F 129 
 .C282 
 L7 
 Copy 2 
 
 C?-^' 
 
ANNALS OF 
 
 CASTLE CREEK, N. Y., 
 
 AND VICINITY 
 
 ^ dt ^ 
 
 Together with Genealogies of Some of 
 the Early Families. 
 
 ft3* ?^* «i3* 
 
 By JULIUS W. LILLY 
 
 Chicago, III., 1903. 
 
 5i^ ^i^ ?i^ 
 
 

 o^/^. 
 
 ^. 
 
 r,v r.\^^^ 
 
ANNALS OF CASTLE CREEK, N. Y., 
 AND VICINITY. 
 
 How many who daily pass the old 
 "red school house" in the 'Lilly' dis- 
 trict, know that it had that name long 
 before Binghamtou was on Uncle 
 Sam's roster of post offices"? I have 
 letters now yellow with age, directed 
 to "Chenango Point" and others 
 mailed there, which were written from 
 the Lilly district, when Castle Creek 
 was only "Tater Creek," and it was 
 many years later when the store and 
 tavern were blessed with a post office 
 and was then named Castle Creek. 
 That name itself, is almost or quite 
 the only remembrance left us, of the 
 Indians who loved this lovely valley 
 and had built the wigwam of their 
 chief, the "Castle," as the white man 
 called it, near where the creek is lost 
 in the bosom of the beautiful Chenan- 
 go river. There used to be some old 
 apple trees near that spot, which the 
 Indians had planted, many many 
 years before and could not take with 
 them, when they turned their faces 
 toward the setting sun, but I fear they 
 too, are gone! These Indians were a 
 portion of the ''Nanticoke Tribe," 
 formerly inhabitants of Maryland. 
 
 The tribe was divided, a part being 
 located on the eastern lower portion 
 of the Wyoming Valley, and others at 
 Owego, Chenango and Choconut, 
 (spelled in old histories Chokunut and 
 Chokoanut. ) Their chief was "Squire" 
 Antonio, which title was given him by 
 the whites on account of his just de- 
 cisions, his correct judgment and his 
 sober habits. He was very much es- 
 teemed by the white people, as well as 
 revered and loved by his own. He 
 was intelligent, but spoke English 
 very poorly. Hs was a descendant of 
 the Delawares that were defeated in 
 the '"grasshopper" war at Wyoming. 
 The ''Castle" farm, or reservation of 
 160 acres, later occupied by Joseph 
 and Thomas Laycock, was by an in- 
 
 trigue of a Yankee named Patterson, 
 taken by fraud from the Indians, but 
 they, some time afterward, took his 
 life in revenge. 
 
 It is said that in the early days of 
 the settlement, a resident was fording 
 the stream with a load of potatoes, 
 which were lost by the giving way of 
 his wagon. box. They floated down 
 with the current and becoming self 
 planted, produced quite a harvest. 
 Hence the name — "Potato Creek." 
 
 The town of Chenango was colon- 
 ized under the most unfavorable 
 auspices. Hardships and privations 
 were then passed through which are 
 unknown to the settlers of new counties 
 in these modern times. As a writer 
 has said, "the people then had more 
 pains in their bodies than in their 
 windows." 
 
 The Broome County Herald once 
 published some items regarding 
 Broome-co. in 1813. "It was then 
 composed of six towns: Berkshire, 
 Lisle, Tioga, Union, Nanticoke, Oua- 
 quago, Coles ville and Chenango Point. 
 which was the county seat and contain- 
 ed 45 houses and stores. The county 
 first began to be settled by, or before 
 1790, by farmers largely from western 
 Massachusetts. The population was 
 8129 and its voters numbered 655. A 
 goodly part of the county was heavily 
 timbered and wild game was very 
 abundant. 
 
 The "Annals of Binghamton" were 
 first published in 1840 by J. B. Wilk- 
 inson. That edition was exhausted 
 and it was reprinted by the "Times 
 Association" in 1872, with notes by 
 George Park, Esq. An appendix was 
 also written by Prof. George Jackson, 
 thus bringing the history down to 
 1872. There are yet a few copies of 
 this edition in the market. In this 
 history the village of Binghamton is 
 made the center of interest, but other 
 
-4— 
 
 places in the county (Broome) are 
 treated of in some measure, according 
 to their relation to it. 
 
 It is said that previous to 1840, 
 Colonel William Rose, one of the tirst 
 settlers, made historical minutes to an 
 important extent, but unfortunately 
 they were lost or accidentally burned. 
 
 * 
 These ramblinitj memories and 
 records of the early settlers do not 
 profess to be complete or absolutely 
 correct, but are given because of a 
 desire to gather together, before it is 
 too late, a record of those who pre- 
 ceded us and who helped to make life 
 easier for us who followed. Any cor- 
 rections or additional facts will be 
 welcomed by the wri-cr and embodied 
 in a later chapter, which will be pre- 
 pared wliun such data is received. 
 These facts are gained from old letters 
 and from the memories of the "oldest 
 inhabitants and are at best but frag- 
 mentary. 
 
 * 
 Some early occupants of farms on 
 Castle Creek, commencing with the 
 "Castle farm" on the river, at the 
 junction of the Creek road, passing 
 northward, were Thomas, (Meraent and 
 Ebenezer French, Daniel Bishop who 
 soon sold to Franklin French, Captain 
 James Temple, the Johnsons', Nathan- 
 iel and Lyman Lee, David and Jede- 
 diah Seward, (the latter an old Revo- 
 lutionary soldier), Stephen S. Tomp- 
 kins, Henry Siver. Tyrus and John 
 Page, Sylvanus Diramick, Amos Wil- 
 cox, Ariel Rood, Samuel Mills and 
 Root French, a Mr. Bissell, Orsamus 
 Ijilly. Hiram Davis. Isaac Bowen, 
 Henry T>illy, Samuel Hand, the Dor- 
 tnans and Seward s who sold to Amiui 
 Doubleday and Harry I'ierce, of Bing- 
 hamtou, Arunah Hall, Foster Lilly, 
 Jonathan I-iilly, Tidall Knapp, Daniel 
 Bishop and Ira French, Alexander 
 White, Nathan Marsh, Eliphalet 
 I'helps, .ludson Phelps, brother of 
 Apollos N. Phelps, David L. Hall. 
 Frank Brooks, Bradley Alderman and 
 son Israel P.; Samuel Hawkes, A. N. 
 Phelps, James (lavlord. Abner Wood, 
 Riley Parker and others whose names 
 cannot be recalled. This list embraces 
 only those who resided south of the 
 village proper. On the "Oak Hill" 
 road were Mr. Newman, Oliver Hatch, 
 Harvey Westfall, Chester I'ease, Rich- 
 
 ard Parker and Truman Satchwell. 
 Later comers were Isaac Howard, 
 George and William Ross, brothers 
 and others unknown to the writer. On 
 the Dimmick Hill road, some of the 
 residents were the Johnsons, Jesse 
 Heller, John Congdon, Albert West, 
 Hiratn West, Calvin Shepard, Lewis 
 Bishop, Silvester St. John. Horace 
 Tread well, Milo Is bell, George and 
 Warren Matt'-son, Simeon Dimmick 
 and sons Sylvanus, Constant and 
 John. The neighborhood was named 
 in honor of the Dimmicks, and while 
 they were primarily the pioneers in 
 the settlement of that place, yet their 
 lives were so intermingled with the 
 history of Castle Creek, that its his- 
 tory would be incomplete without some 
 reference to the various members of 
 the fatuily. which will be taken up in 
 its order later on. 
 
 * * 
 * 
 
 Ariel Rood is said to have been the 
 pioneer settler on the place, owned 
 later on in succession by Samuel Mills, 
 Root French, and John S. Knapp. 
 Samuel Mills at one time owned a 
 part interest in the Orsamus Lilly saw 
 mill, which interest he sold to Mr. 
 Lilly about 1842. The tirst pL'blic 
 highway r.ij,n close to the creek, passing 
 by the Lilly mill. 
 
 The whole district was densely 
 wooded with giant pines, whose stumps 
 have but recently disappeared on the 
 John S. Knapp farm, with tall hoary 
 hemlocks, with fat juicy maples, many 
 of which were left for sweetness long 
 afterward, with generous chestnuts 
 climbing up the hills, while oak, beech, 
 birch, basswood and other timber was 
 abunuant. The family for whom the 
 "Lilly" district is named was one of 
 the tirst to euter this rough forest and 
 we will begin with them. 
 
 Foster Lilly and wife, Deborah Hall 
 Lilly, with a goodly number of chil- 
 dren, came in LSKi, from Ashtield, 
 Mass.. which had for years been the 
 dwelling place of many of the name. 
 They came in the usual manner of 
 that time, with a good and substantial 
 team of horses and wagon. Foster 
 purchased a large tract of land in the 
 so called "Boston Purchase." located 
 some two miles south of the "Hollow." 
 He made trips with his team to Syra- 
 cuse, as occasion required, to get the 
 
•f 
 
 necessary domestic supplies for his 
 own and his nei*ihbors use. 
 
 This memorable year of 1810 was 
 longf remembered by that veneration. 
 "It was the coldest summer ever re- 
 corded in the country's history. Frost 
 and snow were constant visitors the 
 entire season throut;h. Ail crops in 
 the New Enuland States were utterly 
 ruined. Breadstuffs went soaring' and 
 people were on the verye of starva- 
 tion." It is remembered that one 
 "Tater Creek" family had on one of 
 those days, soup made from the par- 
 ings of the potatoes eaten the day be- 
 fore and nothing- else. And as usual 
 the head of the house invoked a hles- 
 sino' upon the food, after which one of 
 the young olive branches remarked, 
 "mother, I don't think that I would 
 insult the Lord by asking Him to bless 
 potato parings." One good wife was 
 moved by the alarming scarcity of 
 food, to count out a certain number of 
 beans, at meal time, to each of her 
 numerous flock, hoping in that way to 
 make them go farther: and the children 
 were glad to eat even the feet of 
 chickens that had been cooked and 
 also the potato skins, that nothing 
 might be lost. On one occasion as 
 Foster Lilly was about to make a trip 
 to get supplies, a neighbor^gave him 
 a very handsome ten dollar bill, with 
 which to buy grain for food. The first 
 dealer to whom he offered it refused it, 
 saying it was not good. When pay- 
 ing his bill to a second dealer, he 
 espied this bill, saying, "Oh what a 
 pretty bill, I want it." Lilly told him 
 it was said to be not good, but as he 
 persisted, a deal was effected. I have 
 been told that had it not been for the 
 grain purchased with that bill, the 
 family would have perished with 
 hunger. In those days of wildcat 
 money it was very difficult to deter- 
 mine if a bill was genuine. 
 
 I well recollect my father's stories 
 of the experiences of some of the pi- 
 oneers; of how they were sometimes 
 kept awake at night, by the snarling 
 and fighting of wolves and other wild 
 animals, which thrashed about in the 
 adjacent underbrush; how two of his 
 brothers once went to the barn to feed 
 the stock and when ready to return to 
 the house, were some time delayed by 
 a pack of hungry gray timber wolves 
 which had camped on their trail. 
 
 They were given the right of way and 
 after a season of waiting they passed 
 on and away, after which the return 
 trip was speedily made. Wild animals 
 were uncommonly plenty when the first 
 settlers came. Martens were plenty 
 and wpre cauijht in deadfalls for their 
 fur. Panthers were frequently met 
 with and shot by hunters. Bears, 
 wolves and wild cats were numerous 
 and large. Deer were very numerous; 
 they were sometimes seen, twenty or 
 thirty in a herd. Of this species of 
 game, great numbers were killed year- 
 ly- 
 Three sons of Foster Lilly, Alvah, 
 Foster and Arunah, became Presby- 
 terian ministers. The former, Alvah, 
 died but a few years since at White- 
 water, Wis., at the ripe old age of 96. 
 His daughter, Catherine, has for many 
 years been a teacher and is at present 
 engaged in this work at Milwaukee. 
 
 In 1832 Orsamus Lilly, Henry Lilly 
 and Arunah Hall were elders of the 
 First Presbyterian church at Bing- 
 
 hamton 
 
 «■ * 
 
 The pioneer school house in the 
 "Lilly" district, sometimes called the 
 "lower school house." was located on 
 the west side of the highway, nearly 
 opposite the present giant elm tree, 
 skirting the Orsamus Lilly farm, just 
 north of the present farm house. Just 
 south of the school house was a small 
 creek, having its source far up the 
 western hills, at the head of a deep 
 and picturesque gulf or ravine, the 
 sides of which were thickly studded 
 with trees and saplings. This gulf 
 was a favorite resort for the children 
 of the entire neighborhood, and indeed 
 it is to this day, often visited by par- 
 ties from Binghamton, and other 
 points. 
 
 The school house was constructed of 
 planking, with an outer covering of 
 clapboards. The seats were made of 
 slalas smooth side up, supported by 
 wooden legs, which were originally 
 small saplings. As early or earlier 
 than 1833, Sunday Schools and ser- 
 vices were held within its walls. 
 Among the earliest preachers were 
 Rev. Marcus Ford, D. D. Gregory and 
 F. Janes. One of the early school 
 teachers was Jane Freelove Water- 
 man, a granddaughter of James Wil- 
 son, one of the signers of the Declara- 
 
— 6— 
 
 tioD of Independence. She inarried 
 Amos Wilcox, who lived to a ripe old 
 atre and recently died on his farm in 
 the neighborhood. Mrs. Wilcox died 
 there some time later. Other early 
 teachers were Alonzo Freeman, Wil- 
 liam West, a brother of Albert West, 
 who lived on Dimmick Hill: Dc. John 
 Munsell, who married Mary Dunn, 
 daughter of John Dunn; Pamelia 
 Livermore, (Mrs. Harry Lyon, recent- 
 ly deceased: ) Sabrina Bishop, (Mrs. 
 James Gay lord:) Betsey Hoard, (Mrs. 
 Alson Congdon;] Laura Carey, a 
 member of Orsamus Lilly's family; 
 Martha West, daughter of William 
 West, and Sally Hall, daughter of 
 *• Uncle" Arunah Hall, an early set- 
 tler, a great uncle of Prof. G. Stanley 
 Hall, now President of Clark Univer- 
 sity, Worcester, Mass., one of the 
 leading educators of the present day. 
 Sally Hall was a remarkable scholar 
 and as a teacher had great ability. 
 She taught fur many years in this dis- 
 trict and some time later married a 
 Mr. Curran and lived and died in 
 Vestal, N. Y. Her mother, Achsah 
 Lyon Hail, was own cousin to Mary 
 Lyon, of Mt. Holyoke, Mass. Not 
 far from llSal a new school house was 
 built, about a half mile farther north, 
 on a lot adjoining land owned by 
 Jonathan Lilly, (my father) and near- 
 ly opposite the southern boundary of 
 my grandfather, Foster Lilly's farm, 
 whose house stood at the top of the 
 hill, northward. Some of the first 
 teachers in this new domicile were, 
 Nelson Holden, of Vermont; Charles 
 Miller, of Katlelville; Llizabeth 
 Young, daughter of Hugh Young, of 
 Oak Hill: Jane Bowen, daught^^r of 
 Isaac Bowen: Caroliue Nash; Ann 
 French, daughter of Root French, who 
 married Fdgar B. Smith, son of Dea- 
 con Lyman B. Smith; Lucy Lilly, 
 daughter of Orsamus Lilly, who mar- 
 ried Newton B. Hand; Achsah L. 
 Lilly, sister of Lucy, who married 
 William B. Slosson. They remov(>d 
 to Albany. Kansas and now resiile in 
 Houston, Texas; JuUaette Alderman, 
 who married Captain Newell P. Uock- 
 wood and now live at Castle Creek; 
 Lovisa Hough, daughter of Alvah 
 Uouyh, who married .lames Hogg, of 
 '■Mt. Fitrick;" and Mary .1. iilair, 
 daughter of Hdson Blair, of Oak Hill, 
 bhe married [..ucius W. Moody; ihey 
 
 settled at BufTalo, N. Y., and remov- 
 ed some time after to New Haven, 
 Conn. She has been an M. D. for 
 many years. At this date, I have just 
 learned that Mr. Moody recently died 
 in California, whence he had gone for 
 the benefit of his health. If I have 
 omitted any teachers from my list, will 
 the party or parties, if living, please 
 stand up and be counted? What cart 
 loads of fun we all had at the ''spelling 
 bees." both at the home school and 
 outlying schools, of a winter's eve 1 
 It is a matter of unwritten history, 
 that when it came to "spelling down" 
 that Martha White, Ellen French, 
 Eunice Lilly and Julius W. Lilly of 
 the Lilly district, were a winning com- 
 bination 1 
 
 The earliest settler of which I have 
 I'ecord, was Jedediah Seward, born at 
 Granville, Mass., 1753. He saw much 
 service, as a private in the Revolu- 
 tioary War. It is claimed that he 
 came with his family to what is now 
 Glen Castle, in IT.^fi. He was buried 
 in the cemetery there, and the C. A. 
 Tompkins's Post G. A. H., placed at 
 his grave a soldier's marble head 
 stone, and the Tuscarora (Chapter D. 
 A. R. of Binghamion, also placed 
 there a "Bronze Marker.'" It is said 
 that a younger brother, David, came 
 with him. 
 
 •X- * 
 
 * 
 Daniel Bishop, of Sutlield, Conn., 
 born 1773, married Katie Kent, about 
 17!)7, by whom he had three children. 
 He is said to have been living on the 
 Franklin French farm at Glen Castle, 
 as early as LSU5. His wife died in 
 1807. The place was owned bv Lucy 
 Veels, a sister of Hannah Sluyter, 
 whose family lived at or near Bing- 
 hamton (Chenango Point.) Daniel 
 Bishop and Hannah Sluyter were 
 married Sept. 18, 1808, and they re- 
 moved to the Creek, or ''Hollow" 
 about 1814 or 15. 
 
 ■X- * 
 
 1808 1812. Sylvanus Phelps, a na- 
 tive of Suditld, Conn., a relative of 
 Mrs. Sarah Phelps Alderman. (Mrs. 
 Bradley Alderman, ) born in 1784, was 
 a man of tine physique, broad shoul- 
 dered, a six footer and over and a 
 giant in srtature and strength. He was 
 very fond of hunting and wild adven- 
 ture, and in 1808, i)erhaps earlier, 
 shouldered his knapsack of clothing, 
 
aTDmunition, guns, etc., and started 
 out on a westward tramp, over into 
 *'York" State, and after some days 
 brought up in a dense and unbroken 
 wilderness, later known as "Tater 
 Creek." He cleared a little plot of 
 ground, where now stands the house 
 of Israel P. Alderman, and put up a 
 rude log- shanty and "roughed it" for 
 a period. Finding it an ideal hunting 
 g^round, abounding with game, he pur- 
 chased a large tract of land in that 
 vicinity, some of which comprised the 
 farms later known as the Huntley, 
 Brooks and Alderman places. 
 
 It is supposed that he bought this 
 tract of wild forest land on his first 
 trip. He afterward made three or 
 four trips, usually coming early in 
 the winter and after hunting for sever- 
 al weeks would then tramp back home 
 to Suffield. At the close of his last 
 visit east, he became over heated in a 
 fox chase and after arrival home be- 
 came ill with a fever, from which he 
 died in Feb. 1812. It is said that in 
 his travels he was everywhere on his 
 route known as the "big yankee." An 
 incident once occurred at Albany, N. 
 Y. As he was putting up at a 
 "tavern," after unlimberiug his knap- 
 sack and other belongings, a bunch 
 of fresh young men, some five or six, 
 began to make sport of him and 
 stumped him to wrestle with them. He 
 told them that he did not want to fight 
 or hurt any one, but if they cared to 
 tackle him in a fair and decent man-, 
 ner, they were welcome to do so. As 
 he stepped back to one side of the 
 room, they advanced on him, when he 
 shot out his long arms right and left 
 and landed them all in a heap on the 
 floor. After this episode they let him 
 severely alone. The landlord had 
 forewarned them they better not meddle 
 with the "big yankee." 
 
 After his death this tract of land fell 
 to his brothers and sisters: one of 
 whom was the late ApoUos N. 
 Phelps. Bradley Alderman, set- 
 tled on a portion of it in 1828. 
 Eliphalet Phelps was at one time on 
 the southern portion, but owing to the 
 fact that his ambition was small, the 
 land did not show much improvement 
 during his occupancy. He sold off a 
 piece of the south-west corner of the 
 plot, to Foster Lilly, whose farm ad- 
 joined it. Israel P. Alderman relates 
 
 "that when he was a small boy, Mr. 
 Lilly built a barn on his new purchase; 
 that he attended the 'raising,' and as 
 was then customary, a little 'sperits^ 
 was provided for those who assisted. 
 However, no one took too much, as 
 the liquid was the pure stuff. " 
 
 After Eliphalet Phelps left the place 
 the land reverted to Apollos Phelps, 
 of Conn., who in 184.5, sold it to .lud- 
 son Phelps, his nephew, (a brother of 
 Apollos N. Phelps.) Judson very 
 much improved and developed the 
 place and after some time sold it to 
 Joseph Huntley, who remained there 
 for some years. 
 
 Albert West, Isaac Bates and 
 Sylvanus Judd operated a stagecoach 
 line late in the '40s, the route being 
 from Binghamton, up the Creek road 
 to Whitney's Point and return. It 
 was an old style Concord, drawn by 
 four horses. Its driver had and used 
 the traditional stage coach horn. The 
 greeting which all school children in 
 the Lilly district were taught to give 
 to passers by, never failed to be ren- 
 dered in due form to the occupants of 
 the old stage coach: the boys lined up 
 and manfully doffed their hats and 
 bobbed their heads, while the little 
 girls gave a graceful courtesy. 
 
 It must have been a sort of "blue 
 Monday" to very many people for 
 miles about the French grist mill ( at 
 Glen Castle) when the water in the 
 creek became so low thatf no grinding 
 of grain could be done. It is said 
 that "Uncle John Seymour," father of 
 Henry Seymour, of Whitney's Point, 
 used to tell of going in a canoe to 
 "Willow Point" to mill, taking grists 
 for all the neighbors and being gone 
 three weeks. When folks went to mill 
 those days, there was no telling when 
 they would get back. 
 
 The very large farm at the top of 
 the hill, just north of the village, had 
 thereon a "tavern" kept at one time 
 by William Porter and also by Milton 
 Stevens. This was a stopping place 
 for drovers, who frequently had 300 
 or more, cattle or sheep, in transit 
 "overland" to the markets of New 
 York, Philadelphia or Baltimore — 
 previous to the time when shipments 
 could be made by R. R. In certain 
 seasons of the year there might be 
 droves along every other day or so, 
 and adequate accommodations for 
 
such large herds were not frequent. 
 
 The Dunham log houses (on Dun- 
 ham Bill— now Anoka) were built in 
 1S3S and the families moved therein 
 the next year. A few men, and a few 
 only, are now living who helped at 
 the "raising" of these houses, which 
 were in the midst of an immense tract 
 of woodland. Among others there 
 were, William Twiss, George Eldridge 
 and Peter Knapp, the two last named 
 working on the same logs, which were 
 to form the front of the house. There 
 were skillful woodmen in those days 
 and they carried good axes, and it 
 was considered a nice job to tit the 
 logs so as to make good corners next 
 the road. Harry B. Stoddard, the 
 Marean brothers, the Aliens and 
 Paynes from Nanticoke, were there 
 and happy in the prospect of near 
 neighbors soon. When the West 
 Creek men were done they scattered 
 through the woods hunting chestnuts. 
 
 Abner. Amos, Joshua and Asa 
 Adams were lumbermen and they used 
 to journey down to Castle Creek, up 
 the Spencer Hill, over to Dimmick 
 school house, past Breakers' Corners 
 ( West Chenango, ) so called by an 
 insane woman who used to fancy there 
 were house breakers around; over Mt. 
 Ettrick and down to Delano's Corners 
 to get two pairs of oxen shod at a 
 time. They thought nobody could 
 shoe oxen like the "Dilnoes" and if 
 they started at one o'clock in the 
 morning and got back at the same 
 time in the night, they called it a good 
 days work. 
 
 Henry Lilly cleared up a portion of 
 the Doubleday farm, located just 
 north of his brother Orsamus' place. 
 He built a house on the east side of 
 the highway, just north of the present 
 barn site. He was a Millwright and 
 built several saw mills on the Creek, 
 which were the first ones in that vicini- 
 ty- 
 
 Orsamus and .Jonathan Lilly did an 
 extensive lumbering business, owning 
 and operating saw mills for many 
 years. Later on, after the timber had 
 been exhausted, Jonathan manufact- 
 ured and sold large quantities of 
 wagon spokes" lath and fence pickets 
 and after that he invented, made and 
 sold many wellcurbs or windlasses. 
 
 * 
 In the early days when huge lumber 
 
 piles dotted Jonathan Lilly's mill 
 yards, there was near by a beautiful 
 grove of maples, and camp meetings 
 were often held therein. At sundry 
 times during these meetings, some of 
 the unregenerale youths of the vicinity 
 would climb upon a pile of lumber, 
 when some of their number would 
 stand upon one end of a board, while 
 others would lift high in the air the 
 other end and suddenly letting go of 
 it, it would spring back with a re- 
 sounding whack, whereat these wicked 
 boys would in chorus shout "Amen I 
 Amen ! " for the edification of the 
 
 worshippers. 
 
 * * 
 
 "Wilkinsons' Annals" states that 
 ''Henry French built the first grist 
 mill in the County." As near as 1 can 
 learn it was not Henry but Clement 
 and Thomas French, who had grist 
 and saw mills, which stood side by 
 side. He also states that Amasa 
 Leonard was an early settler on the 
 river road. He should have said 
 Amaziak Leonard. A maiden sister 
 lived there with him, named Louisa 
 Leonard, and Charles Holmes' mother 
 lived with her until she died along in 
 
 the '4Us. 
 
 * -jt 
 
 Isaac Bates married a sister of Elev. 
 Enos Puffer. They had a son Horace. 
 An anecdote is handed down, which I 
 will here record. A young man of the 
 neighborhood was proposing to accept 
 a business position in New York City. 
 It came to the ears of "Obe," (there 
 was but one Obe. ) He is said to have 
 remarked — "What I H — going to 
 New York ! " "Alight just as well put 
 him right on the devil's gun boat and 
 send him straigth to hell 1 '" 
 
 * 
 Dr. Daniel Braynard of New Hamp- 
 shire, settled at Chenango Forks in 
 1820. He practiced at the Creek, more 
 or less, for some time. Dr. Salphron- 
 ieus H. French, who graduated at the 
 Berkshire, Mass. Medical College in 
 1833, practiced for a little while before 
 settling at Lisle, N. Y., in 183(5. His 
 successor was Dr. Cyrus Saunders, 
 who studied with Dr. Peltiah B. 
 Brooks, at Bingharaton. He staid 
 one year, when Dr. Peltiah's son, Dr. 
 James Brooks, settled at the Creek in 
 1837. His successor was Dr. Lorea 
 Salisbury, who came about 1839. He 
 
was a son of Deaoou Cyrus Salisbury, 
 of Lisle. He removed lo Ciocinnali, 
 O., in Ibol, and enoaoed in the drug- 
 business. His successors were John 
 Munsell, S. P. Allen, FrankTaylor, Kit 
 Carson t'rench and Arthur hJlair, sonof 
 Edson. Other non-residents who prac- 
 ticed quite extensively were Silas 
 West, Dr. Blackman, Peltiah B. 
 Brooks and R. R. Carr. 
 
 * 
 Josiah West is supposed to have 
 been the first Post Waster. Dr. Salis- 
 bury may have been his successor. 
 James Bristol had the office for sever- 
 al yeara thereafter. His successor was 
 Darwin Howard, who was succeeded 
 by O. M. Goodspeed, and the latter 
 by Chas. M. .lohnson. the present in- 
 cumbent. About lS4SDr. Salisbury had 
 a select school for youny ladies. 
 Sarah Lilly, dau^'hter of I'oster. also 
 kept a select school in her father's old 
 house. Some of her pupils were 
 Abigail Alderman, Jane Bowen, Laura 
 Cary, Jane. Martha and Lucy Lilly. 
 Sarah Lilly taught the "H\de Street'" 
 district school in 1839. The current 
 price then paid lady teachers was 
 -'iL2o per week. 
 
 William West is said to have been 
 the first store keeper. He sold goods 
 in a portion of his dwelling' as early 
 as 1825. and continued in business for 
 about 20 years. Potash was then a 
 current article of trade, in exchange 
 for goods. It was worth some $300 00 
 l)er ton in the Canadian market. The 
 Wests, true to their name, went west 
 about 1842. Lyman B. Smith opened 
 a store April 1st, 1847, and continued 
 in business until 1857, at which date 
 Cornelius E. Dunn purchased a part 
 of his stock and remained in business 
 for a short time. 
 
 In a letter recently received from 
 DeaconiL. B. Smith, he says — "The 
 mercantile business of Castle Creek, 
 received its death blow when the Syra- 
 cuse and Binghamton R. R. was built, 
 in passing through Chenango Forks 
 instead of the Creek. Upon the whole 
 I did very well there. I had a large 
 trade in wagon spokes, tirkius and 
 barrel staves. I sometimes took in 
 $100 daily for those goods from team- 
 sters who were drawing butter and 
 other produce to Binghamton to ship, 
 but when the railroad was completed, 
 
 ail this business was en(';ed. My trade 
 decreased -$4000 the following year." 
 
 Jacob Burroughs and Richard 
 Townsend were early blacksmiths. 
 David Ingersoll was '"tavern" keeper 
 in 1842. Philarmon Coodspeed came 
 in 184!). He operated a saw mill for 
 some years. 
 
 * 
 
 Mrs. Harriet (Siratton) West, the 
 widow of Albert West, who now re- 
 sides with her daughter at Sabetha, 
 Kanj^as, says that her father, Nathan 
 Stratton, and wife Susan (Carter) 
 Stralton, settled on Dimmick Hill be- 
 fore 1815. His widow, Susan Stratton 
 was the third wife of Tyrus Page. She 
 came with her parents from New 
 Hampshire. Her sister, Lucy Carter, 
 married Linus Smith. 
 
 Linus Smith of New Hampshire, an 
 early settler, established a branch of 
 the '" Washingtonian Total Abstinence 
 Society." The parent society was 
 organized at Baltimore, Md., in 1840. 
 The movement was carried into up- 
 wards of 1(50 towns and at the close of 
 1841 over 100,000 pledges had been 
 taken, more than one-third of whom 
 were confirmed drunkards. The old 
 Washingtonian Hall near Hooper, is 
 a remindei- of those days. The writer 
 has one of those pledges which was 
 taken by his father in 1840. It is 
 gilded and about the size of a ten 
 dollar gold piece and seems as lustrous 
 as the day it was made. The children 
 of Linus Smith and Lucy (Carter) 
 Smith were, Caroline, who married 
 and went to Mass.; -Jane, married 
 Fra,nk Brooks, who married 2d the 
 widow of .Joseph Shepard and they 
 now live near Binoharaton; and Mary 
 Ann, who married Dexter Hawkes. 
 Linus Smith lived and died on his 
 farm near Dimmick Hill, later occu- 
 pied by his son-in-law, Dexter Hawkes. 
 * * 
 * 
 
 Hiram Davis who married Selina 
 Stowell lived at one time on the Lewis 
 Haight farm. He had a son Sylvester 
 who lived for many years with Jona- 
 than Lilly. 
 
 * 
 Apollos Phelps of Suffleld, Conn., 
 a brother of Mrs. Bradley Alderman, 
 first visited the Creek in 18.'W, making 
 the journey with his horse and buggy, 
 to visit her. He was a large man of 
 strongly marked individuality and all 
 
-10— 
 
 of his ways and expressions were pe- 
 culiar unto himself. He is said to 
 have been impressed in a dream be- 
 fore leaving' home, that God had some 
 work for him to do in the vicinity of 
 Castle Creek. Upon arrivinu^ in the 
 neijjhborhood, he chanced to first stop 
 at Foster Lilly's to enquire the way to 
 his sister's place. He also enquired 
 in particular as t-o their reliyfious ex- 
 periences and that of the vicinity in 
 general, sayinjj thai the Lord had sent 
 him and that He had a work for him 
 to do there. He then drove on to his 
 destination. Within a few days he 
 had visited every house in the vicinity, 
 telling- all that Cod had sent him to 
 them, and asked them to "ret together 
 in order to hold a prayer meetinjr, 
 which they did. There being as yet 
 no ••meeting houses" they met in vari- 
 ous dwellings and at times in barns 
 and the Lord greatly blessed those 
 meetings in the conversion of many of 
 the young people and several heads of 
 families. Amontr the converts were 
 Ira and Root 1^'rench and Jonathan 
 Lilly. It is related that after meeting 
 Mr. Plielps for the hrst time, Mrs. 
 Samuel Havvkes and Mrs. Fo.ster Lilly 
 were both of the same mind, ''Thought 
 him crazy on the subject of religion," 
 but changed their minds after 
 farther acquaintance I At the tirst 
 meeiing which was held at the home of 
 Samuel Hawkes, it is said Mr. Phelps 
 remarked •"that he fell impressed there 
 was some one present who was resist- 
 ing God's spirit," and pointing to 
 Mrs. Havvkes said "I think it is that 
 sister over there in the corner; let her 
 put that child oil' her lap and get 
 down and pray." She did not then 
 do so, but afterward said that she felt 
 in hjr heart to say, "I will unl put my 
 child dowu and pray," but God's spirit 
 did not leave her, but kept knocking 
 at her heart until she was so overcome, 
 she was forced to kneel down and 
 pray. She often related tnese inci- 
 dents to her friends with tears of joy 
 streaming down her face. Numbers 
 of the p<ii'tici|)auts of those meetings, 
 it) speaking of them to each other, 
 wero unanimously a>;reed that neither 
 before nor after did they ever attend 
 >uch blessed meetings. Mr. Phelps 
 was not converted until past 4U years 
 of age: but from thence forward he 
 became one of (iod's chosen instru- 
 
 ments for good. He was ever as a 
 little child in all his religious ways 
 and prayers: his was the prayer of 
 faith, fully believing that God would 
 fuUill all Flis promises if we were wil- 
 ling to do just as He bade us. He was 
 signally blessed in being allowed to 
 see results for good: never taking any 
 credit to himself: giving unto God all 
 the glory: himself but an humble in- 
 strument in His hands. He would 
 leave his harvest field or any avoca- 
 tion in which he might be engaged and 
 go forth whither he felt impressed by 
 the spirit; yet he never so went with- 
 out being sent, allowing us to judge 
 by results that followed. This was his 
 manner, even unto his dying day, at 
 the ripe old age of U'.l years. The text 
 selected for his funeral service was: 
 '•Truly a great man in Israel has 
 fallen this day," not great as judged 
 by the world, but by God. 
 
 THE WKSTS. 
 
 Recollections of Mrs. Harriet N. 
 Boardman, as related to her daughter, 
 Mrs. Mary H. Stackpole, of River- 
 head, N. Y.. (Long Island), October 
 1900. at Castle Creek. N. V. 
 
 .Josiah West, son of Thomas, removed 
 with their families fi-om near Brattlebo- 
 ro,Vt. , to Whitesboro.N. V., and thence 
 in 1814, to what is now Castle Creek, 
 N. V. It was then a wilderness and 
 they cut the tirst road through from 
 Chenango Forks. 
 
 About where now stands the house 
 of Anthony North, they found a log- 
 cabin, which had been occupied as a 
 logging camp. It had no doors or 
 windows, which were soon supplied. 
 Great hemlock trees stood within a few 
 feet of the cabin, and encompassed it 
 for miles about. There vvas a road 
 from Whitney's I'oint to Binghamlon, 
 such as it was, throu!J:h tlyde settle- 
 ment, to what later on was Asa 
 Knapp's place, on Adams-st., and 
 from thence through to the Oak Hill 
 road, where later on lived Richard 
 Knapp, the Stoddards and Blairs. 
 
 Southward about two miles, came 
 Foster Lilly and family, in ISUi, which 
 place many years later was owned by 
 .John Cunningham and Willis Blair. 
 
 Vet two miles fai'ther south lived 
 Thomas French, who built the earliest 
 saw and grist mills in the county, now 
 called (Jlen Castle. 
 
 Not much later Phineas Spencer 
 
—11- 
 
 catne wltli Ms family, and built a lo? 
 •t^abio on Speacei" Hill, just west ol' 
 ■Castle Creek. 
 
 Josiah West bought land oe the 
 west side of the road, extending from 
 the foot of Cherry Ridge (GayJord 
 Hill) to the top of the big- hill just 
 •north of the present viilage of Castle 
 •Creek. They went to "Cape Street," 
 later called Kattellville, to services on 
 Sunday and there William West, the 
 ■eldest son of Josiah West, (1) beeaoie 
 acquainted with Mary Smith, a school 
 'teaL'her. whose home was at Windsor, 
 N. Y., and he married her in 1817. 
 They beijan house- keeping- in a little 
 log (school 1 house a-t the foot (north) 
 of Cherry Ridge Hill, the west side of 
 the road. Their eldest child, Rachel, 
 was born there in 1818. The following- 
 Near William built a small house on 
 ihe south side of the Spencer Hill 
 road, at the foot of the hill. This was 
 the first frame house in the vicinity 
 and was about lli by 18, one room, 
 with a large tire place, with outside 
 chimney, and a pantry beside it. He 
 soon after added a "lean-to" for a 
 bed-room and a square room for a 
 loom. In this house Harriet and 
 Sarah were born. In 1822 William 
 was converted, and being desirous of 
 entering the ministry, removed his 
 family to Hamilton, N. Y., and entered 
 the Baptist Theological Seminary. 
 While there Warren and Martha were 
 born. He returned to Castle Creek in 
 182(j, and Nathaniel Kendrick was 
 born in the frame house before men- 
 tioned. The next year William went 
 to Killawog as pastor of the Baptist 
 church and William W. was born 
 there in 1S2U. William then came 
 back to Castle Creek, moving into the 
 tavern, where his father, .Josiah, had 
 been living. This tavern stood where 
 Anthony North now lives. Here was 
 born Josiah (3) in 1831, Mary Achsah 
 1833, and Laura 183(j. 
 
 .fosiah (1) lived in the house on 
 Spencer road, while his son lived in 
 the tavern. .Io^iah built a new house 
 where Mr. Newcorab now lives, and 
 William came to live with him. 
 Josiah (l)had four sons and three 
 daughters, viz: 
 
 William married Mary Smith, 
 daughter of Miles Smith, a native of 
 N. H. They had 10 children. Sally 
 married William Carev. She had 
 
 issue, Caroline (Denison), Selinda, 
 Thomas, Martha and Laura. Hiram, 
 married Dolly Congdon. Laura, after 
 Sally died, was married to William 
 Cary (2d wife.) They had one daugh- 
 ter and two sons. Josiah (2) married, 
 1st, Deborah Wood, and had children, 
 Jerome, Francis, Elijah, Josiah and 
 Lydia. He married 2d, Sabrina Wood 
 and had two sons, Charles and Al- 
 fred, Polly married Riley Parker and 
 they had live children, George, Hial, 
 Jane, Orlando and Henry. Henry 
 Parker enlisted in the Civil War and 
 was among- the missing after the battle 
 of Bull Run. A comrade saw him fall, 
 but nothing more is known of his fate. 
 
 William West, after his return from 
 Killawog, taught school in the Lilly 
 district, in the pioneer school house, 
 nearOrsamus Lilly's. He took Rachel 
 and Harriet with him in a one horse 
 wagon each day. He gave liberally 
 towards building the Presbyterian 
 church where now stands the present 
 M. E. church. While at Killawog he 
 became a Presbyterian and he preached 
 in that church after it was completed. 
 Dea. Josiah was an Elder and his sons 
 William, and Orlando, and his grand- 
 daughters, Rachel and Harriet West 
 and Caroline Cary were Charter 
 Members. The orginization of this 
 church occurred in the school house, 
 in the Lilly district, and baptisms oc- 
 curred in the waters of the creek which 
 flowed past that school house, near 
 by. 
 
 Orlando West was killed by the fall 
 of a tree in the woods west of the village 
 in "Canada," when about 25 years of 
 age. 
 
 Josiah (1) had a sister Fanny, who 
 married and settled in the Lake Coun- 
 try near the Ontario. Thomas West 
 and wife, (Molly Joy) parents of 
 .fosiah (1) had ten acres of land, where 
 Eli Boardman lived from 1877 to time 
 of his death in April 1900. Thomas 
 West died in 1828 and was buried in 
 the cemetery back of the Baptist 
 church. Josiah ( 1 ) set out the orchard 
 where Jerome Alderman lived and 
 died. William, son of Josiah (1) 
 brought apple seeds from their old 
 home in Whitesboro, N. Y., and plant- 
 ed them in a small nursery which he 
 prepared back of the present M. E. 
 parsonage, and later set out an orchard 
 on Spencer road place. 
 
—I'Z— 
 
 Hiram West lived ia a bouse which 
 he built opposite to where Jerome 
 Alderman lived later on. 
 
 Josiah (2) lived in the bouse where 
 Mr. Roe now lives; and later in a 
 house where Capt. Newell P. Rock- 
 wood now lives, just south of the 
 ereek which runs thro' the viHaue. He 
 also lived al Conklin, N. Y., a few 
 years and after William (1} removed 
 to Wisconsin, he lived with Josiah (1) 
 at the foot of Cherry Ridtre Hill. 
 
 Miles Smith, a brother of .Mary 
 Smith, whom William West married 
 came to the Creek in 18 IS and bought 
 the place now owned by Mrs. Harriet 
 (Hayes) Boardman and Libbie Hayes. 
 BAPTIST CHURCH AT C.\STL,E CREEK. 
 
 In the year ISIS, through the labors 
 of Rev. John Lawton, a Home .Mis- 
 sionary, a Baptist Church was organ- 
 ized near the present village of Castle 
 Creek, N. Y. The constituent mem- 
 bers were Rev. Caleb Hayes, Mrs. 
 Anna Hayes, Deacon Benedict 
 Eldridj>e, Mrs. Khoda Eldrid^e, Lewis 
 Stou^ihton, James Remmele, Mrs. 
 Lydia Loomis. Deacon Richard Gray, 
 Mrs. Sally Gray, Orlando Parsons 
 and Mrs. Orlaudo Parsons, llev. 
 Caleb Hayes was called to be their 
 pastor and this position he held for 
 twenly-si.K years, livinir with them, but 
 preachinj>- a part of the time in the 
 school houses within a circuit of ten 
 or fifteen miles. He was both preach- 
 er and farmer. At the age of 73 he 
 was feeling physically unable to 
 farther continue his arduous labors 
 and he therefore requested the ottieers 
 of the church to call to the Held a 
 younger man. During his pastorate 
 of twenty-si.x years there were addi- 
 tions to the church by letter and bap- 
 tism, from time to time. Among the 
 earlier additions were, Daniel Bishop 
 and wife, Mrs. Hannah Bishop, Lewis 
 Eldridge, Mrs. Bradley (Sarah) 
 Alderman, Mrs. Harriet Gray, Lewis 
 D. Bishop and others of whose names 
 we have no record. It is supposed 
 that up to this time services were held 
 mainly in school houses and dwellings, 
 at least up to 1841, when the Presby- 
 terian church was completed. It is 
 I'ecorded that the Baptist society held 
 meetings there until their own edifice 
 was erected. 
 
 The society was first called the Che- 
 nango Baptist, then "Third Lisle,"' 
 
 then " Barker Church." then ''Barker 
 and Chenango," and now the ''Castle 
 Creek Church." 
 
 The minutes of the Baptist Associa- 
 tion thus read: ''On Sept. 22d, 1S24, 
 the Chenango Church met with seven 
 other churches and organized the 
 '"Berkshire Baptist Association,"" 
 which name it retained until 1837, 
 when it was changed to what is now 
 "The Broome and Tioga Association.."' 
 
 The tirst "Meeting House" wa* 
 erecLed at the Village of t'astle Creek, 
 in lS-l-1, and Rev. John Van Horn was- 
 called to the pastorate, which position 
 he held until about 1S4S, when he was- 
 succeeded by Rev. E. L. Benedict. Ir> 
 1849 the tirst parsonage was built. Id 
 1S54 Rev. David Leach was pastor and 
 during his pastorate of si.K years the 
 church was blessed with a gloriouS' 
 revival and many were added to the 
 church. Rev. Ransom A. Washburne 
 was pastor until ISGl, when he enlisted 
 as chaplain in the war of HU. Rev. 
 A. J. Chaplin was pastor for a period, 
 which terminated in ISliT. Mrs. Chap- 
 lin was instrumental in organizing the 
 "Ladies Aid Society," which still con- 
 tinues a useful auxiliary to the church. 
 In ]S(>7 Rev. J. A. Ball became 
 pastor. In the winter of ISW) Rev. E. 
 A. Francis assisted in a series of re- 
 vival meetings, during which si.xteen 
 persons professed conversion and were 
 added to the church. 
 
 On March 2d while the meetings 
 were still in progress, the church edi- 
 lice was burned, but the members with 
 true christian zeal, commenced the 
 woi'k of re-building and in one year 
 from that time, a neat and commodi- 
 ous house, /'/vc o;' dc/y/, was dedicated 
 to the service of God. While the new 
 building was in proce.ss of erection, 
 Rev. A. P. Merrill, of Union, N. Y., 
 came there three Sabbaths each month 
 and conducted services in the hall 
 over James Bristt)rs store. His labors 
 were prompted by love of the work and 
 were very acceptable to the society, 
 altho' at this time the church could 
 give him but small remuneration. He 
 continued pastor until 1S74, residing 
 here after the first year. 
 
 For the ne.xt four years. Rev. A. 
 Lull, D. D., was pastor and was loved 
 and respected by all. He was succeed- 
 ed by Rev. W. L. Good speed, who 
 remained two years. Rev. J. W. 
 
-13— 
 
 Starkweather next came and remained 
 UDtil 1882. Next was Rev. C. H. 
 Moxie, who was succeeded by Rev. G. 
 P. Turnbul, who remained four years. 
 DuriniT the last year of his pastorate 
 revival meetings were held in the 
 "Rink" by members of the "Salva- 
 tion Army."' resulting in the conver- 
 sion of quite a number, who were 
 added to the church. Mr. Turnbul 
 soon thereafter resigned his pastorate 
 and Rev. A. M. Cole was called July 
 1. 1887, who remained for five years. 
 His departure was regretted by all. 
 During his pastorate the parsonage 
 was remodelled. For two or three 
 years following. Rev. ,J. W. Cole was 
 pastor. His successor was Rev, 
 George Pope, who is the present pas- 
 tor. 
 
 A new barn replaced the old one, on 
 the parsonage lot, in U)OU. The church 
 of 1903 is in a prosperous condition, 
 considering that its membership has 
 been greatly reduced within the past 
 fifteen years, or so, by the death of 
 many esteemed and useful members, 
 most of whom were well advanced in 
 years, gone from the church militant 
 to join the church triumphant in 
 Heaven. Among these were, Deacon 
 ApoUos N. Phelps, Nathaniel Cong- 
 don, Deacon Alonzo Swift, Mrs. Sarah 
 Aldei'man. Walter Gary and wife, and 
 their two daughters. A large number 
 have from time to time, removed to 
 other localities. 
 
 Deacons elected: In 1818, Benedict 
 Eldridge and Richard Gray. In 1845, 
 Lewis D. Bishop. In 1853, Michael 
 Smithers. In 1866, Alonzo Swift and 
 Ambrose Gray. In 1879, Apollos N. 
 Phelps. In 1894, Talcott Alderman. 
 Lewis D. Bishop held the office of 
 deacon until his removal to Newark 
 Valley, N. Y., in 1861. He assisted 
 in building both the Baptist and Pres- 
 byterian church edifices. 
 
 Returning to the meeting of the As- 
 sociation in 1824, a total membership 
 of 489 members were then reported, in 
 eight churches. In 1897 the total mem- 
 bership was stated to be 4678. In 1824 
 Deacon John Congdon was a "mes- 
 senger" from the Chenango Baptist 
 church. In these modern days the, 
 are called "delegates." At that time 
 a "confession of faith, and a platform 
 was adopted, which gave no uncertain 
 sound, showing that they were men 
 
 who had beliefs founded on the word 
 of God alone, and having no sympa- 
 thy with the more modern idea that it 
 makes no difference what a person be- 
 lieves, provided he be sincere." It is 
 to be regretted that we have no record 
 of those ministers who sometimes offici- 
 ated in the absence of a settled pastor. 
 Elder Cyrus Gates of Maine, N. Y., 
 was frequently called to assist in re- 
 vival services; also to conduct funeral 
 services, etc. It is stated that Elder 
 Benedict first preached from the text, 
 "I ask therefore for what intent ye 
 have sent for me." The shortest 
 prayer of which I have record, made 
 by any pastor of this church, was that 
 of Elder Washburne, who at the close 
 of some special church meeting, arose 
 and prayed thus: "O Lord make us 
 
 all just right — Amen." 
 * * 
 
 The material for this sketch, imper- 
 fect as it is, was furnished by Mrs. 
 Caleb ( West) Hayes, Jr., now Mrs. 
 Harriet Boardman, and Mrs. Juliaette 
 (Alderman) Rockwood, residents of 
 Castle Creek. 
 
 I am sure the latter named will par- 
 don me, if I here quote from her letter. 
 "I can recollect a goodly number of 
 those earlier members, many of whom 
 were laid away in the old cemetery, 
 just back of the church, others in the 
 new cemetery on the hill, east of the 
 village, and yet others in divers 
 places, far and near. There were 
 Rev. Caleb Hayes and wife. Rev. 
 David Leach and wife, and then the 
 venerable, white haired Lewis Stough- 
 ton, — "old father Stoughton" — he was 
 called, and Lewis Eldridge: he was 
 then lame and very old. Deacon Rich- 
 ard Gray and wife, and good old 
 Uncle Daniel Bishop and wife Hannah. 
 I hope to meet them all again, in the 
 "sweet bye and bye." It is a precious 
 thought, my dear mother, just as she 
 was leaving her loved ones, asked me 
 to sing to her, "In the sweet bye and 
 bye we shall meet on that beautiful 
 shore." 
 
 In the early days horses and wagons 
 were few and far between, and people 
 went to "meeting" largely riding after 
 ox teams and carts, or on foot, "where 
 there is a will there is a way," and 
 they were glad to go any way, any 
 distance, and meet in school houses, 
 or more often in log houses or barns. 
 
—14^ 
 
 ■ We, of the present day, can never 
 realize what our dear parents and old 
 time neighbors underwent in this 
 wilderness land and I often feel we do 
 not fully appreciate our comparatively 
 g-olden privileges of the present time, 
 nor are we half thankful enough, that 
 we were born and reared under their 
 wise christian teaching and guidance. 
 They are gone, yet they left behind 
 them a noble example of fortitude, 
 firmness and christian character, a 
 heritage which we should most dearly 
 prize. "These early toilers in the 
 Master's Vineyard," one and all. who 
 have passed to their reward — will not 
 they oft' recall their privations and 
 struggles in this field '? And will not 
 this recollection add greatly to their 
 joys in the ' 'Celestial City ? " "Bless- 
 ad are the dead, who die in the Lord." 
 
 THK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT CAS- 
 TLE CREEK. 
 
 Mr. Jiclius W. Lilly, Chicago, III. 
 
 My Dear Cousin: — You ask if I 
 can send some items pertaining to the 
 history of the Presbyterian church of 
 (Jastle Creek V Yes, I can, perhaps 
 with greater accuracy than any other 
 one, because before me lies the only 
 record book of its session, with the 
 autograph of all its clerks signed to 
 their minutes of otliclal doing. Does 
 any one wonder how this book came 
 to be so far from homeV The answer 
 is very simple; after the death of my 
 father, Orsamus Lilly, many of his 
 old letters and papers were given to 
 me and among them was this church 
 record. The communion set bought 
 by the godly women of the church was 
 early sent to Albany, Kansas, to the 
 church which received several of its 
 members from the old hive. When 
 the Albany church outgrew the set, it 
 was sent still farther west to serve a 
 missionary church just starting. Of 
 all the names ever recorded on the 
 church roll, who were not dismissed 
 by letter, is there one now living ex- 
 cept my mother, Mrs. Almira H. 
 Lilly? If there is, who is itV Sever- 
 al who were once members are alive 
 but those I know have had letters to 
 other churches or places. A goodly 
 number of the Presbyterian families 
 attended the First Presbyterian church 
 at Binghamlon, N. Y., an eight mile 
 journey. Would not the j)resent gen- 
 
 eration think it quite an undertaking 
 to attend services at such long range'/ 
 in IS32, Orsamus Lilly, Henry Lilly 
 and Arunah Hall were elders in that- 
 church. 
 
 It is nearly seventy years since the 
 record began by saying that applica- 
 tion was made to the presbytery of 
 Tioga for the organization of certain 
 members of the First church of the 
 town of Chenango, into a new church 
 on Castle Creek, and a committee was- 
 appointed to organize the church. 
 
 This committee was the pastor of 
 the Biughamton Presbyterian church,. 
 Mev. L. D. Howell and Rev. Gould. 
 "Agreeably to the appointment, the 
 committee of Presbytery attended, at 
 11 o'clock A. M., on Tuesday, Dec. .3d, 
 1S33. in the school house near Arunab 
 Hall's (the old planK house across 
 from the big elm. ) Rev. L. D. Howell 
 preached from the text. "Quit you like 
 men." A certificate of dismission from 
 First church of the town of Chenango 
 was presented by the following named 
 persons: l-*EuQice Lilly, 2-*Deborah 
 Lilly, Jr.. 3-*Reubeu Lilly, -i-*Sally 
 Lilly, 5-*Hannah Lilly, (i-*Arunah Hail 
 Lilly, 7*-Henry Lilly. 8-Anna Lilly, 
 9-*.Jonathan Lilly, lO'-Foster Lilly. sV. 
 11-Deborah Lilly, Sr., 12-*Orsamus 
 Lilly, 13-Louisa Lilly, 14-William 
 West, 15-Rachel West, Ki-Harriet 
 West, 17-Iosiah West. IS-Orlando 
 West. l!)-CarolineCary,20-LauraCarv, 
 21-Polly West Parker, 22~Charles F. 
 Holmes, 23'-.Iohn Milton Dimmick, 24- 
 Anna Dimmick, 25-Mary B. Dimmick, 
 2()-Fanny (Stowell) Dimmick, 27-Eliz- 
 abeth M. Dimmick, 2S-Smith Spencer. 
 2it- Arunah Hall, ;U)-Achsah (Lyon) 
 Hall, 31 -David L. Hall, 32-Sallv' M. 
 Hall. .33-Tidall Knapp, .34- Abigail 
 P. Carter, 3o~Fsther .J. Carter, 36- 
 Russell Wilcox, 37-Chloe Wilcox, .38- 
 John W. Wilcox, 3!)- Anna Wilcox, 
 40-Alexander White, 41 -.Margaret 
 Leonard, 42-Parley Lee, 43-Maria Lee, 
 44-Amanda Stowell. Amanda Dim- 
 mick, Orin Wilcox and William Wil- 
 cox joined soon after. 
 
 •x- 
 First officers: Deacons, .losiah 
 West, Arunah Hall: Elders, Josiah 
 
 ^Children of Foster and Deborab (Hall) Lilly. 
 Six sons, three dauf^htei's and two daiiKhiers- 
 in-law; thirteen members of one family. The 
 eldest .son. Alvah, was at that date a JPresby- 
 lorian minister. 
 
45- 
 
 West, William West, Orsamus Lilly. 
 Henry Lilly, Arunah Hall: Trustees, 
 John M. Dimmick, Foster Lilly. Alex- 
 ander White. 
 
 Officers were then examined, ordain- 
 ed and "set apai-t by prayer and 
 services closed by an exhortation suit- 
 ed to the occasion." 
 
 ''Before the congreg-ation dispersed 
 it was resolved by the session to talce 
 immediate steps for obtaining the 
 labors of a minister and for that pur- 
 pose a subscription paper was signed 
 with much liberality, both by members 
 of the new ehureh and by bretheren 
 from Binghamton. who were prtsent." 
 In the spring of 183.3. Rev. F. .Janes 
 and Woodruff preached occasion- 
 ally in the Lilly district .school house 
 and soon after Rev. Pt-tir I^ockwood 
 of Binghamton officiated at the same 
 place. 
 
 The officers of the new church must 
 have been very prompt, as in about a 
 month they had securtd a minister, as 
 we know by a diary kept by Mrs. Orsa- 
 mus (Louisa) Lilly, which reads, 
 ".Jan. 12. 183-i, Rainy day: Rev. I*\ 
 Janes beijan preaching at upper school 
 liouse. Morning sermon from text, 
 'Who is on the Lord's side?' in 
 afternoon from Romans 3 15. All the 
 family attended." 
 
 About 1836, Rev. Mr. Burt was pas- 
 tor for a short time and Rev. Marcus 
 Ford of Binghamton, preached for 
 some time in the lower school house. 
 Services were held perhaps alternate- 
 ly at either school house but official 
 business seems to have been done in 
 the lower school house, as Oct. 27, 
 1838, (we copy) ''Made choice of Sam- 
 uel Mills, William West, and David 
 IngersoU as a committee to say where 
 in their judgment a meeting house 
 ought to be built for the best good of 
 the church and society in this place." 
 Said committee decided ''that it is the 
 best place on the south-east corner of 
 William West's land." This meeting 
 was "at the school house at Mr. 
 Lilly's and adjourned to meet at the 
 school house by Mr. West's." This 
 was near the site where the church was 
 to be built, where it still stands. This 
 report was adopted and a subscription 
 paper was started to raise funds to 
 build, in 1839. The building commit- 
 tee were William West, Samuel Mills 
 
 and Jonathan Lilly. At this same 
 meeting, "a committee was appointed 
 to issue a subscription paper for a 
 singini;- school at the school house by 
 Deacon West's and to hire and pail 
 for a teacher. This committee wa.s 
 Sylvester Mills, Orlando West, and 
 David L. Hall." We wonder whom 
 they hired? Church music received 
 much attention, and tradition says the 
 music at the dedication, about two 
 years later was well worth hearing. 
 The tunes were pitched by a tuning 
 fork and very early a bass viol was 
 used in the choir. Did George Bowen 
 play on it for a time? Cornelia Nash, 
 Laura Cary, Lucy Lilly, Amanda 
 Mills and Mercy Dinjmick were in that 
 choir, while scjme of the male singers 
 were Orlando West, Charles F. 
 Holmes, David L. Hall and Alexander 
 White. Choir rehearsals were mostly 
 at private houses and when at the 
 sc^iool house, each singer took a can- 
 dle, which was placed in a tin holder 
 run into the planks. The new church 
 grew slowly; it was a big undertaking, 
 and 1 think the "old chapel" was for 
 a time the only other church building 
 between Binghamton and Whitney's 
 Point. Many of the subscriptions 
 were in work and more in lumber, but 
 '"the people had a mind to work" and 
 at last it was ready. Just the date is 
 not given, but it was probably about 
 18-H. Rev. S. W. Leonard was now 
 pastor, and it is said that Rev. D. D. 
 Gre}JOry preached the sermon. Sun- 
 day Schools had been maintained each 
 summer, resting in the winter. The 
 modern church reverses the order. 
 There were always two long sermons, 
 one in tlie morning then Sunday 
 School and a chance to eat a cold 
 lunch, then a long afternoon service. 
 Sometimes the devout women of the 
 church held a "private" prayer meet- 
 ing in the session room over the hall, 
 then slipped around to see Mrs. Mills 
 or Mrs. Deacon West and get a piece 
 of pie and cup of tea, but as a rule 
 only a few cookies for the children 
 were taken. 
 
 In the year 1845 the great west be- 
 gan to attract settlers from Castle 
 Creek and for a few years the western 
 fever was epidemic and took off a 
 large number of the members of the 
 Presbyterian church. Just before this 
 several active members had left to join 
 
—16- 
 
 the Baptist chuiv'h. amf)n^ them Wil- 
 liam Weat and his family and in 184(5 
 I hey removed to Wisconsin, as did 
 Henry and U^-uben Lilly and their 
 families. The Lees, Wilcox and other 
 families to Illinois. The ICber, Hiram 
 and Fesins Dennison and families, 
 Harvey and Daniel Mills and families, 
 the Carys and others went to Michigan 
 and in all about forty persons went 
 west about this time. A further loss 
 occurred in the death of Samuel Mills, 
 an esteemed and faithful officer as 
 lony: as he lived. The last resid<=nt 
 jiastor was Rev. Joseph Davidson, 
 who had been pastor for some time. 
 He lived in the house where John Cun- 
 ningham lived and died. Owing to 
 the reduced membership, services could 
 be maintained only p-irt of the time, 
 and Rev. Powell of Chenango Forks, 
 supplied the pulpit. He was a man of 
 great spiritual fervor and I do not 
 think 1 ever listened to more solemn 
 e.xhortatious. Rev. William T. 
 Doubleday. now a resident of Bing- 
 hamtou, was on the Doubleday farm 
 about 1S50, for the benefit of his 
 health. Some of his New York friends 
 came there to summer with him. The 
 prayer meetings he held in the old 
 plank school house are still remera- 
 bereil and were a blessing to all who 
 attended them. 
 
 The Baptists lield meetings in the 
 Presbyterian edifice, while their church 
 was b.'ing built, and soon the Metho- 
 dists made arrangements to oe-cupy 
 the pulpit one-half the time. When it 
 was built most of the heads of families 
 had a pew which they boiight, not 
 rented, and these seats they occupied, 
 no matter who preached. The church 
 never rallied, as the west still called 
 for its young p()e])le and for some 
 years the only pi'eaehing was once a 
 month, first by Rev. Peter Lockwood, 
 of Bimzhamton, and later by Rev. 
 Harvey Smith, of Maine. N. Y. The 
 only clerks that kept the record for 
 thirty years were William West, Henry 
 Lilly, Arunah Hall and David J. 
 Stiles. Simeon Siiles. -lohn Conrad, 
 Noah Bowker, Thaddeus Seely with 
 their families were valuable members 
 for a time and the history would be 
 very incomplete without a mention of 
 Mrs. Fanny Dimmick, who could truly 
 say. ''I love thy house. O God," for a 
 more faithful or regular member never 
 
 was eni-olled. The last entry in the 
 book was dated Jan. 1861, and was a 
 letter of dismission to the church in 
 Albany. Kansas, of Achsah L. Lilly. 
 A few months later, the clerk, David 
 J. Stiles enlisted for service in the 
 Civil War and never returned. He 
 knew in whom he trusted and his re- 
 ward was sure I Rev. Peter Lockwood 
 often selected as his Scripture lesson, 
 ''Fear not little flock, it is your Fa- 
 ther's good pleasure to give you the 
 kingdom." and it used to seem untrue, 
 but later I learned that Christ liimself 
 said. "My kingdom is not of this 
 world." 
 
 So let us have the history of the 
 extinct church which existed a genera- 
 tion, until the time when all the 
 records are finished, at the end of 
 time, for only then can its influence he 
 measured. To most of them already 
 we ho|ie the vvelecnne from their 
 Savior has bet n. ''Well done good 
 and faithful servant 
 
 Achsah Lilly Slosson. 
 
 Hous'on. Texas, 11)03. 
 
 THE LILLY DISTRICT METHODIST 
 PIONEER CHAPEL. 
 As early as 1S;^3 a Methodist Chapel 
 wa,s built on the present grave yard 
 lot, just north of the Amos Wilcox 
 farm house. This was the very first 
 church structure on the Creek, and 
 some of those who attended there were 
 the Hawkes, French, Dunham. Page. 
 St. .lohn, Livermore, Elwell, Lee, and 
 Austin families. Tyrus Page was for 
 many years the class leader. Some 
 of the early ofticialing ministers were 
 Larnard Livermore, Charles Pitts. 
 Chester Pease. Elders King, Elwell 
 and Burlingame, Asa Brooks, father 
 of Frank Biooks and Mrs. Delia 
 Brooks French, lliird wife of Ira 
 French: Rev. P. S. Worden, who for 
 many years resided in Binghamion 
 and recently died there at a. good old 
 age: and Rev. Enos Puffer, a brother 
 of Moses Piifi'er, Ihn blacksmith. He 
 was licensed to preach about 1841, and 
 was appointed on the "Old Broome 
 Circuit" in 1845. From that time un- 
 til his death in 1872, he was constantly 
 stationed in that immediate vicinity. 
 He was a member of the Legislature 
 in 1857. He was a very earnest, ener- 
 getic -And /(ircffid preacher and v.ithal 
 a "mighty hunter." He and Dr. Carr 
 
-17- 
 
 coDstituted many a huotingr party of 
 two I About 1850 the "class" was 
 divided and the chapel was taken 
 down and rebuilt at Glen Castle, some 
 two miles southward. Daniel Lee 
 helped build this chapel and also 
 helped move and rebuild it. Those 
 who lived north of the old site, then 
 attended services at Castle Creek. 
 
 THE CASTLE CREEIv METHODIST 
 EPISCOPAL SOCIETY. 
 
 It is to be regfretted that the earliest 
 records of this society cannot be 
 found, and as a consequence, cannot 
 here be recorded. The best that can 
 be done, will be very imperfect. The 
 earliest date recorded, appears to 
 have been 1843, when "Classes" had 
 been formed — one at Castle Creek, one 
 Barker, ( probably Hyde Settlement) 
 others at Adams Street, Poplar Ridge 
 and various other localities, unknown 
 to the narrator. The earliest record 
 which can be found, stales that "The 
 first Quarterly meeting: for Broome 
 Circuit" was held at the chapel in 
 Barker, N. Y., Oct. 28, 1843. The 
 Rev. V. M. Coryell was the Presiding 
 Elder. Members present— Enos Puffer. 
 Preacher in Charjjfe; Larnard Liver- 
 more, Local Preacher; Henry Pease, 
 Lambert Seward and John Stouffhton, 
 Exhorters; Stephen Eoote, William 
 Hamblin, William Hall and John 
 Stoughton, Leaders. We will suppose 
 that the "Leaders" were those who 
 were appointed to lead the meetings of 
 the various Classes, and we also sup- 
 pose that these Quarterly meetings 
 were attended by the members and 
 others in unusual numbers. 
 
 Stewards were appointed at this 
 meeting and appointment made for the 
 next Quarterly meeting to be held at 
 the Chapel, Castle Creek." We sup- 
 pose this referred to the one in the 
 Lilly district, as that was then the 
 only one on the Creek. These various 
 "classes" were united under what at 
 tha,t timewascalled, "Broome Circuit." 
 Enos Puft'er is the first "Preacher in 
 Charge" mentioned in the book of 
 records, and Larnard Livermore first 
 "Local Preacher," but there certainly 
 must have been others who were earli- 
 er. Rev. Charles Pitts and Rev. 
 
 Burlingame were early preachers, and 
 Solon and Servillus Stocking, the 
 
 latter two probably of Binghamton. 
 Chenango Forks and probably Kattel- 
 ville were at one time included in this 
 Circuit. The Preacher in Charge went 
 from place to place, wherever there 
 were classes, to preach. Enos Puffer 
 was Preacher in Charge 1843 to 1845. 
 He was succeeded by King Elvvell; then 
 Enos Puffer was Local Preacher. 
 Then Rev. Thomas D. Wire in 1847 
 was Preacher in Charge. 
 
 We now find recorded that "pursu- 
 ant to public notice give as the Statute 
 requires, a meeting of the male mem- 
 bers of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church of due and lawful age, was 
 held in the Presbyterian Church at 
 Castle Creek, N. Y., August 30, 1847, 
 for the purpose of organizing a cor- 
 porate Religious Society. Rev. 
 Thomas D. Wire called the meeting to 
 order, and opened by prayer. Rev. 
 Thomas D. Wire and Samuel Hawkes 
 were chosen to preside over the meet- 
 ing. It was voted that this Society 
 shall be called "The First Methodist 
 Episcopal Church of Castle Creek. 
 Voted thai this church shall have six 
 trustees and the following named per- 
 sons were duly elected: Enos Puffer, 
 Edson Blair, Isaac Bowen, Isaac 
 Livermore, Lorenzo Brooks and Sam- 
 uel Hawkes. The meeting then ad- 
 journed until August 30, 1848." The 
 records are not in such shape that we 
 can now record icho the oriyinal nicm- 
 hers of this orginization were. Accord- 
 ing to the best judgment of the com- 
 piler, .srwie of these were as follows: 
 Rev. Larnard Livermore, Isaac Liver- 
 more, Chauncey Livermore, Martha 
 Livermore, George Bowen, Mrs. 
 Margaret Bowen, Isaac Bowen, Sam- 
 uel Hawkes, Mrs. Robie Hawkes, 
 Nelson Dunham, Mrs. Nancy Dunham, 
 Hannah Livermore, Abigail Bishop, 
 Israel P. Alderman, Mrs. Caroline 
 Alderman, S. Abigail Alderman, 
 Bradley Jerome Alderman, Mrs. Ma- 
 rinda Alderman, James Gaylord, Mrs. 
 Sabrina Gaylord, Edson Blair, Mrs. 
 Caroline (Pease) Blair, Alex. White, 
 Mrs. Margaret White, Tyrus Page, 
 Mrs. Fanny Page and Chester Pease. 
 In the Record names are divided off 
 into classes; Castle Creek Class, Hyde 
 Street Class, East Hill Class, etc., and 
 again, these records were revised from 
 time to time, and many had died and 
 removed to other places, which renders 
 
-18— 
 
 it inipossible to determine jast which 
 ones were orifrinal members. 
 
 The first parsonajre was built about 
 1.^48. In 184!) R. S. Rose was Pastor 
 in ('harjre and .) . Whitham in 1851. 
 In 18r)2. R. Ingalls. with H. T. Avery 
 as .Junior Preacher. In 1853-4, .1. M. 
 Grimes; William Silsbee, '55; A. C. 
 Sperry, '57: William Round, '59; 
 Georoe A. Severson, '61: C. E.Tavlor 
 '62: E. Siblee. '64: W. B. Thomas." "66; 
 A. W. Loomis, '68: N. S. DeWitt. '71: 
 C. V. Arnold, '73: T. Burgess. '76: 
 George A. Place, '78: D. Personeus, 
 '81; W. R. Coehranp, '84: T. R. War- 
 nook, '87; V. A. Bailey. "JO, who died 
 soon after corainjj; C. H. Newing, '91: 
 H. G. Blair, '93: ( :. M. Olrastead. '95: 
 C. D. Shepard. "99: and S. E. Hunt, 
 the present pastor, 1901. 
 
 In 1868 the present edifice was erect- 
 ed on the site of the old one.* and 
 dedicated free of debt. Rev. .1. M. 
 Grimes and his ji'ood wife are well 
 remembered by many, as durine the 
 winter he was pastor a g'lorious re- 
 vival occurred, resulting in the con- 
 version of many young people as well 
 as many heads of families, most of 
 whom, if not all, continued faithful to 
 the church and to their God — some 
 have gone hither "to mansions in the 
 skies." others still living here and 
 elsewhere. In the early years of the 
 Society, two ministers were often aj)- 
 pointed. perhaps owing to so many 
 scattered appointments in the vicinity, 
 but usually only one was rt-sident. In 
 the early history of the .\L E. church, 
 here, it labored under the same dis- 
 advantages as do all churches in a 
 new country, but God blessed it 
 abundantly. Would that we of to-day 
 raisht see the wondrous revivals and 
 conversions which occurred in the 
 former days. It would seen to be the 
 case, th.it th'M'e is not now one-half 
 the spirltiifd life in the churches, there 
 was 50 years ago." 
 
 And here our brief and imperfect 
 sketch endeth with regrets that a more 
 able historian had not, many years 
 ago, had the earlier records and put 
 
 ♦Note — Somft time before tbe Presbyterians 
 ceased to hold Sf^rvices. the two societies 
 arrauned that each should occupy the edifice 
 one-half the time and when the Presbyterians 
 DO lonuer held <iiii/ meetin^rs. it became the M. 
 E.< Church, perhaps as a •■heritatre" from its 
 sister society. 
 
 them into print, or at least preserved 
 them, foi" future use — even the present 
 time. And wishing the church great 
 prosperity and success in winning 
 many souls unto Christ, we will say — 
 adieu I 
 
 CLOSING EXERCISES OF SCHOOL IN 
 DISTRICT NO. 15, ( CASTLE CREEI£. ) 
 
 (Copied from 
 Mr 
 
 Bintrhamton. 
 
 the ■■siaiKlarfl" 
 N Y.) 
 
 Editor: 
 
 "As your paper is somewhat devoted 
 to educational interests, we wish to 
 report the closing exercises of the 
 school in Lilly district, near Castle 
 Creek, which occurred April 7, 1857. 
 The examination, by the teacher. Miss 
 Achsah L. Lilly, vvas a thorough one 
 and the i-eady replies of her pupils 
 gave evidence that they were at home 
 in their .studies. We have not space 
 to particularize — all were good — but 
 the class in history deserve special 
 mention for their thorough knowledge 
 of dates, as well as incidents and facts 
 connected with the early history of 
 'Giant Occident' 
 
 Classes were heard in geography, 
 arithmetic, grammar, etc., nor was 
 reading neglected. And just here we 
 wish to say t.hat most of the scholars 
 were (jood readers: indeed, we did not 
 discover a bnd reader in the school. 
 At the close of the examination, which 
 occu[)ied the forenoon and part of the 
 afternoon, we were treated with an 
 intellectual repast, in the way of 
 declamation, colloquies and composi- 
 tions, the whole interspersed with ap- 
 propriate and withal, exci-.llent sing- 
 ing. Though unused to public speak- 
 ing, the lads acquitted themselves 
 nobly. The older ones were not be- 
 hind. 
 
 Several young ladies who took part 
 in the colloquies, we would commend 
 for speaking very distinctly. 'Mrs. 
 Caudle' gave the old gentleman a 
 very handsome curtain lecture. The 
 'Garland,' read by Misses Fr nch 
 andCai-y, containnd many good things. 
 Some of the articles were quite poeti- 
 cal. We hope the lost will ere long be 
 found. After brief remarks by Lyman 
 B. Smith and L. R. Elliott, the com- 
 pany reluctantly sought their homes, 
 well pleased with their entertainmeht. 
 Bright eyes, which shall, ere long. 
 
-lU 
 
 grow dim with ajje, will look back 
 upon that day as an oasis in the 
 ■desert of life. Such gatherin^is 
 sti-eni>then the lies of friendship, and 
 ■encouraiies bf)th teaehef and scliolai's. 
 Let us have more of them, even in the 
 <;ountf.v." "One Pbesent." 
 
 Note 1— This was doubtless written 
 by Ml-. Elliott, who some time ago 
 passed away, at his home in Kansas. 
 He was a vtry worthy and useful citi- 
 zen. He was much interested in Sun- 
 day School work- 
 
 Note 2 — That history clsss was the 
 pride of the teacher's heart and at the 
 close of the examination, when the 
 last expected question was answered, 
 she asked one they were not looking 
 for. She had asked ''who was just 
 inaugurated president? Answer — 
 "James iiuchanan, who was elected 
 last November over John C. t'remont." 
 As she closed the book, she asked, 
 "Who will be the next president!.-"' 
 Instantly came the answer — "John C. 
 Fremont," and the audience cheered. 
 This shows the sentiment of the dis- 
 trict in regard to the young, defeated, 
 Republican party, which did elect the 
 next president — Abraham Lincoln, and 
 his successors for many years, but 
 who would then have dared prophecy 
 the sad events so soon to imperil our 
 beloved country? "The veil that 
 hides the future is woven by mercy's 
 hand.'' 
 
 As far as memory goes, this is the 
 roster of that famous history class: 
 
 Francis M., iMary, Ellen and Cle- 
 ment French, Alonzo and Martha 
 White, Libbie and Jennie C'ary, Kltta 
 Alderman, DeEtte Smith, Edwin Lee, 
 Francis M. and Lucius Bishop. Or- 
 lando St. John, Emery, Eunice, Lewis 
 and Julius W. Lilly. 
 
 How many still live to make history 
 and how many have passed on? 
 
 Most all the "girls" have borne 
 other names for many years. 
 
 From the Binghamlon lieinddiam. 
 "Castle Creek. — From an inhabitant 
 of this place, we learn that the school 
 in the Lilly district, taught by Miss 
 Achsah L. Lilly, closed March 6, hS58. 
 The report of the exercises, which in- 
 cluded compositions, declamations, 
 
 colloquies, etc.. is very flattering, aBO 
 show,s conclusively the advantage of 
 competent and experienced instructors 
 in our country schools, over raw and 
 incompetent tyros. We congratulate 
 Miss Lilly on her success." — Ediior's 
 Eduadmml Dcpaiinicnt. 
 
 FROM ALSON CONGDON, SON OF NA- 
 THANIEL. 
 
 Long Beach, Cab, Aug. 15, 1903, 
 /. W. LUhj—Dmr .Sir: 
 
 Being a subscriber to the REPORTER, 
 I have read your "Annals" and have 
 been much interested in them. I have 
 known your whole family from your 
 grandfather down to yourself. 1 re- 
 member when you were born. It is 
 said that I was born the same day 
 your Uncle Henry's oldest daughter 
 was. If so, I don't remember it. I 
 have heard all three of your uncles 
 preach. I was present when Orsamus 
 Lilly was married to Almira Brigham. 
 Regarding our family, I cannot tell 
 you much of the ancient history, but 
 will give you what I can from memory . 
 
 John Congdon was born in Vermont 
 in 1767. He lived there for a long 
 time, having a family of seven sons 
 and live daughters. After his older 
 children had married, they all remov- 
 ed to Silver Lake, Pa., on to the Dr. 
 Rose place. After remaining there a 
 few years, they removed to Bingham- 
 ton. A few years after, John, Sr., 
 removed to the Whitney-Conklin farm, 
 some two miles northward. He was 
 on that place during the memorable 
 "cold year" of LSKi. This is the on\y 
 date which I have, of his early ^migra- 
 tions. He removed from thence, to 
 what is now Glen Castle, down by the 
 French mills, and from thence to Dim- 
 mick Hill, where he bargained for 
 land which his son, Nathaniel, owned, 
 later on. John's sons, Joseph, Ezra, 
 and John, Jr., also went up there and 
 purchased land, and made some im- 
 provements, but soon sold out and 
 returned to Binghamton, where they 
 resided for the balance of their lives. 
 John Sr.,died Sept. 13, 1849, aged 82 
 years. Himself and wife were both 
 buried on his farm. The names of 
 other early settlers of Dimmick Hill 
 and vicinity, as I recollect them, were 
 as follows: Nathan Pratt. Hiram 
 West, Bethuel Brooks. Samuel and 
 
-20— 
 
 Jonas Brook?^ Davids James and 
 Tleiiben Eaton, John and Sylvanus 
 Dimmick, Seth Stowell, Mr. Carietv 
 Nathan Stratton, Linus Smith. Parley 
 Lee, *John Wilcox, Newell Bancroft,. 
 Eli El well. Mr. Lamoreaux, Lent 
 .lohnson, Mr. Gibson. All of the 
 above named were there upwards of TO 
 \ ears ago. 
 
 Later confers, nearly in the order 
 inenlioned were as follows: Samuel 
 -ludd, Mr. Taber, Mr, Wheeler, Mr. 
 .Matleson, Calvin Shepard, Sylvester 
 St. .lohn, Perce Elwell, Sylvanus Judd, 
 Albert. Judson and Bos well West. 
 Milo Isbell, Thomas French, Jr., 
 Peter Hillicus, John Payne, Levi 
 Winfield. Mr. Webb, Wynus, John 
 and Joseph Conrad, Jesse Heller, 
 Isaac Bates, Horace Treadwell, 
 Thadeus Seeley, Nearly all these 
 fivpd about there, over 50 years ago. 
 
 The first teacher which I had was 
 .Miss Phoebe Lamoreaux. who married 
 Kranklin French. Other teachers were 
 Rachel West, Sylvia Thomas, Mary 
 -Johnson, Harriet Stratton, Amanda 
 l)lmraii-k and Alonzo Freeman. This 
 finished my school days at the old 
 pioneer log school house. My next 
 schooling was in the new district, 
 called the log cabin. Some of the 
 teachers were Jane Temple, Eunice 
 Pemple, Triphena Dow, .lulia Judd, 
 .Martha West, Cornelia Nash. Alvira 
 Dennison, Lucy Lilly and Han-let 
 Bullock. Id the new house at Dim- 
 iuit;k Hill— Cyrus Carter, Mr. Moxley, 
 .Alfred Pease. Laura Cary and Frank 
 Brooks. I did not attend more than 
 half of these schools. I fail to recall 
 the names of other teachers of those 
 olden days. 
 
 I was born on the old Conjidon 
 farm, Dimmick Hill, in Sept. LS2T: 
 lived on the same place until I was 35, 
 then removed to Iowa, where I lived 
 for 15 years: then removed to Kansas, 
 where I staid for 21 years: spent one 
 summer in Colorado, when 1 removed 
 to my present abode. Long Beach. 
 Cal. (Los Angeles-co. ) In 1H>»7, on 
 account of failing health, I comraenc- 
 (;d a search for the best place to live 
 and in my judgment this place is 
 most excellent and 1 am satisfied here. 
 If you can make use of this informa- 
 tion, you are very welcome to it. 
 Yours truly, Al.son Congdon. 
 'Now liviDK at Si Charles, III. In his 94th year. 
 
 Some Former Preachers. 
 
 KEV. liETHUKL BROOKS 
 
 used to preach on the "Broome Cir- 
 cuit,'' which included nearly all of 
 Brooraeco.. and he had one appoint- 
 ment in the old (Hrst) Co»rt House- 
 He went on horseback and would he 
 gone from home three weeks at a time^ 
 and as '•Uncle John''' Brooks says, 
 "leave me to do the chores.'' He used 
 to preach in the old V>uilding burned 
 down in the Whitney's Point tire, 
 where the Post Office now stands. His- 
 son used to hitch up the old roan 
 horse and drive his father to the Point 
 and hear him preach. 
 
 Bethuel was obliged to leave his- 
 wife, who was an invalid and unable 
 to walk for 35 years. From a spinal 
 trouble, her limbs wasted so e'reatly, 
 that her feet were like those of a two- 
 year old child, or a Chinese Manda- 
 rins' wife. Her son made her shoes- 
 The thirteen year old boy, who once 
 went to Preston, N. Y., to bring her 
 sister, a maiden lady, to help thero 
 move, reached home again under diffi- 
 culties. It was the finest of sleighing, 
 when he set out to go on his journey, 
 but on returning, the bridge at Che- 
 nango Forks over the Tiouizhnioga 
 was gone. Other delayed travellers 
 were also here, at the hotel, consisting 
 of Amos Wilcox, with his bride and 
 the bridal party, who were David Hall 
 and lady and Obed Dimmick and lady. 
 
 They were all advised to hasten 
 down to the "New Bridge,"' ('Chenango 
 Bridge) which they did. On coming 
 to the bridge, the boy went ahead and 
 the others followed, as quickly as 
 possible, and none too quick, as 
 when they were barely across, a cake 
 of ice half a mile long, struck a pier 
 and down the river went the bridge. 
 It being winter the "tow path"' was 
 very icy and it was a perilous road. 
 Had their conveyances slid a little too 
 far in either direction, the chances 
 were good for being immersed in the 
 water of the canal on the one side, or 
 the river on the opposite side. 
 
 Mr. Brooks formed the first M. E. 
 Churches at Marathon. Yorkshire and 
 Whitney's Point, and did a grand 
 pioneer work all along and around 
 the wide circuits, yet he said in his 
 later years — never having belonged to 
 the "Conference," that he had always 
 
21- 
 
 been used as a "toiiyle for a chain." 
 He died at tlie aye of y.') at Uie liotne 
 of his SOD, Leroy. at Maiue, N. Y. 
 
 Of his tea children, all vvere siuyers: 
 all but three wert; school teachers, 
 Frank holding- a State C'ertiticate, and 
 three had liceti&es t » preach. Kor all 
 Mrs. Hroolis was an invalid, she was 
 a tine enturtaiaer and ail the children 
 were crazy lo j^o there and stay with 
 yrandma. for weeks at a time. One 
 eveninu'she was It-ft alone with her 
 granddaughter, b^lleu, and thv..ir candle 
 light went out. Shesaitl, "I'll li.K it 
 for you," and sent lilleu around the 
 house to find a saucer of lard and 
 some wicking, and told stories in the 
 mean time, laughing till the tears ran 
 down fier cheeks. 
 
 Chester Pease vvas a local preacher 
 of the M. K. Church and lie would 
 make his ai)poiutments like this. "If 
 there doesn't come a rafting fre~het, 
 I'll be here such a day." If there 
 Cdnie a rafting freshet, he would have 
 to lie yoiiiy down Ihc rirev. It is related 
 that he orice said to Larnard Liver- 
 mo'-e, "Now Brother Liveraiore, you 
 ,n// doioi and let vie gab." 
 
 JOHN KEMMEI.ee. 
 
 Another minister whose noble figure 
 and forcible preaching will always be 
 remembered by those who heard him, 
 vvas John Remmelee, a local preacher, 
 but associated with and much esteem- 
 ed by Levi Pitts. Euos Puffer, Elder 
 Grimes, Elder Avery and Bro. Silsby. 
 Mr. Cochrane preached his funeral 
 sermon. 
 
 Mr. Remmelee was a great friend of 
 children, and a well known lady, who 
 was often at his house when a little 
 girl, states that she never saw nor 
 heard anything inconsistent with his 
 profession. He- never preached for 
 pay but took thankfully whatever was 
 given him, which was considerable, as 
 he had many friends. 
 
 liraves Collins gave him a home 
 with ten acres of land which, there 
 being no writings, reverted to the 
 family upon Mr. Collins's death. Mr. 
 Remmelee always worked as a farmer 
 and his work was well worth having. 
 Be was very often called upon to 
 preach at funerals. 
 
 The older people living at Castle 
 Creek, Glen ( 'astle, Dunham Hill, 
 Hogg Settlement, Swilt Settlement, 
 
 Hyde-st., King-st and Adams-st., will 
 recollect Brother llemmelee's magnifi- 
 cent figure, loud voice and true re- 
 ligion. 
 
 There is a legend remaining, of a 
 man in these parts being at work in 
 the woods, chopping, one day, when 
 three Indians suddenly appeared on 
 the scene, and bade him go with them. 
 He said, all right, he would do so as 
 soon as he had ?plit the log he was 
 working on, and if they were in a 
 hurry, they might help him. So he 
 drove his wedge into the log and told 
 them to put their hands into the break 
 and help pull it open, ^fter they had 
 done so, he struck the wedge just 
 right and out it fiew and caught their 
 fiuiiers like a vice, when he unflinch- 
 ingly used his axe to cut off their 
 heads. This, if true, would seem to 
 have been a cruel mode of repaying 
 their helpfulness, but as it prevented 
 their killing pale faces, we must con- 
 sider it as the act of a hero, as well 
 as a great strategist. Can anybody 
 tell us more about this tradition? 
 
 During the cold year of IcSKj. al- 
 ready mentioned, it is said that when 
 Mrs. Clement Erench put up school 
 dinners for her children, there was 
 nothing to be had but johnny-cake 
 and even tlud was scarce, and they 
 remembered her crying over it many a 
 time because she had no more for 
 their lunches. 
 
 ors.\mrs and louisa lilly. 
 
 Under the "Balm ofGilead's" / 
 Old Homestead, Aug. 2ti, 19U3. ] 
 
 ■'Soon the places that now know us 
 will know us no more forever: helji us 
 Lord so that when that time comes, we 
 may go with joy and not with grief." 
 
 This reflection and petition formed 
 a part of the prayer that was daily 
 offered for more than one-half a cen- 
 tury by Orsamus Lilly in the low 
 house under the big Balm of Gilead 
 trees beside the murmuring brook. 
 
 This family altar was erected in 
 lyiiH. when he brought from Hawley, 
 Mass., his slight young wife. Louisa 
 Lilly. She had received advantages 
 beyond many women of her day and 
 was endowed with an active, cheerful, 
 helpful nature and entered into pioneer 
 life with zeal and entliusiasm. 
 
Her jjarents and family in Massa- 
 chusetts were devout Methodists in 
 the days before Methodism had lost 
 its early fervor, and tho' with her 
 husbana, she joined the Presbyterians 
 she retained the stamp of girlhood so 
 much that a Methodist sister once 
 exclaimed, "Oh, Mrs. Lilly what a 
 good Methodist you would have 
 made 1 " ' 
 
 This new home soon began to shel- 
 ter the homeless, and Charles F. 
 Holmes (now of Kaneville, 111. ) at the 
 age of nine was taken and treated as 
 a son. This lad had been ill treated 
 by the world and it required love and 
 patience to make him the loving gcwd 
 man he became. An entry in the } oung 
 wife's diary says, "I am pra\ ing for 
 help and patience to teach Charley 
 right,"' but she had he*' reward. 
 
 During the first year of married life 
 this young couple adopted Laura 
 Cary, whose mother, Sally West 
 Gary, had died leaving several chil- 
 dren to the father, William Cary. Little 
 Laura was only three years of age. a 
 beautiful, fiail child, whose childhood 
 was saddened by suffering and illness 
 but she outgrew her afflictions, and 
 became a faithful, loving woman, a 
 comfort to all. Lucy ( later Mrs. New- 
 ton Hand) was the first child born, 
 under that has since echoed the first 
 cry of so many. Next came a win- 
 some little maid named Achsah Louisa, 
 whose death by scarlet fever, at the 
 age of three, was the first grief of the 
 household, which often included many 
 who needed a temporary home. Next 
 year after this sorrow another daugh- 
 ter wa? born and given the name of 
 the last one. She is now Mrs. William 
 B. Slosson. Then came a delicate 
 blue eyed boy, Emery Silas, now liv- 
 ing- in Sabetha, Kansas, where also 
 lives the next daughter, named Eunice 
 Amanda, now Mrs. Edmund F. Pug- 
 sley. 
 
 Never robust, the wife failed in 
 health, and when her baby girl was 
 two years old she cheerfully, trustfully 
 went to her Savior, believing he would 
 care foi- the children she hail .so faith- 
 fully ti-ained. She had taught even 
 the little ones to go to the loving- 
 Father for help in every time of need 
 and none of them ever forg-ot it. Her 
 last dav here w-as Sundav and she in- 
 
 sisted that the older childi-en go to 
 churi;h as usual. In the evening Dea- 
 con Arunali Hall and wife anu Deacon 
 Samuel Mills and wife came in and 
 with the family held a last prayer 
 service. Then the children were put 
 to bed to awaken mothei-less in the 
 morning. The father then, as he said 
 in later years, "tried to be both father 
 and mother." The older children. 
 Charles, Laura and Lucy were trusty 
 and efficient, and the family life mov- 
 ed on for a year and a half, when the 
 father persuaded Almira Brigham, a 
 Massachusetts young woman to help 
 him carry the burden. She consented 
 and nobly, faithfully did she do hei- 
 part. 
 
 They were married in the Presby- 
 terian church by Rev. Foster Lilly, 
 and the home received an efficient, 
 capable head, who still lives where 
 she came as a bride, Sept. 184,3. A 
 few years later Cynthia Lilly Ralyea 
 died and her son, Cyrus F., was 
 added to the mother's brood. In 1848 
 a second son. Lyman Thr>mas, was 
 gladly welcomed. He now lives at 
 La.lunta, Col. Florence Arvilla came 
 next, a frail, beautiful child, who, in 
 a little more than a year was taken 
 away. The youngest daughter. Mal- 
 tha Almira. (now Mrs. Henry M. 
 Fuller, ) came next and still reside in 
 the old home. She and her husband 
 deserve the reward of those who care 
 for their ]iarents. as they have kei)t 
 the home till their children are grown 
 and now the house rings with the 
 music of their grandchildren's voices. 
 The old house before it was grow-n to 
 its jiresent size, enjoyed the advant- 
 ages of travel, as it was built on the 
 old road by the creek near the S. E. 
 corner of the Hat where an old well 
 and apple trees were long to be found. 
 It was moved to the )icir or present 
 road about 183"), and was then added 
 to and Henry Lilly and family shared 
 the shelter until their house on the 
 Pheli)s ])lace was done. A few years 
 later, when .Jonathan Lilly married 
 Hannah Davis, they lived there while 
 their new home was made ready. 
 About 184"). Harrington Austin and 
 Sarah .Jane Brigham (sister of Almira 
 Lilly ) were married in this home and 
 for some time lived in a part of it, 
 and some of their children were born 
 
--23- 
 
 5liere. I'liarles* F. Holines, his mother 
 und wife, Mafv J. Sewat-d. also occu- 
 ])ied a part of this hospitable home, 
 and ])erha|)s others now out of mind. 
 
 Durinji' the late iiO's the Briyhaoi 
 family , orcui^yiny- Mrs, L'lly's farm, 
 ■"Canada Castle." was broken up by 
 the death of the fathei-, Naham Brig- 
 ham and daughter. Louisa, so Or-<a- 
 mus and family went there for three 
 jears to care fo ■ Mrs. Martha LJrig- 
 ham and the "Clastle". The old home 
 farm then was rented for that time to 
 Marcus Dayton, who married Martha 
 Ann Brigham. When t lie Lilly family 
 i-eturned they brought old Mrs. Brig- 
 liam back with them and until her 
 •death, at 9(i years 'of age, this was her 
 Iiome 
 
 The three oldest daughters, Lucy, 
 Achsah and Eunice married while 
 living at the "Castle," but the dear 
 old home has kept its doors wide open 
 to them, their children and grand- 
 children ever since Oi-samus Lilly 
 went to his reward at the age of 81, a 
 g'ood man with the respect of all. 
 
 "With long life will I satisfy them 
 and show them the 30 vs of my salva- 
 tion. ' ' A L. S. 
 
 Michael White Recalls Much Early 
 History. 
 
 Hydkville, Oct 1903. 
 Mr. J. W. Lilhi: 
 
 Dear Sitt:— in compliance with 
 your request, to "draw on my memory 
 of the olden times in and about Castle 
 *reek, and also a little genealogical 
 history of myself and ancestors." that 
 you may put it with your articles 
 ipublishe'd in the Ueforter. I will 
 endeavor to do so. And the last shall 
 be first, as in order to give an ac- 
 count of the earliest settlers it will be 
 necessary to consult some of their 
 descendants of the fourth, and perhaps 
 fifth generation. As for myself, 1 am 
 of Puritan descent. My ancestors 
 came over in the Mai/Jlmrer, and 
 Peregrine White was the first white 
 child born in New England, and he 
 was born on board the vessel before 
 they landed. 1 cannot give the links 
 of descent farther back than my great 
 grandfather. L had a booK, entitled 
 the Ncic England Chrouologu, which 
 gave the names of all the passengers. 
 
 and was a journal of the company fot 
 several years, but unfortunately it 
 was burned with the rest of ray library 
 to a sehoolhouse, where 1 was teach- 
 ing, sixty-nine years ago. I have 
 never seen but one other, and that was 
 owned by Mason Whitings of Biag- 
 iiamtoQ, over sixty years ago; would 
 that 1 knew into whose hands it has 
 fallen. 
 
 1 do not know the date of the birth 
 or death of mv great grandfather, 
 Johnathan White. I have in my 
 possession some of his writings 
 auiong them is a Bill of Sale of a 
 negro girl, of which the following is a 
 cop\: 
 
 •'Know all men by these present that 
 I, Seth Johnson, of Lebanon, in the 
 county of V\'indham, for, and in cod- 
 sideratioo of the sum of fifty pounds, 
 Lawful money to me in hand paid by 
 Capt. .lohnathan White of sd. Town 
 & county, Have therefore and do here- 
 by sell, passover and Convey unto the 
 said .Johnathan White, his heirs tV- 
 Assigns, One Certain Negro Girl 
 Named Philli's, about sixteen or 
 seventeen Years of Age, to be & re- 
 main a Slave during her sd. Philli's 
 Natural Life, To hold & possess the 
 sd. Negro Girl as a slave, free & 
 clear of all claims and Demands what- 
 soever from any other person or per- 
 sons—Hereby Covenanting that the 
 said Negro Girl is sound & well for 
 aught is known to me the sd. .Johnson. 
 
 In witness whereof I have hereunto 
 sett mv Hand This Shh day of July A 
 Dom 17(i2. 
 
 Siiined & D'd in presence of 
 
 Jon. Trumble 
 
 Jon. Trumble jr. Seth Johnson." 
 
 This Bill of Sale written 1-11 years 
 ago is as plain and easy to read as if 
 written yesterday. 
 
 I do not know the date of birth or 
 death of my grandfather, Enoch White, 
 son of Jonathan White, but I find in 
 the catalogue of Yale College publish- 
 ed in 1778, that he graduated from that 
 institution in 17H4, one hundred and 
 thirty-nine years ago. He studied for 
 the ministry and was for many years 
 pastor of the ehurch in Lebanon, 
 Conn. He had but one daughter, 
 Sally, who was never married, and 
 died young. He had several sons, of 
 whom my father, Roger White, was 
 the youngest. In 1797 or 1798 he 
 
mored with his fiiraily to the town of near the 9i>f)t when; Seatmn's hlm-'k- 
 
 Middlebnry, iD-.Schoiiai-ieco., N. Y.. smith .-stiop uow viands, >vher.' lie iiuide 
 
 where he boiiifht a wifd far-m which lie potash. David VVi-ij^ht lived a iiiile 
 
 and hit* bo\ s cleared and where he t'unher d()Wi) ai>d worked in the ashery 
 
 lived till the time of his death. He for Mr. West. 
 
 worked soii)e vriih the boys on the A:, that time they had do stated 
 
 fart)) diiriiiji- the week and jrreaehed on preachino- nearer than at tike churciv 
 
 Sundays. I have some of his mami- down t(» Aaids (ilen Castle. The old 
 
 script sermoDs. His son, llnyer, my M. K cuurch stood by the (dd ceiue- 
 
 father, was born Sept. Tth, 175)2. cou- lery east of ttie road just l>elovv .Icdio 
 
 sequently was but five years old when S KnanD's farm. Ttu- t'resi'} terians. 
 
 they moved frotu Lebanon. In .Inly led by l-^ider Wm. West, used to hold 
 
 1M4, he inarried Sarah Brant, ilauyh- mec:tinsJS in the school house. They 
 
 ler of Michael Brant, tii?t settler of had a book of sermons, and as ujy 
 
 Rensselaerville. of whom uinntion is father was a Pre>i)y teriati mid I was 
 
 made in a note in Freucli's Gazeteer coosider^d a fokrahle reader. I wa* 
 
 of New York. often called on to read a sermon for 
 
 1 was born August 2Tth. 1815, and them, Amooii' those who t'orme<l the 
 
 \q the spring- of ISIH, my father moved cont^reiiation, th^t I can now recall to 
 
 to the town of Smithville, Chenanjro- mind. were.\ oui-yi-audfaiher Fostei" f.il- 
 
 co., when 1 was a little more than two ly, your father, \our uncle. Or»amus, 
 
 years old. tie bouyhl a small farm and two oihers whose Uioues 1 have for- 
 
 ;n the woods where, as }eL, there was iioietn. but I think Arunah was theretoo. 
 
 no road. [•"'rom the west hill came Deacon Ai-unah 
 
 In IbJiT he sold out and bou>;bt a Hall and his family . Mr. Smith anil 
 
 pai-t of lot Uy'> in the (irand DivisioD his family. Deacon West and his fami- 
 
 of the Boston Purchase, in the town ly and others whose names 1 have for- 
 
 of Barker. Broome-co. ^ being the farm gotten. 
 
 now owned and o.-cuped by Harvey A few years later Samuel Mills and 
 
 (;ray. At that time it was an unbroken his son-in-law. Ebr-r Dennison, from 
 
 wilderness from the liitle creek that (inilford. moved to Castle (Jreek. Mr, 
 
 Iiasses through the farm to the Nanti- Dennison was a builder, and they 
 
 coke creek three miles west, and from hired him to build a church, and as 1 
 
 the Spent;er Hill road north, neaidy to had some experience in that line, they 
 
 Whitney's Point, travt-rsed odI\ by hii-ed me to woi-k with hiu). They hii-ed 
 
 deer, wolves, panthero and other wild him by the day and me by the month, 
 
 animals and hunters — no pnhUc road and hired him' to board rue. We lived 
 
 nearer thin Hyde street on the east in a -mall house on tue south side of 
 
 and Castle Creek on the south. ihe Spencer hill road at the top of the 
 
 There were but few inhabitants at ticst pitch whei-e is, or, w^s a small 
 
 Castle Creek at that time. Deacon orchard. With the exception of a few 
 
 West lived in a small frame house days" work Kber Dennison and myself 
 
 near where .Mr. Newcomb's house now did all the work on the first church 
 
 stands, and just on the corner wliere ever built at Castle Creek. He after 
 
 we turned to "o to Phineas Spencer's, some years moved West. I think to 
 
 on the hill west, was the old plank Wisconsin. Ho was an excellent man 
 
 school house. Nearly opposite lived and his was a lovely family. The 
 
 Root French and a little further north church was old style." a yallery on 
 
 lived his brother, Ira French. They three sides with stairs at either end of 
 
 both (Mvned farms on the east side, of the vestibule, and session room over 
 
 the road and owned and run a saw the vestibule and back of the pulpit, 
 
 mill situated a little above where the whii-h was vei\v hiyh and approached 
 
 hi'jh bridije now is, on the road run- by a tliiiht of steps on each side. 
 
 nJDji: east to Chennnjifo Forks. Nearly 'About this time Alvah Hou{;h. a 
 
 opposite to Ira French, liyed Wm. wa^-on maker, moved to Castle Creek 
 
 West, son of Deai^on West, not far and located near where Mr. Rock wood 
 
 from where Anthony North now lives. now lives. His tir:;t wife was a Miss 
 
 His house was a lony:, story a.ad a St. .John. They had two children, 
 
 half house. He kept a tavern and ^ a sjirls. The older, Salina L., tauyht 
 
 small store, and also run an ashery school in after years and married a 
 
-25— 
 
 very worthy man, Mr. James Hoggr, 
 nephew of the celebrated Ettrick shep- 
 herd. They have now retired from 
 farm work and are spend in^' a quiet 
 and happy old age at East Maine. 
 The other daughter, Samantha went 
 West with her father, and married a 
 preacher by the name of Reid. She is 
 since dead. Also at this time Hiram 
 Dennison, brother of Eber, moved 
 here from Guilford, Chenango-co. , 
 also David Ingersoll, a son-in-law of 
 Samuel Mills. These all being Pres- 
 byterians were quite a help to the 
 society. 
 
 Passing on up the hill north from 
 Castle Creek, when I tirst knew it the 
 first building was a hotel kept at that 
 time by a Mr. Benjamin of whose 
 antecedents I am not cognizant. Next 
 as you took the Adams street, lived 
 Nelson Dunham in a small house on 
 the knoll on the left side of the road, 
 then a young man lately married to 
 Miss Nancy Gaylord. He was then 
 farming and engaged in a small 
 way in butchering and peddling meat 
 in Binghamton. He afterv/ard built a 
 house on the Hyde road where .fohn 
 Dunham now lives and became quite 
 wealthy. .Just a few rods north of 
 where John Dunham now lives, by 
 turning to the left into a private road 
 and following it about one-half a mile, 
 we would strike a branch of Castle 
 Creek, where lived Larnard Liver- 
 more, a local M. E. preacher on the 
 farm that belonged to his father, who 
 then lived with his son to whom he 
 had given his farm. The father was 
 very old, was at the battle of Bunker 
 Hill — thinks he tired the first gun — 
 was but eighteen years old — saw Gen. 
 Warren carried by in a blanket mor- 
 tally wounded, the blood running in a 
 large stream beneath. Warren said 
 as he passed, "Fight on boys, fight 
 on, you are doing well." I have 
 listened to his description of that 
 battle with much interest when a boy. 
 He now lies in the cemetery where the 
 old M. E. church once stood, about 
 two miles below Castle Creek village. 
 I helped make his coffin. He used to 
 show me his riHe and powder horn 
 that he used at that battle. Wonder 
 who has them? 
 
 Henry M. White. 
 
 Friend Lilly: — 
 
 You no doubt, expected me to Wcite 
 you long ere this, and I intended to do 
 so, but circumstances, over which I 
 had no control, prevented, is the only 
 excuse I have to otfer; and even now 
 I do not feel like undertaking it, but 
 Mr. Branday is so urgent, I will do 
 the bes.t. 1 can. I shall endeavor to 
 describe thinss as I saw them seventy 
 years ago. My descriptions must be 
 brief, and more, or less defective, but 
 as nearly correct as I can remember. 
 
 In the former letter I wrote you, I 
 left you, I think, at Larnard Liver- 
 more's. I now propose that you travel 
 with me in a l(i(j road (there is no 
 other) up the creek to the north side 
 of the Livermore clearing where we 
 come to a sawmill, and near it a log 
 house v\ here lived Isaac Livermore, 
 son of Larnard Livermore, who had 
 bought 80 acres off the north side of 
 his father's farm and on it was the 
 sawmill, a primitive affair having an 
 old fashioned ,/^«f?<:r waterwheel made 
 of wood, and about six feet long, and 
 an upright saw hung in a heavy 
 wooden sash. He had recently mar- 
 ried Miss Jane Dudley, of Smithville, 
 and moved to this place: they, like all 
 of the Larnard Livermore family, were 
 worthy people and very desirable 
 neighbors. 
 
 Passing on still further up stream, 
 through the woods, we come to another 
 clearing of four acres, here lived 
 Elijah Bolster, who had la.tely moved 
 here from Hyde Settlement. He had 
 cleared a small space, and built a log 
 house, but as yet no barn. The house 
 was near the brook, and where recent- 
 ly Lorenzo Hand lived and died. The 
 house is still standing. 
 
 Still moving up stream, through 
 dense forest, a little more than half a 
 mile, we come to another and larger 
 clearing, this is lot No. 196 in the 
 Grand Division of the Boston Pur- 
 chase, containing a fraction over 260 
 acres. It once belonged to the first 
 wife of Elisha Pease. Over sixty 
 years ago Elisha Pease — then an aged 
 man — informed me that he helped sur- 
 vey the Boston Purchase. He married 
 a Miss Stone, daughter of one of the 
 Boston purchasers, who gave his 
 daughter this lot of land. He said he 
 cleared four acres on the flat along 
 the creek west of the house where 
 
-26- 
 
 Hafvey Gray now lives, and sowed it 
 to wheat and buih a small log: barn. 
 He had a very lar^ie growth of wheat 
 but ou account of its beinj^ so shaded 
 by the surrounding forest the berry 
 shrunk badly . however, he harvested 
 it and put it in his barn, and said he, 
 "1 did not see the place again for 
 forty years and then it was all rotted 
 down." He did not know of another 
 clearing at that tirae nearer thau Che- 
 nango Forks. He went after his wife, 
 but learning that the place was so 
 remote from any seitlement, and sur- 
 rounded by an extensive forest inhab' 
 ited only by wolves, bears, panthers 
 and other wild beasts, and traversed 
 by Indian hunters, she refused to 
 come, and they settled for a time in 
 the town of Penton, where they were 
 the first settlers, and their son, Chester 
 Pease — afterwards for many years a 
 local M. lii. preacher — was the first 
 white child born in that town. Mrs. 
 Pease died in early life, leaving two 
 children, a son, Chester, and a 
 daughter whose name 1 cannot now 
 recall. Before her death she gave her 
 husband a deed of fifty acres across 
 the east end of lot vSii. The rest of 
 the lot she had divided in the c-iutre 
 by a line running east and west; the 
 north half she gave to her daughter, 
 who afterwards sold it to Graves 
 Collins, and the south half she gave 
 to her son, Chester. This was the 
 farm my father bought, and is the 
 place now owned and occupied by 
 Harvey (iray. Elisha Pease married 
 again, lived some years in Cincinna- 
 tus, Cortland co., and not long after 
 we moved to the place we bought of 
 Chester Pease. Elisha Pease moved 
 onto his fifty acres, where he lived 
 until the time of his death. He left 
 iwo children by his second wife, a son, 
 B. B. l^ease. now 87 years old and 
 living on his farm aijout one mile west 
 of Castle (h'eek: and a daughter, who 
 1 think is siill living in Cortland-co. , 
 but I am not certain. 
 
 When we moved on the farm my 
 father bought of Mr. Pease, there was 
 considerable clearing onthe daughter's 
 half, and Edward Graves, who owned 
 the next farm north, had also a good 
 sized clearing, and aUo a frame house 
 and barn, so that allOL^Lther here was 
 a good sized opening in the wilder- 
 ness, but it was entirely surrounded 
 
 by forest and had no public road 
 Mr. Graves had a private road uu 
 north, down a ste 'p hill to the Hyde 
 Settlement road, half a mile di^tant, 
 near which hu, wiih his father, Abram 
 Graves, and his two brothers, Abram^ 
 .fr., and Munson, owned and run a 
 large double sawmill, about two mile* 
 below the head of the Castle Creek. 
 
 And now as we have got back to 
 Castle Creek proper once more, we 
 will endeavor lo give some account of 
 the early settlers here. Ttiough some 
 had moved away and others died 
 before I came here, yet there still re- 
 mained a goodly number with whom T 
 became familiarly acquainted, and 
 from whom I learned something of the 
 history of those who had passed away. 
 The earliest settler of whom I have 
 any information, according to my 
 recollection, was Gen. Caleb Hyde, 
 (father of Maj. Cbauncey Hyde) who, 
 in 1795 boughi the place which Fred- 
 rick Hyde now owns and occupies. 
 He built a house on the Hill where the 
 Lombardy poplars. ( wnich he planted ) 
 are still growing and where the road 
 over the hill was first made. I have 
 been informed he died in 1(S20. 
 
 Maj. Chauncey Hyde, from Lenox. 
 Mass.. moved to Rochi!Ster in 1793. 
 He afterward visited Utica, Chenangfr 
 Point f now Bin^hMmton) and lastly 
 Barker, where h^; bought a large traC- 
 of forest, (the farm now owned by the 
 heirs of the late George FIvde. the 
 Major's youngest son ) On this farm 
 he lived till his death. He t(»ld tne 
 that at that time he could have bought- 
 land in Binghamton, where th^ Court 
 House now statids, for 10 shiHing^' 
 ($1.2.')) an acre, but the timber was 
 dwarf pine and oak. and he thought 
 the soil too light for fai-m purposes^ 
 ha wanted land capable of bearing 
 large trees. 
 
 The 'ii'st clearing he made was just 
 back of where the M. M church now 
 stands- He built a log house wheri* 
 the old oi'chard is. above the road and 
 a slKi-rt distaniv; north of the present 
 housp. H>' paid four dollars an jicre 
 for the land. He was two wcfks with 
 two yoke of o.Hcn moving from Roches- 
 tiM- to this ))lace. When he got to 
 Kichfcrrd he found the road so narrow 
 thai he could not get through until he 
 had hired men to widen the road. 
 
-27- 
 
 Maj. Hyde raised a large family, all 
 of wbom became highly prized mem- 
 bers of society. He was always noted 
 fur bis genial hospitality. He repre- 
 senf^^fl 13i'oome-eo., two or three terms 
 in the Assembly at Albany, and it was 
 through his influence that the large 
 town of Lisle was divided into four 
 towns, now known as Lisle, Triangle. 
 Barker and Nanticoke. 
 
 His son. Col. John Hyde, in com- 
 mon wild his brother, Ohauncey, Jr., 
 who was deaf and dumb, t)ecame the 
 proprietors of the old homestead after 
 their father's death. After the death 
 of Col. John Hyde it passed into the 
 jiossession of the late George Hyde, 
 the Major's youngest son, and now 
 belongs to his heirs. 
 
 Col. John Hyde married Miss 
 Jerusha Stiles, a sister of Judge 
 Oliver Stiles. They had no children. 
 They were noted for their liberality 
 towards all worthy objects. The Col. 
 was a public spirited man, always 
 ready to engage in any enterprise that 
 was likely to prove a public benefit. 
 He represented Brooraeco. in the 
 Convention that revised the Constitu- 
 tion of the statti of New York in 1847. 
 He died in 1853. regretted by all who 
 knew him. especially by the poor. I 
 was wiih him the night before he died. 
 His widow made her home with her 
 favorite nephew. Charles Hyde, .Tr. , 
 until her death, which occurred Dec. 
 12, 1898. She was a lovely woman and 
 worthy of the man she so dearly loved. 
 
 Capt. Charles Hyde, an older son of 
 Maj. Hyde, married Anne Seymour, 
 daughter of John Seymour of Norwalk, 
 Ct.. and lived several years in the house 
 built by (xen. Caleb Hyue, of whose 
 farm he had become proprietor, but 
 after the McCoy hill road was closed 
 and the new road made he built a nice 
 residence on the new road where his 
 youngest son. Predrick, now resides. 
 He was a man of strict integrity, a 
 good farmer and highly respected. 
 He held many town offices and lived to 
 the advanced a^re of 81 years. They 
 had but three children, Caroline, who 
 married John H. Knapp, and Charles 
 Jr., who married Caroline Gates, a 
 tine scholar, daughter of the well- 
 known. Prof. William Gates. She 
 died in 1!)01, leaving four sons. Wil- 
 liam, Merton. Julian and Lucien. 
 Fredrick, youngest son of Charles 
 
 Hyde, Sr., married Kate Beardsley. 
 They have six (thildren, Arthur, Kath- 
 rine, Abbic, Frank, Ruth and Lizzie. 
 
 Franklin Hyde, son of Maj. H>de, 
 married Maria Freeman, of Lisle. 
 They lived several years in the house 
 on the farm where Calvin came and 
 settled soon after the Major came, but 
 of whicli Franklin Hyde had become 
 proprietor, but after a few yeai'S he 
 built a nice cottage on the new road 
 on the east end of the farm, which is 
 now owned by the heirs of Kichard 
 Parker. Franklin was the best 
 scholar in the family, and for many 
 years did all the surveving in this |)art 
 of the county. They had four child ri-n 
 of whom only the widow of Col. Eld- 
 ridge survives. 
 
 Another of the early settlers was 
 Nathaniel Bishop, of Lebanon, Mass. 
 He came in 18U2, and bought a lariJfe 
 farm. It is claimed that he built the 
 first frame house in the settlement. It 
 stood a few rods below Mr. Wooster's 
 present residence. It was taken down 
 only a few years ago. He planted an 
 orchard and some of the trees are still 
 standing, but are deca\ ing. and they 
 are being cut for fuel. They are very 
 large — some of them two feet in diam- 
 eter. He sold to Aaron Gaylord, who 
 in after years let his sons, Charles 
 and Elias have it. It is now owned 
 and o;'.cupied by Elias Gaylord 's 
 daughter and her husband, J. K. 
 Wooster. 
 
 Capt.. or judge, or as he was most 
 generally called, Deacon Oliver Sciles 
 from WestHeld, Mass., came in 1800, 
 and bought a large piece of forest 
 land lying north and adjoining the 
 land afterward bought oy Abram 
 Graves, on which he built a house on 
 the east side of the road, and a barn 
 on the west side about one- fourth of a 
 mile north of J. K. Wooster's present 
 residence, also a sawmill on the creek 
 near where John Davis now lives. All 
 these structures are now gone. 
 
 Deacon Stiles was a fair scholar 
 and teacher, a good farmer and busi- 
 ness man, and of strict Puritan princi- 
 ples in which he faithfully instructed 
 his family which was large and re- 
 spectable. He held tnany important 
 town otiices and was for many years 
 Deacon of the Presbyterian Church. 
 After his death the farm came into the 
 possession of his son, the late Simeon 
 
—28- 
 
 Stile3, who sold ninety acres on the 
 wedt side of the road, to the late 
 Walter Davi.s, reserving the lot ou ihe 
 east side of the road where the house 
 formerly stuud, also a ^ood farm tm 
 the west end of the lot, on whicti tie 
 built a trood house and barn, and 
 where he lived until the time of his 
 death in 1903. 
 
 Aaron Gri> lord, of Salisbury, Conn., 
 came in 11S12 and settled on what is 
 now the fai-m belongintf tu»his grand- 
 son, David Gaylord. He had at that 
 time a family of eight children. He 
 moved with a cart and oxen and was 
 ten days on the road. He lived in the 
 house wiih Calvin Hyde until he could 
 build one for himself. He was a 
 blacksmith by trade, and a good one. 
 The old fashioned wrought iron plow 
 share for the wooden plow was his 
 speciality. He bought a large farm, 
 was a good farmer, became wealthy 
 and had a large family of seven sons 
 and four daughters, all of whom be- 
 came highly respectable members of 
 society. Mr. Gaylord lived on the 
 place where he first settled, till his 
 death in 1852, aged 73 years. Himself 
 and all his descendants have ever been 
 noted for their benevolence to all who 
 were in want. 
 
 Gilbert Shaffer, from Hillsdale, 
 Columbia-co., N. Y., came in 181(i, 
 and bought out Ebby Hyde, who lived 
 where VVra. Hyde, son of Charles 
 Hyde, .)r., now lives opposite the M. 
 E. church. He was a weaver by trade, 
 but made a very good farmer. He 
 was not an educated man but he was 
 very anxious that his children should 
 receive a good education, and gave 
 them the best opportunity in his power. 
 Chauneey. his eldest son, became quite 
 a noted lawyer in New York City. 
 Allen enlisted' in the U. S. Navy, 
 where he remained many years, when 
 ill health compelled him to return to 
 his father's house, where not long 
 after he died of consumption. Sarah 
 Ann, the oldest daughter, became a 
 teacher, and wrote some for the press. 
 She married a Mr. Truax, whose vo- 
 cation I do not now recollect. Jane, 
 the younger sister, -staid at home with 
 her parents until she married a man 
 whose name I have forgotten, but he 
 was engaged in the manufacture of 
 glass. George married a Miss Has- 
 brook and moved to New York (Jity. 
 
 Charles the youngest of the family, 
 m.irried and lived at the old home- 
 stead until Ills father's death. Soon 
 after he moved away, and I think he 
 is dead. 
 
 Lemuel Foot, from Dutchess-co., in 
 1817, bought of Mr. Hanchet the farm 
 next west of wlial was called the Bur- 
 gess farm, where Gilbert Walter now 
 lives. They had but three children, 
 two daughters, who died unmarried, 
 and a stm, .)ohn M., who married 
 Ruth Wooster. He died leaving a 
 son and daughter, both still living, as 
 is also the widow. 
 
 Col. John Hyde became the owner 
 of the Burgess farm which he after- 
 wards sold to his brother, George, 
 who sold it to Asaph Walter: it is now 
 in the possession of his sou's widow 
 and her son, Gilbert. The Walter 
 family are enterprising and desirable 
 citizens. 
 
 Morris Smith was an early settler 
 on the farm, a little west of the Lemuel 
 Foot farm, now owned by Albert King, 
 as is the Phelps place, now occupied by 
 his son. 
 
 Obadiah Stephens, formerly from 
 New .Jersey, in 1846 settled on the 
 place owned by his wife, where her 
 daughter and husband (Alexander 
 Dunham) now live. 
 
 At an early day a man from the 
 East, whose name I have forgotten, 
 bought the place now occupied by 
 Squire Allen, cleared a part of it and 
 seeded it with grass seed. He then 
 left for home, leaving it in the care of 
 .John Hyde, saying he should return 
 before very long. Time passed until 
 Mr. Hyde thought it time for him to 
 return. As he did not come Mr. Hyde 
 wrote his friends and inquired why he 
 did not come, and learned that he had 
 not been home and that they knew 
 nothing of his whereabouts. Mr. 
 Hyde paid the taxes as they became 
 due and used the cleared lot for a 
 pasture. Many years passed and still 
 he did not come. At length Henry 
 Knapp proposed to buy it. Mr. Hyde 
 told him that for ten dollars he would 
 give him a quit claim deed, and did 
 so. This was more than 50 years ago 
 and since that time it has been sold 
 several times. 
 
 Abram Graves came at an early day 
 and bought a lot next south of Na- 
 thaniel Bishop and built a large saw- 
 
—29- 
 
 <mi'll wtiicb was afterward made a 
 double mill. This was the best wtter 
 privilege on Castle Creek and did an 
 immense amount of sawino- for those 
 days: might have done more with 1 'ss 
 whiskey. I do not know the exact 
 time when Mr. Graves came, but I 
 think not far from 1820. and 1 think he 
 told me he was from Lebanon, Ct. He 
 had four sons, Edward, who bought 
 and cleared the farm now owned by 
 Harry Deidrick, of Binghamton; 
 Abram, who was never married and 
 died in early life; Munson, who be- 
 came owner of the old homestead, 
 which he traded with Graves Collins 
 for the place now owned by Philo 
 Landers, but formerly by John Lyon; 
 and John, who married and moved to 
 Illinois and became quite wealthy. 
 They are dead, as are also the three 
 
 daughters, , Lucy Ann and 
 
 Catharine. The Graves family were 
 industrious and good neighbors. 
 
 Aarop Loomis of Lebanon, Conn., 
 in 1822, settled on a farm next south 
 of Abram Graves. The family con- 
 sisted of two sons, one of whom was 
 drowned in the Graves mill pond, the 
 other son died in early life: and four 
 daughters, Lora, who married Richard 
 Eldredge; Marcia, who first married 
 Harvey Doubleday. who died leaving 
 two children, George and Eliza Ann, 
 both of whom are still living. She 
 afterward married Augustine Hayes, 
 (son of Elder Caleb Hayes) who sev- 
 eral years after died leaving threa 
 «hildren, a son, Charles J., who owns 
 and occupies the farm first settled by 
 George Dunham, and also a large 
 part of the Loomis farm. He is an 
 enterprising and up to date farmer, a 
 publie spirited citizen and kind neigh- 
 bor and an efficient town officer. The 
 eldest daughter, Ella, married Alvice 
 Dunham. They live in Sullivan-co., 
 Pa. The younger daughter, Ida, 
 married Floyd Stamphler, (son of C. 
 J. Hayes's third wife). They own and 
 occupy the north half of the Loomis 
 farm. Mr. and Mrs. Loomis had two 
 other daughters, Diadama and Claris- 
 sa, neither of whomever married. The 
 family are all dead. Marcia was the 
 last, she died at the advanced age of 
 89 years. The Loomis family was 
 always highly respected in the com- 
 munity. 
 
 Rev. Caleb Hayes of Greene, Che- 
 nango-co., N. Y., came in 1S19, and 
 lived for awhile on the road leading 
 from the Graves farm to Adams-st. , 
 about half a mile east of the Collins 
 farm. He afterwards bought a farm 
 on the Adams Settlement road south 
 of the farm once owned by John Gray 
 and built a house on the west side of 
 the road, where he lived till the time 
 of his death in 1856. at the advanced 
 age of 85 years. He was a man of 
 sterling integrity and for very many 
 years the only Baptist preacher in 
 this part of the county. He had three 
 sons, Jacob, the eldest, who bought 
 and settled on the farm now occupied 
 by Theodore Green. He was an ener- 
 getic farmer and an honest man. He 
 and his wife died several years ago 
 leaving one daughter, Amelia, who 
 sold to Mr. Green and moved with 
 some of her friends to Colorado. The 
 next son was Augustine Hayes, who 
 married the widow Doubleday and 
 lived on the Loomis farm till his 
 death in 1877. His other and youngest 
 son, Caleb, .Ir., married Harriet, 
 daughter of Elder William West, of 
 Castle Creek. They lived with Elder 
 Hayes, and after his father's death 
 erected a neat cottage on the east side 
 of the road, where his son, Eugene, 
 now resides. His widow married Eli 
 Boardmao, who died a few years ago. 
 The widow still survives. 
 
 Elijah Wood was an early settler. 
 I do not know his native place but 
 think he was from Dutchess-co. He 
 came in 1S15 and bought and settled 
 on the place next east of Aaron Gay- 
 lord, on the cross road between Hyde 
 and Adams Settlements. He sold to 
 John Dunham, of Dutchess-co., in 
 1832. The farm is now owned by his 
 grandson, Edgar Dunham. 
 
 John Dunham had a large family of 
 seven sons and four daughters. 
 George first settled on the place where 
 C. J. Hayes now lives, built a log 
 house on the knoll just back of Mr. 
 Hayes's large i*ed barn, cleared a few 
 acres and then sold to Barnum Sheva- 
 lier, who sold to Abner Adams, who 
 gave it to his second wife and she sold 
 it to Mr. Hayes. He and Albert, his 
 brother, then bought and settled in the 
 forest about midway between the creek 
 where Harvey Gray lives and the 
 Nanticoke Creek. They were the first 
 
-30'-' 
 
 settlers on what is no.v called Anoki, 
 but heretofore Dunham Hill. Nelson 
 settled where his son, John, now lives. 
 Abner on the place tha". Talcot;; Alder- 
 man has just sold to Will Smith, but 
 Abner sold and moved to Grand 
 Rapids, Michiii'an. where he became 
 wealthy. Hiram after a time bought 
 the old homestead of his brother, 
 Lewis. John bought and settled on 
 Dunham Hill, opposite George and 
 Albert. Lewis sold the old place and 
 moved to Whitney's Point. He is the 
 only one of his father's sons who still 
 survives. Of the daughters one married 
 Adoniram P^'oot, one married John 
 Satchwell, one Schuyler Holland, and 
 Wealthy, the youngest, married Orrin 
 Harris, and she is the only one of the 
 gilds still living. 
 
 Elias Shevalier, from Dutchess-co., 
 was an early settler on the hill. He 
 built a log house on the place now 
 owned by the heirs of George Ross, 
 on the south side of this road that is 
 between this place and the Stiles farm 
 and near the residence of the late 
 Simeon Stiles. At that time there was 
 no road, and from there to Nanti- 
 coke west was an unbroken wilderness. 
 There were si.x children iu the family, 
 Nelson, Soloiiioi) and .John, and the 
 daughters wei-e Ketsey, Sarah and 
 Chloe. The f.tmily are dead. They 
 in later year.-< l)uilt a good frame 
 house in which no one now lives. 
 They also had <in orchard of excellent 
 fruit which is still in excellent bear- 
 ing. 
 
 John Seymour, of Xorvalk, ('onn., 
 came at an early date. 1 do not know 
 the exact date at which hi^ came, but 
 think it mu>t havi- i.een not iar from 
 1820. He WHS a tailor by UMdc. Lie 
 bought the place iie.\t north, of Dea- 
 con Stiles. He was a uood farmei", 
 and for a time kept a house or enter- 
 tainment. Me was an uprijiht tnaii 
 lived to a g'ood old age. His ehildren 
 were four in number and all of excel- 
 lent character. Anson married a 
 daughter of Ira Se^\mour. Thrv had 
 no children. He bought a large far-m 
 in Nanticoke. afterwards owned by 
 Frank and Wm. Walter (now in 
 possession of Frank Walter and Jas. 
 Gaylord.) He was . quite a business 
 man. He died several years ago. 
 Harry, the younger son, inherited the 
 old homestead, which several years 
 
 after his father's death he sold to Wm-, 
 Beals. Since Mr. Beals's death it has- 
 passed through several hands and is. 
 now in possession of F. Hull of Bing- 
 hamlon. His daughter, Alma Sey- 
 mour, married John Beach, father of 
 the late William Beach, of Whitney's- 
 Point. Anne married Charles Hyde, 
 father of Charles Hyde, Jr. Of* the 
 John Seymour family none now sur- 
 vive. 
 
 John Wooster, from Guilford, Che- 
 nango-co., iu 1841 bous^ht a farm next- 
 to b'ranklin Hyde on the road over 
 Pease Hill. He was the father of 
 six children by his first wife and twelve 
 by his second wife, eighteen in all. Of 
 the children of his first wife I have 
 not much knowledge, but with *)*o.s; of 
 the children of the second wife I have 
 been intimately acquainted. John 
 Wooster was an upright man, an in- 
 dustrious and prosperous farmer, and 
 brought up his large family to respect 
 industrious and good moral habits, 
 and they have oot departed from his 
 instructions. Jasper married Harriet 
 Knapp. Then he bought a farm at 
 Union Centre. He prospered in his 
 farming and was considered the best 
 fai-mer in that locality. They were 
 both highly prized members of the 
 Pre,-) by ten an church, generous and 
 hos,)itable. After her father's death 
 their younger daughter and her hus- 
 band , Albert Thorn, have lived with 
 .Mrs. Wojsler and have charge of the 
 farm, which is a tiood one and well 
 kept. The other daughter, Mrs. 
 NeAcll, lives at Willow Point and are 
 doing a prosperous business there. 
 Another son, John Wooster, married 
 Lucy Adams, and John, .Jr., is an 
 enierprismg farmer two miles below 
 Union Centre. Another son, Phineas, 
 married the lady who is now the wife 
 of .\bel Beach, settled on a farm next 
 below the olu Page farm, and enlisted 
 iu the army whei-e he died during the 
 Rebellion. Another son, Lyman, 
 married Amelia Bowker. He was a 
 blacksmith and a genius. He lived 
 near Whitney's Point till the time of 
 his death. His widow, a very worthy 
 woman, still resides there. Moses, 
 the youngest son, married Jennie 
 Gray. They are in possession of the 
 old homestead which they have very 
 much improved. .James K., another 
 son, married Adalaide Gaylord. 
 
-31- 
 
 They own and occupy the Nathaniel 
 Bishop farm. They may be justly 
 styled the pillars of the M. E. church 
 in Hydeville, of which he is class 
 leader. Their generosity and kind- 
 ness to those in need are bounded only 
 by their ability. 
 
 Of the daughters, Ruth married 
 -John M. Foot, who died severaL yeai'S 
 since. The widow, a liighly respected 
 and worthy woman, still survives. 
 Sarah, another daughter, became the 
 second wife of Asaph Walter. She 
 was highly esteemed by all who knew 
 her. She survived her husband but a 
 few years. 
 
 Another of the early settlers whom I 
 had forgotten to mention was Stephen 
 Foot, from Dutchess-co. He was a 
 shoemaker. He bought and settled on 
 the place where Hiram Gray now re- 
 sides, and run a shop there many 
 years. He was several times elected 
 Justice and for many years was class 
 leader in the M. E. church. Later he 
 sold out and moved to Whitney's 
 Point and continued his business a 
 few years and then moved West, where 
 his only surviving child, Peter, had 
 gone several years before, and where 
 he ended his days at an advanced age. 
 
 Another early purchaser of land in 
 this locality was Mr. Cad well. I do 
 not know whether he built and lived 
 here any time. He soon sold ti) Aarcm 
 Gay lord, who bougnt a large amount 
 of land hereabouts and let his son, 
 George, have this place — ( now owned 
 by Lorin Ford ) also the farm now 
 ownei by Calvin Gaylord. He also 
 gave his son, Henry, a farm through 
 which Adams-st. passed. That part 
 on the west side of the road is in the 
 posS'^ssion of Frank Wentworth and 
 the ]);irt on the opfjosite side is owned 
 by Frank Harrio^^ton. 
 
 And now, friend Lilly, there are 
 many families that came here at a 
 later date that I would gladly notice 
 had I time, but 1 have already written 
 much more than expected, or intended 
 to, owing to people here having sent 
 the paper containing my former letter, 
 to their friends, who formerly lived 
 here, some in Los Angeles and San 
 Juan. California; and in Illinois, 
 Missouri and other localities, who 
 have written back requesting them to 
 send the next paper as they wish to 
 learn something of the whereabouts of 
 
 the descendants of the early settlers, 
 and have tried to give some informa- 
 tion concerning thtni, which I at first 
 was not intending to do. 
 
 The first settlers on Adams-st. also 
 I desire to have noticed, but I will 
 leave them for an abler pen. I would 
 suggest that you apply to Mr. Dexter 
 SDoughton, who is a little older than I 
 am, and lived there long before I 
 came to Broome-co., and is able to 
 give you a far better account of the 
 first settlers than I could. 
 
 1 would also like to give you a his- 
 tory of the first settlers on Dunham 
 Hill — the Myricks, Greens and others, 
 who came in later, but at present have 
 not time to do so; perhaps at a later 
 date I may do so if desired. 
 
 And now, wishing you success in 
 your undertaking, and hoping to hear 
 from you soon and often, for the pres- 
 ent, I bid you adieu, 
 
 H. M. White. 
 Hydeville, N. Y.. Februai-y 29, Um. 
 
 Recollections of Early Castle Creek 
 Schools. 
 
 BY MRS. JULIAETTE ALDERMAN ROCK- 
 WOOD. 
 
 T find in the ''History of Broome 
 County," mention of a log school 
 house whicli stood at the foot of 
 '•Clierry Uidge" (north side) near 
 where Charles N. Dunham now lives, 
 built about 1814. The first school was 
 held in it the winter of 1815. Cannot 
 learn the teacher's name. The second 
 school house was built as early as 
 1830. perhaps earlier. It stood near 
 the present site of the M. E. Church. 
 My brothers .Jerome, Israel and Edwin 
 Alderman first attended school there. 
 Phoebe Lamoreaux was the teacher in 
 1832. Cynthia Lilly was one of the 
 earlier teachers and if there were any 
 others previous to 1832 I have no 
 means of knowing who they were. My 
 sister, Mrs. Abigail Alderman Cun- 
 ningham, of Anamosa, la., informs 
 me that Sally Lilly was her first 
 teacher, about 1833. Next was 
 Susanna Glines — not noted for her 
 loving kindness to the little ones. 
 Next Eliza Seward, of kind and lov- 
 ing disposition. Then came Amanda 
 Reed, a cousin of Isaac Livermore, 
 whose successors were .John Wire, 
 
—32— 
 
 Lydia Harrington, William Harrine- 
 ton, (the latter noted for despotic 
 cruelty), Eli Blair, Alendaand Eunice 
 Temple, daughters of Capt. James 
 Temple. Alenda was my bi-other, 
 Talcott's first teacher, about ISiW. 
 Jane Bowen Dayton tells me that her 
 first remembrance of this school was 
 the winter of 1838. Her people then 
 lived at Union, N. Y. She boarded 
 with her annt, Mrs. Amos Adams, 
 ( Adams Street. ) Her teacher's nanie 
 was Peckham — "and he (7/(7 peel- 'im 
 too." The following year her father, 
 Isaac Bowen, moved into the Lilly 
 district and from thence to Castle 
 Creek the next year. Pamelia Liver- 
 more was the teacher in the summers 
 of 1840 and '41. I well recollect her as 
 my first teacher in this school: 1 was 
 not yet three years old — was not sent 
 to school, but allowed to go, because 
 I cried to go with my older brothers 
 and sisters. I well remember that 
 first school, young as I was. There 
 was a huge fire place, and being in 
 the summer time, it was filled with 
 evergreens, out even with the hearth. 
 I can even now see the mice peep up 
 through the cracks and a daring one 
 venture out into the room and scurry 
 about, to the great amusement of us 
 little ones, but to the great annoyance 
 of our teacher, who sometimes would 
 throw her ruler so straight as to for- 
 ever silence the mischievous intruder. 
 No school days before my tenth year 
 do I remember more vividly than this 
 one. The teacher 1 loved with my 
 little whole heart; she read the Bible 
 and prayed every morning, allowing 
 me to bit and then kneel beside her, 1 
 being the youngest of all her numerous 
 flock. I recall how each class in read- 
 ing and spelling had to ''toe the 
 crack" in the floor, hands folded be- 
 hind them when spelling, how, when 
 one missed a word, the next who 
 spelled correctly took the place nearer 
 "the head," for when the pupil got to 
 the head they were granted a mark of 
 credit. 1 also recall the colors and 
 pattern of clothing then worn by many 
 of the scholars, showing how lasllny 
 are the first impressions of our child- 
 hood, more lasting than many sup- 
 pose and a thought for our elders to 
 consider, having the care of the little 
 ones. As near as 1 can learn, this 
 school house was burned down in the 
 
 fall or early winter of 1843. My 
 father's family was then set oft' fmm 
 this, to the Lilly district. Soon after, 
 a new house was built near where 
 William Slattery now lives. Harry 
 Lyon was a teacher for two or three 
 winter terms; Pamelia Livermore 
 several summers. Michael White was 
 teacher for two or three winter terms. 
 Jane Bowen Dayton says that he was 
 the best teacher she ever had. Eli 
 Blair was another old time teacher. 
 He taught this school many winter 
 terms: was a most excellent teacher, 
 jolly, kind, true, firm; a good disci- 
 plinarian. He required strict attention 
 to study in school hours, but was a 
 boy with the boys and girls too, out- 
 side, tho' a man well on in years, 
 with a large family of boys and girls 
 of his OWL), when the writer was one of 
 his pupils in the winter of 1853-4, 
 about the last of his teaching. Charles 
 and Alfred Pease, sons of Chester 
 Pease, were early teachers in this 
 school. Others were Lucy Leach, 
 Jane Bowen, both model teachers; 
 Emeline Smith, a relative of the fami- 
 ly of Milton Stevens: Revillo K. Pal- 
 mer, of Kattelville, was teacher in 
 1857. Others following were: Hattie 
 Follett, Achsah L. Lilly, Dwight 
 French, Frank P. Blair, son of Eli, 
 now a physician at Waverly, N. Y., 
 Loui:ia Blair (Mrs. John Knapp), 
 Eraeretta Payne, Pamelia Huntley, 
 Mary Sparkes, Mortimer Lawrence, 
 Frauk Brooks, (a number of winter 
 terms ); Almeda VVoodworth, (Lisle), 
 Hattie Blair, daughter of Edson, 
 Delia Fuller— afterward a missionary. 
 About 18(58 the present school building 
 was erected, near the center of the 
 village. About this time a select 
 school was opened and taught by a 
 Mr. Kellogg, in the hall over the 
 James Bristol store, now the residence 
 of Clement L. French. 
 
 Teachers in the new school house 
 were, first, Nettie P. Clark, now a 
 teacher in Binghamtou; others were, 
 M. J. Gale, Lucy J. Strong, Elmore 
 G. Page, Frank Brooks, Dora An- 
 drews, Mary St. John, Mrs. Wilber 
 Howard, Coe Tyler, John Brown, 
 Merton Hyde, Katherine Hyde, Mrs. 
 Dyer, Sadie Heacock, L. D. Wires, 
 Walter Mix, Ada McDermott, Albert 
 Pope, Celia Dunham, Charles Green, 
 Mary Gilbert, Louisa ^^Qntgomery, 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^it-C(/ 
 
 a^'h.^ <^^ y\ 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 014 222 267 fi