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1141241

OBNEAL-OGY COL.L.ECTIOM

ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

3 1833 01177 8427

A CONCISE HISTORY

OF THE

It!
FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT.

Its Geogfaplii, Prorfuctioos aod Slnig [vents

ALSO, THE HISTORY OF

The First Ssttlsmsnt of the Yillags of Schenevus^

ITS ORIGIN, ITS EARLY AND LATER PROGRESS, ITS

VILLAGE ORGANIZATION AND DATE OF CHARTER,

WITH ITS PRESENT POPULATION, NUMBER

OF BUILDINGS, AND ITS BUSINESS

DIRECTORY.

BY A. HOTCHKIN.

SCHEMEVUS :

MONITOR BOOK AND NEWSPAPER PRINTING ESTABMSHMENT.

1876.

Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1875, by A. Hotchkin, in the
Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Wasliiugton, D. C.

1141241

So brief a title can only indicate the contents of the
work in the gross, or aggregation ; but it may be said
it was prepared at the request of many worthy persons,
that in as brief and cheap a form as possible (accessible
to all) the history of the first settlers in an unbroken
wilderness, their toils, privations and hardships, with
their names, might be handed down to posterity ; also
amusing anecdotes, humor and wit of early times.

With other things, it gives the date and organization
of the several churches, and erection of their houses of
worship, cost, seating capacity, &c. ; number of school
districts, aggregate value of school houses, number of
scholars, and average attendance at school ; number of
square miles within the town boundary ; number of acres
of land, assessed value ; names of owners of tracts of
land, called patents, &c., &c.

In short, a great amount of valuable and interesting
information in small compass. Unlike gazetteers, which
are " made to sell," and the contents of which are usually
drawn from the imperfect and treacherous memory of
the " oldest inhabitant," facts have been gathered from
the best and all availal)le sources. Kecollcctions and
statements of the "oldest inhabitants" have not only
been compared with each other, but with written mem-
oranda, and been digested, criticised and sifted till the
facts alone were left.

Family records and papers, title deeds, conveyances,
and all available papers bearing on the subject, have
been examined. Records in the clerks offices of Wor-
cester and Maryland ; also, records in the clerks offices
in Tryon, Montgomery and Otsego counties have been
carefully searched and examined, and some papers re-
latins' to the old town of ^V^)rcester, never in the clerk's
office, but found among the papers of the first Super-
visor ; the " Annals of Tryon County," l)y Judge W. W.
Campbell, a sufferer in the massacre of Cherry Vallc}' ;
and all books, charts and maps bearing on the matter
have been examined, and the utmost care and pains
taken to make the work correct and reliable. Yet, should
any material error be detected, before all landmarks are
removed by death, and be pointed out, the discoverer
will receive the thanks of

THE AUTHOR.

CHAPTER I.

Erection of the Town of Maryland — Its First Settlers —

Where they Located — Where From — Early Remin-

iscenes.

CHAPTER H.

Churches and Schools.

CHAPTER HI.

First of Roseville, now Chaseville.

CHAPTER IV.

Geography of Maryland — Its Productions— Its Pros-
perity.

CHAPTER V.

Striking Events — Wit and Humor.

CHAPTER VI.

Schenevus — Its Origin — Its Settlement — Its Progress,
and its Business Directory — Conclusion,

CHAPTER I.

ERECTION OF THE TOWN OF MARYLAND.

Otsego coiiuty was erected from ]Moutgou)ery Feb-
ruary 16th, 1791, and had two towDS — Otsego and
Cherry Valley. The town of Worcester was formed
from Cherry Valley March 3d, 1797, and Westford,
Decatur, and Maryland, were taken from Worcester and
formed into towns March 25th, 1808.

The close observing reader will notice that while this
work purports to be the first settlement of the town of
Maryland, and gives the names of first settlers, that
those persons actually settled in the town of Cherry
Valley, and after a residence in that town, and in the
county of Montgomery one year, they became residents
of Otsego county, but still were residents of the town of
Cherry Valley six years longer. They then, in 1797,
became residents of the town of Worcester, and so con-
tinued to be eleven years longer.

There were earlier settlers in Cherry Valley, and
earlier settlers in that part of the town now called
Worcester ; but as this work was intended to treat, and
that briefly, of Maryland, it was thought it would be
better understood by the mass of readers, and to make
less confusion if tiie settlers were placed under the name

of the town, which was given afterwards to the place
where they settled.

As the forest was gradually felled, more settlers came
in, the subject of a division of the town, to lessen the
traveling distance of many voters, sprang up, was dis-
cussed, and in time produced considerable agitation. To
halve it, divide east and west, or north and south, did
not please all the people as nearly as it did to quarter
it ; yet the population was so sparse the latter division
seemed objectionable. But time wore along, ^jopulation
increased, and in 1808 the people agreed the town should
be divided into four parts. But names for each division
now came up, and produced considerable agitation. The
Creator, according to the best of His wisdom, saw fit to
number the days and months, but the gods who came
after him, called heathen, desired names for each, and
their followers, agreeing with them, gave each the name
of a god. Each division, probably, had no heathen god
to name after, yet they might have had idols, pets, or
hobbies. At any rate the people were descendants of
English ancestors, and it will be seen they gave each
division a name which is to this da}' familiar to many of
their cousins across the water.

It has been reported one white man, a Tory, was in
the new town of Maryland at the time of the Revolution-
ary War. It may have been so, for Indians were there
in 1776 and before, and a white man mioht have been
with them ; but, if such is a fact, the writer would like to
find some evidence of it, and more especially if he
struck any blows towards a settlement. It is certain
white men were there during the war, but they were the

men who wero in pursuit of Tories and Indians, and if
any Tory had made a settlement there it would seem
prett^^ certain he would have been found and have been
exterminated. The Indian-slayer, Timothy Murphy, and
his co-worker, Colonel Harper, scouted some through
the (so-called) Worcester towns.

The first settlement of which there is any authentic
evidence was in 1790. This year there came in from
Columbia county Israel and Eliphas Spencer, brothers ;
Phineas Spencer, a cousin, and Elisha Chamberlin, and
settled near the center of the now town of Maryland and
the Maryland station on the Albany and Susquehanna
railroad.

The two latter settled on " State's land," on the hill,
about one and one-fourth miles north of east from the
Maryland station. Eliphas Spencer built a house about
three-fourths of a mile east from the station, at the foot
of the hill some ten rods north of the present highway.
The site is now marked by some square and smooth-faced
rocks that then formed his cellar wall, a little north of
the house, called the Jared M. Chamberlin house. Near
those rocks there is now standing a Lombardy poplar
which was brought as a whip stick from Columbia county
and there stuck in the ground.

Israel Spencer settled on the south side of the
Schenevus creek, on lands that were long afterwards
occupied by his descendants.

Josiah Chase and Joshua Bigelow came in in 1791,
and bought a thousand acre lot of land on which they
each put up a log house ; the former a little east of the
junction of the Elk creek with the Schenevus creek, and

where now stands the house occupied by J. T. Thomp-
son ; and the latter where now is the junction of the Elk
creek road with the Schenevus creek road, and oti the
site of the house now occupied by S. R. Slingerland.

As much of the village of Schenevus is on that lot, it
requires something more than a passing notice : Its
eastern boundary crossed what is now called Main street
of the village, near the foot of the hill, and between the
premises of the widow Caroline Cyphers and of that
occupied by O. D. Walker, and on the east side of the
premises of A. Hotchkin, and extended north and south on
the hills or mountains. Its extent west was over a mile,
and crossed the road some fourth of a mile west of Elk
creek, and near some rocks at the side of the road, and
which did somewhat obstruct it before being partially
removed. It covers all of what are called the " Flats."

The owners of the tract or lot made a division of it,
north and south, and Chase, who took the west half,
sold a piece of it, on the north end, to John Tuthill, who
came in and made settlement soon after Chase. Another
lot, next to Tuthill, he sold to his son-in-law, Daniel
Seaver, mentioned hereafter, who came in with him.

Bigelow sold the north part of his half to Asa Hough-
ton, a relative of Jothani Houghton, mentioned in
another part of this work, who built a house on a spot
afterwards called the " Fellows lot," and at the time of
writing occupied by Mr. Banner. Asa Houghton married
his cousin, a daughter of Jotham Houghton, and by her
he had a son to whom he gave the name of his mother's
father.

Peter Roman, mentioned hereafter, bought the re-

maiucler of Bigelow's land. Edward Goddard, mentioned
hereafter, came in about 1793, and bought part of the
Tuthill lot, the " Flats," twenty-five acres of State's
land, and he afterwards became owner of the Asa Houo;h-
ton farm. Not far from this time came in Nathaniel
Hazen, mentioned in other portions of this work, from
New Hampshire, as were Josiah Chase, Bigelow, Daniel
Seaver and Edward Goddard.

About 1793 came Jotham Houghton, with his two
sons, Jerahamel and Daniel, and settled on the south
side of Schenevus creek near where now is Chaseville.
Not far from this time came Wilder Rice, Ezekiel Rice,
and John Rice, and settled not far from Houghton.
Soon came Caleli Boynton and settled higher up the
Schenevus creek near what is now the line between
Worcester and Maryland, and about the same time
Joseph Howe settled on the Elk creek.

About 1794 came John Thompson with his two sons,
John and James, aud settled near where has been called
the " foot of Cromhorn," and near the same time James
Morehouse, who, like the Thompsons, was from Colum-
bia county, N. Y., and settled at the junction of the
" Piatt and Schenevus" creeks. At an early day came
Jacob Schemmerhorn and settled a little east of the
present boundary of Schenevus. After the " Spencer
mills," mentioned hereafter, were built, he built a grist
mill not far from his residence, on the Schenevus creek,
which did some business, but was soon destroyed by
fire. A portion of the timber and lumber saved from
this fire, was used in building the " frame " house after-
wards known as the " Silas Follett house." A Mr. Cole-

grove, and Silas and Luther Follctt, from New Hamp-
shire, soon came in ; the latter settled within the now
limits of Schenevus, and erected a house where now
stands the house of R. C. Wilson. About 1794 a Mr.
" Sisko " built a log house on the site of the upper or
east tavern in Schenevus, of whom this work treats here-
after, and kept a tavern.

The first mills were built in 1794, and were called the
" Spencer mills." It may be mentioned that about that
time Jotham Houghton erected a saw mill near where
the road now crosses the Schenevus creek east from now
Chaseville,and when nearly finished Ijuilt a dam across the
stream. But it Avas found that in the filling of the dam
and raising of the water it overflov/ed the " flats," and
Mr. Rice, who had a house on the south .side of the
stream and near the bridge, and owned the "flats," ob-
jected to having a dam there, and thereupon Mr. Hough-
ton abandoned the project of having a mill in that place,
and built his saw mill near where the Spencers built
their grist mill, and drew water to turn the wheel from
the same pond.

These mills were built near wdicre now is the Maryland
station on the Albany and Susquehanna railroad, and
where there are now mills.

The grist mill was built by Israel and Eliphas Spencer.
A laughable anecdote has been related, showing the
temper and and humor of " early times," and has its
date at the building of these mills. A " dandefied"
personage, for those times, and not overstocked Avith
brains or love of work, was Avith the company who Avere
at work on the dam. Sitting about, and often in the

way, he comphiiiied of thirst, — wanted water, water,
water, until he exhausted the patience of the "boss,"
Phineas Spencer, w^ho, being a man of muscle and
action, seized the fellow by the nape of the neck and
plunged him headlong into the pond where the water
was ten feet deep, with the sharp expression, " Get some

water and be d d ! "

This grist mill was considered a ffreat thing in those
early tkiys, and caused a great amount of talk and re-
joicing. The frequent weary .pilgrimage with a little
grist to Schoharie, or to Cherry Valley, and the going
supperless to bed because disappointed in the early
arrival from the mill wit'h a little flour or meal, was at
au end. It can hardly be realized now.

It may here be mentioned that Mr, Phineas Spencer
was the first carpenter and joiner in town, the first stone
mason, chair and cabinet maker, plow maker and cofiin
maker. Carpenters in those days worked by " scribe
rule" instead of "square rule." "Pod augers" were
used, no " screw augers " being then made. All fram-
ing timbers were hewed — rafters, girts, braces and all.
Joists and studs were little used, as no houses were
plastered, and posts, sills and beams were so near
together the floors could be laid and the houses be
"sided" and ceiled on them. Heavy, strong timbers
were used. There is now standing a barn, built by Mr.
Spencer, that has a white oak sill ten by eighteen
inches.

The " bull plows " of those days might be quite
a curiosity to those who never saw one. All of wood,
except the share, which was of " wrought iron," with

;i steel-pointed front end, or " shear," as it was called.
The mould board was split from an oak tree that
" woind against the sun." Harrows, or " drags," as
they were called, were "three-cornered" and were
made from the fork of a " crotched " tree.

As the dead could not then as now ride to the " city of
the dead" in "splendid" carriages, and be " buried "
with pomp and splendor, the poor went to the grave as
"decently" as the rich. Coffins were pine boards,
nailed together with " wrought nails," as no " cut uails "
were then made, and the black ashes of straw burned in
an iron kettle and wet with water were used to color
them black. This was put on w*ith a woolen rag, brushes
being scarce articles. For many years Mr. Spencer
made all the coffins for a large circuit, and would take
no pay for them. The dead Avere buried by their neigh-
bors free of charge.

The first tavern was by Josiah Chase, familiarly called
" Landlord Chase." It was in a log house about eighty
rods north of east from the ji.nction of the Elk creek
with the Schenevus creek, and occupied the site where
now is the house owned and occupied by J. T. Thomp-
son. There is a yarn told of the-power of Landlord
Chase's lungs, which, although his were considered a
little above the average for strength, is a pretty strong
point in evidence that in those days when people neces-
sarily had to breathe purer air than now in their tii>ht
and illy ventilated rooms they can, their lungs were
more sound and strong than now.

Landlord Chase had a little sou named Josiah, a
mettlesome fellow, who, for sheer fun, mounted a

spirited but tame colt in a pasture, with neither bridle
or halter on him. The colt, seeming to enjoy the sport
as well as the bo}^ commenced a race around the field,
with evident signs of darting into the woods. The
father, seeing the imminent danger the little son was in,
called out to him, " Stick to him, 'Siah ! — Stick to him,
'Siah ! — Stick to him, 'Siali !" — and 'Siah did stick to
him, and was safely rescued, and the father's voice was
distinctly heard by men in the now town of Worcester,
three and a half miles away.

In 1795 several more families came in from Columbia
county, and among them were Samuel Hotchkin and
Nathaniel Rose, and the latter soon opened a tavern at
the now Maryland railroad station, or a few rods north.
The house stood on the corner formed by the junction of
the " Whitney brook " road with the Scheuevus creek
road, on the noilh side of the latter and the west side of the
former. We will here anticipate a little : A tavern was
opened and kept by Amos Spencer about three miles
west of the Maryland, station, and at the place where
the late Uriah Spencer was born and died. The sign, at
the time of this writing, is still in existence, and bears
the date of 1802.

Soon after opening his tavern Mr. Rose bought a farm
adjoining his for his brother, Eli, and built a tavern
house on it about half a mile from his own house. In
1813 this farm and tavern were sold to Jonathan Milk,
and the house was burned down and another one erected
on the same site some eight years thereafter. Previous
to this, 1817, Simon Shutts had lost a log house and barn
by fire, and Allen Ainsworth a blacksmith shop, the
latter near the tavern.

r
It is claimed the first inarriage was that of Amaziah
Whitney to Sally Boynton, and the next, Daniel Seaver
and a daughter of " Landlord" Chase ; but the earliest
record found of a marriage is that of Samuel Hotchkin
and Mary (then called Polly) Spencer, in January,
1804. The earliest records of a school taught was by
Mary, or, as then called, Polly Spencer, near the now
Maryland station, and the second by Luna Chamberlin.

The first birth is claimed to be that of Warren God-
dard, and the next that of Hainiah Seaver; but, it
is claimed. Leafy Seaver was the first birth after the
town was set off from Worcester and christened with the
name of Maryland, and that she received her appropriate
name from the fact of her being born in a leaty forest.

The first death was that of John Rice, .who was killed
by the falling of a tree near the place where the
Schenevus station of the Albany and Susquehanna rail-
road now is. He was interred where now is the Sche-
nevus cemetery.

Rufus Draper had the first wool carding machine. It
was located on the Elk creek not far from where H. M.
Hanor's savv mill is now.

- Stephen G. Virgil had the first cloth dressing and
fulling mill. It was at the place now called Roseville.

Records make it appear that Edward Goddard was
Supervisor of the town of Worcester before the division
of the town, and Supervisor of Maryland from its erec-
tion in 1808 to 1825, when he declined a re-election,
from a desire to visit his friends in New Hampshire.
Evidently of the old school of office-holders — old fogy.

It appears John Chase was the first Town Clerk, D.

Houghton the lirst Justice, with John Tuthill and A.
Colegrove, J. Hougliton and Hem:m Chamberliu the
first Commissioners of Highways. Tlie first higliway
work of the Commissioners was to " lay out a road by
Daniel Seaver's south to the Schenevus creek road," now
Main street in Schenevus, and intersected the latter near
where the road now is that passes Morse & Gleason's
tannery. In the corner formed by the junction of these
two roads was a log school house, the first in the naw
School District No 4, and believed to have been built as
early as any in the new town.

The next road w^as in 1810, and was the straighteninsf
of the road running by Josiah Chase's and Peter Roman's
to a stake standing in front of Nathaniel Hazen's black-
smith shop. This is what is now called Main street in
Schenevus, and originally run around or south of the
hill called "burying ground hill," or south of the now
M. E. meeting house in Schenevus. In making it
straight was running it north of the present house and
over the hill.

Nathaniel, or Doctor Hazen, as he was called, had a
house some feet south of the house occupied by the
widow Hannah C. Cooley, or the bank of J. T. Thomp-
son, and his blacksmith shop stood some feet south of
German Wright's house. His cellar was built of tim-
ber, and was in the bank, or hill, about where the sash
and blind factory now stands. He made " hatchets," a
few tools, and some other light articles.

The road from Chaseville east originally run on the
low ground near the creek to the Sparrowhawk.

In 1813 the Schenevus creek road, now Main street.

was again improved — rim straight from the south side of
the burying ground to the south side of David Benedict's
house, now the upper or cast tavern. This was the
north side of the road; a blind record, but, of course,
would be understood to cover the then road to the stake
of 1810, opposite Dr. Hazen's shop, and then pass east-
ward the same width.

Not far from this time the road known as the Elk
creek road was " laid out," and the road passing Daniel
Seaver's was discontinued. The latter was a private
road, or a road to accommodate the Seaver family ; and
as the Elk creek road touched the Seaver farm, the
family could reach it without crossing the land of neigh-
bors. The Elk creek road intersected the Schenevus
creek road where it now does.

Edward Goddard was the first tanner and currier and
the first boot and shoe maker. His tannery was located
on the west side of Elk creek, where the bridge crosses
the stream north of Schenevus. He some time after-
wards built a saw mill near it.

Daniel Seaver was the first cooper and the first stone
mason where now is Schenevus, and as early as 1793.
His shop was near his house.

Nathaniel Hazen was the first " root doctor," and
Enos J. Spencer the first doctor of the alopathic school.
The latter was located at or near the now Maryland
railroad station. The first post-office was at the latter
place, and Enos J, Spencer was the first Postmaster ;
Jared M. Chamberlin, the second.

The first church (Baptist) was organized September
22d, 1808, and their house of worship was erected

in 181(5. It stood a few rods west of north from the
Maryhmd raih-otid station. Rev, N. D. AA'right was the
first, and for twenty-five years the only "settled"
pastor.

A Presbyterian church was organized near the time
the Bc^ptist church Avas, and their house of worship was
erected in 1820. It was located about one-fourth of a
mile east from the Baptist house. Rev. Mr. Ralph was
the first pastor.

The first house struck by lightning was in 1821, and
was owned by William Bowdish. The house was con-
siderably injured, but no person hurt.

The remains of the first settlers, and many of the
earliest, were interred in the "burying ground " near
Maryland station. Such were the customs of the early
settlers to show respect and veneration for the dead,
their remains were borne on a bier to the grave by their
neighbors. The remains of the first wife of Samuel
Chase, a- "step-daughter" of Phineas Spencer, were,
on a sweltering day, borne to the grave by neighbors,
a distance of seven miles. One of the bearers, James
Wilse}^ died in 1872, at the advanced age of ninety-
two years.

Among the official papers of Edward Goddard is found
a report from the Comptroller of the State, Archibald
Mclntyre, to Henry Phiuuey, County Treasurer, of the
tax of the town of Worcester for the year 1802. The
report bears the date of 1811, and has interest of the
portion not paid by resident rateables added, together
with costs, and the entire tax, with interest and costs,
was $11G.38. In 1810 the number of rateables in the
town ui Maryland was two hundred and thirty -two,

seventy-three of whom were residents and the balance
non-residents. The total tax was $117.48. The grand
levy was $97,903, and the average assessed value of the
land was $2.90 per acre. The fee for collection was
three per cent. Daniel Houghton was collector.

CHAPTER II.

CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS.
O

The Baptist house of worship, before mentioned, was
built for the church by Nathaniel Rose, at a cost of $800,
The seating capacity was some four hundred. It had
no gallery, was built on the amphitheatre style, the
seats rising from the aisle, one above another, to the
walls, and the pulpit was at one end, while the door and
entrance was at the other.

In 1834 this denomination built a second house at
Roseville, since called Chaseville, with a seating capacity
of four hundred and fifty. The church and parsonage
are valued at $4,050. The membership in 1871 was
eighty-five, and Rev. Hiram H. Fisher was the pastor.

In June, 1871, a Baptist church was organized in
Schenevus by Rev. A. Martin, with a membership of
twenty-five. The church has seating capacity for three
hundred and fifty, and was erected in 1868, at a cost of
$4,000.

The Presbyterian house, spoken of before, had a seat-
ing capacity of some four hundred, and cost $3,000. It
had a gallery and pews.

An Episcopal Methodist church was organized in 1810,
v/ith a membership of thirteen, and John Catlin was the

first preacher. In 1842 the first house for this denomin-
ation was built at Schenevus, and has a seating capacity
for four hundred. At the erection of the house the
church had a 'membership of eighty-five, and in 1871 of
one hundred and forty. The house and parsonage, at
the present writing, is valued at $7,500. The preacher
now, in 1875, is Rev. Mr. Wells.

A Methodist church was organized at Elk creok about
1830, Rev. Lyman Marvin, the first preacher, and had a
membership of some forty. A house was erected in
1857 at a cost of $800, and had a seating capacity of
three hundred. At the time of writing the church
property is valued at $2,000. Present preacher, Rev.
Mr. Brown.

In 1840 a Methodist church was organized at Crom-
horn Valley, with a membership of fifteen. A house
was erected in 1841, with a seating capacity of three
hundred; repaired in 1867, and the present estimated
value is $2,000.

A Methodist church was organized on South Hill about
1840, and has a membership of twenty-five ; house, with
seating capacity for two hundred, erected in 1850, at
a cost of $2,500.

Zion's Evangelical Lutheran church, of Maryland, was
organized in 1866, by Rev. George W. Enders, the first
pastor, with thirteen members. Their church was
erected in 1867, at a cost of $3,400, with seating
capacity of three hundred. Present membership, fifty-
nine.

The Society of Friends, at an early day, had a " meet-
ing " house in the west part of the town, but after the

schism of 1828, caused by EMas Hicks, a house was
erected just within the bounds of the town of Mil ford.

There are nineteen school districts and parts of dis-
tricts, with seventeen school houses. The number of
children of school age is seven hundred and forty-ninOj
the number attending school is five hundred and ninety-
nine, and the average attendance is two hundred and
eighty-five. The value of school houses and sites is
$7,405.

In the above is not included the school and school
property of Schenevus. Of that, the cost of gix)unds,
house and furniture, is some $10,000 ; the number of
teachers, three; and the average number of scholars
is one hundred and fifty.

CHAPTER III.

FIRST OF ROSEVILLE, NOW CHASE VILLE.

This place has "figured" considerably at various
times, for many years, and, though more by individuals
than by the public, it still possesses interest enough for
the reader to be afforded a place, but it will be in as
condensed form as possible. Jerahamel Houghton was
the first actor, and made the first movement and struck
the first blow as a commencement for the settlement of
the place. He built the house now standing and known
as the " Carpenter House," with stone basement, in the
'* bank " at the foot of the hill, on the east side of the
brook that passes the eastern portion of the village. In
the basement of that house he had a store of goods as
early (as is shown by his still existing sign) as 1794.
Soon after this he built a distillery for the manufacture
of whiskey, which was the first in town ; and pot long
after he erected a building for an asliery, and commenced
making potash. Being a " business man" he soon had
an extensive business for those early days. Having
arisen by regular gradations in military office up to that
of colonel, he was in a position to be looked up to and
be held in high respect. The recently closed Revolu-
tionary ^Xav, and the then threatened second war with

Great Britain, aud finally proclaimed war of 1812, created
and kept alive an active and hot war spirit and venera-
tion for military men.

Military trainings were frequent, and company train-
ings for an extended district, population Ijeing sparse,
were held at Colonel Houghton's, which drew together
a multitude of people aud much patronage to his busi-
ness.

The natural excitement caused by the war was in-
creased by the volunteering of men for the army at the
company trainings, aud afterwards by the drafting of
men. On the flat land across the creek south of Colonel
Houghton's, on the farm of Mr. Kice, afterwards of Mr.
Cable, was a clearing on which Colonel Houghton's
regiment sometimes paraded and trained, and the evolu-
tions of the troops among the stumps was quite amusing,
but said by military men to be good.

For several years at " Jaff's," as Houghton was fam-
iliarly called by his friends, was a stirring and busy
place. About 1814 Houghton sold out to a school
teacher by the name of Nathaniel Carpenter and went to
Ohio. But, before discharging him, Ave will relate an
amusing anecdote in which he was an actor. In early
times, before there was any road from Chase ville north,
people in the settlement in that direction, if no more
than one mile off", must, to get on the " creek road," go
some two or three miles round and come out at the now
Maryland station. A road was much needed and much
talked of, but any close observer now will see that, as the
steep and abrupt side of " Pine hill " extended into the
gulch or brook, the difficulty in the way of getting a

road was very great, and especially with the limited
means and amonnt of highway work of those days. At
length, however, a road was " laid out" and work com-
menced on it, but the process of building it was tedious
and slow. Houghton, of course, was as anxious as any
one the road should be opened and be made passable,
and encouraged it all he could, for he very well knew
it would increase his " trade." Among other things, to
encourage and hurry the work, he offered to give a gal-
lon of whiskey to the men who should first drive a pair
of horses and wagon over the road. Now, none inter-
ested " got drunk," yet all loved whiskey, except
Phineas Spencer, who was " odd " in relation to the use
of intoxicating drinks, as are his descendants, and drank
none, and resolved to practice a joke on " Jaff" and at
his expense, and get the whiskey. Accordingly the
logs crossing the road were cut and rolled away, then
a pair of horses were harnessed before a wagon, levers
and ropes procured, which, with a sufficient number of
men for help to keep the wagon " right side up," the
team was driven over the road and " brought up" at
*' Jalf 's." The whiskey was obtained, and a regular
"jollification" ensued. They drank and told stories,
joked and sang songs, laughed and danced to their
hearts content, until the whiskey was used up. How-
ever, the joke, as Houghton anticipated, and no doubt
as intended by the participants, operated to his advan-
tage, for the work on the road was driven forward, and
it was soon made passable, and he had their patronage.
Where the village now is there was at an early day
a saw mill built, a cloth dressing and fulling mill, a

tavern opened, and various mechanics opened shops.
In 1822 Daniel Houghton, brother to Jerahamel, opened
a store a little east of the present village. A tannery
was built and tanning commenced about 1830, which
did, for a time, considerable business, but by misman-
agement it involved many wealthy men, and by trickish
outsiders, pretended friends and helpers, the property,
for a mere song, was wrested from the owners, and a
general crash or " break down " folloAved, crushing many
of the bfest families and entailing much distress and
misery. It was finally consumed by lire, causing a loss
to insurance companies, but a benefit to the town and
vicinity in the saving of timber from destruction. The
name of Mr. Cable has been mentioned, and of whom an
amusing " yarn is spun," which we will relate : He was
a Dutchman, (pure blooded) being honest, upright, in-
dustrious and a good farmer, and he had a son, Jona-
than. In the season for planting corn he had manured,
highly cultivated and nicely planted a field to corn, and
in telling his neighbors of it he said, " Jonathan and /
have done our duty, now if God does His we will have
a fine crop ;" meaning, no doubt, the common expression,
" if God blesses it," for he was a good Christian.

CHAPTER IV.

-o-

GEOGIlAPiEiY or MARYLAND — ITS PiaJDUCTIONS — ITS
PROSPERITY.

-O-

The town of Mary land is one of the southern tier of
towns in the county, and the second one from the eastern
boundary. It is bound south l>y Delaware county, east
by the town of Worcester, north by Westford, and west
by Milford. The principal stream is the Schenevus
creek, to which all others are tributary, and this flows
westerly and empties into the Susquehanna river. The
valley of this stream is one thousand feet above the
ocean, but some fifty feet less above tidewater. It has
its rise at a spring on the summit of the Albany and
Susquehanna railroad, the same from which rises the
Cobleslvill creek, which flows easterly and empties into
the Hudson river. The Schenevus creek has many
tributaries, but the largest, in Maryland, are the Elk
creek and the " Piatt" creek, and it receives the dis-
charges of several small lakes, two of which are in the
town. One of some two miles in circumference, near
Schenevus, and a quite small one, and that about half
grown over with a floating deposit of leaves and other
vegetable matter, on " South Hill." There is a lake on
the summit of " Cromhorn" of some three miles in cir-

cumfereuce, and which, though within the boundaries
of Maiyland, discharges its waters into the Susquehamia
river. The streams in early days were bountifully
stocked with trout ; but in later times the fish in small
streams up which the female trout ascended to spawn
were taken by bushels with the hands, baskets and nets,
the shallow waters being dammed on the rifts or shoals,
and the young, small trout by thousands driven into the
the pools and then skimmed out. Again, lakes contain-
ing piclvcrel were dammed to raise the water for mills or
to operate machinery, and these breaking away discharg-
ing their waters carried out the pickerel, which destroyed
the trout in the largei" streams, and now they are very
scarce.

Within the boundary of the town are a portion of five
tracts of land. Two called " State's land," one called
Spencer's patent, one Provost's patent, and one Frank-
lin's patent. The town is hilly, but all hills are culti-
vated from base to summit, and produce good crops,
even such as descend towards the north. " South Hill,"
a spur of the Catskill Mountains, has the greatest eleva-
tion, and rises from two hundred to three hundred feet
above the valleys. The soil is vegetable mold, inter-
mingled with disintegrated rocks and rests on hard pan.
Its productions are those growing on a rather cool soil,
such as grass, potatoes, oats, buckwheat and rye. On
and near the surface are found an abundance of excellent
building stone, the newly formed sandstone of red, grey
and white colors, and the mountain rests on a layer of
great depth of a species of limestone.

The productions of the town are wheat, rye, barley,

corn, o:its, buckwheat and potatoes, and it produces
abundantly of hops, peas and beans. Fruits, as apples,
pears and plums, are good ; grapes are a fair crop, of
the hardiei' kinds, and the small fruits are abundant. It
has o'rounds for tairs or cattle shows cont^aining eighteen
acres, in ijood condition and having ofood buildino^s.
The annual exhibitions of horses, cattle, sheep, &c.,
compare favorably with those of other annual Fairs.

When the "country was new" wild beasts were
numerous ; deer in multitudes, and some elk were found
in the valley through which flows the stream which
received its name from those animals, and bears, wolves
and panthers were so many that calves and sheep were
destroyed almost entirely if allowed to " run at large,"
and even older cattle were frequently killed. There is
one sulphur spring, the only mineral spring at present
known. This is some one and a half miles from
Schenevus. Lead, nearly pure, was found and used by
the Indians and one or two white men, but the place has
been lost because the parties to whom it was known
refused to divulge their secret. Traces of copper and
zinc have been detected, and a 'beautiful specimen of
graphite was found at the mouth of a mountain stream
near the eastern boundary of the town, which indicated
there was more higher up the stream. Various kinds
of iron ore are found, and of some kinds an abundance.
A stream called " Eed brook," flowing from a swamp on
South Hill, deposits an oxide from bog ore on the stones
throughout its entire length in such abtuidance the water
appears red as it passes over the stones, but clear when
dipped up. Near the above swamp, but on higher

ground, UDtl found by its cropping out, is a vein of
franklinite iron ore some nine feet thick, and with it is
evidently some zinc. This kind of iron ore is considered
very vakiable for some purposes, and indeed for some
purposes no other iron can take its place. This ore
possesses a curious peculiarity : when calcined, one end
of a piece applied to a magnetic needle will attract it, and
the other end will repel it, and the same operation with
the opposite pole will produce a vice versa effect. Not
far from the above vein is found ore, and near the sur-
face of the ground a stone, the under side of which con-
tains a coating of a tarry consistence, and this stone is
highly attractive to the magnet needle, so much so that
a surveyor's compass v/ill not traverse in the vicinity of
it. In the village of Schenevus and vicinity are abun-
dant traces of clay iron stone. On the lands of Henry
Wilcox crops out a vein of this ore of considerable thick-
ness. It will readily melt in a " blacksmith's " fire, and
then, like putty, can be formed into any shape, and, no
doul)t, might be made available for valuable purposes.
Among specimens of iron ore presented by the writer to
an analytical chemist, due of magnetic ore, found near
Cromhorn lake, contained ninety per cent, of iron.

Under the franklinite ore there has been discovered a
vein of bituminous coal of good quality, and it is thought
by experienced miners that while it is geographically
high that it is geologically high enough to be an exten-
sive deposit. Still lower down, and at the foot of the
hill, there is a large stream of water, which proceeds
from beneath the al)ove layers, and that constantly, but
irregularly, ebbs and flows. This, and for some distance

down the stream, deposits on the stones a coating of a
kind of lime.

Originally large quantities of white pine, about the
only species found in this vicinity, of excellent quality,
was distributed in various parts of the town, both on
high and low grounds, and also on wet and dry grounds.
Even where Schenevus now is stood enormous pine
trees. Besides pine there are several kinds of oak ;
several of maple and birch ; then of the walnut family
there is hickory, shagbark, bitternut, pignut and black
walnut; of beech there are two kinds, cherry two, hem-
lock two, ash four; then there is a spucc, balsam of fir,
butternut, whitewood, hackmatack, tamarack, l)oxwood,
chestnut, and a great number of other kinds. Wild fruits
are abundant and of great variety.

The town has an area of thirty-two thousand and two
hundred acres, with an assessed value of $430,445. The
population in 1870 was two thousand four hundred and
two. It manufactories and mills, except six saw mills,
are within the villages.

It is difficult for the present residents of the town to
realize the hardships endured by the first settlers. In a
dense wilderness, amidst howling beasts of prey, and far
away from relatives and friends, with no means of see-
ing or hearing from them — no postoffices, no mails.
Their houses were merely rough shelters of logs, through
which the piercing l)lasts freely entered and cold storms
and snows beat. The windows were paper and floors
were the earth, as there were no boards before there were
mills, and roofs were of brush and bark. The coarsest
food sustained animal nature, and coarse and scanty

clothing covered their limbs, many times the skins of
beasts. Sugar, coffee, tea, and the spices and condi-
ments now so freely used were nowhere to be found
among them. Their physicians were — abundant exer-
cise, the pure air, abstemious diet.

Their crop of agricultural productions were small,
because the limited space of cleared land could produce
but little. Often was a day's work given for a peck of
corn, and often did families go to bed on a supper of
roasted potatoes. The nearest mills were at Cherry
Valley and Schoharie, and the roads to them were mere
bridle or cow paths, so that if horses could be had to
" go to mill," it would take to go and return two days
with a little grist, and often had the grist to be " carried
and brought " on the back of a man, and many the tale
of the descendants of early settlers, told as handed
down to them, of families, "when the grist did not
come and the cow could not be found, going supperless
to bed." For some years the only fruits the first settlers
ate were the wild fruits of the forest.

But the forest fell before the axeman, and the sturdy
pioneers widened their domains of "clearings." The
forest was " slashed," the trees felled in winrows as tar
as they could be, and the others and larger ones were
srirdled. When the leaves and small boughs of the fallen
trees became dry the " slashing" was fired, and then,
with some " picking up " of the smaller remnants, the
ground was considered ready for seed. As the climate
was healthy, the water soft and pure, and air " bracing,"
the people were healthy, and as they were industrious,

honest and truthful, with the warmest and truest feelings
of friendship for their neighbors, it is doubtful, notwith-
standing their hardships, it any people amidst the ease
and luxuries of the 'present day, are as truhj happy as
they were.

As population increased and the " country improved,"
for the youth amusements began to spring up, and for
many miles around the lads and lassies occasionally
congregated togethei-. Huskings were of the first that
drew a merry company together of an evening. Old
and young commingled to husk the loads of corn that
were stored on the barn floor, and while in joyful mood
stories were told, jokes, laughter and songs had a place,
the husked ears constantly flew to increase the golden
piles. If among the " young ones" some ears " acci-
dentally " went the wrong way and hit some mate it
increased the sport. As nine o'clock came the husking
was closed up, "pumpkin pie" was " handed around,"
and it was not uncommon the " youngsters " went to the
house, the " things " were " cleared out of a room," and
the company had a pla}^ of two or three hours. Next
came pumpkin, or " pumpkin bees," as they were called,
At these, after the company had assembled and was
seated in a room " cleared " for the puri)ose, the pump-
kins were brought in and one man with a long knife, a
" case" knife or a " butcher" knife, cut the pumpkins
through the middle into two parts, or " halves," and
then men or girls with iron spoons took out the seeds
and " innards," The next move was to " ring them,"
cut them into rings some half an inch thick, and then
they were pared. The ends that would not make rings

1141241

were cut iu small pieces after being pared and " stewed "
for pies. Previously poles, the thickness of a mau's
wrist, had been placed at short intervals " overhead iu
the kitcheii," find on these poles the puujpkin rings were
hung; then the girls and the boys " fell to," " cleared
the things away" and "put all to rights ;" then was
" carried around" the " pumpkin pies," and after this
the play began and was " carried on " with spirit.

Soon as the land was cleared and in condition for
flax, much of that commodity was raised and prepared
for spinning, and spinning bees were in vogue. The
flax, carefully hatcheled, was nicely " done up," put up
in a very curious manner in packages that would make,
of some number of yarn, a "• half run " or a " run," as
the case might be. Some one of the family went among
" the neighbors " from house to house with packages of
flax, and each female, and particularly the girls, took
what they could spin, (and a pretty generous stock
was taken, too) Avith instructions to spin it such a
" number " and return the yarn on a certain day. \Mien
the day arrived the girls were " on hand" with their
yarn, (and their beaus were there, too) and the yarn
was carefully examined — all good, none condemned ; but
it would "leak out " which girl was the best spinner,
and close observins: mammas would see their daughters'
beans' eyes " sparkle." In those da^'s " works " told."

Soon " the table was set "for supper, and the boun-
teous and generous repast partaken with a keen relish.
Appetite good, and unbounded good will and good feel-
ing pred(>minant. Supper over, the girls " fell to " to
help clear away the things, and the room was soon in

readiness for the play. But the surprise ! Soon one
<rirl was asked to " dance a fiojure," and another
jrirl was asked to " dance a figure," and soon there was
a " flooring " in readiness, and the fiddle began to scrape
in tuning, and, oh, the mazy dance ! It had been learned
by a few individuals a fiddler had "moved in " a few
miles away, and while this was kept a secret he had
been privately engaged f(>r the occasion, hence the sur-
prise. Orchards had been planted, and apples began to
grow, and in the early years " apple bees" came, ia
vogue. These collected the young people from miles
around, and these " bees" were generally attended with
a dance. There was exhibited at the " rustic reels " of
those days an agility and a suppleness in their " double
shuffles " and " cut downs " that w^ould put to the blush
many of the gay and " fashional)le " dancers of the
present time, and there are now living of the dancers of
half a century and more ago many that could pVobably
still do it.

With all the hardships and disadvantages of those
early days there is no doubt the youth had more true
and innocent enjoyment, and more genuine happiness
than do the youth of the present day. Instead of being
reared to lives of ease, amidst plenty and luxury, and
taught indolence was refinement and an introduction to
the refined circle, they were reared when coarse fare
and honest, earnest industry gave health and strength to
liml) and body, and taught true, noble and manly inde-
pendence consisted in producing the necessaries for
supplying their own wants. The boys helped clear
and fence lands, and " to plow and sow, and to reap and

mow," and the girls " spun and wove, and parents
throve." Girls spun and wove and made their own
clothing, linen and woolen, and earned their own " set-
ting out" in beds and bedding, in "table linen and
towels," and mothers and daughters spun, wove and
made the clothes worn hy the " men folks." Cotton
cloth, if known, was not worn, and " tinware," if known,
was not used. There was very little crockery for table
use, some pure " china," or porcelain. Pewter was
much used for plates, platters, pans and l)asins, and
" l)rown earthern " pans for setting milk.

From those sturdy, worthy and just pioneers has
sprung an intelligent, temperate, moral, industrious and
frugal population, and pros[)erity has followed. Mary-
land has grown to be a [)lcasant and prosperous village,
with stores, manufactories and mechanics. The site of
the Spencer mills is still occupied by mills, and the
Xathanlel liose tavern, much enlarged and improved
from the original, still stands. Rosevillc — Chascville —
has grown to be a village only second to Maryland, and
Elk CreeU has arisen to the dignity of being called a
village ; while Schenevus has arisen to the importance
of claiming space for cons dcral)ly extended note here-
after. \\'ealthv farmers, with well-cultivated farms and
good farm houses are in every direction, showing im-
provement and a general prosperity throughout the
whole town. How great the contrast of 1790 with 1875 !
From no postotfice the town now has four. From no
comfortable roads, they are now in everj^ direction, and
far more, there is the " iron track " trampled by the iron
steed, transporting the people where desired in parlors

for carriages hundreds of miles away in a single day,
and in a few days to the remotest parts of the continent ;
and then their messages, winged like thoughts, fly to
the remotest cities of our own and other countries with
almost instantaneous speed.

CHAPTER V.

STRIKING EVENTS WIT AND HUMOR.

That the Indians, if not residents in this town any
great length of time, there is good evidence they were
at least encamped for a period. Innnraerable flint arrow
heads have been fonnd in the valleys and on the hills,
which is evidence they were shot at game in hnntmg.
Elisha Chamberlin, a first settler, had on his farm a
rocky ledge, and in those rocks was a spacious room,
afterwards called the stone house, which gave evident
signs some of it was the work of hands, and there was
found in it charcoal and wood partially burned. In
excavating around the lake near Schenevus, arrow
heads, flint tomahawks, trinkets and various Indian
notions were found, also human bones in such positions
as the Indians bury their dead.

A granddaughter of Timothy Murphy resided for
some time at Schenevus, and she had heard him tell of
his and Colonel Harper's scouts with the redskins in the
place and vicinity. She had also heard him tell that
Brant and his Tory and Indian allies had twice passed
through the now tov/n of Maryland, once going north
toward Cherry Valley, and once to the Susquehanna.

A vague and " undefinable" belief always existed that

Tories :intl Indians hid stolen or "British" gold netir
ScUc'nevii;j, and this was hnnded do^^'ii to .successors and
kept alive ,by Indians at various times visiting the place,
and their supposed strange movements, and also strange
movements of" some white visitors. In 1870 an Indian
claimin<'' the suffix of M. D. arrived, and hung around
for a long time. After this two strangers, white men,
drove up to a farm house a mile or two from the village
and had their horses put into a stable, and themselves
went ofl'. They were, however, soon seen in certain
fields apparently recon)ioitering, and as it in close
search. After a few hours they returned, got out their
horses and drove off. Some days after this they
returned at early evening, and after putting their horses
in the stable went away ; but some time in the night
returned, took their horses and drove off. These strange
movements excited the curiosity of some persons, wdiich
was greatly increased from the report that the men of
mysterious movements were descendants of Tories living
in Schoharie county in Revolutionary \A'ar times. A
search was instituted for the cause of their strange con-
duct, when it was found measurements had been made
from certain springs and other permanent landmarks,
stakes stuck, an excavation of earth made at a certain
point, and the dirt thrown out had been returned. On
re-opening the hole, at the clay bottom was the plain
form, legs and all, of a " fire place dinner pcjt," of early
pattern, and near it a flat stone, evidently hammered to
tit it as a cover.

Dr. Nathaniel Hazen, mentioned as an early settl<n*,
or some years previous to his death dwelt alone. In

the autumn of 1857 he weut iiw:iy, and as he was fre-
quently absent for many clays, or even two or three
weeks at a time, nothinsr was thoui^fht of his continued
absence for some time, but after a time his friends made
enquiries for him, and learning nothing, they felt anxiety,
and with more enquny and search, and the protracted
absence, anxiety became fears for his safety, and a
diligent, closer and more extended search was made. It
was o^iscertained he started to visit, on invitation, a
family some live miles away, that they wished to buy
some of his valuable medical recipes and some other
things. On the way he was seen by several persons,
who conversed with him and learned where he was going.
Within one-fourth of a mile of his visiting place, but
not in sight of the house, he found several men at work,
sat down and rested and conversed with them, and they
learned of his visit and the cause of it, and that ended
the trail. The family denied his having come there, or
of having seen him. Suspicion and excitement were
created, and hundreds of men made enquiry and search.
At length spring came, and hundreds turned out' to
search the premises, the house, the fields and vicinity,
without avail ; but after some days his lifeless body was
found lodged under a stick of wood in a mountain
stream some half a ujile from the above-named house,
where the water, in spring freshet, had run over him.
Ills mittens, rubbers and bits of clothing were found in
the stream below him, but the diligent and careful
search of hundreds found nothing of the considerable
amount of silver coin it was known he had carried in his
pocket, his metai tobacco box, his watch, or even his

heavy pocket knife. At a protracted and searching
coroner's inquest it was found some bones were much
broken, and some other bodily injury sustained, but
no leijal evidence was adduced to convict any person.

Fires. — Besides those mentioned elsewhere are the
following : A distillery near the now Worc(^ster line ;
the dwelling house of Joseph Worden, about 1827 ; an
old house of Daniel Seaver ; In 1873, the house for
years known as the C;iptain Rose tavern house ;^ two
saw mills and barn of J. C. Burnside and H. Spencer ;
in or about 1872, at Maryland station, steam saw mill of
Mr. Ray ; and not far from the same time, at the same
place, a wood-working mechanic shop ; the dwelling of
B. Wightman, of Maryland, burned about 1855 ; the
Crippen flouring mill, at Chaseville, burned about 1870.
At Schenevus, the tannery of A. H. Brown, hardware
store of John Milk, and shops of P. Brown; a barn of
J. E. Tyler, in 1872, or near that time, burned; about
1840, a blacksmith shop belonging to A. Hotchkin ;
August 21st, 1875, sash and blind fectory of Lane &
Hotchkin and other buildings ; In 1875, C. Brownell's
house burned; about 1873, M. Webster's house burned.

When long concocted rebellion broke forth with mur-
derous fury to destroy the free government of the
people, and beloved by them, two hundred and twenty-
five sons of the town of Maryland met the enemy on the
gory battle field to join in the terrific struggle. Some
fell, and are deeply mourned by the people, and with
the wounded and the afflicted all the good people mourn
and sorrow.

The stru<:;<>-lc of 1812 with England called to the battle

field from Marvland the following' : Samuel Chase, Heman
Chamberlin, Elisha Chaniberliu, Stephen Scudder, Wil-
liam Spencer, Jesse Dunham and Henry Crippen ; the
latter died on the battle field. If there were others
their friends will please give their names to the writer.

The wit, humor and anecdotes that might be related
of early times would fill a volume, but for only a little
can we find space and time to write. The first trial
under " lynch lav/" and summary punishment in town
was within the now village of Schenevus. This was for
larceny, kidnapping and murder. Daniel Seaver — Uncle
Daniel, as he was familiarly called — heard one of his
hogs calling for help with a tremendous squealing, and
being satisfied the trouble arose from a villainous bruin,
he instantly seized a heavy handspike that lay near by
and made pursuit. The bear took an easterly direction
through the woods, and could easily be followed, from
the constant squealing of the hog, and was overtaken
about where the sash and blind factory now stands. To
save his prey the bear took an instant to kill him and
prepare for defense, and this instant was occupied by
the pursuer in making complaint, getting the court
organized, empaneling a jury, getting a trial and c(>nvic-
tiou, and sentence of immediate death, and by the execu-
tioner, who, suiting the action to the sentence, with his
muscular arms brought with great force the heavy hand-
spike on the animal's ugck and felled him dead to the
ground.

"Uncle Daniel " was one of those spoken of by St.
Paul as being " a law unto themselves ;" would do as
they would be done by. Of the productions of his farm,

if he had a surplus of such as would " keep over," unless
in large amount, he declined selling in ordinary seasons,
but if the article became scarce and suffering was likely
to ensue, call on " Uncle Daniel " for it, and " O, yes,
he could spare some," and did " divide with his neigh-
bors " so long as he had anything to divide, and on
settling and paying for it not one cent more for it would
he take than the price it sold for at when plenty. He
had a loud voice, and his ordinary conversation was
humorously called " whispering," and said to be heard
half a mile. Ephraim Boardman was among the earliest
settlers and lived something over a mile north of Chase-
ville, "that now is." He was a man of a great deal of
pleasantry and humor, and greatly enjoyed a "rich"
joke, and he was much liked particularly by young
people. One winter morning, after a considerable fall
of snow, Jacob Spencer and Leander Chamberlin, (sons
of the first settlers Phineas Spencer and Elisha Chamber-
lin, mentioned before) with their guns, were passing
Boardmau's house, when one remarked to the other,
" Let us go in and hear ' Uncle E[)h.' lie some." This
was overheard by him ; so w4ien the boys entered he
was, as usual, very sociable and very glad to see them,
" wished they had come earlier, it was such a good time
to catch foxes — there lay (jne under every clump of pine
bushes over on ' Esquire' Tuttle's side hill, where there
was no snow, and there were partridges there, too.
Mart, (he had s), son Martin, a comrade of theirs) had
waited for them some time, but had gone on and left
instructions for them to follow, and if the wind had
filled his tracks with snow they must come over on the

brink of the hill and hollow and he would answer." The
brink of the hill was in an easterly direction, more than
half a mile distant, and the side hill was a " chopping;"
which extended down to the Elk creek road, where
was the dwelling of John Tuttle, Esq., now Samuel
Hubbard's. Elated with the prospect of catching foxes,
the boys trudged through the snow to the brink, and
called for Mart., but no Mart, replied, " so he must bo
so far down the hill he could not hear, and they must
go down." But here was a ditficulty : The west wind
had blown the snow over the brink till the perpendicular
or overhanging east side of the drift was twenty-five or
more feet high. After thinking, studying and planning
for some time, they resolved to go to the edge and slide
down, but on nearing the edge the hard drifted snow
broke, and with them went to the bottom. However,
after much fioundering, they escaped from the avalanche,
and re-commenced their search for Mart. But after tug-
ging amidst stumps and bushes and climbing over logs
till they were tired out, and hollowing and shouting for
Mart, till they were hoarse, the thought flashed into
mind " Uncle Eph."had heard their unmannerly expres-
sion, and they were getting their punishment and the
full benefit of " Uncle Eph.'s lies," and commenced a
move for home. Their only way was down the Elk
creek road to the bridge at the main road, then to Mary-
land Centre, now station, and thence eastward up the
hill home, a distance, in all, of some four or five miles.
However, they succeeded in finding Mart, enjoying the
day at Col. Houghton's.

There is an amusing yarn spun from a trade between

Boardniiui and said Jacob Spencer. The former had a
very pretty gun, which the latter wanted, and there had
been some chaffering between the parties in relation to
a trade, the gun on one side and a watch on the other.
By some means the barrel of the gun had become bent,
and was quite crooked. This the owner contended
" was a very great advantage in shooting deer around
'Round hill.'" There was a hill called " Ronnd hill,"
and near it was a grass plot where deer congregated,
but in attempting to get a shot at them they ran round
the hill and were quickly out of reach. " But this gun,"
the owner said, "would spin a ball around that hill
farther than any gun could send a ball straight ahead ;
for in going straight ahead the ball pressed the air
together till it was so hard it produced great resistance,
and greatly retarded the l)all ; but spinning around it cut
through the air, and that little gun would shoot, I tell
you now, Jacob. Why, the first deer I pointed it at
after it was bent had got half way around the hill when
I pulled the trigger, and hang ivent the deerT

On the other hand, " the watch," the ov/ner said,
" was a most dreadful good one, and could outrun any
watch about there, if that little defect, that broken
wheel, was mended, and that was nothing, for he had a
piece of brass, and a wheel could be cut out with
a knife." The gun and watch were exchanged.

It has been said " bang goes the deer" was the origin
of " pop goes the weasel," and that Aaron Day, who
sometimes "coined music" and "figured" some in. the
time of or just before the noted fiddler, the elder Peter
Van Slyck, was the author.

Joshua Knapp, or Uucle Josh, as he was called in the
early days of Seheuevus, caused considerable auiusemeut
and laughter material. " He would drink Avhisky and
get boozy and happy, but not drunk," as he said.

In the eastern part of the town the hill called Pine
hill was covered in early days with a growth of fine pine
timber, and Uncle Josh was a shingle weaver and ob-
tained his stock from that hill. The owner, whom we
will call Provost, knew of his depredations, and through
others sent requests for him to let the timber alone, and
finally sharp remonstrances ; but it availed nothing in
saving the timber. At lens-th he came on himself, saw
Uncle Josh, and remonstrated, but could get no promise
or assurance of better conduct. Failing in this, he told
the trespasser " he would make him an offer and buy
him off. If he would let the rest of the timber on the
lot alone, he would give him all he could get from such
a portion of it ;" said to have been some forty acres of
good timber. Uncle Josh listened attentively, and after
apparently considering it some moments, exclaimed :
" Mighty generous, Mr. Provost, mighty generous, but
I can't do it — I can't take your offer, for if I should
when the timber you would give me was used up I would
have no place to get any more !"

Uncle Josh planted with corn, on shares, a piece of
land on the farm of L. Griswold and had done every-
thing necessary and in good order till it had been hoed
the second time, which he supposed to be enough; but
Griswold thinking differently, and urging a third hoeing,
an altercation ensued. Meetino- when both had been
" taking a little," but Uncle Josh a little the " deepest,"

Griswold commenced the subject with the question,
"Will you hoe that com, Uncle Josh :" and received
for reply, "I shan't do it. Neighbor Griswold!" The
latter stormed, and threatened to whip Uncle Josh if he
did not promise to hoc the corn again, and receiving
constantly for answer, " I shan't do it, Neighbor Gris-
wold !" pitched in, and, for reasons before mentioned,
fell on " top of the heap," and gave the culprit a severe
" drubbing ;" then again, " Will you hoe that corn again.
Uncle Josh?" and again the response, "I shan't do it,
Neio-hbor Griswold." Then followed another " drub-
bing,"and then the stereotyped question and the response,
" 1 shan't do it, Neighbor Griswold," till the latter,
from exhaustion, stopped the "drubbing," and Uncle
Josh was the victor.

As we are about to take leave of Uncle Josh, an
inclination arises to record a just tribute to liis son.
Carpenter, or Carp., as he was called, as it may find
and stimulate something good in other barren or weedy
places. When a lad the closest scrutiny could scarcely
detect one particle of the valuable in his composition,
till attending writing school the surprising discovery was
made his forte was penmanship. His proficiency was
so rapid he soon passed from the pupil to the teacher ;
first in country places, then in larger places, and, finally,
in cities. His ability and skill soon attracted the atten-
tion of a noted penman (Rightmyer) who called on him
and made overtures for a copartnership, which were
accepted. The latter having some money, they com-
menced getting out copy writing books for learners, of
various kinds, for diff'erent ages and degrees in profi-

ciency ; and, then, soon followed the publishing of
several works on penmanship, exhibiting by cuts and
explanations his system, and showing its beauty, ease of
learning, and its advantages over other systems, accom-
panied with beautiful specimens of pen cuts and flour-
ishes, scarcely to be equaled by engravings and types.
They furnished and sold vast quantities of steel pens, of
difierent sizes, forms and styles, originating with them,
for the difierent business hands of Kuapp's system, and
for cuts and flourishes. These pens were manufactured
expressly for them in Liverpool. Knapp lectured con-
siderably before public schools in cities, and his system
was decidedly popular, literary men and leading jour-
nals commending it, and to this day is more used, per-
haps, than the extolled Speucerian or any other system.
" Carp." felt the importance of bis position and standing,
and often, in speaking of early mates, remarked : "Why
could not such and such boys leave the vulgar throng,
who are as good by nature as I am, and have a father's
money to help them, push forward and be somebody,
instead of jockeying " bosses," as they call those noble
animals, or have traced to their doors by feathers and
blood chickens from their neighbor's henroost !"

If " Carp." had failings and filled an early grave, how
cuttino; the evidence ao;ainst those who make and sell the
" accursed stufi"," and those who uphold and encourage
such things. Though he did not idolize money, or think
the accumulation of it denoted superior v/isdom, or more
than a selfish tact ; yet he exhibited a noble trait in
leaving to a worthy mother a sufficient sum to make her
comfortable for life, and some to a sister.

Variety. — Some items, since writing the foregoing,
press forward for a place for record, if not of particular
interest to the present reader, and if not in chronological
order, will be inserted here :

While in a confessional mood and acknowledging the
reception of much valuable material for this work from
an intelligent and Avorthy octogenarian, Mrs. Olive
Waterman, we confess we write this wolf story, as
related by her, without her knowledge or consent, and,
therefore, owe her an apology and thanks for material :
" One sugar making season, when about twelve years
old, I was sent with an eight-year-old brother to a sugar
camp in the woods on South Hill, to assist another
brother, who was about fourteen years old, in the eve-
ning. Some time after dark I asked my brother what
made the brush crack a distance from the fire, and he
rather carelessly and evasively said, the squirrels ; but
I knew they were not about at that time of night, yet
said nothing to frighten my younger brother. When
the pails were filled with the syrup, the neck yoke to
carry them in readiness, and we were about to start for
home, an axe was given to my little brother and a
lighted torch made of splints and bark to me. The
brush-cracking continued at a distance until we got
into the hemlocks, near the creek, when from
the burning ofi' from the torch a bark band, the light
fell to the ground and we were in almost total darkness,
when the cracking came rapidly near us and eyes like
stars flashed very near us. My elder brother seized
the axe and had us children kindle the tire fast as pos-
sible, and soon as a good chance offered we sprung into

the canoe and pushed across the stream. When we got
into the clearings on the flats near the house the wolves
howled their anger for the disappointment of losing their
supper.

In 1847 a building was erected by Isaac Slingerland
on the corner formed by the intersection of the Elk
creek road with Main street for a co-operative store.
Many who took stock, not considering store keeping,
for obvious reason, was overstocked, were misled as to
profits made by merchants, and were, after experience,
dissatisfied, yet charged much to the mismauagement of
the store. However, it soon became a private or indi-
vidual store.

In 1833, Abram Stever made spinning wheels in the
shop of Alden Chester. This may seem strange to com-
positors, since they made the types on page 17 say Dr.
Hazen made " hatchets," when, in fact, he made hatchels,
to hatchel flax for mammas and lassies to spin.

A hop yard was planted in 1825, in Schenevus, by
Samuel Chase. It was one of the first in town if not in
the county. Jacob Vandusen obtained the roots of his
friends in Madison county. Hops sold in those years,
almost invariably, for fifty cents a pound.

The first cast iron plow in town was bought by Dr.
'Carpenter, and tried by his "hired man," it is thought
Daniel Hubbard, who pronounced it a failure, and said,
" the devilish thing will break all to pieces." However,
Mr. Green Blivin, a good farmer, who used the plows
in Greene county. New York, was engaged to test it.
It was scoured by use in gravelly ground, the gauge " to
run it to or from land " was properly adjusted, and the

recommendiition changed to perfection. A Quaker by
the name of Wood, in Madison county, N. Y., indented
the plows, and another Quaker, Aaron Wing, of
Laurens, Otsego county, made them. Wing's first use
of them was to plow, for wheat, an hundred-acre field —
an advertisement.

The medicinal vegetables, Avhose names, if not botan-
ical in a strict sense, graced Dr. Hazen's pharmacopoeia,
after acquiring his medical knowledge of his brothers of
Little Falls, N. Y., and found in his yard, it is said,
were brought by seeds and bulbs, by the first set-
tlers, from Spencertown, N. Y., and a few names are
as follows: Pennyroyal, catnip, peppermint, spear-
mint, mother-wort, Peter-wort, Johns-wort, spignard,
(spikenard) rhubarl), smellage, comfrey, caraway, may-
weed and tansy. The latter, concocted in whisky, was
always used by farmers in haying and harvest to
prevent hard work making them sore. Well, in early
days, when Maryland had four whisky mills, or dis-
tilleries, and made one and a half or two gallons
as chemically could be, from the saccharine matter in
a bushel of rye or corn, instead of the pretended
our or five gallons of whisky from a ])ushel of the present
time, when l)edeviled with drugs, it might have had a
beneficial efll^ect, while now it has a poisonous. And, it
is said, from Spencertown was introduced apples, plums,
quinces and currants ; and, it is said, wheat, that would
grow in Maryland. AVell, the large percentage of
potash from the ashes made by clearing land, which
necessarily would be mixed with vegetable mold, made

the wonderful wheat and probably would do the same
now.

The flood of August 29th, 1873, for which a desire
has been expressed might have a record, scarcely reach-
ing beyond Maryland, and its greatest fury was spent on
Schenevus. The day was one known by those well-
informed and close observers, to portend a fearful storm ;
" could not breathe " was an expression. The heat of
the sun was reflected by the earth, and so rarefied the
air breathing was difficult to some. Two clouds, or
showers, not far apart, arose nearly southwest and passed
northward till northeast from the village, when they
encountered a cold blast from the north, Avhich con-
densed the water}^ vapor, the direction of the storm was
chahged — "driven back" — and the earth was imme-
diately deluged with water; as vulgarly expressed, " a
cloud was broke." Some idea of the deluge and its
destruction may be gathered from the fact that the water
commenced to fall at four o'clock p. m., and at five, one
hour, the stream on flat ground back of the writer's
house, before dry, running at a rate of forty miles an
hour, \vas from four to eight feet deep and twenty rods
wide.

In 1864, J. T. Thompson, grandson of J. Thompson,
who came in in 1794, and on the maternal side of James
Morehouse, who came from Duchess county (types
erroneously said, on page 11, Columbia county) built a
stone general store and with other goods put in a
stock of drugs and medicines, the first in town. In
1868, he built the first jewelry store, and in 1870 he
erected a building for a bank, and opened a banking and
exchange business.

About 1870, E. E. Ferrey and Mr. Guy opened a
shop for the manufocture of bedsteads.

About 1795, Wilder Rice bought a farm adjoining his
father-in-hiw, Mr. Tainter, near the east town line, and
in after years known as the Griswold fjirm, on which is
a stone house, put up a double log house and opened a
tavern. The road ran around the foot of the hill, in-
stead of over it as now, and the tavern stood south of
the present stone house. It had a department for the
family and one for the tavern, and has been said had
doors opposite each other so a pair of cattle could be
driven through to leave a back log in the fireplace. This
was made several feet wide and without jambs, the
flue for conducting off the smoke was made of sticks
plastered with clay above the mantlepiece, a log crossing
the house some eight feet above the gn^nid. This farm
and tavern was sold to Elijah Griswold, who, with his
three sons, Ezekiel, Lyman and Wickham, came in
from the Helderberg.

CHAPTER VI.

8CHENEVUS — ITS ORIGIN, SETTLEMENT, PROGRESS, AND
ITS BUSINESS DIRECTORY.

Ske-ue-vtis, meaning when translated " speckled fish,"
or trout, was the Indian name of the main stream
passing through the village and town, and when angli-
cized was taken for the name of the second postoffice
and for the name of the village.

In 1793 a small log house was built by a Mr. Sisko,
and he soon commenced keeping a tavern, but it soon
passed into possession of a Mr. Freeman, and afterwards
it again changed hands and passed into possession of
Obadiah Benedict, who, with his son Hezekiah, kept the
tavern for some time, and from whom it received the
name of the Benedict tavern, which it has retained to
this day, some sixty years, and was for most of the time
owned by some member of that family. The first house
stood on the grounds now occupied as the site of the
present house, called the upper or eastern tavern in the
village. In 1805 the property passed to David Bene-
dict, brother ot the former, who kept the tavern during
his lifetime, when, at his death, it descended to his son,
Philor, and from him to his heirs. The Benedicts, as
were Sisko and Freeman, were from Connecticut.

The season previous to David Benedict taking posses-

siou of the tavern he sent his son, Philor, a hid of some
fourteen years, with his farm stock, and as the roads
were mere bridle or cow-paths in many places through
the woods, and particularly over South Hill, so-called,
and often in close contact with wild beasts of prey, the
undertaking can be better imagined than realized. A
wolf story is told by a member of the family, and we
give it as related :

As said before, wild beasts were numerous and
troublesome, often making sad havoc among sheep and
calves, and sometimes with full-grown horned cattle and
hogs. There v/as a " chopping " of a few acres around
the tavern, and in a portion of this and in the woods
Benedict let his stock run in the day-time, but " yarded "
them at night. Hearing one night a noise, which he at
once attributed to the " varmints," he immediately
sprang up, and discovered a wolf on the top of his yard
fence on the point of springing on to an animal. This
fence, although ten feet high, the wolf had by some
means succeeded in mounting. Calling his son, the
upper part of his bar-room door, a double door, was
thrown open, and with a gun the best aim that could be,
in the dim light, was taken, and a discharge made, when
the. wolf dropped dead to the ground.

Gershom Bostwick, a son-in-law of David Benedict,
built a house and shop on the soutb side of the Schenevus
creek and on the west side of the road ruiniing south
and passing east from the Albany and Susquehanna
railroad station. Probably the county has never pro-
duced a man of more mechanical skill and inventive
genius than Bostwick. He convinced his father-in-law

a saw-mill would be a good investment, who, al)out
1811, in connection with Stephen Brown and Luther
Follett, built a mill not far from his shop and raised a
dam, making a pond, from which Bostwick drew water
to turn a wheel at his shop.

He soon drew around him a knot of mechanics and
machinists, among whom was Josiah Crouch, who built
and dwelt in a house at the corner formed by the road
that crosses the railroad and the road south of it. Bost-
wick and Crouch opened a wheelwright and paint shop,
also a shop for " wooding" cast iron plows, and the
former beins; skilled in making wool-carding and various
other machines, had much to do in that line of business,
<ind was much abroad to " put up " and repair machinery.
At an early day he made and put in use a wool-carding
machine for himself, and afterwards he bitllt machinery
and commenced fulling and dressins: cloth near his
machine works. The first threshing machine was in-
vented, patented and applied to use by him and Harry
Spencer. The first cylinder and spike cider mill was
invented by him. He invented a machine for fluting or
corrogating boards for washing-boards, of suitable width,
any length, at one operation. A machine for turning
spokes for carriages, a machine for making shoe pegs,
and one for turning shoe lasts, were all of his invention.
The endless belt horse power was invented by him, but
O. Badger, of Fly Creek, substituted chains for belts,
which he claimed was an improvement, and on which,
as Bostwick did not oppose him, he applied for and
obtained a patent for the mere change of material. Bost-
wick and Bradford Rowe invented and patented an

" endless screw " horse-power of great power, so much
so it was difficult if not impossible to make it of strength
sufficient to sustain it or prevent its breaking. Num-
erous other improvements that have greatly benejfited
the world were due to his fertile brain and active inven-
tive ingenuity" ; but, like thousands of others whose
labors have been of incalculable value to their race, he
received but little pecuniary reward. In old age his
beloved shop, machinery and tools were swept away by
water — a very great damage and loss, not only to him,
but to many who needed labor and machine work which
he alone could do.

Near the wool-carding and cloth-dressing works of
Mr. Bostwick, James Tyler commenced similar business
in 1833, but was soon burned out.

Peter Koman sold fifty acres on the east side of his
farm to his son, Cornelius, and in 1810 they built a saw
mill where the present grist mill now stands, on Race
street, and a dam where the present dam is now ; and they
also constructed a race to conduct the water to the mill.

In 1823, David Shellend built a blacksmith shop a
little south of west from the place where J. A. Butts
built his cabinet shop. After that he built a wagon
shop nearly opposite to it.

In 1832, Alden Chester built the wagon shop on the
north side of Main street, now occupied by L. T. Brown
and L. Grasslield, and had water machinery. Joseph
Carpenter, the first alopathic phj'sician, settled in about
1812, and had a house and office about where now stands
the house of 11. C. Wilson, puichasing the place occu-
pied by Luther Follett.

A postoffice was established iu 1829, called Jackson-
boro', and Joseph Carpenter was the first Postmfister.
This office was afterwards removed, but some time after
re-established with the name of Schenevus, and S. H.
Gurney for many years Postmaster.

In 1816, Peter Johns, of the city of Hudson, opened
a store in the east room of David Benedict's house.
Some matters in relation to the store, and some amusing
and laughable anecdotes of himself, are told by Johns'
store clerk, Isaac Slingerland, which we will here
relate : " Five wagons brought the goods from the city,
and himself, a lad of some fifteen years, had charge
of the goods and of the store for some mouths afterward.
Arriving at Todd's tavern, four miles east from their
desthiatiou, uear night, they were told by the tavern
functionary they were on the wrong road some twenty
miles from Benedict's tavern, that it was over ' South
Hill,' and the nearest tavern was twelve miles away.
But, mistrusting it a falsehood to detain them, they
drove on, and arrived at Benedict's iu the evening, put-
ting their wagons aud goods in a yard for the night.
A change from city to country life soon produced home-
sickness, and a change of diet nothing bettered it. A
standing dish at table was salt pork fattened ou mast
(beechnuts), and the landlady (four years after his
mother-in-law) was unable to get it on the table in little
better shape than rinds and grease." At sugar season
he was told trees yield a sap that produced sugar, and
on eating molasses made from sap his marvelousness
was further excited, aud to such a degree he enquired
the process of obtaining the sap, and being informed

and furnished with tools and implements to tap the
trees', and vessels to catch the sap, he bounded forth in
high glee, and in time returned and joyfully reported
the number of trees he had tapped. But wet blankets
sometimes dampen or put out the flames of joy. Philor
Benedict, who had given him the molasses, and so
greatly elevated his spirits and his joys, when he
returned from the woods where his and the other trees
were tapped, reported the fact that the trees tapped by
Isaac were all hemlock, and dead and dry. Slinger-
laud, after his marriage, and for a short time had a
store in Westford, but his mother bought a farm, (a
piece of the Eoman farm) built a house in 1825 at the
corner formed by the Elk creek and Schenevus creek
roads, and opposite the house of Peter Roman. In one
room of this he for a time had a store of goods. " On
this farm," he says, " I was intending to have a tine
piece of corn, and when planting it Mary (his wife)
came, and in a surprised way enquired how he planted,
when he replied he put a handful of corn in each hill,
she took the hoe, and putting four or five corns in a hill
covered it."

Colonel Magher, of Cherry Valley, opened a store
about 1830, nearly opposite the upper or east tavern,
and in the building now occupied as a dwelling by E. E.
Ferrey.

The Peter Johns store was sold to Daniel Houghton
and removed in 1822.

Ezekiel Miller and Amos H. BroAvn opened a store
about 1831 in a house on the south side of Main street
and west of the M. E. church, built by Alexander Smith

in 1822, on the Peter Eoman f:irm, he being a son-in-law
of Roman. Now I. Carpenter is in the house.

In 1832, Miller & Brown built a store on lands bought
of A. Hotchkin, on the north side of Main street, on the
east side of Thompson's stone store. Land then worth
$100 per acre.

A cooper shop was built on Main street in 1826,
about where the building of B. Manzer now stands-
Willow baskets were made by G. Virgil soon after.
John Wilcox opened a boot and shoe shop on Main
street about this time, he and his cousin Josiah having
bought C. Roman out, and he then bought the whole.

The first tin shop and hardware store was opened in
1844 by A. Hotchkin and A. Swartout, on Main street,
where Cleveland's boot and shoe store is now.

In 1832, I. F. Romain had a tailor shop on Main
street. In 1832, six buildings on Main street.

Eli Howe and Philor Benedict, in 1827, built a grist
mill where the mill now is, and some time after, in con-
nection with Mr. Belknap, built a stone rifle fiictory
near the mill, and soon commenced the manufacture of
rifles. The water-power was taken from the mill race.
John Howe built a saw-mill south of the grist mill and
a blacksmith shop near b}'.

About 1835, a Mr. Hoag had a harness shop, and in
1836 J. Cooley and E. E. Ferrey had it.

In 1834, Dr. George Hastings, a pupil of Dr. Dolos
White, of Cherry Valley, came into Jacksonboro'.

S. S. Burnside, the first counselor and attorney-at-law,
and first resident Justice of the Peace.

The Sp«arrowhawk road, leaving the Scheueviis creek
road a little east from W. Bennett's and west from A.
Brownell's, and from thence running northerly up the
hill, and east from the " old Elias Bennett house," was
discontinued and closed about 1850, and the "■ Smoky
avenue " street or road " laid out " and opened to travel.

Under an " act for the incorporation of villages,"
passed April 2Uth, 1870, Schenevus^was incorporated,
and received a charter the same year. Its present
population is seven hundred and twenty-six, (726) with
one hundred and forty-nine families. There are one
hundred and fifteen dwelling-houses, and one hundred
and twelve barns ; whole number of buildings, three
hundred and thirty. The assessed valuation of real and
personal property is $87,735, $7,000 of which is railroad
property. Within the corporation limits there are two
churches, one a Baptist and the other an M. E. church,
with each an organ and a singing choir.

Clergymen. — Rev. Mr. Wells, Rev. Mr. Hill, Rev.
Mr. James.

Schools. — Free, graded — Mr. Lowell, Mr. Wickham,
and Miss M. Kelly, teachers.

Writing. — P. R. Young.

Hotels. — I. Becker, P. VanEtten, D. Chamberlain.

Banking and Exchange Business. — J. T. Thompson.

Pltysicians and Surgeons. — E. E. Houghton, H. W.
Boorn, P. Simmons.

Dentist.— R. Follett.

Attorneys and Counselors-at-Lan\ — J. R. Thompson,
C. H. Graham, E. E. Ferrey and P. Benedict, George
Spencer, W. C. Smith, Robert Bush.

Dry Goods and General Stores. — J. M. Thompson,
J. McHarg, P. M. Hiimmell, I. Slingerhmd.

Drugs. — J. M. Thompson, J. McHarg.

Clot/ling Store. — W. H. Bennett.

Hardware Store and Tin, Copper, and Sheet-iron
Shop. — Mills & Gletison.

Grocery Stores. — D. W. Stever, L. Cyphers.

Grocery, Books, Stationery and Fancy Store. — A. J.
Bates.

Boot and Shoe Store. — F. H. Cleaveland.

JVeu'spaper, Book and Job Printing. — J. J. & M. M.
Multer.

Justice of the Peace. — S. H. Gurney.

Notary Public. — J. K. Thompson.

School Commissioner. — N. T. Brown.

Watcltmakers and Jewelers. — C. Dumont, G. W.
Miller.

Marble Works. — A. Albert and C. M. Aylsworth, O.
P. Toombs and H. Lake.

Cabinet, Furniture Dealers and Lndertakers. — O. D.
Walker, E. Butts and J. Ferry.

Bedstead Manufacturers. — G. Guy and E. E. Ferry.

Mills.— Guy & FoUett, E. E. Ferry, H. M. Hanor.

Harness. — L. Waterman.

Boots and Shoes. — George Holland Spencer, H. Wil-
cox, E. Flynn.

Wheelright or Carriage Manifacturers. — P. Brown,
T. L. Brown, F. T. Starr, H. E. Carpenter.

Carpenter and Joiner Builders. — J. Manning, John
Chase, E. Chamberlain, F. Kurej^

Tannery. — H. E. Gleason.

Gun Making. — R. Seward.

Photographers and Picture Gallery. — P. R. Young
and E. E. Browiiell.

Baker. — J. W. Sullivan.

Blaclcsmiths.—R. Follett. E. Sewarcl, W. O. Mills, P.
Brown, M. O'Brian.

Cooper. — P. J. Brady.

Meats and Vegetables. — T. J. Lewis.

Painters. — W. J. Merrihew, M. Kelley, W. Kelley.

Livery. — C. H. Stever.

Dressmaking. — Mrs. M. A. Kelley, Mrs. B. S. More-
house, Mrs. I, L. Bulson. Mrs. \Vm. Howe.

Milliners. — Mrs. G. E. Guy, Mrs. G. Wright, Miss
A. D. Gilland.

Tailoresses. — Mrs. C Ham, Mrs. A. H. Rathbone,
Mrs. H. C. Cooley.

Music Teachers. — F. E. Page, Milo Kelley, Mrs. J.
Mills, Mrs. H. C. Cooley.

Town Hall. — A. Chase, \\\ H. Bennett.

Cabinet and Variety Shop. — I. L. Bulson.

Bai'ber. — T. VV. Ennies.

Postmaster. — S. H. Gurney.

Organizations. — Schenevus Valley Silver Cornet
Band. Lodge of F. & A. Masons. Lodge of I. O. of
Good Templars. Brown Post, Grand Army of the
Republic. Circulating Library. I. O. ofO. F.

A great number of names of families press forward
and claim a place, and the task would greatly please us,
could we give some written record of remembrance of
those who, in our early days, were called "our people" ;
but we fear it would so swell the size of this little vol-
ume and increase the price, it would not be approved by

the general public ; yet we feel a laudable desire to give
the names that come to mind of those who were in town
three-fourths of a century "agone" — a little more or lit-
tle less, the most of whom left worthy descendants.

In the western portion of the town the Burnsides were
quite numerous, and of whom Gen. S. S. Buruside prom-
ised to furnish us a chapter, but failed to redeem it.
The Barnes, for some years there, were first, and for
many years residents of the south-eastern portion.
Coons, West, Tallmadge, Rowland, Aylesworth, Gur-
ne3% Palmer, Piatt, Walling, How, Wilbur, Youmans,
Jones, Peebles, Peterson, Peaslee, Dibble, Barber; and
now presses forward names of families of the Dutch per-
suasion ; Vanduseu, Vandenburg, Vandeboe, Vanalstine,
Vanzant, Hoose, Hacket, Havens, Ketchum, Swift ; and
again those of early in the seventeen hundred and nine-
ties come forward: Andrew Willard, Elijah Smith,
Daniel Wright, Roger Kelley — a little later, Stephen
Brown, Porter Seward, Elisha Sperry, Moses Bennett,
Crippens, Griswolds, Wilder, Wordeu, Wickham,
Wheeler, Weston, Chapel, Hubbard, Tubbs, Cass,
Steele, Gunn, White, Lewis, Simmons, Holbrook,
Wilsey, Wilson, Wells, Dunham, Preston, Lawrence,
Benson, Bennet — but memory must be held in abey-
ance, probably final check.

In conclusion : The writer is not the "oldest inhab-
itant" in town, but can distinctly remember events that
have transpired in town in "three-score" and five con-
secutive years, which, it is thought, is more than any
other one can. In going back over life's beaten track,
to commence with earliest dates for the return, necessi-

tates us to recall babyhood's orphanage ; persons and
things known in infancy, in boyhood, youth and middle
age ; and much during a whole life. Recollections of
the dear old log school house, of our ABC days come
crowding forward. Those who cared for us in infancy
and childhood, our childhood and earliest boyhood mates,
and our earliest school mates — where are they ? gone !
is the response. Not one that we are aware is living !
Our grand parents, our parents, our uncles and aunts,
and all our earliest relatives are gone ! all that was once
familiar, and that was near and dear is gone ! Hundreds
of scenes and views, and of childish and innocent amuse-
ment and pleasure — hundreds of things — of animals and
of birds — and of human faces and forms ; of more than
half a century ago, are as distinctly in recollection as if
the time was yesterday, but now passed away — gone.
Painful, indeed, is the panorama ! The reader may im-
agine, but cannot realize. But gone will be said of us
all ; and to the writer the prospect of being gone is grat-
ifying. Death seems a friend, that relieves us from the
ills, the pains and sorrows of earth, that we may enter
Elysian fields and enjoy perpetual youth.

ADVERTISEMENTS.

YOUNG & BROWNELL,

SOHENEVUS, N. Y.,

PORTRAIT I LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHERS,

Dealeis in and Manufacturers of

Frames and Framing material of every description,

Chromos, Albums, Stereoscopes, Stereoscopic Views, &c.

Pakticular Attention given to Copyino old Pictures, and Finishinu in
India Ink., Oil, Ckayon or Watek Colors.

P&~Engraviiig and Fine Pen work done to order, at Low Rates.

P. R. YouNn, E. E. Bkownell.

T. J. EE^VIS,

Dealer in

FRESH AND SALT MEATS, VEGETABLES,

Fish, Lard, Tallow, and Canned Fruit.

IW CASH PAID FOR HIDES,
Nellis Block, Main St., SCHEHEVUS, N. Y.

G^ENERAL

INSURANCE AGENCY,

WESTFORD, N. Y.

Established in 18(59. Assets Represented, $30,000,000.

Our experience and familiarity with the princiiJes of the business, together with the
character and standing of the companies represented, enable us to ofl'er all that is
valuable in

LIFU AND FIBE INSURANCE,

at the lowest adequate rates. Prudent business men seek undoubted security and
reliable Limrance at a fair rate of pi'emium ; and will have no business Intercourse
with insurance quacks or with weak, reckless, inexperienced institutions. We make
insurance a business, and present the record of our business career as our credentials.

J. K. TYLER.

FRED E. PAG^E,

Teacher of

Piano^ Resd | Pipe Qrgan^ Harmony! Thorough Bass.

TERMS OF TUITION :

1 Term, (^4 Lessons,) y, hour each on Piano, $12 00

1 Term, (24 Lessons,) % hour each on Re^d Orsjan 12 00

1 Term, (20 Lessons,) % hour each on Grand Pipe Organ, 20 CO

1 Term, (20 Lessons,) 1 hour each on Harmony or Thorough Base, 20 00

tuition patable quarterly.
Mr. Page has studied six years \vith the best teachers of New York and Boston, and
the system of instruction is the same as that of the (lopservatories of Leipsic, Geimany,
and Boston, Mass. Lessons on Pipe Organ given at Cobleskill, or at other places
where access can be had to Pipe Organs. Training of the hands for Piano made a
specialty.

SCHENEVUS, N. Y.

ADVERTISEMENTS.

ALBERT & AYLESWORTH,

Munufacturers of and dealers in

ALL KINDS OF AMERICAN | ITALIAN MARBLE.

on hand and made to order oflje^t quality and latest designs.
J^"A11 orders promptly attended to and satisfaction guaranteed in all casts.

Sutherland Falls Marble and Low Prices a Specialty.

Works in basement ol Butts building. Main Street,

SCHENEVUS, N. Y.

Andrew Albert, C. M. Ayleswokth.

A. J. BATES,

Dealer in

FANCY GOODS, BOOKS AND STATIONERY,
Grx*ocei'ies, Emits and. Niits,

Tobacco, Cigars, &c.,
Walker B'.ojk, Miin St., SCHENEVUS, N. Y.

IRA L. BULSON,

Manufacturer of

Desxks, Wardrobes, Book Cases and Extension Tables,

SHOW CASES, ETC.

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED, BOTH IN STYLE AND FINISH.

Extension Tables at Wliolesale a Specialty.

JOBBING AND REPAIRING PROMPTLY ATTENDED TO AT MODERATE RATES.

Shop over Cleveland & Wright's Boot and Shoe Store, Main St.,
SCHENEVUS, N. Y.

J. M. THOMPSON,

Dealer in

iii iSiiS.iiSiiiiis,

CROCKERY, WALL PAPER,

DRUGS AND MEDICINES, PAINTS, OILS,

Dye Stuffs, Etc.,
Stone Store, Ma n St., SCHENEVUS, N . V.

AOVERTISEMETSTTS.

SUBSCUIBE NOW, FOIl

The Livliest, Spiciest Twenty-four Column Sheet Published in Otsego County.
Only $1.25 per Year, in Advance.

JOB PR JNTING.— Our fiidliUes iire ampla for tlie executi 'ii of good work
on short notice, iit very moda-ate rates. Coinmcrcial PrintiiiK a Specialty.

J. J. & M. M. MULTER.

D. ^^r, BRAIISTARD,

Builder and manufacturer of

FLORING, CEILING,
IDx'essecl Lumber, Etc., Etc.,

Also, Dealer in

Sash, Blinds, Doors, &c.,

Main Street, QngOnta, It Y.

John Burt, Jr., Setmouk Scott.

B.URT & SCOTT,

FBITTS BLOCE, U&IS ST.,
ONEO^TA, N. Y.

ONEOPiTa cieaR waMUFacTOBV,

C. A. SMITH & CO., Proprietors,
Wholesale and Hetail Dealers in

MEERSCHAUM & BRIAR PIPES, STEMS, AMBER

TIPS, ETC., ETC.

Fancj^ OlieAviiig aiicl Smolviiig Tobaccos,
On^eonta, N. Y.

ADVERTISEMENTS.
J. Mc HARG-, Jr.,

Dealer ix

Cr'ockery, Boots and Shoes, <£c.,

Main Street, ScllGneVUS, N. Y.

IRA E, CARPENTER,

Manufacturei' of

Open ^ Top Buggies, Democrat Wagons, ^^c.

JrW Rppiiiring promptly attended to.
Stone Shop, Main St., SCHENEVUS, N. Y.

E. D. SEWARD,
General Blacksmithing and Horseshoeing,

stone Shop, Main St., SCHENEVUS, N. Y.

HENRY FOLLETT,

DENTIST,

Gives Special Attention to Filling with Gold,
Silver, Etc.

ALL WORK WARRANTED.

SCHENEVUS, N. Y.

R. M. HXTMMELL,

Dealer in

READY-MADE CLOTHING,

Foreign ayid Domestic Fabrics,
G-eneral Merchandise, Etc., Etc.

SCHEMSVIJS, N. Y.

ADVERTISEMENTS.

ONEOHTA, N. Y.,

Are SelJiri;!; Drills, Medicines. Dye Stuffs. Toilet Articles,

Etc., Etc., in fuct everythiiii; pertaining to a

First-class Driiji; Store,

AT BOTTOM PRICES.
PAINTS AND OILS AT THE LOWEST MARKET BATES.

We liLive the largest stock of

PAPER HATSTGMISrG-S

in tliis section of the county,
WHICH W^E ARE SELLING AT LOWER PRICES THAN EVER BEFORE.

JS" Pure Liquors for Medicinal jmrposes.

HEISTRY SAUNDERS,

(Successor to Dye & Saunders,)

OJVEOJVTA, JV. Y.

1PW~SINGING BOOKS A SPECIALTY.

G. D. SCRAMBLING,

GENSML FIRE AHD LIFE IHSURANCE AGENT,

Oneonta, IST. Y.
Policies written in First-class Companies.

ADVERTISEMENTS.

EERREY &. BUTTS,

Manufacturers of u^d Dealers in

FASHIONABLE FURNITURE

consisting in i^art of

Parlor Suits, Brussels Couches, Extension Tables,

MATTR ASSES, SPRING BEDS, BEDSTEADS,

LOOKING GL-ISSES, AlAUBLE AND WOOD TOP TABLES.

gW Chamber Suits a Specialty.

Cbairs in great Variety. Also UNDEETAKEES, and Agents for the Celebrated "STEIN OASSETS."

SCllEXEN TS, N. Y.

H. R. SKINNER,

Dealer in

WATCHES, CLOCKS, JEWELRY,

Solid Silver and Plated Ware,
Si:)ectacles, Fancj' Groocls, Etc., Etc.

ONEONTA, N. Y.

Gold and Silver Plating anci Repairing done Pi'omptly,

W. H. ^VOODEN,

Dealer in

Lumber, Etc.
Estimates Care In 1 1 3" m a d e .

ONEONTA, N. Y.

\\^ING^ & EUTHER,

Mamifactureis of and Dealers in

Parlor Sets, Cliaiiibor Scls, MaUresa'8, Spriii" Beds,

COFFINS, CASKETS AND SHROUDS CONSTANTLY ON HAND.
ONEONTA, N. Y.

Undertaking in all itn branchex, jiroinptly atlended to.

-; \, rf ^''^^ '*^

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Full text of "A concise history of the town of Maryland from its first settlement. Its geography, productions and striking events; also, the history of the first settlement of the village of Schenevus .."

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