to Josiah Stephens. The 
 business was conducted by Mills & Ste- 
 phens about two years, and upon the re- 
 tirement of Stephens, in 1867 or there- 
 abouts. Mills continued the business alone 
 until 1869, when he sold the hardware de- 
 partment to Theodore Perkins, retaining 
 the tin shop. In February of 1870 he 
 formed a copartnership with I'". D. .Smith. 
 under the firm name of Theodore Perkins & 
 Co., and the tinware business was again in- 
 cluded. \V. S. Newkirk succeeded Perkins in 
 1871, and Newkirk & Smith conducted the 
 business until 1 875, when the present copart- 
 nership of Smith & Kingsburj- was formed. 
 
 H. M. Kellogg began the hardware bus- 
 iness in 1876 with Frank Place, and pur- 
 chased his partner's interest in 1879. He 
 was entirely burned out in the disa.strous fire 
 which destroyed the Garrison block on the 
 20th of February. 1 884. He is now estab- 
 lished at No. 28 Xorth Main street. 
 
 Xelson & Call are engaged chiefly in the 
 sale of carriage makers' supplies at 19 S. 
 Main street. 
 
 Boots and Shoes. — In the Cortland 
 Journal of 1824 we find Xorman Curtis 
 advertising the boot and shoe making bus- 
 iness, at his shop a few rods east of Lyman 
 & Blair's store. He kept on hand a good 
 
3o8 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 assortment of Icatlur and statctl tliat liis 
 work was all made b\- the good old fash- 
 ioned method of sewin<j. John Bemcnt 
 was also a shoemaker at that period 
 and was located oi)posite the Methodist 
 chapel. It is not probable that the.se men 
 were the first shoemakers in the place, 
 t]ioun;h the\- ma_\- have been ; but we ha\e 
 no earlier records. Wm. Elder and Wm. 
 Fisk were long engaged in the business at 
 a later date, on the site of Dickinson & Mc- 
 Graw's store. The latter L;cntlcman was 
 bought out by Dickinson & McGraw in 
 1864, since which time they have carried 
 on a successful trade at the same location. 
 
 As far back as the year 1861 C. Van Als- 
 tine began shoemaking in Cortland in a 
 small building then standing on the grounds 
 of the Schermerhorn residence on South 
 Main street. A few years later this building 
 was removed to the rear of the lot and Mr. 
 Van Alstine went into the old Lyman build- 
 ing for two years when he engaged in the liv- 
 ery business. In 1 869 he formed a partner- 
 ship with Henry Furdy and in 1873 removed 
 to the Calvert block and began a wholesale 
 and retail business in boots and shoes. 
 Mr. Purdy died in 1874 and the stock was 
 closed out, but Mr. Van Alstine again en- 
 gaged in the business in 1875, in the Cal- 
 vert block. PVom 1876 to 1878 he occu- 
 pied the old wooden building that stood on 
 the site of the Schermerhorn block and then 
 went into the building recently burned, on 
 the corner of Main and Court streets. He 
 remained here until 1880, when he took his 
 present store in the De.xter Hou.se block. 
 
 A. R. & Jay Peck began the business in 
 1883 and have a handsome store at No. 21 
 -South Main street. 
 
 Sackett L. Wright began the shoe trade 
 in 1875 'ind still continues a successful bus- 
 iness. 
 
 Jewelers. — An account of the liassett 
 family, who were the first jewelers in the 
 
 \-illage, has already been given. The next 
 workmen and dealers in this line, as far as 
 we have been able to learn, was the firm of 
 Boon & Ormsby, located two doors south 
 of the Eagle Ta\'ern, whose business was 
 transferred in August, 1834 to G. K. Stiles. 
 Many people now living in Cortland will 
 remember the building of the small wooden 
 store now occupied by M. Michelson, some 
 j forty years ago, in which Mr. Stiles carried 
 I on his business more than twentx- years. 
 Mr. Stiles remo\-ed to Brooklyn about the 
 }-ear 1859 and a few years ago committed 
 suicide by jumping into the East river. 
 
 M. Michelson began the business here in 
 1862 and has continued it ever since. De- 
 los Sanders opened a jewelrj' store a num- 
 ber of years ago and in 1882 sold out to J. 
 B. Capron. He in tiu-ii transferred the bus- 
 iness to C. W. l^arney in August, 1883. He 
 is now located in a part of A. Mahan's store. 
 
 C. E. Baldwin & Co. began the jewelry 
 trade at 22 North Main street in May, 1882. 
 In Januar)-, 1S84, Mr. Baldwin bought out 
 his partner and has since conducted the 
 business alone. 
 
 J. C. Gray came to Cortland and estab- 
 lished himself in this business in the year 
 I 872 which he has successfully followed ever 
 since. He is located at 5 North Main 
 street. 
 
 Ready-made Clothing. — The methods 
 of clothing the masses of the people have 
 undergone raelical changes within the past 
 twenty years, and the consecjuent growth 
 (>f the ready-made clothing business is one 
 of the niar\-els of American trade. The first 
 store in Cortland for the exclusive sale of 
 clothing was that of Kent & Sperry, which 
 was opened in the Messenger House block 
 nearly twent)' years ago. The establish- 
 ment was purchased by the Burdick Broth- 
 ers in 1878 and sold by them to Reid & 
 Wallace in j88i. In March, 1883, the firm 
 became \\. M. Reid & Co., and in October 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 309 
 
 of the same year F. W. Collins became a 
 member. This continued until April, 1884, 
 when Collins bought out his partner and 
 now conducts business alone. His store is 
 located at 8 North Main street. 
 
 The other clothing houses of the village 
 are F. N. Harrington & Co., who has suc- 
 cessfully conducted the business for a num- 1 
 ber of years; I. Whiteson, 20 North Main 
 street, who began in 1882, and A. Rosen- 
 baum, 30 North Main street, who began in 
 1883. Samuel S. Woodruff and John Mor- 
 ris are tailors, both of whom ha\e had long 
 and honorable business careers in the vil- 
 lage. 
 
 House Furnishing. — In the year i860 
 the firm of Garrison & Collins was formed, 
 for carrying on the grocer\- trade. Mr. 
 Garrison had been in the business for some 
 )-ears previous, and when Mr. Collins en- 
 tered the firm, crocker\' and some other 
 house furnishing lines were added. The firm 
 continued together four years, when it was 
 dissolved, Mr. Collins continuing the busi- 
 ness and gradually going out of the gro- 
 cery trade, to make wa\- for his present 
 large house furnishing business. This is the 
 only store of the kind in the place. 
 
 Grocers. — The limits of our space will 
 not permit of a detailed history of all the 
 establishments that have sold groceries in 
 the village ; their number is legion. One 
 of the earliest dealers of whom we find 
 mention was Homer Gillett, an estimable 
 citizen, who was in trade before 1829. Hor- 
 ace Jarvis was a grocer here for many years 
 and afterward held the office of postmaster 
 for over seventeen years ; he was a citizen 
 who was respected by the entire commu- 
 nity. In those days and for years after- 
 ward all of the merchants in the place aided 
 in supplying the tables of the communit\-, 
 and exclusive grocers did not exist until 
 long afterward. 
 
 I. M. Seaman came to Cortland from 
 
 Madison county in 1840 and began business 
 in 1843; he ^^'3S afterward associated with 
 L. Cudworth (Cudworth & Seaman) until 
 1 846 ; they had a grocery and meat market, 
 the only one of the kind in the village. This 
 firm was succeeded by B. K. Aldrich, G. N. 
 Copeland and D. C. Cloyes. The latter 
 came to Cortland from Oneida county in 
 1852, bought out Mr. Copeland and con- 
 tinued the business until 1878. He was 
 succeeded by W. B. Stoppard, who now 
 conducts the store. 
 
 The grocery now occupied by C. H. Price 
 & Co. was for sixteen years used by Dan- 
 iel Bradford, who for many years before was 
 located where W'm. Riley now is. Mr. Brad- 
 ford was succeeded by A. C. Carr and he by 
 the present firm. 
 
 L. D. Garrison has already been men- 
 tioned as having been associated with C. W, 
 Collins. The grocery firm of L. D. Garri- 
 son & Co was located in the Garrison block 
 until it was burned in Feb., 1884. C. H. 
 Gaylord began business in December, 1880, 
 I succeeding Geo. Williams. C. F. Thomp- 
 l son opened the business in 1875, and the 
 Sherwood Brothers also began in the same 
 j^ear, succeeding Miller & Sherwood. R. 
 S. Randall & Co. began in October, 1880, 
 succeeding Smith & Meyers, and W. H. 
 Bradford in 1882, occupied the store form- 
 erly used by John and George Bennett. The 
 firm of E. F. Squires & Co. is composed of 
 E. ¥. & James S. Squires, the former having 
 pre\iousl\- been associated with C. W. Sto- 
 ker in the same business. They are located 
 at 23 South Main street. H. B. Hubbard 
 has a store at 24 South Main street, and is 
 the successor of Givens & Hubbard. These 
 are the principal firms in the \-illage in this 
 line of trade. 
 
 Photography. — Cortland village has 
 been for man)' years favored with photo- 
 graphic artists of excellent capabilities, the 
 first of whom we find mention being Prof 
 
310 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Beck, who for a long period had a gallery 
 in Homer. He established one in Cortland 
 in 1852. The business is now well repre- 
 sented by IC. M. Santee, who succeeded 
 Page & Santee, and is a first-class artist. 
 
 Bakers. — The first brick baker's oven 
 built in this \illage was by Benjamin & Ban- 
 croft, in 1845 ; but they were too early to 
 find a sufficient demand for their goods and 
 closed out in about a year. The Cortland 
 steam bakery was established in 1873 by 
 F2ggleston & Cobb, who put in steam power 
 in 1875. About this time Mr. Eggleston 
 retired and the firm became Cobb & Per- 
 kins. In January, 1881, the confectionery 
 business of L. D. Garrison was purchased 
 and the works largely extended, until now 
 it is one of the important business houses 
 of the village. 
 
 Hotels. — Readers have already become 
 more or less familiar with the early hotels 
 of Cortland and their proprietors. The first 
 one was established by Samuel Ingalls in 
 1810 and was long a popular house. Moses 
 Hopkins, the leading pioneer, was the sec- 
 ond landlord, his house standing where the 
 Taylor Hall block is now located. Then 
 followed the tavern built at Port Watson by 
 the company of eastern men who believed 
 that was to be the site of the future village 
 and cit\-. About the year 18 1 8 Nathan 
 Luce built the tavern that first stood on the 
 site of the Messenger House and which was 
 afterwards enlarged and known for many 
 years as the popular Eagle Tavern. This 
 was burned down in January, 1862, and the 
 present hotel erected on its site. Relative 
 to the building of this hotel the Hon. Ho- 
 ratio Ballard spoke as follows at the dedi- 
 cation ceremonies of Messenger (now Tay- 
 lor) Hall in February, 1866: "In Janu- 
 ary, 1862, the 'Eagle Tavern,' a name cher- 
 ished in the memory of thousands of guests, 
 was destroyed by fire. It was a calamity 
 to our town and a loss to the public. But 
 
 there were agencies at work bej'ond the 
 
 penetration of lumiaii imaginings, which 
 more than restored the loss. Just before the 
 opening of our railway, a citizen (Hiram J. 
 Messengeri then engaged in a limited mer- 
 cantile trade in an adjoining town, removed 
 to another county and entered upon a large 
 field of action. He was successful. In the 
 year i860 he returned to this, his native 
 county, endowed with a fortune and a pub- 
 lic spirit. He was not slow in discovering 
 the sure e\'idences of an ad\ancing trade 
 centering here. One of the first exhibi- 
 tions of his good will and devotion to the 
 public interests was his unexpected an- 
 nouncement that if the site of the old 
 ' Eagle ' was tendered to him, he would 
 cover it with a hotel not surpassed in cen- 
 tral New York. The ofier was accepted 
 and rising above the smouldering ashes was 
 soon seen the stately pile, alike an orna- 
 ment to the town and a boast of the county." 
 
 Such was the origin of the Messenger 
 House, which has ever since been kept as a 
 first-class hotel. It was long under the ex- 
 perienced care of Win. S. Copeland and is 
 now conducted by Mr. Barry. 
 
 David Merrick, as has already been re- 
 corded, built a hotel just west of the site of 
 the Cortland House, in an earl}- day, which 
 he kept, and at a later date his son, Dan- 
 forth, erected the Cortland House, then one 
 of the largest public houses in the vicinitj-, 
 and which was burned but a short time ago. 
 It passed through several hands until the 
 year 1868, when it came into possession of 
 D. Bauder, who has kept it since that time. 
 He is at this writing engaged in the erection 
 of a splendid house on the burned site. 
 
 The old Center House, which stood on 
 site of the Arnold House, came into pos- 
 session of Enos Stimson about the year 
 1840. He sold out to C. J. Etz, of whom 
 J. S. Samson purchased it about 1S50. He 
 kept it one year as a temperance house and 
 
Town of Cortlandville. 
 
 311 
 
 sold to Daniel Rose. Following him in the 
 proprietorship came Messrs. Winston, Mills, 
 Curtis, Samuel Plumb, Cornelius Brown, 
 Fairchild and probably others. In 1865 
 D. J. Sperry took the propert}-, subse- 
 quently taking in as a partner his son-in-law, 
 W. F. Burdick. The_\- rebuilt the house in 
 its present form in 1870. It next passed 
 into possession of K. F. lUitterfield, who 
 sold it to Arnold & Carr in 1881. 
 
 The building of the Dexter House by L. 
 Dexter in 1866 has already been men- i 
 tioned. He kept a popular house, which [ 
 is continued at the present time and since 
 1881, by S. A. Williams. i 
 
 The F"armer's Piotel is a smaller house, ! 
 located on Port Watson street, owned and 1 
 kept by Bernard Doud. j 
 
 MC'CR.WVVILLE. ' 
 
 McGrawville is a thrixing village in the I 
 town of Cortland\ille, about fi\'e miles to 
 the eastward of Cortland \illage, and con- 
 tains a population of about 900. It has 
 two hotels, three churches, the second 
 largest corset manufactory in the Uni-ted 
 States, a number of smaller factories, shops, ' 
 etc., and is the center of considerable mer- 
 cantile and other business. The village re- 
 ceived its name in honor of Samuel Mc- 
 Graw, who migrated from New Ha\'en, 
 Conn., to Cortlandville in 1803 and located 
 on lot 87, where he purchased 100 acres. 
 In 1809 he removed to McGrawville and 
 purchased about 200 acres. Mr. McGraw 
 was a native of Plymouth, Vermont, where 
 he was born in 1772. He was married to 
 Miss Betsey Whitcomb in 1794 in Benning- 
 ton, Vt., b)' which marriage he had eleven 
 children, three of whom are still li\'ing, and 
 the first four of whom, namel)-, William, 
 Henry, Betsey, and Hiram, were boiii be- 
 fore their parents remo\ed westward. 
 Samuel, a younger son, is now a resident 
 of Homer village. The children all became 
 
 prominent in the early history of this vil- 
 lage. Mr. McGraw died Feb. 6th, 1835. 
 
 When Samuel Mc Graw came to this 
 place he built a log cabin, in which he lived 
 until 1 81 5, when he there erected a frame 
 house. During this same period Simon 
 Phelps moved in from the same place and 
 located just east of the site of the village. 
 During the same year Uncle Asher Graves 
 moved in ; also Rufus Graves, Reuben Per- 
 sons, Jonathan Taylor and others came to 
 the vicinity of McGrawville. Elisha Co- 
 burn, a nati\e of Springfield, Mass., came 
 in from Oxford and located on lot No. 79, 
 in 181 1, one-half mile south of McGraw- 
 ville, where he cut timber and built an 
 asher\- and for many )-ears manufactured 
 "black salts;" his son, Elisha, now lives in 
 the village. 
 
 The year 1 8 n is the first date we have 
 of Deacon Park Morgan, who was the suc- 
 cessful tanner and currier of pioneer times. 
 Of the old settlers still living, Daniel A. 
 Thompson, a native of Columbia county, 
 now 8j years old, came to the place in 1817 
 when a young man of twent}- years. He 
 has been in the blacksmithing business since 
 that time in the village. Lucius Babcock, 
 Reuben Doud, Wm. Shearer (the last 
 named located where Reuben Shearer now 
 lives), were all early settlers of McGrawville 
 or its vicinity. William Pike, David Corey, 
 Dr. Hiram Brockway, Revs. Peleg R. Kin- 
 ney, Joseph R. Johnson, E. B. Fancher, and 
 Rensselaer Merrill, an associate of Harry 
 McGraw, are all prominent names in the 
 history of this section of the town, but came 
 upon the field somewhat later than those 
 before mentioned. 
 
 Samuel McGraw built the first log house 
 in what is now the \illage of McGrawville, 
 on the site of the premises now owned 
 and occupied by Mason Kinney, and re- 
 sided there until the year 181 1, when he 
 built a frame structure across the road; 
 
312 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 this building is not now standing. Henry 
 McGiaw, liis son, became the first mer- 
 chant in the village. He purchased the 
 first goods ever brought to McGrawville of 
 Roswcll and Wni. Randall, in Cortland vil- 
 lage, and after carting them to his place, 
 opened up in his father's old log cabin 
 (1818). After trading here for a season 
 only he built tiic second store in the place, 
 a part of which is now occupied as the post- 
 office. This was in the )ear 1822. About 
 1835 he sold out to Marcus McGraw and , 
 A. V. P. Wilcox. From 1841 to 1843 he 
 rented the building to Greenman & Thomp- 
 son ; then H. McGraw & Son (P. II. Mc- 
 Graw) continued the business until the 
 death of the father in 1849, when a com- , 
 pany was formed, consisting of P. H. Mc- 
 Graw, Deloss McGraw and Lucius Babcock, 
 and business was continued from 1 849 to 
 1854 under the firm name of P. H. Mc- 
 Graw & Co., who had the third largest . 
 store in the county. Upon the dissolution 
 of the last named firm, P. H. & D. McGraw 
 began in the produce business and have 
 continued it from that date to the present 
 time, trading also extensively in wool, cat- 
 tle and general merchandise. 
 
 In the McGrawville Express, Sept. 28th, 
 1848, we notice the firm of Kinney & Mc- 
 Graw advertising common leghorn hats for 
 sale in their store.' McGraw & Green 
 wanted 2,000 pounds of honey ; they kept 
 staple and fancy dry goods. James San- 
 derson, manufacturer of cabinet furniture, 
 continued his business at the old stand on 
 the P'reetown road. Geo. Pennoyer, at the 
 old stand of L. Graves, manufactured car- 
 riages. M. M. Webster offered the highest 
 price in boots and shoes or leather for 2,000 
 cords of hemlock bark, to be delivered at 
 his tannery in McGrawville. Kinney & 
 Thompson were also heavy advertisers. 
 
 The first special line of groceries was car- 
 ried by John B. Lament, who came to the 
 
 place in 1851, and has continued in the 
 business ever since. This store is the orig- 
 inal horse shed owned by Henry McGraw. 
 A Mr. Torrey traded in it a short time be- 
 fore Lamont took it. Col. D. S. Lament, 
 the well known private secretary of Gov- 
 ernor Cleveland, is the son of J. B. Lamont. 
 
 Blackmer & Bingham followed in the 
 grocery trade, and after them Albert At- 
 kins, who bought in with M. C. Bingham 
 in 1872, and since 1875 has been trading 
 alone. 
 
 In the general trade of dr)' goods, etc., 
 Chas. L. Kinney is the oldest merchant in 
 the place. He began in 1844 and has since 
 regularly followed the mercantile business. 
 M. C. Bingham began in 1868. He suc- 
 ceeded E. N. Blackmer and W. H. Tarble. 
 
 The drug trade was probably represented 
 in the stock first kept by Hiram McGraw. 
 This was transferred in time to C. B. War- 
 ren who, in 1866, formed a partnership 
 with C. A. Jones under the firm name of 
 War.ren & Jones, and who then purchased 
 the small stock of J. C. Phelps and con- 
 tinued until 1874, when Jones bought 
 Warren out and has continued until the 
 present time. In 1866 C. A. Jones also 
 established himself in the drug trade, and 
 still continues it. 
 
 Eli Smith established a hardware busi- 
 ness in McGrawville in 1843, dealing in 
 copper, tin and sheet iron. Later he put 
 in stoves and has of late years made a spe- 
 cialty of that branch of business. A. J. 
 Sweet carries a large assortment of hard- 
 ware and has traded successfully in this line 
 for over ten years. 
 
 The furniture business was carried on in 
 McGrawville from 1848 to 1852, b\- James 
 Sanderson. He was succeeded by A. R. 
 Kelsey to 1855 ; Col. Alfred Green, now of 
 Cortland, and then R. B. Fletcher took it 
 up and since 1864 R. H. Graves has carried 
 it on. During the last few years Mr. Graves 
 
/f^^L.2.^ X^. y^^^ 
 
3i6 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Hiram Brockwa)'. He came here in 1832, 
 but remained for only one or two years. 
 Drs. Charles Kingman, Webster, Potter, 
 Wiggins, Hill and Scranton practiced here 
 later. Dr. Henrj- C. Hendrick is the oldest 
 physician now in the place. He came from 
 Willet to McGraw\ille in 1857. He prac- 
 tices in the old school and is now in part- 
 nership with Dr. Smith, who came 
 
 here some fi%'e years ago. 
 
 This village was incorporated in May, 
 1869. Pierce \\'arrcn was the first presi- 
 dent; W. H. Tarblc, clerk. On the 19th 
 of Janiiar\-, 1869, the first meeting was 
 held preparator)' to incorporation. It was 
 held in the office of Pierce Warren, and C. 
 A. Jones was made clerk, /»-o tcm. ; Thom- 
 as B. Chaftee was appointed trustee t<5 fill 
 vacancy; Ransom Warren, street commis- 
 sioner; Hiram D. Core\-, clerk; Noah H. 
 Osborne, pound master. The board voted 
 $300 to repair streets and also gave names 
 to the streets, the principal one being called 
 Main street. The fire department was or- 
 ganized at the same time, with R. H. 
 Graves as chief engineer ; he was instructed 
 to raise a company of not less than thirty 
 nor more than fifty men. F"rank Wheelock 
 is the present chief engineer. The company 
 use a hand engine. 
 
 The present officers of the village are : — 
 
 J. W. Cudworth, president. 
 
 W. J. \'an Auken, clerk. 
 
 A. P. McGraw, R. H. Graves, Lewis 
 Warren, Chas. S. Kinne\-, trustees. 
 
 Churches. — The Presbyterian Church of 
 McGrawville was organized March ist, 
 1833. The meeting was held at the house 
 of Lester Graves, under direction of the 
 Rev. M. E. Johnson, and Rev. Mr. Fields. 
 O. W. Brewster, P. Cravath, Aaron Smith, 
 Jonathan Taylor, were elected and ordained 
 elders. There were present at the meeting, 
 Jonathan and Phoebe Taylor, Aaron Smith 
 and his wife Sarah, Dr. Hiram S. Brockwa)-, 
 
 Fidelia Brockway, Lester Graves and Olive 
 Graves, Lyman and Eliza Graves, Austin 
 Graves, Marcus McGraw, Zenas A. Bryant, 
 Polly Graves, Chloe Tracy, Calista Coburn, 
 ( Mary J. Hicks, Minerva McGraw, Caroline 
 H. Allen, Caroline Smith, Arminda Russell, 
 James Morey, Lewis Da)'. The Rev. E. B. 
 Fancher, the first pastor after the organization 
 of the society, remained in charge 27 years; 
 he died in 1865, and was the father of the 
 present editor of the McGrawville Sentinel. 
 Mr. Fancher was succeeded by Rev. W. H. 
 Bates, two years; Rev. Geo. Ba\-less, ten 
 )'ears; Rev. Chas. S. Coon, ten months; 
 Rev. J. G. Blue, the present pastor, came 
 in Jul)', 1882. Before the pastorate of Mr. 
 Bates the form of the church government 
 was changed from Presb)terian to Congre- 
 gational, but during his pastorate was again 
 changed to its former government. The first 
 house of worship was erected in 1833, and at 
 inter\-als of twenty-five years has since been 
 extensively repaired and improved. The 
 ruling elders are now J. Ralston Holmes, 
 Deloss McGraw, E. P. F"ancher, H. C. Hen- 
 drick, H. D. Corey, Wm. Carr. The 
 deacons are John Tanner, Harvey D. Wa- 
 ters. The trustees are P. H. McGraw, 
 Noah Osborne, H. D. Corey. C. L. Kinne)-, 
 G. L. Baker and Wm. Carr. 
 
 The Baptist Church was organized in 
 1 83 1 with sixteen members, whose names 
 were as follows: Russell Warren and wife, 
 Deacon Pierce and wife. Deacon Forshee 
 and wife, Israel Palmer and wife, Joshua 
 Rogers and wife, Russell Dodge and wife, 
 Mr. Greenwood and wife. Elder Dye was 
 the first pastor; he remained with the 
 church until he lost his voice, a period of 
 sixteen years. He was followed by Elders 
 Savage, Day, Alfred Bennett, Stone, West- 
 cott. Smith and Elder Grant, the present 
 preacher, who came in June, 1883. The 
 deacons are now Nicholas Starr and Chas. 
 Kinne)'. The trustees are W. C. Shuler, 
 
Town of Cokilandville. 
 
 317 
 
 Chas. Kinney, Arthur Chapin, Ransom 
 Warren, Jolm Kenfield and Cornelius For- 
 shee. Tile first church edifice was erected 
 in 1831; it has since been remodeled and 
 impro\cd, the last time in 1865. The 
 membership is 150. 
 
 The original meetings held b\' the 
 Methodists of McGrawville were in a school- 
 house on lands then owned by Wni, 
 Shearer, now owned b}' Reuben Shearer, 
 his son, and on lot 59. John Lyon and 
 wife, his sons William, James and Andrew 
 and their wives, Alva Burnham and wife, 
 David Short, Drake Se\-mour and wife, 
 Mrs. Haskill and one or two others, were 
 the original members of this society. In 
 1834 the church building was erected in 
 McGrawville and thereafter the society 
 worshiped there. The church records 
 reach back to the year 1843, ^^ which time 
 L. E. Weaver was pastor and S. D. Brooks, 
 local preacher. The stewards have been 
 Jehiel Rose, Rufus Rowe, Stillman Holden, 
 Linus Stillman, Wm. Hicks, Wm. Green- 
 man and Ransford Palmer. The class 
 leaders, Jehiel Rose, Luther Lyon, Alanson 
 Houghton, Samuel Thompson, Ransford 
 Palmer, Morgan Wolsey. The present 
 pastor is W. D. Fox: '^class leaders, J. 
 Walker, Lucius Brooks, J. C. Alger. Trus- 
 tees, David I. Brownell, jr., Albert Atkins, 
 Peter Baljay, P. H. Henry, Helmer Jacobs. 
 The church has now_i5i members. 
 
 SOUTH CORTL.VND. 
 
 This is a small hamlet situated about two 
 and a half miles southwest of Cortland vil- 
 lage. There is but little business done here 
 at the present time, although in earl\- da}'s 
 the inhabitants in the \icinity entertained 
 anticipations that it would be a thri\'ing 
 business center. 
 
 In the year 1822 Nathan W. Rowley 
 came from Catskill and occupied a tract of 
 some four hundred acres of land which he 
 
 had purchased of speculators at his own 
 home. He built a large two story house 
 and kept a ta\ern in the place until his 
 death in 1830. The house burned in 1858. 
 He also was the first postmaster in the 
 place, retaining the office until his death, 
 when it passed into the charge of his son 
 Philemon Rowley. His successors were 
 Darius Sanders, P'nos Smith, Darius San- 
 ders and A. P. Rowley, the present incum- 
 bent, who took the office in 1861. 
 
 In 183 I Philemon Rowley built the first 
 store in the place. He was born in i 800, 
 on the Hudson river and was married when 
 24 j-ears old, to Mary S. Curtis, a daugliter 
 of Gideon Curtis the pioneer merchant of 
 Little York. Mr. Rowle\' came to South 
 Cortland in 1826 and bought the place now 
 owned by the heirs of Darius Sanders ; the 
 latter was a brother of Charles Sanders the 
 school book author. Mr. Rowley drew his 
 goods from Albanj- for his store, which he 
 conducted until the year 1833, when he 
 went to Michigan to live. The store was 
 then sold to Gilbert Edgcomb, after whose 
 management for a time it was abandoned. 
 The building was long used as a \yeaver's 
 shop b}' David Sanders. There is now no 
 store at South Cortland. The second store 
 was built by W. Sturtevant in 1832, but it 
 was used as such for only a short period. 
 
 In early years there was considerable 
 business done here, and the citizens were 
 apparently justified in their hopes of its be- 
 ing a thriving business center. A news- 
 paper was published for a while — the 
 Soiitli Cortland Luminary — and Mr. Row- 
 ley ran two four-horse stages between Cort- 
 land and Owego. Travel was heav\- anil 
 the prospects were good for growth. But 
 business was finally drawn to other sections 
 and the hamlet has passed through the same 
 experience of many others, sacrificing itself 
 to aid in the growth of others more fortun- 
 ately located. 
 
3>8 
 
 HisTORV OF Cortland Colntv. 
 
 In 1842 a Mr. Footc built a structure 
 w licrc he lisL'd and manufactured combs for 
 six or eight years. 
 
 The grist-mill was built here in i<S34 or 
 1835, by Gilbert lidgcomb, who had also 
 a saw-mill on Big brook. In 1865 A. P. 
 Rowlc\- bought the grist-mill, which he 
 owned until tlie present \-ear, when he sold 
 the propert)- to Daniel McNish. The mill 
 lias not been run since 1883, and there is 
 now none in the immediate vicinity. 
 
 In a newspaper of June, 18 19, we find 
 an announcement that Samuel Eaton had 
 " commenced burning marl lime for the 
 season at his pond 3 miles southwest of 
 Cortland village." There are se\eral of 
 these marl ponds near South Cortland, 
 which have already been alluded to. Thej- 
 ha\'e been a source of considerable income 
 to their different owners since the first set- 
 tlement of this section. 
 
 The first religious society at South Cort- 
 land was organized in 1839, when a sub- 
 scription paper was circulated for the build- 
 ing of a house of worship for the " Chris- 
 tians," or Disciples ; the subscriptions were 
 as follows: Zera Tanner, $100; Reuben 
 Cadwell, $50; Reuben Cadwell, jr., $100; 
 Alva Jarvis, $12.50; Richard Crandall, 
 $3.50; Asa Wilcox, $5.00; James Swan, 
 $15. The church was erected in 1840 and 
 IClder Da\'id Wade was the first pastor; he 
 remained but two or three years and was 
 followed by I'.klers Huzzell and Wm. j. 
 Grimes, who was the last regular pastor and 
 remained about twelve years, leaving in 
 1864. Since then the society has gradually 
 declined and now has no organization. 
 
 The Methodists never had a societ\' in 
 the place, but some of that denomination 
 formed a class and called to their aid min- 
 isterial aid at various times. Ezra Rood, 
 his son Reuben, Asher Wilco.v, Zina Ford 
 and others were prominent in this work. 
 The\' ne\'er had a church building here. 
 
 Among the earliest settlers in this portion 
 of the town we ma)- mention Wm. Hatfield, 
 who came from Herkimer count)' and lo- 
 cated on lot 62. lie had for neighbors 
 Chaunce)- Jones, who settled where Daniel 
 Terr)- now li\es. Timoth)- Allen, who 
 located where Thomas Tillinghast lives. 
 Christopher Bowman, who located where 
 Silas Schermerhorn li\-es. Jabez Calkins 
 and Hezekiah Howe. Abel Benedict also 
 located at an early day on lot 61, as did 
 also Reuben and Ezekiel Wordsworth. Zera 
 Tanner came from Otsego county to South 
 Cortland in 1832 ; he died in 1861. 
 
 South Cortland and vicinity forms one of 
 the best farming districts in the count)', the 
 land being level or gently rolling, and the 
 inhabitants are many of them well-to-do. 
 
 kludgett's .mills. 
 
 This is a station and hamlet on the D. 
 L. & W. railroad, about two and a half 
 miles southeast of Cortland village. The 
 earliest settler in this vicinity was probably 
 Leonard Tisdale, who came from Massachu- 
 setts in 1 804, and located on the site now 
 occupied by Charles Sprague. 
 
 Ezra Corwin was an earl)- settler, and 
 also Samuel McGraw. We have already 
 alluded to the fact in the general county 
 histor)-, that Nathan Blodgett and Jonathan 
 Hubbard, the prominent pioneers, built a 
 grist-mill at this point at an earl)- da)'. 
 Mr. Blodgett came here in 1805 and pur- 
 chased lands where his grandson, Alonzo 
 Blodgett now lives. The mills at Blodgett's 
 Mills was probably built within the following 
 year; at an)- rate, it was very soon after 
 his arrival. The two pioneers first put uj) 
 a saw-mill and the grist-mill was subse- 
 quentl)-, and not long afterward, erected. 
 This property was divided in 1834. The 
 saw-mill is now- owned by Byron Utley and 
 the grist-mill by Philo Moses. 
 
 The first store at this place was built by 
 
Town of Virgil. 
 
 319 
 
 James Burt about the year 1840, and about 
 tlic year 1852 James Tanner built a store 
 on tlie cast side of the ri\er, wlicre he did 
 business a number of years. He also built 
 the house, now used as a hotel b\- A. Skeel, 
 in 1863, in which he carried on a shoemak- 
 ing business until 1879. Mr. Tanner's son, 
 Edgar, owns the store property and carries 
 on the business there now. 
 
 Teed & Wallace owned a carding-niill at 
 this place man)- years ago, which they op- 
 
 erated a long time, but the dates we have 
 been unable tn obtain. It was afterward 
 owned by R. P. Tanner who ran it for eight 
 \ears when it was burned. 
 
 The first store on the site now owned by 
 John Hubbard was built by Nelson Owen. 
 He was succeeded in business by James 
 Freer; the building was subsequently 
 burned. R. P. Tanner then began busi- 
 ness on the site and was followed b\- Mr. 
 Hubbard, the present occupant. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWX OF VIk(.;n„ 
 
 THI^ townshij) of \'irgil was originall)- 
 in the southwestern corner of Cortland 
 county, on the southern boundarj- of the 
 military tract. It has since been divided, 
 the towns of Harford and Lapeer being set 
 off from it. The whole of this town did not 
 belong to the military tract, as the tract 
 called the " Massachusetts ten townships " 
 comprehends about one-half mile in width 
 across the original south side, leaving, how- 
 ever, the town nearly ten miles .square. It 
 is situated on the height of land between 
 the St. Lawrence and Susquehanna rivers. 
 The waters part near Virgil Corners and 
 mingle with those of the broad Atlantic 
 through the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the 
 Chesapeake Bay. The surface is variegated 
 with hills and vallej's, watered by numerous 
 springs and smaller streams of water. The 
 timber is rather heavj-, consists of maple, 
 beech, elm, basswood, pine, hemlock and 
 cherry. Some of the hills have consider- 
 able chestnut and oak, and interspersed 
 through the whole is some white ash and 
 birch. The soil is quite uniform and better 
 adapted to grazing than tillage. The water 
 is good, and most parts are remarkably 
 
 well supplied for common purposes; but 
 there are no large permanent streams adapt- 
 ed to the propelling of mills and machinery. 
 The Tioughnioga river runs through the 
 northeast part of the town, remote from the 
 principal part of the population. 
 
 To facilitate the settlement of this sec- 
 tion of the country, a road was projected. 
 Connecting O.xford with the Cayuga lake, 
 to pass through this town. Joseph Chap- 
 lin, the first inhabitant, was entrusted with 
 this work. The instrument by which he 
 was authorized to engage in it was authen- 
 ticated on the 5 th of May, 1792. He spent 
 that season in exploring and surveying the 
 route, the length, of which is about si.\t\' 
 miles. He came to lot No. 50, which he 
 owned, and afterwards settled, erected a 
 house and prosecuted his work, having a 
 woman to keep the house and cook for 
 workmen. The work for cutting and clear- 
 ing the road was done in 1793—94; so that 
 he mo\ed his fimil}' from Oxford over in 
 the winter of 1894-95, employing six or 
 seven sleighs freighted with famih-, furni- 
 ture, provisions, etc. 
 
 Mr. Cliaplin married Mrs. Abigail Mes- 
 
320 
 
 History of CouTi.ANn County. 
 
 sender, w Im was the mother of Cjiiloon Mes- 
 senger, oik- of the pioneers of Virgil Corners, 
 and of Nathan Messenger. By her he had 
 three sons and four daugliters. 1 lis son Jo- 
 seph married a Miss Chatterton and final!)- 
 died in the southwestern part of Illinois. 
 He was distinguished in the locality where 
 he resided as a man of intelligence and in- 
 tegrity, was chosen a justice of the ])eace 
 and a major in tiie militia, and was famil- 
 iarly known, on that account, as " Major 
 Chaplin." His famil)- were Harriet, who 
 married a Mr. Patten and removed to Illi- 
 nois, where she died ; Joseph, who was last 
 heard of in Pennsylvania ; Aaron, now liv- 
 ing in Jessop, Iowa ; Pollw who married a 
 Mr. Cook and lives in Cazenovia ; (iideon, 
 who died in Iowa ; Cornelius, who married 
 a daughter of Sylvester Crain, of Virgil, 
 removed to Stockton, Cal., where he died 
 P""eb. 22d, 1874; Sylvester, now li\-ing in 
 Harford, this county ; Catharine, who mar- 
 ried one of the Shevalier faniih-, of Virgil, 
 and now lives at Macomb, 111 ; and Jacob, 
 now living at Union, Storey Co., Iowa. 
 Daniel Chaplin, the second son of the orig- 
 inal Joseph, had a faniil\-, but we ha\'e not 
 found a record of it. 
 
 Benjamin Franklin, the third^ son, was 
 father of George A. Chaplin, who now lives 
 in Marathon, and of Walter I,., who lives 
 at Messengerville. The daughters were 
 Sally, Ruth, Marietta and Isabella, two of 
 whom are still living. Such is a brief rec- 
 ord of the descendants of tlie first settlers 
 of Virgil. 
 
 In 1794 John M. I*" rank, who had a pat- 
 ent for lot No. 43, came to ascertain its lo- 
 cation and condition. He came along lots 
 by marked trees, taking the present south 
 line of the town, upon which his lot was 
 bounded, made his discoveries and returned. 
 
 The next year he came, made a begin- 
 ning in the forest, erected a house, returned 
 to his family and made preparations to 
 
 move on. lie came from Montgomery to 
 Cooperstow n, then down the Susquehanna 
 to Chenango Point, thence up the Chenan- 
 go and Tioughnioga rivers to Chaplin's, 
 thence on the State road to a point near 
 where the village now is, thence southerly, 
 and so on over tlie hill to near where Mr. 
 Hotchkiss now lives, and then to the build- 
 ing he had elected. Tliey arrived in No- 
 \'ember, 1795, after a journey of six weeks, 
 and from that time till spring saw none but 
 their own famil\-. The man whom he had 
 employed to move them in brought the. 
 famil)-, and Mr. Frank came out on foot 
 and drove seven head of cattle and six 
 sheep. The sheep went away a little from 
 the house a few days after their arrival, got 
 out of sight and were never heard of after, 
 and it was supposed that the wolves took 
 them The cattle were wintered on browse, 
 and all lived except one )-earling. Samuel 
 Marvin, who moved the famil\-, agreed fur- 
 ther that he would clear two acres and fur- 
 nish tlie family with provisions for one 
 year for three hundred acres off the east 
 side of the lot, which agreements were mu- 
 tualh- fulfilled. It is well to understand, 
 that, though the patents were for the whole 
 scjuare mile, yet the State reserved to itself 
 the right to retain one hundred acres in the 
 southeast corner of each lot, and give an 
 equal amount in Ohio, unless the person to 
 receive the patent should give notice of his 
 w isli to ha\e his land together; also charged 
 the patentee eight dollars for surveying, and 
 in default of payment, reserved fifty acres 
 in one corner, called " the survey fifty acres." 
 Mr. h'rank ga\e notice and saved the one 
 hundred acres, but could not raise the eight 
 dollars to save the fifty, though he oftcrcd 
 ;i cow for the mone\-, and also proposed to 
 mortgage the whole lot in security ; conse- 
 quently the fifty acres were alienated, and 
 constituted the farm now owned by George 
 P. Dann. 
 
Town of Vikgil. 
 
 321 
 
 The next inhabitant was John Gee, also 
 a soldier of the Revolution. He drew lot 
 No 21, bounded west b>- the town of Dr}-- 
 den. He came in 1795, and two others with 
 him, bringing their provisions with them 
 on foot from Chenango Point, and built 
 such a house as three men could, with only 
 an axe, without a board, a nail or a pane of 
 glass, and returned. He moved his family 
 the ne.xt year from Wj'oming, arriving on 
 the 7th of June. The family consisted of 
 his father and mother, his wife and six chil- 
 dren, to live in a building about sixteen 
 feet b\- tweh'e.i 
 
 With Mr. Gee the neighbors were : J. 
 Chaplin, at the river, about twelve miles 
 by the road, J. M. Frank, four miles with- 
 out road, and Ebenezer Brown, twelve miles 
 west in Milton (now Lansing). The near- 
 est grist-mill was at Chenango l^oint, now 
 Binghamton, and no store even there. His 
 flour was brought up in a canoe to Chap- 
 lin's, and generally from there on foot. In 
 1798 Ludlow's mill was built at Ludlow- 
 ville, which was a convenience to him and 
 the very few others who had then settled 
 in town. 
 
 In the spring of 1797 John E. Roe came 
 on from Ulster county, and made a begin- 
 
 l.'Ml the ."itructuies for inhabitants were made rude. Gen- 
 erally they were small, built up of logs, with a floor of 
 plank split from basswood logs, door of the same, hung 
 with wooden hinges, and the roof of bark peeled from 
 elm or basswood, without chimney or glass window. 
 This was the case with nearly all constructed previous to 
 1801, when the first saw-mill was built. And I may also 
 proceed to say in this place, that the farming utensils, 
 household furniture, and all such necessaries and con- 
 veniences of life, were rude and clumsy. The bedsteads 
 were not French, but American, consisting of four posts 
 of round limber, with holes bored to rccei\e the end and 
 side rails, and bark drawn across instead of cords. The 
 young children, of which the number was considerable 
 in proportion to the population, were soothed to rest in 
 sap-troughs and hollow logs for cradles. It was the lot 
 of your speaker to enjoy the latter, vibrating on the 
 plank floor before described; trenchers or wooden plates 
 were, in many instances, used instead of earthen, etc. — 
 Nathan Bouton's Historical I'amphlet. 
 
 ning on his lot (the same afterwards occu- 
 pied by himself and family, the site of his 
 house now being occupied by Asa Price), 
 ; boarding with Mr. F"rank. He cleared a 
 i spot, put up the body of a log-house, split 
 plank and laid a floor, peeled bark for a 
 roof and agreed with a man in Homer to 
 put it on. He also cut and cured some of 
 the wild grass growing in the swamp for 
 hay, and returned. Preparations were then 
 made for moving on, which was done in 
 the winter following. He and his wife came 
 in a sleigh with a young cow following 
 them. When they came to the river oppo- 
 site Mr. Chaplin's they found the water high 
 and the canoe that had been used in cross- 
 ing carried away. Mr. Chaplin's hog- 
 trough was procured and Mrs. Roc was 
 safely carried over in it. She then stood 
 upon the bank to await the crossing of 
 what remained. The horses being urged 
 in, swam across with the sleigh, the cow fol- 
 lowed, and came near being carried away by 
 the current, but after a hard struggle made 
 the shore in safety. They put up for the 
 night, the horses being fastened to the 
 sleigh, as no accommodations could be pro- 
 cured ; and the\- ate from the bottoms of 
 the chairs, to allay the keen demands of 
 appetite. The snow was two feet deep, with 
 no track, and the whole daj- was consumed 
 in coming from the river to their new home. 
 When they arrived they were surprised to 
 find their house without covering, conse- 
 quently the snow was as deep in it as out 
 of it. Persons of less perseverance would 
 have been disheartened. But no time was 
 to be lost. The snow was cleared awa)- 
 from a portion of the floor, a fire built 
 against the logs, some blankets drawn across 
 I the beams for a covering, the horses tied 
 I in one corner with some of the coarse hay 
 before them, and their first and several suc- 
 cessive nights were passed. 
 
 John E. Roe and Charlotte Roe were the 
 
322 
 
 History ok Cortland County. 
 
 parents of five children, who lived to ma- 
 ture life. The eldest, Betsey N. Roe, was 
 reputed to be the first female child born in 
 town. She grew up an intelligent, exem- 
 plary woman, early made profession of re- 
 ligion, adorning the same b)- a life devoted 
 to its interests. She removed to a western 
 State, and since has died. 
 
 S. M. Roe, Erastus G. Roe and Philip T. 
 Roe were the other children of John E. 
 Roe. Their history was common in that 
 they had only the advantages of the com- 
 mon school. All made profession of re- 
 ligion and became officers in the respective 
 churches where thej' became located, sever- 
 al of which were weak and required much 
 of their labor to sustain them. The eldest, 
 S. M. Roe, was deacon in the Congrega- 
 tional Church in Virgil. Afterwards he re- 
 moved to Cortland, where he engaged in 
 the butter trade. He was an elder in the 
 Presbyterian Church there seventeen j^ears. 
 John M. was a leading and efficient mem- 
 ber and officer in the Presbyterian Church 
 in Marathon. Erastus G. Roe returned to 
 Fulton county. 
 
 Thus in February, 1798, there were four 
 families in the town, separated by long dis- 
 tances from each other, almost without 
 roads, suffering in many respects for the 
 necessaries of life, exposed in their property 
 and persons to the ravages of wild beasts, 
 and far from sympathizing friends. But 
 the dark, howling wilderness must be 
 changed to fruitful fields, and these were 
 the pioneers to lead on to this great work. 
 Wild beasts were very numerous, especially 
 deer. Mr. Roe related that he had sat in 
 his house and seen twenty-five pass in a 
 drove. There were also many wolves and 
 bears, and Mr. Roe and Captain Knapp 
 caught and killed fifteen wolves in one 
 year; and during the time when they were 
 prevalent, Mr. Roe lost by them fifteen 
 head of cattle and a large number of sheep. 
 
 Their ravages were general, and subjected 
 the inhabitants to- the necessity of folding 
 their sheep every night for about fifteen 
 years. 
 
 For a series of )cars the settlers suffered 
 great hardships and privations, but they 
 gradually diminished, so that in 1809 or 
 '10 most of the necessaries of life were ac- 
 cessible to the mass of the people. 
 
 To the number above alluded to as hav- 
 ing settled here in 1798 may be added 
 James Wright, who located where Thomas 
 Stanbro now lives; James Knapp, who set- 
 tled where M. B. Mynard so long resided, 
 on the corner opposite the " West Meeting- 
 house;" James and John Glenny located 
 just south of what was known as " Frog 
 Huddle," and near the residences afterward 
 occupied by H. P. Jones and Thomas Ham- 
 montl ; Joseph Bailey settled w here William 
 Givens afterward lived, on lot 11, and Wait 
 Ball where Chas. Miller now lives. 
 
 In February, 1799, Finos Bouton came 
 into the town and settled where Plmory Gee 
 now lives, on lot 41. He reared a family 
 of five sons and eight daughters. The sons 
 are all dead except John, who now lives at 
 Virgil Corners. One of his sons was San- 
 ford Bouton, who became a prominent cit- 
 izen and held the office of justice for many 
 }'ears and was also county poormaster for 
 a long period. Three of the daughters of 
 Enos Bouton are still living. Dana Miles 
 also came in that year, and others who are 
 not now known, so that the number who 
 were ta.xed with highway labor in that year 
 was twenty three. 
 
 In 1 800 James Wright settled near where 
 Punter.son West now lives. John Calvert 
 near where N. Chamberlain afterward lived. 
 Seth Larabee located near where James 
 Oaks now lives. John Ellis settled where 
 Jay Terpening lives, on lot 23. Moses 
 Rice located where George Luce now lives. 
 Abial Brow n where Abijah Haight after- 
 
Town of Virgil. 
 
 323 
 
 ward lived, in the "Gee District." Moses 
 Stevens where Barnabas Tyler afterward 
 lived, the property now being owned by 
 T. Lormor, on lot 41. 
 
 Some of the more prominent of those 
 who came in the town and settled in 1801 
 were Daniel Edwards, who located on lot 
 ^^, where William Glenny subsequently 
 lived ; Nathaniel Bouton settled on lot 42, 
 where he resided during his life. He was 
 the father of the late Nathan Bouton, who 
 may be called the historian of the town ; 
 and of Joseph Bouton. He was a promi- 
 nent and enterprising citizen. His son, 
 Nathan Bouton, was born in Virgil in July, 
 1802. Although his opportunities for ob- 
 taining an education were not very favor- 
 able, he learned readily, especially in math- 
 ematics, and his father therefore resolved to 
 make a surveyor of him. He began this 
 study in 18 16 in Genoa. He obtained his 
 instruments in 1823 and for forty-four 
 years after continued to practice the 
 profession in many of the towns of the 
 county. He became a school teacher at 
 the age of eighteen, and continued in that 
 honorable work at different times for many 
 years. He was a Member of Assembly in 
 1857, and was a member of the Board of 
 Supervisors at a later date. He was a dea- 
 con of the Presbyterian Church for many 
 years, and was always an uncompromising 
 supporter of the temperance cause. One 
 of his sons, Lewis H. Bouton, is a promi- 
 nent attorney in Cortland village _ and a 
 justice of the peace. 
 
 Prince Freeman also settled in the town, 
 on lot ]i^, where Samuel N. Rounds now 
 lives ; and James Clark and his son where 
 Wm. Terpening now lives, on lot 14. 
 
 Jonathan Edwards came in and settled 
 in 1802 on the farm now owned by Na- 
 thaniel Lewis, near West's mill. He sub- 
 sequently removed to the Corners and lived 
 in the house now occupied by Dr. Tripp. 
 
 He had two sons, Rufus and William, and 
 three daughters, one of whom in after life 
 became insane and killed her father. Rufus 
 and William Edwards were among the early 
 merchants at Virgil Corners, in the store 
 that stood on the site now occupied by W. 
 A. Holton. Rufus Edwards became a 
 prominent citizen of Virgil Corners, and 
 was one of the count}' judges. He now 
 lives in Cortland village. Samuel Carson 
 settled in this year near where Joseph Bou- 
 ton afterward lived. George Wigant lo- 
 cated in the house on the premises now 
 occupied by George Hicks. Abner and 
 Ezra Bruce settled near where Jay Terpen- 
 ing lives. William Lincoln located on the 
 hill southwest of the village, where Nehe- 
 miah Sherman now resides. 
 
 In 1803 Moses Olmstead located on the 
 premises now occupied by Mrs. Horace 
 Robinson, lot 23. Peter Powers and John I. 
 Gee settled in the western part of the town, 
 and Andrew Van Buskirk in the eastern 
 part. 
 
 In 1 804 Silas Lincoln settled where Sal- 
 mon Curtis now lives, on lot 23. Alexan- 
 der McNitt took the place of James Wright 
 on lot 3, and Obadiah Glazier located near 
 where James Colwell now lives, lot 24. 
 Jeremiah Shevalier also located in the 
 eastern part of the town, near where his son 
 John afterward lived. 
 
 The town was now becoming settled in 
 nearly all of its different sections, but of 
 course the rude dwelhngs were still a long 
 distance apart. In 1 805 Simeon Luce set- 
 tled on the hill that bears his name (now in 
 the town of Lapeer) ; one of his daughters, 
 Susan, became the wife of John Sheerar, 
 one of the prominent farmers of the town. 
 Isaac Barton located on the farm afterwards 
 owned by Isaac B. Raymond, between \'ir- 
 gil Corners and Cortland. Jotham Glazier 
 settled where L. B. Ball now lives. Zophar 
 Moore settled on the site of the "Corners," 
 
324 
 
 lIlSIOKV OK COKTI.AN'I) COUNTV. 
 
 and was the first postmaiter here. Oliver 
 Ball located where M. H. M_\nard lonj^ lived, 
 giving his name to the school-house which 
 was built at the four corners there. Isaac 
 Klwell settled a little north of Mr. Ball's 
 and near the present residence of Jesse 
 Trapp. Comfort Bruce, Shubel S. Marsh 
 and James Monroe where located in the 
 town as early as the year under consider- 
 ation, but the exact dates of their arrival 
 are not now known. 
 
 In 1806 John Hill settled on lot 41, and 
 Inlm Snider on the hill which has ever 
 since borne his name. 
 
 John T\-ler, father of Jeremiah rj'ler, 
 who now li\-es at Virgil Corners, settled on 
 lot ^T,, a little south of Virgil Corners, in 
 1 8 10, where Gordon Tyler now lives. 
 This farm has been in possession of the 
 family ever since. John Tyler had ten 
 children, five of whom were boys; of these 
 latter, Jeremiah is the only one now living. 
 
 It is manifest!)' impossible to follow the 
 settlements in the town from this time on 
 in detail, and we must content oursehes 
 with a mention of some who in different 
 wa\'s became well known as officials, bus- 
 iness men, or through the influence they 
 wielded upon the general welfare of the 
 town. Many of these will receive attention | 
 in our notice of the business and manufac- i 
 taring interests of the professions. [ 
 
 Isaac Bloomer came into town from Del- j 
 aware county in February, 18 15, and set- I 
 tied on the State road east of the village, I 
 where he died in 1854. His son now lives 
 near and owns the same farm on which his 
 father settled. Isaac Spencer settled before 
 181 5 on the farm now occupied by his son 
 Isaac. He had four sons, Nathan, Isaac, 
 Jairah and Harvey. The first named lives 
 on the State road about two miles east of 
 the village. Joseph Reynolds settled in 
 town in 1808, was one of the earliest mer- 
 chants, held the office of justice, was Mem- 
 
 ber of Assembl}' in 1S19, county judge. 
 Member of Congress and a brigadier- gen- 
 eral of the militia. Much of his life was 
 spent in Cortland. Gideon Messenger was 
 an earl}- settler, and a step-son of Joseph 
 Chaplin, tlie pioneer. Mr. Messenger used 
 to state that he had been through on the 
 State road from Chaplin's on the Tiough- 
 nioga tt) the Ca\-uga lake when there was 
 not a house in the entire distance. Mr. 
 Messenger became prominent and was a 
 supervisor of the town. Reuben Gridley, 
 one of the foremost pioneers in the eastern 
 part of the town, from whom " Gridley 
 Hollow " was named, and who was the 
 cause of the State road being opened 
 through that section, was long a respected 
 citizen. He removed to Michigan. John 
 T\ier settled in the town in 1806, and 
 although his residence during much of his 
 life has been over the line in the town of 
 Dryden, he has always identified himself 
 with the interests of Virgil. He is still liv- 
 ing with faculties but little impaired. He 
 has alwavs been one ot the pillars of the 
 Free-will Baptist Church in the western 
 part of the tnwn. 
 
 Ur. Green and Eli Johnson settled in the 
 town about the year 18 13, on the next 
 farm west of that owned by Isaac Bloomer, 
 now owned b\' W'm. Barr_\-. John Giles 
 was an early settler and lived where Sam- 
 uel Sager now resides. Wm. Bell also 
 came to the town earl\- and has carried on 
 the blacksmith shoj) two miles east of the 
 \illage for more than fift\- \ears. A man 
 named Blaisdell was one of the first settlers 
 in the \icinit)' of Messengerville, where he 
 built one of the first saw-mills in the town, 
 probably as early as 1805. Abram Smith 
 settled early on the hill north of Gridley 
 Hollow. He was the father of Nathan 
 Smith, now of Cortland, and grandfather of 
 Abram P. Smith, the prominent attorney 
 and for several years county judge, now 
 
Town of Virgil. 
 
 325 
 
 living in Cortland village. Thoma.s Ryan 
 settled in earl)- times on the hill near Mr. 
 Smith's ; also Christopher Rorabacher, 
 Samuel Woodward and John Woodward, 
 and Stephen Benton, who reared a family 
 whose names arc conspicuous in the his- 
 tory of the town. 
 
 But we cannot trace the settlers of the 
 town farther in this . connection ; many 
 others will appear farther on, and many 
 who are doubtless worthy of recognition, 
 as having taken honorable part in the set- 
 tlement, clearing and general advancement 
 of the communities where their li\'es were 
 spent, may necessarih- be left to future pub- 
 lications. 
 
 Quoting from Mr. Bouton's pamphlet we 
 learn that " the early inhabitants did not 
 settle on prairie, where they could raise 
 their provisions the first year, but the heavy 
 forest must be cleared awa\ , which was a 
 work of time, before the laborer could be 
 fed from the soil he cultivated ; and must 
 wait a \-ear or two more before he had grass 
 for his cows, and the}' must run in the 
 woods, and much time be spent in finding 
 them and bringing them home. And fre- 
 quently they could not be found, especially 
 if the search were commenced late, when 
 they would have lain down and the tinkling 
 of the bell could no more be heard. The 
 milk was also of inferior quality, owing to 
 the leeks and other weeds upon which they 
 fed. Money was very scarce through the 
 country, and particularl)- in the new parts 
 where there was little to be sold and much 
 to be bought. It would be impossible to 
 express to the understanding of this, or any 
 audience of modern times, the difficulties 
 experienced on this account. 
 
 " It was impossible to collect enough in 
 the year to pay the taxes. This difficulty 
 was ver)- much owing, so far as the older 
 parts were concerned, to the embargo which 
 was then in force, restricting commerce and 
 
 causing a stagnation in all departments of 
 business, and though the newly settled parts 
 had not much to sell, they felt severely the 
 effect of this state of things. Another diffi- 
 culty existing in this town particularly, was 
 that land was not owned by the inhabitants, 
 but must be paid for from the products of 
 the same to add to the capital of rich men 
 living at a distance. 
 
 " Another embarrassment was one to 
 which allusion was made in the description 
 of the natural features of the town, viz. : 
 The want of sufficient water power to pro- 
 pel mills and machinery, thus taking busi- 
 ness away, and while other places were ben- 
 efited, this town was the loser. There was, 
 however, a commendable degree of enter- 
 prise among the people, and the crops were 
 for a number of years abundant, compared 
 with the area of ground cultivated. 
 
 " Their hardships were also very much 
 ameliorated by common participation and 
 mutual sympathy. Hospitality prevailed 
 and mutual dependence promoted harmony 
 and fellow feeling. Thej- met, exchanged 
 accounts of their trials, often with much 
 humor and pleasantrj-, and cheered each 
 other on. If a log cabin was to be raised 
 for some new-comer they were all on the 
 spot with strong arms and a hearty good 
 will." 
 
 When first settled. Homer, Solon, Cincin- 
 natus and Virgil were in one town called 
 Homer. At the town meeting in 1797 it 
 was resolved that the township of Virgil 
 shall constitute one highway district. 
 
 In 1798 Virgil was represented and James 
 Knapp was chosen assessor, commissioner 
 of highways and overseer of highways, and 
 returned eight names to be taxed for high- 
 wa)' work. The poll tax was three days, 
 and the number of days assessed was fifty- 
 eight and one-half At the town meeting 
 in 1799. held at the house of Moses Hop- 
 kins, Virgil was honored with the office of 
 
326 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 supervisor in the person of James Knapp ; 
 Wait Hall was chosen assessor ; John E. 
 Roe, overseer of the poor ; Wait Ball, com- 
 missioner of highways, and Dana Miles, 
 overseer of highways, and returned twenty- 
 three names to be taxed. 
 
 Thus this town continued with Homer 
 through the year 1804, always having its 
 proper proj^ortion of office and privilege. 
 
 The township of Virgil having been set 
 off from Homer into a separate town, the 
 inhabitants assembled in town meeting, at 
 the house of James Knapp, on the 2d day 
 of April, 1805, and proceeded to choose 
 John I. Gee, moderator ; Gideon Messen- 
 ger, town clerk ; Moses Rice, supervisor ; 
 Abner Bruce, John Gee nnd Joseph Chap- 
 lin, assessors ; John Glenny, George Wig- 
 ant and John I. Gee, commissioners of high- 
 ways ; Jonathan Edwards and Peter Pow- 
 ers, poormasters, and Shubel S. Marsh, con- 
 stable and collector. Pathmasters, John 
 Gee, Isaac Elwell, Samuel Carson, Jona- 
 than Edwards, Comfort Bruce, Alexander 
 McNitt, Obadiah Glazier, James Wright, 
 Peter Powers, Joseph Chaplin, Elias Thomp- 
 son, Peter Gray, Seth Jennings. Moses 
 Olmstead and Abial Brown, fence viewers. 
 
 Schools. — The inhabitants of Virgil were 
 early awake to the importance of education, 
 and were resolved that their children should 
 have all the means in their power to pro- 
 vide for its acquisition. Accordingly, in 
 1 799, the few that were here came together 
 and built a school-house a short distance 
 easterly from the West Meeting-house. The 
 first teacher was Charles Joyce, who taught 
 two or three weeks. Ne.xt Rebecca Ball, 
 daughter of Wait Ball, taught two summers. 
 After her, Abigail, sister of Rebecca, was 
 employed one term. The first school near 
 the village was taught by Mrs. L. Edwards 
 in her own house. Afterwards Moses Rice 
 taught in what was known as the Reming- 
 ton house in the winter of 1804-5. 
 
 The Legislature had appropriated one lot 
 in this town to the support of the Gospel 
 and schools, and when the school law took 
 effect in 181 3, the rent was added to the 
 funds derived from the State, and has since 
 been available for this purpose. In that 
 year William Powers, Oliver Ball and Gid- 
 eon Messenger, school commissioners, di- 
 vided the town into seven school districts. 
 
 The first grammar school was taught in 
 1819 by Henry J. Hall, in the east part of 
 the double log house of John I. Gee, lo- 
 cated where T. L. Lincoln, afterward lived. 
 This was the first effort of s}-stematic in- 
 struction in that science in the town. It 
 continued four weeks with thirteen scholars. 
 Their names were L. Beebe Ball, Stephen S. 
 Powers, James Ball, John M. Roe, John Har- 
 ris, Wm. L. Gee, Nathan Bouton, Rufus and 
 Harriet Edwards, Lemira Byram, Marietta 
 Chaplin and Sally and Lucy Messenger. 
 
 From 1837 to 1845, a school called the 
 " Literary Institute " was taught one-half 
 of each year by N. Bouton and William E. 
 Gee, which was in a good degree success- 
 ful. It was afterwards continued about two 
 years by A. F. Frye. Other select schools 
 have been taught since at different times. 
 There was also a select school taught by 
 Jesse Storrs in the part now Lapeer, which 
 continued several terms. 
 
 There was a great scarcity of reading 
 matter in the early settlement. Newspapers 
 were scarce and dear ; the usual price $2 
 per annum, with less than half the reading 
 matter we now have, at double the price. 
 To remedy this defect, in part, the inhabi- 
 tants set up a library called the " Virgil 
 Library," with thirty shares of one dollar 
 each, and a very good selection of books 
 was procured in about 1807. Another li- 
 brary was established about 18 14, with a 
 capital of $200, called the " Virgil Union 
 Library." Libraries were subsequently es- 
 tablished in each school district. , 
 
Town of Virgil. 
 
 327 
 
 The first Sabbath- school was instituted 
 in 1822, in connection with the Congrega- 
 tional Church. Since that time the Sab- 
 bath-schools have been conducted in the 
 different churches and neighborhoods with 
 various degrees of success. 
 
 Churches. — The first religious meetings 
 were begun in the town in 1802. Prayers 
 were offered by I'rince Freeman, of Virgil, 
 and James Wood, of Dryden. Moses Rice 
 conducted the singing, and sermons were 
 read by James Glenny. Since that early 
 date religious meetings have been held every 
 Sabbath, except in case of some remarkable 
 emergency. Before that date there had 
 been missionaries in the town, in the per- 
 sons of Revs. Williston, Phelps and John- 
 son, of the Congregational faith, and Root, 
 Whipple and Cole, Baptists. Methodist 
 preachers also labored here at intervals at an 
 early day, and some meetings were held by 
 the Universalists, which were addressed by 
 Rev. Archelaus Green, a resident of the 
 town. 
 
 The first church society formed was the 
 Congregational, on the 28th of February, 
 1805, with eight members, under the charge 
 of Rev. Seth Williston. Of this church Mr. 
 Bouton writes in his reminiscences : — 
 
 " The church was without stated preach- 
 ing several years. The)- felt se\'erely their 
 destitute condition, which will be seen by 
 the following vote passed December 3d, 
 1806: 'That the church will see to the sat- 
 isfying of Rev. Dr. Darrow for two Sab- 
 baths' service a year, at five dollars a Sab- 
 bath, to attend on sacramental occasions, 
 and also to take the oversight of the church 
 for the present.' The church struggled on 
 through various difficulties, with preaching 
 part of the time, meeting in various places 
 where they could, after the ' Center School 
 House ' was burnt, in 1818, till this house 
 could be used for that purpose. This house 
 was put up in 1821, but it was two or three 
 
 years before it was inclosed and made com- 
 fortable, and the present seats were not 
 built till 1 83 1. Its location, near the bury- 
 ing-ground, was found inconvenient, and 
 removed to this place in 1834. About two 
 hundred and seventy persons have been 
 added to the church, and it now embraces 
 about seventy resident members. The min- 
 isters who have preached statedly to the 
 church are Rev. Messrs. Wallace, Hitch- 
 cock, Dunning, Robertson, Bliss, Bradford, 
 Chaffee, Headley, Walcot, Thacher, Bron- 
 son, Bates, Otis, Kinnie, Burgess, Marshall, 
 Humphreys, Kneiskcrn, Dunning and Of- 
 fen." 
 
 A Baptist church was organized in i 807, 
 and was fully organized in 18 13. Meetings 
 were held in private houses, with preaching 
 by Elder Bennett, of Homer, Powers, Rob- 
 inson and others, until about the year 1826, 
 when the church organization was dis- 
 banded. In June, 1830, it was reorganized 
 and the following year the church building 
 was erected. It has been repaired and im- 
 proved at different times since then. Fol- 
 lowing is a list of the pastors as nearly as 
 we have been able to obtain them : W'illiam 
 
 Powers, David Robinson, Andrews, 
 
 Clark, Daniel Robinson, 1833: Na- 
 
 than Peck, 1834; Mr. Ainsworth, 1836; 
 Albert Cole, 1838; Stephen Jones, 1840; 
 Mr. Lyons, 1847; C. D. De Witt, 1849; 
 Mr. Ni chols, 1854; Sidney Wilder, 1855; 
 
 George Crosson, 1858; Bctts, 1874; 
 
 Phillips, S. H. Haskell, J. W. Stark- 
 weather, S. W. Schoonover, S. P. Way. 
 
 The first Methodist religious services in 
 the town were held at the house of Robert 
 Keech, on the State road, on the premises 
 now occupied by Isaac Bloomer, in the year 
 1 807 or 1 808. The services were conducted 
 by Rev. Geo. W. Densmore. There were 
 but two professors of religion present — the 
 wife of Robert Keech and another, name 
 not known. Preaching was continued from 
 
328 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 time to time in private houses till about the 
 year 1818, when Israel Reynolds, a local 
 preacher, fornied a class on Snider hill. 
 . This was continued until 1859, when the 
 class was removed to Gridley Hollow and 
 a church society organized. The house of 
 worship, which had been built as a union 
 church by the Universalists and others, was 
 purchased and the society has been kept up 
 since, as a part of the Virgil charge. In 
 1830 and 1 83 1 the Rev. Wm. C. Mason 
 was apjxiinted to the X'irgil charge, and 
 under his ministrations a vigorous revival 
 was experienced and a strong society was 
 built up. They erected the house of wor- 
 ship in 1 83 1, which was used for several 
 years, when it was removed and the pres- 
 ent handsome structure erected. The fol- 
 lowing preachers have served the charge ; 
 the time and order of some of the earlier 
 terms cannot now be ascertained, but where 
 it is possible the dates of appointment are 
 
 given: W. Mason, 1829; Wood, 1S32; 
 
 Smith ; Densmore ; S. Minier ; Benham ; 
 Wadsworth ; W. Woodbury; E. North; 
 T. Wire ; W. Fo.x ; W. Wyatt ; L. Tryon ; 
 I. Wilcox; J. Jameson; S. Brown, 1843; 
 S. Minier, 1844; C. W. Harris, 1845; ^■ 
 Worthing and A. Hamilton, 1847 ! J- Hew- 
 itt, 1848; O. L. Torrey, 1850; H. Ercan- 
 brack, 1852; Z. Barnes, 1853; Abijah 
 Brown, 1855 ; LB. Hyde, 1857; K- House, 
 1858; G. Howland, i860; A. F. Brown, 
 1863 ; O. N. Hinman, 1866; O. L. Torrey, 
 1868; W. Bunnell, 1869; S. Luce, 1870; 
 J. Steele, 1873; J. Gutsell, 1876; A. H. 
 Shurtleff, 1879; and the present pastor, 
 H. W. Williams. 
 
 In the year 1822 a Free-will Baptist 
 society was organized in the west part of 
 the town, on one of the four corners near 
 what was then known as " Ball's School- 
 House." Meetings were held in the school- 
 house until the year 1838, when the pres- 
 ent house of worship was erected. This 
 
 church has, at some periods of its existence, 
 been vigorous and well supported, but in 
 late years has somewhat declined. There 
 is no regular pastor in charge at the pres- 
 ent time. 
 
 About the j-ear 1834, according to Mr. 
 Bouton, " the Universalists formed a socie- 
 ty, which increased to about thirty members, 
 and continued their organization and meet- 
 ings several years. Among the preachers 
 who labored statedl)' with them were Revs. 
 Brown, Sanderson, Doolittle, Brown, Fos- 
 ter and Bullard." 
 
 Roads. — The first road passing through 
 the town, was the " State road." A road 
 was slightl}- cut through from near the \'il- 
 lage, in the direction of the head of the lake, 
 called the " Bridle road." The next was 
 one laid from the State road, commencing 
 about two miles east of Virgil Corners, 
 where Nathan Spencer lives, and taking a 
 northeasterly direction till it intersected 
 the road from Port Watson to Solon, laid 
 Jul)- 2d, 1798. The ne.xt from the State 
 road on lot No. 24, southwesterly to near 
 where the "West Meeting-house" now is 
 and turned and went over the hill to the State 
 road again. Soon after a road was laid 
 from the State road west of Virgil Corners, 
 and continued on to Homer. In 1801 this 
 road was altered and run nearly on its 
 present line. About the same time a road 
 was laid from where the \'illage now is 
 southerly over Owego Hill, and the road 
 leading from Frank's Corners nearly as it 
 now runs, intersecting the road leading to 
 the Gee neighborhood at the West Meet- 
 ing-house, was laid soon afterwards. The 
 road from Cortlandville to Virgil, where it 
 now is, was laid in 181 6, and that over 
 Luce Hill nearh' at the same time. The 
 State road from Chaplin's this way was 
 rather rugged, and it early occurred to the 
 inhabitants that much of the hill might be 
 saved by a road that might be constructed 
 
Town of Virgil. 
 
 329 
 
 from the State road, passing down the 
 stream to Vanderburg's mill, continuing on 
 past the saw- mill afterwards owned by 
 Kirk, intersecting the State road near the 
 house of Joseph Chaplin. This road was 
 laid in 18 18 through to the grist-mill. 
 This road required much labor and expense 
 to make it passable. It was, however, cut 
 and worked through, so that it was traveled 
 in 1833, and remains a lasting monument 
 to the energy and perseverance of Reuben 
 Gridley, who was principally instrumental 
 in its construction, though aided very much 
 b)' funds appropriated by the town. 
 
 Post-Offices. — Previous to 1808 there 
 was no post-office in town, and all intelli- 
 gence was transmitted by means of distant 
 offices, or sent by inidviduals who might be 
 going in the direction desired, which was 
 attended with much delay and uncertainty. 
 In that year a post-office was established, 
 and Zophar Moore appointed postmaster, 
 and the mail carried for some time b}' a 
 man traveling on foot; afterwards it was 
 carried on horseback for several }'ears. 
 The postmasters at Virgil Corners, as far as 
 we have been able to ascertain, ha\e been 
 Zophar Moore, since whose administration 
 and down to 1 840, w^e have no records. 
 In 1840 N. Chamberlain was in the office. 
 A. E. Heberd was the next incumbent and 
 was followed by Wm. Snyder. W'illard 
 Chatterton then took the office: then Mr. 
 Heberd again, to be followed by Edwin 
 Slafter. Patterson & Graves next had 
 charge of the office and gave it up to Sam- 
 uel Slafter. He was succeeded by N. R. 
 Locke, and he bj^ F.. Winslow in 1865. 
 Mr. Winslow has acceptably filled the of- 
 fice ever since. 
 
 An office was establisiied in the south- 
 west part of the town, in 1825 or '26, first 
 named Worthington, afterwards changed to 
 Harford, and Theodore E. Hart was ap- 
 pointed postmaster. An office was also 
 
 located in the east part, called East Virgil, 
 in 1845, ^''"J William Gray appointed post- 
 master. John Lewis is the present post- 
 master there. 
 
 Militar}-. — Among the early settlers a 
 large portion were soldiers of the French 
 and Revolutionary Wars. Derosel Gee, 
 Thomas Nichols and John Smith were en- ' 
 gaged in the French War, so called, of 
 1754-63. The following are the names of 
 the Revolutionary soldiers who ha\e lived 
 in the town: Joseph Bailey, John Gee, 
 Seth Larabee, John AI. Frank, Dana Miles, 
 James Knapp, James Wright, Nicholas 
 Brown, Robert Ryan, John Smith, James 
 Sherwood, Enoch Smith, John Snider, 
 Thomas Russell, Seth Bouton, George Tot- 
 man, Elias Thompson, Epaphras Shelden, 
 Silas Lincoln, Jason Crawford, David Rob- 
 inson, Altamont Donaldson, Abner Baker, 
 Isaac Tillotson, Moses Ste\'ens, George 
 Barlow, Simeon Leroy, Jeremiah Chase, 
 John Stanbro, Cornelius Lament, Elisha 
 Brewer, Thomas Kingsbury, Adam King- 
 man, Moses Rice, David Darling, Stephen 
 Kell)', Oliver Hopkins, \\'illiam Parker, 
 David Crowcll, Robert Smith, Nathan 
 Smith, Henry Turck, Nathan Walker, Tim- 
 othy Robertson, Samuel Sole, Asa Parker, 
 Thomas Nichols, Lemuel Barnes, Joel Mor- 
 ten, John Green, Benjamin Glazier, Jon- 
 athan Skeel. 
 
 Of these Jeremiah Chase, Simeon Leroy, 
 George Totman, Joel Morten, John Gee, 
 Elisha Brewer, Cornelius Lamont, John 
 Stanbro, Enoch Smith, Thomas Kingsbury, 
 and Stephen Kelly, were living in town in 
 1840. 
 
 The scenes of the war through which 
 they had recently passed were fresh in their 
 minds ; and it is not strange that much of 
 a military spirit should exist among the 
 people. Consequently the call for the per- 
 formance of military duty was soon made, 
 and the call was responded to by five men. 
 
330 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 of whom Gideon Messenger was one, going 
 to Homer to train under Captain Moses 
 Hopldns. Captain I lopkins liad previously 
 held lower rank, but had exerted himself to 
 get up a company of forty-five, by enlisting 
 old men and boys to obviate the necessity 
 of going to Marcellus to attend company 
 drills. Soon the soldiers of Virgil were 
 permitted to train in town, and the first 
 meeting for that purpose was held at the 
 house of James Knapp, where M. H. My- 
 nard afterward lived, under the command 
 of Captain John Ellis, afterwards Judge 
 Ellis, of Dryden. The captains after him 
 were successively Abial Brown, James 
 Wright, Geo. Wigant and Joseph Chaplin. 
 The company was then divided, and Wil- 
 liam Lincoln commanded the cast company, 
 and Enoch Allen the west. This was the 
 condition of the military interest at the 
 commencement of the war of 1812—15. 
 Levies of troops were made and the com- 
 panies in this town were called on for five 
 or six men. In the west company a suffi- 
 cient number enlisted ; their names were 
 John Russell, Moses Woolfeen, and Henry 
 Green. The east company drafted for 
 three, and John E. Roe, Daniel Price and 
 Ira Lincoln were drawn. John E. Roe 
 procured a substitute. Daniel Price went 
 and served three months, and Ira Lincoln 
 was excused on account of ill health. At 
 another muster David Snider was drawn 
 and went, serving three montlis, the usual 
 time for militia. There have also been li\-- 
 ing in the town several others who were 
 soldiers in that war. Among these were 
 Joel Hancock, Edmund H. Robinson, Jacob 
 Bronson, Barnabas Baker, Zachariah Low, 
 John D. Barnes, Thomas Foster, Ezekiel 
 Miller, Reuben Gridley, Joseph Miller, Jo- 
 seph Terwilliger and Edward Griswold. 
 There was a company of aged men and in- 
 valids organized in 1813, after the example 
 set in the time of the Revolution. Of this 
 
 company Simeon West was captain, John 
 
 S. Squires lieutenant, and William Powers 
 ensign. 
 
 The town was afterwards divided into 
 four companies, out of which there has also 
 been for most of the time an independent 
 company. A company of riflemen was 
 raised in about 1813, of which Joseph Rey- 
 nolds was the first captain. This company 
 was afterwards disbanded. A company of 
 artillery was organized in 1828—29, of 
 which Michael Frank was the first captain. 
 It continued prosperous for several years, 
 but was ultimately disbanded. Afterwards 
 a company of infantry was raised, and John 
 W. Morse was the first captain in uniform. 
 This company was discontinued when mili- 
 tary duty ceased to be called for. 
 
 Mills, Machinery, etc. — The first saw- 
 mill was built by Daniel Edwards, in 1801, 
 nearly on the ground where Murdock's tan- 
 nery was located. The first grist-mill was 
 built near where the Tyler mill stood, by 
 Peter Vanderhn and Nathaniel Knapp, in 
 1805. The mill on this site was burned 
 some years ago. Hutchings's grist-mill, in 
 the edge of Dryden, was built in 1809 — 
 mentioned because this town was much in- 
 terested in it. Previous to the building of 
 mills in Homer and in this town, scv-eral in- 
 dividuals practiced going to Ludlow's and 
 carrying their grist upon their backs. 
 Among these were Joseph Bailey and Enos 
 Bouton. After a few years, and when these 
 mills were built, persons could go with a 
 horse, get grinding done and return the 
 same day ; and the yellow horse of Mr. 
 Luce has been known to pace off the hill 
 six times in a week, for the family and 
 neighbors. 
 
 About 1 8 14 or '15 Abner Bruce built a 
 grist-mill south of Virgil Corners on the site 
 now occupied bj- P. West's mill. It was 
 burnt down in 1820, and rebuilt in a year 
 or two. In 1827 it was bought by Josiah 
 
Town of Virgil. 
 
 331 
 
 Byram, and occupied by him for carding 
 and cloth dressing till his death, in 1842. 
 It was carried on subsequently by S. M. 
 Byram, until 1875, when Mr. West took it. 
 It has been fitted up at considerable ex- 
 pense, and is doing a good business. 
 
 A grist-mill was built at East Virgil in 
 1 8 19, by a Mr. Vanderburg, which has 
 done considerable business, and is now op- 
 erated by E. D. Angell. Harvey Jennings 
 also built a grist-mill in the southeast part, 
 in 1833, which did some business till it was 
 burnt in 1842. 
 
 The first wool carding by machinery was 
 done by C. Baker, at his mill (afterward 
 Tyler's), in about 1814. In 1819 Henry 
 Burgess commenced wool carding and cloth 
 dressing near the same place, taking water 
 from the same dam. His building was 
 afterwards removed to near the place after- 
 ward occupied for the same purpose by H. 
 P. Jones. 
 
 Early Births, Marriages and Deaths — 
 The first child born in town was John, a 
 son of Joseph Chaplin, who was drowned 
 in the spring of 1798, aged two years. The 
 first who lived to mature age was John 
 Frank, in autumn, 1797. Next to him was 
 James Gee, in March, 1798 ; Betsey N. Roe 
 and B. F. Chaplin, in February, 1799, and 
 Hiram Ball and Hiram Bouton, in the same 
 year. 
 
 The first marriage, as nearly as we can 
 ascertain, was solemnized between Ruluff 
 Whitney, of Dryden, and Susan, daughter 
 of John Glenny, of this town, as earlj- as 
 1800. In the autumn of 1801 Truman 
 Terry was married to Rebecca, daughter of 
 Wait Bali. 
 
 The first death was that of a stranger 
 passing through, who undertook to go from 
 Ebenezer Brown's, in Milton (now Lans- 
 ing), to Chaplin's, at the river. He became 
 fatigued, lost his way, lay down with his 
 pack under his head and died. This was 
 
 in April, 1798, and only four or five per- 
 sons could be got together. They placed 
 some timbers about him, for a protection 
 from wild beasts, and left him. One of 
 their number went to Homer to make the 
 case known to Solomon Hubbard, -esq., and 
 ask direction. His advice was, that, as 
 there was no coroner nearer than Pompey, 
 the few inhabitants should get together and 
 make such e.xamination as they were able, 
 and proceed accordingly. The next day 
 they assembled and had as much of an ex- 
 amination as was practicable in the circum- 
 stances concerning the cause of his decease, 
 and it was agreed as before stated. They 
 took some boards brought into town by 
 John E. Roe, for the purpose of making a 
 table, and fastening them together in the 
 form of a bo.x, placed him in it and buried 
 him in the grave which they had dug; his 
 bones lie mouldering somewhere between 
 the village and Mr. Sager's, near the hill. 
 His son came subsequently, said his father's 
 name was Charles Huflrnan, and took some 
 shoemaker's tools found with him at his 
 death. The first death of an adult resident 
 was that of Mary, wife of Derosel Gee, in 
 March, 1802. 
 
 Previous to 1806, when the public bury- 
 ing ground was deeded to the town by 
 George Wigant, persons were buried on the 
 premises where they died. The first grave- 
 stone was erected to the memory of James 
 Roe, esq., in about 1823. It was about 
 1808 that the public ground was opened. 
 It turned out that its locality was not gen- 
 erally satisfactory, and within a few j'ears 
 a place was secured for a cemetery, on lands 
 formerly owned by Hon. J. Reynolds, and 
 where he had buried his dead. A cemetery 
 association, or organization, was formed 
 according to the law in such case made and 
 provided. Additions have been made since 
 the first purchase, and it now consists of 
 about six acres. 
 
332 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 The cemetery referred to is not in a ro- 
 mantic place, such as is frequent!}- chosen 
 for tlie final resting-place of the dead, 
 though in portions it is gently undulating, 
 easy of access and very ne^it, commodious 
 and respectable in appearance, and very 
 creditable to the piety, intelligence and re- 
 finement of the people of the town and all 
 interested as ha\'ing relatives here entomb- 
 ed. It was a long time before the public 
 mind became thoroughly united on this 
 locality, during which other and smaller 
 grounds were, of necessity, being filled up. 
 In later years families have been collect- 
 ing the remains of friends from those scat- 
 tered localities where they had been in- 
 terred, and depositing them together in a 
 family plat here procured for that purpose. 
 
 Temperance Societies. — The first distil- 
 lery was erected in 1803 or 1804 by James 
 Wright. Intemperance prevailed, as in 
 other places, till in 1829 si.\ distilleries were 
 in operation. The moral and philanthropic 
 in the community became alarmed and in- 
 quired with solicitude what could be done 
 to stay its ravages. Temperance societies 
 began to be formed in difterent parts, and 
 the inhabitants of this place, on consulta- 
 tion, agreed to meet and form a temperance 
 society. The fourth of July, 1829, was 
 chosen as the time to organize such society, 
 and Michael Frank to give the address, at 
 the close of which a society was formed with 
 about twent\' members. Beebe L. Ball 
 was the first president of that society, and 
 while he lived was its firm, judicious and 
 ardent supporter. In 1831 a society was 
 instituted in that part now Harford ; and 
 one on Luce hill, and another on Snider 
 hill, about the same time. 
 
 Agricultural Matters. — Agriculture has 
 engaged the -attention of most of the people 
 of Virgil. They have been employed in 
 clearing away the forest and cultivating the 
 earth, which has "cncralh- vielded good 
 
 return. The implements used were those 
 incident to the time. The plows were of 
 the common rude kind till the year 181 7, 
 when the first cast-iron plow W'as brought 
 in ^nd used by Mr. Ball. Some of the 
 first settlers, of whom John M. Frank was 
 one, cleaned their grain by throwing it 
 across the barn-floor with a small scoop- 
 shovel, and afterwards shaking it up in a 
 hand fan made of a hollow log, when the 
 refuse parts were brushed off with a quill. 
 Afterwards a willow fan and riddle were 
 used. It was very important that the grain 
 should be cleaned, as there were no means 
 of taking out dust at the mills as there are 
 now. I*"anning-mills soon came to be used; 
 the first, however, that is recollected was 
 about the year 1 809. Considerable grain 
 of the several kinds has been raised in the 
 town, and for some years past much atten- 
 tion has been given to the dairy, which, in 
 1 85 1, brought in a return of $25,000. 
 Some of the people in an early da}' directed 
 their attention to the cultivation of fruit, 
 especially apples. Very soon after his first 
 settlement Joseph Chaplin sowed the seeds 
 for a nurser}- of natural fruit, and Enos 
 Bouton did the same soon after, and most 
 of the oldest orchards are from these nurs- 
 eries. The first nursery of grafted fruit 
 was put out by Nathaniel Bouton, about 
 1808, and 01i\'er Ball did the same soon 
 after. 
 
 The first barrel of cider made in town was 
 b}- Enos Bouton, in 1818 or '[9. The ap- 
 ples were bruised b}' a pestle hung to a 
 spring sweep like that referred to in pound- 
 ing corn. The pomace was pressed by a 
 lever placed under a log, passing over the 
 cheese, with a weight at the other end. It 
 was sold for four dollars. 
 
 The history of the Virgil Agricultiu-al 
 Societ}' is gi\'en as follows in the pamphlet 
 of Nathan Bouton, already so freely drawn 
 upon: " In the count}' of Cortl;ind .m ag- 
 
Town of Virgil 
 
 333 
 
 ricultural society was early formed, and has 
 continued witli \'aried success to the pres- 
 ent time. Some individuals from this town 
 attended its fairs with profit, but the dis- 
 tance was such that few onl}- could be in- 
 duced to attend. It occurred ti> a few 
 minds that it might be practicable to hold 
 a fair in this town, thus bringing the bene- 
 fits of the institution home to the people 
 here. It is said, I believe, with truth, that 
 the two Lincohis, Theron and Wait, were 
 the originators of this plan. When spoken 
 of, it very soon awakened a great and pre- 
 vailing interest on the subject, which re- 
 sulted in the formation of the Virgil Agri- 
 cultural Society early in 1854. The mem- 
 bers were generally inexperienced in the 
 matter, and other embarrassments tended 
 to retard operations, but the adage ' where 
 there is a will there is a way' proved true, 
 and though it was a season of drought a suc- 
 cessful fair was held, and several agricul- 
 tural men from other towns came to wonder 
 and admire. The fair was a success. The 
 unquenchable ardor and indomitable en- 
 thusiasm of a large portion of the people 
 prevailed, and creditable fairs were held till 
 1863, making the number of ten annual 
 fairs. 
 
 " After two or three years it was thought 
 best to procure a piece of grouml where 
 they might be held in successive years with 
 convenience and security. A very suitable 
 locality was secured on a lease of )'ears, to 
 the amount of four acres, in a square form 
 and surrounded with a substantial fence of 
 boards set upright, eight to ten feet high, 
 and a building of unassuming pretension 
 reared in the center for a ' Floral Hall.' 
 At first it was impossible to procure suffi- 
 cient funds from membership and other 
 sources to pay the premiums. At length 
 it was proposed that we proceed to make a 
 large cheese to awaken more interest in at- 
 tendance u]Jon our exhibitions. A cheese 
 
 was made and pressed in a cider-mill, in a 
 hoop supported by the tire of a wagon - 
 wheel, and afterwards turned by a machine 
 of ingenious contrivance, and presented at 
 the fair. The interest to see the cheese was 
 great, and the premiums of that fiir were 
 fully paid. 
 
 "After the cheese became mature it was 
 divided among those who had furnished the 
 curd, and the aggregate weight was more 
 than five hundred pounds. The example 
 and success of our fairs awakened an inter- 
 est in other towns around ; and other socie- 
 ties were formed which had the effect to 
 draw from the interest of this, and owing 
 to this fact, and also to that of a constant 
 current of opposition raised by certain in- 
 dividuals who kept up a constant clamor 
 against it, charging the administration with 
 favoritism, etc. ; and it having had the de- 
 sired effect of awakening an all-controlling 
 and widely extended spirit of vigilance and 
 enterprise on the subject of agriculture and 
 kindred employments, it was thought best, 
 on consultation, to disband and profit by 
 what we had learned, and b\' what we might 
 yet learn from other fairs held near us." 
 
 Of those who held the office of president, 
 the names are as follows : N. Bouton, S. G. 
 Jones, Josephus Gee, C. A. Hotchkiss, J. 
 G. T\'ler, Martin Luce and Wait Lincoln. 
 
 The following are the names of those who 
 held successively the office of secretary : S. 
 G. Jones, C. B. Gleason, W. A. Wood, Or- 
 rin C. Dann and A. Mahan, all of whom 
 performed the duties of their offices with 
 ability and fidelity. 
 
 "The enterprise of the people of Virgil," 
 says Mr. Bouton, " was put to a very sig- 
 nificant test when the proposition for the 
 construction of the Syracuse & Binghamton 
 road was made. Though it was to pass 
 only through one corner of the tovvn, the 
 call was responded to by the payment of 
 $11,100 to its stock, as I learned upon in- 
 
334 
 
 lllSTDRV OF COUTLAND COUNTY. 
 
 quiry of the lamented David Halo. It is 
 needless to saj' that this whole anunint was 
 lost by those who paid it. This sum was 
 paiil with the sknuler hope of ail\;uUai,'e that 
 could be entertained under the circum- 
 stances, while other towns had the road 
 passing them central!)-, where the people 
 paid nothinix- Within a few years those 
 residing in llic west part have been called 
 on, very urgently, to aid in the citnstrnction 
 of the Southern Central, passing through 
 the hither part of Dryden, and considerable 
 sums ha\e been jiaid for that riiad. Both 
 these roads have been carried through, but 
 neither of them has a station nearer our 
 village than six miles, so that the ad\an- 
 tages of such roads are not brought very 
 near to us. There is, howex-er, one consid- 
 eration left for us that is rather gratif\'ing, 
 which is, that our town is not bonded for 
 railroads or anj- other great object. Our 
 town issued bonds for the jiayment of boun- 
 ties in the time of the late ci\il war, which 
 were felt to be an embarrassment while they 
 remained, and an evident feeling of relief 
 prevailed when the last of these were re- 
 deemed ; anil the)' were brought together 
 at a meeting of the auditing board, and 
 one of the justices asked aloud, if any one 
 had any objection to offer why they should 
 not be destroyed ? No one raised an)- 
 objection, and they were all placed in 
 the stove, and every one seemed to breathe 
 easier. 
 
 " Much has been done here in the con- 
 struction and support of common roads and 
 bridges ; more, probabl)-, than in most 
 other towns around, in proportion to space 
 and population. The alteration of the 
 State road, so called, so as to take most of 
 the travel from Snider Hill, so called, 
 through Gridley Hollow, has caused a 
 great expense, especially to the people in 
 the vicinity, and also to the town at large ; 
 yet as this road is so located as to avoid 
 
 most of the hills which abound in this por- 
 tion of the town, it has been ailheretl to, 
 and the consiilerable expense involved in 
 sustaining britiges, etc., has been borne 
 with as much ([uietude and resignation as 
 could be reasonably expected. We now 
 assume that the credit of our people, for 
 enterprise on the subject of the different 
 classes of roads ami bridges, should rank 
 as high as that of any other tow n in this 
 vicinity, or anywhere else. 
 
 " Several events have transpired that have 
 caused great sensation for a time, and made 
 a lasting impression on many minds. The 
 first was that of a boy lost in the woods. 
 In Ma\-, 1796, Daniel Chaplin, son of Jo- 
 seph Chaplin, and father of Mrs. Gleason, 
 aged about fourteen years, set out to 
 drive a cow to Mr. Frank, and took 
 with him a few pountls of flour. The cow- 
 became refractor)- and turnetl out of the 
 road, and in endeavoring to get her back 
 he lost the road and wandered in the track- 
 less wilderness. The cow returned home, 
 thus giving notice that he was lost. An 
 alarm was given and about fift\- men as- 
 sembled, which was a great number for so 
 sparse a population. He was gone four 
 days and three nights w-ithout food, and 
 was found on the ' Bridge Road,' in Dry- 
 den, b)- Aaron and James Knapp, of Ho- 
 mer. They ascertained w-ho he was, and 
 proceeded to help him home. He had the 
 flour with him, but the weather having been 
 rain)', it had become mouldy and the)- threw 
 it away. He was very faint and weak, but 
 being supported on each side he could walk, 
 and the)- arrived at his father's house about 
 midnight, where his mother had about 
 thirt)- men in and about the house, and 
 was preparing victuals for them to take in 
 their search on the morrow. Mr. Chaplin 
 was absent at the time. We shall not make 
 the vain attempt to paint the scene caused 
 by his arrival. 
 
Town ok Viroii. 
 
 335 
 
 "The next to be noticed was the great 
 eclipse of the sun on the i6lliofJune, I 8o6, 
 which, though not pecuhar to this town, 
 made a deep impression, and was an event 
 from which man)' others have been reck- 
 oned. Aiiutlier event wiiich produced gen- 
 eral solemnity, was that of a sweeping sick- 
 ness, which occurred in the winter and 
 spring of 1813. In a very few weeks four 
 licads of families in that thin population 
 were removed by death. Their names were 
 James Roe, esq., Jacob Chatterton, William 
 Gee, and Lydia, wife of Benjamin Glazier. 
 
 "The season of 18 16 was very unfruitful, 
 ■generally denominated the cold season, fol- 
 lowed by great scarcity of provisions, etc. 
 In 1 82 1 tliere was much suffering on ac- 
 count of scarcity of food for stock, and it 
 was also a time of great pecuniary embar- 
 rassment. In 1836-37 there was also a 
 scant supply of provisions and a time of 
 derangement in pecuniary matters, resulting 
 from the insane speculations immediately 
 preceding, in which many engaged with 
 that recklessness characteristic of those in 
 haste to be rich. It is unnecessary to say 
 that these last were events common to the 
 whole country, and affecting this town only 
 as a constituent part of the same." 
 
 Frequent allusion has been made to the 
 division of the town. It had long been evi- 
 dent to discriminating minds that this event 
 must take place at some time, but the dif- 
 ferent interests involved and the condition 
 of political parties delayed it till 1846. It 
 was then divided into tiirce towns ; the 
 north half constituted one and retained the 
 original name. The south half was formed 
 into two ; the west part receiving the name 
 of Harford, and the east that of Lapeer. 
 Since that time a part of Virgil has been 
 set to Cortlandviilc, and another part con- 
 sisting of lot No. 20 has been attached to 
 Freetown. Thus Virgil, from being one- 
 fouith part of one town in 1796, has become 
 
 the whole of three and a part of two others. 
 The population has increased from thirty in 
 1798 to 4,541 in 1845, 'I'ltl 2,410 in 1850, 
 after the division. Stock taken on the Syra- 
 cuse and Binghamton Railroad amounts to 
 $1 1,100. Other statistics have been given 
 in their proper places. 
 
 It is worthy of note that Nathaniel ]5ou- 
 ton, one of the pioneers of Virgil, was the 
 projector of the New York and Erie Rail- 
 road, and continued to advocate the same 
 till an influence was awakened that resulted 
 in its construction and completion. He 
 conceived the idea of constructing a railroad 
 from the city of New York to Lake Erie, 
 direct through the then secluded southern 
 tier; and in the year 1828 he examined a 
 route through sufficiently well to know that 
 it was a feasible one, and with the aid of 
 Nathan Bouton he prepared and published 
 the outlines of his plan in the Cortland Ob- 
 server, a paper then issued in Homer vil- 
 lage. 
 
 His plan was copied in several periodicals 
 along the line of the proposed road ; and 
 from that time the subject of a New York 
 and Erie Railroad continued to occupy the 
 public mind until the grand project was 
 completed. The decease of De Witt Clin- 
 ton, whose death was announced in the 
 same sheet that published Mr. Bouton's 
 plan, was a cause of discouragement to 
 him, for he had fondly hoped that his favor- 
 ite project would receive the approbation 
 and aid of that distinguished statesman ; 
 but the nucleus was formed, the project 
 was originated, and the work advanced. 
 Mr. Bouton was anxious that it should be 
 a State work ; he argued that it would be 
 good policy for the State to engage in it — 
 that it would annualU- yield a revenue 
 which might be advantageously e.xijended 
 for the support of schools. 
 
 A few months previous to the final com- 
 pletion of the road its worthy projector died 
 
336 
 
 History of Corti.and County. 
 
 at his I'csiclcncc in tliis town, where he hail 
 lived forty-five years. He had lived to sec 
 the place of his adoption transformed from 
 a wild anil howlint,' wilderness into a de- 
 lightful ami well-cultivated couiitr)-, inhab- 
 ited by a moral, intelligent and industrious 
 people. He had lived, too, to see the dis- 
 tance between his residence and the Atlan- 
 tic changed from a dreary journey of two 
 weeks into a pleasant ride of only a few 
 hours, and this town enjoying all the priv- 
 ileges and possessed of all the elements 
 which are necessary to promote the happi- 
 ness of a people. 
 
 No town in the county has a prouder 
 record than \'irgil in the war of the rebel- 
 lion. Her sons volunteered to the defense 
 of liberty. and her representatives were au- 
 thorized to expend her wealth freely in the 
 common cause. The following list shows 
 the names of those who enlisted in the 
 army, and the amount of bounties paid to 
 them under the different calls of the presi- 
 dent for troops: — 
 
 Calls of October 17th, 1863 and Feb- 
 ruary and March, 1864. Amount of bounty 
 jiaid $300.00. Total $12,600. — E. F. 
 Hovey, Rolland C. Frank, Jared R. La- 
 throp, Chester Hillsinger, John Schnotte- 
 beck, Melvin \V. Diven, Eugene Johnson, 
 Elias Joyner, Peter Conrad, Leander J. 
 Webber, Riley E. Simmonds, Francis Has- 
 kill, Henry Colligan, Nelson R. Conrad, 
 Peter N. Palmeter, Horatio E. Moore, Reu- 
 ben Hawley, Silas L. Griswold, Miles H. 
 Hutchings, Jaspar Parker, William H. Hop- 
 ping, John Summers, Charles H, Spaulding, 
 Charles Winney, Henry Wain, Martin L. 
 Sweet, Henry A. Dean, Otis Graves, Chas. 
 Clark, John Sullivan, James Shields, John 
 Stevens, John J. H. Allen, John Corbett, 
 Thomas Benson, George Kelly, Ira Pooler, 
 James Welch, Harry F. Morris, William 
 Stevens, William P. F"erman. 
 
 Call of July iSth, 1864. Amount of 
 
 bount)' paid $1,000. Total, $46,000. Brok- 
 erage, $1 , 1 75. — William B. West, James 
 Gorman, John Manning, James Cooke, 
 Thomas McFarland, William S. De Puy, 
 Wilber R. Arnold, James Haskins, Nelson 
 R. Mcintosh, C. Bradley Mix, Nathaniel 
 M. Parks, Aaron Williams, Loren D. Gillen, 
 Charles H. Lang, Andrew Olmstead, Ben- 
 jamin Pelham, George R. Price, Seymour 
 Skinner, James Shevalier, Hiram G. Con- 
 rad, Nathan Sherman, P^verctt H. Jacob- 
 son, James L. Thomas, Nelson Joiner, Hor- 
 ace F. Baker, Edgar Parker, Elijah Moffat, 
 jr., Vinus Johnson, George Butterfield, Hi- 
 ram E. Baker, Albert Luce, Storry Kinney, 
 Lafayette Darling, Thomas B. Hopkins, 
 Eren Hackett, David B. Hammond, George 
 W. Gross, Edward Harrison, Purdy H. 
 Green, Samuel G. Dickinson, William Coe, 
 Alfred D. Ascroft, De Forest Willard, Cal- 
 vin S. Gray, Leander Ross, Horace Stafford, 
 Frank D. Wright. 
 
 Call of December 19th, 1864. l^roker- 
 age, $165. — John Burnett, Andrew Par- 
 ker, Patrick Brown, Charles Dogan, Eli J. 
 Wood, James Brown, Charles Youngs, Syl- 
 vester Ryder, Joseph W. Harris, Charles H. 
 Flint, James H. Hanson. 
 
 Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
 calls October 17th, 1863, February and 
 March, 1864, $12,600. Paid for filling 
 quotas, call July 18th, 1864, $47,175. 
 Paid for filling quota, call for' December 
 19th, 1864, $165. Grand Total, $59,940. 
 
 VIRGIL CORNERS. 
 
 The j)lace bearing this name is a pretty 
 little village situated in the southwestern 
 part of lot 24, which is located a little west 
 of the center of the town. At this point 
 valle\'S from the eastward, westward and 
 southward open upon a level plain, while in 
 other directions lofty and steep or rolling 
 hills arise. The village now comprises 
 three churches, a hotel, four stores, three 
 
Town of Vir(;ii. 
 
 2>17 
 
 carriage shops, four blacksmith shops, har- 
 ness shop, etc., with about fift_\- houses. It 
 is six miles south of Cortland village and 
 about the same distance from railroad com- 
 munication at Messengerville, on the Syra- 
 cuse, Binghamton and \ew York railroad, 
 and at Dryden on the Southern Central road. 
 It has a dail\- mail from Cortland village. 
 
 One of the earliest settlers on the site of 
 the N'illage was Jacob Chatterton, the an- 
 cestor of the numerous fimilies of that 
 name who lived in the tow n. He located 
 in 1 800 on the site of Dr. Muncey's res- 
 idence, where he subsequenth' died. 
 
 Thomas Mott was one of the earliest set- 
 tlers in Virgil Corners, where he came from 
 
 Franklin, Delaware countv, in 1807 
 
 Ht 
 
 settled on the premises now occupied by 
 Myron Ballon, just east of the \'illage, 
 where he remained until his death. He 
 had a large family, among whom was 
 Thomas Mott, jr., who was born in Frank- 
 lin in 1807. He spent a long life at Virgil 
 Corners, where he held the office of justice 
 of the peace for more than fort}' years and 
 until his death, which occurred in 1882. 
 Among the other children of the elder 
 Thomas Mott were the second wife of Dr. 
 Horace Bronson, who is still living at Virgil 
 Corners ; Mrs. Joseph Reynolds, her hus- 
 band being one of the first merchants in 
 the place ; Mrs. Dr. Terr}', whose husband 
 was one of Dr. Bronson's students, and 
 Henr}- Mott, who died in Michigan. 
 
 Samuel Slafter settled on the premises 
 south of the Corners, where John Oakle\- 
 now lives. He subsequently and at an 
 early day removed to the village, where he 
 engaged in the manufacture and sale of horn 
 combs. He was postmaster at an early 
 period. His son Edwin became a merchant 
 in the place, as will hereafter appear, and is 
 now a prominent citizen of Cortland xillase 
 
 William Lincoln settled in an earl}- year 
 on the farm now occupied b}- Abram Sager, 
 
 and removed to the Corners some forty 
 ■ }'ears ago. He li\'ed in the Ikjusc now oc- 
 cupied by Aaron Hutchings. He acquired 
 the title of " Major, " through his services 
 ! in the State militia and was much respected. 
 He had seven sons — Silas, Theron, Wait, 
 William, Clinton, Le\-i and Oscar. The 
 latter is dead. 
 
 Timoth}- Green, sen., settled on the farm 
 near the village on the south, where James 
 Mitchell had subsequentl}- lived, before 
 1810. He had three sons, Timoth}', jr.. 
 Joel and Jesse. The last two were twins 
 and removed to the West. Timothy spent 
 the most of his life on the farm about a mile 
 west of the village, and became an influen- 
 tial citizen. He was elected to the Legis- 
 lature, and was supervisor of the town. 
 He removed to the Corners late in life, and 
 died there. 
 
 Nathan Bouton lived fir a number of 
 years in the earlier portion of his life where 
 Rufus Holton now li\'es and exerted an in- 
 fluence for good upon the }oung com- 
 munit}-. 
 
 Moses Olmstead lived at an earl}' da}' 
 three-fourths of a mile west of the Corners, 
 on the farm where Horace Robinson now 
 resides. He had three sons, William, 
 David and James. The}' are all dead. 
 
 The names of man}" of the earl}' settlers 
 on the site of the little village called Virgil 
 Corners, have already been mentioned. It 
 was probably as late or later than 1810 be- 
 fore there was much of a settlement at this 
 point, the post-office having been established 
 in 1808, with Zophar Moore as postmaster, 
 as before noted. There were then two or 
 three grist-mills in the town, several saw- 
 mills, carding-mills, etc., and a population 
 sufficient to make it evident that there would 
 soon at least be a demand for mercantile 
 business.^ 
 
 1 Before the partially cleared farms produced a sufiicient 
 amount of grain for the sustenance of the people, it was 
 
338 
 
 History of Cortland Coumv. 
 
 Tlic first mcrcliant at \'irgil Corners was 
 probably J. K. Lamplieer, but the exact 
 date when he began business here is not 
 now accessible. His first place of business 
 was on the site of Perkins's wagon shop. 
 About the same time Gideon Messenger 
 opened a store in a small way in a portion 
 of the house now occupied by Charles John- 
 son. Joseph Re\-nolc!s, who came here in 
 1808, began mercantile business not long 
 after the first store was opened, in the build- 
 ing which is now used as a shop by Mr. 
 Perkins. It stood then on the site of A. 
 H. Peckham's store. The site now occu- 
 pied by Wm. Helton's store was first used 
 for mercantile purposes by W'm. Snider. 
 He was succeeded by Rufus and Wm. Ed- 
 wards and later by A. E. Heberd, who 
 transferred the business to John Chamber- 
 lain in about the year 1838 and two years 
 later built the store now occupied by S. K. 
 Jones. Chamberlain remained in the store 
 on the Holton site about two years, when 
 he bought out Mr. Reynolds, the purchase 
 including the dwelling now occupied by ¥.. 
 A. Crain. Wm. Snider again took the site 
 
 common for the able-bodied, stalwart young men to go, 
 as it was said, "out to the lakes," to work during harvest, 
 that they might supplement the scanty amount grown on 
 their own narrow fields. I might mention as a specimen 
 of difficulties to be overcome, the scanty remuneration 
 received by ministers of the gospel. One who had labored 
 several years in a church made a statement which is de- 
 rived from an authentic source to this effect : that he had 
 not received money enough from the church to which he 
 ministered to pay the postage on letters which he had re- 
 ceived on their account, .\fterwards the .s'ame church 
 secured the labors of a minister on a salary of fifty dol- 
 lars. .\nother church passed a solemn resolution that 
 they would endi-a-'or to raise ten dollars to secure tlie 
 labors of a minister two Sabbaths during the year. .s;uch 
 are some of the facts existing, incident to the settlement 
 and progress of this town. These have doubtless given 
 rise to some of the disparaging things that have Ijeen said 
 long since, and have been repeated in modern times, 
 taxing heavily even the" Charity wliich suffereth long 
 and is kind." It will be the object of the writer, in a 
 series of articles, to show that such opinions, if enter- 
 tained, are unfounded, and merely indicate the ignorance 
 i>\' prejuilice of thtisc wlio express them. — N. B<,iL"l"0.\. 
 
 occtipied b)- Mr. j-folton and continued in 
 business there tintil 1856, when he filled 
 and closed out his business. He was fol- 
 lowed b)- I'atterson & Graves. The store 
 was burned abotit the year i860, when B. 
 J. Jones purchased the lot and erected a 
 new store. The premises were sold to Wm. 
 A. Holton in 1873, who erected the present 
 store in the same year. He now carries on 
 a successful trade. 
 
 Mr. Chamberlain failed in the store on 
 Mr. Peckham's site about the )-ear 1845, 
 and the business was closed out by Rufus 
 Edwards. The store was next occupied b)- 
 Piatt F. Grow and James S. Squires. 
 Abt)iit the year 1850 the old building was 
 removed to its present location and the 
 present store was built b\- Dudley Benton. 
 The building was partially occupied by S. 
 M. Roe as a produce depot ft>r a year or 
 more, when E. A. Crain took it and began 
 mercantile business, which he continued 
 about two \-ears. He was followed by 
 Grow & Jones for about the same length 
 of time. Eugene Edwards then took it and 
 continued business abotit four years. He 
 sold out to Wm. H. Smith, who afterwards 
 associated with himself D. E. Wallace. ' Mr. 
 Smith retired from the firm and in 1870 
 W. A. Holton and A. H. Peckham pur- 
 chased tile btisiness. They remained to- 
 gether until 1873, when Mr. Peckham 
 bought nut his partner, who bought and 
 built upon his present location, as above 
 stateti. Mr. Peckham has successftillv con- 
 dtictetl till.' btisiness since I 873. 
 
 Mr. llcbeid continuetl btisiness in the 
 store built !)>• him in 1840 (now occupied 
 b\' Mr. Jones) until 1847, ^^li^-"" I't: failed. 
 He was followed by Winslow & Slafter (E. 
 Winslow and E. P. Slafter) for three years, 
 when Mr. Winslow took the business alone 
 antl continued it successfully for eight years, 
 or until 1858, having in the mean time pur- 
 chased the building. At the date last men- 
 
Town oi' \'ikgii. 
 
 339 
 
 tioned lie leased the store to Charles Sny- 
 der. About the year I S6o (irow & Jones 
 (Piatt F. Grow and H. j. Jones) bet^an 
 business there, continuing until the fall of 
 i860, when Mr. Grow died. The business 
 was closed up and the remainder of the 
 goods sold to Mr. W'inslow. He continued 
 in trade until 1868, when he sold the build- 
 ing to Joseph Burt. Howard Hubbard was 
 associated with Burt for about a >ear, when 
 Burt sold his interest to \Vm. H. Smith. 
 In the year 1869 A. H. Peckham became a 
 member of the firm, which firm a year later 
 sold the whole business to Mr. Hubbard. 
 In the mean time the latter had transferred 
 the building to Andrew Hutchings. In 
 1876 B. J. Jones bought the store of Mr. 
 Hutchings, and it has since that time been 
 occupied with mercantile business in the 
 hands of S. K. Jones. 
 
 In the year 1868, a portion of the goods 
 in the stock turned over to Joseph Burt 
 came back into his possession. These he 
 placed on sale in the building now occupied 
 b)' Geo. H. Ladd as a shoe shop, where he 
 continued until 1872. He then leased the 
 Jones store for a \'ear or two, going from 
 there to his present location. Mr. VVinslow 
 has been postmaster since 1865, the office 
 being kept in his store. 
 
 This record gi\-es the histor}' of the mer- 
 cantile business of Virgil Corners as far as 
 it is now accessible. There have been at 
 different periods, small groceries or confec- 
 tionery stores kept, but none of especial 
 importance. 
 
 Physicians. — The first physician in the 
 town was Elijah Hartson, but no details of 
 his life are now accessible. He was, how- 
 ever, with Drs. Moore, Green and Worden, 
 here before i8it) or 1812. Dr. John Wood 
 was here about the latter year and lived 
 where S. Bouton now resides, west of the 
 \illage. Dr. Ryan came to town before 
 1820, in which \ear one of the most em- 
 
 inent phvsicians of the county took up his 
 residence at V'irgil Corners where he re- 
 mained in successful practice during a pe- 
 riod of more than fift\- \-ears ; this was Dr. 
 Horace Bronson. The ancestors of Dr. 
 Bronson came from Scotland and he was 
 born in Catskill, N. V., Sept. 8th, 1796. 
 His parents removed to X'ernon, Oneida 
 count\', when he was four or fi\e \'ears old 
 and became well-to-do farmers. Horace 
 earl\- e\'inced a natural taste for study, es- 
 peciall}- of natural histor)-, in \\ hich he for- 
 tunately received encouragement from his 
 parents. He entered Hamilton College, to 
 which institution his father had already 
 been a donor, and graduated in due time. 
 He attended four full courses of medical 
 lectures and took his degree of Doctor of 
 Medicine from the Fairfield Medical Col- 
 lege in 1819, then a famous institution of 
 Western New York. 
 
 By the advice of Dr. Lewis Kiggs, then 
 of Homer, Dr. Bronson came to N'irgil in 
 
 1820, as above stated, where he continued 
 in practice until 1873, when he was incapac- 
 itated for further labor b\- the sickness 
 which terminated his \aluable lite on the 
 30th of Januar)-, 1874. He became a 
 member of the Cortland Medical Societ)- in 
 
 1 82 1. Dr. Bronson was possessed of much 
 more than ordinar_\- nati\-e ability and his 
 acquired attainments were varied and useful. 
 He was very industrious in his profession, a 
 skillful practitioner and kind and forbearing 
 towards his patients who foimd it difficult 
 to pay for medical treatment. Dr. Bronson 
 married Poll\- Ball by whom he had one 
 son and two daughters. His second wife 
 was Happy Mott, who now resides in Vir- 
 eil Corners with her son-in-law, Charles 
 Johnson. 
 
 Dr. C. P. Weaver came to Virgil next after 
 Dr. Bronson, and was followed bj' Drs. 
 Wilson and Robinson, who came between 
 1 84 1 and 1848. The next physicians were 
 
340 
 
 History or Cortland Countv. 
 
 Drs. Wm. Fitch, now of Dryden, and Jay 
 Hall, now of Cortland village. 
 
 In the spring of 1859 Dr. Wm. A. Mun- 1 
 coy came to Virgil Corners from Wavcrly, 
 Tioga county, N. Y., where he had pursued 
 his studies and practiced one year in part- 
 nership with Dr. C. M. Nobles, with whom 
 he iiad studied. In 1874 Dr. Muncey grad- 
 uated from the American Medical Univer- 
 sity in Philadelphia, and in 1881-82 finished 
 a course and graduated from the Eclectic 
 Medical College of New York. He has 
 been in constant practice in tlie town since 
 his arrival. Dr. Chas. Laning came here 
 at about the time Dr. Muncey came, but 
 remained only for a short time. 
 
 Dr. John D. Tripp is a graduate of the 
 Long Island College Hospital, from which 
 institution he graduated in the year 1865, 
 immediately after which he came to Virgil 
 Corners. He has remained here ever since 
 and enjoys an extensive practice and the 
 confidence of the community. 
 
 Hotel. — There has never been but one 
 hotel of much pretensions in Virgil Corners. 
 The first record of it that we have been able 
 to obtain is of the }-ear 1820, when it was 
 kept by John I. Gee. Ezra Bruce next 
 kept it, but it is not known at just what 
 date nor how long. Nathaniel Knapp kept 
 it also for a time. Eleazer Carpenter, and 
 Reese & Fink were also proprietors at an 
 early day. In 1840 it was kept by Jerry 
 Terpening; then b)' Morgan & Terpening, 
 and again by Mr. Terpening alone. Lewis 
 Barton kept it for a time. A man named 
 Humphrey and Horace Wilcox also had 
 charge of the house. Later William Chat- 
 terton kept it, it ha\ing meanwhile passed 
 into possession of Dudlej- Benton, who 
 made large additions and improvements in 
 the buildings. William Benton then took 
 the proprietorship of the house and was fol- 
 lowed by Thomas Perkins for a short period, 
 when the property came into possession of 
 
 John D. Benton, who also made further 
 
 improvements. In I 865-66 Culver & Glea- 
 son took the house but kept it for only a 
 year or two, being followed by O. S. 
 Withcy. In 1869 F"rank French took the 
 house and was succeeded at different dates, 
 which are not of special interest, by John 
 J. Isaacs, P^vans Griggs, Martin ^Liricle, T. 
 Warren, John C. Keefe (1881), F. D. Has- 
 kell. At about this time the property 
 passed into possession of Geo. W. Lason. 
 A. T. Niver then leased it in 1882, and 
 Mr. Lason took it in 1883. The present 
 year (i 884) John A. McKinne\' purchased 
 the propert}- and is now keeping the house 
 to the satisfaction of the public. 
 
 A tavern was kept for a time before the 
 last war in the large wooden structure lo- 
 cally known as " Bunker Hill, " for a short 
 time. This building «as erected in the 
 year 1804 by James Knapp. It served the 
 double purpose, so it is said, of creating a 
 good deal of astonishment among the in- 
 habitants on account of its size and mag- 
 nificence, and of ruining its builder. It now 
 makes a convenient wagon shop and is 
 owned b\- J. C. Scamans. 
 
 John Chamberlain kept something of a 
 public house at an early day in the house 
 now occupied as a residence by E. A. Grain. 
 He was succeeded b\- a man named Tra\er, 
 and Mr. Grain kept the house open to the 
 public for a short time. 
 
 E. Winslow. who has alread\' been often 
 alluded to as one of the prominent mer- 
 chants, was about the first if not the very 
 first person to engage in harness-making in 
 the village. This was in the year 184O. 
 He was first located in the building that 
 stood where Mr. Holton's store is now lo- 
 cated. In 1845 lie sold out tile harness 
 business to Jerome Hulbert (now a prom- 
 inent citizen of Marathon \illage), to en 
 gage in the boot and shoe business. He 
 remained in one-half of the store, selling 
 
Town of Virgil. 
 
 341 
 
 boots and shoes, until 1852, when he be- 
 came a member of the firm of Winslow & 
 Slafter, as before stated. After Mr. Hul- 
 bert moved a\va\- there was no harness- 
 making in the \'illage until N. A. Gardner 
 came in 1869. He is still doing some work 
 in his liouse. II. H. Branch began the 
 business in 1876. He left the village early 
 in tlie present j-ear. Wayland Goodell is 
 now working at the business in the second 
 story of Peckham's store. 
 
 Wagon-making has been carried on in 
 Virgil from a very early period. Timothy 
 Woods was prubabh- the first in the town 
 and worked at the business before 1820. 
 He was located north of the Corners and 
 afterwards west of the " West Meeting- 
 house." Archelaus Green was also engaged 
 in this business before 1825. Jerry Tyler, 
 now living at Virgil Corners, says that a 
 Mr. Hr_\-ant. who was the father of Lewis 
 Bryant, made wagons on Luce hill at an 
 early date — probably as early as 1830. In 
 1838 he made a lumber wagon for him. 
 which his son Allen is still using in a very 
 good state of preservation. Phillip Colwell 
 was a wagon-maker here before 1840, and 
 Samuel Sikes had a small shop as early as 
 that, a little north of where Ebenezer Per- 
 kins now lives. His old shop is now a part 
 of Mr. Perkins's barn. The Sikes premises 
 were purchased b)^ Mr. Winslow in 1844. 
 libenezer Perkins began wagon- making on 
 Cortland street in the shop now occupied 
 by M. B. Williams, which he built in the 
 year 1843. He sold out to J. C. Seamans 
 and he to Sylvester Crain in i860. The 
 business was continued there bj' Sylvester 
 and E. A. Crain imtil 1875 when they sold 
 out to J. C. Seamans. The Grains pur- 
 chased the old Methodist church building 
 in the )-ear 1876-77 and remo\-ed it to its 
 present location, where it has been used as 
 a wagon shop and undertaking establish- 
 ment since. M. B. Williams now works at 
 
 the business in the shop formerly occupied 
 by Mr. Perkins. Mr. Perkins has a shop 
 in the old building formerly used as a store 
 by Joseph Reynolds. 
 
 There are now three blacksmith shops in 
 the village. One is operated by George 
 Hicks, one by C. H. Seamans, and one by 
 Geo. and J. C. Seamans. Michael Ehle 
 was one of the early blacksmiths in the 
 place. Isaac Seamans was the next, and 
 built the shop now occupied by his son, I. 
 M. Seamans. Before this shop was built 
 Isaac Seamans was located near the Meth- 
 odist parsonage. Ehle's shop was on the 
 corner where Harry Williams now lives. 
 The location of Hicks's shop was for several 
 years occupied by William Adamy with a 
 blacksmith shop more than thirty years 
 ago. Mr. Adamy is now a resident of 
 Union, Broome county. 
 
 Joel Hancock was one of the early set- 
 tlers in the village and was probably the 
 first shoemaker here. After him David 
 Sweet and Nathan Shultz were in the bus- 
 iness. A man named Rogers had a shop 
 near the Murdock tannery at an early day. 
 Justin Smith was a shoemaker here before 
 1850, as was also a man named Simpkins. 
 Geo. H. Ladd began work in this line in 
 1850, and has followed it ever since. N. 
 R. Locke was in the business here from 
 1856 to i860.' 
 
 There being no power obtainable from 
 streams within the village, little has been 
 done in manufacturing, "and the isolation 
 of the place from railroad communication 
 has operated against its growth. It was 
 formerly quite an important point on the 
 stage route from Cortland to Owego, and in 
 earlier years before trade was diverted to 
 other distant points through the facilities 
 for travel offered by railroads, there was 
 
 1 Mr. Locke was the father of D. R. Locke, who has 
 become famous as j writer under tlie nom di plume of 
 "Petroleum V. Nashy."' He is coni»ected witli the 
 Toledo Blade. 
 
342 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 more business done here, undoubtedly, 
 tlian at tlie present time. 
 
 (ikini.EV HOLLOW. 
 
 Tiiis little hamlet present.s a \'ivid exam- 
 ple of the rajjid changes that are effected 
 by time. It is still within the memory of 
 man)- of the older citizens of Virgil, when 
 there was much more manufacturing and 
 mercantile business done here than there 
 was at Virgil Corners. Now there is scarcely 
 a pretense of either, outside of the substan- 
 tial grist-mill. 
 
 Besides its name of " Gridle\- Hollow," 
 derived from Reuben Gridley, who was one 
 of the most prominent pioneers in that re- 
 gion, the hamlet has been known as East 
 Virgil, and the post-office now bears that 
 name. The place is situated on lot 49 near 
 the southeast corner of the town, and the 
 stream that has been called " Gridley creek " 
 runs directly through it. High and pre- 
 cipitous hills rise directh' from the settle- 
 ment, on the north and south, while the bed 
 of the creek in that vicinitx- has cut a deep 
 and narrow ravine through the rocky form- 
 ation in that region, adding much to the 
 otherwise romantic scenery of the place. 
 
 The names of manj' of the early settlers 
 at this point ha\e already been given. The 
 first mill was built by a Mr. Vandenberg in 
 1 8 19, on or near the site now occupied by 
 the mill of E. D. Angell. A saw-mill was 
 also built at the same point and b\- the 
 same man. This property passed into the 
 hands of Reuben Gridle)- at an early day 
 and he operated them for a period of about 
 ten years. He subsequentlj' remo\ed to 
 the State of Michigan, where he died. The 
 present stone mill was built by Gaius Rudd, 
 in the year 1S56, after the disastrous flood 
 of that year had swept away every mill and 
 bridge between Virgil Corners and the ri\er 
 at the State Bridge. Rudd occupied the 
 grist-mill, the saw-mill having been aban- 
 
 doned, until the present owner, E. D. An- 
 gell, bought it ; he is successful in its oper- 
 ation. 
 
 Abram \'an Buskirk was an earl)- set- 
 tlor in the Hollow on the place which after- 
 ward passed into possession of .Andrew Bru- 
 sie at an earlj' day. He was an enterpris- 
 ing and more than ordinaril}' intelligent 
 and energetic man. He built a forge on 
 the creek, which he successfully operated 
 by water pow er for many years, the quality 
 of his iron attaining an excellent reputation. 
 He was a justice of the peace for several 
 years. The great flood swept away the 
 forge and it was not rebuilt. Mr. Brusie 
 and his family finally removed from the 
 town. 
 
 Tile first merchant in the Hollow was 
 William Gra}-. He built a store on the 
 south side of the creek and did a large bus- 
 iness. Hiram J. Messenger, now of Cort- 
 land N'illage, became his partner, but the 
 firm soon dissolved and Mr. Messenger built 
 the store on the opposite side of the stream, 
 and continued business there for several 
 years, finally remo\ing to Messengerville, 
 after the completion of the railroad. Mr. 
 Gray continued in business until 1849, when 
 he was attacked with cholera after return- 
 ing from New York, where he had just pur- 
 chased a large stock of goods. He died 
 suddenly and his business was closed up. 
 Among his sons were H. C. Gray, now of 
 Harford Mills ; Frank Gray, of Janesville, 
 Wis. ; Alonzo Gray, of Watkins, N. Y., and 
 Jesse Gray, of Cortland. Wm. Gray was 
 the first postmaster in Gridley Hollow (or 
 East Virgil), established in 1845. 
 
 Alexander McVean was an early settler 
 at the Hollow and was justice of the peace 
 for a period of forty years. He was, in 
 connection with Isaac Benton, owner of 
 the saw-mill before it was swept awaj'. Mr. 
 Benton was born in the town at an early 
 day, and carried on wagon-making and 
 
Town of Virgil. 
 
 343 
 
 blacksmithing at the Hollow, employing a 
 number of hands and doing a large business. 
 James McVean also had a blacksmitli simp 
 there at one time, and Wm. H. Johnson 
 carried on a tailor shop, while Jonathan Pot- 
 ter did the shoemaking for the vicinity. 
 After the death of Mr. Gray, Isaac Bloomer 
 removed to the Hollow and occupied tlie 
 store until it was carried away in 1856. 
 About the 3-ear 1832 Hiram Baker built a 
 saw-mill a mile and a half west of the Hol- 
 low, and there was still another near that 
 point. In 1837 Isaac Bloomer built a saw- 
 mill a mile west of the Hollow ; but as the 
 forests became cleared away there was less 
 demand for such mills, and all that was left 
 of them to be carried away ,by the flood 
 went down in that calamity and the\' were 
 not rebuilt. 
 
 At the time that Gridlej- owned and op- 
 erated the mill in the Hollow, he also ran 
 a distiller)', which did a profitable business ; 
 and another smaller one was located di- 
 rectly on the top of Snider Hill, which was 
 owned by Christopher Rorabacher. 
 
 A church was built at the Hollow in 
 1844, b\- the union of the members of the 
 several denominations in that \icinit_\'. It 
 finally passed under the charge of the Meth- 
 odists, as before detailed. Services are now 
 conducted there by the Rev. H. W. Wil- 
 liams, of the Virgil Corners Methodist 
 Church. 
 
 In early years, and until the opening of 
 the road through the Hollow to connect 
 with the State road (about the years 1833- 
 34), the Hollow was reached only from the 
 north and south, down the steep hills ; con- 
 sequently the opening of this road was looked 
 upon as a great improvement. The diver- 
 sion of trade to Virgil Corners and later to 
 other points on the railroads, has reduced 
 Gridley Hollow to a mere hamlet, with very 
 little pretense of business of any kind, out- 
 side of the mill and a small store kept b\- 
 
 John Lewis, who is also the present post- 
 master. 
 
 .MESSENGERVILLE. 
 
 This is a hamlet and station on the Syra- 
 cuse, Binghamton and New York Railroad, 
 and on lot 50 in the southeastern corner of 
 the town, near the western bank of the 
 Tioughnioga river. A small hamlet and a 
 tavern existed near there before the comple- 
 tion of the railroad, known as State Bridge, 
 from the fact that the bridge over the river 
 on the State road is located at that point. 
 When the railroad was finished there prom- 
 ised to be some trade and shipping attracted to 
 this station, and H. J. Messenger, who had 
 been in business at Gridley Hollow, built a 
 store there and began trade. He has been 
 succeeded by several others, among whom 
 are Dickinson & Husted, Mr. Husted alone, 
 Lincoln & Wait, and now by the Seamans 
 Brothers. 
 
 One of the first saw-mills in the town 
 was built near this station by a man named 
 Blaisdell, which was swept away in the 
 flood of 1 856 and was not rebuilt. A steam 
 saw-mill was erected at a later date by Eli 
 Husted, which was burned a few years ago. 
 Walter L. Chaplin is the postmaster at 
 Messengerville. 
 
 FR.\XK'S CORNERS. 
 
 This is a mere hamlet situated about a 
 mile south of Virgil Corners. It was here 
 that the pioneer, John M. Frank, first lo- 
 cated, giving the place its name. Promi- 
 nent among the early settlers in the imme- 
 diate vicinity was Charles Hotchkiss, who 
 settled at an early day where his son, 
 Alonzo, now lives. He had three sons, 
 Alonzo, Devolso and Wolcott. The former 
 is one of the prominent farmers of the town 
 and a member of the Presbyterian Church. 
 Marenus Terpening and his brother Noah 
 settled early just north of Mr. Hotchkiss, 
 where the\- li\ed man\- vears. 
 
344 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Caleb Whiting, who located at what is 
 known as Babcock Hollow at an earl)' day, 
 removed to Frank's Corners and for many 
 years carried on an extensive marble- work- 
 ing business. He was on the premises now 
 occupied by George Dann, and now lives 
 in Ca_\Higa county. 
 
 A man named Asel Cannon had a black- 
 smith shop at this point man\- )'ears ago, 
 and Chester Simons carried on the business 
 there at a later period for many years. 
 John Ehle has also worked at the business 
 recently. 
 
 Lester Helton, father of W. A. and Rufus 
 Holton, of \'irgil, and Mark and Luke Hel- 
 ton, of Cortland village, followed wagon- 
 making at Frank's Corners many years ago. 
 A small store was kept there by Wm. H. 
 Smith for a few years during the last war. 
 
 Following is a list of the supervisors and 
 town clerks of Virgil from the first organ- 
 ization* to the present time. The super- 
 visor's name is gi\^en first in each instance: — 
 
 Moses Rice, Gideon Messenger, 1805-06; 
 James Roe, Abner Bruce, 1807-09; James 
 Roe, Moses Rice, i8io; Moses Rice, James 
 Roe, 181 1 ; Moses Rice, James Chatterton, 
 1 8 1 2 to 1 8 1 6, inclusive ; Gideon Messenger, 
 James Chatterton, 18 17 to 18 19, inclusive; 
 Gideon Messenger, Alvan Ryan, 1820; 
 Gideon Messenger, James Chatterton. 1821 
 to 1824, inclusive; Joseph Rej-nolds, Wm. 
 Snider, 1825 to 1830, inclusive: Gideon 
 Messenger, Wm. Snider, 1831; Joseph 
 Reynolds, Kinne Grow, 1832; Joseph 
 Reynolds, Wm. Woodward, 1833-34; Mi- 
 chael Frank, \\'m. Woodward, 1835-36; 
 Sanford Bouton, Augustus Heberd, 1837; 
 Josiah Hart, John Chamberlain, 1838; San- 
 
 ford Bouton, Augustus Heberd, 1839—40; 
 Timoth}- Green, John Chamberlain, 1S41; 
 Ogden Graj-, Norman Chamberlain, 1842— 
 43 ; Timoth)' Green, Norman Chamberlain, 
 1844; Timothy Green, Augustus Heberd, 
 1845; Enoch Branch, Norman Chamber- 
 lain, 1846; John Green, Wm. Chatterton, 
 1847; Dudlc)- Benton, Wait Chamberlain, 
 1848; Moses Tyler, Willard Chatterton, 
 1849; Page Green, Willard Chatterton, 
 1850; John Green, Samuel Slafter, 1851; 
 Madison B. M)'nard, David L. Bronson, 
 1852; Hiram Messenger, Willard Chatter- 
 ton, 1853; Josephus Gee, Willard Chatter- 
 ton, 1854; Isaac Raymond, Willard Chat- 
 terton, 1855; Andrew Brusie, Alonzo Sni- 
 der, 1856; Jonas Owen, Samuel Slafter, 
 1857; Enoch Willet, Samuel Slafter, 1858; 
 Nathan Spencer, Samuel Slafter, 1859; Jo- 
 sephus Gee, Piatt F. Grow, i860; Josephus 
 Gee, Charles P. Snider, 1861 ; Nathan Spen- 
 cer, Alexander Mahan, 1862; Roswell, 
 Price, Alexander Mahan, 1863; Roswell 
 Price, Eber Sweet, 1S64; Nathan Spencer, 
 G. H. Ladd, 1865; Nathan Smith, Alexan- 
 der Collins, 1866; Roswell Price, Howard 
 Hubbard. 1867-68; Nathan Bouton, Chas. 
 Williams, 1869; S. M. Byram, Charles 
 Williams, 1870-71; Roswell Price, A. H. 
 Peckham, 1872-73; Roswell Price, W. A. 
 Muncey, 1874; J. D. Tripp, W. A. Holton, 
 1875 ; Roswell Price, A. H. Peckham, 1876: 
 Roswell Price, H. H. Branch, 1877; Ros- 
 well Price, J O. Seamans, 1878; W. P. 
 Mynard, J. O. Seamans, 1879; W. P. 
 Mynard, A. H. Peckham, 1880; Walter 
 Chaplin, A. H. Peckham, 1881 to 1883, 
 inclusive; Walter Chaplin, E. A. Grain, 
 1884. 
 
Town of Marathon. 
 
 345 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 HlS'l'OKV OF THE TOWX OF MARATHON. 
 
 THE town of Marathon was formed from 
 Cincinnatus April 2 1st, 1818. It was 
 first called "Harrison," and embraced the 
 southwest quarter of the militar\- township 
 of Cincinnatus. Its name was changed to 
 Marathon in 1828, in consequence of there 
 being another town in the State named 
 Harrison. It was first named in honor of 
 General Harrison. It is bounded on the 
 north by Freetown, on the east b\' Willet, 
 on the south by Hronme county and on the 
 west by Lapeer. 
 
 The surface of the town is rugged and 
 hilly, the ridges rising from 500 to 700 feet 
 above the valle)'s. The Tioughnioga ri\-er 
 flows through the western part of the town- 
 ship in a deep, narrow vallc)-, bordered b_\' 
 precipitous hillsides. Hunt creek, in the 
 northwestern part of the town, flows through 
 a narrow, deep valley, and Merrill creek, in 
 the eastern part, flows through a similar 
 valley. The principal part of the arable ; 
 land lies along the valleys; the uplands are 
 broken and better adapted to pasturage. 
 The soil is a sand_\- and gravelly loam. 
 
 Marathon village is the only considerable 
 business center of the town. Te.xas valley, 1 
 in the northeastern part of the town, was 1 
 laid out first and, it being on the State road 
 and central to the four towns of Cincinnatus, 
 Freetown, Willet and ]\Tarathon, was form- 
 erly regarded as the most probable site of 
 a thriving business center; but it is now a 
 mere hamlet, while Marathon contains a 
 population of 1,100, and is a growing and 
 active business place. 1 
 
 Dr. S. ]\I. Hunt, of Marathon village, has ' 
 written some interesting historical notes ; 
 upon this town, from which we make the 
 following extracts : — i 
 
 " The first white men wlio entered this 
 valley in search of future homes were most- 
 ly from the New England States, the east- 
 ern counties of this State or some portion 
 of the Susquehanna Vallej-. They cut out 
 a narrow path near the river and marked 
 trees as an additional guide to their way; 
 erected some rudely constructed log-cabins 
 and then returned for their families. They 
 brought them in canoes b_\- the way of the 
 Susquehanna ri\-er, the greater part from a 
 distance above, the others from below, its 
 junction with the Chenango. This entire 
 section of the country was then 
 ■A vast wilderness, — 
 .\ boundless contiguity of shade ' 
 well adapted as a lo'dge for the longing as- 
 pirations of the poet, Cowper. They sev- 
 erally by severe toil and indomitable energy 
 succeeded in clearing and planting a small 
 piece of ground with corn among the stumps 
 and roots, which, when matured, became the 
 staple article of food for their families. But 
 when the corn was harvested the)- had no 
 means of reducing it to meal, except by beat- 
 ing it in a mortar, which was usuall)- con- 
 structed by scooping out the top of a stump, 
 above which they suspended a pestle adapted 
 to the size of the mortar ; attached it to a 
 spring-pole, the elasticitj- of which aided in 
 raising the pestle. Yet this substitute for 
 grinding afforded but a slow and \er\- labori- 
 ous process. There was then no grist-mill 
 within fifty miles of them. Occasionally two 
 of the neighbors joined in going to mill with 
 a canoe, taking several bushels of corn for the 
 settlement, making rather a pleasant trip 
 down the stream, but, not unlike boys riding 
 down hill on hand-sleds, their return to the 
 starting point was slow and attended with 
 
346 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 considerable labor. The nearest mill was 
 then located somewhere on the Susque- 
 hanna river. 
 
 " The timber III' the town was generally 
 of large size and \\ hen felled and cut into 
 suitable lengths was drawn together, rolled 
 into heaps and burned. The flats were 
 mostl)- covered with hard timber, such as 
 maple, beech, ash, etc., which was i-ecluced 
 to ashes with less labor than hemlock, which 
 more usualh' grew on the sides of the hills, 
 and when in a green state tenaciousl)- re- 
 sists combusticin. The latter timber, when 
 consumed, aflbrtlcd no deposits of any value; 
 but the ashes from hard timber were col- 
 lecteil, leached aiui boiled into "black salts,' 
 a staple article of commerce and at that 
 time constituting about the only article they 
 had to sell for cash or exchange for goods. 
 
 "Their fruit was of the wiki kinds, such 
 as berries of the different species. The}- 
 had no apples, pears or plums foi- many 
 years, except such few as occasional!)' were 
 brought in by some person returning from 
 an eastern \isit. They dispensed with tea 
 and colfee ami most of the groceries now 
 in use, excepting sugar antl molasses of their 
 own domestic manufacture from the sugar 
 maple. 
 
 "Of fresh meats the)- procured a variet)-, 
 such as venison and bear's flesh, and of the 
 lesser quadrupeds of the woods and wild 
 game of the different kinds, as well as the 
 several species of fish w hich the streams af- 
 forded in great abundance. While wild 
 game could so readily be obtained, they 
 could well dispense with the flesh of domes- 
 tic animals, of which the)- h;id but few in 
 number, and none to spare for the butcher. 
 Their cattle in the summer season subsisted 
 on w ikl herbage and in winter on cornstalks, 
 swamp hay and brow se. 
 
 "Residing at such distances from an)- 
 settlement where goods could be purchased, 
 the)- were obliged to dispense with man)- 
 
 of the conveniences, if not the actual neces- 
 saries, of life. Their clothing was of coarse 
 fabrics, usuall)- flannel, home-spun, carded 
 b)' hand and colored with butternut bark, 
 for their outer garments. Their skirting 
 was of the same material woven into checks; 
 as a substitute for flannel they sometimes 
 wore buff-colored buckskin for coats, pants 
 and \ests. In summer tow cloth comprised 
 their entire dress. At a subsequent period 
 domestic fulled cloth was w orn as their best 
 suits for man)' years. 
 
 " Such was the condition of the pioneers 
 of this section of the country in reference 
 to food and clothing. Accustomed to 
 coarse, simple food and constant habits of 
 industr)-, the pioneers enjo)ed a good de- 
 gree of health, strong, athletic constitutions, 
 and were capable of performing much more 
 labor than a comparative number of their 
 descendants in these degenerate times. 
 Rut while their corporal powers were 
 strengthened, the mental faculties and ap- 
 pliances were not much improved. With 
 the exception of the Bible, very few books 
 of any kind could be found in the neigh- 
 borhood. Though destitute of most of the 
 conveniences of life, the)- participated more 
 freely in the domestic and social blessings 
 than" the residents of a densely populated 
 community. F"ree from the pride of dress 
 and ostentation, they envied no man's supe- 
 rior success, but each contributed aid to- 
 wards his neighbor's prosperit)- and happi- 
 ness. The)' had a reputation for honest)-, 
 benevolence and usefulnes while li\'ing, and 
 died respected. 
 
 "There being no mail routes or post- 
 ofiices in this entire region of country at 
 the period under consideration, no letters 
 I or newspapers were received, except occa- 
 sionally by private conve)'ance. As late 
 as during the last war with England a 
 small weekly country paper was brought 
 into town b\- a man on horseback and sold 
 
Town of Marathon. 
 
 347 
 
 to persons anxious to hear the news from 
 the war. " 
 
 The first actual settlers of tliis town were 
 Dr. Japheth Hunt and wife, both aged 
 people, two sons, James and William, and 
 three daughters, Betsey, Nancy and Han- 
 nah. The advanced age of the parents dis- 
 qualified them as pioneers of a new country 
 and unfitted them to encounter the hard- 
 ships and prix'ations incident to such an 
 enterprise. Their children, however, were 
 of mature age, of robust constitutions, and 
 possessed energ)- of character, which en- 
 abled them to accomplish the laborious 
 duties which now devoh'ed upon them. 
 They entered the \alley of the Tioughnioga 
 from the south, in canoes, in the \-ear 1794, 
 and located on a piece of lanci on the east 
 side of the river, about a mile south of the 
 present village of Mar.ithon, since known 
 as the Comstock farm anil now owned by 
 Edward Moore. Their log house was 
 erected a few miles north of Mr. Moore's 
 barn, on a knoll, or rolling piece of ground, 
 immediatel)- west, and near the present 
 highway. Upon this rising ground were 
 discovered a great number of e.\ca\'ations 
 or depressions, of circular form, in close 
 proximity, rendering the surface of the 
 ground uneven. Each of these depressions, 
 upon examination, was found to contain 
 human bones, which had, apparenth-, been 
 deposited there for several preceding cen- 
 turies. Upon removing the road a few 
 years since, from the top to the base of this 
 hill, some of these depressions were opened 
 by the plow, and were found to contain 
 not onl)- human bones, but se\'eral curi- 
 ously carved vessels or pots, of a substance 
 resembling cla\', probabl\- wrought b\- the 
 Indians to contain succotash, or boiled corn 
 and beans, deposited in the grave, as is 
 their custom, to supj)!}- their departed 
 friends in their journe\- to the world of 
 spirits. 
 
 About the time that Dr. Hunt's family 
 settled here a road was surveyed and par- 
 tialh- cut through the wilderness from the 
 south, near the river, until passing their 
 land, when, diverging from the stream, it 
 crossed the south line of lot number 72, 
 about three-fourths of a mile east of the 
 village of Marathon, and continuing in a 
 northerly direction, intersected the State 
 road at the farm recently owned b)' Mr. 
 Charles Richardson, of Freetown, and ex- 
 tending north to its terminus at the salt 
 works, which ga\'e it the name of the " salt 
 road. " 
 
 Another road, about this period, was 
 surveyed and [iartiall\- opened as a State 
 road, b_\- the way of Oxford westerh- 
 through the center of the town subsequently 
 organized as Cincinnatus, and consequently 
 on the north line ot the present town of 
 Marathon, and crossing the river at Chap- 
 lin's ford, now known as State Bridge, and 
 thence westerl)' through the count)' b_\' 
 \'irgil Corners. 
 
 Dr. Hunt was an emigrant from one of 
 the New England States, and had served 
 his country in the Revolutionar\- War, in 
 capacit}' of surgeon. He died March 7th, 
 1808, at the advanced age of 97, and was 
 the first person buried in the east burying 
 eround of Marathon. His son William 
 married Anna, daughter of Matthew Cole, 
 an earl)- settler on a farm adjoining the 
 southern line, being the present residence 
 of Col. Lucian E. Crain. His son James was 
 ne\'er married, and died at Genoa, Cayuga 
 count)'. His daughter, Nanc)', married 
 Abram Smith, and died about fort)'-five 
 \'ears since, lea\'ing three children. Betsey 
 Hunt married Oliver Mack, of Genoa, and 
 Hannah, the )'oungest daughter, married 
 Nathan Thorp, of the same place. 
 
 Wm. Hunt, some time after the death of 
 his father, sold the farm and located again 
 two miles north of Marathon \illage, where 
 
348 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Stephen Johnson now resides, but finally 
 emigrated with his sisters from Genoa to 
 the " far West, " to some part of Indiana. 
 In the latter part of the winter "f 1796 
 John, the eldest son of Dr. Hunt, who had 
 married Lydia, tiie daughter of Major 
 Samuel Maliorj-, of Hillsdale, Columbia 
 count)', was induced to move from that 
 place into the new countr\- in the \ icinity 
 of his father's residence. A man with 
 horses and sleigh was employed to bring 
 his effects and famil\-, which then comprised 
 himself and wife, one daughter three years 
 of age, and a son of six months. After 
 several days' travel over rough roads, they 
 arrived at O.xford, then a new settlement on 
 the Chenango river, where their teamster 
 left them and turned back in consequence 
 of poor sleighing produced by a thaw. Mr. 
 Hunt, ha\ing one horse of his own, har- 
 nessed him to a hastily constructed sled, 
 and placed a bed and a few necessary arti- 
 cles of furniture and pnnisions, with his 
 wife and children thereon, started west- 
 wardl)' b}- the way of the State road for 
 the place of his destination. The first da\' 
 the\- proceeded about se\enteen miles into 
 the wilderness on this rough road, passing 
 over several of the smaller logs which had 
 not _\-et been removed from the path, when 
 night overtook them in a dense forest, 
 which soon became xocal with the sounds 
 of wild animals. Fortunateh' they soon 
 came to a log cabin, recentlj- erected, co\- 
 ered with bark, and having a floor of slats 
 .split from logs, with a place for an entrance, 
 but destitute of a door to exclude the air. 
 By means of his gun and tinder he kindled 
 a fire, and placed his horse close to the 
 opening, with his provender in the sled, 
 which served for a manger, and ha\ing 
 hung up a blanket at the entrance, and 
 placed their bed on the floor, being very 
 weary, he retired to rest, and slept comfort- 
 ably through the night. Hut his wife, un- 
 
 accustomed to such privations, was less in- 
 clined to sleep. The howling of the wolves 
 also annoyed her, and she wondered how 
 her husband could sleep so composedly in 
 such a dismal place. The next morning 
 they resumed their journey, and before 
 noon came to the Otselic river, and were 
 cheered with the sight of a house on the 
 opposite side of the stream. This proved 
 to be the residence of Wm. Tuthill, who 
 kindly assisted them in crossing the river, 
 and hospitably entertained them till the next 
 da\-. This was at a farm subsequently 
 owned by Ebenezer Crittenden. From 
 this place they traveled west till the\- came 
 to the intersection of the salt road, when, 
 turning south along the latter path, at a 
 distance of four miles they found the new 
 home of his parents and family. His goods 
 were subsequent!)- brought in canoes from 
 Oxford down the Chenango river to the 
 Forks, and up this branch (then generally 
 called the Onondaga) to their new location. 
 
 John Hunt purchased one hundred acres 
 out of the southwest corner of lot No. 72, 
 and moved his fiimily there, being on the 
 east side of the river, upon which a large 
 portion of Marathon \illage is located. 
 Here his second son, Samuel M. Hunt, was 
 born October 30th, 1793, being the first 
 child born in this town. When a )'Oung 
 man he chose the profession of medicine, 
 and pursued that study with Dr. P. B. 
 Brooks, afterwards of Binghamton. He 
 has practiced medicine for thirty years, prin- 
 cipal!)- in Broome county; but for three 
 years past he has been located in Marathon 
 village, on the same premises formerly the 
 residence of his parents. 
 
 As early as the beginning of the present 
 century John Hunt was appointed b)- the 
 governor and council a justice of the peace ; 
 which office he held by successive appoint- 
 ments to the period of his death, which oc- 
 curred August 8th, 1815, at the age of fifty 
 
Town of Marathon. 
 
 349 
 
 years. His widow is still living, in the 
 eight)-- fifth \car of her age. Their eldest 
 daughter married Mr. Charles Richardson, 
 of Freetown, and is now residing in the vil- 
 lage of Marathon. Two other daughters 
 arc _\'et li\'iiig. F"our others of their chil- 
 dren lived to be married and settled in 
 this section of the countrw but are now 
 deceased. Abiam Hrink with his faniiK- 
 moved into the present bounds of the vil- 
 lage in the spring of 1800, and located a 
 few rods south of Mr. Hunt's, on the north 
 part of lot No. 82, then State land. He 
 came from the present town of Union, be- 
 low Binghamton, on the Susquehanna river, 
 bringing his famil}- and furniture in a canoe. 
 He was a son of Captain William Brink, a 
 patriot of the Revolution, who had suffered 
 much by the depredations of tories in the 
 war at Wyoming, and subsequenth- lost a 
 great amount of propert}' b}' the great ice- 
 flood in that x-alle^-. Abram Brink was a 
 robust and industrious citizen, and a valua- 
 ble pioneer in clearing up the rugged wil- 
 derness, and preparing it for the residence 
 of posterity. He kept the first ta\'ern ever 
 licensed in this town, from the commence- 
 ment of the present century up to the time 
 of his decease in 1824. Into.xicating liquors, 
 as a beverage, were at that time considered 
 as necessary as food in a tavern for the re- 
 freshment of guests ; and although their 
 deleterious effects were visible, not only in 
 the physical, moral and mental prostration 
 of all who indulged in the potation, yet the 
 traffic was for a long period sustained by 
 public sentiment and by the laws of the 
 State. Mr. Brink was succeeded in the 
 tavern by his onl\- surviving son, Chester, 
 for a few years, when, influenced b}- a strong 
 aversion to dealing in intoxicating liquors, 
 he relinquished the business and emploj-ed 
 himself in cultivating and improving the 
 same farm, antl some other adjoining lands, 
 which he had acijuired b)' purchase. 
 
 A few years previous to the arrival of 
 Mr. Brink here a famih- b\- the name of 
 Alford had .settled about three-fourths of a 
 mile south, on the State's lot, and some 
 years after sold out to Daniel Huntle\', a son 
 of Deacon William H untie)-, who resided for 
 several years on the next farm south. A 
 man by the name of Lee also lived a few 
 years on the premises of Mr. Alford, hav- 
 ing married his daughter. At the close of 
 the last century a traveler from the north, 
 in passing down this valley, after leaving 
 the fordwa)' at Chaplin's, would find the 
 following residents on the east side of the 
 river : — First, the family of Mr. Hunt ; sec- 
 ond, Mr. Brink ; third, Mr. Alford and Mr. 
 Lee ; next, Dr. Hunt, and lastly, Mr. Cole, 
 with-in this count)'. South and near the 
 county line on the east side of the river, 
 was the residence of General Samuel Coe, 
 and directly opposite, on the west bank, was 
 the house of Jonathan Cowdrey. 
 
 Soon after this period John S. Squires 
 located on a farm south of Mr. Alford, but 
 shortly after purchased a farm in the pres- 
 ent town of Lapeer, and removed his fam- 
 ih- there into the forest at quite a distance 
 from neighbors, it being the same farm 
 where his son, Dan C. Squires, afterward 
 resided. About the )-ear 1800 Ebenezer 
 Carley moved into this town from Unadilla, 
 and located on the west side of the river, 
 where his son Alanson subsequently re- 
 sided. He was commissioned captain of 
 militia compan)- number one, organized in 
 this section of the country. He had a large 
 family of children. Ezekiel C. became a 
 captain of the militia and also held the office 
 of justice of the peace. Of this large fam- 
 ily none are now living e.xcept two brothers, 
 Alanson and Oren. 
 
 It would be a difficult task, at this remote 
 period, to ascertain the precise date of the 
 arrival of each family of the first settlers 
 here, as far back as the close of the last cen- 
 
350 
 
 History of Cortland County, 
 
 tur\", or the regular order as tntlie jiriorits' 
 of time, in c\ery case, when thej' entered 
 this valley. In F"ebniary of the )-ear 1805 
 
 Patrick Maller\-, wlio some years after be- 
 came a caj^tain of militia, a brother of 
 
 Scjuirc Hunt's wife, arrived here with his 
 wife and one child, and settlecJ on the farm 
 one mile north of Marathon village, after- 
 wards occupied b\- G. Penno\'er. He re- 
 sided a few weeks with his sister's family, 
 while erecting a log house for the reception 
 of his own. This was early in the spring, 
 when each famil}' was actively employed in 
 manufacturing maple sugar. To secure a 
 supply of such an important article for do- 
 mestic use, it became necessar}' for him to 
 tap his trees prior to furnishing his house. 
 The farm was situated mostl)- on the west 
 side of the river, and his maple trees were 
 on the flat, directly across the stream. Be- 
 ing busil)- engaged one daj-, assisted b}' his 
 wife, in gathering and boiling sap, they 
 were detained until approaching darkness 
 reminded them that it was time to start for 
 home. They entered their canoe and had 
 just reached the eastern shore and found 
 the narrow path that led down to the stream 
 to Mr. Hunt's, when, to their surprise and 
 consternation, their ears were saluted with 
 the most clamorous, violent and discordant 
 sounds, from directly across the river, they 
 had ever heard. The woods were appar- 
 ently full of monsters in pursuit of them, as 
 their intended victims, and engaged in fiend- 
 ish strife respecting the several shares of the 
 spoils. How to escape from these mon- 
 strous cannibals was the subject of an.xious 
 thought and hasty deliberation. Mrs. Mal- 
 lery advised a rapid retreat; but her hus- 
 band, being a \cry stout man, aiul u isliing 
 to retain his reputation for braverv, had a 
 great aversion to "an attack in the rear " 
 He therefore firmly grasped his axe, which 
 he carried in his hand as an instrument of 
 defense, and cautiousl}- followed his wife, 
 
 vv ho alternatclv ran forvvard a few rods with 
 speed and then fell back again, urging him 
 to make a more rapid progress. Notwith- 
 standing the captain's resolute intentions, it 
 is probable that tlir ni.iich w.is not very 
 slow : and the\- soon reached the house of 
 their friends without suffering an attack, 
 and gave the alarm of the approaching en- 
 emy. But they were soon relieved of their 
 fears, though somewhat mortified to learn 
 that these savage monsters were nothing 
 more tlian a class of nocturnal birds called 
 owls, incapable of injuring either man or 
 beast. 
 
 Dr. S. M. Hunt, son of Ur. Japheth 
 Hunt, was born in Marathon, on tlie 30th 
 of October, 1798. His grandfather settled 
 on the farm now owned b_v A. S. Johnson, 
 known as the Comstock place. His father 
 settled on the east side of the river where 
 the Marathon House now stands ; there S. 
 M. Hunt was born. He finished his edu- 
 cation in the Homer Academv'. then one 
 of the most famous educational institutions 
 in Central New York. He studied medi- 
 cine with Dr. Pelatiah Brooks and, after 
 receiving his diploma, practiced his chosen 
 l)rofession in Killawog, Upper Lisle, Maine 
 and Marathon. He held the office of jus- 
 tice of the peace, judge of the Court of 
 Common Pleas and justice of the sessions. 
 In 1852 he returned to Marathon, where 
 he afterwards resided, with the exception 
 of a few years at Killawog. He was mar- 
 ried, at the age of twenty-three, to Maria 
 Havens, daughter of Mordecai Havens and 
 sister of Dr. Daniel and Charles G. Havens, 
 the latter a prominent lawyer of New York 
 city. Their children were D. Deloss and 
 Duray Hunt, now of Marathon, and Dr. 
 De Forest Hunt, of Grand Rapids, Mich., 
 and Mrs. C. A. King, of Albany. Dr. 
 Hunt vvas a charter member of the Masonic 
 Lodge at Marathon, which suffered an irrep- 
 arable loss in his death. 
 
Town of Marathon. 
 
 35> 
 
 According to Dr. Hunt's historical notes, 
 already alluded to, mills for sawing lumber 
 and grinding grain were not erected in 
 Marathon until 1808, although the want of 
 them was sadh' felt long before that. They 
 were the first framed buildings on the site 
 of Marathon \'illage. Malachi Church 
 emigrated to Marathon in 1805, from 
 Chenango count}', a distance of about fort}' 
 miles. This journe}- was accomplished in 
 three days of severe toil. He was born in 
 Brattleboro, Vt, on the 15th of May, 
 1769, and at the age of twent}' married 
 Luc}- Blakeslee; the}- had a large famil}- 
 of children. He was a blacksmith, but 
 upon his arrixal in the place, found little 
 encouragement for a mechanic, as there 
 were then but a few residents. Ten or 
 twelve v'ears after his arrival he built a 
 framed house and shop on the west side of 
 the river a few rods from the site of the 
 railroad depot. There, with the assistance 
 of his sons, he carried on blacksmithing 
 several years. In 181 5 he was made a 
 justice of the peace and held the office for 
 many years. He was also made a deacon 
 in the Baptist Church in 1823 and filled the 
 office until his death in November, 1S46. 
 
 Deacon Huntley, another prominent 
 pioneer, came into the valle}' at an early 
 da}- and located about a mile south of the 
 village, where he worked at blacksmithing 
 for a time. His son John was also a black- 
 smith. 
 
 Allen Rice was an earl}' settler in the 
 valley, and seeing the apparent need of a 
 blacksmith, put up a small shop, the first 
 in the town. Although he had not a 
 thorough knowledge of the trade, he did 
 considerable work at it for a time, and then 
 moved awa}-. He afterwards returned 
 and built a shop for w-ooi-carding, near 
 where D. Hillsinger's mill now stands. This 
 proved to be a great convenience to the 
 inhabitants. 
 
 An incident in the life of Mr. Brink, 
 
 whose settlement in the \illage we have 
 already described, is worth}- of preserva- 
 tion. He w,as returning from Lisle on foot 
 one e\-ening, with a plowshare on his 
 back, which he had taken to be repaired, 
 and had just entered the woods on the west 
 side of the river north of Killawog, when 
 he heard an animal following his footsteps 
 along the narrow path, and approaching at 
 times so near to him that he could see his 
 eye-balls shining in the darkness. Mr. 
 Brink's sociabilit}- was not such as to incline 
 him to a ver}- close acquaintance with the 
 stranger, and keeping on his w-a}' he tried 
 to drive the animal back b}- loud shouts; 
 but without avail. He did, however, keep 
 the pursuer at ba}- until he had nearly 
 emerged from the woods, when the animal 
 came uncomfortabh- close to his heels. It 
 was a happy thought w-hich led him to la}- 
 down the- iron plowshare and begin ham- 
 mering on it with an iron bolt. This 
 strange music actuall}- caused the animal to 
 retreat into the forest. Mr. Brink con- 
 gratulated himself the more when he learned 
 that his pursuer was a large panther. 
 
 About the year 1808, John Chamberlain 
 moved into the town and built a saw-mill 
 on the creek at the same place where David 
 Hillsinger's saw-mill now- 'stands. Mr. 
 Chamberlain was a carpenter, but had little 
 experience as millwright; yet he erected 
 his mill, [)ut in the wheels and gearing and 
 all worked to his satisfaction, except the 
 saw. This persisted in running out of a 
 direct line to such an extent that a plank 
 two inches thick at one end. would be cut 
 down as thin as a shingle at the other. Mr. 
 Chamberlain was unable to correct the 
 difficult}-, and hnall}- became full}- con- 
 vinced that the mill w-as influenced by 
 witchcraft, a general belief in which was 
 prevalent in those days. He was a godly 
 man, subsequentl}- becoming a useful 
 
35^ 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 ])rcaclicr in the I'rco-W'ill Baptist denom- 
 ination, and he was not wiUing to behevc 
 that any good influence was at work in his 
 mill; and he had heard of nian\- apparently 
 well authenticate-d instances of similar evil 
 beingworked through the agency of witches; 
 the more he thought of it, the more firml)- 
 he became convincetl that this was the 
 source of his trouble in the mill, and he 
 resolved to ilo everything in his pi)Wer to 
 eradicate the influence. He accepted the 
 prevailing belief that a witch could not be 
 killed with ordinar\- powder and ball, but 
 that if a silver bullet was used, fatal results 
 would surely follow. He accordingly ham- 
 mered out a silver bullet, put a remarkable 
 charge of powder in his gun, followed by 
 the costh- ball, and repaired to the mill for 
 his battle with the invisible agency. Start- 
 ing the saw, he stood near, with leveled 
 gun, awaiting the first indication of way- 
 wardness in the mill. It soon appeared as 
 usual, when he blazed awa)- direct!}- at the 
 saw. The eftect was certainly all he could 
 have expected ; for the extraordinary charge 
 caused the gun to "kick" him o\-er in one 
 direction, while the hard silver bullet so 
 bent the saw in the other that its days of 
 usefulness were over. The effect on the 
 witch was never ascertained. The services 
 of an cxperi#nced millwright now had to 
 be called in, and the mill was placed in ex- 
 cellent running order and thereafter it 
 worked satisfactorily. 
 
 In the year 1808, the father of Thurlow 
 Weed, the famous politician and journalist, 
 removed to the town of Marathon, and 
 there the boyhood of tlie future eminent 
 citizen was passed. In response to the 
 request of H. C. Goodwin, who published 
 a history of the count\' man\- \-ears ago, 
 Mr. Weed, then a resident of the citj- of 
 Albany, wrote him the following interest- 
 ing letter concerning his early life in the 
 vicinitN' of Marathon : — 
 
 •'.\l1!..vnv. M.iy 16th. 1858. 
 ■■ H. (.'. Goodwin, Esq.: 
 
 •• My Dear Sir — Your letter ot 30th of .\pril 
 lias remained i|uite too long unanswered, partly 
 on account of severe illness in my family, but 
 mainly bei;ause your kind and nut unusual re- 
 (|ue.st embarrasses me. Several applications, sim- 
 ihir ill character, from book-makers, I have 
 simply cleclined. because, first, there is ncjthing 
 in m\- life entitled to historic attention ; and, 
 second, it am of its events were worthy such at- 
 tention, it is neither proper or becoming in me 
 to furnish the materials. So strong are my con- 
 victions of propriety in this regard that, many 
 years ago. after declining to furnish information 
 relating to myself, asked for by the late Jabez 
 D. Hammond. 1 declined also to read in manu- 
 script what he had jirepared. The consequence 
 of that refusal is. that I go down to jjosterity — 
 if Hammond's [jolitical history oudives the pres- 
 ent generation — as a • drummer in the war of 
 181 2.' Now. I am entitled to no such distinc- 
 tion; for I never learned, and never could learn, 
 a note or stave of music. I remember to have 
 gone, when a boy. once or twice to an evening 
 singing-school : but after unavailing attempts at 
 ipiavers and semi-quavers, the teacher snatched 
 the gamut from my hand, and turned me out of 
 the class. I will, however, in this instance, de- 
 part so far from my usual practice as will allow 
 me to furnish the dates you desire, though in 
 doing so. 1 feel as 1 suppose one should feel in 
 robbing a hen-roost. I "ill now give you some 
 'reminiscences' connected with my early resi- 
 dence in Cortland county. 
 
 •■ In the winter of 1808, my father, — an hon- 
 est, hard-working man. — whose industry, subject 
 to the various draw-backs of sickness and ill- 
 luck, which the poor only can understand, en- 
 abled him to furnish but a scanty support for 
 his family, in the hope of • bettering his condi- 
 tion.' removed to Cincinnatus. in Cortland coun- 
 ts where Nathan Weed, his youngest brother, 
 resided. We were settled in a log house, upon 
 a small clearing, about a mile from the Onon- 
 daga river; or. for the purpose of fixing our 
 locality. I had better say. about that distance 
 from • Brink's Tavern.' Cincinnatus then, what- 
 ever may be its present condition, was in its 
 almost wilderness state. 1 have not been there 
 
Town of Marathon. 
 
 05 J 
 
 in half a century, and am told that there are no 
 forests, or land-marks, or monuments b\' which 
 1 could recall or identify the localities of which 
 my mind retains familiar and distinct impressions. 
 Inhabitants were then ■ few and far between.' 
 Uur nearest neighbor was Mr. Gridley. a farmer, 
 rather • well to do in the world,' who would 
 work hard through • planting,' or • hoeing,' or 
 ' harvesting,' and then seek indemnity in a week 
 or ten days' ■ spree,' on new, raw whisky. The 
 most fore-handed family in the neighborhood 
 was that of Captain Carley, (one member of 
 which, Alanson. then a boy of my own age, 
 was, some years since, a respected Member of 
 the Legislature), among whose luxuries, as I 
 remember, was a young apple orchard, and the 
 only • bearing' orchard within a circuit of se\eral 
 miles. 
 
 " My first employment was in attenilance upon 
 an ashery. The process of e.xtractiiig lye from 
 ashes, and of boiling the lye into black salts, 
 was commonplace enough: but when the melt- 
 ing down into potash came, all was bustle and 
 excitement. This labor was succeeded, when 
 the spring had advanced far enough, bv the du- 
 ties of the ' sap-bush.' This is a season to which 
 the farmers' sons and daughters look forward 
 with agreeable anticipations. In that employ- 
 ment toil is more than literally sweetened. The 
 occupation and its associations are healthful and 
 beneficial. When your troughs are dug (out of 
 basswood. for there were no buckets in those 
 days), )our trees tapped, your sap gathered, 
 your wood cut, and your fires fed, there is leisure 
 either for reading or ' sparking.' .\nd what 
 youthful denizens of the sap-bush will ever for- 
 get, while • sugaring-off,' their share in the trans- [ 
 parent and delicious streak of candy congealed ; 
 and cooled in snow ? Many a farmer's son has 
 found his best o])portunities tor mental improve- 
 ment in his intervals of leisure while ■ tending 
 sap-bush.' Such, at any rate, was my own ex- 
 perience. At night you had only to feed the 
 kettles and keep up your fires — the sap having 
 been gathered and the wood cut ' before dark.' 
 During the day we would also lay in a good 
 stock of fat pine, by the light of which, blazing i 
 brightly in front of the sugar-house, in the posture 
 the serpent was condemned to assume as a pen- 
 alty for tempting our great first grandmother, I I 
 
 have passed many and many a delightful night 
 in reading. I remember in this wa\- to have 
 read a history of the French Revolution, and to 
 have obtained from it a better and more endur- 
 ing knowledge of its events and horrors, and of 
 the actors in that great national tragedy, than I 
 have received from all subsetpient readings. 1 
 remember also how ha])py I was in being able 
 to borrow the book of a Mr. Keyes, after a two 
 mile tramp through the snow, shoeless, my feet 
 swaddled in remnants of a rag-carpet. 
 
 •• Though but a boy. I was large, healthy, 
 strong, not laz\ , and, therefore, ambitious ' to 
 keep up my row ' in planting and hoeing ])ota- 
 toes and corn. The principal employment of 
 the farmers of Cincinnatus, fifty years ago, was 
 in clearing their land. Cattle, during the win- 
 ter, for the want of ■ fodder,' were turned out to 
 ' browse ' in the • slashings.' As the work of 
 clearing the land was too heavy for men single- 
 handed, chopping and logging ■ bees ' were re- 
 sorted to for aggregating labor. These seasons 
 of hard work were rendered exciting and festi\ e 
 by the indispensable gallon bottle of whisky. 
 There were ' bees ' also for log house raisings. 
 After the loggings, and as the spring opened, 
 came the burning of the log and brush-heaps, and 
 the gathering of the ashes. 
 
 '• But little wheat was grown there then, and 
 that little was harvested with the sickle, the 
 ground being too rough and stumpy for cra- 
 dling. 
 
 " Our first acquisition in the way of ■ live 
 stock ' was a rooster and four hens ; and I re- 
 member with what a gush of gladness I was 
 awakened at break of day the next morning by 
 the loud, defiant voice of chanticleer ; and when, 
 several days afterwards, I found a real hen's 
 nest in a brush-heap, with eggs in it, I cackled 
 almost as boisterousl}- as the feathered mother 
 whom 1 had surprised in the feat of parturition. 
 " The settlers employed in clearing and ' bet- 
 tering ' their land, raised just enough to live on 
 'from hand to mouth.' Their principal, and, 
 indeed, only reliance for the purchase of neces- 
 saries from ' the store,' was upon their ' black 
 salts.' For these the. merchants always juiiil 
 ' the highest price in cash or goods.' 
 
 '• I remember the stir which a ' new store,' es- 
 tablished in Lisle (some seven or eight miles 
 
354 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 down the river), by the Rathbiins, from Oxford, 
 created in our neighborhood. It was 'all the 
 talk ' for several weeks, and until a party of 
 house-wives, by clubbing with their products, 
 fitted out an expedition. Vehicles and horses 
 were scarce, but it was finally arranged, — A, 
 furnishing a wagon ; B, a horse ; C, a mare, and 
 D, a boy to drive. Si.\ matrons, with a com- 
 modity of black salts, tow cloth, flax, and maple 
 sugar, went their way rejoicing, and returned 
 triumphantly at sun-set with fragrant Bohea for 
 themselves, plug tobacco for their husbands, 
 flashy calico for the children, gay ribbons for the 
 girls, jack-knives for the boys, crockery for the 
 cupboard, and snuft" for ' grannie.' This expe- 
 dition was a theme for much gossip. The w'on- 
 ders of the ' new store ' were described to .staring 
 eyes and open mouths. The merchant and his 
 clerk were criticised in their de|)ortment, man- 
 ners and dress. The former wore shiny boots 
 with tassels; the latter, a ruffle shirt, — and both 
 smelt of pomatum I I do not believe that the 
 word ' dandy ' had then been invented, or it 
 would have certainly come in play on that occa- 
 sion. Thirty years afterwards I laughed over 
 all this with my old friend. General Ransom 
 Rathbun, the veritable proprietor of that ' new- 
 store.' 
 
 " The grinding of our neighborhood was done 
 at ■ Hunt's mill,' which on one occasion was 
 disabled by some defect in the flume or dam, 
 and then we were compelled to go with our 
 grists either to Homer or to ' Chenango Forks.' 
 
 " I recollect, on more than one occasion, to 
 have seen boys riding with a bushel of corn 
 (bare-back, with a tow halter) to the distillery, 
 and returning with the gallon bottle of whisky, 
 balanced by a stone in the other end of the bag. 
 
 " In the autumn following our removal to Cin- 
 cinnatus I had ' worked out ' and earned leather 
 (sole and upper) enough for a pair of shoes, 
 which were to be made !))• a son of Crispin 
 (Deacon Badger, if I remember rightly), who 
 live<l on the river a mile and a half away. The 
 deacon, I doubt not, has gone to his rest, and I 
 forgive him the fibs he told, and the dozen jour- 
 neys I made barefooted over the frozen and 
 ' hubby ' road in December, before the shoes 
 were done. 
 
 " I attended one regimental re\iew, or ' gen- 
 
 eral training,' as it was called. It was an emi- 
 nently primitive one. Among the officers were 
 two chapeaux, to which Captain Carley, one of 
 the two, added a sword and sash ; four feathers 
 standing erect upon felt hats ; fifteen or twenty 
 muskets ; half a dozen rifles ; two horse drums, 
 and as many ' s])irit-stirring fifes.' Of rank and 
 file, there were about two hundred and fifty. In 
 the way of refreshments, there were gingerbread, 
 blackberry pies, and whisky. But there was 
 neither 'sweat-leather,' 'little jokers,' or other 
 institutions of that character, upon the ground. 
 Having, before leaving Catskill, seen with my 
 own eyes a live governor (Morgan Lewis) review 
 a whole brigade, I regarded that training as a 
 decided failure. 
 
 '•There were no events at all startling during 
 my residence at Cincinnatus, — no murders, no 
 suicides, no drownings, no robberies, no elope- 
 ments, no ' babes lost in the wootls,' occurred to 
 astonish the natives. .\ recruiting sergeant came 
 along (it was in embargo times), and three or 
 four idle fellows (Herrings and Wilders by name, 
 I think), ' 'listed ' and marched oft'. 
 
 " There were neither churches nor ' stated 
 preaching ' in town. .A Methodist minister came 
 occasionally and held meetings in private houses, 
 or at the school-house. In the winter there was 
 a school on the river, and the master, who 
 ' boarded round,' must have • had a good time of 
 it ' on johnny-cake for breakfast, lean salt pork 
 for dinner, and samp and milk for supper. 
 
 " There were but few amusements in those 
 davs, and but little of leisure or disposition to 
 indulge in iliem. Those that I remember as 
 most pleasant and exciting were ' huskings ' and 
 'coon-hunts.' There was fun, too. in smoking 
 
 • woodchncks ' out of their holes. 
 
 ■•Dining my residence there, .Mr. \\'attle> 
 moved into tiie neighborhood. He came, I 
 think, t'rom what was then called ' the Triangle,' 
 somewhere in Ciienango county, and was a sub- 
 land agent. 'They were, for that region, rather 
 
 • stylish ' people, and became obnoxious to some, 
 and caused a good deal of remark. One thing 
 that excited esjiecial indignation was, that per- 
 sons going to the house were asked to clean 
 their shoes at the door, a .scraper having been 
 placed there for that purpose. .A maiden lady 
 (Miss 'Theodosia Wattles) rendered herself es- 
 
Town of :\Iarathox. 
 
 355 
 
 pecially obnoxious to the spinster neigitbors by 
 • dressing up ' week-day afternoons. They all 
 agreed in saying she was a • proud, stuck up 
 thing.' In those days, ' go-to-meeting clothes ' 
 were reserved for Sundays. 
 
 " Leeks were the bane of my life in Cincin- 
 natus. They tainted everything, but especially ^ 
 the milk and butter. Such was my aversion to j 
 ■ leeky milk.' that to this day I cannot endure 
 milk in any form. 
 
 " In the fall and winter corn-shelling furnished 
 evening occupation. The ears were shelled 
 either with a cob. or the handle of a frying-pan. 
 There have been improvements since in that as 
 in other departments of agriculture. 
 
 " Such are, in a crude form, some of my recol- 
 lections of life in Cincinnatus half a century ago. 
 That town, then very large, has since been sub- 
 divided into three or four towns. Upon the 
 farm of my old friends, the Carleys. the large 
 and flourishing village of Marathon has grown 
 up. .-^nd then, too, a substantial bridge has 
 taken the place of the ■ dug out ' in which we 
 used to cross the river. Of the sprinkling of 
 inhabitants who had then just commenced sub- 
 duing the forests and insinuating scanty deposits 
 of seed between the stumps and roots, but few, 
 of course, survive. The settlers were industri- 
 ous, honest, law-abiding, and. with few excep- 
 tions, temperate citizens. The friendly neigh- 
 borhood relations, so necessary in a new country, 
 existed there. .Ml tried not only to take care of 
 themselves, but to help their neighbors. Farm- 
 ing implements and household articles were 
 pretty much enjoyed in common. Everybody 
 ' lent ' what they possessed, and • borrowed ' 
 whatever they wanted. 
 
 " You must judge whether these hastily writ- 
 ten recollections of Cincinnatus would at all 
 interest the few old inhabitants remaining there : 
 and having so judged, you are at liberty to ]3Ut ■ 
 them into your book, or into the fire. i 
 
 ■• Verv truly yours, i 
 
 ■' Thurlow Weed.'' 
 J. Zechariah Squires, whose wife was 
 Abram Brink's sister, came to the town 
 from Binghamtoii in 1801, bringing his 
 family in a canoe. He helped Mr. Brink 
 build a log house near where William i 
 
 Squires, his son, now lives. They lived in 
 Mr. Brink's house a year or two and then 
 located on the west side of the river, about 
 a quarter of a mile south of Main street; 
 there they remained for a time and then 
 removed to a f;irm in Lapeer. 
 
 Settlements in tlie Texas Valley were 
 made very earl>'. It was the central point 
 of the old town of Cincinnatus, when it 
 comprised Willet. Freetown and Marathon, 
 and about the time of the organization of 
 Cincinnatus, in 1804, several families came 
 in and settled at or near that point. The 
 location was on the old State road and it 
 was believed in view of this fact and its cen- 
 tral situation, that a thriving village would 
 grow up. These hopes were not realized, 
 however. The Tioughnioga and the Otselic 
 valleys were more rapidly settled for farm- 
 ing purposes and mechanics and tradesmen 
 also located there more rapidly than at 
 other points in the town, or at " The Cen- 
 ter," as it was then called. 
 
 Thomas French, a man advanced in years 
 and with a large family, moved to the 
 " Center " soon after the organization of 
 the town, built a small framed house and 
 kept the first tavern in the place for a 
 number of years. His son, Calvin, suc- 
 ceeded him in the homestead, where he died 
 some years ago at the age of eighty-five 
 years. A few years later a man named 
 Hammond removed to the Center, bringing 
 a large family ; he located about eighty 
 rods west of Mr. I-'rench, where he kept an 
 inn for a time. He was also engaged in 
 tanning and boot and shoemaking. His 
 grandson is now carrying on blacksmithing 
 at Texas Valley. 
 
 Dr. Mordecai Lowe located at the Center 
 about the year 18 12 and was engaged in 
 the practice of his profession for several 
 years. He was the only resident phj'sician 
 in that region for fifteen or twenty years. 
 He is remembered as a man of fair educa- 
 
356 
 
 llisi'oRV ov Cortland Countv. 
 
 tion, bright intellect ami successful in his 
 practice; but his remuneration for liis labors 
 was meager. He died of consumption 
 about fifty years ago. His son married a 
 daughter of Captain Mallery and removed 
 to a western State, where his wife tlied, 
 leaving a daughter who now lives with her 
 aunt, Mrs. Nathan Smith, in Cortland vil- 
 lage. Dr. Lowe's daughter married Will- 
 iam Hinman, of Merrill Creek, town of 
 Marathon. 
 
 An elderly man named Barton, with sev- 
 eral grown sons, were pioneers in Texas 
 Valley. The family were better educated 
 and possessed ability above the average of 
 pioneers, who had few opportunities for 
 improving their education and mental train- 
 ing. Moses Barton was justice of the peace 
 for some years and at one time one of the 
 county judges. He emigrated to Michigan 
 some forty years ago. William Barton, jr., 
 held the office of justice of the peace some 
 years and was elected Member of Assembly 
 in 1824. Henry D. Barton, the youngest 
 of the brothers, studied law and settled in 
 a village on Seneca lake, where he became 
 somewhat distinguished as a Democratic 
 politician. 
 
 Samuel Edwards was, with his sons, 
 early settlers at the Center. The Leach 
 famih', also, came there at an early day. 
 Their names were Thomas, Alexander, 
 Jonathan and Timoth}-, all large, powerful 
 men, who did much to clear up the wilder- 
 ness. 
 
 The Meachams, including five brothers, 
 settled early in the eastern part of the town. 
 Their names were Simon, (jideon, Issacher, 
 Isaac and Jonah; the}' located near Merrill 
 creek. Jonah kept a tavern for a time, 
 where llnmer Wightman's cheese factory 
 is now located. 
 
 The Sherwood family, consisting of Dan- 
 iel, William L., Seth, Noah and Caleb (all 
 now dead), came in and settled on Merrill 
 
 creek a few years after the Meachams came. 
 Daniel Sherwf)od ser\'ed as justice of the 
 peace for several years, and was sent to the 
 Legislature in 1822, where he ser\'ed three 
 years. William L. Sherwood was also 
 elected justice of the peace. Se\'eral other 
 early settlers on Merrill creek might be 
 mentioned with commendation, such as 
 Capt. John Da\is and Roswell Hinman, 
 whose wives were sisters of the Sherwoods ; 
 also John and I'eter Fralick, all of whom 
 were useful and respected men. 
 
 The entire region between the Tiough- 
 nioga valley and Merrill creek was covered 
 with a dense forest, so thick as to be diffi- 
 cult of passage, and the narrow path con- 
 necting the two localities continued until a 
 comparati\el)' late date to be a rough, 
 muddy way that was not at all attractive to 
 travelers. 
 
 Along the northern border of the town 
 and on the State road, about half-way be- 
 tween the Center and the river, a few 
 families .settled as early as 1812-15. Of 
 these there were two brothers, Nathan and 
 Eleazer Taft, and an old gentleman named 
 Noah U^pham, whose lands are now owned 
 by his grandson, Duane Upham. Nathaniel 
 Bosworth located on the farm where Eleazer 
 Meacham and his sons now reside. He 
 was a man possessed of more than ordinar\- 
 abilit}', of fine personal appearance and ro- 
 bust constitution. He was commissioned as 
 captain of the first artillery company or- 
 ganized in this region of country. He 
 made several applications to the State for 
 a field-piece and finalK' succeeded in get- 
 ting a small brass thiee-pounder. The 
 captain then onlered the companj- to meet 
 at Killawog, whither he had removed, to 
 con\-e)' the gun to his former residence, 
 where it was ordered to be kept. The 
 ceremony of its reception and dedication to 
 the use of the company, an able speech b)- 
 the captain, the firing of the cannon and 
 
Town of Marathon. 
 
 357 
 
 the military parade, proved highly inter- 
 esting to the large gathering of people who 
 came from far and near to \\ itness the dis- 
 play. Many of them had heard of heavy 
 artillery, and of its use in hard-fought bat- 
 tles; but comparati\el_\- few had c\cr seen 
 a cannon, and imagined that the gun would 
 be as large as a man's body and taking a 
 ball as big as a man's liead. Several of the 
 citizens voluntered to escort the gun to its 
 destination and followed the company on 
 its march of six miles, witnessing the first 
 loading and firing at Marathon, where a 
 short halt was made. After arriving at 
 their destination and partaking of refresh- 
 ments, the militar)' drill was resumed and 
 general enjoyment reigned, when a casualty 
 occurred which precipitated the entire as- 
 semblage into the deepest gloom. In load- 
 ing the cannon a premature discharge oc- 
 curred, which horribl)- mutilated and fatal- 
 ly injured a man named \\'ebster, and the 
 clay ended in sorrow. Captain Bosworth 
 was afterward justice of the peace several 
 years. He was the father of Joseph S. 
 Bosworth, who was born in the town in 
 1808, practiced law in Binghamton and 
 subsequent!)' in New \'ork city, where he 
 became very successful and popular, and 
 was elected chief justice of the Superior 
 Court. 
 
 Barnabas Wood and wife, with a family 
 of four adult sons and one ilaughter, came 
 into the town in 1805 and settled at first 
 on the " salt road " east of the village ; af- 
 terward the family, with the exception of 
 Erastus, located at the ri\-er on a farm north 
 of the village, where Martin Brooks now 
 lives. Two of the sons, Erastus and Parley 
 P., were noted for their legal pretensions 
 and their aversion to matrimon}-. Barna- 
 bas Wood, jr., was one of the first consta- 
 bles elected in the town. He also, like his 
 brothers referred to, continued in celibacy 
 till considerablv advanced in \-ears, when he 
 
 married a daughter of Judge Lewis. Au- 
 gustus, the youngest son, was a person of 
 strange and eccentric habits. He claimed 
 to hold frequent personal communications 
 with denizens of the other world, and his 
 mind was occupied with such delusions to 
 the almost entire neglect of his personal 
 appearance, dress or cleanliness ; he refused 
 to have his beard shaved off, a habit which 
 gave considerable offense in those days, or 
 to change his clothing as civilized people 
 deem necessar\-. The family, believing he 
 was insane, finally sought the assistance of 
 neighbors to compel him to conform to 
 habits of common decenc}-. Accordingly, 
 several young men of the vicinity volun- 
 teered to give the eccentric man a general 
 ablution as often as once in two weeks. 
 Wood did not take kindly to this kind of 
 treatment, and at length decided to submit 
 to it no longer. P'or purposes of personal 
 defense he took a common case knife, 
 ground it sharp on both edges and to a 
 point and skillfully fitted it in a handle, 
 making a very dangerous dirk. As the 
 time approached for another bath, Wood 
 watched for his enemies anil when he saw 
 their approach, retreated to the attic of the 
 house where he took refuge behind the 
 chimney, the top of which protruded but a 
 little above the roof Reaching up he se- 
 cured a number of bricks from the chimney 
 top to aid in his defense. The assaulting 
 party arrived at the house and ordered him 
 to come down, and when he positively de- 
 clined, they advanced to capture him ; but 
 he used the bricks with such effect that the 
 party was forced to retreat. A ladder was 
 then put up against the house and the lead- 
 er of the party had nearly reached a point 
 of \'antage, when he was hit by a brick 
 which would have knocked him to the 
 ground, had he not been caught by one of 
 his comrades. A general and precipitate 
 assault was then made and W^ood was cap- 
 
358 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 tured, but not without his using his dan- 
 gerous blade with smnc unfortunate conse- 
 quences. Tlic late Alanson Carley was one 
 of the part}' and received a wound on his 
 check which left a scar that remained 
 tlirough his life. Wood was plunged into 
 the river and given repeated washings that 
 partially overcame his peculiarity. He was 
 soon after taken charge of by the overseers 
 of the poor as a pauper, and after the divis- 
 ion of the town, each of the four towns con- 
 tributed equally to his support. The board 
 and care of the pauper was let to the low- 
 est bidder and annually caused a good deal 
 of local excitement. This method of pro- 
 viding for the poor was continued for some 
 years, until the more humane plan now in 
 vogue was adopted. 
 
 It is manifestly impossible to follow all 
 of the early settlements in detail in all parts 
 of the town ; but we have noted most of 
 the important ones, who were most instru- 
 mental in clearing it of the primeval forest 
 and laying the foundation of the present 
 prosperity and wealth of the communit}-. 
 The stage line from Syracuse to Bingham- 
 ton ran through the valley, following the 
 course of the river, and gave the inhabitants 
 of early years their chief coinmunication 
 with the outer world ; but the rapid growth 
 of the village was much retarded from want 
 of railroad communication, until the con- 
 struction of the Syracuse and Binghamton 
 road, as heretofore described. Upon the 
 consummation of this undertaking it soon 
 became apparent that the town of Mara- 
 thon, and especially the village, was to be 
 one of the localities which would be partic- 
 ularly benefited therefrom. The dairying 
 interest, which had already gained some 
 prominence, increased rapidh- ; manufact- 
 uring interests received an impetus and 
 population v\'as invited to the locality. 
 
 The first town meeting in the old town 
 of Harrison was held at Marathon, March 
 
 2d, 1 8 19. Beginning with that date, the 
 following is a list of the supervisors and 
 town clerks of the town, the supervisor's 
 name being given first in each year: — Dan- 
 iel Steward, I.ulher Keyes, 1820-21 ; Chas. 
 Gerard, John C. Schoonmaker, 1822 ; John 
 Davis, Luther Keyes, 1823; John Schoon- 
 maker, Cephas Comstock, 1824-25 ; Cephas 
 Comstock, Daniel Sherwood, 1826; Cephas 
 Comstock, James B. Church, 1827; Alan- 
 son Carle)-, W'm. Squires, 1828; Alanson 
 Carley, Wm. Barnes, 1829 to 1831, inclu- 
 sive, at which time the name of the town 
 was changed ; Cephas Comstock, Caleb 
 Davis, 1832; Cephas Comstock, Wm. 
 Barnes, 1833; James B. Church, George 
 Peck, 1834; Alanson Carle\-, Wm. Barnes, 
 1835-36; Cephas Comstock, Wm. Barnes, 
 183710 1839, inclusive; Alanson Carley, 
 Wni. Richardson, 1840; James F. Jones, 
 Wm. Richardson, 1841; Wm. Richardson, 
 James Comstock, 1842; Patrick Mallery, 
 Wm. h. Smith, 1843 ; James Comstock, 
 Anson Peck, 1844; James Comstock, Wm. 
 Barnes, 1845; Edward Moore, Wm. Barnes, 
 1846; James Comstock, E. C. Carley, 1847; 
 E. C. Carley, S. Anson Peck, 1848; E. C. 
 Carley, Wm. Barnes, 1 849 ; Ezra W. Strat- 
 ton. Nelson C. Roe, 1850; Geo. W. Crock- 
 er, Cyrus W. Newell, 1851 ; John Van Ars- 
 doU, Israel W. Taft, 1852; Lucien E. 
 Crane, Israel W. Taft, 1853-54; Israel 
 W, Taft, Eli B. Husted, 1855; Lucien B. 
 Crane, Eli B. Husted, 1856; Ira Lynde, L>- 
 nian Adams, 1857; Alanson Carle}-, Lj-man 
 Adams, 1858; James Comstock, Anson 
 Peck, 1859; Anson Peck, Lewis A. Hazen, 
 i860; Cephas Comstock, Wm. Esmay, 
 1861; Cephas Comstock, James A. Coffin, 
 1862-63 ; Patrick Mallery, Wm. W. Powers, 
 1864-65; Wm. Squires, Wm. W. Powers, 
 1866; Patrick Mallery, John Q. Adams, 
 1867; Patrick Mallery, Frank I. Maybury, 
 1868 to 1870, inclusive; E. C. Carley, 
 Theo. L. Corwin, 1871 ; Wm. A. Bentley, 
 
Town of Marathon. 
 
 559 
 
 Randolph R. Maybury, 1872-73 ; Patrick 
 Mallery, R. R. Maybun-, 1874; \Vm. A. 
 Bentley, R. R. Ma\bury, 1875 ; E. C. Car- 
 ley, Jerome Pollartl, 1S76; Geo. P. Squires, 
 M. B. Aldrich, 1877; Patrick Mallery, \V. 
 B. Aldrich, 1878; Geo. A. Hulbert, Carley 
 Adams, 1879; Albi-rtus A. Carley, Hosca 
 B. Aldrich, 1880; Lncien E. Crane, A. 
 Carle\- Adams, 1881 ; E. C. Carley, Jerome 
 Pollard, 1882; E. C. Carley, Jerome Pol- 
 ard, 1883. 
 
 Town officers for I 884 : — 
 
 E. Clark Carley, supervisor. 
 
 Thomas W. Reilley, town clerk. 
 
 John A. McVean, David Wallace, Geo. 
 A. Hulbert, Moses R. Aldrich. justices of 
 the peace. 
 
 Geo. H. Chaplin, highwa\' commissioner. 
 
 Homer Wightman, E. W. Meacham, 
 John L. Smith, assessors. 
 
 Joseph A. Cole, collector. 
 
 William Esma\', John W. Livingston, 
 Frederick Tarble, inspectors of election. 
 
 C)Tus B. Northrup, Deloss C. Hammond, 
 overseers of the poor. 
 
 Joseph A. Cole, W'ni. Da\idson, Samuel 
 A. Heaney, constables. 
 
 This town came forward at the breaking 
 out of the war of the rebellion and gave 
 freeh' of her resources and men in defense 
 of the Union. Following is a list of all 
 recruits from the town to whom bounties 
 were paid, besides whom man\- enlisted 
 whose names are not now available, while 
 many sleep the last sleep on unmarked 
 battle-fields or in the quiet cemetery: — 
 
 Call of October 17th, 18C3, February 
 and March, 1864. Bounty, $300. Total, 
 $7,200. — Benjamin F. Whitford, Jerry Grif- 
 fen, Abel N. Barlow, Charles T. Shaft, Al- 
 bert F. Smith, Oliver C. Hosier, Edward 
 Burgess, Simon Rockfeller, William Boice, 
 Eugene Wilcox, William F. Gilman, Geo. 
 H. Ralph, Edgar C. Carley, John W. 
 Waterman, Garry Shaple)', George Jackson, 
 
 George Prentis, William P. Smith, Oren 
 Withey, Alexander Thompson, George B. 
 Smith, David G. Conger, Edward James, 
 Elson F. Quinn. 
 
 Call of July i8th, 1864. Bounty, $ I, ooo. 
 Brokerage, $775. Total, $3 i ,000. — Clement 
 Arnold, Henry S. Bacon, Edward A. Bar- 
 low, Charles A. Bunnell, Ransom Coon- 
 radt, James M. Coonradt, John L. Chase, 
 Hiram Clark, Abram Clark, James Davern, 
 John Dykeman,Abel Foster, Jerry S. Gross, 
 Twing R. Hett, Lenden P. Hillsinger, Al- 
 bertus C. Hillsinger, Nathan James, Na- 
 thaniel Knapp, George W. Miller, Webster 
 Pierce, Charles A. Potts, Oren C. Reed, 
 George Sherwood, Albert J. Spencer, Wm. 
 Sullivan, Lorenzo Thomas, Francis F. 
 Tompkins, Arthur Terpining, Roscoe Valen- 
 tine, Stephen M. Wood, Eliakim S. Weld. 
 
 Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
 calls of October 17th, 1863, February and 
 March, $7,200. Paid for filling quota, call 
 of July i8th, 1864, $31,775. Grand total, 
 $38,975. 
 
 MARATHON VILLAGE. 
 
 But a few years prior to the opening of 
 the Chenango canal in 1837, what is now 
 the thriving village of Marathon hardly 
 deserved the name of village; it was in 
 reality a mere hamlet of small dwelling 
 houses, destitute of commercial interests ; 
 there was not a physician, attorney, minister 
 or priest residing here; there was no store 
 in the place and very few sho])s, while an 
 occasional tailor or shoemaker came into 
 the place for a brief visit, to mend or make 
 the clothing and shoes of the people. The 
 houses were mostly quite small, generallj- 
 of one story or at the most a story and a 
 half in height and very few if an\- were 
 painted previous to 1820. 
 
 About the year 1840 the village began 
 to assume a considerable degree of activity 
 and growth ; but the process was slow and 
 
36o 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 it was not until coniparati\'ely late years 
 that it has become a stirring business cen- 
 ter for the inhabitants of a large section of 
 surrounding country. At about the time 
 of the establishment of the first store in 
 the village there were not more than a 
 dozen houses here. The east side of the 
 riv^cr, from its favorable location in respect 
 to public travel, offered better inducements 
 for growth and improvement, than the op- 
 posite side. The stage road from Cort- 
 land to Binghamton.the principal thorough- 
 fare through the valley, ran along that side 
 of tlie stream and there was also located 
 the only tavern and the post-office, all con- 
 tributing to the advantages of that section 
 of the place. The western side of the 
 ri\'er at this point did not, previous to 1850, 
 present man)- indications of an earh" ex- 
 tension of the village in that direction. 
 There were a few respectable dwellings 
 there, occupied mosth- b}- farmers; but 
 with tile exception of a grist-mill, saw- 
 mill, fulling-mill and carding- machine, a 
 cabinet shop and blacksmith shop, there 
 was little of a business aspect in that 
 localit)'. When, however, the building of 
 the railroad and its location on that side of 
 the river were assured, business men and 
 mechanics were attracted thither and an 
 impetus was given to the growth of that 
 portion of the village which is still felt. 
 The building of this railroad (finished in 
 1854), while it practically killed many of 
 the smaller stations along the line, was the 
 real basis of the growth and prosperity of 
 Marathon \-ilIage, giving it connection with 
 the New York, Lake Erie and Western on 
 the south and with the New York Central 
 on the north. 
 
 Mr. Brink, whose settlement has already 
 been alluded to, as the first tavern-keeper 
 in Marathon, was also the first to erect a 
 structure suitable • for the purposes of a 
 store and lease it to whoever might be dis- 
 
 posed to make the first mercantile venture. 
 The building stood a few rods north of 
 where the bank building is now located, 
 and was rented to William Snyder; he could 
 not have been very heavily supplied with 
 capital, as he returned from a trip to New 
 York for the purchase of goods without 
 having bought any, giving as a reason that 
 there were no fresh goods in that city at 
 the time. He later became, however, able 
 to purchase in very large quantities. 
 
 Luther Keyes rented this store after 
 Snyder left it and put in a small stock of 
 goods, including what \xas then thought to 
 be a necessary article in all similar establish- 
 ments — whisk}'. He there sold this bev- 
 erage freely and, as justice of the peace, 
 administered the law, probably to some 
 of his own customers, in the same store. 
 He made a failure of his enterprise and 
 was sold out to satisfy the claims of his 
 creditors. His successor in the store was 
 David Manrose, who was cquall)- unsuc- 
 cessful. James Burgess was also engaged 
 in trade in the same building for a few 
 years. 
 
 The late John M. Roe, formerl)' .1 mer- 
 chant at Freetown Corners, traded in this 
 store for a time, while awaiting the building 
 of a larger structure for the reception of 
 his goods in 1837, on the site of the Hazen 
 Block. Mr. Roe continued in trade there 
 for a number of years, a portion of the 
 time with William Richardson and subse- 
 quenth" with IraLynde. The latter finally 
 bought out the establishment and continued 
 the business for a time, selling out to L. A. 
 Hazen, and the building to Henry Carter. 
 While Mr. Hazen occupied the store the 
 building was burned, but the insurance on 
 the structure and goods was nearl\- or quite 
 sufficient to cover the loss. 
 
 Messrs. Carley & Brink built the store 
 now occupied by J. & G. A. Hulbert. Mr. 
 Carley and Anson Peck were the first pro- 
 
Town of Marathon. 
 
 361 
 
 prietors to engage in trade there and Mr. 
 Carley subsequently purcliascd Peck's in- 
 terest and continued the mercantile business 
 successfully for several years. 
 
 The old store on the opposite side of the 
 street was also prosperous under the man- 
 agement of George Peck and his brother- 
 in-law, A. Hibbard, and afterward under 
 the management of Peck & Dickson. Some 
 years later the building was occupied for 
 the manufacture and sale of hats, during 
 which time it was destroyed by fire. 
 
 In the \-car 1853 P2. C. Carle)- erected 
 the first store on West Main street, where 
 Daniel E. Whitmore now is. Mr. Carley 
 did business there for about two years, and 
 was succeeded b\- A. A. Carley and C. C. 
 Adams, and afterward by C. C. Carley and 
 Adams & Birch, in 1868. Mr. Whitmore 
 has occupied the store eight or ten years. 
 D. D. Hunt built the store just west of the 
 bridge and C. C. Adams went into business 
 at that location, where lie has since re- 
 mained. 
 
 D. D. Hunt began business in a general 
 way in 1855. In 1869 he built the Man- 
 sard Block, to which he removed from the 
 building now owned b\- G. W. Webster, 
 l^'rom about the time of his removal until 
 1875 he was in partnership with Oscar 
 Wilde; he was then alone until Ma\-, 1882, 
 when his son-in-law, C. M. Chapman, came 
 into the firm under the style of Hunt & 
 Chapman, and the\- carr)- a large stock of 
 hardware, groceries and drugs, and enjoy a 
 liberal patronage. 
 
 Mack & Husted ha\e been in iKU'tnership 
 for a number years, in the hardware trade, 
 and are among the prominent business men 
 of the village. 
 
 The Peck block was erected in 1854. 
 I.\niaii Adams began in the dry goods 
 trade in 1853. In 1865 he formed a part- 
 nership with James H. Tripp and for seven- 
 teen \-ears thereafter the\- carried on a suc- 
 
 cessful trade, the firm name becoming a 
 household word throughout a wide extent 
 of territory. I-'or some years the\' have 
 done a collection business and in 1883 es- 
 tablished the private banking house, which 
 is soon to be succeeded by a National Bank. 
 W. C. Sanders succeeded Tripp & Adams 
 in mercantile business in March, 1883. 
 
 L. C. Ball came to Marathon from Har- 
 ford in I 874 with a business experience of 
 about ten years. He became a member of 
 the dry goods firm of Pollard & Ball. 
 After three _\ears the firm was dissolved and 
 Mr. Ball has since continued the business 
 alone. 
 
 L. F. Ward has recently established him- 
 self with a stock of clothing and furnishing 
 goods. 
 
 The boot and shoe trade of Marathon 
 was begun by E. B. Husted in 1855. 
 Since that time A. G. Smith and Water- 
 bury & Talmadge have engaged in the bus- 
 iness. E. A. Hazen began business in 
 1858 and now carries a stock of boots and 
 shoes, clothing, etc. The old building on 
 this site was burned in the fall of 1861, and 
 in 1862 E. E. Hazen built the new block 
 which now bears his name, E. A. & E. E. 
 Hazen were associated in business for sev- 
 eral years. 
 
 The grocery trade in Marathon, as a 
 separate line, was begun in 1855 by Geo. 
 E. Swift, who still continues the business in 
 a small wa}-. David M. Hunt began the 
 trade at about the same time and has for 
 many years past dealt in groceries and 
 drugs. The firms of Corwin & Son, Hunt 
 & Chapman and Tiftan}- & Pulford are all 
 enterprising dealers in groceries and are well 
 patronized by the public. 
 
 William Dellow began the manufacture 
 and sale of furniture in Willet soon after 
 1850, and removed to Marathon in the 
 spring of 1875, where he has carried on 
 the same business since. Da\'is & Bov- 
 
362 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 den began in tlie same line in the spring 
 of 1884. 
 
 It was about tlic year 1801 before aii}- 
 thing was done in iMarathon to provide 
 milling facilities for the inhabitants. John 
 Hunt erected the first grist-mill on the east 
 side of the river about twent)- rods north 
 from the present ri\er briilge. Some \-ears 
 afterward John and William Smith built a 
 grist-mill on the west bank of the river, 
 where L. A. Burgess & Son's saw-mill now 
 stands. The first saw-mill was built by 
 John Chamberlain in 1808, to which we 
 have already alluded. Benjamin Adams 
 rebuilt the grist-mill in the present more 
 con\enient location, and after running it for 
 a while sold to A. Carley, the present 
 owner, who has had it repaired and reno- 
 x'ated throughout and all modern improx'e- 
 ments added; the mill has a capacit)- of 
 500 bushels in t\\ent\^- four hours. A. Car- 
 ley & Son deal large!)' in flour, feed, etc., 
 snppl\-ing the retail trade in surrounding 
 towns. 
 
 James Li\'ingston built a saw- mill in the 
 fall of 1859, just abo\e the \-ilIage on Hunt 
 creek. It was burned in 1866, but imme-. 
 diateh- rebuilt. It is now owned by Wil- 
 liam Dellow & Son. The Livingston 
 brothers built a steam saw-mill in 1870, 
 which was removed to State Bridge, and 
 burned in 1877. Tlie Burgess circular 
 saw-mill, built about the \ear i860, was 
 run twelve or fifteen years and it, too, 
 burned. 
 
 James Livingston, one of the earl)- black- 
 smiths of Marathon, was born in Schoharie 
 county in 18 16, and, after two or three re- 
 movals, came to this village in 1837 and 
 began working at his trade, which he has 
 ever since continued. His old shop was 
 built in 1865, and the new one — the Liv- 
 ingston Machine Shop and Bending Works 
 — in 1878. The son, James Livingston, 
 jr., put in machiner)' for bridge building, 
 
 and the establishment is now vevy prosper- 
 ous and an important factor in the manu- 
 facturing interests of the village. 
 
 O. il. Smith began blacksmithing in tlie 
 \illage thirt)--one )ears ago, and erected 
 his present shop in 1867. His old sliop 
 was sold to I{. D. Baker in 1865, who has 
 made additions thereto and is engaged in 
 carriage-making. Jerome Vunk began 
 blacksmithing and carriage building in 
 1 88 1. 
 
 The dair)ing interest of Cortland county 
 has developed a large demand for first class 
 butter packages. To meet a portion of this 
 demand has been the business of S. M. 
 Wood for more than twenty years past. 
 He began the cooperage business in 1 86 1. 
 
 He bought the factory opposite the depot 
 in 1874, and, after carr)-ing on a large bus- 
 iness at that location for seven years, pur- 
 chased his present lot, erected his buildings, 
 and is extensively engaged in the manu- 
 facture of firkins, tubs, barrels, etc. 
 
 The Stockwell Wagon Company is one 
 of the largest manufacturing enterprises in 
 Marathon, employs thirty hands constantly 
 and turns out about 300 wagons annually. 
 W. E. Stockwell, a man of large experience 
 in this business, is general manager of the 
 works. The compan)- was incorporated 
 in May, 1882, the first officers beings G. P. 
 Squires, president ; D. E. Whitmore, vice- 
 president; Wm. A. Stockwell, secretary; 
 Lyman Adams, treasurer; W. E. Stock- 
 well, superintendent. 
 
 Directors; G. P. Squires, D. E. Whit- 
 more, Wm. A. Stockwell, L. Adams, F. 
 H. Sweet, D. B. Tripp, C. H. Bouton. 
 
 The building was begun in June, 1882, 
 and finished in October following. During 
 the fall of 1 883 the company exhibited 
 samples of their wagons at the various 
 county fairs in Central New York and car- 
 ried off, in e\er\- instance, the first pre- 
 miums. The most careful attention is paid 
 
Town of Marathon. 
 
 363 
 
 to the production of the best wheels it is 
 possible to make, while in the ironing the\' 
 use the best refined iron, Norwa}- iron bolts, 
 bolting on more of the iron than is gener- 
 ally done. The result is a wagon that it is 
 very difficult to excel. The present officers 
 of the company are : Geo. L. Swift, presi- 
 dent; D. E.W'hitmore, vice-president; Wm. 
 A. Stockwell, secretary; L\-man Adanis, 
 treasurer; W. E. Stockwell, superintendent. 
 
 Directors: Geo. L. Swift, W. A. Stock- 
 well, J. H. Tripp, D. E. Whitmore, L\nian 
 Adams, G. E. Tarbell, Clark Pierce. 
 
 Horace Dickinson built a tannery in Mar- 
 athon at a comparativel}' early date, and 
 was also engaged for some time in the boot 
 and shoe business. He sold his tanner}- to 
 Mr. D. Shattuck and some time later built 
 a new one. About the )-ear i860 another 
 large tannery was erected b)' the firm of 
 Phillips & Bentley, which gives emplo\-ment 
 to about fifteen men and furnishes a mar- 
 ket annually for several hundred cords of 
 bark. John Dumphy built the largest tan- 
 ner}- in this vicinit}' in 1877 and now em- 
 ploys from 60 to 100 men and turns out 
 about 600 sides of leather a da}'. This is 
 one of the most valuable additions to the 
 material interests of the village. 
 
 The old cooperage of S. M. Wood & Co. 
 passed through the hands of !■;. W. Hayes 
 into those of C. M. Chapman, who put in 
 extensive machiner}- for the manufacture 
 of wheel-barrows, toy wagons, sleds, etc. 
 From seven to nine men are employed. 
 
 Tavern-keeping in the old building al- 
 read}' described was relinquished about the 
 year 1833. This business in the days of 
 stage coaches and travel with private con- 
 veyances was far more prosperous and im- 
 portant in small villages and along the main 
 thoroughfares at the period mentioned and 
 down to the time of railroad construction, 
 than it is at the present time. A mail stage 
 then ran from Bint/hamton to Cortland each 
 
 way on alternate days, connecting with sim- 
 ilar lines to S}'racuse, and the business of 
 countr\- hotel-keeping was one of profit. 
 
 In 1833 David Peck purchased a small 
 house, put up an addition to it and fitted it 
 up for a tavern. This was the beginning 
 of the present Marathon House, which has 
 passed through numerous hands, being 
 usually enlarged or impro\'ed by each new- 
 comer, until it reached its present commo- 
 dious and comfortable dimensions and char- 
 acter. C. J. & A. Tarble succeeded Mel- 
 \in W. Conger as proprietors of the house 
 on the 1st of February, 1884. 
 
 The hotel known as the Carle}- House 
 was erected in 1854 b}- A. Carle}'. The first 
 structure, before it was entirely inclosed, 
 was blown down by a severe gale of wind. 
 It was at once rebuilt and has been under 
 the management of Moses Rogers for seven- 
 teen years past. It bears the reputation of 
 being a thoroughly first-class countr}- hotel. 
 
 Brown's Hotel was originall}' built for a 
 cigar manufactor}-. It was burned down in 
 1877 and immediately rebuilt. 
 
 Law}-ers. — Ira L. Little, the oldest at- 
 tornev' in Marathon, was admitted to the 
 bar in 1855 and soon after removed to tiie 
 \-illage, where he has since practiced his 
 profession with a good degree of success. 
 He was born in \\'alkill. Orange Co., N. Y., 
 July 26th, 1830. He was educated in Har- 
 ford, studied law with Benjamin S. Bent- 
 ley, in Montrose, Pa., and was admitted in 
 that State in 1852. Besides his legal abil- 
 ity, Mr. Little has won considerable literary 
 distinction. 
 
 H. L. Green practiced law for a short 
 time in Marathon, in 1852 or 1853. He 
 now resides in Salamanca, 
 
 A. G. Stillson came next in 1854, but 
 during the fall of the same }-ear accident- 
 ally shot himself 
 
 Garret Z. House began practice here in 
 the summer of 185S but remained only a 
 
364 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 short time, going to Drydcii, Tompkins 
 county. 
 
 In the spring of 1863 K. A. Barlow came 
 to the village for the practice of law ; but in 
 1865 he enlisted in the 185th regiment and 
 after the war located in South Carolina. 
 
 B. T. Wright came iiere in 1866 and re- 
 mained in successful practice eight or ten 
 jears, until elected district attorne\- of the 
 count}-, when he removed to Cortlantl \il- 
 lage. 
 
 \V. J. Mantan\-e began practice here in 
 1868; G. E. TarbcU in 1880 and W. C. 
 Crombie in 1883. 
 
 Phj'sicians. — Dr. Japheth Hunt was the 
 first plu'sician in the \illage. His death 
 occurred in 1808, at the age of 97 }-ears. 
 His son, Dr. S. M. Hunt, and his grandson, 
 Dr. Deloss Himt, ha\e already been alluded 
 to. 
 
 Dr. S. Smith was a native of this place ; 
 he was licensed to practice in 1848, but re- 
 tired in I 85 I and removed to Scott Center, 
 where he practiced dentistry. 
 
 Dr. A. D. Reed is a native of Delaware 
 count)'. He was educated at Roxbur\', 
 studied with Sherman Street and was li- 
 censed in 1848. He fir.st practiced in Cas- 
 tleton, Vt., then at Cincinnatus, and then 
 removed to ^larathmi, where he is still 
 located. 
 
 Dr. E. H. Barnes was admitted to the 
 Cortland Count)- Medical Society in 1840, 
 and has been an acti\e and useful member 
 of the society ever since. Drs. l'. P. How- 
 land, Lyman Tiftan)-, E. Winter and W. 
 H. Hill, and Dr. Apple)' are all engaged in 
 practice in Marathon. 
 
 The Press. — The first newspaper pub- 
 lished in the \'illage of Marathon was a 
 four-column, four-page paper, edited by 
 Geo. L. Swift. It was issued monthh', be- 
 gan in 1857 and was called the Marathon j 
 Telegraph. The editor stated in an early [ 
 number that " the Telegraph is capable of | 
 
 producing wonders ; " if he referred to his 
 little paper he failed in his reckoning, for it 
 attained neither a long life nor a very exalted 
 reputation. The next local journal was the 
 Tiottghniogan, which was edited and pub- 
 lished by E. S. Weld, the successful teacher, 
 whose work in the old building now used 
 as a Catholic Church led to the establish- 
 ment of the academ)'. The Tioughniogan 
 was soon merged in Tlie People's Journal, 
 a seven-column folio, established in 1861 
 b)' E. S. Weld and John R. Bedcn. Early 
 in the late war Air. Weld answered the call 
 of his country, in consequence of which the 
 newspaper enterprise was abandoned. The 
 Marathon Leader was established in 1865 
 by P. D. V'radenburg, who afterward sold 
 to his brother, C. A. Vradenburg. In 1869 
 C. Dwight Smith bought the old material 
 of this office and started the Marathon 
 A'czvs ; but he soon after left the place be- 
 tween two days. The Marathon Independ- 
 ent, a haniisome six-column folio, was start- 
 ed b)' Wallace Kelle)' in 1870, who success- 
 fully conducted it to the time of his death 
 in 1876. It then passed into the hands of 
 Brooks & Day, with Ed. L. Adams as ed- 
 itor. In 1878 Mr. Adams bought the in- 
 terest of Mr. Da)', and Brooks & Adams 
 conducted the establishment until 1880, 
 when Mr. Adams took the entire concern. 
 It is now an eight-page, fi\'e-column paper, 
 and one of the best countr)' journals in 
 Central New York. ^ 
 
 Schools. — The first school in Marathon 
 was taught by Miss Miriam Cowdry, a por- 
 tion of the time in a log barn, and subse- 
 quentl)' in a log school-house which stood 
 near where the new barn of Wm. Squires 
 is located. This school house was a very 
 primitixc and rude affair, the windows being 
 covered with oiled paper instead of glass ; 
 but as early as the close of the war of 181 2 
 the log houses in this and adjoining towns 
 
 ' See chapter on the press of the county, in lliis volume. 
 
Town of Marathon. 
 
 365 
 
 began to gradually give way to the first small 
 framed houses; school districts were organ- 
 ized and school-houses built and provisions 
 made for the support of the common schools. 
 Sonic of the older residents of Marathon 
 village will rememb<;r that a small framed 
 school- house was built some sixty years 
 ago or more, near the bank of the creek, as 
 it then ran, where Hazen's store now stands; 
 and that a hea\}- freshet so undermined the 
 north side of the building that the structure 
 assumed an angle of about twenty degrees. 
 The school was, howexer, continued several 
 days before the structure was repaired, dur- 
 ing which time one-half of the pupils must 
 have been compelled to look down some- 
 what nn the other half The main channel 
 of the creek passed from the saw-mill south- 
 westerly, crossing the road at the point 
 where the Marathon FTouse is now located. 
 An elevated bridge over the stream stood 
 between the hotel and the Hazen Block. 
 
 The first school-house of respectable pre- 
 . tensions was built by " Esquire " Burgess 
 about the year 18 18. He furnished the 
 lumber and all the materials and painted it 
 for the moderate sum of $100, receiving his 
 pay in rye and corn, which were, more often 
 than money, the medium of exchange at 
 that time. 
 
 The Marathon Academy was chartered 
 by the Regents of the University in Feb- 
 ruary, 1866. The building in the condi- 
 tion it then was had been occupied by a 
 high school kept by H S. Weld, w^ho owned 
 the building. Mr. Weld enlisted in the 1 85th 
 regiment in 1S64 to go to the defense of 
 the Union, and the building was sold to 
 the Catholic Society about the year 1872, 
 who ha\e since used it as a church. The 
 school was then given its present beautiful 
 location and surroundings. M. L. Hawle\-, 
 who subsequently edited the Biiigliamtou 
 Standard, was principal of the academy 
 durins; the first two \-ears of its existence. 
 
 The institution is now under the principal- 
 ship of Hamilton Terry, who is assisted b\' 
 Hortense Hodges, Eva D. Gardner and 
 Hattie Livingston. The present board of 
 education consists of D. E. Whitmore, pres- 
 ident; C. C. Carley, secretary; D. D. Hunt, 
 treasurer; W. A. Bentley, G. W. ]\Iiller, L. 
 A. Hazen, O. H. Smith, D. R. Hunt. 
 
 Churches. — Most of the early settlers in 
 this county were favorably disposed towards 
 religious instruction and cheerfully contrib- 
 uted of their means for the support of such 
 ministers of the gospel as could be procured 
 to preach occasionallj' in the settlement, 
 without regard to their creed. The Rev. 
 Seth Williston is remembered as a man of 
 excellent literary attainments and an efiect- 
 ive preacher. He married a widow lady 
 named Dudle)-, at Lisle, where he preached 
 a few years, removing thence to Durham. 
 Greene county, where he was pastor of a 
 church a number of years, and was much 
 esteemed for his usefulness and Christian 
 character. He was one of the first pastors 
 of the Union society in Marathon, which was 
 known at its organization as the Society of 
 Lisle, Cincinnatus and \'irgil, each town 
 contributing to the congregation. Its name 
 was subsequently confined to Cincinnatus ; 
 then to Harrison and finally to Marathon, 
 after the town took that name. It was re- 
 ceived under the care of the Presbytery of 
 Onondaga September 7th, 18 14, and upon 
 the division of that county was assigned to 
 the Presbytery of Cortland. In 1825 the 
 society reported twenty members. The 
 Revs. Matthew Harrison, James Blakeslee, 
 Peleg R. Kinne, Wm. J. Bradford, John A. 
 Avery and J. F. McLaury, were a few of 
 the pastors who have at different times sup- 
 plied this society. The church has never 
 been large and seems never to have been 
 blessed with any special and fruitful revival. 
 In 1832 it had seventy-two members; in 
 1840 it had sevent}'-five ; in 1846 it had 
 
366 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 sixty-twii and it now reports six t\- mcmbcTs. 
 The present elders of the churcli are Lewis 
 W. Uptegrove, Daniel Whitiiiore, Gabriel L. 
 Oakley, Jerome Hulbert, Burgess Squires, 
 Martin L. Brooks, Geo. W. Webster, Harris 
 Ilaniiiioiul and John Robertson. The 
 church edifice was built in 1831, by James 
 Burgess; it was finished in 1S32 and a few 
 years later a bell was hung in the steeple. 
 This was the first church building in the \il- 
 iatje. It is still in use, but has been much im- 
 proved from time to time since its erection. 
 The Kc\-. John Lawton was another pio- 
 neer preacher of the Baptist denomination, 
 whose voice was, like that of his prototype, 
 "heard in the wilderness." He was pastor 
 of a Baptist church organized at Upper 
 Lisle in 1804. Two brothers named Aschel 
 and Levi Holcomb were at dift'erent subse- 
 quent )'ears pastors of that church, and both 
 of them occasionally preached in Marathon 
 and adjoining towns. A few of the first 
 settlers were members of a Baptist church 
 before their arrival here ; they joined the 
 church at Upper Lisle, or " Otselic," as it 
 was then called. A Baptist church was 
 formed at Freetown Corners about the \^ear 
 1812, and some of those who had united 
 with the Upper Lisle church, withdrew and 
 joined the Freetown organization. The 
 pioneers of that day were, apparent!)-, more 
 zealous and punctual in attending religious 
 meetings than at the present time ; women 
 not rarel}- went on foot six or seven miles to 
 listen to the gospel. Elder Timotln- Shep- 
 herd, living near Upper Lisle, preached at 
 Freetown a few years, till that church was 
 divided and a portion of the members went 
 to assist in the formation of a socict\' at the 
 " Center " (now Texas Valle}'). Klder 
 Shepherd became the pastor of the new 
 church at the latter place and preached 
 there for a very meager salary, which was 
 paid in rye and corn at the regular barter 
 price. It is stated, but not verified by li\- 
 
 ing witnesses, that Elder Shepherd had his 
 grain deli\ered at a distillery owned b_\' one 
 of his flock and had whisky manufactured 
 from it; that he took the liquor home and 
 sold what he could spare after supplying his 
 own wants. While this ina)- not have been 
 the fact, it is quite sure that such a transac- 
 tion on the part of a minister of the gospel 
 would call forth vastly less censure in those 
 days than it would at tlie present time. 
 
 An incident related in the sketches pre- 
 pared by Dr. Hunt will not be out of place 
 here. An old man named Snyder, father 
 of a large and respectable family living on 
 the hill in the town of Virgil which bears 
 his name, usually came to Marathon annu- 
 alh- to cut and assist in making clothing 
 for the inhabitants. He was a natix'e of 
 Hesse Cassel and one of the 17,000 men 
 hired in German}' to come over and help 
 the British fail in whipping the Yankees. 
 Snyder was a pious man and a member of 
 the Baptist church. It was then the cus- 
 tom of the minister after the sermon was 
 concluded, to call on members of the church 
 to deliver exhortations or relate their relig- 
 ious experience. Mr. Snyder was always 
 prompt to discharge this duty. His re- 
 marks included not only a general confes- 
 sion of his moral short-comings, but a free 
 acknowledgment of his former hostile feel- 
 ings toward the American people, expressed 
 in broken English and almost without va- 
 riation in the following words: — 
 
 " Mine frients, I vas once der pitter en- 
 em\' of the 'Merican beeples, but der lort 
 has obcncd mine eyes to see I vas wrong. 
 1 vas told dat dej- vas all wicket rebels and 
 when I virst come to 'Merica, I would haf 
 kilt you all, if it had peen in my power ; 
 but I vas treated so kinth" when taken bris- 
 oner by Sheneral Washington, and found 
 he was one coot man, dot I deserted and 
 haf been a coot frient of de 'Mericans ever 
 since." 
 
Town of Marathon. 
 
 367 
 
 It was not until i860 that a Baptist or- 
 ganization was effected in Marathon village, 
 the believers of that dcnoniinatinn pre- 
 viously attending the church at either Free- 
 town or Lisle. The societ_\- formed in Mar- 
 athon numbered at the first twenty-five 
 members. It has now nearly one hundred 
 and is in a flourishing and healthful condi- 
 tion. The Rev. Adam H. Todd, the pres- 
 ent pastor, took charge of the church April 
 1st, 1884. A new church edifice was built 
 and dedicated in 1876. R. M. Lovell is 
 chairman of the board of trustees. 
 
 The Methodist societ)- was formed here 
 in 1830 and is said to ha\-e been composed 
 at first of but four members, of whom Or- 
 rin Carlc\- was tlie class- leader. The so- 
 ciet}' no\\- numbers about 157. Their 
 chapel was built in 1842 by James Burgess, 
 but it has since been enlarged and consid- 
 erably improved in appearance. The pres- 
 ent pastor, J. F. W'arner, came to the 
 church in April, 1874. The names of the 
 trustees are O. H. Smith, John Moore, N. 
 H. Winter, Arthur Butick, C. Hultz, E. D. 
 Baker, Darius Boyden, E. C. Carley and 
 John Livingston. 
 
 The Catholic society is quite small. 
 The\' purchased the old Academy building 
 and have since worshiped therein. J. L. 
 Meagher assumed charge of the church two 
 years ago. 
 
 Incorporation. — The incorporation of 
 the village of Marathon took place on the 
 28th day of December, 1861. The first 
 election was held at the house of G. C. Mes- 
 senger, when the following trustees were 
 elected : Asa Hunt, Anson Peck, Garrett 
 Pennoyer, James Brooks, E. S. Weld. Asa 
 Hunt was chosen president and S. R. Ben- 
 jamin, clerk. 
 
 Following is the record of the sur\'ey of 
 the corporation : " Beginning in the high- 
 way on the west bank of the Tioughnioga 
 river, four chains and eighteen links south 
 
 of seventeen degrees cast from the north 
 line of lot owned by Nancy Smith, and 
 running thence south seventy-five degrees 
 west, twenty-- four chains to a stake marked 
 'corporation limits — southwest corner.' 
 and standing on land owned b\- Lawrence 
 Hindle. Thence north fifteen degrees west, 
 100 chains to a stake marked ' corporation 
 limits — northwest corner,' and standing 
 on land owned b\' Garrett Pennoj-er. 
 Thence north seventy- five degrees east 
 sixty-four chains to a stake marked ' cor- 
 poration limits — northeast corner,' and 
 standing on land owned b\' James Brooks. 
 Thence south fifteen degrees east, one hun- 
 dred chains to the center of the brook 
 within the highwa\' leading from the river 
 road near Wm. Squires's to Peter Moore's. 
 Thence south seventy-five degrees west 
 forty chains to the place of beginning, con- 
 taining 640 acres, or one square mile of 
 land. " 
 
 The present bridge across the river was 
 built in 1868. In a stone that lies in the 
 eighth layer from the bottom of the western 
 abutment, three feet and ten inches from 
 the corner, are the following memorials : a 
 history of the settlement of the town, pre- 
 pared by Dr. S. M. Hunt ; a sermon b\- 
 Rev. H. Lyman : the weekly papers of 
 the county ; names of the contractors and 
 others employed in building the bridge; 
 U. S. coins ; a ten dollar confederate bill ; 
 a slip of the apple-tree under which Gen- 
 erals Grant and Lee arranged the terms of 
 the surrender of the Southern arm\- in the 
 late war, etc. 
 
 The bridge is a handsnme and substan- 
 tial structure. 
 
 At a special meeting of the board of \il- 
 age trustees held October 15th, 1867, the 
 following persons were appointed members 
 of the first fire company of Marathon : A. 
 H. Barber (first foreman), B. I^ Wright, C. 
 C. Adams, L. S. Burch, E. C. Carley, G. L. 
 
368 
 
 IIlSTORV OF CuKTLAND COUXTV. 
 
 Swift, R. E. Edwards, W. W. I'oucis, Jolm 
 Livingston, Corwin Burgess, D. B. 1 riiip, 
 Jerry C. Gray, C. H. Ford, J. O. .\danis, 
 J. W. Scliouten, W. Maynartl, R. U, Mack, 
 James Livingston, B. Hunt, iv IJ. Burgess, 
 D. A. Maci<, Wm. M. Griffith, T. H. Roe, 
 Smith Sherwood, Duanc Burgess, D. C. 
 Lyndc, E. B. Husted, Jas. Livingston, jr., 
 Hiram Cone, J. H. McDowell, F. I. May- 
 bury, Geo. R. Burgess, F. F. Tompkins, O. 
 H. Smith, J. Pollard, D. D. Hunt, R. R. 
 Maybury, E. D. Baker, M. L. Hawley, 
 Chas. Hunt, Chas. G. Brink, James S. Bur- 
 gess, Chester Nichols, F. M. Ta\'lor, E. D. 
 Barnes, James H. Tripp. 
 
 But few of these original members are 
 now in the company ; but ever since its first 
 organization few fire companies in villages 
 even much larger than Marathon have 
 done more effective service or secured a 
 greater degree of respect from the com- 
 
 munit)- than this one. .An engine was pur- 
 chased at Syracuse in i 867, and the present 
 engine house was erected a little later The 
 present officers of the company are as fol- 
 lows : L. C. Ball, chief engineer ; L. D. Ter- 
 williger, assistant engineer ; B. L. Adams, 
 president ; A. C. Rorabacher, vice-pres- 
 ident ; J. W. Livingston, secretary; W. R. 
 Pollard, treasurer; J. A. Cole, foreman; 
 John H. Boyd, assistant foreman ; J. W. 
 Hunt, foreman of hose ; Fred L. Boyden, 
 assistant foreman ; Thaddeus Driggs, stew- 
 ard. The trustees are Samuel Heanej-, I). 
 B. Livingston, Leroy Stevens. 
 
 The trustees of the village for 1884 
 are as follows : T. L. Corwin president ; 
 D. D. Hunt, treasurer; Adam Hillsing- 
 er, collector; J. W. Livingston, clerk; 
 James Burgess, Henr\' Casler, Lyman 
 Adams. 
 
 The population is about i 100. 
 
 CHAPTER XXni. 
 
 HIsroRV OF THK TOWN OF CTXCI.XX.VrUS. 
 
 THE town of Cincinnatus was one of 
 the original townships of the military 
 tract; it comprises 15,702^ acres. It is 
 bounded on the north by Taylor; on the 
 east by Chenango county; south by W'il- 
 let, and west by Freetown. 
 
 The surface consists of the valle}' of the 
 Otselic river and the ridges which rise upon 
 either side. Nearly the entire surface of 
 the town is divided into steep hills and 
 ridges divided by deep ravines, through 
 which flow the tributaries of the Otselic. 
 
 The town was organized April 8th, 1804, 
 and retained its original limits until April 
 2 1st, 1818, when it was divided b\' the 
 erection of Freetown, Willet and Marathon. 
 
 The settlement of Cincinnatus began in 
 1795. The inducements to pioneers were 
 
 ! not so favorable in this region as in some 
 other portions of the count)-; the lands 
 were regarded as less desirable for culti\a- 
 tion, and the rugged character of the sur- 
 face tended to retard settlement somewhat 
 until a comparatively recent period. Later 
 developments, however, have proven that 
 the town is one of the most productive in 
 the county, and the farmers get a good re- 
 turn for their labor. Tlie soil is varied in 
 character, and is generally better adapted 
 to grazing than the raising of grain. In 
 later years dairying has engaged a large 
 share of the attention of tlie farmers of the 
 town and they have the reputation of pro- 
 ducing butter and cheese of the very best 
 cjuality. 
 
 I The earliest settlers of Cincinnatus were 
 
Town of Cincinxatus. 
 
 369 
 
 John Kingman, Thaddeus Rockwell, Zurial 
 Raymond, Dr. John McW'horter, Ezra 
 Rockwell and Samuel \'ining. Mr. King- 
 man was a native of Wether.sfield, Mass., 
 where he was born October 5th, 1770. He 
 left home at the age of sixteen and learned 
 the shoemaker's trade with Mr. McGee, in 
 Sheffield. When he was twenty- five years 
 old he came to Ciiicinnatus and located on 
 lot 19, bringing with him his wife and his 
 infant son, John Kingman, jr., who now 
 lives in Cincinnatus at the age of eighty- 
 five years. Mr. Kingman was an indus- 
 trious man, and being a good shoemaker, he 
 worked on his small tract of fifteen acres of 
 land in day time and made boots and shoes 
 evenings. He thus prospered and pur- 
 chased additional land until his farm em- 
 braced 150 acres. His worth as a citizen 
 was appreciated by his townsmen, who kept 
 him in the office of super\'isor for eleven 
 successive years and in other town offices 
 at different times. He also rose from the 
 military office of corporal in an infantry 
 compan}-, to colonel. He died in 1859, 
 and his wife in 1854. His famil)- were Le- 
 ro\' \V., L\-man, 01i\'er, Charles and John, 
 the last three settling in this town. John is 
 the only one now living, and is one of the 
 oldest permanent residents of the town and 
 count}". He held the office of supervisor 
 eight )-ears and was sent to the Legislature 
 in [844. Orange Spencer, Mr. Kingman's 
 neighbor is the next oldest resident of the 
 town and was one of his first school-mates. 
 Oliver Kingman was associate judge from 
 1828 to 1846, and the family as a whole 
 became prominent members of the com- 
 tnunit}-, three of the sons having been 
 elected to the Legislature. All of them 
 were merchants at some period of their 
 lives, and none of them e\-er failed in 
 business. 
 
 The Rockwells came from Lenox, Mass. 
 Ezra located first in Solon (now Taylor) in 
 
 ■793. but two years later removed to Cin- 
 cinnatus and settled on lot 19, where he 
 purchased 100 acres. Thaddeus located on 
 lot 9. 
 
 Dr. McWhorter came originally from 
 Washington county, in 1798, but came into 
 Cincinnatus from Oxford, Chenango count)'. 
 He married a step-daughter of Zurial Ra\-- 
 mond, it being the first wedding in the 
 town, and there is quite a romance con- 
 neected with the event. At the time of 
 the marriage there was no person in Cin- 
 cinnatus who had the re(juired authority to 
 perform the ceremon)'; consequentl}- a 
 clergj-man was employed to come from 
 Oxford and nfficiate. Upon his arrival a 
 new difficult}' presented itself; the minister 
 had no authority to marry outside of the 
 county of Chenango. So, in order that 
 the bond might be properly tied, the little 
 wedding part}', escorted b}' Thomas Rock- 
 well, started on a trip across the borders of 
 the count}-. Reaching what the}- supposed 
 was their destination within the limits of 
 Chenango count}-, the}- halted at a beautiful 
 sylvan spot in the opening and there, sur- 
 rounded onl}- b}- nature's loxeliest works, 
 the twain were made man and wife. It 
 was afterwards learned with some consterna- 
 tion that the wedding part}- had not in 
 reality passed out of what was then Onon- 
 daga county, and it is said that the cere- 
 mony was again performed under such 
 circumstances as could leave no doubt as to 
 its legalit}-. Dr. McWhorter became one 
 of the most prominent men in the tov\ n 
 and enjoyed an excellent reputation 
 throughout the county. He was a politician 
 of considerable eminence, and was entrusted 
 with the administration of several im- 
 portant offices. Erom 1804 to 1808 he 
 was a Member of the Assembly. He also 
 held the office of surrogate. He had a 
 large and respectable family of children. 
 Zurial Raymond, before mentioned, came 
 
 24 
 
370 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 from W'illiamstow 11. Mass. He located nii 
 lot 2g, on a Revolutionar)- bount\' claim 
 which came to him tlirouj^ii his wife, a 
 widow Young. 
 
 Phineas Sergeant, from Oxford, came 
 into Cincinnatus in 1796, and Charles De 
 Belle, from Berkshire, Mass., came in and 
 located on lot 9, in 1797. He married a 
 sister of Thomas Rockwell, and died in 
 1854; his wife li\-ing to a \-ery old age. 
 They had five children. 
 
 Jesse Locke, from O.xford, settled 011 lot 
 19 about the year 1800. Many of the early 
 settlers in the old town of Cincinnatus have 
 been noticed in the histories of Freetown, 
 Willet and Marathon. 
 
 The Wyoming, Onondaga and Oneida 
 Indians made annual visits to the valle\- of 
 the Otselic, which was a fa\orite hunting 
 and cainping-gr(jund with them. In 1796 
 fort}' Oneidas camped on the ground now 
 occupied by the brick store, and during the 
 fall and winter the\- killed fort}--two bears, 
 the oil from which the)- preserved in some 
 of the larger intestines, using it for cooking, 
 etc. Soon after Col. Kingman begfan clear- 
 ing and improving his land the}- removed 
 farther down the river. 
 
 An old resident informs us that these In- 
 dians were invariabh- peaceable and well 
 disposed, and that, although the doors of 
 the settlers' cabins were seldom fastened, 
 it was very rare that an}-thing was missed, 
 the taking of which could be charged to 
 the Indians. He distinctl}' remembers, 
 when a little boy, of going to bed with his 
 little br(.)thers, in the main room of their log 
 house (there probabh- was but one room), 
 a blazing fire being left in the great fire- 
 place. As the evening advanced, an Indian 
 would come stealtliil}- in, making scarcely 
 a sound, usuall}' followed by a dog. He 
 would deliberatel}- lie down with his feet to 
 the fire, his gun b\- his side and the do</ 
 next to the cfun. Soon anotlicr Indian 
 
 would come in in the same manner and take 
 his position for the night by the side of the 
 other, with gun and dog next to him. So 
 these sons of the forest would continue to 
 Come into the house until frei[uenll}- there 
 would be eight or ten of their swarthy fig- 
 ures lying in a circle like the spokes of a 
 wheel, with their feet all pointing toward 
 the fire and usuall}- alternated in each in- 
 stance b}- a dog and a gun. Here the}- 
 would sleep in peace through the chill}' 
 autumn night, and earl}- in the morning 
 start out on the chase. Wolves, bear and 
 other wild animals were then numerous, and 
 it is not more than about si.xty years ago 
 tliat the former animals broke into a sheep 
 inclosure in that neighborho<.)d and killed 
 e\'ery one of the flock. 
 
 Among the early settlers in the town 
 were the grandparents of Mr. A. M. Greene, 
 who states that his grandfather, Thomas 
 Place, settled here in 1 8 18. He lived until 
 the 6th of March, 1875, \\-hen he fell upon 
 a saw-buck, from the efilects of which acci- 
 dent he died in a few days. A singular 
 fatalit}- to the other members of the two 
 families of grandparents of Mr. Greene fol- 
 lowed this calamity. The wife of Mr. Place, 
 on the 3d of September following her hus- 
 band's death, made a misstep near the same 
 spot where Mr. Place met with the accident 
 from the effects of which she also died in a 
 few da\s. Joseph Greene, the paternal 
 grandfather of .\. M. Greene, lived -in the 
 town from about the year I 81 8 until April 
 I5tii, 1881, when lie fell over a precipice 
 about fifteen feet in height, while going 
 through a piece of woods, and was killed. 
 His wife lost her life by a fall through a 
 ha}- mow. 
 
 Joseph tireene's son, Albert C, is the 
 father in-law of \\'illiam O. Greene, the 
 present able editor of the Otselic Wilky 
 Register. 
 
 .\lthougli the inhabitants of this town, in 
 
TuVVN OK ClNCIiWATUS. 
 
 0/ 
 
 common with those of Solon, Taylor and 
 Willet, were much elated a few years since 
 by the bright prospect of a railroad, which 
 would connect them with the Midland road 
 and with Cortland village, they are thus far 
 disappointed, and the town is isolated from 
 railroad communication. This fact has op- 
 erated to its disad\-antage in many ways — 
 chiefly in retarding the growth of its busi- 
 ness centers ; where, in former years, as an 
 old resident informs us, at short distances 
 on all the roads were log houses filled with 
 children, when all the trading of the town 
 was done within its limits ; now those chil- 
 dren have grown to maturity and gone 
 away to railroad centers, and business has 
 fallen off. ' 
 
 The early inhabitants of this town suffered 
 the common incon\enience of ha\ing no 
 near grist-mills, and were compelled to go 
 to Chenango Forks, Ludlowville or Manlius 
 Square to have their grinding done. Their 
 grists were usually transported to those 
 points on " drays," a very simple \ehicle 
 constructed of a crotched tree with a few 
 pieces of board fastened across the two 
 spreading arms with wooden pins. The 
 team was then hitched to the other branch. 
 The pioneers were equal to any such task 
 as getting eight or ten bushels of grain to 
 mill thirty miles away, without the aid of a 
 vehicle of an}- description, in the present 
 understanding of that term. 
 
 The first grist-mill in the present town 
 of Cincinnatus was built at an early day, 
 some years previous to 1820, by Ephraim 
 Fish. It was located about half a mile from 
 the village. John Kingman, jr., states that 
 this mill was owned by his father from 1820 
 to 1830, but it is not known from whom he 
 purchased it. This mill and the dam were 
 
 iThe census shows that, in 1820, immediately after the 
 town was divided, the population of the town w.ts 885. 
 This had increased to 1,206 in 1850, but w.is only 1,119 
 in 1855. while the census of 1880 shows a population 
 of 1,093. 
 
 ' undermined by a flood in 1830 and.it went 
 into disuse thereafter. 
 
 A Mr. Wilcox built a mill in the village 
 in 1829, and lived in the upper part of the 
 structure; but it was operated only two or 
 three years. 
 
 About the year 1832 or 1833 Dr. John 
 McW'horter erected a mill at Lower Cincin- 
 natus, which was operated until about ilie 
 year 1850, when it was transformed into a 
 tannery by Kinney & Thompson; it is now 
 used as a tannery by Augustus Smith, who 
 is doing a large business. 
 
 George Cole built the most important 
 mill in the town — a steam grist-mill; but 
 it was subseqtiently taken down and con- 
 verted into two dwelling houses. There is 
 now no grist-nill within the limits of the 
 town. 
 
 As we ha\e already intimated, the inhab- 
 itants of this town have recentlj' turned 
 their attention to the production of butter 
 and cheese. About the year 1870 Edward 
 and Eli Colegrove began the operation of 
 their factory abo\^e the village, turning out 
 an excellent product. Since then Julius 
 Crittenden built a factory near the town of 
 Willet and Porter Crittenden another two 
 miles south of the village. These factories 
 are all in operation and do a satisfactory 
 and successful business. 
 
 VILLAGES. 
 
 .A beautiful little village nametl Cincin- 
 natus is situated on the Otselic river on lot 
 ig, which contains two churches (Congre- 
 gational and Methodist), an academy, a 
 hotel and a number of stores and shops, 
 with about 575 inhabitants. Lower Cincin- 
 natus is a smaller village of about 200 inhab- 
 itants, is located a short distance below the 
 upper village, and contains a church, a hotel, 
 a store, a tannery and a cutter factory. 
 
 These are the only villages or hamlets in 
 the town. The first merchants in the place 
 
372 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 were James Tanner and Elijah Bliss, and 
 the first store was erected by Col. John 
 Kingman in 1 83 1. John Kingman, jr., 
 went into nu-rcantile business in the spring 
 of that year in a little store which stood on 
 the site of the present brick store. He re- 
 mained there but one year and was suc- 
 ceeded by Roswell Randall and Jerry Bean, 
 who built the brick store in 1832. During 
 the same 3ear John Kingman, jr., built the 
 store now owned by George Cole and oc- 
 cupied by Charles and Arthur Cogswell, 
 where he traded until 1842. 
 
 In 1834 Oliver Kingman began business 
 in a little store on the west side of the creek 
 where he continued until 1854, at which 
 time he and his brother George bought the 
 brick store of Halbert & Bean. In 1856 
 they sold out to H. M. & Jefferson King- 
 man. Following is a list of the successive 
 merchants w'ho have occupied the brick 
 store : Randall & Bean, Bean & Niles, Bean, 
 Niles & Boyd, J. C. Bean, Halbert & Bean, 
 H. M. & Jefferson Kingman, Kingman & 
 Sturtevant, Kingman & Lewis, Kingman & 
 Wheeler, Oliver, George & J. Kingman, 
 H. M. & J. Kingman. 
 
 In the store occupied by Chas. and Arthur 
 Cogswell the following merchants did bus- 
 iness, succeeding John Kingman, who was 
 for a time associated with Charles and 
 George Kingman : Kingman & Perkins, 
 Haynes & Warren, Jcft'ersun Kingman, 
 Monroe Smith, David D. Uftbrd, who was 
 there from 1866 to 1882, in which latter 
 named year he sold out to the present oc- 
 cupants of the store. 
 
 The store building now owned by James 
 Hill was built by Porter Crittenden in 1864, 
 who was there in business with his son-in- 
 law, Monroe E. Smith, until 1868. He was 
 succeeded by D. D. Ufford, who continued 
 until the spring of 1877. In September of 
 that year Mr. Hill took it and has continued 
 the business until the present time. 
 
 The grocer)- and dru;. 
 
 business was es- 
 tablished in the village about the year i860. 
 It passed into the hands of Cornell & 
 Gee, Israel Gee & Co., and to the present 
 proprietor, Wilber Holmes, who began it in 
 1868. lie has had immediate charge of 
 the post-office since 1872 and virtually since 
 1866. 
 
 The first postmaster in the place was 
 Major James Tanner. Then came Judson 
 Brown, Judge Niles, John Kingman (1844 
 until 1850), Oliver Kingman, George King- 
 man, Jefferson Kingman (1856 to 1865), 
 Israel Gee, and Wilber Holmes, the present 
 incumbent. 
 
 The furniture business was established in 
 Cincinnatus b}- Hitchcock & Barnes, who 
 conducted it until 1877, when they sold 
 out to W. W. Grant, the present proprietor. 
 
 B. R. & L. H. Corning have carried on 
 the hardware trade since 1880. C. W. 
 Smith, hats, caps, and gents' furnishing 
 goods, since 1882. S. G. Kien, jewelry, 
 hats, caps, etc., since 1876. 
 
 The only hotel in Cincinnatus village, 
 now kept by A. E. Perry, was built by 
 Charles Kingman in 1831. He kept it a 
 few \-ear3 and was succeeded by John King- 
 man, after whom I. M. Samson took the 
 house. He kept it five }-ears, and was fol- 
 lowed by J. C. Clark, D. J. Sperr}-, Smith 
 & Sherman Hotchkiss, Gibson Smith, and 
 J. C. Weaver, who repaired it and sold to 
 the present proprietor. 
 
 Physicians. — Dr. Jolin McW'horter was 
 the pioneer ph}-sician of Cortland county, a 
 native of \\"ashington count)', N. ^'., and 
 located in Cincinnatus in 1795. He was an 
 able man, a good physician for that period, 
 but he did not confine himself to practicing 
 his profession, luitering the political field, 
 he was honored with several offices, as be- 
 fore stated. Following him came Dr. Nor- 
 ris Briggs, Dr. \\'hite, Dr. L\-man ICldridge, 
 a man who became greatly respected for his 
 
Town of Cinxinnatus. 
 
 attainments in the profession, and as a citi- 
 zen ; Dr. A. D. Reed (now of Marathon), 
 Amasa J. Ouiv-ey, wlio began practice in 
 1862 as an eclectic, but subsequently stud- 
 ied in the old school of medicine; Marcel- 
 lus L. Halbert, Dr. Barnes, a student with 
 Dr. Reed, and an assistant surgeon in the 
 United States army, and Dr. Marcellus 
 Smith, now the oldest physician in the 
 place. Dr. Smith became a member of the 
 Count)- Medical Societ)- in 1853. He 
 bought out Dr. Plldridtre, and has followed 
 his profession regularly since that time. 
 
 Manufactures. — There has been consid- 
 erable manufacturing done in Cincinnatus 
 for many years, and there are now several 
 important establishments here. Jonas Cor- 
 mick was the lirst blacksmith in the town. 
 He was here as early as 1820, and about 
 the same time Solomon Gritman began in 
 the upper village. Cook & Greene were 
 also early blacksmiths. Joseph Gee worked 
 for this firm many years, and then went 
 into business for himself In 1840 Nathan 
 Dw-ight formed a partnership with Mr. Gee, 
 which firm continued until 1851, when Gee 
 went out and Mr. Dwight continued alone 
 until 1866. N. A. Robbins has been in the 
 business here for twenty-two years. His 
 shop was built in 1829, and was used for 
 religious purposes until the erection of the 
 Baptist Church. Elder Howe preached in 
 this building, and was the pioneer Baptist 
 minister of Cincinnatus. 
 
 The manufacture of cutters was estab- 
 lished in i860 by Larabee & Gee, which 
 business was continued until 1876, when 
 H. C. Larabee removed to the lower village. 
 In 1861 N. France and C. B. Hitchcock 
 came to the place, and the former, after 
 working for the above-mentioned firm until 
 1874, began business on his own accoinit. 
 
 Churches. — Public religious worship did 
 not begin within the limits of Cincinnatus 
 as early as in some other k)calities, chiefl_\- 
 
 on account of the proximity of early church 
 organizations in other towns at no great 
 distance. Lots i, 16, I"] , 49, 53 and 62 
 of this town were set aside for the support 
 of the gospel and schools. The first ser- 
 mon ever preached within the original lim- 
 its of Cincinnatus was by Dr. Williston, 
 
 i from the text, " Hear ye." What was 
 known as the Union Congresational Socie- 
 
 j ty of Cincinnatus and Solon was organized 
 on the 1 8th of November, 1822. The trust- 
 ees were John L. Boyd, Barak Niles and 
 John Covert. 
 
 The Congregational Society of Cincin- 
 natus is reported on the minutes of the 
 General Assembly as having been received 
 
 j uttder the care of the Presbytery of Cort- 
 land September 14th, 183 i. Justwhattime 
 it was first organized we have not learned. 
 In I S3 I it had one hundred and ten mem- 
 bers, of whom sixty were received that year. 
 In 1836 it reported 162 members, but in 
 1846 the number was reduced to 130. The 
 membership is now much smaller, and the 
 society is feeble. The Rev. Orin Catlin 
 was the stated supply of this church, under 
 the patronage of the American Home Mis- 
 sionary Society, from October, 1832. Rev. 
 Joseph R. Johnson was ordained and in- 
 stalled pastor February i6th, 1846. He con- 
 tinued with the church two or three years, 
 and was then succeeded by Rev. Eleazer 
 T.Bali, who took charge June 8th, 1849. He 
 remained until a few years prior to the last 
 war, when the present pastor. Rev. Edson 
 Rogers, accepted the office. 
 
 Schools. — The first school-house in Cin- 
 cinnatus was built b\- John Kingman, and 
 stood a short distance south of his house. 
 The first teacher was Miss Hepsy Beebe, 
 but in what \'ear we have not been able to 
 learn Since that time schools have multi- 
 plied throughout the town, and the cause 
 of education has flourished. 
 
 Cincinnatus Academ\- was founded in 
 
374 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 1857, in which year a spacious and con- 
 venient building was erected. Tliis, with 
 its surrounding grounds, handsomely laid 
 out and pleasanth' shaded with maples, 
 forms one of the most attractive features of 
 the beautiful \illage. The people have 
 alwa\-s been enthusiastic and unanimous in 
 their support of this institution, rendering 
 it one of the most successful and widely 
 known academies in the State. A good 
 library has been furnished, with philosoph- 
 ical apparatus, etc. Following is the pres- : 
 ent Board of Trustees, of which H. M. 
 Kingman has been jiresident from the first 
 organization : — ; 
 
 H. M. Kingman, president; Henry 
 Knickerbocker, secretary: J. W. Sturte- 
 vant, treasurer; B. R. Corning, D. D. Uf- 
 ford, John Kingman, J. B. Boyd, F. M. 
 Benjamin, M. R. Smith, M. D., M. L. Hal- 
 bert, M. D., Wilber Holmes, C. ^^". Smith, 
 C. R. Dickinson, Anson Cogswell; t\v- 
 officio. Rev. William D. Johnson. Rev. Ed- j 
 son Rogers, Rev. W". H. \'ork. 
 
 The first corps of instructors consisted of 
 Ambrose P. Kelsey, A. B., principal ; Frank 
 Place, mathematics; John Seaber, penman- I 
 ship; Miss Mary T. Gleason, preceptress; 
 Mrs. Vivena M. Austin, assistant teacher ; 
 Miss Cornelia A. Kingman, music. 
 
 The present instructors are Myron E. 
 Carmer, A. B., principal ; Miss Alice Jones, 
 preceptress ; Miss Stella Kingman, com- 
 mon English. Mrs. E. L. Samson, piano. 
 
 There are three courses of study each of 
 which aftbrds a number of optional studies. 
 
 First, a business course, including com- 
 mon English branches, not complete till a 
 regent's preliminar\- certificate is obtained. 
 Book-keeping, algebra, physiologj-, Ameri- 
 can history, rhetoric, political economy and 
 physics. 
 
 Second, an academic course. Third, a 
 classical, or collegiate entrance course, each 
 termmatmg m a regent's academic diploma. \ 
 
 There is a flourishing literarj' society 
 connected with the school, which holds 
 weekly meetings, and affords opportunities 
 for improvement in composition, declama- 
 tion, extemporaneous speaking, etc. The 
 teachers by their presence at all the meet- 
 ings, by criticisms and suggestions, en- 
 deavor to make this department of the 
 school as efficient and at the same time as 
 agreeable as any other. 
 
 Belonging to the institution is a well 
 selected librar\-, to which students have 
 free access. The leading principles of the 
 sciences are illustrated b)- ample apparatus. 
 Through the kindness of Mr. John Osgood, 
 students in physiology, and like sciences, 
 are often invited to examine with him the 
 minutest workings of nature, by means of 
 a powerful histological microscope, while to 
 students in astronomy he reveals her most 
 vast and distant realms through a telescope 
 having a five- inch lens. 
 
 There is one newspaper published in this 
 town — the Otselic ] 'alley Register; the 
 publisher is William O. Greene, who be- 
 came the owner of the establishment in 
 1879. It has a circulation of about five 
 hundred and is an excellent journal of its 
 class. (See history of journalism of the 
 county, in an earlier chapter.) 
 
 LOWER CLVCIXXATIS. 
 
 The buildings on the corner at Lower 
 Cincinnatus were built by Dr. John Mc- 
 Whorter, and the store building was 
 erected about the }-ear 1831. It stood 
 empty some time and was afterward kept 
 by Benjamin Kingsley, a Mr. Barnes and 
 others. H. P. Spencer, the present mer- 
 chant, bought the property of Widow 
 Barnes in 1874; the store being then kept 
 by her son, Frank Barnes. 
 
 Charles Goodsell carried on a store on 
 the opposite corner at the time when Ben- 
 jamin Kingsley was in business. 
 
Town of Cincixxatus. 
 
 375 
 
 The manufacture of cutters at Lower 
 Cinciniiatus was begun by L. J. Larabee as 
 early as the year 1 870. A few years after- 
 ward H. C. Larabee came into the business 
 with his father, and in 1 879-80 the large 
 buildings were erected to accommodate the 
 increasing ticmand for their work. They 
 are now employing about twent\--fi\e hands 
 and turn out 3,000 cutters annuall\-. 
 
 The iiotel at this village was built by Dr. 
 McWhorter about the year 1833 and was 
 kept under his management several j'ears. 
 Reuben Fish, Cornelius Fish and Isaac Fish 
 each kept it for a few \ears. Mr. Messen- 
 ger then took the house for a few \'ears and 
 was followed by Adam L. Smith, who kept 
 it for many years until his death, when it 
 was closed as a public house until 1883. 
 D. H. Clark, the present proprietor, then 
 opened the house. 
 
 The first Baptist Church at Lower Cin- 
 cinnatus was organized March ist, 1823, 
 and was a part of the church in German, 
 Chenango count}-, which was organized in 
 June, 1805. When it became incon\enient 
 for the inhabitants of Cincinnatus to attend 
 there, the church here was organized. 
 Rev. John Lawin. the first pastor, served 
 the church until 1825. Re\-. Solomon 
 Howe from 1827 to 1836. During the 
 \-ear 1831 the present house of worship was 
 built, services prior to that having been 
 held in private houses or shops. The fol- 
 lowing pastors have officiated for this 
 church: Rev. Wm. Holroyd, 183710 1839. 
 Rev. David Leach, 1839 to 1840. Geo. 
 W. Mead (licentiate), 1840 to 1 841. Rev. 
 L. E. Swan, 1841 to 1844. Rev. E. P. 
 Dye, 1844 to 1846. Rev. J. F. Stark. 
 1846 to 1852. Rev. Horace Decker, 1S52 
 to 1857. Rev. L. W. Nichols, 1857 to 
 1859. Rev. Washington Kingsle\-, 1S59 
 to 1 86 1. Rev. A. Galpin, 1861 to 1862. 
 Rev. M. R. Everts, 1862 to 1863. Rev. 
 W. G. Dye, 1863 to 1866. Rev. Samuel 
 
 I G. Kein, 1866 to 1867. Rev. E. Holroyd, 
 1867 to 1869. Rev. G. P. Turnbull, 1869 
 
 ! vto 1871. Rev. J. B. Cole, 1871 to 1873. 
 Rev. S. P. Way, 1873 to 1874. Rev. A. 
 J. Baskwell, 1874 to 1875. Rev. W. W. 
 Beardsley, 1875 to 1876. Rev. Daniel 
 Reese, 1877 to 1879. Rev. C. R. Corning, 
 1879 to 1882. Rev. \\'m. L. Johnson as- 
 
 : sumed the pastorate in 1882; the societj'uow 
 numbers eighty-two. The present officers 
 are Russell Grant, Edwin D. White, 
 deacons. Joseph Tice, clerk. M. L. Hal- 
 bert, treasurer. Joseph Tice, Oscar E. 
 Nichols, M. L. Halbert, Russell Grant, Ed- 
 win D. White, Lafayette Spencer, trustees. 
 The original members of this church who 
 were most prominent, were John R. Mc- 
 Whorter, Alex. Rice, Nathaniel Spencer, 
 Ebenezer Andrus, John and Isaac Smith, 
 George Kingman and others. 
 
 The Methodist Episcojial Church of Cin- 
 cinnatus was organized in 1841. The first 
 trustees were Oliver L. Sterling, Chas. Hig- 
 gins, Chas. Kingman, Lyman Eldridge, 
 Porter Crittenden, and Hiram Rogers. 
 Members of the society were David Wliite 
 and wife, Abner Wood and wife, Abel 
 Dickinson, L\nian Eldridge and wife, 
 Chauncey Phelps, Oliver L. Sterling and 
 wife, Fabus Kinney, G. L. Cole and wife 
 and others. The church edifice was built 
 in 1843-44 and cost $1,600. The building 
 was repaired and enlarged at considerable 
 expense in 1872. In 1863-64 the church 
 received large accessions through the di- 
 vision of the Congregational society. Sev- 
 eral revivals have occurred in the church, 
 the last being that of 1877. An excellent 
 parsonage was built in 1859. The present 
 membership is ninety. The ministers who 
 have officiated here are Revs. Leonard 
 Bowdish, L. H. Stanley, D. W. Thurston, 
 Wm. Bixb}-, W. H. Miller, Thos. D. Wire, 
 E. C. Curtis, G. S. White, L. Hartsough, 
 J. H. Barnard, B. Shove, R. H. Clark, J. 
 
n^ 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 V. Benham. W. M. Hem-\-, W. D. Fox, A. 
 
 C. Smith. W. H. York, M. Z. Haskins, 
 1884. 
 
 At the breaking out of the Southern 
 Rebellion, no town in tlie count}" came for- 
 ward with more patriotism and liberaHt)- 
 in men and means in support of the go\-- 
 ernment than Cincinnatus. Under the 
 calls of the president for troops the following 
 men enlisted from the town and were cred- 
 ited on the different quotas, receiving the 
 bounties as they appear: — 
 
 Call of October, 1863, February ist, and 
 March, 1864. Bounty to each, $300. Total, 
 $6,600. — Jeremiah Scouton, William C. 
 Pearse, William Kimball, Flihu M. Cham- 
 berlain, Stephen Ansel, Sidney W. Clark, 
 Ira W. Fore.st, Christopher M. Childs, Caleb 
 
 D. Burlingame, James B. Decker, Volne\' 
 Weeks, James li. Arnold, John H. Glover, 
 Charles S. Cutting, Herbert Berkley, Geo. 
 Berkley, Urbane B. Smith, Augustine L. 
 Aney, Willett L. McKinne\-, Henry West, 
 Alfred P. Ransford, Harlan P. Thompson. 
 
 Call of July 18th, 1864. Bounty to each, 
 $1,000; brokerage, $25. Total bounties, 
 $22,500; total brokerage, $550. — John 
 Savage, John Simpson, John Phillips, Matio 
 Branchett, Jarvis Kellej', Marcus Forrest, 
 Darvilla Ford, Samuel Gibbs, Samuel Van 
 Wort, Thomas Hale, William J. Holmes, 
 Watson J. Holmes, John M. Parks, Alfred 
 Rorepaugh, James W. Sampson, Isaac W. 
 
 Sherwood, Orlando Vosburgh, Seneca 
 Wright, Peter Ratchel, Ivdward Clark, 
 George Sweet, Michael Grant, John Now- 
 lan, Patrick Hughs. 
 
 Call of December 19th, 1864. Bounty 
 to each, $600; brokerage, $15. Total 
 bounties, $5,100; total brokerage, $135. — 
 J. A. Perkins, James Rile\-, Phill Beeman, 
 Charles Ernst, Henry Jackson, Henr)' 
 Physic, Justus Bloomer, Edward W. Mc- 
 Farland, Robert Bund)-. 
 
 Recapitulation. Paid for filling quotas, 
 calls October 17th, Februar\- and March, 
 $6,600; paid for filling quota; call July 1 8th, 
 1864, $23,050; paid for filling quota, call 
 December 19th, 1864, $5,235. Grand total 
 for all calls, $34,885. 
 
 The early records of this town ha\e been 
 destroyed. The present officers of the town 
 are as follows : — 
 
 Supervisor — W. W. ^Vood. 
 
 Town clerk — W. S. Carruth. 
 
 Justices of the peace — John D. l-'ish, 
 Charles Nichols and M. L. Halbert. 
 
 Assessor — Reuben P. Fish. 
 
 Commissioner of highways — Lewis W'hite. 
 
 Collector — Evander Smith. 
 
 Constables — - Evander Smith, Ed. L. 
 Brown, James M. Torrey, Fred E. Nichols, 
 Luell Harve\-. 
 
 Overseer of the poor — Richard Cornell. 
 
 Inspectors of election — B. H. Livermore, 
 Adelbert P-. Delcvan. 
 
Town of Truxtox. 
 
 377 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 I1IST()K\' or THK TOWN (IK TKUXTOX. 
 
 THE town of Truxton lies upon the 
 northern border of the county, east of 
 the center, and is bounded on the north b)- 
 Onondaga countv' ; on the east by Cuj'ler ; 
 on the south by Solon, and on the west by 
 Homer and Preble. 
 
 The town was named in honor of Com- 
 modore Truxton, and was organized from 
 Fabius, April 8th, 1 808, embracing the 
 southern half of that military township. 
 The northern tier of lots of Solon were an- 
 nexed on the 4th of April, 181 i. The 
 town of Cuyler was set off from the eastern 
 side of Truxton on the iSth nf No\-ember, 
 1858. 
 
 In the earlier organization this town was 
 embraced in Pompey, which was organized 
 in 1794 and included Pompey, P'abius and 
 Tully and also a part of the Onondaga Res- 
 ervation lying south of the old Genesee road 
 and east of Onondaga creek. Fabius was 
 erected from Pompey in 1798 and at that 
 time included two militar\- townships, Fa- 
 bius and Tully, comprising the present 
 towns of Fabius, Tully, Truxton, Preble 
 and Scott, with portions of Spafford and 
 Otisco. 
 
 The surface of this town is chiefly a 
 broken upland, divided into ridges which 
 have a northerlj- and southerly direction. 
 The eastern branch of the Tioughnioga river 
 enters the town near the center of the east- 
 ern border and flows westerly until near the 
 center of the town, then takes a south- 
 westerl}- course until it leaves the town. 
 The other streams of the town are the trib- 
 utaries of the Tioughnioga, the Westcott 
 and Stewart brooks and Labrador creek 
 from the north, Cheningo creek from the 
 east, and Trout brook from the south. 
 
 On the northern border of the county is 
 a small sheet of water called Labrador 
 Pond, which is noted for its surrounding 
 picturesque scener_\-. On a small brook 
 which flows into the outlet of this pond from 
 the east is a beautiful cascade known as 
 Tinker's falls, around which is also romantic 
 and attractive scenery. 
 
 What are known as the Truxton hills lie 
 north of the ri\-er. Nearl}- their whole sur- 
 face is divided into sharp ridges with steep 
 declivities, their summits being termed' 
 " hog's-backs." 
 
 The soil of the town is generally a sand)- 
 and gravelly loam. -The Truxton flats are 
 rich and very producti\"e and well adapted 
 to growing all kinds of grain. 
 
 The town is next to the largest in the 
 county, its acreage being 28,099; onl)' Vir- 
 gil is larger. The assessed valuation of 
 Truxton is $16.95 P*^'' acre. In iSio the 
 taxable property of the town was assessed 
 at $47,673. In 1883 the assessed value of 
 real estate was $476,420, and that of the 
 personal property, $20,400. In 18 10 the 
 village of Truxton contained only twenty- 
 houses. It now Has a population of about 
 300. 
 
 The first settler in the town of Truxton 
 was Samuel C. Benedict, who located on 
 lot 12 in the year 1793. No record exists 
 of his birth-place and little is known of his 
 career subsequent to coming into this town. 
 He w-as certainly a hardy and courageous 
 pioneer who dared push his wa)- into the 
 wilderness far beyond the boundaries of 
 civilization and there plant the standard of 
 a new settlement. Yet here he came and 
 builded for himself a log cabin which long 
 bore for him the eloquent title, "home." 
 
378 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 And here occurred tlie first Ijirtli in the town, 
 as well as the first death — children of Mr. 
 Benedict in both instances. It is to be re- 
 gretted that we can gi\e no further details of 
 the later life of Mr. Benedict; but it is often 
 the case that he who was most instrumental 
 in making the first footprints of civilization in 
 a wilderness, must remain forever unknown 
 and almost unhnnored b_\- postcrit)-. 
 
 In 1794 Nathaniel Potter, Jonah Stiles, 
 Christopher Wiiitne)- and Benjamin Brown 
 came into the town and settled in various 
 locations. Potter was from .Saratoga count)', 
 .\. v., and purchased lots "]"], ?<(> and 96. 
 On the latter lot he erected a small house. 
 In July, 1798, he was suddenly- killed b\- a 
 falling tree. 
 
 Jonah Stiles came from Rupert, \^ermont, 
 and located on lot 4, where he purchased 
 100 acres, which farm was subsequently 
 owned and occupied b}- Samuel Freeman. 
 His daughter Julia married John W'icks, and 
 Sophia married Alexander P^jrhes, of Litch 
 field, Ohio. His son, Jonah, located at 
 Seville, Ohio ; Samuel at P"ranklin, Dela- 
 ware count)-, N. v., and Otis at -Stilesville, 
 X. V. 
 
 Christopher Whitney was also from an 
 eastern State and located on lot 3. One of 
 his daughters became the wife of Moses 
 Hopkins, a pioneer of Cortland village. 
 
 Among other ver)- carl)- settlers were 
 Robert Knight, from Monmouth, New Jer- 
 se)- ; Hugh Stewart, from Colerain, Mass.; 
 John Jeflrc)- and P^nos Phelps, from New 
 Jerse)- ; Billy Prowbridge and Dr. John 
 Miller, from Duchess count)-. The last 
 named was the first ph)'sician in the town, 
 where he lived and practiced his profession 
 until the year 1862, when he died. He was 
 one of the best known and most respected 
 men of the count\- durintr his life. 
 
 John Shedd located earl\- in the )ear 
 1797, on lot 63, and during the same year 
 the Stewarts came in. Nathaniel PI located 
 
 1)11 lot 63 and Charles on 93, " State's hun- 
 dred." 
 
 In 1798 a number of settlers came into 
 the town and located. Of these Robert 
 McNightand John Jeffrey settled on lot No. 
 2. Bill)- Trowbridge settled on lot 5. He 
 became a prominent citizen and filled sev- 
 eral political ofiices ; was twice elected to 
 the Assembl)- and was sheriff one term. 
 
 His son, Smith, located in S)-racuse, and 
 John, Levi and Hubbard at Detroit, Mich. 
 
 Stephen Hedges came to this town from 
 Troy and settled on lot 93. 
 
 Increase M. Hooker was a native of Ben- 
 nington, \'t. He was with Kthan Allen 
 during a portion of the Revolutionai)- War 
 and witnessed the conflict at Bennington 
 on the 1 6th of August, 1777. He was 
 married in Litchfield, Conn., and afterward 
 removed to Greene county, N. Y. ; in 1797 
 .he remo\-ed to Solon, locating on lot 88. 
 Soon afterward he purchased a grist-mill 
 of Joseph Sweetland; it contained one run 
 of stones and was covered on the outside 
 with bark from elm trees. It was rebuilt 
 in 1 8 16 by Mr. Hooker's .sons. In 1842 
 he remoxed to New Jersey. In 1S48 he 
 made a \isit to a son in Illinois and while 
 returning, died at Onondaga Hollow. 
 
 Lewis \\'icks came from Saratoga count)- 
 in 1804 and located during 1804. 
 
 The Pierce famil)-, which became a prom- 
 inent one in the town, were from Colerain. 
 Zebulon came in 1805 and located on lot 
 34. Judah settled on lot 12 in 1806. He 
 accumulated a large propert)- and was an 
 influential citizen; he married P\Tnn)- Smith, 
 an aunt of Allen B. Smith. 
 
 The Buells of this count)- originall)- de- 
 scended from one William Buell, of Aus- 
 tralia, who went to Constantinople, and in 
 1 62 1 to Wales, and from there to Connect- 
 icut in 1634. Thomas Buell, the father of 
 F. M. Buell, of Truxton, is of the seventh 
 generation of \\'illiam Buell. Thomas Buell 
 
Town of Truxton. 
 
 379 
 
 came to Truxton in 1806; kept hotel in 
 1808. He married Betsej' Freeman, daugh- 
 ter of Elder Freeman, and had seven chil- 
 dren by this wife. F. M. Buell was born 
 in 1811. He was married June gth, 1841, 
 to Emil)- F. Howard, of Coicrain, Mass. 
 In 1865 he moved to the village of Trux- 
 ton. In 1 87 1 he went into the custom 
 house, New York, and was there several 
 years. Howard F. Buell, the former editor 
 of the Cortland News, is their son. 
 
 Rufus Freeman, of Colerain, Mass., came 
 here in 1806, and in 1807 organized the 
 Baptist Church of this place. He had four 
 sons, all Baptist preachers. Allen B. Free- 
 man organized the first Baptist church of 
 that cit}' in 1833, which then had but 
 fifteen members. 
 
 Deacon James Bell was from Rupert, 
 Vt., and came to Truxton in the winter of 
 181 2, locating on lot 95. In I 82 I he rc- 
 mo\ed to ^ledina count}', Ohio, where his 
 sons, James and Jacob, became active and 
 prominent politicians, tlic former being 
 elected to the Legislature. 
 
 James Kenney and his wife lived in Trux- 
 ton as earl\- as 1809, and on the second of 
 May of that _\'ear his son. Moses Kenne}', 
 was born. He became a well-known and 
 respected citizen of the town. His father 
 died when he was four years old. 
 
 Hosea Kenney is now the oldest citizen 
 of the town of Truxton, where he has re- 
 sided for more than seventy-five years. He 
 was born in Stoddard, N. H., October 31st, 
 I79i,and is the sole survivor of a family 
 of four sons and five daughters, tlie descend- 
 ants of the Rev. Isaac Kenney, a Baptist 
 minister, who died at Roylston, Mass., Sep- 
 tember 2d, 1 80 1, and who, according to 
 the most authentic information obtainable, 
 descended in a direct line from Henr\- 
 Kinne, who came from Holland and settled 
 in Salem, Mass., about 1670. From this 
 rex'erend progenitor has sprung a numerous 
 
 race, numbering more than three hundred, 
 and extending in se\eral instances to the 
 sixth generation. The third son, Hosea, 
 when he was thirteen years old first came 
 to this town with his elder brother, Isaac. 
 In 1813 he purchased sixty acres of land 
 on lot No. 21 in Truxton, of Isaac Cooper, 
 of Cooperstown, N. Y., at six dollars per 
 acre. July 7th, [814, at Brookfield, N. Y., 
 he married Nancy, a daughter of Captain 
 Asa Lamb, a veteran of the Revolutionary 
 \\'ar. With his young bride he immedi- 
 ately commenced the struggle of life on his 
 newl\- acquired woodland home, where, 
 with a strong arm and determined purpose, 
 the)- literalh- " hewed out " a competence. 
 After having, from time to time, added to 
 his first purchase, in 1842 he retired from 
 active life and took up his residence in the 
 \illage of Truxton, where he has since re- 
 sided. His farm, then consisting of about 
 one hundred and fift)' acres, he conve_\-ed to 
 his two elder sons, and subsequent!}' the 
 title to the whole was acquired by his oldest 
 son, Hosea M., who still holds the same. 
 His wife, Nanc}-, died August 5th, 1862, 
 and Februar}- 15th, 1865, he married Mrs. 
 Marana French, who died May 14th, 1880. 
 He now resides with his youngest son, 
 Amos L., and though vigorous in his ripe 
 j old age, still there are unmistakable evi- 
 j dences that he is rapidly approaching the 
 end. In 18 16 he united with the First 
 Baptist Church of Truxton, of which the 
 Rev. Thomas Purinton was then pastor. 
 He has at all times led a consistent and 
 faithful Christian life and maintained an 
 honored standing with the people of his 
 first choice. His attendance at the regular 
 services of the church has been constant, 
 and he now deems it the greatest of 
 deprivations, if for a single Sabbath he 
 is pre\ented from listening to the preach- 
 ing of the Gospel. Of his four sons. 
 Hosea M.. James. Ira E., and Amos L., 
 
38o 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 all sur\ive except James, who died March 
 28th, 1883. 
 
 Hosea M. and his son Marcus I-L., under 
 the firm name of Kenney & Son, are re- 
 tail dealers in hardware anil manufacturers 
 of tinware in Truxton, and his elder son, 
 Manly L., occupies the family homestead. 
 
 Ira E. graduated in the theological de- 
 partment of Madison Universit\- in 1848, 
 and was ordained to the ministrj- the same 
 year by the Baptist Church of Truxton. In 
 1883 the University of Des Moines, Iowa, 
 conferred upon him the honorary degree of 
 D. D., and the same year called him to fill 
 the president's chair of that institution, 
 w here he is now doing a good work. 
 
 Amos L. graduated at Hamilton College 
 in 1843, was admitted as an attorne_\- and 
 counselor at law in Ma\', 1S48, and has 
 since practiced his profession at Truxton. 
 His only son, Eudorus C, graduated at j 
 Cornell University in 1882 with the degree ! 
 of B. Sc, with mathematics as a specialty, 
 and for the last two }-ears has been the in- 
 structor in mathematics and the sciences in i 
 the Morgan Park Militar\' Academy at 
 Morgan Park, Illinois. 
 
 Alexander Lansing came from Schenec- 
 tady, N. Y., in 181 1, and located on lot 13, 
 where J. O. Wicks now li\-es, and came to 
 the \-illage in 1861, where he died in 1862. 
 When he first came to the town he dug a 
 well on his farm, in which he found a live 
 frog in a stone which he had broken open. 
 His son, Peter Lansing, became a candidate 
 for governor of Nebraska in 1880 on the 
 Greenback ticket, but was defeated. 
 
 Henry Patrick, a native of Vermont, 
 came to Truxton about the year 181 5, and 
 settled near the town line. He had a tan- 
 nery at the State bridge and followed that 
 business for many years. He died in 1862, 
 seventy- two years old. His second wife 
 was Miss Clara Keeler, a daughter of 
 Joseph Keeler, said to be the second settler 
 
 in the town. De Witt Patrick, liis son, was 
 born in 1828, and was married to Sabra 
 Risley in 1849. He has but one daughter, 
 Mrs. Albert Stevens, of tlie firm of Stevens 
 & Cornic, and but one son, who is now of 
 the firm of Hilton & Patrick. 
 
 In 1 8 14 Asa Babcock, who was originally 
 from Rhode Island, came in from Madison 
 county and engaged in mercantile trade, 
 which he continued for a period of forty- 
 three years. He was also postmaster for a 
 long term, the office being located where 
 it is at the present time. 
 
 Asa Campbell was a native of Hampden 
 county, Mass., and settled at Cheningo in 
 1816. Stephen Ambler came in from New 
 Berlin and located on lot 83 in 1818, pur- 
 chasing 112 acres. He was one of the 
 leading men of the town, a successful far- 
 mer and a prominent member of the Pres- 
 byterian society. 
 
 Freeman Schermerhorn, a worth}- citizen 
 of Tru.xton, was married to his present wife, 
 N. Libbie Radway, October 25th, i876,-and 
 is the father of four children, viz. : George 
 W. (b)- former wife), Lizzie, \'ernie and 
 Nettie, children by his present wife. 
 
 Mr. Schermerhorn was a soldier in the 
 late war, a sergeant of Co. G, 76th regiment, 
 from Sept. 21st, 1861, to Dec, 1862. He 
 was taken sick after the battle of Bull Run, 
 and afterwards honorablj' dismissed from 
 the service. He has been a prominent offi- 
 cial member of the Baptist church since 
 1866. 
 
 Rev. Thomas Purinton, the eminent 
 divine of this town, came here in 1822 and 
 located .on lot 21, where he remained 
 twenty-five years. His son-in-law. Alien 
 B. Smith, now of Cortland, came from 
 Colerain, P"ranklin count)-, Mass., in 1837 
 and located on lot 21. He was a success- 
 ful farmer, but after remaining on his farm 
 sixteen years, he removed to Cortland, 
 where he engaged in the hardware trade. 
 
Town of Tkuxton. 
 
 381 
 
 He married his second wife, Miss Carrie 
 Rindge, daughter of Scepta Rindgc, in 
 1859. 
 
 These were the principal pioneeis who 
 left the permanent impress (jf their work 
 upon what was before an unbroken wilder- 
 ness in this town. Looking at its present 
 aspect as one of the most thrifty and pros- 
 perous farming districts in the count}', neat 
 farm houses thick!)- scattered throughout 
 the town, with a lively business center in 
 their midst, it is q_uite safe to assume that the 
 hardy pioneers whose settlements we have 
 noted "builded better than they knew." 
 
 Milling, etc. — The streams of Truxton 
 furnished man)- excellent mill sites to the 
 early inhabitants, a number of which were 
 made available for different purposes. 
 There are now in the town two grist-mills 
 (there were five at one period), a number of 
 steam saw-mills, several factories and other 
 manufacturing works. 
 
 The first grist-mill in the town was 
 erected by Joseph Sweetland, on lot 94; it 
 was the one already referred to as being 
 covered with elm bark. It is not known in 
 just what year it was built, but it was sold 
 to Increase M. Hooker not much later than 
 1 800 and passed from him to his son, who 
 rebuilt it in 1S16. In the course of time it 
 became the property of George Pond, and 
 finally passed into the hands of the present 
 owner, Kirtland C. Arnold, who bought it 
 in October, 1S74, paying for it the hand- 
 some sum of $10,000. 
 
 The second grist-mill in the town was 
 erected in 1809, by Jonah Stiles and Alvin 
 Pease, on the site afterward occupied b}- 
 the wool exchange. In 18 10 they erected 
 a carding-machine. 
 
 A Mr. Hitchcock built a saw- mill on the 
 opposite side of the stream at -an early day, 
 taking his water from the same dam. This 
 mill was running when A. B. Smith came 
 to the town in 1837, and is still in operation. 
 
 The plank for several miles of the old Syra- 
 cuse and Cortland plank road were sawed 
 at this mill. Other mills and manufactories 
 will be alluded to in the historj' of the vil- 
 lage further on. 
 
 After the organization of the town, April 
 8th, 1808, the first town meeting was held 
 at the house of Charles Stewart, and re- 
 sulted in the selection of Charles Stewart 
 for supervisor, and Reuben Risley for town 
 clerk. The records of this town are incom- 
 plete and we ha\-e been unable to obtain a 
 list of the supervisors and town clerks. Dr. 
 J. C. Nelson, the present supervisor, has 
 held the office of supervisor continuously 
 since 1872. 
 
 The present officers of the town are as 
 follows : — 
 
 Supervisor — J. C. Nelson. 
 
 Town clerk — John O'Donnell. 
 
 Commissioner of highwa\-s — Daniel J. 
 Hartnett. 
 
 Assessors — Patrick O'Donnell, L. L. 
 Schellinger, M. Wiegand. 
 
 Overseer of the poor — Jeremiah O'Con- 
 nor. 
 
 Collector — O. J. Kinney. 
 
 Constables — Llewellyn Perry, J. P. Vin- 
 cent, Josiah McChesney, Charles Bosvvorth, 
 O. J. Kinne\-. 
 
 Excise commissioners — James L. God- 
 dard, Dennis Collins, David Wallace. 
 
 Inspectors — Tiler W. Pierce, John Nott, 
 and Alvorado Lansing. 
 
 Justices of the peace — Charles Hayes, 
 Alvorado Lansing and G. H. Towle. 
 
 At the breaking out of the Rebellion the 
 town of Truxton showed her patriotic in- 
 clinations by prompt and liberal offers of 
 men and means in support of the govern- 
 ment. The following list shows the names 
 of the men who entered the service from 
 the town under the different calls for troops 
 and who were paid bounties, with the 
 amount in each case: — 
 
382 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Call of October 17th, 1S63. Hoiinty, 
 $300. Total, $13,800. — John J. Dodd, 
 F.dward Dodd, Hiram Hall. John I'. White. 
 John R. Babcock, Henry Jones, Charles 
 Knight, William H. Gable, William Laing, 
 John Kline, Main E. Cooke, James W. 
 Howry, Isaiah Marshal, John Milton, Chas. 
 Morgan, George W. Steel, John Smith, 
 Barney Riley, Charles Kirby, Daniel O'Niel, 
 James Cranne)-, Sylvanus V.. Parker, John 
 Leng, Frederick J. Carver, William Tillman, 
 William Habden, James Haulman, Peter 
 Voung, Henr\' Faruell, Philip Flanders, 
 John Da}-, James Clark, George H. Acker- 
 man, Charles E. Whitmore, Henry Bonney, 
 William Armstrong, John Riley, George 
 Robinson, Edward E. Nelson, I'^dward Fe- 
 gan, Lewis Smith, George Chapman, Joiin 
 White, William Henderson, James McCar- 
 thy, William P. P\ne. 
 
 Call of July i8th, 1864. Bounty, $600; 
 $300 paid to se\en ; $700 to two ; $500 to 
 one. Total, $13,300. Brokerage, $600. — 
 James H. Washburn, Theodore J. Purde- 
 baugh, Samuel R. Pierce, Henry D. Clark, 
 Albert Haynes, Harvey Dutcher, Erastus 
 A. Reed, Daniel Jones, James Cain, John 
 Morris, Egbert E. Palmer, Lucian B. Ran- 
 dall, James Steel, jr., Isaac Dobinson, Le\i 
 S. Henry, Oren W. Munroe, Andrew J. 
 Neff, Benjamin L. Neff, Herbert C. Rora- 
 paugh, George W. Smith, Chester Wood, 
 W'illiam B. Greenleaf, Cahin Lane, W'illiam 
 H. Ayrisworth, Albert S\l\ester, John 
 Shaver. 
 
 Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
 calls of October 17th, 1863, and February 
 and March, 1864, $13,800; paid for filling 
 quota, call of July i8th, 1864, $13,900. 
 Grand total, $27,700. 
 
 VILLAGES. 
 
 The pretty village of Truxton is situated 
 near the center of the town on the line of 
 tlie Utica, Ithaca and Elmira Railroad, and 
 
 has a population of about three hundretl. 
 It contains three churches, two hotels, sev- 
 eral stores, shops, etc. 
 
 Stephen Hedges is said to ha\e been the 
 first merchant in Truxton. The second 
 store was built b\^ Asa Babcock in 1814. 
 It stood just in rear of the one now owned 
 b\- J. C. Wiegand, and was rebuilt b\- Mr. 
 Babcock in 1834, who continued mercan- 
 tile business here until 1857, a period of 
 forty-three years. He then sold out to S. 
 Goddard, who conducted the store until 
 1878, when Mr. Wiegand purchased the 
 business. While Mr. Goddard was in pos- 
 session he refurnished the store and changed 
 its character to a drug store. 
 
 Mr. Goddard came to the village in 1828, 
 at which time both Asa and Gideon C. 
 Babcock were merchants here. The latter 
 was located in an old building afterward 
 used as a tin shop, and which has been re- 
 paired and fitted up for a dwelling by J. C. 
 Wiegand. Gideon Babcock was succeeded 
 by Thomas Osborne, John Ferguson, John 
 Trowbridge and Chauncey Hicock, all of 
 whom kept the general stock of goods 
 usually sold in countrj- stores. Mr. Hicock, 
 the last merchant in the old store, died in 
 1844. 
 
 The store at present occupied b\- E. B. 
 Lincoln & Co. was built by S. Goddard in 
 1 836 for a wagon shop ; it was used as such 
 up to 1854 and then sold to Geo. W. Bliss, 
 who turned it into a store, where he did 
 business until 1 868 ; the store was then 
 leased to Leander Maycumber, and in 1883 
 to the present proprietors. 
 
 Mr. Goddard is a native of \\'indham 
 county, Vt., where he was born in 181 i. 
 He was engaged in the manufacture of car- 
 riages from 1828 (the date of his arrival in 
 Truxton) until 1857. His work acquired 
 an excellent reputation and he not only 
 made many of the first carriages used in 
 the count}-, but shipped man}- to the East 
 
Town ok Truxton. 
 
 383 
 
 and to the far West. Besides his career as 
 a manufacturer and merchant, he has filled 
 the office of supervisor of the tnwii several 
 terms. 
 
 The dry y;oods trade in Truxton is now 
 in the efficient hands of Hilton & Patrick 
 and E. B. Lincoln & Co., both of which 
 firms have creditable, thri\-in<j stores. Hil- 
 ton & Patrick succeeded E. P. Summers in 
 1883; the latter firm having traded there 
 since 1872. 
 
 The furniture trade was established b\- 
 A. L. Pomeroy before 1837 and was con- 
 tinued b}- him more than twenty-five years; 
 the store was then conducted b}- Albert 
 Fierce one year and subsequently by T. I. 
 Woodward, the present proprietor, who 
 took it in 1878. 
 
 Blacksmithiny was carried on in the \il- 
 lage at an early day by \\'illiam Jones, who 
 continued it for many years and became 
 quite wealth)-. He also manufactured 
 wagons quite extensively, emp!o\-ing often 
 from twenty to thirt}' hands. He was 
 burned out and on the site of his works 
 erected a nice house and barn. Thomas 
 Dodd, George Crofoot and Dennis Collins 
 are the blacksmiths of the village at the 
 present time. 
 
 The butter firkin and tub factor}', now 
 under the management of Stevens & Con- 
 nie, was established in 1876 by Skeel & 
 Connie ; it is an industr\' of importance, 
 emploj'ing quite a number of hands. The 
 business is carried on in a building which 
 was formerly used by Skeel & Bryant for 
 a flouring- mill. The present proprietors 
 also own a steam saw-mill which is operated 
 in connection with the factor)-. 
 
 The grist-mill in the village was built by 
 O. J. Kenney & Son in 1881 and is still 
 operated b\- them. 
 
 In later years the dair\ ing interest has 
 developed in this region until it is one of 
 the first imnnitance anion" farmers. This 
 
 fact led to the erection of cheese factories 
 in different parts of the town. The Trux- 
 ton cheese factory, situated about half a 
 mile east of the village and now owned by 
 William McAdam, was built just prior to 
 the last war b\' Moses Kenne)-. Another 
 factory is owned by Chauncey Stevens, 
 three miles north of here. 
 
 The grocery trade was first carried on as 
 a separate business by Chapman & Bos- 
 worth, some time before the last war. J. O. 
 Connor & Co. began trade in 1876, in the 
 building erected by Mr. Goddard in 1826. 
 
 The first hardware store in the village 
 was kept in 1844 b\- D. Carr. It was after- 
 wards located in a building which has since 
 been changed and is now used as a dwell- 
 ing b)- J. C. Wiegand. The business was 
 established by a Mr. Dr\er about the year 
 1855 in a small wa)-, in connection with a 
 work-shop in that line. Knapp & Kinney 
 succeeded in 1868 and continued until 1871, 
 when the firm became Kinney & Son (H. 
 M. & M. E. Kinney) who built the present 
 store in 1876. The large store is kept well 
 stocked and the firm ha\e a large country 
 patronage. 
 
 The drug trade was probabh" confined to 
 the practicing physicians until McKay & 
 Nelson began the business about the )'ear 
 1850. S. Goddard purchased the stock in 
 1857, enlarged it and carried on the busi- 
 ness until succeeded by K. C. Arnold & 
 Bros., and then by J. C. Wiegand. 
 
 The tailoring business was established 
 here by A. H. McKay before 1838 ; he also 
 kept a small stock of ready-made clothing, 
 but continued only a few years, when he 
 sold out to Miss Winne, who established the 
 milliner)- business. Mrs. C. A. Davenport 
 has traded in this line since the spring of 
 1883. 
 
 About the )-ear i860 Wm. Beatie con- 
 verted a building on lot 21 into a cheese 
 factor)- which was quite largel)- patronized 
 
384 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 for a niinibcr of \'cars. He also had brancli 
 factories from which he brought the curd 
 to this central factory. He still runs the 
 establishment. 
 
 The first post-office in Tru.vtoii village 
 was in charge of Stephen Hedges, wlio has 
 alread}' been alluded to as one of the prom- 
 inent early pioneers. Dr. John Miller was 
 postmaster from 1 805 for a period of twenty- 
 five years. Asa Kabcock became post- 
 master in 1837 and held the office until his 
 deatli. Alanson Coats was postmaster a 
 few years. It is now in charge of J. C. 
 Wiegand. 
 
 Lawyers. — The first lawyers to open an 
 office in Truxton were Messrs. Palmer & 
 Williams. Their office was in a building 
 which is still standing just north of the site 
 of the old hotel, which was burned. 
 
 Alanson Coats was probably the next 
 lawyer. He served in the War of 18 12 and 
 came to Truxton in 181 8, where he followed 
 the mercantile business a number of years. 
 He then studied law in the office of Palmer 
 & Williams and in 1836 began practice, 
 which he continued up to 1852 or 1853, 
 going then to Syracuse. A few years later 
 he removed to Homer, where he died in 
 1865. 
 
 Amos L. Kenney is the i:)resent lawyer 
 in the village. He studied with Mr. Coats 
 in 1842 and 1843. 
 
 Physicians. — The first physician in the 
 town and village of Truxton was John Mil- 
 ler, who came to the place in 1801, locating 
 on lot 93. He practiced his profession 
 twent)'-five )'ears and died in 1862. He 
 was postmaster in 1805 and retained that 
 office for twenty-five years ; was justice of 
 the peace from 18 12 to 1821 and one of 
 the county judges from 18 17 to 1820 ; was 
 elected a Member of Assembly in 1816, in 
 1820 and again in 1846. In 1826-27 he 
 represented his district in Congress. He 
 was elected an honorary member of the 
 
 State Medical Society in 1808 and at his 
 death was the oldest member. Dr. Miller 
 was a man of marked character, unswerving 
 integrity and one of the most useful citizens 
 of Cortland comity during its early years. 
 
 Dr. Azariel Blanchard, a brother of Wm. 
 Hlanchard, of Cuyler, came here soon after 
 the War of 1812 and remained until 1 844, 
 when he removed to Wisconsin, where he 
 died in 1878. 
 
 Dr. Eli Cook bought out Di-. Blanchard 
 and remained in the \illage eight or ten 
 }'ears. 
 
 Dr. Judsun C. Nelson, a graduate of the 
 Geneva Medical College (1848), came here 
 in 1851-52 and has been the leading phy- 
 sician since that time, with the exception 
 of three years in the arm\- as regimental 
 surgeon, and two terms as Member of As- 
 sembly — 1876 and 1883. He has also 
 been supervisor of the town several times. 
 
 The first hotel in the village was opened 
 by Thomas Buell in 1808. 
 
 There were two hotels in Truxton village 
 in 1828, when S. Goddard moved to the 
 place. The first was kept by L. L. Merrill 
 and was known as the Mansion House. He 
 kept it until about 1845, wfien he removed 
 tt) a farm in the town. The liouse was 
 burned about the \'ear 1867. 
 
 The second hotel was located about 
 twenty rods from the one above described, 
 and was kept by Arnold Hicock, who was 
 succeeded b)' Abel Perr)-, an eastern man. 
 He sold it to Wm. Jones in 1842, who con- 
 verted it into a dwelling. It was burned 
 about the year 1850. 
 
 The Stearns Hotel was formerh- a dwell- 
 ing and owned by Enoch Benedict, but was 
 changeil into a hotel b)' Abijah Pierce. 
 Rial Schellinger owned it afterwards sev- 
 eral \ears. After him came John Hills, 
 B. F. Stearns (1872) and C. H. Smith, the 
 present proprietor, in Januarj-, 1882. 
 
 The Ryan Hotel was built by Asa God- 
 
Town of Truxton. 
 
 385 
 
 dard in 1826 ; a portion of it was used by a 
 Mr. \'an Allen as a store and a portion as a 
 dwellinij. During the late war it was trans- 
 formed into a hotel by Geoi;ge Pond. He 
 kept it but a short time, and was followed 
 by I. Rogers, John Wheeler, A. L. Pome- 
 roy, James H. Ashby and the present pro- 
 prietor, M. R}'an, who took charge of it in 
 March, 1882. 
 
 The early hotels in the country places 
 received perhaps a more liberal patronage 
 than in later years. The roads were trav- 
 eled in such localities by numerous stage 
 coaches, and all the merchandise and stock 
 for manufacturers were brought in by teams, 
 all of which made business at the hotels. 
 
 Tru.x'ton was isolated from railroad com- 
 munication until the building of the Utica, 
 Ithaca and Elmira road. The consumma- 
 tion of this undertaking was of great bene- 
 fit to the town at large and will undoubtedly 
 be still more beneficial in the future. The 
 village is thrifty and the inhabitants are im- 
 bued with the belief that theirs is not one 
 of the places that is to be killed by the con- 
 struction of a railroad and the consequent 
 diversion of business to other points. 
 
 Churches. — This town was visited at a 
 very early day by itinerant missionaries and 
 public worship was begun in 1801 under 
 the leadership of the Re\\ Hugh W'allis. 
 In 181 1 a Congregational Church was or- 
 ganized, consisting of twenty-one members, 
 by Rev. Wm. J. Wilco.v, assisted b_\- the 
 Rev. John Da\enport and Re\-. Joseph 
 Avery, a missionar}- from Massachusetts. 
 At the time of the organization of the 
 church, or soon after. Rev. Mr. Jewell be- 
 gan laboring with the church as stated 
 supply, and continued for some time. He 
 was succeeded by Rev. Oliver Hitchcock 
 in 1 81 3 and he by Rev. Mathew Harrison 
 in 1 8 14. How long Mr. Harrison con- 
 tinued with the church we are not informed. 
 In 1819 Rev. Ezra Woodworth supplied 
 
 the church and was succeeded the follow- 
 ing year by Rev. Caleb Clark, then a licen- 
 tiate preacher. On the 5th day of June, 
 1833, Mr. Clark was ordained and installed 
 
 j pastor of the church, which position he 
 held until the 15th of April, 1850. Since 
 
 I that time Re\-. Charles K. Averj-, Rev. 
 John N. Lewis and Rev. Huntington Ly- 
 man have scverall}' been connected with 
 the church as stated supplies. Rev. Wm. 
 T. Doubleday was the stated supply in 
 1848 and remained between two and three 
 
 I years. In 1813 the church was connected 
 
 ! with the Presbytery of Onondaga and was 
 transferred to the Presbytery of Cortland 
 upon the creation of that body. The 
 church enjoyed a revival in 1820, when 
 sixty-seven were added to its membershi]). 
 In 1825 there were 106 members in the 
 
 : society and in 1837 it reported 188. Its 
 ministers were always supported without 
 foreign aid and a comfortable and com- 
 modious house of worship was erected in 
 1820, 62 by 44 feet. The average attend- 
 ance at public worship in 1850 was about 
 175; but from that time the membership 
 began to decrease for various reasons until 
 at the present time there is scarcely more 
 than an organization. The trustees are 
 George Bliss, D. Carr and D. S. Severance. 
 The Methodist PIpiscopal society was or- 
 ganized in October, 1879, since which time 
 public services have been held in a build- 
 ing the use of which was secured for that 
 purpose. W. A. York and at the present 
 time T. F. Harris, who visits the place at 
 stated periods from Hast Homer, have 
 ministered to the societ)-. Stephen Pat- 
 rick is class-leader, and F. I. Woodward, 
 Nelson Haskins, Dr. Frank Haskins and 
 Stephen Patrick are stewards. 
 
 The first Baptist Church in the town and 
 village was organized by Rc\'. Rufus P"ree- 
 man in 1806. Mr. Freeman came from 
 Colerain, Mass., and was a preacher in that 
 
386 
 
 lisioRv OF Cortland County. 
 
 place. The cluircli edifice was erected in 
 1818. Rev. Thomas Purinton, one of the 
 ablest ministers the Baptist church ever had 
 in Cortland county, came also from Cole- 
 rain, Mas.s., in 1822, and located on a farm 
 on lot 21, where he continued to live for 
 many years. He had studied medicine 
 under Dr. Ross, of Colerain, but upon 
 making ready to begin practice was con- 
 verted, when he took a theoloj^ical course 
 of stud}- and after being licensed to preach 
 remained in the ministry for a term of years 
 before coming westward. He followed 
 farming in Tru.xton, preaching at different 
 surrounding points. It was then his custom 
 to preach twice on the Sabbatli in the 
 church in the village, and on Sabbath even- 
 ing in some school-house in another part of 
 the town, and on Thursdaj- evening again 
 in some other remote place in the large old 
 town, which was ten miles square. Mr. 
 Purinton received as salary $200 a year 
 for the first twenty \'ears of his ministr\-, 
 and was paid by subscription in cash or 
 produce, as was most conxenient and satis- 
 factor\- to his people. It was Mr. Purin- 
 ton's custom to always ask for the subscrip- 
 tion paper after it had circulated, which he 
 would lot)k o\er and after the names of those 
 whom he considered unable to pay, would 
 write the word "arranged;" with such per- 
 sons their subscriptions were considered as 
 ".settled." The rate of postage on letters 
 was twenty-fi\e cents, and it is said that 
 Mr. Purinton did not recei\-e sufficient cash 
 
 to pay postage on the letters which his call- 
 ing compelled him to write. After twenty 
 1 years of hard and unselfish service in the 
 ' church, his salary was raised to $300 a year, 
 and so it remained during the succeeding 
 five years, which was the remainder of his 
 stay in Truxton. After all of this long and 
 faithful service, a curious record was left 
 regarding his work. The church was de- 
 sirous of extending to Brother Purinton a 
 vote of thanks for his untiring efforts to 
 promote the cause of religion; this was ac- 
 cordingly done — he was "voted thanks" 
 for his faithfulness; but the clerk, in record- 
 ing the matter, must have become confused, 
 for he wrote — "Brother Purinton was ex- 
 horted to greater faithfulness " in the cause 
 of Christ. This good man was followed 
 among others b\' Rev. Luke Davis, two 
 years ; Rev. William McCarth\-, four \ears; 
 Rev. E. D. Reed, eight years ; Rev. A. P. 
 Graves, two years ; Rev. S. C. Ainsworth, 
 eight years; Re\-. Mr. Taylor, two \-ears ; 
 Rev. A. M. Bennett, five years ; Rev. W. 
 F. Wakefield, two years; Rev. F. H. Gates, 
 a year and a half and the Rev. J. A. Rich, 
 who took charge of tlie church in Februar}-, 
 1 882. and remained until March, 1884. The 
 deacons are Hosea M. Kenney and Henry 
 McKe\itt. rile last named succeeded 
 Deacon Freeman Schermerhorn, who held 
 this position from 1865 until 1883. 
 
 The membership of the church was 200 
 in 1869. It is now something less than 
 fiftv. 
 
Town of Cuyler. 
 
 387 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 IlISIiiRN' OK TIIK TOWX nK (TVLKR. 
 
 THE town of Cuyler is situated in the 
 extreme northeastern part of the coun- 
 ty. It was formed from tlic town of Trux- 
 ton on the i8tli of November, 1858, and 
 was the last town erected in Cortland 
 county. 
 
 The surface of the town is broken, con- 
 sisting largel}' of hilly uplands, excellently 
 adapted for grazing. The principal stream 
 is the east branch of the Tioughnioga river, 
 which flows diagonally across the town, en- 
 tering near the northeast corner and cross- 
 ing the eastern boundary near its center. 
 The Onondaga branch of the river is its 
 largest tributary, and flows directly south 
 from Kenney's Settlement. The other 
 streams of the town are small brooks, most 
 of them tributar}' to the Tioughnioga, and 
 generally of clear, wholesome water. 
 
 Muncy Hill, near the center of the town, 
 is the highest land. The town comprises 
 27,58i-f- acres of land, with an assessed val- 
 uation of $15.04 per acre. The soil on the 
 hills is a yellow loam with a clay subsoil ; in 
 the valleys it is a light, sandy loam, mixed 
 with alluvial deposit. 
 
 As before stated, the town of Truxton 
 originally embraced that of Cuyler. The 
 first settlement made in that territory was 
 in the year 1793. Prior to that date the 
 region was a favorite home of the bear, the 
 panther, the wolf and the deer, which 
 roamed in great numbers o\-er its hills, 
 through its gorges and along its streams, 
 in blissful ignorance of the coming crusade 
 of the white man. The first house erected 
 in that broad domain was called " Home," 
 a name significant of approaching civiliza- 
 tion, and the beginning of an era of prog- 
 ress. 
 
 The first settlement within the present 
 limits of the town of Cuyler was made in 
 the year 1794, when Nathaniel Potter, 
 Christopher Whitne\', David Morse and 
 Benjamin Brown came in. Samuel C. Ben- 
 edict had then occupied lot number 12 for 
 one year, during which period he was mon- 
 arch of all, and more, than he surveyed. 
 F"rench traders may have visited the lands 
 in this section at an earlier period, coming 
 in from Onondaga or Madison county ; but 
 if so, there was no trace of them left, nor 
 anything to indicate to the first settler of 
 whom we have any record that he was not 
 the onl}' white man who had thus far pene- 
 trated this wilderness. 
 
 Nathaniel Potter came from Saratoga 
 county, N. Y., in the spring of 1794. The 
 family consisted of himself, his wife and an 
 infant daughter five weeks old. Mr. Potter 
 settled on lot 96, paying one dollar and ten 
 cenjs an acre for his land. He built a small 
 house near the State bridge. The reader 
 of to-day finds it difficult to realize the 
 privations and hardships to which the ear- 
 liest settlers in the remote parts of this 
 county were subjected. A bit of Mr. Pot- 
 ter's experience may aid in such realization. 
 ! Penelope Potter, the infant before alluded 
 to, was born in 1793, a little prior to the 
 removal of her parents to their wilderness 
 home. In one year after their arrival the 
 mother died, it being the first death in that 
 town. Mr. Potter was then compelled to 
 go a distance of four miles for assistance in 
 performing the last sad rites (and doubh- 
 sad under those circumstances) over the re- 
 mains of his dead companion. Returning, 
 he found the infant child nestled close to 
 the breast of its departed mother, as was 
 
388 
 
 History of Cortland County, 
 
 its wont wliin satisfyiiis^ its hunger. The 
 dead at such times had but few mourners; 
 but none can tloubt tlieir depth of grief; 
 and tlie preparations for interment were 
 necessarily of tlie sim[)lest kind. The coflfin 
 for Mrs. Potter's remains was constructed in 
 part from the door of the house, that furnish- 
 ing the only suitable boards then available. 
 
 In the year 1798, the children of Mr. 
 Potter were entirely bereft, the father being 
 killed in the month of July b\- the falling 
 of a tree. His little boy, then about five 
 years old, was with him at the time of the 
 unfortunate event. Mrs. Joseph Keeler 
 was the first to find the body, mangled and 
 crushed under a large tree. She kindly ad- 
 ministered to his wants as best she could ; 
 water, for which he asked, was brought to 
 him in his hat, there being no other means 
 at hand. 
 
 The little daughter, Penelope Potter, al- 
 ways resided on her father's land, in the 
 homestead, and died there. Owing to some 
 defect in the title to the farm (a common 
 occurrence in those days), she bought and 
 paid for the land a second time. In 18 10 
 she was married to Nathaniel Patrick, b\- 
 whom she had fourteen children, one of 
 whom was the Hon. Stephen Patrick, of the 
 town of Tru.xton. 
 
 David Morse came from New Ierse\- 
 and settled on lot 87, which embraced the 
 site of the present village of Cuyler. He 
 was a Revolutionary soldier, and drew this 
 lot as a bounty. He was a successful farmer, 
 and became a prominent member of the 
 Methodist church at a later period. His 
 two sons, David and Joseph Morse, located 
 on the same lot. His grandson, William 
 A. Morse, now owns and occupies the house 
 he built. 
 
 James Lock wood came with Mr. Morse, 
 from Pennsylvania. They came up the 
 Tioughnioga river in a canoe, and then took 
 an ox team to their destination. 
 
 Heiijamin Hrow n also came in during the 
 year 1795. He was a nati\e of Connecticut, 
 and selected lot 57, becoming the first set- 
 tler in the Kenne)- Settlement neighborhood. 
 Benjamin Hroun, his grandson, well known 
 as one of the early teachers of the town, 
 became a very successful agriculturist, and 
 gained the reputation of an enterprising and 
 worthy citizen. 
 
 Isaac Brown settled on lot 99, about the 
 year 1806, where his son, I. N. Brown, now 
 resides. 
 
 Zebediah Gates located on lot 88, in the 
 year 1807, where his son, Elias, now li\es ; 
 he was a native of Colerain, Mass. 
 
 Joseph and Martin Keeler, brothers, set- 
 tled on lot 96, about the year 1797, near 
 the present residence of Nelson Keeler, who 
 is a grandson of Martin. 
 
 Jesse Blanchard located on lot 66 in the 
 year 1798. \\'ith him came his brother 
 William ; the\- married the sisters of 
 Amasa, ITber, Job and Silas Whitmarsh, 
 who also migrated the same year from Ver- 
 mont and settled on lot J"]. Azariel Blan- 
 chard, father of Je.sse and William Blan- 
 chard, was a soldier in the Re\'olutionar_\' 
 War and in all probabilit}- drew this lot as 
 his bounty. He also participated, under 
 General Stark, in the War of 1812, and 
 died in 1818, aged eighty-two years. 
 
 In order to enjoy a feast of white bread, 
 Jesse Blanchard carried a sack of wheat to 
 .Manlius, tweiit)' miles awa\- ; that was then 
 the nearest grist-mill. He made the jour- 
 ney on foot, carr)-ing the sack of wheat 
 and guided onl\' by marked trees. When 
 he or his family needed medical aid he went 
 to Fabius. general!}- carrying his musket 
 and, if benighted on the way, a firebrand 
 with which to tlefend himself against the 
 numerous wolves. Jesse Blanchard tlied in 
 1847, aged eighty-two years. 
 
 William Blanchard took part in the War 
 of 1812, anil uiKin his return to Cu\'ler 
 
Town of Cuyler. 
 
 389 
 
 followed his trade of blacksmith. He was 
 a skillful mechanic, the first in that business 
 in the village and kept his smith)- for man\- 
 years. He learneil his trade of Ale.xander 
 Little, who seems to have been a pioneer 
 blacksmith in or near Cuyler ; but of him 
 we have been unable to procure data. 
 William Blanchard was for a time postmas- 
 ter of Cuyler ; was elected assessor several 
 terms; was justice of the peace a number 
 of times and was honored with other posi- 
 tions of trust, all of which he filled with 
 credit and ability. Dr. Blanchard, the emi- 
 nent plnsician and surgeon, who died in 
 Milwaukie in 1871, was a son of Jesse Blan- 
 chard ; he was for many years previous to 
 his death totallj- blind. 
 
 Charles Vincent settled on lot /S in 
 1806. James Vincent had preceded him 
 si.x N'ears. Henry Vincent, son of Charles, 
 still lives at the advanced age of eighty- four 
 years, retaining to a remarkable degree his 
 physical strength and mental faculties. 
 
 Daniel Page settled on lot 79, where the 
 \\'idow Hinds now lives 
 
 James Dorwood, from Rhinebeck, N. \'., 
 came into the town in 1806 and located on 
 lot 79. He was an ingenious and skillful 
 mechanic, and is said to have built the first 
 carding-machine in the State of New 
 York. He was a nati\'e of Scotland and 
 left his country when eighteen \-ears of 
 age to escape being forced into the army 
 of King George the Third. Huldah Dor- 
 wood lived to the great age of ninety-eight 
 years. 
 
 Jacob Hollenbeck and John Brown set- 
 tled on lot // in the year 1806— 08. 
 Thomas Fairbanks located on lot 60 in 
 1803, and Ephraim Fairbanks on land after- 
 ward occupied by Joseph L. Burdick, on lot 
 80; the farm was owned later b\- H. F. 
 Boyce. Simeon Feeney, William Wallace 
 and the two Webster families came in a few 
 vears before the War of 181 2, as did also 
 
 the Fox families ; but we have no farther 
 data concerning them. 
 
 Hon. Stephen Patrick came to Cuyler 
 with his parents in 1812, locating on lot 86. 
 His father was Nathaniel Patrick, who mar- 
 ried Penelope Potter, before alluded to, in 
 1 8 10. Mr. Patrick is a prominent citizen; 
 was in the employ of the Delaware and Hud- 
 son Canal Company from 1833 to 1839; 
 has held many minor positions of trust, and 
 in the j-ear 1866 represented Cortland 
 county in the Legislature. He is a success- 
 ful farmer and largely engaged in dairy- 
 
 Mr. Goodwin, in his Pioneer History of 
 Cortland County, refers to the struggles of 
 the pioneers in the procurement of food for 
 their families in the following language : 
 " The lu.xuries they enjoyed were the real 
 necessaries of subsistence. They dealt 
 only with the stern realities of life. The 
 follies of our times were unknown to the 
 primitive settlers. They studied nature as 
 she really was, rather than as what they 
 would have her to be. When success had 
 so far crowned their laborious efforts as to 
 enable them to spare a portion of their prod- 
 ucts, they did not deem it a hard task to 
 place the scanty surplus on an ox-sled and 
 taking an Indian trail, or such road as had 
 been cut through the wilderness b>' wan- 
 dering emigrants, and thus trudge on from 
 day to day until they reached Utica, 
 Whitestown, or Herkimer, where they ex- 
 changed their load for the substantial of 
 the farm and the kitchen. This exchange 
 did not then, as in these days of refinement, 
 consist of satins, silks and laces for their 
 daughters, but in a few \-ards of linsey-wool- 
 sey, an ax, bush-hook, grubbing-hoe, and 
 last, though not least, a half pound of old 
 Bohea, which was alwa\-s received by the 
 happ}' matron with a smile." 
 
 One of the chief obstacles always en- 
 countered by the early settlers and which 
 
390 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 caused them often great annoj-ance and 
 loss, was the depredations of wild beasts. 
 Wolves were the most numerous and troub- 
 lesome. Thouj^di great cowards in day- 
 light, under cover of the nights they would 
 come down from the forest-covered hill- 
 sides in this town to prey upon the farmer's 
 sheep-fold, and only those which were care- 
 fully and substantially fenced were safe from 
 the ravenous beasts. The deep gorges and 
 densely wooded hillsides of Cuyler afforded 
 favorite haunts for these cowardly beasts, 
 where they gathered in droves, as was their 
 wont, to go on their nightly raids. It was 
 common for them to set up their concerted 
 bowlings at about sunset, and soon the dis- 
 tant hillsides and the deep valleys would 
 resound with their blended voices, discord- 
 ant in themsches, and jet possessing a 
 sort of wild, weird melody, to which old 
 settlers often revert with pleasant memories. 
 But when the hour for their depredation on 
 a sheep-fold arrived, their instinct prompted 
 them to still their voices and they stealthily 
 crept to the scene of their plunder ; luckily 
 for the farmer if they did not kill and carry 
 oft" his last sheep. The bounty offered for 
 killing wolves was always a considerable 
 one in pioneer days, and the settlers some- 
 times eked out their slender incomes by 
 killing the brutes. John Hooker, of Cuy- 
 ler, on one occasion, after having a cow 
 killed by them, excavated a deep pit to en- 
 trap them, suitably baited it and had the 
 satisfaction of catching seven ; he received 
 a bounty of about forty dollars. 
 
 The first death in the town of Cu\-ler was 
 that of Susannah Potter, in June, 1795 ; 
 and the first birth was that of her son, which 
 occurred about four months prior to her 
 death. 
 
 Wanton Corey and Deborah Morse (the 
 former eighteen j-ears of age and the latter 
 seventeen) were the first couple married in 
 the town. The event occurred in May, 
 
 1806. Mr. Corey died in 1 881, at the 
 advanced age of ninety-fi\e years. Gar- 
 ret Lockwood and Irene Culver were 
 married at about the same time of Corey's 
 marriage. 
 
 The first school was taught in Daniel 
 Morse's log house by Jabez Keep, in 1800, 
 and about the same time Thomas Queens- 
 bury taught a school in HoUenbeck's barn 
 on lot "]"]. The first religious services were 
 held in Mr. Slingerland's barn on the same 
 lot. 
 
 Mills. — The early settlers in this region 
 seriously felt the absence of saw-mills and 
 grist-mills. With boards, which are always 
 comparative!)- cheap where timber is plent)-, 
 and a few common tools, the average pio- 
 neer could construct his house, rude though 
 it was, and out-buildings, and could pro- 
 vide his wife with many articles of conven- 
 ience for house-keeping ; but without them, 
 and with only his axe to depend upon for 
 the production of anj-thing bearing even the 
 semblance of a board, and with saw-mills 
 at long distances, the privation was a serious 
 one. And so with the grist-mill ; it was a 
 real necessity, and when it came within a 
 reasonable distance, displacing the primiti\e 
 enormous pestle, which was lifted up and 
 down in the mortar, made by hollowing out 
 the top of a hard wood stump, it was a 
 boon the value and convenience of which 
 are diflicult to realize at this day. 
 
 The first mill in the town of Cuyler was 
 built by John Corbet in 1803. This was a 
 saw-mill and it inidoubtedlj' found ample 
 business in a territorj- as heavih- timbered 
 as this was with hemlock, maple, basswood, 
 beech, cherry and white elm. Not very 
 long after this mill was built James Dor- 
 wood erected a carding- mill and grist-mill 
 on the same lot with Corbet ; it was prob- 
 ably the first carding-mill in the State and 
 was extensi\ely patronized. It afterward 
 passed into the hands of Tydaman Hull and 
 
Town of Cuyler. 
 
 391 
 
 his son George, who ran it until about i860, 
 when it was abandoned. 
 
 In 1805 Joseph Sweetland built near the 
 same site a grist-mill, which soon also passed 
 into the hands of the Hulls. It was an old- 
 fashioned water-power mill, with two runs 
 of stone, but sufficed for the custom work 
 of the vicinity. H. A. lilackman afterward 
 became its owner, and finally its present 
 owner, W. H. Seamans, bought it. 
 
 The second saw- mill in the town was 
 built by Judge Charles \'incent, on lot 78, 
 and was run by him until 1844. It was a 
 prominent mill in an early day and stood 
 about half a mile below the other one. It 
 changed hands a number of times and is 
 now in ruins. 
 
 The third mill was a grist-mill and saw- 
 mill together ; both were built by Ephraim 
 Griswold at the falls of Tripoli in a very 
 early day. The mill is now owned by A. 
 P. Spicer & Son, and has a good circular 
 saw and two runs of stone ; it is a good 
 country mill. 
 
 In addition to these mills which we have 
 mentioned, there were other early ones, but 
 they were generalh' small affairs, with in- 
 adequate water power, and have been long 
 since abandoned in favor of portable steam 
 saw-mills, now in common use. One of 
 these is now on the farm of 1\I. J. Keeler. 
 but will soon be removed to the village of 
 Cuyler ; it is owned by the Brown Broth- 
 ers, who are great-grandsons of Benjamin 
 Brown, one of the first settlers before 
 mentioned. 
 
 The dairying business has recei\ed more 
 attention in this town in late )-ears than 
 formerly and more than an)- other branch 
 of agriculture. In this respect the town of 
 Cuyler is not surpassed by any other part 
 of the county ; perhaps no other similar 
 portion of the State. The rich lowlands and 
 the excellent pasturage on the hillsides can- 
 not be excelled and the dairy products are 
 
 proportionately fine in quality and large in 
 quantity. 
 
 Silas Blanchard was the first to erect a 
 cheese factory in this town. It was built 
 about the year 1864, in the village ; a hun- 
 dred feet of the building is still in use. 
 The business is now owned b\- M. S. Allen 
 and managed by J. B. Howard. The pat- 
 ronage of this factory has been very large 
 at times, consuming the milk of a thousand 
 cows ; at other seasons it has been much 
 more limited. 
 
 The second butter and cheese factor}^ was 
 built on or near the line between Cuj-ler 
 and De Ruj-ter, Madison count}', about the 
 year 1875, by Lewis Sears. Since his pro- 
 prietorship, Edwin Saunders, A. Bucking- 
 ham and, at the present time, Mr. McAd- 
 ams have owned it. The factory receives 
 considerable patronage from both towns, 
 but it is not so large in capacity as others 
 in the town. 
 
 The factory at Kenne\- Settlement is of 
 still later origin. It was built and is now 
 managed by a compan)' and commands a 
 good patronage. 
 
 The Cuyler Hill Cheese Eactory Associa- 
 tion, organized about ten years ago, and the 
 Cold Spring cheese factory, located in the 
 south part of the town, are each doing a 
 moderate business. There are also several 
 dairies in the town, the products of which 
 rank high in the markets. 
 
 When the Rebellion broke out it found 
 this town ready with its sister towns of the 
 county to send her young men to the bat- 
 •tle-field in aid of the government and will- 
 ing to pa,\- them well for the hardship and 
 dangers they were to undergo. Special 
 town meetings were held in about the same 
 order and for similar purposes as those al- 
 ready described in the history of Homer, 
 and bounties were paid conforming with 
 those of the other towns. Eollowing is a 
 list of all the enlistments from the town of 
 
392 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 those who received bounties, witli other 
 details : — 
 
 Call of October 1 7th, 1 863. Bounty paid, 
 $300. Total bounties, $9,000. — Henry 
 Couch, liirani llills, Benjamin Austin, Al- 
 pha v. Culver, John Scott, Harlow I. Phil- 
 lips, William B. Mudge, William B. Weg- 
 gant, Michael Donnelly, Cornelius Steel, 
 Oscar H. Smith, Edmund O. Rice, John A. 
 Stewart, George Deitz, Charles LoUis, The- 
 odore Knapp, Isaac Brocket!, Loyd D. Cul- 
 ver, James Wilson, George Hopper, Chas. 
 Hall, Stephen Cornell, Stephen H. Vos- 
 burgh, Albert C. King, George Ridder, 
 George Ufford, David P. Rood, Charles 
 Van Wh\-, Azariah C. Torre\', Arvin N. 
 Albro. 
 
 Call of July iSth, 1864. Amount of 
 bounty, $700; except $600 to nine; $300 
 to two; $500 to one; and $650 to one. 
 Total bounties, $18,350 Total brokerage, 
 $700. — William H. Shaw, James A. Shaw, 
 Wm. D. Hakes, Thomas Edwards, Henry 
 Kreiga, David H. Lyon, Charles Mitchell, 
 John Beavers, Charles Nelson, Sebastian 
 Staff, Christ. Bender, John Sherman, De- 
 mus \\'alsh, Daniel Eoster, Ereman Day, 
 Peter Sanger, John R. Williams, Curry 
 Magnus, John Quinn, Thomas Williams, 
 Jacob Jacoba, Stephen R. Nye, John R. 
 Wells, Wesley Porter, George H. Green 
 Daniel Hennessy, Cyrus A. Smith, S. E. 
 Corwich, George Bromley. 
 
 Call of December 19th, 1864. Bount}- 
 paid, $400 ; except $600 to two. Total 
 bounty, $3,600. Total brokerage, $120. — 
 Geo. E. Willey, Samuel Johnson, Dewitt 
 C. Burch, Nelson Moore, N. Childs, Wm. 
 Hatless, Charles R. Lord, Ezra Stone. 
 
 Recapitulation. — Paid for filling cjuotas, 
 calls of October 17th, 1863, Eebruar_\- and 
 March, 1864, $9,000. Paid for filling quota, 
 call of July 18th, 1864, $19,050. Paid for 
 filling quota, call of December 19th, 1864, 
 $3,720. Grand total, $31,770. 
 
 The town of Cu)-ler was without railroad 
 communication until about the year 1870, 
 when the Midland road ran its branch (the 
 Auburn branch, so called) directly through 
 the town, giving it direct connection with 
 Cortland village on the south and Norwich 
 on the east. This road, although not yet 
 managed so satisfactorily as it undoubtedly 
 will be at no distant da)-, has been of great 
 advantage to the town. 
 
 The resolution to petition the Legislature 
 for an act to erect the town of Cuyler was 
 passed b)- the Board of Supervisors of the 
 county on the i8th of November, 1858, 
 and at the first town meeting the following 
 officers were elected : — 
 
 Supervisor — Lewis Sears. 
 
 Town clerk. — Alexander Dunce. 
 
 Justices of the peace — James Burdick, 
 Wait Besle}-, Daniel Fairbank. 
 
 Assessors — John A. Keene\', William 
 S. Merchant. 
 
 Commissioners of highways — Ezra Ben- 
 jamin, Henry Smith, Scabury B. Henry. 
 
 Overseers of the poor — Francis B. Al- 
 drich, Robert Grisvvold. 
 
 Inspectors of election — Warren A. Jones, 
 Horace Benjamin, Franklin Blanchard. 
 
 Collector — James Allen. 
 
 Constables — James Allen, Wm. I-'. Wall, 
 Ransom Fairbank, James Breed, Elisha 
 House. 
 
 Following is a list of the names of the 
 supervisors and town clerks, the supervisor's 
 name being given first in each instance : — 
 
 For the years 1859-60, Lewis Sears, 
 ' Alexander Dunce ; 1861 to 1864, inclusive, 
 Silas Blanchard, A. W. Dunbar; 1865, 
 Silas Blanchard, Gilbert S. Poole; i866, 
 Hiram Whitmarsh, Geo. F. Fairbank; 1867 
 to 1872, inclusive, Alexander Dunce, Wm. 
 Blanchard; 1873, Alexander Dunce, Geo. 
 F. Fairbank; 1874 to 1876, inclusive, 
 Alexander Dunce, Clarence N. Knapp ; 
 1877-78, Henr)- D. Waters, Clarence N. 
 
Town of Cuyler. 
 
 393 
 
 Knapp ; 1879-80, John W. Patrick, Clar- 
 ence N. Knapp ; 1881, Henry D. Waters, 
 Clarence N. Knapp; 1882, Harlan P. An- 
 drews, Clarence N. Knapp; i883,Wm. Bald- 
 win, James B. Hills; 1884, Harlan P. An- 
 drews, James B. Hills. 
 
 The officers of the town of Cuyler, elected 
 at the last annual election, are as follows: — 
 
 Supervisor — Harlan P. Andrews. 
 
 Town clerk — James B. Hills. 
 
 Justices of the peace — Seabury F. 
 Brown, B. F. Lee, Irvine; Burdick, Nelson 
 Keeler, Joel J. Albro. 
 
 Assessor — David C. Smith. 
 
 Commissioner of highwa)s — W'm. \\ . 
 Thompson. 
 
 Overseer of the poor — Wanton Core\'. 
 
 Collector — Aaron W. Dunbar, jr. 
 
 Constables — Aaron W. Dunbar, jr., 
 Jacob Garner, George Bogai'dus, Nelson 
 Albro, Stephen Burtis. 
 
 Inspectors of election — Lewis Burtis, 
 George F. Fairbank. 
 
 Excise Commissioner — Geo. H. Brown. 
 
 Of those who have been prominently 
 identified with the management of the pub- 
 lic affairs of the town of Cu\-ler, no one is 
 more honorably conspicuous than Alexan- 
 der Dunce. He was born in Schenectady, 
 N. v., in 1809, of Scotch parentage; his 
 parents being educated people, the\' care- 
 full\- trained their son in the same direction. 
 He became at an early age a successful 
 teacher in common schools, and he has ever 
 since identified himself with educational in- 
 terests. He removed to the town of Cuyler 
 in 1838 where he continued teaching win- 
 ters, and farming in summer seasons. His 
 capacit)' and education for official duty was 
 soon recognized b\- his townsmen, since 
 which time he has been honored with al- 
 most constant public work, which engrosses 
 a large share of his time and attention. He 
 was superintendent of common schools in 
 the old town of Truxton for ten \-ears ; town 
 
 clerk of Cuyler, after it was set ofif from 
 
 Tru.xton, two terms ; justice of the peace 
 two terms; supervisor nine terms ; railroad 
 commissioner six years and has been notary- 
 public during the past fifteen years. Mr. 
 Dunce was originally a Whig in politics 
 and is now a thorough-going Republican, 
 strong in his convictions of right and un- 
 flinching in his efforts to carry out his 
 convictions. Although now seventy-six 
 years of age, he still attends to his public 
 duties with sound judgment and all the 
 vigor and care of his \-ounger daj's, and 
 lives in the enjoyment of the respect and 
 confidence of the entire communit}'. 
 
 CUYI.ER vill.\(;e. 
 
 The \'illage of Cuyler is situated a little 
 north of the center of the town, on the 
 Utica, Ithaca and Elmira railroad, and con- 
 tains a Methodist church, several mechanics' 
 shops, three stores, and a population of 
 about one hundred and twent}'. 
 
 The first trading done in the village 
 proper was probably by C. J. Vincent, who 
 began in 1832, although it has been stated 
 that a man named Hull had a small store 
 there as earl}- as 1 806. The successors of 
 Mr. Vincent were Phillip and Joseph Morse 
 in 1833 ; Alanson Lake in 1838; Lewis & 
 Sprague in 1842; Sprague Brothers in 
 184s and Abial Davidson in 1859. 
 
 In another building Halsey Patrick began 
 trading in 1858, and was succeeded by Aus- 
 tin Waters in i860; Marshall Blanchard in 
 i86i. In still another building Frank Wise 
 began business in 1864 and was followed 
 by Adelbert Fuller in 1866, who still con- 
 tinues. H. G. Warner began business in 
 1 88 1, and C. M. Knapp, the present hard- 
 ware merchant, in 1871. 
 
 Joseph Swectland kei)t the first inn in 
 Cuyler in 1806, his sign being hung upon 
 a tree. 01i\er Mix taught the first school 
 in Mix's bar-room, in 1807. Mr. Alexan- 
 
394 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 der Dunce, who is excellent authorit}' and 
 to whom we are much indebted for infor- 
 mation of this town, thinks that a Mr. Mc- 
 Whorter kept a tavern here in 1806. He 
 was followed in 1820 b)' A. Petrie ; in 
 1822 by David Morse; 1824 to 18*36 by- 
 Joseph Brush; \Vm. Morse from 1830 to 
 1834 ; Geo. \V. Samson from i 834 to 1 838 ; 
 Peter W'estcrman from 1838 to 1841 ; Wil- 
 liam Blanchard from 1841 to 1848; A. 
 Parker from 1848 to i860; D. Raj-mond 
 from 1861 to 1865; M. D. Eaton 1870 to 
 1873; R. Ashley from 1873 to 1875; D. 
 Pence, the last in the place, from 1875 to 
 1877, when the hotel was burned. 
 
 Alexander Little was the first blacksmith 
 to locate in Cujler, beginning in 18 16. He 
 was followed by W'm. Blanchard in 1820. 
 Luther Holmes, the present blacksmith, be- 
 gan business here in 1871. 
 
 James Pomeroy, a cabinet maker, began 
 work in that line in 18 16; he died in 1870. 
 Jefferson Vincent began in 1882. 
 
 The first physician to locate in the village 
 of Cuyler was Dr. Christopher L. Main, 
 who became a member of the Cortland 
 County Medical Society in 1836, about 
 which time he settled in Cuyler; he re- 
 mained only to the year 1 840 and was suc- 
 ceeded by Dr. W. B. Sturte\ant, who prac- 
 ticed here a few }-ears and removed to De 
 Ruyter, where he soon afterward died. He 
 became a member of the County Medical 
 Society in 1846. Dr. Frank C. Clark set- 
 tled here in 1878 and is still in practice. 
 
 The first lawyer in Cuyler was Joseph 
 Morse, youngest son of Da\'id Morse, who 
 settled on lot 87. He began pettifogging 
 in justice's court at an early day, and soon 
 after the constitutional changes of 1846, 
 which permitted candidates to be licensed 
 to practice in courts of record, without re- 
 gard to the time spent in stud\-, he was ad- 
 mitted an attorney at law in the courts of 
 the State. He died in 1872 or 1873. 
 
 The second lawyer was M. M. Waters, a 
 native of the town. Mr. Waters obtained 
 a good education, and was a teacher of 
 some prominence, after which he studied 
 the law, and was admitted about 1 854. 
 He practiced in the count}' until 1882, 
 when he removed to Syracuse, where he 
 is now the senior member of the well 
 know n firm of Waters, Mc Lennan & 
 Dillaye. He is an able pleader and a 
 wise counselor. 
 
 Henr\- D. Waters, the onl\- lawyer at 
 present in Cu\ler, is a brother of M. M. 
 Waters, with whom he studied his profes- 
 sion in Cortland village. At the breaking 
 out of the Rebellion he enlisted in Company 
 E of the 157th Regiment, and was a par- 
 ticipant in the battles of Chancellorsville, 
 Fredericksburg, Antietam and Gettysburg. 
 In the latter engagement he lost two fingers 
 b)' the bursting of a shell, on which account 
 he was transferred to the Veteran Reserves, 
 Mr. Waters was twice promoted, to the offi- 
 ces of lieutenant and captain. He finished 
 his law studies, and was admitted to the bar 
 after his return from the war. Since that 
 time he has been justice of the peace fifteen 
 years, supervisor four years and clerk of the 
 board two years. 
 
 Churches. — The first sermon preached 
 in the town of Cuyler was by Benoni Har- 
 ris, in 1808. The services were held in 
 Singleton's barn. After that e\'ent religious 
 services were kept up with something like 
 regularity by supplies or traveling minis- 
 ters, who preached in priwite houses, or 
 school-houses, until the j'ear 1839, when 
 the Methodist church building of Cuyler 
 was erected. This building was raised by 
 Alexander Dunce, and the society has since 
 prospered. The Rew James Staunton is 
 the pastor at present in charge of the church. 
 Isaac N. Brown, J. W. Patrick, I. D. Brown, 
 Adam Petrie and Alexander Dunce are the 
 trustees. The class-leaders are Isaac N. 
 
Town of Preble. 
 
 395 
 
 Brown and George Brown. The member- j 
 sliip is about eight)-. 
 
 About the year of the organization of the I 
 Methodist Church in the village, and not 
 later than 1 840, the members of the Baptist 
 society erected a frame church building in 
 the Kenney Settlement. The members of 
 this were greatly scattered, and in a few 
 j'ears the church was disbanded, the mem- 
 bers going to Fabius and Truxton to attend 
 worship. The Rev. Mr. Purinton minis- 
 tered to this people most of the time while 
 they continued to meet for worship. He 
 was a man of sterling Christian character 
 and was greatly loved b}' his congregation. 
 John A. Kenney, Orange Cadwell, ^Vbner 
 Brown, and others, were among the earnest 
 supporters of the church. The building 
 was purchased b\' the Methodists about the 
 year 1 866, and is connected in a circuit 
 with the church at Fabius. The Rev. Mr. 
 Shurtliff, now of Fabius, preaches in the 
 church. Edmund I'ox, John B. Webster, 
 Nelson Haskins, Silas Haskins, Oren and 
 Gurdon Hulbert, H. P. Andrews, and oth- 
 ers are prominently connected with the 
 
 society. The original trustees were P. H. 
 Saunders, Leonard Woodruff, Owen Wood- 
 ruff and J. B. Webster. The present trust- 
 ees are P. H. Saunders, Hiram Whitman, 
 Isaac Babcock, Albert Haskins, Elisha King, 
 Edwin Saunders and H. P. Andrews. 
 
 The Union Church society of South 
 Cuyler, consisting of members from various 
 denominations, erected a building at that 
 place just prior to the late war. The socie- 
 ty thus formed is not a very strong one, 
 but its members are earnest in their desire 
 to build up a church and regularly attend 
 all the ser\ices. The Rev. Mr. Ketchum 
 was instrumental in securing the subscrip- 
 tion with which the frame of the church 
 w^as erected. 
 
 The Seventh da\- Baptist Church was or- 
 ganized about the year 1850 and a building 
 erected on the Burdick hill. The Revs. 
 Fisher, Alexander Campbell, Joshua Clarke 
 and Thomas Fisher have preached to this 
 society at difterent periods. Phineas and 
 James Burdick, Arza Muncey, E. B. Irish, 
 A. L. Gardner and others have done much 
 for the prosperity of the church. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 HISTdRV OF THE TOWN" OF PREIJI.K. 
 
 THE town of Preble was named in honor 
 of Commodore Preble, and was formed 
 from the military township of TuUy upon 
 the organization of Cortland county, April 
 8th, 1808. It embraced the south half of 
 that township and also the present town of 
 Scott. The boundaries are as .follows : On 
 the north by Onondaga county ; on the 
 east by Truxton ; on the south by Homer 
 and Scott ; on the west by Scott. 
 
 The surface is largely broken and hilly, 
 consisting of the valley of the west branch 
 of the Tioughnioga river, which is nearly 
 
 two miles wide, with high ridges rising on 
 the east and west. Mount Topping is the 
 most elevated portion of the town, being 
 seventeen hundred feet above tide. North 
 of Mount Topping a valley extends north- 
 ward and opens into the \'alley of Otisco 
 lake. The hills of Preble are steep and 
 many of the sunmiits terminate in sharp 
 peaks. 
 
 The soil is a fine quality of gravelly loam. 
 Several small lakes are situated in the town 
 and are known as the Little York lakes. 
 The following concerning Mount Topping 
 
396 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 is quoted from Goodwin s History of the 
 County : " From the highest elevation of 
 Mount Topping portions of Onondaga, 
 Cayuga and Tompi<ins may be seen, with 
 tlieir varj'ing sccncr)-, blending the beauties 
 of rich, productive fields with the more 
 rugged features of nature. Standing on 
 that loft)' point the observer ma\- have a 
 fine view of Homer, Preble and Tully flats, 
 lands that will compare favorably with any 
 in the State; and there, too, he ma>' \-iew 
 with admiration and wonder the works of the 
 Deity, as exhibited in the numerous ridges 
 and long sloping valleys, the rounded 
 knolls and picturesque glades, all richl)' di- 
 versified and producing in abundance the 
 various crops common to the country. 
 Indeed, there are man)' magnificent views 
 to be taken from this rugged point, as it 
 looms up in its ancient grandeur. We were 
 most agreeabh' surprised with our visit to 
 this olden spot of Indian warfare, where the 
 Indian man contested the right of inherit- 
 ance with the wild beasts of the mountain 
 glen or forest glade." 
 
 Preble Corners, situated on the S)'racuse, 
 Binghamton and New York Railroad, con- 
 tains two churches, a hotel, two general 
 stores, one hardware store and one drug 
 store, and one cooper shop ; a harness shop, 
 two blacksmith shops, one wagon shop and 
 other shops of \'arious kinds, with about 
 four hundred inhabitants. Preble Center 
 and Baltimore are hamlets, the latter lo- 
 cated near the center of the town, and was 
 formerly a thriving little village, containing 
 hotel, post-office, stores and a tanner)'. 
 
 The first settlement was made in the 
 town of Preble in 1796, by James Cravath 
 and John Gill. James Cravath bought lot 
 68 and paid $1 per acre for the land. He 
 afterwards sold to his brothers, Robert and 
 Samuel, three hundred acres of this land 
 and the remainder to Garret \'an Hoesen 
 in 1805, for which last named part he re- 
 
 ceived $12.50 per acre. After this trans- 
 action James Cravath moved to the Holland 
 Purchase, in Genesee county, N. Y. His 
 only daughter, Mrs. Blodgett, also moved 
 to that count)-. Robert and Samuel Cra- 
 \ath came to the town in 1797, and li\'ed 
 the remainder of their lives in the count)' 
 and gainctl the reputation of being honor- 
 able, upright citizens and valuable mem- 
 bers of the community. They were both 
 earnest supporters of the earl)- church in 
 Preble. Samuel moved to Homer just prior 
 to his death. James Cravath was a native 
 of Connecticut, but migrated from Pompey 
 Hill. Samuel and Robert came from Nor- 
 folk, Conn. 
 
 John Gill settled on a part of lots 76 and 
 "]"]. He settled first in Scott and came to 
 Preble soon after. It was at his house the 
 first meeting was held in the town for the 
 election of the town officers. 
 
 Harr\' Hill and Elijah Mason came in 
 during the )'ear 1798. The former was 
 from Montgomer)' county, N. Y., and lo- 
 cated on lot 87, which he drew for military 
 services in the Revolutionary War. Elijah 
 Mason settled on lot 78. Seth Trowbridge, 
 from Montgomery county, located in the 
 early part of 1779 on lot 59, and during the 
 next year Samuel Trowbridge, Winnie 
 H)att and Samuel Orvis settled on the 
 same lot. Trowbridge served in the War 
 of the Rc\'olution and drew the lot. The 
 Widow Trowbridge, of Homer, mother of 
 Mrs. Oliver Glover, of Homer, was a daugh- 
 ter of Mr. Hyatt. Mr. Orvis was from Nor- 
 folk, Conn. He subsec[uentl)' rcmo\'ed to 
 Prattsburg, Steuben count)', where he died 
 in 1 85 I at the advanced age of ninet)'-eight 
 years. Samuel Trowbridge was the first 
 inn-keeper in the town of Preble. 
 
 In iSoi .Augustus Thorp located on lot 
 7<S. In 1802 John Osgood, Silas Topping, 
 Samuel C. Buckelow and Jabez Phelps 
 came in and settled in \arious locations. 
 
Town of Preble. 
 
 397 
 
 Jabez Phelps was originally from Hebron, 
 
 Connecticut, but came to Preble from Caz- 
 enovia. He located on lot 88, and for the 
 first few years he practiced medicine and 
 vyas honored with the title of Doctor ; but 
 he subsequentl\- turned his attention to 
 politics and was at different times elected 
 to important positions, creditably filling the 
 office of associate judge, surrogate and 
 Member of the Assembl)-. He died Dec. 
 20th, 1850, aged seventy-four \'ears. His 
 widow lived upwards of four score years. 
 Thej- had seven children, as follows : 
 The daughter Soplironia became the wife 
 of Charles Clark, of Groton ; Laura Jane 
 the wife of Dr. Burdick ; Augusta the wife 
 of Harry Hobart, of Tru.xton ; Lydia, the 
 wife of Dr. Alfred Hall, of Navarino, On- 
 ondasa countv; Amanda the wife of 
 Ezekiel Chew, of Richland, (_)hio ; Abram 
 J., of Newark, in the same State; Calvin 
 B., of Chrysoline, Ohio. 
 
 Osgood settled on lot "j"] ; Buckelow on 
 lot 67, and Topping on 96. 
 
 In 1802 Lyttle Ferguson from Mont- 
 gomery county located on lot 65. 
 
 In 1803 Amos- Skeel and Jason Com- 
 stock came in from Schenectady count}-, 
 and selected locations. The former settled 
 on lot 59. He was an industrious and val- 
 uable citizen. He died in 1842, at the age 
 of seventy-five years. His widow survived 
 him eleven years and died at the ad\anced 
 age of eighty-eight. He was the father of 
 Hon. Ira Skeel, and William W. Mr. 
 Comstock located on lot 58. His daughter 
 Saloma is the wife D. Ci. Duncan. In 
 1804 John CoUyer, Dr. Robert D. Taggart 
 and Edward Cummings selected locations. 
 Collyer, father of Casper CoUj'er, came from 
 Greene count}' and settled on lot 58. Tag- 
 gart came from Colerain and located on lot 
 59. He was an exceedingly active and 
 prominent man. Cummings came in from 
 Peterborough, X. H . and settled on lot 59. 
 
 He purchased 100 acres, and reared a res- 
 pectable famil}' of thirteen children. 
 
 James Crofoot was one of the prominent 
 early settlers and probabl}- emigrated from 
 Connecticut about the }'ear 1806, arriving 
 in Preble during the latter part of that 
 year. He settled on lot 88 and was one of 
 the very first to locate in Baltimore. Jo- 
 seph Crofoot was postmaster of that hamlet 
 for a number of years. His son, David Cro- 
 foot, was a tanner and currier and became 
 wealthy. He was a skillful mechanic and 
 carried on that business at Baltimore for 
 forty }'ears. The old stone building, still 
 standing in that place and occupied for that 
 especial purpose during the time Mr. Cro- 
 foot was engaged in that pursuit, was after- 
 ward used for various purposes, such as 
 blacksmith shop, shoe shop, etc., but has 
 been virtuall}- abandoned for many years. 
 This building was erected about the year 
 1810, and was the first tannery in the town. 
 David Crofoot must have turned his atten- 
 tion in part to politics ; the records of the 
 town show him to have been supervisor in 
 1823, '24, '25. '30, '32, 'II, '34, '39, 40, 
 '43, '44, '45. '46, '52, and '53 — fifteen 
 years in all, but extending over a period of 
 thirty years of time. 
 
 The first grist-mill in the town of Preble 
 was erected in the year 1806, b}- Samuel C. 
 Woolston, a native of Montgomery count}-. 
 In 1827 the building was taken down and 
 the main part of the present mill erected on 
 the original site. The mill was run until 
 about the year 1850, and then passed into 
 the hands of Uriah Philley. In 1853 W. 
 E. Tallman purchased the mill property, 
 comprising 200 acres of valuable land. He 
 was an enterprising citizen of Tull}-, who. 
 after coming here, thoroughly renovated 
 and improved the mill, adding new bolts 
 and another run of stone. He also ex- 
 tended .shafting to his barn, a distance of 
 360 feet, where he used the power for 
 
398 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 thrashing, separating grain, elevating straw, 
 sheUing corn and sawing wood, thus saving 
 him by using the surphis power, half the 
 usual number of hands necessary to do the 
 same amount of wcjrk. Mr. Tallman also 
 purchased a water power below his mill 
 about thirty-eight rods distant, and by the 
 use of shafting 627 feet in length, was en- 
 abled to operate another extra run of stone. 
 He thus used a portion of the water a second 
 time. This valuable mill privilege is now 
 owned by Elijah Stantnii. A saw-mill is 
 also connected with it. 
 
 By the year 1806 some improvements had 
 been made in the town. The few farmers 
 had made considerable progress in felling 
 the forest, and PLlijah Mason and Samuel 
 Trowbridge had erected the first frame 
 houses. These were soon followed b\- that 
 of John CoUyer, who built between the 
 Corners and the river, on the site now oc- 
 cupied by Henry Haviland. In this build- 
 ing Mr. Collyer kept hotel in an early day 
 and as late as 18 13, in which year Moses 
 B. Howard moved into the town. 
 
 Captain Church also had a tavern near 
 Woolston's mill at an earl)- day ; but the 
 date of his proprietorship is not now a\ail- 
 able. 
 
 In 1804 John Osgood opened a store at 
 Preble Corners and in 1807 Wm. Vanden- 
 berg began keeping a tavern there. Ash— 
 abel Frost opened a store on lot 78 about 
 1812 and Noah Parsons one on lot 68 in 
 1 818. 
 
 David Crofoot began his tanner}- busi- 
 ness about the year 1 8 10, in Baltimore, and 
 Isaac Crofoot, his cousin, some years later, 
 opened a tavern there ; this passed through 
 different hands and was finally kept by Geo. 
 Haines, who closed it as a public house 
 about 1854. A post-office was located here 
 in 1 81 2 which was continued until 1832. 
 
 Preble Center was a thri\'ing little hamlet 
 at an early day, where business was done 
 
 and some manufacturing in a small way; 
 but the place long since became scarcely 
 worthy of note. 
 
 Jabez Phelps and Joseph Crofoot were 
 earl\- identified with the interests of Balti- 
 more ; but when the post-office was re- 
 moved from there to the Corners in 1832, 
 the place lost its business activity, until now 
 it is me]el_\' a neighborhood of contiguous 
 dwellings. 
 
 The first annual town meeting of the 
 town of Preble was convened at the house 
 of John Gill on the 3d of May, 1808, when 
 the following officers were elected : — 
 
 Supervisor — Amos Skeel. 
 
 Town clerk — Albert Collyer. 
 
 Assessors — Garret Van Hoesen, Peleg 
 Babcock and John Gill. 
 
 Commissioners of highways — William 
 Gillett, Samuel Trowbridge and Samuel 
 Babcock. 
 
 Overseers of the poor — Elijah Mason, 
 Wm. Vandenberg. 
 
 Constables — Samuel Taggart and Wm. 
 Tefft. 
 
 Commissioners of roads — Pllijah Mason 
 and Paul Babcock. 
 
 Collector — Henry Vandenberg. 
 
 Sealer of weights and measures — Joseph 
 Bingham. 
 
 Pound masters and fence viewers — Rob- 
 ert Cravath, Wm. Vandenberg, Henr\- Bur- 
 dick. 
 
 Overseers of the highways — John Hunt- 
 ington, Nathaniel Gay, Leonard L. Conine, 
 Richard Whitbeck, Timoth)- Brown, Eben- 
 ezer Harrington, Moulton Craw, Gad Mer- 
 rill, Abraham Rulofsen, John Gillett, John 
 Ra\'mond, Seth Trowbridge, Levi Johnson, 
 Bela Harsmar. 
 
 The first enactment passed by this board 
 of officers was that " hogs shall be free com- 
 moners, with yokes and rings." 
 
 The following resolution was also adopted 
 at that meeting : " That any inhabitant of 
 
Town of Preble. 
 
 399 
 
 this town, who shall kill any wolves or pan- 
 thers, shall be entitled to a bountj'from the 
 town of ten dollars, provided said wolf or 
 panther shall be killed within the bounds 
 of the town." 
 
 It was decided that the next town meet- 
 ing shall be held at the house of John Gill. 
 
 In 1863-64 Moses and William Palmer 
 erected the Preble cheese factor}-, south of 
 Baltimore, and carried on the manufacture 
 of butter and cheese very extensively. Their 
 buildings were very large, two stories in 
 height, with capacious engine room ; the 
 vats were heated by steam and the milk of 
 hundreds of cows used. The dairy busi- 
 ness of the town of Preble, like other por- 
 tions of Cortland county, has received a 
 large share of the attention of farmers in 
 late years, increased interest being felt in it 
 since about i860. The rich Preble flats are 
 scarcely surpassed for fertility and beauty 
 by any section of the county, and the farms 
 are admirable examples of the best methods 
 of agriculture. The hopes of the inhabi- 
 tants of the town that they would soon have 
 railroad communication with S\racuse and 
 with other portions of this count}-, were ex- 
 cited as earl}- as 1826, when the charter w-as 
 granted by the Legislature for a road from 
 Syracuse to Binghamton ; but the}- were 
 destined to disappointment until the }'ear 
 1854, which witnessed the completion of 
 the Syracuse and Binghamton railroad run- 
 ning directly through the Preble valle}-. 
 This was an era of rejoicing and the road, 
 although its advent may have been the re- 
 verse of beneficial to the growth of the \il- 
 lage, has been of incalculable benefit to the 
 town at large. 
 
 Preble Center was a point of deep relig- 
 ious interest at a ver}- early day. Here the 
 Presbyterians first assembled as early as 
 1804, at which time there was a member- 
 ship in this creed of eleven persons. It be- 
 came a thriving organization. At a later 
 
 date Jedediah Barber, of Homer, who mar- 
 ried a Miss Tuttlc li\-ing near the Center, 
 presented the society with a lot for the 
 erection of a church building ; but there 
 was a provision attached to the gift, that if 
 the church was ever removed the lot should 
 revert to him. The church was removed 
 to Preble Corners in I 840, chiefly through 
 the instrumentality of Elam Dunbar, and 
 Mr Barber took the lot into his possession. 
 The names of the first town officials have 
 already been given. The first marriage 
 was that of Amos Bull to Sally Mason, in 
 1 799. The first birth was that of Nancy Gill, 
 October 25th, 1796. The first death was 
 that of John Patterson* in 1798. The first 
 permanent merchant was Noah Parsons, at 
 Preble Center in 1818. The first grist-mill 
 that of Samuel Woolston, erected in 1806; 
 and the oldest living native resident of the 
 town is Matthias Van Hoesen, who is now 
 seventy-nine years old. Mr. Van Hoesen 
 has held every office in the gift of his town 
 and has been its supervisor for nearly a 
 quarter of a century. He was prominent 
 in the agitation which resulted in erecting 
 the new county clerk's office, and he was a 
 leader in the work of arranging and erect- 
 ing the present county poor-house buildings, 
 which are among the finest in the State. 
 
 Following is a list of the supervisors and 
 town clerks of the town of Preble, the super- 
 i visor's name in each instance being given 
 first and the clerk's immediatel}- after : — 
 
 1808-09, Amos Skeel, Robert Taggart. 
 1810, Amos Skeel, Joseph Bingham. 181 i 
 to 1815. inclusive, Amos Skeel, Garret Van 
 Hoesen. 1816 to 1832, inclusive, Jabez B. 
 Phelps, Garret \'an Hoesen. 1823, David 
 Crofoot, Jabez B. Phelps. 1824, David 
 Crofoot, Martin Lyon. 1825, David Cro- 
 foot, Martin Phelps. 1826 to 1829. inclu- 
 sive, Martin Phelps, tlrastus Downs. 1830, 
 David Crofoot, Christian Ku. 1831, Mar- 
 tin L}'on, Christian Etz. 1832 to 1834, in- 
 
400 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 elusive, Diu'id Crt)fiH)t, Christian l'",tz. I1S35 
 to 1837, inclusive, Elilui Mix, I'"rancis (iil- 
 bert. 1838, Michael Frank, Jabcz H. Phelps. 
 1839, Uavicl Crofoot, Michael Frank. 1 S40, 
 David Crofoot, Edmund Stevens. 1841, 
 Christian Ktz, John H. Kiersted. 1842, 
 Abraham Woodward, James Crofoot. i 843, 
 David Crofoot, Seth Kelsey. 1844 to 
 1846, inclusive, David Crofoot, Andrew 
 Spence. 1847, G. A. Woolston, Jabez B. 
 Phelps. 1 848, Abel Washbrouck, Jabez B. 
 Phelps. 1849, David Hard}', Jabez B. 
 
 Phelps. 1850-51, . 1852, David 
 
 Crofoot, P'redus Howard. 1853, David 
 Crofoot, Leonard Hardy. 1854, Lyman G. 
 Frost, Matthias M. Out. 1855, Seth Aid- 
 rich, Walter Jones. 1856, James Baldwin, 
 Matthias Out. 1857, Edmund Stevens, 
 Fredus Howard. 1858, James Baldwin, 
 John D. F, Woolston. 1859, W. E. Tall- 
 man, Daniel Burdick. i860, W. E. Tall- 
 man, John J. Out. 1861, Matthias Van 
 Hoesen, John J. Out. 1862, M. Van Hoe- 
 sen, Robert Conine. 1863, M. Van Hoe- 
 sen, John L. Ferguson. 1864, M. Van 
 Hoesen, Lyman Gay. 1865, Silas Bald- 
 win, Horatio M. Van Buskirk. 1866, M. 
 Van Hoesen, Caleb D. Kinner. 1867, M. 
 Van Hoesen, J. S. Connie. 1868, M. Van 
 Hoesen, L. M. Conine. 1869, James Bald- 
 win, J. H. Burdick. 1870-71-72, M. Van 
 Hoesen, Alonzo C. Spore. 1873, M. Van 
 Hoesen, A. C. Carr. 1874, John D. F. 
 Woolston, A. C. Carr. 1875, F. T. Van 
 Hoesen, A. C. Carr. 1876, Anderson Fran- 
 cisco, A. C. Carr. 1877-78, A. C. Carr, 
 Myron J. Muncy. 1879, John D. F. Wool- 
 ston, A. C. Carr. 1 880- 1 881, M. Van 
 Hoesen, Frank P. Conine. 1882, David O. 
 Crofoot, Frank P. Conine. 1883, Wm. W. 
 Wright, F. P. Conine. 
 
 The officers for the \'ear 1883 are as fol- 
 lows: — 
 
 Supervisor — Wm. W. Wright. 
 
 Town clerk — Frank P. Conine. 
 
 Justices of the peace — John S. Cornue, 
 J. D. F. Woolston, Seth Hobart, H. J. B. 
 Tully. 
 
 Commissioner of highways — Henrj- F. 
 Harter. 
 
 Assessors — John L. Haviland, A. H. 
 Van Buskirk and Roscoe Butler. 
 
 Collector — Christo]5her Long. 
 
 Inspectors of election — A. M. Loomis, 
 David H. Foltz and J. H. Cummings. 
 
 Constables — Christopher Long, Rich- 
 mond Klock, A. V. H. Cummings and Ryan 
 Green. 
 
 Overseer of the poor — Eben Daley. 
 
 Game constable — H. M. \'an Hoesen. 
 
 Excise board — A. G. Aldrich, Robert 
 Conine and Miles Tully. 
 
 The town of Preble practically exhibited 
 its patriotism during the late war, by fur- 
 nishing its quota of men called for b)- the 
 government, notwithstanding the town had 
 more children than money, as compared 
 with man)' other towns in the county. 
 Following is a list of all the enlistments 
 from the town of men who were paid boun- 
 ties, with the amount of money thus ex- 
 pended: — 
 
 Call of October 17th, 1863. Bounty, 
 $300. Total, $6,600. — Rice Graham, Ben- 
 ajah A. W'ilmot, Oliver Ingram, Joseph 
 R. Ragan, James Phillips, John E. Ladd, 
 Robert Walker, Chester Huntington, John 
 M. Corr\', Jacob King, George W. Gates, 
 Edward Hunter, Charles P. Johnson, John 
 A. Lee, Andrew Craft, James W. Wood, 
 John Strong, John R. Cain, John Camel, 
 John Hodges, James Smith, John Baker. 
 
 Call of July i8th, 1864. Bounty, $1,000; 
 except $700 to two, and $600 to two. 
 Total, $21,600. Brokerage, $575. — Will- 
 iam Howard, Charles Card, Franklin D. 
 Carpenter, Edward L. Smith, Henry K. 
 Watrous, Albert Arnold, Andrew V. Aus- 
 tin, George W. Briggs, William R. Brown, 
 Marcus B. Durkee, De Witt II. Eldrige, 
 
Town of Prebi.e. 
 
 401 
 
 Lucian Haskins, John B. Knapp, Henry G. 
 Wakefield, James Wakefield, William W. 
 Wakefield, Ellis Willson, Horace C. Wood, 
 John Martin, James Wriijht, John Cain, 
 Gabrael Allen, P'ranklin C. Crowcll. 
 
 Call of December 19th, 1864. Bounty, 
 $600. Total, $7,800. Brokerage, $105. — 
 John Osborn, Daniel O'Brien, James Hay- 
 den, Patrick Kell\-, Henry Jackson, George 
 Doughert)-, James Cole, James Capot, Al- 
 fred Marion, James Smith, Hiram Lango, 
 John R\-an, Anton Tichter. 
 
 Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
 calls October 17th, 1863, Februarj' and 
 March, 1864, $6,600; paid for filling quota, 
 call Jul)- 1 8th, 1864, $22,175: paid for 
 filling quota, call December 19th, 1864, 
 $7,905. Grand total, $36,680. 
 
 PREBLE CORNERS. 
 
 The village of Preble Corners recei\ed 
 its first inhabitant in the year 1802, in the 
 person of John Osgood, before alluded to, 
 who moved in at that time and erected the 
 first log house in the place during that )'ear, 
 and two years later opened the first store. 
 The dwelling house stood on the ground 
 now owned and occupied by John Ga\'. 
 
 W'hen Garret Van Hoesen moved to the 
 town in 1806 there were two frame houses 
 in the town — that of P^lijah Mason and an- 
 other occupied by Samuel Trowbridge, both 
 of whom settled on lot 78. The first frame 
 house built at the Corners was erected by 
 William Vandenberg, and is the house in 
 which John Gay now resides. V'andenberg 
 kept a tavern in this building for a time ; 
 but ha\-ing failed to (obtain a good title to 
 his land, and after becoming reduced from 
 wealthy circumstances to poverty, he re- 
 moved away. Elisha Williams succeeded 
 to his estate. The land was afterward 
 claimed by John Toole, whose right to the 
 title was undisputed ; but fortune did not 
 favor the possessor, as there happened to be 
 
 two of that name, both soldiers in the war 
 
 of the Revolution, one of whom was then 
 deceased, and both entitled to the militarv 
 bount\-. After considerable litigation the 
 State allowed .Mr. Williams to keep the 
 farm. 
 
 Matthias \'an 1 loesen came to the village 
 in 1830 and from the spring of that year 
 until the \-ear 1831 kcj)! the iiotel where it 
 is now located. John Fowler was then in 
 a tavern on the south side of the road. The 
 next proprietor of the present hotel was 
 Jabez B. Phelps, who came about the year 
 
 18- 
 
 the buildinsr was at that time con- 
 
 siderably smaller than at present. The 
 post-ofiice at Baltimore had been removed 
 to the Corners during this \ear and busi- 
 ness at that time began to center at this 
 point. Andrew Spence next supplied the 
 traveling public with tavern fare, and under 
 his proprietorship the house was burned on 
 September 14th, 1840. He immediately 
 rebuilt it in its present size and accommo- 
 dations. Following .Spence in the proprie- 
 torship of the house came Anson Kenyon, 
 Lewis Wilcox, John Bouton, George Hef- 
 fron, Robert Conine, who kept it in 1852, 
 and repaired the building ; Daniel Van Au- 
 ken, who took it in 1865 and kept it until 
 1878; G. S. \'an Hoesen. Albert \'an 
 Hoesen and the present proprietor, John 
 Klock, who came in 1880. 
 
 Previous to the establishment of the post- 
 office in the town of Preble, about the year 
 1812, the then central point of the township 
 of Tully, the settlers received their letters, 
 papers, etc., from Pompey Hill. This post- 
 office was located at the hamlet of Bal- 
 timore, and was kept by Jabez Phelps, who 
 retained the office a number of \-ears. The 
 Cortland Journal, under date of October 
 1st, 1824, advertises letters at the post- 
 office in Preble for William Ridgway, Alex- 
 ander Elliot, Wm. W. Skeel, Wm. Parker, 
 John I. Hamilton, Chaunce)' Cummings ; 
 
402 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 and Joscpli Crofoot was then postmaster. 
 In 1827 he advertised the following list of 
 letters remaining jn that office : Abijah 
 Durkee, Barber & Tickner, Ebenczer Har- 
 ris, Moses H. Green, Garrett Van Hoesen, 
 Samuel Or\is, Elias Van Cam]). John A. 
 Johnson and Henry Stebbins. 
 
 Phineas Burdick was postmaster at the 
 time of the removal to Preble Corners in 
 1832, and was the first postmaster at that 
 village. Matthias Van Hoesen kept it for 
 a time in the hotel, beginning in the spring 
 of 1831; then Jabez Phelps, after whom 
 came Andrew Spence, who distributed 
 mail at the hotel, both before and after it 
 was burned, in 1840. Judge Phelps took 
 the office again about the year 1848 and 
 kept it until the beginning of Lincoln's ad- 
 ministration, in 1 86 1. Chester Markham 
 succeeded, remaining in the office until 
 1875. John J. Out then took the office 
 and is the present incumbent ; the office is 
 kept in his harness shop. 
 
 The first store at Preble Corners was es- 
 tablished b}' John Osgood, in 1804. He 
 seems to have traded in the place but a 
 short time. Other transient merchants fol- 
 lowed in a small way, until the }-ear 1830, 
 when Frank Gilbert established a perma- 
 nent place of mercantile trade ; he was fol- 
 lowed by several successors ; after Frank- 
 Gilbert came Wales & Kirsted in 1830; 
 Frost & Wood, Frost & Gregg, Geo. El- 
 more, Kinner & Norton, Lewis Carlisle, J. 
 W. Roe, Hobart & Cummings and the pres- 
 ent enterprising merchants, Conine & Cum- 
 mings. 
 
 The new and complete store now under 
 the successful management of E. M. Van 
 Hoesen was established by Markham & 
 Ferguson in 1861 ; the\- were succeeded b_\- 
 E. M. & F. T. Van Hoesen, who were fol- 
 lowed by the present proprietor. 
 
 The drug business here was bet/un dur- 
 
 ing Fillmore's adminstratiiin b\- W 
 
 m L. 
 
 Barrett ; he was succeeded by A. C. Carr, 
 following whom came the present proprie- 
 tor, J. W. Roe. He carries a stock suffi- 
 cient for the needs of the place 
 
 Zelotus llannum supplied the citizens 
 with furniture, and had the onl)- stock in 
 that line in the town. 
 
 James Crofoot was the first shoemaker in 
 the town. He located on lot 88. The 
 present shoemaker of the \ illage is Robert 
 Conine. 
 
 The harness and saddlery business was 
 begun ])robabl\' as early as 1835, by Isaac 
 Bishop. James Plumb worked at this trade 
 a short time, and J. J. Out, a skillful nie- 
 clianic, has done business in this line since 
 1847. 
 
 The first manufacturing ot wagons in the 
 town was carried on by Daniel Lamphire, 
 who located on lot 78, where he remained 
 for twenty-five years. He was from the 
 town of Co.xsackie, N. Y., ; he did custom 
 work wholl)-, and his shop finall_\- went 
 down. In 1877 Richard Bray ton and 
 Fred. Bennett located in a shop on lot JJ, 
 but remained only a \ear or two. A. H. 
 Vandenberg has a wagon and sleigh re- 
 pair shop which he has occupied about 
 fifteen \-ears, and for many years previous 
 at Baltimore. His father was Lambert 
 Vandenberg, who was an early resident at 
 the Corners. 
 
 The first blacksmith shop in the town of 
 Preble was established by Moses Kent on 
 lot 57. Martin Phelps ne.xt located on lot 
 "i-j . in 1809. James Sager, Isaac Van Bus- 
 kirk, Hosea Bennett and Benjamin Baker 
 were blacksmiths in an earh' da)-. Albert 
 W. Morgan is now the leading blacksmith 
 in the place. Jerome Fulton and Harrison 
 Kingsley are also blacksmiths doing good 
 business. 
 
 The first ph)sician in the town of Preble 
 was Robert D. Taggart, who located on lot 
 59 in the north part oftlietown. He came 
 
Town of Preble. 
 
 403 
 
 about the year 1810 and removed to Byron, 
 Genesee count}', about the >'ear 1825. Dr. 
 Norris located on lot ]"/, in 1812. He built 
 one of the earlier frame houses in the vil 
 lage. Judge Phelps was, during the first 
 few )'ears of his stay in Baltimore, a prac- 
 ticing physician; but he subsequentlj' 
 turned his attention to politics, as before 
 stated. Dr. Geo. W. Bradford located at 
 Preble in 1820. He was a native of Ot- 
 sego county, and after receiving an academic 
 education, studied medicine with Dr. Thos. 
 Fuller, of Cooperstown, N. Y. ; he was li- 
 censed in 1820, b)" the Otsego Medical As- 
 sociation, and during the same year came 
 to Preble. He remained here but a short 
 time, however, and then removed to Homer. 
 Further mention of Dr. Bradford's eminent 
 career will be found in the histor}' of the 
 County Medical Society. 
 
 Dr. Phineas H. Burdick settled in the 
 town in 1834, locating at Preble Corners. 
 He received an academic education and be- 
 gan the study of medicine in 1823, with Dr. 
 Hubbard Smith, of De Ruvter, and in the of 
 fice of Dr. Jehiel Stearns, of Pompe\-. He 
 attended lectures at Castleton, Vermont, in 
 1826, and was licensed by the Medical So- 
 ciety of Onondaga county in 1828, begin- 
 ning practice in Scott the same year. In 
 1834 he remo\'ed to Preble, where he prac- 
 ticed successful!)" man)' years until his 
 death. He was given the degree of M. D. 
 by the State Medical Society and became 
 a permanent member of that bod)' in 1853. 
 Dr. Burdick was highly esteemed, both as 
 a physician and a man. Dr. D. W. Burdick, 
 of Homer, is his son. 
 
 The present physicians of Preble are Dr. 
 Herman D. Hunt, who came to the place 
 in 1880, and H. Johnson, who located here 
 in 1 88 1. The former is allopathic and the 
 latter homeopathic. 
 
 Matthias Van Hoesen was the first prac- 
 ticing law)-er in the town. He was never 
 
 admitted to the bar, but became one of the 
 most successful lawyers in the county in 
 justice's court, in minor cases. He is still 
 living in Preble at the age of seventy-eight 
 years, possesses a clear brain, excellent 
 judgment, and powers of concentration of 
 thought that are unusual. John F. Van 
 Hoesen, his son, born Ma)' iith. 1833 be- 
 gan the practice of the law in Preble in 
 
 1856, but in 1859 removed to Cortlandville, 
 where he died in i860. He studied with 
 Judge Kingsley and Major Hiram Crandall, 
 and was admitted to practice in Ala)-, 1856, 
 coming directl)' to Preble Corners. In the 
 month of October following he removed to 
 Minnesota, landing at Hastings a flourish- 
 ing city on the Mississippi, where he prac- 
 ticed his profession to some extent and also 
 engaged in land speculation, by which he 
 realized a considerable fortune. Mr. Van 
 Hoesen finally retured to Preble in May, 
 
 1857, where he resumed practice, securing 
 a" good business, which continued mitil his 
 removal to Cortland two )'ears later. 
 
 Churches. — Of the origin and earh' his- 
 tor)- of the Methodist Episcopal Society in 
 Preble, nothing more than what follows is 
 now definitely known : On the first Mon- 
 day in May, 1 824, the male members of the 
 first M. F2. Church Society of the j:own met 
 according to previous notice in order to in- 
 corporate. James Selkrig was called to the 
 chair and Jabez B. Phelps was appointed 
 secretary. The society was then organized 
 on a motion. James Selkrig and Frederick- 
 Wilcox were appointed returning officers; 
 and James Selkrig, Almon Tickner and 
 Benjamin Le Ro)- were appointed trustees. 
 
 It was resolved at this meeting that the 
 corporate seal of this societ)' be a cross. It 
 was also decided that the annual meetings 
 should thereafter be held on the first Mon- 
 day of each year. The M. E. Church edi- 
 fice was begun in the year 1820 ; was fin- 
 ished in 1824 and dedicated b)- the Rev. 
 
404 
 
 lisroKv OF C(jRTi.AN'i) County. 
 
 Seth Mattison in tlic fall nf the last men- 
 tioned \-car. Alterations were made in the 
 pulpit and stairs in 1838, and other repairs 
 were made and a bell procured in 1845. 
 In 1859 the church buildinsij was moved 
 eastward and about tweKe feet added to its 
 western end ; the audience room was newly 
 seated and the exterior painted, involving 
 an expense of about $1,400. 
 
 The membership of this society is at the 
 present time (1884) nearly one hundred. 
 The Rev. W. H. York took charge of the 
 church in 1883. The trustees are Robert 
 Van Buskirk, Richard Scjuires, Seth Hobart. 
 The stewards are John Manchester, Rob- 
 ert Van Buskirk, Seth Hobart and Abram 
 Manchester. 
 
 Robert Van Buskirk is Sabbath school 
 superintendent. 
 
 The Baptist Association was organized 
 into a society under the direction of Elder 
 Abbott in a very early day ; but the date 
 is not now available. The original number 
 of the members was fourteen. The church 
 seems to have prospered for a time, but has 
 ceased to e.xist. 
 
 On the 27th of August, 1804, a church 
 of eleven members was organized by two 
 missionaries named Theodore Hinsdale and 
 Joel Hayes, from the Hampshire Missionary 
 Societv' of Connecticut. It was at first 
 called the Congregational Church of TuUy; 
 but subsequently took the name of the F"irst 
 Presbyterian Church of Preble. During 
 the years of its existence it was connected 
 with the middle association, which was after- 
 ward dissolved, when tiic church was as- 
 signed to the care of the Onondaga Pres- 
 bytery, and subsequenth- to the Cortland 
 Presbj'ter}'. The church edifice was erect- 
 
 ed ,it Preble Center, but was removed to 
 the Corners in 1840. 
 
 The first pastor of this church was the 
 Re\'. Matthew Harrison, who began his 
 work in the \-ear 1812 and continued until 
 1822, when he was dismissed. The Rev. 
 Enoch Bouton then acted as stated suppl)' 
 until 1824, and following him the two suc- 
 ceeding years Re\-. L Weld preaclied to 
 the congregation one-half of the time. Rev. 
 Abner P. Clark followed him, being in- 
 stalled as pastor in 1827, in which capacity 
 he acted during the next six years. The 
 Rev. Gardner K. Clark was installed in 
 1833 and continued his labors during six 
 years. After this time the congregation 
 was supplied by Rev. Mr. Jones for a few 
 months, and then by Rev. B. T. Foltse two 
 years. Re\-. Elliott H. Payson began his 
 labors here in 1840. In 1842 he was in- 
 stalled as pastor and dismissed in 1844. 
 At this time the societ\- numbered over one 
 hundretl members. In 1841 a large num- 
 ber of the members separated themselves 
 from the church and organized a society 
 called the First F"ree Church of Preble. At 
 the time of this division the building was 
 removed to Preble Corners. Whatever 
 may have been the disturbing element, the 
 results ha\'e been to diminish the size of 
 the societ)-, w hich now numbers only about 
 one hundred members. The Rev. W. C. 
 McBeth took charge of the societ)- April 
 8th, 18S3, and served nine months. There 
 is, at the present time (1884), no pastor. 
 The elders are Nicholas Van Hoesen, Harry 
 Cunimings. Lewis P"rederick, Clark \'an 
 Hoesen and Abram Se\-erson. The trus- 
 tees are John Haviland, Nicholas \'an 
 Hoesen and Clark Van Hoesen. 
 
Town of Scott. 
 
 40s 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIl. 
 
 UISTOKV OF THE TOWN OF SCOTT. 
 
 THE town of Scott lies in the extreme 
 northwest part of Cortland county and 
 comprises a portion of the old niilitar\- town- 
 ship No. 14 of Tully. It was formed from 
 the town of Preble on the 14th of April, 
 181 5, and named in honor of Gen. Winfield 
 Scott. Its surface is chicfl\- an upland, 
 broken b)- two deep and narrow valleys, 
 which extend north and south through the 
 town. The declivities of the hills are steep 
 and in many places precipitous. . 
 
 The town is drained in the eastern \'alley 
 by Cold brook, and F"actor\- brook and 
 Skaneateles inlet flow through the western 
 valle)-. These streams not only drain the 
 town, but furnish excellent water power. 
 Skaneateles lake borders on the northwest 
 corner of the town. 
 
 The soil is a sand}- and gravelly loam, 
 and the town embraces many most excel- 
 lent farms. It is not, howc\'er, a grain- 
 growing town, the land being generally 
 better adapted to grazing, and the farmers 
 are, in later years, turning their attention 
 largely to dairying. 
 
 There is but one village in the town of 
 Scott ; it is called Scott Center, and con- 
 tains about three hundred inhabitants. East 
 Scott is a hamlet. 
 
 The first permanent settlement was made 
 in the town in 1799. There had, however, 
 been a rude liuntcr within its boundaries 
 as early as 1795. He erected a bark 
 shanty and lived by hunting, an employ- 
 ment in which he was quite successful. He 
 spent about a year and a half in the solitude 
 of this unbroken wilderness, when he was 
 joined by a half-breed Indian, who is said 
 to have come from Canada, and in a fev\- 
 months afterward thev gathered up their 
 
 peltry and made their way to a French 
 trading-post, then established near Whites- 
 town, where they sold out with a good 
 profit. Dividing their effects they sought 
 a retreat in the wilderness to the far West. 
 The birth-place and other data in regard 
 to this hunter arc not known ; though it 
 was apparent that he was of French ex- 
 traction. ' 
 
 During the j'car 1 799 several settlements 
 were made in Scott. Peleg Babcock, ac- 
 companied by his brothers, Solomon and 
 Asa Howard, came in from Leyden, Mass., 
 and selected locations. Peleg settled on 
 the south part of lot 82. Solomon located 
 on the northwest part of the same lot, while 
 Howard took up his abode a little to the 
 east of his brother Solomon. About the 
 same time George Denison, from Vermont, 
 pitched his tent on the west part of the 
 same lot, making the fourth settler on lot 
 82. Cornish Messenger and Daniel Jake- 
 way came in from De Ruyter in 1800 and 
 
 I An Indian of the " Leni " tribe, from whom we 
 gather these facts and who occasionally visits the Onei- 
 das, relates many characteristic anecdotes touching this 
 singularly strange yet interesting original. Vears after 
 he was seen standing upon the bank of the great father 
 of waters — the majestic Mississippi. There was heard 
 a shriek, a plunge, the waters closed over the lone hunter 
 and all that was mortal had disappeared forever. When 
 the horror-stricken Indian, who was \\ ith him and had 
 watched his movements, called for the white man of the 
 woods, the evil genius that had wrecked his hopes in 
 early life and made him a wanderer, answered : — 
 " Where the dark tide runs strongest. 
 The cliff rises steep ; 
 Where the wild waters eddy, 
 I have rocked him to sleep. 
 
 " His sleep is so strong. 
 
 That the rush of the stream 
 When the wild winds are abroad, 
 Cannot waken his dream." 
 
 — C.odnwiN's History. 
 
4o6 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 settled on lot 92. In 1801 Maxoii Babcock [ 
 came in from Leyden and located on the , 
 northeast corner of lot 82. Ghershon I 
 Richardson and his two sons-in-law, by the | 
 name of Clark, came from Pompey, Onon- 
 daga county, and located on lot 71. In 
 1802 Henry Biirdick, a native of Rhode 
 Island, migrated from Colerain, Mass., and j 
 located on lot 72. He purchased originally, j 
 in compan)- with John Babcock, 109 acres, j 
 He was an active and prominent pioneer 1 
 in his localit}'. Jared Babcock came in 
 during the j-ear 1804 and spent about three 
 or four years. In 1809 he was engaged in | 
 mercantile trade in Spafford, being the first j 
 merchant in that place. He subsequently 
 removed to Homer. 
 
 John Gillet, from Norfolk, Connecticut, 
 located during the same \-ear (1805), but 
 did not purchase until 1807 or 1808, when I 
 lie selected 100 acres on lot 84. He filled 
 the office of justice of the peace for a period 
 of twenty years ; that of supervisor and 
 other town offices at various times ; he was 
 associate judge of the county court for fif- 
 teen successive years and also member of 
 the Legislature and presidential elector. 
 
 Jacob Smith, from Delphi, located in 
 1806 on lot 84; his original purchase was 
 fifty acres ; he, however, made subsequent 
 additions until he had a farm of one hun- 
 dred and fi\'c acres. 
 
 In 1806 Daniel Doublcday came from 
 Lebanon, Connecticut, and located in the 
 town of Homer. In 1809 he removed to 
 Scott and settled on lot 105. He reared a 
 respectable family, accumulated propcrt}' 
 and was a useful citizen. 
 
 In 1805 Elisha Sabins and John Babcock 
 cut and cleared a road from Scott Corners 
 (then called Babcock's Corners) to Spafford 
 Corners. They transported their goods to 
 their new home on sleds and found it a hard 
 journey. The next year Isaac Hall, of the 
 latter place, passed over the road with a 
 
 wagon, and after purchasing a load of lum- 
 ber at Babcock's Settlement, put it on his 
 I wagon and drew it to iiis home in Spafford. 
 I As an indication of what life in Scott was 
 at this earl}' period, it used to be related 
 by Solomon Babcock that in the summer 
 of 1799 he was in the habit of making fre- 
 j quent \'isits to his brother's corn-field, ac- 
 j companied by a small dog, for the purpose 
 j of driving awaj- the bears, they being very 
 I troublesome and destructive to the corn 
 crop. It was a common occurrence to find 
 half a dozen in the field at a time, and to 
 I him it was amusing to see them hasten off 
 j at the bark of the harmless dog. An inci- 
 I dent denoting the plentifulness of game was 
 also related by Mr. Babcock. Early in the 
 month of March he went into the woods 
 for the purpose of obtaining a birch broom- 
 I stick. The snow was about three feet deep 
 , and the crust sufficiently strong to bear a 
 man's weight. A fierce and well-trained 
 dog belonging to his brother Peleg bore 
 him company, and before the trunk of the 
 little sapling was secured, he had actually 
 killed se\-en deer. The small feet of the 
 animals, as is well known to hunters, would 
 push through the snow crust, making it 
 impossible for them to run with any speed. 
 Another hunting incident which occurred 
 in this town is of sufficient interest for these 
 pages. Three persons started out in the 
 i month of March, 1799, in pursuit of bears, 
 which had been unusually numerous and 
 bold during that season. One of the men 
 soon gave out and returned, but the other 
 two continued in pursuit, the trail leading 
 in the direction of Skaneateles lake; but 
 the snow being very deep, the others finally 
 gave up and concluded to return home by 
 a circuitous route, in the hope of meeting 
 with an old bear which had wintered within 
 a mile of their home. As they neared the 
 spot the bear was discovered. Both hunt- 
 ers discharged their guns, but onl\- sue- 
 
Town of Scott. 
 
 407 
 
 ceeded in wounding the animal. He hastily 
 left for other quarters, followed by his pur- 
 suers, who. after camping out for the night 
 near Skaneateles lake, drove him in a clear- 
 ing eight miles from home, in .Sempronius, 
 where they dispatched him and took off his 
 hide, out of which they made each of them a 
 cap, as they had lost theirs the day before, 
 and returned home. 
 
 The first ordained preacher in the town 
 of Scott was Elder Town. The first per- 
 sons baptized were Mr. and Mrs. Solomon 
 Babcock, the former in Homer. 
 
 The first merchant was Nathan Babcock. 
 
 The first inn-keeper was James tiabcock. 
 The first postmaster, John Gillet. The first 
 marriage, Solomon Babcock to Amj- Mor- 
 gan. Their marriage was solemnized in 
 the fall of 1802. There being no author- 
 ized person at hand to perform the cere- 
 mony, the parties went to Homer on horse- 
 back, and after attending cliurch went to 
 'Squire Bishop's, on East Hill, where they 
 were wed. 
 
 The first child born in Scott was Harriet 
 Babcock. The first death was an infant 
 daughter of Peleg Babcock. 
 
 Public religious worship began about the 
 year 1806 or '07. The Close Communion 
 Baptists, the Se\enth-Day Baptists, the 
 Presbjterians and the Methodists, each 
 formed prosperous societies. 
 
 The first postmaster of East Scott, was 
 Alvan Kellogg, the cloth manufacturer and 
 dresser with whom President Millard Fill- 
 more learned his trade. 
 
 The first .saw-mill in the town of Scott 
 was erected as early as the year 1804, b)- 
 Henry Burdick ; it stood on Skaneateles 
 inlet where A. L. Whiting's flax-mill is at 
 present located. He was an enterprising 
 Rhode Islander, who preceded his father 
 from Massachusetts to this town in 1802. 
 Henry Burdick, sen., came a year or so 
 afterward. The water pri\-ilege was on lot 
 
 72, and owned at a later period by George 
 S. Green. Henry Burdick sold out his farm, 
 originally purchased in i8o2, to his father 
 and removed to where Henry L. Burdick 
 now lives. The saw- mill, soon after its 
 erection, passed into possession of Nehe- 
 miah Brown, who took it between the years 
 1 8 10 and 1812; he was a son-in-law of 
 Esquire Paul Babcock. The latter was a 
 relative of Henry Babcock. Comfort 
 Brown was the next owner of the mill and 
 utilized this valuable water privilege until 
 the year 1858. James Skillie and Dr. 
 Babcock each also had possession of it for 
 a short time; but during the year 1863 A. 
 1 L. Whiting bought the property- and turned 
 it into a flax-mill. He used it first for 
 dressing fla.x, and subsequently for manu- 
 facturing tow for upholstering purposes. 
 The mill is still in use. 
 
 John Gillett, before alluded to, bought 
 1 one hundred acres of land on lot 84, in 
 ; 1807, and built the mill there two or three 
 years later. Mr. Gillett was an active, 
 prosperous and prominent man. J. H. Gil- 
 I lett now owns the mill. About the year 
 j 1835 Harlow Gillett, only son of John Gil- 
 lett, built a foundry, which was run for a 
 number of years and burned. Upon the 
 site now stands a workshop, owned and 
 operated by his sons, who are skillful 
 mechanics. 
 
 Alvan Kellogg, the first postmaster of 
 East Scott, came to the town in 1805, and 
 built a saw-mill within the next few years. 
 His son, Silas Kellogg, now owns the old 
 homestead, and Lewis Hazard and Ham- 
 ilton Whitney the saw-mill. A prior owner 
 was James Bacon, who placed flax machin- 
 ery in the mill in 1878, and the present 
 I firm built a flax store-house there more 
 recently. 
 
 Messenger & Kenyon built a grist-mill 
 on the site now owned by George W. 
 Southwick, in 181 7, and sold it to Samuel 
 
408 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Hardy about the year 1S32; he rebuilt 
 the structure ahnost entirely. The mill 
 then passed successively through the hands 
 of the following persons : Case & Melville, 
 George W. Southwick, Sj'lvanus Grout, 
 George W. Southwick, Mr. Meade. Ani- 
 meron & Ellis and George W. Southwick ; 
 the latter has also operated a shingle- mill 
 in connection with the grist-mill. 
 
 About the year 1828 or 1829 Luke Bab- 
 cock built a grist-mill two and a half 
 stories high, a short distance below the 
 Messenger mill, in which were two runs of 
 stone. In the ownership of this mill he 
 was succeeded by Lucius Dyer, Edwin 
 Norton, Raymond P. Babcock (who made 
 general repairs and put in a new wheel), 
 Isaac Bellows, R. P. Babcock, J. L. & L. 
 H. Comstock, and Jolin B. Cottrell, the 
 present owner. The mill is located about 
 a mile from Scott Center. 
 
 Three-fourths of a mile below the Cot- 
 trell mill is the frame of an old flax-mill that 
 was put in operation at an early da)- by the 
 West famil}-. who ran it until about the 
 year 1865. The propert}" is still owned 
 by members of the famil\-. but the mill is 
 not used as such. 
 
 Near the old saw-mill built b\- Jonathan 
 Scott and about opposite to it, is the oil- 
 mill built b)' him. The saw-mill was 
 erected in 1828 and the oil- mill in 1830. 
 The latter has alwa\'s been kept in the 
 hands of the Scott fainily, being now owned 
 and operated by Ransom Scott. The site 
 of the old saw-mill now belongs to Esquire 
 Hunt. A fresliet of twent\^ )-ears ago car- 
 ried off the saw-mill, and three thousand 
 bushels of flax seed. 
 
 Ransom Scott built a distillery in the 
 \'icinity of these mills during the War of 
 the Rebellion. It was afterward burned. 
 
 In 1880 a saw- mill was built by Samuel 
 Scott a mile below the oil-mill, which he 
 still owns. On the east shore at the head 
 
 of the lake Greeley Cady and brothers 
 built a steam saw-mill in 1883, making the 
 last of the numerous mills on this stream, 
 in that direction ; but there are others on 
 the same stream northward from Scott 
 Center. A. Babcock built one of these in 
 1833 ; it is now owned by Childs & Haz- 
 ard, who put in flax machinerj- soon after 
 1880. It is now a combination of a cir- 
 cular saw-mill, a flax-mill and a wagon 
 shop. 
 
 The Townsley saw-mill, in the \icinit)' of 
 East Scott, was built b}- Henry Townsley, 
 
 I an old resident of the place, about 1825. 
 This was afterward converted into a grist- 
 mill and is now used for grinding coarse 
 products. 
 
 The tanning business in Scott was 
 
 j probably begun in an early period by a 
 Mr. Dowd, a shoemaker, who had in con- 
 nection with his shop a few vats for curing 
 hides. Eastman & Lawrence established a 
 tannery about the year 1830, on a much 
 
 1 more extensive scale. 
 
 I Prior to this date, B. A. Denison carried 
 on the business of carding and fulling cloth. 
 He died in 1828. 
 
 P'rom the period of 1855 to i860 and 
 down to the present time the farmers of 
 Scott have earned an excellent reputation 
 for the qualit}-, as well as the quantity of 
 their dair\- products. The grass lands of 
 
 , the town are unexcelled and b\- the im- 
 
 i pro\ed methods of late years, with which 
 the farmers have made themselves familiar, 
 a product that enjoys a first class reputation 
 is made. The cheese factor}-, located just 
 north of Scott Center, was formerl)- owned 
 and operated \ery successfully b\' John B. 
 Cottrell & Son. 
 
 The first annual town meeting of Scott 
 was held at the school-house near Paul Bab- 
 cock's, according to appointment, on Tues- 
 day, March 5th, 18 16, and the following 
 business was transacted : — 
 
Town of Scott. 
 
 409 
 
 Peleg Babcock was chosen supervisor of 
 the town, and David Harris, town clerk. 
 
 Other officers were Paul Babcock, Hcnr\- 
 Babcock and Holly Maxson, assessors. 
 
 George Frink, Ansel Wilcox and Henry 
 Burdick, commissioners of highways. 
 
 George Frink and Benjamin Pelton, poor 
 masters. 
 
 Loring Boies, constable and collector. 
 
 Paul Babcock, Benjamin Pelton and Da- 
 vid Harris, commissioners of public mone\-. 
 
 Paul Babcock, Ezra Babcock and Jabez 
 Barber, school commissioners. 
 
 John Gillett, Ephraim Babcock and Da- 
 \'id Harris, school inspectors. 
 
 It was \oted at this meeting that $25 be 
 raised for the support of the poor. 
 
 Down to the year i860 peace reigned 
 in the town of Scott, in common with the 
 remainder of the count)-. The farmers la- 
 bored diligently and eftectiveK^ for the clear- 
 ing of their lands, and though isolated en- 
 tircl)' from railroad communication with 
 other portions of the count}- and State, 
 prosperity prevailed and the inhabitants 
 were contented. Schools multiplied and 
 the youth of the town grew up in an at- 
 mosphere of intelligence. W'hen the first 
 gun in the great Rebellion was fired, it 
 found the people of this town imbued with 
 such patriotism, that her young men went 
 forth to aid in sustaining the go\-ernment as 
 freely as from an\- other portion of the 
 county, while her treasure was liberally de- 
 voted to the payment of such bounties as 
 were deemed advisable b)' the county au- 
 thorities. Following is a list of the enlist- 
 ments from this town of all men w'fio were 
 paid bounties : — 
 
 Call of October 17th, 1863. k'ebruar}- and 
 March, 1864. Bounty, $300. Total, $9,- 
 300. — Oren D. Wheeler, Miles G. Frisbic, 
 Jonathan Scott, David Scott, Clark C. Silen- 
 cer, Edwin P. Burdick, William II. Brown, 
 Ambrose H. Mabie, Henry C. Babcock, 
 
 Francis E. Barber, Andrew S. Barber, Wil- 
 liam Spencer, Philo Fuller, Andrew D. Col- 
 lins, Edmund D. Crosby, James B. Rich- 
 ardson, Sidney Harrington, Washington B. 
 Fisk, William A. Picket, Charles Barnum, 
 Lucius K. Robinson, Janna P. Northaway, 
 Lorenzo D. Whiting, Stennett C. Stillman, 
 John T. Pratt, Charles R. Whiting, Thomas 
 Blundcn, John Wagner, William Stringham, 
 James B. Clark, James Fenton. 
 
 Call of July I 8th, 1864. Bount\- $1,000. 
 Total, $6,000. Brokerage, $150. — James 
 R. Corl, Nathan M. Bennett, Edwin E. 
 Dunn, Albert G. Geutclieous, William B. 
 Maxson, Daniel B. Pender. 
 
 Call of December 19th, 1864. Bounty 
 $600. Total, $9,600. Brokerage, $240. 
 — John Brittle, James Gordon, Patrick J. 
 Brady, Thomas Dale}-, Thomas Murphy, 
 John Adams, Nicholas Haler, Henry Kraft, 
 Thomas TuU}-, William Wolfer, Jonathan 
 Francis, Adam Sherr, Edward S. Anable, 
 |ohn Breman, John Carlton, Joseph Suger. 
 
 Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
 calls for October 17th, 1863, F"ebruar\^ and 
 March, 1864, $9,300. Paid for filling quota, 
 call July 1 8th, 1864, $6,150. Paid for fill- 
 ing quota, call December 19th, 1864, $2,- 
 640. Grand total, $18,090. 
 
 Following is a list of the supervisors and 
 town clerks of the town, the supervisor's 
 name in each case preceding that of the 
 clerk : — 
 
 From 1825 to 1827, inclusive, Aaron 
 Brown, Ezekiel Potter; 1828, Aaron Brown, 
 P. Hoadley; 1829-30, Aaron Brown, G. S. 
 Green; 1831, Aaron Brown, Phineas H. 
 Burdick; 1832-33, Aaron Brown, G. S. 
 Green; 1834-35, Alvan Kellogg, John 
 Barber; 1836, Alvan Kellogg, Alonzo D. 
 C. Barber; 1837-38, Alvan Kellogg, Sim- 
 eon M. Babcock; 1839, John Barber, Alon- 
 zo C. Barber; 1840, Anson L. Whiting, 
 Jerome K. Babcock; 1841, Geo. M. Niles, 
 J. K. Babcock; 1842, George' M. Niles, 
 
4IO 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Thomas Hunt; 1843, N. Salisbury, Am- 
 brose Higgins; 1844-45, Alvan Kellogg, 
 ; 1846, Alvan Kellogg, A. L. 
 
 Whiting; 1847, l^-i'isom Scott, Wil 
 
 M. 
 
 Burdick; 1848, Chauncey VV. Bierce, A. 
 D. C. Barber; 1849—50, Isaac S. Jackson, 
 Sanford D. Kinney; 185 i, Joseph Atwater, 
 A. L. Whiting; 1852, A. W. Clark, Joseph 
 Atwater; 1853, Joseph Atwater, A. L. 
 \\'hiting; 1854, A. W. Clark, Samuel A. 
 Childs; 1855-56, Hammond A. Cottrell, 
 John J. Wagner; 1857—58, Samuel A. 
 Childs, William A. Alvord; 1859-60,* Ed- 
 mund Spencer, Peter Knapp; 1861, Chaun- 
 ce\- W. Bierce, John K. Chandler; 1862, 
 S. A. Knapp, P. Childs; 1863-64, Cyrus 
 Kellogg, Peter Knapp; 1865, Jeremiah G. 
 Alvord, Peter Knapp; 1866, S. A. Childs, 
 Fenn G. Alvord; 1867, Raymond P. Bab- 
 cock, F"rank D. Babcock; 1868, Isaac M. 
 Bellows, F. A. Babcock; 1869-70, S. A. 
 Childs, S. D. Babcock; 1871-72, Phineas 
 Hutchins, Wm. A. Morgan; [873, Dwight 
 K. Cutler, W. A. Morgan; 1874, Chauncey 
 W. Bierce, W. A. Morgan; 1875, Phineas 
 Hutchins, W. A. Morgan; 1876, John D. 
 Cottrell, W^ D. Morgan; 1877, S. A. Childs, 
 W. H. Morgan; 1S78-79, G. D. Crosley, 
 W. H. Morgan; 1880, Dwight K. Cutler, 
 W. H. Morgan; 1881, William A. Niver,' 
 W. H. Morgan; 1882-83, W. H. Morgan, 
 S. C. Stillman. 
 
 The present town officers for the town 
 of Scott are : — 
 
 Supervisor — W. H. ?kIorgan. 
 
 Town clerk — S. C. Stillman. 
 
 Justices of the peace — Byron L. Barber, 
 Wm. D. Hunt. G. F. Barber. 
 
 Commissioner of highways — Norman E. 
 Black. 
 
 Assessors — Sylvanus A. Churchill. Jared 
 Babcock, Miles G. Frisbie. 
 
 Overseer of the poor — D. D. L. Bur- 
 dick. 
 
 Collector — Elbert E. Barker. 
 
 Auditors — Elias L. Frisbie, Henr\' Un- 
 derwood, Fenn G. Alvord. 
 
 Inspectors of election — \\'. C. Bockes, 
 James Taft, I'.dward Slocum, Edwin P. 
 Burdick, John Knight, J. B. Underwood. 
 
 Game constable — H. D. Babcock. 
 
 Excise commissioner — Lewis S. Hazard. 
 
 SCOTT CENTER. 
 
 The \illage of Scott (or Scott Center) is 
 situated near the center of the town and 
 contains a population of about three hun- 
 dred. It has a hotel, three stores, two 
 churches and one or two shops. 
 
 The first merchant in the place was Na- 
 than Babcock, who had a store on the 
 grounds now occupied by the present hotel 
 building. He was, during a part of his 
 sta\- in the village, engaged in teaching a 
 day school. 
 
 In 1828 George F. Green located in the 
 place and built the original part of the 
 present hotel building and also the house 
 on the opposite corner now owned and oc- 
 cupied by his son. After building the store 
 he occupied it as a merchant until 1840 or 
 1 84 1. He came from De Ru\ter to this 
 place in 1824. 
 
 \\ illiam Ahord was an earlj- trader and 
 bought out Mr. Green. Alvord was in 
 business but about fourteen years. Suc- 
 ceeding came Lewis & Cottrell, and in 1844 
 L. .\. Whiting also began trading in the 
 village, continuing for sixteen years. He 
 was burned out in the destructive fire of 
 1858. 
 
 As early as the year 1833 George Ross 
 built the store just north of the present 
 post-office and went into business with 
 George Atwater. On the first of April, 
 1836, Wm. AKord succeeded and traded 
 five years at that stand, finally selling out 
 to P. H. Van Schaick. Following came 
 Welch & Howells, Dr. Ira Babcock, Martin 
 Knapp. Miles Bierce, Sanford Kinney, Wm. 
 
Town of Scott. 
 
 411 
 
 H. Alvord, and Philander Knight, wlio 
 owned the store in 1858, wlien it was 
 burned. 
 
 The store building on the corner, now 
 owned by S. R. McConnell, was built by 
 R. P. Babcock about the year 1865 or 1866. 
 Isaac N. Bellows traded here for a while, 
 also; Mr. McConnell has been in business 
 at this locality since 1872. 
 
 The store now owned bj' Tinkhani & 
 Churchill was built by Elijah Niver just 
 before the late war. 
 
 S. C. Stillnian, town clerk of the town 
 of Scott, established tlie drug business in 
 1880, and keeps also a line of other goods. 
 He has a tin shop in connection with his 
 store. 
 
 The harness trade was earl)- established 
 in the village b)- Jerry Jones, Hiram Her- 
 rick and others. John H. Chandler after- 
 ward engaged in this business and continued 
 it for many years. He was succeeded by 
 W. H. Morgan, a skillful mechanic, in 1866. 
 Mr. Morgan is also postmaster at the pres- 
 ent time, succeeding H. \V. Babcock in 
 1872. 
 
 The first ph\-sician, probabl}-, in the town 
 was Dr. Huntington. He practiced in this 
 place a number of years and died in 1840. 
 His son Justin Ii\ed in the town until he 
 reached the advanced age of eight\'-seven 
 years, dying in 1883. Dr. Whiting was 
 also an earl}- physician in the town, but re- 
 mo\-ed to the West about fift\- \-ears ago. 
 Dr. Stowell came in about the year 1824, 
 but remained only a few years. Phineas 
 H. Burdick came in a little later and in 
 1828 became a member of the County 
 Medical Association. In 1834 lie removed 
 to Preble, where he continued practice until 
 his death in 1870. Dr. Ira L. Babcock 
 became a member of the Count}' Medical 
 Society in 1832. Dr. Wm. M. Truman 
 studied medicine with Dr. Maxson in 1833 ; 
 afterwards attended college and begfan 
 
 practice in the village in 1834 or 1835. 
 He remained only two or three years and 
 then removed to Lincklaen, Chenango 
 count}-. A few years later he returned to 
 Scott, remaining two \-ears. Dr. Hazlett 
 Wilcox came about 1850; his stay was 
 also short. Dr. Clarke Hubbard came in 
 1854 and practiced here until his death. 
 Dr. Waters came in 1859, but entered the 
 Union army at the breaking out of the late 
 war. Dr. D. C. Sydney came in 1869, but 
 left for Friendship, Pa., the following year. 
 Dr. I-rvin Truman came in 1872. Dr. 
 Maxson, the oldest physician in the town, 
 and one of the oldest in the county, was 
 
 j educated at Fairfield, Herkimer count}-, N. 
 Y., and graduated in 1830, going first to 
 Plymouth, Chenango count}-. He came 
 from that place to Scott in 1833. '" 1834. 
 on the 16th of May, he became a member 
 of the Count}- Medical Society. He prac- 
 tices in the old school of medicine. 
 
 I The old hotel of the village was probably 
 builf b\- Daniel Royce before 1830. It 
 was at that time a small affair, serving the 
 purposes of a saloon as much as of a hotel. 
 Joseph Royce made some additions in 1830. 
 Thomas Harrop next took the proprietor- 
 
 j ship and added seventy feet to the building 
 for a saloon. This would indicate that the 
 business was prosperous. Following him 
 in the hotel came Nathan Culver for a few 
 }-ears, after which there were man}- changes. 
 Charles Dunbar was proprietor of this house 
 when it burned on the morning of May 4th, 
 1879. Mr. Dunbar then opened the pres- 
 ent hotel, which he still successfully con- 
 ducts. 
 
 The Prcsb}-terian Church of Scott. — This 
 societ}- was organized May 25th, 181 8, by 
 a committee of the Presbyter}- of Onondaga. 
 
 1 It remained in this connection until the or- 
 ganization of the Cortland Presbytery, when 
 it was assigned to that. The Congrega- 
 tional form of government was adopted in 
 
412 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 1S25, but tlic clinrcli still retained its con- 
 nection with tile Presbytery. Rev. Reuben 
 Hurd was niinisterint^ to tlie congregation 
 during a portion of its early histor}-. Re\-. 
 Mr. Dunning was tlie second minister and 
 after liim Re\-. Matliew Fiarrison gave one- 
 fourth of liis lime to the church. Re\-. 
 Llewellyn R. Powell began preaching here 
 in August, 1833, and was installed as pastor 
 August 25th, 1835 continuing about three 
 years. After this date came Rev. Mr. Red- 
 field and Rev. Mr. P'oltse. In the \-ear 
 1842 Rev. Daniel She, a Unionist, was em- 
 ployed for one \'ear. Rev. Hiram Harris 
 was made pastor in the fall of 1843. He 
 was then a licentiate preacher and was in- 
 stalled and ordained by the Presbytery of 
 Cortland <in the 18th of October, of the 
 same year. Mr. Harris preached at Boro- 
 dino one-half of the time during the \-ear 
 
 1845. The church has been alwa\'s small 
 in membership. In 1825 it had but twenty- 
 four members ; in 1836, sixty-eight, and in 
 
 1846, seventy; since then it has gradually 
 diminished until the year 1878, when the 
 building was removed from its foundation 
 and used for other jnirposes. The church 
 building was erected, but not entirely fin- 
 ished, in 1838. 
 
 The Close Communion Baptist Church 
 was the oldest organization in the town. Its 
 membership was the largest in the town at 
 one ])eriod It has ceased to exist and 
 there are no available records of its career. 
 
 The Seventh- Day Baptists have an or- 
 ganization in this town, which dates from 
 an earl)- period. No records of the society 
 could be obtained from which to compile 
 its histor)-. The society is in a flourishing 
 condition ; a good Sabbath-school is con- 
 nected with it. The present deacons are 
 John Barber, E. H. P. Potter and Lewis 
 Hazard. Miss Artelia Babcock is superin- 
 tendent of the Sabbath-school ; there is no 
 present pastor. 
 
 The Methodist Episcopal Society has a 
 membership of one hundred, with a good 
 Sabbath-school, under the direction of C. 
 J. Jones. The organization dates back to 
 an earh' period, but no records are in exist- 
 ence from which to write its histor)'. Rev. 
 Mr. Sharpe, the pastor, took charge of the 
 church in 1882. The church officers are 
 Chas. Jones, C. Clark, W'atson J. Black, 
 James Clark, Franklin Ticket, Dr. G. \V. 
 Ma.xson, Solomon Clark, John Lamphire, 
 Henry Niver, Mrs. Letitia Bedell and Mrs. 
 Jared Babcock. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVUI. 
 
 HISTORY OF THK TDWN OF SOl.dN. 
 
 SOLON is one of the interior towns of 
 the count}- atul is bounded on the north 
 by Tru.xton ; on the east b}' Taylor ; on 
 the south b}' Freetown, and on the west by 
 Cortlandville and Homer, thus locating it 
 near the center of the county. 
 
 Solon was No. 20 of the townships com- 
 prising the old militar)' tract and originally 
 embraced the territor\- now comprising So- 
 lon, Taylor and the southern portions of 
 
 i Tru.xton and Cu\'ler. The town was or- 
 ganized on the 9th of March, 1798. Its 
 1 former dimensions were reduced in April, 
 j 181 I, by annexing the north fourteen lots 
 I to Truxton, and again in 1 849 b\- the erec- 
 tion of the town of Taylor. The town now 
 i comprises 19,068 acres, with an assessed 
 \aluation of $17.55 per acre and a total val- 
 uation of $334,705. 
 
 The surface of the town is broken b\- a 
 
Town of Solon. 
 
 413 
 
 number of valleys, through which flow- 
 small streams. On the eastern border the 
 ridges rise to an elevation of from fourteen to 
 fifteen hundred feet above tide. Trout brook 
 flows through the town in a northwesterly 
 direction and is bordered b)' a fertile vallc}'. 
 Pritchard, North and Maybury brooks flow 
 into Trout brook from the north, and Smith 
 brook flows from the southern portion of 
 the town towards the northwest. The soil 
 of Solon 'is a gravelly loam, much better 
 adapted to grazing than grain-growing. 
 Dairj-ing is the most prominent interest to 
 which farmers now turn their attention. 
 
 There are in the town one post-office, 
 one store, one saw-mill, one grist-mill, one 
 cheese factor)', one hotel, one blacksmith 
 shop, two churches, Roman Catholic and 
 Baptist. 
 
 The first permanent settlement in Solon 
 was made in 1794 b}- Roderick Beebe and 
 Johnson Bingham. The former located on 
 lot No. 75, on that portion known as Mount 
 Roderick. He came originall)- from Massa- 
 chusetts. 
 
 Mr. Bingham was a nati\'e of Connect- 
 icut, but came to Solon from \'ermont, 
 locating on lot 62. _ He purchased 550 
 acres; was justice of the peace for about 
 twenty years, and associate judge for quite 
 a period. He reared eight children. 
 
 William Galpin was probabl}- one of the 
 next settlers in the town, locating on lot 4J 
 in the }-ear 1797 : he came from New Jer- 
 sey. He was one of the many unfortunates 
 who bought land and found they had no 
 valid title, and he removed to Pompe\-, On- 
 ondaga county. 
 
 In 1799 John Welch came into the town 
 from Wyoming and located a little south 
 of the farm of Roderick Beebe. He re- 
 mained but a few years and removed to 
 Cleveland, Ohio. 
 
 Col. Elijah Wheeler, from \e\\ Ha\en, 
 Conn., came in in the vear 1 80 1 and lo- 
 
 cated on lot 100, where he purchased orig- 
 inallj- 100 acres. 
 
 Settlements were made principally in the 
 northern and eastern portions of this town 
 during the earh- period, and many who 
 came in at an early day are noticed in tlie 
 histories of those later di\-isions. Captain 
 Stephen N. Peck came from Stanford, Duch- 
 ess count)', N. Y., and located on lot 62 in 
 March, 1804. He first purcliased ninety- 
 two acres but subsequently added consider- 
 ably to his farm. He lived on his place to 
 a good old age. 
 
 Garrett Pritchard was one of the pioneers 
 who came into the wilderness full of deter- 
 mination to do his part towards making it 
 "blossom as the rose." He was from 
 Litchfield, Conn., and located on lot 74 in 
 the year 1807. He came into the town 
 with a pack on his back and $16.50 in 
 mone\- in his pockets. His father had pre- 
 ceded him one year and was finding it difli- 
 cult to meet the small payments falling due 
 on his land ; but the son came to his aid 
 and paid $500 on his father's estate, after- 
 ward locating on lot 75. He became the 
 owner of 500 acres of land and li\-ed the 
 latter years of his life in the enjoyment of 
 his competence. 
 
 In the same )'ear of Pritchard's arrival 
 Richard Maybury came from Luzerne, Pa., 
 and located on the State's hundred, lot 53, 
 where he purchased 100 acres. He was an 
 industrious and worth)' citizen. 
 
 Stephen \. Peck, with his wife and 
 two children, came in from Duchess count)" 
 in 1805. He located on lot 62 and li\'ed 
 to be over ninety years old, retaining his 
 faculties to a remarkable degree. His sons, 
 L)'man E., Burlingham, Piatt and John all 
 settled in the town. 
 
 Luke Chapin, father of Hiram Chapin, 
 came from Massachusetts in 1805 and set- 
 tled on lot 42. In the same year Gen. S. 
 G. Hathawa\', who was also from Massa- 
 
414 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 cliusetts, settled on lot 7 1 and two years 
 later removed to lot "J^, in Solon, where he 
 spent the remainder of his life. In 1810 
 he was appointed jnstice of the peace and 
 held the office forty-eight successive years; 
 he gained the reputation of being the 
 ablest magistrate in this office in the county, 
 possessing the faculty of seeing intuitively 
 into the merits of cases before him. making 
 up his mind as to the facts with rare judg- 
 ment from which no ability or ingenuity on 
 the part of lawyers'could swerve him. His 
 fairness and justice were seldom or never 
 called in question. He represented Cort- 
 land county in the Legislature in 18 14 
 and i8i8.' In the last named year he pro- 
 cured a division of the town of Cincinnatus, 
 and the part of it in which he resided at 
 that time fell within the limits of Free- 
 town, which was named after his native 
 town in Massachusetts. He was elected to 
 the State Senate in 1822. to Congress in 
 1832 and was chosen presidential elector in 
 1852. He had a decided taste for military 
 affairs and rose through the various grades of 
 office until he was commissioned major- 
 general in 1823. He was an able politician 
 and possessed of those qualities that give 
 an influence over men and tend to make 
 their possessor a leader. Mr. Hathaway 
 died without disease, while sitting in his 
 chair at six o'clock A. M. on the 2d of 
 May, 1867, in the eighty-seventh year of 
 his ase. His son, Calvin L. Hathawa\-, 
 resides on the homestead and is a man of 
 prominence in the county, both as a bus- 
 iness man and a politician. 
 
 Henry L. Randall was one of the promi- 
 nent earlj- pioneers, who came from Sharon, 
 Conn., and located on lot 74 in 1808. He 
 made the journey with his wife and three 
 children, with a two horse team, bringing a 
 few necessary articles with which to begin 
 life in his wilderness home. He lived more 
 than half a century where he first settled 
 
 and reared a famil)' of five children, and 
 died ill 1863. One of his sons, Orriii Ran- 
 dall, now li\es on lot No. 6, where he is 
 pleasantK' located. He married Libbic 
 liean, daughter of Josiah Bean (an early 
 settler on the same lot), and removed from 
 lot 74 to his present location in 1876. 
 
 Joel Rankin, also from Massachusetts, 
 settled on lot 42 in 1807. His daughter 
 Margaret became the wife of .Amos Pritch- 
 ard. 
 
 Luke Cass, from New Hampshire, settled 
 on lot 51. Columbus Cass, his son, came 
 in w itli his father and afterwards located on 
 lot 61. Jonathan Rundall, from Sharon, 
 Conn., located on lot 74. Ebenezer Blake, 
 from Stoddard, New Hampshire, settled on 
 lot 84. Joseph Holden, an early settler, 
 located where Edward Holden now lives. 
 
 Such were the principal pioneers who 
 came into this town at an early day to 
 spend their lives in subduing the wilderness, 
 encountering hardships and privations which 
 are all unknown at the present time. Set- 
 tlement in the town was not very rapid and 
 it was long after the close of the War of 
 1812 before all the land was occupied and 
 largely under cultivation. 
 
 The first birth in the town of Solon was 
 that of a daughter of Johnson Bingham. 
 The first marriage united Robert Smith and 
 Amy Smith. The first death was that of 
 Lydia Bingham, which event occurred on 
 the ylh of May, 1798. Johnson Bingham 
 died in 1843 and his wife, Annie, died No- 
 vember 14th, 1865, at the great age of 102 
 year, i i months and 25 days. 
 
 The first school was taught in Solon by 
 Ro.xana Beebe and Lydamana Stewart, in 
 the year 1804. Benjamin Tubbs kept the 
 first store and Lewis Beebe the first tavern. 
 The first mill was built by Noah Greeley, 
 and the first church was organized in 1804, 
 by the Rev. Josiah Butler, who was tlie first 
 preacher. 
 
Town of Solon. 
 
 415 
 
 The mill built by Noah Greeley was a saw- 
 mill, and the first grist-mill was built by 
 Eber Wilcox ; it was locateLl on Ma\^bury 
 creek just below the site of the present mill 
 and was erected in 1 8 1 2. The water-wheel 
 was made of a log some twent)' feet in length 
 and acted on the recoil principal which was 
 patented before that time b\' a M.r. Barker. 
 The water entered a hole in the middle of 
 the log, was conducted through a large bore 
 to either end, where it escaped through 
 smaller holes on opposite sides of the log, 
 the action of the water against the air serv- 
 ing to re\'olve the wheel. A child of Mr. 
 W'ilco.x fell into this wheel when it was in 
 motion and was killed. 
 
 John Ma)'bury built the present mill, now 
 owned by his nephew, E. B. Ma\'bury, prior 
 to 1 840. It soon afterward passed into the 
 hands of General Hatha\\a\- and was then 
 leased to C. Albridge, who ran it a number 
 of years, a part of the time with his son-in- 
 law, Wm. Dorr. It then passed into the 
 hands of P. F. Moses, then to P. P. Moses 
 and finally in 1874 to the present owner, 
 who put in a turbine wheel ; the mill has 
 now two run of stones and does a flouring 
 and custom business. 
 
 Palmer's furniture factor}- is located near 
 the Maybury mill, its water power being 
 drawn from the same dam. The building 
 was erected in 1876, by E. E. Palmer, who 
 put in machinery for the extensive manu- 
 facture of all kinds of furniture. 
 
 A cheese factory was in operation in this 
 neighborhood between 1874 and 1876. 
 Benton Dice removed the frame of this 
 structure from Blodgett's Mills, but soon 
 afterward sold it to Irving Stevens ; it was 
 burned in 1876. 
 
 The only cheese factory now in Solon is 
 located near the village, or hamlet, and was 
 built in the winter of 1881-83, by B. T. 
 Turner. It is a creamer)- and the building- 
 was erected o\er " Bear'spring," which is 
 
 noted for the purity and coldness of its 
 water. The establishment is doing a good 
 business. 
 
 The hamlet of Solon is located near the 
 center of the town, and contains a store, 
 post-office and a hotel. 
 
 The first merchant was Benjamin Tubbs; 
 he was followed by Samuel Wilber. Flint 
 Phelps kept a store for a time two miles 
 west of the hamlet, but it was finally aban- 
 doned. Since then the mercantile trade of 
 the town has all been done in Solon, and 
 was for many years conducted by Samuel 
 Emerson. He was one of the pioneer set- 
 tlers, who came in from New Eln^land in 
 1803 and located one mile west of the ham- 
 let. He died in 1869, at the age of eighty- 
 three years. His father was in the Revo- 
 lutionary War and also in the War of 18 12. 
 Mr. Emerson's store was on the east side 
 of the creek. 
 
 The principal merchants of the place 
 since Mr. Emerson have been Lyman Al- 
 den, Ezra Rockwell, A. Stevens, Lyman 
 and Rufus Peck, Willis Holmes and A. S. 
 Brown, who is the present proprietor. He 
 began business in 1883, carries a large gen- 
 eral stock of goods and recei\-es the patron- 
 age of most of the inhabitants of the town. 
 
 The production of maple sugar is carried 
 on to a large extent in Solon. Many of the 
 sugar camps contain from one to three 
 thousand trees. During the sugar making 
 season of 1884 Mr. Brown handled and 
 shipped a ton of this product per day. 
 Among those who engage most largely in 
 this manufacture we may mention Jerome 
 White, Luman Maybury, John Maybury, 
 Adelbert Holden, - B. H. Randall, E. Z. 
 Smith, George Cooper, Joel Pritchard, Silas 
 Stevens, Robert Smith, James Finn, Daniel 
 Morris, Alfred Smith, John Li\-ingston, 
 Philander Underwood, S. Marten, Joseph 
 Murphy, Jacob Atkins and Isaac Walker. 
 
 The first tavern in Solon was located a 
 
4i6 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 mile or so west of tlie hamlet, and \\as kept 
 by Lewis lieebe. William Copclancl, son- 
 in-law of Mr. Emerson, before mentioned, 
 was the first tavern-keeper at the liamlet. 
 Succeeding him came Noah Goodrich, John 
 Wheeler, Mr. Fish, Wm. and Philip Hays, 
 A. S. Pierce, John and James Warden, and 
 Earl Palmer. The ta\'ern is now kept by 
 James Warden. The present building was 
 erected by Earl Palmer in 1865. 
 
 Churches. — The Baptist Church in Solon 
 was organized in 1804 by Rev. Josiah But- 
 ler. We were unable to learn much relative 
 to the past history of the church ; it is not, 
 however, in as flourishing condition as in 
 former \'ears. 
 
 There is a Catholic Church in the town 
 which is under the effective guidance of 
 Father McLoghlin, of Cortland village. 
 
 The Presbyterian. Church was organized 
 September iith, 1827, with a membership 
 of fifteen. The membership has always 
 been small. The church was furnished a 
 portion of the time for a year or two, with 
 preaching by the Presbytery of Cortland, 
 and was dissolved in 183 1. 
 
 When the great Rebellion broke out the 
 patriotic people of Solon volunteered freely 
 for the defense of the Union, and many 
 sealed their devotion to their countrx- with 
 their blood. Following are the names of 
 those who gave their lives in the perpet- 
 uation of liberty, from this town : — 
 
 Lucius Randall, son of Orrin Randall, 
 killed at Gravelly Run, March 29th, 1865. 
 Orrin Reed, killed in the same battle. John 
 Cahill died in a rebel prison. Dayton Har- 
 vey, son of Charles Harvey, died from 
 wounds received in battle at Gett\-sburg. 
 John Stevens, son of Jacob Stevens, died 
 in Libby prison. Job Gillett, died in hos- 
 pital. Dennis B. Hicks, died of wounds 
 received in service. Edwin Fish, died in 
 hospital at Hilton Head. James Atwood, 
 died on the field. Adelbert Ta\'lor, died 
 
 in Washington, and Walker died 
 
 after returning home. 
 
 Following is a list of the soldiers who 
 went from this town and were paid bounties 
 and credited to this town ; — 
 
 Call of Oct. 17th, 1863, I'ebruar)- and 
 March, 1864. Hount\- paid, $300. Total, 
 $2,700. — James Sargant, Daniel Barnes, 
 Horatio Niles Hicks, Mark Brownell, John 
 Cahill, William R. Wells, Edwin R. Al- 
 bridge, William B. Gilbert, Luther P. Hicks. 
 
 The earh' records of this town are not 
 now available ; we were unable to find a 
 list of town officers earlier than 1844, since 
 which date the following is a list of the su- 
 pervisors and town clerks, the supervi.sor's 
 name appearing first in each instance, with 
 the present town oflicers : — 
 
 1844-45, Rufus Rice, John Wheeler. 
 Ezra Rockwell, Stephen Kellogg, 1846. 
 Ezra Rockwell, Russel C. Fowler, 1847. 
 John Wheeler, Lewis .M. Wolsey, 1848. 
 John Wheeler, Samuel G. Hathaway, 1849. 
 John Wheeler, Freeman Warren, 1850- 
 51-52. John Wheeler, Samuel G. Hatha- 
 way, 1853. Johnson Wheeler, Lyman 
 Stone, 1854. Johnson Wheeler, John M. 
 Freeman, 1855. Johnson Wheeler, Lewis 
 Dickinson, 1856. David I. Brownell, Lewis 
 Dickinson, 1857. David I. Brownell, Ran- 
 dolph R. Ma\bury, 1858. David I. Brown- 
 ell, Cornelius D. Fish, 1859. Philander P. 
 Moses, Robert B. Fish, i860. Philander 
 P. Moses, Leroy D. Stevens, 1861. Calvin 
 L. Hathaway, Earl Palmer, 1862. Ran- 
 som Warren, Earl Palmer, 1863. David L 
 Brownell, I'^arl Palmer, 1864. David I. 
 Brownell. Melvin ^Liybury. 1865-66. Da- 
 \-id 1. Brownell, Har\-e}- J. Stone, 1867. 
 Johnson Wheeler. Har\c\- J. Stone. 1868. 
 Calvin Hathaway, L\man Peck, jr., 1869. 
 David P. Brownell, Harvey J. Stone, 1870. 
 John Wheeler, Harvey J. Stone, 1871. John 
 Wheeler, Mordeca L. Totman, 1873. Philo 
 F. Moses, Mordeca L. Totman, 1874. Har- 
 
Town ok Frektown. 
 
 4'7 
 
 ve\^ J. Stone, ^lordcca L. Totman, 1875. Commissioner of highways — Joel C. 
 
 Harvc)- J. Stone, James Dougherty, 1876. 1 Pritchard. 
 
 J. J. Walker, James Uoughert)-, 1877. J. Collector — Oscar Smith. 
 
 J.Walker, C. T, Feck, 1878-79. James Overseer of the poor — James l-"inn. 
 
 Dougherty, William V.. Hurr, 1880-81- | Constables — John Withey, Wm. Hurke, 
 
 82. James Doughert\-, B. II Randall, Ed. Diver, John Barnes 
 
 1883. 
 
 The present officers of the town (1884) 
 are : — 
 
 Supervisor — James Doughert\-. 
 
 Town clerk — Andrew S. Brown. 
 
 Assessor — A. Holden. 
 
 Inspectors of election — V. H. (iraves, 
 John Dorth)-, Ephraim Smith. 
 
 Commissioner of excise — Jerome May- 
 bury. 
 
 Justices — Alfred Warren, L. W. Green- 
 man, John R. Maybury, E. B. Maybury. 
 
 CHAPTER XXLX. 
 
 IIISTOKV OK IHK TO\V.\ OK KRKKTOWX. 
 
 FREETOWN is bounded on the north 
 by Solon and Cortlandville ; on the 
 east by Cincinnatus : on the s(nith by Mar- 
 athon, and on the west by Virgil and Cort- 
 landville, and lies a little south of the cen- 
 ter of the county, on a ridge between the 
 Otselic and Tioughnioga rivers. Its surface 
 is high and hill)-, broken by small streams 
 flowing north and south through the town. 
 It comprises 16,425^ acres, with an as- 
 sessed value per acre of $20.52: total as- 
 sessed value of real estate, $337,145. 
 
 This town was organized on the 21st of 
 April, 1 81 8, and comprises what was the 
 northwestern quarter of the old military 
 township of Cincinnatus, with lot No. 20 
 which was taken from Virgil in 1820. 
 The soil is a clay loam, better adapted to 
 grazing than grain growing, although good 
 crops of corn, oats, barley, potatoes, etc., 
 are raised. In later years especial attention 
 has been given to dairying and with excel- 
 lent results. 
 
 The pioneers of this toun encoimtered 
 hardships greater than were experienced by 
 those of many other towns in the county. 
 
 The natural aspect of the w-ilderness in this 
 section was forbidding and the land difficult 
 to clear. To get their corn ground the 
 pioneers usually preferred to go to Manlius 
 or Onondaga Hollow, rather than to Che- 
 nango Forks or Ludlowville ; the distance 
 they thus had to travel was about forty 
 miles, fording streams and often being com- 
 pelled to camp out one or more nights on 
 the wa\% exposed to storms and dangers 
 from wild animals. The roads were mere 
 paths which could be followed only by 
 marked trees. These tedious journeys had 
 to be made until 1798, in which year the 
 first grist-mill was erected in Homer, as 
 heretofore stated ; and even this improve- 
 ment left the pioneer of Freetown a long 
 distance to travel through the forest to mill. 
 The first settler in Freetown was Cyrus 
 Saunders. He was a native of Rhode 
 Island and was born May 19th, 1772; he 
 married Nancy Hiscock, also a native of 
 that State, in 1794 and came to Freetown 
 in 1795, locating on lot No. 5. He dwelt 
 there about fifteen j-ears — years of severe 
 toil and privations, but made endurable to 
 
4i8 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 liim by the tlioiiL^ht that he was making a 
 home for his family and Ills own enjo\ment 
 in old age. When his last payment on the 
 land was made he learned to his consterna- 
 tion that his title, like so many to which 
 wc have referred, was imperfect and his 
 farm was lost to him. He removed with 
 his family to Factory Hill, in flomer vil- 
 lage, where he remained until the factorj' 
 burned in 1815, his children working in the 
 factory during that period. His children 
 were Naby (now Mrs. Naby House), Cath- 
 arine, Almeda, La\'ina, Cyrus, Xanc\-, 
 Perry and Elisha. 
 
 From Homer the family removed to the 
 town of Solon, on lot No. 81, settlingf on 
 fifty acres of land for which he paid $300. 
 The tract was covered with forest and Mr. 
 Saunders had practically to begin life over 
 again, the first step in which was to build a 
 log house. They lived on this farm about 
 nineteen years, after which he and his son, 
 Perry H., went to McGrawville and bought 
 the carding and cloth-dressing mill which 
 had been conducted by Eber Wilcox and 
 John Peat. This business the_\- continued 
 for a period of ten years, after which they 
 removed to Cuyler, in what is known as 
 the Kenney Settlement. Cyrus Saunders 
 finally removed to Chautauqua county, 
 where he died in 1856. 
 
 Nancy Saunders, wife of Cyrus Saunders, 
 took her infant daughter, Naby (now a 
 resident of Westfield, Chautauqua county), in 
 the year 1796, and made a journey on horse- 
 back to her former home in Rhode Island ; 
 she was accompanied by a neighboring 
 woman. A year's residence in the wilder- 
 ness, where she had seldom seen a white 
 woman, had given the young wife a feeling 
 of homesickness which she imagined would 
 be dispelled by a visit to her old home. It 
 must have been a long and trying journey, 
 but was made without serious mishap. 
 The infant, Naby, was one of the children 
 
 who worked in the Hiimcr factory and is 
 now living, as above stated, and enjoys 
 good iiealth at the age of eighty-nine years. 
 
 Robert Smith, a soldier in the Revolu- 
 tionary War, was one of the very early set- 
 tlers in Freetown, having drawn lot No. 2 
 for his services to the country. He located 
 himself and family on the lot in 1 800, where 
 he had prepared a mere log cabin for their 
 accommodation. After some years of se- 
 vere struggles to make a home ia the wil- 
 derness, he sold his property to Samuel G. 
 Hathawaj-. Mr. Smith's descendants after- 
 wards li\'ed in Marathon. 
 
 Soon after Mr. Smith's settlement, Caleb 
 Sheopard and David H. Monrose moved 
 from the eastern part of the State and set- 
 tled with their families on lot No. 22. Mr. 
 Sheopard removed to Michigan about the 
 year 1850. Mr. Monrose remained on his 
 farm and died in 1837. 
 
 William Smith, a nati\e of Vermont, mi- 
 grated from Great Bend, Fa., to Freetown 
 in the year 1802, and located on lot No. 
 25. Fie made several small purchases of 
 land until he owned a farm of about 165 
 acres. He disposed of his property and 
 removed to Cortlandville in 1835. He was 
 a man of considerable prominence, held 
 several town offices and military positions. 
 He had a family of nine children. 
 
 In 1804 Gideon Chapin located on lot 
 42, where he erected the first saw-mill in 
 the town. There is a mill on the same site 
 at the present time, in which is one run of 
 stone, which is operated b\' Mr. Under- 
 wood. 
 
 Samuel G. Hathaway settled in Freetown 
 in 1805, ha\ing removed from Chenango 
 county, where he had located two years 
 earlier. He purchased 300 acres of land 
 of Robert Smith, as before noted. At that 
 time Mr. Hathaway's nearest neighbors on 
 the north, east and west were four miles 
 distant and eisiht miles on the south. In 
 
Tu\Vi\ OF Freetown. 
 
 419 
 
 1 8 1 9 he removed to the eastern part of lot 7 1 
 in the town of Solon, in tiic history of which 
 town will be found further reference to his 
 eminent career as a public man. The follow- 
 ing incident which he related to Mr. Good win. 
 the historian, finds its proper place here: — 
 ■' Soon after the General came to Free- 
 town he desired to make, some additions to 
 his stock of cattle, and learning that Caleb 
 Sheopard, living near the salt road about 
 five miles distant, had a calf to sell, he made 
 arrangements to procure the animal. Ha\- 
 ing finished his day's work he started for Mr. 
 Sheopard's near ex'ening with a rope halter 
 in his hand with which he intended tn lead 
 the calf if successful in making the pur- 
 chase ; and thus equipped, without coat or 
 stockings, he plodded on his course through 
 the woods, by way of marked trees, there 
 being no road. He succeeded in obtain- 
 ing the calf and started for home; but night 
 coming on, and it being much darker than 
 he anticipated, and carelessly hurr\'ing along 
 with his treasure by his side, he soon found 
 himself unable to distinguish the blazed 
 trees, but still persevered, hoping to come 
 out ricrht. It was not Ion", however, be- 
 fore he found he was out of the right course 
 and concluding that for the present he was 
 lost, very calmh- set about camping out for 
 the night. He fastened the calf to a tree, 
 and reposing by its side, was delighted 
 through the long and dark night by the 
 hooting of owls, how ling of woh'es, scream- 
 ing of panthers, and other music of a like 
 interesting character. At length morning 
 dawned and as aurora flung her gorgeous 
 rays over the dense forest, revealed to his 
 eager gaze his position on the pine ridge, 
 one or two miles out of his way. His calf 
 was hastih" detached from the tree and he 
 again set out for home, which he reached 
 at an early hour, ha\ing a sharp appetite 
 for his breakfast, and much to the gratifica- 
 tion of his an.xioush- waiting mother." 
 
 Another incident of early pioneer life in 
 this town reaches us, which is worthy of 
 preservation: In November, 1 799, an old 
 hunter was passing between the Tiough- 
 nioga river and F"reetown Center, when, on 
 ascending an elexation, he struck an Indian 
 trail leading to the pine woods. Soon after 
 entering upon the trail he heard a piercing 
 scream, as if coming from a woman in dis- 
 tress. This was repeated and, as he quick- 
 ened his pace, the sounds became more dis- 
 tinct and he could hear moaning as if a 
 person was suffering pain. His an.xiet)' 
 was soon relieved, howe\er, by seeing an 
 enormous panther springing upon a deer 
 that was struggling upon the ground and 
 covered with blood. The hunter was un- 
 armed and he hesitated a moment, unde- 
 cided what to do ; but concluded to hasten 
 on, rather than run the risk of furnishing 
 the panther with an\' part of the meal he 
 was about to enjoy from the deer. He had 
 not proceeded far before he w as startled by 
 what appeared to be the leaping of a pan- 
 ther behind him. As he had a few pounds 
 of fresh venison, he picked up a hea\y 
 bludgeon and hurried on until he came to 
 a large log, when he cut the venison into 
 two or three pieces and throwing one into 
 the mouth of the log, which was partly hol- 
 low, and the others a little distance from it, 
 awaited the approach of the enraged beast. 
 The moon was shining sufficiently to enable 
 the hunter to see the panther .ipprnach and 
 attempt to enter the log, when the hunter 
 sprang forward and with one blow laid the 
 animal almost powerless upon the ground. 
 Repeating the blows, the huge beast was 
 soon dispatched and the hunter took off his 
 skin and retraced his steps homeward. A 
 grand hunt was organized the following day, 
 in which three panthers, five woh'es and si.x 
 bears were killed. 
 
 Eleazer Fuller was an earl\- settler in Free- 
 town, coming from Northampton, Mass., 
 
420 
 
 IlisTORv OF Cortland County. 
 
 in 1806 and locating on lot No. 12, where 
 
 lu' purcliasrcl one hundred acres. lie had 
 a t'aniil)- of foi:r children ; a daughter be- 
 came the wife of W'ni. !\Iantan\-e ; his .son, 
 Austin I'^ulier, removed to Indiana, li\ed in 
 Springfield and became auditor of that 
 State. 
 
 Rockwell Wildm.in and Isaac Robertson 
 came into the town in 1808, the former 
 locating on lot No. 15. He died in 1855, 
 leaving children on the homestead. The 
 latter came from Connecticut and died in 
 181 1, followed by his wife in 181 5. 
 
 John Akerand Henry Gardner, the form- 
 er from Albany county and the latter from 
 Plainfield, N. Y., came to the town in 1809; 
 they both settled on lot No. 32, where Mr. 
 Gardner bought one hundred acres. He 
 died in Illinois in 1858 at the age of eighty 
 years. He was the father of seven chil- 
 dren. About this time or a little later the 
 settlers in the town received accessions in 
 the persons of Charles and Curtiss Richard- 
 son, Wm. Tuthill, Jacob Hicks, Isaac Doty, 
 John Backus and Aruna Eaton. Such were 
 the hardy men who made the first impres- 
 sions of civilization in the wilderness of 
 Freetown. Graduall>- the>- cleared away 
 the forest, opened and improved roads and 
 prepared the region for the better enjoy- 
 ment of those who were to come after 
 them. 
 
 At the opening of the War of 181 3 the 
 town had become sufficient!}- settled so that 
 neighbors could reach each other without 
 a pilgrimage of half a day or more through 
 the woods. 
 
 In 1812 John Conger migrated from 
 Granville, Washington county, and located 
 on lot No. 12, where he bought one hun- 
 dred and five acres. The farm, with sub- 
 sequent additions, is now owned by Ed. 
 Warren. Mr. Conger was an enterprising j 
 and intelligent man and became a promi- I 
 nent citizen. He died at tlie age of fiftv- 
 
 five, in 1836. He had five sons and four 
 daughters. 
 
 Harmon S. Conger \\'as elected to Con- 
 gress in 1846 and 1848 and held other posi- 
 tions of trust, wherein he earned a reputa- 
 tion for integrity and ability ; the entire 
 family was one of the utmost respectability. 
 
 In 1 81 3 Austin Waters removed from 
 Saybrook, Conn., and located on the same 
 lot with Mr. Conger, where he also pur- 
 chased one hundred and five acres, then 
 entirely covered with forest. By years of 
 persevering toil he cleared and improved 
 his land and li\xd there until over eighty 
 years of age. 
 
 Walton Sweetland, a nati\-e of Connect- 
 icut, came from Granville in 18 [4 and set- 
 tled on lot 22, on what was afterward known 
 as the Tripp farm. With his subsequent 
 purchases he acquired a farm of one him- 
 dred and tliirt\- acres. He devoted his at- 
 tention to clearing and improving his land 
 until 1838, when he sold it, and in 1846 
 engaged in mercantile business at Freetown 
 Corners. He was a man of native ability 
 and was elected to the offices of school in- 
 spector, sui)erintendent, and justice of the 
 peace, holding the latter position for twenty- 
 eight years. In 1844 he was appointed 
 associate judge, which office he held several 
 years. He was also conspicuous in early 
 military organizations, and rose from the 
 office of corporal to major. 
 
 Geo. I. Wa\le, from Montgomery count}-, 
 N. Y., settled on lot No. 4 in 18 14, where his 
 widow now resides. He purchased there 
 four hundred and fift}- acres, was an industri- 
 ous and refiutable citizen, an<l died in 1835, 
 leaving, a respectable famil}- of children. 
 
 Minor Grant, who was born in Chenango 
 count}-, 1806, came to Freetown in 1824 
 and settled on one hundred acres of land, 
 which he soon sold and removed to Cincin- 
 natus. In three or four years he returned 
 and has lived in the town e\er since. 
 
Town of Freetown. 
 
 421 
 
 During the period of the early settlement 
 of Freetown, it was generally regarded as 
 somewhat sterile and subject to severe 
 frosts ; the crops were often cut down, which, 
 with the rugged character of the surface, 
 tended to retard rapid settlement. But tiie 
 town is now one of the most prosperous 
 dairy districts in the county. It is isolated 
 from railroad communication with markets, 
 but is well supplied with good roads over 
 which numerous stage lines give direct 
 connection with Cortland village and other 
 important points. The log houses of the 
 pioneers have given place to the comfort- 
 able and neat framed farm houses to be seen 
 in all directions, indicating the general pros- 
 perity of the community. 
 
 In the War of the Rebellion this town 
 responded to the calls of the country for 
 men and means with the Siu'iie degree of 
 patriotism that characterized the other 
 towns of the county. The following list 
 embraces all those who enlisted in the town 
 and received bounties ; — 
 
 Call of October 17th, 1S63. Bounty 
 paid, $300. Total bounty, $3,900. — John 
 
 B. Richards, Lafayette M. Torrance, Henry 
 Seeber, Everett Vosburg, James H. Haight, 
 Duane Hammond, James C. Tuttle, Wil- 
 liam J. Mantanye, Nelson W. Smith, Theron 
 
 C. Guernsey, D. Webster Smith, George D. 
 Watrous, James S. Hammond. 
 
 Call of July 1 8th, 1864. Bounty paid, 
 $1,000, except $700 to one. Total bounty, 
 $13,700. Total brokerage, $350. — Wil- 
 liam A. Brink, Ezra C. Carter, John H. 
 Cormick, Loren P. Copcland, Coleman 
 Guernsey, Adolphus Hopkins, Austin Man- 
 tanye, Isaac M. Richardson, Clinton D. 
 Stanton, Charles Tanner, Henry S. Tilling- 
 hast, Chauncey L. Judd, Dewitt P. .Allen, 
 William Hamburg. 
 
 Call of December lyth, 1864. Amount 
 of bounty $600, except $500 to two. Total, 
 $6,400. Brokerage, $15. — James J. Hig- 
 
 gins, William H. Mitchell, William Lamgan, 
 Bernard Derrigan, Charles Taylor, Edward 
 CoU'les, Arthur Hunt, Ahi W. Coltrane, 
 John M Creaton, Stephen Herdy, M. 
 Shields. 
 
 Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
 calls October 17th, 1863, February, 1864, 
 and March, 1864, $3,900. Paid for filling 
 quota, call July 18th, 1864, $14,050. Paid 
 for filling quota, call December 19th, 1864, 
 $2,215. Grand total, $20,165. 
 
 HAMLETS. 
 
 Freetown Corners is the largest hamlet 
 in the town and contains about twenty-five 
 houses and two churches. The first mer- 
 chant in the town began business here ; his 
 name was Peter McVean. He continued 
 only a short time and was succeeded by 
 John M. and Sylvester M. Roe, who came 
 from Virgil ; they were in business here in 
 1834. At a later date Zachariah Squires 
 was in business here eight or ten years and 
 was succeeded by C. B. Perkins, and he in a 
 short time by Walton Sweetland, who be- 
 gan in 1846, as already stated. He con- 
 tinued in trade many years. Samuel Fierce 
 was afterward in business and was burned 
 out, since which time there have been 
 numerous changes, the more prominent 
 proprietors having been John Hubbard, and 
 at the present time Alphonso Dcarman, 
 who was formerly Mr. Hubbard's clerk for 
 several years. Mr. Dearman is also post- 
 master in the place and clerk of the town. 
 
 Churches. — The P"irst Baptist Church at 
 Freetown Corners was organized in 1810, 
 by Elder Caleb Sheopard, who first 
 preached there. The first settled minister 
 was Benjamin W. Capron. This was the 
 first church in town. 
 
 The Presbyterian Church of Freetown 
 bore the name of the original town of Cincin- 
 natus until the year 1825. It was received 
 under the care of the Presbyterj' of Onon- 
 
42: 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 daga September ist, 1812, and on the 
 division of tliat count)', was assigned to the 
 Presbytery of Cortland. The cluircli seems 
 to have always been small and feeble and to 
 have had no regular pastor. It has been 
 reported at limes as statedly supplied and 
 at other times as vacant. Rev. Kleazer 
 Luce preached in 1833 ^'"^^ 34- 
 
 East Freetown. — This hamlet contains 
 a post-office and a church, .Vt an earl_\- 
 day a tavern was kept here b\' Geo. I. 
 Wavle, in the house now occupied by 
 Nanc\' Wa\k'. There is at the present 
 time no hotel in the town. 
 
 The Methodist Episcopal Church at this 
 place was erected in 1846 anil is in the cir- 
 cuit of Freetown Corners. The building 
 committee were A. Underwood, H. Orcutt, 
 M. Grant, L. Peck, S. C. Coleman. W. 
 Colwell and E. D. Fish. The earl_\- promi- 
 nent members of the church, before the 
 erection of the building, were Hamilton Or- 
 cutt and wife, Miner Grant and wife, L\'man 
 Peck and wife, Elder Cameron and wife, 
 Perry Gardner and wife, Joseph Gardner 
 and wife, Sally Ripley, Russell Grant, 
 .\lanson Underwood and wife, Philander 
 Underwood and wife, Alden Harrington 
 and wife, Warren J. Scouten and wife, and 
 some others, most of whom are now dead. 
 The officers of the society at the present 
 time are Turner Butman, John Butman, W. 
 H. Colwell, D. M. Grant, Alanson Under- 
 wood and Stephen H. Ford. The niember- 
 shi]i of the church is about si.\t\'. 
 
 There is a church society, few in member- 
 ship, in the southeast part of the town, of 
 the Methodist denomination.- They erected 
 a church building during the late war, the 
 ground for which was donated by Calvin 
 Eaton. 
 
 I. C. Beebe established a creamery near 
 Texas Valley in 1870 and has carried on a 
 successful business since. He has had a 
 patronage of 425 cows at one period. The 
 building is two stories high, one wing being 
 24 by 55 feet and the other 14 by 14. 
 
 The post-office at East Freetown has 
 been kept by P. P. Grant since i860. John 
 King hatl the office in 1851 and is thought 
 to ha\-e been the first postmaster. 
 
 The following is a list of the officers of 
 this town: — 
 
 Supervisor — ]\Iarcus Borthwick. 
 
 Town clerk — .\lplu>nso Dearman. 
 
 Justices of the peace — S. L. Woods, 
 Nelson R. Moon, Daniel Bowdish. 
 
 Assessor — \\ M. Grant. 
 
 Commissioner of highway's — Horace 
 Martin. 
 
 Collector — John S. Woods. 
 
 Overseers of the poor — William McKee, 
 Ithemur Dunbar. 
 
 Inspectors of election — Clarence Tripp, 
 Lawrence Caffrey. 
 
 Town auditors — Levi Smith, Bernard 
 Caffrey. 
 
 Constables — John S. Woods, D. Col- 
 well, James A. Wavle, Chas. Monroe and 
 Orvil Picket. 
 
Town ok Taylor. 
 
 4^3 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 l^sTOK^■ OK Tur. town of tavlor. 
 
 THE town of Taylor lies near the center 
 of the eastern border of tlic county 
 and is bounded on the north b\' Cuyler; 
 on the east b}' Chenango count}' ; on the 
 south b)' Cincinnatus, and on the west by 
 Solon. As a civil organization it is com- 
 paratively recent, being formed from Solon 
 on the 5th of December, 1849; '^ ^^-'s 
 named in honor of General Zacharj- Tay- 
 lor and comprises 18,738^7 acres of land. 
 
 The surface of the town is \-er)- hill)- and 
 broken. The declivities are very steep, 
 some of them precipitous and rising from 
 600 to 800 feet above the valleys. Mt. 
 Roderick, which lies partly in this town and 
 partly in Solon, is the highest point. The 
 uplands of the town are, however, mostly, 
 arable while tin; valle_\-s arc rich and pro- 
 ductive. The town as a whole is remark- 
 ably well adapted to grazing, and butter 
 and cheese are the staple products. 
 
 A number of small streams flow through 
 the town in a southerly direction, most of 
 them emptying into the Otselic creek. 
 Ta\'lor pond is a small bod)- of water in the 
 central part of the town. The soil is largely 
 a gravelly loam. 
 
 The first permanent settlement within 
 the limits of Taylor was made b)- Ezra 
 Rockwell and his sons, Ezra and Thomas. 
 They came from Lenox, Mass., in the year 
 ■793 'i''"-! 'located on lot jS. Mr. Rock- 
 well, sen., served in the Revolutionary arm)- j 
 and for his services drew the lot on which 
 the family located. In 1795 Thomas Rock- 
 well remo\'ed to Cincinnatus and after a 
 residence there of thirt)--two years, re- 
 turned to Taylor and located on lot I GO, 
 where he purchased si.\ acres on wiiich the 
 village of Ta)-lor now stands. He also pur- 
 
 chased one hundred acres on lot 99. His 
 house on lot lOO originally stood on the 
 ground now covered by the public house, 
 which was afterward owned by E. W. Fish. 
 The building was burned in 1828. 
 
 Ezra Rockwell was a man of consider- 
 ble prominence in the town, held several 
 offices, among which was that of justice, 
 which he creditably filled for a number of 
 years. He was nearly ninety-six years old 
 when he died. 
 
 The Beebe family were originally from 
 Connecticut. Roderick located on Mt. 
 Roderick, on lot 75, in the spring of 1794. 
 He was a hardy, industrious man, capable 
 of great endurance. 
 
 Orellana Bcebc migrated from New Ha- 
 \-en in 1796 and settled on lot 7, in Solon, 
 now Truxton. After remaining there two 
 years he removed to Taylor and settled on 
 lot 100. He lived to the age of ninety. 
 His youngest daughter became the wife of 
 Ira Rockwell. 
 
 Increase M. Hooker located on lot 88, in 
 1797, but removed to Truxton the follow- 
 ing year. He came from Vermont. 
 
 Lewis Hawley, from Huntington, Conn., 
 located on the Howe farm in Pitcher, in 
 1805. He remained there but a brief 
 period and then came to Taylor and set- 
 tled on the form now owned by Frank Wire. 
 A few years later he removed to the West, 
 or rather started for that region, but as he 
 was traveling on the snow- and it having 
 suddenly disappeared, he was unable to 
 proceed farther than Bath. The next fall 
 he returned to Lisle, and the following 
 spring to Taylor, locating ^n lot 78. He 
 subsequentl)- purchased one hundred acres 
 on lot yj, where he died January i 5th, 1858. 
 
424 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 He was an active and prominent citizen and 
 reared a family of children. Lewis T. went 
 to S)-racuse, where he became a prominent 
 member of the comnuinit>-. James T. set- 
 tled on lot Sj, and Francis remained on the 
 homestead ; the latter being now dead. Hi- 
 ram L. removed to Liverpool, Onondaga 
 county, where he died. Cyrus M. removed 
 to Chicago where he was a well known law- 
 yer, and John H. went to Kansas. 
 
 John L. Boyd and John Phelps came to 
 Taylor from Saratoga county. The former 
 located on lot g8 in 1811, where he pur- 
 chased 1 19 acres, to which he subsequently 
 added 251 acres. The latter settled on lot 
 86, purchasing eighty-si.\ acres, to which he 
 afterwards added more than a hundred 
 more. Mr. Phelps found the region about 
 his farm heavily covered with timber, and 
 such was the case with some portions of the 
 town a number of years later. 
 
 In 1 8 14 David Wire, who came originalh- 
 from Connecticut, located on lot lOO, where 
 he reared a family of eleven children. His 
 father was a native of England and had a 
 somewhat thrilling experience. He was 
 kidnaped in London when he was but 
 se\-en years old and sold in Boston, where 
 he remained until the beginning of the war 
 between the French and the English. He 
 was then impressed in the English service 
 for a term of six years ; he subsequently 
 .settled in Connecticut. When the War of 
 the Revolution broke out he enlisted in the 
 American arm\- and serxed throughout that 
 conflict. 
 
 The earl}- pioneers of this town, in com- 
 mon with those of surrounding localities, 
 suffered all tiie hardships and privations in- 
 cident to life in the wilderness. They dwelt 
 in simple log houses as a rule until long 
 after the War of 1812. No mill was erected 
 in the town until that year, previous to 
 which the inhabitants had to pound their 
 corn into a semblance of meal, or carr)- it 
 
 1 a distance of from twenty to forty miles to 
 have it jjround. Money was very scarce, 
 and the exchangeable produce of the clear- 
 ings on the farms was barely sufficient, 
 after the necessities of the family were sup- 
 plied, to obtain the bare comforts of life. 
 But the hardy and determined pioneers 
 
 j were generally equal to any lot that fell to 
 
 : them. Gradual!)- their lands were cleared. 
 Mills and shops came nearer, their farms 
 
 ' brought them increased products, money 
 became more plenty, the log cabins were 
 displaced by more comfortable framed cot- 
 tages and general prosperit\- attended the 
 growing settlement. 
 
 Thaddeus S. Whitne_\- came into Taylor 
 from Delaware county, N. Y., in 1830. His 
 
 I father, David Whitney, was born in Nor- 
 walk, Conn., in 1775, and married Nancy 
 Raymond, removing to Delaware county 
 in 1805. He died in 1834. Thaddeus S. 
 married Laura Rockwell, daughter of 
 Thomas Rockwell, in 1832. 
 
 Newell Cole, a native of Rhode Island, 
 came into the town before 1820, and lo- 
 cated on the farm now ow-ned by Mr. Welch. 
 Besides being a farmer, he was a skillful 
 mechanic, following his trade of carpenter 
 for many years. He was, moreover, one 
 of those pioneers who were unfortunate in 
 getting an in\-alid title to their farms, and 
 after making an ineffectual attempt to pay 
 for his land a second time, was compelled 
 to give it up. He died in 1864. His wife 
 was Susan Potter, daughter of Chas. Potter, 
 and w-as also from Rhode Island. Their 
 daughter, Mrs. Edwin E. Hoag, now resides 
 in Taylorville. 
 
 We cannot, in the space allotted, trace 
 the growth of settlement farther towards 
 the present time, the object being to pre- 
 serve the names especially of those who 
 conquered the wilderness and laid the foun- 
 1 dations of the town's present prosperity. 
 There are but two hamlets in the town 
 
Town of Taylor. 
 
 425 
 
 of Taylor — Taylorville and Union Valley 
 — although there is a post-office and some 
 business done at Taylor Center. Taylorville 
 is situated in the southeastern part of the 
 town and contains one store, post-office, 
 and about twenty-five houses, with two 
 churches. Union Valley, in the northeast- 
 ern part of the town, contains a church, a 
 store, hotel and several shops, with a small 
 collection of dwellings. 
 
 As a rule one of the first mechanics in a 
 settlement was the blacksmith. His trade 
 could be made of such varied use to the 
 pioneers that he usualh- followed closely on 
 the heels of the first settler in a new dis- 
 trict. William Blackman was the first 
 blacksmith to locate in Taylor; but just 
 when or where he settled we have not 
 learned. He was followed b)- Alexander 
 Hart, who worked at the trade, in connec- 
 tion with gun- smithing, for a number of 
 years. His shop was sold to Thaddeus S. 
 Whitne)-, who changed it partly to a man- 
 ufactor}- of edge tools, in which he did an 
 extensive business during a period of more 
 than twenty years, manufacturing axes 
 principally. 
 
 Ambrose Allen was a blacksmith at Tay- 
 lor for a time, and the shop is now owned 
 by Philander Kingsbur)'. 
 
 Edwin E. Hoag owns a wagon and re- 
 pair shop, which was formerly established 
 by G. P. Swan many years ago, and was 
 afterward owned by John D. Joyner. The 
 first saw-mill in the town was built in 18 12, 
 by Thomas Rockwell. He sold it to a Mr. 
 Isbell, after whose proprietorship it passed 
 through the hands of PIzra Rockwell, Ira 
 Wicks, Jonathan Brooks, Joseph Rice, and 
 is now owned by Hiel Tanner, who has had 
 possession of it for a nimiber of years. 
 
 The grist-mill built at an early daj- by 
 Messrs. Wells & Lord was the first one in 
 the town. Hayes & Out owned it in 1881 
 wlien it was burned. 
 
 Mr. Durkee built the saw-mill at Taylor 
 pond in 1830. It is now owned by Isaac 
 H. Smith. A grist-mill was also built here 
 by Potter Joslyn about the year i860, but 
 it has gone into disuse. 
 
 The first mercantile business in the town 
 was done at Taylorville, by Hiram Rock- 
 well. The store afterward passed into the 
 hands of EU Dickinson, Ezra Rockwell, and 
 after a number of other changes was pur- 
 chased by Albert West, under whose pro- 
 prietorship it was burned in the winter of 
 1869. Edmund Potter rebuilt the structure 
 and subsequently sold out to A. J. B. Nor- 
 ton. P'oUowing him the business was con- 
 ducted by A. West, J. B. Kellogg, Kellogg 
 & Clark, in 1880, who transferred it to Wil- 
 liam Comstock in 1884. 
 
 In Union Valley Messrs. Hulbert & Gil- 
 bert, and afterward Enos and Allen Hul- 
 bert, conducted a store and an ashery as 
 early as 1830. They subsequently removed 
 to Gilbertsville, and the property changed 
 hands a number of times. E. Jipson had 
 it in 1869, and it is now owned b}' Valen- 
 tine Jipson. 
 
 In 1869 Isaac H. Smith did some trad- 
 ing at Taylor Center and took charge of 
 the post-office which he still continues. 
 There has been a little business done there 
 since that time. J. I. \'. Potter also kept a 
 country grocery there. 
 
 In later years the attention of the farmers 
 of Taylor has been given largely to dair\- 
 ing interests. The Hawley factory, which 
 was built by Lewis Hawley in 1866, was 
 the first of its kind in the town and is also 
 the most extensive. The building was 108 
 by 20 feet ; it received the patronage of 
 145 cows and has always had the reputa- 
 tion of manufacturing an excellent product. 
 It is now owned by the widow of the orig- 
 inal proprietor. 
 
 The cheese factory owned by William 
 Brown has since been converted into a town 
 
426 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 hall. It was built in the spring of 1868, 
 but was not long used for its intended pur- 
 pose. 
 
 The factory buih b}- W'illiam Gorsline in 
 1866, a half mile from Union Valley, was 
 sold to Calvin Warner, who in turn trans- 
 ferred it to the present owner, James Lake. 
 
 The first post-office in Taylor was opened 
 at Taylorville in 1834, under the official 
 charge of Ezra Rockwell ; he continued in 
 the office for fifteen successive years, and 
 al.so had the oflice in 1856. He was suc- 
 ceeded by Edwin Potter and Orrin Leonard. 
 G. W. Gage, the present postmaster, took 
 the office in 1880. He is also clerk of the 
 town and proprietor of a shoe shop. 
 
 As before stated, Isaac H. Smith is the 
 postmaster at Taylor Center and X'alentine 
 Jipson at Union Valley. A dail\' mail from 
 Cortland village reaches these places by 
 stage. 
 
 The first tavern in the t(J\\ n was kept by 
 Orlando Beebe, on lot 100, for man\- )'ears. 
 The first one in Taylorville was built by 
 Leonard Holmes in 1842 and was kept as 
 a public house until 1875, when it was 
 bmncd. It was at difterent times owned 
 b)' Levi Mallery, Levi Lock, Mr. Neal, Mr. 
 Chatficld, E. W. Fish, M. Lock, George 
 Thorpe, and probablj- others. Mr. Thorpe 
 was its owner when it burned 
 
 The hotel in Union Valley was built be- 
 fore 1830, but was afterward used as a pri- 
 vate house. P. Kingsbur)- kept tavern here 
 for some years. 
 
 The first school teacher in the town was 
 Barak Niles ; he was a man of ability and 
 was sent to the Assembly in 1825. 
 
 The first birth in the town was Hezekiah 
 Beebe. The first marriage was that of 
 Asaph Butler and Luc\- Beebe. The first 
 death that of Zerah Beebe in 1800. 
 
 Of the physicians of Taylor we find little 
 to record. Dr. Ichabod Allen was one of 
 the earliest and continued in practice man)- 
 
 years. Dr. Jerome Angell, of Union Val- 
 ley, is an old and skillful practitioner. He 
 was vice-president of the County Medical 
 Society in 1869. 
 
 The inhabitants of Ta}-lor paid early at- 
 tention to religious matters, and as soon as 
 circumstances would admit, churches were 
 organized and houses of worship built. Dr. 
 Williston, a Congregational minister, first 
 preached .as a missionar)- in the town. Reu- 
 ben Hurd was the first settled pastor, but 
 when he began his labors is not now known. 
 He was pastor of a church in Pitcher in 
 18 13; but if there was a church at that 
 time or later of this denomination in the 
 town, it has long since closed its career. 
 
 The W'eslejan Methodists of Taylorville 
 and vicinity erected a house of worship in 
 1835, but their organization has always 
 been weak. The Rev. A. M. Blackman is 
 now the pastor. Some members of this 
 society and others joined in the formation 
 of the I'Lpiscopal Church of this place a few 
 years after the erection of the Wesleyan 
 Church ; but this organization is also small 
 in numbers. The Rev. W. Robertson is 
 the present pastor. 
 
 The Union Church at Union Valley is 
 now used by the Methodist societj', but has 
 no pastor at the present time. The M. E. 
 Church at Taylor Center was built in 1873. 
 
 The following table shows the names of 
 the patriotic sons of this town who enlisted 
 in the service of their country in the War 
 of the Rebellion, under the different calls 
 for troops, and were paid bounties, with the 
 amount of the same : — 
 
 Call of October 17th, 1863, February and 
 March, 1864. Bounty paid $300. Total, 
 $6,000. — James W. Smith, Benjamin J. 
 Strong, 1-ibeas H. Merry, Orlando Oliver, 
 Hiram W. Perry, Oren Coon, Edson C. 
 Rogers, Moses M. Whiting, Dudlej- W. 
 Wier, Lewis Perrj-, William C. Young, 
 James Mahoney, John W. Foster, Charles 
 
Town ok Taylor. 
 
 427 
 
 Marsh, Henry Williams, John Farrell, 
 James Vaughn, George Smith, Charles Hill, 
 James P. Clark. 
 
 Call of July 18th, 1864. Bounty $1,000, 
 except $600 to two, $700 to one and $300 
 to two. Total, $23,100. Brokerage, $575. 
 — Bartholomew Castle, Henry Harden, 
 William S. Barnum, Leonard W. Wood, 
 John T. Earl, Robert W. Brooks, Martin 
 E. Cliapin, Alfred E. Watrous, Austin A. 
 Watrous, George W. Chapin, Egbert Peck, 
 Henry E. Phelps, Enoch Rood, Nathan W. j 
 Sperry, Orson B. Torry, Melvin Wavle, [ 
 Edgar Burlingham, Edmund Eaton, Charles 
 A. Goodjear, William H. Oliver, Alanson 
 Oliver, Harden Potter, Samuel C. Potter, 
 Welcome J. Potter, Samuel Sluth, Joseph 
 L. Cotton, Albert J. Wildman. 
 
 Call of December 19th, 1S64. Bounty, 
 $600. Total, $6,600. Brokerage, $15. — 
 John Ryan, John Grant, Thomas Fannon, 
 Alexander H. Radford, Lewis Stanton, Jo- 
 seph Thompson, Theophile Clouter, Thomas 
 W. Ackerman, James Kierns. \\ illiam John- 
 son, Charles Edwards. 
 
 Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
 calls October 17th, 1863, F"ebruar)- and 
 March, 1864, $6,000. Paid for filling quota, 
 call July 1 8th, 1864, $23,675. Paid for 
 filling quota, call December 19th, 1864, 
 $6,615. Grand total, $36,290. 
 
 The organization of the town of Tajlor 
 was perfected on the 5 th of December, 
 1849, and the officers elected for the year 
 1850 were as follows : — 
 
 Supervisor — Sheldon Warner. 
 
 Town clerk — John R. Wire. 
 
 Superintendent of schools — Nelson L. 
 Brooks. 
 
 Justices of the peace — Stephen Kellogg, 
 Eli Wright, Stephen Skinner. 
 
 Assessors — Aaron W. Dunbar, S. Ful- 
 ler. 
 
 Commissioners of highways — Hubbard 
 Harrison, Horace Neville. 
 
 Collector — David Wire. 
 
 Constables — Perry Mudge, David Wire, 
 2d, Calvin M. Barber, Matthew W. Rich- 
 mond. 
 
 Overseer of the poor — Israel Ellis. 
 
 Inspectors of election — Potter Joslyn, 
 James Blanchard, Seth Hulbert. 
 
 Following is a list of the supervisors and 
 town clerks since the formation of the town, 
 the supervisor's name occurring first in each 
 year : — 
 I Sheldon Warner, John M. Wire, 1851 ; 
 I Eli Wright, Horace Place, 1852; Thomas 
 C. Wentworth, David Wire, 1853 ; Sheldon 
 Warner, Orrin Leonard, 1854; Zadoc Short, 
 Horace Neville, 1855 ; Leander Greene, 
 i Samuel B. Kenyon, 1856; Sheldon Warner, 
 Orrin Leonard, 1857-58; Wm. C. Angell, 
 Orrin Leonard, 1859-60; Ir\in Phelps, 
 Orrin Leonard, 1861-62; Edmund B. 
 j Heath, PLdmund Potter, 1863; O. F. Forbes, 
 Orrin Leonard, 1864; O. I*". Forbes, D. W. 
 Whitney, 1865 ; O. F. Forbes, G. W. Gage, 
 1866; Ir\in W. Phelps, Francis Hawley, 
 1867; O. F. Forbes, Edwin E. Hoag, 
 1868 ; Irvin W. Phelps, Albert Clark, 1870; 
 Irvin W. Phelps, Leander Brooks, 187 1 to 
 1873, inclusi\e; Calvin P. Warner, Valen- 
 tine Jipson, 1S74; J. Lorenzo Cotton, J. B. 
 Kellogg, 1875 ; J. Lorenzo Cotton, Jerome 
 A. Norton, 1876; J. L. Cotton, Leander 
 Brooks, 1877 ; J. L. Cotton, N. C. Rock- 
 well, 1878 to 1880, inclusive ; G. W. Gage, 
 Albert Clark, 1881 ; Jerome Angell, Albert 
 Clark, 1882 ; Albert Clark, G. W. Gage, 
 1883-84. 
 
 The present justices are Wm. B. Stetson, 
 L. R. Serven, Valentine Jipson, Sterling A. 
 Smith, George W. McDonald. 
 
 Assessors — L. Birdlebough, Thomas G. 
 Brooks, Martin Wire. 
 
 Commissioner of highways — Almon W. 
 Angell. 
 
 Overseers of the poor — Wm. G. Skinner. 
 ' Burdett Skinner. 
 
428 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Constables — John C. Rogers, Ransom 
 Halbert, Benjamin Wilcox, A. F. Potter, 
 Harris C. Allen. 
 
 Collector — A. F. Potter. 
 Inspectors of election — Jefferson O. Hill, 
 Rufus L. Cass, Lerov W. Finn. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXL 
 
 HI.SIOKV OF THK TOWN OF WIl.FIT. 
 
 THF town of Willet lies in the southeast 
 corner of the count)- and contains 15,- 
 839.19 acres, with an assessed valuation ot 
 $15.01 per acre, with an aggregate valua- 
 tion of $248, 135. The town is bounded on 
 the north b\- Cincinnatus ; on the east bj' 
 Chenango count)- ; on the south by Broome 
 county, and on the west by Marathon. 
 
 The surface of the town consists mainl\- 
 of the narrow- valley of the Otselic river and 
 the ridges which rise to a considerable height 
 on either side. The uplands are broken by 
 numerous narrow ra\'ines through which 
 flow small streams. A considerable por- 
 tion of the town is still unsettled, and some 
 of it is too rough and inaccessible for profit- 
 able cultivation. Bloody pond is a small 
 sheet of water in the northwest part of the 
 town. The soil consists of gravelly loam 
 and shale. 
 
 Willet hamlet is situated a little north of 
 the center of the town and consists of two 
 churches, four stores, a hotel, two mills, 
 several shops and about twenty dwellings. 
 
 Burlingame Mills, formerly a place of 
 some note, now comprises a grist-mill and 
 a carpenter's shop only. A store was for- 
 merl)- located here. 
 
 This town was formed from the south- 
 eastern corner of the old township of Cin- 
 cinnatus, and was named in honor of Col. 
 Marin us Willet, who acquired an honorable 
 fame wliile second in command at Fort 
 Stanwix, in 1777, and who made a gallant 
 sail)- upon the forces of Sir John Johnston, 
 
 capturing their stores and baggage. Col. 
 Willet drew lot No. 88 of the old town of 
 Cincinnatus ; it w-as situated in the south- 
 east quarter of the township and when the 
 division was made, the militar)- hero was 
 honored with the application of his name to 
 this new town, wherein he found the tract 
 of land which was awarded him for his pat- 
 riotic services. 
 
 Ebenezer Crittenden was one of the ear- 
 liest settlers in the town of Willet, coming 
 in in the )-car 1797. He had married at 
 Binghamton and it is indicative of the deter- 
 mined character of the pioneers of the 
 county, that he took his wife and one child, 
 embarked with their little all in a frail boat 
 or canoe and with the aid of oars and set- 
 ting-pole, finally reached their destination 
 in safet)-, w-ith no other shelter than the 
 blue dome of heaven, and exposed to what- 
 ever elements were destined to overtake 
 them. 
 
 .\rrivcd at his land, Mr. Crittenden cut 
 some crotched sticks, set them upright, and 
 with the further aid of some poles and their 
 bed clothing, made a tent in which they 
 li\ed until he could complete a sort of log 
 house. This was constructed in the follow- 
 ing manner: he cut sufficient logs for the, 
 sides and gable ends of the cabin, getting 
 them small enough to enable him to handle 
 them single-handed. These he laid up in 
 the usual manner, and then set up tw-o pairs 
 of rafters, one at each end of the cabin. 
 Rcachin" from one to the other of these 
 
Town of Willet. 
 
 429 
 
 were placed a few poles, upon which he laid 
 the rough shingles that he was able to split 
 out with his axe, fastening them in their 
 places with wooden pegs. In the absence 
 of a grist-mill, he hollowed out the top of a 
 stump, rigged up a spring pole, and thus 
 made the family corn meal. His gun fur- 
 nished the necessary meat and the Otseiic 
 his drink. So life was begun b}' the jjio- 
 neers of Willet. 
 
 While this mode of li\ing must be looked 
 back upon from the present time as scarce!)" 
 civilized, yet the families who thus began 
 the work of subduing the wilderness un- 
 doubtedly found much to encourage and 
 comfort them in their rude homes. There 
 is almost nothing to record in the towns of 
 Cortland county of deeds of blood by sav- 
 ages ; the wild animals were such as bra\e 
 men never feared to encounter, while peace 
 and contentment, with the physical health 
 that always attends such a life, all tended 
 to render the life of the pioneer of this re- 
 gion one that was not all unblest. 
 
 The next settlements that we find to re- 
 cord in this town were made in the years 
 1806 and 1807, when Benjamin Wilson 
 came in from Oxford, having originally mi- 
 grated from Westchester count)- ; John 
 Fisher came from England ; Jonathan Gaz- 
 Jay from. Duchess count)', and Thomas 
 Leach from Madison county. Benjamin 
 Wilson became one of the most prominent 
 citizens of the town ; the same may be said 
 of severaUof his descendants who now re- 
 side in Willet. He was born on December 
 2 1st, 1764, and died August 20th, 1839. 
 His wife was Phoebe Merritt. One of his 
 daughters was Hetty Wilson, who was the 
 mother of Wihson and Burrill Greene, who 
 are now among the most prosperous farmers 
 in the town. Hetty Wilson was born Jan. 
 2 1 St, 1786, and married Benjamin T. Greene 
 on the 17th of October, I. Si 7. He was a 
 native of Rhode Island and resided in this 
 
 town from the date of his marriage until 
 
 Sept. 15th, 1853, when he died at the age 
 of sevent)'-one years. The children were 
 Harriet, Burrill, Giles and Wilson. The 
 former is the wife of Peter h'.aton, of Willet. 
 Giles Greene is a well-to-do farmer in Illi- 
 nois. 
 
 Jabez Johnson came from Vermont, in 
 the )'ear 1807, and Phineas Sargent, whose 
 native place is unknown, also came the 
 same year. Ebenezer Andrews came in 
 and located in 1808. He was from Massa- 
 chusetts. 
 
 In the year 1809 Joseph Merritt, from , 
 Westchester, N. Y. ; Solomon Smith, Dan- 
 iel Roberts, from Madison count)', John 
 Covert from Windham, Greene county, 
 William Greene, from Kent county, R. I., 
 Ira Burlingame, from Oxford, Chenango 
 county, N. Y., A. Burlingame, from Kent 
 county, R. I , and ICdward Nickerson, from 
 Cape Cod, all came into the town and set- 
 tled in various locations. 
 
 Arnold Thomas from North Kingston, 
 Washington count)', R. I., came to the 
 town in 1 8 10. Solomon Dodge, from Ver- 
 mont, came to Oxford in 181 1, where he 
 remained but a short time, and then came 
 to this town. 
 
 In the )'ear 1816 Samuel Dyer, from 
 North Kingston, R. I., with John and Perry 
 Eaton, from Cherry Valley, Samuel and 
 Abraham Canfield from Orange county, 
 entered and located as pioneers. 
 
 In, the year 1812, the first death in the 
 town occurred, it being the wife of Solomon 
 Smith, whose settlement we have chronicled. 
 The first birth in the town was a child to 
 Mr. and Mrs. Flbenezer Crittenden. The 
 first marriage was that of Solomon Smith, 
 which occurred in 1813. 
 
 The names given above embrace most 
 or all of those who made the beginnings of 
 civilization in this town and laid the foun- 
 dations of its present advancement. Al- 
 
430 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 though the town is rugged and hilly, there 
 are many producti\e and valuable farms in 
 it, among which maj- be mentioned those of 
 Wilson Greene, Andrew Babcock, Burrill 
 Greene, G. M. Landers, Peter Eaton, Fred- 
 erick and Austin Moone)'. Morris Deiavan, 
 Charles and Ogden Burlingame, Luman B. 
 Morey, L. D. Meacham, and doubtless 
 others. 
 
 No establishment is more needed bj- tiie i 
 pioneers of a wilderness than a grist-mill, 
 and it is one of the first manufacturing en- 
 terprises started in such regions. It was 
 only about ten years after Ebenezer Crit- 
 tenden first pitciicd his improvised tent in 
 W'illet, when a grist-mill was built by Ben- 
 jamin Wilson. It was finished in 1807 or 
 1808. He also erected a saw-mill, a card- 
 ing works and a distillery. The grist-mill 
 and saw-mill stood on opposite sides of the 
 creek on lot 57, and were continued in 
 operation for fifteen or twenty jears. 
 Mr. Wilson also established an ashery in 
 the same locality. Goodwin says: "Wilson 
 built his mills on the waters of the Otselic, 
 in the north part of the town, as may well 
 be proved by most of the learned judges, 
 lawyers and wearied juries of the county ; 
 and of such importance had the building of 
 those mills become in the legal movements 
 of the human mind, that could they. all be 
 written down as were the acts of the apos- 
 tles, they might well be called the ' books 
 of uncertainty.'" Wilson's mill was the 
 mill of the town during the first half of the 
 century. His carding machine was oper- 
 ated until 1844 or 1845. 
 
 Mr. Wilson also erected a blacksmith 
 shop as early as 18 10 or i8i i, and in 1808 
 he kept a public house. It will be correctly 
 inferred that he was a very active and use- 
 ful citizen ; and he was rapidly building up 
 a village, having also started a small store. 
 But his propert\- finall\- passed into the 
 hands of a Mr. Adams, w ho seems not to 
 
 have cared particular!)' about making a bus- 
 iness center at this point, and_ allowed the 
 budding industries to decline. He con- 
 tinued the distillery for a time, but it is 
 said that his whisky was not of sufficient 
 purity to give it a selling reputation and 
 that industry also languished. 
 
 John Fisher built a saw-mill on the Ot- 
 selic, in the southwestern part of the town, 
 and about the same time Jabez Johnson 
 built another on the outlet of Bloody pond, 
 in the northwestern part of the town. 
 Johnson also had a cloth-dressing estab- 
 lishment and a grist-mill, which is now 
 known as the Burlingame mill and is 
 owned by Wescott Burlingame. It is now 
 the only grist-mill in tl\e town. 
 
 Wilson Greene built a saw-mill in 1861, 
 on the outlet of Bloody pond, which was 
 operated until 1878, when it was abandoned. 
 Daniel Edwards now owns one on the same 
 stream, a little farther up. 
 
 This town, like many others in the 
 county, is particularly well adapted to graz- 
 ing ; but it w-as not until 1882 that Julius 
 Crittenden erected a cheese factory, which 
 is now operated by his son, Frank. He is 
 also proprietor of a cheese factory in the 
 town of Cincinnatus. 
 
 Thus the town grew and prospered, the 
 forests were gradually cleared away and the 
 lands brought under a state of culti\ation, 
 until the year 1 818. when the town was set 
 off from Cincinnatus. as before stated. The 
 first town meeting was held at the house of 
 Benjamin Wilson, in 18 19. Altitius Bur- 
 lingame ofTiciated as moderator, and Wil- 
 liam Throop as justice of the peace. The 
 following officers were elected for the term 
 of one year : — 
 
 Supervisor — William Throop. 
 
 Tow-n clerk — Samuel Dyer. 
 
 Assessors — William Throop, John Ea- 
 ton, Benjamin Greene. 
 
 Collector — Joseph Nickerson. 
 
Town of Wiij.et. 
 
 431 
 
 Overseers of the poor — Altitius Hurlin- 
 ganie, Henry Sawdy. 
 
 Commissioners of highways — Benjamin 
 T. Greene, John Briggs and Jolin Eaton. 
 
 Commissioners of schools — John Briggs, 
 Benjamin T. Greene, Abner Wilbur. 
 
 Constables — Joseph Nickerson, John 
 Campbell. 
 
 Commissioners of lands — Benjamin T. 
 Greene, Altitius Burlingame, Peter Eaton. 
 
 Inspectors of common schools — W. 
 Throop, Orlando Salisbury, John Corbett, 
 Anson T. Burt, Bickncll Freeman, Samuel 
 Dyer. 
 
 Sealer of weights and measures — Alti- 
 tius Burlingame. 
 
 An incident occurred in the town about 
 this time which cast a gloom over the com- 
 munit}'. It is thus described b\- Goodwin : 
 
 "Arnold Thomas and his much-esteemed 
 wife were drowned in the Otselic river, at or 
 near the termination of the o.\•-bow^ Mrs. 
 Thomas was a sister of Altitius Burlingame. 
 They were endeavoring to cross the river on 
 an illy constructed raft, with a design to at- 
 tend a prayer meeting. Miss Hannah 
 Corpse, Nelly Miller and Mr. Burlingame 
 were in company w^ith the unfortunate 
 couple. Mr. Burlingame, being an excellent 
 swimmer, succeeded in saving himself and 
 the two young ladies. The bodies of Mr. 
 Thomas and his wife were recovered from 
 the w-ater)' element and now repose in one 
 grave, sacred to their memory, in Mr, Burl- 
 ingame's orchard." 
 
 The first school-house was erected in the 
 town in 18 14, but it is not known who was 
 the first teacher. The business center, as 
 before intimated, was on lot 58, where it 
 continued to be until the enterprising John 
 S. Dyer came to the front and established 
 a store where the village of Willct is now 
 located. This was in the year 1834; in 
 1837 he started another store, and a third 
 one in 1848. He also erected the tavern. 
 
 which has since been considerably enlarged. 
 Mr. Dyer afterward formed a partnership 
 with Chauncey Bean, under the firm name 
 of Dyer, Bean & Co. 
 
 Samuel Dyer, father of John S., was the 
 first postmaster in Willet, in 1823. 
 
 The first store, established by John S. 
 Dyer, is now conducted b\- C. P. McVean. 
 
 Samuel C. Dyer, successor to Elbert J. 
 Dyer, is also a merchant in the village. The 
 others now trading there are David A. 
 Wiles, who carries on a general store, and 
 Walter H'orshce, who has a hardware estab- 
 lishment. 
 
 Henr\- Wiles, a native of Otsego count)-, 
 born January 3d, 1805, first migrated to 
 Cincinnatus with his father, Adam. In 
 1852 he removed to Willet, where he was 
 in mercantile trade until his death in 1871. 
 His son's store is now on the site of the 
 former one which was burned in 1864. 
 Rhoda M. Wiles, daughter of Henry, is the 
 wife of Wilson Greene. 
 
 William Dellovv came to Willet in 1857, 
 bought a vacant lot and erected a shop in 
 which he carried on the manufacture of 
 furniture for sixteen years. At the same 
 time Mr. Dellow began business, John S. 
 Dyer, Geo. B. Morgan and Henry Wiles 
 were the merchants in the place. Adam 
 Seaber succeeded Morgan ; then the firm 
 was Seaber & Weld, then E. J. Dyer, and 
 the store is now conducted by A. Dyer.^ 
 
 The first hotel in the town was kept by 
 Benjamin Wilson. The first in the village 
 was kept by John S. Dyer, who continued 
 in the business fro.m 1832 to 1842. The 
 propert)- was then rented for a period of 
 about twenty years, during which there were 
 nimierous changes, which need not be fol- 
 lowed. In 1853 it was sold to Asa Can- 
 field, who remained for a time, as did also 
 
 1 It is the opinion of Wilson Greene that the first goods 
 sold in the town were brought in by a traveling salesman, 
 who opened them in n room in Samuel Dyer's house. 
 
43 : 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 William Canfield. The hotel is now con- 
 ducted bj' Frank Smith, who makes it a 
 po])iilar phice. 
 
 There are in the \ilia^e a reasonable 
 number of skillful mechanics. George Mo- 
 ses was probably the first blacksmith in the 
 village. J. McMinn and Silas Leroy are 
 now engaged in this business. Walter For- 
 shee has a tin shop. William (iardner is 
 the harness maker, and Joseph L. Hawley, 
 shoemaker. Chas. Genson and Chas. Finn 
 are the wagon- makers. 
 
 Churches — The Methodists have been 
 earnestly engaged in religious work in this 
 town since asearh-as 1815 or 18 16. Their 
 number has, however, always been small. 
 
 The Baptist Church was organized in 
 1821, and the Congregationalist in 1852. 
 The latter had but few members and has 
 been abandoned for some time. The Bap- 
 tist Society continues, but with a limited 
 membership. 
 
 Willet was not behind her sister towns 
 in ofFerintr men and means to aid the gov- 
 ernment in putting down the Southern 
 Rebellion. The quotas were filled under 
 the different calls as shown by the following 
 list : — 
 
 Call of October 17th, 1863. Bounty, 
 $300. Total, $3,900. — Freeman T. Wil- 
 lard, Silas Adams, Valentine Babcock, Os- 
 car Seymour, John Potter, John E. Vos- 
 burgh, Frank Minter, Joseph Quick, Daniel 
 Farmane, Charles L. Tarbox, Lyman Joy- 
 ner, Patrick Condon, Edward Condon. 
 
 Call of July i8th, 1864. Bounty, $1,000. 
 Total, $22,000. Brokerage, $550 . — Rob- 
 ert Wilson, Charles R. Brown, Theodore 
 H. Fitch, William B. R. Gritman, Abram 
 S. Holland, William H. Jones, Ex-erett S. 
 Johnson, George M. Kinney, Uriah Loomis, 
 George Loomis, Ephraim Loomis, Charles 
 W. Robinson, George H. Slack, William A. 
 Smith, Frederick A. Skillman, William 
 Taylor, Myron Wooster, John A. Winchel, 
 
 Roderick Wilber, Thomas Torry, James W. 
 Ostrander, O. F. Pickney. 
 
 Call of December 19th, 1864. Bount}-, 
 $600. Total, $1,800. Brokerage, $15. — 
 S. Wetmorc, William J. Hedge, William 
 Martin. 
 
 Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quiUa, 
 calls October ijth, 1863, ]-"ebruary and 
 March, 1864, $3,900. Paid for quotal call, 
 July 18th, 1864, $22,550. Paid for filling 
 quota, call December, 19th, 1864, $1,815. 
 Grand total, $28,265. 
 
 We gi\e below a list of the supervisors 
 of Willet from the year 1834 to the present 
 time: John S. Dyer, 1834 to 1839, in- 
 clusive; Geo. Isaacs, 1840; \N . A. Coc, 
 1841—42; Benjamin T. Green, 1843; Jo- 
 seph P. West, 1844 ; Joseph Greene ; 1845- 
 46; Stephen Adams, 1847; Silas Court- 
 ney, 1848; Lewis Mooney, 1849; Silas 
 Courtnc)-, 1850-51 ; John S. D}er, 1852- 
 53; BurriU Greene, 1854; John S. D)-er, 
 1855; John Miller, 1856; John S. Dyer, 
 1857-58; W^m. R. Coles, 1859; John D, 
 Greene, i860; Benjamin S. Coe, 1861—62; 
 John S. Dyer, 1863 ; Benjamin S. Coe, 
 1864-65; O. C. Hall, 1866-67; E. F. 
 Nichols, 1868 to 1870, inclusive; Ogden 
 Burlingame. 1871-72; Chas. D. Bowen, 
 1873; S. C. D)'er, 1874-75; O. Burlin- 
 game, 1876; W. Greene, 1877 to 1884, in- 
 clusive. 
 
 F"ollowing are the present officers of the 
 town of Willet (1884):— 
 
 Supervisor — Wilson Greene. 
 
 Town clerk — Joseph L. Hawley. 
 
 lustices — Jefferson Green, John D. Coe, 
 Wm. E. Bailey, Geo. B. Landers. 
 
 Commissioner of highways — ^eo. Talbot. 
 
 Assessors — Samuel C. Dyer, Almon 
 Talbot, Wilber J. Delevan. 
 
 Overseer of the poor — Elijah Tennant. 
 
 Excise commissioners — Calvin Bliss, 
 Milton Glovers, Marcellus Landers. 
 
 Game constable — Davton Conrad. 
 
Town of Harford. 
 
 433 
 
 Constables — Coriell Katon. Milttus 
 Hotchkiss, Jackson McMinn, Win. C. Stern- 
 berg. 
 
 Collector — Coriell Eaton. 
 Inspectors of election — Horace Tiffanj-, 
 .\ddison Whitmorc, Adclbert Babcock. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 HI.STORV OF I'HE TO\V.\ OK H.ARFORI). 
 
 THE town of Harford comprises the 
 southwestern quarter of the original 
 militar}' township of Virgil, (No. 244) of 
 the military tract, and is now the extreme 
 southwestern town in the count)'. It is 
 bounded on the north by Virgil ; on the 
 east b\' Lapeer ; on the south by Tioga 
 count)' and on the west by Tompkins 
 county. rhe tow n was not organized until 
 May 2d, 1845, and consequentl)' mucli of 
 its early history is identified with that of 
 Virgil, in preceding pages. 
 
 The surface of the town consists of high 
 broken and rugged uplands rising from 500 
 to 700 feet above the intervening valleys, 
 and from 1500 to 1700 feet above tide wa- 
 ter. The Owego hills in the central part 
 of the town constitute the most elevated por- 
 tion. The declivities are generally steep 
 and often rocky, and most of the hilly sum- 
 mits are still crowned with heavy forests. 
 The town is watered by small, clear brooks 
 which arc fed b)' springs, the largest stream 
 being what is commonly called Owego 
 creek, which runs southward through the 
 central part of the town. The soil of the 
 town is a sandy, gravelly loam, of moderate 
 productive capacity and better adapted to 
 grazing than to grain-raising. 
 
 Harford is, with one exception, the small- 
 est to\\ n in the county, its acreage being 
 but 519 more than that of Preble, which is 
 the smallest town. Harford has 14,612 
 acres. 
 
 Settlement in this town was more back- 
 
 ward than in most other sections of the 
 county, and the clearing and impro\ement 
 of the more remote and hilly portions pro- 
 portionatel)- retarded. Even at the present 
 time lumbering is an industr)' of consider- 
 able importance to the town. 
 
 Dorastus De Wolf was the first settler in 
 the town and located, in 1803, o" 3 farm 
 west of the \illage on the hill, now owned 
 by Norton L. Brown. He subsequent!)- 
 moved into a small frame house which stood 
 on the road north of the village near the 
 corners. Putnam De Wolf, a brother of Do- 
 rastus, settled in the town not long after- 
 ward and near his brother. 
 
 The forests with which the town was then 
 covered abounded in wild game. W'olves 
 were very numerous and it was near the 
 end of the first quarter of the centur)- be- 
 fore the few settlers could leave their sheep 
 unprotected at night, confident of finding 
 them safe the next morning. The woods 
 were traversed b)' numerous d^x'r, which 
 were often seen in droves ; bears were 
 plentiful and an occasional elk was seen in 
 the secluded valleys. 
 
 Josiah Brown was one of the early set- 
 tlers of Harford, coming in from Chenango 
 county during the progress of the War of 
 181 2. He settled a little north of Harford 
 \-illage on the farm where Homer Brown 
 now lives, and which is owned by Dexter 
 Brown, of Marathon. Morris Brown came 
 in with his father, Josiah, and married 
 Matilda Holden, daughter of Benjamin 
 
434 
 
 l-llSTORY OF CORTLAXI) CoUNTV. 
 
 Holdcn, who settlcti in t!ic tnwn at about 
 the same time with Mr. Brow'ii ; lie came 
 from tlic State of Maine and located about 
 a mile southwest of the village, on the farm 
 now occupied b\- Solomon Roj^crs Hcnja- 
 min Holden was the grandfather of Samuel 
 Holden, now a merchant in Harford. Lu- 
 ther Holden, another grandson, now owns 
 the Heaton farm and lives there. After 
 the marriage of Morris Hrown and Matilda 
 I lolden, the\- settled on the farm where 
 Mrs, Brown still li\es, and where hei' hus- 
 band died ill March, 1883, about .1 mile 
 north of the village ; there they resided 
 permanently for nearly seventy years. 
 
 Mrs. Brown's niemory of early settle- 
 ments in the town is .still remarkably clear, 
 and we are indebted to her for details of 
 the progress of settlement at the date of 
 her arrival, wliich was as earl\- as 1815 and 
 probabl)- a year or two earlier. 
 
 Jacob Hemingway was then in the town 
 and lived where the hotel now stands, which 
 he built in about the vear 1820. 
 
 Of the settlers who had followed Ue Wolf 
 into the town before the year 1815, Mrs. 
 Brown gives us the names and locations of 
 the following: Josiah Hart, father of Josiah 
 Hart, of Cortland \illage, settled on the 
 place in the \illage now owned by Alanson 
 Burlingame and built the old red house 
 which still stands there. 
 
 Lemuel Barnes located on the Slaterx ille j 
 road about a mile west of the \-illage. He | 
 was grandfather of George and Eli Barnes, 
 who still li\e in the town. 
 
 Barnev Norwood and George Cooley 
 were both here before 1815. The former 
 was the father of I'hilip Norwood and set- 
 tled where he lived until recently, and the 
 latter located in the village ab(jut opposite 
 where the old hotel stands. 
 
 Calvin Totman settled on what was long 
 known as " Chicken Point," where he kept 
 the first store in town It was a small affair 
 
 and its existence has been forgotten by 
 most t)f the old inhabitants. Philip Hard- 
 enburg is of the opinion that Totman sold 
 goods in the \'illage, or on the site of the 
 village, for a short time before locating at 
 " Chicken Point." 
 
 Levi Moore settled in the town early and 
 lived where Mrs. Harriet Moore now re- 
 sides ; she is a widow of Le\i's son. Levi 
 Moore kept a ta\ern on this corner, which 
 was the first on the site of the village and 
 one of the earliest in the tow 11. 
 
 Enoch Allen ami Chas. (iraxes were in 
 the town before ]8i5 and kept taverns, one 
 on each side of the road near the site of 
 the Nathan Heaton house. Allen shot 
 himself subsequentlv in his own house. 
 
 Nathan Heaton settled on the site of 
 Harford Mills before 1815 and built the 
 grist-mill at lliat point before the year 
 i8jo. Warren Hart ami Richard Collins 
 were located lure at the same time. The 
 latter li\ cd where Hiram Wilcox now re- 
 sides. .\ saw-mill was built beside the 
 grist-mill at I lartord Mills about the same 
 time that the grist-mill was erected ; but we 
 ha\e not leariud b_v wlmm. Colf)iiel Hem- 
 ingway built a saw-mill at Chicken Point at 
 an early da\' and Tisdale Jones built an- 
 other a little farther u]i the stream, while 
 Josiah Hart built a third one still farther up. 
 These niilN w i.re in operation as early as 
 about 1 S44 riiey are all now abandoned. 
 
 Samuel L'msby settled before 1815 on 
 what is known as the Beard place, which 
 he ownetl and where he built a distillery 
 not long after 1820. Another earl\- distiil- 
 er\- stood about on the site of the cheese 
 factor\-, which was operated b_\' .\aron lien- 
 edict. An asher\' stood near it, which was 
 managed b\- Theodore Hart 
 
 Israel (iraves and Da\id Crosby were 
 here before 1815. Graxes lived at Chicken 
 Point and Crosby where Robert Purvis 
 now resides. 
 
Town of Harford. 
 
 435 
 
 John Straight settled where Hallock Mar- 
 tin lives, a mile and a half from the village, 
 before 1815. It is said that he owned three 
 square miles of land at <Mie time ; but be- 
 came a too stead)- patron of the distillery 
 and finally lost all of his property. 
 
 Gordon Hurlingame was an early settler 
 on the farm now owned and occupied by 
 his grandson, Allen W. Tyler, his father, 
 Jeremiah Tyler, of Virgil Corners, having 
 married Mr. Burlingame's daughter. The 
 brick house now on the farm was built by 
 Mr. Burlingame in 1828, the brick having 
 been made on the farm near the barns. 
 There were other brick yards in the town 
 at an early da)-, which accounts for the 
 number of substantial brick houses in ditifer- 
 ent localities. 
 
 Lorenzo Totman, a brother of the first 
 merchant, settled before 1815, about four 
 miles east of the village on the road leading- 
 to Marathon. His father lived on that farm 
 and must have been one of the earliest 
 settlers. 
 
 Daniel Allen was in the town before 1815 
 and built one of the first grist-mills in the 
 town, near where Sealer Jackson subse- 
 quentl)' li\^ed, about half a mile east of Har- 
 ford Mills. 
 
 Stephen Cross settled in the town before 
 1 81 5 and located on land now- owned by- 
 John Valentine. He was from Chenango 
 county. Mr Cross built the brick house 
 now occupied b\- Mr. Valentine. His 
 son, Marvin, now of Brooklyn, built the 
 old wooden house now occupied b)- Otis 
 Clark, and kept house there for the first 
 time. He soon afterward mo\-ed to Brook- 
 lyn and has become wealth)- in the lumber 
 business. Gu)- Barnes, a son of Lemuel, 
 before mentioned, was an early resident 
 about half a mile west of Harford village, on 
 the S!ater\'ille road, where Spencer Seaman 
 now lives. John Moss was another early 
 settler in that \'icinit)-. 
 
 Nathan Heaton, Theodore E. Hart, Levi 
 Moore and Seth Stevens were among other 
 early settlers in the town. The Graves 
 family and the C"rosb\s came in about the 
 year 18 14. 
 
 Benjamin Holden, a native of Massachu- 
 setts, removed from the State of Maine to 
 Harford in 18 16, and located on land now- 
 owned by Milo Day. He died in 1842. 
 His daughter, Betsey- B., now the wife of 
 Dexter Brown, of Marathon, was six months 
 old when her parents left Massachusetts and 
 three vears old when the)- came to Har- 
 ford. Dexter Brown was born in Harford 
 in 1 8 16, was married in 1839 and remo\'ed 
 to Marathon in 1876. Until that time he 
 residetl constantl)- on the farm where he 
 was born and which he still owns. His 
 father, Josiah Brown, died in i860, at the 
 age of ninet)--one years. 
 
 Henry Ballard was one of the compara- 
 tivel)- early settlers and died in the tow-n in 
 1853. having attained the gre.it age of 109 
 years. 
 
 This town is more fortunate than some 
 others in the county, which might otherwise, 
 perhaps, have left it behind in matters of 
 prosperity, in the fact of its having ample 
 railroad communication o\-er the Southern 
 Central, with Auburn on the nortl-|, con- 
 necting with the New- York Central, and 
 Owego on the south, where it connects with 
 the New York, Lake Erie and Western. 
 In the year 1852 a companj- was organized 
 under the name of the Lake Ontario, Au- 
 burn and New York Railroad Company, 
 with a capital stock of $1 ,500,000. 
 
 A route running from Fair Haven on the 
 north to Pugsley's Station jon the south was 
 established and much of the right of wax- 
 secured. .A.bout $375,000 was spent on 
 grading, when the company collapsed. In 
 1853 another company was organized and 
 $450,000 was spent in grading between the 
 lake and Weedsport. Operations on the 
 
436 
 
 History or Cortland Colxtv. 
 
 enterprise were sus])ende(l willi the break- 
 ing out of till- Rebellion ; but in 1865 the 
 eonipan)- was reorganized and the route 
 ciumged to its present course. The road 
 was comi)leted antl trains began lunning in 
 I 869, when the Owego vallc)- through the 
 town of Harford echoed with the shriek of 
 the steam whistle. The inhabitants of the 
 town full)' ajjprcciated the importance of 
 this improx'enient and celebrated the event 
 in a joyful manner. The railroad lias been 
 of vast benefit to the tow n and shipments 
 of produce and lumber from the stations at 
 Harford and Harford Mills ha\e been large. 
 
 Kbenezer Burgess came from the State 
 of Maine with the Hniwn famil\- in 1813, 
 and located east of the village, on lands 
 now owned by Henry Wavle. In the fol- 
 lowing year, as stated bj- Erving Taintor, 
 who is connected with the family b\ mar- 
 riage, Mr. Burgess bought the apple trees 
 and pear trees that are now standing on the 
 old place. The trees were bought of lohn 
 Straight (elsewhere alluded to), w^ho then 
 had a nursery. 
 
 Asel Sexton, father of Ransom Sexton, 
 settled in 1814 on the ])remises now occu- 
 pied by Miss Moore in Harford village. 
 Ransom was born in i 8 1 3 and came to Har- 
 ford Mills about twenty-five years ago. 
 
 The late Lansing Hay settled in Harford 
 in December, 1826, locating on the farm 
 now occupied by Henr}- Bnyce. He was 
 then twentv years old. Mr. Ha\- became 
 one of the leading farmers of the town. 
 One of his daughters is the wife of H. C. 
 Gray of Harford Mills : another is the wife 
 of Ransom Jennings; another lives at Har- 
 ford Mills, and his son. I.. ]•'. I lav. is a mer- 
 chant of Harford Mills. 
 
 Following is a list of the brave sons of 
 Harford who went forth at the call of their 
 country, with the amounts paid them as 
 bounties, under the different calls of the 
 government for troops: — 
 
 Call of October 17th, 1863. Bounty 
 paid, $300. Total, $6,900. — James Hyde, 
 Alexander Xetif, Otis C. Clark, Isaac E. 
 Keech, Squire Morton, Emery \V. Smith, 
 Prentis Elliott, Josephus Haskell, Manville 
 P. Teed, Hallet Shepard, David Douglass, 
 Samuel I. Hulslander, Joseph Neff, George 
 VV. Lason, Rutger B. Marsh, Miles R. Fos- 
 ter, S)'l\'ester M. Foster, Taylor Maricle, 
 Hugh Caton, Rile\' D. Sheppard, Cornelius 
 Morrison, Halsey I,. Leonard, Francis L. 
 Sheppard. 
 
 Call of Jul)- ivSth. 1864. Bount)- paid, 
 $1,000, except $700 to one, and $500 to 
 one. Total buunt\', $14,200. Total brok- 
 erage, $465. — Ciilbert James, Isaac Hultz, 
 James Matterson, .Alexander Ogden, Xel- 
 son Thompson, James R\'an, Thomas Ryan, 
 Henr\- .\dams, Erastus Babcock, Asahel 
 Tillotsiin, Benjamin II. Decker, Alonzo 
 Perry, William II. Tarbox, Robert P. Ho])- 
 kins, Patrick Dunn, H. D. Goddard. 
 
 Call (if December 19th, 1864. Bount\- 
 paid, $600, except $500 to one. Total, 
 $5,300. Bri)kerage, $135. — Ale.xander 
 Dalziel. Cliarles H. Chichester. Frederick 
 J. Turner. Inhn Gregor\-. Thomas Swift, 
 George Silas, James Callaghan, Charles H. 
 Bennett. Thomas Miller. 
 
 Recapitulation. — I'aiti for filling quotas, 
 calls of October 17th, I 863, February, 1864, 
 March, 1864, $6,900. Paid for filling quota, 
 call Jul\- iSth, 1864, $14,575. •'■'''^ fo'' 
 filling quota, call December 19th, 1864. 
 $5,435. (Hand total, $26,910. 
 
 Following is a list of the superx'isors and 
 town clerks of Harford from its organiza- 
 tion to the present time, with the e.xcep- 
 tion of the _\ ear 1851, of which there is no 
 record available. The name of the super- 
 visor appears first in each instance : Josiah 
 Hart, Oreii M. Moore. 1 846 ; Alanson 
 Burlingamc, Oren M. Moore, 1847-48; 
 David Da\is, Oren M. Moore, 1849; A. F. 
 Delavergne. .\lfred A. Jones. 1850; Jo- 
 
Town of Harford. 
 
 437 
 
 siah Rood, VVm. Lincoln, 1852; Josiah 
 Rood, J. H. Knapp, 1853 ; J. H. Knapp, 
 A. Burlingamc, 1854; J.. \V. Rood, Jas. P. 
 Smith, 1855: Krvini; Taintor, S. W. Nel- 
 son, 1856-57; J. J. iM-eer, S. W, Nelson, 
 1858; J. H. Knapp, James Heath, 1859; 
 J. H. Knapp, W'm. Vorhees, i86o; S. W. 
 Nelson, Daniel H. Miller, 1861-62; Rob- 
 ert Purvis, Homer J. Brown, 1863 ; Erving 
 Taintor, Homer J. Bro^\■n, 1864; Ervinij 
 Taintor, H. F. Jones, 1865; Erving Fain- 
 tor, D. H. Miller, 1866-67; S. H. Steele, 
 L. W. Tanner, 1868-69; S. H. Steele, H. 
 J. Brown, 1870; S. H. Steele, L. \V. Tan- 
 ner, 1871 ; W. J. Baker, L. \V. Tanner, 
 1872; S. H. Steele, M. S. Da\-. 1873-74; 
 S. H. Steele, L. W. Tanner, 1875 ; S. H. 
 Steele, A. W. r\ler, 1876; S. H. Steele, 
 L. W. Tanner, 1877; S. H. Steele, B. F, 
 Silsbee, 1878; S. H. Steele, J. C. Ed- 
 munds, 1879-80; A. W. Clinton, J. C. 
 Edmunds, 1881 ; A. W. Clinton. H. T. 
 Bushncll, 1882; H. C. Gray, G. A. Wavle, 
 1883; H. T. Bushnell, C. A. Sessions, 
 
 1884. 
 
 In 1849 l^avid Davis, and in 1859, J. H. 
 Knapp were app(~iinted b\- the board, the 
 vote being a tie. 
 
 The officers of the town of Harford for 
 the year 1884 are as follows : — 
 
 Supervisor — H. T. Bushnell. 
 
 Town clerk — C. A. Sessions. 
 
 Justices of the peace — M. S. Day, E. J. 
 Holdridge, A. W. Brown, R. Blodgett. 
 
 Assessors — A. W. Tyler, John Mc- 
 Pherson, Sherman Morse. 
 
 Overseers of the poor — Philo A. John- 
 son, George R. Wilcox. 
 
 Collector — Willis Johnson. 
 
 Constables — Edwin Dawson, John C. 
 Edmunds, Charles Lang, Smith Allen. 
 
 Inspectors of election — Henr)- D. Bris- 
 tol, E. Phelps Corbin, Jerome Maricle. 
 
 Sealer of weights and measures — John 
 K Miller. 
 
 HARFORD VILLAGE. 
 
 The village of Harford is a pretty hamlet 
 in the southwestern part of the town, and 
 contains two churches, three stores, two ho- 
 tels, several shops and about forty dwell- 
 ings. It is situated towards the northern 
 limits of what was known many years ago 
 as "Virgil Flats." The first settlements on 
 the site of the village have already been 
 detailed, and it remains onh- to notice the 
 business places, etc. It is said that Calvin 
 Totman was the first merchant here, but 
 removed his goods at a subsequent date to 
 " Chicken Point." Theodore Hart began 
 selling goods here before 1830, where the 
 school-house now stands. Mr. Hart was 
 the first postmaster in 1825-26, the \'illage 
 being then called Worthington. It was 
 soon, however, changed to its present name. 
 Henr)- Lyman succeeded Mr. Hart as a 
 merchant, in the same building, for about 
 two years, and failed. His place was taken 
 by Royce & Stevens. This store was 
 burned about the year 1849. 
 
 In the mean time Samuel Hart built the 
 original store on the site now occupied by 
 Holden & Bushnell. Hart was succeeded 
 by Smith & Tjler, and they by Samuel R. 
 Griffin about 1854. He died and his son- 
 in-law, Samuel W. Winston, closed up the 
 estate. The store stood empty for a time 
 when it was leased in 1875 by H. T. Bush- 
 nell, who conducted it for three years. 
 The building was then bought by Mr. Hol- 
 den, who rebuilt and added to it. Mr. 
 Bushnell, who had been away for one year, 
 returned in 1880, since which time the firm 
 has been doing a good business as Holden 
 & Bushnell. 
 
 When Mr. Bushnell first came to Har- 
 ford in 1872, he began mercantile business 
 with J. C. Stewart, in the Southern Central 
 building. The)- were succeeded by the 
 present proprietors, R. J. Barnard & Son. 
 
438 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 In 1878 the firm of Edmunds & Abels 
 opened a meat market in the old Presbyte- 
 rian conference room. After about a year 
 L\'man Austin bought out Abels. The 
 new firm continued there about two years 
 when they added groceries to their business 
 and removed to their present location in the 
 old hotel. This store was formerly occu- 
 pied by Tjlcr & Holden. Tyler's interest 
 was subsequently purchased by L. C. Ball, 
 about 1870. The partners divided the 
 business in 1873, Mr. Holden going out; 
 Johnson & Tyler continued together in that 
 location until 1880. 
 
 Hotels. — The first hotel in the village 
 was kept b)' Levi Moore, where the Widow 
 Moore lives. Jacob Hemingway built the 
 first installment of the old hotel now stand- 
 ing, about 1820. Or\ille Hart bought the 
 house in 1838 and in turn sold it to a man 
 named Bradle}-, who was also a tailor and 
 worked at that business in a room of the 
 house. A year or two later he sold to a 
 Mr. McWhorter, who was succeeded about 
 two )ears later b>' Samson & Terpening. 
 The latter remained in the firm one year 
 and Mr. Samson kept the house three years 
 longer. Then Philip Hardenburg took the 
 property (1856) and owned and managed 
 the house until 1873, when he sold it to M. 
 W. Hotchkiss. He sold it to James Joy- 
 ner, who still keeps it. 
 
 In 1 87 1, soon after the completion of the 
 railroad, the brilliant anticipations of the 
 inhabitants of Harford village as to the fut- 
 ure of the place, led twenty-two of their 
 number to form a stock companj- for the 
 erection of a large hotel near the railroad 
 station. This resulted in the building of 
 the Southern Central House, a large and 
 handsome three-story structure, costing 
 more than $12,000. As is too often the 
 case under such circumstances, the invest- 
 ment proved an unfortunate one. The 
 house was opened by Chas. B. Ellis, but it 
 
 has never proved a source of much profit, 
 and has since changed hands several times, 
 having been kept by C. Shafer, Capt. Sig- 
 ner, Fred Rainsford, M. VV. Hotchkiss and 
 now b}' John Stewart. 
 
 Blacksmiths. — Seneca Howard was the 
 earliest blacksmith in the village of whom 
 we have any information. He was here as 
 early as 1830 ; his shop stood near the site 
 of the present hotel barn. He was suc- 
 ceeded by Fay Royce, and he by M. B. 
 Williams, who built his shop on the Burlin- 
 game place about the year 1842. Nathan- 
 iel Austin and Teal Hackett were in the 
 business later. Wesley Main now carries 
 on the business, and I'rank Maricle occu- 
 pies a shop built by Mr. Hardenburg. 
 Chas. Leonard began in the business in 1 880. 
 
 Warner Stratton was a wagon maker 
 where Burt Sessions li\-es about the )-ear 
 1842. Nathaniel Tompkins was located in 
 that business soon afterward in the old two 
 story building standing near the bridge. 
 Abram Banker was in the .same building 
 later. George Guire and Frank Maricle are 
 now engaged in the business. 
 
 Churches. — The old Union Church was 
 erected in the year 1835 by all the Chris- 
 tians in the vicinity, the Unixersalists being 
 prominent in the work. This was consid- 
 ered quite an event and most of the men in 
 the communit}' turned out to the "raising." 
 The omnipresent whisk)' jug was there and 
 circulated, as was the custom during that 
 period at all similar undertakings. It is 
 said that the late Lansing Haj- mounted the 
 top timber of the spire after the frame was 
 up, swung the jug aloft and christened the 
 building " The Union Church of Virgil 
 Flats." The structure has since been re- 
 built and passed into the control of the 
 Presbyterian denomination, and later has 
 become Congregational. The society has 
 been weak for some years and there is no 
 settled pastor at the present time. 
 
Town of Harford. 
 
 439 
 
 The Methodist Church was built about 
 the year 1858, and was rebuilt in 1882. 
 Rev. Mr. Legg is pastor at the present 
 time. 
 
 The first cheese facturx- was built nn tlie 
 site of the present factory about the year 
 1874, by D. B. Marsh. He operated it 
 about two years when he failed and the fac 
 tor\- was soon afterward burned. The new- 
 factor}- was built by Cornelius Schernier- 
 horn some eight years since. He conducted 
 it until 1SS4, when lie sold it to John Bhi- 
 mers. It is now operated for the manu- 
 facture of several different kinds of fine 
 cheese and first-class butter, wiiich is sold 
 in New York. 
 
 The first iiost-olifice was established at 
 Harford in about the year 1826, under the 
 name of " Worthington," which was subse- 
 quently changed to its present name. The- 
 odore Hart was the first postmaster. .Sam- 
 uel Nelson had charge of the office for a long 
 period, but in just what \-cars we arc not 
 informed. He was succeeded by L. C. 
 Ball and the office was taken in June, 1874, 
 by Samuel L. Holden. 
 
 Physicians. — The names of Drs, Fox, 
 (^wen, Terry, Houghtaling, Davis and Ship- 
 man ha\e been given us as among the earl)- 
 physicians of Harford. Dr. Terry was here 
 in 1832. Dr. Ellis was in the town as earl)- 
 as 1820 and lived where Worden Tarbox 
 now resides. These physicians practiced in 
 the town during periods of different lengths, 
 and were followed by Dr. J. H. Knapp. 
 Dr. Knapp became a member of the County 
 Medical Society in 1858, and was elected 
 its president in 1861 and again in 1867. 
 He is a man o( more than ordinary promi- 
 nence in the profession and has a large prac- 
 tice. 
 
 Dr. v.. A. Allen is a graduate of the New- 
 York Eclectic Medical College in 1879, and 
 came to Harford in 1880. He is a member 
 of the Central New York Medical Asso- 
 
 ciation and practices in the homeopathic 
 school. 
 
 The first school in the town was taught 
 by Betsey Curran in the winter of 1806-07, 
 in the house afterwards occupied by Abner 
 Rounsville. The first school-house in the 
 village of Harford was built probably as 
 earl)- as 1 820 and stood near the site of the 
 cheese factory ; the next was located on the 
 site of the present school-house, but has 
 been rebuilt and otherwise greatly im- 
 proved. .An excellent school is now kept 
 there. 
 
 The steam saw-mill of A. 1). & I. D. 
 Hemingway was built in 1 S6j. It has since 
 passed into possession (if H. \V. Bradley, 
 w-ho now owns it and rims it a part of the 
 time. Since the forests have been mostly 
 cleared away, such mills find less and less to 
 feed them. 
 
 II.VRFORI) Mil LS. 
 
 This is a hamlet situated about one and 
 a half miles south of Harford \-illage, on 
 the line of the Southern Central Railroad, and 
 contains tw-o stores, a church, a hotel, a steam 
 saw-mill, a grist-mill, several shops and 
 about thirt)- dwellings. Settlements on the 
 site of the hamlet were made a little later 
 than in the vicinit\- of Harford village and 
 at what was called '■ Chicken Point." A 
 post-office was established here about the 
 year 1 866, with David Wilcox as postmas- 
 ter ; it was then called South Harford, but 
 w-as subsequently given its present name. 
 
 Since the railroad was completed this has 
 been a prominent shipping point for lum- 
 ber, shingles, posts, etc., and the inhabi- 
 tants shared to some extent the bright an- 
 ticipations of their neighbors as to the future 
 of the place, leading to the erection of the 
 large hotel, the Owego Valley House, and 
 other buildings which were, perhaps, be- 
 \-ond the demands of the place. 
 
 A grist-mill was built at Harford .Mills 
 
440 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 about 1820, by Nathan Heaton, which 
 stood near the site of the present mill. The 
 old mill \\as afterward used as a shed for 
 the present mill, which was built by John 
 C. Davis in 1841. It has since been re- 
 built and improved at different times and 
 changed hands a good man}- times ; it is 
 now owned by Simon Seaman and leased 
 by the Myers brothers. 
 
 Another grist-mill was built previous to 
 the erection of the Heaton mill, but the 
 date of its completion is not available. It 
 was built by a man named Clapp on Michi- 
 gan creek, a little way from the corners of 
 the cast and west road. He made his dam 
 b\' placing a log across the channel from 
 the rocks on either side, driving down posts 
 and then planked it up perpendicularly. 
 The consequence of this mistaken engineer- 
 ing method was that the bottom of the 
 dam swung outward with the pressure of 
 the water above, and the dam hung like a 
 gate to the log across the gulf Clapp did 
 not operate the mill after this calamity. 
 
 Simeon R. Griffin built the first steam 
 saw-mill at Harford Mills near the corners 
 of the road leading to Marathon, in 1861- 
 62. He sold it to Perrigo & Fields about 
 the year 1 867 ; they operated it about four 
 years, when it was transferred to Coots & 
 Lytle. The latter ran it alone a year or 
 two and failed. The assignee sold the 
 property to R. W. Clinton, who moved it 
 near to the railroad station and rebuilt it in 
 1874. It was burned down in 1880 and 
 rebuilt in its present form. 
 
 In the same year that he erected the mill 
 Mr. Clinton built the store building now 
 occupied by Clintons & Chappuys. Clin- 
 tons & Bristol, Clintons & Clark and Clin- 
 tons & Elwell conducted the store before 
 the present firm was formed. 
 
 The first store at Harford Mills was 
 built by Charles Baker. The building is 
 now occupied as a residence by the Widow 
 
 Hazen. The store was kept there succes- 
 sively by Elisha Hart, P. L. Hardenburg, 
 Mr. Burghart, W. J. Baker, who was there 
 in 1870 and was closed up; Geo. Peters, 
 who also closed out his business, and finally 
 by Carrie Tarbox. No store has been 
 open there for about seven years. 
 
 L. E. Hay began business in his present 
 location in 1870, having erected the build- 
 ing. He has done a large business since 
 that time in selling goods, buying and 
 shipping produce, etc. 
 
 The hotel was built in 1870 by George 
 W. Griggs. He was succeeded by Capt. 
 Signor, John Hammond. Griggs & Kincaid, 
 Kincaid alone, George Saltsman, O. M. 
 Sears & Son and Henr\- \\'a\le, who is the 
 present proprietor. 
 
 Solomon Smedley was one of the earliest 
 blacksmiths at Harford Mills. A man 
 named Rowley then began the business 
 and Chauncey Crum opened a shop about 
 fort}^ years ago. He was located where ~> 
 Damon Miller has carried on the business 
 for nearly thirty years. Chester Johnson 
 also had the shop at that point for a time. 
 Eron Hackett and Lewis Rood, with Mr. 
 Miller, are the present blacksmiths. 
 
 Chas. \V. Harrington is the first harness- 
 maker in the place, having occupied his 
 present location since 1865. 
 
 William Hammond is the present wagon 
 maker and A. W. Brown does repairing in 
 the same line. 
 
 The postmasters of the place since Da- 
 vid Wilcox ha\e been W. J. Baker, George 
 Frank, A. W. Clinton and the present in- 
 cumbent of the office, A. Clinton. 
 
 Churches. — Meetings have been held at 
 Harford Mills since an early day, in private 
 houses, school-houses, etc., by the Christian 
 denomination and the Methodists. Among 
 those who have ministered to the people 
 have been Elders Wade, Edward Tyler, 
 Fletcher and Austin Damon, who is the 
 
Town of Lapeer. 
 
 441 
 
 present pastor. Methodist services have direction of H. C. Gray. The property 
 
 been conducted by ministers from Harford had to be sold subsequently on a mortgage 
 
 at different times. The handsome little and was purchased by eight of the leading 
 
 church uas built by a union of the Chris- men of the place, who give the use of it for 
 
 tians in the vicinity in 1872, chiefly under religious purposes. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 mSiUKV OF THE TOW.V OF l..\l'Kl::i<. 
 
 THIS town embraces the southeastern 
 corner of the original township of Vir- 
 i.;il, and was not organized until the 2d of 
 Ma\', 1845. It lies upon the high ridges 
 that rise west of the Tioughnioga ri\'er, and 
 is upon the southern border of the county, 
 just west of the center. It is bounded on 
 the north by Virgil ; on the east by Mara- 
 thon ; on the south by Broome and Tioga 
 counties, and on the west by Harford. 
 
 The surface of the town is, for the most 
 part, hilly and rugged. The declivities of 
 the hills bordering upon the river are pre- 
 cipitous. Luce Hill, in the northwestern 
 part of the town, is the highest point, rising 
 from 1600 to 1700 feet above tide. The 
 hills are laterall)- cut by narrow ravines 
 worn by small streams. Fall creek runs 
 through the town, and upon this stream, 
 near the southern border of the town, is 
 Hunt's falls, a beautiful cascade fift)' or 
 sixty feet in height. The soil of the town 
 is a sandy, gravelly loam. 
 
 The first settlement in Lapeer was made 
 by a colored man named Primus Grant ; he 
 purchased on lot 594, and settled on it in 
 1799. He was a native of Guinea, and the 
 farm on which he lived long bore that name. 
 He died there and was buried on one of the 
 1ii_l;1i blulTs which overlook the stream known 
 as the Big brook. The Grant farm is now 
 owned by Orlando Jennings. 
 
 Peter Gra)-, a nati\e of Fishkill, Duchess 
 
 county, was the first white settler in the 
 town. He came from Ulster (Sullivan) 
 count)- in Jul}', 1.S02, and located on lot 
 70. His son, Ogden Gray, afterward lived 
 on the farm, which is now occupied b\- a 
 }ounger Peter Gra\-. He left a respectable 
 faniil_\- of children, the \-oungest of whom 
 became the wife of Dan C. Squires ; she is 
 now dead. 
 
 Ill the \-ear 1803 Seth Jennings settled 
 on lot 597, where he remained until his 
 death; he was from Connecticut. His son, 
 j Harry Jennings, lived in Harford where he 
 died. Seth Jennings's sons were Rufus, Al- 
 fred and Harry. Rufus settled where 
 Aaron Genung now lives, and Alfred where 
 George Jennings lives. The Seth Jennings 
 farm is now owned by D. D. Dye. 
 
 Dan C. Scjuires, one of the foremost cit- 
 izens of this town, was born on the 23d of 
 November, 1798. His father was John S. 
 Squires, a native of Connecticut, who re- 
 moved to Lapeer from Lisle, Broome 
 count}-, and settled on lot 68, in 1 807. Dan 
 C. Squires acquired a good education in 
 spite of his limited opportunities, which en- 
 abled him to fill many public oflices and 
 places of trust with signal abilit}'. It is 
 related of him that his }'outhful desire to 
 obtain an education led him to lie on the 
 hearthstone, often the entire night, studying 
 b}- the fitful light of a pine knot, going to 
 his arduous farm labors the next da\-. Mr. 
 
442 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Squires held the office of justice of the peace 
 twenty-eight years ; supervisor of the town 
 fourteen \'ears, and was chairman of the 
 board six years ; was superintendent of 
 schools several years and school commis- 
 sioner one term ; justice of sessions three 
 years and Member of Assembh- in 1865 and 
 1872. Mr. Squires was a successful school 
 teacher for some j-ears, and the faith nf his 
 townspeople in his inteijrit}' often led to his 
 being' called upon tn administer estates. He 
 was instrumental in prtjcuring tin; dixisioii 
 of the town and in giving the name of La- 
 peer to the new organization. He served 
 twenty-two years in the militia of the State, 
 holding the offices "f captain, lieutenant- 
 colonel and colonel. In earh' life he inter- 
 ested himself in religious matters and was 
 among the first to espouse the cause of 
 temperance, while the anti-slavery move- 
 ment found in him a courageous worker. 
 James S. Squires, a prominent citizen of 
 Cortland \illage, was a brother of Dan C. 
 Squires. 
 
 Timothy Robertson, h'om I'cjiniecticut, 
 came to Lapeer about 1803 or 1804, ^'"cl 
 lived for a short time with Seth Jennings. 
 He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War 
 and was with Montgomery at the storming 
 of Quebec. He had a son, I-^liphalet Rob- 
 ertson, who made his home in Lapeer. 
 
 Thomas Kingsbury and Robert H. 
 Wheeler settled in the southeast part of the 
 town in 1804. The former was a Re\'olu- 
 tionary soldier and drew a pension as such. 
 One of his daughters married Marvin Raich. 
 Kingsbur_\- and Wheeler were both from 
 Connecticut. 
 
 Simeon Luce located on lot 57, in 1805. 
 It is believed that he kept the first taxern 
 in the town. He was an ingenious me- 
 chanic and a useful citizen generalh-. He 
 lived to a very old age and left a large fam- 
 ily. Martin Luce, long a jirominent resi- 
 dent of \'irgil, was a son. 
 
 In 1806 Zachariah Squires and Robert 
 Smith located on lot 70. The former was 
 the father of Col. William Squires, after- 
 ward of Marathon. Mr. Smith was an offi- 
 cer in the Rexolutionary army and was a 
 pensioner. 
 
 James Richards settled on lot 79 in I 807, 
 on the farm miw owned b)- John P. Ses- 
 sions. 
 
 Si.xteen soldiers of the Revolution settled 
 in Lapeer, all but one of whom died here. 
 We have been able to obtain the names of 
 all but two. The\' were Robert Smith, 
 George Totman, Thomas Kingsburx', Ste- 
 phen KelK . Oliver Hopkins, Williain Par- 
 ker, l)a\id Crowell, Nathan Smith, Henr)- 
 Turk, Nathan \\'alker, Timoth)- Robertson, 
 Samuel Soule, Asa Parker and James Pol- 
 lard. 
 
 Asa Hunt, founder of Hunt's Corners, 
 was a native of Windham, Windham county, 
 Conn. When eighteen years of age he went 
 to Boston, Mass., and in 1822 came on foot 
 to Harford, locating on lot 41, where he re- 
 mained until 1854, when he went to Mara- 
 thon, where he now lives. His paternal 
 grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier, 
 whose heroic wife did her share in the great 
 struggle b>- making gunpowder and casting 
 bullets for her husband's use. He married 
 Sallie Johnson, daughter of Abner Johnson, 
 who settled on lot 89. Mr. Hunt has been 
 engaged chiefly in agriculture, but has also 
 carried on mercantile business in several 
 different localities. He has been justice of 
 the peace and supervisor. His son, Wm. 
 V. Hunt, who resides on the homestead, 
 has been a prominent citizen of the town ; 
 was elected supervisor in 1866, 1879 and 
 1881 ; has held the office of justice of the 
 peace sexenteen years and town clerk several 
 terms. 
 
 .\n incident in the life of Mr. Hunt will 
 bear relating. While a bo\- in Boston he 
 worked for a man named Sigourne\-, and 
 
Town of Lapeer. 
 
 443 
 
 by stringent economj' saved the sum of 
 five dollars, which he placed in the State 
 Savings Bank of that city. Not long after- 
 ward he learned of the downfall of that in- 
 stitution. With shattered faith in monetary 
 establishments he started for New York, 
 without making any attempt to regain his 
 deposit. Two years ago, in 1882, more 
 than sixty \-ears after this occurrence, he 
 was surprised by a notification that the de- 
 funct bank was ready to settle his account, 
 and he recei\ed a draft for $79.98. His 
 unfortunate Boston experience had entirely 
 escaped his memor)'. Mr. Hunt's father-in- 
 law, Abner Johnson, died many years ago, 
 from the eft'ects of a slight cut on his hand. 
 
 Jesse Storrs was an earl\- resident of tiiis 
 town, who subsecjuently became known as 
 a great nurserj' man throughout a large part 
 of the country. He was a school-teacher 
 in his early life, and on a small property- 
 which he owned, turned his attention to 
 the raising of fruit trees. He subsequently 
 sold out and remo\-ed to Fainesville, Ohio, 
 where he was long the head of the nursery- 
 house of Storrs, Harrison & Co. He died a 
 few years since. 
 
 It will be correctly inferred that a large 
 proportion of the settlement in this town 
 has been effected during a comparative!)' 
 recent period. It is within the memor)- of 
 living men and w-omen, that the greater 
 portion of the land was forest- covered, while 
 the howl of the wolf and the panther's 
 scream is not forgotten by them.' We have 
 
 1 A few rods to the south of the residence of H. Ge- 
 nung, was, at a former period, an Indian canipinjj ground. 
 This was on a bluff overlooking and close to the Big 
 |irook. From the banks of this stream flowed beautiful 
 rivulets of cool, transparent water. Here, too, were im- 
 mense forests of elms, basswood, maple and other tim- 
 ber, the favorite resort of the black bear, once so plenty 
 in Ciirtland county. Deer, too, roamed the hills and val- 
 leys. The wolf and panther made night hideous with 
 their discordant notes of revelry. From this camping 
 ground the Indians daily radiated in quest of game and 
 fish, and at night returned to their cabins loaded with 
 peltry, the pi'oducts of the chase. 
 
 given a majority of the names and locations 
 of the earlier pioneers, who, with their im- 
 mediate successors and co- laborers, laid low 
 tlie heavy forests and brought the land into 
 a state of cultivation that places the town 
 in a position that compares favorabl)- with 
 others in the county. 
 
 The first grist-mill in this town was 
 erected b)- Simeon Luce, in 1827. Pre\-ious 
 to that comparatively recent date, the in- 
 habitants of Lapeer, like their brethren 
 in surrounding towns at an earl\- period, 
 were compelled to go long distances in 
 order to get the most imperative necessit)- 
 of the table — corn meal — or else manu- 
 facture it themselves in the primitive way. 
 We ha\-e not learned when this mill ceased 
 operation, but there is now no grist-mill in 
 the town. 
 
 In 1825 Samuel and John Gee btiilt the 
 first saw-mill ; this was followed by a num- 
 ber of similar mills in different parts of the 
 town where the brooks suppliefl sufficient 
 water to run them. But the streams have 
 all decreased in volume with the falling of 
 the forests, and the water-mills lia\-e grad- 
 ually been abandoned. The Gees were 
 succeeded in their mill b)- Isaac Barrows ; 
 but it ceased operation long ago. Harry 
 Jennings owned the last water-power saw- 
 mill, which w as burned man)- years since. 
 
 Sidney Pease built his steam saw- mill in 
 1874. He has in connection with it a feed- 
 mill, a planer and matcher, and a cider-mill, 
 doing a comparatively large business. 
 
 John Butterfield built a tannery just west 
 of the Corners, which was subsequently 
 purchased by Stephen Atw ood and removed 
 to and upon Spring brook, where it burned 
 in 1883. It formerl)- did a good business, 
 which, however, declined in later \'ears. 
 
 Hunt & Kell)' were the first merchants in 
 the town of Lapeer, Mr. Htint afterward 
 running the business alone. In 1855 W. 
 E. Hunt and Lewis Swift became the pro- 
 
444 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 prietors, continuing together until i S6o, 
 when the mercantile business at that point 
 was abandoned. 
 
 The trading for the town during earlier 
 years was done largely at Virgil Corners. 
 
 Asa Hunt kept the first and only tavern 
 in the town, at Hunt's Corners ; this was, 
 however, scarcely a regular public house, 
 but was opened hospitabl\- to \\lioc\er hap- 
 pened to require such acconiniodations. He 
 purchased of John Smith the farm adjoining 
 his own and rcmoxctl from his own log- 
 house into the other, which was a framed 
 structure and the second one of that descrip- 
 tion built in the town. This building was 
 afterw ard mo\ed to 'its present location, 
 where it was occupied bj- William K. Hunt, 
 a son of Asa Hunt. The house is now the 
 property of IVIrs. Betsey Ann Peck. It is 
 worthy of remark that in all these years no 
 death has ever occurred in this house. There 
 is now no hotel in the tow n. 
 
 The first framed house in the town was 
 built by Origen Roice, and is now owned 
 b\' Philip Clark and used as a barn. 
 
 There are two cheese factories in the 
 town. The one at Hunt's Corners was 
 erected in 1875, by a stock compan}-. There 
 were twenty shares of stock of $100 each. 
 The company was called the " Hunt's Cor- 
 ners Cheese and Butter Company," and the 
 following were the original shareholders : 
 O. S. Day, G. H. Brown, Wm. E. Hunt, 
 E. D. Harris, John Tarble, A. B. Jennings. 
 D. R. Jennings, Geo. W. Goodale, Philander 
 Jennings, Talma Hill, H. H. J. Wattles, 
 Asa Hunt, Seymour Hultz, John P. Ses- 
 sions, S. S. Bliss, S. S. Houghtaling, Eugene 
 Cleaveland. 
 
 The present ow ners of the factor)' are : 
 Asa Hunt, W. E. Hunt, Geo. H. Little- 
 wood, C. Day, John Tarble, W. Johnson, 
 John P. Sessions, Geo Goodale, Sally 
 Cleaveland, Talma llill. Mr. Littlewood is 
 business manager of the factory for 1.SS4 
 
 The product of the factory for 1883 was 
 47,329 pounds of cheese : this sold for ^4,- 
 525.60. 
 
 The second cheese factory was built by 
 1{. D. Harris in 1877 and is now owned b\' 
 (ieo. Gcjodalc. 
 
 Churches. — A church of Free or Open 
 Communion Baptists was formed in the 
 southeast part of this town about the year 
 1820, by Elder Lake, which embraced 
 members from Marathon and Lisle. Their 
 preachers were Elders Lake, Hart and 
 Matthews. The society was at one period 
 (juite strong, numbering nearly eight)- mem- 
 bers. The .Methodists also held frequent 
 meetings in that part of the town and there 
 was a church of the Christian order that 
 held meetings in a school-house near the 
 former residence of Dan C. Squires. 
 
 There is but one church edifice in the 
 town ; this is located at Hunt's Corners 
 and is called the Union Church. It was 
 built in 1.S68. The original trustees were 
 Wm. E. Hunt, S. Day, H. J. Wattles, 
 James W. Bliss, John Tarble, Willard E. 
 Stockwell, D. W. Ensign. The building is 
 now occupied mostly by Methodists. The 
 present trustees are H. J. Wattles, Stephen 
 Atwood. Miles Pollard, Wm. E. Hunt, Nel- 
 son Cleaveland, C. L. Day, Philip E. Clark. 
 
 Dr. Charles Thomas was the only physi- 
 cian who ever located in Lapeer. He be- 
 came a member of the Count)' Medical 
 Societ)' in 1848. He onlv' remained here 
 about two years, beginning in the \'ear just 
 mentioned. 
 
 Following is a list of the soldiers who en- 
 listed from this town in the last war, under 
 the calls of the president, and who were 
 paid bounties for their serxices : — 
 
 Call of October 17th, 1863. Bounty 
 paid $300. Total $2,400. — Edgar Free- 
 man. Charles N. Eassley, Lewis Rood, 
 Lynden Parker, Eli Parker, James M. Kells, 
 Thomas B Hopkins, Jerome W. Case. 
 
Hiram J. Messenger. 
 
 445 
 
 Call of July 1 8th, 1864. Boiiiit\- paid 
 $900: except $1,000 ti) i)iK-, ami $600 to 
 one. Total, $11,500. HrokeraL^c, $335. 
 — John Line. W. E. Stockwell, P'lirman 
 Cook, David H. Ruiixan, Job Avers, Web- 
 ster Parker, Hurdett Hammond, Le\i Bliss, 
 William W. Parker, Stephen Potter, Orin S." 
 Day, James W. Parker, Peter Michaelson. 
 
 Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
 calls October 17th, 1863, Feburary, 1864, 
 and March, 1864, $2,400. Paid for filling 
 quota, call July iStli, 1S64, $11,825. 
 (jrand total, $14,225. 
 
 Following are the present officers of the 
 town of Lapeer (1884) : — 
 
 Supervisor — S. R. Jemison. 
 
 Town clerk — J. L. Talbot. 
 
 Justices of the peace — Wm. E. Hunt, 
 Lero_\' Smith. A. B. Johnson, A. A. .Alvord. 
 
 Assessors — Mortimer Parker. Henry 
 Hay, A. B. Jennings. 
 
 Constables — Egbert Peak, J. C. (jra\'. 
 
 Collector — Jason Gra}-. 
 
 Game constable — lohn (J. Talbot. 
 
 Inspectors of election — Fred Pollard, 
 {■red Kinne}'. 
 
 Following is a list of the supervisors of 
 Lapeer from the formation of the town to 
 the present time, with the years of their 
 service : — 
 
 Dan C. Squires, 1847; Asa Hunt. 
 1848-49; Noah Pollard, 1850: Ogden 
 Gra\', 1851: Royal Johnson, 1852; Elijah 
 Freeman, 1853; Ogden Gray, 1 854: Royal 
 Johnson, 1855; Dan C. Squires, 1856; 
 Elijah Freeman, 1857; Dan C. Squires, 
 1858; D. O. Surdam, 1859-60 : Royal 
 Johnson, 1861 : D: O. Surdam, 1862 to 
 1865 inclusive; Dan C. Squires, 1866: 
 
 D. O. Surdam, 1867; Dan C. Scjuires, 
 1868 to 1 87 1, inclusive; Royal Johnson, 
 1872; Peter N. Gray, 1873; Weaker L. 
 Chaplin, 1874: Peter N. Gray, 1875; Wm. 
 
 E. Hunt, 1876; Jerome Squires, 1877-78; 
 Wm. E. Hunt, 1879; James Robinson, 
 1880; Wm. E. Hunt, 1881 ; F. J. Squires, 
 1882; Leroe Smith. 1883; S. B. Jemison, 
 1884. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 BKHiK.Al'HK Al., 
 
 HIRAM J. MESSENGER, second son 
 of Nathan and Averick Messenger, 
 was born on the east bank of the Tiough- 
 nioga river, near the State Bridge, in the 
 town of \Mrgil, Cortland count}-, N. Y., on 
 the I 2th da\- of August, 1816. The fam- 
 ily residence was a comfortable log house 
 corresponding fairl}' with its neighbors. 
 Owing to the necessity for his ser\ices on 
 the small new farm, he was prevented from 
 attending school in the log school- house 
 after he was of sufficient age and size to be 
 Iff use at home, consequentl)- his school ed- 
 ucation was \erv limited, as was the case 
 
 with most boys at that date. His father 
 died in 1833, before Hiram was seventeen 
 years of age, and it seemed to fall upon 
 him to take the little sidehill farm of thirty- 
 five acres, pay the debts, paj' his elder 
 brothel' and sister their interests and sup- 
 port his mother and younger sister. This 
 he soon learned was a hard bargain, but he 
 fulfilled it, and si.x \ears after, at the age of 
 twenty-three, sold the farm and other prop- 
 erty, and with $1,200 clear engaged in the 
 mercantile business at F^ast V'irgil in com- 
 pany- with William Gray, b\' the purchase 
 of a lialf- interest ; at the end of the first 
 
446 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 year he became sole owner !))■ iMirchase of 
 the otlier half, and continued the business 
 there on a much larger scale from 1S39 to 
 itS54, v\'hen he sold out his business at this 
 place and also a branch store at Killawog 
 and moved to Canandaigua, \. \ . There 
 he engaged in the mercantile business with 
 his brother-in-law, William Richardson. 
 During his residence in Virgil he was con- 
 stable for two years, justice of the peace for 
 one term of four years, supervisor of the 
 town one term, postmaster at East Virgil 
 for several years and was the candidate of 
 the Whig party for Member of Assembi\' 
 in 1852, but w.as defeated b}- the temper- 
 ance faction who put in nomination the 
 venerable Ur. Miller, of Truxton, the result 
 being the election of Dr. Patterson, of Ho- 
 mer, the candidate of the Democratic part)-. 
 On Januar)- 20th, 1842, Mr. Messenger 
 married Luana L. Heaton (then but seven- 
 teen years of age), second daughterof the late 
 Hon. Nathan Heaton, of Harford, who dicil 
 in April of the previous year at his home, 
 while on a visit to his family on a temporary 
 leave of absence from the Legislature, of 
 which he was tiien one of the honored 
 members. This count}' was then entitled 
 to two members, his colleague being the 
 Hon. A. H. Mickle, of Homer. The fruits 
 of this marriage are four children — one 
 daughter, now a resident of Chicago, and 
 three sons ; of the latter, two are acti\ e 
 members of the Chicago Board of Trade, 
 and the youngest, a graduate of and now 
 teacher in, Cornell Uni\'ersit\\ While a 
 resident of Canandaigua, horn 1854 to 
 1857, Mr. Messenger was principally en- 
 gaged in mercantile business and as a cattle 
 dealer. In 1857, soon after the financial 
 panic and general bank suspension, he pur- 
 chased a controlling interest in the Bank of 
 Canandaigua, then owned by Mrs. Messen- 
 ger's uncle, Theodore E. Hart, and William 
 Antis. This bank suspended and closed its 
 
 doors in August and remained closed until 
 the day Mr. Messenger made the purchase, 
 when it was promptly opened, to the great 
 satisfaction of the citizens of the place, the 
 first business being to.promptl)- rctlecm and 
 put in circulation $6o,ooo of the ciixulating 
 notes of the bank, then held under protest 
 by the New Vork Clearing House of the as- 
 sociated banks. In i858hesold out liis inter- 
 est in the mercantile business and in i860 
 established the H. J. Messenger Bank, orig- 
 inally at Marathon, but mo\ed it to Cort- 
 land the same year, taking up his residence 
 there permanently at the same time. From 
 i860 to 1865 his success was very marked, 
 and during these years he ])urchased the 
 other half-interest in the Bank of Canan- 
 daigua, established the new Bank of Onta- 
 rio at Canandaigua, the Bank of Canton, 
 Canton, N. Y., the First National Hank of 
 Geneva, N. Y., a banking office in New 
 York and one at Herkimer, N. Y. ; his bank 
 circulation now being about $500,000, se- 
 cured by $100,000 New York State stocks 
 and $400,000 United States five-twenty six 
 per cent, bonds, with deposits aggregating 
 about three million dollars. In 1863 he 
 was solicited to build what is now the Mes- 
 senger House at Cortland, on the site of 
 the old h^agle Tavern, which was burned 
 in 1862. Accepting the invitation, in June, 
 1864, that house was formally opened, com- 
 pletely furnished for the accommodation of 
 the traveling public. His attention was 
 then directed to the necessity of a public 
 hall and a plan was soon matured for the 
 construction of Messenger (now Taylor) 
 Hall, which was dedicated in February, 
 1866. On this occasion an address was 
 delivered by the late Hon. Horatio Ballard, 
 in which the following sentence appears : — 
 " In January, 1862, the ' Eagle Tavern ' 
 (a name cherished in memory by thousands 
 of guests) was destroyed by fire. It was a 
 calamit}- to our town and a loss to the public. 
 
James Watts Sturtevant. 
 
 447 
 
 But there were agencies at v\ork beyond 
 tile pcnctr.itiun of lumian iniai^ininijs wliicli 
 more than restored the loss. Just before 
 the opening of our railway a citizen, then 
 engaged in a limited mercantile trade in an 
 adjoining town, removed to anotlier county 
 and entered upon a large field of action. 
 He was successful. In the year 1860 he 
 returned to this, his nati\e county, entlowed 
 with a fortune and a public spirit. He was 
 not slow in disco\ ering the sure e\ idences 
 of an advancing trade centering here. One 
 of the first exhibitions of his good will and 
 devotion to public interests was his unex- 
 pected announcement tliat if the site of the 
 'Old Eagle' was tendered to him he would 
 cover it with a hotel unsurpas.sed in Central 
 New York. The offer was accepted, and 
 rising above the smouldering ashes was 
 soon seen the stateh' pile, aliki- an (irna- 
 ment to the town and a boast to the count)'. 
 But he did not stop there. He saw the 
 business of the tow n demanded more room 
 and he projected the erecti(5n of this block 
 which lifts its majestic proportions to the 
 sight and embraces this splendiel hall in 
 which we are now assembled. And for 
 these edifices, grand in size, elegant in fin- 
 ish, useful in arrangement and durable in 
 structure, we would here record <jur thanks 
 and tender our gratitude to our noble citi- 
 zen, Hiram J. Messenger. They are the 
 monuments of his genius, his taste and his 
 liberalitj'. He has connected his memory 
 with the best specimens of architecture, and 
 the most su])erb styles of interior finish, as 
 the exquisite work of this loft\' hall fully 
 attests. \\ e will hold this [jlace 
 
 consecrated to this high purpose: to the 
 cause of Liberty and Union ; and the name 
 of its generous founder we will ever cherish 
 in grateful remembrance for that personal 
 influence and munificence which he has so 
 repeatedly anil signall)* devoted to the ])ros- 
 perit}- of this town." 
 
 The erection of otlier buildings followed 
 this in succession, among them being Ma- 
 sonic Hall Block, and comprising alto- 
 gi'tlur the Messenger House, Messenger 
 Hall, Masonic Hall, twelve stores and 
 several other business places, all constructed 
 within the short space of four years. The 
 war closed in 1865 and depression followed. 
 The government tax law of ten per cent, 
 on every dollar of State bank circulation 
 paid out took effect July 1st, 1866, and the 
 half-million of State bank circulation owned 
 by him and which was returning an annual 
 income of forty thousand dollars was, of 
 necessity, committed to the flames b\- the- 
 superintendent of the bank tU'partment as 
 fast as it could be gathered up and sent to 
 him, and the State stocks and government 
 bonds becoming depreciated from four to 
 thirty per cent, were sold on the market, 
 aggregating a loss approximating $60,000. 
 Other losses on mercantile and commer- 
 cial paper aggregating some $150,000 fol- 
 lowed, and after pa\-ing liabilities of over 
 two and a half millions, he was obliged to sus- 
 pend in Ma\-, 1 868, with less than half a 
 million of unpaid indebtedness, which was 
 settled b\- bankruptcy proceedings of the 
 fashionable kind. Since this occurrence 
 Mr. Messenger has quietl\- pursued the real 
 estate and fire insurance business in the 
 town he helped to build up. In politics he 
 was a Whig when and as long as that party 
 had an existence. During the war he was 
 activel}- and earnestl)' engaged with the late 
 Hon Henry S. Randall and Hon. Horatio 
 Ballard in filling Cortland county's quota 
 of soldiers. In religion he is a firm believer 
 in the universal salvation of all and a warm 
 supporter of the late Rev. Dr. K. H. Chapin. 
 
 JAMh:S WATTS STURTKN'AXT. The 
 subject of this notice was born in San- 
 gerfield, Oneida county, N. V., on the 25th. 
 of Julv, I Si I, and died in Cortland August 
 
448 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 9tli, 1873. The earlier \-ears of liis life 
 were passed at his parental home near 
 Madison village, N. V. His father was a 
 well-to-do farmer and ijave his son such 
 opportunities as then existed in the vicinity 
 for securing an education His name was 
 James Sturtevant. His children were 
 Thomas Groves, Justin, Oman, Abigail, 
 Polly, James Watts, Willard, Hetsey, and 
 Demas. All of these with one exception 
 were living at the time of James W.'s 
 death ; five of them are now deceased. 
 
 James \V. Sturtevant began mercantile 
 pursuits at an early time in his life, starting 
 first as a traveling salesman in a small wa\'. 
 In tliis manner he accumulated considerable 
 means with the \iew of opening a store as 
 soon as practicable. Accordingly he came 
 to Homer, N. Y., in the spring of 1834 
 and began trade under the firm name of 
 Sturtevant, Stebbens & Co., associated with 
 Kellogg & Son of Utica. This business 
 connection continued for eight \'ears, dur- 
 ing which period Mr. Sturtevant acquired a 
 reputation for general business integrity 
 and enterprise. In 1842 they dissolved 
 witli Kellogg & Son, went to Auburn and 
 continued the trade under the firm name of 
 Sturtevant & Stebbens. 
 
 This connection continued three years 
 when the firm dissolved and Mr. Sturtevant 
 entered into partnership with Enoch H. 
 Doud (fall of 1845), ^\ho came in the same 
 year to Cortland village in quest of a bus- 
 iness site. Mr. Sturtevant came in 1846, 
 and what was then known as the old Pome- 
 roy stand on Main street was secured, and 
 there they continued in successful trade, 
 under the firm name of J. W. Sturtevant & 
 Co., until 1 861, when Emmet .A. Fish 
 came in and the firm name became Sturte- 
 vant, Doud & Co., remaining thus until 
 
 I 
 1869. This firm was favorabh- known j 
 
 throughout the count)' and was one of the 
 most successful and honorable in the history ] 
 
 of Cortland. In 1869 Mr. Doud retired 
 and his place was taken b\' Cah in P. Wal- 
 rad, the firm name being changed to Stur- 
 tevant, Fish & Co., It remained thus until 
 Feb., 1871, when Mr. .Sturtevant retired. 
 During the period covered by the existence 
 of these firms the reputation and business 
 of the house constantly grew in favor. 
 
 It was here in Co'rtland that Mr. Sturte- 
 vant met his future wife, Miss Sarah R. 
 Freer, daughter of John A. Freer, an ac- 
 count of whose family appears in these 
 pages; he was one of the prominent pio- 
 neers of the county. Mr. Sturtevant was 
 married on the 24th of November, 1834. 
 His widow still resides in the attractive 
 homestead in Cortland village. 
 
 James W. Sturtevant was in all essential 
 respects a business man and his mercantile 
 afifairs received the greater share of his at- 
 tention and energy. Consequently he 
 sought no opportunity to seek public office 
 of any kind. He was a man of positive 
 convictions on all current topics and well 
 knew how to express them. But the fol- 
 lowing estimate of his character from the 
 pen of an intimate acquaintance, written at 
 the time of his death, more fitly fills this 
 place than any eulogy we are capable of 
 writing : — 
 
 " The death of the subject of this sketch 
 comes home to me as a personal bereave- 
 ment — for such it is, in the fullest sense of 
 the term. Not only ties of kinship, but of 
 friendship dating from my earliest recollec- 
 tion, tend to deepen and intensify my sor- 
 row. 
 
 " Never have I met a man of greater na- 
 tive intellectual force, of more absolute in- 
 dependence of thought, of clearer or sounder 
 judgment, of higher or purer moral convic- 
 tions or principles. This may seem the 
 partial judgment of one biased by friendship 
 and relationship — but I know the same esti- 
 mate was made b\' men of wide acquaint- 
 
J. \V. Sturtevant. — Nathan Salisbury. 
 
 449 
 
 ance with mankind, and by those who 
 knew best the quaUty and character uf the 
 man. Never did circumstances bring us 
 together without giving me fresh cause to 
 wonder at his exuberant intellectual energy, 
 at the keen and original bent of his mind, 
 at the extent, thoroughness and value of his 
 reading, at his hearty hatred of shams and 
 falsehoods, and the joyous vigor with which 
 he took up the toils and cares of life. 
 Forced b)' the hard necessities of poverty 
 to forego, in his early years, the advantages 
 of a liberal education, led b\- the same 
 cause to devote the strength of his man- 
 hood to business, which he prosecuted long 
 and with uniform success, he made up for 
 himself, to a great extent, for his early dep- 
 rivations, by a reading which was the 
 wonder of all who knew him. His friends 
 and intimates recognized in him a man who, 
 under different circumstances, might have 
 been a philosopher and a scholar — a leader 
 in the intellectual uorld, as he was to them 
 
 — for he had the broad and comprehensive 
 intellect, the pure and artistic taste, and the 
 vast capacity for labor which go to make 
 up genius. The regret among all who 
 knew him is keen that he has left behind him 
 nothing by which those who knew him 
 not could fair!}- estimate his pow ers and his 
 worth. Never did I meet him without be- 
 ing led into fresh intellectual fields, which 
 his acti\'e and restless mind had explored 
 
 — never without fresh cause to admire the 
 devotion which he always manifested for 
 the truth for its own sake. 
 
 "The death of his-onl)- child, in infancy, 
 twenty years ago, clouded with sadness the 
 latter portion of his life. .A. sorrow which 
 would have killed a man of less vigor, could 
 such a man feel it as he did, did not make 
 him for a moment misanthropic or morose. 
 
 " He died suddenly — without a moment's 
 warning. ' His eye was not dimmed nor 
 his natural force abated,' but. in the full- 
 
 ness of his strength, he passed at once, 
 without the intervention of aiTy period of 
 sickness or suffering, from the company of 
 friends into that of the loved who had gone 
 before." 
 
 NATHAN SALISBURY. The earliest 
 appearance of the Salisbury family in 
 this country was about A. D. 1644. At 
 this time, for political reasons and to avoid 
 the confiscation of property, etc., during the 
 contest between the Parliament and the un- 
 fortunate Charles I., John Salisbury and 
 Edward Salisbury, his brother, sons of Hen- 
 ry Salisbury, esq., and younger brothers of 
 Sir Thomas Salisbury, quietly got them- 
 selves away from Denbigh and emigrated 
 to this' countr)'. The former settled at 
 Swansea, Massachusetts, and the latter near 
 Mount Hope, in Bristol, Rhode Island. 
 Thomas Salisburj- of Llanrust, Denbigh 
 count}', either came with tliem or followed 
 soon after, and settled in Cranston. From 
 family records and traditions, Thomas was 
 supposed to be a brother of John and Ed- 
 ward, but it appears from P2nglish records 
 that he was probably not a brother but 
 cousin. John and Edward derived from 
 Henr\- Salisbury, second son of John Salis- 
 bur}-, who became heir of Lleweni by rea- 
 son of the death of his elder brother, Thomas, 
 who suftered death Sept. 20th, 1586, for 
 endeavoring to deliver Mary, Queen of 
 Scots, from imprisonment. 
 
 Thomas, derived from Robert Salisbury, 
 fourth son of Thomas Salisbury heir of 
 Lleweni. 
 
 The branch of the family to which the 
 subject of this sketch belongs derives from 
 Thomas Salisbury, who settled in Cranston. 
 
 " The Salisbury family took its rise in 
 Germany, and long before the conquest of 
 England its head resided in Bavaria. The 
 original name of the family was Guelph, and 
 its leading member, Henry Guelph. was in 
 
450 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 the year 1024 made Duke of Jiavaria, 
 by the Kinpeior Comad the Second. The 
 fii-st duke liad .several sons, the voungestof 
 wlioni, Trinco Adam, came over to Eng- 
 land in the train of William of Normandy, 
 in the year io66. This young prince did 
 not, iiowever, come with William as a sub- 
 ject of his Xorman dukedom, for he owed 
 him no allegiance ; but he came in the char- 
 .icter of a soldier of fortune, and in that 
 ciiaracter took his part in the great battle 
 o( Hasting-s. For his services on that occa- 
 sion he was rew arded bj^ King William with 
 a grant of an extensive tract of land in Rich- 
 mondshire. running southward to the river 
 Ribble in L;incashire, and it was in this 
 place the x'ounger branch of the royal fam- 
 ily of Bavaria (ii-st settled in England. 
 
 ■■ Adam Guelph soon dropped his German 
 surname. He followed the Xorman fashion 
 of taking up the name of a particular place 
 for a surname and thus became a dc Saltz- 
 burg, or Adam of Saltzburg — S;iltzburg 
 being tl\e name of die place in Bavaria from 
 which he came. He settled upon hts new 
 possessions, built himself a home at no 
 great distance from Preston, called it after 
 his new name, and b\ that name. Salms- 
 bury Court or Salebury Hall, it is known 
 to this day. 
 
 "" Adam de Saltzburg was not, as many of 
 his descendants proudly suppose, a Norman, 
 but a pure Saxon, having the same origin 
 as the House of Saxony." 
 
 The time of Adam de Saltzburgh's death 
 is uncertain, but in the year 1 102 his eldest 
 son, Alexander de Saltzburg, had succeeded 
 to the fathers vast jK^ssessions .\le.\ander 
 died in 1153 He left two sons, Alexander 
 and Henr\ The eldest succeeded to the 
 l^ancashire property- and Henry to an es- 
 tate in Cheshire. 
 
 Nathan Salisburx- was bom in Cranston, 
 Rhode Island. Oct. loth, 1793. His pater- 
 nal grandfather, whose wife's maiden name 
 
 was Pierce, resided at Cranston at the time 
 of his death. 
 
 The following were his children: Peleg, 
 know 11 as the " (^/jj Wiiii 0/ Wiirwick," Mar- 
 tin, Job, Mial, Nathan, Rebecca and Phoeba. 
 Nathan, sen., the father of the subject of 
 this sketch, was born Dec. ist. 1751, and 
 married May i6th, 1 77 1. .Abigail Stone — 
 born Oct. 16th, 1753, only daughter of Dea. 
 Joseph Stone, of Cranston, a descendant of 
 Hugh Stone " tfu- stokii boy" Abigail 
 Stones mother s maiden name was Brown, 
 a near relative of John Brown, the founder of 
 Rhode Island College, afterwards Brown 
 Univei^sity. 
 
 Nathan Salisbury, sen., was Lieutenant 
 under Capl. Burgess of the company which, 
 from Warwick Neck, fired into, captured, 
 and burned the British schooner, Gtispf in 
 1772. He resided in Cranston until 1795. 
 when he moved to Providence. R. I. In 
 March, 1803, 'ic moved his family to Hart- 
 ford, Washington county. New York, where 
 he purchased a fanii and remained until 
 1S06, when he again moved his family to 
 Cazenovia, Madison county. New York. 
 At this place he only remained through the 
 winter, and in Marcli, 1807. came witli his 
 famil\- to Homer, then in Onondaga county. 
 
 He purchased land and reared a log cabin 
 on lot 5, located on the waters of Cold 
 brook, where his family settled in the fall 
 of xhc same \ear. Here he remained until 
 his death, which occurred May 4tli. 1S17. 
 his wife surxiving him until Dec, I4tli. 
 1S36. The following were their eleven 
 children : Waity, Sally, John, Joseph Mar- 
 tin, who followed the sea and died on a voy- 
 age returning fr«m Cliina. Anna, Mar\-. 
 Lucinda, Ambrose. Cynthia, Nathan, jun.. 
 and Phoeba. .\t the time of the families' 
 settlement on Cold brook, but half a dozen 
 pioneers had recently reared their log cabins 
 on tlie adjacent slopes of the valley. Tlie 
 wx>lf still prowled in the hemlock's deep 
 
^'^a.;t^ayn CZ^^J-^c^/ry- , ^^-- 
 
Nathax Salisbury. — EBEXEziiR Mudge. 
 
 45' 
 
 shadov\s, deer and other game were abund- 
 ant, and the cool streams swarmed with 
 beautiful trout. Hence, it is not strani^c that 
 young Nathan should sometimes ha\e fol- 
 lowed the deer trail, often with great suc- 
 cess. In 1813 he was baptized by Rev. 
 Alfred Bennett and received into the Bap- 
 tist Church of Homer, subsequently remov- 
 ing his standing to the First Baptist Church 
 of Scott, where a large and flourishing so- 
 ciety e.xisted for many years. Always in- 
 terested in the welfare of the young, he has 
 devoted much time to organizing and con- 
 ducting Sabbath and singing schools. In 
 181 5 he purchased a farm on lot 95 in the 
 southeast corner of Scott, then an unbroken 
 wilderness, which is the present site of Ever- 
 green Terrace, the Sa/isbmy Home. The 
 next summer, 1816, known as the "cold 
 season," he raised two acres of corn ; and 
 in 1 8 18, was able to raise thirty acres of 
 fine wheat. Thus, gradually the forest fell, 
 and in its place waxed fields of golden 
 grain. 
 
 June 2 I St, i8i8, he was married to Lu- 
 cretia A. Babcock (born September 30th, 
 1792), daughter of James Babcock and 
 Mar}' Gibbs, who emigrated from Blanford, 
 Mass., to Scott, N. Y., in May, 181 5. They 
 reared the following nine children : Justin, 
 Justus, James Henry, Samuel, John, Lucre- 
 tia A., Adeline, Mary and Matilda. 
 
 The fire which Nathan Salisburj- kintlled 
 upon the first hearthstone is still burning. 
 Around it ha\c clustered and been reared 
 eight children — Amanda A., Charles B., 
 James H., Milton L., Burdett J.. Charlotte 
 A., Wallace W. and Nathan, jun., all of 
 whom are now lixing. Of these, James H. 
 is a well known physician of Cleveland O., 
 now of New York cit\-. \\'allace W. is a 
 graduate of Albany Law Uni\'ersit_\-. 
 
 During a long life Nathan Salisbur\' has 
 occupied various positions of honor and trust 
 and enjoN'ed the respect of all who knew 
 
 him. Possessed of good judgment and per- 
 severance, his undertakings were successful. 
 For many )ears he was engaged in breed- 
 ing and handling sheep and cattle. As a 
 floriculturist and horticulturist, he delights 
 to adorn his home with the beautiful, and 
 has devoted much time to the production 
 of fine fruit, being the originator of several 
 fine varieties of seedling pears. 
 
 As an agriculturist his fields are produc- 
 tive and his granaries seldom empty. Hav- 
 ing a taste for the natural sciences, as an 
 amateur geologist, he has collected and ar- 
 ranged at his home a cabinet of rocks, 
 fossils and minerals, second to few private 
 collections. 
 
 Resulting from an accident, his estimable 
 wife died, much lamented, March 4th, 1 88 1, 
 in the eighty- ninth year of her age. 
 
 At this writing, Sept., 1884, he lacks but 
 a month of being ninety-one years of age. 
 For one who has seen the snows of so many 
 winters, he has great vitality and still pos- 
 sesses his natural faculties in a remarkable 
 degree. 
 
 EBENEZER MUDGE. — Among the 
 prominent millers of Cortland countv 
 should be mentioned the name of Ebenezer 
 Mudge. He came to Cortland village, then 
 but a small hamlet, in 1839, with an already 
 large experience in his business. He fol- 
 lowed it until the \-ear r866, when he re- 
 tired from acti\e pursuits. His father. 
 Abram Mudge, was a native of Otsego 
 count)-, in this State, but subsequentlj- 
 remoxed into Montgomer\- county, where 
 he operated a mill previous to his removal 
 to Cortland. He ser\ed as a soldier in the 
 war of 1812. After coming to this count)- 
 he became the owner of the mills now oper- 
 ated b)'Thos. F. Bra)-ton, in the eastern por- 
 tion of Cortland village, which he continued 
 to run for about eighteen years, when he re- 
 tired from business. He was born in 1793 
 
452 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 and died in 1869. He served the people 
 of Cortland county several terms as super- 
 visor, in which office he was often chosen 
 on committees having charge of the most 
 important interests of the public. In such 
 positions his judgment and his integrity 
 were always unquestioned. His family con- 
 sisted of six children, four sons and two 
 daughters ; their names being Isaac, Ebe- 
 nezer, Byron, Romeyn, Harriet and Eliz- 
 abeth. Ebenezer is the only one who now 
 resides in this county. The early years of 
 his life were spent in the town of Charles- 
 town, Montgomery county, where he was 
 born on the 6th of April, 18 16. His father 
 soon afterward moved into the town of Can- 
 ajoharie, in the little village of Ames, where 
 he operated a mill, in which PZbenezer as- 
 sisted during portions of each year, alter- 
 nating his labor with attendance at district 
 school, and later at the academ)-. When 
 he came to Cortland he found the mill 
 which he owned for so many years in a bad 
 state of repair, doing but little business and 
 the general prospect anj'thing but attrac- 
 tive. But he went to work with energy, 
 repaired the buildings, put the machinery 
 in better order and gave his unremitting at- 
 tention to his business. These improve- 
 ments, with the excellent character of the 
 product of his mill, soon had their expected ' 
 effect and the business increased every sue- j 
 ceeding year. Mr. Mudge remained in 
 charge of this mill for a period of twent)' 
 eight years, during which time he made for 
 himself a large circle of business acquaint- 
 ances and friends, and gained ;i reputation 
 for integrit)' and ^terlin;.; char.icter as (.lui- 
 able as it was deserved. He retired in 1866, 
 having secured a handsome competence. 
 He has never sought public office or dis- j 
 tinction of any kind, being content with the 
 successful prosecution of his own affairs and 
 the respect of the communit\ . 
 
 In I 8 ^7 Mr. Mudge was married to Miss . 
 
 Hannah C. Hodge. Four children were 
 born (if this union — Powers C. Mudge, 
 now proprietor of the well-known grist-mill 
 at Little York ; Mary E. Mudge, now the 
 wife of Charles VV. Collins, of Cortland vil- 
 lage; Charles Jay Mudge, who died in in- 
 fancy; and Olivia L. Mudge, who died at 
 the age of fourteen. Mrs. Mudge died in 
 1867. Mr. Mudge was again married to 
 Harriet E. Phelps, dauijlitcr of Judge Henr)- 
 J. Phelps, of Michigan. 
 
 ALFRED L. CHAMBERLAIN. The 
 subject of this sketch is, probably, the 
 oldest living citizen of Cortland county who 
 was born in the village of Homer. He is a son 
 of Deacon Charles Chamberlain, who came 
 to Homer in 1801, purchased fift}' acres of 
 ground embracing the site of the village, 
 and building his dwelling just back of the 
 site of the Congregational Church. Of the 
 land he had purchased he deeded six acres 
 (Mr. Garrison, the former owner of the tract, 
 doing likewise) for what is known as the 
 village '■ green." 
 
 Mr. Chamberlain came from Dudley, Con- 
 necticut. He was a man of considerable ed- 
 ucation for those times, and a good deal of 
 natural force of character ; he taught school 
 for a short time, was one of the first trustees 
 of Cortland Academy, and in 1803 returned 
 to Brimfield, Mass., where he married Miss 
 Ro.vsc)- Lyon. During the following year 
 their oldest son, the subject of this sketch, 
 was born. In 1807 he remo\ed to Sum- 
 merhill, where he li\ed about eighteen years, 
 when he returnee! to Cortland and pur- 
 chasetl a farm on lot 34, in the village of 
 Homer. Here he resided until his death, 
 which occurred on the 6tli of October, 184 1, 
 at the age o( fift\-cight \ears. He was an 
 active man, both in the community at large 
 and in the church, filling several positions 
 of trust and responsibilit\- to the satisfac- 
 tion of his fellow citizens IK- was a super- 
 
Alfred L. Chamberlain. — Silas Blaxchard. 
 
 453 
 
 visor in Tompkins county several terms, and 
 justice of the peace, and was deacon in tlie 
 Presbyterian Cliurcli for many years. His 
 wife died on the 26th nf No\embcr. 1843, 
 at the age of si.xty years. Their children 
 were Alfred L., Ormond, Charles V., Car- 
 oline, George W' . and Mary. Charles be- 
 came a prominent and wealth)- merchant 
 (^f South Carolina and was in that State 
 during the late war. Caroline, Mrs. Hib- 
 bard, was a resident of Vincenncs Ind., 
 where her hushand was also a merchant. 
 She died the i8th of December, 1843. 
 
 Alfred L. Chamberlain, being the oldest 
 of the children, performed much of the ar- 
 duous farm labor in his early life, that nat- 
 urally devolved upon him ; but at the same 
 time he made the best possible use of the 
 opportunities gi\en him for securing an ed- 
 ucation, and when he had reached a proper 
 age, completed his studies by a course in 
 the Cortland Academy, of which he was in 
 later life a trustee. He was married on the 
 23d of April, 1834, to Miss Semantha Boies, 
 daughter of Capt. Rufus Boies, who came 
 from Blanford, Mass., with an o.x team in 
 the year 1812, and located on lot 54. His 
 children were Dolly, Leverett, Semantha, 
 Israel, William and Caroline. Israel Boies 
 became a prominent citizen of Homer and 
 was one of the foremost in securing the con- 
 struction of the Syracuse and Binghamton 
 Railroad. William and Leverett went west, 
 and Caroline is now the widow of the late 
 Manly Hobart. 
 
 After Mr. Chamberlain's marriage he 
 purchased the old Major Ballard farm, where 
 he lived for thirteen years. He then pur- 
 chased his present property of Caleb Cook, 
 formerly owned by the Rev. F'Llnathan 
 Walker. He has always been prominent 
 in the agricultural interests of the county, 
 devoting himself stricth" to it and apph-ing 
 thorough-going business princi]iles to the 
 work. His success has been most gratify- 
 
 ing in practical results. He has been a 
 prominent member of the Cortland County 
 Agricultural Society and was its president 
 for several years. He early turned his at- 
 tention to the breeding of Merino sheep, 
 anil finall\- sold his \-aluable flock to the late 
 Hon. Henry S. Randall, thus starting that 
 j gentleman in this industry. He also en- 
 gaged largely in raising Durham cattle, in 
 which he was eminentlysuccessful and gain- 
 ed an extended reputation. He was for many 
 years president of the Cemetery Association, 
 and it is but simple justice to state that to 
 his generous labor and unselfish interest is 
 due much of the beaut\- of the Homer cem- 
 eter)-. 
 
 Mr. Chamberlain has always been a 
 member of the Congregational Church So- 
 ciety and has lived in broad harmony with 
 his professions. He is the father of Mrs. 
 Grace Walrad, wife of Calvin P. Walrad, of 
 Cortland village. He has had three other 
 daughters, all of whom are dead. Although 
 he is now nearly eighty years of age, Mr. 
 Chamberlain still possesses remarkable vigor 
 and energy of both body and mind, and 
 is receiving the unqualified respect of all 
 who know him. 
 
 SILA^ 
 ofC 
 
 SBLANCHARD. The Blanchards 
 Cortland county are descended from 
 a family consisting of three brothers who 
 came from England to America some time 
 in the i6th century. William Blanchard, 
 of Windham Co., Conn., seems to have 
 been the ancestor of those in this part of 
 the State. His son Azariel was born June 
 13th, 1 741, and was first married to Abigail 
 Mason January lOth, 1764. He was thrice 
 married, his second wife being P-unice Culver 
 and his third. Thankful Peck*. He was the 
 grandfather of Silas Blanchard. Abigail 
 Mason was born April 3d, 1741, and their 
 son William was the father of Silas. He was 
 born Nov. 13th, 1772, died Sept. 16th, 1S54. 
 
454 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Silas Blanchard was born in the town of 
 Ciiyler on tlie stli of June, 1814, and died 
 at his home in Homer villatjc July loth, 
 1 88 1. His father was Wm. Blanchard, as 
 stated, and his mother was Hannah Whit- 
 marsh, born Sept. 28th, 1775. She died 
 Oct. 21st, 1844. They were married Feb. 
 22d, 1797, and migrated immediately there- 
 after to the town of Fabius, aftcrw arc! Tru.x- 
 ton and now Cuyler, locating on lot 66. 
 Their immediate neighbors then were Chris- 
 topher Whitney (lot 96), Nathaniel Potter, 
 father of Mrs. Nathaniel Patrick (lot 57), 
 Hcnjaniin Brown (lot 47), Simon Keeney, 
 Wm. Wallace and one or two families of 
 the Websters and F"o.\es on lots 47 and 57. 
 
 Azariel Blanchard was a soldier in the 
 War of the Re\'olution and was on duty in 
 the \icinity of Lake Champlain He was, 
 probabl}", captain of a compan\', as he al- 
 ways bore that title. His wife died of small- 
 pox ; the children of William Blanchard 
 were Asahel.born Jul\- 1 6th, 1 798, died Aug. 
 Stli, 1801; Daniel, born Dec. 29th, 1799; 
 Asahel, born Aug. 31st, 1801 ; Harry, born 
 Dec. 30th, 1803 ; Eliza, born Dec. 18th, 
 1806; Clarissa, born Dec. 7th, 1808; Wil- 
 liam W., born Sept. 25th, 1810 ; died March 
 13th, 1831 ; Azariel Mason, born Aug. 5th, 
 1812; Silas, born June 5th, 18 14; Levi, 
 born I\Li)'2ist, 1816; Lewis, born Aug. 
 4th, 1 8 18, died July 4th, uS2o; Lewis 2nd, 
 born Oct. 21st, 1820. 
 
 Silas Blanchard spent his earl\- lift on his 
 father's farm in Cuyler, attending school 
 but a small portion of the time. By his 
 natural aptness for study and his tempera- 
 ment, he became a good mathematician. 
 He was married to Miss Elvira Wilson, 
 daughter of Reynold Wilson, on the 31st 
 of October, 1839. Mr. Wilson was a na- 
 tive of Windsor, Conn., and in February, 
 18 1 7, removed with his wife (who was 
 Chloe Mallery) to the town of Fabius, 
 where he resided until his death on the 14th 
 
 of September, 1835 ; his wife died Aug. 
 30th, 1843, aged si.\ty-two j'ears. Mr. 
 Wilson was prominent in the town, having 
 been repeatedly elected to the office of su- 
 pervisor and to other positions of trust. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Wilson had a family of eight 
 children, Mrs. Blanchard being the eldest 
 of the four now living. 
 
 Mr. Blanchard began his married life on 
 a farm purchased of Henry and Seth Purin- 
 ton, where he carried on dairying some- 
 what extensively. He soon became gen- 
 erally recognized as one of the leading citi- 
 zens of his town, which fact is indicated by 
 his election first, for two terms, as justice 
 of the peace. In 1861 he was elected su- 
 pervisor, which office he filled for five terms. 
 In 1870 he was elected superintendent of 
 the countj' alms-house, which position he 
 filled until his death in I 88 I. He became 
 a Christian belie\er in 1856 and ever after 
 lived a life consistent with his faith. 
 
 As superintendent of the poor, Silas 
 Blanchard was a model officer ; always 
 alert for securing the best interests of the 
 county and the comfort, as far as posssible, 
 of the unfoitunates under his care. His 
 peculiar fitness for this trust and his suc- 
 cessful administration of the same, are shown 
 by his repeated re-election to it. Previous 
 to his removal to Cortland he had filled the 
 office of supervisor, as stated, and to the 
 best of satisfaction to his constituents. As 
 a member of the board of education of the 
 academy he was painstaking and earnest, 
 and as a member of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal Church, was always mindful of the best 
 interests of the societ}'. As a man, a neigh- 
 bor, he was greatly missed in all the ordi- 
 nary relations of life. His funeral was at- 
 tended very largel}', including the academj' 
 board and the directors of the First Na- 
 tional Bank who attended in a body. 
 
 Though a man of active labor in life and 
 therefore recognized as of great worth to 
 
Silas Bi.anchard. — A. W Gates. 
 
 455 
 
 the community, Mr. Blanchard was, never- 
 tliele.'is, (|uiet and nnassimiini; and of few 
 words. He acted rather than talked: his 
 work was noiseless and liencc all that he ac- 
 complished was not know n to the world. 1 le 
 was not impulsive; slow to act until he knew 
 he was right, when he became the embodi- 
 ment of perseverance and quiet industr\-. 
 His on!)- child was Wilson Blanchartl, born 
 Aug. 3d, 1841 ; died Oct. 19th, 1.S42. His 
 widow, Mrs. Eh'ira Blanchard, is still li\ing, 
 one of the honored and bclo\'ed members 
 of society in Homer. 
 
 At a special meeting of the board of ed- 
 ucation of Homer Acadeni}' and Union 
 School, held nn Tuesdaj' Jul_\- 12th, 1S81, in 
 recognition of the death of Silas Blanchard, 
 the following resolutions were unanimousl)' 
 passed by the board and (Ordered published: 
 
 " Jl'/u'/rds, The hoard of education of Homer 
 Acadeni)' are deeply afflicted in the removal by 
 death of OLU' honored associate. Mr. Silas Hlanch- 
 ard, therefore. 
 
 ■' /ifso/'i'c'i/. I'hat we hereb)' record our appre- 
 ciation of the urbane, wise and t'aithful services 
 of our brother during his long term cif office upon 
 this board. 
 
 '^Resolved, That we hereby express our deep 
 feeling of personal loss and berea\'enient in the 
 death of one so efficient and trustworthy and so 
 eminently courteous in all his relations w ith us. 
 
 •' Resolved. That we hereby tender to the im- 
 mediate family and Iriends of our departed col- 
 league, our sincere sympathy in the scjrrow that 
 peculiarly rests upon theui ; assured as we are 
 that their best consolation will come tVoui the 
 example and memory of him whom we mourn, 
 and from the same truths and the same faith 
 which shaped his life. ga\e him victory in 
 death and ens\u-od tor him the eternal life of a 
 Christian." 
 
 A similar series of resolutions were 
 adopted by the trustees of the Methodist 
 Church of Homer, but they need not be 
 quoted here. They are simply an added 
 testimony to the general worth in lite and 
 the loss felt in the death of Silas lilanchard. 
 
 A. 
 
 W. GATES. The subject of this 
 sketch is the grandson of Amos Gates 
 and Susan i'ike. natives of Massachusetts. 
 His fatlier was Da\is Gates, who left 
 Harnestown with his father in 1824, and 
 came to Caroline, Tompkins county, N. Y. 
 He was born Sept. 7th, 1803, and married 
 Lucinda Bonney January i8th, 1827, the 
 l\e\ .\lfVed Bennett, of Homer, ])crforming 
 the ceremony. Lucinda Bonney was the 
 daughter of Capt. Jethro Bonney and Lu- 
 cinda Webster. Jethro Bonney was born 
 in Litchfield Co., Conn., in 1771. He 
 died of dropsy Nov. loth, 1866, aged ninety- 
 six years. At the age of fourteen, he re- 
 moved to this State and settled in what is 
 now Washington county, where he married 
 Lucinda Webster Sept. 22d, 1791. In 
 1800 he, with his in\alid wife, remo\-ed to 
 Homer (now Cortland). His wife died in 
 1820. In 1787 Mr. Bonney entered the 
 military serxice, being but sixteen years of 
 age, and served twenty-five years, passing 
 through the different official grades to a 
 captaincy ; he filled these offices with 
 
 I honor, and resigned just before the war of 
 
 ! 1812. During this war he enlisted in a 
 company of exempts, paying his own ex- 
 penses, and recei\'ed from the governor a 
 second captain's commission. In this vet- 
 eran band he did \aliant service. He lived 
 to the age of ninuty-six and died in the vil- 
 lage of Cortland. Lucinda Webster was a 
 daughter of Oliver Webster (uncle to Dan- 
 iel Webster) and Patience Wriglit, both of 
 
 I Massachusetts, and Daniel Webster was a 
 double cousin of Silas Wright, governor of 
 the State of New York in early years. 
 
 Lucinda Bonney was a native of St. 
 .Albans, Vt., and was born Noxcmber 13th, 
 1803, and is at present living in vigorous 
 health at Lyons. Clinton county, Iowa. 
 
 t Davis Gates and Lucinda Bonney were 
 married in the old log house on lot 51, in 
 the tow n of Cortlandville. This house and 
 
456 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 lot of fifty acres was then owned by her 
 brother. 
 
 During the year following the marriage 
 of Lucinda Bonney and Davis Gates the 
 family made three removals, returning to 
 Caroline, Tompkins county, where Alonzo 
 W. Gates was born Feb. 5th, 1829. In 1830 
 they removed to Clarance, Erie county, 
 where Jethro Gates was born, Oct. 28th of 
 that year. During their stay in Erie 
 county Mr. Gates purchased the propcrt}' 
 belonging to his wife's brother in Cortland- 
 ville and came back in 1834 to the liouse 
 in which they were married, and where 
 Berintha was born Sept. 17th, 1835, and 
 Olive Mary July 7th, 1837. 
 
 On this farm of fifty acres the earlier 
 years of Alonzo \V. Gates were spent in 
 aiding to clear and till the land and to per- 
 form other severe labor incident to pioneer 
 life. When seventeen years old he assisted 
 his father in building the frame house which 
 still stands on the site ; this was his first ex- 
 perience as a carpenter. In this \-ocati()n 
 he was well known to the communit)' of 
 former years. His leisure hours and a por- 
 tion of each winter he devoted to stud}-, 
 and to such good purpose that he fitted 
 himself for the academy, which he entered 
 when nineteen years of age, and where he 
 qualified himself for teaching. This pro- 
 fession he followed for several \-ears in the 
 schools of Homer and Cortland, becoming 
 eminentl}- successful. He was fitted for 
 this work not only by education, but by 
 nature, being able to enter into sympathy 
 with those under him and awaken in them 
 a desire to learn. This is the first and im- 
 portant step towards securing an education. 
 His labors as an educator brought him in 
 due time a fitting reward ; he having re- 
 ceived a State teacher's certificate on the 
 14th of November, i860, from the Hon. H. 
 H. Vandyck, State superintendent of pub- 
 lic instruction. This honor was conferred 
 
 at the instance of the Hon. Daniel E. 
 W'hitmorc. now of Marathon, then county 
 school superintendent, and whose knowl- 
 edge of Mr. Gates warranted his bringing 
 him to the proper notice of the State 
 official. 
 
 In 1856 Mr. Gates removed to Knox 
 county, 111., settling and building a house 
 in the village of Wataga, where he taught 
 school for two years, when the death of his 
 father occurred in 1858, and he returned to 
 Cortland, bought out the other heirs to his 
 father's estate and has since that time re- 
 mained in this town. In his school work 
 in Wataga Mr. Gates was also eminent!)' 
 successful. He began with fort)' pupils, 
 but his fame as an educator soon spread 
 over the surrounding country, and pupils 
 from abroad increased his enrollment to a 
 hundred and fifty. This increase necessi- 
 tated an addition to the building and an 
 assistant teacher, which were promptl)' 
 granted him by his board. 
 
 In 1852 he was married to Miss Jerusha 
 M. Carr, daughter of Wm. Carr and Rule 
 Underwood, of Freetown, in this count)'. 
 Mr. Carr was a native of Rhode Island and 
 when nineteen years old came to this State 
 and subsequently settled on what is now 
 lot 20 of the town of Freetown. This was 
 in the year 1820. He became, through 
 his characteristics of energy, combined with 
 a nature of fine sensibilit)', and deep, 
 thorough religious convictions, a man of 
 j prominence and the utmost respectability. 
 He died in 1873, on the 17th of Januar)', 
 while in attendance at a debating society in 
 his own neighborhood. He was an active, 
 vigorous debater, and the same character- 
 istics governed his conduct in other pursuits. 
 1 He died suddenly after making an earnest 
 eftbrt in behalf of his Master. His wife 
 Ruie was a sweet-spirited Christian woman, 
 revered and loved by all who knew her. 
 
 Mrs. Gates has been to her husband a 
 
ALONZO W. GATES. 
 
A. W. Gates. — Charles W. Gage. 
 
 457 
 
 helpmeet in the broadest meaning of the 
 term. During their married hfe of thirty- 
 two years, and especially so during their j 
 sixteen years' administration of the affairs of 
 the Countj--house, beginning in 1864. 
 Here she labored assiduous!)- in caring for . 
 
 the wants of the unfortunates placed under j 
 
 1 
 her care and with a degree of success known I 
 
 only to those who have felt the gentle influ- 
 ence of her presence and kindness. 
 
 As we have said, Mr. Gates was first ap- 
 pointed superintendent of the Cortland 
 count)' alms-house and farm in 1864, 
 serving two )'ears, and was re-appointed in 
 1868, from which date he held the office 
 fourteen successive years, and was re-ap- 
 pointed, but owing to the ill health of his 
 wife, declined the position. The length of 
 this term and the unqualified satisfaction 
 with which he performed the duties as- 
 signed him, speak eloquentl)- of his fitness 
 for responsible public or private station. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Gates have but one child, 
 Althea Eudora Gates, now the wife ofTa\-- 
 lor A. Gage, of Cortland village. 
 
 Mr. Gates has been a lifelong member of 
 the church. While in Illinois he assisted 
 in the organization of the First Methodist 
 church of Wataga village, and was its first 
 class-leader, and has long filled an official 
 position in the church of this place. As 
 superintendent of the poor, Mr. Gates has 
 always been assiduous in his labors, pains- 
 taking in all his duties ; he possesses a sym- 
 pathetic heart that instinctivel)' turns to- 
 wards those unfortunates whose hopes in 
 life have been blasted and need the kind- 
 ness of a considerate overseer to ameliorate 
 their unhappy condition ; and it is gratify- 
 ing to know that the people of Cortland 
 county, in consideration of the fitness of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Gates for this place, repeat- 
 edly re-elected him to the position. 
 
 Mr. Gates's principles were strongly anti- 
 slaver)- for several )-ears previous to the 
 
 formation of the Republican party, and he 
 was an active participant in the first Re- 
 publican Convention of Cortland county, 
 when that party was organized, and has 
 been a supporter of its principles ever since. 
 He has retired to a great extent from active 
 business and lives to enjoy his home and 
 the respect of all w-ho know him. 
 
 CHARLES W. GAGE is a descendant 
 of William Gage, of Albany, a relative 
 of General William Gage of colonial days 
 and the Revolutionary War, and one of 
 three brothers who came to America in 
 the earlier portion of that period. One 
 of these brothers settled in Massachusetts, 
 one in Albany, N. Y., and one in Madison 
 county, N. Y. F"rom William Gage, of 
 Albany, descended Wesson Gage, father of 
 the subject of his sketch. Wesson Gage 
 was born in 1797 and was inured to the 
 hardships of pioneer life, laboring on his 
 father's farm. In 1813 he married Martha 
 Miller. In 181 5 he became a member of 
 the Methodist Church and was an earnest 
 worker in the cause until his death. In 
 the year 1818 he received a license to 
 exhort; in 1822 to preach, and in 1826 
 was ordained a regular minister of the 
 gospel. His life in tiie ministry was 
 replete with all that entered into the hard- 
 ships of earl)- Methodism, and before the 
 8th of March, 1831, he had preached at 
 one hundred and ten funerals, and before 
 his death, which occurred in August, 1847, 
 he had officiated on similar occasions three 
 hundred and ninety-nine times, besides 
 performing a large number of baptisms. 
 During his ministerial work he also carried 
 on farming. His labors in the ministry 
 were never for a stated salar)-, but were 
 given to the cause without cost while he 
 labored as a farmer for his means of living. 
 He was an adept in the use of tools, was 
 ingenious and possessed inventi\-e genius 
 
45S 
 
 History ok Corti.axu Countv. 
 
 Man)- devices originated by him were 
 afterward patented by others. As neces- 
 sity arose in his own experience, joined 
 with a desire to economize time and labor, it 
 was natural for him to study out some 
 means to the desired end. riu- results of 
 such study were in several instances taken 
 advantage of b}' others, who reaped sub- 
 stantial benefit therefrom. The revoking 
 ha\' rake was one of his iiuentions and was 
 Lised a long time before being finall\- pat- 
 ented b\- others. It was unixersally em- 
 ployed until recent years. This was on!}- one 
 of man\' practical devices of his, which en- 
 title him to rank high as an earl}- mechanic. 
 He was born Feb. 7th, 1793, and died Jul)- 
 29th, 1847. His wife was born Jan. 20tli, 
 1795. Their children were Ira, William M., 
 Da\-id W. Jeremiah, Henry S., Irena, Lor- 
 ena, Martha, Sidne}- V., Naiic}-, Charles W., 
 Ruth M., Zephaniah, Hannah and Wesson, 
 jr. But four of these are now living. 
 
 Charles VV. Gage, the subject of this 
 sketch, was born Mny 19th, 1833, in the 
 town of Knox, Albany county, X. \' In 
 1843, when ten years of age, his mother 
 died, antl when thirteen \-ears old his father 
 died leaving him to make his own way in 
 the world. Being one of a ver}- large 
 famih- of children, there was but little pat- 
 rimony for each. And necessit\- drove him 
 to start out in life for himself When six- 
 teen years of age he began work for a far- 
 mer, who put him at chopping wood. The 
 first da)''s wurk was well jjerformed, but 
 upon being sent into the timber the second 
 da)-, to do a class of labor which he had 
 been accustomed to perform b\- horse 
 power, he was disgusted with the backward 
 character of his cmplo\-er's management, 
 stuck his axe in a log ;uid left without sa)- 
 ing good-bye. Years after this occurrence 
 his employer settled with Mr. Gage for his 
 labor, as far as the principal of the debt 
 was concerned. 
 
 Mr. Gage then went to Cleveland, 
 Oswego county, N. Y., where he began 
 work in the chair factor)- of Hitchcock & 
 Son. He remained here one year and a 
 half and by economy saved a little money, 
 which he expended in the laudable work 
 of securing more education, attending 
 school in Alban\- countv one year. He 
 ne.vt sought .md obtained work in a car- 
 riage shop at Bainbridge, N. Y. Here he 
 became acquainted with his present wife. 
 He subsequently worked for Geo. Ben- 
 noyer, in Greene, Chenango coimt\', X Y.,' 
 for two )-ears. On the 14th of March, 1854, 
 he was married to Abigail Bearsall, daugh- 
 ter of Samuel Bearsall, a farmer of Che- 
 nango count)-. In the fall of 1855 Mr. 
 Gage removed to Homer and began work 
 for Ra)-niond Smith, a carriage maker; but 
 he soon gave rein to his in\-entive talent 
 and devoted his energy to the patent busi- 
 ness for several years. Some of the inven- 
 tions of Mr. Gage made during this period 
 are w-ell known and extensixel)- used. 
 Among these we ma\- mention Gage's but- 
 ter-worker, Gage's churn, Gage's anti- rat- 
 tling shaft coupling, and others. 
 
 In 1 868 he first established what has 
 developed into the immense business of 
 which he is now- the head. The beginning 
 was coniparati\-el)- small and was located in 
 a shop improvised out of his barn. The 
 first year he employed no help and manu- 
 factured 105 cutters, doing all the work 
 himself These were readih- sold, and the 
 second year he employed two hands, which 
 force w-as rapiilh- augmented as the demand 
 grew. Now he has ninct\- skilled workmen 
 in his employ and his shops have been ex- 
 tended until thcv embrace several large 
 buildings three and four stories in height ; 
 : these stand as a significant exposition of 
 j of Mr. Gage's tireless energ)- and indomita- 
 ble spirit. 
 
 When Mr. Gage first began this whole- 
 
C. \V. Gage. — James Henry Salisbury. 
 
 459 
 
 sale manufacture of cutters, the facilities for ' 
 doing the work were of such a character j 
 that the cost of manufacture was from four 
 to six times what it now is. This great 
 reduction is due almost entirel)' to improve- 
 ments in machinery invented by Mr. Gage. 
 VVe cannot in this limited space mention 
 but one of the more important, which is 
 called the novel saw-mill. The scarcity of 
 basswood and the necessitj' of producing 
 cheaply first class thin lumber of large 
 width, for dash-boards, were the causes 
 which led to the inx'cntion of this machine, 
 coupled with the waste suffered in being 
 able to use onh' the "white" or sap wood 
 of the logs for this purpose. The mill in 
 question simply saws thin boards from the t 
 circumference of a log, exactly as one would i 
 unroll a carpet. The devices adopted to 
 eftect this wonderful work cannot be de- 
 scribed here, but the)- are wonderful in in- 
 genuity and yet simple in construction. 
 This machine is controlled through patents 
 by Mr. Gage and his son. Five of them 
 are constanth' running in their works. ■ 
 
 Adelbert S. Gage, of the firm of Gage, i 
 Hitchcock & Co., is the son of Charles \V., 
 and possesses in a large degree the in\en- 
 tive genius of his father, while his excellent 
 business qualifications render him an indis- 
 pensable factor in the great business. The 
 direct management of the manufactory 
 devolves largely upon him. The nati\'e 
 urbanity and courteous and affable disposi- 
 tion of both father and son serve them well 
 in the daily contact with many employees, 
 from whom they win not onh' good service, 
 but respect and confidence. 
 
 Mr. Gage has four children, one son and 
 three daughters. The son, Adelbert S., 
 married, on the i ith of January, 1877, Miss 
 Delia Watrous ; they ha\e one son, Carl 
 VV. Of the daughters. Belle M. is the wife 
 of Edwin C. Johnson, a farmer of Chenango 
 counlw and a banker; Carrie M is the wife 
 
 of Frank Rronson, a tobacconist of Cortland 
 village ; Franc D. is living at home. 
 
 Mr. Gage erected his handsome residence 
 in Homer in 1882, on the site of his former 
 dwelling, which was burned on the memor- 
 able cold morning of Feb. 2d, 1876. Mr. 
 Gage is a gentleman of pleasant social 
 cpialities. His address is easy and uncon- 
 ventional, his manner affable and his gen- 
 eral demeanor such as evinces a courteous 
 regard for the rights and feelings of others. 
 He has been a trustee of the village of Ho- 
 mer for three years, and is at the present 
 time president of the Agricultural Society' 
 of Cortland countv. 
 
 JAMES HENRY SALISBURY, B. N. 
 S., A. M., M D., was born at "Evergreen 
 Terrace," Scott, Cortland county, New 
 York, October 13th, 1823, and was the 
 second son of Nathan Salisburj- and Lucre- 
 tia A. Babcock, who were married June 
 2 I St, 1818. Nathan was born in Cranston, 
 Rhode Island, October loth, 1793, and his 
 wife, in Blandford, Massachusetts, Septem- 
 ber 30th, 1792. Nathan is still living at 
 "Evergreen Terrace" (No\ember 28th, 
 1881), in his eight\-ninth year, and is yet 
 \igorous mentally and ph\-sically. His 
 wife died in her eighty-ninth year from an 
 injur)'. Nathan Salisbur\- was the son of 
 Nathan Salisbury, who was born December 
 1st, 1751, and married May, i6th, 177 1, 
 Abigail Stone (born October i6th, 1753), 
 onlv daughter of Deacon Joseph Stone, of 
 Cranston, Rhode Island, a descendant of 
 Hugh Stone, " the stolen boy." Abigail 
 Stone's mother's maiden name was Brown. 
 She was a near relative of John Brown, the 
 founder of Rhode Island College, afterwards 
 Brown Universit)-. Nathan Salisbury was 
 lieutenant of the compan)' under Captain 
 Burgess that from Warwick Neck fired into 
 and captured the British frigare Gc7S/>f 
 a short time before the Revolutionary War. 
 
46o 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 The earliest appearance of the family in 
 this country was in about 1644. At tliis 
 time, for political reasons and to a\()id the 
 confiscation of property, etc., during the 
 contest between the Parliament and the 
 unfortunate Charles I, John Salisbur}- and 
 Kdward Salisbury, his brother, sons of 
 Henry Salisbury, Esq., and yountjer broth- 
 ers of Sir Thomas Salisbury, quiet))- i;ot 
 themselves awaj- fi-om Denbigh and emi- 
 grated to tin's country. The former settled 
 at Swansea, Massachusetts, and the latter 
 near Mount Hope, in Bristol, Rhode Island. 
 Thomas Salisbury of Llanrwst, Denbigh 
 county, either came with them or followed 
 soon after, and settled in Cranston. From 
 family records and traditions, Thomas was 
 supposed to be a brother of John and Ed- 
 ward, but it appears from English records 
 that he was probabl)- not a brother, but a 
 cousin. Jt)hn and Edward derived from 
 Henry Salisbury, second son of John Salis- 
 bury, who became heir of Elcweni b)' 
 reason of the death of his elder biother, 
 Thomas, who suffered death .September 
 20th, 1586, for endeavoring to deliver 
 Marj- Queen of Scots, from imprisonment. 
 Thomas derived from Robert Salisbury, 
 fourth son of Thomas Salisbury, iieir of 
 Lleweni. 
 
 The branch of the famii}- to which the 
 subject of this sketch belongs deri\es from 
 Thomas Salisbury, who settled in Crans- 
 ton. "The Salisbur)' family took its rise 
 in German)-, and long before the con- 
 quest of Flngland its head resided in 
 Bavaria. The original name of the family 
 was Guelph, and its leading member, 
 Henry Guelph, was in tlic year 1024 
 made Duke of Bavaria, b)' the emperor, 
 Conrad the Second. The first duke had 
 several sons, the youngest of whom. 
 Prince Adam, came over to England in the 
 train of William of Normand)-, in the year 
 1066. This young prince did not, how- 
 
 ever, come with William as a subject of his 
 Norman dukedom, for he owed him no al- 
 legiance ; but he came in the character of a 
 soldier of fortune, and in that character 
 took his part in the great battle of Hast- 
 ings. For his service on that occasion he 
 was rewarded b)- King William with a 
 grant of an extensive tract of land in Rich- 
 mondshire, running southwards to the river 
 . Ribble in Lancashire, and it was in this 
 i place the younger branch of the royal 
 ! famil)- of Bavaria first settled in England. 
 j " .Adam Guelph soon dropped his Ger- 
 man surname. He followed the Norman 
 I fashion of taking up the name of a particu- 
 lar place for a surname, and thus became a 
 I de Saltzburg, or Adam of Saltzbur" — 
 Saltzburg being the name of the place in 
 I Ba\-aria from which he came. He settled 
 I upon his new possessions, built himself a 
 home at no great distance from Preston, 
 called it after his new name, and b)- that 
 name — Salmesbur)- Court or Salebur)- 
 Hall — it is known to this da)-. Adam de 
 Saltzburg was not, as many of his descend- 
 ants proudh' supposed, a Norman, but a 
 pure Sa.von, ha\-ing the same origin as the 
 house of Saxon)'." The time of Adam de 
 Saltzburg's death is uncertain, but in the 
 year i 102 his eldest son, Alexander de 
 Saltzburg, had succeeded to the father's 
 vast possessions. Alexander died in 1153. 
 He left two sons, Alexander and Henr\'. 
 The eldest succeeded to the Lancashire 
 propert)', and Henr)- to an estate in 
 Cheshire. 
 
 The following curious document ma)' be 
 of interest. It is copied from Mr \\'il- 
 lianis's Records of Deitbigh : 
 
 " Ru/ii/. Pobnc of Chester, Aid., Deputy to 
 
 the Office of A rmes. 
 
 ■• lo all .\tain people to uiiojii iliis present 
 writing shall come to be scene or read, Greet- 
 inge, in our Lord God Everlastinge, — Know ye 
 that whereas Mr. Foulke Salisburv, one of 
 
^/^/^J/U^yr- y^4)- 
 
James Henrv Salisbury. 
 
 461 
 
 the 24 alderman of the City of Chester, and 
 also one of his Majesties Coroners for the said 
 Citty is desirous to have a Certyficate of his 
 descent, that the same may appear by good Tes- 
 timony, for to remayne upon record for his future 
 posterity, and also to cleare all douhtes and cpics- 
 tions, that eather now are or hereafter may arise 
 conserninge his progenv, hath requested vs his 
 kinsmen, beinge descended of the same blood 
 and familey, \ nder our hands for to Certifie the 
 truth thereof, by this our Testimoniall to w*^'' his 
 lawful request and desire wee have yealded, as 
 Christian Charity byndeth vs thereunto, to de- | 
 dare and relate the same when and so often as 
 wee be thereunto desired. Wherefore we do 
 Certyfie that the said Mr. Foulke Salisbury was 
 borne Evenighted in the County of Denbigh 
 and was second sonne by birth, but now heyre, 
 to Henry Salisbury of Evenighted aforesayd, in 
 the County of Denbigh, Gent., lawfully begot 
 ten of Margery his wife, dau. to Peirs Salisbury 
 of Llanrayder, in the said County, Gent., w"^"" sayd 
 Henry dyed in Chester, 6th October 1637, be- 
 inge of great age; and was youngest sonne to 
 Foulke Salisbury of Maes Kadarne in the sayd 
 County Gent , lawfully begotten by Morvith his 
 wife, daughter of Merideth Lloyd of Havod\nos. 
 in the County of Carnarvon, Esq., and the for- 
 sayd Foulke Salisbury was 3 sonne to Peirs Salis- 
 bury of Brachymbydd. or Ruge, in the County 
 of Denbigh, Esquier. laxvt'ully begotten by Mar- 
 garet his first wife ; daughter and heyre to Evan 
 .\p Holl, Ap Rees of Ruge, in the said County, 
 Esq"'', and sayd Piers Salisbury was sonne and 
 heyre to John Salisbury of IJrachymbydd, in the 
 County aforesayd. Esij''- lawfully begotten of 
 Lowreyhis wife: dau. and heyre to Robt. .\p 
 Meredith -\p Tudyr Estj''- and the sayd Joiin 
 Salisbury «as a younger somie of I'homas Salis- 
 bury Hen of IJeweny in the County of Den- 
 high, Esq'- and brother to S'- Thomas Salisbury; 
 who was Knighted at Blackheathfield, 1464, of 
 whom is decended S'- Thomas Salisbury of 
 Lleweny, baronett no« lixinge, both beinge law- 
 fully begotten of the body of Ellen daughter to 
 S'' John Done of Vtkington in the County of 
 Chester Kt. and the said I'ho : Salisbury Hen 
 was Sonne and heyre to Henry Salisbury of 
 Lleweny, Esq"' lawfully begott of .\gnes daugh- 
 ter and hevre of S''- [ohn Curtevs. Kt. and the 
 
 said Henry was sonne and heyre to Rafe or 
 Rawlyn Salisbury, sonne and heyre to William, 
 sonne and heyre to Henry, sonne and heyre to 
 S"'- John, sonne and heyre to Thomas, sonne 
 and heyre to Alexander, sonne and heyre to 
 .\dam Salisbury, all of whose Matches remayne 
 to be seen in the several! pedigrees of the said 
 famileys. from w"'' this lyne mentioned in this 
 Certyficate was care-fully and diligently extract- 
 ed, at the request of the sayd Foulke Salis 
 bury, and for more verity hereof, wee have here- 
 unto subscribed our names the 14th day of No- 
 vember 1638. 
 
 " Tho. Powell of Berkhead. baronett. 
 
 "John Conway, Kt. de Botry Dan. 
 
 "Thomas Mvddelton, Kt. de Chirk. 
 
 " Roger Mostvn, Kt. de Mostyn. 
 
 •• Thomas Mostvn, Kt. de Cilken. 
 
 " Simon 'Thelwall de Placeward, Esq. 
 
 ■■ \\illl\m Wynne de Llanvayre, Esq. 
 
 "John Lloyd de Llanryder, Esq. 
 
 • Peter Evans of Northop, Esq. 
 
 •• Hugh Nanny of Nanny, Esq. 
 
 ••John Lloyd of Ruedock, Esq. 
 
 •' Willia.m Salisbury of Ruge, Esq. 
 
 •• John Salisbury of Brachegrigh. Esq. [sonne. 
 •John Salisbury of Brachegrigh. Esq., his 
 
 •■ William Salisbury of Llanraydrer, Esq. 
 
 '•Willia.m Thomas of Carnarvon, Esq. 
 
 ■ John Jeffreys of Ro\ ton. Esq. 
 
 •' Willia.m Conway of Perthekensey. Esq. 
 
 ■• PJdward Conway of Sughton. 
 
 •■ Hugh Parry of Chester, Doctor. 
 
 " RouLAND Griffith of Carnarvon. 
 
 ■•John Powell of Lhvynskotog. 
 
 •■ Jenkin CoNWA^ . 
 
 '• John Lloyd of Llanynjs. 
 
 •• Foulke Salisbury of Denbigh. 
 
 ••Thomas Salisbury of Denbigh. 
 
 ••John 'Thelwall of Ruthen. 
 
 ••Gabriell (iooD.MAN of Ruthen. 
 
 ••John F^aton of Lleeswood, Esq. 
 
 •• Thomas Mostyn of Rhed, Esq. 
 
 •• Piers Conwa\ of Ruthland. Esq. 
 
 •• Rich. Perry of Combe. Esij. 
 
 •• Peter Wynne of Tythcn. Esq. 
 
 ■•Thomas Salisbury of Ledbrooke, Esq. 
 
 •' Hugh Lloyd of Foxhole. Esq. 
 
 •• Jarrait EvroN of Eyton, Esq. 
 
 ■ Edward Norris of Speke, Esq." 
 
462 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 James H., the subject of this sketch, 
 received his early education .a I lonier 
 Academy, Cortiaiu! cminlx-. New York, 
 then presided over b>- the justly celebratetl 
 Professor Samuel \\'oi>lworth, who was for 
 many j'ears — up to his recent death — 
 secretary of the board of regents of the 
 University of the State of New York. He 
 received the degree of Batchelor of Natural 
 Sciences (B. N. S.) at the Polytechnic In- 
 stitute of Troy, New York, in 1846, pre- 
 vious to which he had been appointed as- 
 sistant under professor P'benezer Emmons, 
 in the chemical department of the Geological 
 Survey of the State of New York, which 
 place he filled till January 1st, 1849, when 
 he was made principal, with his brother, 
 Charles B., as assistant, until 1852. 
 
 Dr. Salisbury received the degree of 
 Doctor of Medicine from the Albany Med- 
 ical College in Januar_\-, 1850. and that of 
 Master of Arts from Union College, Sche- 
 nectady, New York, in August, 1852. 
 He was elected a member of the American 
 Association for the Advancement of Science 
 in 1848, and the same year was also made 
 a member of the Albany Institute. In 
 1853 he was elected corresponding member 
 of the Natural History Society of Montreal. 
 In 1878 he was chosen president of the In- 
 stitute of Micrology, a position he continues 
 to hold. In 1857 he was elected member 
 of the American Antiquarian Society, and 
 in 1876 was made vice-president of the 
 Western Reser\-e Historical Societ)'. In 
 1879 he was elected a member of the Phil- 
 osophical Society of Great Britain. In 
 
 1848 Dr. Salisbur\- received the prize gold 
 medal from the \'oung Men's Association 
 of Alban\-, for the best essay on the 
 " Anat(jniy and Histolog)- of Plants." In 
 
 1849 he won the prize of three hundred 
 dollars, ottered by the New York State 
 Agricultural Society for the best essay on 
 " The Chemical and Physiological Examin- 
 
 ations of the Maize Plant, during the 
 ! various stages of its growth." This made 
 a work of over two hundred pages, and 
 was [niblished in the New York State Agri- 
 cultural Reports for 1849, and subsequent!)- 
 copied entire in the State Agricultural Re- 
 I ports of Ohio. In 1851 and 1852 he gave 
 [ two courses of lectures on " Elementary 
 ; and applied Chemistry" in the New York 
 ! State Normal .School. He also conducted 
 a series of experiments on different sub- 
 jects, which were embodied in several 
 papers read before the American Associa- 
 tion for the Advancement of Science in 
 1851, and were published in their transac- 
 tions, and also in the A^ezv York yoiinial 
 of Medicine of a later date. 
 
 While in charge of the State Laboratory 
 of New York from 1849 to 1852, he was 
 constantly engaged in chemical and medical 
 investigations, the results of man\' of them 
 being published in the Transactions of the 
 American Association for the Advancement 
 of Science, in State Geological and Agri- 
 cultural Reports, and in the various scien- 
 tific and medical journals of that period. 
 In 1849 li"^ began his studies in Microscopic 
 Medicine, in which he has been so success- 
 ful. He has persevered in these studies, 
 with scarcely any intermission, ever since, 
 devoting much of his time daily to micro- 
 scopic investigations. In 1858 he began 
 the study of Healthy and Unhealthy Ali- 
 mentation, and the influence the latter has 
 in producing the x'arious chronic diseases 
 that are supposed to be incurable. He has 
 found by his long continued and persistent 
 researches in this direction that consump- 
 tion, Bright's disease, diabetes, meilitus, 
 rheumatism, gout, nearh- all abnormal 
 growths, the wirious paralytic diseases — 
 aside from those which are the result of in- 
 jury — and nearly all cases of mental de- 
 rangement and fatty disease of organs, arise 
 from unhealth\- feeding and drinking. He 
 
James Henry Salisbury. 
 
 463 
 
 was the pioneer in demonstrating that the 1 
 various infectious anil contagious diseases 
 were produced b\' specific germs, eacli kind 
 always producing its special disease. He 
 
 began these investigations, connected with 
 the various germ diseases, in 1849, ''''"' ^^'"^s 
 vigorously criticised both in Europe and 
 this country, up to 1865, when Professor 
 Ernest Hallier, of Jena, Prussia, an able 
 cryptogamic botanist, in reading his papers, 
 became so interested that he began investi- 
 gations in the same field, and in 1868 he 
 wrote him with much enthusiasm that he 
 had confirmed every investigation that he 
 (Salisbury) had made and published, and if 
 desired he would come on and join him in 
 these interesting labors, he taking charge 
 of the botanical and Dr. Salisbury the med- 
 ical. Soon after this Pasteur, and then 
 Huxlej' and Tyndall, became interested in 
 this line of labor, and now no one doubts 
 the truth of the so-called " (ierm Theorj- " 
 of disease. 
 
 Farther on will be gi\'en a list of the pa- 
 pers on the various germ diseases he has 
 investigated, with the dates of publication. 
 In i860 he began a series of investigations 
 to discover if possible 'where blood was 
 made, and the office and offices it pla}'ed 
 in the organism. Strange as it may appear, 
 no one up to this time had explored this 
 field with any success. A large share of 
 his time for two years was devoted to this 
 work, all the microscopic work being con- 
 ducted upon living, healthy animals, which 
 were placed under the influence of chloro- 
 form, and kept there while the necessar\- 
 dissections antl niicroscoiiic Lxaminations 
 were going on. .\ftcr a long, tedious, per- 
 sistent and painstaking labor, during which 
 several hundred animals had fallen a sacri- 
 fice to the work, the mystery was solved, 
 and the great blood gland was found to be 
 the splfot, and the smaller ones the mesen- 
 teric and l\-mphatic. These investigations 
 
 were embodied in a paper, and published in 
 the American Journal of Medical Sciences, 
 Philadelphia, for April, 1866. 
 
 rile extended labors of iiiinself and broth- 
 er, C. B. Salisbur\-, on the " .Ancient Earth 
 and Rock-writing" of this countr\', in con- 
 nection with the earth and rock works of 
 the ancient mound-builders, ha\e been em- 
 bodied in a large quarto volume with thirt)'- 
 nine plates, which is in the hands of the 
 American Antiquarian Society, and is only 
 partially published. 
 
 The great labors of his life, comprising, 
 as he claims, .ui explanation of the causes 
 and successful treatment of nearly every 
 chronic disease that is supposed to be in- 
 curable, are )-et unpublished. In January, 
 1864, Dr. Salisbury came to Cleveland to 
 assist in starting " Charity Hospital Medical 
 College." He gave to this institution two 
 courses of lectures in 1864-65 and 1865-66 
 on ph\siology, histolog)% and the micro- 
 scope in disease. From January, 1864, to 
 the present time, he has been constantly en- 
 gaged in treating chronic diseases — espe- 
 cially those which have hitherto been con- 
 sidered fatal, and his success in this field is 
 widely known. 
 
 The following list of his published and 
 unpublished works and papers will ser\c to 
 give some idea of the extent and variety of 
 his labors : 
 
 I'l'lil.lSIIEn WORKS A.\D PAPERS. 
 
 1. .\nal\sis of l'"ruits, Vegetables and 
 (irains. New York State Geological Re- 
 ports. 1 847-48-49- 
 
 2. Prize Essay. — Chemical Investiga- 
 tions of the Maize Plant in its various stages 
 of growth, with the temperature of the soil 
 
 i at various depths, and that of trees in dif- 
 j ferent seasons of the >ear. Two hundred 
 I and six pages. State Agricultural Reports 
 1 of New York and Ohio. 1849. 
 
464 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 3. Chemical Analysis of Five Varieties 
 of the Cabbage. 1850. 
 
 4. Rheum rhaponticum. Chemical ex- 
 amination of the \'arious part.s of the plants. 
 1850. 
 
 5. Chemical Examination of Rumex 
 Crispus. 1855. 
 
 6. Experiments and Observation on the 
 Influeirce of Poisons and Medicinal Agents 
 upon Plants. 185 i. 
 
 7. Chemical Examination of the Fruit of 
 five varieties of Apples. 1850. 
 
 8. Chemical Investigations connected 
 with the Tomato, the Fruit of the Egg Plant, 
 and Pods of the Okra. 1 85 i . 
 
 9. History, Culture, and Composition of 
 Apium Grax'olens and Cichorium intibus. 
 1851. 
 
 18. Some Facts and Remarks on the In- 
 digestibility of Food. 1852. 
 
 11. Compositions of Grains, Vegetables 
 and Fruits. Ohio State Agricultural Re- 
 ports. 1 86 1. 
 
 12. Microscopic Researches, resulting in 
 the discovery of what appears to be the 
 cause of the so-called " blight " in apple, 
 pear, and quince trees, and the decay in 
 their fruit ; and the discovery of the cause 
 of the so-called " Blister and Curl " in the 
 leaves of peach trees ; with some observa- 
 tions on the development of the peach fun- 
 gus. Illustrated with six plates. Ohio 
 State Agricultural Reports. 1863. 
 
 13. Chronic Diarrhoea and its Complica- 
 tions, or the diseases arising in armies from 
 a too exclusive use of amylaceous food, with 
 interesting matter relating to the diet and 
 treatment of these abnormal conditions, and 
 a new armj- ration proposed, with which 
 this large class of diseases may be avoided. 
 The Ohio Surgeon -General's Report for 
 1864. 
 
 14. Something about Cryptogams, Fer- 
 mentations and Disease. St. Louis Medical 
 Reporter. February, 1869. 
 
 1 5. Probable Source of the Steatorzoon 
 folliculorum. St. Louis Medical Reporter. 
 January, 1869. 
 
 16. Investigations, Chemical and Micro- 
 scopical, resulting in what appears to be 
 the discovery of a new function of the spleen 
 and mesenteric and lymphatic glands. Do., 
 August, 1867. Twent)'-nine pages. 
 
 17. Defective Alimentation a Primary 
 Cause of Disease. Do., March and April 
 1st and 15th, 1868. Seventy pages and 
 two plates of illustrations. 
 
 18. On the cause of Intermittent and 
 Remittent Fevers, with investigations which 
 tend to prove that these affections are caus- 
 ed by certain species of palmellje. Amer- 
 ican Journal of Medical Sciences, 1866. 
 Also, in Revue Scientifique, November, 
 
 j 1869. 
 
 I 19. Some Experiments on Poisoning 
 I with the Vegetable Alkaloids. American 
 j Journal of Medical Sciences, October, 1862. 
 Twenty-eight pages. 
 
 20. Discovery of Cholesterine and Sero- 
 ; line as secretions in health of the salivary, 
 
 tear, mammary and sudorific glands ; of the 
 j testis and ovary ; of the kidneys in hepatic 
 derangements; of mucous membranes when 
 congested and inflamed, and the fluids of 
 ascites and that of spina bifida. Do., April, 
 1863. Two plates. Seventeen pages. 
 
 21. Remarks on Fungi, with an accouut 
 of experiments showing the influence of the 
 fungi of wheat and rye straw on the human 
 system, and some observations which point 
 to them as the probable source of camp 
 measles, and perhaps of measles generally. 
 Do., July. 1862. One plate. Twent\- 
 
 ' pages. 
 
 22. Inoculating the Human Sj'stem with 
 Straw F^ungi to protect it against the con- 
 tagion of measles, with some additional ob- 
 servations relating to the influence of fun- 
 
 , gold growths in producing disease, and in 
 : the fermentation and putrefaction of or- 
 
James Henry Salishury. 
 
 465 
 
 ganic bodies. Do., October, 1862. Eiglit 
 pages. 
 
 23. Parasitic Forms (Ie\'clopccl in Parent 
 Epitlielial Cells of tlie Urinary and Genital 
 Organs, and in the Secretions. With 34 
 illustrations. Do., April, 1868. 
 
 24. Remarks on the Structure, l'"unctions, 
 and Classification of the Parent Gland Cells, 
 with microscopic investigations relative to 
 the causes of the several varieties of rheu- 
 matism, and directions for their treatment. 
 One plate of illustrations. Do., October, 
 1867. Nineteen pages. 
 
 25. Microscopic Researches relating to 
 the Histology and Minute Anatomy of the 
 Spleen and Lacteal and Lymphatic Glands, 
 showing their ultimate structure and their 
 organic elements, of their highly interesting 
 and important functions, with some remarks 
 on the cause of ropiness of mucus and the 
 tendency of all healthy and man\' diseased 
 cells to be metamorphosed into filaments. 
 One plate. Tliirty-four pages. Do., April, 
 1866. 
 
 26. Description of two new Algoid Veg- 
 etations, one of which appears to be the 
 specific cause of syphilis and the other of 
 gonorrhcca. With 16 illustrations. Do., 
 1867. Also, Zeitschrift fiir Parasitcnkunde. 
 
 1873- 
 
 27. Geological Report of the MiUcreek 
 Canal Coal Field. With i map and 2 plates. 
 Published in Cincinnati, 1859. 
 
 28. Anal}-sis, Organic and Inorganic, of 
 the Cucumber. Cultivator. 1849. 
 
 29. Experiments on the Capillary At- 
 tractions of the Soil, explaining some im- 
 portant and interesting principles and phe- 
 nomena in agriculture and geology. The 
 American Polytechnic Journal. 1853. 
 
 30. A New Carbonic Acid Apparatus. 
 Do., 1853. 
 
 31. Analysis of Dead Sea Water. 1854. 
 
 32. Two interesting Parasitic Diseases; 
 one we take from sucking kittens, and the 
 
 other from sucking puppies — trichosis fc- 
 linus and trichosis caninus. Boston Medical 
 and Surgical Journal, June 4, 1868. Six 
 illustrations. Also, Zeitschrift fiir Parasit- 
 cnkunde, Hallier, Jena, 1875. 
 
 33. Pus and Infection. Boston Journal 
 of Chemistry. January, 1878. 
 
 34. Microscopic Examinations of Blood 
 and the Vegetations found in Variola, Vac- 
 cine, and Typhoid Fever. Sixty-six pages 
 and 62 illustrations. Published by Moor- 
 head, Bond & Co., New York. 1868. 
 
 35. Vegetations found in the Blood of 
 Patients Suffering from Erysipelas. Hal- 
 lier's Zeitschrift fiir Parasitcnkunde. 1873. 
 Eight illustrations. 
 
 36. Infusorial Catarrh and y\sthma. 
 Eighteen illustrations. Do., 1873. 
 
 37. Analysis, Organic and Inorganic, of 
 the White Sugar Beet. The Albany Cul- 
 tivator. October, 185 i. 
 
 38. Analysis, Organic and Inorganic, of 
 the Parsnip. New York State Agricultural 
 Report. 185 1. 
 
 39. Ancient Rock and Earth Writing 
 and Inscriptions of the Mound Builders, 
 with a description of their fortifications, en- 
 closures, mounds, and other earth and rock 
 works. Thirty-nine plates. In the hands 
 of the American Antiquarian Socict)', and 
 only partially published in their transac- 
 tions and in the Ohio Centennial Report. 
 1863. 
 
 40. Influence of the Position of the Body 
 upon the Heart's action. American Jour- 
 nal of Medical Science. 1865. 
 
 41. Material Application of Chemistry to 
 Agriculture. Albany Cultivator. 185 1. 
 
 42. Analysis, Organic and Inorganic, of 
 the Several Kinds of Grains and Vegetables. 
 The Albany Cultivator. August, 1849. 
 
 43. Drinks, Food, Bathing, Exercise, 
 Clothing and Medical Treatment in Con- 
 sumption. Virginia Medical Monthly. Sep- 
 tember, 1879. 
 
466 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 44. Drinks, Food, Bathing, Exercise, 
 Clothing and Medical Treatment in Bright's 
 Disease. Virginia Medical Monthly. No- 
 vember, 1880. 
 
 45. Drinks, h'ood, ]5atliing. Exercise, 
 Clothing and Medical Treatment in Dia- 
 betes Mellitus. Virginia Medical Monthly. 
 1880. 
 
 46. Diet Lists in Consumption, Bright's 
 Disease, and Diabetes Mellitus. 1881. 
 
 UNPUBLISHED WORKS AND PAPERS. 
 
 1. Diphtheria, its cause and treatment. 
 Three plates of illustrations. 1862. 
 
 2. Asthma, the various forms of, ,and 
 their causes and treatment. Three plates 
 of illustrations. Ready for press in 1866. 
 
 3. Consumption, its cause and treat- 
 ment. Four plates. Ready for press in 
 1867. 
 
 4. Hog Cholera, its cause and prevention. 
 1858. 
 
 5. Ultimate Structure and Functions of 
 the Liver. 1865. Three plates. 
 
 6. Ultimate Structure and Functions of 
 the Kidneys. 1864. Two plates. 
 
 7. Geological Report of the Coal Fields 
 of Virginia and Kentucky. 1857. With 
 maps and many illustrations. 
 
 8. Histology of Plants. Prize es.say. 
 Sixty-five illustrations. 1848. 
 
 9. Causes and Treatment of Bright's Dis- 
 ease. 1865. 
 
 10. Causes and Treatment of Diabetes. 
 1864. 
 
 11. Causes and Treatment of Goitre, 
 Cretinism, Ovarian Tumors, and other Col- 
 loid Diseases. 1863. 
 
 12. Causes and Treatment of Progressive 
 Locomotor Ataxy. 1867. 
 
 13. Cause and Treatment of P'atty Dis- 
 eases of the Heart, Liver, and Spleen. 
 1864. 
 
 14. Cause and Treatment of Paresis. 
 1865. 
 
 15. One of the most Common Causes of 
 Paralysis, with treatment. 1867. 
 
 16. Microscopic Examinations Connect- 
 ed with Spermatozoa and Ova, with con- 
 tents of pollen grains and modes of devel- 
 opment of zoosporoiil cells. i860. 
 
 17. Cryptogamic Spores in the Tissues 
 of the Living Animal. Their development 
 in food one source of disease, and a cause 
 of fermentation, gangrene, or death and 
 decay in organized bodies. Seven plates 
 and 102 illustratit)ns. 
 
 18. Microscopic Investigations Connect- 
 ed with the Exudation and Expectoration 
 of Angina Membranacre and Gangrenosa 
 and Scarlatina Anginosa, resulting in the 
 discovery of the true source of and the 
 pathological progress by which the exuda- 
 tions are produced ; and the further dis- 
 covery of a peculiar fungus belonging to the 
 genus peronospora, developing in the 
 sloughs and membranes, the spores of 
 which are infectious and produce the dis- 
 sease ; also some general conclusions on the 
 etiology of fevers, the peculiar functions of 
 the epithelial cell envelope, and the pro- 
 bable way in which the system receives a 
 more or less permanent protective immu- 
 nity by one attack of certain contagious 
 diseases against a second invasion of the 
 same. Three plates. One luuulretl and 
 sixty illustrations. 1862. 
 
 19. Description of several new species of 
 ascaridse found on and in the human body, 
 and a brief account of several new entoz()a. 
 Two plates and 30 figures. 1S65. 
 
 20. Investigations Connected with the 
 Cause and Treatment of Paral}-sis of the 
 Will, Paralysis of the Memory, and Paraly- 
 sis of the entire Intellectual and Moral 
 I""aculties, causing a peculiar mental state 
 and insanity. 
 
 2 1. Uterine I-'ibroids, Ovarain Tumors, 
 Cancers, and Fibrous Growths generally. 
 Their treatment and cure b}- drinks and diet. 
 
yfO^-TytylJ QJ'l-^ 
 
 ^/^iyyHef, 
 
James S. Squires. 
 
 467 
 
 He was married on the 26th of June, 
 i860, to Clara Brascc, daughter of Hon. 
 Jolin T. Brasee, of Lancaster, Ohio. She 
 was born April 26th, 1839. They have 
 the following children : Minnie B. Salisbury, 
 born August 27th, 1866, and Trafford B. 
 Salisbury, born January 22d, 1S74. 
 
 TAMES S. SQUIRES, of Cortland, is de- 
 I scended from one of thioc brothers who 
 emigrated from England in the earlier his- 
 tory of our country, and located at Say- 
 brook, Connecticut. His graadfather, Sam- 
 uel Stent Squires, was born in Saybrook in 
 the early part of the eighteenth century and 
 participated in the French and Indian War, 
 particularly in the conflicts ot Braddock's 
 defeat and at Fort Du Ouesne. He received 
 his discharge at Perth Amboy, N. J., at the 
 close of that war. He also served the full 
 period of seven years in the Revolutionary 
 War, entering into the spirit of those times 
 and fighting as all others did, and sacrific- 
 ing as many had to, for our liberty and in- 
 dependence. He married Margaret Cook, 
 the mother of the father of our subject, John 
 S. Squires. The latter was born in New Ha- 
 ven, Conn., in 1 77 1, and removed to P'arm- 
 ington. Conn., in 1793, when t\vent}'-two 
 years old, and there married Huldah Had- 
 sell. Her father, James Hadsell, was also 
 a Revolutionary soldier, and his wife was a 
 teacher who supported her family and seven 
 children during those long years of anxiety 
 and privation by teaching a common school. 
 In 1800 John S. Squires moved to Choco- 
 nut, Broome Co., where he remained one 
 summer, removing thence to near Mara- 
 thon, where he located just below tlic pres- 
 ent village. His trip westward from his na- 
 tive town was made with an ox team and 
 one horse. He crossed the Hudson on the 
 ice and made his way to the State turnpike 
 leading west at a time when there was no 
 other road e.Kcept a line of marked trees. 
 
 He accomplished this trip in about three 
 weeks. 
 
 In 1800 there was one saw-mill and one 
 grist-mill only in the vicinity where Mr. 
 Squires first located in Broome county. 
 These were patronized after the Squires 
 famil)' removed to Marathon, the settlers 
 generally going to and from the mills in frail 
 and rudely constructed canoes or "dug- 
 outs" up and down the Tioughnioga. There 
 was a mill at Cayuga lake, twenty miles dis- 
 tant, but this was not so easily readied, the 
 journey being overland. 
 
 The first house erected by Mr. Squires in 
 Marathon and Virgil had no door save a 
 blanket, and the only windows were open- 
 ings covered w ith paper. The floor was 
 made of planks or " puncheons " split from 
 logs. 
 
 In 1807 John S. Squires moved to Vir- 
 gil and took up four hundred acres of land, 
 where he resided until his death June 24th, 
 
 1835- 
 
 He was a man of splendid physical pro- 
 portions, weighing about two hundred and 
 fifty pounds, active and energetic, and was 
 thus able to accomplish much towards sub- 
 duing the wilderness and bringing it under 
 cultivation. He was lieutenant of a com- 
 pany of aged men which was organized in 
 18 1 3 for frontier defense against Canada. 
 Simeon West was captain and Wm. Powers 
 ensign. Mr. Squires reared a family of 
 twelve children, six sons and six daughters. 
 The daughters were all married and be- 
 came mothers of families, and lived to be 
 over sixty years old. The three oldest 
 sons all died before they were twenty-one 
 years old. John A., his fourth son, was a 
 prominent resident of Iowa, where he died 
 some years ago. Dann C. Squires, mem- 
 ber of assembly in 1864, and again in 1874, 
 and who was for thirty years justice of the 
 peace and forty-four years district clerk, 
 was the next son. He died in the old 
 
46S 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 homestead in what is now Lapeer, Decem- 
 ber 17th, 1874. 
 
 James S. Scitiircs, the subject of this sketch, 
 was the youngest member of the family, 
 and was born in Virgil, Jan. 31st, 1819. 
 His early life was spent on the farm, t<iiling 
 early and late, going to school onl)- on such 
 days as he could not work out on account 
 of inclement weather. His school privi- 
 leges were therefore limited to a few days or 
 weeks in winter of each year. His zeal for 
 learning was great, and notwithstanding the 
 difficulties in the wa}', he diligently pursued 
 his .studies at home, often stretching him- 
 self before the open fire-place in the even- 
 ing and poring over his books by the light 
 of the fire. When he reached the age of 
 si.xteen years his father died, leaving a large 
 family of children, and James S. saw before 
 him a life in which he must stand or fall by 
 his own efforts. Accordingly in the follow- 
 ing year he made pre[)arations to start out 
 into the world for himself. His mother was 
 a devoted Christian woman from her girl- 
 hood, and changed her faith from Presby- 
 terian to Baptist principles soon after her 
 husband's death. She now, as her \'oung- 
 est son was about to leave her side, admon- 
 ished and counseled him as to his future 
 habits. She obtained from him promises that 
 he would never use tobacco in anj' form ; 
 would abstain from intoxicating drinks; 
 would never gamble in any way ; would 
 strictly observe the Sabbath day, and would 
 in all things be guided by her Christian 
 teaching and advice. These promises he has 
 always tried faithfully to keep and they 
 have, in his estimation, been the foundation 
 stones upon which he has built up a suc- 
 cessful career as a business man and gained 
 the esteem and friendship of all his ac- 
 (juaintances. Following naturally upon the 
 habits formed from those promises, came 
 honesty, uprightness and a conscientious 
 regard for the rights of his fellowmen. As 
 
 a merchant he never permitted his clerks to 
 misrepresent goods for the purpose of effect- 
 ing a sale, and in all things enilca\'ored to 
 have them conform to his correct business 
 methods ; in short, he followed the only 
 course through life upon which can be es- 
 tablished a successful and justifiable record. 
 When eighteen )'cars old he attended school 
 one full term, under the late Nathan Bou- 
 ton, in Virgil, and made such rapid ad- 
 vancement that his teacher gave him a cer- 
 tificate to teach. In this occupation he af- 
 terwards learned more than he had been 
 able to under his previous limited advan- 
 tages. 
 
 But Mr. Squires was a born merchant, 
 and this characteristic showed itself when 
 he had reached only the age of ten years ; 
 he then purchased a quantity of top-onion 
 seed of his brother at six cents a quart, 
 which he sold among his neighbors during 
 evenings at ten cents. In this way he made 
 fifty cents, which he invested in a lamb, 
 which he let for a term of years to double, 
 and from the increase of this investment he 
 found himself the possessor at the time of 
 his first marriage, when he was twenty-four 
 N'ears old, of thirty-two sheep. Of these 
 he sold twenty-five for $50, a profit of a 
 dollar for each original penny invested. 
 The other seven sheep were sold to a tailor 
 and served to pay for cutting and making 
 his wedding suit, himself furnishing the 
 goods. 
 
 In the \-ear 1S43 Mr. Squires began mer- 
 cantile business for himself in Virgil; but 
 through endorsements for the accommoda- 
 tion of others, this venture failed, leaving 
 him twent)'-two hundred dollars in debt. 
 Contrary to the advice of his friends and 
 others he devoted his best energies to the 
 payment of his hea\'\' burden, which he ac- 
 complished within a few years. The wis- 
 dom of this course was shown when the 
 people of the town made him postmaster 
 
James S. Squires. 
 
 469 
 
 soon after the failure, and the next year su- 
 perintendent of schools, which office he held 
 while he remained in the town. 
 
 He subsequently (1853) removed to 
 Cortland village, where he engaged in mer- 
 cantile business of a general character and 
 succeeded in building up an annual trade 
 of about $100,000 a year. His store was 
 known as the largest in the county at that 
 time and the most successful, employing 
 much of the time ten clerks, several of whom 
 remained with him fifteen years and are now 
 numbered among the foremost business 
 men of Cortland and other places. 
 
 In 1869 Mr. Squires became president 
 of the Bank of Cortland, which responsible 
 position he filled with abilit\- for fifteen 
 years until 1SS4, when he resigned to de- 
 vote all of his time to his personal business. 
 He was prominentU- instrumental in secur- 
 ing the location of the State Normal School 
 at Cortland, and has also done much to 
 encourage the establishment of manufactur- 
 ing interests in the place, contributing lib- 
 erally of his own means to this purpose. 
 He was made treasurer of the Ithaca and 
 Cortland railroad and of the Utica, Che- 
 nango and Cortland railroad, which offices 
 he has held until the present time. lie 
 gave liberally, also, to the fund for the 
 erection of the Baptist Church in Cortland, 
 of which he has for many years been a 
 faithful and consistent member. lie was 
 elected trustee of the society in 1858 and 
 has held the office ever since. He was ap- 
 pointed treasurer in i860 and still holds 
 that position. He has been one of the pul- 
 pit committee since 1861 and was elected 
 deacon in 1875, still holding the office. In 
 1876 he was elected president of the board 
 of trustees and now holds that office. 
 
 Mr. Squires built his handsome residence 
 in Cortland on the corner of Tompkins antl 
 Prospect streets in 1871. It is one of the 
 most attractive private dwellings in the vil- 
 
 lage and has been greatly improved by the 
 addition of conservatories, piazzas, etc. In 
 1876 he purchased the site of the Old Eagle 
 store, built early in the century by General 
 Roswell Randall, and erected thereon the 
 handsome and valuable Squires building at 
 a cost of about $40,000, containing seven 
 stores, eight offices and ten flats. 
 
 Mr. Squires has been married three 
 times, the first event occurring on Decem- 
 ber 24th, 1843, when he was united with 
 Miss Lucia Chamberlain, formerly of Otsego 
 county. She was born Feb. 5th, 1 821, and 
 died March i6th, 1862. She was a de- 
 voted and Christian wife and ninther, and 
 died strong in her faith in Jesus. The old- 
 est child of this union was Lucia Verdine 
 Squires, who w\as born Aug. 5th, 1847. 
 She was married to Jerome R. Hathway in 
 1868, and died May 28th, 1877. The 
 second child was Francesca Eudell Squires, 
 born Dec. 6th, 1849; she is now the wife 
 of Geo. W. Edgcomb, of Cortland. Two 
 sons were born of this marriage also; the 
 oldest is James Duane Squires, now a mem- 
 ber of the law firm of Thornall, Squires & 
 Constant, 120 Broadway, New York city. 
 He was born in Cortlandville, Feb. 8th, 1855, 
 attended school at the Cortlandville Acad- 
 emy and later at the Normal School, where 
 he graduated at the age of si.xteen. After 
 teaching one season he took an extra course 
 at the Rochester Collegiate Institute where 
 he graduated and took the first prize for 
 commencement oration. 
 
 In 1873 he entered the Rochester Uni- 
 versit)- where he graduated in 1877. After 
 studying law a short time in Cortland he 
 went to New York cit\- and entered the 
 office of Hon. Everett P. Wheeler as a 
 student. He afterwards became a clerk in 
 the office of Deane & Chamberlain, one of 
 the largest real estate law firms in the city. 
 He was admitted to the bar in May, 1881, 
 and in May, 1882, was made a junior mem- 
 
470 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 ber of the firm of Dcanc & Chamberlain. 
 This firm dissolved in the early jiart of 
 1884, when he became a member of the 
 law firm above mentioned. 
 
 The other son is Earl I'rank Squires, 
 born in Cortlandville Aug. 2d, 1857. He 
 
 business in Cortland, of which he is now 
 the junior member. Me was married to 
 Miss Ophelia Evans, daughter of W. R. 
 ICvans, of Dallas, Texas, July 30th, 1S79. 
 
 Mr. Squires' second marriage occurred on 
 the 8th of Aug. 1865, to Miss Libbie 
 
 &\t0, hU 
 
 
 
 If 'IfS '§ 
 
 mm '^\ 
 
 t ii»,_t- 
 
 
 g<r;» 
 
 ,#i^^2fcd 
 
 ! osrT'irK /rr 
 
 THE SQUIRKS BUILDING, CORTLAND, N. V. 
 
 was educated at the Normal School, and 
 afterwards engaged as clerk in the mercan- 
 tile business and to some extent in farm 
 work in his native town. In 1877 he be- 
 came a member of the firm of Stoker & 
 Co., grocers and provision dealers, which 
 was very successful. In 1882 the firm of 
 Squires & Co., was organized for the same 
 
 Adclia Purinton, daughter of Dr. Purinton, 
 of West Virginia, and granddaughter of 
 Elder Purinton, of Tru.xton. She was 
 born in Truxton May 13th, 1839, and died 
 November 30th, 1S71, and was a lady of 
 excellent qualities. Vernon P. Squires, the 
 eldest son born of this union, was born 
 Nov. 4th, 1866, and is now in the Cortland 
 
James S. Squires. 
 
 471 
 
 Normal School preparing for college. 
 Emma Maud Squires was born May 25th, 
 i86g, and is now in the Normal School, 
 preparing for Vassar College. Louis Al- 
 mon Squires, born Nov. 24tli, 1871, is now 
 in the Normal School, pursuing his regular 
 course of studies. 
 
 Mr. Squires was again married on the 
 14th of May, 1873, to Mary EHzabcth 
 
 man whose tastes lead him to the enjoy- 
 ment of home, and hence he has freely be- 
 stowed of his wealth to make the surround- 
 ings and interior of his dwelling-place as 
 attractive as possible, with a conservatory 
 and its numerous plants and flowers for 
 winter, and his beautiful yard for summer, 
 with which he and his family have ever 
 taken much pleasure. 
 
 RKSniENCE OF J.\MES S. 
 
 Lester, of Ringhamton, who had been a 
 teacher many years and principal of the 
 primary department of the Cortland Nor- 
 mal School. Their children by this mar- 
 riage are Mary Louisa, born July 19th, 
 1875, died Aug. 17th, 1876; and Fred 
 Dann Lester, born Feb. 2d, 1877, now in 
 the Normal School. 
 
 Mr. Squires lives to enjo)- the fruits of 
 his well spent life, in a domestic circle which 
 is in all respects one to be envied. He is a 
 
 SQUIRES, CUKILAXH, N. V. 
 
 THE SQUIRES BUILDING. 
 The accompanying illustration gives a 
 good view of the new Squires building, 
 erected by James S. Squires in the summer 
 of 1883. It occupies the historic corner 
 (Tompkins and South Main street). where 
 stood what was known as the old Eagle 
 store, a portion of which structure is em- 
 braced in and built aroimd, so to speak, by 
 the new building. The old Eagle store was 
 built by Gen. Roswell Randall nearly sev- 
 
472 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 cnty years ago, and was then one of the 
 most pretentious buildings in the State west 
 of Albany. There was an arcade or rotunda 
 in the center, from which a winding stair- 
 case led to each of the three stt)ries. In 
 that building Mr. Randall kept a store for 
 many years, wliich was well known through- 
 out the count)'. The new Squires building 
 has seven stores on the ground floor, all of 
 which are now occupied. The second story 
 is divided into offices anci flats. The ten 
 suits of offices are also all occupied. The 
 third story is designed for flats, or suits of 
 living rooms, for which it is admirably fitted 
 and supplied with all modern improve- 
 ments. A handsome tower surmounts the 
 corner of the building in which is an illu- 
 minated clock. As a whole the Squires 
 l)uikling, occupying as it does one of the 
 most conspicuous and convenient corners 
 in the village, is a handsome structure 
 and is a credit to the village and an honor 
 to its owner. 
 
 RESIDENCK OF J.VME.S S. SQUIRES. 
 
 In the )-ear 1853 Mr. Squires purchased 
 of David R. Hubbard the lot numbered 44 
 Tompkins street, Cortland village, on which 
 he built a frame house tiiat he occupied 
 until 1871, and this was the first dwelling 
 house on the north side of that street, west 
 of the Randall property (with the exception 
 of some untenable buildings), and in 1871 
 this house was removed and his handsome 
 brick residence was erected on the same 
 street. The street is now one of the finest 
 in Cortland village, with respect to the 
 character of its jirivate residences and 
 grounds, and is one of the most popular 
 and attractive thoroughfares in the place. 
 Mr. Squires' residence, as will be seen by 
 the engraving herein, is characterized by 
 its modest elegance and plain, yet synmiet- 
 rical architecture. The grounds arc hand- 
 somely laid out and carefully attentled. 
 
 CALEB BARDANO HITCHCOCK, the 
 subject of this sketch, is one of the repre- 
 sentative business men of Cortland coun- 
 ty. His grandfather, Noah Hitchcock, was 
 among the pioneer settlers of Homer, N. Y. 
 His father, Caleb Hitchcock, moved to Dry- 
 den, N. Y., where Caleb B. was born March 
 30th, 1839. In 1 841 his father died, leav- 
 ing his mother with six children, of whom 
 Caleb was the youngest, being only two 
 years of age. Mrs. Hitchcock then removed 
 to Homer with her j-oung family, and b\' 
 her own industry and economy secured to 
 her children the advantages of a good edu- 
 cation. Wlien thirteen years old, Caleb B. 
 went to Venice, Cayuga coimt)-, and worked 
 on the farm of Jesse Tillet for two years, 
 attending the winter terms of the district 
 school. Returning to Homer at the end 
 of this time he attended tlie academy four 
 terms, which completed his school educa- 
 tion. Thus, at the age of seventeen, he 
 started out to begin the battle of life and to 
 win a [josition among men. Two }-ears 
 later found him an emploj-ee in the tluii cel- 
 ebrated carriage factory of S. W. Catch', at 
 Tully, Onondaga Co., N. Y., where he ob- 
 tained a thorough knowledge of all parts of 
 carriage work. 
 
 At the end of three years' service he went 
 to Cincinnatus and worked in the shop of 
 Larabee & Gee, where, a year later, with the 
 earnings which his frugality had enabled 
 him to save, he purchased an interest in tiie 
 business, afterwards becoming the sole pro- 
 prietor. 
 
 After a time he disposed of his carriage 
 shop and opened a furniture, undertaking 
 and livery business, in which he remained 
 until about 1877. During this time he oc- 
 casionally finished a few cutters and con- 
 ceived the idea of the large manufacturing 
 interest which now bears his name. 
 
 Recognizing the limit and inconvenience 
 placeil upon business in an inland town, and 
 
^^^ 
 
 -5^1^ 
 
 =y-^ 
 
Caleb Bardano Hitchcock. — Alonzo D. Blodgett. 
 
 473 
 
 observing the growing impulse for exten- 
 sive manufactories developing in Cortland, 
 he removed there in the spring of 1877, to 
 attempt to put into practical execution some 
 of the plans he had been maturing to build 
 up a large wholesale manufactory for cutters 
 and sleighs. To this end he rented the Gee 
 property on Port Watson street, and the 
 first )-ear, having five employees, made and 
 sold one hundred cutters — a business not 
 exceeding four thousand dollars. The fol- 
 lowing season he purchased what was then 
 known as the okl church property on Elm 
 street, and each year thereafter more tlian 
 doubled the business — buying lot after lot 
 and putting up building after building of 
 immense proportions, until the business, of 
 four thousand dollars in 1877, reached 
 nearly half a million in 1S84. 
 
 Mr. Hitchcock is eniphaticall)- a self- 
 made man. Being a good judge of human 
 nature enabled him to gather about him as 
 employees men well fitted to aid him in his 
 great enterprises. During his business ca- 
 reer he has made no misstep through defect 
 of his own judgment. He is an expert buyer, 
 and it is this superior qualit}', perhaps, more 
 than any other, that has enabled him to keep 
 pace and even surpass many older and more 
 experienced nianuficturers. 
 
 Believing in the justice and equity of giv- 
 ing an interest to those who aided him while 
 building up his large business, he organized, 
 in March, 1884, as his successor, "The 
 Hitchcock Manufacturing Company," with 
 a capital of $150,000, and a charter f)r fifty 
 years with C. B. Hitchcock as president, H. 
 L. Gleason, secretary, and H. C. Henry as 
 treasurer. This company, on the first day of 
 January, will have built and sold 3,500 wag- 
 ons and 10,000 sleighs, shipping in the bus- 
 iest times a sleigh every five minutes, and 
 are fully sustaining their well earned repu- 
 tation of building the largest number of cut- 
 ters of any factory in the work!. It is their 
 
 intention next year to build 5,000 wagons 
 and 15,000 sleighs, thus pushing the busi- 
 ness close to a million dollars. 
 
 ALONZO D. BLODGETT. Following 
 is a brief genealogy of the Blodgett 
 family, of which the subject of this sketch 
 is a member : — 
 
 The Blodgett f»iiil\- came from Lexing- 
 ton, Mass. Thomas Blodgett came from 
 London in 1635 ; settled at Cambridge. 
 Children, Daniel, Samuel, Susan. Samuel 
 boin in I'.ngland, 1633 ; died 1687; mar- 
 ried Ruth Ingleden, 1655. Children, Ruth, 
 Samuel, Susan, Sarah. 
 
 2. Thomas, born 1 660 ; removed to Lex- 
 ington 1699; married Rebecca Tidd 1684. 
 Children, Thomas, Rebecca, Joseph, Abi- 
 gail, Saul. 
 
 3. Joseph, jr., son of Joseph, born 1696; 
 married (first wife) Sarah Stone, who was 
 born at Lexington 1700; died 1735; sec- 
 ond wife, Sarah Ingersoll, 1738; she was 
 born at Springfield 1718. Joseph, jr., died 
 June loth, 1783. Sarah Ingersoll Blod- 
 gett died April 24th, 1774. Children of 
 Sarah Stone and Sarah Ingersoll : Joseph, 
 April 17th, 1721; Sarah, November 12th, 
 1722; Anna, April loth, 1724; Abigail, 
 July i8th, 1726; Ruth, March ist, 1728; 
 Benjamin, June 9th, 1730 ; Abner, June 
 6th, 1732; Thomas, September 26th, 1734. 
 Sarah Ingersoll's children, Samuel, May 
 17th, 1739; Lydia, February 7lh, 1741 ; 
 Jonas, November 12th, 1743; Azubah, 
 April 1 2th, 1746; Caleb, November 24th, 
 1748; IClijah, October 25th, 1750; Marse- 
 na, March 4th, 1754; Nathan, November 
 3d, 1756; Admatha, December 15th, 1758. 
 
 Children of Nathan Blodgett (born 1756), 
 who married Abigail Bliss, born August 
 30th, 1760: Loren, born April 22d, 1782; 
 Rachel, born July 4th. 17S5 ; Lot, born 
 August 20th, 1787; Lewis, born March 
 loth, 1790; Ljilia, born September 27th, 
 
474 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 1792; Abigail, born June 9th, 1/95; 
 Franlvlin, born January 2 1st, 1798; Kliza, 
 born Ma)- 51I1, 1 800 ; George A., born 
 Jum; 26111, 1804; Dwight F., born March 
 31st, 1806. 
 
 I'^ranklin Benjamin married Aclisah 
 Ucvvey, born August 8tli, 1798; married 
 November 1st, 1821. Children, Orissa 
 Blodgett, burn Jiil_\- 24th, 1823; Alonzo 
 Dwight, born June 14th, 1825; Lewis (ia}'- 
 lord, born Ma\- 14th, 1827; J. Rand<ilph, 
 born March 12th, 1829; Jam- Amelia, born 
 March 28th, 1831; Mary Louisa, born 
 April 15 th, 1833. 
 
 Alonzo D. Blodgett, the well-known 
 farmer and stock raiser, is a grandson of 
 Nathan Blodgett, an old colonial soldier 
 who settled on the present Blodgett home- 
 stead in 1805. Nathan Blodgett was born 
 near Lexington, Mass., and bound out until 
 twenty-one years old, for which service he 
 received one hundred dollars. On the loth 
 of -September, 1778, he was appointed ser- 
 geant in the third company of the first ^'cg- 
 imcnt of Worcester, Joseph Putnam, jr., 
 captain; and on the 2d of Jul)-, 1792, was 
 appointed by John Hancock, then governor 
 of the State, as ensign of the same company, 
 and on May 15th, 1794, he received an 
 honorable discharge ; thereafter he was a 
 pensioner until his death. In 1804 he came 
 to Whitestown, N. Y., and in 1805 he built 
 his log cabin near the site now occupied 
 by Alonzo Blodgett's house. During the 
 following year he erected his forge and was 
 one of the earliest blacksmiths in the town. 
 On the homestead stands an elm tree planted 
 by him about the time of his settlement, 
 which has attained a circumference about 
 its base of nearly eleven feet. He was for 
 a number of years commissioner of high- 
 ways and was one of the first to take active 
 steps towards securing a public library for 
 the village of Cortland. His son, Franklin 
 15. Blodgett, was but seven years old when 
 
 his father came to this place. He was an 
 unostentatious man, and sought no official 
 honors or public station ; he turned rather 
 to those domestic comforts that are found 
 ill congenial and religious households of the 
 character of his own. He was a carpenter 
 and in 18 16 assisted in buiklingthe " 151od- 
 gett's Mills " at the hamlet of that name; 
 and in 1850 tlie old part of the house now 
 occupied b)' y\lonzo D. Blodgett. He be- 
 came a member of the Presb)-terian Church 
 in Cortland in 1832; was soon after made 
 an elder and then a deacon ; these offices 
 he held for forty years, until 1 872; he was 
 a member of the session thirty-seven years. 
 In his death the cinirch lost one of its most 
 valuable members and one who had been 
 most devoted to the great work of ad\anc- 
 ing the cause of religion. He dieil as he 
 had lived, strong in the faith. 
 
 Alonzo Dwight Blodgett, the eldest son 
 of Franklin Benjamin Blodgett and Achsah 
 Dewey, was born in the town of Cortland, 
 June 14th, 1825, and now resides on the 
 liomestead that has been the patrimon\' of 
 the famil)- for eighty years, and which is 
 one of the most attractive and valuable 
 farms in the county. Mr. Blodgett spent a 
 portion of the earlier years of his life at 
 school, but being the oldest son, his advan- 
 tages in this respect were limited, for his 
 services were of too much consequence at 
 home. Musical talent is inborn in the 
 family, and especially in the subject of this 
 sketch ; the study and practice of the divine 
 art became a passion with him, and being 
 possessed of an excellent voice, he soon took 
 the position in the community to which he 
 was thereby entitled — a leader in all mu- 
 sical matters. As early as 1844, when he 
 was but nineteen, he joined the choir of the 
 Prcsb)'terian Church in Cortland, and in 
 the following year became its leader. This 
 position he has held constantly since that 
 time — a period of forty years. No higher 
 
ALONZO D. BLODGETT. 
 
Alonzo D. Blodgett. — James H. Tkiit. 
 
 475 
 
 testimonial is needed tlian tliis, not only to 
 his nuisical ability and devotion, but to his 
 faculty for orj^anization, for harnioniziuL; 
 the discords that often arise in church sing- 
 ing bodies and for promoting the general 
 musical interests of the community. About 
 the time that he became the choir leader 
 he also commenced teaching vocal music 
 through this portion of the State, which 
 arthious work he followed a large portion of 
 fifteen years. 15ut the exposure of attending 
 night schools and his practice of fulfilling his 
 engagements, regardless of inclement weath- 
 er or the state of his health, finall_\- produced 
 such ill effects upon his jihysical system that 
 he was compelled to abandon traveling al- 
 together. For two years he was the ad- 
 vance agent of "The Amphions," a popu- 
 lar concert company that enjoyed an excel- 
 lent reputation wherever they appeared. 
 
 But although Mr. Blodgett gave up 
 traveling and teaching, his musical labors 
 were not by any means abandoned. In 
 the numerous concerts that have been given 
 in Cortland, Homer and vicinity, he has 
 always been looked to as the first one to 
 depend upon for success. Whatever the 
 cause that has needed support — temper- 
 ance, charit}', schools, churches, or any 
 laudable undertaking — Mr. Blodgett has 
 been found not only willing to contribute 
 his talents and time and almost invariably 
 to the success of the c\cnt. In Cortland 
 alone he has taken part in thirty-six con- 
 certs, twenty-one of which he conducted 
 in person, and most of which were for char- 
 itable objects. During the late war he was 
 generally foremost wherever money and 
 troops were to be raised, monuments 
 erected, or widows and orphans of soldiers 
 to be provided for, the tuneful strains of 
 patriotic melodies often serving effectually 
 for these purposes where other means failed. 
 
 Before the late war Mr. Blodgett received 
 the appointment of adjutant of the Forty- 
 
 second Regiment New York State Militia, 
 and afterward was enrolled in the same in 
 the National Guard. Me was subsetiuently 
 promoted to major and then to the lieuten- 
 ant-colonelcy of the .Seventy-sixth Regi- 
 ment National Guard.s, which office he 
 now holds. 
 
 Mr. Hlodgett has always taken an active 
 interest in the County Agricultural Society, 
 holding the office of secretary seven years, 
 and elected president in 1870 and again in 
 iSSi. As a farmer he has kept abreast of 
 the limes; was the first president of the 
 I'armer's Club, which office he has held con- 
 tinuously to the present time, and which 
 organization he has done much to support 
 and imjjrove. 
 
 Mr. Blodgett was united in marriage to 
 Miss Eleanor Dickinson on the 13th of 
 June, i860; she is a daughter of Obadiah 
 Dickinson and his wife, I'LIeanor, of Onon- 
 daga Valley. Her father was a native of 
 Hatfield, Mass., and came to this State in 
 1844; he tlieil in 1S79. Her mother is 
 still living. Mr. and Mrs. Blodgett have 
 two children living; Edward D., the elder, 
 is in the class of '87 at Amherst College, 
 antl I'"rank D. is attending school at home. 
 The faniil)- now ha\'e one of the pleasantest 
 suburban homes in the town. 
 
 JAMES H. TRIPP, the banker and capi- 
 talist of Marathon, N. Y., was born in 
 Ancram, Columbia county, N. Y., January 
 17th, 1832. His grandfather was Daniel 
 Tripp who was born in the town of Paw- 
 ling, N. Y., In 1 77 1, where he and his wife, 
 Elizabeth Akin, became prominent in the 
 sect of "P'ricnds, " of Quaker Hill, Duchess 
 county, a religious society which has had 
 an existence of over one hundred and fifty 
 years. He afterwards removed to Ancram, 
 Columbia county, N. Y. In 1838 he re- 
 moved to Dr\-den, Tompkins county, N. Y., 
 where he died in 1856. 
 
4/6 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Daniel A. Tripp, father of James H., was 
 born in the town of Ancram, August 31st, 
 1804. In 1828 he married L6ritta Havi- 
 land, daughter of Benjamin H. Haviland, 
 of Athens, Greene county, N. Y. Benjamin 
 II. IIa\ilaiul was for a number of years 
 captain of a sailing vessel on the Hudson 
 river. In 1837 Daniel A. Tripp removed 
 to Dryden, Tompkins county, and in the 
 following year moved across the town line 
 into the town of Harford, where he lived 
 until his death, December 5th, 1883. He 
 was a man of great industry and strict in- 
 tegrit)-. His wife died in 1873 at the age 
 of si\t)--se\'en years. She was an estima- 
 ble woman, a great reader, aiul possessed 
 remarkable powers of memory, even in her 
 later da\s. Their children were Mrs. E. 
 H. Lampman, of Co.xsackie, Greene county, 
 N. Y.; J. II. Tripp, of Marathon; Miss C. 
 H. Tripp, of Harford ; Miss V.. C. Tripp, of 
 Harford ; Mrs. Louisa Thomas, of Dryden ; 
 D. B. Tripp, assistant cashier of the bank of 
 Marathon ; Mrs. Mary Wheeler, of Wash- 
 ington, D. C. ; E. W. Tripp, of Homer; 
 and John C. Tripii, who died in Syracuse 
 in 1 88 1. 
 
 James H. Tripp, when five years of age, 
 came with his parents to this section of the 
 State and received his early education in 
 the schools of Harford, with one term in the 
 Cortland Academy. When nineteen years 
 of age he began teaching, which occupa- 
 tion he followed in district schools during 
 the winter months of five years. In 1856 
 he came to Marathon and engaged as clerk 
 for Peck & Atlams, a well known firm of 
 general merchants at that time. He re- 
 mained with them in this capacity until 
 1859, when he was admitted to partnership 
 under the firm name of Peck, Adams & 
 Tripp, in which relationship he continued 
 till the winter of 1862. It was at this 
 time that the attention of H. J. Messen- 
 ger was attracted toward Mr. Tripp and 
 
 discovering in him superior business ability, 
 induced him to take the responsible position 
 of cashier in his Marathon bank. Up to 
 this time Mr. Tripp was totally ignorant of 
 banking business and did not even know 
 the methods eniploj-ed to detect counterfeit 
 bank bills, although the country was flooded 
 with spurious paper. His success, how- 
 ever, was so marked that in six months 
 time he was promoted to the position of 
 cashier in the large bank at Canandaigua, of 
 which Mr. Messenger was president. He 
 remained in the employ of Mr. Messenger 
 for a period of four years, as cashier and 
 as superintendent of his general aftairs in 
 Marathon, Canandaigua and Geneva. 
 
 In the fill of 1865 he entered into part- 
 nership with his old employer, Lj'nian 
 Adams, under the firm name of Tripp & 
 Adams, bu\-iiig out liie interest of Mr. 
 Peck. This business relationship has con- 
 tinued to the present time, a period of 
 twenty years, eighteen and a half of which 
 were devoted to general merchandising and 
 private banking. In June, i 884, such had 
 been their success as bankers, the)- felt justi- 
 fied in the organization of the First Na- 
 tional Bank of Marathon, of which Mr. 
 Tripp is now president. 
 
 On the fifth of October, 1865, Mr. Tripp 
 was married to Sarah Remington, a daugh- 
 ter of Chauncey Remington, a druggist of 
 Ontario count}-. She died in 1871, and 
 and on November i ith, 1873, he married 
 Mrs. Louisa Bogardus, daughter of Edward 
 Farrington, a native of Duchess county, N. 
 Y., who removed to near Cortland \-illage 
 while \-oung and at a later date to De Ru)-i 
 ter, Madison county, where he still resides; 
 he is a prominent farmer at that place. 
 Louisa I'arrington was first married to 
 Martin 1). rxigardns, one of the leading- 
 farmers of the town of Cuyler. He died 
 about three years after their marriage. 
 Their ilaughter, Anna, who was born in 
 
James H. Tripp. — James IlAiaroN IIoose. 
 
 477 
 
 1870, has been adopted by Mr. Tripp and 
 is a loved and cherished member of his 
 family. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Tripp are now in the en- 
 joyment of a beautiful home and the luxu- 
 ries of life to which the}' are entitlctl; and 
 as members of the society in which they 
 live are tendered the respect and friendship 
 of all. 
 
 JAMES HARMON HOOSE was born 
 January 24th, 1835, near Warnerville, 
 Schoharie county, N. Y., where his [jarents 
 then lived. His father, Abram Hoose, was 
 born October 6th, 1808, and was of Holland 
 ancestry that settled upon lands now in- 
 chiiled in Columbia county, N. Y. He was 
 a man of much force of character, indus- 
 trious, uprii:,dit, and possessed a deep regard 
 for that liberty which was established for 
 citizens by the American Independence. 
 Mrs. Abram Hoose, whose maiden name 
 was Rosanna Miller, was born January 
 26th, 1809, and belonged to German lineage 
 that settled upon land near Florida in 
 Montgomer_\- county, N. Y. She was a 
 woman of unusual force of character, and 
 possessed rare aptitudes and love for literary 
 attainments, losing no opportunity to avail 
 herself of the limited advantages for mental 
 improvement which the countr\- then afford- 
 ed. She died June 6th, 1867. 
 
 Mr. Abram Hoose and family moved in 
 1836 to the town of Parish, Oswego 
 county N. Y., where he purchased wild 
 land; he became a very prosperous farmer, 
 and was held in high estimation as a public 
 spirited citizen; he was alwa\'s the friend 
 of the common school. The children in 
 the family were James, who was the eldest; 
 Jedidiah, five years younger, who is now a 
 prominent business man in Mexico, N. Y. ; 
 and Janettc who was seven years younger 
 than Jedidiah ; she lived on a farm near the 
 homestead until her death, which occurred 
 
 Oct. 7th, 1884. The three children were 
 brought up to be industrious and persever- 
 ing; they were taught obedience and to be 
 respectful to others; they were taught good 
 habits of temperance; they were sent to the 
 district school during their earlier years, 
 and to higher schools in sub.sequent years. 
 
 The elder son, the subject of this sketch, 
 applied himself diligently and successfully 
 to his studies in the district school; he was 
 a constant reader, reading through the old 
 district-school library and as many other 
 books as he could find in the neighborhood. 
 He taught his first term of school when he 
 was eighteen, in the district where he had 
 always attended school; the term was a 
 winter school of four months, antl his wages 
 were twelve dollars per month and " board 
 arountl." In the following spring and fall 
 he went to school at Mexico Academy and 
 attended also at Mexico his first Teachers' 
 Institute. He taught, in New York and in 
 Ohio, district schools in winter, in Teachers' 
 Institutes in the fall, and classes in the 
 academy occasionally, and studied in tlie 
 academy a couple of terms each \'ear, assist- 
 ing his father upon the farm during vaca- 
 tions. He pursued his studies, classical, 
 mathematical, and scientific, in this way, at 
 Mexico Academy and at Warnerville 
 Seminar}-, until he entered Genesee College 
 in die fall of 1859. While connected with 
 the college he taught sclujol winters, but by 
 pursuing his studies as a ]iri\-ate student 
 with Dr. John R. French, now Dean of the 
 College of Liberal Arts, Syracuse Univer- 
 sity, he kept his rank in the college, and 
 was graduated from it in June, 1861. 
 While in college he took very high rank as 
 a student, especially in the higher mathe- 
 matics. He held at Pulaski in the sj^ring 
 of i860 a select normal school for teachers 
 of Oswego county. He afterwards became 
 principal of Pulaski Academy for a short 
 time. 
 
478 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Dr. Hoose was one of the prominent 
 movers in organizing the Oswego County 
 Teachers' Association, serving for a time as 
 its corresponding secretary. He attended 
 for tlie first time the New York State 
 Teachers' Association at its session held in 
 Syracuse, in i860; he has attended nearly 
 every session of the association since that 
 date; he was its president when tlie session 
 was held at Saratoga Springs, in July, 1872. 
 He has attended for years the meetings of 
 the National Educational Association, be 
 ing a life member of it; he was one year 
 president of the normal section of that 
 association. He is a member of the Na- 
 tional Council of Education. He has been 
 an alumni trustee of Syracuse University 
 ever since its establishment, and was re- 
 elected in June, 1884 for a third term of 
 six years. 
 
 He was conductor of Institutes from 1866 
 until 1869, holding sessions in nearly every 
 county of the State, although he was em- 
 ployed occasionally from 1857; he con- 
 ducted Institutes now and then from 1 869 to 
 1877, and has delivered addresses in them 
 from time to time ever since. He visited 
 Europe in 1877 to investigate educational 
 affairs in the old world. His pen has been 
 busy as an educational writer. He was 
 appointed in 1862 one of the editors of 
 The New York Teaeher. He has written 
 many articles for publication, and many 
 addresses. His books are: Notes on the 
 Educational Sj'stem of Great Britain; Hints 
 to Americans visiting Europe; Studies in 
 Articulation; On the Province of Methods 
 of Teaching; The First Year Text-Book in 
 Number, based upon the Pestalozzian Sys- 
 tem. He was for one year, 1881-82, editor 
 of the department of "Notes" in Education. 
 
 Dr. Hoose has held in the State of New 
 York the following positions as teacher 
 since he was graduated from college: Pro- 
 fessor of Mathematics in the Susquehanna 
 
 Seminary, Binghamton; principal of a large 
 select school at Sharon Springs; principal 
 of Warnerville Seminary, Warner\'ille; 
 teacher in charge of the English depart- 
 ment in Cortland Academy, Homer; pro- 
 fessor of Mathematics in the Genesee Wes- 
 leyan Seminary, Lima; principal of Ward 
 School No. 4, Oswego, and assistant in 
 Science in the Oswego Normal School; 
 professor of Theory and Practice and of 
 English Language and Literature in the 
 State Normal School at Brockport. He 
 entered upon his duties as principal of the 
 Cortland Normal School in February, 1 869, 
 the first term opening March 3d, 1869. 
 He was acting principal of the Fredonia 
 State Normal School two months in the fall 
 of 1878, upon the death of Dr. J. W. 
 Armstrong, who had been principal there 
 up to that date. He was superintendent 
 of public schools of the city of Binghamton 
 in 1881—82, during ten months of the 
 school-year. 
 
 He was married in 1861 to Miss Le- 
 moyne A. Hale, of New Haven, N. Y., who 
 died in 1871. He afterwards married Miss 
 Helen K. Hubbard, of Norwich, N. Y. 
 
 The following brief history of the impor- 
 tant events that transpired in the life of Dr. 
 Hoose from 1880 to 1884, is from the pen 
 of Prof C. W. Bennett, D. D., of Syracuse 
 University. [For many details of the his- 
 tory of these years and for an account of 
 the continued prosperity of the school, the 
 reader is referred to another page of this 
 volume which contains the history of the 
 Cortland Normal School.] 
 
 Says Dr. Bennett: — 
 
 For years had been felt the need of the 
 unification of the educational system of the 
 State, and the removal of educational inter- 
 ests from the realm of partisan politics. To 
 the double headship of this system an un- 
 worthy feeling of jealousy and antagonism 
 had been clearly attributable. The colleges, 
 
James Harmon IIoose. 
 
 479 
 
 academies and academic departments in the 
 high schools were amenable to the Board 
 of Regents of the University, while in other 
 respects in the public schools the superin- 
 tendent of public instruction had supervis- 
 ion and control. Thus a double set of re- 
 ports must be prepared, and a wide differ- 
 ence of opinion on the part of these two 
 growing authorities at times divided the sen- 
 timent of teachers even in the same room. 
 These interests were also represented by 
 two different annual educational gatherings, 
 viz., the State Teachers' Association and 
 the convocation of the Board of Regents. 
 At times there was a manifest tendency to 
 indulge in unfavorable criticism, and there 
 was sometimes wanting that hearty sympa- 
 thy and frank co-operation that were need- 
 ful to secure the best results. 
 
 The election of the superintendent of 
 public instruction by the joint ballot of the 
 two houses of the legislature, made this 
 officer the creature of a party ; hence the 
 temptation was often strong to use his im- 
 mense official influence and patronage for 
 partisan purposes. Moreover there was an 
 autocratic centralizationof legislative, judi- 
 cial and executive power : from his decis- 
 ions there was no appeal ; he could undo 
 to-day what had been done yesterday ; he 
 had absolute power over all schools and 
 school officers ; he had control of $3,000,000 
 of school funds; he controlled all normal 
 schools and school institutes, etc., etc. 
 
 Many of the closest thinkers and most 
 earnest educators of all political parties be- 
 lieved that the system of educational super- 
 intendence in the State of New York was 
 most vicious, and they desired its recon- 
 struction after the model of tlie .systems 
 of Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Pennsyl- 
 vania, where a non-partisan board of edu- 
 cation appoints its own superintendent or 
 secretary, who shall serve at the pleasure of 
 the board and be subject to its instruction. 
 
 and amenable to its authority. Thus, it was 
 believed, would the educational interests of 
 theState be mostwiselyadministered and the 
 partisan element be most largely eliminated. 
 
 The mental characteristics and educational 
 experience of Ur. Hoose would not permit 
 him to be an indifferent spectator of this 
 movement. He threw all his energies on 
 the side of administrative reconstruction 
 and unification. From time to time he was 
 appointed by important educational asso- 
 ciations to write and speak upon this vital 
 question. His utterances were clear and 
 unequivocal. He was a stranger to those 
 prudential maxims that govern the politi- 
 cian. His was the earnestness and indiffer- 
 ence to personal consequences that charac- 
 terize the true reformer. 
 
 This was the state of public feeling in the 
 beginning of 1879. The New York State 
 Association of School Commissioners and 
 Superintendents, at their meeting in Ithaca 
 in February, 1 879, appointed a committee of 
 correspondence on the revision and consol- 
 idation of the two systems of school super- 
 vision and superintendence in the State of 
 New York. Of this committee Dr. Hoose 
 was made chairman. The report was given 
 December 1st, 1879. It was thorough and 
 exhaustive. Facts gathered from most ex- 
 tended correspondence with school officers 
 in many States, from wide examination of 
 educational supervision in the various States, 
 from the convictions of the best men in New 
 York who had recommended the needed 
 reform, from the work accom])lished under 
 other systems as contrasted with the mea- 
 ner results attained under the New York 
 system, especially in the great centennial 
 exhibition at Philadelphia in 1876, and 
 from the partisan action of the then incum- 
 bent of the office of superintendent of 
 public instruction, were made the basis of a 
 most complete, instructive argument result- 
 insr in these conclusions : — 
 
48o 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 1. That the legislature of the State of 
 New York shall revise and consolidate all 
 school supervision and administration under 
 a State Board of Education. 
 
 2. That this board of education shall ap- 
 point the State Superintendent of Public 
 Instruction, who shall serve at the pleasure 
 of the board, and be subject to its direction 
 and instruction. 
 
 3. That these changes be introduced in 
 the organic laws of the State at the earliest 
 date that is practicable. 
 
 To this entire reform the then Superin- 
 tendent of Public Instruction, Neil Gilmour, 
 was persistentl)- opposed. Both in pri\-ate 
 conversation and in public utterances and 
 acts, this opposition was manifest. This is 
 conspicuous in his remarks before the Na- 
 tional Educational Association at its session 
 in Washington in Dec, 1877. The Dep- 
 uty Superintendent, also the editor of a 
 daily journal at Albany, as early as 1874 
 fiercely attacked gentlemen of purest char- 
 acter and widest educational experience, 
 who were laboring to effect wise legislation 
 in the interests of reform. His conduct and 
 utterances had shown him to be in thorough 
 sympathy with the superintendent himself 
 
 It was at this stage of public discussion 
 that strong efforts were made to discontinue 
 the Normal School system in the State of 
 New York. The friends of the system ral- 
 lied and succeeded in appointing a commit- 
 tee to investigate and report to the legisla- 
 ture. Upon this committee was placed 
 Hon. John I. Gilbert, of St. Lawrence, who 
 was very zealous in defense of the s)-stem, 
 and to whom more than to iiny other one 
 man is due its defense and salvation from 
 the attacks of its adversaries. During the 
 legislative session of 1880 Mr. Gilbert was 
 a candidate for the office of Superintendent 
 of Public Instruction as against Neil Gil- 
 mour, the then incumbent, and Dr. Hoose 
 advocated the election of Mr. Gilbert. 
 
 On the 28th day of the following June, 
 (1880) Mr. Gilmour, the superintendent, 
 wrote Dr. Hoose demanding his peremptory 
 resignation of the principalship of the Cort- 
 land Normal School. The suddenness and 
 unexpectedness of this demand was start- 
 ling to everybody. It was the more strange 
 because no charges had been made, and most 
 positive commendations of his management 
 had been repeatedh' made. Dr. Hoose 
 replied to the superintendent, declining to 
 resign, and the local board, after notification 
 of this action by Mr. Gilmour, inquired of 
 him whether, and what charges had been 
 preferred. Thus began the Cortland Nor- 
 mal .School controversy, that has become so 
 famous and that was watched with deep in- 
 terest by the educators of New York. 
 
 On the 1 2th day of July, 1880, Mr. Gil- 
 mour wrote to the local board, also to Dr. 
 Hoose, purporting to withdraw his approval 
 of the further emplo)-ment of Dr. Hoose in 
 the Normal School. To this communication 
 the lof al board replied by stating their non- 
 concurrence with the superintendent in the 
 removal of Dr. Hoose, and expressing their 
 opinion of the eminent fitness of that gen- 
 tleman for his responsible office. The issue 
 betw'een the local board and the superin- 
 tendent was thus distinctly made : the for- 
 mer holding that the joint concurrence of 
 the superintendent and the local board was 
 necessary to the removal of teachers who 
 had already been appointed ; the latter hold- 
 ing (and this was the oijinion of the Attor- 
 ney General) that in the superintendent re- 
 sided the sole power of removal. 
 
 The local board refused to recognize the 
 appointment of a successor to Dr. Hoose, 
 holding that as no vacancy had occurred, no 
 new principal could be appointed. Notice 
 was served by the superintendent upon the 
 other teachers of the .school, ordering them 
 to report to his appointee. Si.x obeyed this 
 summons, while si.x continued in the school 
 
James Harmon Hoose. 
 
 481 
 
 under the direction of tlie local board. The 
 six vacancies were supplied, and the year 
 opened as usual under the principalship of 
 Dr. Hoose. Persistent attempts were made 
 by Mr. Gilmour to interfere with the pros- 
 perity of the school by withholding the cer- 
 tificates of the appointments of students that 
 had been made b\- the county authorities, 
 by diverting the students to other Normal 
 Schools, and by withdrawing his approval of 
 the further employment of the six teachers 
 who had continued under the local board. 
 
 On the 7th da)- of September, 1880, the 
 superintendent peremptorily ordered the 
 School to be closed, which order the local 
 board declined to obe\', since at that time 
 nearly six hundred pupils, many of whom 
 were from distant parts of the State were in 
 actual attendance, and eminent legal coun- 
 sel had expressed the opinion that the su- 
 perintendent had no right or authority to 
 close said school. At the same time, how- 
 ever, a proposition was maile to Mr. Gil- 
 mour to submit the questions of difference 
 to the Supreme Court and get its early judg- 
 ment thereon. This reasonable proposi- 
 tion was rejected at first, then accepted 
 w'ith threatening conditions, but afterwards 
 again rejected b}' the superintendent. 
 
 On the 7th day of February, 1881, the 
 superintendent caused to be served upon 
 the local board a peremptory writ of man- 
 damus issued by the Supreme Court to 
 compel said board immediately to terminate 
 the employment of Dr. Hoose and recog- 
 nize the appointee of the superintendent. 
 This mandamus was issued b)' the Court 
 solely on the ground that the superintendent 
 had withdrawn his approval of said Hoose ; 
 the merits of the case were in no sense can- 
 vassed. Dr. Hoose immediately retired 
 from the principalship under protest, not 
 resigning but only waiting the final deci- 
 sions of the courts. For some months he was 
 engaged as superintendent of the public 
 
 schools at Binghamton, where his efficient 
 services were greatly prized. 
 
 On the 18th day of April, 1882, the 
 Court of Appeals by decision set aside the 
 order of the Supreme Court that had 
 granteil the mandamus, and declared Dr. 
 Hoose the legal principal of said Normal 
 School, which declaration was duly filed 
 April 26th, 1882. Immediately after this 
 decision had been rendered Dr. Hoose re- 
 sumed his duties as principal to the great 
 gratification of the educators of the State. 
 This decision of the Court of Appeals was 
 made the ground of a claim against the 
 State for the amount of salaries due Dr. 
 Hoose and the teachers w ho had acted with 
 him in the interval between their ejection 
 Feb. 7th, 1 88 1, and their restoration April 
 26th, 1 88 1. On May 3d, 1884, the Board 
 of Claims, after careful review of the case, 
 awarded the salaries, amounting to $10,- 
 217.81, and on the 24th day of May, 1884, 
 Gov. Cleveland signed the bill making ap- 
 propriation to pay the award of the Board 
 of Claims. Thus ended this famous con- 
 troversy. 
 
 Amid it all Dr. Hoose maintained a dig- 
 nity and quietude truly admirable. The per- 
 sistence of the attack upon him (for this was 
 the real animus of the entire movement) 
 was only equaled by the coolness and earn- 
 estness of the defense. At no stage of the 
 controversy did he loose courage ; for he 
 firmly believed that the law of the Empire 
 State had not been so loosely framed as to 
 permit the interests of great institutions of 
 her own founding to be imperiled by the 
 caprice or the animosity of a single officer. 
 
 To him and to the local board do all the 
 teachers of the State owe a debt of gratitude. 
 The decisions resulting from the contro- 
 versy have given greater dignity to the 
 teacher's profession, and have done away 
 with a craven spirit of fear that must oth- 
 erwise have taken possession of all teachers 
 
482 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 in the public schools. Those decisions have 
 also showed that the State will carefully 
 guard the reputation and interests of its 
 faithful school servants, and will curb the 
 hasty action of nervous or jealous officials, 
 who would attempt to curb generous and 
 manly discussion of public questions. 
 
 THE FREER FAMILY. The imme- 
 diate ancestors of this prominent Cort- 
 land county family was John A. Freer, who, 
 with liis wife, Racliacl De Puy Freer, daugh- 
 ter of Joseph and Mary Ue Puy, of Roch- 
 ester, Ulster couuty, N. Y., with his family 
 of three children, started on the 1st day of 
 November, 1802, for Homer (then in On- 
 ondaga county), now Cortland county, N. Y. 
 The family came by the way of Kingston, 
 Catskill, Coxsackie, Albanj', Schenectady. 
 Kaghnawaga, Utica, Wampsville, Manlius, 
 Pompey Hill (then called Butler Hill). One 
 team was driven by the hired man, and the 
 other by Joseph De Puy, jr., a brother of 
 Mrs. Freer. There were also in this com- 
 pany, Maria De Puy, a sister of Mrs. Freer, 
 and a hired man named Jacobus Clearwater. 
 The night John A. Freer reached Butler 
 Hill, he bought a cow for twenty dollars. 
 Upon reaching the north part of Homer 
 they stayed at the house of Peter Vander- 
 lyne; this was on Saturday night, and the 
 next day they came to the now village of 
 Cortland (then consisting of only one house), 
 where they attended meeting under the 
 preaching of Rev. Nathan Darrow. In the 
 afternoon of the same day they reached 
 their destination and located on the south- 
 cast corner of lot 74. This land he had 
 previously purchased, but to his great dis- 
 appointment found no house in which to 
 take shelter. This was on the 13th day of 
 November. He had been on the road thir- 
 teen days. The snow on the morning of their 
 arrival was eight inches deep, and with no 
 house for the family nor shelter for the 
 
 teams the outlook was indeed cold and 
 gloomy. It was the wish of Mrs. Freer, 
 that the tents should be taken from the 
 wagon and set up by the side of a large 
 hollow stump, but it was finally decided 
 that they would stop at the house of Na- 
 thaniel Knapp, whose family consisted only 
 of himself, wife and child ; but the cabin 
 was only 18 by 20 feet — certainly not a 
 very commodious one — but here they 
 found shelter until a log house could be 
 built ; this, however, was commenced the 
 very next day. But the house was without 
 a door, had few boards overhead, no win- 
 dows save holes in the sides of the cabin 
 covered with blankets, and lacked many 
 other conveniences we would now consider 
 as indispensable to housekeeping. 
 
 The neighbors at this time were the 
 Messrs. Lee, Budd, Chase, Morse, Scott, 
 and the two Mr. Knapps. Upon the 
 morning after the removal into the new 
 quarters, Anthony Freer was standing 
 about two rods from the door place, when 
 an animal passed by. He ran to tell his 
 mother that a large black hog was near the 
 house, but the tracks of the animal proved 
 it to be a bear, which had passed within 
 two rods of the boy. 
 
 John A. Freer and his hired man next 
 built a hovel of logs and covered it with 
 poles and brush, large enough to shelter the 
 teams and the cow. After this the}- con-^ 
 structed a fire hearth in the cabin to burn 
 wood, and after making some other simple 
 provisions for the further comfort of the 
 family, Mr. P'reer started out to return to 
 his former home to get his sleigh and another 
 load of goods. He started on Christmas 
 day, 1802, and took his hired man with 
 him, intending to be gone but three weeks, 
 going by the way of Oxford. When he 
 reached Unadilla the snow had melted off 
 the ground antl he was forced to»leavc his 
 small wood sled and go on horseback. 
 
The Frei:r F"amily. 
 
 483 
 
 Upon reaching his destination he had to 
 wait until tlic last week in February before 
 he could start on his return, and reached 
 home on the 3d of March following. 
 This long absence of the father, without 
 word of any kind, naturally caused much 
 uneasiness on the part of the wife, and 
 was to her a trying time, with no earthly 
 protector save a faithful dog and the kind 
 assistance of the neighbors, and from the 
 Lee family especiall3^ She spent these 
 three months almost in solitude, save the 
 howling of wolves at night and the storm 
 and wind by day, around the newly con- 
 structed log house ; yet her faith and cour- 
 age was equal to the emergency. All kinds 
 of conjectures had been indulged in as to 
 what had become of the father. With no 
 mails, and no post-office nearer tlian Onon- 
 daga, it seemed an impossibility for her to 
 obtain news ^\■ithout going in search of it her- 
 self with three small children, the oldest but 
 seven j'cars of age. She began to make 
 preparations to return in quest of her hus- 
 band. Difficulties, however, (and the main 
 one was in selling her cow — the difference 
 of two dollars in the price decided her to 
 stay), prevented the consummation of her 
 plans, and before the day of her departure 
 was at hand she was joyfully surprised by 
 the return of her husband. 
 
 The family of John A. Freer and wife 
 consisted often children, two of whom died 
 in infancy. The remaining eight were 
 named as follows, Maria, Anthony, Jane 
 Low, Joseph De Puy, Catherine R., John 
 James, Sarah R. and Stephen Decatur. 
 Maria, the eldest, was married to Lj'man 
 Mailer)- in 1817, and removed to Seneca 
 county, where she died in 1845, leaving two 
 children; the youngest, Elias De Puy Mal- 
 lery, now lives in Cortland village. An- 
 thony, a sketch of whose life is given herein. 
 Jane Low died in 1883. Joseph De Puy, 
 who was atlmitted to practice at law in 
 
 1834, as attorney and solicitor in Chancery 
 and as counselor in the Supreme Court in 
 1838, died in 1850. Catherine R., who still 
 owns property and resides there. John 
 James, the fifth son, spent his life in Cort- 
 land county as a farmer. He was a man 
 of strong constitution, excellent habits and 
 successfully accomplished whatever he un- 
 dertook. He was twice married, his first 
 wife being Alice Whitney, who died leav- 
 ing a family of five boys; four now are liv- 
 ing. He afterward married a Mrs. Tarble, 
 of Freetown, by whom he had four chil- 
 dren, three of whom survive him. He died 
 in October, 1 884. Sarah R. , widow of James 
 W. Sturtevant, whose biography appears 
 in this work, still resides in Cortland. 
 
 John A. F"reer and wife were both active 
 members of the Presbyterian Church, and 
 were among the original members on form- 
 ing the first Presbyterian Church and So- 
 ciety, which consisted of only seven mem- 
 bers on its organization. 
 
 John A. Freer died in 1826, and Rachel 
 Freer died in 1852. 
 
 Anthoxv Freer was the second child 
 of John A. P^rccr and Rachael De Puy 
 Freer and was born August 21st, 1797. 
 His parentage on both sides can be traced 
 back to the Huguenots, who came to this 
 country about the year 16S0, on account of 
 religious persecutions. 
 
 Anthony Freer spent his early life on his 
 father's farm on lot 74, about one mile 
 south of the village of Cortland. He was 
 the oldest of the family of boys, and re- 
 ceived his education from the limited schools 
 then afforded in a newly settled country. 
 While a young man and years before his 
 father's death (which occurred in 1826) he 
 was noted as a man of strong mind, and of 
 positive character, and possessed of a re- 
 markably retentive memory. He was fre- 
 quently employed by drovers of hogs, cat- 
 tle and horses, and made a number of trips 
 
484 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 to New York, Hartford, Connecticut and 
 other routes cast, and it has been said he 
 could remember every mile board on the old 
 Newburg and Catskill turnpikes after one of 
 his trips. His career as a farmer was con- 
 tinued ver)' successful!}- until 1837, at which 
 time he engaged in the fountlry business in 
 Cortland village. 
 
 He was active and energetic in the va- 
 rious callings of life. He was a strong sup- 
 porter of common schools and of the various 
 interests connected with the growth of the 
 village. He was also active in politics and 
 a warm supporter of the Democratic party. 
 In 1828 he was one of the first in securing 
 a division of the town of Homer, going to 
 Albany as a lobby member for this purpose. 
 He held the offices of county treasurer and 
 superintendent of the poor at various times 
 and was surrogate of the county from 1836 
 to 1840, and from 1844 to 1847, when the 
 new constitution went into effect requiring 
 the office of surrogate and county judge to 
 be consolidated and to be held by a prac- 
 ticing lawyer. He was an active member 
 of the county agricultural society from its 
 organization and in 1852 was elected its 
 president. His associates in the political 
 field were such men as Wm. Mallery, John 
 Gillctt, General Hathaway, Oliver King- 
 man, William Bartlett, and men of that 
 stamp, all of whom were always present at 
 the preliminary meetings and wise in their 
 counsels. 
 
 His motto and principle was always to do 
 right, and never would consent to yield his 
 principles of right and justice for expedi- 
 ency or policy under any circumstances 
 whatever. 
 
 Mr. Freer was also an active member 
 of the Presbyterian church of Cortland vil- 
 lage, and served efficiently as trustee of this 
 society for many years. He died September 
 1 2th, 1 87 1. He was a bachelor and spent 
 sixty-nine years of his earthi}' pilgrimage 
 
 in this place. As stated by the Rev. Mr. 
 Howe in his funeral discourse: "He has 
 been in our midst watching as he was able to 
 do the growth and development of the place 
 through all the successive stages of its pro- 
 gress to the attainment of its present pros- 
 perity and beauty ; with whose history he 
 has been identified and to whose prosperity 
 we may well believe he has in no small de- 
 gree contributed." 
 
 He also bears testimony to his honesty and 
 integrity in the following words: "After- 
 wards he was with his brother (Stephen D. 
 Freer), for a term of years, engaged largely 
 and prosperously in business, building up 
 and carrying forward one of the most im- 
 portant manufacturing enterprises of the 
 place, in the conduct of which, and in all 
 his business transactions, he bears an un- 
 blemished reputation for incorruptible in- 
 tegrity and honesty. That he was a truly 
 honest man is the verdict of all, from which 
 perhaps no dissent was ever uttered." 
 
 Joseph De Puy Freer. — At the open- 
 ing of the Cortland County Circuit, June 
 13th, 1850, Horatio Ballard, in a few ap- 
 propriate remarks, announced the death of 
 Joseph De Puy Freer, — formerly, and till 
 his death, a member of the bar of the 
 county, and recommended a meeting of the 
 lawyers at the court-house that day for the 
 purpose of paying a proper respect to the 
 memory of the deceased. In pursuance of 
 this recommendation, a meeting was held 
 at the appointed time when it was 
 
 Resolved, That we have received with deep 
 regret information of the death of Joseph De 
 Puy Freer, Esq., for several years a member of 
 the bar of Cortland county. 
 
 Resolved, That the amiable deportment, 
 known firmness of character, unblemished integ- 
 rity, and the legal attainments of the deceased, 
 had jusdy acquired for him the regard and re- 
 spect of the community and more especially of 
 the profession who was most intimately associa- 
 ted with him, and insures that his name and 
 character will long be remembered and respected. 
 
The Freer Family. 
 
 485 
 
 Resolved, That as a mark of respect for the 
 memory of the deceased, wc will wear the usual 
 badge of mourning for thirty days. 
 
 Resolved, That wc sympathize with the rela- 
 tives of the deceased in the loss which they have 
 sustained, and that a copy of these resolutions 
 be communicated to them." 
 
 These resolutions were also published in 
 the newspapers and the members of the bar 
 also attended the funeral in a body. Henry 
 Stephens was chairman of the meeting and 
 Lewis Kingsley- was secretary. 
 
 This expression of his professional asso- 
 ciates is, perhaps, the most deserved and 
 just tribute that we can here pay to the 
 memory of Joseph De Puy Freer. His loss 
 to the village was looked upon by the com- 
 munity as one that could scarcely be re- 
 paired. Had he lived he would, without a 
 doubt, have attained an eminent position 
 before the public and won a still larger cir- 
 cle of friends. 
 
 Stephen Decatur Freer, the young- 
 est of the ten children, was born in 181 5, 
 and has passed his already long life in Cort- 
 land. His younger days were spent on his 
 father's farm. When fourteen years of age he 
 began attendance at the village school, and 
 attended for one year the high school kept 
 there by Orlin Oatnam, on the plan of the 
 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, of Troy. 
 As an indication of his proficiency in study, 
 it is related that he was called on while a boy 
 in school at fourteen, by Samuel Hotchkiss, 
 then county clerk, to make a map of the 
 then town of Homer, locating in full the lot 
 boundaries, roads, streams, business points, 
 etc. This map was made and was used in 
 procuring the subsequent di\isi(in of the 
 town. 
 
 At the age of seventeen Mr. l'"rccr en- 
 tered the postoffice, then kept by Canfield 
 Marsh, as a clerk and apprentice at the hat 
 finishing trade. He did not remain there 
 long, however, and in 1834 entered Gene- 
 ral Randall's store on the southwest corner 
 
 of Main and Tompkins streets, as a clerk. 
 In 1837 he went into the employ of his 
 brother, Anthony, in the foundry business, 
 and in 1838 the firm of A. & S. D. Freer 
 was formed. They conducted tiie foundry 
 and a large hardware store until 1861, when 
 they sold their goods to Chamberlain & 
 Benton. In the mean time he had engaged 
 in the coal trade, upon the opening of 
 the S., B. & N. Y. railroad, in 1854, and 
 also conducted that business until 1865. 
 He was a member of the firm of Sears, 
 Freer & Cottrell, organized in 1864, who 
 manufactured flax-seed oil in the old paper- 
 mill for a few years ; and entered the coal 
 business again, after the failure of this in- 
 dustry to prove a success, in 1873. His 
 last venture proved a decided success, and 
 in 1874 he purchased the large frame build- 
 ing on the corner of Railroad street and the 
 S. B. & N. Y. railroad, where he success- 
 fully continued in this business until Au- 
 gust, 1883, when he removed to the new 
 coal buildings and offices just completed, 
 opposite the Cortland Wagon Company's 
 works. The buildings arc the finest in this 
 section, the coal pocket structure being one 
 hundred and eighty-eight feet in length and 
 forty-eight feet in height, with a capacity 
 for dumping fifteen cars at one time. It 
 is supplied with all the improvements in 
 screens, sie\es, etc., for preparing the coal 
 without labor while loading on wagons, and 
 is a model of its kind. 
 
 Mr. Freer was married in 1841 to Miss 
 Sarah M. De Puy, of Ulster county, N. Y. 
 She was a daughter of Joseph De Puy, jr. 
 They have four children. 
 
 Mr. Freer has been a resident of Cort- 
 land for three-score and ten years and 
 has been a member of the Presbyterian 
 Church for a long period. I Ic was the chief 
 officer of the County Agricultural Society, 
 and it was mainl)- through his influence 
 that the fair grounds were purchased and 
 
486 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 the temporary buildings erected in 1858. 
 In 1S62 he was again elected chief officer, 
 when he successfully planned and carried 
 into effect the erection of the buildings now 
 on the ground, and was re-elected in 1863. 
 I !c has always been noted for his energy and 
 activity "in all things that have demanded 
 his attention. It has been aptly said that 
 with him, " The best is never too good." 
 This may account, in a measure, for the rep- 
 utation he has always had, of keeping the 
 best of goods in his store, while his charac- 
 ter for integrity secured a rapid extension 
 of business. When he left the foundry and 
 hardware business in i86i,»he had 2,200 
 names on his books, and unsettled accounts 
 of about $1 1,000. Of this amount he has 
 collected but about $l,000. 
 
 AZOR LEROY COLE is a grandson of 
 General Azor Cole, a Revolutionary 
 soldier and pioneer settler of South Cortland. 
 He came from Albany to Cortland on horse- 
 back in (|uest of what was to be his future 
 home. This journey was made at a time 
 when there were but three houses in the vil- 
 lage ; the old pioneer's last da\-'s ritle was 
 fifty miles, and upon reaching the place he 
 made the statement that he was seventy- 
 five years old and could "throw any man 
 in the county, square hold." 
 
 1 lis wife had died before he started for his 
 new home. She had experienced the hor- 
 rors of Indian warfare during the Revolu- 
 tionary struggle ; at one time she was driven 
 from her home by the savages and slept dur- 
 ing the severe blast of a wintry night with 
 her two sons in a hole she had dug under 
 the side of a great log in the forest. These 
 two sons were John, the father of the sub- 
 ject of this sketch, and Azor, both of whom 
 came with their father to this place and set- 
 tled on the farm now owned in part by R. 
 B. Smith. 
 
 General Azor Cole was a remarkabl)' well 
 
 preserved man, straight as a reed, and lived 
 to be ninety- nine years and nine months 
 old. He was the first man, in this section 
 at least, to discover the process of making 
 quicklime. The opportunity was afforded 
 him by an accident. They had fallen some 
 heavy timber into a small pond and upon its 
 being "snaked" out to be burned, drew 
 forth upon it some of the marl which had 
 been deposited at the bott(.)m of the pond. 
 When the timber was burned it was noticed 
 by him that the marl was changed to quick- 
 lime, and thereafter a kiln was built and the 
 business followed some time by Mr. Cole 
 and his sons. 
 
 John Cole, son of Azor, married for his 
 first wife Joanna Edgecomb, and for his 
 second wife Betsy McNish. The)' reared a 
 large family of children, si.x of whom are 
 still living, two only — Harrison De Loss 
 and A. Leroy — residing in the count)-. 
 
 John Cole was in the War of 18 12, him- 
 self and his horses having been impressed 
 into the service for the transportation of 
 army supplies. He was a mason by trade 
 and li\'ed in South Cortland until he went 
 to Penns)'lvania, where he died in 1850 at 
 the age of eighty-eight years. 
 
 Azor Leroy Cole was born in South Cort- 
 land Aug. 13th, 1828. Here he spent his 
 early life, with limited school advantages, 
 and working most of the time for Swain & 
 Crandall, in the manufacture of lime. In 
 1855 he worked one year at Pokeville for 
 Palmer & Gleason in a door and sash fac- 
 tory. He then came to Cortland village and 
 for three years was baggageman at the Syra- 
 cuse & Binghamton railroad station. During 
 the following year he was clerk for Stephen 
 D. Freer in his hardware stoor, at the close 
 of which term his partnership was formed 
 with G. N. Copeland and James A. Scher- 
 merhorn under the firm name of Copeland 
 & Co. ; this firm carried on the grocery 
 trade successfully for si.x years. ^Ir. Cole 
 
AzoR Leroy Cole. — Dr. Caleb Green. 
 
 487 
 
 then removed to his present residence 
 (1866) and has since that time managed the 
 large real estate interests of William R. 
 Randall. 
 
 Mr. Cole was elected trustee of the village 
 in 1 86 1, which office he has held three 
 terms. He is a trustee of the Savings 
 Bank, Cortland, and is also one of the 
 trustees of the Cortland Rural Cemetery ; 
 he is president of the Cortland County Bi- 
 ble Society. He became a member of the M. 
 E. Church in 1854 and has been a trustee 
 and class-leader ever since. He has also 
 filled the position of usher for twenty-eight 
 years and has been superintendent of the 
 Sabbath-school for many years. His work 
 in the church has been of a positive and im- 
 portant character, especially in relation to 
 the Sabbath-schools; and his labors have also 
 been effective in building up country Sabbath 
 schools and in reclaiming the misguided and 
 ill-spent time of young men. His wife is 
 also an earnest Christian worker and a wo- 
 man of most estimable qualities, whose ac- 
 quaintanceship and esteem are highly prized 
 by all who know her. Her name was Pa- 
 melia C. Richardson, daughter of James 
 Richardson, who came from Broome county 
 and entered the employ of Mr. Randall, 
 under whose tuition Mrs. Cole was reared. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Cole were married March 8th, 
 1854, and have had two children — George 
 L., deceased, and William Randall Cole, a 
 promising lad of fifteen years. 
 
 DR. CALEB GREEN was born in La 
 Fayette, Onondaga county, N. Y., No- 
 vember 14th, 1 8 19. On the paternal side he 
 was of English extraction ; on the maternal, 
 Scotch. He is of patriotic blood, his grand- 
 fathers having both fought in the War of the 
 Revolution, — one of them beginning with 
 the battle of Bunker Hill and the siege of 
 Boston, was in the battles of Bennington, 
 Saratoga, White Plains, and other engage- 
 
 ments of that historic struggle. His father 
 was a soldier of the war of 1812. 
 
 From a volume published in Philadelphia 
 in 1877, entitled The Physicians and Sicr- 
 gcons of the United States, w-e gather some 
 of the following facts in Dr. Green's his- 
 tory : Being the son of a farmer, he had the 
 usual experiences of a farmer's boy — hard 
 work and a plenty of it, and a training in 
 the habits of frugality and rigid economy. 
 
 His early education was obtained in the 
 " freeman's college " — the common school. 
 He also attended the La Fayette High 
 School, and afterwards the old Cortland 
 Academy in its palmy days, under the man- 
 agement of that prince of educators, the 
 late Dr. Samuel B. Woolworth. 
 
 In the winter of 1840-41, while teaching 
 a select school in his native village, he com- 
 menced the study of medicine, which he 
 afterwards pursued in the office and under 
 the instruction of Dr. Frank H. Hamilton, 
 at that time Professor of Surgery in Geneva 
 Medical College. He attended three courses 
 of lectures in that college, acting, a portion 
 of the time, as prosector to the professor of 
 surgery. He graduated, receiving his de- 
 gree of Doctor of Medicine, January 23d, 
 
 1844. 
 
 In March, 1844, he entered on the prac- 
 tice of his profession in Homer, where he 
 has since remained. 
 
 He took an active part in the organiza- 
 tion of the Medical Association of Southern 
 Central New York in 1847, and issued the 
 circular as chairman of the committee ap- 
 pointed by the County Medical Society to 
 call a convention for the purpose of such 
 organization. From 1849 to 1855 he was its 
 Recording Secretary, and edited its Trans- 
 actions. In 1S48, at the request of the 
 president of the association, ho read a report 
 on Vital Statistics, with special reference to 
 the climatic and hygienic conditions of tlie 
 valley of the Tioughnioga. In 1849, as 
 
488 
 
 HisTORV OF Cortland County. 
 
 chairman of the committee appointed to re- 
 port on "The (juaHfications requisite for 
 commencing the study of medicine," he 
 presented one of the earliest essays pub- 
 h'shed in this coimtry on a subject which 
 was then beginning to interest and stimu- 
 late the medical profession. This paper 
 was published in the Transactions and re- 
 viewed, with cnmnicndations, in some of the 
 journals. 
 
 As an undergraduate, in 1843, he had 
 publisheil in tlie Boston Medical and Sur- 
 gical Journal an essay on " Epidemic In- 
 fluenzas, with special reference to the Epi- 
 demic of 1843," which he had clinically 
 studied. 
 
 In the same journal, in 1845, he pub- 
 lished his thesis "On the Functions of the 
 Oblique Muscles of the Eye," based on orig- 
 inal investigations. 
 
 He became a member of the Cortland 
 County Medical Society in 1845, and was 
 elected its president in 1852. The subject 
 of his annual address in 1853 was "The 
 Physician a NaturaHst," and by vote of 
 the society a copy of the address was com- 
 municated to the State Medical Society, and 
 by it published in its Transactions for 1853. 
 In 1S54 he was elected delegate to the 
 State Medical Society for four years, and in 
 1858 was elected a permanent member of 
 that society. In 1862 he was again elected 
 president of the Count}- Medical Society. 
 He became a member of the American 
 Medical Association in 1853. In i860, 
 1870 and 1880 he w\as a delegate from the 
 New York State Medical Society to the 
 National Convention for Re\ ising the United 
 States I'harmacopa-ia — acon\'ention which 
 meets dccenniall}- in Washington, D. C^ 
 In 1881-82 he was president of the Central 
 New York Medical Association. At the 
 organization of the New York State Med- 
 icah Association, in February, 1884, he was 
 elected its Recording Secretary. In 1870, 
 
 on the retirement of the late venerable Dr. 
 George VV. Bradford as Secretary of the 
 County Medical Society, an ofifice in which 
 he had most efficiently served the society for 
 forty- five years consecutively, Dr. Green 
 was chosen as his successor, a position 
 which he has held for the last fourteen 
 years. 
 
 In 1855 he was appointed to the profes- 
 sorship of Materia Medica and General 
 Pathology in Geneva Medical College. In 
 1858 there was a re-classification of the de- 
 partments in the college, and he was ap- 
 pointed to the chair of Physiology and Pa- 
 thology. In March, 1862, he resigned this 
 professorship, but was afterward offered the 
 chair of Obstetrics, but declined. In 1872, 
 on the organization of the medical depart- 
 ment of Syracuse University, he was elected 
 to the chair of Obstetrics and Diseases of 
 Women and Children, but did not accept it, 
 as he preferred to devote himself entirely to 
 the practice of his profession. 
 
 Some years ago Madison University con- 
 ferred on him the honorary degree of Mas- 
 ter of Arts. 
 
 Dr. Green has devoted some attention to 
 various departments of natural science, as 
 leisure has permitted, never allowing the 
 fascinations of their pursuit to encroach on 
 his strictl}- professional duties. In this mat- 
 ter he has alwaj's sacrificed his tastes and 
 inclinations to the obligations of his calling, 
 which have daily pressed upon him. Hence 
 he has never taken time for original investi- 
 gations. He has, however, kept his eyes 
 attentively open to the book of nature, 
 wherever its pages ha\e [Presented them- 
 selves, and whatever accumulations, either 
 in the literature or the field work of natural 
 history, have been acquired, are the result 
 of patient industry during the few leisure 
 moments which have occasionally come to 
 him. 
 
 Many years ago he was elected an hon- 
 
Dr. Caleb Green. — Samuel G. Hatiiewav. 
 
 489 
 
 orary member of the Buffalo Natural His- 
 tory Society. Ill 1879 he became a mem- 
 ber of the American Association for the 
 Advancement of Science, and in 1882 he 
 was elected a member of the American So- 
 ciety of Microscopists. He is also a mem- 
 ber of the Central New York Microscopical 
 Club. 
 
 For about twenty years he has been much 
 of the time connected with the school 
 boards, — first as a trustee of Cortland 
 Academy, and for the last few years as a 
 member of the board of education of the 
 Homer Academy and Union School. 
 
 In addition to an ample library, riv.h not 
 only in the old medical classics, for which 
 he has a penchant, but also in the latest 
 modern treatises, with transactions of med- 
 ical societies, and other serials, he provides 
 his office with several of the leading med- 
 ical and scientific journals, thus keeping 
 himself posted in whatever is new of prac- 
 tical interest in his profession as well as in 
 general science. 
 
 On the 8th of September, 1845, Dr. Green 
 was married to Miss Roxanna R. Parsons, 
 of Northampton, Mass., for several years a 
 teacher under Mary Lyon in Mt. Holyoke 
 Female Seminary. They have had three 
 children. The first dying in infincy, the 
 youngest, Frederick Hyde Green, dying at 
 the age of five years and six months. The 
 second son, Dr. Frank Hamilton Green, 
 graduated at the College of Medicine of 
 Syracuse University in June, 1882. 
 
 Dr. Green, after forty years of accumu- 
 lated experience and hard work, is still, day 
 and night, pursuing the active duties of his 
 profession. 
 
 MAJ.-GEN. SAMUEL G. HATHE- 
 WAY.i The death of one of the found- 
 ers of our county, who, for more than half 
 
 1 From the Memorial, ]iubli.she(l by the late Hon. 
 Henry S. Raiulall, in 1867. 
 
 a century, took a leading part in its affairs 
 — of a man whose life was a career of vicis- 
 situde, action and success — calls for some- 
 thing more than the usual brief obituary. 
 It is due to the deceased, and furnishes a 
 useful lesson to the living. 
 
 Samuel Gilbert Hatheway, was born in 
 Freetown, Bristol Co., Massachusetts, in 
 1780. His paternal ancestors emigrated 
 from Devonsliire, I-^ngland. Their descend- 
 ants were active, and frequently successful 
 business men, occupying prominent places 
 in the comnumit)'. His father and grand- 
 father were substantial farmers. His grand- 
 mother, in the paternal line, was a descend- 
 ant of Sir Humphrey (iilbert, the distin- 
 guished maritime explorer, and of William 
 Bradford, second governor of Plymoutii 
 Colony. His mother was descended from 
 the same families, and she counted among 
 her ancestors John Aldcn, of Plymouth, 
 who went a wooing for Miles Standish so 
 successful!} for himself} 
 
 The father of Samuel Gilbert Hatheway 
 died near the time of his birth, leaving him 
 to the care of his paternal grandfather. 1 1 is 
 grandmother and mother taught him in his 
 infancy, and at four years old he could read 
 the Bible. Both of these relatives were 
 superior women. The dignity, benevolence 
 and force of character possessed by his 
 grandmother, are yet remembered in neigh- 
 borhood tradition ; and were constantly re- 
 verted to by him to the end of his life. 
 
 iNathanid Gilbert, a descemlanl of Sir Humphrey, 
 married Welthca, a grantUlaiitjlUer of Governor Hrail- 
 ford. Their daughter Wellhea, or Wealthy I'.ilberl, 
 married l-:benezer Hatheway, and these were the grand- 
 liarents of Samuel tlilbert Hatheway. Ezra Chase, a de- 
 scendant of John Aldcn, married Jerusha Gilbert and 
 their daughter married Shadrach Hatheway. These 
 were the i)arenls of Samuel Gilbert Hatheway. He wa.s 
 a second son. His only brother was educated under the 
 care of the Rev. Mr. Andrews, and was a fine scholar. 
 Just as he reached manhood, he was lost at sea in the 
 vessel which heeomnianded. His only sister, .Mice, mar- 
 ried Walter Ucan, a farmer of \Vinds<ir. She died early, 
 leaving several children. 
 
490 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 When old enough the boy was sent to 
 scliool. He was an eager and ambitious 
 scholar and was oftenest of any at the head 
 of his class. He was a great favorite with 
 his uncles, one of them often predicting, in 
 a phrase of that day, that " he would cut a 
 wide breadth in the world." These were 
 happy days, but a sad change was approach- 
 ing. The uncle, Samuel Gilbert, who had 
 charged himself with the future care of the 
 young orphan, died. The Gilberts had been 
 mostly loyalists when the American Colo- 
 nies shook off their allegiance to the Crown ; 
 their estates had been confiscated ; and they 
 had retired to New Brunswick, where they 
 received a grant of land from the British 
 government. His uncles, on the father's 
 side, were in a situation where they might 
 have extended a helping hand to him, but 
 according to the ideas of those stern Puri- 
 tan times, they felt that it was every one's 
 duty to earn his own bread by the sweat of 
 his brow. At nine years old he left his 
 grandfather's house and became entirely 
 dependent upon his own exertions. 
 
 Of the period between this and his ma- 
 jority, we have few facts to record. He 
 lived with various persons, toiling hard, go- 
 ing to school winters, studying, and devour- 
 ing every book he could borrow, by the 
 light of kitchen fires, when the day's work 
 was over. His character was too robust to 
 sink under the change which had taken 
 place in his circumstances and prospects ; 
 he uttered no complaints and resolutely 
 performed his duties — but he deeply felt the 
 loneliness of his situation, and was wholly 
 unreconciled to his narrow and hopeless 
 mode of life. As he approached manhood 
 he tried different ways of bettering his con- 
 dition, and finally, influenced by the exam- 
 ple of an older brother, who had speedily 
 risen to the command of a vessel, went to 
 sea. But a single voyage to the West Indies 
 disgusted him with his sea-faring life. 
 
 Having now by careful saving laid up a 
 small store of money, he resolved to join 
 the tide of emigration which was then pour- 
 ing from New England into the western 
 wilderness. Standing on the hill that looks 
 down on the village of Assonet, in his na- 
 tive town, he said, " I shall probably never 
 see this place again ; the wide world is be- 
 fore me and I will be a man in it." He 
 then walked to Windsor, took leave of his 
 mother and sister, purchased him a stout 
 roadster, and set out. 
 
 Toil had knit and privation had hardened 
 his sinewy frame until it was almost insen- 
 sible to fatigue, hunger and exposure. His 
 morals were pure, his will firm, his self re- 
 liance great, and the key note of his life 
 had been sounded on the hill of Assonet. 
 Thus he entered upon manhood. 
 
 It was in 1 803 that he turned his horse's 
 head westward, and after some days' riding 
 through the forests of Central New York, 
 he reached Chenango count)', where he set- 
 tled. Two years after he removed to Cin- 
 cinnatus, in Onondaga county. In 1808 
 Cortland county was organized and em- 
 braced that town. He first purchased three 
 hundred acres of land, thus incurring what 
 was then regarded as a great load of debt. 
 There was a small new clearing on the place 
 and a log house. Otherwise he was in the 
 midst of the primeval forest — his nearest 
 neighbor being some miles distant. As 
 soon as he could get together a stock of 
 provisions, he sent for his mother and two 
 orphan nieces — daughters of his only sister 
 — and they lived with him until the nieces 
 married, and the mother died. She sur- 
 vived until 1826. 
 
 His early experiences in the wiklerness 
 were those of all our pioneers. It recjuired 
 a sharp struggle to obtain their plain food 
 and raiment. The commonest comforts of 
 life were scanty, and lu.xuries undreampt of 
 But he was now eating the blessed bread of 
 
Samuel G. Hatheway. 
 
 491 
 
 independence and hope, and he toiled on 
 stoutly and cheerfully, felling the forest and 
 enlarging his cultivated fields. Every set- 
 tler was compelled to place his domestic 
 animals in high pens at night, to protect 
 them from the wolves. The Indians were 
 sometimes dangerous. Every man slept with 
 the gun and axe within the reach of his 
 hand. He never knew what it was to fear. 
 On one occasion an accident had exposed 
 his cattle to the wolves. Aroused at mid- 
 night by the near yells of a large pack, he 
 looked out and saw what had occurred. 
 The wolves were just seizing his stock. 
 Bidding two hired men wlio were sleeping 
 in the house to follow, he threw himself 
 among them armed only with a club. The 
 men dared not leave the house. He, there- 
 fore, fought on alone, holding the wild 
 beasts at bay until his animals were secured. 
 
 It was his custom to labor throughout 
 the entire day, and then if he had business 
 with others to transact, to transact it at 
 night. He thus often walked miles ^bare- 
 foot to save his shoes — through the forest, 
 dimly lit by the moon, wolves and panthers 
 uttering their cries around him. His in- 
 dustr\- and frugality were equaled by his 
 judgment in the farming and other business 
 of border life, and thus his plans prospered 
 and his property accumulated. 
 
 In 1808 he married Miss Sally Emerson, 
 of Solon, a woman well fitted by her energy 
 and providence to advance the interests of 
 such a husband — but beautiful, kindly, 
 and possessing a charity to this day warmly 
 remembered by her old townsmen. The 
 wife of a well known gentleman who was 
 present at her funeral says : "All the peo- 
 ple of the surrounding countr\- were as- 
 sembled. The funeral services were long 
 delayed. The multitude talked of nothing 
 else but the deceased. The women gath- 
 ered together in groups. Many of them 
 had experienced the sharp privations of 
 
 pioneer life. Each had a deed of mercy to 
 herself or to some of her household to pro- 
 claim. Who, they asked each other, will 
 now take care of the poor and the sick ? 
 They would then gaze at the corpse and 
 break out into lamentations." She died in 
 1832. 
 
 He received the commission of Justice of 
 the Peace, from the Council of Appoint- 
 ment, in 1 8 10, and continued to hold the 
 office by appointment or election for no less 
 than forty-eight consecutive years, and un- 
 til he declined to hold it an)' longer. The 
 explanation of so unusual a fact may be 
 found in the declaration made to us by a 
 gentleman who was long first judge of this 
 county, and who, in early life, often con- 
 ducted suits before him, then a political op- 
 ponent. He affirms that he was as inde- 
 pendent and impartial a magistrate, and de- 
 cidedly the ablest orte in this capacity, he 
 ever knew ; that he at once saw through the 
 facts and law of the case, and that no ability 
 or ingenuity on the part of lawyers could in 
 the least degree mislead or swerve him. 
 And our informant adds, that he never in a 
 single instance heard his fairness called in 
 question. There was no other town office, 
 to which a justice of the peace was eligible, 
 which he did not repeated!)- hold, and in all 
 he gave like satisfaction. 
 
 He represented Cortland county in the 
 legislature in 1814 and 1818. In the last 
 named year he procured a division of the 
 town of Cincinnatus, and the part of it in 
 which he resided fell witiiin the limits of 
 Freetown — named after his native town. 
 He removed to Solon in 1 8 19 where he con- 
 tinued for the remainder of his life. He was 
 elected to the State Senate in 1822, to Con- 
 gress in 1832, and was chosen a Presiden- 
 tial Elector in 1852. 
 
 In 1848 he married Miss Catharine Sax- 
 ton, of Groton, New York, and this excel- 
 lent and accomplished lady still survives. 
 
492 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 He was fond of military affairs, and rose 
 through the various grades of office until 
 he was coniinissioncd a Major-General in 
 1823. In this cajiacity he possessed largely 
 the confidence of the different State exec- 
 utives, and was often employed by them in 
 making those reorganizations and other 
 arrangements which became necessary to 
 carry out the various military laws enacted 
 during his long term of command. 
 
 15ut it was in politics that he most de- 
 lighted. He studied the principles of our 
 government and the history of parties from 
 his childhood. His family were Federalists, 
 but before he became a voter his views 
 became fi.xed on the other side. He prided 
 himself on casting his first vote for Jeffer- 
 son. He put on his armor in that terrible 
 war of passion, unequaled in intensity and 
 bitterness in our countr\-, and he never 
 took it off 
 
 He possessed the personal traits of lead- 
 ership. He was as firm as the li\'ing rock, 
 and possessed a tough, active persistency of 
 purpose which never slumbered and never 
 rested. Years might roll away — defeats 
 might come — but not even the sharp edge 
 of the resolve was blunted, or the tireless 
 .pursuit for a moment slackened. Few 
 could match him in soliil argument — we 
 never saw him excelled in the rough and 
 tumble encounter with opponents on elec- 
 tion day. His facts, his logic, and his wit 
 were equall)' rc'ad}'. The latter was some- 
 times rough enough, but it was always 
 scorching. He often turned the flank of a 
 prosy debater by a suilden sarcasm, which 
 stung like a barbed arrow, while the sur- 
 rounding crowd laughed down his discom- 
 fited adversary. 
 
 The years were but one long election 
 campaign to him. If victorious he imme- 
 diately commenced organizing to retain 
 victor)-. If beaten, the same hour saw him 
 up again, covering the retreat, rallj-ing the 
 
 broken squadrons, and preparing by every- 
 thing which judgment could devise or 
 ingenuity compass to win victory the ne.xt 
 time. 1 lis townsmen were devoted to him, 
 and how often their compact phalan.x 
 changed the fortunes of the day I Our 
 older citizens well remember the common 
 saying on an election evening, w hen reports 
 came in from one town after another of 
 Anti-Democratic victories: " Wait till you 
 hear from Solon !" About midnight would 
 be heard the tramp of horses — the cry, 
 " Solon is coming," the proclamation of its 
 vote in the deep bass notes of " the general " 
 — and the thundering shouts of the Demo- 
 crats over a victory " snatched from the 
 fire." 
 
 Gen, Hathewaj- had higher traits of lead- 
 ership. I ie was an acute judge of men, and 
 towartls those against whom his prejudices 
 were not excited, a sure one. He was too 
 much disposed, like all men of the same class 
 of character, to tmderrale opponents and 
 especially so if their talents were mi.xed with 
 certain classes of foibles, such, for example, 
 as assumption in the young, vanity in the old, 
 pompousness or foppery in any one. These 
 were gall and wormwood to tastes based on 
 the old Puritan models of manners, and ob- 
 scured fi'om his ken the better qualities 
 which sometimes lay below\ But among 
 friends he accurately estimated every one's 
 cajxicities and qualities, and knew just when 
 antl how f u' he could be trusted. This was 
 well known to Democratic executives and 
 the great party leaders. He almost con- 
 trolled the early executive appointments in 
 his district, and was rarely voted down in 
 the County, Senatorial and Congressional 
 Conventions which he so constantly at- 
 tended. Man_\- prominent men owed their 
 start in political life to him. Judge Nelson, 
 of the United States Supreme Court, who 
 commenceil his career as a law\'er in this 
 count\', told a member of the Onondasja bar 
 
Samuel G. Hatheway. 
 
 493 
 
 that " whatever he liad gained, he owed the 
 fouiuling of his fortunes to General Hathe- 
 way." Others but a Httle less prominent 
 could have trutlifully said the same. 
 
 But it \\as in the great councils of his 
 ]iart\- that he most markedly exhibited the 
 vigor of his mind and cliaracter. His creed 
 was the creed of Jefferson and the early 
 Democratic fathers, pure and simple. No 
 man had weighed every word, every letter, 
 the whole spirit and intent of it, or imder- 
 stood every iota of it, better than he : and 
 it sufficed him. He lo\-ed no new planks 
 in the platform — no hewing over or refitting 
 of old ones. When the times brought up 
 new questions and the necessity of new 
 party issues, few were so capable as he -to 
 decide what course best conformed to old 
 principles and established precedents ; and 
 to do this as strictly as possible was the 
 only political expediency he knew. He had 
 not a particle of the trimmer or time server 
 in his composition. No temporary popu- 
 larities or unpopularities daunted, or even 
 influenced him. The rage of popular ex- 
 citement fell on him like spray on the rock. 
 If adverse, it only strung to greater tension 
 his nerves of steel. In this regard, he was 
 one of those who, in bloody epochs, would 
 have been a hero or a martyr. 
 
 He loved the stern joy of victory — he 
 loved personal success — but he would have 
 marched to the scaffold or stake, rather 
 than buy preferment by abandoning his 
 cause or his friends. His contempt for 
 temporary popular impulses sprung from 
 no contempt for the people. He was a 
 Democrat in the essence as well as the name. 
 It is rather because he deeply trusted the 
 people and felt unshaken faith that when 
 they were wrong, the " sober second 
 thought " would bring them right. 
 
 It was this high adherence to principle, 
 this sharp discrimination in respect both to 
 principles and the appropriate leaders and 
 
 subordinate agents to carry them out — 
 this sure judgment in planning — this nerve 
 and persistency in executing — which gave 
 him so much weight in those high secret 
 councils of party to which but the few are 
 admitted. He possessed the entire confi- 
 dence of the patriotic Daniel D. Tompkins, 
 and of every succeeding executive of the 
 strict party faith. We speak from our own 
 personal knowledge when we say that such 
 statesmen as Van Buren, Wright, Marcy, 
 Nelson, Dix, Flagg and others of like calibre, 
 considered him one of the soundest and 
 safest of party advisers. He was one of 
 the marked favorites of President Jackson, 
 when in Congress. 
 
 And it was the same qualities which gave 
 him a full share of influence in the deliber- 
 ative bodies, legislative and political, of 
 which he was a member. He possessed no 
 forensic powers. Keen, ready and pungent 
 as he was in private discourse, his voice was 
 rarely heard in legislative bodies, never in 
 a set speech. He had not been trained to 
 it, and he was both too modest and too 
 proud to undertake to do what he could 
 not do well. He possessed no ingratiating 
 arts in such places. His deportment was 
 grave and formal, and to a stranger cold, if 
 not stern. Ilis face bore the same expres- 
 sion. He did not thaw readily into genial- 
 ity. He gave his confiiience slowly, and 
 until he gave it, was reserved in his bearing 
 and reticent in the expression of his opin- 
 ions. He possessed no pliancy of mind or 
 manners. He inherited all over the stiff, 
 sturdy, unchanging, uncourtierlike features 
 of the stock from which he sprung. 
 
 He was fair and bold in his politics. He 
 never shrunk from the issue, and the whole 
 issue. He fearlessly avowed and defended 
 every plank in the adopted platform, 
 whether it suited or did not suit his hearer. 
 His convictions were strong and his preju- 
 dices were equally strong. He was a 
 
494 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 thorough friend and an uncompromising 
 opponent. He struck slashing blows and 
 always waged the war to the end ; but he 
 always struck face to face, and never did in 
 the dark what he was unwilling to avow in 
 the broad light of day. He was upright 
 and unvcnal. Who, in the wildest rage of 
 parties, ever uttered the suspicion that he 
 was guilty of that political and official cor- 
 ruption, which now flows putrid, like a 
 river of death, through our land? Our old 
 party giants fought with gloves off. They 
 exhibited little delicacy or magnanimity 
 towards opponents. They often mixed 
 personal with political animosities; but they 
 did not play the hypocrite and lie to each 
 other. They did not steal, even from the 
 public. They did not sell their votes or 
 official influence for bribes, after the mode 
 of these milder and more cultivated daj's. 
 
 We are sure we speak from no partial 
 stand point when we pronounce General 
 Hatheway a man of marked and powerful 
 abilities. It was not always our fortune to 
 agree with him. We have felt the biting 
 edge of his hostile blade. But we have 
 ever believed that this county or region 
 never produced or nurtured a man his 
 superior in mental capacity, scarcely an 
 equal in natural parts. We believe that, 
 with professional education, he could have 
 reached high distinction in any intellectual 
 calling. We believe that weaker men have 
 been nursed by training, by circumstance^ 
 and by opportunity into renowned lawyers, 
 eminent statesmen, and great men in other 
 pursuits. 
 
 But it would be conveying an entirely 
 erroneous impression to speak of him as an 
 uneducated man in the true sense of the 
 word. His school attainments were com- 
 paratively nothing, and he never reached 
 anything like the full and rounded literary 
 culture which he prized in others and was 
 so anxious to bestow on his children. 15ut 
 
 he was a self-educator from his boyhood to 
 the last hour of his life. He not only read 
 but devoured all useful books. He care- 
 fully mastered every idea and every detail 
 
 — appropriated everything valuable — and 
 then laid it away for future use in a mem- 
 ory of almost marvelous retentiveness. 
 Nor was it rendered practically useless by 
 being piled away in confusion or discon- 
 nected scraps, after the fashon of those who 
 read without system and merely from curi- 
 osity. He digested and classified all he 
 read by careful reflection ; and everything 
 bearing on the same point was placed in 
 the same pigeon hole of memory so that 
 it could be rendered instantly available. 
 Thus he studied the Bible, in which he was 
 so familiar that not a word of it could be 
 misquoted or transposed without his instant 
 detection. Thus he studied the rich pages 
 of Grecian, Roman, English and American 
 history. Thus he studied a great variety 
 of publications on numerous and especially 
 on utilitarian subjects. He had no taste 
 for light reading. It was like offering child's 
 posset and confectionery to a hungry giant. 
 
 He was better educated still. What is 
 education but, as the word implies, a draw- 
 ing forth — a development? His powers 
 were all drawn forth, all exercised and ma- 
 tured in the school of action and events. 
 His whole life was action, struggle, contest 
 
 — in scenes which train every thew and 
 sinew of the understanding and judgment. 
 Of the two, such an education is vastly 
 more thorough and effective than a mere 
 scholastic one. The former always strength- 
 ens, the latter sometimes emasculates. How 
 few of our sturdy, unlettered pioneers who 
 were men of large natural capacity, have 
 left sons who, though carefully educated in 
 schools, entirely fill their fathers' places ! 
 
 General Hatheway, as we have already 
 said, well knew his powers. He possessed 
 perfect self-reliance in all matters on which 
 
Samuel G. Hatheway. 
 
 495 
 
 he possessed sufficient knowledge to feel 
 competent to decide and act. Hence he 
 adhered to his views with tenacity. The 
 celebrated Joshua A. Spencer was employed 
 in an important law suit for him. They 
 differed as to the theory on which it should 
 be conducted by the former. Neither could 
 convince the other. Mr. Spencer was dis- 
 charged and the event justified his client's 
 sagacity. Such anecdotes might be multi- 
 plied. 
 
 As a business man he was eminently 
 successful and accumulated a large property. 
 This was accomplished by large and judi- 
 cious forecast, by making investments with 
 a correct estimate of the present and future 
 value and availability of property, rather 
 than by extra painstaking, or bj' commer- 
 cial exactitude. He was not a speculator, 
 but like all men of English blood, loved to 
 accumulate land, which rose greatly in value 
 on his hands. At the time of his death his 
 estate consisted of several thousand acres. 
 
 He was an extremely lenient creditor, 
 never sueing, or taking any advantage of a 
 failure to meet engagements with him, pro- 
 vided no evasion or dishonesty was at- 
 tempted. A legal gentleman of this county 
 recently remarked to us that he foreclosed 
 fewer mortgages than any man he ever 
 knew who held so many. He was a kind 
 neighbor, an indulgent landlord and a peace 
 making magistrate. He terminated num- 
 berless law suits brought before him by his 
 townsmen, by pointing out to them the 
 proper terms of an amicable settlement. 
 But strictly honest himself he required 
 honesty in others. Those who attempted 
 to defraud him received no indulgence. 
 And those who committed what he re- 
 garded as an aggression of any kind on him, 
 opened a score which was never closed 
 until the reparation was extorted or the 
 penalty inflicted. 
 
 W'e have painted, so far, a character 
 
 which all must respect, but which few, per- 
 haps, would love. But he was loved — 
 intensely loved by his family and connec- 
 tions. Few men had more warm personal 
 friends, and these embraced many of the 
 first men among his contemporaries in our 
 county. Judges Nelson, Dayton, Woods, 
 Gray and others of like mark, were not 
 onl}- attached to him while their interests 
 were common and when he could so pow- 
 erfully serve them, but we are not obliged 
 to speak from hearsaj-, when we aver that 
 they carried that attachment to other scenes 
 of action and retained it to the end of life. 
 So it was among many of our old leading 
 citizens, who ha\-e died in this count}', or 
 who still remain among us. 
 
 In truth, there was an inner portion of 
 his character which we have scarcely 
 touched upon. His early struggle with 
 disappointment and want chilled his exte- 
 rior and perhaps circumscribed the range 
 of his personal sympathies. But the pent 
 up fire only burned the more intensely 
 within its narrower limits. Such friends as 
 we have named, if threatened with danger 
 in some unexpected turn of the election 
 campaign, had only to call on him for suc- 
 cor. It mattered not whether the messen- 
 ger came at midnight, or in tempest ; the 
 chief was at once in the saddle, his pennon 
 displayed, and he and his retainers spurring 
 to the rescue. Neither friends nor foes 
 will forget the tremendous vigor of his 
 onslaught on such occasions. And he stood 
 by his friends as staunchly in private trans- 
 actions as in public life. 
 
 His domestic affections glowed like molt- 
 en lava. Who that witnessed them has for- 
 gotten the scenes of voiceless, tearless, ter- 
 rific agon}', impressed for years in awful 
 characters on his face, when the partner of 
 his youth, and when his sons, the gifted 
 Samuel, John, the favorite of the army, 
 George, the gentle and well beloved, and 
 
496 
 
 History of Cortand County. 
 
 his daughter, the brilliant and accomplished 
 Mrs. Hoyd, preceded him to the tomb. 
 Never was there a kinder husband or more 
 loving and indulgent parent. And how 
 tenderly he gathered under his protecting 
 wing his grandchildren, and other relatives. 
 He seemed to seek compensation for the 
 deprivations of his own youth in leaving 
 nothing lacking to make that of his de- 
 scendants happy. Every avenue to educa- 
 tion and enjoyment was opened to them. 
 He gratified all their wants. He conversed 
 and associated with them as equals, and 
 joined in their amusements. He was ever 
 ready to mount his horse and accompany 
 the young ladies on a ride. He kept them 
 amused and delighted by his wit and by his 
 quaint raillery. Oftentimes he would, with 
 serious face, affect to ridicule their fashion- 
 able apparel, their taste for gathering flow- 
 ers, their going to look at some favorite 
 scenery, or the like, — but they could detect 
 the repressed smile which showed that he 
 was only teasing them, and they well knew 
 who so carefully provided the apparel, who 
 called their attention to the flower when 
 they overlooked it, and who, if they thought 
 of turning back, always proposed to ride a 
 mile further to get the best view. 
 
 There was indeed an aesthetic corner in 
 his practical and utilitarian mind. He loved 
 good equipage — he loved pleasant and 
 tasty surroundings — he loved trees and 
 flowers, and the song of birds — he loved 
 striking scenery. He was not a careful 
 farmer, but he dearly loved the fields. He 
 often spent hours riding over them with his 
 wife or family, with no other object but the 
 .satisfaction of seeing them and enjoying the 
 sunlight and air. These tastes increased 
 strongly in his later )-ears, for he then had 
 time for them and companions who, without 
 the neglect of duty, could participate in his 
 enjoyments. 
 
 The domestic features of the portrait 
 
 would be incomplete if we omitted to speak 
 of his hospitalit}'. This was unbounded. 
 He delighted to be surrounded by company 
 of all ages and se.\es. He was markedly 
 attentive to his guests. His table was lib- 
 eral and elegant. Unless well acquainted, 
 his manners were at first formal ; but he 
 soon relaxed, and his quaintly told anec- 
 dotes and keen repartees " set the table on 
 a roar." The guests were importuned to 
 remain. Carriages and saddle horses were 
 ready for each. Their stay was made a 
 scene of festivity and amusement. We well 
 remember how Nelson and the other friends 
 we have mentioned loved to gather round 
 his table of an afternoon and evening, and 
 then gallop home in the "small hours." 
 
 The general had one propensity in his 
 younger days which caused many a hearty 
 laugh in this county. As we have said, he 
 was full of humor. He loved teasing and 
 joking, and could not sometimes resist the 
 temptation of playing a practical joke. 
 These were never very serious in their con- 
 sequences, but were wonderfully mirth pro- 
 voking to all but the subjects of them. We 
 never heard of his thus victimizing any one 
 without provocation ; but when the provo- 
 cation was offered, and there was no other 
 appropriate way to pay the score, woe to 
 the opener of the account ! If we had space 
 and skill in recounting such matters, we 
 should like to place some of these amusing 
 incidents on record ; but we have neither. 
 
 Age mellowed the good fruit. Old feuds 
 were gradually forgotten — old prejudices 
 softened. The circle of his sympathies ex- 
 panded. He continued to the last to read and 
 to transact his accustomed business. He 
 grappled with all the new questions of the 
 day with keen interest. We saw him at 
 eighty years old in a county convention, 
 leading his side with all his old vigor. He 
 was warmly urged the same year, by lead- 
 ing friends of one of the presidential candi- 
 
Samuel G. Hatiieway. 
 
 497 
 
 dates, to attend the National Democratic 
 Convention at Charleston. 
 
 His faculties, and his force and individu- 
 ality of character, remained unimpaired until 
 death. He continued to ride daily in the 
 saddle until the snow storms of last winter. 
 He then took a cold and suffered somewhat 
 from indisposition — the first illness of his 
 life — but his constitution, naturally power 
 ful and unimpaired by excesses of any kind, 
 rallied and he felt himself nearly well. He 
 resumed his reading and his rides. When 
 the weather permitted, he busied himself 
 superintending the arrangements of his 
 garden. A week before his death he drove 
 a number of miles with his wife, and spoke 
 with great pleasure of preparations he had 
 made for their thus traveling together the 
 coming summer. Two days afterwards he 
 rode with her to McGrawville, and on his 
 return took his favorite route through his 
 meadows. The day before his death he 
 was well as usual, and very cheerful except 
 when he called the attention of his family 
 to the fact that it was the anniversary of 
 the day on which his wife was to have been 
 buried. (His own death marked the anni- 
 versary of her burial). He looked out often 
 during the day on the cold storm of rain 
 and snow then falling, pitying the newborn 
 lambs, and speaking of the backwardness 
 of the season. In the evening he took his 
 tea as usual, and talked over business mat- 
 ters with his accustomed interest, with his 
 son. He seemed in an uncommon flow of 
 spirits, spoke much of his old New England 
 home, and tokl many pleasant anecdotes of 
 his grandmother Hatheway, and of others 
 he had known in his youth, thus prolonging 
 his ordinary hour of retiring. He awoke 
 the next niDrning in the same cheerful 
 mood, listening for awhile, as was his wont, 
 to the matin songs of the birds, inter- 
 changed many cheerful remarks with his 
 wife, and left the room with a pleasantry on 
 
 his lips. He met in the dining-room a 
 bright, sensible girl of thirteen, who belonged 
 to the family. He stepped to the window 
 and exclaimed : "What a pleasant morning 
 — I am so glad the storm is over." He 
 then, as he often loved to do, commenced 
 jesting and laugiiing with the little girl. 
 She observed that he was paler than usual ; 
 left the room a moment, and on her return 
 found him sitting by the stove, his head 
 slightly leaning on one side, and gazing, 
 she thought, into the fire. But there was 
 something strange in his look, and she 
 immediately gave the alarm. His wife was 
 at his side in an instant, and his family and 
 a physician (Dr. Meacham), sleeping in the 
 house, a moment after. The latter saw at 
 a glance that a great change had taken 
 place — that the soul had departed to God 
 who gave it. An expression of perfect 
 placidity rested on the face of the corpse. 
 Death had come and left no trace of pain. 
 One of his family physicians. Dr. Hyde, 
 informs us that he died without any disease 
 — that the physical machine stopped because 
 it was worn out. This seems to us the 
 most natural and happiest form of death. 
 The event took place at 6 o'clock A. M., on 
 the 2d of May, 1867, in the eighty-seventh 
 year of his age. 
 
 On the 7th, in the presence of a number 
 of old friends, the fathers of the county, of 
 various distinguished gentlemen from 
 abroad, who attended in despite of the bad- 
 ness of the weather, and of crowds of his sor- 
 rowing townsmen, the solemn burial service 
 of the Episcopal church was read by the 
 Rev. Mr. Meacham, and followed by some 
 impressive remarks by the same gentleman. 
 The remains were then borne from the home 
 he had so loved, to the beautiful fimiily 
 burial place, "The Cedars," and placed as 
 he had requested, "between the wife of 
 his youth and his first born son." 
 
 He left a son. Colonel Calvin L. Hathe- 
 
498 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 way, and three dautjhters, Sarah, the wife 
 of Dr. Whitney, of iUiffalo; Livinia and 
 I^Hzabcth; also, tiiree jjranddaugliters, 
 Juha, Helen and Caroline Boyd, daughters 
 of Gen. Boyd, of Wisconsin. 
 
 Ilie effect of Gen. Hatheway's death 
 throughout the country was striking. His 
 positive and unyielding character, his par- 
 tisan blows, and his great success had of 
 course engendered enmities. These were 
 dying away, but some of the old scars still 
 smarted. When the stately old oak sud- 
 denly fell, the natural sense of justice in 
 every man's heart vindicated itself Every 
 old prejudice was burled in his grave. 
 Every one admitted the uprightness and 
 massiveness of his cliaracter. Every one 
 felt that one of the strongest, bravest and 
 truest of the old fashioned stock of men 
 had passed away. 
 
 DR. FREDERICK HYDE. The an- 
 cestors of F"rederick Hyde were 
 among the first settlers of Norwich, Conn, 
 (in 1660), Elizabeth Hyde being the first 
 white child born there. His grandfather, 
 Gen. Caleb Hyde, settled in Lenox, Mass. ; 
 here, in 1774, his name appears, with that 
 of his brother Moses, appended to a petition 
 from that town against British aggression. 
 An important part was borne by several of 
 the family in. the Revolutionary War, Major 
 Elijah Hyde being a cavalry officer and a 
 confidential friend of Gov. Trumbull; also 
 Capt. Eliphalet Hyde saw service. Ebcn- 
 ezer died on board the Jersey prison ship. 
 Gen. Hyde was sheriff for some time of Berk- 
 shire county, Mass. About 1790 he remov- 
 ed to Lisle, Broome count}-, N. Y. He was 
 major-general of the State militia, elected 
 a Senator from the western district of New 
 York in 1803 and in 1804 was chosen by 
 the Assembly as one of the council of ap- 
 pointment. His wife was Elizabeth Sacket, 
 daughter of Captain Sacket, a physician of 
 
 Oblong, N. Y. — a woman of rare excel- 
 lence, man)- traditions existing of her ability 
 to meet the emergencies of the times ; to 
 train a large family ; to convey by her tact 
 news of the enemy's plans to our army; to 
 help liL-r husband exercise a graceful and 
 generous hospitality. Once several officers 
 of distinction called to paj' their respects to 
 the general when he was absent. She 
 killed and dressed the porker in the pen 
 and when he returned he found his guests 
 merry over a bounteous table, charmed 
 with their hostess, whose fluent conversa- 
 tion enlivened a feast fit to set before a king. 
 If this woman had any faults time has ob- 
 literated them from the record. 
 
 Dr. Hyde's father, Ebby, was the thir- 
 teenth child and lived at W'hitney's Point, 
 where he married Elizabeth Osborn, daugh- 
 ter of Deacon Osborn, and kept a country 
 store. The pioneers usually sent their chil- 
 dren back to Lenox Academy for their in- 
 struction and these, in turn, taught the 
 growing children at home. Some progress 
 must have been made in education, for 
 Frederick, just previous to his fifteenth 
 birthday, started one cold winter's day on 
 foot thirteen miles to Freetown, Cortland 
 count}-, to teach a district school, and the 
 chilling remembrances of those months 
 were enough to last a lifetime. After this 
 the rule seemed to be, teach winters, attend 
 school summers, until teaching took all the 
 time; but then he usually had some enter- 
 prise of study on hand, till we find him in 
 the family of Dr. Hiram Moe, of Lansing, 
 where he began the reading of medicine, 
 afterward pursued under Dr. Horace Bron- 
 son, of Virgil, in 1833. Previous to this his 
 father had removed to this town. While a 
 student, having attended one course of lect- 
 ures at Fairfied.N.Y., he joined the Cortland 
 County Medical Society, though he did not 
 take his degree of M. D. until 1836. Soon 
 after this he came to Cortland, N. Y., to 
 
Frederick Myde. 
 
 499 
 
 live, becoming a partner of Dr. Miles Good- 
 year, whose daughter, Elvira, he married 
 January 24th, 1838. 
 
 He has two children living in Cortland, 
 Augusta Hyde, and Miles G. Hyde, who 
 graduated in 1865 at Yale College, and in 
 1868 at Geneva Medical College, and has 
 since practiced his profession here, at 
 one time taking part in the teaching at 
 the Syracuse Medical College, and often pre- 
 senting papers of interest to the County 
 Medical Society. 
 
 The details of a busy life, spent wholly 
 for half a century in his profession, though 
 full of startling events to himself and per- 
 sons concerned, could have little general 
 interest to the community. In 1S41 he 
 first attended the New York State Medical 
 Society and read a paper on fever. A cir- 
 cular issued in 1853 shows that at that time 
 he had a private anatomical school at Cort- 
 land. This lasted three or four years. 
 Some of the sessions were held in the upper 
 story of the old Eagle store. 
 
 In 1854 Dr. Hyde was appointed pro- 
 fessor of obstetrics and diseases of women 
 in Geneva Medical College. In 1855 he 
 was transferred to the chair of surgery in 
 the same institution, and occupied that 
 position until the closing of the college, and 
 the organization of the medical department 
 of Syracuse University in 1872, when he 
 became a professor of surgery in the faculty 
 of that school. He is a member of the 
 Southern Central Medical Association of 
 New York, and has been its president. He 
 is a permanent member of the New York 
 State Society and in 1865 was president of 
 that body In 1868 he was a delegate 
 from this society to the State Medical So- 
 ciety of New Jersey. He was one of the 
 original members of the American Medical 
 Association, and is a permanent member of 
 that organization. In 1884 he was one of 
 
 the founders of the New York Medical 
 Association, a voluntary association which 
 promises well for the future of the profes- 
 sion. In 1876 he was a delegate to the 
 International Medical Congress held at 
 Philadelphia in connection with the centen- 
 nial exhibition, and was a delegate to the 
 British Medical Association held at Belfast, 
 to which place he was elected in May, 1 884, 
 from the American Medical Association. 
 
 In Dr. Hyde's long and successful pro- 
 fessional career, extending now over a period 
 of more than forty-eight years, he has con- 
 tributed many and valuable articles to med- 
 ical literature, and has treated a large num- 
 ber of remarkable cases in general practice, 
 and has likewise performed many of its 
 most difficult operations in surgery. 
 
 In 1883 Dr. Hyde was appointed by 
 Governor Cleveland, to be a trustee of the 
 Asylum for Idiots at Syracuse, which office 
 he holds at the present time. He was 
 elected and has served as president of the 
 Cortland Savings Bank since 1876. Dr. 
 Hyde has been very active in promoting the 
 welfare of public education. He was presi- 
 dent of the board of trustees of Cortlandville 
 Academy for eighteen of the twenty- five 
 years of its existence, and has been a mem- 
 ber of the local board of the Cortland Nor- 
 mal School since it was organized in 1869, 
 and president of that body since the death 
 of Hon. Henry S. Randall in 1876; audit 
 was during his administration that the 
 State superintendent was foiled in his at- 
 tempt to wrest the Normal School from the 
 concurrent authority of the board, although 
 the superintendent carried the controversy 
 into the Supreme Court. While the first 
 two decisions were against the board, the 
 Court of Appeals sustained it and the 
 controversy secured enlarged liberty to 
 teachers and added to the dignity of the 
 teacher's profession. 
 
500 
 
 History of Cortand County. 
 
 DEACON MANLY HOBART.i— The 
 town of Hiinifield, Mass., contributed 
 not a few of the early settlers of the town 
 of Homer. Among them were Samuel and 
 Dorothy Hoar or Hobart, the grandparents 
 of the subject of this sketch. The}- were of 
 the same famil}' whence descended the dis- 
 tinguished Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts, 
 and other influential men in that Common- 
 wealth. 
 
 In the summer of 1798 Mr. Samuel Ho- 
 bart had visited Homer, located his farm 
 upon the place now owned by Mr. John 
 Scott and put up a log cabin for the accom- 
 modation of his large family. The ensuing 
 winter they moved with an ox team from 
 Massachusetts to what came to be known 
 for many years as " the Hobart farm." Ar- 
 riving in Homer they found that the heavy 
 snows had broken in the roof of their cabin 
 and accepted gratefully the hospitality of 
 Deacon Peter Hitchcock, whose log-house 
 was the only one then standing between their 
 farm and the site of Homer village. Re- 
 pairing speedily their humble cabin, they 
 began their residence there and interested 
 themselves at once in all that pertained to 
 the welfare of the infant settlement. 
 
 It was Mrs. Dorothy Hobart to whom 
 especially is traced the inception of the 
 action which brought about the formation 
 of the Congregational Church in this town. 
 Of the children of these godly parents, Gid- 
 eon, the father of Manly, was nineteen years 
 of age when they came to Homer. In 1806 
 he married Electa Wadsvvorth, of the well 
 known Wadsworth family, in whose veins 
 coursed the blood of a heroic ancestr\' and 
 among whose kin have been numbered some 
 of America's distinguished patriots. Their 
 children were Amos, Sophronia, Manl)' 
 (born May 7, 18 10), Horace, Orrin, Eurctta, 
 Celinda, Mary M. and Clark E. 
 
 Of the childhood and youth of Manly 
 
 1 By Rev. Wm. A. Robinson. 
 
 little need be said. His opportunities of 
 education, limited though they were, were 
 diligently improved and he early developed 
 those qualities of decision and energy which 
 contributed so greatly to his success in life. 
 Inheriting the blessings that came from a 
 godly ancestry, receiving the instructions 
 and counsels of pious parents and trained in 
 the e.xercise of those traits of character 
 which are of highest value, he came up to 
 manhood peculiarly fitted for its duties, and 
 prepared to fill the prominent place he held 
 in the esteem and trust of his fellow men. 
 
 June 22d, 1842, he was married to Miss 
 Caroline A. Boies, daughter of Captain Ru- 
 fus Boies, an influential citizen of Homer, 
 who held many positions of responsibility 
 and trust in church and academy and town 
 affairs. To them were born four daughters, 
 Ellen F., Clara A., Alice B. and Mary S. 
 All of these daughters are married and, with 
 the exception of the youngest, who resides 
 in Syracuse, have their homes in Homer. 
 The oldest daughter is the wife of Mr. Geo. 
 D. Daniels, of the firm of Kingsbury & 
 Daniels, merchants. Her children are Alice 
 C, Anna B. and Manly Hobart Daniels. The 
 second daughter is the wife of Mr. Lyman 
 H. Heberd, who now resides upon the Ho- 
 bart homestead. Her children are Marian A. , 
 Caroline S., Grace E. (deceased), Cora E. 
 and Jessie A. Heberd. The third daughter 
 is the wife of Mr. Charles A. Skinner, until 
 recently a member of the same mercantile 
 firm with Mr. Daniels. Her onl}' child was 
 baptized Clark Hobart Skinner by the dying 
 bed of his grandfather Hobart. The young- 
 est daughter is the wife of Mr. J. M. Knapp, 
 of Syracuse. Her onl)- child is Martin Ho- 
 bart Knapp. 
 
 In the relations of the home Deacon Ho- 
 bart was a true son, caring tenderly for the 
 comfort of his parents till their death — a 
 kind and loving husband, a wise and tender 
 father and a judicious and helpful brother 
 
Manly Hobart. 
 
 501 
 
 and friend. He showed the quahty of his 
 nature in his pecuHar interest in children 
 and youth, and in the way in which even 
 the youngest of his grandchildren loved and 
 trusted him. To his employees and de- 
 pendents he was uniformly just and forbear- 
 ing, and among the most sincere mourners 
 at his funeral were some who had known 
 him intimately in such relations for years. 
 
 Deacon Hobart was in his early years con- 
 secrated to God b)- his pious parents, and in 
 1841 made public profession of his faith in 
 Christ and united with the Congregational 
 Church in this village. As a Christian he 
 was positive, humble and faithful. He took 
 such strong hold by faith of God and his 
 promises, that he knew much of the joy and 
 inspiration of conscious fellowship with the 
 Lord. He was always decided in his con- 
 victions and lo\-al to them, and ready for 
 every good word and work. In 1856 he 
 was elected a deacon of the church, a posi- 
 tion which he held by repeated elections till 
 his death, and which he so filled that he 
 "purchased to himself a good degree and 
 great boldness in the faith.". 
 
 Endowed with a large measure of good 
 common sense, he turned it to sanctified 
 use in official counsels, and as an adviser 
 and helper in every good and benevolent 
 enterprise. 
 
 His sagacity and soundness of judgment 
 made him constantly sought by those who 
 needed a wise and true counselor, and no 
 small part of his sacrifice of himself for 
 others' welfare was manifest in his cheerful 
 and careful attention to demands of this 
 nature. In the use of the large property, 
 which by diligence and business sagacity he 
 had accumulated, he sought to promote the 
 great ends to which his life was consecrated. 
 
 To-day missionaries on American and^ 
 foreign soil are preaching the gospel who 
 were largely helped in their preparation for 
 their work b)- his munificence. 
 
 He was practically and generously inter- 
 ested in several great benevolent societies. 
 For a number of years he was president of 
 our County Bible Society, and foremost in 
 the support of its interests. But while he 
 took an intelligent and liberal interest in 
 these broad ministries of good, he did not 
 lose sight of important institutions at home 
 nor prove wanting here in an enlightened 
 and generous public spirit. 
 
 For church and academy, for business 
 enterprises and public improvements he was 
 ready to plan and labor and give. 
 
 Besides the important offices in the church 
 and in other religious and educational or- 
 ganizations which Deacon Hobart so well 
 filled, he was repeatedly elected to places 
 of trust in business institutions and in the 
 administration of town and countj^ affairs. 
 At the time of his death he had been for 
 sev^eral terms a director of the First National 
 Bank of Homer. At difterent times he had 
 served as a supervisor, and in other similar 
 positions held by him had proved alike his 
 capability and faithfulness. 
 
 Deacon Hobart's last sickness was short. 
 He was at the preparatory lecture of his 
 church on Saturday afternoon, September 
 1st, and though quite unwell, also went to 
 church the following day, saying that it 
 might be his last communion service on 
 earth. His disease, pneumonia, was com- 
 plicated with other ailments, and he sank 
 rapidly under its power till he gently 
 breathed his last, I'riday evening, Septem- 
 ber 7th, 1883. But, though the body yielded 
 to the fell power of disease, the soul was 
 victor in the strife. In the face of suffer- 
 ings inten.se and at times agonizing, he bore 
 clear and triumphant testimony to the worth 
 and sufficiency of Christian faith and the 
 Christian's Master, to sustain and bless even 
 to the end. 
 
 His dying counsels to children and grand- 
 children, to pastor, physician and other 
 
S02 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 friends will not soon be forgotten, while the 
 promises of God and the words of prayer 
 were often upon his lips. The last words 
 that could be understood from him were, 
 "The Lord is my strength." 
 
 It is eminently fitting that in a history of 
 Cortland county the name and memorial of 
 this good man should have permanent place. 
 The engraving which pictures his face may 
 give to those who never knew him some 
 idea of the bright, positive, energetic char- 
 acter that had stamped its evidence in the 
 lineaments of his countenance, but to the 
 
 many who knew and loved and honored 
 him it may serve to recall the features of 
 one whose true vigor of mind and worth 
 of character make the brief words of this 
 biography seem poor and tame, and whose 
 manifold services in helping forward the 
 interests of his generation, and of the in- 
 stitutions he loved, form in truth his noblest 
 memorial, and highest encomium, next to 
 the word that as we believe welcomed him 
 above : — 
 
 "Well done, good and faithful servant, 
 enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." 
 
BRIEF PERSONALS. 
 
 CINCINNATUS. 
 
 Bennett, AltVeil L., p. o. Cincinnatiis, farmer, 
 born in Hector, Tompkins county (now Schuy- 
 ler), in 1834, settled in county in 1836; wife, 
 Sarah Halbert, daughter of Seth and Sophia 
 Halbert, born in Taylor in 1835; married in 
 1864, and died in 1875. Parents, Philip S. and 
 Lousia Ann (Smith) Bennett, natives of Duchess 
 county; the former died in 1881, and the latter 
 in 1868. 
 
 Carruth, William S., p. o. Cincinnatus, dental 
 surgeon, born in Jefferson county, N. Y., March 
 23(1, 1823, settled in Cincinnatus in 1858; has 
 been town clerk four years and was elected again 
 in 1884; first wife, Catharine E. Huntington, mar- 
 ried in Norwich, N. Y., Nov. 7th, 1844, and 
 died in 1868; second wife, Amelia A. Brooks, 
 daughter of Luther Brooks, married in Norwich 
 N. Y., Feb. 6th, 1869. Parents, William and 
 Eleanor (Patterson) Carruth; the former died 
 in 1849, the latter March 19th, 1859. Dr. 
 Carruth began the practice of dentistry in 
 Owego, N. Y., in 1857, and in 1858 came to 
 Cincinnatus and has given it his attention up to 
 the present time. 
 
 Crittenden, Amos G., p. o. Cincinnatus, far- 
 mer, stock dealer and dairy produce, works 450 
 acres, born in Cincinnatus in 1862 ; wife, Addie 
 M. Smith, born in 1862, married in 18S:. Pa- 
 rents, Porter and Triphena (Delano) Crittenden, 
 married in 1839, children three: Hattie, born in 
 1842, Adelbert J., born in 1847, and Amos G., 
 born in 1862. Grandfather, Ebcnezer Critten- 
 den, settled in Cincinnatus in 1794. 
 
 Crittenden, Burt B., j). o. Cincinnatu.s, farmer 
 and dairy produce, born in Cincinnatus in 1848; 
 wife, Louisa ("onrad, born in Marathon; married 
 
 in 1880, children two: Julius E., and Porter R. 
 Parents, Julius and Altany (Courtney) Critten- 
 den, the former born in Cincinnatus in 1806. 
 
 Fish, Reuben, p. o. Cincinnatus, farmer, bom 
 in Freetown in 1839; was assessor from 1881 to 
 '84; wife, Hattie R. Harrington, daughter of 
 Porter and Adaline M. (Hoadley) Harrington, 
 born in 1848; married in 1872, one child. Pa- 
 rents, E. Dewel and Phoebe (Orcutt) Fish ; 
 grandparents, Reuben and Betsey (Cleveland) 
 Fish, the former born in 1780, married in 1799, 
 and died in 1855; the latter born in 1781, and 
 died in 1870; children twelve. 
 
 Harrington, Porter C.,p. o. Cincinnatus, farmer, 
 stock and dairy dealer, born in Cincinnatus in 
 1822; has been assessor three years; wife, Ada- 
 line M. Hoadley, born in Solon in 1822; married 
 in 1844, children five: Depea, Dr. A., Harriett M., 
 who married Reuben Fish, .Addie, and Cora, who 
 married Randolph Grant. Parents, Dr. and Sally 
 (Crittenden) Harrington; the former came from 
 Mass. to Cortland county where he died in 1867. 
 He served in the war of 181 2; second wife, 
 Dolly (Moore) Harrington, now draws a pension. 
 
 Jones, Benjamin, p. o. Cincinnatus, retired 
 farmer, owns 180 acres, born on present farm 
 February 4th, 1820; wife, Hannah C. Tilling- 
 hast, born in Rhode Island September 3d, 1S30; 
 married in 1849, children five: Henry T., El- 
 mer E., Carrie M., Alice .-\., and Myrta. Hen- 
 ry T. married Ada F. Tillinghast in 1880; chil- 
 dren two : Nena May and Clarence Ray; Elmer 
 married Mary Cain; one child, Leon J.; Carrie 
 married Byron N. Johnson ; one child, Glen H. 
 Parents, Henry T. and Prudence (Vaughn) 
 Jones, natives of Rhode Island, who settled in 
 Cincinnatus in 1816; children three: Julia, Han- 
 I nah and Benjamin. 
 
 503 
 
504 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Nichols, Charles, p. o. Cincinnatus, born in 
 Otsego county, in 1820, settled in county in 
 1822; has been assessor two terms, justice of the 
 peace six years, and held other offices; wife, 
 Rhoda C, daughter of John and Polly (Moore) 
 Jones, born in Cincinnatus in 1828; married in 
 1848, one son, Fred L., born in 1857. Pa- 
 rents, Abijah and Anna (Hoit) Nichols, the for- 
 mer of Bennington Vt., died in 1857, aged sixty- 
 seven ; the latter of Pennsylvania, died in 1880, 
 aged ninety years. Grandparents, Samuel and 
 Esther Nichols, who came to county in 1812, 
 and died in county. 
 
 Place, William R., p. o. Cincinnatus, farmer, 
 born in Rhode Island in 181 2, settled in county 
 in 1818; was assessor nine years, and held 
 other offices; wife, Julia Johns, born in R. I. 
 in i8i6; married in 1837, and died in 1878, 
 leaving five children : Frank, Marilla, Susan, El- 
 bert, and Edwin. Parents, Thomas and Anna T. 
 (Cole) Place, of R. I., who came to county in 
 1818; the former died in 1875, aged eighty- 
 eight, the latter in 1875; children six, two sous 
 and four daughters. 
 
 Silvernail, James H., p. o. Cincinnatus, car- 
 penter and builder, born in German, N Y., in 
 1834; wife, Mrs. Amanda (Williams) Silvernail, 
 widow of Robert Silvernail, born in 1842, mar- 
 ried second husband, James H., in 1878; chil- 
 dren four: Claud, Ida May, Carl M., and Mary 
 R. Parents, Benjamin and .Adaline (Sitts) Silver- 
 nail, natives of Montgomery county, who came to 
 Cortland county in 1850. 
 
 Smith, Marcellus R., p. o. Cincinnatus, ijhysi- 
 cianand surgeon, born in Solon (now Taylor) June 
 29th, 1816; commenced teaching common school 
 at 17, at 21 entered Pitcher Academy under Prof 
 R. K. Bourne, where he studied algebra, geome- 
 try and surveying ; from tliere he entered Cort- 
 land .'\cademy at Homer under Prof. Samuel B. 
 Woolworth, where he remained some two years, 
 studying Latin, Greek, mathematics and the 
 natural sciences; he continued teaching until 
 he entered the law office of Drs. Branch & 
 Powers, at Moravia, N. Y., and pursued the 
 study of medicine until he graduated at Geneva 
 Medical College during the term of 1847 and 
 1848, and commenced jjractice at Union Valley. 
 He was married to Deriah Lord, June 8th, 1854. 
 
 She was born June 2d, 1832. They have had 
 three children, the oldest, Sumner M., died in his 
 seventeenth year ; the second. Dr. Samuel L., 
 is now practicing medicine at Smithville Flats, 
 N. Y., and the third, Frankie, married Milan D. 
 Tallett and now lives in the city of Minneapolis, 
 Kansas. Dr. M. R. Smith moved to Cincinna- 
 tus in 1858, where he now practices medicine. 
 He has for the last two years been president of 
 the County Medical Society, and is now a mem- 
 ber of the New York State Medical Association. 
 
 White, jr., David, p. o. Cincinnatus, farmer, 
 dairy and stock dealer, born in Cincinnatus in 
 18 1 6. Parents, David and Tamor (Waters) 
 Wiiite, natives of Westchester county. His 
 wife, Sarah (Briggs) White, daughter of John 
 and Margaret (Jones) Briggs, was born in 
 WiUet in 1820, married in 1842. One son, 
 James White, born in 1851, married Julia C. 
 Tracy in 1876; one child, Willie J. White, born 
 in 1879. 
 
 White, Stephen, p. o. Cincinnatus, saw-mill, 
 ■ and dealer in lumber, born in Chenango county 
 in 1831, settled in county in 1848; wife, F.liza 
 M. HiUard, born in 1837; married in 1854, chil- 
 dren ten. Parents, Jacob and Martha (Mack) 
 White. Stephen White began the lumber busi- 
 ness in 1866, purchased his present site and 
 erected his mill, 72 by 18, and now has an ex- 
 tended custom business. 
 
 CUYLER. 
 
 ."Vllen, Harvey B., p. o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 
 157 acres, born in Petersburgh, N. Y., in 1836, 
 settled in Cuyler in i860. Was assessor, and 
 held the office of postmaster at South Cuyler ; 
 wife, Mary J. Philliiis, daughter of Rodney and 
 Phoebe (Monroe) Phillips; married in 1856, 
 children three: Ella M., Eva S., and Wells H. 
 Parents, James and Susannah (Phillips) .■\llen, 
 of New Albany, Pa. 
 
 .\ndrews, LLarlan P., p. o. Cuyler, farmer, 
 owns 250 acres, born in Fabius in 1837, settled in 
 county in i860 ; was assessor two terms, is pres- 
 ent supervisor ; wife, Phcebe P. Brown, daugh- 
 ter of Bcnj;nnin and Sarah (Bogardus) Brown, of 
 Cuyler; married in 1S60, children three: Burnett 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 SOS 
 
 B., Myrta I. and Lina P.; second wife, Marion Bo- 
 gardus, daughter of Israel R. and Irene (Brown) 
 Bogardus, of 111.; married in 1870, children 
 three : Howard I., Mildred E., and Irene. 
 
 Babcock, Isaac C, p. o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 
 58 acres, born in Fabius in 1824 ; wife, Mary A. 
 Fairbanks, daughter of Arad Fairbanks, of Cuy- 
 ler; married in 1849, children four, one living: 
 John W. Parents, Benjamin T., and Polly 
 (Cale) Babcock, pioneers of Fabius. 
 
 Baldwin, William, p. o. Cuyler, farmer and 
 lumber dealer, born in Lincklaen, Chenango 
 county, in 1843, settled here in 1873, was super- 
 visor of Cuyler in 1883; wife, Emma C. Ran- 
 dall, daughter of Zebulon C. and Polly (Cong- 
 den) Rand.all, of Chenango county ; married in 
 1868, children three: Vinnie R., U'illiam N., 
 and Julia. Parents, Joseph and Mary (Newell) 
 Baldwin, natives of Yorkshire, England, who 
 came here in 182^. 
 
 Brown, Benjamin, p. o. Cuyler, farmer, 300 
 acres, born in Truxton in 1814, and died in 
 June, 1878; wife, Sarah, born in Tru.xton in 1S18, 
 daughter of Stephen and Sarah (Tripi)) Bogar- 
 dus; the former w-as born in Duchess county, 
 the latter in Columbia county ; married in 1836, 
 children eleven. Parents, Seabury and Polly 
 (Fox) Brown, natives of Connecticut. 
 
 Brown, John W., p. o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 
 125 acres, born in Cuyler in 1817; wife, Polly 
 Whitmarsh, daughter of Silas and Charlotte 
 (Vincent) Whitmarsh ; children five : Wesley, a 
 resident of Cuyler, married Alice Gates, of 
 Pompey, in 1849, ^""'^ '^- carried Volney Vin- 
 cent in 1863, Sarah R. married Hiram Gibbs 
 in 1868, Stephen, a resident of Cuyler, married 
 Mary C. Tucker in 1875, John A., a resident of 
 Pompey, married Nora V. Stillman, of Cuyler, 
 in 1878. Parents, John and Jamima (Hollen- 
 beck) Brown; both were born in 1771. 
 
 Brown, Seabury F., p. o. Cuyler, of the firm 
 of Brown Brothers, proprietors of steam grist- 
 mill, born in Cuyler in 1854; wife, Ida M. 
 Morse, daughter of Addison and Maria (Hamil- 
 ton) Morse, who were among the early settlers 
 of the town: married in 1878, one child, Sarah 
 W. Parents, Benjamin and Sar.ah (Bogardus) 
 Brown, early settlers of Cuyler. 
 
 Colgrove, Eli J., p. o. Cuyler, manufacturer 
 
 of lumber and farmer, born in Cuyler in 1842; 
 wife, Anna J. Kenyon, daughter of Joseph L. 
 and Sally M. (Chase) Kenyon, of Pitcher, Che- 
 nango county, married in 1878. Parents, Eli 
 S. and Sally B. (Wilcox) Colgrove. 
 
 Dunce, Alexander, p. o. Cuyler, farmer, born 
 in Schenectady in 1809, settled in county in 1839, 
 was constable and collector, town sui)erintend- 
 ent of schools, justice of the peace, supervisor 
 nine terms, chairman of the board one year, and 
 notary public since 1869; wife, Nancy M. 
 Turner, of Madison county; married in 1840 and 
 died in 1875 ; second wife, Mrs. Pierce, daugh- 
 ter of Joseph and Huldah Allen, of Cuyler; mar- 
 ried in 1877. 
 
 Farrington, Edward, p. o. De Ruyter, farmer, 
 owns 130 acres, born in Flushing, L. I., in 1821, 
 setded in Cuyler in 1850; wife, Mary Hill, 
 daughter of Daniel and Ruth Hill, who died in 
 1864; one child, Maria L., now Mrs. James 
 Tripp, of Marathon ; second wife, Emelina 
 Clark, daughter of Josephus Clark, of Fabius, 
 Onondaga county. 
 
 Fuller, Adelbert, p. o. Cuyler, postmaster and 
 general merchant, born in Taylor in 1837, was 
 justice of peace; wife, Sarah Porter, daughter 
 of Daniel and Aseneth Porter, of Taylor; married 
 in 1864, children three: Allie, Fred A., and 
 May. Parents, Sullivan and Polly (Cole) Ful- 
 ler, of Taylor. 
 
 Irish, Elias B., p. o. De Ruyter, farmer, owns 
 215 acres, was assessor several terms; wife, Al- 
 mira Muncy, daughter of James and Esther 
 (Clark) Muncy, early settlers of this town ; mar- 
 ried in 1845, children two: Elsie C, now Mrs. 
 Charles J. York, of Cuyler, and Oscar J., of 
 Iowa. Parents, Elias and Catherine (Coon) 
 Irish, natives of Rhode Island, who settled here 
 in 1814. 
 
 Keeler, Nelson, p. o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 
 430 acres, was assessor, and is present justice of 
 peace ; wife, Sarah R. Harris, daughter of Evan 
 and Sally (Bragg) Harris; married in 1849, chil- 
 dren living five : M. J., Anna J., now Mrs. John 
 Davis, of Truxton, Ada, Frank N., and Alta. 
 Parents, Martin and .-\nna (Woodruflf) Keeler, 
 who came from Massachusetts in 1795. 
 
 Knapp, Clarence N., p. o. Cuyler, dealer in ag- 
 ricultural implements, stoves and house furnish- 
 
5o6 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 ing goods, born in Spafford, Onondaga county, 
 in 1836, was town clerk of Cuyler for nine years ; 
 wife, Olivia I,. Barber, daughter of Silas M. and 
 Phtebe (Burdick) Barber, of Scott, married in 
 1858. Parents, Peter and Saberah (Babcock) 
 Knapp, of Spafford. 
 
 Morse, William A., j). o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 
 443 acres, born in Cuyler in 1827, was assessor; 
 wife, Maria Hamilton, of New Berlin; married 
 in 1850, children three: Orlando E., Elba A., 
 now Mrs. John McCallister, of Cuyler, Ida, 
 now Mrs. S. E. Brown, of Cuyler. Parents, Wil- 
 liam and Betsey (Hills) Morse, natives of Cuyler. 
 Grandfather, David Morse, came from New Jer- 
 sey to Cuyler in 1793. 
 
 Patrick, John W., son of Hon. Stephen and 
 Angelina Patrick, was born in town of Tru.xton, 
 in 1841, enlisted on the 26th day of April, 1861, 
 being the first enlistment in the town, was in the 
 first company raised in the county during the 
 Rebellion, was discharged as sergeant at Elmira, 
 May 26th, 1863, on account of expiration of 
 term of service, came to Cuyler in 1864, owns 
 the Patrick homestead consisting of 431 acres, 
 which was deeded by the State to Penelope Pat- 
 rick for services rendered by her father; was 
 married in 1866 to Agnes, daughter of John and 
 Anna Robbins, of Truxton ; has three children 
 living: Stella A., Wesley B., and William K. ; has 
 held the offices of a.ssessor and supervisor of the 
 town. 
 
 Pease, Elijah, p. o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 102 
 acres, born in Eaton in 1821, setded in county 
 in 1856; wife, Lucy Ann Hamilton, daughter 
 of Alexander and Lydia (Button) Hamilton, of 
 Georgetown ; married in 1849, children two : D. 
 Edgar, of Cuyler, and George E. Parents, Wil- 
 liam and Ruth (Vinton) Pease, of Eaton, N. Y. 
 
 Petrie, Adam, p. o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 200 
 acres, settled in county in 1825, has been as- 
 sessor ; wife, Lucinda Kinney, daughter of Thos. 
 and Elmira (Brown) Kinney; married in 1847, 
 one child. Belle, now Mrs. Eugene Curtis, of 
 Cortland. Parents, Abraham and Nancy (Har- 
 ter) Petrie. 
 
 Potter, Oliver C, p. o. South Cuyler, farmer, 
 owns 170 acres, born in Richfield, Otsego 
 county, N. Y., in 1817, came to county in 1822 ; 
 wife, Amelia U. Hyer, daughter of Chas. and 
 
 Betsey (Cleveland) Hyer, of Guilford, N. Y.; 
 married in 1858, one child, Helen L., now Mrs. 
 Edward H. Knajjp, of Onondaga county. Pa- 
 rents, Charles and Perlina (Carver) Potter, na- 
 tives of R. I. 
 
 Risley, Wait, p. o. Cuyler, born in Cuyler, Janu- 
 ary nth, 1820; farmer, owns 390 acres; wife 
 Eunice J. Vincent, daughter of Cornelius and 
 Harriet (Smith) Vincent; married in 1865, chil- 
 dren two : Lena B., and Grant W. Parents, 
 Waite and Polly Risley, natives of Connecticut. 
 
 Smith, David C, p. o. Kenney, farmer, owns 
 268 acres, born in Lincklaen, Chenango county, 
 in 1842, settled in Cortland county in 1869, is 
 present assessor; wife, Emeline Jones, daughter 
 of William and Mary Jones, of Truxton ; married 
 in 1869, children four: Nellie, Fannie, Hattie, 
 and Richard. Parents, William and Lovina 
 (Congdon) Smith, of Lincklaen. 
 
 Steel, George G., p. o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 
 300 acres, born in Herkimer county in 181 2, 
 came to county in 1842, and died in 1880; wife, 
 Mary Ann Putman, of Danube, N. Y. ; married 
 in 1834, children ten, nine living: Cornelius, 
 John, Elias, Elizabeth, now Mrs. Cyrus Smith, 
 of Truxton, George W., Almonzo, Mary, now 
 Mrs. Theodore De Barr, of Truxton, Maria, now 
 Mrs. Vincent Heath, of Cuyler. 
 
 Whitmarsh, Hon. Hiram, p. o. Cuyler, farmer, 
 owns 280 acres, born in Cuyler in 1830, was as- 
 sessor and supervisor in the year 1867, and 
 member of assembly in the year i86g; wife, 
 Zelia D. Brown, daughter of Seabury and Polly 
 (Fox) Brown, of Cuyler; married in 1854, chil- 
 dren four: Carrie, Jesse B., Fred C.,and Paul L. 
 Parents, Job and Arvilla (Wheat) Whitmarsh, 
 who were among the first settlers of Cujler. 
 
 FREETOWN. 
 
 Borthwick, Marcus, p. o. Freetown Corners, 
 farmer, born in Middleburg, Schoharie county, 
 Dec. ist, 1830, was supervisor in 1844, and town 
 auditor several years; wife, Charlotte Carter, 
 daughter of Eleazer and Sarah (Curtis) Carter, 
 born in Onondaga county in 1833; married in 1867, 
 one daughter. Parents, .Andrew and Sally Bush- 
 nell Borthwick, natives of Schoharie county, who 
 settled in Freetown in 1832 ; children nine. 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 507 
 
 Brainard, Alanson, p. o. Freetown Corners, 
 farmer and retired dairyman, born in Herkimer 
 county in 1820, settled in county in 1867 ; wife, 
 Maria A. Legg, born in Massachusetts in 1824; 
 married in 1844; children seven : Josephine M., 
 George W., Henry H., Joshua B., David L., Ar- 
 thur E., and Charles J. ; George W. died in 1873, 
 Henry H. enlisted in the iS6th Regiment 
 N. Y. v., in 1864, and David L., joined the 
 Greeley expedition in exploring the Arctic re- 
 gions ; he reached Lat. 3.24, N. Long. 40.46, 
 VV., the most northern point reached by any ex- 
 plorer ; he was rescued with the remainder of the 
 Greeley survivors June 2 2d, 1884. Parents of Alan- 
 son Brainard were: Joshua and Freelove (Ellis) 
 Brainard, natives of Connecticut, who setded in 
 Herkimer county in 1800 where they died. 
 
 Eaton, Calvin, p. o. Freetown Corners, farmer 
 and dairyman, owns 230 acres, born in Ashford, 
 Windham Co., Conn., in 1808, settled in county 
 in 1847, was commissioner four years, and asses- 
 sor six years ; wife, Caroline H. Campbell, born 
 in Willett in 1827 ; married in 1849, children 
 four: Florilla D., born in 1850, Estella, born in 
 1856, Frank, bom in 1861, Fred, bom in 1866. 
 Parents, James and Fannie (Rickards) Eaton, 
 natives of Connecticut, who came to New York 
 in 1815; the former died in Otsego county, the 
 latter in Freetown. 
 
 Edwards, Joseph D., ]). o. Texas Valley, 
 farmer, born in Freetown in 1850; wife, Louisa 
 Maynard, daughter of Madison B. and Maria 
 Maynard, born in Virgil in 1854 ; married in 
 1874, children two: Wellington F. and Wesley 
 J. Parents, Stephen and Sally (Bowdish) Ed- 
 wards, the former born in Cincinnatus in 1821, 
 died in 1883, the latter born in Newstead in 
 1819. 
 
 Grant, Philander D., p. o. East Freetown, P. 
 M. and retired contractor-builder, born in Free- 
 town in 1832, has been postmaster eighteen 
 years, constable seven years, and held other dis- 
 trict offices ; wife, Joanna Hickey, born in Ho- 
 boken in 1832; married January 2d, 185 1, chil- 
 dren two: Ellen F.,born October 8th, 1851, and 
 Emmet C, born September i ith, 1856. Parents, 
 Miner and Ziba Underwood, the former born in 
 1806, the latter in 1808 ; married in 1828, chil- 
 dren nine. 
 
 Harvey, Thomas, p. o. Freetown, famier and 
 stock dealer, carpenter and builder, born in 
 England in 1824, settled in county in 1832; 
 wife, Mrs. Sarah (Cameron) Livingston, born in 
 Freetown in 1837; married in 1875, one child, 
 Eugene L. Parents, William and Sarah (Stark- 
 ey) Harvey, natives of England, came to Free- 
 town with six children in 1832, the former died 
 in 1862, aged seventy-two years, the latter died 
 in 1852. 
 
 Madison, Eri, p. o. Texas Valley, farmer, born 
 in Blenheim, Schoharie county, in 1821, edu- 
 cated at a common school, taught school from 
 1842 till 1848 in the winter; married Harriet 
 Carter, daughter of Ezra and Dimmis Carter, 
 February, 1848; was elected justice of peace 
 in 1834, and in 1856 was elected supervisor and 
 re-elected in 1857, since which time he has held 
 various town offices. Parents, David and Re- 
 becca (Hull) ^Lldison, the former born in Rens- 
 selaer county in 1788 and died in 1866; the 
 latter died "in i88i, aged eighty-five; her father 
 was Ebenezer Hull, came from Connecticut. 
 Grandfather David Madison, sr., was born in 
 Delaware county, and his parents were among 
 the first settlers in the town of Middletown. 
 
 Martin, Aldin, p. o. East Freetown, farmer 
 and dairyman, born in Freetown in 1853; wife, 
 Amy E. Hammond, daughter of John and 
 Evaline Hammond, born in 1856; married in 
 1880, one child, Carrie E. Parents, Simmons 
 and Lucy (Wildman) Martin, the former born in 
 Conn, in 1807, came to county in 1813, the 
 latter born in 1817, children six. 
 
 Metzgar James, p. o. Freetown Corners, far- 
 mer and dairyman, born in Northampton county, 
 Pa., in 1818, settled in county in 1839; wife, 
 Clarissa M. Wildman, daughter of Marcus and 
 Sibyl (Rogers) Wildman; married in 1842, chil- 
 dren four: Lucetta M., Tryphena A., Almeron H. 
 and Ina E. Parents, Jonas and Mary (Merwin) 
 Metzgar, natives of Northampton county, Penn. 
 
 Seeber, James H., p. o. Freetown, farmer and 
 stock dealer, born in Freetown in 1833, was su- 
 pervisor two terms, assessor six years, and held 
 other offices ; wife, Martha Smith, daughter of 
 Giles M., born in Marathon in 1833 ; married in 
 1857, died in 1870, leaving two children: Clay- 
 ton W., and Arthur A. ; second wife, Mrs. Jane 
 
5o8 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Smith, daughter of Daniel and Emeline Wight- 
 man married in 1870, one child, Martha E. 
 Parents, James and Eliza Ste[)hens, the former 
 born in Schoharie county, the latter in Oneida 
 county; children six. Grandparents, Sophrenus 
 and Elizabeth Seeber, natives of Schoharie 
 county, came to Freetown in 1820, and settled 
 on James H.'s present farm of 300 acres; chil- 
 dren six. 
 
 Slocum, Ransom, p. o. Freetown Corners, 
 farmer and dairy, born in Oneida county in 
 1825, settled in county in 1853, was assessor 
 three years, and held other district offices ; wife, 
 Celestia M. Ho])kins, born in Oneida county in 
 1828; married in 1854, children five : Frank R., 
 Emily C, Charles H., Nelson H., and Edgar 
 J. Frank R., married Susan Dietrich. Parents, 
 Henry and Sally (Bull) Slocum ; the former was 
 born in Vermont, and is still living, the latter was 
 born in Oneida county, and died in 1876; chil- 
 dren eight, six living. 
 
 Smith, Chauncey, p. o. Freetown Corners, 
 farmer and dairyman, born in Freetown in 1837, 
 was supervisor three years; wife, Mary Parker, 
 born in Vermont, married in 1863, and died in 
 1873, leaving two children : Lettie and Lucinda ; 
 second wife, I^lla Lampher, born in 1856; chil- 
 dred four : Mary, Dudley C, Walter and Clark. 
 Parents, Dudley and Nancy M. (Carpenter) Smith, 
 the former born in Norway, Herkimer county, 
 N. v., came to Freetown in 1837, died in 1873, 
 aged 68 years; the latter died in 1879, aged 68 
 years ; children seven. 
 
 Tanner, George J., p. o. Freetown Corners, 
 farmer and inventor and patentee of the milk 
 tester, owns 170 acres, born in Trenton in 1836, 
 settled in county in 1840, was assessor four 
 years; wife, Dimmes Carter, daughter of Au- 
 gustine and Olive (Richardson) Carter, born in 
 1845 ; married in 1863, children eight. Parents 
 L.D. and Mary (Holliday) Tanner, the former of 
 Herkimer county, settled in Freetown in 1840, 
 and was a Methodist Episcopal clergyman for 
 many years. 
 
 Tarbell, William N., p. o. East Freetown, 
 farmer, born in Freetown in 1857, is justice of 
 peace; wife, Genevieve Hill, born in Will county, 
 Illinois, in 1857 ; married Sept. igtli, 1877, 
 one son, Leon J., born March 24th, 1879. Pa- 
 
 rents, Lorenzo and Julia (Cameron) Tarbell, the 
 former born in Groton in 181 9, was justice of 
 peace twelve years, the latter born in 1821, mar- 
 ried in 1840 and died in 1877 ; children six. 
 Grandfather, Daniel Tarbell, settled in Free- 
 town in 1835. 
 
 Underwood, Alanson, p. o. East Freetown, 
 retired farmer, owns 400 acres, born in Edmon- 
 son, N. Y., in 1806, settled in county in 1813; 
 wife, Laura Staftbrd, born in Otsego county in 
 1807; married in 1829, children eleven, seven 
 now living : Joseph, Alanson jr., and Susan 
 (twins), Lyman, Lewis, Levina and Laura. Pa- 
 rents, Vander and Jerusha (Wood) Underwood, 
 the former born in Woodstock, Conn., in 1781, 
 and died in A])ril, 1862, the latter born in Mans- 
 field, Vt., in 1781, married Nov. 17th, 1803, and 
 died in 1847 ; children seventeen. 
 
 Underwood, Vander, jr., p. o. McGrawvilie, 
 farmer and stock grower, born in Freetown in 
 1821, is a large land owner in Mississippi; wife, 
 Julia A. Grant, daughter of Russell and Betsey 
 (Loveless) Grant, born in Freetown in 1825; 
 married in 1846, children six, three now living: 
 Electa, Betsey and Louisa. Parents, Vander and 
 Jerusha (Wood) Underwood. 
 
 Watrous, Benjamin B., p. o. FreetowMi Cor- 
 ners, retired farmer, born in Washington county 
 in 1803, settled in county in 181 1, held many 
 district offices and was a deacon in the Baptist 
 Church for many years ; wife, Elizabetli Lam- 
 pher, born in Munson, Mass., in 1803; married 
 in 1824, children twelve, six now living : Laura 
 Jane, born in 1826, Emerette in 1832, Benjamin 
 F. in 1840, Jerusha in 1842, Austin A. in 1846, 
 Edgar A. in 1848. Parents, Austin and Sally 
 (Backus) Watrous, natives of Connecticut, the 
 former born in 1778, and died in 1864, the latter 
 born in 1781, and died in 1844. 
 
 Watrous, Leonard J., p. o. Freetown Corners, 
 farmer, born in Freetown in 1834 ; wife, Ema- 
 line Slocum, daughter of Henry and Sally (Bull) 
 Slocum, born in Oneida county in 1832; mar- 
 ried in 1864, children two: Roscoe, horn .4ug. 
 2Sth, 1870, and died in 1879, and Addie Luella. 
 Parents, Joseph and Lydia (Leach) Watrous, the 
 former born in Washington county in 1801, set- 
 tled in Freetown in i8io with his parents; chil- 
 dren seven. 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 509 
 
 Wildman, Joseph, p. o. East Freetown, born 
 in Freetown in 1S09, ami died March 9th, 1878; 
 wife, Mrs. Ann Eva Van Slyke, daughter of 
 Jolin and Lydia (Marenus) Van Slyke, born in 
 Otsego county in 1821; married in 1838, chil- 
 dren five: Rollin, born in 1839, Josephine A., 
 born in 1841, Mahalah, born in 1843, Marcus 
 N. in 1844, and King L. in 1847, ^^'^o married 
 Margaret Metzgar in 1873; children four. Pa- 
 rents, Joseph and Mindwell Wildman. Grand- 
 father Wildman was one of the first settlers in 
 the old town of Cincinnatus. 
 
 Woods, Elisha, jr., p. o. Freetown Corners, 
 retired boot and shoe manufacturer, born in 
 Bainbridge, N. Y., in 1804, settled in county in 
 1 8 13. was deputy sheriff, collector four years, 
 constable ten years, and held other offices ; wife, 
 Sally Montgomery, daughter of James and Bar- 
 bara (Moon) Montgomery, of Rhode Island, 
 born in 1802; married in 1824, children seven, 
 five now living: Silvester, Lydia, Sherman, Eliza, 
 and E. B. Parents, Elisha and Hannah (Spen- 
 cer) Woods, natives of Vermont, settled in 
 Chenango county in 1789, children six. Elisha 
 was a Revolutionary soldier and one of General 
 Washington's body guards. He died in 1842. 
 
 HARFORD. 
 
 Bradley, Horace W., p. o. Harford, steam 
 lumber, planing, lath, flour, feed, and shingle 
 mill, owns 400 acres, born in New Haven, Conn., 
 in 1844, setded in county in 1853; wife, Eliza, 
 beth M. Sutton, born in England in 1849, came 
 to America with parents in 1852, who located in 
 Chautauqua county, N. Y. ; married in 1868, 
 children four. Parents, Woodward and E. (Hem- 
 mingway) Bradley, the former born in Conn, in 
 1806, died in 1852, the latter was a daughter of 
 Col. Jacob and Eunice Hemmingway, early 
 setders of county. H. W. Bradley enlisted in Co. 
 E, 157th N. Y. Vols, in 1862, was wounded at 
 the battle of Gettysburg, served to close of war 
 and was discharged, after which he spent some 
 years in the Penn. oil regions, then relumed to 
 Harford and purchased his mill and has since 
 done a very extensive business. 
 
 Brown, Homer J., p. o. Harford, farmer and 
 
 dealer in farm implements, born in Harford in 
 1840, has been town clerk: wife, Georgia Dick- 
 enson, born in 1839; married in 1867, died in 
 1874, leaving two children: J. Grove and Grace 
 D ; second w'ife, Eva D. Lathrop, married in 
 1876. Parents, Dexter and Betsey (H olden) 
 Brown, the former born in 1815, the latter in 
 1813 ; married in 1838, children two. Grand- 
 parents, Josiah and Sophia (Graves) Brown. 
 
 Brown, Norton L., p. o. Harford, fanner, bom 
 in Harford in 1820 ; wife, Judith Edminister 
 daughter of Henry and Mary (Barnes) Edminis- 
 ter, born in Harford in 1824; married in 1842, 
 children four: De Ette L., Abbie R., Dexter D., 
 and Charles J. (deceased). Parents, Morris and 
 Matilda (Holden) Brown, the former born in 
 Chenango county in 1799 and died March 23d, 
 1883, the latter born in Maine in 1799, married 
 in 1819, children three. Grandparents, Josiah 
 and Sophia (Graves) Brown, natives of Mass., 
 who settled in county in 18 14. 
 
 Burlingame, Charles C, p. o. Harford Mills, 
 farmer, born in Windham county. Conn., in 
 1838, setded in county in 1853, has been justice 
 of the peace, and held other minor offices ; wife, 
 Mary C. Griswold, daughter of Rev. William and 
 Lovina (Kilner) Griswold, born in Tioga county, 
 in 1842; married in 1861, children two: Hattie 
 L., and Nettie J. Parents, Peter and Harriet 
 (Dean) Burlingame, the former was a minister 
 and settled in Harford in 1853, wife died in 
 1853; second wife, Nancy Brown, of Homer, 
 married in 1855, children two. Charles C. Bur- 
 lingame enlisted in Co. E, 157th Reg., under Col. 
 P. P. Brown, in August, 1SC2, served three years, 
 was promoted to lieutenant and afterward to 
 captain. 
 
 Bushnell, H. T., j). o. Harford, dealer in dry 
 goods, groceries, hardware, clothing, boots and 
 shoes and all farm implements, born in Ohio in 
 1843, was supervisor in 1884, and had previously 
 held the offices of town clerk, notary public and 
 constable; wife, Jennie H. HoUett, born in 1839; 
 married in 1868, one child, Charles Laverne. 
 Parents, Lewis and Elizabeth (Treat) Buslinell, 
 of Ohio. H. T. Bushnell began the mercantile 
 business in Harford in 1872- and in 1S80 be- 
 came a partner with Samuel N. Holden ; the 
 business is now conducted under the name of 
 Holden & Bushnell. 
 
5IO 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Clinton, Austin W., p. o. Harford Mills, dealer 
 in knnl)cr, horn in Newark Valley, in 1850; 
 settled in county in 1875, has heen supervisor; 
 wile, Alice Davis, of Scranton, married in 1875. 
 Parents, R. W. and Anna (Knapp) Clinton; 
 Children three: A. W., Arthur, who married Ad- 
 die Roys, and Ella who married Morris Ehvell. 
 R. W. Clinton's Sons began the lumber trade in 
 Harford in 1872, a fire destroyed their mill in 
 1880, a new one was erected, the main building 
 of which is 80x32, two stories high, the other 
 50x26, two stories high, run by steam which also 
 heats their dwelling houses, as well as their store 
 and office, the sawdust is used for fuel. They 
 run six circular saws, a planing and lath mill, and 
 own 500 acres of timber and farming land. 
 They have a very extensive trade in the eastern 
 markets and N. J., where they make a specialty 
 of furnishing lumber for building and govern- 
 ment purposes. Austin W. was a graduate of 
 Cornell University in 1872, was .professor of 
 natural science in Kingston, Penn., traveled in 
 Europe, visiting nine different countries, returned 
 and settled at his present business in 1875. The 
 brothers are now building a mill at Pike Mills, 
 Pa., with a capacity of one hundred thousand 
 feet per day. 
 
 Corbin, Joseph, p. o. Harford, farmer, born in 
 Connecticut, October 22d, 1799, settled in county 
 in 1858, on a farm of 70 acres, and died May 
 22d, 1883; wife, Ellen Loomis, born in Smith- 
 ville, N. Y., Feb. 15th, 1803 ; married Sept. 6th, 
 1820, died Aug. 27th, 1876, leaving four chil- 
 dren : Betsey, born in 1824, John in 1826, Mary 
 
 A. in 1827, and Lois A. in 1833; John enlisted 
 in t^he 157th regiment in 1862, and served to 
 close of war; married Elizabeth A. Ford, chil- 
 dren two ; Betsey married Andrew Smith and re- 
 sides in Taylor, Cortland county ; children six. 
 
 Culver, George VV., p. o. Harford, farmer, 
 born in Truxton in 1825; wife, Mary M. Lason, 
 born in 1824; married in 1850, children four: 
 Viola, John, Lizzie and Willie. Parents, Simon 
 
 B. and Betsey (Vincent) Culver, the former 
 born in New jersey in 1798, the latter born in 
 Herkimer county in 1804; married in 1821, chil- 
 dren six. Grandparents, George and Jemina 
 (Morse) Culver, natives of New Jersey, settled in 
 Truxton in 1802, purchased 100 acres of land at 
 $3.44 per acre. 
 
 Edmonds, Jonathan C, p. o. Harford, grocer 
 and general market for flour, seeds and all staple 
 articles; born in Saratoga county in 1842, was 
 town clerk three years, assessor one term, com- 
 missioner three terms, deputy sheriff one year and 
 constable for several years; wife, Emma Holden, 
 daughter of Benjamin and Maria (Lathrop) Hol- 
 den, born in 1844; married in 1862, one child, 
 Nellie. Parents, Frances and Eliza (Burge) Ed- 
 monds, who settled in Harford in 1854. J. C. 
 Edmonds began the grocery business in 1879, 
 and he still continues to deal in all leading 
 goods. 
 
 Hemenvvay, Morris B., p. o. Harford, farmer, 
 born in Harford in 1834; wife, Bethesda B. 
 Rood, daughter of Josiah \V. and Bethesda (Bliss) 
 Rood, born in Otsego county in 1837 ; married 
 in 1866, one child, Carrie A. Parents, Lyman 
 and Rachael (Holden) Hemenvvay, the former 
 born in 1804, settled in county in 1821, married 
 in 1827 and died in 187 1, children six; the lat- 
 ter still resides on the farm they first purchased 
 with her son Morris. 
 
 Holden, Luther, p. o. Harford, farmer and 
 dealer in blooded stock, born in Harford in 
 1849; wife, Sarah Hartson, daughter of Samuel 
 and Evaline (Winters) Hartson, born in Penn- 
 sylvania in 1848 ; married in 1870, children two : 
 Berdette, born Jan. 13th, 1872, and Ada, born 
 Oct. 27th, 1878, and died Sept. 30th, 1884. 
 Parents, Benjamin and Maria (Lathrop) Holden ; 
 the former died in January, 1875, the latter in 
 1878; children two: Emma born in 1844, and 
 Luther born in 1849. 
 
 Holden, Samuel N., p. o. Harford, dealer in 
 general merchandise and all kinds of farm im- 
 plements, born in county in 1844; wife, Lillian 
 Wattles, daughter of Glover P. Wattles, born in 
 1854; married in 1872, one child, Jennie, who 
 died in Sept., 1875, aged T4 months, and an 
 adopted daughter, Agnes Louise. Parents, 
 Walter and Relief (Tanner) Holden ; the former 
 born in Maine in 1803, and died in 1880, the 
 latter born in 1S06, and died in 1851, leaving 
 ten children, three now living. Grandparents, 
 Benjamin and Emma (Farwell) Holden, the 
 former of Maine and the latter of Boston, setded 
 in Harford in 18 13; children twelve. 
 
 Holdridge, Enoch J., p. o. Harford, farmer 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 5n 
 
 and carpenter, born in Madison .county in 1827, 
 settled in county in 1830, was assessor twelve 
 years and elected justice in i88i ; wife, Clarissa 
 Teri)ening, daughter of Noah and Polly Terpen- 
 ing, born in Virgil in 1825; married Nov. 10th, 
 1850, children two: Medora, born in 1856, and 
 A. Eugene, born in 1864; Medora married Sher- 
 man Grennell in 1877. Parents, Daniel and 
 Anna (Chaffee) Holdridge, the former died Oct. 
 3d, 1882, and the latter died in 1846, leaving 
 nine children, six now hving. 
 
 Johnson, Philo A., p. o. Harford, born in Vir- 
 gil in 1818; wife, Ruth Lincoln, bom in 1819; 
 married Oct. 6th, 1842, died March 4th, 1862, 
 leaving eight children ; second wife, Caroline 
 Seymour, born in 1824, married in 1863. Pa- 
 rents, Eli and Lucretia (Smith) Johnson ; the 
 former born in Otsego county in 1792 and died 
 in 1875, the latter in 1794 and died in 1S75; 
 married in 1813, children nine, four now living: 
 Ezra I., Horace B., Philo A., and Marrilla. 
 
 Knapp, John H., M. D., p. o. Harford, phy- 
 sician and surgeon, born in Fairfield in 1819, was 
 member of assembly in 1854-55, supervisor 
 three terms, and held other town offices for many 
 years ; wife, Sarah Wattles, of Broome county, 
 born June 5th, 1826; married Dec. 24th, 1844, 
 children four, all died in infancy. Parents, Am- 
 me P. and Polly (Hull) Knapp, natives of Con- 
 necticut, who settled in Chenango county in 
 1822. The former died in 1872, aged 84, wife 
 still living, aged 88 years. Dr. J. H. Knapp read 
 medicine in Sherburne, and attended lectures at 
 Albany Medical College; commenced practice 
 at Marathon in 1843, and in 1845 went to Etna, 
 Tompkins county, and in 1849 returned to Cort- 
 land and settled in Harford, where he now re- 
 sides, having a large practice. 
 
 McPherson, John, p. o. Harford, farmer, born 
 in Orange county in 1837, settled in county in 
 1878, has been assessor and excise commissioner; 
 wife, Isabetta Shaw, born in Wyoming county, 
 Pennsylvania, in 1843; married in 1861, chil- 
 dren seven : George B., Frank E., Elizabeth M., 
 Sarah G., Ada B., Robert O. and Edward T. 
 Parents, Robert and Mary E. (Coleman) Mc- 
 .Pherson, born in Orange county, the former in 
 1812, and the latter in 1818, married in 1835; 
 children two : John and Emma, the latter born in 
 1842, married Theron G. Wilcox in 1864. 
 
 Purvis, Robert, p. o. Harford, farmer, sheep 
 and stock dealer; born in Otsego county in 
 1825, settled in county in 1830, was supervisor, 
 school superintendent and held many town offi- 
 ces; wife, Jennie M. Bouton, daughter of Na- 
 thaniel, jr., and Julia E. (Southworth) Bou- 
 ton, born in Marathon in 1842, married in 1881. 
 Parents, Andrew and Nancy (Hale) Purvis; the 
 former born in Scotland, came to America in 
 1809, the latter born in Rhode Island, married 
 in i8i2, moved to Otsego county in 1822, set- 
 tled in Harford in 1830; children seven, two 
 now living. 
 
 Rood, Josiah W., p. o. Harford, farmer, born 
 in Schoharie county, Feb. 19th, 1806, .settled in 
 county in 1840, was supervisor, assessor and held 
 other offices, and died in 1880; wife, Bethesda 
 Bliss, married March 28th, 1830, and died Feb. 
 7th, 1837, leaving three children: Alonzo W., 
 born in 1833, Amanda M., born in 1835, Be- 
 thesda B., born in 1837 ; second wife, Lucy Mc- 
 Farland, born in 1813; married May 30th, 1838, 
 children three: Lorin W., born in 1839, Lucy A., 
 born in 1844, and Mary E. Rood, born Jan. 20th, 
 1850. Parents, Ezra and Parthena Rood, of 
 Massachusetts ; the former died in Otsego county 
 and the latter in Homer. 
 
 Rood, Lorin W., p. o. Harford, farmer, stock 
 dealer and dairy produce, owns 350 acres; 
 born in Plainfield, April 4th, 1839, settled in 
 county in 1840; wife, Abbie Decker, born in 
 1841; married in 1S62, children three: Hattie, 
 born Dec. 14th, 1863, Minnie and Myrtie (twins), 
 born June 12th, 1872. Parents, Josiah W. Rood 
 and Lucy (McFarland) Rood, who settled in 
 Harford in 1838. 
 
 Strong, Erastus S., p. o. Harford, farmer and 
 retired teacher, holds a state certificate since 
 June 23d, 1856, over signature of V. M. Rice. 
 Born in Cato in 1821, settled in county in 1846, 
 was assessor twelve years, justice of peace six- 
 teen years, teacher eleven years ; wife, Elizabeth 
 L. Tryon, born in Cayuga county in 1821 ; mar- 
 ried in 1845, children five, four now living : Sa- 
 rah C, who married Reuben Shepard, Horatio 
 W., who married Adel|)ha Frank, and Francis 
 E., who married Mary Shevaleer, and .Vsa H., 
 now living at home. Parents, Erastus and Cath- 
 arine (Kelly) Strong ; the former born in Galway 
 
512 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 in 1795, and died in 1822, the latter born in 1798 
 and died in 1834. 
 
 'lyler, A. W., p. o. Harford, farmer, born in 
 Virgil in 1838, was assessor and town clerk two 
 terms each ; wife, Mary E. Branch, daughter of 
 Enoch and Matilda (Mynard) Branch, born in 
 1845; married in 1868, children three: Martha 
 A., John ]>. and J. Hart Tyler. Parents, Jere- 
 miah and Mahalah (Burlingame) Tyler; the 
 former born in 1807, setded in Virgil in 18 10, 
 the latter born in 18 12. 
 
 Wavle, James H., p. o. Harford, farmer and 
 stock dealer, born in Freetown in 1826; wife, 
 Emeline Coleman, bom in Orange county in 
 1822; married in 1849, died Ajjril 24th, 1872, 
 leaving six children; second wife, Emma Valen- 
 tine, born in Marathon, married in 1880. Pa- 
 rents, Andrew and Eva (Smith) Wavle, the former 
 born in Schoharie county, settled in Cortland 
 county in 1818, and died in 1840, the latter died 
 in 1879, leaving four children. 
 
 Weiler, George Frederick, p. o. Harford, 
 farmer, born in Baden, Germany, Oct. 20th, 
 1833, setded in county in 1854, has held several 
 district offices, and has been steward of the M. 
 E. Church twenty years ; wife, Harriet L. Reed, 
 daughter of Asa D. and Marina (Curtis) Reed, 
 born August 15th, 1829 ; married Jan. 22d, i860, 
 children two : Florence R., born Feb. 19th, 1862, 
 and C. Franklin, born Aug. loth, 1872. Parents, 
 Jacob and Rosenna (Carterer) Weiler, of Baden, 
 Germany. Frederick was penniless when he 
 landed in New York, but dirough his own exer- 
 tions and prudence has accumulated a large 
 I)roperty and is now the possessor of several 
 hundred acres of land, and has the confidence 
 of the community where he resides, and has paid 
 liberally for benevolent purposes. 
 
 Wilcox, Theron G., p. o. Harford, stock dealer 
 and dairy, owns 140 acres, bom in Smithville in 
 1842; setded in county in 1868, was iiighway 
 commissioner one terni and held other district 
 offices; wife, Emma McPherson, daughter of 
 Robert and Mary McPherson, born in 1842; 
 married in 1864, children two: Eddie and 
 John. Parents, Simon G. and Hannah (Loomis) 
 Wilcox; the former of Oxford, died in 1883, 
 aged 72, the latter died in 1867, leaving eight 
 children. 
 
 HOMER. 
 
 Alibott, Alfred, p. o. Homer, owns 70 acres, 
 dealer in live stock, born in Homer in 1818; 
 wife, EstlierH. Bowen; married in 1841, children 
 four: Irving, Cornelia (now Mrs. Henry Keel- 
 ing), of Homer, Oresta (Mrs. Elias Frisbie), of 
 Scott, Frank H., Lillie (now Mrs. Wesley 
 Holmes), of Earlville. 
 
 Alvord, Henry S., p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
 120 acres, born in Homer in 1826; wife, Mary C. 
 Smith, of Fabius ; married in 1852, children two: 
 Lucy M., and Hattie E. 
 
 Alvord, Lucius, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
 300 acres, born in Homer in 1832; wife, Sylvina 
 Brown, daughter of Moses and Sarah (Matteson) 
 Brown; married in 1856, children four: Mrs. 
 Eugene Eaton, of Cayuga county, Llyn, Millie 
 M., and Benette B. Grandfather Ebenezer 
 Alvord was born in Farmington, Conn., in 1767, 
 and came to Homer in 1794. 
 
 Atkinson, Geo., p. o. East River, farmer, owns 
 213 acres, born in England in 1814, settled in 
 county in i860; wife, Isabella King, of Martin- 
 dale, England; married in i860, children seven: 
 Maria A. (Mrs. John Onsby), of Tully, Jennie, 
 Geo. K., Isabella A., James, WOliam and Mary 
 E. 
 
 Babcock, Oscar A., p. o. Homer, grocer, born 
 in De Ruyter in June, 1838, settled in county in 
 1849, was second sergeant in Co. H, iS7th N. Y. 
 S. v., enlisted in Aug., 1862, discharged at close 
 of war ; wife, Laurette L. Maltby; married June 
 5th, 1866, children three: Lydia L., born in 
 1867, Maud E., and Mabel J. (twins), in 187 1. 
 
 Bates, Alexander, p. o. Homer, carriage and 
 sleigh manufacturer, born in Washington county 
 in 1 814, setded in county in 181 7, was drum- 
 major in 157th N. Y. S. v.; wife, Lavina Yale, a 
 descendant of the Yale who founded Yale college; 
 married in 1834, children eight: George W., 
 William H. (deceased), Lury M., William E., 
 (Prof, of music in Columbus, Ind.), Helen L., 
 J. Franklin, of Iowa, Newton A., John E., and 
 Charles H. 
 
 Barker, Albert, p o. Homer, farmer, owns 106 
 acres, born in Washington county, January 8th, 
 1800, removed to Oneida county when five 
 years old, settled on the same farm where he 
 now resides in 1837, married to Sophronia East- 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 S13 
 
 man in Paris, Oneida county, June 2otli, 1822, 
 who died in March, 1884. There were six chil- 
 dren, four of which are still living: Mercy, the 
 eldest, married H. G. Short, now living in Tioga 
 county, Pa.; Luther E., now living on the old 
 homestead; Carrie A. died in 1864; Jennie E.> 
 wife of M. N. Allen, Titusville Pa., died in Sept. 
 1884; Martha L., wife of William Crandall, of 
 Minnesota; and Albert C, of Minnesota. 
 
 Beach, William B., p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
 226 acres, born in Homer in 1827 ; wife, Mary 
 E. Hammon; married in 1854, children three : 
 Jenny E., Ida M., and Clarissa O. Father 
 Nathaniel Beach was born in 1790, came to 
 county in 1820, and died Oct. 4th, 1873. 
 
 Bell, Robert, p. o. Homer, born in England, 
 came to Homer in 1858, and died in 1883 ; wife, 
 Jannett Harkness, of Dunfrieshire, Scotland ; 
 married Nov. 17th, 1865, children three: John 
 H., Jennie H., and Fannie E. 
 
 Blashfield, H. W., p. o. Homer, manufacturer 
 of lumber and cider, owns 95 acres, born in Ho- 
 mer in 1830, was supervisor one term, justice of 
 peace twenty-five years ; wife, Lura M. Bates, 
 born in Leno.x ; married in 1854, children two : 
 Nellie L., and Frank E. Father William PSlash- 
 field came to Homer in 1802, from Brimfield, 
 Mass., and died in 1864. 
 
 Brockway, Henry S., p. o. Homer, Supt. 
 Brockway Wagon and Sleigh Manufiicturing Co., 
 born in Groton, Nov. 19th, 1839, settled in 
 county in 1S42 ; wife, Francis L. Hoyt ; married 
 in 1867, one child, Harry L. 
 
 Brockway, W. N., p. o. Homer, manufacturer 
 of wagons and sleighs, born in Cortland in 
 1829, was trustee of the village of Homer; wife, 
 P'.dith Hine, of Preble, N. Y.; married in i860, 
 children four, living: Florence I., Geo. A., Josie 
 A., and Fannie M. 
 
 Burnham, Marvin, p. o. P'ast Homer, honey 
 producer, born in Homer in 181 1 ; wife, Caroline 
 C. Webster, of Truxton ; married in 1836, chil- 
 dren three: U. A., who was first lieutenant in 
 Co. D, 76th N. Y. S. v., E. A., in Co. A, 76th 
 N. Y. S. v., and Josephene A. (now Mrs. Ben- 
 jamin Bennett), of Syracuse. 
 
 Burnham, Shepard C, p. o. East Homer, 
 owns 133 acres, farmer, born in Homer in 1850; 
 wife, Anna J. Griffeth, born in 1855, daughter 
 
 of Abram B. and Jane E. (.\lexander) Griflfeth, 
 of Homer; married in 1874, children three: 
 Edna S., born in 1876, Jennie, born in 1881, and 
 Albert G., born in 1884. Parents, William H., 
 of Homer, and Harriet M. (Crane) Burnham, of 
 Marathon. 
 
 Butler, Ralph, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 122 
 acres, born in Cayuga county in 1848; wife, 
 Addie Mott, of Cayuga county; married in 1871, 
 children four: Elmer A., who died Feb. 17th, 
 1875, P'ddie G., who died in 1877, Bertha L., 
 and Leve J. Ralph Butler is living on the old 
 homestead owned by his father, Edmond C, who 
 was an immigrant from Connecticut, and first set- 
 tled in Cayuga county in 1838, came to county 
 in 1848. He died in 1865; wife died in 1877. 
 
 B)Tam, Samuel M., p. o. Cortland, grist and 
 saw-mill, born in Virgil, in 1837, was supervisor 
 of Virgil ; wife, Laura Scott, born in Conland ; 
 married in 1868, children three: Nellie S., Willie 
 S., and Charles J. Parents, Josiah and Rhoda 
 Byram, who came from Broome county to Vir- 
 gil in 1828. 
 
 Carl, Harry, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 117 
 acres, born in Homer in 1816; wife, Lucy Dun- 
 bar, of Solon; married in 1852, died in April 
 1S83; children three: Porter E., Letlie E., and 
 Adelbert D. 
 
 Carl, Jacob, p. o. Cortland, farmer, owns 100 
 acres, born in Locke, Cayuga county, in 1807, 
 settled in county in 1836 ; wife, Eliza Lascels, of 
 Haverstraw; married in 1836, children two: 
 Elijah E., and Sarah E. (now Mrs. Willington 
 Wood), of Homer. Parents, Henry L ami NLiry 
 Carl, came to county in 18 10. 
 
 Carver, David W., p. o. Little York, larmer, 
 owns 1 13 acres, born in Spafford, Sept. 4th, 1839, 
 settled in county in 1865; wife, Harriet F. 
 Wright, of Preble; married in 1864, children 
 four: Helen M., Herman W., Fred. U. and 
 Hattie. Mr. Carver was the first farmer to raise 
 cabbage for shipping purposes. 
 
 Carpenter, C. De Witt, p. o. Homer, farmer^ 
 owns 165 acres, born in 1832 ; wife, .Adeline Ball, 
 of Onondaga county; married in 1855, children 
 three: Cora A., Vaeilette A., and Helen A. 
 Asaph H. Carpenter came on the ])resent farm 
 in 1799. F. B., the artist brother of C. D., was 
 born in 1830, and is at present in New York. 
 
514 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Coats, John M., p. o. Homer, notary public, 
 conveyancer and surveyor, born in Truxton in 
 1820, was town clerk of Truxton seven years 
 and at present corporation clerk of Homer; wife, 
 Almira A. McKnight ; married in 1847, children 
 three: Edward M. (now a merchant in Spring- 
 field, Mass.), Damon N., a merchant in New 
 York city, Mary E., at present teacher in a Nor- 
 mal school in Hampton, Va. 
 
 Chittenden, Giles, p. o. Homer, retired, born in 
 New Milford, Conn., in 1800, settled in county 
 in 1824, was supervisor several terms and justice 
 of peace twelve years ; first wife, Samantha Mc- 
 Whorter, born in Cincinnatus and died in 1838, 
 leaving one child ; second wife, Mary Ann Mc- 
 Whorter, died June 21st, 1846, leaving one child • 
 third wife, Mrs. Olivia Munson, born in Jefterson 
 county in 18 10, married 1848. 
 
 Clark, Simeon N., p. o. Homer, manufacturer 
 of tubs, etc., born in Otisco in 1844, settled in 
 Homer, Cortland county, in 1873: wife, Emma 
 E. Howard, born in England, married in 1879. 
 
 Coon, Hammill T. (deceased), was born in Ot- 
 sego county, N. Y., and died in 1862 ; wife, Ro- 
 sanna Decker; married in 1852, and settled in 
 Homer same year; children six: John C, Ham- 
 mill T., of Cortland, William A. and Charles V., 
 who are teachers in Homer Academy, Irvin H. 
 and Nina M. 
 
 Cummings, Daniel M., p. o. Litde York, 
 farmer, owns 106 acres, born in Preble in 1838; 
 wife, Climena Pratt; married in 1 861, children 
 two : Mary Louise and Orrin Pratt. 
 
 Fisher, Willet, p. o. Homer, manufacturer of 
 patent platform spring wagons, born in Dryden, 
 Tompkins county, in 1841, setded in county in 
 1859; wife, Caroline S. Pierce; married in i860, 
 children two now living : Eugene and Charles. 
 
 Foster, John, p. o. Little York, farmer, owns 
 200 acres, born in England in 1822, settled in 
 county in i860; wife, Jane Miller, of l^igland; 
 married Dec. 3d, 1851 ; children ten, seven now 
 living. 
 
 Gage, .\. S., ]). o. Homer, manufocturer of 
 cutters, born in Greene, Chenango county, Jan. 
 5th, 1855, settled in county in 1855; ^^■''^, 
 Delia C. Watrous, born in Virgil; married Jan. 
 nth, 1877, one child, Carl W. Gage, born Aug. 
 2d, 1878. 
 
 Gage, C. W., p. o. Homer, cutter manufactu- 
 rer, born in Knox, Albany county, in 1833, set- 
 tled in county in 1855, was trustee of village; 
 wife, Abigail Pearsall ; married in 1856, children 
 four : A. S. Gage, Belle, Carrie and Frankie D. 
 
 Gallu]), Francis A., p. o. Homer, farmer, 80 
 acres, born in Connecticut in 1840, settled in 
 county in 1857 ; wife, Mary J. Phillips, born in 
 1838; married in 1 861, children four, three liv- 
 ing: Frank L., Oren P. and Nattalee E. 
 
 Gates, Joel L, p. o. Litde York, former, owns 
 123 acres, born in Vermont in [816, settled in 
 county in 181 7; wife, Hannah C. Weeks; mar- 
 ried May 28th, 1844, and died in 1845, leaving 
 one child, Gertie (now Mrs. Charles Taylor of 
 Truxton) ; second wife, Maria Severance, of 
 Truxton; married in 1847, children four: John 
 S., Jerome D., Clara E. and Albert R. 
 
 Gay, Alvin, p. o. Little York, proprietor of 
 Hotel York, born in Preble in 1853; wife, Al- 
 meda Ackels, born in Preble; married in 1872, 
 one child, Edith M. 
 
 Gilkerson, William, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
 58 acres, born in Cortland in 1844; wife, Sarah 
 C. Coon, born in Fabius, Onondaga county; 
 married in 1871, children three: George S., 
 Mary H. and William R. 
 
 Goodelle, C. B., p. o. Homer, farmer, 117 
 acres, born in Massachusetts in 1812, settled in 
 county in 1816; first wife, Uretta N. Hobart; 
 married in 1840, died in 1843 ; one child, Uretta 
 H., born in 1843, died in 1856; second wife, 
 Mary Lake; married in 1845, one child, Charles 
 L., born in 1850; married Charlotte P. Beebe in 
 1873, one child, born in 1874, died in 1876. 
 
 Haight, Watts, p. o. East Homer, farmer and 
 manufacturer of lumber, owns 94 acres, born in 
 Homer in 1834; wife, Laura L. Lamb, of Vine- 
 land, N. J. ; married in 1882, one child, J. Clyde. 
 Parents, Jabez and Emily (Preston) Haight; the 
 former of Westchester county, N. Y., and the 
 latter of Connecticut. 
 
 Hammon, Chas., p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
 69 acres, born in 1845 ; wife, Rebecca M. New- 
 man, of Little Falls; married in 1868, children 
 three : Herbert A., born in 1870, Chas. W., born 
 in May, 1872, and Howard R., born Feb. i8th, 
 1876. 
 
 Hammond, William, p. o. Homer, farmer. 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 S'S 
 
 owns loo acres, born in Goshen in 1827, settled in 
 county in 1830; wife, Nancy K. Williams, born 
 in Homer; married in 1849 and died Sept. 24th, 
 1884; children five: Helen L., born July ist, 
 185 1, Phoebe E., born in 1854, Fred A., born in 
 1858, Mary E., born in 1866, and Susie E., born 
 in 1869. 
 
 Hough, Ezra, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 90 
 acres, born in Homer, Feb. 9th, 1851; wife, 
 Martha E. Knapp, of Scriba, Oswego Co., N. 
 Y. ; married Feb. i8th, 1879, one child, (Jeorge 
 Walter. 
 
 Heberd, Lyman H., p. o. Homer, farmer, 
 owns 375 acres, born in Homer in 1837; wife, 
 Clara A. Hobart ; married in 1864, children four : 
 Marion A., Caroline L., Cora E. and Jessie A. 
 
 Henry, John B., p. o. East Homer, farmer, 
 owns 90 acres, born in East Homer in 1840; 
 wife, Elizabeth Miller, born in East Homer ; 
 married in 1868, children two: Frank M. and 
 Edwin J. Parents, Abram and Polly Henry ; 
 the former died in 1872, aged 59 years. 
 
 Henry, Nathan J., p. o. Homer, carpenter and 
 builder, born in Homer in 1836 ; wife, Ann Eliza 
 Tompkins, of Cayuga county; married in 1862, 
 children four: Geo. L., Frank G., Ead T. and 
 Mabel G. 
 
 Heydon, John S., p. o. Homer, mason, born 
 in Salina, Onondaga county, settled in county in 
 1867 ; wife, Martha A. Burnet, of Cayuya county ; 
 married in 1854, one child, William Carlton. 
 
 Hibbard, Randolph, p. o. Homer, farmer and 
 carriage manufacturer, owns 80 acres, born in 
 East Homer in i860 ; wife, Mattie A. Ballard, of 
 Dryden; married in 1882. Parents, M. M. and 
 Ada Hibbard. 
 
 Hitchcock, Edward, [i. o. Homer, Presbyte- 
 rian clergyman, owns 220 acres, born in Homer 
 in 1833; wife, Josaphene CottcU Fithian, born in 
 New Jersey ; married in 1882. 
 
 Hoag, Zelora, p. o. Homer, carpenter and 
 builder, born in Cassville, Oneida county ; set- 
 ded in county in 1838 ; wife, Amelia Jagger, of 
 Preble; married in 1862. 
 
 Hull, Geo. N., p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 74 
 acres, born in Homer in 1819 ; wife, Elvena Wil- 
 liams ; married in 1844, children seven : Frank 
 W., Nancy E., Edward Z., Fannie A. (now Mrs. 
 Albert Sessions), Henry H., Porter M. and Lou- 
 isa A. 
 
 Hutchens, Orrin B., p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
 23 acres, born in Spafford, Onondaga county, in 
 1827, settled in county in 1874, was constable 
 in Spafford seventeen years ; wife, Mary Mc- 
 Daniels, of Spafford ; married in 1854. 
 
 Johnson, George, p. o. Homer, fanner, owns 
 195 acres, born in Little Horton, Cumberland 
 county, England, in 1828; came to county in 
 1838. Parents, Thomas and Jane (Miller) John- 
 son, natives of England ; the former died in 
 
 1857- 
 
 Jones, Newell, p. o. Homer, postmaster, born 
 in Dover, Vt., in i8i8, setded in Homer, Cort- 
 land county, in 1828, held the office of post- 
 master since April ist, 1876; wife, Polly Harvey, 
 of Chenango county ; married in 1844, one child, 
 who died Dec. 28th, 1870. 
 
 Jones, Walter, p. o. Homer, farmer, ow-ns 240 
 acres, born in Hillsdale, N.Y., setded in county in 
 1833, was justice in Preble three years; wife, 
 Martha J. Welch, born in Homer; married in 
 1850, one child, A. Kate. 
 
 Joslyn, Orrin N., p. o. Homer, owns 118 acres, 
 born in Homer in 1842; wife, Theadosia M. 
 Johnson, of East Homer; married in 1865, one 
 child, Etta E. Parents, Daniel and Maria (Udey) 
 Joslyn ; the former was a native of Windham 
 county and settled here at an early date. 
 
 Kenfield, John, p. o. McGrawville, farmer, 
 owns 140 acres, born in 1837 ; wife, Jane Shearer, 
 daughter of John and Sally (Northrup) Shearer; 
 married in i860, children three: Jennie C. (now 
 Mrs. Fred McElheny), of McGrawville, George 
 D., of Homer, and Adin J., who is at home. 
 Parents, Elijah L. and Susan (Ogden) Kenfield; 
 the former was born in Hebron, Washington 
 Co., N. Y., and came here with his ])arents in 
 181 1, and died in 1880. 
 
 Kennedy, Thomas H. About three miles dis- 
 tant from the village of Homer the pleasure- 
 seekers, en route for Glen Haven, pass a dwell- 
 ing situated in a glen-like formation of upland, 
 away from but overiooking the thoroughfare. 
 In former years this was the chosen home of 
 Thomas H. Kennedy. He was born in the [par- 
 ish of Morton, Dumfries, Scotland, on the loth 
 of Feb., 1758, and died at his residence in Ho- 
 mer, Cordand Co., N. Y., on the i8th day of 
 April, 1849, at the age of upwards of ninety-one 
 
5i6 
 
 History of Cortand County. 
 
 years. His life was an eventful one. With a 
 mind accomplished by education, extensive read- 
 ing and acute observation in his early years, 
 traits of character began to shine out which 
 made him interesting in every social circle, and 
 which glowed with serene beaut)' in his declining 
 years. He was a frequent traveler over Great 
 Britain and the continent, and was an eye-wit- 
 ness of many stirring scenes in the French Rev- 
 olution, preceding the empire of the first Naiio- 
 leon. He married his wife (Margaret Carmi- 
 chael) in Ayershire, where Burns resided. To 
 him Burns confided his early attachments, im- 
 mortalized in the two exquisite and pathetic effu- 
 sions entitled " Highland Mary " and to " Mary 
 in Heaven." He carried letters to her from 
 Burns. Ayershire and Dumfries joined, and for 
 years he was often with Burns. Drove the team 
 while Burns held the plow — knew the persons 
 from whom many of his poetic characters were 
 drawn, especially Tarn O'Shanter — was familiar 
 with the scenes of the poems, and heard Burns 
 recite many of them before publication. He used 
 to relate an incident whicli occurred in Novem- 
 ber, 1785 (while he was the teamster and Burns 
 the |)lowman), of turning up the nest of a mouse 
 with the ])low, and under the inspiration of the 
 hour, and while in the field, Burns wrote the 
 beautiful poem, "To the Mouse." In 1792, at 
 the age of thirty-four, he emigrated to New York 
 and first engaged in mercantile business in Pearl 
 street, then in Greenwich street, corner of Duane. 
 He soon became deeply attached to our free in- 
 stitutions. He had lived in New York a year 
 before the second inauguration of Washington. 
 In after years he became a great admirer of De 
 Witt Clinton, and was quite conversant with po- 
 litical affairs. In May, 1824, he came to Cort- 
 land to look after his landed property in this 
 county. He was then the owner of one-third of 
 lot No. 80, in Solon (now Taylor), and one-third 
 of lot No. 3 in Homer. He had then reached 
 the age of sixty-six and resolved to select a spot 
 for a permanent home in which to finish his pil- 
 grimage. His lands were valuable. With true 
 Scottish taste the site selected for his dwelling is 
 an upland dell, now with a lovely landscape in 
 the foreground and hills in the distance. He 
 was a Scotch Presbyterian. His wife died in 
 .\pril, 1856, aged 86. Two daughters married 
 
 and lived in New York, — one only is living. 
 Two sons, Thomas and Robert, are upon the old 
 farm. The former was born in 1802, married 
 Sally Price in 1828, six children were born to 
 them, four now living: Thomas H., John H., 
 Rhoda A. (now Mrs. Walter Stoker, of Scott), 
 and Margaret M. 
 
 Klock, Stephen, p. o East Homer, farmer, 
 owns 86 acres, born in St. Johnsville in 1827, 
 settled in county in 1847, ''■'''s i)een justice of 
 peace since 1869; wife, Maranda Hibbard, born 
 in 1830; married in 1856, children two: George 
 
 A. and Edgar R. 
 
 Kneeland A. J., p. o. Homer, lawyer, born in 
 Marcellus, Onondaga county, in 1821, settled in 
 county in 187 1, was supervisor, justice of peace 
 and member of assembly ; wife, Esther Griswold, 
 born in Truxton ; married in 1852. 
 
 Keeling, Henry D., p. o. Homer, fiirmer, owns 
 86 acres, born in Homer in 1841 ; wife, Cornelian 
 L. Abbott, of Homer; married in 1865, children 
 three, now living : Fred D., Grace L. and Ber- 
 tha. Mr. Keeling was in Co. E, 185th Regi- 
 ment N. Y. S. V. 
 
 Kingsbury, A. D., p. o. Cortland, farmer, owns 
 154 acres, born in Homer in 1834, was assessor 
 three terms; wife, Emily Hawks; married in 
 1859, one child: Charles D., born in Michigan 
 in 1872. 
 
 Knight, Philander, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
 197 acres, born in Scott in 1823, was justice of 
 peace; wife, E. Louisa Burdick; married in 1845, 
 one child living, Arthur L. Eldest child, Jose- 
 phene Louisa, died when three years old. Father 
 Joab Knight came to county in 1814 and died 
 in 1881. Philander Knight was one of those 
 uncompromising abolitionists who voted for 
 James G. Birney for president in 1844, and con- 
 tinued the warfare against slavery till it was dead 
 and buried beyond the hope of resurrection. He 
 is now battling as ardently for the prohibition of 
 the liquor traffic ; for the home against the sa- 
 loon, as he ever did against African slavery, and 
 expects to continue the fight till the home is tri- 
 umphant and the saloon is forever banished from 
 his native land. 
 
 Lord, George W., p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
 96 acres, born in Homer in 1839; w-ife, Sereph 
 
 B. Flint, born in Butler; married in 1865, chil- 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 S>7 
 
 drgn six, three living: George E., Mary E. and 
 Lulu N. Father Eli Lord came from Connecticut 
 in 1820; George W. resides on the same farm 
 purchased at that time. 
 
 Markham, Hiram, p. o. Little York, owns 88 
 acres, retired, born in Madison county in 1796, 
 settled in county in 1853 ; wife, Jane Porter, born 
 in Fabius ; married in 1861. Mr. Markham was 
 always an advocate of prohibition and anti- 
 slavery and both liimself and wife are members 
 of Syracuse Plymouth Churcii. 
 
 Metzger, Jacob, p. o. Homer, restaurant, and 
 billiard parlor, and manager Keator Opera 
 House, born in Germany in 1849, settled in Ho- 
 mer in 1864; wife, Helen L. Beaman, born in 
 Massachusetts; married in 1868, children three, 
 one living, Lena F. 
 
 Miles, Joseph, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 59 
 acres, born in Homer in 1831, was constable; 
 wife, Margaret Peters, of Cayuga county; mar- 
 ried in i860, children two : Eugene and Herman 
 J. Father Philo came from Connecticut to 
 county in 1817. 
 
 Miller, George P., p. o. East Homer, steam 
 Saw-mill and farmer, owns 77 acres, born in Ho- 
 mer in 1842, was in Co. D, iS7th N. Y. Vols., 
 enlisted in 1862, was transferred from Co. D, 
 157th N. Y. Vols., to the 55th Co., 2d Bat. V. 
 R. C, G. O. No. 365, dated Washington, D. 
 C, November 13th, 1863, and discharged in 
 1865; wife, Lucinda ^L Baker; married in 1865, 
 children five: William F., Carrie P., Lillie M., 
 George B., and John B. 
 
 Miller, John H., p. o. Homer, born in TruMon 
 in 1S44, farmer, owns 212 acres; wife, Ann E. 
 Bell, of Truxton, daughter of James and Mary 
 (Graham) Bell, natives of England, who settled 
 in Tru.\ton in 1852; married in 1872, children, 
 two : Jennie E. and Jessie B. Parents, Isaac 
 and Elizabeth (Harrison) Miller, natives of Eng- 
 land, who came here in 1842. 
 
 Moore, William, p. o. Cortland, farmer, born 
 in England in 1832, settled in county in 1S64; 
 first wife, Sarah Stephenson; married in i860, 
 children six: Mary Ann, Sarali J., John S., Thos. 
 H., Joseph B. and Libbie G. ; seconti wife, Lo- 
 rinda Gross, born in McGrawville, married in 
 1876. 
 
 Moore, William H., p. o. East River, super- 
 
 intendent and general manager of East River 
 Milling Company, born in 1824, settled in county 
 in 1851, was justice of peace in the town of Vir- 
 gil in 1856, and is present jiostmaster; wife, Fi- 
 delia McVean ; married in 1853, children two: 
 William A. and John C. 
 
 Mynard, James E., p. o. I-'.ast Homer, farmer, 
 owns 162 acres, born in Virgil in 1830; wife, Ja- 
 nette Bennett, of Truxton ; married in 1854, chil- 
 dren, five: Delia O. (now Mrs. Stephen Briggs), 
 Libbie J. (now Mrs. Frank Hinman), Pearl, Mar- 
 tin and Kittie. 
 
 Newton, C. O., p. o. Homer, wholesale dealer 
 in hay and grain, owns 30 acres, born in Hamp- 
 den county, Mass., in 1826, settle<l in Cortland 
 county in 1852; wife, Elizabeth S. Newton, of 
 Homer, daughter of Lemuel D. Newton, who 
 settled here in 1S16; married in 1852, one child, 
 Frank M. 
 
 Oakes, Russell, p. o. Homer, former, owns 78 
 acres, born in Otsego county in 1841, settled in 
 county in 1881 ; wife, Agnes .\. Bettes, of Percy, 
 Canada; married in 1881, one child, Lewis; 
 Freddie R. is Mrs. Oakes's child by a former 
 marriage. 
 
 Owen, Duane I)., p. o. liomer, gearing wood 
 worker, born in Homer in 1845 ; wife, Josephene 
 E. Bardett, of Homer; married in 1875, one 
 child, Pearlette. 
 
 Payne, Barney W., farmer, owns 20 acres, born 
 in Georgetown, N. Y., in 1812, removed to 
 Hamilton the same year, making that place his 
 home until 1844, having been engaged in the 
 dry goods trade for a number of years previous 
 to 1844, then removed to Jefiferson Co., N. Y., 
 and engaged in farming and continuing the trade 
 in dry goods and serving as justice of the peace 
 until 1851. He then removed to Homer and 
 engaged in the manufacturing of cotton cloth, 
 etc., served as assistant assessor of internal rev- 
 enue for eight years ; wife, Lucy A. Bicknell, born 
 at Marblehead, Mass.; married in 1S41. 
 
 Peacock, John, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 68 
 acres, born in Huntingtonshire, England, in 
 1828, settled in county in 1869; wife, Levina 
 Culley, of England; married in 1859, children 
 four: Charies H., Jesse J., \Liry E. and Anna C. 
 
 Perry, Ebenezer, p. o. Homer, retired, born in 
 Aurelius in 1802, settled in county in 1824 ; first 
 
518 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 wife, Amy Alvord, daughter of Ebenezer and 
 Rachael (Crampton) Alvord, born in 1 80 1, chil- 
 dren seven, three living : Ebenezer A., Ruth and 
 Rhoda V. ; second wife, Margaret Lake, mar- 
 ried in 1873; third wife, Lusia Norton, daughter 
 of David and Dinah (Welton) Norton. Father 
 Ichabod served in the Revolution, born in 1763, 
 and died in 1824. 
 
 Phelps, Darius B., p. o. McGrawville, farmer, 
 owns 56 acres, born in Cortland county, in 1826; 
 wife, Mary A. Kenney, daughter of Isaac and 
 Nancy (Lewis) Kenney, of Tru.xton; married in 
 1858, children two: Ada M. (now Mrs. Frank 
 W. Eastman), of McGrawville, and Lida E. (now 
 Mrs. Byron E. Widger), of Homer. Parents, 
 Benjamin C. and Phoebe (Fisher) Phelps, who 
 came to county in 1796. 
 
 Phillips, Edwin \., p. o. East Homer, wagon 
 maker, born in Homer in 1844, enlisted in Co. 
 D, 157th N. Y. Vols., in 1862. 
 
 Porter, Oliver, p. o. Homer, lawyer. 
 
 Pratt, Edwin W., p. o. Little York, farmer, 
 owns 35 acres, born in Homer in 1830; wife, 
 Mary E. Churchill, of Scott, born in 1824; mar- 
 ried in 1858. 
 
 Pratt, Franklin F., was born in Homer in 
 1835. (He was the youngest of four sons.) His 
 father's name was David and came from Wind- 
 ham Co., Conn., in 1817, tc> this county. Frank- 
 lin had the advantage of a good common school 
 education, also attended the academy at Homer 
 several terms under S. W. Clark as principal. 
 From 1853 to the opening of the civil war, he 
 taught school winters and worked at farming the 
 remainder of the time. Oct. 4th, 1861, he en- 
 listed in the 76th Regt. N. Y. S. Vols., and served 
 f;iithfully in the war in that Regiment till Aug., 
 1864, when he was transferred with another com- 
 rade to U. S. Marine Corps at their own request. 
 He was discharged from service in Dec, 1864, 
 by special order of President Lincoln on account 
 of his father's death and being the only son left to 
 care for his widowed mother. He was married in 
 Oct., 1866, to Sarah Brayton, daughter of 
 Thomas Brayton, formerly of Cumberland Co., 
 England. He has five children : Lillian E., Ro- 
 sella A., Nellie M., Gracie E. and Charles F. 
 Since 1875 Mr. Pratt has owned a farm of 124 
 acres and followed the dairy business. 
 
 Pratt, Melvin J., p. o. Little York, farmer, o\jns 
 113 acres, born in Homer in 1843, was justice 
 of the peace; wife, Cornelia E. Salisbury; mar- 
 ried in 1867, children two: Stephen S., and 
 Melvin E. 
 
 Raymond, Alfred B.,]). o. Little York, farmer, 
 cheese-maker, owns 10 acres, and has accommo- 
 dations for summer boarding, boating and etc., 
 born in Aug., 1838, has been constable; wife, 
 Pearlette E. Albro; married in 1866, children 
 three, all dead. 
 
 Rice, Albert, born in 1805, and died in 1874, 
 settled in county in 1810; wife, Rosanna Cramp- 
 on, of Conn.; married in 1835, chikiren si.\ : 
 Elizabeth, Francis U., now Mrs. H. 1'. Hull, of 
 Homer, Albert B., who died in 1862, R. W., L. 
 F., and Franklin D. 
 
 Rice, Franklin D., p. o. Homer, manufacturer 
 and dealer in lumber, cider, and pure cider vin- 
 egar, born in Homer in 1855; wife, Clara J. 
 Price, of Homer, married in 1879 ; children two : 
 Alice L., and .'\lbert B. 
 
 Saunders, William F., p. o. Homer, livery, 
 born in Cuyler in 1853; wife, Ellen M. Skinner, 
 of Taylor; married June 17th, 1880, one chiUi; 
 Wallace W. 
 
 Salisbury, Warren, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
 1 1 acres, bom in Homer in 1832, was excise com- 
 missioner ; wife, Roxanna E. Gay, of Preble ; 
 married in 1862, one child, Cora L. 
 
 Salisbury, W. W., p. o. Little York, farmer, 
 owns 45 acres, born in Scott in 1834, was secre- 
 tary of county fire relief association ; wife, Mar- 
 garet L. Rice, of Albany; married in i860, chil- 
 dren three: James Rice, Elizabeth D., now Mrs. 
 A. Rust, of Scott, and W. W., jr. 
 
 Schermerhorn, Henry, p. o. East River, re- 
 tired, born in Homer in 1808; wife, Eliza Emer- 
 son, of Mass.; married in 1834, children six: 
 Freeman, of Truxton, Lucy (deceased), Daniel 
 15., of Kansas, Eunice, now Mrs. William Mc- 
 Lean, of Wisconsin, Annie J ., now Mrs. William 
 Miller, of Oregon, and Seymour. 
 
 Seacord, Jefferson, p. o. Homer, wagon nianii. 
 facturer, born in Taylor in 1862; wife, Ada 
 Colby, of .Akron ; married in 1878, children two : 
 Neva and Ella. 
 
 Seeley, Orlando E., p. o. Homer, born in 
 Spafford in 1 847, settled in county in 1883; wife, 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 519 
 
 Anna Eddy, of Saratoga county ; married in 1870, 
 children two : Francis Irving, and liurton R. 
 
 Sessions, Henry, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
 165 acres, born in Stafford, Conn., in 1830, came 
 here with his father and settled where he now 
 resides in 1831 ; mother, Catharine Pool, of Con- 
 necticut; wife, Louisa F. Phillips, daughter of 
 Levi Phillips; married in 1852, children four: 
 Francis A., now Mrs. F. A. Holenbeck, of Syra- 
 cuse, George A., Cora E., now Mrs. Charles 
 Gilbert, of Homer, and Lena M. 
 
 Sherman, A. James, ]). o. Homer, retired, born 
 in 1817, owns 90 acres, was vice-president Mer- 
 chant's National bank of Syracuse; wife, Sarah 
 A. Sherman, of Homer; married in 1858. 
 
 Short, David, p. o. East Homer, born in 1S12, 
 owns 1 12 acres; wife, Miriam Buchanan, of Cort- 
 landville; married in 1841. Fatlier settled here 
 in 1810, came from Bristol, Mass. 
 
 Smith, Abel B., p. o. Homer, farmer, born in 
 Dryden, Tompkins county, settled in county in 
 1873, owns 48^ acres; wife, Mary Crane, of Ca- 
 yuga county; married in 1870, children four: 
 Abbie B., Arthur G., Wheeler A. and Lela E. 
 Mr. Smith has on his place the first frame barn 
 built in Homer, said to have been built by the 
 Beebes the first settlers in the town near his 
 place. 
 
 Sprague, Hosea, p. o. Homer, retired builder^ 
 born in Brimfield, Mass., in 1793, settled in 
 county in 1821, was trustee of village ; wife, Ann 
 Hobart, daughter of Capt. Josejih, who came 
 from Brimfield, Mass., in 1800. 
 
 Stafford, Henry, ]). o. Homer, farmer, born in 
 Virgil in 18 17, owns 185 acres, was school 
 trustee and teacher a number of years ; first wife, 
 Britania C. Sessions; married in 1844, died in 
 1864; second wife, Ada Sessions; married in 
 1865, children eight, three living: Leonard L, 
 D. C, of Nebraska, and .\da C. (now Mrs. .-\. 
 Styles), of Cayuga county. 
 
 Stewart, Edwin F., p. o. Homer, firmer, owns 
 16 acres, born in West Eaton in 1852, settled 
 in county in 1856; wife, Josephenc Hollenbeck, 
 of Scott; married in 1870, ciiildren two : Jennie 
 and Stella. 
 
 Stoker, Benjamin, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
 85 acres, born in Yorkshire, England, in 1822, 
 settled in county in 1836; wife, Catharine Ham- 
 
 mon, of Orange county; married in 1845, chil- 
 dren eight, four living : Sarah E., Fannie (now 
 Mrs. Manly Terrel), of Cortland, Daniel B. and 
 Nellie. 
 
 Stone, Alphonso, ]). o. Homer, foundry and 
 machinist, born in 1818, was supervisor three 
 terms, superintendent of the poor seven years, 
 and president of the village four years ; wife, 
 Maria Beach; married in 1850, children four: 
 Charles C, Louis A., Eliot L., and F. Eugene, 
 all living at home. 
 
 Thompson, Hammill, p. o. Homer, born in 
 Cherry Valley in 1799, settled in county in 1826, 
 was assessor three terms, died Nov. 27, 1884; 
 wife, E.xperience Oakes, of Rensselear Co., N. 
 v.; married in 1826, children two ; Alzoa, who 
 married Rev. Chester Hawley^died in 187 1, leav- 
 ing two children. 
 
 Van Denburg, John R., p. o. Homer, farmer, 
 104 acres, born in Preble in 1818; wife, Lucinda 
 M. Babcock, born in Scott; married in 1840, 
 children three : Marvin W., of Fort Edward, N. 
 Y., Almeron H., of Syracuse, N. Y., and Ella 
 F. Father Richard Van Denburg came from 
 Coxsackiein i8o6 to Preble. 
 
 Wadsworth, Manly, p. o. Homer, former, owns 
 55 acres, born in Homer in 1817 ; first wife, Lois 
 Howe; married in 1838, children two : Enosand 
 George R. ; second wife, Lurinda Howe; mar- 
 ried in 1844, one child, Berice M., now Mrs. 
 Wadsworth Reed, of Cortland; third wife, Lu- 
 cina Stambro ; married in 1869, one child, Willie 
 A. ; a fourth wife, Amanda Crane, of McGraw- 
 ville, married in 1877, one child, Manly D. 
 
 Welch, William L., p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
 58 acres, born in Solon in 1839 ; wife, Mary 
 Jane Newton; married in 1862; children two: 
 Sarah Maud and Grace May. 
 
 White, Thomas, p. o. Homer, proprietor Hotel 
 Windsor, born in South Salem in 1822, settled in 
 county in 1856; wife, Sylvia Slocum, of Cayuga 
 county; married in 1844, children four: Joseph 
 White, Mary E., deceased, Carrie, now Mrs. D. 
 N. Miller, of Homer, Libbie, now Mrs. B. M. 
 Hyde, of Moravia, N. Y. 
 
 Wilson, Alfred C, p. o. Homer, mason and 
 builder, born in Homer in 1833 ; wife, Jane F. 
 Powers, of .\lbany ; married in 1855, one child, 
 Porter J., of Medina. 
 
S20 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Woodward, Charies N., p. o. Homer, farmer, 
 owns 150 acres, born in 1826; wife, Charlotte 
 M. Brown, of Homer, born in 1828, died in 1856; 
 one child, Charles B., druggist, of Great Bend, 
 Pa. ; second wife, M. Elizabeth Dada, native of 
 Onondaga county; married in 1857. Charles 
 N. has been for many years connected with the 
 Sunday school work of the State. 
 
 Woodward, Day E.,p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
 30 acres, born in Homer in 1839; wife, Melissa 
 Burdick, of Otsego county; married in i860; 
 father, Isaac D., came on foot from New Hamp- 
 shire to Homer, and brought the first payment 
 on the farm, in 1S22. 
 
 Woodruff, Jerome J., p. o. Homer, farmer, 
 owns 59^ acres, born in Fabius, Onondaga 
 county, in 1835, settled in county in 1874, was 
 school commissioner and ist Lieut, in Co. I 
 6ist N. Y. Vols.; wife, Myra Wheat, born in 
 Cortland county; married in 1864, children six: 
 James D., Arthur J., Anna J., Charles T., Trow- 
 bridge B., and Alson E. 
 
 Woodward, Norris G., p. o. Cortland, farmer, 
 born in Homer in 1842, was overseer of the 
 poor two terms in Homer; wife, Elizabeth Ire- 
 land, of Truxton; married in 187 1, children 
 three: Herold E., Ernest I. and George N. 
 
 Wright, Egbert A., p. o. Little York, farmer, 
 owns 126 acres, l)orn in Greene county in 1822, 
 settled in county in 1840; wife, Miriam Wins- 
 low, of Preble, is a descendant of the Winslow's 
 who came over in the Mayflower ; married 
 Jan. i6th, 1842, children seven: Annie M. (now 
 Mrs. Abram Knapp), Harriet F. (now Mrs. Da- 
 vid Carver), Mary (now Mrs. Richmond Klock), 
 Jennie E. now (Mrs. Merrill Hollenbeck), Lewis 
 C, Robert and RoUin E. 
 
 LAPEER. 
 
 Boice, Henry, p. o. Hunt's Corners, farmer, 
 born in Columbia county in 1843 ; wife, Estelle 
 Clark, daughter of John and Lucy J. (Turk) 
 Clark, born in Tioga county in 1839; married 
 in 1862, children two: Lucy E. and Ermine. 
 Parents, William and Polly (Decker) Boice, of 
 Columbia county ; the former settled in Cort- 
 land county in 1843, and died in 1872, aged 75; 
 wife died in 1836. 
 
 Burden, John I., p. o. Marathon, farmer, born 
 
 in Lapeer in 1857; wife, Hannah Clute, of Sul- 
 livan county; married in 1876, one child, Clifford. 
 Grandparents, John and Susan (Hopkins) Bur- 
 den, who settled in county in 1820, children 
 three. The former was born is 1791, and is still 
 living. The latter died in 1876. 
 
 Clark, Daniel, p. o. Hunt's Corners, farmer 
 and stock dealer, born in Lapeer in 1848; 
 wife, Lorane Tryer, born in Broome county in 
 1853 ; married in 1873, children two: Charles H., 
 and John Clark. Parents, John and Lucy J. 
 (Turk) Clark, the former born in 1808 and died 
 in 1877, the latter born in 1815; children eight, 
 six now living. 
 
 Cleveland, Nelson, p. o. Hunt's Corners, car- 
 penter, builder, and farmer, born in Virgil (now 
 Lapeer), in 1827; wife, Phebe Tryon, born in 
 Virgil (now Lapeer) in 1835; married in 1855, 
 children five: Caroline, born December 16th, 
 1855, Ida H., born October 3d, 1861, Esther, 
 born January 29th, 1865, Henry M., born Octo- 
 ber 2d, 1871, and D.Hugh, born May nth, 1879, 
 died Sept. 28th, 1884. Parents, Henry M., 
 and Sarah (Fox) Cleveland, the former born in 
 Davenport, Delaware county in 1797, was jus- 
 tice of peace, car[)enter, builder, and farmer, died 
 August 17th, 1884; the latter born in N. H. in 
 1807, and died in 1881, children five, two now 
 living. 
 
 Day, Mrs. Almira S., p. o. Hunt's Corners, 
 born in Lapeer in 1828; husband, Orrin Smith 
 Day, born in Lapeer in 1825, was assessor one 
 term and commissioner many )'ears, enlisted in 
 the Rebellion, served till close of war, incurred 
 disease which resulted in his death which oc- 
 curred in 1882; married in 1854, children three : 
 Mary L., born in 1855, Carroll, born in 1858, 
 and Kate E., born in 1862. Parents, John and 
 Lucy (Baldwin) Butterfield, who settled in Mar- 
 athon in 1823, the former died in 1849, the lat- 
 ter in 1872; children ten. 
 
 Freeman, Delos, p. o. Marathon, farmer, car- 
 ])enter and builder, born in Lapeer in 1835; wife, 
 Francis Brown, born in 1841 ; married in 1858, 
 children five: Addie E., Luna C, Clinton E., 
 Anna L., and Palmer D. Parents, Elijah ami 
 Adeline C. (Mclntyre) Freeman, the former 
 born in 1806, and died in 1880, the latter born 
 in 1808, is still living; children four, three living : 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 521 
 
 Georgie A., Laura E., and Delos. Grandpa- 
 rents, Prince and Bethia (White) Freeman, who 
 settled in Virgil in 1800, and on the farm now 
 owned by Delos in 1 813. | 
 
 (ioodale, George W., p. o. Marathon, farmer, ] 
 born in Virgil in 1823; wife, Frances A. Huls- 
 lander, born in Dryden in 1842 ; married Nov. 
 nth, 1863, children four: Giles, born in 1865, 
 Carrie, August i8th, 1868, Jason, April 26th, 
 1871, and Bertha, April 24th, 1876. Parents, 
 Asaph and Betsey (Parmenter) Goodale, natives 
 of Massachusetts, settled in county in 1819 ; chil- 
 dren nine, three now livil^g ; the former died in 
 i866, the latter in 1S6S. 
 
 Gray, Peter N., p. o. Marathon, farmer, born in 
 Virgil in 1824, was supervisor two terms, asses- 
 sor one term; wife, Jerusha Watrous, daughter 
 of Austin and Sally Watrous, born in Freetown 
 in 1824 ; married March 4th, 1846, children two : 
 Elizabeth and Jason E., the former married Dr. 
 J. E. Peebles in 1866, children two; the latter 
 married Mary Dillenback in 1878, children two. 
 Parents, Ogden and Susan (Barnes) Gray, the 
 former born in 1797 and died in 1866, the latter 
 born in Pennsylvania in 1799, married in 1819, 
 and still resides at Cortland ; children eleven, 
 nine now living. 
 
 Hunt, William E., p. o. Hunt's Corners, farmer, 
 born in Lapeer, was town clerk three years, 
 supervisor three terms, justice of the peace sev- 
 enteen years, postmaster sixteen years and no- 
 tary public five years; wife, Lucretia P. Lake, 
 daughter of Jedediah and Patience (Church) 
 T,ake, born in Lapeer in 1833 ; married in 1855, 
 children seven : Sarah P., Asa L., Lewis W., died 
 1880, George B., Mary, Henry M., and Mabel. 
 Parents, Asa and Sally (Johnson) Hunt, the for- 
 mer born in Connecticut, in 1802, settled in county 
 in 1821, taught school for one year and went to 
 Lapeer in 1827 ; the latter born in 1807, married 
 in 1827, children five. Lucretia died in 1862; she 
 was the wife of Prof. Lewis Swift, of Rochester. 
 Jennings, Aaron B., p. o. Killawog, Broome 
 county, farmer, born in Lapeer in 1826, was as- 
 sessor two terms, and held other offices ; wife, 
 Harriet Tarbel, born in 1835; married in 1852, 
 children seven : Maranda, bom in 1853, Acklison 
 R., in 1856, Andrew M., in 1859, Albert A., in 
 1864, Eva L., in 1866, Hattie May, in 187 1, and 
 
 Erma L., in 1877. Parents, Rufus and Betsey 
 (Benedict) Jennings, the former born in 1789, 
 and died in 1851, the latter died in 1832, 
 children six, four now living. Grandparents, 
 Seth and Hannah (Balch) Jennings, married in 
 1785, the former died in 1820, the latter in 
 1826. 
 
 Jennings, Orlando, p. o. Hunt's Corners, 
 farmer, born in Lisle in i8ig; wife, Harriet M. 
 Sessions, daughter of Marcus and Celestia 
 (Squires) Sessions, born in 1824 ; married in 1843, 
 children three: Esther M., born in 1847, Frede- 
 rick M.,in 1850, and Celestia in 1861. Parents, 
 Alfred and Betsey (Lossing) Jennings. Grand- 
 parents, Seth and Hannah (Balch) Jennings ; 
 married Nov. 24th, 1785, settled in county in 
 1 80 1, with six children. 
 
 Jennison, Smith B., p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
 born in Virgil in 1837, was supervisor in 1S84, 
 assessor three years ; wife, Orpah Eldridge, born 
 in 1838; married in i860, children three: Wal- 
 lace, Oliver and Mary. Parents, Levy N. and 
 Lucy (Smith) Jennison, the former born in Wor- 
 cester county, Mass., in 1799, and died in 1863; 
 the latter born in Massachusetts in 181 1, children 
 six: Marion, Smith B., Lurana, Larkin, Levy, 
 and Adelbert. 
 
 Johnson, Horace, p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
 born in Lapeer in 1837, and died June 29th, 
 1874; wife, Hannah Clark, daughter of John and 
 Lucy J. (Turk) Clark, born in 1842 ; married in 
 1862, children two, Polly and Ida. Parents, 
 Abner H. and Rebecca (Parker) Johnson. 
 
 Parker, Thomas, p. o. Marathon, farmer, born 
 in New Jersey in 1803, settled in county in 1818, 
 was poormaster thirteen years; wife, Aurilla 
 Chase, born in Triangle in 1807; married in 
 1825, died in 1877, children ten. Parents, Wat- 
 son and Rhoda Parker, of New Jersey, who set- 
 tled in La|>eer in 1818, with seven children. 
 
 Robinson, Alanson, p. o. Messengerville, 
 fiirmer, born in Lapeer in 1824; wife, Ann Ho- 
 bart; married in 1849. Parents, Eliphalet and 
 Amy (Parker) Robin.son ; the former born in Con- 
 necticut in 1796 and died in 1872, the latter 
 born in 1800 and died in 1858, leaving ten chil- 
 dren. 
 
 Robinson, James R., p. o. Marathon, farmer 
 and stock, born in Laiieer in 1841, was super- 
 
History of Cortland County. 
 
 visor one term ; wife, Ellen K. Pierce, born in 
 1849; "■'arried in 1876, one child, Arthur P. 
 Parents, Eli[)halet and Amy (Parker) Robinson. 
 Robinson, Simeon, p. o. Marathon, farmer and 
 dairy, born in Lapeer in 18 19, was highway com- 
 missioner three years and lieutenant in militia; 
 wife, Sarepta Ann, daughter of Artemus and 
 Lydia Darling, born in 1824; married in 1840, 
 children two: Addie L., born in 1864, and 
 Simeon E. in 1866. 
 
 Surdam, Daniel Orville, p. o. Hunt's Corners, 
 farmer and stock dealer, born in Vernon, N. Y., 
 in 1814, has been supervisor six terms, assessor 
 three terms, and held other offices; wife, Mary 
 M. Hay, daughter of Henry and Mary(Lawton) 
 Hay, born in 1823; married in 1842, and died 
 March 9th, 1844, leaving one daughter, Frances 
 M., who married Talma Hill; children three. 
 Parents, Daniel and I.etty (Slater) Surdam ; Dan- 
 iel, born in Salisbury, Conn., Letty, in Bedford, 
 N. Y., settled in Salisbury, removed to Vernon, 
 Oneida county, N. Y., thence to Scipio, Cayuga 
 county, thence to Marathon, Cortland county, 
 in 1818, and died in Tioga county; children 
 eight, four now living. 
 
 Tarble, John, p. o. Hunt's Corners, farmer, re- 
 tired, born in Jericho, Chenango county, in 1806, 
 settled in county in 1810, was assessor over 
 twelve years; wife, Maranda Gross, born in 
 1813; married in 1834, and died in 1842 ; chil- 
 dren four ; second wife, Susan Gross, born in 
 1821; married in 1844, and died in 1847, one 
 son, John; third wife, Ruth Smith, born in 1823; 
 married in 1850, children five. Parents, Robert 
 and Sarah (Parker) Smith, natives of Rhode Isl- 
 and, and early settlers of county; the former 
 died in 1870, aged 86. 
 
 Torry, Rev. Orrin Lewis, p. o. Marathon, M. 
 E. minister, and member of Central N. Y. Con- 
 ference, M. E. Church, superannuated and retired 
 to a farm in Lapeer, where, by hard labor, un- 
 aided by the church, he earns an hone.st liveli- 
 hood. Was licensed to exhort and preach, and 
 was recommended to the Oneida Annual Con- 
 ference, July, 1847, of which he was a member 
 until the Central Conference was formed. His 
 field of labor has been, besides extras, all through 
 the county and in adjoining counties. Caroline 
 and Speedsville; Marathon five years, Factory- 
 
 ville, Waverly, Athens and Pipe Creek, Virgil, 
 East Virgil and Harford, Tully and Vesjjer, Cuy- 
 ler and De Ruyter, Homer, McGrawville, Whit- 
 ney's Point and Lisle, and New Berlin and Co- 
 lumbus Centre. Was born in Coventry, Che- 
 nango county, Oct. 23d, 1821 ; wife, Sally Ann 
 Sessions, daughter of Urial and Nancy (Price) 
 Sessions, of Marathon, born May, 1823; married 
 in July, 1849, one child, born Dec, 1850, Lewis 
 J., who married Anna Wright, of Chicago, where 
 he resides. Rev. O. L. Torry was a graduate of 
 the Homer Lnstitute through his sacrifice and 
 perseverance. Many Fevivals resulted from his 
 labors, and many memorable incidents, now fresh 
 in the recollections of thousands to whom he has 
 ministered in their afflictions, have to be omitted. 
 
 Valentine, George N., p. o. Marathon, farmer 
 and carpenter, born in Marathon in 1845, was 
 highway commissioner one term ; wife, Emma C. 
 Freeman, daughter of John and Mary A. (Ken- 
 nedy) Freeman, born in 1848; married in 1867, 
 children two : Ralph C. and Leighton F. Pa- 
 rents, John A. and Rhoda (Salisbury) Valentine; 
 the former born in 1815, and died in 1867, the 
 latter in 1817, is still living; three children : Es- 
 ther, G. W. and Charles A. 
 
 Young, David, p. o. Hunt's Corners, farmer, 
 carjjenter and builder, born in Herkimer county 
 in 1840, settled in county in 1846, was assessor 
 seven years ; wife, Emma G. Houghtaling, born 
 in Broome county in 1852; married in 1872, 
 children two : David H. and Francie. Parents, 
 Hiram and Polly (Hay) Young, of Herkimer 
 county; the former died in 1848, the latter in 
 the same year, leaving four children. David en- 
 listed in Co. E, 76th Regt., in 1861, served six- 
 teen months under Col. Greene, and was dis- 
 charged on account of impaired health. His 
 home was with Mr. and Mrs. Lyman and Mar- 
 tha Watrous, of Lapeer, since his father's death. 
 
 MARATHON. 
 
 Aldrich, Moses B., p. o. Marathon, born in 
 Susquehanna county, Pa., in 1842, settled in 
 county in 1872, was town clerk, and elected 
 justice of peace in 1882; wife, Clara Smith, 
 daughter of O. H. Smith, born in 1857 ; married 
 in 1876, children two: Clarence and H. Ray. 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 523 
 
 M. B. Aldrich acquired the profession of dentis- 
 try at Binghamton and practiced in Marathon 
 with much success. 
 
 Baker, Joseph, jr., p. o. Marathon, retired far- 
 mer, born in Delaware county, N. Y., in 1806, 
 settled in county in 1848, was highway-commis- 
 sioner, assessor sevei) years and delegate to 
 county conventions; first wife, Catharine Haver, 
 born in Schoharie county, married in 1835, died 
 in 1869; second wife, Julia Yarrington, born in 
 Chenango county in 1835, married in 187 1. 
 Parents, Joseph and Eunice (Follet) Baker, the 
 former born in Massachusetts, the latter in Con- 
 necticut, children thirteen, six now living. 
 Gi'andparents emigrated from Scotland, England 
 and Wales, and all lived to be about eighty-two 
 years old. 
 
 Ball, L. Clinton, p. o. Marathon, dealer in dry 
 goods, crockery, etc., born in Virgil, July 6th, 
 1840, served in the late war for three years in 
 different positions, was justice of the peace one 
 term; wife, Mary A. Brown, born in 1841, mar- 
 ried in 1865; one child, Willie D., born in 1872. 
 Parents, Lewis Ball and Rebecca Powers. 
 Lewis Ball was son of Wait Ball who was among 
 the first setders of the county and was justice of the 
 peace for nearly forty years, and at one time one 
 of the three county judges. 
 
 Boyden, Fred L., Marathon, furniture and 
 undertaker, born in Willet in 1857; wife, .Addie 
 Montgomery, born in 1863, married in i88r. 
 Parents, Luther O. and Nancy (Dibble) Boy- 
 den, the former of Willet, the latter of Broome 
 county. Frank L. began the furniture business 
 in 1883, and deals in all kinds of house furnish- 
 ing goods. 
 
 Brooks, Charles A., p. o. Marathon, postmas- 
 ter, and manufacturer of Mitchell's copy case, 
 blackboard, and desk, born in Danby, N. Y., 
 in 1857, setded in county in 1874, was post- 
 master in 1882, and town auditor; wife, Mary 
 A. Squires, daughter of Hon. Dann C. Squires ; 
 married in 1878, one daughter, Irene Mack. 
 Parents, Rev. Asa and Permelia (Griffin) Brooks, 
 the former was pastor of the M. E. Church in 
 1874, and now located in Broome county. 
 
 Carley, A. A., p. o. Marathon. 
 
 Carter, Charles, p. o. Marathon, farmer, born 
 in Bainbridge, N. Y., in 1813, settled in Mara- 
 
 thon in 1835, was assessor one term, and held 
 other offices; wife, Abigail Ostrander, born in 
 Broome county in 1812; married in 1841, chil- 
 dren six: Charles A., Emily D., Almira, George 
 G., Simon W., and Edwin A. Parents, Ezra 
 and Dimmes (Bidwell) Carter, the former bom 
 in Connecticut, and the latter in Massachusetts, 
 settled in Broome county very early, came to 
 Cortland county in 1836, the former died in 
 1861, the latter in 1876. 
 
 Dellow, William R., p. o. Marathon, manufac- 
 turer and dealer in furniture, and undertaker, 
 born in Madison county in 1834, settled in 
 county in 1858, was town auditor and held other 
 offices; wife, Elvira Danforth, born in Vermont 
 in 1834; married in 1855, children three: Frank, 
 Fred and Hattie. Parents, Daniel and Mary 
 \. (Simmons) Dellow, married in England, and 
 settled in Madison county in 1832. W. R. Del- 
 low began the sale of furniture at Willet in 1858, 
 and in 1872 moved his business to Cortland, and 
 in 1875 opened his present factory at Marathon. 
 Gardener, Henry, p. o. Marathon, farmer. 
 Parents, William and Anna (Martin) Gardener, 
 the former born in Springfield, Mass., in 1796, 
 settled in county in 1806, married in 1820; the 
 latter was born in 1799, and died Sept. 12th, 
 1845, children nine, five now living: Mrs. Polly 
 M. Jones, Mrs. Sarah Smith, Mrs. Emeline 
 Baker, Nelson and Henry. Second wife, Lo- 
 vena Parmer, born in 1800, married in 1846, 
 and now resides on the homestead. 
 
 Hammond, Cautious S., p. o. Te.xas Valley, 
 retired farmer, and" shoe manufacturer, owns 125 
 acres, born in Canada in 1806, settled in county 
 in 1807, was collector one year; wife, Loisa 
 Eggleston, bom in 1809; married in 1828, died 
 in 1841 , children eight, four living. Second wife, 
 Charity Shiffer, daughter of Henry H. and 
 Albertine Shiffer, born in 181 2, married in 1844. 
 Parents, Henry and Mary (Stoddard) Hammond, 
 the former bom in Long Island, died in 1846, 
 the latter in Vermont, died in 1S66; children 
 six, three now living. 
 
 Hammond, Delos C, p. o. Texas Valley, 
 blacksmith and farmer, born in Cincinnatus in 
 1830; wife, Betsey Cleveland; married in 1852, 
 children five: Sarah L., born in 1855, Florence 
 I., in 1859, Frank D., in 1863, Minnie L., in 
 
524 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 1865, and Mattie J., in 1867. Parents, Cautious 
 S. and Louisa (Kggleston) Hammond. 
 
 Hauimon, Samuel, p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
 born in Marathon in 1814, was a.ssessor twenty- 
 one years, and held other offices; wife, Lucy Ann 
 Stanley, daughter of Harris and .Vnnie (Sedg- 
 wick) Stanley, born in Lapeer in 1820; married 
 in 1845, children six, three now living: Clark S., 
 John H., and Samuel, jr. Parents, John and 
 Phebe (Davis) Hammon, the former was born 
 at Suflblk, L. L, in 1776, setded in county in 1813, 
 died in 1S43, the latter born in 1773 and died in 
 1865; children fourteen. 
 
 Hawley, De Forest D., \i. o. Marathon, far- 
 mer, born in Marathon in 1847. Parents, Zina 
 A. and Margaret (Fuller) Hawley, the former 
 of Delaware county, the latter of Cortland, set- 
 tled in Marathon in 1830, the latter died in 
 187 1, leaving si.\ children: De Forest D., Alex- 
 ander F., Elizabeth, Margaret, Mary, and Maria. 
 Grand[)arents, Jacob and Maria Fuller, settled in 
 Marathon in 1800. 
 
 Hays, Edward W., p. o. Marathon, merchant 
 and cooper, born in Herkimer county in 1832, 
 settled in county in 1866; wife, Elmira Rutt, 
 born in Fulton county in 1834; married in 1854, 
 children two: Nellie Francis, born in 1S62, and 
 Eddie C, born in 1868. 
 
 Hilsinger, David, \). o. Marathon, lumber 
 dealer, carpenter and builder, owns 360^ acres, 
 born in Marathon in 1821, was commissioner of 
 highways seven years ; wife, Louisa Jones, daugh- 
 ter of Thomas and Hannah (.\dams) Jones, born 
 in Marathon in 1829; married in 1S49, children 
 two : Albert and Thomas. Parents, Conrad and 
 Eva Hilsinger, natives of Schoharie county. 
 
 Frelick, Elias, p. o. Marathon, farmer, born in 
 Marathon in 1804 ; wife, Abigail Beach, daughter 
 of Elijah and Anna Beach, who settled in county 
 in 1830, born in 1825, married in 1850. Pa- 
 rents, John and Rachael (Fuller) Frelick, the 
 former born in 1776, and died in 1850, the lat- 
 ter died in 1856; children eight, four now living. 
 Grandparents, Benjamin and Mary (Smith) Fre- 
 lick, who came to Marathon in 1802. 
 
 Johnson, Abram B., p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
 stock grower and dealer, owns 2po acres, born 
 in Virgil in 1826; wife, Charlotte Shepard, 
 daughter of Nathaniel Shepard, born in Upper 
 
 Lisle in 1829, married in 1850. Parents, Wash- 
 ington and Ann (Brink) Johnson, the former 
 born in 1802, died in 1883, the latter was born 
 in 1806, died in 1844. 
 
 Johnson, Herbert, p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
 butcher and stock dealer, born in Virgil in 1843 ; 
 wife, Ella Dalton, born in Ireland in 1854; mar- 
 ried in 1875, children three: Lena, Anna, and 
 Willie. Parents, Stephen S. and Sally Ann 
 (Carley) Johnson, the former born in Broome 
 county in i8o6, married in 1838, children nine. 
 
 Jones, Warren, p. o. Marathon, farmer and 
 dairy, owns 140 acres, born in Marathon in 
 1S52 ; wife, Nettie Johnson, born in Dunkirk in 
 1S57; married in 1876, children two: Charles 
 and Flora. Parents, Thomas and Hannah (Ad- 
 ams) Jones; the former born in Marathon in 
 1807; married in 1826, died in 1880; the latter 
 born in 1808 and died in 1882 ; children eleven, 
 nine now living. 
 
 Lathrop, Ezra H., p. o. Marathon, farmer and 
 dairy, born in Marathon in 1862 ; wife, Sarah 
 Seymour, born in 1829 ; married in 1855, died 
 in 1881 ; second wife, Mrs. Hulda E. Spencer, 
 widow of Jirah P. Spencer, born in 183 1; mar- 
 ried Mr. Lathrop in 1838. Parents, Horace and 
 Betsey (Hartson) Lathrop; the former of Con- 
 necticut, the latter of Broome county ; children 
 twelve, six now living. 
 
 Leach, Christopher W., p. o. Marathon, har- 
 ness maker and farmer, born in Marathon in 
 1814, was collector and held other town offices ; 
 wife, Lucetta Livermore, born in Chenango 
 county in 1816; married in 1835, died in 1870, 
 leaving thirteen children ; second wife, Mrs. S. 
 S. Cox, married in 1871. Parents, Jonathan and 
 Lydia(Pattengail) Leach, natives of Massachu- 
 setts, who settled in Marathon in 1800; chil- 
 dren seven, three now living. The former died 
 in 1840, the latter in 1854. 
 
 Livingston, James, jr., p. o. Marathon, bridge 
 builder, steam foundry and machinist, born in 
 Otsego county in 1837, settled in county in 
 1838; wife, Fannie Peebles of Marathon, born 
 in 1840; married in 1858, children four: John 
 W., George, Desman B., and Mary. Parents, 
 James and Elizabeth Livingston ; the former of 
 Otsego county, the latter of Schoharie ; children 
 four. Mr. Livingston is one of the best iron 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 525 
 
 bridge builders in the State ; he has erected 
 many in his town and county, also in adjoining 
 counties, which give the best of satisfaction. 
 
 Lovell, Ransom M., p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
 born in Marathon in 1823, was commissioner of 
 highways and held other offices ; wife, Mary 
 Hilsinger, born in 1828; married in 1849, died 
 in 1853; second wife, Dorcas E. Meacham, 
 born in 1835; married in 1856, children six. 
 Parents, Joseph A. and Lucy Carpenter Lovell; 
 the former born in Vermont in 1782, the latter 
 in 1787; married in 1801 ; Lucy died in 1848, 
 and Joseph A. died in 1853; children fourteen, 
 three now living : Mary V., Ransom M. and 
 Joseph. 
 
 Mallery, Patrick, p. o. Marathon, retired 
 farmer, born in Marathon in 1806, was super- 
 visor eight terms, assessor four terms, and held 
 other minor offices ; wife. Avis Rowland, born 
 in 1805, married in 1830 and died in 1876; sec- 
 ond wife, Frances .\. Phelps, born in 1847, mar- 
 ried in 1878, one child, Ralph P. who died in 
 1882. Parents, Patrick and Anna (Olmstead) 
 Mallery, who settled in Marathon in 1805 ; chil- 
 dren eleven, nine now living. 
 
 Mantanye, William J., p. o. Marathon, attor- 
 ney and counselor. 
 
 Meacham, Edgar N., p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
 born in Marathon in 1837, was assessor in 1883, 
 e.xcise commissioner three terms, and deputy 
 sheriff; wife, Ann Frances Lawrence, born in 
 1838; married in 1866, one child, Lawrence 
 Hale. Parents, Eleazer and Eliza (Leach) Mea- 
 cham ; the former born in Massachusetts in 
 1800, the latter in Cortland county in t8o6; 
 married in 1827, children five. Grandparents 
 came to county in 1809. 
 
 Meacham, E. Delos, p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
 born in Marathon in 1833, was justice of peace 
 two terms; wife, Ruth Lovell, born in 183 1 ; 
 married in 1853, children eight : P'rank E., Cecil 
 D., Ada, Nettie E., Lillie B., May, Grace E., and 
 Ernest I). Parents, Eleazer H. and Eliza Leach ; 
 the former was born in Massachusetts in 1800, 
 and died in 1879; the latter born in 1806, mar- 
 ried in 1827, died in 1872, children four. 
 
 Montgomery, Dubois, p. o. Marathon, farmer 
 and dairy, owns 200 acres, born in Roxbury, 
 Delaware county, in 1825, setded in county in 
 
 1845, was commissioner of highways three years, 
 and overseer of the poor; wife. Marietta May- 
 dole, daughter of John and Mary Maydole; 
 married in 1848, children five: Alice, Julia, Al- 
 phie, Addie and Irvie. Parents, William and 
 Sally (Conkey) Montgomery. 
 
 Potts, William M., p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
 born in Marathon in 1850; wife, Julia F. Mont- 
 gomery, daughter of Dubois and Mary Etta 
 Montgomery, born in 1852, married in 1873. 
 Parents, Cornelius M. and Cynthia (Martin) 
 Potts, who settled in Marathon in 1842 ; the 
 former died in 187 1, aged 58 years, the latter 
 died in 1883, aged 71; one child. 
 
 Reed, Dr. Aaron D., p. o. Marathon, physi- 
 cian and surgeon, born in Delaware county in 
 1824, settled in county in 1854; wife, Marion 
 Hubbell, born in 1831; married in 1849, chil- 
 dren two : Mary Eva, and Ida Viola. Parents, 
 Oliver and Eunice (De Long) Reed ; the former 
 of Connecticut, the latter of Delaware county, 
 settled in Cortland in 1850. Dr. Reed was a 
 graduate of the Castleton Medical College in 
 1849, settled in Middletown in 1854, moved 
 t© Cincinnatus in 1869, then moved to Marathon, 
 where he still resides. 
 
 Shevalier, Bruce C, p. o. Marathon, farmer 
 and dairyman, born in Marathon in 1856, has 
 held district offices ; wife, Alphie Montgomery, 
 born in 1856; married in 1S82. Parents, Nich- 
 olas and Delia (Barnes) Shevalier; the former 
 born in Virgil and died in 1882, the latter in 
 Delaware Co., N. Y., died in 1883, aged 48, 
 children five : Bruce C, Charles T., Mary, Jen- 
 nie L., and Fannie D. Grandfather John Shev- 
 alier was one of the first settlers in Virgil. 
 
 Smith, .Mfred G., p. o. Marathon, dealer in 
 boots and shoes and rubber goods, born in Lon- 
 don, England, in 1827, came to this country in 
 1845, to Syracuse in 1846, and to Marathon in 
 1861, has been a member of the boawl of educa- 
 tion, and twice president of the village, has taken 
 an active part in Republican ])olitics, having fre- 
 quently served as a delegate to the county, con- 
 gressional, senatorial and State conventions of 
 the party ; is a man of fine literary abilities and 
 attainments, public spirited and energetic, hav- 
 ing been identified with most of the improve- 
 ments in Marathon during his residence in the 
 
526 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 village; was married in 1850 to Annie Kimbcr, 
 daughter of the late Thos. Kimber, Esq., of On- 
 ondaga. Mr. Smith commenced the business he 
 is now engaged in, in 1861. 
 
 Smith, John I,., p. o. Marathon, farmer, born 
 in Pitcher, Chenango county in 1832, settled in 
 county in i86g, was assessor three terms and 
 held other district offices; wife, Hannah M. 
 Tanner, daughter of L. D. Tanner, born in 
 1838; married in 1857, children three : Charles 
 F., Lawson J., and Manson L. Parents, Ed- 
 ward and Mary (Lawson) Smith ; the former 
 died at Marathon, in 1875, the latter in Che- 
 nango county ; children two. Mr. John Smith 
 was one of thirteen to organize the Marathon 
 Grange society, in 1882; it numbered 70 mem- 
 bers in 1883, and is in a flourishing condition. 
 
 Squires, George P., p. o. Marathon, farmer and 
 stock breeder, bom in Marathon in 1839; wife 
 Ann E. Pennoyer, daughter of Garret and Eliza 
 Jane Pennoyer, born in 1840; married in 1862, 
 one child, Harry, born in 1866. Parents, William 
 and Lucy (Church) Squires, the former born in 
 1798, settled in Marathon in 1801, with his father 
 and mother, the latter born in Brattleboro, Vt., 
 in 1802, married in 1823, children eleven, three 
 now living. 
 
 Stanley, Davison H., p. o. Marathon, retired 
 farmer, born in Virgil in 1817; wife, Eliza M. 
 Johnson; married in 1843, and died in 1844; 
 second wife, Julia A. Johnson, born in 1819, mar- 
 ried in 1845, children three : Minard H., born in 
 1848 and died in 1849, Seward S., born in 1852 
 and Edgar H., born in 1855. Parents, Harris and 
 Anna (Sedgwick) Stanley ; the former of Massa- 
 chusetts, who died in 1883, the latter of Connecti- 
 cut, died in 1861, children three. 
 
 Stockwell, Willard, p. o. Marathon, born in 
 Bainbridge, Chenango county, in 1828, settled 
 in Marathon in 1882, was justice of peace, town 
 clerk and postmaster of Lapeer ; wife, Susan Al- 
 lison, of Chenango county; married in 1849, chil- 
 dren two: William A., born in 1855, and Katie, 
 born in 1867. Parents, Abel and Milly (Davis) 
 Stockwell. Mr. Stockwell formed a stock com- 
 pany, called the Marathon Stockwell wagon 
 manufacturing company in Marathon in 1882, 
 and at present gives employment to twenty to 
 twenty-five hands and intends to further enlarge 
 the factory and increase its capacity. 
 
 Tripp, James H., p. o. Marathon, banker, of 
 Tripp & Adams. 
 
 Turner, Russell, p. o. Marathon, retired 
 farmer, born in Long Island in 1804, settled in 
 county in 181 1; wife, Agnes Shepard, daugh- 
 ter of Robinson and Abigail (Leach) Shepard, of 
 Connecticut, born in Madison county in 1804; 
 married in 1827, one adopted son, J. Edwin 
 Turner, born in 1833. Parents, Samuel and Cla- 
 rissa (Rogers) Turner, of Long Island, who set- 
 tled in Virgil in iSii, moving by wagon with 
 three children ; they had nine children in all, 
 four of which are now living. The father died in 
 1867, and the mother died in Indiana a few years 
 since. 
 
 Webster, George W., p. o. Marathon, dealer 
 in flour, feed, coal, etc., born in Freetown in 
 1836, was county treasurer three years and col- 
 lector four years ; wife Maria A. Fairchild, of 
 Pitcher, Chenango county, born in 1841 ; mar- 
 ried in 1863, one child. Jay, born in 1866. Pa- 
 rents Harvey S. and Ann (Leach) Webster, the 
 former born in 1800 in Vermont, came to county 
 in 1818, died in 1870, the latter born in Cort- 
 land county in 1795, married in 1818, children 
 nine. George W. enlisted in Co. K, 44th N. Y. 
 volunteers, September 25th, i86r, served until 
 the loss of his arm in the second batde of Bull 
 Run, in 1862, and now draws a pension. 
 
 Wightman, Homer, p. o. Marathon, cheese 
 manufacturer and stock dealer, born in Scho- 
 harie county in 1832, settled in county in 1836, 
 was assessor three terms; wife, Catharine Smith, 
 born in Herkimer county in 1835; married in 
 1856, children four: Dudley A., Daniel E., 
 Clara, and Earl B. Parents, Daniel and Eme- 
 line (Post) Wightman, the former of Connecticut, 
 born in 1802, the latter of Schoharie county, died 
 in Freetown, leaving five children. 
 
 Wilcox, Thurston, p. o. Marathon, retired far- 
 mer, born in Rhode Island in 1803, settled in 
 county in 1841, came to Marathon in 1863, held 
 town offices in Willet; wife, Lydia Townsend, of 
 New Hampshire; married in 1830, died in 1864, 
 leaving two children : Frances T., and Emeline, 
 Second wife, Mahala Stewart, married in 1867. 
 and died in 1869; third wife, Mrs. Fannie A. 
 (Pratt) Comstock ; married in 1871, chidren two, 
 by first husband: Charles E., and Wallace R. 
 Pollard. 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 527 
 
 Winter, Nicholas H., fjirmer and stock dealer, 
 one mile, east of Maratlion village, born in Vir- 
 gil June 24th, 1838. Parents, Ambrose and 
 Lydia (Hugaboom) Winter, prominent and early 
 settlers of Virgil, Cortland county ; wife, Susan 
 A. Pierce, daughter of Lyman Pierce; married 
 in 1862, died in 1867, leaving one daughter, 
 Cora B., born March 19th, 1866. Second wife, 
 Martha A. TiUinghast, daughter of Thomas Till- 
 inghast, born Sept. 2d, 1848, in Freetown, mar- 
 ried June i8th, 1875. 
 
 Wood, Stephen, M., p. o. Marathon, cooper, 
 born in Rensselaer county in 1830, settled in 
 county in 1844; wife, Mariette E. Seeber, bom 
 in 1829; married in 1852, children three: How- 
 ard S., Carrie L., and Lena E. Parents, Thomas 
 D. and Aseneth Wood, who settled in county in 
 1844. Mr. Wood began the cooperage business 
 in Marathon in 1863, and in 1874 entered into 
 partnership under the name of S. M. Wood & 
 Co., until 1881, when he sold out and built a 
 factory on the east side of the river 40 by 32, 
 where he put in steam power and improved 
 machinery which enables him to do the best of 
 work. 
 
 PREBLE. 
 
 Aldrich Seth, p. o. Preble, retired farmer, 
 owns 200 acres, born in Vermont in 1S06, 
 settled in county in 1813, was supervisor, asses- 
 sor, highway commissioner, and poormaster for 
 fifteen years ; wife, Elmira Smith, of Connecticut, 
 married in 1830, children three : Mary L., now 
 Mrs. Richard Squire, of Preble, Alice D., now 
 Mrs. Frank L. Hall, M. D., of Amber, and George 
 H., who died in 1873. 
 
 Beattie, James A., j). o. Preble, farmer, owns 
 112 acres, born in Dunfrieshire, Scotland, settled 
 in county in 1850; wife, Mary Jane Egbertson, of 
 Preble, daughter of Barnet and Mary Egbertson, 
 natives of Greene county; married in 1876. 
 
 Briggs, John B., p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 170 
 acres, born in Delhi, N. Y., in 1828; wife, Au- 
 gusta N. Dunbar, born in Poughkeepsie N. Y., 
 1835, daughter of Elam and Catharine (Millard) 
 Dunbar, of Preble, who came to county in 1845 ; 
 married in 1852, children three living : Marshall 
 A., Walter D., and Fred M. Parents, John and 
 
 Nancy (Bailey) Briggs, who came to Preble in 
 1845. 
 
 Butler, Adalbert, p. o. Preble, farmer and 
 stock dealer, born in Preble in 1841, owns 180 
 acres, was assessor and highway commissioner; 
 wife, Aronett Welch, daughter of Russell F., and 
 Azubah (Ingalls) Welch, of St. Lawrence county, 
 N. Y., married in 1865. Parents, Thomas E. 
 and Tamor (Drake) Butler, who came from Con- 
 necticut to county in 1815. 
 
 Butler, Roscoe, p. o. Preble, bom in Preble in 
 1835, farmer, and owns 140 acres, has been 
 a.ssessor nine years; wife, Catherine Gleason ; 
 married in 1859, children four: Fannie M., Ed- 
 ward J., Thomas L, and Ida B. Parents, 
 Thomas E. and Tamor (Drake) Butler, who 
 came from Connecticut and settled in this county 
 in 1815. 
 
 Collier, Casper, p. o. Preble, farmer, bom in 
 Preble in 1807, was constable and collector; 
 wife, Hannah Severson, daughter of Nicholas 
 and Jane Severson, who came to county iu 1808; 
 married in 1828, children four, two living : Frank- 
 lin J., of Preble, and Nicholas D. Parents, John 
 and Hannah Collier, descendants of the Holland 
 Dutch. 
 
 Collier, Franklin J., p. o. Preble, farmer, osvns 
 250 acres, born in Pike, Alleghany county, in 
 1837, settled in county in 1842, was justice of 
 peace; first wife, Lydia Crofoot, daughter of 
 David and Elizabeth Crofoot; married in 1861, 
 children two : Lucy, now Mrs. P. McCormick, 
 of Preble, and F. Edward ; second wife, Lydia 
 C. Van Buskirk, of Preble; married in 1876, one 
 child, Bessie C. 
 
 Crofoot, David O., p. o. Preble, flour, feed and 
 lumber mill, born in Preble in 1833, was super- 
 visor and assessor; wife, Sarah E. Tallman, of 
 TuUy; married in 1867, children four: John T., 
 Mary E., Henry C, and Wellington A. 
 
 Cummings, Adrian, p. o. Tully, farmer and 
 surveyor, born in Preble in 1842, owns 100 acres, 
 the original farm owned by his father, also by his 
 grandfather ; wife, Sophia Willis, of Tully ; mar- 
 ried in 1866, children four: Willis E., Cora L., 
 Chester E., and JuliaR. 
 
 Cummings, Chester, p. o. Tully, retired, owns 
 i5oacres, born in Preble in 1815 ; wife, Deborah; 
 married in 183S, children two: Abigail Leona, 
 and Lurinda Elmerrah. 
 
528 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Cummings, Corwin E., p. o. Tully, farmer, owns 
 I oo acres, born in Preble in 1853; wife, Helle, 
 daughter of Theron and Sarah E. Klock ; mar- 
 ried in i&TJ, one child, Ada. Parents, William 
 and Patty M. Cummings; grandparents, Ed- 
 ward and Sally Cummings. 
 
 Cummings, Harlan P., p. o. Tully, farmer, born 
 in Preble in 1840, owns 100 acres, was higliway 
 commissioner ; wife, Mary N. Banks, of Delaware 
 county; married in 1864, children two: Herbert 
 A., and Erwin E. Parents, Silas and Amanda 
 Taggart. 
 
 Cummings, Harvey, p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 
 X43 acres, born in Preble in 1820, was highway 
 commissioner; wife, Lydia A. Baldwin, of Cayuga 
 county; married in 1842, children two : Orlando 
 J., and Alice C. (now Mrs. Edwin P. Ide), of 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. Parents, Edward and Sally 
 Cummings. 
 
 Cummings, Homer, p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 
 104 acres, born in Preble in 1848; wife, Harriet 
 Shevalier daughter of Isaac and Nancy A. (Smith) 
 Shevalier; married in 1874, one child. Angle L. 
 Parents, William and Martha M. Cummings. 
 
 Cummings, James, p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 
 156 acres, born in Preble Nov. 5th, 1834; wife, 
 Cornelia M. Miles, of Fabius, Onondaga county, 
 born in 1835; married in 1855, children two : 
 James M., born in Preble, December 30th, 1856, 
 and married Emeline G. Thayer, of Fabius, in 
 1881, and Estella D., born in 1858 (now Mrs. 
 Edward G. Wallace), of Fabius. Parents, Ed- 
 ward and Abigail Cummings. 
 
 Cummings, John B., p. o. Tully, farmer, owns 
 400 acres in valley two miles south from Tully, 
 born in Preble in 1832 ; wife, Frances C. Jones, of 
 Auburn, N. Y. ; married in 1852, children three: 
 Charles J., a farmer; Frederick D., senior in 
 Cornell University; and Frank, prejjaring for 
 legal professon, with Duell and Benedict, Cort- 
 land N. Y. Parents, Edward and Abigail Cum- 
 mings, who settled here in 1800. 
 
 Cummings, Marvin E., p. o. Preble, farmer, 
 owns 88 acres; wife, Frank Reynolds, daughter 
 of John W. and Emeline (Briggs) Reynoltls, of 
 Preble; married in 1866, children two : Eva M., 
 and Clifford J. Parents, Edward and Mary (Van 
 Hoesen) Cummings. 
 
 Gray, John E., p. o. Preble, born in Hamden, 
 
 Delaware county, N. Y., in 1840, farmer, owns 75 
 acres; wife. Flora Terwilliger, daughter of Lewis 
 and Lucy (Briggs) Terwilliger, of Preble; mar- 
 ried in 1867, children two: Lewis A., and Frank 
 D. 
 
 Harris, Naomi, p. o. Preble, owns 250 acres, 
 daughter of Cyrus and Lucy (Spring) Harris, 
 who came from Stephentown, N. Y., in 1809; 
 children six : Cynthia, Loretta, Lucy, Cyrus H., 
 Naomi S., and Nicholas P. Naomi is the only 
 one who survives and lives on the old homestead. 
 
 Hobart, Seth, p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 120 
 acres, born in Erie county in 1830, was assessor 
 nine years, is present justice of the peace; wife, 
 Cordelia M. Van Patten, of Preble, married in 
 1852. Parents, Leman and Letticia (Shevalier) 
 Hobart. 
 
 Horter, Henry F., p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 
 113 acres, born in Herkimer county in 1841, w-as 
 highway commissioner one term; wife, Lydia 
 Scheli, daughter of Markes and P^lizabeth (Ful- 
 mer), of Herkimer, Herkimer county ; married in 
 1862, children four: Mary E., Martha M., Isaac 
 and Belle. Parents, Isaac and Mary A. Hysard. 
 
 Hunt, Herman D., p. o. Preble, physician and 
 surgeon, born in Moravia in 1846, settled in 
 county in 1855, was a graduate of Syracuse Uni- 
 versity; wife, Emma A. Hobart, of Preble; mar- 
 ried in 1872, children two : D. S. and Iva. 
 
 Manchester, James H., p. o. Preble, born in 
 Preble in 1831, farmer, owns 310 acres; wife) 
 Nancy E. Joslyn, daughter of Daniel and Maria 
 Udey ; married in 1858, children three: J. Eu- 
 gene, Minnie E. and Jennie A. 
 
 Maycomber, Geo. W., p. o. Preble, farmer, 
 owns 200 acres, born in Preble in 1833; wife, 
 Huldah Roe, daughter of John W. and Pru- 
 dence (Sheldon) Roe, of Scott; married in 1859, 
 children six living : Frank E., Flora V., now Mrs. 
 Carl Mulnex, of Scott, Geo. W., Helen D., Mil- 
 dred D. and Roe S. Parents, Matthew and 
 Phoebe A. (Wilder) Maycomber. 
 
 Morgan, W. A., p. o. Preble, blacksmith and 
 carriage maker, born in Tully in 1844, settled in 
 Cortland county in 1868; wife, Julia E. Lewis, 
 of Fabius, N. Y. ; married in 1865 ; W. A. en- 
 listed in loth N. Y. S. V. and served four years. 
 
 Outt, S. D., p. o. Preble, miller, born in Preble 
 in 1850, was justice of the peace in Taylor; w^ife, 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 529 
 
 Josaphene A. Hays, of Auburn, married in 1874, 
 one child, Pearl C. 
 
 Price, Richard P., p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 
 88 acres, bom in Homer in i S49 ; wife, Madora 
 B. Hammond, bom in Otsego county ; married 
 in Homer in 1870. Parents, Joseph and Harriet 
 (^Miitney) Price, of Wayne county ; the fomaer 
 bom in New Jersey, came to Wayne count)-, and 
 from thence to Cortland county. 
 
 Pratt, Orrin, p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 60 acres, 
 bom in Homer in 1816, was justice of peace and 
 poormaster; first wife, Ruth E. Capren, of Mont- 
 gomer)- count)-; married in 1838, children four: 
 Climena (now Mrs. D. M. M. Cummings, of Ho- 
 mer), Amelia, who died in i882,w-ife of X. Collier, 
 of Preble, Meh-in J. Pratt of Homer, and Esther 
 E. (now Mrs. La Fayette Churchill of 111.); sec- 
 ond wife, Sophia C. Howard, of Preble ; married 
 in 1851, children three: Abigail R., Nellie S., 
 who died in 1864, and Carrie B., who died in 
 1869. 
 
 Re)-nolds, John W., p. o. Preble, bom in 
 Delhi, X. y., in 1818, farmer, ow-ns 70 acres ; 
 wife, Emeline Briggs, daughter of John D. and 
 Xancy (Bailey) Briggs, of Delhi; married in 
 1 843, children three : De Francie L., now Mrs. 
 Mar%-in Cummings, of Preble, Edwin J. and Lucy 
 yi. Parents, Elisha and Rachael (Van Hoesen) 
 Reynolds. 
 
 Salisbur)', Wm., p. o. Preble, retired farmer, 
 bom in Woodstock in 1819, moved to Christian 
 Hollow at two years of age, settled in Cortland 
 count)' in 1865. was assessor and justice of 
 peace ; wife, Francis S. Daley, of Connecticut, 
 married in 1852. 
 
 Stanton, Elijah, p. o. Preble, farmer and owner 
 of Preble mill, 266 acres, bora in Littie Falls, 
 April I ith, 1805 ; wife, Anna Feeter, born in Lit- 
 tle Falls, Jan. 9th, 1808; married Jan. t4th, 
 1828, children li^■ing five: James, Geo. H., 
 Emily, Elizabeth (now Mrs. Walter Nelson), and 
 John W. 
 
 Van Buskirk, Robert H., p. o. Preble, farmer, 
 ow-ns 62 acres, bom in Preble in 1833: wife, 
 Juliette Manchester, daughter of Samuel and 
 Sarah Manchester, of Preble; married m 1858, 
 children two: Eureta and John H. Parents, 
 Isaac and Elizabeth Van Buskirk. 
 
 Van Hoesen, Matthias, p. o. Preble, retired, 
 
 owns 15 acres, bom in Athens in 1805, settled 
 in county on lot 68, Preble, and removed to 
 Preble village in 1830, where he now resides, was 
 constable, collector, justice of the peace twenty 
 years, supervisor fourteen years and twice chair- 
 man of the board ; wife, Susan Talley, bom in 
 Athens: married in 1829, children nine: Louisa, 
 Susan M., John F., Eugene M., Catharine A., 
 Helen M., Flavilla J., Harriet H. and Fred T. 
 John F. and Harriet H. are now dead. 
 
 Van Denburgh, Cornelius, p. o. Preble, bom 
 in Scott in 1836, farmer, owns 60 acres; wife, 
 Mar)- A. Tabor, daughter of George and Louis 
 (Victor)-) Tabor, of Cato, Cayuga county ; mar- 
 ried in 1861, one child, X. Tabor. Parents, Rich- 
 ard and Leah (Collier) Van Denburgh, natives 
 of Coxsaclde, X. Y. 
 
 Van Patten, John R., p. o. Preble, bom in 
 Preble in 1815, farmer, owns 500 acres, was as- 
 sessor, road commissioner, and justice of the 
 peace ; w-ife, Betsey Egbertson, daughter of An- 
 drew and Deborah (Shevalier) Egbertson ; mar- 
 ried in 1839, children eight. Parents, Ryer and 
 Mar)' (Spence) Van Patten, who came here in 
 1809. 
 
 Wilber, Isaac, p. o. Preble, fanner, owns 72 
 acres, bom in Scipio, N. Y., in 1818, settled in 
 county in 1819, was town collector m 1847 ; wife, 
 Eliza H. Maycomber, daughter of Humphrey 
 and Polly (Willis) Maycomber, who came to 
 county in 1839 : married in 1S43, children seven, 
 five liv-ing: Frances M., now Mrs. Ransom 
 Pierce, of Broome county, Helen, now Mrs. 
 Theron Gutches, of Homer, Geo. A., Charies E., 
 and Carrie E., now Mrs. J. Taylor of Cortland. 
 Parents, Thomas and Mariam Wilber, who came 
 here in 1819. 
 
 Wright, William W., p. o. Preble, station agent 
 of S. B. & N. Y. R. R., bom in Preble in 1845, 
 was overseer of poor, town auditor, justice of 
 peace, elected super%isor in Februar)-, 1883, and 
 re-elected in 1884; Nvife, Lucmda Lampman; 
 married in 1869, children four : Geo. W., Charles 
 S., Lena R. and William W., Jr. 
 
 SCOTT. 
 
 Ames, Samuel D., p. o. East Scott, farmer, 
 owns 107 acres, bora in Scott in 1854, is present 
 
 34 
 
530 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 justice of peace and school trustee ; wife, Mag- 
 gie J. Adams, daughter of Richarti and Ellen 
 (McDonald) Adams; married in 1877, children 
 three: Alvin G., Richard J., and Jennie S. Pa- 
 rents, Alvin B. and Celestia C. (Case) Ames. 
 The former died in 1862. 
 
 Babcock, L. H., p. o. Scott, physician and 
 surgeon, born in Scott in 1833, was justice of 
 peace, associate judge, coroner and notary pub- 
 lic ; wife, Surnia A. Babcock, of Scott ; married in 
 1857, children two. Mr. Babcock attended the 
 New York City Honueopathic Medical College 
 in 1868 and 1869, has been in constant practice 
 since 1869, received di])loma from the Homoe- 
 opathic Medical society of the counties of Tomp- 
 kins, Tioga and Cortland in 1875 ; has grown 
 into an extensive and lucrative practice, extend- 
 ing into three counties and is often called in 
 consultation to neighboring cities and villages. 
 
 Babcock, Raymond P., p. o. Scott, retired, 
 born in Hopkinton, R. I., in 1799, settled in 
 county in 1S24, was supervisor, assessor, justice 
 of peace and member of assembly; first wife, 
 Olive Denison, of Fabius ; married in 1823, chil- 
 dren six : Lucy L., Andrew J-, George P., Har- 
 vey W., Adelia E., and Olive J. ; second wife, 
 Pha>be A. Camp, of Connecticut ; married in 
 1848, one child, Sarah C. 
 
 Black, Norman C, p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 
 167 acres, born in Scott in 1831. Parents, Ely 
 and Louisa (Hull) Black; the former a native 
 of Massachusetts, the latter of Connecticut, who 
 came to county in 1827. 
 
 Brown, Wm. Francis, born in Scott, Feb. lotli, 
 1838, farmer, owns 117 acres; wife, Angeline 
 Hart, daughter of John and Annie (Thompson) 
 Hart; married Sept. 4th, 1862, children four: 
 Ella M., Merton D., Jay D. and Earl Durell. 
 Parents, Jesse and Mary (Ostrander) Brown. 
 
 Butts, Elias H., p. o. Scott, farmer, born at 
 Belvidere, N. Y., in 1813, came with his parents 
 to Dryden in 1825, settled in Virgil in 1838, 
 married in 1839 ; wife, Laura Terpening, daughter 
 of Merenes Terpening, who settled in Virgil in 
 1814; children three: Reuben, and Ortogral P., 
 who enlisted in 1862 in Co. E, is7th N. Y. S. 
 v., and who died at Alexandria, Va., in 1882, 
 and Effie A., now Mrs. Edwin D. Hutchinson, 
 M. D., of Huntington, Mass. 
 
 Childs, Ernest W., p. o. Scott, manufacturer 
 of lumber, born in Scott in 1853; wife, Hattie 
 E. Burdick, of Brooklyn, N. Y., daughter of 
 A. B. and Amanda M. ( Hardy) Burdick ; married 
 in 1883. Parents, Hon. Samuel A. and Lucelia 
 (Whiting) Childs, of Scott. 
 
 Childs, Hon. Samuel A., p. o. Scott, farmer, 
 owns 160 acres, born in Tioga county in 1830, set- 
 tled in county in 1847, was supervisor ten terms, 
 chairman of board in 1877, and member of as- 
 sembly in 1880 ; wife. Lucelia O. Whiting, of 
 Scott; married in 1853; children three: Ernest 
 W., Henry W., and Harold, who died in 1877. Pa- 
 rents, Charles and Mtiry (Hemstraught) Childs; 
 the former was a native of Connecticut. 
 
 Cottrell, John B., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 520 
 acres, born in Scott in 1826, and still resides on 
 the original lot No. 62 where he was born, was 
 supervisor and assessor six years ; wife, Sarah 
 Barker, of SpafTord, N. Y. ; married in 1848, chil- 
 dren ten ; Wm. J., Mary L, J. D., Ella, Emma 
 J., Sallie, Lottie, who died in 1879, George N., 
 Jerry, and Charles, who died in the same year. 
 Parents, Jeremiah and Sally (Peckham) Cottrell, 
 of Rensselaer county, who settled here in 1817. 
 
 Cottrell, William J., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 
 122 acres, bom in Scott in 1849, is present as- 
 sessor; wife, Lizzie J. Lee, daughter of Ely and 
 Emily (James) Lee, of Cuyler; married in 1881, 
 children two : John E. and Grace E. Parents, 
 John B. and Sarah M. (Barker) Cottrell. 
 
 Cutler, Dwight K., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 
 315 acres, born in Cayuga county in 1835, set- 
 tled in county in 1869, was justice of peace and 
 supervisor two terms ; wife, Phoebe K. Wilcox ; 
 married in 1857, children three: Mary E., Alice 
 M. and X. Cutler. 
 
 Frisbie, Elias T., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 43 
 acres, born in Scott in the house he now owns 
 and occupies in 1844; wife, Oresta L. Abbott, 
 daughter of .-\lfred and Esther H. Abbott ; mar- 
 ried m 1865, children two: Fannie D., Edith E. 
 Parents, George and Hannah (Babcock) Frisbie; 
 the former was a native of Connecticut and 
 came to county in 1817. 
 
 Gillett, Charles, p. o. Scott, farmer and saw- 
 mill, born in 1852; wife, Theodocia Ripley, 
 daughter of John and Sarah (Peak) Ripley; 
 married in 1879. Parents. John and Julia (Peak) 
 Gillett. 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 531 
 
 Gillett, Joel, p. o. Scott, proprietor of grist and 
 feed mill and manufacturer of carriages, born in 
 1847, was appointed postmaster at East Scott in 
 1879, his grandfather was the first postmaster, 
 the office being discontinued, and Joel was ap- 
 pointed when the office was reopened ; wife, 
 Ella L. Van Camp, born in TuUy in 1859, chil- 
 dren three : Earl H., Mabel V. and Eva B. 
 
 Gillett, John, p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 235 
 , acres, born in Scott in 1838, member of the firm 
 of Gillett & Miller, dealers in agricultural im- 
 plements ; wife, Alice N. Saltmarsh, daughter of 
 Thomas W. and Sarah A. (Stevens) Saltmarsh ; 
 married in 1865, children four: John S., Nora A., 
 Kate L. and Scott. 
 
 Green, G. W., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 45 
 acres, born in Madison county in 1814, settled 
 in county in 1834, was justice of peace and col- 
 lector ; wife, Harriet Burdick, daughter of Joseph 
 and Polly (StUlman) Burdick, who settled here 
 about 1807: married in 1838, children two. 
 
 Hazard, Francis M., p. o. Scott, manufactu- 
 rer of lumber, of the firm of Hazard & Childs, 
 owns 40 acres; wife, Eliza A. (Frink) Scott, 
 daughter of Martin and Nancy Frink. Parents, 
 Henry and Almira (Anthony) Hazard. 
 
 Hazard, Henry, p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 60 
 acres, born in SpatTord in 181 6, settled in Scott 
 in 1843; married in 1841 to Almira Anthony, 
 daughter of Rufus and Hannah (Billings) .An- 
 thony, children three : Francis M., Nancy F. and 
 Myron J. Rufus .-Vnthony came into Scott in 
 180J. with his parents at the 'age of fourteen ; 
 he was in his 93d year when he died. 
 
 Kellogg, C. S., p. o. Scott, fiirmer, owns 220 
 acres, born in Cayuga county in 1822, set- 
 tled in county in 1825, was supervisor three 
 terms, and assessor several yeare ; wife, Amanda 
 A. Salisbury, daughter of Nathan and Lucretia 
 (Babcock) Salisbury; married in 1845, children 
 three : William A., a druggist of Homer, p:meline 
 A., and Charles L., of New York. Parents, 
 Alvan and Sylvia (Stowe) Kellogg, natives of 
 Cayuga county, who settled here in 1825. Mr. 
 Kellogg was a dresser of cloth in New Hope, 
 and Millard Fillmore, who became president of 
 the United States, learned his trade of him. He 
 built a clothing-mill here in 1826, and in 1843 
 built the saw-mill now used by Hazard & Whit- 
 
 ing. He was supervisor for several years and 
 served in the state legislature as assemblyman 
 one year. 
 
 Morgan, William H., p. o. Scott, harness man- 
 ufacturer, born in Brookfield, Madison county, 
 N. Y., settled in county in 1866, was postmaster 
 since 1872, supervisor in -1882-83, =i"d town 
 clerk since 1870, enlisted in Co. D, 15 7th N. Y. 
 Vols., served till close of war, was commissioned 
 first lieutenant in 1864; wife, Flora Churchill, of 
 Spafford; married in 1 871, children five: Eva, 
 May, Bessie, John and Florence. 
 
 Newman, James W., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 
 60 acres, born in Little Falls, Herkimer county, 
 in 1844, settled here in 1867, was in Co. F, iS7th 
 N. Y. Vols., and served three years; wife, Sarah 
 Van Denburgh, of Scott, daughter of Richard 
 and Leah (Collier) Van Denburgh; married in 
 1870, one child, Maude Leah. 
 
 Northway, Jerad H., p. o. Scott, born in Nor- 
 folk, Conn., in 1803, came to Homer with his 
 parents in 1805, removed to Scott in 1810; wife, 
 Mary E. Hull, a native of Connecticut, who died 
 in 1881 ; one adopted child, who still lives with 
 Mr. Northway. 
 
 Peck, A. T., p. o. Scott, born in Scott in 1821, 
 farmer, owns 155 acres; wife, Jane E., daughter 
 of Eri and Mary (Cottrell) Pickett; married in 
 1863, children two: Edward J., and Charles E. 
 Parents, Joel and Abigail (Tuttle) Peck, natives 
 of Chesire Conn., who settled here in 1815. 
 
 Pickett, E. Franklin, p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 
 180 acres, born in Scott in 1834, is present road 
 commissioner; wife, Alvina J. Branch, bom in 
 Cayuga county ; married in 1858, one child, Wal- 
 lace F. Parents, Eri and Mary (Cottrell) 
 Pickett, the former came from Connecticut in 
 1804. 
 
 Potter, E. H. P., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 130 
 acres, born in Petersburgh, \. V., in 1818, held 
 several important offices in town ; wife, Roxana E. 
 Burdick, daughter of Jesse and Sally (Babcock) 
 Burdick, who settled here in 1805; married in 
 1842, children three: Harlan E. J., a farmer, 
 Leman W., now a physician in Homer, and 
 Mary E. Parents, Ezekiel G. and .\bigail (West) 
 Potter, who settled on farm now occupied by 
 son, in March, 1819. 
 
 Salisbury, Artemas, p. o. Scott, farmer, born in 
 
532 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Homer in i8 12, first wife, Mary T. Gushing; 
 married in 1836, one child, Mary T., now Mrs. 
 Eugene F. Whitcomb, of Wisconsin; second wife, 
 Deha J. Frink, daughter of Martin and Nancy 
 (Barber) Frink; married in 1874, one child, 
 Artemas H. Parents, Major Thomas and Han- 
 nah (Fisk) Salisbury, natives of Rhode Island, 
 who settled in Homer in 18 10. 
 
 Stoker, Walter L., p. o. East Scott, farmer, 
 owns 90 acres, born in Homer in 1848; wife, 
 Rhoda Kennedy, daughter of Thomas and Sally 
 (Price) Kennedy, who settled in Homer in 1824; 
 married in 1873, one child, Margaret F. Pa- 
 rents, John and Rachel (Black) Stoker. 
 
 Stoker, John H., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 70 
 acres, born in Homer in 1847; wife, Nancy F. 
 Hazard, granddaughter of Rufus Anthony, who 
 settled here in 1804 ; married in 1869, children 
 two : Mira R., and Herman H. Parents, John 
 and Rachel (Black) Stoker, natives of England. 
 
 Salisbury, Nathan, p. o. Little York, born in 
 1793, settled in Homer in 1807, and in Scott in 
 1814, owns 220 acres, was justice of the peace, 
 assessor, road commissioner, and supervisor a 
 number of terms; wife, Lucretia A. Babcock, of 
 Massachusetts; married in 18 18, and died in 
 1881, leaving eight children : Amanda A., Charles 
 B., James H., who is a leading physician of 
 New York city, Milton L., BurdetteJ., Charlotte 
 A., William W., and Nathan, jr. 
 
 Underwood, Harlow E., p. o. Scott, farmer, 
 owns 103 acres, born in Chenango county in 
 1823, settled in county in 1835, was justice of 
 peace and assessor; wife, Phoebe .-Vmes, daugh- 
 ter of Samuel and Polly (Brown) Ames; married 
 in 1851, children five: Adelia A., Jay B., Eu- 
 gene H., .Addie B., and George H. Parents, 
 Chester and Betsey (Tuttle) Underwood, the for- 
 mer of Massachusetts, and the latter of Connect- 
 icut. 
 
 Warner, T. R., p. o. Scott, farmer, born in 
 Preble in 1829, was constable and is ])resent 
 deputy sheriff; wife, Eliza A. Bassett, daughter 
 of George and Sarah ( Ru.ssell) Bassett ; married 
 in 1851, children five: Lillian M. (Mrs. Arthur 
 L. \Villiams), Antoinette E. (Mrs. .Ansel D. 
 Fisk), of Homer, Frank T., of Moravia, Minnie 
 A., and Jesse F. 
 
 Whiting, Anson L., p. o. Scott, farmer and 
 
 retired merchant, owns 407 acres, born in Kent, 
 Litchfield county. Conn., in 1807, came to Spaf- 
 ford, Onondaga county in 181 1, settled in county 
 1831, was road commissioner in 1833, assessor 
 in 1834-40, supervisor and town clerk several 
 years, also justice of peace and overseer of poor; 
 wife, Nancy Burdick ; married in 1829, children 
 five : Lucelia, now Mrs. Samuel A. Childs, Henry 
 Lee, Hamilton J., Francina W., now Mrs. James 
 B. Spencer, and Add, now Mrs. Leland Griffin, 
 all of Scott. 
 
 Whiting, Hamilton L, p. o. Scott, merchant, 
 born in Scott in 1839, was supervisor in 1884; 
 wife, Josephine A. Truman, daughter of Dr. Wm. 
 M. and Huldah Truman; married in 1859, chil- 
 dren four : Willie L, Lena M., Merton A., and 
 Mary E. Parents, Anson L. and Nancy (Bur- 
 dick) Whiting, the former a native of Connecti- 
 cut. 
 
 SOLON. 
 
 Adams, Eli, p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 60 acres, 
 born in Pittsfield, Otsego county, in 181 2, was 
 assessor and justice of the peace ; wife, Phcebe 
 Miller, daughter of Abner and ^L^ry (Kelsey) 
 Miller, married in 1838. Parents, Azor and 
 Hannah Laflin, of Otsego county. 
 
 Atkins, Lorenzo B., p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 
 93 acres, born in Richmondville, Schoharie Co., 
 in 1S38, enlisted in Co. G, 185th N. Y. S. V. 
 in 1864; wife. Patience M. Walker, daughter of 
 Samuel and Lucy (Rice) Walker, married in 
 1864; children three: Ida M., .Annie L. and 
 Floyd L. 
 
 Barnes, John, p. o. .Solon, farmer, owns 60 
 acres, born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1841, en- 
 listed in Co. G, 76th N. Y. S. V. in 1861, was 
 discharged in 1864 for the lo.ss of an arm at 
 the battle of Fredericksburg. 
 
 Bean, Milford G., p. o. McGrawville, farmer, 
 born in Solon in 1848, was justice of the peace; 
 wife, Lydia .A. Brownell, of Solon, married in 
 1874; one child: Louis .A. Bean. Parents, 
 Albert and .Adelia (Wheeler) Bean. 
 
 Daugherty, James, ]>. o. Solon, born in Solon 
 in 1857, studied law with Bouton & Champlin, 
 of Cortland, and was admitted to the bar in 
 t88i, was supervisor of Solon when he was 
 twenty-one years of age and has been elected 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 533 
 
 to the seventh term in succession, was the can- 
 didate before the people last fall for member of 
 assembly. 
 
 Finn, James, p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 137 
 acres, born May 28th, 1S31; wife, Laura Har- 
 vey, daughter of Calvin and Polly (Wheeler) 
 Harvey, of Solon, born Feb, 22d, 1832, married 
 in 1854; children four: Nettie L., now Mrs. 
 Emory A. Ford, Eddie }., Eva A. and Willie L. 
 Parents, Thomas and Polly (Phelps) Finn. 
 
 Hewitt, Henry, p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 150 
 acres, born in Monroe county in 1846, enlisted 
 in Co. K, 85th N. Y. S. V., in 1861, served his 
 time and re-enlisted in the field and served dur- 
 ing the war. Nine companies of his regiment 
 were captured and he was helil a prisoner ; wife, 
 Lucy Underwood, married in 1S71; children 
 two : Carrie and Lottie J. Parents, Henrv and 
 Sally (Hollenbeck) Hewitt, natives of Monroe 
 county. 
 
 Holden, Edward C, p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 
 135 acres, born in Solon in 1839; wife, Jemima" 
 Watrous, daughter of George and Jemima 
 (Travers) Watrous,novv of Ohio, married in 1861 , 
 one child : May Bell. Parents, John and Sally 
 (Cotton) Holden, who settled in county in 1820. 
 
 Livingston, John D., p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 
 100 acres, born in Solon in 1840; wife, Ruth 
 E. Cline, daughter of Daniel and Malissa (Cur- 
 tis) Cline, of Chenango county, married in i860 ; 
 children two: Clara M., now Mrs. E. A. Dwight, 
 of Chenango county, and Burton J. 
 
 McKendrick, John, p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 
 365 acres, born in Westchester county, N. Y., in 
 1832, was justice of the peace, collector, com- 
 missioner of highways and assessor ; wife, Bridget 
 Farl, of Pennsylvania, married in 1864; children 
 six living : John J., Daniel, Charles, Maggie, 
 James P. and Mary. Parents, Peter and Bridget 
 (Cain) McKendrick. 
 
 Maybury, John R., p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 
 65 acres, born in Solon in 1828, enlisted in Co_ 
 L, loth N. Y. V. cavalry and served three 
 years, was corporal, and is present justice of the 
 peace; wife, Emogene Pierce, daughter of A. T. 
 and Judy A. Pierce, of Truxton, married in 1866 ; 
 children four: Mary R., Rena D., Helen and 
 Sarah. Parents, Josiah and Dorcas (Blake) 
 Maybury, who came to county in 1807. 
 
 Maybury, Lucian B., p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 
 47 acres, was constable, collector and assessor six 
 years, born in Solon in 1837; wife, Marcia 
 Auringer, daughter of Moses and Hope (Darl- 
 ing) .\uringer, of Onondaga county, married in 
 1857; children three: Delphene, now Mrs. 
 John Monroe, of Solon, Nettie, now Mrs. Henry 
 A. Webster, of Virgil, and Fred I). Parents, 
 Josiah J. and Dorcas (Blake) Maybury. 
 
 Pritchard, .4mos, p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 60 
 acres, born in Greenbush in 1807, was highway 
 commissioner, collector and assessor ; wife, Mar- 
 garet Rankin, daughter of Joel Rankin, of Trux- 
 ton, married in 1832; children four: Harriet 
 E., Joel C, Jane E. and Uri A. 
 
 Pritchard, Garret (decea.sed), was born in 
 Litchfield, Conn., in 1792, settled in Solon in 
 1808 and died in 1874, aged 82 ; first wife, Phi- 
 lena Beebe, married in 1815 ; children three: Al- 
 bert, Chauncey and Louisa; second wife, Hul- 
 dah Ford, married in 1848; children two: Gar- 
 ret P. and Lucetta \. 
 
 Rawley, James H., p. o. McGrawville, farmer, 
 occupies 225 acres, born in Oneida county in 
 1836, held town offices several terms; wife, Emma 
 Evans, daughter of Mordica and Elmina (Hul- 
 bert) Evans, of Freetown, married in 1858; 
 children four: Hattie E., Charles H., Milton B. 
 and Cora A. Parents, Daniel and Almira (Allen) 
 Rawley, natives of Oneida county. 
 
 Shuler, Wm. C, p. o. McGrawville, born in 
 Montgomery county in 1829; wife, Esther M. 
 Eastman, daughter of William and Lydia (Tay- 
 lor) Eastman, married in 1857 ; children two: 
 Willis D. and Florence N. Parents, Remson 
 and Hannah (Haughton) Shuler, who came to 
 county in 1830. 
 
 Stevens, John (deceased), born in Solon in 
 1810 and died in 1883; wife, Jane Darling, 
 daughter of William and Polly (Hunt) Darling, 
 who came to county in 1830. Parents, John 
 and Thankful (Cady) Stevens. 
 
 Stevens, Silas, p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 75 
 acres, born in Solon in 1828, is exci.se commis- 
 sioner; wife, Eliza NL Priest, daughter of James 
 and Mary (Taylor) Priest, of Chenango county, 
 married in 1866; children three: Ida May, 
 Burtie B. and Henry S. Parents, Joseph and 
 Diantha (Pritchard) Stevens. 
 
534 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Underwood, Reuben, p. o. McGravvville, 
 farmer, owns 105 acres, born in Solon in 1847 ; 
 wife, Mary Stafford, daughter of Josiah and 
 Eliza Stafford, born in England, married in 
 1868; children two: Ida A. and George E. 
 Parents, Eliab and Julia A. (Madison) Under- 
 wood, natives of county. 
 
 Walker, Isaac J., p. o. McGrawville, farmer, 
 owns 62 acres, born in Montgomery county in 
 1839, settled in Solon in 1857, was supervisor 
 three years, 1877-80, enlisted in Co. C, 15 7th 
 N. Y. S. v., in 1862, served during the war; 
 wife, Lucinda Pierce, daughter ot Isaac and 
 Polly (Gordenier) Pierce, married in 1866; chil- 
 dren five : Helen S., Charles W., George S., 
 Moss K. and Thomas I. Parents, Samuel and 
 Lucy (Rice) Walker, of Montgomery county, the 
 former died in 1875. 
 
 TAYLOR. 
 
 Angel, Almon, p. o. Union Valley, farmer, 
 owns 112 acres, born in county in 1841, was 
 justice of the peace and road commissioner; 
 wife, Vira J. Kinney, born in county in 1844, 
 married in 1866; one daughter : S. Maude. 
 
 Bort, George H., p. o. Taylor, farmer and 
 dealer in agricultural implements, owns 102 
 acres, born in Madison county in 1851, settled 
 in county in 1852 ; wife, Ida E. Bolster, born in 
 Steuben county in 1854, married in 1871; one 
 child : Frances D. 
 
 Elwood, Wilson M., p. o. Taylor, farmer, owns 
 112 acres, born in Chenango county in 182 1, 
 setded in Cordand county in 1843, was assessor 
 and commissioner for his town; wife, Olive Will- 
 iams, born in Chenango county in 1835; chil- 
 dren five. Mr. Elwood served in the late rebel- 
 lion in the 76th regiment. 
 
 Finn, Leroy D., p. o. Solon, firmer, born in 
 county in 1838, was commissioner three terms. 
 Father, Robert Finn, came to county in 1817. 
 
 Hill, J. O., p. o. Taylor, farmer, owns 214 
 acres, born in Massachusetts in 1827, settled in 
 county in 1833; first wife, Lucy D. Perry, born 
 in Solon, in 1831, died in 1872; second wife, 
 Mrs. Martha J. Rounds, born in Homer in 1842, 
 married in 1873; children five. 
 
 Jipson, Valentine, p. o. Union Valley, mer- 
 chant, born in county in 1849, has been justice 
 of the peace for eight years. 
 
 Miner, Oscar P., p. o. Taylor Center, dairy 
 farmer, 120 acres, born in Spafford, Onondaga 
 county, March 28th, 1841, the fifth of a family 
 of six children, three boys and three girls. He 
 was brought up on a farm and educated in the 
 common school of his native town and at Cort- 
 land Academy, Homer, N. Y., from which 
 school, in the fall of 1861, he enlisted in Co. U, 
 76th N. Y. S. v., and served nearly three years. 
 His father died when he was ten years old and 
 he lived with his sister till old enough to support 
 himself which he did by working on a farm 
 summers and teaching and attending school falls 
 and winters. At the close of the war in 1S65 he 
 settled in Taylor, and was married to Julia M. 
 Bentley of the same place in 186S. who was 
 born in 1849. He has been justice of the peace 
 fourteen years and justice of sessions one year; 
 children two : Floyd B. and Carroll P.. 
 
 Phelps, I. W., p. o. Cincinnatus, farmer, 200 
 acres, born in Taylor in 1834, has held the 
 office of supervisor ; wife, Almira Cole, born in 
 Cincinnatus in 1840, married in 1864; children 
 three: Karl C, Myra Pearl and Alice Mabel. 
 
 TRUXTON. 
 
 Bliss, George W., p. o. Truxton, retired mer- 
 chant, born in Massachusetts in 1822, settled in 
 Truxton in 1823; wife, Sojihia F. Hooker, 
 daughter of John H. Hooker, born in 1826, 
 married in 1846; children three: Charles E., 
 Henry S. and George. Parents, George and 
 Charlotte (Ames) Bliss, who settled near Trux- 
 ton village in 1823. 
 
 Gates, Irvin L., p. o. McGrawville, farmer, 
 owns 1 60 acres, born in Truxton in 1 843 ; wife, 
 Helen M. Safford, daughter of Silas B. and Har- 
 rietta (De Lameter) Safford, of Onondaga county, 
 married in 1866; children three: Frank L., 
 Hatde M. and Willie D. Parents, Martin D. ' 
 and Sally (Dunbar) Gates. 
 
 Kenney, Marcus E., junior partner of Kenney 
 & Son, dealers in hardware and agricultural im- 
 plements, born in Truxton in 1848; wife, Lettie 
 A. Freeman, daughter of Rufus and Emily Free- 
 man, of Truxton, married in 1869; one cliild : 
 .•\rthur M. Parents, Hosea M. and Lauretta 
 (Lucas) Kenney, of Truxton. 
 
 McKevitt, Henry, p. o. Truxton, farmer and 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 535 
 
 dairyman, owns 36 acres, born in Ireland in 
 1818, settled in town in 1828, was assessor one 
 term ; wife, Elizabeth Nesbitt, born in Weeds- 
 port, Cayuga county, daughter of Allen and 
 Mary Nesbitt, married in 1841 ; children four: 
 James H., Mary A. Johnson, Nancy J. Sever- 
 ance, and Sarah E. Pierce. Parents, Owen and 
 Judy McKevitt. 
 
 Nelson, Judson C, p. o. Truxton, physician 
 and surgeon, born in Danby, Tompkins county, 
 came to Truxton in 1848, is a graduate of the 
 medical college at Geneva, N. Y., was appointed 
 surgeon of the 76th Regt. N. Y. S. V. in 1861, 
 served three years in hospital and field, was 
 elected supervisor thirteen consecutive terms, 
 chairman of the board two terms, and member 
 of assembly two terms; wife, Henrietta S. 
 Walter, of Tioga county, married in 1848; chil- 
 dren two : Arthur t^., a hardware merchant of 
 Cortland, and M. Isabel, now Mrs. Charles Til- 
 linghast, of Cortland ; second wife, Florence 
 Irwin Snyder, of Middleburgh, Schoharie county, 
 N. Y., married in 1S83, daughter of Hon. Hadly 
 Snyder, of Middleburgh. 
 
 Patrick, Hon. Stephen, p. o. Truxton, insur- 
 ance agent and farmer, owns 220 acres, born at 
 Saratoga Springs in 181 1, settled in town in 
 1S12, was assemblyman in 1866, assessor two 
 years, and supervisor in 1 860 ; wife, Angeline 
 Dickenson, married in 1846 ; children eight : 
 John W., x\lvah, Hattie Gleason, Richard, Eliza 
 Radway, Nathaniel, Nellie and Nelson. Par- 
 ents, Nathaniel and Penelope (Potter) Patrick. 
 
 Saunders, Franklin P., p. o. Truxton, born in 
 Fabius in 1849, dealer in life stock ; wife, Hattie 
 L. Peck, daughter of Piatt and Mary A. Peck, 
 married in 1879; children two living: Arthur 
 Franklin and Anah Hattie. Parents, Perry H. 
 and Sarah (Emmerson) Saunders. 
 
 VIRGIL. 
 
 Angell, E. D.,p. o. East Virgil, farmer and mer- 
 chant miller, born in Otsego county in 1816, set- 
 tled in county in 1817, was assessor in Lapeer 
 three terms; wife, Sarah Lake, born in 1828, 
 married in 1848; children six: Luricia A. Dell, 
 Sarah Lucretia, Julia L., Erasmus D. jr., Jed 
 and James W. Parents, James and Polly Ann 
 (Crandell) Angell, natives of Rhode Island, the 
 
 former born January 26th, 1775, and died in 
 1825, the latter born in 1786 and died in 1861 ; 
 children twelve. 
 
 Atwood, Timothy, p. o. Blodgett's Mills, 
 farmer, born in Otsego county, September 4th, 
 1808, .settled in county in 1809 ; wife, EVua. Jane 
 Fuller, daughter of James and Mary (Finch) 
 Fuller, born in 1813, married in 1835; one 
 daughter, Helen P",ugenie, born in 1847, married 
 Andrew Thayrc in 1870; chiklren two. Parents, 
 Joseph H. and Mary (.Andrews) .Xtwood, who 
 setded in county in 1809. 
 
 Bloomer, Isaac B., p. o. Virgil, retired, born 
 in Ulster county in 1812; wife, Hannah Trow- 
 bridge, born in i8io, married in 1833, died in 
 1883 ; children ten, six now living. One son 
 enlisted in Co. .\, 76th N. Y. Vols., in 1862, and 
 died soon after his return home, from disease 
 contracted in the army, aged 22. Parents, Isaac 
 and Anna (Barlow) Bloomer, who settled in Vir- 
 gil on lot 25 in 1815, the former died in Virgil 
 in 1856, aged 73 years, the latter died in 1868, 
 aged 87 years ; children seven, two now living. 
 
 Branch, Enoch D., p. o. Virgil, former, horn 
 in Vermont in 1796, settled in county in 18 15, 
 and died July i6th, 1876, was supervisor two 
 terms and held other minor offices ; wife, Ma- 
 tilda Mynard, daughter of Benajah and Lydia 
 (Purple) Mynard, natives of Connecticut, born 
 in Rensselaer county in 1813, married Novem- 
 ber 25th, 1838; children seven: Harley H., 
 Butler M., Edwin D., Hepsey P., Mary E., 
 Ellen D. and Rollo P. The latter is a Presby- 
 terian clergyman. Parents, Jeptha and Irene 
 (Arnold) Branch, who settled in Virgil in 1815 ; 
 children seven, one now living. 
 
 Bristol, Benjamin F., p. o. South Cortland, 
 correspondent of the Cortland News and farmer 
 by occupation, born in Cortland in 1837 ; wife, 
 Ophelia Tompkins, daughter of William and 
 Maria (Weaver) Tompkins, born in Westchester 
 county in 1840, married in 1859; children 
 eleven, nine now living: Charles H., born in 
 i860, William A., in 1862, Clara C, in 1S64, 
 John E., in 1865, Georgia A., in 1867, Addie 
 J., in 1869, Lawrence F., in 1873. Emma 
 M., in 1875, and Delta M., in 18S1. Parents, 
 Charles and Dolly (Allen) Bristol, the former of 
 Connecticut and the latter of Ohio, married in 
 
536 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 1832, the latter died in 1863, aged 52 years; 
 children three : B. F., Cornelia C. and Geo. H. 
 
 Bronson, Dr. Horace, p. o. Virgil, physician 
 and surgeon, born in Catskill, Greene county, in 
 1796, settled in county in 1820 and died in 
 1874, was a graduate of Hartford College; wife, 
 Polly Ball, daughter of Judge Ball, born in 1803, 
 married in 1822, and died March 31st, 1842; 
 children four, all now dead ; second wife, Hap- 
 py Mott, daughter of Thomas and Susan (Wy- 
 gant) Mott, born May 12th, 1812, married in 
 1842; children two: Happy E., born in 1845 
 and died in 1864, and Senora De Etta, born 
 March 29th, 185 1. Parents, Davitl and Nancy 
 Bronson, of Catskill, the former died in Virgil in 
 1840, and the latter at Adams. 
 
 Chaplin, Walter L., p. o. Messengerville, 
 farmer and surveyor, born in Virgil in 1825, was 
 postmaster and su])ervisor in 1884, and held 
 other offices ; first wife, Abigail Shevalier, born 
 in 1828, married in 1849, and died in 1866, 
 children three; second wife, Camilla C. Gault, 
 born in 1827, married in 1868, died in 1873; 
 third wife, Mrs. Rhoda M. (Darling) Shevalier, 
 born in 183S, married in 1874; cliildren three. 
 Parents, Benjamin F. and Lucy (Holden) Chap- 
 lin, the former born in Virgil in 1799, ^^'^ ^"P' 
 posed to be the first white child horn in Virgil, 
 died in 1882, the latter born in 1800, married in 
 1820; children two: George H. and Walter L. 
 
 Chrisman, Josiah, p. o. Virgil, farmer and 
 stock dealer, born in Oneida county in 1817; 
 wife, Abigail Penney, daughter of David and 
 Fannie (Smith) Penney, who settled in Virgil in 
 1837, born in 1823, married in 1844; children 
 eight. Parents, William and Nancy (Oaks) 
 Chrisman, who .settled in county in 1835; chil- 
 dren thirteen, but seven now living. 
 
 Curtis, Salmon, p. o. Virgil, farmer and dairy- 
 man, born in Sullivan county November 15th, 
 1812 ; wife, Harriet Seamans, born in 1822, mar- 
 ried in 1840, and died August ist, 1876; chil- 
 dren five ; second wife, Augusta Seamans, daugh- 
 ter of Isaac and Amarilla (Sheldon) Seamans 
 and sister of first wife, born in 1843, married in 
 1878. Parents, Nehemiah and Lusina (Hubbell) 
 Curtis, natives of Connecticut, who came to 
 Virgil in 1830; children eight, three now living. 
 
 Dann, George P., p. o. Virgil, farmer and 
 
 stock dealer, owns 386 acres, born in Virgil in 
 1822 ; wife, Marilla Tuller, born in Virgil in 
 1824, married October 17th, 1S44; children 
 four, two now living : Antonnette and Martin L., 
 the former married Reuben Butts in 1866, and 
 the latter married Alice Mason in 1871. Par- 
 ents, Amariah and Nancy (Purvis) Dann, the 
 former born in 1791, the latter in 1795, married 
 in 1812; children eleven; the former died in 
 Virgil in 1873, and the latter in 1858. 
 
 Davern, James, p. o. Virgil, farmer, owns 179 
 acres, born in Ireland in 1839, settled in county 
 in 1846; wife, Louisa Sawdey, daughter of Asa 
 and Eliza Sawdey, born in 1849, married in 1868; 
 children five: Lizzie M., born in 1870, Susie, 
 in 1872, Rose E., in 1876, Clara L., in tS82, 
 and James Mark, in 1884. Parents, James 
 and Ellen (Ryan) Davern, natives of Ireland, 
 the latter died in Ireland, leaving six sons and 
 two daughters, the former came to Syracuse 
 where he died; James, jr., enlisted in the iSsth 
 regiment in 1864, and was discharged at close 
 of war; he was promoted to corporal, was dis- 
 abled in the war, and received a pension from 
 the government. 
 
 Deyoe, Simeon D., p. o. Virgil, born in Har- 
 ford in 1850, owns 150 acres, was assessor in 
 1879 and again in 18S3; wife, Ann Vinette 
 Green, daughter of Page and Tirzah (Merrill) 
 Green, born in 183S, married in 1873; children 
 two: Glenn and M. C. Page Green was a 
 prominent lawyer of Cortland county, and en- 
 joyed a large practice in his profession ; wife, 
 Tirzah, was daughter of John and Joanna Mer- 
 rill, who came to Connecticut in 1804. 
 
 Glazier, Ezra B., p. o. Virgil, farmer, gardener 
 and apiarist, born in Virgil in 18 17, was excise 
 commissioner since 1882 ; wife, Loretta J. Web- 
 ber, daughter of Rodney and Aurilla (Shepard) 
 Webber, born in 1S31, married in 1848; chil- 
 dren five : Adin, Dana, Lillie, Nathan B. and 
 Harlan E. Parents, Artemus and Sally (Clark) 
 Glazier, the former born in Massachusetts in 
 1782, married in 1816, died in 1865, the latter 
 died in 1864; children eight. Grandparents, 
 Jotham and Kesiah (Stacey) Glazier, natives of 
 Massachusetts, who came to county in 1806; 
 children twelve. 
 
 Griswold, Daniel P., p. o. South Cortland, 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 537 
 
 pension soldier, tailor and farmer, born in Dry- 
 den in 184s, was collector two terms; wife, 
 Annette Tyler, daughter of Samuel P. and Je- 
 mima (Hopkins) Tyler, born in 1848, married in 
 1871 ; children two: Bernicle E., born in 1875, 
 and Clyde T., born in 1877. Parents, F,dward 
 and Mary (Tyler) Grisuold, the former died in 
 Virgil in 1869, aged 75, and the latter in 1854; 
 children eleven, six now living. Daniel P. en- 
 listed in Co. C, 76th N. Y. Vols., in 1861, was 
 wounded at the battle of Gettysburg in 1863, 
 and receives a pension of $30 per month. 
 
 Hall, Amos T., p. o. Blodgett's Mills, farmer, 
 carpenter and builder, born in Virgil in 1818; 
 wife, Maria E. Merical, daughter of Henry and 
 Catherine (Adney) Merical, born in Schoharie 
 county in 1828, married in 1846; children four, 
 two now living : William H. and Anna. Will- 
 iam married Alice J. Frear and Anna married 
 Joe Stafford. Parents, Girden and Polly (Pea- 
 body) Hall, natives of Connecticut, who settled 
 in Virgil in 18 16, married in 1818; children 
 eleven, seven now living, the former served in 
 the war of 181 2, drew a pension of $96 yearly, 
 and died in 1874. 
 
 Hammon, Riley, p. o. Virgil, farmer and dairy, 
 born in Virgil in 1841, has represented his dis- 
 trict at State conventions; wife, Charlotte L. 
 Woodard, daughter of Samuel and Deborah A. 
 Woodard, born in Virgil in 1843, married in 
 i860 ; children five, two now living : Luetta M. 
 and Willie E. Parents, John and Louisa (Keys) 
 Hammon, natives of Vermont, the former born 
 in i8i8, married in 1834 and died in 1875, the 
 latter born in 181 8. 
 
 Haskins, James B. F., p. o. South Cortland, 
 farmer and dairy, born in Virgil in 1842 ; wife, 
 Maggie Pike, daughter of De Villo and Sarah 
 (Calvert) Pike, born in 1848, married in 1867 ; 
 children two : Clyde F., born in 1880, and Earl 
 A., born in 1884. Parents, Alanson and Clarissa 
 (Andrews) Haskins, both of Fabius, N. Y., set- 
 tled in Virgil in 1825, the former died in 1869, 
 the latter is still living, aged 83 years; children 
 seven. 
 
 Holton, William A., p. o. Virgil, general mer- 
 chant and dealer in groceries, drugs, hardware, 
 etc., born in ^Virgil in 1845, was justice of the 
 ■peace, town clerk one term and held other 
 
 offices ; wife, Delphine Brooks, born in 1847, 
 married in 1874. Parents, Lester and Betsey 
 (Tanner) Holton, the former born in 1816, died 
 in 1857, the latter born in 18 18, died in 1874; 
 children five, four now living : L. C, M. E., R. 
 E. and W. A. Grandparents, Dr. Rufus and 
 Althea (Smith) Holton, who settled in Madison 
 county in 1820 and Cortland county in 1827. 
 William A. Holton began the mercantile business 
 in 1870, the firm being Peckham & Holton, and 
 sold his interest in 1873, purchased his present 
 site and erected the present two-story building, 
 the store and dwelling where he now resides. 
 
 Homer, Henry F., j). o. Virgil, farmer, born 
 in Virgil in 1839; wife, Sophia Hammond, 
 daughter of John and Louisa Hammond, born 
 in Virgil in 1842, married in i860; one child, 
 Julia, born in 1866. Parents, Edmund and 
 Rohamey (Johnson) Homer, the former born in 
 1801 and died in 1854, the latter born in 1800 
 and died in 1842; children three, two now liv- 
 ing: Henry F. and Henrietta, who married 
 John Winters, of Virgil. 
 
 Hotchkiss, Charles Alonzo, p. o. Virgil, farmer 
 and dairy, born in Virgil in 1829; wife, Jeanett 
 Hopkins, daughter of James and Margaret 
 (Smith) Hopkins, born in Dryden in 1825, mar- 
 ried in 1852; children three: Eva May, born 
 Feb. 2ist, 1855, died Dec, 5th, 1878 ; Harriet 
 B., bom in 1856, and Elsworth A., born in 1861. 
 Eva M. married Egbert D. Spencer May 28th, 
 1874; Egbert D. died May 15th, 1S75; Eva 
 M. married again W. B. Main Nov. 24th, 1876; 
 one child. Harriet married Rev. Geo. F. Hum- 
 phreys, of Massachusetts, in 1875; children 
 three. Elsworth married Jennie L. Sessions in 
 1883; one child. Parents. Charles and Polly 
 (Stillman) Hotchkiss, married in 1807, the former 
 died in 1868, aged 84. the latter born in 1789, 
 died May 6th, 1874; children si.x, three now 
 living: Jane, born in 1819, Charles A., bom in 
 1829, Enoch D., born in 1834. 
 
 Lang, Robert, jr., p. o. Virgil, born in York- 
 shire, England, in 1820, settled in county in 
 1841 ; wife, Mary Carr, daughter of William and 
 Sophia Carr, born in Freetown in 1S27, married 
 in 1847, died in 1883; children six, five now 
 living: Mary Ann, Ruie S., William R., Merton 
 D. and Lillian E. Parents, Robert and Mary 
 Lang, of Yorkshire, England. 
 
538 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Lewis, Nathaniel, p. o. Virgil, retired fanner, 
 born in Dryden March 4th, 1815, settled in 
 county in 1818, was president and trustee of 
 Virgil Cemetery Association, and United States 
 mail agent for sixteen years ; wife, Mila Glazier, 
 daughter of Stacy and Axsie (Branch) Glazier, 
 born in Virgil in 1821, married in 1840; children 
 five, four now living : Truman, Augusta, Mary 
 and Isaac R. Parents, John and Jemima 
 (Steenburgh) Lewis, of Orange county, settled 
 in county in 1818, the former died in 1850, and 
 the latter in 1838; children ten. 
 
 Lincoln, Wait, p. o. Virgil, farmer, born in 
 Virgil in 1817; wife, Melissa Muncey, born in 
 1827, married in 1844 ; children eight, three now 
 living: Alice, Ella L. and Willis P. Parents, 
 Major William and Ruth (Sexton) Lincoln, the 
 former from Massachusetts and the latter of 
 New York. 
 
 Johnson, Senora D., p. o. Virgil. 
 
 Lowe, Garrison H., p. o. Virgil, farmer, owns 
 93 acres, born in Sullivan county in 1825, 
 settled in county in 1839; wife, Polly Ann 
 Ballou, of Onondaga county, daughter of Silas 
 and Polly (Shumway) Uallou, who settled in 
 Virgil about 1816, married in 1848; children 
 five : Silas B., Jane Ann, Garrison Demont, 
 Idris and Edith. Parents, Zachariah and Jane 
 (Drake) Lowe, of Sullivan county, the former 
 born in Duchess county, died in Virgil ; children 
 seven, three now living. 
 
 McKinney, John A., p. o. Virgil, owner and 
 proprietor of Virgil Hotel, born in Virgil in 185 1 ; 
 wife, Mary Jane Brown, born in Ireland, set- 
 tled in Virgil in 1867, married in 1872, died 
 Oct. 24th, 1883, leaving two children, Irving 
 J. and R. T. Parents, John and Mary Ann 
 (Steele) McKinney, natives of Ireland, married 
 and settled in Virgil in 1850, the former died 
 Oct. 24th, 1882; children eight, six now hving : 
 Robert, John A., Thomas E., William G., Henry 
 S., Nancy J. and Mary H. Robert enlisted in 
 the 185th regiment in 1864, served to close of 
 war, and died in February, 1878. John A. 
 purchased the Virgil House in spring of 1884. 
 
 Muncey, Dr. William A., p. o. Virgil, physi- 
 cian and surgeon, born in Truxton in 1832; 
 wife, Lodema J. Brooks, of Cortland, daughter 
 of Ransom J. Brooks, born in 1843, married in 
 
 1864 ; children two : Wilfred B. and Ransom 
 B. Parents, Stearns and H. (Nicholson) Mun- 
 cey, the former of Rensselaer county, died in 
 Chemung county in 1883, the latter of Chenango 
 county, died in Tioga county in 1873. Dr. Wm. 
 A. Muncey was a graduate of Philadelphia 
 American University in 1874, also the New 
 York Eclectic Medical College, in 1882, read 
 medicine with Dr. Nobles, of Waverly, com- 
 menced practice in \\'averly in 1858 under the 
 old State law, and in 1859 settled in Virgil 
 where he now resides. 
 
 Mynard, Wellington P., p. o. Virgil, farmer 
 and stock dealer, born in Virgil in 1841, was 
 supervisor two terms and overseer of the poor 
 one year. Parents, Madison B. and Maria 
 (Bouton) Mynard, the former born in 1810 and 
 died in 1859, the latter born in 1813 and died 
 in i860; children seven, five now living: Wel- 
 lington P., born in 1841, Eliza H. in 1846, Mad- 
 ison A. in 1851, Maria Louise in 1854, and 
 George in 1857. 
 
 Oaks, James H., p. o. Virgil, insurance agent 
 and dairy farmer, born in Herkimer county in 
 1833, settled in county in 1834; wife, Henriette 
 Champlin, daughter of Henry and Mary (Chris- 
 man) Champlin, born in 1842, married in 1866; 
 children two : Eva M. and Mary Ettie. Par- 
 ents, Abraham and Maria (Smith) Oaks, the 
 former born in 1809 and died in 1858, the latter 
 born in 18 13, married in 1831 ; children nine, 
 seven now living. Grandfather, Henry Oaks, 
 born in Germany, came to America when ten 
 years of age. He enlisted in the Revolutionary 
 war, was taken prisoner by the Indians, made 
 his escape, married in Montgomery county ; 
 children three. 
 
 Price, David R., p. o. Cortland, farmer, born 
 in Virgil in 1820 ; wife, Deborah Hutchins, born 
 in Ulster county in 1820, married in 1844; chil- 
 dren eight : George R., Emma, Elmer, Maurice, 
 Ephraim E., Antha, Manley and Ina. George 
 married Rose Langworthy; Ina married Aaron 
 Overton ; Emma married Charles Robinson ; 
 Ephraim married Alice Dearman ; Antha mar- 
 ried George S. Sherman ; Maurice married 
 Emma Spencer. Parents, Zachariah and Eliza- 
 beth (Ryan) Price, the former born in Rensse- 
 laer county, came to Cortland in 1809, the latter 
 born in Montgomery county in 1801, married in 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 539 
 
 i8i I and died in 1883 ; children eleven. Grand- 
 parents, Jacob and Catharine (Barringer) Price, 
 who settled in Virgil in 1816; children ten. 
 
 Saltsman, Frederick F., p. o. Virgil, farmer, 
 born in Cortland county, has been highway com- 
 missioner two terms; wile, Loretta J. House, 
 born in Virgil in 1847, married in 1869; children 
 two: Carlton Lee and Ray Frank. Parents, 
 John and Phebe (Frank) Saltsman, the former 
 born in Montgomery county in 1810, the latter 
 born in Virgil ; children five : Susannah, Mary 
 Ann, Sarah Jane, F. F. and Cora Atane. Grand- 
 parents, George and Nancy (Cook) Saltsman, 
 natives of Montgomery county, came to county 
 in 1821 ; children six. 
 
 Shevalier, Nathan L., p. o. Messengerville, 
 farmer, born in Virgil in 1858; wife, Augusta 
 Weller, of Onondaga county, daughter of Jere- 
 miah Weller, born in 1857, married in 1878; 
 one child, Ina. Parents, Isaac and Nancy 
 (Smith) Shevalier, the former died in 1878, aged 
 47 ; children four : Harriet, Dick A., Eugenie 
 and Nathan L. 
 
 Smith, Nathan J., p. o. Messengerville, farmer, 
 born in Virgil in 1847; wife, Luricia Adelle 
 Angell, daughter of E. D. Angell, born in 1850, 
 married in 1 86g ; children two : M. Louise and 
 Wilmer A. Parents, Nathan and Lucy (Mal- 
 lery) Smith, the former born in Marathon in 
 1808, the latter in 1809; children seven, four 
 now living : A. P., Nancy A., Angeline and 
 N.J. 
 
 Spencer, Nathan, p. o. Virgil, farmer and 
 stock dealer, born in Virgil in 1821, was super- 
 visor three terms; first wife, Polly Ann Price, 
 married in 1843 and died in 1863; children 
 five : Earl W., Henry F., Emma Dett, Alice V. 
 and Egbert D. ; second wife, Mrs. Angeline 
 (Smith) Homer, married in 1866; one son, Lin 
 C. Parents, Isaac and Nancy (Peabody) Spen- 
 cer, natives of Otsego county. Grandparents, 
 Amos and Dorcas Spencer, natives of Rhode 
 Island, the former was a Revolutionary soldier, 
 and died in Otsego county. 
 
 Stafford, George W., p. o. Blodgett's Mills, 
 farmer, born in Virgil in 1846. Parents, Josiah 
 and Eliza Ann (Male) Stafford, born in Broad 
 Oak, England, in i8i7,the latter came to county 
 in 1837, the former died in 1877, aged 62 years. 
 
 Grandparents, Joseph and Susan (Hopkins) 
 Stafford, natives of Rhode Island, settled in Vir- 
 gil in 1816, the former died in i860, the latter 
 in 1872; children eleven. 
 
 Stafford, Hopkins, p. o. Blodgett's Mills, 
 farmer and dairy, born in Ot.scgo county in 
 1813, settled in county in 1816; wife, Nancy 
 Allen, born in Virgil in 1817, married in 1838, 
 died in 1862; children ten, five now living: 
 Charlotte, Timothy, Amy, Job B. and Cynthia 
 L. Parents, Joseph and Susan (Hopkins) Staf- 
 ford. 
 
 Stafford, Miles, p. o. Blodgett's Mills, farmer, 
 born in Virgil in 1828; wife, Roby Westcott, 
 daughter of Nathaniel Westcott, born in Penn- 
 sylvania in 1830, married in 1851 ; children four: 
 Emeline, born in 1852, Nathaniel, born in 1856, 
 Minnie in 1862, Layton in 1868. Parents, 
 Joseph and Susan (Hopkins) Stafford, natives 
 of Rhode Island. 
 
 Stowell, John, p. o. Blodgett's Mills, farmer, 
 born in Virgil in 1828; wife, Henrietta Luce, 
 daughter of John and Betsey Luce, born in 
 1832, married in 1854; one child, Melvin Mon- 
 roe, born in 1857 and married Eva F. Luce in 
 1880. Parents, Lucius and Sally (Ketcham) 
 Stowell, the former born in Connecticut in 1792, 
 took up 150 acres of land in Virgil in i8io, and 
 afterward bought 150 more, was drafted, served 
 in the war of 181 2, and drew a pension, died in 
 1882, the latter born in 1799 and died in 1876; 
 children six. Lucius Stowell took up 300 acres 
 of land in Virgil in 1810 at $1.75 per acre. His 
 parents emigrated with a yoke of cattle, a heavy 
 wagon and one lumber wagon. John still lives 
 on the homestead where he was born. 
 
 Shults, David, p. o. Virgil, farmer and stock 
 grower, born in Montgomery county in 1817; 
 wife, Mary E. Reese, born in Montgomery county 
 in 1829, married in 1848; children four: Jacob 
 R., born in 1852, James H. in 1854, Wilber F. 
 in 1861, and Katie E. in 1866. James H. is a 
 professor, graduating from Syracuse University 
 in 1876, married Grace Hubbell, of Rochester, 
 in 1876; children two: Elbert and Clarence. 
 Parents, George and Elizabeth Shults, of Mont- 
 gomery county, N. Y. 
 
 Teri)enning, Eddie D., p. o. Virgil, born in 
 Lapeer in 1849 ; wife, Jessie C. Chubbj daughter 
 
540 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 of Abraham and Mary E. Chubb, born in 1852, 
 married in 1877; one adopted child, Alta, born 
 in October, 1878, adopted February 19th, 1884. 
 Parents, VViHiam and Clarissa (Ballou) Terpen- 
 ning, born in Virgil, married in 1845; children 
 three: Emma D., Eddie D. and Evaline. 
 Grandparents, Marenus and Peggy Terpenning, 
 who settled in ^'irgil in 181 5; children nine, 
 six now living. 
 
 Trap]), Fred L., p. o. McLean, farmer, Ijorn in 
 Virgil in i860. Parents, David R. and Nancy 
 A. (Bush) Trapp, the former born in 18 15 and 
 died in 1878, the latter born in 1S26; children 
 seven, five now living : William J., George H., 
 Frank E., Harrison 1). and Fred L. Grand- 
 parents, William and Catharine Trapp, early 
 settlers of Cortland county. 
 
 Trapp, William J., p. o. McLean, farmer, born 
 in Tomjjkins county in 1848; wife, Eliza Mc- 
 Elheney, daughter of Marshall and Catharine 
 (Bush) McElheney, born in 1848, married in 
 1872; children two: Leroy D. and .Anna A. 
 Parents, David and Nancy A. (Bush) Trapp, the 
 former born in 1815, died in 1878, tlie latter 
 born in 1S26; children seven, five now living. 
 
 Tripp, Dr. John D., p. o. Virgil, ])hysician 
 and surgeon, born in Dryden in 1843, was super- 
 visor one term ; wife, Josephine E. Lamb, 
 daughter of Alfred and Elizabeth (Merrill) 
 Lamb, born in Skaneateles, Onondaga county, 
 married in 1870. Parents, George W. and Caro- 
 line (Brown) Tripp. Dr. John D. Tripp was 
 graduated in 1865, began the practice of medi- 
 cine in Virgil in 1865, where he has a very e.x- 
 tended practice. 
 
 Veeder, Cornelius, yj. o. Virgil, owns 231 
 acres, and dairy, born in Montgomery county in 
 1824, settled in county in 1828, has held several 
 offices; wife, Laura Jane Joiner, daughter of 
 John and Polly (Baker) Joiner, born in 1835, 
 married in 1854; children three: Cora, Ada 
 and Hattie. Parents, Adam and Hibert (Bradt) 
 Veeder, who came to Virgil in 1828, the latter 
 died in 1863, the former is still living, aged 92; 
 children eleven. 
 
 West, Punderson, p. o. Virgil, miller, born in 
 Tompkins county in 1816, settled in county in 
 1817 ; wife, Jane Tyler, born in Dryden in 1828, 
 married in 1855. Parents, Erastus and Abigail 
 
 Tarbox, natives of Connecticut, who settled in 
 Virgil in 1817, the former died in 1855, aged 78, 
 the latter died in 1862; children five. Mr. P. 
 West i)urchased his present mill in 1875, it has 
 two run of stone and fed by Spring Brook creek, it 
 was formerly used as a carding and cloth dress- 
 ing mill. 
 
 Wood, M. R., p. o. Cortland, born in Virgil 
 in 1832; wife, Martha B. Calvert, daughter of 
 John and Samantha (Goodale) Calvert, born in 
 1833, married in 1858; one child, F. Adelle, 
 born in 1S60, married N. F. Webb in 1884. 
 Parents, Jonas and Catharine (Cornwell) Wood, 
 who settled in Virgil in 1818, the former died in 
 1881, aged 82, the latter died in 1856. 
 
 Wood, Warren .\., ji. o. Virgil, mason and 
 farmer, born in X'irgil in 1S23 ; wife, .\seneth 
 Griswold, born in Dryden in 1821, married in 
 1845, died in 1863; children four: Mary E., 
 Sarah M., Frank C. and Hattie L. Parents, 
 C)rrin and Sally (Morse) Wood, who settled in 
 Virgil in 1822. 
 
 WILLET. 
 
 Babcock, .Vndrew M., ]). o. Willet, farmer, 
 born in Otsego county in 1815, settled in county 
 in 1835 ; wife, Mary Ann Jones, daughter of 
 Enoch and Wealthy (Williams) Jones, born in 
 Schoharie county in 1830, married in 1853; one 
 child, Elvin A., born Oct. 17th, 1865. Parents, 
 Jonathan and Sarah (Johnson) Babcock, who 
 came to county in 1835 with seven children, of 
 which but two, Andrew M. and Marvin, survive. 
 
 Babcock, Marvin, p. o. Willet, farmer, born in 
 Otsego county in 1821, settled in county in 1835, 
 has lieen collector three years, assessor six years, 
 and held several other offices ; wife, Eliza Jane 
 Jones, daughter of Enoch and Wealthy (Williams) 
 Jones, born in Chenango county in 1834, mar- 
 ried in 1855; one child, Adelbert S., born in 
 1863. I'arents, Jonathan and -Sarah (Johnson) 
 Babcock, the former born in Stephentown, N. 
 Y., Nov. 2oth, 1788, and died Sept. isth, 1856, 
 the latter born July 24th, F788, and died in 
 1844. 
 
 Bliss, Calvin J., p. o. Willet, farmer and retired 
 teacher, born in Preston, Chenango county, in 
 1822, settled in county in 1846, has been justice 
 of the [jeace nine years and teacher eleven years ; 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 541 
 
 wife, Betsey A. Landers, daughter of Charles 
 and Lucinda (Shc|)aril) Landers, who came to 
 county in 1846, married in 1850; children two: 
 Charles Emery and Cora L. ; Charles married 
 Florence Sherwood in 1874. Parents, Solomon 
 and Anna (Packer) Bliss, the former of Massa- 
 chusetts, who died in 1861, aged 75, the latter 
 in 1866, aged 80. 
 
 Brigham, Archibald, p. o. Upper Lisle, farmer 
 and stock dealer, born in Willet in 1825 and 
 died in 1865 ; wife, Esther Ann Rooks, daughter 
 of Willard and Polly (Crittenden) Rooks, born 
 in Cortland county in 1828, married in 1854; 
 children two: Hiram L., born in 1855, and 
 Hattie L., born in 1857. Parents, Orleans and 
 Mercy (Stafford) Brigham, natives of Rhode 
 Island, who settled in county in 1812; children 
 eleven, five now living. 
 
 Covey, Edward W., p. o. Willet, farmer and 
 tanner, born in Otsego county in 1805, settled 
 in county in 1838; wife, Mercy Bradley, daugh- 
 ter of Zachariah Bradley, of Connecticut, born 
 in 1813, married in 1829 ; children five : Loron 
 B., born in 1832, Edward W. in 1835, Charles 
 H. in 1838, Lydia, in 1841, and George W. in 
 1851. Parents, William and Esther (Yarns) 
 Covey, born in Duchess county, and were among 
 the early settlers of Otsego county. 
 
 Dyer, Samuel C, p. o. Willet, merchant, vocal 
 and instrumental music teacher, has been assessor 
 four years, town clerk several years, and super- 
 visor in 1875; wife, Ervilla J. Smith, born in 
 Willet in 1841, married in 1862. Parents, John 
 S. and Harriet (Shaw) Dyer, the former was first 
 merchant in Willet, served as justice of the peace 
 for many years, and died in 1873. Grandpar- 
 ents, Samuel and Lydia (Jones) Dyer, the former 
 born in Stonington, Conn., in 1777, the latter in 
 Rhode Island, married in 1799, and settled in 
 Willet in 1816; children six, the former died in 
 1842, the latter in 1862. 
 
 Eaton, John C, p. o. Willet, farmer, born in 
 Willet in 1827; wife, Melvina Wilson, daughter 
 of Henry and Sally (Livermore) Wilson, born in 
 Willet in 1830, married in 1846; children three : 
 Florence R., Rollen S. and Alphonzo D. ; F'lor- 
 ence married Wm. R. Burgel in 1874; children 
 five. Rollen married Ardell J. .-Me.vander in 
 1873; children two. .\lphonzo married Ella 
 
 A. Maine in 1879; children two. Parents, 
 Peter and Polly (Van Sice) Eaton, natives of 
 Cherry Valley, who settled in Willet in 1815, the 
 former held many town offices and died in 1881, 
 the latter died in 1844; children seven. 
 
 Eaton, Peter, p. o. Willet, bom in Willet in 
 1822, farmer, owns 500 acres; wife, Harriet 
 Greene, born in Willet in 1818, married in 1849; 
 children four : Hattie R., who married Rev. 
 Adelfred J. Brown, of Syracuse, Elfie L., who 
 married John D. Coe, of Willet, Coriell G., who 
 married Ida B. Olmstead, of Triangle, and Elbert 
 P., who is unmarried. Parents, Peter and Polly 
 (Van Sice) Eaton, natives of Otsego county. 
 
 Eaton, Ulysses, p. o. Willet, farmer, born in 
 Willet in 1818, served many years as commis- 
 sioned officer in the old military company ; first 
 wife. Marsh M. Hazzard, born in 18 18, married 
 in 1839, died in 1864, leaving four children ; 
 second wife, Sarah Augusta Dutton, born in 
 Afton in 1824, married in 1865. Parents, Peter 
 and Polly (Van Sice) Eaton. 
 
 Forshee, Walter, p. o. Willet, dealer in hard- 
 ware, stoves, tin, household furnishing goods 
 and farm implements, born in Cortlandville in 
 1838 ; wife, Eliza Leach, daughter of Christo- 
 pher and Lucetta Leach, born in 1848, married 
 in 1879; children two: Isaac C. and John Ir- 
 ving. Parents, Isaac and Elizabeth (Newman) 
 Forshee, natives of Orange county, who settled 
 in Cortland in 1833, the latter died in 1872, 
 leaving three children : Cornelius, Augusta and 
 Walter, who caiYie to Willet in 1876. 
 
 Gardiner, Ishmael E., p. o. Willet, farmer and 
 dairyman, born in Columbus, Madison county, 
 in 1832, settled in county in 1839; ^^''^'^i Lizania 
 Eaton, daughter of Abel and Elvira Eaton, born 
 in Willet in 1840, married in 1856; children 
 six: Arthur E., Minnie E., Ernest, Jennie .•\., 
 Alice M., and Lewellyn. Arthur married Belle 
 Morey in 1878, Minnie married W. H. Jones in 
 1878. 
 
 Greene, 15urrill, p. o. Willet, farmer and stock 
 grower, owns 36.0 acres, born in Willet in 1820, 
 has been supervisor one term, justice of the peace 
 four terms, and held other district offices ; first 
 wife, Rosilla Babcock, born in Otsego county 
 in 18 17, married in 1855, died in i860 ; children 
 three: Leetta R., B. Jefferson and Harriet R. ; 
 
542 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 second wife, Phebe E. Greene, born in North 
 -Scituate, R. I., in 1828, married in 1867. Par- 
 ents, Benjamin T. and Hettie (Wilson) Greene, 
 who were among the very first settlers of the 
 county. 
 
 Greene, Henry O.. p. o. Willet, carpenter and 
 builder, born in Willet April 17th, 1824; wife, 
 Lovantia Tennant, seventh daughter of Robert 
 and Polly (Eaton) Tennant, born in Willet 
 October 26th, 1828, married in 1846; Robert 
 Adelbert, only child of Henry and Lovantia 
 Greene, born December 19th, 1849, married 
 Ella F. Ferris, December 4th, 1869; one child, 
 Clara A., daughter of Robert and Ella F., 
 born June i6th, 187 1. Parents, Joseph and 
 Permelia (Wilson) Greene, the former from 
 Rhode Island and the latter of Willet, the 
 former held many town offices, and died April 
 25th, 1882, leaving eight children. 
 
 Greene, Wilson, p. o. Willet, farmer and 
 stock grower, owns 400 acres, born in Willet in 
 1828, was supervisor eight terms, justice of the 
 peace one term, and school su]ierintendent one 
 term ; wife, Rhoda Wiles, daughter of Henry 
 and Julia A. (Moore) Wiles, born in Willet in 
 183 1, married in 1865 ; children three : G. Mau- 
 rice, Belle and Alice B. Parents, Benjamin T. 
 and Hettie (Wilson) Greene. Grandparents, 
 William and Mary Greene, who settled in county 
 with four sons and one daughter in 1808. 
 
 Jones, Asiel, p. o. Upper Lisle, farmer and 
 stock dealer, born in Schoharie county in 1831, 
 settled in county in 1 843 ; wife, Deliah Salisbury, 
 adopted daughter of Ebenezer Salisbur)', of 
 Rhode Island, born in 1836, married in 1862 ; 
 one adopted daughter, Luella M. Jones. Par- 
 ents, Enoch and Wealthy (William) Jones, who 
 settled in Willet in 1843, t^'^^ former died in 1875, 
 the latter in 1877, leaving ten children, eight 
 now living. 
 
 Landers, Charles, p. o. Upper Lisle, retired 
 farmer, born in Afton, Chenango county, in 
 1796, moved to Broome county in 1802 and 
 Cortland county in 1836, has been assessor sev- 
 eral terms and held other offices ; wife, Lucinda 
 Shepherd, daughter of Timothy Shepherd, born 
 in Triangle in 1805, married in 1824, died in 
 1879, leaving three children : Garry S., Betsey A. 
 and Marcellus. Parents, John and Charlotte 
 
 (Patterson) Landers, the former bom in Massa- 
 chusetts in 177 1 and died in Broome county in 
 181 3, the latter of Litchfield county. Conn., died 
 in 1855, aged 85. 
 
 McVean, Charles P., p. o. Willet, merchant 
 and postmaster, bom in Solon in 1833, has been 
 associate judge, justice of the peace and post- 
 master since 1874 ; wife, Phebe Bailey, daughter 
 of Col. Wm. B. Bailey, born in New York city 
 in 1838, married in i860. Parents, Peter and 
 Charity (Snider) McVean, the former bom in 
 Johnstown, N. Y., began the mercantile trade at 
 Texas Valley, with his son as partner, in 1868. 
 
 Mooney, Austin, p. o. Willet, farmer, born in 
 Willet in 1845 ; wife, Eliza A. Coles, born in 
 Chenango county in 1849, daughter of William 
 and Eliza (Geer) Coles, who settled in Willet in 
 185 1, married in 1869; one child, Lewis R. 
 Parents, Lewis and Eliza (Adams) Mooney, 
 natives of Willet. 
 
 Mooney, Frederick, p. o. Willet, farmer and 
 stock grower, bom in Willet in 1837 ; wife, 
 Dorcas, daughter of Henry and Julia A. (Moore) 
 Wiles, married in 1869. Parents, Lewis and 
 Eliza (Adams) Mooney. 
 
 Mooney, Lewis (deceased), born in Putnam 
 county, October 21st, 1807, and died in January, 
 1878, was supervisor, assessor and highway com- 
 missioner ; wife, Eliza Adams, daughter of Steph- 
 en and Abby Jane (Steadwell) Adams, born in 
 Duchess county in 1809. married Dec 26th, 1832; 
 children five, four living : Frederick, born in 1837, 
 Stephen A., bom in 1839, Susan, born in 1842, 
 and Austin, born in 1845. Stephen now resides 
 in Missouri. His daughter, Eliza Jane Mooney, 
 was bom January 13th, 1835, married Dr. H. 
 C. Hendrick, October 12th, 1854, died in Mc- 
 Grawville, June 12th, 1858. 
 
 Morey, Leeman B., p. o. Willet, farmer and 
 dairy, born in Duchess county in 1816, settled 
 in county in 1852, has been assessor three 
 terms ; first wife, Judah M. Bailey, married in 
 1838, died in 1854; second wife, Polly L. 
 Greene, born in Willet in 1819, married in 
 1856; children two: Isabella and Marell, the 
 former married Arthur Gardner in 1878; chil- 
 dren two : Earl and Loie M. Parents, Stephen 
 and Susan (Weller) Morey, natives of Duchess 
 county. 
 
Brief Personals. 
 
 543 
 
 Newcomb, Curtis S., p. o. Willet, farmer and 
 stock dealer, born in Willet in 1843 ; wife, Pluma 
 Mathews, of Bradford county, Penn., bom in 
 1845, married in 1867, died in 1883; children 
 three : Minnie Bell, Samuel G. and Phebe May. 
 Parents, Samuel and Emma (Tyler) Newcomb, 
 natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Willet 
 in 1840, the former died in 1883, aged 77 
 years, the latter died in 1864, leaving twelve 
 children. 
 
 Smith, Frank, p. o. Willet, proprietor and 
 owner of American Hotel at Willet, born in 
 German, Chenango county, in 1848, Settled in 
 count)- in 1879; wife, De Etta Leach, daughter 
 of Christopher and Lucetta Leach, born in 
 
 Marathon in 1854, married in 1873; children 
 two: Christopher J. H.,and Mary Ann Lucetta- 
 Frank Smith purchased the hotel in 1879, which 
 was built by John S. Dyer over fifty years ago, 
 and has made many changes and extensive re- 
 pairs to the same. 
 
 Tennant, Elijah, p. o. Willet, farmer, owns 
 200 acres, bom in Willet in 1831 ; wife, Lucy 
 Fuller, bom in Triangle, Broome county, in 
 1832, married in 1852; children two: Augustus 
 O., bom in 1853, and Elva M., bora in 1862. 
 Parents, Robert and Mary (Eaton) Tennant, 
 the former of Connecticut, bom in 1782, settled 
 in Willet in 181 7, died in 1844, the latter bora 
 in 1788 and died in 1882 ; children twelve. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Active war against the Iroquois by the French, 39. 
 
 Adams. C. C, 361. 
 
 Adams, Ed. L., 130, 364. * 
 
 Adams, John J.. 81. 
 
 Adams. Lyman, 361. 
 
 Adams, S.. 178. 
 
 Advertisements in early newspapers. 66-7. 
 
 Agricultural .Society. 74. 
 
 Agricultural Society, the second, 81. 
 
 Allen. William B..'8l. 
 
 Andrews, Elnathan, 74. 
 
 .'\ndre\vs, William, 81. 
 
 An Indian "Summer Resort," 47. 
 
 Attack on Schenectady by the French, 40. 
 
 Habcock, Peleg, 60, 405. 
 
 Babcock, Gideon, 81. 
 
 Babcock, Solomon, 406. 
 
 Baker. Elnathan. 59. 
 
 Ball. L. C. 361. 
 
 Ball, Wait, 70. 
 
 Ballard, Augustus L., 142. 
 
 Ballard, Horatio, 81, 94, 141. 
 
 Ballard. Hooker. 178. 
 
 Ballartl lamilv, the. 188. 
 
 Baldwin. C. F. & Co., 308. 
 
 Ballard. S. M.. 306. 
 
 Ballard, Joshua, 94, 259. 
 
 Barber, John S., 145. 
 
 Barber. George. 94. 
 
 Barber. Jedediah, 77, 81. 
 
 Barney, Dr. .-Mien, 153. 
 
 Barnes, Dr. Eleazer H., 169. 
 
 Bartlit, William, 80, 81. 
 
 Bateson, P. H., 125. 
 
 Bassett. Joshua. 259. 
 
 Beebe, Joseph, 57. 
 
 Beebe, Orellana. 61. 
 
 Beebe. Roderick, 59. 
 
 Benjamin. Frank ^I.. t46. 
 
 Bench and Bar of Cortland county, ihe. 133. 
 
 ■Benedict. Byron A., T46. 
 
 Benedict, A. H., 132. 
 
 Benton, H. F., 182, 297. 
 
 Benjamin, S. M., 298. 
 
 Benjamin, Alvah, 80. 
 
 Bingham, Johnson, 59. 
 
 Bierce, Stanley. 149. 
 
 Birdseye, Victory, 136. 
 
 Biographies, 445. 
 
 Bl.ick salts. 65. 
 
 Blanchard. Dr. Ajariah, 169. 
 
 lilanchard, Silas, 1 1 8, 453-5. 
 
 Blair, Samuel, 263. 
 
 ]51air, Sylvester, 262. 
 
 Blashfield, H. W., 180. 
 
 Blodgett, Alonzo D., 181, 473 -5. 
 
 Blotlgett, Nathan, 66, 241, 244. 258. 
 
 Bloomer, Lsaac. 324. 
 
 Blowers. C. N., 305. 
 
 Boies, Dr. Levi. 157. 
 
 Boies, Obadiah, 79, 260. 
 
 15oating on the Tioughnioga. 66. 
 
 Bourne. Roswell K., 142. 178. 
 
 Boundaries of county, 9. 
 
 Bourne. R. W., 178. 
 
 Bouton, Lewis, 146. 
 
 Bouton, Nathan, 323. 
 
 Bouton, Nathaniel. 323. 335. 
 
 Bouton, Enos, 322. 
 
 Bouton. Sanford. 80. 
 
 Bounties on wolves, 75. 
 
 Boynton. Fitz. 178. 
 
 Bradford, Dr. George W., 163 to 166. 
 
 Bradford. Daniel, 303. 
 
 Bradford, G. W., 303. -— 
 
 Brant, 42, 44. 
 
 Brant ascends the Susquehanna, 42. 
 
 Brayton, Thomas F., 298. 
 
 Brewer, E. H., 297, 306. 
 
 Brewer, Henry. 81. 
 
 Brink, Abram, 349. 
 
 lirooks. Charles A., 130. 
 
 Bronson. Dr. Hor.ice. 147, 168. 
 
 Brown, C. F., 304. 
 
 Brown. Benjamin. 58. 
 
 Buell. Clayton H.. 130. 
 
 Bunn, William O., 121. 
 
 Burlingame, Miles E., 147. 
 
 Burdick. Dr. I'hinras H., 166. 
 
 Burdick. William F.. 178-9. 
 
 Burgess, Lewis. 180. 
 
 Calvert, John. 322. 
 
 Campbell, B. S. & D., 122. 
 
 Canal from Syracuse to Port Walson. 78. 
 
 Canada, establishment of French colony. 38. 
 
 Carley, Alanson, 81, 358. 
 
 IS 
 
546 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Carley. E. C. 361. 
 Carmicliael, J. C, 107. 
 Carpenter, F. I).. 178. 
 Ceitlral Riforiiwr, the, 132. 
 Celebr.iled law-suit, a, 137. 
 Chaplin. Joseph, 58, 60, 319. 
 Chanipliii, Kiley, 146. 
 Chapin, Hiram, 413, 
 Chatterton, James, 74. 
 Civil list of eoiinly, 90-92, 
 Cincinnatus, 58. 
 
 formation and boundaries, 368. 
 
 natural features, 368. 
 
 early settlements, 368 to 371. 
 
 Cincinnatus villajre, 371. 
 
 mercantile interests, 372. 
 
 manufactures, 372, 
 
 churches, 373, 
 
 scliools, 373. 
 
 newspaper, 374. 
 
 Lower Cincinnatus, 374-5. 
 
 the town in the rebellion, 375. 
 
 town officers, 376. 
 Claims of riv.il powers, 35-6. 
 Clark, William H., 127. 2S4, 
 Cleary, M. F., 181. 
 Clerk's office, first, 74. 
 Clearing lands, 65. 
 Climate of the county, 12, 
 Clinton, Ue Witt, 76. 
 Cole, C. v., 125, 129. 
 Collins, Charles, 182, 309. 
 Colonists of New York and the fur trade, 39. 
 Cole, .Azor Lerov, 486-7. 
 Conable, ^L^rtin, iSi. 
 Conger, Harmon S., I 24. 
 Conger, B. S., 181. 
 
 Contested claims to military lands, 52. 
 Comstock, Cephas, 81. 
 
 Commission to adjust claims of Iroquois, 44. 
 Copeland, Charles, 181. 
 Copeland, W. S.. 179, 310. 
 Cortland Co. with reference to Indian occupation, 26. 
 
 county press, 1 19. 
 
 Standard, the, 122, 127. 
 
 County Kepiihlican, the. 121. 
 
 County W'liig. the. 121, 124. 
 
 Gazette, the. 125. 
 
 journal, the. 123. 
 Weekly Journal. \.\\k. 126. 
 
 Xe^us. the, 130, 
 
 County Democrat, the, 129. 
 
 Standard and Journal, the, 126. 
 
 Co. Medical Society, organization of, 150. 
 
 County Farmers' Club, the, 181. 
 organization of. 181. 
 first officers, 181. 
 permanent members, 181. 
 
 County liible Society, the, 182. 
 
 Anierhan, the, 87, 125. 
 
 Academy, the, 83. 
 
 village, triumph ol", 74. 
 
 county, pioneers of, 56. 
 
 county, formation of, 54, 
 
 county's escape from border wars, 47. 
 
 county, genealogy of, 48. 
 
 Courier, the, 66, 119. 
 
 Republican, the, 66, 
 
 Cortlandville, 59. 
 
 formation of. 79. 
 
 history of, 236. 
 
 formation of the town, 236. 
 
 boundaries, 236. 
 
 soil and drainage, 237, 
 
 early settlements, 237 to 247, 
 
 early land sales, 241. 
 
 church organization, 243. 
 
 an old militia roster. 245. 
 
 town organization, 249. 
 
 first officers, 249. 
 
 Tioughnioga navigation, 250. 
 
 effects of the first railroad, 251. 
 
 supervisors and town clerks, 252. 
 
 in the rebellion, 253, 
 
 Cortland village, 255. 
 
 earlv business interests, 256. 
 
 early amusements. 264. 
 
 village library. 265. 
 
 incorporation, 265. 
 
 first village meeting, 266. 
 
 gas company, 267. 
 
 list of presidents, 269. 
 
 church history, 269. 
 
 schools. 275. 
 
 normal school, 276. 
 
 postal ser\ice. 284. 
 
 the dental profession, 286. 
 
 water company, 286. 
 
 gas company. 288. 
 
 fire department, 289. 
 
 manufacturing interests, 291. 
 
 mercantile interests, 299. 
 
 banks. 299. 
 
 McGrawville, 311 to 317. 
 
 South Cortland, 317. 
 
 Blodgett's .Mills, 318. 
 Corey. H. D.. 314- 
 
 Courcclles's e.spedition against the Mokawks, 38. 
 Count Frontenac's expedition against the Mohawks, 
 
 40. 
 Count F'rontenac s expedition against the Onon- 
 
 dagas, 40, 
 Courts, terms of 78. 
 Court House, location 67. 
 
 description of, 68. 
 
 site for, 67. 
 
 strife for location of, 67. 
 
 contract for building, 68-9. 
 Courts established at formation of county, 55. 
 Council of Appointment. 77. 
 Courtney. J. it T. E., 149. 
 Courier, the Cortland, description of, 120, 
 County societies, etc., 180. 
 County Agricultural Society, the, iSo. 
 
 organization of. 180. 
 
 first officers, 180. 
 
 list of presidents. 180-1. 
 County clerk's office, the, 183. 
 Coye, David, 94. 
 Crandall. Hiram. 88. 118. 143. 
 Crandall. L. S., 129. 
 Cravath, Orrin, 132. 
 Cravalh, James, 59. 
 Crane, W. H., 178. 
 Crittenden, Ebenezer, 59. 
 Crosley, E, P„ 149. 
 
Index. 
 
 547 
 
 Crouch, H. G., 82, 123. 
 Cuyler. Glen. 136. 
 Cuyler, formation of the town. 387. 
 natural characteristics, 387. 
 early settlements, 387-9. 
 early mills, 390. 
 in the rebellion. 392. 
 first town officers, 392. 
 supervisors and town clerks, 392, 
 |)resent town officers, 393. 
 village, 393. 
 
 mercantile interests, 394. 
 churches, 394. 
 Dailey, W. N. P., 182. 
 Dairvins interest, the, S3. 
 Dana, H. T., 170, 178. 
 Dayton, Nathan, 140. 
 Day, A. H., 1 30- 
 Day. Jeremiah, 94. 
 De.ath penalty, the first, S6. 
 Democrat, the, 81, 125. 129. 
 Destruction of the Iroquois League, 44. 
 Dellow, Fred S., 180. 
 Dexter, L., 311. 
 Dibble, Horace, 178, 296. 
 Dickinson & McGraw, 308. 
 Dickinson. Eli, 94. 
 Dickson, Andrew, 17, 81. 
 Dixon, Joseph R., 121. 
 Donnellv. -Xugustus A.. 78, 80. 
 Doubletiay. Gen. Abner, 102. 
 Doud. Truman, 260. 
 Doud. E. H.. 304. 
 Dougherty. James. 150. 
 Drainage of the countv, 10. 
 Duell. R. Holland. 88, 144. 
 Early peace treaties, 37. 
 ICarly newspapers, 119. 
 Early American courts, 133. 
 Early advertisements, 120. 
 Early religious meetings, 62. 
 Early schools. 63. 
 Early roads, 60, 61. 
 E.arly productions, 65. 
 Early dwellings of pioneers. 64. 
 ICarly land frauds. 52. 
 Early civil divisions of territory. 47. 
 Edgeconib. A. W., 306. 
 Edgecomb. E. W., 67, 258. 
 Edgecomb, Is.iac, 306. 
 Edgecomb, Martin, 306. 
 Edwards, Jonathan, 323. 
 Eels. Tercius, 81. 
 Effects of the railroad, 85-6. 
 Eggleston, J. E., 147. 
 Elder, William, 257, 
 Eldreilge, Dr. Lyman, 169. 
 Eq.di/ed valu.ition. 18, 20, 75. 
 Encounter between A. J. Mc.Nett and N. W. Green, 
 
 96. 
 Erie canal, the, 76. 
 
 opening of, 77. 
 European discoveries, 35 to 46. 
 Extent of county, 9. 
 Expedition of Cal. Van Schaick, 43. 
 Fancher, E. P., 131. 
 Fancher, E. P. h ]. R., 3'3- 
 Fancher, J. R., I3>- 
 
 Farmers' Journal, the, 66, i2o. 
 
 Fenton, Eneas, 131. 
 
 Fifth Great Western Turnpike Company, 70. 
 
 First newspaper in Cortland village, 71. 
 
 First birth in Cortland county, 63. 
 
 First religious society nf Homer, 62. 
 
 First settlers in different towns, 58. 
 
 First settlers in the county, 57. 
 
 First officers of the county, 56. 
 
 Fish, E. A., 304. 
 
 Fitzgerald, L. J., 181, 292. 
 
 Florida, discovery of, 35. 
 
 Forbes, O. F.. 118. 
 
 Ford, A. M., 126. 
 
 Formation of Cortland county, 54. 
 
 Foster, Ch.irles, 143. 
 
 Fourth of July, 1815, 71. 
 
 Frank, John Kl., 320. 
 
 Frank, Monroe, 286. 
 
 Freer, John A., 243. 296. 
 
 Freer. Anthony, 80, 81. 
 
 Freer. S. D., 296. 
 
 Freer, J, De Puy, 81. 94. 
 
 Freer family, the, 482-6. 
 Free Soil movement, the, 125. 
 
 Freetown, 59. 
 
 formation of town. 417. 
 natural features. 417. 
 early settlements. 417. 
 in the rebellion. 420. 
 Freetown Corners. 421. 
 churches, 421-22, 
 town officers, 422. 
 
 French settlement, .advance of, 35. 
 
 Fur trade, the, 37. 
 
 French trading posts, 38. 
 
 Gage, Charles W., 181, 457-9- 
 
 Gates, Isaac A., 81. 
 
 Garrison. L. D., 182, 309. 
 
 Gates, A. W.. 80, 455"?- 
 
 Gastile ami lUiitner. the, 26. 
 
 Geere, Luther, 74. 
 
 Geologv of the county, 11, 12. 
 
 Gill, John, 59. 
 
 Gillett, C. H., 178. 
 
 Gillett. Lerov, 181. 
 
 Gilbert. W. B., 84. 
 
 Gillett, Grove, 74- 
 
 Gillett, John, 81. 
 
 Gleason, Henry L., 149- 
 
 Gleason, Levi R., 286. 
 
 Glover, Oliver, 81. 
 
 Goddard, Solomon, 117. 
 
 Goodell, R. A., 178. 
 
 Goodrich, Hon. Milo, 143. 
 
 Goodrich, H. P.. 181. 
 
 Goodyear. Fr.inklin, 178. 
 
 Goodyear, Dr. Miles, 157 to 160. 
 
 Gott. Daniel, 139. 
 
 Gould, E. G.. 1 82. 
 
 Gould, Edwin F., 87. 125. 
 
 Gray, J. C, 308. 
 
 Gray, Peter, 60. 
 Graves, Asher, 311. 
 Graves, John Henry, 131. 
 Graves. Lester, 313. 
 Graves, R. H., 312. 
 Graves, Reuben, 311. 
 
548 
 
 History of Cortland County. 
 
 Green, Dr. Caleb, 1 50, 487-9. 
 
 Green, Nelson W., 95. 
 
 (ireene. Will ()., 131, 374. 
 
 Grcenman, C. 1)., 313. 
 
 Grimn, B. II., 178, 
 
 Grisl-mills, 61. 
 
 Gulf of St. Lawrence, discover)' of, 35. 
 
 Haight, Seth, 124. 
 
 Harford, formation of town, 433. 
 
 natural rliaracteristics, 433. 
 
 early settlcnient.s, 433-35. 
 
 in the rebellion, 436. 
 Harford village, 437. 
 
 business interests, 437-8. 
 
 churi'lies. 43cS. 
 
 Harford Mills. 439. 
 
 l)usiness interests, 440. 
 Harmon, Al\,ih, 80. 
 Harrington, K. N., 309. 
 Harrington, H. J., 178. 
 Harris. Judge Ira, 139. 
 Hart. Josiali. jr.. 178. 
 Match. Fred, 149. 
 Hathaway, Gen. .S. G., 74. 79, 80, 81. 413-14. 419, 
 
 489 to 498. 
 Haves, Lewis .S., 297. 
 Helidrick. Dr. H. C. 172. 
 Hibbard, F. IL. 181. 
 Hibbard, Joel H., 8t. 
 Highest point in the county. 10. 
 Hill James. 372. 
 Hitchcock, S. G.. 126. 
 Hitchcock, Dwight H., 181. 
 Hitchcock, Coleman, 217. 
 Hitchcock. Caleb Bardano. 293, 472-3. 
 Hobart, Manley. 181. 500-2. 
 Hollenbeck. Lucius I'., 147. 
 Hollister, H. T., 178. 
 Homer, 57. 
 
 boundaries, 183. 
 
 natural characteristics, 184. 
 
 early settlements, 184. 
 
 early dwellings, 185. 
 
 Mrs. Beebe's trial, 186. 
 
 new version of her story, 186-7. 
 
 later settlers, 188 to 197. 
 
 organization of the town, 198. 
 
 list of supervisors and town clerks, 199. 
 
 in the rebellion, 200. 
 
 Homer village, 203. 
 
 early hotels, 204. 
 
 early distilleries, 205. 
 
 early buildings, 206. 
 
 mercantile and manufacturing interests, 
 207 to 216. 
 
 incorporation, 216. 
 
 oflficers of. 217. 
 
 post-oltice, 218. 
 
 hotels, 218. 
 
 newspapers, 219. 
 
 schools, 219. 
 
 churches. 221 to 230. 
 
 Little York. 231. 
 
 East Homer, 232. 
 
 East River, 235. 
 Homer F.agle, the, 123. 124. 
 Homer Rcpuhliiaii, the, 126. 
 Homer Herald, the, 126. 
 
 Homer village incorporated, 79. 
 
 Homer & Elbridge Turnpike Company. 70. 
 
 Homer it Cayuga Turnpike Company, 70. 
 
 Homer ct Geneva Turnpike Company, 70. 
 
 Homer, division of town, 79. 
 
 Holmes, Wilber, 372. 
 
 Hoose, James Harmon. 130. 181. 2S0, 477-82. 
 
 Hooker. Weslev, 126. 
 
 Hopkins, \\. L.', 80. 
 
 Hopkins, Moses, 59. 66, 77. 
 
 Hotchkiss. Samuel, 77, 139. 
 
 House, John, 58. — ■ 
 
 Hubbard. Jonathan. 59. 62, 66. 
 
 Hudson River, discovery of, 35. 
 
 Hughes, Dr. J. W., 173. 
 
 Hulliert. George A., 195. 
 
 Hulbert, J. & G. A., 360. 
 
 Hulbert. E. M., 307. 
 
 Hull, G. \V., 286. 
 
 Hunt, S. .\L, 345. 350. 
 
 Hunt. Dr. Japheth, 58, 347. 
 
 Hunter, S. R., 17S. 
 
 Hvde. Dr. Frederick. 81. 498-9. 
 
 Hy.itt. F. O.. 286. 
 
 Huntington, William A., 131. 
 
 Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 179. 
 
 Tioughnioga Lodge No. 263, 179. 
 
 Homer Lodge No. 280, 179. 
 
 N^^arathon Lodge No. 415, 179. 
 Indi.ins at the beginning of the Revolution, 28 
 Indian history, 13-34. 
 Indians, habitations, 30. 
 
 dress, 29. 
 
 marriages, 31. 
 
 amusements, 31. 
 
 objects of worship, 32. 
 
 festivals, 32-3. 
 
 burials. 33-4. 
 
 hospitality. 34. 
 
 social habits. 29. 
 Indian hi.story, sources of, 13. 
 Indians, origin of, 13. 
 Indian relations in Central New York, 26. 
 Indian war. close of, 42. 
 
 Indian title to military tract extinguished, 5t. 
 Indian missions, 44-6. 
 Indian and Tory atrocities. 43. 
 Ingalls. Samuel, 67. 
 Ingalls, C. E., 178. 
 Iroquois Confederacy, the, 14. 15. 
 
 tradition as to origin of, 15-17. 
 
 characteristics of, 18 to 21. 
 
 military status, 23. 
 
 causes of downfall, 25. 
 
 Indians, 14 to 34. 
 
 superiority of, 24. 
 Ithaca & Cortland Railroad Co.. 89. 
 Jail, action of supervisors relative to, 72-3. 
 
 increased accommodations, 88. 
 
 the first, 72. 
 Jarvis, Horace A., 2S5. 
 Jewett, Dr. H. O.. 169, 181. 
 Johnson, Guy, 42. 
 4-4ohnson, John, 42, 44. 
 Johnson, Sir William, 42. 
 Jones. Elder S. G., 59. 
 Jones, George B., 88, 144. 
 Jones, C. A., 312. 
 
Index. 
 
 549 
 
 Jones, Benton B., 129, 130. 
 
 Joyner, D. V., 131. 
 
 Justice's Courts and Courts of Special Sessions, 135. 
 
 Keator, E. M., 178. 
 
 Keep. Chauncy, 93, 
 
 Keep, John, 61, 68, 80. 
 
 Kelky. Wallace. 130. 
 
 Kellogg, Hon. O. U., 146. 
 
 Kellogg, H. M., 307. ,^ /.;, , . ^ 
 
 Kenney, Amos L., 144. ' /,. 
 
 Kenney, Hosea, 379. 
 
 Kenney. James, 379. 
 
 Kinne, C. \V., 292. 
 
 Kinney. C. L., 178. 
 
 Kinney, F. G., 126, 130, 180. 
 
 Kinney, Darius, 58, 188. 
 
 Kinney, Charles I... 312. 
 
 Kingman, Dr., 181. 
 
 Kingman, John, 58, 70, 369. 
 
 Kingman, H. M. k J., 372. 
 
 Kingsbury. A, \Y,, 178. 
 
 Kingsbury, Charles. 184. 
 
 Kingsley, Lewis. i.fi. 
 
 Knapp, Dr. John H.. 173. 
 
 Knapp, Stephen, 94. 
 
 KneelancI, Hon. A. Judson. 147. 
 
 Knight. Arthur L.. 148. 
 
 Knight. Fred E., 89. 
 
 Know Nothing party, 87. 
 
 Kno.x, .S. S.. 178. 
 
 Kohler, C. A.. 129. 
 
 Lakes of the county. 1 1. 
 
 Lament. J, H.. 312. 
 
 Lament. D. S., 312. 
 
 Lansing. E. .M., 130. 
 
 Lapeer, formation of the town. 441. 
 
 natural characteristics. 441. 
 
 early settlements, 441-44. 
 
 churches. 444. 
 
 in the rebellion. 444-5. 
 
 supervisors and clerks, 445. 
 
 present officers. 445. 
 Leach. James S., Si, 
 Lee, Roswell, 94. 
 Legend of the Tioughnioga, 28-9. 
 Leni Lenape Indians, the, 26, 
 
 traditionary origin of, 26-7. 
 Livingston, James, 362. 
 Location of county, 9. 
 Log houses, building of, 64. 
 Logging " bees," 65, 
 Loring T. Mason, 181. 
 Liberty Herald, the, 132. 
 List of battles of 76th regiment, 106. 
 Little, Ira L., 145. 
 Livermore, William H., 126. 
 Lucas. William. 74. 
 Lyman, Asahel, 72. 
 Lyndes, William P., 81. 
 Lynde, John, 78, 157. 
 Lyons, J. E., 131. 
 Mack & Husted, 361. 
 Mager George J., 304. 
 Mahan, A., 305. 
 Mallory, William, 74, 258. 
 Mallery, Patrick, 118, 350. 
 Mantayne, William J., 146. 
 Marathon Itutepentient, the, 130 
 
 Afarrtt/ion Mirror, the, 130, 
 Marat lion Xe'iUS, the, 130. 
 Marathon, 88. 
 
 formation of the town, 345. 
 
 natural features, 345. 
 
 early selllcment.s, 386. 
 
 Thurlow Weed's rrniiniscencc. 352. 
 
 first town meeting. 358. 
 
 list of supenisors and rlrrks. 358. 
 
 in the rebellion. 359. 
 
 Mar.ithon village. 359. 
 
 mercantile interests, 361. 
 
 manufacturing interests, 362-3. 
 
 attorneys. 363. 
 
 newspapers. 364. 
 
 schools. 364. 
 
 churches. 365. 
 
 village incorporation. 367. 
 Massachusetts ten townships. 82. 
 Massacres of Wyoming and Cherr)- Valley, 43. 
 M.isonic Order, the. 177. 
 
 first lodge in the county, 177. 
 
 Hesper Lodge 237, 177. 
 
 Truxton Lodge 333, 177. 
 
 Cortland Lodge 371, 177. 
 
 Lafayette Lodge 409, 177. 
 
 Western Union Lodge 417. 177. 
 
 Cortlandville Lodge 470. 178. 
 
 Cortlandville Lodge, charter members. 178. 
 
 Homer Lodge. 352, 178. 
 
 Royal Arch Masonr\-, 178. 
 
 Royal Arch Masonry, Center Mark Lodge 
 50, 178. 
 
 Cortland Chapter 194. 178. 
 
 Knights Templar — Cortland Commandery 
 50, 179- 
 Matthews. J. D.. 94. 
 Matthews. David, 58, 81. 
 Maybury, M. M.. 304. 
 May, Eleazer, 94. 
 McFarlan. John. 306. 
 McGraiinnlle Sentinel, the. 131. 
 McGrawville Express, the, 132. 
 McGraw, Lucius, 313. 
 McGraw, P. H. & A. P.. 315. 
 McGraw, Samuel, 243, 311. 
 McGraw, William. 313. 
 McGraw, P. H., 88-9, 312. 
 McGraw, D., 312. 
 McGraw, Hiram, 312. 
 McGraw, Harry, 81. 
 McNett, A. J., 96. 
 McKay, Hiram C, 94. 
 McVean, J. A., 88. 
 McWhorter, Dr. John. 58. 369. 
 Medical Society — chronological list of members. 
 
 174-6. 
 Memorable law-suit, a, 76. 
 Merrick. Danforth, 81. 
 Merrick. David. 62. 
 Merrill, Mead, 68, 136-7. 
 Messenger. Gideon. 320. 
 .Messenger. Hiram J., 265, 299, 445-7. 
 Mexico conquered bv Spain. 35. 
 Midland Railroad, 89. 
 
 Mililar>' career of the 76th regiment, 96 to 106. 
 Military histon', 92. 
 Military bounty bonds, 52. 
 
552 
 
 History, of Cortland County. 
 
 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, 42. 
 Treaty of Utrecht, the, 41. 
 
 Treaty l)et\veen the Iroquois and the French, 38. 
 Trial of Colonel N. W. Green, 97. 
 Tripp. Dr. John D., 174. 
 Tripp, James H., 361, 475-7, 
 Trowbridge, Billy, 72. 
 
 True American and Rcligiotn; Examiner, the, 131. 
 Truxton, 58. 
 
 situation and boundaries, 377. 
 
 natural features, 377, 
 
 early settlements, 377 to 369. 
 
 early mills, 381. 
 
 first town meeting, 381. 
 
 town officers, 381. 
 
 in the rebellion, 382. 
 
 Truxton village, 382. 
 
 mercantile and manufacturing interests, 
 
 383-4. 
 
 churches, 385. 
 Turnpike companies, 61, 70. 
 Tultle, William D., 148. 
 Twenty-hfth Congressional District, 79. 
 Twenty-second Congressional District, 79. 
 Tyler, John, 324. 
 
 Utica, Chenango ct Cortland Railroad, 89. 
 \'an Auken, Willard J., 148. 
 Van Alstine. C, 308, 
 \'an Bergen, P., 178. 
 \'an Hoesen, Garrett, 401. 
 \'an Hoesen. Matthias, 117,401. 
 Van Slyke, E. D., 125. 
 \'an \'redenberg, 1'. D. A; C. A., 130. 
 Vining, .Samuel, 59. 
 Virgil", 58. 
 
 formation of town, 319. 
 
 natural features, 319. 
 
 first settlement, 319. 
 
 first town meeting, 326. 
 
 first town officers. 326. 
 
 early schools, 326. 
 
 early churches, 327. 
 
 post-offices, 329. 
 
 early marriages and deaths, 331. 
 
 agricultural matters, 332. 
 
 in the rebellion. 336. 
 
 Virgil Corners, 336-8. 
 
 physicians, 339. 
 
 Gridley Hollow, 342. 
 
 Messengerville, 343. 
 
 Frank s Corners, 343. 
 
 supervisors and town clerks, 344. 
 Wainwright, Colonel William, 99. 
 Wallace,' D. F., 283, 305. 
 Walrad, C. P., 304. 
 Ward, S. R., 131. 
 
 War of the rebellion, the county in, 95. 
 
 losses in by the county, 1 16. 
 
 prompt action of the |)eople, 95. 
 
 movement to organize regiment, 95. 
 
 the 76th Regiment. 96. 
 
 composition of 76th Regiment, 97. 
 
 officers of 76th Regiment, 97. 
 
 marching orders of 76th Regiment, 98. 
 
 official action in county, 117. 
 
 first public act, 1 17. 
 
 bounties, 1 17-1 18, 
 
 bonds issued, 1 19. 
 War of 1812. the, 64. 
 sVarren, William H., 145. 
 'Varren, Dr. L. C, 314. 
 Warren, George L., 178, 283, 304. 
 Waters, M. M., 145. 
 Waters, Henry D., 148, 
 Watson, R. J., 178. 
 Watson, Joseph, 217. 
 Watson, Eikanah, 59, 66, 241. 
 Webb, Major .Adin, 139, 259. 
 Webb, Morgan I.., 283, 301. 
 Welch, S. E., 117, 304. 
 Western Courier, the, 122-3. 
 Wheeler. Dr. Elijah G., 153. 
 Wheeler, Jerome, 80. 
 Wheeler, Jacob, 67. 
 Whig, the, 81. 
 White. Asa, 61. 
 Whitmore, D. E., iSt, 361. 
 Whitmore. Parley, 74. 
 Whitney, Christo|)her, 58. 
 Wickwire Brothers, 295. 
 Willet, 59. 
 
 formation of town, 428. 
 
 natural features, 428. 
 
 early settlements, 428-31. 
 
 first town meeting, 430. 
 
 in the rebellion, 432. 
 
 supervisors and clerks, 432. 
 
 present officers, 432. 
 
 churches, 432. 
 Wills, Charles E.. 178, 
 Winslow, John E., 149. 
 Wiswell, Oliver, 74, 137, 284. 
 Weed, Thurlow, 352. 
 Woodcock. David, 74. 
 Woodrutr, Madison, 298. 
 Wright. Benjamin T., 146. 
 Young Men's Christian As.sociation. 
 
 organization of, 182. 
 
 charter members. 182. 
 
 first officers, 182. 
 
 present officers, 182. 
 Zimmer, Philip, 217. .' 
 
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