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VICINITY. 
 
 1781-1881. 
 
 Compiled by E. Norman Leslie. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 CHAS. P. CORNELL, 
 
 AUBURN, N. Y, 
 

 PRESS OF MESSRS. KNAPP & PECK, 
 
 AUBURN, N. Y., 
 
 Publishers of Daily Advertiser and Auburn Journai 
 
PREFACE 
 
 THIS work has been executed from a desire 
 to inform the citizens of Skaneateles and 
 Vicinity, of the present day, of the historical events 
 occurring in the last century. It . has been a 
 subject of much attention and study for a few 
 years past, by Mr. E. N. Leslie, who has been to 
 much trouble and expense, collecting the facts and 
 incidents herein published. Much credit is due him 
 for the same. 
 
History of Skaneateles. 
 
 IT will be appropriate in writing the History of 
 Skaneateles, to begin at the earliest period, 
 consequently we will commence with the compara- 
 tively short limit of one hundred years ago, 1781. 
 At that time, the place where are now situated our 
 pleasant homes, our shady and broad avenues, our 
 marts of business and manufacturing, our schools, 
 these fertile farms and all the accessories of civil- 
 ization, was a dense and almost impenetrable forest 
 filled with underbrush, without a white resident, 
 within, perhaps, a hundred miles. Indian trails along 
 the lake shore, and the locality only now and then 
 visited by hunters and trappers. 
 
 One hundred years is but a short limit of time ; a 
 number of our own population have nearly reached 
 the age of one hundred years. The Egyptian obelisk, 
 
8 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 of which we are all familiar, now erected in New 
 York, is 3,500 years old ; it is by comparisons that 
 we can perceive the limited space of one hundred 
 years. 
 
 At the commencement of the Revolutionary war, 
 in 1776, Congress offered a bounty to the officers and 
 soldiers who should enlist and serve during the war, 
 of both money and land. At the close of the war, 
 in 1783, the Legislature of the State of New York, 
 took action with regard to these promised bounty 
 lands, not only with a view of discharging the 
 aforesaid engagement of Congress, but, in consider- 
 ation of the virtue and patriotism of the troops of 
 New York, to add thereto a large gratuity of State 
 lands. 
 
 As a consequence the Legislature passed an 
 act defining the ratio of lands to be given to each 
 private and to officers of each grade. There are 
 two kinds of granted lands, one called gratuity, and 
 the other bounty. By an act passed February 28, 
 1789, the Surveyor General was directed to lay out- 
 the tracts of land, which are now known as " the 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 9 
 
 military lots." On the ist of January, 1791, the 
 Commissioners of the Land Office proceeded to 
 determine claims and to ballot for each individual's 
 share. From that time soldiers began to sell their 
 bounty lands, and even before that date they sold 
 their claims to any one who wished to purchase, and 
 it is a singular fact that soldiers would sell their 
 claims over and over again to whoever would make 
 an offer for them. Our county records, made at an 
 early day, show many owners of each military lot in 
 this town. In consequence, the courts became 
 overflowed with business, relating to these contested 
 -claims, scarcely a lot in the whole military tract, 
 but became more or less a subject of litigation. Final- 
 ly the Legislature passed a law, appointing a Board of 
 Commissioners with full power to hear, examine, 
 award and determine all disputes respecting the titles 
 to any and all the military bounty lands. The 
 action of this Board prevented further litigation and 
 the real owners were placed in quiet possession of 
 their lands. 
 
IO HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 HOW THE PIONEERS CAME. 
 
 From the time of the survey of the military lots 
 in 1794, the tide of emigration from the eastern 
 section of this State, and from the New England 
 States began to flow to this part of the State. Usu- 
 ally, pioneers came in the summer and fall, on foot 
 and on horseback, prospecting in search of homes. 
 But winter was most propitious for the removal of 
 their families and goods. The snows of winter were 
 distributed evenly over the ground, and laid per- 
 manently protected from drifts by the dense forests. 
 The long winters gave ample time for the journeys, 
 which were often interrupted by impassible streams 
 and thaws. This was fortunate for emigration at 
 that early period, as the highway during the summer 
 season was so much obstructed by roots and stumps 
 as to render traveling very difficult in conveyances 
 on wheels. There were no four wheeled wagons in 
 those days. Two wheeled vehicles were only used. 
 
 For many years there was to be seen on the 
 Genesee road in the winter season, an almost unbrok- 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. I I 
 
 en procession of loads of people with goods, drawn 
 either by oxen or horses, accompanied by herds of 
 cattle and cows to settle this great wilderness. In 
 1803, the Seneca Turnpike was chartered, and soon 
 after it was laid out six rods wide, the trees being 
 cut away to the whole width, and the roadway thrown 
 up in the centre to get the benefit of the sun's rays, 
 and render the road as dry as possible. This road 
 extended from Utica to Canandaigua, and was a 
 continuation of the Mohawk Turnpike, thus affording 
 a regular turnpike communication from Albany to 
 Canandaigua. There was a great tide of emigration 
 which came over this road, destined to the western 
 part of this State, and to the Western Reserve in 
 Ohio. 
 
 The Genesee country, in the western part of the 
 State, was settled previously to this, and there hav- 
 ing been no roads through the State, the emigration 
 to it was by water up the Mohawk, through Oneida 
 Lake and River, and up the Seneca River and Lake. 
 On the completion of the turnpike, the travel 
 westward passed wholly through this place. About 
 
12 HISTORY OF SKA*NEATELES. 
 
 the year 1800 merchandise was transported in large 
 covered wagons, drawn by four horses. 
 
 The town of Marcellus is one of the original 
 townships in the military tract, that consisted of 
 lands which were assigned by the State of New York 
 to the Revolutionary soldiers of the New York line 
 as premiums or bounty lands. A lot one mile square 
 was given to each soldier, except a certain portion 
 which was reserved to defray the expenses of survey- 
 ing and other contingencies. The names assigned 
 to the townships, were selected by the Surveyor- 
 General DeWitt, and officers of the Government 
 before any settlements were made. This accounts 
 for the singularity of the names, which were taken 
 principally from distingushed men of ancient Greece 
 and Rome. Some of them were distinguished as 
 poets, orators, statesmen, and some as military com- 
 manders ; a few were taken from prominent literary 
 men of England, as Dryden, Milton and Locke. 
 
 The townships of the military tract were equal to 
 ten miles square, and were divided by surveys into ' 
 one hundred lots, one mile square. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 1 3 
 
 Settlements once made, prepared the way for ac- 
 cessions, and accordingly we find that the population 
 increased rapidly from year to year by the constantly 
 incoming tide of emigration from the east. 
 
 At the time this part of the country was settled, 
 our fathers were groping in almost utter darkness, so 
 far as a knowledge of the sciences was concerned, and 
 but little progress had been made in invention and 
 the arts ; scarcely one of the modern contrivances 
 for cooking, and for warming and lighting dwellings 
 was known. Not a pound of coal had been burned 
 in the country. Not any iron stoves were used, 
 and no contrivances for economizing heat were em- 
 ployed. Ail cooking and warming was clone by the 
 aid of fire, kindled upon the stone hearth or the oven. 
 Pine knots, instead of tallow candles, furnished the 
 light for the long winter evenings, and bare floors 
 supplied the place of rugs and carpets. The water 
 used for household purposes was drawn from deep 
 wells by a creaking " sweep." No form of pump 
 was used in this part of the country, so far as can be 
 learned, until after the commencement of the present 
 
14 HISTORY OF SKAXEATEI.ES. 
 
 century. There were no friction matches in those 
 days, by the aid of which a fire could be speedily 
 kindled. And if the fire went out upon the hearth 
 over night, and the tinder was damp, so that the spark 
 would not "catch," the alternative remained of wading 
 through the snow a mile or so, to borrow a brand of 
 a neighbor. Only one room in any house was 
 warmed, (unless some of the family were ill) ; in all 
 the rest, the temperature was at zero during many 
 nights in winter ; the men and women of those days 
 undressed and retired to their beds at night, in an 
 atmosphere colder than that of our modern barns and 
 wood sheds, and they never complained. No hot 
 air furnaces tempered the wintery air in their dwellings, 
 and they slept soundly in the cold. The cooking 
 was very simple ; the nature of the food plain and 
 substantial. But few dishes were seen upon the 
 table ; pork and cabbage, corn bread and milk, with 
 bean porridge and potatoes, were about the usual 
 forms of food consumed. 
 
ARLY riONEERS 
 
 THE first settler of which we have an)' account, 
 was John Thompson. He located on military 
 lot No. 1 8 ; his deed, as recorded in the Count)' Clerk's 
 office, is dated 1794, Abraham Hardenburgh to John 
 Thompson, of the town of Mexico, Herkimer county. 
 The consideration, his services while employed in as- 
 certaining the jurisdiction line between the States of 
 New York and Pennsylvania, and since during three 
 successive summers, employed in surveying the Mili- 
 tary Lands, as well as in consideration of five shillings 
 lawful money of the State of New York. Fifty 
 acres. 
 
 Abraham A. Cuddeback came here from the town 
 of Minnisink, Orange county. New York. He started 
 from there on the 2d of May, 1794, in a wagon with 
 three yoke of cattle, one two-year-old colt and twelve 
 
1 6 HISTORY OF SKAXKATKI.ES. 
 
 cows. He brought with them his wife and eight 
 children, and came by the way of Albany, and was for- 
 ty-three days on the road, arriving here June 14th, 
 1794. Where Utica now is, there were only two 
 buildings, and between there and Onondaga Hill, 
 there were no houses. When he arrived here, there 
 were no houses or log cabins, within the locality 
 where the village is now situated. The forest on the 
 lake shore was so impenetrable for teams and cattle, 
 that he had to construct a raft from the mouth of the 
 outlet, in order to get his effects and family to his 
 destination on the west shore of the lake. His place 
 is now ornamented with the beautiful residence of 
 Dr. S. Hurd. The east end of the old barn, 
 which was taken down by the order of Dr. Hurd, a 
 year or two ago, was erected by Mr. Cuddeback, and 
 was the first frame building put up in this town. 
 When Cuddeback and his family arrived here, there 
 were five wigwams occupied by Indians, located at 
 the spring where C. W. Allis erected his house some 
 years ago, and which is now owned by John M. Nye. 
 The first four years, the settlers had to carry their 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. \J 
 
 grain to a mill, where Utica is now situated, to be 
 ground. The first mill in this vicinity, was built at 
 Onondaga Valley, in 1798. The first wheat raised 
 by Mr. Cuddeback, in 1796 and '97, he carried to 
 Albany. Among other necessaries needed by him 
 was nails, so he traded part of his wheat to 
 procure them — a bushel of wheat for a pound of 
 nails. Mr. Cuddeback died, October 22, 1831, aged 
 73 years ; he was a descendant of the Huguenots, 
 who originally settled in Orange county. 
 
 Another early settler, was Col. Elijah Bowen, who 
 with his family located on the farm, now owned by 
 C. C. Wyckoff, as early as 1794. Col. Bowen had a 
 brother, whose name was Benajah, who lived on the 
 farm next east of Mr. Rickard's. The log houses 
 owned by these two brothers, were the only ones in 
 that vicinity, and the road leading to them, was for a 
 long time called the " Bowen Road." Col. Bowen 
 was afterwards a soldier of the war of 1812. He died 
 in Wisconsin, January 5, 1861, aged 81 years. (It is 
 very doubtful whether Col. Bowen came here as ear- 
 ly as "94, as he was only 14 years old at that date. 
 
18 HISTORY OF SKANEA TELES. 
 
 A very unlikely age to take up land and erect a log 
 house.) It has been found that elderly gentlemen 
 are very deficient in the matter of naming a specific 
 date of early occurrences. There were really no 
 other pioneers, except, perhaps, Cuddeback and 
 Thompson, who came here as early as 1794, as the 
 titles of the military lots were not secure, and no ac- 
 tion had been taken by the Legislature to correct this 
 state of affairs, until January, 1794, and the Board of 
 Commissioners who were empowered to determine the 
 true ownership, were not appointed until 1797. 
 John Thompson acquired his title through the Sur- 
 veyor-General, and Mr. Cuddeback through the same 
 undisputed source. 
 
 Bethuel Cole came into this part of the country 
 in 1794. He was both a farmer and blacksmith. 
 Cole lived about a mile west of the " Red House," 
 on a path through the woods which led to Harden- 
 burgh's Corners. This same path now constitutes 
 the north road to Auburn from Willow Glen. He 
 had a son by the name of Elijah, who settled on 
 what is now known as the Community farm. He after 
 
 
history of skaneateles. 19 
 
 wards moved further north on the edge of the town 
 of Eibridge, where he died. 
 
 In the year 1794, John Shepard and Zalmon 
 Terrell, brother-in-law of John Shepard, came from 
 the town or Newton, Fairfield county, Conn., and 
 settled in what is now known as the " Shepard 
 Settlement." Terrell bought one hundred acres 
 from Gould Steel, on military lot No. 5. They put 
 up a house, as they called it then, of logs, and split 
 basswood for the floor, and shingled it with " shucks," 
 as they called them, that is, oak rived out like staves 
 three feet long, and laid on ribs. They had a blanket 
 for a window, and the door was so constructed as 
 to enable them to draw in back-logs with a horse. 
 They cleared off a few acres and planted it to corn, 
 and when hoeing, Nathan Kelsey came down and 
 said to them, tk it seems to me that you are digging 
 your potatoes pretty early ;" he having mistaken the 
 round gravel stones for potatoes, with which the 
 ground was filled. 
 
 The next winter Terrell went east and brought 
 back his wife and family, and in 1796, John Shepard 
 
20 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 bought one hundred acres of land on lot No. 12, and 
 was married the same year. He went out across 
 Cayuga Lake with an ox team and sled after wheat, 
 and on his return, when coming across the lake, his 
 team broke through the ice, and his wheat got wet. 
 He came as far as Hardenburgh's Corners. There 
 was then a mill at Clarksville, where he left his grist, 
 and the miller agreed to dry the wheat, but when 
 he went after it, the miller had not done anything 
 with it, in consequence of which his family had to 
 live on musty bread that year. He had built hiirp 
 a house on his land, and one morning just before day 
 break, he heard his hog squeal out in the woods ; he 
 ran to the door, and his hog was but a little ways off. 
 Instead of taking his gun, he caught up a pitchfork 
 that was standing close by, and ran towards the hog, 
 when he found an old bear with it, gnawing it on the 
 shoulder. He threw the fork at the bear, whether it 
 hit him or not, he did not stay to see, for the bear 
 left the hog and took after him. He ran and 
 climbed up a tree, and then began to halloo, and 
 Terrell soon heard him, and ran out there, but there 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 21 
 
 was no bear to be seen, but they got up the story 
 that when Terrell got there, instead of being up a 
 tree, Shepard sat on the ground, clasping the tree 
 for fear he would fall. 
 
 His first child was born July 4th, 1798, who has 
 since been known as Major Shepard — the Gazeteer 
 states that Stephen Zoles was the first child born, but 
 Major was more than a year older than Stephen. 
 Three other brothers and a sister came, and they all 
 had large families. There are none left but Edward 
 Shepard and his family. 
 
 Jacob Annis came from Orange count}-, in 1795, 
 and settled on the land now known as the Lapham 
 place, on the west side of the lake. In 1806, he 
 kept a tavern at this same place. He acquired his 
 title from Simeon DeWitt, Surveyor-General of the 
 State. Annis was related by marriage with the 
 DeWitt family. 
 
 William Clift came from Vermont, in the year 
 1795, in the month of March, when there was not 
 a house where this village is now situated, and but 
 one at Hardenburgh's Corners, (now Auburn.) He 
 
22 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 settled with his father, on the same farm which 
 he occupied at the time of his death, having lived 
 more than sixty-seven years on the same premises, 
 Gift's Corners. He died in Sennett, October 18th, 
 1862, aged eighty-four years. 
 
 James Ennis and his wife, occupied part of the 
 Moses DeWill farm, on the west shore of the lake in 
 1795, being part of lots Nos. 35 and 37. 
 
 Timothy Coleman and his wife, had a portion of 
 the above premises in their possession in the same 
 year. 
 
 General Robert Earll left Whitehall, Washington 
 county, N. Y., January, 1794, and came to Onondaga 
 Hollow; he lived there one year, and came to this 
 place in January, 1796. Earll built a log house, on 
 the site of the frame house, now occupied by Win. 
 Samuels, at Willow Glen. 
 
 Nehemiah H. PLarll was born in Whitehall, Wash- 
 ington county, N. V., October 5th, 1787, and ac- 
 companied his father, General Robert Earll, to this 
 place, January 1796. Daniel Watson and Nehemiah 
 were bovs of about the same a^e. (Watson's father 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 23 
 
 with his family accompanied General Karll from 
 Whitehall. These boys were constant companions, 
 one of their early exploits, was to dig up a bark ca- 
 noe from the debris, on the bank of the lake, near 
 the mouth of the outlet. 
 
 Nehemiah went to study law with Daniel Kel- 
 logg, in the spring of 1805. Among other students 
 who associated with him at this time, were William 
 Price and David Hyde. The former was a son of 
 Judge Price of Owasco, and was the smartest young 
 man in the office ; he afterwards became intemperate 
 and turned out poorly. 
 
 It is believed that the first white child born in 
 this place, was the late Charles Pardee, who was 
 born in the year of 1796, and died April, 1878, thus 
 making him about %2 years of age. Mr. P., during 
 his day was one of the most active business men in 
 this vicinity. 
 
 John Briggs came here in I796from where Owasco 
 is now situated. Briggs at one time held the office 
 of Justice of the Peace. 
 
 Sabin Elliot was the first settler in what is now 
 
24 history of skaneatei.es. 
 
 known as Mottville, and was a squatter on land be- 
 longing to the Schenectady College. Elliot was also 
 a laborer and a whiskey drinker — died poor. 
 
 About 1798, Warren Hecox came to this place, 
 and the following tale is said to have been related 
 by him : 
 
 " In 1799, there was an uncommon scarcity of 
 grain, and I had to send to Scipio, twenty miles, and 
 pay $2.50 for one bushel of wheat. I could only 
 raise money enough to purchase a single bushel at a 
 time. I hired a horse at fifty cents a clay, and sent 
 a boy eighteen miles to Montville, in Sempronius, to 
 get the bushel ground which took two days ; the 
 mills at Auburn and Camillus having stopped run- 
 ning on account of the draught of that season." 
 
 Many of his neighbors were in a worse perdica- 
 ment, for they could get neither money or wheat. 
 
 Nathan Kelsey resided in these parts about the 
 year 1798. 
 
 The region of Thorn Hill was first settled in 1799. 
 David Earll, Eleazer Burns, Nathan Turner and 
 John Wiltsie arrived there on the 1st day of March 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 25 
 
 in that year. They removed in company from 
 Washington county in sleighs. 
 
 Benjamin Gumear, came from Orange county to 
 this locality in 1799, and settled on the farm now- 
 owned by Obadiah Thorne. Benjamin was a father 
 of the late Harvey Gumear of this place. 
 
 Jesse Kellogg was born in Hartford, Conn., in 
 1758. In the year 1800 he came to this village and 
 bought the mills, and in 1807 he removed on to the 
 farm now owned by Obadiah Thorne. He after- 
 wards purchased the Loomis farm, on east hill, near 
 Marcellus, where he resided until his death, in 181 1. 
 
 Col. Dorastus Lawrence came here from Vermont, 
 in the year 1801. He was one of the pioneers in this 
 section of the country, and w r as more or less identi- 
 fied with the early history and business of Onondaga 
 county. During the war of '12, he was captain 
 of the militia company, which comprised both Skan- 
 eateles and Marcellus, and marched with it to repel 
 the British at Oswego. Lawrence died February 
 nth, '62, in the seventy-sixth year of his age. 
 
26 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES, 
 
 Peter E. Gumear and James Ennes came here 
 about the first year of this century. 
 
 In 1803, Moses Loss and his family, lived in a 
 new small one story frame house, on the lot now- 
 owned by John Kellogg. A log house stood in the 
 rear of this house, and Sylvester Roberts, a black- 
 smith, lived in it. 
 
 David Seymour and wife, settled on one hundred 
 acres, in millitary lot No. 37, on the west shore of 
 the lake in 1804. In the same year he sold fifty 
 acres to Stephen Gardner. Mr. Seymour was a 
 shoemaker by trade, and Col. Hecox learned his 
 trade from him. He also had a brick kiln on 
 his place. 
 
 Isaac Mills, settled on lot No. 61, in Marcellus, in 
 the month of May, 1803. He, accompanied by his 
 wife and daughter, came from Stillwater, Saratoga 
 county. Timothy Mills, his son, now lives on the 
 same farm. 
 
 Daniel Kellogg became a resident of this village, 
 in the spring of 1803. He was born in Williamstown, 
 Mass., April 19th, 1780. After spending two years 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 27 
 
 as a student in Williams College, he studied law in 
 the office of Abraham Van Vechten, of Albany, and 
 was admitted at the bar, October, 1800. and the next 
 year he began the practice of law at Auburn, then a 
 hamlet of only a few scattering houses. In 1802, he 
 was married in that place to Laura Hyde, and in the 
 following year he removed to this village. Kello<>-<>- 
 soon became famous, both as a lawyer and financer, 
 and in the year of '13 he was appointed District-At- 
 torney for the counties of Onondaga, Cayuga, 
 Chenango and Cortland, and discharged the duties 
 of the office with signal ability for three years. 
 Elected President of the Bank of Auburn, in '18 ; he 
 held this important financial station until his death, 
 which occurred May 4th, '36. 
 
 Kellogg's gardner was an Englishman, and was 
 celebrated for his early vegetables, which were forced 
 under glass. He was the only one who raised early 
 stock and his garden was the resort of all who were 
 curious in such matters. 
 
 Elijah Parsons, father of Moses and John Par- 
 sons, came to this place from Northampton, Mass.. 
 
28 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 in 1805. He died October 26th, '62, at the age of 
 eighty-three years. 
 
 Nathan Miller, was born in Cherry Valley, Otsego 
 county, March 29th, 1796, and came to this place in 
 February, 1807. Miller was a harness maker by 
 trade. He died in this village, March 16th, '75. 
 
 Ambrose Hecox, was born in Massachusetts, came 
 to Scipio, Cayuga county, in 1802, and resided there 
 until 18 12, when he came here. He purchased a two 
 acre lot in the village, from Sylvester Roberts, and 
 soon after built a house in which he commenced bus- 
 iness for the manufacture of chairs, furniture and 
 sleighs, but his principal business was the former. 
 He made all the chairs used in this section of the 
 country in a circuit of fifty miles. All the newly 
 married people procured their furniture from him. 
 His business at one time was very extensive, and 
 comprised repairs of all kinds. About the year of 
 '17, Daniel Kellogg sent his splendid family carriage, 
 (which at that time was the only fine vehicle in this 
 part of the country), to Hecox to be repaired, and 
 while there it was inspected by all the school 
 
history of skaneateles. 29 
 
 children, who looked upon it as being something un- 
 usually grand. When Augustus Kellogg brought his 
 bride home, they were driven in grand style to and 
 from the Presbyterian church in this carriage. Of 
 course, a sensation was produced among the plebian 
 members of the congregation. This same antiquated 
 coach, is now stored in one of the barns of the old 
 Kellogg place. 
 
 Hecox died in Gibson, Steuben county, September 
 27th, '6o, aged eighty years. 
 
 Buttler S. Wolcott came to this place from Onei- 
 da county, in 1824 and in '25 commenced his business 
 life as clerk to Phares Gould. This store was on the 
 north side of Genesee street, next west to where Mrs. 
 Wheeler now resides. He remained with Mr. Gould 
 two or three years. He went into business in 1832 
 with Dr. Samuel Porter, under the firm name of K. 
 S. Wolcott & Co., and afterward dissolved and 
 formed a partnership with Mr. J. Gordon Porter un- 
 der the same firm name. In '37 he took in as part- 
 ner Lorenzo Carter. This connection not being 
 genial, the partnership was again dissolved and he 
 
30 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 continued in business individually. The store he oc- 
 cupied was frame and situated near the middle of 
 the present row of stores. He held the office of 
 Deputy Sheriff after his connection with Dr. Samuel 
 Porter. In the year '48 he removed to Gibson, Stu- 
 ben county, and built a steam saw mill and continued 
 to reside there until his death. April 19th, 1855, he 
 went out gunning in the morning of that day and 
 while in the woods was attacked with heart difficulty 
 and lay down on the ground until a neighbor came 
 along in a carriage. He was assisted into the vehi- 
 cle and before reaching home was so distressed that 
 he could ride no further and from thence was carried 
 home in a litter about 3 o'clock P. M., and died the 
 same day at 9 P. M. 
 
Early Industries 
 
 LTNDER this head the reader will find a list of 
 ' the Early Industries in this locality. 
 
 Judge Jedediah Sanger erected the first grist and 
 saw mills at the outlet of the lake, in 1796. 
 
 The first tannery in this locality was established 
 by Gen. Robert Earll, in 1799. It was located on 
 Skaneateles Creek, south of the present site of the 
 factory at Willow Glen. 
 
 Mr. Earll also carried on shoemaking about 1797, 
 and as his business increased in this line he em- 
 ployed many journeymen at the trade, he was the 
 first shoemaker hereabouts. 
 
 The first dam across the outlet was constructed 
 by General Robert Earll, at what is now known as 
 Willow Glen, Mr. Earll erected a saw mill and a 
 
32 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 grist mill there ; this was before Sanger built the 
 mill dam here. 
 
 Dr. Hall is on record as one of the first physicians 
 in this village, as early as 1796. In "97 appeared Dr. 
 Munger and Dr. Samuel Porter. Dr. Porter prac- 
 tised here forty or more years and died. He was 
 possessed of wonderful energy and acquired quite a 
 name as a surgeon. Probably no physician at that 
 day had a larger ride than Dr. Porter. 
 
 The first tavern that we know anything about, in 
 this place, was one that was kept by Lovell Gibbs, 
 about 1797, and was constructed of logs. We can 
 not state where this building was located. 
 
 Robert and Jonas Earll built the first distillery, 
 near where Watson built his house, on -the road lead- 
 ing from the Red House to the outlet, a few rods 
 east and a little north of the Watson house. This 
 was about the year 1800. The grain used was about 
 six bushels a day, and as fast as it could be distilled 
 it was sold at seventy-five cents a gallon. It yielded 
 about two gallons to a bushel of wheat, which was 
 considered a good yield in those days. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATEI.ES. 33 
 
 The first bridge was built by the Seneca Road 
 Company in 1 800. It was 24 rods long by 24 feet 
 wide, and stood upon 14 posts. When it was re- 
 built the second time, in '42, its length was re- 
 duced to 24 feet. The iron bridge spanning the 
 outlet at present was erected by the State in '71 by 
 a special act of the Legislature. 
 
 Tailoring was carried on in 1803, D >' a man D >' the 
 name of O'Keefe and his son, who resided near the 
 large elm tree, (now in the rear of George Barrow's 
 house.) O'Keefe was the first in that business. 
 
 A man by the name of Thomas Greeves, was also 
 a tailor in this place about this time. 
 
 The first store in this town was owned by Winston 
 Day in 1803, who built a house of basswood split 
 slabs, on military lot No. 2J, when he first came into 
 this locality, and sold goods in this building before 
 he built the store on the Lake House Lot. Day's 
 first store was located on the same place which John 
 S. Furman afterwards purchased, north o\ where F. 
 G. Weeks now resides. 
 
34 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 Henry Danforth succeeded Winston Day on the 
 Lake House site as a merchant, and afterwards went 
 to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. 
 
 Soon after 1803, Norman Leonard established 
 himself as a merchant, and his store was on the 
 north side of Genesee street. 
 
 John Meeker afterwards opened a store here, and 
 Phares Gould was his confidential clerk. John had 
 several stores in other parts of the county, having 
 confidential clerks in all of them, while he devoted 
 his time to purchasing goods for the supply of his 
 different establishments, and in a general supervision 
 of them all. 
 
 Phares Gould afterward opened a store on his 
 own account, and Stephen Horton was his clerk. 
 
 A man by the name of Sabin was the first black- 
 smith in this village ; he had a shop built of logs, 
 which was located thirty rods east of Julius Earll's 
 house. Sabin was intemperate and as a consequence, 
 poor. Afterwards he sold out his shop to John 
 Legg, who first worked there in 1804, soon after his 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELESi 35 
 
 arrival in this part of the country. Legg lived in a 
 small house, where Thomas Y. Avery now lives. 
 
 Judge Sanger owned an ashery on the lake shore, 
 on the present James E. Porter place. The lake 
 shore, where the brick stores now stand, was then a 
 grove of forest trees. Stumps of trees peered in the 
 water for some considerable distance out in the 
 lake. 
 
 The first carpenter that we have any knowledge 
 of was a man by the name of Lusk, he framed and 
 built the frame building known as the "Red House." 
 Most of the frame buildings which were erected in 
 early times were painted red. Lusk also framed and 
 built the first barn, and afterwards returned to 
 Whitestown, from which he originally came. 
 
 Isaac Selover, was also one of the most noted 
 carpenters in this vicinity, he lived in an unpainted 
 frame house on the site where Dr. Campbell now 
 resides. Afterwards he built a small frame dwelling 
 on the rear of the same lot. 
 
 The Post Ofifice was established in this place in 
 the year of 1804, and the first post-master was Wm. 
 
$6 HISTORY OF SKANEATKLES. 
 
 J. Vredenburg, and his successors were John Ten 
 Eyke, and Charles J. Burnett ; the latter held this 
 position for twenty-six years. 
 
 The following is a list of the names, locations and 
 occupations of those who lived here and in this vi- 
 cinity seventy-five years ago — 1806. The names 
 were taken from an old ledger, which was kept by 
 one of the merchants doing business here in that 
 year, and the location of each was furnished by the 
 late Nathaniel Miller. 
 
 Aaron Austin, farmer and clothier, on the Frank 
 Austin farm. 
 
 Robert Aldridge, farmer, lived near Col. Clark's. 
 
 Ashahel Amidon, farmer, Otisco Valley. 
 
 James F. Brinkerhoff, farmer, Otisco. 
 
 Jeptha Baker, farmer, near Marcellus. 
 
 J ether Bailey, farmer, on the Colvin farm. 
 
 Richard Berry, farmer, on J. L. Mason's farm. 
 
 Elijah Bowen, on C. C. Wyckoffs place. 
 
 Elijah Bowen, Jr., farmer, at Hall's Corners, 
 Marcellus. 
 
 John Benscotir, lived near Benson's, on lot No. 84. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 37 
 
 Luke Brinkerhoff, farmer, lived in Niles. 
 
 Eli Barnes, miller, and was employed by \Y. J. 
 Vredenburg in his mill. 
 
 John Burns, farmer, resided on the farm now oc- 
 cupied by Fred Kidder. 
 
 Eleazer Burns, farmer, in the town of Marcellus, 
 and lived on the place now owned by John Burns, jr. 
 
 Amos Bacon, farmer, in Sennett on the county 
 line road. 
 
 Silas Bascomb, farmer, lived opposite of Thomas 
 Bradford. 
 
 Benajah Bowen, farmer, resided near where C. C. 
 Wyckoff now lives. 
 
 Aaron Bailey, farmer, next to the Jas. Morse farm. 
 
 Rufus Bacon, farmer, near Sennett. 
 
 John Bailey, farmer, on the Joseph Bassett farm. 
 
 Samuel Benedict, physician, lived on the Jesse 
 Simmon place. 
 
 Peter Benedict, miller, and brother of Samuel ; 
 he and a nephew of his were killed at Black Rock by 
 the British, during the war of 181 2. 
 
 John Bristol, potash boiler for Winston Day. 
 
38 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 James Burroughs, farmer, lived on the farm oppo- 
 site. of the one now owned by John Joyce. 
 
 John Brown, stage driver for Sherwood. 
 
 Asa Bacon, jr., shoemaker and tanner. 
 
 Daniel Briggs, farmer, and father to W. S. Briggs, 
 
 William Burroughs, jr., drove stage for Sherwood. 
 
 Samuel Briggs, farmer, lived west of Willow 
 Glen on the old road. 
 
 Wilhalmus Cortrite, farmer, on the Heman Ful- 
 ton farm. 
 
 Sylvester Cortrite, farmer, and father of the above 
 and lived on the same farm. 
 
 Samuel Chapman, farmer, lived near Clintonville. 
 
 Joseph Cross, farmer, had a hair lip, and lived on 
 a farm east of Compton's. 
 
 Abraham Conklin, farmer, on the old road west 
 of Willow Glen. 
 
 Peter Cuddeback, second farmer on the David 
 Cuddeback farm. 
 
 Rodger Carpenter, on George Carpenter's place. 
 
 Joshua Covel, farmer, on the Hasbrook farm. 
 
 Samuel Conklin, farmer, near Borodino. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 39 
 
 Abraham A. Cuddeback, farmer, on Dr. Hurd's 
 place. 
 
 Owen Cotton, mill-wright, owned the Perry farm 
 on the east shore road, ?nd is now living at Attica, 
 at an advanced age. 
 
 Amasa Chapman, farmer, on John Uncless' farm. 
 
 Joseph Codey, farmer, and built the tavern at 
 Clintonville. 
 
 Timothy Copp, farmer at Thorn Hill. 
 
 Sheldon Cook, farmer on west side of the lake. 
 
 Wareham Cook, inventor of Cook's salve, lived 
 on the Nathan Bond place. 
 
 Eli Clark, farmer on Foster Clark's farm. 
 
 Silas Crandal, tavern keeper opposite of Jacob 
 Allen's farm. 
 
 William Dascomb, kept the first tavern on 
 the William Clark farm, and afterwards the old tav- 
 ern in this village. 
 
 Rowland Day, merchant and was clerk or partner 
 of Norman Leonard in this place. 
 
 Isaac Dean, farmer and laborer, he lived between 
 Owasco and Niles and afterwards moved to Ohio. 
 
40 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 Moses D. Dunning, clerk in Dascomb's tavern, 
 afterwards he was clerk for John Legg, and was also 
 constable at the same time. 
 
 Asa Dexter, comb-maker or peddler with Cyrus 
 Glass' father. 
 
 Ira DeLong, farmer and lived on the north part 
 of the Obadiah Thorne farm. 
 
 Ebenezer Edwards, farmer and lived where John 
 Dix no resides. 
 
 Samuel Eggleston, farmer near the Wiltsie farm. 
 
 David Earll, jr., farmer, lived on the Sheppard 
 Earll farm. 
 
 Thaddeus Edwards, farmer and lived on the Gale 
 Farm. 
 
 Nathaniel Eells, farmer and cooper on the Chas. 
 Pardee place. 
 
 John Fitzgerald, farmer and lived on the east side 
 of the lake. 
 
 Benjamin Frisby, chairmaker and painter and his 
 shop was located in the rear of the old tavern. 
 
 Hezekiah Gun, farmer and resided on Osmond 
 Rhoades' farm. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 41 
 
 Thomas Greves, tailor, and was related to Dr. E. 
 H. Porter. 
 
 Isaac Granger, farmer on the Amos Pardee farm. 
 
 Michael Gillett, farmer and also run a saw 
 mill on the Shotwell farm. 
 
 Edward Greenman, father of Samuel H. 
 
 Amasa Gleason, painter, his shop was located on 
 the present site of the engine house. 
 
 David Granger, farmer on Parker Wright's place. 
 
 James Geromomon, farmer, carpenter and joiner 
 at Owasco. 
 
 Abijah Gilbert, farmer and carpenter ; he learned 
 his trade of Eliphalet Hoyt, and built Benson's first 
 barn, near Holcombe Peck's. 
 
 Daniel Gardner, farmer and lived on the west lake 
 road. 
 
 James Gardner, farmer on the Dor Austin farm. 
 
 Benjamin Gumear, farmer and lived on Obadiah 
 Thome's farm. 
 
 Eliphalet Hoyt, was the first carpenter in Owasco. 
 
 Seth Hall, carpenter and wagon maker ; he came 
 here October 23, 1806. 
 
42 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 Peter Howard, farmer at Owasco. 
 
 Timothy Hatch, farmer and tavern keeper. 
 
 Jonathan Hall, physician, and made a specialty 
 of treating small-pox. 
 
 Isaac Hodge, farmer west of Mandana, and next 
 to Gleason's. 
 
 Israel Hodge, farmer near Mandana. 
 
 Simeon Hosmer, farmer on the old William Ful- 
 ler farm. 
 
 Asa Hatch, farmer on the late Warren Hatch's 
 farm. 
 
 Cyrus Hecox, brother of Col. Hecox. 
 
 George Haines, laborer and worked for Norman 
 Leonard. 
 
 Judah Hopkins, physician. 
 
 David Hall came here in the month of March 1806. 
 
 Samuel Ingham, merchant and clerk for John 
 Meeker. 
 
 Henry Jones, constable. 
 
 Elijah Jones, farmer and father of the above. 
 
 Amos Jones, lived at Mandana. 
 
 Bela Kingsley, farmer and uncle of J. A. Edwards. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 43 
 
 Amasa Kneeland, school-master, between Joab 
 Gift's and this village. 
 
 Asa Kneeland, joiner and carpenter. 
 
 Jesse Kellogg, agent for Sanger, and father of 
 Dorastus. 
 
 Phineas Keith, tailor. 
 
 Ezra Lee, farmer on John Gregory's place. 
 
 Ezra Lane, school teacher. 
 
 Timothy Miller, laborer. 
 
 Elias Merrill, worked for Norman Leonard and 
 died in 1812. 
 
 Ishmael Moffett, farmer and lived on next farm 
 south of Holcomb Peck. 
 
 Daniel McKay, farmer and mason, lived on the 
 Dr. Merrill place. 
 
 Benjamin Nye, father of John M. Nye. 
 
 Samuel Niles, teamster for Elnathan Andrews 
 while he was building the old meeting house oppo- 
 site the Pardee place, of which Andrews was the 
 contractor. 
 
 William Pratt, physician. 
 
 Elijah Price, law student with Daniel Kellogg. 
 
44 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 Alexander Price, brother of the above, and re- 
 moved from here to Owasco, and afterwards to Ohio. 
 Jerad Patchin, farmer and owned the George 
 Gregory farm. 
 
 Levi Pratt, lived at Alanson Edwards. 
 Elijah Parsons, farmer. 
 
 Thomas Read, farmer and lived near Mandana. 
 William Rose, farmer and lived on military lots 
 Nos. 35 and 37. 
 
 Joseph Rhoades, farmer, OsmoVi Rhoades' father. 
 Amasa Sessions, farmer on the Bradford farm. 
 Peter Secoy, worked the Jerad Patchin's farm. 
 Nathaniel Seymour, farmer on the east side of 
 the lake. 
 
 Briggs Shearman, farmer on the west side of the 
 lake, and his farm was connected with the Bentley 
 place. 
 
 Phineas Stanton, farmer and lived up the lake. 
 William Thomas, resided at Mottville. 
 John Thompson, farmer and the first settler in 
 this locality. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANFATELES. 45 
 
 Daniel Veal, jr., farmer and lived west of Mott- 
 ville on the town line. 
 
 The following is a description of the village in 
 1807, as described by the late Nathaniel Miller. 
 
 " Winston Day, Norman Leonard, Jonathan 
 Booth and John Meeker were the only merchants 
 here. Samuel Ingham was the principal and confi- 
 dential clerk for Meeker. Sylvester Roberts was 
 then the only blacksmith, and his shop was situated 
 where the Hatch house is now, on Onondaga street. 
 This shop was afterwards removed to the opposite 
 side of the street, lower down, and now forms the 
 rear building of the Wildey house. The old meet- 
 ing house was in process of construction, and the 
 frame was not raised until July 3th, 1807. Moses 
 Loss, Isaac Selover and Samuel Litherland were 
 among those who assisted in the carpenter and join- 
 er work. Thomas Greves was a tailor here at this 
 time, and his shop was in the old yellow building, 
 now known as the Slocum house. Col. Warren 
 Hecox and Ezra Stephens were the only shoemakers. 
 The latter was the first to introduce pegged shoes in 
 
46 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 this place. Isaac Rawson was the only minister 
 here when I arrived. There had been a missionary 
 by the name of Bascomb here previously, and the 
 religious services were then held in the old school 
 house which was located nearly opposite what is now 
 known as the Sommerset house. There was no oth- 
 er denomination here at that time. The above 
 school house was afterwards destroyed by fire. 
 
 Perley Putnam was the only saddler and harness 
 maker here, and I learned my trade of him. His 
 shop was located where Dr. Campbell now resides, 
 and his dwelling, a one-story building was immedi- 
 ately west of his shop and on the lot next east of the 
 Thayer house. Putnam became interested as a part- 
 ner in the wheel head factory, at what was then 
 called Sodam, now Mottville. Lower down the 
 stream where the brick grist mill is now, was then 
 called Gomorrah. These scriptural names were so 
 applied to these locations because there were a large 
 number of Universalists in the neighborhood. Put- 
 nam's partners in the wheel head factory were Dea- 
 con Porter (he that owned the old tavern). Barker and 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 47 
 
 Lovell. Afterwards it was carried on by Porter, 
 Putnam, Newell and Leonard, the latter was a broth- 
 er of Norman Leonard. 
 
 Noah Barnes either owned or tended the flour 
 mill here ; afterwards Peabody owned it ; and later 
 it went into the hands of a man by the name of Miner. 
 Soon after Lewis & Cotton purchased this property, 
 after which Earll & Kellogg were the proprietors. 
 
 The bridge across the outlet was built in this year. 
 It was a long wooden structure, extending from 
 about the Bank corner to the old Van Shoick house, 
 (now removed). It was only intended for a single 
 carriage way, but by tight squeezing two could pass 
 in opposite directions. 
 
 John Briggs kept a tavern in the house now 
 owned by Packwood, on the corner of Genesee and 
 Lake streets. A Mr. White afterwards rented it for 
 the same purpose, latter a Mr. Sackett purchased 
 this- house and lived in it as a private residence. 
 Briggs then purchased what is now known as the 
 Root place. There was then a log house on this lot 
 and he removed it, and built what is now the rear 
 
48 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 part of the Root house. Nicholas Thome afterwards 
 owned this same property and built the front of the 
 Root house. Thompson and Billings did the car- 
 penter work, and a man by the name of Weston was 
 the mason. This was about the year 1824. 
 
 The west building of the old tavern, where the 
 Packwood House is now situated, was being built in 
 1807. Isaac Selover was the contractor, and David 
 Hall was one of the carpenters. Isaac Sherwood 
 kept tavern there as soon as the building was finished 
 and Stephen Smith tended bar for him. The first 
 house after passing the Briggs tavern on the west 
 Lake Road, was a frame building which was located 
 about where Arthur Barnes now lives, and a man by 
 the name of Andrews lived in it, afterwards it was a 
 cooper shop, and Ira Reynolds was the cooper. The 
 next building was a low frame structure owned by 
 David Seymour, who was a farmer, brickmaker and 
 a shoemaker. His farm included the Furman, Field, 
 Nye and Smith places. William Gibbs afterwards 
 lived on this place and Mr. Booth succeeded him, 
 he living there until his death. Stephen Gardner 
 
HISTORY OF SKAXEATELES. 49 
 
 lived on the Sidney Smith place and afterwards sold 
 the place to Alexander M. Beebe. There was a two 
 story frame building on the Lapham place and oc- 
 cupied by Jacobus Annis. Abraham Cuddeback 
 had a farm where the Dr. Hurd house now is. 
 
 There were no buildings in 1807, between the 
 Briggs tavern and where Jas. A. Root now lives. 
 Winston Day's store was on the corner of the main 
 street, (old lake house lot), the road running north 
 went directly to the large elm tree now in the rear 
 of George Barrow's dwelling, it passed over the pres- 
 ent site of the Methodist Church. From the elm 
 tree it ran to Aaron Austin's, thence to General 
 Robert Earll's, and between Austin's and Earll's 
 there were four log dwelling houses, three on the 
 west side and one on the east side of the road. The 
 mill house in 1807, was then occupied by Peabody 
 the miller, no other house beyond that to the elm 
 tree. The Winston Day dwelling house, a two sto- 
 ry building then stood on the site of the William 
 Marvin house, it was painted white in front and red 
 in the rear, the next building east was Elnathan An- 
 
SO HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 drews' tavern. Andrews had a travelers' barn on 
 the lake shore, a little to the east of opposite the 
 tavern. An elephant, the first one ever seen in this 
 part of the State, was housed in this barn. This 
 barn was then the only building on the south side of 
 the main street. John Meeker's store, frame two 
 story building, then stood where State street now is, 
 this was next to the tavern ; then Jonathan Booth's 
 store was next east, his residence was on the next 
 lot east. The Meeker store was afterwards moved 
 when State street was laid out and placed on the lot 
 occupied by I. S. Amerman ; it was afterwards taken 
 down and Charles Pardee built the house now on its 
 location. The Booth residence was also removed to 
 the east side of State street. The Booth store was 
 moved on the west side of Jordan street by Nehemi- 
 ah Smith and used as a tin shop. It is now the resi- 
 dence of Horace Cornell. The building now owned 
 by Dr. Campbell as an orifice, was built by Jonathan 
 Booth for Alexander Beebe and John Furman for a 
 law orifice. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 5 I 
 
 Norman Leonard's store, a one story frame build- 
 ing, stood on the site of the Horton dwelling. 
 When Horton was about to build the present dwell- 
 ing, the store was moved to the lot next west (now 
 owned by Mrs. Wheeler), and Gibbs and Horton kept 
 the store and Charles Pardee was their clerk. 
 
 Isaac Selover's house was the next house east (on 
 the Thayer lot). The one and a half story frame 
 house unpainted, which stood on the John Kellogg 
 place, was afterwards moved on the west side of 
 Jordan street. Gordon Bingham moved the house 
 and owned it. It was lately taken down and the 
 dwelling occupied by J. K. Knox is on the same 
 lot." 
 
 It will be noticed from his location of the stores 
 in 1807, that they were all on the north side of the 
 main street. Why the location was afterwards 
 changed to the south side of the street is not known 
 except possibly, the anticipation of a large lake 
 trade that may have induced the construction of the 
 expensive stone docks in the rear of the present row 
 of brick stores. Had the business remained on the 
 
52 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 north side of the street, there would have been no 
 more attractive village in the whole State of New 
 York than Skaneateles. 
 
 In addition to those living here seventy-five years 
 ago, we learn the following were here sixty-five years 
 ago. 
 
 Reuben Austin, laborer here in 1815. 
 
 Miles Allen, miller, owned the Weedmill. Rob- 
 ert Earll's son-in-law. 
 
 Briggs & Hall (Isaac and David), merchants here 
 at the time. 
 
 Elkannah Benson, farmer and pottery manufac- 
 turer in Skaneateles near Owasco. 
 
 Abijah Benson, tanner, currier and shoemaker, 
 Benson street. 
 
 Silas Belding, gate-keeper near Jacob Allen's. 
 
 Nathan Blodgett, potash boiler for John Meeker, 
 lived in the Huxtable house. 
 
 Eleazer Burns, potash boiler for the same. 
 
 Alexander M. Beebe, lawyer, lived where Sydney 
 Smith now resides. Went to Utica from here 
 and edited the Gospel Messenger. Died in Utica. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 53 
 
 He first came here with John S. Furman about 1804. 
 
 Myrick Bradley, farmer, lived on the S. C. Cono- 
 ver place, and was afterwards killed in Syracuse. 
 
 Amos Benedict, farmer. 
 
 William Burroughs, farmer, lived on the Henry 
 Vary farm. 
 
 George Boyd, laborer here. Was intemperate. 
 
 Stephen Burnett, teamster here. 
 
 John Burroughs, farmer, Alvin's father. 
 
 Almerin Bowen, farmer, lived on the Wyckoff 
 farm. 
 
 Joseph Bentley, farmer, on the Valentine Willetts 
 farm. 
 
 Amos Bacon, shoemaker, Col. Hecox's brother- 
 in-law. 
 
 Samuel Belamy, farmer, on the Geo. F. Shot- 
 well place. 
 
 Joshua Bates, farmer and blacksmith, on the 
 John Joyce farm. 
 
 Jonathan Booth, merchant here, store site on B. 
 Lee's office. Died Sept. 24, 1840, aged 78 years. 
 
54 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 Micajah Benedict, farmer, Sennett, near the Owl's 
 Nest. 
 
 Jeremiah Birch, farmer, Dutch Hollow, Niles. 
 
 Daniel Burroughs, farmer and carding machine 
 maker on the Vine Warner farm. 
 
 Peleg Bennett, crazy man. 
 
 George H. Cotton, millwright, owned the mill 
 here. 
 
 John Coe, painter by trade, and lived on the old 
 Betsey Clark place. 
 
 Noble Coe, tavern keeper, owned the old tavern 
 opposite the old meeting house. 
 
 Coe & Marsh, kept the Sherwood tavern here. 
 Alvin Coe, fast young man, brother of Noble. 
 
 Palmer Cady, tavern keeper in the Gulf. Hus- 
 band of Mrs. Francis. 
 
 Joshua Chandler, farmer, one of the first settlers 
 up the east side of the lake near Wm. Briggs. 
 
 Elijah Cody, farmer, near Clintonville. 
 
 Ashbel Chapman, farmer, lived on the Luther 
 Clark place. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 55 
 
 John Capen, brother-in-law of Selah Thompson, 
 was blind. 
 
 George Coon, farmer, east of Compton's. 
 
 Asaph Cleaveland, farmer. 
 
 Stephen Chase, blacksmith and manufactured 
 hoes. Moved to Lysander and died there. 
 
 James Curtis, carpenter and joiner, lived on John 
 Clark's place. 
 
 Ezra S. Curtis, studied law with Daniel Kellogg. 
 
 Elijah Cole, farmer, owned the Community farm. 
 
 Philo Dibble, harness maker, came here in 1812. 
 Shop was on Dr. Campbell's place. 
 
 William B. Douglass, built the Milford house, 
 and was a patent-right peddler. 
 
 John Dorhance, farmer on Capt. Taylor's farm. 
 
 Samuel Diffins, farmer, an Irishman, and lived on 
 the Chauncey Thome farm. 
 
 James Daggett, teamster between Albany and 
 this place, lived in the Gulf near Guppy's. 
 
 Daniel Dennison, farmer, on the west side of the 
 lake. 
 
56 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 John Dayley, farmer, turned Mormon and left 
 town. 
 
 James Dayley, farmer, moved to Ohio, and went 
 into the counterfeit business there. 
 
 Moses Dayley, farmer, turned Mormon and left 
 for Ohio. 
 
 Abraham Dodge, farmer, had the best farm in 
 Marcellus. 
 
 Stephen Dwinnell, farmer, Sennett. 
 
 Cotton Denio, sold to Samuel Francis his place 
 in 1813. 
 
 Abner Edwards, farmer, east lake road in the 
 old house next this side of the old Ellery place. 
 
 Alanson Edwards, jr., school teacher, once county 
 clerk. 
 
 Abijah Earll, farmer, Col. Dan's father and on 
 the same farm. 
 
 Cotton & Lewis Earll, millers, owned the mill 
 here. 
 
 Horace Eells, son of Nathaniel, cooper on the 
 Pardee place. Nathaniel, his father built the Fib- 
 bens tavern about the year 181 2. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 57 
 
 William Earll, Thorn Hill, father of Shepperd. 
 . Watson Earll, farmer, and grand-father of De- 
 lescus. 
 
 Josepn Enos, farmer, east side of the lake. 
 
 Mancasseh Eaton, merchant, Clintonville, and 
 afterwards kept tavern at Elbridge. 
 
 Francis Frink, attended grist mill here, was Nel- 
 son's father, colored man, rather black than other- 
 wise. 
 
 Timothy Foote, farmer, Perry's father. 
 
 Ebenezer Foote, farmer, brother of the above, 
 moved to Ohio, he lived where the Giles place 
 now is. 
 
 Joseph Frost, farmer, uncle to Russel. 
 
 John Gibson, carpenter and joiner on the Loney 
 place. 
 
 Charles Glynn, well digger, west side of the lake. 
 
 Samuel Green, tailor, shop near the bridge, where 
 Charles Hall's yellow shop is now. 
 
 Samuel Hecox, brother to Warren, merchant, 
 firm of Ludlow & Hecox in 1812, store about 
 where Mrs. Wheeler is now. 
 
58 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 Warren Hecox, tanner and shoemaker. 
 
 Augustus Hecox, tin shop, brother to Ambrose. 
 
 Barnabas Hall, farmer, on Sim Cuddeback's 
 place, was here before 1805. 
 
 Gershom Hall, farmer, on the Brainard place. 
 
 Laomi Hall, son of Gershom. 
 
 Eli Hall, son of Barnabas. 
 
 Medad Harvey, farmer, Spafford. 
 
 John Hunt, farmer, Baptist deacon. 
 
 Thaddeus L. Hurd, farmer, on Lorenzo Sweet 
 farm. 
 
 Eleazer Halibert, blacksmith, Borodino. 
 
 Nicholas Holt, worked in the wheel head factory 
 at Mottville. 
 
 John Hempstead, farmer, Clintonville, on Aug. 
 Reed's farm. 
 
 Stephen Haynes, farmer on the Bill Coon place. 
 
 Henry Harwood, shoemaker, worked for Col. 
 Hecox. 
 
 John Harmon, laborer here. 
 
 William Ililliard, was employed in the grist mill 
 here. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 59 
 
 Warren Kneeland, almanac peddler. 
 
 Horace Kneeland, son of Asa. 
 
 Frederick Lesley, distiller here, before 1820, af- 
 terwards went to Indiana and died there. 
 
 John Livingston, U. S. Marshal of Northern New 
 York, in 1822, and owned the Brainard place. 
 
 Noah Levins, farmer, and tavern keeper in the 
 old Dascomb tavern. 
 
 Salmon Lake, bed-quilt weaver in the Mrs. War- 
 ren house here. 
 
 Simon McKay, hatter, carpenter and joiner. 
 
 Levi Mason, Justice of the Peace in this town. 
 
 Eddy Mason, farmer, and Baptist preacher, 
 Sennett. 
 
 Joel Mudge, worked in the factory. 
 
 Jeduthan Newton, was a distiller when he first 
 came, from Vermont in 1814, and had a potashery. 
 
 Aden Newton, potash boiler for Norman Leonard. 
 
 James Northam, clerk for Norman Leonard. 
 
 Alfred Northam, lawyer here, in company with 
 James Porter or F. G. Jewett, and was Justice of the 
 Peace for some years. 
 
60 HISTORY OF SKAXEATELES. 
 
 Spencer Parsons, cabinet maker. 
 
 Lovisa Pomeroy, milliner here. 
 
 Liva Peck, came herein 1807, first lived on the 
 Will Willetts farm and afterwards owned the John 
 Smith's place. 
 
 George Riker, stage driver for Sherwood. 
 
 Jehiel Rust, farmer, on Amos Pardee's farm. 
 
 Josiah Root, farmer, Deacon Root near Joab 
 Cliffs. 
 
 Samuel Rhoades, jr., Lewis Rhoades' father. 
 
 Christian Rice, farmer, lived where John Eggle- 
 ston now lives. 
 
 Robert & Briggs, Sylvester and Harry, black- 
 smiths. 
 
 Eleazer Smith, jr., farmer, on the Mart DeWitt 
 farm. 
 
 Ephraim Smith, farmer, on the Joseph Tallott 
 farm. 
 
 Isaac Sherwood, born in Will iamst own, Mass., 
 Oct. 12, 1769, and died April 24, 1840, at the age of 70 
 years. 
 
 Adam Shaver, farmer, Dutch Hollow. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 6 1 
 
 Simeon Skeels, farmer, east side of the lake. 
 
 Skaneateles Manufacturing Co. — William Gibbs, 
 Samuel Rhoades and others made woolen cloth at 
 Willow Glen. 
 
 Sherman & Gibson, carpenters. 
 
 Miles Sabin, lived at Mottville. 
 
 Chester F. Tolles, lived on the Thomas Brad- 
 ford farm. Was drowned in the lake, knocked over- 
 board by the boom of his own boat. 
 
 Reuben Thomas, farmer, west side of the lake. 
 
 Andrew Thompson, son of John Thompson the 
 first settler here. 
 
 John TenEyck, postmaster here, also Justice of 
 the Peace. His store was on the present site of the 
 Episcopal church. 
 
 Jacob W. VanEtten, farmer, on the Dor Austin 
 farm. 
 
 Ebenezer Warner, farmer, Vine Warner's father. 
 
 Warren Wilder, carpenter and joiner at Mottville, 
 choked to death while eating dinner. 
 
 Daniel Watson, tanner and shoemaker. 
 
 Isaac Watson, brother of Daniel. 
 
62 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 Jonathan Weston, Columbus' father. 
 
 William S. Wood, goldsmith and watchmaker, 
 owned the Dr. Campbell place. 
 
 Daniel Waller, farmer on the George Clark farm. 
 
 Shubael Wilkinson, cousin to Alfred. 
 
 Arunnah Wightman, farmer, on the Jacob Allen 
 place. 
 
 In the year. 1815, David H. Griswold, who was a 
 brother-in-law of Ambrose Hecox, kept the old tav- 
 ern, which was on the same ground now occupied by 
 the Hanmer buildings, next east of Judge Marvin's 
 house. A ball room formed one of the attractions 
 of this old hostelry. This old tavern originated 
 about the year 1796. It was then kept by Captain 
 Welsh, who was a militia captain. Then it was a 
 a log house situated about or near where the corner 
 of Main and State street now is, afterwards a frame 
 addition was placed on the west side, this was two 
 story and about sixty feet front and extended to the 
 line of Winston Day's lot. As stated above, the 
 ball room was the only accommodation of that kind 
 in the village in 181 5. There was a dancing school 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 63 
 
 kept there and the dancing master's name was Bond. 
 
 After the Lake House was built in 1824, a ball 
 room was made in the second story. The music 
 was furnished by a Mr. Beach and his son, the father 
 playing the violin and son the bass viol. They 
 furnished music for all the neighboring settlements. 
 Beach resided either in Marcellus or Onondaga, and 
 was a devoted lover of music, a very fine player, and 
 in a worldly way was in comfortable circumstances. 
 He played as much for his own comfort as for his 
 employers. In 18 16, William Sandford kept a store 
 in this village. 
 
 Dr. Hopkins was contemporary with Dr. Porter, 
 and died about 1837. His death was the result of 
 his being thrown from his sulky in the village of 
 Skaneateles. He is represented as haying been 
 much beloved both as a man and physician. Dr. 
 Evelyn H. Porter, son of Dr. Samuel Porter, com- 
 menced the practice of medicine in Skaneateles 
 about 1830, and continued until his death, which oc- 
 curred about 1874 or 1875. He exhibited excellent 
 judgement in the discrimination of disease. 
 
Educational Sources, 
 
 THE first school in this town was established in 
 a log house built for the purpose by General 
 Robert Earll and some of his immediate neighbors 
 on the west side of the outlet near what is now- 
 known as Willow Glen factory. Miss Whitman was 
 the first teacher, the late Nehemiah Earll and Daniel 
 Watson were scholars with others in that vicinity. 
 
 The next school was in a log house situated about 
 where Colonel Dan Earll now resides. The teacher 
 was Dr. Munger. He had a son who praticed medi- 
 cine, whose name was Jesse. He practiced all around 
 this section of country. He was the first physician. 
 This was before Porter came into the country. Af- 
 ter Dr. Porter came Dr. Munger moved to a place 
 called "Wellington" between where Elbridge and 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 65 
 
 Camillus are now, and afterward died there. A Mr. 
 Kneeland, who had been a clock peddler, was em- 
 ployed by W. J. Vredenburg in 1805, to educate his 
 children. This school was kept in a small new one 
 story house which was on the ground where John 
 Kellogg now resides. 
 
 There was a school kept in Ralph Hall's house in 
 18 14-15, teacher Miss Beecher. 
 
 About the year 18 18 a school was kept in the 
 Weston house on what is now known as Somerset 
 street. This was kept by Mrs. Stephens. Her hus- 
 band taught the district school at the same time. 
 
 In 18 1 9, there was a select school kept in the 
 brick store which was on the north side of the main 
 street, near where Dr. Campbell's office is now. 
 Laura Edwards was the teacher. She afterwards 
 kept a school in the basement of the Ingham house, 
 which stood where Charles H. Poor now resides. 
 
 In 1 8 19, a Mr. Whitney taught the district school 
 near the Pardee residence. Among the scholars at 
 the time were John Kellogg, Sam, George and Lyle 
 Francis. The first stove for burning wood was set 
 
66 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 up in the middle of the school. There were also 
 two large fire places on opposite sides for burning 
 four foot wood. 
 
 Mr. Thomas Allis came to Skaneateles in 1818, 
 and soon after commenced teaching at the district 
 school, which was on the site of the house now oc- 
 cupied by Stephen Potter. In 1820, he opened a se- 
 lect school in the house now owned by Lemuel Hall. 
 In 1822, he kept a school in a building which 
 was on the site of the house now owned and occu- 
 pied by Jesse Simmons, about half a mile east of the 
 village, on the old Seneca turnpike. Benjamin 
 Lee's son, now the Episcopal bishop of Delaware, 
 was one of the scholars, also Dorastus Kellogg and 
 Augustine Kellogg, both of whom came over from 
 Marcellus daily, also some of our prominent ladies 
 received their early instruction from Mr. Allis. He 
 afterwards kept school in his own house, which is 
 known as the Huxtable place, about opposite Mr. 
 Humphryes' residence. William H. Jewett, Edward 
 Gould and other boys were scholars. This was 
 about 1823-32. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 67 
 
 In 1826, a school was in the Maltby house, now 
 owned by J. Hoagland. This was kept by a Rev. 
 Mr. Brower, who from certain weaknesses was inca- 
 pacitated from preaching, so taught school for a 
 living. 
 
 In '27, there was a school in one of the frame 
 stores, about where Hollon's drug store now is, the 
 one then occupied by B. S. Wolcott, in the third 
 story. Teacher's name unknown. 
 
 Miss S. Watson was a school teacher in this vil- 
 lage in '28. 
 
 Miss Abigail R. Higley taught the first school un- 
 der St. James' Church after it was built. This was 
 in July, '28. 
 
 It may be interesting to publish a list of scholars 
 who attended Miss Graham's school under St. James' 
 Church fifty-two years ago. This memorandum is in 
 Miss Graham's handwriting. 
 
 "Susan B. Graham commenced teaching school at 
 Skaneateles, Monday morning, May II, '29. A list 
 of the scholars' names. — 
 
68 
 
 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 Mary Ann Briggs, 
 Emily Francis, 
 Elizabeth Smith, 
 Sophia Hall,' 
 Caroline Hopkins, 
 Barton Hopkins, 
 Julia Eliza Lewis, 
 Harriett Gibbs, 
 Amanda Gibbs, 
 Alexander Horton, 
 Frederic Horton, 
 Ann Maria Perry, 
 George Perry, 
 Mary Ann Creed, 
 Elisha Hopkins, 
 Mary Hall (or Hale,) 
 Esther Brooks, 
 
 Sarah Ann Allen, 
 Nancy Lewis, 
 Ann Bingham, 
 Eliza Burnett, 
 Frances Heacox, 
 Lousia Huff, 
 Mary Jane Horton, 
 Nany Hall, 
 Julia Rust, 
 Richard Tallcott, 
 Harriet Hopkins, 
 Julia Smith, 
 Catherine Coon, 
 George Tallcott, 
 Augustus Dibble, 
 Cordelia Jackson, 
 
 Joseph Tallcott. 
 
 In 1832, Rev. Mr. Lyman had a school in Am- 
 brose Hecox's house. Captain DeCost's children 
 attended, also scholars from Marcellus and Elbridce. 
 Mr. Lyman was a talented man and a most excellent 
 teacher. 
 
 The Union Free School, with an Academic De- 
 partment, was organized in '66. The building, oc- 
 cupying the old Academy site, was erected in '55, 
 
 and enlarged by an addition on the north in 'yi. 
 
Stage Coaching. 
 
 w 
 
 7E copy the following items in relation to 
 stage coaching from the 4t Centennial His- 
 
 tory of Marcellus," written by Israel Parsons, M. D., 
 which are as applicable to Skaneateles as Marcellus. 
 " Before the time of railroads, the running of 
 stages formed quite an important business. These 
 villages along the East and West road, were wonder- 
 fully enlivened day by day, by the arrival and de- 
 parture of the stage coaches drawn by four horses. 
 
 As the stages were descending these hills to enter 
 the village, the drivers would make the valley rever- 
 berate with the music from their tin horns. They 
 became amateurs in the art, and vied with each other 
 in the use of the horn. Their object in blowing the 
 horn was to notify the drivers at the stables to make 
 ready their horses for a change ; the landlord, that 
 the meals might be in order for the passengers. 
 
70 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 In those days brakes had not been introduced on 
 the stages, consequently they descended the hills 
 with quite a velocity. The horses used were of the 
 first quality — athletic, sure footed and strong. Each 
 stage weighed twenty-two hundred pounds, and 
 carried eleven passengers with their baggage, which 
 was moderate compared with the individual baggage 
 of the present day. Two coaches were run regular- 
 ly each way every day, besides extras, which were 
 frequent to meet the demands of travel. 
 
 The class of young men who turned their atten- 
 tion to stage driving were natural lovers of horses, 
 and, as a result of this, became very skillful in the 
 management of their horses, taught them many 
 tricks, and to perform feats. Each horse had a 
 name, and when called by that name, obeyed the 
 mandates of its master. The driver's whip was 
 composed of a stalk from four to five feet long, to 
 which was attached a lash ten or twelve feet in length 
 and on the end of the lash a nicely braided silk 
 cracker. It was a piece of dexterity to hold the 
 reins of four horses, and so wield the whip as to give 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 7 1 
 
 a smart crack with it ; or in coming down one of 
 these hills, to lay the whip upon the top of the 
 stage and blow the horn, holding the four reins in 
 one hand with the horses under full speed. 
 
 These drivers were usually daring men, but very 
 energetic and faithful in the performance of their 
 duties. To their good judgment, skill, and energy, 
 multitudes have owed the safety of life and limb. 
 
 Hiram Reed of this village (Marcellus), relates an 
 instance which well displays the combination of these 
 qualities in one driver. When a lad, at school in 
 Skaneateles, he and a fellow schoolmate wishing to 
 go to Auburn by stage, secured seats outside with 
 the driver. As they were descending the steepest 
 hill between the two places, one of the pole straps 
 broke ; (two straps leading from the front end of 
 the pole to the collars of the wheel horses, and with 
 which they held back the stage), the driver, ready 
 for any emergency, said to Reed and his mate, "hold 
 on boys," and at once laid the whip on his horses, so 
 that they went with full speed down the remainder 
 of the hill in safety — passengers, coach and horses 
 
*]2 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 unharmed. Mr. Reed says he never after sought a 
 ride on the outside of a stage. The driver secured 
 the safety of the stage through the leaders making a 
 a constant draft on the pole to which they were di- 
 rectly attached. But amidst all the confusion he did 
 not forget the boys. 
 
 Of the large number of stage drivers who used to 
 drive over these hills, and contend with darkness, 
 storm and tempest, but one is left living among us, 
 and that is Adolphus Newton. Much of my inform- 
 ation on this subject was derived from him. He 
 commenced the arduous duties of stage driving in 
 1 8 19, when but sixteen years of age, and continued 
 eleven years. Nothing delights him more at the 
 present, than to sit down before a good listener, and re- 
 count the adventures of his youthful years in this de- 
 partment of his life. He says at one period he drove 
 what was called the "Telegraph." This was a stage 
 with a limited number of passengers, and that carried 
 the mail. It run eight miles an hour when the roads 
 were good. They changed horses every ten miles, 
 but one driver went through from Auburn to Manli- 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. Jl 
 
 us, a distance of thirty-three miles. He says that 
 on some special occasions of carrying important per- 
 sonages, he made the distance in three hours. Once 
 he had for passengers Governor Seward and Black 
 Hawk, and drove ten miles in fifty minutes. It was 
 a rule to give such men what was called "extra rides." 
 Another load consisted of General Scott, Governor 
 Marcy and Martin VanBuren. There were three pe- 
 riods during Mr. Newton's driving, when opposition 
 lines were placed upon the road ; only one of these 
 proved to be a serious annoyance to the Sherwood 
 line. This was what was called the "Pioneer" line. 
 It was well stocked with first-class horses and fine 
 coaches, but with inexperienced drivers. Fast driv- 
 ing became a natural consequence to competition in 
 staging. This proved the value of experience in 
 drivers as well as in all other situations of trust con- 
 nected with responsibility. For in making quick 
 time, there is called into requisition good judgment 
 in the management of horses, which is based only on 
 successful experience, as when to drive fast, when 
 slow, and when to drive moderately. Also to the 
 
74 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 care given to the horses at the end of each route, in 
 feeding, watering and exposure. The result was 
 that the old drivers proved themselves heroes in the 
 strife. For although in the frequent racing of 
 stages to which they were subject, the pioneer was 
 fully their equal ; yet soon the new line showed im- 
 paired horses, the consequence of indiscretion in 
 driving, and want of care at the stables ; this gave 
 rise to such a monstrous relay of horses, that it finally 
 broke down the opposition line. 
 
 As ''variety is the spice of life, and competition 
 the life of business," so in this racing of the stages, 
 the inhabitants of this whole region were no idle 
 spectators, but their every-day "humdrum life" was 
 spiced by the daily news of hair-breadth escapes, and 
 the jehu-feats of the drivers ; and, as in these days, 
 so then, quick time increased the amount of travel. 
 Stages were entirely removed from this route in 
 December, 1838, when the cars were first run by 
 horse power, and this was changed to steam power 
 in June, 1839. The great stage proprietor, whose 
 talents were as celebrated in that day for staging, as 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 75 
 
 Commodore Vanderbilt's have since been for rail- 
 roading, was Isaac Sherwood. His residence was in 
 Skaneateles. The cut in the front part of this work 
 is similar to the stages used by Mr. Sherwood. He is 
 said to have weighed three hundred and eighty 
 pounds. 
 
 His first effort in business was in carrying the 
 mail on foot from Onondaga Hill to the different 
 settlements west of that place including Skaneateles. 
 From this small beignning he rapidly advanced so as 
 to own first a horse, then a horse and wagon, and fi- 
 nally a stage coach with which to carry mails and 
 passengers. He had a wonderful perseverance in all 
 his undertakings. It is not known when he came to 
 Skaneateles, but as early as 1818, he was quite exten- 
 sively engaged in this business. It is state on the 
 authority of the late David Hall, that Sherwood had 
 a contract for a short time with the Syracuse and 
 Auburn Railroad Company. After the road bed had 
 been completed and ready for the iron rails, which 
 were flat at first and before the l4 H " rails were used, 
 he leased the road for a short time and placed wood- 
 
76 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 en rails on the string pieces and operated the road 
 by horse power until the Company were enabled to 
 procure their rails. 
 
 His head-quarters during the time when his busi- 
 ness was the most extensive was at Skaneateles. He 
 then owned the old tavern where the Packwood 
 House is now, and had his office there. He did not 
 personally attend to the duties of landlord, but left 
 that to his son Milton. In order to show the extent 
 of his stage business during his residence here, the 
 following copy of a contract with the Post Office 
 Department is here given : — 
 
 No. 510. From New York to Albany and back 
 daily, 30 hours. 
 
 No 584. From Utica to Sackett's Harbour and 
 back daily, 50 hours. 
 
 No. 587. From Albany to Buffalo and back 
 twice a day. 
 
 No. 589. From Albany to Auburn and back- 
 daily, 48 hours. 
 
 No. 665, From Elbridge to Rochester and back 
 twice a day, 17 hours. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. JJ 
 
 No. 672. From Rochester to Lewiston and back 
 daily, 6 hours. 
 
 No. 697. From Buffalo to Youngstown and back 
 daily. 
 
 Supplying all the intermediate offices and convey 
 the mail in four-horse post coaches — at the rate of 
 fifteen thousand, one hundred and thirty-four and 
 fifty-hundredths dollars for every quarter of a year, 
 making sixty thousand, five hundred and thirty-eight 
 dollars, ($60,538.00) to be paid in drafts on post 
 masters, or in money, at the option of the P. M. 
 General, in the months of May, August, November 
 and February. This contract shall commence on the 
 first day of January, 1833, and continue until the 31st 
 day of December, four years. 
 
 No. 574. From Denmark to Ogdensburg, 3 times 
 a week, at the rate of two hundred and fifty-two dol- 
 lars for every quarter of a year, making one thousand 
 
 and eight dollars to be paid as above. 
 
 $ 1,008.00 
 60,583.00 
 
 $61,546.00 
 
78 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES- 
 
 No. 587. Leaves Albany daily during' the sus- 
 pension of steamboat navigation on the Hudson at 3, 
 P. M., and arrive at Buffalo in 50 hours. But during 
 steamboat navigation, leave Albany at 9 A. M., and 
 arrive at Buffalo in 50 hours. 
 
 2nd Mail. — Leaves Albany daily at 9 P. M., and 
 arrive -at Buffalo the third day by 9 P. M., leave Buf- 
 falo same time and arrive at Albany same time. 
 
 Sherwood did not, of course, own all the stages 
 on these different routes, but had an interest in near- 
 ly all of them, snd some he owned entirely. He 
 had agents in all of the principal cities and villages 
 in the State where his mail contracts were located. 
 He had a partner, Amasa Parker, who attended to 
 the business in Utica, he was a brother-in-law of 
 Winston Day, our first merchant, he having married 
 his sister. Sherwood removed from this village to 
 Auburn about the time he built the Auburn House 
 in that place. The great mail contractor and stage 
 operator of those early days, merits the space given 
 of him and his business in this volume. 
 
 His successor was his son, John Milton, who was 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. jg 
 
 almost as ponderous as his father, and as wonderful a. 
 stage proprietor. The stage fare was five cents a. 
 mile, so that in the winter season a trip from this 
 place to New York and back cost $30. But the 
 people traveled principally in their own conve y 
 ances. Riding on horseback was the usual mode of 
 traveling for the first twenty years or more, of the 
 settlement of the country. Consequently people be- 
 came very expert in that practice. The old and 
 young, irrespective of sex, would readily mount their 
 steeds and go far and near as occasion required. 
 They used to make extensive journeys in that man- 
 ner. A lady would go from here to Massachusetts 
 or Connecticut, and her whole wardrobe would be 
 back of her saddle in a valise. 
 
 Pillions were also in use ; so that families whose 
 number of horses were limited, or whose horses at 
 times were mostly engaged in the necessary business 
 of life, could accommodate themselves by riding two 
 on a horse. These exhibitions were of daily oc- 
 currence. Horses were early trained under the sad- 
 dle, and being thus in almost daily use, became de- 
 
80 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 lightful riding horses. This was a healthy mode of 
 riding. Most long journeys, simply for prospecting 
 or visiting, were made in this way. Mrs. Cody, the 
 grandmother of Hiram Reed, came from Massachu- 
 setts sometime before the year 1800, alone and on 
 horseback. She was a widow, and this was her 
 prospecting tour for a home in this great vvilder- 
 ness. After reaching this place, she rode around 
 viewing different portions of the town, and finally 
 made a purchase of six hundred and forty acres, the 
 northeastern corner of which afterwards included 
 what is now Clintonville. 
 
 It must be borne in mind that, although a lady 
 was thus journeying through an almost uninterrupted 
 forest, without any appointed traveling companions, 
 still there was a continuous procession of travelers 
 on the road, either emigrating or prospecting, so 
 that she was not alone, and although all were strang- 
 ers to her, yet distributed all along among that 
 stretched out multitude, there were very many 
 mothers and grandmothers in reality, who, as the na- 
 ture of society was in those days, would be interested 
 in any moment in the situation of such a person. 
 
Religious Denominations. 
 
 THE following article in relation to Churches is 
 taken from the History of Onondaga County, 
 recently published by D. W. Mason & Co. 
 
 " The first church families who setteled in this 
 village and the immediate vicinity, were Gen. Rob- 
 ert Earll, in 1796, Jonathan Booth, in 1801, Wm. J. 
 Vredenburg, and Charles J. Burnett, in 1803. Dur- 
 ing these latter years, Rev. Davenport Phelps, a no- 
 ble missionary of the church visited Auburn and of- 
 ficiated there. It is believed he visited Skaneateles. 
 The first remembered services were held in the house 
 now occupied by Mrs. Burnett, in '03, and at the 
 "Red House," residence of Gen. Robert Earll, during 
 the same and the following years. Afterwards also 
 in a small wooden building situated where this 
 
82 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 church now stands. One half of this building was 
 used for the first postoffice, and the other half was 
 used and fitted for church purposes. Mr. Charles j. 
 Burnett, W. J. Vredenburg, John S. Furman and a 
 Mr. Letherland, here read the services. St. Peter's 
 Church in Auburn, was organized in '07, and the 
 E.ev. Davenport Phelps became the rector. The 
 church building there was consecrated in '12, on the 
 22d day of August, by the saintly Bishop Hobart. 
 Mr. Vredenburg was one of the wardens of that 
 church, and Jonathan Booth a vestryman. The 
 church people here very generally attended church 
 service in Auburn. Rev. Davenport Phelps, while 
 rector of St. Peter's, frequently came here and offici- 
 ated. His first service was held in the upper hall of 
 the Vredenburg mansion, seats being arranged for 
 the people who very generally attended the services. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Burnett received their first communion 
 in this house, from the hands of the Rev. Davenport 
 Phelps, in '09. He also baptized their first child. 
 Mr. Vredenburg died in '13. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 83 
 
 Services were held more or less regularly by lay 
 readers, or an occasional missionary visitor — among 
 the latter the Rev. W. A. Clarke, who followed Mr. 
 Phelps as rector of St. Peter's Church, Auburn, until 
 the year '16, when the first written record of the 
 life of this parish appears. This is the act of incor- 
 poration of St. James' Parish, Skaneateles, attested 
 by Mr. John TenEyck, one of the Judges of the 
 Court of Common Pleas, bearing date, January 4, 
 '16. At the same meeting of the incorporators and 
 others, the Rev. YVm. A. Clarke presided, and Jona- 
 than Booth and Charles J. Burnett were elected 
 wardens, and Edward G. Ludlow, John W. Living- 
 ston, Zalmon Booth, Stephen Horton, John Pierson, 
 John How, Samuel Francis, and William Gibbs, 
 were chosen vestrymen. Rev. William A. Clarke 
 was ordained in '12. He resigned St. Peter's Church 
 in '14. 
 
 In '16, an attempt was made to build a church, a 
 conditional subscription being raised for the purpose, 
 But as only $1,500 of the $2,000 required, was raised, 
 the enterprise fell through and the organization was 
 
84 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 abandoned, although lay reading and occasional 
 visits from clergymen were continued with more or 
 less regularity. 
 
 On the 19th day of April, '24, the parish was re- 
 organized under the same name, and the organiza- 
 tion was attested by Levi Mason, of the Court of 
 Common Pleas, and R. L. Hess, Clerk of the same 
 Court. At the same time the following gentlemen 
 were elected officers of the society : Wardens, Jona- 
 than Booth and C. J. Burnett ; Vestrymen, William 
 Gibbs, John Daniels, Stephen Horton, John Pierson, 
 Charles Pardee, J. W. Livingston, Samuel Francis, 
 Elijah P. Rust. The meeting for the election of 
 these persons was presided over by the Rev. Augus- 
 tus L. Converse, of whose after history we can learn 
 nothing. 
 
 Another blank follows until the 27th day of 
 March, '26, when a meeting of the congregation was 
 held, at which the Rev. Amos Pardee presided. The 
 same vestry was elected with the exception of John 
 Daniels, who was replaced by John Furman. The 
 following year, '27, the Rev. Amos Pardee was still 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 85 
 
 officiating, and the name of James M. Allen appears 
 among the Vestrymen. 
 
 Although there is no mention made in the pro- 
 ceedings of either of .the last mentioned meetings, of 
 the project of building a church, yet we find a paper 
 bearing date August 3d, '27, which is a contract be- 
 tween the Wardens and Vestry of St. James Church, 
 and Enos P. Root, in which Mr. Root agrees to build 
 the church and make it ready for occupancy. Of the 
 same date there is also a subscription paper, on which 
 is subscribed the sum of $2,595. Messrs. Burnett 
 and Gibbs were this year the Wardens, and Butler S. 
 Wolcott's name appears among the Vestrymen. 
 
 In the report of the Rev. Amos Pardee to the 
 
 Convention of the Diocese, held in Trinity Church, 
 
 New York City, Oct. 17, '2/, apoears the following: 
 
 " In Skaneateles the past year our members have 
 increased, and our prospects are very much improved. 
 A church was commenced in the last summer, and is 
 now nearly or quite enclosed." 
 
 On the 25th day of January of the following year, 
 
 ('28,) the Rev. Algernon S. Hollister was called to 
 
 officiate as Rector for one year from the following 
 
86 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 Easter and Timothy Baker and Augustus Kellogg 
 were elected on the Vestry ; and the following from 
 Bishop Hobart's address to the convention of '28, 
 held in Trinity Church, New York, October 16th 
 and 17th, shows at what date the church was con- 
 secrated : 
 
 11 On Tuesday, the 23d of September I consecra- 
 ted the church at Skaneateles, where a small con- 
 gregation has for several years been kept together, 
 and at last by extraordinary exertions have erected 
 a neat edifice for worship." 
 
 On the 26th of May, '34, the old parsonage and 
 grounds were purchased of Mr. Lucas and an addi- 
 tional strip of land from Alanson Edwards. Under 
 the same date the thanks of the Vestry are tendered 
 to the "Circle of Industry" for the donation of $100 
 towards the purchase of a parsonage. 
 
 In August, '45 the necessity for the enlargement 
 of the church was first discussed by the Vestry, indi- 
 cating very clearly the growth of the parish. The 
 old parsonage was sold in March, '46, and with the 
 proceeds, $100 from Bishop De Lancy, $300 from 
 Trinity Corporation, New York, and the proceeds of 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. &? 
 
 a subscription, the building was enlarged and im- 
 proved in '47. 
 
 In May, '53, a lot and house adjoining the church 
 were purchased of Mr. Vowles, and in the following 
 month the house was improved and arranged for a 
 parochial school. 
 
 In February '54, the Ladies' Society saved the 
 school house from sale under foreclosure of mortgage 
 by paying through the Treasurer, Miss Harriet T. 
 Gibbs, the sum of $1 50, for which the Vestry returned 
 a sincere vote of thanks. 
 
 The corner stone of the present St. James Church, 
 was laid by the Bishop on the 30th of May, '73, and 
 was consecrated January 6th, '74. 
 
 The following have been Clergymen of this 
 Church : Augustus Converse, Amos Pardee, Alger- 
 non S. Hollister, Joseph T. Clarke, Charles Seymour, 
 A. C. Patterson, Mr. Page, E. Moyses, R. M. Duff, 
 Thomas Smith, John A. Staunton and C. P. Jennings. 
 
 The following have been among the prominent 
 members, wardens and vestrymen of St. James 
 Parish : 
 
88 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 Messrs. Dyer Brainard, J. G. Porter, Dr. E. H. 
 Porter, Thomas Yates, L. Bartlett, W. M. Beau- 
 champ, J. Snook, Jr., N. J. Roosevelt, Ransom Cros- 
 by, Justin Redfield, D. T. Mosely, R. I. Baker, E. N. 
 Leslie, W. H. Jewett, D. W. Hall, F. W. Stotwell, 
 H. Q. Knight, John Humphreys, E. B. Coe, C. W. 
 Abeel, H. J. Hubbard, and others, vestrymen. N. 
 J. Roosevelt, Samuel Francis, W. M. Beauchamp, J. 
 B, Marshall, William Marvin, E. Ruel Smith, and 
 others, wardens. 
 
 Statistics — Families, 150; communicants, 191; 
 Sunday School scholars, 125; contributions for all 
 purposes for the year ending 1877, $3,679.99; value 
 of church property, $30,000 ; rectory, $4,500. 
 
 The first settlements in this village were made in 
 March, 1796. Five years after its settlement it con- 
 tained about one hundred buildings of different 
 kinds, when, on the 20th of July, 1801, the first 
 church in the village — bearing the name of "The 
 First Congregational Church of Marcellus" — was or- 
 ganized by the Rev. Aaron Bascom. The Articles of 
 Faith and Covenant were subscribed to by Joshua 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 89 
 
 Cook, Solomon Edwards, Simeon Hosmer, Asa Har- 
 wood, Daniel Cook, and Aaron Cook. They were 
 incorporated as the First Church of Christ in Mar- 
 cellus, and the same day on which the church was 
 organized, the following persons were received : 
 James Porter, Mary Cook, Elizabeth Edwards, Lu- 
 cretia Hosmer, Electa Edwards, Anna Clark, Hannah 
 Annice, Martha Seymour, and Rebecca Cook. The 
 same day Aaron Cook was elected Clerk of the 
 Church. 
 
 The first church edifice was erected in '08 and was 
 dedicated March 1, '09. 
 
 The following are the names of the clergymen 
 who have served as pastors of this Church : 
 
 Revs. Swift, Benjamin Rice, B. B. Stocton, Alex- 
 ander Cowan, Samuel W. Brace, Samuel W. Bush, 
 Selden Haines, William B. Dada, A. Mandel. On 
 the 20th of April, '62, the present pastor, M. N. 
 Preston began laboring with this people. He was 
 ordained and installed on October 2d, '62. 
 
 In January, '18, it was unanimously resolved to 
 adopt the Presbyterian form of government, and the 
 
90 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 church was received under the care of the Presby- 
 tery of Cayuga. By the new boundaries of presby- 
 teries established by act of General Assembly in '69, 
 this church was separated from Cayuga Presbytery 
 and became a part of the Presbytery of Syracuse. 
 
 The society erected a new brick house of worship 
 in the year '30. The manse was purchased in the 
 year '32. 
 
 Deacons — Eli Clark, Joshua Cook, Samuel Bel- 
 amy, James Porter, Ebenezer Warner, Chester Moses, 
 Philip Crosbey, Foster Clark, Henry T. Hooker, Wil- 
 liam Clark, Sereno Field. 
 
 The present membership of this church is 220 ; 
 attendance at Sunday School, 160. Three members 
 became missionaries in foreign countries. 
 
 The Baptist Church, was a branch of the church 
 of the same denomination at Elbridge, and began 
 about '20. The church edifice at first occupied was 
 built by the Congregationalists on the hill east of 
 the village, in 07, and was subsequently bought by 
 the Baptist Society, moved down and refitted. The 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 91 
 
 present building was erected in '42, and cost $5,000. 
 The ministers officiating have been Revs. Amasa 
 Smith, Nathan Denison, Charles Elliott, John G. 
 Zeeple, S. S. Relyea, William Roney, Henry Bowen, 
 E. B. Palmer, George K. Allen, C. H. James and 
 M. F. Negus. Present membership, 153 ; average at- 
 tendance in Sunday School, 100. 
 
 The Society of Friends, in this village, was or- 
 ganized from '10 to '14. Joseph Frost, Russel Frost, 
 Silas Gaylord, William Willetts and Abner Lawton 
 were among the early members. The meetings were 
 held in the meeting house now occupied by that 
 branch of the friends known as the " Hicksites, " 
 about two and a half miles southwest of the village, 
 near the Octagon School House. 
 
 In '28, a division of the society into the two 
 branches of Orthodox and Hicksites occurred, the 
 latter being the followers of Elias Hicks, a distin- 
 guished liberal preacher among the Friends. Among 
 the most prominent members of the Orthodox branch 
 were Joseph Tallcott and his two sons, Richard and 
 Daniel. Of this branch Sarah Tallcott was the first 
 
92 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 minister. They held their meetings in the old red 
 meeting house which was built on the farm of Rich- 
 ard Tallcott, just within the present corporate limits, 
 and which was torn down in '73, during which year 
 the present edifice was erected. The present mem- 
 bership is about forty, and value of church property 
 $3,000. Present minister, Chauncey B. Thorne. 
 
 The branch known as Hicksites continued to 
 hold meetings at the old meeting house, in which 
 they still worship. Their first minister was Adin 
 Cory. At that time William Willetts, Warren Giles, 
 Abner Lawton and Silas Gaylord, were among their 
 prominent members. 
 
 The earliest meetings of St. Mary's of the Lake, 
 Roman Catholic, were held in the village about '45, 
 In '53, the first church was begun on the site of the 
 present edifice, and was dedicated September 7, '56. 
 It was a wooden building and cost $2,500. Rev. 
 William McCallian officiated from the organization 
 of the church till his death, in '64, and was succeeded 
 by Rev. Joseph Butler, O. S. F. Rev. F. J. Purcell 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 93 
 
 assumed the pastoral charge in June, '65. The first 
 church was destroyed by fire, May 23d, '66, and the 
 present edifice erected by Rev. Purcell and dedica- 
 ted in June, '67. Present membership six hundred; 
 Sunday School fifty. 
 
 St. Bridget's is a Chapel at Skaneateles Falls, 
 four miles distant from St. Mary's of the Lake, 
 built to accommodate parties too far from the 
 church. It was erected by Rev. Purcell, and was 
 dedicated in September, '74. It belongs to the 
 same parish of St. Mary's of the Lake. 
 
 For several years previous to 1832— '33, the circuit 
 preachers of the Methodist Episcopal Church held 
 religious services in a school house located nearly 
 opposite the present parsonage on West Genesee 
 street. A class was early formed which was largely 
 increased through the means of a revival conducted 
 by "Father" Bibbins. Following this revival was a 
 movement for the building of a chapel to better ac- 
 commodate the needs of the growing society, which 
 resulted in the purchase of a lot on West Gene- 
 
94 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 see street, and the erection of a building thereon in 
 1834, under the pastorate of Rev. Lyman R. Reding- 
 ton. 
 
 In '53, this chapel was enlarged and beautified at 
 a cost of about $800. At the completion of these 
 repairs the expenses were all provided for with the 
 exception of seventy-five dollars. To meet this in- 
 debtedness the society resolved to hold a re-opening 
 service at which an effort would be made to liquidate 
 the debt. Rev. C. P. Bragdon was secured to man- 
 age the financial part. Rev. Mr. Burritt, a former 
 pastor, preached morning and evening, and Rev. Mr. 
 Denison, the Baptist pastor, in the afternoon. 
 Through their united efforts the necessary amount 
 was raised, and the society was accommodated in 
 this chapel until '59, when David Hall, Esq., built at 
 his own expense a plain brick church, and presented 
 it to the society. In '68 the church edifice was en- 
 larged, remodeled and refurnished. Rev. William C. 
 Steele delivered the address at the laying of the cor- 
 ner stone of the first brick church and Bishop E. S. 
 Janes delivered the dedicatory sermon, and at the 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 95 
 
 rededication of the church after its enlargement, Dr. 
 Peck, now " Bishop, " delivered the dedicatory ser- 
 mon. 
 
 The following named pastors have served the 
 church here, viz : "Father" Bibbins, Lyman R. Red- 
 dington, Jesse T. Peck, Selah Stocking, I. Hutchin- 
 son, Joseph Cross, C. W. Harris, V. M. Coryell, John 
 Robie, Walter Hare, Thomas Pearne, Isaac Parks, 
 John Mitchel, Charles Burritt, Joseph Hartwell, Wil- 
 liam^Cobb, O. Hesler, S. H. Brown, E. N. Cuyken- 
 dall, William Miller, Isaac Foster, William Searles, 
 William Burr, William Bixby, M. S. Wells, T Bissell, 
 William Reddy, R. Redhead, George White, Mr. 
 Eastwood, A. Roe. Present membership, one hun- 
 dred and seventy ; number of Sunday School schol- 
 ars one hundred and seventy. 
 
 The Skaneateles Falls Methodist Episcopal 
 Church is located in this town about three and 
 a half miles north of the village, and the first meet- 
 ings were held in the house of Mr. Bannister, class 
 leader, late in 1867, or early in '68, and in 'y^ or '74, 
 the school house was occupied for religious services, 
 
g6 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 and from '75 to 'yy, inclusive, a room in the brick 
 block provided by Thomas Mortin.' A very credita- 
 ble church building, 24 by 40, with basement, has 
 been erected, chiefly through the aid of Mr. Weeks, 
 a member of the church in this village. 
 
 It was dedicated in February, '78 ; the present 
 membership is twenty ; the average attendance at 
 Sunday School is about forty. Although the Prot- 
 estant people within reach are not numerous, yet 
 they are generally interested and enterprising in their 
 support of the church. 
 
 The Methodist Episcopal Church of Mottville, 
 in this town, is comparatively young as a distinct 
 society, though the place had been a Methodist ap- 
 pointment with more or less regularity for about 
 twenty-five years, and meetings were held in private 
 houses or the school house until '73, when under the 
 supervision of Rev. William Keddy, D. D., pastor of 
 the church in the village, the old school house was 
 purchased, moved to its present site and fitted up 
 for church purposes at a cost of $1,000. The dedi- 
 cation occurred January 24, '73. Among the origi- 
 
HISTORY OF SKAXEATELES. 97 
 
 nal members were O. Coleman, Chester Benton, 
 Mrs. Catherine Blodgett, Mrs. Maria Hunsiker, Wil- 
 liam Barber, Mrs. Esther Young and Mrs. Charlotte 
 Bradley. 
 
 Rev. O. N. H in man was the next pastor, and he 
 was followed by Abram Fancher. Rev. M. J. Wells, 
 the present incumbent, was appointed pastor in Sep- 
 tember, 1877. The present membership is forty- 
 three, the average attendance at Sunday School 
 about the same, congregation good, and social meet- 
 ings ivell attended." 
 
 The following was copied from vol. A, page 34, 
 from the book of miscellaneous records in the County 
 Clerk's office : — 
 
 4i Marcellus, October 29, 1801. At a meeting of 
 the Schaneateles Religious Society, holden at the 
 school house, the usual place of meeting for Public 
 worship, for the purpose of establishing a Religious 
 Society, agreeable to law in such cases made and 
 provided, for which purpose Ebenezer R. Hawley 
 and Aaron Cook was unanimously chosen to super- 
 intend the said meeting. 
 
98 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 Now we, the said Ebenezer Hawley and Aaron 
 Cook, do hereby certify that the said Society being 
 so meet, did elect and chuse Ebenezer R. Hawley, 
 Joseph Clift, Judah Hopkins, Peter Putnam and 
 Daniel Cook, to be trustees for the said Society 
 and that the said Society should forever be known 
 and distinguished by the name of The Schaneateles 
 Religious Society." 
 
The Skaneateles Lake. 
 
 WHEN the first settlers reached its shores, the 
 dense forest stretched almost to the water's 
 edge. There were numerous points jutting from the 
 shores on either side covered with trees and under- 
 brush, the most prominent of which was at the ter- 
 minus of what is now known as the Shotwell brook, 
 which at that time was a very considerable stream of 
 water. This point projected far into the lake, and 
 it was from about this locality that a sand bar ran 
 across to near mile point, over which a man could 
 wade across from shore to shore with his head above 
 water. All the points before mentioned were the 
 terminus of inlets into the lake, all of which carried a 
 much greater volume of water than they do now. 
 At that period while forests were intact, the springs 
 on the hill sides flowed all the year around. The 
 
IOO HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 rays of the sun had but little effect on the surface 
 beneath, and the snows of winter remained on the 
 ground until late in the spring months, the gradual 
 melting of which together with the rains, were much 
 more abundant than at the present time, supplied 
 the springs with water throughout the year with oc- 
 casional interruptions in the summer months during 
 a dry season. As a result of this, the level of the 
 surface of the lake was generally very uniform. On 
 occasions of a very rain)' season, the rise would not 
 average over one foot, which gradually subsided from 
 the natural flow through the outlet. 
 
 The line of shore at the lower end of the lake ran 
 from about the northern boundary of the Lapham 
 Place in nearly a semi-circle where Jas. E. Porter now 
 resides or perhaps a little further to the east. The 
 southern terminus of the present coffer dam was the 
 outline of the original shore. Between that and the 
 present shore in the rear of the brick stores, was a 
 swampy flat, interspersed with pools of water and 
 very similar in appearance to the woodland now on 
 the direct road to Auburn, beyond the county line. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. IOI 
 
 This flat was covered with old forest trees, princi- 
 pally elm and red oak, and considerable underbrush. 
 The outlet ran through this flat and was filled with 
 driftwood, the debris, which had accumulated there 
 from time immemorial. This driftwood formed a 
 bridge for the first settlers to cross the outlet. 
 
 It is presumed that the upper end of the lake was 
 similar in appearance, but more rugged. 
 
 The first dam was constructed of logs, and was 
 about upon a line with the north end of the present 
 bridge, it did not raise the water more than three or 
 four feet, and was constructed by Jesse Kellogg for 
 Judge Sanger, about the year 1797. Sanger built 
 the first grist mill, and Kellogg built the first saw 
 mill, which were both supplied with power from this 
 dam. 
 
 The first name given to Mile Point, was Barney's 
 Point, named from Barnabas Hall, who settled on 
 the military lot adjoining. There was. very early, a 
 log house erected on this point by a man by the 
 name of Bebee, after his death his widow, called by 
 the boys, 4 ' Granny Bebee," lived in it for many 
 
102 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 years ; she was called a witch, and all the boys and 
 girls were afraid of her. After her death, a man by 
 the name of McMullen lived in it. His wife, Kate 
 McMullen, worked for many people here-abouts. par- 
 ticularly Zalmon Booth. 
 
 The effect of raising the water in the lake by the 
 dam, was to flood not only the swampy flat at this 
 end, but nearly all the picturesque points, which 
 were covered with trees, the stumps of which could 
 be seen for many years thereafter, particularly at 
 this end of the lake. Another effect was the contin- 
 ual washing away of the shores undermining the 
 roots of the trees, causing drift wood and snags in 
 the body of the lake and on its shores. This gradu- 
 al washing away has greatly enlarged the surface 
 from what it was originally. At the present time, 
 the rise and fall of the water from extreme to ex- 
 treme is about seven feet, so that when the water is 
 at high water mark the whole surface of the lake is 
 seven feet higher than it was when Abraham Cudde- 
 back came here in 1794, and settled on the west 
 shore. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATEI.ES. 103 
 
 The first building on the lake shore in the vil- 
 lage was a large travelers' barn belonging to Elna- 
 than Andrews who kept the old tavern. The next 
 one was put up by John Legg for a blacksmith's 
 shop, on about the present site of- Legg Hall. The 
 next was a frame harness shop erected about the 
 year '12, by Philo Dibble. The next was a frame one- 
 story lawyer's office built by Alfred Northam ; this 
 was east of Dibble's shop. 
 
 The first steamboat of the Lake, the Independ- 
 ence, was constructed in '31, on the shore of the 
 lake about where H. L. Roosevelt's boat house is 
 now. It was about eighty or one hundred feet in 
 length. The cabin was partly below deck, so that 
 in entering there were a few steps to descend to it. 
 The engine was a horizontal one, and the boat had 
 side wheels. The money to build it was raised by 
 subscription among the people of the village. Cap- 
 tain Wells, who came here from Cayuga Lake com- 
 manded her. He invested largely in the enterprise 
 himself. The hull had a counter stern and was a 
 fair model for those early days. The boat was built 
 
104 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 by a ship carpenter by the name of Winchell. There 
 was also a barge built for the purpose of carrying 
 freight and passengers, to be towed up and down the 
 lake by the steamboat. 
 
 On the occasion of the launch, which took place 
 July 4, '31, there was an excited demonstration by 
 the leading spirits of the village. A young lawyer 
 named Hillis, who was then studying law in the 
 office of F. G. Jewett, delivered a speech on the occa- 
 sion, and a high time was indulged in, ending with a 
 dance, the music for which was furnished by a negro 
 clarionet player. 
 
 It was not long before an opposition steamer 
 was started. During the same year Captain Fowler 
 brought a small steamer about forty feet in length 
 from the Hudson River by canal, and had it trucked 
 up to the lake by means of a large number of oxen. 
 This craft had side wheels and was driven by a small 
 steam engine. The owners of the Independence were 
 obliged to go to Robert Fulton and Livingston to get 
 a license to run a steamboat on this lake, as the State 
 had granted them a monopoly to run steamboats in 
 this State. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 105 
 
 Captain William Fowler did not belong about 
 here, but came with his boat, which was named The 
 Highland Chief, from the Hudson River. He had 
 an impediment in his speech ; stammered so that it 
 was almost impossible to understand what he was 
 trying to say. But he could whistle, and after his 
 boat was changed into a sailing craft he made use of 
 his whistling powers to invite the wind whenever 
 there was a calm. 
 
 In the course of three years it was found that 
 steamboating did not pay here. The engine and 
 boiler were sold under execution, by a merchant then 
 in business here, and the hull was turned into a sail- 
 ing craft, and finally the whole investment proved a 
 total loss to all concerned, more especially to Cap- 
 tain Wells, who invested all his money in the venture. 
 The opposition boat shared the same fate. 
 
Interesting Anecdotes. 
 
 THE original Village Lots were probably laid 
 out by Judge Sanger. As a general rule they 
 were ioo feet front and twenty rods in depth. 
 The Thayer lot, was village lot number six. It was 
 first conveyed by Sanger to Seth McKay, January 
 16, 1801. Consideration $5. July 21, 1802, Seth 
 McKay conveyed it to Norman Leonard. Consider- 
 tion $200. Norman Leonard afterwards sold it to 
 John Legg. Sanger sold village lot number eleven 
 to Joseph Pearce, house carpenter, for twenty dol- 
 lars. Warren Heacox purchased a one acre lot on 
 the west side of the outlet of the lake from Sanger, 
 October 12, 01. Consideration $10. Deed witnessed 
 by Asa Hatch and Samuel Porter. 
 
 These lots as laid out were termed "village plots 
 on the north end of Skaneateles lake." 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 107 
 
 The " Dark Day " was one of the epochs of the 
 early settlers and was caused by an unusual eclipse of 
 the sun which took place June 16, '06. The day 
 was cloudy and the obscuration produced almost 
 total darkness. The many forest trees which sur- 
 rounded the dwellings of the people had the effect to 
 deepen the darkness. The feathered tribe all re- 
 tired to roost and the day was one long remembered. 
 
 Samuel Litherland and Isaac Selover were en- 
 gaged in laying the floors of the Vredenburg house 
 on that day ; it became so dark that it was impossi- 
 ble to go on with the work, so Mr. Vredenburg sup- 
 plied them with candles. Litherland was in the 
 habit of recounting his experience on that occasion 
 to his friends throughout his life. 
 
 The first excitement among the early settlers was 
 when the clam broke away about the early part of 
 the present century. This occurred during a Satur- 
 day night and on the Sunday morning following the 
 people became much excited, as the breach de- 
 prived them of the facilities of the grist mill. The 
 
108 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 news spread rapidly throughout the settlement, and 
 the missionary, (supposed to be Rev. Isaac Rawson), 
 who was employed by the year to preach in the old 
 school house on the hill, where the meeting house 
 was afterwards erected, learning uf the catastrophe 
 sent a boy to the place of meeting, directing him to 
 inform the assembled congregation to adjourn and 
 assist to repair the mill dam, as it was more impor- 
 tant for them to have bread than to hear him 
 preach. This brought a crowd of assistants who 
 worked lustily under the direction of the minister, 
 and the work was thoroughly completed before sun- 
 down. 
 
 During the War of 1812, a detachment of cavalry 
 stopped here on their way to the frontier and em- 
 ployed John Legg to make horseshoes and horse- 
 shoe nails. Legg had all the blacksmiths in the sur- 
 rounding country to work for him incompleting this 
 order, as it was necessary to have the utmost dispatch. 
 
 In the month of August, 1814, one hundred and 
 sixty-eight British prisoners captured in the attack 
 
HISTORY OF SKAXEATELES. 109 
 
 Fort Erie passed through this place. They bivouaced 
 over night on the lake shore on the land now owned 
 by Fred Roosevelt. They were on their way to the 
 Cantonment at Greenbush on the Hudson River. 
 
 As early as 1815, there had been no negroes 
 brought into this part of the State, but Mr. Vreden- 
 burg brought from New York a black wench as 
 cook. The children were all afraid of her and ran 
 as soon as she made her appearance in the streets. 
 There were, however, two native born negroes, in 
 either Mr. Booth's or Mr. Furman's family. Their 
 names were Jack and Kate. They were born about 
 '12, and were slaves and belonged to either of the 
 above named families. These became fiee under a 
 law afterward passed by the State. An Irishman 
 was a curiosity in those days ; there were no Irish 
 women. The hired help were all natives, who were 
 glad to hire out at 75 cents per week. The con- 
 ditions for prime help were that in addition to the 
 ordinary house work, they would agree to spin twen- 
 ty knots and do the milking night and morning. 
 
I 10 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 But hired help was then treated as equals in the 
 family. The Vredenburg family being more aristo- 
 cratic, wanted servants who were not treated as 
 equals and such could not be found about here, con- 
 sequently they had to import all their help from 
 New York. 
 
 It is said that Colonel Vredenburg had brought 
 with him from New York, among other things, some 
 of the best Holland gin, imported in half gallon jugs. 
 One of these jugs, sealed perfectly tight, was placed 
 in one of the chimneys and cemented immediately 
 back of the fire-place, (rather a warm place for gin.) 
 One of the masons who worked on the building 
 when the chimney was built, and who assisted in 
 placing the jug of gin in the brick work, passed 
 through this village about the year '46, at which time 
 the gin ought to have been buried some forty years. 
 This man must have been at least sixty-five years 
 old. Said he had never been in the village since he 
 He told the tale of the jug 
 
 • the 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. m 
 
 old mansion. His personal appearance indicated his 
 affection for kindred spirits, and after detailing the 
 story, he exclaimed : — " I would give five dollars, (if 
 I had it,) for one smack of that gin. " 
 
 Previous to the year 1846, a day was set apart for 
 the general turnout of the militia, which was called 
 General Training Day. This was the product of the 
 revolution. On this day a regiment would assemble, 
 alternately in this village and the village of Mar- 
 cellus, " armed and equipped as the law directs," for 
 the purpose of military drill and parade. These reg- 
 imental drills occurred day by day, succeeding each 
 other, until all the regiments in the Brigade had 
 been successfully inspected by the Brigadier General. 
 With the movements of the Brigadier General and 
 his aids, from one general training place to another, 
 there followed a perfect caravan of peddlers, truck- 
 sters and all sorts of people who would arrange them- 
 selves early in the morning, in convenient places in 
 the village. These were followed by endless streams 
 of people who were to make up the various actors 
 
112 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 and spectators of the day. General training day 
 was about the middle of September. With the 
 exception of an independent company of sixty, called 
 the Rifle Company, the others were denomina- 
 ted Bear Foot and Floodwood companies. Prob- 
 ably these names were given them on account of 
 the striking contrast they presented to the Rifle 
 Company, which was a trim, beautiful company 
 of selected men, whose uniform was a dark gray 
 suit, pants with a black stripe running down the 
 outside of the leg, dress coat, single breasted with 
 one row of gilt military buttons set closely together, 
 extending from the waist to the neck, a stiff straight 
 collar with three or four parallel strips of yellow tin- 
 sel lace extending over each shoulder and around the 
 cuffs of the sleeves. A tall beaver hat with a thin 
 brass plate, ornamented with figures fastened on the 
 front of it, and from behind this plate, apparently 
 growing out of the top of it, was a tall, bushy, red 
 feather. Each man carried a first-class rifle, in com- 
 plete order, and a powder flask suspended from a 
 belt fastened around his waist. Occasionally this 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. I I 3 
 
 company assembled on the Fourth of July for the 
 purpose of escorting and doing honor to the old 
 veterans. The " Floodwood Companies, " although 
 made up of men like the Rifle Company, had the ap- 
 pearance of having emanated from some dark region 
 of the earth, on account of the utter carelessness 
 manifested by a portion of them, in dress and per- 
 sonal appearance. Having no uniform, every man 
 was dressed to meet his own views of taste and com- 
 fort, so that when formed into one body as a regi- 
 ment, there was very much the appearance of daz- 
 zling light leading hideous darkness. The Flood- 
 wood Company were equipped with musket and bay- 
 onet, a cartridge box hanging one side and a bayo- 
 net sheath the other, each suspended by a strap 
 passing over the opposite shoulder. . Although on 
 company training day, (which was always the first 
 Monday in September,) there were many departures 
 in the Floodwood Companies from the regulations of 
 the day, but on " General Muster" order prevailed, for 
 the scrutiny of the higher officers peculiar to this 
 day, was such that whoever ventured to violate 
 
114 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 rules, was sure to be returned to Court Martial, and 
 there to meet with a retribution, which destroyed all 
 desire ever afterward to repeat the misdemeanor. 
 
 " When I was a boy about seven years old, there 
 stood a two story frame house on the west shore of 
 the lake, which had been occupied as a tavern. The 
 house was painted a dingy brown, and near by stood 
 a small barn for the accommodation of travelers' 
 horses. This house had the reputation of being 
 haunted. A well-known peddler had disappeared 
 and the last that was seen of him was in that house. 
 With all the vivid stories of the ghostly apparitions 
 which took place in that house every night, that were 
 floating around the village, particularly among the 
 boys of my age, I became imbued with awe and 
 hardly dared to go out after dark. However I was 
 obliged sometimes to go to the stores from my home, 
 which was in the eastern part of the village. One 
 evening, I recollect distinctly of passing on the south 
 side of the turnpike along where the " boulevard " 
 now is, between Legg Hall and the Episcopal 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. I I 5 
 
 church. I looked up the lake shore and was horri- 
 fied by the light of two rows of flittering lights pass- 
 ing in opposite directions through the trees and 
 bushes. One row of lights going directly from the 
 haunted house in nearly a straight line clear down to 
 the lake, and into the water, another row, I should 
 judge about ten feet from the other row, were run- 
 ning from the water to the house. I could not see 
 that there were any persons carrying the lights and 
 came to the conclusion that owing to the rapidity of 
 the lights through the air, that it was not done by 
 human agency. At the time of the disappearance of 
 the peddler, folks said the family had not a very good 
 name. By and by, the family moved away. The 
 man who bought the house, while one day digging 
 the refuse accumulations out of the cellar, found the 
 peddler's bones, at least everybody supposed they 
 must have been the peddler's, as nobody else 
 was missing at that time. Nobody claimed them 
 and the man chucked them in the corner of a pasture 
 lot near by. The boys used to visit the location in 
 the day time and amuse themselves by kicking the 
 
Il6 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 bones around for fun. Some of the boys cracked 
 butternuts with the peddler's shin bone, at least 
 that is what they said. The man who owned the 
 place and who found the bones, moved his family into 
 the house. They had not got fairly settled before 
 the chairs began to tumble around and the dishes 
 rattled in the cupboard, the doors would not stay 
 shut, and the windows rattled and banged, as if some 
 one was all the time shaking them. The owner of 
 the house said, every night some one he could not see 
 kept shaking something about his ears, that sounded 
 like bones in a bag. Then a big yellow dog, with 
 red eyes,- got to appearing in the house and when any 
 of the family would go near him, he would not be there 
 sometimes going up into the air, and sometimes fad- 
 ing away right where he stood, this is what the family 
 said and everybody believed them. The circum- 
 stance of the man's treating the peddler's bones so 
 unchristianlike as to throw them in the corner of a 
 lot was sufficient cause, in the opinion of everybody, 
 for the house being haunted, and there was no use 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 117 
 
 of having any peace in that family until the bones 
 were buried decently, and everybody told the man 
 he had better do it. So he went to work to see if he 
 could not get the peddler together, and lay him to 
 rest in the grave yard. He found a few of the bones 
 and buried them decently, to see if the advice he 
 had received from everybody proved true. The 
 doors and windows banged and the chairs kept mov- 
 ing about as usual, but the bag of bones did not rat- 
 tle so much and the mysterious yellow dog, that 
 looked all along so fierce with his eyes very red, was 
 not so fierce looking, after the few bones had been 
 planted, and his eyes changed to a mild blue, and 
 just before he disappeared he gave his tail a little 
 wag. 
 
 This encouraged the family, and they went to 
 work hunting for more of the skeleton. They offered 
 the boys ten cents a bone for all they could find, and 
 the family joined in the search until they got all 
 but the skull. Well, these were all buried with the 
 first ones. The effect was, that the chairs kept still 
 and the windows and doors did not bane so much, 
 
Il8 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 • 
 
 and the bag of bones quit entirely, but the queerest 
 result was the action of the dog, the children could 
 almost get him to play with them, and they said he 
 looked so pleased when he dug out and went into 
 the air with a playful skip. 
 
 The family, now, only wanted the skull, but with 
 the most careful search it could not be found. Some 
 time after, a boy was picking berries along the fence 
 not far from where the bones had been originally 
 thrown, when he stepped on a rolling stone, which 
 threw him on the ground in the brush, when to his 
 surprise he discovered that he had stepped on the 
 peddler's skull, which every boy in the neighborhood 
 had been searching for. He immediately carried it 
 to the man, who faithfully rewarded him for finding 
 it. The skull was buried with the other collection of 
 the remains of the unfortunate peddler, and from 
 that day the house was perfectly quiet, and the fam- 
 ily lived in peace thereafter. 
 
 I do not vouch for the truth of all these stories, 
 as I had no personal experience, being too small a 
 boy to join the larger ones in kicking around the 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. I 19 
 
 bones, but I heard the details from the other boys. 
 Perhaps some of the old inhabitants who were then 
 living hereabouts, may dispute some of the circumstan- 
 ces above related, but it must be borne in mind that I 
 was a small boy then, and could not take any active 
 part with the larger boys, who kicked the bones 
 around for fun, and that my information was princi- 
 pally derived from hearsay, my ears were always 
 open and any statement made by the boys, made an 
 indelible imprint on my youthful memory. In after 
 years, I used to hear the frequenters of the old tav- 
 ern, (which stood next east to the present residence 
 of Mr. Marvin,) talk about the haunted house, and 
 relate circumstances identical with those I have de- 
 tailed." 
 
 The late Augustus Kellogg, as is well known, 
 died Oct. 30th, 1871. It is not generally known 
 however, that he committed suicide by taking lauda- 
 num. On Sunday morning, Oct. 29th, John Slocum 
 st< pped into his office and found Kellogg in a deep 
 .:dcavor waken him, but did not 
 
120 HISTORY OF SKAXEATELES. 
 
 succeed. In about an hour Slocum went in again, 
 and found Kellogg in the same state of apparent in- 
 sensibility, and thereupon gave the alarm to his rel- 
 atives. The neighbors flocked in and the rooms 
 were filled all day long. Kellogg remained in the 
 same state in which he was found until the morning 
 of Oct. 30th, when he died. 
 
 In connection with this subject it may be inter- 
 esting to state that the late Charles Pardee prepared 
 an epitaph, which he designed to have cut on a sec- 
 ond-hand gravestone, to be placed over Kellogg's 
 grave. He wanted a cheap stone and promised to 
 select one from among those which might be offered 
 but as he never called, the order could not be carried 
 out. The following is an exact copy of the epitaph, 
 and is in Mr. Pardee's handwriting : — 
 
 AUGUSTUS KELLOGG, 
 
 Died Oct. 30th, 1871, aged 6y years. 
 
 Born in affluence, talents and education of the 
 
 first order. 
 
 Died as the fool dieth — buried 
 
 in midnight-darkness by his request. 
 
 With the talents of an Angel — a man 
 
 may be a fool. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 121 
 
 In the year 1812, during the war of that period, 
 there was, about half a mile north of the village of 
 Marcellus, a central point where there was a grist 
 mill, saw mill and whiskey still, which in those days 
 was of considerable importance in furnishing a mar- 
 ket for surplus grain which otherwise could not find 
 sale nearer than Albany. There was also a wool 
 carding and cloth dressing machine patronized by 
 the farmers for the purpose of having the product of 
 their family's looms finished for domestic use. There 
 was also a store to supply whiskey and other mer- 
 chandise for the needy, who had the wherewith to 
 buy or exchange. The store and still were owned 
 by Joseph Piatt and the still was run by Alvin 
 North. There was also a paper mill owned by John 
 Herring, and a powder mill owned by some one else. 
 This collection of mills and the store together with 
 the still, comprised an attractive business centre 
 where the inhabitants of the surrounding country 
 met for business purposes and to discuss the news 
 of the day. Politics at that time were uppermost in 
 
122 HISTORY OF SKAXEATELES. 
 
 the public mind, and the war of opinions at times was 
 very bitter by members of opposite parties, which on 
 some occasions led to literal knock down arguments, 
 at other times to fun and frolic or to the ridiculous, 
 especially when both parties were not under the in- 
 fluence of liquor. 
 
 Reuben Farnham, a resident of Skaneateles and a 
 man by the name of Tompkins, who resided in the 
 vicinity of the whiskey still, had a discussion. The 
 theme was politics, the subject was the Hartford 
 Convention and its purpose and effect. Farnham 
 had a special weakness for fire-water and was inclined 
 to imbibe whenever an opportunity presented itself 
 and the day these two men met, he was very noisy 
 and intoxicated. Tompkins was a Democrat and 
 Farnham a Federal. The discussion was very heat- 
 ed and Tompkins made such insulting charges 
 against his adversary, that Farnham seemingly took 
 offence and demanded an apology, which being in- 
 sultingly denied, challenged Tompkins. He would 
 only meet him again on the field of honor and pis- 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 123 
 
 tols were to be the arbiter of the insult. Tompkins 
 accepted the challenge, and seconds were selected bv 
 each party. Joseph Piatt being one and Alvin 
 North the other, and with them all matters were 
 left, to arrange the preliminaries of the meeting, they 
 to furnish and prepare the weapons, place the par- 
 ties in position and to give the signal to fire. 
 
 According to this pre-arrangement, the duellists 
 met in a large room selected for the purpose, were 
 placed at either end by their respective seconds, the 
 pistols placed in their hands and at the signal, both 
 fired simultaneously. Tompkins fell heavily to the 
 floor, bleeding profusely from the left breast, delug- 
 ing the room with blood and after a few struggles 
 and gasps, was to all appearances dead. 
 
 When Farnham realized the scene, he seemed 
 dumbfounded, a reaction in his feelings overpowered 
 him with remorse, and he wept like a child and 
 swore that he would give himself up to the authori- 
 ties and meet the legal consequences. 
 
 Tompkins' body was carried off by his friends. 
 
124 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 The affair caused the most intense excitement in the 
 neighborhood and preparations were made for the 
 arrest of Farnham, but before that took place the 
 secret leaked out that Tompkins had not been 
 killed, the duel was all a sham and there were no 
 bullets placed in the pistols. Tompkins had previ- 
 ously placed a small bladder of some red liquid un- 
 der his vest, which was punctured at the proper 
 time, which accounted for the profuse flow of blood, 
 especially as he purposely fell on the left side where 
 the bag of fluid was placed. 
 
 The duel was to all parties, together with the 
 spectators, except Farnham, a practical joke. To 
 him it seemed a terrible reality, seeing blood, 
 as it appeared running from the dying man's 
 breast after he fell on the floor. After the 
 company was fully satisfied with the sport, Tomp- 
 kins re-appeared as sound as ever. When Farnham 
 discovered that he had been fooled by a practical 
 joke, his anger was unbounded and threatened 
 Tompkins' life in revenge for the deception, but 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 125 
 
 soon cooled off, sense and reason came to his relief, 
 and the whole matter was finally settled by the com- 
 pany present making up a subscription and sending 
 over to the store for a jug of whiskey of which all 
 joyously partook. 
 
 |the end! 
 
INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 BY BYRON E. OSBORN, M. D. 
 
 I tell the tale of a hundred years — 
 
 The ancient lore of our now fair town, 
 
 The hopes and the fears, the joys and tears, 
 And all its history of renown. 
 
 How the wild warrior in his bark canoe 
 Skimmed o'er the lake's placid waves, 
 
 And woo'd the heart of his dark Zouloo, 
 
 'Neath the shades of his ancestors' graves. 
 
 I tell the tale of the pioneers. 
 
 Of their struggles for loved ones at home, 
 Of their few sweet days and long sad years 
 
 They waited for happiness to come. 
 
 Then we see their children on the wave, 
 
 The same wave that bore the dark Zouloo, 
 
 And a fair stalwart youth just as brave, 
 In the sunlight pulling his canoe. 
 
 Then prosperity, like a shy maid, 
 
 Comes slowly with lillies in her hands. 
 
 And a nation springs to joyous parade 
 
 To make obeisance at her commands. 
 
 Then joyous firesides and happy homes, 
 
 Learning, wealth, and bliss on every hand ; 
 
 Schools and churches, with gigantic domes, 
 Signal God's love and m tje-uic wand 
 
 Auburn, N. Y., March ist, 1882. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 SINCE the first part of this book was printed, 
 the following facts of interest have been 
 learned, which appear under their respective heads. 
 
 EARLY PIONEERS. 
 
 David Welch came to this town from Fort Ann, 
 Washington Co., in 1798, and settled on military lot, 
 No. 73, on land which is now the first farm this side 
 of Mandana. He was a private in the Revolutionary 
 war, was at the battle of Bennington where he was 
 wounded in the shoulder. He built the first frame 
 barn in 1800. 
 
 Samuel Welch, brother of David, came here in 
 1800, from the same place, was born in 1773, was 
 27 years old when he came, arrived here in March, 
 with two yoke of oxen and a wooden shod sled, his 
 son Samuel was then three years old. Came by the 
 
128 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 way of Oneida and through Marcellus. He served 
 in the war of '12. A carpenter by the name of 
 Johnson built a frame barn for him in '04. 
 
 The first Cuykendall that settled in this town 
 was Henry. He was born in the town of Minnisink, 
 Orange Co.. in 1778, came to Owasco in the spring 
 of the year 1800, resided there six years, and in '06, 
 moved to Skaneateles, about one and a half miles 
 north of Mandana on the farm now occupied by the 
 Huff family. Henry's family consisted of nine chil- 
 dren, five boys and four girls, of which only two 
 children survive. 
 
 Moses Cuykendall was born in the town of Min- 
 nisink, came to the town of Sempronius, in '09, 
 learned the blacksmith's trade with his uncle, and in 
 '15, came into this town and purchased fifty acres of 
 land, worked at his trade and on his farm until his 
 death in '59. His family consisted of ten children, 
 six boys and four girls, of whom all are dead but 
 one. 
 
 Jacob W. VanEtten was born in Minnisink, in 
 1770, came to the town of Skaneateles, purchased a 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 1 29 
 
 farm north of Mandana, and died on his farm in 
 1850. He had four children, one son and three 
 daughters, of whom all are dead but the youngest 
 daughter, who is now residing in Minnesota. 
 
 Eli Clark, the father of Foster Clark, came to 
 this village, from Northampton, Mass., in the month 
 of Oct., 1800, and came on foot. In looking around 
 he was particularly attracted by the situation of the 
 land which he finally purchased. After dilligent 
 enquiry he ascertained that this land belonged to 
 Robert R. Burnett and other parties in the city of 
 New York, so he set out on foot to go to the city 
 and negotiate a purchase. This resulted in his buy- 
 ing from said Burnett and others who were joint 
 owners, fifty acres on Military lot No. 35, on the 22d 
 of January, '01. He also bought fifty acres addition- 
 al adjoining John Thompson's land, and paid six 
 dollars per acre for the whole. 
 
 He then went back to his old home in Massachu- 
 setts and with his family and effects, started for his 
 new home in New York State, in the beginning of 
 the month of February, '01 with an ox sled drawn 
 
130 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 by two yoke of oxen and one horse. They came 
 along very well until the settlement of Whitestown 
 was reached, where the ground became bare of snow. 
 Mr. Clark then rigged some old wheels on his sled 
 and started again, and after many difficulties and 
 mishaps finally arrived here in the latter part of. 
 March. Foster Clark was at that time six years old 
 — he is now in his 87th year, and his wife in her 
 79th year. 
 
 Eli Clark's original purchase included a part of 
 the Sumner Fuller farm, also the land now owned by 
 John Hudson. 
 
 Dr. David Kingsbury practiced medicine here- 
 abouts for nearly forty years, residing in Clintonville. 
 He was contemporary with Drs. Porter and Hopkins. 
 Died March 7, '41, in the 64th year of his age. 
 He was the father of Mrs. Schuyler Moore of this 
 place. 
 
 Henry Root, was born in Westfield, Hampshire 
 county, Mass., Nov, 21, 1788, and died at Hudson, 
 Mich., Feb. 25, 1873, aged 85 years. Mr. Root, ac- 
 companied by his father, mother and three sisters, 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. I 3 r 
 
 (he had seven sisters,) left his native home, Oct. 13, 
 04, and came to this place. They came with their 
 own conveyance, and was two weeks on the road. 
 His father purchased one hundred and fifty acres of 
 land, which composed the farm Henry always lived 
 upon. Their nearest neighbors were Nathan Leon- 
 ard and Bethuel Cole. 
 
 Tunis VanHoughten was among the first, if not 
 the very first, supervisors of this town. The Town 
 Records show that he was supervisor in '36, in which 
 he was succeeded by Chester Clark. Mr. VanHough- 
 ten evidently was a man of good education, as some 
 very old books here show that he set the pattern by 
 which all the records have since been kept. 
 
 Amos Miner was born in Norfolk, Litchfield 
 county, Conn., Nov. 10, 1776. He came to this 
 part of the country about 1800. 
 
 He brought from his native State much of that 
 energy, which is characteristic of the New Englander, 
 and combining wifti this he had an inventive turn of 
 mind which he soon brought into requisition. In 
 the course of a year or two after his arrival here. 
 
132 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 while engaged in breaking up some new land, was 
 accidentally injured, so much as to be confined in his 
 bed, and was kindly cared for by his immediate 
 neighbor. While lying in bed in the same apart- 
 ment where the women of the household did their 
 work, Miner noticed the disadvantage the women 
 had to undergo in the use of the spinning wheel. 
 Sufficient velocity to spin the thread satisfactorily, 
 required Herculean power, yet this power had to be 
 furnished by the woman with one hand, while the 
 thread was drawn out with the other. Miner lay on 
 his bed day after day in the presence of this spinning 
 wheel, thinking how he could improve this old-fash- 
 ioned device, and before he was well enough to go to 
 work, had mentally accomplished his contemplated 
 improvement. His first attempt to put it into prac- 
 tice was to add to the staff which supported the 
 spindle, a wooden arm with an upright attached to it 
 to hold a wheel which was separately geared to both 
 spindle and to the large wheel by two bands. This 
 was a great improvement, but the sale of it was con- 
 fined to his immediate vicinity, because every oid 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELE8. 133 
 
 spinning wheel had to be brought to him to have the 
 device attached. 
 
 It soon became evident to him that in order to 
 meet the growing demands, he must so arrange his 
 improvement as to be portable, so that it could be 
 attached to any spinning wheel without his personal 
 assistance. This he soon accomplished by great per- 
 severance in what he called Miner's Accelerating 
 Wheel Head, for which he obtained a patent Nov. 
 16, '03. About this time Winston Day and others 
 were preparing to send a drove of cattle to the Phila- 
 delphia market and had engaged Jessie Kellogg to 
 take charge of them. Of course, men must be had 
 to drive, and when Miner had perfected his model for 
 the wheel head, the drove was ready to start, so he 
 came to Kellogg and hired out as a driver, and tak- 
 ing his model, followed the drove to Philadelphia, 
 where he received his wages, and then went to Wash- 
 ington. He had no difficulty in obtaining his patent 
 right and paid the expenses with the wages he re- 
 ceived for driving cattle. 
 
134 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 All the separate parts of the wheel head were 
 made of hard wood, and in those parts where there 
 was the greatest friction, such as the collars or gud- 
 geon blocks were made from knots. All these parts 
 were turned in a lathe, and it became necessary, to 
 have other than foot power to turn his lathes, con- 
 sequently, in '04, he purchased 27 acres of land, on 
 military lot No. 44. On this land was a stream of 
 water which ran from south to north across the 
 road. He desired to locate his shop on the north 
 side, as his land did not extend on the south side. 
 But he had difficulty to get the full height of the 
 stream across the road to his own premises, but as 
 his perseverance never failed in an emergency, he 
 led the water from some distance in a raceway, and 
 in crossing the road ran the water into an upright 
 basswood hollow log, down to another hollow log 
 which ran horizontally across and under the road- 
 way, and from this it was forced into another log on 
 the north side of the road. 
 
 From the top of this log the water was fed into 
 his first experiment of an over-shot wheel, which 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 1 35 
 
 was a leather band with buckets on it similar to a 
 modern elevator in a flour mill for carrying grain. 
 This wheel was not a success and Miner soon con- 
 structed an ordinary over-shot wheel and erected a 
 small work shop. Here he manufactured sufficient 
 wheel heads to supply the demand as well as flails 
 and flail caps, fork handles and such other wooden 
 utensils as were demanded at those times. 
 
 The site where Miner's factory was, is now the 
 farm of George Clark. 
 
 The introduction of Miner's accelerating wheel 
 head was a perfect boon and benefaction to all the 
 farmer's families as well as the hired help in the 
 land. The demand was such in a few years after the 
 introduction of this indespensable necessity that 
 they were sent in peddlers' wagons to all parts of the 
 then settled states from Maine to Georgia. Like 
 many other inventors, however, Miner profited little 
 by it financially. 
 
 The late Charles Pardee, in a short address to the 
 Sunday School scholars at a picnic of the Methodist 
 society, held about 1840, near the location of Miner's 
 
136 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 old factory, pointed out to the children the little 
 brook where the factory was located in which, as a 
 little boy he had worked for Miner. 
 
 In '05, Miner sold out his land to Daniel Waller, 
 and purchased ten acres on the southwest corner of 
 lot No. 68. There is a small brook on this location, 
 but whether Miner ever had a factory there, is not 
 known. He afterwards established a factory at 
 Five Mile Point, where he manufactured wheel heads, 
 as one of the firm Miner, Deming & Sessions. 
 
 He soon afterwards sold out his patent right and 
 his interest in the factory, and located at a point be- 
 tween Skaneateles and Otisco lakes, where he erect- 
 ed a grist mill and saw mill. 
 
 In the year '16, he left this place and located at 
 what Was then called " Sodom," (now Mottville,) 
 and afterward at a place called " The Hollow." 
 
 Before leaving the subject of wheel heads it may 
 be of interest to state that when Miner first offered 
 them for sale, they were retailed at $3.00 each, then 
 $2.50, then $2.00, and kept declining until the in- 
 troduction of spinning jacks, when they were sold as 
 low as 25cts each, and finally the demand ceased. 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 137 
 
 Miner sold out as soon as his patent became 
 money making so that he might turn his attention 
 to other inventions. 
 
 His next invention was machinery for making 
 pails, for which he obtained a patent April 25, 1823. 
 One of the greatest obstacles he had to encounter to 
 complete his invention was to give the staves a cyl- 
 indrical form, but this he overcame by inventing the 
 cylinder saw which he used for this purpose. In 
 theory it seemed to be just what was wanted, but in 
 practice it was partially ineffectual, because it did 
 not always saw with the grain of the wood, he found 
 that cross grained staves made poor pails. This 
 cylinder saw he did not patent but it has been in 
 use ever since for many other useful purposes. 
 
 Miner invented machines for making window 
 sash and secured letters patent for the same, in July, 
 '23. In '25, he obtained another patent for an im- 
 provement in making keelers or pans for holding 
 milk. 
 
 He afterwards owned a grist mill between Jor- 
 dan and Skaneateles, but its exact location or in 
 
138 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 what year he operated it, is not known. Miner 
 made a further improvement in his window sash ma- 
 chines, for which he took out a patent, Nov. 19, '33. 
 The celebrated and well known Miner pump was 
 patented by him, July 7, 1835. 
 
 The memory of Amos Miner deserves special 
 honor from the citizens of Skaneateles, humble as he 
 was, always pleasant and agreeable, but he was more 
 than that, he possessed an inventive genius hardly 
 excelled. 
 
 The superintendent of the patent office at Wash- 
 ington in one of his reports said that Amos Miner of 
 Skaneateles, N. Y., had invented and patented more 
 really useful machines than any other man in the 
 United States in those early times. He was poor, 
 very poor, and yet he made many rich. 
 
 He once told Howard Delano that people gave 
 him more credit than he deserved for an inventive 
 genius, he did not consider that he had much of 
 that quality, but what he really claimed to have, was 
 a perseverance and energy which was never satisfied 
 until the desired end was accomplished. He could 
 
HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 1 39 
 
 not sleep at night while his mind was occupied dur- 
 ing the day in any of his mental researches. 
 
 About the close of the year '35, he emigrated 
 from New York State, and settled in Morgan county, 
 Illinois, and there erected a grist mill and a saw mill 
 at a place called Little York in that county. 
 
 Here, surrounded by his children, who came 
 with him, with the exception of two, who had previ- 
 ously settled in Western Pennsylvania, he passed the 
 last years of his life and died in the 66th year of his 
 age, June 2, '42. 
 
 Anna Miner, the sister of Amos Miner, was the 
 mother of the late Charles Pardee and of Aaron, Al- 
 len, &c. She came from Connecticut and settled in 
 this village, but whether she came at the same time 
 her brother did is not known. 
 
 EARLY INDUSTRIES. 
 The following incidents happened about the year 
 1806: Nathan Leonard built the house now owned 
 by Joab Clift. Bethuel Cole built the house now on 
 the Luther Clark place. John Thompson, the first 
 settler, built a frame dwelling on his place. The 
 Briggs tavern was completed this year. 
 
140 HISTORY OF SKANEATEEES. 
 
 THE PRESS. 
 
 The following are the names of the Newspapers 
 that have been published in this village. 
 
 The Skaneateles Telegraph was first issued July 
 28, '29. W. H. Child was the publisher, and D. B. 
 Drake editor. The following extracts from the lead- 
 ing editorial are of interest : — 
 
 " Though we have labored under many embar- 
 rassments of a discouraging nature in the undertak- 
 ing, we have at length issued the first number of our 
 paper. * * It will be observed that this paper is 
 dated several days forward, so that the second num- 
 ber will not be issued till the 4th of August. In the 
 meantime we trust we shall have a large accession to 
 our subscription list. This number will be sent to 
 every dwelling in the village. If any should be neg- 
 lected it will be unintentional. Those who may 
 feel themselves unable or unwilling to subscribe will 
 return the first number as soon as convenient." 
 
 The editor then goes on to define his position in 
 regard to politics. Gen. Jackson was then President 
 
HISTORY OF SKANKATKI.KS. I4I 
 
 Advertisements— The Skaneateles Hotel was kept 
 by N. D. Caldwell and K. Wallis. -The subscribers 
 having refitted and newly furnished this extensive 
 establishment, formerly occupied by S. & J. Hall, 
 offer their services for the accommodation of the 
 public. Its delightful situation on the margin of 
 the lake, the beauty of the scenery and the health- 
 fulness of the climate give it every natural advan- 
 tage." They also flatter themselves that the con" 
 venience of the accommodations, the excellencies of 
 their table and bar, and the most assiduous attention 
 of all belonging to the establishment will render it a 
 pleasant retreat for travelers or parties of pleasure. 
 N. B. Seats may be taken every day in the dif- 
 ferent stages running to Homer, Ithaca, Jordan, 
 Syracuse, Buffalo and Albany. 
 
 Dr. Parsell opened an office for the practice of 
 medicine at the hotel. John H. Johnson was sher- 
 iff and Joseph Dascomb was his deputy. 
 
 The following marriage notices are also found : 
 July 6, 1829, Mr. Holland W. Chadwick was 
 married to Miss Matilda Earll. 
 
I4 2 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 
 
 July 2d, Joseph S. Mott to Miss Mary Thorne 
 daughter of Nicholas Thorne. 
 
 In Elbridge, July 4 th, E. D. Wheadon to Miss 
 
 Sarah Marvin. 
 
 The Skaneateles Weekly Democrat, was com- 
 menced in 1846, by Wm. Beauchamp. It was sub- 
 sequently issued by W. H. Jewett, Philo Rust and 
 Jonathan Keeney. In '49, it Passed into the hands 
 of Harrison B. Dodge, who has conducted it ever 
 since. It is independent in politics and is one of 
 the best family papers in the county. 
 
 The Naval Bulletin was issued from the Democrat 
 office, a short time in '53. 
 
 The Minerva, was a short time published by W. 
 H. Beauchamp in '44, but finally merged into the 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 The Juvenile Repository, was also published here 
 in '58, by Luther Pratt. In 40 it was removed to 
 New York, and soon after discontinued. 
 
 Skaneateles Free Press, was commenced in '75, b Y 
 John C. Stephenson. It is one of the spiciest sheets 
 published in Central New York. Its circulation is 
 about 1,200. 
 

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