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ONONDAGA  COUNTY, 


NEW    YORK. 


=WITH^ 


ilUnstralians  md  l|i0gra^Hical  ^ketchc^ 


t_^==0F^==2>_» 


SOME  OF  ITS  PROMINENT   MEN  AND   PIONEERS. 


>- 


By  PROFESSOR   W.   W.  CLAYTON. 


I=T7BX,XSHEX>     BIT     X).     MlJ^SOIfr     &     CO., 
Syracuse,   N".  Y. 


-1878.- 


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iro 


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Tiuair.  Smith  &  Bruce.  Printers.  .Journal  Otticf.  .Syr.uiisi'.  N.  Y. 


-^•^i ' .^    ^      'j'i;    ^       ^  '    ^' — ^"''-^i 


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F"iM 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


;  rortraits  of  Dr.  Elijah  Park,  and  wife. 
■    Cbas.  W.  Hoyt, 
"    Albert  Becker, 
Ilesidence  of  Jas.  Becker,  (with  portraits) 

'*  •'    Luther  Baker,  "  " 

I'ortrait  of  Joseph  Thomas, 

'•         "    Avery  F.  Palmer, 
Itesidence  of  Homer  Case,  (with  portraits) 
Portrait  of  Lewis  O.  Hill,    . 


PAGE 

between    360,  861 

.      "  360,  361 

360,  361 

360,  361 

facing      362 

between    363,  363 

362,  363 

362,  .'163 

facing      398 


facing 


between    366, 
366. 
facing 
between    368, 


MANLIUS. 
St.  John's  School  for  Boys, 

F.esidence  of  the  late  C.  E.  Sooville,  (with  portraits) 
r;esidence  of  Curtiss  Twitchell,  (with  portraits) 
"  '■    Mrs.  Ann  Mable,       " 

"  '■    Ambrose  S.  Uabie, 

^Id  Homestead  of  David  Collin,  (with  portraits) 
'esidence  of  Wm.  T.  Avery, 
Homestead  of  A.  H.  Avery.  Sr.,  and  residence  of  A.  H.  Avery, 

Jr. ,  (with  portraits)  .  between    368. 

Residence  of  Anson  Smith,  ....  facing 

"         ■"    Dr.  Judson  H  Graves,      ... 
''       and  Farm  Views  of  D.  W,  Grldley,  (double  page) 

between    Sro, 
Residence  of  Edward  French,  (with  portraits)  .  facing 

Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Fayetteville,  *' 

Kesidence  of  Chas.  II.  Cole.  I  with  portraits)    .  " 

"  ■•    the  late  Reuben  H.  Bangs,  (with  portraits) 

between    374. 


364 
365 

367 
•367 
367 


369 
370 
370 

371 
372 
373 
374 

375 


Residence  of  Myron  Bangs,  Fayetteville, 

'•    Ambrose  Clark,  (With  portraits) 
"  Wellwood.  "  residence  of  Sam'l  J.  Wells, 
Hotel  and  Residence  of  E  W.  Woodward',        '. 
Portraits  of  Seymour  and  Nancy  Pratt, 
"     Beach  and  Frances  Beard, 
"    Illustrious  and  Eunice  Remington, 
Residence  of  E.  A.  Coe,  iwith  portraits) 
of  Silas  Bell,  (with  portraits)   . 

DE  WITT. 
Portrait  of  Robert  Dunlop,  . 
Residence  of  Robert  Dunlop, 

Residence,  etc.  of  Warren  C.  Brayton,  (double  page) 
Residence  of  Vliet  Carpenter,  (with  portraits) 
Portraits  of  David  S.  Miller  and  wife, 

'•    Elbridge,  Emerson,  Julius C. and  Mason 
Kinne. 
Residence  of  Rufus  R.  Kinne,  (with  portraits) 
•    Seth  O.  Palmiter, 


.  POMPEY. 

Residence  of  David  Hibbard,  (with portraits) 

Portrait  of  Daniel  (iott, 

Portraits  of  Abraham  Northrup  and  wife. 

Homer  Case's  Monument,  Pompey  Cemetery, 

Residence  of  Ju.stin  F.  Gates, 

Portraits  of  Elijah  and  Maranda  Weston, 


PAOB 

between 

374, 

375 

facing 

376 

377 

377 

" 

878 

• 

378 

• 

378 

330 

fact 

og 

381 

between 

(386 

3«T 

" 

386 

387 

" 

388 

:i89 

facing 

3!(1 

39S 

a  P. 

between 

392 

393 

. 

393 

393 

318 

319 

facing 

395 

. 

395 

•■ 

398 

398 

" 

400 

400 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 


General  A.  P.  Granger, 

Parley  Howlett. 

Oeorge  Stevens, 

William  Metcalf  Clarke 

Albdrt  G.  Salisbury.    . 

John  Wilkinson, 

Henry  Shattuck, 

Jascn  C.  Woodruff, 

Lyman  Clary.  M.  D.,     . 
••  Hon.  Joshua  Forman, 
■  General  Ellas  W.  Leavenworth, 

J.  M  Wieting,  M.  D., 

Lewis  H.  Redfield, 

Hon  Moses  Summers, 

Asa  White. 

Horace  White, 

Hamilton  White, 

Nathan  F.  Graves, 

Hon.  D.  P.  Wood, 

E.  F.  Rice, 

Hon.  Daniel  Pratt, 
Wili'/am  C.  Ruger, 
Hon.  Elizur  Clark. 
Cornelius  T.  Longstreet, 
John  (Jreenway, 
Sylvester  P.  Pierce, 
Major  William  A.  Cook, 
JohnCouse. 
Hon.  Peter  Burns. 
Horace  Bronson, 
Johnson  Hall,     . 
Captain  Oliver  TealU 
George  J.  Gardner,  Esq.. 
Major-Oeneral  John  J.  Peck 
Rufus  Stanton, 
Hon.  Vivus  W.  Smith. 
Hon.  D.^nnis  McCart^l.v, 
Henry  Giflfurd, 
Robert  Gere, 
Jacob  .\ino8. 
ma.  Ann  M.  T.  Rinitleld, 
Milton  H.  Nnrthtup, 
John  G.  K.  Truanr, 
General  John  E  His, 
Carroll  E.  Smith, 
Charles  Tallm  an. 
H.N.  White, 
Dwight  H.  Biuoe, 
B.  Burton, 


facing    140 

"        141 

"         142 

"       148 

■'       149 

between    1.50,  151 

facing    156 

"       160 

"       161 

162 

rth, 164 

'acing    166 

.    192 

.     193 

.    199 

.    199 

.    200 

.    201 

.    202 

. 

(acing    208 

,    212 

.    213 

,    213 

.    214 



acing    318 

"        222 

"        ^23 

2'i4 

22<i 

facing    230 

••       231 

.    234 

839 

facing    240 

a»i 

"       246 

247 

.    247 

.    248 

249 

.     250 

251  - 

251 

.     252 

.     255 

Hi 

facing    256 

.          .    257 

f 

acing    2t>2 

Miles  Adams, 

John  Paddock, 

W.  W.  Porter,  M.  D., 

Hon.  Abner  Chapman, 

John  F.  Clark, 

Leonard  P.  Field. 

Jeremiah  Everringham, 
i-Ephraim  Webster, 

Col.  Comfort  Tyler. 

Gen.  Asa  Dauforth, 

Gen.  Thaddeus  M.  Wood, 

Horace  Hitcbings, 

Moses  Fowler, 

Theophilus  Hall, 

Ellas  B.  Bradley, 

George  T.  Clark,  M.  D., 

W.  W,  Newman. 

Charles  Carpenter, 

George  Hall, 

Volney  King, 

Jared  W.  Parsons, 

A.  G.  Wyckoft,    . 

Theodore  E.  Clarke.      . 

Deacon  Jerathmael  Hunt, 

David  Chafee,  Sr., 

David  Chafee.  Jr.. 

Ransel  S.  Kenyon, 

Hon.  Dan  Bradley. 

Judge  Hezekian  Earll, 

Daniel  Kellogg, 

Benoni  Lee, 

Hon.  Luke  Rauney, 

Hon.  John  D.  Rhoades, 

CliauDcey  B.  Laird, 
James  Rodger.    . 
Titus  Merr^liiau,  M.  D.. 
Truman  K.  Wright, 
John  A.  Stevens, 
Ezekiel  Skinuer, 
Deacon  Isaac  Hill, 
Jacob  Halsted,    . 
Marvin  W.  Hardy. 
Judge  James  Geddos,  . 
John  C.  Munro,  Esq  , 
David  Munro. 
Robert  Hopkins, 
Enos  Peck, 
Sidney  H.  Cook, 
Bennett  Biothars, 
Daniel  Bennett, 


264 

265 

facing 

268 

272 

between    272 

,  273 

272 

,  273 

facing 

273 

272 

272  —        / 

.273--/ 

274 

facing 

•274 

between    274 

275 

274 

275 

facing 

275 

'• 

276 

between    276,277 

276 

, -OT 

278 

.279 

facing 

279 

m 

281 

282 

282 

582 

between    282,  283 

facing 

283 

284 

between    288 

389- 

289 

297 

facing 

30O 

between    300 

:J01 

•        "         .300 

mt 

facing 

303 

.303 

*■ 

304 

between    .304 

305 

3(M 

.305 

facing 

305 

306 

" 

307 

308 

facing 

309 

" 

309 

" 

310 

*' 

311 

facing 

312 

314 

between    312. 

313 

IV 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Jonathan  White, 
B.  B.  Schenck,  M.  T>. 
Lyman  Norton, . 
Dr.  J.  E.  Bilts.  . 
Juilge  Otis  Bigelow. 
WilBoii  Family, 
FrcJerick  W.  Fenner. 
John  Halsteil, 
John  Van  Derveer, 
Harvey  H.  Rtiss, 
Henry  Datoll. 
Horace  B.  Bingham. 
Moses  Wormuth, 
George  Eoker,     . 
Nathaniel  Cornell, 
Russel  Foster,    . 
Col.  Qabriel  Tappai: 
Stewart  Scott,    . 
Moseley  Dunham, 
French  Falrchild, 
Samnel  Emmons, 
Hon.  Asa  Eastwood. 
Oreamus  Johnson, 
Isaac  Connley.    . 
M.  H   BIynn,  M.  D., 
Capt.  Valentine  Dunham, 
David  H.  Hoyt. 
Samuel  H.  Stanton, 
I.  Tyler  Frisbie, 
Willis  C.  Pish,    . 
George  W.  Card, 
Alfred  J.  Xiles, 
James  L.  Niles, 
James  H.  Kedway, 
Warren  Kinney, 
Myron  Hillyer, 
Hon.  Samnel  Willis, 


PAOE 

facing      313 

between    318.  319 

320,  321 

fai'ing      331 

$S 

'■■a 

■!43 

)■» 

:a5 

between    3-2»,  32S 

"         328.  .389 

3:J0 

:ao 

■m 

■!3J 

:!3I 

■m 
m 

387 

facing     340 

between    340,  341 

340,  341 

facing    .341 

between    342,  343 

.343 

!M3 

3-17 

351 

:m 

352 

352 

.)62 

.W3 

.■)M 

!54 

between    .■i5tf.  357 


Dr.  Elijah  Park, 

COarles  W.  Hoyt, 

Albert  Becker. 

James  Becker, 

Joseph  Tbi'mas, 

Avery  F.  Palmer, 

Luther  Baker, 

Morris  Baker. 

Homer  Ca!^e. 

Reuben  B.  Bangs, 

Ambrose  Clark, 

David  llibhard, 

Samuel  J.  Wells, 

Judson  H    Graves,  M.D.. 

Charles  M.  Cole", 

C.  E,  Scoville, 

Allen  H.  Avery, 

J.  Beach  Beard. 

Edward  French. 

Eli  A.  Coe, 

David  Collin,  Sr  , 

Silas  Bell, 

B.  W.  Woodward, 

Robert  Dunlop, 

Rufus  K.  Kinne, 

Vllet  Carpenter, 

Dairy  Farm  of  W.  C.  Brayton, 

David  S.  Miller, 

The  Kinne  Family, 

Doniel  Gott, 

Dr.  Hezekiah  Clarke. 

Elijah  Weston. 

Abraham  Northrup,  .... 

MISCELLANEOUS. 
Roster  of  Soldiers,  .... 

List  of  Citizens  who  assisted  in  the  publication  of 
of  Onondaga  County  with  Personals, 


between 


PJtCB  1 

3«i', 


360, 
360,  Sfil 
360,36: 
Sfid,  36t 
363,  36;1 
362,  36> 
3«S! 


37  1 


17.'. 

^.77 

37V 

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;1T^ 
31!. 

:v^) 

;if.ii 

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between 

386,  3(-7 

3>ll 

m 

393 

fac 

ng    392 

m 

faciap    SBB 

40:) 

401 

404 

.       405 

the  History 

4n 

INTRODL'CTION. 


tempting  to  compile  a  History  of  Onondaga 

the  writer  is  well  aware  of  the  interest  and 

•H'ect   botV    to  the  historian 

.iciaga  has  always  been  a 

in  the  prehistoric  period,  before 

:ni.  ui    .he  white  man  to  its  territory,  it  was 

re  of  a  great  Indian  Confederacy— that  of 

-lois  or  Five  Nations— and  when  the  Jesuit 

.o.>;.    ries  penetrated  the  solitudes  of  its  forests, 

it    becan.c    I'ne    theatre   61    events   in    which    the 

two    leading    nations  of    Europe   became   directly 

it.terested. 

The  French  and  the  English  began  the  coloniza- 
tion of  North  America  at  nearly  the  same  period. 
The  jea!(  nsies  and  rivalries  which  had  long  made 
them  lies    in    the    Old    World    were    trans- 

planted ie  New  Continent.     The  French,  by 

settling  0  St.  Lawrence,  whose  waters  head  in 

the  great  '         if  the  Northwest,  within  a  few  miles 
of  the  triL  s  of  the  Mississippi,  which  f^ows 

across  half  -jntinent  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 

had   the  ad  of  the    most  direct  means  of 

access  to  lli        _.  .'Jf  the  cou'n.iy,  and  to  the  rich 
nificent  valleys  and  prairies  of  the  Great 
.n  a  few  years  they  had  ascended  the  St. 
e  to  the  Upper  Lakes  ;  had  crossed  over  to 
sissippi    and   descended  it  to  the  Gulf  of 
,  they  had  explored  the  vast  fertile  regions 
tht  Alleghanies  and  Texas,  and    visited 
every  tribe  from  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  to  Mobile 
Bay. 

The  French  avowed  the  deliberate  purpose  of 
keeping  the  English  out  of  all  this  territory,  and  of 
confining  them  to  the  narrow  strip  of  country  along 
the  Atlantic  coast.  In  this  scheme  of  empire  they 
sought  the  friendship  and  alliance  of  the  Indian 
tribes.  They  first  secured  the  friendship  of  the 
Hurons  and  Algonquins  of  the  North  and  West, 


establishing  among  them  missions  and  trading  posts : 
first  in  the  forests  of  Canada,  then  on  the  Straits 
entering  Lake  Superior  and  Lake  Michigan,  and 
finally  along  the  Mississippi,  the  Wabash  and  the 
Ohio.  In  1641,  a  great  convention  of  Red  Repub- 
licans of  the  Northwestern  vW.?rness  was  called  at 
Sault  Ste.  Marie,  which  ^^as  attendeJ  by  all  the 
tribes  far  and  near,  ana  by  officers  both  "ivil  and 
ecclesiastic  of  the  government  of  New  France  ;  ciV.''d 
it  was  proclaimec'  to  the  assembled  tribes  that  they 
were  placed  imder  the  protection  of  the  French 
nation.  In  1671,  Nicholas  Perot,  the  agent  of 
Talon,  the  Intendant  of  Canada,  convened  a  similar 
great  council  at  Green  Bay,  on  Lake  Michigan. 
Not  only  were  the  vast  multitudes  of  dusky  warriors, 
Sichems  and  braves  there  assembled  brought  into 
alliance  of  friendship  with  the  French,  but  Perot, 
paddled  in  a  bark  canoe  by  friendly  Pottawattomies, 
visited  the  Miamis  at  Chicago,  and  secured  from 
them  similar  conditions  of  friendship  and  alliance. 
While  all  this  was  going  on,  the  Iroquois  or  Five 
Nations,  the  most  powerful  confederation  of  Indians 
on  the  continent,  were  holding  the  ground  between 
the  English  and  the  French  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  the  Long  House,  as  they  called  it,  reaching 
from  the  Hudson  to  Lake  Erie :  not  as  neutrals, 
although  they  sought  at  times  to  preserve  a  sort  of 
neutrality,  but  as  enemies  of  the  French  and  ulti- 
mately as  friends  and  allies  of  the  English.  The 
French  had  wantonly  provoked  their  hostility  at 
the  beginning  of  the  colonization  of  Canada  ;  by 
forming  an  alliance  with  the  hereditary  enemies 
of  the  Iroquois,  tribes  whom  the  latter  had  beaten 
back  beyond  the  lakes  and  held  in  awe  and  subor- 
dination. They  were  so  antagonistic  to  the  French 
along  the  northern  border  of  New  York  that  Lake 
Ontario  and  the  Niagara  River  could  not  be  naviga- 
ted by  them,  and  for  many  years  their  only  avenue 


INTRODUCTION. 


of  access  to  the  West  lay  by  the  Ottawa  River, 
through  which  they  paddled  their  bark  canoes  to 
Lake  Nippissing,  crossed  over  to  French  River, 
by  which  they  descended  to  Lake  Huron. 

The  first  visit  of  the  Jesuits  to  the  Mohawks  and 
Onondagas  had  its  origin  in  the  necessity  for  con- 
ciliating the  Iroquois,  whose  geographical  position 
between  the  English  and  the  French,  and  whose 
strength  and  prowess  in  war,  made  them  the  natural 
arbiters  of  the  destiny  of  which  ever  nation  they 
chose  to  assist  in  the  struggle.  Those  who  regard 
the  mission  of  tlie  Jesuits  in  this  country  as  purely 
religious,  having  for  its  exclusive  object  the  conver- 
sion of  the  heathen  to  Christianity,  mistake  very 
gravely  its  impor^  and  character.  It  had  evidently 
a  polititori^ligious  significitnce.  Not  alone  to  e.\- 
tenr'  j'lje  dominion  of  the  Church,  but  through  the 
Cnurch  to  extend  the  power  and  dominion  of 
France,  came  these  zealous,  devoted  and  self-sacri- 
ficing disciples  of  Ignatius  Loyola  to  the  wilds  of 
North  America. 

In  Onondaga  their  mission-field  was  t;-.e  most 
important  on  the  Continent.  For,  while  it  was  com- 
paratively easy  to  make  friends  and  converts  of  '.he 
unbiased  tribes  of  other  sections  of  the  country, 
here  they  had  a  strong,  wily,  skillful,  though  often 
a  magnanimous  foe,  to  contend  with  and  to  con- 
ciliate. Other  tribes  were  less  dominating — the 
Iroquois  were  the  proud  lords  of  the  domain,  the 
heroes  of  a  thousand  battles.  Resides,  at  Onondaga, 
there  was  that  in  the  situation  which  made  the 
work  of  the  Jesuits  vastly  important.  This  was  the 
center  of  the  Confederacy  or  League  of  the  Five 
Nations,  the  Capital,  at  which  all  their  great 
National  Councils  were  held,  where  the  sachems 
a. id  chiefs,  from  the  Hudson  to  the  Niagara,  assem- 
bled to  attend  to  the  business  of  State,  where  the 
national  policy  and  all  the  great  questions  of  peace 
and  of  war  were  decided.  If,  therefore,  the  Five 
Nations  were  to  be  influenced  and  brought  over  to 
an  alliance  with  the  l^rench  against  their  English 
enemies,  where  could  his  be  so  well  accomplished 
as  at  Onondaga,  in  the  heart  and  capital  of  their 
confederacy .' 

This  made  Onondaga  a  famous  locality,  not  only 
during  the  period  of  the  Jesuit  Missions,  but  equally 
famous  during  the  wars  which  followed,  when  the 


French,  failing  in  ecclesiastical  diplomacy,  r* 
to  the  arbitrament  of  war.     Thrice  was  this 
invaded   by    the    French.     7.,    ■    came    tht 
struggle  known  as  the  "  Old  French  War,"  \\\ 
in   1759  culminated  in  the  downfall  of  the  French 
colonial  power  in  America  :  the  Iroquois  fighting  on 
the  side  of  the  English  and  turning  the  scale  agains' 
the  common  foe. 

It  has  been  seriously  doubted  by  some     *" 
best  statesmen  and  casuists  whether  the  E 
colonists   would    have   been    abl<^    to  <-<-•  -i' 
French  without  the  assi'-fa" 
and  whether,  in  the  absence  0. 
which  they  rendered,  this  country  mi^ 
be  a  part  of  the  French  dominions.     Certain 
their  great  strength,  skill  and  advantage  of 
turned  against  the  English,  the  fate  of  X\ 
would  have  been  ver)'  r!iftere"^t  from  what  ii 

Nor  has  Onondaga  been  less  noted  as  an  oi^.  .• 
civil  division  of  the  State  of  New  York.  Her  "ren- 
tral  location  in  the  great  State  of  which  Ltt'  is  a 
part ;  her  connection  with  the  great  ?ines  of  com- 
munication both  of  the  early  and  more  '  "^cf  it  times  ; 
her  peculiar  topographical  and  geologica  .ures  ; 
the  variety  and  richness  of  her  resourr  id  pro- 
ductions ;  and,  above  all,  the  character,  .•juished 
'.alents  and  reputation  of  her  eminf  .en,  have 
rendered  her  one  of  the  most  noted  ics  in  the 

interior  of  the  Empire  State.     A  ;ariy  time, 

when  the  cf.:"'acter  of  this  great  <ud  Nation 

had  to  be  formed  ami  its  policy  .  n)d  directed, 

Onondaga  men,  at  the  bar,  on  the  bench  '-p 

fields  of  enterprise  and  in  the  halls   of  leg 
bore  a  conspicuous  part,  and  rendered  the 
Onondaga  famous  throughout  the  country, 
were  the  great  advocates  and  projectors  of  t 
Canal — that  great  State  enterprise  which,  cc 
ing  the  early  stage  of  the  country's  progress    in 
which  it  was  begun  and  completed,  eclipsed  all  the 
marvels  of  the  oldest  nations  of  Europe,     The  men 
who   believed    in    the   practicability  of  this   great 
undertaking,  so  far  in  advance  of  the  rest  of  their 
fellow-citizens  that  their  ideas  were  regarded  as  the 
dream  of    visionary   enthusiasts  and  treated  with 
derision  ;  who  first  brought  the  subject  before  the 
Legislature,  first  explored  and  surveyed  the  route, 
and  who  stood  by  the  enterprise  till  it  was  finally 


INTRODUCTION. 


crowned  with  success,  were  men  of  Onondaga  ;  and 
by  their  identification  with  this  great  work  made 
the  name  of  Onondaga  famous  throughout  the  land. 

Onondaga  became  noted  at  an  early  time  for  her 
piineral  resources — her  Salt,  Gypsum,  and  Water- 
Lime.  The  Salt  Springs  of  this  locality  were 
known  throughout  the  French  and  English  colonies 
and  in  Europe  more  than  two  hundred  years  ago. 
After  the  Revolution,  their  fame  attracted  hither 
visitors  and  settlers,  and  their  partial  development 
formed  the  nucleus  of  flourishing  villages  which  have 
grown  into  a  center  of  more  than  sixty  thousand 
population. 

The  first  discovery  of  water  lime  in  America  was 
made  in  Onondaga  at  a  period  most  opportune,  when 
it  was  needed  for  the  permanent  locks  and  culverts 
in  the  construction  of  the  Erie  Canal ;  and,  in 
consequence,  from  1819  that  great  work  went 
forward  to  its  completion,  and  has  since  had  the 
materials  at  hand  to  keep  it  in  a  permanent  state  of 
repair.  Here,  too,  the  first  discovery  of  gypsum 
in  the  United  States  was  made  in  1792,  which  has 
since  become  as  noted  and  valuable  as  the  famous 
plaster  of  Paris. 

The  history  contained  in  the  following  pages 
covers  all  the  ground  over  which  we  have  thus 
cursorily  glanced,  giving  each  step  of  the  progress 
of  the  county  in  detail  from  the  earliest  discoveries. 
The  plan  of  our  work,  of  course,  is  very  different 
from  that  of  Mr.  Clark's  two  volumes.  While  we 
have  condensed  the  history  of  the  Indians  into 
three  or  four  chapters,  adding  considerable  original 
matter,  we  have  extended  the  history  of  the  Military 
Tract,  the  Salt  Interest,  the  Civil  Record,  and  other 
matters,  deemed  of  most  importance,  far  beyond 
anything  that  has  yet  been  published. 

Our  History  of  the  City  of  Syracuse  is  almost 
entirely  original  matter,  embracing  the  inception 
and  progress  of  industries  and  institutions  which 
either  did  not  exist  or  were  in  their  infancy  when 
Mr.  Clark  published  his  Onondaga,  such  as  the 
Public  Schools,  Churches,  Institutions  of  Learning, 
Libraries,  Manufactories,  Banking,  Railroads,  and 
the  various  Industrial  and  Commercial  interests  of 
the  modern  city.  Also  in  the  various  Towns  of  the 
County,  the  histories  have  been  brought  down  from 
the  point  where  they  had  been  left  by  the  former 


historian.  The  Military  Record  of  Onondaga  in 
the  War  of  the  Rebellion — a  history  not  hitherto 
attempted — has  been  added,  forming  one  of  the 
most  valuable  and  interesting  features  of  the  work. 

The  sources  of  information  to  which  we  have 
had  access  in  compiling  this  volume  are  the  Jesuit 
Relations  ;  Colonial  and  Do'^umentary  Histories  of 
New  York  ;  Clark's  Onondaga  ;  Bancroft's  History 
of  the  United  States  ;  Smith's  New  York  ;  Park- 
man's  Jesuits  in  America;  Champlain's  Journal; 
Charlevoi.x's  History  of  New  France;  Parkman's 
Old  Regim^  in  Canada ;  Davidson  &  Stuv^'s  His- 
tory of  Illinois  :  Turner's  History  of  the  Holland 
Purchase ;  Geological  Reports  of  the  State  of  New 
York ;  Transactions  of  the  State  Agricultural 
Society  ;  New  York  Civil  List ;  State  Census  for 
1875  ;  Local,  County  and  Town  Records,  Maps, 
Pamphlets,  Files  of  Newspapers,  and  various  other 
documents  of  a  local  character.  For  local  matters 
we  have  consulted  the  Pompey  Re-union  and  Van 
Schaack's  History  of  the  Village  of  Manlius. 

For  valuable  assistance  we  are  indebted  to  Hon. 
George  Geddes,  not  only  for  material.!  and  sugges- 
tions embodied  in  various  portions  of  the  general 
history,  but  for  the  matter  on  geology,  agriculture, 
&c.,  drawn  from  his  valuable  Report  published  in 
the  Transactions  of  \he  State  Agricultural  Society 
for  1859  ;  to  Moses  Summers,  Esq.,  of  the  Onondaga 
Standard,  for  aid  in  the  use  of  books  and  papers, 
and  the  History  of  the  149th  Regiment  ;  to  Col.  J. 
M.  Gere,  Col.  Jenney,  Major  Poole,  Gen.  Sniper, 
Capt.  W.  Gilbert,  Lieut.  Estes,  Gen.  Richardson, 
and  others,  in  making  up  the  history  of  the  regi- 
ments from  this  county  engaged  in  the  late  war. 
We  also  acknowledge  indebtedness  to  Hon.  E. 
W.  Leavenworth,  Messrs.  J.  Forman  and  Alfred 
Wilkinson,  Hon.  Thomas  G.  Alvord,  George  J. 
Gardner,  Esq.,  and  others,  both  in  the  city  and 
country.  Many  clergymen  have  kindly  assisted  us 
with  data  for  the  History  of  the  Churches,  and 
prominent  Masons  and  Odd-Fellows  have  court- 
eously aided  us  in  the  histories  of  their  societies. 

It  is  hoped  that  this  contribution  to  local  history 
will  be  the  means  of  rescuing  much  historical 
material  from  oblivion  that  would  otherwise  perish. 
Records  are  liable  to  be  destroyed  :  in  many  in- 
stances they  are  very  imperfectly  kept ;  many  of  the 


INTRODUCTION. 


most  important  events  of  daily  occurrence  in  every 
community  are  never  recorded  at  all :  if  they  find 
their  way  into  the  daily  papers  and  files  are  kept, 
there  are  usually  no  duplicates  of  the  same,  and  the 
likelihood  that  they  will  be  preserved  is  as  one 
against  a  thousand  compared  with  a  book  of  history 
in  which  these  facts  and  events  are  gathered  up  and 
distributed  among  thousands  of  readers. 

Moreover,  much  of  the  most  valuable  part  of  our 
local  history  exists  only  in  the  memory  of  those 
who  have  been  witnesses  of  the  events  or  partici- 
pators in  them.  And  these  are  rapidly  passing  from 
the  stage  of  action.  Scarcely  a  week  passes  but 
some  early  settler,  whose  experience  reached  back 
to  the  beginning  of  our  present  improvements  and 
institutions,  and  whose  memory  was  replete  with 
interesting  facts  and  incidents  connected  with  the 
country,  is  numbered  no  more  among  the  living. 
Happy  for  the  interests  of  local  history  if  such  citi- 
zens had  been  interviewed,  and  the  contents  of  their 


interesting  knowledge  and  e.xpericnce  put  upon 
record.  Surely  he  who  preserves  these  valuable 
traditions  from  perishing,  and  commits  them  to  the 
hands  of  the  descendants  of  our  worthy  pioneers 
in  an  authentic  and  readable  form,  is  doing  a,  kind 
office  to  present  and  future  generations. 

No  one  but  he  who  has  attempted  to  compile 
such  historical  collections,  is  aware  of  the  difficul- 
ties, even  now,  attending  the  collection  rf  such 
materials.  The  meagreness  of  the  records  and  the 
incompleteness  of  the  best  recollections  that  can  be 
elicited,  are  constantly  compelling  the  local  historian 
to  modify  his  plan  or  to  leave  it  imperfectly  execu- 
ted. Links  are  wanting  which  the  utmost  labor 
and  research  cannot  supply.  While  painfull)-  con 
scious  of  this  fact,  we  have  striven  to  make  the 
following  pages  as  accurate  and  complete  as  possible 
under  the  circumstances,  and  we  submit  our  humble 
labors  to  the  indulgent  criticism  of  the  public. 


CONTENTS 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY. 


INTROPVCTIOX 

Chapter  1— Early  Discoveries— Claims  of  different  Nations— Xew 
York  under  Dutch  Rule— First  Colonial  Assembly— The 
Revolution  and  Progress  of  Settlement  Vestward. 
Chapter  H.— History  of  the  Military  Tract,    .... 

Chapter  III.— Interesting   Early  Records— Town    Meetings— For- 
mation of  Counties  prior  to  Onondaga— Organization  of 
Onondaga  County. 
OaAPT>R  IV.— The  Iroquois  Confederacy.         .... 

Chai'T'  ft  V  — The  Onondaga  Indians  and  the  French— War  Detween 
The  English  and  French— Count  Frontenao"s  Invasion 
■  •f  Onondaga,  etc..       ...... 

Chapter  VI.— The  Iroquois  and   the  English— The  Onondagas  in 
the  French  War— English  and  German  Missions  among 
the  Onondagas — Schools — Treaties,  etc.,  . 
Chapter  VII  —.Migration  of  the  Onondagas— Location  of  their  vari- 
ous Town  Sites— Period  of  their  Residence  in  each  Lo- 
cality,     ........ 

C'eapter  VIII.— Antiquities—Relies  of  European  Intercourse  with 
the  Indians — The  Monumental  Stone  of  1520,  discovered 
in  Pompey— Other  curious  Relics, 
Chapter  IS— Internal  Navigation— The  old  Canal— Origin  of  the 
Eiie  Canal— Part  taken  in  it  by  Eminent  Men  of  Onon- 
daga Counly--Its  Completion  and  Advantages, 
Chapter  X— History  of  the  Courts — Erection  of  the  County  Build- 
iuiis,         ........ 

Chapter  XI —History  of  the  Salt  Springs,  and  Manufacture  of 
Salt,  with  Statistics,  etc.,      ..... 

Chapter  XII.— History  of  the  Salt  Springs,  continued,  with  tables 

showing  amount  of  Salt  made  since  17^, 
Chapter  XIII.— Topography  of  Onondaga  County,  . 
Chapter  XIV.— Geology  of  Onondaga  County, 
Chapter  XV.— Geology,  continued,         ..... 

Chapter  XVI.— Agriculture— Classiflcation  of  Soils— Climate— Tim- 
ber-Clearing Land— Pictures  of  Pioneer  Life— Produc- 
tions of  the  County,    ...... 

Chapter  XVII.— Comparative    Statistics— Influential    Agricultur- 
ists-County Agricultural  Societies— The  present  Joint 
Stock  Company— General  Agricultural  Statistics  ol  the 
County,    ........ 

Chapter  XVIII.— Judicial  and  Executive  Officers  under  Herkimer 
County — Onondaga  County  Civil  List — Military  Organi- 
zation-Population of  the  Couuty  from  18(J0  to  1(^75,    . 
Chapter  XIX.— County  Poor  House  and  Insane  ."isylum— County 
Penitentiary— State  Asylum  for  Idiots,     . 


PAGE 

1 


23 


3« 


4fl 


ti-s 


75 


Chapter 

Chapter 
Chapter 
Chapter 
Chapter 
Chapter 
Chapter 
Chapter 
Chapter 
Chapter 
Chapter 


XX.— Onondaga  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion— Capt.  But- 
ler's Company— Pettit's  Battery,     . 
XXI.— Jenney's  Battery,  etc., 

XXII— The  15th  Regt.  X.  Y.  Vols 

XXIIL— 12th  Regt.,  continued— The  101st  Regt.,  . 
XXIV.-The  laad  N.  Y.  Vols.,  .... 
XXV.-Tbe  12iM  X.  Y.  Vols.,  continued,       .  '. 

XXVI —The  125d  N.  Y.  Vols.,  continued— 15th  Cavalry, 
XXVII. -The  149th  X.  Y.  Vols., 
XXVIII.-The  14<ith  X.  Y.  Vols.,  continued, 
XXIX.— The  185th  N.  Y.  Vols., 
XXX.-The  l.S5ih  N.  Y.  Vols.,  continued,    . 


CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 


SI       I 


Introduction 

Railroads, 

Education, 

Syracuse  University, 

Churches. 

Press. 

Banks. 

Manufactures, 

Commercial  Interests, 

Masons.  Odd-Fellows.  *c.. 

HISTORIES  OF  THE  TOWNS. 

Town  of  Sallm, 

■'  Geddes. 

•'  Onondaga. 

■'  Marcellus, 

"  Skaneateles. 

•'  Eibridge,    . 

■■  Camillus,    , 

"  Lysander, 

■'  Van  Bhren. 

•■  Clay, 

'•  Cicero. 

■  Spafford, 

■  Otisco, 
■'  TuUy, 

••  La  Fayette. 

''        ■'  Manlius. 

■'  Fahius. 

•'  De  Witt, 

"       •'  Pompey. 


Si 

88 

91 

96 

lOS 

107 

JIl 

118 

122 

12T 

131 


135 
150 
152 
167 
]T« 
194 
•203 
215 
3ST 
»tl 


258 
2Ctj 

an 

2K.-J 

.•i<»f< 

315 

327 

332 

:J37 

344 

.348- 

355- 

.359 

'iti-'i  ■ 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

t 

Pratt's  Falls.  Pompey,  N.  Y.  (Froutice.i.  facing  title  page. 

!Plau  of  Onondaga  County.             ....  facing         5 

Court  House,  Syracuse,       .  '42 

Penitentiary,          "              .  .                  ■            81 

Ono.idaga  County  Poor-House,  81 

SYRACUSE. 
Clinton  Square, 
Residence  of  Patrick  Lyn^h, 
Eo  trait  of  Gen.  A.  P.  Granger. 
■    Parley  Howlett, 
"         "    George  Stevens, 
hesidence  of  John  Greenway, 
'ortralts  of  W   M.  Clarke  and  wife, 

\.  G.  .Salisbury  and  wife. 

i.-'hn  Wilkinson,  (steel.)  between 


facing 


135 
ise 
140 
141 
142 
144 
148 
149 
ICO.  151 


Residence  of  John  Moore,  . 
Portrait  of  Henry  Shattuck. 

"    J  C.  Woodruff. 
■'         "    Lyman  Clary,  M.  D  , 

"    Hon.  Joshua  Forman,(steeli 

"    Gen.  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  (steel) 

"    J.  M.  Wieting,  M.  D., 

■'  Rev.  E.  O.  Haven,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 
Syracuse  University  Boildings,  (double  page) 
Martin's  Block,  ... 

Residence  of  John  Eastwood. 
Portrait  of  L.  H.  Ridfield,  (steel) 
"         "    Horace  White,  (steel) 
The  White  Memorial  Building, 
Portrait  of  Hamilton  White,  (steel  i 

"    X.  F.  Graves,  (steel  i 

"    D.  P.  Wood,  (steel  1 


fac 

ing 

152 

■ 

15K 

160 

161 

. 

162 

164 

IB6 

107 

between 

168 

169 

facing 

IM 

. 

184 

192 

between 

198, 

199 

" 

198, 

199 

200, 

201 

•• 

200. 

901 

facing 

202 

II 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Portrait  of  E.  F.  Rice, 

"    Hon.  D.  Pratt,  (Meeli    . 
"    William  C,  Kuger.  I  steel) 
'•    Elizur  Clark,  isteel) 
•'    C,  T.  LoDgstreet.  (Steel) 
Empire  State  Jlills— .Iacot>  AmosA  Sons. 
Portrait  of  Jobii  Orceiiway, 
View  of  GreeuTBj'8  lirewiry. 
Portrait  of  S,  P,  Pierce, 
••    Wm.  A.  Cool!, 
"        "    JoliD  Crouse,  isteelj 

•'    Hon,  Peter  Burns,  (steelj 
"        •'    Hotace  Bronson, 
"        "    Johnbou  Hall, 
Onondaga  Coiintv  Mill!  Association  Depot, 
Portrait  of  Capt.  Oliver  Teall,  isteel) 
'■        "    George  J.  Gardner,  (eteel) 
'•       "    MajorGeneral  Jolm  J.  Peck, 
"        "    Rufus  Stanton, 

••     Hon   V.  W.  Smith 
•'        •'    Hon.  Dennis  McC'artliy, 
"       "    Robert  Gere.  (Sleel) 
Besidence  of  Jacolj  Aniux,  iwitli  portrait) 
Portrait  of  Mrs.  Ann  M.  T.  Rtdfleld,  (steel) 
••    James M.  Ellis,  isteel) 
■•    C.  Tallmnn,  isteel  i 
••    H.  X.  Wliite, 

SALIXA 
Residence  of  John  Padilock, 
Portraits  of  John  Paddock  and  Wife, 
Portrait  of  B.  Burton, 
Portraits  of  Miles  Adams  and  Wife. 

GEDDES. 
Portrait  of  Dr.  W   W.  Porter; 

OXONDAGA. 
Residence  of  J.  W.  Parsons,  iwltli  portrait,! 
Portrait  of  Hon.  Abner  Cliapuian,    . 
Portraits  of  John  F.  and  Minerva  Clark,    . 
Portrait  of  Leonard  P,  Field, 
Portraits  of  Jeremiah  Everrinjjham  and  wives,  . 

"        *•    Horace  Hitohiiigs  and  wife, 

'*        "    Moses  Fowler  "        '"     . 

"    Theophilus  Hali 

"        ••    E    B.Bradley 
Portrait  of  George  T.  Clark,  M.  I> 

"        "  W.  W,  Newman. 
Portraits  of  Charles  Carpenter  and  wife. 
Residence  of  George  Hull, 
Portraits  of  George  Hall  and  wife, 

"        '•   Volney  King  "        "    , 
Residence  of  Austin  G.  WyckofI,  (with  portraits) 

"        "  Jerathmael  Hunt.  ''  " 

Portraits  of  David  Chafee  and  wife, 

"       •■  Ransel  S.  Kenyoii  and  wife, 

MARCELLUS. 
Marcellus  Wuulen  Mills— L.  Moses,  (double  page) 


PAbE 

(aciug       tm 

lietween    212,  -.'13 

«1«,  •,i:i 

•,J14,  -iVi 

■Hi.  41.'. 

facing     311) 

am 

219 
2« 
?« 
i-U 

yao 

iSO 
831 
833 
•JM 

iiv 
a-io 

841 
846 
84T 
848 
849 
2,i0 
8.V3 
255 
850 


facing 


8M 
85S 
868 
865 


facing       -iiyl 


facing 


871 
878 

Ijetween    872,  273 
878,  873 
facing      873 
874 

between    274,  875 

274,875 

facing     875 

876 

between    876,877 

876,  877 

87»,  879 

878.  879 

facing     879 

881 

between  iSi.  883 

»e,  883 

facing      383 

between    884,  885 


SKAXEATELES, 
Residence  of  the  lale  Julius  Earn,  .  between    288,! 

Portrait  of  Judge  Hezekiah  Earll,  ... 
Residence  of  A.  J.  Earll  with  portraits,  (double  page) 
Darvel  Mills,  Property  of  Thomas  Morton,  (double  page) 
Portrait  of  C.  Pardee,  .... 

Portraits  of  D.  C.  Thornton  and  wife, 
Thomas  Morton's  Mills,  at  Mottville,  (double  page) 
Draycott  Paper  Mills,  (double  page) 
Residences  of  W.  T  and  F.  G.  Weeks,      . 
F.  A.  Sinclair's  I'nion  Chair  Factory,  (double  page> 
Portraits  of  F.  A.  Sinclair  and  wife. 
Portrait  of  Benoni  Lee,  (steel) 

ELBRIDGE. 
Residence  of  Tliomas  W.  Hill,  (  vith  iiKitrails' 
Portrait  of   Hon.  Luke  Banuey 

*•        '•  CUauncey  B    Lniid, 

"        "  Hon,  John  D.  Hhoades, 

"        "  James  Rodger,   . 
Portraits  of  Dr.  Titus  Merriraanand  w(ic. 
Portrait  of  T.  K   Wright,        ... 

"        "  John  A.  Stevens, 

"        "  Ezekiel  Skinner, 


28C, 

289 

.        "         888, 

889 

ge)  '•      aso, 

291 

facing 

S91 

" 

891 

between    898, 

89'j 

SW, 

893 

«iH. 

810 

296 

•897 

•»« 

•897 

facing 

•J97 

fa''iug 

298 

" 

300 

between    3tO 

301 

300 

301 

facing 

802 

" 

803 

•• 

304 

between    804 

SOS 

304 

803 

PAOB 

Itlg 

305 
306 
307 

ft 

■Ing 

fOH 

SOU 

'10 
3*11 
318 

eeii    318 

.  313 

fa 

ing 

313 

Portraits  of  Deacon  Isaac  Hill  and  nife,  . 

■'        '•  Jacob  Halsied 
Portrait  of  Marvin  W.  Hardy, 

CAMILLCS, 
Portrait  of  David  llunro. 

•'        •'  John  C.  Muuro,  . 
Portraits  of  Robert  Hopkins  and  wife, 

••       •*  Enos  Peel; 
Portrait  of  Sidney  H.  Cook 

"  Daniel  Bennett,  beti 

••  Jonathan  White,  ,  .  ,  . 

Residence  of  J     B.   Bennett,  (with  portrait*)  double 

page.  .  .  ,  .  .  between    3I4,  315 

Residence  and  Farm  of  Henry  Winchell.  (with  portraits)     '•       3IJ,  815 

LYSANDER, 

Former  Residence  of  John  Halsted, 
Residence  of  Mrs.  Electa  Van  Derveer. 
Portrait  of  B.  B.  Schenck.  M.  D.,     . 
Residence  of  B.  B.  Schenck,  M.  D.,  PlalnviUe, 
Residences  of  J.  H.  and  Lymau  Norton.     . 
Portrait  of  Lyman  Xorton,    .... 

••      ••  Dr.  J.  E.  Hilts 

Residence  of  Mrs  F.  W.  Fenner,  (with  portraits) 
Residence  and  Tobacco  Bams  of  William  Wilson, 
Portrait  of  John  Halsted,  (Steel I 
Residence  and  Hop  Farm  of  H.  H  Russ,  (With  portiaits) 

VAX  BUREN. 
Portrait  of   A.  W.    Bingham. 

••  Henry  Daboll.     .  be 

Residence  of  ••  . 

Portraits  of  H.  B.  Bingham  and  wife. 
Residence  of    A.  W.  Bingham,         .... 
Residence  of  the  late  Moses  Wormuth,  (with  portraits) 

"  George  Ecker,  (with  portraits), 

'•  Russei  Foster,     *•  "       . 


facing 

between    31H, 

■■&). 
320. 
facing 

facing 


315 
816 
319 
319 
321 
381 
321 
383 
384 
»i& 
32l> 


facin.'      328 
I  ween    Vf.    '40 

.ijH.  ■.fyr> 

:i3o,  8:)! 
facing     .3:)1 


CLAY. 

Late  Residence  of  William  Wormoth,  .         facing 

Residence  of  Thomas  H.  Scott,  between    'SU, 
Residences  of  Mosley,  Horace  S.,  and  Homer  Dunham, 

(With  portraits  I,  between    334, 

Residence  of    French  Fairchild,  with  portraits,  (double 

p-igei                       ....  between    336, 

CICERO. 

Residence  of  William  H.  Carter,  (With  portrait),  facing 
Portrait  of  Samuel  Emmons  and  wife,       ..." 

Portraits  of  Hon.  Asa  Eastwood  and  wife,  between    810, 

••    Orsamus  Johnson  and  wife,  '■      310, 

Portrait  of  Isaac  Cooniey,      ...  facing 

Residence  of  Robert  Henderson.     .  between    .'i48, 

••     Capt.  V.  Dunham,  ■            :(4S, 

Portrait  of  M,  H.  Blynn,  M    P.,  148, 

Portraits  of  Samuel  Cushing  and  wife.  :i4'8. 

Residence  of  David  H.  Hoyt,  (With  poitralts),  facing 

SPAFFORD. 
Residence  of  Samuel  H.  Stanton,  (with  portraits), 

OTISCO, 


3-i2 

;m 

.835 

xn 

138 
310 
841 
341 
311 
Mt 
.'^43 
MS 
t43: 


facing    ,847 


between  348, 
Us. 
■US. 

»1«, 

348, 

••15(1. 
.850. 
:»), 
facing 


Residences  of  Thomas  and  James  H.  Red  way. 
Portraits  of  Thomas  Redway  and  wife,     . 

*•  James  H. 
Residence  of  James  L.  Xiles,  Anil>er,  (with  portraits)  , 
Residence  and  Store  of  A.  J.  Niles,  Amber,  (with  portraits) 
Residence  ond   Farm  View  of  John  Van  Benthuysen, 

(double  page)        .... 
Residence  of  W,  C.  Fish,  . 

Portraits  of  W.  C.  and  Elir.a  H.  Fish, 
Residence  of  I.  T.  Frisbie,  i  with  portraits) 
Portrait  of  Uriah  Fish.  .  .  ,  ,  . 

Residence  of  George  W.  Card,  (double  page)  between 

Portraits  of  George  W  Card  and  family. 
Residence  of  Warren  Kinney,  (With  portraits)   .  •• 

Residence  and  Shop  of  Myron  Hillyer,  (with  portraits) 

TCLLY. 
Portraits  of  Hon.  Samuel  Willis  and  wife, 
Residence  of  Hon.  Samuel  Willis, 

LA  FAYETTE. 
Residence  of  Morris  Baker,  (With  portrait) 

"  "    Maj.  F.  J.  Farrington,  (with  portraits) 


»t9 
:Mft 

.il!) 

:»■! 
:M9 

351 
331 
:)51 
S5t 
351 
86* 
853 
8.^5 
8->5 


between    ."J-Vi.  :?67 


facing 


aw 

.860 


Pla/L  of  ^  p 


CO. 


I 


\Aii^ldin{ 


C  0  u 


HISTOEY 


OF 


Ono^'daga  County,  New  Yoek. 


CHAPTER  I. 

General  History — Early  Discoveries — Claims 
OF  Different  Nations — New  York  under 
Dutch  Rule — First  Colonial  Assembly — 
The  Revolution  and  Progress  of  Settle- 
ment Westward. 

THE  County  of  Onondaga  as  a  civil  organiza- 
tion is  of  comparatively  recent  date.  Tlie 
history  of  this  locality,  however,  extends  back 
into  a  remote  period,  and  is  intimately  connected 
with  the  earliest  discoveries  and  settlements  on  the 
continent  of  North  America.  There  are  evidences 
that  this  region  of  country  was  visited  by  Euro- 
peans a  hundred  years  before  the  Pilgrims  landed 
at  Plymouth  Rock,  almost  a  century  before  the 
Dutch  settled  the  New  Netherlands,  and  eighty- 
eight  years  before  Quebec  was  founded  by  the 
French.  The  monumental  stone  discovered  in 
Pompey,  bearing  date  1520,  carries  back  our  local 
history  three  liundred  and  fifty-seven  years  from 
our  own  time,  to  a  period  when  the  Spaniards 
were  making  their  discoveries  in  Florida,  and 
forty-five  years  before  the  founding  of  St.  Augus- 
tine. 

A  brief  review  of  the  early  discoveries  will  be 
proper  in  this  place. 

In  less  than  a  decade  after  the  discovery  of 
America  by  Columbus,  the  diflerent  maritime  pow- 
ers of  Europe  were  engaged  in  active  competition 
for  the  prizes  of  the  New  World.  Spain,  actuated 
by  the  greed  of  gold  and  the  lust  of  conquest,  seized 
upon  the  rich  treasures  of  the  Montezunias,  and 
after  conquering  and  plundering  Mexico  and  South 
America,  took  possession  of  Florida  and  of  that  por- 
tion of  the  Northern  Continent  .bordering  on  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  first  Spanish  colony  in  North 
America  was  planted  at  St  Augustine,  Florida,  in 
1565,  about  fifty  years  after  Ponce  de  Leon  had 


discovered  the  southern-most  cape  of  the  United 
States. 

The  English  meanwhile  were  not  idle.  Author- 
ized by  letters  patent  from  Henry  VH,  John  Ca- 
bot, a  Venetian,  accompanied  by  his  son,  Sebas- 
tian, set  out  on  a  voyage  of  discovery  to  America. 
He  struck  the  sterile  coast  of  Labrador,  June  24, 
1-497,  ^"d  was  the  first  European  to  see  the  Conti- 
nent of  North  America.  In  1498,  Sebastian  Cabot, 
returning,  explored  the  coast  from  Newfound- 
land to  Florida. 

In  1 50 1,  the  Portuguese  explored  nearly  the 
whole  coast  of  North  America. 

Attracted  by  the  prize  of  the  Newfoundland 
fisheries,  the  French  of  Normandy  and  Britany  sent 
thither  their  sailing  vessels  as  early  as  the  begin- 
ning of  the  sixteenth  century.  From  this  point 
they  discovered  the  Island  of  Cape  Breton  and  gradu- 
ally passed  westward  into  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence. 
To  Jacques  Cartier,  a  French  mariner  of  St.  Malo,  be- 
longs the  honor  of  having  discovered  and  named 
the  River  St.  Lawrence.  Sailing  up  its  broad  ex- 
panse of  waters  on  St.  Lawrence  Day,  (August  10,) 
1534,  he  gave  it  the  name  of  that  distinguished 
saint,  and  ascended  the  river  as  far  as  the  Island 
of  Orleans.  The  following  year  he  explored  it  to 
the  ancient  Indian  town  of  Hochelaga,  now  Mon- 
treal. The  French  under  Champlain,  founded  Que- 
bec in  1608.  One  year  earlier  the  English  colo- 
nists had  made  their  first  permanent  settlement  at 
Jamestown,  Virginia,  and  in  1620  the  Mayflower 
landed  another  colony  at  Plymouth  Rock,  destined 
to  have  an  important  influence  in  the  settlement 
and  institutions  of  the  country  for  all  time  to  come. 
These  two  colonies  were  the  successful  rivals  of 
all  others  of  every  nationality,  in  that  competition 
for  empire  which  has  made  their  descendants  the 
masters  of  North  America. 

Meanwhile    the   French    had  also   explored    the 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


coasts  of  New  England  and  New  York.  Emu- 
lating the  enterprise  of  England  and  Sixain,  Fran- 
cis I,  of  France,  had  sent  upon  a  voyage  of  ex- 
ploration the  distinguished  Florentine  mariner,  John 
Verrazzani.  This  persevering  navigator  visited 
America  in  1 524,  sailed  along  the  coast  a  distance  of 
twenty-one  hundred  miles  in  frail  vessels  and  safely 
returned  to  report  his  success  to  his  sovereign. 

The  Dutch  East  India  Company  employed 
Henry  Hudson  to  seek  a  northern  passage  to 
India.  In  a  mere  yacht  he  ventured  among  the 
northern  icebergs,  skirted  the  coast  of  North 
America,  and  sailing  up  the  noble  river  which 
perjjctuates  his  name,  cist  anchor  in  the  stream 
and  opened  a  trade  with  the  Indians.  From  them 
Hudson  obtained  corn,  beans,  pumpkins,  grapes 
and  tobacco, —  products  indigenous  to  the  soil  and 
climate  of  America,  —  and  to  them  he  imparted  a 
knowledge  of  the  baneful  eiTects  of  into.\icating 
liquor. 

On  account  of  the  foregoing  e.xplorations  and 
discoveries,  three  nations  laid  claim  to  a  portion 
of  the  territory  embraced  in  the  State  of  New 
York.  On  the  ground  of  the  discoveries  of  Sebas- 
tian Cabot  in  i49S.was  based  the  English  claim  of  ter- 
ritory, eleven  degrees  in  width  extending  indefinitely 
westward  ;  the  French  claimed  a  portion  of  the 
eastern  Atlantic  coast  on  the  ground  of  the  discov- 
eries made  by  Verrazzani  ;  and  Holland  l.nid  claim 
to  the  country  from  Cape  Cod  to  the  southern 
shore  of  Delaware  Bay,  basing  her  right  upon  the 
discoveries  of  Hudson,  made  in  September,  1609. 
Of  this  thrice-claimed  region  the  Dutch  be- 
came the  actual  possessors  and  gave  it  the  name 
of  New  Netherlands.  They  planted  a  fort  on 
Manhattan  Island  in  1614,  antl  in  1623  made  settle- 
ments at  New  Amsterdam  and  Fort  Orange.  For 
a  time  on  amicable  terms  with  the  Indians  the 
colonists  lived  in  peace  and  security,  but  the  cruelty 
of  Keith,  one  of  the  four  colonial  Governors, 
awakened  the  fires  of  revenge  and  threatened  the 
colony  with  extermination.  Restricted  in  their 
rights,  and  desirous  of  the  privileges  and  liberties 
accorded  the  neighboring  English  colonists,  the 
Dutch  settlers  refused  to  contest  supremacy  with  the 
naval  expedition  of  Admiral  Nichols,  sent  out  by 
the  Duke  of  York  in  1664 ;  and  the  warlike 
Sleuyvesant,  reluctantly  yielding  to  the  English, 
resigned  his  command,  and  the  province  re- 
ceived the  name  of  Nkw  Yokk.  The  settlement 
at  New  Amsterdam  was  changed  to  the  same  name, 
and  Fort  Orange  to  Albany,  the  present  State 
Capital. 

Hailing  with  satisfaction  the  change  of  masters, 


the  Dutch  and  English  colonists,  whose  plantations 
had  been  devastated  by  the  Raritans  and  their 
allies,  and  whose  lives  had  been  saved  by  the  inter- 
position of  the  friendly  Mohawks,  soon  found  them- 
selves in  a  protracted  struggle  with  the  royal  Gov- 
ernors. Repeatedly  defrauded  of  their  means,  they 
raised  revenues  under  their  own  officers  and  stout- 
ly defended  and  successfully  maintained  their  rights 
and  liberties. 

In  October,  1683,  the  first  Colonial  Assembly 
lor  the  Province  of  New  York  held  its  session.  It 
consisted  of  a  Governor,  Council  of  Ten,  and 
House  of  Representatives  of  seventeen  members 
elected  by  the  jjcople. 

In  conflict  with  their  French  enemies  on  the 
north,  the  timidity  and  delays  of  the  Governors 
brought  the  English  into  contempt  with  their  fierce 
allies,  the  Iroquois,  on  the  west ;  but  the  misfor- 
tune was  averted  before  treaties  were  annulled  by 
the  sagacity  and  activity  of  Schuyler  and  Fletcher 
in  the  winter  of  1693.  The  changes  and  revolu- 
tions in  England  extended  to  the  royal  province 
and  occasioned  an  event  of  vast  importance  in  its 
bearing  on  the  future  of  the  State.  The  circum- 
stances of  the  hanging  of  Leisler  and  Millbourne, 
so  familiar  to  many,  opened  a  chasm  between  the 
people,  whose  hardships  in  a  new  land  entitled 
them  to  a  voice  in  their  own  government,  and  pro- 
prietors of  large  tracts  of  land,  with  aristocratic 
tendencies  and  pretensions,  who  aimed  at  a  com- 
plete usurpation  of  popular  rights  and  privileges. 
The  antagonism  thus  fostered  kindled  to  a  flame 
upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution,  and  un- 
der the  appellations  of  Whig  and  Tory  the  people 
were  arranged  in  nearly  equal  numbers. 

During  the  Revolution,  eastern  New  York  was 
the  scene  of  various  severe  struggles.  The  defeat 
of  the  Americans  on  Long  Island  was  the  com- 
mencement of  a  period  of  gloom  and  depression  ; 
but  the  surrender  of  Hurgoyne  at  Saratoga  in- 
spired a  hope  and  a  resolution  which  never  ceased 
till  the  close  of  the  war.  With  the  arrival  of  peace 
and  freedom  from  foreign  influence,  and  during  the 
cessation  of  internal  dissensions,  many  soldiers  re- 
ceiving grants  of  land  in  lieu  of  bounties,  proceeded 
westward  to  find  and  settle  upon  their  tracts.  Large 
areas  of  land  were  bought,  and  sometimes  after 
many  changes  of  ownership,  the  proprietors  or  com- 
panies oflfcring  liberal  terms,  invited  settlers,  laid 
out  counties  and  towns,  and  founded  villages  and 
hamlets,  which  have  grown  into  cities  important 
and  populous. 

At  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  Central  and 
Western    New   York   was   a  wilderness ;  but   the 


^ 

i 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


march  of  armies  and  the  forays  of  detachments  had 
made  known  the  future  promise  of  this  hitherto  un- 
trodden region  ;  and  companies,  the  State  and  the 
general  Government,  immediately  took  steps,  as 
policy  and  duty  seemed  to  dictate,  to  acquire  im- 
mediate ownership. 

The  conclusion  of  that  peace  by  which  American 
Independence  was  acknowledged  secured  no  terms 
to  England's  savage  au.xiliaries.  Their  ancient 
possessions,  by  the  treaty  of  1783,  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  United  States.  The  new  Government 
desired  to  consolidate  a  peace  with  the  Six  Na- 
tions, and  to  this  end  the  General  Assembly  of 
New  York  made  provision  for  a  treaty,  by  passing 
an  act,  April  6,  1784,  associating  with  Governor 
George  Clinton,  President  ex-officio  of  the  Board  of 
Commissioners,  and  his  three  associates,  such  other 
persons  as  should  be  deemed  necessary,  who  were 
authorized  to  proceed  to  form  a  compact  with  the 
Indians.  The  place  selected  was  Fort  Stanwi.x. 
But  pending  the  meeting  Congress  took  action  in 
the  matter,  appointing  Oliver  Wolcott,  Arthur  Lee 
and  Richard  Butler,  Commissioners  to  make  a 
treaty  with  the  same  parties.  This  brought  the 
general  Government  and  State  into  conflict  ;  the 
general  Government  maintained  its  prerogatives, 
and,  by  the  Commissioners  appointed,  concluded  a 
treaty  with  the  Six  Nations  at  Fort  Stanwix,  Octo- 
ber 22,  1784.  This  treaty  ceded  a  large  portion  of 
land  in  Western  New  York.  By  a  treaty  with  the 
Onondagas,  concluded  September  12,  1788,  the 
lands  known  as  the  Military  Tract  were  acquired. 


CHAPTER   II. 

History  of  the  Military  Tr.act. 

IN  our  introductory  chapter  we  have  brought 
down  the  thread  of  events  to  the  extinguish- 
ment of  the  Indian  title  to  the  Military  Tract.  That 
portion  of  the  State  was  afterwards  organized  into 
the  County  of  Onondaga.  The  history  of  this  famous 
tract  of  land  may  properly  begin  with  the  action  of 
Congress  on  the  i6th  of  September,  1776,  in  mak- 
ing provision  for  the  bounties  of  the  soldiers  to  be 
enlisted  in  the  Continental  Army  during  the  War 
of  the  Revolution.  The  following  is  an  extract 
from  the  journal  of  Congress,  dated  as  above : 

"  Congress  then  resolved  itself  into  a  committee 
of  the  whole  to  take  into  consideration  the  report 
of  the  Board  of  War ;  and  after  some  time  the 
President  resumed  the  chair,  and  Mr.  Nelson  re- 
ported that  the  committee  have  had  under  consid- 
eration the  report  from  the  Board  of  War,  and  have 
made  sundry    amendments  ;    which    they  ordered 


him  to  lay  before  Congress.  Congress  then  took 
into  consideration  the  report  of  the  Board  of  War, 
and  the  amendments  offered  by  the  committee  of 
the  wliole,  and  thereupon  came  to  the  following 
resolutions  : 

"  That  eighty-eight  Battalions  be  enlisted  as  soon 
as  possible,  to  serve  during  the  present  war ;  and 
that  each  State  furnish  their  respective  quotas  in 
the  following  proportions,  viz.: 

New  Hampshire   Three    Battalions. 

Massachusetts  Bay    ...  Fifteen  " 

Rhode   Island Two  " 

Connecticut Eight  " 

New  York   Four  " 

New  Jersey    Four  " 

Pennsylvania Twelve  " 

Delaware   One  " 

Maryland Eight  " 

Virginia Fitteen  " 

North  Carolina   Nine  " 

South  Carolina   Six  " 

Georgia   One  " 

"  That  twenty  dollars  be  given  as  a  bounty  to 
each  non-commissioned  ofificer  and  private  soldier 
who  shall  enlist  to  serve  during  the  present  war, 
unless  sooner  discharged  by  Congress. 

"That  Congress  make  provision  for  granting 
lands  in  the  following  proportions  to  the  officers  and 
soldiers,  who  shall  so  engage  in  the  service,  and 
continue  therein  till  the  close  of  the  war,  or  until 
discharged  by  Congress,  and  to  the  representatives 
of  such  officers  and  soldiers  as  shall  be  slain  by  the 
enemy. 

"  Such  lands  to  be  provided  by  the  United 
States  ;  and  whatever  expenses  shall  be  necessary 
to  procure  such  land,  the  said  expenses  shall  be 
paid  and  borne  by  the  .States,  in  the  same  propor- 
tion as  the  other  expenses  of  the  war,  viz  : 

To  a  Colonel   500  Acres. 

To  a  Lieutenant-Colonel 450 

To  a  Major 400 

To  a  Captain      300 

To  a  Lieutenant   200 

To  an  Ensign    150 

Each  non-commissioned  ofificer 

and  soldier 100        " 

By  an  act  of  the  12th  of  August,  1780,  Congress 
also  made  provision  of  land  bounties  for  Major 
Generals  and  Brigadier  Generals,  as  follows  : 

To  a  Major  General 1,100  Acres. 

To  a  Brigadier  General .....     850        " 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  in  1783,  the  Legislature 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  took  action  with  regard 
to  these  promised  bounty  lands,  not  only  with  a 
view  of  discharging  the  aforesaid  engagement  of 
Congress,  but,  in  consideration  of  the  virtue  and 
patriotism  of  the  troops  of  New  York,  to  add  there- 
to a  large  gratuity  of  State  lands.  The  resolution 
of  the  Senate  was  introduced  by  Mr.  Duane,  and 
is  dated  March  27,  1783.  It  is  in  the  words  fol- 
lowing : 


8 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


"  Resoh'fd  therrforty  >  if  the  honorable,  the  House 
of  Asscmhlv  concur  herein,)  That  besides  the 
bounty  of  i      \. 

laturc  will  .  1  s 

and  Brigadier  (icncrals  now  serving  in  the  line  of 
the  army  of  the  United  States,  and  being  citizens 
of  this  State  ;  and  the  officers,  non-commissioned 
officers  and  privates  of  the  two  re};inicnls  com- 
manded by  Colonels  Van  Schaick  and  Van  Cort- 
landt  ;  such  officers  of  the  regiment  of  artillery 
commanded  by  Colonel  Lamb,  and  of  the  corps  of 
sap|)ers  and  miners,  as  were  when  they  entered  the 
service,  inhabitants  of  this  State  ;  such  of  the  non- 
commissioned officers  and  privates  of  the  said  last 
mentioned  two  fnr|)s  as  are  credited  to  this  State 
as  part  of  the  troops  thereof;  all  officers  designated 
by  any  act  of  Congress  subsecpient  to  the  l6th  of 
September.  1776;  all  officers  recommended  by 
Congress  as  persons  whose  depreciation  on  pay 
ought  to  be  made  good  by  this  State,  and  who  may 
hold  military  commissions  in  the  line  of  the  army 
at  the  close  of  the  war  ;  and  the  Rev.  John  Mas"t)n 
antl  John  Gano.  shall  severally  have  granted  to 
them  the  following  quantities  of  land,  to  wit : 

To  a  NFajor  General   5  500  Acres. 

To  a  Brigadier  General 4.250       " 

To  a  Ciijoncl    ..  2,500        " 

To  a  Lieut  Ctjloncl    2,250       " 

To  a  Majtjr 2,000       " 

A  Captain  and  a  Regimental 

Surgeon  each ...  1,500       " 

Each  of  said  Chaplains. .  .   .2,000       " 
Every    Subaltern    and    Sur- 

i^foti's  Mate     r.ooo       " 

Every  non-commissioned  offi- 
cer and  private  .  500  " 
'•  That  the  lands  so  to  uc  gr.inted  as  bounty  from 
the  United  States,  and  as  gratuity  from  the  State, 
shall  he  laid  out  in  townships  of  six  miles  sqnarc  ; 
thai  each  township  shall  be  divided  into  156  lots  of 
150  acres  each,  two  lots  whereof  shall  be  reserved 
for  the  use  of  a  minister  or  ministers  of  the  gospel, 
and  two  lots  for  the  u.sc  of  a  school  or  schools:  that 
each  |)erson  above  described  shall  be  cntitleil  to  as 
many  such  lots  as  his  bounty  and  gratuity  land  as 
aforesaid  will  admit  of;  that  one-half  the  lots  each 
I>erso;i  shall  be  entitled  to  shall  be  improved  at  the 
rale  of  five  acres  for  each  hundred  acres,  within 
five  years  after  the  grant,  if  the  grantee  shall  re- 
tain the  jjosscssion  of  such  lots  ;  and  that  the  said 
bounty  antl  gratuity  lands  be  located  in  the  district 
of  this  State  reserved  for  the  u.se  of  the  troops  by 
an  act  entitled,  •'  An  Act  to  |)revcnt  grants  or  loca- 
tions of  the  lands  therein  mentioned,  passed  the 
2Sth  day  of  July,  1782. 

"  Rfschfti.  That  His  Excellency  the  Governor 
be  requested  to  communicate  the.se  resolutions  in 
such  manner  as  he  shall  conceive  most  proper. 

'■  Resolved.  That  this  House  do  concur  with  the 
Honorable,  the  Senate,  in  the  la«t  preceding  reso- 
lutions. 

••  Ordered,  That  Mr  John  Lawrence  and  Mr. 
H'  '  irry  a  copy  of  the  preceding  resolution 

of  I  rice  to  the  Ilonorahle,  the  Senate." 


Previous  to  the  date  of  the  above  extract  the 
Legislature  of  the  State  had  by  an  act  passed 
March  20,  1781,  further  provided  for  the  raising  of 
troops  to  complete  the  line  of  this  State  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  United  States  ;  and  two  regiments  to 
be  raised  on  bounties  of  lands  and  for  the  further 
defense  of  the  frontier  of  the  State.  The  land 
granted  by  these  last  mentioned  acts  being  bounty 
lands ;  those  granted  as  provided  for  in  the  extracts 
above  being  gratuity  lands. 

The  original  acts  granting  these  lands  were  sub- 
sequently and  from  time  to  time  modified  and 
amended,  till  finally,  it  was  ordered  by  an  act 
passed  February  28,  1789,  "  That  the  Commission- 
ers of  the  land  office  shall  be,  and  they  are  hereby 
authorized  to  direct  the  Surveyor  General  to  lay 
out  as  many  townships  in  tracts  of  land  set  apart 
for  such  purposes  as  will  contain  land  sufficient  to 
satisfy  the  claims  of  all  such  persons  who  are  or 
shall  be  entitled  to  grants  of  land  by  certain  con- 
current resolutions  and  by  the  eleventh  clause  of 
the  act  entitled,  'An  Act  for  granting  certain  lands 
promised  to  be  given  as  bounty  lands  by  the  laws 
of  the  State,  and  for  other  purposes  therein  men- 
tioned, passed  the  iith  day  of  May,  1784;  which 
townships  shall  respectively  contain  60,000  acres 
of  land,  and  be  laid  out  as  nearly  in  squares  as 
local  circumstances  will  permit,  and  be  numbered 
from  one  progressively  to  the  last  inclusive  ;  and  the 
Commissioners  of  the  Land  Office  shall  likewise 
designate  every  township  by  such  name  as  they 
shall  deem  proper.'  " 

By  the  same  act  it  was  ordered  "  That  the  Sur- 
veyor General,  as  soon  as  maybe,  shall  make  a  map 
of  each  of  said  townships,  and  each  township  shall 
be  sub-divided  on  such  map  into  one  hundred  lots, 
as  nearly  square  as  may  be,  each  lot  to  contain  600 
acres,  or  as  near  that  quantity  as  may  be  ;  and  the 
lots  in  every  township  shall  be  numbered  from  one 
to  the  last,  inclusive,  in  numerical  order." 

After  such  map  had  been  made  and  deposited  in 
the  Surveyor  General's  office,  and  in  the  office  of 
the  Secretary  of  State,  the  Commissioners  were  or- 
dered, to  "  Advertise  for  six  successive  weeks  in  one 
or  more  newspapers  printed  in  each  of  the  cities  of 
New  York  and  Albany  (whereof  the  newspaper 
published  by  the  printer  to  this  State,  if  any  such 
there  be,  shall  be  one,)  requiring  all  persons  entitled 
to  grants  of  bounty  or  gratuity  lands,  who  had  not 
already  exhibited  ihcir  claims,  to  exhibit  the  same 
to  the  Commissioners  on  or  before  the  first  day  of 
January,  1791." 

By  the  same  act  it  was  further  ordered  that  "  All 
persons  to  whom  land  shall  be  granted  by  virtue  of 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


this  act,  and  who  are  entitled  thereto  by  any  actor 
resolution  of  Congress,  shall  make  an  assignment  of 
his,  or  her  proportion  and  claim  of  bounty  or 
gratuity  lands  under  any  act  or  acts  of  Congress  to 
the  Surveyor  General,  for  the  use  of  the  people  of 
this  State."  This  being  done  by  the  said  parties,  it 
was  provided  that  for  lands  thus  assigned  an  equal 
number  of  acres  were  to  be  given  by  the  State,  and 
so  far  as  possible  in  one  tract  and  under  one 
patent,  "  Provided  the  same  does  not  exceed 
one-quarter  of  the  quantity  of  a  township." 

It  was  also  further  provided  that  the  lands  to  be 
granted  by  this  act  be  actually  settled,  for  every 
six  hundred  acres  that  may  be  granted  to  any  per- 
son or  persons  within  seven  years  from  the  first  of 
January  next  after  the  date  of  the  patent  by  which 
such  lands  shall  be  granted  ;  and  on  failure  of  such 
settlement,  the  unsettled  lands  shall  revert  to  the 
people  of  this  State."  The  letters  patent  were 
ordered  "  To  be  in  such  words  and  forms  as  the 
Commissioners  shall  direct,  and  shall  contain  an  ex- 
ception and  reservation  to  the  people  of  this  State 
of  all  the  gold  and  silver  nti?ies!' 

By  an  act  passed  April  6,  1790,  it  was  ordered 
"  That  the  quantity  o'i fifty  acres ,  in  one  of  the  corners 
of  the  respective  lots  to  be  laid  out  in  squares  of 
600  acres,  shall  be  and  are  hereby  subjected  to  the 
payment  of  the  sum  of  forty-eight  (48)  shillings  to 
the  Surveyor-General,  as  a  compensation  in  full  for 
his  services  and  expenses  in  marking,  numbering 
and  surveying  each  of  the  said  lots ;  and  in  every 
case  where  the  said  sum  of  forty-eight  shillings,  or 
any  part  thereof,  shall  remain  unpaid  for  the  term 
of  two  years  next  after  the  issuing  of  the  respective 
patents,  it  shall  be  and  is  hereby  made  the  duty  of 
the  Surveyor-General  to  sell  the  same  at  public 
vendue  ;  and  the  money  arising  from  such  sales 
shall  be  applied  in  payment  of  expenses  of  such 
survey."  And  in  case  a  surplus  of  money  was  in 
the  hands  of  the  Surveyor-General,  after  paying 
such  expenses,  it  was  to  be  applied  to  the  payment 
of  expenses  in  laying  out  and  making  roads  in  the 
said  tract." 

By  an  act  of  February  28,  1789,  six  lots  in  each 
township  were  reserved  and  were  to  be  assigned, 
"  One  for  promoting  the  gospel  and  a  public  school 
or  schools,  one  other  for  promoting  literature  in  this 
State,  and  the  remaining  four  lots  to  satisfy  the 
surplus  share  of  commissioned  officers  not  corres- 
ponding with  the  division  of  600  acres,  and  to  com- 
pensate such  persons  as  may  by  chance  draw  any 
lot  or  lots,  the  greater  part  of  which  may  be  covered 
with  water." 

The  act  of  1780  provided  "  That  whenever  it  ap- 


peared that  persons  applying  for  bounty  or  gratuity 
land,  and  had  received  from  Congress  the  bounty 
promised  by  that  body,  or  in  case  they  failed  to  re- 
linquish their  claim  to  such  lands,  then  the  Com- 
missioners were  to  reserve  for  the  use  of  the  people 
of  the  State  one  hundred  acres  in  each  lot  to 
which  such  person  was  entitled ;  designating  par- 
ticularly in  which  part  of  such  lot  such  reserved 
part  was  located."  This  gave  rise  to  the  term 
"  States  Hundred]''  so  frequently  applied  to  sections 
of  land  in  the  Military  Tract. 

The  Land  Commissioners  consisted  of  "His  Ex- 
cellency, the  Governor,  or  person  administering  the 
government  of  the  State  for  the  time  being,  the 
Lieutenant  Governor,  the  Speaker  of  the  Assembly, 
the  Secretary  of  State,  the  Attorney-General,  the 
Treasurer  and  Auditor  thereof,  the  presence  of 
three  being  necessary  to  form  a  quorum." 

At  a  meeting  of  this  Commission  held  at  the 
Secretary's  office  in  the  City  of  New  York,  on 
Saturday,  the  3d  day  of  July,  1790,  there  were 
present.  His  Excellency, 

Geo.  Clinton,  Esq.,  Governor, 
Lewis  A.  Scott,  Esq.,  Secretary, 
Gerard  Bancker,  Esq.,  Treasurer, 
Peter  T.  Curtenius,  Esq.,  Auditor. 
"  The  Secretary  laid  before  the  Board  maps  of 
the  surveys  of  twenty-five  townships  made  by  the 
Surveyor-General,    Simeon    DeWitt ;    on    each   of 
which  maps  the  said   townships  respectively  were 
sub-divided  into  one  hundred  lots  as  nearly  square 
as  possible,  each  lot  containing  six  hundred  acres  ; 
whereupon    the  Board  caused  the  townships   and 
lots  therein  to  be  numbered  according  to  the  law, 
and  designated  them  by  the  names  of  distinguished 
men,  as  follows  : 

Township,  No.     i Lysander, 

"  "       2   Hannibal, 

"  "       3 Cato, 

"  "       4   Brutus, 

"  "       5 Camillus, 

"  "       6 . Cicero, 

"  "       7 Manlius, 

"  "       8 Aurelius, 

"  "       9 Marcellus, 

"  "     10 Pompey, 

"  "     II Romulus, 

"  "     12 Scipio, 

"  "     13. Sempronius, 

"  "     14 Tully, 

"  "     15 Fabius, 

"  "     16 Ovid, 

"  "     17 Milton, 

"  "  •  1 8 Locke, 

«  "     19 Homer, 

«  "     20 Solon, 

«  "     21 Hector, 


lO 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Township  No.   22 Ulysses, 

"  "     23 Drydcn, 

•'     24     Virgil. 

"     25.. Cincinnatus, 

"    26 Junius. 

The  distinction  between  a  town  and  a  township 
should  here  be  kept  in  mind.  A  township  on  the 
Military  Tract,  was  a  particular  parcel  of  land  laid 
out,  containing  certain  one  hundred  lots.  In  our 
early  organization  a  town  often  embraced  several 
townships,  as  the  town  of  Pompcy  first  included 
Fabius  and  Tully  and  a  large  part  of  the  Onondaga 
Reservation.  After  settlements  increased,  for  the 
sake  of  convenience,  the  same  territory  has  been 
divided,  at  dirtVrent  |>erio<ls,  into  the  towns  of  Pom- 
pcy, Lafayette,  Fabius,  Tully,  Truxton  and  Preble, 
including  a  part  of  each  of  the  towns  of  Otisco, 
SpalTord  and  Onondaga.  The  same  may  be  re- 
marked of  other  towns  and  townships  on  the  Mili- 
tary Tract. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1791,  the  Commissioners 
proceeded  to  determine  claims  and  to  ballot  for  each 
individual's  share.  Ninety-four  persons  drew  lots 
in  each  township.  One  lot  was  drawn  for  the  sup- 
port of  literature  in  the  State  of  New  York  ;  one 
was  assigned  near  the  centre  of  each  township  for 
the  support  of  the  gos|>el  and  (or  common  schools ; 
the  remaining  lots  went  to  satisfy  the  surplus  shares 
of  the  officers,  and  to  compensate  those  who  by 
chance  might  draw  lots  covered  with  water. 

The  equitable  adjustment  of  these  land  claims 
was  a  source  of  continual  embarrassment  and  per- 
plexity to  the  Commissioners  and  to  the  real 
owners. 

In  August,  1792,  the  Board  of  Commissioners, 
finding  it  necessary  in  order  to  comply  with  the 
grants  of  bounty  lands,  lately  directed  by  law  to  be 
made  to  the  Hospital  Department  and  others, 
caused  township  No.  27,  and  the  lots  therein  re- 
spectively to  be  numbered  agreeably  to  law,  and  the 
township  to  be  designated  by  the  name  of  Galen. 
In  January,  1795,  there  still  appeared  to  be  several 
unsatisfied  claims  for  military^bounty  lands,  and  the 
twenty-seven  townships  being  already  disposed  of, 
the  Hoard  resolved  that  the  Surveyor-General 
should  lay  out  another  township.  No.  28.  This  was 
subsequently  named  Sterling,  and  satisfied  all  the 
remaining  claims. 

In  January,  1794,  an  act  had  been  pasjed,  on  ac- 
count of  the  many  frauds  committed  respecting  the 
title  to  these  military  lands,  and  to  prevent  fraud  in 
the  future,  requiring  all  deeds  and  conveyances 
made  and  executed  prior  to  that  time  to  be  deposited 
with  the  Clerk  of  the  County  at  Albany,  for  ex- 
amination, and  all  such  as  were  not  so  deposited, 


should  be  considered  fraudulent.  The  names  of  a  I 
claimants  were  posted  up  in  alphabetical  order  in  ' 
the  Clerk's  offices  both  at  Albany  and  Herkimer,  _j 
for  the  more  full  inspection  of  all  parties  interested,  f  I 
The  Courts  overflowed  with  business  relating  to 
these  contested  claims.  Scarcely  a  lot  but  became 
more  or  less  a  subject  of  litigation.  Soldiers  com- 
ing to  take  possession  of  the  lots  for  which  they 
had  served,  were  obliged,  at  considerable  expense, 
to  eject  some  lawless  squatter,  or  quietly  to  yield 
their  hard  earned  titles.  At  length  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  Military  Tract  became  so  com- 
pletely wearied  with  these  continued  and  vexing 
contentions  that,  in  1797,  the  residents  of  the  sev- 
eral townships  heartily  and  unanimously  united  in 
petitioning  the  Legislature  to  pass  a  law  authoriz- 
ing a  s|5cedy  and  equitable  mode  of  settling  all  dis- 
putes relative  to  these  titles.  An  act  was  there- 
upon passed,  appointing  Robert  Yates,  James 
Kent,  and  Vincent  Mathews,  a  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners with  full  power  to  hear,  examine,  award  and 
determine  all  disputes  respecting  the  titles  to  any 
and  all  the  military  bounty  lands.  The  Governor 
was  authorized  to  fill  all  vacancies  in  this  Board. 
From  the  record  of  the  awards  made  by  the  Onon- 
daga Commissioners,  the  name  of  James  Kent  does 
not  at  all  appear  in  their  transactions.  Most  of  the 
awards  of  1798  9  are  signed  by  Vincent  Mathews 
and  James  Emmott,  later  ones  by  Vincent  Mathews 
and  Robert  Yates,  and  some  cf  those  of  1801  and 
1802,  by  Messrs.  Mathews  and  Emmott  and  Sand- 
ers Livingston.  They  proceeded  to  the  work,  and 
after  a  laborious  investigation,  their  exertions  final- 
ly brought  these  vexed  and  lingering  contentions  to 
a  close. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Interesting  Early  Records — Town  Meetings — 
Formation  of  the  Counties  Prior  to  Onon- 
daga— Org.xnization  qf  Onondaga  Col'ntv. 

THERE  are  some  interesting  records  of  this 
locality  during  the  period  in  which  it  was  in- 
cluded in  Montgomery  and  Herkimer  counties, 
from  1772  to  1794.  In  1788  the  District  of  Ger- 
man Flats  was  divided,  and  all  that  part  of  the 
State  of  New  York  lying  west  of  a  line  drawn 
north  and  south  across  the  State,  crossing  the  Mo- 
hawk River' at  "Old  Fort  Schuyler"  (now  Utica) 
was  erected  into  a  town  called  Whitestown,  in  honor 
of  Judge  White,  who  had  settled  at  Sadaquate 
(Whitesboro)  in  1784.  In  1786,  the  county  of 
Montgomery  contained  a  population  of  only  fifteen 


I 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


II 


thousand  and  fifty-seven,  and  the  State  of  New 
York  only  two  hundred  and  thirty-eight  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  ninety-six.  At  this  period  the 
town  of  Whitestown  contained  less  than  two  hun- 
dred persons.  The  same  territory  now  contains 
several  millions.  The  wonderful  transition  by 
which,  in  three-fourths  of  a  century,  this  immense 
forest  has  been  converted  into  fruitful  fields,  seems 
like  the  illusion  of  a  dream  to  those  who  have  wit- 
nessed its  progress.  We  can  hardly  trust  the  evi- 
dence of  our  senses  when  we  look  back  and  see 
with  what  rapidity  villages  and  cities  have  sprung 
into  existence,  and  mark  the  increase  of  roads  and 
railways  over  the  path  of  the  wandering  savage. 

The  first  town  meeting  for  the  town  of  Whites- 
town  convened  at  the  house  of  Capt.  Daniel  White, 
in  said  town,  on  Tuesday,  the  7th  of  April,  "  agree- 
able to  warning,"  and  adjourned  to  the  barn  of  Hugh 
White,  Esq.,  "  it  being  more  convenient,"  at  which 
time  and  place  they  proceeded  as  follows  : 

"  1st.  Chose  Col.  Jedediah  Sanger,  Supervisor. 
2d.  Chose  Elijah  Blodget,  Town  Clerk.  3d. 
Chose  Amos  Wetmore,  first  Assessor.  4th.  Chose 
James  Bronson,  second  Assessor.  5th.  Chose 
Ephraim  Blackmore,  third  Assessor,"  &c. 

The  second  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  barn 
of  Needham  Maynard,  in  the  town  of  Whitestown, 
on  Tuesday,  the  i6th  of  April,  1790.  Col.  William 
Colbraith  was  chosen  Supervisor,  and  Elijah 
Blodget,  Town  Clerk.  In  1791,  Jedediah  Sanger 
was  elected  Supervisor  ;  Ashbel  Beach,  Town 
Clerk  ;  Ebenezer  Butler,  afterwards  of  Pompey, 
Collector  ;  James  Wadsworth,  of  Geneseo,  True- 
worthy  Cook,  of  Pompey,  Jeremiah  Gould,  of  Sa- 
lina.  Overseers  of  Highways.  Probably  "  High- 
ways "  in  those  days  in  Central  New  York  were 
literally  "  few  and  far  between."  It  will  convey 
some  idea  of  the  widespread  character  of  the  munic- 
ipality then  called  a  "  town  "  to  reflect  that  some 
of  the  officers  chosen  to  manage  its  internal  affairs 
lived  near  Utica,  others  in  Pompey  and  Salina,  and 
a  third  at  Geneseo. 

In  1789  the  county  of  Montgomery  was  divided, 
forming  Ontario  county  west  of  a  north  and  south 
line  drawn  across  the  .State  through  Seneca  Lake 
two  miles  east  of  Geneva.  Onondaga  county  then 
lay  unformed  in  the  western  portion  of  Mont- 
gomery. Herkimer  county  was  taken  from  Mont- 
gomery and  organized  in  1791.  It  included  all  the 
country  west  of  Montgomery,  north  of  Otsego  and 
Tioga  and  east  of  the  county  of  Ontario.  The  town 
of  Whitestown  was  divided  into  three  towns.  Whites- 
town  extended  west  from  its  eastern  limits  as  far  as 
the  present  west  line  of  Madison  county.  The 
■  town  of  Mexico  included  the  eastern  half  of  the 


Military  Tract,  and  the  town  of  Peru  the  western. 
The  town  of  Mexico  was  bounded  east  by  the  east- 
ern boundary  of  the  Military  Tract  and  a  line  drawn 
north  from  the  mouth  of  the  Chittenango  Creek 
across  Oneida  Lake  to  Lake  Ontario,  south  by 
Tioga  county,  west  by  the  western  boundary  of  the 
townships  of  Homer,  Tully,  Camillus,  Lysander  and 
Hannibal,  of  the  said  Military  Tract,  and  north  by 
Lake  Ontario. 

The  first  town  meeting  for  the  town  of  Mexico 
was  legally  appointed  to  be  held  at  the  house  of 
Benjamin  Morehouse,  (near  Jamesville,  this  county.) 
The  town  of  Peru  was  bounded  north  by  Lake  On- 
tario, east  by  the  town  of  Mexico,  south  by  Tioga 
county,  and  west  by  Ontario  county.  The  first  town 
meeting  was  directed  by  law  to  be  held  at  the  house 
of  Seth  Phelps,  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Scipio, 
Cayuga  county.  There  are  probably  no  records  of 
these  town  meetings  extant. 

The  poll  for  the  first  general  election  for  Whites- 
town  was  opened  at  Cayuga  Ferry,  then  adjourned 
to  the  house  of  Benjamin  Morehouse  (near  James- 
ville,) thence  to  Rome,  and  finally  closed  at  Whites- 
boro. 

The  following  extract  from  Dunlap's  Daily  Ad- 
vertiser, dated  Philadelphia,  26th  of  July,  1792,  may 
be  interesting  as  showing  what  was  thought  of  the 
prospects  of  this  locality  at  that  period  : 

"Gentlemen  who  reside  on  the  Military  lands  in 
the  county  of  Herkimer,  inform  us  that  that  tract 
of  country  contains  a  very  great  proportion  of  rich 
land,  well  watered  and  timbered,  that  there  is  al- 
ready a  considerable  number  of  settlers  there,  and 
that  it  bids  fair  to  people  as  rapidly  as  any  part  of 
America.  That  sixteen  bushels  of  salt  are  daily 
manufactured  at  Major  Danforth's  works  at  the 
Salt  Springs,  and  that  Mr.  Van  Vleck,  formerly  of 
Kinderhook,  is  erecting  other  works  at  the  same 
place,  for  carrying  on  the  like  manufactory  ;  that 
salt  now  sells  there  for  five  shillings  per  bushel  ; 
that  it  weighs  about  fifty-six  pounds  per  bushel, 
and  is  equal  in  quality  to  that  of  Turk's  Island. 
That  the  salmon  fishing  in  that  country  must  be- 
come an  object  of  great  improvement,  as  that  fine 
fish  (the  salmon)  abounds  in  their  rivers  and  lakes 
in  spring  and  fall.  That  it  is  not  uncommon  for  a 
party  to  spear  twenty  or  fifty  in  an  evening,  from 
fourteen  to  thirty  pounds  each.  The  lands  sell  in 
general  at  from  one  shilling  to  three  shillings  per 
acre,  but  some  have  sold  as  high  as  from  eight  to 
twelve  shillings  per  acre." 

The  genealogy  of  the  different  counties  up  to  the 
formation  of  Onondaga  is  as  follows  : 

After  the  Duke  of  York  had  superceded  the 
Dutch  Government,  in  1683,  the  Province  of  New 
York  was  divided  into  twelve  counties,  viz  :  Albany, 
Dutchess,  Kings,  New  York,  Orange,  Queens, 
Richmond,    Suffolk,    Ulster,    Westchester,    Dukes 


12 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


and  Cornwall.  In  1768,  Cumberland  was  added, 
and  Gloucester  in  1770.  These  two  last  were  after- 
wards yielded  to  New  Hampshire,  and  finally  be- 
came a  part  of  Vermont.  In  1693,  the  counties  of 
Dukes  and  Cornwall  were  surrendered  to  Massa- 
chusetts. In  177;,  the  county  Tryon  was  formed 
from  Albany,  and  in  1784  changed  to  Montgomery. 
In  1789,  Ontario  county  was  formed  of  all  that 
part  of  Montgomery  county  west  of  a  line  drawn 
north  and  south  across  the  State  through  Seneca 
Lake  two  miles  east  of  Geneva.  Herkimer  county 
was  taken  from  Montgomery  and  organized  in  1791. 
It  included  all  the  country  west  of  Montgomery, 
north  of  Otsego  and  Tioga,  and  east  of  Ontario 
county. 

In  1794  the  CouNTV  of  Onondaga  was  erected 
from  the  western  part  of  Herkimer,  and  included 
all  the  Military  Tract,  which  now  embraces  all  the 
counties  ol  Cayuga.  Seneca,  Cortland  and  Onon- 
daga, all  that  part  of  Tompkins  lying  north  of  a 
line  drawn  west  from  the  head  of  Seneca  Lake  to 
the  southwest  corner  of  Cortland  county,  and  all 
that  part  of  Oswego  county  lying  west  of  Oswego 
river.  It  was  finally  reduced  to  its  present  terri- 
torial limits  in  i8iC>,  by  the  detachment  of  Cayuga 
in  1799.  Cortland  in  1808,  and  Oswego  in  1816. 
Tompkins  was  taken  from  Cayuga  and  Seneca  in 
18  r  7,  and  Wayne  from  Seneca  in  1823. 

At  the  time  Onondaga  county  was  originally  or- 
ganized, it  was  divided  into  eleven  towns,  viz : 
Homer,  Tompey.  Manlius.  Lysander,  Marcellus. 
Ulysses,  Milton.  Scipio,  Ovid.  Aurelius  and  Romu- 
lus. 


CHAPTKR  IV. 

TiiK  Iroquois  Confederacy — Extent  and  I'ow- 
KK  of  TIIK  Eivk  Nations — Kokmation  oftheik 

CONFF.DKKAt:V — I'ECULIARITIKS   OF    THEIR    FoKM 

OF  Government  —  The  OxoNnACAS  —  Their 
Central  Position  as  keepers  of  the  Sacred 
Council  Tires — Their  Character.  Tradi- 
tions AND  Customs. 

AT  the  time  of  the  earliest  European  discov- 
eries in  this  locality,  the  territory  now  em- 
braced in  Onondaga  county  was  the  chief  scat  of 
the  nation  of  Indians  from  whom  it  derives  its 
name.  This  powerful  nation  was  the  central  in  the 
great  Iroquois  Confederacy,  or  League  of  the  Five 
Nations,  whose  dominion  included  a  vast  extent  of 
country,  and  who  held  the  ascendancy  over  nearly 
all  the  tribes  of  North  America.  At  one  time  their 
actual   domain    extended    from    the  Sorrel   River, 


south  by  the  great  lakes,  to  the  Mississippi  on  the 
west,  thence  east  to  the  Santee,  and  coast-wise  back 
to  the  Hudson.  The  territory  of  the  Iroquois 
possessed  more  fertile  land,  combined  with  a  tem- 
perate and  healthy  climate,  than  any  other  tract  of 
equal  extent  on  the  globe.  And  their  power  and 
dominion  extended  far  beyond  these  geographical 
boundaries.  Although  they  occupied,  as  their 
proper  home,  what  they  metaphorically  termed  the 
"  Long  House '" — that  is,  the  territory  of  New 
York  extcniling  from  the  Hudson  to  Lake  Eric, 
yet  they  extended  their  power  and  influence  far  be- 
yond these  limits  and  held'  the  tribes  both  of  the 
East  and  the  West  in  subjection. 

Says  Smith,  in  his  History  of  New  York : 
"  When  the  Dutch  began  the  settlement  of  this 
country,  all  the  Indians  on  Long  Island  and  the 
northern  shore  of  the  Sound,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Connecticut,  Hudson.  Delaware  an3  Susquehanna 
livers  were  in  subjection  to  the  Five  Nations  and 
acknowledged  it  by  paying  them  tribute."  The 
French  historians  of  Canada,  both  ancient  and 
modern,  agree  that  the  more  northern  Indians  were 
driven  far  back  to  the  west  and  northwest  by  the 
martial  prowess  of  the  Confederates,  "  The  Ho-de- 
no-sau-nee  occupied  our  precise  territory,  and  their 
council  fires  burned  continually  from  the  Hudson  to 
the  Niagara.  Our  old  forests  have  rung  with  their 
war  shouts  and  been  enlivened  with  their  festivals 
of  peace.  In  their  progressive  course  they  had 
stretched  round  half  the  Republic  and  rendered 
their  names  a  terror  nearly  from  ocean  to  ocean, 
when  the  advent  of  the  Saxon  race  arrested  their 
career,  and  prepared  the  way  for  the  final  extin- 
guishment of  the  fires  of  the  Confederacy."* 

The  Five  Nations  have  been  called  by  some  the 
"  Spartans  of  the  Western  Wilderness,"  by  others, 
the  •'  Romans  0/  the  New  World  ;"  their  warriors 
in  the  prime  of  the  Confederacy,  were  noted  for 
their  valor  and  their  far-e.xtended  conquests. 

"  At  one  period,"  says  Schoolcraft,  "  we  hear  the 
sound  of  their  war  cry  along  the  Straits  of  St. 
Marys  and  at  the  foot  of  Lake  Superior;  at  an- 
other under  the  walls  of  Quebec  where  they  finally 
defeated  the  Hurons  under  the  eyes  of  the  French. 
They  put  out  the  fires  of  the  Gahkas  and  Eries. 
They  eradicated  the  Susquchannocks.  They 
placed  the  Lanappes,  the  Nanticokes  and  Muncecs 
under  the  yoke  of  subjection.  They  put  the 
Metoacks  and  Manhattans  under  tribute.  They 
spread  the  terror  of  their  name  all  over  New 
England.  They  traversed  the  whole  length  of  the 
Appalachian  Chain,  and  descended  like  the  enraged 

*L«(icr>  un  the  Irixjuoi) — American  Review. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


13 


yagisho  and  megalonyx  on  the  Cherokees  and 
Catavvbas.  Smith  encountered  their  warriors  in 
the  settlement  of  Virginia  and  LaSalle  on  the  dis- 
covery of  the  Illinois."* 

Such  had  become  the  Iroquois — the  conquerors 
and  terror  of  all  the  surrounding  tribes — by  the 
force  of  their  energy  and  by  the  principle  of  con- 
federation. The  French  computed  the  number  of 
their  warriors,  in  1660,  at  between  two  and  three 
thousand,  and  a  later  census,  taken  by  an  English 
agent,  confirmed  the  statement.  Their  geographi- 
cal position  made  them  the  umpires  in  the  contest 
of  the  French  for  dominion  in  the  West.  Their 
political  importance  was  enhanced  by  their  con- 
quests. "  Not  only  did  they  claim  some  supremacy 
in  northern  New  England,  as  far  as  the  Kennabeck, 
and  to  the  south,  as  far  as  New  Haven,  and  were 
acknowledged  as  absolute  lords  over  the  conquered 
Lanappe  ;  the  peninsula  of  Upper  Canada  was  their 
hunting  ground  by  right  of  war  ;  they  had  ex- 
terminated the  Eries  and  Andasties,  both  tribes  of 
their  own  family,  one  dwelling  on  the  southeastern 
banks  of  Lake  Erie,  the  other  on  the  head  waters 
of  the  Ohio  ;  they  had  triumphantly  invaded  the 
tribes  of  the  West  as  far  as  Illinois  ;  their  warriors 
had  reached  the  soil  of  Kentucky  and  Western 
Virginia  ;  and  England,  to  whose  alliance  they 
.  steadily  inclined,  availed  herself  of  their  treaties  to 
•encroach  on  the  empire  of  France  in  America."! 

Precisely  at  what  period  the  confederacy  between 
the  tribes  was  formed  is  not  known.  Schoolcraft 
thinks  it  was  at  a  comparatively  recent  date,  prob- 
ably early  in  the  fifteenth  century.  Mr.  Webster, 
the  Onondaga  interpreter,  says  this  great  league  of 
confederation  was  arrived  at,  about  two  generations 
before  the  whites  became  traders  with  the  Indians. 
Mr.  Clark  has  a  different  opinion.  From  the  per- 
manency of  their  institutions,  the  injtricacy  of  their 
civil  affairs,  the  stability  of  their  religious  beliefs 
and  the  uniformity  of  their  pagan  ceremonies, 
diftering  from  other  Indians  in  important  particu- 
lars, he  is  inclined  to  the  belief  that  their  federa- 
tive existence  must  have  had  a  much  longer  dura- 
tion. All  their  traditions  agree  that  the  union  was 
effected  on  the  banks  of  Onondaga  Lake  where  the 
village  of  Liverpool  is  now  situated. 

It  is  well  known  that  these  tribes  attributed  the 
origin  of  their  confederacy,  as  well  as  most  of 
their  chief  national  blessings,  to  the  supernatural 
interposition  of  Ta-oun-ya-wat-ha.  the  deity  who 
presided  over  streams  and  fisheries.  A  long  time 
ago   this  deity   came  down  irom  his  place  in  the 

*Schoolcraft3  Notes. 

f Bancroft.  .History  United  States. 


clouds  to  teach  them  how  to  cultivate  the  soil  and 
to  be  united,  happy  and  prosperous.  While  he  was 
living  among  them — having  thrown  aside  his  divine 
character  and  assumed  the  name  of  Hi-a-wat-ha,  a 
very  wise  man — there  was  an  alarm  caused  by  the 
sudden  approach  of  a  ferocious  band  of  warriors 
from  north  of  the  great  lakes.  Many  had  been 
slain  and  ultimate  destruction  seemed  to  be  the 
consequence  either  of  bold  resistance  or  of  quiet 
submission  to  the  enemy.  At  this  trying  moment 
Hi-a-wat-ha  was  sought  for  advice,  and  no  states- 
man of  to-day  could  have  given  better  counsel  in  as 
few  words.  ''Become  a  united  people  and  yon  will 
conqtier your  enemies.  Dispatch  runners  in  all  di- 
rections and  notify  the  chiefs  of  a  grand  council  to 
be  held  on  the  banks  of  the  Oh-nen-ta-ha,  (Onon- 
daga Lake.)  I  shall  sit  in  council  with  you."  The 
council  fires  had  been  kindled  three  days,  but  the 
venerable  Hi-a-wat-ha  had  not  made  his  appearance. 
On  approaching  his  cabin  he  was  found  in  a  melan- 
choly state  of  mind.  The  old  man  told  them  he 
had  evil  forebodings,  and  that  he  had  concluded 
not  to  attend  the  Great  Council.  But  the  chiefs 
had  determined  not  to  deliberate  in  council  without 
the  presence  of  Hi-a-wat-ha,  and  he  was  finally  pre- 
vailed upon  to  go,  accompanied  b\'  his  darling 
child,  an  only  daughter,  twelve  years  of  age.  On 
the  approach  of  the  venerable  wise  man,  a  general 
shout  of  joy  resounded  through  the  assembled  host, 
and  every  demonstration  of  respect  was  paid  to  his 
presence. 

As  he  landed  and  was  passing  up  the  steep  bank 
towards  the  council  ground,  a  loud  sound  was  heard 
like  a  rushing,  mighty  wind.  All  eyes  were  instant- 
ly turned  upwards,  and  a  dark  spot  was  seen  rapidly 
descending  from  on  high  among  the  clouds.  It 
grew  larger  and  larger  as  it  neared  the  earth,  and 
was  descending  with  fearful  velocity  into  their 
midst.  The  utmost  confusion  prevailed  throughout 
the  assembled  multitude,  and  all  but  the  venerable 
Hi-a-wat-ha  sought  safety  by  flight.  He  gravely 
uncovered  his  silvered  head,  and  besought  his 
daughter  to  await  the  approaching  danger  with  be- 
coming resignation,  at  the  same  time  reminding  her 
of  the  great  folly  and  impropriety  of  attempting  to 
prevent  or  obstruct  the  designs  or  wishes  of  the 
Great  Spirit.  No  sooner  liad  his  resolution  become 
fixed  and  his  last  words  uttered,  than  an  immense 
bird,  with  a  long  and  pointed  beak,  and  widespread 
wings,  came  down  with  a  mighty  swoop'and  crushed 
the  beautiful  girl  to  the  earth.  His  darling  daughter 
has  been  killed  before  his  eyes  in  a  marvelous  man- 
ner, and  her  destroyer  has  perished  with  her.  It 
was  found  on  examination  that  the  creature  in  its 


>4 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


descent  had  completely  buried  its  beak  and  neck  up 
to  its  body  in  the  ground.  It  was  covered  with  a 
beautiful  plumage  of  snow  white,  and  ever)-  warrior 
as  he  advanced  plucked  a  plume  from  this  singular 
bird  with  which  to  adorn  his  crown,  and  from  this 
incident  the  braves  of  the  Confederate  Nation  for- 
ever after  made  choice  of  the  plumes  of  the  white 
heron  as  their  most  appropriate  military  ornament 
while  on  the  war  path. 

In  despair  and  dejection  Hi-a-wat-ha  remained 
three  days  and  nights  prostrated  on  his  face  on  the 
ground,  and  while  every  one  participated  in  his 
afflictions,  no  one  seemed  inclined  to  approach  or 
distract  his  entranced  state,  and  the  Indians,  almost 
despairing  of  a  council,  were  about  to  depart  ;  but 
a  few  of  the  leading  chiefs  consulted  together,  and 
resolved  that  nothing  should  be  attempted  without 
the  voice  of  the  wise  man,  and  a  suitable  person 
was  thereupon  dispatched  to  sec  if  he  breathed. 
Finding  that  he  lived  Ho-see-noke  was  directed  to 
arouse  him  by  his  merry  heart,  to  whisper  kind 
words  in  his  ear  and  call  him  from  his  reverie. 
After  much  ceremony  and  persuasion,  he  recovered 
so  far  as  to  converse,  and  after  several  messages  had 
passed  between  the  assembled  chiefs  and  himself, 
he  arose  and  desired  fcod.  He  was  afterwards  con- 
ducted to  the  presence  of  the  council,  when  all 
eyes  were  turned  towards  the  only  man  who  could 
with  precision  foretell  their  future  destiny.  Vari- 
ous schemes  were  proposed  to  repel  the  enemy. 
Hi-a-wat-ha  listened  in  silence  till  the  speeches 
of  all  were  concluded.  He  then  spoke.  After 
briefly  alluding  to  his  own  calamity,  he  referred  to 
the  threatened  invasion,  and  proposed  that  they 
should  reflect  for  a  day  on  the  speeches  that  had 
been  made.  After  the  expiration  of  the  time  they 
again  met,  when  the  wise  man  thus  addressed  them  : 

"  Friends  and  Brothers  :  \ou  have  come  many 
of  you  a  great  distance  from  your  homes  ;  you  have 
convened  for  one  common  purpose,  to  promote  one 
common  interest,  and  that  is  to  provide  for  our 
common  safety.  To  oppose  these  hordes  of  north- 
ern foes  by  tribes,  singly  and  alone,  would  prove 
our  certain  destruction.  We  can  make  no  progress 
in  that  way ;  we  must  unite  ourselves  into  one 
common  band  of  brothers.  Our  warriors  united 
would  surely  repel  these  rude  invaders  and  drive 
them  from  our  borders.  Let  this  be  done,  and  we 
are  safe. 

■•  You,  the  Mohawks,  sitting  under  the  shadow  of 
the  'Great  Tree,'  whose  roots  sink  deep  into  the 
earth,  and  who.se  branches  spread  over  a  vast  coun- 
try, shall  be  the  first  nation,  because  you  are  war- 
like and  mighty. 

"  You,  Uneidas,  a  people  who  recline  your  bodies 
against  the  'Everlasting  Stone'  that  cannot  be 
moved,  shall  be  the  second  nation,  because  you  give 
wise  counsel. 


"  You,  Onondagas,  who  have  your  habitation  at 
the  'Great  Mcuntain,'  and  are  overshadowed  by  its 
crags,  shall  be  the  third  nation,  because  you  are 
greatly  gifted  in  speech  and  mighty  in  war. 

"  You,  Cayugas,  a  people  whose  habitation  is  the 
'Dark  Forest!  and  whose  home  is  everywhere,  shall 
be  the  fourth  nation,  because  of  your  superior  cun- 
ning in  hunting 

"And  you,  Senecas,  a  people  who  live  in  the 
open  country  and  possess  much  wisdom,  shall  be 
the  fifth  nation,  because  you  understand  better  the 
art  of  raising  corn  and  beans,  and  making  cabins." 

"  You  five  great  and  powerful  nations  must  unite 
and  have  but  one  common  interest,  and  no  foe  shall 
be  able  to  disturb  or  subdue  you." 

Immediately  upon  this  was  formed  the  celebrated 
league  of  the  Five  Nations.  Such  was  the  name 
given  them  by  the  English.  The  French  called 
them  the  Iroquois  ;  the  Dutch  name  for  them  was 
Maquas,  while  they  called  themselves  Mingoes ;  all 
meaning  United  People.  They  were  known  to  the 
English  as  the  Five  Nations  till  the  adoption  of  the 
Tuscaroras  in  1712,  after  which  they  were  called 
the  Si.x  Nations. 

The  Onondagas  occupied  the  central  position  in 
the  "  Long  House  " — a  term  by  which  they  denoted 
their  possessions  from  the  Hudson  to  the  Lakes. 
They  kept  the  sacred  council  fires  at  Onondaga, 
and  the  key  of  the  council  house,  where  all  the 
chief  councils  of  the  Five  Nations  were  held.  The 
Mohawks  held  the  east  door  and  the  Senecas  the 
west  door.  The  confederacy  was  governed  by  heredi- 
tary chiefs  whose  claims  were  subjected  to  the  decis- 
ions of  a  national  council.  Thus  the  aristocratic  prin- 
ciple was  brought  into  subjection  to  the  democratic. 
When  the  hereditary  chief  demanded  office,  if 
found  unworthy,  he  must  give  place  to  the  next  in 
order.  In  council  they  were  a  pure  republic,  the 
veto  of  one  chief  being  sufficient  to  defeat  a  meas- 
ure.* Each  canton  or  tribe  was  independent ;  its 
quota  of  men  was  freely  voted  in  war,  or  refused, 
without  complaint  from  other  cantons.  Thus  was 
guaranteed  to  each  tribe  its  independence  and 
security,  and  to  each  warrior  his  equal  rights,  while 
general  power  was  conceded  to  the  confederacy  in 
all  national  matters.  Canassatego,  one  of  the  chiefs, 
said  to  the  Commissioners  of  Pennsylvania,  Virginia 
and  Maryland  :  "  Our  wise  forefathers  established 
union  and  amity  between  the  Five  Nations.  This 
has  made  us  formidable.  This  has  given  us  great 
weight  and  authority  with  our  neighboring  nations. 
We  are  a  powerful  confederacy,  and  by  observing 
the  same  methods  our  forefathers  have  taken,  you 
will  acquire  fresh  strength  and  power ;  therefore  I 
counsel  you,  whatever  befalls  you,  never  fall  out 
with  one  another." 

•  Schoolcraft. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


IS 


At  the  formation  of  the  confederacy,  the  famous 
A-TO-TAR-HO  presided  :  unequalled  in  war  and  arts, 
his  fame  had  spread  abroad  and  exalted  the  Onon- 
daga tribe  to  a  preeminent  position.  His  name 
was  "  Like  that  of  King  Arthur  of  the  Round  Table, 
or  those  of  the  Paladins  of  Charlemagne,  used  as 
an  exemplar  of  glory  and  honor,"  *  and  became 
the  title  of  office  of  the  Presiding  Chief  The  right 
of  the  Onondagas  to  furnish  a  presiding  officer  for 
the  league  was  conceded,  and  is  still  possessed  by 
them.  To  the  Mohawks  was  awarded  the  Te-ka-ra- 
ho-ga,  or  Chief  War  Captain.  The  Great  Council 
has  always  consisted  of  six  members,  each  nation 
having  one  except  the  Senecas,  who  were  allowed 
two,  in  consideration  of  their  great  numerical 
strength.  Its  powers  were  merely  advisory,  aiming 
to  arrive  at  harmonious  results  by  interchange  of 
opinion  without  formal  vote.  No  penalties  could 
be  inflicted  or  power  exerted  beyond  that  of  Opinion. 
A  unanimous  decision  was  first  required  :  this  once 
obtained,  its  authority  was  absolute ;  each  tribe 
acting  through  its  representative,  who  was  first 
informed  as  to  its  views.  These  decisions  were  in 
fact  clothed  with  all  the  power  of  the  most  popular 
expression  of  the  whole  confederacy. 

"  A  government  like  this  gave  to  the  orator,  who 
by  his  eloquence  could  sway  his  people,  a  vast 
influence,  and  we  find  that  many  men  of  note  have 
appeared  among  them,  since  they  came  in  contact 
with  more  learned  races  of  men,  who  were  abun- 
dantly qualified  to  conduct  their  negotiations,  and 
have  reflected  as  much  renown  on  their  nation  as 
their  bravest  warriors."  f  De  Witt  Clinton  says  of 
the  speech  of  Garangula  to  the  French  General, 
De  la  Barre  :  "  I  believe  it  impossible  to  find  in  all 
the  effusions  of  ancient  or  modern  oratory  a  speech 
more  appropriate  or  convincing.  Under  the  veil  of 
respectful  profession  it  conveys  the  most  biting 
irony,  and  while  it  abounds  with  rich  and  splendid 
imagery,  it  contains  the  most  solid  reasoning.  I 
place  it  in  the  same  rank  with  the  celebrated  speech 
of  Logan." 

The  unwritten  law  of  this  wonderful  people  had 
a  power  unequalled  by  any  statutes  ever  recorded 
in  books.  A  single  instance  of  its  power  will  be 
sufficient.  It  is  given  by  Hon.  George  Geddes  on 
the  authority  of  Mr.  Webster,  who  lived  many  years 
among  the  Onondagas,  and  had  a  woman  of  that 
tribe  for  a  wife. 

A  young  man  of  the  Cayugas  came  to  the  Onon- 
dagas and  claimed  their  hospitality.  He  lived  among 
them    two   years,   attaching   himself    to    Webster 

*  Schoolcraft. 

f  Hon.  George  Geddes. 


particularly.  He  appeared  contented  and  happy, 
"  Always  foremost  in  the  chase,  most  active  in  the 
dance,  and  loudest  in  the  song."  Mantinoah  was 
his  name.  One  morning  he  said  to  his  friend,  "  I 
have  a  vow  to  perform.  My  nation  and  my  friends 
know  that  Mantinoah  will  be  true.  My  friend,  I  wish 
you  to  go  with  me."  Webster  consented.  After  a 
pleasant  journey  of  a  few  days,  enlivened  with  fish- 
ing and  hunting,  they  came  in  the  afternoon  to  a 
place  that  Mantinoah  said  was  near  his  village,  and 
where  he  wished  to  invoke  the  Great  Spirit.  After 
a  repast,  and  a  pipe  had  been  smoked,  Mantinoah 
said  :  "  Two  winters  have  gone  since  in  my  village, 
in  the  fury  of  anger,  I  slew  my  bosom  friend  and 
adopted  brother.  The  chief  declared  me  guilty  of 
my  brother's  blood,  and  I  must  die.  My  execution 
was  deferred  for  two  full  years,  during  which  time  I 
was  condemned  to  banishment.  I  vowed  to  return. 
It  was  then  I  sought  your  nation  ;  it  was  thus  I 
won  your  friendship.  The  nearest  in  blood  to  him 
I  slew,  according  to  our  customs,  is  the  avenger. 
The  time  expires  when  the  sun  sinks  behind  the 
topmost  boughs  of  the  trees.  I  am  ready.  My 
friend,  we  have  had  many  a  cheerful  sport  together; 
our  joys  have  been  many  ;  our  griefs  have  been  few ; 
look  not  sad  now.  When  you  return  to  the  Onon- 
dagas, tell  them  that  Mantinoah  died  like  a  true 
brave  of  the  Cayugas  ;  tell  them  that  he  trembled 
not  at  the  approach  of  death,  like  the  coward  pale 
face,  nor  shed  tears  like  a  woman.  My  friend,  take 
my  belt,  my  knife,  my  hunting  pouch,  my  horn,  my 
rifle,  as  tokens  of  my  friendship.  Soon  the  avenger 
will  come  ;  the  Great  Spirit  calls  ;  Mantinoah  fears 
not  death  ;  farewell."  Vainly  Webster  urged  him 
to  escape.  A  short  period  of  silence,  and  a  yell  is 
heard.  Mantinoah  responds.  The  avenger  appears 
and  takes  the  hand  of  his  former  friend,  now  his 
victim.  Mutual  salutations  follow,  with  expressions 
of  regret  made  by  the  executioner,  but  none  by  the 
doomed.  The  tomahawk  gleams  in  the  air,  not  a 
muscle  moves,  nor  does  the  cheek  of  Mantinoah 
blanch  ;  folding  his  arms  on  his  breast  he  receives 
the  blow.  As  if  by  magic  a  host  appears,  the  song 
of  death  is  sung,  and  the  solemn  dance  or  death 
march  is  performed.  Webster  is  invited  to  the 
village,  where  he  is  hospitably  entertained,  and  when 
ready  to  return  is  accompanied  by  a  party  of  Cay- 
ugas to  his  home. 

Thus  powerful  was  the  unwritten  law  of  the 
Iroquois. 

It  is  not  easy  for  us  to  understand  this  people, 
for  we  know  but  little  of  their  peculiar  springs  of 
action.  They  had  their  religion,  which  the  white 
people  who  came  amongst  them  called  their  supersti- 


l6 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


51 


tion.  If  superstition  it  be,  it  was  nevertheless  the 
principle  that  governed  them.  And  did  we  but 
understand  their  ideas  fully,  we  should  know  by 
what  standard  to  judge  them.  Whoever  has  learned 
much  of  their  history,  knows  that,  in  their  savage 
state,  woman,  made  prisoner,  was  never  indelicately 
approached  by  him.  who.  without  pity,  would  brain 
her  infant  child.  lie  tortured  and  killed  his  prison- 
ers, if  he  did  not  .iilopt  ihcm  into  his  family,  but  he 
never  enslaved  or  outraged  women  Wh.it  nthcr 
nation  can  say  this  with  truth  .'  * 

•Mr.  Schoolcraft  says  that,  to  understand  the 
government  of  the  Iroquois  and  learn  how  it 
acquired  its  power  and  fame,  it  is  necessary  to 
examine  their  law  of  descent.  Each  canton  was 
divided  into  distinct  clans,  each  of  which  was  distin- 
guishcil  by  the  name  and  device  of  some  quadruped, 
bird,  or  other  object  in  the  animal  kingdom.  The 
clans,  or  original  families,  were  eight,  distinguished 
respectively  by  the  totems  of  the  wolf,  the  bear,  the 
turtle,  the  deer,  the  beaver,  the  falcon,  the  crane 
and  the  plover.  The  law  of  marriage  re(|uired 
them  to  marry  into  families  or  clans  whose  totem 
was  different  from  their  own.  A  wolf  or  turtle 
male  could  not  marry  a  wolf  or  turtle  female.  This 
interdict  of  consanguinity,  preserved  the  purity  of 
the  blood,  while  it  enlarged  and  strengthened  the 
tie  of  relationship  between  the  clans  Owing  to 
the  limitation  of  descent  to  the  line  of  the  female, 
a  chieftain's  son  could  not  succeed  him  in  office, 
but  in  case  of  his  death  he  would  be  succeeded  by 
his  brother,  or  failing  this,  by  the  son  of  his  sister, 
or  by  some  direct  or  remote  descendant  of  the 
maternal  line.  The  man  who,  by  inheritance,  was 
entitled  to  the  office  of  chieftainship,  was  obliged, 
on  arriving  at  the  proper  age,  to  submit  his  right 
to  a  council  of  the  whole  canton.  Incapacity  was 
always  and  without  exception  recognized  as  a  valid 
objection  to  approval. 

Each  canton  had  its  eight  principal  chiefs  and 
various  assistant  chiefs,  who  were  civil  officers. 
The  war  chiefs  derived  their  consequence  from  their 
success  in  war  ;  they  rose  up  as  the  exigencies  of 
the  nation  demanded,  and  sustained  themselves  by 
their  cap.icity.  All  males  were  bound  to  render 
military  .services.  Disgrace  was  the  penalty  of 
failure.  Thus  the  ranks  were  always  full,  and  all 
war  parties  consisted  of  volunteers.  Each  warrior 
supplied  and  carried  his  own  arms  and  provisions. 
The  enlistment  consisted  in  simply  joining  the  war 
dance.  .The  government  was  in  fact  a  pure  de- 
•  mocr.icy  controlled  by  its  martial  spirit. 

The   Iroquois  have  been   charged  with  making 
*Hoa.  Gcor|c  Geddci. 


their  women  beasts  of  burden,  while  they  lived 
lives  of  indolence.  The  division  of  labor  between 
the  sexes,  it  is  true,  differed  widely  from  ours.  To 
the  warrior  was  assigned  the  duty  of  hunting  food 
and  protecting  their  hunting  grounds  from  the 
inroads  of  the  enemy.  His  life  was  daily  in  his 
hands,  and  such  were  the  hazards  he  encountered 
that  there  always  were  more  women  than  men  in 
the  tribes.  The  men  spent  long  dreary  seasons  in 
hunting  and  taking  furs,  which,  when  brought  home, 
became  the  property  of  their  wives,  who  sold  them 
to  the  traders,  and  with  the  avails  made  such  pro- 
vision for  the  rest  of  the  family  as  they  could,  the 
men  standing  silently  by  and  not  uttering  a  word. 
The  old  men,  women  and  boys  cultivated  the  little 
patch  of  corn  and  gathered  the  fuel.  Koth  in  the 
social  and  national  systems,  the  women  had  great 
power  and  influence.  The  matrons  sat  in  council, 
and  had  a  right  to  propose  a  cessation  of  arms. 
There  was  a  male  functionary,  an  acknowledged 
orator,  whose  duty  it  was  to  speak  for  the  women. 
Schoolcraft  describes  the  social  character  of  the 
Indian  thus  :  "  In  the  lodge  he  is  a  mild,  considerate 
man,  of  the  non-interfering  and  non-scolding  species. 
He  may,  indeed,  be  looked  upon  rather  as  the  guest 
of  his  wife,  than  what  he  is  most  unjustly  repre- 
sented to  be,  her  tyrant,  and  he  is  often  only  known 
as  the  lord  of  the  lodge  by  the  attention  and  respect 
she  shows  to  him.  He  is  a  man  of  few  words.  If 
her  temper  is  rufHcd.hc  smiles.  If  he  is  displeased 
he  walks  away.  It  is  a  province  in  which  his  actions 
acknowledgehcr  right  to  rule,  and  it  is  one  in  which 
his  pride  and  manliness  have  exalted  him  above 
the  folly  of  altercation."  The  wife  owned  all  the 
property  ;  arms  only  belonged  to  the  husband.  The 
family  were  hers,  and  when  war  or  the  chase  had 
made  the  father  a  victim,  she,  who  had  always  been 
at  its  head,  kept  it  unbroken.  With  the  Iroquois 
war  was  the  business  of  life,  and  the  pursuit  of  an 
enemy  on  the  war  path,  or  hunting  the  wild  beasts 
of  the  forests,  were  the  only  employments  that  men 
could  engage  in  without  subjecting  themselves  to 
the  loss  of  rank,  and  the  liability  of  being  called 
women. 

The  central  tribe  was  the  seat  of  government,  and 
here  all  the  general  councils  were  held  and  the 
policy  of  the  nation  settled.  The  first  we  know  of 
this  people,  they  here  swayed  the  sceptre  of  an 
empire  twelve  hundred  miles  long  and  eight  hundred 
wide.  The  means  of  free  and  rapid  transportation 
of  armies  was  to  these  savages  the  same  advantage 
that  it  is  to  the  most  artificial  state  of  society. 
Around  the  shores  of  Onondaga  Lake  the  councils 
deliberated,  and  when  once  the  plan  of  the  cam- 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


17 


paign  was  arranged,  the  canoes  were  afloat,  and 
soon  far  down  the  St.  Lawrence,  the  Adirondack 
heard  the  war  whoop  of  the  "  Men  of  the  moun- 
tains."* Or  on  the  banks  of  Georgian  Bay  the 
trembling  Huron  felt  the  weight  of  their  power. 
Or  launching  their  barks  on  the  waters  of  the 
Susquehanna,  soon  on  the  shores  of  Chesapeake 
Bay  they  dictated  terms  to  their  enemies.  Fort 
Hill,  in  South  Carolina,  afterwards  the  residence 
of  John  C.  Calhoun,  was  one  of  their  stations, 
from  which  they  waged  inveterate  war  upon  the 
Catawbas  and  Cherokees.  The  Iroquois  nation 
could  bring  to  battle  more  than  two  thousand  war- 
riors of  their  own  blood,  besides  levies  of  the  tribes 
they  had  subjected.  Their  policy  in  regard  to  con- 
quered enemies  was  like  that  of  ancient  Rome  :  they 
were  converted  into  allies  rather  than  slaves,  and 
having  been  fairly  conquered  in  war,  after  a  brave 
resistance,  they  were  counted  as  younger  brothers, 
worthy  to  fight  by  the  side  of  their  conquerors  and 
share  their  glory. f 

"They  reduced  war  to  a  science,  and  all  their 
movements  were  directed  by  system  and  policy. 
They  never  attacked  a  hostile  country  till  they  had 
sent  out  spies  to  e.xplore  and  designate  its  vulnerable 
points,  and  when  they  encamped  they  observed  the 
greatest  circumspection  to  guard  against  surprise. 
Whatever  superiority  of  force  they  might  have,  they 
never  neglected  the  use  of  stratagem,  employing 
all  the  crafty  wiles  of  the  Carthagenians.  To  pro- 
duce death  by  the  most  protracted  suffering,  was 
sanctioned  among  them  by  general  immemorial 
usage."  J 

The  Europeans,  instead  of  teaching  mercy  to 
these  men,  encouraged  and  fostered  the  worst  points 
in  their  characters,  and  by  every  temptation  they 
were  led  to  become  even  more  cruel,  as  they  became 
demoralized  and  vicious  by  intercourse  with  the 
more  learned  but  less  principled  "  pale  face."  Massa- 
chusetts first  gave  twelve,  then  forty,  and  finally 
one  hundred  pounds  for  a  scalp.  The  Colonial 
Legislature  of  New  York,  in  1745,  passed  an  act 
for  giving  a  reward  for  scalps  ;  in  1746,  a  governor  of 
the  Colony,  not  only  paid  for  two  scalps  of  French- 
men in  money  and  fine  clothes,  but  thanked  the 
three  Indians  that  brought  them  to  Albany,  and 
promised  "  Always  to  remember  this  act  of  friend- 
ship." American  scalps  were  received  and  paid  for 
in  English  money  by  the  officer  in  command  at 
Maiden,  in  the  war  of  18 12. 


*  Meaning  of  the  word  "Onondaga." 
f  Hon.  George  Geddes. 
JDeWitt  Clinton. 
3* 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  Onondaga  Indians  and  the  French — Cham- 
plain's  Invasion — Jesuit  Missions  among  the 
Onondagas — Wak  between  the  English  and 
the  French — Count  Frontenac's  Invasion  of 
Onondaga — The  Peace  Commissioners  before 
Onondaga  Castle. 

AT  the  commencement  of  French  settlements  in 
Canada,  a  conflict  arose  between  the  French 
and  the  Five  Nations  which  lasted  one  hundred  and 
fifty  years.  This  conflict  was  wantonly  provoked 
by  Champlain,  the  Governor  of  New  France,  who 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  Adirondack  Indians  against 
the  Iroquois  who  had  driven  them  from  their  former 
homes  in  Northern  New  York.  When  Champlain 
built  his  fort  at  Quebec  in  1608,  he  found  the  Adi- 
rondacks  occupying  that  vicinity,  whither  they  had 
fled  for  safety  from  their  fierce  and  powerful  con- 
querors, the  Five  Nations.  Champlain  had  shown 
the  Adirondacks  the  magical  effects  of  his  French 
guns,  and  had  led  them  to  believe  that  with  such 
new  and  destructive  weapons  a  few  Frenchmen  and 
Indian  allies  could  make  an  easy  conquest  of  their 
old  enemies.  Accordingly,  in  1609,  he  joined  the 
Adirondacks  with  his  Frenchmen  to  invade  the 
country  of  the  Iroquois,  and  on  the  lake  which 
bears  his  name,  met  two  hundred  of  these  Indians. 
Both  parties  went  on  shore  for  battle,  and  then,  for 
the  first  time,  the  Iroquois  saw  the  flash  and  heard 
the  report  of  fire  arms.  Defeat  followed,  and  won- 
dering and  dismayed  at  the  murderous  efl^ects  of  the 
strange  weapon,  they  retreated  to  their  fastnesses 
in  the  wilderness. 

This  was  the  first  interview  of  the  Iroquois  with 
white  men,  and  their  first  knowledge  of  them  was 
obtained  by  meeting  them  as  enemies  on  a  field  of 
battle. 

Emboldened  by  his  first  success,  Champlain  with 
his  Frenchmen  and  four  hundred  Huron  allies, 
renewed  his  attack  upon  the  Iroquois  in  1615.  This 
time  he  invaded  the  country  of  the  Onondagas. 
On  the  9th  of  October,  1615,  a  fishing  party  of 
Onondagas  on  their  way  to  Oneida  Lake  were  sur- 
prised and  captured.  These  invaders  had  made 
their  way  up  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  lower  end  of 
Lake  Ontario,  where,  hiding  their  canoes,  they 
struck  across  the  wilderness  on  foot.  They  took 
captive  "Three  men,  four  women,  three  boys  and  a 
girl."  They  then  marched  forward,  and  says  Cham- 
plain, in  his  account :  "  On  the  10th  of  October,  at 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  we  arrived  before  the 
fort  of  the  enemy.  When  I  approached  with  my 
little  detachment,  we  showed  them  what  they  had 


18 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


never  before  seen  or  heard.  As  soon  as  they  saw 
us  and  heard  the  balls  whistling  about  their  ears, 
they  retired  quietly  within  their  fort,  carrying  with 
them  their  killed  and  wounded.  We  also  fell  back 
upon  the  main  body,  having  five  or  six  wounded, 
one  of  whom  died."  After  a  six  day  siege,  Cham- 
plain,  in  the  midst  of  his  French  and  Indians,  was 
wounded  in  two  places  by  Onondaga  arrows,  and 
ingloriously  retreated,  being  carried  in  a  "  basket  of 
wicker  work,  so  doubled  up  and  fastened  with  cords 
that  he  was  unable  to  move  "  A  long  and  dreary 
winter  was  passed  by  Champlain  among  the  flurons 
before  he  was  able  to  get  back  to  Quebec. 

The  location  of  the  fort  which  Champlain  attacked 
has  been  a  matter  of  controversy  for  many  years. 
Says  Gen.  John  S.  Clark,  the  antiquarian  : 

"  When  investigators  are  ready  to  abandon  theories 
in  conflict  with  the  record,  rather  than  to  abandon 
facts  conflicting  with  their  theories,  they  will  experi- 
ence no  difficulty  whatever  in  finding  an  Indian 
town  site,  answering  in  every  essential  particular  the 
description  and  illustrations  of  Champlain. 

"  Certain  facts  must  sooner  or  later  be  accepted  as 
conclusive,  in  narrowing  the  limits  in  which  we 
should  seek  for  the  exact  location  :  one  is,  that  the 
east  branch  of  the  Limestone  is  the  dividing  line 
absolutely  between  the  historic  and  pre-historic 
town  sites  of  the  Onondagas:  and  that  Champlain's 
narrative  contains  internal  evidence  in  statements 
of  fact,  unquestionable,  that  the  fort  was  within  a 
few  miles,  at  least,  and  south  of  Oneida  Lake. 
Champlain,  beyond  any  question,  passed  through 
Onondaga  county,  and  attacked  the  stronghold  of 
the  Onondagas,  but  the  location  of  this  stronghold 
is  not  so  easily  found. 

"  I  had  the  honor  of  reading  a  pajier  on  this  sub- 
ject before  the  HulValo  Historical  Society,  and  the 
New  York  Historical  Society,  early  in  the  present 
year,  in  which  I  ventured  to  put  my.self  on  record 
on  this  question  of  route,  and  objective  point,  and 
designaleil  a  well-known  Indian  town  site  in  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  town  of  Fenncr,  in  Madison 
county,  on  the  farm  of  Rufus  H.  Nichols,  on  what 
is  known  as  the  mile-strip,  about  three  miles  cast  of 
Perryville,  as  the  home  of  the  Onondagas  at  that 
period,  and  as  being  the  identical  position  of  the 
fort  attacked  by  Champlain." 

General  Clark  has  examined  this  locality  and 
made  a  drawing  of  it,  corresponding  in  all  essential 
particulars  with  the  drawing  and  description  given 
by  Champlain.  The  situation  is  a  peculiar  one,  the 
fort  in  the  form  of  a  hexagon,  being  in  the  angle  of 
a  stream  which  forms  both  the  inlet  and  outlet  of  a 
pond  in  front  of  the  fort,  and  which,  in  connection 
with  the  streams,  surrounded  it  on  all  sides,  enablintr 
the  Indians  to  put  out  the  fires  by  wliich  Champlain 
tried  to  destroy  their  work. 

These  attacks  of  Champlain  upon  the  Iroquois 
provoked  a  war  which  ended  only    with   the   ex- 


tinction of  French  dominion  in  North  America.  ' 
Truces  were  made,  but  they  were  only  of  short 
duration.  The  Iroquois  armed  with  powder  and 
ball  by  the  Dutch  and  English,  were  seen  on  every 
battle  field  thenceforth,  until  on  the  Plains  of  Abra- 
ham, Onondaga  chieftains  shed  the  blood  of  the 
French  as  freely  as  did  Wolfe,  while  vengeance  was 
glutted.  .Says  Bancroft :  "  Thrice  did  Champlain 
invade  their  country,  until  he  was  driven  with  dis- 
grace from  the  wilderness.  The  Five  Nations  in  J 
return  attempted  the  destruction  of  New  I'rance.  ' 
Though  repulsed,  they  continued  to  defy  the  pro- 
vince and  its  allies,  and  under  the  eyes  of  its 
governor  openly  intercepted  convoys  destined  for 
Quebec.  The  I'rench  authority  was  not  confirmed 
by  the  founding  of  a  feeble  outpost  at  Montreal, 
and  Fort  Richelieu  at  the  mouth  of  the  Sorrel 
River  scarcely  protected  its  immediate  environs. 
The  Iroquois  warrors  scoured  every  wilderness  to 
lay  it  still  more  waste.  Depopulating  the  whole 
country  on  the  Ontario,  they  attained  an  acknowl- 
edged superiority  over  New  France.  The  colony 
was  in  perpetual  danger,  and  Quebec  itself  was 
besieged." 

From  these  straits  the  French  sought  to  relieve 
themselves  by  the  missionaries  of  a  religion  whose 
precepts  they  had  so  wantonly  violated,  and  in  1642, 
"  Father  Jogues,  commissioned  as  an  envoy,  was 
hospitably  received  by  the  Mohawks  and  gained  an 
opportunity  of  offering  the  friendship  of  France  to 
the  Onondagas."  Thus  the  first  Frenchman  came 
with  the  sword,  the  second  with  the  cross. 

The  history  of  the  action  of  the  Jesuit  mission- 
aries among  these  tribes  is  but  a  constant  repetition 
of  cnobling  exami)les  of  self-sacrificing  devotion  to 
the  great  cause  of  converting  the  savages  to  Chris- 
tianity. No  hardship  was  too, great,  no  sufferings 
too  severe,  martyrdom  itself  was  welcomed,  and 
when  one  missionary  was  consumed  by  the  fires  of 
the  savages,  another  stood  ready  to  take  his  place. 
Father  Jogues  was  murdered  by  the  Mohawks  at 
Caughnawaga,*  in  Montgomery  county,  but  he  was 
followed  by  more  than  a  score  of  others  during  the 
next  fifty  years. 

Taking  advantage  of  a  temporary  peace  between 
the  Iroquois  and  the  French,  Father  Simon  Le 
Moyne  appeared  as  a  missionary  to  the  Onondagas 
in  1654.  He  says  in  his  Relation  :  "  On  the  i-th 
day  of  July,  1654,  I  set  out  from  Montreal  and  cm- 
barked  for  a  land  as  yet  but  little  known,  accom- 
panied by  a  young  man  of  piety  and  fortitude  who 
had  long  been  a  resident  of  that  country."  On  the 
5th  of  August  he  had  nearly  finished  his  journey, 

*lncluJcd  now  in  the  corporJtion  of  (he  %'illjgc  of  Fonili. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


19 


and  says  :  "  We  traveled  four  leagues  before  reach- 
ing the  principal  Onondaga  village.  I  passed  many 
persons  on  the  way  who  kindly  saluted  me,  one 
calling  me  brother,  another  uncle,  and  another 
cousin.  I  never  had  so  many  relations.  At  a 
quarter  of  a  league  from  the  village  I  began  a 
harangue  in  a  solemn  and  commanding  tone,  which 
gained  me  great  credit.  I  named  all  their  chiefs, 
families  and  distinguished  persons.  I  told  them 
that  peace  and  joy  were  my  companions,  and  that  I 
scattered  war  among  the  distant  nations.  Two 
chiefs  addressed  me  as  I  entered  the  village  with  a 
welcome,  the  like  of  which  I  had  never  before 
experienced  among  savages."  At  the  grand  council 
assembled  by  the  chiefs  in  the  cabin  of  Ondessonk, 
he  says,  "  I  opened  the  council  by  a  public  prayer 
on  my  knees,  in  a  loud  voice  in  the  Huron  tongue. 
I  astonished  them  exceedingly  by  mentioning  them 
all  by  nations,  tribes,  families  and  individuals,  which 
amount  to  no  small  number.  This  I  was  enabled 
to  do  from  my  notes,  and  to  them  it  was  as  aston- 
ishing as  it  was  novel."  On  the  i6th,  returning. 
Father  Le  Moyne  discovered  the  salt  springs  and 
manufactured  the  first  Onondaga  salt  ever  made  by 
a  European,  "  as  natural,"  he  says,  "  as  from  the 
sea,  some  of  which  we  shall  carry  to  Quebec." 
This  first  sample  of  salt  was  made  two  hundred  and 
twenty-three  years  ago.  In  the  Relation  of  Father 
Le  Moyne,  seventh  of  August,  1654,  he  says : 
"  I  baptized  a  young  captive  taken  from  the  Neuter 
nation,  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  old,  who  had  been 
instructed  in  the  mysteries  of  our  faith  by  a  Huron 
convert.  This  was  the  first  adult  baptism  made  at 
Onondaga.  The  joy  I  experienced  was  ample  com- 
pensation for  all  past  fatigues." 

Fathers  Joseph  Chaumonot  and  Claude  Dablon 
became  missionaries  to  the  Onondagas  in  1655,  and 
"  were  received  with  the  strongest  proofs  of  friend- 
ship." The  account  of  their  journey  and  experience 
is  given  in  the  Jesuit  Relation  of  Father  Francis 
Le  Mercier,  the  Superior  of  the  Mission  of  Que- 
bec. "On  the  5th  of  November,"  says  the  narra- 
tive, "  as  we  continued  our  route,  a  chieftain  of 
note  called  Gonateragon  met  us  a  league  from  his 
cabin,  welcomed  our  arrival,  and  kindly  invited  us 
to  remain  with  his  people.  He  placed  himself  at 
the  head  of  our  little  company  and  conducted  us  in 
state  to  within  a  quarter  of  a  league  of  Onondaga, 
where  the  "Andeiis"  of  the  country  awaited  us. 
Having  seated  ourselves  beside  them,  they  set  be- 
fore us  their  best  provisions,  especially  pumpkins 
baked  in  the  ashes."  Then  a  speech  of  welcome 
was  made  by  an  aged  chief,  who  deprecated  war, 
and  said  that  even  the  young  men  were  for  peace. 


It  was  only  the  Mohawks,  he  said,  who  wished  to 
darken  the  sun,  rendered  glorious  by  our  approach, 
and  to  fill  the  sky  with  clouds. 

The  mission  founded  this  year  by  Chaumonot 
and  Dablon  was  the  original  mission  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist,  and  according  to  the  topography  of  Gen. 
John  S.  Clark,  was  located  on  "  Indian  Hill,"  two 
miles  south  of  the  village  of  Manlius,  which  was 
then  the  chief  town  of  the  Onondagas.  The  mis- 
sionaries several  times  refer  to  their  "chapel,"  but 
they  probably  mean  by  this  their  place  of  worship, 
fitted  up  in  one  of  the  principal  cabins  of  the  In- 
dians. It  does  not  appear  that  they  had  any  regu- 
lar chapel  at  this  period.  The  first  sacrament  of 
Holy  Mass  was  celebrated  by  Fathers  Chaumonot 
and  Dablon  upon  an  altar  in  an  oratory  made  in  the 
cabin  of  Teotonharason,  one  of  the  women  who 
came  from  Quebec  with  the  missionaries,  on  Sun- 
day, November  14,  1655.  She  was  a  woman  of 
the  Onondagas,  highly  esteemed  for  her  nobleness 
and  wealth.  She  made  a  public  profession  of  re- 
ligion, instructed  all  connected  with  her  household, 
and  eagerly  demanded  baptism  for  herself,  her 
mother  and  daughter.  She  taught  the  prayers  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church  to  her  people,  and  was 
a  sort  of  deaconess  of  the  primitive  church  of  the 
Onondagas.  (Relation,  1655.)  On  the  28th  of 
November,  being  the  first  Sunday  in  Advent,  was 
held  the  first  celebration  of  Catechism  in  one  of  the 
principal  cabins,  probably  the  one  above  referred  to. 

It  appears  from  the  Relations  that  the  first  re- 
quest for  a  French  missionary  settlement  on  the 
banks  of  Onondaga  Lake  came  from  Ondessonk, 
the  great  chief  of  the  Onondagas,  who  said  to 
Father  Le  Moyne  :  "  We  request  you  to  select  on 
the  banks  of  our  great  lake  a  convenient  place  for  a 
French  habitation.  Place  yourself  in  the  heart  of 
our  country,  since  you  have  possessed  our  inmost 
aftections.  There  we  can  go  for  instruction,  and 
from  thence  you  can  spread  yourselves  everywhere." 
The  location  of  St.  Mary's  of  Ganentaha  was 
selected  the  year  following  by  Fathers  Chaumonot 
and  Dablon.  Says  the  Relation,  under  date  of  No- 
vember 9,  1655  :  "  This  day  for  the  first  time,  we 
visited  the  salt  spring,  which  is  only  two  leagues 
from  here,  near  the  lake  Ganentaha,  and  the  place 
chosen  for  the  French  settlement,  because  it  is  in 
the  center  of  the  Iroquois  nations,  and  because  we 
can  from  thence  visit  in  canoes  various  localities 
upon  the  rivers  and  lakes,  which  renders  commerce 
free  and  commodious.  Fishing  and  hunting  in- 
crease the  importance  of  this  place,  for  besides  the 
various  kinds  of  fish  that  are  taken  there  at  different 
seasons  of  the  year,  the  eel  is  so  abundant  that  a 


20 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


thousnnd  arc  .soniL-imic^  spcarcd  by  a  single  fisher- 
man in  a  nijjht,  and  as  for  the  game  which  docs  not 
fail  through  the  winter,  the  pigeons  gather  in  the 
spring  in  such  numbers  that  they  are  taken  in  nets 
in  great  abundance.  The  fountain  from  which  very 
good  salt  is  made,  intersects  a  meadow  surrounded 
by  a  wood  of  sujxrrior  growth.  From  eighty  to  a 
hundred  paces  from  this  salt  spring  is  another  of 
fresh  water,  and  both  flow  from  the  same  hill " 

The  Mission  of  St.  John  the  Haptist  prospered 
for  several  months ;  proselytes  were  continually 
added  to  the  faith  ;  and  the  anticipations  of  the 
missionaries  were  raised  to  the  highest  pitch.  At 
length  doubts  and  dissentions  crept  into  the  minds 
of  some  of  the  principal  individuals  of  the  canton, 
and  it  was  resolved  that  Dablon  should  proceed  to 
Quebec  for  a  rtcnforcement  to  strengthen  the  hearts 
and  hands  of  the  missionaries.  The  Onondagas 
earnestly  desired  that  the  French  should  come  and 
make  their  settlement  on  the  site  selected  for  St. 
Mary's  of  Ganentaha.  "  Why  do  you  not  come  at 
once,"  said  they.  "  since  you  see  all  our  village  ap- 
prove it .'  We  have  not  ceased  all  this  winter  to  go 
in  crowds  to  the  chapel  to  pray  and  be  instructed. 
You  have  been  cordially  welcomed  in  all  our  cabins 
when  you  have  visited  them  to  teach.  You  cannot 
doubt  our  dispositions  since  we  have  made  you  such 
a  solemn  present,  with  protestations  so  public,  that 
we  are  believers  " 

On  account  of  the  season  of  hunting,  and  the 
preference  of  all  the  youn^  men  for  the  chase,  Dab- 
lon found  it  difficult  to  obtain  guides  to  conduct  him 
back  to  Quebec.  "At  last,"  he  says,  "  we  deter- 
mined upon  saying  nine  masses  to  St.  John  the 
Haptist,  the  patron  of  this  mission,  in  order  to  ob- 
tain light  in  a  business  where  all  was  dark  to  us. 
lichold  how  contrary  to  our  exjicctations,  and  to  all 
human  appearances,  without  knowing  how  it  was 
done  or  by  whom,  immediately  after  the  ninth  mass, 
I  set  out  from  Onondaga,  accompanied  by  two  of 
the  principal  young  men  of  the  village  and  by  several 
others,  whom  doubtless  St.  John  inspired  to  en- 
gage in  this  enterprise  and  journey.  Thus  the 
chief  of  the  escort  was  named  Ste.  Jean  Haptiste. 
he  being  the  first  adult  of  the  Iroquois  baptized  in 
full  health." 

Dablon  and  his  guides  crossed  Oneida  Lake  on 
the  ice  on  the  6th  of  March,  1656,  and  proceeded 
by  the  usual  northern  trail  to  the  mouth  of  Salmon 
River,  whence  he  reached  Montreal  on  the  30th 
Father  Chaumonol  remained  at  Onondaga,  and  the 
following  summer  was  joined  by  Father  Claude 
Dablon,  Father  I.e  Mcrcier,  the  Superior,  Father 
Reni  Mesnard,  Father  Jacques   Fremin,  13rother 


Ambrose  Broar.  and  Brother  Bourgier,  to  found  the 
Mission  of  St.  Mary's  of  Ganentaha.  On  the  7th 
of  May,  1656,  these  missionaries  with  a  force  com- 
posed of  four  nations,  French,  Onondagas,  Senecas, 
and  a  few  Hurons,  embarked  in  shallops  and 
canoes  for  Onondaga.  On  their  departure  from 
port  they  were  cheered  by  the  acclamations  of  a 
great  multitude  who  had  gathered  on  the  shore,  all 
regarding  them  with  compassionate  and  trembling 
hearts  as  so  many  victims  destined  to  the  flames  or 
to  the  fierce  rage  and  torture  of  the  Iroquois.  They 
arrived  at  Three  Rivers  on  the  20th  of  May,  and 
on  the  31st  at  Montreal  ;  on  the  8th  of  June,  hav- 
ing abandoned  their  shallops  on  account  of  the 
rapids  of  La  Chine,  they  embarked  in  twenty 
canoes  ;  on  their  flag  of  beautiful  white  cloth  was 
painted  in  large  letters  the  name  "  Jhsi's,"  which  a 
band  of  Mohawks  on  the  rapids  recognized  and 
accosted  the  voyagers.  The  Onondagas  received  the 
Mohawks  with  curses,  reproached  them  with  treason 
and  robbery,  seized  their  canoes  and  arms  and 
whatever  was  best  of  their  equipments,  in  retalia- 
tion for  having  been  robbed  by  the  same  party  a 
few  days  before.  Without  other  incident  of  im- 
portance, they  pursued  their  journey,  and  on  the 
I  ith  of  July,  at  3  o'clock,  arrived  on  the  shore  of 
Lake  Ononilaga,  at  the  spot  which  had  been  selected 
for  their  mission  house  by  Fathers  Chaumonot  and 
Dablon.  Here  many  of  the  old  men  and  chiefs  of 
the  Onondagas  awaited  them.  The  Te  Deum  was 
chanted  and  holy  mass  celebrated  in  gratitude  for 
their  friendly  reception.  On  the  17th  they  com- 
menced the  erection  of  their  dwellings  and  a  fort 
for  their  soldiers. 

The  location  of  this  fort  and  mission  house  was 
on  the  east  shore  of  Onondaga  Lake,  on  lot  106  in 
the  town  of  Salina,  where  the  embankment  and 
outlines  of  the  fort  were  plainly  to  be  seen  by  the 
early  settlers.  The  well  in  that  vicinity  out  of 
which  they  drew  their  water  still  bears  the  name  of 
the  "  Jesuits's  Well." 

For  a  while  the  mission  was  quite  prosperous ; 
other  missions  branched  out  from  it  among  the 
Cayugas  and  Senecas  ;  the  second  year  the  increas- 
ing interest  required  the  enlargement  of  the  chapel  ; 
the  missionaries  entertained  hopes  of  the  sjieedy 
conversion  of  multitudes  of  the  Indians.  Hut  while 
they  were  indulging  these  fond  anticipations,  the 
renewal  of  border  wars  e.xcited  the  slumbering  ven 
geance  of  the  Moliawks,  who  induced  the  Ononda- 
gas to  enter  into  a  conspiracy  for  the  destruction  of 
the  French  mission.  The  plot  was  revealed  by  a 
friendly  Indian,  and  the  French  escaped  by  the  fol- 
lowing ingenious  method : 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


21 


Being  forewarned  of  the  intended  massacre,  they 
had  prepared  to  escape  in  the  night,  if  they  could 
avoid  exciting  the  suspicions  of  the  Indians,  by 
means  of  several  light  boats  which  they  had  secretly 
constructed  in  the  storehouse  of  the  mission.  The 
opportunity  was  furnished  them  by  the  ingenuity  of 
a  young  man,  very  much  a  favorite  with  the  head 
chief,  who  feigned  to  have  a  dream  that  the  chief 
must  provide  a  general  feast,  after  the  custom  of  the 
Indian  nation.  The  rule  of  politeness  required  that 
they  should  eat  all  that  was  set  before  them,  and  the 
consequence  was  that  they  often  became  gorged  and 
stupefied.  So  it  was  on  this  occasion.  The  feast 
was  prepared  ;  all  had  eaten  to  surfeiting  ;  the  young 
man  played  on  his  guitar  to  soothe  them  into  the 
profound  slumber  that  was  soon  to  follow.  In  a  lit- 
tle while  they  were  all  asleep,  and  before  they  awoke 
the  Frenchmen  had  shipped  their  boats  and  were 
far  away  beyond  their  reach.  In  the  morning  they 
supposed  the  French  had  been  sleeping  as  pro- 
foundly as  themselves,  and  it  was  not  until  they  had 
examined  the  premises  that  they  discovered  that 
their  intended  victims  had  fled.  If  the  missionaries 
had  been  alone  in  the  work  in  which  they  were  en- 
gaged, they  would  at  all  times  have  been  safe  in  the 
hands  of  the  savages,  but  the  rival  governments  of 
France  and  England  continually  thwarted  their  en- 
deavors and  rendered  the  lives  of  all  at  times  inse- 
cure. 

When  the  Mohawk  conspiracy  had  died  away  and 
the  Onondagas  becoming  sorry  for  having  given 
the  French  reason  to  doubt  their  sincerity,  and  feel- 
ing the  loss  they  had  sustained  in  driving  them 
away,  the  principal  chief  sent  an  invitation  to  them 
again  to  establish  themselves  among  them.  In 
1665,  a  number  of  French  families  returned,  under 
the  guidance  of  the  missionaries,  and  settled  near 
the  Indian  fort  and  village  which  stood  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  the  present  village  of  Jamesville.  The  mission 
here  established  was  that  of  Ste.  Jean  Baptiste. 
The  chapel  was  built  in  1666  by  the  famous  chief, 
Gar-a-kon-tie,  who  was  a  converted  and  truly  Chris- 
tian Indian.  Father  Le  Mercier,  in  Relation  1667, 
says  of  him  :  "  As  he,  [Father  Julian  Gamier,]  had 
declared  to  them  [the  Onondagas,]  that  he  could 
not  remain  alone  and  without  a  chapel,  Gar-a-kon-tie, 
that  famous  captain  of  whom  we  have  spoken  before 
in  preceding  relations,  resolved  to  gratify  him  to  the 
utmost  of  his  wishes.  In  fact,  in  a  few  days  he 
built  a  chapel,  and  immediately  after  undertook  a 
voyage  to  Quebec  to  visit  the  Governor  of  Canada, 
who  had  long  desired  to  see  this  great  and  good 
man,  so  obliging  towards  the  French.  One  princi- 
pal object  of  his  visit  was  to  take  away  with  him 


some  of  the  Fathers,  whom  he  wished  to  conduct 
into  his  own  country."* 

In  1669  the  French  and  the  Iroquois  were  again 
at  war.  "  The  harvests  of  New  France  could  not 
be  gathered  in  safety,  the  convents  were  insecure, 
and  many  of  the  inhabitants  prepared  to  return  to 
France.  In  moments  of  gloom  it  seemed  as  if  all 
must  be  abandoned.  True,  religious  zeal  was  still 
active.  Le  Moyne,  who  had  been  driven  from 
among  the  Mohawks,  once  more  appeared  and  was 
received  with  affection  by  the  Onondagas.  Peace 
ensued.  England  came  into  possession  of  the  New 
Netherlands.  In  1684,  the  Five  Nations  met  the 
governors  of  New  York  and  Virginia  at  Albany, 
and  the  sachems  returned  to  nail  the  arms  of  the 
Duke  of  York  over  their  castle,  a  protection  as  they 
thought  against  the  French,  an  acknowledgment,  as 
the  English  deemed,  of  British  sovereignty."  The 
Governor  of  Canada,  meantime,  with  six  hundred 
French  soldiers,  four  hundred  Indian  allies,  four 
hundred  canoes,  and  three  hundred  men  for  a  gar- 
rison, started  for  Onondaga.  But  the  army  suffered 
from  sickness,  and  after  arriving  on  the  soil  of  the 
Onondagas,  he  was  constrained  to  sue  for  peace. 
The  English  desired  the  Five  Nations  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  this  situation  and  exterminate  the  French. 
But  such  was  not  their  policy  ;  they  desired  to  play 
one  party  oft"  against  the  other,  while  they  them- 
selves held  the  balance  of  power.  An  Onondaga 
chief  proudly  said  to  the  Convoy  of  New  York : 
"  Yonnondio  (the  French  Governor)  has  for  ten 
years  been  our  father  ;  Corlear  (the  English  Gover- 
nor) has  long  been  our  brother,  but  it  is  because  we 
have  willed  it  so  ;  neither  the  one  nor  the  other  is 
our  master.  He  who  made  the  world  gave  us  the 
land  on  which  we  dwell  ;  we  are  free  ;  you  call  us 
subjects  ;  we  say  we  are  brethren  ;  we  must  take 
care  of  ourselves.  I  will  go  to  my  father,  for  he  has 
come  to  my  gate  and  desires  to  speak  words  of 
reason.  We  will  embrace  peace,  instead  of  war  ; 
the  ax  shall  be  thrown  into  a  deep  water."  To  De 
la  Barre,  the  French  commander,  the  chief  said : 
"  It  is  well  for  you  that  you  have  left  under  ground 
the  hatchet  which  has  so  often  been  dyed  with  the 
blood  of  the  French  ;  our  children  and  old  men 
had  carried  their  bows  and  arrows  into  the  heart  of 
your  camp,  if  our  braves  had  not  kept  them  back ; 
our  old  men  are  not  afraid  of  war  ;  we  will  guide 
the  English  to  our  lakes  ;  we  are  born  free  ;  we 
depend  neither  on  Yonnondio  nor  Corlear."  Dis- 
mayed, the  proud  Governor  of  Canada  accepted  a 
disgraceful  peace,  leaving  his  Indian  allies  to  the 
tender  mercies  of  the  Iroquois. 

*  Clark's   Onondaga,  p.  190. 


22 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


After  the  establishmciii  oi  I'ort  Niagara  by  the 
French,  Louis  XI\'  wrote  to  the  Governor  of  New 
France  to  capture  as  many  of  the  able  bodied 
Iroquois  as  he  could  and  send  them  to  France  to 
work  in  the  galleys  as  slaves,  saying,  "  Uo  what 
you  can  to  capture  a  large  number  of  them  as  pris- 
oners of  war,  and  ship  them  to  France."  By  open 
hostilities  no  captures  could  be  made,  and  Lamber- 
ville,  the  missionary  among  the  Onondagas,  was 
unconsciously  employed  to  decoy  them  into  the  fort 
on  Ontario.  Accordingly,  being  invited  to  nego- 
tiate a  treaty,  they  assembled  without  distrust,  and 
were  seized,  put  in  irons,  hurried  to  Quebec  and 
thence  to  France,  where  the  warrior  hunters  of  the 
Five  Nations  who  used  to  roam  from  Hudson's  Hay 
to  Carolina,  were  chained  to  the  oar  in  the  galleys 
of  Marseilles."  This  was  in  1687.  What  did  the 
outraged  Iroquois  do  with  this  missionary,  the  un- 
witting tool  of  tyrants  .'  Bancroft  says  :  "  Mean- 
while the  old  men  of  the  Onondagas  summoned 
Lamberville  to  their  presence.  '  W'e  have  much 
reason,'  said  an  aged  chief,  '  to  treat  thee  as  an  ene 
my,  but  we  know  thee  too  well :  thou  hast  betrayed 
us,  but  tre.ison  was  not  in  thine  heart  ;  fly,  there- 
fore, for  when  our  young  braves  shall  have  sung 
their  war  song,  they  will  listen  to  no  voice  but  the 
swelling  voice  of  their  anger.'  "  Trusty  guides  con- 
ducted the  missionary  through  by-paths  into  a  place 
of  security.  This  noble  forbearance  was  due  to  the 
counsel  of  Gar-a  kon-tie,  the  same  chief  who  built 
the  second  Onondaga  chaj^el  for  the  mission  of  St. 
John  the  Baptist.  "  Generous  barbarian  !  e.xclaims 
Bancroft ;  your  honor  shall  endure,  if  words  of  mine 
can  preserve  the  memory  of  your  deeds."  The 
Onondaga  Chief  Haas-kou-au.n,  at  once  appeared 
at  Montreal  at  the  head  of  twelve  hundred  warriors, 
demanding  as  a  .satisfaction  the  restoration  of  the 
chiefs  and  spoils  and  the  abandonment  of  the  fort 
at  Niagara.  Four  days  were  given  the  French  to 
decide.  Said  the  haughty  chief,  "  Our  warriors  pro- 
pose to  come  and  burn  your  forts,  your  houses, 
your  granges,  and  your  corn,  to  weaken  you  by 
famine,  and  then  to  overwhelm  you."  The  terms 
were  accepted  by  the  French,  the  restoration  of 
the  imprisoned  chiefs  conceded,  and  the  whole 
country  south  of  the  lakes  rescued  from  the  domin- 
ion of  Canada.  In  the  course  of  events  New  York 
owes  its  present  northern  boundary  to  this  exhibi- 
tion of  the  power  and  valor  of  the  Five  Nations.* 
All  but  a  little  corner  u(  the  County  of  Onondaga 
is  drained  into  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  but  for  these 
Indians  must  have  formed  a  part  of  Canada.f 

•  1  Bancfut't,  p. 431. 

f  Hon.  Gcorfe  GcJJci  Report,  1859. 


In  1694,  the  great  chief,  De-kan-is-so-ra,  visited 
Montreal  to  make  terms  of  peace  with  the  French. 
The  Count  de  Frontenac,  then  Governor,  refused  to 
treat  with  the  Five  Nations,  e.xccpt  on  conditions 
that  they  would  exclude  the  Knglish  entirely  from 
trading  in  their  territory.  This  the  Onondagas  re- 
fused to  consent  to,  whereupon  Frontenac  resolved 
to  put  the  whole  power  of  the  French  in  requisition 
and  by  one  decisive  blow  bring  them  to  terms. 
In  1696,  he  mustered  the  whole  force  that  France 
could  furnish  and  the  province  could  raise,  together 
with  such  Indian  allies  as  he  could  enlist,  and  after 
two  months  spent  in  the  trip,  arrived  with  his  flotilla 
on  Onondaga  Lake,  the  second  of  August.  The 
paraphernalia  of  the  army  made  a  grand  display. 
"  Banners  were  there,"  says  Hoffman,  "which  had 
been  unfurled  at  Steenkerk  and  Landen.and  rustled 
above  the  troops  that  Lu.xemburg's  trumpets  had 
guided  to  glory  when  Prince  VValdeck's  legions  were 
borne  down  beneath  his  furious  charge.  Nor  was  the 
enemy  that  this  gallant  host  was  seeking,  unworthy 
those  whose  swords  had  been  tried  in  some  of  the 
hardest  fought  fields  of  Europe.  They  had  bearded 
a  European  army  under  the  walls  of  Quebec,  shut 
up  another  for  weeks  within  the  defences  of  Mon- 
treal, with  the  same  courage  which  half  a  century 
after  vanquished  the  battalions  of  Dieskau  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  George. " 

The  French,  with  their  allies,  passed  up  Onon- 
daga Lake  in  two  divisions,  skirting  both  shores,  and 
finally  landing  at  the  cast  end,  sword  in  hand.  On 
the  third  of  August,  they  constructed  a  fort  and  left 
a  garrison  of  [40  men  to  guard  their  batteaux  and 
baggage.  This  fort  was  probably  at  the  place  now 
called  Green  Point,  or  at  the  site  of  St.  Mary's  of 
Ganentaha.  The  cannon  and  artillery  equipments 
were  hauled  across  the  marshes,  and  they  encamped 
at  the  Salt  Springs.  Their  movements  had  been 
discovered  by  scouts  and  were  fully  known  at  the 
Onondaga  villages.  No  assistance  could  be  obtained 
from  the  English,  and  resistance  to  such  a  vast  army 
was  idle.  The  Onondagas,  therefore,  resolved  to 
bend  before  the  storm  they  could  not  face.  On  the 
night  of  the  3d  of  August,  1696,  the  French  army 
saw  the  light  of  immense  fires  in  the  south.  The 
Indians,  adopting  the  tactics  of  Moscow,  were  des- 
troying their  own  property,  preferring  this  mode  of 
defence  to  direct  resistance.  When  the  French  ar- 
rived on  the  ground,  Frontenac  says  they  found 
"  the  cabins  of  the  Indians  and  the  triple  palisades 
which  circled  the  fort  entirely  burnt."  It  has  since 
been  learned  that  it  was  in  a  sufficiently  strong  state 
of  defence.  It  was  an  oblong  flanked  by  four  regu- 
lar  bastions.      The    two   rows   of    pickets    which 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


23 


touched  each  other  were  of  the  thickness  of  an  ordi- 
nary mast,  and  at  six  feet  distance  outside  stood  an- 
other palisade  of  much  smaller  dimensions,  but  from 
forty  to  fifty  feet  high.  The  corn  of  the  Ononda- 
gas,  in  their  fields,  stretching  "  from  a  league  and  a 
half  to  two  leagues  from  the  fort,"  was  completely 
cut  up  by  the  soldiers.  "  Not  a  single  head  re- 
mained," and  "  the  destruction  was  complete." 

The  Onondagas,  of  course,  could  not  brook  this 
wanton  destruction  long.  In  accordance  with  their 
custom  they  must  give  the  enemy  due  notice  that 
vengeance  would  not  be  delayed.  A  brave  old  war- 
rior volunteered  for  this  honorable  duty,  and  died 
without  a  groan  amidst  the  tortures  of  the  savage 
allies  of  the  French.  "  When  a  savage,  weary  of 
his  harangues,  gave  him  some  cuts  of  a  knife,"  "  I 
thank  thee,"  he  cried,  "  But  thou  oughtest  to  com- 
plete my  death  by  fire.  Learn,  French  dogs  and 
ye  savages,  their  allies,  that  ye  are  dogs  of"dogs  ; 
remember  what  ye  ought  to  do  when  ye  will  be  in 
the  same  position  that  I  am."  "  It  was,"  says  Charle- 
voix, "  a  strange  and  curious  spectacle,  to  see  many 
hundred  men  surrounding  a  decrepit  old  warrior, 
striving  in  vain,  by  tortures,  to  draw  a  groan  from 
him." 

The  barren  victory  of  Frontenac  resulted  in  great 
injury  to  the  French,  for  by  taking  away  the  militia 
of  Canada,  the  fields  were  left  uncultivated,  and  a 
famine  ensued  that  pinched  quite  as  hard  as  the  lack 
of  provisions  in  Onondaga. 


CHAPTER  VL 

The  Iroquois  and  the  English  —  Policv  of 
THE  English  Towards  the  Five  Nations 
— The  Onondagas  in  the  French  War — 
— Their  Status  in  the  Revolution  and  the 
War  of  181 2 — English  and  German  Missions 
among  the  Onondagas  —  Later  Missions — 
Schools — Treaties. 

THE  treaty  of  Ryswick,  which  made  peace  be- 
tween the  English  and  the  French,  was  signed 
September  10,  1697.  Soon  after  this,  French  com- 
missioners appeared  before  the  Onondaga  Castle. 
Peace  was  made,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the 
French.  "  Nothing  could  be  more  terrible  than 
this  last  war  ;  the  French  ate  their  bread  in  con- 
tinual fear.  No  man  was  sure,  when  out  of  his 
house,  of  ever  returning  to  it  again.  All  business 
and  trade  were  often  suspended,  while  fear,  despair 
and  misery  blanched  the  countenances  of  the 
wretched   inhabitants.*     The  Commissioners  took 

*  Clark's  Onondaga,  p.  283. 


with  them  to  Montreal  several  of  the  Onondaga 
chiefs.  They  were  received  with  every  mark  of  re- 
spect, and  were  treated  with  that  consideration 
which  brave  men  always  command. 

Before  the  peace  oi  Ryswick,  in  1697,  the  In- 
dians of  the  Five  Nations  had  become  the  allies  of 
the  English.  In  1689,  they  had  met  the  represen- 
tatives of  the  English  colonies,  the  Governors  of 
New  York  and  Virginia,  in  council  at  Albany,  and 
had  formally  pledged  to  them  peace  and  alliance. 
Although  the  French,  from  this  time  forward,  made 
the  most  strenuous  efibrts,  through  diplomacy  and 
religion,  to  gain  the  Five  Nations  over  to  their  in- 
terest, and  failing  in  that,  had  employed  the  best 
military  resources  of  New  France  for  their  subjuga- 
tion, yet  they  steadily  adhered  to  their  friendship 
for  the  English,  who  gradually  gained  the  ascend- 
ancy over  them  and  in  due  time  became  their  mas- 
ters. 

The  earliest  and  strongest  influence  of  the  Eng- 
lish was  exerted  over  the  Mohawks,  who  lived  in 
immediate  proximity  to  their  settlements  on  the 
Hudson  ;  hence  the  Mohawks  were  most  hostile  to 
the  French  and  were  often  in  open  war  upon  their 
frontiers  while  the  more  western  tribes  were  quietly 
listening  to  the  Jesuit  Fathers  within  the  sound  of 
Niagara,  in  the  forests  of  Cayuga  and  the  villages 
of  Onondaga.     Many  a  conflict  between  the  Mo- 
hawks and  the  other  tribes  of  the  Five  Nations 
originated    in    the   partiality  of  the  latter  for  the 
French.     At  length  the  English,  penetrating  farther 
into  the  country,  extending  trade  and  commerce  to 
the  diff"erent  tribes,  and  assisting  them  against  their 
common  enemies,  gradually  gained  an  ascendancy 
over  them,  and  an  alliance  was  formed  with  the 
United  Five  Nations  which  remained  an  indissolu- 
ble bond  of  union  through  all  the  conflicts  and  wars 
which  followed,  not  only  till  the  downfall  of  French 
power  in  Canada,  but  till  England  herself  surren- 
dered her  possessions  in  America  to  her  colonies. 
The  English  gained  their  ascendancy  over  the  Iro- 
quois, not  by  levying  war,  but  by  commerce  and 
assistance,  in  the  first  place,  and  then  by  negotia- 
tion and  the  arts  of  peace.     From  this  time  the 
Five  Nations  recognized  themselves  as  subjects  of 
Great  Britain  and  were  at  war  or  peace,  as  suited  the 
policy  of  the  governing  nation. 

Among  the  earliest  English  travelers  in  the  Iro- 
quois country  was  Wentworth  Greenhalgh,  who 
commenced  a  journey  westward  from  Albany  on  the 
28th  of  May,  1677.*  He  visited  the  Mohawks, 
Oneidas,  Onondagas,  Cayugas  and  Senecas,  and 
describes  minutely  in  his  journal  the  situation  and 

*  Chambers'  Political  Annals  of  the  United  Colonies,  London,  1780 


24 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


strength  of  each  nation.  The  Onondagas  he  found 
"  situated  on  a  hill  that  is  very  large,  the  bank  on 
each  side  extending  itself  at  least  two  miles,  all 
cleared  land  whereon  the  corn  is  planted."  This 
traveler  furnishes  the  following  census  of  the  "  fight- 
ing men"  of  the  respective  nations :  Mohawks  300  ; 
Oneidas,  200  •{  Onondagas,  350:  Cayugas,  300; 
Senccas,  i.oco;  total,  2,150. 

In  the  manuscripts  of  Sir  William  Johnson  there 
is  a  census  of  the  northern  and  western  Indians 
from  the  Pludson  to  the  Mississippi,  taken  in  1763, 
in  which  the  Five  Nations  appear  numerically  as 
follows:  Mohawks,  160  ;  Oneidas,  250;  Onondagas, 
150;  Cayugas,  200:  Senccas,  1,050;  total,  1,610 
warriors. 

In  1700,  Robert  Livingston,  Secretary  of  Indian 
affairs,  visited  Onondaga,  and  reported  to  the  Earl 
of  Belmont  upon  the  proper  policy  for  the  English 
to  adopt  in  regard  to  the  Five  Nations.  He  ad- 
vised that  missionaries  should  be  sent  among  them, 
and  that  forts  should  be  constructed  and  garrisoned 
for  their  protection  against  the  French.  He  pro- 
posed to  locate  a  fort  at  the  confluence  of  the  Oneida 
and  Seneca  Rivers.  In  June  of  that  year,  Dckan- 
nissora,  at  the  head  of  an  embassy,  visited  Albany 
complaining  that  the  French  "  will  not  take  the 
hatchet  from  their  hands"  unless  the  Five  Nations 
submit  to  them.  And  he  said,  "  All  of  us  here  are 
resolved  to  have  a  Protestant  minister  at  Onondaga, 
the  centre  of  the  Five  Nations,  as  soon  as  one  can 
be  sent  to  us."  The  Governor  promised  the  mis- 
sionary, and  that  the  bible  should  be  translated  for 
their  use.  and  proposed  that  they  should  send  two 
or  three  of  their  sons  to  be  educated  at  the  expense 
of  the  King.  The  Indians  replied  that  they  loved 
the  King  and  were  determined  to  continue  firm  to 
him  and  his  religion,  adding  that  they  had  refused 
to  receive  the  Jesuit  priests.  "As  to  the  offer  to 
educate  the  boys,"  said  the  chief,  "that  is  a  sub- 
ject not  under  our  control  ;  it  belongs  to  the  women 
entirely." 

At  this  council  the  Earl  of  Helmont  promised 
the  Onondagas  to  build  a  fort  in  their  country. 
Col.  Romer  was  selected  as  the  engineer  to  explore 
the  country  and  fi.x  upon  a  site  for  the  fort.  The 
Indians  agreed  to  furnish  two  hundred  men  to  work 
upon  it,  and  to  furnish  corn,  venison,  and  other  pro- 
visions for  the  workmen.  Four  young  Onondagas 
were  selected  to  accompany  Colonel  Romer  in  his 
exploring  expedition.  Colonel  Romer  explored  the 
Onondaga  country,  and  passed  down  till  he  came  to 
the  Oneida  River,  but  found  no  suitable  place  to 
locate  a  fort.  They  finally  decided  upon  the  ledge 
called  Kagnewagcage,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Oswe- 


go River,  as  the  most  suitable  site.  The  King  of 
England,  in  1701,  had  given  five  hundred  pounds 
towards  erecting  a  fort  in  the  country  of  the  Onon- 
dagas. The  fort  was  not  built  till  1727.  A  trading 
house,  however,  was  erected  at  Oswego  in  1722, 
under  the  administration  of  Governor  William  Bur 
net.  The  design  of  the  occupancy  of  this  position 
was  to  frustrate  the  purpose  of  the  French  to  con- 
fine the  English  colonies  to  narrow  limits  along  the 
sea  coast  by  a  chain  of  forts  extending  from  Canada 
to  Louisiana  ;  and  it  would  also  give  the  English 
command  of  Lake  Ontario  and  the  route  of  the 
French  by  the  Oswego  River  into  the  heart  of  the 
Ifoquois  country.  No  establishment  could  be  of 
greater  importance  to  the  interest  of  the  English. 
When,  therefore,  the  trading  house  was  erected  at 
Oswego  it  highly  exasperated  the  Canadian  authori- 
ties, and  they  immediately  inaugurated  a  counter 
moveifient  in  erecting  a  trading  house  at  Niagara. 
The  Baron  De  Longueil  visited  the  canton  of  the 
Onondagas  in  person  to  secure  the  consent  of  the 
chiefs,  and  by  misrepresentation  partially  succeeded. 
But  the  other  Iroquois  nations  declared  the  action 
of  the  Onondagas  void,  as  the  country  in  which  the 
French  were  at  work  belonged  solely  to  the  Senc- 
cas. The  French,  however,  persisted,  and  through 
the  influence  of  the  Jesuit,  Joucairc,  who  succeeded 
in  keeping  the  Indians  quiet,  completed  their  work 
at  Niagara.  Governor  Burnet,  unable  to  accom- 
plish anything  else,  erected  the  fort  at  Oswego  in 
1727.  He  built  it  almost  wholly  at  his  own  private 
expense.  The  Governor  of  Canada  was  so  incensed 
that  he  sent  a  written  order  to  the  officer  in  com- 
mand to  evacuate  the  fort  at  once.  The  English 
officer  did  not,  however,  comply. 

In  the  war  which  followed  between  the  French 
and  the  English,  the  defence  of  the  fort  at  Oswego 
was  entrusted  to  the  Onondagas.  When  Sir  Wil- 
liam Johnson  called  for  them  they  were  ready  and 
assisted  in  winning  the  glory  he  acquired.  At  Ni- 
agara. Montreal  and  Quebec,  they  participated  in 
the  great  engagements  which  decided  the  question 
of  empire  between  the  French  and  English  ;  and 
on  the  2 1  St  of  July,  1761,  after  the  war  had  closed 
and  all  the  French  possessions  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  English,  up- 
wards of  forty  of  the  sachems  and  warriors  of  the 
Onondaga  nation  met  Sir  William  Johnson  at  Os- 
wego, to  receive  the  medals  sent  to  all  their  chiefs, 
by  General  Amherst.  The  chiefs,  in  a  formal  ad- 
dress, took  that  occasion  to  remonstrate  against  the 
ill  treatment  many  of  their  people  had  received 
from  the  traders  and  soldiers  at  the  posts  during  the 
war.  and  the  cxhorbitant  prices  of  goods  charged 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


25 


by  the  traders.  Sir  William  promised  to  reform 
abuses  and  furnish  them  plenty  of  powder  and  ball, 
which  proved  very  agreeable  to  the  chiefs. 

In  the  war  of  the  Revolution  these  Indians  steadi- 
ly adhered  to  the  friendship  which  had  been  so  long 
cemented  between  them  and  the  English,  and  were 
the  faithful  allies  of  Great  Britain  throughout  that 
memorable  struggle.  Mr.  Clinton  says  that  in  the 
war  of  the  Revolution  the  Five  Nations  contributed 
to  the  aid  of  the  British  1,580  men.  "They  hung 
like  the  scythe  of  death  in  the  rear  of  our  settle- 
ments, and  their  deeds  are  inscribed  with  the  scalp- 
ing knife  and  the  tomahawk,  in  characters  of  blood, 
on  the  fields  of  Wyoming  and  Cherry  Valley,  and 
on  the  banks  of  the  Mohawk."* 

The  chastisement  we  inflicted  upon  the  Five 
Nations  was  as  terrible  as  their  own  cruelties  had 
invoked.  On  the  21st  of  April,  1779,  Colonel  Van 
Schaick  surprised  the  Onondagas  and  destroyed 
their  village,  provisions  and  munitions  of  war,  kill- 
ing twelve  and  taking  thirty  or  forty  prisoners.  The 
destruction  of  their  property  was  complete.  The 
same  year  the  campaigns  of  Sullivan  carried  war 
and  famine  to  the  Cayugas  and  Senecas,  effectually 
breaking  the  power  of  the  Iroquois.  The  Mohawks 
fled  to  Canada  with  Sir  William  Johnson. 

The  treaty  of  peace  with  England  gave  us  the 
chain  of  the  great  lakes  as  our  northern  boundary. 
No  stipulation  whatever  was  made  respecting  these 
tribes.  They  consequently  found  themselves  in  the 
condition  of  a  conquered  people  in  the  hands  of 
their  enemies  who  had  become  highly  exasperated 
at  their  dreadful  cruelties.  The  Legislature  of  New 
York  evinced  a  disposition  to  e.xpel  them  all  from 
their  territory,  but  wiser  and  more  humane  counsels 
prevailed.  Through  the  influence  of  Generals 
Washington  and  SchuyJer  they  were  saved  from 
total  ruin.  The  treaty  made  at  Fort  Stanwix  in 
1784,  by  commissioners  of  the  government  and  the 
Indians,  secured  sufficient  reservations  of  land  to 
all  the  tribes,  except  the  Mohawks  who  had  gone  to 
Canada.  But  this  treaty  appeared  hard  to  the 
Indians,  who  had  gone  into  the  war  at  the  command 
of  a  government  they  felt  bound  to  obey,  and  that 
had  so  shamefully  neglected  them  in  the  final  set- 
tlement. After  this  their  prowess  was  gone,  and 
their  martial  spirit  entirely  broken.  Some  of  them 
assisted  the  Western  Indians  in  the  wars  under 
Harmar,  St.  Clair  and  Wayne,  being  led  by  Brant, 
the  great  captain  of  the  Five  Nations  ;  and  when 
the  gallant  Wayne  turned  the  victory  in  favor  of 
the  Americans,  Ohekungh  and  Oundiaga,  chiefs  of 


the  Onondagas,  were  there  ;  the  latter  left  his  bones 
to  bleach  on  the  plains  of  the  Miamis. 

After  this  noted  victory,  the  Onondagas  clearly 
saw  the  folly  of  cherishing  any  longer  a  hostile  dis- 
position towards  their  immediate  neighbors.  They 
settled  down  in  quiet,  determined  to  submit  with 
fortitude  to  their  fate. 

During  the  war  of  18 12,  when  our  Niagara  fron- 
tier had  become  a  scene  in  which  the  tomahawk 
and  scalping  knife  were  playing  their  part,  General 
Peter  D.  Porter  called  on  the  remnant  of  this  people 
for  a  force  that  might  be  successfully  opposed  to  the 
Canadian  Indians.  A  council  was  held  to  which  all 
the  tribes  were  invited,  and  all  came  except  the 
Mohawks.  It  was  resolved  to  aid  the  United  States 
with  all  their  force.  By  the  ancient  usage  of  the 
Five  Nations,  the  Mohawks  were  to  furnish  the 
Commander-in-Chief,  but,  as  they  had  left  the  con- 
federacy, it  was  necessary  to  depart  from  the  usage 
and  elect  one  in  general  council.  Debate  ran  high, 
until  the  celebrated  Sa-goy-a-\vat-ha  (Red  Jacket) 
settled  the  matter  by  proposing  Hog-a-hoa-qua 
(La  Fort,)  an  Onondaga  chieftain.  He  accepted 
the  post,  and  died  at  Chippewa,  having  received  his 
death  wound  while  bravely  leading  his  people.  His 
dying  words  were  expressive  of  his  gratification  at 
having  been  placed  at  the  head  of  his  nation  and 
having  done  his  duty  there.  The  braves  of  the 
of  the  Onondagas  gathered  around  the  prostrate 
hero,  and  exclaimed  in  their  own  language,  "Alas, 
the  great  chief!  the  brave  !  the  brave  !"* 

It  remains  now  to  consider  the  English  and  other 
later  missions  among  these  people. 

The  Jesuit  missions  began  sensibly  to  decline 
after  the  year  1700.  About  this  time  the  English 
began  to  interest  themselves  in  planting  Protestant 
Christianity  among  the  Five  Nations.  The  Earl  of 
Belmont,  then  Governor  of  New  York,  proposed  a 
fort  and  a  chapel  at  Onondaga,  and  King  William 
sent  over  a  set  of  plate  for  communion  service  and 
furniture  for  the  proposed  chapel.  But  this  plan 
was  interrupted  by  the  death  of  the  King  in  1702, 
and  was  renewed  by  Queen  Anne,  who  became  a 
zealous  patron  of  missions  among  the  Five  Nations. 
This  good  queen  ordered  the  erection  of  a  chapel 
among  the  Mohawks  and  contemplated  a  similar 
work  among  all  the  Five  Nations.  The  Mohawk 
chapel  was  built  of  stone,  and  was  erected  at  Fort 
Hunter  in  17 10.  The  queen  presented  the  chapel 
with  a  solid  silver  communion  set, bearing  the  follow- 
ing inscription  :  "The  gift  of  Her  Majesty,  Anne,  by 
the  Grace  of  God,  of  Great  Britain,  France  and  Ire- 


CUrk's  Onondaga. 
4* 


*  Webster  received  his  last  words  while  acting  as  aid  to  Gen.  Brown, 

to  carry  orders  to  the  Indians,  he  understanding  their  language. 


26 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


land,  QuEHN,  to  her  Indian  Chapel  of  the  Mohawks." 
A  similar  service  was  engraved  for  the  Onondagas, 
but,  from  some  cause,  it  seems  never  to  have  reached 
its  destination.  On  the  plate  presented  to  the  Mo- 
hawks was  the  date  1712.  Portions  of  the  same 
scr\'ice  arc  still  in  use  at  the  Mohawk  mission  in 
Canada. 

Among  the  Onondagas,  missions  were  established 
by  the  Moravians  or  United  Brethren,  in  1750. 
Heckwalder,  the  Indian  historian,  says  :  "  The  most 
remarkable  occurrence  of  1750  was  the  journey  of 
Bishop  CammcrhofT  and  Brother  David  Zcisberger 
to  Onondaga,  the  chief  town  of  the  Iroquois.  They 
set  out  from  Bethlehem"  (Pennsylvania,  where  they 
had  founded  a  mission  in  1740,)  "on  the  14th  of 
May,  having  obtained  a  passport  from  the  Governor 
of  Pennsylvania,  requesting  all  the  subjects  of  the 
British  Government  to  forward  their  undertaking. 
•  •  •  On  the  19th  of  June,  they  reached  Onon- 
daga, situated  in  a  very  pleasant  and  beautiful 
country  and  consisting  of  five  small  towns  or  vil- 
lages "  The  account  goes  on  to  say  that  the  Bishop 
and  his  associate  were  received  at  the  great  council 
as  the  deputies  of  the  Church  of  the  United  Breth- 
ren. Permission  was  granted  them  to  keep  their 
missionaries  at  Onondaga  one  or  two  years  to  learn 
the  language  of  the  people.  The  Brethren  returned 
to  spend  the  winter  in  Bethlehem,  and  the  year  fol- 
lowing appeared  again  among  the  Onondagas,  by 
whom  they  were  very  cordially  received  and  lodged 
in  the  chief's  house.  All  things  went  prosperously 
for  about  a  year,  when,  on  account  of  trouble  and 
war,  acting  upon  the  advice  of  the  council,  they 
returned  to  their  homes. 

In  1754,  Zeisbcrger  returned  to  his  post  with  a 
brother  named  Charles  Frederick.  The  chief,  Can- 
NAS-SK-T.\-GO,  adopted  him  as  his  son,  and  he  had 
great  influence  with  the  Onondagas.  He  became 
an  eminent  Onondaga  scholar.  In  1768,  he  wrote 
and  completed  two  grammars,  one  in  English,  the 
other  in  German,  adapted  to  the  Indian  language,  a 
copious  dictionary  of  German  and  Indian,  contain- 
ing seven  quarto  manuscript  volumes  of  more  than 
seventeen  hundred  and  seventy  pages  of  writing, 
and  in  1776  he  published  a  spelling  book,  other  pri- 
mary books  for  learners,  and  Juvenile  devotional 
books.  We  find  no  permanent  fruits  of  this  mission 
or  that  it  was  ever  re-established,  although  feebly 
continued  for  several  years. 

The  mission  of  Rev.  Samuel  Kirkland  among  the 
Oneidas  began  in  August.  1766.  Mr.  Kirkland  re- 
mained among  them  for  over  forty  years.  During 
this  time  his  influence  spread  all  over  the  Iroquois 
country,  and  many  of  all  the  different  tribes  learned 


from  him  the  doctrines  and  precepts  of  the  Gospel. 
At  the  commencement  of  the  Revolution  he  re- 
moved his  family  to  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  for  safety, 
while  he  continued  his  mission  among  the  Onei- 
das. His  influence  over  them  contributed  materi- 
ally to  secure  their  neutrality,  and  in  several 
instances,  their  friendship  and  service,  during  the 
Revolutionary  struggle.  In  1779,  he  was  Brigade 
Chaplain  with  General  Sullivan  in  his  Indian  cam- 
paign, and  was  chaplain  to  the  garrison  at  Fort 
Schuyler  and  other  posts.  Messrs  Phelps  and 
Gorham,  large  purchasers  of  land  in  Western  New 
York,  deeded  him  two  thousand  acres  of  land  for 
his  valuable  services,  situated  in  township  No.  7, 
Ontario  county.  Mr.  Kirkland  was  a  native  of  Nor- 
wich, Conn  ,  in  which  town  he  was  born  December 
I,  1 74 1.  He  was  one  of  the  most  widely  useful  and 
influential  among  his  class  of  devoted  and  self-sac- 
rificing pioneer  missionaries.  Out  of  his  "  Plan  of 
Education  for  the  Indians,"  projected  in  1792,  grew 
the  Hamilton  Oneida  Academy,  which  was  incor- 
porated early  in  1793,  and  in  18 10  became  Hamilton 
College.  Mr.  Kirkland  endowed  the  Academy  with 
valuable  donations  of  land.  He  was  a  man  of  un- 
bounded benevolence  and  hospitality.  He  loved  the 
Indians  and  was  loved  by  them  most  sincerely  in 
return.  He  died  in  the  78th  year  of  his  age,  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1808,  and  was  buried  in  a  private  ground 
near  his  residence  in  Clinton. 

The  first  person  connected  with  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  who  called  the  attention  of  the 
Onondagas  to  the  subject  of  religion,  was  Mr. 
Eleazer  Williams,  lay  reader,  catechist  and  school- 
master among  the  Oneidas.  By  the  request  of 
several  of  the  Onondaga  chiefs,  he  visited  that  nation 
first,  on  the  31st  of  March,  1816.  He  says  in  his 
journal :  "They  gave  me  no  time  to  refresh  myself, 
but  hurried  me  oft"  to  their  council  house,  to  hear, 
as  they  said.  '  The  words  of  Him  who  dwells  in 
hhavai' "  These  visits  were  followed  by  Rev. 
Timothy  Clowes,  Rector  of  St.  Peter's  Church, 
Albany,  who  pn  the  18th  of  July,  1816,  preached 
and  administered  the  sacrament.  He  baptized 
eht't/i  children  of  the  Onondagas.  In  July,  1817, 
they  were  visited  by  Mr.  Eleazer  Williams,  Rev. 
Wm.  A.  Clark  and  Rev.  Ezekiel  G.  Gear.  Baptism 
was  administered  by  Rev.  Mr.  Clark  to  fifteen,  and 
by  Rev.  Mr.  Gear  to  four  ox  five.  Mr.  Gear  con- 
tinued to  preach  frequently  among  the  Onondagas 
so  long  as  he  lived  at  "  the  Hill "  Indians  fre- 
quently came  there  for  public  worship  and  brought 
their  children  to  be  baptized  in  presence  of  the 
congregation.  Several  couples  were  also  married 
publicly  in  the  church.     Others,  among  whom  was 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


27 


one  principal  chief,  were  publicly  baptized,  and 
these  were  all  confirmed  at  Oneida,  on  some  occa- 
sion when  the  church  there  was  visted  by  Bishop 
Hobart. 

It  was  at  the  instance  of  Mr.  Gear  that  a  school 
was  opened  at  Onondaga  by  one  of  their  own  people 
— Mary  Doxtator,  who  had  been  educated  by  the 
Quakers  at  Philadelphia,  and  had  opened  an  indus- 
trial school  at  Oneida,  in  which  she  taught  the 
Indian  women  how  to  sew  and  spin  and  to  weave 
blankets  and  coverlets.  This  lady  was  induced  by 
Mr.  Gear  to  attempt  the  same  among  the  Onon- 
dagas,  which  she  did  with  considerable  success  in 
1820.  She  died  two  or  three  years  after  the  open- 
ing of  her  school,  among  the  Onondagas,  her  own 
people. 

This  Episcopal  missionary  work  ceased  among 
the  Onondagas  with  the  retirement  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Gear,  and  they  were  without  religious  instruction 
till  the  Methodists  founded  a  Mission  at  Oneida  in 
1829,  Occasional  services  were  from  this  time 
held  among  the  Onondagas  with  but  little  success, 
on  account  of  the  influence  of  the  "  Pagan  Party." 
The  head  men  of  the  nation  were  opposed  to  the 
establishment  of  schools  and  churches  among  them, 
and  it  was  not  until  the  year  1 841,  that  anything  like 
a  regular  organization  was  formed.  At  this  time 
nine  members  joined  a  class  formed  by  Rev.  Ros- 
man  Ingals,  who  had  been  appointed  a  missionary 
to  the  Oneidas  and  Onondagas.  The  communion 
vv^as  administered  at  Onondaga  Castle  after  the 
form  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  from 
the  1st  of  August,  1842,  the  Onondagas  had  preach- 
ing every  third  Sunday.  In  1842.  the  natives  pro- 
cured and  fitted  up  a  building  in  which  services 
were  held  till  1846,  when  the  new  school  house  was 
built  and  became  also  the  sanctuary  of  religion. 
Rev.  Daniel  Fancher  officiated,  preaching  three 
Sundays  each  month.  After  the  commencement 
of  Mr.  Fancher's  ministry,  the  number  of  com- 
municants increased  rapidly.  In  184S,  at  which 
time  a  new  and  commodious  church  was  erected^ 
costing  over  a  thousand  dollars,  there  was  not  less 
than  si.xty  who  received  regularly  the  bread  of  life. 

In  1845,  a  very  respectable  lady.  Miss  Mary 
Hitchcock,  was  induced  to  open  a  school  on  the 
Reservation  exclusively  for  Indian  children.  Her 
efforts  were  unwearied,  and  attended  with  measur- 
able success,  the  school  being  supported  mainly  by 
contributions  of  benevolent  white  patrons.  She 
boarded  herself  and  kept  the  school  in  the  church 
building.  In  April,  1846,  an  act  was  passed  by  the 
Legislature  authorizing  the  Indian  Agent  to  cause 
to  be  built  and  furnished  a  suitable  and  sufficient 


school  house  on  the  Onondaga  Reservation,  at  an 
expense  not  exceeding  three  hundred  dollars.  The 
sum  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  was  annually 
appropriated  for  a  term  of  five  years,  for  the  pay- 
ment of  teachers'  wages  and  other  expenses.  The 
following  year  a  school  house  was  completed  and 
school  opened  under  favorable  auspices  by  Mr.  L. 
B.  Whitcomb.  In  1849,  Rev.  Rosman  Ingals  had 
charge  of  the  school.  The  district  officers  were  of 
the  Indians,  assisted  by  the  Agent,  Town  Super- 
intendent and  Teacher,  who  managed  the  school 
with  benefit  to  themselves  and  credit  to  the  nation. 

The  Indian  children  are  bright,  and  in  many 
branches  show  as  much  aptitude  to  learn  as  Ameri- 
cans ;  but  the  chief  hindrance  to  their  education 
lies  in  their  unwillingness  to  attend  school.  Not 
more  than  half  the  number  of  suitable  age  are  found 
in  attendance. 

The  Onondagas  made  the  following  treaties  with 
the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York : 

First — The  treaty  of  Fort  Schuyler  (formerly 
Fort  Stanwix)  made  by  the  commissioners  on  behalf 
of  the  State,  His  Excellency,  George  Clinton, 
Governor,  William  Floyd,  Ezra  L.  Hommedien, 
Richard  Varick,  Samuel  Jones,  Egbert  Benson,  and 
Peter  Gansevoort,  Jr., — wherein  the  Onondaga 
nation  ceded  to  the  State  of  New  York  all  their 
lands  in  said  State,  except  the  Reservation  bounded 
as  follows  :  Beginning  at  the  southerly  end  of  the 
salt  lake,  at  the  place  where  the  river  or  stream,  on 
which  the  Onondagas  now  have  their  village,  empties 
into  the  said  lake,  and  running  from  the  said  place 
of  beginning  east  three  miles  ;  thence  southerly 
according  to  the  general  curve  of  said  river  until  it 
shall  intersect  a  line  running  east  and  west  at  the 
distance  of  three  miles  south  from  said  village ; 
thence  from  the  said  point  of  intersection  west  nine 
miles ;  thence  northerly  parallel  to  the  second 
course  above  mentioned,  until  an  east  line  will 
strike  the  place  of  beginning  ;  and  thence  east  to 
the  said  place  of  beginning. 

The  cession  in  this  treaty  was  made  in  considera- 
tion of  one  thousand  French  crowns  in  money  and 
two  hundred  pounds  in  clothing  at  the  price  which 
the  same  cost  the  people  of  New  York. 

Second — A  treaty  made  at  Onondaga  by  John 
Cantine  and  Simeon  DeWitt,  November  18,  1793, 
wherein  the  Onondagas  ceded  to  the  State  a  por- 
tion of  their  Reservation  comprised  in  two  tracts 
described  in  the  treaty  (Clark's  Onondaga,  vol.  i,  p. 
353.)  The  State  paid  the  Indians  four  hundred 
and  ten  dollars  as  a  perpetual  annuity  for  this  por- 
tion of  their  Reservation. 

Third— K  treaty  held  at  Cayuga  Ferry,  by  Phillip 


2a 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Schuyler,  John  Cantinc,  David  Brooks  and  John 
Richardson,  July  28,  1795,  wherein  the  above 
annuity  was  changed  to  a  perpetual  annuity  of  eight 
hundred  dollars,  and  the  Onondagas  also  ceded  their 
right  in  the  Salt  Springs  and  one  mile  of  land 
around  the  same,  together  with  a  half  mile  tract  of 
land  between  the  northern  boundary  of  the  Reserva- 
tion and  the  Salt  Springs.  In  this  transaction  the 
State  paid  the  Indians  five  hundred  dollars  for  their 
right  in  the  Salt  Springs,  and  two  hundred  dollars 
for  the  half  mile  of  land,  with  an  annuity  of  one 
hundred  bushels  of  salt  to  be  delivered  annually  on 
the  first  day  of  June  in  each  year  forever. 

Fourth— Ai  a  treaty  made  at  Albany,  February 
25,  1817,  the  Onondagas  sold  and  conveyed  the 
following  described  lands,  viz  :  "All  that  certain 
tract  of  land  reserved  for  them  in  former  reser\-a- 
tions  known  as  the  Onondaga  Residaue  Resenation" 
This  land  lies  cast  of  the  present  Reservation  con- 
sisting of  twenty-seven  lots  of  from  one  hundred 
and  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  each, 
amounting  in  all  to  about  four  thousand  acres.  One 
thousand  dollars  was  paid  down,  with  an  annuity  of 
four  hundred  and  thirty  dollars  and  fifty  bushels  of 
salt. 

I-'i/lh— On  the  1  ith  of  February,  1822,  at  a  treaty 
held  at  Albany,  they  sold  eight  hundred  acres  more 
of  their  land,  from  the  south  end  of  the  Onondaga 
Residence  Reservation,  for  the  sum  of  seventeen 
hundred  dollars. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Migrations  of  the  Onondagas — Location  of 
TiiKiK  Various  Town  Sites — Period  of  their 
RrsiDKNCK  in  Kach  Locai.itv. 

GKN.  JOHN  S.  CLARK,  of  Auburn,  who  has 
devoted  much  time  to  antiquarian  research 
respecting  the  aborigines  of  this  county,  has  shown 
conclusively  that  the  Onondagas  were  a  migratory 
people,  and  that  they  occupied  tliffercnt  portions  of 
our  territory  at  different  periods,  beginning  with 
their  most  easterly  settlement,  just  prior  to  the  be- 
ginning of  the  historic  period,  or  about  the  year 
1620,  we  shall  follow  General  Clark  in  the  inverse 
order  of  his  argument,  and  note  the  points  at  which 
he  locates  the  homes  of  the  Onondagas  at  difl'erent 
periods. 

After  crossing  the  valley  of  the  east  branch  of 
the  Limestone  we  find  other  town  sites  indicating 
an  earlier  occupation,  but  of  like  character  and  mag- 
nitude as  those  to  the  west.  The  jnost  important 
of  these  is  the  one  found  on  lot  twenty-three,  on  the 


dividing  line  between  Onondaga  and  Madison  coun- 
ties. This  contains  about  ten  acres  of  land  and 
was  originally  enclosed  by  a  stockade.  All  the  facts 
point  unerringly  to  the  conclusion,  that  this  was  the 
position  occupied  previous  to  that  on  Indian  Hill, 
probably  from  about  1620  to  1650.  This  migratory 
line  can  be  continued  indefinitely,  step  by  step,  to 
the  east  and  north,  extending  along  the  eastern  ex-  , 
tremity  of  Lake  Ontario  to  the  St.  Lawrence.  In  \ 
Madison  county  we  find  the  point  apparently,  whence 
the  Oneidas  branched  oflf  from  the  Onondagas,  and 
swinging  around  by  successive  removals  in  an  east- 
erly and  northerly  direction,  finally  settled  down  at 
Oneida  Castle,  at  about  the  same  period  that  the 
Onondagas  were  in  the  Onondaga  valley. 

Another  period  of  fifty  years  introduces  us  to  a 
series  of  facts  that  cannot   possibly  be  reconciled 
with  a  supposed  residence  in  either  the  valley  of 
Onondaga  or  at  Jamesville.    In  1750  we  find  their 
castle  five  miles  from  Onondaga  Lake  ;  in  1700  we 
find  it  on  the  Ikitternut  creek,  and  eight  miles  from         1 
Onondaga  Lake.     We  rrow  come  to  authorities  in         ' 
like  manner  making  it  twelve  miles  from  the  Mis- 
sion site  of  St.  Mary  of  Ganentaha  on  the  cast  side 
of  Onondaga  Lake.     We   will    examine    a   few  of 
these  facts,  and,  if  possible,  by   going  back  to  the 
period  of  1650,  solve  this  new  difficulty. 

In  1654  the  Onondagas  were  visited  by  Le  Moyne 
by  way  of  Techiroguen,  at  the  foot  of  Oneida  Lake, 
and  by  Chaumonot  and  Dablon  in  the  succeeding 
year,  by  the  same  route  Dablon  returned  the  next 
March  from  Onondaga,  crossed  Oneida  Lake  on  the 
ice,  and  thence  took  the  usual  trail  to  Salmon  River.  I 
A  careful  study  of  their  journals  develops  the  fact 
that  Onondaga  then  was  ten  leagues  or  twenty-five 
miles  from  Techiroguen  by  way  of  regular  trail ; 
was  five  short  leagues  or  twelve  miles  from  the 
mission  site  of  St.  Mary's,  and  was  six  short  leagues 
from  Oneida  Lake,  or  about  fifteen  miles,  according 
to  Dablon's  journal. 

In  1G77,  while  living  in  the  same  position,  they 
were  visited  by  Mr.  Greenhalgh,  an  English  trader, 
who  finds  them  occupying  a  ver}'  large  town,  con- 
sisting of  about  one  hundred  and  forty  houses, 
situated  on  a  hill,  with  banks  on  each  side,  between 
which  the  town  extended  at  least  two  miles,  all 
cleared  land  and  on  which  corn  was  planted.  He 
also  says  they  were  thirty-six  miles  from  the  Onei- 
das' town  and  fifteen  miles  from  Oneida  Lake  ;  says 
the  town  was  not  stockaded,  and  makes  no  mention 
of  a  fort.  Taking  all  these  distances,  and  applying 
the  scale  to  the  map,  we  find  that  they  cut  each 
other  at  a  point  two  miles  south  of  the  village  of 
Manlius,  on  what  is  known  as  "Indian  Hill,"  be- 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


29 


tween  the  west  and  middle  branches  of  Limestone 
Creek.  This  position  is  fifteen  miles  from  Oneida 
Lake,  is  twelve  miles  from  St.  Mary's  of  Ganentaha, 
and  thirty-six  miles  from  the  residence  of  the 
Oneidas  in  1677,  and  ten  leagues  or  twenty-five 
miles  from  Techiroguen,  at  Brewerton. 

A  careful  examination  of  De  Witt  Clinton's, 
Schoolcraft's  and  Clark's  accounts  of  this  locality 
warrants  fully  the  conclusion  that  here,  in  1650, 
was  the  home  of  the  Onondagas,  and  occupied  dur- 
ing the  period  of  their  greatest  prosperity.  Here 
was  the  original  site  of  the  Mission  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist,  afterward  removed  to  their  residence  further 
west.  Here  it  was,  that  Garakontie  called  the 
Hurons  to  prayers  by  the  sound  of  a  bell,  the 
fragments  of  which  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  after- 
wards, were  turned  up  by  the  plow  to  bear  witness 
to  the  fact,  that  at  this  point  the  original  pioneers 
of  civilization  first  reared  the  cross  in  the  midst  of 
this  barbarous  people.  Here  Le  Moyne,  in  1654, 
with  a  single  companion,  courageously  entered  as 
an  embassador  to  negotiate  a  peace,  and  speaking 
to  the  assembled  sachems  of  the  nation  in  their 
own  tongue,  much  to  their  astonishment,  mentioned 
them  all  by  nations,  tribes,  families  and  individuals. 
Here  Chaumonot  the  next  year,  with  his  fascinating 
Italian  voice  and  fervid  eloquence,  carried  the 
council  bodily  on  a  wave  of  unqualified  admiration, 
that  led  them  to  declare  that  he  was  almost  the 
equal  of  an  Indian  orator.  In  this  valley  as  in  the 
others,  we  find  towns  of  minor  importance  extend- 
ing as  far  south  as  Delphi,  of  the  same  general  char- 
acter as  the  main  one  at  Indian  Hill,  all  furnishing  ar- 
ticles of  glass,  copper  and  iron,  showing  European 
intercourse,  and  from  the  general  character  of  the 
relics  showing  a  residence  of  about  the  same  period, 
and  by  the  same  people  ;  but  as  compared  with  more 
western  towns  they  show  distinctly  an  earlier  age 
of  occupation,  and  a  nearer  approach  to  the  pre- 
historic or  stone  age,  the  percentage  of  stone  im- 
plements increasing,  and  that  of  metalic  articles 
decreasing,  as  we  move  east.  We  here  find  speci- 
mens of  pottery  with  beautiful  designs  of  ornamen- 
tation, indicating  that  they  had  attained  a  high  posi- 
tion in  the  ceramic  arts. 

In  going  forward  half  a  century,  we  find  a  condi- 
tion of  historical  fact,  entirely  inconsistent  with  the 
idea  of  a  residence  in  Onondaga  Valley  ;  all  writers 
since  about  1720,  speak  of  them  as  being  in  the 
Onondaga  Valley,  and  five  miles  from  Onondaga 
Lake,  while  previous  to  that  time  they  represent 
them  as  eight  miles  from  the  lake,  or  from  Kaneenda 
at  its  southern  extremity.  Robert  Livingston  says 
in  1700:     *     *     *     "The  Onondagas  (who  must 


leave  their  Castle  speedily,  the  fire-wood  that  is 
near  being  consumed,")  «  *  *  ^^d  "you 
cannot  come  nearer  than  sixteen  miles  of  their 
Castle  by  water  except  you  go  around  by  Kane- 
enda," *  *  *  and  "that  Kaneenda  is  eight 
miles  from  their  Castle."*  Here  we  have  two  dis- 
tances furnished  from  given  points  —  one  eight 
miles  from  Onondaga  Lake,  the  other  sixteen  miles 
from  Oneida  Lake.  Again,  Robert  Livingston  and 
others,  as  commissioners,  in  their  report  in  April, 

1700,  "recommend  the  building  of  a  fort  at 
Kaneenda,  a  fishing  place  of  the  Onondagas  eight 
miles  from  their  Castle,  their  landing  place  when 
they  came  from  hunting  from  Lake  Ontario."!  James 
Bleeker  and  others  say  in   their  journal  in  June, 

1 70 1,  "The  Onondagas  would  receive  Mons.  Mar- 
recour  at  Kaneenda,  eight  miles  from  their  Castle."  J 
Col.  Romer,  an  English  engineer,  visited  them  in 
1700  to  select  a  suitable  place  for  building  a  fort,  and 
made  a  map  to  accompany  his  report,  which  hitherto 
was  supposed  to  have  been  lost,  but  fortunately,  has 
lately  been  discovered  in  the  British  Museum,  a 
copy  of  which  I  have  ;  on  this  map  the  main  town 
is  located  on  the  east  side  of  Butternut  Creek  as 
plainly  as  lines  could  designate  it. 

J.  Martin  Mack,  the  Moravian  Missionary  here- 
tofore mentioned,  while  on  his  way  to  Onondaga  by 
way  of  the  Mohawk  Valley,  says,  in  his  journal,  un- 
der date  of  August  20,  1752,  at  "  noon  some  In- 
dians, belonging  to  Onondaga,  met  us.  We  then 
came  to  a  place  where  many  posts  were  standing, 
from  which  we  concluded  that  a  town  must  have 
stood  there  formerly.  The  old  Seneca  told  Brother 
Zeisberger,  that  when  he  was  a  child  eight  years  of 
age,  Onondaga  stood  on  this  spot,  but  was  burned 
by  the  French.  In  the  afternoon  between  four  and 
five  o'clock  we  arrived  at  Onondaga." 

Sir  \Mlliam  Johnson  while  on  his  way  from  the 
East  to  Onondaga  in  1756,  says  in  his  journal,  un- 
der date  of  June  iS:  "The  Cayugas  sent  two 
messengers  from  Onondaga  who  met  Sir  William  at 
the  place  where  formerly  the  Onondagas  lived  about 
five  miles  from  ilieir  present  habitation.  Afterward 
arrived  at  Onondaga  and  from  thence  removed  his 
camp  to  the  site  of  Onondaga  Lake  about  five  miles 
from  their  Castle,  for  the  convenience  of  being  near 
his  batteaux  which  brought  the  presents  and  provi- 
sions."§  Many  other  authorities  can  be  adduced, 
showing  that  the  chief  town  or  Castle,  at  this  period 
was  five  miles  east  of  their  subsequent  location  in  On- 
ondaga Valley,  eight  miles  from  Kaneenda,  and  si.x- 


*Col.  Hist.  ix.  649. 
f  Col.  Hist.  iv.  655. 


J  Col.  Hist.  iv.  891. 
J  Col.  Hist.  vii.  133-4. 


30 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


teen  miles  from  Oneida  Lake,  but  those  already  pre- 
sented arc  deemed  quite  sufficient  to  demonstrate  be- 
yond the  possibility  of  question  that  the  main  village 
at  this  period  was  in  the  valley  of  Butternut  Creek 
south  of  Jamcsvilic.  These  distances  center  on  the 
farm  of  Mr.  O  M.  Atkins,  east  of  the  Reservoir  on  lot 
number  three.  An  examination  of  Clark's  History 
of  Onondaga  will  show  this  to  be  the  location  of  a 
very  large  Indian  town,  where  relics  have  been 
found  in  great  abundance,  indicating  Indian  occupa- 
tion and  Euroi>ean  intercourse.  The  place  was 
visited  at  an  early  date  by  DcVVitt  Clinton,  School- 
craft and  others  and  fully  described.  The  most  im- 
portant fact  developed  was  the  remains  of  a  stock- 
ade fort  of  singular  construction  in  the  form  of  a 
parallelogram,  with  bastions  at  the  angles,  enclosed 
by  a  double  row  of  cedar  palisades  placed  close  to 
each  other,  and  outside  of  these  another  row  several 
feet  distant,  the  whole  enclosing  about  ten  acres  of 
land.  A  detached  work  was  found  some  thirty  rods 
distant  to  the  northeast,  on  higher  ground,  probably 
used  as  redoubts,  and  connected  by  a  covered  way 
with  each  other. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Frontenac,  in  1696, 
invaded  the  Onondagas'  territory  with  a  large  army 
of  French  and  Indians.  He  landed  on  the  east  side 
of  Onondaga  Lake,  and  after  constructing  his  tem- 
porary fort  for  the  protection  of  his  batteau.x  and 
supplies,  he  marched  up  the  Onondaga  Valley  in 
two  lines  of  battle,  and  on  approaching  the  strong- 
hold of  the  Onondagas,  found  it  abandoned  and 
burned.  Frontenac  described  the  fort  as  "  an  ob- 
long, flanked  by  four  regular  bastions,  with  two  rows 
of  pickets  which  touched  each  other,  and  were  of 
the  thickness  of  an  ordinary  mast,  and  at  six  feet 
distant  outside,  stood  another  row  of  palisades  of 
much  smaller  dimensions,  but  from  forty  to  fifty  feet 
high."  Charlevoix  describes  the  same  as  "  a  rec- 
tangle, with  four  bastions,  surrounded  by  a  double 
palisade,  flanked  by  redoubts,  with  fence  formed 
of  poles  from  forty  to  fifty  feet  high."  One  evi- 
dently taking  his  view  from  the  enclosed  work,  the 
other  from  the  enclosing  one,  but  both  agreeing 
substantially  with  each  other,  and  with  the  descrip- 
tions of  Clinton,  Schoolcraft  and  Clark. 

The  dcscrijjtion  of  Frontenac  and  Charlevoix,  of 
this  very  remarkable  and  peculiarly  constructed 
work,  so  exactly  in  accordance  with  the  remains 
found  by  the  early  settlers,  if  examined  with  care, 
cannot  fail  to  convince  any  unprejudiced  mind  that 
on  this  identical  spot  stood  the  famous  citadel  of 
the  Onondagas  in  1696,  abandoned  and  burned  by 
them  on  the  approach  of  the  French. 

Here  was  the  home  of  the  Onondagas  from  about 


1680  to  1720,  as  history  says  they  rebuilt  on  the 
same  ground,  and  the  ne.\t  spring  planted  the  same 
fields  laid  waste  by  their  enemies  ;  this  was  the 
home  of  the  great  Dekannissore,  the  warrior,  states- 
man and  orator  ;  the  equal  of  any  of  the  great  men 
of  his  race,  living  or  dead.  As  in  the  Onondaga 
Valley,  so  in  this,  we  find  evidences  of  detached 
hamlets  and  small  towns  to  the  south,  occupied 
when  it  was  considered  safe  to  settle  at  a  distance 
from  their  stronghold. 

We  next  find  the  homes  of  the  Onondagas  in 
Onondaga  Valley  from  1720  to  1790. 

John  Hartram  an  English  trader,  in  company 
with  Lewis  Evans,  visited  the  Onondagas  in  1743, 
with  Shikellmy  and  Conrad  Weiser,  as  guides, 
coming  from  the  south  by  way  of  Owego.  Bishop 
Cammerhoff  and  David  Zeisberger,  Moravian  mis- 
sionaries, visited  them  in  1750,  coming  from  the 
south  through  the  Cayugas'  country. 

Zeisberger  afterwards  resided  among  them, 
learned  their  language,  was  adopted  into  the  turtle 
clan,  and  was  highly  esteemed  and  honored  by  the 
Onondagas,  and  as  an  especial  token  of  confidence, 
the  Grand  Council  deposited  its  entire  archives, 
comprising  many  belts  of  wampum,  written  treaties, 
&c.,  in  the  Mission  House  and  constituted  him  sole 
keeper  of  those  important  records.  Henry  Frey, 
Godfrey,  Rundt,  and  J.  Martin  Mack,  were  com- 
panions of  Zeisberger,  and  accompanied  him  up  the 
Valley  of  the  Mohawk,  the  latter  named  gentleman 
writing  the  itinerary  of  the  journey.  Several  of 
those  gentlemen  traveled  from  Albany  to  the  Gene- 
see, and  from  Pennsylvania  to  Lake  Ontario,  and 
have  left  interesting  and  valuable  accounts  of  their 
observations. 

Sir  William  Johnson  visited  tli^m  in  1756,  to  at- 
tend a  general  council,  and  mentions  the  fact  of  the 
town  being  five  miles  from  Onondaga  Lake.  He 
constructed  a  stockade  fort  for  them  in  the  same 
year,  located  about  half  a  mile  south  of  the  village 
of  Onondaga  Valley,  on  the  west  side  of  the  creek, 
the  remains  of  which  were  still  standing  when  the 
first  settlers  entered  in  1790.  All  of  these  authori- 
ties agree  in  their  general  descriptions  of  the  coun- 
try and  its  occupants,  and  describe  the  towns  as 
consisting  of  a  series  of  hamlets  located  on  both 
sides  of  Onondaga  Creek,  and  extending  for  three 
miles  up  and  down  the  valley.  Many  of  them  con- 
tained two  or  more  families,  and  rarely  were  more 
than  four  or  five  near  each  other,  the  intervening 
spaces  being  occu|)ied  by  great  patches  of  high  grass, 
bushes,  fruit  trees,  peas,  beans,  and  large  fields  of  In- 
dian corn.  The  Council  House,  occupying  a  central 
point,  was  about  eighty  feet  in  length  by  seventeen 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


31 


in  breadth,  with  a  common  passage  way  six  feet  in 
width  through  its  center.  Bartram,  in  1743,  as- 
cended both  the  east  and  west  hills,  and  mentions 
the  fact  of  their  beitig  covered  with  timber  to  the 
top,  but  makes  no  mention  of  an  upper  town,  while 
Zeisberger  in  1752  speaks  of  a  lower  town,  and  the 
upper  town  on  Onondaga  Hill.  A  small  village 
(Tiatachtonti)  was  located  about  four  miles  south  of 
the  main  town,  where  many  apple  trees  were  in 
bearing  at  that  date. 

This  condition  of  affairs  continued  without  ma- 
terial change  until  the  campaign  of  1779,  when  all 
these  towns  were  destroyed  in  the  expedition  of 
Col.  Van  Schaick.  From  about  1720  until  the  re- 
moval to  the  reservation,  this  valley  was  the  home 
of  this  central  nation  of  the  Confederacy.  Here  re- 
sided Canassetago  and  Oundiaga  and  other  illustri- 
ous names,  who  flourished  during  this  period  ;  but 
their  history  is  so  well  known  and  authorities  are  so 
accessible  that  it  will  be  a  waste  of  time  to  dwell 
longer  on  this  part  of  their  history. 

Such  have  been  the  homes  or  principal  villages 
of  the  Onondagas  ;  other  subordinate  villages,  mis- 
sionary, fishing  and  trading  stations,  existed  in  dif- 
ferent localities,  as  at  an  early  day  Techiroguen,  an 
Indian  fishing  village,  on  the  Oneida  river,  at  the 
outlet  of  Oneida  Lake,  on  the  site  of  the  present 
village  of  Brewerton.  This  was  a  regular  crossing 
place  of  the  great  north  and  south  trail.  Le  Moyne 
mentions  it  in  1654  as  on  the  south  side  of  the  river, 
while  Charlevoix  indicates  it  by  name  as  on  the 
north  side  on  his  map  published  in  1744.  In  1656 
the  mission  of  St.  Mary  of  Ganentaha  was  located 
on  lot  106  in  Salina,  on  the  north  shore  of  Onon- 
daga Lake.  Here  was  erected  the  first  Roman 
Catholic  chapel  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  here 
Frontenac,  in  1696,  constructed  a  stockade  fort,  for 
the  temporary  protection  of  his  supplies  and  bat- 
teaux,  while  engaged  in  his  expedition  against  the 
Onondagas  and  Oneidas.  A  fishing  village  or  land- 
ing place,  existed  at  the  southern  extremity  of 
Onondaga  Lake,  called  by  the  Indians  Geneata,  the 
same  as  the  lake,  but  by  the'  English  called  Kene- 
enda  ;  I  retain  the  English  spelling  and  pronuncia- 
tion to  distinguish  it  from  the  French  Mission  site 
called  Ganentaha. 

It  appears,  from  the  foregoing  statement  of  facts, 
abundantly  conclusive  that  the  Onondagas  occupied 
the  site  of  the  Indian  fort  and  village  on  Lot  23,  on 
the  dividing  line  between  the  counties  of  Onondaga 
and  Madison  from  about  1620  to  1650  ;  at  "  Indian 
Hill"  between  the  west  and  middle  branches  of 
Limestone  Creek,  about  two  miles  south  of  the 
village  of  Manlius,  from  1650  to  1680  ;  in  the  valley 


of  the  Butternut  Creek  south  of  Jamesville,  on  the 
farm  of  Mr.  O.  M.  Atkins,  Lot  No.  3,  from  1680 
to  1720;  and  in  the  Onondaga  Valley,  where  they 
were  found  by  the  earliest  settlers,  from  1720  to 
1790. 

The  Mohawks  in  like  manner  have  drifted  from 
point  to  point  within  the  historic  period  and  genera- 
tions previous,  and  no  writer  has  been  bold  enough 
to  attempt  the  indentification  of  any  of  the  sites 
mentioned  in  our  early  history  ;  and  yet  it  is  not 
very  difficult  to  unravel  the  tangled  mysteries  of 
their  peculiar  migrations.  The  Cayugas,  also  drift- 
ing in  a  generally  southern  direction,  have  left  their 
footprints  as  easily  to  trace  from  point  to  point  as 
are  the  tracks  of  the  school-boy  in  the  newly  fallen 
snow. 

The  Senecas  also  migrated  on  a  definite  line  at 
an  early  day,  and  when  the  Fries  were  subjugated, 
carried  their  colonies  to  the  extreme  western  limits 
of  the  State.  At  the  time  of  Sullivan's  campaign 
they  were  living  in  fine  framed  houses,  had  over- 
flowing granaries  and  immense  fields  of  Indian 
corn.  Their  villages  were  numbered  by  the  score, 
some  of  them  of  large  dimensions,  and  containing 
great  numbers  of  people. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Antiquities — Relics  of  European  Intercourse 
WITH  the  Indians — The  Monumental  Stone 
OF  1520  Discovered  in  Pompey — Other  Curi- 
ous Relics. 

IT  is  evident  from  relics  discovered  in  various 
parts  of  this  county  that  European  intercourse , 
with  the  aborigines  was  much  more  general  at  an 
early  period  than  history  gives  any  account  of,  or 
than  has  commonly  been  supposed.  One  of  the 
most  noted  places  where  these  remains  have  been 
found  is  at  "  Indian  Hill,"  some  two  miles  south  of 
the  village  of  Manlius,  on  land  formerly  owned  by 
Isaac  P.  Jobs,  now  the  property  of  John  Hatch. 
This  is  the  place  where  Gen.  John  S.  Clark,  the  an- 
tiquarian, locates  the  home  of  the  Onondagas  from 
about  1620  to  1650.  The  whole  length  of  the  ele- 
vation bearing  evidence  of  having  been  inhabited, 
is  nearly  a  mile,  and  the  width  from  one  hundred 
to  one  hundred  and  fifty  rods. 

In  1 82 1,  a  brass  medal  was  discovered  near  this 
place  by  Mr.  John  Watson.  It  was  without  date 
On  one  side  of  it  was  a  figure  of  Louis  XIV,  King, 
of  France  and  Navarre  ;  on  the  reverse  side  was 
represented  a  field  with  three  fleur  de  lis  sup- 
porting a  royal  crown,  surrounded  by  the  name  of 


32 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Naif  Lanfar  &  Co.  It  was  about  the  size  of  a  Span- 
ish pistarccn  and  had  been  compressed  between 
dies.  The  characters  and  letters  were  quite  dis- 
tinct. This  relic  passed  into  the  possession  of  Hon. 
Samuel  Mitchell. 

When  this  ground  was  first  cultivated  by  the  early 
settlers,  gun-barrels,  sword  blades,  hatchets,  clay 
pipes,  cop|)cr  kettles,  brass  chains,  beads  of  glass, 
pewter  plates,  finger  rings,  ear  and  nose  jewels,  lead 
balls,  iron  gate  hangings,  copper  coins,  tools  for  work- 
ing wood  and  iron,  and  many  other  articles  used  only 
by  civilized  men,  together  with  human  bones,  were 
frequently  found  on  or  near  the  earth's  surface. 

There  was  a  circular  fort  here,  from  three  hun- 
dred to  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  diameter, 
with  one  narrow  gateway. 

In  1801,  Mr.  John  Hatch  plowed  up  three  mus- 
kets and  a  blunderbuss.  The  stocks  were  decayed 
and  the  muzzles  flattened,  as  if  with  the  head  of  an 
ax.  Nearly  all  the  gun-barrels  found  had  their 
muzzles  thus  flattened,  indicating  that  it  was  prob- 
ably done  to  prevent  them  from  being  again  useful 
in  the  hands  of  an  enemy.*  The  guns  usually 
found  were  of  a  heavy  make,  with  bell-shaped 
muzzles,  apparently  of  English  manufacture.  The 
copper  coins  were  French,  but  so  corroded  that  the 
marks  and  dates  could  not  be  deciphered. 

Clark,  who  published  his  history  in  1849,  says: 
"  At  every  plowing  something  new  is  brought  to 
light.  Not  long  since  a  curiously  wrought  brass 
chain,  two  and  a  half  feet  long  and  one  inch  and 
a  half  wide,  was  found.  Its  appearance  was  as  if  it 
had  recently  been  subjected  to  the  action  of  fire, 
and  the  most  prominent  parts  newly  polished.  A 
curious  brass  image  was  recently  found  there, 
probably  a  part  of  some  Romish  priest's  collection." 

Contiguous  to  this  place  was  an  extensive  bury- 
ing ground  covered  with  graves  of  men,  women 
and  children.  The  skeletons  were  usually  found 
buried  in  a  sitting  posture  facing  the  cast,  with 
some  domestic  utensil  or  weapon  of  war  between 
the  thigh  bones.  Trees  of  two  hundred  years 
growth  once  stood  over  these  graves. 

Near  David  Williams',  Pompey,  one  mile  from 
"  Indian  Hill  "  was  another  place  of  considerable 
importance  called  "The  Castle."  In  1815,3  brass 
medal  was  here  found,  on  one  side  of  which  was  an 
equestrian  image  with  a  drawn  sword,  and  on  the 
other  "  William  Prince  of  Orange,"  with  a  crest  or 
coat  of  arms.  The  date  was  obliterated,  but  Wil- 
liam Prince  of  Orange  flourished  in  1689,  and  had 
been  quite  conspicuous  in  the  aflairs  of  New  York 
some  years  previous.     This  medal  may  have  been  a 

*    CUrk'i  Unoaitft,  vul.  i,  p.  156. 


present  by  him  to  some  distinguished  Indian  chief. 
In  that  neighborhood  a  basswood  tree  was  cut  down 
and  an  ineffectual  attempt  made  to  split  the  first 
twelve  feet  of  it  into  rails.  Upon  examination  a 
large  chain  was  found  encircling  it,  over  which  one 
hundred  and  seventy-eight  concentric  circles  had 
formed,  representing  as  many  years'  growth.  A 
large  hemlock  tree  was  discovered  with  three  distinct 
cuts  of  an  ax  imbedded  beneath  one  hundred  and 
seventy  nine  years' growth.  Subtracting  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-eight  from  1815,  the  time  when 
these  examinations  were  made,  and  we  have  the 
date  1637,  as  the  time  when  these  marks  are 
supposed  to  have  been  made,  at  which  time  it  is 
reasonable  to  suppose  the  neighborhood  was  in- 
habited by  Europeans. 

David  Williams  at  one  time  plowed  up  the  skele- 
ton of  a  man,  and  found  with  it  a  small  brass  kettle 
filled  with  corn  and  beans  in  a  tolerably  good  state 
of  preservation.  The  kettle  was  used  in  his  family 
for  domestic  purposes  several  years. 

Mr.  Hinsdell,  of  Pompey,  had  at  one  time  in  his 
possession  three  vises,  one  of  which  was  very  large, 
the  jaws  alone  weighing  forty-one  pounds.  It 
was  beautifully  engraved  all  over  with  representa- 
tions of  dogs,  bears,  deer,  squirrels,  fishes,  birds, 
and  was  altogether  a  very  beautiful  specimen  of 
workmanship.  Another,  a  hand  vise  of  excellent 
quality,  was  sold  to  Mr.  Boylston,  a  silversmith,  of 
Manlius  village,  who  used  it  while  he  continued  in 
business  there.  A  ;//rj/ of  brass  kettles  wasalso  found 
by  Mr.  David  Hinsdell,  the  largest  of  which  would 
hold  two  pails  full  and  the  smallest  about  three 
pints.  Some  of  the  smaller  ones,  being  well  pre- 
served on  account  of  the  protection  afforded  by  the 
larger  ones  outside,  were  used  in  Mr.  Hinsdell's 
and  Mr.  Weston's  families  for  several  years. 

A  case  of  surgical  instruments,  much  corroded 
by  rust,  was  found  by  the  side  of  a  human  skeleton 
— probably  the  first  physician  and  surgeon  ever  in 
Pom])ey.  Among  the  relics  positively  known  to  be 
French,  are  several  brass  crescents  bearing  the  in- 
scription "  Hot  de  France  et  Dim"  They  were 
probably  used  for  nose  and  ear  jewels.  Rows  of 
large  corn  hills  were  abundant  near  all  the  places 
bearing  evidences  of  occupancy,  and  were  distinctly 
traceable  by  the  early  settlers. 

Most  of  the  grounds  mentioned  had  undoubtedly 
been  scenes  of  hard-fought  battles,  of  which  the 
Indians  had  preserved  unpleasant  traditions,  for  such 
was  their  abhorrence  of  scenes  enacted  here  that 
never,  except  in  a  few  rare  instances,  could  they  be 
induced  to  visit  the  spot  near  the  old  fort  and  bury- 
ing ground.     They   turned   from   it  with  a  sort  of 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


33 


shudder,  exclaiming,  "Oie-qneh  sa-he-eh  ! — 'Tis  the 
field  of  blood!' * 

The  most  singular  and  interesting  relic  yet  dis- 
covered in  this  locality,  is  the  monumental  stone 
found  by  Mr.  Philo  Cleveland  on  his  farm  about  the 
year  1820.  It  consists  of  a  stone,  apparently  gran- 
ite, oval  shaped,  about  fourteen  inches  long  by 
twelve  inches  wide  and  eight  inches  thick,  bearing 
the  inscription  of  a  tree  in  the  center  with  a  serpent 
coiled  around  it,  and  the  words  and  date,  Leo  X  De 
Lon  VI,  1520.  This  stone  is  now  in  the  Museum  of 
the  Historical  Institute  at  Albany,  and  is  universally 
admitted  to  be  an  authentic  relic  of  antiquity.  The 
date  on  it  shows  that  it  was  three  hundred  years  old 
at  the  time  of  its  discovery  ;  fifty-seven  years  have 
since  elapsed  ;  hence  it  carries  back  the  date  of  the 
earliest  European  occupation  of  this  locality  to 
three  hundred  and  fifty-seven  years  beyond  our 
own  time.  That  this  stone  was  left  by  some  Euro- 
pean who  was  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  had  accurate 
knowledge  of  the  history  of  that  Church,  is  evident, 
and  it  is  equally  clear  that  it  was  left  by  some 
transient  visitor,  for  a  colony,  or  even  several. per- 
sons residing  in  the  place,  would  certainly  have  left 
other  relics  of  a  similar  antiquity. 

The  inscription  has  been  interpreted — Leo  X,  by 
the  grace  (^or  will)  of  God,  sixth  year  of  his  pontfi- 
cate.  The  words  De  Lon,  or  initials  L.  S.,  as  some 
read  them,  have  been  taken  to  be  the  name  or  initials 
of  the  person  buried,  as  the  stone  is  undoubtedly  a 
sepulchral  monument,  placed  there  to  mark  the  lonely 
grave  of  some  one  who  died  during  an  adventurous 
journey  through  the  wilderness,  a  hundred  years 
before  the  Jesuit  missionaries  found  their  way  to  the 
huts  of  the  Indians.  Whether  the  cross  engraved 
on  the  stone  is  an  Indian  or  a  Roman  Catholic  cross, 
does  not  concern  us,  neither  does  the  question  as 
to  his  belonging  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  sup- 
posed by  some  to  be  indicated  by  a  rude  emblem 
on  the  right  hand  corner  of  the  stone :  the  only 
points  of  importance  being  the  date  and  the  accuracy 
of  the  historical  knowledge  which  it  reveals.  Pope 
Leo  X  was  crowned  pope  in  1514,  and  hence  1520 
would  be  the  sixth  year  of  his  pontificate.  The 
most  probable  explanation  of  this  ancient  relic  is, 
that  some  Spanish  adventurers  in  quest  of  silver 
mines  had  penetrated  this  region  from  Florida,  and 
one  of  them  dying,  his  companions  erected  this 
simple  memorial  to  mark  the  place  of  his  burial. 
There  is  a  tradition  that  the  shores  of  Lake  Ganentaha 
were  covered  with  a  bright  substance  that  shone  in 
the  sun  (crystalized  salt)  and  that  the  Indians,  then 
ignorant   of  the  nature  of  this  substance,  reported 

*  Clark's  Onondaga,  2  vol.,  p.  263. 

s* 


this  fact  to  the  Spaniards,  who,  supposing  it  to  be 
silver,  came  here  in  search  of  it  and  passed  down 
the  Oswego  River.  If  they  came  here  by  the 
waters  of  the  Susquehanna,  as  may  be  supposed,  it 
is  quite  likely  that  they  would  ascend  to  the  height 
of  land  to  find  the  water  courses  in  the  opposite 
direction,  or  to  discover  the  lake  in  the  valley  below 
them,  which  may  account  for  their  finding  their 
way  to  Pompey.  This  is  all  supposition,  it  is  true, 
but  is  quite  as  rational  as  any  other,  inasmuch  as 
the  Spaniards  were  the  only  Europeans  at  that 
period  on  the  continent  who  could  have  left  such  a 
relic  as  this  singular  stone. 

Mr.  William  Raskins,  who  was  the  fifth  inhabit- 
ant in  the  township  of  Pompey,  on  lot  No.  13,  (now 
in  Lafayette)  in  1792,  informed  Mr.  Clark,  that  on 
first  plowing  the  lands,  almost  every  variety  of  im- 
plement used  in  agriculture  and  the  common  arts 
was  found  in  that  neighborhood.  They  consisted 
of  knives  supposed  to  be  of  French  manufacture, 
axes,  with  the  English  stamp,  gun-barrels,  some  of 
them  with  a  portion  of  the  stock  remaining,  quanti- 
ties of  ship  spikes,  pump  hooks,  a  spy  glass,  trammel 
hooks  and  chains.  In  one  instance  a  large  quantity 
of  musket  balls  was  plowed  up  by  the  side  of  a 
rock.  The  remains  of  a  wheel-barrow,  with  the  iron 
entire,  also  anvils  and  vises,  unfinished  gun-barrels 
and  gun-locks,  indicating  that  the  art  of  making 
these  had  been  carried  on,  hand  saws,  files  and 
fragments  of  church  bells. 

On  this  ground  the  graves  were  arranged  with 
great  regularity,  side  by  side,  in  rows  of  ten  or 
fifteen  rods  in  extent.  In  the  vicinity  were  other 
groups  of  graves,  but  not  in  regular  order.  Upon 
examination  the  bodies  appear  to  have  been  enclosed 
in  wooden  or  bark  boxes.  In  one  grave  was  found 
two  glass  bottles.  In  plowing,  fragments  of  glass 
bottles,  earthen  and  China  ware,  and  a  stone,  cut  in 
imitation  of  a  watch,  were  found. 

On  Butternut  creek  south  of  Jamesville  in  the 
town  of  Lafayette,  (formerly  lot  3  in  the  town  of 
Pompey)  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  O.  M.  Watkins,  are  the 
remains  of  an  ancient  fort  and  burying  ground.  The 
land  here  formerly  belonged  to  Mr.  Isaac  Keeler. 
When  he  settled  here  the  site  of  the  old  fort  was 
an  opening  of  about  fifty  acres,  bearing  grass  with 
clumps  of  plum  trees  and  a  few  scattering  trees  of 
the  natural  forest.  Mr.  Keeler  left  some  of  these 
plum  trees  standing  and  cultivated  them,  and  found 
that  they  yielded  very  excellent  fruit.  On  this  open- 
ing was  paraded  the  first  regiment  of  militia  organ- 
ized in  the  County  of  Onondaga,  commanded  by 
Major  Moses  De  Witt.  At  that  time  the  outlines 
of  the  fort  were  distinctly  traceable.     It  had  been 


34 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


enclosed  with  palisades  of  cedar,  and  contained  about 
ten  acres  of  land.  The  plan  was  that  of  a  plain 
parallelogram  divided  across  the  shortest  way  in  the 
middle  by  two  rows  of  palisades  running  east  and 
west.  The  space  bctsvccn  the  rows  was  about 
twelve  feel  At  the  northwest  corner  was  an 
isolated  bastion  and  embrasure. 

This  spot  has  been  idcnliticd  by  General  Clark  as 
the  home  of  the  Onondagas  from  1680  to  1720.  and 
the  spot  on  which  stood  the  famous  citadel  burned  by 
the  Indians  on  the  approach  of  Frontenac's  army  in 
1696.  After  the  French  invasion  they  returned 
and  rebuilt  upon  the  same  spot,  and  the  next  spring 
planted  the  same  corn  fields  which  had  been  laid 
waste  by  their  enemies.  The  situation  of  this  an- 
cient fort  was  on  an  elevation  gradually  rising  for 
nearly  a  mile  in  every  direction,  and  at  the  time  of 
its  occupancy  several  hundred  acres  of  land  in  the 
vicinity  must  have  been  cleared  ;  giving  to  the  gar- 
rison an  extensive  prospect.  Says  Clark  in  his 
Onondaga  :  "  Here  in  ancient  times  have  undoubt- 
edly been  marshaled  with  nodding  plume  and  rat- 
tling cuirass,  the  troops  of  the  French  side  by  side 
with  the  dusky  Onondagas,  singularly  contrasting 
their  polished  European  weapons  with  the  hickory 
bows  and  flint  arrows  of  their  allies." 

Among  the  relics  found  upon  the  site  of  this 
fort  and  in  its  vicinity,  was  a  portion  of  a  brass 
dial  plate,  engraved  in  Roman  characters  with 
the  numerals  from  one  to  eight,  a  brass  compass 
bo.x  minus  the  needle,  another  more  beautifully 
wrought,  having  on  one  side  a  representation  of  our 
Saviour  and  on  the  other  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus, 
a  balance  beam  eighteen  inches  long,  a  lead,  oval 
shaped  crucifix,  an  iron  horse  shoe,  steel  corked,  with 
three  elongated  nail  holes  on  each  side,  the  workman- 
ship, probably,  of  some  Canadian  blacksmith,  a  brass 
shield,  sword  blades,  sword  guards,  fragments  of 
sword  blades,  gun  locks,  saws,  surgical  instruments, 
bracelets  of  brass  three  inches  broad  and  highly  orna- 
mented, and  many  other  relics  indicating  the  pres- 
ence of  the  French  and  the  Jesuit  missionaries.  In 
1813,  Mr.  Isaac  Keeler  felled  an  oak  tree  near  the 
site  of  the  fort  in  which  was  found  a  leaden  bullet 
covered  by  a  hundred  and  forty-three  cortical  layers, 
— probably  lodged  there  from  a  gun  as  early  as  1667. 
There  are  evidences  that  light  cannon  were  used  at 
this  and  other  similar  places  of  fortification.  On 
the  land  of  Mr.  Samuel  A.  Keene  was  plowed  up 
an  iron  bombshell  about  the  size  of  a  six  pound 
ball,  weighing  two  and  three-fourths  pounds.  Can- 
non balls  of  small  size  have  been  found  in  the  east- 
ern part  of  Pompey. 

In  the  town  of  Elbridge  were  numerous  evidences 


of  ancient  occupancy  by  the  French.  On  lot  81, 
originally  the  farm  of  Squire  Munro,  was  a  fort 
situated  on  the  high  ground  back  of  Mr.  Munro's 
house.  This  fort  was  square,  except  on  the  west 
side,  where  the  line  was  curved  a  little  outward,  and 
when  examined  by  the  first  settlers  in  1793,  the 
ditch  and  embankments  were  covered  with  heavy 
timber.  It  enclosed  about  an  acre  and  a  quarter  of 
ground,  having  a  gateway  on  the  west  side  about 
twelve  feet  in  width.  A  very  singular  fact  was  ob- 
served by  the  early  settlers,  viz:  That  the  ground 
in  this  vicinity,  and  in  some  other  parts  of  the  town, 
was  literally  covered  with  pitch  pine  knots,  which 
lay  strewn  on  the  ground  apparently  in  the  same 
order  in  which  they  had  fallen  with  the  trees.  Hun- 
dreds of  wagon  loads  of  these  knots  have  been 
gathered  for  the  purpose  of  making  torches  for 
fishing  in  the  Seneca  River.  This  is  singular,  as 
but  one  pitch-pine  tree  was  known  to  the  early  set- 
tlers to  exist  in  the  town,  and  that  was  left  standing 
for  several  years  on  account  of  its  singularity. 

Northwest  from  the  fort  above  mentioned,  about 
one  mile  and  a  half,  on  what  has  been  called  the  Purdy 
lot,  is  situated  Fort  Hill,  containing  another  of  these 
ancient  works  of  much  larger  dimensions,  having  an 
area  of  about  four  and  a  half  acres  and  embank- 
ments, when  first  discovered,  about  three  feet  high. 
It  is  situated  on  the  highest  elevation  in  the  town. 
On  this  ground  was  disinterred  an  oaken  chest  in  a 
decayed  state,  which  upon  examination  was  found 
to  contain  a  quantity  of  silk  goods  of  various  colors. 
The  folds  and  colors  were  easily  distinguished,  but 
after  a  moment's  exposure  to  the  air,  the  fabrics 
crumbled  to  dust.  Several  copper  coins  were  found 
with  the  silks  which  were  deposited  in  some  museum 
in  Albany  or  New  York  The  discovery  of  these  ar- 
ticles occurred  about  the  year  1800.  On  lot  84,  farm 
of  Mr.  Caleb  Brown,  about  forty  rods  south  of  the 
road,  in  the  town  of  Elbridge,  was  a  circular  fort 
which  covered  about  three  acres  of  ground.  Pieces 
of  timber  were  found  here  having  upon  them  marks 
of  iron  tools.  In  a  well  about  fourteen  feet  deep, 
which  bore  evidence  of  having  been  timbered  up, 
was  found  a  quantity  of  charred  corn  of  the  variety 
called  Virginia  corn  ;  and  in  another  fort  on  the  site 
of  Mr.  Brown's  house  and  garden,  including  a  por- 
tion of  the  highway,  were  found  evidences  of  a 
blacksmith  shop,  such  as  cinders,  charcoal,  &c. 
The  French,  undoubtedly,  had  a  trading  post  or 
missionary  station  in  this  neighborhood  at  an  early 
time,  no  written  record  of  which  has  been  preserved. 

In  the  town  of  Salina,  on  lot  106,  is  found  the 
ruins  of  an  old  fortification,  probably  that  established 
in  connection  with   the   Mission  of  St.   Marys  of 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


35 


Ganentaha,  founded  in  1656.  When  the  white 
people  came  to  settle  in  the  neighborhood  of  Salina, 
this  ground  was  covered  with  small  trees,  apparent- 
ly a  second  growth,  which  had  sprung  up  after  the 
mission  was  abandoned.  Judge  Geddes,  as  reported 
by  Mr.  Clark,  says:  "In  the  summer  of  1797, 
when  the  Surveyor-General  laid  out  the  salt  lots,  I 
officiated  as  deputy-surveyor,  and  when  traversing 
the  shores  of  Onondaga  Lake,  I  found  between 
Brown's  pump  works  and  Liverpool,  the  traces  of  an 
old  stockade,  which  I  surveyed  and  made  a  map  of. 
Our  opinion  was,  from  the  truth  of  the  right  angles, 
and  other  apparent  circumstances,  that  it  was  a 
French  work.  A  fine  spring  of  water  rises  near 
by."  The  map  made  by  Judge  Geddes  is  in  the 
Surveyor  General's  office  at  Albany,  but  a  cut  of 
the  fort  appears  in  Clark's  Onondaga,  page  147, 
second  volume. 

On  this  ground  have  been  plowed  up  bras3  ket- 
tles, gun  barrels,  musket  balls,  axes,  grape  shot,  and 
a  variety  of  other  relics.  In  1794,  the  ditch  was 
easily  to  be  traced,  and  some  of  the  palisades  were 
standing.  The  work  embraced  about  half  an  acre 
of  land,  and  from  its  location  was  a  place  of  beauty, 
convenience  and  strength.  Cultivation  and  time 
have  removed  all  traces  of  its  existence.  There 
was  an  ancient  burying  ground  at  Green  Point. 

When  the  first  settlers  came  to  the  town  of  Onon- 
daga the  pickets  of  an  old  fort  were  still  standing 
and  places  visible  where  others  had  stood.  At 
the  corners  were  evident  marks  of  a  chimney  and 
fire  places,  and  also  the  ruins  of  a  blacksmith  shop. 
Cinders  and  a  variety  of  tools  belonging  to  the 
trade  have  at  different  times  been  plowed  up,  among 
which  was  a  large  and  excellent  anvil.  Major  Dan- 
forth  once  received  a  letter  from  an  old  Frenchman 
stating  that  he  would  find  in  the  bank  of  the  creek 
not  far  from  his  (Danforth's)  house,  a  complete  set 
of  blacksmith's  tools.  Search  was  made  for  them, 
but  they  have  never  come  to  light. 

In  1798,  on  the  west  part  of  the  farm  after- 
wards occupied  by  Gilbert  Pinckney,  in  the  town 
of  Onondaga,  could  be  seen  a  trench  about  ten 
rods  long,  three  feet  deep  and  four  feet  wide  at 
the  top,  on  the  border  of  a  steep  gulf  and  par- 
allel with  it,  apparently  a  work  constructed  for 
defence.  In  this  locality  have  been  found  every  vari- 
ety of  Indian  implement — arrow  heads,  spear  points, 
knives  of  flint,  stone  axes,  etc.,  and  here  also  several 
burial  places  were  known  to  the  early  settlers.  In 
1815,  on  the  farm  of  Joseph  Forman,  at  Onondaga 
Hollow,  was  plowed  up  an  oaken  pail  containing 
about  four  quarts  of  leaden  bullets,  supposed  to 
have  been  buried   during  the  Revolutionary  war. 


On  the  premises  of  Judge  Strong  there  was  an  old 
French  burying  ground,  and  several  bodies  were 
exhumed  in  excavating  for  the  cellar  of  the  Judge's 
residence  in  18 16.  Webster  told  Judge  Strong  that 
the  Indians  had  a  tradition  that  in  one  of  their  bat- 
tles with  the  French  in  the  Hollow,  which  had  been 
protracted  and  severe,  the  French  removed  their 
wounded  to  this  spot,  and  here  buried  such  as  died. 
Among  the  most  interesting  relics  of  antiquity 
discovered  in  this  county  is  the  Dutch  medal, 
so  called,  described  by  Mr.  Clark  in  the  following 
passage  :  "  In  July,  1S40,  was  found  on  the  farm  ot 
Mr.  William  Campbell,  by  his  son,  on  lot  No.  3,  La- 
fayette, a  silver  medal  about  the  size  of  a  dollar  and 
nearly  as  thick.  On  one  side  is  a  device  surmounted 
by  an  angel  on  the  wing,  stretching  forward  with  its 
left  hand,  looking  down  upon  those  below  with  a 
resolute,  determined  and  commanding  countenance. 
Far  in  the  background  is  a  lofty  ridge  of  moun- 
tains. Just  beneath  and  away  in  the  distance  is 
seen  an  Indian  village  or  town,  towards  which  the 
angel  is  steadily  and  earnestly  pointing.  Above 
this  overhangs  a  slight  curtain  of  cloud  or  smoke. 
Between  the  village  and  the  mountains  are  scatter- 
ing trees,  as  if  an  opening  had  just  been  made  in 
the  forest ;  nearer  are  seen  various  wild  animals 
sporting  gaily.  In  bolder  relief  are  seen  Europeans, 
in  the  costume  of  jDriests  and  pilgrims,  with  staves, 
exhibiting  by  their  gestures  and  countenances  hilari- 
ty, gladness  and  joy,  winding  their  way  up  the  gentle 
ascent  towards  the  mountain,  decreasing  in  size  from 
the  place  of  departure,  until  lost  from  view.  Among 
them  are  wheel  carriages  and  domestic  animals, 
intermixed.  On  the  right  is  a  fair  representation 
of  a  cottage,  and  a  spacious  commercial  warehouse, 
against  which  are  leaning  sheaves  of  grain.  The 
whole  is  surrounded  by  the  following  inscription  in 
Dutch  :  Gehe  aus  deinem  Vatter  land,  i  b. 
M.,  XII.,  v.  I,  and  at  the  bottom  across,  Lasst  Hier 
Diegvter.  On  the  opposite  side  there  is  a  figure 
of  the  sun  shining  in  meridian  splendor,  casting  its 
noontide  rays  over  a  civilized  town,  represented  by 
churches,  stores,  dwellings,  &c.,  with  various  domes- 
tic animals  and  numerous  persons  engaged  in  hus- 
bandry and  other  pursuits.  In  bolder  relief  stand 
Europeans  in  the  costume  of  the  fifteenth  and  six- 
teenth centuries,  engaged  as  if  in  animated  and 
joyful  conversation  and  greetings,  and  by  various 
attitudes  manifesting  happiness  and  joy.  On  the 
right  is  represented  a  section  of  a  church,  at  the 
door  of  which  stands  a  venerable  man  with  head 
uncovered,  with  his  hands  extended  as  if  welcoming 
these  persons  to  a  new  and  happy  habitation.  This 
side  is  surrounded  by   the   following   inscription  : 


36 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Vkd  Dv  Soli-t  Ein  Seeges  Seyn,  i  b.  Mos..  xii., 
V.  2,  and  acruss  the  bottom  as  follows  :  Gott  Ginr 
Siewiedek. 

The  interpretation  of  the  first  side  is  :  Get  thee 
out  from  thy  country  and  friends,  thou  shall  be 
truly  a  blessing.  On  the  reverse  side,  which  should 
be  read  in  connection  :  Leaving  thy  goods  behind 
thee,  God  will  restore  them  to  thee  again.  The 
small  letters  and  figures  on  the  right  refer  to  the 
I  St  book  of  Genesis,  XII  chap.,  verses  ist  and  2d, 
which  inscription  on  the  medal  was  taken  from 
those  verses  in  the  Dutch  Hiblcs. 

It  is  in  this  chapter  that  God  callcth  Abraham  and 
blesseth  him  with  a  promise  of  Christ ;  promiseth 
him  the  land  of  Canaan  in  a  vision,  to  which  he 
departed  with  his  kindred  and  friends  and  servants 
and  there  builded  an  altar  unto  the  Lord. 

•  •  •  «  • 

"This  medal  must  have  been  none  other  than 
one  given  by  his  countrymen,  in  Fatherland,  to  a 
devoted  missionary,  with  a  party  of  followers,  in- 
tending to  spend  their  days  in  America,  the  land 
of  promise,  the  fruitful  Canaan  of  modern  times, 
who  in  the  goodness  of  his  heart,  bent  on  doing  the 
work  of  his  divine  master,  at  some  early  day 
wandered  into  the  wilds  of  the  Ononilagas,  set  up 
the  cross  (the  Bethel  of  Abram,i  and  left  this 
memento  of  his  mission  in  the  hands  of  some 
Neophyte,  which  by  some  unaccountable  circum- 
stances has  been  buried  we  know  not  how  long, 
but  now  comes  to  light  to  prove  to  us  that  the 
aborigines  of  our  country  were  a  people  whose 
spiritual  welfare  was  regarded  as  sincerely  by  the 
Dutch  as  by  their  more  ostentatious  neighbors,  the 
French.  It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  on  this 
and  all  other  medals  there  is  no  date  whereby  to 
establish  their  particular-period  of  antitjuity.  This 
is  by  far  the  most  singular  and  interesting  relic  of 
the  kind  which  has  come  under  our  notice,  and  goes 
positively  to  establish  the  hitherto  doubtful  point, 
to  wit  :  The  early  establishment  of  missionaries 
by  the  Dutch  among  the  Onondagas." 

The  suggestion  of  Mr.  Clark  in  a  foot  note  that 
this  medal  may  have  been  a  relic  of  the  Zeisberger 
Mission  of  1750,  is  worthy  of  weight  as  being 
probably  the  true  solution  of  the  problem. 

Tlic  presentation  of  medals  to  the  Indians  was 
undoubtedly  a  very  common  practice  among  the 
missionaries  and  traders.'  A  valuable  cross  of  gold 
was  several  years  ago  found  in  the  west  part  of 
Pompey,  and  was  sold  for  thirty  dollars.  It  had 
upon  it  the  significant  "  I.  H.  S."* 

•  Jciui  Hominum  Salvitor,  or  Jetui  Savior  of  Men. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Internal  Navigation — The  Old  Canal — Ori- 
gin OF  THE  Erie  Canal — Part  Taken  in  it  by 
Eminent  Men  of  Onondaga  County — Its 
Completion  and  Advantages. 

THE  old  system  of  internal  navigation  origi- 
nated by  Mr.  Christopher  Colles,  of  New 
York,  in  1785,  and  completed  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Western  Inland  Lock  and  Navigation  Company 
in  the  year  1800,  was  a  great  work  for  its  day.  It 
consisted  of  the  construction  of  a  canal  and  locks 
around  Little  Falls  on  the  Mohawk  River,  the  open- 
ing of  a  canal  from  the  Mohawk  at  Rome  (then 
Fort  Stanwi,\)  to  Wood  Creek,  connecting  thence 
with  Oneida  Lake,  and  the  improvement  of  naviga- 
tion in  the  Oswego  and  Seneca  Rivers.  The  Com- 
pany, in  order  to  complete  this  work,  borrowed  of  the 
State  in  1796,  fifteen  thousand  pounds,  and  in  1797, 
two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  What 
is  now  known  as  the  "  Old  Canal"  in  some  locali- 
ties is  the  remnant  of  this  ancient  improvement, 
which  fell  into  disuse  when  the  Eric  Canal  was  built. 
It  was  in  its  day  a  very  useful  impro%ement  and 
aided  greatly  in  the  settlement  and  development 
of  the  resources  of  Central  and  Western  New  York. 
Many  a  pioneer  and  his  family  were  conveyed  over 
that  old  thoroughfare  to  their  new  homes  among 
the  lakes  and  sylvan  seclusions  of  the  western  wil- 
derness ;  many  a  cargo  of  merchandise  was  shipped 
over  it  and  freight  of  produce  sent  to  market,  till 
the  growing  population  and  commerce  demanded 
ampler  and  more  extended  facilities  for  transporta- 
tion. 

From  1807  till  after  the  war  of  18 12-14,  the  pro- 
ject of  a  new  canal  connecting  the  navigable  waters 
of  the  Hudson  with  Lake  Erie  was  extensively  agi- 
tated. The  origin  of  the  idea  of  this  magnificent 
enterprise  is  attributed  to  Gouverneur  Morris,  who 
in  a  conversation  with  the  Surveyor-General,  Simeon 
DeWilt,  in  1S03,  remarked:  "  Lake  Erie  must  be 
tapped  and  its  waters  carried  over  the  country  to 
the  Hudson." 

So  great  was  the  interest  of  the  people  of  Onon- 
daga in  this  proposed  canal,  that  in  1807  they  elected 
Judge  Joshua  F'orman  to  the  State  Legislature  with 
express  reference  to  his  introducing  the  subject  be- 
fore that  body.  He  was  a  man  eminently  qualified 
for  the  work,  and  by  his  able  and  indefatigable  sup- 
port of  the  measure  from  its  very  inception,  did 
more  than  any  other  man  to  bring  it  to  a  successful 
consummation.  While  in  the  Legislature  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1808,  he  secured  the  passage  of  a  joint  reso- 
lution ordering  a  survey  and  the  appointment  of  a 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


37 


joint  committee  of  both  houses,  consisting  of  Messrs. 
Gold,  Gilbert,  German,  Hogeboom  and  Forman, 
of  the  House,  and  Messrs.  Taylor,  Nicholas  and 
Ward  of  the  Senate.  This  committee  being  pre- 
disposed in  favor  of  the  Oswego  route,  left  it  op- 
tional with  the  Surveyor-General  to  either  adopt 
that  or  any  other  route  he  might  deem  proper.  The 
result  was  that  tliree  routes  were  surveyed  and  re- 
ported upon  by  the  Engineer,  Judge  James  Geddes, 
whose  connection  with  the  survey  of  this  great  en- 
terprise is  briefly  as  follows  : 

On   the   iith  of  April,   1808,  a  law  was  passed 
authorizing  the  Surveyor-General  to  draw  upon  the 
Treasury  of  the  State  for  such  an  amount  as  might 
be  required  to  prosecute  the  survey  contemplated 
by  the  joint  committee,  not  exceeding  in  the  whole 
the  sum  of  six  Itiaidred  dollars ;  and  this  was  all 
that  was  appropriated  for  the  first  exploration  and 
survey  of  the  grand   Erie  Canal !     Upon  this  the 
Surveyor-General  appointed  James  Geddes,  Esq.,  of 
Onondaga,   to   make,  the  survey,  and  in   his  com- 
mission   and    instructions    to    Mr.    Geddes,  makes 
these  remarks  :    "  As  the  provision  made  for  the 
expenses  of  this  business  is  not  adequate  to  the 
effectual  exploring  of  the  country  for  this  purpose, 
you  will,  in    the   first   place,    examine   what   may 
appear  to  be  the  best  route  for  a  canal  from  Oneida 
Lake  to  Lake  Ontario,  in  the  town  of  Mexico,  and 
take  a  level  and  survey  of  it ;  also  whether  a  canal 
cannot   be  made   between   the  Oneida   Lake  and 
OsYvfego  by  a  route   in    part    to  the  west  of  the 
Oswego  River,  so  as  to  avoid  those  parts  along  it 
where   it   will   be   impracticable  to  make  a   good 
navigation.     The  next  object  will  be  the  ground 
between  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario,  which  must  be 
examined  with  a  view  to  determine  what  will  be  the 
most  eligible  track  for  a  canal  from  below  Niagara 
Falls  to  Lake  Erie.     If  your  means  will  admit  of  it, 
it  would  be  desirable  to  have  a  level  taken  through- 
out the  whole  distance  between  the  lakes."     The 
Surveyor-General    refrains    from    instructing    Mr. 
Geddes  to  make  an  interior  survey,  because  of  the 
insufficiency  of  the  appropriation  for  that  purpose. 
Mr.  Clark  says  in  a  note  :    "  Mr.  Geddes'  expenses 
exceeded  the  appropriation  by  seventy-five  dollars, 
which  sum  was  afterwards  allowed  by  the  Legisla- 
ture, so  that  the  whole  engineer's  expenses  for  this 
exploration  cost  the  State  of  New  York  only  six 
hundred  and    seventy-five   dollars,   an   investment 
made  by  the  State  which,  for  profit  and  importance, 
will  probably  never  be  exceeded." 

Mr.  Geddes  entered  with  zeal  and  earnestness 
upon  his  duties,  and  in  1809  submitted  his  report 
of  three  different  routes  :  the  first,  a  communication 


between  Lake  Oneida  and  Lake  Ontario ;,  second, 
the  Niagara  River  route  ;  and  third,  an  interior 
route,  without  descending  to,  or  passing  through, 
Lake  Ontario. 

In  comparing  the  Ontario  with  the  interior  route, 
the  report  was  strongly  in  favor  of  the  latter.     In 
addition,  Mr.  Geddes  was  directed  to  examine  by 
inspection  a  canal  route  from  Lake  Erie  to  Genesee 
River,  and  thence  to  the  waters  running  east  to  the 
Seneca  River,  and  gather  all  the  information  in  his 
power  for  the  prosecution  of  the  great  work,  should 
the  Legislature  think  best  to  provide  for  it.     The 
report  was  favorable  on  the  practicability  of  an  inte- 
rior route  from  Lake  Erie  ;  and  it  is  worthy  of  re- 
mark that  Judge  Geddes'  plan  and  route  were  mainly 
followed   in  the  final  location  of  the  canal*     The 
country  from  the  Seneca  River,  in  the  Cayuga  Val- 
ley, to  the  Mohawk  River  at  Rome,  and  thence  to 
the  Hudson  River,  was  so  well  known  as  to  leave 
no  apprehension  of  insuperable  difficulties.     Thus 
by  the  operations  of  1808,  through  the  instrumen- 
tality of  the  true  men  of  Onondaga,  the  fact  was 
satisfactorily  established  that  a  canal  from  the  Hud- 
son River  to  Lake  Erie  was  not  only  practicable, 
but  practicable  with  uncommon  facility,  f     In  Jan- 
uary, 1809,  in  company  with  William  Kirkpatrick, 
then    member  of   Congress   from   Oneida  county. 
Judge  Forman  waited  on  President  Jefferson  and 
informed  him  that  in  view  of  his  proposition  to  ex- 
pend the  surplus  revenues  of  the  nation  in  making 
roads  and  canals,  the  State  of  New  York  had  ex- 
plored the  route  of  a  canal  from  the  Hudson  River 
to   Lake  Erie,  and  had  found  it  practicable ;  and 
when  Mr.  Forman  had  laid  all  the  estimates,  plans 
surveys,    descriptions  and    anticipated    advantages 
before  Mr.  Jefferson,  and  portrayed  its  commercial 
prospects  and  the  advantages  which  would  accrue 
to  the  United  States  as  well  as  to  the  State  of  New 
York,  the  President  very  coolly  replied  :    "  It  is  a 
splendid   project,  and   may  be  executed  a  century 
hence.     Why,  sir,"  said  he,  "  here  is  a  canal  of  a  few 
miles,  projected  by  General  Washington,  which,  if 
completed,  would  render  this  a  fine  commercial  city, 
which  has  languished  for  many  years  because  the 
small  sum  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  neces- 
sary to  complete  it  cannot  be  obtained  from   the 
general  government  nor  from  individuals  ;  and  you 
talk  of  making  a  canal  tliree  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
through  a  wilderness.     It  is  little  short  of  madness 
to  think  of  it  at  this  day."J 

The  favorable  and  satisfactory  reports  of  Judge 

*  See  Biography  of  Hon.  James  Geddes. 

\  Clark's  Onondaga. 

\  Hosack's  Life  of  Clinton,  p.  347. 


38 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NKW  YORK. 


Gcddcs  secured  in  1810  the  appointment  by  the 
Legislature  of  a  Hoard  of  Commissioners  comjwsed 
of  Gouvcrncur  Morris,  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer 
DeWitt  Clinton.  Simeon  DeWitt.  William  North. 
Thomas  Eddy  and  Peter  H.  I'ortcr,  to  whom  were 
afterwards  added  Robert  R.  Livingston  and  Robert 
Fulton.  These  gentlemen  were  instructed  to  ex- 
plore the  inland  navigation  route, and  they  reported 
favorably  the  next  year.  The  next  point  was  to 
obtain  a  competent  engineer  to  lay  out  the  Erie 
Canal.  Where  should  they  apply  ?  Supposing 
there  was  not  a  suitable  man  in  America  to  accom- 
plish the  great  task,  they  applied  through  an 
American  gentleman  at  London  for  the  services  of 
William  Weston,  then  considered  the  most  accom- 
plished engineer  in  Euroi^c.  oflering  as  a  maximum 
salary  seven  thousand  dollars  a  year."  F'ortunatcly, 
Mr.  Weston's  engagements  were  such  that  he 
thought  proper  to  decline.  In  this  dilemma  James 
Gcddcs  and  l^cnjamin  Wright,  Esqrs.,  held  a  con- 
sultation and  agreed  to  go  before  the  Hoard  of  Canal 
Commissioners  and  ofi'er  to  survey  the  canal  route 
jirovidcd  they  would  give  them  their  confidence. 
The  proposition  was  accepted,  and  they  were  en- 
gaged on  a  salary  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars  a  year. 
"  It  may  be  considered,"  says  Clark,  "  a  fortunate 
circumstance  that  Mr.  Weston  did  not  accc])t  the 
offer  of  the  Canal  Commissioners.  Hecatisc,  from 
the  ostentation  usually  displayed  by  foreign  engi- 
neers and  the  great  expense  attending  their  move- 
ments, the  jieople  of  this  frugal  and  republican 
country  would  have  bccf>mc  discouraged,  and  it  is 
more  than  jjrobable  the  work  would  have  been 
abandoned  or  at  least  indefinitely  deferred.  It  is 
worthy  of  remark  that  the  engineers  employed  on 
the  lirie  and  Champlain  Canals  were  Americans, 
except  in  two  instances,  where  a  French  and  an  Irish 
gentleman  were  employed  in  subordinate  stations 
for  less  than  a  year." 

After  another  ineffectual  attempt  to  enlist  Con- 
gress in  the  work,  the  Commissioners,  in  March, 
1 81 2,  made  a  report  "That  tio7f  sound  jmlicy  de- 
manded that  the  canal  should  be  made  by  the  State 
of  New  York  on  her  own  account."  The  war  of 
1812  caused  a  susjicnsion  of  the  project  till  the  ses- 
sion of  the  Legislature  in  1816,  at  which  time  a 
memorial  was  presented  to  tlie  Legislature,  signed 
by  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  jiersons  from 
New  York  and  the  counties  through  which  the  pro- 
posed canals  should  pass,  calling  upon  its  members 
to  pass  laws  to  prosecute  the  work  without  delay 

*  Mr.  Wolon  hid  luncjrnl  the  route  and  lock*  of  (he  Old  Canal  I'ur 
(he  inland  Lock  and  Navigatian  Company  around  Little  Fallt  and  from 
Fort  Stanwii  to  Wood  Creek,  in  I7tl. 


A  large  meeting  ol  the  citizens  of  Onondaga  county 
was  held  at  the  Court  House  on  the  23d  of  February, 
1816.  A  preliminary  meeting  had  been  previously 
held  at  which  Judge  Forman  had  been  appointed  a 
committee  to  prepare  a  memorial  to  the  Legislature. 
This  memorial  was  read  by  Judge  F'orman  at  the 
meeting,  and  approved  by  acclamation.  A  com- 
mittee was  appointed  to  circulate  it  throughout  the 
county,  consisting  of  Daniel  Kellogg,  of  Marcellus  ; 
Gideon  Wilcoxon,  Camillus ;  Jonas  C.  Haldwin, 
Lysander ;  Ashbel  Kellogg,  Salina  ;  John  Leach, 
Cicero;  Sylvanus  Tousley,  Manlius;  Harnet 
Mooney,  Hannibal ;  Daniel  Wood,  Pompey  ;  Marcus 
Adams,  Fabius  ;  Ashel  Rouiuly.  Spafford  ;  Garret 
Van  Hoesen,  TuUy  ;  and  Joshua  Forman,  of  Onon- 
daga ;  adding  the  chairman  and  secretar)' :  Signed, 
James  Geddes,  chairman  :  Jasper  Hopper,  secre- 
tary. Over  three  thousand  names  were  subscribed 
to  this  memorial.  The  memorial,  which  was  drawn  up 
with  great  ability,  contemplated  $io,cxX),ooo  for  the 
cost  of  the  canal,  covering  all  possible  contingencies. 
Of  this  it  charged  the  State  of  New  York  with 
$2,500,000 ;  the  United  States  with  $2,500,000  ; 
the  State  of  Ohio.  §1,000,000;  the  City  of  New 
York  and  counties  contiguous  to  the  canal,  $2,000,- 
000  ;  and  private  stock  holders,  $2,000,000. 

The  Legislature  authorized  a  loan  on  the  credit 
of  the  State  of  a  million  of  dollars,  and  the  section 
from  Rome  to  the  Seneca  River  was  fixed  upon  as 
the  first  to  be  commenced. 

In  1816,  Judge  Geddes  made  another  report  of 
the  state  and  general  view  of  the  country  from 
Hlack  Rock  Rapids  to  the  Cayuga  Marshes,  and 
Henjamin  Wright,  Esq  ,  upon  the  same  subject  from 
the  Cayuga  Marshes  to  Rome,  and  thence  through 
the  Mohawk  Valley  to  Albany.  The  attempt  made 
to  enlist  Congress  in  1817  again  failed  and  the 
State  of  New  York  was  thrown  upon  her  own 
resources.  A  thorough  examination  was  made  of 
the  route,  and  revised  estimates  placed  the  cost  of 
the  entire  canal  at  five  millions  dollars.  The  route 
was  divided  into  three  sections.  The  levels  and 
surveys  of  the  previous  year  were  reviewed  In 
order  to  test  their  accuracy  and  correctness,  Mr. 
Geddes  started  from  a  jjoint  near  the  west  end  of 
Oneida  Lake,  and  taking  the  lake  on  a  still  day  as 
a  level,  carried  a  line  of  levels  up  to  the  canal  line 
on  the  long  level  east  of  Syracuse,  and  thence 
working  eastward  laid  off  sections  on  the  canal 
line.  Mr.  Wright,  starting  from  a  point  cast  for  the 
east  end  of  Oneida  Lake,  in  like  manner  carried  a 
level  along  the  line  of  the  canal  westward,  and  the 
Commissioners  remark,  that  when  the  level  of  Mr. 
Wright  had  been  carried  to  the  place  where  Mr. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


39 


Geddes  had  terminated  his  line,  the  levels  of  these 
two  engineers,  which  embraced  a  distance  of 
nearly  one  hundred  miles,  differed  from  each  other 
less  than  one  inch  and  a  half  This  result  exhibits 
in  the  engineers  a  degree  of  care,  skill  and  preci-- 
sion  never  exceeded. 

The  first  contract  was  dated  June  27,  181 7.  The 
remaining  part  of  the  middle  section  was  under 
contract  soon  after.  The  excavation  was  com- 
menced at  Rome  with  appropriate  ceremonies,  July 
4,  1817.  The  first  contract  was  given  to  Judge 
John  Richardson,  of  Cayuga.  "  It  is  perhaps,"  re- 
marks Clark,*  "  a  singular  coincidence  that  the  first 
movement  in  the  halls  of  legislation  relative  to  the 
Erie  Canal,  was  made  by  a  member  from  Onondaga, 
— that  the  first  exploration  was  made  by  an  engi- 
neer of  Onondaga,— that  the  first  contract  was 
given  to,  and  the  first  ground  broken  by  a  contrac- 
tor who  had  been  several  years  a  resident  of  Onon- 
daga, and  all  of  whom  had  been  Judges  of  our  coun- 
ty courts  and  members  of  the  Legislature  from 
Onondaga  County." 

Governor  Clinton,  in  his  annual  message  of  1820, 
reported  ninety-four  miles  completed  on  the  middle 
section  from  Utica  to  the  Seneca  River,  including  a 
lateral  canal  to  Salina.  By  the  opening  of  this  por- 
tion of  the  canal,  the  resources  of  Onondaga  County 
were  more  fully  ascertained  and  developed.  Her 
salt,  gypsum  and  lime  found  their  way  to  a  ready 
market,  and  the  produce  of  the  agriculturist  an 
outlet,  affording  more  ample  remuneration  for  labor  ; 
a  new  and  vigorous  impulse  was  given  to  her 
advancement  and  prosperity,  which  placed  her 
among  the  first  counties  of  the  Empire  State — a 
position  she  is  destined  long  to  enjoy.  Notwith- 
standing these  favorable  results  there  were  not 
wanting  narrow  minded  and  selfish  men  actively 
engaged  to  defeat  the  further  progress  of  the  work. 
Many  argued  that  the  income  of  the  whole  canal 
would  not  equal  the  cost  of  the  part  already  com- 
pleted. Local  feelings  had  to  be  combatted,  preju- 
dices overcome,  indignities  borne,  and  every  species 
of  contumely  and  perverseness  encountered  by  the 
supporters  of  the  enterprise.  But  with  a  devo- 
tion above  all  praise,  the  commissioners  and  advo- 
cates of  the  work  faltered  not,  till  finally,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1825 — a  period  of  eight  years  and  four  months 
from  the  time  of  beginning — it  was  proclaimed 
to  the  world  that  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie  were  con- 
nected with  those  of  the  Hudson  River,  without 
one  foot  of  portage,  through  one  of  the  longest  ca- 
nals in  the  world  ;  and  the  cost,  according  to  the 
books  of  the  Comptroller,  including  the  Champlain 

*  2  Onondaga,  p.  6i. 


Canal,  was  $8,273,122.66,  and  is  considered  one  of 
the  most  stupendous  and  magnificent  works  of  this 
or  any  age. 

If  the  canal  has  benefited  the  people  of  Onon- 
daga, the  men  of  Onondaga  were  the  principal  pro- 
moters of  the  undertaking  in  all  its  incipient  steps. 
It  was  Judge  Geddes,  of  Onondaga,  who  traversed 
the  wilderness  of  Western  New  York,  and  gathered 
all  the  materials  and  reported  all  the  facts  upon 
which  statistics  were  based,  and  Joshua  Forman,  of 
Onondaga,  who  from  the  beginning  was  the  uncom- 
promising, unflinching  defender  and  eloquent  ad- 
vocate of  the  great  work  ;  and  it  was  not  until  after 
these  men  had  labored  long  and  faithfully  in  the 
cause,  that  the  giant  intellect  and  master  mind  of 
DeWitt  Clinton  was  aroused  to  a  sense  of  the  im- 
portance of  this  magnificent  undertaking.  These 
two  men  of  Onondaga,  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end,  were  intimately  connected  with  the  work,  in 
fact,  identical  with  it  and  indispensable  to  it.  They 
labored  faithfully  and  effectually  throughout — 
Judge  Geddes  as  an  able  engineer.  Judge  Forman  as 
the  unwavering  promoter  of  its  utility.  These  two 
men  furnished  more  solid  information  relative  to  the 
canal  than  all  others  put  together.  Till  they  took 
hold  of  it,  the  whole  matter  was  considered  by  most 
men  but  an  idle  dream,  a  delusion,  a  false,  unfeasible 
project.* 

The  fathers  of  this  stupendous  work  should  be 
forever  venerated  for  their  perseverance  in  over- 
coming the  opposition  they  had  to  contend  against, 
both  from  individuals  and  from  the  infancy  of  the 
country  they  had  to  penetrate  and  to  depend  upon 
for  the  means  of  making  the  enterprise  a  success. 
We  must  always  admire  genius  struggling  against 
fate,  with  a  lofty  and  enthusiastic  purpose  which 
scorns  all  defeat,  triumphs  over  all  obstacles  and 
conquers  even  fate  itself,  in  the  contest.  A  few 
miles  of  aqueduct  constructed  by  the  wealthy  east- 
ern nations  in  the  height  of  their  prosperity  have 
called  forth  our  admiration  as  a  great  achievement. 
But  what  nation  in  its  youth  has  ever  had  the 
courage  to  undertake  three  liundred  and  fifty  miles  of 
canal,  without  having  even  an  engineer  of  their 
own  till  the  event  developed  and  brought  him  for- 
ward, equal  to  the  great  task .'  It  has  been  truly 
said  that  great  occasions  produce  great  men.  And 
it  was  so  in  this  case.  When  the  work  was  to  be 
done,  and  foreign  assistance  could  not  be  procured, 
the  men  were  found,  on  the  spot  where  the  enter- 
prise was  to  be  undertaken,  able  and  willing  to  carry 
it  on  to  its  grand  consummation. 

The  first  ground  broken  on  the  Erie  Canal  in  the 


*  I  Clark's  Onondaga,  p.  63. 


40 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


county  of  Onondaga,  was  by  Mr.  Elias  Gumaer,  in 
the  town  of  Manlius.  Oliver  Teall,  Esq.,  took 
several  contracts  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county. 
Messrs.  Northrupand  Dexter,  and  Jeremiah  Kecler, 
built  a  section  or  two  through  Syracuse.  Hazard 
Lewis,  of  Binghamton.  built  the  locks.  The  first 
locks  were  built  of  Elbridgc  sandstone.  Commis- 
sioners, builders  and  masons  had  no  idea  that  the 
Onondaga  limestone  could  be  cut  for  facing  stones 
for  locks,  so  little  was  this  valuable  material  then 
understood. 

After  the  water  was  let  in,  for  a  long  time  it 
would  not  flow  farther  east  on  the  Syracuse  level 
than  the  Stone  Bridge  It  all  disappeared  in  a  bed 
of  loose  gravel.  This  difficulty,  however,  was  after 
a  while  remedied,  and  all  went  well.  The  first  boats 
used  were  the  Mohawk  boats,  with  wide  walking 
boards  for  poling  up  the  Mohawk  River. 

Oliver  Tcall  was  appointed  the  first  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Erie  Canal,  and  Joshua  Forman, 
the  first  Collector  ;  office  at  Syracuse. 

The  leveling  instrument  used  by  Judge  Geddes 
in  surveying  the  Erie  Canal  was  the  same  one  used 
by  Abraham  Hardcnburgh,  under  the  superintend- 
ence of  William  Weston,  the  celebrated  English 
engineer,  when  he  surveyed  the  route  of  the  "  Old 
Canal  "in  1788  It  was  made  by  David  Ritten- 
house,  of  rhiladclphia,  and  is  now  in  the  possession 
of  Hon.  George  Geddes,  of  Camillus. 

One  circumstance  which    greatly  facilitated  the 
successful  completion  of  the   Erie  Canal  was  the 
discovery,  at  an  opportune  moment,  in  this  locality, 
of  water   lime,   or  American    Hydraulic   Cement. 
The  first  works  of  masonry  on  the  canal  had  been 
done  with  common  quicklime,  which  proved  unsub- 
stantial on  exposure  to  water,  and  was,  therefore, 
unsuitable    for  culverts  and  aqueducts.      A    kiln 
sup|)osed  to  be  of  common  limestone  was  burnt  and 
some  of  the  lime  delivered  to  the  contractors  on 
the  middle  division  of  the  canal.     To  their  astonish- 
ment, they  found  on  experiment,  that  it  would  not 
slake  like  ordinary  quicklime      This  led  to  an  in- 
vestigation which  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  the 
hydraulic  properties  of  the  lime,  now  so  famous  as 
an   article   of  export   from  this   county.      To  Mr. 
Canvass  White,  who  spent  much  time  and  means 
in  testing  its  qualities,  is  due  the  merit  of  bringing 
this  valuable  cement  into  general  use.     After  1819, 
all  the  mason  work  on  the  canal  was  laid  in  water 
lime. 

It  may  be  well  to  record  the  fact  that  Mr.  Obediah 
Parker,  who  resided  on  the  old  flat  of  Lodi,  now  in 
the  Eighth  Ward  of  Syracuse,  received  a  gold 
medal  from  the  American  Institute  for  the  applica- 


tion of  water  lime  to  the  construction  of  cisterns 
about  the  year  1830. 

CHAPTER   X. 

Okganizatios  of  Colkts — First  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas — Courts  Undf.r  Herkimer  Cou.ntv 
Jurisdiction — First  Judges  and  Officers- 
First  Grand  and  Petit  Jurors — Erection  of 
County  Buildings. 

IN  1794.  after  the  Military  Tract  had  been  set 
ofT  from  Herkimer,  and  organized  into  a  coun- 
ty by  itself.  Courts  of  Common  Pleas  and  of  General 
Sessions  of  the  Peace  were  established  by  law. 
These  courts  were  ordered  to  be  held  alternately  on 
the  first  Mondays  in  May  and  November  in  each 
year,  at  the  house  of  Reuben  Patterson,  in  the  town 
of  Manlius,  and  at  the  house  of  Seth  Phelps,  in  the 
town  of  Scipio,  commencing  with  the  first  named. 
Mr.  Patterson  then  kept  a  tavern  at  Onondaga  Hol- 
low, which  at  that  tmie  was  a  part  of  Manlius. 
These  terms  were  to  be  held  only  for  the  space  of 
one  week. 

While  Onondaga  was  included  in  Herkimer  coun- 
ty, courts  were  held  in  the  church  at  Herkimer 
\'illage  till  other  provisions  were  made  by  the  Legis- 
lature. Col.  Henri  Staring  was  appointed  first 
Judge.  He  was  a  man  of  remarkable  honesty  and 
integrity,  though  of  limited  education.  Many 
amusing  anecdotes  are  told  of  his  manner  of  ad- 
ministering justice  Michael  Myers  was  one  of  his 
associates,  and  filled  many  offices  of  note  while  the 
Military  Tract  was  a  part  of   Herkimer  county. 

In  1793,  one  term  of  the  court  for  Herkimer  was 
directed  to  be  held  at  Whitestown,  at  such  place  as 
the  court  should  direct.  The  first  court  held  under 
this  provision  was  in  the  late  Judge  Sanger's  barn, 
Judge  Staring  presiding,  assisted  by  Judge  White. 
The  late  Judge  Piatt  was  then  Clerk  of  Herkimer 
County,  and  the  ShcrifT.  Col.  William  Colbraith.  the 
first  SherilT  who  ever  served  a  process  in  the  Mili- 
tary Tract.  He  was  a  jolly,  good  humored  man, 
and  withal  a  lover  of  fun.  He  had  seen  some  ser- 
vice in  the  Revolution,  but  had  acquired  his  title  as 
a  militia  officer  subsequent  to  that  war. 

Before  a  Court  House  was  erected  in  Onondaga 
County,  civil  and  criminal  prisoners  were  ordered 
to  be  confined  in  the  jail  of  Herkimer  County  until 
a  jail  could  be  provided  in  the  County  of  Onondaga. 

The  first  court  held  in  the  County  under  the  or- 
ganization was  in  General  Danforth's  corn  house, 
first  Monday  in  May,  1794.  Present,  Seth  Phelps, 
first  Judge;  John  Richardson,  Silas  Halsey  and 
William    Stevens,   Judges.     Moses  De  Witt,  Esq.. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


41 


was  appointed  Judge  of  Onondaga  Common  Pleas  ; 
not  present.  Thomas  R.  Gould  and  Arthur  Breeze 
were  the  only  lawyers  then  present,  not  one  at  that 
time  having  established  himself  in  the  County. 

The  first  Court  of  Oyer  and  Terminer  for  the 
County  of  Onondaga,  was  held  at  the  house  of  Asa 
Danforth,  Esq.,  (afterwards  Reuben  Patterson's,)  on 
the  2 1st  of  July,  1794.  Present,  Hon.  Egbert 
Benson,  one  of  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Judicature  for  the  State  of  New  York,  assisted 
by  Seth  Phelps  and  Andrew  Englis,  Justices 
of  Oyer  and  Terminer  and  General  Jail  Delivery 
for  the  County  of  Onondaga.  Lawyers  were  in  at- 
tendance at  this  court  from  Whitestown  and  Her- 
kimer. The  grand  jurors  were  as  follows  :  Comfort 
Tyler,  Isaac  Van  Vleck,  Elias  Fitch,  Moses  Carpen- 
ter, William  Ward,  Jonathan  Wilkinson,  Cyrus 
Kinne,  Sieur  Curtis,  Victory  S.  Tousley,  Amos 
Stanton,  Henry  Moore,  James  Geddes,  Ryal  Bing- 
ham, Reuben  Patterson.  "  Judge  Benson  made  an 
eloquent  charge  to  the  Grand  Jury."  The  only  bill 
of  indictment  found  was  against  James  Fitzgerald 
for  assault  and  battery  with  intent  to  rob  Andrew 
McCarthy.  The  Petit  Jurors  on  this  first  criminal 
trial  were :  John  Brown,  William  Linsley,  Thomas 
Morgan,  Henry  Watkins,  Benjamin  De  Puy,  Nehe- 
miah  Smith,  Isaac  Strong,  John  A.  Thompson, 
Noah  Olmsted,  Isaac  Bailey,  William  Stevens,  and 
Thomas  Ozman,  who  found  the  prisoner  guilty. 
He  was  sentenced  by  the  Court  to  two  months'  im- 
prisonment in  the  Herkimer  jail.  The  Court  fined 
nineteen  petit  jurors  twenty  shillings  each,  four  grand 
jurors  and  two  constables  each  the  same  sum.  John 
Stowell,  William  Goodwin,  Perry  Brownell,  justices 
of  the  peace,  were  each  fined  thirty  shillings  for  ab- 
sence. 

The  next  term  of  the  Circuit  Court  was  held  at 
the  house  of  Seth  Phelps  in  Scipio,  7th  September, 
1795.  Present  Hon.  John  Lansing,  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  Seth  Phelps,  John  Richardson,  W' il- 
liam  Stevens,  Judges  of  Onondaga  County  Common 
Pleas.  The  following  absent  justices  of  the  peace 
were  severally  fined  thirty  shillings  :  John  A. 
Sheaffer,  William  Goodwin,  John  Stowell,  Cyrus 
Kinne,  Hezekiah  Olcott,  Daniel  Keeler,  Ryal  Bing- 
ham and  Ozias  Burr.  John  A.  Sheaffer  was  indicted 
for  forgery.  He  forfeited  his  recognizance,  and  left, 
(estreated.)*  ! 

Hon.  Egbert  Benson  held  the  ne.xt  Circuit  Court     ! 
at  the  house  of  Reuben  Patterson,  June  14,  1797, 
assisted  by  Seth  Phelps,  William  Stevens,  Asa  Dan- 
forth  and    Comfort  Tyler,  judges  and  justices  of 
Oyer  and  Terminer  for  the  County  of  Onondaga.     ! 

*  Clark.  1 

6* 


Grand  Jury :  Ozias  Burr,  foreman  ;  James  Geddes, 
Ephraim  Webster,  Bethel  Cole,  Robert  Earll,  John 
Curtiss,  Joseph  Leonard,  Levi  Jerome,  David  Green, 
John  Lamb,  William  Rice,  Jonathan  Coe,  Joseph 
Cody,  Peter  Lawrence,  William  Cobb,  Irad  Smith. 
No  bills  of  indictment  found  at  this  term. 

Hon.  James  Kent,  judge,  held  the  next  Circuit 
at  the  house  of  Seth  Phelps,  Scipio,  June  12,  1798, 
assisted  by  Seth  Phelps,  William  Stevens,  Seth 
Sherwood,  judges  of  Common  Pleas  for  Onondaga 
County. 

Cayuga  County  was  set  off  in  1799.  The  first 
Court  in  Onondaga  after  this  was  held  at  the  house 
of  Reuben  Patterson,  June,  1799.  Present,  William 
Stevens,  first  judge,  assisted  by  Elijah  Rust,  James 
Geddes,  Orris  Curtiss,  James  Keep  and  Jeremiah 
Gould,  associates. 

Courts  were  held  at  different  houses  in  Onondaga 
Hollow,  viz  :  Asa  Danforth's,  Reuben  Patterson's, 
Samuel  Tyler's  and  John  Adams' — from  1794  to 
1805,  when  the  Court  House  at  Onondaga  Hill  was 
so  far  completed  as  to  allow  of  the  Courts  being  held 
therewith  the  legislative  provision  for  adjourning  to 
any  other  house,  if  the  weather  was  so  inclement  as 
to  render  it  uncomfortable  at  the  Court  House. 

In  1 801,  Elihu  Lewis,  Jabez  Webb  and  Thaddeus 
M.  Wood  were  appointed  Commissioners  for  the 
purpose  of  erecting  a  Court  House  and  Jail  for  the 
county  of  Onondaga.  It  was  determined  by  vote  to 
locate  them  at  Onondaga  West  Hill.  The  Com- 
missioners commenced  by  contracting  with  William 
Bostwick  of  Auburn  to  put  up  the  frame  and  en- 
close the  house.  This  was  done  in  1802,  and  closed 
Mr.  Bostwick's  contract.  Previous  to  raising  the 
house  the  people  of  the  Hill  collected  together  and 
made  a  "  bee  "  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  away  the 
trees  to  make  room  for  the  new  building.  The 
square  was  at  that  time  covered  with  a  heavy  growth 
of  timber.  In  order  to  have  the  use  of  the  Court 
House,  a  temporary  floor  and  seats  were  put  in  it 
and  the  courts  held  there  till  the  commencement  of 
1804.  The  county  then  began  to  feel  able  to  finish 
the  court  room  and  jailor's  dwelling.  The  Com- 
missioners contracted  with  Mr.  Abel  House  to  do 
the  carpenter  work  inside,  leaving  out  the  cells,  and 
with  a  Mr.  Sexton,  of  New  Hartford,  to  do  the 
mason  work;  and  Mr.  Ephraim  Webster  was  to 
furnish  the  brick  for  the  chimneys.  The  court 
room  and  dwelling  were  completed  during  that  sea- 
son. After  a  year  or  two,  preparations  were  com- 
menced for  building  the  cells  of  the  jail.  A  con- 
tract was  made  with  Roswell  and  Sylvanus  Tousley, 
of  Manlius,  for  the  iron  work,  at  a  price  of  two  shil- 
lino-s  per  pound.     The  cells  were  finished  in  18 10. 


42 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


In  1804  the  county  of  Oneida  had  completed  a 
jail  in  the  town  of  Whitcsboro,  to  which  the 
criminals  of  this  county  were  transferred  till  the 
Onondaga  county  jail  was  finished,  the  Legislature 
having  previously  passed  an  act  granting  this 
county  the  right  to  use  the  nearest  jail. 

The  jail  at  Onondaga  Hill  was  a  wooden  building 
fifty  feet  square,  two  stories  high,  with  a  square 
roof  pitching  four  ways  to  the  eaves.  It  was  not 
at  first  painted  ;  this  finishing  touch  was  done  by 
subscription,  some  years  afterwards,  by  the  people 
of  Onondaga  Hill.  The  first  story  was  appropri- 
ated for  the  jail  and  dwelling  of  the  jailor,  a  hall 
separating  them  from  each  other.  The  cells  were 
constructed  of  heavy  oak  jtlank,  fastened  together 
with  wrought  iron  spikes.  The  doors  were  made 
of  like  material,  having  a  rhomboidal  aperture  in 
the  center  through  which  to  pass  the  food,  and  to 
give  light  to  the  prisoners.  In  the  rear  of  the  cells 
were  grated  windows. 

The  court  room  was  reached  by  a  stairway  lead- 
ing from  the  hall.  The  judge's  bench  was  directly 
in  front  of  the  entrance  to  the  court  room  and  was 
constructed  in  a  circular  form.  The  whole  cost  of 
the  building  was  Sio,ooo.  This  court  house  and 
jail  were  used  for  the  purpose  designed  till  the 
year  iS.!9  The  first  jailor  was  James  Beebc,  a 
revolutionary  soldier,  and  father  of  Mrs.  Victory 
Birdseye,  of  Pompcy.  His  successor  was  Mason 
Butts,  father  of  Horace  Butts,  who  was  jailor  after 
the  removal  of  the  county  buildings  to  Syracuse. 
John  H.  Johnson,  Esq.,  also  acted  as  jailor  there  for 
several  years. 

In  1825,  movements  began  to  be  made  for  the 
removal  of  the  county  buildings  to  Syracuse,  which 
had  grown  to  be  the  largest  village  in  the  county. 
The  people  of  Onondaga  Hill  strongly  opposed  the 
measure,  and  in  1825  succeeded  in  getting  a  bill 
through  the  Legislature  for  the  retention  of  the 
buildings  at  that  place.  The  bill,  however,  was 
vetoed  by  Governor  Clinton,  but  the  project  did  not 
sleep.  In  1827  a  law  was  enacted  authorizing  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  to  erect  a  Court  House  and 
Jail  within  the  corporate  limits  of  Syracuse.  In 
the  summer  of  1828,  the  Supervisors  met,  in  pur- 
suance of  law,  at  the  Syracuse  House  to  take  into 
consideration  the  selection  of  a  site  for  the  proposed 
buildings,  and  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements 
for  their  erection.  At  the  meeting  there  was  a  great 
deal  of  discussion  and  a  wide  difference  of  opinion 
relative  to  the  site  of  the  buildings.  This  was 
finally  settled  by  taking  a  vote,  which  resulted  in 
placing  the  county  seat  midway  between  the  vil- 
lages of  Syracuse  and  Salina,  in  consideration  of 


the  village  of  Salina  presenting  to  the  county  a 
full  and  unincumbered  title  to  the  property,  consist- 
ing of  not  less  than  three  acres,  and  $1,000.  At 
this  meeting  the  Building  Commissioners  were  ap- 
pointed :  John  Smith,  Thomas  Starr  and  Samuel 
Forman  ;  with  power  to  cause  plans  and  specifica- 
tions to  be  made  and  to  contract  for  the  erection  of 
the  buildings.  The  County  Treasurer  was  also  em- 
powered to  borrow  $20,000,  in  two  annual  install- 
ments of  $10,000  each.  In  the  spring  of  1829,  the 
bids  were  received,  according  to  the  plans  and 
specifications  of  the  Commissioners.  Mr.  John 
Wall  obtained  the  contract  for  building  the  Jail, 
which  was  erected  by  him  early  in  the  year  1S29. 
The  cells  in  this  Jail  were  of  the  strongest  kind. 
After  it  was  taken  down,  they  were  placed  in  the 
basement  of  the  new  Court  House  on  Clinton 
Square.  L.  A.  Cheney  and  Samuel  Booth  ob- 
tained the  contract  for  doing  the  mason  work  on 
the  Court  House,  and  David  Stafford  for  doing  the 
carpenter  work.  It  was  erected  and  enclosed  in 
1829.  The  following  year  it  was  finished  by  Mr. 
Wall  and  ready  for  occupation  by  the  courts.  The 
cost  of  the  buildings  was  upwards  of  $27,000. 

The  Jail  was  of  stone,  fifty  feet  square  and  two 
stories  high,  with  a  hall  and  stairway  in  the  center. 
The  south  half  contained  the  jailor's  dwelling,  the 
north  half  the  cells  for  prisoners,  the  second  story 
above  these  being  devoted  to  cells  for  debtors, 
witnesses,  &c.  The  Court  House  was  of  brick, 
si.xty  feet  square  and  two  stories  high,  fronted  on 
the  west  side  with  a  row  of  large  columns.  The 
first  story  was  divided  by  halls  into  four  apart- 
ments, one  in  each  corner,  for  the  use  of  grand  and 
petit  juries  and  other  purposes.  The  Court  Room 
occupied  all  of  the  second  story,  except  the  landing 
of  the  stairs  and  two  petit  jury  rooms.  The  Judge's 
seat  was  on  the  south  side  opposite  the  landing  of 
the  stairway. 

The  Jail  was  abandoned  in  1850,  after  the  erec- 
tion of  the  I'cnitentiary,  and  the  removal  of  the 
jail  prisoners  to  that  institution.  The  materials 
were  used  in  the  construction  of  the  work-shops  of 
the  Penitentiary  and  in  the  new  Court  House. 

New  Coi;rt  House. — Attempts  were  made 
from  time  to  time  to  change  the  site  of  the  Court 
House,  but  they  all  failed  until  after  the  destruction 
of  the  old  building  by  fire,  on  the  morning  of  the 
5th  of  January,  1856.  The  expectation  that  was 
entertained  when  the  site  between  the  two  villages 
was  selected,  that  business  would  naturally  center 
around  the  Court  House,  was  never  realized,  and 
hence  it  was  not  accessible  to  the  public.  The  in- 
]     convenience,   however,   was    submitted    to    about 


COUffT    HOUSE,  SYRACUSE, Onond/ 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


43 


twenty  years,  before  any  serious  attempt  was  made 
to  change  the  site.  General  Granger  submitted  a 
proposition  to  the  Board  of  Supervisors  to  the 
effect  that  he  would  build  a  good  court  house  on 
any  lot  in  the  heart  of  the  city  that  might 
be  designated,  in  consideration  of  the  con- 
veyance to  him  of  the  old  Court  House  site  and 
^20,000  in  cash.  But  his  offer  received  little  favor 
at  the  hands  of  the  Board.  During  the  session  of 
the  Board  in  1853,  the  subject  was  again  introduced 
by  Hon.  Sanford  C.  Parker,  Supervisor  from  Van 
Buren,  who  proposed  a  resolution  that  the  county 
should  unite  with  the  city  in  the  erection  of  an 
edifice  of  sufficient  dimensions  for  a  Court  House, 
Clerk's  Offices,  City  Hall,  &c.  But  the  subject  was 
not  further  considered  till  the  meeting  of  the  Board 
in  December,  1855,  at  which  time  Mr.  Midler,  Super- 
visor from  DeW'itt,  moved  a  resolution  to  instruct 
the  "  Committee  on  Court  House  and  Clerk's  Office 
to  examine  and  report  to  this  Board  the  expense  of 
building  a  new  Court  House,  and  what  the  premises 
where  the  old  one  stands  will  sell  for."  This  reso- 
lution was  adopted  without  objection.  The  com- 
mittee, consisting  of  T.  C.  Cheney,  E.  A.  Williams, 
and  Joel  Fuller,  proceeded  to  discharge  the  duties 
imposed  upon  them  by  the  Board,  and  on  the  7th  of 
December  submitted  their  report,  recommending 
the  appointment  of  a  committee  of  three  to  exam- 
ine and  report  upon  a  suitable  site  for  a  new  Court 
House,  and  plans  and  estimates  for  its  erection. 
This  report  was  laid  on  the  table  till  the  14th  of 
December,  when  it  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  fifteen 
to  nine  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  the  follow- 
ing committee  appointed :  T.  C.  Cheney,  Luke 
Wells  and  D.  T.  Moseley.  Mr.  Wells  subsequently 
declined  to  serve,  and  Mr.  Patten,  of  Salina,  was 
substituted  in  his  place.  This  committee  was 
■divided,  making  a  majority  and  a  minority  report ; 
the  latter  by  Mr.  Moseley,  against  a  change  of  loca- 
tion, being  adopted  by  the  Board.  Thus  the  matter 
stood,  when  the  burning  of  the  old  Court  House  on 
the  5th  of  February,  set  the  question  of  a  new  build- 
ing at  rest.  The  Board  was  called  together  on  the 
13th  of  February,  and  a  committee  consisting  of 
T.  C.  Cheney,  George  Stevens  and  William  F.  Gere 
was  appointed  to  report  at  the  next  meeting.  The 
Board  met  again  on  the  14th  of  April,  when  a  ma- 
jority of  the  committee — Messrs.  Stevens  and 
Cheney  —  reported  in  favor  of  changing  the  Court 
House  site  and  the  erection  of  a  new  building.  Mr. 
Gere  was  in  favor  of  the  old  site,  and  was  sustained 
by  the  Board  upon  the  vote  being  taken.  On  the 
following  day  the  Board  adopted  a  resolution  offered 
by  Mr.  Chapman,  of  Onondaga,  "  that  if  an  equal 


exchange  (with  Colonel  Voorhees,)  of  the  present 
Court  House  site  for  the  lot  on  Clinton  Square 
can  be  effected,  this  Board  will  order  the  exchange." 
Upon  motion  of  Mr.  Barrows,  T.  C.  Cheney,  Elizur 
Clark  and  Bradley  Carey  were  appointed  a  commit- 
tee "  to  prepare  plans,  specifications  and  estimates 
for  a  Court  House,  and  report  at  a  future  meet- 
ing." At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  on  the  28th  of 
April,  the  committee  submitted  their  report,  show- 
ing that  they  had  made  favorable  terms  with  Col- 
onel Voorhees  for  the  exchange  of  lots,  and  recom- 
mending a  plan  previously  submitted  to  the  Board, 
drawn  by  Mr.  H.  N.  White,  architect,  of  this 
city.  They  estimated  the  cost  of  the  building,  on 
the  plan  proposed,  at  §38,000,  including  old  mate- 
rial. In  preference  to  brick,  they  recommended 
Onondaga  limestone,  as  "  most  appropriate  and 
much  more  durable."  This  report  was  signed  by 
the  entire  committee  and  favorably  received  by  the 
members  of  the  Board.  The  question  of  changing 
the  site  was  then  submitted  in  a  resolution  offered 
by  Mr.  Palmer,  which  was  carried  almost  unani- 
mously, only  one  member  voting  in  the  negative. 
The  plan  of  the  building  presented  by  the  commit- 
tee was  then  adopted,  and  Messrs.  Slocum,  Johnson 
and  District  Attorney  Andrews,  directed  to  execute 
papers  for  an  exchange  of  sites  with  Col.  Voorhees. 
The  next  day  Timothy  C.  Chene}',  Luke  Wells  and 
D.  C.  Greenfield,  were  appointed  a  committee  to 
superintend  the  erection  of  the  building  ;  and  Hora- 
tio X.  \\'hite,  architect.  At  a  subsequent  meeting 
of  the  Board  in  June,  the  proposals  for  the  erection 
of  the  building,  advertised  for  by  the  commission- 
ers, were  opened,  and  the  contract  awarded  to 
Messrs.  Cheney  and  W'ilcox  at  $37,750,  the  con- 
tractors to  have  the  material  of  the  old  court  house 
and  jail.  Mr.  Cheney  thereupon  resigned  his  place 
as  Commissioner,  and  Elizur  Clark  was  appointed 
to  fill  the  vacancy.  The  cut  stone  work  of  the 
building  was  let  by  the  contractors  to  Messrs. 
Spaulding  &  Pollock,  the  carpenter  and  joiner  work 
to  Messrs.  Coburn  &  Hurst,  and  the  iron  work  to 
Messrs,  Featherly,  Draper  &  Cole.  The  building 
was  finished  and  occupied  in  1857.  It  is  a  beauti- 
ful and  substantial  structure  of  Onondaga  grey  lime- 
stone, a  credit  to  the  county  and  an  ornament  to  the 
city. 

The  County  Clerk's  Office,  a  fire  proof  brick 
building,  on  North  Salina  street,  corner  of  Church, 
was  erected  by  the  County  in  1814.  It  contains 
rooms  for  the  Surrogate,  Supervisors,  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Poor,  etc.,  together  with  a  large 
collection  of  valuable  documents  and  records  placed 
therein  on  file  for  preservation. 


44 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Salt  Springs— History  of  their  Dis- 
covery—  Early  Manufacture  of  Salt  — 
State  Legislation  on  the  Subject — The 
Salt  Springs  Reservation— Methods  and 
Statistics  of  the  Salt  Works — Analysis  of 
THE  Water  and  Source  of  its  Supply. 

The  existence  of  salt  springs  at  Lake  Ganentaha, 
or  Onondaga,  was  known  to  the  Indians  before  the 
advent  of  the  first  Europeans,  but  it  does  not  ap- 
pear that  they  knew  the  use  of  them  till  taught  by 
the  Jesuit  Missionary,  Father  Le  Moyne,  in  1654. 
An  allusion  is  made  to  the  springs,  or  "  salt  foun- 
tains," by  Father  Jerome  Lallamant,  who  visited 
the  Onondagas  in  1645,  and  who  says  :  "  The  On- 
ondagas  have  a  very  beautiful  lake  called  Ganentaha, 
on  the  shores  of  which  are  several  salt  springs,  the 
borders  of  which  are  always  covered  with  very  fine 
salt."  Father  Le  Moyne,  in  an  account  \of  his 
return  to  Quebec,  under  date  of  August  16,  1654, 
says :  "  We  arrived  at  the  entrance  of  a  small 
lake  ;  in  a  large  half-dried  basin  we  tasted  the 
water  of  a  spring  of  which  the  savages  dare  not 
drink,  saying  there  is  a  demon  in  it  which  renders 
it  foul.  We  found  it  to  be  a  fountain  of  salt  water 
from  which  we  made  salt  as  natural  as  from  the  sea, 
a  sample  of  which  I  shall  take  with  me  to  Quebec." 

This  act  of  Father  Le  Moyne's  exorcised  the 
demon,  to  whose  dominion  the  superstition  of  the 
natives  had  given  over  the  salt  springs,  and  thence- 
forth Onondaga  salt  came  into  use  among  the 
Indians  of  this  region  of  country.  Says  Clark  : 
"  In  1770,  Onondaga  salt  was  in  common  use  among 
the  Delaware  Indians,  and  by  that  time  traders  were 
in  the  habit  of  bringing  small  quantities  to  Albany 
along  with  their  furs  as  a  curiosity."  At  this  period  it 
was  to  be  found  in  the  huts  of  the  Indians,  the 
women  manufacturing  it  and  sending  it  to  (.Quebec 
for  sale.* 

Some  years  before  this  Sir  WilHam  Johnson  had 
obtained  a  conveyance  from  the  Indians  of  a  tract 
of  land  one  mile  in  width  adjoining  and  including 
the  entire  "  salt  lake."  On  account  of  the  loyalty 
of  Sir  William  and  his  son,  Sir  John  Johnson,  to 
the  English,  this  and  his  princely  estate  on  the  Mo- 
hawk were  forfeited  during  the  Revolutionary  period. 
It  was  not  until  several  years  after  the  Revolution 
that  the  fame  of  these  salt  springs  began  to  attract 
settlers,  and  that  attempts  were  made  by  Americans 
to  develop  and  utilize  their  resources. 

Comfort  Tyler  was  the  pioneer  in  this  enterprise, 
which  has  since  assumed  proportions  of  such  im- 

*  Letter  of  Judge  Bowker,  quoted  by  Hon.  George  Geddes. 


mense  magnitude.  In  1788,  he  was  shown  the 
spring  by  the  Indians,  and  in  May  of  that  year 
made  in  about  nine  hours  thirteen  bushels  of  salt. 
His  account  of  his  first  visit  to  the  springs  is  given 
as  follows  :  "  The  family  wanting  salt,  obtained 
about  a  pound  from  the  Indians,  which  they  had 
made  from  the  springs  on  the  shores  of  the  lake. 
They  oflTered  to  discover  the  water  to  us.  Accord- 
ingly I  went  w^ith  an  Indian  guide  to  the  lake, 
taking  along  an  iron  kettle  of  fifteen  gallons  capaci- 
ty, which  he  placed  in  his  canoe,  and  started  out  of 
the  mouth  of  Onondaga  Creek,  easterly  into  a  pass 
called  Mud  Creek.  After  passing  over  the  marsh> . 
then  overflowed  by  about  three  feet  of  water,  and  ' 
steering  towards  the  bluff  of  hard  land,  since  the 
village  of  Salina,  he  fastened  his  canoe,  pointed  to 
a  hole  apparently  artificial,  and  said  there  was  the 
salt." 

Thus  was  Mr.  Tyler  introduced  to  the  salt  springs. 
The  same  season  he  was  joined  by  Major  Asa 
Danforth,  who  carried  a  large  iron  kettle  on  his  head 
from  Onondaga  Hollow  to  the  springs  at  Salina, 
and  the  two  together  made  salt,  suspending  the 
kettle  by  a  chain  to  a  pole  supported  by  two  crotched 
stakes  driven  into  the  ground.  When  they  had 
made  a  sufficient  supply,  they  hid  the  chain  and 
kettle  in  the  bushes,  to  keep  them  safely  for  future 
use.  In  this  way  all  the  salt  was  made  which  was 
manufactured  during  the  first  year  at  "  Salt  Point." 
In  1789,  Nathaniel  Loomis  came  by  the  way  of 
Oneida  Lake  and  River  with  a  few  kettles,  and  dur- 
ing the  following  winter  made  from  five  to  six  hun- 
dred bushels  of  salt,  which  sold  for  one  dollar  a 
bushel. 

The  State  acquired  an  ownership  in  the  salt 
springs,  in  common  with  the  Indians,  and  in  the 
tract  of  land  adjoining  them,  known  as  the  Onon- 
daga Salt  Springs  Reservation,  by  the  treaty  of 
Fort  Stanwix,  concluded  September  12,  1788.  This 
treaty  stipulated  that  the  salt  lake  and  the  lands  for 
one  mile  around  the  same,  should  forever  remain 
for  the  common  benefit  of  the  people  of  the  State 
of  New  York  and  of  the  Onondagas  and  their  pos- 
terity, for  the  purpose  of  making  salt.  The  two 
races  thus  became  tenants  in  common  of  the  salt 
springs  property.  The  white  men  at  once  took 
possession  at  Salina  and  commenced  the  manufac- 
ture of  salt. 

In  1794,  Judge  James  Geddes  constructed  a 
"  salt  work "  a  mile  or  more  to  the  southwest  of 
that  point,  or  what  was  properly  the  head  of  the 
lake.  The  Indians  took  exceptions  to  this,  saying 
they  owned  one  half  of  the  water,  and  the  white 
men  the  other  half,  and  as  the  whites  had  taken  pos- 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


45 


session  on  their  side  of  the  lake,  they  should  keep 
away  from  what  they  called  the  Indian's  side.  This 
grew  into  a  difficulty  threatening  an  attack  on  the 
part  of  the  Indians.  Judge  Goddes  had  proceeded 
too  far  with  his  work  to  be  willing  to  give  it  up  as 
a  peace  ofiering,  to  conciliate  the  wrath  of  his  red 
neighbors.  Presents  were  ofiered  and  conciliatory 
speeches  made  to  them,  to  induce  them  to  surren- 
der peaceably,  but  all  seemed  unavailing.  The  In- 
dians desired  the  presents,  but  at  the  same  time  felt 
unwilling  to  compromise  what  they  considered  their 
right  to  the  side  of  the  lake  which  the  Judge  had 
occupied.  Finally,  a  happy  method  of  solving  the 
problem  struck  one  of  the  chiefs :  "  Let  us,"  said 
he,  "  adopt  this  pale  face  into  our  tribe,  and  then 
being  one  of  us,  he  will  have  a  right  to  make  salt 
on  our  side  of  the  lake."  The  proposition  was 
unanimously  adopted,  and  Judge  Geddes  had  the 
name  Don-da-dah-gwah  conferred  upon  him,  by 
which  the  Indians  ever  after  addressed  him.  Thence- 
forth he  made  his  salt  in  peace.* 

In  1795,  the  Indians  not  being  satisfied  with  the 
arrangement  whereby  they  held  a  common  interest 
in  the  Reservation,  entered  into  another  treaty  at 
Cayuga  Ferry,  in  which  they  ceded  their  right  ab- 
solutely to  the  sovereignty  of  the  State  of  New 
York.  This  treaty  was  the  foundation  of  the  Con- 
stitutional prohibition  against  the  sale  of  the  Salt 
Springs,  because  it  was  regarded  as  a  particular  bar- 
gain and  agreement  on  the  part  of  the  State  of  New 
York  to  so  exercise  its  power  over  them  as  never  to 
depart  from  its  rights  and  interest  in  them,  and  to 
use  them  for  the  benefit  of  the  entire  people  of  the 
State. 

The  bargain  was  consummated  by  giving  the 
Indians  S  1,000  in  money,  an  annuity  of  S700,  and 
150  bushels  of  salt  annually. 

The  Salt  Springs  Reservation,  as  delineated  on 
the  map,  is  about  three  and  a  half  miles  wide  at  the 
extreme  south  end,  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
at  the  north  end,  including  the  lake  within  its 
boundaries,  and  containing  about  ten  square  miles. 
It  takes  in  the  city  of  Syracuse,  the  town  of  Geddes 
and  the  town  of  Salina,  with  the  e.xception  of  nine 
and  a  half  lots  added  to  the  town  of  Salina  from 
the  town  of  Manlius. 

The  State  took  formal  possession  of  it  in  1797, 
sending  a  surveyor  to  run  out  a  portion  of  it  into 
lots,  and  placing  it  under  a  superintendent.  William 
Stevens  was  appointed  the  first  Superintendent, 
June  20,  1797,  and  held  the  office  till  his  death,  in 
the  year  1801.  The  surveyor  laid  out  the  reserva- 
tion into  marsh  lots,  pasture  lots,  salt  lots,  dwelling 

*  Hon.  Otorgc  Gcddet,  Report,  1859. 


lots  and  store  lots.  The  State  fixed  the  duty  on 
salt  at  four  cents  a  bushel,  and  for  this  tax  gave,  in 
the  first  place,  a  large  lot  running  down  close  to  the 
springs,  for  the  purpose  of  putting  the  salt  works 
thereon,  and  running  up  to  the  brow  of  the  hill, 
with  a  frontage  upon  the  bluff  sufficient  for  a  dwell- 
ing house  and  store.  And  to  each  owner  it  gave  a 
fourteen  acre  marsh  lot  and  a  five  acre  pasture  lot, 
under  a  lease  for  seven  years,  and  a  right  to  roam 
anywhere  over  the  entire  ten  square  miles  for  fuel, 
without  any  cost  to  themselves  save  cutting  and 
hauling,  for  the  manufacture  of  salt,  or  for  any  other 
purpose  for  which  fuel  or  timber  was  desired. 

In  addition  thereto  the  State  built  a  sort  of  wharf 
down  on  a  little  creek  that  comes  into  the  lake,  for 
the  batteaux  that  should  engage  in  the  distribution 
of  the  salt  to  Oswego  and  other  places.  The  State, 
also,  in  order  to  avoid  the  necessity  of  large  works, 
which  would  be  required  by  individuals  to  store  salt 
in,  while  waiting  for  its  sale,  erected  storehouses  and 
stored  the  salt  in  them.  All  this  was  the  equiva- 
lent which  the  State  gave  the  manufacturers  for  the 
four  cents  charge  of  duties.* 

The  Salt  Springs  Reservation,  we  have  said,  in- 
cluded the  city  of  Syracuse  and  the  towns  of  Ged- 
des and  Salina.  The  amount  of  lands  sold  by  the 
State  out  of  this  Reservation  up  to  and  including 
1846,  was  over  $250,000  worth,  the  State  reserving 
a  royalty  on  the  salt  water.  In  outlying  lands 
which  would  probably  not  be  needed  in  the  manu- 
facture of  salt,  the  State  has  given  the  deeds  reserv- 
ing this  royalty.  In  addition  thereto,  the  State  has 
from  time  to  time,  under  the  Constitution  of  1846, 
which  says  they  shall  not  decrease  the  acreage  which 
has  heretofore  been  devoted  to  the  manufacture  of 
salt,  exchanged  lands  which  were  not  suitable  for 
that  purpose  for  lands  which  were  adapted  thereto, 
and  have  thus  increased  the  acreage  from  550  to 
1. 100  acres.  The  State  at  the  same  time  has  put 
into  the  treasury  between  S40,ooo  and  §50,000,  as 
the  difference  in  value  in  favor  of  the  State  arising 
froiTi  such  exchange  of  lands.t 

In  1S67,  salt  works  were  removed  at  a  large  profit 
to  the  State,  to  make  room  for  the  increasing  popu- 
lation in  the  Third  and  Fifth  Wards  of  Syracuse. 
Also,  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature  in  1873,  salt 
works  were  removed  from  the  Third  Ward  of  the 
city  and  other  lands  substituted  for  them.  These 
lands  are  good  property  ;  a  considerable  portion  of 
them  have  been  sold  by  the  State,  and  should  the 
balance  be  held  till  after  the  present  financial  de- 
pression, the  State  will  no  doubt  realize  a  handsome 
profit  on  them.     The  Syracuse  Solar  Salt  Company 


*  Addren  of  Hon.  Thomai  G.  Alrord,  1876. 


tIbU. 


46 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


and  the  late  Onondaga  Salt  Company,  in  1872,  dis- 
posed of  forty  acres  of  vats  to  the  State,  situated  on 
State  lands  in  the  Third  Ward  of  Syracuse,  in  ex- 
change for  lands  under  the  hill,  to  which  they  re- 
moved their  works.  They  arc  holding  about  forty 
acres  outside,  granted  them  by  the  State,  so  that  as 
the  city  encroaches  ufjon  their  private  land  imme- 
diately under  the  hill,  where  their  vats  arc  now  situ- 
ated, they  can  eventually  remove  them  to  the  lands 
held  under  the  State  grant. 

To  return  to  our  history  of  the  manufacture  of 
salt.  In  1792,  Thomas  Orman,  Simeon  I'haris  and 
William  Gilchrist  came  to  Salina.  Mr.  Orman 
brought  the  first  caldron  kettle  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  salt.  Mr.  Aaron  Bellows  came  that  year  and 
established  a  cooper  shop  for  the  manufacture  of 
salt  barrels.  The  first  kettles  set  in  arches  were 
used  by  Jeremiah  Gould  and  William  Van  Vleck. 
The  latter  in  company  with  Moses  Dc Witt,  in  1793, 
erected  an  arch  with  four  kettles,  and  supplied  the 
demand  for  the  whole  surrounding  country. 

The  "  Federal  Company  "  was  formed  in  1798,  its 
members  being    Asa    Danforth,   Jedediah   Sanger, 
Daniel    Kcclcr,   Thomas    Hart,    Ebcnezer    Butler, 
Eli-sha  Alvord  and  1  lezekiah  Olcott.    This  company 
erected  a  large  building  capable  of  containing  thirty- 
two  kettles  set  in  blocks  of  four  each.    In  this  man- 
ner originated   the  term  "  block  "  which  has  ever 
since  been  applied  to  a  salt  manufactory  where  the 
water    is  boiled  in  kettles.     Part  of  the  "  Federal 
Works"    were    subsequently    hired    by    Dioclesian 
Alvord.    The  pump-house  was  then  out  in  the  water, 
and  Mr.  Alvord  had  to  take  a  boat  in  order  to  reach  it. 
The  first  laws  regulating  the  manufacture  of  salt 
were  passed  in  1797,  the  State  then  assuming  the 
control  which  it  has  never  relinquished.    The  State 
demanded  for  the  rent  of  land  and  the  use  of  water, 
four  cents  a  bushel  for  all  the  salt  made,  and   re- 
quired that  ten  bushels,  at  least,  should  be  made  in 
every  kettle  or  pan  used.     Provision  was  made  that 
in  case  any  lessee  should  not  use  all  the  water  there 
might  be  on  his  lot,  the  surplus  could  be  conveyed 
to  his  next  neighbor,  and  so  on,  till  all  the  water  was 
used.     The  powers  given    to   the   Superintendent 
were  full,  and  the  law  entered  into  minute  details  in 
regard  to  the  whole  business  of  making  and  packing 
salt.     The  maximum  price  was  fixed  at  six  cents  a 
bushel  to  citizens  of  the  State,  and  the  manufacturer 
must  either  put  the  salt  in  the  public  storehouse,  or 
if  he  kept  it  in  his  own  building,  he  must  surrender 
the  keys  to  the  Superintendent.     No  salt  could  be 
sold  on  the  leased  premises.     One  cent  per  bushel 
was  exacted  by  the  State  for  storage,  and  the  Super- 
intendent was  to  take  care  to  have  always  in  store 


two  thousand  bushels  the  first  year,  and  an  addi- 
tional five  hundred  for  each  year  thereafter,  which 
was  to  be  ready  to  meet  the  demands  of  citizens  of 
this  Slate.  Theblock-house,  which  in  1794  had  been 
constructed  for  defense,  was  converted  by  the  State 
into  a  public  store-house.  Clark,  in  his  history, 
says  :  "  The  Superintendent  gave  certificates  of  de- 
posit in  the  store-house,  and  these  certificates  passed 
from  man  to  man  like  bank  bills." 

The  manufacture  of  salt  continued  to  increase  as 
the  surrounding  population  became  more  numerous, 
some  of  it  finding  a  market  in  Canada.  The  rivers 
and  lakes  connected  with  Onondaga  Lake  furnished 
facilities  for  transportation  in  summer,  and  in  the 
winter,  sleighs  came  from  the  counties  to  the  south, 
bringing  farm  produce  to  exchange  for  salt.  The 
time  soon  came  when  the  Superintendent  could  not 
store  all  the  salt  made,  and  so  in  March,  1798,11 
was  provided  by  law  that  the  manufacturers  might 
account  on  oath  for  the  quantity  manufactured  ;  and 
they  were  allowed  to  pay  rent  according  to  the 
capacity  of  their  works,  at  the  rate  of  two  cents  per 
month  for  every  gallon  of  the  capacity  of  their  pans 
or  kettles,  and  were  released  from  the  charge  of 
four  cents  per  bushel.  Fifty  six  pounds  was  fixed 
upon  as  the  weight  of  a  bushel  of  salt. 

In  1799,  another  law  was  passed,  going  more  into 
details,  even  determining  the  number  of  hoops  on 
the  barrels,  the  kind  of  timber  they  should  be  made 
of,  the  seasoning  of  the  barrels,  and  directing  that 
they  must  be  water-tight.  The  Superintendent 
was  to  weigh,  deduct  the  tare,  then  brand  the 
weight  and  quality  and  put  on  the  price  per  bushel 
which  he  judged  the  salt  to  be  worth,  and  then 
brand  the  name  on  the  wood.  This  salt,  if  it  went 
away  by  water,  was  to  be  shipped  from  the  public 
wharf,  under  a  penalty  of  five  dollars  for  every 
bushel  not  so  shipped.  The  Superintendent  was 
required  to  provide  bins  to  keep  each  manufacturer's 
salt  in,  until  it  was  inspected. 

These,  or  the  like  minute  regulations,  continue 
to  govern,  and  when  their  rigor  has  been  lessened, 
it  has  been  due  to  the  fact  that  the  magnitude  of 
the  business  has  made  it  impracticable  to  enforce 
them. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  almost  absolute 
power  conferred  bylaw  upon  the  Superintendent  of 
the  Salt  Springs,  has  been  the  secret  of  its  success  in 
an  economical  point  of  view,  as  afTording  a  larger 
revenue  to  the  State  than  any  other  State  property, 
managed  on  difterent  principles.  The  jiolicy  of 
conferring  the  whole  authority  on  the  Superintend- 
ent and  making  him  alone  responsible  for  the  entire 
management  of  the  interest,  has  proved  in  the  case 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


47 


of  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs  exceptionally  suc- 
cessful, as  compared  with  every  other  State  in- 
terest. 

In  1817  the  duties  levied  by  the  State  were 
raised  to  twelve  and  a  half  cents  a  bushel,  the  de- 
sign being  to  apply  the  revenue  thus  derived  to  the 
extinguishment  of  the  debt  on  the  canals.  This 
rate  remained  till  1834,  when  the  duties  were  re- 
duced to  six  cents  a  bushel,  and  so  continued  till 
April  20,  1846,  since  when  they  have  been  one 
cent  a  bushel.  This  was  intended  to  be  sufficient 
to  pay  for  superintendence,  digging  wells,  pumping 
and  conveying  the  water  to  the  manufacturers,  and 
other  expenses  of  the  works  incurred  by  the  State. 
Since  the  reduction  of  the  duties  to  one  cent  a 
bushel,  the  following  revenue  has  been  derived 
from  the  manufacture  of  salt,  and  paid  into  the 
General  Fund  of  the  State  : 

From  1 846  to  i  Z^^,  net  reve- 
nue   $  653,112  73 

Deficit  in  1857,  to  be  de- 
ducted  $6,603  01 

Also  expenditures  previous 

to  March   i,  1857 7,000  00 

Total  deduction  and  expendi- 
tures   13,603  01 

Net  revenue  above  expendi- 
tures     639,509  72 

Revenue  from  1825  to  re- 
duction of  duties  in  1846.  3,402,971  49 

Expenditures  for  the  same 

period 202,054  99 

Net  revenue  from  1825  to  1846 $3,200,916  50 

Total  net  revenue  since  1825 3,540,22622 

In  addition  to  the  above  direct  revenue,  the  salt 
interest  has  paid  to  the  State  in  canal  tolls  about 
three-fourths  of  a  million  dollars.  In  1875,  it  paid 
over  $70,000.  The  manufacture  and  handling  of 
salt  in  various  ways  employs  about  four  thousand 
men. 

The  law  of  1799  required  the  Superintendent  to 
make  an  annual  report  to  the  Legislature.  To  this 
valuable  provision  we  are  indebted  for  much  in- 
formation and  many  of  the  important  improvements 
which  have  been  made  from  time  to  time.  We 
learn  from  one  of  these  reports  that  in  1806,  159,071 
bushels  of  salt  were  made.  About  this  time  a  great 
advance  was  made  by  the  construction  of  a  block 
of  ten  kettles  by  Hon.  John  Richardson.  During 
Mr.  Kirkpatrick's  administration  the  well  at  Salina 
was  dug  out  twenty  feet  square  to  the  depth  of 
thirty  feet.  Each  manufacturer  had  his  own  pump, 
worked  by  hand,  and  water  carried  in  spouts  to  his 
works.  In  1810,  water  power  was  first  used  to  raise 
the  brine,  Yellow  Brook  being  brought  in  a  canal 


to  turn  the  wheel.  This  brook,  through  the  enter- 
prise of  Judge  Forman  and  others,  was  conducted 
all  the  way  from  what  is  now  the  eastern  part  of 
Syracuse,  to  do  service  in  the  salt  blocks  at  Salina. 
In  181 2  a  law  was  passed  requiring  the  Superin- 
tendent to  lay  out  two  acres  of  land  and  lease  the 
same,  free  of  duty  if  he  thought  proper,  to  induce 
an  experiment  to  be  tried  for  the  production  of  salt 
by  solar  evaporation.  This  was  the  origin  of  a 
mode  of  manufacture  which  has  since  become 
general,  and  has  exercised  an  important  influence 
on  the  entire  salt  business.  Hundreds  of  acres 
are  now  covered  with  vats  for  solar  salt,  and  the  an- 
nual product  is  between  two  and  three  million 
bushels. 

The  salt  interest  of  Syracuse,  like  many  other 
manufacturing  interests,  has  had  its  seasons  of  pros- 
perity and  of  comparative  depression.  It  passed 
through  its  severest  trial  in  1857,  when  the  general 
financial  panic  paralyzed  the  business  of  the  country, 
especially  of  the  West.  Then,  and  for  several  years 
after,  Onondaga  salt  suffered  from  the  want  of 
a  regular  and  systematic  method  of  putting  it  upon 
the  market.  Says  Hon.  Thomas  G.  Alvord : 
"  Gentlemen  from  Buffalo  and  Oswego  would  come 
here  and  buy  our  salt.  They  would  give  us  their 
thirty  days,  ninety  days  and  four  months  paper. 
They  would  take  the  salt  and  use  it  for  ballast  on 
their  grain  vessels,  and  when  they  got  to  their 
destination,  they  would  dump  the  salt  on  the  dock 
and  sell  it  for  what  they  could  get.  If  their  venture 
in  grain  was  a  good  one,  we  got  our  pay,  if  not,  we 
were  the  losing  parties.  The  result  was  that  we 
were  at  the  mercy  of  these  men."  The  manufac- 
turers put  their  capital  and  their  wisdom  together 
and  got  out  of  the  difficulty  in  i860  and  1861. 

The  period  of  greatest  prosperity  was  during  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion.  The  largest  annual  produc- 
tions of  salt  were,  indeed,  during  the  years  from 
1867  to  1 87 1,  being  an  average  yield  per  annum  for 
the  four  years  of  8,612,865  bushels.  But  the  prices 
were  not  equal  to  those  ruling  from  1862  to  1865, 
when,  on  account  of  the  war,  foreign  salt  was  almost 
wholly  excluded  from  the  country. 

About  the  commencement  of  the  war,  salt  water 
was  discovered  in  abundant  quantities  in  the  valley 
of  the  Saginaw,  about  midway  between  the  salt 
springs  of  Syracuse  and  the  great  West,  which  had 
become  the  principal  market  for  Onondaga  Salt. 
The  latter,  however,  went  on  prospering  for  three 
or  four  years,  the  competition  being  scarcely  suf- 
ficient to  affect  the  market.  During  this  time  the 
volume  of  salt  made  here  was  largely  increased ; 
many  new  manufacturers  went  into  the  business ; 


48 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NKVV  YORK. 


prices  ranged  high,  and  all  seemed  in  the  full  tide  of 
prosperity.  Hut  just  at  this  juncture  the  salt  in- 
terest here  met  another  impediment.  The  experi- 
ment of  boring  for  oil  at  Godcrich,  Canada,  very 
much  to  the  astonishment  of  the  experimenters 
themselves,  resulted  in  striking  a  fountain  of  salt 
water,  the  strongest  and  purest  known  in  the 
country,  standing  92  and  98  degrees  of  the  sal- 
ometcr.  In  a  short  time  they  struck  another  well 
at  Kincardine,  twenty  five  miles  north  of  Godcrich, 
850  feet  deep,  and  found  the  same  result.  Then 
they  sank  a  well  at  Clinton,  twelve  miles  south  of 
Godcrich.  1,200  feet  deep  and  found  water  equally 
strong.  They  sank  another  well  at  Seaport,  twenty- 
five  miles  south  of  Godcrich,  1,400  feet  deep,  where 
they  have  gone  101  feet  into  a  solid  mass  of  rock 
salt. 

Of  course  these  discoveries,  together  with  the 
the  cheapness  of  labor  and  fuel  in  Canada  and  Mich- 
igan, have  had  a  tendency  greatly  to  depress  the 
salt  interest  in  this  locality.  For  several  years  past 
the  Canadian  and  Saginaw  salt  has  been  a  formida- 
ble rival  to  Onondaga  Salt  in  the  Western  markets, 
and  have  almost  entirely  excluded  the  latter  from 
Canada,  where  before  large  quantities  were  sold. 
Since  this  competition,  it  has  been  the  eflort  of  the 
Onondaga  manufacturers  to  not  only  improve  the 
quality  and  condition  of  the  salt  put  upon  the 
market,  but  also  to  cheapen  the  cost  of  its  produc- 
tion, so  as  to  be  able  to  conijiete  with  the  Saginaw 
and  Godcrich  salt,  and  to  find  markets  where  the 
transportation  will  be  most  favorable  to  the  salt 
manufactured  at  Syracuse.  This,  by  the  energy, 
jjcrscvcrance,  and  wise  management  of  the  com- 
panies, has  been  in  a  great  measure  accomplished. 
Hy  the  combination  of  capital  and  the  reduction 
of  the  cost  of  labor  and  fuel,  there  has  been 
of  late  years  a  great  saving  in  the  manufacture  of 
salt.' 

As  to  the  source  of  the  supply  of  these  salt  wells 
much  speculation  has  existed.  Hon.  Thomas  Spen- 
cer, former  Superintendent  of  the  Salt  Springs,  in  a 
letter  to  Hon.  George  Geddcs,  published  in  1859, 
says  :  "  We  only  know  that  we  penetrate  the  earth  in 
alluvial  deposits  at  various  points  bordering  upon 


Onondaga  Lake,  to  the  depth  of  from  qne  hundred 
to  four  hundred  feet,  and  find  the  brine  in  a  deposit 
of  gravel  resting  upon  a  hard  pan,  (impervious  to 
water,)  which  seems  to  form  the  floor  or  bottom  of 
our  salt  basin.  All  beyond  this  is  mere  conjecture. 
Eminent  geologists,  who  have  devoted  much  time 
to  the  investigation  of  this  subject,  have,  I  believe, 
uniformly  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  the  source 
from  which  our  brine  is  derived  is  buried  deep  be- 
neath the  mountains  or  hills  south  of  us,  and  con- 
veyed to  the  points  where  we  find  it  by  subter- 
ranean currents  of  water  which  have  passed  through 
the  salifcrous  material  and  dissolved  it."  This  is 
the  general  opmion,  but  Mr.  Spencer  himself  was 
of  the  belief  that  there  is  deposited  nnmcdiately  be- 
neath Oiwndaga  Lake  a  solid  mass  of  rock  salt 
which  is  being  gradually  dissolved  and  flows  to  the 
points  where  we  find  our  brine.  He  alludes  to  the 
analogy  between  these  and  the  salt  springs  in  the 
valley  of  the  Holston,  in  Southwestern  Virginia, 
and  those  in  the  valley  of  the  Weaver,  near  Liver- 
pool, England,  in  both  of  which  the  brine  is  found 
in  immediate  contact  with  the  salt  rock.  Kut  his 
chief  reason  for  adopting  this  theory  is  the  peculiar 
formation  of  the  shores  and  bottom  of  the  lake, 
which  is  worthy  of  notice  aside  from  any  solution 
it  may  afl'ord  of  this  problem. 

On  all  sides  from  one-eighth  to  one-fourth  of  a 
mile  from  the  shores  the  water  of  the  lake  is  quite 
shallow.  At  this  distance  there  is  uniformly  a  bold 
and  precipitous  bank  where  the  water  is  from  fifteen 
to  twenty  feet  deep.  Beyond  this  the  water  deepens 
very  gradually  till  you  reach  the  center  of  the  lake, 
which  is  about  sixty  feet  deep.  This  precipitous 
bank  at  such  a  uniform  distance  from  the  shore, 
seemed  to  Mr.  Spencer  unaccountable  unless  it 
marks  the  outline  of  a  bed  of  rock  salt,  which,  as  it 
is  gradually  dissolved,  allows  the  loose  and  alluvial 
deposit  above  it  to  settle  down,  and  in  this  way  the 
abrupt  bank  is  formed  and  preserved.  Otherwise, 
the  sediment  which  has  been  accumulating  for  ages 
would  be  deposited  in  a  uniform  manner  from  the 
shore  to  the  center  of  the  lake.  Hon.  George 
Geddes  has  given  us  from  the  soundings  of  this  lake 
the  following  report : 


>  The  t'ollowing  itaicmcnt  ihowi  where  (he  Onandj|a  lali  hat  found  iti  market  lince  1867  : 


i«67. 

|W«. 

1169. 

IbTO. 

1»71. 

l«7i. 

i«7|. 

l»74- 

1875.      1 

Of  the  mm-rnirnt  \\t= 
l,«l 1,171 

Sctii 

,.  n™ 

York 

dly 

..    ....1    1,407. JOO 

v..  ■-••.4-. 

lonhcni 
i    1.197.150 

1,065,110 
8,(i66.ril6 

1.940,615! 



l.Oli.llJ' 
IB4,IS« 
71,190 

i,90o,(i( 

l,)lo,lo6 
il4.<X>S 

>,JI4l976 
1,660,57* 

1.517,041 

i.<//.,941 

915,011 
107,416 

410,651 
191,981 

1,117,115 
|0«,|l6 

HiirinK 

V. 

K;0,llo' 
1,110,190, 
1,601,110 

1,700,7(1 

.*- 

•,*75,654 
1,1171.944 

'.053,190 

1,191,690 
1,157,195 

1.577,013 

1,091,891 

1,474.' 17 

I.75«.')6« 

710,695 

(,o8l,5T7 

1.940.541 

S; 

r.rtal. 



T.SvJ.J*-! 

«,«>i,ti: 

S,74«,ll| 

»,r4,itii 

7, 5*^719 

7,4A0,I57 

6,019,118 

7,179,446 

\ 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


49 


At  500  feet  from  shore. ...    3.5  feet  depth 

"    700     "      "  " 6 

"    740     "      "  " 23        "        " 

"    760     "      "  "...   25        "        " 

"    800     "      "  " 27       " 

"    860     "      "  " 32.5     "        " 

"     Q20       "         "  "    .  .  .  .  ''Q  ^       "  " 

In  the  middle  of  the  lake.  .55  "  " 
Opposite  a  point  two  miles  from  the  east  end  of 
the  lake,  the  water  is  sixty-five  feet  deep  in  the  mid- 
dle. At  Liverpool,  three  miles  from  the  east  end, 
the  depth  is  fifty-five  feet,  and  many  soundings  prove 
this  to  be  the  general  depth.  Once  away  from  the 
foot  of  the  abrupt  bank,  and  the  bottom  is  so  level 
that  the  deepest  place  exceeds  the  shallowest  by 
only  ten  feet,  and  this  depression  is  approached  very 
gradually.  Ten  or  fifteen  feet  of  the  bottom  of  this 
lake  is  marl,  which  has  been  precipitated  from  the 
water,  and  this  marl  lies  on  sand  and  clay  with  some 
strata  of  gravel.  Every  boring  that  has  been  made 
within  this  basin  gives  this  general  result,  the  only 
variations  being  in  the  thickness  of  the  several 
strata,  not  in  their  character.  The  well  near  the 
road  that  crosses  the  beach  at  the  head  of  the  lake 
was  intended  to  be  the  middle  of  the  valley.  The 
tube  was  sunk  414  feet  through  the  following  strata  : 

White  and  beach  sand 34  feet. 

Blue  clay 100    " 

Light-colored  clay 48    " 

Sand,  coarse  enough  for  mortar. .  209    " 

Clear  gravel 6    " 

Quick  sand 11     " 

Cemented  gravel 2    " 

Red  clay 3    " 

Red  clay  (hard) i    " 

The  bottom  of  this  well  is  nearly  fifty  feet  below 
the  surface  of  the  sea.  At  134  feet  a  cedar  log  was 
encountered  in  a  state  of  perfect  preservation.  This 
is  not  only  a  deep  but  an  ancient  valley.  The  fact 
of  finding  timber  in  this  deposit  goes  to  show  that 
a  large  part  of  the  excavation  has  been  filled  since 
the  general  emergence  of  the  sea,  and  that  a  large 
part  of  the  alluvium  has  been  taken  by  the  present 
water  courses  into  the  valley.  This  timber  and  the 
many  other  specimens  encountered  from  time  to 
time  by  the  drills,  were  probably  brought  into  the 
lake  by  some  of  its  tributaries.  However  this  may 
be,  the  marl  and  clay  which  lie  above  the  timber 
have  been  deposited  by  the  waters  of  the  lake.* 

Mr.  Spencer  supposes  that  the  fact  that  it  has  now 
a  level  bottom  surrounded  by  steep  banks  of  marl, 
clay  and  sand,  is  only  to  be  accounted  for  by  a  sub- 
sidence of  a  large  part  of  the  bottom,  and  that  such 
subsidence  is  caused  by  the  gradual  dissolving  of 
salt  that  lies  under  it.    It  is  certain  that  water  hold- 

*Hon.  George  Geddes,  Report,  1859. 
7* 


ing  in  solution  earthy  matter,  never  deposits  it'in 
the  form  we  now  find  the  bottom  of  this  lake. 

Convenience  has  thus  far  caused  all  the  drilling 
for  salt  water  to  be  made  around  the  lake,  and  the 
lesson  taught  by  every  experiment  has  been  that 
there  is  no  strong  salt  water  to  be  found  out  of  the 
alluvium  in  the  valley.  And  the  thicker  the  allu- 
vium the  better  the  prospect  for  strong  water. 

We  take  the  following  extract  from  the  Report  of 
Dr.  F.  E.  Englehardt,  Chemist  for  the  Onondaga 
Salt  Springs,  made  in  1877: 

"  The  natural  sources  of  all    salt    supplies   are 
either  rock  salt,  salt  springs,  salt  lakes,  or  finally, 
the  ocean.     At  Syracuse  we  have  derived  all  our 
salt  since  1797  from  salt  wells,  amounting  up  to  the 
present  time  to  250,000,000  bushels  ;  to  which  we 
must  add  at  least  50,000,000  for  loss  incurred  in  the 
various  manufacturing  processes  by  leakage,  making 
a  grand  total  of  300,000,000.     The  number  of  wells 
sunk  from  time  to  time  to  produce  this  large  amount 
cannot  be  less  than  200,  at  an  e.xpense  of  at  least 
;$750,ooo.     The  question  therefore  naturally  arises, 
and  it  is  a  most  important  one,  in  regard  to  our  salt 
industry,  from   whence  does  this  large  amount  of 
salt   come,  which   would   cover  over  a  surface  of 
120,000,000  square  feet  one  foot  high  with  solid 
salt  .■*     It  certainly  was  not  stored  up  in  the  ancient 
valley  of  erosion,  below  our  feet,  in  the  form  of 
brine.     Therefore  it  must  occur  in  the  solid  form  as 
a  bed  of  rock  salt.      Up  to  date  very  few  attempts 
have  been  made  to  ascertain  the  actual  source  of 
our  brine.     The  first  was  made  in  1838,  when  the 
State  sank  a  well  at  Salina  600  feet  deep,  of  which 
the  Superintendent   in   his   report  for   1839  says  : 
'  Passing  through  the  immense  mass  of  red    and 
blue  shales  and  the  limestone  (Niagara)  below,  it 
terminated  in  the  protean  group  (Clinton.)    What- 
ever may  be  its  source  it  is  well  observed  by  the 
learned  geologist  of  this  district,  in  his  last  annual 
report,  that  it  is  only  to  be  sought  in   a  southern 
direction  from  which  all  the  waters  naturally  flow.' 
The  Salt  Company  of  Onondaga  sank,  in   1867,  a 
well  at  Liverpool  715  feet  deep,  which,  according  to 
Prof  Goessman,  passed  through  82  feet  of  alluvium, 
279  feet  of  red  and  green  shales,  33  feet  of  calcari- 
ous  shales,   106  feet  of    limestone  formation,  and 
finally  215  feet  of  various  veins  of  shales.     These 
are  the  only  two  attempts  ever  made  to  solve  this 
question." 

Dr.  Englehardt  then  considers  the  opinions  of 
geologists  entitled  to  the  greatest  weight,  on  ac- 
count of  their  scientific  acquirements,  in  reference 
to  the  question  touching  the  source  of  the  Onon- 
daga salt,  and  finds  them  generally  agreeing  that 
the  supply  is  derived  from  a  mass  of  fossil  or  rock 
salt,  situated  under  the  hills  to  the  south  of  the 
lake  basin,  and  asks  :  "  Would  it  not,  therefore,  be 
more  economical  on  the  part  of  the  State  to  have 
this  subject  thoroughly  examined  by  the  State 
Geologist,  and  if  found  correct,  dig  a  test  well  for 


so 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


the  purjx)sc  of  either  finding  the  salt  rock,  or  at 
least  saturated  brine,  thus  avoiding  the  necessity 
of  sinking  new  wells  year  after  year,  in  proportion 
as  the  older  ones  become  useless  ?  •  •  * 
Our  salt  works  with  an  abundance  of  saturated 
brine,  could  produce  at  least  15,000,000  bushels  of 
salt,  which  would  in  less  than  ten  years  return  to 
the  State  in  duty  all  the  expense  incurred  in  such 
an  undertaking.  Our  salt  industry  would  revive  ; 
we  could  then  successfully  enter  our  old  markets 
and  compete  with  our  rivals." 


CHAPTKK    XII. 
Salt  Springs  Continued — Process  01    Manu- 

FACTLKE CONSTKUCTION    OK      THE      VVeLLS  — 

Pump  Works  —  Solar  Salt — Dairy  Salt — 
Table  Showing  the  Amount  of  Salt  Made 
Since  1797. 

THE  salt  works  of  Onondaga  are  divided  into 
four  districts,  viz :  Syracuse,  Salina,  Liver- 
pool and  Gcddcs.  The  amount  of  salt  inspected 
in  each  and  the  aggregate  amounts  for  the  year 
1S76  are  shown  in  the  following  table  : 


PUco. 

Solar. 

210,199 

313.859 
158,568 
651,115 

>, 353,841 

Fine. 

Solar 
ground. 

Fine 
ground. 

Aggregate 
butheU. 

S\ricuie... 

Sjllnj 

457,^61 
1,684,915 

3'5.773 
178,611 

1,736,761 

384.307 
77,860 

396,' 54 
96.517 

954,838 

».97« 

1,065,046 

1,086,634 

870,495 

1,370,501 

Livcfj^ool.. 
GcJdcl    .  . 

344.159 

347,137 

5.391.677 

The  strength  of  the  brine  in  the  four  districts, 
including  the  old  and  new  wells,  from  1865  to  1876 
inclusive,  is  shown  as  follows,  except  for  1868,  of 
which  there  appears  to  be  no  record  : 

Due.                   Syracuie.  Salina.  Literpool.  Geddef.  Average. 

1865 66.17  66.47  60.65  66.17  64.86 

1866 65.90  65.81  58.34  65.90  63.98 

'867 64.44  64.35  64.35  63.95  64.27 

1869 60.98  60.36  60.36  59.02  60.88 

1870 59-49      5894      5894      5934      S922 

1871 63.00      62.35      62.35      63.82      62.88 

1872 65.10      66.00      66.00      66.20      65.82 

1S73 63.43      6543      6543      67.52      65.45 

1S74 63.80      66.15      66.15      67.15      65.81 

1S75 63.88      66.38      66.38      69.50      66.54 

1876 66.75      67.70      67.70      69.33      68.15 

The  process  of  manufacturing  salt  by  artificial 
heat  has  changed  very  little  except  in  its  methods 
and  appliances  ;  the  principle,  that  of  evaporation 
under  the  power  of  heat,  remaining  the  same. 
The  first  "  salt  works  "  was  Comfort  Tyler's  fifteen 
gallon  kettle  suspended  upon  a  pole  across  two 
crotched  stakes  ;  then  came  the  four  kettle  "  block," 
then  the  ten  kettle,  and  so  on,  up  to  twenty  and 
forty    kettles.       Finally,   Hon.   Thomas    Spencer 


erected  a  block  containing  one  hundred  and  eight 
kettles.  This,  however,  was  thought  to  be  too 
extensive  for  the  most  advantageous  and  economical 
manufacture,  and  usually  the  preference  has  been 
given  to  blocks  of  about  fifty  or  sixty  kettles.  The 
kettles  are  mostly  of  the  capacity  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  gallons,  in  form  a  half  sphere,  diameter 
four  feet,  made  of  cast  iron  and  weighing  from  six 
hundred  to  one  thousand  pounds.  These  are  sus- 
pended in  two  contiguous  rows  on  brick  walls,  with  a 
suitable  furnace  or  fire  bed  at  one  end  and  the  chim- 
ney at  the  other.  The  whole  is  covered  with  a  suit- 
able building,  with  bins  extending  the  entire  length 
on  both  sides,  to  store  the  salt  in  and  protect  it  from 
the  weather  until  it  is  ready  to  be  packed  in  barrels 
for  market.  The  law  requires  it  to  lie  in  the  bins 
fourteen  days  before  it  is  considered  suflficiently 
dry  for  packing. 

Wood  has  been  heretofore  chiefly  used  for  fuel, 
but  now  the  principal  fuel  is  cosl.  A  cord  of  the 
best  hard  wood  and  a  ton  cither  of  anthracite  or 
bituminous  coal  will  produce  about  the  same 
amount,  that  is,  fifty  bushels  of  salt,  the  evaporation 
being  eight  pounds  of  brine  to  one  pound  of  coal. 
A  block  consisting  of  fifty  kettles  will  require  about 
five  tons  of  coal  every  twenty-four  hours  and  will 
therefore  produce  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
bushels  of  salt  daily.  The  cost  of  such  a  block 
with  its  appendages,  is  from  five  to  six  thousand 
dollars. 

There  is,  or  should  bc,  attached  to  each  block 
three  cisterns,  each  of  sufficient  capacity  to  hold  as 
much  brine  as  may  be  required  for  two  days'  use. 
This  is  necessary  for  the  purpose  of  aftbrding  suffi- 
cient time  to  precipitate  the  impurities  by  chemical 
agents  before  it  shall  be  supplied  to  the  kettles. 
Caustic  lime  was  at  one  time  used  for  the  purpose 
of  cleansing  the  brine  from  a  portion  of  its  impu- 
rities, but  it  was  used  in  such  quantities  in 
many  instances  by  the  operatives  that  it  produced 
an  impurity  more  injurious  to  the  salt  than  that 
which  it  expelled,  and  its  use  had  to  be  prohibited. 
Alum  is  now  generally  used  in  the  place  of  lime. 

The  simplest  method  for  testing  the  impurities  in 
salt,  is  to  take  pure  water  and  saturate  it  with  the 
salt  to  be  tested,  which  for  any  given  quantity  of 
salt  will  require  twice  and  half  its  weight  of  water, 
stir  till  the  salt  is  fully  dissolved.  If  the  salt  is 
combined  with  impurities,  the  solution  will  at  first 
have  a  milky  appearance,  but  after  remaining  at  rest 
a  few  hours,  the  impurities  will  settle  to  the  bottom 
of  the  vessel ;  if  the  salt  is  pure,  the  solution  will 
be  transparent,  and  there  will  be  no  sediment. 

Salt  is  a  solid  that  melts  at  a  bright  red  heat 


I 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


SI 


and  passes  off  without  being  decomposed.  It  is 
without  odor  ;  color  white  or  transparent.  It  crys- 
talizes  in  cubes  from  its  solution  in  water,  and  when 
formed  by  rapid  but  quiet  evaporation  from  the  sur- 
face, it  forms  hopper-shaped  crystals.  Hot  and 
saturated  solutions,  when  cooled,  frequently  give 
long,  slender,  square  prisms.  Formed  in  hot  solu- 
tions, agitated  by  boiling,  the  crystals  are  very  small 
and  broken  into  irregular  shapes.  When  rosin, 
soap,  butter,  or  any  oily  substance  is  added  to  the 
brine,  it  will  not  form  crystals,  but  by  evaporation 
deposit  the  salt  in  exceedingly  fine  grains.  Salt 
usually  attracts  moisture  from  the  air,  but  when 
pure  this  attraction  is  very  slight. 

The  process  of  manufacture  consists  in  removing 
the  water  by  evaporation,  and  at  the  same  time  get- 
ting rid  of  the  impurities  held  in  solution.  In  the 
boiled  salt  this  is  accomplished  by  first  precipitating 
the  oxide  of  iron  in  the  cisterns  connected  with  the 
works.  Unless  this  o.xide  is  removed,  the  salt  will 
have  a  reddish  color.  The  alum  used  for  its  pre- 
cipitation improves  the  grain  of  the  salt,  making  it 
finer  and  causing  it  to  drain  well.  The  sulphate  of 
lime  is  precipitated  as  the  point  of  saturation  is 
approached,  by  pans  placed  in  the  bottoms  of  the 
kettles  into  which  it  falls  and  is  lifted  out  during  the 
boiling  of  the  water.  The  bitterhigs,  as  they  are 
called,  which  are  thus  removed,  are  almost  pure 
gypsum. 

In  the  year  1830  the  first  iron  tubes  were  sunk 
with  a  view  to  procure  water  from  a  greater  depth. 
At  sixty  feet  brine  was  found  from  twenty-five  to 
thirty  per  cent,  stronger  than  at  the  old  wells.  Very 
soon  many  tubes  were  sunk,  and  for  a  long  time  all 
the  salt  water  was  raised  by  pumps  through  these 
tubes,  and  then  forced  up  and  accumulated  in  res- 
ervoirs from  which  it  flows  in  wooden  pipes  to  the 
various  manufactories.  These  pumps  are  driven  by 
water  taken  from  the  canal,  or  in  cases  where  the 
water  power  cannot  be  applied,  by  steam  engines. 
For  many  years  the  State  was  paid  by  the  bushel 
for  pumping  the  water,  but  afterwards  all  the  expen- 
ses were  merged  in  the  one  cent  a  bushel.  Several 
companies  at  present  own  private  wells  and  do  their 
own  pumping. 

The  manner  of  drilling  and  tubing  salt  wells 
has  been  somewhat  as  follows  :  The  old  tubes 
used  by  the  State  were  made  of  sugar  maple  logs,  in 
sections  of  eight  feet  long,  eight  inches  calibre,  and 
turned  in  a  lathe  to  a  uniform  thickness.  These 
sections  were  cut  off  square,  at  the  ends,  and  a  recess 
turned  into  the  timber  on  the  outside  to  receive  a 
band  of  iron  ten  inches  wide  and  one- fourth  of  an 
inch  thick,  which  is  to  rest  on  and  confine  the  ends 


of  the  two  sections  when  they  are  joined  together. 
A  circular  dowel  of  cast  iron,  three  inches  wide  is 
let  into  the  ends  of  the  sections,  holding  them 
together  firmly,  and  excluding  all  water  from  the 
joints.  In  the  first  place  a  cast  iron  tube,  three 
feet  in  length,  is  joined  to  a  wooden  section.  This 
piece  of  iron  tubing  is  sharp  at  the  lower  end,  hav- 
ing the  inside  enlarged  for  a  few  inches  up,  leaving 
the  outer  diameter  fourteen  inches,  to  correspond 
with  that  of  the  wood.  These  sections  are  set  up 
perpendicularly,  and  by  a  press  forced  into  the  soil. 
When  a  tube  has  sunk  down  far  enough  for  another 
section  to  be  added,  the  press  is  withdrawn  and  the 
section  put  on,  and  again  the  press  is  applied.  This 
process  is  continued  as  long  as  the  tube  can  be  sunk 
without  removing  the  earth  that  is  inside.  When 
this  point  is  reached,  which  is  sometimes  sixty  or 
seventy  feet  below  the  surface,  the  drills  are  intro- 
duced, and  by  first  cutting  the  earth  fine,  a  bucket 
made  of  iron,  with  a  valve  at  its  lower  end,  will 
take  hold  of  and  lift  the  contents  of  the  tube  to 
the  surface.  When  hard  material  is  met,  sharp 
drills  are  used  to  cut  it  up.  The  shape  of  the  lower 
section  made  of  cast  iron  is  such  that  at  the  very  end 
of  the  tube  its  calibre  is  nearly  equal  to  the  outer 
dimensions,  and  by  using  drills  which  have  springs 
placed  on  one  side  of  their  stems  and  edges  which 
point  outwards  from  the  springs,  holes  may  be  cut 
through  rock  large  enough  to  allow  the  tubes  to 
pass.  Various  tools  are  called  into  requisition  to 
reach  down  and  grasp  the  substances  and  to  over- 
come the  obstacles  encountered, which  would  require 
drawings  for  their  illustration. 

The  press  that  is  used  is  simple  :  heavy  pieces 
of  timber  supported  by  strong  posts,  connected 
with  a  platform  through  which  the  tube  passes. 
This  platform  is  loaded  with  stone,  so  that  it  will 
not  lift  when  the  heavy  iron  screws  passing  through 
the  beam  are  turned  down  on  the  yoke  which 
presses  the  tube.  The  rods  to  which  the  drills  are 
attached  are  made  of  iron  in  sections  of  convenient 
length  connected  by  screws.  These  drills  are  lifted 
by  ropes  worked  by  a  steam  engine,  and  let  fall  by 
means  of  a  simple  device,  cutting  and  crushing  by 
their  weight  whatever  is  in  their  way. 

A  well  thus  obtained  is  connected  by  wooden 
tubes  with  a  pump  which  sucks  up  the  water. 
Formerly  it  was  pumped  directly  from  the  bottom 
of  the  well  to  the  distributing  reservoir.  But  the 
difficulties  in  the  way  of  having  perfectly  tight 
suction  pipes  were  hard  to  overcome,  and  the 
method  of  "flooding"  the  pipes  allowed  the  suction 
to  draw  in  fresh  water  at  every  leakage,  reducing 
the  strength  of  the  brine.     A  remedy  for  this  evil 


52 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


was  suggested  by  Mr.  Gcddes  in  an  elaborate  article 
on  the  salt  interest,  published  in  the  Transactions  of 
the  New  York  State  Agricultural  Society  for  1859. 
"  Now,"  says  Mr.  Geddes,  "  every  stroke  of  the 
reciprocating,  double-acting  force  and  suction  pumps 
has  to  overcome  the  inertia  of  the  whole  column  of 
water  from  the  bottom  of  the  well  to  the  distributing 
reservoir.  This  inertia  is  so  great  in  long  pipes  that 
the  pumps  produce  a  vacuum  at  every  stroke,  and 
thus  there  is  an  inward  pressure  of  the  atmosphere 
of  fifteen  pounds  to  the  square  inch,  which  drives  air, 
or  when  the  pipes  arc  flooded,  water  into  every  pore 
and  crevice  of  the  pipes.  Lifting  pumps  at  the 
wells,  moving  slowly,  with  long  strokes,  would  do 
away  with  much  of  the  strain  of  the  machinery, 
and  remedy  the  present  evil." 

This  suggestion  of  Mr.  Geddes  is  now  pretty 
generally  carried  out.  Rotary  and  plunge  steam 
pumps  have  been  placed  at  most  of  the  wells,  by 
which  the  brine  is  lifted  to  the  surface,  whence  it  is 
drawn  through  the  pipes  to  the  distributing  reser- 
voirs by  the  pumps  stationed  at  the  pump  houses. 
This  improvement  was  inaugurated  under  the 
administration  of  Hon.  Vivus  W.  Smith,  first  at 
Salina,  and  has  since  been  generally  adopted 
throughout  the  salt  works. 

Iron  tubes  for  sinking  wells  are  now  used  in  place 
of  wooden  ones.  They  arc  made  in  sections  often 
or  twelve  feet  in  length  and  screwed  together  by 
bolts  through  sockets  at  the  ends  of  the  sections. 
The  apparatus  for  sinking  them  is  nearly  the  same 
as  that  formerly  emjjloyed  for  wooden  tubes. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  embodying  a  few 
new  provisions,  passed  April  15,  1859,  all  the  pre- 
vious laws  relating  to  the  manufacture  of  salt  on 
the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs  Reservation,  were  con- 
solidated and  codified.  The  act  of  April  25,  1866, 
made  some  amendments  to  the  provisions  of  the 
act  of  1859,  relating  chiefly  to  the  duties  and 
salaries  of  subordinate  officers  and  conferring  upon 
the  Superintendent  the  power  to  administer  the 
oath  to  his  deputies  and  employees. 

The  Legislature  of  1873,  passed  an  act  appropriat- 
ing $20,000  to  be  expended  in  sinking  new  wells, 
so  as  to  furnish  a  better  quality  of  water.  The 
Superintendent  in  pursuance  of  thislawsank  in  1875 
and  1876,  seven  wells  in  the  locality  which  seemed 
to  indicate  the  strongest  water.  These  are  good 
wells  yielding  brine  of  71  and  72  degrees  of  the  salo- 
meter.  It  was  hoped  that  an  appropriation  would  be 
made  to  enable  the  Superintendent  to  render  these 
wells  useful  by  connecting  them  with  the  pump 
house,  and  thus  supplying  the  works  with  improved 
water,  but  a  bill  for  that  object  and  for  general 


repairs  was  vetoed  by  the  Governor.  The  Legisla- 
ture then,  at  the  instance  of  the  Superintendent, 
appointed  a  joint  committee  to  visit  the  salt  works 
and  report  upon  the  condition  and  wants  of  the  salt 
interest.  This  committee  met  in  Syracuse  on  the 
17th  of  February,  1876,  and  after  a  thorough  inves- 
tigation, with  a  view  to  recommending  such  action 
by  the  Legislature  as  might  be  deemed  most  advis- 
able, unanimously  reported  in  favor  of  a  special 
appropriation  to  the  amount  of  $23,000,  to  furnish 
a  new  water  wheel,  and  the  necessary  machinery 
and  fi.\tures  to  bring  into  use  the  new  wells  which 
had  been  sunk.  These  wells  are  now  in  operation 
furnishing  a  superior  quality  of  brine. 

Of  the  316  blocks  on  the  Reservation,  only  106 
were  in  operation  during  the  year  1876,  showing 
that  the  present  capacity  for  manufacture  exceeds 
15,000,000  bushels  annually.  It  is  no  exaggeration 
to  say  that  this  limit  may  be  reached  with  proper 
effort  on  the  part  of  the  manufacturers  and  a  wise 
patronage  on  the  part  of  the  State. 

The  Salt  Manufacturers  of  Onondaga  have  in 
fixtures  alone  an  investment  of  not  less  than  four 
millions  of  dollars,  and  the  business  in  addition  to 
this,  requires  a  working  capital  of  fully  half  that 
sum  to  carry  it  on  successfully. 

SoL.AK  Salt  is  the  name  given  to  that  which  is 
made  without  the  use  of  artificial  heat.  A  law  was 
passed  in  181 2,  authorizing  the  Superintendent  of 
the  Salt  Springs  to  lay  out  two  acres  of  land  and 
lease  the  same,  free  of  duty  if  he  thought  proper, 
to  induce  an  experiment  to  be  made  for  the  produc- 
tion of  salt  by  solar  evaporation.  This  was  prob- 
ably the  first  movement  in  the  direction  of  the  solar 
salt  works,  but  nothing  practical  seems  to  have  re- 
sulted therefrom  till  1822,  when  Judge  Forman  pro- 
cured the  passage  of  a  law  authorizing  the  erection 
of  fixtures  and  awarding  a  bounty  of  three  cents 
per  bushel  for  all  salt  made  by  solar  evaporation  for 
a  given  number  of  years.  Judge  Forman  in  com- 
pany with  Isaiah  Townsend,  Esq  ,  went  to  New 
Bedford  to  investigate  the  method  of  manufacturing 
solar  salt  from  sea  water  as  it  was  then  carried  on 
at  Cape  Cod.  They  brought  Mr.  Stephen  Smith, 
an  expert  in  this  kind  of  manufacture,  with  them  to 
Syracuse,  and  he  was  made  the  agent  of  the  Onon- 
daga Company,  and  Judge  Forman  of  the  Syracuse 
Company,  and  the  two  proceeded  to  erect  the 
necessary  fixtures  for  the  manufacture  of  coarse  or 
solar  salt. 

At  this  time  the  Salina  Canal  terminated  at  the 
south  edge  of  the  village  of  Salina.  Judge  For- 
man took  Governor  DcVVitt  Clinton  to  Salina  to  ex- 
amine the  situation,  and  to  see  how  the  canal  might 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


S3 


be  extended  to  Onondaga  Lake  and  made  available 
as  a  water  power  to  drive  machinery  at  the  salt 
works.  The  following  year  this  plan  was  carried 
into  successful  operation.  This  grand  improvement 
in  the  method  of  elevating  brine  was  made  at  the 
expense  of  the  Onondaga  and  Syracuse  Salt  Com- 
panies, under  the  direction  of  Judge  Forman  ;  but 
the  fixtures,  aqueduct,  &c.,  were  afterwards  bought 
by  the  State. 

The  structures  for  the  manufacture  of  solar  salt 
consist  of  long  parallel  rows  of  shallow  wooden 
vats,  sixteen  or  eighteen  feet  wide  and  supported  by 
many  small  posts.  The  rows  of  vats  are  divided 
into  what  are  called  deep  rooms,  lime  rooms,  and 
salt  rooms.  They  are  arranged  in  various  ways,  as 
the  shape  of  the  ground  or  the  fancy  of  the  owner 
may  dictate.  In  the  works  of  the  Solar  Salt  Com- 
pany, the  water  is  drawn  directly  from  a  distribut- 
ing reservoir  into  the  deep  rooms  which  are  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  long.  The  water  runs  the 
whole  length  of  the  "  string,"  and  is  then  carried 
into  the  next  parallel  string  by  wooden  pipes. 
It  runs  the  whole  length  of  this  string  back  to 
opposite  the  place  where  it  was  introduced  ;  then 
again  it  is  sent  into  another  and  another  of  these 
strings,  and  having  been  thus  exposed  to  the 
sun  and  wind,  in  a  shed  of  perhaps  ten  inches  deep 
and  sixteen  feet  wide,  for  a  whole  mile,  it  has  rid 
itself  of  its  o.xide  of  iron,  has  increased  its  strength 
from  70  to  84  degrees  of  the  salometer,  and  is  ready  to 
be  carried  into  the  lime  room,  where  it  deposits  its 
sulphate  of  lime.  It  is  kept  running  along  these 
rooms  in  a  thinner  sheet  till  the  small  cubes  of  salt 
are  seen  forming.  Saturation  is  now  complete  and 
all  the  impurities  are  precipitated  that  can  be.  The 
water  thus  concentrated  and  freed  from  the  lime 
and  iron,  is  drawn  into  the  salting  rooms,  where 
pure  salt  is  rapidly  deposited,  having  a  coarse 
crystalization  in  the  form  of  hoppers  and  cubes. 
There  yet  remains  in  the  brine  after  the  salt  is  re- 
moved impurities  more  soluble  than  the  salt,  viz : 
the  deliquescent  chlorides.  About  one-third  of  all 
the  vats  are  required  for  precipitating  the  im- 
purities. The  whole  field  is  expected  to  yield  fifty 
bushels  to  the  cover  of  sixteen  or  eighteen  feet. 
The  word  "  cover "  is  derived  from  the  moveable 
roofs  which  in  fair  weather  are  shoved  off  on  lateral 
ways  to  allow  the  sun  to  reach  the  water.  These 
covers  have  been  adopted  as  the  standard  of  meas- 
ure, and  in  speaking  of  a  salt  field,  it  is  said  to  have 
so  many  covers.  Space  is  required  for  the  covers 
when  off  the  vats  and  also  for  roads  between  the 
strings  to  cart  away  the  salt.  An  acre  of  land  re- 
quires sixty  covers,  costing  about  $30  each.     Thus 


the  cost  is  about  Si, 800  an  acre,  which  in  an 
ordinary  season  will  yield  about  3,000  bushels  of 
salt.  The  cost  and  space  required  are  disadvantages 
which  are  fully  met  by  the  cheapness  of  the  manu- 
facture when  once  the  works  are  in  operation. 

Formerly  this  salt  was  kiln-dried  and  ground  in 
common  flouring  mills  for  dairy  purposes,  at  con- 
siderable expense,  but  more  recently  mills  have  been 
invented  which  grind  it  with'out  any  drying  by  fire. 
Well  drained  in  the  store-house,  it  is  put  through 
the  mills  and  ground  to  any  desirable  fineness  for 
dairy  or  table  use  at  a  cost  of  not  more  than  one 
cent  a  bushel.  In  a  document  presented  to  the 
Constitutional  Convention  in  1S67,  Hon.  George 
Geddes,  then  Superintendent  of  the  Salt  Springs, 
reported  six  mills  for  the  grinding  of  salt,  owned 
and  valued  as  follows  : 

James  P.  Raskins'  Mill,  estimated  to  be 

worth $40,000 

John  W.  Barker  &  Co's  Mill 40,000 

Henry  B.  &  Wilmot  E.  Burton's  Mill 16,000 

Timothy  R.  Porter's  Mill 16,000 

Ashton  Salt  Company's  Mill 16,000 

H.  White's  Mill 10,000 


Total, $138,000 

The  first,  fourth  and  fifth  are  the  only  ones 
now  used  for  grinding  dairy  and  table  salt.  The 
Haskins  Mill,  enlarged  to  four  times  its  origi- 
nal capacity,  is  operated  by  the  Excelsior  Dairy 
Salt  Company.  This  and  the  Ashton  Company's 
Mill,  and  that  owned  and  operated  by  Mr.  Timothy 
R.  Porter,  are  of  sufficient  capacity  to  grind  all  the 
dairy  salt  required  for  the  market. 

The  "  Factory  Filled,"  or  Dairy  Salt,  is  made 
from  both  solar  and  common  salt  by  a  patent  ma- 
chine process  whereby  not  only  mechanically  mixed 
impurities  are  removed,  but  also  the  small  quanti- 
ties of  obnoxious  chlorides  of  calcium  and  magne- 
sium are  decomposed  in  a  very  careful  manner. 
The  largest  factory  filled  establishment,  the  property 
of  the  Excelsior  Dairy  Salt  Company,  is  at  Salina, 
and  known  under  the  name  of  "  Excelsior  Mills." 
They  consist  of  two  immense  wooden  structures 
with  about  five  acres  of  flooring. 

The  salt  is  crushed  between  two  sets  of  stones  to 
the  proper  size,  and  gradually  fed  into  two  patent 
washing  machines,  wherein  the  salt  moves  in  the 
opposite  direction  to  the  chemically  prepared  salt- 
brine  employed,  and  becomes,  by  repeated  washing 
with  the  fresh  salt-brine,  perfectly  purified. 

After  proper  drainage  the  salt  is  dried  in  large  re- 
volving iron  cylinders.  A  powerful  blast  of  hot  air 
carries  the  moisture  into  the  chimney.  The  ex- 
haust steam  from  the  hundred-horse  power  engine 


54 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


serves  for  concentrating  the  salt-brine  employed  in 
washing  the  salt.  The  dried  salt  is  now  elevated 
10  the  upper  floors,  where  five  sets  of  stones  are  in 
constant  motion  grinding  it  to  the  desired  fineness, 
while  a  suction  blower  removes  the  dust. 

There  is  one  other  mill  of  about  the  same  capaci- 
ty situated  in  Gcddae,  owned  by  the  Ashton  Dairy 
Salt  Company,  in  which  the  salt  is  made  in  the 
same  way  as  in  the  "  Excelsior  Mills." 

The  purity  of  the  various  salts  made  at  Onondaga 
is  unquestioned,  reference  being  made  to  many  an- 
alyses furnished  from  time  to  time  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  General  Government  and  other  author- 
ities. In  regard  to  the  dairy  salt,  the  tests  made  by 
the  Butter  and  Cheese  E.xchangc  of  New  York 
prove  the  superiority  of  the  F.  F.  salt  made  at 
Syracuse  over  any  other,  as  is  shown  by  the  fol- 
lowing uiaUrsis  : 

English.     Onondaga. 

VVatei       _ 0.7880  0.6280 

Insoluble  matter 0.0564  0.0264 

Sulphate  of  lime. 1.2272  O.7217 

Sulphate  of  magnesia 00769  

Chloride  of  calcium 00473 

Chloride  of  magnesium 0.0591  0.0346 

Sulphate  of  soda 

Chloride  of  sodium 977598  98.5242 


99.9674  999822 

The  Superintendent  of  the  Salt  Springs,  Hon. 
A.  C.  Powell,  appends  the  following  remarks  : 

"This  report  is  of  especial  interest  at  this  time 
when  the  old  prejudice  against  the  use  of  home 
salt  is  beginning  to  give  way,  because  it  emanates 
from  an  association  which  has  never  been  accused 
of  any  special  partiality  for  Onondaga  salt,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  from  their  local  and  commercial 
training,  have  been  inclined  to  defend  the  use  of 
the  foreign  article.  In  fact  so  far  have  their  preju- 
dices governed  them  that  in  making  contracts  with 
dairy  farmers  for  their  butter  and  cheese,  they  have 
frequently  inserted  a  clause  binding  them  to  the  use 
of  the  Ashton  salt.  This  entailed  upon  the  farmer 
an  additional  expense  of  from  one  to  one  and  a  half 
dollars  upon  each  sack  used.  Many  of  the  farmers 
doubting  ihc  necessity  of  these  requirements  and 
restive  under  their  enforcement,  unless  there  was 
good  reason  for  it,  demanded  of  the  association  an 
authoritative  opinion  as  to  the  comparative  value  of 
the  ditVerent  brands  used  by  them.  The  only  reli- 
able proof  was  the  scientific  test,  and  the  matter 
was  accordingly  given  in  charge  to  two  analytical 
chemists  of  high  standing  in  the  city  of  New  York, 
who  entered  upon  their  duties  without  any  confer- 
ence with  parties  at  Syracuse,  and  without  any 
knowledge  of  the  localities  where  the  several 
samples  were  prepared.  These  were  given  them  by 
numbers  and  not  by  name,  and  the  result  was  the 
above  report,  which  I  have  copied  in  their  own 
language   and   figures.      This  report  is  certainly 


gratifying  to  the  friends  of  the  home  article,  as 
showing  a  larger  percentage  of  the  pure  chloride  of 
sodium  or  salt,  and  a  less  aggregate  of  impurities 
in  the  two  samples  of  Onondaga  salt  than  in  either 
of  the  eight  samples  of  foreign  salt  analyzed." 

The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  number  of 
bushels  of  salt  made  at  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs 
since  June  20,  1797,  which  is  the  date  of  the  first 
leases  of  lots,  with  the  Superintendents  and  their 
respective  terms  of  ofBce  : 


<8J4. 
!!■<(. 

1''!-. 
1 '  ( - . 

ISiV. 
IS'. 

ly.i. 

■  Mil. 

■  861. 
iMh. 

■  86s. 
iM/i 
iSft;. 
iS/jX. 

■  869. 
I»7C. 
I»TI. 

•8:«. 

1871. 
IB74. 
1875. 
•»7*i 


Dale. 

Superinlcndentt. 

■  T 

William  Steven*. 

179». 

do 

"7W- 

do 

ISoo. 

do 

ISOI. 

Sheldon  Loan, 
AUL  Danfortn, 

1801. 

iSo). 

do 

1804. 

do 

1805. 

Wm.  Kirkpllrick, 

1806. 

do 

ISO?. 

P.   H   Riri^nm, 

1808. 

Nr 

1809. 

^v.  .       ,.; 

IS  10. 

1811. 

do 

1811. 

do 

1811. 

do 

iSi*. 

do 

I8l(. 

do 

1S16. 

do 

1817. 

do 

1818. 

do 

1819. 

do 

1810. 

do 

18x1. 

do 

isxa. 

do 

iSll. 

d.i 

'"^4 

do 

li-ii. 

d<; 

IS  if.. 

do 

1 8 17. 

do 

I818. 

do 

ISK;, 

do 

1810, 

do 

l!l|l. 

N.  H.  E*rU, 

iSll. 

do 

181). 

do 

1814. 

do 

18|!. 

do 

18)6. 

Rial  Wright, 

18)-. 

do 

18|8. 

do 

IS);. 

do 

184^. 

rhomas  Spencer, 

1841. 

do 

1S4». 

do 

184I. 

Rial  Wright, 

1844. 

do 

1S4(. 

Enoch  .Marks, 

isV.. 

do 

"^4". 

do 

IS4». 

Robert  Gere, 

1*4* 

do 

1 8  JO. 

do 

iSjI. 

do 

18$V 

Hervey  Rhoadet, 

185). 

do 

SoUr. 


Fine. 


Vivus  W.  .*iniitli. 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 
I  do 

George  Geddes, 
I  do 

do 

do 

do 

do 
John  M.  Sironc, 

do 

do 
(A.  C  PoweU, 
I  do 

I  do 


Total  lince  1797. 


"N.4"4 
4  .-.in 


41,B69,J98 


»  5.474 
4».7<H, 


75.000 
90,000 
100,000 
i$4.07i| 

«»».J77 
i7S.f4«' 

)I'>,6l8 

lis,  181 

4SC,QOC 

aoo,ooo 
111,011 
116,000 
195,000 1 
!>it05» 
14«,665 
«0«.(S6$ 
4«*,54o; 
54».I74| 

516,049! 

481,561 

7»6.j«8 

8lN6|4 

757,»1 

811,01] 

9*1.410 

l,l«o,i8« 

1,119, 18c 

1,415,446 

1,514.017 

1,651,085 

■,818,646 

■  <94l.>5a 

1,109,867 
i,9ii,8$9 

1,167,1*7 

i,ns.o)i 
1,864.718 


i.N'rt.Is- 

4.:i(.i;; 


5-    . 

4.1 

5>i'       .. 

7,07.-,  bSi, 

6.504,7171 
5,407,711 
4.499.170, 

5,l8o,)lo 

5,in.'.~i 

6.' 

t. 

6,:     .. 

5,V1",4'/* 

6,048,111 

5,768,998 
4.!*1.9!» 
4.5i],49i  I 
).o8),99«' 


A(gtente 
bukheli. 

iS.4-4 

5'^V" 

41.7<:4 

50,000 

61,000 

75.000 

90,000 

100,000 

154.071 

•11,577 

175.448 

)io,6ih 

118,181 

45C.OOO 

100,000 

111,011 

116,000 

195.000 

I11.C58 

,4S,«,, 

40S,'/.! 

4rf'.S4C 

548,174 

45«.1>9 

516,049 

481,561 

716,988 

816,6)4 

757.10) 

811,01) 

918,410 

1,160,888 

1,119,180 

1,415.446 

l,514.°)7 

1,651.9*5 

1,8)8,646 

1,941,151 

l,109,V,- 

l,9ll,>i!8 

1,167.1s- 

1,575.<:|) 

1.864.-IS 


(.-'■i.HS 
!.*!>. S!l 
),v5I.i55 
4,"l-.'l'' 
S.cS),!'i9 
4,168.919 
4.''I4,117 

4. yll.CI I 


4,)ll,ll6 

-      II. 119 
1, 171 

;.i4- 

.  -,)91 
9.-^5 1,S74 
7.941.  )8 1 
7.)78.814 
6,J«5.VK 
7,15«.<) 


b,)-4,',i'' 
7.9K.VJS 
7'46<:.I5- 
6.C19,)C.: 
7.'7V.44'> 
5.)9'.'J-7 


108,017,667 ,  149,887,165 


*  Preirioui  10  1841  the  >oUr  salt  wat  not  reported  leidrate,  but  included  in  ib« 
aggregate  production. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


55 


T 


CHAPTER  Xni. 

Topography  of  Onondaga  County. 

HE  county  of  Onondaga  is  nearly  in  the 
geographical  center  of  the  State.  It  is 
bounded  north  by  Oswego,  east  by  Madison,  south 
by  Cortland,  and  west  by  Cayuga  county.  Its 
general  form  is  that  of  a  rectangular  parallelogram, 
having  its  lines  in  conformity  with  the  cardinal 
points  of  the  compass,  the  northeast  corner  being 
somewhat  rounded  by  Oneida  Lake  and  the  south- 
west by  Skaneateles  Lake.  From  north  to  south 
the  average  width  is  thirty  miles,  from  east  to  west 
twenty-si.x  miles  ;  having  an  area  exclusive  of  lakes 
of  459,229  acres.  The  county  is  divided  into  the 
towns  of  Lysander,  Clay,  Cicero,  Elbridge,  Van 
Buren,  Salina,  DeWitt,  Manlius,  Camillus,  Geddes, 
Skaneateles,  Marcellus,  Onondaga,  Pompey,'  Spaf- 
ford,  Otisco,  LaFayette,  Tully,  Fabius,  and  the  City 
of  Syracuse. 

Most  of  the  surface  of  this  county  slopes  to  the 
north  and  is  drained  into  the  River  St.  Lawrence, 
but  the  summit  of  the  highlands  that  divide  the 
waters  that  flow  north  from  those  that  run  south, 
and  find  their  way  by  the  Susquehanna  River  to  the 
sea,  is  within  this  county,  though  near  the  south 
boundary  ;  but  a  small  part  of  the  whole  area  being 
drained  to  the  south,  and  that  chiefly  in  the  towns 
of  Fabius  and  Tully. 

About  two-fifths  of  the  whole  surface  of  the 
county  is  flat  and  barely  rolling  enough  to  permit 
drainage.  This  flat  land  constitutes  a  part  of  what 
is  known  as  the  "  great  level,"  which  extends  along 
the  south  side  of  Oneida  Lake  to  the  base  of  the 
slope  of  the  spurs  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains. 
The  Erie  Canal  runs  along  the  south  side  of  this 
level  land.  That  part  of  the  county  lying  south  of 
the  canal,  constituting  about  three-fifths  of  the 
whole,  is  embraced  within  the  northernmost  spurs 
of  the  mountain  ranges,  being  uneven  and  com- 
paratively broken  in  its  surface.  A  traveler  cross- 
ing Onondaga  county  from  east  to  west,  or  from 
west  to  east,  if  his  route  is  on  the  plain,  north  of 
the  highlands,  will  meet  only  slight  hills  and 
hollows,  or  rather  mere  undulations  crossing  his 
course,  and  streams  that  have  their  surface  nearly 
level  with  the  surrounding  land.  But  if  his  route 
be  across  the  line  of  the  hill  slope,  he  will  descend 
into  deep  valleys,  whose  dividing  ridges  are  many 
miles  apart,  and  he  will  have  one  constant  succes- 
sion of  toilsome  descents  and  ascents,  enlivened 
and  rendered  pleasant  by  ever-recurring  points  of 
observation,  from  which  the  most  splendid  scenery 


lies  pictured  before  him.  Hillside,  mountain  top, 
wide  valleys,  lakes  framed  with  forests  and  fields 
of  living  green,  meet  his  gaze  from  the  top  of  every 
eminence  he  passes.  If  he  sees  little  of  the  grand- 
eur of  rock-ribbed  mountains,  he  is  greeted  with 
landscapes  more  mild,  and  of  a  softer  tone,  that 
bespeak  more  fitting  residences  of  men,  and  he  is 
delighted  with  the  reflection  that,  of  all  he  sees, 
there  is  nought  but  combines  the  useful  with  the 
beautiful. 

The  slope  of  the  highlands  is  divided  into  five 
distinct  ridges,  all  having  a  general  north  and  south 
direction.  The  most  eastern  of  them  enters  the 
town  of  Manlius  from  the  east  and  extends  north  to 
the  Erie  Canal.  The  second  ridge  lies  between 
Limestone  and  Butternut  Creeks,  and  forms  the 
highlands  of  Pompey,  part  of  those  of  Manlius, 
LaFayette  and  DeWitt.  The  third  range,  between 
Butternut  and  Onondaga  Creeks,  comprises  the 
highlands  of  the  central  part  of  LaFayette,  the 
west  part  of  DeWitt,  and  the  east  portions  of  Tully 
and  Onondaga,  and  extends  to  the  city  of  Syracuse. 
The  fourth  range,  between  Onondaga  and  Nine 
Mile  Creeks,  comprises  the  highlands  of  Otisco, 
the  west  part  of  Tully,  LaFayette  and  Onondaga, 
and  the  east  parts  of  Marcellus  and  Camillus.  The 
fifth  range,  lying  between  Nine  Mile  and  Skan- 
eateles Creeks,  and  Otisco  and  Skaneateles  Lakes, 
comprises  the  highlands  of  Spafford,  the  west  parts 
of  Marcellus  and  Camillus,  and  the  east  parts  of 
Skaneateles  and  Elbridge. 

The  summits  of  the  valleys  between  these 
ranges  are  in  the  towns  of  Pompey,  Fabius  and 
Tully,  or  south  of  the  county  line.  The  highest 
peaks  of  the  ranges  of  hills  are  in  Spafford,  Pom- 
pey, Otisco  and  and  LaFayette.  The  streams  that 
drain  these  valleys  to  the  south,  are  the  head 
branches  of  the  Tioughnioga  River,  one  of  the 
tributaries  of  the  Susquehanna.  Limestone  and 
Butternut  Creeks  unite  their  waters  and  flow  into 
the  Chittenango,  a  few  miles  before  that  stream  en- 
ters Oneida  Lake.  Onondaga  and  Nine  Mile 
Creeks  run  into  Onondaga  Lake.  The  Skaneateles 
crosses  into  Cayuga  county  just  before  it  discharges 
its  waters  into  the  Seneca  River.  Seneca  River 
enters  the  west  part  of  the  county  from  Cross  Lake, 
flowing  between  the  towns  of  Elbridge  and  Lysan- 
der, and  along  the  northern  bounds  of  Van  Buren 
and  Geddes,  to  within  less  than  half  a  mile  of  On- 
ondaga Lake,  where  it  receives  the  outlet  of  that 
body  of  water  ;  then  turning  north,  it  runs  along 
the  west  line  of  Clay  to  Three  River  Point,  where 
it  receives  the  Oneida  River.  At  this  place  the 
combined  waters  take  the  name  of  Oswego  River, 


56 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


which  empties  into  Lake  OnUrio  in  the  city  of 
Oswego. 

These  various  streams  and  bodies  of  water,  with 
their  tributaries,  arc  so  evenly  distributed  over  the 
surface  that  the  whole  county  is  wonderfully  well 
supplied  with  water  for  use  and  with  power  to  drive 
machinery.  Seneca  River  has  a  dam  giving  a  fall 
at  Haldvvinsville  of  eight  feet,  and  another  at 
Phoeni.v.  either  of  which  would  give  sufficient 
power  for  a  large  manufacturing  town.  The  several 
streams  that  flow  through  the  valleys  in  the  south 
part  of  the  county,  fall,  on  an  average,  not  less 
than  eight  hundred  feet ;  after  they  arc  of  sufficient 
size  to  be  useful  in  driving  machinery,  and  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  county,  the  united  waters 
of  the  Limestone,  Butternut  and  Chittenango  make 
the  valuable  water  power  at  Bridgeport.  Many 
beautiful  waterfalls  are  formed  by  the  branches 
of  the  principal  streams  as  they  flow  down  the 
sides  of  the  ranges  of  hills  to  the  valleys.  The 
most  noted  of  the  cascades  is  known  as  Pratt's 
Falls. 

Such  is  a  general  outline  of  the  county  of  Onon- 
daga. When  it  was  first  .seen  by  the  race  of  men 
who  now  cultivate  its  soil  and  manage  its  vast  in- 
dustries, it  was  covered  with  one  dense  forest  of 
giant  growth,  excepting  the  few  fields  that  the 
natives  had  subjected  to  their  rude  cultivation. 
What  a  series  of  struggles  with  the  wilderness  and 
with  savage  unsubdued  nature,  is  implied  in  the 
contrast  between  that  primitive  condition  and  the 
present  cultivated  state  of  the  country. 

"Through  the  deep  wilderness  where  scarce  the  sun 
Can  cast  his  darts,  along  the  winding  path 
The  Pioneer  is  treading.     In  his  grasp 
Is  his  keen  ax,  that  wondrous  instrument, 
That  like  the  talisman  transforms 
Deserts  to  fields  and  cities.     He  has  left 
The  home  in  which  his  early  years  were  passed, 
And  led  by  hope,  and  full  of  restless  strength, 
Has  plunged  within  the  forest,  there  to  plant 
His  destiny.     Beside  some  rapid  stream 
He  rears  his  log-built  cabin.     When  the  chains 
Of  Winter  feller  Nature,  and  no  sound 
Disturbs  the  echoes  of  the  dreary  woods, 
Save  when  some  stent  cracks  sharply  with  the  frost ; 
Then  merrily  rings  his  ax,  and  tree  on  tree 
Crashes  to  earth  ;  and  when  the  long,  keen  night 
Mantles  the  wilderness  in  solemn  gloom, 
He  sits  beside  the  ruddy  hearth,  and  hears 
The  fierce  wolf  snarling  at  the  cabin  door. 
Or  through  the  lowly  casement  sees  his  eye 
Gleam  like  a  burning  coal."* 

*  Alfred  B.  Street. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Geologv  of  the  Cou.ntv  —  Ci-iNTON  Group  — 
Niagara  Limestone — Onondaga  Salt  Group 
—Water-lime  Group — Oriskanv  Sandstone. 

ONONDAGA  presents  more  features  of  inter- 
est to  the  geologist  than  any  other  county 
of  the  State,  or,  perhaps,  any  like  extent  of  country 
in  the  United  States.  Its  rocks  range  east  and 
west ;  the  order  of  succession  being  constant ;  the 
lowest  being  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  county, 
and  the  most  recent  at  the  southwest. 

Of  the  New  York  system  of  rocks,  there  outcrop 
in  this  county,  the  Clinton  Group,  Niagara  Lime- 
stone, Onondaga  Salt  Group,  Water-lime  Group, 
Oriskany  Sandstone,  Onondaga  Limestone,  Corni- 
ferous  Limestone,  Seneca  Limestone,  Marccllus 
Shales,  Hamilton  Group,  Tully  Limestone,  Genesee 
Slate,  and  the  lower  measures  of  the  Ithaca  Group. 

These  rocks  are  best  observed  by  commencing 
at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  county  and  moving 
to  the  southwest,  crossing  their  outcrop  nearly  at 
right-angles  and  in  line  of  the  greatest  dip  of  the 
stratification.  The  starting  point  will  be  Oneida 
Lake,  where  the  Clinton  Group  outcrops  ;  the  end 
of  the  journey,  Skaneateles  Lake.  The  elevation 
of  the  starting  point  above  tide  is  369  feet  ;  the 
highest  point  passed  over,  Ripley  Hill,  the  summit 
between  Skaneateles  and  Otisco  Lakes,  and  the 
highest  land  in  the  county,  being  1,982 J  feet  above 
tide.  The  distance,  in  a  direct  line  from  Oneida 
Lake  to  Ripley  Hill,  is  thirty-two  miles. 

The  dip  of  the  system  of  rocks  in  this  direction, 
is  very  nearly  twenty-si.\  feet  to  the  mile,  giving 
for  the  distance  852  feet.  It  is  very  uniform,  and 
is  greatest  in  a  line  a  little  west  of  southwest,  while 
the  general  line  of  the  outcrop  is  nearly  cast  and 
west.  These  rocks  were  deposited  in  that  vast  sea 
that  once  overspread  this  part  of  the  Continent,  all 
of  them  being  sedimentary  and  filled  with  evi- 
dences of  an  abundant  animal  life.  When  they 
were  lifted  above  the  sea  by  those  vast  internal 
forces  that  were  constantly  changing  the  form  of  the 
crust  of  the  earth,  they  were  tilted  from  the  level 
position  in  which  they  had  been  deposited.  The 
point  of  greatest  upheaval  being  far  to  the  northeast 
of  this  county,  only  part  of  one  of  the  slopes  comes 
under  our  observation. 

The  hills  rise  in  a  direction  opposite  to  that  of 
the  dip  of  the  rocks.  The  surface  rising,  in  the 
thirty-two  miles,  over  si.xtecn  hundred  feet,  the  bot- 
tom of  our  lowest  rock  falling  in  the  same  distance 
more  than  eight  hundred  and  fifty-two  feet,  a  sec- 
tion of  these  formations  would  show  a  wedge  2,465 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


57 


feet  thick  at  the  southwest  end,  regular  on  the  lower 
side,  but  on  the  upper  broken  by  unequal  steps,  due 
to  the  varying  thickness  of  the  different  strata. 
The  surface  waters  run  northerly,  while  those  un- 
derneath flow  in  the  opposite  direction.  Springs 
are  not  to  be  looked  for  along  the  unbroken  line  of 
the  outcrop  of  the  rocks,  but  in  the  sides  of  the 
various  valleys  that  cut  this  slope,  at,  or  nearly  at, 
right  angles,  or  on  the  north  sides  of  such  valleys 
as  are  parallel  with  the  line  of  the  outcrop.  Any 
attempt  to  procure  water  by  flowing  artesian  wells 
would  probably  prove  unsuccessful. 

The  rocks  that  outcrop  in  this  county  once  extended 
over  the  present  surface  far  to  the  north,  but  by  the 
action  of  glaciers  and  water,  they  have  been  broken 
down,  ground  up,  and  strewn  along  the  valleys  that 
have  been  scored  out  across  the  line  of  their  present 
outcrop,  and  those  with  which  they  connect,  far 
beyond  the  southern  limits  of  the  county  and  State. 
This  point  will  be  more  fully  discussed  hereafter,  a 
description  of  the  rocks  being  first  necessary. 

Clinton  Group. — The  northernmost  and  lowest 
rock  is  known  as  the  Clinton  Group.  It  is  seen  in 
the  counties  east  and  west  of  this,  underlies  the 
whole  north  line  of  this  county,  and  appears  on  both 
sides  of  the  west  end  of  Oneida  Lake.  "  This 
group  is  characterized  by  its  iron  ore  beds  and  its 
marine  plants."*  The  iron  appears  in  this  county, 
only  in  small  quantities,  the  rock  being  covered  with 
alluvium  except  at  a  few  points.  The  best  place  to 
observe  it  is  near  the  west  end  of  Oneida  Lake,  at 
Brewerton.  There  the  shale  appears  along  the  bank 
of  the  outlet  and  in  the  hill  in  the  village.  The 
north  part  of  the  towns  of  Lysander,  Clay  and 
Cicero  lies  on  this  rock,  and  the  soils  of  these  towns 
are  to  some  extent  made  up  of  the  materials  of 
which  it  is  composed.  Prof  Emmons  says  of  it  that 
its  most  interesting  feature  "  consists  in  the  rapid 
changes  in  the  strata  which  enter  into  its  formation, 
and  which  taken  together  form  a  most  heterogene- 
ous assemblage  of  materials  ;  for  this  reason  the 
group  was  called  in  an  early  stage  of  the  survey, 
the  Protean  Group.  The  formation  consists  of 
layers  and  beds  composed  of  green,  blue  and  brown, 
sandy  and  argillaceous  shales,  alternating  with 
greenish  brown  sandstones,  conglomerates  on  peb- 
bly beds,  and  oolitic  iron  ore.  These  different  kinds 
of  material  rapidly  succeed  each  other.  The  parts 
of  this  formation  which  are  most  persistent  are  the 
green  shales,  whose  color,  however,  inclines  more 
to  blue  than  green  where  they  have  not  been  exposed 
to  weathering.  The  sandstone,  which  is  rather 
harsh,   in   consequence   of    the   preponderance   of 

*  Vanuxum. 
8* 


sharp,  angular  grains,  is  also  greenish  or  greenish 
gray."*  It  rests  on  the  Medina  sandstone,  which 
in  turn  rests  on  the  gray  sandstone  of  Oswego, 
"  which,"  according  to  Emmons,  "  is  identical  with 
the  gray,  thick-bedded  sandstone  of  the  Hudson 
River  series."  These  rocks  furnish  the  material  for 
much  of  the  drift  which  covers  the  north  part  of 
the  county. 

The  Clinton  Group  is  found  in  Ohio,  Pennsylva- 
nia and  Canada.  In  this  State,  according  to  Mr. 
Hall,  it  is  not  more  than  eighty  feet  thick. 

Niagara  Limestone.— Resting  on  the  Clinton 
Group,  and  next  in  order,  we  find  the  Niagara 
Limestone,  so  called  from  its  being  the  rock  which 
forms  the  famous  cataract  of  that  name.  In  Onon- 
daga this  is  a  thin  rock,  thinner  at  the  east  side 
than  at  the  west.  It  crosses  the  east  line  of  the 
county  at  Bridgeport,  forming  a  bar  across  Chitten- 
ango  Creek  and  thus  creating  a  valuable  mill 
power.  It  outcrops  at  various  places  in  the  town 
of  Cicero,  and  on  Mr.  Whiting's  farm,  where  it  is 
extensively  quarried  for  the  valuable  building  stone 
it  aftbrds,  it  presents  a  surface  of  fifteen  acres, 
but  thinly  covered  with  soil.  It  has  been  used  to  a 
limited  extent  for  burning  into  lime.  The  layers 
are  respectively  fourteen,  seven,  three  and  four 
inches  thick.  Below  these  the  courses  are  thin  and 
of  no  value.  The  whole  thickness  at  Whiting's  is 
three  feet.  The  seams  are  frequent,  making  the 
quarry  easy  to  work. 

This  stone  has  been  quarried  at  several  other  points 
along  its  outcrop  to  the  west  line  of  the  county. 
The  most  important  openings  are  north  of  Bald- 
winsvilleand  near  the  northwest  corner  of  the  town 
of  Lysander.  This  rock  contains  "  some  geodes, 
lined  with  rhombic  crystals  of  carbonate  of  lime, 
and  gypsum,  in  small  globular  accretions,  at  Whit- 
ing's quarry."!  "  It  differs  so  much  in  its  appear- 
ance here  from  the  western  geodiferous  limestone  of 
the  lower  falls  of  the  Mississippi  that  it  would  hard- 
ly be  recognized  as  the  same  rock,  if  it  could  not 
be  traced  almost  uninterruptedly  in  its  western 
route  ;  but  it  marks  the  termination  of  the  Ontario 
division,  of  the  State  Reports,  and  is  the  upper 
measure  of  a  distinct  era  in  geological  history, 
whose  importance  cannot  be  well  estimated. "J 

The  Onondaga  Salt  Group  rests  on  the  Niagara 
limestone.  The  lower  part  of  this  formation  is  the 
Red  Shale,  upon  which,  and  in  some  cases  ming- 
ling with  it  is  placed  the  Green  Shale,  the  two  con- 
stituting the  whole  group.  Embraced  within  the 
Green  Shale  are  the  Gypsum  beds,  and  the  ver- 
micular, or  porous  lime  rock.     This  group  is  very 


*  Emmons. 


^  Vanuxum. 


\  Emmons. 


58 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


extensive,  reaching  from  near  the  Hudson  River 
quite  across  the  State.  Ail  the  Gypsum  masses  of 
Western  New  York  are  found  in  it,  and  from  it 
flows  all  the  salt  water  used  for  making  salt  in  On- 
ondaga ami  Cayuga  counties. 

The  Erie  Canal  runs  near  the  line  of  division 
between  the  Red  and  Green  Shales  for  the  whole 
width  of  the  county.  The  level  district  north  of 
the  canal  and  south  of  the  Niagara  outcrop,  is 
nearly  all  based  on  the  Red  Shale,  while  the  slope 
reaching  from  the  canal  to  the  Water-lime  range^ 
on  the  south,  is  principally  made  up  of  the  Green 
Shale.  The  average  width  of  the  Red  Shale  is 
about  seven  miles,  that  of  the  Green  about  three. 
The  Red  Shale,  as  computed  from  the  dip  and 
elevation,  is  three  hundred  and  forty-one  feet  thick 
at  the  line  of  the  Erie  Canal  south  of  Onondaga 
Lake  ;  the  surface  of  that  lake  being  very  nearly 
three  hundred  feet  above  the  Niagara  limestone. 
It  is  generally  covered  with  drift,  composed  of  lime, 
gravel,  sand,  and  small  stones,  made  up  mostly  of 
the  Medina  sandstone,  and  the  gray  sandstones  of 
Oswego  county,  with  occasional  beds  of  clay. 

The  RtuI  Sha/c  is  described  by  Prof  Emmons  as 
properly  a  rcti  marl,  soft  throughout,  except  a  few 
thin  strata  of  sandstone  near  the  top,  but  even  these 
fall  to  pieces  and  cannot  be  employed  at  all  for  pur- 
poses of  construction.  Wherever  it  crops  out  it  is 
covered  with  its  own  debris.  He  determined  that 
one  hundred  grains  of  the  most  sandy  part,  and  the 
same  amount  of  the  softer  kinds,  were  combined 
in  the  following  proportions  : 

Sandy.  Marly. 

Sile.x -.6S.25  68.86 

Pero.xide  of  iron  and  alumina 625  1498 

Magnesia 5.75  0.40 

Carbonate  of  lime 10.25  O-So 

Phosphate  of  alumina,  and  phos- 
phate of  peroxide   of  iron 0000  0.14 

Organic  matter 6.CX3  4.50 

Water i.oo  O.48 

99.50  99.25 

In  some  places  this  Red  Shale  is  so  soft  that  it  is 
extensively  manufactured  into  brick  ;  in  others,  the 
sand  is  in  layers,  having  thin  strata  of  clay  between 
them.  "  Nowhere  has  a  fossil  been  discovered  in 
it,  or  a  pebble,  or  anything  extraneous,  except  a  few 
thin  layers  of  sandstone  and  its  different  colored 
shales  and  slate."* 

Owing  to  whirls  and  eddies  in  those  surges 
which  beat  down  and  ground  up  these  rocks, 
numerous  conical  shaped  hills,  generally  somewhat 
longer  from  north  to  south  than  from  east  to  west, 
and  differing  in  sire  from  a  few  acres  to  several 

*  Vanuium. 


hundred,  have  been  dotted  over  the  surface  of  the 
western  part  of  this  formation  like  hay  cocks  in  a 
meadow.  The  largest  one  is  north  of  the  valley  of 
Nine  Mile  Creek.  The  Erie  Canal  passes  around  it 
on  the  south  and  the  Central  Railroad  on  the  north. 
It  is  two  hundred  feet  in  height,  containing  about 
a  thousand  acres  of  drift,  and  so  level  is  the  plain 
on  which  it  stands,  that  a  canal  without  a  lock 
might  surround  it.  These  drift  hills  also  abound 
in  the  district  embraced  by  the  Green  Shales,  but 
the  transported  stones  which  cover  them  have  a 
greater  proportion  of  granite  boulders  of  large  size. 

Gypseous  or  Green  Shales,  Containing  the 
Beds  of  Gvj'SU.m. — Immediately  upon,  and  united 
with  the  Red  Shales,  we  find  the  plaster-bearing. 
Green  Shales.  The  line  of  division  is  not  well 
determined, — the  red,  green,  and  yellow  colored, 
with  some  of  a  blue  cast,  intermingle  for  a  few  feet 
in  thickness.  The  color  of  this  upper  measure  of 
the  salt  group  is  variable  through  its  whole  thick- 
ness, being  sometimes  nearly  white,  then  drab,  but 
it  has  received  its  name  from  the  prevailing  green. 
A  better  name  would  be  the  Gypseous  Shales,  as  the 
term  Green  Shales  is  sometimes  applied  to  portions 
of  the  Clinton  Group.  In  the  Gypseous  Shale  large 
masses  are  found  that  Prof  Eaton  called  vermicular 
lime  rock.  This  rock  is  essentially  calcarious,  strong- 
ly resembling  porous  or  cellular  lava.  In  color, 
it  is  a  dark  gray  or  blue  rock,  perforated  everywhere 
with  curvilinear  holes,  but  very  compact  between 
the  holes.  These  holes  vary  from  microscopic  to 
half  an  inch  in  diameter.  They  are  generally  very 
irregular,  and  communicate  in  most  instances  with_ 
each  other. 

The  resemblance  of  no  small  part  of  the  rock  to 
lava  is  perfect ;  but  the  structure  of  the  cells  leaves 
no  doubt  as  to  their  mineral  origin.  The  cells  show 
that  parts  of  the  rock  were  disposed  to  separate 
into  thin  layers  which  project  into  cells,  evidently 
the  result  of  the  simultaneous  forming  of  the  rock, 
and  of  a  soluble  mineral,  whose  removal  caused  the 
cells  in  question.  This  view  is  confirmed  by  the 
discovery  in  this  rock  of  those  forms  which  are  due 
to  common  salt,  showing  that  a  soluble  saline  min- 
eral had  e.xisted  in  it,  had  acquired  shape  in  the  rock, 
and  had  subsequently  been  dissolved,  leaving  a  cav- 
ity or  cavities."*  There  are  two  masses  of  this 
vertniciilar  rock — one  low  down,  of  about  twenty  feet 
in  thickness,  appearing  on  James  street,  Syracuse, 
and  at  various  other  places ;  the  upper  mass  is  thin- 
ner ;  but  its  thickness  is  not  uniform.  In  tne  lower 
mass,  on  James  street,  are  some  specimens  of  crys- 
talline character,  being  serpentines,  the  action  of 


Vanuxum. 


II 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


59 


crystallization  having  been  local,  producing  selenite 
sometimes  erroneously  called  mica. 

Between  the  two  layers  of  vermicular  limestone 
are  the  hopper-formed  masses.  Perhaps  these  hop- 
per-formed rocks  possess  more  interest  for  the  geol- 
ogist than  any  other  part  of  the  group;  because  they 
are  supposed  to  furnish  proof  of  the  origin  of  the 
salt  water,  of  so  much  importance  to  the  industry 
of  this  part  of  the  State.  These  forms  are  pro- 
duced, it  is  asserted,  by  the  crystallization  of  salt 
before  the  hardening  of  clay.  The  supposition 
being  that  while  the  whole  mass  was  in  the  form  of 
mud,  having  a  large  quantity  of  dissolved  salt  mixed 
with  it,  the  salt,  (in  precisely  the  same  manner 
observable  in  the  process  of  the  manufacture  of 
solar  salt,)  was  attracted  particle  to  particle,  and 
assumed  the  form  of  a  hopper,  the  mud  filling 
it  up;  then,  by  the  action  of  water  falling 
on  the  surface  and  percolating  through  the  mass 
that  had  become  full  of  cracks  in  the  pro- 
cess of  drying,  the  salt  was  dissolved  and  carried 
down  upon  the  more  compact  strata  below,  and  by 
the  dip  of  the  strata  carried  into  rather  than  out  of, 
the  hill.  No  other  common  soluble  mineral  present- 
ing similar  forms,  and  the  fact  that  all  our  saltwater 
is  found  below,  and  near  these  hopper-formed  rocks, 
give  great  force  to  this  theory.  The  absence  of 
salt  around  these  hopper-formed  rocks  is  accounted 
for  by  their  being  so  near  the  surface  that  the  rains 
must  long  ago  have  carried  it  away.  If  an  e.xcava- 
tion  were  made  further  south,  where  the  overlying 
rocks  are  thick  enough  to  protect  the  salt-bearing 
rocks  from  the  action  of  water,  undissolved  salt 
might  be  found. 

Prof  Emmons  gives  the  composition  of  the  hop- 
per-formed masses  as  follows  : 

Water  of  absorption .56 

Organic  matter 500 

Silex  .__„ 34-5<5 

Carbonate  of  lime 43  06 

Alumina  and  protoxide  of  iron 13-36 

Sulphate  of  lime i.oo 

Magnesia 2.17 


99,71 


Besides  the  minerals  described  as  being  in,  and 
belonging  to  this  shale,  we  have  yet  to  mention  the 
beds  of  gypsum.  This  valuable  mineral  is  found  in 
various  places  in  the  upper  parts  of  the  Salt  Group, 
throughout  the  whole  county.  It  is  extensively 
quarried  in  the  towns  of  Manlius,  DeWitt,  On- 
ondaga, Camillus  and  Elbridge.  The  largest 
openings  are  in  the  town  of  DeWitt,  north  east 
from  Jamesville.  It  is  here  found  in  masses 
more    than    thirty    feet    thick,    of   an    excellent 


quality,  and  is  sold  on  the  bank  of  the  canal,  some- 
times, at  less  than  one  dollar  per  ton.  Some  very 
valuable  quarries  are  worked  in  the  town  of  Camil- 
lus. The  railroad  cutting  along  the  valley  of  Nine 
Mile  Creek  exposes  large  masses.  The  whole  thick- 
ness of  the  gypseous  shale  is  295  feet. 

One  hundred  grains  in  six  ounces  of  rain  water, 
yield,  of  the  debris  of  the  shale,  6.53,  of  which  1.03 
is  vegetable  matter,  and  5.50  saline.  Prof  Emmons 
gives  an  analysis  of  the  water  of  Mr.  Geddes'  well 
at  Fairmount,  which  receives  its  water  throuch  a 
seam  in  the  vermicular  lime  rock,  as  follows  : 

One  quart  evaporated  slowly  to  dryness,  the  last 
part  of  the  process  being  performed  in  a  platinum 
capsule,  gave 

Solid  matter S.72 

Organic  matter 1.44 

Saline 7.25 

"The  water  of  the  Hydrant  Company,  which 
supplies  Syracuse,  contains  forty  grains  of  saline 
matter  to  the  gallon.  It  consists  of  thechlorides  of 
sodium  and  calcium,  sulphates  of  lime  and  alumina, 
with  some  organic  matter."*^  The  springs  that  are 
discharged  from  these  rocks  deposit  tufa.  Only  a 
few  fossils  are  found  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
Gypseous  Shales.  Prof  Hall  assigns  the  rocks 
composing  the  salt  group  to  a  mud  volcano  that 
was  "  charged  with  saline  matter  and  corroding 
acids  which  would  alone  destroy  all  organism." 
Vanuxum  says  that  the  salt  group  as  a  whole 
presents  the  same  order  of  saline  deposits,  includ- 
ing iron,  observed  in  the  salt  vats  where  solar 
evaporation  is  carried  on.  The  first  deposit  in  the 
vats  is  ferruginous,  being  red  oxide  of  iron,  and 
staining  of  a  red  color  whatever  it  falls  upon  ;  the 
next  deposit  which  takes  place  is  the  gypsum  ;  the 
third  is  the  common  salt,  the  magnesian  and  cal- 
cium chlorides  remaining  in  solution.  The  group 
shows  first  a  thick  mass,  colored  red  with  iron,  be- 
ing its  Red  Shale  ;  above  which  are  the  gypseous 
masses  ;  towards  the  upper  part  of  which  are  the 
salt  cavities  ;  the  sulphate  of  magnesia  exists  above 
the  whole  of  these  deposits,  its  existence  there  be- 
ing manifested  by  the  needle-form  cavities. 

Water  lime  is  the  name  given  to  the  next  group 
of  rocks.  It  rests  on  the  Gypseous  S/iales,  and  is  in 
all  127  feet  thick.  The  lower  measures  are  irregu- 
lar in  their  formation,  having  uneven  beds,  with 
layers  of  varying  thickness.  This  part  of  the  rock 
is  used  mostly  for  farm  fences,  to  which  purpose  it 
is  well  adapted,  resisting  the  action  of  frost,  and 
being  so  thin  as  to  require  little  skill  in  laying,  mak- 
ino-    it   the    most    durable    fence    known.      That 

^  Emmons. 


Oo 


HIST  DRY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


part  used  for  making  cenicnt  is  on  the  top,  and  con-  ' 
sists  of  two  layers  from  three  to  four  feet  thick. 
"  Color  drab,  dull  in  its  fracture,  and  com|X)sed  of 
minute  grains  with  usually  but  few  lines  of  division. 
The  up|)er  of  these  courses  burns  more  easily  than 
the  lower.  When  burned,  it  is  ground  fine  and 
mixed  with  sand  —  one  part  of  lime  to  from  two  to 
six  parts  of  sand,  according  to  its  quality  and  the 
speed  with  which  it  is  desirable  the  cement  should 
set.  Owing  to  its  proi)erty  of  preserving  its  form 
and  hardening  under  water,  it  is  used  with  stone  or 
brick  in  the  construction  of  cisterns,  and  without 
any  other  substance  but  sand,  for  i)ipcs  for  conduct- 
ing water  from  springs.  Such  is  its  strength  that  a 
cylinder  of  pure  cement  and  sand,  six  inches  in  diam- 
eter, of  one  inch  calibre,  buried  three  feet  in  the 
ground,  after  some  years  became  closed  at  the  lower 
end,  and  the  pipe  sustained  the  pressure  of  a  column 
of  water  forty  feet  in  height.  The  best  practical 
tests  for  persons  unskilled  in  judging  of  the  quality 
of  this  lime  for  cement,  are  :  The  stone  when  burned 
must  not  slake  on  the  application  of  water ;  when 
ground,  the  cement  must  set  quickly  on  being  wet ; 
keep  its  form  under  water,  and  harden  till  it  becomes 
as  hard  as  a  well  burnt  brick.  It  is  sometimes  in- 
jured by  being  burned  too  much,  and  very  often  it 
is  not  ground  fine  enough.  Mr.  Delafield  says  of 
water  lime:  "If  it  contains  twenty  per  cent  of  clay, 
it  will  slake,  but  will  also  cement.  If  it  contains  an 
amount  of  clay  equal  to  thirty  per  cent  it  will  not 
slake  well,  nor  heat,  but  forms  an  excellent  cement." 
Sanzin,  in  his  work  on  Civil  Engineering  (p  20)  says  : 
"  Being  master  of  the  proportions  of  hydraulic  lime, 
we  can  give  any  degree  of  energy  required  Common 
lime  will  bear  even  twenty  per  cent  of  argile ;  medium 
lime  —  that  is,  that  which  is  a  mean  between  com- 
mon and  meagre  lime —  will  take  from  five  to  fifteen 
per  cent  of  argile.  When  we  augment  the  quantity 
to  forty  parts  of  clay  to  one  hundred  of  lime,  the 
lime  does  not  slake,  the  mixture  is  pulverant,  and 
when  moistened,  it  becomes  solid,  immediately,  when 
immersed  into  water."  The  Onondaga  Water-lime 
is  simply  an  impure  lime,  having  clay  enough  in  it 
to  make  it  resist  the  action  of  water.  Large  quan- 
tities of  hydraulic  cement  arc  manufactured  from 
our  rocks  and  sent  in  barrels  wherever  required. 

There  are  some  courses  of  this  group  known  by 
the  local  name  of  blue  lime,  which  being  too  pure  in 
lime  for  cement,  are  burnt  for  quick  lime,  and  are 
also  used  (or  building  purposes.  Six  varieties  of 
fossils  found  in  it,  are  represented  in  the  State  Re- 
ports. 

Localities. — About  three-fourths  of  a  mile  south- 
west of  the  village  of  Manlius,  this  rock  forms  the 


"falls"  in  Limestone  Creek.  "The  lower  layers 
contain  a  large  proportion  of  ordinary  lime,  free 
from  all  accretions  of  a  silicious  nature,  and  there- 
fore make  a  first  quality  of  lime."  The  most  exten- 
sive exposure  of  water-lime  is  about  a  mile  south  of 
the  village  of"  Manlius,  at  Brown's  saw  mill.  But- 
ternut Creek,  below  Jamesville,  near  Dunlop's  mill, 
exposes  it  in  large  quantities.  It  is  also  found  in 
Onondaga  Valley  and  Split  Rock  quarry,  where  it 
appears  in  the  face  of  the  precipice  all  along  for 
miles.  The  only  additional  localities  necessary  to 
mention  are  the  crossing  of  Nine  Mile  Creek  and 
Skaneateles  Creek,  over  the  rocks.  The  width  of 
surface  underlaid  by  water-lime  varies  constantly  ; 
small  outliers,  in  some  places,  extend  over  the  gyp- 
seous group,  but  in  many  places  the  outcrop  is  pre- 
cipitous. On  the  whole,  perhaps,  the  average  width 
of  land  on  the  outcrop  is  not  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  mile. 

Okiska.w  Sandstone. — This  rock,  which  lies 
next  above  the  water  lime,  is  of  variable  thickness 
in  this  county,  owing  to  the  uneven  surface  upon 
which  it  was  deposited.  At  Manlius  it  is  but  a  few 
inches  in  thickness,  while  to  the  southwest  of  the 
village  of  Onondaga  Valley  it  is  seven  feet,  and  at 
Split  Rock  there  is  only  a  trace  to  be  seen.  Again  it 
thickens,  and  on  the  road  from  Elbridgc  to  Skane- 
ateles it  is  about  thirty  feet  thick.  This  sandstone, 
with  some  exceptions,  consists  of  medium  sized 
quartz  sand,  such  as  is  derived  from  the  primary 
rocks.  The  fossils  are  interesting,  and  may  be 
found  represented  in  the  State  Reports.  Some  of 
this  stone  from  the  Skaneateles  quarries  was  used 
in  constructing  locks  when  the  Erie  Canal  was  first 
made,  and  was  found  to  wear  very  well.  It  is  used 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  quarry  for  various  structures. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
Geologv  Continued  —  Onondaga  Limestone — 

COKNIFEKOUS    LiMKSTONE — SeNECA    LIMESTONE 

— Makcellus  Shales  —  Hamilton  Group — 
TuLLV  Limestone — Genesee  Slate — Ithaca 
Gkoup. 

ONONDAGA  LIMESTONE.— The  next  in 
the  ascending  order  is  the  Onondaga  lime- 
stone, reaching  in  a  well  defined  wall  across  the  1 
county,  and  easily  traced  from  the  Hclderberg  near 
Albany  to  Lake  Erie.  This  rock  may  be  easily 
recognized  by  its  many  fossils,  its  gray  color,  crys- 
talline structure  and  toughness.  "  It  abounds  in 
smooth  encrinal  stems  wiuinites  lavis)  which  is 
found  only  in  this  rock  in  the  State  ;  some  of  these 


II 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


6i 


stems  are  about  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  usually 
they  are  over  half  an  inch.  In  almost  all  cases 
they  are  replaced  by  lamellar  carbonate  of  lime."* 

At  Split  Rock,  where  it  is  extensively  quarried, 
it  is  twenty-four  feet  thick.  Its  power  to  resist  the 
action  of  air,  water  and  frost  ;  its  strength  and 
ability  to  sustain  great  weight  without  crushing  ; 
the  ease  with  which  it  may  be  worked  ;  its  evenness 
of  texture  and  soundness,  giving  it  capability  of  be- 
ing worked  into  elaborate  mouldings,  (the  Court 
House  in  Syracuse  presenting  a  sample  of  this 
quality  ;)  render  it  the  most  valuable  stone  for 
building  of  any  known  in  this  country.  The  Roch- 
ester Aqueduct  and  other  principal  structures  on 
the  enlarged  Erie  and  Oswego  Canals  in  this 
vicinity,  have  been  made  from  this  stone.  It  is  used 
as  a  marble,  bearing  a  hfgh  polish,  and  presenting  a 
beautiful  appearance  when  so  polished  as  to  bring 
out  the  fossils  perfectly.  It  is  generally  nearly  pure 
lime,  and  when  burned,  will,  in  the  process  of  slaking, 
so  increase  in  bulk  that  two  parts  become  five. 

Its  analysis  by  Lewis  C.  Beck,  gives 

Carbonate  of  lime 99-30 

Oxide  of  iron .20 

Insoluble  matter,  (sillica  and  alumina.) .40 

99,90 
The  slaked  lime  is  of  purest  white.  This  rock 
forms  terraces  in  some  places,  in  others  it  presents 
perpendicular  walls  for  its  whole  thickness.  The 
two  most  marked  precipices  are,  the  one  at  Split 
Rock,  and  the  other  northwest  of  Jamesville,  near 
one  of  the  Green  Lakes.  The  top  of  the  precipice 
at  Split  Rock  is  810  feet  above  tide.  Very  little  of 
the  surface  is  exposed,  the  overlying  rock  in  most 
places  covering,  and  extending  to,  and  forming  part 
of,  the  perpendicular  precipice  before  referred  to. 
The  local  name  is  gray  lime.  The  directions  of  the 
vertical  joints  of  this  rock  are  N.  33  to  35  degrees 
E.,and  S.  55  to  57  degrees  E.,  dividing  the  benches 
into  convenient  size  for  working.  The  surface 
shows  slight  scratches,  running  north  and  south. 
"  The  lower  ledges  of  the  limestone  frequently  con- 
tain black  pebbles  whose  water-worn  character 
admits  of  no  doubt.  When  fractured  they  show 
identity  with  the  sandstone  nodules  or  accretions 
found  in  the  Oriskany  sandstone."* 

CoRNiFEROUs  LiMESTONE. — Next  above,  and  ly- 
ing on  the  Onondaga,  are  the  Corniferous  and 
Seneca  Limestones,  which  are  divided  in  the  State 
Reports  merely  because  the  upper  measures  have 
a  fossil  \  Stmphoinena  Lincata)  not  found  below. 
The  line  of  division  between  the  Helderberg  series 
and  the  next  above  is  determined  by  these  fossils. 

*  Vanuxum. 


Corniferous  is  the  name  given  to  this  limestone 
by  Prof  Eaton  in  his  survey  of  the  Erie  Canal, 
from  its  containing  flint  or  horn  stone  in  nodules 
arranged  in  parallel  layers.  The  lime  furnished  by 
this  rock  is  not  pure,  especially  the  lower  layers  ; 
the  upper,  or  what  is  called  Seneca  limestone,  is 
extensively  quarried  at  Marcellus,  showing  vertical 
joints  and  giving  nearly  square  corners.  The 
courses  at  the  top  of  the  quarry  are  about  seven 
inches  thick  and  lie  immediately  below  the  Black 
Shales  ;  lower  down  they  are  thicker.  The  Corni- 
ferous limestone  may  be  traced  by  its  outcrop  all 
the  way  through  the  county,  the  top  of  the  rock 
sometimes  barely  covered  with  earth,  presenting 
plateaus  which  slope  to  the  south  and  west  in  the 
direction  of  the  dip.  Near  Manlius  village,  west  of 
Jamesville,  and  north  of  Onondaga  Hill,  these  plains 
are  widest.  The  general  width  of  this  exposure  of 
Corniferous  and  Seneca  Limestone  is  less  than  half 
a  mile.  At  Split  Rock  it  is  849  feet  above  tide, 
and  is  forty  feet  thick.  With  it  terminates  the 
Helderberg  division. 

Marcellus  Shales  is  the  name  given  to  the 
black  rock  that  rests  on  the  Helderberg  range.  "  It 
is  characterized  by  its  color  and  by  exhaling  a 
bituminous  odor  when  rubbed.  It  is  a  slate,  thin- 
bedded  and  easily  broken,  and  disintegrates  rapidly 
under  the  action  of  water  and  frost.  The  silico- 
argillaceous  matter  predominates  over  the  calcari- 
ous.  There  is  sufficient  lime  to  effervesce  with 
mineral  acids.  The  lower  part  of  the  rock  is  more 
highly  charged  with  lime  than  the  upper."*  It 
contains  small  particles  of  coal,  and  many  excava- 
tions have  been  made  in  it  in  the  hope  of  finding 
this  valuable  mineral  in  sufficient  quantities  to 
make  the  mining  profitable.  These  excavations  are 
no  longer  made,  and  the  general  spread  of  geologi- 
cal knowledge  has  taught  the  public'  that  there  is 
no  hope  of  finding  coal  in  this  rock  in  remunera- 
tive quantities.  Its  peculiar  fossil  is  the  Marce/ltis 
Goniatite,  which,  with  some  others,  is  represented 
in  the  State  Reports.  It  also  abounds  in  oval  bodies 
called  Seftaria,  which  are  impure  limestone,  the 
materials  of  which  were  deposited  along  with  the 
shaly  matter  ;  but,  in  consequence  of  the  play  of 
affinities,  the  calcarious  part  separated  from  the 
oreat  mass  of  shaly  matter,  and  the  molecules  com- 
bined to  form  the  bodies  under  consideration.  Dur- 
ing the  process  of  drying,  the  argillo-calcarious 
matter  shrinks  and  cracks,  forming  thereby  septa, 
which  are  subsequently  filled  by  infiltration,  either 
with  calcite  or  the  sulphate  of  barytes  or  stron- 
tian."t     At  Manlius,  a  black  limestone,  from  five  to 


*Emmons. 


\  Emmons. 


62 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


ten  feet  thick,  is  found  in  the  midst  of  the  shales. 
It  is  weathered  out  into  extremely  rough  masses,  so 
that  the  persons  who  worked  it  usually  called  it 
"chawtd rock'.'  Its  composition  docs  not  difl'er  ma- 
terially from  that  of  the  Septaria,  and  w  ill  increase  in 
value  and  im()ortance  when  it  is  known  that  these 
masses  make  the  true  Roman  Cement.* 

There  is  a  /iiii/(  in  the  rock  about  a  mile  west  of 
Manlius  village.  It  is  quite  local.  At  Marcellus 
numerous  sink  holes  exist  in  the  underlying  stones, 
into  which  portions  of  the  upper  masses  have  fallen. 
This  shale  is  said  to  be  thicker  in  Onondaga  County 
than  anywhere  else,  forming  throughout  the  base  of 
the  next  group,  between  which  and  the  one  now 
under  consideration  no  well  defined  line  of  division 
has  yet  been  observed.  The  Marcellus  Shales,  in 
addition  to  lime,  contain  carbonate  of  magnesia. 

The  line  between  the  rocks  denominated  in  the 
State  Reports  Marcrllus  and  Hamilton  Shales,  is  not 
easily  determined  except  by  an  examination  of  the 
fossils.  As  we  ascend  the  sloj)e  the  rocks  become 
more  sandy,  lose  their  color  and  slaty  character, 
until  we  find  ourselves  upon  those  which  arc  in  the 
main  silicious.  containing  very  little  calc.irions  or 
magnesian  matter. 

IIamii,to.v  Group. — "This  group  abounds  in  fos- 
sils, such  as  shells,  corals,  trilobites,  fucoids,  and  a 
few  plants  resembling  those  of  marine  origin.  In 
organic  remains  it  is  the  most  prolific  of  all  the  New 
York  rocks.  (The  characteristic  ones  are  repre- 
sented in  the  State  Reports.)  It  extends  from  near 
the  Hudson  to  Lake  Erie,  and  consists  of  shale,  slate 
and  sandstone,  with  endless  mixtures  of  these  ma- 
terials They  form  three  distinct  mineral  masses  as 
to  kinds,  but  not  as  to  superposition  or  arrangement, 
though  generally  the  sandy  portion  is  in  the  middle 
of  the  group."*  This  rock,  with  the  Marcellus 
Shales,  covers  a  large  part  of  the  county  south  of 
the  Helderbcrg  range,  appearing  in  the  towns  of 
Manlius.  Pompcy.  Onondaga,  Marcellus,  Skane- 
atcles,  SpalTord,  LaKayette,  Otiscoand  Tully.  The 
thickness  of  the  Marcellus  and  Hamilton  Shales, 
by  computing  the  dip,  is  fy()\  feet.  The  top  of  the 
group,  at  a  point  east  of  and  near  Skaneatclcs  Lake, 
is  1 ,  1 1 1  feet  above  tide.  The  two  points  from  which 
this  calculation  is  made,  —  one  of  them  being  near 
the  north  east  corner  of  lot  83  of  the  town  of  On- 
ondaga, the  other  on  the  east  side  of  Skaneatclcs 
Lake,  —  are  distant  from  each  other  sixteen  and  a 
half  miles  in  a  direct  line.  The  whole  surface  em- 
braced in  this  distance  is  cut  into  deep  valleys  run- 
ning nearly  north  and  south,  and  at  the  crossing  of 
every  stream  that  flows  down  the  slopes,  the  rocks 

•  Vinuium. 


are  exposed  in  steep  precipices.  In  many  places 
they  are  denuded  of  their  own  debris,  and  as  a  result 
vegetation  is  comparatively  stinted. 

The  Tfi.LV  Limesto.nf.  rests  on  the  Hamilton 
Group  and  marks  the  line  of  division  between  it  and 
the  Genesee  Slates.  This  rock  varies  from  fourteen 
to  twenty  feet  in  thickness.  It  is  an  impure,  fine- 
grained limestone,  "dark  or  blackish  blue,  breaking 
into  irregular  fragments,  owing  to  the  particles  of 
carbonate  of  lime  separating  from  a  mixed  mass  of 
innumerable  points.  It  makes  a  good  but  not  white 
lime."*  It  is  the  most  southern  mass  of  limestone 
in  the  State.  There  are  two  fossils  wholly  peculiar 
to  it — the  Cuboidal  Atrypa,  and  the  Tully  Ortliis — 
which  are  represented  in  the  State  Reports.  This 
rock  is  seen  on  the  west  side  of  the  Delphi  \'allcy 
and  at  Tinker's  Falls,  near  the  county  line,  "  where 
the  water  flows  over  the  rock  about  fifty  feet,  which 
projects  ten  or  fit'teen  feet  beyond  the  shale  beneath 
it.  The  usual  fossils  are  present."  It  also  appears 
at  various  points  in  the  town  of  Tully,  from  which 
it  takes  its  name.  On  the  west  side  of  the  valley 
of  Onondaga  Creek  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Vesper, 
it  has  been  burned  for  lime.  It  underlies  nearly  the 
whole  of  the  town  of  Otisco.  The  valley  of  Otisco 
Lake  cuts  it,  the  outcrop  being  seen  on  both  sides 
of  the  lake.  About  a  mile  south  of  Horodino,  in 
the  town  of  Spaflbrd,  it  presents  a  bold  wall  from 
which  stone  for  lime  and  building  has  been  taken. 
The  line  of  the  outcrop  is  easily  traced  along  the 
east  side  of  Skaneatclcs  Lake,  from  this  point  till 
the  county  line  is  passed.  This  rock  probably 
underlies  and  makes  the  floor  of  Cortland  Valley  for 
a  great  distance  south.  The  most  northerly  point 
at  which  it  appears  is  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
town  of  Otisco  ;  but  from  the  elevation  of  the  town 
of  Pompcy,  it  must  underlie  a  considerable  portion 
of  that  town,  although  it  is  so  covered  with  soil  that 
it  cannot  be  seen.  The  Tully  limestone  terminates 
all  those  deposits  in  which  calcarious  matter  forms 
an  essential  part. 

The  Ge.nesee  Slate  resting  on  the  Tully  lime- 
stone, underlies  and  forms  the  hills  and  most  of  the 
soils  in  the  south  part  of  the  towns  of  Pompcy, Fabius, 
Tully,  Otisco  and  Spaflbrd.  Vanuxum  says  of  the 
rock.that  it  is  an  argillaceous  fissile  mass,  which,  with 
great  propriety,  might  be  termed  in  English  local 
geological  phraseology,  a  »iud  rock.  The  few  fossils 
it  contains  are  represented  in  the  State  Reports. 
It  may  readily  be  known  by  its  black  color,  slaty 
formation  and  position, — being  between  the  Tully 
limestone  and  the  sandstone  flags  of  the  base  of 
the  Ithaca  group. 

•  Vanuxum. 


II 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


63 


The  Ithaca  Group  is  the  last  formation  that 
requires  a  description  in  giving  the  geology  of 
Onondaga  county.  But  a  small  portion  of  the  soil 
is  formed  from  it,  as  it  merely  appears  on  the  tops 
of  the  highest  hills.  Vanuxum  describes  it  as  "  a 
mass  of  hard,  coarse  shale  and  sandstone,  dark  in 
color,  often  brown  after  exposure,  owing  probably 
to  manganese."  A  characteristic  fossil  is  found 
near,  but  south  of  the  cou^ity  line,  at  Scott's 
Corners,  the  Intcrsiriate  Strophomena,  which  is 
represented  in  the  State  Reports.  Above  these 
rocks,  but  beyond  the  limits  of  this  county,  rise 
the  Chemung,  Catskill,  Old  Red  Sandstone.  Con- 
glomerate and  Coal  Measures,  all  representing  a 
northern  outcrop,  and  having  a  dip  that  goes  to 
show  that  the  whole  belongs  to  one  upheaval  from 
the  sea,  in  which  these  rocks  that  furnish  the 
material  for  our  soils  were  formed  during  those  vast 
periods  of  time  which  the  Supreme  Being  has 
employed  in  storing  up  these  resources  for  supply- 
ing the  comforts  that  now  surround  man's  happy 
dwelling  places. 

Marl  and  Tufa. — "  Marl  is  a  carbonate  of  lime 
which  has  separated  from  its  solvent  in  water,  the 
latter  preventing  its  particles  from  cohering 
and  allowing  them  to  subside  in  the  state  of  calcari- 
ous  mud.  •  It  is  in  many  cases  constantly  depositing 
from  water  holding  lime  in  solution."*  On  the 
north  side  of  the  Helderberg  range  there  are  exten- 
sive beds  of  marly  tufa  that  are  due  to  the  dissolv- 
ing of  the  calcarious  rocks  of  that  group.  On  the 
south  side  marl  is  found  in  various  places,  due  to 
water  percolating  through  limestone  gravel  that  has 
been  transported  from  the  Helderberg  group.  The 
southern  deposits  are  inconsiderable  when  com- 
pared with  the  great  northern  beds  which  extend, 
nearly  unbroken,  from  east  to  west  across  the  coun- 
ty. The  principal  localities  of  marl,  due  to  drift  de- 
posits, are  in  the  towns  of  Fabius  and  Tully.  In 
both  these  towns  marl  has  been  fashioned  into  the 
form  of  brick,  dried  and  burned  into  lime,  making  a 
very  superior  article  for  finishing  walls,  and  selling 
at  about  twice  the  price  of  lime  burned  from  the 
common  limestone.  The  lakes  of  Tully  are  con- 
stantly depositing  marl.  The  waters  that  supply 
these  lakes  run  through  pebbles  of  limestone  and 
are  thus  charged  with  calcarious  matter,  which  in- 
crusts  every  twig  or  obstruction  that  it  meets. 
Cicero  Swamp  is  a  bed  of  lake  marl.  Onondaga 
and  Cross  Lakes  have  many  feet  of  it  all  over  their 
beds.  The  railroad,  as  it  approaches  the  tunnel  east 
of  Syracuse,  exposes,  by  the  excavation,  a  section 
of  great  interest,  "  showing  in  the  ditch,  clay.  End 

*  Vanuxum. 


two  deposits  of  marl,  which  separate  three  deposits 
of  muck,  with  stumps  and  roots  chiefly  of  tamarack 
and  balsam."*  Southeast  of  the  village  of  DeWitt, 
in  excavating  for  the  canal  feeder,  stumps  were 
found  some  feet  below  the  surface,  showing  that  a 
forest  had  been  destroyed  by  some  rise  in  the  water, 
caused  perhaps  by  a  dam  of  driftwood.  The  trees 
died  and  decayed  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  the 
stumps  being  preserved  by  the  water.  In  time 
the  pond  filled  up  with  alluvium,  and  again  there 
was  a  forest  of  cedars.  In  the  swamp  north  of  the 
canal,  in  the  town  of  Van  Buren,  there  is  an  ex- 
tensive deposit  of  marl,  and  it  is  found  in  various 
other  places,  in  some  cases  pure  enough  to  make 
valuable  lime,  and  in  others  so  mixed  with  earth  as 
to  be  merely  a  calcarious  clay. 

There  are  many  places  south  of  the  Helderberg 
range  where  the  springs  deposit  calcarious  matter 
in  the  form  of  tufa.  These  masses  are  constantly 
increasing  as  the  water  flows  over  them,  and  casts 
off"  leaves  and  parts  of  trees  around  them.  Cal- 
carious tufa  is  found  all  along  the  base  of  the 
Helderberg  range  wherever  a  spring  flows  out. 
Below  the  gypseous  rocks  it  is  seen  in  large  masses. 
These  rocks  being  permeable  to  water,  this  fluid 
becomes  charged  with  lime,  and  when  it  appears  on 
the  surface  the  tufa  is  deposited.  The  deposits 
are  numerous  in  the  towns  of  Manlius,  De  Witt 
and  Camillus.  "  Along  Nine  Mile  Creek  it  has 
the  crystalline  character  of  alabaster,  showing  suc- 
cessive layers  also,  and  in  quantity  suitable  for  the 
smaller  purposes  for  which  that  beautiful  substance 
is  used  when  polished."!  Ferruginous  tufa,  stained 
with  hydrate  of  iron,  is  found  two  and  a  half  miles 
northeast  of  Syracuse  in  quite  an  extensive  deposit, 
on  land  formerly  owned  by  Mr.  Wheeler.  There 
is  another  and  similar  one  on  Nine  Mile  Creek 
below  the  village  of  Marcellus.  These  deposits  of 
ferruginous  tufa,  and  a  small  one  of  bog  ore,  on 
the  Oneida  River,  are  due  to  the  decomposition  of 
rocks  containing  iron,  or  are  derived  from  the  soil 
by  the  agency  of  decomposing  vegetable  matter. 
In  the  town  of  Fabius,  on  Limestone  Creek,  there 
is .  a  large  quantity  of  tufa,  showing  the  three 
varieties, — the  earthy,  solid  or  horsebone,  as  it  is 
called,  and  the  ferruginous. 

Peat,  or  Muck,  is  found  in  great  abundance  in 
the  swamps  and  low  grounds.  The  conditions  nec- 
essary for  its  production,  are  permanent  moisture, 
with  a  subsoil  of  either  clay  or  marl,  impermeable 
to  water.  It  is  formed  of  successive  growths  of 
vegetation  which  have  died  and  become  brown  or 
black.     It  is  spongy  and  retentive  of  water,  and  by 

*  Vanuxum.  t  ^'''<'- 


64 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


successive  growths  has  raised  its  bed,  so  that  it 
appcats  in  mounds  and  hillocks.  In  some  localities 
this  is  aided  greatly  by  deposits  of  tufa  constantly 
forming  beneath  it.  Usually  the  surface  is  soft, 
yielding  to  pressure  and  trembling  when  walked 
upon.  In  the  town  of  Clay,  in  this  county,  are 
extensive  beds  of  peat,  which,  judging  from  experi- 
ments recently  made  by  Mr.  James  M.  Hart,  promise 
to  be  of  great  importance  as  fuel.  An  analysis 
of  a  si)ccimcn  of  compressed  peat,  from  the  works 
of  Mr.  Hart,  made  by  Francis  E.  Engclhardt,  I'h.  D., 
Chemist  for  the  Salt  Company.  Syracuse,  in  March, 
1877,  gave  the  following  result : 

Moisture  cxjx:llcd  at  212  Fah't  — 12.17 

Volatile  matter - -- 52.84 

Fi.xed  carbon — 2462 

Ash. 10.37 


100.00 
The  sjiecific  gravity  was  found  to  be,  after  the  es- 
cape of  the  moist  air,  above  1,300. 

Of  the  peat  c/iarcoal,  also  made  at  the  works  of 
Mr.  Hart,  Ur.  Engelhardt  gives  the  following 
analysis : 

F'i.xed  carbon .-  67.20 

Moisture,  volatile  matter  and  ash 32.80 

100.00 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Agkiculturk  —  Classiiication  of  Soils  —  Cli- 
mate—Timber — Clearing  Land— Picture  of 
Pioneer  Life— Productions  of  the  County. 

THE  soils  are  the  basis  of  agriculture,  and 
therefore  require  first  to  be  considered  in  any 
treatise  on  that  subject.  North  of  the  Erie  Canal, 
in  Onondaga  county,  the  sandy  and  clay  soils  prevail. 
The  sand  predominates  in  some  districts,  in  others 
the  clay,  while  in  larger  areas  they  arc  mi.xcd  in  the 
proportions  best  calculated  to  keep  the  soil  from 
being  too  heavy  and  tenacious,  on  the  one  hand,  or 
too  loose  and  friable,  on  the  other.  This  desirable 
combination  is  known  as  loam,  and  is  the  character 
of  a  large  portion  of  the  drift  soil  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  county. 

In  a  belt  lying  along  the  south  side  of  the  canal 
and  extending  to  the  Marccllus  Shales,  there  is  less 
of  drift  and  the  soil  is  more  directly  due  to  the  de- 
comiwsition  of  the  underlying  rocks  of  the  salt 
group  and  the  I  Icldcrbcrg  range.  These  soils  come 
under  the  head  of  clayey  loams.  The  rest  of  the 
county  to  the  south  is  divided  by  valleys  and  ranges 
of  hills,  whose  general  course  is  north  and  south. 
The  valleys  are  covered  with  drift  and  alluvium, 


while  the  hills  have  soils  formed  principally  from 
the  decomposition  of  the  shales  that  underlie  them, 
constituting  a  soil  that  would  best  be  classed  as 
loam. 

The  drift  of  the  northern  part  of  this  county  is 
derived  from  the  rocks  which  outcrop  here  and 
from  those  which  are  seen  farther  to  the  north. 
The  Medina  sandstone  contributes  largely  to  the 
soil,  in  which  we  find  also  considerable  portions  of 
granitic  rocks.  The  decomposing  feldspar  and  mica 
of  the  granite  give  alkalies  to  the  soil,  which  arc  so 
combined  with  silica  that  they  are  comparatively 
unafl'ected  by  the  water,  and  are  retained  in  the  soil 
for  the  use  of  plants  The  lime  of  the  Helderberg 
range  constitutes  the  principal  part  of  the  drift  of 
the  southern  valleys,  and  therefore  wheat  is  pro- 
duced in  them  with  profit.  The  late  David  Thomas, 
in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Emmons,  says  : 

"  Generally  it  is  good  wheat  land  as  far  south  as 
the  detritus  from  our  limestone  formations  has  been 
abundantly  spread.  The  current  thai  swept  over  this 
country  took  a  southerly  direction,  and  wherever  the 
slate  rocks  were  exposed  to  its  action,  a  portion  of 
them  became  mixed  with  the  soil ;  thus,  near  such 
localities,  the  soil  is  less  calcarious  and  less  favorable 
to  wheat.  The  drift  from  our  rocks  grows  less  and 
less  as  we  go  south,  and  as  it  grows  scarcer,  the 
fragments  have  become  more  worn  and  rounded  in 
their  progress,  giving  a  less  and  less  proportion  of 
the  diluvial  formation.  About  twenty  miles  south 
of  the  Pennsylvania  line  every  trace  of  our  rocks 
disappears.  The  people  residing  on  the  Susque- 
hanna used  to  supply  themselves  with  lime  by  gath- 
ering and  burning  small  fragments  of  rounded 
stones  from  the  shores,  much  of  them  not  larger 
than  gravel,  and  which  doubtless  were  swept  from 
this  district." 

Of  the  formation  of  soils  Dr.  Emmons  says  : 

"  The  composition,  liability  to  solution,  the  struct- 
ure and  position  of  rocks,  have  an  important  bearing 
on  the  discussion  of  the  formation  of  soils.  Each 
of  the  groups  respectively  impart  to  the  overlying 
soils  some  of  their  distinguishing  characteristics, 
and  in  a  good  measure  make  them  what  they  are. 
Transporting  agencies  modify  them  by  interming- 
ling soils  that  have  originated  from  rocks  that  are 
to  be  found  at  a  distance.  Unless  the  beds  of  drift 
are  deep,  it  will  be  found  that  the  underlying  rocks 
give  a  stronger  character  to  the  soft  materials  than 
is  usually  supposed.  Limestones  are  liable  to  a  con- 
stant loss  of  materials  by  the  solvent  properties  of 
rain  water,  which  holds  carbonic  acid  in  solution. 
This  is  favored  by  rough  and  uneven  surfaces  on 
which  water  will  stand.  Polished  surfaces  are  acted 
on  but  little.  The  shales  and  slates  disintegrate 
rapidly-  water  and  frost  arc  the  agents." 

Of  the  wearing  down  of  silkious  limestone,  or 
calcarious  sandstones,  he  says  : 

"The  lime  dissolves  out,  leaving  the  sand  on  the 
surface,  which  falls  ofiand  leaves  a  new  surface,  from 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


65 


which  the  lime  is  dissolved  and  the  sand  falls.  The 
dissolved  lime,  however,  does  not  all  pass  into  and  re- 
main in  the  soil,  but  is  carried  down  and  forms,  very 
frequently,  with  other  materials,  a  hard  pan,  or  pud- 
dling stone,  or  concretions,  the  lime  acting  as  a 
cement.  In  other  instances  it  percolates  into  and 
through  the  rocks  and  forms  stalactites,  veins  or 
other  deposits.  Lime  is  removed  from  the  soil  in 
the  same  manner  that  it  is  from  the  rocks  Thus 
this  element  is  removed  by  vegetation  and  the 
ordinary  action  of  rain  water." 

These  extracts,  with  what  else  has  been  said  as 
to  the  formation  of  soils,  it  is  judged  will  be  suffi- 
cient for  a  general  description  of  the  soils  of  Onon- 
daga county.  The  composition  of  the  rocks  from 
which  they  are  formed  being  given  in  the  Geology, 
it  is  thought  that  a  careful  study  of  their  constitu- 
ents, with  some  practical  discrimination  on  the  part 
of  farmers,  with  reference  to  drift  and  alluvial  forma- 
tions, will  enable  them  to  know,  with  sufficient 
certainty,  what  their  lands  are  composed  of,  with- 
out special  analysis. 

The  Climate  of  the  county  is  favorable  to  the 
growth  and  perfection  of  the  fruits,  vegetables  and 
cereals  usually  cultivated,  although  considerable 
difference  of  temperature  is  shown  in  the  same  sea- 
son within  the  limits  of  the  county,  on  account  of 
different  degrees  of  elevation.  The  differences,  for 
example,  between  the  average  temperature  of  Pom- 
pey  Hill  and  that  of  Onondaga  Valley,  has  been 
shown  by  observations  taken  at  the  academies  of 
the  respective  places,  during  a  period  of  sixteen 
years,  to  be  4.34  deg.  Fah't.  The  difference  in  alti- 
tude between  the  two  places  being  1,343  feet,  the 
effect  of  elevation  on  temperature  would  be  equal 
to  one  degree  of  the  thermometer  to  each  309J 
feet,  which  agrees  substantially  with  what  has  been 
claimed  by  Coffin  and  others. 

The  effect  of  this  elevation  was  practically  illus- 
trated on  the  15th  day  of  September,  1859,  the 
coldest  day  for  the  season  ever  known  here.  Every- 
thing throughout  the  high  portions  of  the  county 
was  destroyed  by  frost,  while  it  was  observed  by 
those  descending  into  the  valleys  that  tobacco  and 
corn  were  comparatively  uninjured.  The  frost  is 
not  always  as  severe  on  Pompey  Hill  as  the  tem- 
perature would  indicate,  on  account  of  the  free  cir- 
culation of  air,  which  sometimes  prevents  damage 
to  crops  when  those  in  the  valleys  are  touched  and 
injured.  The  year  referred  to  above  was  an  excep- 
tional year,  and  yet  little  damage  was  done  to  crops 
except  in  the  highest  portions  of  the  county. 

"  In  the  town  of  DeWitt,"  says  Mr.  Geddes,  "  it  was 
found  that  the  leaves  of  unharvested  tobacco  showed 
slight  injury,  which  grew  less  and  less  as  the  eleva- 
tion diminished.     Below  the  Helderberg  range  the 


effect  of  the  frost  was  trifling.  The  outer  ends  of 
the  corn  leaves  were  touched  as  by  a  breath  of  fire, 
but  the  husks  of  the  ears  were  safe,  and  the  crop 
went  on  to  maturity.  On  the  great  level  north  of 
the  Erie  Canal,  except  in  a  few  localities,  the  crops 
were  scarcely  affected,  and  the  ameliorating  influ- 
ence of  Oneida  Lake,  combined  with  diminished 
elevation,  was  a  perfect  protection  to  vegetation  on 
its  borders.  Every  other  large  body  of  water  did 
good  service  to  the  farmers  that  morning.  In  the 
vicinity  of  Skaneateles  Lake,  lima  beans  were  the 
only  vegetables  touched.  A  month  elapsed  before 
we  had  another  such  a  cold  night. 

"  The  length  of  the  summer  season  in  the  State 
generally,  reckoning  from  the  first  blooming  of  the 
apple  trees  to  the  first  killing  frost,  is  174  days. 
In  Onondaga  it  is  17410  180,  thus  giving  us  three 
more  summer  days  than  the  average  of  the  State, 
while  Long  Island  has  twelve  and  a  half  more,  and 
St.  Lawrence  twenty-two  days  less  than  the  average 
of  the  State." 

Unlike  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  broad  and 
already  cleared  prairies  of  the  great  West,  the  first 
farmers  of  Onondaga  county  encountered  a  forest  of 
giant  growth,  from  whose  dominion  a  portion  of 
the  soil  had  to  be  redeemed  by  hard  and  persistent 
labor,  with  many  accompanying  privations,  as  pre- 
liminary and  necessary  steps  to  making  it  yield  them 
and  their  families  a  subsistence.  At  least  one  gene- 
ration was  worn  out  in  this  sturdy  battle  with  the 
giant  forest,  in  felling  the  trees,  burning  them  as 
cumberers  of  the  ground,  splitting  them  into  rails, 
and  in  making  clearings  and  improvements  suffi- 
cient for  comfortable  homes  for  the  next  generation. 
The  men  who  encountered  the  forest  were  the 
heroes  of  that  age — the  pioneers  of  civilization, 
the  founders  of  new  States.  It  required  a  hardihood 
and  a  perseverance  which  we  of  this  generation 
can  hardly  appreciate.  In  some  portions  of  this 
county  the  timber  never  would  have  been  cleared 
away — never  could  have  been — but  for  the  fish  in 
the  waters  and  the  game  with  which  the  woods 
abounded.  These  aided  the  pioneers  and  afforded 
them  subsistence  till  they  could  raise  a  living  from 
the  soil. 

Let  us  follow  the  pioneer  as  he  selects  his  home 
in  the  wilderness  and  erects  his  rude  log  cabin. 
The  opening  made  in  the  woods  at  first  is  such  only 
as  is  necessary  to  supply  the  logs  for  his  cabin  and  the 
browse  for  his  cattle.  He  has  come  a  long  journey 
with  an  ox  team,  and  brought  with  him  a  cow,  a 
couple  of  pigs  and  a  few  sheep.  These,  with  a 
bed,  two  or  three  chairs,  a  pot  and  a  kettle,  and  a 
few  other  indispensable  articles  for  house-keeping, 
few  and  scanty,  constitute  his  outfit  and  the  bulk 
of  his  worldly  wealth.  The  roof  of  his  house  is  of 
peeled  elm  bark  ;  his  scanty  window  is  oiled  paper, 


66 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


for  glass  is  a  luxurj-  which  has  not  yet  found  its  way  ' 
to  the  new  settlement.  The  floor  of  his  cabin  is  of 
halves  of  split  logs,  the  door  is  made  of  three  hewed 
plank  ;  no  boards  are  to  be  had,  for  no  saw  mill 
is  within  accessible  distance.  There  arc  yet  no 
roads,  no  bridges  across  the  streams.  Miles  and 
miles  away  through  the  dense  forest  is  his  nearest 
neighbor.  This  is  the  spot  which  the  pioneer  has 
chosen  in  which  to  car\-e  out  his  future  fortune. 
Against  what  fearful  odds  is  he  battling  .'  The 
trees  which  cover  his  estate  with  the  growth  of 
centuries  arc  to  be  attacked  and  cleared  away,  and 
the  land  is  to  be  paid  for.  The  task  surely  is  a 
herculean  one,  but  he  has  a  stout  heart  and  a  strong 
arm. 

A  year  or  two  pass  away  and  we  see  the  im- 
provements which  have  been  made.  Our  pioneer 
has  chopped  down  and  cleared  a  few  acres.  The 
front  is  fenced  with  a  new  rail  fence,  and  a  brush 
fence  protects  the  ends  and  the  rear.  Near  the 
house  is  a  small  patch  cleared  for  a  garden.  Here 
he  has  raised  some  vegetables  during  the  season, 
which  have  supplied  the  first  delicacies  to  his  cabin 
tabic.  A  crop  of  corn,  pumpkins  and  potatoes  has 
been  raised  among  the  charred  and  blackened  logs, 
but  the  distance  is  so  great  to  a  mill,  the  quantity  of 
corn  so  small  that  he  can  carry  on  horseback,  or  the 
the  time  consumed  in  going  with  his  oxen  and  sled 
so  great,  that  he  has  extemporized  a  contrivance  for 
converting  his  corn  into  coarse  meal.  A  mortar 
has  been  dug  out  in  a  hard  wood  log,  and  a  pestle 
suspended  to  a  spring-pole,  and  in  this  the  corn  is 
being  pounded  to  supply  the  needs  of  the  family, 
except  on  extraordinary  occasions  when  wheaten 
bread,  from  the  small  amount  of  flour  procured  at 
great  cost,  is  used  as  a  luxury. 

But  look  again  at  our  pioneer.  Ten  years  are 
supposed  to  have  passed  away.  The  premises,  late 
so  rude,  begin  to  have  the  appearance  of  careful 
management,-  thrift,  and  even  comfort.  Various 
crops  arc  growing  on  many  acres  of  cleared  land. 
A  payment  has  been  made  on  the  property.  lie 
has  a  neat  framed  barn  built,  a  well,  provided  with 
curb  and  sweep,  and  a  garden  enclosed  by  a  picket 
fence.  A  look  into  his  fields  shows  a  large  increase 
in  his  stock.  The  improvements  of  his  neighbors 
have  reached  his,  so  that  he  can  now  look  out  with- 
out looking  up.  A  school  district  has  been  organ- 
ized, and  a  comfortable  log  school  house  appears  in 
the  distance.  A  framed  bridge  spans  the  stream 
in  place  of  the  primitive  one  built  of  logs.  Our 
pioneer,  we  may  venture  to  assume,  is  either  Colonel 
or  Captain  of  militia.  Supervisor  of  the  town  or 
Justice  of  the  Peace. 


Take  another  view  of  him.  Forty-five  years  are 
supposed  to  have  elapsed  since  we  saw  him  first 
commencing  his  wilderness  home.  Not  only  is  his 
home,  but  the  homes  of  his  neighbors  around  him, 
are  in  a  well  cultivated  and  rich  section  of  farming 
country.  His  lands  and  tenements  are  free  from 
debt.  He  has  added  to  his  primitive  possessions, 
and  secured  lands  for  his  sons,  if  not  at  home,  in 
some  one  of  the  Western  States,  where  they  are 
also  to  become  pioneers  of  new  settlements.  He 
has  flocks  and  herds.  The  surplus  produce  in  his 
granaries  he  is  able  to  sell  or  keep,  as  he  chooses. 
He  is  a  forehanded,  independent  farmer,  having 
founded  and  worked  out  his  own  fortune  by  long 
years  of  patient  and  persevering  industry.  As 
things  have  changed  on  his  premises  and  in  his 
home,  so  have  they  improved  in  the  whole  neighbor- 
hood around  him.  There  are  fine  cultivated  fields, 
thrifty  orchards,  tasty  and  substantial  farm  build- 
ings and  neat  cottages.  The  farms  are  well  fenced 
and  neatly  kept.  The  steel  plow,  the  cultivator, 
the  mower  and  reaper,  have  taken  the  place  of  the 
old  implements  with  which  the  pioneers  began  farm 
life.  A  prosperous  hamlet  has  sprung  up  near  by, 
where  there  are  schools,  churches,  telegraph,  express 
and  post  offices.  This  hamlet,  moreover,  is  a  rail- 
road station,  affording  a  market,  and  through  which 
trains  pass  daily  to  and  from  the  great  cities  and 
centres  of  commerce  and  intelligence. 

Such  has  been  pioneer  life  and  progress  in  the 
State  of  New  York  generally,  nor  is  the  sketch  we 
have  drawn  less  truly  a  picture  of  early  settlement 
in  Onondaga  county. 

The  forests  which  the  farmers  in  a  few  genera- 
tions have  thus  subdued,  were  originally  dense,  and 
the  timber  generally  heavy.  Large  forests  of  white 
pine  grew  in  the  north  part  of  the  county,  the 
stumps  of  which,  on  account  of  their  resinous 
properties,  last  for  ages  in  the  soil.  This  disadvan- 
tage, however,  to  clearing  the  land,  is  compensated 
for  in  iinother  direction.  The  soil  of  the  pine 
lands  is  usually  so  light  and  porous  on  the  surface 
that  the  stumps  may  be  lifted  out  of  their  beds  in 
a  perfectly  sound  condition  by  means  of  a  stumping 
machine.  This  valuable  invention  enabled  the  peo- 
ple of  Cicero  and  the  northern  portion  of  the  coun- 
ty to  clear  their  otherwise  valuable  and  beautiful 
farms  of  the  persistent  incumbrance  of  pine  stumps 
which  for  years  had  rendered  them  unsightly  and 
seriously  interfered  with  their  cultivation.  For 
many  years  the  road  between  Syracuse  and  Brewer- 
ton  was  lined  on  both  sides  with  these  stumps  set 
up  on  edge  for  fences.  Since  they  have  been  dis- 
posed of,  the  people  of  that  section  have  as  fine  and 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


67 


beautiful  farms  as  are  to  be  found  in  any  portion  of 
the  county. 

The  area  of  the  pines  in  Onondaga  county  was 
chiefly  in  the  northern  portion,  although  they  were 
found  along  the  base  of  the  Helderberg  range,  and 
a  few  scattering  trees  grew  even  above  the  cornifer- 
ous  limestone.  White  cedar  abounded  in  the 
swamps  north  of  the  Helderberg  range,  and  in 
small  quantities  among  the  pines  in  the  southern 
swamps.  Hemlock  was  very  plenty  in  almost  every 
part  of  the  county,  but  most  abundant  in  the  north- 
ern half  This  valuable  timber  has  been  extensive- 
ly used  for  building,  fencing,  for  making  salt  barrels 
and  the  construction  of  plank  roads.  Tamarack, 
two  varieties  of  spruce,  hickory,  white-wood,  bass- 
wood,  maple,  beech,  and  white  and  black  oak,  have 
been  prevailing  timber  in  this  county. 

Along  the  south  side  of  the  Gypseous  shales 
were  some  pine  trees  of  uncommon  dimensions. 
Near  the  northeast  corner  of  the  town  of  Camillus, 
one  was  cut  down  that  measured  230  feet  as  it  lay 
on  the  ground  ;  another  near  it  gave  154  feet  of 
saw  logs.  They  grew  on  land  owned  by  Wheeler 
Truesdell. 

Some  very  large  white  oaks  were  found  in  the 
low  lands  north  of  the  canal,  and  scattered  among 
the  scrub  oaks  of  the  Gypseous  shales.  One  of 
them  at  Fairmount  was  saved  when  the  other 
timber  was  cut  away,  but  deprived  of  its  surround- 
ings, it  soon  died,  and  of  consequence  was  cut  down. 
The  stump  was  five  feet  in  diameter,  and  forty  feet 
above,  where  the  trunk  was  somewhat  eliptical,  the 
respective  diameters  measured  four  feet  six  inches, 
and  three  feet  ten  inches. 

The  progress  of  improvement  has  swept  away 
nearly  all  the  original  forests,  so  that  not  enough 
now  remains  to  meet  the  demands  for  fuel.  The 
coal  mines  of  Pennsylvania  are  now  largely  drawn 
upon,  not  only  by  the  manufacturers  of  salt,  and 
inhabitants  of  the  city  of  Syracuse  and  adjoining 
villages,  but  also  by  the  farmers. 

From  the  first  settlement  of  the  county  the  "  oak 
lands,"  as  they  have  been  called  by  the  farmers, 
have  been  proverbial  for  their  ability  to  produce 
wheat.  All  that  tract  of  land  once  covered  with 
oak  and  hickory,  is  the  true  wheat  land ;  the  beech 
and  maple  lands  are  best  adapted  to  pasturage,  and 
the  pine  lands  are  generally  well  suited  both  to  grain 
and  grass. 

We  have  not  space  to  introduce  here  the  interest- 
ing discussion  of  the  clover  plant  as  related  to  the 
agriculture  of  the  county,  the  analyses  of  clover 
and  clover  ash  furnished  by  Prof.  Emmons  and 
others  ;  but  refer  the  reader  to  Transactions  of  the 


New  York  State  Agricultural  Society  for  1859,  in 
which  the  subject  is  elaborately  treated  by  Hon. 
George  Geddes. 

Wheat.— Previous  to  the  year  1846,  Onondaga 
county  produced  wheat  of  the  best  quality,  and  in 
such  quantities  that  it  was  the  great  staple  and  the 
crop  from  which  the  farmers  expected  to  realize 
their  profits.  In  that  year  the  midge  destroyed  the 
crop,  and  opened  the  eyes  of  the  farmers  to  a  dan- 
ger they  had  not  anticipated.  The  first  remedy 
was  the  substitution  of  a  variety  of  wheat  then  lit- 
tle esteemed,  the  Mediterranean,  which,  on  trial,  es- 
caped the  ravages  of  the  insect.  At  once  this 
wheat  was  in  demand  for  seed,  and  has  since  come 
into  general  use.  It  has  gradually  improved  on  the 
natural  wheat  soil  of  the  county,  till  the  flour  made 
from  it  is  perhaps  equal  in  quality  to  that  of  the  red 
chaff"  wheat  formerly  raised.  Since  the  ravages  of 
the  midge  began,  more  spring  wheat  has  been  raised 
than  formerly.  A  portion  of  the  lands  of  the  coun- 
ty, the  upper  measures  of  the  Hamilton  group  and 
the  Genesee  slates,  represented  in  the  town  of 
Spaffbrd,  are  best  adapted  to  spring  wheat,  while 
Camillus  and  the  lands  situated  on  the  shales  of 
the  Salt  group,  are  best  adapted  to  the  production 
of  winter  wheat. 

Meadows  and  Pastures.— Over  thirty  per  cent, 
of  the  improved  lands  of  this  county  are  devoted  to 
pasture,  and  over  eighteen  per  cent,  to  meadow. 
Red  clover,  timothy,  and  red-top  are  sown  and  cul- 
tivated for  pasture  and  hay.  It  is  very  rare  that 
any  other  grass  seeds  are  sown,  but  in  most  of  the 
meadows  and  pastures  which  have  stood  a  few 
years,  white  clover,  spear  grass,  Kentucky  blue 
grass,  orchard  grass,  &c.,  make  their  appearance. 
In  ordinary  seasons,  good  farming  will  secure  not 
less  than  two  tons  of  hay  to  the  acre,  and  this  can 
be  cut  and  properly  taken  care  of  for  about  $2.00 
per  ton. 

Tobacco. — The  cultivation  of  tobacco  as  a  crop 
was  commenced  in  this  county  by  Chester  Moses 
and  Nahum  Grimes,  both  of  the  town  of  Marcellus, 
in  1845.  They  joined  in  hiring  a  man  from  Con- 
necticut who  was  skilled  in  the  culture.  In  1846, 
Col.  Mars  Nearing,  then  of  the  town  of  Salina, 
raised  ten  acres,  and  soon  others  were  engaged  in  a 
small  way  in  raising  this  crop.  The  census  of 
1855  shows  that  in  the  preceeding  year  471  1-8 
acres  were  raised  in  the  county,  yielding  554,987 
pounds,  or  an  average  yield  of  1,178  pounds  to  the 
acre.  It  is  thought  that  this  crop  pays  a  better 
profit,  on  suitable  ground,  and  when  skillfully 
handled,  than  any  other  raised  here.  The  produc- 
tion in  1859  was  estimated  by  Mr.  Benjamin  Clark 


68 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


of  Marcellus,  as  amounting  in  value  to  $150,000,  of 
which  $25,000  worth  was  produced  in  Marcellus, 
$10,000  worth  in  Skancateles,  $20,000  worth  in 
Van  Buren,  $10,000  worth  in  Lysander,  $8,000 
worth  in  Manlius,  $5,000  worth  in  Camillus,  $4,000 
worth  in  Geddes,  $8,000  worth  in  Salina.  §6,000 
worth  in  Elbridgc,  $8,000  worth  in  Onond»ga.  and 
the  remainder  divided  among  the  other  towns. 

In  1870.  the  census  gave  1,255.400  pounds  of 
tobacco  raised  in  the  county,  distributed  among  the 
towns  as  follows  :  Camillus.  51.770  :  Cicero,  7,638  ; 
Clay,  123.039;  DeWitt.  38,016;  Elbridge,  2,808; 
Geddes,  3,900  ;  LaP'ayettc,  475  ;  Lysander,  465.585  ; 
Manlius,  1 22.1 51  ;  Marcellus.  45.293  ;  Onondaga, 
10,500;  Pomi)ey,  37,295;  Salina,  31.550;  Skanc- 
ateles, 33.150;  Van  Hurcn,  266,640. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Comparative  Statistics — Influential  Aoki- 
cuLTUKisTs  —  County  Agricultural  Socie- 
ties—Thk  Present  Joint  Stock  Company — 
General  Agricultural  Statistics  of  the 
County. 

ONONDAGA  is  one  of  the  five  counties  of 
the  State  having  farms  of  the  highest  cash 
valuation,  the  aggregate  value  of  her  farms  being 
$37,251,541.  This  is  exceeded  only  by  Monroe, 
Oneida,  Westchester,  and  St.  Lawrence  counties, 
whose  farms  are  valued  respectively  at  §42,047,759, 
$40.21 1.650.  $39o05.S35.  and  $38.3W.743- 

The  county  of  Onondaga  has  the  largest' amount 
of  money  invested  in  farm  buildings  other  than 
dwellings,  the  aggregate  being  $4,798,545.  The 
counties  which  come  nearest  this  amount  arc  re- 
spectively, Dutchess,  $4,718,928  ;  Orange,  $4,631,- 
345  ;  Oneida,  $4,571,453  ;  and  St.  Lawrence,  $4,- 
222,099. 

The  gross  sales  of  all  the  farm  products  of  the 
State  in  1875  were  $121,187,467.  Of  this  amount 
Onondaga  county  contributed  $3,667,933.  while  she 
was  the  fourth  in  the  number  of  acres  plowed, 
namely,  1 19.340  acres.  She  was  the  fourth  county 
also  in  Indian  corn,  her  product  being  894,723 
bushels.  In  the  yield  of  oats  she  was  only  exceeded 
by  four  counties  in  the  State. 

The  counties  cutting  the  largest  number  of 
fleeces  of  wool  in  1875  were  Steuben.  80,617  ;  Liv- 
ingston, 68,832;  Washington,  63,359;  Ontario, 
60,219;  Genesee,  47.779;  and  Onondaga,  41,956. 
All  these  counties  cut  fewer  fleeces  than  in  1855, 
although  the  weight  of  the  fleeces  in  each  county 
is  increased. 

This  county  had  among  its  early  citizens  some  of 


the  leading  agriculturists  of  the  State,  both  theo- 
retical and  practical.  None  took  an  earlier  or 
more  prominent  part  than  the  President  of  the  first 
Agricultural  Society  of  the  county — Hon.  Dan 
Bradley,  of  Marcellus.  He  was  a  graduate  from 
Vale  in  the  class  of  1798,  and  received  the  degree 
of  M.  A.  at  the  age  of  twenty-three.  He  was  a 
native  of  Haddam,  Conn ,  where  he  was  born  June 
10,  1767.  The  date  of  his  settlement  in  Marcellus 
was  September,  1795,  after  having  spent  several 
years  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  in  New  Hartford, 
Oneida  county.  Mr.  Bradley  devoted  himself  to 
a  scientific  study  of  farming  theoretically,  as  well 
as  following  it  practically  as  a  pursuit,  and  it  is 
claimed  that  the  improvement  of  agriculture  in  the 
county,  and  in  this  whole  section  of  the  State,  is 
due  more  to  his  influence  than  to  that  of  any  other 
man.  Indeed,  this  may  be  sakl  of  the  State  at 
large,  inasmuch  as  he  was  chiefly  instrumental  in 
securing  the  passage  of  the  law  for  the  benefit  of 
agricultural  societies  in  1819.  He  contributed  some 
of  the  ablest  papers  and  articles  of  his  day  to  the 
State  Agricultural  Reports  and  the  leading  agricul- 
tural journals.* 

Mr.  John  Ellis,  father  of  James  M.  Ellis,  Esq., 
of  Syracuse,  was  the  first  to  introduce  merino 
sheep  into  the  county.  In  1796  he  settled  on  Lot 
103.  in  the  town  of  Onondaga.  About  1802  or  1803, 
he  purchased  of  Col.  Humphrey,  of  Connecticut,  two 
bucks  and  two  ewes,  of  the  pure  merino  stock 
which  Col.  Humphrey  had  imported  from  Spain, 
paying  $1,500  for  the  four  head.  Mr.  Ellis  bred 
these  sheep  extensively  on  his  farm  and  laid  the 
foundation  of  wide  improvement  in  the  stock  of 
fine  wooled  sheep  throughout  the  country.  After 
his  death,  Mr.  James  M.  Ellis  continued  to  breed 
fine  flocks  of  these  sheep  on  the  farm  formerly 
owned  by  his  father,  till  1854. 

Mr.  Davis  Cossitt,  of  Onondaga  Hill,  has  also 
been  an  extensive  breeder  of  merino  sheep,  and 
has  at  present  a  very  fine  flock. 

Timothy  Sweet  was  one  of  the  earliest  and  best 
known  farmers  of  the  county.  He  emigrated  to 
Pompey  in  1794,  reaching  what  is  now  the  "  Old 
Homestead  "  on  the  28th  of  January,  where  within 
eight  days  Kneeland  Sweet  was  born.  Within 
three  months  after  his  arrival  Mr.  Timothy  Sweet 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  fence  viewer,  and  at  the 
next  town  meeting  to  the  office  of  Commissioner 
of  Highways.  In  this  capacity  he  labored  for  many 
years,  and  assisted  in  laying  out  most  of  the  roads 
in  the  original  town.  He  soon  became  a  promi- 
nent, if  not  the  leading,  farmer  in  the  town,  and 

*  See  Hiitsrjr  of  Mucellui. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


69 


one  of  the  first  in  the  county.  In  1803,  he  pur- 
chased of  Dr.  Mordecai  Hale,  of  New  York  City, 
two  cows  of  Mr.  Livingston's  importation.  These 
were  of  the  best  short-horned  stock  of  that  day. 
From  1800  to  1817  he  was  the  most  prominent  ' 
farmer  in  the  county,  tilling  more  land  and  produc- 
ing the  most  grain,  cattle,  horses  and  sheep.  About  : 
this  time  he  divided  his  property  among  his  children 
and  retired  from  active  life.*  ] 

Hon.  George  Geddes,   of  Fairmount,  has    been     | 
among  the  leading  agriculturists  of  this  section  of 
the  State.     He  has  devoted  much  attention  to  the 
subject  both  practically  and  scientifically,  having     j 
contributed  articles  on  various  branches  of  agricul-    \ 
ture  to  the  Country  Gentleman,  the  New  York  Tri- 
biine,  and  other  journals.     His  able  report,  includ- 
ing  the  result  of  his  survey  of  the  county,  pub- 
lished in  the  Transactions  of  the  State  Agricultural 
Society  for  1859,  contains  a  more  complete  view  of 
the    topography,   geology    and    resources    of    the 
county,  together  with  the  methods  and  history  of 
its  agriculture,  than  can  be  found  elsewhere.     Mr. 
Geddes  as  a  member  of  the  State  and  local  Agri- 
cultural  Societies,  has  ever  been  an  earnest  and 
efficient  worker  in  behalf  of  all  measures  calculated     j 
to  promote  the  agricultural  interests  of  his  county 
and  State. 

Enoch  Marks,  of  the  town  of  Camillus,  was  for 
many  years  prominently  connected  with  agricultural 
matters,  and  had  much  to  do  with  the  introduction  of 
improved  stock.  In  the  fruit  and  nursery  business, 
the  name  of  Alanson  Thorp  is  as  prominent  as  any  ; 
in  the  county.  He  founded  the  nurseries  on  West  ' 
Genesee  street,  known  as  the  Syracuse  Nurseries. 

The  rich  soil  of  Onondaga  and  the  enterprise  of 
her  citizens  stimulated  movements  for  the  benefit 
of  agriculture  at  an  early  period.  The  first  Agri- 
cultural Society  of  the  county  was  formed  at  Onon- 
daga Hill  in  the  spring  of  18 19.  During  the  ses-  ' 
sion  of  the  Legislature  of  the  preceding  winter  an 
act  had  been  passed  by  which  a  large  fund  was  ap- 
propriated for  the  benefit  of  agricultural  societies 
throughout  the  State.  Onondaga  county  became 
entitled  to  1^300  of  this  fund  on  condition  that  she 
should  raise  an  equal  amount  and  form  an  agricul- 
tural society.  The  first  meeting  was  held  on  the  4th 
of  May,  1819,  at  which  a  constitution  was'adopted 
and  the  following  officers  chosen,  viz  :  Dan  Bradley, 
President  ;^Squire  Munro,  Martin  Cossitt,  Augustus 
Wheaton,  Vice-Presidents  ;  Job  Tyler,  Recording- 
Secretary  ;  George  Hall  and  A.  Yelverton,  Corres- 
ponding Secretaries  ;  Leonard  Bacon,  Treasurer  ; 
H.  L.  Granger,  Auditor  ;    L.    H.  Redfield,  D.  W. 

*  Re-union  and  History  of  Pompey,  p.  353.  1 


Forman,  O.  W.  Brewster,  Committee  on  Publication. 

The  first  Fair  was  held  at  Onondaga  Valley, 
November  2,  1819;  an  address  was  delivered  by 
the  President,  and  premiums  amounting  to  over 
^200  were  awarded.  Fairs  continued  to  be  held 
with  more  or  less  success  for  about  six  years,  when 
the  society  fell  into  decay,  and  was  soon  practically 
abandoned. 

On  the  9th  of  April,  1838,  the  Legislature  passed 
an  act  (Chap.  179)  for  the  reorganization  of  the 
"  Onondaga  County  Agricultural  Society"  The 
Trustees  named  in  the  act  were,  James  L.  Voor- 
hees,  David  Munro,  Harvey  Baldwin,  Sanford  C. 
Parker,  George  Geddes,  Willis  Gaylord,  Henry  F. 
King,  Grove  Lawrence,  Aaron  Burt,  Oliver  Teall, 
George  Pettit  and  Rufus  Cossit. 

Thus  reorganized,  the  society  continued  to  exist, 
but  did  not  meet  the  expectations  of  its  founders. 
In  1 84 1,  it  received  an  appropriation  of  $\%o  from 
the  State. 

In  1 85 3  a  new  law  was  passed,  allowing  county 
agricultural  societies  to  purchase  and  hold  real  es- 
tate to  an  amount  not  exceeding  $25,000,  and  per- 
sonal property  not  exceeding  $1,000,  for  the  pur- 
poses set  forth  in  their  articles  of  incorporation,  and 
for  no  other  purposes.  Town  and  other  societies 
might  hold  real  estate  to  the  amount  of  §10,000,  and 
personal  property  to  the  amount  of  $3,000.  Each 
county  and  union  society  should  have  at  least  one 
director  or  manager  for  each  town  ;  and  each  town, 
village  or  city  society  should  have  not  less  than  ten 
directors,  who  should  be  elected  annually  by  ballot. 
Upon  application  of  two-thirds  of  their  members  to 
the  Supreme  Court  of  their  district,  these  societies 
might  also  obtain  an  order  for  the  sale  of  a  part  or 
the  whole  of  their  property.  An  amendment  to 
the  act  was  passed  April  13,  1855,  by  the  provisions 
of  which  the  number  of  directors  was  changed  to 
si.x,  two  of  whom  were  elected  each  year  for  a  term 
of  three  years.  Any  person  could  become  a  life 
member  by  the  payment  of  a  sum  not  exceeding 
$10,  and  the  officers  were  jointly  and  severally 
liable  for  all  debts  due  from  the  society  contracted 
while  they  were  in  office,  if  suit  should  be  com- 
menced within  one  year  of  the  time  when  due. 
Each  society  formed  under  these  acts  was  obliged 
to  report  annually  to  the  State  Agricultural  So- 
ciety. 

Under  these  acts  the  Onondaga  County  Agricul- 
tural Society  was  reorganized  on  the  25th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1856.  The  following  report  is  taken  from  the 
Daify  Standard  oi  January  28,  1856: 

"  Agricultural  Society. — The  Annual  Meet- 
ing of  the  Onondaga  County  Agricultural  Society 


70 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


was  held  at  the  City  Hall  in  Syracuse,  January  25, 
1856.  The  President,  Mr.  Wotxlruff.  called  the 
meeting  to  order,  and  appointed  Messrs.  Seth 
Hutchinson,  V.  V.  Nottingham  and  B.  J.  Cowles  a 
Committee  to  examine  applications  for  Premiums 
on  farm  crops.  *  *  *  '  " 

The  Committee  on  Reorganization  reported  that 
they  had  prepared  the  necessary  papers,  &c.,and 
the  Society  proceeded  to  the  election  of  the  follow- 
ing officers : 

Prtsiiifnl.  —  Sc[\nrc  M.  Hrown,  Elbridge. 

\sf  I'tce-Ptesitiait. —  Vcrry  H.  Hinsdcll.  Clay. 

2ti  \'icc-Presiiiait. — H.  J.  Cowles,  Otisco. 

Secretary. —  H.  D.  Didama,  Salina. 

Treasurer. — VV.  R.  Strong,  Syracuse. 

DIRECTORS. 

One  Year.  —  Danvin  L.  Pickard,  Thomas  W.  Hill. 
Two  Years.—].  G.  Kendall,  Alfred  Cobb. 
Three  Years. — Morris  Beard,  John  R.  Strong. 
Delegates  to  the  State  Society  at  Albany,  Febru- 
ary 14,  1856 : 


Horace  White, 
J.  M.  Munro, 
E.  Marks, 

C.  A.  Baker, 

J.  C.  Woodruff, 
J.  S.  Davis. 
S.  M.  lirown, 
E.  D.  Cobb, 
Luther  Baker, 

D.  C.  Munro, 
N.  H.  Noyes, 
W.  D.  Stewart, 
I.  Garrison, 

N.  P.  Eaton, 
J.  M.  Strong, 
George  B.  Sceley, 
John  Moschcll, 


Vivus  W.  Smith, 
J.  Dean  llawicy, 
H.  D.  Didama, 
M.  Compton, 
Moses  Summers, 
J.  G.  K.  Truair, 
J.  Toggitt, 
P.  H.  Hinsdell. 
Smith  Ostrom, 
Thomas   Hutchinson. 
J.  G.  Hinsdcll, 
Hamilton  White, 
Charles  W.  Ilovey, 
Caleb  Brown, 
George  Atwell, 
B.  J.  Cowles, 
Joseph  Breed, 
Richard  Adams. 


D.  T.  Mosely, 

The  above  Society,  although  it  purchased  Fair 
Grounds  east  of  the  Onondaga  Creek  adjoining  the 
plot  of  Danforth,and  expended  considerable  money 
in  fixtures  and  premiums,  was  never  a  financial 
success.  The  F"air  Grounds  were  sold  January  19, 
1866,  by  James  Munro,  trustee  and  agent  for  the 
subscribers  to  the  fund,  and  have  since  been  cut  up 
into  lots. 

The  Annual  Fairs  of  the  State  Agricultural  So- 
ciety were  held  at  Syracuse  in  1841,  in  1849  and  in 
1858. 

The  present  County  Agricultural  Society  was 
organized  on  the  9th  of  February,  1878.  It  is  a 
joint  stock  Company,  incorporated  under  the  general 
law  with  the  following  Board  of  Trustees  : 

Joseph  J.  Glass,  W.  H.  H.  Gere.  William  II. 
Gifford,  John  Wells,  Earl  B.  Alvord,  Sidney  Lewis. 

The  capital  stock  of  the  Society  is  Sicx3,cxx),  di- 
vided into  shares  of  5 10  each. 

The  Trustees  of  the  Society  met  Feb.  9,  at  the 


rooms  of  the  Milk  Association.  Present — Joseph 
J.  Glass,  E.  B.  Alvord,  W.  H.  H.  Gere,  Sidney 
Lewis,  and  John  Wells.     Absent — Wm.  H.  Gifford. 

Mr.  Glass  was,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Alvord,  ap- 
pointed chairman,  and  P.  H.  Agan  secretary  fro 
tetn. 

The  following  officers  were  then  chosen,  to-wit : 

President— V.6\\an\  A.  Powell,  of  Syracuse. 

First  I'ice-Prestiieul — Edward  B.  Judson,  of  Syra- 
cuse. 

Secretary —V2^.t\cV.  H.  Agan,  of  Syracuse. 

7><viJ«nr— Warren  C.  Brayton,  of  DeWitt. 

V^ice-Pkesioents  from  Towns  and  Wards — 
Camillus,  Theodore  F.  Rhodes ;  Cicero,  Addison 
J.  Loomis ;  Clay,  Thomas  H.  Scott;  DcWitt, 
Hiram  K.  Edwards;  Elbridge,  James  Brown; 
Geddcs,  Thomas  Andrews ;  Fabius,  Orel  Pope ; 
LaFayettc,  Russell  King  ;  Lysander,  DeWitt  C. 
Toll ;  Manlius,  Charles  Peck  ;  Marcellus,  Robert 
E.  Dorchester:  Onondaga,  Aaron  Henderson; 
Otisco,  Hicks  Redway;  Pompey,  Major  Berry; 
Frank  W.  Terry ;  Skaneatcles,  E.  H, 
;  Spafford,  Justus  N.  Knapp  ;  TuUy,  Samuel 
Van  Buren,  Augustus  W.  Bingham  :  First 
Ward,  John  Eastwood ;  Second  Ward,  C.  Fred 
Herbst ;  Third  Ward,  Hiram  Kingsley ;  Fifth 
Ward,  William  A.  Sweet ;  Sixth  Ward,  John  R. 
Whitlock  ;  Seventh  Ward,  James  M.  Ellis;  Eighth 
Ward,  Alvah  W.  Palmer. 


Salina, 
Adams ; 
Willis 


Table  showing  Number  and  Size  of  Farms  by  Towns, 
in  Onondaga  County,  at  the  Census  of  1875. 


NUMBER  OF  FARMS 


CIVIL  DIVIS- 
IONS. 


i        '5 


1     M 


1 


Camillus 

Cicero 

Clay 

De  Witt 

Elbridge 

Fabius 

Geddes 

La  Fayette .  . . 
Lysander    . . , 

Manlius 

Marcellus. .  . 
Onondaga  . . 

Otisco 

Pompey 

Salina 

Skaneateles  . 
Spafford  ..... 

Syracuse. 

Tully 

Van  Buren. . 

Total.... 


185  .. 

390  . . 

452  12 

261  .. 

246  . . 

228  I 

74  •• 

3««  •• 

473  •• 


9 

25 
26 

4 
8 

»4 

7 

14 

31 


5!  27 

8[  70 


459  «7  57 
306 
651 
234  5  'o 
«4  39 
7 


535 
»79 
34" 
263 
10 
148 
256 


6,001 


34 
18 

19 

3 
6 
5 


81  415 


'o  35 
40  109 

44  "9 

29  '  71 

25  ;  49 
«3  39 

9  I  31 

30  I  72 

33  «>o 
52  119 

34  70 
9*  "43 
23  46 
49  84 
39  43 


42 
20 


66 
36 
•••   5 

10   2! 
20   23 


56 
128 
168 

8S 
81 

59 

25 

104 

«7' 
116 

96 
169 

74 
»74 

33 

97 

102 

3 

41 

92 


\     I 

8  :§, 


74 1 

88.. 
82  I 

72'.. 
83.. 

99  J 

M,  I 

91.. 

136  » 
98.. 

74.. 
169  .. 

76.. 
«75-- 

23  •• 
114  I 

'?:: 

70.. 

86.. 


614  1311  1,873  '698  9 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


71 


Table  showing  by  Towns  the  Area  of  Farm  Lands  ;  the  Value  of  Farms,  of  Farm  Buildings,  of  Live 
Stock  and  of  Implements ;  the  Area  of  Crops,  and  the  Amount  of  Agricultural  Productions  of  Onon- 
daga County. — Census  of  1875.^ 


AREA  OF  LAND  IN  FARMS. 


PRESENT  CASH  VALUE, 


CIVIL  DIVISIONS. 


Improved. 


Acres. 


Camillas 18,033 

Cicero 19,460 

Clay 23,286 

De  Witt i  16,205 

Elbridge I  18,001 

Fabius 20,648 

Geddes  4,521 

La  Fayette i  19,863 

Lysander :  31,584 

Manlius 24,550 

Marcellus 1 7,067 

Onondaga 35,07S 

Otisco j  14,591 

Pompey |  35,278 

Salina '  6,642 

Skaneateles 20,929 

Spafiford 16,298 

City  of  Syracuse...  416 

TuUy 12,586 

Van  Buren ]  18,483 

Total   373-516 


Unimproved. 


Woodland. 


2,337 
5,043 
3,076 
1,626 
1,870 

5,769 
386 

3,299 

3-999 
2,077 

1,993 
4,266 
3,100 

5,136 
282 

2,569 

2,747 

10 

2,581 
2,259 


Other. 


Of  Farm  nt  t-    i        j  Cost  of  Ferti-Amou't  of  Gross 

Of  Farms.  BuUdings  Of  Stock.  Ot  ipols  and  Uzers  bought       Saks  from 

other  than  ,  Implements.  -^  ,3,^8       j,^_^^  .^  ^^^^ 

Dwellings.  1  j 


Acres. 


Dollars. 


Dollars. 


Delia 


Dollars. 


Dollars. 


240 
3,445 
2,563 


1-597 

681 

180 

1,342 

2,487 

2,263 

878 

670 

1,158 

428 

3,608 

801 

270 

334 

SI 


2,0-0,135 
2,079,027 

2,485,143 
2,336,025 

1,920,935 
1,179,280 

864,300 
1,669,475 
2,871,645 
2,895.182 
1.576,942 
4-351-440 

990,834 
2,719,8x9 

944,348 
2,163,935 
1,113.446 

257,500 

891,950 
1,880,180 


251,645 

244,475 
325,000 
240,185 
221,025 
154,640 

112,425 
208,780 

359,440 

389,005 
263,430 

458,054 
141,485 
441,381 
109,630 

327,895 
172,580 

33,320 

122,425 
221,725 


210,879 

245-315 
268.318 
190,232 
185,156 

170,955 

74,270 

192,562 

382,037 

303,409 
186,311 
344,166 

132,323 
361,186 

86,470 
219,310 
171,867 

13.825 

113,885 
205,295 


73,960 

93,079 
106,201 

81, 545 
61,979 
40.955 
24,640 
62,285 
92,840 
89.977 
65,361 

161,413 
46,500 

108,363 
30,805 

97,384 
65,428 

7-530 
29,415 
65,052 


787 
146 
691 
383 
943 
16 

34 

146 

700 

1,348 

665 

9,314 

60 

200 

1,235 
4,780 

854 

153 

144 

874 


Dollars. 


199,312 

179,613 
261,805 
192,1  10 
178,117 
136,010 
60,821 
169,234 
292,198 
238,963 
144,654 
431,076 

105.143 
306,232 
110,230 
214,137 
145,758 
10,945 
93,792 
207,783 


54.425         25,224      37,251,541   4,798,545     4,057.771        1,404,987  23,473        3,677,923 


AREA  PLOWED. 


CIVIL  DIVISIONS.  In  1874.  In  1875. 


GRASS  LANDS. 


BARLEY. 


Acres.  Acres. 


Camillus 6,336 

Cicero 5,659 

Clay 8,665 

De  Witt 5.390 

Elbridge 6,394 

Fabius 3,557 

Geddes   1,498 

La  Fayette 6,295 

Lysander 9,8 11 

Manlius 7,97o 

Marcellus '  6,109 

Onondaga 12,200 

Otisco 4,148 

Pompey 9,994 

Salina :  2,207 

Skaneateles ,  7,735 

Spafford '  5,175 

City  of  Syracuse.  227 

Tally 3,018 

Van  Buren 6  596 

Total 118,984 


6,012 
S,6i8 

8,550 

5. 131 
6,990 
3.760 
1.459 
6,450 
9,221 

7,864 
6,228 

11,643 

4,556 

10,584 

2,389 

7.793 

5.525 

216 

3,135 
6,216 


Ake.\  in  Pasture. 


Area  Mown-. 


In  1874. 


Acres. 

4,939 
6,267 

5.912 

5. 148 

4,424 

10.028 

993 
5,721 
9,693 
6.279 
S.660 

8,46s 

4.271 

11,542 

1,628 
5.560 
6.154 
84 
4,336 
4-591 


In  1875. 


1874. 


■875. 


4,934 
6,268 

5,721 

5,145 
4,365 
9.-933 
965 
5-615 
9,553 
6,370 

5-455 
8,626 
4,226 
11.396 
1,649 
5,516 
5,981 
90 
4,272 
4,457 


Acres. 


Aa'es. 


3,554 
6,519 
8,368 

5,o°9 
3.279 
6.566 
1,029 

S.299 
7,050 
6,822 

3,856 
9,200 
3,416 
10,181 
1,739 
5,207 
4837 
153 
3,213 
3,257 


3.249 
6,719 
8,489 
5,060 

3,242 
6,563 
1,053 
5-046 
6,853 
6,829 

3.723 
9,118 

3,287 
9.777 
1,744 
4,941 
4,845 
135 
3,264 
3,127 


Hay 
produced 

1874. 


Grass 

Seed 


119,340  '  111,69s   110,537    98,55+    97,064 


5.330 
8,996 

11,336 
6,770 
4.422 
7,986 

1,734 

6,567 

10,038 

9,504 
4  945 

12,954 
4,535 

13.187 
2,566 
6,380 
6,403 
193 
4,074 
_  4.361 

132.281 


590 
281 

333 

336 

267 

42 

16 

225 

31° 
770 
74 
843 
321 
120 

67 

272 

383 

154 
323 


1.242 

26 

89 

148 

1.564 

132 

102 

521 
564 
816 
516 

1.034 
307 

1,291 

821 

739 
20 

124 

239 


Produced. 


P7*'"''-      1874.      I      .875.      I        ■S74. 


Bushels.       Acres.        Acres.        Bushels. 


1.538 

27 

I  10 

242 

1.950 
186 
164 
838 
877 

739 
1,055 
1,429 

535 

2,125 

6 

1,299 

1,057 

298 
414 


32,289 

458 

2,036 

2,618 

40,494 

4,050 

3.190 
15,118 

13,317 
18,262 
13,820 
26,609 
7,027 
33,67s 

18,704 

17.742 

500 

3.439 
5.967 


5,727    10,395  14889     261,215 


72 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Table  showing  by  Towns  the  Area  of  Farm  Lands ;  the  Value  of  Farms,  of  Farm  Buildings,  of  Live 
Stock  and  of  Implements ;  the  Area  of  Crops,  and  the  Amount  of  Agricultural  Productions  of  Onon- 
daga County.— Census  of  1875. — (Continued.)  ^ 


.  LAT. 


INDIAN  CORN. 


OATS. 


RYE. 


AUA. 


I 


CIVIL  DIVISIONS. 


ilH 


Aam. 


Prodocnl. 

i»7}.  It74.  |»74. 


AUA. 


Aero.      Bmhtlt.      Acm. 


Camillus 46 

Cicero 319 

Clay 412 

I)e  Witt 179 

Elbridge 107 

Fabius 89 

Geddes 19 

LaFayette 143 

Lysandcr 331 

Manlius 276 

Marccllus 231 

Onondaga 372 

Otisco 178 

Pompey 719 

Salina 41 

Skaneateles 300 

SpalTord 120 

City  of  Syracuse 

Tully 126 

Van  Buren 101 

Total 4,ioy 


29 
187 
41  (J 

129 


3 

«>3 

»»3 
240 
279 

»77 
129 
679 

12 
278 

99 

94 
34 


703 
4.729 
7.0S3 
2,3 «» 
1,919 

>.f'4S 
204 

2.45^ 
5.00s 
3.434 

6,036 
3,100 

"."3 
478 

5. 243 
2.«S4 

2,217 
1.469 


1,541 
1,601 

'.895 

'.427 

1,627 

461 

24s 
1,012 

2.770 
2,030 
1,181 
2,217 

49' 
1,366 

480 
".57' 

596 

324 
2.053 


l»7J 


Pmluccd. 
I1T4. 


Area. 


It74. 


■•75. 


Produced. 
"•74. 


Acitfc 


Acre*. 


Attn. 


1,676 
".740 
2  040 
1,650 
'.839 

443 

276 

1. 1 06 

2.935 
2.210 

1.326 

2.59' 

547 

1,626 

5o« 

'.752 

722 

33 

37' 

2.254 


54.890 
46.722 

55.087 
83S'3 
55.859 
18,830 
10,380 

36,744 
104,561 

58.857 
42,636 
76,508 
18,202 

45694 
'4.755 
57.213 
20,141 

1.363 
'0,783 
81,985 


'.444 
2,52' 

3.075 
1,872 
1,644 
2,006 
396 
2,886 
2,948 
1,681 
1,666 

3.7'3 
2,015 

3.943 
568  i 
1,808 
1,7961 
38 
'.572 
2,071 


'.339 
2.370 
3067 
1,868 
1.497 
2.073 

343 
3.'32 
2,811 
2,718 
1,711 
3.721 
2.307 
3.9601 

629; 
2,109 
'.9'2 
37i 
».8o3| 
2,131 


BoibcU. 


44.607 

79.'25 
96,400 
66,702 
53.726, 
72,637 
'4.463 
9'.4'7 
92.124 

87.284 

5'. 748 

120,924 

63.116 

124472 
19,009 
56,085 
57.777 
'.3 -'5 
55.4'7 
71,600 


AllBA  SOWK. 


1»7I. 


J2 
141 
262 
126 


3 
167 

30 

10 

6 


>»74. 


Acm. 


136 
271 
100 

»9 


2 

'63 

22 

6 

'7 


Produced. 

1874. 


'5 

176 

•  •  •  * 

188 

•  •  •  • 

•  •  •  fl 

I 

3 

•  •  •  • 

4 
7 

122 

'.836 

3."S 

'.7'4 

23' 


50 

2.355 

4" 

"5 
90 

2,225 
3.'5» 


a; 
40 


3.221  65,935  24.920  27.638    894,723  40,663  4'.548      i,3'9.958     967       935  I      '3i48a 


SPRING  WHEAT. 


WINTER  WHEAT. 


I.ER 


BEANS. 


PEAS. 


CIVIL  DIVISIONS. 


AuA.  A  ISA  Sown. 

Produced. Produced. 


1I74.       >»7J. 


Acne.     Acres. 


»»74. 


i»7l.  «»74. 


Butheb.      Acre*.        Aciei. 


»874. 


•»74. 


Area. 


U75. 


1874.   ;    «87i. 


Biulielt.    Acm.    Acres.     Acres.    Acres. 


Camillus 62 

Cicero 52 

Clay 100 

DeWitt 25 

Elbridge i  •  54 

Fabius 97 

Geddes 14 

LaFayette 273 

Lysander 126 

Manlius '  65 

Marcellus 200 

Onondaga 593 

Otisco 293 

Pompey 49^ 

Salina 5 

Skaneateles 225 

Spafford 360 

City  of  Syracuse 25 

Tully '  '30 

Van  Buren 157 

Total 3.354 


28 

793 

2,472 

2.550 

34 

657 

925 

9'5 

64 

1,090 

1,290 

1,210 

10 

324 

1,222 

I  162 

38 

748 

2.562 

2,879 

64 

'.433 

360 

327 

11 

400 

459 

481 

'3' 

3.582 

'.376 

'.359 

97 

2,024 

2.755 

2.778 

58 

1,101 

1,885 

'.895 

60 

2,636 

1.600 

1,880 

350 

10,250 

3.364 

3.4" 

187 

4.365 

718 

776 

304 

6,826 

'.344 

'.304 

5 

58 

277 

558 

68 

2.957 

2.214 

»-359 

260 

4,622 

701 

699 

26        590 

25 

.... 

121     1,624 

57' 

662 

86     2,645 

2,484 

2.474 

49.999 

12,479 
17,104 
22,923 

52.503 

6,336 

8.727 

24.348 

52. '85 

3'.36o 

30.454 

63.651 

12,671 

20,434 

5.' 79 

42,622 

12.237 

607 

10,851 

52,090 


43 
93 
69 

'47 
30 
94 
9 
74 
27 
58 
3' 

'75 
40 

210 

126 
84 
62 
8 
84 
»9 


37 
78 
53 
'35 
23 
69 
6 

54 
'7 
36 

35 
170 

3' 

'55 
86 
82 

64 
12 

73 
10 


36  I 

44  [ 
1 1  ' 
40 

2 

I 
22 
54 
33 
33 
29 
'5 
24 

I 

19 
71 

29 
12 


28 

27 

50 

8 

3» 
2 

5' 
28 

30 
22 

2! 

I 

72 

3 
21 

lOI 


29 
18 


Aksa. 


Produced. 

Produced. 

1874. 

1874. 

1875. 

1874. 

Buhsls. 

Acres. 

Acm 

Bnihelt. 

2,002  48,725  28,604  29.379,5287601,483  1226  ,  513     543 


635 
1.542 
1,410 

968 

44 

446 

196 

778 

405 

1,219 

1,171 

2,501 

961 

5.784 

205 
820 

7'4 
326 

7,133    1104     989     20,125 


614 
430 
5'6 
209 
528 
37 
24 
229 
694 
36' 
552 
542 

'93 
297 

27 

280 
900 


35 
77 
84 

53 
4 

24 

10 

40 

16  I 

76 

58 
"5 

38 
365 

II 

38 


502       39 
198  I     21 


16 
99 
SS 
33 
10 

24 
II 
30 

22 
48 
48 

117 
31 

350 

7 
8 

22 

43 

as 


I 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


73 


Table  showing  by  Towns  the  Area  of  Farm  Lands  ;  the  Value  of  Farms,  of  Farm  Buildings,  of  Live 
Stock  and  of  Implements ;  the  Area  of  Crops,  and  the  Amount  of  Agricultural  Production's  of  Onon- 
daga County. — Census  of  1875. — (Continued.) 


CIVIL  DIVIS- 
IONS. 


HOPS. 


P0T.\T0ES. 


TOBACCO. 


APPLE  ORCHARDS. 


Area. 


Area. 


Produced. 
1S74. 

1S74. 

187s. 

1874. 

IS75. 

1S74. 

Acres.        Acres. 


Pounds. 


Acres.        Acres. 


Bushels. 


Area. 

Produced. 

1S74. 

Trees. 

Fruit 
produced. 

1874. 

Cider 
made 

1874. 

18-4.                  I87S. 

Sq.  Rods.        Sq.  Rods. 

Pounds. 

Number. 

Bushels. 

Barrels. 

Camillus. . . , 

Cicero 

Clay 

De  Witt  ... 
Elbridge.  . . 

Fabius 

Geddes. . . . 
La  Fayette. 
Lysander  . 
Manlius. . . . 
Marcellus. . 
Onondaga  . 

Otisco 

Pompey.  . . . 

Salina 

Skaneateles 
Spafford  ... 
Syracuse.  . . 

Tully 

Van  Buren . . 
Total . . , 


31 

4 
21 


16 

78 


5 
35 
32 
34 

I 

15 


292 


3  1,750  533 

1      618 

5         1,35°  852 

50       19.950  444 

4  4,816  377 
23    8,977  250 

253 

2  1,900  448 

18    8,305  935 

116   41,512  579 

269 

1,061 

12     800  359 

34  8,600  650 
60   27,917  447 

35  24-797  347 
8     430  256 

15   10,000  26 

159 

17    6,800  423 

403  167,904  9,286 


685 

73' 
1,038 
527 
435 
289 
219 
464 
1,298 
623 
279 

1,147 

327 
662 

575 
353 
254 
24 
170 
661 


62,492 
60,186 

92,579 
48,136 
44,865 
33,222 
34,560 

55,979 

102,079 

58,225 

33010, 
134,636 
49,520 
81,465 
49,924 
41,546 
33.656 
3,290 
23,595 
53-444 


10,160 
4,720 

28,200 
4,320 

12,460 


2,160 

>        5, 120 

>      30,440 

'        5,000 

)        8,680 
3      

68,677 

32,547 
199,877 

3'. 279 
96,794 


10,758  1,096,409 


160      1,500 

64,240  60,600  463,349 

12,600  9,120  89,300 

8,320  9,120  60,472 

1,440  400  12,700 

1,120  400  6,000 

3,620  3,090  21,252 

5,720  5,400  57,510 

4,540  1,040  33,699 

40   100 

45,280  30.480  326,299 

206,940  171,0501,501,355 


16,540 
24,609 

30,757 
13,970 

14,673 
12,160 

5205 
26,094 
27,280 
24.698 
20,150 
44,846 
14,632 
27,174 

8,457 
25-567] 
19,476: 

1,569 
10,525 
18.S13, 


44,455 
34,680 

55,585 
35,458 
31.129 
18,772 

15,631 
26.027 
76,676 
42,096 
29,610 
80,302 
26,800 

34,933 
21,628 

38,793 
29,124 

4,995 
20,743 
47,275 


1,066 

857 
1.407 

1,259 
1,204 

497 
384 

1,315 

1,942 

1,669 
913 

2,375 

713 

1,017 

464 
916 
664 

95 

410 

1,038 


386895714712  20,205 


GRAPES. 

MAPLE  SUGAR,!                      "O^^ES  ON  FARMS,                                           POULTRY. 

1                                           JUNE    I,    loyS- 

CIVIL  DIVISIONS. 

Fruit            Wine 
produced.        made. 

1874.         !      1874. 

Honey                       ,                                         Mules  on 
Sugar     !     Syrup       collected                                                            '^'  "'^,     Value  owned, 
made.     |    made.     1  in  1S74.      Colts  of!  Colts  of  Two  ye.irs  J"?'^   "' 

187s.     '     1874.     1    old  and        ">75.              ,§75. 
1S75.       1      187s.                                         1                  1      over. 

1 

Value  sold.  Value  of  eggs 
sold. 
1874.               1874. 

Pounds.        Gallons. 

Pounds. 

Gallons.     Pounds.  !  Number.    Number.  1  Number.    Number.        Dollars. 

Dollars.          Dollars. 

Camillus 

Cicero   

8,430        

6  6Sa         ?8 

150 

44      8,291              29             26'          800             23            5.510 
TCT        -?T'7,*^                60                ,^r             R-^r,                                  e  r,T  A 

3,582            4,689 

5,785            5,907 
4,607            6,131 
2,681            2,960 
2,404            2,310 
630            2,191 

599           882 
2,804        5,946 
5,912         6,810 
3,068        4,823 
3,248         7,276 
7,064       10,332 
2,120        3,831 
2,950        6,716 

998         1,378 
4,055        5,553 
2,493        5-490 

140      

1,574        2,835 
4,259        5,758 

Clay 

0^10                          -2                  1  00                     A  A          46"70                     6C                      n  A           T     T  aR                     77                   ft    f^fl'7 

De  Witt 

Elbridge 

9,390                     60             I            

3,113                23               41             798                   4 

2,760          28          33        834          25 

1,910         55         26'       497,           7 

210         15           9       239           6 

773         38         44       758          13 
4,'o5         85        III     1,431         35 
7,488         63,         80     1,219          15 
1,590         421         49       742           8 
5,125         62         93,    1,582         25 
3,475          36*         44        506          II 
1,742          83          94     1,236          18 

4,455 
4,727 
1,781 
1,069 

5,633 
8,170 
6,894 

5,507 
14.382 

3,519 
7,204 
1,926 
6,090 
4.746 
'  52 
2,617 
5,346 

Fabius 

30             .... 

1,700             .... 

2,388             .... 

325                      18 

18  2c;o           810 

7..790        349 
i      650 

6,295|       731 
6oo|       236 

Geddes   

La  Fayette 

Lysander 

Manlius 

Marcellus 

Onondaga  

Otisco 

2S0     ....      675,      141 

37,770       36      740;       74 
3,100      100   9,037'      251 
1,165        16   8,304    1,101 

3,395      10    ....:   .... 

2,660      42  5,485     701 

150    ....  8,590    338 

4,500      70    

5,206       2  4,292     126 
1,105    ••••,      101       7 

Pompey 

Salina 

Skaneateles 

Spafford 

City  of  Syracuse. . 

Tully 

Van  Buren 

Total 

9,121          63 

13-375          80 

....            2 

2,941          27 

3,039         39 

-0                 JT' 

73        603            8 

63        599            5 
2;         27            2 

35       398           2 
62i       853      .... 

118,568  1,405  52,781:  4,958 

77,336       905 

1,059  15,441        234 

102,209 

60,973      91,818 

74 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Tadle  showing  by  Towns  the  Area  of  Farm  Lands  ;  the  Value  of  Faims.  of  Farm  Buildings,  of  Live 
Stock  and  of  Implements  ;  the  Area  of  Crops,  and  the  Amount  of  Agricultural  Productions  of  Onon- 
daga  County. —Census  of  1875.— i  Continued.)  


CIVIL  DIVIS- 
IONS 


DAIRY  PRODUCTS. 


Hn 


M 1 1   11   Cow!, 
Nl  Mti  t«  Kr  p  T. 


•■  ■V4 


MOM  MllK 
WAV  MVT  ToFaC- 
TOUY. 


Bultcr  made    Chccx  nutle  Milk  mU  m 
ia  ^«»"'i'** 


Tin 
jcanoM. 


Y«u»i«>.    Cilv. 


.1 


i»7«. 


1I74. 


••7$.     !         I»7«. 


i  Number.    Number.   Nambw.    Nnnbcr.   Nonber. !  Number.   Number.   Number.  Number.    Number.       Pousdi. 


1*74. 


market. 
1S74. 


PoumI*. 


CaDoDS. 


Camillus 

Cicero 

Clay 

De  Witt.... 
Elbridge  . . . 

Fabius 

Geddes 

LaF.iyette  . . 
Lysander  — 

Manilas 

Marcellus.  . 
Onondaga.  . 

Otisco 

Pompey 

Salina 

Skaneateles. 
Spafford .  . . . 
Syracuse  . . . 

Tully 

Van  Buren. . 
Total . . . 


256 

264 

342 

3«7 

343 

472 

380 

4«5 

5'3 

'57 

'73 

230 

J'5 

»55 

274 

>44 

282 

382 

69 

75 

53 

-'«.S 

30 ' 

i93 

4:6 

5'8 

672 

274 

342 

475 

'S' 

196 

244 

464 

573 

6S4 

267 

281 

3»2 

49' 

559 

765 

47 

93 

84 

262 

222 

292 

280 

306 

398 

"; 

'9 

25 

'74 

308 

253 

3»7 

379 

478 

5-005 

S.804 

7.347 

1,170 

1,209 

'•935 

2.037 

2,040 

2,037 

'•379 

1,476 

1,229 

'.239 

2,762 

2,706 

400 

403 

1,607 

1,600 

2.383 

2.439 

'.797 

'.947 

1,091 

1,072 

J,3o8 

2,306 

1,207 

1,15' 

2.956 

3."o 

682 

698 

'.'97 

1,228 

1,242 

1,292 

38 

30 

1,261 

1.2.^9 

1,272 

1,386 

29.956  30,505 


92            112            217  132,115 

'34   796   834  154.536 

207   467    541  192.292 

57    157    146  88,578 

72   420   431  97,001 

91  1,709  1,504  130,836 

9    40 20,640 

'23   336   278  162.255 

128   975  1,018  190,468 

94   587    698  134,446 

55    84 j  144,400 

21    43 '4'.3'9 

60 j  I4'.746[ 

218  1,838  1,991  245,077] 

6 26,905 

141     14    2'  142,385 

79 207,260 

5 '-950 

68   309   370  123,188 

88    64    67  143,630 

".748  7.95'  8,0062,720,027 


1,650  3,470 
54,487  10,079 
25,008   25,855 

550  363^377 
11,766   10,595 

'59.300 

142,827 

200     290 

7,600   19,150 

1^0   25,241 

",737 

,900  199,234 

9.350      80 

14,427   40,998 

88  197,061 

6,442   10,947 

2.030 

100,978:   10,000 

13.038! 

420,731  1,059,204 


SHEEP. 


SWINE. 


NuMua  Shoui.        Wiight  or  CLir.  ,    Lauu  Raiud. 


CIVIL   DIVISIONS 


Slamth-     KiUed  by  O"  f  *»•"  J"""  ■' "'»^  Slaughtered     Pork  made 
terST        dc«.^ ,    "'f»™»-         on&rm. 


i»7«. 


•»75. 


It7«. 


l»75. 


l«74. 


|»7J.         1874. 


dogs. 
>»74. 


Pigi  of     Of  1874  and  1874. 

1117s.  older.       I 


1874. 


Camillus 

Cicero  

Clay 

De  Witt 

Elbridge 

Fabius 

Geddes  

La  Faytitte 

Lysander 

Manlius 

Marcellus 

Onondaga  

Otisco 

Pompey 

Salina  

Skanc.itelcs 

SpatTord 

City  of  Syracuse. 

Tully 

Van  Buren 

Total 


Number.   Number.  Pounda.  '  Pounda.  Number.  Number.  Number.  Number.  Number.   Number.  I  Number. 


Pounda. 


5.002 
1,020 

1,288 

1.57^' 
3.064 

439 
320 
3.068 
3,281 
2,198 
4,066 
3.840 
2,013 
5-301 
338 
5.224 

3,37' 

16 

1,002 

2,432 

47.859 


3,269  24,220 
995  4.47. 


'.283 

1,487 

2,756 

436 

224 


5.588 
9. '38 
'5.959 
3,i8S 
1,712 


3,778  15,878 
2,122  10,416 

2.34'  '2.3 '3 
3,841  23,799 

2.733  20,324 

1.976  11,132 

4.836  30,526 

199  1,228 

4,578  30.332 
3,274*20,358 

'25 

593  5,096 
2,235  ".861 

41,956256665 


i7.3'o 
4.414 
5,477 
9.235 

'5382 
2,170 

'.15' 
14,618 


'.703 
737 
984 

1,026 

',255 
238 

'75 
1,328 


9.759 

',592 

'2.977 

1,081 

22,333 

1,628 

i5.'4o 

'.871 

1 1,116 

907 

27.861 

1.739 

9'3 

251 

26,373 

1,991 

19,226 

1,286 

20 

3.038 

603 

10,631 

1.313 

229134 

21,728 

1,706 

73' 

971 

737 

1,217 

394 
'05 
'•397 
',793 
1.112 
1,658 
1,860 
1.065 
1,636 
168 
2,269 
1,411 

569 
'.285 

33,084 


96 
83 
95 
63 
56 
8 

36 
118 

61 
140 

94 

94 

36 
116 

30 
258 

88 

16, 

9 
68 


"9 

93 

55 
12 

16 
10 
16 
73 
33 
37 
18 
48 
20 
94 
17 

35 
1 1 


8 
29 


903 
1.007 
1,202 

632 

675 

366 

166 

688 

1,220 

1,015 

476 

1.786 

614 

840 

371 
878 
611 
81 
297 
9'3 


846 
969 

'-905 
705 
575 
434 
144 
878, 

1,273 

1,366 
729 

2,162 

393 
981 
441 

544 
856 

56 
596 
905 


787 
969 

1,192 

73' 
898 

293 
'30 
712 

'.537 
1,022 

757 

',643 

600 

1,024 

239 
1,027 

531 
28 

338 

937 


190,031 
24',536 

275,055 
168,050 
206,333 
83.596 
33.83s 
188,321 
374,88s 

253,843 
190,620 

414,093 
147,192 
270,102 

55,694 

226,057 

132,828 

6,100 

88,776 
223,264 


1,555   644  14,741   16,758   15,3953,770,8" 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


75 


CHAPTER  XVni. 

Judicial  and  Executive  Officers  under  Her- 
kimer County — Onondaga  County  Civil  List 
— Military  Organization  —  Population  of 
THE  County  from  iSog  to  1875. 

THE  following  were  judicial  and  executive  offi- 
cers for  Herkimer  county  from  1791  to 
1794,  while  Onondaga  was  a  part  of  that  county : 
Henri  Staring,  First  Judge  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace  ;  Michael  Myers,  Hugh  White  and  Abraham 
Hardenburgh,  Judges  and  Justices  of  the  Peace  ; 
John  Bank,  Patrick  Campbell,  Jedediah  Sanger, 
Amos  Whitmore,  William  Veeder,  Alexander  Park- 
man  and  Ephraim  Blackman,  Assistant  Judges  and 
Justices  of  the  Peace ;  Seth  Phelps,  Moses  De 
Witt,  Asa  Danforth,  Edward  Payne  and  others. 
Justices  of  the  Peace  ;  William  Colbraith,  Sheriff; 
Jonas  Piatt,  Clerk ;  Moses  DeWitt,  Surrogate ; 
John  Post  and  Daniel  White,  Coroners. 

In  1793,  for  Herkimer  county,  were  reappointed 
Seth  Phelps,  Asa  Danforth,  Moses  DeWitt,  J.  L. 
Hardenburgh  and  Silas  Halsey,  Assistant  Justices 
and  Justices  of  the  Peace. 

Judges  of  Onondaga  County  from  1794  to 
1878. — Seth  Phelps,  First  Judge  ;  Silas  Halsey, 
John  Richardson  and  Moses  DeWitt,  Judges  and 
Justices  of  the  Peace,  1794;  William  Stevens, 
Judge,  1795  ;  Asa  Danforth,  Judge,  1797  ;  William 
Stevens,  First  Judge,  1799;  Elihu  Lewis,  Ebenezer 
Butler,  Asa  Danforth,  Judges  and  Justices  of  the 
Peace;  Dan  Bradley,  Judge,  1801  ;  John  Ballard, 
Judge,  1802;  William  J.  Vredenburgh,  Judge, 
1804  ;  Reuben  Humphreys,  Judge  ;  Reuben  Hum- 
phreys, First  Judge  ;  Dan  Bradley,  John  Ballard 
and  William  J.  Vredenburgh,  Judges  and  Justices 
of  the  Peace,  1805  ;  Dan  Bradley,  First  Judge, 
1808  ;  Squire  Munro,  Roswell  Tousley  and  Wil- 
liam J.  Vredenburgh,  Judges  ;  Jonathan  Stanley 
and  Ozias  Burr,  Judges,  1809;  Jacob  R.  DeWitt, 
James  Geddes  and  Sylvanus  Tousley,  Judges,  1812  ; 
Joshua  Forman,  First  Judge,  1813  ;  Reuben  Hum- 
phreys, Judge,  1814;  Jacob  R.  DeWitt,  Squire 
Munro,  Amos  Tousley  and  John  TenEyck,  Judges, 
1815  ;  James  O.  Wattles  and  Warren  Hecox, 
Judges,  1818  ;  Jonathan  Stanley,  Squire  Munro, 
Levi  Mason  and  James  Webb,  Judges,  1819 ; 
Nehemiah  H.  Earll,  First  Judge ;  John  Mason, 
George  Pettit  and  James  Sisson,  Jr.,  Judges,  1S23  ; 
Nehemiah  H.  Earll,  First  Judge,  1828  ;  George 
Pettit,  Martin  M.  Ford,  Otis  Bigelow  and  John 
Smith,  Judges,  1828  ;  Samuel  L.  Edwards,  First 
Judge,  1831;  John  Watson,  Judge,  1833;  Otis 
Bigelow,  David  Munro,  George  Pettit  and  James  M. 


Allen,  Judges  ;  Grove  Lawrence,  First  Judge,  183S; 
Nathan  Soule,  Oliver  R.  Strong,  Lyman  H.  Mason 
and  Johnson  Hall,  Judges ;  Daniel  Pratt,  First 
Judge,  1843  ;  John  L.  Stevens,  George  A.  Stans- 
bury,  Lyman  Kingsley,  Amasa  H.  Jerome,  Judges  ; 
James  R.  Lawrence,  Judge,  1847;  Richard  Wool- 
worth,  Judge,  1850,  appointed  vice  J.  R.  Lawrence, 
resigned;  Israel  Spencer,  Judge,  elected,  1850; 
Richard  Woolworth,  Judge,  elected  1854;  Henry 
Riegel,  elected  1S62,  reelected  each  subsequent 
term  and  present  Judge  of  the  County  Court. 

Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court. — The  follow- 
ing have  been  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  resi- 
dent in  Onondaga  county  :  Hon.  Daniel  Pratt, 
Syracuse,  for  four  years,  elected  June  7,  1847  ;  re- 
elected November  4,  185 1.  Hon.  LeRoy  Morgan, 
Syracuse,  for  eight  years,  elected  November  8, 
1859  ;  reelected  November  5,  1867,  for  eight  years, 
Hon.  James  Noxon,  Syracuse,  elected  November, 
1875,  for  fourteen  years  from  January  i,  1876. 

The  old  Supreme  Court  of  Judicature,  existing 
prior  to  the  Constitution  of  1846,  had  one  Chief 
Justice,  a  resident  of  this  county,  viz  :  Hon.  Free- 
born G.  Jewett,  of  Skaneateles,  in  1845. 

Judges  of  the  Court  of  Appeals. — The 
Judges  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  who  have  been 
residents  of  this  count}'  are  as  follows  :  Hon. 
Freeborn  G.  Jewett,  Skaneateles,  two  years,  elected 
June  7,  1847  ;  Hon.  George  F.  Comstock,  Syracuse, 
elected  November  7,  1853  ;  Hon.  Charles  Andrews, 
Syracuse,  elected  May,  1870,  fourteen  years,  to 
expire  December  31,  1884. 

Hon.  Daniel  Pratt  and  Hon.  LeRoy  Morgan, 
Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court,  were  ex  officio 
Judges  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  the  former  from 
January  i,  1S50,  to  January  i,  185 1,  and  the  latter 
from  January  i,  1866,  to  January  i,  1867. 

United  States  District  Court. — Northern 
District  of  New  York. — The  following  have  been 
officers  of  this  Court,  resident  in  this  County : 
Joseph  F.  Sabin,  United  States  Commissioner, 
1850;  James  R.  Lawrence,  United  States  District 
Attorney,  1850;  Harry  Allen,  United  States  Mar- 
shal. The  first  Deputy-Marshal  was  Peter  Way, 
deceased  ;  William  Cahill,  appointed  in  his  stead. 
B.  Davis  No.xon,  United  States  Commissioner,  ap- 
pointed Oct.  22,  1867;  William  C.  Ruger,  United 
States  Commissioner,  appointed  July  8,  1858; 
Daniel  F.  Gott,  Register  in  Bankruptcy,  appointed 
May  10,  1867;  A.  Judd  Northrup,  United  States 
Commissioner,  appointed  March  22,  1870;  Daniel 
F.  Gott,  United  States  Commissioner,  appointed 
April  2,  1872;  William  J.  Wallace,  Judge,  ap- 
pointed April  7,  1874. 


76 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Slkrugatks  fuk  Onondaga  Culntv  i  kdm  171^4- 
TO  187.S.— Moses  Dc  Witt,  1794;  Thomas  Mum- 
ford,  1795  ;  Thaddcus  M.  Wood,  1800;  George 
Hall,  1803;  Mcdad  Curtis.  1810;  George  Hall, 
i8n  ;  James  Porter,  i8ii  ;  Freeborn  G.  Jewett, 
1824;  John  Fleming,  1831;  Isaac  T.  Minard, 
1840;  David  D.  Hillis,  1844;  Isaac  T.  Minard, 
1847  ;  L.  Harris  Hiscock,  185 1  ;  Amasa  II.  Jerome, 
1855  ;  Samuel  D.  Luce,  1859;  Oscar  L.  Sprague, 
1863  :  De  Witt  C.  Greenfield,  1S65  ;  Cyrus  Sweet, 
1869,  reelected  each  subsequent  term  and  present 
incumbent.  No  Special  Surrogates  have  ever  been 
appointed  in  this  County. 

Clekks  of  Ononiiaga  County  from  1794  to 
1878. — Benjamin  Lcdyard,  appointed,  1794  ;  Com- 
fort Tyler,  1799;  Jasper  Hopper,  1802;  George 
W.  Olmsted,  1 8 10  ;  Jasper  Hopper,  1811;  Tru- 
man Adams,  1818  ;  Daniel  Mosely,  1823  ;  Reuben 
L.  Hess,  1826;  Alanson  Edwards,  1835:  Elijah 
Rhoades,  elected,  1838;  Charles  T.  Hicks,  1841  ; 
Vivus  W.  Smith,  1846;  Rufus  Cossit,  1849;  Bern- 
ard Slocum,  1852;  Edwin  P.  Hopkins,  1S55  ;  Vic- 
tory J.  Birdseye,  1858;  Elijah  S.  Payne,  1861  ; 
Carroll  E.  Smith,  1864;  Theodore  L.  Poole,  1S67; 
Edgar  E.  Ewers,  1870  ;  Charles  A.  Hurd,  elected 
November,  1873— died  before  entering  upon  the 
duties  of  his  office  ;  Charles  E.  Hubbcll,  elected  at 
special  election,  December  27,  1873;  Thomas  H. 
Scott,  elected,  November,  1876 — present  incum- 
bent. 

Sheriffs  of  Onondaga  County  from  1794  to 
1878.- John  Harris,  1794  ;  Abiather  Hull,  1796; 
Comfort  Tyler.  1797;  Elnathan  Beach,  1799; 
Ebenczer  R.  Hawley,  1801  ;  Elijah  Phillips,  1805  ; 
Robert  Earll,  1S09;  Elijah  Rust,  1813  ;  Jonas 
Earll,  1814;  llezekiah  L.  Granger,  1818  ;  Jonas 
Earll,  1819;  Luther  Marsh,  1823;  Lewis  Smith, 
1826;  John  H.  Johnson,  1829;  Johnson  Hall, 
1832  ;  Dorastus  Lawrence,  1835  ;  Elihu  L.  Phillips, 
1838  ;  Frederick  Benson,  1841  ;  Heber  Wcthcrby, 
1844;  Joshua  C.  Cuddeback,  1846;  William  C. 
Gardner,  1849;  Holland  W.  Chadwick,  1852; 
James  M.  Munro,  1855  ;  George  L.  Maynard,  1858; 
Byron  D.  Benson,  1861  ;  Jarcd  C.  Williams,  1864; 
DeWitt  C.  Toll,  1S67  ;  William  Evans,  1870  ;  Davis 
Cossitt,*  1873  ;  John  J.  Meldram,  elected  November, 
tSjC) — present  Sherifl". 

Treasurers  of  Onondaga  County  from  1794 
to  1878. — Appointed  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors  : 
Moses  Carpenter,  May  27,  1794;  Jacob  R.  DeWitt, 
1799;  Jacobus  DePuy,  October  i,  1805  ;  Oliver  R, 

*  The  official  ligiMlurc  of  Mr.  Cowitt  ihowi  that  he  tpclli  hii  name 
with  two  final  "  t'l."  Hit  father,  Rufiu  Couit,  and  other  membera  of 
the  family,  ipelled  their  name  with  one  final  "t." 


Strong,  October  5.  1809 — resigned  November  11, 
1830;  Moses  S.  Marsh,  appointed  November  12, 
— declined  November  13,  1830;  Hezckiah  Strong, 
appointed  November  13,  1830, — died  1842  ;  Benja- 
min F.  Colvin,  appointed  November,  1842  ;  George 
B.  Walters,  December,  1844;  Phares  Gould, 
November,   1845. 

The  office  of  County  Treasurer  was  made  elective 
by  the  people,  in  1846,  since  when  the  following 
persons  have  been  elected  :  Cornelius  M.  Bros- 
nan,  elected  November,  1846;  entered  on  the 
duty  of  his  office  January  i,  1847, —  resigned 
December  9,  1848  ;  Wheeler  Truesdell,  appointed 
to  fill  vacancy,  December  9,  1848  ;  elected 
Treasurer,  January  i,  1849:  Columbus  C.  Bradley, 
elected  November,  1851,  entered  upon  his  office 
January  1,  1S52  :  Barton  M.  Hopkins,  elected 
November,  1S54  ;  Patrick  H.  Agan,  November, 
1857  ;  Henry  W.  Slocum,  November,  i860;  Dudley 
P.  Phelps,  November,  1863  ;  Park  Wheeler,  Novem- 
ber, 1866;  George  H.  Gilbert,  November,  1869; 
Charles  W.  Ostrander,  November,  1872  ;  Robert 
Hewitt,  elected  November,  1875,  present  Treasurer. 

Members  of  Congress  from  Onondaga  County 
and  the  District  of  which  it  was  part,  from 
1802  TO  1878. — The  Colonial  Congress  was  entitled 
to  si.\  delegates  from  New  York.  After  the  adop- 
tion of  the  Constitution,  the  number  entitled  to 
seats  from  this  State  was  still  si.\,  in  the  first  and 
second  Congresses,  from  1789  to  1791.  In  1792,  a 
new  apportionment  was  made  under  which  ten 
members  were  allowed  to  New  York.  In  1802,  the 
counties  of  Onondaga,  Tioga  and  Chenango  were 
formed  into  one  Congressional  District  (the  Ninth> 
and  were  entitled  to  one  member. 

In  the  9th  Congress,  Hon.  Eri  Tracy  of  Chenango, 
was  elected  to  represent  the  district.  Of  the  same 
Congress,  Hon.  Silas  Halsey,  of  Cayuga,  formerly 
a  Judge  of  Onondaga  County  Courts,  was  also  a 
member. 

In  the  loth  Congress,  Hon.  Reuben  Humphreys, 
of  Onondaga,  represented  the  Thirteenth  District ; 
Hon.  John  Harris,  of  Cayuga,  formerly  Sheriff  of 
Onondaga  county,  was  a  member  from  the  Four- 
teenth District  ;  and  Hon.  William  Kirkpatrick, 
Superintendent  of  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs,  rep- 
resented the  Eleventh  District.  Hon.  Eri  Tracy 
represented  the  Sixteenth  District  in  the  nth  and 
12th  Congresses  (1809  to  1813.)  In  1813-14,  in 
the  13th  Congress,  Hon.  James  Gcddes  represented 
the  new  district  ^Nineteenth)  composed  of  the 
counties  of  Onondaga  and  Cortland.  In  the  14th 
Congress  (18 15-161  Victory  Birdseye  was  Represen- 
tative ;  15th,  James  Porter;  i6th,  George  Hall ;  17th 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


77 


and  1 8th,  Elisha  Litchfield  ;  19th,  Luther  Badger  ; 
20th  and  2ist,  Jonas  Earll,  Jr. ;  22d,  Freeborn  G. 
Jewett ;  23d,  24th  and  25th,  William  Taylor  ;  26th, 
Nehemiah  H.  Earll  ;  27th,  Victory  Birdseye  ;  28th 
and  29th,  Horace  Wheaton  ;  30th  and  31st,  Daniel 
Gott.  [In  1822  Onondaga  was  a  district  alone,  till 
1832,  when  it  was  made  a  joint  district  with  Madi- 
son county,  and  entitled  to  two  members.  In  1842 
it  was  again  a  single  district,  as  it  now  stands  ;] 
32d  and  33d,  Daniel  T.  Jones;  34th  and  35th, 
Amos  P.  Granger  ;  36th  and  37th,  Charles  B. 
Sedgwick  ;  38th  and  39th,  Thomas  T.  Davis  ;  40th 
and  41st,  Dennis  McCarthy  ;  42d  and  43d,  R.  Hol- 
land Duell  ;  44th  and  45th,  Frank  Hiscock. 

State  Sen.^tors  for  Onondaga  County  from 
1799  TO  1878. — At  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  the 
first  Constitution  of  the  State  of  New  York  in  1777, 
Tryon  county  was  entitled  to  six  members  of 
Assembly  and  the  State  was  divided  into  four 
Senatorial  Districts.  The  Western  District  was 
composed  of  the  counties  of  Albany  and  Tryon, 
and  six  Senators  were  annually  chosen  from  the  body 
of  the  freeholders  of  the  State  for  the  term  of  four 
years.  As  the  population  of  the  country  increased 
various  alterations  were  made,  and  Senators  were 
chosen  at  large  for  the  Western  District.  But  it 
seems  that  Senators  were  not  over  punctual  in  their 
attendance  from  the  western  part  of  the  State. 
From  the  Journal  of  the  Senate  we  find  the  follow- 
ing members  in  attendance  from  Onondaga  up  to 
1822  :*  Moss  Kent,  1799  ;  Jedediah  Sanger,  1800; 
William  Stewart,  1801  ;  Joseph  Annin,  (Cayuga) 
1802  ;  Asa  Danforth,  1803  ;  (none  from  Onondaga 
county  from  1806  to  1815  ;)  Henry  Seymour,  18 16, 
'17, '18  and '19;  none  in  1821  and  '22.  (After 
the  change  of  the  Constitution  in  1822  the  State 
was  divided  into  eight  Senatorial  Districts.  The 
Seventh  was  composed  of  Onondaga,  Cayuga, 
Seneca  and  Ontario  counties,  after  which  we  have 
the  following  Senators  from  Onondaga)  :  Jonas 
Earll,  Jr.,  1823;  Victory  Birdseye,  1827;  Hiram 
F.  Mather,  1829;  Samuel  L.  Edwards,  1833; 
Elijah  Rhoades,  1841  ;  James  Sedgwick,  1845. 
(Senators  under  the  Constitution  of  1846)  :  George 
Geddes,  1848,  '49,  '50  and  '51  ;  James  Munro, 
1852,  'S3,  '54  and  '55  ;  James  Noxon,  1856  and  '57  ; 
John  J.  Foote,  1858  and '59;  Allen  Munroe,  i860, 
'61,  '62  and  '63  ;  Andrew  D.  White,  1864,  '65,  '66 
and '67 ;  George  N.  Kennedy,  1868,  '69, '70  and 
'71  ;  Daniel  P,  Wood,  1872,  '73.  '74  and  '75  ; 
Dennis  McCarthy,  1876  and '77,  present  Senator. 

Members  of  Assembly  for  Onondaga  County 
FROM  1794  TO  1878. — Michael  Myers  was  elected  a 

*  I  Clark's  Onondaga,  397. 


Member  from  Herkimer  in  1792.     After  the  organi- 
zation of  Onondaga  county,  it  was   a  joint  district 
with  Herkimer,  and  Jedediah  Sanger  represented  the 
two  counties  in  the  House  in  i794-'95.     There  was 
no  return  for  Member  of  Assembly  for  either  Her- 
kimer or  Onondaga  for  the  years  1796  and  1797. 
Comfort  Tyler  and  Silas  Halsey  were  Members  for 
Onondaga  in    1798  and   1790.     In  the  latter  year 
Cayuga  was  taken  off,  and  Ebenezer  Butler  elected 
for  Onondaga  county  ;  also  Member  in  1800;    Asa 
Danforth,    1801   and   1802;  John  McWhorter  and 
John    Lamb,   1803  ;  James   Geddes  and  John  Mc 
Whorter,  1804:  William  J.  Vredenburgh  and  John 
Ballard,    1805  ;    Jasper    Hopper   and    William    J. 
Vredenburgh,  1806;  Ozias  Burr  and  Squire  Munro, 
1807  ;  Joshua  Forman  and  John  McWhorter,  1808  ; 
Jacobus  DePuyand  Barnet  Mooney,  1809  ;  Jacobus 
DePuy  and  Barnet  Mooney,    iSio;  Jasper  Hopper 
and    Robert    Earll,    181 1  ;  Jonathan   Stanley    and 
Barnet    Mooney,    1812 ;  Isaac    Smith    and    Moses 
Nash,    1813;    Moses   Nash   and    Barnet   Mooney, 
1814;  He'zekiah  L.   Granger   and   James    Porter, 
1815  ;  Truman  Adams,  Elijah  Miles,   George  Hall 
and   Nathan  Williams,    1816  ;     Gideon    Wilcoxon, 
James  Webb,  Asa  Wells  and  Elijah  Miles,  1817  ; 
David  Munro,  Abijah  Earll,  Asa  Wells  and  James 
Webb,   1818;    David  Munro,  Henry  Case,  Nathan 
Williams  and  Elisha  Litchfield,  1819  ;  Lewis  Smith, 
Jonas  Earll,  Jr.,  Henry  Seymour  and  Henry  Field, 
1820;  Jonas  Earl,  Jr.,  Lewis  Smith, George  Pettitand 
Jonathan    Deming,    1821  :    James  Geddes,    David 
Munro,    Josephus    Baker  and   Sylvester  Gardner, 
1822  ;  Victory  Birdseye,   Timothy    Baker,  Samuel 
L.  Edwards  and  Harrold  White,  1823;  Samuel  L. 
Edwards,  Timothy  Baker,  George  Pettit  and  Mat- 
thew Van  Vleck,  1824  ;  James  R.  Lawrence,  Moses 
Kinne,  James  Pettit  and  Erastus  Baker,  1825  ;  John 
G.  Forbes,  David  Willard,  Freeborn  G.  Jewett  and 
Chauncey  Betts,   1826;  Daniel  Mosely,   Chauncey 
Betts,  Charles  Jackson    and   Aaron    Burt,    1827  ; 
Timothy  Barber,  Aaron  Burt,  Daniel  Baxter  and 
Gideon   Frothingham,  1828  ;  Lewis  Smith,  Samuel 
R.  Matthews,  Johnson  Hall  and  Herman  Jenkins, 
1829;  Johnson  Hall,  Dorastus  Lawrence,  Thomas 
J.  Gilbert  and  Timothy  Brown,  1830;  Thomas  J. 
Gilbert,  Otis  Bigelow,  Elisha  Litchfield  and  J.  H. 
Parker,  1831  ;  Miles  W.  Bennett,  Elisha  Litchfield, 
Elijah   W.  Curtis   and  Ichabod  Moss,  1832;    Asa 
Eastwood,  Elisha  Litchfield,  Myron  L.  Mills  and 
Gabriel  Tappan,   1833  ;  Oliver  R.  Strong,  Horace 
Wheaton,  Jared  H.  Parker  and  Squire  M.  Brown, 
1834;  George  Pettit,  John  Wilkinson,  Sanford  C. 
Parker  and  David  C.  Lytic,  1835  ;  Sanford  C.  Par- 
ker, John  Wilkinson,  David  Munro  and  Daniel  Den- 


78 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


ison,  1836;  Nathan  Soule,  Wm.  Porter,  Jr.,  George 
Pettit  and  Daniel  Denison,    1837  ;  Phares  Gould, 
Victor)'  Birdseyc,  James  R.  Lawrence  and  Azariah 
Smith,  1838  ;  James  R.  Lawrence,  Azariah  Smith, 
Pharos  Gould  and  James  L.  \'oorhees,  1839;  \"ictory 
Birdseyc,  Azariah  Smith,  James  R.  Lawrence  and 
Phares   Gould,    1S40;    Moses    D.   Burnet,   David 
Munro,  William  Taylor  and  William  Fuller,  1841  ; 
William  Taylor,  William  Fuller,  David  Munro  and 
John  Spencer,  1842:  Thomas  McCarthy,  Charles 
R.  Vary,  Benjamin  French  and  Thomas  Sherwood. 
1843  ;  Elisha  Litchfield,  Scth  Hutchinson,  Thomas 
G.  Alvord  and  Warner  Abbott  1844  ;  David  Pres- 
ton, Dennis   McCarthy,  Julius  C.  Kinnc  and  Lake 
L    Teft.    1845;    Lake   I.    Teft.   Julius    C.    Kinnc, 
Alonzo  Wood  and  Elihu  L.  Phillips.  1846  ;  Manoah 
Pratt,  William  Henderson,  John  Lakin  and  Joseph 
Prindlc,   1847;  Curtis  J.  Hurd,  Thomas  Spencer, 
Horace  Hazen  and  James  Little.  1848;  Joseph  J. 
Glass,  Myron  Wheaton,  Joseph  Slocum  and  Samuel 
Hart,    1849;  James    Little,    Benjamin   J.  Cowles, 
Elias  W.  Leavenworth  and   Harvey  G.Anderson, 
1850;    Demosthenes   C.    LeRoy,   John    F.  Clark, 
George  Stevens  and  Daniel  Denison,  185 1  ;  Lyman 
Norton,  William  E.  Tallman,  George  Stevens  and 
John  Merritt,  1852  ;  Alonzo  Case,  Samuel  S.  Knee- 
land,  Daniel   P.  Wood   and   Isaac  V.  V.  Hibbard. 
1853  ;  James  M.  Munro,  Milton  A.  Kinney.  Daniel 
P.  Wood    and    William   Richardson.   1854;  James 
M.  Munro.  William  J.  Machan.  Dudley  P.  Phelps 
and  Joshua   V.   H.    Clark,    1855  ;  Irvin  Williams. 
James  Longstreet,  lUirr  Burton  and  Jabez  Lewis. 
1856;  John  D.  Uhoades,  Sidney  Smith,  Elias  W. 
Leavenworth  and  Charles  M.  Meade,  1857  ;  James 
Frazee,  Thomas  G.  Alvord  and  Levi   S.    Holbrook, 
1858  ;     Luke  Ranncy.  Henry  W.  Slocum  and  Orin 
Aylsworth,     1859;     Jeremiah     Emerick,     Austin 
Myers  and  Philetus  Clark,  i860;    Jeremiah   Emer- 
ick, Austin   Myers  and   Abner   Chapman,   i86r  ; 
Frederick  A.  Lyman,  Thomas  G.  Alvord  and  R. 
Nelson  Gere,  1S62  ;  James  M.  Munro.  Elizur  Clark 
and  Joseph  Breed,  1863  ;  Albert  L.  Green,  Thomas 
G.  Alvord  and   Conrad   Shoemaker,   1864;  Albert 
L.  Green,  Daniel  P.  Wood  and  Harvey  P.  Tolman, 
1865  ;  Luke  Ranncy,  Daniel  P.  Wood  and  L.  Har- 
ris Hiscock,  1866;  Daniel  P.  Wood,  L.  Harris  His- 
cock  and  Samuel   Candee,    1867;    Augustus  G.  S. 
AUis,    Luke    Ranncy  and    Hiram     Eaton,   1868  ; 
James  V.  Kendall,  Moses   Summers    and  Miles  B. 
Hackctt,    1S69;    Thomas  G.   Alvord,  Nathan  R. 
TetTt  and  Gustavus  Sniper,  1870;  Thomas   G.  Al- 
vord.  Peter   Burns   and  Gustavus   Sniper,    1871  ; 
Thomas    G.    Alvord,    Peter    Burns   and   Gustavus 
Sniper,  1872;  Wm.   H.  H.  Gere,  George  Raynor 


and  John  I.  Furbcck,  1873  ;  Thomas  G.  Alvord. 
George  Barrow  and  Charles  Simon.  1874  ;  Allen 
Munroe,  Carroll  E.  Smith  and  C.  Fred.  Herbst, 
1875  ;  Thomas  G.  Alvord,   Carroll   E.  Smith  and 

C.  Fred.  Herbst.  1876;  Thomas  G.  Alvord.  Samuel 
Willis  and  Josiah  G.  Holbrook  1877  '78. 

Delegates  to  the  Convention  to  Revise  the 
Constiti;tion — 1822:  Victory  Birdseye,  Parley 
E.  Howe.  Amasi  Case.  Asa  Eastwood. 

Convention  of  1846:  William  Taylor.  Elijah 
Rhoades.  Cyrus  H.  Kingsley.  David  Munro. 

Convention  of  1867:  Hon.  Frank  Hiscock, 
Hon.  Charles  Andrews.  L.  Harris  Hiscock,  Hon. 
Thomas  G.  Alvord,  Patrick  Corbett. 

Members  of  the  Constitutional  Commission — 
1872:  Hon.  Elias  W.  Leavenworth  and  Hon. 
Daniel  Pratt. 

Rf.gf-nts  of  the  State  University. — The 
members  of  this  Board,  except  ex  officio  members, 
are  appointed  for  life,  unless  they  resign.  Hon. 
Elias  W.  Leavenworth,  as  Secretary  of  State,  was 
ex  officio  member  of  the  Board  in  1854  and  1855. 
He  was  appointed  a  member  permanently  Feb.  5, 
i86i,i'/<r<f  Jesse  Buell,  deceased.     Orris  H.  Warren, 

D.  D.,  appointed  a  member  of  this  Board,  vice  Dr. 
George,  resigned.  April   11,  1877. 

Other  State  Officers. — Hon.  Thomas  G. 
Alvord.  elected  Lieutenant  Governor  Nov.  8,  1S64; 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Assembly.  June  26,  1858, 
and  Jan   5.  18G4. 

Hon.  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  elected  Secretary  of 
State  Nov.,  1853. 

Hon.  Daniel  Pratt  elected  Attorney  General 
Nov.  4.  1873. 

Gen.  Henry  A.  Barnum  elected  State  Prison  In- 
spector Nov.  7,  1S65. 

John  M.  Jaycox  elected  Canal  Commissioner 
Nov.  4,  1857  ;  Reuben  W.  Stroud  Nov.  4.  1872. 

Hon.  Elisha  Litchfield  elected  Speaker  of  the 
House  of  Assembly  Jan.  2,  1844. 

Hon.  Vivus  W.  Smith,  State  Appraiser,  appoint- 
ed Jan.  24,  1872.  vice  Samuel  North. 

First  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Onondaga 
County.  1794. — The  first  meeting  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  of  Onondaga  county  was  held  at  the 
house  of  Asa  Danforth,  in  the  town  of  Manlius.  on 
Wednesday,  May  27,1794  The  following  named 
persons  composed  the  Board  :  Silas  Halsey,  of 
Ovid  ;  Benjamin  Boardman,  of  Romulus  ;  Ezckiel 
Crane,  of  Aurelius ;  Comfort  Tyler,  of  Manlius  ; 
John  Stoyles,  of  Scipio ;  Moses  De  Witt,  of 
Pompey.  Not  present :  Wyllys  Bishop,  of  Milton  ; 
Robert     McDowell,    of    Ulysses ;     and     William 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


79 


Stevens,  of  Marcellus.     The  towns  of  Homer  and 
Lysander  were  not  then  organized. 

The  accounts  of  the  Board  were  kept  in  pounds, 
shillings,  pence  and  farthings,  till  the  year  1798. 
In  1794,  the  total  valuation  of  property  in  the 
county  was  ;£  19,479.  The  total  tax  raised  was 
£,2'/i.i'j-i\d.  In  1797  the  Board  of  Supervisors 
gave  the  following  :  Total  inhabitants,  1,759  »  total 
valuation  of  property,  ;g  146,679.37.  In  1799,  after 
Cayuga  was  set  off,  the  population  was  1,036. 

In  December,  1795,  the  Board  of  Supervisors  met 
in  Scipio,  then  included  in  Onondaga  county.  The 
following  report  of  their  action  is  copied  from  an 
original  manuscript  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  James 
W.  Gould,  of  Syracuse,  which  is  among  other  old 
and  valuable  relics  preserved  by  his  father,  who  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Onondaga  : 

"  A  Resolve  of  the  Supervisors  at  their 
Meeting  in  Scipio." 

"  Resolved,  That  the  following  recommendations 
be  transmitted  to  the  different  towns  in  this  county 
by  their  respective  Supervisors,  viz  : 

Whereas,  The  Supervisors  of  the  county  of  On- 
ondaga have  many  inconveniences  by  the  various 
modes  taken  in  the  different  towns  in  assessing  the 
ratable  property  in  the  county,  have  thought  it  a 
duty  to  recommend  to  the  assessors  of  each  respect- 
ive town  next  to  be  chosen  in  said  town,  a  mode  of 
taking  the  valuation  of  property  which  appears  to 
us  the  most  eligible  in  our  local  situation,  desiring 
this  to  be  publicly  read  at  the  next  annual  town 
meeting,  which  uniform  mode  will  render  the  next 
Board  of  Supervisors,  our  successors  in  office,  more 
capable  of  doing  justice  in  levying  taxes  in  our  in- 
fant state,  viz : 

Estimate  as  follows  : 
Improved    lands   of   a  medium 

quality 20s.  per  acre. 

Working   oxen    of    a    medium 

quahty ;^i6         per  yoke. 

Cows  of  a  medium  quality £  5         per  piece. 

Young  cattle  of  three  years  old 

and  under 20s.  per  year. 

Horses  of  a  medium  quality ;^io         per  piece. 

Colts  three  years  old  and  under         40s.  per  year. 
Hogs  that  will  weigh  100  weight  20s.  per  piece. 

Negro    men £^0        per  head. 

Negro  wenches £^0        per  head. 

Grist  Mills ;^SO         per  piece. 

Saw  mills ;^30         per  piece. 

"  And  those  articles  of  an  inferior  and  superior 
quality,  in  proportion,  and  other  ratable  property  in 
like  proportion. 

"The  Board  further  recommends  to  the  consider- 
ation of  the  different  towns  the  following  mode  in 
making  the  assessment,  viz:  That  each  person  hold- 
ing ratable  property  shall  give  in  to  the  Assessor  a 
list  of  his  or  her  ratable  property  or  estate,  in  writ- 
ing, agreeable  to  the  request  of  the  Assessor, 
which  will  be  an  avoucher  to  the  Assessor,  and  pre- 


vent any  aspersions  of  injustice  of  being  taxed  un- 
equally by  those  having  that  part  of  duty  to  per- 
form in  society. 

"  The  Board  also  recommends  to  Assessors  that 
they  completely  make  out  their  list  of  assessments 
by  the  first  of  May,  as  the  law  directs,  so  that  the 
Supervisors  may  be  enabled  to  proceed  on  their 
business  at  their  first  meeting,  and  save  the  county 
cost. 

"And  further,  we  also  recommend  to  the  towns 
to  adopt  a  uniform  mode  of  granting  a  bounty  on 
wolves,  and  render  the  reward  of  each  man  in  his 
exertions  for  the  destruction  of  these  animals. 
Therefore,  with  submission,  we  think  a  reward  of 
forty  shillings,  in  addition  to  the  bounty  allowed  by 
the  county,  to  be  adequate  for  the  bounty  of  each 
wolf 

"  The  Board  submits  the  above  recommendations 
to  the  consideration  of  the  several  towns  in  the 
county  of  Onondaga. 

"  By  order  of  the  Board. 

Comfort  Tyler,  Clerk. 

"Scipio,  December  20th,  1795." 

Supervisors  for  1878. 

Camillus — Sidney  H.  Cook,  Jr. 
Clay — Jacob  W.  Coughtry. 
Cicero — Nelson  R  Eastwood. 
DeWitt— Josiah  G.  Holbrook. 
Elbridge — Alfred  D.  Lewis. 
Fabius — Newell  Rowley. 
Geddes — N.  Stanton  Gere. 
Lysander — J.  T.  Skinner. 
LaFayette — George  W.  Mclntyre. 
Manlius — Anson  Smith. 
Marcellus — Robert  E.  Dorchester. 
Onondaga — James  C.  Rann. 
Otisco — Henry  W.  Hotchkiss. 
Pompey— Marshal  R.  Dyer. 
Salina— George  Bassett. 
Skaneateles— John  H.  Gregory. 
Spafiford — Benjamin  McDaniels. 
Tully— Ellis  V.  King. 
Van  Buren— Augustus  W.  Bingham. 
First  Ward — Thomas  Nicholson. 
Second  Ward— Michael  Kohles. 
Third  Ward— William  H.  H.  Gere. 
Fourth  Ward— John  Rombach. 
Fifth  Ward— Egbert  Draper. 
Sixth  Ward— George  W.  Chase. 
Seventh  Ward— William  C.  Anderson. 
Eighth  Ward— H.  Wadsworth  Clarke. 

County  Officials,  1^,7^— Miscellaneous. 
Justices  of  Sessions— Martin  L.  Gardner,  Nava- 
rino  ;  George  W.  Hill,  Otisco. 

District  Attorney— Nathaniel  M.  White,  Bald- 

winsville. 


8o 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Coroners — A.  J.  Dallas,  Syracuse  ;  S.  M.  Hig- 
gins,  Memphis;  Jonathan  Kneeland,  South  Onon- 
daga. 

Loan  Commissioners — Zenas  A.  Jones,  Pompey  ; 
J.  Maxon,  Elbridge. 

School  Commissioners — Richard  W.  McKinley, 
Collamer ;  James  W.  Hooper,  Geddes  ;  Robert 
Van  Keuren,  Jordan. 

Superintendent  of  the  Poor — Henry  H.  Loomis, 
Syracuse. 

Superintendent  of  the  Penitentiary — Jared  C. 
Williams,  Syracuse. 

Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors — Bingham  X. 
Bailey,  Syracuse. 

Report   of   the  Committee  on-   Equ.m.iz.-vtio.v, 
Passed  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors  Decem- 

BEK    14,    1877. 

To  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Onondaga  County  : 
Your  Committee  on  Equalization  would  beg 
leave  to  present  their  final  report,  as  embraced  in 
the  following  table,  showing  the  aggregate  corrected 
valuation  of  the  several  towns  of  the  count}'  and  the 
city  of  Syracuse,  upon  which  is  apportioned  the  State 
and  county  la.\,  which,  together  with  the  town  ta.\, 
makes  up  the  aggregate  tax  to  be  raised  in  the 
several  towns  and  the  city.  Your  committee  would 
therefore  offer  the  following  resolution  and  recom- 
mend its  adoption : 

Resolved,  That  the  aggregate  tax  set  opposite  the 
several  towns  of  the  county  and  city  of  Syracuse, 
as  exhibited  in  the  table  accompanying  this  report, 
be  levied  and  assessed  upon  the  taxable  property  of 
the  towns  and  city  respectively,  as  their  proportion 
of   the  State,  county  and  town  tax  for  the  year 

1877.        Respectfully  .submitted, 

A.  Van  Vleck,        Wm.  C.  Anderson, 

M.  R.  DVER,  J.  G.    HOLBROOK, 

A.  W.  Bingham,       N.  P.  Eastwood, 
O.  F.  SouLE,  W.  H.  H.  Gere, 

Committee.* 


Mr.  Kendall  moved  that  the  report  be  accepted 
and  the  resolution  adopted.      Carried,  as  follows  : 

AvES — Messrs.  Sherwood,  Coughtry,  Eastwood, 
Holbrook,  Van  Vleck,  Rowley,  N.  S.  Gere,  Kendall, 
Mclntyre,  Smith,  Comstock,  Niles,  Dyer,  Bassett, 
Earll,  Willis,  Bingham,  Avery,  Mason,  W.  H.  H. 
Gere,  Rombach,  Soule,  Chase,  Anderson,  Rose — 25. 

Nays — Messrs   Dorchester  and  Weston — 2. 

Military  Organization  for  Onondaga  Coun- 
ty— 1791. — On  the  8th  of  March,  1791,  the  fol- 
lowing appointments  were  made  for  Herkimer,  in 
Major  J.  L.  Hardenburgh's  battalion,  General  Vol- 
kert,  Veeder's  Brigade  :  Captains — Moses  DeWitt, 
Benjamin  Dey  and  Roswell  Franklin  ;  Lieutenants 
—  Jacob  Hart,  Hezekiah  Olcott,  Joshua  Patrick  and 
Josiah  Buck  ;  Ensigns — Samuel  Lackey,  Asa  Dan- 
forth,  Jr.,  Nathan  Walker  and  James  Alexander  ; 
David  Holbrook,  Surgeon. 

Patrick  Campbell  was  appointed  Brigadier-Gen- 
eral for  Herkimer,  Oct  9,  1793.  In  the  same  year 
Moses  DeWitt  was  appointed  Major  ;  Asa  Dan- 
forth.  Major.  First  Company:  Hezekiah  Olcott 
Captain;  Jeremiah  Gould,  Lieutenant;  Comfort 
Tyler,  Ensign.  Second  Company  :  Asa  Danforth, 
Jr.,  Captain  ;  Orris  Curtiss,  Lieutenant  ;  James 
Clark,  Ensign. 

In  March,  1794,  the  following  appointments  were 
made  for  Onondaga  county  :  Major  John  L.  Har- 
denburgh's Battalion  :  Solomon  Buell,  Captain, 
Light  Infantry  ;  Noah  Olmsted,  Lieutenant ;  Jona- 
than Brownell,  PInsign.  Majors  DeWitt  and  Dan- 
forth's  Battalion  :  Jeremiah  Jackson,  Captain,  Light 
Infantry;  Jonathan  Russell,  Lieutenant  ;  Sier Cur- 
tis, Ensign. 

On  the  8th  of  April,  1795,  Othneil  Taylor,  Esq., 
was  appointed  Commandant  of  a  Brigade,  compris- 
ing the  counties  of  Onondaga  and  Ontario,  with 
the  rank  and  title  of  Brigadier  General.     A  troop 


*  Valuation  and  Taxation  of  the  Real  and  Personal  Estate  ot"  the  County  of  Onondaga  for  the  Year  1877. 


TOWNS. 


" 

c 

<^ 

% 

s 
"« 

^ 
'n 

^ 

« 

5 

6gi 

fi 

< 

•feri 

> 

di 

^ 

8 

perviso 
aluatio 

1 

1 

t 

i2 

t 

rr. 

s-> 

< 

Cl. 

< 

u 

c 

< 

5; 

U 

r" 

Camillus 21,100  $jo 

Cicero Z9,ooo  IJ 

Clay    19.500  lo 

De  Witt  !  ij.+oo  i6 

Elbridge 22,200  }o 

Fabius  50,000  14 

Geddes 6,J74  100 

LaFayette 22,200  18 

Lysandcr j8,ooo  24 

^Ianlius  , )o,)oo  27 

Marcellus 118,900  21 

Onondaga 4>.'oo  28 

Olisco IS.SOO  14 

Pompey. J9iOoo  18 

Salina   8,445,  60 

Skaneateles    2J,&oo  26 

Spaflford    18,500  14 

Tully "S.ftoo  14 

Van  Burcn 21,600  28 

Syracuse 7.Ioo 


$5n,ooO| 

j2,j66,70O  $2,n5,o69 

4J  5,0001 

1,688,375 

1,604,673 

590,000 

I,6o8,7)l 

1.>76,4S3 

608,400! 

2,330,665, 

1,244,328 

666,000 

2,670,250 

2,456,809 

420,0001 

1,195,750 

1,549,340 

637,400! 

3,685,050' 

1,351,306 

)9i>,fioo 

1,368,170! 

1,474,086 

912,000 

2,862,765 

3,364,281 

8lS,loo| 

3,685,825 

3,017,893 

396,900 

',39^.45° 

1,4^,4,126 

l,I50,8co 

3,472,950 

4.14S.190 

217,000' 

■44.170 

800,491 

702,0001 

1,840,200 

2,589,609 

506,760: 

1,547,802 

1,869,388 

61  J, 600 

2,89<J,335 

2,263,511 

250,0001 
2lS,40ol 

687,150 

9.550,417 

570,657 

805,557 

6o4,8oc| 

2,  328,460 

2,231,048 

7,}oo,ooo 

27,584,130 

26,929,000 

$295,050' 

201,710 
100,00c 
108,145 
360,760 

'30,450 

306,800 

179,930! 
547,525 

801,730 
245,600 
388,050 
118,650 
128,350 

121, 5CO 

842,600 
140,2501 
115,055 
285,690 

3,647,390 


$2,630,119 

?s.iss  51 

$4.35701 

$2,098  53 

$11,71085 

.00459968 

1,806,383 

3,60934 

2,9.}!  41 

1,020  62 

7.612  J7 

.0040528 

1,276,453 

4,548  72 

3,771  12 

1,501  SO 

10,821  34 

.006552968 

1,352,473 

4,700  72 

3,897  05 

2,665  40 

11,165  '7 

.00461911 

2,817,569 

5,530  ic 

4.667  54 

3,284  35' 

13.581  99 

.00448101 

',679,790 

3,355  sSl 

2,781  71 

1,25678 

7.375  07 

.0055618 

2,658,106 

5,311  48, 

4,405  37 

7,3"  16 

17,02601 

.00426519 

1,654,016 

3,305061 

2,740  02 

1,522  10! 

7,667  28 

.0049517 

3,911,806 

7,Sl5  IS' 

6,480  21 

3,186  10' 

17,481  s6 

.0051261 

3,819,623 

7,637  40 

5,327  50 

15.85404 

29,81394 

.00^/14665 

1,709,726 

3,416  40! 

2,852  30 

1,16991 

7,567  " 

.00452S9 

4.633,240 

9,258,12 

7.675  33 

2,82;  64' 

'9,75909 

.00511755 

919,141 

1,856  58: 

1,51164 

90145 

4,26067 

.00485S 

1.717,959 

5,43095 

4,501  53 

2,40648 

■1,339  94 

.006268 

1,990,888 

3,</7S  06 

3,198  07 

10,565  13 

17,642  26 

.00997" 3 

3,160,111 

6,206  58i 

5,145  51 

4,044  10 

15,39630 

.0054561 

'.095.677 

2,188  171 

1,81507 

595  4S 

4,59972 

.0055592 

911,711 

1,841  76' 

1,52689 

1.233  35 

4,5O2O0 

.00585 

1,516,738 

5,028  82' 

4,15918 

1,172  09 

10,47009 

.CO40051 

30,576,390 

61,09-68 

50,551  13 

118,503  02 

250,0529s 

.0075661 

Total 


,'  18,088,7601  56,717,685  66,727,685  89,o(/i, 235  75,795,920   151,44816   115.55870   184,04973  461,0566.) 


tk 


PENITENTIARy.  SrMcusf.OnoNDAG*  Co  H  Y 


Ononoaoa  County    Poor  Hou^l. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


8i 


of  horse  was  organized  in  the  said  Brigade  in 
1795,  and  Walter  D.  Nicholls,  appointed  Captain. 

In  1796  the  Governor  organized  several  new  regi- 
ments in  the  Counties  of  Ontario  and  Onondaga. 
The  battalion  hitherto  commanded  by  Major  Dan- 
forth  was  made  a  regiment,  comprising  the  town- 
ships of  Hannibal,  Lysander,  Cicero,  Manlius,  Pom- 
pey,  Fabius,  Solon,  Cincinnatus,  Tully,  Virgil,  Ca- 
millus,  Sempronius,  Locke,  Dryden,  and  the  Onon- 
daga Reservation.  Asa  Danforth,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel,  Commandant ;  Hezekiah  Olcott,  first  Ma- 
jor ;  Josiah  Buck,  second  Major ;  Joshua  Wickoff, 
first  Lieutenant  ;  Thaddeus  M.  Wood,  second 
Lieutenant  ;  and  Colman  Keeler,  Cornet  in  Cap- 
tain Nicholl's  troop  of  horse,  General  Taylor's 
brigade,  appointed  March,  1797. 

The  following  oflScers  were  appointed  in  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Danforth's  regiment,  viz :  Hezekiah 
Olcott,  first  Major  ;  Asa  Danforth,  Jr.,  second 
Major  ;  John  Ellis,  Adjutant ;  Elijah  Rust,  Pay- 
master ;  Jabez  Hull,  Quartermaster  ;  William  Need- 
ham,  Surgeon  ;  Walter  Colton,  Surgeon's  Mate  ; 
Jesse  Butler,  Lieutenant  ;  Comfort  Tyler,  Captain  ; 
Nehemiah  H.  Earll,  Lieutenant  ;  Elijah  Phillips, 
Captain  ;  Caleb  Pratt,  Lieutenant  ;  John  Lamb 
Captain  ;  William  Cook,  Lieutenant  ;  Samuel  Je- 
rome, Captain,  David  Williams,  Captain  ;  Robert 
Earll,  Captain,  etc.,  etc. 

The  population  of  the  county  in  1800,  7,698  ; 
1810,  25,987;  1820,  41.497;  1830,  58.973;  1840, 
67,911  ;  1855,86,575  ;  1865,92,972;  1870,104,183; 
1875,  112,186. 

(For  full  tables  of  population  and  other  statistics, 
see  statistical  department  of  this  work.) 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

County  Poor  House  and  Insane  Asylum — 
County  Penitentiary — State  Asylum  for 
Idiots. 

THE  Onondaga  County  Poor  House  and  Asy- 
lum are  situated  upon  Onondaga  Hill  about 
two  miles  distant  from  the  city  of  Syracuse.  The 
site  contains  36^  acres  of  land.  It  contained 
originally  about  145  acres,  being  part  of  lot  No.  87 
in  the  town  of  Onondaga,  and  purchased  by  the 
county  of  Josiah  Bronson  in  the  year  1826. 

The  following  is  from  the  minutes  of  the  Board 
of  Supervisors  at  a  meeting  held  November  24, 
1826: 

"  The  Board  of  Supervisors  of  the  County  of 
Onondaga  having  taken  into  consideration  the  pro- 
priety of  erecting  a  County  Poor  House,  appointed 


a  select  committee  consisting  of  the  following  gen- 
tlemen :  George  Pettit,  Hezekiah  Strong  and 
Charles  H.  Toll."  The  committee  embodied  in 
their  report  the  following  charges  for  the  county 
poor  during  the  years  from  1823  to  1826  inclusive  : 

Aggregate  charges  for  the  yeari823 $2,459  ^^ 

The  like  for  the  year  1824 2,560  98 

The  like  for  the  year  1825 3,973  66 

The  like  for  the  year  1826 5,767  47 

Increase  of  charges  from  1823  to  1824,  $10,114  > 
from  1824  to  1825,  $,1412.68;  from  1825  to  1826, 
$1,793.83  ;  total  increase  in  three  years,  $3,307.65. 

This  showed  the  disadvantage  of  not  having  suit- 
able provisions  for  the  poor.  The  committee  in 
view  of  all  the  circumstances  recommended  that 
"  the  Board  do  avail  themselves  of  the  pro- 
visions of  the  act  entitled  'An  act  to  provide  for  the 
estabhshment  of  County  Poor  Houses,  passed  No- 
vember 27,  1824."  The  following  resolutions  were 
adopted : 

''Resolved,  That  the  sum  of  two  thousand  dol- 
lars be  forthwith  raised  in  the  county  of  Onondaga 
towards  purchasing  a  site  and  erecting  a  county 
Poor  House." 

"Resolved,  That  the  members  of  this  Board  be 
a  committee  to  examine,  investigate  and  enquire  as 
to  the  best  location  in  said  county  for  the  said  Poor 
House,  and  report  their  opinions  and  views  on  the 
subject  to  a  future  extra  meeting  of  the  Board." 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Board  held  at  the 
house  of  Z.  Rust,  on  the  28th  day  of  November, 
1826,  it  was 

"Resolved,  That  it  be  and  is  hereby  determined 
that  it  will  be  beneficial  to  the  said  county  to  erect 
a  county  Poor  House." 

"  Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  the  above  resolution 
be  signed  by  the  President  and  Clerk  of  this  Board, 
and  be  forthwith  filed  with  the  Clerk  of  the  said 
county." 

Elisha  Litchfield,  President. 

James  Webb,  Clerk. 

At  the  next  meeting  of  this  Board,^held  at  the 
house  of  Z.  and  G.  Rust,  in.  the  town  of  Onondaga, 
on  the  second  Tuesday  in  January,  1827,  present 
all  the  members  except  Charles  Jackson,  of  La- 
Fayette,  propositions  were  received  of  farms  for  sale 
to  the  Board  of  Supervisors  for  county  Poor  House 
purposes,  in  the  towns  of  Manlius,  Pompey,  and 
many  other  localities  in  the  county.  The  Board 
adopted  the  following  resolution  : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  location  of  the  County  Poor 
House  shall  be  within  ten  miles  of  the  Court 
House." 

A  committee  was  then  appointed  consisting  of 
Russell  Chase,  Hezekiah  Strong,  Charles  H.  Toll, 
Fisher  Curtis  and  George  Pettit,  to  examine  a  farm 
offered  by  Mr.  Josiah  Bronson,  being  part  of  Lot 
87  in  the  town  of  Onondaga,  100  acres  or  more  at 


82 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


$20.00  per  acre,  and  report  upon  the  same  at  the 
next  adjourned  meeting. 

On  the  ninth  day  of  February,  1827,  the  Board 
met  again  at  the  house  of  Z.  and  G.  Rust.  The 
committee  reported  favorably  upon  the  farm  oiTered 
by  Josiah  Bronson,  and  the  Board  resolved  to  accept 
the  same,  "  containing  about  145  acres,  at  the  price 
of  $18.00  per  acre." 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Board  of  Supervisors  will 
pay  Josiah  Bronson  the  sum  of  $500  on  taking  a 
deed,  and  the  residue  in  two  equal  annual  install- 
ments with  interest,  amounting  to  about  S735  each 
to  be  secured  to  said  Bronson  by  mortgage,  and  the 
said  Supervisors  take  upon  themselves  to  pay  the 
State  mortgage,  amounting  to  about  S640.00,  and 
the  said  Bronson  reserves  the  wheat  now  on  the 
ground." 

Hezekiah  Strong,  Fisher  Curtis  and  George 
Pettit  were  appointed  a  building  committee,  with 
instructions  to  "  build  a  house  not  exceeding  60  feet 
in  length  and  36  feet  in  width,  two  stories  above  the 
cellar  or  basement,  all  of  stone,  and  the  expense  of 
which  shall  not  exceed  $2,500.00."  By  a  resolution 
passed  at  this  meeting,  Oliver  R.  Strong,  Daniel 
Mosely,  Truman  Adams,  Azariah  Smith  and  James 
Webb,  were  appointed  Superintendents  of  the  Poor 
House.  The  building  committee  were  instructed 
to  build  the  barn  42  by  32  feet,  and  other  out- 
buildings not  exceeding  in  the  whole  $300.00. 
Hezekiah  Strong,  Fisher  Curtis  and  George  Pettit, 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  raise  the  funds  nec- 
essary to  erect  the  buildings. 

The  Poor  House  was  completed  on  the  17th  of 
December,  1827.  Our  space  will  not  allow  us  to 
enter  into  a  detailed  account  of  all  the  changes  and 
improvements  which  have  been  made  in  the  last 
half  century  both  in  the  buildings  and  in  the 
manner  of  taking  care  of  the  poor  and  the  insane. 
This  important  interest  has  kept  pace  with  other 
improvement  in  the  county,  and  has  of  late  years 
commanded  increasing  attention  and  interest.  The 
main  building  of  the  present  Poor  House  was 
erected  in  1854.  In  i860  the  first  stone  build- 
ing for  the  Asylum  was  erected.  Extensive  im- 
provements were  made  during  the  years  from  1866 
to  1873,  under  the  administration  of  Mr.  C.  C. 
Warner,  who  had  charge  of  the  Institution  during 
the  years  referred  to,  and  to  whose  economical 
management  and  indefatigable  labors  the  people 
of  the  county  are  much  indebted.  Under  his 
administration  the  Reservoir  for  the  supply  of  the 
county  buildings  with  water  was  constructed  in 
1867,  at  a  cost  of  $4,000.  In  1868,  a  new  Asylum, 
built  of  stone,  32  by  76  feet  and  three  stories  in 
height,  was   built,   costing   about    $16,000.      The 


same  year  one  wing  of  the  Poor  House  was  enlarged 
and  a  story  added  to  it,  at  a  cost  of  about  $8,000. 
In  1871,  the  carriage  and  hay  barn,  32  by  76  feet, 
with  stone  basement,  was  built  to  supply  the  place 
of  the  one  previously  destroyed  by  fire.  This  barn 
was  erected  at  the  very  moderate  cost  of  $1,550. 
A  great  improvement  was  made  in  the  whole 
general  appearance  of  the  premises  ;  the  road  in 
front  was  elevated  and  graveled  ;  side-walks  were 
built,  and  rows  of  beautiful  shade  trees  planted. 

Mr.  Warner  being  elected  to  the  office  of  Super- 
intendent, appointed  Mr.  Knapp  his  successor  as 
keeper,  who  had  charge  of  the  Poor  House  and 
Asylum  until  April  ist,  1875,  at  which  date  the 
present  incumbent,  Mr.  Ambrose  Sadler,  assumed 
charge. 

The  Annual  Report  of  the  Superintendent,  H. 
H.  Loomis,  Esq.,  for  the  year  ending  November  9, 
1877,  shows  that  the  receipts  from  all  sources,  in- 
cluding an  appropriation  by  the  Board  of  Supervi- 
sors of  $18,000,  was  $23,072.86,  and  the  total  dis- 
bursements, $19,579  17.  The  amount  of  cash  on 
hand  was  $3,493.69,  and  the  amount  of  supplies, 
$1,725.00.  Estimated  amount  necessary  to  meet 
the  current  expenses  of  the  Poor  House  and  Asylum 
for  the  ensuing  year,  $16,000. 

The  number  of  children  now  in  the  different 
chai'itable  institutions  who  are  supported  by  the 
county  is  fifty-three.  Of  these  24  are  in  the  On- 
ondaga County  Orphan  Asylum,  15  in  the  St. 
Vincent  de  Paul  Orphan  Asylum,  and  14  in  the 
House  of  Providence. 

The  number  of  persons  in  the  Poor  House  is 
130;  90  of  whom  are  males  and  40  females.  Of 
the  117  in  the  Insane  Asylum,  47  are  males  and  40 
females.  The  number  admitted  to  the  Asylum 
during  the  year  is  49  ;  26  have  been  maintained  at 
their  own  expense  or  that  of  their  friends,  $2.00 
per  week  being  paid  for  their  board  and  care  ;  10 
have  died,  34  have  been  discharged,  and  one  has 
absconded  during  the  year. 

The  following  table  shows  the  causes  of  depend- 
ency of  all  persons  received  at  the  County  House 
during  the  year  : 

Intemperance  direct 64 

Vagrancy 127 

Indigent  and  Destitute S3 

Lunacy 42 

Sickness 3° 

Old  Age 10 

Debauchery 13 

Bastardy 7 

Blindness 4 

Lameness 6 

Idiocy 6 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK.  83 

The  products  of  the  Poor  House  farm  during  the  duced  the  Board  to  change  the  site  to  Block  116  in 

past  season  have  been  as  follows  :  what  had    previously    been    the  village  of   Salina, 

Twenty-five  tons  of  hay,  22.2  bushels  of  beets,  75  where  the  Penitentiary  now   stands.      This  block 

bushelsofonions   15  biishels  of  tomatoes  41  bushels  was  purchased  of  the  State  and  a  patent  issued 

ofcarrots,  48  bushels  of  apples,  95  bushes  of  wheat,  »u      r        •        1  u     u-    t-       n           1.       1        »-•  ■ 

950   pounds    of  butter,    2,500   pounds   of  beef,  20  **^"''"^«''  '•^'""''  ^^  "''  Excellency,  Hamilton  iMsh, 

hogs,  and  1,000  head  of  cabbages.  Governor,  on  the  4th  of  February,  1850. 

The  following   is    a    statement  of  expenses   in-  On  the  8th  of  January,  1851,  the  following  resolu- 

curred  and  the  income  realized  from  the  farm  of  tion.moved  by  Mr.  L.  Harris  Hiscock,  was  adopted: 

William  Moore  1 20  acres)  rented  in  the  spring  :  .  "  ^f^olved.  That  the  Onondaga  County  Peniten- 
tiary is  completed  within  the  necessary  meaning  of 

EXPENSES.  the  Act  of  April   10,  1850,  and   that  the  Board  of 

Rent S250  00  Supervisors  have  full  power  to  officer  andorganize 

Seed 75  00  said  Penitentiary,  under   the    loth  section  of  that 

S325  00  act,  and   that  so  much  of  the   resolutions  of  the 

INCOME.  Board  of  Supervisors  of  last  year  as  confers  any 

Potatoes,  1303  bushels.. _S52i  20  power  to  officer  and  organize  said  Penitentiary  on 

Corn,           224       "       56  00  the  Commisioners  of  the  same,  be  and  the  same  is 

Oats,'  ^50       "      11^     52  50  I     hereby  rescinded." 

Cornstalks 15  00  In  January,  1 85 1,  a  special  act  was  passed  by  the 

Oat  straw 39  00  Legislature,  the  first  section  whereof  is  in  the  fol- 

Hay,  3  tons 3000  lowing  words  : 

^^j "The  Jail  of  the  county  of  Onondaga  shall  be, 

Profits   realized....  '             ——-$394  /O  f  ^  '^^  ^""^  *'  Y'^'^l'  '"'^Tr'-/"  l^^  ^'fn^u" 

^  tiary  of  said  county,  and  said  Penitentiary  shall  be 

Onondaga  County  Penitentiary.  used  for  all  the  purposes  of  a  jail  of  said  county  ; 

and  the   Superintendent  of  said    Penitentiary,  ap- 

On  the  4th  of  December,  1849,  Messrs.  Robert  pointed  by  the  ]?oard  of  Supervisors,  shall  be  the 

Dunlop,  Cyrus  Upham  and  T.  C.  Cheeney,  a  com-  Jailor  thereof,  and  have  the  custody  and  control  of 

mittee  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  to  whom  was  all  persons  while  confined  therein,  as  the  Sheriff 

referred  the  subject  of  the  county  jail,  reported  a  ^f^^^W  county  might  have  were  this  law  not  en^- 

plan  for  a  penitentiary,  to  be  built  upon  the  center  ^''section  7.   This  act  shall   take  efiect  immedi- 

of  the   lot   where  •  the   court    house  and   jail  then  ately." 

stood.     The  main  building  was  to  be  75  by  50  feet  !„  the  rules  and  by-laws  adopted  January  9,  185 1, 

and  four  stories  including  basement,  with  one  wing  \[  jg  provided  that  three  inspectors  shall  be  appoint- 

100  by  50  feet,  having  one  row  of  windows  and  four  gj  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  in   meeting  now 

tiers  of  cells.     The   whole  number  of  cells  was  to  assembled,  who  shall  have  the  supervision   of  the 

be  96.     It  was  estimated  that  the  entire  cost  would  penitentiary  and  the  entire  control  of  all  its  finan- 

be  a  little  less  than  S20,ooo.  cial  concerns  and  operations,  and  shall  purchase  and 

The  Board  of  Supervisors,  on  the  7th  of  Decem-  furnish  all  the  necessary  supplies  for  the  Peniten- 

ber,  1849,  adopted  the  report  of  the  above  commit-  tia^y,  one   of  whom  shall   hold  his  office   for  one 

tee,  and  passed  the  following  resolutions  :  year,  one  for  two  years  and  one  for  three  years  from 

"Resolved  by  the  Board,  That  a  work-house  or  j^g  first  day  of  January,  185 1.     "The  said  Peni- 

Penitentiary  be  erected  in  the  county  in  pursuance  ^^^^.       ^,^,^,1  ^^  ^,„^,^^  j,^^  ^^^^rol  and  management 

of  the  plan  submitted  to  this  Board  at  its  present  ^               ■     •     1   1                  c-         ■  .      1     f       1 

session  by  the  committee  of  which  Mr.  Dunlop  is  of  one    principal   keeper  or  Superintendent  and  a 

chairman.  Board    of  Inspectors,  subject  to  the  authority  es- 

Rfsohed,  That  Mr.    Church,  of  Lysander,   Mr.  tablishcd  by  law   and    the    rules   and   regulations 

Dunlop,  of  DeWitt,  and  T.  C.   Cheeney,  of  Syra-  adopted  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors  for  its  govern- 

cuse,  be  appointed  commissioners  to  superintend  the  ^^^^^      ^^^^^  ^^3,,  ^^  ^  physician  to  the  peniten- 

erection  of  said  building.     «     •     •     •  •   .    1         1   i-                     .■      c      1 

Resolved,     That    said    commissioners    and    the  tiary.  to  be  appointed,  and  Im  compensation  fixed 

County  Treasurer  be  empowered  to  loan  a  sum  of  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors.       •     •     « 

money  necessary  for  the  erection  of  said  building.  The  Board  then    proceeded    to   the   election    of 

not   e.xceeding     S20.000,    to    be  deposited    in  the  officers    of  the    Penitentiary,   with    the    following 

County  Treasurer's  office."     •     •     •  ^^^^^j^^  ^1^^  ^.^^^  ^^^^^  ^^  ,33„qj  . 

The  plan  of  the  committee  was  carried  out  with  Superi>,le„de>it-]ostY>h  A.  Yard, 

the  exception  of  locating  the  building  on  the  Court  ///j/rr/c^rj— Lyman  Norton,   James  V.    Kcnil.nll. 

House  grounds.     The  delay  in  moving  the  Court  Aaron  Brinkerhoff. 

House  to  its  present  location  and  other  causes  in-  P/ij'sician— James  Foran. 


84 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


The  Penitentiary  was  originally  erected,  substan-  1 
tially  the  same  as  at  present,  with  the  exception  of 
the  addition  of  one  wing  in  1864.  A  portion  of  the 
building  was  re  built  and  other  improvements  made 
subsequent  to  the  fire  which  occurred  during  the 
late  war. 

The  present  condition  of  the  Penitentiary,  after 
an  experiment  of  twenty-seven  years,  is  such  as 
fully  to  demonstrate  the  practical  success  of  the 
institution.  The  Inspectors — Messrs.  H.  K.  King, 
William  Austin  and  Timothy  Hough— in  their  an- 
nual report  to  the  Board  of  Supervisors  for  1877, 
recommend  the  erection  of  additional  buildings  for 
female  prisoners.  Hesidcs  the  great  moral  advan- 
tages which  would  obviously  result  from  this  policy, 
the  increased  facilities  for  taking  and  working  a 
large  number  of  long-term  prisoners  from  adjacent 
counties  and  from  the  State  at  large,  would  greatly 
increase  the  profits  of  the  institution  and  enlarge 
the  revenue  which  it  might  be  made  to  pay  to  the 
county.  Already,  besides  paying  all  expenses  for 
the  past  year,  and  in  a  season  of  considerable  busi- 
ness depression,  the  profits  of  the  Penitentiary  have 
reached  the  net  surplus  of  $12,190.86.  The  con- 
tractors for  the  penitentiary  labor  are  Messrs.  Fra- 
zer.  Hums  &  Jones. 

The  report  of  the  present  Superintendent,  Mr. 
J.  C.  Williams,  shows  that  the  total  income  for  the 
year  1877  was  538,620.85,  and  the  total  expendi- 
tures §25,644.99.  Paiancc  in  favor  of  the  Institu- 
tion ? 1 2,975.86.  Items  to  the  amount  of  $785  to 
be  deducted  from  the  above  balance  making  the 
net  profit  of  the  Institution  §12,190.86.  Total 
number  of  persons  in  confinement  during  the  year 
1,264. 

The  Jail  of  the  county  is  kept  in  the  Peniten-  1 
tiary  building,  and  is  simply  a  house  of  detention. 
None  are  ever  confined  in  this  department  who  are 
undergoing  sentence  on  conviction.  No  work  is 
required  of  the  jail-prisoners,  but  such  as  choose  to 
work  with  the  penitentiary-prisoners  are  permitted 
to  do  so,  subject  to  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the 
Penitentiary. 

The  New  York  State  Asylum  for  Idiots. 

The  New  York  State  Asylum  for  Idiots  was  found- 
ed in  1851.  It  was  open  for  the  admission  of  pupils 
in  October  of  that  year  in  buildings  leased  for  the 
purpose  at  Albany. 

At  the  end  of  four  years  it  was  removed  to  Syra- 
cuse. The  first  building  erected  for  its  use  was 
completed  in  1855,  where  it  now  stands.  The  cost 
of  this  was  about  §70,000,  not  including  the  land 
which  was  given  by  the  citizens  of  Syracuse. 


The  first  structure  was  meant  to  accommodate 
150  pupils.  Successive  additions  from  time  to  time 
have  now  doubled  its  original  capacity. 

The  buildings  stand  upon  a  bold  terrace  in 
a  southwesterly  direction  from  the  city.  They  are 
just  west  of  the  city  line  in  the  town  of  Geddes,  and 
about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  from  the  Syracuse  Rail- 
road Depot.  The  grounds  of  the  Asylum  include 
about  fifty-five  acres. 

The  object  and  design  of  the  Asylum  is  to  furnish 
means  of  education  or  training  to  the  idiots  of  the 
State  who  are  of  a  teachable  age  and  condition  ; 
hence  the  customary  age  of  admission  is  from 
seven  to  fourteen.  The  by-laws  of  the  Asylum 
exclude  applicants  who  are  epileptic,  insane  or 
greatly  deformed. 

The  education  and  training  to  which  the  pupils 
are  submitted  has  reference  mainly  to  developing  in 
them  a  capacity  for  some  useful  occupation  and  the 
formation  of  correct  habits. 

The  girls  are  trained  to  household  occupations 
and  the  boys  to  farm  and  garden  work  and  two  or 
three  simple  trades.  No  inconsiderable  portion  of 
the  work  in  the  asylum  and  about  the  grounds,  is 
done  by  the  pupils. 

The  Asylum  is  under  the  general  control  of  a 
Board  of  Trustees,  eight  of  whom  are  appointed  by 
the  Governor,  and  the  remaining  five  are  ex  officio 
members,  consisting  of  the  Governor,  Lieutenant 
Governor,  Secretary  of  State,  Comptroller  and 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 

Dr.  H.  B.  Wilbur  has  held  the  oflfice  of  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Asylum  from  its  foundation. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Onondaga  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion — 
OuTiiURST  OF  Patriotism  at  the  Beginning 
OF  THE  War — t'lRST  Enlistments  of  Volun- 
teers— Captain  John  G.  Butler's  Company — 
Pettit's  Battery. 

THE  late  civil  war,  which  had  been  threatened 
by  the  South,  was  precipitated  by  an  attack 
upon  P'ort  Sumpter,  on  Sunday,  April  14,  1861. 
On  Monday  following  Abraham  Lincoln  called  for 
75,000  volunteers  to  aid  in  suppressing  the  rebel- 
lion. Simultaneously  war  meetings  were  held  all 
over  the  Northern  States.  In  this  county  flags 
were  raised  in  almost  every  school  district.  The 
patriotic  spirit  needed  no  urging  ;  such  was  its  in- 
tensity that  violence  actually  threatened  the  few  open 
sympathizers  with  the  South,  who,  not  yet  aware  of 
the  spirit  of  their  neighbors,  dared  openly  to  express 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


8S 


sentiments  of  sympathy  with  secession.  In  a  Httle 
while  the  voices  of  all  such  were  hushed  in  the 
general  outburst  of  loyalty  and  patriotism  ;  and 
men  of  all  parties,  with  but  few  exceptions,  forgot 
their  political  differences  in  view  of  the  common 
danger  which  seemed  to  threaten  the  country.  The 
flag  of  the  Republic  had  been  ruthlessly  assailed 
and  the  very  existence  of  the  Nation  was  imperiled 
by  armed  treason  and  rebellion.  In  such  a  state  of 
things  the  appeal  made  to  the  loyal  North  for  de- 
fenders of  the  Union,  accompanied  as  it  was  by  the 
authentic  announcement  that  Maj.  Anderson's  little 
garrison  at  Charleston  had  surrendered,  and  that  a 
rebel  flag  waved  from  the  ramparts  of  Fort  Sump- 
ter,  awakened  the  most  intense  excitement  and 
called  forth  a  response  which,  for  promptness  and 
alacrity,  has  never  been  equalled  in  the  history  of 
any  nation. 

The  excitement  in  this  locality  was  much  the 
same  as  it  was  throughout  the  Northern  States 
generally,  except,  perhaps,  that  it  was  more  intense ; 
the  strong  anti-slavery  sentiment  of  a  large  portion 
of  the  people  being  kindled  into  a  flame  by  the  first 
overt  act  of  hostility  on  the  part  of  the  South.  The 
county  of  Onondaga  was  behind  no  other  portion 
of  the  Empire  State  in  the  promptness  with  which 
she  furnished  her  quota  of  men  and  sent  them  for- 
ward to  the  seat  of  war.  One  company  had  been 
formed  in  Syracuse  by  Captain  John  G.  Butler  be- 
fore the  beginning  of  the  war,  in  iS6o,  and  was  sent 
on  immediately  after  the  attack  upon  Fort  Sumpter 
and  formed  a  part  of  the  3d  New  York  regiment, 
which  participated  in  the  first  battle  fought  for  the 
defense  of  the  Union.  Immediately  upon  the  call 
for  the  75, 000  men  in  April,  186 1,  the  12th  Regiment 
was  raised  and  sent  to  the  front,  to  engage  at  once 
in  active  service.  Then  followed  the  loist,  a  regi- 
ment made  up  partially  of  Onondaga  men,  in  the 
fall  of  1861  ;  then  the  I22d  Regiment  in  the 
summer  of  1862  ;  this  was  followed  in  less  than  a 
month  by  the  149th  Regiment,  and  this  again  by 
the  185th,  in  the  summer  of  1864.  The  15th  and 
22d  Cavalry  were  respectively  raised  and  sent  from 
this  county.  Besides  these  Jenney's  and  Pettit's 
Batteries  and  a  considerable  portion  of  the  ist 
Regiment  of  Light  Artillery  were  furnished  from 
this  county  in  1861.  The  3d  New  York  Cavalry, 
mustered  into  the  service  in  August,  1861  ;  the 
loth  Cavalry,  December,  1861  ;  the  12th  Cavalry, 
November,  1862;  the  20th  Cavalry,  September, 
1863  ;  and  the  24th  Cavalry,  organized  at  Auburn 
and  mustered  in  January,  1864,  were  in  part  made 
up  by  men  from  Onondaga  county.  Also  part  of 
the  9th  New  York  Heavy  Artillery.     This  county 


and  Cortland  furnished  eight  companies  of  the 
2d  Regiment  of  Ira  Harris  Light  Cavalry,  recruited 
in  September  and  October,  1864.  In  infantry,  be- 
sides the  full  regiments,  this  county  furnished  a 
portion  of  t-he  44th  New  York,  mustered  in,  in  1861  ; 
the  75th,  1861  ;  the  86th,  i86i  ;  and  the  loist, 
1 86 1.  The  193d  Regiment  was  partly  raised  here 
in  April,  1865,  and  the  194th,  mustered  in,  the  same 
spring. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that,  besides  the  filling  of 
the  complete  regiments  made  up  from  this  county, 
recruiting  was  going  on  briskly  here  from  the  begin- 
ing  to  the  end  of  the  war.  Indeed,  it  began  before 
the  war  broke  out,  and  continued  so  long  as  a  man 
was  needed  to  complete  the  last  great  struggle  with 
the  Rebellion  in  front  of  Richmond  in  1865.  We 
have  no  means  of  determining  the  exact  number  of 
men  furnished  to  the  Government,  first  and  last,  by 
this  county,  but  the  aggregate  will  no  doubt  ap- 
proximate 10,000  men.  The  county  raised  about 
1,000  men  over  and  above  her  quota. 

Captain  Butler's   Company. 

The  tour  of  the  Ellsworth  Zouaves  through  the 
country  in  i860,  awakened  an  unusual  degree  of 
military  enthusiasm.  A  Zouave  company  was  im- 
mediately thereafter  formed  in  Syracuse,  of  which 
John  G.  Butler  was  Captain,  Samuel  Thompson, 
1st  Lieutenant,  and  Edwin  S.  Jenney,  2d  Lieutenant. 
The  company  was  composed  of  about  forty  young 
men  of  some  of  the  best  families  in  the  city. 

Immediately  after  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumpter,  the 
company  tendered  its  services  to  the  Government, 
and  was  at  once  recruited  by  Capt.  Butler  and  Lieut. 
Jenney  to  the  maximum  number  of  JJ,  officers 
and  men,  and  became  Company  D  of  the  3d  regi- 
ment, N.  Y.  Vols. 

Before  it  was  mustered  into  the  service  Lieut. 
Jenney  recruited  another  company  in  Oneida 
County,  of  which  he  became  captain.  This  was  or- 
ganized as  Company  I  of  the  same  regiment.  The 
only  other  Onondaga  County  man  in  this  company 
was  Mr.  Leon  H.  Ballard,  its  2d  Lieutenant. 

Captain  Butler's  company  was  organized  with 
John  G.  Butler,  Captain ;  C.  H.  Burdick,  ist  Lieu- 
tenant ;  Jay  M.  Wicks,  2d  Lieutenant ;  and  was  the 
first  company  organized  in  Central  New  York  upon 
the  breaking  out  of  the  rebellion. 

Both  Butler's  and  Jenney's  companies  proceeded 
about  the  middle  of  April,  1861,  to  the  barracks  at 
Albany,  where  the  regimental  organization  was 
completed,  thence  to  New  York,  where,  after  a  brief 
encampment  at  the  Battery,  the  regiment  was  or- 
dered to  Fortress  Monroe  and  incorporated  with 


86 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Gen.  Butler's  army.  They  had  immediate  e.xperi- 
encc  in  active  ser\'icc,  the  famous  movement  on 
Big  Bethel,  the  first  actual  battle  of  the  war,  being 
ordered  June  9,  1861.  Gen  Butler  had  taken  com- 
mand at  Fortress  Monroe  at  the  head  of  15,000 
raw  but  gallant  soldiers.  It  had  been  decided  that 
no  offensive  movement  should  be  made  prior  to  the 
24th  of  May  I  the  day  after  the  farce  of  voting  to 
ratify  the  ordinance  of  secession  of  the  State  of 
Virginia  I— the  Government  having  apparently  re- 
solved that  no  Union  soldier  should,  on  that  day, 
tread  the  soil  of  Virginia,  save  within  the  narrow 
limits,  or  immediately  under  the  frowning  walls  of 
Fortress  Monroe.  So  Gen.  Hutler  soon  found 
ten  or  twelve  thousand  confederates  in  his  front, 
under  command  of  Gens.  Huger  and  Magruder, 
both  recently  of  the  regular  army,  with  earthworks 
and  batteries,  well  mounted  with  powerful  guns 
from  the  spoils  of  the  Norfolk  Navy  Yard. 

General  Hutler  found  his  position  so  cramped  by 
the  pro.ximity  and  audacity  of  the  rebels,  that  he 
resolved  upon  enlarging  his  circle,  and  to  that  end 
seized  and  fortified  Newport  News,  at  the  mouth  of 
the  James  River.  On  the  Qth  of  June  he  ordered 
a  reconnoissance  in  force  with  a  view  of  capturing 
the  rebel  position  nearest  to  him,  at  Little  Bethel. 
The  camp  here  was  found  deserted,  and  General 
Pierce,  in  command  of  our  force  pushed  on  to  Big 
Bethel,  seven  miles  further,  where  they  found  Ma- 
gruder strongly  posted  with  i.Soo  rebel  infantry 
behind  his  breastworks.  General  Tierce,  who  had 
never  seen  a  shot  fired  in  actual  war,  planting  his 
small  arms  in  an  open  field  opened  an  ineffectual 
fire,  his  balls  burying  themselves  harmlessly  in  the 
rebel  earthworks.  This  action  was  kept  up  about 
four  hours — necessarily  with  considerable  loss  on 
our  side  and  little  or  none  on  that  of  the  enemy. 
Finally,  a  more  determined  assault  was  made  by  a 
part  of  our  infantry  led  by  Major  Theodore  Win- 
throp.  Aid  to  General  Butler,  who  was  shot  dead 
while  standing  on  a  log,  cheering  his  men  to  the 
charge. 

Butler's  and  Jenncy's  companies,  composing  the 
second  division  of  the  regiment,  and  being  the 
fourth  and  ninth  in  rank,  volunteered  and  were  sent 
forward  as  part  of  the  storming  party  in  this  first 
engagement  of  the  war,  and  lost  in  proportion  to 
any  other  troops  engaged  in  the  battle.  They  are 
mentioned  in  the  reports  for  gallant  conduct.  The 
enemy's  position  was  protected  in  front  by  a  stream 
of  water  which  made  a  successful  assault  impossible. 
Our  total  losses  in  the  advance  and  attack  were 
about  100  men,  while  the  rebels  report  their  loss  at 
one  killed  and  seven  wounded. 


Succeeding  the  battle  of  Big  Bethel  the  compa- 
nies were  kept  at  Fortress  Monroe  till  after  the 
battle  of  Bull  Run,  when  the  regiment  was  ordered 
to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  but  was,  however, 
stopped  at  lialtimore  and  assigned  to  garrison  duty 
at  Fort  Mc Henry. 

In  October,  1861,  Captain  Jcnney,  being  author- 
ized to  recruit  a  battery  of  light  artillery,  left  the 
regiment. 

On  the  4th  of  February,  1863,  Captain  Butler 
was  promoted  to  the  Lieutenant-Colonelcy  of  the 
147th  New  York  Volunteers,  organized  at  Oswego 
in  September,  1862,  of  which  Andrew  S.Warner 
was  Colonel.  On  the  24th  of  February,  1863, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Butler  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  Colonel  of  the  regiment,  which  he  com- 
manded in  the  field  with  distinction  till  failing 
health  compelled  him  to  leave  the  army.  He  was 
discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability, 
November  5,  1863. 

The  Adjutant-General's  report  says  of  the  3d 
regiment  :  "  This  regiment  was  organized  at  Al- 
bany, X.  v.,  for  two  years.  It  was  mustered  into 
the  service  of  the  United  States  May  14,  1S61. 
The  original  members  were  mustered  out  on  the 
expiration  of  their  term  of  service.  May  21,  1863. 
The  regiment  was  reorganized  in  May,  1863,  for 
three  years,  and  finally  mustered  out  in  accordance 
with  orders  from  the  War  Department,  August  18, 
1865." 

They  were  engaged  in  the  following  battles  :  Big 
Bethel,   Fokt   Wagnek,   Bermuda    Hunokeds, 

PETEKSriURG,  F"OKT  GiLMER,  ChAPIn's  FaRM,  FoRT 
F'lSHEK,  WiLMINGTO.N,  N.    C. 

Jay  M.  Wicks,  who  went  out  as  2d  Lieutenant, 
was  promoted  to  ist  Lieutenant  February  26,  1862, 
and  to  Captain,  October  4,  1S62.  He  died,  of  wounds 
received  in  action,  October  27,  1864. 

Charles  H.  Burdick,  ist  Lieutenant  of  same  com- 
pany, resigned  February  4,  1862. 

Leon  H.  Ballard,  2d  Lieutenant  in  Capt.  Jcnney 's 
company,  resigned  September  25,  1861. 

B.vTTEKV  B,  First  Regiment  New  York  Light 
Artillery,  known  as  I'ettit's  Battery,  was  raised 
at  Baldwinsville  and  composed  chiefly  of  Onondaga 
county  men.  It  was  mustered  into  the  State  ser- 
vice at  Baldwinsville,  August  24,  1861,  and  into  the 
service  of  the  United  States  at  Elmira,  August  31, 
1861. 

On  its  arrival  in  Washington  it  was  the  first  bat- 
tery to  be  fully  mounted,  and  remained  in  camp  in 
the  vicinity  of  Washington  till  the  spring  of  1862. 
The  record  of  its  engagements  during  the  war  is  as 
follows : 


H 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


87 


Warrenton  Jimction,  Va.,  March  28,  1862. 
Fair  Oaks,  F«.,  June  1-28,  1862. 
Peach  Orchard,  Va.,  June  29,  A.  M.,  1862. 
Savage  Station,  Va.,  June  29,  P.  M.,  1862. 

White  Oak  Swamp,  frt.,  June  30,  1862. 
Malvern  Hill,  f'^r.,  July  r,  1S62. 
Centcrvilley  frt.,  September  i,  1862. 
Antietam,  Md.,  September  15-17,  1862. 
Charlestoivn,  Va.,  October  19,  1862. 
Snicker's  Gap,  Va.,  November  3,  1862. 
Falmouth,  Va.,  November  17,  1862. 
Fredericksburg,  Va.,  December  12-17,  1862. 
Chanccllorsville,  Va.,  May  1-3,  1863. 
Utiitcd  States  Ford,  f^^.,  May  6,  1863. 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  2-3,  1863. 
Mine  Run,  Va.,  November  30,  1863. 
Spottsylvania,  Va.,  May   12,  1864. 
North  Anna,  J  a..  May  23,  1S64. 
Tolopotomoy,   J^a.,  May  29,  1864. 
Bethcsda  Church,   frt.,  June  2-3,  1864. 
Petersburg,  Va.,  June  16-20,  1864. 
Hatcher's  Run,  Va.,  October  27,  1864. 

On  the  expiration  of  its  term  of  service  the 
original  number,  except  the  veterans,  were  mustered 
out,  and  the  organization  composed  of  veterans  and 
recruits  retained  in  the  service.  The  regiment  was 
finally  mustered  out  by  batteries  in  accordance  with 
an  order  from  the  War  Department,  Battery  B  be- 
ing mustered  out  June  18,  1865. 

The  following  were  the  officers  of  Pettit's  Battery, 
with  the  record  of  promotions,  &c. : 

Captain,  Rufus  D.  Pettit,  rank  from  August  29, 
1861,  resigned  May  30,  1863. 

Captain,  J.  M.  Rority,  temporarily  assigned  to 
command  July  2,  1863,  killed  at  Gettysburg. 

First-Lieutenant,  Albert  S.  Sheldon,  rank  from 
August  29,  1 861,  promoted  to  Captain,  July  27, 
1863,  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  discharged  December 
16,  1S64. 

First-Lieutenant,  Thomas  O'Shea,  not  commis- 
sioned, resigned  October  17,  1862. 

Second-Lieutenant,  Walter  D.  Pettit,  rank  from 
August  29,  1 86 1,  promoted  to  First-Lieutenant 
February  27,  1862,  discharged  April  29,  1863. 

Second-Lieutenant,  Robert  E.  Rogers,  rank  from 
November  12,  1861,  promoted  to  First-Lieutenant 
March  6,  1863,  promoted  to  Captain,  December  30, 
1S64,  mustered  out  with  battery  June  18,  1865. 

Second-Lieutenant,  Isaac  B.  Hall,  rank  from 
April  I,  1862  ;  assigned  to  Battery  A,  December 
24,  1862  ;  promoted  to  First-Lieutenant,  February 
23,  1864  !  mustered  out  on  expiration  of  term  of 
service,  October  31,  1864. 

Second-Lieutenant,  Edward  H.  Underbill,  rank 
from  January  4,  1862  ;  assigned  to  Battery  B,  June 
9,  1863  ;  promoted  to  First-Lieutenant,  August  26, 
1863  ;  assigned  to  Battery  A,  September  18,  1863  ; 


promoted  to  Captain,  December  9,  1864  ;  mustered 
out  with  Battery,  June  23,  1865. 

Second-Lieutenant,  John  Gibson,  rank  from  Oc- 
tober 14,  1863  ;  assigned  from  Battery  H,  Decem- 
ber 15,  1863  ;  promoted  to  First-Lieutenant,  Sep- 
tember 27,  1S64  ;  mustered  out  on  expiration  of 
term  of  service,  November  16,  1S64. 

First-Sergeant,  Joseph  B.  Slauson,  promoted  to 
Second-Lieutenant,  September  10,  1862  ;  First- 
Lieutenant,  April  29,  1863  ;  wounded  at  Chancel- 
lorsville  ;  mustered  out  on  the  expiration  of  term  of 
service,  September  27.  1864. 

Quartermaster,  Joel  B.  Frisbie,  returned  to  ranks, 
December  3,  1S61  ;  discharged,  August    12,  1862. 

Sergeant,  DeWitt  M.  Ferine,  promoted  to  Second 
Lieutenant,  October  20,  1S64;  First-Lieutenant, 
February  28,  1865  ;  wounded  at  Gettysburg  ;  mus- 
tered out  with  Battery,  June  17,  1865. 

Sergeants— John  M.  Stephens,  died,  date  un- 
known ;  Harvey  Cox,  wounded  at  Chanccllorsville, 
fate  unknown  ;  Rufus  B.  Freeman,  died  July  25, 
1862  ;  Guy  W.  Plumley,  died  March  2,  1862  ; 
Charles  H.  Gates,  wounded  at  Chanccllorsville ; 
transferred  to  I.  C.  ;  Thomas  Coyne,  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville  ;  taken  prisoner  and  paroled ; 
Robert  Maitland,  returned  to  ranks  January  31, 
1863. 

Corporals— James  A.  Skinner,  promoted  to 
Quartermaster-Sergeant  April  26,  1S62  ;  declined 
commission  as  Second-Lieutenant  August  12,  1S64, 
with  rank  from  May  i,  1864;  discharged  at  the 
expiration  of  service. 

Anthony  Huyck,  promoted  to  Sergeant,  Decem- 
ber 14,  1862  ;  First-Sergeant,  December  24,  1862  ; 
discharged  at  the  expiration  of  service. 

Abram  S.  Attix,*  promoted  to  Sergeant,  Septem- 
ber I,  1862. 

Andrew  J.  Hooker,  hurt  by  carriage  at  Gettys- 
burg, returned  to  ranks  November  i,  1S63. 

Edward  P.  Lockwood,*  returned  to  ranks  October 
19,  1862. 

Abiram  W.  Mathews,  died  at  home. 

Stephen  Barber,  died  May  4,  1862. 

George  L.  Elliot,  returned  to  ranks  May  i, 
1862. 

Robert  R.  Ramsey.* 

James  Galligher. 

Michael  Galligher,*  returned  to  ranks. 

John  McSorley,*  returned  to  ranks  January  i, 
1863. 

Allen  F.  Mallory,*  bugler,  returned  to  ranks 
January  i,  1863  :  wounded  at  Gettysburg.    , 

Thomas  McLaughlin,*  bugler. 


*  Veterans  retained  in  the  service. 


88 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Hendrick  S.  Wheeler,*  artificer. 

Alonzo  C.  Ketchum,*  artificer,  returned  to  ranks. 

Sylvester  P.  Slade,*  wagoner.t 


CHAI'TKR  XXI. 

"  Jenney's  Battery,"  —  Its  Organization  with 
THE  Third  New  York  Artillery — Sketch  of 
its  History. 

THE  Tenth  New  York  Independent  Battery, 
popularly  known  as  "  Jenney's  Battery,"  was 
raised  and  organized  in  Syracuse  by  Capt.  Edwin 
S.  Jenney  in  the  fall  of  iS6i.  Captain  Jenncy  had 
entered  the  service  at  the  very  outbreak  of  the  war  ; 
he  and  Captain  John  G.  Butler  being  the  first  to 
organize  companies  in  Central  New  York  immedi- 
ately after  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumpter.  As  Captain 
of  Company  I,  3d  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers, 
he  had  seen  enough  of  war  to  induce  a  decided 
preference  for  the  light  artillery  branch  of  the  ser- 
vice ;  and  becoming  weary  of  the  inactivity  of  gar- 
rison duty  at  Fort  McHenry,  to  which  his  regi- 
ment had  been  assigned  after  the  battle  of  Big 
Bethel,  he  obtained  leave  of  absence,  returned  to 
New  York  and  received  authority  from  the  Gov- 
ernor to  raise  a  battery  of  light  artillery.  He  soon 
succeeded  in  raising  the  minimum  number,  and  his 
command  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  ser- 
vice as  "The  lOth  New  York  Independent  Bat- 
tery." 

In  Hall's  "  Cayuga  in  the  Field  "  this  organiza- 
tion is  spoken  of  as  follows  : 

"  Of  this  number  a  full  battery  of  142  men  was 
raised  through  the  patriotic  and  vigorous  efforts  of 
Captain  Edwin  S.  Jenncy,  a  young  lawyer  in 
Syracuse,  whose  private  purse  furnished  hundreds 
of  dollars  for  the  work.  The  Captain  rented  the 
upper  stories  of  a  large  building  on  Salina  street. 
He  made  Syracuse  blaze  with  his  banners  and 
placards,  and  quickly  gatheretl  a  band  of  the  very 
best  intelligence  and  blood.  It  was  his  intention  to 
go  into  the  army  of  the  West,  into  which  he  had 
been  led  by  friends  to  suppose  he  could  be  sent. 
He  found,  however,  that  he  was  required  for  the 
army  of  the  Potomac,  where,  at  that  time,  a  rule 
existed  that  light  artillery  should  be  united  into 
battalions,  consisting  of  one  regular  and  three 
volunteer  batteries,  commanded  by  the  Captain  of 
the  regular  battery.  This  entailed  a  sacrifice  of 
independence  and  gave  no  chance  of  promotion. 
He  consented,  therefore,  to  an  order  of  the  State 
authorities  to  attach  him  to  the  3d  New  York 
Artillery,  as  Battery '  F.'  As  such  he  was  mustered 
in,  December  iSlh,  1861,  by  Lieutenant  J.  R. 
Brinklc,  5th  United  States  Artillery,  at  Syracuse. 

•  Vcterini  retained  in  the  lervicc. 

f  For  rotter  of  Enliited  Men  See  Appendix. 


Shortly  after,  he  repaired  to  New  York  and  lay  at 
Palace  Garden  Barracks  some  weeks,  previous  to 
going  to  the  front.  The  Lieutenants  of  the  com- 
pany were  Alex.  H.  Davis,  Gustavus  F.  Merriam, 
Paul  Birchmeyer  and  James  D.  Outwater." 

While  at  Palace  Garden  Barracks  the  battery 
was  uniformed  and  furnished  with  rifles  and  the 
men  were  thoroughly  drilled  in  infantry  tactics,  in 
order  that,  if  necessary,  they  could  perform  such 
service  until  the  battery  should  be  equipped. 

On  the  2 1  St  of  February,  1862,  the  Battery  pro- 
ceeded to  Washington,  D.  C,  and  the  next  day, 
with  the  rest  of  the  regiment,  which  it  had  now 
joined,  marched  across  the  Potomac  to  Fort  Cor- 
coran on  Arlington  Heights. 

Here  the  battery  remained  with  the  regiment 
encamped,  doing  garrison  duty  and  constantly 
drilling  in  infantry  and  heavy  artillery  tactics, 
until  March  25th,  1862,  when  orders  came  to  march 
to  join  Burnside's  expeditionary  army.  They  ar- 
rived at  Annapolis  the  next  day,  and,  on  the  28th, 
embarked  on  the  steamer  Fulton  for  Hatteras  In- 
let, where  they  arrived,  joining  Burnside's  fleet  on 
the  30th,  and  landing  at  Newbern,  North  Carolina, 
on  the  2d  of  April,  1862.  For  some  time  Captain 
Jenney  and  Captain  Morrison,  of  Battery  B,  were 
engaged  in  equipping  and  drilling  their  respective 
Batteries. 

"  By  the  ist  of  July,  these  Batteries  had  re- 
ceived their  full  armament.  Both  had  a  mi.xed  lot 
of  guns  ;  B  had  two  twenty-four  pound  howitzers, 
(brass*,  two  twelve  pound  howitzers,  (brass,)  and 
two  twelve  pound  Wiards,  (  cannon  and  rifled  )  ;  F 
had  two  iron  six  pounders,  two  iron  twelve  pound- 
ers, and  two  howitzers.  Horses  were  obtained 
principally  from  the  baggage  wagons  of  Massa- 
chusetts regiments.  The  old  Bay  State  sent  her 
regiments  into  the  field  with  everything  complete. 
A  large  number  of  her  troops  were  in  Burnside's 
army  and  their  splendid  teams  were  appropriated, 
as  the  emergency  requiring  them  arose,  to  the  use 
of  the  3d  artillery.  By  the  first  of  November, 
however.  Battery  F  was  fully  equipped  with  a 
complete  armament  of  six  Wiard  rifled  twelve 
pounder  guns. 

"  The  summer  and  fall  of  1862  were  spent  in  drill- 
ing the  several  companies  in  their  respective  roles 
as  light  and  heavy  artillery,  in  the  perfection  of  the 
line  of  fortifications  and  in  the  ordinary  routine  of 
camp  duties.  *  •  •  •  •         * 

"  With  only  an  occasional  skirmish  with  the 
enemy  until  November  of  that  year."* 

From  that  time  during  most  of  its  service  the 
battery  was  kept  actively  at  work.  From  the  3d  to 
the  loth  of  that  month  it  was  with  the  army  in  its 
march  upon  Tarboro.  While  no  battle  occurred 
during  this  march,  the  discipline  and  fortitude  of 

*  Ciyuga  in  the  Field. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


89 


the  command  were  constantly  tried  by  the  severity 
of  the  march,  frequent  skirmishes  and  the  constant 
alertness  necessary  in  the  near  presence  of  the 
enemy.  If  nothing  else  was  accomplished  by  this 
expedition,  it  was  of  great  educational  advantage  to 
the  troops,  for  they  were  veterans  ever  after. 

After  this,  until  December  nth,  the  command 
had  a  resting  spell.  On  that  day,  leaving  only  a 
small  garrison  at  Newbern,  the  army  began  the 
march  on  Goldsboro.  This  expedition  was  planned 
in  aid  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  General  Hal- 
leck  ordered  that  simultaneously  with  Burnside's 
crossing  the  Rappahannock,  all  the  available  forces 
at  Newbern,  should  advance  to  Goldsboro,  N.  C., 
destroy  the  railroads  and  bridges,  and  so  far  as  pos- 
sible, create  a  diversion  in  favor  of  General  Burn- 
side.  If  it  was  supposed  that  this  expedition 
would  fight  in  three  successive  days  three  battles 
and  two  of  them  among  the  severest  of  the  war, 
considering  the  number  of  men  engaged,  no  mistake 
was  made,  for  the  battles  of  Kinston,  Whitehall 
and  Goldsboro  are  its  history.  It  is  not  within  the 
scope  of  our  history  to  give  the  details  of  this 
march  nor  of  these  battles.  The  first  two  were 
the  severe  ones,  and  in  both  of  them  Jenney's 
Battery  distinguished  itself  At  Kinston  the  point 
of  our  attack  was  the  bridge  crossing  the  river,  and 
owing  to  the  long  range  of  its  guns,  this  battery 
was  at  first  placed  upon  a  hill  in  the  rear  of  our 
advancing  troops,  to  fire  over  them  and  thus  aid 
their  advance.  The  enemy  held  their  ground, 
however,  with  terrible  stubbornness ;  an  almost 
hand  to  hand  fight  raged  for  hours  ;  when 
it  was  discovered  that  the  enemy  was  being 
reenforced  by  troops  coming  to  their  left  flank, 
Jenney's  Battery  with  two  infantry  regiments  was 
ordered  to  hastily  proceed  to  our  right  and  cut  off 
such  reenforcements  if  possible.  Passing  through 
thick  woods  they  came  into  the  open  country  too 
late  to  effect  their  object,  but  with  the  bridge  and 
enemy  full  in  view.  The  intermediate  country  had 
been  drained  by  large  trenches  which  seemed  im- 
passable to  a  battery,  but  after  a  moments  confer- 
ence between  Gen.  Hickman,  who  commanded  the 
flanking  brigade,  and  Capt.  Jenney,  the  order  to 
advance  was  given,  and  the  Brigade  in  two  parallel 
columns  (the  infantry  in  one  and  the  battery  in  the 
other)  moved  at  double  quick  and  gallop  through 
the  trenches  and  across  the  field.  No  halt  was 
made  until  the  battery  was  within  cannister  range 
of  the  enemy.  The  report  of  the  Wiard  guns  was 
well  known  to  our  army.  The  position  of  the  field 
was  such  that  this  movement  upon  the  flank  was 
not  known  to  our  troops  until  the  Wiard  guns  rang 
12* 


out  in  quick  succession,  and  a  new  musketry  fire  in 
the  same  locality  told  them  the  story.  There  was 
a  momentary  lull ;  then  a  cheer  rang  along  the 
line,  an  advancing  shout,  and  the  enemy's  lines 
wavered  and  in  a  moment  gave  way  and  every  man 
sought  his  own  safety  in  flight ;  while  the  battery 
turned  its  fire  upon  the  bridge,  now  crowded  by  the 
retreating  enemy,  with  fearful  effect.  Several  hun- 
dred of  the  enemy  sheltered  themselves  below  the 
river  bank  and  were  captured.  The  enemy  in  re- 
treating, for  the  purpose  of  delaying  our  pursuit, 
fired  the  bridge  with  turpentine  thus  torturing  to 
death  many  of  their  unfortunate  wounded.  The 
work  of  removing  their  charred  remains  occasioned 
more  delay  than  extinguishing  the  flames,  which  was 
quickly  done  with  the  artillery  buckets. 

One  section  of  the  Battery  under  command  of 
Lieutenant  Frederick  Dennis,  with  the  3d  New 
York  Cavalry,  followed  and  harassed  the  retreating 
enemy  until  night,  but  the  Battery  had  been  too 
badly  crippled  by  the  loss  of  men  and  horses  to 
hastily  make  up  more  than  a  section  for  pursuit. 
At  5  o'clock  the  next  morning,  however,  having 
brought  in  reserve  horses  and  disposed  the  men  with 
reference  to  the  vacant  places.  Battery  F  marched 
out  in  the  placeof  honor  with  the  advanced  brigade. 

Conrad  Ring,  the  bugler,  bore  the  colors,  in  place 
of  poor  Dunlap  whose  horse  had  been  shot  under 
him  and  who  had  lost  a  leg  the  day  before,  while 
others  filled  the  places  of  the  poor  fellows  left  behind 
as  well  as  their  own  ;  yet  the  Battery  marched  out 
elated  with  the  honors  of  yesterday's  battle,  well 
prepared  for  the  arduous  duty  still  before  it. 

That  night  the  army  encamped  within  three 
miles  of  Whitehall,  which  it  was  necessary  to  pass 
by  the  route  taken,  to  reach  Goldsboro.  Early  the 
following  morning  our  cavalry  engaged  the  enemy 
opposite  this  village.  The  main  body  of  our  army 
speedily  came  up.  The  artillery  was  sent  to  the 
front,  the  cavalry  and  infantry  being  used  mainly  as 
a  support  and  the  battle  of  "  Whitehall  "  was  fought. 

"  Gloomy  woods  clothed  both  banks  of  the  river, 
except  on  the  south  side,  where  a  large  clearing  had 
been  made  among  the  trees,  forming  a  sort  of 
amphitheatre.  The  ground  sloped  steeply  to  the 
river.  The  enemy  was  on  the  north  bank  in  the 
woods,  6,000  strong,  under  General  Robertson,  with 
artiflery  in  intrenchments.  Reaching  the  open 
ground,  General  Foster  halted  the  infantry  regi- 
ments to  allow  the  passage  of  the  artillery,  which, 
receiving  orders  to  come  to  the  front  with  all  speed, 
spared  neither  lash  nor  spur,  and  came  thundering 
into  the  open  ground  on  a  run,  battery  after  battery. 
As  fast  as  they  reported,  those  having  light  guns, 
viz  :  "  F,"  "  H  "  and  "  K,"  and  Belger's,  were  ranged 
along  the  line  of  battle,  near  the  base  of  the  slope, 


«ll 


90 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK, 


the  heavy  guns,  those  of  "  E  "  and  "  I  "  near  the 
top.  Battery  B  was  not  in  the  fight.  As  fast  as 
they  came  into  position,  our  guns  opened  fire  on 
the  woods,  gunboat  and  the  rebel  battery,  and  for 
two  hours  and  over  poured  shot,  shell  and  cannistcr 
into  them  steadily.  The  cannonading  was  furious 
beyond  experience.  It  seemed  to  be  one  continu- 
ous peal  of  deafening  thunder.  The  ground  trem- 
bled under  the  sound.* 

The  enemy  had  ten  or  more  heavy  guns  in  their 
intrcnchments.  Upon  our  side  were  full  thirty  can- 
non but  they  were  all  field  pieces.  The  exposed 
hillside  and  close  range  rendered  the  battle  at 
once  an  artillery  duel  which  continued  until 
the  enemy's  guns  were  almost  wholly  disabled, 
when  our  infantry  advanced  to  the  river  bank  and 
quickly  dislodged  the  enemy.  During  this  engage- 
ment one  of  the  guns  of  "Jenney's  Battery,"  too 
severely  tried  by  the  rapid  firing,  burst  into  four 
pieces. 

Previous  to  this  march  Lieutenant  Davis  had 
been  promoted  to  Adjutant  of  the  regiment.  His 
duty  in  that  position  at  no  time  of  the  day  called 
him  to  the  front  ;  yet  he  advanced  into  the  fight 
with  his  old  battery  and  served  with  it  with  dis- 
tinguished gallantry  during  the  whole  action. 

Lieutenant  Dennis,  who  had  succeeded  Lieuten- 
ant Davis,  during  the  hottest  of  the  fight  was  sent 
with  his  section  to  the  most  exposed  position  in  the 
field  to  silence  one  of  the  enemy's  guns  which 
seemed  particularly  damaging  to  us,  and  received 
special  mention  for  the  courage  and  skill  with  which 
he  accomplished  that  result. 

After  this  battle  the  army  again  marched  on  and 
the  next  day,  reaching  the  goal  of  the  expedition, 
fought  the  battle  of  Goldsboro.  Here,  for  the  first 
time,  Battery  F  was  held  in  the  reserve,  short  of 
men,  with  many  draught  horses  supplying  the 
places  of  drilled  ones  left  on  the  field,  and  with 
ammunition  exhausted,  excepting  a  few  rounds  of 
cannister.  The  battery  could  no  longer  be  of 
service  and,  the  fighting  over,  the  men  gladly  left 
the  field  and  turned  again  toward  the  base  of 
supplies. 

"  When  the  artillery  came  off  the  field  to  take 
its  place  in  the  column,  the  troops  greeted  it  with 
cheers — regiment  after  regiment  waved  their  caps 
and  flags  enthusiastically  and  made  the  welkin 
ring  with  stormy  hurrahs.  '  Here  come  Jenney's 
Wiards— three  rousers  for  him,'  they  would  shout 
as  that  battery  came  by  and  so  on  to  the  last.  No 
general  orders  from  headquarters  could  have  better 
testified  to  the  worth  of  the  services  of  our  artillery 
in  the  field  than  this  spontaneous  and  cordial  out- 
burst on  the  field  of  the  battle*" 

The  army  reached  Newbern  on  the  20th  of  the 

*  Cjyugi  in  the  Field. 


month.  In  recognition  of  the  gallant  conduct  of 
the  battery,  Captain  Jenney  was  recommended  for 
promotion  and  on  the  ist  of  January  was  made  a 
Major  in  the  regiment. 

Immediately  after  the  return  of  the  army  an  ex- 
pedition was  planned  by  General  Foster  to  take 
Wilmington.  To  that  end  during  the  month  of 
January  following  he  moved  the  iSth  Corps  to 
Beaufort,  N  C,  ready  for  embarkation.  Before 
this  event,  however,  his  authority  was  revoked  by 
the  War  Department,  and  he  was  ordered  to  pro- 
ceed with  his  corps  to  South  Carolina,  to  aid  in  the 
capture  of  Charleston. 

In  obedience  to  this  order  the  army  was,  by  Jan- 
uary 30th,  snugly  aboard  a  fleet  of  about  fifty  ves- 
sels, and  on  the  31st  set  sail  reaching  Hilton  Head 
during  the  first  week  of  February. 

Maj.  Jenney,  reluctant  to  surrender  the  command 
of  his  battery,  was  permitted  to  accompany  it  and 
retained  command  until  July  following.  By  this 
expedition  Battery  F  was  divided.  The  guns  and 
gunners  with  only  horses  enough  to  draw  them 
were  taken,  the  rest  of  the  battery  remaining  at 
Newbern  until  the  next  winter,  when  it  joined  the 
main  portion  of  the  battery  in  South  Carolina. 

This  detachment,  however,  was  furnished  with 
two  guns  and,  as  a  section  under  Lieutenant  Clark, 
rendered  efficient  service  in  several  actions  during 
the  period  of  its  detention  in  North  Carolina. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  the  battery  in  South  Carolina 
it  was  encamped  upon  St.  Helena  Island  where  it 
remained  inactive  until  April  ist. 

General  Foster,  upon  his  arrival,  found  nothing 
in  readiness  for  operations  against  Charleston  and 
returned  at  once  to  North  Carolina,  whither  most 
of  his  army  soon  followed  him.  Battery  F,  how- 
ever, was  detained  by  General  Hunter  and  served 
during  the  rest  of  the  war  in  South  Carolina  and 
Florida. 

The  1st  of  April,  1863,  the  battery  received 
marching  orders  and  was  transported  to  F'olly 
Island.  Here  it  was  incorporated  into  Vogdes' 
brigade,  Major  Jenney  becoming  chief  of  artillery 
and  chief  of  staft',  and  also  retaining  command  of 
his  battery.  Work  was  commenced  at  once  fortify- 
ing the  northern  end  of  the  island  with  the  view  of 
storming  and  capturing  Morris  Island  which  lay 
near  and  next  north  of  Folly  at  the  mouth  of 
Charleston  Harbor,  its  capture  being  necessary 
to  the  storming  of  Sumpter  and  capture  of  Charles- 
ton from  the  sea.  This  work  having  been  accom- 
plished with  great  difficulty  and  under  the  almost 
constant  fire  of  the  enemy's  artillery  and  infantry 
from  Morris  Island,  only  400  yards  away,  on  the 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


9* 


9th  of  July,  1S63.  At  daybreak  the  artillery  opened 
fire  upon  Morris  Island  while  Strong's  brigade  in 
small  boats  crossed  the  inlet  under  a  terrible  fire 
and  stormed  and  captured  the  works  upon  the 
southern  end  of  Morris  Island. 

To  Battery  F  was  assigned  the  duty  of  defending 
the  crossing  troops  from  the  fire  of  the  enemy  from 
their  rifle  pits.  This  work  was  so  well  done  that 
twenty-four  of  their  rifle  men  were  found  dead  in 
the  pits. 

General  Strong  advanced  his  brigade  at  once 
and  attempted  to  capture  Fort  Wagner  at  the 
northern  end  of  the  Island  by  storm,  but  was 
twice  successively  repulsed,  July  iSth. 

A  siege  was  necessary  and  was  at  once  com- 
menced. During  this  siege  ^Battery  F,  now  com- 
manded by  Lieutenant  Birchmeyer,  was  always  in 
the  extreme  advance,  pushing  ahead  as  the  intrench- 
ments  were  dug  until  September  6th,  when  the  Fort 
was  taken. 

Lieutenants  Birchmeyer  and  Van  Housen  were 
especially  commended  by  the  commanding  General 
for  their  bravery  and  untiring  exertions,  and  John 
Conway,  Riley  Fancher  and  Matthias  Thyson  were 
presented  with  medals  by  the  government  for 
bravery  in  the  trenches. 

The  battery  remained  upon  Folly  Island  until 
April,  1864,  and  during  this  time  it  was  by  no 
means  inactive. 

In  April,  1864,  the  battery  went  to  Beaufort,  N. 
C,  where  its  camp  remained  until  September  5, 
1864,  when  it  was  ordered  to  Florida. 

While  at  Beaufort  the  spirit  of  the  battery 
was  well  tested  in  the  battles  of  John's  Island 
and  Bloody  Bridge,  in  both  of  which  it  main- 
tained its  early  reputation. 

On  the  14th  of  September  the  battery  arrived  at 
Jacksonville,  where  it  remained  in  camp  until 
November  29th,  when  it  again  returned  to  South 
Carolina,  to  cooperate  under  General  Foster  with 
General  Sherman,  then  marching  to  the  sea. 

During  the  campaign  which  followed,  it  fought  in 
the  battles  of  Honey  Hill,  Dereauxheck,  Camden, 
Ashapo  and  others  of  less  importance.  It  moved 
with  Sherman  to  Raleigh  and  then  returned  to 
Charleston,  S.  C,  where  it  turned  over  its  guns 
and  equipments  to  the  Government,  and  in  the 
month  of  May,  1865,  returned  home  to  Syracuse 
and  was  mustered  out. 

In  July,  1863,  Major  Jenney  was  compelled  to 
leave  the  battery  and  assume  his  duties  as  Major. 
He  proceeded  to  regimental  headquarters  at  New- 
bern,  N.  C,  where  he  was  soon  made  Judge  Advo- 
cate and  shortly  after  Provost  Judge  of  the  De- 


partment. He  occupied  these  positions  until  Sep- 
tember, 1864,  when,  upon  the  recommendation  of 
the  Citizens'  Committee,  he  was  commissioned 
Colonel  of  the  185th  Regiment,  then  being  organ- 
ized at  Syracuse,  and  immediately  went  to  Fortress 
Monroe  to  obtain  leave  from  the  Commanding  Gen- 
eral to  accept  such  promotion.  This  leave  was 
granted  and  he  was  ordered  to  return  to  Newbern 
and  turn  over  his  office  to  his  successor.  He  re- 
turned by  the  way  of  the  Dismal  Canal  and  was 
on  the  little  steamer  Fawn,  which  was  fired  upon 
and  captured  by  a  company  of  rebel  marines.  At 
the  time  the  boat  was  fired  upon  she  was  stopped 
by  a  draw-bridge  suddenly  shot  across  the  canal  by 
rebels  who  had  taken  possession  of  it,  and  the 
rebel  company,  about  70  in  number,  arising  from 
the  cover  of  a  hillock  fired  upon  the  boat.  There 
were  four  officers  and  ten  men  on  the  deck,  sitting 
or  lounging  without  apprehension  of  danger  and  not 
more  than  twenty  feet  from  the  muzzles  of  the 
rebel  guns.  Of  this  party,  ten  out  of  the  fourteen 
were  killed  or  wounded — Major  Jenney  being  one  of 
the  fortunate  ones.  There  was  no  opportunity  for 
resistance,  as  there  was  not  even  a  pistol  on  the 
boat,  which  was  then  passing  through  friendly  terri- 
tory. The  prisoners  were  marched  to  Elizabeth 
City,  about  forty  miles  distant.  In  the  morning 
Major  Jenney  succeeded  in  persuading  the  rebel 
Captain  to  parole  him.  The  parole  being  duly  signed 
Jenney  pretended  to  return  by  the  same  route  he 
had  come,  but  instead  of  doing  so,  went  to  the 
river,  and  capturing  a  small  boat  made  the  best  of 
his  way  down  the  river  and  across  the  Sound  to 
Roanoke  Island.  He  immediately  reported  the 
circumstances  of  his  capture  and  parole  to  the 
Government  and  hastened  home  to  attend  to  the  or- 
ganization of  his  regiment. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

The  Twelfth  Regiment  New  York  Volunteers 
—  Organization  —  March  to  the  Front — 
Blackburn's  Ford — Bull  Run — The  Peninsu- 
lar Campaign — Yorktown— Hanover  Court 
House. 

THE  1 2th  Regiment  New  York  Volunteer  In- 
fantry was  the  first  organized  in  Onondaga 
county  and  among  the  first  formed  in  the  State  at 
the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion.  On  Monday  after 
the  ever-memorable  Sunday,  April  14,  1861,  on 
which  Sumpter  was  fired  upon,  the  regiment  was 
filled,  enlisting  in  the  State  service  for  two  years. 
It  was  organized  as  follows : 


92 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Field  and  Staff  Officers — Ezra  L.  Walrath, 
Colonel  ;  James  L.  Graham,  Licut.-Coloncl  ;  John 
Louts,  Major  ;  Silas  Titus,  Adjutant;  Edmund  B. 
Griswold,  Quartermaster ;  Roger  W.  Pease,  Sur- 
geon ;  George  H.  Todd,  Assistant  Surgeon  ;  George 
H.  Root,  Sergcant-Major  ;  Charles  Sedgwick, 
Quartermaster-Sergeant  ;  Robert  C.  Daly,  Drum- 
Major  ;  Spencer  Eaton,  Fife  Major. 

Line  Officers — Company  A :  Morris  H.  Church, 
Captain  ;  Ira  Wood,  Lieutenant ;  Charles  B.  Randall, 
Ensign  ;  Porter  R.  Alger,  Abraham  Fredendoll, 
Abram  Farnic  and  John  Cross,  ist,  2d,  3d  and  4th 
Sergeants ;  William  B.  Patterson,  George  W.  Pratt, 
Charles  K.  F"urman,Jr.,and  Harrison  Wagfjoner,  ist, 
2d,  3d  and  4th  Corporals ;  Daniel  Reiyea,  Drummer. 

Company  B :  Jacob  Brand,  Captain  ;  Peter 
Strauss,  Lieutenant  ;  John  P.  Spanier,  Ensign  ; 
Michael  Auer,  Julius  Hintz,  George  Boiteu,  and 
Max  Fix,  Sergeants  ;  Michael  Welter,  Jacob  Sim- 
mon, Albert  Hoft'mann.and  John  Dauer,  Corporals  ; 
Moritz  Schwarz,  Drummer. 

Company  C  :  Dennis  Driscoll,  Jr.,  Captain  ;  James 
Randall,  Lieutenant ;  John  P.  Stanton,  Ensign  ; 
Michael  Foley,  George  Travis,  John  Lighten,  and 
John  Carroll,  Sergeants  ;  Richard  J.  Wright,  James 
Lewis,  William  Stanton,  and  John  R.  Bailey,  Cor- 
porals ;  Hiram  Foote,  Drummer. 

Company  D  :  George  W.  Stone,  Captain  ;  Lucius 
C.  Storrs,  Lieutenant ;  George  Snyder,  Ensign  ; 
Origcn  S.  Storrs,  Charles  W.  Greene,  John  M. 
Couch,  and  Davis  Jones,  Sergeants  ;  Albertus 
Webb,  John  Muldoon,  Charles  H.  Davis,  and  Henry 
Shirley,  Corporals  ;  Jay  F.  Bates,  Drummer. 

Company  li  :  Jabez  M.  Brower,  Captain  ;  Fred- 
erick Horner,  Lieutenant;  Samuel  J.  Abbott,  En- 
sign ;  Richard  N.  Booth,  Frank  W.  Clock,  Cort- 
land Clark  and  Thomas  J.  Behan,  Sergeants  ; 
Abijah  P.  Mabinc,  Byron  Gilbert,  Hiram  G.  How- 
land  and  Daniel  W.  Barker,  Corporals  ;  Charles  A. 
Taylor,  Drummer. 

Company  F  :  Milo  W.  Locke,  Captain  ;  William 
Gleason,  Lieutenant ;  Stephen  D.  Clark,  Ensign  ; 
Edwin  R.  Dennis,  Charles  S.  Wells,  Watson  E. 
Hart  and  Erastus  P.  Kinne,  Sergeants  ;  Jacob  Van 
Alstync,  George  W.  Blackman,  Handley  Lamb  and 
James  Harroun,  Corporals  ;  John  Robinson,  Drum- 
mer ;  Seth  S.  Thomas,  Fifer. 

Company  G  :  Joseph  C.  Irish,  Captain  ;  John 
H.  Johnson,  Lieutenant ;  Erskine  P.  Woodford, 
Ensign  ;  George  F.  Ballou,  Oliver  T.  May,  Levi  J. 
Irish  and  Rush  Parkhurst,  Sergeants ;  Irving 
Tuttle,  John  H.  Light,  Francis  A.  Darling  and 
Eliakiam  Winchel,  Corporals ;  Jay  H.  Roberts, 
Drummer  ;  Sylvester  Edwards,  Fifer. 


Company  H  :  George  W.  Cole,  Captain:  George 
Truesdell,  Lieutenant ;  Albert  M.  Wiborn,  Ensign  ; 
Edward  Pointer,  James  Giberson,  Thomas  Bartlett 
and  Silas  Carpenter,  Sergeants ;  Charles  Coon, 
Lester  C.  Herrick,  Augustus  H.  Wilkins  and  Jetier- 
son  Button,  Corporals ;  Randolph  Phillips,  Drum- 
mer ;  Alvin  Harder,  Fifer. 

Company  I  :  Henry  A.  Barnum,  Captain ; 
Hamilton  R.  Comb,  Lieutenant  ;  Edward  Drake, 
Ensign  ;  Andrew  V.  Urmy,  Randall  McDonald, 
John  H.  Phillips  and  Joab  W.  Mercer,  Sergeants; 
William  F.  Johnson,  Dexter  Smith,  John  H.  Leon- 
ard and  Asabel  W.  Smith,  Corporals ;  Willett 
Britton,  Drummer ;  Seth  H.  Kingsley.  Fifer. 

Company  K :  Augustus  J.  Root,  Captnin  ;  Wil- 
liam P.  Town,  Lieutenant ;  Lucius  Smith,  Ensign  ; 
Samuel  D.  Sudden,  Charles  F.  Rand,  James  F. 
Taylor  and  Thomas  Tangey,  Sergeants  ;  Samuel 
McChesney,  William  P.  Jones,  James  P.  Taylor 
and  Joseph  L.  Hunt,  Corporals  ;  Albert  A.  Mead, 
Drummer  ;  Francis  M.  Lincoln,  Fifer. 

The  regiment  left  Syracuse  May  2,  1S61,  for 
Elmira,  and  was  there  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service  for  three  months,  May  13.  Receiv- 
ing its  uniform  and  equipments  at  Elmira,  it  left  for 
Washington,  in  company  with  the  13th  New  York, 
from  Rochester,  June  2d,  and  after  quartering  a  few 
days  at  Caspari's  House,  went  into  camp  on  East 
Capitol  Hill. 

July  15,  the  regiment  was  ordered  across  Chain 
Bridge  into  Virginia,  and  was  the  first  to  be  under 
fire  at  Blackburn's  Ford  on  the  iSth,  preliminary  to 
the  first  Bull  Run  engagement.  Lieut.  Randall  of 
this  regiment,  having  command  of  about  twenty  of 
our  men  as  skirmishers,  was  the  first  to  attack  the 
enemy.  George  N.  Cheney,  a  private  of  Company 
A,  was  the  first  man  killed.  In  this  engagement 
six  of  the  I2lh  Regmient  were  killed  and  thirteen 
wounded. 

The  movement  of  the  Union  forces  under  Gen. 
McDowell  (directed  from  Washington  by  Lieut. - 
Gen.  Winficld  Scott  1  commenced  on  Tuesday  July 
i6th.  The  advance  column,  under  Gen.  Tyler, 
bivouacked  that  night  at  Vienna,  four  and  a  half 
miles  from  Fairfax  Court  House,  rested  next  morn- 
ing at  Germantown,  two  miles  beyond  Fairfax, 
and  on  Thursday  at  9  o'clock,  A.  M.,  pushed  on 
through  Centerville,  the  rebels  retiring  quietly  be- 
fore it.  Three  miles  beyond  Centerville  the  rebels 
were  found  strongly  posted  at  Blackburn's  Ford, 
on  Bull  Run  ;  and,  on  being  pressed  by  Tyler's 
force,  a  spirited  engagement  ensued,  at  about  half- 
past  one  P.  M.  The  rebels  were  in  heavy  force  un- 
der  the    immediate  command   of  General   Long- 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


93 


street.  The  attacking  force  on  our  side  was  Sher- 
man's Battery,  under  Captain  Ayres,  supported  by 
Colonel  J.  B.  Richardson's  brigade,  consisting  of 
the  I2th  New  York,  the  ist  Massachusetts,  and 
the  2d  and  3d  Michigan  infantry.  In  this  engage- 
ment the  losses  were  nearly  equal — 83  on  our  side 
and  68  on  that  of  the  enemy.  Considered  as  a  re- 
connoissance  in  force  it  might  be  termed  a  success. 
The  result  demonstrated  that  the  main  body  of  the 
rebel  army  was  in  position  along  the  wooded  valley 
of  Bull  Run,  halfway  between  Centerville  and  Man- 
assas Junction,  and  proposed  to  remain.  As  this 
was  the  first  experience  of  the  12th  Regiment  in 
actual  fighting,  and  as  the  campaign  of  Bull  Run 
was  a  memorable  one,  it  may  be  well  to  introduce 
here  a  few  facts  respecting  the  general  engagement. 
The  following  is  substantially  the  account  given  by 
Greeley,  in  his  American  Conflict,  p.  539-43  : 

"  General  McDowell's  army  being  concentrated 
around  the  ridge  on  which  Centerville  is  situated, 
on  the  i8th  and  19th  of  July,  the  intention  was  to 
advance  on  the  rebels  posted  along  Bull  Run  and 
between  that  and  Manassas  Junction  on  Saturday, 
the  20th.  But  delay  was  encountered  in  the  recep- 
tion of  subsistence,  which  did  not  arrive  till  Friday 
night.  During  Saturday,  three  day's  rations  were 
distributed,  and  every  preparation  made  for  moving 
punctually  at  2  o'clock  next  morning.  Meantime, 
Beauregard,  maintaining  an  absolute  quiet  and  in- 
offensiveness  on  his  front,  and  fully  informed  by 
spies  and  traitors  of  every  movement  between  him 
and  Washington,  had  hastily  gathered  from  every 
side  all  the  available  forces  of  the  Confederacy,  in- 
cluding 15,000,  or  nearly  the  full  strength  of  John- 
ston's Army  of  the  Shenandoah,  and  had  decided  to 
assume  the  offensive  and  attack  our  forces  before 
General  Patterson  could  come  up  and  join  them. 
Had  our  advance  been  made  on  Saturday,  as  was 
originally  intended,  it  would  have  encountered  but 
two-thirds  of  the  force  it  actually  combatted  ;  had 
it  been  delayed  a  few  hours  longer,  we  should  have 
stood  on  the  defensive,  with  the  immense  advantage 
of  knowing  the  ground  and  of  choosing  the  posi- 
tion whereon  to  fight.  Such  are  the  overruling 
casualties  and  fatalities  of  war." 

Bull  Run  afforded  a  good  position  for  planting 
batteries  to  command  the  roads  on  the  opposite  side, 
so  screened  by  the  woods  and  brush  as  to  be  neither 
seen  nor  suspected  until  the  advancing  or  attacking 
column  was  close  upon  them.  This  fact  explains 
and  justifies  Gen.  McDowell's  (or  Scott's)  order  of 
battle,  which  was  briefly  as  follows  :  To  menace  the 
rebel  right  by  the  advance  of  our  ist  division  on  the 
direct  road  from  Centerville  to  Manassas  Junction, 
while  making  a  more  serious  demonstration  on  the 
road  running  due  west  from  Centerville  to  Groveton 
and  Warrenton,  and  crossing  Bull  Run  by  the  Stone 
Bridge.     The  real  or  main  attack  was  to  be  made 


by  a  column  15,000  strong,  composed  of  the  2d 
(Hunter's)  and  the  3d  (Heintzelman's)  divisions, 
which,  starting  from  their  camps  a  mile  or  two  east 
and  southeast  of  Centerville,  were  to  make  a  con- 
siderable detour  to  the  right,  crossing  Cub  Run,  and 
then  Bull  Run,  at  a  ford  known  as  Sudley  Spring, 
three  miles  above  the  Stone  Bridge  ;  thus  turning: 
the  rebel  left,  and  rolling  it  up  on  the  center,  where 
it  was  to  be  taken  in  flank  by  our  ist  division 
(Tyler's),  crossing  the  Stone  Bridge  at  the  right 
moment,  and  completing  the  rout  of  the  enemy. 
The  5th  division  ( Miles')  was  held  in  reserve  at  Cen- 
terville, not  only  to  support  the  attacking  columns, 
but  to  guard  against  the  obvious  peril  of  a  formida- 
ble rebel  advance  on  our  left  across  Blackburn's  Ford 
to  Centerville,  flanking  our  flank  movement,  captur- 
ing our  munitions  and  supplies,  and  cutting  off  our 
line  of  retreat.  The  4th  division  (Runyon's)  guarded 
our  communications  with  Alexandria  and  Arlington, 
its  foremost  regiment  being  about  seven  miles  back 
from  Centerville. 

The  movement  of  our  forces  was  to  have  com- 
menced at  half-past  2  o'clock  a.  m.,  and  the  battle 
should  have  been  opened  at  all  points  at  6  a.  m. 
But  our  raw  troops  had  never  been  brigaded  prior 
to  this  advance,  and  most  of  their  officers  were 
utterly  without  experience  ;  so  that  there  was  a 
delay  of  two  or  three  hours  in  the  flanking  divisions 
reaching  the  point  at  which  the  battle  was  to  begin. 
Gen.  Tyler,  in  front  of  Stone  Bridge,  opened  with 
his  artillery  at  half-past  6  a.  m.,  eliciting  no  reply  ; 
and  it  was  three  hours  later  when  Hunter's  advance, 
under  Colonel  Burnside,  crossed  at  Sudley  Spring. 
His  men,  thirsty  with  their  early  march,  that  hot 
July  morning,  stopped  as  they  crossed  to  fill  their 
canteens.  Meantime,  every  movement  of  our  forces 
was  made  manifest  to  Beauregard,  watching  them 
from  the  slope  two  or  three  miles  west,  by  the 
clouds  of  dust  which  rose  over  their  line  of  march  ; 
and  regiment  after  regiment  was  hurried  northward 
by  him  to  meet  the  imminent  shock.  No  strength 
was  wasted  by  him  upon,  and  scarcely  any  notice 
taken  of,  our  feint  on  his  right.  But  when  Burn- 
side's  brigade,  after  crossing  at  Sudley,  had  marched 
a  mile  or  so  through  woods  down  the  road  on  the 
right  of  Bull  Run,  and  come  out  into  a  clear  and 
cultivated  country,  stretching  thence  over  a  mile  of 
rolling  fields  down  to  Warrenton  turnpike,  he  was 
vigorously  opened  upon  by  artillery  from  the  woods 
in  his  front,  and  as  he  pressed  on,  by  infantry  also. 
Continuing  to  advance,  fighting,  followed  and  sup- 
ported by  Hunter's  entire  division,  which  was  soon 
joined  on  its  left  by  Heintzelman's,  having  crossed 
the  stream  a  little  later  and  further  down,  our  at- 


94 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


tacking  column  reached  and  crossed  the  Warrenton 
road  from  Ccntcr\illc  by  the  Stone  Kridgc,  giving  a 
hand  to  Sherman's  brigade  of  Tyler's  division,  and 
all  but  clearing  the  road  of  the  rebel  batteries  and 
regiments,  which  here  resisted  our  efforts,  under 
the  immediate  command  of  Gen.  Joseph  E.  John- 
ston. Here  Griffin's  Battery,  which,  with  Rickett's, 
had  done  the  most  effective  fighting  throughout, 
was  charged  with  effect  by  a  rebel  regiment,  which 
was  enabled  to  approach  it  with  impunity  by  a  mis- 
take of  our  officers,  who  supposed  it  one  of  our  own. 
Three  different  attacks  were  repulsed  with  slaughter, 
and  the  battery  remained  in  our  hands,  though  all 
the  horses  were  killed.  At  3  p.  m.,  the  rebels  had 
been  driven  a  mile  and  a  half,  and  were  nearly  out 
of  sight,  abandoning  the  Warrenton  road  entirely 
to  our  victorious  troops.  Gen.  Tyler,  on  hearing 
the  guns  of  Hunter  on  our  right,  had  pushed  Sher- 
man's, and  soon  after  Keyse's  Brigade,  over  the 
Run  to  assail  the  enemy  in  his  front,  driving  them 
back  after  a  severe  struggle,  and  steadily  advancing 
until  checked  by  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery  from  bat- 
teries on  the  heights  above  the  road,  supported  by 
a  brigade  of  rebel  infantry  strongly  posted  behind 
breastworks.  A  gallant  charge  by  the  2d  Maine 
and  3d  Connecticut,  temporarily  carried  the  build- 
ings behind  which  the  rebel  guns  were  sheltered, 
but  the  breastworks  were  too  strong,  and  our  men 
recoiling  from  their  fire,  deflected  to  the  left,  mov- 
ing down  the  Run  under  the  shelter  of  the  bluft", 
covering  the  efforts  of  Capt.  Alexander's  Pioneers 
to  remove  the  heavy  abatis  whereby  the  rebels  had 
obstructed  the  road  up  from  the  Stone  Bridge. 
This  had  at  length  been  effected,  and  Schenck's 
brigade  and  Ayres's  battery  of  Tyler's  division 
were  on  the  point  of  crossing  the  Run  to  aid  in  com- 
pleting our  triumph. 

But  the  rebels,  at  first  outnumbered  at  the  point 
of  actual  collision,  had  been  receiving  reenforce- 
mcnts  nearly  all  day,  and  at  this  critical  moment. 
General  Kirby  Smith,  who  had  that  morning  left 
Piedmont,  fifteen  miles  distant,  with  the  remaining 
brigade  of  General  Johnston's  army,  appeared  on 
the  field.  Cheer  after  cheer  burst  from  the  rebel 
hosts,  but  now  so  downcast,  as  this  timely  recnforce- 
ment  rushed  to  the  front  of  the  battle.  General 
Johnston  had  been  heard  to  exclaim  but  a  moment 
before  to  General  Cocke,  "  Oh,  for  four  regiments  !  " 
His  wish  was  answered.  Smith,  in  riding  to  the 
front,  almost  instantly  fell  from  his  horse  wounded. 
Colonel  Arnold  Elzley  promptly  assumed  command 
of  his  brigade,  and  rushed  forward,  backed  by  the 
whole  reassured  and  exultant  rebel  host,  who  felt 
that  the  day  was  won.     Our  soldiers,  who  had  been 


thirteen  hours  marching  and  fighting,  hungry, 
thirsty,  weary,  and  continually  encountering  fresh 
rebel  troops,  without  seeing  even  a  company  hurry- 
ing to  their  support,  became  suddenly  dismayed 
and  jjanic  stricken.  Elzley's  and  Early's  fresh 
battalions  filled  the  woods  on  their  right,  extending 
rapidly  toward  its  rear,  firing  on  them  from  under 
cover,  and  seeming  by  their  shots  and  cries  to  be 
innumerable.  Two  or  three  of  our  regiments  re- 
coiled and  then  broke,  rushing  down  to  the  Run. 
Johnston  again  ordered  Ewell  to  advance  and  attack, 
which  he  did,  but  was  received  by  the  2d  Brigade 
(  Colonel  T.  A.  Davis )  with  so  rapid  and  spirited  a 
fire  of  grape  and  cannister  that  he  precipitately  re- 
treated. 

There  were  still  more  than  three  hours  of  good 
daylight  when  the  rebels  saw  our  routed  right  rush- 
ing madly  from  the  field,  like  frightened  sheep,  yet 
their  pursuit  amounted  to  nothing.  They  came 
across  Bull  Run,  preceded  by  their  cavalry,  and 
seem  to  have  taken  a  deliberate  though  rather 
distant  survey  of  the  5th  division,  drawn  up  in  good 
order  along  the  slope  west  of  Centerville,  and  eager- 
ly expecting  their  advance.  But  they  appear  to  have 
been  aware  that  their  victory  was  a  lucky  accident, 
and  they  did  not  choose  to  submit  its  prestige  to  the 
chance  of  another  fray.  Our  5th  division,  constitut- 
ing the  reserve,  now  became  the  rear  guard  of  our 
army,  and  remained  in  position  till  after  midnight, 
when,  under  peremptory  orders  from  Gen.  Mc- 
Dowell, it  commenced  its  deliberate  retreat  to  the 
environs  of  Washington.  Although  the  retreat 
from  the  battle  field  of  Bull  Run,  was  a  panic- 
stricken  flight  on  the  part  of  a  considerable  number 
of  raw  and  undisciplined  troops  and  a  multitude  of 
stragglers  and  spectators  who  went  out  of  Washing- 
ton  on  that  fine  Sunday  to  witness  the  battle,  yet  a 
portion  of  our  army  retired  in  good  order.  Says 
Major  Berry,  our  chief  of  Artillery  in  the  battle  : 

"  The  army  having  retired  upon  Centerville,  I  was 
ordered  by  General  McDowell  in  person,  to  post  the 
artillery  in  position  to  cover  the  retreat.  The  bat- 
teries of  Hunt,  Ayres,  Tidball,  Edwards,  Green  and 
the  New  York  8th  regiment  (the  latter  served  by 
volunteers  from  Wilcox's  brigade)  20  pieces  in  all, 
were  at  once  placed  in  ])osition  ;  and  thus  remained 
till  12  o'clock,  p.  M.,  when  orders  having  been  re- 
ceived to  retire  upon  the  I'otomac,  the  batteries 
were  put  in  march,  and  covered  by  Richardson's 
brigade  retired  in  good  order  and  without  haste,  and 
early  next  morning  reoccupied  their  former  camps 
on  the  Potomac." 

The  1 2th  Regiment  during  this  expedition  was 
brigaded  with  the  ist  Massachusetts  and  the  2d 
and  3d  Michigan,  under  command  of  Col.  J.  D. 
Richardson.     On   Monday,  the  22d  of  July,   they 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK, 


95 


returned  from  Bull  Run,  as  rear  guard  of  the  re- 
treating army,  and  on  the  24th  occupied  a  portion 
of  the  camp  of  the  8th  Militia  at  Arlington  Heights, 
where  they  remained  a  few  days  and  then  encamped 
upon  the  flats  near  the  Long  Bridge  turnpike.  On 
the  13th,  they  removed  to  Fort  Albany  and  relieved 
the  25th  New  York  Militia,  and  thence  on  the  30th 
to  a  camp  south  of  the  Arlington  House,  and  con- 
structed Fort  Craig — one  of  a  continuous  line  of 
fortifications  from  Alexandria  to  Chain  Bridge.  On 
the  evening  of  August  26,  three  companies  under 
Captain  Barnum,  were  detailed  on  picket  duty  to- 
wards Upton's  Hill,  and  had  a  lively  skirmish  with 
the  rebels  lasting  nearly  all  day.  They  were  re- 
pulsed by  the  rebels  to  Ball's  Cross  Roads.  Ser- 
geant-Major  Estes  and  private  Hitchcock  were 
wounded,  the  latter  mortally,  and  Fred.  Darby,  of 
Company  D,  taken  prisoner.  On  the  27th  of  Sep- 
tember, a  general  advance  was  made  upon  Upton's 
Hill,  and  the  12th  Regiment  established  permanent 
camp  in  which  they  remained  till  early  in  the  month 
of  February. 

On  the  3d  of  February,  1S62,  the  regiment  was 
consolidated  with  the  12th  New  York  Militia,  so 
called,  a  body  of  550  recruits  raised  by  Henry  A. 
Weeks  in  the  city  of  New  York.  Up  to  this  time 
the  1 2th  Regiment  had  been  about  nine  months  in 
service,  and  through  losses  in  the  field  and  sickness 
had  been  reduced  to  450  officers  and  men.  When 
General  McClellan  was  at  this  time  making  up  the 
Armv  of  the  Potomac,  this  remnant  of  the  12th 
Volunteers  was  to  be  left  out  and  kept  for  garrison 
duty  in  the  defences  of  Washington,  to  serve  as 
heavy  artillery  under  command  of  Lieutenant-Col- 
onel R.  M.  Richardson.  Colonel  Richardson  did 
not  feel  satisfied  with  this  idea,  and  being  desirous 
that  another  regiment  should  be  put  in  active  ser- 
vice at  the  front,  he  obtained  leave  of  absence,  went 
to  New  York  and  found  Henry  A.  Weeks  with  550 
recruits,  called  the  12th  New  York  Militia,  made 
arrangements  for  the  consolidation  of  these  recruits 
with  the  remnant  of  the  12th  New  York  Volunteers, 
on  condition  that  Mr.  Weeks  should  be  Colonel  of 
the  new  regiment ;  thus  relinquishing  the  command 
of  his  own  regiment  in  order  to  effect  the  new  or- 
ganization. 

In  the  consolidation  the  ten  companies  of  the 
1 2th  Regiment  were  reduced  to  five,  the  12th  Mili- 
tia furnishing  five.  The  companies  of  the  12th 
New  York  Volunteers,  which  retained  their  or- 
ganizatione  were  companies  A,  G,  H,  I  and  K,  offi- 
cered respectively  by  Captains  Root,  Randall, 
Wood,  Truesdell  and  Coombs.  The  field  officers 
were  Henry  A.  Weeks,  Colonel ;    R.  M.  Richard- 


son, Lieutenant-Colonel ;  Henry  A.  Barnum,  Ma- 
jor ;  George  W.  Watson,  Adjutant ;  Porter  R. 
Alger,  Quartermaster ;  A.  B.  Shipman,  Surgeon  ; 
George  B.  Todd,  Assistant  Surgeon.  The  officers 
rendered  supernumerary  by  the  consolidation  were 
mustered  out  of  the  service.  Most  of  them  reen- 
listed,  and  in  other  organizations  attained  consider- 
able distinction  during  the  war. 

On  the  13th  of  March,  1862,  Gen.  McClellan 
organized  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  At  that  date 
the  1 2th  Regiment  was  attached  to  Gen.  Butter- 
field's  brigade,  consisting  of  the  I2th,  17th  and 
44th  New  York,  the  i6th  Michigan  and  the  83d 
Pennsylvania  regiments  ;  and  thus  organized  ac- 
companied the  Army  of  the  Potomac  under  Gen. 
McClellan  to  the  Peninsula.  They  were  engaged 
in  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  daily  furnishing  a  large 
detail  of  men  to  work  in  the  trenches,  and  on  the 
14th  of  April,  engaged  in  a  sharp  skirmish  with 
the  rebels  who  had  attacked  our  picket  lines. 

On  the  4th  of  May,  General  Magruder  evacuated 
Yorktown  with  his  forces.  McClellan  had  been 
thirty  days  in  front  of  the  works,  and  was  intending 
to  open  the  siege  on  the  6th  of  May,  but  he  found, 
two  days  earlier,  that  Magruder  had  abandoned  his 
works,  including  Yorktown,  during  the  preceding 
night,  and  had  retreated  up  the  Peninsula.  While 
the  pursuit  of  the  rebels  was  prompt  and  energetic 
under  Stoneman  and  Hooker  to  Williamsburg, 
where  Hooker's  division  withstood  30,000  of  the 
rebel  force  during  an  entire  day  without  reenforce- 
ments.  General  McClellan  remained  at  Yorktown 
supervising  the  embarkation  of  Franklin's,  Butter- 
field's  and  other  troops,  including  our  12th  New 
York  Regiment,  for  West  Point,  whence  they 
moved  up  the  Pamunkey  River  and  thence  across 
to  New  Bridge  on  the  Chickahominy.  Here  the 
1 2th  Regiment  was  in  the  3d  Brigade,  under 
Genera!  D.  C.  Butterfield,  ist  Division  (General 
Morrell's)  Sth  Corps,  commanded  by  General  Fitz- 
John  Porter  ;  and  so  remained  throughout  the 
service.  On  the  24th  of  May,  fighting  commenced 
on  the  Chickahominy,  near  New  Bridge.  The  4th 
Michigan  (Colonel  Woodbury)  waded  the  stream  and 
assailed  and  drove  off  a  superior  rebel  force,  losing 
but  8  men  in  all,  and  taking  37  prisoners,  of 
whom  15  were  wounded.  Directly  afterwards  Gen. 
Fitz-John  Porter,  commanding  the  5th  Corps,  on 
our  right,  was  ordered  to  advance  from  New  Bridge 
via.  Mechanicsville  to  Hanover  Court  House,  in 
order  to  facilitate  and  render  secure  Gen.  McDowell's 
expected  junction  from  Fredericksburg.  Starting 
at  3  A.  M ,  May  27,  in  a  pouring  rain,  our  cavalry 
advance,  under  Gen.  W.  H.  Emory,  had  reached,  at 


96 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


noon,  a  point  two  miles  southward  of  the  Court 
House,  where  the  road  forks  to  Ashland,  and  where 
the  enemy  were  found  in  position  to  bar  our  further 
progress.  The  25th  New  York  and  Berdan's  sharp- 
shooters speedily  coming  up,  they  were  deployed  by 
Gen.  Emory,  with  a  section  of  Benson's  battery,  and 
thus  advanced  slowly  towards  the  enemy  until  re- 
enforced  by  Gen.  D.  C.  Hutterfield,  with  four  regi- 
ments of  his  brigade,  when  the  enemy  was  charged 
and  quickly  routed,  one  of  his  guns  being  captured 
by  Col.  Lansing's  17th  New  York.  The  cavalry, 
Benson's  battery,  and  Gen.  Morrell's  infantry  and 
artillery,  keenly  pursued  the  fugitives  while  Mar- 
tindales's  brigade  with  a  section  of  artillery, 
advanced  on  the  Ashland  road,  pushing  back 
the  enemy  in  his  front,  until  ordered  to  reform 
his  brigade  and  move  up  the  railroad  to  the  Court 
House.  One  regiment  having  taken  that  course.  Gen. 
Martindale  was  left  with  but  two  and  a  half  regiments 
and  one  section  of  Martin's  battery,  when  he  was 
attacked  by  a  superior  force  and  compelled  to  main- 
tain the  unequal  contest  for  an  hour.  Meantime 
Gen.  Porter,  at  the  Court  House,  learning  that  his 
rear  was  thus  attacked,  faced  his  whole  column 
about  and  moved  rapidly  to  the  rescue,  sending  the 
13th  and  14th  New  York,  with  Griffin's  battery, 
directly  to  Martindale's  assistance,  pushing  the  9th 
Massachusetts  and  G2d  Pennsylvania,  through  the 
woods  on  the  right  to  take  the  enemy  in  flank, 
while  Butterfield  with  the  83d  Pennsylvania  and 
iGth  Michigan  hastened  through  the  woods,  still 
further  to  the  right,  and  completed  the  rout  of  the 
enemy.  Their  loss  is  stated  by  Gen.  McClellan  at 
2,CXX)  killed,  730  prisoners,  including  wounded,  one 
12  pound  howitzer,  many  small-arms,  two  railroad 
trains,  and  their  camp  at  Hanover  Court  House 
captured  and  destroyed.  Our  loss  was  53  killed 
and  344  wounded.  The  rebel  force  thus  defeated 
consisted  of  Gen.  Branch's  division  of  North  Caro- 
lina and  Georgia  troops,  estimated  at  9,000  strong. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Twelfth  Regiment  Continued  —  Mechanics- 
viLLE — Retreat  Ackoss  the  Chickahominy 
— Flank  Movement  to  the  James— Malvern 
Hill — Harrison's  Landing  —  Second  Bull 
KuN — Antietam — Fredericksburg —  Return 
Home  —  List  of  Promotions — The  ioist 
Regiment. 

OUR  Corps   returned   to  camp    at    Gaines's 
Mill,  and  on  the  26th  of  June  were  ordered 
up  to  Mechanicsville  to  support  the  Pennsylvania 


reser\'es,  under  Gen.  McCall.  This  force  which 
had  recently  been  sent  down  to  rtenforce  Gea 
McClellan,  and  had  never  till  now  been  in  action, 
were  posted  on  advantageous  ground  across  Beaver 
Dam  Creek.  The  supporting  corps  of  Gen.  Porter 
consisted  of  Morrell's  Division  and  Sykes's  Regu- 
lars, about  27,000  men.  Prior  to  the  opening  of 
this  series  of  battles  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee  had  suc- 
ceeded to  the  chief  command  of  the  Rebel  Army, 
and  had  cautiously  concentrated  about  70,000  men 
on  the  Chickahominy.  The  movement  on  Mechan- 
icsville was  to  have  been  made  early  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  26th  of  June,  at  which  time  the  batteries 
on  the  southern  bluff  of  the  Chickahominy  were  to 
open  fire.  But  the  rebels  were  delayed  by  the  non- 
arrival  of  Stonewall  Jackson,  and  did  not  attack  our 
lines  till  3  i'.  m.  His  advance  had  been  discovered 
three  hours  before,  so  that  our  pickets  were  called 
in  before  it,  and  the  regiment  and  battery  holding 
Mechanicsville  fell  back,  fighting,  to  the  strong  po- 
sition held  by  the  Pennsylvania  Reserves,  and  Por- 
ter's (5th)  corps.  This  brought  the  reserves  and 
5th  corps  into  action  against  the  great  body  of  the 
rebel  force  under  the  two  Hills  and  Longstreet, 
which  came  rapidly  on  attempting  to  turn  our  left 
flank,  but  were  repulsed  with  fearful  carnage. 
"  Night,"  says  Greeley,  "fell  on  a  decided  and  ani- 
mating success  of  our  mainly  green  soldiers, 
though  the  fighting  did  not  cease  till  after  dark,  and 
the  rebels  remained  in  force  not  far  from  our  front. 
Our  total  loss  in  this  affair  was  less  than  400,  while 
that  of  the  rebels  must  have  been  many  times 
larger  ;  and  when  near  the  close  of  the  battle,  fresh 
troops  came  up  to  relieve  the  exhausted  reserves, 
they  refused  to  give  place,  but,  replenishing  their 
ammunition,  lay  down  on  their  arms  to  await  the 
encounter  of  the  morrow." 

On  the  27th,  before  daylight,  an  order  from  Gen. 
McClellan  (^who  had  learned,  meantime,  that  Jackson 
was  approaching,)  directed  the  evacuation  of  our 
strong  position  and  a  retreat  to  Gaines's  Mill.  This 
was  a  very  difficult  movement  to  effect,  as  the  rebel 
attack  was  renewed  a  few  minutes  afterwards.  Still, 
the  enemy  was  repulsed,  though  our  men  were  re- 
tiring at  the  same  time,  Meade's,  Griffin's,  Rey- 
nolds' and  Morrell's  commands  moving  steadily  off 
the  field,  as  if  on  parade  ;  our  dead  all  buried,  our 
wounded  and  arms  brought  away,  with  the  loss  of 
no  caisson,  hardly  a  musket,  by  a  little  after  7  a. 
M.,  leaving  the  rebels  unaware  for  the  moment  that 
there  was  no  longer  an  enemy  before  them.  Before 
noon  the  splendid  retreat  was  completed  ;  each 
regiment  and  battery  had  taken  the  new  position 
assigned  it  at  Gaines's  Mill,  our  brigade  (with  the 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


97 


I2th  Regiment,)  under  command  of  Lieiit.-Colonel 
Richardson,  forming  the  extreme  left,  resting  on 
the  Chicivahominy. 

Soon  after  noon  on  the  27th,  the  rebels  arrived 
in  front  of  our  new  position.  A.  P.  Hill,  who  had 
been  awaiting  Jackson's  arrival,  opened  the  battle 
at  2  p.  M.  Sykes's  regulars  received  him  with  heroic 
bravery.  They  were  staggered  and  temporarily 
repulsed.  At  this  juncture,  Longstreet,  D.  H. 
Hill,  Jackson  and  Ewell,  came  into  the  battle,  with 
the  whole  of  Lee's  forces  ;  a  general  advance  from 
right  to  left  was  ordered  and  made,  under  a  terrific 
fire  of  cannon  and  musketry  from  both  sides. 

General  Porter  had  a  strong  position  on  the  side 
of  a  ravine  formed  by  a  small  creek  and  screened 
in  part  by  trees  and  underbrush,  with  Morrell's  and 
Sykes's  divisions  in  front,  and  McCall's  forming  a 
second  line  behind  them.  His  cavalry,  under  P. 
St.  George  Cooke,  in  the  valley  of  the  Chicka- 
hominy,  watched  the  rebels  in  that  quarter.  His 
siege  guns,  which  had  been  withdrawn  across  the 
Chickahominy  during  the  night,  were  planted  in 
battery  on  the  right  bank  of  the  stream,  so  as  to 
check  the  advance  of  the  rebel  right  and  prevent 
their  turning  our  left.  He  could  have  presented 
a  formidable  covering  of  abatis  on  his  front  and 
right,  had  he  been  supplied  with  axes,  but  these 
were  unaccountably  wanting.  His  request  for 
them  to  General  Barnard  reached  McClellan  too 
late.  He  finally  received  some  without  handles, 
and  while  these  were  being  supplied  the  opportunity 
for  using  axes  was  past.  His  first  call  on  McClellan 
for  reenforcements  likewise  miscarried.  His  next 
was  made  at  2  p.  m.  ,  when  Slocum's  Division  of  the 
6th  Corps  was  ordered  to  his  support,  arriving  on 
the  field  at  3:30,  after  our  position  had  been 
assailed  in  force  at  every  point,  and  after  McCall's 
Division  had  been  ordered  up  to  support  our  sorely 
pressed  front.  So  urgent  and  instant  was  the 
pressure  that  Slocum's  Division  had  to  be  divided 
and  thrown  by  brigades  and  even  regiments  to  the 
points  where  the  need  of  aid  seemed  greatest. 
Reynolds,  with  one  brigade  of  McCall's  Reserves, 
having  reached  the  front  and  driven  the  enemy 
before  him,  hearing  the  noise  of  a  terrific  con- 
test on  his  left,  moved  immediately  to  that  point 
where  his  assistance  seemed  necessary.  And  thus 
the  battle  raged  for  hours ;  repeated  charges  on 
our  lines  being  repulsed,  but  fresh  brigades  advanc- 
ing promptly  to  replace  them,  until  our  wasted  reg- 
iments, having  exhausted  their  amunition,  were 
obliged  to  retire  and  replenish  it.  Porter,  though  he 
had  lost  Httle  ground,  telegraphed  to  McClellan  for 
reenforcements,  who  ordered  forward  French's  and 
.3* 


Meagher's  brigades  of  the  2d  corps  ;  but,  before  they 
could  reach  the  field,  the  rebels,  rallying  all  their 
forces,  just  at  sunset,  stormed  our  entrenchments 
right  and  left,  driving  back  their  brave  defenders 
with  mutual  carnage,  and  capturing  several  of  our 
guns. 

"General  Porter,  seeing  his  infantry  beaten,  now 
called  into  action  all  his  reserved  and  remaining 
artillery,  and  thus  bringing  at  once  some  80  guns 
into  action,  was  covering  the  retreat  of  his  infantry 
and  dealing  fearful  retribution  on  their  assailants, 
whose  advance  was  suddenly  checked  ;  when  Gen. 
Cooke,  without  orders,  undertook  to  charge  with  a 
battalion  of  cavalry,  the  right  flank  of  the  rebels 
advancing  on  our  left,  and  still  covered  in  good  part 
by  woods.  This  charge  being  met  by  a  withering 
fire  of  musketry,  amidst  the  roar  of  a  hundred  belch- 
ing cannon,  resulted  in  instant  rout ;  the  frightened 
horses,  whether  with  or  without  the  consent  of  their 
riders,  wheeling  abruptly  and  crashing  through  our 
batteries;  leading  our  gunners  to  suppose,  for  the 
moment,  that  they  were  charged  by  regiments  of 
rebel  horse."  "To  this  alone,"  says  Fitz-John  Por- 
ter, in  his  report,  "is  to  be  attributed  our  failure  to 
hold  the  field,  and  to  bring  off  all  our  guns  and 
wounded." 

"  In  another  moment  the  cheering  shouts  of 
French's  and  Meagher's  men  were  heard,  as  they 
advanced  rapidly  to  the  front.  Rallying  behind 
these  two  fresh  brigades,  our  wearied,  decimated 
regiments  advanced  up  the  hill,  down  which  they 
had  recently  been  driven,  ready  to  meet  a  fresh 
attack,  had  one  been  attempted.  But  the  enemy, 
perceiving  that  they  were  confronted  by  fresh  com- 
batants, and  not  knowing  our  force,  halted  for  the 
night  on  the  field  they  had  so  hardly  won."* 

During  the  night  our  forces  were  withdrawn 
across  the  Chickahominy,  leaving  19  guns  on  the 
battle  field  and  three  run  off  the  bridge  into  the 
stream.  Our  losses  in  this  action  have  been  esti- 
mated at  6,000  killed  and  wounded  ;  Greeley  foots 
them  up  to  "  hardly  less  than  8,000  men,"  the  rebels 
losing  probably  "about  two  thirds  as  many."  Our 
I2th  Regiment  lost  heavily,  among  whom  were 
Captain  Truesdell,  severely  wounded,  also  Captain 
Crombie,  Lieut.  S.  A.  Estes,  Lieut.  Fisher,  mor- 
tally ;  Lieut.  Barton,  killed  ;  Lieut.  Paul  A.  Oliver, 
severely  wounded  in  the  scalp,  but  not  fatally. 
Quite  a  large  number  (144)  of  this  regiment  were 
killed  and  taken  prisoners. 

McClellan  having  now  determined  on  a  flank 
movement  through  White  Oak  Swamp  to  the 
James,  our  regiment  followed  the  next  day  to  Sav- 
age's Station,  crossed  White  Oak  Swamp  on  the 
29th  of  June,  and  on  Tuesday,  July  ist,  were  en- 
gaged in  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill.  The  rebels, 
as  soon  as  they  had  discovered  McClellan's  move- 
ments, crossed  the  Chickahominy  and  pursued  after 

Greeley,  vol.  ii,  p.    I  57. 


98 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


him.  Without  recounting  the  battles  and  hard- 
ships of  this  march,  the  terrible  conflict  of  the  30th 
of  June,  in  which  a  portion  of  our  army  was  en- 
gaged on  the  road  leading  from  New  Marlcct  to 
Long  Bridge,  we  shall  follow  more  directly  the  for- 
tunes of  the  1 2th  Regiment,  which  reached  Malvern 
Hill  at  9  o'clock  a.  m.,  June  30th.  Gen.  Porter, 
with  his  corps,  had  been  delayed  in  crossing  White 
Oak  Swamp,  and  hence  did  not  reach  Malvern  Hill 
till  the  time  above  stated.  The  entire  wasted  and 
way-worn  army  had  been  concentrated  on  the  bat- 
tle ground  on  the  ist  of  July,  the  rear  guard  arriv- 
ing that  forenoon,  closely  pursued  by  the  converg- 
ing columns  of  the  rebels.  "  The  an.xiousdays  and 
sleepless  nights  of  the  preceding  week  ;  the  con- 
stant and  resolute  efforts  required  to  force  their 
forty  miles  of  guns  and  trains  over  the  narrow, 
wretched  roads  which  traverse  White  Oak  Swamp  ; 
their  ignorance  of  the  locality,  and  exposure  to  be 
ambushed  and  assailed  at  every  turn,  rendered  this 
retreat  an  ordeal  for  our  men  long  to  be  remem- 
bered." 

General  McClcllan  had  reached  Malvern  Hill  the 
day  before  the  battle,  and  selecting  his  position,  left 
orders  with  General  Barnard  to  post  the  troops  as 
they  arrived,  while  he  went  down  the  river  on  the 
gunboat  Galena  to  select  a  position  at  which  he  pro- 
posed to  terminate  his  retreat.  The  rebels  con- 
sumed considerable  time  in  getting  into  position 
and  bringing  up  the  artillery  necessary  to  respond 
to  our  heavy  and  well  placed  batteries.  At  length 
the  battle  was  opened  by  D.  H.  Hill's  division  at  3 
p.  M.  on  our  left,  and  directly  in  front  of  that  portion  of 
our  army  in  which  the  12th  Regiment  was  stationed. 
The  order  of  our  troops  is  thus  described  :  "  Porter, 
with  Sykes's  and  Morrell's  divisions,  held  our  left, 
with  Couch's  division  next,  then  Kearney  and 
Hooker,  forming  Heintzelman's  corps ;  next  to 
these  Sedgwick  and  Richardson,  under  Sumner, 
with  Smith  and  Slocum,  under  Franklin,  on  our 
right ;  wiiile  McCall's  shattered  Pennsylvania  Re- 
serves and  our  cavalry  were  posted  in  the  rear,  near 
the  river.  Batteries  above,  batteries  along  the  brow 
of  the  hill,  rendered  the  attack  little  less  than  mad- 
ness." Yet,  as  we  have  said,  the  attack  on  Porter's 
Corps  was  made  at  3  i".  m  ,  under  general  orders  to 
break  our  lines  by  a  concentric  fire  of  artillery,  and 
then  "  charge  with  a  yell "  on  our  entire  front 
with  columns  of  infantry,  which  should  rush  over 
our  defences,  as  they  did  in  the  final  assault  at 
Gaines's  Mill,  and  drive  our  fugitive  army  into  the 
James.  The  infantry  attack  was  made  with  great 
spirit,  amidst  fearful  carnage,  and  for  some  time 
raged  along  nearly  our  entire  line  ;  but  Hill,  being 


unsupported   by   the  general  advance   which  had 
been  ordered,  was  hurled  back  with  heavy  loss. 

At  the  opening  of  this  action  just  as  our  12th 
Regiment  was  taking  position.  Major  Henry  A. 
liarnum  was  wounded  by  a  rebel  shot,  the  bullet 
passing  through  the  left  hip,  inflicting  a  very  criti- 
cal and  dangerous  wound,  which  kept  him  many 
months  out  of  the  service. 

After  the  first  fruitless  attempt  of  the  enemy  to 
break  our  lines,  a  considerable  pause  ensued  during 
which  both  sides  were  getting  ready  for  the  main 
battle  of  the  day.  The  sheltering  woods  enabled 
the  rebels  to  form  their  columns  of  assault  within 
a  few  hundred  yards  of  our  batteries.  At  about 
6  I".  M.,  when  the  attack  was  renewed,  they 
emerged  upon  a  full  run,  and  rushed  upon  our  lines 
in  utter  recklessness  of  their  withering  fire,  assault- 
ing in  such  desperation,  that  Sickles's  brigade  of 
Hooker's  division,  and  Meagher's  brigade  of  Rich- 
ardson's division,  were  ordered  up  to  the  support  of 
Porter  and  Couch,  who  now  held  our  right  front, 
which  Jackson  was  charging  furiously  ;  but  not 
one  of  our  guns  was  temporarily  captured  or  seri- 
ously imperiled  throughout  the  fight.  The  loss  of 
the  rebels  is  supposed  to  have  been  treble  that  of 
our  own — in  this  battle  over  10,000  killed,  wounded 
and  missing.  Gen.  McCiellan  reports  the  aggre- 
gate losses  of  his  army  in  the  seven  days  fighting, 
from  Mechanicsville  to  Harrison's  Landing,  at 
1,582  killed,  7,709  wounded,  and  5,958  missing; 
total,  15,249. 

After  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  our  regiment, 
together  with  the  army,  removed  to  Harrison's  Land- 
ing, on  the  James  River.  The  rear  guard  moved 
into  camp  on  the  evening  of  the  3d  of  July,  and  the 
army  was  at  rest,  after  their  hard  fighting  and 
marching.  During  the  night  of  July  31st,  Gen. 
F'rench,  having  been  sent  by' Lee  with  43  guns,  to 
approach  Harrison's  Bar  stealthily  on  the  south 
side  of  the  James,  opened  a  fire  on  our  camp  and 
vessels,  whereby  10  of  our  soldiers  were  killed  and 
15  wounded.  Our  guns  were  brought  to  bear  upon 
him  and  he  fled  before  daylight.  His  cannonade 
lasted  only  about  half  an  hour.  This  is  the  only 
incident  of  any  importance  that  occurred  while  in 
camp  at  this  point. 

Left  Harrison's  Landing  on  the  14th  of  August, 
and  came  down  the  river,  halting  at  Yorktown, 
camping  on  the  same  ground  occupied  by  our 
regiment  during  the  siege.  General  Porter  was 
under  orders  to  halt  the  advance  here  ;  but  inter- 
cepting a  letter  informing  him  that  the  enemy  were 
concentrating  rapidly  on  Pope  with  intent  to  crush 
him  before  he  could  be  rccnforced,  he  took  the  re- 


PnSTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


99 


sponsibility  of  pressing  on  to  Newport  News,  which 
he  reached  on  the  i8th,  having  marched  sixty  miles 
in  three  days.  On  the  20th  he  embarked  his  corps 
on  transports  to  Aquia  Creek,  whence  they  were 
sent  by  rail  to  Falmouth,  opposite  Fredericksburg. 
Moved  up  the  Rappahannock,  joined  Pope's  army 
and  participated  in  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run, 
August  30,  1862. 

Porter,  on  arriving  at  the  scene  of  action,  was 
ordered,  (supported  by  King,)  to  advance  down  the 
Warrenton  turnpike  and  attack  the  enemy,  who  in 
that  quarter  were  greatly  superior  in  numbers.  The 
result  was  that  Porter's  corps  was  hurled  back  in 
confusion.  The  rebels  pursued  eagerly  and  joined 
battle  along  our  entire  front,  struggling  desperately 
to  overwhelm  and  turn  our  left,  where  Schenck, 
Milroy  and  Reynolds,  reenforced  by  Ricketts, 
maintained  the  unequal  contest  throughout  the 
afternoon.  Porter's  corps  was  rallied,  reformed 
and  pushed  to  their  support,  rendering  such 
good  service  that  for  a  time  the  attack  seemed 
likely  to  prove  successful.  But  our  advancing 
troops  soon  began  to  be  mowed  down  by  the 
cross-fire  of  four  batteries  from  Longstreet's  left, 
which  decimated  and  drove  them  back  in  con- 
fusion. Jackson,  seeing  them  recoil,  immediately 
ordered  an  advance.  Longstreet  supported  it, 
pushing  forward  his  whole  command  against  our 
center  and  left.  At  dark,  our  left  had  been  forced 
back  considerably,  but  still  stood  firm  and  unbroken, 
and  covered  the  turnpike,  which  was  our  only  safe 
line  of  retreat.  That  night  the  retreat  began  by 
order  of  Gen.  Pope,  and  was  pursued  quietly  and  in 
good  order,  until  his  whole  army  was  drawn  back 
within  the  intrenchments  along  the  south  bank  of 
the  Potomac,  covering  the  approaches  to  Washing- 
ton, when  Pope  resigned  and  was  succeeded  by  Gen. 
McClellan. 

In  this  battle  the  12th  Regiment  lost  heavily. 
Among  the  wounded  were  Col.  Henry  A.  Weeks, 
who  on  that  day  had  commanded  a  brigade  ;  Capt. 
Root  and  Lieut.  Behan.  The  muster  of  the  regi- 
ment next  morning  showed  only  106  men,  one  staff 
officer  and  six  line  officers.  The  brigade  went  into 
the  fight  with  over  1,500  men,  and  came  out  with 
only  about  600. 

On  the  night  of  September  2d,  our  brigade  went 
into  camp  at  Arlington  Heights,  near  the  site  of 
the  old  camp  occupied  by  the  12th  Regiment,  the 
previous  winter.  Here  the  brigade  was  strength- 
ened by  the  addition  of  the  20th  Maine  regiment, 
as  fine  a  regiment  as  ever  appeared  on  a  field,  and 
moving  across  into  Maryland,  passed  up  via  Fred- 
erick City  and  across  South  Mountain  to  the  vicinity 


of  Sharpsburgh,   and  on  the    17th   of  September 
participated  in  the  battle  of  Antietam. 

Lee  had  crossed  the  Potomac  into  Maryland  with 
a  portion  of  his  army,  leaving  the  remainder  of  it 
on  the  south  side  menaced  by  a  considerable  force 
under  General  Miles  at  Harper's  Ferry.  The 
obvious  intent  of  McClellan  was  to  follow  and 
conquer  that  portion  of  Lee's  army  in  Maryland, 
while  it  was  separated  from  its  reenforcements,  and 
then  send  forces  to  the  rescue  of  Harper's  Ferry, 
before  the  rebels  on  that  side  of  the  river  should 
compel  its  surrender  and  evacuation.  But  delays 
thwarted  this  object.  After  two  severe  battles  in 
the  passes  of  South  Mountain,  Lee's  army  in  Mary- 
land reached  Antietam,  where  the  most  advantage- 
ous position  was  selected.  Harper's  Ferry  fell,  and 
the  whole  of  Lee's  army  was  soon  on  the  ground 
at  Antietam,  making  it  necessary  for  McClellan  to 
fight  the  entire  rebel  army  at  that  point,  strength- 
ened and  elated  by  their  success  at  Harper's  Ferry. 

When  our  army  advanced  in  sight  of  Antietam, 
the  whole  rebel  force  was  there,  save  A.  P.  Hill's 
division.  "  The  regiments  and  brigades,  hitherto 
so  ostentatiously  paraded,  seemed  to  have  sunk  into 
the  earth  ;  and  nothing  but  grim  and  frowning 
batteries  were  seen  covering  each  hill-crest,  and 
trained  on  every  stretch  of  open  ground  whereby 
our  soldiers  might  attempt  to  scale  those  rugged 
steeps." 

"  The  struggle  was  inaugurated  on  the  afternoon 
of  the  i6th."  On  the  17th  the  great  battle  was 
fought,  the  details  of  which  we  cannot  enter  into 
here,  save  so  far  as  to  indicate  the  position  of  the 
1 2th  Regiment.  Porter's  Corps  was  in  our  center, 
holding  the  road  from  Sharpsburg  to  Middletown 
and  Boonsborough,  and  remained  unengaged  east 
of  the  Antietam  Creek  till  late  in  the  afternoon  ; 
two  brigades  of  it  were  then  sent  to  support  our 
right  ;  six  battalions  of  Sykes's  regulars  were 
thrown  across  the  bridge  on  the  main  road,  to  drive 
off  the  rebel  sharp-shooters,  who  were  annoying 
Pleasanton's  horse-batteries  at  that  point ;  War- 
ren's brigade  was  detached  and  sent  to  the  right  and 
rear  of  Burnside,  leaving  with  Porter  only  about 
3,000  men.  Burnside's  corps  held  our  extreme 
left,  opposite  the  lowest  of  the  three  bridges  cross- 
ing the  Antietam.  At  i  p.  m.,  he  charged  with 
the  51st  New  York  and  51st  Pennsylvania,  and 
took  the  bridge.  At  3  p.  m.,  under  peremptory  or- 
ders, he  charged  up  the  heights,  carrying  them 
handsomely,  some  of  his  troops  reaching  even  the 
outskirts  of  Sharpsburg.  But  now,  just  as  victory 
seemed  about  to  smile  upon  our  arms,  A.  P.  Hill's 
division    (which   had  been  ordered  from  Harper's 


100 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Ferry  that  morning,  and  had  started  at  half-past  7 
o'clock  I  came  upon  the  field,  and  covered  by  a 
heavy  fire  of  artillery  charged  our  extreme  left, 
which  during  the  day  had  sustained  repeated 
charges  of  the  enemy,  and  drove  it  back  in  great 
confusion.  Gen.  Rodman,  who  commanded  our 
left,  fell  mortally  wounded.  The  enemy  rallied 
with  great  spirit,  redoubled  their  fire  of  artillery, 
charged  in  front  and  flank,  and  drove  our  men  in 
confusion  down  the  hill  toward  Antietam,  pursuing 
till  checked  by  the  fire  of  our  batteries  across  the 
creek.  Our  reserves,  on  the  left  bank,  now  ad- 
vanced and  our  batteries  redoubled  their  fire.  The 
rebels  wisely  desisted  without  attempting  to  carry 
the  bridge  and  retired  to  their  lines  on  the  heights, 
as  darkness  put  an  end  to  the  fray.  "  Thus  closed, 
indecisively,  the  bloodiest  day  America  ever  saw." 

In  killed  and  wounded,  according  to  their  own 
report,  the  enemy  lost  13,533  "^d  '"  ^'^'^  engage- 
ment. McClcllan  makes  his  entire  loss  in  this  bat- 
tle to  consist  of  12,469  men.  Speaking  of  the  whole 
series  of  engagements  in  Maryland,  he  reports,  13 
guns,  39  colors,  upwards  of  15,000  stand  of  small 
arms,  and  more  than  6,000  prisoners,  as  the  trophies 
which  attested  the  success  of  our  arms  in  the  battles 
of  South  Mountain,  Crampton's  Gap,  and  Antietam. 
Not  a  single  gun  or  color  was  lost  by  our  army 
during  these  battles. 

On  the  19th  of  September,  our  division  was 
ordered  across  the  river  at  the  Shcphcrdstown  Ford, 
where  they  met  the  enemy  and  were  driven  back, 
taking  shelter  in  the  canal  from  which  the  water  had 
been  drawn  ofli",  and  which  afforded  an  e.\cellent 
breastwork  already  constructed  to  our  hand.  After 
the  short  engagement  here,  our  brigade  was  ordered 
to  the  Antietam  Iron  Works,  to  guard  the  ford 
across  the  river  ;  Companies  E  and  G,  of  the  12th 
Regimentbeing  detailed  as  Provost  Guard  of  Sharps- 
burg,  under  Lieut.  Estes  of  Company  G,  as  Provost 
Marshal.  William  P.  Cobbitt  was  here  killed  by  the 
accidental  bursting  of  a  shell  picked  up  on  the 
Antietam  battle-field. 

From  Sharpsburg,  or  the  Antietam  Iron  Works, 
our  regiment  was  removed  to  Stoncman's  Switch 
on  the  Fredericksburg  and  Aquia  Creek  Railroad, 
about  four  miles  from  Fredericksburg,  and  remained 
till  December  13th,  1862,  the  day  on  which  Burn- 
side  made  his  memorable,  but  fatal  attempt  to  cross 
and  storm  the  fortified  heights  of  Fredericksburg. 
Pontoon  bridges  had  been  laid  across  the  Rappa- 
hannock to  effect  this  object.  Lee,  with  an  army 
fully  80,000  strong,  was  stretched  along  and  behind 
the  southern  bluffs  of  the  Rappahannock  from  a 
point  a  mile  or  so  above  Fredericksburg  to  one  four 


or  five  miles  below.  These  heights  were  girdleu 
with  batteries  rising  tier  above  tier  to  their  crest, 
all  carefully  trained  upon  the  approaches  from  Fred- 
ericksburg, while  a  fatal  stone  wall,  so  strong  that 
no  artillery  could  make  an  impression  upon  it.  shel- 
tered a  brigade  of  the  enemy  in  the  very  front  of 
the  storming  column.  Against  such  impregnable 
defences  our  brave  soldiers  were  thrown  across  to 
meet  their  fate.  Braver  men  never  smiled  at  death 
than  those  who  climbed  Marye's  Hill  that  fatal  day  ; 
their  ranks  plowed  through  and  torn  to  pieces  by 
rebel  batteries,  even  in  the  process  of  formation  ; 
and  when  at  heavy  cost  they  had  reached  the  foot 
of  the  hill,  they  were  confronted  by  a  solid  stone 
wall,  four  feet  high,  from  behind  which  a  rebel  brig- 
ade of  infantry  mowed  them  down  like  grass. 
Never  did  men  fight  better  or  die,  alas  I  more  fruit- 
lessly, than  did  most  of  Hancock's  corps,  especially 
Meagher's  Irish  brigade,  composed  of  the  63d,  69th 
and  88th  New  York,  the  28th  Massachusetts,  and 
the  nth  Pennsylvania,  which  dashed  itself  repeat- 
edly against  those  impregnable  heights,  until  two- 
thirds  of  its  number  strewed  the  ground  ;  when  the 
remnant  fell  back  to  a  position  of  comparative 
safety,  and  were  succeeded,  as  they  had  been  sup- 
ported, by  other  brigades  and  divisions,  each  to  be 
exposed  in  its  turn  to  like  pitiless,  useless,  hopeless 
slaughter. 

Thus  the  fight  was  maintained  till  after  dark, 
assault  after  assault  being  delivered  by  divisions 
advancing  against  twice  their  numbers,  on  ground 
where  treble  the  force  was  required  for  the  attack 
that  sufficed  for  the  defence,  while  a  hundred  rebel 
cannon  posted  on  heights  which  our  few  guns  on 
that  side  of  the  river  could  not  reach,  swept  our 
men  down  from  the  moment  they  began  to  advance, 
and  where  they  could  do  nothing  but  charge,  fall 
and  die.  Not  to  go  into  details  of  this  terrible  days 
fighting,  we  may  say  here  that  our  loss  was  not  less 
than  15,000  to  that  of  the  rebels  5,000,  killed, 
wounded  and  taken  prisoners.  Night  mercifully 
closed  the  scene  of  carnage. 

Throughout  the  14th  and  15th  the  two  armies 
stood  facing  each  other,  Lee  strengthening  his 
defenses  and  awaiting  a  renewal  of  the  attack.  He 
was  probably  aware  that  such  was  Burnside's  inten- 
tion, from  which,  however,  he  was  finally  dissuaded, 
and  decided  to  rccross  his  entire  army  on  the  night 
of  the  I5lh.  Only  a  few  pickets  and  some  ammuni- 
tion were  left  in  Fredericksburg,  and  '*  not  a  gun 
was  abandoned  as  a  trophy  of  this  ill-starred 
advance  on  Richmond."  Our  pontoons  were  all 
taken  up  and  brought  off.  The  I2th  Regiment  lost 
heavily,  among  others,  several  commissioned  officers 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


lOI 


The  regiment  lay  all  night  the  day  of  the  battle 
and  the  next  day  among  the  dead  and  wounded, 
after  the  cessation  of  the  battle  of  the  13th,  no 
movement  being  made  in  the  army  whereby  they 
could  get  out  of  their  position.  On  the  retreat 
they  were  the  last  to  reach  the  pontoon  bridge,  and 
were  upon  it  as  it  was  cut  loose  from  the  Fredericks- 
burg shore  by  our  engineers. 

After  the  retreat  from  Fredericksburg,  our  regi- 
ment went  back  to  its  old  camp  at  Stoneman's 
Switch,  and  on  the  27th  of  April,  1863,  at  the  time 
of  the  advance  of  Hooker  on  Chancellorsville,  or- 
ders came  for  them  to  return  to  Elmira  and  be  mus- 
tered out  of  the  service.  Being  two  years  men, 
their  time  had  expired.  The  three  years  men  from 
New  York  City,  formerly  consolidated  with  the  12th 
Regiment,  were  organized  into  five  companies 
forming  a  separate  battalion  under  Col.  Henry  A. 
Weeks,  and  remained  in  the  service.  The  12th 
Regiment  reached  Elmira  in  a  few  days,  and  were 
mustered  out  on  the  17th  of  May,  1S63. 

Official  Record  of  the  I2th  Regiment. 

The  following  is  the  official  list  and  line  of  pro- 
motions of  the  1 2th  Regiment  : 

Ezra  L.  Walrath,  Colonel,  rank  from  May  7, 
1861,  resigned  September  26,  1861  ;  George  W. 
Snyder,  Colonel,  commissioned  October  i,  1S61, 
declined  ;  Henry  A.  Weeks,  Colonel,  rank  from 
February  3,  1862,  mustered  out  on  expiration  of 
term  of  service  ;  Benjamin  A.  Willis,  Colonel,  com- 
missioned February  27,  1864,  "ot  mustered  ;  James 
L.  Graham,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  rank  from  May  7, 
1861,  resigned  June  19,  1S61  ;  Robert  M.  Rich- 
ardson, Lieutenant-Colonel,  rank  from  June  19, 1861, 
resigned  February  6,  1863 ;  Augustus  J.  Root, 
Major,  rank  from  September  22,  1862,  promoted  to 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  February  13,  1863,  mustered 
out  on  expiration  of  term  of  service.  May  17,  1863  ; 
John  Lewis,  Major,  rank  from  May  7,  1861,  killed 
by  fall  from  his  horse,  October  21,  1861  ;  Henry  A. 
Barnum,  Major,  rank  from  October  25,  1861,  pro- 
moted to  Colonel  149th  N.  Y.  Vols.,  September  22, 
1862  ;  Henry  W.  Rider,  Captain,  rank  from  Febru- 
ary 3,  1862,  promoted  to  Major,  February  27,  1864  ; 
Silas  Titus,  Adjutant,  rank  from  May  13,  1861, 
promoted  to  Colonel  I22d  N.  Y.  Volunteers,  Au- 
gust 28,  1862  ;  George  F.  Watson,  Adjutant,  rank 
from  February  3,  1862,  mustered  out  at  expi- 
ration of  term  of  service.  May  17,  1S63  ;  Edmund 
B.  Griswold,  Quartermaster,  rank  from  May  13, 
1861,  resigned  September  6,  1861  ;  Porter  R. 
Alger,  1st  Lieutenant  rank  from  September  21, 
1 86 1,  promoted  to  Quartermaster  February  27, 1862, 
brevet  Major  N.  Y.  Vols.,  mustered  out  on  expiration 
of  term  of  service.  May  17,  1863  ;  Roger  W.  Pease, 
Surgeon,  rank  from  May  7,  1861,  resigned  August 
28,  1861  ;  Azariah  B.  Shipman,  Surgeon,  rank  from 
September  13,  1861,  resigned  May  23,  1S62  ;  Chas. 
L.  Hubbell,  Surgeon,  rank  from  April  2,  1862,  dis- 


charged August  s,  1862;  Chas.  C.  Murphy,  Sur- 
geon, rank  from  December  31,  1862,  mustered  out 
at  expiration  of  term  of  service.  May  17,  1S63 ; 
George  B.  Todd,  Assistant  Surgeon,  rank  from  May 
7,  1 86 1,  resigned  October  7,  1S62  ;  John  L.  Eddy, 
Assistant  Surgeon,  rank  from  November  3,  1862, 
mustered  out  at  expiration  of  term  of  service.  May 
17,  1863  ;  George  V.  Skift".  Assistant  Surgeon,  rank 
from  August  22,  1862,  mustered  out  at  expiration 
of  term  of  service,  May  17,  1863  ;  C.  S.  Percival, 
Chaplain,  resigned  October  20,  1861  ;  Henry  P. 
Barton,  Chaplain,  rank  from  October  21,  1861,  re- 
signed April  20,  1862  ;  Morris  H.  Church,  Captain, 
rank  from  May  i,  1861,  resigned  September  21, 
1861  ;  Ira  Wood,  Captain,  rank  from  September  21, 
1861,  resigned  October  14,  1862;  Thomas  H. 
Behan,  Captain,  rank  from  October  16,  1862, 
mustered  out  at  expiration  of  term  of  service, 
May  17,  1863;  Jacob  Brand,  Captain,  rank  from 
May  I,  1861,  resigned  October  25,  1861  ; 
William  Huson,  Captain,  rank  from  February  3, 
1S62,  mustered  out  on  expiration  of  term  of  ser- 
vice. May  17,  1863  ;  Dennis  Driscoll,  Jr.,  Cap- 
tain, rank  from  May  i,  1861,  discharged  February 
3,  1862 ;  William  Fowler,  Captain,  rank  from 
February  3,  1862,  discharged  February  3,  1863  ; 
George  W.  Stone,  Captain,  rank  from  May  i,  1861, 
resigned  July  9,  1S61  ;  William  H.  Hoagland,  Cap- 
tain, rank  from  February  3,  1862,  killed  in  action 
at  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  December  13,1862  ;  James 
A.  Bates,  Captain,  rank  from  December  14,  1862, 
discharged  April  11,  1864;  Joseph  Hilton,  Cap- 
tain, rank  from  April  11,  1S64,  not  mustered; 
J.  M.  Brower,  Captain,  rank  from  May  i,  1861,  dis- 
charged Febuary  3,  1862  ;  Paul  A.  Oliver,  2d  Lieu- 
tenant, rank  from  February  3,  1862,  promoted  to 
1st  Lieutenant,  May  30,  1S62,  to  Captain,  April  4, 
1864,  transferred  to  5th  Regiment,  N.  Y.  Vols., 
June  2,  1864;  Milo  W.  Locke,  Captain,  rank  from 
May  I,  1861,  resigned  November  14,  1S61  ;  James 
Cromie,  Captain,  rank  from  February  3,  1862,  dis- 
charged April  7,  1863  ;  Joseph  C.  Irish,  Captain, 
rank  from  May  i,  1861,  resigned  September  3, 
1861  ;  Charles  B.  Randall,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank 
from  May,  1861,  promoted  to  Captain,  September 
25,  1861  ;  mustered  out  at  the  expiration  of  term 
of  service,  May  17,  1863  ;  George  W.  Cole,  Cap- 
tain, rank  from  May  i,  1861,  transferred  to  3d  N.  Y. 
Cavalry,  September  20,  1861  ;  George  Truesdell,  1st 
Lieutenant,  rank  from  May  13,  1861,  promoted  to 
Captain  October  20,  1861,  resigned  December  2, 
1862;  Michael  Auer,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from 
February  22,  1862,  promoted  to  ist  Lieutenant, 
December  i,  1862,  mustered  out  on  expira- 
tion of  term  of  service,  May  17,  1863  ;  Peter 
Strauss,  ist  Lieutenant,  rank  from  May  r, 
1861,  promoted  to  Captain,  December  26,  1862, 
mustered  out  on  expiration  of  service,  May  17,  1863  ; 
Henry  A.  Barnum,  Captain,  rank  from  May  i,  1861, 
promoted  to  Major,  October  29,  1861,  promoted  to 
Colonel  of  149th  N.  Y.  Vols.,  September  22,  1S62; 
Hamilton  R.  Combs,  ist  Lieutenant,  rank  from 
May  I,  1861,  promoted  to  Captain  November  11, 
1861,  resigned  October  27,  1862  ;  Edward  Drake, 
1st  Lieutenant,  rank  from  October  i,  1861,  promoted 


102 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


to  Captain,  December  i,  1862,  Brevet  Major,  N.  Y. 
Vols.,  mustered  out  at  expiration  of  term  of  service, 
May  17,  1863  ;  Cortland  Clark,  ist  Lieutenant, 
rank  from  October  16,  1862,  mustered  out  on  expi- 
ration of  term  of  ser\icc.  May  17,  18G3  ;  James  A. 
Boyle,  1st  Lieutenant,  rank  from  February  3,  1862, 
mustered  out  on  expiration  of  term  of  service, 
May  17,  1863  ;  James  Randall,  ist  Lieutenant,  rank 
from  May  i,  1 861,  discharged  February  3,  1862; 
Richard  J.  Clark,  ist  Lieutenant,  rank  from  Febru- 
ary 3,  1S62,  mustered  out  on  expiration  of  term  of 
ser\'ice.  May  17,  1863  ;  Lucius  C.  Storrs,  ist  Lieu- 
tenant, rank  from  May  i,  1861,  resigned  October  23, 
1861 ;  Henry  C.  Burton,  ist  Lieutenant,  rank  from 
Feb.  3,  1862,  killed  in  action  June  27,  1862  ;  VVm. 
P.  Walton,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  Feb.  3,  1862, 
promoted  to  ist  Lieutenant,  Oct.  29,  1862,  dis- 
charged Sept.  26,  1863  ;  Joseph  Hilton,  2d  Lieuten- 
ant,rank  from  June  20,  1862, promoted  to  ist  Lieu- 
tenant December  26,  1862,  transferred  to  5th  N.  Y. 
Vols., June  2,  1864  ;  Frederick  Homer,  ist  Lieuten- 
ant, rank  from  May  i,  1861,  resigned  July  30,  1861  ; 
Samuel  J.  Abbott.  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  May 
I,   1861,  promoted  to  ist   Lieutenant  August   27, 

1 86 1,  resigned  September  20,  1861  ;  William  F. 
Gardner,   ist  Lieutenant,   rank  from    February    3, 

1862,  resigned  May  18,  18G2;  William  Glcason,  ist 
Lieutenant,  rank  from  May  i,  1 861,  discharged  Feb- 
ruary 3,  1S62;  James  A.  Bates,  ist  Lieutenant, 
rank  from  February  3,  1862,  promoted  to  Captain 
December  26,  18G2,  discharged  April  11,  1S64; 
Henry  A.  Downing,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  Feb- 
ruary 3,  1862,  promoted  to  ist  Lieutenant  Decem- 
ber 26,  1862  ;  John  H.  Johnson,  ist  Lieutenant, 
rank  from  May  i,  1861,  resigned  October  10,  1861  ; 
Stephen  A.  Estes,  ist  Lieutenant,  rank  from  Sep- 
tember 21,  1861,  promoted  to  Cai^tain  October  30, 
1862;  Oliver  T.  May,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from 
March  20,  1862,  promoted  to  ist  Lieutenant  October 
30.  1862,  to  Captain  149th  regiment,  March  26, 
1863  ;  Edward  Pointer,  ist  Lieutenant,  rank  from 
May  I,  1S61,  not  mustered  ;  Thomas  Gaffney,  ist 
Lieutenant,  rank  from  September  i,  1861,  re- 
signed October  23,  18G2;  John  P.  Stanton,  2d 
Lieutenant,  rank  from  May  i,  1861,  promoted 
to  1st  Lieutenant  December  26,  1862,  resigned 
April  15,  1863  ;  William  P.  Town,  ist  Lieutenant, 
rank  from  May  1,  1861,  resigned  August  G,  18G1  ; 
William  G.  Tracy,  ist  Lieutenant,  rank  from  August 
6,  1 86 1,  discharged  February  3,  18G2  ;  S.  Dexter 
Ludden,  2d   Lieutenant,  rank  from    September  3, 

1861,  promoted  to   ist  Lieutenant  November  10, 

1862,  mustered  out  on  expiration  of  term  of  service, 
May  17,  1863  ;  William  S.  Woods,  2d  Lieutenant, 
rank  from  June  27,  18G2,  promoted  to  ist  Lieuten- 
ant April  29,  18G4,  transferred  to  the  5th  N.  Y. 
Vols.,  June  2,  1864;  George  W.  Cartwright,  1st 
Lieutenant,  resigned  November  5,  1861  ;  Ulysses 
D.  Eddy,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  September  20, 
1 86 1,  discharged  March  17,  18G2  ;  Abraham  Fred- 
dendall,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  March  17,  1S62, 
resigned  October  13,  18G2;  Abram  Farnie,  2d 
Lieutenant,  rank  from  October  13,  1SG2,  mustered 
out  on  expiration  of  term  of  service.  May  17,  18G3  ; 
John  P.  Spanier,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  May  i, 


1861,  resigned  December  27,  1861  ;  Charles  E. 
Gould,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  February  3,  1862, 
resigned  October  13,  1862  ;  John  M.  Scannell.  2d 
Lieutenant,  rank  from  October  13,  1862,  resigned 
April  13.  1863  ;  Robert  J.  Ellis,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank 
from  April  11,  1863,  not  mustered;  Ellis  Smith, 
2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  February  3,  1862,  resigned 
November  4,  18G2;  Christopher  Eddie,  2d  Lieu- 
tenant, rank  from  November  5,  1862,  mustered  out 
at  the  expiration  of  term  of  service.  May  17,  1863  ; 
George  Snyder,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  May  i, 
1861,  resigned  October  25,  1861  ;  I'rank  W.  Clock, 
2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  September  21,  1861,  re- 
signed March  19,  1862;  Edward  M.  Fisher,  2d 
Lieutenant,  rank  from  May  17,  1862. killed  inaction 
at  the  Chickahominy  June  27,  1862;  Stephen  D. 
Clark,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  May  i,  1861,  dis- 
charged I'cbruary  3,  1862  ;  John  L.  Mease,  2d 
Lieutenant,  rank  from  December  14,  1862,  dis- 
missed November  17,  1863;  William  Thompson, 
2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  November  20,  1863, 
transferred  to  the  5th  N.  Y.  Vols.  June  2,  1864  ; 
Erskinc  P.  Woodford,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from 
May  I,  18G1,  resigned  December  i,  iSGi  ;  Fred- 
erick O.  Waters,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  Septem- 
ber 22,  1862,  mustered  out  on  the  expiration  of 
term  of  service  May  17,  1863  ;  Charles  S.  Coon,  2d 
Lieutenant,  rank  from  October  20,  1 861,  discharged 
February  3,  18G2;  George  Boitcau,  2d  Lieutenant, 
rank  from  December  3,  1862,  mustered  out  on  expi- 
ration of  term  of  service,  May  17,  1863  ;  Andrew 
Urmy,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  October  22,  1861, 
resigned  February  22,  1862;  Dexter  Smith,  2d 
Lieutenant,  rank  from  October  27,  1862,  mustered 
out  on  expiration  of  term  of  service.  May  17,  1863  ; 
Lucius  Smith,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  May  i, 
1 86 1,  resigned  September  3,  1S61  ;  John  B.  P'oote, 
2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from  October  22,  1862, 
mustered  out  on  expiration  of  term  of  service.  May 
17,  1863  ;  Gustavus  Webber,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank 
from  December  18,  18G2,  resigned  February  2, 
18G3  ;  John  Corncy,  2d  Lieutenant,  rank  from 
January  28,  1863,  mustered  out  on  expiration  of 
service,  May  17,  1863. 

Regimental  Flag  of  the  Twelfth  New  York. 

In  the  list  of  regimental  flags  presented  to  Gov. 
Fcnton  at  Albany,  we  find  the  following  memorial 
of  the  colors  of  the  12th  Regiment: 

"  I  National  Flag,  silk.  Presented  to  the  regiment 
by  the  ladies  of  Syracuse,  May  2,  1861,  and  carried 
by  the  regiment  through  every  service  in  which  it 
was  engaged. 

"  The  regiment  was  organized  at  Syracuse  in  the 
spring  of  1861.  It  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of 
Blackburn's  Ford,  and  at  ist  Bull  Run  was  in  the 
reserve.  After  spending  several  months  in  building 
and  grading  forts  in  front  of  Washington,  it  was  sent 
to  the  Peninsula,  and  was  subsequently  engaged  in 
the  seige  of  Yorktown  and  in  the  battles  of  Hanover 
Court  House,  Gaines's  Mill,  Savage's  Station,  White 
Oak  Swamp,  Malvern  Hill,  2d  Bull  Run  and  ist 
Fredericksburg.     It  returned   to  the  State  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


103 


spring  of   1863,  at  the  expiration  of  its   term   of 
service." 

Represented  at  the  presentation  by  Col.  Henry 
A.  Weeks. 

The  One  Hundred  and  First  Regiment  New 
York  Volunteers  was  raised  in  the  Counties  of 
Onondaga,  New  York  and  Delaware.  It  was  or- 
ganized at  Hancock,  N.  Y.,  to  serve  for  three  years, 
and  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service 
from  September  2,  1861,  to  February  28,  1862.  It 
was  consolidated  with  the  37th  New  York  Volun- 
teers, December  24,  1862,  and  the  officers  mustered 
out  of  service. 

The  officers  of  this  regiment  from  Onondaga 
County  were  Lieutenant  Colonel  Johnson  B. 
Brown,  discharged  November  7,  1862  ;  Captain 
Gustavus  Sniper,  of  Company  C,  promoted  to 
Major  on  the  organization  of  the  regiment  at  Han- 
cock, promoted  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  November 
29,  1862,  and  mustered  out  at  the  consolidation, 
December  24,  1862  ;  Assistant-Surgeon  David  B. 
Van  Slycke,  promoted  to  Surgeon,  October  23, 1862, 
and  mustered  out  December  24,  1862  ;  Captain 
James  F.  O'Neil,  rank  from  October  i,  1861,  dis- 
charged May  31,  1862;  Captain  George  W.  Her- 
rick,  rank  from  March  31,  1862,  discharged  Febru- 
ary 22,  1862  ;  Captain  Peter  Ohneth  {Brevet-Major 
N.  Y.  V.,)  rank  as  Captain  November  24,  1861, 
mustered  out  December  24,  1862  ;  Captain  Peter 
McLennon,  rank  from  December  5,  1861,  mustered 
out  December  24,  1862  ;  ist  Lieutenant  Orrin  F. 
Plumb,  rank  from  November  14,  1861,  mustered 
out  December  24,  1862  ;  ist  Lieutenant  James  H. 
Bradt,  rank  from  October  25,  1861,  promoted  to 
Captain  October  29,  1862  ;  ist  Lieutenant  Thomas 
K.  Brown,  rank  from  October  22,  1861,  mustered 
out  December  24,  1862  ;  ist  Lieutenant  Monroe  C. 
Worden,  rank  from  October  7,  1861,  died  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  April  25,  1862  ;  ist  Lieutenant  Wil- 
liam Noble,  rank  from  November  16,  1862,  not 
mustered  ;  ist  Lieutenant  Orlando  J.  Rowe,  on 
records  of  War  Department,  not  commissioned, 
resigned  January  31,  1862;  2d  Lieutenant  William 
H.  Warner,  rank  from  December  i,  1861,  promoted 
to  1st  Lieutenant  October  29,  1862,  mustered  out 
at  the  consolidation,  December  24,  1862  ;  2d  Lieu- 
tenant Silas  H.  Hinds,  rank  from  June,  1862,  mus- 
tered out  December  24,  1862  ;  2d  Lieutenant  Adam 
Listman,  rank  from  November  24,  1861,  resigned 
July  24,  1862;  2d  Lieutenant  George  Pfohl,  rank 
from  July  25,  1862,  mustered  out  December  24, 
1862  ;  2d  Lieutenant  Henry  D.  Ford,  rank  from 
December  15,  1861,  promoted  ist  Lieutenant  Oct.  3, 
1862,  mustered  out  December  24,  1862  ;  2d  Lieu- 


tenant George  B.  French,  rank  from  September  9, 
1863,  not  mustered  ;  Amos  M.  Scranton,  on  records 
of  War  Department,  not  mustered,  discharged  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1862. 

In  the  catalogue  of  flags  presented  to  Governor 
Fenton  at  Albany  after  the  war,  we  find  this  men- 
tion of  the  colors  of  the  loist  Regiment : 

"I  National  Flag,  silk,  with  original  staff.  This 
flag  was  presented  to  the  regiment  by  the  Union 
Defence  Committee  of  New  York  City.  It  was 
borne  in  the  battles  of  Seven  Pines,  (May  31  and 
June  I)  Peach  Orchard,  Savage's  Station,  Chicka- 
hominy,  White  Oak  Swamp,  Charles  City  Cross 
Roads,  Malvern  Hill,  Groveton,  Second  Bull  Run, 
Chantilly  and  Fredericksburg." 

The  regiment  was  sent  forward  from  Hancock, 
N.  Y.,  to  Washington  in  March,  1862,  and  was  for 
some  time  on  duty  in  and  about  Washington.  It 
was  also  engaged  in  garrison  duty  for  some  time  at 
Fort  Lyons,  seven  miles  south  of  Alexandria.  Be- 
fore engaging  in  the  first  of  the  series  of  battles 
above  enumerated,  it  was  organized  as  part  of  Bir- 
ney's  brigade,  Kearney's  division  and  Heintzelman's 
corps,  and  arrived  at  Fair  Oaks  just  at  the  close  of 
the  battle.  The  regiment  was  one  of  the  best  in 
the  service.  It  received  a  high  compliment  for  its 
gallantry  from  Gen.  Kearney  the  night  before  he 
was  killed  at  Chantilly.  In  his  report  after  the  bat- 
tle of  Fredericksburg,  Brig.-Gen.  Berry  said  :  "  I 
have  also  to  mention  the  good  conduct  of  the 
loist  New  York  Volunteers,  Col.  Chester  com- 
manding. They  nobly  performed  their  duty  dur- 
ing the  fight  ;  also  as  pickets  on  the  night  of  the 
retreat.  This  regiment,  though  small  in  numbers, 
did  good  service,  and  its  conduct,  together  with 
that  of  all  its  officers,  was  unexceptionable." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-Second  New 
York  Volunteers —  Organization  —  March 
TO  THE  Front  —  South  Mountain  —  An- 
tietam. 

THE  I22d  Regiment  New  York  Volunteer  In- 
fantry was  one  of  the  regiments  furnished  by 
the  State  under  the  call  of  the  President  for  300,000 
men  in  the  summer  of  1862.  The  war  for  the  sup- 
pression of  the  Rebellion  was  just  beginning  to 
develop  the  magnitude  of  its  proportions,  and  to 
show  that  the  North  must  put  forth  its  manly  energy 
in  good  earnest,  if  it  would  save  the  Republic  from 
dismemberment,  anarchy  and  destruction.  The  issue 
of  the  struggle  upon  the  Peninsula  for  the  capture 
of  Richmond  was   being   surrounded   with  doubt. 


104 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


when  on  the  1st  of  July,  the  President  called  for 
300,000  additional  troops.  On  the  day  following. 
Governor  Morgan  issued  a  proclamation  of  which 
the  subjoined  is  an  extract : 

"This  appeal  is  to  the  State  of  New  York:  it  is 
to  each  citizen.  Let  it  come  to  every  fireside.  Let 
the  glorious  example  of  the  Revolutionary  period  be 
our  emulation.  Let  each  feel  that  the  Common- 
wealth now  counts  upon  his  individual  strength  and 
influence  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  Government. 

"The  period  has  come  when  all  must  aid.  New 
York  has  not  thus  far  stood  back.  Ready  and  more 
than  willing,  she  has  met  every  summons  to  duty. 
Let  not  her  history  be  falsified  nor  her  position  be 
lowered." 

Three  days  after  the  appearance  of  the  above 
appeal,  there  was  issued  from  the  Adjutant-General's 
office  of  the  State  a  circular  directing  the  division 
of  the  State  into  regimental  districts,  correspond- 
ing to  the  senatorial  districts,  with  a  rendez- 
vous camp  in  each.  At  the  same  time  and  by 
the  same  authority,  a  committee  was  appointed  in 
each  district,  called  the  Senatorial  War  Committee, 
to  whom  was  given  the  general  charge  and  direction 
of  affairs  in  their  district  in  regard  to  the  raising 
and  organization  of  troops. 

In  Onondaga  county,  composing  the  22d  Dis- 
trict, the  following  gentlemen  were  named  as  the 
Committee :  Hon.  Charles  Andrews,  Hon.  Grove 
Lawrence,  Hon.  Dennis  McCarthy,  Hon.  Elias  W. 
Leavenworth,  Hamilton  White,  Esq.,  Hon.  Austin 
Myres,  Hon.  Thomas  G.  Alvord,  L.  W.  Hall,  Esq., 
Hon.  Thomas  T.  Davis  and  Col.  J.  Dean  Hawley. 

On  the  I5lh  of  July,  1862,  the  above  committee 
held  a  meeting  and  organized  by  the  election  of 
Hon.  Charles  Andrews,  President,  and  L.  W.  Hall, 
Esq.,  Secretary. 

A  resolution  was  passed  requesting  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  various  towns  of  the  county  to  appoint 
a  committee  of  three  in  each  town  to  act  in  con- 
junction with  them.  Also  a  resolution  was  passed 
requesting  the  Governor  of  the  State  to  call  an 
extra  session  of  the  Legislature  forthwith,  to  insure 
uniform  action  as  regards  the  bounty  to  be  offered 
volunteers.  The  committee  resolved  to  hold  a  ses- 
sion every  evening  at  the  Mayor's  office  in  the  City 
Hall,  at  half  past  seven  o'clock,  until  further  notice. 

At  this  time  the  expedition  against  Richmond 
had  failed.  Pope's  army,  by  his  bold  advance  to 
cooperate  with  McClellan,  was  imperiled,  and  was 
being  driven  back,  though  not  without  able  and  gal- 
lant resistance,  to  the  defences  of  Washington  ; 
while  the  pco|)le  were  looking  anxiously  to  see 
whether  the  foiled,  yet  powerful.  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac, would  be  brought  up  in  time  to  his  assistance, 
or  whether  he  would  be  able  to  fight  his  way  back 


with  what  means  he  had  within  his  reach.  All 
clearly  perceived  that  it  was  only  a  question  of  time 
whether  our  armies  already  in  the  field  would  be 
able  to  maintain  a  successful  defensive  until  the 
reenforcements  which  the  great  loyal  North  were 
preparing  and  sending  forward,  in  response  to  the 
call  of  the  President,  could  reach  the  front. 

It  was  under  such  circumstances  as  these  that 
the  War  Committee,  in  the  summer  of  i862,"called 
upon  the  people  of  Onondaga  for  further  enlist- 
ments. The  first  response  under  this  call  was  the 
I22d  Regiment,  N.  Y.  V.  I.  It  was  raised  in  one 
month,  enlistments  fairly  commencing  on  the  20th 
of  July  and  the  rolls  closing  on  the  20th  of  August. 

The  first  Company  (A)  was  filled  at  Baldwins- 
ville,  from  the  towns  of  Lysander  and  Van  Buren, 
August  6,  with  Joshua  B.  Davis,  Captain  ;  Alonzo 
H.  Clapp,  1st  Lieutenant:  and  Herbert  S.  Wells, 
2d  Lieutenant.  Captain  Davis  was  promoted  to 
Major,  August  16,  1862,  and  was  succeeded  in  the 
command  of  the  company  by  J.  M.  Brower,  form- 
erly a  Captain  in  the  12th  Regiment,  N.  Y.  V. 

Company  B  was  filled  August  14,  from  the 
city  of  Syracuse  and  the  towns  of  Geddes,  Cicero 
and  Clay,  with  Webster  R.  Chamberlain,  Captain  ; 
Charles  G.  Nye,  ist  Lieutenant,  and  William  J. 
Webb,  2d  Lieutenant. 

Company  C  was  organized  from  the  towns  of 
Manlius  and  DeWitt,  at  Fayetteville,  August  14, 
with  Alfred  Nims,  Captain  ;  Joseph  E.  Cameron, 
1st  Lieutenant,  and  Arthur  J.  Mead,  2d  Lieu- 
tenant. 

Company  D,  from  the  towns  of  Onondaga,  Spaf- 
ford,  Otisco  and  the  city  of  Syracuse,  was  organized 
August  14,  with  Cornell  Chrysler,  Captain  ;  Davis 
Cossitt,  1st  Lieutenant,  and  Edward  P.  Luther,  2d 
Lieutenant. 

Company  E  was  organized  in  the  city  of  Syra- 
cuse, August  15,  with  Augustus  W.  Dwight,  as 
Captain  ;  Horace  H.  Walpole,  1st  Lieutenant,  and 
Henry  H.  Hoyt,  2d  Lieutenant.  On  the  22d  of 
of  August,  Captain  A.  W.  Dwight  was  promoted  to 
the  Lieut. -Colonelcy  of  the  regiment,  ist  Lieuten- 
ant, Horace  H.  Walpole,  was  promoted  to  Captain 
of  Company  E,  and  Jacob  Brand  was  appointed  1st 
Lieutenant,  vice  Walpole,  promoted. 

Company  F  was  mainly  from  the  town  of  Mar- 
cellus,  and  was  organized  August  15,  with  Lucius 
Moses,  Captain  ;  George  W.  Piatt,  ist  Lieutenant, 
and  James  Burton,  2d  Lieutenant. 

Company  G,  from  the  town  of  Elbridge,  was  or- 
ganized August  15,  Harrison  H.  Jilson,  Captain; 
Drayton  Eno,  ist  Lieutenant,  and  Peter  A.  Blossom, 
2d  Lieutenant. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


105 


Company  H,  mainly  from  the  town  of  Camillus, 
organized  August  15th,  James  M.  Gere,  Captain; 
Morton  L.  Marks,  ist  Lieutenant,  and  Oscar  F. 
Swift,  2d  Lieutenant. 

Company  I,  from  Syracuse  and  Salina,  chiefly, 
organized  August  16,  John  M.  Dvvight,  Captain ; 
Morris  H.  Church,  ist  Lieutenant,  and  Lucius  A. 
Dillingham,  2d  Lieutenant. 

Company  K,  chiefly  from  the  towns  of  Tully  and 
Skaneateles  and  the  city  of  Syracuse,  organized 
August  19,  Noah  B.  Kent,  Captain  ;  Justin  Howard, 
1st  Lieutenant,  and  Frank  M.  Wooster,  2d  Lieu- 
tenant. 

The  organization  was  completed  and  the  regiment 
mustered  into  the  United  States  service,  at  Syra- 
cuse, August  28,  1862,  with  the  following  field  and 
staff  officers,  viz  : 

Silas  Titus,  Colonel,  rank  from  August  31,  1862  ; 
Augustus  H.  Dvvight,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  rank 
from  August  28,  1862  ;  Joshua  B.  Davis,  Major, 
rank  from  August  28,  1862;  Andrew  J.  Smith, 
Adjutant,  rank  from  July  26,  1862  ;  Fiank  Lester, 
Quartermaster,  rank  from  July  24,  1862  ;  Nathan 
R.  Teft,  Surgeon,  rank  from  July  24,  1862  ;  John 
O.  Slocum,  Assistant  Surgeon,  rank  from  August 
14,  1862  ;  Edwin  A.  Knapp,  2d  Assistant  Surgeon, 
rank  from  August  19,  1862  ;  L.  M.  Nickerson, 
Chaplain,  rank  from  August  28,  1862. 

It  was  expected  that  the  regiment  would  remain 
in  camp  over  Sunday,  and  thus  give  their  many 
friends  an  opportunity  to  visit  them  before  their 
departure  to  the  seat  of  war.  But,  contrary 
to  their  expectations,  it  was  announced  that 
they  would  leave  on  Sunday  morning.  Much 
excitement  was  created  in  camp  and  among  the 
friends  of  the  soldiers  outside.  Before  daylight 
they  began  to  gather  around  the  enclosure  and  at 
sunrise  not  less  than  three  thousand  people  were 
on  the  ground,  pressing  eagerly  to  gain  admittance 
to  their  friends,  while  hundreds  of  the  soldiers  were 
pressing  from  the  inside,  all  anxious  to  get  together 
and  make  their  little  arrangements  and  say  their 
good-byes  before  separating.  It  was  well  that,  on 
such  an  occasion,  military  stringency  should  yield  to 
the  dictates  of  affection  and  friendship,  and  there 
was  time  enough  for  a  visit,  for  three  hours  would 
intervene  before  the  time  for  departure.  This 
view  of  the  case  being  laid  before  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Dwight,  who  was  the  chief  officer  in  camp 
at  that  time,  permission  was  given  for  the  gates  to 
be  opened  and  the  people  let  in.  As  the  guard  fell 
back,  the  crowd  surged  in  through  the  gate,  while 
the  soldiers  within  rent  the  air  with  their  cheers. 
Then  followed  for  two  or  three  hours  a  free  inter- 


mingling  and 


and   finally,  the    parting 


words   and   salutations,  which  were  not  soon  for- 


gotten either  by  the  members  of  the  regiment  or 
their  friends. 

Taking  a  special  train,  the  regiment  arrived  in 
New  York  City  on  Sunday  night,  where  they  spent 
the  next  day  in  receiving  their  arms  and  accoutre- 
ments, and  at  4.30  p.  m.  the  next  day,  went  by  boat 
to  Perth  Amboy,  and  thence  the  same  day  to  Bal- 
timore. They  lay  all  night  in  the  depot  at  Balti- 
more alongside  a  train  loaded  with  wounded  sol- 
diers from  Pope's  battle-fields  in  Virginia.  This  first 
sight  of  the  sad  contingencies  of  war  affected  their 
nerves  more  seriously  than  did  afterwards  the  bat- 
tle-field itself  The  following  data,  from  the  notes 
of  Col.  J.  M.  Gere,  furnish  us  with  a  knowledge  of 
some  of  the  further  movements  of  the  regiment : 

Wednesday,  Sept.  3.  Rode  to  Washington,  where 
they  heard  that  Pope  had  been  defeated  at  Chantilly 
and  that  Lee  was  crossing  into  Maryland.  Slept 
that  night  in  the  barracks  near  the  depot,  and  the 
next  day  marched  through  the  streets  of  Washing- 
ton to  Long  Bridge,  supposed  to  be  on  their  way  to 
Fort  Pennsylvania  for  drill.  But  they  were  halted 
at  Long  Bridge,  and  their  drill  proved  to  be  of 
quite  a  different  character.  That  night  they  slept 
on  the  grass  on  the  bank  of  the  Potomac  ;  the  next 
day  marched  back  through  Georgetown  to  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  above  Chain  Bridge,  where  tents  were 
issued  and  camp  pitched.  The  next  day,  in  light 
marching  order,  joined  the  column  moving  to  the 
front. 

The  regiment  was  brigaded  with  the  65th  and 
67th  New  York  and  the  23d  and  61  st  Pennsyl- 
vania regiments,  under  command  of  Brig.  Gen. 
John  Cochrane,  of  Couch's  division,  and  joined  the 
brigade  at  Orfutt's  Cross  Roads.  The  campaign  of 
three  weeks  up  to  Antietam  was  a  severe  one  to  the 
raw  and  inexperienced  troops.  At  South  Moun- 
tain, after  a  day  of  severe  marching,  they  came  up 
just  in  time  to  see  Slocum's  splendid  charge  up  the 
heights  above  Crampton's  Pass,  but  not  to  take 
part  in  it.  The  next  morning  they  marched  over 
the  battle-field,  from  which  the  dead  had  not  yet 
been  removed,  and  halted  for  the  night  about  four 
miles  beyond. 

McClellan's  army  had  been  marching  up  the 
country  from  Washington,  with  the  Potomac  on 
his  left,  in  three  heavy  columns,  the  I22d  being  in 
the  left  column  next  the  river.  At  this  time,  those 
of  Lee's  forces  which  were  north  of  the  river  were 
scattered  in  several  bodies,  threatening  and  dem- 
onstrating upon  the  State  of  Maryland.  His  forces 
upon  the  south  bank  of  the  Potomac  were  push- 
ing the  attack  upon  Gen.  Miles  at  Harper's  Ferry, 
who,  while  he  held  his  strongly  fortified  position, 


14- 


io6 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


was  keeping  Lee's  army  divided,  and  at  the  same    ' 
time   acting   as   an  obstacle  to  the  withdrawal  of 
Lee's  forces  from   Maryland,  in  case  it  should  be- 
come necessary  for  him  to  retreat. 

The  interest  of  the  Union  Army  lay  in  attacking 
and  crushing  the  detached  portions  of  Lee's  army 
north  of  the  Potomac,  while  Miles  held  his  position 
at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  having  done  this,  to  reach 
Gen.  Miles  in  time  to  relieve  him.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  interest  of  the  rebel  army  was  to  delay 
the  Union  forces,  so  that  they  could  overpower  or 
compel  the  surrender  of  Miles  at  Harper's  Ferry, 
and  then  concentrate  their  whole  army  against 
McClellan  in  Maryland.  This  they  actually  accom- 
plished ihrongh  the  fall  of  Harper's  Ferry  and  the 
battle  of  Antietam,  although  the  results  of  the 
campaign  were  far  from  being  flattering  to  the  Con- 
federate cause. 

That  portion  of  Lee's  army  already  in  Maryland 
had  occupied  South  Mountain,  a  range  of  hills  run- 
ning southwestwardly  across  Maryland  to  the  Poto- 
mac east  of  Harper's  Ferry,  the  principal  passes  of 
which  they  had  fortified.  Gen.  McClellan,  learning 
of  Lee's  plans  through  a  general  order  discovered 
at  Frederick,  pushed  on  in  pursuit,  encountering  the 
enemy  in  their  stronghold's  at  Turner's  and  Cramp- 
ton's  Gaffs,  where,  after  desperate  resistance,  the 
rebels  were  repulsed  with  heavy  loss.  At  Turner's 
Gap  the  loss  to  the  enemy  in  killed  and  wounded 
was  about  2,000  and  1,500  prisoners,  while  at 
Crampton's  our  trophies  were  400  prisoners,  one 
gun  and  700  small  arms.  These  battles  were  fought 
on  the  I4lh  of  September,  by  Gens.  Meade  and 
Hooker,  of  the  right,  and  Gen.  Franklin  command- 
ing the  left  wing,  of  McClcllan's  army.  Could 
Franklin  but  have  realized  how  precious  were  the 
moments,  he  was  still  in  lime  to  have  relieved  Har- 
per's Ferry.  He  was  but  si.\  miles  distant  when  it 
surrendered  at  eight  o'clock  ne.\t  morning. 

As  already  stated,  our  I22d  Regiment  was  in 
neither  of  these  engagements.  On  the  15th,  after 
the  battle,  it  passed  up  through  Crampton's  Gap  to 
about  four  miles  beyond,  where  it  lay  all  day  on  the 
i6th,  and  while  there  heard  of  the  surrender  of 
Harper's  Ferry. 

The  advance  of  our  forces  from  South  Mountain 
towards  Antietam  began  to  be  made  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  15th  of  September,  led  by  Gen.  Pleas- 
anton's  cavalry,  who  overtook  at  IJoonsborough  the 
rebel  cavalry  rear-guard,  charged  it  with  spirit,  and 
routed  it,  capturing  250  prisoners  and  two  guns. 
Richardson's  division  of  Sumner's  corps  followed, 
pressing  eagerly  on  that  afternoon,  and,  after  a 
march  of  ten  or  twelve  miles,  discovered  the  rebels 


posted  in  force  across  Antietam  Creek,  in  front  of 
the  little  village  of  Sharpsburg.  Here  the  entire 
rebel  force  under  Lee  was  soon  concentrated.  Rich- 
ardson halted  and  deployed  on  the  right  of  the  road 
leading  in  from  Keedysville  ;  Sykes,  with  his  divis- 
ion of  regulars,  following  closely  after,  came  up  and 
deployed  on  the  left  of  that  road.  Gen.  McClellan 
himself  with  three  corps  in  all,  came  up  during  the 
evening.  Hooker  moved  at  4  p.  .m.,  and  making  a 
long  detour,  crossed  the  Antietam  out  of  sight  and 
range  of  the  rebel  batteries.  Turning  at  length 
sharply  to  the  left,  he  came  to  an  open  field  with 
woods  in  front  and  on  each  side,  when  he  halted 
and  formed  his  lines  :  Rickett's  division  on  the  left ; 
Meade,  with  the  Pennsylvania  Reser\'es,  in  the 
center  ;  while  Doubleday,  on  the  right,  planting  his 
guns  on  a  hill,  opened  at  once  on  a  rebel  battery 
that  had  begun  to  enfilade  our  center.  By  this 
time  it  was  dark  and  the  firing  soon  ceased.  The 
infantry  of  the  opposing  lines  lay  down  for  the 
night  within  half  musket  shot  of  each  other. 

At  daylight  ne.\t  morning  (Sept.  171  the  battle 
opened  in  earnest.  Meade's  left  and  the  right  of 
Rickett's  line  became  engaged  at  nearly  the  same 
moment,  the  former  with  artillery,  the  latter  with 
infantry  ;  while  a  battery  was  pushed  forward  be- 
yond the  woods  directly  in  Hooker's  front,  across  a 
plowed  field,  to  the  edge  of  a  cornfield  beyond  it, 
destined  before  night  to  be  soaked  with  blood. 
Twice  during  that  bloody  day  was  this  cornfield 
taken  and  lost,  and  the  third  time  it  was  taken  by 
our  forces  and  held.  On  this  part  of  the  field  the 
most  terrible  fighting  of  the  day  was  done.  Jn  one 
of  these  charges,  the  34th  New  York,  which  had 
broken  at  a  critical  moment,  while  attempting  a  ma- 
neuver under  a  terrible  fire,  was  almost  literally  cut 
to  pieces  ;  and  the  15th  Massachusetts,  which  went 
into  the  action  600  strong,  was  speedily  reduced  to 

134- 

During  the  battle  of  Antietam  the  I22d  Regiment 
was  not  engaged  in  actual  fighting,  but  their  division 
(Couch's)  had  been  ordered  to  the  left  to  outflank  a 
supposed  flanking  movement  of  the  enemy.  Greeley 
in  his  American  conflict,  referring  to  this  movement, 
says  :  "  Gen.  Couch's  division,  5,coo  strong,  had 
been  sent  away  towards  Harper's  Ferry  —  evidently 
through  some  misapprehension  —  and  only  arrived 
at  a  late  hour  next  morning."  Some  of  the  oflficers 
say  they  returned  to  the  battle-field  on  the  night  of 
the  17th.     However,  the  difference  is  immaterial. 

September  iSth  and  19th  were  spent  upon  the 
battle  field,  and  on  the  20th  Couch's  division  (in- 
cluding the  I22di  marched  to  Williamsport,  where, 
after  some  skirmishing,  they  drove  oft"  the  rebel 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


107 


cavalry  under  Stewart,  which  had  crossed  the  Poto- 
mac at  this  point.  Here  private  Hunn,  the  first  man 
wounded  in  the  regiment,  received  a  flesh  wound  in 
the  leg.  One  man  in  Company  A  was  wounded. 
The  regiment  remained  here  two  days,  and  on  the 
23d  went  into  camp  in  a  pleasant  clover  meadow  at 
Downsville,  where  they  received  shelter  tents  and 
remained  under  drill  about  two  months.  Major  Jos. 
E.  Hamblin,  of  the  65th  New  York  (afterwards  Maj- 
Gen.)  being  detailed  by  Gen.  Cochrane,  com- 
mander of  the  brigade,  as  the  drill-master.  He  was 
very  competent,  and  under  his  excellent  drill  the 
regiment  soon  became  one  of  the  most  efficient  in 
the  army. 

October  i8th  and  19th,  Saturday  night  and  Sun- 
day, marched  28  miles  up  the  river  to  Hancock. 
On  the  2 1st,  left  Hancock  and  marched  (most  of  the 
distance  by  night)  eight  miles  down  the  river  to 
Cherry  Run  ;  and  after  lying  two  weeks  at  Indian 
Spring,  returned  to  Downsville,  and  the  next  day 
marched  as  wagon-guard,  crossing  the  Potomac  into 
Virginia  at  Berlin  on  the  3d  day  of  November. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-Second  Regi- 
ment, Continued  —  Fredericksburg —  Burn- 
side's  Mud  Expedition — Chancellorsville 
—  Gettysburg  —  Rappahannock  Station  — 
Sandusky,  Ohio  —  Re-organization  of  the 
Army  under  Lieut.-Gen.  Grant. 

ON  the  8th  of  November,  1862, Gen.  Burnside 
superceded  Gen.  McClellan  in  command  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  immediately  there- 
after planned  his  campaign  to  move  upon  Rich- 
mond via  Fredericksburg.  The  I22d  Regiment 
was  now  in  the  left  grand  division  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  (Franklin's),  ist  brigade  (Gen.  John 
Cochrane),  3d  division  (Gen.  D.  A.  Couch),  6th 
corps  (Sedgwick's),  then  commanded  by  Gen.  W. 
F.  Smith  ;  and  joined  the  march  towards  Freder- 
icksburg, November  10,  halting  till  the  15th,  at 
New  Baltimore,  thence  in  two  days  to  Stafford 
Court  House,  and  in  four  days  to  Belle  Plaine  and 
thence  to  Fredericksburg.  Pontoon  bridges  had 
been  laid  opposite  the  city  and  also  two  miles  be- 
low, on  the  night  of  the  loth,  by  our  engineer 
corps,  and  troops  were  then  crossing.  Our  brigade 
lay  near  the  bank  of  the  river  at  Franklin's  Cross- 
ing during  the  night,  and  crossed  at  4  a.  m.,  on  the 
nth  of  December. 

Gen,  Lee,  having  learned  of  Burnside's  purpose, 
had    occupied    Fredericksburg  with  a  brigade  of 


sharp-shooters  (Barksdale's)  and  had  posted  his  en- 
tire force  of  not  less  than  80,000  men  in  strong  in- 
trenchments  along  the  heights  for  two  miles  up 
and  down  the  river  in  the  rear  of  the  city.  Gen. 
Sumner,  with  the  advance  corps  of  our  army,  had 
arrived  on  the  7th  of  November,  and  on  the  21st 
had  summoned  the  city  to  surrender.  The  inhabit- 
ants had  mostly  abandoned  the  place  ;  the  sharp- 
shooters had  been  driven  out  by  the  shells  of  Burn- 
side  from  the  heights  of  Falmouth  and  by  an  in- 
fantry raid  across  the  river  in  boats,  and  the  pon- 
toon bridges  had  been  successfully  laid.  Such  was 
the  state  of  things  when  our  army  began  to  pour 
across  on  the  night  of  the  loth  of  December. 

The  attempt  of  Burnside  to  storm  the  heights  of 
Fredericksburg  on  that  memorable  13th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1862,  must  ever  remain  as  the  darkest,  bloodi- 
est and  most  fruitless  sacrifice  of  our  brave  soldiers 
during  the  whole  war.  Lee,  with  80,000  troops, 
was  posted  behind  his  breastworks  for  miles 
along  the  bluffs.  In  and  before  Fredericksburg 
were  the  grand  divisions  of  Hooker  and  Sumner, 
numbering  60,000.  While  300  rebel  guns  were 
advantageously  placed  on  every  eminence,  and 
raked  every  foot  of  ground  by  which  they  could  be 
approached,  Marye's  Hill,  directly  in  the  rear  of 
the  city,  and  in  front  of  our  storming  column,  was 
defended  by  an  impregnable  stone  wall,  four  feet  in 
height,  behind  which  was  posted  Barksdale's  brigade 
of  rebel  infantry.  Our  heavy  guns  were  mostly  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river  where  they  could  hardly 
reach  the  enemy.  Our  storming  column  consisted 
chiefly  of  Hancock's  and  French's  corps,  in  which 
Meagher's  Irish  brigade  suffered  the  severest  losses. 
It  dashed  itself  repeatedly  against  those  impreg- 
nable heights  until  two-thirds  of  its  numbers' 
strewed  the  ground.  General  Meagher,  in  his 
official  report,  says  : 

"  Of  the  1,200  I  led  into  the  action  only  280  ap- 
peared on  parade  next  morning."  Says  the  cor- 
respondent of  the  London  Times:  "That  any 
mortal  man  could  have  carried  the  position  before 
which  they  were  wantonly  sacrificed,  defended  as  it 
was,  it  seems  to  me  idle  for  a  moment  to  believe. 
But  the  bodies  which  lie  in  dense  masses  within 
forty  yards  of  the  muzzles  of  Colonel  Walton's  guns 
are  the  best  evidence  what  manner  of  men  they 
were  who  pressed  on  to  death  with  the  dauntless- 
ness  of  a  race  which  has  gained  glory  on  a  thousand 
battle  fields,  and  never  more  richly  deserved  it  than 
at  the  foot  of  Marye's  Heights  on  the  13th  day  of 
December,  1862." 

Franklin's  grand  division  on  the  left,  had  crossed 
about  two  miles  below  the  city,  his  whole  force 
numbering  about  40,000,  and  having  assailed  the 
right  of  the  enemy,  with  heavy  loss  in  Meade's  and 


io8 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Hooker's  divisions,  were  unable  to  carr>'  their 
works.  Meade's  division  alone  lost  1,760  men  out 
of  some  6,CXX5  engaged.  Three  repeated  charges 
were  made  at  this  point  to  take  a  rebel  battery  and 
although  the  fighting  was  terrible  and  the  loss  of 
life  great,  no  particular  advantage  was  gained  on 
either  side.  And  so  ended  one  of  the  bloodiest 
days  in  the  annals  of  the  war. 

Our  I22d  Regiment  was  placed  well  to  the  left 
in  support  of  the  Pennsylvania  Reserves,  was  under 
heavy  artillery  fire  four  hours  and  had  four  men 
wounded. 

Monday,  December  15.  Recrossed  the  Rappa- 
hannock at  night  and  went  into  camp  near  Fal- 
mouth, where  the  regiment  remained  doing  ordinary 
camp  and  picket  duty  till  January  20,  1863. 

January  20.  Marched  in  Gen.  Burnsidc's  famous 
"  mud  campaign."  This  movement  contemplated 
a  crossing  in  force  at  Bank's  and  United  States' 
Fords,  above  Fredericksburg,  while,  at  the  same 
time,  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  enemy  in  that 
direction,  a  feint  of  crossing  was  to  be  made  at  the 
Sedden  House,  six  or  seven  miles  below.  His 
preparations  were  perfected  and  his  army  put  in 
motion  on  the  20th  of  January.  The  morning  was 
fair,  but  at  10  o'clock,  p.  m  ,  rain  and  sleet  began  to 
fall,  and  during  the  ne.xt  day  rain  poured  down  in 
torrents,  taking  the  frost  all  out  of  the  ground  and 
letting  the  army  trains,  artillery  and  baggage,  into 
the  mud  so  inextricably  that  it  was  impossible  to 
move.  After  lying  there  two  days  in  mud  and  dis- 
comfort, order  was  given  to  return  to  camp,  and  all 
made  their  way  back  as  best  they  could.  The 
movement  was  intended  to  have  been  made  under 
cover  of  night,  but,  on  account  of  the  impediment 
*of  the  storm  and  mud,  daylight  revealed  them  hope- 
lessly floundering  in  view  of  the  enemy,  who,  though 
they  immediately  guarded  the  fords,  were  not  fool- 
ish enough,  had  they  been  able,  to  squander  their 
men  and  animals  in  an  attempt  to  assail  our  stalled 
and  struggling  forces. 

Gen.  Hooker  having  assumed  command  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  on  the  i6th  of  February, 
1863,  devoted  the  following  two  months  to  improv- 
ing the  discipline,  perfecting  the  organization,  and 
exalting  the  spirit  of  his  men.  During  this  time 
our  I22d  Regiment  was  engaged  chiefly  on  picket 
duty.  Hooker  soon  had  an  army  equal  in  numbers 
and  efficiency  to  any  ever  seen  on  this  continent, 
nearly  100,000  strong,  its  artillery  not  less  than 
10,000,  and  its  cavalry  13,000.  Being  at  length 
ready,  Hooker  dispatched  Stoneman,  with  most  of 
his  cavalry  up  the  north  side  of  the  Rappahannock 
with  instructions  to  cross  at  discretion  above  the 


Orange  and  Alexandria  Railroad,  strike  Fitz-Hugh 
Lee's  cavalry  (computed  at  2,oco)  near  Culjiepper 
Court  House,  capture  Gordonsville,  and  then  pounce 
on  the  Fredericksburg  and  Richmond  Railroad  near 
Saxton's  Junction,  cutting  telegraphs,  railroads, 
burning  bridges,  &c ,  thence  towards  Richmond, 
fighting  at  every  opportunity,  and  harrassing  by 
every  means  the  retreat  of  the  rebel  army,  which, 
it  was  calculated,  would  now  be  retiring  on  Rich- 
mond. This  order  was  issued  on  April  13. 
The  rains  and  the  swollen  river  caused  the  delay 
of  the  army,  and  the  recall  of  the  cavalry, 
which  had  already  efl'ected  a  crossing  of  the  Rappa- 
hannock ;  the  main  army  did  not  move  till  the 
morningof  the  25th, our  I22d  Regiment  and  brigade 
marching  at  2  p.  m.,  in  the  6th  (Sedgwick's)  corps, 
carrying  pontoons  to  Franklin's  Crossing  two  miles 
below  Fredericksburg.  The  I22d  were  engaged 
all  night  in  laying  the  pontoons.  Before  daylight 
Brook's  division  had  crossed  in  boats  and  drove  off 
the  rebel  pickets.  Gen.  Wadsworth,  commanding 
the  advance  of  Reynold's  division,  and  Sickles's  ( 3d ) 
corps,  being  now  apparently  ready  to  cross  in 
force,  the  3d  corps  was  ordered  to  move  silently 
and  rapidly  to  the  United  States'  Ford  and  thence 
to  Chancellorsville,  while  part  of  the  pontoons  were 
taken  up  and  sent  to  Banks's  Ford.  Reynolds, 
after  making  as  great  a  display  as  possible,  and  ex- 
changing some  long  shots  with  the  rebels  in  front, 
followed  on  the  2d  of  May,  raising  Hooker's  force 
at  or  near  Chancellorsville  to  70,000  men. 

Gibbon's  division  of  the  2d  corps,  6,000  strong, 
was  left  at  Falmouth,  to  guard  our  camps  and  stores. 
Sedgwick's  (6th)  corps,  with  our  I22d  Regiment,  re- 
mained at  the  crossing  (Franklin's)  in  front  of  the 
rebel  works,  covering  the  withdrawal  of  Sickles's 
(3d)  corps  and  Reynold's  division,  after  the  feint  of 
crossing  at  that  point,  and  remained  till  Saturday, 
May  2d.  At  this  date  an  order  was  received  for 
the  6th  corps  to  cross  the  Rappahannock  and  move 
to  join  Hooker  at  Chancellorsville.  That  night 
they  crossed  the  river  at  the  lower  crossing,  and 
after  skirmishing  up  through  Fredericksburg,  found 
themselves  at  3  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning  in  front 
of  Marye's  Heights  before  the  fatal  stone  wall  where 
fell  so  many  of  our  brave  soldiers  on  that  memora- 
ble 13th  of  December,  1862.  To  protect  themselves 
from  the  rebel  fire,  which  opened  upon  them  from 
the  fortifications,  they  moved  back  to  the  edge  of 
city  before  daylight,  and  were  joined  by  Gibbon's 
division  crossing  from  Falmouth,  raising  Sedgwick's 
force  to  nearly  30,000  men.  Meanwhile,  the  rebel 
troops  still  remaining  in  this  quarter  had  been  con- 
centrating on  Marye's  Hill,  where  they  had  several 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


109 


guns  in  position,  while  a  canal  covering-  their  left, 
with  the  bridges  all  taken  up,  increased  the  difficulty 
of  carrying  the  hill  by  assault.  One  attempt  to  clear 
the  enemy's  rifle-pits  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  was  re- 
pulsed ;  another,  and  a  successful  assault,  was  made 
at  II  A.  M.  by  three  storming  columns  of  Gen. 
Howe's  (2d)  division  under  Gen.  Neill  and  Cols. 
Grant  and  Seaver,  carrying  the  lower  work  and 
Marye's  Hill  with  little  loss  and  scarcely  without 
being  checked  in  their  advance,  and  capturing  200 
prisoners.  In  carrying  the  rebel  front  line  Capt. 
Church  was  wounded  by  a  case  shot.  In  carrying 
the  hill  about  goo  men  were  killed  and  wounded  in 
eleven  minutes.  The  I22d  was  in  the  supporting 
column  and  passing  over  the  hill,  turned  to  the 
right,  and  in  about  a  mile  came  in  front  of  a  forti- 
fied hill  occupied  by  a  force  of  the  enemy  and  two 
guns,  which  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  carry,  and 
did  it  promptly,  losing  nine  killed  and  wounded. 

Sedgwick  having  carried  the  heights,  reformed 
his  brigades,  and  leaving  Gibbon  at  Fredericksburg, 
moved  out  on  the  Chancellorsville  road.  Our  regi- 
ment moved  with  the  other  troops  at  i  p.  m.,  about 
four  miles  to  Salem  Church.  The  fortified  position 
of  the  rebels  here  was  unsuccessfully  attacked. 
The  enemy,  reenforced  by  about  30,000  men, 
flushed  with  victory  from  Chancellorsville,  assailed 
us  in  return,  and  for  about  two  hours  the  battle 
raged  furiously.  Our  forces  held  their  own  at  all 
points.  Towards  night  the  battle  lulled,  and  the 
I22d  was  thrown  to  the  extreme  right  front  of  our 
position,  which  they  held  all  night. 

Monday,  May  4.  Morning  broke,  and  Sedgwick's 
position  was  fast  becoming  critical.  The  enemy 
were  in  force  on  his  front,  and  feeling  around  his 
left,  back  towards  the  heights  of  Fredericksburg. 
Should  Hooker  remain  inactive,  the  brunt  of  fighting 
the  whole  rebel  army  was  imminent.  He  received 
several  dispatches  from  his  chief  during  the  day, 
evincing  a  very  uncertain  state  of  mind.  At  i  p.  m. 
the  enemy  moved  in  force,  striking  Sedgwick  in 
flank,  and  pushing  him  down  towards  the  river,  and 
during  the  night  over  it  at  Bank's  Ford,  with  a  loss 
of  hardly  less  than  5,000  men. 

In  this  movement  the  enemy  attempted  to  cut  off 
our  forces  from  the  river,  but  their  effort  was  suc- 
cessfully resisted.  A  bridge  was  laid  by  the  50th 
New  York  (engineers)  and  the  corps  recrossed  the 
Rappahannock  in  the  course  of  the  night,  the  I22d 
Regiment,  holding  the  bridge-head  in  the  face  of  the 
enemy  till  3  o'clock  in  the  morning,  being  the  last  to 
recross.  By  the  8th,  the  regiment  occupied  a  new 
camp  in  a  pine  woods,  called  Camp  Shaler,  further 
east  and  nearer  the  river  than  the  old  one. 


June  3.  Lee  began  to  put  his  forces  in  motion 
up  the  southern  bank  of  the  Rappahannock,  pre- 
paratory to  the  invasion  of  Maryland  and  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  movements  were  carefully  screened 
from  the  observation  of  our  army.  On  the  6th, 
Hooker  threw  over  Gen.  Howe's  division  of  the 
6th  corps  (containing  the  I22d)  a  little  below  the 
city,  to  ascertain  if  the  enemy  were  still  in  force 
there.  Hill,  who  had  been  left  to  guard  the  place, 
soon  convinced  him  that  there  had  been  but  little 
reduction  of  the  rebel  strength  in  that  quarter,  and 
after  some  careful  skirmishing,  in  which  three  of 
the  I22d  were  wounded,  he  withdrew  again  to  the 
north  side  of  the  river,  June  13. 

June  14-18.  Marched  to  Fairfa.x  Court  House. 
June  2 1st.  Firing  within  hearing  at  Adlie  and 
Snicker's  Gaps,  east  of  Winchester. 

June  14th.  Marched  to  Centerville,  camped  for 
the  night,  and  at  5  p.  m.,  June  25,  went  on  picket 
to  the  front  on  the  old  Bull  Run  battle  ground. 

June  26.  Marched  to  near  Drainsville  ;  (27), 
marched  at  4  o'clock  a.  m.,  and  crossed  the  Potomac 
at  Edward's  Ferry,  eighteen  miles  distant,  at  4  p.m.  ; 
(28)  marched  toward  Frederick  City,  just  skirting 
Sugar  Loaf  Mountain ;  (29)  marched  all  day  north- 
wardly ;  and  (30)  marched  si.xteen  miles  to  near 
Manchester,  Maryland. 

July  I.  Heard  that  the  ist  corps  had  struck 
the  enemy  at  Gettysburg,  and  that  battle  was 
joined  ;  started  at  sundown,  and  after  marching  all 
night,  (thirty  miles,)  arrived  upon  the  field  at  3 
p.  M.  of  the  2d,  and  went  immediately  into  the  front 
line.  On  the  3d  of  July,  from  8  till  1 1:30  a.  m.,  the 
I22d  Regiment  was  at  the  right  under  General 
Geary,  of  Slocum's  corps,  and  lost  heavily,  but 
defeated  the  enemy.  The  149th  Regiment  was  at 
the  left  side  of  the  I22d  through  part  of  the  fight. 
Slocum,  who  commanded  the  right  wing  of  our 
army  during  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  had  been 
crowded  back  from  his  rifle-pits  on  the  night  of  the 
2d  of  July,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  3d,  in  the 
action  just  referred  to,  he  had  advanced  and  retaken 
them,  but  not  without  a  fierce  struggle  which  lasted 
over  three  hours.  Two  Onondaga  Regiments,  the 
149th  and  the  I22d,  had  the  honor  of  participating 
in  this  achievement,  under  one  of  Onondaga's 
honored  sons  as  commander  of  the  right  wing  of 
the  army— General  H.  W.  Slocum.  In  front  of  their 
position  that  morning  fell  1,200  rebel  dead.  The 
following  day  was  spent  on  the  battle  field,  taking 
care  of  the  wounded.  When  the  rebels  retreated 
our  brigade  followed  to  Middletown,  and  thence 
across  the  mountain  to  Funkstown,  arriving  on  the 
14th,  where  they  found  the  rebels  strongly  posted 


no 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


behind  breastworks,  and  so  sheltered  by  a  piece  of 

wood,  that  our  artillerj'  could  not  be  brought  to  bear 
upon  them.  Some  90  men  of  the  brigade  volun- 
teered to  chop  down  the  timber,  though  right  in 
front  of  and  exposed  to  the  rebel  guns,  that  the 
artillery  might  have  full  rake  ;  and  at  work  they 
went  with  axes,  keeping  their  rifles  by  their  side  ; 
but  in  the  morning,  when  the  attack  was  to  have 
been  made,  it  was  found  that  the  enemy  had  gone 
in  the  night.  Our  army  followed  them  four  miles 
to  Williamsport,  capturing  their  rear-guard,  re- 
crossing  the  Potomac  and  arriving  at  Warrcnton 
about  July  24th,  where  they  remained  till  Septem- 
ber 15th  ;  thence  to  White  Sulphur  Springs,  camp- 
ing at  Stone  House  Mountain,  till  October  i,  when 
they  started  at  11  a.  M.and  marched  all  next  day 
in  a  heavy  rain,  reaching  Catlett's  Station  on  the 
3d,  where  our  brigade  remained  guarding  the  station 
for  ten  days. 

October  13.  At  I  o'clock  a.  m.  marched  to 
Warrenton  Junction,  and  lay  in  line  of  battle  one 
mile  cast  of  the  junction  through  the  day,  to  pro- 
tect our  trains  and  the  flank  of  our  army  moving 
northward.  Towards  night  the  brigade  moved  to 
Kettle  Run,  a  mile  from  Hristow  Station,  arriving 
at  3  A.  M.,  and  the  next  day  marched  to  Centerville 
and  went  to  the  front  on  picket  duty.  This  move- 
ment appears  to  have  been  caused  by  the  enemy's 
moving  around  our  right  flank  and  threatening 
our  communications  with  Washington.  They  had 
pushed  for  Centerville  with  the  intention  of 
occupying  the  fortifications  there,  e.xpecting  that 
we  would  attack  them  ;  but  on  arriving  in  front 
of  the  position,  they  found  three  of  our  corps  in 
possession  of  the  works.  Judging  that  our  trains 
must  be  just  behind,  the  rebels  turned  sharp  to  the 
right,  and  found  them  where  they  expected,  moving 
alongside  of  the  railroad  track  under  the  escort  of 
the  2d  corps.  The  highway  was  just  at  the  left  of 
the  railroad  ;  as  they  were  coming  up,  and  as  they 
struck  the  train,  they  likewise  struck  the  2d  corps 
in  flank.  The  troops  of  this  corps  immediately 
jumped  over  the  railroad  bank,  and  with  their  artil- 
lery at  the  head  of  the  column,  pointing  down  the 
road,  were  in  splendid  position,  from  which  they  re- 
pulsed the  attack  handsomely,  inflicting  heavy  loss. 
This  affair  is  known  as  Hristow  Station. 

October  16.  Marched  four  miles  north  of  Cen- 
terville and  took  position,  awaiting  the  enemy. 
Considerable  fighting  for  two  days  past.  October 
19.  Pushing  the  enemy  towards  Gainesville.  Oc- 
tober 20.  Marched  to  New  Baltimore  and  Warren- 
ton, sending  the  enemy  across  the  river.  Lay  in 
camp  near  Warrenton  till  November  7. 


The  rebels  having  retired  south  of  the  Rappa- 
hannock, after  having  chased  our  army  almost  up 
to  Washington,  and  having  gained  a  decided  advan- 
tage in  the  only  important  collision  that  marked 
his  retreat,  Meade  sought  permission,  by  a  rapid 
movement  to  the  left,  to  seize  and  occupy  the 
Heights  of  Fredericksburg  ;  and  accordingly,  sent 
forward  Sedgwick,  with  the  5th  and  6th  corps,  at 
daybreak,  November  7,  from  Warrenton  to  Rappa> 
hannock  Station,  where  the  rebels  had  strongly  for- 
tified the  north  bank  of  the  river,  covering  their 
pontoon  bridge.  Arriving  at  noon  opposite  the 
station,  our  troops  were  halted  behind  a  hill  a  good 
mile  off,  rested  and  carefully  formed,  and  our  skir- 
mish lines  gradually  advanced  to  the  river  both 
above  and  below  the  enemy's  works.  Just  before 
sunset  it  was  decided  that  these  works  could  be 
carried  by  assault,  and  without  a  moment's  delay 
our  brave  soldiers  dashed  forward  to  the  charge, 
carrying  the  position,  capturing  four  cannon,  six 
limbers,  three  caissons,  1,600  prisoners,  2,000  small 
arms,  the  I22d  Regiment  losing  13  killed  and 
wounded.  In  ten  minutes  the  6th  Maine  lost  16 
out  of  23  officers,  and  123  out  of  350  enlisted  men, 
three  of  their  veteran  Captains  lying  dead,  with 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Harris,  of  this  regiment,  and 
Major  Wheeler,  of  the  5th  Wisconsin,  severely 
wounded.  Adjutant  "Clark,  of  the  former,  and 
Lieut.  Russell,  were  also  wounded.  The  rebels 
also  lost  heavily.  Col.  Gleason  of  the  12th  Vir- 
ginia, being  killed.  Gen.  Hayes  surrendered,  but 
afterwards  escaped.  Two  of  his  culonels  swam 
the  river.  The  whole  achievement  was  the  work 
of  two  brigades  numbering  less  than  3,000  men. 
The  charge  was  made  with  fi-\ed  bayonets  without 
firing  a  shot.  Our  command  of  the  ford  was  com- 
plete, and  Lee  fell  back  to  Culpepper  that  night, 
and  across  the  Rappahannock  the  ne.xt  day. 

Our  force  moved  to  Brandy  Station  about  Novem- 
ber 10  ;  left  camp  on  the  26,  (Thanksgiving  Day) ; 
crossed  the  Rapidan  at  8  A.  M.  ;  remained  across 
the  river  marching  and  fighting  more  or  less  to 
Mine  Run,  till  December  2d,  when  they  recrossed 
the  Rapidan  at  Gold  Mine  P'ord  and  returned  to 
their  old  camp  at  Brandy  Station,  where  the  regi- 
ment remained  till  the  3d  of  January,  1864. 

At  this  date  the  brigade  broke  camp  and  started 
for  Sandusky,  Ohio,  via  Washington  and  Wheel- 
ing, West  Va.,  arriving  at  Sandusky  January  13. 
The  I22d  Regiment  quartered  in  the  town,  the  rest 
of  the  brigade  on  Johnson's  Island  guarding  2,600 
rebel  prisoners.  They  remained  at  Sandusky  just 
three  months,  until  April  13,  when  they  started 
back  to   Virginia,   arriving   at   their   old   camp  at 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Ill 


Brandy  Station  with  three  regiments  of  the  brigade 
April  19 

Gen.  Grant  having  been  appointed  by  Congress 
Lieutenant-General  of  the  Army,  February  24, 
1864,  was  summoned  from  the  West  by  telegraph, 
and  on  the  8th  of  March  repaired  to  Washington 
to  receive  his  commission  and  instructions,  as  com- 
mandant of  all  the  Union  forces.  The  residue  of 
March  and  nearly  the  whole  of  April  were  devoted 
to  careful  preparation  for  the  campaign  against 
Richmond.  The  Army  of  the  Potomac,  still  com- 
manded immediately  by  Gen.  Meade,  was  com- 
pletely reorganized,  its  five  corps  being  reduced  to 
three,  commanded  respectively  by  Gen.  Hancock 
(2d).  Warren  (5th),  and  Sedgwick  (6th).  Maj. 
Gens.  Sykes,  French  and  Newton,  with  Brig.  Gens. 
Kenly,  Spinola  and  Sol.  Meredith,  were  relieved 
and  sent  to  Washington  for  orders.  Gen.  Burn- 
side,  who  had  been  reorganizing  and  receiving 
large  accessions  to  his  (9th)  corps  in  Maryland, 
crossed  the  Potomac  March  2d,  and  joined  Meade's 
army,  though  the  formal  incorporation  therewith 
was  postponed  till  after  the  passage  of  the  Rapi- 
dan.  This  junction  again  raised  the  positive  or 
fighting  strength  of  the  army  to  considerable  over 
100,000  men. 

In  the  reorganization  this  spring,  the  old  3d  di- 
vision was  broken  up  and  divided  between  the  ist 
and  2d  divisions,  our  brigade  being  attached  to  the 
1st  division  as  the  4th  brigade,  and  the  3d  division 
of  the  3d  corps  transferred  to  our  corps  as  the  3d 
division  of  the  6th  corps  ;  so  that  now  the  I22d 
Regiment  belonged  to  the  4th  brigade,  ist  division^ 
6th  corps. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-Second  Regi- 
ment, Continued  —  Campaign  of  the  Wilder- 
ness —  Battle  of  Cold  Harbor  —  South  of 
THE  James  —  Expedition  to  the  Shenandoah 
Valley  —  Petersburg  —  List  of  Promotions 
—  Fifteenth  Cavalry. 

THE  history  of  the  I22d  Regiment,  with  the 
brigade  and  division  of  which  it  was  a  part, 
during  the  campaign  of  the  Wilderness  and  up  to 
the  sanguinary  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  is  given  in 
the  following  extracts  from  the  Diary  of  Major  T. 
L.  Poole,  of  Geddes,  which  recorded  each  day's 
events  as  they  transpired  till  the  time  he  was 
wounded  and  left  the  army.  The  notes  of  this 
diary  were  made  at  the  front,  in  the  midst  of  the 
stirring  scenes  which  they  describe,  and  will  add 
the  zest  of  personal  interest  to  our  narrative  : 


May  4,  1864.  Left  camp  near  Brandy  Station 
at  daylight.  Our  brigade  is  rear-guard  and  is  with 
the  wagons  of  the  corps.  At  about  11  p.  m., 
marched  eastward  and  went  into  camp  at  Gold  Mine 
Ford.  At  the  ford  we  found  the  entire  wagon 
trains  of  the  army,  and  they  were  then  crossing  the 
Rapidan.  We  spread  our  blankets  on  the  ground 
and  slept  till  daylight. 

May  5.  Did  not  cross  the  river  until  late  in  the 
afternoon,  when  we  marched  about  two  miles  and 
encamped,  still  being  the  wagon-guard.  A  battle 
was  in  progress  all  day  in  front  of  us,  continuing 
till  late  at  night.  It  is  impossible  to  learn  anything 
definite. 

Friday,  May  6.  We  were  awakened  at  midnight, 
and  leaving  the  wagons  behind  us,  marched  several 
miles  to  the  right  and  took  up  line  of  battle. 
Crossed  over  a  portion  of  the  battle  ground  of  yes- 
terday, and  saw  many  of  the  dead.  The  battle 
commenced  at  daylight ;  but  at  this  hour  (6  a.  m.) 
we  have  taken  no  part.  Word  has  come  that  we 
shall  soon  make  a  bayonet  charge.  2  o'clock  p.  m. 
Attempted  the  charge  and  failed.  We  advanced 
twenty  rods  and  halted,  took  what  cover  we  could 
and  opened  fire.  Continued  firing  about  twenty 
minutes,  when  both  sides  ceased ;  our  skirmishers, 
however,  kept  up  fire  during  the  day.  Our  losses 
up  to  this  time  in  the  regiment  are,  one  man  killed 
and  41  officers  and  men  wounded.  Besides  these 
15  are  missing,  and  we  have  reason  to  suppose  some 
of  them  are  killed  or  wounded.  My  company  (I) 
lost  Captain  Dwight,  wounded  in  the  left  leg  below 
the  knee,  not  supposed  to  be  serious ;  privates 
Howard  and  Brooks,  both  wounded  severely ; 
Lieutenant  Wilson,  of  Company  A,  wounded  in  the 
shoulder  (proved  fatal)  ;  Lieutenant  C.  B.  Clark, 
wounded  in  the  leg;  (Captain  Dwight,  wounded 
early  in  the  morning  at  8  o'clock,  and  I  have  since 
been  in  command  of  the  company.)  Corporal  Isaac, 
of  my  company,  is  missing,  and  I  suppose  him  killed 
(was  killed)  ;  Corporal  F.  Patterson,  of  Company 
D,  belonging  to  my  color-guard,  is  also  wounded. 

The  126th  Ohio  regiment  are  now  building 
breastworks  a  few  rods  in  our  rear  ;  and  so  matters 
remain  at  present,  2  p.  m. 

At  6:30  p.  m.,  the  rebels  made  an  attack  upon 
our  works,  in  front,  right  flank  and  rear,  the  attack 
being  made  by  Gordon's  division.  Our  regiment 
and  the  entire  brigade  were  driven  back  in  great 
confusion  and  with  heavy  loss,  many  of  our  regi- 
ment being  killed  and  wounded  and  others  falling 
and  being  taken  prisoners.  The  extreme  right, 
consisting  of  our  division,  was  driven  back  and 
completely  broken  to  pieces,  being  left  in  fragments 


1 1; 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


in  the  woods.  We  retreated  rjcarly  two  miles, 
seeking  to  rally  the  men,  but  the  panic  was 
such  that  we  found  it  impossible.  Captain  Clapp 
and  myself  finally  got  half  a  dozen  of  our  regiment 
together,  and  as  we  had  our  regimental  flag,  it  gave 
us  a  rallying  point  ;  and  with  our  little  band  wc 
started  back  to  the  front.  Other  small  squads  were 
found,  and  wc  soon  had  quite  a  force  together.  I 
only  had  three  men  in  my  own  company  out  of  30. 
Our  force  went  back  a  quarter  of  a  mile  or  so, 
gathering  strength  as  wc  went.  Here  we  were 
joined  by  Lieut. -Col  Dwight,  Capt.  Walpole, 
Lieuts.  Hoyt  and  Wells  and  five  or  si.x  more  of  our 
men.  Col.  Upton,  of  the  121st  New  York,  took 
command  of  our  division  i  what  was  left  of  it)  and 
soon  formed  a  line  of  battle,  We  and  the  ist  Long 
Island  regiment  (67th  N.  V.  1  consisting  of  about 
forty  men,  were  made  the  second  line.  At  1 1  p.  M. 
we  were  attacked  in  force,  but  we  drove  the  enemy 
back  easily.  At  about  1  o'clock  r.  m.,  we  moved  to 
the  right  again,  and  lay  down  behind  a  battery  and 
rifle-pits.  I  have  no  idea  what  the  loss  of  our  regi- 
ment is,  but  it  is  very  great.  Capt.  Piatt,  Lieut. 
Ostrander  and  Lieut.  Luthur,  are  wounded.  Capt. 
J.  M.  Gere  and  Lieut.  Hall  arc  missing,  and  are 
probably  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels,  and  I  presume 
Luther  and  Ostrander  are  both  prisoners,  i  Proved 
true.)  I  think  our  entire  loss  so  far  will  be  nearly 
or  quite  2,000.  Out  of  nine  sergeants  and  corpo- 
rals belonging  to  my  color-guard,  only  one  is  with 
me. 

Col.  J.  M.  Gere,  who  was  Captain  of  the  i22d, 
and  taken  prisoner  at  the  time  of  the  action  just 
narrated,  gives  some  personal  recollections  of  the 
time  the  division  was  broken  into  pieces  in  that  en- 
gagement. He  was  in  one  squad  and  Major  (then 
Lieut. )  Poole  in  another,  as  they  were  all  broken  up  in 
the  woods,  and  of  course  had  different  experiences. 
Johnston,  he  says,  had  formed  in  our  rear  and  Gor- 
don's division  was  drawn  up  across  our  right  flank, 
where  the  I22d  Regiment  was,  on  the  extreme  right 
of  our  infantry,  with  only  the  22d  New  York  cav- 
alry to  the  right  of  them.  At  night  Johnston  opened 
fire  in  our  rear  and  Gordon  charged  our  right  flank, 
driving  in  our  skirmish  line  and  striking  our  cav- 
alry ;  and  as  the  rebels  kept  pressing  and  breaking 
our  right,  the  attack  swept  down  till  it  struck  the 
12 2d,  which  was  driven  back  to  the  left  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile.  Here  Gen.  Shaler  made  a  rally 
with  about  500  men,  fronting  to  the  right  and  charg- 
ing Gordon  as  he  came  up  within  a  dozen  rods. 
The  enemy  stood  till  our  line  was  within  two  or 
three  rods  of  them,  and  then  broke  and  ran.  As 
the  500  rushed  to  the  charge,  Gen.   Shaler,  who 


was  the  only  mounted  man  present,  turning  to  ride 
to  the  rear  to  bring  up  reenforcements,  rode  directly 
into  the  line  of  the  enemy,  who  had  moved  round  to 
our  rear,  and  emerging  from  the  woods,  fired  into 
our  backs.  Gen.  Shaler  was  taken  prisoner.  The 
rest  kept  on  with  their  charge  and  drove  the  enemy 
to  near  the  position  where  the  engagement  had  be- 
gun, the  rebels  in  the  rear  following  and  firing  into 
the  backs  of  the  charging  squad.  The  chargers 
then  turned  upon  them,  scattered  their  line  and 
made  their  way  back  to  the  road  from  which  they 
had  started.  At  this  point  no  other  troops  were 
visible,  no  one  was  in  command,  and  by  common 
consent  each  went  to  look  for  his  regiment.  In 
half  or  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  the  rebels  were 
heard  cheering  up  through  the  woods.  There  was 
with  us  one  stand  of  colors  belonging  to  a  Maine 
regiment  ;  this  was  planted  in  the  road,  and  in  a 
minute  about  150  men  rallied  around  it  facing  the 
enemy.  Raising  a  yell,  they  charged  the  on-coming 
brigade  of  rebels  with  such  fury  that  (probably 
thinking  the  little  squad  was  only  the  advance  of  a 
heavy  charging  column)  they  broke  and  ran,  and 
were  pursued  a  mile,  till  they  joined  a  larger  body 
of  the  rebel  army. 

In  the  squad  of  500,  there  were  a  good  many  of 
the  I22d  Regiment  ;  in  the  150  were  Col.  Dwight, 
Adjutant  Tracy  and  Capt.  Gere,  of  the  officers,  and 
a  number  of  the  men.  The  efi"ect  of  the  charge 
was  to  completely  neutralize  the  enemy's  advantage 
to  the  right. 

At  night  our  men  had  mustered  about  60,  under 
command  of  Colonel  Dwight.  and  had  made  their 
way  to  the  left,  where  they  lay  in  front  of  the  lines 
and  battery  of  the  2d  corps  (not  knowing  that  the 
2d  corps  was  there,)  until  about  2  o'clock  a.  m.  At 
this  early  hour  the  rebels  (supposed  to  be  Gordon's 
brigade,)  came  up  to  make  an  attack  upon  the  2d 
corps.  The  little  company  lay  still  till  the  rebels 
were  within  close  range  when  they  all  discharged 
their  pieces  with  such  effect  that  the  enemy  was 
repulsed  and  hastily  retreated,  supposing  that  the 
volley  of  musketry  which  burst  thus  suddenly  and 
unexpectedly  upon  them  was  but  the  precursor  of 
an  attack  by  a  large  body  of  the  Union  army.  The 
2d  corps  had  made  ready  to  oi)en  upon  the  enemy 
with  artillery,  but  fortunately  for  our  little  squad  in 
front  of  their  batteries,  they  had  heard  the  volley 
and  the  rebels  retreating  and  withheld  their  fire. 

In  one  of  these  isolated  situations,  while  attempt- 
ing to  break  out  through  the  enemy's  lines  on  the 
right.  Adjutant  Tracy  and  Captain  Gere  were  taken 
prisoners,  as  already  referred  to  in  Major  Poole's 
diary.      The  former  remained  a  prisoner  about  one 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


"3 


month,  while  the  latter  was  kept  about  six  months 
in  various  rebel  prisons,  and  finally  escaped  from 
the  prison  at  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  in  company 
with  Captain  Horace  H.  Walpole,  taken  prisoner  at 
Spottsylvania. 

Major  Poole's  Diary  Continued.  —  May  7. 
Soon  after  daylight,  the  rebels  attacked  us  once  more, 
but  we  drove  them  back,  our  battery  doing  us  great 
service.  Adjutant  Tracy  is  missing  and  is  sup- 
posed to  be  wounded  and  a  prisoner.  Col.  Dwight 
has  detailed  me  as  Adjutant,  and  Lieut.  Wilkins 
has  taken  my  company.  Lieut.  Hall  and  a  squad 
of  men  have  just  come  in.  At  8  a.  m.,  moved 
again  to  the  right  about  two  miles  and  occupied 
rifle-pits,  where  we  lay  quietly  all  day.  At  9:30  p. 
M.,  fell  in,  moving  towards  the  left  and  marching  all 
night. 

May  8.  Passed  through  Chancellorsville  and 
took  the  road  to  Spottsylvania  Court  House.  About 
noon  our  advance  met  the  enemy  and  engaged 
them.  During  the  afternoon  we  supported  a  bat- 
tery, and  at  5  o'clock  moved  into  some  breastworks, 
together  with  the  6th  Maine  and  1 19th  Pennsyl- 
vania. Here  lost  one  man.  At  9  p.  m.,  were  at- 
tacked, but  there  had  been  no  general  engagement 
during  the  day.  Our  entire  loss  up  to  this  time  has 
been  130 — less  than  30  of  them  prisoners.  Gen. 
A.  Shaler  and  Gen.  Seymour  are  among  the  latter. 
The  Chasseurs  (65th  N.  Y.,)  and  ist  Long  Island 
(67th  N.  Y.,)  have  lost  very  heavily.  Capt.  Tracy, 
(of  the  Chasseurs)  and  Capt.  Cooper,  of  the  Long 
Island,  are  both  killed,  and  a  number  of  officers  are 
wounded  in  both  regiments. 

May  9.  Moved  at  daylight  to  the  line,  and  lay 
upon  an  open  plain  supporting  a  battery.  Gen. 
John  Sedgwick,  commanding  the  6th  corps,  was 
killed  this  morning  by  sharp-shooters.  During  the 
afternoon  we  were  exposed  to  the  enemy's  shells 
and  sharp-shooters,  but  met  with  no  loss.  Up  to 
this  time  officers  and  men  have  behaved  splendidly  j 
but  all  are  worn  down  with  fatigue,  hard  marches, 
continued  fighting  and  loss  of  sleep.  During  Mon- 
day night  we  were  attacked  three  different  times  by 
the  enemy.  I  am  almost  sick,  and  many  are  worse 
off  than  I  am.  We  have  about  200  men  left  for 
duty  and  eight  officers,  besides  the  colonel  and  my- 
self. Some  of  the  best  men  of  our  regiment  are 
gone,  but  I  hardly  have  time  to  think  about  them. 
Tuesday,  May  10.  Orders  came  at  2  o'clock  this 
morning  that  we,  in  conjunction  with  our  entire  force 
in  front,  would  advance  upon  the  enemy  at  daylight. 
Daylight  came,  however,  and  we  did  not  move. 
During  the  afternoon  Col.  Dwight  was  sent  back  to 
hospital  sick  and  worn  out,  and  Capt.  Walpole  took  | 
IS* 


command  of  the  regiment.  The  battle  commenced 
early  in  the  morning  and  up  to  this  time  (4  p.  m.,) 
has  raged  with  terrible  fury.  Fortunately  for  us, 
we  have  not  suffered  much  along  our  portion  of  the 
line,  and  our  brigade  has  not  been  harmed. 

Orders  have  come.  The  Chasseurs  have  taken 
knapsacks  and  haversacks,  and  started  forward. 
The  Long  Islands  and  our  own  regiment  have 
moved  into  some  rifle-pits  to  the  left.  The  charge 
took  place  at  about  6  o'clock,  and  lasted  some  forty 
minutes.  We  could  hear  but  not  see  what  was- 
going  on.  Directly  in  our  front  the  charge  was- 
successful,  but  we  were  finally  driven  back  with 
heavy  loss.  The  charging  column  consisted  of  the 
Sth  and  6th  Maine,  the  sth  Wisconsin  and  r4th  and 
56th  New  York  regiments.  They  took  1,500  pris- 
oners and  a  battery  of  four  guns  ;  the  guns,  how- 
ever, they  were  compelled  to  leave. 

May  II.  Our  regiment  went  out  on  picket  to 
the  left.  Sharp  picket  firing  all  day.  Lost  five 
men,  wounded  ;  also  Capt.  Walpole,  supposed  to 
be  taken  prisoner.  He  had  given  me  orders  early 
in  the  morning  to  advance  the  left  wing,  which  I 
had  charge  of,  and  at  the  same  time  directed  the 
right  wing  to  advance.  We  drew  upon  us  a  heavy 
fire,  and  Walpole  has  not  been  seen  since  He  was 
either  shot  or  went  through  the  lines  and  was  taken 
prisoner.  (Was  taken  prisoner,  and  made  his  es- 
cape from  Columbia  prison.  South  Carolina.)  The 
right  wing  of  our  regiment  was  relieved  at  night. 
Captain  Clapp  now  assumed  command  and  sent 
for  me  to  report  to  him,  sending  Lieut.  Wells  to 
take  command  of  the  left  wing.  We  returned  to 
the  place  we  had  started  from  in  the  morning  and 
remained  till  daylight. 

May  12.  Our  brigade  fell  in  at  daylight  and 
marched  off  to  the  left.  Early  this  morning.  Gen. 
Hancock,  with  his  (2d)  corps,  made  a  grand  charge 
on  the  enemy's  lines  and  was  successful,  capturing 
5,000  prisoners,  including  three  Major  Generals 
and  about  20  cannon.  In  going  through  a  piece  of 
woods,  our  regiment,  which  was  in  the  rear,  was 
cut  off  by  another  column.  We  were  exposed  to  a 
heavy  musketry  fire,  and  also  to  rain  which  lasted 
all  day.  We  could  find  nothing  of  our  brigade,  and 
as  we  were  near  the  front,  our  little  band  of  about 
100  decided  to  go  in,  and  accordingly,  attached  our- 
selves to  the  2d  corps,  and  went  forward  into  some 
breastworks  which  had  been  taken  by  Hancock  this 
morning.  Here  we  remained  till  late  in  the  after- 
noon, fighting  hard  all  day. 

Just  behind  us  was  a  spot  so  exposed  to  the  rebel 
fire  from  their  breastworks  in  front  of  us,  that  no 
soldier  could  live  there  a  moment.     One  section  of 


114 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


a  battery,  two  guns  and  caisson,  came  down  on  a 
run  to  occupy  this  spot,  with  a  view  of  shelling  out 
the  rebels  about  thirty  rods  in  front  of  us,  when 
they  were  fired  upon  and  every  man  and  horse 
killed  instantly.  Not  one  escaped.  The  rebels 
made  desperate  attempts  to  drive  us  out  of  our 
works  and  partially  succeeded.  We  lost  but  few 
men  ourselves,  but  the  carnage  around  us  was 
fearful.  About  4  o'clock  we  were  relieved,  and  as 
night  set  in  found  the  rest  of  our  brigade. 

Friday,  May  13.  Our  brigade  moved  and  oc- 
cupied the  same  rifle-pits  we  had  occupied  the  day 
before.  The  rebels  during  the  night  had  fallen 
back,  leaving  their  dead  and  wounded  in  our  hands. 
Our  skirmishers  were  sent  out  immediately,  and 
soon  reached  the  skirmish  line  of  the  enemy.  Col. 
Dwight  rejoined  us  this  morning  from  the  hospital 
and  Captain  Cossitt  from  a  sick-leave.  Gen.  Meade 
published  an  order  this  morning  which  I  read  to  the 
regiment,  announcing  that  so  far  we  had  been  suc- 
cessful, capturing  18  cannon,  22  colors  and  8,000 
prisoners. 

We  remained  in  these  pits  all  day  and  until  two 
o'clock  at  night,  when  we  fell  in  again  and  marched 
to  the  left,  to  the  support  of  Gen.  Hurnside. 

Saturday,  May  14.  Crossing  the  Po  River  and 
skirmishing.  No  battle.  After  crossing  the  stream, 
threw  up  breastworks,  and  our  regiment,  detailed 
for  picket  duly,  immediately  went  out.  Heavy 
rains  for  three  days,  impeding  the  progress  of  the 
army. 

Monday,  May  16.  Our  regiment  relieved  from 
picket  duty.  May  17.  A  false  alarm  brought  us 
all  to  the  rifle-pits,  but  nothing  came  of  it.  Soon 
after  dark  we  fell  in  quietly  and  took  up  our  line  of 
march  to  the  extreme  right  of  the  army,  where  we 
arrived  about  daylight.  May  18.  Found  that  our 
corps  formed  a  line  of  battle,  column-by-divisions, 
appearances  indicating  that  a  charge  in  that  form 
was  contemplated.  Our  brigade  was  sent  to  the 
extreme  right  and  flank,  as  a  guard  against  a  flank 
movement  by  the  rebels.  The  Chasseur's  and 
Long  Island  regiments  are  on  picket  and  we  on  re- 
serve. So  matters  stand  at  9  o'clock,  a.  m.  The 
charge  was  attempted  and  failed,  and  in  the  after- 
noon we  were  marched  back  to  our  former  position. 
Here  we  remained  till  daylight.  May  19.  Early  in 
the  morning  moved  to  a  new  position  still  further 
on  the  left,  where  we  were  busy  all  day  building 
breastworks.  An  attack  was  made  near  night  upon 
our  right  flank  and  rear,  the  object  being  the  cap- 
ture of  our  wagon  trains.  Moved  about  1 1  o'clock, 
p.  M.,  to  the  support  of  the  2d  corps,  which  was 
engaged  with  the  enemy.     The  battle  was  over  be- 


fore we  reached  the  ground,  and  we  encamped  for 
the  remainder  of  the  night. 

May    20.     Engaged    in    building    breastworks. 
Portions  of  the  army  engaged  with  the  enemy. 

Saturday,  May  2 1 .  About  9  a.  m  ,  marched  ofi"  to 
the  extreme  left.  Found  the  entire  army  moving 
in  the  same  direction.  Halted  near  the  position 
occupied  on  the  20th,  and  half  our  regiment  sent 
back  on  picket  to  the  rear.  About  dark,  the  rebels 
made  an  attack  a  little  to  the  right  of  us,  which  was 
easily  repulsed.  Our  position  is  strongly  posted 
with  16  pieces  of  artillery.  At  1 1  p.  m,  ordered  to 
fall  in,  and  marched  again  to  the  left,  marching 
all  night.  Halted  at  HoUaday's  for  breakfast, 
thence  to  Guinea's,  a  station  of  the  P'redericksburg 
and  Richmond  Railroad,  distant  from  the  latter 
place  about  45  miles.  We  can  hear  cannonading 
in  the  direction  of  Bowling  Green,  towards  which 
our  advance  is  making.  Remained  here  in  camp  at 
the  farm  on  which  is  the  negro  hut  in  which  Stone- 
wall Jackson  is  said  to  have  died  after  his  wound  at 
Chancellorsville.  At  6  p.  m.,  moved  again,  march- 
ing about  five  miles,  when  we  encamped,  and  re- 
mained till  9  o'clock,  A.  M  ,  Monday,  May  23. 

May  23  and  24.  Marching  all  day.  Our  divi- 
sion occupied  on  the  25th  in  tearing  up  the  Gor- 
donsville  Railroad,  which  was  eft'ectually  destroyed 
for  about  a  mile ;  and  on  the  26th  marched  all 
night  and  until  2  o'clock  p.  m.  of  the  27th,  when 
we  crossed  the  Pamunkey  River  at  Hanoverton, 
less  than  twenty  miles  from  Richmond. 

May  29.  Our  division  marched  several  miles 
bearing  to  the  north,  and  finally  halted  about  a  mile 
south  of  Hanover  Court  House  At  this  point  the 
rear  of  the  column  was  attacked  by  rebel  cavalry. 
The  67th  New  York  and  four  companies  of  the 
I22d  were  deployed  as  skirmishers  and  remained 
here  all  night  undisturbed.  The  column  counter- 
marched, and  taking  the  direct  road  to  Richmond, 
marched  about  two  miles  and  then  halted.  Marched 
again  in  the  afternoon  taking  another  road  towards 
Richmond,  formed  a  line  of  battle  in  a  dense  woods 
and  rested  for  the  night. 

May  31.  A  brisk  skirmish  fire  was  kept  up  all 
day  and  in  the  afternoon  we  were  shelled.  About 
midnight  we  left  our  station  and  moved  to  the  left, 
marching  till  noon,  June  ist,  and  arrived  at  Cold 
Harbor.  Here  we  met  our  cavalry  which  had  been 
engaged  in  a  severe  battle  the  day  before,  and  skir- 
mishing was  still  going  on.  Our  corps  immediately 
formed  in  line  of  battle  and  relieved  the  cavalry, 
which  moved  to  our  left.  We  are  less  than  ten 
miles  from  Richmond  and  about  two  miles  from 
Savage's  Station.   About  2  o'clock  p.  m.,  the  enemy 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


"5 


opened  on  us  with  artillery,  to  which  we  replied 
with  three  batteries.  The  enemy  had  a  good  range 
and  killed  and  wounded  a  large  number.  Captain 
Clapp  and  20  men  of  our  regiment  were  on  picket 
duty.  During  the  artillery  duel  the  6th  and  i8th 
corps  were  formed  in  line  of  battle  four  lines  deep, 
the  I22d  being  placed  in  the  fourth  line.  The  three 
front  lines  were  composed  of  the  2d  Connecticut 
Heavy  Artillery,  a  regiment  which  never  till  now 
had  been  under  fire,  having  been  in  the  defences  at 
Washington.  It  was  a  three-battalion  regiment  of 
fine  looking  men,  under  Col.  Kellogg.  At  6:30  p. 
M.  orders  came  to  attack  the  enemy.  We  passed  over 
an  open  field  a  few  rods,  then  through  a  pine  grove 
about  20  rods,  and  the  balance  of  the  way  over  open 
fields,  the  entire  distance  being  less  than  half  a 
mile.  As  we  emerged  from  the  woods  the  rebels 
opened  fire  and  our  men  commenced  dropping. 
The  enemy's  fire  being  too  severe  for  the  2d  Con- 
necticut, they  broke  up  in  great  confusion,  retreat- 
ing through  our  lines,  so  that  we  became  the  front 
line.  The  loss  of  the  2d  Connecticut  was  over  400, 
including  the  Colonel,  who  was  a  brave  officer  and 
fell  at  the  head  of  his  regiment  riddled  with  rebel 
bullets.  Our  line  continued  to  advance  in  good 
order  until  we  had  reached  within  thirty  rods  of 
the  rebel  works,  when  an  order  came  to  fall  back  to 
a  small  ravine  in  the  rear,  but  before  the  order 
could  be  obeyed  the  rebels  had  discharged  their 
heaviest  fire  fearfully  thinning  our  ranks.  Out  of 
140  men,  75  were  killed  and  wounded.  Lieutenant 
Wooster,  of  Company  G,  killed  ;  Lieut.  T.  L.  Poole, 
wounded  in  the  side  and  left  arm  and  shoulder,  re- 


sulting   in    the    loss    of    his    arm. 


The  regiment 


returned  to  the  ravine  and  threw  up  breastworks 
on  the  crest  of  a  small  ridge.  During  the  night  the 
rest  of  the  army  arrived  at  Cold  Harbor. 

Thus  far  Major  Poole's  diary.  A  few  notes  may 
be  made  of  the  general  history  of  this  action. 
Cold  Harbor  is  on  four  cross  roads  a  short  distance 
southeast  of  the  Chickahominy.  On  the  31st  of 
May,  Sheridan,  with  his  cavalry,  had  seized  and 
held  the  focus  of  these  roads,  on  which  the  6th 
corps,  moving  in  the  rear  from  our  right  to  our  left, 
was  immediately  directed,  reaching  it  next  day 
{June  I,)  just  before  Gen.  W.  F.  Smith,  with  10,000 
men  detached  from  Butler's  army  and  brought 
around  by  steamboats  to  White  House,  came  up  and 
took  position  on  the  right.  The  two  were  met  here 
by  an  order  from  Meade  to  advance  and  attack  the 
army  in  their  front,  with  a  view  to  forcing  a  passage 
of  the  Chickahominy.  The  attempt  was  made,  re- 
sulting as  we  have  described  above.  Night  fell  with 
the  rebels  still  in  possession  of  their  works,  our  ad- 


vance holding  and  bivouacking  on  the  ground  it  had 
gained  at  a  cost  of  2,000  killed  and  wounded.  The 
main  body  of  the  army  having  arrived  the  day  fol- 
lowing, and  Grant  and  Meade  being  now  at  Cold 
Harbor,  it  was  resolved  that  the  rebel  lines  should 
be  forced  on  the  morrow.  The  two  armies  held 
much  of  the  ground  covered  by  McClellan's  right 
under  Fitz-John  Porter,  prior  to  Lee's  bold  advance, 
nearly  two  years  before,  Gaines's  Mill  being 
directly  in  the  rear  of  the  confederate  center.  At 
sunrise  on  June  3,  the  assault  was  made  along  our 
whole  front  and  was  repulsed  by  the  enemy 
with  terrible  slaughter.  Twenty  minutes  after 
the  first  shot  was  fired,  fully  10,000  of  our  men 
were  stretched  writhing  on  the  sod,  or  still  and 
calm  in  death,  while  the  enemy's  loss  was  probably 
little  more  than  1,000  ;  and  when  some  hours  later 
orders  were  sent  by  Gen  Meade  to  each  corps  com- 
mander to  renew  the  assault  at  once,  the  men  sim- 
ply and  unanimously  refused  to  obey  it.  They 
knew  that  success  was  hopeless,  and  the  attempt  to 
gain  it  murderous  ;  hence  they  refused  to  be  sacri- 
ficed to  no  purpose.  Our  losses  in  and  around 
Cold  Harbor  were  13,153,  of  whom  1,705  were 
killed,  9,042  wounded,  and  2,406  missing.  Among 
these  were  quite  a  large  number  of  brigadier-gen- 
erals, colonels  and  field  and  line  officers. 

General  Grant  now  decided  to  cross  the  Chicka- 
hominy far  to  Lee's  right,  and  thence  move  across 
the  James  to  attack  Richmond  from  the  south. 
Having  established  his  headquarters  and  depot  of 
supplies  at  City  Point,  he  invested  Petersburg, 
destroyed  the  Weldon  railroad  and  gradually  tight- 
ened his  cordon  of  forces  around  the  rebel  defences 
of  Richmond.  Our  regiment  remained  in  the  army 
in  front  of  Petersburg  till  they  were  sent  with  the 
6th  corps  in  August,  1864,  to  Fort  Stevens,  at  Wash- 
ington, and  thence  with  Sheridan  upon  the  famous 
Shenandoah  Valley  campaign.  Sheridan  had  been 
sent,  August  2,  1864,  to  take  command  of  the 
Middle  Department,  including  Washington,  Mary- 
land, Pennsylvania  and  the  Shenandoah  Valley. 
The  battle  of  Winchester,  in  which  our  regiment 
and  the  6th  corps  were  engaged,  was  fought  August 
19.  "  I  saw,"  says  Gen.  Grant,  in  his  report,  "that 
but  two  words  of  instruction  were  necessary — '  Go 
in  !  '  "  So  he  gave  them,  and  Sheridan  went  in. 
The  rout  of  the  enemy  was  complete,  our  victorious 
army  following  till  dark,  close  upon  the  heels  of  the 
fugitive  foe,  gathering  up  prisoners  and  spoils  of 
war,  as  they  hurried  through  Winchester  in  utter 
rout  and  disintegration.  In  this  battle  our  army 
took  3,000  prisoners  and  five  guns,  and  our  loss  was 
about  3,000,  including  several  generals. 


ii6 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


Early  fell  back  to  Fislicr's  Hill,  eight  miles  south 
of  Winchester,  regarded  as  the  strongest  position 
in  the  Valley.  Sheridan  followed  sharply,  allowing 
but  two  days  to  intervene  between  his  first  and 
second  victory.  The  6th  corps  led  the  advance  on 
the  front,  and  the  I22d  Regiment  was  the  first  in  the 
enemy's  works,  where  the  vigorous  attack  broke  the 
rebel  center,  and  rendered  the  victory  even  more 
decisive  than  that  at  Winchester,  or  Opequan,  as  it 
is  more  commonly  called.  Here  our  army  took 
i,ioo  prisoners  and  l6  guns. 

At  Cedar  Creek  (October  i8i  our  regiment  was 
at  the  turning-point  of  the  battle,  first  turning  the 
enemy  back,  as  Sheridan,  in  his  famous  ride,  came 
up  behind  their  line.  In  this  engagement  we  lost 
about  3.000,  the  rebel  loss  being  still  heavier.  In 
fact.  Early's  force  was  virtually  destroyed,  so  that 
there  was  no  longer  occasion  for  further  fighting  in 
the  Valley.  Our  forces  were  afterwards  returned 
to  Petersburg. 

It  may  be  well  here  to  sum  up  the  losses  of  our 
regiment  during  the  year.  The  campaign  of  1864 
was  entered  upon  by  the  I22d  Regiment  with  26 
officers  and  400  enlisted  men  for  duty.  The 
casualties  for  the  year  were  26  among  the  officers 
and  318  among  the  enlisted  men.  No  one  day  of 
especial  disaster,  but  steady  service  all  the  lime  at 
the  front. 

March  25,  1865.  They  were  engaged  in  the 
afternoon  at  the  left  of  Squirrel  Level  Road,  Col. 
Dwight  being  killed  by  a  shell.  On  the  morning 
of  the  2d  of  April  they  were  in  the  storming 
brigade  which  broke  through  Lee's  lines,  having 
been  under  arms  all  night  and  on  the  picket  line  ; 
and  were  afterward  engaged  through  the  day  till  3 
o'clock,  p.  M.,  forcing  Lccback  into  Petersburg,  cut- 
ting oft'  the  South  Side  Railroad  and  compelling  the 
immediate  evacuation  of  Richmond.  They  followed 
in  the  pursuit  of  Lee's  army  to  its  surrender  at  Ap- 
pomattox Court  House,  and  after  two  days  rest,  had 
a  lively  march  to  Ikirksville,  where  they  remained  a 
week,  and  then  marched  in  four  days  and  a  half  to 
Danville,  to  stop  the  last  gap  on  Johnston's  army, 
now  in  the  clutches  of  Sherman.  After  a  month 
in  Danville,  they  returned  to  Richmond,  were  re- 
viewed through  its  streets  by  Gen.  Halleck.  and 
sent  thence  to  Washington,  where  the  6th  corps  was 
reviewed  by  itself  by  the  President.  Receiving  the 
orders  for  mustering  out  June  23.  they  started  the 
same  day  for  home,  and  were  finally  discharged 
June  27.  1865. 

Official  Record  of  the  1220  Regiment,  with 
List  of  Promotions. 

Silas  Titus,  Col.,  rank  from  Aug.  31,    1862,  dis- 


charged Jan.  23,  '65  ;  Augustus  W.  Dwight.  Lieut. 
Col.,  rank  from  Aug.  28, '62,  promoted  to  Col.  Feb. 
28,  '65,  killed  in  action  near  Petersburg,  Va.,  Mar. 
25,  '  65  :  Horace  H.  Walpole,  Capt.,  rank  from 
Aug.  15,  '62,  promoted  to  Lieut.  Col.  Feb.  28, 
'65,  mustered  out  June  23,  '65  ;  James  M.  Gere, 
Capt.,  rank  from  Aug.  15.  '62,  promoted  to  Lieut. 
Col.  April  22,  '65,  with  rank  from  March  25,  '65, 
(Brevet  Col.  N.Y.Vols.,  1  mustered  out  June  23,  '65  ; 
Joshua  \i.  Davis,  Major,  rank  from  Aug.  28,  '62, 
(Hrevct  Lieut.  Col  N.Y.Vols.,  1  discharged  Jan.  15, 
'64  ;  Jabez  M.  Brower,  Capt..  rank  from  Aug.  6, 
'62,  promoted  to  Major  Feb.  2,  '64.  killed  in  action 
Oct.  19.  '64;  Alonzo  H.  Clapp.  ist  Lieut.,  rank 
from  Aug.  6,  '62,  promoted  to  Capt.  Nov.  13.  '63, 
promoted  to  Major  Dec.  2,  '64,  died  June  23.  '65  ; 
Morton  L.  Marks,  1st  Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  15, 
62.  promoted  to  Capt.  Veb.  10.  '64.  to  Major.  Aug. 
2,  '65  ;  Andrew  J.  Smith,  Adjutant,  rank  from  July 
26, '62,  promoted  to  Capt.  Nov.  10.  '62,  1  Hrevet 
Major  and  Col.  of  U.  S.  V.,)  discharged  June  6, 
'65  ;  Morris  H.  Church,  Adjutant,  rank  from  Oct.  8, 
'62,  promoted  to  Capt.  Mar.  5,  '63,  discharged  Jan. 
15, '64;  Osgood  V.  Tracy,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from 
Dec.  3, '62,  promoted  to  Adjutant  Mar.  i. '63,  to 
Capt.,  Oct.  15,  '64,  mustered  out  June  23,  '65; 
Robert  H.  Moses,  Adjutant,  rank  from  Sept.  17, 
'64,  mustered  out  June  23.  '65  ;  P'rank  Lester. 
Quartermaster,  rank  from  July  24,  '62,  promoted  to 
Capt.  Jan.  14, '63,  discharged  Dec.  23, '64  ;  John 
S.  Cornue,  Quartermaster,  rank  from  Dec.  3.  '62, 
(Brevet  Capt.  and  Major  U.  S.  V.,>  mustered  out 
June  23.  '65  ;  Nathan  R.  Tefl't.  Surgeon,  rank  from 
July  24,  '62,  resigned  April  8,  '(54 ;  Edwin  A. 
Knapp.  Assistant-Surgeon,  rank  from  Aug.  19,  '62, 
promoted  to  Surgeon  May  27,  '64,  mustered  out 
June  23,  65  ;  John  O.  Slocum,  Assistant-Surgeon, 
rank  from  Aug.  14,  "62,  promoted  to  Surgeon  121st 
N.  Y.  Vols.,  July  I,  '63  ;  Charles  B.  Fry,  Assistant- 
Surgeon,  rank  from  July  30.  '63,  not  mustered; 
James  Sanders,  Jr.,  Assistant-Surgeon,  rank  from 
Sept.  30,  '64,  mustered  out  June  23,  '65  ;  L.  M. 
Nickerson,  Chaplain,  rank  from  Aug.  28,  '62,  mus- 
tered out  June  23,  '65  ;  Lucius  A.  Dillingham,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  16,  '62,  promoted  to  ist 
Lieut.,  Nov.  10,  '62,  to  Capt.  Feb.  10,  '64,  mus- 
tered  out   June  23,  '65  ;    Herbert    S.    Wells.    2d 

I  Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  6.  '62,  promoted  to 
1st  Lieut.,  Jan.  14,  '64,  to  Capt.  Sept.  30,  '64, 
(Brevet  Major  N.  Y.  V.  1  mustered  out  June  23, 
'64 ;  Webster  R.  Chamberlain,  Capt.,  rank  from 
Aug.  14,  '62,  resigned  P'eb.  24,  '63,  (Brevet  Major 
N.  Y.  V.)  David  A.  Munro.  ist  Lieut.,  rank  from 
Dec.  15,  '64,  promoted  to  Capt.,  Aug.  2,  '65  ;  Alfred 
Nims,  Capt.,  rank  from  Aug.  14.  '62,  resigned  Dec. 
23,  '62  ;  Stewart  McDonald,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from 
Aug.  I,  '64,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  Nov.  19,  '64,  to 
Capt,  Sept.  15,  '65  ;  Cornell  Chrysler,  Capt.,  rank 
from  Aug.  14,  '62.  discharged  Feb.  28.  '63  ;  Davis 
Cossitt.  1st  Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  14.  '62,  pro- 
moted to  Capt.  Mar.  5. '63.1  Brevet  AlajorN.  Y.  V.) 
discharged  Dec.  15.  '64;  Dudley  G.  Shirley.  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Oct.  3. '63,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut. 

1  July  6.  '64.  discharged  Nov.  26,  '64;  Francis  Cala- 
han.  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  I.  '64,  promoted  to 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


117 


1st  Lieut.  Dec.  7,  '64,  to  Capt.  Jan.  17,  '65,  dis- 
charged May  15,  '65  ;  Joseph  S.  Smith,  2d  Lieut,, 
rank  from  Sept.  19,  '64,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut. 
Jan.  IS,  '65,  to  Capt.  June  16,  '65  ;  Samuel  P.  Car- 
rington,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  i,  '64,  pro- 
moted to  1st  Lieut.  Dec.  7,  '64,  to  Capt.  May 
II,  '65,  mustered  out  June  23,  '65  ;  Lucius  Moses, 
Capt.,  rank  from  Aug.  15, '62,  discharged  Feb.  24, 
'6^  ;  George  W.  Piatt,  ist  Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug. 
15,  '62,  promoted  to  Capt.  March  5,  '6^,  discharged 
Oct.  25, '64  ;  Edward  P.  Luther,  2d  Lieut.,  rank 
from  Aug.  14,  '62,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  Mar.  5, 
'62,  to  Capt.  Dec.  7,  '64,  (Brevet  Major,  N.  Y.  V.) 
discharged  Feb.  6,  '65  ;  Theodore  L.  Poole,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Mar.  i,  '63,  promoted  to  ist 
Lieut.  Feb.  10, '64,  to  Capt.  Feb.  15, '65,  with  rank 
from  Feb.  6,  '65,  (Brevet  Major,  N.  Y.  V.)  dis- 
charged May  15,  '65  ;  Charles  B.  Clark,  2d  Lieut., 
rank  from  July  28,  'St,,  promoted  to  1st  Lieut.  July 
8,  '64,  to  Capt.  March  8,  '65,  mustered  out  June  23, 
'65  ;  Harrison  H.  Jilson,  Capt.,  rank  from  Aug,  15, 
'62,  died  at  Relay  House,  Md.,  Oct.  8,  '62  ;  Robert 
H.  Moses,  1st  Lieut.,  rank  from  May  23,  '64,  pro- 
moted to  Capt.  Aug.  2,  '65  ;  Martin  Ryan,  ist 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Dec.  17,  '64,  promoted  to  Capt. 
March  25,  '65,  mustered  out  June  23,  '65  ;  John  M. 
D wight,  Capt.,  rank  from  Aug.  16,  '62,  (Brevet 
Major,  N.  Y.  V.)  discharged  Sept.  17,  '64  ;  Noah 
B.  Kent,  Capt,  rank  from  Aug.  19,  '62,  discharged 
Oct.  2,  '63  ;  Andrew  W.  Wilkin,  2d  Lieut.,  rank 
from  Dec.  3,  '62,  promoted  to  1st  Lieut.  Nov.  13, 
'63,  to  Capt.  Dec.  24,  '64,  (Brevet  Major,  N.  Y.  V.) 
mustered  out  June  23,  '65  ;  James  B.  Hall,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Mar.  6,  '63,  promoted  to  ist 
Lieut.,  July  4,  '63,  Capt.  Sept,  17,  '64,  discharged 
Jan.  8,  '65  ;  George  H.  Gilbert,  2d  Lieut.,  rank 
from  Feb.  9,  '6^,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  Oct.  24, 
'6^,  (Brevet  Capt.,  N.  Y.  V.)  discharged  May  24, 
'64;  Francis  M.  Potter,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug. 
I,  '64,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  Sept  19,  '64,  muster 
revoked  Feb.  9,  '65  ;  Samuel  C.  Trowbridge,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  i,  '64,  promoted  to  ist 
Lieut.,  Feb.  28,  '65,  (Brevet  Capt.,  N.  Y.  V.) 
mustered  out  June  23,  '65  ;  Charles  G.  Nye,  ist 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  14,  '62,  resigned  Feb.  10, 
'63;  William  Webb,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  14, 
'62,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  Feb.  25,  '6^  ;  Francis 
M.  Wooster,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  19,  '62, 
promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  Mar.  5,  1S63, killed  in  action 
at  Cold  Harbor,  Va.,  June  i,  '64  ;  Amasa  Chase, 
2d  Lieut ,  rank  from  Sept.  19,  '62,  promoted  to  ist 
Lieut.  Mar.  6,  '65,  mustered  out  June  23,  '65  ; 
Joseph  E.  Cameron,  ist  Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  14, 
'62,  resigned  Dec.  3,  '62  ;  James  Burton,  2d  Lieut., 
rank  from  Aug.  15,  '62,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  Jan. 
I4,'63,  discharged  Sept.  19,  '6^  ;  Martin  L.Wilson,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Dec.  3,  '62,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut. 
Nov.  13,  '6^,  died  of  wounds  received  in  battle  of 
the  Wilderness,  June  19, '64 ;  John  V.  Simms,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Oct.  9,  '63,  promoted  to  1st  Lieut. 
July  8,  '64,  killed  in  action  near  Winchester,  Va., 
Sept.  19, '64  ;  Curtis  L.  Rich,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from 
Dec.  31, '64,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut,  June  16, '65, 
mustered  out  as  ist  Sergt.,  Co.  F,  June  23,  '65  ; 
Alexander  Tome,  2d    Lieut.,  rank  from    Mar.  25, 


'6s,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  June  23,  '6s,  mustered 
out  June  23,  '6s  ;  Michael  Donovan,  2d  Lieut, 
rank  from  Mar.  i,  '6s,  mustered  out  June  23,  '65  ; 
Jacob  Brand,  ist  Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  is,  '62, 
resigned  Feb.  i,  '64;  Henry  H.  Hoyt,  2d  Lieut, 
rank  from  Aug.  is,  '62,  promoted  to  1st  Lieut  May 
1 1, '63,  killed  near  Petersburg,  Va.,  June  21, '64; 
George  G.  Gilson,  2d  Lieut,  rank  from  June  21, 
'64,  promoted  to  1st  Lieut.  Dec.  30,  '64,  mustered 
out  June  23,  "es  ;  Guy  J.  Gotchis,  2d  Lieut,  rank 
from  Dec.  3, '62,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  Mar.  s, 
'63,  discharged  May  26,  '64;  Drayton  Eno,  1st 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  15,  '62,  resigned  Dec.  3, 
'62  ;  Adolph  Wilman,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Mar.  i, 
'63,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  Sept  3,  '63,  discharged 
July  7,  '64;  Hiram  A.  Britton,  2d  Lieut ,  rank  from 
Sept.  9,  '64,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  Feb.  is,  '6s, 
mustered  out  June  23,  '65  ;  Ruell  P.  Buzzell,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  3,  '64,  promoted  to  ist 
Lieut.  Feb.  15,  '6s,  mustered  out  June  23, '6s  ; 
Otto  W.  Parrisen,  ist  Lieut.,  rank  from  Jan.  15, 
'64.  discharged  Sept,  22,  '64  ;  Justin  Howard,  ist 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  19,  '62,  discharged  Oct.  4, 
'63  ;  Dennis  Murphy,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Feb.  6, 
'65,  promoted  to  1st  Lieut.  Mar.  25,  '65,  mustered 
out  June  23,  '65  ;  Merrick  C.  Smith,  2d  Lieut., 
rank  from  May  IS,  '6s,  mustered  out  June  23,  '6s  : 
George  A.  Wait,  2d  Lieut ,  rank  from  Oct  24,  '63, 
not  mustered;  Arthur  J.  Mead.  2d  Lieut.,  rank 
from  Aug.  14,  '62,  discharged  Sept.  29,  '63  ;  Wil- 
liam H.  La  Rue,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Dec.  29,  '62, 
discharged  Sept.  29,  '63 ;  John  W.  Taylor,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Mar.  i,  '6^  ;  discharged  Oct.  11, 
'63  ;  Charles  W.  Ostrander,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from 
May  2S, '63,  (Brevet  ist  Lieut.,  N.  Y.  V.,)  dis- 
charged Mar.  10, '6s  ;  Charles  A.  Eaton,  2d  Lieut., 
rank  from  Mar.  10.  '6s,  mustered  out  June  23,  '6s  ; 
George  E.  P'isher,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  June  20,  '6s; 
mustered  out  June  23,  '6s ;  Geo.  H.  Devoe,  2d  Lieut., 
rank  from  Feb.  6,  '6s,  mustered  out  June  23, '6s  ;  Thos. 
H.  Scott,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Feb.  6,  '6s,  mus- 
tered out  June  23,  '6s  ;  Charles  H.  Eldridge,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  March  6,  '6s,  mustered  out  June 
23,  '65  ;  Gates  D.  Parish,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from 
Dec.  31,  '64,  mustered  out  June  23,  '6s  ;  Robert 
Ealdon,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  June  20,  '63,  mustered 
out  June  23,  '6s  ;  Peter  A.  Blossom,  2d  Lieut., 
rank  from  Aug.  13,  '62,  resigned  Dec.  3,  '62  ;  Mor- 
ris E.  Wright  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Mar.  i,  '63,  dis- 
charged Sept.  28,  '63  ;  Oscar  F.  Swift,  2d  Lieut., 
rank  from  Aug.  13,  '62,  resigned  Dec.  3,  '62  ;  Wil- 
liam G,  Tracy,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Nov.  3,  '62, 
discharged  July  28,  '63  ;  Daniel  F.  Hammell,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  i,  '64,  discharged  May  31, 
'6s  ;  George  H.  Casler,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Feb. 
6,  '6s,  mustered  out  June  23,  '65. 

The  Fifteenth  Cavalrv. 
The  isth  New  York  Cavalry  was  organized  at 
Syracuse,  to  serve  three  years.  The  companies  of 
which  it  was  composed  were  raised  in  the  coun- 
ties of  Onondaga,  Ontario,  Orange,  Oneida, 
Chautauqua,  Cattaraugus,  Genesee,  Erie  and  Tomp- 
kins.    It   was   mustered   into   the   service   of  the 


ii8 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


United  States  from  August  8.  1863,  to  January  14, 
1864.  It  was  consolidated  with  the  6th  New  York 
Cavalry,  June  17,  1865,  and  the  consolidated  force 
designated  the  2d  New  York  Provisional  Cavalry. 
The  following  are  the  dates  of  the  mustering  in  of 
the  respective  companies : 

Co.  A— Michael  Auer,  Capt..  Aug.  8,  1863 

Co.  B— Thomas  G.  Putnam,  Capt.,  Aug.  8,  1863. 

Co.  C— Jcttcrson  C.  Higclow,  Capt..  Aug.  8.  1863. 

Co.  D — Orson  R.  Colgrove,  Capt.,  Aug.  26,  1863. 

Co.  E— George  M.  Kilicott.  Capt.,  Aug.  15.  1863. 

Co.  F— L.    F.   Hathaway,  Capt.,  Aug.  26,  1863. 

Co.  G— Wallis  M.    Hoycr,  Capt.,  Aug.  26.  1863. 

Co.  H— John  F.   Moshell,  Capt.,  Sept.   5.  1863. 

Co.  I — Scth  J.  Steve,  Capt ,  Nov.  30.  1863. 

Co.  K— John  S   Hicks,  Capt.,  Oct    15.1863. 

Co.  L — Marshall  M.  Loydcn,  Capt,  Jan.  20,  1864. 

This  regiment  was  an  important  one  to  Onondaga 
county  and  the  city  of  Syracuse,  inasmuch  as  it 
saved  the  draft  pending  in  1863.  It  was  slow  in 
being  made  up,  but  late  in  the  year  Col.  Richard- 
son succeeded  in  securing  an  order  from  the  War 
Department  granting  a  bounty  of  S300  to  each  en- 
listed man,  which  had  the  effect  to  secure  the  quota 
required  and  save  the  draft,  which  had  been  or- 
dered, from  being  executed.  The  rolls  were  sent 
in  to  the  War  Department, and  upon  their  examina- 
tion it  was  found  that  the  quota  of  the  district  was 
full,  and  an  order  was  immediately  sent  for  the 
draft  to  be  stopped. 

The  officers  of  the  15th  Cavalry  from  Onondaga 
county  were : 

Robert  M.  Richardson,  Col.,  rank  from  Jan.  6. 
'64,  resigned  Jan.  19.  '65  ;  Augustus  J.  Root, 
Lieut-Col.,  rank  from  Sept.  16. '63,  killed  in  action 
April  8,  '65;  Michael  Auer.  Capt.,  rank  from  July  24, 
'63,  promoted  to  Major  Nov.  9,  "64,  discharged  Mar. 
6,  '65  ;  J.  H.  Wood,  Major,  rank  from  Sept.  16, '63. 
discharged  April  14, '65;  F.  Mann,  Adjutant,  rank 
from  May  22,  '64,  discharged  by  reason  of  consoli- 
dation, June  17.  '65  ;  Edward  R.  Trull,  Quarter- 
master, rank  from  June  12,  '63,  discharged  by  rea- 
son of  consolidation,  June  17,  '65  ;  Isaac  O.  Fill- 
more. Chaplain,  rank  from  April  25,  '64,  not  mus- 
tered ;  Thomas  G.  Putnam,  Capt.,  rank  from  July 
30.  '63.  discharged  by  reason  of  consolidation.  June 
17.  '65;  Jefferson  C.  Higelow.  Capt..  rank  from 
Aug.  30.  '63,  discharged  bv  reason  of  consolidation, 
June  17. '65;  George  N.  Truesdell.  ist  Lieut.,  rank 
from  Jan.  6,  '64,  promoted  to  Capt.  June  17,  '65, 
with  rank  from  May  8,  '65  ;  Orson  R.  Colgrove,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  July  30,  "63,  promoted  to  Capt. 
Nov.  30,  '63,  mustered  out  on  exijjration  ol  service, 
Dec.  24,  "64  ;  Charles  G.  Hampton,  2d  Lieut.,  rank 
from  Oct.  5, '63,  promoted  to  Capt.  April  11,  '65, 
with  rank  from  Feb.  13,  '65,  discharged  by  reason 
of  consolidation,  June  17,  '65  ;  George  M.  Eliicott, 
Capt.,  rank  from  Aug.  13, '63,  promoted  to  Major, 
June  17.  '65,  with  rank  from  June  9. '65,  discharged 
by  reason  of  consolidation,  June  17,  '65  ;  Cortland 


Clark,  Commissary, rank  from  Jan.  6.  '64,  discharged 
by  reason  of  consolidation,  June  17,  '65  ;  Burritt  N. 
Hurd,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  5, '63.  promoted  to 
1st  Lieut.  Dec.  29,  1863.  promoted  to  Capt.  Nov.  9, 
'64,  mustered  out  on  expiration  of  term  of  service, 
Dec.  12,  '64  ;  John  F.  Moshell,  Capt.,  rank  from 
Sept.  5,  '63,  transferred  to  2d  Provisional  Cavalry, 
June  17,  '05  ;  William  F.  Weller,  ist  Lieut.,  rank 
from  Dec.  26.  '63,  promoted  to  Capt.  June  17.  '65, 
with  rank  from  June  8.  '65.  transferred  to  2d  Provi- 
sional Cavalry  June  17.  '65  ;  Joseph  LaBeff.  ist 
Lieut.,  rank  from  July  24,  '6},  discharged  Nov,  30, 
'63  ;  Edgar  N.  Johnson,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Nov. 
9,  '64.  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  Feb.  15.  '65.  di»- 
charged  by  reason  of  consolidation  June  17,  '6$  ; 
William  P.  Shearer,  ist  Lieut .  rank  from  July  30, 
'63,  missing  since  Oct.  30.  '64  ;  William  Stanton, 
2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Oct  14,  '64,  promoted  to  ist 
Lieut.  Feb.  15,  '65;  Edgar  L  Miller,  2d  Lieut., 
rank  from  Oct.  14,  '64,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  Mar. 
9, '65,  transferred  to  2d  Provisional  Cavalry.  June 
'7>  ^5  ;  Joseph  Herron,  ist  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept. 
5.  '63.  discharged  Dec.  28,  '63  ;  Edward  Pointer, 
2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Feb.  12, '65,  transferred  to  2d 
Provisional  Cavalry,  June  17,  '65  ;  Lorenzo  Hatch, 
2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Oct.  14.  '64.  killed  in  action; 
James  Holahan,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Feb.  12,  '65, 
transferred  to  2d  Provisional  Cavalry.  June  17.  "65  ; 
John  W.  F^razer.  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Mar.  25.  '65, 
discharged  June  28.  '65  ;  John  Gallagher,  2(1  Lieut., 
rank  from  Feb.  12, '65,  transferred  to  2d  Provisional 
Cavalry  June  17, '65  ;  Levi  Kraft,  2d  Lieut.,  rank 
from  Oct.  5, '63,  discharged  Dec.  11,  '63;  Peter 
Boehm,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Mar.  3,  '6^,  discharged 
by  reason  of  consolidation,  June  17,  '65  ;  Anthony 
Dever  and  Emory  Ornisby,  2cl  Lieuts.,  on  records 
of  War  Department,  not  commissioned. 

The  isth  Cavalry  participated  in  the  following 
battles  and  engagements  :  Lynchburg,  (  Hunter's 
raid)  1864;  New  Market,  (under  Sigel)  1864; 
Winchester,  July  10,  1864;  Piedmont  (near  Stan- 
ton) ;  capture  of  Martinsburg,  and  the  series  of 
battles  about  Petersburg,  resulting  in  the  capture 
of  Lee's  Army. 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Fortv-Ninth  New 
York  Volunteeks— Okganization — Camp  at 
Bolivar  Heights — Chancellorsville— Get- 
TvsuuRG  —  Losses  of  the  Regiment — Last 
E.xpekience  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

THE  One  Hundred  and  Forty-Ninth  New 
York  Volunteer  Infantry  was  a  full 
regiment  of  Onondaga  County  men,  organized  at 
Syracuse,  and  mustered  into  the  United  States  ser- 
vice September  18,1862.  Henry  A.  Barnum,  for- 
merly Major  of  the  Twelfth  New  York,  was  Colo- 
nel ;  John  M.  Strong,  Lieutenant-Colonel ;  Abel 
G.   Cook,  Major;  Walter  M.  Dallman,  Adjutant; 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


119 


Moses  Summers,  Quartermaster  ;  James  V.  Ken- 
dall, Surgeon  ;  Horace  Nims,  Assistant  Surgeon  ; 
and  Rev.  Arvine  C.  Bowdish,  Chaplain.  The  com- 
panies were  organized  under  the  following  line 
officers  :  Company  A — Solomon  Light,  Captain  ; 
Samuel  Bonner,  ist  Lieutenant;  Mathevv  West- 
cott,  2d  Lieutenant.  Company  B — Nicholas  Grum- 
bach.  Captain;  Philip  Eckel,  ist  Lieutenant ;' Ja- 
cob Knapp,  2d  Lieutenant.  Company  C — James 
Lynch,  Jr.,  Captain  ;  Edward  D.  Murray,  ist  Lieu- 
tenant ;  William  Savage,  2d  Lieutenant.  Company 
D — J.  Forman  Wilkinson,  Captain  ;  Park  Wheeler, 
ist  Lieutenant  ;  William  M.  Mosely,  2d  Lieuten- 
ant. Company  E — Ira  B  Seymour,  Captain  ;  Or- 
son Coville,  1st  Lieutenant;  Edward  F.  Hopkins, 
2d  Lieutenant  Company  F — Judson  H.  Graves, 
Captain  ;  Henry  H.  Burhans,  ist  Lieutenant ;  The- 
odore E.  Stevens,  2d  Lieutenant.  Company  G — 
E.  G.  Townsend,  Captain  ;  Byron  A.  Wood,  ist 
Lieutenant ;  Thomas  A.  Benedict,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Company  H — Robert  E.  Hopkins,  Captain  ;  Ohio 
L.  Palmer,  ist  Lieutenant;  Thomas  Merriam,  2d 
Lieutenant.  Company  I — David  J.  Lindsay,  Cap- 
tain ;  George  K.  Collins,  ist  Lieutenant  ;  John  T. 
Bon,  2d  Lieutenant.  Company  K — James  E.  Do- 
ren,  Captain  ;  John  Van  Wie,  1st  Lieutenant  ; 
Benjamin  F.  Breed,  2d  Lieutenant. 

Company  A,  of  this  regiment,  was  composed  of 
Jewish  citizens,  organized  in  the  Synagogue  ;  Com- 
pany B  was  a  solid  German  company,  and  Com- 
pany C  consisted  of  Irish,  with  but  few  exceptions. 
At  the  time  of  its  organization.  Col.  Barnum  lay 
wounded  at  his  home  in  the  city,  having  been  shot 
through  the  hip  by  a  rifle  ball  while  doing  gallant 
service  as  Major  of  the  Twelfth  Regiment  at  the 
battle  of  Malvern  Hill.  He  was,  however,  elected 
Colonel  of  the  Hundred  and  Forty-Ninth,  and 
joined  his  regiment  at  Fairfax  in  Januaiy,  1863. 

On  the  23d  of  September,  1862,  the  Hundred 
and  Forty-Ninth  regiment  left  Camp  White,  at 
Syracuse,  «i  rojite  for  the  general  rendezvous  at  the 
National  Capital ;  whence  they  were  ordered  to 
Harper's  Ferry  via  Frederick  city,  and  occupied  a 
camp  in  Pleasant  Valley  till  about  the  30th  of  Oc- 
tober. No  incident  of  importance  occurred  while 
here  except  an  expedition  a  few  miles  down  the 
river  to  Knoxville,  and  the  loss  of  about  forty  men 
who  enlisted  in  an  Engineer  regiment  encamped  in 
the  vicinity.  On  the  31st  of  October  they  were 
ordered  to  Louden  Valley,  where  they  remained  long 
enough  to  construct  comfortable  quarters,  but  were 
not  permitted  to  enjoy  them,  being  soon  ordered  to 
Bolivar  Heights,  at  Harper's  Ferry,  where  they 
remained   till  Dec.    lOth,   relieving  the  monotony 


of  camp  life  by  two  raids  towards  Charlestown  and 
Winchester,  and  taking  their  first  lessons  in  those 
foraging  expeditions  for  which  the  regiment  sub- 
sequently became  famous. 

In  the  absence  of  Colonel  Barnum,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Strong  had  command  of  the  regiment,  but 
here  the  latter  was  obliged  to  resign  in  con- 
sequence of  a  dangerous  illness,  and  the  command 
devolved  upon  Major  Cook,  a  youthful  yet  energetic 
and  competent  officer  ;  the  regiment  was  attached 
to  General  Geary's  division,  and  assumed  the  white 
star  as  its  emblem  of  military  glory.  December 
10,  in  the  depth  of  a  Virginia  winter,  they  broke 
camp  at  Bolivar  Heights,  and  marched  to  Fairfax 
Station.  The  Quartermaster,  who  was  also  the 
scribe  of  the  regiment  and  who  has  furnished  the 
materials  for  this  history  of  the  149th,  refers  to  one 
or  two  expeditions  from  camp  at  this  point  towards 
Dumfries,  speaking  of  it  as  "  a  locality  which  calls 
up  vivid  recollections  of  an  ocean  of  mud  and  the 
hardest  kind  of  fare."  After  spending  a  dismal 
Christmas  and  New  Year's  in  this  fearfully  muddy 
region,  on  the  28th  of  January,  they  marched 
through  the  memorable  Dumfries  mud  to  Aquia 
Creek  where  the  regiment  was  comfortably  quar- 
tered in  an  old  camp  just  vacated  by  a  German 
regiment  of  engineers.  The  camp  here  was  beau- 
tifully located  and  a  little  labor  soon  sufficed  to 
make  it  a  model  of  neatness  and  taste.  But  the 
place  was  unhealthy  ;  fever  soon  broke  out  in  the 
camp  and  the  ranks  were  rapidly  thinned  by  its 
ravages.  On  the  15th  of  February  the  regiment 
moved  to  a  more  healthy  location  at  Brook's  Sta- 
tion, where  it  remained  till  the  stirring  events  of 
Chancellorsville  called  them  from  camp  life  and 
idleness  to  meet  the  enemy,  on  a  field  which 
though  hotly  contested,  was  disastrous  to  the 
regiment  and  the  Union  cause.  They  broke  camp 
and  marched  towards  Chancellorsville  on  the  9th  of 
April,  1863.  The  battles  in  and  about  Chancellors- 
ville were  fought  on  May  2d,  3d,  4th  and  5th,  1863, 
the  heaviest  engagement  being  on  Sunday,  May  3d. 
The  Union  forces  met  with  a  severe  defeat,  and  the 
149th  suffered  their  share  of  the  disaster. 

On  Sunday,  May  3,  in  the  great  battle  in  which 
Slocum's  corps  ( 1 2th)  was  engaged,  nearly  4,000  of 
his  men  were  disabled,  including  three  of  his 
division  commanders  ;  Berry  and  Whipple  killed, 
and  Gen.  Mott  of  the  New  Jersey  brigade  wounded. 
Says  Greeley,  "  the  ground  was  lost  by  misfortune 
or  bad  generalship,  not  by  lack  of  valor  or  endur- 
ance in  our  soldiers."  As  an  evidence  of  this,  on 
Saturday,  May  2d,  Pleasanton,  in  order  to  gain 
time  to  get  his  batteries  in  readiness  to  sweep  the 


I20 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


on-rushing  masses  of  the  rebels,  ordered  Major 
Keenan,  of  the  8lh  Pennsylvania,  to  charge  into 
the  woods  at  whatever  cost.  "  I  will,"  was  the 
calm,  smilinj;  reply,  althou};h  he  well  understood 
that  the  order  was  his  death-warrant.  Ten  minutes 
later  he  was  dead  and  a  large  part  of  his  regiment 
lay  bleeding  around  him.  But  this  gallant  action 
gave  the  artillery  time  to  get  in  readiness  and  to 
deal  death  and  destruction  into  the  rebel  ranks. 
In  front  of  these  batteries,  on  that  memorable  day, 
fell  Stonewall  Jackson  mortally  wounded.  His  loss 
was  the  greatest  yet  sustained  by  either  party  in 
the  fall  of  a  single  man. 

The  day  was  probably  lost  to  the  Union  army 
because  Gen.  Hooker  could  not  send  aid  to  Slo- 
cum,  he  having  been  stunned  by  a  rebel  shot  strik- 
ing the  "  Chancellorsvillc  House,"  against  which  he 
had  been  leaning,  so  that  when  the  message  came 
to  him  from  Gen.  Slocum  he  was  unconscious  and 
could  not  attend  to  it.  So  testified  Slocum  before 
the  Committee  on  the  Conduct  of  the  War. 

On  Monday,  the  4th  of  May,  in  the  forced  re- 
treat of  Sedgwick's  division,  about  5,000  men  were 
lost.  Hooker  gives  the  total  loss  in  the  series  of 
battles  while  across  the  Rappahannock  at  no  less 
than  17,197  men,  as  follows: 

Sedgwick's  (6th)  Corps 4.601 

Slocum's  ( 12th)         "     2,883 

Couchs'(2d)             "     2,025 

Reynolds' ( 1st)         "     292 

Sickles' (3d)  "     -4.039 

Howard's  (nth)       "     2,508 

Meade's  (5th)           "     699 

Cavalry,  &c 150 

The  rebel  loss  was  18,000 — Gen.  Pa.xton  killed 
and  Gen.  Heth  wounded. 

In  these  severe  battles  the  149th  participated, 
receiving  its  first  baptism  of  blood,  which  conse- 
crated it  to  the  national  cause  thenceforth  to  the 
close  of  the  war. 

Major  Cook  was  severely  wounded  in  the  foot  and 
the  command  devolved  upon  Captain  May,  who  had 
recently  been  transferred  to  the  149th  from  the  old 
1 2th  regiment.  He  was  a  gallant  officer,  and  assum- 
ing command  in  an  emergency,  proved  himself  fully 
competent. 

The  regiment  returned  to  its  old  camp  at  Aquia 
Creek.  It  soon  received  orders  to  remove  to  a  posi- 
tion near  Falmouth,  but  the  order  was  immediately 
changed  to  a  lively  pursuit  of  Lee,  who,  meantime, 
had  invaded  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania.  Marching 
over  their  old  track  through  Dumfries,  P'airfax, 
Leesburg,  Frederick  City,  and  other  well  known 
localities,  they  at  length  encountered  the  enemy  at 
Gettysburg,  on  the  borders  of  Pennsylvania,  where 


one  of  the  most  sanguinary  battles  of  the  war  was 
fought. 

Gettysburg. — The  engagements  began  on  the 
1st  of  July  and  lasted  till  the  3d.  Gen.  Huford, 
with  a  division,  arrived  first  at  Gettysburg  June  30, 
and  encountered  the  van  of  the  rebel  army,  under 
Gen.  Heth,  of  Hill's  corps  ;  the  rebels  were  driven 
back  on  the  division,  and  in  turn  drove  our  forces. 
At  this  moment  the  advance  division  of  Reynolds 
(isti  corps,  under  Gen.  J.  S.  Wadsworth,  coming 
in  from  Emmitsburg,  at  the  familiar  sound  of  vol- 
leys, quickened  their  pace,  and  rushing  through  the 
village  drove  back  the  rebel  van,  seizing  and  occu- 
pying the  ridge  that  overlooks  the  place  from  the 
northwest.  Gen.  John  F.  Reynolds  arrived  with 
22,000  men,  ist  and  i  ith  army  corps  ;  while  Wads- 
worth  was  forming  his  advance  division,  4,000 
strong,  Reynolds  went  forward  to  reconnoiter  and 
was  shot  by  a  rebel  sharp-shooter.  Gen.  Doubleday, 
arriving  half  an  hour  later,  assumed  command,  fall- 
ing back  and  occupying  Seminary  Ridge,  just  west 
of  the  village,  where  the  ist  and  nth  army  corps 
were  soon  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle.  Howard, 
ranking  Doubleday,  assumed  command,  assigning 
the  nth  corps  to  Schurz.  Here  the  struggle  was 
renewed  with  great  spirit,  our  men  having  the  bet- 
ter position  and  the  best  of  the  fight.  At  i  o'clock 
p.  M.  Ewell's  corps  came  rapidly  into  the  battle, 
arriving  from  York,  Rhode's  division  assailing  the 
I  Ith  corps  in  front,  while  Early's  struck  hard  on  its 
right  flank.  The  corps  were  outnumbered  and  put 
to  rout,  falling  back  in  disorder  to  Gettysburg, 
under  heavy  rebel  fire,  mingling  and  obstructing 
each  other  in  horrid  confusion  in  the  streets.  The 
debris  of  these  two  corps,  which  half  an  hour  before 
marched  proudly  through  the  streets,  now  fell  back 
with  scarcely  half  their  number  to  Cemetery  Hill, 
leaving  their  dead  and  wounded  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  Thus  ended  the  first  day's  fight,  July  i, 
the  rebels  not  seeking  to  renew  the  contest. 

During  this  engagement  Meade  was  at  Taney- 
town,  ten  miles  away,  and  did  not  hear  of  the  battle 
or  the  death  of  Gen.  Reynolds  till  i  p.  m.  He 
immediately  sent  Gen.  Hancock  to  command,  or- 
dering him  to  turn  over  his  (2d)  corps  to  Gibbon. 
Hancock  arrived  on  the  field  just  as  the  broken  ist 
and  nth  were  retreating  in  wild  disorder  through 
the  village,  hotly  pursued  by  the  triumphant  foe. 

The  149th,  in  Geary's  division  of  Slocum's  (12th) 
corps,  was  in  advance  and  reached  Gettysburg  soon 
after  Gen.  Hancock.  Slocum,  outranking  Hancock, 
assumed  the  chief  command. 

During  the  night  our  army  was  all  concentrated 
before  Gettysburg,  e.xcept  Sedgwick's  (6th)  corps, 


41 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


121 


(15,400  Strong)  which  was  at  Manchester,  30  miles 
distant.  Meade,  in  view  of  this  fact,  and  because 
the  rebels  were  in  full  force,  resolved  upon  fighting 
only  a  defensive  battle.  The  line  was  drawn  up  in 
the  following  order:  The  12th  corps  (General 
Slocum's)  held  our  extreme  right,  facing  Johnson's 
division  of  Ewell's  corps,  which  had  been  recently 
strengthened  by  Lockwood's  Marylanders,  2,500 
strong,  raising  it  to  a  little  over  10,000  men  ; 
Sickles'  (3d)  corps  held  the  left,  opposite  Longstreet, 
supported  by  the  5  th  (Sykes's),  with  Hancock's 
(2d)  in  our  center,  touching  its  right ;  what  was  left 
of  Howard's  (nth),  reenforced  by  2,000  Vermont- 
ers  under  Stannard,  and  Reynold's  (ist),  now 
Doubleday's  corps,  held  the  face  of  Cemetery  Hill 
looking  towards  Gettysburg  and  Early's  division, 
but  menaced  also  by  Johnson's  division  on  the 
right,  and  by  Hill's  corps,  facing  the  left. 

The  battle  of  the  2d  was  brought  on  by  the 
temerity  of  Gen.  Sickles,  who  in  his  eagerness  to 
fight,  had  thrown  forward  his  corps  from  half  to 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  the  immediate  presence 
of  half  the  rebel  army.  Meade  remonstrated  ;  but 
before  the  mistake  could  be  remedied,  Lee,  seeing 
the  advantage,  ordered  Longstreet  to  attack  Sickles 
with  all  his  might,  while  Ewell  should  assail 
Slocum,  and  Hill,  facing  the  apex  of  our 
position,  should  only  menace,  unless  our  troops 
should  be  withdrawn  to  reenforce  either  the  left  or 
the  right,  in  which  case  he  should  charge  through 
our  line.  The  position  which  Sickles  had  taken 
was  commanded  by  the  rebel  batteries  posted  on 
Seminary  Hill  in  front,  and  scarcely  half  a  mile  dis- 
tant. At  the  order  to  attack,  a  line  of  battle  a 
mile  and  a  half  long  swept  up  to  his  front  and 
flanks,  crushing  him  back  with  heavy  loss,  and 
struggling  desperately  to  seize  Round  Top,  a  hill 
to  his  left  which  Meade  regarded  as  vital  to  the 
situation.  A  fierce  and  bloody  struggle  ensued, 
Humphreys,  on  the  right  of  Sickles,  with  one  of 
Sykes's  divisions,  being  attacked  in  front  and  flank 
and  beaten  back  with  a  loss  of  2,000  out  of  5,000 
men.  A  division  of  the  12th  corps  was  thrown  in 
on  the  enemy's  front,  which  turned  the  scale  ;  they, 
in  turn,  were  repulsed  with  heavy  loss,  falling  back 
to  their  original  position  and  leaving  our  line  as 
Meade  had  intended  to  place  it.  Meanwhile,  the 
withdrawal  of  a  division  from  Slocum  had  enabled 
Ewell  to  attack  our  right  wing  with  a  superior  force, 
but  he  gained  no  decided  advantage,  only  crowding 
a  part  of  the  line  back  and  seizing  a  few  rifle-pits. 
So  ended  the  day  of  the  second  of  July. 

Night  closed  with   the  rebels  decidedly  encour- 
aged and  confident.     Of  the  seven  corps  composing 
16* 


our  army,  three  had  been  severely  handled.  At 
least  half  their  effective  strength  had  been  demol- 
ished. Reynolds,  commanding  the  1st,  and  Brig. 
Gen.  Zook,  of  Sickles'  corps,  had  been  killed; 
Sickles,  of  the  3d,  had  had  his  leg  shattered  with 
a  cannon  ball,  and  was  out  of  the  fight ;  our  total 
losses  up  to  this  hour  were  scarcely  less  than 
20,000  men  ;  and  none  were  arriving  to  replace 
them.  They  had  suffered  heavily,  but  had  reason 
for  the  hope  that  to-morrow's  triumphs  would 
richly  repay  all  their  losses. 

The  battle  opened  July  3d,  on  our  right ;  the 
division  sent  to  relieve  Sickles'  corps,  having  re- 
turned, Slocum  pushed  forward  to  retake  his  lost 
rifle-pits,  and  did  it  after  a  sharp  conflict.  Both 
sides  were  reenforced,  the  rebels  with  three  fresh 
brigades  under  Pickett,*  and  our  side  by  the  ar- 
rival of  Sedgwick's  corps.  Every  preparation  was 
made  for  the  grand  decisive  battle. 

The  battle  of  the  3d  of  July  opened  with  the 
most  brilliant  artillery  duel  on  record.  The  rebels 
had  massed  a  battery  of  1 15  heavy  guns  on  the  hill 
in  front  of  the  centre  of  their  line,  and  on  Cemetery 
Hill,  in  front  of  Meade's  headquarters,  the  Union 
artillery  numbering  about  100  guns  was  stationed; 
and  all  was  in  readiness  for  action.  "There  was  a 
pause  of  anxious  expectation,  fitfully  broken  by 
spirts  of  firing  here  and  there,  while  the  rebels  were 
finishing  their  preparation  for  the  supreme  effort 
which  was  to  decide  this  momentous  contest."  At 
length  at  i  p.  m.,  the  signal  was  given  and  the  bat- 
teries on  the  rebel  side  opened  their  throats  of  fire  ; 
for  nearly  two  hours  the  hill,  just  over  the  crest  of 
which  was  Meade's  headquarters,  was  gashed  and 
seamed  by  round-shot  and  torn  by  bursting  shells, 
while  100  guns  from  our  side  made  fit  reply.  Gen. 
Doubleday  said  in  his  testimony  before  the  Com- 
mittee on  the  Conduct  of  the  War  :  "They  had 
our  exact  range,  and  the  destruction  was  fearful. 
Horses  were  killed  in  every  direction  *  *  and 
quite  a  number  of  caissons  were  blown  up."  This 
cannonading  was  but  the  prelude  to  a  grand  in- 
fantry charge,  and  was  designed  by  the  rebels  to 
disorganize  the  opposing  forces.  Our  side  was 
ready  for  it;  our  infantry,  according  to  orders, 
crouched  behind  every  projection  and  lay  concealed 
in  every  hollow,  awaiting  the  onset,  when  they 
should  spring  up  at  the  right  moment  to  meet  the 
advancing  columns  of  the  enemy.  The  signal  was 
given,  and  from  behind  the  rebel  batteries  emerged 
columns  of  infantry  in  line  of  battle  three  or  four 
miles  in  length,  preceded  by  a  cloud  of  skirmishers 
and  supported  by  lines  of  reserves.     On  they  came 

*   See   122d  Regiment. 


122 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


swiftly   to   the   charge,  directing  their  main  force 
against    Hancock's  center  and   in  the  direction  of 
our  batteries,  and  upon  the  entire  front  westward  to 
Round  Top.     The  charge  was  made  in  three  lines 
with  additional    lines   called   wings,   the  object  of 
which  was  to  prevent  the  main  force  from  being 
flanked.     They    came    with  such  resistless  sweep 
that    in    some    places    they     seemed    to    lift    up 
and  push  back  our  lines.     Hancock  was  wounded. 
Gibbon  succeeding  to  the  command.     Ikave  officer  ! 
As  the   tempest  of  fire  approached  its  height,  he 
walked  along  the  line  and  renewed  his  orders  to  his 
men  to  reserve  their  fire.     The  rebels,  three  lines 
deep,  came  steadily  up.     They  were  in  point  blank 
range.     At  last  the  order  came  !     From  thrice  si.x 
thousand  guns  there  came  a  sheet  of  smoky  flame, 
a  crash,  a  rush  of  leaden  death.     The  line  literally 
melted  away,  but  there  came  the  second,  resistless 
still.     The  instant  was  too  brief  to  allow  our  men 
to  gather  themselves  for   a  second  effort,  and  on 
came  the  sweeping  torrent !     Up  to  the  rifle-pits, 
across  them,  over  the  barricades,  the  momentum  of 
the  charge,  the  mere  machine-like  strength  of  their 
combined  action,  swept  them  on.     They  were  upon 
the  guns,  were  bayoneting  the  gunners,  were  wav- 
ing their  flags  above  our  pieces.     But  they  had 
penetrated  to  the  fatal  point.     A  storm  of  grape 
and  cannister  tore  its  way   from  man   to  man,  and 
marked  its  track  with  corses  straight  down  their 
line.     They  hail  exposed  themselves  to  the  enfilad- 
ing   fire   of    the   guns   on    the    western    slope   of 
Cemetery  Hill,  and  that  exposure  sealed  their  fate. 
The  line  reeled  back,  disjointed,  and   in  an  instant 
was  in  fragments.     Our  men  were  just  behind  the 
guns.     They  leaped  forward  upon   the  disordered 
mass  ;  but  there  was  little  need  for  fighting  now.     A 
regiment  threw  down  its  arms,  and,  with  colors  at  its 
head,  rushed  over  and  surrendered.     All  along  the 
field  smaller  detachments  did    the  same.     Webb's 
brigaile  brought  in  800.  taken  in  as  little  time  as  it 
requires  to  write  this  sentence.     Gibbons'  old  divi- 
sion took  15  stand  of  colors.     The  battle  was  over. 
On  the  field  of  Gettysburj;  was  crushed   the  first 
and  last  great  attempt  of  the  rebels  to  gain  a  deci- 
sive victory  on  the  soil  of  the  North.     The  149th 
had    the    proud    consciousness,   under   their  brave 
officers,  and  a  gallant  son  of  Onondaga,  Gen.  Slo- 
cum  as  chief  commander  in  the  first  days'  engage- 
ment and  commander  of  the  right  wing  during  the 
battle,  of  contributing  their  share  towards  the  grand 
victory. 

Meade  states  our  losses  in  this  series  of  battles 
at  2,834  killed,  13,709  wounded,  and  6,643  missing, 
(mainly  taken  prisoners  on   the   1st  of  July; :  total, 


23,186.  He  only  claims  three  guns  as  captured 
this  side  of  the  Potomac,  with  41  flags  and  13,621 
prisoners  — many  of  them  wounded  ;  24.978  small 
arms  were  collected  on  the  field.  The  confederate 
loss  was  about  18,000  killed  and  wounded. 

Returning  in  pursuit  of  the  rebel  army,  the  chase 
led  the  149th  for  the  fourth  time  through  Frederick 
City.  They  reached  the  Rappahannock  at  Ellis 
Ford,  on  the  ist  of  August,  and  remained  in  camp 
several  weeks.  On  the  i6th  of  September,  they 
were  at  Raccoon  Ford,  and  on  the  i8th  the  division 
was  ordered  out  to  witness  the  execution  of  two 
deserters— the  last  of  their  experience  in  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac. 


CHAPTER    XXVHI. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Forty-Ninth  with 
Shkrman — The  Atlanta  Campaign — Lookout 
Mountain — Entrance  into  Atlanta — Fall 
ofSavannah— March  THROUGH  THE  Carolinas 
— Surrender  of  Johnston— List  of  Promo- 
tions. 

AFTER  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  the  1  ith  and 
1 2th  corps  were  consolidated,  forming  the 
20lh  army  corps,  commanded  by  Gen.  Hooker,  and 
was  sent  south  under  Gen.  Sherman.  Gen.  Hooker 
resigned  in  front  of  Atlanta,  and  Gen.  Slocum  was 
promoted  to  the  command  of  the  20th  army  corps. 
From  this  change  of  organization,  the  fortunes  of 
the  149th  were  identified  with  Sherman's  move- 
ments till  the  close  of  the  war. 

On  the  29th  of  September,  1863,  they  started 
from  Healton  Station  for  the  Southeast,  and  via 
Nashville  reached  Murfreesboro  on  the  7th  of  Oc- 
tober, just  in  time  to  be  ordered  into  the  intrench- 
ments  to  repel  an  attack  of  rebel  cavalry.  On  the 
2Sth  of  October  they  started  for  the  front,  reaching 
the  Wauhatchie  Valley  on  the  first  of  November. 
Here  the  regiment  and  division  experienced  one  of 
the  very  few  night  attacks  of  the  war,  and  a 
short  but  bloody  and  decisive  battle  was  fought, 
about  midnight  of  the  first  night  of  their  occupa- 
tion of  the  valley.  The  Union  forces  were  victori- 
ous, but  the  149th  suffered  severely  ;  among  the 
killed  was  their  brave  and  gallant  Color-Bearer, 
William  C.  Lilly,  who  was  fatally  wounded  in  the 
battle  and  died  at  Ikidgeport,  Alabama,  a  few  days 
afterwards.  This  victory  was  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant events  of  the  war,  as  it  effected  an  entrance 
for  our  army  into  the  valley  and  finally  enabled  us, 
by  the  capture  of  Lookout  Mountain,  to  open  a 
communication  with  the  Union  forces  at  Chat- 
I     tanooga,  who  were  suffering  for  want  of  supplies. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


123 


and  would  have  soon  been  obliged  to  retreat,  and 
thus  lose  an  important  objective  point  on  the 
route  to  the  heart  of  the  Rebel  Confederacy.  A 
lodgment  being  effected  in  the  valley,  the  regiment 
and  division  remained  encamped  in  the  vicinity  of 
Kelley's  Ford,  near  the  Tennessee  River  and  under 
the  frowning  shadow  of  Lookout  Mountain. 

On  the  24th  of  November  occurred  the  celebrated 
"Battle  above  the  Clouds."  The  advance  was  led 
by  the  149th,  which  added  to  its  already  well- 
established  fame  by  the  capture  of  four  stand  of 
rebel  colors,  and  a  number  of  prisoners,  arms  and 
ammunition. 

The  following  letter,  written  on  the  spot,  is  a 
truthful  and  graphic  description  of  the  battle  and 
of  the  position  of  the  149th  : 

"The  advance  was  led  by  the  troops  of  General 
Geary's  division  of  the  12th  corps.  The  men  com- 
menced ascending  the  mountain  over  a  mile  from 
the  front,  and,  regardless  of  the  rebel  picket  fire,  a 
line  was  formed  leading  from  the  base  of  an  almost 
perpendicular  ledge  of  rocks,  on  the  left,  to  our  own 
picket  line,  about  three-fourths  of  the  distance 
down  the  mountain.  Three  lines  were  formed,  the 
2d  division  leading  the  advance  and  the  149th  oc- 
cupying the  left  of  the  first  line.  When  the  order 
to  advance  was  given,  our  men  started  forward  with 
a  cheer  over  the  rugged  sides  of  the  mountain, 
totally  regardless  of  any  obstacle  in  their  way  and 
almost  ignoring  the  sharp  fire  of  the  rebel  infantry, 
who  attempted  to  stop  their  progress.  With  an 
enthusiasm  which  knew  no  bounds,  they  rushed 
over  hills  and  through  gorges,  climbing  towering 
rocks,  dashing  through  brushwood  and  fallen 
timber,  and  scarcely  stopping  even  to  take  prison- 
ers. They  swept  over  the  side  of  the  mountain 
and  around  its  frowning  front  with  the  rapidity  and 
force  of  the  whirlwind,  completely  overcoming  and 
conquering  every  obstacle,  both  natural  and  artifi- 
cial, which  attempted  to  impede  their  progress. 

"  No  military  achievement  of  this  or  any  other 
war,  e.xceeded,  for  dash  and  daring,  personal  bravery, 
contempt  of  extraordinary  obstacles  and  complete 
and  perfect  success,  this  charge  of  the  2d  division 
around  the  point  of  Lookout  Mountain.  The  rebel 
forces  were  literally  swept  from  the  mountain  side, 
driven  from  fastnesses  and  intrenchments  they  had 
considered  impregnable,  captured  in  their  strong- 
holds, and  every  vestige  of  their  power  swept  before 
us  like  leaves  before  the  autumn  gale." 

The  battle  of  Lookout  Mountain  was  followed  by 
an  immediate  advance  of  the  whole  army,  in  which 
the  149th  bore  an  active  part.  On  the  second  of 
December,  another  severe  fight  took  place,  which 
resulted  in  the  capture  of  the  valley  of  the  Ring- 
gold and  its  occupancy  by  the  Union  forces,  with 
an  officer  of  the  149th  as  Provost  Marshal  of  the 
captured  town.  The  campaign  ending  with  the 
capture  of  Mission  Ridge,  our  njen  fell  back  to  their 


old  camping  ground  at  the  base  of  Lookout  Moun- 
tain, where  they  remained  till  after  New  Year's, 
1864,  enduring  severe  hardships  and  almost  star- 
vation, in  consequence  of  the  impossibility  of  for- 
warding supplies.  During  this  period  the  149th  was 
complimented  by  a  public  delivery  of  their  captured 
rebel  flags  to  Gen.  Hooker ;  and  after  being  almost  re- 
duced to  starvation  were  removed  to  Stevenson  and 
remained  till  spring  in  preparation  for  the  next  cam- 
paign. The  stay  here  was  a  season  of  comparative 
ease  and  festivity  ;  rations  plenty,  supplies  abundant 
and  labor  light.  The  few  inhabitants  treated  them 
kindly.  Capt.  Park  Wheeler  was  detailed  to  "  keep 
hotel,"  and  proved  himself  no  unworthy  landlord  of 
the  "  Soldiers'  Home."  Among  the  attractions 
which  rendered  the  stay  in  Stevenson  pleasant  to 
many  of  the  149th  was  the  presence  of  ladies,  the 
wives  of  several  of  the  officers,  who,  during  this 
season  of  quiet,  visited  their  husbands  and  friends 
at  camp — Mrs.  Col.  Ireland,  Mrs.  Surgeon  Kendall, 
Mrs.  Capt.  Wheeler  and  others,  whose  presence  lent 
a  charm  to  camp  life  not  elsewhere  e.xperienced 
during  the  war. 

May  2,  1864,  began  the  movement  of  the  troops 
in  the  famous  Atlanta  campaign.  Their  progress 
was  first  intercepted  at  Resacawhere  the  rebel  force 
under  Johnston  was  concentrated  and  had  burned 
the  bridge  across  the  Coosawattee  River.  Howard 
had  entered  Dalton  on  the  heels  of  Johnston's  force 
and  had  pressed  him  down  to  Resaca.  Sherman 
at  once  set  on  foot  a  flanking  movement  to 
drive  him  out.  Johnston  made  a  counter  move- 
ment by  attacking  Hooker  and  Schofield  on  his 
front  and  left.  He  was  defeated  in  the  bloody  con- 
test which  ensued.  Hooker  driving  the  enemy  from 
several  hills,  taking  four  guns  and  many  prisoners. 
The  rebels  retreated  across  the  Oostenaula  during 
the  night,  and  our  army  entered  Resaca  in  triumph 
next  morning.  From  this  time  to  the  final 
triumphal  entrance  into  Atlanta,  was  a  constant 
series  of  skirmishes,  battles  and  active  military 
operations.  For  nearly  one  hundred  days  and 
nights  our  men  were  constantly  under  fire,  passing 
through  the  thrilling  experiences  of  the  battles 
of  Villanow  Mill  Church,  Nickajack  Creek,  Burnt 
Hickory,  Calhoun,  Dallas,  Cassville,  Kingston, 
Pumpkin  Vine  Creek,  Paices'  Ferry,  Chattahoochee 
River,  Ackworth,  Marietta,  Big  Shanty  and  Kene- 
saw  Mountain. 

The  most  severe  and  disastrous  battle  of  the 
campaign  in  which  the  149th  were  engaged  was 
at  Peach  Tree  Creek  on  the  20th  of  July,  1864, 
where  a  partial  surprise  was  effected,  and  almost  in 
an  instant  of  time  the  regiment  lost   19  brave  and 


124 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


generous  soldiers,  among  whom  were  Col.  C.  B. 
Kendall  and  Capt.  D.  J.  Lindsay,  both  as  gallant 
officers  as  ever  drew  a  sword  in  defence  of  their 
country. 

During  this  campaign  Gen.  Hooker  resigned  his 
position  at  the  head  of  the  corps,  and  Gen.  Slocum, 
who  had  commanded  the  old  I2th  corps,  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  command  of  the  20th  ;  arriving  just 
in  time  to  accompany  the  triumphal  entry  into  At- 
lanta, on  the  2d  of  September.  The  losses  of  the 
I4f)th  during  the  campaign  amounted  to  34  men 
killed,  138  wounded  and  10  missing.  But  the  ob- 
jective point  was  gained  and  the  regiment  was  one 
of  the  first  to  enter  Atlanta  and  hoist  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  upon  the  public  hall.  Col.  Ireland, 
who  commanded  the  3d  brigade,  died  shortly  after 
entering  Atlanta,  and  the  command  devolved  upon 
Col.  Barnum,  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier 
General,  leaving  the  149th  under  the  command  of 
Major  Grumbach,  promoted  to  the  colonelcy. 

Among  the  interesting  incidents  of  the  camp  at 
Atlanta  was  the  voting  of  the  soldiers  at  the  No- 
vember election  for  President.  The  vote  of  the 
149th,  with  but  few  exceptions,  was  cast  for 
"  Honest  Old  Abe,"  showing  that  they  had  no  de- 
sire to  "swap  horses  while  crossing  the  river,"  as 
Mr.  Lincoln  predicted  would  be  the  verdict  of  the 
American  people. 

After  the  refitting  of  the  troops  and  sending  the 
sick  and  lame  to  the  rear,  the  commissary  wagons 
were  loaded  with  hard-tack,  coffee  and  sugar,  and 
trusting  to  their  own  energy  and  perseverance  to 
subsist  upon  the  country,  on  the  16th  of  November 
the  army  left  Atlanta,  to  plunge  out  of  sight  and 
hearing  into  the  heart  of  the  Rebel  Confederacy. 
The  famous  "  march  to  the  sea  "  had  been  deter- 
mined upon.  lixpcrience  proved  that  Sherman 
had  not  overestimated  the  abundance  of  supplies  in 
the  country  through  which  the  army  was  to  pass, 
nor  miscalculated  the  capacity  of  his  men  to  obtain 
their  full  share  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  The 
marching  of  an  army  composed  of  60,000  infantry 
and  5,500  cavalry  through  an  interior  country  of 
such  e.\tent  was  a  scene  probably  never  witnessed 
before,  and  must  have  been  an  astonishing  spectacle 
to  the  people  of  the  country  through  which  they 
passed.  Thousands  of  negroes,  sometimes  in  torch- 
light processions,  followed  the  army  "  on  the  road 
to  freedom."  The  army  was  formed  into  two  grand 
divisions  or  wings  :  The  right  led  by  Gen.  O.  O. 
Howard,  comprising  the  15th  corps.  Gen.  P.  J. 
Osterhaus,  and  the  17th,  Gen.  Frank  P.  Blair;  the 
left,  led  by  Gen.  H.  W.  Slocum,  comprisingthe  14th 
corps.  Gen.   Jeff.  C.  Davis,  and  the  20th,  Gen.  A. 


S.  Williams.  Gen.  Judson  Kilpatrick  led  the 
cavalry,  which  careered  in  front  and  on  either  flank 
of  the  infantry. 

The  149th,  with  Slocum's  wing,  advanced  by 
Covington,  Madison  and  Eatonton,  concentrating 
on  Milledgeville,  which  was  entered  without  opposi- 
tion. Sherman  thus  far  accompanied  the  14th 
corps.  Slocum  moved  out  of  Milledgeville  simul- 
taneously with  Howard's  advance  from  Gordon, 
and  concentrated  at  Sandersville,  driving  out  a  small 
party  of  Wheeler's  cavalry  ;  thence  he  followed  the 
Central  Railroad,  breaking  it  up  to  the  Ogeechee, 
which  he  crossed  at  Louisville,  and  thence  kept 
north,  striking  out  towards  the  Savannah. 

At  Millen,  on  the  Central  Railroad,  half  way 
from  Sandersville  to  Savannah,  was  a  great  prison 
camp  where  some  thousands  of  our  captured  sol- 
diers had  long  endured  unspeakable  privations. 
Sherman  was  intent  on  reaching  and  liberating 
them,  and  for  this  purpose  sent  forward  Kilpatrick 
with  his  cavalry;  but  the  enemy  took  the  alarm  and 
removed  the  prisoners.  Kilpatrick  being  harrassed 
and  kept  back  by  skirmishes  with  Wheeler's  cav- 
alry. Our  army  visited  this  prison  on  their  march 
after  the  prisoners  had  been  removed.  The  20th 
army  corps,  (Gen.  Slocum's,)  including  the  149th, 
was  the  first  to  reach  Savannah.  It  passed  Mor- 
gan's and  Carlin's  divisions  encamped  about  ten 
miles  out,  and  hastened  on  to  the  city.  On  the  loth 
of  December,  1864,  Savannah  was  completely  be- 
leaguered, and  Fort  McAllister  was  that  day  carried 
by  storm.  Hardee,  with  15,000  men,  evacuated  the 
city  on  the  night  of  the  20th,  escaping  across  the 
Savannah  River  on  a  pontoon  bridge.  He  was  un- 
observed by  our  pickets,  as  the  night  was  dark  and 
windy.  Under  cover  of  fire  which  he  had  kept  up 
the  day  previous,  he  had  destroyed  the  Navy  ^'ard 
and  two  iron  dads.  Our  troops  now  took  posses- 
sion, the  149th  being  in  advance  and  raising  the 
flag  on  the  dome  of  the  City  Hall. 

The  taking  of  Fort  McAllister  by  Hazen's  divi- 
sion was  a  brilliant  achievement.  While  the 
steamer  sent  by  Gen.  Foster  and  Admiral  Dahlgren, 
to  communicate  with  our  army,  was  hesitating 
whether  or  not  to  approach  the  fort,  at  that  moment 
Hazen's  bugles  sounded  the  charge ;  when  his  divi- 
sion rushed  over  torpedoes  and  abatis,  through  a 
shower  of  grape,  up  to  and  over  the  parapet,  and 
after  a  brief  but  desperate  struggle,  McAllister  was 
ours.  Her  garrison  of  200  surrendered,  having  40 
or  50  killed  and  wounded  to  our  90.  Among  the 
spoils  were  22  guns  and  much  ammunition.  Fort 
McAllister  fell  on  the  13th  of  December;  on  the 
17th,  Hardee  was  formally  summoned  to  surrender 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


125 


the  city  ;  on  the  20th,  the  bombardment  of  the  city 
commenced,  and  on  that  night  Hardee  evacuated, 
moving  his  force  towards  Charleston. 

The  149th  was  stationed  as  Provost  Guard  of  a 
portion  of  the  conquered  city,  and  in  this  capacity 
had  a  season  of  relaxation  and  rest  from  the  fatigues 
of  the  campaign,  mingling  in  the  social  life  of  the 
city  and  enjoying  balls  and  other  pastimes.  A  loyal 
newspaper  was  printed  and  edited  by  a  member  of 
the  149th  during  their  stay  in  Savannah,  After 
being  supplied  with  provisions  and  clothing,  and 
leaving  the  city  in  charge  of  another  corps,  they 
were  again  on  the  march,  and  reached  Sisters' 
Ferry  with  great  difficulty  on  account  of  the  floods 
and  next  to  impassable  condition  of  the  roads. 
After  some  detention  they  crossed  the  Savannah 
River  on  pontoons  and  entered  the  State  of  South 
Carolina.  Along  their  route  the  rebels  had  buried 
torpedoes,  which  exploded  and  severely  injured 
several  of  the  regiment.  The  march  through  South 
Carolina  involved  unusual  hardships ;  the  weather 
having  become  exceedingly  wet,  the  swamps  flooded 
and  the  river  high  and  swift. 

Fayetteville,  North  Carolina,  was  reached  on  the 
1 2th  of  March,  1865.  Here  the  enemy  halted  three 
days,  completely  destroying  the  United  States 
Arsenal  and  the  costly  machinery  which  had  been 
brought  here  from  Harper's  Ferry  at  the  time  of  its 
capture  by  the  rebels  in  1861. 

Sherman's  movements  from  this  point  were  very 
cautiously  made.  An  immense  army  was  concen- 
trating in  his  front ;  Hardee  from  Savannah  and 
Charleston,  Beauregard  from  Columbia,  Cheatham 
from  the  Tennessee,  with  considerable  force  drawn 
from  North  Carolina  and  her  seaward  defences  un- 
der Bragg  and  Hoke,  with  Wheeler's  and  Hamp- 
ton's cavalry,  making  up  a  force  of  not  less  than 
40,000  men,  mostly  veterans,  under  the  command 
of  the  able  and  wary  Joe  Johnston.  It  would  no 
longer  answer  to  move  as  hitherto  ;  our  columns 
must  be  kept  well  closed  up,  the  corps  within  easy 
supporting  distance,  on  peril  of  surprise  and  disas- 
ter. True  to  his  favorite  policy,  Sherman,  on  the 
15th  of  March,  pushed  four  divisions  of  his  left 
wing,  covered  by  Kilpatrick's  cavalry,  directly  north- 
ward to  Averysboro,  as  a  feint  on  Raleigh  ;  while 
Slocum's  train,  his  two  remaining  divisions,  and  the 
right  wing,  moved  by  various  roads  nearly  east, 
towards  Goldsboro,  his  true  destination.  Sherman 
was  on  the  left  with  Slocum,  including  the  149th, 
but  had  ridden  across  to  the  right  wing,  intent  on 
reaching  Goldsboro  and  meeting  Gen.  Schofield, 
when  the  sound  of  guns  on  the  left  again  challenged 
his  attention.   Slocum,  approaching  Bentonville,  had 


been  assailed  by  Johnston  with  the  entire  rebel  army. 
The  divisions  of  the  right  wing  were  ordered  at 
once  to  move  on  rapidly  to  the  assistance  of  the 
outnumbered  left.  Slocum  had  encountered  Dib- 
brell's  cavalry,  which  he  was  driving,  when  he  ran 
headlong  upon  the  whole  Confederate  force,  the  two 
leading  brigades  of  Carlin's  division  being  hurled 
back  upon  the  main  body,  with  a  loss  of  three  guns 
and  their  caissons.  Slocum  thereupon  very  prop- 
erly stood  on  the  defensive,  showing  a  front  of  four 
divisions,  and  throwing  up  slight  barricades,  while 
Kilpatrick  came  into  action  on  the  left.  Here  our 
left  withstood  six  assaults  from  Johnston's  army 
inflicting  heavy  loss  with  our  artillery,  the  enemy 
having  brought  up  little  or  none.  Johnston  had 
hurried  to  this  point  by  night  from  Smithfield,  ex- 
pecting to  crush  Slocum  before  he  could  be  sup- 
ported, but  he  was  mistaken.  Night  fell  without 
giving  him  any  ground,  and  before  morning  Slocum 
got  up  his  wagon  train,  with  its  guard  of  two  divi- 
sions, while  Hazen's  division  of  the  isth  (Logan's) 
corps,  came  up  on  the  right,  rendering  his  position 
secure.  The  enemy  not  risking  further  attacks, 
Slocum  awaited  the  arrival  of  Howard  with  the 
entire  right  wing.  In  the  night  Johnston  retreated 
on  Smithfield  and  Raleigh,  so  precipitately  as  to 
leave  his  pickets  and  his  severely  wounded  behind. 

Our  total  loss  here  was  191  killed,  1,108  wounded, 
and  344  missing,  in  all  1,643.  We  buried  here  267 
rebel  dead,  and  took  1,625  prisoners,  many  of  them 
wounded. 

No  further  resistance  being  made,  our  army  moved 
on  to  Goldsboro,  where  it  rested  and  was  reclothed, 
much  to  the  satisfaction  of  our  149th,  for  having 
passed  through  the  tar  regions  of  North  Carolina 
and  burned  a  number  of  rosin  manufactories,  they 
were  so  blackened  and  begrimmed  with  the  smoke 
and  cinders  as  to  resemble  more  a  regiment  of  col- 
ored troops  than  white  soldiers.  Their  clothes 
were  also  worn  and  tattered,  so  that,  as  remarked 
by  their  Quartermaster,  "  fat,  ragged  and  saucy," 
was  a  more  apt  description  of  them  than  any  other 
combination  of  words  in  the  English  language. 

From  Goldsboro  the  troops  containing  our  regi- 
ment were  marched  to  Raleigh,  where  they  arrived 
on  the  14th  of  April.  While  here  news  of  the  sur- 
render of  Lee  and  his  forces  to  Gen.  Grant  at 
Appomattox  reached  our  headquarters  and  was 
hailed  with  tumultuous  rejoicing  by  the  whole 
army.  A  demonstration  was  made  towards  John- 
ston, but  like  a  prudent  commander,  he  also,  after 
some  formal  negotiations,  surrendered,  and  the 
great  civil  war  was  at  an  end. 

The  order,  "  On  to  Richmond  "—now  much  more 


126 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


easily  executed  than  at  the  beginning  of  the  warr — 
was  heard  through  the  ranks,  and  our  army  moved 
forward,  reaching  the  "  Rebel  Capital "  on  the  loth 
of  May,  passing  in  review  through  its  principal 
streets.  From  Richmond  to  Washington,  they 
passed  through  Chickahominy  swamp  and  over  their 
old  stamping  grounds,  crossing  the  Rappahannock 
at  United  States  Ford,  and  pausing  a  few  moments 
on  the  field  of  their  first  battle  at  Chancellorsville. 
A  rapid  march  brought  them  to  Alexandria,  whence 
they  were  moved  across  the  Potomac  to  Washing- 
ton and  soon  after  mustered  out  of  the  service. 

The  remnant  of  the  149th  soon  returned  home 
to  receive  the  warm  welcome  of  a  grateful  and 
generous  people,  who  had  watched  their  career  in 
the  army  with  pride  and  satisfaction.  It  is  not  too 
much  to  say  that  the  149th  had  as  varied  an  experi- 
ence and  made  for  themselves  as  honorable  a 
record  during  the  war  of  the  rebellion,  as  any  volun- 
teer regiment  in  the  Union  service.  Their  dead 
sleep  in  honored  graves,  and  their  living,  many  of 
them,  have  won  that  respect,  both  in  military  and 
civil  afiTairs,  to  which  their  merits  and  sacrifices 
justly  entitle  them. 

Official  Recokd    ano  List  of  Promotions  of 
THE  149TH  Regiment. 

Henry  A.  Harnum.Col.,  rank  from  September  17, 
'62,  promoted  to  Hrig.-Gen.,  May  3i,'65  ;  Nicholas 
Grumbach,  Capt..  rank  from  September  2,  '62, 
promoted  to  Major  August  2,  '64,  to  Lieut. -Col. 
May  II,  '65,  to  Col.  June  7.  '65,  (Brevet  Col., 
U.  S.  V.,)  mustered  out  June.  12,  '65;  John  M. 
Strong,  Lieut. -Col.,  rank  from  September  5,  '62, 
resigned  March  i.  '63  ;  Abel  G.  Cook.  Major,  rank 
from  Sept.  8,  '62,  promoted  to  Lieut.  Col.  March  i, 
'63,  (  Hrevet  Col ,  N.  Y.  V.)  discharged  July  2C,  '64  ; 
Charles  H.  Randall,  Major,  rank  from  March  17, 
'63,  promoted  to  Lieut.-Col.  June  5,  '63,  killed  in 
action  July  20,  '64  ;  Edward  U.  Murray,  Jr.,  ist 
Lieut ,  rank  from  Sept.  4,  '62,  promoted  to  Capt. 
March  4,  '63,  to  Lieut.-Col.  July  20,  '64,  mustered 
out  June  12,  '65  ;  Henry  H.  Hurhans,  ist  Lieut., 
rank  from  Sept.  8,  '62,  promoted  to  Capt.,  Nov.  24, 
'62,  to  Major  May  11,  '65,  mustered  out  June  12, 
'65  ;  Walter  M.  Dallman,  Adjutant,  rank  from  Aug. 
29,  '62,  (Hrevet  Major,  N.  Y.  V.)  discharged  Mar. 
15,  '65;  Bela  P.  Hitchcock,  Adjutant,  rank  from 
Mar.  15,  "65,  (Hrevet  Capt.,  N.  Y.  V. ),  mustered 
out  June  12,  '65  ;  Moses  Summers,  Quartermaster, 
rank  from  Aug.  28,  'C2,  promoted  to  Capt.  and  A. 
Q.  M.  July  I,  '64,  (Brevet  Major,  N.  Y.  V.)  ;  Ham- 
ilton D.  Borden,  Q.  M.,  rank  from  July  i,  '64, 
(Brevet  Capt.,  N.  Y.  V.)  mustered  out  June  12, '65  ; 
James  V.  Kendall,  Surgeon,  rank  from  Aug.  22, 
'62,  (Brevet  Lieut.-Col..  N.  Y.  V.)  mustered  out 
June  12,  '65  ;  Horace  Nims,  Assist.-Surgeon,  rank 
from  Sept.  19,  '62,  resigned  March  17,  '63  ;  Henry 
F.  Adams,  Assist.-Surgeon.  rank  from  April  2,  '63, 
(Brevet  Major,  N.  Y.  V.)  mustered   out  June  12, 


'65  ;  Albert  W.  Phillips,  Assist.-Surgeon,  rank  from 
Oct.    9,  '62,   resigned    Nov.    24,    "63  ;    Arvine    C. 
Bowdish,  Chaplain,  rank  from  Sept.  18, '62.  (Brevet 
Major,  N.  Y.  V.  1,  resigned  Sept.  3.  "63  ;  Solomon 
Light,  Capt.,  rank  from  Aug.  30,  '62,  resigned  Jan. 
17,  '63  ;    Oliver  T.   May,    Capt.,  rank    from   Jan. 
17.  '63,  (Brevet    Major,    N.    Y.  V.'i  mustered  out 
June  12,  '65  ;  Jacob  Knapp,   2d  Lieut.,  rank  from 
Sept.  2.  '62,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  April  4,  '63,  to 
Capt.   Aug.    2,   '64,    (Brevet    Major,    N.    Y.    V.), 
mustered  out  June  12, '65  ;  James  Lynch,  Jr.,  Capt., 
rank  from  Sept.  4, '63,  resigned  F^cb.  15, '63  ;  Thos. 
GatTncy.    ist   Lieut.,  rank  from  April  24, '63,  pro- 
moted  to  Capt.  Oct.  31,  '64,  resigned  June  3.  '65  ; 
Morris  K.  Baker,    ist  Lieut.,  rank  from  April   12, 
'64,  promoted  to  Capt.  June   7,  '65,  mustered  out 
June   12,  "65  ;  J.   Forman    Wilkinson,  Capt,  rank 
from  Sept.  4,  '62,  resigned  Dec.  7,  '62,  ( Brevet  Ma- 
jor N.   Y.  v.):    Park    Wheeler,    ist   Lieut.,    rank 
from  Sept.  4,  '62,  promoted  to  Capt.  Dec.    30,  '62, 
resigned    Aug.  7, '64  (Brevet    Major  N.    Y.  V.); 
Oliver  L.  F.  Brown,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from   Dec.  7, 
'62,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.   June   I,  '64,  to  Capt. 
Oct.  31, '64,  ( Brevet    Major  N.    Y.   V.,i  mustered 
out  June  12,  '65  ;  Ira  B.  Seymour,  Capt ,  rank  from 
1     Sept.  5,  '62,  (Brevet  Major  U.  S.  V.,)  mustered  out 
June  12,  '65  ;  William  Pullen,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from 
I     May   3,  '63,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  Aug.    12,  '63, 
,     to  Capt.  June   7,  '65,  (Brevet  Major,  N.  Y.  Vols.,) 
mustered    out   June   12,    '65  ;  Judson   H.    Graves, 
Capt.,  rank  from  Sept.  8,  '62,  resigned  Oct.  23,  '62  ; 
Theodore  E.    Stevens,  2d  Lieut ,  rank  from  Sept. 
8,  '62.  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  June  10,  '64,  to  Capt. 
May  1 1,  '65,  (Brevet  Major  U.  S.  V.),  mustered  out 
June  12,  '65  ;  Eben  G.  Tosvnsend,  Capt.,  rank  from 
Sept.  9,  '62,  discharged  Feb.  4,  '64 ;  Andreas  Cas- 
sard,  Capt.,  rank  from  April  20, '64,  declined  ;  Geo. 
G.  Truair,   2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  9,  '63,  pro- 
moted to  1st  Lieut.  July  14, '64,  to  Capt.  April  22, 
'65,  (  Brevet  Major  N.  Y.  V.,1  mustered  out  June  12, 
'65  :  Robert    E.  Hopkins,  Capt.,   rank  from  Sept. 
10,  '62,   promoted   to  Major  Feb.  29,  '64;  Orson 
Coville,  1st  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  5, '62,  promoted 
to  Capt.   F"eb.    29, '64,  mustered  out  June  12, '65, 
(Brevet  Major   N.   Y.    V.);  Thomas  Merriam,    2d 
Lieut.,  rank   from  Sept.  10,  '62,   promoted  to   ist 
Lieut.  Aug.  14,  '63,  to  Capt.  July  14,  '64,  (Brevet 
Major  N.  Y.  V.,)  mustered  out  June  12, '65  ;  David 
Lindsay,  Capt.,  rank  from   Sept.  12,  '62  ;  killed  in 
action  near  Atlanta,  Ga.,  July  20,  '64  ;  Alexander 
[     McKinstry,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Jan.    13,  '63,  pro- 
moted to  1st  Lieut.  May  15,  '63,  to  Capt.  July  20, 
I     '64,  discharged    May   15,   '65  ;    James   E.    Doran, 
'     Capt.,  rank  from  Sept.  17,  '62,  discharged  Feb.  5, 
I     '64;  Charles  E.  Coville,*Capt..  rank  from  Mar.  29, 
'     '64.   not    mustered  ;   Samuel   Bronner,    ist    Lieut., 
rank  from  Aug.  30, '62,  resigned  Feb.  8, '63  ;  Mathew 
H.  Westcott,   2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.    30,  "62, 
!     promoted  to  ist  Lieut.,  March  4,  '63,  (Brevet  Capt. 
;     N.  Y.  v.).  discharged  Feb.  5,  '64  ;  William  Wills, 
1st  Lieut.,  rank  from   March  16,  '64,  mustered  out 
June  12,  '65  ;  Philip  Eckle,  ist  Lieut.,   rank  from 
1     Sept.  2, '62,  discharged  Dec.  21, '63,  (Brevet  Capt. 
I     N.  Y.  V. ) ;  John  F.  Wheeler,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from 
May  7,  '64,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  June  7,  '65,  ( Bre- 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


127 


vet  Capt.  N.  Y.  V.,)  mustered  out  June  12,  '65  ; 
John  B.  Foote,  ist  Lieut ,  rank  from  Feb.  15.  '6t„ 
declined  ;  George  W.  Phillips,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from 
Aug.  7,  '64,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  April  22,  '65, 
mustered  out  June  I2,  '65  ;  William  W.  Mosely,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  4,  '62,  promoted  to  1st 
Lieut.  Dec.  30,  '62,  discharged  May  11,  '63  ;  Elisha 
Houghkirk,  2d  Lieut,  rank  from  March  15,  '65, 
promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  June  7,  '65,  (Brevet  Capt. 
N.  Y.  V.,)  mustered  out  June  12,  '65  ;  Edward  F. 
Hopkins,  ist  Lieut.,  rank  from  Jan.  30,  '64,  resigned 
Sept.  14, '64;  Nicholas  Cooney,  ist  Lieut,  rank 
from  Dec.  22,  '64,  declined  ;  Philip  Hiorsh,  ist 
Lieut.,  rank  from  March  i,  '65,  (Brevet  Capt.  N  Y. 
v.),  mustered  out  June  12,  '65  ;  William  Gleason, 
1st  Lieut ,  rank  from  Nov.  25,  '62,  resigned  May  25, 
'64;    Joseph    Gay,     ist    Lieut.,   rank    from    May 

11,  '65,  (Brevet  Capt.  N.  Y.  V..)  mustered  out 
June  12,  '65  ;  Byron  A.  Wood,  ist  Lieut.,  rank 
from  Sept.  9,  '62,  resigned  Dec.  6,  '62  ;  Willis 
S.  Barnum,  1st  Lieut.,  rank  from  Feb.  7,  '6^,  (  Brevet 
Capt.  N.  Y.  V.)  resigned  May  24.  '64  ;  John  H. 
Patterson,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  July  3,  '64,  pro- 
moted to  1st  Lieut.,  Aug.  7,'64,  (Brevet  Capt,  N.  Y. 
V.)  mustered  out  June  12, '65  ;  Ohio  L.  Palmer,  ist 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  10,  '62,  resigned  June  24, 
'6^  ;  George  H.  Diety,  ist  Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug. 
28,  '65,  (Brevet  Capt.  N.  Y.  V.)  mustered  out  June 

12,  '65  ;  George  K.  Collins,  ist  Lieut.,  rank  from 
Sept.  12,  '62,  (Brevet  Capt.  N.  Y.  V.)  resigned  April 
24,  '64;  John  Kohl,  1st  Lieut.,  rank  from  June  7, 
'65,  (Brevet  Capt.  N.  Y.  V.)  not  mustered  ;  John 
Van  Wie,  1st  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  17,  '62,  re- 
signed Jan.  13,  '63  ;  Benjamin  F.  Breed,  2d  Lieut, 
rank  from  Sept.  17, '62,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  May 

3,  '63,  killed  in  action  at  Chancellorsville  May  3, 
'63  ;  Burnett  E.  Miller,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Oct 
14,  '63,  promoted  to  1st  Lieut.  Jan.  6,  '64,  mustered 
out  June  12,  '65  ;  Joseph  Seymour,  Jr.,  rank  from 
Feb.  8,  '6s,  discharged  Aug,  9,  '6^  ;  Philip  M. 
Sours,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  June  3,  '64,  not  mus- 
tered ;  William  Savage,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept. 

4,  '62,  resigned  Mar.  29,  '63  ;  Fred'k  O.  Waters,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Aug.  12, '63,  not  mustered  ;  Abram 
H.  Spore,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Dec.  7, '62,  resigned 
Mar.  3,  '64  ;  Harvey  Siver,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from 
Mar.  29,  '64,  mustered  out  June  12,  '65  ;  Edward 
F.  Hopkins,  2d  Lieut., rank  from  Sept.  5,  '62,  pro- 
moted to  1st  Lieut.  April  4,  '64  ;  mustered  out  June 
12,  '65  ;  Jacob  Waling,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  June 
7/65,  not  mustered,  (Brevet  ist  Lieut.  N.  Y.  V.)  ; 
Lucius  W.  Ramsey,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Mar.  15, 
'65,  mustered  out  June  12,  '65  ;  Thomas  A.  Bene- 
dict, 2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  9,  '62,  resigned 
Dec.  6,  '62  ;  David  R.  Wilson,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from 
June  14,  '64,  not  mustered,  deserted ;  Francis 
Becker,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  June  7,  '65,  not  mus- 
tered, (Brevet  ist  Lieut.  N.  Y.  V.)  ;  Z.  Carter  Pat- 
ten, 2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Feb.  23,  '64,  resigned  July 

5,  '64;  George  H.  Deitz,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  July 
5,  '64,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  April  22,  '65  ;  John 
T.  Rowe,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  12,  '62,  re- 
signed Dec.  12,  '62  ;  Joseph  A.  Davis,  2d  Lieut., 
rank  from  Dec.  12,  '62,  killed  in  action  at  Chancel- 
lorsville May  3,  '63  ;  William   O'Reiley,  2d   Lieut., 


rank  from  July  3,  '64,  not  mustered,  (Brevet  ist 
Lieut.  N.  Y.  V.) ;  Andreas  Cassard,  2d  Lieut.,  rank 
from  March  24,  '64,  declined  ;  Franklin  Sours,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  April  20,  '64,  not  mustered  ;  Jacob 
Schwartz,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Mar.  28,  '65,  not 
mustered,  (Brevet  ist  Lieut.  N.  Y.  V. ) ;  David  Gere, 
2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  June  7,  '65,  not  mustered, 
(Brevet  ist  Lieut.  N.  Y.  V.) ;  Adolphus  J.  Fi.x,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  June  7, '65,  (Brevet  ist  Lieut  N. 
Y.  v.),  not  mustered  ;  Milton  E.  Miller,  2d  Lieut., 
rank  from  Mar.  i,  '65,  mustered  out  June  12,  '65  ; 
George  P.  Frost  2d  Lieut,  rank  from  Jan.  7,  '65, 
not  mustered,  (Brevet  ist  Lieut.  N.  Y.  V.) 

Brevet  Commissions  Issued  by  the  Governor 
TO  Enlisted  Men  of  the  149TH  Regiment. 

^a'/k.  Name.  Brevet  Rank. 

Sergeant,  John  W.  Vaugh  2d  Lieut 

Q.  Sergeant,  Dudley  D    K.  Marvin,  2d  Lieut. 

Sergeant  Augustus  P.  Brown,       2d  Lieut 

Sergeant,  Joseph  F.   Thomas,        2d  Lieut 

Private,  William  Fehrenz,  2d  Lieut. 

Private,  George  W.  Chase,  2d  Lieut 

Private,  George  I.  Sager,  2d  Lieut. 

Com'sary  Sergt.,    Henry  L.  Purdy,  2d  Lieut 

Private,  Oliver  Ormsby,  2d   Lieut. 

Sergeant,  Howard  B.  Sloan,  2d  Lieut 

Sergeant  William  Cross,  2d  Lieut 

Sergeant,  William  Cahill,  2d  Lieut 

Medals  of  honor  were  awarded  by  the  Secretary 
of  War  to  the  following : 

First  Lieutenant,  N.  F.  Potter  ;  Private,  Peter 
Kappesser ;  Private,  Philip  Goettel. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Eighty-Fifth  New 
York  Volunteers — Organization — Arrival 
in  Front  of  Petersburg — Destruction  of 
the  Weldon  Railroad  —  Winter  Quarters 
— Battle  of  Hatcher's  Run  —  Attack  on 
Fort  Steedman. 

THE  185th  was  the  fourth  complete  regiment 
of  volunteer  infantry  from  Onondaga  county, 
raised  late  in  the  war,  and  composed  largely 
of  artisans,  farmers,  mechanics  and  profes- 
sional men.  It  was  its  peculiar  fortune  to  be 
mustered  into  the  service  when  hard  fighting  had 
to  be  done,  which  continued  with  little  interruption 
to  the  close  of  the  war.  The  185th  was  organized 
as  follows  : 

Field  and  Staff  Officers— Edwin  S.  Jenney, 
Colonel  ;  Gustavus  Sniper,  Lieutenant-Colonel  ; 
John  Leo,  Major ;  Byron  Mudge,  Adjutant  ; 
William  Gilbert,  Quartermaster;  Charles  W. 
Crarey,  Surgeon  ;  G.  L.  Newcomb,  Assistant  Sur- 
geon ;  Chester  W.  Hawley,  Chaplain. 

Line  Officers— Company  A  :  Stephen  O.  How- 
ard, Captain;  Ephraim  F.  Bander,  ist  Lieutenant; 


128 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


William  A.  Brooks,  2d  Lieutenant.  Company  B: 
John  Listman,  Captain  ;  William  A.  RofT,  ist 
Lieutenant ;  John  Herron,  2d  Lieutenant.  Com- 
pany C :  Henry  D.  Carhart,  Captain  ;  John  T. 
Hostler,  ist  Lieutenant;  Charles  J.  Rector,  2d 
Lieutenant.  Company  D :  Daniel  N.  Lathrop, 
Captain;  Theo<lore  M.  Barber,  ist  Lieutenant; 
Henry  L.  Kinf^sley,  2d  Lieutenant.  Company  E : 
Robert  F.  Bush,  Captain  ;  Robert  C.  Rorepaugh,  ist 
Lieutenant ;  Pembroke  Pierce,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Company  F:  John  W.  Strowbridge,  Captain  ;  An- 
drew J  Lyman,  1st  Lieutenant  :  Harrison  Givins, 
2d  Lieutenant.  Company  G  :  Albern  H.  Barber, 
Captain  ;  Hiram  Clark,  ist  Lieutenant  ;  Daniel 
Minier,  2d  Lieutenant.  Company  H  :  Daniel 
Christler,  Captain  ;  Stephen  S.  Jordan,  ist  Lieu- 
tenant ;  Stephen  R.  Hitchcock,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Company  I  :  Jarcd  F.  Abbott,  Captain ;  H.  Wads- 
worth  Clarke,  1st  Lieutenant;  Jacob  M.  Doran,  2d 
Lieutenant.  Company  K  :  Abram  H.  Spore, 
Captain  ;  Cyrus  A.  Phillips,  ist  Lieutenant ;  Lewis 
S.  Edgar,  2d  Lieutenant. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at  Syracuse  and 
mustered  into  the  service  September  22,  1864.  On 
the  23d  they  left  for  City  Point,  where  they  arrived 
t/rf  F"ortress  Monroe  on  the  30lh,  and  were  that 
night  ordered  into  action,  an  attack  being  made  on 
the  Union  forces  at  Warren  Station,  where  a  light 
skirmish  ensued.  On  the  4th  of  October  the  regi- 
ment was  assigned  to  the  First  Brigade,  First  Divi- 
sion, Fifth  Army  Corps :  Gen.  S.  Warren,  Corps 
Commander.  The  division  was  commanded  by 
Gen.  Charles  Griffin,  and  the  brigade  by  Gen. 
Sickles.  The  regiment  moved  on  the  4th  from 
Warren  Station  to  Poplar  Grove  Church,  where 
they  went  into  camp  and  remained  till  Sunday  the 
i6th.  On  Saturday,  October  8,  an  attack  was  made 
by  the  rebels  and  the  185th  was  ordered  to  sup- 
port Gen.  Aycrs,  in  command  of  a  brigade  of  the 
9th  corps.  A  fight  ensued  in  which  the  rebels  were 
repulsed.  No  further  incident  of  interest  occurred 
while  in  camp  here,  e-xcept  the  capturing  of  a  rebel 
spy  by  one  of  the  pickets  of  the  185th.  He  was 
an  engineer  and  had  a  complete  map  of  the  whole 
Union  lines  and  defences  from  City  Point  to  the 
e.xtremc  left,  extending  over  twenty  miles.  The 
map  was  concealed  next  his  person.  He  offered 
money  to  be  allowed  to  escape ;  but  was  tried  by 
court-marshal  and  shot   by  order  of  Gen.  Warren. 

October  16.  The  brigade  and  division  moved  to 
the  Squirrel  Level  Road  in  front  of  Petersburg 
and  went  into  camp.  Here  the  officers  of  the  185th 
presented  Colonel  Jenney  with  a  horse.  On  the 
27th,  a  move  was  made  on  the  South-side  Railroad, 
where  an  engagement  occurred  in  which  three  men 
of  the  185th  were  wounded.  After  the  battle  they 
returned  to  the  same  camp  on  the  29th  of  October. 
On  the  3d  of  December  the  army  was  ordered  to 


move  on  the  Weldon  Railroad  for  the  purpose  of 
destroying  the  track,  to  prevent  the  communication 
of  the  rebel  army  stationed  about  Petersburg  with 
their  base  of  supplies  at  Weldon.  This  road  was 
used  by  the  enemy  in  transporting  supplies  from 
North  Carolina  nearly  up  to  our  lines,  whence  they 
were  wagoned  around  our  left  to  Lee's  camps.  The 
expedition  consisted  of  Warren's  15th  1  corps,  Mott's 
division  of  the  2d  corps  and  Gregg's  mounted  divi- 
sion. They  moved  down  the  railroad  as  far  as  the 
Meherrin,  across  which  to  Hicksford  the  rebels 
were  driven,  while  the  road  was  effectually  destroyed 
down  to  that  point — some  twenty  miles.  The 
track  was  taken  up  and  the  rails  heated  and  bent 
so  that  they  could  not  again  be  used.  The  im- 
mense amount  of  rebel  supplies  at  this  point  was 
captured  ;  in  this  expedition  the  185th  bore  a 
conspicuous  part.  On  the  12th  of  December,  they 
went  into  camp  at  the  Gurley  House  near  Warren 
Station.  The  snow,  sleet  and  rain  were  terrible ; 
and  on  the  march,  without  preparations  to  with- 
stand the  inclemency  of  the  weather,  the  regiment 
suffered  severely  ;  one  man,  being  compelled  to 
march,  fell  out  by  the  way  and  was  never  heard  of 
afterwards.     He  probably  perished. 

Here  the  division  went  into  winter  quarters,  con- 
structing their  camp  in  a  dense  pine  forest  and 
clearing  the  ground,  so  that  not  a  stump  remained, 
in  an  incredibly  short  time.  The  Quartermaster, 
by  order  of  Gen.  Griffin,  detached  125  men  to  raid 
into  the  country  to  secure  materials  for  the  officers' 
quarters.  This  was  successfully  accomplished  and 
in  due  time  neat  and  comfortable  quarters  were 
erected,  which  were  occupied  till  the  5th  of  P'ebru- 
ary,  1865.  During  the  winter  a  large  church  sixty 
feet  long  was  built  of  pine  logs  hewed  on  the  inside, 
which  made  a  comfortable  place  of  worship.  It 
was  roofed  with  tent-cloth  furnished  by  the  Chris- 
tian Commission  ;  a  platform  at  one  end  for  the 
preacher  was  built  of  some  of  the  pine  lumber  ob- 
tained on  the  raid  ;  and  seals  were  constructed  of 
hewed  pine  slabs  set  upon  legs.  Here  Sergeant 
Brcgg  was  killed  by  rebel  guerrillas — shot  through 
with  five  bullets  and  stripped  of  his  clothes.  The 
health  of  the  regiment  during  the  winter  was  excel- 
lent. Gen.  Warren  here  sent  an  invitation  to  Col. 
Sniper  and  staff  to  make  him  a  New  Year's  call  at 
his  headquarters,  in  compliment  to  the  gallant  ser- 
vices of  the  185th  Col.  Jenney  was  then  absent 
on  a  visit  to  the  east. 

On  the  4th  of  February,  1865,  orders  were  re- 
ceived to  be  in  readiness  to  march  at  a  moment's 
warning,  and  on  Sunday  morning  the  5th,  before 
daylight,  our  forces  were  ordered  to  move  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


129 


direction  of  Hatcher's  Run  ;  and  on  the  afternoon 
of  the  same  day  occurred  the  second  battle  of  Hatch- 
er's Run,  lasting  till  next  day,  in  which  the  185th 
suffered  severely.  Two  men  in  Company  A  were 
killed  ;  one  in  Company  C  ;  Capt.  John  Listman, 
Company  B,  wounded  in  the  thigh  so  badly  that 
his  leg  had  to  be  amputated  close  to  the  body ; 
Major  Bush  taken  prisoner  and  sent  to  Libby  Prison. 
Among  the  privates  a  considerable  number  were 
wounded. 

During  the  early  part  of  this  engagement  the 
185th  Regiment  was  held  in  reserve.  About  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon,  however,  the  first  brigade, 
commanded  by  Col.  Sickle,  composed  of  his  regi- 
ment (the  198th  Pensylvania)  and  the  iS5th  New 
York,  was  hastily  ordered  forward  to  relieve  the  2d 
division  of  the  5th  corps.  This  division,  composed 
largely  of  regulars  and  commanded  by  Gen.  Ayers, 
a  regular  army  officer,  occupied  a  position  in  front 
of  a  piece  of  woods.  In  its  front  was  an  open  field, 
upon  the  opposite  side  of  which  were  one  or  two 
small  buildings  and  a  sudden  declivity  in  the  ground, 
occupied  by  the  enemy  and  answering  the  purpose 
of  an  intrenchment.  Gen.  Ayres'  division  had 
here  suffered  terribly. 

As  our  brigade  marched  for  nearly  half  a  mile 
along  the  road  through  the  woods,  we  met  the 
wounded  from  this  division  being  borne  back  by  the 
hospital  corps  ;  some  hastily  bandaged,  others  with 
undressed,  gaping  wounds  ;  some  besmeared  with 
blood,  others  pallid  as  though  in  the  grasp  of  death. 
It  was  a  trying  ordeal  for  our  men — a  severe  test  of 
their  courage  ;  even  the  bravest  pushed  forward  with 
blanched  cheek. 

As  we  moved  upon  the  field  Ayers'  division 
moved  off.  An  occasional  shot  developed  the  near 
presence  of  the  enemy,  but  the  fight  there  seemed 
to  be  over.  We  had  scarcely  moved  from  flank  into 
line,  however,  before  a  terrific  fire  was  opened  upon 
us  by  the  enemy.  Our  brigade  commander  was 
one  of  the  first  wounded  and  as  he  was  carried  off 
the  field  sent  his  staff  to  report  to  Col.  Jenney,  who 
was  thus  left  in  command  of  the  brigade. 

Col.  Jenney  appreciated  the  danger  of  attempt- 
ing to  hold  his  open  position  against  an  enemy 
substantially  covered,  and  instantly  ordered  the 
brigade  forward.  The  brigade  moved  in  excellent 
form.  No  command  to  charge  was  given.  It 
would  have  probably  been  dangerous  to  do  so,  as 
the  enemy  were  upon  both  our  flanks  and  it  was 
necessary  to  keep  the  troops  well  in  hand.  For- 
ward went  the  brigade,  through  the  smoke  and 
against  the  bullets.  It  was  the  work  of  a  few 
minutes  only.  There  was  no  wavering — con- 
17* 


stantly,  steadily  forward  !  The  firing  slackened, 
ceased— the  enemy  was  gone.  We  were  the 
masters  of  the  field. 

Many  brave  fellows  fell,  but  the  loss  was  slight 
compared  to  that  which  must  have  occurred  if  the 
enemy  had  not  at  once  been  driven  from  the  field. 

We  retained  our  position  until  evening  when  un- 
der cover  of  darkness  we  retired  to  the  main  line. 

After  the  engagement  Col.  Jenney  sent  Major 
Bush  to  reconnoiter  our  right  Bank  and  station 
pickets  ;  in  performing  which  duty,  when  scarcely 
out  of  speaking  distance  from  his  regiment,  con- 
cealed from  them  only  by  the  intervening  under- 
brush, he  was  captured  with  a  squad  of  his  men. 
He  was  sent  to  Libby  prison,  and  the  regiment, 
during  most  of  its  subsequent  service  was  deprived 
of  one  of  its  best  officers. 

The  brigade  was  warmly  commended  by  Gen. 
Griffin  for  its  gallant  service,  and  its  praise  was  fairly 
earned,  for  seldom  had  a  single  brigade  accom- 
plished so  important  results  at  so  small  a  sacrifice. 

After  this  engagement  the  regiment  went  into 
camp  at  Hatcher's  Run.  Here,  on  the  second  day 
after  the  battle,  Colonel  Jenney  took  his  departure 
from  the  regiment.  At  the  time  he  was  commis- 
sioned as  Colonel  of  the  regiment  he  was  Major 
of  the  3d  New  York  Artillery  and  acting  as  Provost 
Judge  of  North  Carolina  at  Newbern  and  had,  after 
notice  of  his  promotion,  been  taken  prisoner  by 
the  enemy,  as  has  been  stated  in  the  narrative 
of  "Jenney's  battery."  Notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  he  was  a  paroled  prisoner  he  had  been  mustered 
in  as  Colonel  of  the  regiment,  and  taken  the  regi- 
ment into  the  field.  He  expected  to  obtain  an  im- 
mediate exchange.  Rut  while  he  regarded  himself 
as  bound  by  his  parole,  the  War  Department  was 
of  the  opinion  that  the  officer  who  captured  and 
paroled  him  had  sufficient  authority  to  capture,  but 
none  to  parole,  and  that  Col.  Jenney  was  therefore 
to  be  regarded  as  an  escaped  rather  than  a  paroled 
prisoner. 

In  this  situation  Col.  Jenney  remained  during 
his  term  of  service  with  the  regiment.  He  en- 
deavored to  induce  the  Secretary  of  War  to  relieve 
him  from  the  responsibility  of  his  situation  by  mak- 
ing an  order  declaring  that  he  was  not  paroled  and 
ordering  him  upon  duty,  but  the  Secretary  of  War 
refused  to  do  so  lest  an  embarrassing  precedent 
might  thus  be  established. 

His  only  relief  from  this  unfortunate  situation 
seemed  to  be  to  retire  from  the  service,  and  accord- 
ingly he  had  forwarded  his  resignation  about  the 
mfddle  of  January.  This  resignation  had  been 
accepted,  and  an  order  honorably  discharging  him 


«30 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


from  service  had  been  received  by  Gen.  Griffin  just 
before  the  last  cni;agement.  At  his  request,  how- 
ever, it  had  been  retained  by  the  General  until  the 
advance  then  contemplated  had  been  made,  and 
now  was  delivered  to  him. 

Upon  the  morning  of  his  departure  the  regiment 
was  formed  in  square,  and  the  command  turned 
over  to  Lieut.-Col.  Sniper  in  a  short  speech,  praising 
the  regiment,  highly  complimenting  Col.  Sniper, 
and  reluctantly  saying  farewell. 

Col.  Sniper  was  immediately  promoted,  and  com- 
manded the  regiment  during  the  remainder  of  its 
service. 

The  regiment  remained  in  camp  at  Hatcher's 
Run  till  March  29,  1865,  when  the  grand  movement 
for  the  closing  struggle  of  the  rebellion  was  made. 
On  the  25th  of  March,  the  division  was  ordered  out 
before  daylight,  at  3  o'clock,  a.  m..  the  rebels  having 
made  an  assault  upon  Fort  Steedman,  near  City 
Point.  It  was  stated  in  the  order  that  an  attack 
was  probably  being  made  along  the  whole  line,  and 
that  a  general  engagement  was  imminent,  which 
proved  true.  General  Lee,  foreseeing  clearly  the 
speedy  downfall  of  the  Confederate  cause,  unless 
averted  by  a  prompt  concentration  of  his  remaining 
forces,  and  a  telling  blow  delivered  thereby  on  some 
one  of  our  encircling  aimies,  which  were  now  prob- 
ably crushing  out  the  life  of  the  Rebellion,  resolved 
to  anticipate  Grant's  initiative  by  an  attack  on  his 
lines  before  Petersburg  and  Richmond.  This  attack 
was  made  on  Fort  Steedman,  nearly  east  of  Peters- 
burg, where  its  success  would  have  cut  our  army 
in  two  and  probably  compelled  a  hasty  reconstruc- 
tion to  recover  our  lines  and  works  ;  thereby  open- 
ing a  door  for  the  unassailed  withdrawal  of  the  rebel 
army  southward  by  the  most  direct  route  to  unite 
with  that  of  Johnston,  and  thus  overpower  Sher- 
man. The  assault  was  delivered  by  Gordon  with 
two  divisions— all  the  disposable  rebel  army  of  Vir- 
ginia being  collected  just  behind  the  assaulting 
column  and  held  in  hand  as  a  support.  Gordon 
charged  at  daybreak  on  the  25th  of  March.  His 
men  rushed  instantly  across  the  narrow  space  sepa- 
rating the  confronting  lines,  and  pouring  into  Fort 
Steedman,  which  was  held  by  the  14th  New  York 
Artillery,  completely  surprised  and  captured  the 
garrison.  The  guns,  whereof  three  batteries  were 
taken  by  the  rebels,  were  instantly  turned  on  the 
adjacent  works  of  Fort  Haskell,  next  to  Fort  Steed- 
man on  the  left.  Here  their  triumph  ended.  They 
failed  to  rush  forward  and  sieze  the  crest  of  the 
ridge  behind  the  forts. 

The  20,000  men  whom  Lee  had  massed  in  the 
rear  of  the  charge  were  either  not  ordered  forward 


or  failed  to  respond.  The  result  was  that  instead 
of  cuttmg  our  army  in  two  as  they  had  intended, 
they  had  divided  their  own  and  isolated  a  portion  of 
it  in  the  midst  of  an  army  of  foes.  Our  forces 
rallied  and  swept  the  field,  capturing  2,000  prisoners. 
The  battle  lasted  till  after  nightfall.  About  3 
o'clock  p.  M.  an  attack  was  made  on  the  extreme 
left,  where  the  185th  were  on  the  right  of  the  2d 
corps  and  in  the  thick  of  the  fight.  A  terrible 
battle  soon  raged  along  the  entire  line.  The  ground 
was  soon  covered  with  the  dead  and  wounded, 
among  whom  fell  several  of  the  185th.  The  rebels 
were  driven  back  with  heavy  loss.  The  reports  of 
the  battle  make  the  loss  about  equal  on  both  sides 
— 2,500  besides  the  2,000  rebel  prisoners  taken  by 
our  army.  After  the  battle  our  soldiers  returned 
to  camp  at  Hatcher's  Run  and  remained  till  the 
29th  of  March,  at  which  date  Gen.  Grant  had  de- 
termined to  advance  the  left  wing  of  his  army.  On 
the  28th,  orders  were  received  to  move  at  3  o'clock 
ne.xt  morning.  Three  divisions  of  the  Army  of  the 
James,  now  commanded  by  Gen.  Ord,  being  with- 
drawn from  the  banks  of  the  James  River,  where  it 
had  menaced  Richmond,  and  brought  over  to  the 
left  of  our  lines  facing  Petersburg.  V\'arren's  (5th) 
and  Humphreys'  (2d)  corps  moved  quietly  out 
southward  till  they  had  crossed  Hatcher's  Run, 
when,  facing  northward,  they  advanced  cautious- 
ly, feeling  for  the  enemy's  right.  Sheridan  was  on 
our  extreme  left  at  the  head  of  nearly  10.000  cav- 
alry, acting  under  orders  directly  from  Gen.  Grant. 
The  9th  (Parke's)  and  one  of  Ord's  divisions  were 
left  to  hold  our  extended  lines  under  the  command 
of  Gen.  Parke ;  all  dismounted  troopers  being  ordered 
to  report  to  Gen.  Benham,  who  guarded  our  im- 
mense depot  of  supplies  at  City  Point. 

Humphreys  crossed  Hatcher's  Run  at  the 
Vaughan  Road  ;  Warren,  moving  further  to  the 
left,  crossed  four  miles  below  (the  stream  here,  since 
its  junction  with  Gravelly  Run,  being  Rowanty 
Creek,)  and  moved  up  the  Quaker  Road,  to  strike 
the  Boydton  Plank  Road  ;  Sheridan  moved  nearly 
south  to  Dinwiddle  Court  House,  where,  at  5  p.  m., 
he  halted  for  the  night.  Warren's  corps  alone,  en- 
countered any  serious  resistance  on  this  day,  the 
29th.  Continuing  their  march  till  about  2  o'clock, 
they  arrived  at  Quaker  Farm  and  were  there  met 
by  the  enemy.  A  fierce  engagement  ensued. 
During  the  action  our  forces  were  being  repulsed, 
the  2d  division  retreating  in  great  disorder,  when 
Gen  Chamberlain,  in  command  of  the  ist  briga.de, 
rode  up  to  the  Colonel  of  the  185th,  saying  :  "  For 
God's  sake,  Col.  Sniper,  can  you  save  the  day  with 
your  regiment  ?"     The  Colonel  replied  :    "  General, 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


i.^i 


I  can  try."  He  immediately  formed  his  regiment 
in  line  of  battle.  The  balance  of  the  brigade,  con- 
sisting of  the  189th  Pennsylvania,  had  shared  in  the 
retreat,  leaving  the  185th  to  stand  the  ground  alone. 
They  were  ordered  to  charge  the  enemy.  The 
charge  was  made  with  great  spirit  over  an  eminence, 
where  they  met  the  advancing  columns  of  the  rebels 
in  pursuit  of  our  retreating  forces,  and,  making  a 
desperate  charge,  hurled  back  the  foe,  but  with 
great  loss  to  our  gallant  regiment.  The  killed  and 
wounded  were  180  ;  all  the  officers  of  some  of  the 
companies  were  either  killed  or  disabled  ;  so  that 
there  were  not  line  officers  enough  to  command  the 
regiment. 

This  charge  lasted  scarcely  more  than  half  an 
hour,  but  it  was  one  of  the  most  desperate  and  im- 
portant in  its  results  of  any  during  the  war.  The 
aim  of  the  rebels  seemed  to  be  to  shoot  down  our 
colors.  William  Tyler,  of  Company  D,  was  Color- 
Bearer  of  the  regiment.  He  was  shot  first.  The 
colors  were  then  seized  by  a  private,  who  was  im- 
mediately shot.  Private  Benjamin  Wilson,  of  Com- 
pany D,  then  seized  and  bore  aloft  the  fallen  stand- 
ard, but  was  instantly  shot  and  wounded.  Then 
Private  Herman  Rice,  of  Company  B,  sprang  for- 
ward and  raised  the  colors,  but  the  arm  which  lifted 
them  was  immediately  pierced  by  a  rebel  ball,  and 
they  again  fell.  Col.  Sniper  being  dismounted  in 
the  thick  of  the  charge,  seeing  the  colors  drop, 
rushed  forward  and  seized  them,  and  whirling  them 
above  his  head,  shouted,  "Men  of  the  185th,  for- 
ward !"  A  wild  yell  was  sent  up  from  the  ranks, 
and  rushing  forward  with  their  gallant  leader,  the 
day  was  won.  After  the  engagement  the  general 
officers  complimented  Col.  Sniper  in  person  upon 
the  gallantry  and  valor  of  his  regiment  in  that  ter- 
rible charge,  and  said  that  they  had  saved  the  day. 

March  30th  and  31st.  While  the  Union  forces 
were  driving  the  rebels,  several  minor  engagements 
occurred.  Warren  had  pushed  forward  skirmishers 
on  his  left  to  seize  the  White  Oak  Road  beyond  the 
rebel  right,  and  had  ordered  Ayers  to  advance 
Winthrop's  brigade  through  the  woods  to  support 
the  effort.  At  half  past  10  a.  m.,  Lee  dealt  him  an 
unexpected  and  staggering  blow,  striking  Ayres 
heavily  in  flank  and  rear,  hurling  his  division  back 
on  Crawford's,  which  likewise  broke.  For  a 
moment  there  was  a  prospect  of  another  Chancel- 
lorsville.  But  behind  these  two  stood  Griffin's 
division,  well  posted  in  more  open  ground,  whence 
it  refused  to  be  driven.  It  held  its  ground  against 
the  rebel  advance  till  the  routed  divisions  rallied  and 
formed  behind  it,  enabling  Warren  to  assume  the 
offensive.     Humphreys  sent  in  Miles'  division  on 


Warren's  right  to  strike  the  enemy's  left  flank. 
Before  these  well-timed  charges  the  enemy  recoiled, 
taking  refuge  behind  his  intrenchments  along  the 
White  Oak  Road,  and  losing  heavily  in  prisoners. 
Meantime  Sheridan  had  advanced  to  Five  Forks 
and  had  fought  the  rebels  from  there  to  Dinwiddle 
Court  House  and  back— one  of  the  most  brilliant 
actions  of  the  war. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

One  Hundred  and  Eighty-Fifth  Regiment 
Continued  —  Battle  of  Five  Forks  —  Bom- 
bardment OF  Petersburg — Lee's  Telegram 
to  Jeff.  D.a^vis — Evacuation  of  Richmond — 
Flight  and  Capture  of  the  Rebel  Army — 
Return  Home  of  the  Regiment  —  List  of 
Promotions. 

THE  battle  of  Five  Forks,  one  of  the  most 
memorable  of  the  great  campaigns  which 
closed  the  rebellion,  was  begun  on  Saturday,  April 
I,  at  about  3  p.  m.,  and  continued  without  cessation 
of  firing  till  Sunday  morning  at  daylight.  Nearly 
the  entire  force  on  both  sides  was  engaged.  The 
5th  corps  was  on  the  right  and  in  the  hottest  part 
of  the  contest.  The  rebels  were  strongly  intrenched 
and  fought  with  desperation,  knowing  their  fate 
depended  on  the  battle.  Adjutant  Mudge,  of  Col. 
Sniper's  staff,  was  severely  wounded  in  the  arm, 
which  resulted  in  the  permanent  loss  of  its  use,  and 
several  officers  and  privates  were  killed  and  wounded. 
During  this  battle  4,022  rebel  prisoners  were  taken. 
Greeley,  speaking  of  this  battle,  says  :  '■  The  Con- 
federates, facing  their  foes  in  each  direction,  stood 
bravely  to  their  arms.  *  *  *  In  a  few  minutes 
Ayers'  division  burst  over  their  flank  intrenchments 
taking  1,000  prisoners  ;  while  Griffin  struck  their 
refused  flank  in  the  rear,  capturing  1,500  more  ;  and 
Crawford,  resisted  only  by  skirmishers,  pressed  for- 
ward rapidly  to  the  Ford  Road,  running  northward 
from  their  center,  precluding  the  retreat  towards 
Lee ;  and  then  turning  southward  on  that  road, 
came  rapidly  down  upon  their  rear,  taking  four  guns 
■ — our  cavalry  all  the  time  sharply  assailing  their 
front  and  right,  and  at  length  charging  over  their 
intrenchments,  as  Ayers  and  Griffin,  having  turned 
their  left  out  of  its  works,  bore  down  upon  its  re- 
newed front,  hurling  all  that  remained  of  the 
enemy  in  disorderly  flight  westward,  charged 
and  pursued  for  miles  by  our  cavalry,  until  long 
after  dark,  and  until  our  prisoners  exceeded  5,000  ; 
while  our  total  loss  this  day  (April  i.)  was  about 
1,000.  At  this  cost  Lee's  right  wing  had  been  sub- 
stantially demolished.     Among  our  killed  was  Brig. 


>32 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Gen.  Frederick  Winthrop,  Colonel  of  the  9th  New 
York,  and  cousin  of  Major  Theodore  Winlhroj), 
killed  at  Big  Bethel."  Griffin  was  now  ordered 
with  two  divisions  of  infantry  to  Gravelly  Church, 
some  miles  towards  Petersburg,  to  reopen  his  com- 
munication with  the  rest  of  the  army,  while 
Griffin's  own  division  (now  Bartlett's)  supported 
McKinzie's  cavalry,  which  had  pushed  northward 
up  the  Ford  Road  to  Hatcher's  Run.  As  darkness 
set  in,  our  guns  in  position  in  front  of  Petersburg 
opened  from  right  to  left,  making  the  night  lurid 
with  a  bombardment  that  proclaimed  the  signal 
victory  just  achieved  on  our  left,  and  predicted 
more  decisive  triumphs  at  hand.  Parke  and  Ord 
assaulted  the  rebel  works  at  daybreak  on  Sunday 
morning,  April  2,  carrying  with  the  9th  corps  the 
outer  line,  but  being  intercepted  by  an  inner  line 
behind  them,  which  he  could  not  force.  Wright,  , 
on  his  left,  with  the  6th  corps,  supported  by  two 
divisions  of  Ord's,  charging  at  dawn,  drove  every- 
thing before  him  up  to  the  Boydton  Road,  on  which, 
wheeling  to  the  left  towards  Hatcher's  Run,  he 
swept  down  the  rear  of  the  rebel  intrenchments, 
capturing  many  guns  and  several  thousand  prison- 
ers. Meantime  Ord'solher  division  had  forced  the 
enemy's  lines  at  the  Run,  and  now  Wright  and  Ord 
swung  to  the  right,  pressing  on  Petersburg  from  the 
west,  while  Humphreys,  to  the  left,  with  Hayes' 
and  Mott's  divisions  of  the  2d  corps,  having  stormed  j 
a  redoubt  in  his  front,  came  up  with  two  divisions, 
closing  in  on  their  left.  Thereupon  the  rebel  lines 
defending  Petersburg  on  the  south  were  assaulted 
by  Gibbon's  division  of  Ord's  corps,  which  carried 
by  storm  two  strong  and  important  works — Forts 
Gregg  and  Alexander.  This  shortened  our  be-  , 
sieging  lines,  and  weakened  the  rebel  defence  of  the 
city.  Lee,  seeing  that  Petersburg  must  soon  fall, 
telegraphed  to  Jeff.  Davis  at  Richmond  at  half-past 
10  A.  M..  on  Sunday,  April  2 :  ' 

"  My  lines  are  broken  in  three  places.     Richmond 
^ust  be  evacuated  this  evening." 

The  message  reached  Davis  at  1 1  a.  m.  in  church, 
when  he  quietly  read  it  and  retired.  It  produced  a 
profound  dread  and  apprehension  of  the  impending 
fate  of  the  city.  "  Men,  women  and  children 
rushed  from  the  churches,  passing  from  lip  to  lip 
the  news  of  the  impending  fall  of  Richmond  ;  or, 
whispering  with  white  lips,  the  foe,  thej'  come,  they 
come." 

This  was  a  terrible  revelation  to  burst  in  upon 
the  calm  of  that  beautiful  spring  Sunday  morning. 
Says  Pollard  :  "  It  was  difficult  to  believe  it.  To 
look  up  to  the  calm,  beautiful  sky  of  that  spring 
day,    unassailed  by  one  single  noise  of  battle,  to 


watch  the  streets,  unvexed  by  artillery  or  troops, 
stretching  away  into  the  quiet,  hazy  atmosphere, 
and  believe  that  the  capital  of  the  Confederacy, 
so  peaceful,  so  apparently  secure,  was  in  a  few  hours 
to  be  the  prey  of  the  enemy,  and  to  be  wrapped  in 
the  infernal  horrors  of  a  conflagration  !  " 

Richmond  was  evacuated  that  night.  The  rebels 
set  fire  to  the  city  with  their  own  hands.  The 
flames  were  quenched  before  producing  utter  de- 
struction by  Union  soldiers  who  first  entered  the 
city  under  Gen.  Weitzel,  Monday  morning.  April  3, 
1865.  Before  noon  of  that  day  the  news  of  Rich- 
mond's fall  had  been  flashed  across  the  loyal  States, 
and  was  soon  confirmed  by  telegrams  from  President 
Lincoln,  then  at  City  Point,  and  from  the  Secretary 
of  War  at  Washington.  Petersburg  was  evacuated 
simultaneously  with  Richmond,  and  so  noiselessly 
that  our  pickets,  scarcely  a  stone's  throw  from  the 
abandoned  lines,  knew  not  that  the  enemy  were  mov- 
ing till  morning  showed  that  they  were  gone.  The 
rebel  government,  with  its  belongings,  had  passed 
down  the  railroad  several  miles  north  of  Petersburg 
to  Danville,  where  it  halted,  and  whither  Lee  hoped 
to  follow  with  the  rest  of  his  army,  and  thence  form  a 
junction  with  Johnston  in  North  Carolina.  Here 
the  last  important  battle  before  the  surrender,  oc- 
curred, in  which  our  arrhy  took  1,400  prisoners. 
On  the  6th  of  April,  Gen.  Davies  struck  Lee's 
train,  moving  in  advance  of  his  infantry,  at  Paine's 
Cross  Roads,  and  destroyed  180  wagons,  capturing 
four  guns  and  a  large  number  of  prisoners.  Ord, 
on  the  same  day,  reaching  out  from  Jetersville, 
struck  the  head  of  Lee's  advancing  columns  at 
Farmville,  as  it  was  preparing  to  cross  the  Appo- 
matto.x.  Here  a  sharp  engagement  took  place. 
Brig.-Gen.  Theodore  Read  was  killed.  The  attack, 
however,  arrested  the  march  of  the  enemy.  Lee 
crossed  the  Appomattox  on  the  night  of  the  6th, 
and  his  rear  guard  had  just  crossed  and  set  fire  to 
the  bridges  at  dawn  on  the  morning  of  the  7th,  when 
the  second  corps  (Humphreys')  which  had  now 
taken  the  lead,  rushed  up  in  time  to  save  the  bridge 
on  the  wagon  road.  Over  this  Barlow's  division 
crossed,  capturing  18  guns  which  had  been  aban- 
doned by  the  rear  guard  of  the  rebels  in  their  hasty 
retreat.  The  rebels  halted  and  intrenched  them- 
selves four  or  five  miles  north  of  Farmville,  where 
they  were  attacked  by  a  portion  of  our  forces,  and 
again  retreated  on  the  night  of  the  7th  to  Appo- 
mattox Station.  Here  they  were  overtaken  on 
Sunday  the  9th  by  our  main  force.  Griffin  and 
Ord,  with  the  5th,24lh,and  one  division  of  the2Slh 
corps,  by  a  forced  march,  reached  Appomattox  Sta- 
tion about  daylight  in  the  morning.     Greeley  gives 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


133 


the  following  account  of  the  situation,  when  the  two 
armies  confronted  each  other  for  the  last  time  as 
belligerents  : 

"Sheridan  was  with  his  cavalry  near  the  Court 
House,  when  the  Army  of  Virginia  made  its  last 
charge.  By  his  order,  his  troopers,  who  were  in 
line  of  battle,  dismounted,  giving  ground  gradually 
while  showing  a  steady  front,  so  as  to  allow  our 
weary  infantry  time  to  form  and  take  position. 
This  effected,  the  horsemen  moved  swiftly  to  the 
right  and  mounted,  revealing  lines  of  solid  infantry 
in  battle  array,  before  whose  wall  of  gleaming 
bayonets  the  astonished  enemy  recoiled  in  blank 
despair,  as  Sheridan  and  his  troopers,  passing 
briskly  round  the  rebel  left,  prepared  to  charge  the 
confused,  reeling  mass.  A  white  flag  was  now 
waved  by  the  enemy  before  Gen.  Custer,  who  held 
our  cavalry  advance,  with  the  information  that  they 
had  concluded  to  surrender.  Riding  over  to  Appo- 
mattox Court  House,  Gen.  Sheridan  was  met  by 
Gen.  Gordon,  who  requested  a  suspension  of  hostili- 
ties, with  the  assurance  that  negotiations  were 
then  pending  between  Gens.  Grant  and  Lee  for  a 
capitulation." 

The  correspondence  had  begun  between  the 
two  generals  on  the  7th  of  April,  and  the  capit- 
ulation was  completed  on  the  9th.  Lieutenant 
Hiram  Clark  of  Company  G,  in  the  185th  regiment, 
was  the  last  man  killed  in  the  war.  He  had  com- 
mand of  the  skirmish  line  at  Appomatto.x  before 
the  surrender,  and  while  the  flag  of  truce  was  be- 
ing borne  in,  was  struck  and  completely  disem- 
boweled by  a  rebel  shell.  He  was  buried  under 
a  chestnut  tree  near  Appomattox  Court  House. 
He  was  a  noble  officer  and  much  beloved  by  his 
regiment. 

After  the  surrender,  the  i8sth,  with  some  other 
regiments,  were  detailed  to  take  charge  of  the  rebel 
prisons  and  to  collect  the  rebel  arms  and  munitions 
of  war  ;  and  were  thus  occupied  for  four  or  five 
days.  The  arms  and  ammunition  were  sent  to 
Burksville.  Among  them  were  52  brass  cannon, 
very  fine  pieces,  which  had  been  dismantled  and 
buried  by  the  Confederates  on  the  field  at  Appo- 
mattox. 

The  Union  forces,  except  the  2d  corps,  were 
ordered  towards  Danville  to  assist  Gen.  Sherman, 
and  were  sent  forward  to  Burksville.  The  185th, 
after  three  days  in  camp,  were  ordered  to  Wilson's 
Station  on  the  South-side  Railroad,  where  they  re- 
mained in  camp  till  the  first  of  May,  and  were  thence 
ordered  to  move  to  Manchester,  across  the  James 
from  Richmond.  On  the  5th  of  May  they  received 
marching  orders  for  Alexandria,  started  on  Satur- 
day morning,  the  6th,  and  that  day  crossed  the  Pa- 
munkey  River  on  pontoons  ;  passing  through  Bow- 
ling Green,  they  crossed  the  Rappahannock  at  Fred- 


ericksburg, and  arrived  at  Arlington  Heights  on 
the  13th,  at  8  o'clock  a.  m.,  after  a  tedious  all-night 
march.  They  remained  in  camp  at  Arlington 
Heights  till  the  grand  review  in  the  City  of  Wash- 
ington, on  the  23d  of  May,  1865,  when  the  Presi- 
dent reviewed  the  entire  army.  Returning  to  camp 
after  the  review,  they  remained  till  they  were  mus- 
tered out  of  the  service  on  the  30th  day  of  May,  a. 
D.,  1865.  Leaving  Arlington  at  3  p.  m.,  on  the 
31st,  they  met  with  a  grand  reception  of  citizens  on 
their  way  home,  at  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  and  arrived  in 
Syracuse  on  the  3d  day  of  June,  where  a  committee 
of  their  fellow-citizens  were  in  readiness  to  give 
them  a  welcome  home.  On  the  loth  of  June,  at 
Camp  White,  they  were  paid  off  and  discharged  by 
Major  Littlefield,  Paymaster. 

Official   Record  and  List  of  Promotions  of 
THE  185TH  Regiment. 

Edwin  S.  Jenney,  Col.,  rank  from  Sept.  19,  '64, 
discharged  Feb.  3,  '65  ;  Gustavus  Sniper,  Lieut. - 
Col.,  rank  from  Sept.  17,  '64,  promoted  to  Col. 
Feb.  14,  '65,  (Brevet  Brig.-Gen.,  U.  S  V.)  mustered 
out  with  the  regiment  May  30,  '65  ;  Theodore  M. 
Barber,  ist  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  19, '64,  promoted 
to  Capt.,  Jan.  3, '65,  to  Lieut.-Col.  Mar.  30,  '65, 
mustered  out  May  30,  '65  ;  John  Leo,  Major,  rank 
from  Sept.  19,  '64,  died  of  disease  Dec.  3,  '64; 
Robert  P.  Bush,  Capt ,  rank  from  Sept.  24,  '64, 
promoted  to  Major  Dec.  3,  '64,  mustered  out  May 
30,  '65  ;  Byron  Mudge,  Adj't,  rank  from  Sept.  7, 
'64,  mustered  out  May  30, '65  ;  William  Gilbert,  Q. 
M.,  rank  from  Sept.  2,  '64,  mustered  out  May  30, 
'65  ;  Charles  W.  Crary,  Surgeon,  rank  from  Sept. 
17,  '64,  mustered  out  May  30,  '65,  (Brevet  Lieut.- 
Col.,  N.  Y.  V.j ;  Gilbert  \.  Newcomb,  Assistant- 
Surgeon,  rank  from  Sept.  26,  '64,  mustered  out 
May  30,  '65  ;  William  M.  Bradford,  Asst. -Surgeon, 
rank  from  Sept.  26,  '64,  mustered  out  May  30,  '65  ; 
Chester  W.  Hawley,  Chaplain,  rank  from  Oct.  10, 
'64,  resigned  April' 29, '65  ;  Stephen  O.  Howard, 
Capt.,  rank  from  Sept.  2,  '64,  mustered  out  May 
30,  '65  (Brevet  Major,  U.  S.  V. );  John  W.  Strow- 
bridge,  Capt.,  rank  from  Sept.  7,  '64,  mustered  out 
May  30,  '65  ;  Albert  H.  Barber,  Capt.,  rank  from 
Sept.  13,  '64,  mustered  out  May  30, '65  ;  John  List- 
man,  Capt.,  rank  from  Sept.  17,  '64,  mustered  out 
May  30,  '65  ;  E.  M.  Bander,  ist  Lieut,  rank  from 
Sept.  2,  '64,  promoted  to  Capt.  Feb.  3,  '65,  not  mus- 
tered, died  April  15,  '65;  W.  A.  Rapp,  ist  Lieut,  rank 
from  Sept.  17,  '64,  promoted  to  Capt.  May  11,  '65, 
mustered  out  May  30,  '65  ;  Henry  D.  Carhart, 
Capt.,  rank  from  Sept.  19,  '64,  died  before  muster  ; 
John  T.  Hostler,  ist  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  19,  '64' 
promoted  to  Capt.  Dec.  24,  '64,  (Brevet  Capt.  U. 
S.  V.,)  discharged  June  2,  '65,  (Brevet  Major  U.  S. 
V.) ;  Daniel  L.  Lathrop,  Capt,  rank  from  Sept.  19, 
'64,  mustered  out  May  30,'65;  David  Chrysler,  Capt, 
rank  from  Sept.  19,  '64,  mustered  out  May  30,  '65  ; 
Jared  T.  Abbott,  Capt,  rank  from  Sept.  19,  64, 
mustered  out  May   30,  '65  ;  Abram  Spore,  Capt., 


»34 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


rank  from  Sept.  19.  '64,  mustered  out  May  30,  '65  ; 
Daniel  Minicr,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  13,  '64, 
promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  Feb.  3,  '65,  killed  in  action 
March  29,  '65  ;  Andrew  J.  Lyman,  ist  Lieut.,  rank 
from  Sept.  7,  64,  mustered  out  May  30, '65  ;  Hiram 
Clark,  1st  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  13,  '64,  killed  in 
action  April  9,  '65  ;  Henry  H.  Kelsey,  ist  Lieut., 
rank  from  April  27.  '65,  mustered  out  May  30,  '65  ; 
Pembroke  Pierce,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  17, 
'64,  promoted  to  ist  Lieut.  May  11,  '65,  mustered 
out  May  30,  '65  ;  Herbert  C.  Rorepaugh,  ist 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  17,  '64,  mustered  out 
May  10,  '65  ;  F.  Augustus  Schemerhorn,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Dec.  23,  64,  promoted  to  ist 
Lieut.  Jan.  23,  '65,  mustered  out  May  30,  '65  ; 
Lewis  Edgar,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  19,  '64, 
promoted  to  ist  Lieut.,  Dec.  24,  '64,  mustered  out 
May  30.  '65  ;  Stephen  S.  Jordan,  ist  Lieut.,  rank 
from  Sept.  19,  '64,  discharged  Feb.  27, '65  ;  Jerome 
C.  Gates,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Dec.  4, '64,  promoted 
to  1st  Lieut.  Mar.  30,  '65,  mustered  out  May  30, 
'65  ;  H.  Wadsworth  Clarke,  1st  Lieut.,  rank  from 
Sept.  19, '64,  (Brevet  Capt.  X.  Y.  V.  1,  mustered 
out  May  30,  '65  ;  Cyrus  A.  Phillips,  ist  Lieut., 
rank  from  Sept.  19.  '64,  not  mustered,  commission 
revoked  ;  Thomas  S.  Wallace,  ist  Lieut.,  rank  from 
Dec.  23,  '64,  not  mustered,  failed  to  report  to  regi- 
ment; William  A.  Brooks,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from 
Sept.  2,  '64,  discharged  Mar.   20,  '65  :  William  H. 


Hamilton,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  April  27,  '65, 
mustered  out  May  30,  "65  ;  Harrison  Givins,  2d 
Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  7,  "64,  discharged  Dec.  28, 
'64;  A.  A.  Abbott,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  April  27, 
'65.  resigned  May  22.  '65  :  John  L  Isaacs,  2d  Lieut  . 
rank  from  Feb.  3,  '65,  mustered  out  May  30,  '65 
John  Hcrron,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  17,  '64! 
mustered  out  May  30,  '65  ;  J.  W.  Mercer,  2d  Lieut.] 
rank  from  April  27,  '65,  mustered  out  May  30,  '65  ; 
Warren  L.  Winslow,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from"  May  19, 
'65,  not  mustered  ;  Charles  G.  Rector,  2d  Lieut., 
rank  from  Sept.  19,  '64,  (Brevet  Capt.  U.  S. 
v.,  I  mustered  out  May  30,  '65  ;  Henry  Q.  Kings- 
ley,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  19,  '64,  died  of 
disease  Mar.  31, '65  ;  Norman  W.  Smith.  2d  Lieut., 
rank  from  April  27,  '65.  mustered  out  May  30,  '65  ; 
Stephen  Hitchcock,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Sept.  19, 
'64,  not  mustered,  commission  revoked  ;  Daniel  L. 
Baker,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Mar.  21,  '65,  mustered 
out  May  30,  '65  ;  Jacob  M.  Doran,  2d  Lieut.,  rank 
from  Sept.  19,  '64,  discharged  Mar.  20.  '65  ;  Hiram 
Wiard.  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  Mar.  20.  '65,  mustered 
out  May  30.  '65  ;  B.  H.  Smith,  2d  Lieut.,  rank 
from  Mar.  20,  '65,  not  mustered ;  Frederick  H. 
Bremen,  2d  Lieut.,  rank  from  April  27,  '65,  not 
mustered. 

Private  A.  Everson,  of  this  regiment,  was  awarded 
a  medal  of  honor  by  the  Secretary  of  War. 


HISTORY 


OF  THE 


CITY  OF  SYRACUSE 


INTRODUCTION. 

THE  City  of  Syracuse  is  situated  on  the  line 
of  the  New  York  Central  Railroad,  a  very 
little  over  three  hundred  miles  from  the  city  of  New 
York,  and  is  the  county  seat  of  Onondaga  county. 
From  its  central  location  both  in  the  county  and  the 
State,  it  has  also  received  the  appropriate  name  of 
the  Central  City.  Besides  the  Central  Railroad, 
which  cuts  through  its  center,  there  are  the  Oswego 
and  Syracuse  division  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
and  Western,  the  Syracuse,  Binghamton  and  New 
York,  the  Syracuse  Northern  and  the  Syracuse  and 
Chenango  Valley  railroads,  lending  their  trade  and 
commerce,  together  with  the  Erie  and  Oswego 
canals.  The  growth  of  the  city  has  been  remarka- 
ble, considering  the  condition  of  things  in  this 
locality  sixty  years  ago,  when  the  site  was  a  dismal 
and  unhealthy  swamp,  and  there  were  no  roads  nor 
other  means  of  communication  with  the  outside 
world.  The  few  huts  then  planted  in  the  wilder- 
ness have  given  place  to  palatial  residences,  grand 
and  imposing  business  structures,  elegant  churches 
and  broad  and  spacious  streets  and  avenues.  On 
every  hand  may  be  seen  a  wealth  of  architectural 
beauty  and  a  profusion  and  elegance  of  public  and 
private  grounds,  parks,  lawns,  cultivated  trees, 
shrubbery  and  flower  gardens,  which  contrast  strik- 
ingly with  the  rude  and  straggling  hamlet  of  even 
fifty  years  past.  From  a  small  village  of  about 
three  hundred  inhabitants,  Syracuse  has  emerged 
into  a  city  of  nearly  sixty  thousand  people.  It  is 
interesting  to  trace  the  history  of  such  a  city  from 
its  beginning,  and  to  note  its  different  steps  of  pro- 
gress, till  it  has  attained  the  eminent  position  it 
holds   to-day   among    the    centers    of  commercial 


wealth,   civilization   and  social    refinement,  of  our 
country. 


Original  Site  of  the  City. 

The  original  site  of  Syracuse  was  known  as  the 
"  Walton  Tract."  It  consisted  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  of  the  Salt  Springs  Reservation,  sold  by 
act  of  the  Legislature  in  1804,  and  purchased  by 
Abraham  Walton  in  June  of  that  year,  for  the  sum 
of  six  thousand  five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  or 
about  twenty-six  dollars  and  twenty  cents  an  acre. 
The  land  was  located  and  surveyed  by  James  Ged- 
des,  under  the  direction  of  the  Surveyor-General, 
Simeon  DeWitt,  and  the  proceeds  applied  to  the 
improvement  of  a  portion  of  the  old  Seneca  Turn- 
pike, running  from  lot  No.  49  in  Manlius  to  lot  No. 
38  in  Onondaga.  The  boundaries  of  this  tract  ap- 
pear from  the  old  maps  of  Syracuse  to  have  been 
laid  out  by  Mr.  Geddes  in  a  very  irregular  form, 
owing  to  his  attempt  to  avoid  the  swamp,  which, 
however,  he  was  unable  to  do.  A  considerable 
portion  of  the  land  lay  under  water  most  of  the  year. 
In  the  advertisement  for  the  sale  of  the  land  it  was 
announced  that  the  tract  contained  a  good  mill  site. 
But  it  was  so  low  and  swampy  that  certain  parties 
at  Salina  and  Onondaga  Hollow  ridiculed  the  idea. 
This  aroused  the  Surveyor-General,  and  putting  a 
spirit-level  in  his  gig  he  drove  all  the  way  from 
Albany  to  Syracuse  to  personally  inspect  the 
premises  and  put  the  question  of  the  water  power 
at  rest.  Judge  Geddes  was  employed  to  make  the 
survey  of  the  mill  site,  and  it  is  a  curious  illustra- 
tion of  how  small  a  circumstance  will  often  change 
the  whole  current  of  a  man's  life,  when  it  is  re- 
membered that   this  single   use  of  the  Surveyor- 


«36 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


General's  spirit-level  by  Mr.  Geddes  was  the  incit- 
ing cause  which  led  him  to  become  the  surveyor 
and  engineer  of  the  Erie  Canal. 

First  Acting  Treasurer  of  Syracuse. 
The  Commissioners  to  receive  and  disburse  the 
money  arising  from  the  sale  of  the  Walton  Tract 
were  James  Geddes,  Moses  Carpenter  and  John 
Young.  Mr.  Geddes  was  appointed  Treasurer,  but 
on  account  of  his  absence  from  home  during  the 
construction  of  the  road,  Mrs.  Geddes  acted  in  his 
place,  paying  out  the  money  upon  the  orders  of  the 
contractors.  Thus  a  woman,  Mrs.  James  Geddes, 
mother  of  Hon.  George  Geddes  of  Fairmount,  be- 
came the  acting  treasurer  in  the  first  financial  trans- 
actions relating  to  Syracuse. 

First  Tavern  in   Syracuse. 

Although  the  avails  of  the  sale  of  the  Walton 
Purchase  were  required  by  the  act  of  1804  to  be 
appropriated  to  the  improvement  of  a  road,  as  above 
mentioned,  there  was  a  stipulation  in  the  terms  of 
sale  making  it  obligatory  upon  the  purchaser  to 
cause  to  be  erected  within  a  certain  specified  time 
a  suitable  building  for  a  tavern  or  house  of  enter- 
tainment for  the  accommodation  of  travelers.  Mr. 
Walton,  accordingly,  in  1804,  upon  laying  out  lots 
for  a  village,  sold  to  Henry  Rogardus  for  the  con- 
sideration of  $300,  half  an  acre  of  ground,  binding 
him  to  erect  within  a  reasonable  time  a  suitable 
house  for  a  tavern  and  to  keep  or  cause  one  to  be 
kept.  The  half  acre  included  the  site  of  the  pres- 
ent Empire  Block,  on  which  Mr.  Bogardus  erected 
his  tavern  in  1806.  It  was  a  wooden  building, 
thirty-five  by  forty-five  feet  on  the  ground,  and  two 
stories  high.  Mr.  Bogardus  was  succeeded  by  Mr. 
Burlingham  in  1808,  by  Joseph  Langdon  in  1810, 
by  James  Ingalls  in  1812,  and  by  Sterling  Cossit 
in  1815. 

First  Cabins    on  the  Site  of  Syracuse. 

Besides  the  trading  house  of  Ephraim  Webster, 
vvhich  had  been  established  on  the  west  bank  of 
Onondaga  Creek,  a  short  distance  south  of  its  con- 
fluence with  the  lake,  at  a  place  subsequently 
known  as  "Webster's  Landing,"  in  1786,  several 
persons  had  erected  log  cabins  in  the  vicinity  of 
where  Mr.  Bogardus  built  his  hotel,  before  the  origi- 
nal tract  had  been  purchased  by  Mr.  Walton.  The 
full  names  of  these  parties  have  been  unfortunately 
lost,  but  some  of  them  given  by  Mr.  Clark  are  as 
follows:  Mr.  Hopkins  in  1797,  and  Mr.  Butler  in 
1799.  The  cabins  of  these  pioneers  were  located 
a  little  west  of  the  Oswego  Canal  bridge,  near  a 
spring  north  of  the  late  General  Granger's  residence. 

In  the  Spring  of  1800,  Calvin  Jackson  became  a 


resident,  building  a  small  log  house  a  little  south  of 
where  the  Central  Railroad  crosses  Genesee  street. 
Here,  on  the  28th  of  December,  1800,  was  born 
Albion  Jackson,  supposed  to  have  been  the  first 
white  child  born  in  Syracuse,  outside  of  that  part 
of  it  formerly  known  as  Salina.  Mr.  Jackson  was 
the  father  of  John  J.  Jackson,  late  a  resident  of  the 
town  of  Onondaga,  and  formerly  Indian  Agent  at 
the  Reservation. 

William  Lee  and  Aaron  Cole,  the  first  blacksmiths, 
opened  a  shop  in  1805.  In  the  same  year  Amos 
Stanton,  father  of  Rufus  Stanton,  located  near  the 
Salina  Street  bridge.  Dr.  Swan  erected  a  small 
frame  house  in  1807.  Jonathan  Fay  settled  near 
the  site  of  the  Old  Court  House  in  1808.  Rufus 
Stanton  kept  a  tavern  near  the  Salina  Street 
bridge  in  181 1.  The  building  is  still  standing  on 
the  east  side  of  the  street  just  south  of  the  bridge, 
and  is  occupied  by  Mr.  David  Ouinlan  as  a  private 
residence.  This,  or  a  house  built  by  Mr.  Walton 
in  1805  or  in  1806,  for  some  of  his  mill  hands,  a 
portion  of  which  may  still  be  seen  near  the  railroad 
crossing  south  of  West  Genesee  street,  is  ]-)robably 
the  oldest  building  now  remaining  in  Syracuse. 

Sale  of  the  Walton  Tract. 
A  portion  of  the  Walton  Tract  was  sold  to 
Michael  Hogan  and  Charles  \\'alton,  who  held  it  in 
common  with  the  original  proprietors  for  some 
time,  and  finally,  after  some  unimportant  changes, 
it  was  transferred  to  Forman,  Wilson  it  Co.,  in 
1 8 14,  for  about  $9,000.  From  these  proprietors 
it  passed  into  the  hands  of  David  Kellogg  and 
William  Sabin,  in  181 8,  who  sold  it,  in  1823,  to 
Henry  Eckford,  the  celebrated  ship-builder  of  New 
York.  In  May,  1824,  the  tract  was  transferred  to 
the  Syracuse  Company  for  the  consideration  of 
$30,000.  The  company  consisted  of  Messrs.  Wil- 
liam James,  Isaiah  and  John  Townsend,  and  James 
McBride.  The  tract  was  deeded  in  trust  to  Messrs. 
Moses  Burnet  and  Gideon  Hawle)',  and  from  that 
time  village  lots  were  extensively  sold. 

First  Pork  Packing  Establishment. 
At  the  lime  Forman,  \N'ilson  &  Co.,  purchased 
the  Walton  Tract,  they  erected  a  large  slaughter 
house  in  a  fine  grove  in  the  rear  of  what  was  after- 
wards General  Granger's  lot,  north  of  Church 
street.  Here  they  packed  beef  and  pork  on  a  large 
scale,  continuing  the  business  till  18 17.  During 
the  war  of  1812-14,  they  had  a  heavy  contract  for 
supplying  the  army  with  these  articles. 

Second  Survey  of  Syracuse. 
In  the  spring  of  1819,  Owen  Forman,  a  younger 
brother  of  Judge  JoshuaForman,  and  John  Wilkin- 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


•37 


son,  Esq.,  father  of  J.  Forman  and  Alfred  Wilkin- 
son, bankers  of  this  city,  then  a  young  lawyer, 
came  down  from  Onondaga  Hollow,  under  the 
direction  of  Judge  Forman,  to  lay  out  the  Walton 
Tract  into  village  lots.  The  old  .survey  of  Mr. 
Walton  was  entirely  disregarded,  except  so  far  as 
the  original  boundary  lines  of  the  tract  were  con- 
cerned. But  so  undefined  were  the  ancient  land- 
marks that  it  was  with  extreme  difficulty  that  they 
ascertained  with  any  degree  of  certainty  the  old 
starting  point.  Although  they  had  an  excellent 
description  of  the  tract,  made  by  Judge  Geddes  at 
the  time  of  the  original  survey,  yet  it  is  thought 
that,  but  for  a  certain  "  plum-tree  "  therein  men- 
tioned, the  lines  as  originally  run  could  not  have 
been  traced.  They  began  their  survey  in  the 
month  of  June,  and  after  a  fortnight  of  hard  labor 
the  village  was  again  laid  out,  so  far  as  related  to 
the  Walton  Tract.  That  portion  not  included  in 
the  village  was  laid  out  into  "  farm  lots  "  of  from 
five  to  ten  acres  each. 

Eakly  Na.mes  of  the  Village. 
In  the  infancy  of  the  Salt  City  it  seemed  difficult 
to  find  a  name  for  it  that  proved  satisfactory.  At 
the  first  laying  out  of  the  village  it  was  called 
"  South  Salitia."  The  tavern  built  by  Mr.  Bogar- 
dus  was  called  the  "South  Salina  Hotel."  The 
name  South  Salina,  however,  not  being  received 
with  general  approval,  was  after  a  time  changed  to 
"  Milan"  which  name  it  bore  till  an  attempt  to  ob- 
tain a  post-office  revealed  that  there  was  one  already 
of  that  name  in  the  State,  and  the  name  was 
changed  to  "  Corinth  "  by  Judge  Forman.  Subse- 
quently for  several  years,  the  place  went  by  the 
name  of  "  Cossit's  Comers,"  from  Sterling  Cossit, 
who  succeeded  Mr.  Ingals  in  the  hotel.  In  1820, 
the  village  was  named  "  Syracuse,"  by  John  Wil- 
kinson, Esq.,  the  first  Postmaster. 

The  Original  Clearing. 

When  the  second  survey  was  made  by  Forman 
and  Wilkinson  in  18 19,  there  was  but  a  small  clear- 
ing in  the  village.  It  extended  from  the  canal  near 
Clinton  street,  south  to  Fayette  street  and  east  to 
Warren  street.  On  the  north  side  of  the  canal  the 
clearing  extended  as  far  back  as  Church  street  and 
east  to  Warren  street,  the  rest  of  the  dry  ground 
being  a  pine  grove  interspersed  with  oak  bushes. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  remark  in  this  place,  that 
the  valley  in  which  Syracuse  is  now  situated  was 
originally  covered  with  heavy  timber  and  thick  un- 
derbrush, the  prevailing  kinds  being  hemlock,  birch 
and  soft  maple  in  the  western  part,  and  in  the  east- 
ern portion,  cedar  and  pine. 

i8» 


In  1808,  Mr.  Young  and  others  cut  down  a  large 
hemlock  tree  over  four  ft.  in  diameter,  for  the  purpose 
of  hewing  it  into  timber.  After  cutting  into  the 
tree  a  foot  and  a  half,  they  found  nearly  one  hundred 
bullets  which  had  been  deposited  in  a  box  cut  in  the 
tree,  and  covered  with  one  hundred  and  fifty-two 
concentric  circles,  which  had  grown  over  them  in 
as  many  years  since  the  balls  had  been  placed  there 
by  the  hand  of  some  one  familiar  with  the  use  of 
fire-arms.  Subtracting  152  from  1808.  leaves  1656, 
a  date  at  which  the  French  had  established  colonies 
and  missions  in  this  valley. 

Handsome  Harry — Reminiscence  of  an  Indian 
Feud. 

On  the  west  bank  of  Onondaga  Creek,  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  old  Webster  trading  house,  was  col- 
lected at  an  early  time  quite  a  large  Indian  village. 
Onondagas  gathered  here  for  convenience  of  trade, 
and  were  here  met  by  the  Cayugas.  The  bones 
which  have  been  disinterred  in  this  locality  show 
that  feuds  broke  out  between  portions  of  these 
tribes,  and  that  in  the  conflicts  which  ensued  many 
of  the  Indians  were  slain.  An  incident  connected 
with  one  of  these  feuds  has  been  preserved  by  tra- 
dition, and  is  worthy  of  record. 

"  In  1795,  a  feud  broke  out  between  a  clan  of  the 
Onondagas  and  another  of  the  Cayugas,  which 
raged  fiercely.  At  intervals  several  parties  on  both 
sides  were  killed.  The  last  victim  of  this  deadly 
strife  was  an  Onondaga  called  Handsome  Harry. 
He  had  been  followed  by  a  party  of  Cayugas  from 
Tuscarora  and  back,  and  was  overtaken  at  the  sand 
bank,  afterward  the  property  of  Mr.  Henry  Young, 
situated  not  far  from  the  Syracuse  Pump  House. 
When  he  found  his  pursuers  hard  upon  him,  he 
made  no  effort  to  escape,  but  quietly  kneeling  down, 
bared  his  bosom  and  was  instantly  shot  dead  with 
an  arrow.  Handsome  Harry  was  reputed  the  hand- 
somest man  in  his  nation.  He  was  buried  on  the 
spot  where  he  fell,  and  two  favorite  sisters  for  a 
long  time  daily  visited  his  grave  and  mourned  his 
death  with  the  deepest  sorrow."* 

Syracuse  in  1819. 
When  Judge  Forman  removed  to  Syracuse  in 
1 8 19,  he  occupied  a  house  a  little  west  of  the  Town- 
send  Block.  At  this  time  there  were  only  two 
frame  houses  in  the  village,  beside  the  hotel.  Log 
houses  and  plank  and  slab  cabins  were  scattered 
over  the  dry  portion  of  the  ground,  most  of  the 
latter  having  been  tenanted  by  laborers  on  the 
canal.  The  pasture  of  Judge  Forman  ran  back 
some  fifty  rods  and  east  to  Salina  street,  most  of  it 
being  a  pine  grove.  Another  lot  of  twenty  acres 
commenced  where  the  Syracuse  House  now  stands, 
and  was  accessible  by  a  set  of  bars  opening  into  the 

*  CUrlc'i  Onondaga. 


138 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


lot  where  the  front  door  of  the  hotel  now  opens  on 
Salina  street.  This  lot  was  used  as  a  pasture  till 
1820. 

So  dense  was  the  forest  about  Syracuse  in  1819, 
that  two  young  ladies,  the  present  Mis.  E.  VV. 
Leavenworth  and  Mrs.  M.  D.  Hurnet,  in  taking  a 
morning  stroll  over  Prospect  Hill,  became  bewild- 
ered among  the  thick  brushwood  and  lost  their  way. 
They  rambled  about  till  the  day  was  far  spent,  and 
strength  and  courage  almost  exhausted,  with  noth- 
ing before  them  but  the  dreary  prospect  of  being 
obliged  to  pass  the  night  in  the  wilderness.  At 
length,  late  in  the  afternoon,  they  found  themselves 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Lodi  Locks,  where  they 
recognized  familiar  ground  and  were  able  to  make 
their  way  home  in  safety. 

The  Site  of  Syracijse  Rendered  Health  v. 
We  have  spoken  of  the  unhealthfulness  of  Syra- 
cuse in  the  early  stage  of  its  history.  It  was  so 
very  sickly  during  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
year  that  probably  it  never  could  have  been  per- 
manently settled  had  not  the  foresight  and  sagacity 
of  Judge  Forman  prompted  him  to  lake  measures 
to  secure  the  draining  of  the  swamp  and  marshes. 
An  instance  illustrative  of  the  sickness  of  the  place 
is  related  of  a  Mr.  Merrill  who  built  a  small  frame 
house  in  the  vicinity  of  Mr.  Bogardus'  hotel  about 
the  year  the  latter  building  was  erected,  but 
there  was  so  much  sickness  in  the  neighborhood 
that  he  became  discouraged  and  pulling  down  his 
house  moved  it  away.  During  the  building  of 
the  Erie  Canal,  from  1817  to  1820.  the  prevail- 
ing fever  was  very  fatal.  Dr.  Hasset,  was  the 
physician  and  did  a  vast  amount  of  medical  busi- 
ness among  the  suflerers  on  the  works,  nearly  all  of 
whom  were  sick  with  malarial  diseases  peculiar  to 
the  locality.  The  site  of  the  village  at  that  time 
has  been  described  as  a  "  dreary  waste  of  swamp, 
approached  only  by  means  of  'corduroy'  and 
'  gridiron '  roads.  All  along  where  is  now  lo- 
cated the  beautiful  F'ayette  Park,  was  then  a 
famous  shooting  ground  for  partridges  and  rabbits, 
and  in  the  lower  places  were  plenty  of  mud  turtles 
and  swamp  rattlesnakes.  In  the  spring  the  water 
did  not  usually  subside  sufficiently  to  allow  people 
to  pass  with  any  degree  of  comfort  till  May  or 
June,  and  those  going  from  Onondaga  to  Salina 
were  obliged  to  pass  round  on  the  high  grounds 
east  of  Syracuse,  over  by-roads  which  were  cut  in 
every  direction  through  the  Reservation  for  the 
purpose  of  collecting  wood  in  winter  for  the  salt 
works.  A  person  passing  over  the  present  im- 
proved streets  and  solid  highways  leading  in  and 
out   of  the   flourishing   city   which  has  taken  the 


place  of  the  dreary  swamp  of  those  days,  can  form 
no  just  conception  of  the  impassable  condition  in 
which  the  roads  then  were  in  the  spring  and  fall. 
In  fact  the  only  time  when  they  were  endurable 
was  in  the  winter  when  they  were  perfectly  frozen 
and  covered  with  a  good  body  of  snow."* 

Such  was  the  state  of  things  amidst  which  Judge 
Foiman  and  his  associates  laid  the  foimdations  of 
Syracuse  It  was  no  easy  task  to  build  a  city  in  a 
swamp  such  as  Syracuse  then  was.  Indeed,  it  was 
no  less  a  herculean  undertaking  than  the  building 
of  Chicago  in  a  sunken  mud  prairie  on  the  shore  of 
Lake  Michigan.  Both,  however,  have  been  suc- 
cessfully accomplished,  and  furnish  an  illustration  of 
what  human  energy  and  enterprise  can  accomplish 
in  the  face  of  obstacles  apparently  insurmountable. 

To  the  foreseeing  mind  of  Judge  Forman  it  was 
clear  that  something  must  be  done  to  improve  the 
health  of  the  place,  or  his  plans  would  fail.  Ac- 
cordingly, in  the  winter  of  1821-2,  he  procured  the 
passage  ol  a  law,  in  connection  with  an  act  author- 
izing the  lowering  of  Onondaga  Outlet,  by  which 
the  Commissioners  of  the  Land  Office  were  to  draw 
a  map  of  the  swamp  and  marsh  about  the  villages 
of  Salina  and  Syracuse,  on  which  was  to  be  desig- 
nated the  route  of  several  ditches  and  drains  through 
the  swamp  and  marsh  lands,  with  an  accompanying 
estimate  of  the  sum  necessary  to  be  raised  to  efl'ect 
that  object.  The  Judges  of  the  County  Courts 
were  authorized  to  appoint  three  discreet  free-hold- 
ers of  the  County,  who  should  assess  the  amount 
of  money  necessary  to  be  raised  on  the  owners  of 
the  lands  contiguous  to  the  drains,  in  proportion  as 
they  were  supposed  to  be  benefited  by  the  same. 
In  case  of  the  non-payment  of  any  assessment,  the 
lands  after  being  advertised  four  weeks,  could  be 
sold  for  payment,  and  if  not  redeemed  within  six 
months,  with  ten  percent  interest  and  cost,  the  sale 
was  made  absolute  and  unchangeable.  The  law 
allowed  the  citizens  to  construct  their  own  ditches 
on  their  own  lands,  according  to  rules  prescribed  by 
the  Commissioners  and  the  plan  laid  down  on  the 
map.  In  case  they  would  not,  the  Commissioners 
were  authorized  to  build  them  and  charge  the  own- 
ers with  the  cost  of  construction  and  collection. 

This  law  was  considered  at  the  time  highly 
arbitrary,  but  it  was  the  only  feasible  method 
by  which  the  lands  could  be  drained  and  the  locality 
rendered  healthy.  The  great  advantages  resulting 
from  the  improvement,  soon  reconciled  all  parties  to 
the  means  employed.  This  has  since  been  regarded 
by  thousands  who  have  enjoyed  its  benefits  as  the 
wisest  and  most  beneficent  measure  ever  adopted  in 

*   CUrk'i  Onondiga. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


139 


connection  with  Syracuse.  The  effect  is  thus  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  Clark  :  "In  the  summer  of  1822, 
the  lands  were  brought  under  subjection  by  drain- 
ing, the  place  assumed  an  air  of  healthfulness, 
disease  and  sickness  kept  at  a  distance,  a  marked 
difference  was  manifest  at  once,  confidence  was 
placed  in  the  future,  and  the  past  was  quickly  for- 
gotten. Since  the  draining  of  these  lands  they 
have  been  as  healthy  as  any  in  the  country." 

Judge  Forman  has  justly  been  esteemed  the 
founder  of  the  village  of  Syracuse.  After  an  ab- 
sence of  five  years,  he  returned  on  a  visit  to  the 
city  in  1831,  and  was  everywhere  received  with  de- 
monstrations of  joy  and  respect.  Every  voice 
cheered  him  as  the  founder  of  a  city  and  the  bene- 
factor of  mankind.  The  citizens  of  Syracuse 
through  their  committee,  consisting  of  Stephen 
Smith,  Harvey  Baldwin,  Amos  P.  Granger,  L.  H. 
Redfield,  Henry  Newton,  John  Wilkinson  and 
Moses  D.  Burnet,  availed  themselves  of  the  oppor- 
tunity to  present  to  him  a  tribute  of  the  high  respect 
and  esteem  entertained  for  his  talents  and  character, 
and  in  consideration  of  his  devotion  to  their  interests 
in  the  early  settlement  of  the  village.  The  plate, 
an  elegant  silver  pitcher,  bore  the  inscription  :  "  A 
Tribute  of  Respect,  Presented  by  the  Citizens  of 
Syracuse  to  the  Honorable  Joshua  Forman, 
Founder  of  that  Village."  On  the  opposite  side 
was  a  device  representing  the  friendship  of  the 
city,  of  two  hands  united  in  fraternal  grasp  ;  above 
this  the  word  "  Syracuse,"  and  below,  the  date 
"1831." 

Early  Merchants. 

Sidney  Dole  and  Milan  C.  Taylor,  the  owners  and 
occupants  of  the  mill,  in  18 14,  opened  the  first  store 
of  general  merchandise.  Their  store  was  next 
west  of  that  afterwards  kept  by  William  Malcolm. 
The  firm  of  Northrup  &  Dexter,  who  had  a  con- 
tract on  the  Erie  Canal  in  1817,  were  the  success- 
ors of  Messrs.  Dole  &  Taylor,  and  continued  in 
business  till  1821.  In  that  year  General  Amos  P. 
Granger  came  down  from  Onondaga  Hill  and 
established  himself  as  a  dry  goods  merchant  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Syracuse  Savings  Bank  Build- 
ing. At  this  time  there  was  no  other  store  in  Syra- 
cuse, except  two  or  three  small  groceries.  From 
this  time  for  two  or  three  years  merchants  multi- 
plied rapidly.  Mr.  Henry  Newton  opened  a  store 
in  1822  ;  Archy  Kasson,  hardware,  1822  ;  Kasson 
&  Hermans,  dry  goods,  groceries  and  hardware, 
1823  ;  G.  M.  Towle,  commission  and  forwarding, 
April,  1823;  George  Davis  &  Co.,  general  mer- 
chandise, July,  1823  ;  Henry  W.  Durnford,  gro- 
ceries, drugs  and  medicines,  1823  ;  John  Rogers  & 


Co.,  (from  New  York,)  November,  1823  ;  William 
Malcolm,  1823;  Haskell  &  Walbridge,  saddlers  and 
furnishers  for  the  trade,  1824;  J.  Vanderheyden, 
Mead  &  Davis,  A.  N.  VanPatten,  and  H.  &  W. 
Dowd,  1824 ;  Hiram  Judson,  watchmaker  and 
jeweler,  1824;  H.  Hyde  &  Co.,  forwarding  mer- 
chants, 1824.  These  are  the  principal  pioneer 
merchants  who  established  business  in  the  village 
of  Syracuse  prior  to  the  completion  of  the  Erie 
Canal.  Since  this  important  era  merchants  have 
become  so  numerous  that  it  would  be  impossible  to 
follow  them  in  detail. 

The  Empire  Block. 
The  hotel  built  by  Bogardus  was  for  many  years 
called  the  "Mansion  House."  In  1845,  the  old 
patched  up  establishment,  with  its  outbuildings, 
was  torn  away  to  make  room  for  the  present  Empire 
Block.  This  block  was  finished  in  1847,  by  John 
H.  Tomlinson  and  Stephen  W.  Caldwell,  of  Syra- 
cuse and  John  Thomas,  of  Albany.  On  its  comple- 
tion Mr,  Tomlinson  became  sole  owner.  Mr.  Tom- 
linson was  killed  by  a  railroad  accident  at  Little 
Falls  in  1848.  The  block  was  then  sold  at  auction, 
and  after  several  changes  became  the  property  of 
Colonel  James  L.  Voorhees,  in  1850. 

The  Syracuse  House. 

The  lot  on  which  the  Syracuse  House  stands  was 
purchased  by  Messrs.  Buell  &  Safford,  who  began 
the  erection  of  the  "Syracuse  Hotel"  about  1820. 
While  the  building  was  in  progress  Mr.  Safford  was 
killed  by  a  fall  from  a  scaffold.  The  property  then 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Eckford,  who  com- 
pleted the  hotel  in  1822.  It  was  three  stories  high, 
and  the  first  brick  building  of  any  considerable 
dimensions  erected  in  the  village.  For  several  years 
it  was  kept  by  Mr.  James  Mann.  After  the  Syra- 
cuse Company  came  into  possession  of  the  premises, 
the  house  was  rebuilt,  and  has  since  been  enlarged 
and  improved  to  its  present  ample  dimensions  and 
style.  At  the  time  of  the  rebuilding  it  was  named  the 
"  Syracuse  House"  after  which  it  was  kept  by  Mr. 
George  Rust,  then  by  Daniel  Comstock  and  H.  T. 
Gibson,  then  for  a  long  time  by  P.  N.  Rust,  Esq., 
who  was  succeeded  by  Gilbert  &  Knickerbocker  in 
1848. 

Townsend  Block  was  erected  in  1842;  Market 
(now  City)  Hall  in  1845  ;  Granger  Block  in  1844, 
burned  in  1849,  rebuilt  in  1866;  Globe  Building  in 
i846-'47  ;  Malcolm  Block,  in  1847  ;  Bastable  Block 
in   1849,  rebuilt  '"   1 863-' 64;  Corinthian  Block  in 

1853- 
Wieting  Block  and  Hall  were  erected  and  finished 

in  i849-'50.     On  the  5th  of  January,  1856,  one  of 


I40 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


the  coldest  days  during  the  winter,  this  block  was 
burned  to  the  ground.  Dr.  VVicting  at  once  took 
measures  for  its  rcerection,  and  soon  completed  a 
larger  and  more  elegant  block.  The  new  hall  was 
dedicated  on  the  9th  of  December,  1856.  eleven 
months  after  the  destruction  of  the  former  build- 
ing. 

First  Postoffice 

The  first  Postoffice  in  the  village  was  established 
in  February,  1820;  John  Wilkinson,  Esq,  Post- 
master. It  is  said  that  Mr.  Wilkinson  used  to  carry 
the  mail  in  his  hat  and  deliver  it  to  parties  whom  he 
met  about  the  village.  For  some  time  the  office 
was  kept  in  General  Granger's  store,  when,  for 
greater  convenience,  it  was  deemed  advisable  to 
move  it  to  John  Durnford's  printing  office.  Mr. 
Durnford  at  first  objected  on  account  of  lack  of  room, 
but  when  he  found  that  Mr.  Wilkinson  had  brought 
the  whole  contents  of  the  office,  mail  matter,  bo.xes, 
letter  bo.\es,  &c.,  on  his  shoulder,  without  the  ne- 
cessity of  returning  for  another  load,  he  waived  his 
objection,  and  the  postoffice  was  fairly  installed  in 
the  office  of  the  first  newspaper  in  Syracuse. 

Sale  of  State  Lands. 

In  1822  a  considerable  portion  of  the  Onondaga 
Salt  Springs  Reservation  was  sold  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Surveyor-General.  It  was  parceled  out 
into  small  lots  and  sold  to  individuals.  Several  of 
these  lots  were  taken  by  Messrs.  Kellogg  &  Sabin, 
and  eventually  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Syra- 
cuse Company.  A  large  portion  of  the  present 
site  of  the  city,  now  covered  with  costly  buildings, 
was  included  in  these  sales,  the  land  being  pur- 
chased for  mere  nominal  prices.  Such  were  the 
lots  on  James  street  on  which  now  stand  stately 
mansions — probably  the  finest  residence  avenue  in 
the  city — together  with  a  large  tract  including  the 
old  cemetery.  These  brought  at  the  sale  from 
eighteen  to  thirty  dollars  an  acre.  The  lands  east 
of  Fayette  Park  sold  for  si.x  dollars  an  acre. 

General  Granger  took  several  lots  in  the  swamp 
near  Lodi,  between  the  canal  and  turnpike,  at  ten 
dollars  and  fifty  cents  an  acre.  Citizens  agreed  not 
to  bid  against  him  on  condition  that  he  would  clear 
the  land  immediately.  This  was  done  at  great 
expense  the  same  season  and  put  into  a  crop  of 
wheat.  Most  of  this  ground  is  now  covered  with 
fine  buildings. 

In  1828  there  was  another  sale  of  State  lands, 
embracing  the  lots  in  the  vicinity  of  the  old  Court 
House,  and  on  other  portions  of  the  Reservation. 

First  Packet-Boat  at  Svracuse. 
The  first  packet-boat  on  the  canal  was  named 


the  "  Montezuma."  It  arrived  at  Syracuse  on  the 
2 1  St  of  April,  1820.  This  boat  was  built  and  fitted 
up  by  a  company  of  gentlemen  at  Montezuma  from 
a  model  furnished  by  Col.  Comfort  Tyler.  It  was 
seventy-si.\  feet  long  and  fourteen  feet  wide.  Its 
arrival  created  great  excitement.  Hundreds  of 
anxious  spectators  lined  the  banks  of  the  canal  to 
witness  the  wonder,  and  this  practical  illustration 
of  the  benefits  of  the  canal  was  not  without  its  in- 
fluence. It  hushed  the  hostility  of  opponents  of 
the  enterprise  and  strengthened  the  more  timid  ; 
visionary  theories  yielded  to  simple  fact,  and  wild 
speculation  to  tests  of  experiment.  The  canal  was 
now  navigable  from  Montezuma  to  Utica,  ninety- 
four  miles,  and  at  once  business  received  a  new  and 
vigorous  impulse. 

Independenxe  Day— 1820. 

"  The  4th  of  July,  1820,*  was  a  glorious  day  for 
Syracuse.  The  canal  was  in  practical  operation, 
the  prospects  of  the  future  city  began  to  brighten  ; 
a  most  brilliant  day  dawned  upon  a  land  heretofore 
a  swamp  and  bog.  It  was  hailed  as  a  day  of  joy, 
festivity  and  rejoicing.  Invitations  had  been  e.v- 
tendcd  to  the  friends  of  the  canal  throughout 
the  State,  particularly  in  the  Western  District. 
Thousands  of  guests  from  the  surrounding  counties 
came  to  witness  the  novelty  of  canal  navigation, 
and  to  celebrate  the  day.  Some  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished men  in  the  State  were  present,  among 
whom  were  Governor  Clinton  and  suite.  General 
VanCortland,  Myron  Holley,  Thomas  J.  Oakley 
and  John  C.  Spencer.  Judge  VanNess  adjourned 
the  Circuit  Court  then  in  session  at  the  Court 
House,  and  the  Court  and  Bar  attended  in  a  body. 
Thaddeus  M  Wood,  Esq.,  presided  on  the  occasion. 
The  declaration  was  read  by  N.  P.  Randall,  Esq., 
and  the  oration  delivered  by  Samuel  Miles  Hopkins, 
Esq.,  to  more  than  two  thousand  people.  The 
numerous  procession  was  formed  in  front  of  Mr. 
Cossit's  tavern,  escorted  by  the  Salina  band.  They 
proceeded  to  the  pine  grove  directly  in  the  rear  of 
the  Townsend  Block.  The  platform  upon  which 
were  seated  the  orator,  the  reader  and  distinguished 
guests,  was  under  a  large  spreading  pine,  which  has 
long  ago  bowed  its  towering  head  to  make  way  for 
the  rapid  and  substantial  improvements  which  have 
since  been  made.  This  was  the  first  celebration  of 
our  national  independence  at  Syracuse,  and  those 
who  w«re  present  number  it  among  her  proudest 

days." 

James  Street  in  1824. 

In  1824  James  street  was  only  an   Indian  trail 

*x  Clirk't  Onondaga,  p.  98. 


Gen.  Amos  P.  G-ranqer  was  born  in  Siiffield,  Hartford  Co., 
Conn.,  1789.  He  removed  to  Manlius,  Onondaga  County,  in  1811, 
and  entered  upon  mercantile  pursuits  at  that  place.  About  1820 
he  removed  to  the  village  of  Sj'racuse,  and  became  one  of  the 
first  residents,  and  one  of  the  most  active  promoters  of  the  busi- 
ness interests  of  the  place.  For  a  number  of  years  subsequent  to 
his  removal  to  Syracuse  he  was  a  merchant,  his  store  standing  on 
the  ground  occupied  by  the  Syracuse  Savings  Bank.  He  early 
invested  largely  in  real  estate,  the  rise  in  the  value  of  which  made 
him  one  of  its  wealthiest  citizens. 

The  first  election  of  officers  of  the  village  of  Syracuse  occurred 
on  March  3,  1825,  and  Joshua  Forman  was  chosen  president, 
with  Amos  P.  Granger,  Moses  D.  Burnet,  Herman  Waldridge, 
and  John  Rogers  as  trustees.  In  the  "War  of  1812,  General 
Granger  raised  a  company  of  militia,  and  proceeded  to  Sacket's 
Harbor.  He  continued  in  the  militia  service  after  the  war,  rising 
through  successive  gradations  to  the  rank  of  general,  which  was 
his  distinguishing  title  through  life.  He  was  often  honored  with 
positions  of  trust  by  the  citizens  of  Syracuse.  One  very  marked  in- 
stance of  this  was  his  selection  to  deliver  the  reception  address  on  the 
memorable  occasion  of  Gen.  Lafayette's  visit  to  Syracuse,  in  1825. 

General  Granger  was  always  an  active,  energetic,  and  enthusi- 
astic politician.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Whig  party,  and  was 
among  the  very  first  in  the  country  to  protest  against  the  aggressions 
of  the  slave  power,  and  to  divine  that  a  new  organization  of  ex- 
isting parties  must  take  place  before  they  could  be  successfully 
resisted. 

Elected  a  delegate  from  Onondaga  County  to  the  anti-Nebraska 
convention  held  at  Auburn,  in  October,  1853,  of  his  own  volition 
he  offered  the  following  resolution  : 

Resolved,  That  the  Baltimore  platforms  adopted  by  the  Democratic  and  Whig 
national  conventions,  without  authority,  and  in  direct  violation  of  the  sentiments  of 
a  vast  majority  of  th's  State,  we,  Whigs  and  Democrats,  hereby  repudiate  for  the 
past,  the  present,  anil  the  future. 

This  and  three  other  resolutions  offered  by  General  Granger 
were  unanimously  adopted  by  the  convention,  and  formed  the 
basis  on  which  was  ;iftcrwards  erected  the  Republican  party  of  this 
State,  if  not  of  the  nation  To  General  Granger,  as  much  as  to 
any  other  one  man,  the  Republican  organization  owes  its  existence. 


Shortly  after  his  return  from  Auburn  he  was  elected  by  the 
liberal  Whigs  of  this  district  to  the  Thirty-fourth  Congress.  He 
was  an  active  and  useful  member.  His  voice  and  vote  was  always 
on  the  right  side.     He  was  an  effective  speaker. 

If  lack  of  earlj'  education  had  deprived  his  phrases  of  scholastic 
finish,  it  could  not  divest  them  of  a  sharp  incisive  power,  which  is 
oftentimes  more  effective  than  polished  oratory.  One  incident 
characteristic  of  his  courage  and  self-reliance  to  meet  opposition 
in  other  ways  than  by  reason  and  force  of  words  is  related.  A 
Virginia  bully,  a  congressman,  attacked  him  in  a  public  convey- 
ance in  Washington.  The  attack  was  made  by  a  young  and 
vigorous  man  upon  one  much  advanced  in  years  ;  but  his  years  did 
not  diminish  the  ardor  of  the  general,  who,  strong  in  his  principles 
of  freedom,  offered  to  "waive  his  age,"  and  try  physical  results 
with  a  scion  of  Virginia  chivalry. 

Since  1858,  General  Granger  occupied  no  official  position,  but 
was  strong  in  his  advocacy  of  true  political  ideas.  Through  the 
war  he  was  an  enthusiastic  and  outspoken  advocate  of  the  Union 
cause.  During  the  campaign  of  1864,  though  suffering  from 
paralysis,  he  attended  the  Union  meetings,  that  he  might  show 
by  his  presence  the  feelings  of  his  heart.  General  Granger  was 
for  half  a  century  a  consistent  member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
church.  There  was  no  layman  so  well  read  as  he  in  the  history 
of  that  church.  Upon  coming  to  Syracuse  he  was,  in  1826,  one  of 
the  first  to  organize  a  parish  there,  and  attempt  the  erection  of  a 
small  wooden  church,  he  being  at  the  time  of  its  completion,  as 
he  often  related,  "  the  only  solvent  man  in  the  congregation,  and 
himself  with  only  a  dollar  or  two  in  advance."  General  Granger 
was  among  the  first  vestrymen,  and  was  warden  of  the  same  for 
over  thirty-five  j'ears. 

In  the  year  1813  he  married  Miss  Charlotte,  daughter  of  Benja- 
min Hickcox  and  IluUlah  Holmes,  of  East  Haddam,  Conn.  She  was 
born  in  Hampshire  Co.,  Mass.,  in  the  year  1790,  and  has  survived 
her  husband  some  eleven  years,  being  now  in  her  eighty-eighth 
year,  possessing  at  that  age  an  active  mind  and  great  energy  of 
body.  She  united  with  the  Episcopal  church  as  early  as  1825, 
and  has  been  a  consistent  member  of  the  same  for  some  fifty-three 
years. 

General  Granger  died  Aug.  20,  1806. 


-/*' 


Plintu.  1*3    llonlii  .V  CiirUM,  8>niflMC. 


The  subject  uf  ihi.s  sketch  was  born  in  ibo  town  ot"  Sliafts- 
bury,  Vt.,  June  1,  ITSl.  He  wil-*  seeoml  wm,  in  a  Cainily  ot" 
five  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  I'arley  llowlett  and  Barsiieba 
Parker,  the  former  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  the  latter  a  native 
of  Connecticut. 

The  family  of  Howlett  is  descended  from  Parley  llowlett, 
one  of  three  brothers  (the  other  two  naim-d  William  and  John) 
who  emi;rniled  from  Kngland  in  the  shi|«  "  Mayflower,"  and 
landiMl  at  Plymouth  Kock,  16J0. 

His  fatlier  eaini'  to  ( )iioiidafri  County  with  his  family,  and 
wttleil  in  the  town  of  ()nondaj;a,  in  the  year  ITU",  on  one  of 
the  hills  of  that  town  now  bearing  his  name,  jiurclixsed  land, 
and  was  one  of  the  pioru'en*  of  this  county,  and  died  in  ISO!^. 

Parley  spent  his  minority  clearing;  lan<l  anil  farming,  receiviiif; 
a  Very  limited  education  from  books  ;  but  in  early  life  he  be- 
came so  inured  to  self-reliance  and  habits  of  industry  as  to  nuike 
his  subseijucnt  years  a  worthy  record  in  the  history  of  Onon- 
diifra  County. 

At  tlic  a<n'  of  twenty-three  yesirs  he  purchased  one  hundred 
acrcH  of  land,  and  be-ran  clearinf;  the  same.  To  this  purehiise, 
in  IH14,  he  addeil  some  two  hundreil  aeri'S  more,  very  nearly  the 
whole  id"  which  he  cau.sed  to  be  cleared,  and.  after  the  .salt  in- 
terest iH'fian,  he  cau.sed  the  tindMT  to  be  cut  into  wood,  hauled 
the  wihhI  to  (ieddes,  and  used  it  in  the  manufacture  of  .H:dt.  He 
early  en;;a;;ed  in  the  s<dt  business  :  first  nsin;;  eiirhl  kiltlebloeks, 
al\cTwards  usinjr  si.xtecn,  and  Hubs4M|uently  ihirty-two  kettlc- 
bloeks.  He  was  the  first  man  who  shipjied  .salt  west,  boat  in;; 
it  down  the  ()swc;:o  river,  thetice  by  the  lake,  drawin;;  it  with 
teams  around  the  falls;  found  a  market  first  at  Silver  Creek, 
utlerwards  Kric,  Pa.,  and  Ashtabuli,  ( )hio,  and  sub.scijuently  at 
Cleveland  ;  exehanjiin;;  his  sjdt  for  horses  and  cattle,  he  drove 
them  liack  to  this  county.  After  two  years  he  killed  his  cattle  and 
packed  the  meat  for  the  eastern  market.  After  the  canal  wius 
finished  he  packed  his  meat  in  Synicu.se,  his  packint;-lious<'  bein;; 
located  ojiposite  the  present  way-locks  in  tlie  city.  He  .shipped 
the  first  beel'  and  pork  in  barrels,  by  the  Krie  canal,  that  was 
sent  cast  from  ()ni>iida<;a  County. 


The  history  of  Mr.  Howlett's  operations  wirst  '^oes  back  so 
far  in  the  early  .setlliinint  of  the  country  lie  passed  throiiLdi  with 
his  stock  in  returning;  home,  that  he  related  p:Lssin;_'  throuiih 
twenty-five  miles  of  woodland,  by  marked  trees,  from  one  clearing; 
to  another.  His  whole  life  was  spent  in  active  business  until 
within  a  few  years  of  his  death.  He  lived  and  died  on  the  farm 
he  had  purcha.sed  in  18(17.  He  was  liberal  in  his  views  of  edu- 
cational interests,  and  ;,'ave  larj^ely  for  the  snjiiKirt  of  the  .•Miiiic. 

In  jKililies  he  was  identified  with  the  Anti-Ma.sonie  party, 
with  the  Wliij:  party,  and  U|>oii  the  formation  of  the  Hepnbliean 
party  became  a  warm  sup]nirter  of  its  principles;  and  .so  oppo.sed 
was  he  to  the  principles  of  slavery  that,  Ufion  the  breaking;  out 
of  the  Hebellioii  in  18(1(1,  that  fjuestion  st-cmed  to  occupy  his 
whole  attention,  and  he  desired  that  the  war  should  never  be 
ended  nnlil  that  institution  was  abolished,  but  he  only  lived 
until  May  1>>,  IStJl,  just  at  the  bepnnin;:  of  the  war. 

In  the  year  18(15,  July  21,  he  married  Miss  Phebe  Robbins, 
a  native  of  Connecticut,  but  of  this  c<mnty  at  the  time  of  the 
inarriajre.  To  them  were  born  eleven  children  :  Solomon  K., 
llonilio  (;.,  Myron  P.,  Latitia  E.,  Jane  M..  Parley  L.,  Alfred 
A.,  Celestia  S.,  Daniel.  Francis  C  ,  and  Jerome  Howlett,  six  of 
whom  are  now  livinj;  ;  and  Alfred  A.  desires  by  this  sketch  and 
portrait  above  to  jilaee  upon  the  pa^es  of  history  a  few  facts  re- 
latin;;  to  one  of  ()iionda;.;a's  pioneer  active  business  men. 

Parley  Howlett  was  no  ordinary  person.  He  was  a  man  of  i|uiek 
apprehension  and  siroii;;  convictions,  frank  and  fearless  in  their 
e.\pre,ssioii.  and  energetic  in  carryin;;  them  out.  He  possi-ssed 
stroll;;  common  .sense  in  ;;reat  abundance,  uncommon  .sapicily  in 
businctts.  Was  .s«n;:uini'  in  his  temjieranieiil.  and  lio|K'ful ;  ready 
to  nie«'t  and  siroii;;  to  overcome  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of 
Hclf-iiiade  men.  and  admirably  fitted  by  the  pos-s^-ssion  of  lliesi' 
i|Unlities  to  fi;;lit  the  battles  of  a  pioneer  life.  He  was  a  ;;ooil 
nei;;lilMir  and  a  warm  friend.  He  commanded  the  rexpect  of  his 
fellow-eiti/.ens,  and  was  thre<>  times  a  candidate  of  the  old  Wlii;; 
party  for  the  office  of  hi;;li  sheriff  of  the  county  ;  he  failed  not 
iiir  the  want  of  |>ersonal  popularity,  but  only  beeau.se  the  Dem- 
ocnitie  party  in  those  early  ilays  was  larp'ly  in  the  a.sceiideney. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


141 


leading  over  the  hills  to  what  was  then  Foote  Settle- 
ment, now  the  first  gate  on  the  plank  road.  The 
eye  of  the  lonely  wayfarer  on  that  trail  was  not 
gladdened  by  the  sight  of  the  lordly  and  palatial 
residences  which  now  give  so  grand  and  aristocratic 
an  appearance  to  this  fine  avenue.  The  only  object 
on  this  trail  was  the  dwelling  house  of  Major 
Burnet  erected  that  year  by  Rodney  Sargents,  of 
Auburn  ;  this  house  stood  on  a  slight  eminence 
occupied  by  the  late  residence  of  Major  Burnet.  It 
fronted  towards  the  south  and  had  a  sort  of  tem- 
porary road  leading  directly  to  the  tow-path  on 
the  Erie  Canal.  The  house  then  stood  far  out  of 
town  and  the  only  avenue  of  approach  for  teams 
was  by  the  tow-path  and  the  private  road.  Persons 
on  foot  could  reach  it  by  taking  the  trail  and  beat- 
h  the  underbrush. 


ing  across  throu 


Progress  of  the  Village. 

The  village  of  Syracuse  was  a  mere  hamlet  of  a 
few  hundred  inhabitants  till  the  completion  of  the 
Erie  canal.  This  work  was  a  new  era  in  the  pro- 
gress of  the  village,  from  which  its  rapid  growth 
may  be  dated.  The  village  was  incorporated  by 
act  of  the  Legislature  April  13,  1825,  the  same  year 
of  the  completion  of  the  canal,  with  the  usual 
powers  granted  to  like  incorporations.  The  charter 
was  amended  in  1829,  and  again  in  1834,  increas- 
ing the  power  of  village  officers,  regulating  water 
works,  fire  department,  &c.  In  1835,  the  bounds 
of  the  original  village  were  considerably  enlarged. 
In  1839  3nd  in  1841,  there  were  further  amend- 
ments of  the  charter,  so  as  to  enable  the  trustees  to 
hold  real  estate  for  the  purposes  of  a  village  ceme- 
tery, which  was  subsequently  laid  out  and  beauti- 
fied. The  charter  was  also  further  amended  in 
1842  and  in  1845,  ^°^  ^^he  improvement  of  water 
works,  to  empower  the  trustees  to  borrow  money  on 
the  credit  of  the  corporation,  to  purchase  a  lot  for 
a  market  and  other  public  buildings,  and  for  other 
purposes. 

Municipal  Officers — Village  Government. 

At  the  first  election  for  village  officers  under  the 
charter,  held  at  the  school  house  in  Syracuse  May 
3,  1825,  Joshua  Forman,  Amos  P.  Granger,  Moses 
D.  Burnet,  Heman  Walbridge,  and  John  Rogers, 
were  elected  Trustees  ;  Joshua  Forman  was  chosen 
President ;  James  Webb,  Alfred  Northam,  and 
Thomas  Spencer,  Assessors ;  John  Wilkinson, 
Clerk  ;  John  Durnford,  Treasurer  ;  Daniel  Gilbert, 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  presiding. 

The  Trustees  proceeded  at  once  to  lay  out  road 
districts,  to  organize  a  fire  department,  to  purchase 
engines  and  apparatus,  and  other  things   for  the 


welfare  of  the  village.  Our  space  will  not  allow  us 
to  follow  the  list  of  officers  further.  They  will  be 
found  in  the  records  of  the  village  and  city. 

Early  Lawyers. 

John  Wilkinson,  Esq.,  was  the  first  lawyer  in  Sy- 
racuse. He  came  to  the  place  in  1819,  and  a  few 
years  after  built  an  office  on  the  corner  now  occu- 
pied by  the  Globe  Hotel.  The  office  was  twelve 
by  fourteen  feet,  and  Mr.  Wilkinson  was  heartily 
ridiculed  for  putting  his  office  out  in  the  field,  as  it 
was  then,  although  the  location  is  now  in  the  heart 
of  the  city. 

Mr.  Wilkinson  was  long  identified  with  the  growth 
and  progress  of  the  village,  holding  many  offices 
with  honor  and  distinction.  When  railroads  were 
first  put  in  successful  operation,  he  closely  investi- 
gated their  workings  and  principles  and  entered 
largely  into  railroad  affairs.  He  was  for  several 
years  President  of  the  Syracuse  and  Utica  Railroad, 
and  by  his  influence  succeeded  in  having  the  work- 
shops of  that  road  located  at  Syracuse.  He  was 
afterwards  President  of  the  Michigan  Southern 
Railroad,  and  under  his  skillful  management  that 
road  became  one  of  the  best  in  the  Union.  In  1824 
he  built  a  residence  a  little  south  of  his  office  where 
he  resided  till  he  built  his  fine  residence  on  James 
street. 

The  next  attorney  after  Mr.  Wilkinson,  vyas  Al- 
fred Northam,  Esq.,  in  1824.  Then  came  Harvey 
Baldwin  and  Schuyler  Strong,  Esqs.,  in  1826,  and 
were  soon  followed  by  Messrs.  Wheaton  and  Davis, 
Hon.  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  Hon.  B.  Davis  Noxon, 
Hon.  James  R.  Lawrence,  and  others  who  came 
with  the  removal  of  the  Court  House  from  Onon- 
daga Hill  Hon.  George  F.  Comstock  was  a  law 
student  herewith  Messrs.  Noxon  and  Leavenworth 
and  began  his  legal  practice  among  the  early  mem- 
bers of  the  Syracuse  Bar.  Hon.  E.  W.  Leaven- 
worth came  in  1827.  Hon,  Joshua  Forman  was 
also  a  lawyer,  contemporary  with  Mr.  Wilkinson, 
but  his  office  at  that  early  period  was  with  his 
partner,  Mr.  Sabin,  at  Onondaga  Hollow.  He  was 
made  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  in 
18 1 3.*  Other  early  lawyers  of  Syracuse  and  the 
County  were  Grove  Lawrence,  John  H.  Hulburt, 
Daniel  Gott,  D.  D.  Hillis,  George  H.  Middleton, 
Henry  J.  Sedgwick,  William  J.  Hough,  John  Ruger, 
John  G.  Forbes,  and  J.  W.  Nye. 

Of  the  above  list  all  are  deceased  except  Hon.  E. 
W.  Leavenworth  and  Judge   George  F.  Comstock. 

The  following  have  also  been  members  of  this 
Bar,  and  have  died  within  the  past  24  years  :    Fin- 

*  See  Biography  of  Judge  Forman. 


142 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


lay  M.  King,  Thomas  T.  Davis,  Z.  C.  Foot,  N.  B. 
Smith,  James  Barrett,  H.  S.  Fuller,  William  J. 
Dodge,  Col.  A.  W.  Dwight,  Barnard  Slocum,  Rich- 
ard Raynor,  Col.  C.  M.  Randall,  Frank  Wooster, 
S.  L.  Edwards,  Jr.,D.  J.  Mitchell,  John  A.  Clark, 
Henry  Horton,  Cyrus  R.  James,  D.  Redfield,  John 
J.  Miles,  John  Malloy,  Charles  C.  Bates,  V.  M. 
Gardner,  A.  Coats,  P.  Outwater,  Jr.,  Q.  A.  John- 
son, E.  A.  Brown,  John  Huning,  G.  D.  Z.  Griswold, 
E.  A.  Clapp,  John  H.  Brand,  H.  H.  Hitchcock, 
John  Callamer,  John  L  Ncwcomb,  Thomas  A. 
Smith,  J.  R.  Lawrence,  Jr.,  J.  W.  Loomis,  Fred  H. 
Gray,  A.  C.  Griswold,  D.  G.  Montgomery,  Leonard 
H.  Lewis,  S.  Rexford,  J.  J.  Briggs,  O.  J.  Rugcr, 
C.  M.  Brosnan,  E.  Butler,  R.  S.  Corning,  A.  J. 
Henderson,  Z.  L.  Beebe,  J.  F.  Sabine,  George 
Murphy,  Robert  F.  Trowbridge,  Andrew  J.  Lynch, 
H.  E.  Northrup,  Clinton  M.  Smith,  Nelson  M. 
Baker,  L.  Harris  Hiscock. 

The  following  attorneys  have  been  in  practice  in 
Syracuse  24  or  more  years  :  R.  H.  Gardner,  James 
S.  Leach,  Le  Roy  Morgan,  Daniel  Pratt,  Hamilton 
Burdick,  C.  B.  Sedgwick,  Thomas  G.  Alvord,  Israel 
S.  Spencer,  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  B.  Davis  No.xon, 
George  F.  Comstock,  Daniel  F.  Gott,  William  C. 
Rugcr,  M.  C.  Mcrrinian,  G.  W.  Gray,  J.  L.  Bagg, 
H.  C.  Leavenworth,  H.  Ricgel,  N.  F.  Graves,  S.  N. 
Holmes,  D.  Coats. 

The  Powder  E.xplosion. 

On  the  evening  of  Friday,  August  20,  1841,  oc- 
curred an  event  ever  memorable  to  the  people  of 
Syracuse— the  Powder  Explosion,  which  killed  26 
citizens,  and  wounded  10  dangerously,  and  43  others 
severely.  It  was  caused  by  a  fire  originating  in  a 
joiner's  shop  on  the  tow-path  side  of  the  Oswego 
Canal,  where  twenty-five  kegs  of  powder  had  been 
stored,  and  which  exploded  with  terrific  eflfect  and 
with  the  sad  consequences  described.  A  gloom 
was  cast  over  the  whole  village,  and  sadness  filled 
every  house  and  heart,  at  the  terrible  calamity. 

"The  efiect  of  the  explosion  was  felt  for  more 
than  twenty  miles  around.  A  man  upon  the  deck  of 
a  packet  boat  at  Fulton,  26  miles  distant,  heard  the 
report.  At  DcWitt  and  Jamesville;  five  miles  ofl", 
persons  were  startled  from  their  sleep,  supposing 
their  chimneys  had  fallen  down.  At  Manlius,  ten 
miles  distant,  the  earth  trembled,  and  crockery  upon 
a  merchants  shelves  rattled  for  the  space  of  several 
seconds,  like  the  ellect  of  a  clap  of  thunder.  At 
Camillus,  it  was  compared  to  the  crash  o(  falling 
timber.  At  Onondaga,  it  was  supposed  to  be  an 
earthquake.  Although  the  concussion  was  tremen- 
dous at  Syracuse,  the  report  was  not  so  loud  as 
might  have  been  supposed.  Glass  in  the  windows 
a  hundred  rods  distant  was  broken.  Papers  in  the 
County  Clerk's  office  were  thrown  from  their  places 


upon  the  floor,  and  several  buildings  were  more  or 
less  injured. 

"The  instant  the  e.xplosion  took  place,  the  air 
was  filled  with  fragments  of  the  building,  bits  of 
lumber,  &c.,  which  lighted  up  the  heavens  with  the 
brightness  of  day  ;  but  in  a  twinkling  it  was  total 
darkness  ;  the  explosion  had  extinguished  every 
particle  of  fire.  The  scene  at  the  moment  was 
horrible  beyond  description  :  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren screaming  in  horror  ;  none  knew  the  extent  of 
the  calamity,  and  all  were  anxious  to  learn  the  fate 
of  their  friends.  Quickly  some  three  thousand 
persons  were  gathered,  anxiously  looking  for  those 
whom  they  most  regarded.  Very  soon  lamps  were 
brought ;  the  wounded  were  carried  oft",  filling  the 
air  with  sighs  and  groans ;  the  dead  were  sought 
and  found,  many  of  them  so  disfigured  that  they 
could  be  recognized  only  by  their  clothes  or  the 
contents  of  their  pockets.  For  a  long  time  small 
groups  of  persons  could  be  seen  with  lights  in  all 
directions,  carrying  either  the  dead  or  the  wounded 
to  their  homes.  The  next  day  the  village  was 
shrouded  in  mourning  ;  the  stores  were  all  closed 
and  business  suspended.  On  Sunday  the  unfor- 
tunate victims  were  consigned  to  the  tomb  amidst 
the  sympathies  and  tears  of  an  afflicted  com- 
j     munity." 

Incorporation  of  Syracuse  as  a  City. 

The  rapid  growth  of  the  village  in  population  and 

I  importance  induced  the  discussion  of  its  incorpora- 
tion as  a  city  in  1846.     Meetings  were  held  during 

I  that  and  part  of  the  following  year  without  arriving 
at  any  definite  conclusion,  till  the  winter  of  1847, 
when  the  question  was  brought  before  the  Legisla- 
ture. Considerable  difference  of  opinion  existed 
among  the  inhabitants  as  to  the  extent  of  territory 
the  city  should  include.  Some  were  for  having  it 
embrace  the  entire  Salt  Springs  Reservation  ;  others 
only  the  village  of  Syracuse.  At  several  spirited 
meetings  the  subject  was  warmly  discussed,  and  re- 

I  suited  in  the  plan  of  uniting  the  villages  of  Syra- 
cuse and  Salina,  under  one  city  charter  with  the 
name  of  the  latter.     The  act  of  incorporation  was 

I  passed  December  14,  1S47,  (Chap.  475,  Session 
Laws,)  and  defined  the  limits  of  the  city  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  The  district  of  country  constituting  a  part  of 
the  town  of  Salina,  and  including  the  villages  of 
Syracuse  and  Salina,  in  the  county  of  Onondaga, 
within  the  following  bounds,  that  is  to  say  : 

"  Beginning  on  the  northeasterly  corner  of  Man- 
lius L. ,  running   thence  to  the  northeasterly 

corner  of  the  village  of  Salina,  thence  along  the 
northerly  line  of  said  village  of  Salina,  to  the 
northwesterly  corner  of  the  same,  thence  south- 
westerly to  the  Onondaga  Lake,  thence  along  the 
southeasterly  shore  of  said  lake  to  the  center  of 
Onondaga  Creek,  thence  southerly  along  the  cent^ 
of  said  creek  to  the  line  of  the  village  of  Syracuse, 

I     thence  westerly  and  southerly  along  such  line  to 


^       y 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  the  town  of  Onon- 
daga, Onondaga  Co.,  July  6, 1808.  He  was  the  second  child  in 
a  family  of  three  children  of  Gerry  Stevens  and  Charlotte  Hard, 
the  former  a  native  of  Killingworth  (now  Clinton),  Conn.,  the 
latter  a  native  of  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  His  father  came  to 
Onondaga  County  about  the  year  1800,  and  hence  was  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  the  county. 

From  the  historical  collection  of  John  L.  Barber,  of  Con- 
necticut, it  appears  that  the  Stevens'  came  from  the  county  of 
Kent,  England,  to  Guilford,  Conn.  Among  the  first  planters 
there  appear  the  names  of  Thomas  and  John  Stevens.  These 
families  removed  to  Killingworth  in  the  year  1665,  and  among 
the  first  settlers  there  are  the  names  of  Thomas  and  William 
Stevens.  The  latter  of  these  had  a  son,  Josiah,  also  called 
Deacon  Stevens,  and  sometimes  called  Captain  Stevens,  born  a.d. 
1670,  and  died  March  15, 1754,  from  whom  the  subject  of  this 
memoir  traces  his  descent,  through  his  grandfather,  Jeremiah. 
There  is  little  doubt  that  one  of  the  ancestors,  named  Thomas, 
is  the  same  spoken  of  in  Fox's  Book  of  Martyrs,  who  suffered 
martyrdom  by  being  burned  to  death  at  Rye,  in  the  county  of 
Kent,  England,  1557. 

Before  George  was  three  years  of  age  his  father  died,  leaving 
a  wife  and  three  children.  She  was  afterwards  married  to  Cyprian 
Heberd,  a  carpenter  and  joiner,  who  built  some  of  the  first  manu- 
factories of  coarse  salt  in  Salina,  and  with  whom  George  spent 
his  early  life  learning  the  trade,  attending  the  common  school 
winters,  and  for  two  terms  attended  the  Onondaga  academy. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  went  to  Troy,  and  afterwards  to  New 
York  to  complete  his  trade,  and  while  there  (1828)  he  laid  a 
house-floor  made  of  lumber  matched  with  tongue  and  groove, 
and  is  said  to  be  the  first  man  in  the  United  States,  and  possibly 
in  the  world,  who  laid  such  a  floor.  On  arriving  at  age  he 
returned  to  his  native  county,  and  for  the  next  six  years  worked 
at  his  trade.  He  then  built  several  salt  manufactories  in  Salina, 
and  was  one  of  the  fir.st  to  manufacture  tine  salt.  Altogether 
he  has  spent  thirty-three  years  in  the  manufacture  of  salt,  and 


J.^'i.'-^^T^ 


has  been  closely  identified  with  that  interest.  He  also  carried 
on  in  the  meantime  the  grocery  business  for  four  years ;  was 
a  manufacturer  of  potash  for  three  years,  and  a  forwarding 
merchant  for  four  years.  Until  within  a  few  years  his  life  has 
been  one  of  great  activity,  and  his  efforts  have  been  such  as  to 
perform  his  part  in  contributing  to  the  best  interests  of  the  city 
of  which  he  is  now  an  honored  citizen  in  his  seventieth  year. 
Highly  esteemed  by  his  fellow-men,  he  has  held  many  offices 
of  responsibility  and  trust,  discharging  the  duties  of  the  same 
with  that  integrity  and  consideration  which  has  characterized 
his  whole  life. 

He  has  lived  to  see  the  city,  with  all  of  its  present  wealth 
and  business,  rise  from  a  village  of  three  hundred  persons.  He 
was  next  to  the  last  president  of  the  village  before  its  organi- 
zation as  a  city,  and  since  which  time  he  has  served  several 
terms  as  assessor,  overseer  of  the  poor,  and  supervisor  of  the 
fourth  ward,  in  which  he  resides. 

In  the  year  1864  he  was  elected  police  justice  of  the  city, 
which  office  he  held  until  a  paraljftic  stroke  in  the  year  1867 
compelled  him  to  relinquish  the  duties  of  that  office  and  retire 
to  private  life.  In  the  years  1851  and  1852  he  represented 
his  district  in  the  State  legislature. 

In  1852  he  became  a  director  b  the  Merchants'  bank,  and 
has  held  the  office  until  the  present  time.  He  was  president  of 
the  same  the  year  previous  to  his  illness.  He  has  been  a  director 
of  the  Onondaga  salt  company  from  the  time  of  its  organization. 

For  his  first  wife  he  married,  in  the  year  1831,  Harriet, 
daughter  of  Moses  Stebbins,  of  Springfield,  Mass.,  by  whom 
he  had  two  children, — Henry  Howard  (died  in  infancy)  and 
Harriet  (deceased),  who  married  A.  C.  Chase,  present  postmaster 
of  the  city  of  Syracuse.  His  wife  died  in  183G,  aged  twenty-eight 
years.  For  his  second  wife,  in  1840,  he  married  Mrs.  Lydia  P., 
widow  of  Capt.  Joseph  Fitch,  of  New  London,  Conn.,  and 
daughter  of  Capt.  Nathaniel  Barns,  of  Westerly,  R.  I.,  by  whom 
he  has  had  four  children,— Alice,  George  H.  (deceased),  Joseph 
F.,  and  Kate. 


IJied  April  rth,  1S7N,  since  the  publication  ol  the  uliovo. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


143 


the  south  bounds  of  the  town  of  Salina,  thence  east 
along  the  south  bounds  of  the  town  of  Salina  to 
the  east  bounds  thereof,  thence  northerly  along  the 
east  bounds  of  said  town  to  the  place  of  beginning, 
shall  hereafter  be  known  as  the  '  City  of  Syracuse.'  " 

Section  second  of  the  act  divided  the  city  into 
four  wards,  as  follows  : 

All  that  part  of  the  city  lying  east  of  Onon- 
daga Creek  and  north  of  Division  and  Pond  streets, 
was  made  the  First  Ward  ;  all  the  rest  of  the  city 
lying  north  of  the  center  of  the  Erie  Canal,  was 
made  the  Second  Ward  ;  the  Third  Ward  included 
that  portion  of  the  city  lying  south  of  the  Erie 
Canal  and  west  of  Montgomery  street  as  far  south 
as  Burt  street,  thence  west  of  Salina  street  to  the 
southern  boundary  of  the  city;  the  remainder  of 
the  city  constituted  the  Fourth  Ward. 

The  following  certificate  of  the  Clerk  of  Onon- 
daga county  shows  that  an  election  was  held  by  the 
citizens  of  both  villages,  for  the  purpose  of  ratify- 
ing the  charter,  on  the  3d  of  January,  1848  : 

"  Whereas,  By  the  provisions  of  an  act  entitled 
'An  Act  to  Incorporate  the  City  of  Syracuse,' 
passed  December  14,  1847,  an  election  was  held  in 
each  of  the  villages  of  Syracuse  and  Salina,  on  the 
third  day  of  January,  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  forty-eight  ;  and  from  the  returns  made  and 
filed  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  County  of 
Onondaga  by  the  Trustees  of  said  villages  respec- 
tively, pursuant  to  said  act,  it  appears  that  the  whole 
number  of  votes  given  at  said  election  at  the  poll 
held  in  the  village  of  Syracuse,  was  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  forty-three  ;  of  which  the  whole 
number  of  votes  having  thereon  the  word  '  Charter  ' 
was  ten  hundred  and  seventy-two,  and  that  the 
whole  number  of  votes  having  thereon  the  words 
'  No  Charter '  was  seven  hundred  and  seventy-one. 
That  the  whole  number  of  votes  given  at  said 
election  at  the  poll  held  in  the  village  of  Salina, 
was  four  hundred  and  twenty-four ;  of  which  the 
whole  number  of  votes  having  thereon  the  word 
'  Charter '  was  three  hundred  and  eighty-five  ;  and 
the  whole  number  having  thereon  the  words  '  No 
Charter '  was  thirty-nine. 

"  A  majority  of  votes  at  each  of  said  villages 
having  been  thus  given  in  favor  of  said  charter,  as 
appears  from  said  returns  on  file  in  the  office  of  the 
Clerk  of  the  County  of  Onondaga,  as  aforesaid  :  I, 
Vivus  W.  Smith,  Clerk  of  said  County,  in  pur- 
suance of  the  provisions  of  the  Seventeenth  Sec- 
tion of  Title  X  of  said  Act,  do  make  and  publish 
this  statement,  and  certify  that  the  said  act  of  in- 
corporation becomes  a  law  on  the  day  of  the  first 
publication  of  this  certificate. 

In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set 
[l.  s.]         my  hand  and  affixed  the  seal  of  the  said 
County  of  Onondaga,    this    5th    day  of 
January,  1848. 

V.  W.  Smith,  Clerk." 

First  City  Officers. 
At  the  first  Charter  Election,  held  on  the  first 


Ttiesday  in  March,  1848,  the  following  officers  were 
elected  : 

Hon.  Harvey  Baldwin,  Mayor. 
Aldermen. 

First  Ward — James  Lynch,  Elizur  Clark. 

Second  ll'ard — Ale.xander  McKinstry,  John  B. 
Burnet. 

Third  Ward — William  H.  Alexander,  Gardner 
Lawrence. 

Fourth  Ward — Henry  W.  Durnford,  Robert  Fur- 
man. 

In  January,  1849,  ^  census  was  taken  which 
showed  that  the  city  contained  a  small  fraction  less 
than  16,000  inhabitants. 

Mayors  of  the  City  of  Syracuse. 
First  Mayor,  1848,  Harvey  Baldwin;  1849,  Elias 
W.  Leavenworth;  1850,  Alfred  H.  Hovey  ;  185 1, 
Moses  D.  Burnet ;  1852,  Jason  C.  Woodruff;  1853, 
Dennis  McCarthy;  1854,  Allen  Munroe ;  1855, 
Lyman  Stevens;  1856-57-58,  Charles  F.  Willis- 
ton  ;  1859,  Elias  W.  Leavenworth  ;  i860,  Amos 
Westcott ;  1861-62,  Charles  Andrews  ;  1863,  Daniel 
Bookstaver ;  1864,  Archibald  C.  Powell;  1865- 
66-6"],  William  D.  Stewart ;  1868,  Charles  Andrews  ; 
1869-70,  Charles  P.  Clark;  1871-72,  Francis  E. 
Carroll ;  1873,  William  J.  Wallace  ;  1874,  Nathan  F. 
Graves;  1875,  George  P.  Hier ;  1876,  John  J. 
Grouse  ;   1877-78,  J.  J.  Belden. 

Postmasters. 
John  Wilkinson,  1820;  Jonas  Earll,  Jr.,  1837; 
Henry  Raynor,  1841  ;  William  W.  Teall,  1845  ; 
William  Jackson,  1849;  Henry  J.  Sedgwick,  1853 
and  1857;  Patrick  H.  Agan,  1861  ;  George  L. 
Maynard,  1865  ;  D wight  H.  Bruce,  1871  ;  A.  C. 
Chase,  1876,  present  Postmaster. 

The  Old  Mill-Pond. 
An  improvement  of  no  little  importance  to  the 
city  was  the  conversion  of  the  old  mill-pond  into 
valuable  building  lots,  which  are  now  occupied  by 
substantial  manufacturing  estabhshments,  business 
blocks,  public  buildings  and  residences.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  the  first  dam  and  mills  were 
built  by  Abraham  Walton  in  1805.  The  dam  was 
constructed  of  logs  across  Onondaga  Creek  at  West 
Genesee  street,  and  at  that  time  the  Genesee  Turn- 
pike passed  over  it.  About  a  year  after  its  con- 
struction, it  was  swept  away  by  a  heavy  spring 
freshet,  and  another  log  dam  was  built  at  the  cross- 
ing of  West  Water  street,  which  was  removed  in 
1824,  and  a  substantial  stone  dam  erected  in  its 
place.  Then  came  the  stone  mill  erected  by  Samuel 
Booth  for  the  Syracuse  Company  in  1825.  The  mill- 


'44 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


pond  covered  so  large  a  surface  and  was  for  masy 
yearsthecauseof  so  much  sickness  in  the  village  that 
it  was  finally  emptied  by  tearing  away  the  dam,  and 
in  184S,  under  the  administration  of  Mayor  Bald- 
win, the  work  of  improving  this  portion  of  the  city 
was  begun.  It  consisted  of  the  straightening  of 
Onondaga  Creek  and  the  filling  in  of  portions  of 
the  mill-pond  with  earth  from  Prospect  Hill. 

The  work  was  carried  forward  under  the  adminis- 
tration of  Mayor  Leavenworth  in  1849,  who  had 
Jefferson  (now  Regimental)  Park  laid  out  in  about 
the  center  of  the  ground  formerly  occupied  by  the 
mill-pond.  The  land  then  belonged  to  the  State, 
and  comprised  about  nine  acres,  including  the  site 
of  the  pond  and  the  neck  of  land  extending  to  the 
center  of  Onondaga  Creek.  Mr.  Leavenworth  had 
a  map  made. of  the  land  including  the  Park,  and 
obtained  the  consent  of  the  Commissioners  of  the 
Land  Office  for  its  sale,  on  condition  that  it 
would  bring  S9.000  ;  otherwise  the  sale  was  to  be 
null  and  void.  The  land  was  offered  upon  this 
condition,  and  at  the  sale  brought  over  S  16,000. 

The  center  of  this  ground  is  now  occupied  by  the 
fine  State  Arsenal,  while  the  Binghamton  Freight 
and  Passenger  Depots  and  other  substantial  struc- 
tures occupy  other  portions  of  it. 

The  first  Arsenal  building  was  erected  in  1858, 
in  which  year  the  site  was  conveyed  to  the  State. 
The  cost  of  the  building  was  S8,ooo  ;  the  State  ap- 
propriated $5,000,  and  Si, 800  was  raised  by  indi- 
vidual subscription.  This  building  was  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1871.  The  present  building — a  much 
larger  and  more  ornamental  structure — was  erected 
in  1872  74,  at  a  cost  of  ?8o,coo ;  Horatio  N. 
White,  Architect.  This  building  is  known  as  the 
State  Arsenal,  and  is  the  headquarters  of  the  51st 
Regiment.  loth  Brigade,  6th  Division,  &c.,  National 
Guard  of  the  State  of  New  York." 

BuKViNG  Grounds — OAKwoon  Cemetery. 

For  the  following  brief  sketch  of  the  burying 
places  in  Syracuse,  we  are  indebted  to  a  little  work 
entitled  "  Oakwood,"  a  history  of  the  incorporation 
and  dedication  of  Oakwood  Cemetery.  The  first 
white  person  who  was  buried  within  the  limits  of 
the  city,  and  probably  within  the  bounds  of  Onon- 
daga County,  was  Benjamin  Nukerk,  who  came  to 
the  wilds  of  Onondaga  as  an  Indian  trader  with 
Ephraim  Webster  in  1786.  He  died  December  7, 
1787,  and  was  buried  on  a  little  eminence  which 
overlooks  the  Onondaga  Lake  and  its  shores,  now 
embraced  in  Farm  Lot  No.  310,  lying  directly  in 
the  rear  of  the   residence  of  William  Judson,  on 

*  See  Roiter  oi  Olficeri  eliewhere. 


West  Genesee  street.     The  head  and  foot  stones 
are  still  standing,  bearing  the  inscription  : 

Be.njamin  Nukerk, 

Died  Dec.   7th,    1787, 

Aged  37  years. 

About  the  year  1845,  Joseph  Savage,  Esq.,  who 
owns  the  land  occupied  by  this  grave,  had  occasion 
to  dig  a  trench  two  or  three  feet  below  the  surface, 
and  while  doing  so  struck  upon  a  line  of  graves. 
On  examination  they  proved  to  be  placed  in  a  direct 
line  for  some  twenty  or  thirty  feet,  and  consisted  of 
quite  a  number  of  bodies.  The  bones  were  mostly 
decomposed,  except  the  skulls,  and  among  them 
were  found  quite  a  number  of  bullets.  Probably 
the  ground  was  never  used  as  a  permanent  burial 
place,  but  these  bodies  fell  in  some  battle  of  which, 
perhaps,  we  have  no  record  and  were  hastily  buried 
here  in  the  sandy  loam  of  this  beautiful  little  emi- 
nence. But  it  may  be  otherwise,  as  Mr.  Savage 
found  other  remains  in  difierent  places  on  the  same 
little  hillock,  one,  the  skull  of  which  had  evidently 
been  cleft  by  a  tomahawk.  A  gun,  brass  kettle, 
flints  and  pipes  were  also  found  from  time  to  time. 
Probably  the  Indians  had  occupied  this  spot  after 
Ephraim  Webster  established  his  trading  post  here. 

The  first  burials  in  the  village  of  Salina  were 
made  on  ground  now  known  as  Lot  No.  8  in  Block 
No.  18,  near  the  intersection  of  Spring  and  Free 
streets.  They,  however,  ceased  to  bury  there  be- 
fore 1794,  and  began  to  make  interments  on  the 
ground  now  embraced  in  Washington  Park,  and  near 
the  spot  where  the  Presbyterian  Church  (recent- 
ly removed)  was  afterwards  built.  Mrs.  Nancy  T. 
Gilchrist,  the  mother  of  Ira  A.  Gilchrist,  and  several 
members  of  the  families  of  Dexter  and  Herring  were 
buried  here, —  Mrs.  Gilchrist  in  1794.  Burials 
were  made  here  also  but  a  few  years,  when  finding 
the  location  too  near  the  dwellings,  they  began  to 
bury  upon  the  ridge  which  runs  through  Block  No. 
40,  in  the  rear  of  the  residence  of  James  Lynch, 
Esq.,  and  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  that  formerly 
occupied  by  the  late  Alfred  Northam,  Esq.  This, 
too,  was  abandoned  in  1801,  when  Sheldon  Logan, 
at  that  time  Superintendent  of  the  Onondaga  Salt 
Springs,  laid  out  a  piece  of  ground  then  owned  by 
the  State,  for  a  public  burying  ground.  It  was  used 
as  such  till  the  year  1S29,  and  a  few  of  the  bodies 
buried  in  Washington  Park,  including  that  of  Mrs. 
Gilchrist,  and  perhaps  some  from  Block  No.  40, 
were  removed  to  the  new  grounds.  Block  No.  59 
in  the  First  Ward,  covers  the  site  of  the  grounds 
laid  out  by  Mr.  Logan. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature  passed  in  1829, 
(Chap.  243)  Block  No.  43  was  substituted  for  Block 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


145 


No.  59,  for  the  purpose  of  a  public  cemetery.  The 
trustees  of  the  village  of  Salina,  as  by  law  directed, 
removed  the  bodies  from  the  old  ground  to  the  new  ; 
the  former  was  sold  at  public  auction,  and  Block  No. 
43  has  been  used  as  a  cemetery  from  that  time  to 
the  present.  The  lots  are  nearly  or  quite  all  taken 
up  and  occupied. 

It  may  be  proper  to  state  here  that  Mr.  Isaac 
VanVleck,  one  of  the  best  known  among  the  early 
settlers,  was  buried  on  Lot  8,  Block  13,  on  what  has 
been  designated  the  Schouten  Lot. 

In  1834,  previous  to  the  act  of  the  Legislature 
(Laws  1835,  Chap.  160,)  incorporating  Lodi  with 
the  village  of  Syracuse,  the  inhabitants  of  that  lo- 
cality established  a  small  cemetery  upon  the  hill  on 
Beech  street  south  of  East  Genesee,  on  Farm  Lot 
No.  197.  The  late  Oliver  Teall,  Esq.,  who  then 
held  a  contract  for  the  lot,  furnished  the  land  and 
offered  an  acre  of  ground,  or  more  if  desired,  on 
condition  that  the  people  in  that  vicinity  would 
clear  and  fence  it.  About  half  an  acre  was  en- 
closed, and  it  has  been  since  mostly  occupied,  al- 
though of  late  years  it  has  been  almost  entirely 
abandoned  as  a  burying  place. 

The  first  burials  within  the  limits  of  what  was 
formerly  the  village  of  Syracuse  were  made  on  land 
now  enclosed  in  Block  No.  105,  near  the  intersec- 
tion of  Clinton  and  Fayette  streets.  They  did  not 
probably  exceed  twenty  or  thirty  in  number,  and 
the  citizens  ceased  to  bury  there  previous  to  1819. 
When  the  village  was  laid  out  by  Messrs.  Owen 
Forman  and  John  Wilkinson,  and  a  map  made 
of  the  same,  no  spot  of  ground  seems  to  have  been 
set  apart  for  a  cemetery,  and  from  18 19  to  1S24,  all 
burials  were  made  at  Salina,  Onondaga  Hill,  or  On- 
ondaga Hollow.  The  first  person  buried  in  what 
is  now  designated  the  "Old  Cemetery"  was  Mrs. 
Eliza  Spencer,  the  first  wife  of  Hon.  Thomas  Spen- 
cer, who  died  on  the  2d  day  of  April,  1824.  After 
the  village  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Syracuse  Com- 
pany, they  probably  set  apart  this  piece  of  ground 
for  a  cemetery  ;  and  it  continued  to  be  used  as  such 
till  1 84 1. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  1841,  the  grounds  embraced 
in  Rose  Hill  Cemetery,  containing  a  fraction  over 
twenty-two  acres,  were  purchased  of  George  F. 
Leitch,  by  the  Trustees  of  the  village  in  compli- 
ance with  a  vote  of  the  citizens.  There  was  much 
opposition  to  the  purchase  of  this  ground,  on  ac- 
count of  its  nearness  to  the  village  and  for  other 
reasons,  and  a  second  meeting  was  called,  hoping 
that  the  citizens  would  reconsider  their  decision. 
A  majority,  however,  voted  in  favor  of  it  a  second 

time,  and  the  property  was  purchased  and  laid  out 
19* 


as  a  cemetery.  On  motion  of  General  Granger  two 
hundred  dollars  were  voted  at  the  same  meeting  for 
the  improvement  of  the  grounds,  which  the  Trus- 
tees proceeded  at  once  to  lay  out.  Ambrose  S. 
Townsend,  who  died  on  the  24th  of  August,  1841, 
was  the  first  person  buried  at  Rose  Hill.  He  was 
the  eldest  son  of  John  Townsend,  Esq  ,  of  Albany, 
and  grandson  of  the  late  Ambrose  Spencer. 

Oakwood. 

As  a  cemetery  Rose  Hill  was  never  satisfactory 
to  a  large  number  of  the  citizens  of  Syracuse. 
The  topography  was  unfavorable,  more  than  half 
of  the  surface  being  a  steep  side  hill,  not  easily  ac- 
cessible, and  the  whole  destitute  of  natural  trees 
and  shrubbery.  It  was  by  many  deemed  incapable 
of  those  high  adornments  which  the  public  taste 
now  demands.  For  these  and  other  reasons  an 
early  desire  was  manifested  by  many  prominent 
citizens  to  procure  grounds  for  a  cemetery  more  in 
conformity  with  the  higher  cultivation  of  modern 
taste  on  the  subject.  Accordingly,  as  early  as  1852 
and  the  years  immediately  following,  a  number  of 
meetings  were  held  and  the  subject  of  a  new 
cemetery  was  fully  discussed.  Committees  were 
appointed  for  the  purpose  of  thoroughly  examining 
the  vicinity  of  the  city  in  all  directions  and  finding 
the  locality  best  adapted  in  all  respects  to  the  pur- 
poses of  a  rural  cemetery.  These  committees  care- 
fully performed  their  duty  and  the  unanimous  con- 
clusion was  finally  reached,  that  the  hundred  acres 
of  land  best  fitted  for  all  the  purposes  desired  was 
that  now  embraced  within  the  limits  of  Oakwood. 

The  persons  who  most  particularly  interested 
themselves  at  this  time  were  Messrs.  Henry  A. 
Dillaye,  Charles  B.  Sedgwick,  John  B.  Burnet, 
Robert  B.  Raymond,  Charles  Pope,  Hamilton 
White,  A.  C.  Powell,  C.  Tyler  Longstreet,  Israel 
Hall,  John  Wilkinson,  Allen  Munroe  and  E.  W. 
Leavenworth. 

No  immediate  action  was  taken  with  regard  to 
the  purchase  of  the  grounds,  and  in  the  midst  of 
other  pursuits  of  more  pressing  personal  interest,  it 
was  delayed  till  the  summer  of  1857,  when  the  sub- 
ject was  again  revived  by  Messrs.  Hamilton  White, 
J.  L.  Bagg,  Lewis  H.  Redfield,  C.  Tyler  Long- 
street,  A.  C.  Powell,  John  Wilkinson  and  Henry  A. 
Dillaye.  The  papers  were  drawn  up  preparatory  to 
the  organization  of  an  Association ;  the  terms  of 
the  purchase  of  the  grounds  were  verbally  agreed 
upon,  when  the  whole  subject  was  suddenly  put  to 
rest  by  the  great  pecuniary  revulsion  of  that  year. 
A  final  and  eventually  successful  effort  was  again 
made  in  the  summer  of  1858,  principally  by  Messrs. 


146 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


White  and  Leavenworth,  which  was  continued  with 
little  interruption  till  the  summer  of  1859.  Having 
arranged  with  Charles  A.  Haker,  Esq.,  for  the  pur- 
chase of  the  front  twenty  acres,  and  with  Henry 
Raynor,  Esq.,  for  the  balance  of  the  ground,  the 
first  object  to  which  attention  was  directed  was  the 
removal  of  the  Jamesville  Plank  Road  from  the 
bounds  of  the  proposed  cemetery.  It  became  nec- 
essary to  procure  the  consent  of  a  majority  of  the 
stockholders, — afterwards  of  a  majority  of  the  inhab- 
itants residing  on  the  cast  and  west  road  crossing 
the  said  Plank  Road  near  its  first  gate,  to  which  the 
road  was  to  be  changed, — next  of  the  Supervisors 
and  Commissioners  of  Highways  of  the  town  of 
Onondaga,  in  which  town  the  road  is  situated— and 
finally,  to  procuic  a  right  of  way  for  said  Plank 
Road  across  the  lands  of  Charles  A.  Baker,  Esq., 
and  Dr.  David  S.  Colvin. 

After  a  year  of  laborious  effort,  and  with  much 
aid  from  Mr.  Baker,  these  several  objects  were  suc- 
cessfully attained,  and  all  serious  obstacles  removed, 
except  the  raising  of  the  necessary  funds  for  the  pur- 
chase. To  that  important  service  Hon.  A.  C. 
Powell  for  weeks  devoted  a  large  portion  of  his 
time,  and  with  such  aid  as  he  had  from  Messrs. 
Hawley,  White  and  Leavenworth,  succeeded  early 
in  August  in  raising  the  necessary  amount  in  sub- 
scriptions, payable  in  one,  two  and  three  years  with 
interest. 

On  the  15th  of  August,  1859,  the  subscribers  to 
the  fund  met  at  the  Mayor's  office  and  organized  the 
Association  of  Oakwood,  and  elected  the  following 
trustees :  Hamilton  White,  J.  P.  Haskins,  John 
Crouse,  John  Wilkinson,  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  Arch- 
ibald C.  Powell,  Austin  Myers,  Allen  Munroe, 
Timothy  R.  Porter,  Robert  G.  Wynkoop  Thomas 
G  Alvord,  J.  Dean  Hawley.  On  the  following  day 
a  meeting  of  the  trustees  was  held  at  the  office  of 
Hon.  E.  W.  Leavenworth  and  the  following  officers 
were  chosen  :  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  President  ;  A. 
C.  Powell,  Vice-President:  Allen  Munroe,  Secre- 
tary, and  Hamilton  White,  Treasurer. 

At  the  same  meeting  a  resolution  was  adopted, 
on  motion  of  Mr.  Alvord,  instructing  the  officers  of 
the  association  to  purchase  of  Messrs.  Baker  and 
Raynor  the  lands  now  embraced  in  Oakwood  on 
the  terms  theretofore  agreed  upon,  viz  :  ?9,5CXD  for 
the  twenty  acres  in  front,  bought  of  Mr.  Baker,  and 
;$iS,ooo  for  the  seventy-two  and  seventy-nine  one 
hundredth  acres,  bought  of  Mr.  Raynor.  Agree- 
ably to  such  resolution,  the  purchase  was  made  and 
the  papers  exchanged  on  the  5th  of  September 
thereafter. 

All  the  lots  in  Rose  Hill  Cemetery,  and  also  in 


that  at  Salina,  having  been  sold,  and  the  Common 
Council  having  resolved  to  sell  the  north  eight  acres 
of  the  former,  the  Trustees  made  immediate  prep- 
arations for  the  improvement  of  the  grounds,  and 
early  in  October,  Howard  Daniels,  Esq.,  an  accom- 
plished landsdape  gardener  from  the  city  of  New 
York,  with  the  aid  of  fifty  or  sixty  men,  commenced 
work  and  continued  it  till  the  month  of  December. 

The  first  person  buried  at  Oakwood  was  Mrs. 
Nellie  G.  Wilkinson,  who  died  on  the  6th,  and  was 
buried  on  Tuesday,  the  8th  day  of  November,  1859 

The  first  monument  of  any  kind  erected  within 
the  bounds  of  the  cemetery,  was  that  of  James 
Crouse,  Esq.,  on  Section  No.  13,  during  the  winter 
of  1 859-' 60. 

The  little  pamphlet  from  which  we  have  selected 
the  matter  for  this  history  closes  its  account  of  the 
progress  of  Oakwood  in  the  following  words  : 
"  Thus,  at  length,  after  nearly  ten  years  of  delays, 
difficulties  and  disajipointments,  after  the  project 
had  been  more  than  once  abandoned,  and  our  hopes 
all  but  extinguished,  this  lovely  spot  of  ground  was 
secured  for  the  final  repose  of  our  dead  :  to  be 
visited,  admired  and  hallowed  in  our  memories 
while  we  live,  by  a  thousand  sacred  and  tender  re- 
collections, and  to  be  the  beautiful  resting  place  of 
our  bodies  when  summoned  to  our  final  home." 
We  may  add  that  the  grounds  are  the  most  beauti- 
ful and  admirably  adapted  to  the  purposes  of  a  rural 
cemetery  of  any  in  the  country,  and  the  art  dis- 
played in  their  decoration  and  the  rich  and  costly 
monuments  will  well  repay  the  stranger  for  a  visit 
to  Oakwood. 

Dedication. 

On  Tuesday,  the  3d  day  of  November,  1859,  the 
grounds  were  dedicated  with  appropriate  ceremo- 
nies to  the  sacred  [uirpose  of  a  resting  place  for  the 
dead.  The  Hon.  Wm.  J.  Bacon,  of  Utica,  deliv- 
ered the  Address,  Alfred  B.  Street,  Esq.,  of  Albany, 
the  Poem,  and  Rev.  John  Pierpont,  of  Boston,  and 
Mrs.  Thomas  T.  Davis,  of  Syracuse,  furnished  re- 
spectively an  Ode  and  a  Hymn  for  the  occasion, 
which  was  one  of  deep  interest  to  the  people  of 
Syracuse,  many  thousands  testifying  their  apprecia- 
tion of  the  importance  of  the  object  attained  by 
their  presence  on  the  ground.  The  day,  which  was 
lowery  and  threatening  in  the  morning,  became 
bright  and  beautiful  and  one  of  the  plcasantest  of 
the  season. 

The  exercises,  including  the  opening  address  by 
Hun.  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  President  of  the  Ceme- 
tery Association,  and  the  oration  by  Hon.  William 
J.  Bacon,  were  all  exceptionally  interesting  and 
appropriate,  but  we  have  space  only  for  the  Hymn 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


147 


of  Mrs.  Thomas  T.  Davis,  and  the  Poem  of  Mr. 
Alfred  B.  Street,  which  deserve  a  place  in  the  more 
permanent  records  of  the  city  and  county,  as  among 
some  of  the  finest  specimens  of  our  mortuary  lite- 
rature, 

HYMN. 

BY  MRS.  THOMAS  T.  DAVIS. 
Air — Pleycl's  Hymn. 

Life  and  love  with  tender  hand 
Guard  and  deck  this  Silent  Land  ; 
Cypress  arch  and  willow  wreath 
Shade  the  sacred  sod  beneath  ; 
Sun  and  starlight  gild  the  shrine, 
Flow'ry  chaplets  fondly  twine  ; 
Angel  hosts,  your  vigils  keep 
Where  our  loved  and  lost  shall  sleep. 

Loved,  not  lost !     No  fear  nor  gloom 
Shrouds  the  portals  of  the  tomb ; 
Death  revealed  immortal  day 
When  the  rock  was  rolled  away. 
Grave  and  crypt  and  pallid  stone 
Mark  not  the  realm  of  Death  alone ; 
Life  but  sleeps,  while  Death  survives, — 
Death  shall  die,  and  Life  arise. 

Shed  not  then  the  frenzied  tear  ; 
Robe  in  light  the  pall,  the  bier  ; 
Yonder  see  the  shining  shore 
Where  our  loved  have  gone  before  ; 
Rear  the  marble  o'er  the  dead, 
Crown  with  flowers  the  dreamless  head  ; 
Calmly  wait  till  Life  shall  be 
Blended  with  eternity. 

This  hymn  was  sung  by  the  members  of  the  Syra- 
cuse Musical  Institute,  under  the  leadership  of  H, 
N.  White,  Esq. 

At  the  conclusion  of  Mayor  Leavenworth's  ad- 
dress, Alfred  B.  Street,  Esq.,  of  Albany,  pronounced 
the  following  exquisitely  beautiful  and  appropriate 

POEM  : 

O'er  life's  fresh  springtide,  when  the  blithsome  hours 
Dance  to  glad  music  through  perennial  flowers ; 
O'er  bounding  youth,  when  hope  points  ever  on, 
No  blossom  scentless,  and  no  color  wan  ; 
O'er  stately  manhood,  when  the  mountain  tread 
Seeks  the  far  prize  that  stars  the  crag  o'erhead  ; 
O'er  trembling  age,  when,  worn  with  toil  and  woe, 
It  turns  from  light  above  to  gloom  below  ; 
Darkens  a  shade,  mysterious,  cold  and  black, 

Mantling  the  flowery  as  the  wintry  track  ; 
Brooding  where  joy  its  diamond  goblet  quaifs  ; 
Where  daring,  loud  at  every  danger  laughs  ; 
Where  strength  securely  rests  on  future  years  ; 


Where  fame,  wealth,  pleasure,  each  its  votary  cheers  ; 
Death  is  that  shade,  inexorable  Death, 
With  ever-lifted  dart  at  all  of  mortal  breath. 

But  though  the  soul  that  lights  the  frame  depart. 

The  darkened  dust  is  sacred  to  the  heart. 

Around  the  spot  that  wraps  the  dead  from  sight, 

Lingers  thought's  tenderest,  love's  divinest  light; 

Hallowed  by  suffering,  it  remains  a  shrine 

Where  oft  sad  memory  wends,  its  fairest  flowers  to  twine. 

The  land  that  trod  through  Deluge-ooze  its  way, 

Gave  to  the  pyramid  its  mummied  clay. 

The  purple  skies  of  Art  and  Song  inurned 

The  sacred  ashes  sacred  fires  had  burned. 

The  Parsee  offered  to  his  God,  the  Sun, 

On  the  grand  crag  the  heart  whose  course  was  run. 

And  the  red  roamer  of  the  prairie  sea 

Yields  to  the  air  his  wrecked  mortality. 

But  not  to  pyramid,  though  mocking  Time, 

The  urn  funereal,  nor  the  sun  sublime. 

Nor  boundless  air,  nor  yet  the  waste  of  waves, 

That  stateliest,  mightiest,  most  august  of  graves — 

But  not  in  such  drear,  weltering  vastness  spread 

Should  Christian  hands  consign  the  Christian  dead. 

But  to  the  earth,  the  warm,  the  steadfast  earth. 

That,  touched  by  God's  own  finger,  gave  us  birth ; 

Where  to  the  resurrecting  sun  and  rain 

The  seed  but  perishes  to  live  again  ; 

Where  nature  hides  her  life  in  Winter's  gloom 

For  warbling  Spring  to  sing  it  into  bloom  ; 

Home  of  the  tree  that  sheds  its  leafy  showers 

For  the  new  garland  wreathed  by  vernal  hours  ! 

Home  of  the  priceless  fount !  the  matchless  gem  ! 

The  precious  gold  !  more  precious  grainy  stem  ! 

Yea,  as  we  woke  to  life  upon  her  breast, 

Her  loving  arms  should  fold  our  last  and  longest  rest. 

And  thus,  oh  lovely  Oakwood,  shalt  thou  spread 
Thy  sylvan  chambers,  for  the  slumbering  dead. 
Through  thy  green  landscapes  shall  Affection  stray, 
Weep  the  wild  tear,  with  softened  sadness  pray. 
Within  the  glen,  as  murmurings  fill  the  tree, 
A  voice  shall  seem  to  whisper,  "  Come  with  me  !  " 
And  the  green  hill  top — whence  the  sight  is  fraught, 
With  the  rich  painting  Nature's  hand  hath  wrought; 
Woodland  and  slope,  mount,  meadow  and  ravine. 
The  city's  white,  the  water's  purple  sheen. 
And  the  dim  mountain  tops,  until  the  gaze 
Pierces  where  distance  hangs  its  tender  haze — 
Tell  that  the  soul,  with  onward  pointed  eye, 
Finds  its  far  limit  only  in  the  sky. 
The  grassy  dingle  and  the  leafy  dell 
Shall  tremble  sadly  to  the  tolling  bell ; 
Where  now  wide  solitude  wraps  slope  and  glade 
For  winds  to  pipe  to  dancing  sun  and  shade, 
Shall  carved  memorials  of  the  dead  be  found 
Breathing  their  solemn  eloquence  around. 
Here,  shall  the  son,  in  some  prone  trunk,  descry 


148 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


The  sire  he  saw  in  life's  completeness  die ; 

Here,  shall  the  sire,  in  some  green  pine,  survey 

The  stately  son,  ere  death  had  claimed  its  prey ; 

Here,  in  the  flower,  the  mother  again  shall  see 

The  laughing  child  that  perished  at  her  knee  : 

Here,  the  weird  wind  shall  with  long,  melting  moan, 

Mingle  its  sadness  with  the  mourner's  own. 

And  the  drear  cloud,  low  brooding,  seem  a  part 

Of  the  dark  sorrow  hanging  on  the  heart ; 

Here,  too,  the  joyful  splendor  of  the  sun 

Shall  tell  the  life  the  loved  and  lost  hath  won. 

And  warblings  sweet,  the  landscape's  ear  that  fill 

Of  those  glad  strains  the  sounding  heavens  that  thrill. 

Summer  shall  here  hold  green  and  leafy  time, 

Emblem  of  those  that  perished  in  their  prime  ; 

Autumn  shall  shower  its  wreaths  upon  the  air. 

Sign  to  the  living  also  to  prepare  ; 

Winter  shall  spread  in  fierce  and  frowning  might. 

Great  type  of  death,  its  chilling  robes  of  white ; 

But  oh,  glad  thought !  in  Spring's  triumphant  reign 

Nature  shall  bound  in  radiant  joy  again, 

Bid  with  her  rapturous  life  Death's  horrors  flee. 

Type  of  that  glorious  truth — Man's  Immortality. 

Population  of  Svracuse. 

The  following  statement  of  the  population  of 
Syracuse  for  May,  1877,  is  taken  from  Boyd's  City 
Directory  : 

I  MALES.  I         FEMALES.         |     TOTAL. 


Wards. 


' 

_. 

• 

06 

J. 

« 

00 

M 

ri 

u 

b 

k. 

V 

-s 

c 

> 

c 

'    6 

D 

0 

D 

ist 1,336 

2d 2,405 

3d 1,092 

4th 2,324 

5<h ,  2.339 

6th 1,549 

7th 2,336 

8th 1,343 


1,247 
2,263 

937 
2,071 

>.:69 
603 

1.774 
1,071 


1,443 
2,236 
1,058 
2.739 
2,456 
1,671 
2,946 
',657 


1,189] 
2,061 

9451 
2,082 

1,759 

7«> 

',923 

i,o6ii 


5.215 
8,965 
4,032 
9,216 

8.323 
4.534 
8,979 
5-132 


Total 


14,724    11.735'   i6,2o6,   11,731!      54,396 


Population  in  1877 54>396 

Population  in  1876 54, '76 

Increase 220 

Village  of  Geddes 5,4o3 


Syracuse  (including  Geddes)  is 59.S04 

Svracuse  City  Water-Wokks. 
Among  the  first  to  advocate  a  system  of  water- 
works for  supplying  the  village  of  Syracuse  was 
Capt.  Oliver  Tcall,  who  was  the  first  Superintend- 
ent of  the  middle  division  of  the  Eric  Canal  upon 
its  opening  in  1820.  Captain  Teall  had  taken  a 
contract  on  the  canal  during  its  construction,  and 
had  removed  from  Manlius  to  the  Lodi  Locks  as 


early  as  18 19.  He  became  largely  interested  in 
land  in  that  vicinity,  and  erected  mills  at  Lodi, 
having  the  right  of  the  surplus  water  of  the  canal 
at  that  point,  which  right  he  retained  till  it  was 
finally  resumed  by  the  State.  In  connection  with 
Messrs.  Aaron  Burt  and  Harvey  Baldwin,  Mr.  Teall 
became  an  enterprising  and  wealthy  land-owner  in 
that  part  of  the  city  now  included  in  the  Eighth 
Ward,  formerly  Lodi,  but  incorporated  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Syracuse  in  1835.     (Laws  1835,  Chap.  160.) 

As  early  as  1821,  the  subject  of  water-works  in 
the  village  had  been  brought  before  the  Legislature. 
The  first  act,  entitled  '•  An  Act  to  supply  the  vil- 
lage of  Syracuse  with  wholesome  water,"  was  passed 
March  27,  1821.  (Laws  1821,  Chap.  176. 1  It 
granted  the  people  of  Syracuse  the  right  to  use 
sufficient  water  for  supplying  the  village  from  any 
of  the  springs  on  adjacent  lands  belonging  to  the 
State,  and  provided  for  the  election  of  three  Trus- 
tees, at  an  election  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  Ster- 
ling Cossit,  inn-keeper  in  said  village,  on  the  first 
Monday  in  May,  1821,  who  should  have  power  to 
transact  all  business  relating  to  the  water-works, 
and  to  carry  into  eflect  the  provisions  of  said  act. 
It  does  not  appear  that  the  provisions  of  said  act 
were  ever  carried  into  effect  or  that  anything  was 
done  under  it  towards  supplying  the  few  inhabitants 
then  in  the  village  with  water.  Probably  the  enter- 
prise would  not  pay  at  that  stage  of  settlement. 
The  villagers,  however,  wished  to  obtain  the  right 
and  to  keep  it  against  a  time  of  need,  for  the  mid- 
dle division  of  the  canal  was  then  open,  and  all 
were  anticipating  a  marvelous  growth  into  the  pro- 
portions of  a  city. 

The  act  incorporating  the  village,  passed  April 
13,  1S25,  (Laws  1825,  Chap.  124,1  vested  all  the 
rights,  property,  and  powers  of  the  Trustees  of  the 
Water-Works  in  the  village  corporation,  and  the 
hypothetical  water-works  were  placed  under  the 
control  of  the  trustees  of  said  village  till  1829. 
During  this  period  it  does  not  appear  that  the  trus- 
tees did  anything  practical  towards  supplying  the 
village  with  water. 

On  the  23d  of  April,  1829,  an  act  was  passed, 
(Laws  1829,  Chap.  236,)  authorizing  the  Trustees  of 
the  village  to  convey  to  Oliver  Teall,  his  heirs  and 
assigns,  all  the  rights,  property  and  powers  of  the 
Trustees  of  the  Syracuse  Water-Works  Company, 
as  vested  in  said  village  by  the  act  of  incorporation, 
for  a  term  of  twenty  years,  and  said  Oliver  Teall  was 
invested  with  all  the  rights  and  powers  granted  by 
the  original  act  of  1821.  This  act  also  prescribed 
the  amount  that  Mr.  Teall  should  charge  the  citizens 
for  water,  viz. :  a  private  family,  a  sum  not  e-xceed- 


Pliotos.  by 
W.  V.  KiiilgiT. 


William  Mctcalf  Clurke  was  burn  iii  Liinesboro,  Berkshire 
Co.,  Mass.,  Ajiril  3,  1800.  He  was  tlie  lifth  .son  of  Dr.  Hczeldah 
ClarlvB,  wlio  was  tile  son  of  Dr.  Jolin  Clarl<e,  of  Lebanon,  Conn.; 
son  of  Moses  Clarice,  of  Lebanon,  Conn.  ;  son  of  Daniel  Clarke, 
of  Colchester,  Conn.  ;  son  of  Hon.  David  Clarke,  who  came  to 
America  in  1639,  from  Warwickshire,  England,  and  settled  at 
Windsor,  Conn.  By  both  his  paternal  grandparents  he  is  de- 
scended, in  the  seventh  generation,  from  Simon  Huntington,  of 
England,  whose  sons,  Christopher  and  Simon,  Mr.  Clarke's  ances- 
tors, settled  at  Saybrook  in  1633,  and  finally  at  Norwich,  Conn. 

His  mother,  Lucy  Bingham,  was  a  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Moses 
Bliss,  of  Springfield,  Mass.  In  this  line  lie  is  in  the  seventh 
generation  from  Thomas  Bliss,  an  early  settler  of  Hartford,  Conn. 

By  his  maternal  grandmother  he  is  descended,  in  the  eighth 
generation,  from  Michael  Metcalf,  who  came  from  England  in 
1637,  and  settled  in  Dedhain,  Mass. 

One  of  the  paternal  great-grandmothers  of  Mr.  Clarke  was 
Elizabeth  Edwards,  second  daughter  of  Kev.  Timoth}'  Edwards, 
of  Windsor,  Conn.,  who  married  Colonel  Jabez  Huntington;  and 
one  of  his  maternal  great-grandmothers  was  Abigail  Edwards, 
sixth  daughter  of  Kev.  Timothy  Edwards,  who  married  William 
Metcalf;   both  sisters  of  President  Jonathan  Edwards. 

In  the  year  180.5,  Mr.  Clarke  emigrated  with  his  parents  to 
Onondaga  County,  arriving  at  Pompey  Hill  Nov.  2,  where  they 
occupied  the  "  Squire  Wood  House."  The  next  year  they  moved 
on  a  farm  lying  ten  miles  east  of  the  hill.  Mr.  Clarke's  early 
educational  opportunities  were  quite  fair,  and  he  improved  them 
to  the  utmost.  In  1815  he  obtained  a  clerkship  in  Col.  Camp's 
store,  at  Trumaiisburg,  N.  Y.,  whose  confidence  in  him  was  so 
great  that  he  often  intrusted  him  with  the  execution  of  very  difB- 
cult  duties.  He  then  went  to  Ithaca,  and  engaged  as  clerk  until 
Jan.  1,  1819,  when  he  returned  home,  and  pursued  his  studies  at 
the  Pompey  academy.  Some  time  later  he  made  a  trip  to  Kentucky, 
where  he  experienced  religion,  and  united  with  the  Concord  Pres- 
byterian church,  Nichols  county,  in  April,  1827.  He  taught  school 
most  of  the  time  while  there. 

In  April,  18i!8,  he  returned  to  Pompey,  traveling  a  distance  of 
700  miles.  In  the  year  1829  he  was  elected  school  commissioner 
of  the  town  of  Pompej-  by  the  anti-Masonic  party.  The  winters 
of  1880,  1831,  and  1831!  were  spent  in  teaching  the  district  schools 
of  Lafayette  Square,  Camillus  Village,  and  Pompey  Centre. 

From  the  spring  of  1832  to  1837  he  was  employed  in  mercantile 
houses  at  Manlius,  principally  that  of  Messrs.  E.  &  H.  Rhodes. 
While  there  he  became  acquainted  with  Clara  Catlin  Tyler,  whom 
he  married  June  7,  1836,  at  Harford,  Pa.,  where  she  was  born 


to -Ce(  ^r~€^      S-    Q)/Ciyy  K- 


April  9,  1810.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  Tyler,  of  Harford,  son 
of  Deacon  John  Tyler,  of  Ararat,  Pa.  ;  son  of  Capt.  John  Tyler, 
of  Attleboro,  Mass.  ;  son  of  Ebenezer  Tyler,  of  Attleboro,  Mass.  ; 
son  of  Samuel  Tyler,  of  Mendon,  Mass.;  son  of  Job  Tyler,  the 
emigrant  ancestor,  who  was  born  in  1019,  and  came  to  America, 
and  settled  in  Andover,  Mass.,  about  1640. 

By  her  paternal  grandmother  she  is  de.scended,  in  the  eighth 
generation,  from  Eev.  Peter  Thacher,  of  Salisbury,  England, 
rector  of  Saint  Edmond's,  in  that  city.  His  son.  Rev.  Thomas 
Thacher,  came  to  America  in  103.5,  and  became  the  first  minister 
of  the  old  South  church,  Boston.  Mrs.  Clarke's  mother  was  Polly 
Wadsworth,  daughter  of  Epaphrus  Wadsworth,  formerly  of 
Litchfield,  Conn.  In  this  line  she  is  descended,  in  the  seventh 
generation,  from  Hon.  William  Wadsworth,  who  emigrated  from 
England  in  1632,  and  settled  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  and  afterwards 
in  Hartford,  Conn. ;  also  from  his  son,  Capt.  Joseph  Wadsworth, 
of  "  Charter  Oak"  fame.  By  her  maternal  grandmother  she  is, 
in  the  eighth  generation,  from  Thomas  Catlin,  who  emigrated 
from  England,  or  Wales,  as  early  as  1644,  and  settled  in  Hartford, 
Conn.  The  Catlins  are  of  French  origin.  Mrs.  Clarke  received 
a  good  education,  and  was  preceptress  at  one  time  in  the  Cazeno- 
via  high  school,  and  also  in  the  Manlius  academy. 

In  1838,  Mr.  Clarke  was  appointed  deputy  county  clerk.  In 
1841  was  elected  clerk  of  Syracuse,  and  the  same  year  was  ap- 
pointed collector  by  the  board  of  trustees.  In  1843-44  was  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Clarke  &  Sloat,  in  the  marble  business. 
In  1850  became  a  co-partner  of  Lyman  Kingsly,  in  the  sash  and 
blind  business,  which  he  continued  three  years.  On  Jan.  1,  1869, 
was  appointed  chief  clerk  of  the  searching  department,  which 
position  he  held  ten  consecutive  years.  In  1806  he  purchased  a 
residence,  with  fourteen  acres  of  land,  in  Onondaga  Valley,  about 
two  and  a  half  miles  from  the  city  of  Syracuse,  whore  he  now 
resides.  His  son,  Henry  Wadsworth,  is  civil  engineer  and  sur- 
vevor  of  Syracuse,  born  in  Harford,  Susquehanna  Co.,  Pa.,  Nov. 
6, 'l837.  Frances  Amelia,  his  daughter,  was  born  in  Syracuse, 
Dec.  0,  1839,  and  now  lives  with  her  parents.  Mr.  Clarke  is  a 
man  of  excellent  habits,  neither  chewing  tobacco,  drinking  liquor, 
nor  smoking.  It  has  been  his  life's  aim  to  stop,  in  his  humble  way, 
the  spread  of  intemperance.  He  has  identiBed  himself  with  the 
great  moral  and  .social  ideas  of  his  time  in  every  way  that  he  has 
been  able.  In  all  the  many  and  intricate  offices  which  have  been 
intrusted  to  him,  he  has  invariably  discharged  their  duties  with 
ability  and  integrity.  He  is  still  enjoying  good  health,  and  is 
pa.ssing  away  his  declining  years  in  the  sweet  consciousness  of 
having  led  an  upright  and  consistent  life. 


rtiolc*.  b]r  N.  8.  Bowdiib,  Syraciuc. 


^  ^^n^cyfi^   *^    «^A.x^sLfi. 


ALBERT  G.  SALISBURY. 


The  subject  of  tliin  sketch  was  born  in  Woodstock,  Oneida 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  23,  1H13.  Hi'  wits  the  younj;ast  of  three 
HODS  of  Sylvester  Salisbury  and  Sarah  F.  Gleason,  both  of 
whom  wore  nalivf.s  of  Ma.s.f:ichu.<(!fts.  He  spent  his  cjirly  life 
auionj;  his  relatives,  liis  fatlier  liavinj;  died  wlien  he  was  only 
three  years  of  a^e.  At  about  the  a^e  of  seventeen  he  conceived 
the  idea  that  an  education  was  necessary  to  meet  the  future, 
and  rcKoiviKl  if  jKKwible  to  obtain  one.  Aei-ordiii^iy,  without 
means  jiecuniarily,  he  entered  the  academy  at  PouijH'y  Ifill, 
working  for  his  boanl.  llrre  his  time  was  a  constant  round  of 
activity,  but  he  advanced  so  ra]>idiy  in  his  studies,  both  at 
Fompey  and  White.-iborci,  that  he  was  enabled  afterwards  to 
engage  its  a  teacher  in  district  .schoiils.  Thus  he  nu't  the 
obitacles  80  common  to  self-made  men. 

About  the  year  1830  he  came  to  Syracuse,  opened  a  jirivale 
school,  subs4-(|uently  obtained  a  position  in  the  ]iulilie  sclustl, 
and  by  succi'ssive  gradations  he  ro.se  in  the  i-steem  of  the  people 
until,  uj)on  the  erection  of  the  village  of  Syracu.se  into  a  city, 
he  was  elected  as  the  first  superintendent  of  schools,  which 
office  he  enjoyed  for  .some  three  years,  and  suKmNpiently  held 
the  same  office  for  .several  terms,  and  either  ;ls  teacher  or  super- 
intendent was  connected  with  the  schools  of  the  city  until  18ti4, 
a  period  of  nearly  thirty  years.  In  this  labor  he  was  an  inde- 
fatigable worker,  possessing  marked  ability  as  an  instructor,  and 


more  than  ordinary  executive  ability,  and  many  of  the  business 
men  of  the  city  to-day  look  back  with  honor  to  the  faithful 
teacher  who  first  gave  them  an  insight  to  the  road  to  wealth  and 
prosperity.  In  the  year  lSt!4  he  entered  the  Army  of  the 
Rebellion  as  additional  paymaster  United  States  volunteers  for 
the  department  of  the  south,  with  the  title  of  major,  and  was 
mustered  out  a  brevet  colonel,  Oct.  21,  1807,  by  command  of 
General  Grant,  K.  D.  Townsend  being  jussisljint  adjutant-general. 

Returning  to  Syracuse,  he  received  the  appointment  of  warden 
and  agent  of  Auburn  prison,  which  position  he  held  for  one 
year  and  a  half,  and  until  the  change  of  the  State  administration. 
Returning  again  to  his  own  eily.  he  spent  the  balance  of  his  life 
mostly  in  ((uicl  at  home.  .^Ir.  Salisbury  was  identified  with  the 
Republican  party,  an  ardent  supporter  of  its  principles,  a  man 
of  a  retiring  nature,  never  .solicitous  of  publicity,  but  stood 
prominently  identified  with  every  good  work  and  cnt<'ry>ri8C 
tending  to  make  society  better.      lie  died  April  29,  1874. 

On  Oct.  12,  1842,  he  married  Miss  Sarah,  daughter  of  John 
Tallman  and  Clarissa  Vrooman,  of  Onondaga  County.  She 
was  born  Feb.  10,  1818,  and  still  survive-s  her  luLsband  at  the 
time  of  writing  this  sketch.  She  early  became  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  at  Castleton,  Ontario  county,  and  in 
1840,  coming  to  Syracuse,  united  with  the  Congregational 
church  of  this  city,  now  culled  Plymouth  church. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


149 


ino-  five  dollars  a  year,  a  boarding  house  ten  dollars, 
and  a  tavern  ten  dollars.  In  case  Mr.  Teall  failed 
to  exercise  the  rights  and  powers  granted  him  by 
this  act  within  one  year  from  the  date  thereof,  they 
were  to  revert  again  to  the  trustees  of  the  village  ; 
which  they  did,  and  were  again  conveyed  to  the  said 
Oliver  Teall,  his  heirs  and  assigns,  for  a  period  of 
thirty-five  years,  by  an  act  passed  April  22,  1834. 
(Laws,  1834,  Chap.  151.)  Nothing  was  further  done 
till  March  29,  1842,  at  which  time  an  amendment  to 
the  former  acts  was  passed,  (Laws  1842,  Chap.  108,) 
allowing  Mr.  Teall  to  charge  ten  dollars  a  year  for 
supplying  water  to  a  private  family,  twenty  dollars 
to  a  boarding  house,  and  forty  dollars  to  a  tavern  or 
hotel. 

Under  this  amendment  Mr.  Teall  began  the  con- 
struction of  his  water-works.  The  first  wooden 
pipes  or  pump  logs  were  laid  in  1842,  or  early  in 
1843,  and  brought  water  to  the  village  from  the 
springs  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  above  Lodi 
street,  on  Blocks  No.  404  and  No.  504.  Subse- 
quently Messrs.  Ira  Seymour  and  Aaron  Burt  were 
associated  with  Mr.  Teall  in  the  water-works,  the 
firm  being  Teall,  Seymour  and  Burt  till  1849,  or  till 
sometime  prior  to  the  formation  of  the  new  com- 
pany. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  1849,  the  present  Water- 
Works  Company  was  incorporated  by  special  act  of 
the  Legislature  under  the  name  and  style  of  the 
Syracuse  City  Water-Works  Company.  The  orig- 
inal incorporators  were  Oliver  Teall,  Ira  Seymour, 
John  Wilkinson,  Hamilton  White  and  Robert  Fur- 
man. 

The  act  of  incorporation  was  amended  April  8, 
1851,  (Laws  1851,  Chap.  104,)  requiring  the  Com- 
pany to  supply  water  on  certain  terms  to  the  Com- 
mon Council  of  the  city  for  extinguishing  fires  and 
other  purposes.  Again,  it  was  amended  March  22, 
1853,  (Laws,  1853,  Chap.  35,)  so  as  to  allow  the 
Company  to  increase  their  capital  stock  from  ^60,000 
to  such  an  amount  as  the  Directors  might  deem  ad- 
visable not  exceeding  $150,000,  such  increased 
stock  to  be  divided  into  shares  of  $$0  each.  The 
third  amendment,  passed  February  6,  1855,  (Laws 
1855,  Chap.  16,)  conferred  upon  the  Board  of  Di- 
rectors the  power  to  establish  rules  and  regulations 
for  the  use  of  water  from  their  works  so  as  to  pre- 
serve the  same  from  waste,  and  to  impose  such 
penalties  as  they  should  see  proper  for  the  violation 
of  said  rules  and  regulations,  not  exceeding  in  any 
case  the  sum  of  fifty  dollars.  Olher  amendments 
were  passed  in  1864,  1865,  and  1877. 

In  1849  the    Company  constructed  a  system  of 
water-works  described    as    follows :     The  springs 


in  the  valley  of  Furnace   Brook,  in  the   town  of 
Onondaga,  were  selected  for  the  supply  of  water. 
The  water  was  conducted  from   these  springs  by 
aqueducts  to  a  large  stone  well,  about  eighty  rods 
distant  from  each,  which  was  seventeen  feet  deep 
and  constructed  of  substantial  masonry.     The  well 
was  on  Lot  89,  in  the  town  of  Onondaga.     From 
this  well  there  was  a  main  culvert  or  aqueduct  laid 
towards  the  head  of  the  Cinder  Road  (West  Onon- 
daga street)  and   terminating  on   the  high  ground. 
The  length  of  this   aqueduct  was  about  a  mile,  and 
it  was  constructed  of  masonry  two  feet  square  in- 
side.    At  the  termination  was  a  large  open  reser- 
voir, capable  of  holding  3,000.000  gallons  of  water, 
from  which  the  water  was  conducted  down  the  hill 
through  brick  culverts  and  stoned  wells  to  a  point 
where  a  log  aqueduct  of  nine  inches  bore  conveyed 
it    through  Onondaga  street  to  Fayette  Park,  and 
thence  to  the  railroad  in  Lock  street,  where  it  con- 
nected with  the  aqueducts  before  laid. 

In  1853,  the  first  iron  pipe  was  laid— 852  rods, 
extending  to  Salina,  around  Fayette  Park  and  on 
James  street.  A  reservoir  of  107  feet  head  above 
the  Erie  Canal  at  Salina  street,  and  of  1,500,000 
gallons  capacity,  was  also  constructed  during  1853. 
This  large  reservoir  on  Onondaga  Hill  was  com- 
menced in  1862,  and  finished  in  1865.  During  this 
latter  year  an  additional  distributing  reservoir  was 
constructed  on  Lot  No.  89,  town  of  Onondaga. 

Without  attempting  to  follow  the  history  of  these 
works  more  in  detail,  we  may  say  that  the  Syracuse 
City  Water  Works  are  located  southwest  of  the 
city  in  the  town  of  Onondaga,  the  water  being  ob- 
tained from  Springs,  from  Furnace  Brook  and  from 
Onondaga  Creek.  The  main  reservoir  is  at  Onon- 
daga Hill,  covering  19  acres,  forty  feet  deep,  and 
fed  by  Furnace  Brook.  There  are  two  Distribut- 
ing Reservoirs— one  of  165  feet  head,  and  the 
other  of  107  feet  head,  above  the  level  of  the  canal 
at  Salina  street.  The  lower,  (107  feet  head) 
is  supplied  by  springs,  and  in  dry  weather  by 
water  pumped  from  Onondaga  Creek  at  the  Pump 
Works.  Two  pumps  are  employed,  viz  :  a  Holly 
Pump  of  3,000,000  gallons  capacity,  and  a  Worth- 
ington  Duplex  Engine  of  10,000,000  gallons  capac- 
ity daily.  These  pumps  are  connected  with  the 
reservoir  by  a  30-inch  cast  iron  pipe.  The  water 
reaches  the  city  by  gravity  pressure  the  mains 
connecting  with  the  reservoirs  being  respectively 
10  inches,  12  inches  and  24  inches  in  diameter. 
For  fire  purposes,  steam  engines  being  employed, 
the  water  is  supplied  by  hydrants  at  the  street 
corners,  and  in  some  instances  at  the  middle  of  the 
blocks. 


^liAjAl  uCnxt 


M*n^ 


'     SKETCH, 


JOHN  WILKINSON 

In  addition  to  the  casual  refere' 
to  the  life  and  services  ot    Mr.  \ 
nection  with  the  history  of  the  city  and  county  in 
which  he  took  so  early  an 
extended  memoir  would  . 
more  than  forty  years  ot  , 

Mr.  'A  .Ikinson  held  a  place  >  none  m  tht 

indiist'iai  and  social  devc'  his  city  and 

counTy,  and  has  left  behn  •int  proofs  ol 

his  ability  and  wisdom,  in  a  tamiiy  trained  to  lives 
of  li-  and  honor  ; .. 

slo'.  onestly  ;  in 

city,  .1':  1  in  many  enterpnst^s  to  which  he  gave  the 
first  impetus,  tending  to  ensure  the  prosp»=rity  of 
Syracuse. 

It  may  be  said  of  IdW  with  truth.  •  and 

and  tongue  and  pen  the 

service  of  the  city  he  i,.:.   ■■ 
create. 

He  was  the  fourth    in   ues(.eii 
Wilkinson  of  Harper' ■    .' '  ' 

Durham,  England.      I 

Lord  Fairfax,  leader  of  the  v  forces, 

wJiile  serving  his  King  v. 

•^afterwards  Duke  of  Ne      .  

battle  of  Marston  Moor.    His  estates  were  sequest- 
ered by  Parliament,  but  be  Ir 
Lord  Fairfax,  and  permitted  t^  „      .-  ' 
In  the  Register's  office  at  Durham  th' 
as  follows,  and  may  still  be  seen  .  "  .V 

in    Durham    1645-47.       La^'- 

Lanchester,  officer  in  arms,  w 

On  his  arrival  in  the  new  worla,  ham.g  Utile  in 


'  '.   settled  in  F  Island.      T'  -■ 

..   '•  First  ~ 

,     lie  year  il^- 
?  iV  ; «/  that  colony, 

was  Jo. 

kinson  mamcu   .. .^.^..      -■t-i 

His  fifth  child  was  Daniel  Wilkinson,  who  was  born 
June  8th,  1703,  in  the  town  of  Smithfield,  part  of 
of  the  present  city  of  Providence.  Daniel  Wilkin- 
son married  Abigail  Inman,  September  22,  1740. 
His  seventh  child  was  named  John  Wilkinson,  born 


Vr>,. 


/>  111  I  .;■,-  T    ■> 


old  wb- 


scot 

the   i'iack 
crueltie-- 
After  I,: 
pai. 
care  >.: 
years  i'; 
to  Trov 


■  ^cv        T,., •..■.,    Wilkinsu:;    married, 
leth     Tower,    whose 
o!  John  Hancock, 
son  was  not  seventeen  years 
arms  resounding  through  the 
ini.ounced    the  Revolution  which 
'       '     '  '■       ■•  :.      He 

iter  the 
n  of  In  e.     By 

1  in  the 
;    harbor, 
these  prisoners, 
'iose  decks 
.L ,  died  by 
■  ;    lays  by 
.   by   the 
onville. 
•ith  im- 
ter  the 
)rsome 
:moved 
lived  there  nine  yens,  and 
■'nciL    iic  iul^jectoi  this  sketch  was  born,  September 

In  February,  1799,  John  Wilkinson,  the  father, 
left  his  home  in  Troy,  to  create  '''  a  new 

one  in   the  then  wilderness  of  Cc ,.    York. 

He  performed  the  long  and  toilsome  joi.  ley  on 
-foot,  leading  a  cow.  ilis  wife  and  lit! le  ones,  to- 
gether with  all  his  bd  •  '  ■  1  :  nods,  rode  upon  a 
sledge  drawn  bv  a  At  a  sunnier 

season  he  h  nc  lovely  lake  of 

■"'    — :     ^  .nd  for  a  'arm  in 

from   its  shores. 
lb  ;o  work  hterally  t!' hew  a 

as  it  proved,  ;;  grave 

.ss   than  if'.-,  years, 

.;ivcd  while  building  a  barn.     He 

..;  u.i  iiis  farm  which  still  rer;  :">  in  the 

•n  a  loe  house,  in  the  nmUt  of  ?      "^at  forest 

Until 

.,        .  oltaneateles. 

s  mother,  not  daunti  a  by  the  additional 
buraen  entailed  upon  herself  in  her  struggle  with 
the  wilderness  for  the  support  of  four  children,  by 
the  loss  of  her  son's  help  upon  the  farm,  or  by  the 
expense  incident  to  the  scheme,  determined  to  give 
him  the  best  education  the  country  afforded  and  to 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH, 


JOHN  WILKINSON. 

In  addition  to  the  casual  references  already  made 
to  the  life  and  services  of  Mr.  Wilkinson,  in  con- 
nection with  the  history  of  the  city  and  county  in 
which  he  took  so  early  and  important  a  part,  a  more 
extended  memoir  would  seem  to  be  necessary.  For 
more  than  forty  years  of  active  and  professional  life, 
Mr.  Wilkinson  held  a  place  second  to  none  in  the 
industrial  and  social  development  of  his  city  and 
county,  and  has  left  behind  him  abundant  proofs  of 
his  ability  and  wisdom,  in  a  family  trained  to  lives 
of  usefulness  and  honor  ;  a  large  fortune  accumulated 
slowly  and  honestly  ;  in  buildings  which  adorn  his 
city,  and  in  many  enterprises  to  which  he  gave  the 
first  impetus,  tending  to  ensure  the  prosperity  of 
Syracuse. 

It  may  be  said  of  him  with  truth,  that  his  hand 
and  tongue  and  pen  and  pocket  were  always  at  the 
service  of  the  city  he  named,  loved  and  helped  to 
create. 

He  was  the  fourth  in  descent  from  Lawrance 
Wilkinson  of  Harperly  House,  Lanchester,  County 
Durham,  England.  This  ancestor  was  captured  by 
Lord  Fairfax,  leader  of  the  Parliamentary  forces, 
while  serving  his  King  under  General  Cavendish, 
(afterwards  Duke  of  New  Castle)  at  the  decisive 
battle  of  Marston  Moor.  His  estates  were  sequest- 
ered by  Parliament,  but  he  himself  was  released  by 
Lord  Fairfax,  and  permitted  to  go  to  New  England. 
In  the  Register's  office  at  Durham  the  record  reads 
as  follows,  and  may  still  be  seen  :  "  Sequestrations 
in  Durham  1645-47.  Lawrance  Wilkinson  of 
Lanchester,  officer  in  arms,  went  to  New  England." 

On  his  arrival  in  the  new  world,  having  little  in 
common  with  the  Puritans  of  Massachusetts  Bay, 
by  whose  party  he  had  been  ruined  and  expatriated, 
he  settled  in  Providence,  Rhode  Island.  There 
his  name  may  still  be  seen  in  the  "  First  Book  of 
Records"  as  signed  by  himself  in  the  year  i6so-'5i, 
as  one  of  the  original  founders  of  that  colony. 

He  married  Susannah  Smith.  His  third  child 
was  John  Wilkinson,  born  March  2, 1654.  John  Wil- 
kinson married  Deborah  Whipple,  April  16,  1689. 
His  fifth  child  was  Daniel  Wilkinson,  who  was  born 
June  8th,  1703,  in  the  town  of  Smithfield,  part  of 
of  the  present  city  of  Providence.  Daniel  Wilkin- 
son married  Abigail  Inman,  September  22,  1740. 
His  seventh  child  was  named  John  Wilkinson,  born 


November  13,  1758.  John  Wilkinson  married, 
December  — ,  1782,  Elizabeth  Tower,  whose 
mother  was  a  cousin  of  John  Hancock. 

This  John  Wilkinson  was  not  seventeen  years 
old  when  the  clash  of  arms  resounding  through  the 
civilized  world,  announced  the  Revolution  which 
preceded  the  birth  of  the  new  Republic.  He 
entered  the  service  of  his  country  soon  after  the 
signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  By 
the  fate  of  war  he  was  captured  and  confined  in  the 
notorious  Jersey  Prison  Ship  in  New  York  Harbor, 
The  records  of  the  sufferings  of  these  prisoners, 
who  were  densely  crowded  between  the  close  decks 
and  even  in  the  noisome  hold,  where  they  died  by 
scores,  have  only  been  surpassed  in  former  days  by 
the  Black  Hole  of  Calcutta,  and  later,  by  the 
cruelties  of  Libby  Prison  and  Andersonville. 
After  nine  months  he  was  exchanged,  but  with  im- 
paired health,  which  was  only  restored  after  the 
care  of  years.  After  his  marriage  he  lived  for  some 
years  in  Cumberland,  R.  I.  In  1790  he  removed 
to  Troy,  N.  Y.  He  lived  there  nine  years,  and 
there  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born,  September 
30,  1798. 

In  February,  1799,  John  Wilkinson,  the  father, 
left  his  home  in  Troy,  to  create  for  himself  a  new 
one  in  the  then  wilderness  of  Central  New  York. 
He  performed  the  long  and  toilsome  journey  on 
foot,  leading  a  cow.  His  wife  and  little  ones,  to- 
gether with  all  his  household  goods,  rode  upon  a 
sledge  drawn  by  a  yoke  of  oxen.  At  a  sunnier 
season  he  had  been  attracted  by  the  lovely  lake  of 
Skaneateles  and  had  selected  the  land  for  a  farm  in 
the  midst  of  the  forest  one  mile  from  its  shores. 
Thither  he  came,  and  set  to  work  literally  to  hew  a 
home  for  his  family,  and  also,  as  it  proved,  a  grave 
for  himself;  for  he  died  in  less  than  three  years, 
from  injuries  received  while  building  a  barn.  He 
was  buried  on  his  farm  which  still  remains  in  the 
family. 

Here  in  a  log  house,  in  the  midst  of  a  great  forest 
filled  with  game,  John  Wilkinson  grew  up.  Until 
the  age  of  twelve  he  went  to  school  at  Skaneateles. 
Then  his  mother,  not  daunted  by  the  additional 
burden  entailed  upon  herself  in  her  struggle  with 
the  wilderness  for  the  support  of  four  children,  by 
the  loss  of  her  son's  help  upon  the  farm,  or  by  the 
expense  incident  to  the  scheme,  determined  to  give 
him  the  best  education  the  country  afibrded  and  to 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


send  him  to  the  Academy  at  Onondaga.  It  was  the 
nearest  classical  school,  but  it  was  thirteen  miles 
from  his  home.  With  a  perseverance  and  energy 
worthy  of  such  a  mother,  he  every  week  performed 
this  distance  on  foot,  walking  over  every  Monday 
morning  and  returning  Friday  night  to  spend  Sun- 
day with  his  mother.  Part  of  the  time  he  was 
accompanied  by  the  late  Hon.  Asher  Tyler,  of 
Elmira,  whose  parents  resided  in  the  adjoining  town 
of  Marcellus.  One  winter,  he,  with  three  other 
boys,  kept  house  in  Onondaga.  The  supplies  of 
corn  meal,  pork  and  potatoes,  were  provided  by 
each  in  turn,  and  his  share  was  carried  on  his  back 
all  the  toilsome  thirteen  miles  which  lay  between 
his  home  and  school. 

While  pursuing  his  studies  in  this  arduous 
fashion,  he  attracted  the  notice  of  the  Hon.  Joshua 
Forman,  then  the  great  man  of  the  county,  and  the 
principal  patron  of  the  Academy,  and  after  he 
graduated  he  became  Mr.  Forman's  clerk,  and  a 
member  in  his  family.  In  the  law  office  of  Forman 
and  Sabin  he  studied  his  profession.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  September,  1819,  and  was 
the  first  lawyer  who  settled  in  Syracuse. 

It  will  not  be  inappropriate  to  quote  in  this  con- 
nection an  extract  from  the  "  Reminiscences  of 
Syracuse,   by    Mr.    T.    C.    Cheney,    published    in 

1857: 

"In  1819,  John  Wilkinson,  in  company  with 
Owen  Forman,  a  brother  of  the  Judge,  came  here 
from  Onondaga  Hollow,  and,  under  the  direction  of 
Judge  Forman,  proceeded  to  layout  the  'Walton 
Tract '  into  village  lots.  This  survey  was  not 
accomplished  without  the  severest  labor.  The  old 
lines  and  marks  of  the  tract  were  nearly  obliterated, 
and  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  they 
found,  with  any  degree  of  certainty,  the  starting 
point  of  the  original  survey.  The  survey  was  com- 
pleted after  several  weeks  of  hard  labor.  Part  of 
the  'Walton  Tract'  was  laid  out  into  village  lots, 
and  the  remainder  into  farm  lots  of  from  five  to  ten 
acres.  After  the  completion  of  the  survey,  Mr. 
Wilkinson  built  an  office  on  the  corner  now  occu- 
pied by  the  Globe  Hotel,  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  law.  Mr.  Wilkinson  was  heartily 
ridiculed  for  putting  his  office  out  in  the  fields. 
That  location,  now  forming  the  business  center  of 
a  flourishing  city,  was  then  out  of  town. 

"  In  February,  1820,  a  postoffice  was  established 
in  Syracuse,  and  Mr.  Wilkinson  was  appointed 
Postmaster.  In  1825,  when  the  first  election  for 
village  officers  was  held,  Mr  Wilkinson  was  elected 
Clerk.  Mr.  Wilkinson  has  since  held  several  offices 
of    profit  and  trust,  with   honor    and   distinction. 


When  railroads  were  first  successfully  put  in  opera- 
tion, Mr.  Wilkinson  closely  investigated  their  work- 
ings and  principles,  and  his  gigantic  mind  compre- 
hending in  an  instant  their  immense  advantages, 
and  ultimate  supercedence  of  the  common  post- 
roads,  he  entered  at  once  largely  into  railroad  aflairs, 
and  is  now  emphatically  a  Railroad  King. 

"  He  was  for  several  years  President  of  the 
Syracuse  and  Utica  Railroad,  and  by  his  influence 
succeeded  in  having  the  work-shops  of  that  road 
built  at  Syracuse,  thus  adding  the  hardy  popula- 
tion of  the  Fifth  Ward  to  our  city.  He  is  now  the 
President  of  the  Michigan  Southern  Railroad,  and 
under  his  skillful  management  that  road  is  now  one 
of  the  best  in  the  Union.  Mr.  Wilkinson  is  a 
great  favorite  with  the  traveling  public,  and  is  loved 
and  respected  by  all  railroad  men,  who  would  do 
anything  for  him." 

As  a  lawyer,  Mr.  Wilkinson  occupied  a  promi- 
nent place  at  the  Onondaga  Bar.  The  late  Peter 
Cutwater,  Esq.,  was  associated  with  him  for  many 
years,  and  later,  James  L.  Bagg,  Esq  As  counsel 
and  advisor  he  had  few  equals  and  no  superior. 

The  general  estimate  of  his  probity  and  wisdom 
was  abundantly  proved  by  the  number  of  estates 
entrusted  to  him  as  executor,  administrator,  or  trus- 
tee. In  his  later  years,  he  derived  much  satisfac- 
tion from  the  fact  that  all  trust  funds  committed  to 
him  had  been  increased  in  amount  and  enhanced 
in  value  while  in  his  hands. 

Mr.  Wilkinson  was  a  director  in  the  Onondaga 
County  Bank  from  its  organization  in  1825,  until  its 
close.  He  was  also  President  of  the  Bank  of  Syra- 
cuse, which  he,  together  with  the  late  Horace  White, 
Esq.,  organized  in  1838,  on  the  passage  of  the  gen- 
eral Banking  Law,  and  so  continued  till  his  death. 
Both  of  these  banks  were  managed  with  prudence 
and  were  exceedingly  profitable  to  their  stock-hold- 
ers. Both  have  now  been  closed,  all  the  men  who 
organized  them  having  passed  away. 

At  Albany,  February  24,  1825,  John  Wilkinson 
married  Henrietta  Wilhelmina  Swart.  Of  eight 
children  born  to  them,  six  are  now  living.  Joshua 
Forman  and  Alfred  Wilkinson  are  in  business  un- 
der the  firm  name  of  Wilkinson  &  Co.,  as  bankers, 
on  the  site  where  their  father's  office  stood  and 
where  they  were  born  A  rare  instance  of  perma- 
nence in  our  mobile  country.  Maria  H.  Wilkinson 
married  Mr,  F.  C,  Welsch,  and  lives  in  Baden-Baden, 
Germany.  Theodosia  Burr  Davis  Wilkinson  mar- 
ried Joseph  Kirkland,  and  lives  in  Chicago.  John 
and  Dudley  Phelps  Wilkinson  live  in  Chicago,  and 
are  among  the  leading  merchants  of  that  city. 
Mr.   Wilkinson   was  appointed  Postmaster  Feb. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


24,   1820,  which  was   announced  in   the  Onondaga 
Register,  as  follows  : 

"  A  new  Postoffice  has  been  established  at 
Syracuse  formerly  Corinth,  in  the  town  of  Salina, 
and  John  Wilkinson,  Esq.,  appointed  Postmaster. 
The  name  of  this  village  was  necessarily  changed, 
there  being  a  Postoffice  of  the  name  of  Corinth 
previously  established  in  the  State." 

Mr.  Wilkinson  remained  in  office  till  July  26, 
1840,  when,  as  President  of  the  Syracuse  and  Utica 
Railroad  Company,  which  was  carrying  the  mails, 
he  was  held  by  the  Postmaster-General  to  be  a 
contractor  within  the  meaning  of  the  statute,  and 
was  therefore  compelled  to  resign  one  office  or 
the  other.  With  that  wisdom  which  characterized 
every  action  of  his  life,  he  gave  up  the  postoffice, 
and  permanently  retired  from  active  politics. 

In  1834  and  1835  he  was  elected  Member  of 
Assembly  from  Onondaga  County,  and  occupied, 
while  in  that  body,  the  position  of  Chairman  of  an 
important  committee,  viz.:  On  the  Incorporation 
and  Alteiation  of  Banking  and  Insurance  Com- 
panies. 

Though  an  able  debater,  he  never  wasted  time 
in  forensic  display,  but  spoke  rarely  and  only  upon 
business  in  his  charge,  or  on  that  of  which  he  was 
complete  master.  Therefore  he  never  failed  to 
command  the  attention  of  the  House. 

His  great  effort  was  a  speech  delivered  April  2, 
1835,  in  opposition  to  the  State  aiding  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  Erie  Railroad.  What  Mr.  Wilkin- 
son then  enunciated  as  a  principle  is  now  the  settled 
policy  of  the  State. 

It  was  during  his  second  year  that  the  bill  was 
passed  which  changed  his  life  from  one  purely  pro- 
fessional to  one  of  active  business.  In  1836  the 
Syracuse  and  Utica  Railroad  Company  was  char- 
tered. In  the  following  year,  when  its  organization 
was  completed  and  the  construction  of  that  road  be- 
came assured,  he  was  unanimously  chosen  by  his 
associate  directors  as  President.  The  road  was 
opened  July  4,  1839.  The  fact  that  it  was  built  for 
$200,000  less  than  the  capital  stock  subscribed  for 
the  purpose  of  building  it,  is  a  striking  commentary 
upon  the  capacity  and  integrity  of  Mr.  Wilkinson. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  from  that  hour  till  1853, 
when  the  road  was  merged  into  the  great  New  York 
Central  Railroad,  he  had  the  absolute  confidence  of 
the  stockholders. 

His  management  of  a  railroad  was  characterized 
by  great  study,  unremitting  attention,  untiring  vigi- 
lance and  a  watchful  eye  which  nothing  could  es- 
cape. He  made  this  railroad  his  sole  care  and 
thought  and  gave  to  it  the  fourteen  best  years  of  his 


life.  Personally,  in  common  with  all  of  the  stock- 
holders, he  received  his  reward  in  large  dividends, 
and  in  the  enhanced  value  of  his  stock,  but  his 
salary  as  President  never  paid  his  family  and  per- 
sonal expenses. 

After  the  organization  of  the  New  York  Central 
Railroad,  he  was  appointed  counsel  to  that  company, 
a  compliment  which  he  richly  deserved  both  as  a 
lawyer  and  a  railroad  man. 

While  President  of  the  Syracuse  and  Utica  Rail- 
road he  was  also  prominent  in  the  direction  of  the 
following  railroads,  viz:  the  Hudson  River,  the  Buf- 
falo and  State  Line,  the  Oswego  and  Syracuse,  and 
the  Rochester  and  Syracuse.  The  two  railroads  last 
named  he  projected,  organized,  and  may  be  said  to 
have  built,  as  he  was  the  Chairman  of  their  Con- 
struction Committees. 

Rival  lines  being  under  construction  for  the  pur- 
pose of  connecting  the  granaries  of  the  West  with 
the  sea-board,  Mr.  Wilkinson  felt  the  keenest  anx- 
iety lest  business  should  be  diverted  from  the  line 
in  which  he  had  a  much  greater  interest  than  one 
of  dollars  solely— a  line  of  which  he  had  been  a 
projector,  constructor  and  manager,  and  he  recog- 
nized the  necessity  of  so  improving  the  line  from 
Albany  to  Buflalo,  then  managed  by  seven  different 
companies,  as  to  enable  it  to  compete  successfully 
with  its  future  rivals.  He  found  that  the  line  be- 
tween Syracuse  and  Rochester  could  be  shortened 
twenty-four  miles  and  six  hundred  feet  of  grades 
could  be  eliminated  by  building  a  railroad  on  the 
line  of  the  Erie  Canal.  This  project  of  course  en- 
countered the  most  vigorous  opposition  from  the 
residents  of  Auburn,  Geneva,  Canandaigua,  and 
lesser  places  on  the  Old  Road,  as  well  as  from  the 
stockholders  of  the  two  companies  owning  the  line 
via  Auburn.  Their  opposition  ceased  when  they 
became  convinced  that  Mr.  Wilkinson  was  in  earn- 
est, and  that  under  the  general  railroad  law,  ad- 
vocated by  him  for  this  very  purpose,  a  direct  rail- 
road between  Syracuse  and  Rochester  was  inevita- 
ble. The  two  companies  then  accepted  Mr.  Wil- 
kinson's plan  of  consolidation  with  the  Direct 
Railroad— the  consolidated  company  to  build  the 
new  road. 

The  consolidation  of  all  the  railroad  companies 
between  Albany  and  Buffalo  into  the  great  New 
York  Central  R.  R.  Company,  closed  one  epoch  in 
Mr.  Wilkinson's  active  and  useful  career ;  and  before 
turning  to  other  occupations,  he  resolved  to  allow 
himself  that  rest  which  he  had  so  richly  earned. 
To  visit  Europe  had  been  a  long  cherished  hope, 
and  he  availed  himself  of  this  opportunity  to  bring 
it  to  fruition.     After  a  ycnr  of  tr.ivcl.  all  the  advan- 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


tages  of  which  his  disciplined  and  wcll-slorcd  mind 
fitted  him  to  appreciate,  he  returned  to  his  country 
and  his  home  in  the  spring  of  1854,  ready  to  spend 
for  both,  his  renewed  strength. 

Among  other  positions  tendered  him  was  the 
presidency  of  the  Michigan  Southern  and  Northern 
Indiana  Railroad,  which  he  accepted.  He  filled 
this  office  with  his  characteristic  fidelity  and  ability 
for  two  years.  During  that  time  he  built  nearly 
two  hundred  miles  of  railroad,  including  the  Detroit, 
Monroe  and  Toledo  Railroad. 

In  the  last  years  of  his  life,  he  operated  theTerre 
Haute,  Alton  &  St.  Louis  Railroad,  in  his  own 
name  for  two  years  as  Trustee  and  Receiver.  He 
returned  it  to  its  owners  a  reorganized  Railroad,  all 
interests  having  been  protected  and  cared  for.  His 
management  in  this  instance  was  acknowledged  to 
be  a  great  financial  success. 

After  the  death  of  Capt.  Oliver  Teall,  he  became 
President  of  the  Syracuse  Water-Works.  He 
adopted  the  plan  for  collecting  the  water  from 
sprmgs  and  small  streams  into  a  reservoir.  Few 
people  in  Syracuse  know  that  five  hundred  feet  above 
them,  on  Onondaga  Hill,  there  is  stored  up  for  their 
use  in  Wilkinson  Lake  150,000.000  gallons  of  water, 
or  forty-three  days'  supply,  at  the  present  rate  of 
consumption. 

Mr.  Wilkinson  was  engaged  upon  this  work  at 
the  time  of  his  sudden  death.  His  plan  embraced 
the  construction  of  other  reservoirs  when  they 
should  become  necessary. 

The  water-works  company  have  since  tried  two 
systems  of  pumping,  and  are  now  contemplating 
the  rcadoption  of  what  may  be  called  the  Wilkinson 
plan  by  the  construction  of  another  reservoir  to 
hold  300,000,000  gallons.  If  this  should  be  done, 
it  will  confirm  the  wisdom  of  his  judgment.    For  this 


projected  reservoir  an  appropriate  name  suggests 
itself  It  should  be  called  Forman  Lake,  in  honor 
of  Joshua  Forman. 

In  Mr.  Wilkinson's  life  he  showed  a  solicitude  that 
was  almost  pathetic  that  young  people  should  start 
right,  and  he  was  never  in  their  company  without 
trying  to  give  help  in  the  right  direction.  It  pained 
him  to  see  them  treat  lightly  the  great  advantages 
of  later  times,  doubtless  remembering  the  many 
weary  miles  he  had  walked  to  attain  his  education  ; 
and  if,  as  the  old  Hindoo  said,  "  Man  is  man's 
mirror,"  we  do  well  to  hold  up  the  mirror  of  Mr. 
Wilkinson's  life  to  young  men  just  entering  on 
their  career,  that  in  it  they  may  see  the  rewards 
which  wait  on  industry,  integrity  and  zeal. 

His  noble  mother,  believing  that  knowledge  is 
power,  resolved  that  he  should  possess  the  key  to 
unlock  its  treasure-house,  and  gave  him,  as  we  have 
seen,  the  best  education  in  her  power,  at  how  great 
self-sacrifice  no  one  but  herself  ever  knew.  Her 
wisdom  it  was,  that  laid  the  foundation  of  his  suc- 
cess and  she  was  rewarded  by  living  to  witness  it. 

From  the  age  of  sixteen  he  fought  the  battle  of 
life  unaided,  his  only  weapons  the  perseverance 
and  determination  which  he  had  learned  amid  the 
privations  of  pioneer  life. 

Never  was  the  promise  better  exemplified.  "  Be 
faithful  over  a  few  things  and  I  will  make  thee 
ruler  over  many  things."  With  care  and  fidelity 
he,  in  his  youth,  had  discharged  every  duty  which 
devolved  upon  him  and  gained  the  confidence  of  the 
community  in  which  he  lived,  until  at  last  they 
were  eager  to  thrust  their  most  precious  possessions 
upon  him  for  safe  keeping. 

Perhaps  the  best  eulogy  upon  him  is  the  simple 
testimony  of  a  neighbor— a  life-long  friend  and 
staunch  supporter  :     "  He  was  an  honest  man." 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


iSi 


Miles  W.  Bennett,  Horace  Wheaton,  Thomas  J. 
Gilbert,  Elihu  L.  Phillips  and  Aaron  Burt,  were 
citizens  of  Syracuse  and  Onondaga  County  ;  the 
rest  were  Utica  and  Albany  men. 

The  Syracuse  and  Utica  Railroad  Company  were 
required  by  law  to  pay  to  the  President  and  Direc- 
tors of  the  Seneca  Road  Company  the  amount  of 
damages  which  the  said  road  company  might  sus- 
tain by  the  construction  of  the  railroad,  and  also 
to  pay  toll  to  the  Canal  Commissioners  on  all 
freight,  other  than  the  regular  baggage  of  passen- 
gers, carried  by  the  railroad  during  the  season  of 
canal  navigation.  The  Schenectady  and  Utica  Rail- 
road was  absolutely  prohibited  in  its  original  charter 
from  carrying  any  freight.  This  prohibition  was  re- 
moved by  act  of  March  7,  1844,  and  the  Schenectady 
and  Utica  Road  was  allowed  to  carry  freight  during 
the  suspension  of  canal  navigation  by  paying  the  canal 
commissioners  such  tolls  as  would  have  been  paid 
on  the  goods  had  they  been  transported  by  the  Erie 
Canal.  This  opened  all  the  roads  to  freight  through 
to  Buffalo,  subject  to  the  same  conditions  as  those 
imposed  upon  the  Schenectady  and  Utica  Railroad. 

Prior  to  the  removal  of  the  prohibition  on  the 
Schenectady  and  Utica  Railroad,  freights  had  been 
to  some  extent  carried  through  from  Schenectady  to 
Utica  on  sleighs  in  winter,  and  transferred  to  other 
points  west  of  Utica  by  rail  ;  but  very  Httle  freight 
reached  Syracuse  by  the  Utica  Railroad  till  after 
March  7,  1844. 

Oliver  H.  Lee,  of  Syracuse,  was  the  engineer  in 
the  construction  of  the  Syracuse  and  Utica  Railroad, 
and  was  appointed  the  first  Superintendent.  The 
original  board  of  directors  consisted  of  the  following 
named  gentlemen  : 

John  Wilkinson,  President. 

Charles  Stebbins,  Vice-President. 

Vivus  W.  Smith,  Secretary. 

David  Wager,  Treasurer. 
Oliver  Teall, 
Aaron  Burt, 
Holmes  Hutchinson, 
John  Townsend, 

Samuel  French. 

Between  the  railroads  of  that  day  and  this,  and 
their  equipments,  there  is  a  marked  contrast.  The 
first  track  consisted  of  six-by-six  scantling,  fastened 
to  the  ties  by  L-shaped  chairs  placed  outside  the 
rail  and  spiked  to  it  and  the  tie  beneath.  Upon 
the  scantling,  parallel  with  the  inner  edge,  a  bar  of 
iron  two  inches  wide  and  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
thick  was  spiked.  Occasionally  a  bar-end  came 
loose  and  endangered  the  safety  of  passengers  by 
being  thrust  up  through  the  car-floor.     The  first 


Horatio  Seymour, 
James  Hooker, 
Irad  Hawley, 
John  Stryker, 


engines  were  single-drivers,  with  small  trail  wheels 
under  the  cab,  which  consisted  of  a  roof  hung 
around  with  oil  cloth  during  winter.  The  weight 
of  the  locomotive  was  from  four  to  six  tons.  The 
first  cars  had  four  wheels.  The  conductor  came 
along  outside  the  compartments,  which  had  two 
seats  each,  and  collected  the  fare.  In  1843,  the 
cars  had  no  projection  over  the  platforms,  and  were 
low  and  ill-ventilated.  It  was  quite  a  step  in  ad- 
vance when  locomotives  with  four-drivers  were 
placed  upon  the  road,  but  even  then  there  were  no 
pilots  ;  some  had  two  splint  brooms  set  in  front  just 
in  position  to  clear  the  track,  and  others  flat  iron 
bars  bent  forward  and  sharpened  at  the  ends,  This 
was  the  "  cow-catcher."  In  winter  a  large  wooden 
plow  was  placed  in  front  of  the  engine.  The  first 
track  was  soon  superceded  by  an  eight-by-eight 
wooden  rail,  along  the  center  of  which  was  placed 
strap-iron  the  same  width  and  thickness  as  that  at 
first  used.  Iron  rails  were  supplied  in  1S41,  and 
steel  rails  in  1872, 

The  Syracuse  and  Utica  Railroad  was  opened  in 
1839. 

In  locating  the  depots  and  route  through  Syra- 
cuse, certain  conditions  were  required  of  the  com- 
pany by  a  resolution  prepared  by  Hon.  E.  W. 
Leavenworth,  President  of  the  village,  and  offered 
to  the  Board  by  Captain  Putnam,  viz  :  that  the 
railroad  company  should  construct  a  sewer  along 
the  track  on  Washington  street  from  the  stream 
known  as  Yellow  Brook  to  Onondaga  Creek,  and 
should  plant  trees  along  both  sides  of  Washington 
street  as  far  east  as  Beech  street.  These  con- 
ditions were  performed  by  the  company.  The  rows 
of  trees  now  standing  on  East  Washington  street 
are  those  planted  by  the  railroad  company,  and  they 
form  a  pleasant  and  agreeable  shade.  The  sewer 
constructed  by  the  railroad  company  was  the  first 
of  any  importance  in  the  village,  and  contributed 
largely  to  the  draining  of  the  swamp  between  Sa- 
lina  street  and  Lodi, 

The  company  was  also  required  to  purchase  cer- 
tain portions  of  the  blocks  on  each  side  of  the 
depot,  so  as  to  make  sufficient  space  for  the  building 
and  an  alley-way  along  side  of  it.  This  was  done, 
and  the  space  now  left  where  the  old  depot  was  lo- 
cated is  known  as  Vanderbilt  Square. 

Direct  Road. 
The  line  from  Syracuse  to  Rochester,  composed 
of  the  Auburn  and  Syracuse  and  the  Auburn  and 
Rochester  railroads,  was  104  miles  over  a  crooked 
route  with  heavy  grades.  In  1849  the  attention  of 
Mr.  John  Wilkinson  and  others  was  called  to  the 


152 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


necessity  of  constructing  a  more  direct  and  level 
railroad  between  Syracuse  and  Rochester,  and,  with 
that  object  in  view,  they  organized  the  Rochester 
and  Syracuse  Direct  Railroad  Company.  The  sur- 
veys were  made  by  O.  C.  Childs  and  showed  that  a 
level  railroad  could  be  constructed  twenty-two  miles 
shorter  than  the  old  line.  In  1S50  the  three  com- 
panies consolidated  under  the  name  of  the  Roches- 
ter and  Syracuse  Railroad  Company  and  the  Direct 
Road  was  built  in  the  ensuing  years  under  the  direc- 
tion of  James  Hall,  engineer,  and  opened  in  1853, 
at  the  same  time  of  the  general  consolidation  form- 
ing the  New  York  Central  Railroad. 

Oswego  and  Svkacuse  Railroad. 

The  Oswego  and  Syracuse  Railroad  Company 
was  formed  April  29,  1839,  and  the  route  was  sur- 
veyed during  the  summer  of  that  year.  The  Com- 
pany was  fully  organized  March  25,  1847,  with  the 
following  Board  of  Directors :  John  Wilkinson, 
Thomas  T.  Davis,  Allen  Munroe,  Horace  White, 
Syracuse  ;  F.  T.  Carrington,  Luther  Wright,  Syl- 
vester Doolittie,  Alvin  Bronson,  Oswego  ;  Holmes 
Hutchinson,  Alfred  Munson,  Thomas  F.  Fa.xton, 
Utica ;  Samuel  Willets,  New  York  ;  Rufus  King, 
Albany.  The  first  officers  were  :  Holmes  Hutch- 
inson, President ;  F.  T.  Carrington,  Secretary  ;  Lu- 
ther Wright,  Treasurer.  The  road  was  opened  in 
October,  1848.  It  is  thirty-five  and  a  half  miles 
in  length.  In  1872  it  came  under  the  management 
of  the  Delaware,  Lackasvanna  and  Western  Rail- 
road Company,  by  whom  it  is  still  operated. 

Syracuse,  Binghamton  and  New  York  Railroad. 

The  Syracuse  and  Binghamton  Railroad  Com- 
pany was  organized  August  13,  1S51,  under  the 
general  law  passed  in  1S50.  The  original  directors 
were,  Hamilton  Murray,  D.  C.  Littlejohn,  Os- 
wego ;  Horace  White,  James  R.  Lawrence,  Thomas 
B.  Fitch,  Syracuse  ;  Daniel  S.  Dickinson,  Hazard 
Lewis,  Binghamton  ;  Jedediah  Barber,  Israel  Boies, 
Homer ;  Alanson  Carley,  Marathon  ;  Henry 
Stevens,  Cortland  ;  John  B.  Rogers,  Chittenango 
Forks  ;  Robert  Dunlop,  Jamesville.  Henry 
Stevens,  President ;  Clinton  F.  Paige,  Secretary  ; 
Horace  White,  Treasurer  ;  W.  B.  Gilbert,  Superin- 
tendent and  Engineer  for  the  construction  of  the 
road.  The  road  was  opened  through,  October  23, 
1854.  It  was  sold  October  13,  1856,  on  fore- 
closure of  mortgage,  and  reorganized  April  30, 
1857,  under  the  title  of  the  Syracuse,  Binghamton 
and  New  York  Railroad,  its  present  title.  In  1858, 
the  company  was  authorized  to  purchase  the  Union 
Railroad  to  the  canal  at  Geddes.  The  length  of 
the  road  from  Geddes  to  Binghamton  is  81  miles. 


Under  the  second  organization,  Jacob  M.  Schem- 
erhorn  was  President,  and  Orrin  Welch,  Syracuse, 
Secretary.  Then  T.  B.  Fitch  was  President  till 
1871  ;  since  which  time  the  Presidency  has  been 
held  by  Samuel  Sloan  of  New  York. 

Through  a  controlling  interest  in  the  stock,  the 
road  came  under  the  management  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  and  Western  Railroad  Company  in 
December,  1870.  The  new  passenger  depot  at 
Syracuse  was  erected  in  1877. 

SvRACLSE,  Chenango  and  New  York  Railroad. 

The  original  incorporators  and  directors  of  this 
road  were  James  P.  Haskins,  Elisha  C.  Litchfield, 
Henry  TenEyck,  John  W.  Barker,  Dennis  McCar- 
thy, George  F.  Comstock,  Hiram  Eaton,  John  Green- 
way,  James  J.  Belden,  S.  D.  Luce,  J.  I.  Bradley, 
J.  M.  Wieting,  Alfred  A.  Howlett.  J.  M.  Wieting 
was  elected  President.  The  articles  of  association 
were  filed  April  16,  1868,  the  capital  stock  being 
S  1,000,000.  The  road  was  partly  opened  in  1872, 
and  finished  in  1874—  length  42  miles. 

Harlow  W.  Chittenden  succeeded  J.  M.  Wieting 
as  President.  The  present  officers  are  A.  A.  How- 
lett, President ;  Henry  TenEyck,  Vice-President ; 
J.  S.  Sherman,  Secretary. 

Syracuse  Northern  Railroad. 

This  road  was  chartered  in  1870  with  a  capital 
stock  of  $1,250,000.  The  directors  were  Allen 
Munroe,  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  E.  B.  Judson,  Patrick 
Lynch,  Frank  Hiscock,  John  A.  Green,  Jacob  S. 
Smith,  Horace  K.  White,  Elizur  Clark,  Gerret 
Doyle,  Syracuse  ;  William  H.  Carter,  Brewerton ; 
James  A.  Clark,  Pulaski  ;  Oren  R.  Earl,  Sandy 
Creek.  President,  Allen  Munroe  ;  Secretary,  Pat- 
rick H.  Agan ;  Treasurer,  Edward  B.  Judson ; 
Engineer,  A.  C.  Powell.  The  road  is  44  miles  to  its 
intersection  of  the  R.,  W.  &  O.  R.  R.,  and  was 
opened  Nov.  7,  1871.  It  was  purchased  by  the 
Rome,  Watertown  and  Ogdensburg  Railroad  Com- 
pany, by  which  corporation  it  is  now  managed,  in 
1875. 


PROGRESS  OF  EDUCATION. 
Early  Schools  of  Syracuse. 
The  progress  of  education  in  the  City  of  Syra- 
cuse forms  a  very  interesting  chapter  of  its  history. 
With  the  earliest  settlements  schools  began  to  be 
taught,  and  before  there  were  any  districts  or  pub- 
lic school  houses,  private  buildings  and  even  salt 
blocks  were  appropriated  to  the  uses  of  education. 
It  is  a  fact  which  speaks  well  for  the  old  "  Salt 
Pointers,"  that  their  whole  attention  was  not  ab- 


Residence  of  JOHN    MOORE, Jio]29WEST  Genesll  ST.SrftAcuse, NY 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


153 


sorbed  in  salt  making,  but  that  one  of  their  num- 
ber at  least,  a  Mr.  Conner,  could  divide  his  time 
between  this  occupation  and  the  instruction  of  the 
children  and  youth  of  the  new  settlement  in  useful 
knowledge.  Mr.  Conner  kept  the  earliest  school  of 
which  we  have  any  account  in  a  salt  block  at  Salina, 
and  at  the  same  time  carried  on  the  occupation  of 
boiling  salt.  He  made  his  school  a  very  useful  and 
popular  one,  securing  for  it  the  dignified  title  of  the 
"  High  School,"  and  it  was  well  patronized  by  the 
people  of  Salina  and  Onondaga  Hollow. 

The  first  public  school  within  the  present  limits 
of  Syracuse,  and  in  the  town  of  Salina,  was  proba- 
bly District  No.  i,  now  the  Salina  School,  situated 
in  the  First  Ward.  The  date  of  its  organization 
we  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain,  but  the  school 
house  was  built  in  1805.  It  was  commonly  known 
as  the  "old  red  school  house"  and  stood  on  what 
was  afterwards  the  southwest  corner  of  Washington 
Park.  When  first  built  it  was  on  a  line  parallel  with 
Park,  then  Salt  street,  and  fronted  to  the  east.  The 
seats  were  arranged  at  first  to  face  the  wall,  but  af- 
terwards to  face  the  teacher.  In  the  center  of  the 
room  stood  a  large  stove  elevated  upon  a  platform 
filled  with  sand.  Originally,  the  Park  was  a  com- 
mon, intersected  by  tenter  and  Salt  streets.  Near 
the  center  of  the  ground  was  a  deep  pond  which 
seemed  to  be  fed  by  a  living  spring.  Here  geese 
and  ducks  and  children  dabbled  in  summer,  while 
the  frozen  surface  in  winter  afforded  an  excellent 
skating  park.  In  1839,  the  school  house  was  taken 
down,  the  pond  filled  up  and  the  four  quarters  of 
the  Park  indicated  by  a  horizontal  guard.  In  1847 
the  present  fence  was  placed  around  it. 

Some  reminiscences  are  related  of  this  old  school 
house  worth  recording.  At  an  early  day  some 
rough  young  men  and  boys  were  taught  here. 
There  was  a  teacher  by  the  name  of  Isaac  Van- 
Tassel,  a  pious  man,  from  Onondaga  Hollow,  who 
was  determined  to  becomeaminister  and  had  asked 
the  Presbytery  to  educate  him,  but  they  had  refused 
to  do  so  on  account  of  a  certain  impediment  in  his 
speech.  However,  he  said  he  would  preach,  and 
finally  did  preach,  becoming  a  missionary  to  the 
Maumee  Indians.  Under  his  administration,  a 
plot  had  been  formed  to  resist  his  authority.  He 
had  punished  a  young  man  for  swearing.  This  led 
to  insurrection  and  revolt.  Five  or  six  banded  to- 
gether to  put  him  out  of  the  school.  He  had  some 
intimation  of  what  was  going  on,  and  as  he  left  the 
house  in  the  morning  he  said  to  Mrs.  Dioclesian 
Alvord,  with  whom  he  boarded  :  "  You  need  not  be 
surprised  to  see  me  home  earlier  than  usual,"  and 
then  explained  to  her  his  apprehensions.     He  left, 


and  upon  going  to  his  room  to  put  it  in  order,  she 
found  the  Bible  open  with  the  passage  marked  : 
"  Rid  me  and  deliver  me  from  the  hand  of  strange 
children."  His  prayer  was  answered.  At  noon 
he  informed  Mrs.  Alvord  that  Dean  Richmond, 
who  had  been  drawn  into  the  plot,  came  forward 
and  in  a  manly  way  confessed  and  apologized  for 
the  whole  transaction.  She  predicted  that  he 
would  come  to  something,  which  was  verified  in  the 
well  known  future  career  of  this  distinguished  poli- 
tician. Mr.  Van  Tassel,  also,  was  afterwards  a  suc- 
cessful missionary,  and  died  among  the  Maumee 
Indians  about  1847. 

Another  teacher  of  a  later  day  had  a  novel  mode 
of  punishment.  He  was  wont  to  take  out  his 
pen  knife  and  strop  it  vigorously,  and  then  ask  the 
delinquent  scholar  whether  he  would  be  bled  or 
be  struck  with  the  ruler.  Of  course,  each  fright- 
ened urchin  always  chose  the  latter.  This  was 
carried  on  successfully  for  sometime.  At  length  a 
brother  and  sister  put  their  heads  together  to  cir- 
cumvent the  wary  teacher.  Having  loitered  or 
been  detained  without  good  excuse,  and  anticipat- 
ing punishment,  the  sister  advised  the  brother  that 
when  called  up  and  the  usual  choice  submitted,  he 
should  say  he  preferred  to  be  bled.  The  pen-knife 
of  the  teacher  was  again  whetted  in  a  very  dramatic 
manner,  the  child's  sleeve  rolled  up  and  the  solemn 
question  put.  "  I  choose  to  be  bled,"  said  the  boy. 
This  answer  overturned  the  teacher's  gravity,  and 
he  let  the  boy  go. 

While  upon  this  subject  of  novel  punishments 
we  will  relate  another  instance.  It  is  said  of  a 
teacher  who  taught  a  select  school  not  far  distant, 
that  she  adopted  a  mode  of  punishment  still  more 
extraordinary  than  those  referred  to.  Her  method 
of  disgrace  was  nothing  so  common  as  a  dunce 
block  or  a  fool's  cap,  but  a  salt  barrel  pierced  with 
nails,  the  nails  pointing  inward.  Into  this  barrel 
the  refractory  child  was  put,  and  a  heavy  piece  of 
iron  from  the  stove  laid  over  the  top,  so  that  if  the 
little  offender  in  durance  vile  tried  to  resist,  he 
found,  like  the  Apostle,  that  it  was  hard  to  kick 
against  the  pricks. 

Within  the  memory  of  many  now  living  there 
was  but  one  school  house  in  the  village  of  Syracuse, 
that  was  a  low  square  frame  building,  with  a  roof 
resembling  an  inverted  mill-hopper,  standing  in  a 
pine  grove  on  the  north  side  of  Church  street,  upon 
the  lot  next  east  of  where  the  Northern  Railroad 
crosses.  The  site  is  occupied  by  a  brick  building 
which  was  afterwards  school  No.  4,  and  then  became 
a  church,  and  is  now  converted  into  a  blacksmith's 
shop.     This  was  the  first  school  house  built  in  the 


'54 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


village  of  Syracuse,  and  was  probably  erected  about 
1820.  For  a  number  of  years  it  was  used  as  a 
school  house,  meeting  house,  town  hall,  and  for 
almost  every  kind  of  a  public  gathering. 

In  the  winter  of  1821,  school  was  taught  here  by 
Hiram  A.  Deming,  who  is  now  book-keeper  in  Mr. 
Grecnway's  brewery.  Webster's  Spelling  Book, 
Daboll's  Arithmetic  and  Morse's  Geography  were 
then  the  principal  te.xt-books.  The  teacher 
"  boarded  round  "  among  his  patrons.  Blackboards, 
globes  and  other  apparatus  had  not  been  thought 
of,  and  the  young  idea  was  taught  to  shoot  without 
the  advantage  of  "grades"  and  "departments." 
The  family  of  Judge  Joshua  Forman,  including  the 
present  Mrs.  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  and  others  well 
known,  were  pupils  in  this  school  when  Mr.  Dem- 
ing taught  in  1821.  Mr.  Deming  was  born  in 
Stillwater.  Saratoga  County,  in  1779,  and  came  to 
Syracuse  in  1820.  He  is  a  remarkably  well  pre- 
served man  for  one  of  his  years,  being  almost  an 
octogenarian.  After  Mr.  Deming  the  school  was 
kept  a  while  by  William  K.  Blair,  now  residing  in 
the  Fourth  Ward  of  the  city. 

Welthia  Ann  Lathrop,  widow  of  the  late  Edward 
Alien,  Esq.,  of  Auburn,  taught  a  select  school  in  a 
building  furnished  by  Capt.  Joel  Cody,  in  the  rear  of 
the  present  First  Baptist  Church  for  many  years, 
beginning  in  1826.  Her  school  was  the  first  select 
school  taught  in  Syracuse. 

In  1830  a  Miss  Guthrie  taught  a  private  school 
in  a  building  then  called  the  "  Wheeler  House." 
It  stood  on  the  corner  of  Salina  and  Center  streets 
in  what  is  now  the  First  Ward. 

During  six  months  of  the  year  1835,  Hon.  Geo. 
F.  Comstock  taught  a  select  school  in  the  upper 
story  of  a  yellow  building  which  stood  on  the  site 
of  the  present  Bastable  Block.  The  Judge  was 
then  pursuing  his  law  studies  with  Messrs.  Noxon 
and  Leavenworth.  He  was  elected  Inspector  of 
Schools  for  the  town  of  Salina  in  1837. 

A  school  called  by  the  fanciful  name  cf  the  "  Sa- 
lina Institute "  was  established  in  the  village  of 
Salina  at  quite  an  early  day,  and  was  for  some  time 
a  popular  and  useful  sthool.  It  never  had  any  char- 
ter and  was  properly  only  a  select  school.  At  dif- 
ferent times  Mr.  Lcavitt,  D.  C.  LeRoy  and  Dr.  Jas. 
Forham  were  connected  with  it  as  teachers.  The 
building  occupied  by  this  school  is  still  standing,  on 
Turtle  street  between  Park  and  Salina  streets. 

A  young  ladies'  school  flourished  for  several  years 
on  the  site  of  the  present  Presbyterian  Church,  cor- 
ner of  Park  and  Prescott  streets. 

In  the  early  days  of  Syracuse  the  chief  select 
school   for  girls,   principally,  was   that   taught  by 


the  Misses  Chamberlain.  It  was  with  difficulty  that 
a  suitable  room  could  be  found  for  a  school,  and  Dr. 
Mather  Williams  erected  for  the  purpose  a  tempo, 
rary  frame  building  on  Water  street  near  the  corner 
of  Clinton,  which,  as  one  of  the  juvenile  attendants 
expressed  it,  "  was  without  any  lining,"  being  neither 
ceiled  nor  plastered.  Here  taught  Mrs.  Humphrey, 
a  niece  of  the  late  Holland  Johnson,  who  afterwards 
married  Mr.  Montgomery,  law  partner  of  Harvey 
Baldwin.  On  the  approach  of  cold  weather  this 
structure  proved  uncomfortably  airy,  and  Captain 
Putnam  finished  and  fitted  up  a  room  over  his  wood- 
house  on  Mongomery  street,  which  was  soon  dubbed 
"  Montgomery  Institute."  Among  the  teachers  here 
were  Miss  Richardson,  niece  of  Mrs.  Elam  Lyndes 
and  afterwards  wife  of  Zaccheus  Newcomb,  and  Miss 
Alexander,  sister  of  the  late  Mrs.  Harry  Alexander. 
Following  these  were  the  Misses  Newton,  from  Mas- 
sachusetts (afterwards  Mrs.  Volney  Cook  1  and  a  sis- 
ter of  Mrs.  Stevens,  whose  husband  was  the  first 
landlord  of  the  Globe  Hotel  ;  Miss  Fitch,  from 
Trumansburg  ;  Miss  Collins,  sister  of  Mrs.  Reuben 
L.  Hess,  and  assistants;  Miss  Laurie,  from  Whites- 
boro,  and  Miss  Gould,  from  South  Carolina.      ' 

At  this  period  the  standard  of  education  was  well 
advanced,  the  higher  mathematics,  French,  Latin, 
drawing,  painting  and  music  being  taught  in  Miss 
Collins'  school.  The  study  of  the  sciences  to  any 
extent  was,  at  a  later  day,  introduced  by  Miss 
Amelia  Bradbury,  who  numbered  among  her  pupils 
many  heads  of  prominent  families  now  living  in  the 
city,  who  cherish  gratefully  and  afiiectionately  the 
memory  of  her  conscientious,  tender  counsels,  and 
who  owe  to  her  advanced  views  of  education  the 
stimulus  towards  that  higher  culture  which  has 
fitted  them  to  adorn  responsible  positions  in  life, 
and  to  become  useful,  reliable  and  intelligent  women. 
The  school  of  Miss  Bradbury  was  located  on  Mont- 
gomery street.  Lot  8,  Block  113,  the  same  lot  on 
which  the  house  built  by  Horatio  N.  White  now 
stands. 

Miss  Emily  Chubbuck,  afterwards  Mrs.  Adoniram 
Judson,  wife  of  the  famous  missionary  to  Burmah, 
taught  a  select  school  at  one  time  in  a  small  build- 
ing which  stood  where  McCarthy,  Sons  it  Co.'s 
wholesale  store  now  stands,  on  the  corner  of  Wash- 
ington and  Clinton  streets. 

From  September,  1847,  to  June,  1861,  the  late 
Madame  A.  J.  Raoul,  one  of  our  old  inhabitants, 
taught  a  select  school  in  this  city.  She  was  an  ac- 
complished teacher  of  music  and  French  lessons, 
the  last  of  which  she  continued  to  give  to  a  few 
pupils  till  1872,  (she  died  in  1875,)  when  growing 
infirmities  brought  to  a  close  a  longer  term  of  years 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


155 


consecutively  devoted  to  teaching  trian  probably  has 
been  given  by  many  teachers  in  Syracuse. 

Syracuse  Academy. 

Through  the  exertions  of  Messrs.  Aaron  Burt, 
Harvey  Baldwin  and  Oliver  Teall,  who  owned  a 
large  tract  of  land  in  the  locality,  a  charter  was  ob- 
tained for  the  Syracuse  Academy  in  1835.  ^  lot 
was  donated  by  Mr.  Baldwin,  and,  under  many  dis- 
couragements, the  building  now  occupied  as  the 
Orphan  Asylum,  on  Lodi  Hill,  was  erected  and 
completed  for  the  Academy,  which  was  supplied 
with  competent  teachers  and  supported  by  the  bene- 
factions of  its  founders.  The  first  Principal  was 
Mr.  Kellogg,  of  New  York,  who  was  succeeded  by 
Orrin  Root,  for  many  years  since  a  Professor  in 
Hamilton  College.  At  one  period,  the  late  A.  G. 
Salisbury,  who  became  the  first  Clerk  of  the  Board 
of  Education  of  the  City  of  Syracuse,  was  its  Prin- 
cipal. His  qualifications  as  a  teacher  were  only 
equalled  by  his  love  for  the  vocation,  and  the  many 
years  of  conscientious  performance  of  its  duties  in 
connection  with  the  establishment  in  Syracuse  of 
the  present  system  of  Public  Schools.  At  a  later 
day  in  the  existence  of  the  Academy,  it  was  con- 
ducted by  Joseph  A.  Allen  and  Oliver  T.  Burt, 
part  of  which  period  was  after  its  removal  to  a  more 
central  location. 

But  the  Academy  did  not  prosper.  After  it 
went  into  operation,  jealousies  in  reference  to  it 
were  awakened,  enterprise  in  regard  to  public 
schools  was  aroused,  district  school  houses  sprang 
up  and  soon  attracted  the  sympathy  and  patronage 
of  the  public.  The  cause  of  education  profited  by 
the  efforts  of  the  founders  of  the  Academy,  but 
they  were,  and  continued  to  be,  the  losers,  so  that 
the  Academy  was  finally  abandoned,  and  the  house 
designed  by  its  originators  to  subserve  the  cause  of 
education  providentially  became  the  home  of  the 
helpless  orphan  and  the  abode  of  charity. 

Common  Schools  before  the    City   Organiza- 
tion. 

The  common  schools  existing  prior  to  the  city 
organization  were  all  formed  and  maintained  as 
schools  of  the  town  of  Salina,  under  the  general 
school  laws.  Neither  the  charter  of  the  village  of 
Salina,  adopted  in  1824,  nor  that  of  fhe  village  of 
Syracuse,  in  1825,  made  any  change  in  the  status 
of  the  schools  within  their  limits  :  they  were  from 
the  first,  and  continued  to  be  till  1848,  common 
schools  of  the  town  of  Salina. 

The  first  legislative  action  on  the  part  of  the 
State  in  behalf  of  education  was  the  passage  of  an 
act  entitled  "  An  Act   for  the  Encouragement  of 


Schools,"  passed  April  9,  1795.  (i8th  Session 
Laws— George  Clinton,  Esq.,  Governor.)  Amend- 
ments were  made  to  this  act  April  6,  1796,  March 
10,  1797,  and  April  3,  1799.  It  was  the  first  act 
appropriating  public  money  to  the  use  of  common 
schools,  the  sum  then  set  apart  being  hventj  thou- 
sand pounds  out  of  the  surplus  revenue  of  the  State, 
to  be  divided  among  the  different  counties,  and  the 
sum  assigned  to  each  county  was  to  be  apportioned 
by  the  Supervisors  to  the  several  towns  according 
to  the  number  of  taxable  inhabitants  therein  ;  the 
Supervisors  being  also  required  to  raise  by  tax  in 
each  town,  for  school  purposes,  a  sum  equal  to  half 
the  amount  of  the  public  money  to  which  each 
county  should  be  entitled.  The  portion  of  the 
twenty  thousand  pounds  assigned  to  the  County  of 
Onondaga  was  one  Itundred  and  seventy  four  pounds, 
which  was  Onondaga's  first  public  school  fund.  It 
would  be  interesting  to  know  what  portion,  if  any, 
of  this  was  appropriated  in  the  town  of  Salina,  and 
at  what  date,  but  there  are  no  records  extant  that 
can  furnish  the  information. 

The  first  district  organized  was  undoubtedly  that 
known  as  No.  i,  now  the  Salina  School  ;  after  which 
the  districts  were  formed  in  numerical  order,  as  the 
town  became  settled  and  new  schools  were  required 
to  meet  the  wants  of  a  growing  population.  At 
the  time  of  the  city  organization,  the  schools  exist- 
ing within  its  limits  were  as  follows:  In  the  First 
Ward,  there  were  Nos.  1,8,  15  and  16.  In  what  is 
now  the  Second  Ward  there  was  none.  In  the 
Third  Ward  was  No.  4,  occupying  the  building  now 
used  as  a  blacksmith's  shop,  on  Church  street.  In 
the  Fourth  Ward  was  one,  known  as  No.  5,  now  the 
Prescott  School,  (organized  Jan.  26,  1839,)  on  Lock 
street.  In  the  Fifth  Ward  was  one,  occupying  a 
little  old  wooden  building,  since  removed.  The 
Sixth  Ward  contained  one,  called  No.  6,  located  on 
Fayette  street.  In  the  Seventh  Ward  was  the 
present  Putnam  School,  on  the  corner  of  Jefferson 
and  Montgomery  streets.  In  the  Eighth  Ward  was 
No.  ID,  situated  on  East  Fayette  street. 

In  these  schools  there  were,  at  the  time  of  the  city 
organization,  35  teachers  employed.  We  have  no 
statistics  of  the  school  population,  attendance,  ex- 
penditures or  other  items. 

Public  Schools  Under  the  City  Government. 

The  incorporation  of  the  city  of  Syracuse  in- 
augurated a  new  era  in  educational  affairs.  "  An 
Act  in  Relation  to  the  Public  Schools  of  Syracuse  " 
was  passed  April  11,  1848.  This  act,  with  some 
slight  amendments,  is  the  basis  of  the  present 
public  school  system  of  the  city.     It  provided  for 


156 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


the  appointment  by  the  Mayor  and  Common 
Council,  of  two  Commissioners  of  common  schools 
from  each  ward,  to  be  divided  into  two  classes,  one 
of  which  should  hold  office  one  year  and  the  other 
two  years  from  the  date  of  the  first  appointment, 
and  that,  thereafter,  one  Commissioner  should  be 
elected  from  each  ward  annually.  The  Commis- 
sioners so  elected  and  holding  till  their  successors 
are  chosen  and  qualified,  constitute  the  Board  of 
Education  of  the  city  of  Syracuse,  who  have  control 
of  everything  relating  to  the  public  schools. 

The  act  was  amended  March  ii,  1865,  March 
26,  1866,  and  March  27,  1868. 

By  one  of  these  amendments,  one  Commissioner 
is  now  elected  annually  from  each  ward  for  two 
years,  and  it  is  so  arranged  that  the  even  wards 
elect  one  year  and  the  odd  wards  the  ne.xt,  thus 
giving  the  Board  only  four  new  members  each  year. 
In  pursuance  of  the  act,  eight  Commissioners 
were  appointed  by  the  Mayor  and  Common  Council, 
who  met  at  Market  Hall  mow  City  Halh  April  21, 
1848,  and  after  choosing  Hiram  Putnam  and  R.  A. 
Yoe,  President  and  Secretary,  fro  tern.,  proceeded 
to  draw  for  their  respective  terms,  as  follows  : 

First  Ward — William  Clark 2  years. 

J.  P.  Babcock i     " 

Second  Ward — James  Noxon 2     " 

C.  M.  Brosnan i      " 

T/iird  Ward — Hiram    Putnam 2     " 

Daniel  Bradley i     " 

/v«r///  IJ'(7r</— Oliver  Teall* 2     " 

C.  A.  Wheaton i     " 

William  Clark  was  elected  President  of  the  Board, 
but  declined  to  serve,  whereupon  Hiram  Putnam 
was  elected  in  his  place. 

At  the  next  meeting  of  the  Board,  April  26,  1848, 
A.  G.  Salisbury  was  chosen  Clerk,  and  his  salary 
fixed  at  $500  a  year. 

The  Board,  upon  its  organization,  adopted  the 
following  resolutions : 

"  Resoked,  That  the  Board  of  Education  will  not 
employ  any  teacher  in  any  of  the  public  schools  of 
the  city  who  uses  intoxicating  liquors  as  a  beverage 
or  who  is  addicted  to  the  use  of  tobacco." 

"  Resolved,  That  the  President  of  the  Board  give 
public  notice  that  the  common  schools  of  the  city 
will  be  opened  free  to  all  the  children  of  the  city. 

FiKST  Teachers  Appointed  by  the  Board. 
The  following  roll  shows  the  first  appointment  of 
teachers  in  the  diflerent  schools  and  wards  of  the 
city,  and  their  respective  salaries,  per  month  : 

First  Ward. 
No.     I  —  Lewis  Cornell,  Principal,         Salary,   ^35 
8— Edward  Smith  "  "  35 

15— I.  B.  Brigham,  "  "  30 

*  Rnigncd,  and  place  filled  by  T.  B.  Fitch. 


No.  16 — Jas.  Johonnot,  Principal,         Salary,  $35 
16 — Miss  Delia  Earll,  Assistant,         •'  15 

Second  Ward. 

No.    4 — N.  P.  Stanton,  Principal,  Salary,  $48 

4 — Mrs.  Stanton,  2d  Department,      "  18       \ 

4 — Miss  Palmer,  ist          "                "  15        j 

5 — R.  R.  Stetson,  Principal,              "  45 

5 — Mrs.  Stetson,  ist  Department,    '•  16       ' 

5— Miss  M.  A.  Clapp.  2d     "             "  18 

5 — Miss  J.  A.  VanDenburg,  3d  D'pt."  18 

T/iird  Ward. 

No.    6 — J.  B.  Beal,  Principal,  Salary,  $35 

6— Miss  Hannah  Burnet,  Ass't.,       "  15 

20 — Miss  A.  Bennett,  Principal,         "  i8 

Fourth   Ward. 

No.     7 — W.  W.    Newman,  Principal,  Salary,  $50 

7— Miss  E.  E.Williams,  1st  D'pt.,    "  18 

7 — Miss  E.  Williams,   ist  D'pt.,       "  15 

7 — Miss  J.  Brooks,  2d  Department,  "  18 

7— Miss  S.  M.  Co.x,  3d          "             "  18 

7— Miss  R.  C.  Newman,  4th  "             "  18 

12 — J.  M.  Winchell,  Principal,             '  35 

12 — Miss  A.  Barker,  1st  Department, "  15 

12— Miss  H.  Kingsley,  2d         "          "  18 

Other  teachers  were  appointed  from  time  to  time, 
as  the  exigencies  of  the  schools  demanded,  and  every 
effort  made  to  advance  the  standard  of  qualification, 
and  make  the  schools  an  honor  to  the  city.  As  the 
population  increased,  new  buildings  were  erected,  in 
some  cases,  rented,  old  buildings  improved  and  en- 
larged, new  districts  formed  and  new  lots  purchased 
and  built  upon,  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  continually 
increasing  number  of  children  to  be  provided  for. 
The  Board  has  never  been  wanting  in  men  of  en- 
larged views  and  self-sacrificing  in  the  cause  of  pub- 
lic education  ;  the  officers  have  been  faithful  and 
efficient ;  and  it  should  be  said  to  the  credit  of  the 
citizens,  without  a  single  noted  exception,  that  they 
have  heartily  and  cheerfully  cooperated  in  all  the 
just  measures  of  the  Board  calculated  to  advance 
and  perfect  the  public  schools  of  Syracuse. 

The  citizens  of  the  Central  City  have  shown  their 
appreciation  of  public  education  by  the  amount  of 
money  they  have  cheerfully  paid  to  provide  substan- 
tial and  elegant  school  houses.  These  appear  in 
every  part  of  the  city  as  monuments  to  the  people's 
zeal  and  liberality.  In  some  instances  the  building 
of  these  costly  structures  required  an  enormous  ex- 
penditure for  several  consecutive  years — the  years, 
for  instance  from  1868  to  1875. 

In  1868,  the  May  School  building  was  erected  at 
a  cost,  including  furniture,  of  ^20,oco.  In  1869, 
the  High  School  building  was  completed  at  a  cost, 
including  lot,  of  ^lOO.COO.  In  1870.  the  Franklin 
School  building  was  erected  at  a  cost,  including  lot, 


riioto.  liy  Bonlji  &  Curti^s,  S\racusc. 


HENRY   SHATTUCK. 


Ansel  Shattuck,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
born  in  Deerfield,  3Iass.,  Aug.  10,  1789,  and  settled  in  Pompey, 
Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  died,  Feb.  8,  1849,  in  his  sixtieth 
year.  He  was  a  well-to-do  farmer  and  contractor  for  public  works. 
He  built  the  Erie  canal  through  Little  Falls.  He  married  Rachel 
Bump,  of  Pompey.  The  result  of  this  union  was  nine  children, 
viz.,  Henry,  Electa,  Almira,  Loron,  Chester,  Hiram,  Caroline  O., 
Adaline  M.,  and  Angeline.  All  are  now  living,  except  Hiram  and 
Adaline. 

Henry  was  born  Sept.  13,  1811,  in  the  town  of  Pompey.  His 
earlier  years  were  passed  on  his  father's  farm,  and  his  limited  edu- 
cation was  obtained  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  town. 
At  the  age  of  fifteen  years  he  came  to  Syracuse,  where  ho  learned 
and  followed  the  brickmaker's  trade  for  about  seven  years.  On 
April  28,  1831,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mehetabel,  daughter 
of  Jesse  Knapp,  of  Pompey.  She  was  born  Nov.  18,  1804.  She 
died  Dec.  7,  1840,  leaving  two  cliildren,  viz.,  Mary  Ann,  born 
Jan.  1,  1832  (married  Erasmus  S.  Hungerford,  of  De  Witt);  Cor- 
nelia, born  Nov.  22,  1834  (married  Edward  H.  White,  of  Syra- 
cuse). After  his  marriage  he  settled  in  Jamesville,  town  of  De 
Witt,  and  engaged  in  the  business  of  hotel-keeping.  After  resid- 
ing there  about  two  years  he  was  elected  constable,  and  from  tliat 
time  for  thirty  years  he  Iield  the  oflBces,  at  different  times,  of  con- 
stable, deputy-sheriff,  under-sheriff,  and  deputy  United  States  mar- 
shal, and  all  these  positions  he  filled  not  only  with  great  credit  to 
himself  but  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  citizens  of  the  town 
and  county. 

On  March  23,  1842,  he  married  Sarah  F.,  daughter  of  Dr.  Silas 
Park,  of  Lafayette.  There  were  born  to  them  five  children, 
namely,    Mehetabel,    Alice    A.    (married   George    M.    Dorr,   of 


Florida),  Adelbert,  Henry,  and  Frank.  All,  except  Alice  A., 
who  was  born  June  IG,  1844,  died  quite  young.  Mrs.  Dorr  died 
March  10,  1872. 

After  residing  in  Jamesville  for  about  six  years  he  moved  to 
Syracuse,  and  continued  in  public  office  until  about  the  year  1801. 
From  that  time  on  for  several  years  he  was  engaged  in  buying  and 
selling  real  estate,  and  in  the  manufacture  of  salt,  having  owned 
and  worked  two  blocks. 

Since  1862  he  has  built  and  sold  a  large  number  of  houses  in  the 
city  of  Syracuse. 

In  1826,  Mr.  Shattuck  enlisted  in  a  company  of  light  infantry 
raised  by  General  Granger.  Was  elected  fourth  corporal.  Was 
captain  four  years,  and  was  appointed  colonel  of  the  176th  Kegi- 
ment  of  Infantry  by  Gov.  Silas  Wright,  July  26,  1845,  which 
position  he  held  for  three  years. 

Politically  he  has  always  been  a  staunch  Democrat,  and  in  re- 
ligious sentiment  is  a  Presbyterian,  and  has  been  for  several 
years  a  consistent  member  and  a  liberal  supporter  of  the  Fourth 
Presbyterian  church  of  Syracuse. 

While  a  resident  of  Jamesville  he  was  school  trustee  for  several 
years,  and  contributed  largely  to  the  educational  interests  of  the 

town. 

The  numerous  and  important  official  positions  held  by  Mr. 
Shattuck,  both  by  election  and  aiipointment,  sufficiently  attest  tlie 
respect  and  confidence  with  which  he  has  been  regarded  by  his 
fellow-citizens  ;  and  when  we  consider  that  every  trust  committed 
to  his  care,  whether  public  or  private,  has  been  intelligently,  faith- 
fully, and  honestly  discharged,  and  that  he  is  in  the  enjoyment  of 
the  undiminished  confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  know  bim,  we 
must  pronounce  bis  a  u.seful  and  successful  life. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


157 


of  ^30,000.  In  1871,  the  Madison  School  building 
and  furniture  cost  the  city  ;g20,ooo.  In  1875,  the 
Salina  School  building,  which  had  been  built  in 
i860  and  burned,  was  rebuilt  at  a  cost,  including 
furniture,  of  $17,000.  In  addition  to  this  in  1870, 
1 87 1  and  1872,  the  Genesee,  Salina  and  Seymour 
School  buildings  were  enlarged  at  an  aggregate  cost 
of  $20,000.  Here  is  the  grand  total  of  $207,000 
expended  in  the  short  period  of  six  years  for  pub- 
lic school  buildings  alone.  If  we  leave  off  the  re- 
building of  the  Salina  School  building  in  1S75,  it 
will  then  be  $190,000  expended  in  four  consecutive 
years  for  school  houses.  We  venture  the  assertion 
that  few  cities  of  the  size  of  Syracuse  can  show  as 
good  a  record. 

Most  of  the  other  school  buildings  in  the  city  are 
good  buildings,  ranging  in  value,  including  lots, 
from  $12,000  to  $30,000. 

The  entire  value  of  school  property  is  as  follows  : 
Lots,  $156,000  ;  buildings,  $570,000;  total,  $726,000. 

Present  Number  of  Schools. 

The  public  school  system  of  this  city  compre- 
hends sixteen  schools  and  school  buildings,  as  fol- 
lows : 

High  School,  corner  West  Genesee  and  Wallace 
streets. 

Salina  School,  First  Ward,  between  Center  and 
Bear  streets. 

Jefferson  School,  First  Ward,  corner  Park  and 
Court  streets. 

Townsend  School,  corner  Townsend  and  Ash 
streets. 

Franklin  School,  corner  Butternut  and  Peters 
streets. 

Genesee  School,  corner  Genesee  and  Wallace 
streets. 

Prescott  School,  Lock  street  near  Willow. 

Clinton  School,  Lodi  street  near  Hawley. 

Seymour  School,  Seymour  street  near  West. 

May  School,  Seneca  street  between  Otisco  and 
TuUy. 

Grace  Street  School,  corner  Grace  and  Ontario 
streets. 

Montgomery  School,  Montgomery  street  between 
Adams  and  Jackson. 

Putnam  School,  corner  Montgomery  and  Jeffer- 
son streets. 

Adams  School,  Adams  street  between  Grape  and 
Orange. 

Irving  School,  corner  Fayette  and  Irving  streets. 

Madison   School,    corner   Madison    and  .  Spruce 

streets. 

Grades. 

The  schools  of  the  city  are  graded  in  four  depart- 


ments, viz :  Primary,  Junior,  Senior  and  High 
School.  The  Primary  Department  requires  three 
years,  the  Junior  two  and  a  half,  the  Senior  two 
and  a  half,  and  the  High  School  three  years,  to 
complete  the  prescribed  course  of  study.  Formerly 
the  High  School  required  four  years,  but  that 
has  been  recently  changed  by  the  Board. 

High  School. 
The  High  School  was  organized  in  the  brick 
building,  formerly  No.  4,  now  used  as  a  blacksmith's 
shop,  on  Church  street,  in  1855.  Prior  to  this  there 
existed  what  was  known  as  the  "  Higher  Depart- 
ment," in  which  the  sciences  and  languages  were 
taught,  in  the  building  now  known  as  the  Prescott 
School  House.  •  The  High  School  proved  a  success 
from  the  start,  and  an  indispensable  adjunct  of  the 
public  school  system  of  the  city.  Besides  advanc- 
ing the  grade  of  education  to  a  thorough  academic 
course,  and  providing  facilities  for  fitting  students 
for  college,  it  has  been  the  only  source  of  a  sufficient 
supply  of  competent  teachers,  and  the  greater  share 
of  the  vacancies  in  the  public  schools  of  the  city 
have  been  filled  from  graduates  of  the  High  School. 
The  preference  is  given  to  these,  as  being  better 
qualified  as  a  general  rule,  than  those  who  apply  for 
situations  from  places  outside  the  city.  And  this 
has  also  the  double  advantage  of  aftbrding  a  con- 
stant supply  of  excellent  teachers  and  of  enabling 
the  Board  to  give  employment  to  a  large  number  of 
their  own  citizens.  Of  the  seventy  teachers  em- 
ployed in  i860,  aho\x\.  fifty  were  permanent  residents 
of  the  city,  and  a  majority  of  them  had  been  mem- 
bers of  the  High  School. 

First  Graduating  Class. 

The  names  of  the  first  graduates  from  the  High 
School  in  1856,  are  as  follows  : 
Rossiter  Raymond,  H.  Wadsworth  Clarke, 

Samuel  L.  Comstock,        Osgood  V.  Tracy, 
Arinda  L.  Adams,  Catharine  B.  Poole, 

Ellen  A.  Evans,  Ellyette  W.  Casey, 

Ellen  V.  Bowen. 

Since  then  a  large  number  have  completed  the 
prescribed  course  of  study  and  have  gone  forth  with 
the  honors  and  benefits  of  the  school  to  fill  various 
responsible  and  useful  situations.  Last  3'ear  the 
class  of  graduates  consisted  of  21  persons — 7 
young  gentlemen  and  14  young  ladies.  Most  of 
the  young  ladies  had  pursued  the  studies  of  the 
Teacher's  Class,  with  a  purpose  of  teaching  in  the 
city  schools,  provided  they  should  be  able  to  pass 
the  necessary  examination,  and  openings  should 
occur  offering  them  situations.  The  opportunities 
which  this  class  presents  to  those  who  purpose  to 


IS8 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


make  teaching  a  profession,  are  very  valuable  as 
compared  with  those  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago, 
when  nothing  but  a  smattering  of  the  common 
branches  was  expected  of  one  offering  their  services 
as  a  common  school  teacher.  The  members  of  this 
class  have  spent  four  years  in  the  High  School,  in 
addition  to  the  course  in  the  Senior  School,  which 
is  more  than  an  equivalent  for  the  entire  acquire- 
ment for  a  teacher  of  only  a  few  years  since,  where 
they  have  pursued  the  higher  mathematics,  lan- 
guages—including Latin,  French  and  German — 
with  a  thorough  review  of  the  English,  the  natural 
sciences,  and  mental  and  moral  philosophy.  In 
addition  to  this,  they  have  received,  during  the  last 
year  of  the  course,  daily  lessons  in  at  least  one  of 
the  subjects  taught  in  the  ward  schools,  having  in 
view  a  perfect  understanding  of  the  principles  of 
these  subjects  and  the  best  method  of  developing 
children's  minds  in  them. 

High  School  and  State  University. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature  the  High  School  is 
placed  under  the  visitation  of  the  Regents  of  the  State 
University,  and  is  made  to  participate  in  the  distri- 
bution of  the  Literature  Fund.  This  law  applies  to 
all  High  Schools  in  the  State  which  conform  to  the 
requirements  of  the  Board  of  Regents,  and  it  gives 
them  a  higher  character,  placing  them  on  equal  foot- 
ing with  all  other  academic  institutions. 

The  admissions  to  the  High  School  are  semi- 
annual ;  one  class  enters  in  September  and  one  in 
February,  upon  the  Regents'  examination.  A  few 
from  abroad,  and  pupils  not  regularly  in  the  public 
schools,  are  received  into  the  High  School  upon  a 
trial  examination,  which,  if  satisfactory,  admits  such 
persons  into  the  school,  conditioned  upon  coming 
forward  at  the  next  Regents'  examination,  to  try  for 
his  "  Regents' Certificate."  During  the  year  1876, 
157  Regents'  Certificates  were  granted,  making  80 
per  cent,  of  the  attendance  at  the  High  School  Re- 
gents' pupils,  a  larger  percentage  of  the  enrollment 
than  at  any  former  period.  The  whole  number  en- 
rolled duriug  the  year  was  372,  the  average  number 
belonging  being  275,  and  the  average  daily  attend- 
ance 264. 

High  School  Building. 

This  building  is  beautifully  situated  on  West 
Genesee  street  in  one  of  the  most  picturesque  por- 
tions of  the  city.  It  is  in  the  modern  classical  style 
of  architecture,  three  stories  high  above  the  base- 
ment, of  red  pressed  brick  with  Onondaga  gray 
hmestone  trimmings,  the  style  being  exceedingly 
ornate'  and  imposing.  A  fine  cupola  crowns  the 
summit  of  the  structure,  capped  by  a  gilt  globe  glit- 


tering in  the  sun,  and  from  this  high  elevation  a 
beautiful  view  is  obtained  of  the  surrounding  city, 
its  environs  and  romantic  scenery.  This  building, 
we  have  already  said,  was  completed  in  1869,  at  a 
cost,  including  lot,  of  §100,000.  The  length  of  the 
building  is  123  feet  and  its  width  96  feet.  On  the 
first  floor  is  the  Central  Library  Department, 
with  its  valuable  collection  of  books,  together 
with  the  spacious  and  commodious  office  of  the 
Board  of  Education,  and  a  department  for  classes  in 
the  art  of  drawing.  On  the  second  floor  is  the 
Central  Senior  Department,  with  its  competent  corps 
of  teachers,  and  above  this,  on  the  third  floor,  is 
located  the  High  School  Department  proper,  where 
the  higher  grades  of  education  are  pursued.  Ward- 
robes and  water-closets  are  supplied  throughout  the 
various  rooms,  with  every  convenience  necessary  to 
the  comfort  of  the  pupils.  In  the  basement  are 
located  the  furnaces  for  heating  the  entire  building, 
which  is  done  by  patent  steam  radiators  of  the  most 
modern  style,  in  keeping  with  the  character  of  the 
furniture  of  the  building,  which  is  neat,  attractive 
and  substantial.  Here  also  is  to  be  located  the 
Gymnasium,  together  with  a  fine  cabinet  of  rare 
geological  specimens,  and  a  valuable  set  of  philo- 
sophical apparatus.  The  conveniences  for  educa- 
tional purposes  possessed  by  the  High  School  are 
second  to  no  similar  institution  in  the  country,  and 
is  the  fit  head  of  a  system  of  public  schools  of 
which  the  citizens  of  Syracuse  may  justly  be  proud. 

Bust  of  Samuel  J.  May. 

In  July,  187s,  the  bust  of  Rev.  Samuel  J.  May^ 
executed  by  Miss  Isabella  Gifford,  of  Syracuse,  was 
purchased  by  subscribers  friendly  to  that  object  and 
presented  to  the  Board  of  Education,  to  be  placed  in 
the  Central  Library  Room  of  the  High  School  build- 
ing. The  committee  of  presentation  consisted  of  Wm, 
Brown  Smith,  N.  C.  Powers,  Mrs.  Oliver  T.  Burt, 
Mrs.  R.  W.  Pease,  E.  B.  Judson,  Dudley  P.  Phelps 
and  J.  L.  Bagg.  On  the  reception  of  a  communi- 
cation from  the  foregoing  committee,  the  Board 
passed  a  resolution  accepting  the  bust,  and  appoint- 
ed a  committee  consisting  of  Commissioners  Wil- 
liam A.  Duncan,  President  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion, Hon.  J.  W.  Barker  and  Hon.  John  J.  Grouse, 
to  make  arrangements  for  the  proper  ceremonies. 
Arrangements  being  completed,  the  transfer  was 
made  September  18,  1875,  and  the  bust  placed  in 
the  middle  alcove  of  the  Central  Library,  in  front 
of  the  main  entrance. 

One  of  the  daily  papers  thus  speaks  of  this  in- 
teresting occasion  : 

"  The  arrangements  for  the  ceremonies  were  very 
complete.     A    commodious  platform   was    erected 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK.  159 

across  a  portion  of  the  front  of  the  building,  and  Statistics— 1876 

the  lawn  in  front,  made  damp  by  the  heavy  rains,  -mi        /•,•,,• 

was  covered  with  boards.  Number  of  buildings  in  which  schools  are  kept. 

"  Large  offerings  of  flowers,  vines  and  evergreens  '^ — containing  schools  as  follows  :     High  School, 

gave  the  platform  a  charming  appearance,  and  re-  i;  Senior  Grade,  6;   Junior  Grade,    16;  Primary 

fleeted  esthetic  culture,  and  the  e.xercises  were  con-  Grade,     17;     Ungraded     Schools    2  •     Evening 

ducted  in  such  a  happy  manner  as  to  win  the  admi-  Schools,  i  ;    Schools  of  all  Grades,  6 

ration    of  the  large  concourse  of  people.     Promt-  ,,,1    1  1         r        .        

nently  upon  the  platform,  which  was  occupied  by  ^''°'^  """'''^''  °^  teachers  in  all  the  schools....207 

the  Board  of  Education,  the  speakers  and  ofliciat-  ^^'^  teachers,  10 ;  female  teachers,   197;  regular 

ing    gentlemen,  together   with    a   chorus   of  High  teachers,  206  ;  special  teachers,  i. 

School  students  under  the  direction  of   Professor  Number  of  persons  in  the  citv  between  the  ages  of 

Ballou,  stood  the  work  of  which  the  city  was  soon  r  g^d  21                            '                          16  1:1:2 

to  become  possessed,  veiled  from  the  view  of  the  wru^i              1          7         "1           "         T~".        ,,     . 

1     .1      A        •        a  VVrioie    number   of    pupi  s   retristered    in    all    the 

spectators  by  the  American  flag.  1    k '^    iv-^iaicitu    m    an    mc 

"The  attendance  was  large,  filling  the  space  in  schools 8,820 

front  of  the  building  upon  the  sidewalk,   while   the  Average  number  belonging  to  all  the  grades,  6,624 

street  was  crowded  with  vehicles.     The  assemblage  Average  daily  attendance  in  all  the  schools.. 6,228 

embraced,   besides  a   large  number    of  prominent  Average  per  cent,  of  attendance  on  number  belong- 

citizens,  many  educators   and  students  in  art  and  •   „ 

literature,  and  all  of  the  professions  were  well  repre-  ...      u^'r'-' 

sented.     Almost  all  classes  and  conditions  of  so-  Number  of  sittings  in  all  the  schools 8,222 

ciety  were  present.     The  absence  of  Miss  Giftbrd  Cost  per  Pupil  on  Daily  Attendance. 

was  universally  regretted,  particularly  by  those  who  _ 

were  aware  of  the  fact  that  she  was  obliged  to  fore-  ^°''  ^"'t'fn-graded    schools,  S16.27  ;  ungraded 

go  the  pleasure  of  the  event  in  consequence  of  severe  schools,  S12.49;  all  schools,  $16.17  ;  incidentals  in 

illness.      Had   she  been  present,  the  speakers  and  all  schools,  ;^4.5I  ;  entire  cost  including  all  e.xpen- 

the  assemblage  would  have  given  her  a  most  cor-  ses,  S20.68. 

dial  greeting.  Whole  amount  expended  for  schools  in  the  city  in 

The  exercises  were  commenced  by  appointing  as  jg.g                                                 Si-'i;o^'  81 
presiding  officer,  J.    L.  Basg,  Esq.     After  prayer     | 

by  Rt.  Rev.  F.  D.  Hunting^ton,  followed  by  the  re-     I  ^o^'*'^  ^^  Education,  1878. 

peating  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  Rev.   C.  D.  B.  Mills  Commissioners— ist  Ward,  Edward  E.  Chapman  ; 

delivered  the  address,  portraying  in  eloquent  Ian-  pd  Ward.   Peter    Knaul ;  3d  Ward,  John  W.   Bar- 

,,     ,..        J    u        .        fM     M             I     •  ker;  4th  Ward,  Henry  E.  Warne:  5th  Ward.  Wm. 

truage  the  life  and  character  of  Mr.  May,   and  giv-  «    t-i               /-.u   m?     1    u-          r>     /-m      .1       .u 

t>     o                                                            .7'           &  A.Duncan;    oth  Ward.  Hiram  R.   Olmsted;  7th 

ing  appropriate  encomiums  of  the  work  of  art  which  Wg^d,    Martin    A.    Knapp  ;  8th    Ward,   John    H. 

so  faithfully  represented  "  some  of  his  choicest  fea-  Durston.      President,  John  W.  Barker  ;  Clerk  and 

tures."     Rev.  S.  R.  Calthrop,  with  appropriate  re-  Superintendent,  Edward  Smith, 

marks  and  a   poem  written  for  the  occasion,  then  Standing  C.7w;«//Aw— E.xecutive— Com'rs  W.  A. 

c         ,,                »    1  ^u    u     ..  .     »u     D      J     r  c-j  Duncan,  E.  E.  Chapman,  and  H.  R.  Olmsted.     Fi- 

formally  presented  the  bust  to  the  Board  of  Edu-  '^      •     tt   t-    /-u               wr   \    ^^                j 

•'  ^  nance     Com  rs  E.  E.  Chapman,  W.  A.  Duncan  and 

cation.  Misses  Hanchett  and  Barnes  unveiling  the  h.    E.  Warne.     Teachers— Com'rs  H.  E.  Warne. 

beautiful   likeness  as  the  last  words  were  spoken.  Peter  Knaul  and  E.  E.  Chapman.  Library-  Com'rs 

It  was  looked  upon  lovingly  forthe  first  time  by  many  H.  R.  Olmsted.  M.  A.  Knapp  and  W.  A.  Duncan, 

present,  and   the   skill    of  the  young  artist    found  Course  of  Study— Com'rs  J.    H.   Durston,  H.   E. 

,  .•       •                         ,         n      •  1     ^  Warne  and  Peter  Knaul.     High    School  —Com  rs 

strong  commendation  in  many  remarks.     President  m    a    i'            ir    r>    /^t      .    1       j    i     ir  t~> 

^                              ,     ,          r         1                 J  M.  A.  Knapp,  H.  R.  Olmsted  and  J.    H.  Durston. 

Duncan    then    received   the  gift   and  promised  to  ^^^^^^     Regulations   and    Printing— Com'rs    Peter 

place  it  in  the  Central  City  Library,  where  it  could  Knaul.  J.  H.  Durston,  M.  A.  Knapp. 

be  daily  seen  by  the  children   Mr.   May   loved  so  Earlv  Libraries 
well.     They  would  certainly    prize  it  for  two  rea- 

sons-as  a  work  of  art  and  as  a  most  fitting  me-  The  first  circulating  library,  called  the  "  Parish 

morial  of  one  who  was  a  sincere  friend  of  education.  Library,"  was    formed    by    the  exertions   of  Rev. 

Mr.  Duncan   introduced  President  White,  of  Cor-  Palmer  Dyer,   officiating  clergyman  in   St.  Paul's 

nell  University,  who  gave  a  glowing  tribute  to  the  Church,  which   then    stood    in  the  center  of  the 

character  of  Mr.  May.     Accepting  the  bust  in  be-  triangle  now  known  as  the   Granger  Block.     Mr. 

half  of  the  Board  of  Education,  he  said  :     -  This  Dyer's  interest  in  the  youth  of  the  village  led  to  the 

bust  will  endure  as  a  memorial  of  Mr.  May's  char-  step,  and  to  a  careful  selection  of  books  suited  to 

,-       .                 c           11  /■                    1-  .    .u  »  their  needs      A  room  was  at  one  time  furnished  by 

acter  ;  for  the  serene  face  will  for  years  radiate  that  ^""-"^  nccus.     n  luum  »aa  ai  u  v.                             / 

benign  influence  which  will  cause  some  to  take  up  L-   "•    R^dfield.    Esq..  for   the   accommodation  of 

again  the  good  work  he  loved  so  well."  the  Library,  who.  with  Mr.  Dyer,  had  chief  charge 


i6o 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


of  its  circulation.  After  doing  a  good  work  it  was 
removed  by  Mr.  Redfield  to  the  Academy,  in  the 
library  of  which  it  was  merged. 

Madame  A.  J.  Raoul  at  one  time  circulated 
books  to  the  villagers.  Then  came  the  "  Syracuse 
Library  and  Reading  Room  Association,"  of  which 
Thomas  A.  Smith,  Esq.,  at  one  time  acted  as 
Librarian,  having  his  law  office  in  the  Library 
rooms,  which  he  rendered  attractive  by  a  fine  col- 
lection of  hot-house  plants.  Public  lectures  were 
given  before  the  Association  at  its  rooms  on  the 
corner  of  Salina  and  Washington  streets,  by  gentle- 
men of  note  from  abroad,  and  "  Readings  "  by  Mrs. 
Fanny  Kcmble  Butler.  Here  for  the  first  time  in 
Syracuse  was  heard  the  music  of  Ole  Hull's  charmed 
violin.  At  a  later  period  the  Association  got  in 
debt,  and  finally  broke  down.  The  Library  con- 
sisting of  about  1,200  volumes,  was  purchased  by 
Hon.  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  Captain  Putnam,  Dr. 
Clary,  and  others,  who  opened  a  library  at  Dr. 
Clary's  house  or  office.  When  the  "  F'ranklin 
Library  and  Institute"  was  formed,  they  made  a 
present  of  the  1,200  volumes  to  the  institution, 
which  was  for  some  time  the  bulk  of  the  library 
connected  with  it. 

"Franklin  Libkakv  and  Institute." 

The  Franklin  Library  came  into  existence  as  the 
fruits  of  the  eft'orts  of  a  few  leading  citizens,  who 
agitated  the  project  till  it  resulted  in  an  appeal 
being  made  to  all  interested  to  contribute  books, 
papers,  periodicals,  shells,  minerals,  &c.  This  ap- 
peal was  made  at  the  close  of  a  lecture  delivered  at 
Market  Hall  (present  City  Halll  by  Dr.  Mark  Hop- 
kins, then  President  of  Williams  College,  and  the 
citizens  were  notified  that  they  would  be  called  up- 
on the  following  day  for  contributions.  Accord- 
ingly, the  next  morning,  two  lads,  taking  Mrs.  R.'s 
large  clothes  basket,  containing  a  "  beginning," 
made,  before  they  finished,  a  pretty  thorough  can- 
vass of  the  place.  One  of  these  lads  was  Daniel 
Fiske,  now  one  of  Cornell's  corps  of  Professors,  and 
the  popular  Librarian  of  that  institution.  The 
other,  Edwin  Smith,  now  practicing  law  at  Kenne- 
bunk  Port,  Maine,  was  a  nephew  of  the  beloved 
teacher.  Miss  Amelia  Bradbury.  The  gleaners  met 
with  good  success,  and  the  heavily  laden  basket 
was  many  times  emptied  of  its  contents.  One  of 
the  most  valuable  donations  was  a  complete  set  of 
"  Stillman's  Journals,"  from  Stephen  Smith,  given 
upon  the  condition  that  the  subscription  should 
always  be  kept  up.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  work 
fell  into  appreciative  ownership  at  the  late  sale  of 
that  Library. 

Dr.   Plenry  Gregory,  then   rector  of  St.    Paul's 


Church,  if  not  the  first  president  of  the  Franklin 
Institute  and  Library,  served  as  such  at  a  very  early 
stage  of  its  organization,  and  was  a  most  zealous 
and  efficient  friend  in  the  days  of  its  weakness  and 
growth. 

Syracuse  during  these  days  was  not  without  aspi- 
rants to  literary  fame,  as  the  popularity  of  the  lyceums 
gave  evidence.  Here  the  late  Thomas  T.  Davis, 
Zaccheus  Newcomb,  (for  many  years  a  resident  of 
Waterloo,  N.  Y.,i  and  later.  Wing  Russel,  James 
Xo.xon,  mow  Judge  No.xon,i  Judge  North,  (now  of 
the  Pacific  Coast,)  C.  B.  Sedgwick,  S.  D.  Dillaye, 
and  others,  tried  their  newly-fledged  wings  of  ora- 
tory before  appreciative  audiences. 

Reading  Societies  also  gained  quite  a  popularity. 
The  most  noted  of  these  was  organized  by  Miss 
Bradbury.  Among  its  members  were  those  whose 
memories  are  dear  to  many  hearts  —  Miss  Clarissa 
Smith,  Miss  Caroline  Towne,  (niece  of  Miss  Brad- 
bury,) Mrs.  A.  M.  Redfield,  Mrs.  E.  F.  Wallace, 
Mrs.  Dr.  Clary,  Mrs.  M.  J.  Lewis,  (now  of  Chi- 
cago,)  Mrs.  Charlotte  Lawrence,  Mrs.  Lucy  B.  Put- 
nam, the  Misses  Redfield,  Messrs.  R.  W.  Washburn, 
(for  twenty  years  or  so  confidential  officer  in  charge 
of  the  express  interests  of  Wells  &  Co.,  at  San 
Francisco,  Cal.,)  Rev.  M.  Storer,  Thomas  A.  Smith, 
E.  J.  Foster,  W.  H.  H.  Smith,  H.  N.  White,  J.  L. 
Bagg  and  D.  P.  Phelps. 

About  1844  was  formed  the  "  Society  for  Mutual 
Instruction,"  the  officers  and  members  of  which 
were  each  assigned  a  branch  of  natural  science,  and 
in  rotation  furnished  each  an  original  Essay  at  each 
weekly  evening  meeting,  with  natural  specimens  for 
illustrations,  which  were  supplemented  by  informa- 
tion contributed  by  all  the  members  upon  the  topic 
under  discussion  for  the  evening.  The  first  year 
the  members  met  in  the  School  House  on  Church 
street,  and  the  last  year  in  A.  G.  Salisbury's  school 
room,  near  the  old  Congregational  Church,  (now 
Convention  Block,)  on  Fiast  Genesee  street.  This 
Society  was  of  great  benefit  to  many.  A  "  mem- 
ber" afterwards  reported  the  first  course  of  lectures 
delivered  by  Prof  Agassiz  on  first  landing  in  this 
country,  in  New  York  ;  he  wrote  to  a  friend  that  he 
could  not  have  filled  that  position  had  it  not  been 
for  information  acquired  as  a  member  of  the  "So- 
ciety for  Mutual  Instruction."  The  "  record  "  of  its 
organization  is  here  copied  from  a  large  turtle  shell, 
which  was  sent  to  one  of  the  members  by  a  friend 
of  congenial  tastes,  from  Canandaigua  Outlet : 
Officers. 

President — Rev.  Sanluel  J.  May — Etymology. 

Seoctar) — A.  G.  Salisbury  —  Conchology.  — 
(Teacher  till  July  i,  1864  ;  Paymaster  at  New  Or- 


In  tracing  out  the  early  surroundings  of  some  of  our  best  repre- 
sentative men,  we  often  find  that  chilling  adversity  companioned 
their  youth,  and  that  hard  labor  filled  their  early  years.  Fre- 
quently the  only  school  attended  was  that  of  experience,  where 
severe  masters  taught  severer  lessons. 

These  reflections  have  arisen  from  hearing  the  reminiscences  of 
one  of  our  most  esteemed  citizens,  Jason  C.  Woodrufl",  a  man 
whose  name  is  associated  with  the  most  exalted  ideas  of  probity  and 
morality.  Born  in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  in  1800,  of  American 
parents,  he  was  left  fatherless  ere  the  completion  of  his  second  year. 
His  mother,  thrown  upon  her  own  resources,  with  a  family  of  help- 
less little  ones,  struggled  along,  giving  them  a  home  and  providing 
ways  and  means  for  their  physical  needs  with  that  wonderful  power 
which  mother-love  only  evinces.  Unable  to  send  her  children  to 
school,  she  imparted  to  them  such  elements  of  education  as  her  time 
allowed,  taking  time  always,  however,  to  impress  upon  them  the 
value  of  honesty  and  truthfulness.  Jason,  at  the  age  of  nine,  was 
a  slight  boy ;  earnest,  unobtrusive,  known  as  a  boy  who  could  be 
trusted.  As  an  evidence  of  this  it  may  be  stated  that  he  was  se- 
lected by  Messrs.  Prescott  &  Sherman,  of  New  Haven,  to  take  charge 
of  merino  sheep,  among  the  first  ever  imported  into  this  country, 
— hardly  imported,  either,  as  they  were  smuggled,  and  that  at  an 
immense  cost.  For  four  years  this  boy  herded  and  sheltered  them 
from  harm,  earning  the  good  opinion  of  his  employers  by  hig  zeal- 
ousness  and  reliability.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  was  employed 
by  the  same  firm  in  unloading  salt,  and  for  two  years  he  thus  earned 
his  daily  bread.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  entered  a  tannery  with 
the  intention  of  learning  the  trade,  but  his  desires  in  that  line  came 
to  a  summary  end  by  reason  of  his  falling  into  a  vat;  so  he 
sought  that  unfailing  resource  of  American  boyhood,  "  working 
on  a  farm."     The  year  1816  was  thus  passed. 

The  only  regular  instruction  ever  received  was  during  the  next 
winter,  when  he  attended  the  village  school.  Being  now  nearly 
seventeen  years  of  age,  another  trade  was  determined  upon,  and 
the  laborious  one  of  blacksmithing  chosen.  This  he  faithfully  fol- 
lowed for  five  years,  at  Great  Barrington,  Mass.,  under  a  master 
exacting  but  just.  At  the  end  of  his  apprenticeship  his  capital 
consisted  of  a  thorough  knowledge  of  his  business,  a  limited  ward- 
robe, and  eight  cents.  With  this  he  started  out  in  quest  of  a  home 
and  independeuce.  Varying  fortunes  attended  him  on  his  way 
from  one  village  to  another,  as  he  worked  as  a  journeyman,  until 
at  last  his  erratic  steps  led  him  to  Utica,  in  the  fall  of  1822. 

At  this  time  a  feeling  of  intense  excitement  existed,  owing  to  the 
opposition  line  of  stages  which  were  about  to  be  put  on  between 
Utica  and  the  west.  Naturally  a  lover  of  horses,  young  Woodruff 
became  much  interested  in  the  debates  as  to  the  superiority  of  the 
running  stock  of  the  new  line.     He  succeeded  in  getting  his  name 


I'hoto.  by  Bonta  &  CurtiBs,  Syracuse. 


placed  on  the  list  of  drivers,  and  so  well  did  he  impress  the  owners, 
that  to  him  was  given  the  honor  of  driving  the  first  stage  out  of 
Utica  on  the  rival  line.  His  urbanity  and  strict  attention  to  busi- 
ness soon  made  him  a  valuable  man,  and  he  was,  within  a  few 
months,  sent  to  Canandaigua  to  take  charge  of  that  end  of  the 
line.     Pour  years  was  thus  spent. 

In  his  journeyings  he  had  visited  the  town  of  Salina,  and,  like 
many  others,  seeing  its  prospective  greatness,  he  determined  to 
make  it  his  home.  He  bought  out  the  livery  of  Philo  Rust  in 
1826,  and  carried  on  the  business,  combined  with  that  of  staging, 
which  latter  he  continued  until  superseded  by  railroads.  In  1826 
he  married  Miss  Amanda  Johnson,  a  native  of  Lee,  Mass.  They 
have  two  surviving  daughters,  Charlotte  and  Harriet,  having  lost 
four  sons  and  two  daughters.  His  wife,  who  is  yet  living,  has 
through   these  long  years  been  a  helpmeet  in   every  sense  of  the 

word. 

Fortune  began  to  smile  upon  this  earnest  suitor,  and,  as  year 
after  vear  passed  on,  he  entered  new  fields  of  labor,  each  of  which 
gave  good  return.  Mr.  Woodruff  held  the  surplus  water-power  of 
the  Syracuse  level,  by  right  of  lease  from  the  State,  on  which  he 
erected  an  immense  flouring-mill  five  stories  high.  A  few  rods 
distant  Mr.  Haskins  had  a  salt-grinding  mill,  and  its  destruction 
by  fire  involved  the  loss  of  Mr,  Woodruffs  mill,  valued  at  thirty 
thousand  dollars.  This  was  discouraging ;  but  taking  new  heart 
he  went  on  determined  to  labor,  strengthened  by  the  sympathies 
ever  extended  to  an  honest  man  who  meeU  misfortune. 

From  1831  to  1837  he  fulfilled  the  onerous  duties  of  bank-man- 
ager under  the  United  States  banking  system.  In  1852  the  people 
of  this  city  called  him  to  fill  the  office  of  mayor,  which  he  did 
with  singular  purity  and  fidelity. 

He  has  twice  been  president  of  the  agricultural  society  of  this 
county,  one  of  the  years  being  the  most  successful  known  in  the 
history  of  the  association.  He  also  served  as  vice-president  of  the 
State  agricultural  society.  He  is  still  actively  engaged  in  the 
livery  business,  which  he  has  successfully  earned  on  for  half  a 
century.  About  the  middle  height,  robust  and  vigorous,  strong  in 
physical  health,  his  mental  faculties  are  in  their  prime. 

In  all  things  which  tend  to  materially  advance  the  interest  of  the 
industries  he  has  ever  been  a  prominent  mover    and  has  given 
that  substantial  aid  which  goes   so   much   farther   than   hollow 
promises  from  wordy  lips.    Reticent  in  speech,  reserved  in  manner, 
eTmpresses  the  observer  as  being  a  man  who  carefully  examines 
he  bc^i-in.'S  of  a  subject  ere  reaching  a  decision,  and  one  who  doe 
no    lightlychange  his  views.    He  is  a  bright  example  of  an  earne 
Christln.'  For  thirty  years  he  has  been  a  -nsisteat  member 
the  First  Presbyterian  church.-during  twenty-foui  o    which  ho 
i's  filled  the  position  of  president  of  the  board  of  trustees. 


ii"5r:M:^iT  cl-a.ry,  imi.id. 


Porlupi  there  is  nu  mfto  in  Sjrraotue  whoM  name  fKlli  mure  pleaaanUj 
upon  the  eftr  thkn  dnea  the  one  whirh  prrcedei  thif  Article. 

For  furtv-rit^ht  yenri  »  leading  phvfician  in  (hii  vicinilv.  and  intimately 
ronnectrd  with  the  nidrat  familiei  of  thccitr,  br  hii  untirinfc  cfTurU  and 
Judicium  course  of  prarlior  he  won  fur  himielf  an  onviahle  poiition  in  the 
eateem  o(  the  citifcnti  fcrnrraMjr. 

Dr.  Clarjr  wa«  Inirn  in  Derrflcld.  Mai>«.,  on  Feb.  11.  IA03.  Hii  father 
waj  a  well-tn-do  farmer,  who  fcave  hi«  aoii  the  bent  edueatiunal  adrantages 
tu  Im*  had  in  that  localilr.  At  the  afce  of  fuurtecn  vear*.  when  a  general 
frelinK  pervaded  (hi*  rommunitv  that  "the  west"  was  the  "  promincil  land/' 
he  aeournpanieil  bin  parcntji  to  Huron  Co.,  Ohio,  where  the  family  Mettled 
upon  an  almont  untmprovrd  farm.  Here  fur  the  ipaee  of  three  vear*  be 
aji*i»ted  hiii  father  in  wurkinR  the  farm  ;  meanwhile,  a«  educational  pnvi- 
lef^ea  in  that  localitjr  were  limited,  he  upeut  hif  evcnini^ii  in  cluao  atudy* 
therrb)r  fitting  himvelf  to  ajmume  the  dutirs  of  a  teach(*r  at  the  early  ago 
of  nevrntrrn,  a«  wril  aa  utoring  bt«  mind  with  a  knowledge  of  fuch 
branches  aj>  ithould  bo  availablo  and  uarful  in  nftcr-vrnra. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  a  tempting  ulfor  tu  cmbnrk  in  the  mercantile 
buiinesM,  which  at  the  time  seemed  for  bi^  interrfit  in  a  pecuniary  point 
of  view,  called  for  a  pernmncnt  de- 
cision on  his  part  as  to  what  should 
be  his  occupation  in  life. 

His  prc«lilection  for  a  profession 
won  the  day:  and  acting  upon  the 
belipf  that,  aa  a  physician,  his  field 
would  be  one  in  accordance  with 
his  taatea,  and  in  which  be  could  be 
of  the  mofit  service  to  his  fellow- 
man,  he  adopted  the  medical  pro. 
fei«ii>n,  anil  soon  after  entered  the 
odioe  of  I>r.  Manter.  Klyria,  Ohio, 
wher«  he  remained  two  years. 

Subsequently  he  returned  to  his 
former  home  in  New  Knglund.  and 
studied  for  two  yvnrf  in  the  office  of 
Dr.  Williams,  meanwhile  support- 
ing himself  by  teaching.  He  grad- 
uated afterwards  at  the  Berkshire 
Medit-al  Odloge,  Pittsfiold,  Mass.. 
with  diatinction. 

Soon  after,  with  a  view  of  select 
ing  a  place  in  which  to  enter  upor 
bis  professional  duties,  he  vinitrl 
Canada,  and  at  one  time  thougbi 
«juile  neriously  of  locating  at  St. 
Catharine'^,  then  an  active  anl 
growing  place;  the  thought,  how- 
ever, of  expatriating  himself  and 
living  under  ony  other  form  of  gov- 
ernment than  a  republican  ime,  was 
su  distasteful  and  objoctionablo  Ibnt 
he  gave  it  up,  and  subucquonlly 
making  bis  way  through  the  Slates 
of  Ohio  and  Pennsylvaniaon  borne- 
back,  he  finally  located  in  Salina, 
N.  Y.  (now  the  first  ward  of  Syra- 
cuse), where  be  rnnninrd  until  IK36, 
when,  perceiving  that  Syracuse  waa 

to  b.-  tbo  city  and  b-a^ling  place,  hr  left  n  large  practice  and  removed  to  (be 
latter  place,  where,  with  the  excepliiin  of  a  short  time  spent  in  Virginia, 
ho  remainetl  until  bis  death,  June  I,  |A7ft. 

Dr.  Clary  entered  the  aehoul  of  medicine  a^i  on  allupntb,  but  in  1810 
the  clainm  of  homaMipatby  wore  preaiied  upun  bim  with  no  ntucb  force  by 
an  old  friend  and  convert  (Dr.  Uull,  of  New  York  city),  that  he  was  in- 
duced to  test  the  eflUcacy  of  the  remedies. 

Faithfully  carrying  out  his  undertaking,  it  reaulled  in  breaking  down 
the  deep  rooted  prejudice*  uf  ninny  years  and  his  final  iidoptiou  of  the 
homcpopathie  nystem,  unpopular  with  the  community  at  large  iind  against 
his  own  personal  interest,  %n  be  supposed  at  the  time,  lioing  then  president 
of  the  Onondaga  County  Medical  Sooiely  (allopathic). 

I'nder  this  new  it>stem  he  continued  to  practieo  unlit  the  c|i>se  of  his 
life,  ami  the  fact  that  most  of  (be  families  in  wbirb  be  bad  pmcticed  for 
years  went  with  bim  in  this  change  was  a  most  gratifying  testimonial  of 
the  confidence  repopcd  in  him. 

His  election  to  the  presidency  of  the  following  medical  societies  waa  a 
sufficient  lostimoninl  of  the  esteem  in  which  bo  waa  behl  by  the  me^lical 
profession:   the  Onondaga  Medical  Sooioty^  in   18-li  ;   the  First  Central 


;/c/iriv 


Moilical  Society,  in  1951 ;  the  New  York  6ute  Uonttopatble  Medtcd 
Society,  in  1^53;  the  American  Institute  of  Homceopatby,  in  1854;  iW 
Onondaga  Homiropathio  Medical  Society,  in  1S03:  the  Now  Central  Ho* 
m<Bopatbio  Medical  Society,  in  18M;  being  one  of  the  original  members  of 
the  American  Institute  of  Homcsopatby.  During  his  long  and  useful  life 
in  Syracuse,  Dr.  Clary  waa  prominently  identified  with  many  of  iU  IomI 
institutions. 

Karly  in  life  be  waa  a  trustee  of  the  First  Presbyterian  ehurch,  but  aomo 
thirty  years  ago  liecame  aaauciated  with  the  "Church  of  the  Measiah" 
(Unitarian),  and  waa  trustee  aa  well  aa  an  active  and  earoeat  member  of 
that  church  until  bis  death.  In  the  various  charitable  institutions  of  tba 
city  he  always  felt  a  deep  interest,  some  of  which  be  was  connected  with 
aa  officer  and  counselor  for  many  years,  always  ready  to  render  any  acrrieo 
in  bis  power,  professionally  or  otherwise. 

He  was  a  trustee  and  vice-president  of  tbo  Syracuse  savings  bank  froa 
ita  organisation.  One  of  the  founders  of  the  New  England  Society,  ho 
wafl  the  first  vice-president,  and  afterwards  elected  pn'sident. 

Greatly  interested  in  tbo  security  ami  preservation  of  the  re-oords  of  tho 
early   history  of  Onondaga  County,  he  was  one  of  the  most  active  and 

earneit  in  the  organisation  of  tbo 
Pionecra'  Association,  and  one  of  ita 
officers  from  the  beginning. 

In  politics,  Dr.  Clary  in  his  early 
days  waa  a  Democrat,  and  in  Iti 
highest  sense  continued  aa  aneh 
through  life.  When,  however,  sla- 
very had  made  such  gigantic  stridot 
that  the  action  of  the  Deraocratle 
party  seemed  to  be  governed  by  tlio 
supportcrsof  that  institution  and  la 
its  int4>rest,  be  broke  loose  from  tbo 
same,  first  as  an  active  Free-MlloT, 
afterwards  as  an  earnest  Kepublicaa. 
Personally  he  never  indulged  !■ 
any  desire  for  political  preferment, 
though  at  all  times  active  in  poli- 
tics and  deeply  interested  in  tho 
general  political  welfare. 

Outside    of    bis    profession.    Dr. 

Clary  was  quite  an  extensive  denlor 

in   real  estate,  and.  as  far  back  Ml 

IS:i:i,  purchased  tbo  tract  of   land 

known  as  the  "  College  lot,"  which 

he  subdivided  and  sold  out  in  small 

farms. 

;    V  During  (be  last  few  years  of  bl> 

\   I  life  he  built  a  large  number  of  hoasas 

li  suitable    for    tbo    working   claMM 

f  upon    lands   in    the  city,  some  of 

which  were  purchased  at  an  early 

day,  and  which  were  sold  on  eafy 

terms,  making  comfortable   bomw 

for  them. 

In  temperament,  Dr.  Clary  was 
sanguine  in  tbc  superlative  degree 
Kver  cheerful  and  reliant  on  tbe 
good  intentions  of  the  Creator 
towards  bis  creatures,  bis  life  wof 
parsed  in  n  busy  round  of  duty,  whtob.  while  benefiting  others,  did  not 
lca\e  himself  unrewarded.  He  was  ever  a  close  student  of  bis  prufeuloo 
and  kept  puce  with  the  ailvancemenis  of  the  age,  possessing  strong  powers 
of  application  and  n  well  balanced  mind. 

Always  self  reliitnt,  he  bad  a  happy  faculty  of  drawing  out  others,  whiok, 
with  fine  conversational  powers  and  bis  largo  fund  of  information,  roodortd 
him  a  most  agreeable  companion  to  all. 

He  was  best  known  in  this  community  as  a  physician,  though  always 
looked  up  to  as  a  man  of  power  and  ideas.  Of  a  truly  sympathetic  nature^ 
he  made  the  joys  and  sorrows  of  his  friends  bis  own,  receiving  their  ooo- 
Adenco  but  to  retain  it.  His  cheerful  countenance  and  disposition  made 
his  presence  in  the  sick-room,  in  no  ordinary  way,  a  source  of  consolation 
to  his  pationtj>,  and  tbo  tondor  remembrance  in  wbi<:b  bis  memory  is  bold 
by  all  classes  clearly  shows  that  he  not  only  enjoyed,  but  waa  eminently 
entitled  to  the  name  of  friend. 

In  May,  1830,  Dr.  Clary  married  Miss  Fanny  Ware,  of  Deerfleld, 
Mass.  She  was  l>orn  May  10,  1806,  and  still  survives.  They  had  three 
ohiblrcu,  two  of  whom  are  living, — 0.  Ware  Clary,  and  Mrs.  Daniel  F. 
(lolt,  of  Syracuse, 


A  I  I 


'/ 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


i6i 


leans  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  ;  Superintendent 
at  Auburn  Prison.) 

Treasure}- — W.  H.  Scram — Geology.  (A  teach- 
er in  No.  7  Public  School.  Removed  in  1847  to 
New  York  city.) 

Members. 

Miss  A.  Bradbury — Animalcule.  (Principal  of 
Young  Ladies'  Seminary  in  Syracuse.  Died  Sept. 
I2th,  1850. ) 

Mrs.  A.  M.  Redfield— Radiates. 

Miss  Mary  Allen — Conchology.  (Principal  of 
Female  Seminaries  at  Rochester  and  Syracuse  ;  is 
now  Mrs.  King,  of  Rochester. ) 

Dr.  Dunlap — Physiology. 

Rev.  Stebbins — Anthropology.    (Removed 

in  1848,  to  Florence,  Ga.  ;  teacher.) 

Mr.  Stetson — Ichthyology.  (Teacher  at  No.  S 
Public  School ;  died  in  1848  or '49,  at  Syracuse.) 

Joseph  A.  Allen — Meteorology.  (Teacher  in 
Academy. 

M.  Burr — Herpetology.  (Printing  in  New  York 
in  1848) 

Dr.  T.  D.  Washburn— Entozoa.  (1848  removed 
west — to  Illinois.  (.') 

Mr.  Stanton — (A  resident  of  Geddes,  and  con- 
stant attendant  at  the  sessions  of  the  Society.  In 
1848  teaching  in  Buffalo.  Wa£  afterwards  Secre- 
tary of  State  of  New  York.) 

District  School  Libraries. 

Circulating  Libraries  were  connected  with  the 
District  Schools  from  an  early  time,  and  were  con- 
tinued in  the  organization  under  the  City  Charter. 
In  the  Superintendent's  report  for  1857,  we  find 
the  following  :  "  No  equal  amount  of  public  money 
is  doing  more  good  to  the  community  than  that 
expended  in  the  purchase  of  books  for  the  District 
Libraries.  There  are  nine  of  these  libraries,  so 
distributed  over  the  city  as  to  be  conveniently  ac- 
cessible to  every  one.  The  aggregate  number  of 
the  volumes  is  4,620.  During  the  year  (1857) 
20,000  volumes  have  been  drawn.  This  extensive 
reading,  principally  by  the  pupils  attending  the 
schools,  but  largely  by  others,  cannot  fail  to  have 
an  important  influence  in  forming  the  tastes  and 
habits  of  those  who  thus  devote  their  leisure 
hours." 

Valuable  as  these  libraries  were,  they  were  nev- 
ertheless attended  with  many  serious  disadvantages, 
being  scattered  in  so  many  separate  collections,  and 
the  increase  of  duplicate  volumes  incurred  a  large 
unnecessary  expenditure.  When  the  plan  of  a 
Central  Library  was  adopted,  these  duplicate  vol- 
umes were  sold  from  time  to  time,  and  the  standard 
works  of  value  placed  in  the  Central  collection. 


The  Central  Library. 

This  library  was  opened  to  the  public  on  the  first 
of  May,  1855,  in  which  year  it  was  enlarged  by  the 
addition  of  two  hundred  volumes  of  standard  works. 
When  the  High  School  building  was  completed  in 
1869  it  was  transferred  to  its  present  well-arranged 
and  spacious  appartments  on  the  first  floor  of  that 
building.  The  Central  Library  is  intended,  not  so 
much  for  circulation,  as  for  collecting  standard 
books  of  reference,  and  keeping  them  where  they 
may  be  conveniently  consulted.  Nevertheless,  it 
has  a  Circulating  Department,  free  to  all  citizens 
above  ten  years  of  age.  The  Reference  Depart- 
ment is  open  to  all  persons  above  the  age  of  four- 
teen. The  Library  is  under  the  direction  of  the 
Board  of  Education,  and  is  conducted  by  a  com- 
petent Librarian  and  Assistant,  under  a  stiict  yet 
liberal  system  of  rules  and  regulations. 

We  give  the  following  comparative  statistics  of 
the  Central  Library,  from   1867  to  1876,  inclusive  : 


w 

en     • 

"  te 

OJ 

>, 

1) 

E 

E  ^ 

s 

rt 

0. 

3    • 

«.2 

13 

-0  t: 

C    M 

b 

0 
> 

V4-. 

0 

c 

Years. 

"0:2 

^2 

to 

0 

k. 

;.    oj 

1-  -c 

'-'S 

■^  r 

U 

OJ  j; 

»;   <u 

\- 

u    ^ 

M    . 

Si   — 

Xi-TZ 

__ 

^    -- 

P  u 

^    >, 

E  c 

i^ 

a 

M 

^  a. 
=  0 

Z 

^ 

H 

2; 

IZ 

< 

Mar.   I,  1867. 
"    I,  1868. 

5.227 
S.870 

7.371 
10,000 

31,000 

....      i 

"    I,  1869. 
"    I,  1870 

2.495 

24.310 

187     130 

"    I,  1871. 

10.592 

1,343 

3.8,38 

39.694 

308    129 

"    I,  1872. 

11,423 

4,677 

8.515 

38,956 

304    128 

"    I,  1873- 

12,423 

1,448 

9.963 

36,010 

267 

135 

"    1,1874 

13.300 

2,180 

12,143 

36,672 

264 

137 

"    I,  1875. 

13.791 

1,080 

13,223 

41,623 

301 

138 

"    I.  1876. 

14,070 

1,982 

15.205 

41,057 

308 

133 

John  S.  Clark,  Librarian  ;  Mary  A.  Gambia,  As- 
sistant Librarian. 

Library  of  the  Court  of  Appeals. 
This  library,  though  not  the  largest,  is  in  some 
respects  the  best  law  library  in  the  United  States. 
It  was  originally  part  of  the  "  Chancellor's  Library," 
which  came  into  existence  about  1830,  by  legislative 
enactment,  devoting  to  that  object  the  unclaimed 
and  unappropriated  funds  in  the  Court  of  Chancery. 
The  office  of  Chancellor  was  abolished  by  the  Con- 
stitution of  1846,  and  the  Legislature,  by  an  act 
passed  April  9,  1849,  turned  over  the  library  to  the 
Court  of  Appeals,  in  the  words  following  :  "  The 
public  library  called  the  '  Chancellor's  Library '  shall 
continue  to  be  a  public  library  under  the  name  of 
The  Library  of  the  Court  of  Appeals."  The  law 
authorized  the  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  "  by 


l62 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


order  entered  in  their  minutes,"  to  divide  and  locate 
the  library  in  two  suitable  places  west  of  Albany, 
basing  the  division  on  "all  duplicate  volumes  and 
such  others  as  the  said  judges  shall  think  proper." 
The  places  selected  were  Rochester  and  Syracuse. 
Judges  George  F.  Comstock  and  Nicholas  Hill,  then 
of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  made  the  division  of  the 
books,  and  the  libraries  were  founded. 

The  Library  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  at  Syracuse  is 
kept  in  suitable  rooms  at  the  Court  House,  the  Libra- 
rian being  appointed  by  the  Regents  of  the  Univer- 


sity. Present  Librarian,  Hon.  Richard  Woolworth. 
The  funds  of  the  Library  consist  of  occasional 
appropriations  of  the  State  and  an  annuity  of  about 
$1,500.  Since  it  has  been  located  here,  the  num- 
ber of  volumes  has  been  nearly  or  quite  doubled. 
The  number  of  volumes  is  now  a  little  over  lO.OOO, 
and  the  Library  contains  many  rare  and  choice  books 
not  found  elsewhere,  in  complete  sets.  Among 
its  interesting  and  valuable  collections  are  the  Stat- 
utes of  England,  complete  and  perfect,  from  Magna 
Charta  ijune  15.  121 51  down  to  the  present  time. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 


HON.  JOSHUA  FORMAN. 

Joshua  Forman  was  born  in   Pleasant  Valley,  in 
the  county  of  Dutchess,  and   State  of  New  York, 
the  6th    of  September.    1777.     His    parents  were 
Joseph  and  Hannah  Forman,  who,  previous  to  the 
Revolution,    resided    in    the  city   of   New    York. 
Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  and  the  ajiproach 
of  the  British  to  that  city,  Mr.  Joseph  Forman  re- 
tired to  Pleasant  Valley,  where  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  born.     At  an  early  age  he  evinced  a 
strong   desire    for   learning    in    which  he  was  en- 
couraged by  his  friends.     In  the  fall  of  1793  he  en- 
tered Union  College,  at  Schenectady,  and  in  due 
time  was  graduated  with  honor.     Directly  after  his 
collegiate   course   was   completed,  he  entered  the 
law  oflicc  of  Peter  W.    Radcliffe,  Esq.,  of  Pough- 
kcejjsic,  where  he  remained  about   two  years.     He 
then  went    to    New  York  city  and  completed  his 
law  studies  in  the  office  of  Samuel   Miles  Hopkins, 
Esq      Soon    after    the    close    of  his    professional 
course,     he    married    Miss    Margaret   Alexander, 
a  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Boyd  Alexander,  M.  P.,  for 
Glasgow,    Scotland.     In    the   spring  of  1800,    Mr. 
Forman  removed  to  Onondaga  Hollow,  and  o|-)ened 
a  law  office,  where  he  began  early  to  manifest  his 
public  sjiirit  and  enterprise. 

By  his  integrity  and  straightforward  course  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession,  he  soon  became  dis- 
tinguished as  a  lawyer,  and  by  his  talents  and  gen- 
tlemanly deportment,  became  familiarly  known 
throughout  the  county.  The  subject  of  the  Erie 
Canal  became  a  theme  of  deep  interest.  Mr.  For- 
man's  talents  as  a  public  speaker  and  as  a  man  of 
influence  and  character  eminently  distinguished 
him  to  be  the  individual  who  should  be  foremost  in 
moving  the  matter.     Accordingly  in  1807,  a  Union 


ticket  was  got  up,  headed  by  John   McWhorter.  a 
Democrat,  and  Joshua  Forman,  a  Federalist.     This 
ticket  was  carried  with  trifling  opposition.      It  was 
headed  "  Canal  Ticket,"  and  as  such  received  the 
cordial  support  of  a  large  majority  of  the   electors 
of  Onondaga  county.     He  brought  forward  in  the 
House  of  Assembly  the  ever  memorable  resolution, 
which    alone    would    render    his    name    immortal, 
directing  a  survey  to  be  made  "  of  the  most  eligible 
and  direct  route  of  a  canal,  to  open  communication 
between  the  tide  waters  of  the   Hudson  and  Lake 
Erie."     Mr.   Forman  had    studied  the   subject  of 
canals  as  constructed  in  foreign  countries.     He  had 
well  considered  the  advantages  that  would  accrue 
to  the  United  States  and   the   State  of  New  York, 
if  this   important   work  should   be  completed,  and 
had  prepared  an  estimate  of  the  cost  of  construc- 
tion, based  upon  statistics  of  the  Languedoc  Canal. 
The  resolution  was  adopted.     And  for  this  he  was 
for  years   called  a  "  visionary  projector,"  and    was 
asked  a  hundred  times  if  he  ever  expected  to  live  to 
see   his  canal  completed  ;  to  which  he  uniformly 
answered,  that  "  as  surely  as  he  lived  to  the  ordi- 
nary age  of  man,  he  did  ;  that  it  might  take  ten  years 
to  prepare  the  public  mind  for  the  undertaking,  and 
as    many    more    to  accomplish  it,   nevertheless,  it 
would  be  done."     Had  not  Joshua  Forman  brought 
forward  the  subject  as  he  did,  it  is  not  easy  to  con- 
ceive   who  would  have  had  the  moral  courage  to 
meet  the  ridicule  of  proposing  in  earnest,  what  was 
considered    so   wild   a   measure.     During  all  the 
times  of  darkness,  discouragement,  and  doubt,  he 
boldly  stood  forth,  the  unflinching  champion  of  its 
feasibility,  utility,  and  worth,  till  the  day  of  its  com- 
pletion.    On  the  occasion  of  the  grand  canal  cele- 
bration, 1st  of  November  1825,  Judge  Forman  was 


~t  tit  S^mMl  Sn'f^'^ 


/£7^^^<^^^-^        /V^^^^^^-'^— >>' 


SYRACUSE,  N  Y 


« 


1 64 


HISTORY  OK  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


of  Gov.  Van  Burcn,  submitted  his  plan  to  a  com- 
mittee of  the  Legislature  then  in  session.  At  the 
suggestion  of  the  Governor,  he  drew  up  a  bill  which 
became  a  law,  and  is  known  as  the  Safety  Fund 
Act.  It  relieved  the  embarrassment  of  the  State, 
and  it  may  be  safely  affirmed  that  that  no  system 
in  practice  on  this  side  the  Atlantic,  has  better 
stood  the  test  of  experience. 

In  1829-30,  Judge  Forman  bought  3,000  acres 
of  land  in  Rutherford  Co.,  North  Carolina.  He 
took  up  his  residence  at  the  village  of  Ruthcrfordton, 
greatly  extended  its  boundaries,  established  a  news- 
paper, and  was  considered  the  most  enterprising 
individual  in  that  part  of  the  State. 

In  1831,  after  an  absence  of  five  years,  Judge 
Forman  visited  Onondaga  County.  He  was  every- 
where received  with  unqualified  demonstrations  of 
joy  and  respect,  and  every  voice  cheered  him  as  the 
founder  of  the  city  and  the  benefactor  of  mankind. 
The  citizens  of  Syracuse,  through  their  committee 
appointed  for  that  purpose,  presented  a  valuable  set 
of  silver  plate,  in  the  form  of  a  pitcher  and  si.\  gob- 
lets, bearing  this  inscription  : 

A  'rribiih-  of  Respfct. 

J'rcsttitfii  by  the  Syracuse, 

Cilizens  of  Syracuse 

to  the  {Clasf-ed /lands.) 

Hon.  jfoshua  Forman, 
fomuier  oj  that  Village.  •  83 1 . 

On  his  return  to  North  Carolina,  Judge  Forman 
took  with  him  this  token  of  the  gratitude  of  his  fel- 
low citizens,  and  it  remained  with  him  till  the  year 
1845,  when  he  presented  it  to  his  daughter,  the  wife 
of  Gen.  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  of  Syracuse,  remark- 
ing that  it  constituted  a  part  of  the  history  of  Syra- 
cuse, and  that  after  his  death  there  it  should  remain. 

In  1S46,  this  venerable  man  revisited  his  former 
friends  of  his  earlier  years  and  found  in  each  a  full, 
hearty  and  honest  welcome.  A  public  dinner  was 
tendered  him  at  the  Syracuse  House  —  then  the 
great  hotel  of  the  city  —  which  was  attended  by 
Moses  D.  Hurnct,  Hon.  George  Geddes,  Lewis  H. 
Redfield,  Amos  R.  Granger,  Harvey  Baldwin,  and 
most  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  the  village  and 
many  from  the  adjoining  country.  Hon.  Moses  D. 
Burnet  presided.  A  formal  address  of  congratula- 
tion on  account  of  the  great  success  of  his  early 
labors  and  the  remarkable  fulfillment  of  his  hopes 
and  predictions  was  made  by  the  Hon.  Harvey  Bald- 
win, which  was  replied  to  in  behalf  of  Judge  For- 
man (^he  being  then  unable  to  articulate  distinctly  on 
account  of  a  paralytic  shock  1  by  his  son-in-law.  Gen. 
Leavenworth.  Gen.  Amos  R.  Granger,  Hon.  Geo. 
Geddes,  Lewis  H.  Redfield  and  several  other  gentle- 
men addressed  the  party  in  a  very  happy  manner. 


From  Syracuse  Judge  Forman  retired  to  his 
mountain  home  in  the  milder  climes  of  the  sunny 
South,  and  passed  away  at  the  village  of  Rutherford- 
ton,  on  the  4th  of  August,  1S48.  His  remains  were 
removed  from  Ruthcrfordton,  at  the  request  of  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  and  now  repose 
beneath  the  shades  of  Oakwood,  the  beautiful  rural 
cemetery  at  Syracuse. 

For  a  fuller  and  more  detailed  account  of  Judge 
Forman's  relations  to  the  Erie  Canal,  see  Dr. 
Hosack's  life  of  DeWitt  Clinton,  pages  342  to  357, 
and  for  his  relations  to  the  city  of  Syracuse,  see 
Clark's  History  of  Onondaga,  Vol.  2d,  pages  69  tu 
90  ;  see  also  "  Genealogy  of  the  Leavenworth  Fam- 
ily in  the  United  States,"  pages  257  to  264. 


GEN.  ELIAS  VV.  LEAVENWORTH. 

Elias  Warner  Leavenworth  was  born  at  Canaan, 
Columbia  county,  N.  V.,  December  20,  1S03.  His 
father  removed  from  Canaan  to  Great  Barrington, 
Mass.,  when  he  was  three  years  old,  where  his  early 
life  was  spent  among  the  beautiful  hills  and  valleys 
of  Berkshire.  Early  developing  an  eager  taste  for 
knowledge,  he  was  placed  in  the  year  1819,  at  the 
Hudson  Academy,  then  under  the  care  of  the  Rev. 
Daniel  Parker,  father  of  the  present  Judge  Amasa 
Parker  of  Albany.  He  also,  pursued  his  prepara- 
tory studies,  in  part,  under  Erastus  C.  Benedict, 
Esq  ,  at  Great  Barrington,  in  1873  State  Senator 
from  New  York  city.  In  the  fall  of  1820,  he  en- 
tered Williams  College,  as  a  Sophomore  well  pre- 
pared, and  remained  there  one  year,  and  then  en- 
tered Vale  as  a  Sophomore  ;  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society  in  1823  ;  was  grad- 
uated in  1824,  and  took  his  second  degree  in  1827. 

On  the  20th  of  September,  1824,  he  began  the 
study  of  law  with  William  CuUen  Bryant,  then 
practicing  at  Great  Barrington,  and  on  the  i6lh  of 
May,  1825,  entered  the  Law  School  at  Litchfield, 
Conn.  In  January,  1827,  he  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice in  all  the  courts  of  Connecticut. 

On  Monday,  the  I2th  of  November,  1827,  he  left 
Great  Barrington  for  Syracuse,  arriving,  by  dili- 
gence, at  sunset,  on  the  following  Saturday.  He 
was  admitted  in  the  Common  Pleas  as  an  attorney 
and  counsellor  at  the  February  Term,  1828,  on  the 
motion  of  Gen.  James  R.  Lawrence  ;  and  in  the 
Supreme  Court  nearly  two  years  later  at  Albany, 
at  the  October  Term,  1829,  as  an  attorney,  and  as 
counsellor  in  1833. 

On  reaching  Syracuse,  he  studied  and  practiced 
with  Alfred  Northam,  Esq.,  until  February,  1829, 
when   he   formed   a  partnership  with  the  late  B. 


<_A9t_:y^e 


VA.  il^«- 


SYBACUSE.N.r. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


i6s 


Davis  Noxon,  Esq.,  which  continued  with  various 
members  of  the  family  until  1850,  when  he  aban- 
doned his  profession,  entirely  on  account  of  the  state 
of  his  health.  In  the  great  campaign  of  1840  he 
had  contracted  bronchitis  by  constant  public  speak- 
ing to  large  audiences.  In  1850,  his  condition  be- 
came somewhat  critical,  and  although  enjoying  prob- 
ably the  largest  and  most  lucrative  practice  in  the 
central  part  of  the  State,  felt  constrained  to  retire 
from  his  profession  and  turn  his  attention  to  other 
pursuits. 

Rest  and  care  for  two  or  three  years  and  abstain- 
ing from  public  speaking,  fully  restored  his  health, 
and  other  pursuits  having  engaged  his  attention,  he 
never  returned  to  the  practice  of  law. 

In  January,  1S32,  he  was  appointed  a  Lieutenant 
of  Artillery  in  the  147th  Regiment  of  Infantry,  and 
in  the  same  year  was  appointed  Captain  of  the  Ar- 
tillery in  the  same  regiment. 

In  1834,  he  was  appointed  Lieutenant-Colonel  of 
the  29th  Regiment  of  Artillery,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing year  was  appointed  Colonel  of  the  same  regi- 
ment. In  the  Fall  of  1835,  he  was  nominated  at 
the  Whig  County  Convention  as  one  of  the  four 
members  of  Assembly  from  Onondaga  County. 
But  the  county  was  hopelessly  Democratic,  or  he 
would  not  have  consented  to  be  a  candidate.  In 
1836,  he  was  appointed  Brigadier-General  of  the 
7th  Brigade  of  Artillery.  In  1S37,  was  elected 
Trustee  of  Syracuse  village.  In  1838-39,  and 
'40,  was  President  of  the  village.  In  1839,  ^^^ 
elected  Supervisor  of  the  old  town  of  Salina.  It 
was  the  first  election  at  which  the  Democrats  had 
been  beaten  for  twelve  or  fifteen  years  ;  was  reelected 
in  1840.  In  1846  and  '47,  was  again  President 
of  the  village. 

While  President  of  the  village  from  1838  to  1841, 
the  Board  opened,  or  extended  many  of  the  streets 
which  are  now  the  principal  business  ones  in  the 
city.  In  1838,  he  drew  up  a  resolution  which  was 
the  means  of  procuring  for  the  city  Vanderbilt 
Square  ;  the  rows  of  trees  which  still  line  each  side 
of  the  railroad  from  Beech  street  to  the  heart  of  the 
city  ;  and  the  first  public  sewer,  which  still  extends 
in  Washington  street,  from  the  creek  to  Lemon 
street. 

In  the  winter  of  1839,  while  President  of  the  vil- 
lage, he  drew  up  and  procured  the  passage  of  a  bill 
to  enable  the  trustees  to  make  a  contract  with  the 
Seneca  Turnpike  Company,  to  discontinue  that 
part  oi  the  road  running  through  what  is  now  known 
as  Fayette  Park.  In  the  same  year  he  was  instru- 
mental in  securing  to  the  city  that  beautiful  Park 
which  is  now  the  pride  of  the  Seventh  Ward.     In 


the  Spring  of  1849,  Mr.  Leavenworth  was  elected 
Mayor  of  the  city.  Under  his  administration  and 
by  his  efforts,  the  Armory  Park  was  laid  out  and 
became  city  property.  In  the  Fall  of  the  same  year 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  thi  Legislature  to  rep- 
resent the  city  district ;  was  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee on  the  Manufacture  of  Salt ;  and  a  member 
of  the  Committee  on  Railroads  ;  and  also  drew  up 
and  had  passed  a  bill  on  the  subject  of  Salt. 
(Laws  of  1850,  Chap.  374,  p.  794.)  He  also  car- 
ried through  the  Committee  of  the  Whole  and  pro- 
cured the  passage  of  a  bill  to  improve  the  naviga- 
tion of  the  Seneca  River.  In  the  same  year  he 
drew  up  and  carried  through  a  bill  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  Washington's  headquarters  at  Newburg. 
In  a  series  of  able  speeches,  he  defended  the  Gover- 
nor's veto  in  the  celebrated  "  Mason  Will  Case," 
and  it  was  mainly  through  his  efforts  that  the  veto 
of  Governor  Fish  was  sustained  in  that  long  and 
fiercely  contested  discussion. 

In  i849-'50.  General  Leavenworth  was  one 
of  the  Building  Committee  of  the  First  Pres- 
byterian Society.  A  majority  of  the  committee 
wished  to  build  a  brick  church,  after  some  of  the 
Grecian  styles  of  architecture.  By  his  efforts, 
aided  by  those  of  Mr.  Thomas  B.  Fitch,  one  of 
the  committee,  the  brown  stone  Gothic  Church,  one 
of  the  finest  ornaments  of  the  city,  was  finally  se- 
cured. In  the  Fall  of  1851,  he  lacked  only  six  or 
eight  votes  of  being  nominated  for  Secretary  of 
State,  at  the  Whig  State  Convention.  In  the  Fall 
of  1853  he  was  nominated  for  Secretary  of  State, 
almost  without  opposition,  and  was  also  elected. 
During  his  term  as  Secretary  of  State,  he  was  very 
active  in  causing  improvements  to  be  made  through- 
out the  State,  and  through  his  efforts  the  State 
Asylum  for  Idiots  was  removed  from  Albany  to 
Syracuse. 

As  Secretary  of  State,  he  was  ex-ofificio  visitor  of 
the  charitable  institutions  of  the  State,  and  saw  the 
great  want  of  some  superior  investigating  and 
supervising  power  over  the  Trustees  of  the  various 
institutions.  He  accordingly  drew  up  a  bill  entitled : 
"  An  act  in  relation  to  charitable  institutions  sup- 
ported or  assisted  by  the  State,  and  to  city  and 
county  poor  houses,  and  to  create  a  board  of  visitors 
for  the  same,"  which  was  introduced  into  the  Senate 
by  Hon.  Mark  Spencer.  In  substance  the 
bill  was  passed  by  the  Legislature,  May  23, 
1867,  when  he  again  drew  the  bill.  In  1855 
he  was  elected  a  corresponding  member  of  the 
American  Historical  and  Geographical  Society  of 
the  city  of  New  York  ;  and,  also,  the  same  year,  of 
the    New   England    Historical    and    Genealogical 


i66 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Society  of  Boston.     In  the  fall  of  1856,  Mr.  Leaven- 
worth was  again  clecteii   to  the    Legislature  ;  was 
Chairman  of  Committee  on  Canals  and  a   member 
of  the  Committee  on  Hanks  ;  also,  Chairman  of  the 
Select  Committee  of  one  from  each  Judicial  Dis- 
trict on  the  Equalization  of  State  Tax.     As  Chair- 
man, he  drew  up  a  bill,  which   was  subsequently 
passed,  entitled,  "  An  act  to  equalize  the  State  ta.x 
among  the  several  counties   in    the  State,"  which 
established  the  Board  of  State  Assessors.     He  also 
drew  up  and  introduced  the  bill  entitled,  "  An  act 
to  provide    for    the  investigation    into  the  origin 
of    fires    in     certain     cases  ; "    also     many    other 
bills  of  equal  importance.     In  the  winter  of  1858, 
Governor  King  nominated   him  to  the  Senate  for 
State  Auditor,  but  the  Senate,  being  of  a  different 
party  complexion,  politely  laid  the  nomination  over. 
Mainly  through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Leavenworth  and 
Mr.  Hamilton  White,  in  1 858-9,  the  Association  of 
Oakwood  was  formed,  which  gave  to  the  city  one  of 
the  finest  cemeteries  in  the  State.     In  the  spring  of 
1859  he  was  again  elected  Mayor  of  the  city.     In 
the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  was  again  nominated 
for  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State,  but  was  defeated 
by  a  small  majority  of  from  1,000  to  1,500  votes, 
in  a  total  of  600,000,  mainly  through  the  efforts  of 
Erastus  and  James  Brooks  and  the  Know-Nothing 
party,   on  account  of  their    hostility  to  Governor 
Seward  of  whom  he  was  a  warm   friend.     In  the 
winter  of  i860,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Legislature, 
one  of  the  Board  of  Quarantine  Commissioners  and 
was  chosen  President  at   its  organization.     In  the 
summer  of  the  same  year  he  was   President  of  the 
Republican  State  Convention  assembled  at  Syra- 
cuse to  select  delegates  to  the  National  Convention 
at    Chicago.       On    the     5th    of    February,     1861, 
Gen.  Leavenworth  was  chosen  one  of  the  Regents  of 
the  University  ;  and  in  1872  was  appointed  by  the 
Governor  and  the  Senate,  one  of  the  commissioners 
to  amend  the  State  Constitution.      In   February, 
1 86 1,  Mr.  L.  was  nominated  to  the  position  of  Com- 
missioner under  the  Convention  with  New  Granada, 
and  was  duly  confirmed  by  the  Senate. 

In    the   fall    of    1874,   Gen.    Leavenworth    was 


elected  a  member  of  the  44th  Congress  from 
the  25th  Congressional  District,  Onondaga  and 
Cortland,  but  declined,  at  an  early  day,  a  reelec- 
tion in  a  letter  to  his  constituents  setting  forth 
the  reasons.  There  are  many  other  public  posi- 
tions which  he  has  filled  with  credit  and  ability, 
which  the  want  of  space  will  not  permit  mentioning. 
Mr.  Leavenworth  at  present  holds  the  following 
positions  :  President  of  the  Syracuse  Savings  Bank, 
President  of  the  Syracuse  City  Water- Works  Com- 
pany, President  of  the  Syracuse  Gas  Light  Company, 
President  of  Oakwood  Cemetery.  President  of  the 
Historical  Society  of  Central  New  York,  Secretary 
and  Treasurer  of  the  Cape  Cod  Coarse  Salt  Com- 
pany, a  Trustee  of  the  Onondaga  County  Orphan 
Asylum,  a  Trustee  of  the  Syracuse  Home  Associa- 
tion for  Old  Ladies,  a  Trustee  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church,  since  July,  1837,  a  Trustee  of  the 
State  Asylum  for  Idiots,  a  Director  in  the  Syracuse, 
Phtenix  and  Oswego  Railroad,  a  Regent  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  the  State  of  New  York. 

Few  men  have  led  busier  public  lives  than  Gen. 
Leavenworth.  Possessing  a  fine  education,  com- 
bined with  highly  respectable  natural  abilities,  his 
services  and  talents  for  forty  years  past  have  been  in 
constant  demand,  wliethcr  as  a  legislator,  a  states- 
man or  a  jurist.  He  has  left  indelibly  the  impress 
of  his  character  and  tastes  upon  the  institutions  of 
the  city  in  which  he  resides.  Kind,  sympathetic, 
generous  and  humane,  he  daily  practices  these  lovely 
christian  virtues  which  create  sunshine  wherever  he 
moves.  The  great  secret  of  his  success  is  attrib- 
utable to  his  astonishing  energy,  and  an  endeavor  to 
discharge  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  every  duty  which 
is  imposed  uj^on  him.  Now  at  the  advanced  age  of 
75  years,  he  does  more  hard  work  than,  perhaps,  any 
other  man  in  Syracuse,  as  can  be  seen  by  the  numer- 
ous, arduous  and  responsible  positions  which  he  now 
holds.  Age,  instead  of  enfeebling  his  intellect,  adds 
increasing  lustre  to  his  experience  and  wisdom. 
Few  men  in  the  State  would  adorn  any  public  posi- 
tion with  a  richer  experience  or  finer  ability. 

For  a  fuller  account  of  Gen.  L.  see  the  "  Leaven- 
worth Genealogy,  1873." 


{%.%. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Springiieid, 
Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  8,  1817. 

His  paternal  grandfather,  John 
C.  Wietiiig,  was  a  native  of 
Standal,  Prussia ;  was  a  classical 
scholar  (and  another  member  of 
the  family  taught  a  classical 
school  in  Vienna  over  one  hun- 
dred years  ago) ;  came  to  America 
while  a  young  man,  about  the 
time  of  the  Revolutionary  war  ; 
enlisted  on  the  side  of  the  colo- 
nists ;  was  in  the  battle  of  Sara- 
toga. After  the  war  he  married, 
taught  a  classical  school  at  Green- 
bush,  N.  Y.,  and  later  was  pastor 
of  the  Jjutheran  church  of  Minden 
and  Osquake  far  twenty-two  years, 
and  died  Feb.  17,  1817,  in  the 
sixtieth  year  of  his  age. 

His  father,  Peter  Wieting,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Minden, 
Jlontgomery  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  30, 
1790;  was  a  tanner  and  currier  in 
the  early  part  of  his  career,  and 
subsequently  a  merchant,  and  died 
in  the  city  of  Syracuse  in  the 
year  1856. 

His  mother,  Mary  Elizabeth 
Manchester,  was  a  descendant 
from  a  family  of  that  name  who 
came  from  Manchester,  England, 
and  settled  in  the  State  of  P.hode 
Island ;  was  of  English  descent, 
and  was  born  April  5,  1792,  in 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  She  died  May  30,  1872.  Her  father  was 
a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  was  a  pensioner  for  many  years  before 
his  death. 

John  M.  was  the  eldest  son  in  a  family  of  four  children,  and  at 
the  time  of  the  writing  of  this  sketch  is  the  only  surviving  one.  He 
received  sufficient  education  from  the  district  and  private  schools, 
so  that  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  he  became  a  teacher.  After 
that  age,  unaided  pecuniarily,  he  spent  the  next  four  years  in 
teaching  winters  and  attending  school  at  the  Clinton  Liberal  In- 
stitute, and  working  on  the  farm  summers. 

During  the  following  year  he  assisted  in  the  preliminary  survey 
for  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad.  At  the  age  of  twenty,  in 
the  year  1837,  he  came  to  Sj'racuse,  and  engaged  as  an  engineer  in 
the  construction  of  the  Syracuse  and  Utica  railroad,  which  posi- 
tion he  filled  for  some  six  years.  In  the  mean  time  he  surveyed 
Rose  Hill  cemetery,  and  graded  many  of  the  streets  of  the  thee 
village  of  Syracuse. 

During  these  years  he  was  an  almost  constant  student  of  the 
natural  sciences  and  mathematics.  It  was  also  about  this  time 
that  he  conceived  the  idea  of  leading  a  professional  life,  and  began 
the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Hiram  Hoyt,  of  Syracuse. 

Through  the  pecuniary  misfortune  of  his  father  and  his  poor 
health,  John  M.  was  compelled  not  only  to  meet  the  obstacles  of 
life  for  himself  at  this  time,  but  also  to  provide  for  the  support  of 
the  rest  of  the  family,  which  he  did,  with  the  pride  of  a  devoted 
Bon,  down  to  the  death  of  those  who  gave  him  birth. 

In  the  spring  of  1843,  while  a  student  of  medicine,  he  was 
attracted  by  the  lectures  of  Dr.  Austin  Flint,  then  lecturing  in 
Syracuse  with  a  manikin.      John   M.   resolved  to  purchase  the 


manikin,  and  with  the  assistance 
of  kind  friends  he  accomplished 
his  desire,  and  started  on  a  tour 
of  lecturing,  confining  himself 
to  the  subjects  of  anatomy,  phys- 
iology, and  the  laws  of  life  and 
health. 

Soon  after  he  began  lectu- 
ring he  received  his  diploma 
to  practice  medicine.  His  lec- 
tures were  given  mostly  in  the 
New  England  and  Northern 
States. 

Prom  time  to  lime,  as  his  means 
would  admit.  Dr.  Wieting  added 
to  his  manikin  other  manikins, 
skeletons,  models,  and  paintings, 
and  such  other  illustrative  appa- 
ratus as  was  calculated  to  render 
his  lectures  instructive  and  enter- 
taining. 

His  lectures  increased  in  pop- 
ularity ;  his  whole  time  wa.s 
occupied,  when  not  in  public 
speaking  or  rest,  as  a  student, 
and  for  a  period  of  some  twenty 
years,  more  or  less,  he  excited 
the  curiosity  and  educated  the 
masses,  instructed  the  willing, 
lent  a  branch  to  the  trunk  of 
scientific  research,  and  became 
one  of  the  most  successful  and 
popular  lecturers  of  the  age. 

He  gave  over  one  hundred 
courses  of  lectures  in  the  city 
of  Boston  and  vicinity  during 
these  years  to  crowded  houses.-  His  pure,  intellectual  efforts  on 
these  occasions  are  said  to  have  been  very  successful,  and  have 
placed  him  on  record  as  a  thorough  master  of  the  subjects  before 
him. 

Inured  to  the  necessity  of  economy  in  his  earlier  life.  Dr.  Wia- 
ting  has,  by  judicious  management  and  his  natural  business  ability, 
secured  a  competence  which  places  him  beyond  the  apprehension 
of  want,  and  owns  one  of  the  finest  and  most  valuable  blocks  in 
the  city,  called  Witting  block.  In  politics,  he  has  never  been  a 
very  zealous  party  man  ;  not  solicitous  of  public  office  ;  identified 
with  the  Republican  party. 

He  was  the  first  president  of  the  Chenango  Valley  railroad, 
but  has  been  very  little  connected  with  any  public  enterprise. 

Dr.  Wieting,  in  the  strictest  sense  of  the  term,  is  a  self-made 
man,  endowed  with  that  self-reliance,  perseverance  under  diffi- 
culties, endurance  of  body  and  mind,  resolution,  with  the  greatest 
firmness  and  consideration,  worthy  of  emulation  by  the  young  men 
of  to-day. 

In  the  year  1875,  Dr.  Wieting,  with  his  wife  (whose  maiden 
name  was  Mary  Elizabeth  Plumb,  born  in  Homer,  N.  Y.,  a 
daughter  of  Hon.  Samuel  Plumb,  and  on  the  mother's  side  grand- 
daughter of  Colonel  Cooley,  of  De  Ruyter),  visited  the  Pacific 
coast,  Japan,  China,  Ceylon  island,  India,  the  leading  countries  of 
Africa  and  Eurojie,  returning  to  his  native  country  after  an 
absence  of  one  year,  and  making  a  trip  around  the  world. 

In  this  tour  he  added  to  his  already  large  stock  of  information 
what  neither  reading  or  literary  research  will  acquire,  and  was  a 
discriminating  observer  of  the  customs  and  character  of  other 
peoples  in  the  countries  through  which  he  traveled. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


167 


THE  SYRACUSE  UNIVERSITY. 

The  history  of  the  inception  and  establishment 
of  this  Institution  was  given  in  an  address  by  Rev. 
A.  J.  Phelps,  on  the  occasion  of  the  laying  of  the 
corner  stone  of  the  "  Hall  of  Languages,"  August 
31,  1 87 1.  It  has  been  approved  by  Chancellor 
Haven  and  others  as  a  sufficiently  accurate  history 
of  the  University,  and  as  such  it  is  here  introduced, 
with  a  few  slight  alterations. 

Like  many  other  great  and  noble  enterprises, 
the  Syracuse  University  seems  not  to  have  been 
the  result  of  plan  or  concert,  but  rather,  as  we  then 
thought  and  still  believe,  a  sort  of  intuition  or  inspi- 
ration which  came  upon  several  minds  almost  simul- 
taneously. This  enterprise,  in  its  inception,  con- 
templated the  removal  of  Genesee  College  to  Syra- 
cuse, and  the  first  tangible  expression  within  our 
knowledge,  looking  in  this  direction,  was  a  note 
from  Professor  J.  R.  French,  which  was  received  in 
reply  to  a  communication  we  had  made  to  him,  in 
the  month  of  January,  1866,  declining  to  cooperate 
with  him  in  the  proposed  plan  to  raise  Centenarj^ 
funds  for  the  endowment  of  Genesee  College,  on 
the  ground  that  its  location  was  quite  too  uncen- 
tral  and  ineligible  to  meet  the  demands  of  our  edu- 
cational interest  in  the  great  Empire  State,  and 
strongly  urging  the  imperative  necessity  of  a  first 
class  college,  under  the  patronage  and  supervision 
of  our  denomination,  in  some  central  position  in 
which  our  people  from  all  parts  of  the  State  might 
feel  a  common  interest  and  where  they  might  in- 
vest with  better  promise  of  grand  results. 

To  these  sentiments  Dr.  French  promptly  re- 
sponded, and  fully  committed  himself  in  favor  of 
the  removal  of  Genesee  College  from  Lima  to  some 
more  eligible  location.  Almost  instantly  after  the 
receipt  of  this  note  we  learned  of  an  incidental  con- 
versation occurring  only  a  few  days  before,  between 
Rev.  E.  Arnold  and  Professor  Bennett.  The  spirit 
fell  first  upon  the  former,  and  the  latter  soon  caught 
the  inspiration,  and  as  quick  as  thought  there  ap- 
peared screws  under  the  sills,  a  locomotive  on  the 
track,  and  the  time  honored  college  seen  trembling 
for  its  journey.  At  almost  equal  date  Dr.  Lore 
might  have  been  seen  in  his  sanctum,  listening  to 
this  topic,  when  suddenly  he  replied  by  placing  in 
the  hand  of  his  friend  a  half  column  of  "  proof,"  on 
the  removal  of  Genesee  College,  and  the  two 
agreed  that  the  intuition  or  inspiration,  which  ever 
it  was,  must  be  good. 

The  next  fact  of  interest  time  will  allow  us  to 
note,  was  the  first  college  convention,  called  under 
the  auspices  of  a  centenary  meeting  at  Elmira,  and 
held  at  Syracuse,  April  12,  1866.  This  convention 
of  representatives  of  five  central  and  western  con- 
ferences, took  action  decidedly  favoring  the  enter- 
prise, and  adopted  measures  for  its  advancement. 
During  the  same  month  Black  River  and  Oneida 
conferences  took  harmonious  action,  and  constituted 
their  visitors  to  Genesee  College,  Commissioners  to 
confer  with  the  Trustees  and  negotiate  for  the  re- 
moval of  the  College  to  some  central  locality  in  the 
State. 


At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Trustees,  held  at 
Lima  June  27,  1866,  the  Commissioners  being  pres- 
ent, and  representing  their  several  Conferences,  the 
Trustees  responded  in  substance  that,  the  Genesee 
and  East  Genesee  Conferences  concurring,  we  deem 
it  best  that  Genesee  College  should  be  removed  to 
some  more  central  location  in  the  State  on  condition 
that  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  irrespective  of 
grounds  and  buildings,  be  raised  by  the  Conferences 
east  of  Cayuga  Lake,  to  equal  two  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  to  be  furnished  by  the  two  Genesee 
Conferences. 


(Rev.  E.  O.  Haven,  D.  D,  LL.  D 


Immediately  after  this  action  of  the  Trustees,  the 
Commissioners  issued  a  call  for  a  convention  of 
Laymen  and  Ministers  from  Black  River,  Oneida, 
and  Wyoming  Conferences,  which  was  held  at  Sy- 
racuse July  26,  1866.  This  Convention  indorsed 
the  basis  agreed  upon  by  the  joint  meeting  of  Trus- 
tees and  visitors,  and  recommended  that  Syracuse 
and  other  eligible  localities  should  be  canvassed,  to 
ascertain  what  inducements  would  be  offered  to  lo- 
cate the  college  in  their  midst. 

At  the  session  of  the  Genesee  Conference  in  the 
autumn  of  1866  this  whole  plan  was,  with  great 
unanimity,  indorsed,  whereupon  the  Trustees  took 
measures  to  secure  the  passage  of  an  act  by  the  ^ 
Legislature  of  i866-'67,  legalizing  the  removal  of 
the  college.  Immediately  thereafter  parties  entered 
upon  the  authorized  canvass  in  several  localities. 
In  Syracuse  private  interviews  were  held  with 
several  distinguished  gentlemen,  by  whose  advice 
and  cooperation  a  preliminary  council  was  called, 
and  thereupon  a  private  note  was  prepared,  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  Syracuse,  March  5,  1S67. 

"  Sir  :  You  are  requested  to  meet  several  of  our 
citizens  at  the  office  of  the  Salt  Company  of  Onon- 
daga, Thursday,  March  21,  at  seven  p.  m.,  to  attend 


i68 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


an  adjourned  meeting  for  consultation  in   regard  to 
a  matter  of  great  public  interest.      Yours,  etc  , 

William  D.  Stewakt,  C.  T.  Longstkeet. 

Gkokge  F.  Comstock,  Chas.  Andkkws, 

E.  W.  Leaven woKiH,  T.  B.  Frrcii, 

A.  D.  White,  C.  Tallman, 

A.    MUXKOE." 

This  note  was  addressed  to  one  hundred  or  more 
of  the  most  wealthy  and  influential  of  our  citizens. 
The  convention  thus  called  was  largely  attended 
and  of  marked  interest.  After  brief  addresses  by 
Dr.  Lore,  A.  J  Phelps  and  others,  without  the 
least  suggestion  from  members  or  ministers  of  our 
own  denomination,  the  convention  took  measures  to 
secure  the  bonding  of  the  city  for  the  promotion  of 
this  enterprise.  Whereupon  Judge  Comstock  was 
requested  to  draft  an  enabling  bill,  and  the  conven- 
tion issued  a  public  call  foi-  a  mass  meeting  of  the 
citizens  of  Syracuse. 

This  meeting  convened  the  following  week  at  the 
City  Hall.  The  gathering  was  large,  enthusiastic 
and  harmonious.  The  proposed  bill  was  presented 
by  Judge  Comstock,  which  provided  for  bonding 
the  city  for  the  sum  of  $ICX),0C)0,  conditioned  on 
the  establishment  of  a  college  in  Syracuse  or  im- 
mediate vicinity  with  endowment  of  $400,000,  inde- 
pendent of  city  bonds.  This  bill  was  approved  by 
the  convention  with  great  unanimity  and  at  once 
forwarded  to  our  representative  at  Albany,  and  im- 
mediately passed  the  Legislature  and  became  a 
law. 

During  this  year,  1866,  which  was  observed  as 
the  Centenary  of  Methodism,  subscriptions  were 
secured  on  many  of  our  charges  in  furtherance  of 
this  object.  In  this  work.  Rev.  J.  B.  Foote,  A.  M., 
and  Rev.  D.  D.  Lore,  D.  D.,  and  others  were 
specially  active  and  successful. 

In  the  spring  of  '67,  Black  River  and  Oneida 
Conferences  fully  ratified  these  preliminary  proceed- 
ings, elected  college  commissioners  and  api)ointed 
Rev.  J.  D.  Adams,  Rev.  James  Erwin  and  Rev.  A. 
B.  Gregg,  agents  to  raise  funds  for  this  enterprise. 
Meantime  volunteers  among  whom  Rev.  C.  P.  Ly- 
ford,  Rev.  L.  Arnold,  and  others,  were  jirominent, 
operated  with  marked  success  in  securing  sub- 
scriptions and  awakening  interest  in  favor  of  this 
movement. 

The  Conference  of  1868  reaffirmed  their  con- 
fidence in  the  enterprise  and  reappointed  commis- 
sioners and  agents  to  further  the  cause. 

From  the  first  the  Trustees  of  Genesee  College 
have  been  true  to  the  faith,  and  have  done  all  in 
their  power  to  consummate  this  noble  work. 

Failing  to  secure  the  passage  of  the  desired  bill 
for  the  removal  of  the  college  in  the  legislative  ses- 
sion of  '66  and  '67,  they  renewed  their  etforts  the 
following  year,  and  procured  the  passage  of  an  "en- 
abling," or  rather  a  disenabling,  act,  authorizing  the 
Trustees  to  remove  the  college,  leaving  to  Lima 
Semrtjary  all  the  real  estate  of  the  college  and 
§75,00^ of  its  cash  endowment.  The  removal  was 
opposed  by  the  citizens  of  Lima  who  secured  from 
the  court  an  injunction  upon  the  Trustees.  This 
was  a  day  of  darkness  to  our  enterprise.     Still  the 


overhanging  clouds  were  not  utterly  dark.  The 
hearts  of  the  masses  and  the  open  liberal  hands  of 
the  people  were  with  us.  The  pledge  of  S  100,000 
from  Syracuse,  and  $125,000  on  subscriptions, 
leaving  only  $75,000  to  be  raised  to  meet  the  pro- 
portion of  our  Central  Conference,  with  assurances 
from  the  West  that  the  required  balance  should  be 
timely  met,  shed  some  light  upon  our  darkness. 
Still  the  persistent  opposition  of  interested  parties 
at  Lima,  the  disabilities  of  the  so-called  "  Enabling 
act,"  and  the  legal  restraints  of  an  injunction  upon 
the  Trustees,  made  the  timid  falter  anri  even  our 
faithful  agents  in  mid-season  thought  it  wise  to 
turn  to  other  means  of  livelihood,  and  some  of  the 
people  began  to  talk  of  defeat.  But  the  original 
and  abiding  friends  of  the  enterprise  who  never  so 
much  as  thought  of  defeat  or  mortification,  only 
talked  of  a  "  change  of  base." 

In  the  midst  of  this  peril,  in  the  darkest  hour  of 
the  dark  day,  one  who  spoke  the  sentiments  of  the 
many,  with  almost  prophetic  assurance,  exclaimed, 
"  We  shall  see  in  due  time  a  magnificent  university 
towering  up  on  some  of  the  high  lands  of  our  Cen- 
tral City,  standing  there  a  living  record  of  constan- 
cy and  perseverance,  a  blessing  to  the  great  State 
in  which  we  live,  a  perpetual  honor  to  the  church 
we  represent,  and  an  imperishable  monument  to  the 
praise  and  glory  of  the  great  head  of  the  church. 
God  hasten  the  day  when  the  vision  shall  be  real." 

Thus,  while  many  were  disheartened  and  para- 
lyzed by  murmurings  of  coming  evil,  others  were 
looking  and  hoping,  praying  and  planning,  when  al- 
most as  if  by  magic  the  air  was  vocal,  a  voice  from 
the  center  echoing  from  the  West  and  the  East, 
from  the  South  and  the  North,  cried  let  us  have  a 
convention — «  j^^reaf  Melltpdist  State  Convention. 
Let  us  come  together  and  deliberate  upon  great  is- 
sues that  concern  the  church  and  the  State — es- 
pecially let  us  combine  the  wisdom  and  strength  of 
the  people  and  take  some  new  step  which  shall  put 
our  great  educational  interests  beyond  peradven- 
ture. 

In  the  order  of  Providence,  the  auspicious  day 
appeared.  On  the  22d  day  of  February,  1870,  the 
Convention  came,  and  the  able  utterances  and  wise 
deliberations  of  many  distinguished  men,  with  the 
skillful  supervision  of  the  President,  Rev.  J.  T. 
Peck,  D.  D.,  made  it  a  great  occasion  in  more  re- 
spects than  one.  While  it  conserved  in  a  high  de- 
gree other  interests  vital  to  religious  and  social  life, 
it  was  the  day-spring  to  our  long  cherished  project 
of  establishing  on  some  prominence  of  our  beauti- 
ful city,  halls  of  science  and  letters,  to  rejoice  our 
own  hearts  and  make  glad  and  elevate  the  genera- 
tions to  come 

The  interest  of  this  convention  was  greatly  inten- 
sified by  the  passage  of  the  following  resolution  : 

"  Resolvcii,  That  this  State  convention  of  the  M. 
E.  Church  of  New  York,  approves  of  the  plan  to 
establish  without  delay,  in  the  city  of  Syracuse  or 
its  immediate  vicinity,  a  first-class  university,  and 
that  we  recommend  that  immediate  measures  be 
taken  to  raise  at  least  $500,000  to  endow  the  univer- 
sity." 


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HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


169 


But  the  grand  climax  was  reserved  until  name 
after  name  was  announced  with  magnificent  sub- 
scriptions for  the  university,  inspiring  and  electrify- 
ing the  people  beyond  measure.  Perhaps  no  better 
description  can  be  given  of  this  hour  of  thrilling  in- 
terest and  prophetic  history,  than  is  set  forth  in  the 
following  abstract  of  the  published  proceedings  of 
the  convention.  After  the  close  of  the  several  able 
and  stirring  speeches  on  this  subject,  Dr.  Jesse  T. 
Peck  arose,  evidently  impressed  with  the  historic 
significance  of  the  occasion,  and  said  :  "  I  have  heard 
it  said  that  talk  will  not  build  a  college,  but  that 
money  will.  I  propose  that  you  instruct  Brother 
Ives  to  stand  here  on  the  platform  and  see  how 
much  can  be  raised  here  and  now.  All  in  favor  of 
this  say  aye  "  The  proposition  was  unanimously 
approved,  and  Rev.  B.  I.  Ives  came  forward  and 
said  :  "  I  liked  that  brother's  speech  over  yonder, 
and  about  the  last  thing  he  said  was,  '  Send  us 
Brother  Ives.'  Here  I  am,  and  I  am  after  you." 
Mr.  Ives  asked  for  two  hundred  thousand  dollars 
from  the  audience. 

The  first  subscription  was  in  the  following  words 
and  read  by  Rev.  Dr.  Lore  : 

"I  will  be  one  of  four  to  subscribe  $25,000  each, 
making  g  100,000,  towards  endowing  four  professor- 
ships, when  the  University  to  be  located  at  Syra- 
cuse, is  legally  and  practically  established  ;  with  the 
understanding  that  I  with  my  good  wife,  appropriate 
the  savings  of  a  life-time  to  the  payment  of  this  sub- 
scription and  make  arrangements  for  any  balance 
which  may  be  unpaid  at  our  decease,  to  be  paid  from 
our  estate.  Jesse  T.  Peck." 

F.  H.  Root,  Esq.,  proposed  to  pay  the  interest 
on  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  for  five  years.  E. 
Remington  pledged  to  pay  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars  as  soon  as  circumstances  permit,  which  will 
flfe  soon.  Rev.  J.  F.  Crawford  pledged  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars.  Hon.  George  F.  Comstock 
pledged  the  interest  of  twenty-five  thousand  dollars 
for  ten  years.  Additional  subscriptions  were  then 
made,  in  sums  varying  from  ten  thousand  dollars  to 
one  hundred  dollars,  and  amounting  in  the  aggregate 
to  one  hundred  and  eighty-one  thousand  dollars. 

Though  these  figures  partially  depreciated  so  as  to 
leave  a  real  footing  of  about  $160,000,  still  this  was 
the  grand  breeze  which  set  our  stranded  bark  adrift 
and  turned  her  prow  towards  the  glorious  harbor. 
This  goodly  craft,  so  suddenly  emerged  from  jeop- 
ardy, the  convention  christened  "  The  Syracuse 
University"  and  at  once  proceeded  to  elect  the  fol- 
lowing 

Board  of  Trustees. 

At  Large:  Rev.  Bishop  E.  S.  Janes,  D.  D.,  of 
New  York  ;  Hon.  Reuben  E.  Fenton. 

Genesee  Conference:  Rev.  Thomas  Carlton,  D.  D., 
Rev.  A.  D.  Wilbor,  A.  M.,  F.  H.  Root,  Esq.,  J.  N. 
Scatchard,  Esq. 

East  Genesee  Conference :  Rev.  J.  E.  Latimer,  D. 
D.,  Hon.  D.  A.  Ogden,  A.  M.,  David  Decker,  Esq., 
Ezra  Jones,  Esq. 

Central  New  York  Conference:  Rev.  D.  D.  Lore, 
D.  D.,  Rev.  A.  J.  Phelps,  Rev.  B.  I.  Ives,  Rev.  J. 
F.  Crawford,  E.  Remington,  Esq. 


D., 


Wyomitig  Conference:  Rev.  H.  R.  Clark,  D. 
Rev.  D.  W.  Bristol,  D.  D.,  Hon.  H,  G.  Prindle. 

Black  River  Conference:  Rev.  J.  S.  Bingham, 
Rev.  S.  R.  Fuller,  A.  M.,  Hon.  'Willard  Ives. 

Troy  Conference:  Rev.  J.  T.  Peck,  D.  D.,  Rev.  J. 
E.  King,  D.  D.,  Rev.  Bostwick  Hawley,  D.D.,Prof. 
H.  Wilson,  A.  M. 

Neiu  York  Confere7icc :  Rev.  M.  D'C.  Crawford, 
D.  D.,  Professor  Alonzo  Flack,  A,  M.,  Philip  Phil- 
lips. 

Neiv  York  East  Conference :  Rev.  George  Lansing 
Taylor,  A.  M..  John  Stephenson,  Esq,,  John  H. 
Ockershausen,  Esq. 

City  of  Syracuse:  Judge  G.  F.  Comstock,  Rev.  E. 
Arnold,  Hon.  Charles  Andrews,  W.  W.  Porter,  M. 
D.,  T.  B.  Fitch,  Esq. 

The  Board  convened  immediately  after  the  con- 
vention, and  organized  under  the  general  law,  elect- 
ing Rev.  J.  T.  Peck,  D.  D.,  President  of  the  Board, 
Rev.  D.  D.  Lore,  D.  D.,  Secretary,  and  T.  B  Fitch, 
Esq.,  Treasurer.  An  executive  committee  was  also 
elected,  consisting  of  Rev.  J.  T.  Peck,  D.  D.,  Rev. 
D.  D.  Lore,  D.  D.,  Hon.  G.  F.  Comstock,  T.  B. 
Fitch,  Esq.,  Hon.  C.  Andrews,  Rev.  A.  J.  Phelps  and 
Rev.  E.  Arnold  ;  at  a  meeting  held  in  April,  1870, 
Rev.  E.  C  Curtis  was  elected  General  Agent  for  the 
University,  and  in  the  month  of  September  last, 
the  Board  unanimously  selected  the  beautiful  grounds 
where  we  are  standing,  as  the  site  for  our  Syracuse 
University,  and  appointed  a  committee  to  supervise 
the  grading  of  the  grounds  and  the  erection  of  the 
Hall  of  Languages. 

Our  distinguished  Agent,  Rev.  E.  C.  Curtis,  with 
the  self-sacrificing  and  masterly  cooperation  of  the 
President  of  the  Board,  Rev.  Dr.  J.  T.  Peck,  has 
been  eminently  successful  and  the  people  have  re- 
sponded nobly.  And  while  it  might  be  impractica- 
ble to  make  special  reference  to  every  liberal  offer- 
ing, we  are  constrained  to  record  one  of  the  noble 
acts  of  the  Hon  Remingtons,  —  the  gift  of  the  St. 
Charles  Block.  This  property  was  purchased  at  a 
cost  of  $120,000,  and  freely  bestowed,  one-half  upon 
the  University  and  one-half  upon  the  College  of 
Missionaries  and  other  church  purposes.  This  and 
other  free-will  ofterings  of  the  people  have  advanced 
our  assets  to  a  very  encouraging  amount. 

While  it  appears  that  but  little  more  than  half  of 
the  old  Genesee  College  subscriptions  have  been 
transferred,  still  independent  of  the  "-College  of 
Missionaries,"  which  is  no  part  of  the  University, 
we  have  now  on  hand  in  bonds,  subscriptions  and 
other  property,  over  $550,000.  With  this  amount 
secured,  and  with  the  flattering  prospect  of  increased 
subscriptions,  the  trustees  at  their  meeting  in  May 
last,  judged  it  e.xpedient  to  open  the  college  the 
present  season,  and  accordingly  proceeded  in  due 
time  to  elect  the  following  faculty,  viz  : 

Rev.  Daniel  Steele,  D.  D.,  Vice-President,  Pro- 
fessor of  Mental  and  Moral  Philosophy. 

John  R.  French,  A.  M.,  LL.  D.,  Professor  of 
Mathematics. 

Rev.  Wesley  P.  Codington,  A.  M.,  Professor  of 
Greek  Language  and  Literature. 

Rev.  J.  J.  Brown,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Chemistry. 


I70 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


Rev.  Charles  W.  Bennett,  D.  D..  Professor  of 
History  and  Logic. 

Heman  H.  Sanford,  A.  M.,  Latin  Language  and 
Literature. 

George  F.  Comfort,  A.  M.,  Modern  Languages 
and  Esthetics. 

Professor  J.  P.  Griffin  was  elected  Clerk,  Librarian 
and  Registrar. 

And  on  this  31st  day  of  August,  1871,  it  has 
been  our  distinguished  privilege  to  witness  the  im- ' 
pressive  ceremonies  of  inaugurating  the  faculty. 
And  now  we  stand  at  the  base  of  what  promises  to 
be  an  imposing  structure,  whose  history  must  be 
penned  by  other  hands  and  in  other  times. 

"We  are  here  to  lay  the  corner  stone  of  the 
Syracuse  University.  This  is  the  day  towards  which 
many  longing,  praying,  hoping  hearts  have  looked 
with  intense  desire.  The  Lord  be  praised,  the  day 
has  come.  The  long  night  of  fear  has  passed  ;  the 
morning  beams  fall  on  our  cheerful  faces  and  the 
precious  sunlight  shincsbrightly  on  our  glad,  rejoic- 
ing hearts.  liut  the  full  day  is  not  yet.  The 
meridian  glory  waits  for  the  future.  May  heaven 
grant  that  the  coming  history  may  be  exceedingly 
transcendant  as  compared  with  the  past,  and  that 
many  redeemed,  purified  and  thoroughly  furnished 
scholars  may  pass  out  over  the  threshold  here  to  be 
laid,  to  grace  and  honor  the  church  and  the  world, 
and  to  stand  up  in  the  last  great  day  and  call  the 
Syracuse  University  blessed." 

The  above  sketch  brings  down  the  history  of  the 
Syracuse  University  to  the  laying  of  the  corner- 
stone of  the  "  Hall  of  Languages,"  August  31, 
1 87 1.  It  should  be  added  that  in  April,  1870,  a 
general  agent  had  been  appointed,  and  in  Septem- 
ber of  the  same  year,  the  ground  selected  and  put 
under  contract  for  grading.  After  extensive  cor- 
respondence and  frequent  interviews  with  prominent 
educators  in  regard  to  the  buildings,  architects  were 
invited  to  submit  plans,  and  that  of  Horatio  N. 
White,  Esq.,  of  this  city,  being  accepted,  the  com- 
mittee proceeded  to  erect  the  "  Hall  of  Languages," 
which  was  completed  and  occupied  in  1875.  The 
College  grounds,  which  are  ample  for  all  present  and 
prospective  needs,  are  situated  upon  the  eminence 
at  the  southern  extremity  of  University  Avenue, 
and  command  a  fine  view  of  the  city  and  lake  and 
the  surrounding  country  to  a  wide  e.xtent. 

Alexander  Winchell,  LL.  D.,  was  chosen  Chan- 
cellor of  the  University  in  June,  1872.  Upon  his 
resignation,  June  24,  1874,  Rev.  E.  O.  Haven,  D. 
D.,LL.  D.,  late  President  of  the  Northwestern 
University,  was  unanimously  elected  Chancellor  and 
President  of  the  College  of  Liberal  Arts,  and  at 
once  accepted  and  entered  upon  his  official  duties. 

Trustees. 

The  Charter  of  the  University  bears  the  date  of 
March  25,  1870.      It  places  the  government  of  the 


Institution  in  the  hands  of  forty-one  Trustees  who 
are  named  in  the  instrument,  with  power  to  provide 
for  the  appointment  of  their  successors.  The  By- 
Laws  of  the  University  ordain  that  nine  trustees 
shall  be  appointed  "  at  large,"  comprising  at  least 
six  who  are  not  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  ;  that  twenty-seven  shall  represent  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Conferences  of  the  State  ; 
that  three  shall  be  chosen  by  the  Alumni ;  that 
certain  State  officers  shall  be  cxofficio  representa- 
tives of  the  Stale  government,  while  the  Chancel- 
lor of  the  University  is  made  the  representative  of 
the  Faculties. 
The  Trustees  for  1877  are  classified  as  follows: 

E.\-Officio. 
His  Excellency,  Lucius  Robinson,  Governor  of 
the  State  ;  His  Honor,  William  Dorsheimer,  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor ;  Hon.  Neil  J.  Gilmour,  Superin- 
tendent of  Public  Instruction  ;  Hon.  Sanford  E. 
Church,  Chief  Justice  of  the  Court  of  Appeals; 
Rev.  E.  O.  Haven,  D.D.,  LL.  D  ,  Chancellor  of 
the  University. 

Elected  by  the  Boakd. 

Rev.  Benoni  I.  Ives,  Auburn,  term  expires  1878  ; 
Hon.  George  F.  Comstock,  LL.  D.,  Syracuse,  1878  ; 
John  Crousc,  Esq.,  Syracuse,  1878;  Rev.  Bishop 
Jesse  T.  Peck,  D.  D.,  Syracuse,  18S0;  James  J. 
Belden,  Esq.,  Syracuse,  1880;  Alfred  A.  Howlett, 
Esq.,  Syracuse,  1880;  Hon.  Charles  Andrews, 
Syracuse,  18S2  ;  Thomas  B.  Fitch,  Esq.,  Syracuse, 
1882. 

Elected  nv  the  Alumni  AssocrATiON. 

Prof  James  H.  Hoose,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D.,  Cortland, 
term  expires  1878;  J.  D.  F.  Slee,  A.  M.,  Esq., 
Elmira,  1880;  Prof.  J.  D.  Steele,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D., 
Elmira,  1882. 

Officers  of  the  Board. 

President,  David  Decker,  Esq.  ;  First  Vice-Presi- 
dent, Hon.  George  F.  Comstock,  LL.  D. ;  Second 
Vice-President,  Francis  H.  Root,  Esq.  ;  Secretary, 
Rev.  D.  W.  C.  Huntington,  D.  D  ;  Treasurer, 
Jonathan  C.  Chase. 

Executive  Committee — E.  O.  Haven,  George  F. 
Comstock,  Thomas  B.  Fitch,  John  Crouse,  W.  W. 
Porter,  J.  J.  Belden. 

General  Aj^ent—Rcv.  V..  C.  Curtis,  727  Irving 
street. 

OniECTS    OF    THE    UNIVERSITY. 

The  Syracuse  University  is  the  natural  outgrowth 
of  a  conviction  entertained  by  the  large  body  of 
people  interested  in  its  administration,  that  they 
should  have  such  an  institution  under  their  control, 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


171 


not  far  from  the  center  of  the  State  of  New  York. 
Like  nearly  all  universities,  ancient  and  modern,  it 
has  been  founded  and  is  largely  controlled  by  people 
who  are  united  by  a  common  religious  purpose,  and 
it  is  intended  to  promote  the  highest  welfare  of  its 
students,  physical,  mental  and  moral.  The  convic- 
tion that  such  an  institution  was  needed  was  often 
expressed  in  '  Conferences  and  Conventions,  and 
finally  in  1870,  embodied  itself  in  a  resolution  in  a 
large  State  Convention,  to  establish  without  delay 
in  the  city  of  Syracuse,  or  its  immediate  vicinity,  a 
University.  The  city  of-  Syracuse,  in  its  corporate 
capacity,  presented  for  this  purpose  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  and  the  managers  of  the  enter- 
prise, in  return  for  this  favor,  have  secured  an  ad- 
ditional property  of  at  least  four  hundred  thousand 
dollars  more,  and  also  provided  in  their  charter  for 
a  Board  of  Trustees,  to  be  composed  of  some  of  the 
chief  officers  of  the  State,  and  also  largely  of  persons 
not  committed  particularly  to  one  religious  denom- 
ination, so  as  to  ensure  at  once  freedom  from  sect- 
arianism in  politics  and  religion.  Not  wholly  under 
the  control  of  either  the  State  or  the  Church,  but 
responsible  to  both,  it  will  endeavor  to  cultivate  the 
positive  excellences  that  each  would  ensure,  and 
avoid  the  exclusiveness,  or  evils  of  any  kind,  that 
might  follow  a  bondage  to  either.  An  intention  to 
accomplish  this  end  will  explain  some  of  the  pecu- 
liarly liberal  provisions  of  the  by-laws  adopted  by 
the  Trustees. 

It  may  be  well  to  note  that  the  pledge  to  the  city 
of  Syracuse — to  obtain,  additional  to  the  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars,  at  least  four  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars,  has  been  fulfilled.  A  beautiful  site  of 
fifty  acres  has  been  purchased,  high  and  salubrious, 
overlooking  the  city,  Onondaga  Lake,  and  the  sur- 
rounding country  ;  an  elegant  and  spacious  building 
for  the  Colleges  of  Liberal  Arts  and  of  the  Fine 
Arts  has  been  completed  ;  a  good  and  substantial 
building  for  the  Medical  College,  near  the  heart  of 
the  city,  has  been  obtained ;  and  a  productive  en- 
dowment fund  of  about  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars  has  been  secured.  More  money  has  been 
conditionally  pledged  by  some  of  its  friends,  and  it  is 
confidently  hoped  that  within  a  short  time  it  will  be 
placed  beyond  pressing  want.  Thus,  situated  as  it  is, 
near  the  center  of  the  State,  with  many  friends  who 
are  determined  that  it  shall  be  a  permanent  founda- 
tion of  the  best  culture  in  science,  philosophy,  art  and 
religion,  it  will  continue  to  receive  donations,  large 
and  small,  and  fulfill  the  purposes  of  its  founders. 
Colleges  of  the  University. 

Three  Colleges  are  at  present  organized  and  in 
operation,  viz  : 


I.  The  College  of  Liberal  Arts. 
II.  The  Medical  College. 

III.  The  College  of  Fine  Arts. 

The  College  of  the  Liberal  Arts  which  went  into 
operation  in  1871,  is  intended  to  offer  a  curriculum 
of  study  which  shall  serve  as  a  means  of  broad  and 
symmetrical  general  culture  to  those  who  pursue  it, 
and  shall  also  place  them  in  possession  of  those 
fundamental  facts  and  principles  which  underlie  the 
methods  of  all  successful  business.  It  constitutes, 
therefore,  a  thorough  introduction  to  advanced 
scholarship,  and  the  intelligent  pursuit  of  the  prac- 
tical business  of  life,  as  well  as  a  fitting  preparation 
for  the  study  of  any  of  the  learned  professions. 
Recognizing  the  diversity  of  tastes  and  of  ulterior 
purposes  on  the  part  of  persons  seeking  a  liberal 
culture,  four  distinct  courses  of  study  have  been 
provided,  each  of  which,  it  is  believed,  will  secure 
to  the  diligent  student,  what  may  be  styled  a  truly 
liberal  education.  These  are  the  Classical  Course, 
The  Latin  Scientific  Course,  the  Greek  Scientific 
Course,  and  the  Scientific  Course.  It  is  desired 
that  each  of  these  be  brought  to  such  a  status  as  to 
imply  a  similar  amount  of  preparatory  and  collegiate 
study. 

The  Medical  College  was  opened  in  1872.  Its 
Faculty  is  unusually  large,  and  the  field  of  instruc- 
tion is  correspondingly  varied  and  extensive.  The 
first  five  months  of  the  collegiate  year  are  devoted 
chiefly  to  instruction  by  lectures  and  demonstra- 
tions ;  the  next  five  months  chiefly  to  instruction 
by  the  method  of  recitations.  The  last  term,  how- 
ever, is  optional  with  the  student. 

The  College  of  the  Fine  Arts,  which  went  into 
operation  in  1873,  is  intended  to  afford  a  broad  and 
liberal  culture  in  the  field  of  esthetics.  The  in- 
struction, accordingly,  is  not  restricted  to  exercises 
in  the  manipulations  of  art,  nor  even  the  acquisi- 
tion of  the  especial  theories  and  principles  of  the 
fine  arts,  but  embraces,  with  both  these  ends,  the 
pursuit  of  a  well-balanced  course  in  all  those  gen- 
eral studies  tributary  to  the  formation  of  accom- 
plished artists,  art-critics,  and  appreciators  of  fine 

art. 

Libraries. 

The  Libraries  of  the  University  offer  very  desi- 
rable facilities  for  reference  and  general  reading, 
while  it  is  a  leading  object  of  the  University  to  en- 
large means  of  this  class  as  rapidly  as  possible.  A 
donation  of  $5,000  within  the  year  1876  has  been 
judiciously  expended  in  enlarging  the  General  Li- 
brary. The  library  of  the  Medical  College  is  kept 
at  their  building.  With  the  General  Library,  in 
the  Hall  of  Languages,  is  connected  a  reading  room 


172 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


which,  with  the  Library,  is  open  from  nine  A.  M. 
till  one  p.  M.,  daily,  except  Sundays.  The  room  is 
provided  with  a  large  supply  of  periodical  literature. 

MUSKUMS. 

The  University  is  in  possession  of  Ward's  com- 
plete College  series  of  casts  of  geological  speci- 
mens, which  are  handsomely  mounted  and  exhibited. 
The  Curator  of  the  State  Cabinet  of  Natural  His- 
tory, Prof.  James  Hall,  LL.  D.,  has,  by  direction  of 
the  State  Legislature,  selected  and  sent  to  it  a  large 
series  of  geological  specimens  from  the  duplicates 
of  the  State  Cabinet.  The  private  collection  of 
the  Professor  of  Geology,  Zoology  and  Botany, 
consisting  of  several  thousand  specimens,  chiefly 
paleontological,  is  also  placed  at  the  service  of  stu- 
dents. 

The  Medical  College  is  in  possession  of  the  Mu- 
seum formerly  the  property  of  the  Geneva  Medical 
College.  This  collection  is  extensive  in  the  de- 
partment of  Pathology,  and  is  amply  proviiied  with 
the  means  of  illustration  of  the  Materia  Medica. 
The  College  of  the  Fine  Arts  has  several  thousand 
photographs,  engravings  and  chromolithographs 
procured  in  Europe  and  America,  together  with  a 
sufficient  number  of  plaster  preparations  and  copies 
to  answer  the  demands  of  the  course  of  instruction. 

COLLKGE    OF    LlllERAL    ArTS. 

Faculty— xi'jy. 

Rev.  E.  O.  Haven,  D.  D,  LL.  D.,  Prcst.  and 
Prof  of  the  English  Language  and  Literature  ;  John 
R.  F^rench,  LL  D.,  Prof  of  Mathematics,  and  Sec'y 
of  the  Faculty  ;  Rev.  W.  P.  Codington.  A.  AL, 
Prof,  of  Greek  and  Ethics  ;  Rev.  John  J.  brown, 
A.  M..  Prof,  of  Chemistry  and  Physics;  Rev. 
Charles  W.  Bennett,  D.  D..  Prof,  of  History  and 
Logic,  and  Librarian  ;  Heman  H.  Sanford,  A.  M., 
Ph.  D  ,  Prof  of  the  Latin  Language  and  Literature; 
George  F.  Comfort,  A.  M..  Prof,  of  Modern  Lan- 
guages and  Esthetics ;  Alexander  Wincheil,  LL. 
D.,  Prof,  of  Geology,  Zoology  and  Botany  ;  John 
Durston,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D.,  Adjunct  Prof  of  Modern 
Languages  ;  W.  Locke  Richardson.  A.  M..  Instruc- 
tor in  Elocution  ;  Frank  Smalley.  A.  M.,  Assistant 
Prof,  of  Nat.  Science. 

Siii<hnts  —  i8jj. 

Senior  Class,  21  ;  Junior  Class,  26;  Sophomore 
Class,  33  ;  Freshman  Class,  46 ;  Unclassified  23  ; 
Total,  149. 

College  of  Medicine. 

Faculty — 1877. 
Rev.  E.  O.  Haven,  D.  D.,  LL.  D..  Chancellor  ; 
John  Towier,  M.  D.,  Prof,  of  Chcm.  and  To.xi- 
cology  ;  Frederick  Hyde,  M.  D.,  Dean  of  the  Facul- 
ty, and  Prof  of  Prin.  and  Pract.  of  Surg.  ;  Henry 
Darwin  Didama,  M.  D.,  Prof,  of  Prin.  and  Pract.  of 
Med.  and  Clinical  Med.  ;  Nelson  Nivison,  M.  D., 


Prof,  of  Phys.,  Pathology  and  Hygiene  ;  John  Van 
Duyn,  M.  D.,  Prof  of  General.  Sj^ecial  and  Surgi- 
cal Anat.  ;  Edward  B.  Stevens.  M.  D.  Prof,  of 
Mat.  Med.  and  Therapeutics ;  Charles  E.  Rider, 
M.  D.,  Prof,  of  Opthalmoiogy  and  Diseases  of  the 
Ear  ;  Hervey  B.  Wilber,  M.  D ,  Lecturer  on  In- 
sanity ;  Wilfred  W.  Porter,  M.  D  ,  Prof  of  Obstet- 
rics and  Diseases  of  Women  ;  William  T.  Plant, 
M.  D.,  Registrar,  and  Prof  of  Clinical  and  F'orensic 
Medicine ;  Roger  W.  Pease,  M.  D ,  Prof  of  Oper- 
ative anil  Clinical  Surgery  ;  Alfred  Mercer,  M.  D., 
Prof,  of  Minor  and  Clinical  Surgery;  J.  Otis  Burt, 
M.  D.,  Prof,  of  Diseases  of  Children  and  Dermat- 
ology ;  Miles  G.  Hyde.  M.  D ,  Adjunct  Prof  of 
Anatomy  ;  Wm.  Manlius  Smith.  M.  D.,  Prof,  of 
Bot.  and  Adjunct  Prof  of  Mat.  Med,  ;  J.  Wiltsie 
Knapp,  M.  D  ,  Demonstrator  of  Anatomy  ;  David 
M.  Totman,  M.  D  ,  Demonstrator  of  Anatomy  ; 
Brace  W.  Loomis,  M.  D.,  Instructor  in  Chemistry. 

Stiitknts — 1877. 

First  year,  9  ;  second  year,  2 1  ;  third   year,  8  ; 

College  of  Fine  Arts. 


total,  38. 


Faculty — 1877. 

Rev.  E.  O.  Haven.  D.D  .  LL.  D  .  Chancellor  ; 
George  F.  Comstock,  A.M.,  Dean  of  the  Faculty, 
and  Prof  of  Esthetics  and  History  of  Fine  Arts  ; 
Archimedes  Russell,  Prof,  of  Architecture  ;  Joseph 
Lyman  Silsbee.A.  M.,Prof.  of  Architecture ;  Henry 
B.  Allewelt.  Prof  of  Decorative  Art ;  Sanford 
Thayer,  Prof,  of  Painting  ;  George  K.  Knapp,  Prof, 
of  Painting  ;  Ward  V.  Ranger,  Prof  of  Pliotogra- 
phy  ;  E.  Ely  Van  De  Warker,  M.D,  Prof  of  Ar- 
tistic Anatomy ;  Peter  H.  Stuart,  Prof  of  Engrav- 
ing ;  Willis  De  Haas,  M  D.,  Lecturer  on  Early 
American  Art  and  Archeology. 

Students — 1877. 

Senior  Class,  3 ;  Junior  Class,  7  ;  Sophomore 
Class,  8 ;  Freshman  Class,  5  ;  Normal  Art  Insti- 
tute, 23  ;  Total,  46. 


CHURCHES  OF  SYRACUSE. 
Baptist  Churches. 

First  Baptist  Church.— The  earliest  religious 
organization  in  the  village  of  Syracuse  was  the  pres- 
ent First  Baptist  Church,  organized  in  1 82 1.  Previous 
to  the  organization  religious  services  had  been  held 
more  or  less  constantly  for  about  two  years.  Messrs. 
James  B.  Moore,  Thomas  Spencer  and  Samuel  Ed- 
wards were  chiefly  instrumental  in  sustaining  meet- 
ings. The  preaching  was  mostly  supplied  by  students 
from  Hamilton,  1  Baptist  Theological  Seminary,) 
among  whom  was  Jonathan  Wade,  who,  in  1823, 
sailed  from  Boston  to  Burmah,  and  became  a  faithful 
missionary  in  that  land  of  darkness. 

Meetings  were  held  in  several  private  dwellings  till 
the  erection  of  the  first  school-house,  which  was  then 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


173 


granted  for  religious  services  on  Sundays.  At  this 
time,  having  a  permanent  place  to  meet  in,  a  corres- 
pondence was  opened  with  the  Seminary  at  Hamil- 
ton, and  arrangements  made  for  regular  preaching. 
Those  interested  in  sustaining  divine  worship  at 
Syracuse,  were  to  provide  a  good  horse  and  saddle, 
to  become  the  property  of  the  Seminary,  and  every 
Sunday  for  one  year  a  student  would  be  sent  to 
Syracuse  to  preach. 

It  so  happened  that  Mr.  Moore  had  just  purchased 
a  fine  horse  and  saddle,  giving  in  payment  therefor 
sixty  bushels  of  salt  at  one  dollar  a  bushel.  The 
friends  of  religion  at  Syracuse  at  once  thought  of 
that  horse.  Mr.  Moore  voted  with  the  others  that 
the  animal  had  a  providential  call  to  go  to  Hamilton, 
and  for  a  long  time  it  was  devoted  to  the  interests 
of  education  and  religion,  while  conveying  preachers 
to  the  places  of  their  appointments. 

Worship  having  been  regularly  sustained  in  the 
school  house  for  some  months,  the  subject  of  church 
organization  was  considered.  On  the  12th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1 82 1,  thirteen  persons  met  at  the  house  of 
Mr.  Braddick  Dart,  related  their  Christian  experi- 
ences, and  agreed  to  call  a  council  of  brethren  from 
different  churches  to  advise  with  them  in  reference 
to  forming  a  Baptist  Church.  The  names  of  the 
thirteen  were  :  David  Johnson,  James  Wilson,  Thos. 
Spencer,  Alvin  Walker,  Rufus  Cram,  Benjamin  G. 
Avery,  Wyllys  Brown,  Braddick  Dart,  Polly  Wal- 
ker, Rhoda  Wilson,  Eliza  Spencer,  Hannah  Fish, 
and  Sally  Dart. 

On  the  1 6th  of  February,  1821,  a  council  was 
convened  in  the  only  school  house  then  in  the  vil- 
lage, and  advised  the  brethren  and  sisters  in  the 
village  and  vicinity  to  unite  and  sustain  public  wor- 
ship as  a  Church  of  Christ.  On  the  following  day 
the  thirteen  persons  named  met  and  organized  a 
church,  to  be  known  as  the  "  First  Baptist  Church 
of  Syracuse,"  and  appointed  the  place  and  time  for 
public  worship. 

For  the  greater  part  of  the  first  year,  preaching 
was  sustained  by  the  New  York  Baptist  Education 
Society.  After  his  graduation  at  Hamilton,  Rev.  J. 
G.  Stearns  performed  pastoral  labor  for  six  months. 
In  June,  1823,  Rev.  Nathaniel  J.  Gilbert  was  ap- 
pointed the  missionary  of  the  Hamilton  Missionary 
Society,  and  was  stationed  at  Syracuse,  He  united 
with  the  church  and  became  its  pastor  June,  1824, 
and  the  first  year  of  his  ministry  was  signalized  by 
the  erection  of  the  first  house  of  worship  of  the 
church,  which  stood  on  the  spot  now  occupied  by 
the  Universalist  Church,  corner  of  West  Genesee 
and  Franklin  streets. 

Rev.  Nathaniel  Gilbert  continued  the  faithful  pas- 


tor of  the  church  till  July,  1832,  when  he  fell  a  vic- 
tim to  Asiatic  cholera.  His  successors  have  been 
Rev.  Orsamus  Allen,  August  29,  1833,  to  October 
20,  1834;  Rev.  Stephen  Wilkins,  November  1834, 
to  December,  1837  ;  Rev.  John  Blain,  1837  to  1841  ; 
Rev.  Joseph  W.  Taggart,  December,  1841,  to  Au- 
gust, 1847;  Rev.  Robert  R.  Raymond,  1847  to 
1852  ;  Rev.  A.  G.  Palmer,  1852  to  1855  ;  Rev.  J. 
S.  Backus,  D.  D.,  1857  to  July  1862  ;  Rev.  E.  W. 
Mundy  to  March,  1864;  Rev.  John  James  Lewis, 
1867  to  1869  ;  Rev.  E.A.  Lecompte,  1869  to  1874; 
Rev.  S.  Hartwell  Pratt,  1874  to  November,  1875  ; 
succeeded  by  Rev.  Charles  E,  Smith,  the  present 
pastor. 

The  Church  enlarged  the  old  building  in  1839, 
and  continued  to  occupy  it  till  1848,  when  having 
obtained  another  lot  in  exchange  with  Capt.  Joel 
Cody,  a  little  east  of  the  original  site,  they  erected 
thereon  a  new  brick  edifice,  of  the  Roman  Ionic  order 
of  architecture,  132  by  70  feet,  at  a  cost  of  ^15,000. 
The  spacious  and  attractive  structure  stood  till  Au- 
gust 23,  1859,  when  it  was  consumed  by  fire,  and, 
in  the  language  of  a  report  made  by  Mr.  Harris,  the 
church  had  "  only  a  rubbish-covered  lot  incumbered 
to  its  full  value."  Still  by  the  devoted  efforts  of 
pastor  and  people  the  ruins  were  soon  repaired,  and 
the  present  beautiful  edifice  rose  out  of  the  ashes  of 
the  former  temple,  and  was  dedicated,  entirely  free 
from  debt,  November  i,  i860. 

The  membership  of  this  church  on  the  first  of 
January,  1877, was  391  —  iiomales,28i  females;  42 
non-resident,  and  32  belonging  to  the  German 
Mission. 

The  German  Mission  was  commenced  under  the 
auspices  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  in  the  Second 
Ward,  in  1862.  A  lot  was  purchased  and  a  chapel 
erected  on  Lodi  street  near  Ash.  In  November, 
1875,  Rev  Reinhard  Hoefflin  became  the  mission- 
ary. On  the  28th  of  June,  1877,  this  mission  was 
organized  into 

The  First  Gerinati  Baptist  CImrch  of  Syracuse, 
Rev.  Reinhard  Hoefflin,  Pastor.  The  32  members 
above  referred  to  are  now  set  oft"  to  this  church. 
It  has  a  German  Sunday  school. 

This  church  has  also  a  Mission  under  the  name 
of  "  Hope  Chapel,"  corner  of  Wyoming  and  Tully 
streets.     The  Mission  was  established  in  1862. 

The  Central  Baptist  Church. — This  church 
was  originally  a  small  colony  of  the  P'irst  Baptist 
Church.  About  1850,  under  the  ministry  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Pinney,  a  small  chapel  was  erected  on  East 
Genesee  street,  which  in  that  year  or  early  in  185 1, 
was  cledicated  by  Rev.  Dr.  John  Dowling,  father  of 
their  late  pastor,  Rev.   George  Thomas  Dowling. 


174 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Sen'ices  continued  to  be  held  here  under  different 
pastorates,  till  the  chapel  of  the  present  church,  on 
Montgomery  street,  corner  of  Jefferson,  was  com- 
pleted and  occupied  in  1869.  Rev.  Dr.  H.  J. 
liddy,  was  at  that  time  pastor,  and  had  been  for 
some  time  previously.  He  continued  in  the  pas- 
torate till  September  i,  1873.  In  1872  the  main 
church  edifice  was  finished,  at  a  cost  of  $75,CXX), 
all  of  which  was  paid  or  amply  provided  for.  The 
building  is  a  fine  structure  of  brick,  with  projec- 
tions of  Onondaga  limestone,  and  has  a  seating 
capacity  for  700. 

On  the  first  of  September,  1873,  Rev.  George 
Thomas  Dowling,  assumed  charge.  The  church 
and  Sunday  school  were  exceptionally  prosperous 
under  his  ministry. 

Here  we  are  called  upon  to  record  an  experience 
of  extreme  trial  through  which  the  church  passed 
on  the  evening  of  June  23,  1874,  the  sad  memory 
of  which  is  still  fresh  in  the  minds  of  thousands, 
and  which  will  never  be  forgotten  by  those  whose 
friends  were  the  victims  of  the  terrible  calamity. 
On  the  evening  referred  to  a  large  assemblage  had 
gathered  in  the  parlors  of  the  church,  in  the  second 
story,  on  a  festival  occasion,  where  also  was  to  have 
been  given  a  "  Little  Olde  Folks'  Concert "  by  the 
children.  The  floor  of  the  parlors  was  insufficient- 
ly supported  by  iron  rods  which  connected  with  a 
wooden  truss  under  the  roof,  and  while  in  the 
height  of  the  enjoyment  of  the  festivities  of  the 
evening,  at  the  moment  of  the  least  consciousness 
of  danger,  the  floor  fell,  carrying  with  it  the  ceilings, 
the  timber  and  the  furniture,  and  precipitating  old 
and  young,  in  a  helpless,  confused  mass,  to  the  un- 
occupied portion  of  the  building  below.  To  quote 
the  words  of  the  "  Memorial "  published  by  the 
Church  : 

"  Suddenly,  as  when  a  flash  of  lightning  darts 
from  a  clear  sky,  or  a  dark  and  terrible  chasm  ap- 
pears where  but  a  moment  before  was  solid  ground, 
a  crash  is  hoard,  the  floor  sinks,  the  ceiling  falls, 
down  into  utter  darkness,  amid  shivered  beams  and 
stifling  plaster,  broken  furniture  and  twisted  gas 
pipes,  old  men  and  maidens,  young  men  and  chil- 
dren, are  hurled  in  inextricable  confusion.  For  a 
moment  a  silence  awlul  in  its  intensity  reigned, 
and  then  groans  of  agony,  shrieks  of  terror,  wails 
of  mortal  fear,  anguished  cries  for  help,  arose  in  one 
great  chorus  from  the  struggling,  bleeding,  dying 
mass  of  humanity.  Among  the  first  to  extricate 
themselves  was  the  young  and  devoted  pastor.  Rev. 
George  Thomas  Dowling.  Me  ran  through  Mont- 
gomery street  to  Fast  Genesee,  and  thence  to  No. 
I  Engine  House.  An  alarm  of  fire  was  struck  and 
the  engines  appeared,  but  happily  the  horrors  of 
fire  were  not  added  to  the  awful  catastrophe.  The 
police  were  promptly  on  the  ground.     Within  an 


incredibly  short  period  of  time  after  the  calamity 
(which  occurred  at  20  minutes  past  9  o'clock,)  the 
space  about  the  church  and  the  space  leading  thereto 
were  thronged  with  a  mass  of  people  swayed  by 
one  common  impulse,  and  that  the  noble  one  of 
giving  aid  to  the  victims.         •         •         • 

"  The  work  of  extricating  the  unfortunate  was 
carried  on  quietly,  calmly  and  systematically,  and 
as  the  living,  one  after  another,  were  released, 
grateful  prayers  of  thankfulness  arose  from  loving 
hearts  whose  fears  were  so  happily  dispelled  ;  but 
as  the  dead  were  by  reverent  hands  brought  out 
into  the  quiet  night,  sharp  cries  of  despair  and 
agonizing  appeals  for  assistance  under  this  heavy 
weight  of  woe,  pierced  the  still  air  of  the  summer 
night. 

"  As  the  church  bell  tolled  the  hour  of  midnight, 
the  remains  of  the  last  victim  were  removed  from 
the  wreck." 

The  number  killed  in  this  fearful  disaster  was 
fourteen,  while  one  hundred  and  forty-five  were  more 
or  less  injured. 

The  sad  event  cast  a  gloom  over  the  entire  city  ; 
churches  were  draped,  and  in  many  places  flags  ap- 
peared at  half-mast.  Suitable  commemorative 
services  were  conducted  on  the  Sunday  following 
(June  281  in  many  of  the  churches,  in  which  offer- 
ings of  appropriate  flowers  combined  with  words  of 
sympathy  and  fitting  music  in  shedding  a  deep  and 
hallowed  influence  over  the  assemblages  which  a 
common  sorrow  had  brought  together.  Most  of 
the  pastors  spoke  feelingly  and  eloquently  on  topics 
suggested  by  the  late  disaster. 

The  Central  Church  held  memorial  service  morn- 
ing and  evening  at  Wieting  Opera  House,  from  the 
published  accounts  of  which  we  gather  the  following : 

"  The  Opera  House  was  heavily  draped  with 
black  and  white  interwoven.  Drapings  were  fes- 
tooned across  the  windows  under  the  gallery,  around 
the  front  of  the  gallery,  and  around  the  ceiling, 
while  others  were  fastened  at  either  corner  of  the 
ceiling  and  extended  across  the  hall,  each  crossing 
the  other  under  the  chandelier.  The  platform  pre- 
sented an  appearance  which  was  touching  to  the 
hearts  of  all.  Many  willing  hands  must  have  given 
sad  service  in  its  arrangement.  Besides  the  well 
arranged  drapery,  the  floral  offerings  told  a  story  in 
a  language  of  their  own.  Across  the  foot  of  the 
platform  were  numerous  bouquets,  placed  upon  ped- 
estals about  two  feet  in  height,  and  trimmed  with 
cedar  sprigs.  On  the  drapery  in  front  of  the 
preacher's  desk  was  a  large  and  heavy  wreath  of 
white  flowers  clinging  to  evergreens,  and  upon  the 
desk  were  two  magnificent  crowns,  made  of  white 
carnations  and  white  roses.  At  the  rear  of  the  jilat- 
form,  and  standing  prominently  in  view,  was  a  mass- 
ive cross  of  smilax  studded  with  white  carnations, 
which  seemed  almost  to  sparkle  like  diamonds  in  a 
crown.  It  was  the  height  of  about  eight  feet,  and 
well  proportioned.  The  appearance  of  the  Opera 
House  was  very  impressive." 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


175 


The  services  were  not  less  so,  and  the  combined 
effect  will  never  be  forgotten  by  the  large  assem- 
blies who  witnessed  it.  The  music  was  of  the 
most  solemn  and  tender  character.  Rev.  Dr. 
Dowling  preached  in  the  morning,  and  the  pastor, 
Rev.  George  Thomas  Dowling  in  the  evening,  ser- 
mons full  of  eloquence  and  pathetic  allusions  to  the 
sad  memories  of  the  occasion,  and  of  hopeful  and 
cheering  anticipations  of  the  future.  Said  the 
pastor  : 

"  We  learn  at  such  times  as  these  that  all  the 
world  are  brotliers.  From  all  parts  of  our  land 
there  have  come  words  of  condolence  and  love. 
From  Chicago,  and  New  York,  and  Philadelphia, 
and  Brooklyn,  and  Providence,  from  the  North  and 
South,  and  East  and  West,  we  have  received  the 
message,  '  We  are  praying  for  you.'  From  the 
sister  churches  of  our  city  has  come  the  message, 
'We  are  praying  for  you.'  From  the  noble  band 
of  men  who  occupy  the  pulpits  of  our  city,  has 
come  the  message,  '  We  are  praying  for  you.' 

"  God  bless  them,  as  we  cannot,  and  I  know  that 
when  those  books  shall  be  opened,  He  who  noteth 
the  giving  of  a  single  cup  of  water  to  a  thirsty 
child,  will  not  forget  their  sympathy  for  us,  in  this 
hour  of  our  deepest  need." 

Letters  of  Condolence  mid  Sympathy. 

We  have  only  space  for  a  few  words  of  these. 
The  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Rev.  Mr. 
Lecompte,  wrote  : 

•'  We  warmly  bid  you  welcome  to  a  place  in  our 
house  of  worship,  and  to  a  participation  in  our  re- 
ligious services  on  all  occasions,  not  only  until  you 
shall  have  recovered  from  your  present  calamities, 
but  so  long  as  we  shall  have  an  organized  existence 
for  the  advancement  of  the  cause  of  the  Master." 

The  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  University  passed 
resolutions  of  sympathy  and  condolence  for  the 
city,  the  church  and  the  friends  of  the  afflicted  suf- 
ferers, which  were  unanimously  adopted  by  a  rising 
vote. 

The  Ministerial  Association,  upon  the  "intelli- 
gence of  the  heart-rending  disaster,"  passed  resolu- 
tions tendering  the  afflicted  pastor  and  his  people  all 
the  sympathy  and  aid  in  their  power. 

The  Common  Council  of  the  city  passed  similar 
resolutions,  and  directed  that,  in  accordance  with 
section  24,  title  4,  of  the  City  Charter,  the  condi- 
tion of  all  the  churches  and  public  buildings  in  the 
city  should  be  thoroughly  examined  and  reported 
upon  as  to  their  safety. 

Rev.  T.  DeWitt  Talmage,  formerly  pastor  of  the 
Reformed  Church  in  Syracuse,  teleg»aphed  : 

"  Our  deepest  sympathies  and  prayers,  that  you 
may  be  comforted." 

Plymouth  Church  tendered  the  use  of  their  lec- 
ture room  to  the  afflicted  Society,  which   was  ac- 


cepted, and  it  was   announced    that   the   Central 
Church  would  meet  there  on  Tuesday  evenings. 

After  the  accident  the  Trustees  resolved  that  the 
Chapel  (that  portion  of  the  building  which  fell) 
should  be  reconstructed  in  a  manner  which  would 
render  it  perfectly  safe,  beyond  the  shadow  of  a 
doubt.  They,  therefore,  built  five  brick  piers  on 
substantial  stone  foundations,  capping  them  with 
stone,  and  from  these  carried  up  iron  columns  to  the 
top  of  the  building,  supporting  the  interior  chapel 
work  also  by  ten  other  brick  piers,  besides  the  stone 
walls  in  the  basement.  The  Chapel  is  77x40  feet. 
The  audience  room,  parlors  and  every  part  of  the 
building  which  sustained  injury,  were  renovated  and 
repaired.  A  special  committee  then  examined  and 
reported  upon  the  safety  of  the  building,  July  29, 
1874. 

The  Church,  notwithstanding  the  calamity  which 
befell  it,  has  been  very  prosperous. 

Rev.  Mr.  Dowling  resigned  the  pastorate  in  Au- 
gust, 1877,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  E.  J.  Good- 
speed,  D.  D.,  present  pastor,  October  i,  1877. 
Presbyterian  Churches. 

First  Presbyterian  Church. — This  Church 
commenced  its  organization  under  the  name  of 
"The  First  Presbyterian  Society  of  Syracuse,"  elect- 
ing the  following  Trustees  Dec.  14,  1824:  Moses 
D.  Burnet,  Miles  Seymour,  Rufus  Moss,  Jonathan 
Day,  Heman  Walbridge,  Joshua  Forman  and  Joseph 
Slocum.  Their  first  house  of  worship,  built  in  the 
latter  part  of  1825,  was  dedicated  on  the  second 
Thursday  in  January,  1826,  Rev.  Dirck  C.  Lansing, 
D.  D.,  of  Auburn,  preaching  the  dedication  sermon. 
The  first  edifice  stood  exactly  opposite  the  present 
one  on  Fayette  street,  on  the  corner  occupied  by 
the  store  of  D.  McCarthy  &  Co.,  and  the  ground 
was  presented  to  the  society  by  William  James, 
and  others. 

The  organization  of  the  Church  was  effected  in 
1826  by  the  following  committee  of  the  Onondaga 
Presbytery,  viz :  Ministers,  Hezekiah  Woodruff, 
Hutchins  Taylor,  Ralph  Cushman  and  Washing- 
ton Thatcher  ;  Elders,  Joseph  W.  Brewster,  Wil- 
liam Eager  and  Harry  Mosely ;  the  number  of 
members  uniting  being  twenty-six.  Frederick 
Phelps  and  Edward  Chapman,  Elders,  and  Pliny 
Dickinson,  Deacon. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  1826,  Rev.  John  Watson 
Adams,  then  just  graduated  at  the  Auburn  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  was  installed  pastor.  Dr.  Adams' 
first  and  only  pastorate  continued  till  his  death  on 
the  4th  of  April,  1850.  Meanwhile  the  growth  of 
the  church  in  numbers  and  influence  kept  pace  with 
the  remarkable  and  rapid  expansion  of  Syracuse. 


176 


HISTORY  OK  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NI£W  YORK. 


The  present  church  edifice,  corner  of  Salina  and 
Fayette  streets,  was  completed  and  dedicated  No- 
vember 24,  1850.  It  was  designed  by  the  Trustees 
and  Building  Committee  to  anticipate  the  future 
growth  of  the  city,  and  was  at  the  time  of  its  erec- 
tion by  far  the  finest  church  building  in  all  this 
region  of  coimtry.  The  celebrated  Lcfevcr,  of 
New  York,  was  the  architect.  The  Huilding  Com- 
mittee consisted  of  Henry  GifTord,  Elias  W.  Leaven- 
worth, Thomas  B.  Fitch,  Zebulon  Ostrom  and 
Albert  A.  Hudson.  The  cost  of  the  church,  in- 
cluding lot  and  some  later  improvements, was  $60,- 
000;  ^10,000  was  paid  for  the  lot,  $40,000  for  the 
church,  (a  very  small  sum  considering  the  style 
and  character  of  the  building)  and  $10,000  for  im 
provements  during  the  pastorate  of  Dr.  Canficld. 

The  old  church  in  which  Dr.  Adams  preached  so 
long,  during  his  first  and  only  pastorate,  was  torn 
down  in  April,  i8$o,  and  it  is  a  singular  coincidence 
that  the  last  piece  of  timber  was  removed  on  the 
very  day  of  the  Doctor's  death, — as  if  it  had  been 
ordered  that  he  and  the  old  church,  in  which 
centered  so  many  sacred  memories,  should  go  to- 
gether. 

From  June,  1850,  to  December  8,  1851,  Rev. 
Charles  McHarg,  of  Cooperstown,  was  pastor.  His 
resignation  was  reluctantly  accepted  by  the  church, 
for  his  character,  fine  culture  and  commanding 
abilities  had  rendered  him  a  favorite  with  the  con- 
gregation and  community. 

The  church  was  then  without  a  regular  pastor  for 
two  and  a  half  years,  till  Rev.  Sherman  Bond  Can- 
field  commenced  his  long  and  useful  pastorate,  May 
I,  1854.  Dr.  Canfield's  influence  made  itself  felt 
from  the  beginning,  and  was,  under  Divine  Provi 
dence,  a  growing  power  for  good  to  the  church  and 
the  city.  He  resigned  in  October,  1870,  after  a 
ministry  in  this  church  of  over  si.xtecn  years,  ill 
health  being  the  cause  of  his  resignation.  His 
lungs  had  become  impaired.  He  died  in  St.  Louis, 
at  the  residence  of  Rev.  C.  D.  Nott.on  the  5th  of 
March.  1S71.  He  had  preached  for  Dr.  Nott  in 
the  morning  ;  in  the  afternoon  he  became  ill  and 
died  about  12  o'clock  at  night. 

A  year  and  a  half  elapsed  without  a  settled  pas- 
tor, during  which  the  church  was  supplied  chieHy 
from  Auburn.  On  the  17th  of  May,  1872.  Rev. 
Dr.  Nelson  Millard  was  called.  He  accepted,  and 
was  installed  November  19,  1872.  He  has  since 
rendered  acceptable  service  to  the  church,  and  is 
the  present  pastor. 

Among  the  seasons  of  interest  enjoyed  by  this 
church  may  be  mentioned  two  noticeable  revivals  — 
one  under  the  pastorate  of  Dr.  Adams  in  1832,  and 


the  other  in  the  spring  of  1866,  under  the  pastorate 
of  Dr.   Canfield. 

The  most  noted  meeting  ever  held  in  this  church 
was  that  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  New 
School  Presbyterian  Church  in  1861.  Rev.  Dr. 
Condit,  of  Auburn,  was  Moderator. 

The  church  has  under  its  charge  a  Mission 
School  which  was  founded  in  i860.  In  January, 
1863,  Mr.  Edward  Townsend  presented  to  the  so- 
ciety a  deed  (or  a  lot  on  Monroe  street,  upon  which 
immediately  afterwards,  Messrs.  \V.  H.  VanBuren 
and  T.  B.  F"itch  erected  a  chapel  and  presented  the 
same  as  a  gift  to  the  church  A  prosperous  and 
useful  school  is  conducted  in  that  portion  of  the 
city 

First  Wakd  Presbvtekian  Church. — The  his- 
tory of  this  church  goes  back  almost  to  the  beginning 
of  the  century.  In  September,  1803,  the  first  Presby- 
terian sermon  was  preached  at  Salina  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Sickles,  from  Kinderhook.  He  had  been  sent  out 
as  a  missionary  by  the  Dutch  Church,  and  passing 
through  Salina  on  his  way  to  Fort  Brewerton, 
stopped  over  night  at  Trask's  tavern.  Finding  an 
uncongenial  company  there,  he  asked  in  the  morn- 
ing if  there  was  not  a  religious  family  in  the  place 
with  whom  he  could  lodge.  He  was  directed  to 
Isaac  Van  Vleck's.  Calling  upon  the  family,  he 
found  that  they  were  the  jiersons  for  whom  he  had 
a  package  sent  by  friends  at  the  east,  in  the 
course  of  conversation  he  asked  if  he  could  not  hold 
religious  service  somewhere  that  evening.  He  was 
referred  to  Aaron  Bellow's  cooper  shop  The  ap- 
pointment was  made,  and  in  the  evening  the  house 
was  crowded.  It  was  a  good  meeting,  and  such  sing- 
ing !  There  was  no  more  preaching  in  the  \i\acc  for 
two  or  three  years,  and  then  only  occasionally. 

In  iSio,  a  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  at 
Onondaga  Hollow,  in  connection  with  residents  here, 
under  the  name  of  the  "United  Church  of  Onon- 
daga Hollow  and  Salina"  Rev.  Dirck  C.  Lansing 
was  the  pastor.  The  Salina  portion  of  the  members 
consisted  of  nine.  The  only  place  of  worship  was  the 
school  house,  which  had  been  built  in  iSo5,butwas 
not  in  existence  when  Mr.  Sickles  preached  in  the 
cooper  shop.  Mr.  Lansing  continued  to  preach  to 
the  United  Church  till  February  2,  18 14.  Previous 
to  this,  in  the  autumn  of  1812,  Rev.  Caleb 
Ale.vander,  had  moved  to  the  Hollow  and  taken 
charge  of  the  Academy  in  that  place.  Mr. 
Alexander,  although  never  a  pastor  at  the  Hollow, 
occasionally  |)rcached,  and  after  Mr.  Lansing's 
lime  preached  to  the  people  of  Salina.  Under  his 
ministry  the  Sunday  School  was  formed  in  18 16, 
although  this  was  not  the  first   Sunday  School  in 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


177 


the  place,  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Porter  having  previously 
opened  a  Sabbath  School  in  connection  with  a  day 
school  which  she  was  teaching,  in  which  she  was 
assisted  by  Mrs.  Phebe  Spafford  and  Mrs.  S.  Alvord. 
This  was  one  of  the  earliest  Sabbath  Schools,  not 
only  in  this  part  of  the  country,  but  generally,  for 
Sunday  Schools  were  quite  uncommon  at  that 
period. 

The  first  church  edifice  of  this  society  was  built 
and  dedicated  in  1822.  It  was  a  wooden  structure 
standing  on  the  northwest  corner  of  the  Park,  and 
remained  till  1855.  In  1851  the  chapel  was  built 
on  Salina  street  nearly  opposite  the  former  resi- 
dence of  Dr.  Didama.  The  Sabbath  School  con- 
tinued to  be  held  in  the  church  till  the  building  was 
taken  down.  Then  it  was  removed  to  the  chapel. 
After  the  present  brick  church  was  built  in  1855, 
the  chapel  was  removed  to  the  spot  where  it  now 
stands  adjoining  the  church,  and,  enlarged  in  1862, 
has  since  continued  to  be  occupied  by  the  school. 

The  successors  of  Rev.  Mr.  Alexander,  prior  to 
the  separation  from  the  Onondaga  Hollow  Society, 
were  Rev.  Samuel  T.  Mills  and  Rev.  James  H. 
Mills.  Under  the  ministry  of  the  latter  the  United 
Society  was  divided,  and  a  separate  church  formed 
under  the  name  of  the  "  First  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Salina,"  Jan.  23,  1822,  and  the  first  church  build- 
ing was  erected.  It  was  dedicated  coetaneously 
with  the  organization.  Rev.  John  Brown,  D.D., 
preaching  the  sermon.  On  the  13th  of  March  fol- 
lowing, Rev.  Hutchins  Taylor  was  installed  pastor, 
and  continued  his  ministry  till  Sept.  7, 1 826.  He  was 
followed  by  Rev.  Henry  Hotchkiss,  as  stated  supply, 
for  about  one  year.  During  this  period  a  large  num- 
ber was  added  to  the  church.  Rev.  Hiram  H. 
Kellogg  next  supplied  the  church  from  the  fall 
of  1827  to  the  summer  of  1829,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  James  I.  Ostrom,  installed  June 
24,  1829.  Under  his  ministry  large  additions  were 
made  to  the  church.  His  successor  was  Rev.  Jos. 
I.  Foot,  afterwards  elected  President  of  Washing- 
ton College,  but  while  on  his  way  thither  was 
thrown  out  of  his  carriage  and  killed,  July  20, 
1836.  Rev.  Hutchins  Taylor  was  recalled,  and  re- 
mained pastor  till  December,  1 839.  Mr.  Taylor  was 
followed  by  Rev.  Jos.  Myers,  who  remained  till  May, 
1844,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Elias  Clark,  who 
supplied  the  pulpit  six  months.  Then  came  Rev. 
Thomas  Castleton  and  continued  till  July  23,  1849, 
after  which  the  pulpit  was  supplied  about  one  year 
by  Rev.  J.  J.  Slocum.  Rev.  William  W.  Newell, 
D.  D.,  was  installed  pastor  Oct.  20,  1850,  and  ac- 
cepted a  call  to  New  York  City  Jan.  15,  i860,  his 
pastorate  being  over  nine  years  with  this  church. 
1 3* 


The  pulpit  was  then  supplied  for  about  two  years  by 
Rev.  Dr.  Condit,  of  Auburn,  when  Rev.  Lewis  H. 
Reed,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  most  of  this  his- 
tory of  the  church,  became  pastor.  He  concluded 
his  labors  here  May  i,  1868,  accepting  a  call  to 
Chicago.  His  successors  have  been  Rev.  John  H. 
Frazee,  Jan.  7,  1870,  and  Rev.  Alfred  H.  Fahne- 
stock,  Jan.  20,  1875,  the  present  pastor.  Under  the 
last  named  ministry  about  twenty  members  were 
added  to  the  church  last  spring.  The  number  is 
now  143,  and  the  members  of  the  Sunday  School 
150.  Elders  :  John  Hartshorne,  James  Van  Vleck, 
Augustus  G.  S.  Allis  and  Charles  Cushney. 

Park  Central  Presbyterian  Church — The 
Park  Church  was  organized  December  24, 1846,  and 
consisted  of  thirty-nine  members.  The  first  elders 
were  Robert  Furman,  John  Stewart  and  Ralph  R. 
Phelps.  Subsequently  Josiah  Wright,  F.  W.  Tut- 
tle,  Horace  B.  Yates,  Johnson  Cowles,  and  David 
Hotchkiss  became  at  an  early  day  members  of  the 
session.  Of  the  original  members  of  the  church, 
but  seven  now  remain  in  connection  with  it,  viz: 
Mrs.  Bradley  Carey,  Mrs.  L.  W.  Butler,  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Phelps,  Mrs.  Alvira  S.  Cook,  Mrs.  Minerva  S. 
Cowles,  Mrs.  Emily  Goodwin,  and  Mrs.  Emily  M. 
Seymour. 

The  society  was  organized  December  30,  1846. 
Ralph  R.  Phelps  and  John  Stewart,  two  of  the 
elders  of  the  church,  presided  as  moderators  over 
the  meeting  for  organization,  and  J.  B.  Huntington, 
Israel  Smith,  Benjamin  R.  Norton,  John  Stewart, 
Bradley  Carey  and  George  Barney  were  elected  the 
first  Board  of  Trustees.  At  the  first  meeting 
seventeen  members  were  enrolled  in  the  society,  of 
whom  only  one  now  remains,  Mr.  Bradley  Carey, 
who  has  faithfully  shared  the  vicissitudes  of  the 
church  from  that  time  to  the  present.  Two  or 
three  others  of  the  original  number  are  still  living, 
but  reside  elsewhere. 

January  4,  1847,  the  Trustees  recommended  the 
erection  of  a  house  of  worship  provided  it  could  be 
built  for  ^7,000,  and  on  the  nth  of  January,  the 
society  adopted  the  recommendation,  and  author- 
ized the  purchase  of  the  original  lot  from  the  late 
R.  R.  Phelps,  March  17,  1847,  the  contract  for  the 
building  was  signed.  The  entire  sum  specified  in 
the  contract  to  be  paid  for  the  building  of  the 
church  was  ^8,550. 

Rev.  C.  Gold  Lee  was  stated  supply  of  the 
church  until  1847,  when  he  resigned,  and  Rev.  Wm. 
W.  Newell  was  called  to  the  pastorate  and  installed 
November  10,  1847.  The  church  edifice  was  dedi- 
cated February  3,  1848.  Rev.  Dr.  Newell  was 
pastor  of  the  church  until  October,  1850,  when  he 


178 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


resigned,  and  in  August,  1851,  Rev.  Byron  Sunder- 
land assumed  the  duties  of  the  pastorate,  and 
administered  them  until  January,  1853.  Rev. 
Samuel  Hall  succeeded  him  in  October,  1853. 

In  January,  1855,  the  church  property  was  sold 
under  foreclosure,  and  by  a  subsequent  arrangement 
with  the  purchasers,  came  into  possession  of  a  new 
society,  organized  from  the  Park  Church  Society, 
under  the  corporate  name  of  the  Park  Presbyterian 
Society,  and  in  April,  1855,  Rev.  S.  H.  Hall  was 
called  to  the  pastorate  and  duly  installed  in  May 
following.  He  resigned  in  1856,  and  the  church 
and  society  remained  without  a  settled  pastor  for 
some  time.  Rev.  S.  T.  Reeves  was  temporary  supply 
in  1857  for  a  period  of  one  year. 

In  March,  1858,  the  church  and  society  were  re- 
organized under  the  name  of  the  Park  Central 
Presbyterian  Church  and  Society,  which  name  it 
still  bears.  Rev.  Mr.  Fillmore  was  elected  pastor 
and  commenced  his  ministerial  labors  in  January, 
1858,  continuing  his  relations  with  the  church  until 
1865.  The  jjulpit  was  supplied  during  the  follow- 
ing year  by  Prof.  James  E.  Pierce,  of  the  Auburn 
Theological  Seminary. 

How  earnestly  and  faithfully  these  early  pastors 
toiled  and  labored  for  the  prosperity  and  stability  of 
the  Church,  often  amidst  overwhelming  discourage- 
ments, is  known  to  all  who  during  those  years  were 
conversant  with  the  affairs  of  the  church.  Their 
self-sacrificing  work  and  their  devotion  to  the  inter- 
ests of  the  church  and  society  will  ever  be  held  in 
grateful  remembrance. 

In  1866,  Rev.  Addison  K.  Strong  was  elected 
pastor  and  installed  in  April  of  that  year.  He  was 
dismissed  at  his  own  request  in  April,  1870.  Dur- 
ing his  pastorate  the  church  was  greatly  prospered 
and  large  adilitions  were  made  to  the  number  of  its 
members.  The  project  of  building  a  new  house  of 
worship  was  agitated  quite  earnestly  during  Dr. 
Strong's  pastorate,  but  the  enterprise  seemed  too 
great  to  be  undertaken  and  was  for  a  time  deferred. 

In  May,  1870,  Rev.  Edward  G.  Thurber  was 
elected  pastor.  During  his  ministry  he  has  secured 
the  highest  confidence  and  warmest  love  of  his  peo- 
ple. His  encouraging  words  and  e.\ami)le  of  devo- 
tion greatly  forwarded  the  enterprise  of  the  new 
church,  the  corner-stone  of  which  was  laid  on  the 
9th  of  September,  1S72,  and  the  edifice  completed 
and  dedicated  on  the  24th  of  June,  1875.  The 
cost  of  this  church  was  nearly  575,cxX).  It  has 
large  and  complete  appointments  for  the  Sabbath 
School,  social  services,  and  for  the  weekly  prayer 
meetings  of  the  church.  The  present  pastor.  Rev. 
Edward    G.    Thurber,  has  been  with  the  Church 


since  May  12,  1870.  The  present  membership  is 
418,  the  Sabbath  School  numbering  515.  Many 
have  gone  from  this  church  to  other  places,  who 
hold  important  positions  of  Christian  influence  and 
usefulness.  The  Church  and  Society  are  united, 
harmonious  and  progressive  in  Christian  work. 

Fourth  Pkksuvtekian  Church— This  church, 
like  the  Park  Central  Presbyterian,  is  an  outgrowth  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  of  this  city,  and  was 
organized  under  its  auspices  and  in  its  session  room 
on  the  evening  of  February  2,  1870.  A  short  ad- 
dress was  made  by  Rev.  S.  B.  Canfield,  D.  D..  who 
then  read  the  names  of  eighty-one  persons  propos- 
ing to  unite  in  forming  the  organization,  si.\ty-two 
of  whom  were  from  the  First  Presbyterian, 
three  from  the  Park  Presbyterian,  six  from 
the  Reformed,  one  from  Plymouth,  and  nine  from 
churches  outside  the  city.  Among  the  original 
members  were  the  following  : 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  T.  Hayden,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  VVm. 
C.  Anderson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Timothy  Hough,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  D.  S.  Hubbard,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles 
Hubbard,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Chadwick,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Edwin  Miles,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  G.  La- 
throp,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Reed,  Mrs.  C.  C.  Bradley, 
Mrs.  Mary  Bradley,  Mrs.  C.  M.  Barrett,  Mrs.  A. 
L.  Smith,  Mrs.  Esther  C.  Barker,  David  Bonta,  S. 
H.  Starin,  H.  C.  Hooker,  Dr.  John  VanDuyn. 

John  Reed  and  Henry  C.  Hooker  were  ordained 
Elders,  and  Edwin  Miles,  Deacon. 

The  church  first  met  for  worship  at  Conserva- 
tory Hall,  corner  of  Warren  and  Fayette  streets, 
Sunday,  February  6th,  1870,  and  organized  a  Sun- 
day school  at  the  close  of  the  morning  services.  In 
April,  1870,  Rev.  John  S.  Bacon  was  duly  installed 
as  pastor.  During  the  year  to  January  i,  1S71,  62 
members  were  added  by  letter  and  27  by  profession 
of  faith.  Rev.  John  S.  Bacon  remained  pastor  for 
six  years,  and  was  succeeded  in  September,  1877, 
by  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  Norman  Seaver,  D.  D., 
who  came  here  from  an  eight  years'  pastorate  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Brooklyn,  N.  V. 

The  present  church  edifice  was  begun  in  1872, 
and  dedicated  February  27,  1873.  It  cost  ^60,000. 
Prcs(;nt  membership,  375  ;  attendance  at  the  Sun- 
day school,  380. 

Reformed  Church. — The  Reformed  Church  of 
Syracuse,  N  Y.,  was  organized  by  the  Classis  of 
Cayuga,  March  10,  1848,  and  consisted  of  eleven 
persons,  dismissed  for  this  purpose  from  the 
Reformed  Churches  of  Chittenango  and  Geneva, 
and  from  the  First  Presbyterian  and  Park  Presby- 
terian Churches  of  Syracuse.  Their  names  are  : 
Wessel  B.  VanWagenen,  Lavinia  VanWagenen, 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


179 


Cornelia  D.  VanWagenen,  Mary  Ann  Beardsley, 
Peter  Burns,  Elizabeth  Pope,  Harriet  S.  Walter, 
Mary  E.  VanRenssalaer,  B.  C.  Vrooman,  Susan 
Vrooman,  Simon  V.  A.  Featherly. 

The  organization  was  completed  by  the  election 
of  W.  B.  VanWagenen  and  B.  C.  Vrooman,  Elders, 
and  Simon  V.  A.  Featherly  and  Peter  Burns, 
Deacons. 

In  July  following  the  Rev.  J.  A.  H.  Cornell  was 
unanimously  called  to  be  first  pastor  to  the  new 
enterprise,  and  entered  upon  his  duties  and  was 
installed  in  August.  The  meetings  of  the  society 
were  held  in  the  old  Unitarian  Chapel,  on  East 
Genesee  street,  till  the  church  edifice  could  be 
erected.  An  excellent  site  was  secured  on  James 
street  during  the  following  winter,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1849,  the  corner  stone  of  the  church 
edifice  was  laid  by  the  late  Dr.  Isaac  N.  Wyckoff, 
of  Albany,  with  appropriate  ceremonies. 

The  Building  Committee  consisted  of  the  follow- 
ing gentlemen  :  John  G.  Forbes,  John  B.  Burnet, 
John  A.  Robeson,  W.  B.  VanWagenen  and  James 
Noxon. 

The  structure  was  completed  and  dedicated  to 
the  service  of  the  Triune  Jehovah,  July  i6th,  1850, 
the  venerable  Dr.  Thomas  DeWitt,  senior  pastor 
of  the  Collegiate  Church  in  New  York  City,  preach- 
ing the  sermon.  The  cost  of  the  church  lot  was 
gi,900,  and  of  the  edifice  $14,000,  of  which  the 
Collegiate  Church  contributed  ;?2,ooo,  and  about 
$5,000  more  was  raised  among  the  churches  at  the 
East  by  the  faithful  and  persevering  efforts  of  the 
Pastor  and  Elder  VanWagenen. 

A  Sunday  School  organization  was  perfected  soon 
after  the  church  organization.  Mr.  John  B.  Burnet 
being  elected  as  first  Superintendent. 

In  September,  1851,  Rev.  J.  A.  H.  Cornell  re- 
signed his  charge,  and  was  succeeded  in  May,  1852, 
by  Rev.  J.  Romeyn  Berry.  Mr.  Berry's  pastorate 
ended  in  1857.  The  church  was  now  vacant  till  1859, 
when  Rev.  T.  DeWitt  Talmage  became  its  pastor. 
He  remained  till  February,  1862,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded in  May  of  the  same  year  by  Rev.  Joachim 
Elmendorf,  whose  pastorate  continued  till  Decem- 
ber, 1S65.  The  next  pastor  was  Rev.  Jeremiah 
Searle,  who  began  his  work  in  May,  1S66,  and  re- 
mained till  February,  1868.  The  church  was  now 
vacant  more  than  a  year,  when  a  unanimous  call 
was  made  in  March,  1869,  on  Rev.  Martin  Luther 
Berger,  who  remained  till  May,  1875,  when  he  re- 
moved to  California.  The  present  pastor.  Rev. 
Evart  Van  Slyke,  succeeded  him  as  stated  supply  in 
April  and  as  pastor  in  Nov.  1875.  The  church  has 
just  been  repaired  and  elegantly  decorated,  (August, 


1877,)  at  an  expense  of  $3,500.  On  Sunday  after- 
noon, February  3,  1878,  the  church  edifice  was 
destroyed  by  fire. 

Present  membership,  270;  attendance  at  the 
Sunday  School,  350.  J.  C.  Mix,  Supt.  Consisto- 
ry—  Elders,  Samuel  Bonta,  Alphonso  W.  Blye, 
Henry  Babcock,  E.  P.  Hopkins  ;  Deacons,  James 
C.  Mix,  Bradford  Kennedy,  Rasselas  A.  Bonta, 
Fred.  A.  Broadhead  ;  Organist — Maltbie  C.  Bab- 
cock. 

Congregational. 

Plymouth  Church. — The  Plymouth  Church  of 
Syracuse  was  organized  September  24,  1853. 
Thirty-one  persons  united  in  its  organization.  Of 
these  the  following  only  remain  : 

William  E.  Abbott,  Stephen  E.  Maltby,  Jane  A. 
Abbott,  Grace  Scribner,  (Mrs.  Bainbridge,)  Abner 
Bates,  Mary  D.  C.  Scribner,  (Mrs.  Gane,)  Susan 
Foster,  J.  Stewart  Tallman,  M.  Waldo  Hanchett, 
Clarissa  Tallman,  Martha  A.  Hanchett,  Julia  A. 
Tallman,  Margaret  G.  Hanchett,  Margaret  Tall- 
man. 

For  a  time  the  church  worshiped  in  the  edifice 
formerly  owned  by  the  First  Congregational  Society 
of  this  city  ;  but  measures  were  soon  taken  to  pur- 
chase a  lot  and  erect  a  new  building.  The  present 
location,  at  the  junction  of  Onondaga,  Warren  and 
Madison  streets,  was  accordingly  purchased  and  the 
chapel  erected.  On  the  25th  of  February,  1855, 
the  chapel  was  dedicated,  and  entered  for  regu- 
lar worship  It  soon,  however,  became  manifest 
that  it  was  too  small  to  accommodate  the  growing 
congregation,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1858,  a  con- 
tract was  entered  into  for  the  erection  of  a  new 
edifice.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  September  24, 
1858,  on  the  fifth  anniversary  of  the  founding  of 
the  church. 

On  the  26th  of  September,  1853,  Rev.  M.  E. 
Strieby  received  and  accepted  a  call  to  the  pastoral 
office.  The  church  edifice  was  completed  and  dedi- 
cated in  August,  1859.  Rev.  M.  E.  Strieby,  after 
a  pastorate  of  eleven  years,  resigned  in  March, 
1864.  Rev.  S.  R.  Dimmock  succeeded,  Julyj,  1864, 
and  resigned  September  25,  1868. 

Rev.  A.  F.  Beard,  D.  D.,  the  present  pastor,  was 
called  in  April,  1869,  and  entered  upon  his  services 
June  I.  During  the  winter  of  1870,  a  precious  re- 
vival was  granted  the  church,  and  in  the  spring  the 
people  were  encouraged  to  build  a  new  chapel,  and  to 
rebuild,  enlarge  and  beautify  the  church.  The  New 
Chapel  was  dedicated  November  13,  1870,  the  pas- 
tor preaching  the  dedicatory  sermon.  The  chapel 
is  tastefully  finished  and  furnished,  and  capable  of 
seating  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  persons. 


i8o 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


The  New  Edifice  of  Plymouth  Church  was 
completed  and  dedicated  March  22,  1871.  It  was 
built  from  designs  by  Architect  H.  N.  White,  under 
the  immediatedirection  of  the  Building  Committee, 
consisting  of  Messrs.  Peter  Burns,  H.  R.  Olmsted, 
M.  E.  Carter,  James  Terwilligcr,  W.  E  Abbott, 
George  W.  Wilson.  (Trustees,)  and  J.  T.  Bon,  M. 
W.  Hanchett  and  A.  G.  Salisbury.  The  audience 
room  is  attractive  and  very  pleasant,  and  aft'ords 
nine  hundred  and  thirty-seven  sittings,  besides  those 
of  the  galleries. 

From  the  Church  Manual  for  1872.  we  take  the 
following  statistics  : 

Whole  number  now  belonging  to  the  church,  346  ; 
whole  number  now  absent,  34  ;  male  members,  1 14  ; 
female  members,  232  ;  number  admitted  from  No- 
vember, 1870,  to  June,  1872,  53. 

Protestant  Episcopal  Churches. 

St.  Paul's  Church,  was  organized  May  22, 
1826,  Rev.  John  McCarty,  Presiding.  John  Durn- 
ford  and  Samuel  Wright  were  chosen  Wardens, 
and  Amos  P.  Granger,  Archy  Kasson,  James 
Mann,  Matthew  W.  Davis,  Mather  Williams, 
Parent  Filkins,  Othniel  Williston  and  Jabez  Hawlcy, 
Vestrymen.  In  1825,  a  lot  of  ground  was  donated 
to  the  parish  for  a  church  by  the  Syracuse  Company  ; 
in  September  the  frame  was  raised  and  enclosed  and 
the  building  was  completed  in  1827.  It  stood  on 
the  ground  now  occupied  by  the  Granger  Block, 
and  was  subsequently  sold  to  the  Roman  Catholics, 
who  removed  it  and  converted  it  into  St.  Mary's 
Church. 

The  corner  stone  of  the  present  St.  Paul's  Church 
was  laid  July  12,  1841,  and  the  building  completed 
and  occupied  the  following  year.  The  wing  portion 
of  the  building  was  about  the  same  time  erected  for 
a  parochial  school,  which  was  under  the  charge  of 
the  Rector.  In  1858  the  church  was  enlarged  by 
an  e.\tension  in  the  rear,  and  in  1 870  about  $6,000 
were  expended  in  improving  the  seats,  repainting 
and  frescoing  the  interior,  which  has  rendered  the 
audience  room  very  pleasant  and  attractive. 

Prior  to  the  erection  of  the  first  edifice,  services 
were  held  in  the  school  house,  and  sometimes  in 
the  building  of  the  First  Baptist  Church. 

The  clergymen  who  officiated  previous  to  the  or- 
ganization of  the  parish,  were  Revs  Lucius  Smith, 
William  B.  Thomas, Wilcox,  William  J.  Bulk- 
ley,  Augustus  L.  Converse  ;  and  later.  Revs.  John 
McCarty,  William  Barlow,  Palmer  Dyer,  Richard 
Salmon,  John  Griggs,  Francis  Todrig,  Clement  M. 
Butler,  Charles  H.  Halsey,  William  Walton,  Isaac 
Swart,  John  B.  Gallagher  and  Henry  Gregory. 


Rev.  Dr.  Gregory  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Wm.  B. 
Ashley,  December  1,  1848,  who  remained  till  March 
10,  1857.  May  3,  1857,  Rev.  George  Morgan  Hills 
became  rector,  continuing  till  August  21,  1870. 
January,  1871,  Mr.  Hills  was  succeeded  by  the 
Rev.  Simon  Grecnleaf  Fuller,  who  remained  rec- 
tor till  his  death,  November  21,  1872.  He  died 
suddenly  of  apoplexy  while  in  his  study,  and  was 
lamented  by  a  bereaved  parish  and  a  large  circle  of 
friends. 

Rev.  Henry  R  Lockwood,  the  present  rector,  was 
called  and  settled  over  the  parish  January  19,  1873. 
St.  James  Church — The  earliest  service  was 
held  January  27.  1848,  in  the  chapel  built  for  a 
mission  of  St.  Paul's  Church.  St.  James'  Parish 
was  organized  August  14,  1848;  communicants 
at  the  first  Communion  Service,  twenty-one. 
Among  the  earliest  parishioners  were  James  D. 
Wallace,  Abraham  Bartlelt,  William  W.  Green, 
Barent  Filkins,  Cornelius  Shirley,  Henry  D.  Hatch, 
Thomas  Hurst,  Nehemiah  H.  Earll,  Dr.  I.  F.  Trow- 
bridge, all  now  deceased,  with  others  who  still  re- 
main. 

The  present  church  edifice  was  commenced  in 
1 85 1,  completed  in  1853,  enlarged  in  1866.  Cost 
of  chapel  §1,400,  of  church  $13,000,  of  enlargement 
(uniting  church  and  chapel  in  one  building,)  $10,- 
000.  Dr.  Henry  Gregory  was  Rector  from  1848 
till  1857,  Rev.  C.  C.  Barclay  in  1857  and  1858, 
Dr.  Joseph  M.  Clarke  from  1858  till  the  present 
time.  Present  number  of  communicants  300.  At- 
tendance at  Sunday  school  about  100. 

Trinity  Church. — This  church  originated  with 
Trinity  Mission  Sunday  School,  established  by  St. 
Paul's  Church  in  July,  1855.  A  congregation  was 
gathered  and  a  chapel  erected  adjoining  the  Sey- 
mour school  building,  which  was  consecrated  Nov- 
ember 25,  1855,  and  the  parish  was  organized 
March  3,  1856.  Rev.  William  Long,  assistant  of 
Rev.  Dr.  Ashley,  of  St.  Paul's,  began.the  Mission, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  David  E.  Ikrr  in  1856. 
Since  then  the  regular  succession  of  pastors  and 
time  of  ministry  have  been  as  follows  :  Rev.  J.  B. 
Linn,  one  year  and  eight  months  ;  Rev.  N.  F. 
Whiting,  two  years :  Rev.  D.  F.  Lumsden,  nine 
months  ;  Rev.  J.  K.  Lewis,  four  years  ;  Rev.  S.  R. 
Jones,  two  years  and  a  half;  Rev.  J.  E  Pratt, pres- 
ent Rector,  five  years. 

Rev.  J.  K.  Lewis,  under  whose  ministry  the 
present  church  was  built,  is  now  a  chaplain  in  the 
United  States  Navy. 

Trinity  Church  is  situated  on  Seymour  street, 
south  of  West  street.  It  was  erected  in  1869,  is  a 
wooden  building  and  cost  about  $9,000. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


i8i 


The  bell  used  by  this  church  is  the  old  bell  of 
Zion  Church,  Onondaga  Hill,  founded  by  Rev. 
Ezekiel  G.  Gear,  in  1816. 

About  105  families  are  connected  with  the  parish  ; 
the  communicants  number  165,  and  the  Sunday 
school  20  teachers  and  150  scholars. 

Grace  Church. — The  movement  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  this  church  was  inaugurated  by  Rev. 
Thomas  E.  Pattison  in  1870,  the  first  service  being 
held  in  December  in  a  small  wooden  chapel  erected 
on  the  site  of  the  present  elegant  stone  church,  on 
University  avenue,  corner  of  Madison  street.  The 
parish  was  organized  early  in  1871,  with  John  V. 
Needham  and  Wells  B.  Hatch,  Wardens ;  and 
Arthur  Crittenden,  John  R.  Hawkins,  Henry  A. 
Leggett  and  John  C.  White,  Vestrymen.  The 
corner  stone  of  the  church  edifice  was  laid  in  June, 
1876,  and  the  building  finished  and  consecrated  in 
February,  1877.  The  site  is  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful in  the  city.  The  structure  is  of  blue,  rough- 
dressed  Onondaga  limestone,  relieved  and  beauti- 
fied by  cut  stone  of  the  gray  variety,  and  cost,  in- 
cluding furniture,  organ,  &c.,  ^25,000.  The  pres- 
ent Wardens  are  Elisha  R  Howe  and  Edgar  S. 
Mathews  ;  Vestrymen,  J,  C.  White,  Frank  A.  May, 
John  V.  Needham,  Wells  B.  Hatch,  A.  B.  Grover, 
V.  B.  Chase,  F.  L.  Smith  and  W.  H.  Dimmick. 

Rev.  Thomas  E.  Pattison  has  been  Rector  from 
the  first,  and  still  officiates.  The  number  of  com- 
municants is  157  ;  Sunday  School,  150. 

Calvary  Church  (Protestant  Episcopal)  is  situa- 
ted on  the  corner  of  Highland  and  Beecher  streets  in 
the  Fourth  Ward  of  the  city.  This  church  began 
with  a  Sunday  School  opened  by  Bishop  Hunting- 
ton, in  a  small  house  on  Butternut  street  beyond 
Farmer,  in  September,  1873.  The  school  was  soon 
transferred  to  a  barn  close  by,  which  had  been 
altered  to  serve  the  purpose  of  a  temporary  chapel. 
The  building  was  unpainted  and  uncarpeted,  but 
the  attendance  at  the  Sunday  School  increased,  a 
service  was  held  every  Sunday  evening,  and  before 
the  winter  a  Sewing  School  was  opened  on  Satur- 
day afternoons. 

The  Mission  continued  to  gather  members  for 
several  years,  and  on  the  20th  of  September,  1877, 
the  corner-stone  of  a  new  permanent  structure — the 
present  church — was  laid  by  the  Bishop  of  the  Dio- 
cese. This  building  is  of  wood,  with  a  large  base- 
ment of  stone  ;  it  was  raised  and  finished  at  a  cost 
of  about  $2,500,  most  of  this  amount  having  been 
contributed  by  friends  of  the  church  in  Syracuse. 
The  first  service  in  the  new  church  was  Morning 
Prayer  and  the  celebration  of  the  Holy  Communion 
on  Christmas  morning,  1877. 


While  serving  as  the  place  of  worship  for  the 
former  attendants  at  Calvary  Mission  Chapel  and 
others  in  the  neighborhood.  Calvary  Church  is  also 
the  Chapel  of  St.  Andrews  Divinity  School  in 
Highland  Place,  and  all  its  services  are  under  the 
immediate  direction  of  the  Bishop.  The  services 
as  now  held  are  on  all  week  days  at  a  quarter  be- 
fore 9  A.  M.,  and  on  Sunday  at  half  past  10  a.  m., 
at  half  past  3  p.  m.,  and  at  a  quarter  past  7  in  the 
evening.  A  part  of  the  basement  is  to  be  opened 
as  a  reading  room  every  evening.  The  Sunday 
School  numbers  over  200  children. 

St.  Andrews  Divinity  School. 

This  is  an  institution  for  the  education  of  candi- 
dates for  the  ministry  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church.  It  was  opened  by  Bishop  Huntington  in 
September,  1S76,  at  Highland  Place,  Syracuse. 
The  Trustees  are,  the  Rt.  Rev.  F.  D.  Huntington, 
S.  T.  D.,  President  ex-officio ;  Rev.  J.  M.  Clarke, 
D.  D.  ;  Rev.  H.  Lockwood  ;  H.  O.  Moss,  Esq., 
and  Hon  William  Marvin. 

Faculty  of  Instnictioii — Rt.  Rev.  F.  D.  Hunting- 
ton, President  ;  Rev.  C.  P.  Jennings,  Dean  ;  Rev. 
J.  M.  Clarke,  D.  D.  ;  Prof  Rudolph  Wahl. 

Methodist  Churches. 

First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church — Previous 
to  the  erection  of  the  First  M.  E.  Church  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Syracuse,  services  were  held  in  the  school 
house  on  Church  street  by  Rev,  Eben.  L.  North, 
now  living  at  South  Onondaga,  and  Rev.  Vincent 
M.  Coryell,  residing  at  present  in  Waverly,  N.  Y. 
It  is  thought  by  Rev.  E.  Arnold,  that  Rev.  E.  L. 
North  organized  the  first  class  here  about  1830. 
The  writer,  sometime  in  September,  1877,  addressed 
a  line  to  Rev.  Mr.  North,  making  inquiries  and 
seeking  to  get  the  names  of  the  members  of  the 
first  class,  but  he  has  received  no  answer. 

Rev.  V.  M.  Coryell  preached  in  Syracuse  during 
the  years  1835  and  1836.  In  the  latter  of  these 
years  the  church  edifice  was  begun,  and  was  finished 
in  1837. 

The  regular  succession  of  ministers  in  this 
church,  as  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained,  has  been 
as  follows:  Rev.  V.  M.  Coryell,  1835  to  1836; 
Rev.  A.  D.  Peck,  1837  and  1838  ;  Rev.  W.  W. 
Nind,  1839  and  1840  ;  Rev.  N.  G.Baker,  1841  and 
1842  ;  Rev.  A.  D.  Peck,  1843  ;  Rev.  Edward  Ban- 
nister, 1844  and  1845  ;  Rev.  James  Erwin,  1846  ; 
Rev.  E.  E.  E.  Bragdon,  1847 ;  Rev.  H.  E.  Chapin, 
1848  and  1849;  Rev.  I.  S.  Bingham,  1S50  and 
185 1  ;  Rev.  Nathaniel  Salisbury,  1852  and  1853  ; 
Rev.  A.  J.Phelps,  1854  and  1855  ;  Rev.  Hiram 
Mattison,   1856  and  1857  ;  Rev.   John   B.    Foote, 


I82 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


1858  and  1859  ;  Rev  E.  C.  Bruce,  i860  and  1861  ; 
Rev.  S  R.  Fuller,  1862  and  1863:  Rev.  Wesley 
Mason.  1864  and  1865  ;  Rev  C.  P.  Lyford.  1866, 
1867  and  1868  ;  Rev.  J.  D.  Adams.  1S69.  1870  and 
1871  ;  Rev.  L.  C.  Qucal,  1872.  1873  and  1874; 
Rev.  W.  H.  Anable.  1875.  1876  and  1877. 

Nathan  W.  Rose  has  been  class-leader  contin- 
uously since  the  old  church  was  built  in  1837,  and 
most  of  the  time  a  trustee.  William  Judson, 
David  French,  C.  T.  Hicks  and  F"ather  Pease,  were 
prominent  among  the  old  members.  An  anecdote 
is  told  of  Father  Pease  and  the  builders  if  the  old 
church,  with  reference  to  the  peculiar  shaped  tower 
which,  many  of  the  early  citizens  may  remember, 
once  surmounted  the  building.  It  was  a  sort  of 
pyramid  built  up  from  a  square  base  and  covered 
with  tin.  Messrs.  Judson  and  Hicks,  well  known 
and  enterprising  early  citizens,  had  the  most  to  do 
with  the  original  building  of  the  church,  and  they 
departed  from  the  plain  Methodist  style  of  those 
days  in  having  a  fine  tall  steeple  put  upon  the  build- 
ing. This,  in  the  eyes  of  Father  Pease,  a  genuine 
old-fashioned  Methodist  of  the  congregation,  was  a 
tower  of  pride  and  vanity  and  an  insult  to  high 
heaven,  and  after  protesting  against  it,  he  resolved 
to  invoke  the  Lord  to  take  it  down.  He  prayed 
cuinestly  against  the  steeple.  In  a  short  time  it 
was  struck  with  lightning  and  splintered  from  top 
to  bottom  ;  but  the  friends  of  the  steeple  soon  had 
it  rebuilt.  Father  Pease  still  prayed  against  it.  It 
was  demolished  a  second  time — a  strong  gust  of 
wind  struck  it,  and  carried  it  entirely  from  its  base, 
landing  it  in  fragments  upon  the  ground  near  by. 
The  friends  of  the  steeple  did  not  again  rebuild  it. 
Whether  they  believed  the  Lord  was  actually  work- 
ing against  them,  or  whether  they  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  their  work  was  not  sufficiently 
strong  to  resist  the  strain  of  a  tornado,  is  uncer- 
tain, but  it  is  certain  that  the  steeple  was  twice  de- 
molished, and  that  the  last  time,  instead  of  attempt- 
ing to  rebuild  it  as  at  first,  the  base  of  the  tower 
was  carried  up  and  finished  in  the  peculiar  pyramid- 
shaped  dome  referred  to,  and  that  tower  remained 
on  the  church  for  more  than  thirty  years. 

The  church  was  thoroughly  repaired  inside  in 
1856,  by  the  devotion  of  Mr.  David  French,  who 
mortgaged  his  own  private  property  to  make  the 
repairs. 

Among  the  prominent  ministers  of  this  church, 
Rev.  Hiram  Mattison  was  well  known  as  an  anti- 
slavery  man  and  an  author  of  considerable  note. 
Rev.  S.  R.  Fuller,  died  at  Watertown.  N.  Y.  Rev. 
J.  D.  Adams,  D.  D  ,  is  now  at  Erie,  Pa.  Rev.  Dr. 
L.  C.  Oueal  is  Presiding  Elder  at  Elmira,  N.  Y. 


A  considerable  number  of  the  membership  of 
this  church  have  been  dismissed  from  time  to  time 
to  form  other  Methodist  Episcopal  Churches  in  the 
city — such  as  the  Centenary,  University  Avenue, 
Furman  Street  and  Rose  Hill  Churches.  The 
present  number  of  members  is  455,  with  a  large  and 
flourishing  Sunday  School. 

The  church  edifice  was  rebuilt  in  1869  '70  at  a 
cost  of  $25,000,  by  extending  the  front  20  feet  and 
building  two  towers.  Also  an  addition  at  the  rear 
end  of  1 5  feet  for  organ  and  class  rooms.  It  is  now 
one  of  the  most  pleasant  and  commodious  churches 
in  the  city. 

First  Ward  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — 
Quite  early  in  the  nineteenth  century  Salina  was 
visited  by  Rev.  Charles  Giles,  of  the  Old  Genesee 
Conference,  who,  it  is  believed,  preached  the  first 
Methodist  sermon  at  "  Salt  Point  "  Preaching  was 
occasionally  had  by  passing  itinerants,  and  at  length 
a  class  was  formed  and  a  small  chapel  erected  about 
the  year  1829;  which  appears  not  to  have  been 
finished  for  many  years,  the  society  being  weak  and 
making  very  little  progress  prior  to  1840.  at  which 
date  they  had  the  services  for  a  few  months  of  Ezra 
C.  Squires,  a  young  man  holding  a  local  preacher's 
license. 

During  the  year  1840,  Mr.  Squires,  having 
awakened  some  interest,  the  society  petitioned  the 
Black  River  Conference  to  send  them  a  minister 
who  should  organize  a  "  Station,"  and  devote  him- 
self wholly  to  their  village  as  a  pastor.  The  Con- 
ference being  held  at  Pulaski  in  the  summer.  Bishop 
R.  R.  Roberts  ordained  Rev.  Ebenezer  Arnold  and 
sent  him  to  Salina,  with  instructions  to  organize,  if 
practicable,  the  two  villages,  Salina  and  Geddes, 
into  a  pastoral  charge.  Mr.  Arnold,  after  looking 
over  the  field,  concluded  to  devote  his  whole 
attention  to  Salina.  The  society  prospered  under 
his  ministry,  becoming  financially  self-supporting  ; 
the  chapel  was  finished  and  furnished  ;  a  comfortable 
parsonage  placed  at  his  disposal  free  of  rent  ;  class 
and  prayer  meetings  earnest  and  well  attended  ; 
and  a  quarterly  conference  established.  In  the 
space  of  one  year  a  great  change  had  been  cfi'ected, 
so  that  Rev.  Mr.  Arnold  left  the  parish  in  a  well- 
organized  and  prosperous  condition,  from  which  it 
maintained  a  steady  and  vigorous  growth. 

In  1864  the  corner  stone  of  the  present  church 
edifice  was  laid,  and  the  building  was  completed 
and  dedicated  in  1865.  It  is  of  brick,  cost  about 
$13,000  and  will  scat  500  people.  The  Parsonage 
is  also  a  brick  building,  of  moderate  dimensions  and 
rather  plain  appearance.  The  Trustees  are  A.  Mc- 
Chesney,  B    C.   Ross.  T.   Redhead,  Hiram  More- 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


183 


house,  W.  G.  Richards,  John  E.  Gumaer,  Henry  J. 
Patten,  Alexander  Hubbs  and  David  Powers. 

The  following  is  the  list  of  Pastors  furnished  by 
Rev.  T.  F.  Clark  :  Rev.  Ebenezer  Arnold,  Rev. 
I.  N.  Murdock,  Rev.  C.  L.  Dunning,  Rev.  P.  S. 
Bennet,  Rev.  C.  Giles,  Rev.  A.  Robbins,  Rev.  B. 
PhilHps,  Rev.  I.  Turney,  Rev.  M.  M.  Rice,  Rev. 
B.  I.  Deefendorf,  Rev.  D.  Simons,  Rev.  O.  C. 
Cole,  Rev.  D.  Chidester,  Rev.  H.  M.  Church,  Rev. 
S.  Ball,  Rev.  J.  A.  Graves,  Rev.  T.  B.  Shepherd, 
Rev.  W.  Mason,  Rev.  O.  A.  Houghton,  Rev.  M. 
Wheeler,  Rev.  J.  B.  Foote,  Rev.  T.  F.  Clark, 
present  Pastor. 

Centenary  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — 
The  Centenary  of  American  Methodism,  which 
was  fruitful  in  the  inauguration  of  many  new 
church  movements  in  the  denomination  at  large, 
was  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  in  the  history  of 
the  Methodist-Episcopal  church  in  Syracuse.  The 
policy  of  colonization  and  expansion,  deemed  nec- 
essary in  view  of  the  location  of  the  Syracuse  Uni- 
versity in  this  city,  was,  during  that  year,  adopted 
and  acted  upon.  It  was  clearly  foreseen  that,  if 
the  Methodist  denomination  of  the  State  of  New 
York  should  undertake  to  found  and  conduct  a 
University  in  Syracuse,  the  local  church  policy  of 
the  denomination  assuming  its  guardianship,  must 
itself  be  greatly  liberalized  and  enlarged.  Hence 
the  colonization  and  enlargement  of  Episcopal 
Methodism  in  Syracuse,  and  the  establishment  of 
the  University,  had  their  inception  together  in  the 
centenary  year,  and  were  undertaken  and  prosecuted 
by  the  same  parties.  The  movement  originated 
outside  of  the  local  churches,  and  for  a  time  was 
carried  on  in  opposition  to  their  wishes  and  advice. 
At  the  Black  River  Conference,  held  in  April,  1866, 
the  presiding  Bishop  appointed  Rev.  Ebenezer  Ar- 
nold to  the  Fifth  Ward  of  Syracuse,  with  the  view 
of  establishing  in  that  locality  a  Centenary  Monu- 
mental Church  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  faith. 
We  shall  let  Rev.  Mr.  Arnold  describe  the  situa- 
tion at  the  time  of  his  entrance  upon  the  duties  of 
his  new  charge. 

"  It  was  as  bald  and  barren  a  charge  as  was  ever 
spread  upon  white  paper  or  read  off  by  a  bishop. 
But  the  very  next  day  the  appointee  was  on  the 
spot  and  looking  for  some  place  to  begin  work.  To 
and  fro,  right  and  left,  over  his  crude  field  he  wan- 
dered, watched  and  listened,  No  familiar  face  or 
voice  greeted  him.  No  one  watched  or  waited  for 
his  arrival,  or  cared  to  know  his  voice.  The  next 
week  he  came  on  again  with  family  and  goods.  *  * 
Utterly  failing  to  find  a  place  to  live  in,  in  the  Fifth 
Ward,  he  furnished  a  lodging  room  and  joined  the 


pastor  in  a  studio  in  the  First  Ward  parsonage  and 
found  most  of  his  dinners  in  the  Onondaga  House." 

The  next  difficulty  was  to  find  a  place  to  preach 
in.  "  There  was  no  hall  within  or  near  the  Fifth 
Ward,  and  only  two  chapels— one  owned  and  fully 
occupied  by  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  ;  the 
other  owned  by  the  Baptists  and  occupied  part  of 
the  Sabbaths  by  a  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation Sunday  School.  This  '  pastor  '  without  a 
flock,  wanted  to  occupy  a  hall  in  the  center  of  the 
city,  but  the  fear  of  awakening  opposition  among 
his  own  people  decided  against  it,  and  the  Baptist 
'  Hope  Chapel'  was  hired  for  a  part  of  each  Sab- 
bath." The  first  funds  contributed  towards  this 
church  were  three  cents  by  a  little  boy  and  girl. 
As  the  preacher  and  some  others  were  discuss- 
ing the  question  of  finance  at  an  evening  meet- 
ing, "  the  excited  audience  was  astonished  to 
see  a  little  boy  (sitting  alone)  rise  up  and  march 
resolutely  to  the  speakers  table  and  lay  down  two 
cents.  '  What  is  that  for,  bub  .-''  asked  the  preach- 
er. '  That's  for  the  church,'  replied  the  boy.  In- 
stantly a  little  girl  from  the  other  side  came 
up  and  laid  down  one  cent,  saying :  '  That's 
for  the  church,  too.'  'Well!  well!'  said  the 
preacher,  '  we  can  no  longer  say  we  have  no 
funds.  The  work  is  begun,  and  the  Lord  will 
provide  for  its  completion."  The  audience  went 
away  profoundly  impressed  with  the  assured  suc- 
cess of  the  enterprise. 

Shortly  after  some  half  a  dozen  families  con- 
cluded to  enlist  ;  the  Board  of  Missions  of  the 
State  of  New  York  granted  ^500  for  the  preacher's 
expenses  ;  July  16,  the  lot  was  purchased  for  the 
church  by  Rev.  A.  J.  Phelps  and  Rev.  Ebenezer 
Arnold,  who  had  faith  enough  to  pay  their  own 
money  for  it  and  take  the  deed  in  their  own  name, 
there  being  as  yet  no  legal  corporation  to  transact 
business.  A  subscription  was  immediately  opened 
and  five  men  subscribed  $1,000,  ^750,  g200,  $200 
and  $100,  respectively.  Then  came,  by  the  aid  of 
the  united  ministry,  a  large  and  successful  meeting 
in  the  First  Church  ;  then  the  First  Ward  Church 
came  to  the  rescue ;  the  Presiding  Elder  and 
Pastors  pushed  into  the  country  for  subscriptions ; 
and,  to  effect  an  organization,  forty  members  of  the 
First  Church  asked  to  be  transferred  to  the  new 
colony,  to  aid  in  forming  the  "  Centenary  Church." 
As  name  after  name  was  slowly  read  over,  the  eyes 
of  their  pastor  were  filled  with  unbidden  tears,  but 
he  brushed  them  aside,  and  kneeling  together  they 
joined  their  prayers  for  the  out-goers  and  the  new 
church  which  they  were  about  to  join. 

"  It  was  in  a  moderate-sized  room  in  the  second 


1 84 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


story  of  Pike  Block,  January  6th,  1867.  The 
great  clock  of  American  Methodism  had  just  struck 
One  Hundred,  the  first  Sunday  of  the  year  one 
had  reached  high  noon.  Fifty  persons,  mostly 
young  and  middle-aged,  stood  up  and  covenanted 
together  in  Holy  Church  Fellowship— one  in  name, 
one  in  purpose,  and  one  in  heart.  Such  was  the 
material  of  the  Centenary  Church  as  thus  organized, 
and  of  the  congregation  thereof,  that  a  large  Board 
of  Trustees,  a  fine  Quarterly  Conference,  a  good 
Sunday  School,  able  Prayer  and  Class  Meetings, 
and  Social  Societies,  were  very  soon  in  successful 
•  operation. 

A  subscription  of  §13,000  being  raised,  the  site 
purchased  by  the  two  clergymen  was  fi.\ed  upon, 
the  foundation  laid  and  the  building  rose  rapidly,  so 
that  by  the  assembling  of  the  Annual  Conference 
in  this  city  in  April,  1867,  the  massive  stone  work 
was  nearly  completed  and  the  corner  stone  was 
laid  by  Bishop  Janes.  The  following  year  the 
church  was  finished  and  dedicated,  the  entire  cost 
being  about  §37,000.  It  is  a  fine  substantial  brick 
building  situated  on  West  street  near  Onondaga. 

The  following  ministers,  in  the  order  named,  have 
been  the  Pastors  of  Centenary  Church  :  Rev.  Eben- 
czer  Arnold,  the  founder,  one  year;  Rev.  Elijah  Horr, 
Jr.,  three  years  ;  Rev.  Jesse  T.  Peck,  now  Bishop 
Peck,  one  year  and  a  half,  till  his  appointment  as 
Bishop  ;  Rev.  Manley  S.  Hard,  three  and  a  half 
years  ;  Rev.  A.  C  George,  D.  D.,  one  and  a  half 
years,  till  transferred  to  West  Virginia  ;  Prof.  W. 
P.  Codington,  to  fill  vacancy ;  Rev.  Oscar  A. 
Houghton,  present  Pastor. 

Centenary  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  churches 
in    the  city.     Membership,  450,  and  a  large  and     > 
active  Sunday  School.  i 

Tntstees — A.  N.   Palmer,  President  ;  Henry  W.     I 
Bannister,  Clerk  ;  Thomas  Talbot,  Robert   Patter- 
son, Edward  Drake,  Aaron    Schemerhorn,   S.  A. 
Daniels,  J.  F.  Pease,  and  E.  F".  Holden.  j 

Delaware  Street  M.  E.  Church. — On  the 
l6th  of  June,  1872,  Rev.  Ebenezer  Arnold  com- 
menced street  preaching  on  the  corners  of  Geddes, 
Delaware,  Fulton  and  Davis  streets.  Mr.  Arnold 
was  then  pastor  of  the  Magnolia  Street  M.  E. 
Church,  which  had  been  organized  in  i86g  and  oc- 
cupied the  hill  north  of  the  Idiot  Asylum.  Some 
half  a  dozen  members  of  this  church  lived  in  that 
part  of  the  city  where  he  began  preaching  on  the 
street  corners.  As  a  foundation  for  future  opera- 
tions, it  was  a  part  of  his  plan  to  remove  the  church 
from  the  hill  into  the  southwest  part  of  the  city, 
and  unite  the  members  with  those  which  might  be 
raised  up  in  the  new  church  locality.     It  was  prac-    | 


tically  the  dissolving  of  the  old  church  and  the  or- 
ganization of  a  new  one,  and  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  this  result,  street  preaching  and  cottage 
meetings  were  to  be  depended  upon.  The  former 
was  kept  up  two  seasons — the  first  on  Geddes, 
the  second  on  Seymour  street — and  cottage 
prayer  and  class  meetings  continued  over  a  year. 
Meantime,  a  spacious  church  site  had  been  selected, 
a  payment  made  thereon  of  §1,400,  and  over  50 
ornamental  trees  planted.  The  old  church  was  re- 
moved from  the  hill  and  converted  into  a  comforta- 
ble chapel  on  the  rear  part  of  the  site,  where  meet- 
ings were  held  till  the  erection  of  the  present  church 
edifice  in  1876. 

The  new  society  was  also  organized  by  the  labors 
of  Mr.  Arnold  in  1873,  and  with  the  members 
transferred  from  the  old  society,  constituted  about 
40  in  number.  The  new  vine  thus  planted  and 
grafted  has  grown  with  fresh  and  vigorous  life. 
Once  established  in  the  new  quarters,  the  pastor 
began  to  gather  the  fruits  of  his  cottage  and  out 
door  labors,  in  a  congregation  numbering  300  souls, 
with  an  average  attendance  of  200,  and  a  Sunday 
School  of  about  100  members.  Mr  Arnold  ac- 
complished this  good  work  as  pastor  from  June, 
1872,  to  October,  1S73. 

The  population  in  this  portion  of  the  city, 
requiring  a  larger  place  of  meeting,  the  pres- 
ent church  edifice  was  commenced  in  1875,  and 
dedicated  in  1876.  It  is  a  plain  substantial  brick 
structure  and  cost  about  §12,000.  This  building  is 
prospectively  intended  to  be  the  rear  of  a  larger 
and  more  elegant  church  edifice,  which  the  future 
growth  of  the  society  will  before  many  years  call 
into  requisition. 

The  present  membership  is  loi,  and  the  Sunday 
School,  200. 

The  following  clergymen  have  been  pastors  of 
this  church:  Rev.  M.  Pierce,  Rev.  T.  B.  Shepherd, 
Rev.  Robert  Brewster,  Rev.  Ebenezer  Arnold,  Rev. 
U.  S.  Becbe  and  Rev.  Edmund  M.  Mills,  the  pres- 
ent incumbent. 

Rose  Hill  M.  E.  Church. — In  accordance 
with  the  general  plan  of  Methodist  Church  exten- 
sion inaugurated  during  the  Centenary  year.  Rose 
Hill,  or  the  P"ourth  Ward  of  Syracuse,  was  made  a 
field  of  missionary  operations  with  a  view  to  the 
establishment  of  a  church.  Rev.  Ebenezer  Ar- 
nold entered  the  field  in  October,  1873 — a  most 
unpromising  field  at  that  time,  so  far  as  any  begin- 
ning or  Methodist  materials  were  concerned.  No 
one  desired  a  mission  or  asked  for  a  preacher  to 
come  among  them.  There  was  no  vacant  hall  or 
school  house  or  even  private  dwelling  accessible. 


Residence  OF    JOHN     EASTWOOD,  CoJ?.SpmN&&  B£A/?5M,Sys/*cusE,N.>: 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


185 


Out-door  meetings  were  resorted  to,  and,  as  admis- 
sion could  be  gained  to  iiouses,  prayer  meetings 
were  held  with  families.  This  went  on  for  one  year 
with  scarcely  a  perceptible  gain  ;  the  leaven,  how- 
ever, though  hidden,  was  working  in  the  masses. 
At  the  close  of  the  second  year  a  society  of  about 
a  dozen  and  Sunday  School  had  been  formed  and 
were  meeting  and  holding  prayer  meetings  in  a 
barn  loft,  preaching  still  going  on  to  the  outside 
world  in  the  open  air.  At  the  Conference  this  year 
Bishop  Andrews  recognized  the  work  as  a  Confer- 
ence appointment. 

During  the  year  1876,  a  stronger  hold  was  gained 
upon  public  confidence  ;  the  church  increased 
to  20 ;  a  board  of  trustees  was  appointed  ;  a  lot 
subscribed  for  a  parsonage  ;  a  small  fund  accumu- 
lated by  contributions  of  worshipers  laid  upon  the 
Bible  ;  and  an  open-air  congregation  of  more  steady, 
attentive  and  intelligent  hearers.  The  year  follow- 
ing a  church  site  was  bought,  large  enough  for  a 
church  and  chapel,  ;^200  paid  on  it,  and  a  neat 
chapel  erected  and  half  paid  for.  The  congrega- 
tion this  year  numbered  about  200,  with  an  average 
attendance  of  50,  and  a  Quarterly  Conference  and 
Social  Society  were  organized. 

Such  was  the  Rose  Hill  M.  E.  Church  at  the 
close  of  Rev.  Mr.  Arnold's  labors,  September, 
1877.  It  is  deemed  on  a  solid  and  substantial  foot- 
ing, and  gives  fair  promise  of  future  permanence 
and  enlargement.  The  church  is  a  wooden  build- 
ing on  Highland  street,  corner  of  Douglas,  and 
cost,  including  two  lots,  ^4,000.  Present  Pastor, 
Rev.  George  W.  Peck. 

Trustees — E.  H.  Wormwood,  E.  A.  Huntington, 
George  E.  Marsh,  Dwight  Arnold,  Joseph  Draw- 
bridge, Frank  Frey  and  Mr.  Dillenbeck. 

FuRMAN  Street  M.  E.  Church — The  move- 
ment resulting  in  this  church  was  begun  in  Dan- 
forth  (a  suburb  of  the  city)  April  20,  1870,  by 
Rev.  Ebenezer  Arnold.  Mr.  Arnold  continued  his 
labors  till  November  of  that  year.  In  1871  a  Mis- 
sion and  Sunday  School  were  organized  by  Rev. 
Jesse  T.  Peck,  D.  D.,  while  pastor  of  the  Centen- 
ary Church,  and  they  were  included  in  the  Quar- 
terly Conference  of  that  body.  In  1874  the  Mis- 
sion became  a  separate  charge,  and  has  since  been 
regularly  supplied  by  the  Conference.  For  the  past 
two  years  Prof  Charles  W.  Bennett,  of  the  Uni- 
versity, has  been  pastor,  and  was  preceded  by  Rev. 
M.  J.  Wells.  The  church  has  a  comfortable  wooden 
edifice  and  is  maintaining  a  steady  growth. 

University  Avenue  M.  E.  Church.  —  Located 
on  the  corner  of  University  Avenue  and  East  Gen- 
esee street.  This  society  was  organized  as  a  branch 
24* 


of  the  I  St  M.  E.  Church,  in  1867,  with  a  member- 
ship of  nine,  holding  their  earlier  meetings  in  pri- 
vate residences. 

In  1868,  a  small  chapel  was  erected  on  the  corner 
of  Chestnut  and  Fayette  streets,  and  in  the  latter 
part  of  that  year  the  society,  having  in  the  mean- 
time increased  to  a  membership  of  thirty,  was  or- 
ganized as  a  separate  charge.  Rev.  C.  P.  Lyford 
was  appointed  pastor  while  yet  officiating  as  pastor 
of  the  1st  M.  E.  Church.  In  1869,  Rev.  T.  B. 
Shepherd  was  appointed  pastor.  While  under  his 
charge  the  meetings  were  held  in  Seager  Hall.  It 
was  during  his  pastorate  that  the  lot  upon  which 
the  present  church  edifice  stands  was  purchased. 
Rev.  C.  P.  Lyford  was  the  next  in  charge,  being 
appointed  in  1S70.  During  his  ministrations  a 
temporary  chapel  was  erected  on  the  church  lot  and 
the  present  building  so  far  completed  as  to  enable 
the  congregation  to  hold  religious  service  in  the 
basement  of  the  same.  The  membership  had  in- 
creased at  this  time  to  one  hundred  and  fifty.  In 
1872  Rev.  J.  T.  Gracy  was  appointed  pastor,  and 
in  December  of  that  year  the  church  was  dedicated. 
His  successor  was  Rev.  D.  W.  C.  Huntington,  ap- 
pointed in  1873,  who  was  followed  in  1876  by  Rev. 
Theron  Cooper  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  A.  J. 
Phelps  was  the  Presiding  Elder  during  the  organi- 
zation of  the  church  and  labored  efficiently  to  ad- 
vance its  welfare.  The  present  church  was  erected 
at  a  cost  of  $50,000. 

The  present  officers  are  Rev.  D.  W.  Bristol,  D.  D., 
Presiding  Elder  ;  Rev.  Theron  Cooper,  pastor  ;  J. 
S.  Atwell,  S.  S.  Supt.;  J.  S.  Atwell,  (term  expires 
in  1878,)  J.  R.  French,  (1878,)  H.  Whitmarsh, 
(1878,)  Thomas  Talbot,  Jr.,  (1879.)  Charles  C. 
Brown,  (1879,)  Cyrus  C.  Warner,  (1879,)  John  P. 
Griffin,  (1880,)  E.  C.  Curtis,  (1880,)  P.  H.  Curtis, 
(1880,)  Board  of  Trustees.  The  present  number 
of  members  (Dec,  1877,)  is  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  ;  Probationers  thirty.  Making  a  total  of  three 
hundred  and  ninety-five. 

Wesleyan  Methodist  Church. — On  the  2d 
of  May,  1843,  in  the  basement  of  the  First  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  was  held  the  first  meeting 
for  the  purpose  of  organizing  the  Wesleyan  Metho- 
dist Church  of  Syracuse.  The  organization  was 
perfected  this  same  evening  with  the  following 
named  gentlemen  among  its  members,  viz  :  A.  F. 
Green,  Dr.  A.  Bliss,  Arthur  Hughes,  H.  I.  Fritcher, 
Charles  Merrick,  M.  Merrick,  P.  W.  Rice,  James 
Connell,  and  James  White. 

In  1845,  a  House  of  Worship  was  built  on  the 
corner  of  Onondaga  and  Jefferson  streets  at  a  cost 
of  $2,500,   the   material    used  in    its  construction 


1 86 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


being  brick.  This  edifice  has  since  been  enlarged 
and  recently  repaired.  The  following  is  a  list  of 
Pastors  with  their  terms  of  service :  Luther  Lee, 
D.  D.,  one  year  ;  P.  R.  Sawyer,  one  year ;  B. 
Rider,  three  years  ;  P.  M.  Way,  one  year  ;  Mar- 
shall Frink,  two  years  ;  Samuel  Salisbury,  three 
years  ;  Luther  Lee,  two  years  ;  D.  B.  Douglass, 
one  year  ;  Samuel  Salisbury,  two  or  three  years  ; 
J.  P.  Betker,  four  years ;  A.  S.  Witeman,  four 
years  ;  T.  H.  Keniston,  two  years,  (Rev.  Mr.  Ken- 
iston  died  during  the  last  year  of  his  pastorate  i  ;  S. 
H.  Foster,  four  years,  succeeded  by  the  present 
Pastor,  Rev.  N.  E.  Jenkins,  whose  pastorate 
commenced  May  ist,  1877.  The  following  named 
gentlemen  have  also  served  the  church  at  intervals  : 
Cyrus  Prindle,  D.  D.,  L.  C.  Matlack,  Adam 
Crooks  and  H.  B.  Knight.  Among  the  noted 
divines  that  have  been  connected  with  this  church 
may  be  mentioned  Rev.  Luther  Lee,  D.  D.,  the 
noted  theologian.  Rev.  Cyrus  Prindle,  D.  D  ,  and 
Rev.  Adam  Crooks,  since  deceased,  all  men  of  very 
marked  ability.  The  present  membership  numbers 
160.     Attendance  at  Sunday  School  about  100. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Zion  Church,  (^Colored.) 
—This  church  was  organized  on  Salina  street, 
where  the  present  salt  office  is  situated,  March  2, 
1837.  It  was  originally  composed  of  about  fifteen 
persons,  among  whom  were  Rev.  W.  H.  Jenkins, 
Mrs.  Gariner  and  Frederick  Jackson.  The  edifice 
was  purchased  March  20,  1837,  for  about  $100. 
The  first  Trustees  were  Richard  Wandal,  Frederick 
Jackson,  Prince  Jackson,  Francis  Jackson  and  Am- 
brose Dumbar. 

Rev.  Thomas  James,  Rev.  John  Tappen,  Rev. 
Demmes  Kennedy,  and  Rev.  J.  W.  Loguen  were 
pastors  of  this  church.  Mr.  Loguen,  well  known 
as  an  earnest  anti-slavery  advocate,  and  a  man  of 
acknowledged  ability,  came  to  Syracuse  in  1841. 
In  June.  1868,  Mr.  Loguen  was  elected  Bishop  of 
the  African  Methodist  Zion  Church,  in  the  city  of 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  was  Presiding  Bishop  till 
1872,  in  June  of  which  year  he  was  reelected  Bishop, 
and  held  the  ofifice  at  the  time  of  his  death,  Sep- 
tember 30,  1872. 

Catholic  Churches. 

St.  Mary's  Church  (first  Roman  Catholic  in  the 
village  of  Syracuse)  was  organized  on  Christmas  Day, 
1842.  There  were  then  but  few  scattering  Catholic 
families  in  the  village.  The  first  church  building 
was  purchased  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Society 
— St.  Paul's — and  removed  to  Montgomery  street, 
corner  of  Madison.  It  was  enlarged  and  improved 
in  1848.     Rev.  Michael  Haes  was  the  first  pastor. 


and  continued  in  that  relation  till  his  death  in  1859. 
He  was  succeeded  by  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  Dr. 
James  A.  O'Hara,  who  assumed  charge  of  the 
church  on  the  4th  of  July,  1859.  Doctor  O'Hara 
has  had  a  long  and  very  successful  pastorate,  hav- 
ing ministered  to  his  church  over  eighteen  years, 
during  which  the  influence  of  both  pastor  and 
people  has  become  widely  felt  in  the  educational  and 
charitable  interests  of  the  city. 

In  1S52,  under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Father  Haes, 
the  congregation  of  St.  Mary's  became  very  large, 
and  shortly  after  undertook  the  erection  of  the 
Church  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  on  the  corner 
of  Willow  and  Pearl  streets.  Through  the  aid  of 
Hon.  Dennis  McCarth)',  Cornelius  Lynch  and 
others,  the  church  was  finished  and  occupied  in  1 854. 

In  18 — ,  Father  Haes  introduced  the  Sisters  of 
Charity,  three  of  whom  came  and  opened  a  school 
in  the  basement  of  St,  Mary's  Church.  The 
Sisters  have  now  three  schools  under  the  auspices 
of  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul's  Society,  viz  :  The  St. 
Vincent  de  Paul  Orphan  Asylum  and  School,  situ- 
ated on  Madison  street,  and  the  Orphan  Asylum 
for  Boys  and  Home  for  Old  and  Infirm  People  of 
both  sexes,  situated  in  the  town  of  Geddes. 

The  building  of  the  Orphan  Asylum  and  School 
is  of  brick,  270  feet  long  by  50  feet  in  width,  three 
stories  and  basement,  and  cost  $125,000.  The 
school  has  12  teachers,  150  orphans,  and  300  day 
scholars. 

The  school  in  the  country  is  situated  on  the 
Split  Rock  road  just  beyond  the  city  limits  in  the 
town  of  Geddes.  The  site  was  purchased  by  An- 
drew Lynch  for  Rev.  Dr.  James  A.  O'Hara,  in  1867, 
who  started  it  as  an  industrial  school  for  boys,  un- 
der the  management  of  the  Christian  Brothers,  in 
which  character  it  was  continued  about  two  years. 
Dui^ng  the  absence  of  Dr.  O'Hara  in  Europe,  the 
Brothers  abandoned  it,  and  the  school  was  closed. 
About  the  year  1872,  Messrs.  Thomas  McCarthy, 
Patrick  Phelan  and  Timothy  Sullivan,  of  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  of  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  So- 
ciety, reestablished  the  institution  under  the  man- 
agement of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  as  a  Home  for 
the  old  and  feeble  of  both  sexes  and  an  Orphan 
Asylum  for  boys.  It  is  managed  by  10  Sisters, 
and  contains  about  100  orphan  boys  and  40  aged 
and  feeble  persons.  There  is  a  farm  of  60  acres 
which  is  worked  by  the  inmates.  The  building  is 
140  feet  long  by  60  feet  wide,  and  three  stories 
above  the  basement. 

Both  these  institutions  are  very  prosperous  and 
are  outgrowths  of  St.  Mary's  Church. 

The   new    Church   building  of  St.   Mary's  is  in 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


187 


process  of  erection.  In  1874,  Rev.  Dr.  O'Hara 
purchased  of  Hon.  Peter  Burns  a  prominent  site 
for  a  new  church,  on  the  corner  of  Montgomery 
and  Jefferson  streets,  consisting  of  four  lots,  on 
which  he  is  now  erecting  a  church  of  Onondaga 
gray  limestone.  The  walls  are  partially  erected, 
and  when  completed  with  its  chapels  and  pastoral 
residence,  will  cost  $250,000.  It  will  be  the  finest 
piece  of  masonry  in  the  United  States,  and  in  one 
of  the  finest  situations,  being  at  the  intersection  of 
six  streets.  Should  the  building  be  finished  in  har- 
mony with  the  exterior  structure  (and  such  is  the 
design)  it  will  certainly  be  one  of  the  most  substan- 
tial and  elegant  church  edifices  in  the  whole 
country. 

Church  of  St.  Joh.\  the  Evangelist. — This 
church  is  an  out-growth  of  St.  Mary's   Church,  of 
this  city.     In  1852,  the  congregation  of  St.  Mary's 
had  out-grown  its  accommodations  in  the  old  church, 
and  Bishop  McClosky  delegated   Rev.  John   Mc- 
Menony,    Assistant     Pastor     of    St.     Mary's,    to 
begin  the  erection  of  the  Church  of  St.  John   the 
Evangelist,   on   the  corner   of  Lock   and    Willow 
streets.     The  building  was  finished  and  opened  in 
1854.     Rev.  John  McMenony  was  appointed  Pastor, 
and  officiated  till  1868,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.   Joseph   Guerdet,  the  present   Pastor.     The 
parish  is  a  large  one,  numbering  about  three  thous- 
and people,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Guerdet  is  assisted  in  the 
pastoral    charge   by    Rev.    Mr.    O'Connor.       The 
church  is  an  elegant  and  substantial  brick  building, 
with  seating  capacity  for  1,500  persons,  and  cost 
about  S6o,ooo.     There  is  a  school  connected  with 
it,  which  was  founded  by  Rev.  Mr.  McMenony  and 
is  under  the  management  of  the  Christian  Brothers. 
Church  of  St.  John  the  Baptist. — The  Church 
of  St.  John  the  Baptist  is  situated  in  the  First  Ward. 
The  first  church  edifice  of  this  parish  (now  used  as 
a  school  house  I  was  commenced  and    enclosed  in 
1829  by  the  exertions  of  Thomas  McCarthy  and 
James  Lynch,  and  a  few  Roman  Catholics,  together 
with  the  liberal  donations  of  their  Protestant  fellow- 
citizens  in  the  villages  of  Salina  and  Syracuse,  and 
by    collections    made   by    Messrs.    McCarthy  and 
Lynch  from  their  friends  in  Utica,  Albany  and  New 
York.     Rt.  Rev.  John  Dubois  was  then  Bishop  of 
the  Diocese  of  New  York,  and  for  the  two  succeed- 
ing years,  the  congregation  being  small,  was  visited 
by  clergymen  only  once  a  month.     The  first  resi- 
dent clergyman  who  officiated  in  the   church  was 
Rev.  Francis  Donahue,  who  was  pastor  for  about 
six  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Fathers  Balfe  and 
Drummond,  who  in  turn  gave  place  to  Rev.  James 
O'Donnell,  who  remained  in  charge  of  the  church 


and  mission  some  four  or  five  years.  The  next 
pastors  were  Fathers  Radigan  and  Chartier,  the  lat- 
ter a  Frenchman,  who  left  Canada  on  account  of 
some  rebellion  troubles  of  that  period.  Then  fol- 
lowed Rev.  Michael  Haes,  afterwards  pastor  of  St. 
Mary's  Church,  who  was  succeeded  by  Father  Guil- 
lick,  and  he  by  Rev.  Joseph  Guerdet,  now  pastor  of 
the  Church  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist  of  this  city. 
The  succession  of  pastors  since  has  been  Father 
Mullady,  Rev.  Michael  Hackett,  Rev.  Morris  Shea- 
han,  Rev.  James  A.  Duffy,  Father  Brown  and  Rev. 
William  J.  Bourke,  the  present  pastor. 

Rev.  Mr.  Bourke  was  born  and  brought  up  in 
Syracuse,  and  is  the  first  native  Catholic  priest 
ordained  to  the  ministry  in  the  city. 

The  Church  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  (present 
building)  is  a  large  and  elegant  brick  structure  in 
the  semi-Gothic  style  of  architecture,  occupying 
a  beautiful  and  commanding  site  at  the  corner  of 
Park  and  Court  streets.  It  will  seat  1,500  persons, 
was  erected  and  dedicated  in  1871,  and  cost  $125,- 

000.  This  is  now  one  of  the  largest  Catholic 
parishes  in  the  city  and  the  school  connected  with 
it  is  kept  in  the  old  church  building. 

The  Church  of  the  Assumption,  St.  Mary's, 
Roman  Catholic,  is  situated  in  the  Second  Ward 
on  North  Salina  street,  near  Isabella.  The  old 
church  bearing  the  motto  "  Deo "  was  called  St. 
Mary's.  It  was  a  wooden  building  30  by  46  feet  in 
dimensions,  surmounted  by  a  spire,  and  was  erected 
by  the  Trustees,  John  B.  Lange,  George  Miller  and 

1.  Afferdick,  in  the  year  1844.  The  builder  was 
Emerson  Thayer,  and  the  lot  was  purchased  of 
Hon.  E.  W.  Leavenworth  for  $500. 

The  first  Pastor  was  Rev.  P.  Adalbert  Inama, 
O.  S.  N.,  who  was  appointed  in  1843  by  Rt.  Rev. 
John  McClosky,  first  Roman  Catholic  Bishop  of  the 
Diocese  of  Albany,  N.Y.  Following  him  were  the 
Rev.  Theodore  Noethen  :  Rev.  P.  Flarian  Schwen- 
inger, O.  S.  B.  ;  Rev.  P.  Simon  Sanderl ;  Rev. 
Joseph  Raffeiner,  who  enlarged  the  first  church. 

In  the  year  1861  commenced  the  administration 
of  the  Franciscan  Fathers  Minor-Convcnticals. 
They  built  the  new  Church  of  Assumption  in  1865, 
under  their  Commissary-General  V.  R.  P.  Lapold 
Morzygemba,  O.  M.  C,  and  the  Guardian  of  the 
Convent  and  Pastor  of  the  Church,  Rev  .P.  Norbert 
Stoller,  O.  M.  C.  The  church  was  consecrated 
May  3,  1867,  by  Rt.  Rev.  John  Conroy,  Bishop  of 
the  Diocese  of  Albany,  and  the  two  towers,  contain- 
ing bells,  were  finished  in  1872  by  V.  R.  P.  Fidelis 
Dehm,  Guardian  and  Pastor  of  the  Church  of 
Assumption.  The  cost  of  the  entire  structure  was 
$125,000. 


1 88 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


St.  Lucy's  Church  is  Situated  in  the  Fifth 
Ward  on  Gifford  street  between  Niagara  and  Os- 
wego streets.  The  earliest  meetings  were  held  in 
the  Cook  Block,  which  is  erected  on  the  bank  of  the 
Onondaga  creek,  between  Onondaga  and  Gifford 
streets.  The  origin  of  the  church  was  owing  in  a 
great  measure  to  the  zeal  of  a  few  of  the  members 
of  the  congregation,  who,  seeing  the  increase  of  the 
Catholic  population  in  that  portion  of  the  city,  as 
well  as  the  want  of  accommodation  in  the  churches 
to  which  the  people  went,  resolved,  having  obtained 
the  permission  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  John  J.  Conroy, 
Bishop  of  Albany,  and  the  concurrence  of  nearly 
all  the  Catholics  of  the  ward,  to  commence  the 
erection  of  the  church.  A  committee  of  which 
Patrick  Slattery  was  President,  John  J.  Lynch, 
Auditor,  John  Heilmack,  Treasurer,  Thomas  F. 
Delany,  Secretary,  and  F"rancis  Connelly,  H.  A. 
Duffy,  Patrick  Halloran,  Anthony  Chryst,  Lawrence 
Ryan,  Charles  McFall,  Thomas  Kendrick,  Francis 
Murphy,  William  Michaels  and  Dan.  Moony  were 
members,  was  appointed  June,  1872,  to  make 
arrangements  for  the  work.  On  August  15,  1872, 
the  digging  for  the  basement  was  began  and  was 
completed  about  September  12,  at  which  time  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Conroy  appointed  Rev.  John  J. 
Kennedy  Pastor  of  the  new  congregation.  The 
society  was  immediately  incorporated  under  the 
name  of  St.  Lucy's  Church,  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  This 
is  the  first  and  only  church  in  this  country  which 
bears  the  name  of  St.  Lucy.  There  is  a  certain 
propriety  in  the  name,  from  the  fact  that  the  annals 
of  the  life  of  St.  Lucy  tell  us  that  she  was  born, 
lived,  and  suffered  martyrdom  in  the  old  city  of 
Syracuse,  Sicily,  and  was  afterward  proclaimed 
patroness  of  that  city. 

Architect  Russell  furnished  the  plans  for  the 
church  and  the  work  was  pressed  forward  with 
great  zeal  by  Patrick  Commins,  the  builder. 

The  corner  stone  was  laid  by  Rt.  Rev.  Francis 
McNierny,  the  successor  of  Bishop  Conroy,  June 
22,  '73,  and  the  basement  of  the  church  was  occu- 
pied for  divine  service  November  i,  'y^.  The 
church  was  entirely  completed  December  23,  '75,  on 
which  day  it  was  solemnly  dedicated  by  Rt.  Rev. 
Francis  McNierny. 

The  present  membership  of  the  congregation  is 
about  two  thousand  12,000.  1  The  Sunday  School 
attendance  is  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  (450.) 
The  church  is  very  beautifully  decorated  with  scrip- 
tural scenes  from  both  the  old  and  the  new  Testa- 
ment, as  well  as  some  pictures  representing  the  life, 
death,  and  coronation  of  St.  Lucy. 

St.  Joseph's  (French  Catholic)  Church  was 


organized  in  1869  in  the  church  building,  Eai 
Genesee  street,  by  Rev.  Joseph  Guerdet.  The 
original  members  were  about  200,  among  whom 
were  Romuald  Tanguay.  Louis  La  Branche,  Louis 
Harnois,  Theophile  Fournier,  Francis  Bardo,  Aimi 
Harnois,  Joseph  Gibeau,  Peter  Loignot  and  Jean 
Duplessis.  The  church  was  bought  of  the  Central 
Baptist  Society  in  1869,  and  cost,  with  its  improve- 
ments. Si  1,000.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Joseph 
Quevillon,  ( who  is  now  in  Pittsfield,  Mass.,)  from 
October,  i86g.  to  April,  1870.  The  present  pastor, 
Rev.  J.  S.  Robillard,  assumed  charge  in  July,  1870. 
The  present  membership  is  about  450,  with  from  45 
to  70  in  the  Sunday  School. 

U.MTARiAN  Church. 

The  Church  of  the  Messiah,  (First  Unitarian 
Congregational  Society,)  was  organized  by  Rev. 
George  W.  Hosmer,  Dr.  Hiram  Hoyt,  Stephen 
Abbott  and  others,  October  4,  1838.  The  first 
Trustees  were  :  Elisha  Walter,  Joel  Owen  and 
Stephen  Abbott. 

Prior  to  1836,  several  influential  Unitarian  fami- 
lies had  become  citizens  of  Syracuse,  but  no  preach- 
ing of  that  faith  had  been  enjoyed  till  about  1837, 
when  Rev.  Samuel  Barrett,  of  Boston,  and  Rev. 
Mr.  Green,  of  that  city  or  vicinity,  preached  by  in- 
vitation on  two  different  occasions  in  the  Baptist 
Church  on  West  Genesee  street.  These  eftbrts  led 
to  the  movement  which  resulted  in  the  formation  of 
a  society  by  Rev.  Dr.  Hosmer,  of  Buffalo,  late 
President  of  Antioch  College.  The  society  was 
organized  in  Dr.  Mayo's  school  house  on  Church 
street,  where  services  had  previously  been  held, 
and  continued  to  be  held  after  the  organization  of 
the  society. 

In  January,  1839,  a  small  chapel,  costing  in  those 
times  of  cheap  labor  S607.  was  completed  and  dedi- 
cated. It  stood  on  East  Genesee  street  opposite 
the  present  Barton  Block. 

Rev.  J.  P.  B.  Storer,  the  first  regular  pastor  com- 
menced his  ministry  with  the  completion  of  this 
little  chapel,  and  continued  till  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred March  17,1844.  His  installation  took  place 
in  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the  Trus- 
tees generously  proffering  the  use  of  the  building 
for  that  occasion,  on  which  an  able  sermon  was 
preached  by  Rev.  Orville  Dewey,  D.  D. 

The  society  soon  outgrew  the  dimensions  of  its 
little  chapel,  and  in  August,  1840,  a  committee, 
consisting  of  Capt.  Hiram  Putnam,  John  Wilkin- 
son, Esq  ,  William  Malcolm,  Esq  ,  Mr.  Parley  Bas 
sett  and  Hon.  Thomas  Spencer,  was  appointed  to 
select  and  purchase  a  lot  upon  which  to  build  a  new 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


189 


house  of  worship.  A  lot  was  purchased  of  the 
"Syracuse  Company,"  on  the  corner  of  Burnet  and 
Lock  streets,  for  the  sum  of  $550,  to  which  was 
subsequently  added  the  adjoining  south  lot,  pur- 
chased for  $450,  the  whole  forming  the  premises  on 
which  the  "  Church  of  the  Messiah  "  now  stands. 
The  church  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $5,000,  and 
dedicated  November  23,  1843 — the  pastor.  Rev. 
Mr.  Storer  preaching  the  sermon,  assisted  in  the 
services,  which  were  of  a  very  interesting  character, 
by  several  eminent  visiting  clergymen. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Storer,  a  correspondence 
was  opened  with  Rev.  Samuel  J.  May,  who,  after  a 
full  and  frank  statement  of  his  views  on  "  Christian 
doctrine"  and  "  reforms,"  was  called  and  settled 
over  the  society  in  1845.  Mr.  May  was  an  earnest 
opponent  of  slavery,  and  a  zealous  and  able  advo- 
cate of  liberal  and  progressive  views  of  education, 
and  these  views  he  advocated  with  signal  ability  and 
success  to  the  close  of  his  earthly  labors.  Such 
was  his  sweetness  of  temper,  his  candor,  and  his 
uniform  courtesy  of  demeanor  on  all  occasions  that 
even  his  opponents  were  unconsciously  influ- 
enced by  his  sentiments  and  spirit,  and  soon  became 
co-workers  with  him  for  the  common  good  of  hu- 
manity. As  an  earnest  and  unfaltering  advocate 
of  Public  Free  Schools  for  the  education  of  the  poor 
as  well  as  the  rich,  and  for  the  devoted  and  self-sac- 
rificing labor  which  he  bestowed  on  Institutions  of 
Charity,  no  man  in  Syracuse  was  better  known  or 
more  highly  respected  than  Rev.  Samuel  J.  May. 
His  acknowledged  abilities  and  his  noble  Christian 
character  gave  him  an  influence  for  good  which  will 
long  be  felt  beyond  his  own  immediate  church,  of 
which  he  was  the  faithful  pastor. 

At  the  resignation  of  his  pastorate  the  "  Church 
of  the  Messiah,"  as  a  tribute  of  respect  and  esteem, 
generously  settled  on  him  an  annuity  for  life.  He 
died  on  Sunday,  July  2,  1871. 

Rev.  Samuel  R.  Calthrop,  the  present  pastor,  ac- 
cepted a  call  from  the  society  April  7,  1868,  and  on 
the  29th  of  the  same  month  was  formally  installed. 

The  church  was  enlarged  by  a  rear  extention  in 
1850.  In  1852  the  roof  and  walls  were  demolished 
by  the  falling  of  the  tower  in  a  furious  gale.  It  was 
rebuilt  nearly  upon  the  old  site,  at  a  cost,  including 
organ,  of  $(  1,000,  and  was  dedicated  April  11,  1853. 

Independent  Church. 

The  first  step  taken  towards  the  formation  of  a 
strictly  independent  church  in  Syracuse,  was  the 
extension  of  a  call  to  Rev.  Ezekiel  W.  Mundy  to 
occupy  a  free  platform  in  Convention  Hall.  Mr. 
Mundy  had  just  resigned  the  pastorate  of  the  First 


Baptist  Church  of  this  city,  on  account  of  views 
differing  widely  in  several  important  respects  from 
that  body  and  the  denomination  with  which  it  is 
connected.  The  call  was  extended  on  the  13th  of 
March,  1866,  by  a  number  of  persons  who  were 
desirous  of  affording  Mr.  Mundy,  or  whoever 
might  officiate  as  their  religious  teacher,  an  op- 
portunity for  the  free  expression  of  his  convictions, 
without  the  hindrance  or  dictation  of  any  ecclesi- 
astical authority  or  creed.  The  call  was  accepted 
on  the  4th  of  April,  1866,  and  on  the  22d  Mr. 
Mundy  preached  his  first  sermon  of  the  "  new 
departure"  in  Convention  Hall.  The  attendance 
was  large  and  the  prospect  of  permanent  interest 
encouraging. 

On  the  25th  of  April,  1866,  the  Independent 
Society  was  organized  with  the  following  Board  of 
Trustees  :  Harrold  W.  Chittenden,  President  ; 
George  L.  Farnham,  Clerk  ;  Lyman  Stevens,  Treas- 
urer ;  Frank  Hiscock,  George  D.  Cowles,  Z.  Law- 
rence Beebe,  George  A.  Ostrander,  William  A. 
Hawley,  Stewart  B.  Palmer. 

Services  were  held  in  Convention  Hall  and  in 
Shakspeare  Hall  and  the  Court  House  till  the  edi- 
fice of  the  society  on  South  Salina  street  was  ready 
for  occupancy.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  with  ap- 
propriate services  on  the  22d  of  September,  1870, 
and  the  building  dedicated  on  the  2d  of  July,  1871. 
Mr.  Mundy  conducted  all  the  services  of  the  occa- 
sion. Rev.  Samuel  J.  May  had  been  expected  to 
assist,  but  he  died  on  that  day,  and  Mr.  Mundy 
performed  the  sad  office  of  announcing  his  death 
to  the  congregation. 

About  one  hundred  families  are  connected  with 
the  society  and  the  congregation  numbers  about 
three  hundred.  The  property,  including  church, 
furniture  and  lot,  is  valued  at  ;$20,ooo. 

This  church  has  had  no  ecclesiastical  connection 
with  any  denomination  ;  no  creed  or  declaration  of 
faith  on  matters  pertaining  to  religion.  The  only 
article  of  its  faith  is  the  absolute  freedom  of  in- 
dividual opinion,  and  its  only  article  of  agreement 
is  the  agreement  to  disagree,  with  courtesy  and 
friendship. 

Rev.  E.  W.  Mundy  is  still  pastor. 

Church  of  Christ. 

The  Church  of  Christ  (Disciples  or  Christians) 
was  organized  at  the  City  Hall,  February  8,  1863  ; 
W.  A.  Belding,  Evangelist,  officiating.  Thirty-five 
persons  constituted  the  original  membership,  nine 
of  whom  were  baptized  by  immersion,  and  the  re- 
mainder received  by  letter  and  right  hand  of  fellow- 
ship.    The  church  obtained  its  legal  organization 


IQO 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


under  the  corporate  name  "  Church  of  Christ,"  June 
3,  1863,  the  following  being  the  first  Board  of 
Trustees  :  Charles  Tucker,  J.  B.  Garrett  and  James 
M.  Clapp. 

Meetings  were  held  in  the  City  Hall  till  the  fall 
of  1S63,  when  the  Court  House  was  procured  and 
occupied  till  June,  1864  The  church  edifice  was 
then  completed,  No.  57  East  Onondaga  street,  and 
occupied  by  the  congregation.  It  is  a  brick  struc- 
ture, capable  of  seating  450,  and  cost  about  S9.000. 

Number  of  persons  baptized  since  the  organiza- 
tion, 247  ;  died,  31  ;  dismissed  by  letter,  33  ;  pres- 
ent number  225,  resident  members. 

Succession  of  ministers :  W.  A.  Belding,  Feb. 
I,  1863,  to  May  I,  1S65  ;  A.  N.  Gilbert,  May  i_ 
1865,  to  Oct.  I,  1867  ;  G.  G.  Mullins,  Oct.  1,  1867, 
to  April  15,  1871  ;  J.  M.  Atwater,  July  30,  1871,  to 
June  30,  1872  ;  John  Encell,  Sept.  i,  1872,  to  May 
I,  1874;  J.  L.  Darzie,  July  i,  1874,  to  Nov.  i, 
1875  ;  J.  M.  Streator,  Feb.  i,  1876,  to  Feb.  i,  1877  ; 
N.  J.  Aylsworth,  April,  1S77,  present  pastor. 

This  church  has  a  prosperous  Sunday  School, 
Eben  Beard,  Superintendent. 

Universalist   Church. 

In  Sept.,  1859,  Rev.  A.  A.  Thayer  came  to  this 
city  and  organized  a  society  under  the  name  of  the 
"  First  Universalist  Society  of  Syracuse,"  of  which 
the  following  named  persons  were  elected  Trustees : 
Sampson  Jacqueth,  President ;  David  \Vilco.\,Wheel- 
er  Truesdell,  Gardner  Woolson,  John  F.  Clark,  B. 
Austin  Avery  and  E.  K.  Reed.  Harry  Giftbrd  was 
elected  Clerk.  In  June,  i860,  a  church  organiza- 
tion was  effected,  and  Rev.  Aaron  A.  Thayer  be- 
came pastor. 

In  1862  the  first  church  was  built  and  dedicated, 
through  the  indefatigable  efforts  of  the  pastor  and 
a  few  substantial  friends.  It  was  afterwards  sold  to 
the  city  and  the  present  High  School  building 
erected  on  the  site.  In  1869  the  society  purchased 
another  lot  and  erected  their  present  church,  corner 
of  West  Genesee  and  Franklin  streets,  which  was 
dedicated  in  1870.  It  is  a  brick  structure,  capable 
of  seating  450,  and  cost  about  §28,000. 

A  Sunday  School  was  organized  on  "Children's 
Sunday,"  (first  Sunday  in  June  I  iSOo.  Horace  P. 
Hall,  Superintendent.  The  "  right  hand  of  fellow- 
ship "  was  given  to  the  children  of  the  school  by 
the  late  Rev.  Day  Kellogg  Lee,  D.  D. 

The  following  has  been  the  succession  of  pas- 
tors, in  the  order  named :  Rev.  A.  A.  Thayer, 
Rev.  C.  W.  Tomlinson,  Rev.  E.  C.  Sweetser,  Rev. 
George  P.  Hibbard,  Rev.  Dr.  J.  G.  Bartholo- 
mew, Rev.  George  B.  Stocking,  Rev.  Richmond 
Fisk,  D.  D. 


Lutheran  Churches. 

EVA.NGELICAL  LuTHERAN   ChURCH  OF  St.   JoHN, 

corner  of  Butternut  and  Union  streets.  The 
earliest  services  of  this  order  in  Syracuse  were  held 
in  the  session  room  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  corner  of  Salina  and  Fayette  streets,  where 
the  Church  of  St.  John  was  organized  by  Rev. 
Miihlhauser,  of  Rochester,  in  1838.  The  first 
membership  consisted  of  about  forty  families.  The 
first  church  officials  were  the  following  :  George 
Lupp,  Henry  Lammert,  John  Miller,  Mr.  Schneider, 
George  Koenig,  Frederick  Haas,  John  Yehling  and 
Philip  Zahn. 

The  first  church  was  built  on  the  present  site  in 
1 84 1,  and  cost  about  $1,300.  It  was  destroyed  by 
fire  December  28,  1856,  and  rebuilt  during   1857. 

The  following  have  officiated  as  Pastors :  Rev. 
George  Julius  Kempe,  Dec.  25,  1838  to  Jan.  1841  ; 
Rev.  C.  F.  W.  Reihenberg,  Feb.  15,  1841,  to 
April  22,  185s  ;  Rev.  F.  W.  Weiskotten,  May  i, 
1855,  till  his  death.  May  20,  1863  ;  Rev.  C.  H, 
Thomson,  March,  1864,  till  his  death.  May  9,  1877  ; 
Rev.    Leo  Koenig,  present   Pastor,  since  Sept.  i, 

1877. 

The  present  active  membership  of  the  church  is 
108,  with  275  children  and  43  teachers  in  the  Sun- 
day School. 

Salem  Church  of  the  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation OF  North  America. — This  church  is  lo- 
cated on  the  corner  of  Lock  and  Laurel  streets. 
Its  earliest  meetings  were  held  in  a  private  house 
and  school  house  among  the  German  people.  The 
church  was  organized  in  1S43,  '"  the  house  of  Mr. 
Frederick  Sprenger,  on  Grape  street,  the  original 
members  being  seventeen,  among  whom  were  G. 
Lacker,  Frederick  Sprenger,  Mr.  Dauer,  Jacob 
Luchsinger  and  J.  Blumer. 

A  small  church,  22  by  34  feet  was  built  on  the 
corner  of  Grape  and  Cedar  streets  in  1844.  The 
present  brick  edifice  was  erected  in  1863,  and  cost 
about  §20,000.  The  present  membership  is  180, 
with  good  attendance  at  the  Sabbath  School. 

The  following  named  ministers  have  officiated  as 
pastors  of  the  church: 

Rev.  J.  Riegcl,  Rev.  L.  Jacoby,  Rev.  M.  Laucr, 
Rev.  Thomas  Schneider,  Rev.  D.  Fischer,  Rev.  M. 
Lehn,  Rev.  P.  Alles,  Rev.  A.  Klein,  Rev.  A.  Spies, 
Rev.  M.  Pfitzingcr,  Rev.  J.  Siegrest,  Rev.  A.  Holz- 
warlh,  Rev.  C.  F.  Schuepflin,  Rev.  Thomas  J.  Mil- 
ler, and  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  J.  Reuber. 

The  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Zion 
Chukcii,  southwest  corner  Union  and  Butternut 
streets,  seceded  from  the  German  St.  John's  con- 
gregation   in    1863,  and   was  organized  the  same 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


191 


year  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Charles  Steinhauer, 
with  about  ninety  members.  They  held  their  first 
meeting  on  the  31st  of  October,  the  anniversary  of 
the  German  Reformation,  and  the  following  meet- 
ings in  Ackerman's  Hall,  in  the  Fourth  Ward,  and 
the  next  year  built  a  frame  house  of  worship,  cost- 
ing ^16,000.  This  church  was  burned  in  1867,  and 
was  rebuilt  of  brick  the  same  year,  at  a  cost  of 
nearly  $24,000.  During  the  rebuilding  the  congre- 
gation was  allowed,  by  the  kindness  of  the  owner  of 
Pfohl's  Hall,  to  meet  and  hold  their  services  at  that 
place  until  the  new  church  was  finished  and  dedi- 
cated. 

The  church  has  a  basement  for  school  purposes 
and  meetings  of  the  society,  and  is  furnished  with 
a  fine  organ  and  two  bells. 

The  first  officers  were  John  Steiger,  Nicholas 
Morgenstern  (Treasurer,)  Charles  Hamerle,  John 
Schane,  George  Schane,  Jacob  Goettel,  Philip 
Schefer,  William  Rheinheimer,  P.  Schneider.  Some 
of  them  are  living  and  still  connected  with  the 
church.  The  first  pastor.  Rev.  C.  Steinhauer,  left  the 
congregation,  after  six  years'  service,  in  1869,  and 
was  succeeded  the  same  year  by  the  present  pastor, 
Rev.  Alexander  Oberlander,  formerly  pastor  of  the 
German  Evangelical  Church  at  Rome,  N.  Y.  The 
present  membership  of  the  church  is  250;  Sunday 
School,  42  teachers  and  370  scholars,  Jacob  Stahal, 
Superintendent.  Present  officers  :  Jacob  Walter, 
Christian  Fridrich,  Nicholas  Morgenstern,  (Treas- 
urer since  the  organization  ;)  John  Schane,  John 
Surbeck,  Jacob  Gross,  Michael  Riibel,  Nic.  Walter, 
Rud.  Seibert,  Fred.  Rothe,  Ph.  Scholl,  Jacob  West, 
John  West,  George  Raufmann  and  Phil.  Wain. 

St.  Peter's  (German)  Church,  corner  of  But- 
ternut and  Union  streets.  Earliest  meetings  held 
in  a  small  frame  church  opposite  the  present  build- 
ing. Church  organized  in  1843.  The  first  mem- 
bers were  36  families,  some  of  the  heads  of  whom 
were,  Mr.  H.  Gresselmann,  W.  H.  L.  Walter, 
Peter  Miiller,  H.  Ackermann,  H,  Lammert  and  Ch. 
Heboid.  The  church  was  built  in  1861,  and  cost 
^7,000.  The  names  and  terms  of  service  of  the 
earliest  pastors  can   not  be  obtained.     From  1852 


to  1858  Rev.  G.  Piez  was  pastor  ;  Rev.  P.  Lischka, 
1859-60;  Rev.  C.  F.  Saldon,  1861-70;  Rev.  B. 
Pick,  1870-74;  Rev.  E.  Henckell,  the  present 
pastor,  since  1874. 

The  present  church  edifice  is  built  of  brick. 
The  old  church  was  destroyed  by  fire,  with  the 
early  records  and  documents  of  the  parish. 

The  regular  membership  is  300 ;  besides  from 
250  to  300  belonging  to  the  congregation.  Sunday 
School,  400  children  and  50  teachers. 

St.  John's  (German  Lutheran)  Church,  cor- 
ner of  Butternut  and  Union  streets,  is  the  oldest 
Lutheran  Church  in  the  city.  It  was  organized  in 
1839,  and  the  edifice  erected  in  1857,  at  a  cost  of 
$  1 2,000. 

The  Second  Church  of  the  Evangelical 
Association  of  North  America,  was  formed  in 
1859.  It  is  located  on  Grape  street  corner  of  Jack- 
son. The  edifice  (brick )  was  built  in  1856,  and  cost 
about  $4,000. 

Jewish  Churches. 

The  Jewish  Churches  of  this  city  are  as  follows  : 
Congregation  of  New  Beth-Israel,  85  Grape  street. 
Minister,  Rev.  M.  Fenberg.  Ofificers  of  the  Soci- 
ety— M.  Reuben,  President ;  E.  Goldstein,  Vice- 
President  ;  M.  Ross,  Secretary  ;  A.  Shay,  Treas- 
urer. Trustees — M.  Levi,  H.  Diamond,  A.  Am- 
dursky,  J.  Goldinger,  and  D.  Solomon.  Harris 
Chapman,  Sexton. 

Society  of  Concord,  Mulberry  street.corner  of  Har- 
rison. Organized  in  1 841  ;  building  erected  in  1851, 
brick  and  cost  about  $10,000.  Rev.  Herman  Bir- 
kenthal,  Reader.  Officers — D.  J.  Hamburger,  Pres- 
ident ;  B.  Bronner,  Vice-President ;  L.  M.  Lowen- 
thall,  Secretary  ;  L.  Leiter,  Treasurer.  Trustees — 
G.  Barnett,  I.  Lowenthall,  G.  Falker,  S.  H.  Zenner, 
I.  H.  Danzinger.     M.  Joel,  Sexton. 

Adath  Jeshuim  ;  organized  in  1864.  Building 
brick,  and  cost  $5,000.  Rev.  Jacob  Levy,  Minis- 
ter. Officers — S.  Rosenbloom,  President;  A. 
Leicht,  Vice-President;  J.  Altman,  Secretary;  D. 
Obendorfer,  Treasurer.  Trustees — Meyer  Weis- 
man,  M.  Lehmen,  T.  Wolf,  L.  Hirch.  Sexton,  Mr. 
Shire. 


192 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


« 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 


LEWIS  H.  REDFIELD. 

In  attempting  to  trace  the  career  of  Lewis  H. 
Redfield,  honorable  as  it  is  in  itself,  we  are  reminded 
at  the  very  outset  of  the  intimate  relations  it  sus- 
tained to  the  development  of  an  unoccupied  region 
of  country  into  a  mighty  and  prosperous  common- 
wealth. It  comprehends  almost  the  entire  period 
of  American  constitutional  history,  he  having  lived 
under  every  Presidential  Administration.  His 
father,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  having  borne  its 
hardships,  and  participated  in  its  glories,  was 
among  the  first  of  the  sturdy  band  of  New  Eng- 
land emigrants  who  penetrated  the  Genesee  coun- 
try, "  then  known  as  the  far  West,"  settled  on  a 
farm  of  about  200  acres,  near  what  is  now  the  vil- 
lage of  Clifton  Springs,  reared  a  large  family,  all  the 
members  of  which  attained  respectable,  and  some 
of  them  distinguished  social  and  political  positions. 
The  father  enjoyed  the  respect  and  trust  of  his  fel- 
low citizens,  and  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  over 
ninety  years. 

Lewis  H.  Redfield  was  born  at  Farmington,  Conn  , 
November  26,  1793,  being  only  si.N  years  old  when 
his  parents  removed  to  their  new  home  in  Ontario 
county.  Until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age  his  time 
was  spent  on  the  farm,  his  schooling  being  such  only 
as  the  primitive  character  of  the  district  aflforded, 
but  many  of  his  evenings  were  spent  in  a  diligent 
course  of  reading,  by  the  light  of  bark  gathered 
from  the  woods.  His  mind  craved  more  stimulat- 
ing exercise  and  a  wider  scope  for  the  development 
of  its  prowess,  and  with  the  full  permission  of  his 
father  he  became  an  apprentice  in  the  office  of  the 
Ontario  Repository  at  Canandaigua,  a  journal  then 
edited  by  James  D.  Bemis,  and  whose  publication  is 
still  continued.  Here  he  remained  for  si.\  years 
steadily  laying  the  foundation  of  that  resolute  inde- 
pendence and  manly  integrity  which  in  due  time 
gained  him  fortune  and  the  respect  of  his  fellow 
men. 

He  had  secured  the  confidence  of  his  employer 
to  such  an  extent,  that,  in  the  year  1814  when  he  re- 
solved to  strikeout  for  himself  in  business,  he  easi- 
ly secured  stock  to  commence  with,  and  began 
the  publication  of  the  "  Onondaga  Register,"  in 
Onondaga  Valley,  with  such  men  as  Comfort  Tyler, 
Thaddeus  M.  Wood,  William  H.  Sabin  and  Joshua 
Forman  to  support  him  in  that  community.  He 
has  been  over  sixty  years  a  resident  of  Onondaga 


county  ;  has  lived  to  see  it  become  an  agricultural 
garden,  netted  with  railroads  and  vital  with  manufac- 
turing energy  ;  expanding  its  population  from  15,000 
to  over  100,000,  and  becoming  the  seventh  in 
numerical  rank  of  the  sixty  counties  of  the  Empire 
State  ;  and  with  /Eneas  he  may  truthfully  say,  "All 
of  this  I  saw  and  a  part  of  this  I  was." 

At  the  outset  his  stock  for  business  consisted  in 
the  material  supplied  by  Mr.  Bemis  and  seventy-five 
cents  in  cash.  But  his  best  capital  stock  was  in  his 
own  resolute  energy  and  inflexible  integrity.  In 
connection  with  his  paper,  he  opened  a  book  store 
in  partnership  with  Mr.  Bemis,  the  business  of 
which  he  attended  to  during  the  day  time,  and  at 
night  combined  in  himself  the  functions  of  editor, 
compositor,  proof-reader  and  foreman.  By  strict 
economy  he  paid  off  his  debt  to  Mr.  Bemis  and  be- 
came a  free  man.  He  continued  the  publication  of 
the  Register  in  the  Valley  until  1829,  when  he  re- 
moved it  to  Syracuse  and  united  it  with  the  Gazette, 
under  the  name  of  the  "  Onondaga  Register  and 
Syracuse  Gazette." 

In  1832  he  disposed  of  his  interest,  its  name  was 
changed  to  the  "Argus,"  and  his  direct  connection 
with  journalism  ceased.  In  the  files  of  the  Regis- 
ter, published  by  Mr.  Redfield,  may  be  seen  the 
evidence  of  his  industry  and  fidelity  to  principle, 
and  of  the  manner  in  which  it  moulded  and  modified 
many  of  the  principal  events  in  the  local  history  of 
Onondaga  County.  The  Register  was  an  ardent 
though  not  a  bitter  partizan,  consistent  in  its  de- 
votion to  the  National  Republican,  out  of  which 
sprang  the  Democratic  party,  and  which  with  both 
as  editor  and  citizen,  Mr.  Redfield  was  always 
prominently  identified.  He  was  always  pleased  to 
acknowledge  his  identification,  not  only  with  the 
profession,  but  also  with  the  craft  of  journalism. 
He  is  undoubtedly  the  oldest  journalist  in  the  State, 
if  not  in  the  United  States,  and  although  he  has 
many  claims  upon  the  respect  of  his  fellow-citizens, 
yet  nothing  gives  him  more  genuine  gratification 
than  the  cordial  recognition  extended  him  by  jour- 
nalists as  the  father  of  the  newspaper  press  of  the 
State  He  has  been  particularly  characterized  by 
many  acts  of  benevolence  conferred  upon  the  needy, 
of  which  thereis  no  record  save  in  their  hearts, and  no 
other  record  did  he  desire.  His  just  apprehension  of 
the  scope  of  the  press,  is  given  in  his  own  words  in 
the  following  sentiment  which  he  transmitted  to 
the  Typographical  Society  of  New  York  City,  on 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


the  occasion  of  the  celebration  of  Franklin's  Birth- 
day January  17,  1851  : 

"The  Press — its  mission — to  establish  civil  and 
political  equality  throughout  all  nations,  to  strike 
off  the  fetters  of  the  slave,  and  to  set  free  the  con- 
sciences of  men  from  clerical  bondage  and  super- 
stition." 

On  coming  to  Syracuse,  in  addition  to  publishing 
the  Register,  Mr.  Redfield  opened  a  book  store 
upon  the  present  site  of  the  Onondaga  County 
Savings  Bank,  the  business  of  which  he  continued 
for  some  twelve  years  and  then  retired.  This,  to- 
gether with  his  investments  in  real  estate,  secured 
him  a  competence  sufficient  to  place  him  beyond 
the  apprehension  of  want. 

His  health  was  never  robust,  though  his  life  has 
been  prolonged  beyond  the  ordinary  span,  he  being 
now  in  the  S5th  year  of  his  age. 

In  February,  1820,  he  married  Miss  Ann  Maria, 
daughter  of  Nathaniel  H.  Treadwell,  of  Plattsburgh, 
N.  Y.  From  this  union  sprang  a  family  of  seven 
children,  four  daughters  and  three  sons.  The 
daughters  were  all  born  in  the  town  of  Onondaga 
and  are  residents  of  this  city,  viz  :  Mrs.  C.  T.  Long- 
street,  Mrs.  James  L.  Bagg,  Mrs.  W.  H.  H.  Smith, 
Miss  Jane  L.  Redfield.  Of  the  three  sons,  George 
Davis  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  this  county,  hav- 
ing been  a  student  of  General  James  R.  Lawrence. 
He  made  an  honorable  record,  both  in  civil  life  and 
in  military  operations  against  the  Indians.  He 
died  in  Minneapolis,  Minn.  The  second,  Lewis 
H.,  Jr.,  is  a  lawyer  in  San  Francisco.  The  third, 
Charles  T.,  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  McCarthy 
&  Redfield,  of  Syracuse. 


193 


HON.  MOSES  SUMMERS. 

Mr.  Summers  is  one  of  the  oldest  residents,  and 
has  long  been   one  of  the  best  known  citizens  of 
Syracuse.      He  was  born   in   Wexford,  Ireland,  on 
the  1st  of  January,  1820,  and  his  parents  emigrated 
to  this  country  while  he   was  yet  an  infant.     His 
father,  who  was  a  stone  mason,  was  employed  at 
various  points  along  the  line  of  the  Erie  Canal,  in 
building  locks  and  masonry,  and  the    family    fol- 
lowed the  work  in  its  process  of  construction,  resid- 
ing  in    Utica,  Rochester,   Lockport   and    Buffalo. 
When  the  canal  was  completed  his  father  removed 
to  Oswego,  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  received 
such  a  very  limited  education  as  the  common  schools 
of  that  day  could  afford.     His  father  died  of  cholera 
in    1832,  leaving  the   family   dependent   upon   the 
exertions  of  the  mother   and    young   children  for 
support.     At  the  age  of   fifteen  years  Moses,  the 
eldest  boy,  was  apprenticed  to  the  somewhat  noted 
25* 


prmter,  Richard  Oliphant,  to  learn  the  printing 
business.  After  working  in  Mr.  Oliphant's  office 
for  a  few  years  the  Free  Press,  published  by  Mr. 
Oliphant,  ceased  to  exist,  and  young  Summers 
changed  his  location  to  the  office  of  the  Oswego 
Palladium,  then  published  by  Mr.  John  Carpenter, 
where  he  finished  his  trade.  In  1841,  Mr.  Summers, 
then  a  journeyman  printer  in  search  of  employment, 
came  to  Syracuse,  and  entered  the  office  of  the 
Onondaga  Standard,  then  published  by  A.  L. 
Smith  and  Marcellus  Farmer. 

Mr.  Summers  was  present  as  a  volunteer  fireman 
at  the  terrible  gunpowder  explosion  in  Syracuse,  in 
August,  1841,  and  assisted  in  rescuing  and  re- 
lieving the  unfortunate  victims  of  that  catastrophe. 
In  184s  Mr.  Summers  purchased  the  interest  of 
Mr.  Smith  in  the  Standard  office,  and  the  firm  be- 
came Agan  &  Summers.  He  has  been  connected 
with  the  paper  in  the  various  capacities  of  journey- 
man, publisher  and  editor  ever  since  1841.  Mr. 
Summers  was  conspicuously  connected  with  the 
celebrated  "  Jerry  Rescue  "  slave  case  in  Syracuse 
on  the  1st  of  October,  1851,  and  with  others  was 
prosecuted  by  the  United  States  authorities  for  the 
alleged  offence.  The  litigation  was  continued  for 
several  years,  but  no  trial  ever  took  place,  and  the 
prosecution  was  finally  abandoned. 

In   August,  1862,  Mr.    Summers  enlisted  in  the 
149th  Regiment  New  York  State  Volunteers,  which 
was    then   organizing,  and   was   mustered   into  the 
service  as  Lieutenant  and    Quartermaster   of  the 
Regiment,    with    Henry    A.    Barnum,  as  Colonel. 
Mr.  Summers  followed  the  various  fortunes  of  that 
regiment  during  the  whole  of  its  three  years  term 
of  service.     The  regiment  was  in  the  12th  Corps 
of  the   Army  of    the  Potomac,   and    participated 
in  the  battles  of  Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg. 
After  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  the  regiment  was 
transferred    with  the  consolidated    nth  and   12th 
Corps,  forming  the  20th  Army  Corps,  to  the  south- 
western army,  then  concentrated  in  the  vicinity  of 
Chattanooga.     Mr.   Summers  was   with    his  regi- 
ment in  the  famous  battles   of  Lookout  Mountain, 
and  in  nearly  all  the  exciting  battles  and  skirmishes 
of  the  Atlanta  campaign.     During  that  campaign, 
and  while    in    the  field,  he  received  a  commission 
from  President  Lincoln  as  Capt.  A.  O.  M.,  U.  S. 
Vols.,   and  was  detailed  to  the   charge  of  the  2d 
Brigade,  of  which  the  149th  Regiment  formed  a 
part.     The  brigade  to  which  he  was  attached  was 
with  the  20th  Corps  on  its  famous  "  March  to  the 
Sea,"  and  Mr.  Summers  was  among  the  first  of  the 
troops   to  enter  Savannah    in  company  with  Gen. 
Barnum  who  commanded  the  3d  Brigade, 


194 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


In  Savannah  Mr.  Summers  concentrated  the 
printing  materials  of  that  city  into  one  office,  and 
issued  a  Union  paper  called  the  " Loyal  Georgian." 
The  first  number  was  issued  the  next  day  after  the 
entrance  of  the  Union  troops  into  the  city,  and 
attracted  much  attention  and  interest.  The  paper 
was  continued  a  few  months  under  the  editorial 
charge  of  Mr.  Summers,  and  finally  transferred  to 
Mr.  Hayes,  a  correspondent  of  the  New  York  Tri- 
butie,  who  desired  to  make  a  permanent  location  in 
Savannah.  Mr.  Summers  took  charge  of  the  print- 
ing offices  of  Savannah  by  authority  of  an  official 
order  signed  by  Major-General  John  V\'  Geary, 
Military  Commandant  of  the  Post,  and  Capt.  IraB. 
Seymour,  Provost  Marshal  of  the  city  of  Savannah. 

Mr.  Summers  left  Savannah  with  his  command 
on  the  march  through  South  and  North  Carolina  to 
Raleigh,  and  was  in   Raleigh  when   the  rebellion 


closed  by  the  surrender  of  Johnston.  He  accom- 
panied his  command  through  Richmond  to  Wash- 
ington and  participated  in  the  grand  review  at  the 
Capital,  and  returned  home  overland,  with  a  num- 
ber of  animals  and  property  purchased  from  the 
Government,  bearing  a  commission  as  Brevet-Major 
from  President  Johnson. 

Mr.  Summers  was  elected  Alderman  of  the  6th 
Ward  in  1861,  serving  one  term.  He  also  repre- 
sented the  same  ward  for  two  terms  in  the  Board  of 
Supervisors,  and  in  i86y  was  elected  Member  of 
Assembly  from  the  Second  District  of  this  County. 
He  holds  a  commission  as  Lieut  -Colonel  and  Quar- 
termaster in  the  6th  Division  N.  Y.  S.  N.  G.,  on 
the  Staff  of  Major-General  D.  P.  Wood,  and  is  po- 
litical editor  of  the  Syracuse  Daily  and  Weekly 
Standard,  a  paper  with  which  he  has  been  connected 
in  vaiious  capacities  for  the  past  thirty-seven  years 


THE  SYRACUSE  AND  COUNTY  PRESS. 


The  Leiaiia  Gazette,  or  Onondaga  Advertiser,  was 
the  first  newspaper  published  in  C>non(laga  County. 
It  was  established  at  Levana,  in  the  town  of  Scipio, 
now  in  Cayuga  County,  by  R.  Delano,  July  20, 
1798.  No  25.  Vol.  I  of  this  pajjerisin  the  collec- 
tion of  H.  C.  Van  Schaack.  Esq.,  of  Manlius,  and 
bears  date  "Wednesday,  December  5,  1798."  It 
was  a  four-page  paper,  12  by  14  inches,  and  fur- 
nished to  subscribers  at  two  dollars  per  annum. 

T/ie  Western  Luminary  was  published  at  Watkins' 
Settlement,  in  the  town  of  Scipio,  in  1799.  We  do 
not  know  that  any  copy  of  it  is  extant.  Whether 
it  was  a  paper  of  Onondaga  County  or  not  depends 
upon  whether  or  not  it  was  first  issued  before  March 
8th  of  the  year  of  its  date  ;  for  at  that  time  Cayuga 
County  was  set  off  from  Onondaga. 

The  Derne  Gazette,  established  at  Manlius,  by 
Abraham  Romcyn  in  1806,  was  the  first  newspaper 
printed  within  the  present  limits  of  Onondaga 
County.  At  that  time  an  unsuccessful  eftbrt  was 
made  to  change  the  name  of  the  village  from  Man- 
lius to  "  Derne."  The  paper  was  continued  about 
one  year. 

The  Met  alii  of  the  Times  was  started  at  Manlius 
in  1808,  by  Leonard  Kellogg.  In  1813  its  name 
was  changed  to 

'The  Manlius  Times,  and  it  was  successively 
issued  by  James  Hcardsley,  Seneca  Hale,  and 
Daniel  Clark.  October  28,181 8,  Mr.  Clark  changed 
its  name  to 


The  Onondaga  Herald.  Soon  after  it  was  changed 
to 

7 he  Times,  and  continued  about  three  years.  June 
27,  1 82 1,  Thurlow  Weed  became  editor,  and  the 
name  was  changed  to 

The  Onondaga  County  Republican.  October  27, 
1824,  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Laurin  Dewey, 
who  changed  it  to 

The  Onondaga  Republican.  Luman  A.  Miller 
soon  after  became  proprietor  and  the  name  was 
changed  to 

The  Manlius  Repository.  It  afterwards  passed 
into  the  hands  of  L.  Stilson,  and  was  continued 
about  five  years. 

The  Onondaga  Flag  was  published  at  Manlius  a 
short  time  in  1831,  by  James  Fonda.* 

'The  Lynx  was  started  at  Onondaga  Hollow  in 
181 1,  by  Thomas  C.  Fay,  and  was  continued  about 
two  years.  Thurlow  Weed  commenced  his  appren- 
ticeship in  the  office  of  this  paper. 

'The  Onondaga  Register  was  established  at  Onon- 
daga Hollow  in  1814.  by  Lewis  H.  Redfield,  and 
was  continued  till  1829,  when  it  was  removed  to 
Syracuse  and  united  with  the  Gazette,  the  first 
paper  started  in  Syracuse,  in  1823,  by  John  Durn- 
ford  The  consolidated  papers  took  the  name  of 
the 

•Filti  at  thnc  pjpert  are   now  m  poucMion  of  J.  C.  Smith,  Eiq  ,  o{ 
Manliut. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


195 


Syracuse  Gazeiie  and  Onondaga  Register.  In  1832 
it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Sherman  &  Clark,  who 
changed  it  to 

T/ie  Syracuse  Argus,  and  continued  it  about  two 
years. 

The  Onondaga  Gaceite  was  established  at  Onon- 
daga Hill  in  1816,  by  Evandor  Morse.  William 
Ray,  author  of  the  "  Horrors  of  Slavery,"  and  a 
poet  of  some  local  note  in  his  day,  was  editor  at  one 
time.  In  1821  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Cephas 
S.  McConnell,  and  was  changed  to 

The  Onondaga  yoiirnal.  In  1827,  Vivus  W. 
Smith  became  proprietor,  and  in  1829,  he  removed 
it  to  Syracuse,  and  united  it  with  the  Syracuse  Ad- 
vertiser, the  combined  paper  taking  the  name  of 

The  Onondaga  Standard,  September  10,  1829, 
published  by  Wyman  &  Smith.  S.  F.,  T.  A.,  and 
A.  L.  Smith,  W.  L.  Crandall,  and  Marcellus  Farmer, 
were  subsequently  interested  in  its  publication  at 
different  times  till  1848,  when  it  passed  into  the 
hands  of  Agan  &  Summers.  In  1856,  Mr.  Agan 
sold  his  interest  to  William  Summers.  The  paper 
was  continued  by  Summers  &  Brother  till  July  i, 
1866,  when  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Summers  & 
Co.,  by  whom  it  was  published  till  the  Standard 
Publishing  Company  was  formed,  February  14, 
1873,  by  whom  the  paper  is  still  published. 

The  Syracuse  Daily  Standard  was  started 
in  June,  1846,  by  Smith  &  Agan,  and  was  con- 
tinued three  months.  It  was  revived  January  i, 
1850,  and  is  now  published  by  the  Standard  Pub- 
lishing Company. 

The  Onondaga  Gazette  was  established  at  Syra- 
cuse in  April,  1823,  by  John  Durnford,  and  was  the 
first  paper  started  in  the  Central  City.  About  a 
year  afterwards  it  was  changed  to 

The  Syracuse  Gazette  and  General  Advertiser,  and 
continued  till  1829,  when  it  was  united  with  the 
Onondaga  Register. 

The  Syracuse  Advertiser  vidiS  started  in  1825,  by 
John  F.  Wyman  and  Thomas  P.  Barnum.  Nor- 
man Rawson  was  afterwards  connected  with  it,  but 
John  F.  Wyman  soon  assumed  the  entire  control, 
and  continued  it  till  1829,  when  it  was  united 
with  the  Journal  and  its  name  changed  to  the 
Statidard. 

The  Salina  Sentinel -vidiS  started  in  October,  1826, 
in  what. is  now  the  First  Ward  of  Syracuse,  by 
Reuben  St.  John.     In  1827  it  was  changed  to 

The  Salina  Herald,  and  was  issued  a  short  time 
by  Josiah  Bunce. 

The  Courier  was  published  at  Jordan  a  short 
time  in  1831,  by  Fred  Prince.  In  1832  it  was  re- 
moved to  Salina,  and  changed  to 


The  Salina  Courier  and  Enquirer,  but  was  dis- 
continued after  a  few  numbers. 

The  Onondaga  Republican  was  started  at  Syra- 
cuse in  1830,  by  W.  S.  Campbell.  In  1834  it 
passed  into  the  hands  of  J.  B.  Clark  &  Co.,  audits 
name  was  changed  to 

Tlie  Constitutionalist.  In  1835  L.  A.  Miller  be- 
came its  proprietor  and  changed  it  to 

The  Onondaga  Chief.  In  1837  it  was  sold  to  J. 
M.  Patterson,  and  published  as 

The  Syracuse  Whig.  In  1838  J.  K.  Barlow  be- 
came proprietor,  and  continued  it  about  one  year. 

The  Syracuse  American  \sz%  started  at  Syracuse 
in  1835,  by  John  Adams,  and  was  continued  about 
one  year. 

The  American  Patriot  was  started  in  Franklin 
Village  (now  Fabius,)  in  1836,  by  J.  Tenney,  and 
was  continued  for  three  years. 

The  Western  State  youriuil  was  started  at  Syra- 
cuse, March  20,  1839,  by  V.  W.  &  S.  F.  Smith.  In 
1844  its  name  was  changed  to 

The  Syracuse  Weekly  Journal.  In  1S47 
it  was  published  by  Barnes,  Smith  &  Cooper,  and 
in  1 849  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Vivus  W.  Smith. 
In  1850  Seth  Haight  became  proprietor  and  George 
Terwilliger  editor. 

In  1853,  Danforth  Merrick  became  proprietor. 
In  1854,  it  was  purchased  by  T.  S.  Truair,  and 
Andrew  Shuman  was  made  editor.  In  1S55,  J- 
G.  K.  Truair  bought  the  establishment,  and  on  the 
i.st  of  September,  1856,  Anson  G.  Chester  assumed 
the  editorial  control,  which  position  he  occupied 
about  three  years.  It  has  since  been  published  by 
J.  G.  K.  Truair  &  Co ,  Truair,  Smith  &  Miles,  and 
Truair,  Smith  &  Co.,  till  April  21,  1876,  when  the 
firm  became  Truair,  Smith  &  Bruce,  the  present 
publishers. 

The  Syracuse  Daily  Journal  was  established 
July  4,  1844,  by  S.  F.  Smith,  and  has  since  been 
continued  by  the  various  proprietors  of  the  Journal 
establishment. 

The  Empire  State  Democrat  and  Utiitcd  States 
Review  was  begun  in  1840,  by  Hiram  Cummings, 
and  continued  about  three  years, 

The  Onondaga  Messenger  was  started  in  1S41,  by 
Joseph  Barber.     In  1842,  it  was  changed  to 

The  Statesman,  and  was  continued  about  one 
year. 

The  Evening  Mail,  the  first  daily  paper  in  Syra- 
cuse, was  published  for  three  months  in  1833,  by 
Vivus  W.  Smith. 

The  Morning  Sentinel  (daily)  was  started  in 
January,  1843,  by  N.  M.  D.  Lathrop,  and  was  con- 
tinued about  a  year,  when  it  was  changed  to 


196 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


The  Onondaga  Sentinel,  and  issued  weekly,  with 
a  few  intervals,  till  1850. 

The  Dnnocratic Fn-anan  was  commenced  at  Syra- 
cuse in  1844,  by  J.  N.  T.  Tucker,  continued  a  short 
time  with  James  Kinney  as  publisher  and  J.  N.  T. 
Tucker  as  editor,  when  it  was  changed  t<> 

The  Syracuse  Star.  In  1846  it  was  published  by 
Kinney,  Marsh  &  Barnes  ;  in  1847-8,  by  Kinney  & 
Marsh;  in  1849-51,  by  Kinney  &  Masters.  It  soon 
after  passed  into  the  hands  of  George  F.  Comstock, 
publisher,  and  Winslow  M.  Watson,  editor.  In 
1852,  S.  Corning  Judd  became  editor  and  pro- 
prietor. In  October,  1853,  it  passed  into  the  hands 
of  Edward  Hoagland,  who  changed  it  to 

The  Syracuse  Republican,  and  continued  it  about 
a  year. 

The  Syracuse  Daily  Star  was  established  in  184O, 
and  issued  with  the  Weekly  StaruW  1853,  when  it 
was  changed  to 

The  Syracuse  Daily  Republican,  and  after  being 
published  about  a  year,  was  discontinued. 

The  Bugle  Blast,  a  campaign  paper,  was  pub- 
lished about  three  months  in  1844,  by  S.  F.  Smith. 

Young  Hickory,  another  campaign  paper,  was 
issued  about  the  same  time  by  Smith  &  Farmer. 

The  Religious  Recorder,  ( Presbyterian,)  was 
started  in  May,  1844,  by  Terry  &  Piatt.  In  1847, 
it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Avery  &  Hulin,  who 
continued  it  till  1853. 

The  Liberty  Intelligencer  was  started  in  1845,  by 
Silas  Ilawky,  and  was  continued  one  year. 

The  Young  Ladies'  Miscellany  was  started  No- 
vember 7,  1845,  by  a  committee  of  young  ladies 
belonging  to  the  Syracuse  Female  Seminary,  and 
was  continued  twelve  weeks. 

The  Tea' hers'  Advocate  was  commenced  in  1846, 
by  L.  W.  Hail,  publisher,  and  Edward  Cooper, 
editor.  In  1847,  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Barnes, 
Smith  &  Cooper,  and  was  continued  about  one 
year,  when  it  was  sold  to  Joseph  McKean  and 
removed  to  New  York. 

The  Onondaga  Democrat  was  begun  in  the  spring 
of  1846  by  Clark  &  West,  William  L.  Crandall, 
editor.  In  1847,  it  was  sold  to  John  Abbott,  who 
changed  it  to 

The  Syracuse  Democrat.  At  the  close  of  one 
year  it  was  sold  to  William  W.  Green,  and  in  1847 
to  Agan  &  Summers,  and  merged  in  the  Onondaga 
Standard. 

'The  District  School  jfournal,  organ  of  the  State 
School  Department,  was  removed  from  Albany  to 
Syracuse  in  1847,  ^"'J  published  two  years  by  L. 
W.  Hall,  and  one  year  by  Barnes,  Smith  &  Cooper, 
when  it  was  returned  to  Albany. 


The  Syracuse  Rcieille  (daily  i  was  started  in  1848 
by  William  L.  Palmer  and  W.  Summers  and  was 
continued  till  January  1,  1850,  when  it  was  sold  to 
the  Standard. 

The  Free-Soil  Campaigner,  a  campaign  paper,  was 
published  three  months  in  1848  by  Agan  & 
Summers. 

'The  Clay  Banner,  a  campaign  paper,  was  pub- 
lished about  the  same  time  from  the  Journal  Office. 

'The  Impartial  Citizen,  {semi-monthly  1  was  started 
in  1848  by  Samuel  R.  Ward,  and  was  continued 
about  one  year. 

'The  Crystal  Fountain  was  issued  for  about  three 
months  by  A.  B.  F.  Ormsby,  in  1848. 

The  Adventist  was  published  three  months  in 
1849,  by  L.  Delos  Mansfield. 

The  Literary  I'nicn  was  commenced  April  7, 
1849,  by  VV.  W.  Newman,  J.  M.  Winchell  and  Jas. 
Johannot.     It  continued  about  a  year  and  a  half 

The  Free  School  Clarion  was  published  a  few 
months  in  the  fall  of  1849,  by  William  L.  Crandall. 

The  Liberty  Party  Paper  was  started  July  4,  1849, 
by  John  Thomas,  and  was  continued  two  years. 

The  Central  City  1  daily  1  was  published  a  short 
time  in  1849  by  Henry  Barnes. 

The  Syracuscan  1  monthly)  was  established  in 
1S50  by  William  H.  Mosely.  In  185 1  it  was 
changed  to 

The  Syracusean  and  C  'nited  States  Review,  and 
in  1856  to  the  Syracusean  and  Onondaga  County  Re- 
viexv. 

The  Syracuse  Independent  was  published  about 
three  months  in  1850. 

'The  Evening  'Transcript  ( daily  t  was  started  in 
1 850  by  Washington  Van  Zandt. 

The  Archimedian  was  commenced  in  1850;  B. 
F.  Sleeper,  publisher,  and  John  Abbott,  editor.  It 
was  discontinued  in  1851. 

'The  Central  A'ezu  Yorker  was  commenced  in  1S50 
by  L.  P.  Rising,  and  continued  only  a  short  time. 

I'he  Family  Companion  (monthly  1  was  published 
a  short  time  in  1850. 

The  'Temperance  Protector  ( semi-monthly  1  was 
commenced  in  1850  by  William  H.  Burleigh,  and 
continued  about  two  years. 

'The  Carson  League  was  started  in  185  i,  Thomas 
L.  Carson,  publisher,  and  John  Thomas,  editor.  It 
was  continued  about  two  years,  when  it  was  re- 
moved to  Albany. 

'The  American  Medical  and  Surgical  yournal 
(monthly)  was  started  January  i,  1851,  by  Potter  & 
Russell,  and  was  continued  till   1856. 

'The  yournal  of  Health  was  published  about  six 
months  in  1851,  by  S.  H.  Potter. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


197 


The  Onondaga  Demokrat  (German)  was  started 
in  September,  1852,  by  George  Saul.  In  October, 
1856,  it  was  changed  to 

The  Syracuse  Demokrat,  and  subsequently  to 
The  Syracuse  Union,  which  was  for  some  time 
published  by  John  L.  Roehm,  and  is  now  conducted 
by   Alexander  Von    Landberg.    editor    and    pro- 
prietor. 

The  Deutsche  Republican  (German)  was  issued  a 
short  time  in  1852. 

The  Free  Democrat  ^2ls  started  in  1852,  by  J.  E. 
Masters,  publisher,  and  R.  R.  Raymond,  editor. 
In  February,  1853,  it  was  changed  to 

The  Syracuse  Chronicle.  The  paper  was  owned 
by  a  joint  stock  company  and  edited  by  R.  R. 
Raymond  about  one  year,  when  George  Barnes  be- 
came proprietor.  In  June,  1855,  Samuel  H.  Clark 
bought  the  concern,  and  S.  W.  Arnold  assumed 
the  editorship  of  the  paper.  In  February,  1856, 
the  office  was  burned  and  the  paper  merged  in  the 
jFournal. 

The  Evening  Chronicle,  (daily,)  was  issued  from 
the  Chronicle  office  during  the  continuation  of  the 
weekly  paper. 

The  Seraph's  Advocate,  (monthly,)  was  started  in 
the  fall  of  1852  by  Miss  Keziah  E.  Prescott,  and 
was  continued  one  year. 

La  Ruche,  a  French  paper,  was  started  in  1852 
by  A.  L.  Walliot.  A  few  numbers  only  were 
issued. 

The  Northern  Christian  Advocate,  (organ  of 
the  M.  E.  Church— weekly,)  was  established  in  Au- 
burn by  Rev.  Mr.  Robie  in  1 840.  In  1 844,  Mr.  Robie 
sold  the  paper  to  the  General  Conference,  and  from 
that  time  till  1862,  it  was  published  under  the  super- 
vision of  a  Publishing  Committee,  the  General 
Conference  appointing  the  editors.  The  Committee 
in  1862  placed  it  in  the  hands  of  the  Methodist 
Book  Concern  of  New  York.  In  1872,  they  moved 
the  paper  from  Auburn  to  Syracuse.  It  is  pub- 
lished by  Nelson  &  Phillips,  agents  of  the  Book 
Concern  ;  Rev.  O.  H.  Warren,  D.  D.,  editor  ;  J.  P. 
Griffin,  Business  Manager. 

The  American  Wesleyan,  (organ  of  the  Wes- 
leyan  Methodist  Church,)  was  removed  from  New 
York  to  Syracuse  January  i,  1848,  by  L.C.  Matlack. 
In  October,  1858,  Cyrus  Prhidle  became  editor,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Adam  Crooks.  Rev.  D.  S. 
Kinney  is  the  present  editor  and  publishing  agent. 
The  Juvenile  Instructor,  (semi-monthly,)  is 
issued  from  the  Wesleyan  office,  and  is  under  the 
same  management. 

The  Unionist  and  The  Union  Herald,  (monthlies,) 
were  issued  from  The  Reformer  office. 


The  Evangelical  Pulpit  was  started  in  January, 

1854,  by  Rev.  Luther  Lee,  and  was  continued  about 
two  years. 

The  Home  Circle  was  published  by  L.  W.  Hall  in 

1855,  about  one  year. 

The  American  Organ,  (daily,)  was  begun  in  1855 
by  Way  &  Minier.  It  soon  passed  into  the  hands  of 
H.  P.  Winsor,  and  continued  about  one  year. 

The  Onondaga  Hardshell  was  started  October  26, 
1855,  and  was  discontinued  after  the  publication  of 
the  second  number.  It  is  supposed  to  have  been 
edited  by  J.  J.  Peck  and  John  A.  Green,  Jr. 

The  Syracuse  Daily  Nezvs  was  started  in  1856  by 
C.  B.  Gould,  but  was  discontinued  in  a  short  time 

The  Syracuse  Zeitung,  (German,)  was  issued  Au- 
gust 15,  1855,  by  Otto  Reventlow,  and  was  con- 
tinued a  short  time. 

The  Syracuse  Weekly  Courier  was  started 
October  i,  1856,  by  F.  L.  Hagadorn.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1858,  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  D.  J.  Halsted 
&  Co.,  who  changed  it  to 

The  Onondaga  Weekly  Courier,  which  is  still 
published.  Up  to  1873,  it  was  published  by  D.  J. 
Halsted  &  Co.,  since  which  it  has  been  published 
by  The  Courier  Printing  Company. 

The  Syracuse  Daily  Courier  was  started  at 
the  same  time  as  the  weekly.  In  1858,  it  passed 
into  the  hands  of  D.J.  Halsted  &  Co.,  and  its  name 
was  changed  to 

The  Central  City  Daily  Courier.  During  the 
campaign  of  i860,  Mr.  Halsted  withdrew  from  it 
and  established 

The  Syracuse  Union.  At  the  close  of  the  cam- 
paign the  two  papers  were  united  under  the  name 

of 

The  Syracuse  Daily  Courier  and  Union.  The 
last  name  has  since  been  dropped,  and  the  Syracuse 
Daily  Courier,  in  common  with  the  weekly,  since 
1873,  has  been  published  by  The  Courier  Printing 
Company. 

The  Syracuse  Sunday  Courier  is  published 
every  Sunday  morning  by  The  Courier  Printing 
Company. 

The  Evening  Herald  (daily)  was  started  Janu- 
ary 13,  1877,  by  Arthur  Jenkins,  who  is  still  the 
publisher. 

The  Sunday  Morning  Times  was  started  in 
November,  1876,  by  Messrs.  Fralick,  Hitchcock  & 
Weed,  the  present  publishers.      H.  Perry  Smith, 

editor.  , ,.  u  J 

The  Sunday  News,  (weekly,;^   was  established 

August  25,  1872.     It  was  recently  changed  to  the 

Sunday  Sun. 
The  Commercial  Traveler,  organ  of  the  Com- 


198 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


mercial  Travelers'  Association  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  established  September,  1875,  ^nd  published 
monthly  by  the  Association. 

The  School  Bulletin  and  New  Yokk  State 
EofCATiONAL  Journal. —  The  BulUtin  was  estab- 
lished as  a  medium  for  educational  news,  September 
I,  1874.  In  April,  1875,  't  was  consolidated  with 
The  Xew  York  State  Educational  yountal,  under 
the  above  name,  and  is  published  by  Davis,  Bardeen 
&  Co.,  C.  W.  Bardeen,  editor. 

Christian  Work  is  the  title  of  a  monthly,  com- 
menced April,  1876,  and  issued  by  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  from  their  rooms,  53 
East  Genesee  street. 

The  Union  Gem,  a  literary  monthly  for  young 
and  old  readers,  established  May,  1877.  De  Puy  & 
Scoville,  editors  and  publishers. 

The  Aurora  Brazileira,  established  December 
15,  1875,  and  owned  and  edited  by  J.  C.  Alves 
de  Lima.  This  is  a  paper  for  the  Brazilians  and  is 
printed  in  the  Portuguese  language.  It  is  doing 
much  good  by  introducing  American  customs  and 
establishing  trade  with  Brazil.  It  goes  to  its 
Brazilian  readers  once  a  month,  containing  many 
illustrations  of  American  inventions  and  improve- 
ments. 

The  Temperance  Union  was  started  as  a 
monthly  in  June,  1877,  and  has  since  been  changed 
to  a  weekly.  Samuel  Gay  lord,  editor  and  proprietor. 
The  i'uion  is  the  organ  of  the  different  temper- 
ance associations. 

The  University  Herald  is  a  monthly  paper 
conducted  by  the  students  of  the  Syracuse  Uni- 
versity. 

The  Syracuse  Central  Demokrat,  (German,) 
was  established  July  2,  1858,  by  Joseph  A.  Hofmann. 
It  is  still  published  and  edited  by  Joseph  A.  Hofmann 
&  Son. 

The  State  League  was  several  years  published  at 
Syracuse  by  Thomas  L.  Carson  subsequently  to 
1858. 

The  Skaneateles  Weekly  Democrat  was 
commenced  in  1840  by  William  M.  Beauchamp.  It 
was  subsequently  issued  by  W.  H.  Jewett,  Philo 
Rust  and  Jonathan  Kceney.  In  1849  it  passed 
into  the  hands  of  Harrison  B.  Dodge,  who  has  con- 
tinued to  conduct  it  ever  since.  It  is  independent 
in  politics  and  has  a  circulation  of  about  1,100. 

The  Xaval  Bulletin  was  issued  from  the  Demo- 
crat office  a  short  time  in  1853. 

The  Minena  was  a  short  time  published  by  W. 
H.  Beauchamp  in  1844,  but  was  finally  merged  in 
the  Democrat. 

The  Juvenile  Repository  was  also  published  at 


Skaneateles  in  1838  by  Luther  Pratt.  In  1840  it 
was  removed  to  New  York,  and  soon  after  discon- 
tinued. 

The  Citizens'  Press  was  published  six  months  at 
Onondaga  Hollow  in  1832,  by  E.  Russell  Webb  and 
James  S   Castle. 

The  Tayetteville  Times  was  published  at  Fayette 
villein  1S36  by  Henry  DePuy. 

The  South  Cortland  Luminary  was  removed  to 
Fayetteville  in  1839,  by  Hon.  Wesley  Bailey,  and 
its  name  changed  to 

The  Fayetteville  Luminary.  It  was  published 
about  three  years  Its  name  was  afterwards 
changed  to  the  Methodist  Reformer  and  removed  to 
Utica. 

The  Fayettcoille  Gacette  was  started  by  J.  E.  N. 
Bachus.  about  1839.  ^^^  subsequently  sold  toT.  E. 
Hitchcock,  but  it  was  short  lived. 

The  Fayetteville  Recorder  was  established 
in  1S66  by  F.  A.  Darling.  In  1874  it  passed  into 
the  hands  of  the  Recorder  Printing  Association, 
under  whose  management  it  still  continues. 

The  Communist  was  started  at  Mottville,  Novem- 
ber 27,  1844,  by  John  A.  Collins,  as  the  organ  of 
the  Skaneateles  Community.  It  was  continued 
about  one  year. 

The  Weekly  Southern  Onondaga  was  published  at 
Tully  by  Frank  P.  Hale  in  1868-9. 

The  Baldioinsville  Republican  was  commenced 
in  1844  by  Samuel  B.  West.  In  October,  1846,  it 
passed  into  the  hands  of  C.  M.  Hosmer,  and  was 
changed  to 

The  Onondaga  Gazette.  In  1848  it  was  pub- 
lished by  Sheppard  &  Hosmer,  and  afterwards  by 
J.  M.  Clark,  for  many  years,  who  sold  it  to  J.  B. 
Davis,  and  repurchased  it,  and  in  1S69  sold  it  to  X. 
Haywood,  who  enlarged  the  paper.  In  1871,  it  was 
purchased  by  George  S.  Clark,  the  present  proprie- 
tor. It  has  been  recently  changed  to  The  Bald- 
'Li'insville  Gazette. 

The  Jordan  Tribune  was  started  in  1849  by  P. 
J.  Becker.     In  1853  it  was  changed  to 

The  Jordan  Transcript.  It  was  subsequently 
published  by  Nathan  Burrell.Jr.,  and  by  Charles  B. 
Park,  who  was  followed  by  H.  P.  Winsor,  who  has 
continued  the  paper  ever  since.  It  is  a  weekly,  in- 
dependent, and  well  patronized. 

The  Pearly  Fountain  (monthly*  was  published  by 
Park  &  Cheal,  John  G.  Cheal,  editor,  for  a  short 
time  at  Jordan. 

The  Jordan  Intelligencer  was  established  in 
December,  1876,  by  Louis  B.  Lathrop,  present  edi- 
tor and  proprietor.  It  is  a  weekly,  strictly  inde- 
pendent in  politics,  and  has  a  good  circulation. 


//cpCu  c^^^i^U^^ 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


199 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 


ASA  WHITE. 

Asa  White  was  born  in  Monson,  Mass.,  in  the 
year  1774.  His  educational  advantages  were  such 
as  the  common  schools  of  his  native  State  aftbrded. 
He  early  exhibited  those  traits  of  character  which 
peculiarly  distinguish  business  men. 

Inheriting  the  energy  and  active  habits  of  his 
father,  he  soon  learned  to  rely  upon  his  own  efforts 
for  self-advancement  in  the  world,  and  thus  by 
persevering  industry,  economy  and  a  just  appreci- 
ation of  a  good  reputation,  he  became  the  artificer 
of  his  own  fortune  and  the  moulder  of  his  own 
character.  In  1798,  he  emigrated  to  Homer,  N.  Y., 
and  in  1800  married  Miss  Clarissa,  daughter  of 
Caleb  Keep,  who  had  also  settled  in  that  town  in 
1798-  

HORACE  WHITE. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  the  village 
of  Homer,  Cortland  county,  N,  Y.,  April  19,  1802. 
He  was  the  eldest  of  five  children  of  Asa  White 
and  Clarissa  Keep. 

When  about  fourteen  years  of  age  he  went  from 
home  and  became  a  clerk  for  Horace  Hill,  of 
Auburn,  N.  Y.  About  two  years  afterward  he  was 
engaged  in  a  similar  capacity  in  Albany  in  a  store 
where  his  father  had  an  interest.  Subsequently 
he  held  the  same  situation  with  Jedediah  Barber, 
of  Homer,  where,  during  the  ten  years  of  his  stay, 
he  acquired  a  reputation  for  business  talent  unusual 
for  so  young  a  man. 

His  health,  however,  failed  and  he  retired  to  a 
small  farm  on  which  he  labored  for  two  or  three 
years  About  this  time,  and  when  he  was  thirty 
years  of  age,  he  became  acquainted  with  the  wor- 
ship and  doctrines  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church.  They  commended  themselves  to  his 
understanding,  and  on  the  12th  of  April,  1835,  he 
united  with  Calvary  Church,  Homer,  N.  Y.  Rev. 
Henry  Gregory,  then  missionary  at  that  place,  be- 
ing pastor.  At  the  next  visitation  of  the  Bishop 
he  received  the  Apostolic  Rite  of  Confirmation  and 
was  admitted  to  the  Holy  Communion.  From  that 
time  through  his  subsequent  life  he  was  steadfast 
in  profession  and  practice. 

In  the  year  1838,  Mr.  White  removed  to  Syra- 
cuse where  he  at  once  began  to  take  an  active  part 
in  business,  and  in  connection  with  others,  estab- 
lished the  Bank  of  Syracuse,  of  which  he  was 
Cashier  until  his  declining  health  compelled  him  to 


resign.  In  the  year  1839  he  was  made  a  Vestry- 
man of  St.  Paul's  Church,  and  in  1848  a  Warden,  a 
position  which  he  held  at  the  time  of  his  decease. 

His  career  as  a  man  of  business  was  marked  by 
almost  uninterrupted  success.  He  was  connected 
with  important  enterprises  for  advancing  the  inter- 
ests of  both  the  city  and  the  State.  In  all  moneyed 
transactions,  it  is  the  testimony  of  those  best  quali- 
fied to  judge,  that  he  was  actuated  by  strict  Chris- 
tian integrity.  Nor  did  he  content  himself  with 
this  negative  virtue.  His  munificence  was  widely 
directed.  Hobart  College  and  other  less  conspicu- 
ous institutions  were  recipients  of  his  gifts,  while 
the  missionary  and  the  needy  received  his  earnest 
attention. 

Mr.  White  gave  largely  from  his  means  for  the 
support  of  church  interests,  and  any  enterprise 
looking  to  the  advancement  of  education  among  the 
rising  generation,  and  the  establishment  of  good 
society.  He  was  liberal  because  he  loved  to  be, 
and  because  he  seemed  conscious  of  the  perils  of 
riches,  and  recognized  ll7w  it  was  that  gave  him 
power  to  get  wealth. 

He  was  one  of  the  thirteen  Directors  of  the  con- 
solidated Central  Railroad  Company  and  associated 
with  Erastus  Corning,  at  that  time  the  head  of  the 
railway  men  of  America. 

The  Cotirier  and  Enquirer  at  that  time  speaks 
thus  of  him  : 

"  Horace  White,  of  Syracuse,  is  a  banker,  with 
keen  sagacity,  extending  and  enlarging  his  opera- 
tions till  he  finds  himself  acknowledged  among 
the  front  rank  of  financiers.  He  will  give  the 
Direction,  the  careful  and  far-seeing  counsel  of 
a  man  who  has  rigidly  looked  at  the  passing  events 
and  distinguishing  the  flash  of  the  moment  from  the 
steady  and  the  enduring  light.  Himself  and  his 
brother  have  made  good  use  of  their  wealth.  They 
are  of  those  citizens  of  our  Western  counties,  who 
emulate  the  liberality  and  the  enterprise  of  those 
men  who  in  the  great  city  are  teaching  the  world 
that  wealth  appreciates  intellect,  admires  art,  and 
has  its  leaning  of  kindness  towards  the  suffering." 
In  the  year  1831,  June  29th,  he  married  Miss 
Clara,  daughter  of  Andrew  Dickson  and  Ruth 
Hall,  the  former  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  the 
latter  a  native  of  Connecticut. 

They  have  two  sons,  Hon.  Andrew  Dickson 
White,  President  of  Cornell  University,  and  Horace 
Keep  White,  one  of  the  representative  business 
men  of  the  city  of  Syracuse.  His  wife  still  sur- 
vives at  the  time  of  writing  this  sketch. 


200 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


11 


HAMILTON   WHITE. 

Hamilton  White  was  born  in  Homer,  Cortland 
County,  N.  Y.,  May  6lh,   1807. 

He  was  a  son  of  Asa  and  Clarissa  [Keep]  White, 
who  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  his  native 
county.  During  his  youth  the  only  opportunities 
offered  him  for  an  education  were  those  of  the  com- 
mon schools,  which  he  enjoyed  to  a  limited  extent  ; 
but  his  close  attention  to  books  while  young,  coupled 
with  an  unusual  self-reliance,  enabled  him  to  become 
a  teacher  at  the  age  of  si.\teen,  receiving  the  mea- 
ger compensation  of  nine  dollars  per  month  and 
board.  After  four  terms  as  a  teacher,  he  entered 
upon  a  clerkship  with  Messrs.  Randall,  at  Cort- 
landville. 

Thus  life  opened  before  him  its  rugged  path,  and 
bade  him  rely  upon  his  own  energy  in  surmounting 
its  obstacles  and  achieving  succe^.  These  years 
of  clerkship  were  years  of  strict  economy,  of  faith- 
ful devotion  to  the  interests  of  his  principals,  and 
consistent  attention  to  all  the  duties  of  his  position. 
In  iS36Mr.  White  removed  to  Lockport,  Niagara 
County,  where  he  found  in  the  life  and  enterprise 
of  that  rapidly  improving  country,  a  wider  field 
for  the  exercise  of  his  maturing  judgment  and  his 
untiring  energies.  His  capital  was  that  only  which 
he  had  accumulated  by  his  own  economy,  from  his 
own  labor,  but  integrity  and  capacity  became  his 
ruling  characteristics,  and  his  sagacious  investments 
in  the  course  of  two  or  three  brief  years,  laid  the 
foundation  of  that  ample  fortune  which  during  the 
later  portion  of  his  life  he  administered  prudently, 
yet  liberally  and  without  ostentation. 

In  1S39  he  came  to  Syracuse  and  became  Cashier 
of  the  Onondaga  County  Bank  upon  the  retirement 
of  Moses  S  Marsh.  He  continued  in  this  position 
until  January,  1854,  when  the  charter  of  the  bank 
expired.  During  this  entire  period,  while  the  Board 
of  Directors  contained  many  of  the  best  citizens  of 
Syracuse,  no  occasion  was  ever  found  by  any  to 
criticise  his  official  or  personal  conduct.  After  the 
closing  of  the  old  bank  Mr.  White  conducted  the 
business  as  a  private  banker. 

The  enterprise  of  internal  improvement  in  our 
own  State,  as  well  as  in  other  States  of  the  West 
and  South,  engaged  his  attention.  His  ripe  judg- 
ment and  high  character  as  a  man  invited  him  to 
the  confidence  and  councils  of  men  whose  energies 
were  devoted  to  the  construction  of  important  rail- 
road lines,  while  his  unvarying  success  aflbrdtd  him 
ample  means  of  lending  material  aid. 

The  estimate  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  asso- 
ciates in  such  enterprises  is  manifested  by  the  fact 


that  for  many  years  previous  to  and  at  the  hour  of 
his  death,  he  was  Director  in  all  the  companies 
constituting  the  entire  line  of  railways  from  Albany 
to  Chicago,  except  the  Cleveland  and  Toledo. 

Hamilton  White  was  eminently  a  man  of  public 
spirit,  and  not  only  ready  to  follow  but  to  lead  in 
endowing  local  and  benevolent  institutions.  He 
was  one  of  the  few  who  secured  to  Syracuse,  by 
material  aid,  the  location  of  the  State  Idiot  Asylum, 
in  the  prosperity  of  which  he  took  an  active  part. 
He  was  a  liberal  patron  of  the  Orphan  Asylum  and 
the  Home  of  the  Friendless,  to  the  first  of  which 
he  gave  for  many  years  his  services  as  Treasurer, 
and  both  of  which  he  remembered  in  his  last  hours. 
He  was  also  prominent  in  the  Association  of  Oak- 
wood,  in  whose  retired  and  beautiful  shade  his 
ashes  repose.  During  the  rebellion  Mr.  White  was 
an  ardent  and  generous  friend  of  the  government, 
and  his  liberality  in  securing  the  quota  of  troops 
required  of  his  city  and  district,  was  unsurpassed, 
and  was  uninterrupted  even  by  his  absence  in 
Europe,  while  seeking  the  restoration  of  his  impaired 
health. 

The  church  with  which  he  was  connected  was 
the  recipient  of  many  tokens  of  his  liberality,  while 
with  catholic  spirit  he  contributed  to  the  founda- 
tion and  support  of  other  churches  and  congrega- 
tions, here  and  elsewhere.  He  sought  to  shun  the 
public  eye  in  all  his  charity  and  to  do  good  secretly 
rather  than  for  notoriety.  Mr.  White's  influence 
in  all  the  departments  of  society,  and  in  all  associa- 
tions for  business  was  characterized  by  the  greatest 
modesty  and  diffidence,  for  his  judgment  (expressed 
without  pretence  and  generally  upon  solicitation,) 
was  almost  invariably  based  upon  reasons  which 
demanded  and  secured  concurrence. 

But  home  was  the  place  in  which  Mr.  White  dis- 
played the  most  attractive  and  endearing  traits  of 
his  character.  He  loved  the  domestic  circle,  the 
society  of  his  wife  and  the  voices  of  his  children. 
He  sought  to  make  home  attractive  and  happy  by 
surrounding  it  with  artificial  adornments  and  by 
gathering  within  it  the  means  of  study,  the  instru- 
ments of  recreation  and  the  creations  of  genius  in 
art.  In  1S63  he  was  obliged  to  abandon  business 
and  seek  relief  abroad.  He  visited  England, 
France,  Italy,  Egypt  and  other  foreign  countries, 
and  as  a  careful  observer  of  scenes  which  lead  us 
back  four  thousand  years  in  the  history  of  our  race, 
returned  with  stores  of  information  and  incident, 
the  rehearsal  of  which  was  delightful  to  himself  and 
his  interested  and  listening  friends. 

In  1864  Mr.  White,  with  his  wife  and  elder  son, 
visited  the  West  Indies,  returning  in  June,  1865. 


Hc^^^f^Uf^ctc 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


20 1 


This,  however,  did  not  restore  his  failing  health,  as 
had  been  fondly  hoped  by  his  numerous  friends, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  he  gradually  grew  worse,  and 
died  on  the  22d  of  September,  1865. 

Mr.  White  married,  in  1841,  Sarah  Randolph 
Rich,  daughter  of  the  late  Gains  B.  Rich,  of  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.  For  years  her  home  was  the  center  of 
an  elegant  hospitality,  over  which  she  presided  with 
the  rarest  grace.  Those  who  have  experienced  that 
hospitality,  know  how  perfectly  she  exemplified  in 
every  detail  the  traits  of  a  refined  lady,  a  Christian, 
an  example  worthy  of  imitation.  Her  kindness  to 
the  needy  was  a  peculiar  trait  of  her  character. 
She  was  prominently  identified  with  the  benevolent 
institutions  of  the  city,  and  her  charities  were  as 
unostentatious  as  they  were  free.  She  died  March 
29,  1867. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  were  born  six  children, 
whose  names  are  as  follows  : 

Jane  Antoinette,  now  Mrs.  Thomas  Parish  Sher- 
man ;  Clara  Keep,  wife  of  Robert  L.  S.  Hall,  of 
New  York;  Barrett  Rich,  (deceased;)  Hamilton 
Salisbury,  Syracuse ;  Howard  Ganson,  Syracuse, 
and  Sarah  Aphia,  (deceased.) 


NATHAN  F.  GRAVES. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Oneida 
County,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  17,  1S13. 

He  was  the  third  child  in  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren of  Benjamin  Graves  and  Molly  Stark.  The 
former  was  a  native  of  Lyme,  New  London  County, 
Conn.,  and  son  of  Elijah  Graves,  of  English  de- 
scent ;  but  the  ancestry  traces  its  origin  back  to  the 
Norman  Conquest  1066,  the  first  ancestor  being 
physician  to  William  the  Conqueror.  Molly  Stark 
was  also  a  native  of  Lyme,  Connecticut,  named  by 
and  connected  with  Gen.  Stark,  of  Revolutionary 
fame. 

His  father  was  a  well  to  do  farmer,  gave  his  chil- 
dren not  only  the  advantages  of  the  common 
schools,  but  educated  them  in  the  academies  of 
Oneida  County. 

When   Nathan  F.  was  only  16  years  of  age  he 

entered  the  list  as  a  teacher,  and  spent  several  years 

either  as  a  student  or  in  teaching.     Afterwards  he 

entered   the  law  office   of  J.  Whipple  Jenkins   of 

Vernon,  and  after  a  year  became  a  student  at  law 

with  the  Hon.  Joshua  A.  Spencer  of  Utica,  where 

he  remained  two  years,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 

of  the  State  in   1840  in  the  class   with   the  Hon, 

James  C.  Smith  and  others  who  have  distinguished 

themselves  at  the  bar  of  the  U.  S. 
26* 


He  entered  a  law  partnership  with  Timothy  Jen- 
kins, a  prominent  lawyer  of  Oneida  Castle,  with  a 
very  large  practice,  where  he  remained  for  five  years, 
and  from  the  beginning,  rapidly  extending  their 
practice,  until  the  year  1844,  when  he  went  to  New 
York  and  opened  an  office  at  49  Nassau  street,  where 
he  grew  into  an  extensive  practice  in  the  course  of  a 
few  years,  but  on  account  of  ill  health  gave  up  his 
practice  in  that  city,  came  to  Syracuse  in  the  year 
1849  and  opened  a  law  office  with  Hon.  Daniel  R 
Wood,  which  partnership  continued  for  some  fifteen 
years,  when  Mr.  Wood  retired  from  the  firm.  Mr. 
Graves  has  continued  the  practice  of  his  profession 
until  the  present  time.  He  was  a  Director  and 
President  of  the  Burnet  Bank  from  its  organization 
in  1852,  till  its  discontinuance  and  the  Fourth  Na- 
tional Bank  took  its  place,  of  which  he  was  Presi- 
dent until  that  Bank  gave  place  to  the  "  New  York 
State  Banking  Company,"  of  which  he  has  been 
President  from  its  organization,  and  still  occupies  the 
same  position,  having  been  continuously  President 
of  a  bank  longer  than  any  other  person  in  the 
city. 

He  has  been  for  several  years  a  Trustee  of  the 
Syracuse  Savings  Bank,  and  one  of  the  Trustees  of 
the  Idiot  Asylum  located  at  Syracuse.  In  politics 
Mr.  Graves  has  been  a  Democrat,  and  although  not 
solicitous  of  public  office,  was  elected  Mayor  of 
Syracuse  in  1874,  and  has  been  identified  with  the 
school  interests  of  the  city  for  several  years  as 
School  Commissioner  and  also  President  of  the 
Board  of  Education. 

In  the  year  1873,  Mr.  Graves  with  his  wife 
visited  the  Pacific  coast,  Japan  and  several  coun- 
tries of  the  Eastern  Hemisphere,  and  by  land  and 
sea  made  a  trip  around  the  world,  and  with  a  ready 
pen  furnished  many  valuable  letters  as  a  correspond- 
ent of  the  New  York  Observer,  Syracuse  Courier 
and  Northern  Christian  Advocate. 

He  has  been  married  twice — first  to  Miss  Helen 
P.,  daughter  of  S.  Sidney  Breese  of  Oneida  county, 
June  1st,  1842.  His  wife  died  July  20, 1844.  For 
his  second  wife  he  married  Miss  Catherine  H., 
sister  of  his  first  wife,  November  23,  1845,  who 
now  survives,  to  share  with  him  the  results  of  a  life 
of  active  business  and  labor. 

Mr.  Graves  belongs  to  the  class  of  citizens  who 
give  stability  to  the  financial  status  of  our  country, 
and  character  to  society,  a  liberal  supporter  of  pub- 
lic enterprise,  a  safe  counsellor,  and  a  judicious 
manager  of  his  own  affairs.  He  is  unpretentious, 
a  man  of  excellent  habits  and  characteristic  in- 
tegrity of  purpose. 


2o: 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


HON.  D.    P.  WOOD. 

Daniel  P.  Wood  was  born  in  the  town  of  Pompey, 
Onondaga  county,  N.  Y.,  November  5,  1819.  He 
was  next  to  the  youngest  in  the  family  of  children 
of  Daniel  Wood  and  Sophia  Sims.  His  father,  in 
the  year  1800,  came  from  Berkshire,  Mass  ,  and 
settled  in  the  town  of  Pompey.  He  was  a  lawyer  and 
farmer,  the  latter  being  his  chief  occupation.  He 
died  in  1838.  His  mother  was  also  of  New  Eng- 
land stock,  but  the  ancestry,  some  four  generations 
back,  came  from  Jamestown,  Virginia.  She  was  a 
lineal  descendant  in  the  fifth  generation  from  Joseph 
Loomis,  born  in  England  about  1590,  sailed  from 
London  April  11,  1638,  in  the  ship  Susan  and 
Ellen  and  arrived  at  Boston  July  17.  1638.  She 
died  November,  1841. 

D.  P.  Wood  inherited,  and  has  exhibited  through 
life,  the  New  England  traitsof  character— readiness 
to  labor  and  to  learn,  strength  of  will,  forecast  and 
sympathy  with  those  movements  which  have  for 
their  end  the  well  being  of  the  country  and  for  their 
means  the  advancing  condition  of  all  classes  and 
races.  He  worked  upon  the  farm  of  his  father  dur- 
ing his  earlier  years,  receiving  such  education  as  the 
district  school  afforded,  and  acquiring  a  vigor  of 
constitution  which  has  since  enabled  him  to  endure 
the  severest  mental  labor.  At  about  eighteen 
years  of  age  he  pursued  a  preparatory  course  at 
Pompey  Academy,  and  at  twenty  entered  Hamilton 
College,  where  he  not  only  disciplined  his  mind  by 
close  study,  but  expanded  it  by  a  wide  range  of 
reading,  graduating  from  that  institution  in  1843. 

In  1844  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Victory 
Birdseye  at  Pompey,  and  in  1845  came  to  Syracuse 
and  studied  law  in  the  office  of  George  W.  Noxon, 
and  after  being  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1846,  (in 
the  last  class  admitted  under  the  old  Constitution 
of  the  State  I  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Mr. 
Noxon. 

He  met  the  barriers  common  to  young  attorneys 
in  competition  with  older  and  more  experienced 
lawyers,  with  that  resolution  and  energy,  yet  with 
that  integrity  of  purpose  and  courteous  manner,  so 
characteristic  of  his  whole  life. 

He  was  City  Attorney  for  three  years,  from  the 
organization  of  the  city  government  till  1853,  and 
in  that  year  and  also  in  1854.  he  represented  his 
district  in  the  Assembly  of  the  State. 

As  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Salt,  in  which 
interest  many  of  his  constituents  were  largely  en- 
gaged, and  as  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  the 
Code  he  brought  to  the  discussions  of  those  sub- 
jects his  legal  acumen  and  conscientious  industry. 
In  the  exciting  and  able  debates  on  the  completion 


and  enlargement  of  the  canals,  and  in  the  impeach- 
ment of  Canal  Commissioner  John  C.  Mather  by 
the  Committee  of  Managers  of  the  House,  of  which 
Mr.  Wood  was  a  member,  and  took  an  active  and 
efficient  part,  his  speeches  were  no  slight  tribute  to 
his  reputation  and  capacity. 

In  1854.  as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Col- 
leges, Academies  and  Common  Schools,  he  matured 
and  carried  through  the  act  creating  the  Depart- 
ment of  Public  Instruction,  and  was  member  of  the 
Committee  on  Ways  and  Means,  in  those  days  the 
most  exacting  and  laborious  committee  of  the  Leg- 
islature. Mr.  Wood  attended  to  his  profession  dur- 
ing the  three  years  following,  but  in  1 857,  on  account 
of  over  taxation  of  both  body  and  mind,  his  health 
became  so  impaired  that  he  went  to  South  Carolina, 
returning  thence  on  horseback. 

In  1865,  '(^,  '67, he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly 
as  Representative  from  Onondaga  county.  In 
1865-66  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Canals  and  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Ways 
and  Means,  and  the  following  year  Chairman  of 
the  latter, — positions  requiring  almost  ceaseless 
labor.  ffe  defended  their  interests  with  honor 
to  himself  and  usefulness  to  the  State.  In  1861, 
he  was  one  of  the  party  who  escorted  President 
Lincoln  on  his  memorable  trip  to  Washington  a  few 
days  preceding  his  inauguration,  and,  in  1865.  was 
Chairman  of  the  Special  Legislative  Committee 
to  receive  the  remains  of  President  Lincoln  at  the 
city  of  New  York  and  conduct  them  through  the 
State. 

In  politics  Mr.  Wood  was  a  Whig,  but  afterwards 
a  Republican  upon  the  formation  of  that  party. 
During  the  late  rebellion  he  was  an  unswerving 
supporter  of  the  Union  cause.  He  was  very  active 
in  the  organization  of  the  first  regiment  that  went 
from  Syracuse,  raised  in  one  week.  His  patriotism 
knew  no  fear  nor  faltering  ;  keeping  up  his  patience 
and  hope,  speaking  words  of  good  cheer  all  the 
more  when  the  hours  were  darkest. 

In  the  fall  of  1871,  he  was  elected  to  represent 
the  22d  Senatorial  District,  composed  of  Cortland 
and  Onondaga  counties,  in  the  State  Legislature. 
His  record  was  such  that  at  the  end  of  his  first 
term  his  renomination  was  made  by  acclamation, 
and  his  election  took  place  without  opposition  by 
the  Democratic  party. 

In  the  Senate  Mr.  Wood,  during  his  four  years 
service,  held  the  leading  and  imijortant  position  of 
Chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee,  which  re- 
quired him  to  act  upon  the  vast  fiscal  interests, 
claims  and  necessities  of  the  State,  and  gave  him 
great  weight  in  determining  its  public  policy. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


203 


In  this  capacity  he  used  all  the  power  of  his  place 
in  enforcing  retrenchment,  resisting  unjust  and  un- 
worthy claims,  fighting  extravagance  and  prodi- 
gality of  expenditure  and  relieving  the  burdens  of 
the  people. 

In  1874,  Mr.  Wood  was  appointed  by  Governor 
Dix,  with  the  concurrence  of  the  Senate,  Major 
General  of  the  6th  Division,  N.  G.,  S.  N.  Y.,  com- 
prising twelve  counties  of  the  State,  viz  :  Oneida, 
Oswego,  Onondaga,  Madison,  Cayuga,  Seneca, 
Cortland,  Tompkins,  Tioga,  Broome,  Chenango  and 
Otsego. 

General  Wood  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Onondaga  County  Savings  Bank,  and  has  been  a 
Trustee  of  the  same  since  its  beginning,  and  is  its 
present  President  ;  he  is  also  identified  with  the 
Trust  and  Deposit  Company  of  Onondaga,  and 
of  the  New  York  State  Banking  Company  as  Di- 
rector.    He  is  President  and  Treasurer  of  the  High- 


land Solar  Salt  Manufacturing  Company  of  Syra- 
cuse, and  is  largely  interested  in  the  manufacture  of 
salt.  He  is  interested  as  one  of  the  originators 
and  managers  of  the  Syracuse  and  Geddes,  and 
the  Genesee  and  Water  Street  Railways,  and  is  the 
President  and  principal  manager  and  largest  stock- 
holder of  the  Metallic  Burial  Casket  Manufacturing 
Company  of  New  York  city. 

In  the  year,  1848,  August  24th,  he  married  Miss 
Lora  Celeste,  daughter  of  Silas  Smith  and  Eunice 
Bagg,  the  former  from  Lanesborough,  Mass.,  and  an 
early  settler  of  the  town  of  Marcellus— the  latter 
a  lineal  descendant  in  the  fifth  generation  of  Joseph 
Loomis  of  Windsor,  Conn. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood  have  been  born  six  chil- 
dren, whose  names  are  as  follows  :  Frank,  of  the  law 
firm  of  Wood  &  Stone,  Syracuse  ;  Mary  Bagg,  (de- 
ceased,) Fannie  Loomis,  (deceased,)  Mary  Clifton, 
Cornelia  Longstreet,  and  William  Sims,  (deceased.) 


BANKS  OF  SYRACUSE. 


National  Banks 
The  banking  interest  of  this  city  is  intimately 
identified  with  the  interests  of  the  city  itself,  and 
therefore  deserves  more  than  a  passing  notice.  We 
shall,  in  accordance  with  the  purpose  of  this  work, 
give  a  brief  historical  review  of  the  various  banks, 
including  their  organization,  present  officers  and 
latest  official  statement  of  resources,  beginning 
with  the 

First  National  Bank. 

In  1 863,  when  the  national  banking  system  was 
adopted,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  requested 
certain  gentlemen  of  financial  repute  to  meet  him 
in  consultation  at  Washington.  Among  these 
gentlemen  were  Governor  English,  of  Connecticut, 
and  Mr.  E.  B.  Judson,  of  this  city.  The  consulta- 
tion over,  Mr.  Judson  came  home,  and  immediately 
took  measures  for  the  organization  of  a  National 
Bank  in  Syracuse.  Although  this  bank  is  No.  6, 
owing  to  certain  delays  in  the  transmission  of 
papers,  still  the  fact  remains  that  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Syracuse  was  the  second  one  organ- 
ized in  the  United  States. 

The  original  capital  of  the  bank  was  placed  at 
^100,000;  this  has  since  been  increased  10^250,- 
000.  Upon  effecting  the  organization  Mr.  Judson 
became  President,  and  Mr.  George  B.  Leonard, 
Cashier,  and  no  change  in  the  official  management 
has  since  occurred.     Indeed  but  two  changes  have 


taken  place  in  the  directorship,  one  caused  by  re- 
moval from  the  city,  the  other  by  death.  The 
Board  of  Directors  is  now  comprised  of  E.  B.  Jud- 
son, C.  T.  Longstreet,  James  J.  Belden,  Jacob 
Crouse,  Orlin  Mead,  John  Crouse,  C.  B.  Sedgwick, 
Dennis  McCarthy  and  D.  Edward  Crouse. 

The  E.xecutive  Committee  for  the  year  1877  con- 
sists of  three  members  of  the  Board,  Messrs.  E.  B. 
Judson,  John  Crouse  and  Jacob  Crouse,  but  the 
active  every-day  management  falls  upon  the  Presi- 
dent— a  gentleman  who  has  been  connected  with  the 
banking  interest  of  the  city  ever  since  1851,  and  to 
whom  reference  is  again  made  in  connection  with 
the  Merchants  National  Bank.  Mr.  Judson  has 
been  a  resident  of  this  city  for  twenty-nine  years, 
coming  from  Constantia,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  lumber  and  iron.  He  still  car- 
ries on  the  manufacture  of  lumber  there,  as  he  has 
for  forty  years,  and  in  this  city  he  is  interested  in 
the  manufacture  of  iron,  salt  and  glass.  The  man- 
agement of  the  business  of  the  Bank,  however,  re- 
quires most  of  his  time.  Mr.  Judson  was  also  one 
of  the  original  incorporators  and  Vice-President  of 
the  Merchants  Bank,  now  the  Merchants  National 
Bank,  of  this  city,  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Trust  and  Deposit  Company  of  Onondaga,  a  direc- 
tor of  the  Bank  of  Syracuse,  and  one  of  the  organ- 
izers of  the  "  Salt  Springs  Bank,"  and  for  some 
years  its  Cashier.     Resigning  the  latter  position,  he 


ii 


204 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


■went  to  Oswego  to  take  charge  of  the  Lake  Ontario 
Hank  owned  by  bankers  throughout  the  State — a 
place  which  his  financial  abilities  well  fitted  him  to 
fill. 

The  following   is   the  official  statement  of  this 
bank  made  on  the  first  of  October,  1877  : 
Resources. 

Loans  and  Discounts   §588,659  23 

Overdrafts    536  54 

United  States  Bonds  to  secure  circu- 
lation    278,000  00 

United   States  Bonds   on  hand  (par 

value  I    6,800  00 

Other  Stocks,  Bonds  and  Mortgages.  1 1,200  00 

Due  from  Approved  Reserve  Agents  93,518  00 

in  Gold  190,030  85 

Due  from  other  National  Banks   ....  31,241   80 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  Bankers. .  3.437  26 

Current  E.xpenscs  and  Ta.xes  Paid   .  .  7.632  60 

Exchanges  for  Clearing  House   26,724  85 

Fractional  Currency  and  Nickels   .  .  .  3.638  00 

Sjiecie  —  Gold   Coin $  1 34  88 

Silver  Coin    50000  634  88 

Premiums  Paid 8 1 2  73 

Legal  Tender  Notes   30,8 10  00 

Redemption  Fund  with  U.  S.  Treas- 
urer, ( not  more  than  5  per  cent, 
on  circulation )    1 2,500  00 

Total $1,286,206  96 

Liabilities 

Capital  Stock  Paid  in $250,000  00 

Surplus  Fund 50,coo  00 

Undivided  Profits   140,001   59 

Circulating     Notes     received     from 

Comptroller 250,000  00 

Individual  Deposits  subject  to  check,  593,466  03 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 2,739  34 

Total $1,286,205  96 

The  premises  of  the  P'irst  National  Bank  will 
compare  favorably  with  any  banking  office  in  the 
country,  and  were  fitted  np  expressly  for  its  use 
when  the  Onondaga  Savings  Bank  building  was 
erected.  The  equipments  and  furniture  are  all  of 
the  first  order.  At  the  paying  teller's  desk  is  a  lit- 
tle knob  which,  touched  by  one's  finger,  conveys  by 
electricity  warning  to  the  police  headquarters  ;  the 
vault  is  of  solid  masonry  and  steel  lined,  with  Irip- 
ple  doors,  and  the  burglar-proof  safe  is  a  model  of 
its  kind.  A  night  watchman  is  also  always  on  duty 
each  night. 

Salt  Springs  National  Bank. 

This  institution  is  the  outgrowth  of  a  State  Bank, 

and   was  organized  as   the   Salt  Springs  I^ank  in 

1852,  with  a  capital  of  $200,000.     The  first  Board  of 

Directors  consisted  of  David    Munro,  Thomas   G. 


Alvord,  George  H.  Waggoner,  James  E.  Heron, 
Henry  S.  Candee,  Matthew  Murphy,  Cornelius 
Lynch,  Dennis  McCarthy,  Edward  B  Judson, 
George  Geddes,  William  Clark,  Orla  F.  Whitney, 
Sands  N  Kenyon,  John  D.  Norton  and  B.  Davis 
No.xon.  Mr.  A.  A.  Howlett  became  a  director  the 
same  or  the  following  year.  Thomas  G.  Alvord 
was  the  first  President,  and  E.  B.  Judson  the  first 
Cashier.  Mr.  Alvord  was  succeeded  by  Wm.  Clark, 
he  by  Alfred  A.  Howlett  in  1859.  Mr.  Howlett  has 
continued  to  be  President  ever  since.  The  cashier- 
ship  has  undergone  some  changes.  When  Mr.  Jud- 
son retired,  Mr.  Cornelius  Alvord  was  Cashier  for  a 
time,  and  upon  his  death  and  before  the  election  of 
Thomas  J.  Leach,  in  1859.  Mr.  Howlett  officiated. 
Since  then,  the  presidency  and  cashiership  have 
been  respectively  filled  by  these  gentlemen. 

The  Salt  Springs  Bank  continued  as  such,  oper- 
ating under  the  general  banking  law  of  the  State, 
till  1865,  when  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  merge 
its  business  in  that  of  a  national  bank.  It  accord- 
ingly obtained  a  charter  from  the  government,  sim- 
ply interpolated  the  word  "  national,"  and  continued 
its  business  under  the  same  management  and  with 
the  original  cajiital  of  $200,000.  When  the  Syra- 
cuse Savings  Bank  building  was  ready  for  occu- 
pancy, the  Salt  Springs  National  Bank  removed  to 
one  of  the  elegant  suites  of  offices  in  it,  and  there 
it  will  doubtless  remain. 

That  the  management  of  this  bank  has  been 
fruitful  of  satisfactory  results  is  evinced  by  the  fact 
that  its  surplus  is  now  $55,000.  Its  deposits  ap- 
proximate from  two  hundred  to  two  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  dollars,  and  its  loans  and  discounts 
range  from  $300,000  to  $450,000,  depending  upon 
circumstances.  We  herewith  present  the  official 
statement,  dated  October  i,  1S77  : 

Resources. 

Loans  and  discounts.    $370,750  68 

Overdrafts 436  91 

U.  S.  Bonds  to  secure  circulation. . .  11 1,000  00 

Other  stocks,  bonds  and  mortgages. .  432  00 

Due  from  Approved  Reserve  Agents  26,236  55 

Due  from  other  .National  Banks. ....  7.928  42 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers..  5.371  41 

Checks  and  other  cash  items .  1.385  00 

Exchanges   for  Clearing    House,   in- 
cluding gold  checks 1 1,01 1  96 

Bills  of  other  banks 6,422  00 

Silver  coin    $    370  80 

Gold  treasury  certificates...  8,000  00 

8,370  80 

Legal  tender  notes 16,800  00 

Redemption  fund  with   U.  S.  Treas- 
urer, (not  more  than  5  per  cent, 

on  circulation; 4.995  00 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


205 


Due  U.  S.  Treasurer,  (other  than  5 
per  cent,  on  redemption  fund,) . . 


$16,800  00 


Total   $590,140  73 

Liabilities. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $200,000  00 

Surplus  fund    40,000^00 

Undivided  profits    1 1,493   35 

Circulating     notes     received      from 

Comptroller ...       1 16,700  00 

Individual  deposits  sub- 
ject to  check      ...    $218,315   89 
Demand  certificates   of 

deposit   2,422  45 

220,738  34 

Due  to   other    national  Banks   1,209  04 


Total   $590,140  7Z 

The  following  is  the  present  Board  of  Directors  : 
Jacob  Crouse,  David  A.  Munro,  Charles  Hubbard, 
J.  W.  Truesdell,  George  Geddes,  Payne  Bigelow, 
William  Brown  Smith,  Erastus  Phillips,  Alfred  A. 
Hewlett,  I.  H.  Munroe,  Daniel  Gates,  Elizur  Clark, 
Giles  Everson  and  George  N.  Crouse. 

The  President,  Mr.  Howlett,  devotes  his  whole 
time  to  the  business  of  the  bank.  He  has  lived  in 
this  city  about  twenty-five  years,  and  while  con- 
nected with  large  enterprises  of  one  kind  and 
another  in  Syracuse,  has  also  been  interested  else- 
where, especially  in  pork  packing  at  Delphi,  Indiana, 
under  the  firm  of  Spears,  Case  &  Co.  At  Oswego 
he  has  been  engaged  in  milling  and  the  provision 
trade,  firm  of  Howlett,  Gardner  &  Co.,  and  in 
private  banking  at  Oswego,  firm  of  Ames,  Howlett 
&  Co.  For  some  time  he  also  officiated  as 
President  and  Vice-President  of  the  Chenango 
Valley  Railroad,  in  the  building  of  which  he  was 
largely  interested.  For  twenty  years  or  more  Mr. 
Howlett  has  been  engaged  in  salt  manufacture,  and 
has  been  busy  in  many  enterprises. 

Mr.  Leach,  the  Cashier,  is  a  banker  by  profession. 
Previous  to  becoming  associated  with  the  Salt 
Springs  Bank,  he  had  been  Teller  in  the  old  Salina 
Bank,  and  now  brings  to  bear  upon  his  multifarious 
duties  his  comprehensive  knowledge  gained  in  the 
school  of  experience. 

Third  National  Bank. 

The  Third  National  Bank  of  Syracuse  has  been 
in  existence  about  fourteen  years,  and  during  that 
time  it  has  made  for  itself  a  record  such  as  any 
monetary  institution  may  well  be  proud  of  It  was 
organized  in  the  latter  part  of  1863,  but  did  not 
begin  business  till  January  i,  1864.  Its  capital  was 
placed  at  $150,000,  at  that  time  supposed  ample 
for  the  transaction  of  its  prospective  business. 
Events  demonstrated  the  reverse,  however,  and  in 


May,  1864,  it  was  increased  to  $200,000.  This  did 
not  suffice,  and  on  the  21st  of  November,  of  the 
same  year,  the  capital  was  again  increased,  this 
time  to  $300,000,  at  which  amount  it  has  since  re- 
mained, increased,  of  course,  by  the  accumulated 
surplus,  which  is  now  $79,000. 

The  first  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Third  National 
consisted  of  the  following  named  gentlemen  :  John 
W.  Barker,  James  M.  Munro,  Charles  Pope,  Allen 
Munroe,  Timothy  R.  Porter,  H.  W\  VanBuren, 
Lucius  Gleason,  Frank  Hiscock  and  James  Munroe. 
The  first  President  was  James  Munroe  ;  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Allen  Munroe,  and  in  January,  1871, 
Mr.  Lucius  Gleason,  the  present  incumbent,  was 
elected  to  the  Presidency.  The  first  Cashier  was 
Fraficis  H.  Williams,  who  retained  the  position  till 
February,  1873,  when  Mr.  George  S.  Leonard  be- 
came Cashier. 

Official  statement  of  the  Third  National  Bank 
made  on  the  6th  day  of  October,  1877  : 

Resources. 

Loans  and  Discounts $416,043  45 

United  States  Bonds  to  secure  circu- 
lation  

United  States  Bonds  to  secure  De- 
posits  

Other  Slocks,  Bonds  and  Mortgages.. 

Due  from  Approved  Reserve  Agents. 

Due  from  Approved  Reserve  Agents 
igold ) 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  Bankers. . 

Exchanges  for  Clearing  House 

Bills  of  other  Banks 

Fractional  Currency  (in'ding  Nickels) 

Specie,  silver 

Legal  Tender  Notes 10,000  00 

Redemption  Fund  with  U.  S.  Treas- 
urer, (five  per  cent,  of  circula- 
tion)         12,375  00 


275,000  00 

100,000  00 

6,615  00 

28,225  79 

4,005  66 

16,505  42 

248  55 

4,450  33 

4-255  00 

121  28 

500  00 


Total    $878,345  48 


Liacilities. 

Capital  Stock  paid  in   

Surplus   Fund 

Undivided  profits 

National  Bank  Notes  outstanding. . . . 
Individual  Deposits  subject  to  check., 

United  States  Deposits 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  Bankers   . . . 


$300,000  00 

60,000  00 

23.388  87 

247,500  CO 

200,929  83 
42,833  28 

2,684  66 
1,008  84 


Total $878,345  48 

The  President  of  the  Third  National,  although 
attending  to  his  official  duties,  resides  in  the  neigh- 
boring village  of  Liverpool,  where  he  was  born.  A 
large  part  of  his  life  has  been  passed  in  mercantile 
pursuits.     Since  1842,  he  has  also  been  extensively 


206 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  salt,  continuing  the 
business,  in  addition  to  carrying  on  large  coal  min- 
ing interests  in  Pennsylvania.  Of  late  years,  how- 
ever, the  management  of  the  bank  has  chiefly  oc- 
cupied his  time. 

The  present  Board  of  Directors  are  Lucius  Glea- 
son,  Frank  Hiscock,  Harmon  VV  Van  Buren. 
James  J.  Beldcn.  George  P.  Hier,  Giles  Everson, 
Payne  Bigelow,  Frank  H.  Hiscock,  and  George  S. 
Leonard. 

The  Third  National  l^ank  is  now  located  in  a  very 
elegant  suite  of  offices  in  the  White  Memorial 
Building,  second  floor,  and  is  one  of  the  representa- 
tive monetary  institutions  of  the  city.  It  is  the 
designated  United  States  Depository  of  internal 
revenue  for  this  district,  and  also  acts  as  "  Clearing 
House  "  for  the  ten  associated  banks  of  the  city. 
The  Clearing  House  has  now  been  in  operation 
about  three  years,  and  is  conducted  on  the  same 
principles  as  the  New  York  Clearing  House.  Mr. 
Leonard,  the  cashier  of  the  Third  .Vational  Bank, 
is  the  Manager. 

Merchants  National  Bank. 

The  history  of  this  bank  comprises  a  period  of 
about  twenty-seven  years.  It  was  organized  under 
a  State  charter  in  1850  as  the  Merchants  Bank. 
Of  that  corporation,  John  D.  Norton  was  President  ; 
Edward  B.  Judson,  Vice-President  ;  Eli  H.  Sher- 
man, Cashier.  These  gentlemen,  together  with 
Herrick  Allen,  Marcus  Cone,  Peter  Outwater,  Jr., 
Charles  C.  Richardson,  Joseph  F.  Sabin,  James  M. 
Baker,  Lucius  D.  Cowan,  Harvey  Loomis,  Simon 
C.  Hitchcock  and  Jacob  M.  Cook,  comprised  the 
Board  of  Directors.  The  names  of  these  gentle- 
men will  be  remembered,  especially  by  the  older 
citizens  of  Syracuse  ;  they  were  the  leading  busi- 
ness men  of  that  day,  and  now  all  are  deceased  ex- 
cept Mr.  Judson.  The  capital  of  the  Merchants 
Bank  was  placed  at  5135,000.  At  a  special  meeting 
of  the  Board  in  the  fall  of  1851,  this  capital  was 
increased  to  $160,000,  and  subsequently,  to  meet 
the  demands  of  the  business,  the  capital  was  again 
increased  to  $180,000.  Continuing  business  as  a 
State  Bank  till  June,  1865,  the  Merchants  was 
then  merged  in  a  National  Bank,  with  an  authorized 
capital  of  $500,000,  the  paid-in  capital  remaining  : 
$180,000.  Jefferson  Freeman  was  President,  and 
since  him,  the  presidency  has  been  filled  by  Mr. 
Kennedy,  Mr.  Stevens,  and  Mr.  R.  N.  Gere,  the 
latter  gentleman   being  elected   President  in  1868. 

Mr.  Gere  has  long  been  a  resident  of  Geddes  | 
and  has  been  intimately  identified  with  the  prom-  ' 
inent  interests   of  this  section.     He    has  been  a 


prominent  salt  manufacturer,  and  is  now  President 
of  the  Syracuse  Iron  Works.  He  is  also  President 
of  the  Geddes  Street  Railroad  Company,  is  con- 
nected with  the  Blast  Furnace,  and  in  manufactur- 
ing and  other  circles  has  always  borne  a  part  of 
whatever  work  was  necessary.  His  time  is  now 
largely  occupied  with  the  management  of  the  Iron 
Works,  though  he  exercises  the  general  supervision 
of  a  president  over  the  affairs  of  the  bank. 

Mr  E.  R.  Plumb  has  been  Cashier  since  June, 
1864,  he  succeeding  Peter  Outwater,  Jr.,  deceased. 
Such  have  been  the  changes  in  the  official  manage- 
ment. The  present  Board  of  Directors  :  George 
N.  Kennedy,  J.  A.  Sherman,  George  P.  Hier,  E. 
R.  Plumb,  R.  Nelson  Gere,  H.  D.  Denison,  George 
Stevens,  Peter  Burns  and  N.  S.  Gere. 

While  the  capital  of  the  Merchants  National 
Bank  is  nominally  $180,000,  it  is  really  $280,000, 
for  the  surplus  is  $100,000.  The  loans  and  dis- 
counts appro.\imate  $400,000,  and  the  deposits 
$225.000 — a  mere  mention  of  facts  to  show  in  what 
esteem  the  bank  is  held. 

Its  official  statement,  made  October  i,  1877,  is 
as  follows : 

Resources. 

Loans  and  discounts $368, 1 42  07 

Overdrafts. 1,519  21 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation. . . .  143,500  00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents...  40,010  38 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 10,213  81 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers  .  14,420  83 

Real  Estate 2,261  97 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid. ...  3,817  67 

Exchanges  for  Clearing  House 3.042  87 

Bills  of  other  banks 5,000  00 

Specie 602  46 

Legal  tender  notes 15,000  00 

Redemption  fund  with   U.  S.  Treas- 
urer, (5   per  cent,  of  circulation)  6,457  5° 

Total $613,98877 

Liabilities. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $180,000  00 

Surplus  fund 50,000  00 

Undivided  profits 52,381   61 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding. .. .  129,150  oo 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check.  188,386  49 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 10,000  00 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 1,885  57 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers. ...  2,185  36 

Total $613,988  77 

The  management  of  the  bank  is  largely  with  the 
Cashier,  a  gentleman  who  has  been  connected  with 
banking  operations  for  twenty  years.  In  1S56  he 
entered  the  Merchants  Bank  as  book-kcejjer,  sub- 
sequently became  teller,  and  now  for  thirteen  years 
has  been  Cashier. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY   NEW  YORK. 


207 


The  bank  has  pleasant,  roomy  quarters  in  the 
Wieting  Block,  corner  of  South  Salina  and  West 
Water  streets,  with  every  convenience  for  the  trans- 
action of  its  large  and  increasing  business. 

Syracuse  National  Bank. 

The  history  of  this  bank  now  belongs  wholly  to 
the  past,  it  having  closed  up  its  business  in 
1877.  While  it  was  in  existence  it  was  the  old- 
est bank  in  the  city,  having  been  organized  as  the 
"  Bank  of  Syracuse  "  under  the  general  State  bank- 
ing law,  in  1839.  John  Wilkinson,  Esq.,  was  its 
first  President,  and  Horace  White,  Cashier.  The 
bank  entered  upon  a  career  of  prosperity  which  it 
maintained  without  abatement  for  a  long  series  of 
years,  being  one  of  the  leading  monetary  institu- 
tions of  the  city.  Its  capital  in  1839  was  $200,- 
000,  which  remained  the  same  till  its  close.  Mr. 
Wilkinson  died  while  occupying  the  position  of 
President,  on  the  19th  of  September,  1862,  and 
Mr.  Hamilton  White  became  President  for  a  short 
time  ;  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  John  H.  Chiddell, 
who  in  turn  yielded  the  Presidency  to  Hon.  Andrew 
D.  White,  a  gentleman  better  known  in  educational 
than  in  banking  circles — the  President  of  Cornell 
University.  But  one  change  occurred  in  the  Cash- 
iership  ;  Horace  White  being  succeeded  by  Mr. 
Orrin  Ballard  in  1856,  who  henceforth  became  the 
active  manager  of  the  bank.  Mr.  Ballard  has 
been  by  profession  a  banker,  having  had  experience 
in  the  business  here  and  elsewhere  from  boyhood. 
The  bank,  however,  during  its  career  of  prosperity, 
was  indebted  to  the  talents  and  capital  of  Hamil- 
ton and  Horace  White,  Esqs.,  who  gave  it  its  im- 
petus and  largely  shaped  its  fortunes.  These  gen- 
tlemen, together  with  John  Wilkinson,  Esq.,  the 
first  President  of  the  bank,  were  early  and  promi- 
nent residents  of  the  city,  and  for  many  years  in- 
timately identified  with  all  its  leading  interests. 

The  Bank  of  Syracuse  continued  business  under 
its  State  organization  till  1865,  when  it  availed  itself 
of  the  national  banking  law  under  the  name  and 
style  of  the  Syracuse  National  Bank.  Thus  it  con- 
tinued till  the  close  of  its  business  in  1877.  The 
stock  holders  have  all  been  paid  up,  and  the  affairs 
of  the  bank  are  in  a  satisfactory  state  of  settle- 
ment. 

State  and  Private  Banks. 

Mechanics  Bank. 
The  Mechanics  Bank  of  Syracuse  was  originally 
organized  in  August,  185 1,  under  the  old  free 
banking  law  of  the  State.  It  began  business  in 
November  following  with  a  paid-up  capital  of  ;$  140,- 
000,  and  through  the  changes  which  the  bank  has 


since  passed  the  original  capital  has  been  retained. 
Upon  its  organization  Thomas  B.  Fitch  was  elected 
President  and  E.  B.  Weeks  Cashier.  The  original 
incorporators  were,  Edward  B.  Weeks,*  Jonathan 
R.  Warner,*  Cornelius  T.  Longstreet,  John  P. 
Ballard,  Alfred  H.  Hovey,*  Charles  B.  Sedgwick, 
Joseph  Bruce,*  George  Salmon,*  Curtis  Moses  and 
Joel  Thayer.  Of  these  original  incorporators  the 
only  ones  now  remaining  with  the  bank  are  Messrs. 
Longstreet,  Thayer  and  Fitch.  Mr.  Longstreet  is 
a  native  of  the  vicinity  ;  for  years  he  was  connected 
with  the  trade  of  Syracuse,  and  subsequently  was 
engaged  in  trade  in  New  York  City.  His  efforts 
were  productive  of  substantial  results,  and  about 
fifteen  years  ago  he  retired  from  business.  Mr. 
Thayer  is  a  resident  of  Skaneateles  ;  he  is  largely 
identified  with  some  of  the  heaviest  manufacturing 
interests  of  the  city,  and  at  his  home  is  engaged  in 
banking,  milling  and  other  operations. 

Mr.  Weeks  remained  President  until  his  death  in 
1872,  when  Mr.  James  M.  Ellis  was  elected  to  the 
Presidency.  Such  have  been  the  changes  in  the 
official  management.  The  Mechanics  Bank  con- 
tinued business  as  a  Stale  Bank  till  July,  1865, 
when  it  obtained  a  charter  as  a  National  Bank.  It 
was  known  and  continued  business  as  the  Mechanics 
National  Bank  till  1873,  when  the  National  charter 
was  resigned,  and  tlie  name  became,  as  of  old, 
simply  the  Mechanics  Bank,  and  the  same  general 
business  has  been  adhered  to. 

The  bank  was  originally  located  in  the  building 
immediately  south  of  Wieting  Block  on  Salina 
street,  which  was  sold  to  Dr.  Wieting.  P'rom  there 
it  removed  to  the  Earned  Block,  where  it  remained 
about  one  year,  or  until  the  spring  of  1876,  when 
removal  was  made  to  the  elegant  banking  offices 
now  occupied  by  it  in  the  Syracuse  Savings  Bank 
Building. 

The  active  management  of  the  Mechanics  Bank 
is  with  the  President  and  Cashier,  both  of  whom 
are  old  residents  of  the  city.  Mr.  Ellis  is  a  native 
of  Onondaga  Hill,  and  for  twenty-three  years  has 
been  connected  with  business  interests  here,  as  a 
merchant,  manufacturer  and  banker.  Mr.  Fitch 
has  resided  here  since  1831  ;  till  1846,  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  trade,  and  during  most  of  the 
time  since  has  been  a  banker.  Both  he  and  Mr. 
Ellis  are  also  copartners  in  the  jobbing  boot  and 
shoe  house  of  Dunn,  Salmon  &  Co.  Their  man- 
agement of  the  affairs  of  the  bank  has  been  charac- 
terized by  a  liberal  and  judicious  spirit,  and  the 
effect  is  to  be  seen  in  the  business  of  the  institu- 
tion.    The  following  named  gentlemen  constitute 


*  Deceased. 


208 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


the  present  Board  of  Directors  :  James  M.  Ellis, 
T.  B.  Fitch,  C.  T.  Longstreet,  Joel  Thayer.  John 
Dunn,  Jr.,  F.  S.  Wicks,  E.  F.  Rice. 

State  Bank  of  Syracuse. 

The  founders  of  the  State  Bank  of  Syracuse 
were,  for  the  most  part,  gentlemen  who  had  been 
incorporators  of  the  Trust  and  Deposit  Company. 
The  special  charter  of  the  last  named  Company  did 
not  admit  of  a  general  commercial  banking  busi- 
ness, which  the  incorporators  wished  to  combine 
with  the  peculiar  features  of  the  Trust  and  Savings 
Bank,  and  therefore  a  new  enterprise  under  the 
name  of  the  State  Bank  of  Syracuse,  was  organized 
under  the  general  banking  law,  and  began  business 
on  the  first  of  February,  1873.  The  paid-up  capi- 
tal was  S  100.000,  most  of  the  stock  being  held  in 
this  city.  The  officers  of  this  bank  are  John  J. 
Crouse,  President  ;  Frank  Hiscock,  Vice  President ; 
Matthew  J.  Myers,  Cashier  ;  and  the  Board  of  Di- 
rectors, John  J.  Crouse,  Frank  Hiscock,  George 
Barnes,  Henry  L.  Beard,  George  N.  Kennedy, 
Thomas  Molloy  and  M.  J.  Myers.  This  bank  does 
business  in  the  same  office  with  the  Trust  and  De- 
posit Company,  viz.  :  in  the  Onondaga  County 
Savings  Bank  building,  but  the  capital  and  business 
of  the  two  institutions  are  wholly  distinct,  and  the 
formation  of  the  State  Bank  has  added  a  valuable 
banking  capital  to  the  monetary  interest  of  Syra- 
cuse. 

The  active  management  of  the  business  of  the 
bank  is  with  Mr.  Myers,  the  Cashier,  although  there 
is  an  E.xecutive  Board  composed  of  Messrs.  Crouse, 
Hiscock  and  Barnes.  Mr.  Myers  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  banking  interest  of  Syracuse  for 
more  than  twenty  years.  In  1855  he  entered  the 
Burnet  Bank  as  book-keeper,  and  afterwards  became 
its  teller.  For  a  time  he  was  with  Wilkinson  & 
Co.'s  Bank,  and  for  a  number  of  years  receiving 
teller  of  the  Onondaga  County  Savings  Bank.  Then 
he  became  Cashier  of  a  bank  in  the  oil  regions  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  also  carried  on  a  private  bank 
there  for  a  short  time.  He  has  been  Cashier  of 
the  State  Bank  of  Syracuse  since  its  organization, 
and  is  also  Secretary  of  the  Onondaga  Trust  and 
Deposit  Company.  The  bank  transacts  a  general 
business,  and  although  not  long  established,  has 
won  for  itself  a  good  reputation  in  monetary  circles. 

New  York  State  Banking  CoMrANV. 
The  origin  of  this  bank  goes  back  to  1852,  when 
the  Burnet  Bank  was  incorporated  under  the  State 
banking  law.  In  this  capacity  it  continued  to  do 
business  till  after  the  national  banking  system  was 
adopted,  when  it  was  merged  in   the  "  Fourth  Na- 


tional Bank  of  Syracuse,"  and  continued  to  do  bus- 
iness as  such  till  the  national  charter  was  resigned 
in  1872.  At  this  date  the  name  of  the  New  York 
State  Banking  Company  was  assumed,  and  the  bank 
has  continued  without  any  change  in  the  general 
character  of  its  business. 

Mr.  Nathan  F.  Graves,  one  of  the  old  and  well- 
known  citizens  of  Syracuse,  has  remained  President 
of  the  bank  ever  since  its  original  incorporation  in 
1842.  By  profession,  Mr.  Graves  is  an  attorney, 
and  he  is  now  one  of  the  old  members  of  the  Syra- 
cuse bar.  Since  making  his  home  in  this  city  he 
has  become  largely  interested  in  real-estate  mat- 
ters ;  he  has  built  and  now  owns  a  large  number  of 
residences  in  the  city.  For  a  number  of  years  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  and  its 
President,  and  he  has  also  been  Mayor  of  the  city. 
In  brief,  his  life  has  been  both  public  and  active. 
While  he  still  continues  to  give  the  business  of  the 
bank  more  or  less  of  his  personal  attention,  the 
active  management  of  its  details  devolves  upon  Mr. 
R.  A.  Bonta,  the  Cashier.  Mr.  Bonta  entered  the 
Burnet  Bank  in  1856  as  a  clerk.  Subsequently  he 
became  book-keeper,  then  teller,  and  in  1864  was 
made  Cashier,  a  position  he  has  since  retained. 

The  New  York  State  Banking  Company  retains 
its  old  location  in  Wicting  Block,  second  floor, 
where  it  has  pleasant  and  well  furnished  apartments 
for  the  transaction  of  its  business.  Being  a  private 
bank,  we  can  make  no  authorized  statement  of  its 
capital,  deposits  or  discounts.  Nor  is  it  necessary, 
since  its  character  as  a  reliable  and  prosperous 
monetary  institution  is  well  known  to  the  public. 
The  present  officers  are,  Nathan  F.  Graves,  Presi- 
dent ;  John  White,  Vice-President ;  R.  A.  Bonta, 
Cashier;  George  L.  Bonta,  Teller ;  J.  Frank  Cock- 
ings.  Discount  Cleik  ;  William  S.  Reed,  Book- 
keeper, and  Louis  L.  Cole,  Clerk. 

Wilkinson  &  Co.'s  Bank. 

The  Banking  House  under  this  firm  name  was 
established  nearly  twenty  years  ago  by  Alfred 
Wilkinson  and  S.  H.  Slosson,  the  last  named  gen- 
tleman supplying  the  needed  capital.  It  has  been 
in  existence  long  enough  to  be  regarded  as  one  of 
the  permanent  institutions  of  Syracuse.  Since  its 
organization  no  change  has  occurred  in  the  firm 
style,  and  but  one  change  each  in  co-partnership 
and  location.  Beginning  its  career  in  the  Syracuse 
House  Block,  it  continued  to  occupy  that  place  till 
1874,  when  removal  was  made  to  the  very  central 
location  now  occupied,  corner  of  South  Salina  and 
Railroad  streets.  In  1 863,  Mr.  Slosson  retired  and  J. 
Forman  Wilkinson  became  a  partner  with  his  brother. 


The  snbject  of  this  sketch  -was  born  in  the  town  of  Pompey, 
Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  2, 1831.  He  was  the  youngest  son  of 
Thomas  Rice  and  Charlotte  Flint,  both  natives  of  Massachusetts. 
His  father  came  to  this  county  in  the  year  1818,  and  settled  in 
the  town  of  Pompey,  half  a  mile  east  of  Oran,  and  hence  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  part  of  the  county ;  he  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  and  died  March  25,  1843. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  came  to  the  city  of  Syracuse  at 
the  age  of  twelve  years,  and  having  lost  his  father  about  this 
time,  and  not  being  pecuniarily  assisted,  was,  unaided  and  alone, 
at  that  age  left  to  begin  obly  as  a  boy  can.  His  first  two  years 
were  spent  as  a  bundle  boy.  During  the  next  two  years  he  was 
a  clerk  in  a  general  merchandise  store  at  Marcellus.  Returning 
to  the  city  he  entered  upon  a  clerkship  in  the  dry-goods  trade, 
and  remained  until  1852,  and  went  to  New  York  and  became 
a  clerk  in  a  large  wholesale  house,  then  one  of  the  largest 
dry-goods  houses  of  that  city.  Here  he  remained  for  one  year, 
and  returned  to  his  native  county.  During  these  years,  by 
strict  economy,  he  had  got  together  a  few  hundred  dollars. 
This  money,  on  his  return,  he  invested,  first  in  partnership 
with  Col.  Charles  Richardson.    After  two  years  he  started  alone 


in  the  dry-goods  business,  in  a  small  way,  in  the  old  Franklin 
building.  East  Genesee  street.  Although  limited  in  an  oppor- 
tunity for  an  education  from  books  while  young,  the  past  few 
years'  experience  had  suppUed  him  with  a  practical  business 
education,  and  strengthened  his  business  ability.  He  began 
his  business  career  in  a  modest  way,  determined  to  succeed  if 
en«rgy,  indomitable  pei"severance,  and  business  habits  would 
win  success.  At  the  time  of  writing  this  sketch  he  Ls  one  of 
the  oldest  dry-goods  merchants  in  the  city,  and  during  these 
years  his  name  has  been  a  synonym  for  strict  integrity  of  pur- 
pose, honorable  dealing,  and  a  business  thrift  often  characteristic 
of  self-made  men.  The  result  of  deserved  ambition  may  be 
seen  on  South  Salina  street,  in  the  fine  brick  structure  occupied 
by  him  for  a  dry-goods  house,  being  one  of  the  best  in  the  city, 
and  erected  in  1876. 

In  the  year  1854,  August  31,  he  married  Miss  Ellen,  daughter 
of  Hon.  Hiram  Eaton,  of  Fayetteville,  to  whom  has  been  born 
three  children, — Nellie  Z.,  Lizzie  E.,  and  Edward  I. 

In  politics  Mr.  Rice  i.s  identified  with  the  Republican  party. 
Is  not  solicitous  of  any  political  preferment;  looks  rather  to 
principles  involved  than  to  party  in  casting  his  vote. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


209 


The  Messrs.  Wilkinson  are  the  only  bankers  of  this 
city  who  are  natives  of  Syracuse.  Many  others 
are  old  residents,  but  were  not  born  here.  It  is  a 
singular  coincidence  that  the  Wilkinson  brothers 
are  now  doing  banking  business  upon  the  very 
premises  where  they  were  born,  their  father,  John 
Wilkinson,  Esq.,  having  occupied  the  place  with  his 
residence  and  law  office,  at  a  time  when  he  was  the 
only  lawyer  in  the  village,  and  his  office  was  con- 
sidered "  out  of  town." 

The  Messrs.  Wilkinson  are  both  civil  engineers 
by  profession,  and  each  has  been  connected  with 
railway  enterprises  as  superintendents  of  roads  or 
divisions.  They  became  bankers  by  the  force  of 
circumstances,  and  although  the  experience  was 
new  to  them,  they  seem  to  have  adjusted  them- 
selves as  naturally  to  this  branch  of  business  as  if 
they  had  been  brought  up  in  it.  At  least  the  suc- 
cess which  has  attended  their  efforts  is  a  sufficient 
proof  that  they  have  not  mistaken  their  calling. 

The  Banking  House  of  Wilkinson  &  Co.  deal 
in  foreign  exchange,  receive  deposits,  issue  loans  and 
discounts,  and,  in  short,  attend  to  all  the  branches 
of  a  general  banking  business.  Its  affairs  are  in  a 
satisfactory  condition,  and  its  increasing  deposits 
are  evidence  of  a  large  share  of  public  confidence. 

The  Cashier  is  Mr.  Edward  Westcott,  son  of  a 
former  Mayor  of  Syracuse.  He  has  the  reputation 
of  being  a  business  man  in  every  sense  of  the 
word,  and  his  relations  with  the  monetary  and 
other  interest  of  the  city  have  always  been  of  the 
highest  character.  Mr.  E.  C.  Seager  is  the  teller, 
Mr.  Charles  Whitney  book-keeper,  and  William 
Hookaway,  discount  clerk.  These  gentlemen  have 
been  associated  with  the  bank  for  several  years, 
and  creditably  fill  their  responsible  positions. 

Trust  and  Deposit  Company  of  Onondaga. 

This  Banking  Institution  has  a  sphere  of  busi- 
ness somewhat  peculiar.  The  company  is  author- 
ized by  its  charter  to  make  investments  for  parties 
at  home  or  abroad,  in  bonds,  stocks,  &c.,  and  to  act 
as  agent,  receiver,  e.xecutor,  administrator,  guardian, 
treasurer,  assignee  or  trustee,  either  by  power  of 
attorney  or  appointment  of  court.  The  duties  of 
administrator  have  extensively  fallen  to  it,  and  it  is 
well  fitted  to  act  in  this  capacity  from  its  capital 
which  is  pledged  for  its  trust  funds,  its  absence  of 
personal  interest,  and  its  command  of  time  to  de- 
vote to  such  business.  Having  all  the  rights  and 
privileges  of  a  Savings  Bank,  it  designs  to  go  far- 
ther, and  provide  safe  receptacles  for  money,  bonds, 
and  other  valuables,  diflering  in  its  reception  and 
keeping  of  them  from  the  system  which  character- 
27* 


izes  ordinary  deposits.  The  Trust  and  Deposit 
Company  of  Onondaga  was  organized  in  1869,  with 
Dudley  P.  Phelps,  President ;  Daniel  P.  Wood  and 
E.  B.  Judson,  Vice-Presidents  ;  and  Matthew  J. 
Myers,  Secretary.  The  offices  of  this  company  are 
in  the  Onondaga  County  Savings  Bank  building, 
where  every  facility  is  provided  for  the  safe  keep- 
ing of  deposits.  The  company  for  a  small  consid- 
eration guarantee  their  absolute  safety,  and  thus 
meet  the  wants  of  prudent  men  and  women  who 
desire  to  secure  their  earnings,  small  or  large  sums, 
or  valuables  of  any  kind  from  being  lost  or  de- 
stroyed. To  accomplish  this  object,  the  office  of 
the  company  is  provided  with  one  of  the  finest 
vaults  in  the  State.  This  vault,  resting  upon  solid 
masonry,  is  encased  in  steel.  Three  doors  lead  to 
its  interior,  two  of  them  being  iron  and  steel,  pro- 
vided with  burglar-proof  combination  locks,  and 
one  of  them  is  the  famous  Sargent  chronometer 
lock.  The  third  door  is  of  iron  wicker  work. 
Reaching  the  interior  of  the  vault  one  sees  a  num- 
ber of  safes — one  of  them  burglar-proofs  where  are 
now  stored  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  bonds  for 
safe  keeping.  The  others  are  for  the  safe  keeping 
of  papers,  wills,  deeds,  insurance  policies,  mort- 
gages, and  the  like.  These  latter  safes  are  sub- 
divided into  a  great  many  apartments,  each  being 
provided  with  lock  and  check  lock,  and  a  party 
renting  one  of  these  boxes  has  absolute  control 
over  it.  These  small  boxes  or  safes  are  rented  at 
a  trifling  cost  for  a  longer  or  shorter  time  as  may 
be  desirable.  Provision  is  also  made  within  the 
vault  for  the  safe  keeping  of  jewelry,  silver  ware, 
&c.,  an  excellent  convenience  which  should  be  bet- 
ter understood  and  more  generally  used,  for  heavy 
securities  and  valuables  may  be  thus  preserved, 
against  the  depredations  of  burglars  and  against  fire. 
In  addition  to  this  peculiar  function,  the  company, 
as  a  savings  bank,  receives  deposits  in  sums,  of  five 
cents  and  upwards,  interest  on  all  sums  being  com- 
pounded every  six  months. 

The  Company  has  a  paid  up  capital  of  $100,000, 
one  half  of  which  is  dejjosited  with  the  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Banking  Department  of  the  State  of 
New  York  for  the  security  of  trust  funds  and  de- 
positors. All  the  safeguards  which  the  State  has 
provided  are  thrown  about  it,  and  the  company 
stands  upon  the  most  substantial  of  foundations. 
The  present  officers  of  the  company  are  the  follow- 
ing named  gentlemen  : 

Officers — John  J.  Crouse,  President ;  Geo.  Barnes, 
M.  J.  Myers,  Vice-Presidents  ;  James  Barnes,  Sec- 
retary. 

Trustees.— ]o\iVi  N.   Babcock,  D.  Edgar  Crouse, 


2IO 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Frank  Hiscock,  Martin  A.  Knapp,  Thomas  MoUoy, 
William  C.  Williams,  Robert  G.  Wynkoop.  George 
Barnes,  Frank  Bigelow,  John  J.  Crouse,  George 
N.  Kennedy,  Alfred  Mercer,  Matthew  J.  Myers, 
Daniel  P.  Wood 

Mr.  Dudley  P.  Phelps  having  retired  from  active 
connection  with  the  aft'airsof  this  Company,  its  man- 
agement will  hereafter  devolve  upon  Mr.  James 
Barnes,  for  the  past  thirteen  years  connected  with 
the  Onondaga  County  Savings  Bank. 

The  recently  retired  President,  Mr.  Phelps,  is  an 
old  citizen  of  Syracuse,  having  resided  here  forly- 
eight  years.  He  is  an  attorney  by  profession, 
although  he  has  never  practiced,  except  for  a  brief 
time.  For  a  long  time  he  was  connected  with  the 
Syracuse  and  Utica  Railroad,  continuing  with  it  till 
the  consolidation.  F"rom  1861  to  1 808  he  was 
Treasurer  of  the  Onondaga  County  Savings  Bank, 
and  since  the  formation  of  the  Trust  and  Deposit 
Company,  he  has  given  his  whole  attention  to  the 
duties  of  the  Presidency  of  the  Company.  The 
other  gentlemen  connected  with  the  Company  are 
all  well-known  citizens  whose  names  would  not  be 
associated  with  anything  doubtful  or  visionary. 
Dow,  Short  &  Co.'s  Bank. 

The  firm  of  Dow,  Short  &  Co.,  bankers,  com- 
menced business  in  January,  1876,  the  copartners 
being  H.  F.  Dow,  H.  W.  Short  and  O.  B.  Sperry. 
Their  offices  are  in  the  basement  of  the  Onondaga 
County  Savings  Bank  building. 

Savings  Banks. 

The  Savings  Banks  of  this  city  have  accom- 
plished greater  good  within  com[)aratively  few  years 
than  was  anticipated  at  the  outset  of  their  career. 
Their  immense  deposits  bespeak  habits  of  thrift 
and  economy  which  cannot  be  too  warmly  com- 
mended. But  while  this  is  the  case,  the  savings 
banks  have  more  money  than  they  want,  because 
they  are  limited  by  State  law  in  their  loans  upon 
bond  and  mortgage  to  sixty  per  cent,  of  their  de- 
posits, and  they  are  constantly  compelled  to  refuse 
deposits  from  the  simple  fact  that  the  money  cannot 
be  desirably  placed.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  the 
savings  banks  have  an  absolute  plethora  of  money, 
notwithstanding  the  cry  of  hard  times.  The  very 
"hard  times"  make  people  more  economical  and 
saving,  and  there  is  less  inclination  to  use  money 
in  active  enterprises.  When  such  active  enter- 
prises shall  again  be  generally  resumed  throughout 
the  country  the  evil  will  be  remedied.  But  this  is 
not  the  place  for  a  dissertation  on  finance  ;  our 
object  is  to  give  the  history  of  the  different  Savings 
Banks  of  the  city,  and  we  begin  with  the  oldest 
institution  of  the  kind  established  in  Syracuse. 


The  Syracuse  Savings  Bank. 

This  bank  was  incorporated  March  30,  1849. 
The  original  incorporators  were  Harvey  Baldwin, 
Moses  D.  Burnet,  James  Lynch,  George  Saul,  John 
B.  Burnet,  Johnson  Hall.  Harvey  Rhoades,  Phi- 
lander W.  Phobes,  Edward  B.  Wicks,  William  W. 
Teall,  Thomas  T.  Davis,  Thomas  B.  Fitch,  Dennis 
McCarthy,  George  F.  Comstock,  Henry  Giflord, 
Thomas  Bennet,  William  Clark  and  Elias  W. 
Leavenworth.  Of  these  gentlemen  many  have 
since  died,  others  have  either  removed  from  the 
city  or  otherwise  dissolved  their  connection  with  the 
bank,  and  at  this  time  Messrs.  Leavenworth,  Fitch 
and  McCarthy  are  the  only  ones  who  still  remain 
connected  with  the  enter|)rise.  L'pon  beginning 
business  the  Syracuse  Savings  Bank  had  its  head- 
quarters in  William  W.  Teall's  law  office,  on  Fay- 
ette Square.  Subsequently  it  removed  to  the 
Townsend  Block,  and  from  there  to  the  corner  of 
Church  and  Salina  streets.  Works  were  begun 
upon  the  magnificent  building  now  owned  by  the 
bank  in  May,  1875,  and  the  building  was  completed 
late  in  1876,  the  aggregate  cost  being  about  $300,- 
000 — probably  a  little  in  excess  of  that  amount. 
Space  will  not  admit  of  our  entering  into  an  elabo- 
rate description  of  the  building,  the  style  and  work- 
manship of  which  can  only  be  appreciated  by  a  per- 
sonal inspection  ;  suffice  it  to  say  that,  in  point  of 
architectural  appearance,  elaborateness  and  beauty 
of  finish,  it  is  not  surpassed  by  any  similar  structure 
in  the  country.  It  is  an  ornament  to  the  city  and 
a  monument  to  the  frugality  of  the  jjeoplc  and  the 
enterprise  of  the  trustees  of  the  bank,  under 
whose  direction  the  work  was  carried  forward. 

From  184910  1855,  the  bank  did  but  a  limited 
business ;  the  people  were  not  aroused  to  the 
full  benefits  accruing  from  such  an  institution  ;  but 
in  latter  years  a  forward  movement  was  manifested, 
and  from  that  time  on  the  business  has  constantly 
increased.  Till  1862,  no  surplus  was  acquired,  but 
since  that  date  the  surplus  has  accumulated  to 
S250.000.  Below  we  give  a  statement  of  the  con- 
dition of  the  bank  on  the  ist  of  July,  1877  : 

Resources. 

Bonds  and  Mortgages   . .    ^1,149,428  20 

Stock  Investments 497. '37  54 

Amount  Loaned  on  Stocks 220,830  00 

Banking  House  and  Lot,  at  cost 360.227   17 

Amount  of  other  Real  Estate 2,665  97 

Cash  on  Deposit  in  Bank,  &c 104,608  83 

Cash  on  Hand 34.862  42 

Amount  of  all  other  Assets 245,135  94 

Total $2,716,149  07 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


211 


The  actual  cash  transactions  of  the  Syracuse 
Savings  Bank  during  the  six  months  ending  July 
I,  1877,  were  ^1,871,540.  The  number  of  open 
accounts  was  5,965  ;  the  number  of  accounts  which 
exceed  ^5,000  was  30,  and  the  largest  amount  due 
any  one  depositor  was  $1 1,700. 

The  President,  General  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  is 
a  well-known  public  man,  having  been  Secretary  of 
State  and  lately  a  representative  from  this  district 
in  Congress.  He  is  President  of  a  number  of  the 
leading  corporations  of  this  city,  and  his  duties, 
public  and  private,  are  of  such  a  character  as  to 
demand  all  his  time.  To  the  affairs  of  the  bank  he 
gives  his  personal  attention  for  a  number  of  hours 
each  day,  and  in  its  management  is  assisted  by  the 
Treasurer,  Mr.  A.  F.  Lewis,  who  has  been  sixteen 
years  connected  with  the  bank,  eight  years  as  Treas- 
urer. Mr.  Lewis  has  won  an  excellent  reputation 
in  the  position  he  has  so  worthily  filled.  He  was 
formerly  connected  with  the  Canastota  Bank,  at 
Canastota,  Madison  county. 

Onondaga  County  Savings  Bank. 

A  special  charter  for  this  bank  was  granted  by 
the  Legislature  in  1855.  Its  design  then,  as  now, 
was  that  of  a  Savings  Bank,  or  an  institution  in 
which  the  large  or  small  savings  of  individuals 
might  be  deposited,  and  not  only  be  safe  but  gain  an 
increase  for  the  benefit  of  the  depositors.  The 
principle  is  one  which  tends  directly  to  develop 
economy  and  frugality  in  the  use  of  even  small  sums 
over  and  above  the  actual  expenses  of  living,  and 
thus  to  aid  thousands  in  the  first  steps  towards  a 
competency,  who  might  otherwise  be  poor  and  de- 
pendent all  their  days.  The  amount  of  good  which 
savings  banks  have  done  in  this  direction  cannot 
be  estimated  in  dollars  and  cents.  This  general 
remark  is  true  of  the  Onondaga  ^County  Savings 
Bank.  During  the  twenty-two  years  of  its  existence 
it  has  been  a  conservator  of  the  public  welfare  in 
more  directions  than  one.  The  original  incorpo- 
rators of  this  bank  were  Allen  Munroe,  James  L. 
Bagg,  Robert  G.  Wynkoop,  George  Barnes,  Perry 
Burdick,  James  Forman,  John  W.  Barker,  Daniel  P. 
Wood,  William  E.  Abbott,  Harlow  W.  Chittenden, 
Isaac  H.  Bronner,  Charles  F.  Williston,  Edward 
S.  Dawson,  John  Yorkey,  Levi  W.  Hall,  Cornelius 
L.  Alvord  and  John  Fitzgerald.  These  gentlemen 
had  no  selfish  purpose  to  serve  ;  their  work  was  a 
philanthropic  one  ;  and  judged  by  the  light  of  sub- 
sequent events,  they  deserve  honor  for  the  action 
then  taken. 

The   first  President  was  Allen  Munroe,  and  the 
first   Treasurer    S.   H.   Slosson.     Mr.  Munroe  re^ 


mained  President  till  quite  recently,' when  he  was 
succeeded  by  Daniel  P.  Wood.  Mr.  Slosson,  as 
Treasurer,  was  succeeded  by  Dudley  P.  Phelps, 
and  he  by  Edward  S.  Dawson,  the  present  Treas- 
urer, and  one  of  the  original  incorporators  of  the 
bank.  Maj.-Gen.  D.  P.  Wood  has  for  many  years 
been  a  resident  of  this  city.  He  is  a  native  of 
Pompey.  An  attorney  by  profession,  he  has  also 
been  largely  interested  in  the  manufacture  of  salt 
here,  and  in  a  thousand  ways  has  been  identified 
with  the  upbuilding  of  Syracuse.  For  a  number 
of  years  he  has  represented  this  county  and  district 
in  the  State  Senate  and  House  of  Assembly,  and 
he  was  the  author  of  the  banking  law  passed  in 
1875.  He  is  also  Treasurer  of  the  Highland  Solar 
Salt  Company,  and  is  carrying  on  one  of  the  leading 
burial  casket  manufactories  in  the  country,  located 
in  New  York.  Mr.  Dawson  has  been  Treasurer 
and  ex  officio  general  manager  of  the  bank  for  the 
past  eight  years.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  the 
city  for  the  past  thirty-three  years ;  was  formerly 
a  merchant  and  manufacturer  of  saddlery  hardware, 
and  in  his  business  relations  with  the  community  is 
well  known  as  a  gentleman  of  high  standing.  His 
whole  time  is  now  occupied  with  the  duties  of  his 
onerous  and  responsible  position. 

The  first  business  place  of  the  Onondaga  County 
Savings  Bank  was  over  No.  16  South  Salina  street, 
whence  it  removed  to  the  Syracuse  House  Block 
and  remained  till  taking  possession  of  its  new  build- 
ing. This  building  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  city  ; 
it  is  of  gray  Onondaga  limestone,  a  model  in  archi- 
tectural design  and  proportions,  and  surmounted  by 
a  superb  clock-tower,  which  is  lighted  up  gradually 
by  electricity  as  the  darkness  of  night  comes  on. 
This  building  is  not  only  an  ornament  to  the  city 
and  a  credit  to  its  architect  and  builders,  but  it 
serves  to  illustrate  what  elegant  building  material  is 
found  here  at  home.  The  bank  is  truly  a  repre- 
sentative institution  of  the  county.  The  building 
and  lot  cost  about  ;?300,ooo.  The  condition  of  the 
bank  financially  is  shown  by  the  following  official 
statement,  made  July  i,  1877  : 

Bonds  and  mortgages ;^2,704,209  14 

Government  and   municipal   bonds  1,641,423  75 

Amount  loaned  on  stocks  and  bonds  166,231   39 

Banking  House  and  lot,  at  cost 293.823  8 1 

Other  real  estate,  at  cost 44.995  86 

Cash  on  hand  and  in  bank 64,878  jZ 

Accrued  interest 1 23,287  94 

All  other  assets 30,61738 

Total  resources $5,069,468  05 

Due  depositors 4.649-257  19 

Net  surplus $420,210  ^6 


212 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


The  number  of  open  accounts  in  the  Onondaga 
County  Savings  Bank  July  i,  1877,  was  about 
15,000. 

The  present  officers  of  the  bank  are  as  follows  : 
Daniel  P.  Wood,  President  ;  Robert  G.  Wynkoop, 
Vice-President ;  Charles  Franchot,  Secretary,  and 
Edward  S.  Dawson,  Treasurer. 


Trustees-Archibald  C.  Powell,  Charles  F.  Wil- 
listen,  James  Terwilliger,  John  J.  Crouse,  Thomas 
Molloy,  George  Barnes,  Charles  Andrews,  Robert 
G.  Wynkoop,  John  W.  Barker,  Charles  Franchot, 
James  J.  Belden,  Daniel  P.  Wood.  William  E. 
Abbott,  Rasselas  A.  Bonta,  Francis  E.  Carroll,  and 
James  L.  Bagg. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 


HON.  DANIEL  PRATT. 

Daniel  Pratt  was  born  in  Greenwich,  Washington 
county,  N.  V.,  in  1806.  In  1833,  he  was  graduated 
at  Union  College,  and  in  the  same  year  moved  to 
Onondaga  county,  where  he  read  law  with  David 
D.  Hillis,  Esq.,  at  Camillus. 

In  the  fall  of  1836,  he  removed  to  Syracuse,  where 
he  has  since  resided.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  July  1837,  with  Judge  George  F.  Comstock  and 
Hon.  Charles  B.  Sedgwick  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  his  profession  with  David  D.  Hillis,  Esq. 

In  February,  1843,  he  was  appointed  by  Gov- 
ernor Bouck,  First  Judge  of  Onondaga  county. 
Four  years  later  he  was  elected  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court  and  was  reelected  in  1851.  At  the 
close  of  the  term  for  which  he  had  been  reelected, 
he  retired  from  the  bench  enjoying  the  unreserved 
confidence  of  the  people  he  had  so  long  served, 
both  as  to  his  unquestioned  integrity  and  his  judi- 
cial ability. 

It  is  said  of  him  that  while  acting  in  the  capacity 
of  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  he  never  in  one 
instance  adjourned  his  court  closing  the  term  with- 
out clearing  the  calendar  of  all  causes  ready  for 
trial.  While  upon  the  bench,  both  Hamilton  and 
Union  Colleges  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of 
LL.  D., — a  fitting  tribute  to  his  legal  attainments 
and  to  his  private  and  public  worth. 

He  resumed  the  practice  of  law  January  ist, 
i860,  forming  a  partnership  with  the  late  David  J. 
Mitchell,  an  advocate  of  surpassing  persuasive 
powers.  Two  years  later  Mr.  Wilber  M.  Brown 
was  admitted  to  the  partnership,  and  the  firm  as 
thus  constituted  for  fifteen  years  ranked  among  the 
first  in  the  State,  having  an  unusually  successful 
and  lucrative  practice. 

Judge  Pratt  was  elected  as  one  of  the  counsel  to 


prosecute  Judge  Barnard  in  the  impeachment  of 
the  latter,  and  the  same  year  received  the  appoint- 
ment from  Governor  Hoffman  as  one  of  the  Com- 
missioners to  revise  the  Constitution  of  the  State, 
In  1873,  he  was  elected  Attorney-General,  a  posi- 
tion which  he  filled  with  distinction  and  honor. 

The  mind  of  Judge  Pratt  had  been  thoroughly 
disciplined  in  early  life  by  study  and  reading, 
and  the  mental  training  involved  in  his  classical 
education  and  study  of  law  gave  him  an  ultimate 
mastery  of  his  profession  which  placed  him  among 
the  leading  jurists  of  his  time. 

His  genial  disposition,  strong  intellectuality,  and 
direct  and  positive  argumentative  powers,  strength- 
ened and  enforced  by  a  fund  of  knowledge  always 
at  his  command,  made  him  very  effective  as  an 
advocate,  and  won  for  him  a  large  share  of  popular 
appreciation.  Few  public  men  stand  higher  in  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  their  fellow  citizens. 

In  the  year  1838,  he  married  Miss  Maria,  sister 
of  S.  B.  Rowc,  of  Camillus,  in  which  town 
she  was  born.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pratt  were  bom 
four  sons,  viz :  William,  (drowned  while  young,) 
George  Comstock,  (died  young,  1  Charles  and  Daniel, 
the  latter  admitted  to  the  practice  of  law  and  in  the 
office  with  his  father. 

Mrs.  Pratt  was  a  most  devoted  Christian  wife  and 
mother, — a  friend  of  the  poor,  and  foremost  in  all 
work  for  their  relief  and  elevation.  She  was  one  of 
the  first  who  founded  the  Onondaga  Orphan  Asylum 
and  Syracuse  Home,  which  to-day  bear  testimony 
to  her  sagacity  and  disinterested  benevolence.  She 
died  on  the  nth  of  September.  1872,  aged  sixty- 
six  years.  For  more  than  thirty  years  she  had 
resided  in  the  city  of  Syracuse  and  been  for  many 
years  a  communicant  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church. 


t>.<^'^~^ 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


213 


WILLIAM  CRAWFORD  RUGER. 

This  eminent  member  of  the  legal  profession  was 
born  at  Bridgewater,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  January 
30th,  1824.  His  father,  John  Ruger,  was  a  prom- 
inent lawyer,  who  practiced  his  profession  at  Bridge- 
water  until  his  removal  to  Syracuse,  in  1847,  where 
he  continued  in  practice  until  his  death,  in  1855. 
William  C.  attended  school  at  the  Bridgewater 
Academy,  a  well  known  institution  of  learning, 
where  he  received  a  good  classical  education,  and 
afterwards  entered  the  office  of  his  father  as  a  stu- 
dent and  was  regularly  admitted  to  the  bar  under 
the  old  Supreme  Court  at  Utica  in  July,  1845. 

He  first  opened  an  office  at  Bridgewater  and 
practiced  at  that  place  until  1853,  when  he  removed 
to  Syracuse  and  entered  into  partnership  with  his 
father,  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  &  Wm.  C.  Ruger. 
Since  that  time  he  has  been  constantly  in  active 
practice  at  Syracuse,  and  connected  successively 
with  the  law  firms  of  Ruger  &  Lester,  Ruger  & 
Jenney,  Ruger,  Wallace  &  Jenney,  and  Ruger, 
Jenney,  Brooks  &  French.  Among  the  important 
cases  with  which  he  has  been  connected  are  the 
Lindsay  murder  trial,  the  litigation  arising  out  of 
the  failure  of  the  People's  Safe  Deposit  and  Savings 
Institution,  and  the  celebrated  "  canal  ring  "  prose- 
cutions instituted  by  Governor  Tilden. 

Mr.  Ruger  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  and 
frequently  represented  his  district  in  the  councils  of 
his  part)',  among  others  the  famous  Hunker  conven- 
tion held  at  Rome  and  Syracuse  in  1849,  ^^'^^  ^''st 
State  Judicial  Convention  in  1870,  the  National  Con- 
vention of  1872,  and  the  State  Convention  of  1877. 
He  has  also  been  twice  the  candidate  of  his  party 
for  member  of  Congress,  viz  :  in  1863  and  1865  ; 
but  owing  to  the  ascendency  of  the  Republican 
party  and  not  from  any  want  of  personal  merit,  he 
failed  of  an  election. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  Onondaga  County 
Bar  Association  in  1875,  he  became  its  first  Presi- 
dent, and  continued  in  that  office  for  three  years, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  Judge  Pratt.  He  was 
also  elected  President  of  the  first  State  Bar  Con- 
vention, held  in  this  state  at  Albanx-  in  1876,  when 
the  State  Bar  Association  was  formed,  of  which  he 
is  now  one  of  the  Vice-Presidents.  He  was  also  the 
first  President  of  the  social  club  organized  at  Syra- 
cuse in  1864,  and  known  as  the  Onondaga  Club. 
He  was  married  May  2d,  i860,  to  Harriet,  eldest 
daughter  of  Hon.  Erastus  S.  Prosser,  of  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.,  and  has  one  child,  Crawford  Prosser  Ruger, 
born  Nov.  8,  1861. 

Mr.  Ruger  holds  a  most  enviable  position  in  his 
chosen  profession.     Endowed  with  natural  abilities 


of  a  high  order,  and  possessed  of  a  peculiarly  acute 
and  logical  mind,  he  is  justly  distinguished  for  ex- 
tensive learning  and  sound  judgment.  With  these 
qualifications  as  an  advocate,  his  forensic  eftbrts  are 
exceedingly  able  and  effective,  while  his  arguments 
upon  questions  of  law  are  remarkable  for  clearness 
of  expression  and  for  a  style  of  reasoning  at  once 
forcible  and  convincing.  Above  the  use  of  tricks 
or  artifice,  he  presents  his  causes  upon  their  real 
merits,  and  his  professional  conduct  is  conspicuous 
for  uniform  fairness  and  courtesy.  Of  fine  personal 
appearance,  and  with  refined  and  cordial  manners, 
he  is  a  universal  favorite  among  his  professional 
brethren,  by  whom  he  is  justly  regarded  as  a  most 
able  lawyer  and  genial  gentleman. 


HON.  ELIZUR  CLARK. 

Mr.  Clark  was  born  in  the  town  of  Saybrook, 
Middlesex  county.  Conn.,  October  5,  1807. 

The  Clark  family  dates  back  to  the  early  settle- 
ment of  the  New  England  States,  and  is  descended 
from  John  Clark,  who  immigrated  to  America  about 
the  year  1644,  and  settled  first  in  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island.  The  ancestors  of  Elizur  Clark  were 
much  noted  for  longevity  ;  his  grandfather's  family, 
consisting  of  four  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  lived 
to  upwards  of  eighty-three  years  of  age,  the  young- 
est living  to  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-three  years. 
His  father,  Beamont  Clark,  born  July  25,  1767, 
lived  to  be  ninety  years  of  age  and  was  a  native  of 
Saybrook,  Conn.,  as  was  also  the  grandfather. 

His  father  came  with  that  part  of  the  family 
which  had  not  preceded  him  and  settled  in  the 
town  of  Cicero,  Onondaga  county,  in  the  summer 
of  1823.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  did 
very  much  in  the  early  settlement  of  that  town, 
until  1837,  when  he  removed  to  Michigan,  where  he 
died  in  the  year  1857.  His  mother,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Nabbe  Spencer,  lived  to  be  seventy-three 
years  of  age,  and  died  in  Michigan.  She  was  born 
January  14,  1770. 

The  subject  of  this  record  was  only  fifteen  years 
of  age  when  he  came  to  this  county  with  his  father 
and  was  next  to  the  youngest  in  a  family  of  eleven 
children— eight  sons  and  three  daughters— all  of 
whom,  except  one  besides  himself,  are  deceased. 

Mr.  Clark's  early  opportunities  for  obtaining  an 
education  were  limited.  On  coming  to  Syracuse 
he  embarked  in  business  for  himself,  and  his  sub- 
sequent successful  career  has  abundantly  proved 
that  a  practical  education  is  more  the  result  of 
capacity,  energy  and  self-application  than  of  book- 
study. 


214 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


He  spent  his  time  until  the  year  1834  in  such 
various  kinds  of  business  as  presented.  He  leased  the 
Salina  mill  property  of  Henry  Seymour,  and  carried 
on  the  lumbering  business  until  1837,  when  Mr. 
Seymour  died,  and  Mr.  Clark  purchased  a  half 
interest  in  the  pVoperty,  the  other  half  being 
owned  by  e.x-Governor  Horatio  Seymour.  He 
carried  on  this  business  until  1846,  when  he  pur- 
chased the  other  half  of  the  property,  and  sold  the 
same  to  Hon.  Thomas  G.  Alvord,  and  in  partner- 
ship Messrs.  Clark  &  Alvord  carried  on  the  lumber 
business  until  1863,  when  Mr.  Clark  retired  from 
the  firm,  and  ( with  the  exception  of  an  agency  in 
connection  with  the  party  to  whom  he  leased  the 
mill  property,  which  continued  until  18701  retired 
from  the  active  duties  of  life. 

He  has  been  a  director  in  the  Salt  Springs  Bank 
since  1867,  and  a  trustee  of  the  Syracuse  Savings 
Bank  for  several  years  past. 

Unlike  his  father  and  grandfather,  who  were 
closely  allied  to  the  Federal  party  and  afterward 
the  Whig,  he  cast  his  first  vote  for  General  Jackson, 
and  has  been  an  unswerving  and  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Democratic  party  ever  since.  He  has 
never  been  an  active  politician  and  has  looked 
rather  to  principles  than  to  party  interest.  He  has 
been  identified  with  the  public  offices  of  trust  and 
responsibility  in  the  history  of  Salina  and  Syracuse 
in  many  instances,  and  was  one  of  the  first  Alder- 
men elected  after  the  organization  of  the  City 
of  Syracuse,  representing  the  First  Ward.  In 
1856  he  was  Supervisor  for  the  same  ward, 
and  in  the  year  1863,  represented  his  district 
in  the  State  Legislature.  All  these  public  positions 
ha%'e  been  filled  with  that  integrity  of  purpose  and 
honest  dealing  which  have  characterized  his  whole 
life. 

Mr.  Clark  is  a  plain,  unassuming  man,  having  the 
full  confidence  of  his  fellow  men,  and  now  at  the 
age  of  seventy  years  retains  an  active  mind  and 
business  ability  apparently  unimpaired. 

In  the  year  1825,  November  13,  he  married  Miss 
Jerusha  N.  Spencer,  of  Onondaga  county.  To 
them  were  born  ten  children,  of  whom  Chauncey 
B.,  Harriet  E.,  wife  of  Augustus  Avery,  of  Syra- 
cuse, John  Seymour,  of  New  York  City,  and 
Mary  D.,  wife  of  Edward  Manning,  of  Syracuse, 
are  living. 

His  wife  died  in  1865.  For  his  second  wife  he 
married,  in  November,  1869,  Miss  Augusta  M. 
Peck,  daughter  of  Charles  L.  Peck,  a  native  of 
Lynn,  Conn.,  and  a  descendant  of  Deacon  William 
Peck,  born  in  England  1601,  and  came  to  America 
1638  and  settled  in  New  Haven,  Conn. 


CORNELIUS  TYLER  LONGSTREET. 

Mr.  Longstreet,  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
notice,  is  a  native  of  this  county,  having  been  born 
in  Onondaga  Valley  on  the  19th  of  April,  1814. 
He  is  the  youngest  son  of  Cornelius  and  Deborah 
[Tyler]  Longstreet,  who  had  a  family  of  five  chil- 
dren. His  father  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey  ;  his 
mother  was  born  at  Caughnawaga,  now  the  village 
of  Fonda,  on  the  Mohawk  River.  The  family  of 
Longstreet,  or  t^Longstreth.)  comes  from  three 
brothers  who  immigrated  from  Holland  to  America, 
first  stopping  in  New  Jersey  in  the  early  settlement 
of  that  State.  One  went  to  Pennsylvania  and  set- 
tled ;  a  second  settled  in  Georgia,  and  the  third 
(from  whom  the  subject  of  this  memoir  is  descend- 
ed) remained  in  New  Jersey.  Judge  Longstreet, 
of  the  Georgia  branch  of  the  family,  was  President 
of  Columbia  College,  of  South  Carolina,  at  the 
time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war  of  the  Re- 
bellion ;  he  was  uncle  of  Gen.  James  Longstreet, 
of  the  Confederate  army,  and  his  family  is  connected 
by  marriage  with  some  of  the  most  prominent  fam- 
ilies of  the  South. 

About  the  year  1802,  Cornelius  Longstreet  came 
to  Onondaga  West  Hill  and  opened  a  general  store. 
He  was  among  the  first  who  sold  goods  in  this 
county.  In  the  year  1805,  he  married  Deborah, 
daughter  of  Col.  Comfort  Tyler.  Col.  Tyler  was 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  county,  coming  with 
Gen.  Asa  Danforth  and  his  son,  Asa,  Jr.,  to  Onon- 
daga Valley  in  1788.  He  was  then  a  young  un- 
married man.  Col.  Comfort  Tyler  is  said  to  have 
felled  the  first  tree,  manufactured  the  first  bushel  of 
salt,  put  the  first  plow  in  the  ground,  and  built  the 
first  ten  miles  of  turnpike  in  the  county.  When 
I  the  subject  of  this  notice  was  only  eight  months 
old,  in  the  year  18 14.  his  father  died,  leaving  a  large 
property  for  those  times,  which,  however,  through 
the  mismanagement  of  his  executors,  was  nearly 
lost  to  the  family,  except  for  their  use  for  a  few 
years  and  until  about  the  time  of  the  death  of  the 
mother,  in  1826. 

Until  the  death  of  his  mother,  Cornelius  T.  was 
kept  in  school,  but  about  one  year  afterwards  he 
engaged  as  an  apprentice  in  Syracuse  to  the  tailor- 
ing trade,  and  after  three  years  he  went  to  Geddes, 
where  he  remained  until  he  was  seventeen  years  of 
age,  when  he  established  business  for  himself  as  a 
merchant  tailor,  buying  his  stock  of  goods  in  New 
York.  After  three  years  he  established  his  busi- 
ness in  Syracuse,  and  for  the  next  ten  years  is  said 
to  have  carried  on  the  largest  business  in  this  line 
of  any  man  in  the  State  west  of  New  York  city. 
In  the  year  1846,  perceiving  that   there  was  a  want 


r 


^.^w^t^^^^ 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY   NEW  YORK. 


215 


in  the  means  of  supply  of  clothing  in  New  York  for 
the  northern  trade,  he  removed  his  business  to  that 
city  and  established  a  wholesale  clothing  house,  the 
first  for  supplying  the  northern  trade.  Here  his  bus- 
iness increased  and  the  change  proved  very  success- 
ful. He  remained  in  New  York,  shipping  goods  to 
the  Northern  and  Western  States,  for  six  years.when 
he  returned  to  Syracuse,  and  for  the  next  three  years 
was  engaged  in  the  erection  of  what  is  known  as 
"  Renwick  Castle."  In  the  fall  of  1855,  he  returned 
to  New  York  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  his 
son,  Charles  A.  Longstreet,  in  the  same  business 
which  he  had  himself  formerly  carried  on.  He  re- 
mained there  until  the  fall  of  1862,  (meantime  keep- 
ing his  family  and  home  in  Syracuse,)  when  he  gave 
up  business  on  account  of  ill  health,  returned  to  his 
native  county,  where  he  now  resides. 

Since  the  organization  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Syracuse,  he  has  been  one  of  the  directors. 
He  has  been  also  a  director  of  the  Mechanics' 
Bank  since  its  organization. 

His  first  vote  was  cast  in  the  Whig  party,  and 


upon  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party  he 
adopted  its  principles,  and  has  since  unswervingly 
stood  firm  upon  its  platform. 

At  the  age  of  23  years,  he  married  Miss  Mary 
E.  Barlow,  of  Syracuse,  to  whom  were  born  four 
children— Charles  A.,  Juliet,  James  L.,  and  Edward 
W. — all  deceased. 

His  wife  died  in  the  year  1846.  For  his  second 
wife,  he  married,  in  the  year  1847,  Mrs.  Caroline  A. 
Sanford,  daughter  of  Lewis  H.  Redfield,  of  Syracuse. 

By  his  second  wife  he  had  five  children,  viz  : 
Cally  Redfield,  Alice  Meeta,  Comfort  Tyler,  Cor- 
nelius Tyler,  and  Cornelia  Tyler  Longstreet,  now 
Mrs.  Poor,  of  Skaneateles,  the  only  surviving  child 
of  the  second  family. 

The  only  surviving  offspring  by  the  name  of 
Longstreet,  are  the  three  sons,  C.  Tyler,  Jarvis 
Dennis,  and  Guy  Longstreet,  of  Los  Angelos,  Cal- 
fornia,  sons  of  the  late  Charles  A.  Longstreet,  who 
was  the  eldest  son  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and 
for  many  years  a  prominent  merchant  of  New  York 
city. 


SYRACUSE  MANUFACTURES. 


The  advantages  of  Syracuse  as  a  manufacturing 
city  are  greater  than  those  of  most  inland  towns, 
being  situated  on  so  many  lines  of  transportation 
and  in  easy  access  to  the  coal  mines  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  time  has  been  when  the  immense  salt 
interest  overshadowed  all  other  branches  of  manu- 
facture, and  it  was  hardly  thought  that  Syracuse 
furnished  facilities  for  making  anything  else  than 
salt.  True,  this  great  interest  will  doubtless  always 
continue  to  take  the  lead ;  the  salt  deposited  by 
nature  in  vast  and  inexhaustible  quantities  under 
the  very  foundations  of  the  city,  was  that  which  in- 
vited the  original  settlers  to  this  spot,  and  has  built 
up  the  city  and  its  adjacent  villages.  The  develop- 
ment of  the  resources  of  this  immense  gift  of 
nature  has  supported  a  large  percentage  of  the 
population,  and  is  to-day  the  chief  interest  of  this 
locality  ;  but  the  time  is  coming  when  Syracuse 
will  be  a  City  of  Iron  as  well  as  a  "  City  of  Salt," 
when  other  manufactures  will  share  equally  with 
the  great  salt  interest  the  time,  attention  and 
capital  of  her  enterprising  citizens,  and  when  foreign 
capital  will  be  directed  here  for  profitable  invest- 
ment. Already  the  manufactures  of  Syracuse  are 
more  numerous  and  diversified  than  is  commonly 
supposed,  and  every  year  is  adding  to  their  number 


and  variety.  It  is  our  purpose  in  this  article  to  re- 
port some  of  the  leading  manufacturing  interests 
of  this  city — interests  which  are  part  of  the  history 
of  the  city  itself  and  without  which  its  local  record 
would  be  very  incomplete.  We  shall  begin  with 
the  useful  rather  than  the  ornamental,  and  take  first 
the  staft"  of  life  represented  by  the 

Empire  State  Flouring  Mills  of  Jacob  Amos 
&  Sons. — These  mills  are  situated  on  West  Water 
street,  and  are  supplied  with  the  best  modern  im- 
provements, with  reference. to  the  production  of  the 
finest  grades  of  flour.  Jacob  Amos  &  Sons  are 
the  only  manufacturers  of  merchant  flour  in  the 
city,  and  have  a  high  reputation  wherever  their 
brands  are  known.  The  senior  member  of  the 
firm,  Mr.  Jacob  Amos,  is  an  old  resident  of  Syra- 
cuse, having  came  here  in  1839.  Without  tracing 
his  business  operations  of  one  kind  and  another 
subsequent  to  that  date,  it  is  sufficient  to  state  that 
in  1852  he  became  a  miller.  In  1861  he  bought 
the  property  on  West  Water  street  recently  occupied 
by  the  firm,  adapted  it  to  milling  purposes,  put  in 
six  run  of  stone,  and  until  lately  the  business  has 
been  carried  on  in  this  building.  A  seventy-horse 
power  engine  supplied  steam  for  the  machinery  and 
the  capacity  of  the  mills  was  lOO  barrels  per  day. 


2l6 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Jl 


In  addition  to  the  manufacture  of  flour  this  firm 
carry  on  an  extensive  business  in  the  splitting  of  peas, 
the  product  of  which  amounts  to  40,000  bushels 
a  year.  Feed  and  farina  are  also  manufactured  in 
large  quantities.  There  are  but  few  mills  for  the 
manufacture  of  farina  in  the  country,  and  therefore 
the  business  of  the  firm  in  this  article  is  profitable. 
The  old  mill  till  recently  occupied  by  the  firm  is 
now  being  removed  to  make  room  for  a  new  and 
substantial  block  which  will  soon  be  erected.  In 
the  fall  of  1877,  Messrs.  Amos  &  Sons  purchased 
the  property  known  as  the  J.  W.  Barker  Mills  on 
West  Water  street,  paying  therefor  ^50,000.  These 
mills  have  a  capacity  for  the  production  of  1,400 
barrels  per  week. 

Besides  their  mills  here,  Messrs.  Amos  &  Sons 
have  at  Baldwinsville  one  of  the  largest  flouring 
mills  in  the  State.  It  has  fifteen  run  of  stone,  a 
capacity  of  250  barrels  of  flour  daily,  fifty  kegs  of 
pearl  barley  and  thirty  kegs  of  farina.  The  business 
there  is  under  the  charge  of  Mr.  Jacob  Amos,  Jr. 

Sweet's  Manufacturing  Company,  as  now 
organized,  was  established  in  1871,  with  a  capital 
of  $250,000,  with  William  A.  Sweet  as  President  ; 
George  W.  Harwood  as  Treasurer,  and  Henry  Clay 
Barnes  as  Secretary.  Since  that  time,  however, 
Messrs.  Harwood  and  Barnes  have  resigned  and 
their  places  have  been  filled  respectively  by  J.  M. 
Schermerhorn,  Jr..  in  1873,  as  Treasurer,  and  Fred. 
B.  Chapman,  in  1872,  as  Secretary.  The  real  be- 
ginning of  Mr.  Sweet's  connection  with  the  manu- 
facturing enterprises  of  Syracuse  should  date  from 
1858,  when  he  established  a  business  upon  the 
property  adjoining  the  office  of  Greenway's  Brewery 
for  the  manufacture  of  cutler  knives  for  mowers 
and  reapers.  In  i860,  he  sold  this  property  to  Mr. 
Greenway  and  purchased  that  now  occupied  by 
George  Barnes  &  Co.,  and  formed  the  firm  of  Sweet 
Brothers  &  Co.,  under  the  style  of  the  Ceresian 
Cutter  Works,  for  the  continuance  of  the  manufac- 
ture of  mowing  machine  knives  and  sections,  to 
which  business,  in  1863,  he  added  the  manufacture 
of  steel,  under  the  style  of  the  Onondaga  Steel 
Works,  and  occupied  for  that  business  the  part  of  the 
block  situated  on  the  corner  of  Wyoming  and  Otisco 
streets.  In  1864,  he  formed  a  stock  organization 
with  the  whole  of  this  business  and  property  under 
the  corporate  name  of  Sweet,  Barnes  &  Co.,  and 
under  his  management  their  highest  prosperity  was 
attained,  as  through  him  the  entire  manipulation  of 
the  metal  from  its  crude  state  in  the  bar  iron  to  the 
steel  knives  and  other  articles  finished  and  ready  for 
use,  was  not  only  thoroughly  superintended,  but  each 
one  of  the  various  processes  was  really  invented  and 


introduced  by  him  and  successfully  carried  out  by 
his  instructions. 

In  April,  1868,  he  bought  of  this  company  the 
Onondaga  Steel  Works  and  began  business  by  him- 
self in  the  manufacture  of  steel  goods,  such  as 
springs,  tire,  crowbars,  &c.,  in  which  business  he 
was  joined,  in  October,  1868,  by  George  W.  Har- 
wood. forming  the  firm  of  W.  A.  Sweet  &  Co., 
which  continued  till  the  organization  of  Sweet's 
Manufacturing  Company,  in  1871.  In  1870,  the 
works  were  destroyed  by  fire,  but  from  the  debris 
arose  in  forty  days  new  buildings,  which,  in  their 
extent  and  appointments,  far  surpass  the  old. 
About  two-thirds  of  an  entire  block  are  occupied 
with  brick  buildings  of  a  substantial  character,  and 
a  telegraph  instrument  in  the  office,  to  which  lines 
of  wires  are  attached,  connects  the  works  with  the 
Geddes  steel  mill,  tin  which  Mr.  Sweet  has  an  in- 
terest,) and  also  with  the  general  oflfice  of  the  West- 
ern Union  Telegraph  Company  in  the  city.  This 
arrangement  effects  a  saving  in  time  which  is  simply 
incalculable.  By  the  side  of  these  works,  on  the 
corner  of  West  and  Marcellus  streets,  has  been 
added  another  building,  (^completed  in  1876,) 
equipped  with  two  additional  trains  of  rolls  and 
other  necessary  machinery. 

Some  of  the  most  valuable  tools  used  in  these 
works  are  entirely  new  to  the  steel  manufacturing 
business  and  are  the  inventions  of  Mr.  Sweet,  for 
instance,  the  Gas  Furnace  for  heating  the  metal  for 
rolling,  is  his  patent,  and  saves  for  the  company  a 
very  large  percentage  in  fuel  and  time.  The  Con- 
verting Oven,  which  takes  the  place  of  the  old  Eng- 
lish pottery  oven,  for  the  conversion  of  iron  into 
steel  by  the  cementation  process,  is  another  of  his 
inventions,  and  has  been  proved  successful  by  many 
years  of  use.  Finally,  the  Gas  Furnace  for  melting 
the  steel  in  the  crucible,  is  an  invention  of  Mr. 
Sweet's,  not  inferior  in  point  of  importance  and 
utility  to  the  others.  These  inventions  may  be 
said  to  have  created  a  revolution  in  the  steel  man- 
ufacturing business. 

The  works  now  in  operation,  among  other  things, 
have  eight  trains  of  rolls,  five  steam  engines  of  from 
25  to  250  horse  power  each,  six  pairs  of  shears, 
eleven  heating  furnaces,  three  converting  ovens 
and  three  steam  hammers. 

Sanoerson  Brothers'  Steel  Companv,  Ged- 
des.—In  August,  1872,  Sweet's  Manufacturing 
Company  purchased  the  old  distillery  property  in 
Geddes  and  converted  it  into  steel  works,  and  since 
have  operated  it  in  connection  with  the  works  in 
this  city.  The  mill  at  Geddes  has  five  engines  and 
two  trains  of  rolls,  six  gas  furnaces,  two  converting 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY    NEW  YORK. 


217 


ovens,  two  gas  furnaces  for  melting  steel,  and  other 
necessary  equipments.  In  1876  this  property  was 
sold  to  a  stock  company  organized  under  the  title 
of  Sanderson  Brothers  Steel  Company,  with  a 
capital  of  $450,000,  all  paid  in,  of  which  the  follow- 
ing gentlemen  are  directors  :  Robert  B.  Campbell, 
Samuel  William  Johnson  and  Edward  Frith,  of 
New  York  ;  and  William  A.  Sweet  and  J.  M. 
Schermerhorn,  Jr.,  of  this  city.  The  company  took 
possession  of  these  works  on  the  ist  of  September, 
1876,  with  the  following  officers:  Robert  B. 
Campbell,  President;  Samuel  William  Johnson, 
Secretary  ;  Edward  Frith,  Treasurer ;  and  William 
A.  Sweet,  General  Manager.  It  is  the  intention  of 
this  company  to  manufacture  the  celebrated  brand 
of  Sanderson's  best  cast  steel  from  the  same  brand 
of  Swedish  iron,  in  the  same  kind  of  crucibles  and 
with  precisely  the  same  mixture  and  manipulation 
as  at  the  works  of  Sanderson  Brothers  &  Co., 
(limited,)  at  Sheffield,  England.  In  pursuance  of 
which  plan,  this  company  have  purchased  from  them 
all  right  and  title  to  their  peculiar  mixtures  in  the 
manufacture  of  steel  for  use  in  this  country.  The 
history  of  cast  steel  making  in  this  country  would  j 
show  from  first  to  last  a  series  of  unsuccessful  at- 
tempts to  reach  the  English  standard  of  uniform 
qualities  and  tempers  ;  it  will  be  seen,  however,  that  ' 
this  company  have  every  facility  for  making  them 
precisely  identical.  This  is  the  first  time  that 
English  cast  steel  has  ever  been  manufactured  in 
this  country  under  exactly  the  same  methods  as 
those  of  any  existing  English  steel  company,  and  it 
is  quite  remarkable  that  in  the  Centennial  year  of  the 
Sanderson  business  and  in  our  Centennial  year  as  a 
country,  the  beginning  of  this  enterprise  should  have 
been  inaugurated.  Old  England  is  stretching  out  her 
hands  towards  our  broad  domain  as  her  field  for 
further  business  expansion,  and  it  is  fitting  that 
the  citizens  of  Syracuse  should  congratulate  them- 
selves that  here  are  found  a  satisfactory  manager 
and  works  for  the  first  American  fine  steel  enter- 
prise. 

It  is  indeed  something  that  Syracuse  should  make 
a  note  of  as  an  era  in  her  history,  that  upon  her 
borders  has  been  inaugurated  the  first  attempt  at 
the  reproduction  of  English  cast  steel  in  America. 
Who  knows  but  the  success  of  this  undertaking  will 
be  the  means  of  drawing  other  English  companies 
to  this  locality,  and  not  merely  the  manufacture  of 
the  finest  steel  in  the  world,  but  various  other 
English  and  foreign  manufactories  will  be  centered 
here  ?  The  fact  that  one  such  establishment  already 
exists  here  will  bring  Syracuse  into  notice  in  Eng- 
land, and  companies  wishing  to  locate  for  manufac- 
28* 


turing  purposes  in  America   will  be  much    more 
likely  to  select  this  place  than  any  other. 

The  Sanderson  Brothers  Steel  Company  had  it 
in  contemplation  at  the  outset  to  carry  on  the  busi- 
ness on  a  scale  that  should  place  this  enterprise  in 
the  front  rank  of  the  steel  manufacturing  interests 
of  this  country.  Accordingly,  large  improvements 
on  the  existing  Geddes  works  were  undertaken  and 
completed  in  the  fall  of  1876.  New  rod  and  plate 
trains  have  been  put  in  place,  and  other  enlargements 
will  be  made  as  the  exigencies  of  the  business  may 
require. 

George  Barnes  &  Co — The  manufacture  of 
knives  for  mowers  and  reapers  has  become  one  of 
the  leading  interests  of  this  city.  Without  slop- 
ing to  notice  the  wonderful  progress  made  in  the 
manner  of  harvesting  both  grass  and  grain  as  sug- 
gested by  the  mower  and  reaper  in  contrast  with 
the  ancient  scythe  and  sickle,  it  will  suffice  for  our 
present  purpose  to  record  the  progress  made  in 
an  establishment  whose  chief  business  is  the 
manufacture  of  the  most  important  and  particular 
parts  of  these  machines,  viz  :  the  knives  by  which 
the  grass  and  grain  are  cut.  It  is  easy  to  see  that 
an  efficient  mower  or  reaper  depends  very  much 
upon  the  character  of  the  knife  that  is  to  do  the 
cutting — the  stalk  of  the  grass  or  grain  being  cov- 
ered with  a  silicious  coating  which  very  soon  de- 
stroys the  edge  of  an  inferior  knife.  To  perfect  a 
knife,  therefore,  that  will  hold  an  edge,  has  re- 
quired a  great  deal  of  study,  practice  and  experi- 
ence, and  like  everything  requiring  special  skill  and 
machinery,  it  has  become  a  separate  branch  of  in- 
dustry, a  part  of  the  manufacture  of  the  mower  and 
reaper  entirely  by  itself.  The  beginning  of  the 
movement  for  the  manufacture  of  mower  and 
reaper  knives  in  this  city  dates  back  to  1858,  when 
Sweet  Brothers  &  Co.  began  the  enterprise  on  a 
small  scale.  At  that  time  there  was  only  one 
other  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  United 
States — the  works  located  at  Fitchburg,  Mass. 
This  is  still  true,  we  believe,  as  the  Fitchburg  es- 
tablishment has  been  discontinued,  and  only  an- 
other similar  factory  exists  at  Akron,  Ohio.  In 
1859,  William  B.  Cogswell  became  associated  with 
Sweet  Brothers  &  Co.,  and  in  i860,  Mr.  George 
Barnes  purchased  his  interest.  Thus  Mr.  Barnes 
became  interested  in  the  manufactory  of  which  he 
is  now  the  head.  His  name  did  not  appear,  how- 
ever, in  the  firm  style  till  1864,  when  a  joint  stock 
company  was  formed  under  the  title  of  Sweet, 
Barnes  &  Co.  Meantime  the  company  had  en- 
gaged in  steel  manufacture  also,  and  in  1868,  it  sold 
the  steel  works  to   Mr.  Sweet,  who  has  since  been 


3l8 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


1^ 


identified  with  that  interest.  In  1873,  by  virtue  of 
an  order  from  the  Supreme  Court,  the  name  of  the 
company  was  changed  from  Sweet,  Barnes  &  Co. 
to  that  of  George  Barnes  &  Co.,  and  such  it  has 
since  remained. 

The  employed  capital  of  the  company  is  $416,- 
000.  The  shops  of  the  works  have  been  added  to 
from  time  to  time,  and  now  present  an  unbroken 
frontage  of  253  feet  on  Marcellus  street,  and  175  on 
Wyoming,  the  buildings  being  of  brick,  two  stories 
in  height. 

To  illustrate  the  extent  of  this  business,  a  few 
facts  and  figures  are  here  supplied.  Let  us  premise 
that  a  "  section  "  is  a  single  V-shaped  knife  attached 
by  two  rivets  to  a  cutter-bar,  and  that  a  complete 
bar  contains  sixteen  of  these  sections.  In  1869, 
the  company  made  1,017,361  sections;  in  1870, 
1,412,254  sections  ;  in  1871,  1,517,043  sections  ;  in 
1872,  1,853,263  sections;  in  1873,  2,428,357  sec- 
lions  ;  in  1874,  2,Qio,i99  sections.  This  last  figure 
of  2,910,199  sections  is  equivalent  to  181,888  com- 
plete cutter-bars  of  sixteen  each,  manufactured  in  a 
single  year.  In  the  manufacture  of  these  about 
200  tons  of  American  sheet  steel  are  used.  In 
1875,  the  works  used  up  700  tons  of  grindstones^ 
2,200  tons  of  coal,  2,000  bushels  of  charcoal,  3,000 
bushels  of  coke,  75,000  feet  of  pine  lumber  for 
packing  boxes,  and  paid  §115,30966  as  wages  to 
workmen,  exclusive  of  salaries  to  officers,  &c.  The 
product  of  the  works  amounted  in  value  in  round 
numbers  to  $481,000.  in  comparison  with  $158,000 
in  1868. 

The  grindstones,  which  are  rapidly  worn  down, 
are  purchased  in  lots  of  three  car  loads  per  week. 
They  come  into  the  grinding  room  great  bulky 
masses,  six  feet  in  diameter  and  twelve  inches  thick, 
and  are  carried  out  as  dust. 

We  have  not  space  to  describe  the  whole  process 
of  manufacture  — perhaps  the  most  interesting  is 
the  process  of  tempering  the  knives  or  sections. 
On  coming  from  the  cutting  machine,  they  arc 
placed  in  a  reverberating  furnace  and  slightly  heated, 
are  then  straightened  and  partly  annealed,  and 
thence  go  to  the  molten  lead  baths,  of  which  there 
are  a  number.  From  these  baths  they  are  plunged 
into  a  brine,  and  from  the  brine  go  to  the  tempering 
furnace,  (a  "  double  ender,")from  which  all  air  is 
excluded.  Here  the  temper  is  "drawn  out,"  and, 
whereas  under  the  old  process  the  loss  was  fully  ten 
per  cent.,  under  this,  (the  new  and  improved,  1  it 
is  scarcely  one  per  cent.  In  fact,  scarcely  a  defect- 
ive section  is  ever  made.  In  this  tempering  de- 
partment is  "  the  secret  of  the  whole  business,"  and 
it  may  well  challenge  a  moment's  attention. 


The  knives  of  George  Barnes  &  Co.  find  a  market 
wherever  mowers  and  reapers  are  made  and  used, 
throughout  the  old  world  and  the  new. 

The  President  of  the  company  is  Joel  Thayer,  of 
Skaneateles,  a  gentleman  well  and  favorably  known 
as  a  citizen  and  business  man,  having  been  long 
identified  with  some  of  the  leading  interests  of  this 
section.  Mr.  Barnes,  the  Treasurer  and  General 
Manager,  formerly  held  responsible  positions  in 
railroad  affairs  ;  was  Superintendent  of  the  division 
of  the  New  York  Central  between  Syracuse  and 
Utica  until  the  consolidation,  and  afterwards  Super- 
intendent of  the  Marietta  &  Cincinnati  railway.  Of 
late  years  he  has  devoted  himself  wholly  to  the  * 
business  of  the  company  which  he  has  so  success- 
fully managed. 

Jn  September,  1877,  the  consolidation  of  these 
works  in  Syracuse  with  those  of  Akron,  Ohio,  was 
eflfected,  and  a  new  company  formed,  called  the 
Whitman  &  Barnes  Manufacturing  Company,  with 
a  capital  of  $400,000.  The  new  company  will  be 
managed  in  Syracuse  by  Mr.  George  Barnes,  pre- 
cisely as  the  old  shop  has  been. 

The  Syracuse  Chilled  Plow  Companv. — 
This  company  has  been  formed  in  Syracuse  for  the 
purpose  of  manufacturing  Chilled  Plows.  It  has  a 
capital  of  $100,000.  James  M.  Ellis,  President ;  T. 
F.  Andrews,  Vice-President  ;  L.  W.  Hall,  Secre- 
tary and  Treasurer  ;  and  H.  Wiard,  Superintendent. 
The  company  occupies  the  Williams  Mower  and 
Reaper  Works  in  this  city — premises  which  could 
not  have  been  better  adapted  to  plow  making  pur- 
poses if  the  company  had  erected  them  ;  and  on  the 
2d  of  August,  1876,  the  first  plow  was  manufac- 
tured. Since  then  the  company  have  used  every 
effort  to  facilitate  their  business  ;  from  day  to  day 
the  number  of  plows  turned  out  has  increased  ; 
every  improvement  in  modes  of  finishing  has  been 
adopted  ;  and  the  result  is  the  production  of  an  im- 
plement which  promises  to  effect  an  important 
change  in  the  manufacture  and  material  of  the  plow. 

There  are  three  other  concerns  in  the  country 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  chilled  plows, 
some  of  them  really  excellent,  but  others  base 
imitations.  In  the  Syracuse  chilled  plow  the  de- 
fects of  others  have  been  avoided  ;  the  iron  is  chilled 
by  a  process  differing  greatly  from  that  of  others  : 
the  shape  of  the  plow  is  more  symmetrical,  the 
finish  more  perfect.  In  the  construction  of  this 
plow  the  same  iron  is  used  by  the  company  as  that 
used  by  the  United  States  in  the  manufacture  of 
its  guns.  By  certain  processes  this  iron  is  chilled 
and  made  effective  for  the  purpose  designed.  A 
comjjarison  has  been  made  between  this  process 


Phot<».  I>y  .Suruny,  N.  Y.  City. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  ituin  iu  Warwickshire,  Englaml,  Jan.  6, 
1821.  He  was  the  eldest  child  uf  Thomas  Greeuway  imd  Anna  Padbury, 
both  natives  of  England.  His  paternal  grandfather's  name  was  John. 
His  father,  with  his  family  of  wife  and  five  children,  John,  Elizabeth, 
George,  David,  and  William,  sailed  from  Liverpool  about  the  middle  of 
June,  1837,  and  landed  in  New  York  in  August,  after  a  very  stormy  pas- 
sage.   The  mother  died  soon  after  coming  tu  this  country,  in  Jersey  City. 

The  family  felt  a  great  loss  in  the  death  of  the  wife  and  mother,  but  the 
same  year,  by  steamboat  up  the  Hudson  river  and  by  canal  the  balance  of 
the  way,  came  to  Syracuse.  His  father  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-three 
years.  Upon  reaching  Syracuse,  John  worked  on  a  farm  for  Walker  Knapp 
one  month  for  five  dollars.  He  afterwards  went  into  the  grocery  store  of 
Ephraim  Hull,  where  he  spent  most  of  his  lime  fur  the  next  three  years  as 
a  clerk,  but  by  odd  spells  worked  at  other  business  ;  helped  to  cut  a  track 
through  the  swamp  for  the  survey  of  the  Syracuse  and  Utica  railroad; 
assisted  in  cutting  the  piles  for  the  road,  receiving  therefor  one  cent  each  ; 
was  on  call  for  any  general  work,  iind  during  this  time  received  a  very  limited 
opportunity  for  an  education,  being  a  part  of  two  winters  in  a  district 
school.  He  spent  his  boyhood  before  leaving  England  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits; this,  together  with  his  three  years'  e.\perience  among  strangers, 
had  well  fitted  him  to  meet  the  obstacles  common  not  only  to  foreigners, 
but  as  well  to  the  native  poor,  both  of  which  he  had  to  surmount. 

In  1841  he,  with  his  brother  George  as  partner,  opened  a  grocery  store 
at  Lodi  Locks,  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  canal  trade.  In  this  they 
cleared  during  the  spring  and  summer  one  hundred  dollars  apiece,  and  he 
remembers  of  feeling  very  rich  in  this  world's  goods  at  such  a  success. 
Another  summer  was  spent  in  trade,  with  greater  profits,  and  sufficient  to 
induce  them  to  sell  out  their  store  and  invest  in  a  horse  and  wagon,  and 
start  on  the  road  as  peddlers.  This  business  lasted  only  a  short  time,  and 
he  and  his  brother  determined  to  go  south;  but  upon  reaching  Lancaster, 
Ohio,  the  roads  being  nearly  impassable,  an  English  penny,  tossed  up, 
determined  whether  they  should  go  ahead  or  return.  The  return  was  fixed 
upon,  and  John  and  his  brother,  after  many  interesting  adventures,  came 
back  to  Palmyra,  N.  Y.,  and  the  next  year  opened  a  grocery  store  in  that 
place,  which  was  continued  only  one  season,  and  iu  this  store  they  were  also 
successful.  John,  iu  the  fall,  thinking  to  speculate,  started  to  New  York 
with  a  cargo  of  live  poultry  by  canal.  On  his  way  the  canal  froze  over,  and 
with  no  possibility  of  getting  his  freight  carried  by  railroad,  he  was  left  in 
a  sad  dilemma;  but  after  a  short  time  got  his  poultry  to  market,  with  the 
price  of  the  same  out  of  pocket.  Thence  he  went  to  New  Orleans,  where  he 
Worked  for  a  Portuguese  merchant,  in  a  provision  store,  until  the  next  June, 
and  returned  to  Syracuse.  From  this  time  (1845)  Mr.  Greeuway's  career 
was  more  fixed  to  one  branch  of  business.  He  became  the  agent  for  the 
sale  of  ale  manufactured  by  a  firm  at  Palmyra,  and  continued  with  that 
firm  and  others  for  several  years,  when,  in  1S5;{,  he  formed  a  co-paitner- 
ship  with  his  brother  George,  and  bought  the  entire  lirewster  interest  in 
Syracuse.  The  new  firm  pushed  their  business  with  great  vigor.  Both 
partners  were  men  of  unusual  enterprise  and  activity,  and  they  managed 


the  manufacture  and  business  in  such  a  way  that  gave  them  at  once  repu- 
tation and  profit.  The  ales  and  porter  made  by  them  became  known  in 
all  parts  of  the  country,  and  they  made  it  a  rule  that  every  article  should 
be  kept  at  a  standard  quality.  About  the  year  1867,  Mr.  John  Greeuway 
came  into  possession  of  the  entire  business,  occasioned  by  his  brother's 
death.  He  at  once  entered  upon  his  increased  responsibilities  with  still 
grander  schemes  of  enlargeniunt  and  improvement,  which  he  has  fully 
carried  out  within  the  last  few  years.  He  has  completed  one  of  the  largest 
brewery  and  malt-houses  to  be  found  in  the  United  States.  An  idea  of 
this|immcnse  structure  may  be  gained  when  we  state  (hat  it  is  six  stories 
high,  with  a  French  roof,  and  extends  nearly  one- eighth  of  a  mile  in 
length.  It  includes  a  malt-house,  large  elevator,  brewery,  storage,  and 
shipping  departments,  and  elegant  office.  The  capacity  of  the  malting 
department  is  sufficient  for  converting  into  malt  about  three  hundred 
thousand  bushels  of  barley  iluring  the  malting  season,  and  not  less  than 
five  thousand  barrels  of  ale  atiii  porter  are  continuall}'  in  the  vaults.  Mr. 
Greenway  is  perfectly  unselfish  in  his  efl'orts  to  establish  a  large  and 
profitable  business.  At  all  times  he  has  exhibited  a  determination  to  make 
those  laboring  with  him  participate  in  its  increase  and  profits.  Whenever 
be  could  better  the  circumstances  of  any  man  Ity  increased  pay,  he  has 
been  mindful  to  do  it;  and  has  succeeded  in  many  ways  in  giving  his 
workmen  advantages  not  enjoyed  in  other  establishments. 

While  Mr.  Greenway  has  been  prosperous  iu  business,  he  has  not 
been  unmindful  of  the  needy,  and  of  any  and  all  interests  of  his  city  and 
county  requiring  a  helping  hand.  His  liberal  spirit  and  actions  wore 
most  notably  shown  on  New  Yt-ar's  Day.  1870.  by  a  great  barbecue  which 
he  gave  to  the  poor  of  Syracuse-  and  the  country  around.  It  is  said  that 
forty  thousand  persons  were  present,  and  that  ten  thousand  wore  fed. 
As  a  fitting  crown  to  the  feast,  two  thousand  four  hundred  pounds  of  plum 
pudding  were  distributed  for  dessert. 

The  pudding  was  brought  on  the  ground  in  sleighs  decorated  with  ever- 
greens and  flags,  and  having  on  the  aides,  in  large  letters,  the  words 
"Happy  New  Year."  At  the  close  of  the  barbecue  a  large,  uncooked  ox 
was  cut  up.  and,  with  supplies  of  bread,  was  distributed  to  the  poor 
widows  and  orphans  of  the  city.  In  the  winter  of  1877,  Mr.  Greenway 
opened  a  soup  house  for  the  benefit  uf  the  poor  of  (he  city,  and  in  this 
way  he  shared  with  the  needy  the  munificence  of  his  hospitality. 

Mr.  Greenway  is  a  man  of  plain  appearance, — an  honest,  humble-minded 
person,  of  practical  views  in  regard  to  all  things.  His  face  bespeaks  his 
encro-y  of  character  and  goodness  of  heart.  He  has  the  same  frank  and 
genial  manners  and  address  with  all  persons,  and  couscquontiy  enjoys  the 
widest  popularity.  Hospitable  and  sociable  in  his  home  circle,  he  goes 
abroad  with  a  cheerfulness  and  goodness  that  arc  inseparable  from  his 

nature.  ,         ,       i  *        e- 

In  the  year  1848,  Fob.  18,  he  married  Miss  Nancy  Ann,  daughter  of 
Ephraim  Hull,  of  Syracuse,  by  whom  he  has  had  four  sons  and  two 
daughters,  now  living,  Gertrude,  George,  John,  William,  Thomas,  and 
Annie  Laurie. 


V 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


219 


and  that  of  the  Oliver  Plow  Factory  at  South  Bend, 
Indiana,  the  largest  chilled  plow  establishment  in 
the  world,  showing  that  while  the  chilling  process 
of  the  Oliver  works  requires  twenty-five  hours,  the 
method  adopted  by  the  Syracuse  Chilled  Plow 
Company  completes  it  in  a  very  few  minutes.  The 
iron  thus  chilled  is  crystalized  for  about  two-thirds 
of  its  thickness,  leaving  an  iron  basis  as  a  matter 
of  strength  and  durability.  The  appearance  of  the 
crystalized  surface  is  as  if  the  metal  was  made  up 
of  an  infinite  number  of  needles,  and  the  superiority 
of  the  chilled  iron  over  steel  is  in  the  fact  that 
the  wear  upon  the  metal  is  across  the  point-like 
crystalizations  instead  of  lengthwise  of  the  metal.  It 
has  been  observed  that  this  chilling  process  changes 
the  polarity  of  the  metal,  or  in  other  words,  the 
course  of  the  magnetic  current  ;  for  applying  the 
magnet  to  the  chilled  side  the  needles  will  point  to 
the  south,  and  vice  versa  when  applied  to  the  other 
side.  This  is  a  curious  problem  for  the  scientist 
to  solve. 

Greenway's  Brewery  is  one  of  the  sights  of 
Syracuse.  It  occupies  a  peculiarly  commanding 
and  central  position  in  the  heart  of  the  city  and 
fronting  the  passenger  tracks  of  the  New  York 
Central  Railway.  An  immense  parallelogram,  it 
stretches  away  a  distance  of  nearly  one-eighth  of  a 
mile.  Nor  is  it  simply  a  pile  of  brick  and  mortar 
without  shape  or  comeliness  :  on  the  contrary,  in 
an  architectural  point  of  view,  it  deserves  to  rank 
with  the  finest  in  the  city.  Its  proportions  are  sim- 
ply superb,  and  the  mansard  roof  and  tower  that 
crown  the  edifice  give  it  a  light,  graceful  appear- 
ance. In  its  general  aspect,  architecturally  con- 
sidered, it  is  unlike  any  other  building  devoted  to 
like  purposes  in  the  country,  and  its  immense  cost 
— ^500,000 — shows  how  complete  it  must  be  in  all 
its  appointments.  It  is  fitted  out  with  all  the  com- 
plete paraphernalia  of  a  modern  brewery,  including 
malt  house,  elevators,  ice  houses  and  cellars  of  the 
most  approved  construction. 

The  malt  house  consists  of  twelve  floors,  each 
106  by  65  feet,  in  which  is  annually  made  200,000 
bushels  of  malt,  and  the  coal  consumed  for  malting 
purposes  amounts  to  800  tons  yearly.  The  gran- 
eries  consist  of  three  floors,  with  storage  capacity 
for  200,000  bushels  of  grain.  The  hop  room  is  65 
by  45. feet,  and  the  yearly  consumption  of  hops  is 
about  200,000  pounds.  The  boiling  tub  will  hold 
over  400  bushels  at  one  time.  The  boiling  is  done 
by  steam,  requiring  1,200  tons  of  coal  each  year, 
making  the  total  amount  of  coal  consumed  per 
annum  over  2,000  tons.  The  coal  bunkers  have  a 
storage  capacity  of  500  tons. 


These  few  figures  give  some  idea  of  the  magni- 
tude of  the  business,  to  which  must  be  added  the 
fact  that  Mr.  Greenway  owns  50,000  ale  casks  and 
25,000  lager  beer  casks  ;  his  cellars,  which  are  im- 
mense in  extent,  have  a  storage  capacity  for  30,000 
casks  of  ale  and  lager.  Such  statements  seem 
like  extravagance,  or  the  baseless  fabric  of  a  dream, 
but  they  are  solid,  indisputable  facts.  Perfect  sys- 
tem and  order  mark  all  the  operations  of  this  mam- 
moth establishment  and  the  men  employed  are  all 
experienced  in  their  several  branches  of  work. 

The  Ale  and  Lager  Beer  Breweries  are  connected 
by  a  tunnel  which  runs  under  the  Erie  Canal. 
The  casks  are  made  in  Mr.  Greenway's  own  shops, 
which  are  connected  with  the  brewing  establish- 
ment, as  are  also  carpenter's,  tinner's,  copper- 
smith's, blacksmith's  and  harness-maker's  shops. 
Mr.  Greenway  employs  and  has  constantly  in  use 
from  70  to  80  horses. 

Mr.  Greenway  is  ably  assisted  in  the  conduct  of 
his  immense  establishment  by  his  financial  manager, 
Samuel  W.  Sherlock,  who  has  filled  many  positions 
of  responsibility  and  trust  in  the  city  for  the  past 
twenty-five  years  ;  also  George  H.  Greenway,  his 
elder  son,  and  John  Greenway,  Jr.,  who  holds  the 
position  of  cashier,  and  also  William  N.  Greenway, 
assistant  brewer.  His  younger  son  Thomas  has 
charge  of  his  model  farm. 

Onondaga  Pottery  Company  — The  works  of 
this  company  are  located  in  Geddes,  where  an  ex- 
periment of  manufacturing  fine  Ironstone  China  had 
been  carried  on  about  two  or  three  years  before  the 
present  joint  stock  company  was  organized  in  July, 
1 87 1 .  Hitherto  the  American  market  for  this  class 
of  goods  had  been  supplied  wholly  from  England, 
and  it  was  not  supposed  that  such  goods  could  be 
manufactured  in  this  country.  But  the  country 
abounded  in  the  best  kind  of  material,  and  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  art,  enterprise,  and  skilled  labor  were 
only  required  to  produce  a  variety  of  goods  that 
should  fairly  compete  with,  and  even  rival,  the 
famous  Staffordshire  wares  of  England.  Such 
knowledge,  enterprise,  and  skilled  labor  have  been 
organized  by  the  Onondaga  Pottery  Company,  and 
are  now  in  successful  operation,  producing  every 
variety  of  both  plain  and  decorated  table  and  toilet 
ware. 

Certain  specimens  of  the  pottery  made  at  these 
works  were  sent  to  Staffordshire  for  examination 
in  1875.  The  Times  of  that  city  reported  upon 
them  as  follows  :  "  This  week  we  have  been  called 
to  view  a  few  pottery  specimens  from  America,  and 
are  able  impartially  to  say  that  they  are  as  fine  a 
sample  of  granite  ware  as  most  that  is  produced  in 


Tl 


220 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Staffordshire.  The  body  evinced  greater  potting 
skill,  and  the  tint  or  stain  much  care  and  knowl- 
edge of  the  art.  If  anything,  the  American  pro- 
duction is  a  shade  lighter  than  the  ware  of  the 
same  character  in  this  country,  but  this  is  a  matter 
of  taste,  and  has  no  reference  to  art  only  in  quality. 
Our  first  impression  on  viewing  the  samples  was 
that  they  were  StafTordshire  ware,  and  we  were 
certainly  much  surprised  when  informed  to  the  con- 
trary." 

The  company  at  Geddes  are  running  four  kilns, 
including  one  decorating  and  one  calcining  kiln. 
The  quantity  of  coal  consumed  is  about  1,200  tons 
a  year ;  tlint  and  feldspar,  250  tons  ;  kaolin,  250 
tons  ;  Ball  and  Sagger  clay,  from  400  to  500  tons ; 
besides  large  quantities  of  other  materials.  About 
75  hands  are  employed,  and  the  sales  amount  to 
$70,000  per  annum.  The  kaolin  used  is  found 
mostly  in  Pennsylvania,  Indiana,  Missouri  and 
South  Carolina.  The  flint,  feldspar,  &c.,  are  found 
in  Maine,  Connecticut  and  New  York,  large  quanti- 
ties of  the  former  being  brought  from  Whitehall, 
Washington  county.  This  is  an  enterprise  of  great 
importance,  for  it  gives  a  value  to  otherwise  worth- 
less ledges  of  rocks  and  strata  of  clay,  developing 
and  utilizing  the  resources  of  the  earth,  enlarging 
home  industry,  and  supplying  the  American  market 
with  American  manufactured  goods.  There  can 
be  no  doubt  but  the  time  will  soon  come  when  the 
people  of  this  country  will  be  entirely  independent 
of  England  for  their  fine  granite  table  and  toilet 
wares. 

The  following  are  the  Directors  and  oflScers  of 
the  company  :  N.  S.  Gere,  C.  E.  Hubbell,  M.  P. 
Pharis,  C.  D.  Avery,  D.  A.  Moore,  Stephen  Hunt, 
R.  N.  Gere,  G.  W.  Draper,  G.  A.  Cool,  Directors. 
N.  S.  Gere,  President ;  Charles  E.  Hubbell,  Vice- 
President  ;  George  W.  Oliver,  General  Manager. 
Mr.  Oliver  has  active  charge  of  the  works,  and  their 
successful  operation  is  largely  due  to  his  excellent 
management. 

Porter  Manufacturing  Company,  Limited,  is 
the  style  of  a  firm  doing  a  large  business  in  cast- 
ings and  machinery.  Their  foundry  and  machine 
shops  are  situated  on  Salina  street  in  the  First 
Ward  of  the  city.  Originally  a  foundry  was  started 
here  by  Messrs.  Burr  liurton  and  T.  R.  Porter  in 
18—,  who  made  castings  chiefly  for  the  salt  works. 
The  style  of  the  firm  was  at  first  Burton  &  Porter  ; 
then  it  became  Porter  &  Luther,  Mr.  John  M.  Lu- 
ther acquiring  an  interest  in  the  business  ;  subse- 
quently, by  the  association  of  T.  R.  and  George  A. 
Porter,  it  became  Porter  &  Co.,  which  it  remained 
till  January  i,  1877,  when  the  present  stock  com- 


pany was  formed.  The  oflScers  of  the  Company 
are  :  R.  B  White,  President  ;  R.  Townsend,  Vice- 
President  ;  G.  A.  Porter,  Treasurer,  and  D.  H. 
Gowing,  Secretary.  The  Company  are  largely  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  steam  engines,  boilers, 
cotton  presses,  steam  pumps,  salt  kettles,  grates,  all 
kinds  of  castings  for  salt  blocks,  and  everything  in 
the  line  of  castings  and  mill  machinery,  together 
with  the  "  Economizer  Portable  Engine,"  which  is 
one  of  their  specialties  in  trade.  The  shops  and 
store-rooms  of  these  works  cover  about  half  a  block, 
and  seventy  men  are  employed  in  the  business. 

The  Onondaga  Iron  Company. — The  immense 
works  and  blast  furnaces  of  this  company  are  located 
in  the  town  of  Geddes,  and  are  conveniently  situated 
for  handling  their  coal,  iron  and  ore  <m  the  Erie 
Canal  and  the  New  York  Central  and  Oswego 
railroads.  The  corner  stone  of  their  works  was 
laid  in  1869,  at  which  date  the  company  was  in- 
corporated with  a  capital  of  $150,000,  which  has 
since  been  increased  to  $300,000.  The  officers  of 
this  company  are:  J.  J.  Belden,  President  ;  R.  N. 
Gere,  Vice-President ;  and  W.  H.  H.  Gere,  Secre- 
tary and  Treasurer.  The  company  own  sixty  acres 
of  land,  and  their  works  cover  about  ten  acres. 

The  Svkacl'se  Iron  Works. — Another  mam- 
moth establishment  located  also  in  Geddes,  just 
outside  of  the  city  limits,  is  the  Syracuse  Iron 
Works,  covering  several  acres  of  ground  and  pre- 
senting an  imposing  appearance  to  travelers  pass- 
ing in  and  out  of  the  city.  This  company  began 
on  a  small  scale  in  1861,  at  which  date  it  was  in- 
corporated with  a  capital  of  $30,000,  and  since  then 
has  gone  on  rapidly  increasing  till  its  present 
nominal  capital  is  $200,000.  They  manufacture 
from  pig  and  a  small  amount  of  scrap  iron  from 
eight  to  ten  thousand  tons  of  metal  annually  of  over 
two  hundred  difl'erent  sizes,  and  of  one  quality,  (the 
best  I  comprising  merchant  bar  iron,  horseshoe  and 
rivet  iron,  brazier  and  wire  rods,  band  and  hoop 
iron,  also  fish  joint  and  bridge  bolts,  railroad  spikes, 
toe-calks,  tire  and  cutter-shoe  steel,  &c.  The 
company  control  a  very  large  local  trade,  with  a 
general  market  extending  from  Boston  to  Chicago, 
competing  strongly  and  profitably  with  the  Pitts- 
burg manufacturers.  This  establishment  gives 
employment  night  and  day  to  about  two  hundred 
hands. 

The  officers  of  the  company  are:  R.  N.  Gere, 
President,  and  C.  E.  Hubbell,  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer. Mr.  Gere  resides  in  the  village  of  Geddes, 
with  the  interest  of  which  he  has  always  been 
identified.  He  is  a  large  owner  of  real  estate  both 
in  Geddes  and  Syracuse,  a  manufacturer  of  fine  and 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


221 


coarse  salt,  President  of  the  Merchants'  National 
Bank  of  Syracuse,  and  an  enterprising  and  influ- 
ential citizen.  The  interests  of  Syracuse  and  Ged- 
des,  however,  are  identical,  and  in  the  course  of 
events  will  undoubtedly  be  included  in  one  corpora- 
tion. 

DuGUiD,  Wells  &  Co. — The  Saddlery  and  Coach 
Hardware  interest  of  Syracuse  is  among  its  leading 
branches  of  trade,  and  is  represented  by  the  firm  of 
Duguid,  Wells  &  Co.,  Nos.  31  and  33  West  Water 
street.  The  house  is  an  old  established  one,  dating 
its  origin  back  to  1845.  In  the  years  which  have 
since  elapsed,  the  business  has  been  almost  com- 
pletely revolutionized  and  has  attained  to  an  im- 
portance which  may  well  challenge  public  atten- 
tion. 

Duguid,  Wells  &  Co.,  are  successors  of  the  old 
firms  of  Pope  &  Dawson,  and  of  E.  S.  Dawson  & 
Co.,  the  present  firm  style  having  been  adopted  in 
1868.  The  copartners  in  the  present  firm  are  H. 
L.  Duguid,  J.  Emmet  Wells,  Gilbert  W.  Lyon  and 
Frank  Simmons.  Their  premises  on  West  Water 
street  present  an  appearance  not  easy  to  describe, 
on  account  of  the  extent  and  variety  of  the  stock, 
which  finds  a  market,  about  half  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  and  the  balance  in  nineteen  other  States  and 
in  Canada.  Every  year  shows  an  increase,  which 
is  a  substantial  testimony  to  the  worth  of  the  house. 
In  horse-blankets  and  lap-robes  the  stock  of  this 
house  is  simply  immense,  their  sales  in  this  specialty 
amounting  in  one  year  to  over  si.\ty  thousand  dol- 
lars. 

The  firm  are  extensive  manufacturers  as  well  as 
dealers.  On  East  Water  street  they  have  a  com- 
pletely equipped  factory,  Nos.  134,  136  and  138 — a 
large  brick  structure  devoted  exclusively  to  the 
manufacture  of  saddlery  hardware  of  all  kinds,  and 
which  gives  employment  to  from  fifty  to  seventy- 
five  hands.  Gig  saddles  and  coach  pads  are  a  spe- 
cial branch  of  their  business  ;  also  carriage  hard- 
ware and  trimmings,  including  axles,  springs,  hubs, 
spokes,  and  all  kinds  of  bent  wood  work,  as  well  as 
cloths,  plushes,  and  enameled  and  patent  leathers. 

Mr.  Duguid  has  been  connected  with  the  busi- 
ness since  1858,  and  is  one  of  the  best  known  busi- 
ness men  of  the  city.  The  members  of  the  firm 
all  give  their  personal  attention  to  the  business,  and 
the  enterprise  which  has  been  manifested  by  the 
house  is  creditable  alike  to  themselves  and  to  the 
city. 

Frazer,  Burns  &  Jones. — The  late  firm  of  Frazer 
&  Burns,  founded  in  1853,  consisted  of  the  late 
Kasson  Frazer,  a  native  of  this  county,  and  Peter 
Burns,  who  became  a  resident  of  the  then  village  of 


Syracuse  in  1836.  These  gentlemen  were  trained 
from  youth  to  the  saddlery  business,  which  they  fol- 
lowed as  mechanics  until  about  1845,  when  they  be- 
came identified  with  C.  Pope  &  Co.  in  the  saddlery 
hardware  business  here,  Mr.  Frazer  in  the  depart- 
ment of  manufacture,  and  Mr.  Burns  as  general 
clerk. 

At  this  time  the  manufacture  and  introduction  of 
American  saddlery  hardware  in  this  country  was 
comparatively  new.  After  eight  years  of  practical 
experience  in  their  respective  departments,  these 
gentlemen  became  identified  in  business,  which  in- 
terest has  continued  during  the  past  twenty-five 
years.  From  comparatively  small  beginnings,  this 
business,  during  the  past  eighteen  years,  has  em- 
ployed an  average  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  per- 
sons annually.  Its  sales — which  are  exclusively 
wholesale — mostly  made  in  distant  parts  of  the 
country,  were  confined  to  articles  of  their  own 
manufacture. 

This  successful  business  has  now  passed  into  the 
hands  of  a  new  combination,  under  the  style  of 
Frazer,  Burns  &  Jones,  with  additional  facilities 
and  an  increasing  trade. 

Jacob  Brown  &  Co. — Another  branch  of  the 
saddlery  and  coach  hardware  business  of  this  city, 
was  established  in  1870,  the  partners  being  Jacob 
Brown  and  the  late  Kasson  Frazer.  Since  the 
death  of  Mr.  Frazer,  his  estate  has  remained  the 
Company  of  the  firm,  so  that  the  style  continues 
unchanged,  while  the  active  management  devolves 
upon  Mr.  Brown,  who  has  been  a  resident  of  the 
city  of  Syracuse  since  boyhood. 

A.  C.  Chase,  Pianos  and  Musical  Instru- 
ments.— In  addition  to  manufacturing  pianos,  or- 
gans and  melodeons,  Mr.  Chase  deals  in  instru- 
ments made  by  other  parties.  Having  learned  the 
trade  of  piano  making  in  Boston,  he  came  to  Syra- 
cuse in  1855  and  soon  after  commenced  business  as 
a  musical  instrument  dealer.  Beginning  in  a  small 
way,  his  headquarters  were  located  first  on  the 
corner  of  Salina  and  Fayette  streets,  whence  he  re- 
moved to  the  Washington  Block  and  commenced 
the  manufacture  of  pianos,  organs  and  melodeons. 
Subsequently,  to  meet  the  demands  of  business,  he 
built  the  block  on  Clinton  street,  which  was  occu- 
pied till  1876,  when  his  new  factory  and  salesrooms 
fronting  on  Clinton  street,  between  Jefferson  and 
Onondaga,  and  with  entrance  both  from  Clinton 
and  Salina  streets,  was  erected.  This  new  building 
is  a  four-story  brick  structure  50  by  70  feet,  and  of 
sufiScient  dimensions  to  bring  his  entire  business 
under  one  roof,  aftbrding  to  the  different  depart- 
ments of  the  trade  such  space  as  is  necessary.     Mr. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Chase,  by  his  energy  and  perseverance,  has  made 
his  business  a  success,  although  he  has  had  every- 
thing in  the  way  of  musical  instruments  to  com- 
pete with,  showing  that  manufactures  of  any  de- 
scription can  as  well  be  established  and  sustained 
in  Syracuse  as  in  any  other  city  in  ^he  United 
States  In  1875  Mr.  Chase  was  appointed  Post- 
master of  this  city,  which  position  he  now  fills. 

Gray  Bkotheks. — This  firm,  which  has  justly 
acquired  a  wide  reputation  in  the  manufacture  of 
Ladies'  and  Misses'  Fine  Shoes,  was  organized  at 
Little  Falls,  N.  Y.,  where  the  brothers,  Harrison 
H.  and  John  D.  Gray,  had  served  a  long  apprentice- 
ship to  the  business  in  their  father's  manufactory 
and  had  established  and  carried  on  one  of  their 
own  for  some  time.  Heing  ambitious  to  e.xcel  in 
this  branch  of  manufacture  and  to  secure  greater 
advantages  for  the  future  than  their  limited  sur- 
roundings aflforded,  they  transferred  their  business 
to  Syracuse  in  1866,  and  established  their  head- 
quarters in  the  Kimber  Block.  They  had  in  view 
from  the  first  the  building  up  of  an  enterprise  that 
should  be  national  in  its  character,  and,  in  order  to 
secure  this,  had  to  work  slowly,  for  trade  was  the 
first  requisite  to  the  accomplishment  of  their  object. 
Remaining  in  the  Kimber  Block  for  two  years,  re- 
moval was  then  made  to  the  Evcrson  Block,  which 
answered  only  a  temporary  purpose  ;  for  their  grow- 
ing business  required  more  ample  accommodations, 
where  the  improvements  suggested  by  experience 
and  observation  could  be  more  fully  applied.  This 
led  to  the  erection  of  their  present  factory  on  the 
corner  of  Franklin  and  Walton  streets  in  the  fall  of 
1872.  It  is  a  substantial  four-story  brick  block, 
forty  by  one  hundred  feet,  and  admirably  adapted 
to  the  necessities  of  the  busines.s,  having  been  built 
expressly  to  meet  its  requirements.  The  building 
is  heated  by  steam  throughout  and  is  furnished  with 
all  the  best  modern  appliances  for  comfort,  conveni- 
ence and  facility  for  carrying  on  the  extensive  busi- 
ness for  which  it  is  designed.  Everything  through- 
out the  building,  from  basement  to  fourth  floor,  is 
thoroughly  systematized,  and  the  whole  moves  on 
like  a  single  piece  of  machinery.  In  the  basement 
is  stored  the  sole  leather  and  other  coarser  goods, 
and  here  the  soles  are  also  cut  by  machinery.  On 
the  first  floor  arc  the  offices  and  shipping  rooms, 
and  here  are  stored  quantities  of  manufactured 
goods.  The  second  floor  is  devoted  to  bottoming 
ladies',  misses'  and  children's  shoes.  The  third 
floor  is  used  for  the  cutting  and  preparing  of  uppers 
for  the  fourth  floor  where  the  work  is  put  together 
and  fitted.  On  the  fourth  floor  arc  fifty  improved 
sewing  machines  and  six  to  eight  latest  improved 


button-hole  machines  constantly  in  use.  These 
various  floors  are  connected  with  the  office  by 
speaking  tubes  and  by  a  steam  elevator  ;  the 
machinery  also  throughout  the  building  being  pro- 
pelled by  steam. 

The  Gray  Brothers  have  heretofore  devoted  a 
share  of  their  eflbrts  to  the  manufacture  of  men's 
boots  and  shoes,  but  their  plan  for  the  future  con- 
templates the  discontinuance  of  this  branch. 
They  are  putting  in  a  new  and  improved  line  of 
machinery,  embracing  the  McKay  Heeling  Ma- 
chines, the  Tripp  Beating-Out  Machines,  and  the 
Union  Edge-Setting  Machines,  which,  with  other 
improved  machinery,  will  give  a  capacity  of  from 
600  to  800  pairs  of  Ladies'  and  Misses'  Fine  Ma- 
chine Sewed  Shoes  per  day,  and  will  employ  a  force 
of  from  250  to  350  hands.  The  cost  of  building 
and  machinery  was  about  §50,000. 

Alfred  Underhill  &  Co. — In  January,  1873, 
Mr.  Underbill  began  to  manufacture  Infant's  Soft 
Sole  Shoes  on  a  small  scale  in  a  room  20  by  40  on 
Fayette  street,  and  turned  out  25  pairs  a  day.  The 
firm  now  occupy  two  floors  in  the  Baum  Block, 
with  a  capacity  for  making  500  pairs  of  shoes  and 
slippers  daily  and  have  added  a  line  of  children's  hard 
soled  shoes  and  of  ladies'  black  dress  slippers  and 
button  walking  shoes.  The  gross  amount  of  their 
manufacture  for  the  first  year  was  §6,000  ;  the  ag- 
gregate for  the  past  year  foots  up  $30,000.  The 
trade  has  steadily  increased  till  sales  are  now  made 
in  nearly  every  part  of  the  United  States  and 
Canada. 

One  of  the  peculiarities  of  this  establishment  is 
that  the  work  is  nearly  all  done  by  women  and  girls, 
there  being  from  30  to  45  employed  in  the  business, 
and  only  two  men  in  the  establishment. 

The  book-keeper,  and  one  of  the  partners.  Miss 
Sarah  Nutting,  has  full  charge  of  the  books,  con- 
taining the  names  of  over  1,200  customers,  and  at- 
tends to  all  the  correspondence.  She  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  business  from  the  beginning. 

The  Cutting  Department  is  overseen  entirely 
by  Willie  Underhill,  who  is  also  a  member  of  the 
firm. 

H.  O.  Pratt,  Wholesale  Manufacturer  of  Men's 
and  Boys'  Boots  and  Shoes.  Mr.  Pratt  is  a  native 
of  Massachusetts,  having  come  to  this  city  in  1868. 
He  established  a  manufactory  of  boots  and  shoes 
at  No.  93  South  Salina  street,  which  he  carried  on 
for  about  three  years,  when  he  moved  to  the  new 
block,  Nos.  5  and  7  East  Jefferson  street,  and  re- 
mained there  four  years.  While  located  at  the  last 
named  place,  Mr.  James  R.  Barrett  became  a  part- 
ner, the  firm  being  known  as  H.  O.  Pratt  &  Barrett. 


Photo.  l>y  Boiita  H  t'urtiss,  Syracuse. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Sauquoit,  Oneida  Co., 
N.  Y.,  September  19,  1814.  He  was  the  fifth  child  of  a  family 
of  eight  children  of  Dr.  Spaulding  Pierce  and  Abigail  Bacon, 
the  former  a  native  of  Plainfield,  Windham  Co.,  Conn.,  the  latter 
a  native  of  Dedham,  Mass. 

His  father,  although  a  practicing  physician,  carried  on  a  farm, 
on  which  the  subject  of  this  memoir  worked  summers,  attending 
school  wintere,  until  he  was  twelve  years  of  age,  at  which  time 
his  father  died. 

Sylvester  went  to  Utica,  his  native  town,  for  another  year. 
From  there  he  went  to  Rome  and,  acted  as  clerk  for  Jay 
Hathaway,  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  He  "afterwards 
spent  some  three  years  as  clerk  in  Utica,  with  Theodore  S. 
Gould,  and  took  charge  of  the  sale  of  a  stock  of  goods  in 
Oswego  for  Mr.  Curtis,  where  he  remained  over  a  year. 

This  experience  in  business  with  different  and  successfiil 
business  men  gave  him  a  desire  to  go  into  trade  for  himself, 
and  cultivated  also  his  natural  business  capacity.  In  the  }'ear 
1839  he  came  to  the  city  of  Syracuse,  then  a  village,  and  opened 
a  crockery-store  in  partnership  with  Ransom  Curtis,  and  in  the 
beginning  made  importations  direct  from  P]ngland.  Their 
trade  rapidly  increased  as  the  village  and  surrounding  country 
increased  in  its  demands.  After  some  four  years,  Mr.  Curtis 
went  out  of  the  concern,  since  which  time,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  few  years,  Mr.  Pierce  has  been  in  business  alone. 

From  the  first,  on  coming  to  Syracuse,  he  has  carried  on  the 
wholesaling  of  his  goods,  which  reached  out  until  now  they  find 


their  way  into  nearly  all  the  counties  of  the  State,  and  his  im. 
portations  are  from  Germany,  Holland,  France,  and  England 
direct.  His  economical  management  of  his  small  means,  accu- 
mulated while  a  clerk,  has  increased,  until  he  ranks  not  only 
among  the  successful  business  men  of  his  city,  but  among  the 
strong  financial  men  of  his  county. 

His  close  attention  to  business,  and  integrity  of  purpose  in 
dealing,  has  won  for  him  the  high  esteem  of  his  fellow-men, 
and  is  only  another  example  of  the  result  of  well-directed  efi'ort 
and  ambition,  with  a  will  to  succeed. 

In  politics  he  was  first  identified  with  the  Whig  party,  but 
upon  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party  became  an  ardent 
supporter  of  its  principles.  Has  never  sought  political  ofiices, 
nor  shrank  from  bearing  public  burdens  when  placed  upon  him. 
Was  supervisor  of  his  ward  (sixth)  for  two  terms. 

In  the  year  1841  he  married  Miss  Cornelia  M.,  daughter 
of  Elisha  Marsh  and  Lovina  Wiard,  of  Onondaga  Hill.  Her 
grandfather  came  with  his  family  from  Coleraine,  Mass.,  about 
the  year  1800,  and  became  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  this 
county. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierce  have  been  born  four  children, — 
Marsh  C,  Charles  H.,  William  K.,  and  Emma  C. 

Mr.  Pierce  is  a  liberal  supporter  of  church  interests  ;  has  been 
for  many  years  vestryman  of  St.  Paul's  church  of  the  city,  and, 
with  his  wife,  are  warmly  attached  as  members  of  the  same 
to  not  only  its  interests,  but  are  ready  supporters  of  all  enter- 
prises looking  to  the  building  up  of  good  society. 


1 


Pkolo.  I>y  ILiita  A  I'lirtlia,  SyrmcUM. 


The  mibjcpt  of  this  sketch  was  brirn  in  Niwton,  Mats.,  Nov.  7, 
1793.  llii  viHs  tlie  cl<lo.-t  chil.l,  in  ft  fiiinily  of  live  children,  of  Ben- 
jamin ('i"ik,  iKJrn  Feb.  2t!,  nt'iT,  in  I'liinhriilni-,  Mass.,  niiil  Ann 
.Ml  Ncftl  HiMi(;«,  of  Nowton,   Mil**.     His  KmiHlfulher,   Henjimiin 

Cook,    Willi   l).>rn   in    17r.',   in   Cambridge,  an>l    his  u'ruiid llier, 

Lvdia  Hammond,  wa«  born  in  Newton,  Mnss.,  in  K'lii. 

When  William  was  thirteen  years  old  he  came  to  Che-iterlield, 
Cho-hire  Co.,  N.  U.,  with  his  pnrenU,  and  in   IHIS  moved  with 

ihem  to  Onondaga  County,  and  settled  at  <> idaga  Hill. 

.  On  Oct.  ft,  1810,  he  married  Miss  Harriet  Byron,  daughter  of 
Gon.  John  Klli.«  ami  Suhmil  OKU,  cnrly  settlors  of  this  county, 
and  among  the  most  prominent  families  of  the  county. 

The  next  year  after  his  marriage  ho  entered  into  the  mercantile 
business  in  Camilliis,  fniin  which  place  he  soon  removed  t"  Onon- 
daga Hill.  ThiTi-  he  was  apjMiiiiteil  under-sherilV  by  the  late  Dr. 
Hezukiab  (Jrangor,  of  .Manlius,  which  oftlce  ho  held,  iimbr  various 
shorifls,  for  llfteen  years. 

In  the  year  1817  ho  was  appointed  brigade  inspector,  under  Gen. 
John  Kills,  in  the  Stale  militia,  and  continued  in  that  oflice  for 
some  nineteen  years ;  and  it  is  said  of  him  that,  as  an  ofDcer,  "  his 
fine  proportions  of  body,  \\\>  gontlnmanly  bearing  among  the  sol- 
diers on  miliUiry  ilays,  when  in  his  full  dress  uniform,  mounted 
on  his  gallant  iloed,  inspired  every  cmo  with  confldenee,  pride, 
and  delight." 

In  May,  1836,  he  came  to  Syracuse,  where  he  has  filled  .«cvcral 
oltlces  of  trust,  and  in  184fi  was  appointed  police  justice,  the  duties 
of  which  office  ho  faithfully  discharged  until  nearly  tho  time  of 
his  death,  Nov.  128,  1848. 

Major  Cook  was  dopiity-supcrinlondcnl  of  the  Salt  Springs  of 
Syracusi^  for  many  years.  A  special  characteristic  of  him  was 
his  temperance  priH-livitics,  being  an  ardent  promoter  of  that  in- 
terest wherever  he  was,  and  closely  identitlcd  with  the  Sons  of 
Temperance  society  of  Syracuse.  Major  Cook  was  for  more  than 
twenty  years  a  member  of  the  vestry  of  tho  Episcopal  society, 
first  on  the  Hill,  and  subsoiuently  In  Syracuse.  For  eight  years 
lie  was  a  vestryman  of  Zion  church,  Onondaga,  and    for   about 


twelve  years  a  senior  warden  of  St.  Paul's  church,  of  Syracuse. 
In  the  latter  office  ho  was  associated  with  the  lato  Jonas  Karll,  Jr., 
Henry  Kaston,  and  Amos  1'.  Granger. 

At  the  time  of  his  decease,  the  common  council  of  the  city  pre- 
sented his  widow  with  a  deed  for  a  lot  in  Hose  Hill  cemetery,  to 
bury  her  husband's  remains,  rather  than  he  should  lie  taken  to  tho 
family  (Ellis)  burying-ground  at  Onondaga   Hill,  and  in  ai'cord- 

ance  with   llii'  wishes  of  the  | pie  his  remains  were  inlerri-d  at 

Kose  Hill. 

To  Major  and  Mrs.  Cook  were  born  four  children, — Charles 
Augustus  (deceased),  Harriot  Marnnda  (died  in  infancy),  Wil- 
liam Edgar  (died  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years),  and  Laura  K., 
wife  of  the  late  E.  J.  Foster,  of  Syracuse,  but  formerly  of  Beverly, 
Mass.     They  have  oni'  daughter,  Kate  Lovclt  Fibster. 

.Mr.  Edward  J.  Foster  was  born  in  Beverly,  Mass.,  in  1817. 
When  a  child  ho  removed  with  his  parents  to  Syracuse,  where 
thev  lived  a  few  years,  and  then  returned  to  their  former  home. 
When  fourteen  years  of  age  ho  returned  to  Syracuse,  where  he 
lived  until  his  death.  Mr.  Foster  wa-s  an  honest,  upright  man, 
who.se  whole  life,  embellished  as  it  was  with  manly,  unostentatious 
deeds,  and  ailorned  with  noble  qualities  of  heart  and  mind,  is 
worthy  the  hinting  remrmbranci>  and  the  emulation  of  his  fellow- 
men. 

Mrs.  Cook  died  at  the  ago  of  seventy-seven  years.  Her  declin- 
ing venrs  were  made  happy  by  the  kindness  of  her  devoted 
daughter,  Mrs.  Foster,  and  the  ministrations  of  countless  friends. 
Being  born  in  tho  town  of  Onondaga,  she  was  tho  oldest  living 
n'sident  of  that  town.  She  camo  to  Syracuse  to  live  forty  years 
previous  to  her  death,  and  was  liest  known  among  the  older  resi- 
dents of  the  town.  She  was  a  general  favorite,  and  her  intelli- 
gence, culture,  and  vivacity  made  her  a  most  charming  companion. 
She  was  the  oldest  re.«ident  member  of  St.  I'auls  church  at  tho 
time  of  her  ileath,  and  a  constant  attendant.  She  was  possessed 
of  remarkable  vitality,  and  did  not  cease  in  her  charitable  minis- 
trations until  disease  incapacitJiled  her  from  further  work.  Her 
life  was  one  of  labor  more  for  others  than  for  herself. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


223 


Mr.  Pratt  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Barrett  in  the 
winter  of  1875,  and  immediately  established  him- 
self in  his  present  location,  No.  38  West 
Railroad  street,  where  he  conducts  his  busi- 
ness, occupying  two  stories  of  that  number.  He 
employs,  on  an  average,  45  hands  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  his  goods,  which  are  sold  principally  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  also  in  Pennsylvania,  Ohio, 
Indiana,  Illinois,  and  Minnesota.  The  production 
of  his  factory  is  about  fifty  pairs  of  men's  first- 
class,  hand-sewed  and  pegged  boots  and  shoes  per 
day,  aggregating  in  value  about  ;^40,ooo  a  year. 

Wilson  &  Blye. — This  firm,  composed  of  Newell 
W.  Wilson  and  Alphonso  W.  Blye,  commenced  in 
the  spring  of  1872  the  manufacture  of  an  Oil  Tank 
for  use  principally  in  stores  and  manufacturing  es- 
tablishments. At  first  they  manufactured  what  is 
known  as  the  Winchell  Oil  Can,  working  the  same 
under  a  royalty  contract  from  the  patentee.  Later 
they  improved  upon  this  tank  and  secured  patents 
of  their  own  under  which  they  are  now  and 
have  been  for  some  two  years  making  a  tank  which 
they  name  "  The  Perfection."  Early  in  the  year 
1873,  this  firm  established  an  office  in  New  York 
City  and  goods  of  their  manufacture  are  now  well 
known  and  sought  after  in  every  State  of  the  Union. 
The  business  has  increased  from  the  beginning,  when 
they  made  them  only  as  sales  were  effected  and  to 
a  limited  amount,  to  the  present  production  of 
nearly  300  a  month.  They  have  also  taken  hold  of 
and  introduced  several  new  and  useful  specialties 
such  as  a  Tobacco  Safe,  Flour  Safe  and  a  Fish 
and  Bait  Pail,  all  of  which  are  meeting  with  appro- 
bation. 

Recently  they  accepted  the  agency  for  the  coun- 
ties of  Cortland  and  Onondaga,  for  the  sale  of  the 
Corinthian  Monuments,  cast  from  pure  zinc,  which, 
as  they  become  more  and  more  known,  must  largely 
supercede  marble  and  granite,  being  much  more 
durable  than  either,  and  having  the  advantage  over 
them  in  that  they  can  be  more  highly  ornamented 
and  more  beautifully  finished  than  either,  and  re- 
tain for  all  time  their  color  and  beauty. 

E.  L.  Walrath  &  Co ,  Manufacturers  of  Gold 
Pens,  No.  3  Granger  Block.  In  1852,  E.  L.  Walrath 
&  Co  ,  purchased  the  interest  and  good  will  of  their 
predecessors  in  this  line  of  business  in  Syracuse, 
Messrs.  Benedict  &  Barney.  Mr. Walrath  has  labored 
and  experimented  for  several  years  to  produce  a  gold 
pen  characterized  by  the  same  flexibility  and  action  as 
the  quill,  and  has  brought  out  the  result  of  his 
thought  and  experiments  in  his  famous  quill-spring 
pen,  which  is  acknowledged  by  those  familiar  with 
its  use  to  be  a  very  superior  article.     Pens  of  this 


peculiar  construction,  pointed  with  iridium  (the 
heaviest  and  most  durable  metal  known)  may  be 
used  with  pleasure  and  satisfaction  by  the  penman 
during  a  lifetime.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  wear- 
ing the  point  further  than  a  smooth  surface,  and 
the  peculiar  flexibility  imparted  by  Mr.  Walrath  to 
his  pens  render  them  very  desirable  both  for  ease 
of  writing  and  durability.  Messrs.  Walrath  &  Co. 
are  the  only  manufacturers  of  pens  in  the  county  of 
Onondaga. 

John  Q.  Smith,  Manufacturer  of  Galvanized 
Iron  Cornice,  and  manufacturer  and  wholesale 
dealer  in  Tinware,  Nos.  55  and  57  S.  Clinton  street. 
The  business  of  Mr.  Smith  was  established  in  its 
present  locality  in  1874  ;  it  amounts  to  $100,000  a 
year,  the  capital  employed  in  active  business  being 
$25,000.     Employment  is  given  to  50  hands. 

William  Malcolm,  Rifle  Telescope  Manufac- 
turer. Mr.  Malcolm  is  a  son  of  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers, Wm.  Malcolm,  who  came  to  Syracuse  in  1824, 
and  was  20  years  connected  with  the  hardware 
business.  William,  Jr.,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Sullivan,  Madison  county,  Oct.  13,  1823.  He  began 
the  peculiar  branch  of  scientific  mechanism  in 
which  he  has  attained  so  rare  an  excellence — the 
manufacture  of  rifle  telescopes — in  1855,  and  now 
supplies  the  leading  gun  dealers  in  Boston,  New 
York,  Philadelphia,  San  Francisco,  and  has  sent 
them  indirectly  to  China,  Japan,  Siberia,  Spain, 
Egypt,  and  India.  Only  a  limited  quantity  of  these 
superior  instruments  can  be  made,  as  all  the  work 
has  to  be  done  by  Mr.  Malcolm  individually.  His 
telescopes  are  used  to  some  extent  in  the  United 
States  army,  by  Col.  BuUis,  of  Texas,  Lieut.  W.  L. 
Carpenter,  of  Red  Cloud,  Neb.,  and  in  Gen.  Wood's 
Battery,  Capt.  P.  Birchmeyer,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

To  the  astonishment  of  many  scientific  men,  Mr. 
Malcolm  produces  in  his  small  telescopes  of  the 
diameter  of  only  one-half  inch,  the  power  and  field 
of  large  field  telescopes.  Objects  such  as  small 
birds,  the  robin,  for  instance,  can  be  seen  at  two 
miles  distance  ;  and,  incredible  as  it  may  seem,  with 
these  half-inch  glasses  the  field  is  large  enough  to 
take  in  four  full  moons  in  a  parallel  line  ;  at  15  rods, 
10  feet  is  embraced  in  the  field,  and  at  40  rods, 
about  27  feet.  These  telescopes  are  used  by  Rocky 
Mountain  hunters,  who  claim  a  greater  degree  of 
accuracy  in  sighting  the  rifle  in  dark  woods  than 
can  be  attained  by  any  other  known  sight,  as  the 
concentration  of  light  by  means  of  an  intermediate 
lens  (first  brought  into  use  by  Mr.  Malcolm  in  this 
instrument)  is  so  intense  and  bright  that  the  diffi- 
culty of  sighting  in  the  dark,  shadowy  retreats  of 
the  forests  is  entirely  overcome. 


224 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Syracuse  Makble  and  Granite  Works.— 
Francis  &  Dufty,  Nos.  17,  19  and  21  West  Onon- 
daga street.  Among  the  many  successful  business 
houses  of  Syracuse,  should  be  mentioned  the  pros- 
perous firm  whose  name  appears  above. 

There  is  perhaps  no  manufacturing  interest  that 
shows  a  greater  degree  of  development  of  late  years, 
than  that  of  which  this  enterprise  is  a  representa- 
tive. Closely  allied  to  the  highest  type  of  art,  and 
calling  for  the  employment  of  talent  in  designing 
and  executing,  the  marble  works  of  our  large  cities 
to-day  have  become  studios,  instead  of  mere  work- 
shops. The  Syracuse  Marble  and  Granite  Works 
have  had  a  busy  career,  extending  over  a  period  of 
nearly  fifteen  years. 

They  were  originally  established  by  the  late  Geo. 
W.  M.  Lewis  of  Utica,  in  1865,  and  who  is  favor- 
ably remembered  by  many  of  our  citizens.  In 
January,  1867,  Messrs.  Francis  &  DufTy  succeeded 
to  the  business,  and  in  186S  they  purchased  the 
marble  works  of  Robert  Spaulding,  long  and  favor- 
ably known  in  this  community.  This  firm  con- 
tinued the  manufactories  separately  for  four  years  ; 
then  enlarging  their  premises,  they  consolidated 
the  two  establishments  in  one,  at  Nos.  17,  19  and 
21  West  Onondaga  street. 

During  this  time  the  business  has  been  very 
much  developed.  A  demand  has  been  created  for 
finer  grades  of  work.  The  firm  commenced  their 
first  importation  of  Scotch  Granite  ten  years  ago, 
and  were  the  first  to  introduce  it  in  this  vicinity. 
Since  then  they  have  imported  largely,  and  have 
brought  to  the  notice  of  the  people,  such  beautiful 


and  enduring  granites  as  the  light  and  dark 
"  shap "  from  Westmoreland,  England,  and  of 
American,  the  beautifully  mottled  granites  from 
Clark's  Island,  Maine,  as  well  as  the  Westerly, 
Quincy,  Fo.x  Island  and  many  others. 

The  proprietors  of  the  Syracuse  Marble  and 
Granite  Works  are  young  men  who  believe  that  en- 
ergetic action  and  prompt  attention  to  business  can 
not  fail  of  achieving  abundant  success.  Their 
works,  as  seen  in  Oakwood  and  other  principal 
cemeteries  of  Central  New  York,  show  not  only  the 
beauty  of  materials  and  workmanship,  but  that  as 
designers  they  exhibit  rare  originality. 

H.  Stanton,  Novelty  Match  Works,  East 
Water  street — Established  at  Richfield  Springs, 
Otsego  county  in  1852  ;  removed  to  Syracuse  in 
1864,  in  which  year  the  present  factory  was  erected. 
The  premises,  building  and  machinery  are  valued 
at  ^8,000.  The  capacity  of  the  works  is  equal  to 
the  production  of  150  gross  of  matches  daily, 
which  find  a  market  in  six  different  Northern 
States.  The  number  of  hands  employed  in  the 
whole  establishment,  including  box-making,  is  about 
40  ;  the  revenue  stamps  used  amount  to  $40,000  a 
year.  Mr.  Stanton  began  on  a  small  scale,  produc- 
ing at  first  about  10  gross  per  day.  H.  Stanton, 
Jr.,  has  the  management  and  superintendence  of 
the  works. 

JuDSON  &  Ryder,  Excelsior  Match  Com- 
pany.— Building  erected  December,  1874  ;  manu- 
facturing commenced  March  25,  1875.  Works 
have  capacity  for  making  from  140  to  160  gross  of 
matches  per  day. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 


JOHN  CROUSE. 

John  Crouse  was  born  at  Mindenville,  Montgom- 
ery County,  New  York,  on  the  fourth  day  of  June, 
1802.  His  father,  Jacob  Crouse,  was  born  in  Mont- 
gomery County  in  1769.  He  was  descended  from 
German  ancestry,  his  grandfather,  George  Crouse, 
having  been  born  in  Palatine,  Sa.xony,  in  1740. 
While  a  young  man  he  came  to  America  to  seek  his 
fortune  and  settled  in  Montgomery  County.  His 
son  Jacob  Crouse,  had  a  family  of  twelve  cijildren, 
one  of  whom  was  John  Crouse,  the  subject  of  this 
biography.  Jacob  Crouse  was  a  farmer,  and  his  son 
John  in  his  early  life  was  brought  up  to  assist  his 


father  in  the  care  and  management  of  the  farm. 
He  received  his  early  education  at  the  district  school, 
whose  advantages  in  those  days  were  exceedingly 
limited.  Never,  however,  was  the  saying  that  "e.x- 
perience  is  the  best  teacher,"  better  illustrated  than 
in  the  life  of  John  Crouse.  Every  man  is  the  archi- 
tect of  his  own  fortune  and  controls  in  a  measure 
his  destiny.  Upon  the  foundation  of  his  district 
school  education,  guided  by  the  principles  that  were 
early  instilled  in  his  mind,  he  reared  the  superstruct- 
ure of  his  successful  and  honorable  business  career. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  engaged  as  clerk  and 
passed  the  next  five  years  of  his  life  in  that  capacity, 
in  Schoharie  County  and  in  the  city  of  Albany.     At 


vwv/nnwy 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


225 


the  end  of  that  period,  he  engaged  in  business  for 
himself  in  Canastota,  N.  Y.,  forming  a  partnership 
first  with  a  man  named  Hawley.  The  partner- 
ship continued  one  year  when  Mr.  Crouse  entered 
into  partnership  with  his  brother,  Daniel  Crouse. 
For  twenty-eight  years,  with  uninterrupted  pros- 
perity, they  carried  on  a  general  merchandise  busi- 
ness in  Canastota.  In  1853  the  partnership  be- 
tween them  was  dissolved,  and  John  Crouse,  with  a 
younger  brother,  James,  came  to  Syracuse  and  es- 
tablished a  wholesale  grocery  house  under  the  firm 
name  of  J.  &  J.  Crouse.  Previous  to  moving  to 
Syracuse,  Mr.  Crouse  had  been  for  several  years 
largely  interested  in  banking  in  that  city.  He  was 
one  of  the  originators  of  the  City  Bank,  and  its 
Vice-President  for  several  years,  controlling  its  stock 
to  a  large  e.xtent.  Disposing  of  his  interest  in  that 
bank,  he,  with  his  brothers,  James  and  Daniel,  and 
others  associated  with  them,  established  the  "Crouse 
Bank,"  the  Crouse  interest  controlling  the  stock. 
The  Crouse  brothers  held  their  controlling  interest 
for  four  or  five  years,  when  they  disposed  of  it. 

Mr.  Crouse  was  one  of  the  first  directors  of  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Syracuse,  and  has  been  its 
Vice-President  since  its  organization.  He  is  also 
a  director  of  the  Canastota  National  Bank,  of  Can- 
astota, N.  Y. 

The  wholesale  grocery  business,  established  upon 
coming  to  Syracuse,  was  carried  on  successfully  for 
a  few  years  when  his  son,  John  J.,  was  admitted  to 
a  partnership  in  the  business.  Upon  the  death  of 
James  Crouse,  Jacob  Crouse,  his  nephew,  became 
a  member  of  the  firm.  The  business  of  their  house 
increased  very  rapidly,  extending  over  a  wide 
territory.  In  1864,  Jacob  Crouse  withdrew  from 
the  firm,  Mr.  Crouse  having  previously  taken  into 
partnership  with  him  his  second  son,  Daniel  Edgar. 
At  the  time  of  writing  this — 1878 — both  of  his 
sons  are  engaged  in  business  with  him,  the  firm 
name  being  John  Crouse  &  Co. 

The  history  of  the  Crouse  wholesale  grocery 
house  during  the  twenty-five  years  it  has  been  in 
existence  in  Syracuse  has  been  one  of  uninterrupted 
success.  Its  trade  steadily  increased  from  its 
foundation,  and  for  many  years  it  has  been  con- 
ceded a  standing  as  one  of  the  leading  wholesale 
grocery  houses  in  the  State,  transacting  a  business 
not  exceeded  by  that  of  any  concern  outside  of  the 
city  of  New  York. 

Mr.  Crouse  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  best  busi- 
ness men  in  the  city  of  Syracuse  and,  indeed,  in 
the  State.  Possessed  ot  keen  discrimination  and 
judgment  and  sound,  practical  common  sense, 
methodical  in  his  business  relations,  and  governed 
19* 


by  indomitable  energy  and  integrity  of  purpose, 
his  business  career  has  been  a  course  of  uninter- 
rupted success.  As  a  financier  he  deservedly  takes 
a  high  rank.  He  has  never  been  active  in  politics 
nor  solicitous  of  political  advancement.  Formerly 
a  member  of  the  Whig  party,  upon  the  formatiorv 
of  the  Republican  party  Mr.  Crouse  became  a  sup- 
porter of  its  principles,  and  has  continued  a  member 
of  that  party. 

While  Mr.  Crouse  has  been  blessed  with  an 
abundance  of  this  world's  goods,  he  has  freely 
opened  his  purse  to  the  wants  of  the  needy 
and  the  charities  of  Syracuse.  He  liberally  con- 
nected himself  with  the  Syracuse  University,  and 
has  been  one  of  its  trustees  since  its  foundation. 
The  Home,  the  House  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  and 
the  hospitals  have  also  received  substantial  aid  from 
him. 

His  charities  are  always  exercised  in  an  unob- 
trusive manner.  He  was  one  of  the  originators  and 
has  been  a  trustee  of  Oakwood  Cemetery  since  its 
organization. 

On  the  16th  day  of  June,  1831,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Catherine,  daughter  of  Ansil 
White,  of  Whitestown,  N.  Y.  For  nearly  fifty 
years  she  has  been  his  faithful  and  honored  com- 
panion in  the  voyage  of  life. 

At  the  time  of  writing  this — 1878 — both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Crouse  are  enjoying  excellent  health.  They 
have  two  sons,  previously  mentioned  in  this  sketch, 
John  J.  and  Daniel  Edgar  Crouse.  The  former 
has  occupied  many  important  positions  of  political 
responsibility  and  financial  trust. 

He  has  served  successively  as  Alderman,  School 
Commissioner  and  Mayor  of  Syracuse. 

He  is  President  of  the  State  Bank  of  Syracuse, 
and  of  the  Trust  and  Deposit  Company  of  Onondaga, 
and  Trustee  of  the  Onondaga  County  Savings 
Bank. 

Daniel  Edgar,  the  second  son,  is  a  Director  of  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Syracuse,  and  also  a  Trustee 
of  the  Trust  and  Deposit  Company  of  Onondaga. 
The  life  of  John  Crouse,  briefly  sketched  above, 
is  not  filled  with  great  events  in  the  ordinary  sense 
of  the  term,  and  yet  his  successful  career  furnishes 
abundant  food  for  the  reflecting  mind.  It  serves  to 
point  a  moral  and  furnish  an  example  that  all  should 
try  to  emulate. 

Beginning  life  a  poor  boy  with  but  few  advan- 
tages, he  has,  by  energy,  perseverance  and  un- 
swerving integrity  of  purpose,  attained  the  topmost 
pinnacle  of  business  success.  His  success  has  not 
been  achieved  by  doubtful  means  or  questionable 
methods,  but  has  been  worked  out  and  won  by  early 


226 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


struggles,  by  frugality  and  industrious  perseverance, 
and  by  the  rigid  and  unalterable  practice  of  honest 
and  honorable  rules  of  business.  For  fifty-one 
consecutive  years  he  has  been  actively  engaged  in 
business,  and  is  still  the  head  of  his  business  firm. 
With  faculties  unimpaired,  and  a  mind  as  bright 
and  clear  as  in  his  younger  days,  his  hand  still 
directs  the  helm  that  guides  his  house  successfully 
forward. 

The  city  or  the  State  of  New  York  can  furnish 
few  examples  of  this  nature. 

His  experience  during  his  extended  business 
career  of  over  half  a  century  has  been  a  varied  one. 
Fifty  years  ago  he  commenced  his  journeys  to  the 
city  of  New  York  to  purchase  goods,  traveling  by 
the  packets  on  the  canal  and  by  steamers  on  the 
Hudson  River.  He  has  seen  the  country  during 
those  years  develop  from  a  wilderness,  with  here 
and  there  a  hamlet  or  village,  into  prosperity.  Cities 
and  villages  have  sprung  up  and  the  great  railways 
have  encircled  the  country  with  a  network  of  iron. 

The  stage  coach  and  packet  boats  of  his  early 
life,  with  their  snail-like  locomotion,  have  given 
place  to  the  palace  on  wheels  of  the  lightning  ex- 
press, and  still  to-day,  with  the  same  energy,  in- 
dustry and  enjoyment,  he  makes  his  routine  trips  to 
the  metropolis  to  purchase  goods  for  his  house,  as 
he  did  fifty-one  years  ago. 


HON.  PETER  BURNS. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  the  city 
of  Dublin,  Ireland,  July  3r,  1814.  He  was  the 
only  child  of  David  and  Mary  [Dimpscy ,  Burns,  both 
natives  of  Dublin.  When  Mr.  Burns  was  five 
years  of  age  his  mother  died,  at  about  the  age  of  26 
years.  In  the  spring  of  1820,  he  immigrated  with 
his  father  to  America,  on  board  a  merchant  vessel 
en  route  irom  Dublin  to  New  York.  After  a  voyage 
of  thirteen  weeks  the  vessel  was  wrecked  off  Sandy 
Hook,  but  nearly  all  of  the  passengers  were  saved, 
being  rescued  by  wreckers.  After  arriving  at  New 
York,  where  he  remained  a  short  time,  he  came 
with  his  father  to  the  county  of  Delaware,  to  a 
place  on  the  east  branch  of  the  Delaware  river, 
where  Mr.  Burns  was  left  with  relatives  and  his 
father  returned  to  New  York  and  engaged  in  his 
previous  business  of  brewing  and  distilling.  His 
father  remained  in  New  York  about  five  years  and 
removed  thence  to  the  county  of  Ulster,  where  he 
remained  until  his  death,  which  occurred  about  the 
year  1850. 

At  the  time  of  Peter's  residence  in  Delaware 
county,  the  country  in  that  section  was  new  and 


comparatively  unsettled,  and  afibrded  very  limited 
advantages  for  schooling.  He  lived  most  of  the 
time  with  a  French  family  and  learned  to  speak 
the  French  language  quite  fluently.  At  the  age 
of  twelve  years  he  went  to  the  county  of  Ulster 
where  his  father  was.  and  spent  the  next  five  years 
in  a  family  of  Hollanders,  working  on  a  farm  and 
having  very  limited  opportunities  for  education  from 
books ;  but  he  was  schooled  in  habits  of  industry, 
economy,  frugality  and  morality,  and  disciplined 
carefully  in  the  doctrines  of  the  Dutch  Reformed 
Church.  It  was  in  this  model  family  that  the 
turning  point  in  his  life  was  reached,  and  from  those 
five  years'  experience  he  dates  the  beginning  of  his 
future  career. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  entered  as  an  ap- 
prentice to  the  saddle  and  harness  maker's  trade  in 
Kingston,  Ulster  county,  and  remained  there  and 
at  Woodstock  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  when  he  went  to  New  York  to  perfect  his 
mechanical  skill.  He  remained  there  two  years 
and  came  to  the  village  of  Syracuse  in  1836. 
After  following  his  business  as  a  journeyman  till 
the  spring  of  1840,  when,  on  account  of  impaired 
health,  he  made  a  tour  of  the  Western  States,  return- 
ing to  Syracuse  the  next  autumn.  Feeling  the 
need  of  additional  education,  and  unable  physically 
to  pursue  his  trade,  he  spent  the  following  two 
years  at  Onondaga  Academy,  with  a  view  of  fitting 
himself  for  a  teacher ;  but  after  obtaining  his 
diploma,  he  was  induced  to  enter  upon  a  clerkship 
in  a  saddlery  hardware  store  in  Syracuse,  where  he 
remained  for  five  years.  By  his  principle  of  living 
within  his  means  and  saving  something  besides,  he 
had  accumulated  sufficient  at  this  time  to  embark 
in  trade  for  himsell",  and  accordingly  opened  a 
saddlery  hardware  store  which  he  conducted  till  the 
year  1853,  when  he  sold  his  stock  and  interest  and 
began  the  manufacture  of  saddlery  hardware  stock 
in  partnership  with  the  late  Kasson  Frazer.  This 
business  was  continued  with  increasing  success 
until  the  death  of  Mr.  Frazer  in  the  year  1876. 
After  one  year  Mr.  Burns  retired  from  the  business 
leaving  his  son,  Willis  B.  Hums,  in  full  possession 
of  his  interest.  During  his  active  business  life  as  a 
manufacturer  his  trade,  from  small  beginnings, 
extended  over  most  of  the  States  of  the  Union, 
and  was  one  of  the  leading  manufactories  of  the 
United  States.  In  politics  Mr.  Burns  started  in 
the  Whig  party  ;  afterwards  he  was  identified  with 
the  anti-slavery  party,  and  upon  the  formation  of 
the  Republican  party  became  an  ardent  supporter 
of  its  principles.  He  has  been  connected  with 
various  offices  of  trust   in  the  city,  and  served  his 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY    NEW  YORK. 


227 


county  in  the  State  Legislature  for  two  terms^ 
1871-72.  He  was  Supervisor  for  the  Sixth  Ward 
in  i859-'6o,  and  was  several  years  Chairman  of  the 
Board  of  Inspectors  of  the  Onondaga  County 
Penitentiary.  He  was  one  of  the  first  Police  Com- 
missioners to  organize  the  present  police  system  of 
the  city,  and  as  Chairman  of  that  Board  assisted  in 
the  organization  of  the  present  police  force.  He 
has  been  for  several  years  a  director  of  the  Mer- 
chants National  Bank  of  Syracuse,  and  of  the 
Trust  and  Deposit  Company  of  Onondaga,  and 
Vice-President  of  the  latter. 

At  the  age  of   twenty  he  became  a  member  of 
the  Dutch  Reformed  Church,  and  upon  coming  to 


Syracuse  he  united  with  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  was  Superintendent  of  its  Sunday 
School,  He  was  one  of  nine  persons  to  organize 
the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  on  James  street,  and 
subsequently  connected  himself  with  the  organiza- 
tion, and  contributed  liberally  toward  the  erection 
of  the  present  Plymouth  Church,  of  whose  Board 
of  Trustees  he  has  been  for  a  number  of  years 
President.  In  the  year  1850,  May  9th,  he 
married  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Joshua  Bates 
and  Jane  Phillips,  both  natives  of  Chesterfield, 
Mass.,  but  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  of  Syracuse. 
They  have  two  children,  Willis  B.  and  Flora  E., 
wife  of  Lyman  C.  Smith,  of  Syracuse. 


SYRACUSE  WHOLESALE  BUSINESS. 


D.  McCarthy,  Sons  &  Co.'s  wholesale  house 
was  established  in  the  spring  of  1862,  under  the 
firm  name  of  McCarthy  &  Sedgwick,  and  the  busi- 
ness opened  in  the  upper  portion  of  the  retail 
house,  corner  of  South  Salina  and  Fayette  streets. 
The  wholesale  firm  of  McCarthy  &  Sedgwick 
continued  till  February  i,  1867,  when  Mr.  Sedgwick 
retired  and  the  style  was  changed  to  D.  McCarthy 
&  Son,  Mr.  David  K.  McCarthy  being  taken  in  as 
partner.  On  the  first  of  February,  1869,  Mr. 
Thomas  McCarthy  and  Mr.  Patrick  Phelan  were 
admitted  as  partners  and  the  style  of  the  firm  be- 
came D.  McCarthy,  Sons  &  Co.  February  i, 
1 87 1,  Mr.  Thomas  Emory  became  a  partner,  and 
February  i,  1875,  Mr.  Dennis  McCarthy,  Jr.,  was 
admitted.  All  these  are  at  present  members  of  the 
firm. 

In  1876  the  wholesale  business  had  outgrown  its 
accommodations  in  the  retail  building  and  a  sepa- 
rate house  for  it  became  necessary.  The  firm  ac- 
cordingly purchased  the  site  on  the  corner  of  West 
Washington  and  Clinton  streets  and  the  present 
elegant  block  was  completed  and  occupied  in  Jan- 
uary, 1877.  This  block  is  one  of  the  finest  busi- 
ness houses  in  the  city.  It  is  of  brick  and  Onon- 
daga limestone,  wrought  in  fine  ornamental  work, 
yet  solid  and  substantial,  presenting  an  imposing 
and  beautiful  front  on  both  streets.  The  height  is 
the  same  as  the  five  story  building  adjoining,  but 
for  convenience  is  divided  into  four  stories  and 
basement,  the  latter  running  under  the  entire  side- 
walk on  both  sides  of  the  building.  It  is  70  feet 
on  Washington  street  by  103  on  Clinton  street, 
with    an    L   extension    of  60   by    33    feet,    heated 


throughout  by  steam,  and  has  an  elevator  running 
from  the  basement  to  every  floor.  The  immense 
stock  of  goods  carried  by  this  house  is  conveniently 
arranged,  as  follows  : 

First  floor — Foreign  and  Domestic  General  Dry 
Goods,  counting  room,  fire-proof  vaults,  &c. 

Second  floor — Hosiery  and  Notion  Department. 

Third  floor — Hat  and  Cap  Department. 

The  other  floors,  including  basement,  are  used  for 
packing,  shipping,  &c. 

The  sales  of  this  firm  in  the  Wholesale  House 
amount  to  one  million  dollars  annually,  and  in  the 
Retail  to  about  eight  hundred  thousand  dollars  a 
year. 

Another  important  branch  of  the  wholesale  trade 
of  this  city  is  the  house  of 

Charles  Chadwick  &  Co.,  situated  on  Clinton 
street,  Nos.  16,  18  and  20.  The  general  trade  of 
this  house  is  dry  goods  and  notions,  exclusively 
wholesale,  and  was  established  in  1871. 

Van  Wagenen  &  Brodhead. — The  establish- 
ment of  a  wholesale  crockery  house  in  Syracuse  is 
of  quite  recent  date,  and  shows  how  one  important 
interest  after  another  is  introduced  and  built  up  as 
the  city  assumes  more  of  a  metropolitan  character. 
The  founders  of  this  business  are  both  young  and 
energetic  men,  but  not  without  experience,  having 
been  connected  with  this  line  of  trade  for  the  past 
twenty  years  in  this  city.  In  April,  1875,  the  house 
was  opened  at  No.  67  South  Salina  street,  in  new 
and  fresh  apartments,  where  the  variety  and  arrange- 
ment of  the  extensive  stock  will  delight  the  eye  of 
the  visitor  ;  for  here  will  be  found  almost  everything 


228 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


of  ornament  or  utility  belonging  to  a  first  class  es- 
tablishment of  this  kind.  The  business  of  the 
house  includes  both  wholesale  and  retail,  and  the 
firm  import  largely  of  all  the  goods  they  handle, 
especially  china,  earthen,  fancy  wares  and  bronzes. 
This  house  is  an  important  addition  to  the  business 
of  Syracuse. 

Kenyos,  Potter  &  Co.  are  the  only  exclusively 
wholesale  druggists  in  the  city.  There  are  many 
fine  retail  drug  stores,  the  capacity  and  elegance  of 
which  are  unsurpassed,  and  several  that  connect  a 
jobbing  trade  with  their  retail  business  ;  but  none, 
we  believe,  except  Kenyon,  Potter  &  Co.,  devoting 
themselves  exclusively  to  the  wholesale  drug  trade. 
The  origin  of  this  house  goes  back  to  1845.  at 
which  date  the  firm  was  Livingston  &  Mitchell.  In 
1852,  it  changed  to  Mitchell  &  Kenyon.  and  in 
1854,  to  Kenyon,  Rogers  &  Co.  In  1859,  Kenyon 
&  Potter  succeeded  to  the  business,  and  in  1864, 
the  firm  style  became  Kenyon,  Potter  &  Co.  Since 
then  there  have  been  a  few  changes  in  the  partner- 
ship, but  the  house  has  retained  the  same  name. 
The  partners  are  Gansevoort  M.  Kenyon,  Oliver  C. 
Potter  and  George  H.  Perry.  Mr.  Potter  has  been 
partner  in  the  house  since  1856,  Mr.  Kenyon  since 
1871,  and  Mr.  Perry  since  1864. 

The  stock  of  the  house  is  very  extensive,  includ- 
ing all  the  departments  of  the  drug  tiade,  and  oc- 
cupying the  whole  of  the  building.  No.  47  South 
Salina  street,  22  by  135  feet,  four  floors  and  base- 
ment, and  two  floors  and  basement  of  the  adjoining 
building.  Several  traveling  salesmen  are  employed, 
and  the  whole  working  force  of  the  establishment 
numbers  about  twenty. 

Few  men  are  more  favorably  known  in  the  busi- 
ness circles  of  the  city  than  the  partners  in  this 
firm,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  future  of  the  house 
is  in  good  hands. 

Since  the  above  was  written,  Messrs.  Kenyon, 
Potter  &  Co.  have  removed  to  their  elegant  new- 
store  erected  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  1877,  Nos. 
34  and  36  South  Clinton  street.  This  building  is 
five  stories  and  basement,  132  by  45  feet,  of  brick, 
with  Onondaga  Limestone  trimmings,  supplied  with 
a  steam  elevator  and  all  modern  conveniences. 

MooKE  &  HuBBAhD,  Wholesale  Druggists,  73 
South  Salina  street.— The  business  of  the  prede- 
cessors of  this  house,  Messrs.  Foote  &  Farrington, 
was  established  in  the  Malcolm  Block  in  1855,  and 
was  among  the  first  wholesale  establishments  of  the 
city.  They  were  succeeded  by  Marsh  &  Farring- 
ton, and  they  by  Farrington  &  Utley.  In  1865, 
Mr.  J.  B.  Moore,  head  of  the  present  firm,  bought 
Mr.  Utley's  interest  and  entered  into  business  with 


Mr.  Farrington,  under  the  firm  style  of  Farrington 
&  Moore,  which  was  continued  until  1868,  when, 
Mr.  Farrington  retiring,  it  became  J.  B.  Moore  & 
Co, and  was  so  continued  until  1874,  when  Charles 
Hubbard  became  a  partner,  since  which  the  firm  has 
been  Moore  &  Hubbard,  as  at  present. 

Mr.  Moore  came  from  Albany  county  to  Syracuse 
in  the  spring  of  1865,  having  spent  the  preceding 
nine  years  in  California.  In  the  spring  of  1868,  the 
stores  on  Salina  street  south  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church,  having  become  active  property,  Mr. 
Moore  purchased  the  store  now  occupied  by  the 
firm,  and  removed  the  business  from  the  Malcolm 
Block. 

The  sales  of  this  firm  ran  up  largely  during  the 
war.  At  present  they  aggregate  from  $350,000  to 
$400,000  a  year. 

Mr.  Hubbard,  the  junior  member  of  the  firm,  is 
a  native  of  the  city  of  Troy,  and  has  been  fifteen 
years  in  the  drug  business  in  Syracuse. 

The  wholesale  grocery  business  of  this  city 
amounts  to  quite  an  item,  there  being  two  houses 
at  least,  whose  sales  reach  two  millions  each  per  an- 
num, and  quite  a  number  of  smaller  houses  doing  a 
business  ranging  from  one  hundred  thousand  dollars 
to  half  a  million  annually.  The  oldest  wholesale 
grocery  house  in  the  city  is  that  of 

John  Crouse  &  Co.,  established  in  1853  by 
John  and  James  Crouse,  brothers,  who  came  from 
Montgomery  county.  James  Crouse  died  in  1858, 
and  the  firm  was  changed  to  John  Crouse  &  Co., 
which  it  has  remained  ever  since.  (See  biography 
of  John  Crouse. ) 

Crouse  Brothers,  Wholesale  Grocers,  corner 
of  Clinton  and  Water  streets,  established  under 
the  firm  name  of  Jacob  Crouse  &  Bro's,  in  1869. 
The  original  partners  were  Jacob  Crouse,  George 
N.  Crouse  and  James  S.  Crouse,  the  same  as  now 
constitute  the  firm.  The  premises  of  the  firm  are 
those  occupied  from  the  first.  The  lot  where  their 
fine  brick  building  stands  was  purchased  in  1868, 
and  the  building  erected  and  occupied  the  following 
year.  It  was  originally  86  by  T}  feet,  five  stories 
in  height,  but  has  since  been  extended,  making  its 
present  dimensions  86  by  121  feet,  and  also,  to  in- 
crease the  room  required  for  the  business  an  L  of 
40  feet  has  been  added.  The  entire  block  is  the 
property  of  Jacob  and  George  N.  Crouse.  The 
sales  of  this  house  amount  to  about  ;52,ooo,ooo  per 
annum. 

Crouse  &  Walrath.— The  original  firm,  started 
in  1 87 1,  consisted  of  C.  E.  Crouse,  F.  W.  Walrath 
and  Jacob  Crouse  and  Brothers.     They  did  a  manu- 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


229 


facturing  and  jobbing  business  in  spices,  coffees 
and  teas,  occupying  two  of  tlie  three  stores  used  by 
the  present  firm.  In  1872  Mr.  Walrath  retired 
from  the  firm,  and  Messrs.  C.  E.  Grouse  &  Co., 
conducted  the  business  till  1876,  when  C.  E.  Crouse 
bought  out  the  interest  of  Jacob  Crouse  and 
Brothers,  and  formed  a  copartnership  with  Mr. 
Walrath,  since  which  the  firm  has  been  Crouse  & 
Walrath,  as  at  present.  Their  sales  amount  an- 
nually to  about  half  a  million  dollars. 

A.  N.  Palmer  &  Co. — Among  the  enterprising 
wholesale  grocery  houses  of  the  city  is  that  of  A. 
N.  Palmer  &  Co.,  composed  of  A.  N.  Palmer  and 
Charles  Tallman,  located  on  West  Fayette  street — 
the  office  and  main  salesroom  being  No.  46.  This 
is  a  portion  of  the  block  71  by  208  feet  and  four 
stories,  extending  through  to  Walton  street,  built 
by  Messrs.  Tallman  and  Palmer. 

The  entire  floor  area  used  by  A.  N.  Palmer  & 
Co., in  their  business  is  about  twenty-five  thousand 
square  feet  — embracing  two  floors  of  No.  46  West 
Fayette  street  and  extending  through  the  entire 
block  ;  also  two  floors  of  Nos.  7  and  9  Walton 
street,  and  four  floors  of  No.  1 1  Walton  street.  In 
the  rear  of  No.  11  Walton  street  they  have  erected 
two  fire-proof  smoke  houses  with  capacity  for  smok- 
ing thirty  tons  of  hams  at  one  time. 

The  firm  are  among  the  most  extensive  curers  of 
cut  meats  in  the  State. 

Their  trade  in  salt  fish  is  also  very  large,  particu- 
larly in  the  line  of  mackerel,  which  are  purchased  in 
full  fares  from  vessels  in  the  eastern  seaports  and 
repacked  here  to  meet  the  requirements  of  their 
trade. 

Starting  in  the  summer  of  1871,  the  firm  prose- 
cuted the  provision  trade  alone,  until  within  the  last 
two  years,  during  which  they  have  gradually  added 
teas,  coftees,  spices,  canned  fruits,  &c.,  until  their 
stock  embraces  a  full  assortment  of  general  gro- 
ceries and  grocers'  sundries,  which  in  connection 
with  their  full  line  of  provisions  renders  it  one  of 
the  most  extensive  in  the  city. 

Kennedy,  Spaulding  &  Co.  may  be  regarded 
as  one  of  the  representative  houses  of  this  branch 
of  the  jobbing  trade  of  Syracuse.  A  brief  history 
of  their  business  will  be  given.  In  1859  Bradford 
Kennedy  and  Horace  J,  Frizelle  established  a  re- 
tail hardware  business  at  54  South  Salina  street,  in 
a  rented  building.  In  1861  Mr.  Dennis  Kennedy 
bought  Mr.  Frizelle's  interest  and  the  firm  was 
changed  to  Kennedy  Brothers.  In  1863,  Ross  R. 
Spaulding  became  a  partner,  and  the  firm  style  as- 
sumed the  form  of  Kennedys  &  Spaulding.  In 
the  fall  of  1866,  the  style  was  changed  to  Kennedy, 


Spaulding  &  Co.,  Mr.  Bradford  Kennedy  retiring 
at  that  time  and  selling  his  interest  to  Abraham 
Howe.  In  1871  Mr.  Bradford  Kennedy  bought 
Mr.  Howe  out,  but  the  style  of  the  firm  remained 
unchanged. 

In  1862  the  firm  established  the  wholesale  busi- 
ness which  it  has  continued  to  conduct  with  increas- 
ing proportions  from  year  to  year.  Removing 
from  their  rented  store.  No.  54  South  Salina  street, 
the  firm  purchased  a  five  story  building  at  6^ 
South  Salina  street,  into  which  they  entered,  sup- 
posing the  premises  here  would  be  sufficient  for 
permanent  quarters.  But  in  this  they  were  mis- 
taken. The  business  outgrew  the  place  and  they 
had  to  seek  another  location.  In  1872  they  pur- 
chased the  lot  and  erected  the  building  they  now 
occupy  on  Clinton  street,  at  a  cost  of  $40,000. 
The  building  is  an  elegant  business  structure,  of 
brick,  33  by  132  feet,  five  stories  and  basement, 
and  is  completely  filled  with  the  stock  of  the  house, 
including  also  another  store  since  erected  in  the 
rear  of  the  main  building.  The  trade  of  the  firm 
has  increased  from  $20,000  retail  business  in  1859 
to  a  wholesale  business  which  now  aggregates  half 
a  million  annually.  The  firm  employ  fourteen  men 
in  the  store  and  three  traveling  salesmen  constant- 
ly upon  the  road. 

The  Messrs.  Kennedy  are  natives  of  the  town  of 
Lysander  in  this  county.  Mr.  Spaulding  is  also  a 
native  of  the  county,  born  in  the  town  of  Spaft'ord. 

McCarthy  &  Redfield,  Wholesale  Hardware 
Dealers,  Nos.  50  and  52  West  Water  street.  The 
firm  was  established  as  Murphy  &  McCarthy  in 
1850,  changed  to  McCarthy,  Radigan  &  Co.  in 
1856,  and  in  1859,  to  McCarthy,  Redfield  &  Co., 
Mr.  C.  T.  Redfield  and  Mr.  William  H.  Pierce  pur- 
chasing the  interest  of  Mr.  Radigan  and  becoming 
members  of  the  firm.  Mr.  Pierce  retired  in  1869, 
and  the  firm  has  since  been  McCarthy  &  Redfield. 

The  first  location  of  the  firm  was  on  the  corner 
of  Warren  and  East  Water  streets.  In  1875  they 
built  their  present  stores,  Nos.  50  and  52  West 
Water  street.  The  building  is  46  by  112  feet,  four 
stories  and  basement,  of  Philadelphia  brick  and  cut 
stone,  fine  architectural  style  and  proportions,  and 
arranged  with  great  convenience  for  handling  the 
goods.  It  is  furnished  with  an  elevator  running  to 
all  the  floors,  which  in  the  basement  delivers  its 
contents  directly  into  the  wagons,  the  teams  being 
driven  directly  into  the  cellar  from  the  yard  in  the 
rear  of  the  building.  The  firm  moved  into  this 
building  January  i,  1876. 

Messrs.  McCarthy  &  Redfield  are  importers  and 
jobbers  of    shelf  and   heavy   hardware,  tin  plate, 


230 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


agricultural  tools,  &c.,  Ac,  and  do  a  business 
aggregating  half  a  million  dollars  a  year,  their  sales 
being  chiefly  in  Northern,  Southern,  Central  and 
Western  New  York. 

Mr.  Robert  McCarthy,  the  senior  member  of  the 
firm,  is  a  native  of  the  First  Ward  of  this  city  and 
has  resided  here  all  his  life,  being  well-known  and 
highly  esteemed  in  business  and  social  circles. 

Mr.  Charles  T.  Redfield  is  a  son  of  Lewis  H. 
Redfield,  Esq.,  a  well-known  citizen  of  Syracuse, 
whose  biography  appears  in  this  work,  and  a  portion 
of  whose  record  is  found  in  connection  with  the 
history  of  the  press. 

HiER  &  Aldrich,  Nos.  31  and  33  North  Salina 
street,  are  extensive  manufacturers  and  jobbers  of 
tobacco  and  cigars.  Mr.  Hier  established  the  bus- 
iness in  i860,  and  in  1865  the  present  firm  was 
organized,  Mr.  Bruce  S.  Aldrich  being  admitted  as 
a  partner.  The  building  occupied  by  the  firm  is  44 
by  154  feet,  of  brick,  four  stories  and  basement,  and 
was  erected  by  the  firm  in  1872.  The  basement 
and  front  room  of  the  third  story  are  used  for 
storage  of  leaf  tobacco,  the  average  stock  carried 
by  the  firm  being  valued  at  ^125,000.  The  cigar 
making  department  is  in  the  rear  of  the  third  story, 
a  large,  well-lighted  room,  filled  with  all  the  appli- 
ances for  the  manufacture  of  cigars,  either  by  hand 
or  by  mold-presses,  as  may  be  desired.  The  amount 
of  cigars  made  by  this  firm — and  they  make  but 
few  cheap  cigars — is  over  two  and  a  half  miHions  per 
annum,  and  they  give  employment,  in  the  various 
branches  of  their  business,  to  from  150  to  250 
hands.  In  the  front  apartment  of  the  first  floor  they 
have  an  elegant  sample  and  sales  room,  embracing 
every  variety  of  goods  belonging  to  the  trade. 

Mr.  Hier  has  been  a  resident  of  Syracuse  since 
1 843,  and  for  some  years  was  foreman  of  his  brother's 
manufacturing  business. 

Mr.  Bruce  S.  Aldrich  has  been  many  years  con- 
nected with  the  trade  of  this  city,  and  spends  a 
portion  of  his  time  in  traveling  for  the  firm  of  which 
he  is  a  member. 

George  P.  Hier  &  Co. — This  firm  is  located  at 
No.  25  North  Salina  street.  Mr.  George  P.  Hier, 
the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  has  been  a  dealer  in 
leaf  tobacco  for  twenty  years,  and  for  the  past 
fifteen  years  this  has  been  his  exclusive  business. 
He  was  Mayor  of  the  city  in  1875,  and  has  held 
other  responsible  local  offices.  His  partner  is 
George  S.  Hier,  who  became  a  member  of  the  firm 
in  1876. 

Seubert  &  Warner,  Nos.  58  and  60  West  Fay- 
ette street,  are  another  firm  of  heavy  manufacturers 


and  jobbers  of  tobacco  and  cigars.  The  building 
occupied  is  large  and  well  adapted  to  the  business, 
being  32  feet  in  width  by  210  in  depth,  extending 
through  to  Walton  street,  afifording  convenient  ship- 
ping and  receiving  rooms,  and  light  and  airy  work 
rooms  in  the  manufacturing  department.  Three 
floors  of  the  building  are  occupied,  considerable  of  the 
space  being  devoted  to  the  storage  of  the  heavy  stock 
carried  by  the  firm.  Their  stock  is  especially  large 
in  Spanish  tobacco,  of  which  they  purchase  six 
months'  or  a  year's  supply  at  a  time. 

This  firm  have  given  employment  to  125  persons, 
two-thirds  of  whom  were  cigar  makers,  and  have 
manufactured  as  large  an  amount  as  85,000  cigars 
in  a  single  week.  The  production  at  present  is  not 
so  large,  but  the  grade  of  cigars  ranges  higher  than 
usual,  the  average  of  the  entire  product  of  the  fac- 
tory being  $60  per  1,000,  wholesale. 

The  members  of  the  firm  are  Justin  Seubert  and 
William  H.  Warner.  The  firm  was  established  in 
May,  1872,  Mr.  Seubert  having  been  for  five  or  six 
years  previously  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
cigars  in  this  city. 

Carr  &  CusHiNG,  Manufacturers  of  Cigars  and 
Dealers  in  Tobacco,  No.  53  West  Fayette  street. 
This  firm  was  established  on  the  first  of  January, 
1 87 1.  Mr.  John  Jay  Carr,  the  senior  partner, 
started  in  the  cigar  business  in  this  city  in  the 
spring  of  1866,  at  No.  17  James  street.  He  re- 
mained there  about  sixteen  months,  steadily  build- 
ing up  a  business,  when  his  operations  in  that 
locality  were  suddenly  cut  short  by  a  fire  which 
consumed  his  entire  stock,  about  the  middle  oi  Au- 
gust, 1867.  He  then  opened  business  at  No.  44 
East  Water  street,  in  company  with  Mr.  J.  H.  Noll, 
and  remained  till  January,  1 871,  when  the  firm  of 
J.  J.  Carr  &  Co.,  was  formed,  and  business  opened 
at  No.  7  West  Fayette  street.  Mr.  Quincy  F. 
Gushing,  the  present  jjartner,  became  associated 
with  Mr.  Carr  in  the  above  firm.  January  i,  1873, 
the  firm  style  was  changed  to  Carr  &  Gushing. 

On  the  1st  of  May,  1874,  they  removed  to  their 
present  location,  No.  53  West  Fayette  street,  into 
the  new  building,  (not  then  completely  finished,) 
erected  by  Joseph  Newell.  The  building  is  of  brick, 
four  stories  and  basement,  22^  by  80  feet,  and  is 
wholly  occupied  by  the  business  of  this  house. 
They  handle  a  large  variety  of  popular  brands, 
several  of  which  are  exclusively  their  own. 

Formerly  they  employed  two  traveling  sales- 
men, but  have  recently  added  a  third  for  the  West- 
ern trade.  They  employ  in  their  business  upwards 
of  fifty  persons,  and  manufacture  about  a  million 
and  a  half  cigars  annually. 


rl 


Photo,  by  W.  V.;Eanger,  l^yracuse. 


'^^^n^^-^f^  OW-t^?t<^^^^  L. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y., 
July  14,  1808.  He  was  the  only  son  in  a  family  of  three  chil- 
dren of  Giles  Bronson  and  Mary  Robinson,  early  settlers  of  this 
county.  His  grandfather,  Elijah,  was  the  first  of  the  name  to 
settle  in  this  county,  about  1800,  and  was  born  March  10, 
1778.  His  father  came  from  the  old  and  honorable  family  of 
that  name  among  the  pioneers  of  the  New  England  States,  his 
immediate  birthplace  being  in  Connecticut,  town  of  Middlebury. 
His  mother's  ancestry  were  also  of  the  New  England  States,  she 
being  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  His  father,  on  coming  to 
this  county,  settled  on  what  is  now  called  Hewlett's  Hill,  and 
there  carried  on  farming,  afterwards  removing  to  the  town 
of  Geddes.  Died  May  21,  1841 ;  his  mother  died  May  15, 
1842. 

The  education  of  the  children  was  very  limited,  and  confined 
to  the  district  schools  of  that  day.  Horace  remained  on  the 
farm  with  his  parents  until  he  was  about  eighteen  years  of  age, 
and  then  struck  out  in  business  for  himself.  First  going  to 
New  York,  he  stocked  up  in  goods  belonging  to  his  uncle,  then 
doing  business  there,  and  started  out  as  a  peddler,  traveling 
through  Ohio,  Kentucky,  and  many  of  the  other  southern  and 
western  States.  He  continued  in  this  business  for  many  years, 
and  about  1837  came  to  the  village  of  Syracuse,  and  opened  a 
dry-goods  store  on  East  Genesee  street. 


By  this  time,  by  economy,  he  had  secured  a  small  capital  to 
commence  business  with,  but  what  was  of  far  greater  importance, 
had  a  capital  stock  of  sound  judgment,  good  business  ability, 
and  a  far-seeing  sagacity.  In  this  business,  which  began  on  a 
small  scale,  and  rapidly  increased  with  the  growth  of  the  county 
and  consequent  demands  of  the  people,  he  became  one  of  the 
first  merchants  in  the  county,  and  continued  his  trade  for  some 
thirty  years,  the  latter  half  of  the  time  devoting  his  attention 
almost  exclusively  to  the  boot,  shoe,  and  leather  trade,  which  he 
carried  on  in  Auburn  and  Watkins  as  well  as  Syracuse. 

In  politics  Mr.  Bronson  was  an  unswerving  member  of  the 
Democratic  party,  was  well  read  in  the  current  news  of  the 
country,  satisfied  to  follow  the  direction  of  business  interests, 
not  seeking  political  preferment,  but  held  the  office  of  coroner 
for  several  terms.  In  religious  persuasion  he  was  a  Unitarian, 
but  latterly  a  Universalist. 

In  the  year  1854  he  married  Miss  Sarah  A.,  daughter  of 
Eliphalet  Case  and  Rebecca  Robinson.  Her  parents  were  also 
early  settlers  of  Hewlett's  Hill,  Onondaga  town.  She  was  born 
June  17,  1827.  Mr.  Bronson,  always  feeling  the  want  of  the 
advantages  of  an  education,  has  placed  his  children  within  the 
reach  of  the  best  educational  facilities  of  the  city. 

To  Mr.  and  Mr.s.  Bronson  were  born  three  children, — Mary 
C,  Horace  C,  and  Silas  (died  in  infancy). 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  iit  Sheffield,  Berkshire 
Co.,  MiiKH.,  .liiii.  C,  1794.  lie  wa.x  Iniirlli  eliild  and  third  mhi, 
in  n  family  of  ten  children,  of  Isaae  Ilall  and  X'a.shti  John.son, 
the  former  u  native  of  New  Marlboroufih,  Mass.,  the  latter  a 
native  of  the  New  Kn}:land  Stale.'*.  John.s)n  Hall  tracas  his 
deneenl  throu;,'h  hi.s  f;ri»ndfutlicr  Kbenezer,  who  was  eldest  son 
of  lehabod  Ilall.  a  rexident  of  Knfii-ld.  Conn.,  and  who  was 
nnirried  to  Jioi.^  KiMiie.  of  that  town,  in  May,  \~'M.  He  eanie 
to  this  eouiity  with  his  father,(ii'n.  Isaae  Hall,  in  Fihruary,  17'.t7. 
when  hut  three  y<'ars  of  ap-,  and  settled  in  the  old  lown  of  I'dni- 
|>ey  (now  I.difayelte ),  where  he  resiclcil  for  about  I'orty-one  years. 
His  father  wan  a  wrli-lodo  fanner,  and  not  oidy  taiif;ht  his  ehil- 
dren  the  value  of  industry  and  labor,  but  pive  tlicni  as  liberal  an 
cduuition  iLs  the  schools  of  the  eiiunty  at  that  time  affordefl. 
Afler  coming  ol'  aj^e  be  spent  some  timi'  as  a  clerk  in  Asahel 
Smith's  store  at  Lafayette,  and  alter  a  few  years  established 
busincMS  for  himself,  making  general  mcrehandi.se  his  principal 
tniile.  He  was  a  man  of  .strict  inlegrily,  honest  and  upright 
in  all  his  business  transactions,  and  during  his  life  held  various 
offices  of  trust  and  responsibility.  He  was  postmaster  at 
I^ifayetle  from  the  orgiiiiization  of  the  town  until  bis  removal 
to  Syracu.s*'  (  IK.'tH),  and  for  many  years  was  a  member  of  the 
hoard  of  supervisors.  Hi>  represented  ibis  county  in  the  Stale 
legislature  in  the  years  l.S2!)-;t(l,  and  Wiis  instrumental  in  obtain- 
ing the  charter  of  the  (dd  Onondaga  County  Hank,  in  which 
institution  he  was  a  stockholder  from  its  organization  until  the 
expiration  of  its  charier,  a  (K-riod  of  twenty-five  years.  Also  a 
director  lor  many  yi^ars  of  the  late  Hank  of  Salina,  and  Syracuse 
Savings  Hank,  lie  wils  elected  to  ihi'  office  of  shcritT  in  XX'M. 
The  late  Kingsley  .S.  Hingbam  lallcrwanls  governor  of  Michi- 
gan), Major  William  A.  Ctsik,  and  DonLstus  Lawrence  (now 
dcceawd  )  were  his  associate  officers. 

Ho  was  on  the  bench  ( a.ssoeiate  judge)  with  the  late   Hon. 
Grove  liawrence  and  Oliver  R.  Strong.      Until  within  a  few 


years  of  bis  ileatb  be  took  a  great  interest  in  politics,  was  a 
stanch  Democrat,  and  had  invariably  voted  and  acted  with  that 
)>arty.  He  was  a  resident  of  the  county  for  nearly  .seventy- 
three  years ;  very  few  residents  of  the  county  have  spent  so 
many  years  in  it,  and  been  able  to  look  back  to  its  earliest  days 
and  count  its  various  changes  lo  its  pnwnt  wealth  and  business 
interests,  its  schools  and  cburcbes. 

Upon  coming  to  Syracu.se  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
Messrs.  Hboades  \-  .*sbernian  in  the  hardware  trade,  which  was 
carried  on  su<'ce.ssfully  for  some  ten  years,  when  he  retired  from 
the  firm,  and  never  after  cngiiged  in  active  business.  His  father, 
(Jen.  Isjiac  Hall,  died  in  Lafayette,  Sept.  .i2.  1K:{0,  his  molher 
having  died  in  i'ompcy,  Nov.  i;i.  18ia.  In  the  year  IHOG. 
I)cc.  11,  be  married  .^Ii.ss  I'olly,  daughter  of  ,)ob  Andrews  and 
Comforl  (irecii,  formerly  of  Ivtston.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
but  settlers  al  liafayelte  townshi[>  about  the  year  ISIKI.  She 
was  born  in  17!IS. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hall  were  Ixirn  eight  children, — Mary, 
wife  of  Harlow  He  Wolf,  deputy  postmaster.  Syracuse;  Cor- 
delia, wife  of  Hon.  (Jeorge  Haynor,  Syracus*' ;  Johnson  L.,  a 
resident  of  Oswego ;  Charles  Carroll  ( dec<'ast'<l ) ;  Kdward  L., 
a  resident  of  New  Vork  city  ;  Thomas  .lefTcrson  (died  at  New 
Orleans);  Helen  .^l.,  wife  of  Hon.  Adilison  H.  Laflin,  a  naval 
officer  (pf  the  |>ort  of  New  York  city  ;  and  Olivia  H.  Hall. 

While  living  al  I.iafayetle  be  antj  his  wife  both  united  with 
the  Congregational  church,  and,  u|sin  coming  to  the  city,  united 
with  the  First  I're.sbyterian  church,  and  remainiHl  consist^int 
members  of  the  sjime  until  their  de;itb. 

Mrs.  Ilall  was  devoted  lo  her  family,  and  instructed  them  in 
all  that  nntkes  true  manhood  and  wimninhood.  She  died  in 
the  year  IS,54,  aged  fifty -six  years. 

For  his  S(!eoml  wife  he  married  .^lrs.  Maria  Sevi'nince,  of 
Huffiilo,  who  survived  him  oidy  three  months,  dying  January, 
1871.     He  died  Oct,  27,  1870. 


PnSTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


231 


Messrs.  Carr  &  Gushing  are  both  natives  of  this 
county,  the  former  born  in  the  town  of  Clay  and  the 
latter  in  Cicero.  Both  are  well  itnown  as  gentlemen 
of  high  character  in  business  circles.  Mr.  Carr  has 
been  connected  with  the  manufacture  of  cigars 
twenty-five  years.  The  success  of  this  firm  is  the 
result  of  prudent  management  and  strict  attention 
to  business. 

R.  H.  Parker,  Cigar  Manufacturer  and  Wholesale 
Tobacconist,  Nos.  43  and  45  West  Fayette  street. 
Mr.  Parker  began  the  tobacco  and  cigar  business  in 
the  Syracuse  House  Block,  No.  1 1  South  Salina 
street,  on  the  nth  of  May,  i86i.  On  the  4th  of 
May,  1868,  he  took  in  P/Ir.  W.  B.  Herrick  as  part- 
ner, the  firm  being  Parker  &  Herrick,  and  on  the 
1st  of  May,  1871,  removed  to  No.  18  James  street. 
January  31,  1874,  the  partnership  was  dissolved, 
Mr.  Parker  continuing  the  business  at  the  old  stand 
till  May  i,  1876,  when  he  removed  to  the  spacious 
store,  Nos.  43  and  45  West  Fayette  street,  built 
expressly  for  his  business. 

Mr.  Parker  employs  from  thirty  to  fifty  hands  ; 
has  three  traveling  salesmen,  two  with  teams,  and 
one  by  railroad. 

Mr.  Parker  is  a  native  of  this  county,  born  at 
Onondaga  Hill.  He  came  to  Syracuse  in  1833,  and 
lias  been  in  the  cigar  business  since  1861. 

Joseph  Barton,  Jr.,  &  Co.,  Wholesale  Dealers 
in  Leaf  Tobacco  and  Manufacturers  of  Cigars, 
Barton  Opera  House  Block,  East  Genesee  street. 
Mr.  Joseph  Barton,  Sen.,  started  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  cigars  in  this  city  in  1848,  on  East  Fayette 
street.  No.  105.  In  1851,  he  moved  into  the  Fur- 
man  Block,  and  there  commenced  wholesaling.  In 
1852,  he  removed  to  the  location  now  occupied 
'by  the  Barton  Opera  House,  and  where  the  business 
of  the  present  firm  is  still  continued.  Mr.  Barton 
had  built  on  these  premises  a  fine  store  extending 
through  from  East  Genesee  to  East  Fayette  streets, 
which  was  destroyed  by  fire,  without  insurance,  in 
1867.  He  then  built  the  Barton  Opera  House 
Block,  at  a  cost,  including  the  fitting  up  of  his 
theatre,  of  over  ^100,000.  In  January,  1876,  Joseph 
Barton,  Jr.,  came  into  possession  of  the  business, 
under  the  present  firm  name,  and  gives  to  it  his 
personal  supervision.  From  40  to  50  hands  are 
€mployed  in  the  manufacture  of  Cigars,  and  two 
traveling  salesmen  are  kept  upon  the  road,  the  sales 
being  chiefly  in  this  State. 

Mr.  Joseph  Barton,  Sen.,  was  born  in  New  York 
city  and  came  here  in  1844.  His  early  life,  from 
thirteen  to  twenty,  was  spent  on  board  a  man-of-war 
and  in  a  whaling  voyage  around  Cape  Horn.  He  vol- 
unteered in  the  Mexican  War,  and  spent  his  time 


during  its  continuance  on  board  the  United  States 
frigate  Columbia,  Commodore  Rosseau,  command- 
ing ;  was,  at  the  taking  of  California,  with  Commo- 
dore Apcatesby  Jones,  United  States  frigate  United 
States,  in  1842,  and  assisted  in  burying  Commodore 
Dallas  at  Callao,  port  of  Lima,  Peru,  in  1843. 
Dallas  had  come  out  in  the  Savannah  to  relieve  the 
frigate  United  States,  and  was  taken  sick  and  died 
at  the  above  place. 

Joseph  Barton,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Syracuse  and  has 
lived  here  all  his  life. 

R.  G.  Wynkoop  &  Co. — The  extensive  trade  of 
this  house,  both  at  wholesale  and  retail,  places  it  in 
the  front  rank  of  the  book  and  stationery  business 
in  Central  New  York,  and  in  point  of  age  it  out- 
ranks almost  every  other  establishment  of  the  kind. 
The  business  of  this  house  was  started  in  1846  by 
Myers  and  J.  G.  Wynkoop.  In  1848,  Mr.  R.  G. 
Wynkoop  became  a  partner,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Wynkoop  &  Bro.,  which  continued  till  1867, 
when  the  firm  became  Wynkoops  &  Leonard.  Mr. 
James  A.  Leonard  was  the  incoming  partner,  and 
he  remained  connected  with  the  house  till  1875, 
when  he  retired  on  account  of  ill  health,  and  is 
now,  we  believe,  engaged  in  the  book  and  stationery 
trade  at  Decorah,  Iowa.  In  1870,  Mr.  J.  G.  Wyn- 
koop retired  from  the  firm,  and  Mr.  James  S.  Wyn- 
koop entered  it.  The  last  named  gentleman  had 
been  connected  with  the  house  some  years,  and  his 
experience  admirably  fitted  him  for  the  duties  de- 
volving upon  an  active  partner.  The  firm  as  it 
now  is  consists  of  R.  G.  Wynkoop  and  two  sons, 
Jas.  S.  and  R.  G.,  Jr.,  all  of  whom  are  gentlemen 
well  known  in  business  circles. 

The  premises  occupied  by  the  house  are  at  No.  19 
South  Salina  street,  in  the  Syracuse  House  Block. 
The  stock  is  large,  embracing  every  variety  of  mis- 
cellaneous books,  stationery,  wall  paper,  &c.,  to 
supply  the  retail  trade  and  jobbing  business  carried 
on  by  the  house.  Their  wholesale  trade  extends 
throughout  Northern,  Central  and  Western  New 
York,  goods  being  chiefly  sold  by  traveling  agents. 
All  of  the  partners  give  the  business  their  personal 
attention.  The  senior  member  of  the  firm  is 
an  old  resident  of  this  city  and  for  many  years 
has  been  intimately  identified  with  its  various  in- 
terests. 

Moser  &  Lyon,  Nos.  37  and  39  South  Clinton 
street,  represent  another  and  a  special  branch 
of  the  wholesale  book  and  stationery  trade,  job 
printing,  &c.,  and  have  a  retail  store.  No.  62 
South  Salina  street.     This  firm  was  established  in 

1873- 


232 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


J.  &  F.  B.  Garrett,  Nos.  6  and  8  West  Fay- 
ette street,  are  the  managers  and  proprietors  of  an- 
other special  department  of  the  stationery,  blank 
book  and  paper  jobbing  business.  They  occupy 
two  stores  and  employ  three  traveling  salesmen. 
They  are  also  extensive  manufacturers  of  blank 
books.     Their  house  was  established  in  i866. 

L.  J.  Ormsbee  is  one  of  the  oldest  stationery 
dealers  in  the  city,  having  begun  business  in  this 
line  in  1846,  and  conducted  it  for  a  long  time  on 
East  Genesee  street.  He  has  been  in  this  business 
in  the  city  thirty-one  years.  He  now  conducts  a 
wholesale  and  retail  establishment  at  No.  22  West 
Fayette  street,  dealing  exclusively  in  stationery  and 
goods  in  that  line.  Mr.  Ormsbee  gives  his  per- 
sonal attention  to  his  business  and  also  employs 
traveling  salesmen,  his  trade  including  both  city 
and  country. 

Culver  Bros.  &  Co.,  Paper  Manufacturers  and 
Dealers  in  Paper  and  Paper  Stock,  No,  73  West 
Fayette  street. — This  house,  although  not  included 
under  the  head  of  books  and  stationery,  neverthe- 
less represents  a  business  sufficiently  analogous  to 
be  mentioned  in  this  connection.  The  house  was 
founded  in  1854  by  Mr.  E.  B.  Culver,  who  con- 
ducted the  business  alone  till  1869,  when  Benjamin 
H.  Culver  and  James  L.  Collin  became  partners. 
The  business  of  the  house  is  heavy,  and  is  chiefly 
wholesale,  the  partners  giving  their  personal  atten- 
tion to  the  business  and  also  employing  traveling 
salesmen. 

Mr.  E.  B.  Culver  came  to  this  county  from 
Norwich,  Conn.,  in  1853,  remaining  one  year  at 
Fayetteville,  whence  he  came  to  Syracuse  and 
established  business,  as  above  stated. 

Morris  &  Co.— In  1832,  Mr.  D.  J.  Morris,  the 
head  of  the  present  firm,  then  living  in  Utica, 
established  a  branch  of  his  merchant  tailoring  busi- 
ness in  Syracuse,  under  the  firm  name  of  Morris  & 
Sanford.  Mr.  Morris  came  here  to  reside  in 
1840,  and  the  firm  was  afterwards  changed  to  D.  J. 
Morris. &  Son.  In  1861,  without  any  change  in 
the  copartnership,  the  firm  style  was  changed  to 
Morris  &  Co.,  as  at  present. 

Mr.  Morris  first  came  through  Syracuse  at  four- 
teen years  of  age  when  they  were  digging  for  the 
canal  in  1819.  In  1825,  became  again  with  a  view 
of  locating  here,  but  decided  not  to  do  so  on  ac- 
count of  the  bad  water.  He  says  nothing  could 
exceed  the  change  that  had  taken  place  in  Syracuse 
between  the  time  of  his  first  visit  and  his  second, 
in  1825.  From  the  mere  "  four  corners"  the  place 
had  become  an  active,  bustling  village,  where  every- 


thing seemed  going  ahead  with  feverish  excitement 
— streets  being  laid  out,  houses  going  up,  and  specu- 
lation rife. 

W.  S.  Peck  &  Bro.  are  manufacturers  and 
wholesale  and  retail  dealers  in  clothing,  Nos.  24 
and  26  North  Salina  street;  established  in  1867, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Gates  &  Peck.  In  1869 
Mr.  Gates  retired,  and  W.  S.  Peck  continued  the 
business  until  January  i,  1874,  receiving  at  the 
latter  date  Frank  A.  Peck  as  partner,  the  firm  be- 
coming, as  now,  W.  S  Peck  &  Bro.  May  i,  1877, 
they  moved  to  their  present  location.  They  have 
two  commodious  stores,  each  22  by  130  feet,  and 
well  adapted  to  their  large  and  increasing  business. 

The  Peck  Brothers  manufacture  all  their  own 
goods,  employing  in  this  department  an  average  of 
about  200  hands.  Their  present  average  is  1,000 
garmentsper  week,  and  their  sales  amount  to  $150,- 
000  a  year.  The  members  of  the  firm  are  young 
and  enterprising  gentlemen  and  have  built  up  their 
extensive  trade  by  strict  integrity  and  unremitting 
attention  to  business.  They  came  here  from  Cort- 
land county — the  former  in  1864,  and  the  latter  in 
1869. 

A.  W.  Palmer  &  Co.,  successors  to  M.  C. 
Palmer  &  Co.,  established  at  Nos.  17  and  19  North 
Salina  street  in  1854.  The  members  of  the  present 
firm  are  Alva  W.  Palmer  and  his  brother  George 
W.  Palmer,  and  their  house  is  one  of  the  old  and 
reliable  establishments  of  the  city.  In  the  spring 
of  1877  they  removed  to  their  present  location, 
Nos.  15  and  17  South  Salina  street.  Here  their 
facilities  for  manufacturing  and  displaying  their 
goods  have  been  enlarged,  and  a  more  complete 
stock  of  Men's,  Boys'  and  Children's  clothing  can 
rarely  be  found  in  any  city.  The  firm  manufacture 
all  of  their  clothing,  employing  experienced  cutters. 
This  branch  of  the  business  gives  employment  to 
from  1 50  to  200  hands.  The  extensive  business  of 
this  house  has  been  built  up  gradually  from  a  com- 
paratively small  beginning  made  in  the  infancy  of 
the  clothing  trade  in  this  city  twenty-three  years 
ago,  and  to  the  energy  and  enterprise  of  the  young 
men  who  have  managed  its  affairs  this  result  is 
mainly  due. 

The  Messrs.  Palmer  have  lived  in  this  city  and 
vicinity  nearly  all  their  lives,  being  sons  of  the  late 
Joseph  Palmer,  Esq.,  of  Centerville,  an  old  citizen 
of  that  place  and  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  there  for 
some  seventeen  years.  M.  C.  Palmer,  formerly  of 
this  firm,  and  George  W.  Palmer,  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  A.  W.  Palmer  &  Co.,  are  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  salt  at  Saltville,  Va. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


233 


SwARTHOUT,  AcKEKMAN  &  Co. — This  firm  is 
another  large  manufacturing,  wholesale  and  retail 
clothing  house  of  this  city.  They  have  also  branch 
stores  in  Chicago  and  St.  Louis.  The  firm  as  first 
organized  in  1867,  was  Swarthout,  Kent  &  Co. 
January  27,  1872,  L.  A.  Swarthout,  J.  Daniel 
Ackerman,  John  A.  Cole  and  T.  A.  Bartlett,  entered 
into  copartnership  under  the  present  firm  style, 
and  have  so  remained  since,  with  the  exception  of 
Mr.  Bartlett,  who  withdrew  in  February,  1877. 

Kent  &  Miller. — The  partners  in  this  house 
are  George  B.  Kent  and  R.  V.  Miller.  The  pres- 
ent firm  was  established  in  1871,  and  the  progress 
of  the  business,  both  in  the  wholesale  and  retail 
departments,  has  been  such  as  to  exceed  the  most 
sanguine  expectations  of  its  founders. 

M.  Jacobs,  No.  21  North  Salina  street,  is  one  of 
the  oldest  clothing  houses  in  Syracuse.  Mr.  Jacobs 
commenced  business  in  1844,  and  erected  his  pres- 
ent building  in  1852.  The  business  of  the  house, 
like  most  of  the  others,  embraces  wholesale,  retail 
and   manufacturing — most   of   the  goods   handled 


being  made  at  home.  This  house  gives  employ- 
ment in  the  manufacture  of  garments  to  about  200- 
persons,  while  its  annual  sales  are  about  ^200,000. 
The  building  erected  expressly  by  Mr.  Jacobs  for 
the  accommodation  of  his  business  is  commodious 
and  conveniently  arranged. 

Danziger  Bros.— The  firm  of  Danziger  Bros, 
was  formed  in  Homer,  Cortland  county,  in  1850. 
In  1865  they  removed  to  Syracuse  in  order  to  take 
advantage  of  a  more  central  location  and  enlarge 
their  facilities  for  business.  In  1866,  they  re- 
moved to  No.  23  North  Salina  street,  where  they 
are  engaged  exclusively  in  the  wholesale  clothing 
business. 

William  A.  Arnold,  at  Nos.  16  and  18  North 
Salina  street.  Mr.  Arnold  started  the  clothing 
business  in  December,  1869,  having  come  from 
Sacramento,  .  California.  His  business  includes 
manufacturing,  wholesale  and  retail. 

I.  H.  Leyden  &  Bko.  are  at  No.  22  North 
Salina  street.  Their  clothing  business  was  estab- 
lished July  18,  1873,  by  the  senior  partner. 


ONONDAGA  COUNTY  MILK  ASSOCIATION. 


This  is  an  organization  formed  of  certain  dairy- 
ing interests  in  the  county  to  supply  the  city  of 
Syracuse  with  good  and  pure  milk.  It  was  organ- 
ized under  a  special  charter  of  the  Legislature  on 
the  9th  of  March,  1872,  and  commenced  business 
on  the  20th  of  March,  of  the  same  year.  The  an- 
nual reports  of  the  Association  show  the  progress 
that  has  been  made.  It  was  chartered  with  a  capi- 
tal of  ^25,000,  and  its  capital  stock  paid  in  January 
II,  1877,  was  $29,900.  The  total  receipts  of  milk 
in  1876  were  2,921,994^  quarts.  The  amount  con- 
sumed was  2,694,806  quarts.  The  amount  of 
cream  sold  was  3,476  quarts.  The  surplus  milk 
and  cream  are  manufactured  into  butter  and 
cheese.  Of  butter  there  was  made  in  1876,  14,186 
pounds,  and  of  cheese,  46,365  pounds.  The  Asso- 
ciation is  made  up  of  stockholders  who  are  dairy- 
men in  different  towns  adjacent  to  Syracuse,  and 
owning  from  ten  to  sixty  cows  each.  The  number 
of  stockholders  at  present  is  46,  and  the  whole 
number  of  cows  whose  milk  is  furnished  to  the  As- 
sociation is  1,116. 

The  principle  which  governs  this  Association  is 
that  of  furnishing  the  city  with  the  best  and  purest 
milk  that  can  be  produced.  Hence  every  precau- 
30* 


tion  is  taken  and  the  producers  of  milk  are  bound 
under  the  most  stringent  rules.  A  few  of  these 
will  suffice  to  illustrate  the  care  and  pains  taken  by 
the  Association. 

"  Producers  must  exercise  particular  care  that 
their  cans  be  .opened  and  aired  on  a  board,  bottom 
up,  during  the  day,  thoroughly  rinsed  with  cold 
water  before  use,  and  immediately  after  milking  the 
can  should  be  set  in  a  tank  of  cold  water,  cover 
raised  on  one  side  for  the  air  to  enter,  and  the  milk 
quietly  stirred  several  times  while  cooling,  to  expel 
the  animal  odor.      *  *  *  * 

"Weekly  tests  are  made  by  the  receiving  clerk 
of  all  milk  delivered  to  the  Association,  and  when 
found  below  90  degrees  a  proportionate  discount 
will  be  made  from  the  amount  credited  at  the  end 
of  the  month.  When  the  test  stands  much  below 
90  it  is  conclusive  evidence  of  ad^tlteraiion,  and  the 
producer  is  liable  to  a  heavy  fine,  or  the  penalties 
named  in  the  By-Laws. 

"  Care  should  be  taken  with  the  stables  that  they 
be  well  ventilated  and  drained,  and  kept  as  cleanly 
as  possible  ;  the  cows  bedded  with  clean  straw  or 
other  materials,  and  have  pure  water  to  drink. 
No  unwholesome  food  or  stagnant  water  should  be 
allowed  them.  The  milk  should  be  passed  through 
a  wire  strainer,  then  through  two  thicknesses  of 
strainer  cloth.  Especial  care  should  be  taken  in 
milking  to  keep  out  of  the  pail  all  dust  or  dirt  from 


234 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


the  cow's  baj;,  which  should  be  wiped  or  washed 
clean  before  milking.  •  •  «  The  cans  should 
not  be  taken  into  the  stables,  as  milk  very  readily 
absorbs  their  odor.  Producers  are  especially 
cautioned  against  sending  the  milk  of  any  cow  out 
of  health,  or  just  calved,  as  they  render  themselves 
liable  for  any  damage  arising  from  the  sale  of  such 
impure  milk." 

The  consumer  of  milk  in  the  city  will  breathe 
•more  freely  after  reading  these  stringent  rules,  and 
will  certainly  sip  his  glass  of  milk,  or  pour  his  cream 
into  his  morning  cup  of  cofTee,  with  much  more 
complacency  and  satisfaction.  The  provision  thus 
made  for  cleanliness  and  purity  in  the  article  of 
milk  is  certainly  a  step  farther  in  civilization  than 
that  indicated  by  railroads  and  telegraphs.  The 
milk  now  in  use  in  the  city  is  pretty  good  proof  that 
these  rules  are  carried  into  effect,  and  the  purity, 
richness  and  excellence  of  Syracuse  milk  are  being 
noted  by  strangers  and  travelers  from  other  cities. 

Statistics  show  how  rapidly  the  milk  of  this 
Association  is  growing  into  favor.  In  1875,  eigh- 
teen routes  were  peddled.  Up  to  January  i,  1876, 
thirty-seven  private  routes  had  been  absorbed  in 
the  Association,  and  the  whole  number  of  private 
routes  now  associated  is  thirty-nine.  The  Associ- 
ation now  peddles  twenty  routes,  employing  twenty- 
four  horses,  twenty-seven  wagons,  twenty  sleighs, 


and  a  force,  including  peddlers,  clerks,  house- 
keeper, cheese  maker,  engineer,  superintendent, 
&c.,  of  thirty  persons. 

The  headquarters  of  the  Association  are  at  44 
East  Fayette  street,  in  a  new  building  expressly 
adapted  to  the  business  of  the  Association,  erected 
in  1875  at  a  cost  of  $17,000.  Since  beginning  in 
an  old  hotel  in  1872,  they  have  grown  to  the  dimen- 
sions and  requirements  of  these  new  premises, 
which  include  milk  depot,  cheese  and  butter  factory, 
office,  boarding  house,  &c.,  with  barns  and  black- 
smith shop  in  the  rear.  The  upper  rooms  are 
rented  to  nine  families  and  a  spare  front  room  on 
the  first  floor  occupied  for  a  barber  shop. 

The  following  are  the  officers  for  1878: — B. 
Austin  Avery,  President  ;  James  L.  Hill,  Vice- 
President  ;  C.  D.  Avery,  Secretary  and  Treasurer  ; 
George  O.  Gannett,  Superintendent  ;  I.  C.  Reed, 
Cashier  and  Book-Keeper.  Directors  : — B.  A. 
Avery,  John  Wells,  John  Raynor,  W.  C.  Brayton, 
J.  L.  Hill,  C.  D.  Avery,  Henry  Jerome,  Sidney 
Lewis,  George  O.  Gannett.  Executive  Committee: 
J.  Wells,  Sidney  Lewis,  John  Raynor,  Henry 
Jerome,  W.  C.  Brayton.  Examining  Committee  : 
George  C.  Gere,  Charles  Bailey,  W.  H.  H.  Gere. 
Committee  on  Manufacturing  of  Butter  and  Cheese  : 
Charles  Bailey. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 


CAPTAIN  OLIVER  TEALL. 

Whoever  has  known  much  of  Syracuse  must 
have  known  something  of  Oliver  Teall.  He  was  a 
conspicuous  man  in  this  place  from  the  time  that  the 
village  first  made  its  appearance  in  the  cedar 
swamps,  through  all  its  stages  of  growth  until  it 
became  a  thriving  city,  spreading  its  skirts  upon 
the  surrounding  hills.  More  than  fifty  years  ago 
he  was  to  be  seen  early  and  late,  vigorously  direct- 
ing, as  general  superintendent,  the  repairs  and  im- 
provements on  the  middle  section  of  the  Erie 
Canal.  This  brought  him  daily  into  contact  with 
large  numbers  of  persons,  and  he  was  extensively 
known  for  his  activity,  efficiency  and  exactness. 

Subsequently,  the  buyers  and  sellers  of  real 
estate  found  it  convenient,  if  not  needful,  to  have 
somewhat  to  do  with  Captain  Teall,  whose  wise 
foresight  of  the  future  growth  of  Syracuse,  led  him 
to  become  an  owner  of  valuable  lots  in  many  parts 
of  what  is  now  the  city. 


Then,  again,  when  the  municipal  project  to  in- 
troduce good  water  into  the  village  was  about  to  be 
abandoned  to  individual  enterprise,  he  became,  and 
was  for  a  number  of  years,  the  almost  sole  pro- 
prietor of  the  aqueduct ;  and  the  Teall  water  came  to 
be  as  familiarly  spoken  of  in  Syracuse  as  the  Cro- 
ton  in  New  York,  if  we  may  compare  so  small  a 
matter  with  so  large  a  one.  The  quality  of  the 
water,  at  first  so  named,  was  very  poor,  but  the  in- 
defatigable man  spared  no  pains  until  he  had  found 
and  become  the  owner  of  a  copious  spring  of  a  pure 
article,  formed  an  able  company,  and  introduced,  by 
a  well-made  aqueduct,  an  abundant  supply  of  water, 
which  he  need  never  be  ashamed  should  bear  his 
name.  Every  part  of  the  construction  of  this  valu- 
able improvement  was  superintended  by  him  person- 
ally, so  that  to  all  the  inhabitants,  from  the  least  to 
the  greatest,  this  public  servant  was  familiarly 
known. 

When  the  Onondaga  County  Bank,  the  first  in- 


'■■"S'ai., 


p  ';  TT,      <:;•  -J  i-^TEi;. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


235 


stitution  of  the  kind  in  Syracuse,  was  established 
in  1829,  Captain  Teall  was  elected  one  of  its 
Directors,  and  subsequently  its  President,  in  which 
position  he  continued  till  the  expiration  of  its 
charter  in  1854.  At  certain  hours  of  the  day,  there- 
fore, he  was  generally  seen  in  or  near  the  house 
where  men  having  money,  or  needing  money,  are 
wont  to  congregate,  and  his  shrewdness,  foresight 
and  incorruptible  integrity  have  served  many  a  man 
a  good  turn,  who  was  at  his  wit's  end  to  get  out  of 
a  pecuniary  embarrassment,  or  to  make  a  profitable 
investment  of  some  surplus  gains. 

The  cause  of  Education  in  Syracuse  acknowl- 
edges him  to  have  been  one  of  its  earliest  and  most 
earnest  promoters.  Travelers  who  pass  over  the 
railroad  by  daylight,  can  hardly  fail  to  notice  an 
unduly  tall  brick  building  in  the  eastern  portion  of 
Syracuse.  If  benevolent,  they  will  rejoice  to  learn 
that  it  is  now  an  asylum  for  orphan  children,  and 
children  worse  off  than  orphans  ;  an  institution  well 
endowed,  and  sustained  by  the  united,  cordial  coop- 
eration of  all  the  Protestant  sects  in  the  city,  giving 
a  comfortable  home  and  an  excellent  discipline  to 
two  hundred  destitute  little  ones.  But,  if  they  in- 
quire into  its  history,  they  will  be  informed  that  it 
was  not  originally  intended  for  the  charitable  pur- 
pose to  which  it  is  now  put.  It  was  erected  ^bout 
forty  years  ago  by  Captain  Teall,  Aaron  Burt  Esq., 
Hon.  Harvey  Baldwin,  Thomas  Rose,  and  others, 
for  an  academy,  and  was  so  used  for  a  dozen  years  ; 
but,  being  located  too  far  from  what  subsequently 
became  the  center  of  the  city,  to  be  convenient  as 
a  day  school,  and  yet  too  near  to  be  resorted  to  as 
a  boarding  school,  it  languished,  notwithstanding 
the  exertions  of  its  three  principal  patrons,  and  many 
years  ago  became  the  property  of  the  Onondaga 
County  Orphan  Asylum.  It  is,  however,  still  a 
monument  to  the  enterprise  of  Captain  Teall  and 
his  associates,  and  of  their  zeal  in  the  cause  of  ed- 
ucation. 

But  it  has  not  been  merely  as  a  man  of  business 
and  thrift  that  the  subject  of  this  memoir  has  been 
principally  known  to  his  fellow-citizens  and  heard 
of  throughout  the  State.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest 
and  most  steadfast  friends  of  the  temperance  re- 
form. His  name  will  go  down  to  posterity  as  the 
untiring  fellow-laborer  of  E.  C.  Delevan,  Gerrit 
Smith,  Herman  Camp,  Charles  A.  Wheaton,  Chan- 
cellor Walworth,  and  other  pioneers  in  this  great 
enterprise.  His  labors  were  not  most  conspicuous, 
however,  at  public  meetings.  Although  a  frequent 
attendant  at  them,  he  was  always  a  diligent  laborer 
at  home  and  throughout  his  immediate  neighbor- 
hood.    He   did   not  content   himself  with  recom- 


mending to  others  a  disagreeable  and  laborious  duty. 
Were  pledges  to  be  obtained  or  memorials  to  the 
legislature  to  be  circulated  for  signatures,  Captain 
Teall  was  ever  ready  to  present  them  to  his  neigh- 
bors and  townsmen,  and  press  them  upon  their 
favorable  regards. 

His  principles  he  carried  into  practice  on  every 
occasion,  and  no  opportunity  was  suffered  to  pass 
without  giving  effect  thereto.  At  one  of  the  meet- 
ings of  the  directors  of  the  Onondaga  County  Bank, 
held  December,  1845,  at  which  were  present  such 
men  as  John  Wilkinson,  Hiram  Putnam,  David  S. 
Colvin,  Johnson  Hall,  Horace  White,  and  Hamilton 
White,  he  presented  the  following  preamble  and 
resolution,  which  were  adopted  unanimously  : 

"  Whereas,  An  application  has  been  made  to 
this  bank  for  a  small  subscription  to  aid  the  efforts 
of  persons  engaged  in  the  temperance  reform,  and 
as  nothing  in  the  judgment  of  the  most  sound  and 
prudent  men  adds  more  to  the  permanency  of  our 
rights  than  the  extension  of  this  great  reformation  ; 
it  is,  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  the  cashier  be  authorized  to  pay 
the  sum  of  twenty-five  dollars  to  aid  the  fund  to  be 
raised  in  the  county,  for  the  purpose  of  distributing 
an  appeal  to  the  voters  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
lately  published  by  the  Executive  Committee  of  the 
New  York  State  Temperance  Society." 

Many  persons  would  have  thought  that  a  Board 
of  Directors  of  a  moneyed  corporation  was  the  last 
place  to  have  presented  such  a  document,  but 
"  knowing  the  right,  he  dare  maintain  it  "  under  all 
hazards. 

His  abstinence,  however,  reached  farther  than  to 
intoxicating  liquors.  He  would  include  in  his  pro- 
scription whatever  articles  of  food  or  habits  of  living 
are  known  to  be  prejudicial  to  the  health,  or  mental, 
or  moral  vigor  of  man.  He  canvassed  Syracuse  in 
person,  and  appealed  to  thousands  of  its  inhab- 
itants to  dissuade  them  from  the  use  of  tobacco. 
It  may  be  too  true  that  his  unwearied  exertions 
have  made  but  little  visible  impression  upon 
those  who  were  addicted  to  this  nauseous  weed  ; 
but  very  many,  through  his  influence,  are  rejoicing 
in  their  exemption  from  the  offensive  habit.  He 
would  never  concede  that  reason  and  conscience, 
health  and  purity  should  be  subjugated  to  appetite. 
But  he  insisted,  with  a  distinctness,  pertinacity,  and 
earnestness,  which  evinced  his  deep  sincerity  and 
commanded  the  respect  of  many  who  have  not 
yielded  to  his  appeals,  that  it  is  a  sin  to  violate  any 
of  the  laws  of  life  and  health,  laws  instituted  by 
Almighty  God,  as  plainly  as  those  that  were  pro- 
claimed by  Moses  from  Mount  Sinai.  This  great 
doctrine  he  inculcated  wherever  he  could  get  ears 
to  hear  it,  and  enforced  it  by  a  life  eminently  con- 


236 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


sistent,  and  by  the  manifestation  in  his  own  person 
of  a  degree  of  health,  vigor,  and  power  of  endur- 
ance, seldom  seen  in  a  man  of  his  years. 

Although  the  temperance  cause  received  so  much 
attention  from  Captain  Teall,  and  made  such  large 
demands  upon  his  time  and  his  purse,  he  also  en- 
tered with  zeal  into  other  important  reforms. 

He  early  engaged  in  opposition  to  the  law  by 
which  debtors  might  be  incarcerated  like  felons, 
nor  did  he  cease  from  his  efforts  until  that  law  was 
repealed.  In  the  height  of  the  controversy  on  that 
reform  he  was  one  of  a  number  who  went  to  the 
Onondaga  county  jail,  paid  the  jailor's  demands 
against  all  the  debtors  in  his  custody,  threw  open 
the  prison  doors,  and  led  them  forth  into  the  light 
and  air  of  freedom,  of  which  misfortune  ought  never 
to  deprive  a  man. 

He  was  also  untiring  in  his  efforts  to  procure  the 
passage  of  the  homestead  exemption  law,  and  never 
relinquished  his  labors  on  that  behalf,  believing  as 
he  did,  that  a  still  larger  amount  of  property  should 
be  ensured  to  the  families  of  men  against  the  con- 
tingencies of  trade,  as  well  as  the  rapacity  of  hard- 
hearted creditors. 

To  mention  but  one  more  of  the  objects  of 
benevolence  to  which  he  addressed  himself,  the 
law  authorizing  married  females  to  hold  property 
independently  of  their  husbands,  was,  in  its  very  in- 
ception, duly  appreciated  by  Captain  Teall,  and 
warmly  advocated.  This  was  an  important  step  in 
the  restoration  of  women  to  that  condition  of 
equality  in  which  they  were  originally  created,  and 
to  which  they  have  an  unalienable  right. 

Now,  whoever  knows  anything  of  the  origin  of 
"human  laws,  will  acknowledge  that  we  are  much 
more  indebted  for  our  social  improvements  to  the 
wisdom,  benevolence,  and  exertions  of  private  citi- 
zens, than  we  are  to  the  final  action  of  legislators, 
who  tardily  follow  where  the  leaders  of  public  opin- 
ion draw  them,  and,  at  last,  merely  give  a  govern- 
mental sanction  to  what  has  already  become  the 
known  will  of  the  sovereign  people.  Captain 
Teall  was,  in  fact,  for  many  years,  one  of  the  law- 
makers of  this  Slate.  Some  of  the  best  laws  that 
have  been  put  upon  our  statute-books,  have  been 
enacted  by  the  influence  that  he,  and  men  like  him, 
have  exerted  upon  the  public  mind. 

It  will,  therefore,  be  interesting  to  our  readers  to 
know  some  of  the  principal  facts  of  his  personal 
history.  It  will  be  particularly  instructive  and  en- 
couraging to  young  men  of  limited  means  and  few 
literary  advantages  to  be  informed  that  Captain 
Teall  qualified  himself  for  great  usefulness  in  so- 
ciety by^thc  force  of  good  common  sense,  fidelity 


to  every  obligation  and  the  fearless  avowal  of  what- 
ever he  believed  to  be  true  and  right. 

Oliver  Teall  was  born  August  5,  1788,  in  the 
town  of  Killingworth,  Conn.  His  great-grandfather 
came  from  Holland,  and  settled  in  this  country  a 
number  of  years  previous  to  the  Revolution.  His 
father,  with  four  brothers,  served  their  country  in 
the  war  for  American  independence,  in  all,  nearly 
six  years  each.  Eighteen  months  of  his  term  his 
father  spent  as  a  prisoner,  having  been  captured  at 
Horse  Neck,  at  the  time  when  General  Putnam 
made  his  almost  miraculous  escape. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  the  war  his  father.  Dr. 
Timothy  Teall,  resumed  his  profession,  and,  about 
1 79 1,  removed  with  his  wife  (whose  maiden  name 
was  Phci.be  Hulli  and  several  children  from  Kil- 
lingworth into  the  town  of  Manlius,  Onondaga 
County.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  this 
region.  Being  poor,  he  purchased  a  farm  on  credit. 
It  was  a  tract  of  military  land,  and  he  was  put  to 
no  little  trouble  and  expense  to  get  a  good  title  to 
it.  He  pursued  his  medical  profession  until  called 
into  public  life.  He  served  many  years  as  a  magis- 
trate and  a  deputy-sheriff,  and  transacted  a  great 
deal  of  business  for  his  fellow-citizens,  in  various 
capacities.  Shortly  after  their  removal  into  Man- 
lius, Mrs.  Teall  died,  leaving  her  husband  with  six 
children,  four  daughters  and  two  sons.  Oliver,  the 
subject  of  this  biography,  was  then  but  about  four 
years  of  age.  The  oldest  child  was  a  daughter,  of 
but  twelve  years,  and  upon  her  devolved  the  princi- 
pal charge  of  the  family,  much  of  the  time,  too,  in 
the  absence  of  their  father. 

Oliver,  so  soon  as  he  was  able,  was  put  to  work 
upon  the  farm,  much  of  it  then  being  yet  unre- 
claimed from  the  woods.  And  there  he  continued 
to  toil  until  he  was  17  or  18  years  old,  when  he  was 
allowed  to  deal  for  himself,  with  the  understanding 

!  that  he  was  to  work  on  the  farm  when  not  other- 
wise employed.  His  facilities  for  acquiring  literary 
information  all  this  while  were,  of  course,  very  slen- 
der. He  has  been  heard  to  say  that  all  his  school- 
ing did  not  amount  to  more  than  one  year  at  a  com- 
mon district  school.     Yet,  so  soon  as  he  had  been 

I  taught  to  read,  he  began  to  occupy  his  little  leisure 
time  in  the  perusal  of  such   books  as  were  within 

'  his  reach.  Often  did  he  pursue  his  studies  by  fire 
or  torch  light,  until,  at  about  the  age  of  twenty,  he 
was  thought  to  be  qualified  to  be  teacher.  Instruct- 
ing others,  is  the  most  profitable  mental  and  moral 
discipline  to  one  who  undertakes  the  task  with  the 
determination  to  be  faithful.  While  thus  engaged, 
and  during  the  winter  months  of  several  years,  be- 
fore and  after,  Mr.  Teall  himself  made  very  rapid 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


237 


improvement.  About  this  time  he  read  several  of 
his  father's  medical  works,  thinking  that  he  might, 
at  a  future  day,  become  a  physician.  Afterwards 
he  read  Blackstone's  Commentaries,  not  knowing 
but  his  preference  would  be  for  the  law.  Before, 
however,  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  he  concluded 
to  take  his  chance  in  the  world  without  any  particu- 
lar profession. 

He  soon  after  engaged  in  various  branches  of  busi- 
ness. For  a  while  he  conducted  a  limekiln,  labor- 
ing at  it  himself  very  hard.  Then  he  entered  into 
partnership  in  the  tanning,  currying  and  shoemaking 
business.  Afterwards  he  engaged  in  iron  smithing, 
in  its  various  branches.  Thus  he  acquired  a  great 
deal  of  practical  information  in  a  variety  of  useful 
arts,  which  was  of  inestimable  value  to  him  in  sub- 
sequent life. 

Habits  of  economy  were  commenced  in  him 
almost  as  soon  as  his  habits  of  industry.  When 
quite  a  boy  he  had  earned  twelve  shillings,  and  that 
small  sum  (which  was  then  a  great  one  to  him)  he 
put  out  to  interest  at  7  per  cent.  This  was  the 
beginning  of  his  financial  operations,  a  suitable 
prelude  to  that  course  which  led  him  to  become  the 
president  of  a  bank,  and  the  head  of  several  large 
pecuniary  investments. 

In  the  war  of  1812  he  commanded  a  company, 
which  he  ordered  to  muster  in  Manlius,  and  marched 
to  Oswego,  when  it  was  threatened  by  the  enemy. 
Hence  the  title  by  which  he  was  so  familiarly 
known. 

At  an  early  period  of  life.  Captain  Teall  com- 
menced his  speculations  in  real  estate,  the  buying 
of  water-powers,  erecting  mills,  carrying  them  on 
a  while,  and,  when  he  had  made  them  valuable, 
selling  them  to  advantage.  The  experience  which 
he  gained  in  these  transactions,  qualified  him  for  an 
enterprise  which,  in  the  event,  greatly  enhanced  his 
property,  and  made  him  more  than  ever  known  and 
respected  by  the  business-men  of  this  part  of  the 
Empire  State.  In  18 18,  he  took  what  was  then  a 
large  contract  on  the  middle  section  of  the  Erie 
Canal.  The  whole  work  was  an  experiment. 
Many  persons  in  the  State  were  utterly  incredulous 
of  its  success.  The  amount  involved  in  the  job  he 
had  taken  was  much  larger  than  he  had  ever  before 
attempted  to  manage.  Laborers  were  not  so  easily 
obtained  then  as  now.  Difficulties  sprang  up 
thickly  in  his  way.  He  became  alarmed  at  the 
undertaking,  and  offered  the  canal  commissioners 
|>SOO  to  release  him  from  his  contract.  They 
utterly  refused  to  do  so.  This  roused  all  his 
energies.  He  addressed  himself  to  the  work  with 
a  determination  that  few  could  command.      He  ac- 


complished it  some  time  before  the  day  specified  ; 
and  disclosed  those  qualities,  that  were  so  appreci- 
ated by  the  commissioners,  that,  at  the  completion 
of  the  middle  section  of  the  canal,  he  was  appointed 
superintendent  of  a  portion  of  it,  and  served  in  that 
capacity  for  six  years.  Here  he  was  called  upon  to 
direct  important  improvements  and  repairs,  and  to 
expend  very  large  sums  of  money.  The  thorough- 
ness of  the  work  done  under  his  supervision,  and 
the  accuracy  of  his  accounts,  inspired  all  who  were 
cognizant  of  his  skill  and  fidelity  with  the  highest 
confidence. 

It  was  during  this  period  that  he  invented  the 
machine,  called  "  The  Under-water  Excavator,"  for 
deepening  canals.  It  answered  the  purpose  well 
and  he  obtained  a  patent  for  it. 

But  it  was  at  a  still  earlier  date  that  he  embraced 
a  principle,  which,  could  it  be  universally  adopted 
by  the  people  from  Albany  to  Buffalo,  would  be  an 
incomparably  greater  blessing  to  the  state  and 
county,  than  this  far-famed  canal  has  been.  In 
1 8 19,  Captain  Teall  followed  the  then  almost 
universal  custom  of  furnishing  ardent  spirits  to  his 
workmen  and  of  drinking  with  them  himself  It 
so  happened  that  when  erecting  a  grist-mill  in  the 
town  of  Sullivan,  his  foreman  had  hired  a  man 
somewhat  famous  in  that  neighborhood  as  a  hard- 
drinker.  This  annoyed  Mr.  Teall.  He  was  willing 
to  drink  with  decent  men,  but  to  join  in  his  pota- 
tions with  a  drunkard  was  mortifying  to  his  self- 
respect.  Probably  some  words  to  that  effect 
dropped  from  his  lips,  which  were  reported  to  the 
new-comer.  For,  the  next  day,  when  the  Captain 
had  drank  himself,  and,  as  usual,  passed  the  bottle 
to  his  workmenj  all  partook,  excepting  only  the  man 
at  whom  he  had  taken  offense.  The  reputed 
inebriate  utterly  refused  the  tempting  draught. 
Though  urged,  he  would  not  be  induced  to  taste  it. 
This  unexpected  occurrence  awakened  in  the 
Captain's  mind  a  train  of  reflections,  which  led  to 
the  determination  that  he  would  never  again  be 
instrumental  in  the  seduction  of  sober  men,  or  the 
temptation  of  those  whom  the  sin  of  intemperance 
most  easily  beset.  He  at  once  renounced  the  use 
of  distilled  spirits,  and  shortly  after  intoxicating 
drinks  of  every  description.  To  the  resolution 
then  formed  he  adhered  without  deviation  to  the 
end  of  his  life. 

His  early  studies  of  the  laws  of  life  and  health, 
already  referred  to,  disposed  him  the  more  readily 
to  refrain  from  an  indulgence  which  the  slightest 
observation  is  sufficient  to  show,  is  most  prejudicial 
to  the  physical,  mental,  and  moral  welfare  of  man. 
For  the  same  reason,  Mr.  Teall  abstained  from  the 


238 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


use  of  tobacco.  Subsequent  observation  and 
thought  led  him  to  abandon  the  use  of  tea  and 
coffee,  and  from  1840,  of  flesh,  fish  and  fowl.  In 
these  respects,  many  regarded  him  as  abstemious 
overmuch,  and  were  willing  to  believe  that  he  rejected 
what  the  divine  Author  of  all  intended  for  the  food 
of  man,  and  what  therefore  cannot  be  rejected 
without  injury.  But  the  subject  of  our  memoir 
was  surely  a  witness  against  all  the  common  as- 
sumptions on  this  point.  He  lived  to  the  age  of 
si.\ty-nine,  in  the  enjoyment  of  perfect  health,  free 
from  every  kind  of  ache  or  pain,  able  to  endure  as 
much  bodily  e.xertion  as  any  man  in  the  city,  and 
to  e.vpose  himself  with  impunity  to  all  kinds  of 
weather,  seldom  if  ever  wearing  an  outer  garment. 
He  lost  not  a  day  by  sickness,  nor  expended  a 
shilling  in  the  purchase  of  medicine  for  many 
years.  Indeed  he  considered  sickness  prima  facie 
evidence  of  some  moral  obliquity.  "  How  is  your 
health .'"  was  said  to  him  one  morning.  "  Very 
good," was  his  reply  ;  "what  think  you  I  have  been 
doing,  that  I  should  be  sick  .'" 

But  with  all  his  physical  hardihood,  and  his  in- 
domitable energy  and  perseverance,  though  he  was 
never  known  to  relinquish  a  purpose  he  had  deter- 
mined to  accomplish.  Captain  Teall  always  mani- 
fested a  peaceable  and  friendly  spirit.  So  averse  to 
litigation  was  he  that,  notwithstanding  the  magni- 
tude of  his  business  transactions,  and  the  great 
number  and  variety  of  persons  he  dealt  with,  he 
never  in  his  life  had  a  contested  lawsuit.  In  the 
settlement  of  his  father's  estate,  he  left  it  to  be  di- 
vided by  his  brother  and  sisters  as  they  might  see 
best.  And  in  all  his  intercourse  with  men,  at  the 
same  time  that  he  was  noted  for  shrewdness,  he 
was  uniformly  fair  and  honorable. 

In  1809  Capt.  Teall  married  Catherine  Walter,  a 
farmer's  daughter,  in  the  town  of  Manlius.  She 
was  frugal,  industrious,  gentle,  distinguished  for 
her  general  benevolence,  and  for  her  untiring  devo- 
tion to  her  family.  She  died  September  30,  1836. 
By  her  he  had  five  children,  two  sons  and  three 
daughters.  The  eldest  son  was  educated  at  West 
Point  Academy,  and  has  since  died.  His 
other  children  are  Eliza,  (Mrs.  Amos  Benedict,) 
Phoebe  A. ,  (Mrs.  Geo.  J.  Gardner,)  and  William  W., 
all  residents  of  this  city,  and  Maria  1  Mrs.  Judge 
Divine,)  of  San  Francisco,  Cal. 

Soon  after  his  marriage,  he  purchased  a  farm  in 
Manlius,  and  erected  a  commodious  stone  house, 
which  he  expected  would  be  his  dwelling-place  so 
long  as  he  should  live  on  earth.  But  on  his  ap- 
pointment to  a  superintendcncy  upon  the  Erie 
Canal,  he  removed  to  that  part  of  Syracuse  which 


was  called  Lodi,  purchased  of  the  State  the  right 
to  the  surjjlus  waters  of  the  west  end  of  the  Rome 
level,  and  erected  mills,  which  for  a  number  of 
years  he  managed  in  addition  to  his  public  busi- 
ness. 

Thus  he  became  an  inhabitant  of  this  place  in  its 
infancy.  He  grew  with  its  growth,  and  strength- 
ened with  its  strength  ;  and  he  was  highly  respected 
as  one  of  the  conscript  fathers  of  Syracuse. 

In  the  summer  of  1857,  he  was  attacked  with  a 
disease  of  the  lungs  which  at  first  assumed  a  serious 
and  alarming  appearance.  By  advice  of  physicians 
he  was  taken  to  the  sea-shore  in  the  hope  that  a 
change  of  climate  might  restore  his  wonted  powers. 
In  this,  however,  his  friends  were  doomed  to  disap- 
pointment, as  he  rapidly  became  worse.  They, 
therefore,  started  for  home  with  him  and  on  arriving 
at  New  York  the  most  skillful  medical  aid  was  pro- 
cured, but  without  avail.  Leaving  New  York  for 
Catskill  he  was  able  to  reach  Newburgh  only,  when 
he  was  met  by  the  unerring  messenger,  and  on  the 
15th  day  of  August,  1857,  summoned  to  his  final 
rest  at  the  age  of  69  years  and  10  days. 

His  funeral  was  attended  by  a  large  concourse  of 
people,  the  following  named  persons,  all  very  old 
residents  of  the  city,  (not  one  of  whom  is  now  liv- 
ing) acting  as  pall-bearers,  viz :  Robert  Furman, 
Oliver  R.  Strong,  Johnson  Hall,  Hiram  Putnam, 
Moses  D.  Burnet,  David  G.  Colvin,  Amos  P.  Gran- 
ger and  Henry  Rhoades.  The  Rev.  Samuel  J. 
May,  a  constant  fellow-laborer  in  the  cause  of  re- 
form, delivered  a  very  eloquent  discourse  upon  the 
life  and  character  of  the  deceased,  paying  a  hand- 
some tribute  to  his  excellent  qualities  and  unfeigned 
virtues,  and  his  exalted  worth  as  a  man  and  a  Chris- 
tian. 

Corporations  and  civic  associations  adopted  reso- 
lutions of  sympathy  and  condolence,  and  by  repre- 
sentation or  in  a  body,  attended  his  funeral.  The 
Common  Council  was  specially  convened  by  mes- 
sage from  the  Mayor,  in  the  following  language  : 
"  Death  has  taken  from  us  a  man  venerable  for  his 
years  and  private  virtue — a  citizen  who  has  been 
identified  with  the  growth  and  progress  of  Syracuse 
from  its  commencement  to  the  present  time,"  and 
recommending  that  suitable  action  be  taken  there- 
upon. The  Common  Council,  among  other  resolu- 
tions, adopted  the  following  :  "  Resolved,  That  in 
the  death  of  Oliver  Teall,  Syracuse  is  called  to 
mourn.  One  of  her  gray-haired  sires  has  gone  to 
his  last  rest  ;  a  familiar  face,  an  upright  man,  a 
useful  citizen,  has  been  removed  from  among  us, 
and  we  are  truly  called  to  sorrow."  Monumental 
eulogies  and  obituary  notices  were  published  in  the 


ii 


(Uyi^  CAyv'^^jt^^ 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY    NEW  YORK. 


239 


newspapers  of  the  day,  and  private  letters  of  sym- 
pathy were  tendered  the  friends  of  the  deceased. 
Every  mark  of  honor  and  respect  which  could  be 
rendered  to  a  private  citizen,  were  given,  and  the 
entire  community  felt  that  a  great  man  had  fallen. 
As  a  true  expression  of  the  feelings  of  the  commu- 
nity, we  append  the  following  extract  from  the  local 
journals  of  the  day  :  "  Capt.  Teall  was  a  man  of 
great  activity  and  energy,  and  untiring  industry,  and 
every  reform  found  in  him  a  zealous,  efficient  and 
consistent  advocate  and  liberal  friend.         *  * 

He  was  honorable  and  upright  in  all  his  dealings, 
charitable  and  humane  in  his  disposition,  and  lived 
and  died  without  an  enemy." 


GEORGE  J.  GARDNER,  ESQ. 

George  Judd  Gardner  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass., 
July  19,  18 18,  and  was  one  of  seven  children  of  Thos. 
Gardner  and  Anna  Judd.  When  he  was  about  eight 
years  old  his  parents  removed  to  New  York  City. 
He  was  at  school  in  Public  School  House  No.  2, 
on  Henry  street,  where  one  of  the  public  schools 
of  the  city  is  standing  at  this  day.  His  father  died 
when  he  was  still  a  boy.  In  the  year  1829,  he 
lived  for  a  time  on  a  farm  in  Ontario  county,  with 
Peleg  Redfield,  father  of  Lewis  H.  Redfield,  Esq.,  of 
Syracuse.  Mr.  Peleg  Redfield's  wife  was  sister  of 
Mr.  Gardner's  mother.  At  this  time  Lewis  H. 
Redfield  had  just  removed  from  Onondaga  Hollow 
(as  it  was  then  called)  to  Syracuse,  and  become 
publisher  of  the  "  Onondaga  Register  and  Syra- 
cuse Gazette."  Young  Gardner  then  came  to  Syra- 
cuse, and  learned  in  his  cousin's  office  the  business 
of  a  printer.  Part  of  his  duty  was  to  deliver 
papers  at  "  the  Hollow,"  going  thither  on  horseback 
once  a  week.  In  183 1,  Mr.  Redfield  sold  out  his 
paper  (he  had  been  a  publisher  at  Onondaga  Valley 
a  number  of  years  before  coming  to  Syracuse)  but 
retained  his  bookstore,  in  which  Mr.  Gardner  be- 
came clerk.  This  bookstore  was  in  a  brick  block 
which  occupied  a  portion  of  the  present  site  of  the 
Onondaga  County  Savings  Bank.  When  this 
block  was  burned  in  "  the  great  fire"  of  1834,  the 
store  was  kept  temporarily  in  the  "  Yellow  Build- 
ing "  which  stood  where  is  now  the  Bastable  Ar- 
cade. Afterwards  it  was  moved  back  into  the 
"  Davis,  Redfield  and  Colvin  Block,"  which  was 
built  where  is  now  the  east  end  of  the  Onondaga 
County  Savings  Bank.  In  1841,  Mr.  Gardner 
went  into  business  for  himself,  as  successor  to  Mr. 
Redfield  in  the  bookstore.  Shortly  before  this,  oc- 
curred the  death  of  his  beloved  and  widowed 
mother. 


In  the  year  1843,  Mr.  Gardner  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Phoebe  A.,  youngest  daughter  of  Oliver 
Teall,  Esq.  They  have  had  no  children  of  their 
own,  but  have  adopted  and  brought  up  three 
daughters,  two  of  whom  are  married  to  gentlemen 
of  Syracuse.  After  his  marriage  in  August,  1843, 
Mr.  Gardner  became  book-keeper  in  the  Onondaga 
County  Bank,  of  which  his  father-in-law  was  Presi- 
dent, previous  to  which  he  was  for  a  time  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Syracuse  City  Water-Works.  In 
1848  he  was  appointed  Notary  Public,  and  has  held 
that  office  for  thirty  years  consecutively,  being  per- 
haps the  senior  Notary  Public  of  the  State,  and  has 
just  been  reappointed  to  that  office  for  another 
term  of  two  years. 

In  1846  he  was  appointed  Teller  of  the  Onondaga 
County  Bank,  and  when  its  charter  expired  in  1854, 
he  with  others  organized  the  Onondaga  Bank,  of 
which  he  was  made  Cashier.  This  office  he  held 
until  i860,  when  he  resigned.  In  1861,  Mr.  P.  H. 
Agan,  having  been  appointed  Postmaster  of  Syra- 
cuse by  the  lamented  President  Lincoln,  made  Mr. 
Gardner  his  Assistant.  The  system  of  the  free 
delivery  of  the  mails  in  cities  was  established  in 
Syracuse,  not  without  opposition  in  some  quarters, 
during  his  tenure  of  office,  which  lasted  till  1866. 
In  that  year  he  was  elected  Secretary  of  the  New 
York  State  Life  Insurance  Company.  In  1872 
he  resigned  that  office,  in  consequence  of  a  change 
in  the  organization  of  the  company.  Since  then 
he  has  been  acting  as  Executor  and  Administrator 
of  several  estates,  and  as  General  Accountant. 

Mr.  Gardner  has  been  active  in  the  various  duties 
and  offices  of  civic  life.  When  a  mere  lad  he  was 
"  Signal  Boy  "  of  the  old  No.  i  Fire  Engine  Co. 
Was  connected  with  that  company  many  years,  and 
received  the  first  certificate  of  discharge  and  ex- 
emption granted  by  the  municipal  authorities  under 
the  (then;  new  law.  He  was  Lieutenant  and  acting 
Captain  in  the  old  149th  Regiment,  under  the  ill- 
fated  Colonel  Woodruff,  who,  with  two  other  per- 
sons connected  with  the  regiment,  was  executed  in 
Canada,  at  the  suppression  of  the  Canadian  Rebel- 
lion of  1836.  He  confesses  also  to  have  belonged 
to  a  secret  order  of  "  Hunters  and  Chasers,"  whose 
object  was  the  revolutionization  of  the  Canadas, 
and  the  avenging  of  the  "patriots  "  who  had  fallen. 
He  has  also  served  the  community  in  more  peace- 
'  ful  ways.  He  has  been  twice  Supervisor  of  the 
Eighth  Ward— in  i860  and  1S61.  Three  times 
Alderman— in  1853,  (term  of  two  years,)  1863,  and 
1873.  Member  of  the  Board  of  Health  in  1853. 
Twice  member  of  the  Board  of  Education,  in  1856-7, 
and  in  1862-3.     He  was  one  of  the  corporators  in 


240 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


1865  of  ^^^  Genesee  and  Water  Street  Railroad 
Co.,  and  has  been  its  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  with 
the  exception  of  one  year,  ever  since.  He  was  one 
of  the  corporators  of  the  "  Trust  and  Deposit  Com- 
pany of  Onondaga."  He  was  a  member  of  the 
"  Syracuse  Library  and  Reading  Room  Associa- 
tion," the  first  literary  society  established  here  ; 
was  also  one  of  the  founders  of  the  P'ranklin  Insti- 
tute in  1850,  which  had  among  its  members  as 
Directors,  Rev.  Dr.  Gregory,  Rev.  Samuel  J.  May, 
Alfred  Cobb,  Esq.,  Hon.  Charles  Andrews, Charles 
Pope,  Esq.,  John  Jay  Kno.x,  ( now  Comptroller  of  the 
Currency,!  and  others  ;  was  at  different  times  Di- 
rector, Secretary,  Chairman  of  Lecture  Committee, 
and,  in  1856,  President,  of  the  same.  He  became, 
in  1863,  a  life  member  of  the  Onondaga  Historical 
Association.  It  may  be  added  that  he  possesses 
one  of  the  best  private  libraries  in  the  city,  contain- 
ing some  rare  and  valuable  works  ;  which,  with  his 
art  collections,  and  curiosities  of  various  sorts,  he  is 
always  ready  to  exhibit  to  his  friends  and  to  visitors 
generally. 

Mr.  Gardner  has  been  an  attendant  of  the  Epis- 
copal Church  in  Syracuse  ever  since  1830.  He 
was  elected  a  Vestryman  of  St.  James'  Church  in 
1852,  and  a  Warden  of  the  same  in  1864,  and  has 
represented  his  parish  in  the  Annual  Conventions 
of  the  Diocese  for  nearly  25  years.  At  the  organ- 
ization of  the  new  Diocese  of  Central  New  York, 
(set  off  from  Western  New  York  in  1868,1  he  was 
elected  its  Treasurer,  and  has  been  ever  since  an- 
nually reelected  to  that  and  other  offices  of  trust 
in  the  management  of  Diocesan  afTairs.  Some 
years  since  he  read  before  the  Brotherhood  of  St. 
James'  Church  an  interesting  paper  entitled  "  Remi- 
niscences of  the  Church  in  Syracuse,"  which  was 
afterwards  published  in  the  "  Gospel  Messenger," 
then  the  Church  periodical  of  all  Western  New 
York.  As  a  writer,  Mr.  Gardner  has  contributed 
liberally  to  the  newspapers  and  periodicals  of  the 
day,  and  has  also  prepared  and  delivered  many  pub- 
lic lectures  and  addresses  upon  various  subjects, 
more  especially  on  Odd  Fellowship. 

Mr.  Gardner  has  been  an  active  member  of  vari- 
ous Brotherhoods  and  Associations.  He  was  for  a 
long  time  a  member  of  Syracuse  Division  No.  27, 
"  Sons  of  Temperance."  Also  of  Justitia  Tent 
No.  8,  "  Independent  Order  of  Rechabites  ; "  hold- 
ing the  highest  offices  in  these  organizations.  He 
has  always  been  a  temperance  man  of  the  "  strait- 
est"  sort,  never  drinking  any  into.xicating  liquor, 


nor  tasting  fermented  drinks,  nor  using  tobacco  in 
any  form.  And  his  uniformly  vigorous  health 
seems  to  show  that  these  things  are  at  least  not 
necessary  to  the  well-being  of  man.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
for  35  years,  belonging  to  Onondaga  Lodge  No.  70 
of  which  he  was  a  charter  member,  and  to  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  the  State ;  having  been  Grand 
Master  of  the  Grand  Lodge  in  i868-'69.  He  has 
also  been  a  leading  member  of  the  Masonic  Frater- 
nity, having,  it  is  believed,  taken  all  its  degrees, 
and  held  many  of  its  highest  offices.  In  1862,  he 
was  instrumental  in  introducing  here  the  "Ancient 
and  Accepted  Scottish  Rite,"  and  has  for  services 
rendered  received  the  33d  and  last  degree,  of 
"  Sovereign  Grand  Inspector  General,"  and  is  there- 
by an  Honorary  Member  of  the  Supreme  Council, 
N.-.  M.-.  J.-.  U.  S.  A. 

Mr.  Gardner  has  seen  nearly  the  whole  growth 
of  the  city  of  Syracuse.  A  resident  here  since 
1829,  he  has  witnessed  the  gradual  upbuilding  and 
extension  of  the  city.  He  has  seen  its  population 
increase  from  about  1,800  to  nearly  60,000,  and  its 
wealth  and  influence  enlarge  in  a  like  proportion. 
There  were  but  twelve  deaths  in  the  first  year  of 
his  residence  here,  while  in  the  year  1877  there 
were  about  a  thousand.  From  his  knowledge  of 
the  history  of  business  here,  he  is  often  referred  to 
as  authority  on  questions  of  our  local  past  ;  and 
he  has  been  contented   to  grow  up  with  the  city. 

Providence  has  granted  him  the  Prayer  of  Agur 
in  the  Book  of  Proverbs,  that  he  should  have 
"  neither  poverty  nor  riches."  But  Providence 
has  given  him  a  moderate  competence,  a  pleasant 
home,  a  faithful  wife  possessed  of  fine  literary 
talents,  dutiful  children,  "  troops  of  friends,"  and  a 
contented  spirit.  His  story  illustrates  the  truth 
that  God's  blessing  attends  the  path  of  uprightness, 
prudence  and  industry.  His  leading  characteristics 
are  great  activity,  strict  integrity  and  a  desire  to  be 
useful.  He  is  of  the  better  class  of  self-made  men. 
Such  men  are  pillars  of  society,  and  salt  against 
the  world's  corruption.  We  may  well  desire  long 
to  keep  them  with  us,  and  cannot  easily  over-esti- 
mate their  worth.  It  is  as  good  to  show  them 
regard  and  reverence  now,  as  to  wait  till  they 
have  been  taken  from  our  midst,  and  we  have  only 
their  memories  to  honor.  The  supreme  words 
to  be  written  over  this  man's  life,  through  all  its 
social,  religious  and  business  relations  are  slcrlitig 
fidelity. 


MAJ.-GEN.  JOHN   J.  PECK. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  Manlius,  Onomlaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  4,  1821. 
His  father  and  mother,  John  W.  ami  Phebe  Peck,  were  among  tlie  earlier  and  active 
settlers  of  that  town.  His  fatlier,  in  the  war  of  18l"i  with  Great  Britain,  served  .«ome 
time  in  defense  of  the  harbor  of  New  York.  His  mother,  while  a  child,  witnessed 
atrocities  at  the  hands  of  the  English,  at  lier  then  home  on  the  eastern  shore  of 
Long  I.'iland,  during  the  same  war.  The  parents,  valuing  the  advantages  derived 
from  an  education,  knowing  the  want  of  it  thcmselveis,  caused  their  son  to  be  fitted 
for  college  at  an  early  age. 

In  July,  1839,  through  the  influence  of  Hon.  Wm.  Taylor,  uiemher  of  congress 
from  Onondnga  and  Madison  district,  he  was  nominated  by  President  Van  Bnren  fur 
a  cadetship  in  the  United  States  Military  Academy.  The  class,  nnnibi'iing  over  one 
hundred  upon  his  entrance,  graduated  only  thiity-nine,  among  whom  were  General 
U.  S.  Grant,  Mrtjor-Geuerals  W.  B.  Franklin.  J.  J.  Peck,  C.  0.  Angnr.  F.  Steele,  R. 
Ingails,  C.  S.  Hamilton,  J.  J.  Reynolds,  and  Brigadier-Generals  Judah  and  Quinby. 

Buring  the  encampment  of  1843  he  served  as  an  instructor  of  infantrj';  having 
been  applied  for  in  the  ;irtillery  also,  he  was  commissioned  a  brevet  second  lieutenant 
in  the  second  artillery. 

In  1843  and  1844  he  was  stationed  at  Fort  Columbus;  in  1844  and  1845,  at  Fort 
Hamilton.  His  cunipany  was  ordered  to  theseatuf  di then  1  ties  in  Texas.  Colonel  Bank- 
head  gave  him  the  option  to  remain  on  leave  nf  iibsence,  but  he  preferred  to  go. 
Joined  his  command,  att;iched  to  Duncan's  famous  battery,  and  arrived  at  General 
Taylor's  quarters  at  Corpus  Chrlsti,  August,  1845.  To  trace  his  liistory  through  the 
Mexican  war,  would  be  to  give  almost  a  complete  liistory  of  the  marches,  battles, 
and  sieges  of  the  entire  >var. 

General  Taylor,  July  27,  1846,  com- 
mended him  to  the  president  for  brevet 
distinction,  for  good  conduct  and  gal- 
lantry in  the  battles  of  Fort  Brown, 
Palo  Alto,  and  Resaca  de  la  Palma. 
Being  the  youngest  in  rank  and  years, 
this  was  the  highest  honor  that  could  be 
conferred.  He  was  promoted  a  second  lieu- 
tenant, April  15,  1846.  For  bravery  and 
services,  upon  the  fall  of  Monterey,  he  was 
again  promoted, — a  second  brevet, — and 
March  3, 1847,  promoted  a  first  lienteuiint. 
His  company  was  in  the  advance  in  the 
occupation  of  Puebia,  a  city  of  eighty 
thousand,  by  four  thousand  troops,  one  of 
the  rarestevents  in  history.  He  received 
from  the  president  and  senate  the  "bre- 
vet of  captain,  for  gallantry  and  good 
conduct  at  Contreras  and  Cherubusco." 
In  the  battle  of  El  Molino  del  Rey,  for  gal- 
lant and  meritorious  services,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  major.  (See  RipJeifs 
War  with  Mexico^  vol.  ii.,  page  377. 
Also,  Kendall's  War  with  Mexico,  and 
Jenkins^  War,  etc.)  Uptm  the  entry  of 
the  army  into  the  City  of  Mexico,  his 
company',  of  Colonel  Smith's  light  bat- 
talion, curried  the  flag  of  the  Sccnnd 
United  States  artillery,  and.  when  the 
populace  rose  on  the  troops,  led  the  way. 

The  esteem  in  which  Major  Peck  was 
held  by  hia  illustrious  commander,  is 
expressed  in  the  following  letter  by  Gen- 
eral Worth: 

City  of  Mexico,  Dee.  8, 1817. 
My  dk.\r  Sirs: 

I  have  desired  my  young  and  gallant 
friend,  Lieutenant  Peck,  to  hand  you  this, 
and  I  beg  to  commend  him  to  your  con- 
sideration and  kind  attention.  You  will 
find  the  name  and  services  of  this  officer 
in  an  officialaccountof  every  battle,  save 
one,  from  the  commencement  of  this  war 
to  the  conquest  of  the  basin,  as  the  associ- 
ate of  Duncan  or  Smith.  He  is  of  our 
State,  and  worthy  of  it. 

Very  truly  yours, 
(Signed)  W.  J.  WORTH. 

To  Hons.  Erastus  Corning,  John  Van 
Buren,  E.  Croswell,  and  Mr.  Jiis.  Ste- 
venson. 

On  his  return  to  his  native  borne  ho 
was  tendered  a  public  dinner  and  pre- 
sented with  a  beautiful  sword,  on  which 
was  tlie  following  inscription:  "Pre- 
sented to  Major  J.  J.  Peck,  by  the  citizens 
of  Manlius,  as  a  testimonial  of  respect 
for  his  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct 

in  the  battles  of  Palo  Alto,  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  Monterey,  Vera  Cruz,  Cerro  Gordo, 
C-ontrcras.  Cherubusco,  Molino  del  Rey,  Chapnltepec,  Causeway,  and  Gate  of  San 
Cosme,  and  City  of  Mexico." 

In  1849  the  Government,  through  Senator  Dix,  tendered  Major  Peck  the  position 
of  assistant  quarterma.ster,  which  he  declined. 

In  1818,  1849,  and  1850  he  served  in  the  Indian  Territories,  in  New  Mexico,  and 
Aug.  30, 1849,  was  engaged  with  the  Navajoes,  in  Upper  Californiii,  and  in  locating 
Fort  DL^fiance,  hia  spare  time  being  occupied  in  preparing  a  work  on  artillery  and 
infantry  tactics,  which  should  embody  the  necessiiry  changes  in  ScottV.  His  sub- 
sequent resignation  ended  those  labora.  In  the  moves  for  the  admission  of  New 
Mexiro  IIS  a  State,  during  the  sessions  of  the  convctitioti  Major  Peck  was  active  wiih 
the  committees,  and  stnive  to  engraft  free  and  liberal  institutions  adverec  to  slavery. 

Hon.  George  Geddes,  in  1849,  offered  a  resolution  in  the  senate  of  New  Yt>rk,  award- 
ing a  gold  medal  to  Major  Peck,  for  his  gallantry  in  (he  war  with  Mexico,  but  the 
measure  fiiilcd  in  the  political  excitement  sweeping  the  Union  because  of  the  com- 
promise measures  on  slavery. 

In  1850  he  married  Miss  Rhobie,  the  accomplished  daughter  of  Harvey  Loomis,  of 
Syracuse,  N.  Y.  In  185.S  he  visited  his  old  conmumder,  General  Scott,  on  the  matter 
of  his  resignation,  as  he  had  done  in  1850.  The  General  said,  "That  while  he  lived 
(on  personal  grounds)  he  regretted  the  resignation  of  any  officer  who  had  lioen  bap- 
tized in  fire  with  him  in  Mexico." 

In  politics  Major  Peck  was  of  the  school  known  as  Hunker,  prior  to  the  union 
with  the  Softs  in  1856  at  the  Cincinnati  convention,  and  a  strict  constructionist  of 
the  constitution.    A  delegate  in  the  National  Democratic  convention  at  Cincinnati  in 


1856.  The  same  year  he  was  nominated  for  congress,  and  tendered  a  renomination 
in  1858.  Major  Peck  was  a  member  of  the  National  Democratic  convention  of 
1860,  at  Charleston  and  Baltimore,  and  stood  among  the  conservatives.  In  1857 
he  was  tendered  a  foreign  mission  by  President  Bucbiiuiin,  and  declined.  In  1861 
be  was  one  of  the  committee  to  receive  Lincoln,  president  elect,  at  Buffalo,  and 
escort  liim  to  Syracuse.  Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  he 
offered  his  services,  by  letter,  to  the  president  in  any  capacity  in  which  he  could 
serve  his  country,  and  was  active  in  calling  a  Union  meeting  at  Syracuse,  where  he 
was  received  by  bis  fellow-citizens  with  distinguished  regard,  and  urged  to  consent 
to  efforts  to  secure  him  a  general's  commission,  but  declined  engaging  in  any  nmve- 
ment  which  bore  a  pei-aonal  rather  than  a  patriotic  aspect.  Major  Peck's  name 
headed  a  list  of  eiglity  names  handed  the  president  by  the  New  York  congressional 
delegation  for  commissions  in  the  army.  He  was  appointed  a  brigadier-general, 
Aug.  9, 1861 ;  repairetl  at  once  to  Wiishington,  and,  by  invitation,  spent  his  first  even- 
ing with  the  president.  By  General  McClellan's  request  to  General  Scoit  he  was 
assigned  ctmimand  of  a  large  brigade  in  the  Army  of  the  Potonuic.  In  the  final 
organization  ho  was  iissigned  to  Buell's,  and  afterwards  to  Couch's,  of  the  Fourth 
Corps,  and  afterwards  to  Key's. 

He  rendered  signal  service  at  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  and  his  timely  advance  and 
subsequent  action  at  Williamsburg  at  a  critical  time  won  for  him  a  reputation 
greatly  to  be  envied  (extract  from  report  of  Brigadier-General  Couch),  in  which 
engagement,  besides  the  battery  and  other  trophies,  he  captured  a  large  and  beauti- 
ful State  banner  from  one  of  the  Virginia  regiments.  One  of  the  proudest  events  of 
his  life  was  in  l.'^62,  when  the  Hon.  Charles  Andrews,  mayor  of  the  city  of  Syracuse, 

bis  adopted  home,  presented,  in  an  elo- 
quent speech,  a  rebel  flag,  captured  by 
General  Peck's  brigade,  to  the  common 
conncil,wliich  body  adopted  unanimously 
appropriate  resolutions. 

General  Couch,  in  his  report  of  the 
battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  says,  "General  Peck 
fought  his  brigade  with  skill  and  daring 
courage,  his  horse  falling  under  him,  afti-r 
being  sever.ll  limes  wounded.  His  com- 
mand added  new  laurels  to  those  won  at 
Williamsburg."  General  McCIelhm  also 
makes  mention  of  his  bravery  on  this 
occasion  {Headlry's  liiheUinn,  page  428). 
Afterthis  terrible  battle  he  was  tendered 
the  Command  of  Casey's  division,  and 
accepted  the  same  June  24.  He  was  made 
a  full  major-general  at  Harrison's  Land- 
ing, to  date  July  4,  1862,  and  Sept.  22 
assumed  command  of  all  the  troops  in 
Viiginia  south  of  the  James. 

In  the  spring  of  1863  the  at  tent  ion  of  the 
relu'ls  was  drawn  to  the  importance  of  Suf- 
folk. Tliat  reduced,  Norfolk  and  Ports- 
month  mustalsofatl.  General  Longstreet, 
with  tbrty  thousand  men,  the  flower  of  the 
Siuithern  armj',  was  assigned  the  work. 
Hi-<  plans,  well  laid,  to  cut  the  Nanseinond 
.six  miles  below  the  city  and  the  railrond 
on  left  and  rear,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
draw  off  a  part  of  General  Peck's  troojis 
by  a  raid  on  Little  Wasliingt<in,  being 
executed.  General  Peck's  army  of  ten 
thousand  men  and  the  situation  would 
fall  a  rich  prize.  General  Peck,  by  a  cap- 
tured mail,  conceived  tiie  plans  of  his  wily 
iidveisary.  I^ongstreet  attempted  to  take 
the  place  by  a-sanlt,  but  failed.  Therelirl 
general  attempted  to  cut  the  river,  but 
the  sm:ill  fleet,  commanded  by  young 
men,  but  of  unctmquerable  bravery,  pre- 
vented. Yel  their  gun-l  oats  were  riddled 
with  balls.  At  length,  on  April  18,  the 
object  of  the  rtbels  seenu-d  to  be  accom- 
plished. An  enrth-work,  mounting  five 
rifled  enn^  was  prected  at  Hill's  Point,  a 
place  six  miles  below  Suffolk,  from  which 
the  enemy  could  sweep  the  gun-boats,  but 
our  mi'^siies  would  only  bury  themselves 
in  the  parapet.  General  Peck,  with  a 
small  detachment,  stormed  and  captured 
the  place  with  the  entire  party  of  officers, 
cannon,  etc.  This  was  the  virtual  ending 
of  the  attjuk  on  Suffolk,  and  on  the  third 
of  May,  General  Long>treet,  after  an  in- 
vestment of  the  place  for  three  weeks. 
raised  the  siege.  For  this  grand  and 
skillfnl  defense  of  Suffolk,  General  Peek 
received  llie  highest  encomiums  from 
his  superiors  for  his  good  judgment  dur- 
ing the  six  months  previous  in  stronglv  fortifying  the  place,  and  lor  his  gallant 
defense  of  the  same  when  atficked  by  a  much  larger  force,  led  by  some  of  the  moi^l 
distinguished  generals  in  the  MTvice  of  the  insurgents. 

In  consequence  of  ill  health  he  returned  home,  and  July  5, 1864,  was  assigned  o 
dntv  as  second  in  command  of  the  department  of  the  ea-t,  consisting  of  New-  York 
New  Jersey,  and  the  New  England  States,  being  selected  by  General  Dix  who  had 
previously'  desired  the  War  Dejiaitnu-tit  to  relieve  General  Peck  in  the  south. 
In  August,  lSil5,  General  Peck  was  mustered  out  of  the  .service.  In  the  elections 
of  the  fall  of  1865  he  acted  with  the  Union  party,  and  approved  the  recon- 
struction plan  of  President  Lincoln.  At  the  time  of  the  ass^-ssination  <.f  1  rcMdent 
Lincoln,  General  Peck  issued  appropriate  orders  to  thp  department  for  observing 
the  funeral  obsequies,  and  addressed  the  great  meeting  in  Mall  street,  and  paui 
everv  respect  due  to  the  memory  of  the  late  chief  magistrate,  trom  the  time 
General  Peck  assumed  command  of  troops  he  wa.s  Ih"  sonice  ofjnstice  and  of  inuni- 
cipal  regulations,  the  protector  of  private  rights  of  person  and  property.  In  his 
orders  he  called  on  Christian  men  of  the  north  for  ministers  to  give  instruction 
to  the  living,  and  Christian  burinl  to  the  dead  heroes  ot  the  war.  On  April  \l, 
1865,  the  citizens  of  New  York  connneinorate.l  at  the  Academy  of  JIusic,  by  appro- 
pria  e  exercises,  the  nvising  of  the  flag  of  the  Union  over  tor  Sumter  by  GeneMl 
AnderBon.  General  Peck  was  the  president  of  the  day,  and  delivered  the  nddre.s. 
In  1867  he  organized  the  New  York  State  Life  Insurance  Company,  and  wa^  made 
president  thereof.  On  March  20, 1874,  he  lost  his  wife.  Of  late  years  he  resided  in 
Syracuse,  with  health  ver>-  much  impaired,  the  result  of  hanlships  and  dangers 
encountered  during^is  military  career.     He  died  April  21, 1878. 


ritulit  li>  TittxT  X  lluwUiiil,  SyrucM-t 


^    cMc^^^^ 


Amoo  Slanton,  fnthcr  nf  the  subject  of  tliia  memoir,  came  from 
!,«■,  Mas!^.,  >to|>|>iii(;  in  Mi'nlgiiincry  county  iv  few  jenrs,  Imt  in 
IT'Jl  settled  in  .(Bm4iiville,  punliasini;  ^(>mo  three  liiindred  acres  of 
land,  including  a  mill  privilei;c,  at  tllty  centii  an  mere.  In  1805  ho 
enmc  t>>  what  wiui  then  Salina,  and  purchased  one  square  acre  of 
i;rfiund  near  the  present  bridge  over  the  Oswego  canal,  on  Salina 
»lre<t.  M  r.  Stanton  cleared  the  land  and  converted  it  into  a  wlnat- 
llelil.  Whiii  the  Oswego  canal  was  c<instrucled,  the  line  pa«sc>d 
ilia^Mnally  throui;h  Mr.  "Stanton's  Acre." 

Unftis  Stanton  wii-  iMirn  in  Maylleld,  Montgomery  i-imnty,  in 
17HH.  He  wa»  the  thirteenth  rhild  of  Amos  and  Mercy  Stanton. 
In  the  fourth  yonr  of  his  ag<'  his  parent-  removed  to  Onondai;a 
County,  whore  his  earlier  years  were  passed  in  thu  most  primitive 
manner.  Ho  remembered  his  father  having  a  "  husking-bec" 
oni-  fall,  to  which  every  white  settlor  in  the  county  was  invited. 
Thev  all  came,  and  yet  a  few  split  logs,  laid  smooth  side  up  for 
tables,  accommodated  them. 

Amid  such  priniilive  scenes  Kufus  .Stanton  pns-ed  the  earlier 
part  of  his  life  until  his  sixteenth  year,  when  his  father  removed 
to  the  village  of  "  Corinth,"  now  Syracuse,  and  Kufus  was  ono  of 
a  few  men  who  met  and  changed  the  name  of  tlic  place  from 
"  Corinth"  to  Syracuse. 

Kufus  .Stjinton  assisted  in  clearing  away  the  trees  and  in  the 
erection  of  the  flrsl  frame  house  in  Syracuse,  \K»  location  being 
where  the  Kmpire  House  now  staiiils. 

In  IH4)7  he  entere<l  iipnn  thi'  liuainess  nf  baking  and  brewing, 
with  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  (.iiiid<>n,  which  be  continue<l  for  two 
years.  The  salt  interi'St  then  begiui  to  bH)m  up  into  importance, 
and  Mr.  Stantim  engaged  in  its  nninufactore  lor  three  years.  The 
rapidly-growing  fame  of  tho  salt  village  called  many  strangers  to 
study  its  advantages,  and  accommodations  not  being  siiflicient,  he, 
in  1813,  openeil  a  tavern  in  Salina,  whore  ho  entertained  strangers, 
and  among  others  Oeneral  Scott  and  his  troo|>s  on  their  way  to 
Saikcls  Harbor  during  the  war  of  1812-1:1;  their  next  meeting 
■  if  recognition  was  on  board  the  "  Mayflower,"  on  Lake  Kric, 
many  years  after,  when  both  were  old  men. 

Agricultural  pursuits  were  combined  with  public  services,  and 
even  as  late  as  IHHi  .Mr.  Stanton  raisetl  a  heavy  crop  of  rye  on  tho 
site  of  the  Syracuse  House.  In  WM  ho  commenced  farming  largo 
tracts  of  land,  one  of  which  extended  over  tho  ground  now  occu- 
pied by  Iteiiwick  Castle  ond  the  Orphan   Asylum.     He  remained 


there  until  1833,  when  his  close  application  to  farm  lBU>r  some- 
what inipairi'd  hi>  health,  anil  be  relimpiished  tbeni  for  a  time. 
Uemoving  into  the  city,  be  was  jilaced  in  charge  of  the  Syracuse 
com|uiny'8  lands,  the  duties  of  which  |iosilion  were  performed  in 
the  most  satisfactory  manner. 

At  the  dose  of  the  year,  his  health  improving,  bo  purchn.u'd  a 
large  farm  situated  on  the  eastern  Imundary  of  the  lily,  known 
since  as  .Stanton's  Hill.  Where  his  meadow  was,  is  now  tho 
Driving  I'ark. 

From  this  farm  Mr.  Slanton  removed  to  .Syracuse,  where  the 
latter  years  of  his  life  were  pas.-ed  in  the  retirenient  of  private 
life,  surrounded  by  kind  friends  and  loving  relatives.  He  dii'd 
Sept.  10,  187-1. 

Tho  Statulard  said  of  him  at  his  death  :  "  He  was  the  (ddest 
resident  of  the  city  and  county  at  tho  time  of  his  death,  and  was 
one  of  tho  most  respected  and  trusted.  He  never  sought  public 
office,  but  always  maintained  the  highest  reputation  for  honesty, 
integrity,  industry,  and  uprightness  of  character.  His  wi)rd  was 
as  good  as  his  bond,  and  in  all  his  multitudinous  transaction"  no 
one  could  evi-r  say  that  Kufus  Stanton  wronged  him  of  a  dollar. 
He  wos  always  pleasant  and  cheerful,  ready  to  assist  the  mn-dy, 
and  lend  a  helping  hand  to  all  public  improvements.  He  was  a 
relic  of  the  sturdy,  old-fashioned  pioneers  who  arc  fast  passing 
away.  His  life  extended  beyond  tlo-  time  usually  allotted  to  man, 
and  his  surviving  relatives  look  back  with  recolb-clions  of  prido 
and  love  to  the  bmg  care<>r  of  their  lamenti'd  |Mirent,  whose  history 
presents  so  bright  an  example  for  them  to  follow." 

Mr.  Stanton  was  llrst  a  Whig,  latterly  a  Democrat;  active 
during  his  middle  life  in  political  circb-s.  He  llrst  married,  in 
April,  1815,  Miss  Minerva  Uelknap,  by  whom  ho  bad  throe 
children. 

His  wife  died  in  1821,  and  he  was  married,  in  March,  1824,  to 
Minerva,  sister  of  Dudley  1*.  and  R.  K.  Phelps  by  whom  he  bad 
seven  children,  of  whom  only  three  survive, — Helen  M.,  widow 
of  the  late  Charles  Keene,  once  a  prominent  merchant  with  Dennis 
McCarthy;  llenmn  H.,  resides  in  Tii|H-ka,  Kansas;  ond  Minerva 
K.,  wliii  nuirrieil  Henry  llurwell,  of  Chicago. 

His  seconil  wife  also  died,  and  he  married  the  widow  of  the  late 
Judge  Clark,  of  Chtrkston,  Michigan.  She  still  survives.  Mr. 
8tant<m  was  a  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  from 
about  the  time  of  his  second  marriage  until  his  death. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


241 


FREE  AND  ACCEPTED  MASONS. 


Complete  History  of  the  Various  Masonic 
Organizations  which  have  Existed  Within 
THE  Present  Limits  of  Syracuse.* 


York  Rite. 

Symbolic  Lodges. — The  first  duly  authenticated 
body  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  organized 
within  what  are  now  the  limits  of  the  city  of  Syra- 
cuse, was  Salina  Lodge  No.  327,  located  in  the 
village  of  Salina,  now  embraced  in  the  First  and 
Second  Wards  of  the  city  ;  which  was  warranted  or 
chartered  on  the  second  day  of  December,  1819, 
and  for  a  time  held  its  communications  in  what  was 
then  known  as  Beach's,  afterwards  Sanger's  tavern, 
located  on  the  corner  of  Salina  and  Wolf  streets. 
Its  existence  must  have  been  brief,  as  no  papers  can 
be  found  either  at  the  former  seat  of  the  Lodge  or 
on  file  in  the  Grand  Secretary's  office  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  touching  its  membership  or  duration. 

On  the  second  day  of  January,  A.  L.  5826,  A. 
D.  1826,  a  dispensation  was  granted  for  the  organ- 
izing of  Syracuse  Lodge  No.  484,  and  on  the  tenth 
day  of  June  following,  a  warrant  was  issued  by  the 
Grand  Lodge,  empowering  Henry  Newton  to  act  as 
its  first  Master,  Joseph  Slocum  as  its  first  Senior 
Warden,  and  William  Malcolm  as  its  first  Junior 
Warden.  Its  meetings  were  held  in  the  then  new 
Syracuse  House  in  rooms  fitted  up  for  it,  (according 
to  a  custom  which  then  generally  prevailed  among 
the  Lodges,  of  holding  their  meetings  in  public 
houses,)  until  about  the  year  1831,  when  it  ceased 
work,  owing  to  the  influx  of  the  great  tidal  wave  of 
"  Anti-Masonry "  which  was  sweeping  over  the 
country  at  that  time.  The  original  warrant,  to- 
gether with  the  tin  case  containing  the  same,  made 
over  fifty  years  since  by  one  of  its  earliest  members, 
Mr.  Isaac  D.  Lawson,  still  a  resident  among  us, 
(January,  1878,)  are  in  possession  of  the  writer  of 
this  article,  placed  there  by  the  late  Russell  Heb- 
bard,  Esq.,  who  was  one  of  its  last  officers. 

On  the  23d  day  of  July,  1844,  a  warrant  was 
granted  constituting  Syracuse  Lodge  No.  102, 
naming  Luther  M.  Tracy  for  Master,  Henry  New- 
ton for  Senior  Warden,  and  Hiram  Judson  for  Junior 
Warden.  This  lodge  held  its  meetings  in  Masonic 
Hall,  Empire  Block,  being  the  north  wing  of  the 
present  Empire  House,  until  August,  1849,  when  it 
removed  to  Frazee  Hall,  in  what  is  now  called  the 
"  Courier  Building,"  corner  of  East  Genesee  and 
Montgomery  streets,  where  it  remained  until  Jan- 
uary, 1850  ;  it  then  removed  to  "  New  Masonic  Hall," 

♦Compiled  by  George  J.  Gardner,  Esq. 
31* 


Alvord  Block,  30  and  32  South  Warren  street,  south 
of  and  now  occupied  as  a  portion  of  the  Remington 
House.  Here  it  remained  until  November,  1852, 
when  it  removed  to  the  Stanley  Block,  No.  38  South 
Warren  street,  adjoining  on  the  north  the  present 
St.  Paul's  Church.  Thence  it  moved  again  in  1856 
to  No.  63  South  Salina  street.  New  Masonic  Hall, 
leasing  the  rooms  there  in  connection  with  Central 
City  Lodge  No.  305,  which  Lodge  had  expended 
several  thousand  dollars  in  fitting  up,  preparing  and 
beautifying  the  same.  This  Lodge  continued  to 
work  until  February,  i860,  when,  "on  the  request 
and  complaint  of  the  members  of  that  Lodge,"  its 
warrant  was  demanded  and  surrendered,  together 
with  all  its  properties,  and  on  the  eighth  day  of 
June  following,  it  was  declared  forfeited  by  the 
Grand  Lodge. 

On  the  day  last  mentioned,  June  8,  i860,  a  war- 
rant was  granted  by  the  Grand  Lodge,  then  in  ses- 
sion, and  issued  under  date  of  July  5,  i860,  to 
Syracuse  Lodge  No.  501,  authorizing  the  following 
named  brethren  to  act  as  its  first  officers,  viz : 
Lewis  E.  Joy, Master;  John  Frary,  Senior  Warden, 
and  Edward  S.  Dawson,  Junior  Warden. 

This  Lodge  held  its  communications  at  Masonic 
Hall,  No.  63  South  Salina  street,  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  then  fitted  up  and  removed  to  rooms  in 
the  Bastable  Arcade,  fronting  on  East  Genesee 
street.  It  subsequently  removed  in  1876  to  its 
present  location  Nos.  37  and  39  South  Clinton 
street,  where  it  is  now  located.  Its  present  officers 
are  (January,  1878)  as  follows,  viz  :  N.  Latterner, 
Master  ;  C.  J.  Jeffery,  S.  W. ;  A.  E.  Shaul,  J.  W.  ; 
Joseph  Waller,  Treasurer  and  Daniel  N.  Lathrop, 
Secretary. 

Central  City  Lodge  No.  305  never  worked  under 
dispensation,  like  most  lodges,  but  commenced 
masonic  labor  under  its  warrant  direct,  received 
from  the  Grand  Lodge  on  the  7th  day  of  June, 
1853.  Its  first  warranted  officers  were  W.  George 
N.  Williams,  Master ;  Joshua  G.  Bigelow,  Senior 
Warden  ;  and  W.  Robert  M.  Richardson,  Junior 
Warden.  Its  communications  were  held  in  Masonic 
Hall,  Stanley  Block,  South  Warren  street,  occupy- 
ing jointly  with  Syracuse  Lodge  No.  102,  and  Syra- 
cuse Royal  Arch  Chapter  No  70  until  1856,  when, 
having  as  above  stated,  fitted  up  new  and  more  ap- 
propriate rooms  at  an  expense  of  several  thousand 
dollars  at  No.  63  South  Salina  street,  it  removed 
thereto  and  occupied  the  same  for  about  ten  years. 
A  favorable  opportunity  offering  by  the  erection  of 
a  new  building  now  known  as  Nos.  85  and  Sj  South 
Salina  street,  to  secure  more  eligible  and  commodi- 


242 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


ous  rooms,  it  again  spent  a  large  sum  in  appropri- 
ately decorating  and  furnishing  them,  and  christen- 
ing its  new  quarters  as  "  Central  City  Masonic 
Hall,"  it  removed  thereto  in  1871,  where  it  is  still 
located.  Its  present  elective  officers  (January, 
1878,)  are  as  follows,  viz:  William  Dickison, 
Master ;  Albert  Becker,  Jr..  Senior  Warden  ; 
Thurston  D.  Hrcwster,  Junior  Warden  ;  Charles  P. 
Clark,  Treasurer,  and  Daniel  S.  DeLano,  Secretary. 
Orrin  Welch,*  Edwin  H  Hrown  and  Charles  P. 
Clark,  Trustees 

Salt  Springs  Lodge  No.  520  received  its  dispen- 
sation and  held  its  first  regular  coninuinication  by 
virtue  thereof,  on  the  17th  day  of  September,  1861, 
at  the  office  of  Brother  Harry  Gifford,  in  the  First 
Ward  of  the  city.  On  the  lothday  of  June  following 
(18621  it  received  a  warrant  from  the  M.  W.  Grand 
Lodge,  authorizing  it  to  hold  its  communications 
"in  the  First  Ward  of  said  city  of  Syracuse,"  and 
appointed  John  F.  Sherwood  the  first  Master, 
Henry  F.  Greene  the  first  Senior  Warden,  and 
Peter  Smith  the  first  Junior  Warden  thereof  At 
the  annual  communication  of  the  Grand  Lodge  in 
1867,  the  restriction  in  regard  to  location  in  the 
First  Ward  of  the  city  was  withdrawn,  and  on  the 
eleventh  day  of  November  succeeding,  the  Lodge 
removed  to  No.  27  North  Salina  street,  where  it  re- 
mained until  its  removal  to  the  White  Memorial 
Building  on  the  22d  day  of  May,  1877,  where  it  is 
now  located.  Its  present  officers  (January,  1878.) 
are  as  follows,  viz  :  Daniel  H.  Boynton,  Master; 
Frank  Smith,  S.  W.  ;  H.  O.  Pratt.  J.  W.  ;  Fred. 
Schug,  Treasurer,  and  John  C.  Kratz.  Secretary. 

Ctyptic  Masour)'. — Central  City  Council  No.  13, 
Royal  and  Select  Masters,  was  granted  a  war- 
rant by  the  Grand  Council  R.  and  S.  M.  of 
the  State  of  New  York,  on  the  sth  day  of  June, 
t86o.  constituting  the  following  named  companions 
the  first  officers  thereof,  viz:  T.  I  ,  Seymour  H. 
Stone,  Master;  R.  I.,  Stiles  M.  Rust,  Deputy 
Master  ;  and  I.,  Charles  W.  Snow,  Princ.  Cond.  of 
the  Works.  This  body  has  met  as  occasion  has 
required  in  the  rooms  leased  by  the  other  Central 
City  bodies  and  dispatched  all  necessary  work.  Its 
last  elected  officers  are  as  follows,  viz. :  T.  I  , 
Abel  G.  Cook,  Master  ;  R.  I.,  D'Estain  Reming- 
ton, Deputy  Master;  I.,  Richard  H.  Parker,  P.  C. 
W;  I.,  Robert  M.  Beecher,  Recorder;  and  I., 
Charles  P.  Clark,  Treasurer. 

Capitular  Masonry.  —  In  the  early  part  of  the  year 
1820  a  dispensation  was  granted  to  organize  Salina 
Chapter  of  Royal  Arch  Masons  No.  70,  and  on  the 
9th  day  of  February,  1821,  a  warrant  was  granted 

•  Died  Mirch  21,  1878. 


naming  William  Baldwin  as  First  High  Priest ; 
Henry  Case,  King  and  Matthew  Van  VIcck,  Scribe 
thereof 

This  chapter  met  in  the  village  of  Salina,  now  in- 
corporated within  the  limits  of  the  city  of  Syracuse, 
and  worked  under  its  dispensation  and  warrant  reg- 
ularly, with  the  c.xcej)tion  of  an  interregnum  during 
the  "  troublous  times"  occurring  between  1828  and 
1831,  until  the  year  1837,  when,  in  the  general  sus- 
pension of  Masonic  bodies  which  took  place  at  that 
period,  it  became  dormant,  and  remained  so  until 
the  year  1849. 

On  the  tenth  day  of  February,  1826.  a  warrant 
was  issued  to  said  Chapter  No.  70.  in  place  of  the 
original  warrant  issued  in  1821,  which  was  said  to 
have  been  lost,  appointing  Noah  Tubbs.  High  Priest, 
Joel  Wright,  King,  and  Amos  Foot,  Scribe  thereof, 
their  convocations  to  be  held  in  the  village  of  Sali- 
na. This  is  the  warrant  held  by  Central  City  Chap- 
ter No.  70,  under  which  it  now  works.  On  the 
25th  day  of  January,  1849,  the  following  compan- 
ions assembled  for  the  purpose  of  reorganizing  the 
Chapter,  viz.  :  Lyman  R.  Averill,  Samuel  R.  Mat- 
thews, Morris  Kain,  George  W.  Robinson  and  Jo- 
seph Jaqueth,  who  were  members  of  the  said  Chap- 
ter, and  the  following  Royal  Arch  Masons,  not  mem- 
bers of  the  Chapter  but  desirous  of  becoming  suchi 
viz. :  John  M.  Clark,  A.  G.  Brower,  Jerry  Penfield, 
Archibald  Perkins,  Philip  Sharp,  Amos  Story,  Ben- 
jamin French,  Dearborn  B.  Richford  and  Sanford 
C.  Parker.  An  election  for  officers  was  then  held 
resulting  as  follows  :  Lyman  R.  Averill  was  elected 
High  Priest ;  Morris  Kain,  King  ;  Joseph  Jaqueth, 
Scribe  ;  Benjamin  F.  Green,  C.  of  H.  ;  Samuel  R. 
Matthews,  P.  S.  ;  Levi  Adams,  R.  A.  C;  Josiah 
Walkins,  M.  of  3d  V.;  Zebulon  Kinnc,  M.  of  2d 
v.;  Jonathan  P.  Hicks,  M.  of  istV.;  Matthew  Van 
Vleck,  Treasurer  ;  George  W.  Robinson,  Secretary  ; 
Elisha  Clark,  Tiler  ;  and  Morris  Kain  and  Samuel 
R.  Matthews,  Stewards. 

The  above  proceedings  were  had  i)reliminary  to 
action  by  the  Grand  Chapter,  on  the  7th  day  of 
February,  1849,  whereby  Salina  Royal  Arch  Chap- 
ter No.  70  was  revived,  and  its  title  changed  to  Sy- 
racuse Chapter,  retaining  the  same  number,  ( 70)  and 
by  said  action,  it  was  "  authorized  to  hold  its  meet- 
ings in  the  city  of  Syracuse."  The  following  named 
petitioners  were  the  only  members  embraced  in  the 
revival  of  the  said  Chapter,  viz.:  Lyman  R.  Aver- 
ill, Joseph  Jaqueth,  Benjamin  F.  Green,  Levi  Ad- 
ams, Josiah  Watkins,  (.')  Zebulon  Kinne,  Jonathan 
P.  Hicks,  Matthew  Van  Vleck,  George  W.  Robin- 
son, Elisha  Clark,  Sanford  C.  Parker,  Benjamin 
French,  Abraham  i.'i  G.  Brower,  John  Newell,  Jerry 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


243 


Penfield,  Archibald  Jenkins,  Dearborn  B.  Bickford, 
Henry  Lake,  Anson  (Amos  ?)  Story  and  John  M. 
Clark. 

Under  this  action  of  revivification  the  above  mem- 
bers held  their  first  meeting  "  February  i6th,  1849, 
at  2  1-2  o'clock,  p.  M,  at  Masonic  Hall,  Empire 
Block,  Syracuse,"  and  at  once  proceeded  to  an  elec- 
tion for  officers,  such  step  having  become  necessary 
by  several  of  the  officers  elected  under  date  of  Jan- 
uary 2Sth,  1849  being  ruled  out  for  reasons  un- 
known and  not  embraced  in  the  list  of  petitioners. 
The  result  of  this  election  was  as  follows,  viz.:  Ly- 
man R.  Averill  was  elected  High  Priest ;  Benjamin 
F.  Green,  King  ;  John  M.  Clark,  Scribe  ;  Sanford 
C.  Parker,  C.  of  H.  ;  Benjamin  French,  P.  S.  ; 
Abram  G.  Brower,  R.  A.  C.  ;  Levi  Adams,  Dear- 
born B.  Bickford  and  Jerry  Penfield,  M.  of  the 
Vails ;  George  W.  Robinson,  Secretary  ;  Matthew 
Van  Vieck,  Treasurer ;  Archibald  Perkins,  Tiler, 
and  Amos  Story  and  John  Newell,  Stewards. 

Its  meetings  were  held  in  the  Empire  Block  until 
August  29th,  1849,  when  it  moved  to  the  "  Frazee 
Block,"  holding  its  first  meeting  there  at  that  date  ; 
thence  it  moved  to  "  New  Masonic  Hall,"  Alvord 
Block,  South  Warren  street,  holding  its  first  meet- 
ing there  January  9th,  1850;  thence  on  the  17th 
day  of  November,  1852,  it  moved  and  held  its  first 
meeting  in  the  Stanley  Block,  No.  38  South  War- 
ren street,  first  door  north  of  St.  Paul's  Episcopal 
Church,  and  in  1856,  to  the  Washington  Block,  No. 
63  South  Salina  street. 

On  the  3d  day  of  February,  1864,  the  following 
resolution  was  adopted  by  the  Grand  Chapter  of 
the  State  of  New  York  : 

Resolved,  That  Syracuse  Chapter  No.  70,  be 
authorized  to  change  the  name  of  the  said  Chapter 
from  "  Syracuse  "  to  "  Central  City,"  and  that  the 
said  Chapter  shall  hereafter  be  known  and  dis- 
tinguished by  the  name  of  "  Central  City  Chapter 
No.  70." 

In  the  year  1871,  the  Chapter  moved  with  the 
other  Masonic  bodies  from  No.  63  to  Nos.  85  and 
%y  South  Salina  street,  where  it  is  now  located. 
Its  present  officers  are  as  follows,  viz  :  John  W. 
Sherman,  H.  P.  ;  George  A.  Cool,  K.  ;  Albert 
Becker,  Jr.,  S.  ;  Charles  P.  Clark,  Treasurer  ;  Daniel 
S.  DeLano,  Secretary  ;  Benjamin  F.  Blye,  C.  of 
H.  ;  W.  H.  Phelps,  P.  S.  ;  Julius  A.  Baumgras, 
R.  A.  C.  ;  L.  D.  Burton,  T.  D.  Brewster  and  J. 
P.  Rule,  M.  of  Vails;  Charles  A.  Wiesmore,  Tiler. 

Chivalric  Orders  of  Masonry.  — On  the  17th  day 
March,  1856,  a  dispensation  was  issued  creating 
Central  City  Encampment  and  appointing  the  fol- 
lowing named  Sir  Knights  as  its  first  three  officers, 
viz  :     Clinton  F.  Paige,  Grand   Commander  ;  Har- 


low W.  Chittenden,  Generalissimo  ;  and  William  L. 
Palmer,  Captain  General.  On  the  6th  day  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1857,  a  warrant  was  issued  to  said  officers  by 
the  Grand  Commandery  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
under  the  name,  number  and  style  of  "  Central 
City  Commandery,  No.  25,  of  Knights  Templar 
and  Knights  of  Malta,"  in  accordance  with  action 
previously  had  by  the  General  Grand  Encampment 
of  the  U.  S.  A.,  changing  the  title  of  "Encamp- 
ment" to  "  Commandery,"  and  the  title  of  the  first 
named  officer  from  "  Grand  Commander  "  to  "  Em- 
inent Commander."  Under  this  warrant  it  has 
worked  to  the  present  time,  first,  at  No.  6-^  South 
Salina  street,  and  then  at  Nos.  85  and  87  South 
Salina  street,  in  connection  with  the  other  Central 
City  Bodies.  Its  present  officers  are  as  follows, 
viz  :  E  ,  Charles  P.  Clark,  Commander  ;  Edward 
H.  Brown,  Generalissimo  ;  Abel  G.  Cook,  Captain 
General;  A.  Clark  Baum,  Prelate;  George  A. 
Cool,  S.  W.  ;  Richard  H.  Parker,  J.  W.  ;  Hiram  A. 
Plumb,  Treasurer  ;  Charles  H.  Lyman,  Recorder  ; 
William  Caldwell,  St.  B. ;  Marsh  C.  Pierce,  Sw.  B. ; 
John  W.  Sherman,  Warder  ;  Charles  A  Wiesmore, 
Captain  of  G. 

Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  Rite. — The  first  step 
taken  for  the  introduction  of  this  Rite  in  that  por- 
tion of  the  State  lying  west  of  Albany,  was  on  the 
i6th  day  of  February,  1862,  when  111.  Bro.  Nichol- 
as Mickles  32  °  .•.,  of  New  York  City,  convened  the 
following  named  brethren  in  a  room  in  the  Syra- 
cuse House,  viz  :  Orrin  Welch,  George  J.  Gard- 
ner, Seymour  H.  Stone,  Stiles  M.  Rust,  and  Chas. 
W.  Snow,  and  by  special  dispensation  from  the  Su- 
preme Head  of  the  Rite,  authorizing  him  to  do  so, 
communicated  to  them  the  ritual  of  the  various  de- 
grees embraced  in  the  Lodge  of  Perfection  and 
Council  of  the  Princes  of  Jerusalem,  being  from  the 
fourth  to  the  sixteenth  inclusive,  of  this  Rite. 

On  the  27th  day  of  November,  1862,  warrants 
were  granted  to  the  five  above  mentioned  members 
also  to  Simon  DeGrafif,  George  W.  Harwood  and 
Martin  V.  B.  Hart,  they  all  having  in  the  mean- 
time duly  qualified  themselves  by  receiving  the  re- 
maining degrees  of  the  Chapter  of  Rose  Croix  and 
Consistory  of  S.  P.  R.  S  ,  32  °  .  ■.,  to  organize  and 
work  the  several  bodies  of  Central  City  Lodge  of 
Perfection,  Central  City  Council  of  Princes  of 
Jerusalem,  Central  City  Chapter  of  Rose  Croix,  H. 
R.  D.  M.  ;  and  Central  City  Consistory  of  S.  P. 
R.  5.,  32  °  .•.,  to  which  warrant  of  the  last  men- 
tioned body  were  also  added  the  names  of  Clinton 
F.  Paige,  of  Binghamton,  John  L.  Lewis,  of  Penn 
Yan,and  Zenas  C.  Priest,  of  Utica. 

With  the  exception  of  bodies  of  this  Rite,  at  that 


244 


HISTORY  OP'  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


time  dormant  or  working,  in  Albany  and  New  York, 
these  were  the  first  and  only  duly  constituted  bodies 
of  this  Rite  in  the  State.  For  a  number  of  years  their 
meetings  were  held  at  No.  63  South  Salina  street, 
and  on  the  removal  of  Central  City  Lodge  No  305 
and  other  bodies  to  Nos.  85  and  87  South  Salina 
street,  rooms  were  fitted  up  and  prepared  especially 
for  these  bodies  at  a  grtat  e.xpense,  to  which  they  re- 
moved and  where  they  are  now  all  working.  The 
present  elective  officers  are  (January,  1878)  as  fol- 
lows, viz  : 

Central  City  Lodge  of  Perfection — Abel  G.  Cook, 
33  o  ,  T.  P.  G.  M.  ;  George  A.  Cool.  H.  T.  D.  G. 
M.  ;  Albert  Becker,  Jr.,  V.  S.  G.  VV.  ;  Charles  H. 
Lyman,  V.  J.  G.  VV.;  Charles  P.  Clark,  G.  O.; 
Edwin  C.  Tallcott,  G.  Secretary  ;  Hiram  W.  Plumb, 
G.  Treasurer. 

Central  City  Council  of  Princes  of  Jerusalem  — 
George  A.  Cool.  M.  E.  S.  P.  G.  M.  ;  Charles  P. 
Clark,  G.  H.  P.  D.  G.  M.  ;  Leslie  B.  Cooke,  M.  E. 
S.  G.  VV.  ;  Albert  Becker,  Jr.,  M.  E.  J.  G.  VV.  ; 
Edwin  C.  Tallcott,  V.  G.  Secretary. 

Central  City  Chapter,  Rose  Croi.x,  H.  R.  D.  M. — 
Leslie  B.  Cooke,  M.  VV.  and  P.  M.  ;  D'Estain 
Remington,  M.  E.  and  P.  K.  S.  W.  ;  John  VV. 
Sherman,  M.  E.  and  P.  K.  J.  VV. ;  William  Cald- 
well, M.  K.  and  P.  K.  G.  O.  ;  Hiram  W.  Plumb, 
R.  and  P.  K.  Treasurer  ;  Edwin  C.  Tallcott,  R. 
and  P.  K.  Secretary. 

Central  City  Consistory,  S.  P.  R.  S.  32  °  .: — Abel 
G.   Cook,   33  ° ,  Com. -in-chief ;  Charles   P.    Clark, 

32  °  ,  1st  Lt.  Com. ;  George  A.  Cool,  32  °  ,  2d  Lt. 
Com.  ;  Thomas  C.  Chittenden,  32°,  M.  of  S.  and 
G.  O.  ;  Ralph  C.  Christiance,  32  °,  G.  C.  ;  Edwin 
C.  Tallcott,  32  °  ,  G.  Secretary. 

The  government  of  this  Rite  is  vested  in  "  the 
Supreme  Council  of  Sovereign  Grand  Inspectors 
General  of  the  Thirty-third  and  last  degree.  Ancient 
Accepted  Scottish  Rite,  for  the  Northern  Masonic 
Jurisdiction  of  the  U.  S.  A,"  whose  Grand  East,  or 
seat  of  power,  is  at  Boston,  Mass.  Its  active  mem- 
bership is  limited — its  honorary  membership  is 
based  upon  a  pro-rata  proportion  of  members  of  the 
14°.".  made  in  the  several  States  or  jurisdictions. 
The  resident  members  of  this  supreme  body  are  as 
follows,  viz : 

Active  Member — Orrin  Welch,*  33  '^  ..,  Deputy 
for  the  State  of  New  York. 

Honorary  Members — Seymour  H.  Stone,  33  °  .•.  ; 
George   J.    Gardner,  33°.'.;  Edward    H.    Brown, 

33  ° .-.  ;  and  Abel  G.  Cook,  33  °  .-. 

This  is  a  brief  but  complete  history  of  all  the 
various  Masonic  bodies  which  have  been  organized 

*  Died  M»ch   lilt,  1878. 


within  what  are  now  the  limits  of  the  city  of  Syra- 
cuse. Probably  not  one  of  the  actors  or  members 
of  the  earlier  organizations  is  now  alive,  and  but 
very  few  of  those  formerly  connected  with  the 
bodies  existing  immediately  prior  to  the  great 
fanatical  war  upon  Masonry  in  1826.  The  aggre- 
gate membership  of  the  various  bodies  herein 
enumerated  will  reach  very  nearly  one  thousand 
persons,  with  an  apparent  healthy  and  steady 
growth. 

ODD  EELLOVVS'  LODGES 

In  the  CiTV  OF  Syracuse  and  County  of 
Onondaga. 

In  the  year  1842,  the  subject  of  Odd-Fellowship 
was  for  the  first  time  discussed  in  the  social  circles 
of  this  community.  What  first  awakened  an  inter- 
est in  the  subject,  was  the  frequent  publication  in 
the  Eastern  papers  of  this  State,  of  notices  of  meet- 
ings, funerals,  &c ,  headed  with  those  cabalistic 
characters,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  we  were  then  in 
blissful  ignorance.  The  spirit  of  womanly  curiosity 
was  aroused.  A  meeting  of  those  interested  was 
held,  and  it  was  resolved  that  measures  be  taken  to 
organize  a  Lodge,  to  be  called  "  Onondaga  Lodge." 
The  Laws  of  the  Grand  Lodge  requiring  five  or 
more  brethren  to  unite  in  petitioning  for  a  charter, 
it  was  requisite  that  a  number  should  be  initiated 
in  order  to  equal  the  constitutional  requirement, 
and  not  deeming  it  expedient  to  commence  opera- 
tions till  a  sufficient  number  could  be  obtained  to 
fill  all  the  principal  chairs,  the  following  persons 
volunteered  and  agreed  to  qualify  themselves,  viz : 
William  VV.  Willard,  Geo.  B.  Sloat,  Daniel  D.  Den- 
ton, Geo.  J.  Gardner,  William  S.  Wood,  J.  Gates 
Willard,  and  Jonathan  Baldwin.  The  nearest 
Lodge  then  in  existence,  was  Oneida  Lodge,  No. 
70,  Utica,  of  which  Bro.  Joseph  Seymour,  now  of 
this  city,  was  then  Noble  Grand  (and  who  has  con- 
tinued his  membership  with  that  Lodge  from  that 
day  to  the  present  time,)  in  which  these  names  were 
all  proposed  and  the  candidates  in  due  time  in- 
itiated. The  election  and  installation  of  officers 
then  took  place,  and  the  following  officers  took  their 
seats  for  the  first  term  ending  March  31st,  or  until 
their  successors  were  installed,  which  took  place 
April  7th,  1843,  viz  : 

William  W.  Willard.  X.  G.  ;  George  B.  Sloat, 
V.  G.  ;  Daniel  D.  Denton,  Sec.  ;  George  J.  Gard- 
ner, Treas.  ;  William  S.  Wood,  S.  S.  ;  Myer  Ex- 
tein,  O.  G.  ;  Moses  Hellman,  I.  G.  ;  Jonathan 
Baldwin,  C. ;  J.  Gates  Willard,  Warden. 

A  room  was  fitted  up  at  an  expense  of  several 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


245 


hundred  dollars,  in  the  Bank  Building — the  attic  of 
the  block  used  by  the  Onondaga  County  Bank,  and 
Bank  of  Syracuse,  corner  of  Washington  and 
South  Salina  streets,  of  which  a  lease  was  taken 
for  the  term  of  ten  years,  and  which  room  con- 
tinued to  be  occupied  by  Onondaga  Lodge,  and  at 
times  by  the  various  Lodges  of  the  city,  until  near 
the  expiration  of  the  lease,  when  a  more  commodi- 
ous and  richly  decorated  hall  was  procured,  on  the 
corner  of  Salina  and  Fayette  streets,  in  which  the 
order  continued  to  hold  its  meetings  until  its  de- 
struction by  fire  on  the  morning  of  Sunday,  Febru- 
ary 3d,  1856.     Thus  was  established 

Onondaga  Lodge,  No,  79,  I.  O.  O.  F. 

At  that  period  there  were  but  seven  Lodges  in 
operation  throughout  the  whole  portion  of  this 
State  west  of  Schenectady,  viz  :  Three  at  Buffalo, 
two  at  Rochester,  one  at  Ithaca,  and  one  at  Utica — 
a  territory  now  represented  by  more  than  400 
lodges  of  this  order.  During  the  existence  of  the 
lodge,  there  had  been  up  to  January  i,  1856: 
initiations,  455  ;  additions  by  card,  53  ;  making  a 
total  of  508  members. 

In  the  year  1845,  in  connection  with  Syracuse 
Lodge,  a  purchase  w&s  made  of  a  large  lot  in  the 
Rose  Hill  Cemetery,  in  the  present  Fourth  Ward 
of  this  city,  and  the  same  surrounded  with  a  sub- 
stantial iron  railing,  decorated  with  the  various 
emblems  of  the  order.  The  first  interment  therein, 
and  the  first  funeral  they  were  called  upon  to  attend, 
was  that  of  Philo  C.  Weaver,  of  Oneida  Lodge 
No.  70. 

From  Onondaga  Lodge  went  out  several  colonies 
and  established  Odd-Fellows  Lodges'  in  Syracuse 
and  in  several  towns  of  the  county — Syracuse 
Lodge,  No.  109  ;  Salina,  No.  97  ;  and  Alphadelphia, 
No.  44,  in  this  city.  These  are  all  flourishing  at 
this  date,  and  since  these  have  been  added  to  the 
number,  Lessing,  No.  163,  Lincoln  and  Barbarossa. 
These  last  two  and  Lessing  work  in  the  German 
language. 

Lincoln  Lodge,  organized  in  1856,  is  the  strong- 
est in  numbers  of  any  in  Onondaga  District. 

Barbarossa,  the  youngest  child  of  the  order,  has 
great  zeal,  but  is  yet  the  smallest  in  numbers  of  the 
city  lodges. 

In  addition  to  the  seven  lodges  in  the  city,  is 
Cynosure  Encampment  No.  14,  a  flourishing  insti- 
tution, which  was  formed  by  a  union  of  Mt.  Nebo, 
of  Syracuse,  and  Uncas  Encampment,  of  Baldwins- 
ville.  This  Encampment  and  four  Lodges  occupy 
Odd-Fellows'  Hall,  (near  City  Hall)  ;  the  other 
three  Lodges  have  each  very  beautiful  halls — one 
in  the  First  Ward,  and  two  in  the  Fourth  Ward. 


Among  the  country  lodges,  Mohegan  No.  29,  at 
Baldwinsville,  ranks  first  in  numbers  and  influence. 
There  are  lodges  in  the  villages  of  Jordan,  Elbridge, 
LaFayette,  Onondaga  Valley  and  Delphi,  all  in  a 
flourishing  condition.     See  history  of  the  towns. 

Officers  of  the  Lodges  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd-Fellows  in  Syracuse. 

Alphadelphia  Lodge  No.  44, — N.  G.,  Nelson  Rit- 
ter  ;  V.  G.,  James  R.  Dorsey  ;  S.,  John  Y.  Terry  ; 
T.,  Charles  R.  Williams  ;  P.  S.,  R.  E.  Taylor. 

Onondaga  Lodge  No.  79. —  N.  G.,  S.  Silverstein  ; 
V.  G.,  D.  King;  S.,  Henry  A.  Petrie  ;  T.,  C.  F. 
Williston  ;  P.  S.,  Jacob  Stolz. 

Salina  Lodge  No.  97. — N.  G.,  Thomas  Purdy  ; 
V.  G.,  E.  D.  Atherton;  S.,  Joseph  Devoux  ;  T., 
W.  E.  Bainbridge ;  P.  S.,  John  Eastwood. 

Syracuse  Lodge  A^o.  109. — N.  G.,  H.  K.  Brown  ; 
V.  G.,  William  Newcity ;  S.,  L.  G.  Dodge;  T.,S. 
B.  Palmer  ;  P.  S.,  Wm.  Holmes. 

Lessing  Lodge,  No.  163. — N.  G  ,  M.  Marx  ;  V. 
G.,  Meier  Weisman  ;  S.,  Jacob  Levi ;  T.,  M.  Thal- 
heimer ;  P.  S.,  F.  Rosenbloom. 

Lincoln  Lodge,  No.  180. — N.  G.,  Wm.  Miihlhau- 
ser  ;  V.  G.,  Louis  Baierle;  S.,  Jacob  Metzher  ;  T., 
Peter  Hart ;  P.  S.,  W.  Schwarz. 

Barbarossa  Lodge,  No.  320.^N.  G.,  Gustave  H. 
Schulze  ;  V.  G.,  Frank  B.  Haberle ;  S.,  Frank 
Smith  ;  T.,  W.  Steinmann. 

Cynosiire Encampment,  No.  14,  (formerly  Mount 
Nebo  No.  14. )— C.  P.,  John  A.  G.  Burns  ;  H.  P., 
Edward  D.  Smith  ;  S.  W.,  John  Y.  Terry;  Scribe, 
T.  B.  McChesney  ;  J.  W.,  A.  S.  Goodfellow  ; 
Treas.,  A.  Austin. 


INDEPENDENT  ORDER  OF  FORESTERS. 

This  order  is  an  ofi'shoot  of  the  Ancient  Order 
of  Foresters,  one  of  the  strongest  secret  beneficial 
societies  of  Great  Britain,  where  it  has  existed  for 
two  or  more  centuries.  In  1874,  a  division  occurred 
among  the  members  which  resulted  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Independent  Order  of  Foresters. 
At  this  time  (1878)  there  are  nearly  200  "Courts" 
and  a  membership  of  about  9,000  in  the  United 
States  and  Canadas. 

The  order  is  similar  in  its  aims  and  workings  to 
the  Odd-Fellows  and  Masonic  bodies,  but  differs 
from  them  in  the  "endowment"  feature.  Each 
Forester  in  good  standing  pays  ten  cents  on  the 
death  of  a  brother,  and  the  heirs  receive  a  sum  not 
exceeding  $1,000.  This  being  a  constitutional  pro- 
vision, it  can  never  fail  of  realization  while  the  order 
exists. 


246 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


The  Court  in  Syracuse— King  Solomon  Court, 
No.  13,  State  of  New  \'ork — was  organized  in  1875, 
and  now  numbers  65  members.  The  present  offi- 
cers :  John  H.  Horton,  Chief  Ranger  ;  F.  D.  Hor- 
ton,  V.  C.  R.  ;  Louis  Cohn,  Secretary ;  C.  F.  Wil- 
liston,  Financial  Secretary. 

There  is  also  a  Miriam  Degree  Court  of  about  40 
members,  (ladies, I  organized  on  similar  principles, 
which  is  in  active  operation.  Its  officers  are  (1878) 
Jacob  Levi,  C.  R.;  Regina  Thalheimer,  V.  C.  R.;  C. 
F.  Williston,  Secretary  ;  Bertha  Levy,  Treasurer. 

Both  Courts  meet  in  Odd-Fellows'  Hall,  corner  of 
City  Hall  Place,  and  are  growing  in  numbers  and 
influence. 


OFFICIAL  ROSTER,  N.  G.,  S.  N.  Y. 

HiAD<)i'A>Tt»  lOTH  BaicADi,  N    G.,  S.  N.  v.,  ^ 
SvnAci-ii,  N.  v.,  Feb.  1,1878.  J 

General  Orders,  No.  i. 

By  virtue  of  the  authority  conferred  by  a  com- 
mission from  His  Excellency,  the  Governor,  I  here- 
by assume  command  of  the  Tenth  Brigade  of  the 
National  Guard  of  the  State  of  New  York. 

The  following  officers  are  hereby  announced  as 
the  Staff  of  the  loth  Brigade,  N.  G.,  S.  N.  Y. : 

Lieut.  Col.  James  H.  Hinman,  of  Syracuse,  As- 
sistant Adjutant  General  and  Chief  of  Staff. 

Major  John  J.  Lctchworth,  of  Auburn,  Inspector. 

Major  Frederic  B.  Chapman,  of  Syracuse,  In- 
spector of  Rifle  Practice. 

Major  VVm.  Allen  Butler,  of  Syracuse,  Engineer. 

Major  Ely  Van  DeWarker,  of  Syracuse,  Surgeon. 

Major  Elbert  O.  I'arrar,  of  Syracuse,  Judge  Ad- 
vocate. 


Capt.  Geo.  W.  Edwards,  of  Syracuse,  Ordnance 
Officer. 

Capt.  James  M.  Belden,  of  Syracuse,  Quarter- 
master. 

Capt.  Louis  F.  Powell,  of  Syracuse,  Commissary 
of  Subsistence. 

Capt.  Robt.  Townsend,  of  Syracuse,  and  ist  Lieut. 
Frank  P.  Denison,  of  Syracuse,  Aides-deCamp. 
J.  DEAN  HAWLEV, 

Brigadier-General. 

[official.] 

Field  and  Staff  of  5 ist  Reg't,  N.  G.,  S.  N.  Y. 

John  W.  Yale,  Colonel. 

Rhesa  Griffin,  Lieutenant-Colonel. 

John  A.  Nichols,  Major. 

I.  F.  Draime,  ist  Lieut,  and  Adjutant. 

Riley  V.  Miller,  ist  Lieut,  and   Quartermaster. 

Jos.  Sniper,  ist  Lieut,  and  Com.  of  Subsistence. 

Gregory  Doyle,  Major  and  Surgeon. 

Geo.  W.  Cook,  Capt.  and  Assistant  Surgeon. 

Rev.  Henry  R.  Lockwood,  Chaplain. 

D.  H.  Bruce,  Bvt.  Col.  and  Inspr.  of  Rifle  Practice. 

Artillery — Battery  H. 

Paul  Birchmeyer,  Captain. 
Conrad  Meyer,  ist  Lieutenant. 
Henry  Wirges,  1st  Lieutenant. 
Frank  Meilich,  2d  Lieutenant. 
George  King,  2d  Lieutenant. 

Cavalkv — Separate  Troop  "C." 

Michael  Auer,  Captain. 
Frederick  Auer,  ist  Lieutenant. 
M.  B.  Nicholson,  2d  Lieutenant. 


#^i^-.^-=^ 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Lanesborough,  Berk- 
shire Co.,  Mass.,  January  27,  180-4.  His  grandfather,  Jared 
Smith,  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  His  father,  Silas  Smith, 
died  at  a  premature  age,  and  about  the  year  1824. 

Vivas  W.  was  one  of  a  family  of  five  sons  and  two 
daughters  who  reached  manhood  and  womanhood.  He  spent 
his  minority  on  a  farm,  except  the  last  year,  which  was  spent 
in  the  law-office  of  George  N.  Briggs,  at  Lanesborough.  After 
a  short  experience  in  a  newspaper-office  at  Westfield,  he  came 
to  Onondaga  Hill,  this  county,  and  bought  out  the  Onondnga 
Jovrnal,  and  published  the  same  for  twenty  months,  and,  upon  the 
moving  of  the  county-seat  to  Syracuse,  he  also  removed  there, 
and,  with  John  F.  Wyman,  established  the  Onondar/a  Standard. 

In  1837  he  dissolved  his  connection  with  the  Democratic 
party,  and  established,  in  1838,  a  Whig  paper,  entitled  The 
Western  State  Journnl.  The  continuation  of  the  same  paper, 
now  by  the  name  of  the  Syracuse  Daily  and  Weekly  Journal, 
is  carried  on  by  Hon.  Carroll  E.  Smith  &  Co. 

In  1841,  Mr.  Smith  went  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  spent 
three  years  there  on  the  State  Journal,  a  Whig  paper.  He 
returned  to  Syracuse,  and  in  the  fall  of  1846  was  elected 
county  clerk,  the  duties  of  which  office  he  discharged  for  one 


term  of  three  years.  In  1855  he  was  appointed  superintendent 
of  the  Onondaga  salt  springs  by  Governor  Clark,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  for  ten  years,  and  discharged  the  duties  of  the 
office  with  honor  to  himself  and  satisfaction  of  all  interested. 
In  the  year  1873,  Mr.  Smith  was  appointed  canal  appraiser 
by  Governor  John  A.  Dix,  which  office  he  still  retains. 

Nurtured  in  the  Democratic  party,  he  early  became  imbued 
with  Republican  principles,  and,  for  some  twenty-five  years 
after  the  establishment  of  his  paper  in  Syracuse,  Mr.  Smith 
wielded  a  controlling  influence  in  political  circles,  stood  fore- 
most in  his  party,  and  ardently,  with  pen,  advocated  a  platform 
of  purity,  economy,  and  reform,  and  exercised  a  large  influence 
not  only  in  his  own  county,  but  in  appointments  for  his  county 
made  by  State  authorities. 

For  his  first  wife  (February.  1832)  he  married  Miss  Caroline, 
daughter  of  Hon.  Jonas  Earll,  of  Onondaga  Hill,  by  whom 
he  had  one  son,  Carroll  E.,  now  of  the  firm  of  Smith  &  Co., 
publishers  of  the  Syracuse  Daily  Journal.  His  wife  died 
April,  1835.  For  his  second  wife  (June,  1839)  he  married 
Miss  Theodora,  daughter  of  David  Morey,  of  Syracu.se,  by 
whom  he  has  three  children,— Fillmore  M.,  Seward  V.,  and 
Florence  A. 


HON.  DKNNIS   McCAllTMY. 


The  •ubjoot  of  thU  •kotoh  wu  bom  in  tho  rillage  uf  SKlinft,  Ooondft^ 
Co..  N.  Y..  March  I1>.  ISI4. 

Ilii  ratbor,  Thotnu  MoCarthjr,  wa«  born  in  the  cUjr  of  Cork,  IrcUnJ,  io 
the  jrrar  17HC.  Came  to  America  in  180S,  and  nettled  at  Salt  Point,  sub* 
MKjacntlj  raited  Saltna,  but  now  the  fir«l  ward  of  (be  city  of  Syracuie  ; 
carried  on  mercantile  bu»ino«ii,  and  wa*  (juite  cxtcniively  eni^agcd  in  ibo 
•alt  interest,  at  (hat  timejuvt  beginnin)*  to  be  developed.  Ho  wa*  promi- 
oently  identified  with  public  interevU,  wa*  a  uieiuW'r  of  the  Sintc  legi«- 
lataro  on*-  term,  was  truntee  of 
the  %'illaf(e  of  Salinu  for  many 
yoara,  and  a  director  of  the  first 
bank  ealablinbed  in  (he  villai^e 
of  Salina.      Ho  died  in  IH|8. 

Dcnniii,  after  purnuing  the 
usual  elementary  brancheii  of 
initractiou  in  the  common 
•chooli  of  his  native  pliice, 
**fioiihcd"  hie  education,  tech- 
nically speakinf;,  at  Onondnj^a 
aoatleniy  and  ibe  Yates*  Poly- 
technic inntitute.  In  1^.11  be 
went  into  partnership  in  the 
mercantile  buMuess  with  bis 
father,  and  after  four  yearn. 
hii  father  retiring  from  tluii 
interest,  I>cnnis  carried  it  <-u 
alone  until  IHt5,  when  be  caiiu- 
to  Syracuse,  where  bo  opened  a 
general  nirrcbnndise  store.  Hi^ 
trade  grew  rapidly  as  the  ooun 
try  developcil  and  demand  ii 
creased,  until,  from  a  snKi 
beginning,  with  sales  of  fifir*  \: 
thousand  dollnrs  per  year,  li< 
is  now,  a^fforiatcd  with  bii«  hohs, 
David  K.  Thomas  and  Oi-nnis, 
Jr.,  carrying  on  one  of  the 
largciit  wholesale  trades  in  dry 
goods  of  any  firm  between  Neu 
York  and  Chicago,  their  salr.- 
per  year  amounting  to  ncarl> 
two  million  dollisrs. 

Since  the  first  opening  of 
the  mercantile  business  by  bis 
father,  sixty  years  ago,  two 
auooessive  generations  have 
only  enlarged  the  business  and 
extended  its  boundaries  of 
trade.  Mr.  Mc(*nr(hy.  from  the 
beginning  of  bis  business  ca- 
r(H>r,  displayed  great  industry, 
energy,  and  lagneiiy.  and  Ire- 
fore  eoinitig  to  Syracuse  was 
well  known  in  business  circles 
as  a  salt  manufacturer,  and  as 
surb  was  very  successful. 

Mr.  Mef^artby  was  formerly  a 
Free  soil  iK'moernt,  and  remained  with  the  Democralie  party  until  (be  neces. 
sitiesiif  the  late  rebellion  appealed  to  (be  patriotism  of  every  friend  of  his 
country, when,  in  ISfl'.'.hebeiamean  ardent  support4*rof  tbeprinciplesofihe 
Uepublirnn  party,  nnd  of  the  administni(ion  representing  the  I'niou  cause. 

He  has  always  taken  a  deep  and  intelligent  interest  in  politics,  and  for 
many  years  has  been  recognised  in  political  circles  as  one  of  the  most 
prominent  members  of  the  party  with  which  ho  ii  Idontiflod  in  Central 


Z?^ 


-t 


^>u^ 


;i'hoiu.  by  Un,ly,  WashliiBtun. 


New  York.  He  has  hid  a  long  and  varied  experience  in  publio  life, 
having  been  honored  by  the  pei>plr  from  time  (o  time  with  a  number  ol 
positions  of  honor,  influence,  and  responsibility.  He  reprcsenle*!  Onon- 
daga County  in  the  State  legislature  in  181^,  snd  was  chairman  of  the 
committee  on  salt,  and  a  member  on  the  petitions  of  aliens.  In  IS5.1  his 
fellow-citisens  bestowed  upon  bim  a  signal  mark  of  their  confidence  and 
respect  by  electing  him  mayor  of  Syracuse.  In  IHf.ft  bo  was  elected  to 
(he  HouM*  of  Representatives  of  the  Fortieth  Congress  uf  the  I'nite*!  Slate*. 

and  served  t>n  (be  committers 
of  ways  and  means,  foreign  af- 
fairs, roads  and  canals.  While 
in  congress,  Senator  Mct^arthy 
ailvocated,  with  bisaccustome*) 
persistency  and  energy,  a  tariff 
for  the  protection  of  American 
industry.  He  was  elected  to 
the  senate  of  the  State  in  the 
fall  of  1875,  and  s«rved  as 
chairman  of  the  committee  on 
privileges  and  elections,  anil 
was  a  member  of  the  finsnce. 
public  expenditures,  and  joint 
library  committees.  He  was 
re-clecte<l  to  fill  the  same  posi- 
tion in  the  senate  of  the  Stale 
in  the  fall  of  1877.  and  acts  as 
chairman  of  canal  conunitlee, 
und  s«^eond  on  finance  and 
cities,  in  which  capacity  be 
serves  at  the  lime  of  the  writ- 
ing of  this  sketch. 

Mr.  McCarthy  is  prominently 
identified  with  the  banking  in- 
terests of  Syracuse,  and  classed 
:imniig  (be  sagacious  anil  far- 
"ceing  financiers  of  his  day. 
Cbaracteristic  of  him  is  his 
integrity  of  purpose,  ready  to 
miTt  imtl  strong  to  overcome 
(he  difficulties  in  the  way  of 
<>elf-niade  men.  Whether  in 
public  or  private  life.  Mr.  Mc- 
Tnrthy's  influence  and  value  as 
li  eilUen  are  felt  and  acknowl- 
rdged;  and  more  especially  in 
bis  own  home  circle  are  the 
members  of  his  family  the  re- 
'ipienls  of  much  kindness  at 
liis  hands,  and  there  his  soci- 
able and  courteous  qualities 
appear  in  the  ascendency. 

In  the  year  18.10  ho  married 
Miss  Kliubcth,  daughter  of 
David  K.  Carter,  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Rochester. 
N.  Y. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCarthy 
have  been  born  seven  children  :  Froncis  (dio«l  in  infancy)  :  Flora  (died  in 
infancy);  Mary  R.  (deceased),  wife  of  .lames  Sedgwick  ;  Klisabeth  (died  in 
infancy);  Percy,  wife  of  Thomas  Emory,  who  was  a  son  of  den.  W.  H. 
Kmory  :  David  K.  Thomas,  who  married  a  daughter  of  Hon.  Francis 
Kernan  (  Kate) :  and  Dennis,  Jr.,  who  married  Miss  Frisbie.  granddaughter 
of  tSen.  Vallejo,  governor-general  of  California  when  ceded  to  the  I'nitcd 
States. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY   NEW  YORK. 


247 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 


HENRY  GIFFORD. 

Henry  Gifford  was  born  in  the  town  of  Harwich, 
Mass.,  Sept.  4, 1801.  His  ancestors  were  of  Eng- 
lish and  more  recently  of  Norman  extraction,  his 
family  records  extending  back  to  the  time  of  the 
Conquest,  when  a  Sire  Randolphe  de  Gifforde,  for 
services  rendered  at  the  battle  of  Hastings,  was 
rewarded  with  lands  in  Somersetshire  and  Cheshire. 
In  1630,  a  son  of  a  Sir  Ambrose  Gifford  emigrated 
to  Massachusetts  Bay  and  founded  the  family  from 
which  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  directly  de- 
scended. 

Mr.  Gifford  passed  his  childhood  and  early  youth 
in  his  native  town  of  Harwich,  but  when  still  a  lad 
he  removed  to  South  Yarmouth,  where,  in  a  promi- 
nent Quaker  family,  he  formed  friendships  and 
principles  which  were  never  relinquished.  It  was 
also  during  his  residence  in  Yarmouth  that  he  ac- 
quired that  knowledge  of  the  manufacture  of  salt, 
which,  in  after  years,  proved  of  such  advantage,  and 
in  consequence  of  which,  in  1821,  he  was  induced, 
in  company  with  Stephen  Smith,  of  New  Bedford, 
to  remove  to  the  then  village  of  Syracuse,  in  order 
to  develop  the  salt  interests  of  the  place.  An  asso- 
ciation called  into  being  by  the  enterprise  of  Judge 
Joshua  Forman,  was  established  under  the  name  of 
the  "  Onondaga  Salt  Company,"  and  of  this  com- 
pany Mr.  Smith  became  the  controlling  agent,  and 
Mr.  Gifford  superintended  the  construction.  Dur- 
ing his  long  residence  in  Syracuse,  a  period  of  more 
than  fifty  years,  Mr.  Gifford  took  an  active  and 
successful  interest  in  the  manufacture  of  salt,  and 
though  extensively  engaged  in  other  enterprises, 
never  entirely  withdrew  from  his  original  invest- 
ment. 

In  1826,  Mr.  Gifford  married  Phebe  Dickinson, 
daughter  of  Obediah  Dickinson  and  of  Mary  Thomas 
Morse.  Mrs.  Gifford  was  born  in  Salisbury,  Conn  , 
Nov.  20,  1801.  Becoming  motherless  at  a  tender 
age,  she,  in  company  with  an  only  sister,  was  reared 
and  educated  by  her  maternal  grandfather,  a  staunch 
and  worthy  representative  of  that  old-time  courtesy 
now  so  much  lauded  and  regretted.  It  was  during 
a  visit  made  in  Syracuse  to  her  aunt,  Mrs.  Archi- 
bald Kasson,  that  Mrs.  Gifford  was  married,  the 
ceremony  being  performed  at  Mrs.  Kasson's  resi- 
dence, situated  on  the  spot  where  the  old  depot 
afterward  stood,  at  the  western  limit  of  Vanderbilt 
Square. 

Mrs.  Gifford  was  a  lady  of  great  culture  as  well 


as  of  true  refinement.  At  a  period  when  so-called 
accomplishments  were  rare,  she  possessed  acquire- 
ments which  even  in  these  days  would  be  consider- 
ed of  no  mean  order.  She  was  a  good  French 
scholar  and  a  correct  artist  in  water  colors,  while  her 
taste  for  scientific  subjects  was  decided.  After  her 
marriage  a  rapidly  increasing  family  so  occupied  her 
time  that  duties  and  pleasures  beyond  the  home- 
circle  were  necessarily  relinquished,  though  her 
influence  was  felt  and  her  name  made  honorable  by 
a  system  of  unostentatious  charity.  She  was  a  de- 
voted Christian  mother  in  every  sense  of  the  word — 
a  woman  of  whom  it  may  well  be  said  that  "  her 
children  arise  and  call  her  blessed." 

For  a  period  of  eight  years  preceding  her  death, 
Mrs.  Gifford  was  confined  to  her  home  by  illness, 
but  her  disease  was  of  so  mild,  yet  so  insidious  a 
type,  that  though  her  family  were  conscious  of  the 
dread  nature  of  her  malady,  they  were  spared  the 
sight  of  violent  or  long  continued  suffering.  She 
died  April  13,  1871. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gifford  were  active  and  con- 
sistent members  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
from  within  a  very  short  period  of  its  organization, 
until  their  death.  Mr.  Gifibrd  was  one  of  the 
building  committee  which  erected  the  present 
church  edifice,  and  so  zealously  did  he  discharge 
this  trust  that  it  may  truly  be  said  that  largely  by 
his  efforts  the  building  "  fitly  framed  together  grew 
unto  a  holy  temple  in  the  Lord." 

In  the  year  1834,  Mr.  Giftbrd  purchased  of  the 
Syracuse  Land  Company  a  building  lot  on  the  Gen- 
esee Turnpike,  and  in  the  following  year  erected  a 
homestead  where  most  of  his  children  were  born 
and  reared,  and  where  a  portion  of  his  family  still 
reside. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Gifford  was  originally  a  Whig  and 
afterwards  a  Republican  of  pronounced  anti-slavery 
principles.  He  was  never  solicitous  for  public  office, 
and  whatever  influence  he  wielded  was  always  exer- 
cised on  the  part  of  moderation,  humanity  and  jus- 
tice. He  was  thoroughly  identified  with  the  busi- 
ness interests  of  Syracuse  and  held  various  positions 
of  responsibility  and  trust.  At  the  time  of  his 
death  he  was  Vice-President  of  the  Syracuse  Sav- 
ings Bank,  of  which  mstitution  he  was  an  incorpo- 
rator, trustee  of  the  Syracuse  Water  Works  Com- 
pany, director  in  the  Syracuse  Gas  Light  Company, 
and  in  the  Salt  Springs  National  Bank.  Gifford 
street,  in  the  Fifth  Ward,  was  named  after  him,  he 


248 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


owning  at  one  time  a  large  tract  of  land  in  that  por- 
tion of  the  city. 

Mr.  Giftord  died  June  20.  1872,  at  Avon  Springs, 
whither  he  had  gone  in  search  of  health. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  GitTord  were  born  eleven  chil- 
dren, viz  :  Phebc  Kelly  ( deceased,  1  Sylvanus  Morse 
(deceased,  I  Mary  Eliza  t  deceased.  1  Mary  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  J.  N.  Babcock  of  Syracuse,  Henry  Hrooks, 
George  Thomas  (deceased,)  Frances  P.,  Martha, 
Helen,  George  Sylvanus,  and  Isabella  Grahame. 

ROBERT  GERE. 

In  the  development  of  the  various  business  in- 
terests which  have  contributed  to  the  growth  and 
progress  of  Syracuse  and  its  vicinity,  none  took  a 
more  active  and  efficient  part  than  the  subject  of 
this  brief  memoir,  the  late  Robert  Gere. 

Mr.  Gere  was  born  in  the  town  of  Groton,  Con- 
necticut, on  the  26th  of  November,  1796.  His 
early  opportunities  for  education  were  such  only  as 
the  common  schools  afforded,  but  he  possessed  a 
mind  of  rare  vigor  and  unusual  acuteness  of  obser- 
vation— faculties  which,  in  the  school  of  his  varied 
experience,  in  after  life,  enabled  him  to  become  a 
sagacious  judge  of  human  nature  and  of  the  diver- 
sified business  interests  which  he  inaugurated  and 
successfully  carried  out. 

His  boyhood  days  were  spent  on  his  father's  farm 
in  his  native  town.  In  the  24th  year  of  his  age,  on 
the  25th  of  October,  1820,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Sophia  Stanton,  and  removed  to 
Florida,  Montgomery  county,  where  he  was  a  con- 
tractor on  the  original  Erie  Canal ;  and  as  the  work 
approached  its  completion,  by  means  of  a  river  boat 
on  the  Mohawk  and  the  finished  portion  of  the 
canal,  he  removed  his  family  to  the  town  of  Gcddes 
in  the  spring  of  1824,  and  settled  on  a  farm  pur- 
chased from  the  State,  about  one  and  a  half  miles 
west  of  the  present  village  of  Geddes.  Two 
brothers,  William  S.  and  Charles  Gere,  came  and 
settled  on  adjoining  farms  west— one  preceding  and 
the  other  following  Robert  Gere.  They  also  pur- 
chased their  lands  from  the  State,  and  these  three 
adjoining  farms  were  then  a  dense  forest,  which 
were  cleared  by  the  proprietors  and  made  as  desir- 
able homsteads  as  any  to  be  found  in  the  county. 
They  are  still  the  property  of  the  Gere  families. 

Mr.  Gere,  well  aware  of  the  effect  upon  a  young 
and  rising  community  of  the  beneficial  influence  of 
education  and  religion,  early  gave  the  land  and 
erected  a  school  building,  and  maintained  the  same 
individually  for  fifteen  years.  He  also  united  with 
a  few  others  to  form  an   Episcopal  Church  in  the 


village  of  Geddes.  Anxious  to  do  more  than  his 
farm  required  at  his  hands,  he  early  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  salt,  and  continued  thereafter  in 
that  business  in  all  its  branches  for  fifty  years.  In 
1832  he  embarked  in  the  lumber  business,  and,  in 
connection  with  the  late  Joseph  Breed,  got  out  and 
shipped  to  tide-water  a  large  amount  of  pine  lumber 
from  Cicero  Swamp.  In  1835-6,  in  connection 
with  Hon.  Ellizur  Clark,  he  was  a  very  large  con- 
tractor in  the  manufacture  and  delivery  of  the  rails 
and  ties  for  the  Utica  and  Schenectady  and  the 
Auburn  and  Syracuse  Railroads.  His  house  was 
the  depot  for  the  latter  road  when  it  was  run  by 
horses  to  his  place,  before  the  deep  cut  further  east 
was  worked  through,  in  1838. 

Although  Mr.  Gere  lost  heavily  by  his  generous 
endorsements  for  business  men,  he  always  managed 
by  his  energy  and  enterprise  to  be  forehanded,  and 
to  keep  in  successful  operation  more  than  one  im- 
portant and  lucrative  branch  of  business.  In  1843, 
leaving  his  farm,  he  came  to  Syracuse  (then  a 
village)  and  entered  into  partnership  with  those  two 
noted  and  honored  founders  of  Syracuse,  William 
H.  Alexander  and  Columbus  C.  Bradley,  in  their 
furnace  and  foundry  business.  He  survived  them 
both. 

In  1848,  his  business  ability  and  adaptation  for  the 
position  made  him  the  appointee  of  the  Governor 
and  the  Senate  for  the  office  of  Superintendent  of 
the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs,  the  duties  of  which  he 
admirably  performed  till  1851,  when  he  resigned  to 
become  a  contractor  for  the  building  of  the  locks  at 
Salina  and  doing  the  section  work  of  the  Liverpool 
level  of  the  Oswego  Canal.  Shortly  after  this  work 
was  completed  he,  together  with  the  late  Horace 
and  Hamilton  White,  founded  the  Geddes  Coarse 
Salt  Company,  of  which  he  was  President,  and 
engaged  in  the  business  of  manufacturing  coarse 
salt  on  lands  lying  west  of  Geddes,  and  was  at  the 
time  of  his  death  the  President  and  a  large  stock- 
holder in  that  enterprise,  as  well  as  in  the  various 
iron  industries  now  largely  under  the  control  of  his 
family.  In  fact,  Mr.  Gere  was  the  originator, 
founder  and  chief  supporter  of  these  and  many 
other  industries  ;  his  mind  conceived  them  and 
his  enterprise  and  capital  supported  them.  Although 
he  was  the  leading  mind  in  many  of  the  prominent 
industries  of  Syracuse  and  Geddes,  he  never  desired 
to  appear  conspicuous  in  any  of  them  ;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  as  a  wise  educator  of  his  sons,  whose  suc- 
,  cess  and  honorable  standing  as  business  men  more 
than  compensate  for  his  generous  care  and  assist- 
I  ance,  he  chose  worthily  to  stimulate  their  ambition 
I     and  develop  their  business  talents  by  placing  them 


V 


^ 


Sn^'LTAH-Bi'*^^ 


"A. 


/'- 


RtSiOLHCt  or   JACOB   AMOS.coKorHnwLcrlU^BmocSii.SrHACUSi.NY. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


249 


at  the  head  of  the  various  industries  which  he  had 
been  so  largely  instrumental  in  creating  and  sup- 
porting. 

Mr.  Gere  died  on  the  iSth  day  of  December, 
1877,  aged  81  years  and  28  days.  Of  his  family 
there  remains  to  mourn  him  his  widow,  the  faithful 
wife  of  more  than  half  a  century ;  Hon.  R.  Nelson 
Gere,  President  of  the  Syracuse  Iron  Works  and  of 
the  Merchants  National  Bank ;  George  C.  Gere, 
Superintendent  of  the  Geddes  Coarse  Salt  Compa- 
ny ;  Anna,  wife  of  Hon.  James  ]'.  Belden,  Mayor 
of  the  city  of  Syracuse  ;  Hon.  William  H.  H. 
Gere,  Secretary  of  the  Onondaga  Iron  Company 
and  Supervisor  for  the  Third  Ward  of  Syracuse  ; 
and  N.  Stanton  Gere,  late  President  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors,  and  representing  on  the  Board  the 
town  of  Geddes.  These  are  the  children  of  Mr. 
Gere,  born  in  the  order  named.  Two  of  his  sons 
represented  Onondaga  County  in  the  Legislature, 
and  all  of  them  have  exercised  an  influence  of 
great  importance  in  the  business  interests  of  the 
city  and  county. 

The  city  of  Syracuse  and  the  county  of  Onon- 
daga, owe  a  large  debt  of  grateful  remembrance  to 
their  sturdy  pioneers,  among  whom  Robert  Gere 
assumed  a  leading  position.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
strength  of  will,  and  possessed  the  most  positive 
traits  of  character.  A  plain,  blunt  man,  he  was 
always  just  what  he  seemed  to  be.  His  inner  na- 
ture was  a  genial,  kindly  one.  He  was  deeply  at- 
tached to  his  family,  and  took  the  keenest  pride  in 
the  prosperity  and  advancement  of  his  sons. 

During  the  last  year  of  his  life  when  infirmities 
confined  him  to  his  residence,  his  family,  without 
exception,  were  unremitting  in  their  attentions  to 
him  and  vied  with  one  another  in  their  efforts  to  miti- 
gate his  last  suffering.  When,  at  last,  death  had 
set  its  seal  upon  his  long,  laborious  and  useful  life, 
his  four  sons  bore  all  that  was  mortal  of  him  to  the 
grave. 

We  clip  the  following  from  a  brief  notice  of  his 
death  which  appeared  in  the  Vai/y  yourtialoi  De- 
cember 18,  1877  : 

"  Another  of  our  oldest,  most  honored  and  es- 
teemed citizens  passed  to  his  eternal  rest,  when,  at 
six  o'clock  this  morning,  the  death  messenger  came 
to  Robert  Gere.  For  several  days  past  it  was  ap- 
parent to  those  who  gathered  at  his  bedside  that 
his  end  was  near,  that  his  lamp  of  life  was  flicker- 
ing. Months  ago  he  was  borne  down  by  the  weight 
of  years,  his  physical  strength  having  been  almost 
expended  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  the  duties  of 
an  e.xceptionally  active  life.  As  colors  melt  away 
into  shades  and  tints  and  finally  disappear,  so  his 
life  went  out  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years. 

"  A  full  and  just  review  of  the  life  of  Mr.  Gere 
32* 


cannot  be  prepared  hastily.  It  was  a  life  of  unu- 
sual activity,  and  most  thoroughly  identified  with 
the  history  and  business  interests  of  this  city." 


JACOB  AMOS. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Wiirtem- 
berg,  Germany,  April  23,  1818.  He  is  the  young- 
est of  three  sons  of  Charles  Amos  and  Barbara 
Chaflfla,  both  natives  of  Wlirtemberg.  His  early 
life  was  spent  in  learning  the  butcher's  trade,  which 
he  followed  until  he  came  to  America.  His  op- 
portunities for  education  from  books  were  such  as 
the  common  schools  of  that  country  afforded. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  he  resolved  to 
seek  his  fortune  in  a  foreign  land,  and  where  greater 
opportunities  offered  for  the  eff'orts  of  a  young  man, 
and  consequently  came  to  New  York,  thence  to 
Rochester,  and  in  February,  1840,  to  the  village  of 
Syracuse.  His  whole  effects  at  that  time  con- 
sisted of  his  raiment  and  seventy-five  cents  in  cash. 

His  first  business  here  was  packing  salt  and 
chopping  wood,  and  for  some  six  years  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  butchering  business.  He  had  by  this 
time,  by  strict  economy,  saved  from  his  small  earn- 
ings sufficient  to  furnish  a  house  comfortably,  and 
in  the  year  1847  married  Miss  Mary  Ann  Kepplan, 
a  native  of  Alsace,  Germany,  who  had  come  to  this 
country  in  1834  with  her  parents  and  settled  in  the 
town  of  Manlius.  She  was  born  in  the  year  1824 
and  was  one  of  seven  children  of  Sebastian  Kep- 
plan. For  the  first  year  after  his  marriage  he 
rented  a  mill  with  one  run  of  stone  in  Jamesville, 
and  after  three  years  he  rented  the  whole  mill  with 
four  run  of  stones.  Here  he  continued  business 
four  years  gradually  increasing  his  trade  and 
patronage. 

He  then  removed  to  the  town  of  DeWitt,  rented 
a  mill,  put  in  machinery  and  manufactured  flour, 
split  peas  and  farina.  Here  he  continued  until  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  when 
his  mill  property  was  accidentally  burned,  but  with 
verv  little  loss  to  Mr.  Amos.  He  then  came  to 
Syracuse,  purchased  three  stores  in  the  Raynor 
Block,  and  again  commenced  his  milling  business, 
subsequently  adding  to  his  purchase  as  much  more 
of  the  block.  His  operations  in  milling  have  been 
carried  on  here  until  the  fall  of  1877.  During  this 
time  he  also  invested  in  mill  property  in  Baldwins- 
ville  and  carried  on  a  very  large  business  there. 
Shortly  after  coming  to  Syracuse  in  the  year  1864 
his  wife  died,  and  for  his  second  wife  he  married  in 
1867  Mrs.  Arminda  Ring,  widow  of  the  late  Wm. 
Ring  of  Buffalo. 


350 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


1 


At  the  time  of  the  writing  of  this  sketch  his  busi- 
ness in  Baldwinsville  and  Syracuse  in  milling  opera- 
tions is  supposed  to  be  the  largest  of  any  in  Onondaga 
county.  During  these  years  of  successful  enter- 
prise, Mr.  Amos  has  confined  himself  very  closely 
to  his  business,  and  has  risen  in  trade  from  an  cm- 
ploy^  to  one  of  the  most  successful  business  men  of 
his  county  and  of  this  part  of  the  State. 

His  strict  integrity  of  purpose  and  honest  deal- 
ing have  gained  for  him  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
his  fellow-men. 

On  first  coming  to  this  country  he  cast  his  vote 
in  the  Whig  party,  and  is  now  an  ardent  supporter 
of  the  Republican  party,  although  never  active  in 
politics  or  solicitous  of  public  honors. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Amos  have  been  born  seven 
children,  viz  :  Charles,  Matilda,  Jacob,  Mary  (died 
in  infancy, I  Katie,  John  idied  in  infancy,)  and 
Amelia.  Charles  and  Jacob  are  now  associated 
with  their  father  in  business,  and  the  firm  is  now 
the  owner  of  the  large  and  new  flouring  mill  on 
West  Water  street,  Syracuse. 

A  portrait  of  Mr.  Amos  and  view  of  his  residence 
will  be  found  on  another  page  of  this  work. 

MRS.  ANN  M.  TREADWELL    REDFIELD. 

Her  paternal  grandfather,  the  Hon.  Thomas 
Treadwell,  was  born  in  the  year  1743,  at  Smith- 
town,  Long  Island.  He  graduated  at  Princeton 
College  and  studied  law  under  Chancellor  Living- 
stone. Thompson,  in  his  history  of  Long  Island, 
says,  "  He  was  one  of  the  most  useful  men  of  his 
day,  and  was  almost  constantly  engaged  in  public 
business,  was  distinguished  for  firmness  and  pru- 
dence, was  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Convention 
in  1775  and  was  elected  afterwards  to  the  Provin- 
cial Congress  from  Long  Island  (with  power  to  es- 
tablish a  new  form  of  government  1.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  first  Senate  of  this  State  under  the 
Constitution  and  seems  in  all  respects  to  have  been 
fitted    for   the    perilous    times  in   which  he  lived." 

Gov.  Seward,  in  his  introduction  to  the  Natural 
History  of  the  State  of  New  York,  says,  "  He  was 
one  of  the  three  constituting  the  Committee  of 
Safety  while  the  Constitution  of  this  State  was  being 
formed  in  1777,  and  was  for  many  years  the  only 
surviving  member  of  that  memorable  body." 

In  1772-76  he  was  a  representative  in  the  Con- 
tinental Congress  in  Philadelphia.  In  1775  he 
was  elected  to  the  Provincial  Congress  sitting  in 
the  city  of  New  York.  In  1776  he  was  elected  to 
represent  Sufiblk  County,  L.  I.  In  1778  he  was 
delegated   to  the   convention  at  Poughkeepsie  to 


deliberate  on  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States.  He  was  also  appointed  during 
the  same  year  Judge  of  Probate  for  the  State  of 
New  York,  which  office  he  held  until  Surrogates 
were  appointed  for  each  county. 

In  1 77 1  he  was  elected  to  represent  Sufl^olk, 
Kings  and  Queens  counties  in  the  Continental 
Congress  then  sitting  in  Philadelphia,  Uo  fill  a  va- 
cancy caused  by  the  death  of  Dr.  Townsendi.  In 
'793  he  was  again  elected  to  represent  these  coun- 
ties, which  he  continued  to  do  until  he  removed  to 
Plattsburgh.  In  1804  he  was  elected  Senator  for 
the  Northern  District,  and  in  1807  he  was  appoint- 
ed Surrogate  of  Clinton  connty,  which  office  he 
continued  to  hold  until  his  death  at  Plattsburgh,  N. 
Y.,  December  25th,  1831. 

Her  maternal  grandfather.  Judge  Charles  Piatt, 
came  from  "  the  ancient  and  honorable  family  of 
Platts,  who  were  in  great  repute  in  Norfolk,  as  is  con- 
firmed by  a  manuscript  of  those  worthies  who  had 
Standards  of  Arms,  the  first  of  Edward  the  Third, 
King  of  England,  A.  D.,  1327,  then  bore  for  their 
coat  of  Armorial  party  and  pale,  or  and  gule,  a 
lion  passant,  argent,  armed,  azure,  and  Christ, 
a  Chaplet  of  Flowers,  the  ancient  reward  of  merit 
bestowed  by  damsels  upon  their  favorites  at 
their  return  from  a  victorious  field  of  battle." 
•  Copied  from  the  Herald's  College,  London,  Eng- 
land, 1761.)  Judge  Piatt  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
what  now  is  called  Plattsburgh,  N.  Y.,  named  from 
the  family,  and  came  there  with  his  two  brothers 
from  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.  He  died  at  Platts- 
burgh. 

Mrs.  Ellet,  in  "  The  Queens  of  American  Society," 
says : 

"  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  not  only  noted  for 
.  position,  but  known  as  the  author  of  a  popular 
work  —  Zoological  Science,  or  Nature  in  Living 
Forms, — a  book  commended  by  Professor  Agassiz 
as  one  that  would  '  do  great  credit  to  a  majority  of 
college  professors  in  this  department.'  She  came 
of  a  distinguished  family.  Her  paternal  grand- 
father devoted  his  entire  fortune  and  best  energies 
to  the  support  of  American  Independence  in  the 
great  struggle  for  nationality,  and  her  father  obtained 
distinction  in  the  war  of  1812. 

"  Ann  Maria  Treadwell  was  born  at  St.  Andrews, 
Canada,  January  17,  1800,  and  was  second  daughter 
of  Nathaniel  Hazard  Treadwell  and  Margaret  Piatt, 
and  passed  the  earlier  part  of  her  life  on  the  banks 
of  the  beautiful  Ottawa,  afterwards  residing  at 
Plattsburgh.  She  was  educated  in  the  school  of 
Mrs.  Emma  Willard,  of  Middlebury,  Vt.  Her 
intellectual  culture  was  softened  by  native  refine- 
ment and  a  sympathy  that  went  forth  spontaneously 
toward  all  who  needed  it  or  claimed  her  tenderness. 
The  mother  of  a  numerous  family,  she  took  pains 


^ 


C^to-x^  7?7  ir,  /s^^^^u^olZU^ 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


251 


with  the  education  of  her  children,  who,  like  her, 
are  prominent  in  society." 

She  was  married  at  Clinton,  N.  Y.,  February  7, 
1820,  to  Lewis  H.  Redfield,  Esq.,  a  prominent 
journalist  of  Onondaga  county  for  many  years. 
Mrs.  Redfield  is  now  in  her  79th  year,  with  sympa- 
thies with  the  present  generation  as  with  the  past, 
possessing  great  intellectual  vivacity,  and,  as  in  the 
past,  she  lives  endeared  not  only  to  her  children, 
but  to  her  numerous  acquaintances. 


MILTON  H.   NORTHRUP. 

Milton  H.  Northrup  is  a  native  of  Madison 
county.  Born  near  Peterboro,  in  1841,  he  gradu- 
ated at  Hamilton  College  in  i860.  Going  South  to 
engage  in  teaching,  the  breaking  out  of  the  rebel- 
lion found  him  at  the  head  of  the  preparatory 
department  of  Oglethorpe  University  at  Milledge- 
ville,  the  then  capital  of  Georgia.  Returning  North 
he  taught  a  private  classical  school  at  Syracuse  for 
two  years.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1863, 
but  never  engaged  in  the  practice  of  the  profession. 
In  the  fall  of  1863  he  was  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  i 
Supervisors  of  Onondaga  county,  and  subsequently 
Clerk  to  the  Supervisor's  Bounty  Committee,  which 
disbursed  the  county  bounty  to  volunteers. 

In  the  summer  of  1864,  he  was  appointed  Aide- 
de-Camp  on  the  staff  of  Brigadier-General  John 
A.  Green,  Jr.,  who  had  been  charged  by  Governor 
Seymour  with  the  defense  of  the  Northern  frontier  ' 
of  the  State  from  Wayne  county  to  the  Vermont 
line.  The  apprehended  rebel  invasion  from  Canada 
did  not  occur,  and  the  National  Guard's  services 
were  happily  not  called  into  requisition.  The  years 
1865-6,  were  passed  by  Mr.  Northrup  in  the  Penn-  1 
sylvania  oil  regions,  whence,  incidentally,  he  con- 
tributed to  the  World  and  other  papers  descriptive 
letters  of  life  in  the  "  Oildorado  "  which  attracted 
wide  attention.  Commencing  with  the  session  of 
1867  he  spent  several  winters  at  Albany  as  legisla- 
tive correspondent  of  the  New  York  Express  and 
other  papers,  and,  in  1869,  as  legislative  reporter 
for  the  New  York  Associated  Press.  He  repre- 
sented the  New  York  Express  at  Washington  in 
the  spring  of  1868,  during  the  impeachment  trial 
of  President  Johnson,  and  spent  the  summer  and 
autumn  of  that  year  in  travel  in  Europe 

After  the  adjournment  of  the  legislature  in  1869, 
he  accepted  the  position  of  agent  at  New  York  of 
the  New  York  State  Associated  Press,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  until  he  became  editor  and  one  of  the 
proprietors  of  the  Courier.  During  the  memorable 
session  of  the  Forty-fourth  Congress,  Mr.  Northrup 


spent  most  of  his  time  in  Washington  as  editorial 
correspondent  of  his  paper.  By  request  of  Mr. 
Payne  of  Ohio,  Chairman  of  the  committee,  he 
acted  as  Clerk  to  the  committee  on  the  part  of  the 
House  which,  in  connection  with  a  similar  com- 
mittee on  the  part  of  the  Senate,  prepared  and  re- 
ported the  bill  creating  the  Electoral  Commission 
which  settled  the  Presidential  controversy. 

The  Syracuse  Courier,  with  which  Mr.  North- 
rup is  now  connected,  was  founded  in  1856,  during 
the  Presidential  campaign  of  that  year,  in  the 
interest  of  the  Democratic  party.  H.  L.  Haga- 
dorn  was  its  first  proprietor.  In  1858  the  paper 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Messrs.  D.  J.  Halsted 
and  H.  S.  McCuUom,  under  the  name  of  Central 
City  Courier.  In  the  Presidential  campaign  of 
i860  the  Courier  ran  up  the  Breckenridge  ticket. 
Mr.  Halsted,  who  favored  Douglas'  candidacy,  with- 
drew and  started  a  new  paper,  the  Syracuse  Union, 
which  hoisted  Douglas'  name  for  President.  Short- 
ly after  election,  the  two  papers  were  consolidated 
under  the  name  of  the  Courier  a7td  Union,  with  Mr. 
Halsted  as  sole  proprietor.  In  1869  the  last  half 
of  the  name  was  dropped  and  the  paper  has  since 
borne  its  present  title.  In  1870  Mr.  Halsted  parted 
with  two-thirds  interest  in  the  establishment  to 
Mr.  Milton  H.  Northrup,  who  assumed  editorial 
control,  (which  position  he  now  fills)  and  S.  Gurney 
Lapham.  In  1873  the  property  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  "  Courier  Printing  Company,"  a  duly 
incorporated  company,  with  the  above  named  as  the 
principal  stockholders.  Hon.  Daniel  Pratt  was 
made  President  of  the  company,  S.  Gurney 
Lapham,  Secretary,  D.  J.  Halsted,  Treasurer  and 
Business  Manager,  and  M.  H.  Northrup  continued 
as  Managing  Editor.  In  January,  1878,  Mr. 
William  T.  Hamilton  was  made  Secretary  of  the 
company,  and  Mr.  Wilber  M.  Brown,  Treasurer 
and  Business  Manager;  the  other  officers  remain- 
ing as  before.  In  addition  to  the  daily,  the  com- 
pany publishes  the  Onondaga  Weekly  Courier,  and 
and  has  since  1874  published  the  Sunday  Courier, 
issued  Sunday  mornings. 


JOHN  G.   K.  TRUAIR, 

Senior  publisher  of  the  Syracuse  Journal,  was 
born  in  Sherburne,  Chenango  County,  N.  Y.,  May 
II,  1817.  He  graduated  at  Oberlin  College,  Ohio, 
in  1838,  and  at  once  engaged  in  academic  teaching 
in  the  State  of  New  York.  He  was  Principal  of 
Gilbertsville  Academy  and  Collegiate  Institute, 
Otsego  County,  six  years  ;  of  Norwich  Academy, 
Chenango  County,  two  years  ;  and  of  the  Brockport 


252 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Collegiate  Institute,  Monroe  County,  five  years.  In 
1861,  he  was  also  connected  for  one  year  wi'.h  the 
Female  College  at  Elmira. 

In  the  spring  of  1855,  he  purchased  the  Syracuse 
yoiiritnl  establishment  which  had  been  conducted 
the  preceding  year  by  his  brother,  Thomas  S.  Tniair, 
and  devoted  his  time  and  energies  for  many  years 
to  the  work  of  placing  the  yourual  upon  a  firm  and 
substantial  basis.  In  1862,  Hon  Carroll  E.  Smith 
became  associated  with  him  in  the  conduct  of  the 
paper,  and  in  1870  Col.  Dwight  H.  Bruce  was  admit- 
ted to  an  equal  partnership  in  the  establishment. 

Although  Mr.  Truair  had  spent  fifteen  years  in 
the  duties  of  a  teacher's  profession,  for  which  he 
developed  an  unusual  fitness  and  in  which  he  met 
with  uniform  and  gratifying  success,  yet  he  had 
always  felt  a  strong  inclination  to  engage  in  the 
avocations  and  excitements  of  a  business  life.  He 
entered  this  new  sphere  of  activity,  therefore,  with 
great  eagerness  and  courage,  and  gradually  over- 
coming the  numerous  obstacles  incident  to  news- 
paper enterprises,  his  efforts  were  crowned  with 
gratifying  success.  He  had  the  satisfaction  of 
seeing  the  youtiial  steadily  advance  from  year  to 
year  in  favor  with  the  public,  increasing  rapidly  its 
circulation  and  patronage,  and  widely  extending  its 
influence  and  usefulness. 

The  business  interests  of  the  establishment, 
which  were  especially  committed  to  the  sujjcrvision 
of  Mr.  Truair,  soon  became  fi.xed  upon  a  firm  and 
substantial  basis,  never  losing  their  hold  upon  the 
confidence  of  the  public. 

After  a  laborious  service  of  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  Mr.  Truair  and  his  colleagues  have  the  sat- 
isfaction of  knowing  that  the  yoiir/iii/\s  moving  for- 
ward in  a  prosperous  and  useful  career,  and  securing 
more  and  more  the  confidence  and  support  of  an 
appreciative  public. 

Mr.  Truair  was  for  many  years  Secretary  of  the 
Onondaga  County  Bible  Society  and  of  the  Pioneer 
Society  of  Central  New  York.  In  1861  and  1862, 
he  was  appointed  Treasurer  of  the  city  of  Syracuse 
and  held  the  same  office  again  in  1864  and  1865.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Councillors  of  the 
"  Home  Association,"  and  is  Vice-President  of  that 
body. 

GENERAL  JOHN  ELLIS. 

The  history  of  Onondaga  county  would  be  signally 
incomplete  without  a  sketch  of  that  sturdy  pioneer 
General  John  Ellis,  whose  name  is  most  honorably 
associated  with  its  annals,  and  who  was  also  largely 
instrumental  in  the  development  of  its  material 
resources.     A    scion   of    the    best    New    England 


ancestry,  he  was  born  at  Hebron,  Conn.,  1764,  the  M  f 
son  of  John  Ellis  and  of  Elizabeth  Sawyer,  his 
wife.  While  still  in  his  boyhood,  his  parents 
moved  to  the  town  of  Pittsfield,  Berkshire  county, 
Mass.,  where  they  were  residing  at  the  opening  of 
the  struggle  for  independence.  In  1779,  young 
Ellis,  although  yet  of  tender  age,  caught  the  fervor  ' 

of  the  Revolution  and  became  an.xious  to  join  the 
army.     Although  too  young  for  regular  service,  his  ( 

father  consented  that  his  intimate  friend.  Captain 
Talcott,  should  allow  the  young  patriot  to  become 
his  personal  attendant,  and,  in  this  capacity,  he 
lived  in  the  Captain's  tent  and  was  treated  by  him 
in  all  respects  as  his  son.  He  often  accompanied 
the  troops  in  their  expeditions,  and  exhibited  those 
qualities  of  courage  and  of  decision  which  were 
amply  illustrated  in  his  after  life.  He  remained 
with  the  army  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

At  the  age  of  21  he  was  working  his  father's 
farm  summers,  and  teaching  school  winters,  and  by 
industry  and  strict  economy  was  enabled  to  save 
enough  to  bring  him  in  the  year  1794  to  this  west- 
ern country,  and  to  buy  land  for  a  homestead.  He 
devoted  the  first  summer  to  looking  over  the  lands 
of  Onondaga  and  some  of  the  adjoining  counties, 
in  company  with  General  Van  Cortland,  Judge 
Geddes  and  some  others.  He  finally  decided  upon 
Onondaga,  and  located  first  at  Manlius.  In  1795 
he  returned  to  Pittsfield,  and  married  Submit  Olds, 
also  a  native  of  Hebron,  and  in  February  of  that 
year  they  returned  to  the  then  western  wilderness, 
in  company  with  Dr.  Sturdevant  and  his  young  wife 
and  a  man  Mr.  Ellis  had  employed  to  drive  the 
third  team. 

Few  of  those  now  living  can  appreciate  the  hard- 
ships and  perils  attendant  upon  the  journey  to  this 
then  western  country  in  those  primitive  days.  It 
was  literally  a  passage  through  the  wilderness,  a 
passage  made  not  less  formidable  by  nature,  than 
I  by  the  presence  of  the  red  man  still  retaining  much 
of  his  olden  hostility  to  the  white  man.  Several 
adventures  with  the  Indians  marked  the  progress 
of  the  young  New  England  couple  to  their 
new  home.  Mr.  Ellis  had,  however,  consider- 
able previous  acquaintance  with  them,  had  thor- 
oughly studied  their  habits  and  peculiarities, 
and  knew  how  to  manage  them,  as  an  incident 
which  occurred  during  their  journey  will  illustrate. 
Near  Oneida  Castle,  the  sleds  became  mired,  and 
it  was  necessary  to  call  upon  the  Indians  for  help. 
Entering  one  of  the  largest  huts  late  in  the  evening, 
a  number  of  Indians  were  found  wrapped  in  their 
blankets  asleep.  Mr.  Ellis  directed  the  women  to 
show  no  signs  of  fear,  and  himself  walked  directly 


^;  ,,,^.  ^rS-^^ 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


253 


to  the  fire,  raked  open  the  bed  of  coals  and  appUed 
fresh  fuel.  The  Indians  being  aroused  showed 
symptoms  of  anger,  but  Mr.  Ellis  spoke  in  a  com- 
manding voice,  and  by  making  signs,  which  they 
understood,  induced  a  number  of  them  to  give  him 
the  required  assistance.  The  women  remained  in  the 
hut,  not  without  fear,  but  the  authority  of  Mr.  Ellis 
was  sufficient  not  only  then  but  ever  afterwards,  to 
command  the  respect  and  affection  of  the  Indians. 
By  the  Onondagas  especially  he  was  held  in  high 
esteem,  and  they  honored  him  with  an  Indian  name 
which  was  a  synonym  of  bravery.  Mrs.  Ellis  also 
lost  all  fear  of  the  Indians,  and  treated  them  with 
unfailing  kindness,  which  was  by  them  cheerfully 
reciprocated. 

The  journey  already  alluded  to  took  about  three' 
weeks  to  accomplish,  and  was  terminated  at  Man- 
lius,  where  Mr.  Ellis  fi.xed  his  temporary  residence, 
having  brought  with  him  a  small  stock  of  goods  for 
exchange  with  the  Indians  for  their  furs  and  for 
supplying  the  wants  of  the  few  settlers  who  had 
preceded  him. 

During  the  following  year,  and  while  General 
Van  Cortland  was  on  a  visit  to  them,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ellis's  first  child  was  born.  General  Van 
Cortland  asked  permission  to  name  him,  but  Mr. 
Ellis  replied,  the  "  boy's  name  is  John,  but  you 
may  add  whatever  else  you  please."  So  the  child 
was  called  "John  Cortland," 

Among  the  many  lots  of  250  acres  each,  pur- 
chased by  Mr.  Ellis  in  different  parts  of  the  town 
of  Onondaga  (in  which  the  county  seat  was  after- 
wards located)  lot  103  was  chosen  for  the  family 
residence,  and  clearing  was  began  that  season,  the 
trees  being  felled  to  be  burned  the  following  year. 
During  the  spring  of  1798  General  Ellis  removed 
with  his  family  to  Onondaga  Hill,  where  he  had 
built  a  one  and  a-half  story  frame  house,  but  owing 
to  the  scarcity  of  brick  the  chimney  could  not  be 
completed  before  October.  In  September,  the 
second  child  and  eldest  daughter,  Harriet  Byron, 
was  born,  and  as  no  fire  could  be  built  within 
doors,  the  child  was  dressed  out  of  doors  by  a  log 
fire,  which  served  the  double  purpose  for  cooking 
and  to  keep  off  wild  animals. 

In  the  year  1801  General  Ellis  built  a  second 
and  larger  house,  a  part  of  which  was  used  as  a 
store  for  several  years.  He  kept  supplies  for  the 
settlers,  and  for  the  purpose  of  trading  with  the  In- 
dians. In  this  house  were  born  four  daughters, 
Sophia,  Submit,  Electa  and  Laura  and  the  second 
son,  James  Madison  Ellis. 

In  1804  General  Ellis  built  upon  the  stream  run- 
ning through  his  farm  (where   the  reservoir  of  the 
33 


Syracuse  Water-Works  Company  now  is)  a  saw 
mill,  and  later  the  same  year  also  built  on  his  farm 
a  small  factory  for  carding  and  cloth-dressing. 

In  181 1  Mr.  Ellis  began  the  erection  of  a  new 
and  quite  a  large  frame  house,  said  at  the  time  to 
be  one  of  the  finest  residences  in  the  town.  The 
progress  of  building  was  slow,  as  General  Ellis  was 
compelled  to  send  to  Massachusetts  for  mechanics. 
The  family  moved  into  the  new  home  during  the 
autumn  of  18 12,  and  before  it  was  quite  finished. 
Here  were  born  the  two  youngest  children,  Mary 
Caroline  and  George  Clinton.  At  this  time  (1878) 
this  house  and  also  the  second  built  by  General  Ellis, 
are  standing  in  a  very  good  state  of  preservation. 

During  the  year  1802,  General  Ellis  purchased  of 
General  Humphrey,  of  Derby,  Conn.,  four  Spanish 
Merino  sheep — two  bucks  and  two  ewes — for 
which  he  paid  ^1,500,  and  as  at  that  time  there  was 
a  premium  on  the  first  buck  brought  to  each 
county,  he  left  one  of  his  with  Mr.  Douglas  of 
Madison  county,  bringing  the  rest  to  his  own  farm. 
The  following  year  he  was  offered  ;$  1,500  for  his 
best  buck,  which  he  refused,  as  there  were  increased 
difficulties  in  the  way  of  importing  these  sheep 
from  Spain.  This  would  seem  to  be  a  very  high 
price,  but  years  afterwards  single  sheep  of  the  same 
breed  were  sold  for  a  much  larger  sum.  About 
this  time  General  Ellis  went  to  Cheshire,  Mass., 
where  he  bought  one  cow  and  thirty  calves  of  their 
best  improved  stock,  and  brought  them  to  Onon- 
daga. They  proved  an  excellent  breed  and  were 
distributed  among  the  farmers  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Ellis  was  by  birth  and  education  a  Presby- 
terian, and  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  first  Pres- 
byterian society  of  Onondaga ;  and  was  ever  after 
one  of  its  chief  supporters. 

In  April,  1799,  was  held  the  second  annual  town 
meeting  of  Onondaga,  and  among  the  officers 
chosen  was  Mr.  John  Ellis  for  assessor. 

Mr.  Ellis  was  widely  known  as  a  military  man. 
His  first  appointment  was  in  1797,  when  he  was 
made  Adjutant  in  Colonel  Asa  Danforth's  regiment 
of  General  Taylor's  brigade.  From  this  time  his 
advance  was  rapid  to  the  rank  of  both  Major  and 
Colonel;  July  10,  181 1,  he  received  from  his  per- 
sonal friend,  Daniel  D.  Tompkins,  Governor  of  the 
State,  the  commission  of  Brigadier  General  of  the 
county  militia,  and  September  15,  1818,  he  received 
from  Governor  DeWitt  Clinton  the  commission  of 
Major- General,  and  was  assigned  to  the  i8th 
Division  of  Infantry  of  the  State  Militia.  During 
the  war  of  18 12,  General  Ellis  was  in  command  of 
the  Onondaga  brigade,  which  was  kept  as  a  reserve 
force  in  case  of  invasion,  or  trouble  on  the  frontier  ; 


254 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


and  May  6.  1814,  when  the  British  captured  Os- 
wego, his  brigade  was  ordered  to  that  point.  But 
upon  their  arrival  at  Oswego  Falls,  they  learned 
that  the  enemy  had  evacuated  the  fort.  The  troops, 
however,  continued  on  to  Oswego,  where  they  re- 
mained some  time.  Again,  when  the  British  fleet 
lay  off  Sackett's  Harbor,  the  brigade  was  called  out 
with  all  speed,  the  news  reaching  General  Ellis  by 
special  messenger  at  9  o'clock  at  night  ;  and  be- 
tween this  and  morning  he  dispatched  men  on 
horseback  all  through  the  county  to  notify  the  offi- 
cers and  men.  Early  the  following  morning, 
General  Ellis  in  command  of  his  brigade  and  the 
warriors  of  the  Onondagas  led  by  Colonel  Ephraim 
Webster,  Indian  Agent,  marched  for  Sackett's  Har- 
bor. They  had  proceeded  as  far  as  Smith's  Mills 
or  Adams,  when  a  halt  was  ordered,  as  the  enemy 
had  disappeared,  and  a  victory  had  been  won  at 
Big  Sandy  Creek.  For  six  weeks  after  this  General 
Ellis's  brigade  was  kept  deploying,  watching  the 
movements  of  the  British  fleet. 

General  Ellis  was  a  man  of  marked  and  well- 
defined  characteristics,  both  of  mind  and  manners. 
As  a  politician,  he  was  both  active  and  influential. 
At  first  he  was  a  Federalist, but  just  previous  to  the 
War  of  1812,  he,  with  Judge  Mosely  and  others, 
embraced  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party ; 
and  although  an  ardent  supporter  of  Jeflerson  and 
Tompkins,  he  was  ever  the  friend  of  DeWitt  Clin- 
ton. He  lived  a  sober,  consistent,  and  Christian 
life,  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  all  his  friends  and 
fellow-townsmen.  He  died  of  consumption  in  1820, 
and  was  buried  with  military  honors  in  the  family 
lot  on  the  farm  at  Onondaga  Hill. 

Mrs.  Ellis  was  well  calculated  to  bear  the  hard- 
ships and  trials  and  to  meet  the  dangers  of  a  life  in 
the  wilderness  ;  and  she  was  always  in  every  way,  a 
most  valuable  help-meet  to  her  husband  She  was 
discreet  and  possessed  excellent  judgment,  as  well 
as  every  qualification  that  adorns  a  wife  and  mother. 
She  was  a  woman  of  great  endurance,  although 
slight  and  delicate  in  appearance.  She  was  the 
mother  of  nine  children,  of  whom  only  Mrs.  Caro- 
line Hargin,  of  New  York  City,  and  James  M.  Ellis, 
of  Syracuse,  are  now  living. 

General  Ellis  died  leaving  a  family  of  children 
whose  opportunities  for  obtaining  an  education  had 
been  such  as  the  schools  of  that  day  afforded.  The 
depreciation  in  values  at  the  close  of  the  war  in 
1815,  made  the  large  estate  left  by  him  of  over  i,2CO 
acres  of  land,  of  insufficient  value  to  place  the 
family  in  easy  circumstances.  James  M.  spent  the 
nine  years  following  his  father's  death,  at  home,  as- 
sisting his  mother  on  the  farm.     In  1829  his  mother 


with  the  younger  children,  went  to  Henrietta,  Mon- 
roe county,  where  she  took  a  house  until  the  follow- 
ing summer,  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  children 
better  opportunities  for  obtaining  an  education.  On 
her  return  James  began  work  in  earnest,  and  soon 
paid  oft'  the  encumbrance  on  the  farm.  Januar)* 
6,  1833,  he  married  Lucy  Cudworth,  daughter  of 
Nathaniel  Cudworth  and  Lydia  Farrar,  of  Bristol, 
Ontario  County,  and  who  had  settled  there  as  early 
as  1798,  and  coming  by  water  all  the  way  from 
Sonet  Bay,  Mass,  to  Seneca  Lake,  and  being  31 
days  on  their  journey.  She  (Lucy  Cudworth  1  was 
born  Feb.  8,  1812. 

The  spring  following  his  marriage,  and  when  23 
years  of  age,  Mr.  Ellis  bought  the  homestead  of  250 
acres  of  the  heirs,  and  settled  down  for  life.  During 
the  next  twenty  years  he  carried  on  his  farm,  and  was 
among  the  representative  farmers  of  the  county. 

He  had  special  interest  and  pride  in  his  flock  of 
merino  sheep,  bred  from  the  flock  owned  by  his 
father  and  previously  from  the  stock  imported  by 
General  Humphrey,  Minister  to  Spain,  in  i8or. 
By  the  appreciation  of  this  flock  left  him  by  his 
father  he  bred  with  great  care  and  success  until 
1854,  and  was  said  to  have  had  one  of  the  best  flocks 
in  the  State.  The  same  stock  has  been  propagated 
and  improved  by  Davis  Cossitt,  of  Onondaga, 
whose  flock  now  can  hardly  be  excelled.  The 
sudden  death  of  his  only  son  and  two  daughters, 
caused  him  to  give  up  farming,  and  in  1854  he 
moved  to  the  city  of  Syracuse,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  Soon  after  coming  here  he  engaged  in  the 
wool  trade,  which,  with  the  tanning  and  hide  and 
leather  trade,  he,  with  E.  B.  Wicks,  T.  B.  Fitch 
and  J.  S.  Sharp,  carried  on  in  Chicago  and  Syra- 
cuse, until  about  the  year  1868  in  the  former,  and 
until  1871  in  the  latter  place. 

Mr.  Ellis  has  been  Trustee  of  the  Syracuse  Sav- 
ings Bank  since  1855,  and  has  also  been  connected 
with  the  Mechanics  Bank  since  its  organization  in 
1 85 1,  having  been  President  of  the  latter  since  the 
year  1872.  For  many  years  past  he  has  been 
largely  identified  with  the  manufacturing  interests 
of  the  city. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Ellis  cast  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  Andrew  Jackson,  and  continued  an  ardent 
supporter  of  the  Democratic  party  until  the  Free- 
Soil  movement,  when  he  arrayed  himself  against  the 
introduction  of  slavery  into  the  Territories;  and  upon 
the  formation  of  the  Republican  party  adopted  its 
principles,  and  has  since,  with  little  variation,  stood 
unswervingly  in  its  ranks.  Although  always  tak- 
ing a  lively  interest  in  important  public  questions, 
he  never  desired  political  preferment. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


255 


In  the  old  military  organization  of  the  State  Mr. 
Ellis  was  Adjutant  under  Colonel  Woodruft"  in  the 
147th  Regiment  from  1833  to  1836.  In  1836  he 
received  the  commission  of  Major  from  Governor 
Wm.  L.  Marcy,  and  on  the  death  of  Colonel  Wood- 
ruff, in  1838,  he  was  elected  Colonel,  and  resigned 
the  same  year. 

Mr.  Ellis  is  a  plain,  unassuming  man,  possessing 
strict  integrity  of  purpose  and  an  unblemished 
reputation  in  all  his  business  and  social  relations. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ellis  have  been  born  seven 
children,  viz  :  Clara  Earll,  (deceased, )  Mary  Sophia, 
(died  young,")  James  Augustus,  (deceased,)  Mary 
Caroline,  (deceased,)  Harriet  Isabella,  wife  of  the 
late  William  A.  Beach,  of  Troy,  N.  Y.  ;  Lydia 
Maria,  (died  young,)  and  Lucy  Cudworth,  wife  of 
Frank  W.  Balch,  of  Chicago,  III. 


CARROLL  E.  SMITH, 

Printer  and  journalist,  is  a  life-long  resident  of 
Syracuse,  where  he  was  born  December  25,  1832. 
He  has  been  a  gratified  witness  of  the  growth  of 
his  native  place  from  a  small  village  to  a  populous 
and  prosperous  city.  His  parents  were  Vivus  W. 
Smith  and  Caroline,  only  daughter  of  Jonas  Earll, 
Jr.,  of  Onondaga,  whose  only  gliild  he  was.  His 
ancestors  were  New  England  people,  dating  back  to 
the  early  settlement  of  Massachusetts. 

His  youth  was  spent  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
place,  and  he  completed  his  academic  course  in  the 
Syracuse  Academy  and  the  Seward  Institute  at 
Florida,  Orange  County,  N.  Y.  At  an  early  age  he 
entered  the  printing  office  of  the  Syracuse  yournal, 
(established  by  his  father,  V.  W.  Smith,  in  company 
with  his  uncle,  S.  F.  Smith,)  and  he  there  learned 
the  various  branches  of  the  printer's  trade.  In 
1847,  he  began  his  newspaper  service  in  a  subordi- 
nate capacity,  and  was  subsequently,  before  attain- 
ing his  majority,  local  reporter  of  the  Daily  your- 
nal, and  associate  editor  of  the  Daily  Clironicle  of 
Syracuse.  In  i860,  he  began  his  regular  editorial 
connection  with  the  yournal,  and  in  1862  became 
Mr.  J.  G.  K.  Truair's  associate  in  the  ownership  of 
that  paper  and  its  printing  establishment,  and  since 
that  time  has  had  the  editorial  charge  of  the  news- 
paper. He  began  his  political  life  as  a  Republican, 
and  cast  his  first  vote  for  John  C.  Fremont  for 
President,  in  1856.  He  has  ever  since  maintained 
an  active  interest  in  politics,  and  given  his  best 
efforts  to  elevate  and  purify  political  affairs  and  to 
shape  the  action  of  the  party  with  which  he  is 
identified  in  the  best  practicable  direction.  As  a 
journalist,  he  seeks*  to  promote  the  highest  good 


of  the  community,  by  upholding  the  cause  of  re- 
ligion, morality  and  temperance,  and  by  the  advo- 
cacy of  the  best  phases  of  political  and  public  poli- 
cy, always  holding  himself  independent  and  free  to 
criticise,  and,  if  need  be,  dissent  from  the  action  of 
party  and  leadership  which  tend  contrawise  to  his 
views  of  the  public  welfare.  His  ideal  of  a  public 
journal  is  the  perfect  abnegation  of  self  in  its  con- 
ductors, with  the  highest  development  of  news  en- 
terprise and  the  most  perfect  devotion  to  the  inter- 
ests of  State  and  people. 

He  has  been  handsomely  recognized  by  his  party 
and  the  people  in  the  bestowment  of  public  sta- 
tions. He  was  Clerk  of  the  City  of  Syracuse  from 
1854  to  1857,  and  took  much  interest  in  framing 
the  charter  of  the  city  which  has  since  been  the 
basis  of  its  municipal  law.  He  was  County  Clerk 
of  Onondaga  County  from  1865  to  1868.  He  was  a 
Member  of  the  Assembly  of  the  Stateof  New  Yorkin 
the  years  1876  and  1877,  and  held  a  prominent  po- 
sition in  that  body.  He  was  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Public  Education,  the  author  of 
legislation  in  the  interest  of  popular  education,  and 
framed  and  urged  to  its  passage  the  pending 
school  amendment  to  the  Constitution.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  the  Committees  on  the  Affairs  of 
Cities  and  on  Apportionment,  in  whose  action  he 
took  a  deep  interest.  He  refused  to  be  a  candi- 
date for  reelection  to  the  Legislature,  preferring  to 
devote  his  attention  to  journalism.  He  is  for  the 
present  year  President  of  the  New  York  State 
Press  Association,  and  for  ten  years  has  been  one 
of  the  managers  of  the  New  York  State  Asso- 
ciated Press.  He  is  connected  with  the  manage- 
ment of  several  other  public  associations,  and  iden- 
fied  with  various  business  enterprises. 


CHARLES   TALLMAN. 

Charles  Tallman  presents  a  splendid  example  of 
the  success  that  unaided  effort  united  with  persist- 
ent purpose  and  honorable  ambition  may  achieve. 
The  son  of  a  farmer,  Easton  Tallman,  who  died  in 
1819,  and  was  one  of  the  wilderness  pioneers  of 
Central  New  York,  Charles  was  born  in  Tully, 
Onondaga  county,  in  18 10.  One  of  six  fatherless 
children  to  whom  and  the  widowed  mother  little 
was  left  but  the  legacy  of  an  unsullied  name  and 
lives  of  toil,  if  not  of  hardships,  the  prospect  be- 
fore the  lad  of  nine  was  cloudy  and  cheerless  at  the 
best ;  but  happily  the  mother  was  a  woman  of 
strongly-marked  character,  positive,  economical,  in- 
dustrious and  hopeful,  and  was  thus  enabled  to  hold 


256 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


her    family    together   and    maintain   a   successful 
struggle  with  the  world. 

Unfitted  alike  by  physical  strength  and  mental 
disposition  for  the  rugged  labors  of  farm-life  in  a 
new  country,  Charles  presented  himself  empty 
handed,  but  stout-hearted,  as  a  pupil  at  the  Homer 
Academy,  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  institutions  in 
the  State,  where  he  remained  two  years,  devoting 
himself  assiduously  to  the  acquisition  of  a  capital 
that  no  financial  disaster  could  ever  diminish.  In 
the  accomplishment  of  this  he  incurred  a  debt  for 
board  and  tuition  to  his  uncle,  the  late  Jedediah 
Barber  of  Homer,  a  sacred  obligation  which  it  was 
the  first  business  of  his  life  to  satisfy.  To  effect 
this  he  became  the  teacher  of  a  district  school, 
having  passed  a  triumphant  examination,  in  the 
course  of  which  he  filled  the  slate  with  figures  and 
the  School  Commissioners  with  astonishment,  in 
beclouding  a  problem  that  neither  examiners  nor 
candidate  could  possibly  solve. 

Then,  as  now.  the  West  had  a  siren  song  that 
charmed  many  a  youth  to  sling  up  the  knapsack 
and  be  pilgrim  towards  the  setting  sun.  The  West 
of  that  day  was  a  weary  distance  by  canal  and 
steamer  and  saddle,  but  now  accomplished  by  the 
swift  engine  between  sun  and  sun.  Charmed  by 
the  hidden  possibilities  of  the  far-off  land,  and 
eager  to  find  ami  win  a  wider  field  of  exertion,  he 
struck  out  in  1833  for  "  The  Ohio  "  as  it  was  called, 
which  meant  the  whole  sweep  of  the  continent  to 
the  Mississippi  River.  After  varied  fortunes,  none 
of  which  were  signal  successes,  and  an  absence  of 
three  months,  he  returned  to  TuUy.  determined  to 
work  out  the  problem  of  his  life  amid  the  scenes  of 
his  boyhood.  And  yet  the  experiences  of  his  pilgrim- 
age were  not  valueless.  Setting  forth  with  un- 
limited faith  in  the  honor  and  honesty  of  all  man- 
kind, he  confided  in  a  stranger's  word,  trusted  to  a 
stranger's  judgment,  set  aside  the  promptings  of 
his  own  good  sense,  and  exchanged  an  excellent 
horse  he  rode  for  an  equine  fiction  that  Don 
Quixote  in  his  maddest  moments  would  have  de- 
spised. The  tuition  for  a  term  of  thirty  minutes 
cost  him  a  horse  and  unspeakable  disgust,  but  it 
was  well  worth  the  price  he  paid  for  it.  He  learned 
the  value  of  self-reliance  which  is  better  than 
"  Daboll,"  of  calm  judgment  which  is  wiser  than 
Grammar,  of  prudence  which  is  more  helpful  than 
Geography — all  gifts  and  qualities  that  have  char- 
acterized his  life  and  won  for  him  distinguished 
success. 

Forty-five  years  ago,  the  fields  of  enterprise  out  of 
the  great  cities  of  the  sea-board  were  few  and  narrow, 
and  so  upon  his  return   from  the  West,  the  young 


man  saw  nothing  for  it  but  to  betake  himself  to  the 
plow,  the  hoe  and  the  cradle.  Always  ready  to  do 
what  his  hand  found  to  do  with  his  might,  he  took 
up  the  last  named  implement  one  day  and  swung 
out  into  the  harvest  field  with  a  will  that  was 
stronger  than  his  sinews,  but  those  stalwart  broth- 
ers of  his  cradled  round  him  and  out  of  sight. 
The  sun  was  hot,  the  grain  was  rank,  and  he  flung 
down  the  cradle  with  the  emphatic  declaration  that 
if  he  could  not  eat  without  doing  the  drudgery  of  a 
farm  he  would  make  a  desperate  effort  to  break  up 
the  habit. 

Bidding  adieu  to  swath  and  furrow,  and  after 
wearying  disappointments  and  delays,  we  find  him 
in  Vesper,  in  his  native  town,  partner  in  a  country 
store,  where,  amid  ox-yokes  and  ax-helves,  needles 
and  crow-bars,  groceries  wet  and  dry,  cottons,  flan- 
nels, woolens,  ribbons  and  rat-traps,  everything 
anybody  wanted  in  the  new  country  but  beauty  and 
content,  he  passed  nine  busy  years,  and  laid  with 
energy,  self-denial  and  business  skill  the  sure  foun- 
dations of  his  subsequent  ample  fortune. 

In  1846,  the  great  salt  lick  of  New  York,  Syra- 
cuse, a  straggling  village  of  11.000,  began  to  fore- 
shadow its  coming  greatness,  and  thither  Mr.  Tall- 
man  removed  with  his  family,  for  he  was  already 
the  head  of  a  hous(^old,  and  became  senior  partner 
in  the  "  City  Drug  Store,"  on  Salina  street,  with 
William  H.  Williams.  But,  never  content  to  travel 
in  a  groove.  Mr.  Tallman's  energies  were  directed 
to  many  important  interests  and  enterprises,  among 
which  may  be  named  extensive  farming  in  the 
West,  the  raising  of  cattle,  the  growing  of  wool, 
the  mining  of  coal,  the  traffic  in  real  estate,  the 
trade  in  provisions,  and  today  he  is  the  senior 
partner  in  the  extensive  wholesale  firms  of  A.  N. 
Palmer  &  Co.,  and  W.  L.  Ross  &  Co.,  of  the  city 
of-Syracuse.  And  in  all  these  multifarious  pursuits 
and  enterprises,  involving  so  much  skill,  care  and 
capital,  he  has  established  and  maintained  the  char- 
acter of  an  able,  upright  merchant,  and  in  all  the 
relations  of  life  a  true  and  generous  friend. 

Almost  as  thoroughly  conversant  with  one  sec- 
tion of  this  country  as  another,  he  has  traveled  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  is  deeply  interested  in 
all  that  conduces  to  the  true  prosperity  of  the  coun- 
try, but  in  these  broader  views  he  has  never  lost 
sight  of  the  city  of  his  adoption,  but  has  been  iden- 
tified in  all  directions  with  its  material  growth.  Its 
home  industries,  its  business  blocks,  its  ware-houses, 
the  railways  that  traverse  its  streets,  bear  evidence 
of  his  helping  hand  and  his  judicious  management. 
The  village  of  eleven  thousand  has  grown  around 
him  to  a  city   sixty  thousand  strong,  of  which  he 


Photo,  by  Bonta  &  Curtiss,  Syracuse. 


HORATIO   N.  WHITE. 


Horatio  N.  White,  an  architect  by  profession,  has  been 
closely  identified  with  the  growth  of  the  city  of  Syracuse  for 
the  past  thirty-five  years. 

Many  of  the  public  and  private  buildings  in  this  and  the 
surroundinir  counties    have  been    erected   under   Mr.  White's 


supervision,  prominent  among  which  are  the  Onondaga  County 
court-house,  the  Syracuse  university,  the  Onondaga  County 
savings  bank,  the  Auburn  savings  bank,  the  Oswego  city  hall, 
and  numerous  court-houses,  State  armories,  and  not  less  than 
a  hundred  churches. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


257 


can  most  truly  say,  "  all  of  which  I  saw  and  a  part 
of  which  I  am." 

Possessed  of  an  ample  fortune,  of  which  he  him- 
self was  architect,  dwelling  in  a  beautiful  home,  un- 
blemished in  reputation,  happy  in  children  and  chil- 
dren's children,  ever  ready  with  judicious  counsel 
and  helpful  deed,  never  an  aspirant  for  any  political 
office,  commanding  the  respect  of  the  public  and 
the  affection  of  his  friends,  yet  he  has  not  grown 
idle.  With  leisure  awaiting  his  enjoyment,  foreign 
lands  conspiring  to  lure  him  across  the  sea,  time 
and  fortune  at  instant  command,  he  has  never  laid 
off  the  harness  of  a  busy  life.  And  he  is  wise,  for 
no  rust  is  so  corrosive  as  the  rust  that  comes  from 
premature  rest  after  a  life  packed  full  with  interests 
and  energies. 

Long  may  he  live,  mingling  as  ever,  with  men  in 
the  busy  thoroughfares,  always  a  warm  side  for  his 
friends  and  a  cheerful  word  for  everybody — an  admi- 
rable illustration  of  the  splendid  possibilities  a  pio- 
neer farmer's  boy  with  hands,  heart  and  head  that 
he  knows  how  to  use,  may  achieve  in  America.  It 
has  grown  into  a  proverb,  "  nothing  succeeds  like 
success." 


DWIGHT  H.  BRUCE. 


Dwight  Hall  Bruce  was  born  at  Lenox,  Madison 
county,  N.  Y.,  June  21,  .1834.  He  received  an 
academic  education  preparatory  to  a  college  course, 
which,  however,  he  never  entered  upon.  He  at 
the  same  time  devoted  considerable  time  to  the 
study  of  music,  and  offered  several  compositions  to 
the  public  which  attracted  the  notice  of  musicians 
of  note.  In  1857,  he  became  connected  with  the 
Commercial  Times  newspaper  at  Oswego,  as  associate 
editor.  In  January,  1861,  he  removed  to  Syracuse, 
to  act  as  assistant  to  Canal  Commissioner  Bruce, 
his  father.  He  continued  to  fill  positions  of 
responsibility,  in  connection  with  the  canals,  till  late 
in  the  year  1869,  when  he  resigned.  During  this 
period  of  service,  he  originated  several  valuable 
improvements  in  the  manner  of  operating  the 
canals,  and  wrote  a  series  of  articles  relating  to  their 
usefulness  and  capacity,  which  attracted  wide  atten- 
tion. During  those  years,  in  which  the  Rebellion 
34* 


had  its  rise  and  fall,  he  was  active  in  politics,  and 
as  Secretary  of  the  Republican  County  Com- 
mittee, mainly  conducted  two  Presidential  cam- 
paigns. In  1866,  and  again  in  1867,  he  was  Super- 
visor of  the  Seventh  Ward  of  Syracuse.  In  October, 
1869,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  assistant  Assessor  of  Internal  Revenue, 
and  was  designated  to  make  assessments  in  any 
part  of  the  Twenty-third  Congressional  District,  for 
all  taxes  imposed  on  the  manufacture  and  sale  of 
tobacco,  snuff  and  cigars.  He  resigned  this  posi- 
tion in  January  following,  to  become  one  of  the 
proprietors  and  editors  of  the  Syracuse  Journal. 
March  25,  1871,  he  was  appointed  by  President 
Grant,  and  confirmed  by  the  United  States  Senate, 
postmaster  at  Syracuse.  During  his  adminis- 
tration, important  changes  were  made  in  the 
management  of  the  office,  greatly  increasing  its 
efficiency  and  popularity.  The  number  of  daily 
mails  was  nearly  doubled  ;  a  night  clerk  and 
the  present  system  of  night  service  were  intro- 
duced ;  new  systems  for  securing  efficiency  in  every 
department  were  adopted  and  put  in  force,  and  the 
office  itself  enlarged  and  improved  both  in  respect 
to  convenience  and  appearance.  When  he  was  su- 
perceded, January  1, 1875 — his  term  having  expired 
nine  months  previously — his  official  standing  on  the 
records  of  the  post-office  department  at  Washing- 
ton, was  as  creditable  as  that  of  any  other  postmas- 
ter in  the  United  States.  Though  his  accounts 
covered  several  million  dollars,  there  was  not  the 
slightest  variation  between  his  statements  and  those 
of  the  department  when  the  final  settlement  was 
made.  He  has  filled  many  and  various  offices  of 
honor  and  trust,  public  and  private,  and  has  also 
spent  many  years  in  the  military  service  of  the 
State,  filling  all  Regimental  positions,  except  those 
of  field  officers.  He  was  Major  and  Paymaster, 
afterwards  Colonel  and  Engineer  on  the  staff  of 
Major-General  William  C.  Brown,  commanding  the 
Sixth  Division,  and  is  now  Captain  and  Brevet-Col- 
onel and  Inspector  of  Rifle  Practice  of  the  Fifty-first 
Regiment.  He  is  still  a  proprietor  and  editor  of 
the  Syracuse  yournal,  holding  an  equal  interest 
with  Messrs.  J.  G.  K.  Truair  and  Carroll  E.  Smith, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Truair,  Smith  &  Bruce. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TOWNS. 


SALINA. 


The  earliest  place  settled  on    the  Salt  Springs 

Reservation  was  the  Village  of  Salina,  sometimes 

designated  in  its  early  history  "  Salt  Point."     The 

prospective  value  of  the  salt  springs  in  this  locality 

attracted  the  attention  of  travelers  and  settlers  at 

an  early  day,  and  drew  hither,  with   their  families, 

an  enterprising  class  of  men,  who  engaged  in  the 

manufacture  of  salt   before   the  beginning  of   the 

present  century.     The  first  settlement  appears  to 

have  been  begun  at  Salina  in    1788,  in  which  year 

and  in   1789,  Deacon  Loomis,  Nathaniel   Loomis, 

Hczckiah  Olcott,  John  Danforth,  Asa  Danforth,  Jr., 

and  Thomas  Gaston,  with   their  families,  settled  at 

the   place.     In   August,    1790,   Colonel   Jeremiah 

Gould  and  family,  consisting  of  his  wife  and  three 

sons,  Jeremiah,  James   and    Phares,  and  an   only 

daughter,  the  oldest  of  his  children,  moved  here  from 

Westmoreland,  Oneida  county,  and  Mr.  Gould  built 

the  first  arch  in  which  a  kettle  was  placed  for  boiling 

salt.    (See  History  of  Salt  Springs.)    In  1791,  Sam'l 

Jerome,  came  to  Onondaga  to  examine  the  land  in 

this  section.     He  visited  the  springs  at  Salt  Point, 

and  taking  with  him  a  sample  of  the  salt,  traveled 

through  Pompey,  Fabius.  Homer  and  Manlius,  and 

on  his  return   to   Saratoga,  his  place  of  residence, 

he  reported   that   he  had  discovered  "  the  land  of 

promise,"  and  induced  several  of  his  friends  to  come 

out  here  and  settle. 

At  this  early  period  a  number  of  persons  made 
salt  at  Salina  who  lived  at  Onondaga,  in  what  was 
then  a  more  healthy  location.  The  great  difficulty 
which  the  early  settlers  had  to  encounter  at  Salt 
Point  was  sickness,  induced  by  the  stagnant  marshes 
of  the  lake.  Fevers  began  to  appear  early  in  July, 
and  cases  followed  each  other  in  rapid  succession, 
so  that  frequently  there  were  not  well  people 
enough  in  the  settlement  to  take  care  of  the  sick. 
Many  died  during  the  sickly  season,  and  many,  not- 
withstanding the  attractions  of  the  salt  interest  and 
the  prospective  value  of  property,  were  deterred  on 
account  of  the  reputed  unhealthincss  of  the  locality, 
from  attempting  to  make  permanent  homes  there. 


In  1791,  two  families  named  Woodworth  and 
Sturges  settled  near  the  marsh.  On  the  2d  of 
March,  1792,  Mr.  Isaac  VanVleck  and  family  came 
to  Salina,  and  the  following,  year  Thomas  Orman 
and  Simon  Phares. 

Salt  Point  Frame  and  Mi;d  Houses. 

The  peculiarity  of  some  of  the  earliest  frame  build- 
ings at  Salt  Point  is  deserving  a  passing  notice.  They 
were  constructed  somewhat  as  follows  :  Sills  were 
laid  and  posts  set  up  at  proper  distances  ;  the 
beams  and  plates  were  put  into  their  places  ;  grooves 
were  cut  in  the  posts,  on  the  inside,  two  inches  in 
width,  so  as  to  receive  the  ends  of  the  sticks  or 
poles,  which  being  placed  in  horizontally,  one  above 
another,  constituted  the  "  siding  "  of  the  buildings. 
When  this  was  done  the  whole  was  plastered  over 
with  a  kind  of  mud  mortar  tempered  with  straw. 
Buildings  constructed  in  this  way  are  said  to  have 
made  very  comfortable  dwellings.  The  chimneys 
were  made  of  sticks  and  clay,  and  the  fire  places 
had  no  jambs,  only  a  plain  stone  wall  at  the  back. 
Mr.  Jeremiah  Gould  erected  a  house  of  this  descrip- 
tion in  1792,  which  was  noted  as  the  first  frame 
house  erected  at  Salt  Point  and  in  the  county  of 
Onondaga.  The  second  was  built  by  John  Dan- 
forth in  1793.  Mr.  VanVleck  and  Asa  Danforth, 
Jr.,  built  frame  houses  about  the  same  time  of 
superior  construction. 

Scarcitv  of  Provisions. 

At  this  time  the  settlers  obtained  most  of  their 
provisions  in  exchange  for  salt,  from  Tioga,  Whites- 
town  and  Herkimer.  In  1792-3,  provisions  became 
very  scarce  and  great  suffering  ensued.  On  several 
occasions  boats  were  sent  from  Salt  Point  to  Kings- 
ton ( Canadai  by  way  of  Oswego,  to  procure  sup- 
plies. The  old  settlers  say  that  in  this  manner  at 
different  times  they  obtained  bread,  biscuit,  salted 
meat  and  fish  which  had  been  made  and  cured  in 
England,  and  although  it  was  of  an  inferior  quality, 
it  was  eaten  with  a  relish  which  hunger  never  fails 
to  give. 


John  Paddock. 


Mrs.  John  Paddock, 


C  PHOTOS  syWV  RAKniK.SrTrACU&i: ) 


Residence  or    JOHN     PADDOCK  ,  Liverpool,  New  York 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY    NEW  YORK. 


259 


Captain  Canute. 
Captain  Canute,  of  a  trading  boat  from  Salt 
Point  to  Albany,  often  brought  provisions  and  gro- 
ceries and  received  his  pay  in  young  bears,  wolves, 
raccoons,  foxes,  deer  and  fawns,  all  of  which  were  at 
that  time  very  plenty.  Deer  were  so  abundant  and 
tame  that  they  frequently  herded  with  the  cows, 
entering  the  yards  with  them  at  night  with  as  much 
unconcern  as  if  they  had  been  fully  domesticated. 
The  young  bears  were  furnished  to  the  white  people 
by  the  Indians  for  the  merest  trifle.  Numbers  of 
these  animals  have  been  known  to  be  kept  confined 
in  chains  awaiting  the  arrival  of  Captain  Canute, 
who  always  found  a  ready  market  for  them  at  Al- 
bany. So  common  were  wolves  and  bears  at  this 
time  that  it  was  no  unusual  thing  to  see  them  pass- 
ing along  the  paths  leading  from  Cicero  to  Onon- 
daga, and  from  the  frequency  of  this  occurrence, 
some  of  the  paths  took  names  from  these  animals. 
Thus  two  of  the  streets  running  north  from  the 
main  street  in  the  First  Ward  of  Syracuse,  are  now 
called  Wolf  and  Bear  streets. 

Salt  Point  in  1793. 

In  1793  there  were  but  thirty  persons  at  Salt 
Point,  all  told.  Sickness  had  thinned  the  number. 
Nearly  every  one  was  sick  at  the  same  time,  except 
a  man  named  Patrick  Riley,  a  generous  hearted  son 
of  Erin,  who  carried  on  Mr.  Van  Vleck's  salt  works. 
He  drew  all  his  own  wood  for  a  salt  block,  boiled 
salt  every  day  and  half  the  nights,  and  every  alter- 
nate night  watched  with  the  sick,  for  a  period  of 
two  months  without  a  single  night's  intermission. 

Dr.  Holbrook,  who  had  settled  near  Jamesville, 
and  who  was  the  first  physician  in  the  county,  came 
over  every  day  to  visit  the  sick.  He  was  a  skillful 
and  successful  physician.  Dr.  Burnet,  in  1797,  was 
the  first  resident  physician  in  Salina. 

During  the  sickly  season  the  Indians  were  ex- 
ceedingly kind  to  the  settlers.  They  furnished 
liberally  to  each  family  a  supply  of  venison  and  fish, 
which  added  greatly  to  their  comfort. 

It  was  a  noticeable  peculiarity  of  the  Indians  in 
those  days  that,  whenever  they  had  resolved  upon  a 
carousal,  they  almost  invariably  divested  themselves 
of  all  dangerous  weapons,  and  deposited  them  with 
some  trusty  person  in  a  place  of  safe  keeping.  And 
not  unfrequently  one  of  their  own  number  would  be 
set  apart  expressly  to  keep  sober  and  see  that  no 
harm  was  done  while  the  rest  indulged  themselves 
in  their  drunken  spree. 

Abraham  VanVleck  and  the  Rattlesnake. 

Abraham  Van  Vleck,  son  of  Isaac  Van  Vleck,  is 
believed  to  have  been  the  first  white  child  born 


within  the  present  limits  of  Syracuse,  and  also  the 
first  male  child  born  in  the  county.  He  was  born 
at  Salt  Point  in  1792.  At  that  period  rattlesnakes 
were  very  numerous  in  the  vicinity  of  Salina.  They 
were  considered  harmless,  if  suffered  to  pursue  their 
own  way  unmolested,  but  extremely  dangerous 
when  interfered  with.  On  a  time,  little  Abraham 
Van  Vleck  was  out  at  play.  His  mother  became 
alarmed  at  the  violent  cackling  of  the  fowls,  and 
hurrying  round  the  house  to  learn  the  cause  of  their 
disturbance,  "  she  there  found  her  little  son  folding 
in  his  hands  and  arms  an  enormous  rattlesnake, 
which  twined  and  writhed  around  the  tender  limbs 
of  the  child  in  the  fondest  manner,  looking  defiance 
at  the  fowls  which  had  gathered  around  in  a  circle, 
and  were  expressing  by  their  noise  and  bustle  the 
utmost  fear  and  agitation.  The  frightened  mother 
ran  to  her  nearest  neighbors,  who  soon  gathered  at 
the  scene.  The  snake  seemed  to  increase  its  fond- 
ness for  the  child,  and  no  one  seemed  disposed  to 
meddle  with  it  for  fear  of  increasing  the  child's 
peril.  At  length  the  mother  seized  a  favorable  op- 
portunity, snatched  the  child  and  ran  away  with 
him.  The  snake  seemed  angry  with  the  removal  of 
his  Httle  friend,  and  at  once  coiled  himself  in  a  hos- 
tile attitude,  when  he  was  instantly  dispatched  by 
those  present."* 

About  the  time  of  the  birth  of  Abraham  Van 
Vleck,  an  Indian  had  been  drowned  by  the  upset- 
ting of  his  canoe  in  the  Falls  of  the  Oswego, 
and  the  event  bore  so  heavily  upon  the  friends  of 
the  deceased,  that  the  son  of  Mrs.  Van  Vleck  was 
named  by  the  Indians  "  Ne-un-hoo-tah,"  which,  in 
their  language,  signifies  "sorrow  for  the  departed." 
By  this  name  he  was  known  among  the  Indians, 
who  always  entertained  for  him  a  remarkable  friend- 
ship, and  gave  his  father  in  trust  for  him  a  mile 
square  of  land  at  the  outlet  of  Onondaga  Lake. 
The  title,  however,  was  not  recognized  by  the  State. 
The  Indians,  according  to  their  custom,  gave  many 
other  Indian  names  to  white  people.  Mr.  Van 
Vleck  they  called  "  Ka-hunk-a-ta-wah,"  meaning 
"one  spry  enough  to  skip  over  water."  Mrs.  Van 
Vleck  was  "  Con-o-roo-quah,"  "  one  of  pleasant  dis- 
position," and  Mrs.  O'Blennis,  her  daughter,  was 
named  "  Jo-an-te-no."  Thus  the  Indians  named 
people  according  to  some  prominent  peculiarities 
which  they  discovered  in  them. 

The  Old  Block-House. 
In  1794,  a  block-house  was  erected  at  Salina  for 
defence  from  an  anticipated  attack  of  the  Indians. 
The  circumstances  which  led  to    it   were    these : 


*2  Clark's  Onondaga,  p.  14Z. 


26o 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


The  Western  Indians  were  at  war  with  the  settlers 
in  Ohio  and  Indiana,  and  many  of  the  Indians  of 
Western  and  Northern  New  York  manifested  a 
belligerent  spirit.  It  was  apprehended  that  this 
feeling  might  be  general  among  all  the  Indian  tribes 
and  that  even  the  settlements  in  this  county  were 
in  imminent  danger  of  becoming  a  prey  to  the 
tomahawk  and  scalping  knife  of  the  savages.  So 
great  was  the  alarm  that  many  persons  buried  their 
most  valuable  effects,  and  not  a  few  were  on  the 
point  of  leaving  the  country.  The  people  of  Onon- 
daga assembled  at  Morehouse's  tavern  to  consult 
upon  measures  of  safety.  Mr.  Jonathan  Russell 
was  dispatched  to  Albany  to  lay  the  situation  before 
the  Governor,  who,  about  the  middle  of  May,  1794, 
sent  General  William  North,  General  Stephen  Van 
Rensselaer, and  Adjutant  General  David  \'an  Home, 
to  call  on  Haron  Steuben,  then  at  his  residence  in 
Oneida  county,  and  with  him  to  repair  to  Onondaga. 
These  gentlemen,with  others,  had  then  recently  been 
appointed,  by  the  Legislature,  Commissioners  for  the 
purpose  of  erecting  such  fortifications  as  in  their 
judgment  should  be  deemed  necessary  for  the 
security  of  the  northern  and  western  frontiers  of 
the  State,  and  twelve  thousand  pounds  had  been 
appropriated  to  defray  any  e.xpenses  thus  incurred. 
The  military  force  of  the  county  was  assembled  at 
Morehouse's  and  reviewed  by  Haron  Steuben  and 
his  associates.  They  then  proceeded  to  Salt  Point, 
and  upon  examining  the  position  recommended  the 
erection  of  a  block-house.  A  Committee  of  Public 
Safety  was  appointed,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Moses 
De  Witt,  Isaac  Van  Vleck,  Thomas  Orman,  Simon 
Phares.  and  John  Danforth,  and,  together  with 
Baron  Steuben  and  the  other  officers,  proceeded  to 
stake  out  the  ground  near  the  principal  Salt  Spring. 
Major  Asa  Danforth  and  Major  Moses  De  Witt 
were  commissioned  to  superintend  the  construction 
of  the  block  house,  which  was  soon  completed  under 
the  direction  of  Cornelius  Higgins,  the  master- 
builder.  It  was  built  of  hewed  oak  timber  with 
high  cedar  posts  or  pickets  around  it.  This  block- 
house was  afterwards  used  by  the  State  as  a  store- 
house for  salt. 

Before  the  erection  of  this  block-house,  so  great 
had  been  the  alarm  that  the  people  fled  from  their 
houses  and  took  refuge  in  what  was  then  known  as 
Thompson's  Sugar  Bush,  where  they  remained  three 
days  and  nights. 

The  block-house  was  manned  by  a  volunteer  in- 
dependent company  called  the  "  Grenadiers,"  raised 
by  Jonathan  Russell,  of  Pompey,  who  was  Captain. 
Anson  Jackson  was  Lieutenant  and  Jonathan  Bond, 
Ensign.     The  garrison  was  furnished  with  a  field- 


piece  (a  six-pounder\  small  arms,  ammunition,  ra- 
tions, &c.,  from  the  Commissary  Department  of  the 
State,  by  order  of  Governor  Clinton.  A  depot  was 
established  at  Jeremiah  Jackson's  mills,  near  James- 
ville,  and  warlike  implements  and  stores  deposited 
there,  and  all  male  persons  over  fourteen  years  of 
age  were  required  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness 
for  any  emergency.  "  Minute  men  "  were  also  or- 
ganized by  drafting  three  men  from  each  militia 
company  on  the  Military  Tract,  and  armed  from  the 
depot  at  Jackson's  Mills.  In  case  of  any  sudden 
assault  or  attack  they  were  to  proceed  without  a 
moment's  delay  to  the  place  of  danger. 

On  the  14th  of  June,  1794,  the  general  alarm  was 
greatly  increased  by  the  roar  of  cannon  at  F"ort  On- 
tario, I  Oswego,)  which  was  then  in  the  hands  of  the 
British,  and  they  were  that  day  celebrating  the 
birth-day  of  King  George  III.  The  firing  of  the 
cannon  was  distinctly  heard  throughout  the  eastern 
part  of  the  county.  Many  were  almost  distracted 
with  fear  and  went  running  to  and  fro  enquiring  of 
every  person  they  met  whether  the  enemy  were  in 
sight.  Soon  news  arrived  of  the  true  cause  of  the 
firing  and  the  agonies  of  fear  were  succeeded  by 
demonstrations  of  joy. 

One  thing  which  acted  as  the  immediate  cause  of 
this  great  alarm  was,  that  early  in  the  spring  of 
1794,  Sir  John  Johnson  had  been  passing  from  Al- 
bany to  Oswego  with  a  boat  load  of  supplies  for  his 
Mohawk  settlement  then  recently  made  on  Grand 
River,  and  had  been  waylaid  and  plundered  near 
Three  River  Point  by  a  party  of  some  thirty 
or  forty  men.  Johnson,  highly  incensed,  proceeded 
to  Oswego,  where  the  British  garrison  was  still  kept, 
and  there  related  the  story  of  his  wrongs.  This  at 
once  aroused  the  ire  of  the  British  oflficers,  and  it 
was  forthwith  determined  that  Johnson  and  Brant 
should  at  once  raise  a  body  of  soldiers  and  Indians 
in  Canada  ^and  make  a  sudden  descent  upon  the 
Onondaga  settlements,  where  it  was  presumed  most 
of  the  aggressors  resided.  Indians  soon  gathered 
in  considerable  numbers  in  the  vicinity  of  Niagara 
and  Oswego,  and  it  was  reported  that  five  hundred 
Messasagues  were  on  their  way  to  destroy  the  set- 
tlements in  this  county.  At  this  time,  too,  a  num- 
ber of  disaffected  Onondagas  had  joined  the  West- 
ern Indians  against  General  Wayne,  expecting,  as 
a  matter  of  course,  that  Wayne  would  be  defeated, 
as  had  been  his  predecessors.  Generals  Harmar  and 
St.  Clair,  and  in  which  case  they  were  all  to  return 
and  with  the  remaining  Onondagas  assist  the  com- 
mon enemy  in  the  destruction  of  the  Onondaga  set- 
tlements. 

The  action  of  the  British  garrison  at  Oswego  in 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


261 


assuming  the  right  to  levy  and  collect  duties  on  all 
American  boats  passing  the  fort,  was  the  exciting 
cause  which  led  the  party  of  Americans  to  commit 
the  aggressive  act  complained  of  upon  the  boat. 
The  British  had  employed  persons  as  spies  to  give 
notice  of  any  boats  which  designed  to  "  run"  the 
fort,  and  through  their  agency  several  boats  had 
been  seized  and  confiscated  ;  two  of  these  spies  had 
also  been  seized  and  publicly  whipped  at  Salt  Point. 
This  state  of  things  produced  much  angry  excite- 
ment throughout  the  county.  However,  after  con- 
siderable tumultuous  contention,  satisfaction  as  far 
as  possible  was  rendered,  which  had  the  effect  of 
restoring  a  better  state  of  feeling.  The  aggressors 
were  severely  reprehended  by  a  large  majority  of  the 
inhabitants,  and  kept  concealed  for  a  long  time  fear- 
ing the  vengeance  of  the  law.  The  successful 
campaign  of  General  Wayne  in  Ohio  fully  restored 
confidence  throughout  the  country  ;  the  differences 
between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  were 
happily  settled  by  Mr.  Jay's  treaty  the  following 
year  ;  and  the  final  removal  of  the  British  garrison 
from  Oswego  put  an  end  to  all  further  disturbance 
in  this  quarter. 

Incident  of  the  War  of  1812. 

During  the  War  of  1812  the  people  at  Salina  felt 
themselves  quite  insecure,  owing  to  the  easy  com- 
munication between  them  and  Lake  Ontario,  and 
the  possibility  that  the  fort  at  Oswego  might  be 
taken  by  the  British.  The  fact  also  that  soldiers 
were  sent  this  way  for  the  defence  of  that  garrison 
tended  to  excite  their  apprehensions  and  enlist  their 
interest  in  the  security  of  the  fort.  An  incident  is 
told  illustrating  the  dispatch  and  patriotism  of  the 
women  of  those  times.  An  officer  of  the  Ameri- 
can army  sent  word  to  Mrs.  Ball,  whose  husband 
kept  a  public  house  on  Salina  street  near  Wolf,  that 
he  wished  dinner  for  himself  and  men  within  three 
hours  from  that  time.  She  immediately  set  about 
preparing  for  the  meal,  and  when  the  men  arrived 
placed  before  them  three  enormous  chicken  pies, 
with  an  eagle  of  pastry  on  the  top  of  each,  having 
a  cranberry  in  its  mouth  and  surmounted  by  thir- 
teen stars. 

Town  and  Village  of  Salina  Laid  Out. 

In  1797,  the  State  took  formal  charge  of  the  Salt 
Springs.  In  that  year  a  law  was  passed  author- 
izing the  Surveyor-General  to  lay  out  a  portion  of 
the  Reservation  for  the  purpose  of  making  provision 
for  the  manufacture  of  salt.  A  portion  of  the  marsh 
and  upland  was  laid  out  on  a  map  and  named  Salina. 
In  1798,  a  village  was  laid  out  and  called  Salina  ; 
and  when  the  town  was  set  off  and  organized  by 
35 


act  of  March  27,  1809,  that  was  also  named  Salina. 
At  the  organization  of  the  county,  in  1794,  the  ter- 
ritory embraced  in  the  town  of  Salina  was  compre- 
hended in  the  original  townships  of  Manlius  and 
Marcellus  ;  and  after  the  town  of  Onondaga  was  set 
off,  in  1798,  and  the  township  of  Marcellus  was  or- 
ganized as  a  town,  that  portion  of  the  Reservation 
not  included  in  Onondaga,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
lake  and  creek,  was  attached  to  Camillus.  At  the 
organization  of  the  town  of  Salina,  in  1809,  a  tri- 
angular piece  of  ground,  containing  nine  and  a  half 
lots,  was  taken  from  the  northwest  corner  of  Man- 
lius, which,  with  the  Salt  Springs  Reservation,  con- 
stituted the  town  of  Salina.  Geddes  and  Syracuse 
were  taken  from  Salina  March  18,  1848,  reducing 
the  town  to  its  present  dimensions. 

VILLAGE  OF  SALINA. 

In  1798,  the  Superintendent  of  the  Salt  Springs 
was  directed  by  law  to  lay  out  the  village  of  Salina 
conformably  to  the  map  made  by  the  Surveyor- 
General.     The  act  was  in  the  following  words,  viz  : 

"  Be  it  enacted,  that  the  Superintendent  shall,  on 
the  ground  adjoining  the  south  side  of  Free  street, 
so  named  on  the  map  of  the  Salt  Springs  made  by 
the  Surveyor-General,  lay  out  a  square  for  a  village, 
consisting  of  sixteen  blocks,  each  six  chains  square, 
with  intermediate  streets,  conforming  to  the  streets 
laid  down  on  the  said  map  made  by  the  Surveyor- 
General,  and  divide  each  lot  into  four  house-lots  and 
deliver  a  map  and  description  thereof  to  the  Sur- 
veyor-General, who,  having  approved  thereof,  shall 
thereupon  proceed  to  advertise  and  sell,  not  exceed- 
ing thirty  of  the  said  lots,  in  the  manner  prescribed 
by  law  for  the  sale  of  the  lots  laid  out  in  Oswego. 

"  Provided,  that  none  of  the  said  lots  shall  be  sold 
for  a  less  sum  than  forty  dollars,  and  provided  also 
that  no  lot  on  which  there  is  a  building  of  the  value 
of  fifty  dollars  shall  be  liable  to  be  sold,  if  the  owner 
or  occupant  thereof  shall  agree  to  secure  a  deed 
therefor  and  pay  for  the  same  at  the  average  price 
of  other  lots  sold  as  aforesaid." 

The  village  was  laid  out,  and  lots  sold  on  credit 
in  1799.  Those  who  had  not  paid  up  in  1801,  had 
the  time  of  their  payment  extended  by  law.  The 
earliest  and  most  considerable  merchants  were  John 
Carpenter,  Elisha  and  Dioclesian  Alvord,  Fisher 
Curtis,  Richard  Goslin,  Richard  C.  Johnson,  and 
Davenport  Morey.  Timothy  Gilchrist,  Adam 
Trask,  and  Cornelius  Schouton,  kept  the  first 
taverns.  In  18 1 2,  there  were  three  public  houses 
and  twelve  stores  in  the  place.  These  latter,  in  addi- 
tion to  names  mentioned,  were  kept  by  Dennis 
Mayo,  Thomas  McCarthy,  Thomas  Wheeler,  Horace 
Brace,  Jonathan  and  William  Baldwin,  and  others. 
Isham  West  early  established  himself  here  as  a 
hatter.     Samuel  P.  Smith  was  a  prominent  cabinet 


262 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


maker.  Mr.  David  Brace  came  in  1794-  When  a 
boy,  he  carried  the  mail  on  horseback  from  Onon- 
daga Hollow  to  Oswego,  finding  his  way  through 
the  wilderness  by  marked  trees. 

Salina  may  not  have  been  the  belter  or  the  worse 
for  having  been  the  home  of  Dean  Richmond,  but 
it  is  a  fact  that  he  once  lived  here.  Captain  Wil- 
liam Stewart,  Dean  Richmond,  and  Russell  Buck- 
ley, carried  the  first  boat  load  of  salt  from  this  place 
to  Utica  by  the  Eric  Canal. 

After  the  Oswego  Canal  passed  through,(  1827,1 
Exchange  street  became  the  important  street  and 
center  of  business.  The  store  of  Dioclcsian  Alvord 
stood  upon  the  northwest  corner  of  Salina  and  Free 
streets,  and  was  built  of  brick  ;  that  of  F^isher 
Curtis  was  on  the  southwest  corner,  opposite.  The 
stores  of  Richard  C.  Johnson,  Davenport  Morey, 
and  Thomas  McCarthy,  stood  near  the  old  reservoir. 
The  store  of  B.  Byington  stood  upon  the  opposite 
side  of  the  street,  fronting  the  lake.  H.  Brace,  D. 
Brace,  D.  Mayo,  and  J.  Baldwin,  were  on  Salina 
street. 

Ali.MINISTRATION    OF    JUSTICE. 

Salina  at  an  early  day,  in  common  with  all  im- 
perfectly organized  frontier  settlements,  had  its  in- 
cidents of  the  administration  of  law  which  were  at 
once  amusing  and  salutary.  The  first  Justice  of 
the  Peace  was  Ryal  liingham,  Esq.,  who  moved 
to  Salina  from  Three  River  Point  in  1797.  A  good 
anecdote  is  told  of  him,  to  this  effect :  A  man  had 
been  brought  before  him  charged  with  stealing, 
whom  he  proceeded  to  try,  and  upon  evidence  found 
him  guilty.  F"logging  occurred  to  him  as  the  most 
summary  and  expeditious  method  of  punishment, 
and  perhaps  the  example  of  the  whipping  of  the 
British  spies  was  still  fresh  in  his  mind.  At  all  events, 
he  sentenced  the  man  to  receive  a  certain  number 
of  stripes  on  the  bare  back.  But  no  one  was  found 
to  execute  the  sentence  The  resolute  justice, 
however,  determined  not  to  be  defeated,  and,  assum- 
ing the  role  of  executioner  as  well  as  judge,  he  in- 
flicted the  prescribed  number  of  stripes  with  his 
own  hands,  to  the  great  discomfiture  of  the  thief. 

Andrew  Pharcs,  who  came  to  Salina  in  1796,  was 
Justice  of  the  Peace  from  1808  to  182 1.  In  1805 
he  was  commissioned  Ensign  of  a  militia  regiment. 
He  died  May  16,  1843,  aged  82  years.  His  wife, 
wtvKuih  Biles,  whom  he  brought  to  Salina  in  1797, 
with  their  daughter,  Lois  Nancy,  then  one  year  old^ 
made  a  trip  to  New  Brunswick,  N.  J  ,on  horseback 
about  the  year  1812,  when  there  was  scarcely  a 
wagon  road  in  the  whole  distance. 

David  W.  HoUister,  who  married  Ruth  Phares, 
daughter  of  the  above,  in   181 5,  came  to  Salina  in 


1808.  He  built  the  first  saw  mill  at  Geddes,  and 
was  a  soldier  in  Captain  Thomas  Wheeler's 
company  at  Oswego  in  1814.  His  son,  James  W. 
Hollister,  born  at  Geddes  in  1822,  and  who  has 
resided  within  the  present  city  of  Syracuse  since 
1828,  was  Deputy  Sherift"  from  1865  to  1877. 

Salina  Incorporated. 

The  village  of  Salina  was  incorporated  March 
12,  1824.  At  the  first  charter  election  Fisher 
Curtis,  Henry  C.  Rossiter,  James  Shankland  and 
Jonathan  R  Beach,  were  elected  Trustees.  Fisher 
Curtis  was  appointed  President  ;  Ashbel  Kellogg, 
Clerk  ;  S  R.  Mathews,  Collector  ;  Horace  Bruce, 
Treasurer,  and  J.  G.  Forbes,  Attorney  Among 
the  first  acts  of  the  Trustees  was  to  procure  a  fire 
engine,  hooks,  ladders,  and  a  general  apparatus  for 
extinguishing  fires.  The  laying  out  and  improving 
the  streets  was  also  early  attended  to  by  the  Board. 
By  the  bcok  of  records  it  appears  that  the  first 
Board  of  Trustees  were  not  unmindful  of  their  duty, 
but  went  zealously  into  the  work  assigned  them, 
and  made  many  improvements  which  laid  the^foun- 
dation  of  the  future  prosperity  of  the  village. 

In  1825,  Thomas  McCarthy,  William  Beach,  B. 
F".  Williams,  Sylvester  F.  Peck,  and  E.  M.  Knapp, 
were  elected  Trustees.  In  1826,  the  following: 
Thomas  McCarthy,  E.  M.  Knapp,  B.  F.  Williams, 
S.  F'.  Peck,  William  H.  Beach.  Trustees  ;  Thomas 
McCarthy,  President. 

The  village  of  Salina  continued  an  independent 
corporation  till  1847,  when  it  was  incorporated  in 
Syracuse,  becoming  the  First  Ward  of  the  city. 
The  institutions  which  had  their  origin  in  this  vil- 
lage and  still  continue  as  parts  of  Syracuse  are 
considered  in  the  history  of  that  city. 

LIVERPOOL. 

The  early  settlement  at  this  place  was  called 
"  Little  Ireland,"  and  was  early  a  point  of  consid- 
erable notoriety  as  a  salt  manufacturing  locality. 
The  village  was  laid  out  by  the  Surveyor-General 
and  named  Liverpool  by  the  Commissioners  of  the 
Land  Office. 

John  Danforth  was  the  first  settler  in  1794,  and 
commenced  the  manufacture  of  salt.  He  was  soon 
followed  by  Patrick  Riley,  Joseph  Gordon,  James 
Armstrong  and  Charles  Morgan.  John  O'Blennis 
made  salt  at  Green  Point  in  1794.  There  were 
many  salt  springs  which  issued  all  along  the  bank 
of  the  lake  above  the  point,  at  which  works  have 
at  different  times  been  erected. 

The  first  school  kept  at  Liverpool  was  by  a  man 
named  Conner,  in  his  salt  works,  and  the  school 
was  taught  while  he  carried  on  the  business  of  mak- 


Photo,  by  Knapp  &  Marble,  Syracuse. 


^  <Kly^^^^^^^y 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  Onondaga  Hill,  Onon- 
daga County,  April  23,  1804.  He  was  the  only  son,  in  a  family 
of  four  children,  of  Stephen  Burton  and  Olive  Burton,  both  natives 
of  Vermont.  His  father  was  aTlinan  of  liberal  education,  and  a 
graduate  of  Dartmouth  college.  Came  to  Onondaga  County,  and 
was  among  the  early  and  active  settlers  of  Onondaga  township. 
His  father  died  when  he  was  quite  young,  but  his  mother  survived 
her  husband  several  years,  dying  about  the  year  1833. 

Burr  spent  his  early  life  at  home  with  his  mother,  and  about 
four  years  with  his  uncle,  at  Darien,  N.  Y.,  and  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen resolved  to  strike  out  for  himself.  Came  to  the  village  of 
Salina  (now  first  ward  of  Syracuse),  and  became  an  apprentice  to 
the  hatter's  trade.  "When  his  time  was  completed  for  learning 
this  business,  he  went  to  Utica,  N.  Y.,  and  followed  that  business 
for  a  few  years.  Returned  to  Salina,  he  built  a  salt  block,  and 
manufactured  salt,  which  business  he  continued,  enlarging  from 
time  to  time  his  interests,  until  his  death. 

In  the  salt  interest  he  was  very  successful,  and  at  one  time  owned 
several  salt  blocks,  with  interest  in  many  others,  and  also  a  salt 
mill.  His  interest  was  .so  closely  identified  with  that  of  the  man- 
ufacture of  salt  in  Salina,  that,  upon  the  first  organization  of  a 
salt  company,  he  became  its  first  president,  and  was  one  of  its 
officials  during  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

He  was  one  of  the  directors  of  the  First  National  bank  for  a 
few  years  previous  to  his  decease.  He  erected  the  foundry,  and 
carried  on  successful  operations  for  some  twenty  years,  now  owned 
by  G.  A.  Porter  &  Co. 

In  his  early  life  he  had  neglected  the  opportunities  aftbrded  him 
for  obtaining  an  education,  and  desired  in  after-years  to  try  and 


give  to  others  what  he  himself  felt  the  want  of.  Hence  he  was 
very  liberal  in  his  views  of  education,  and  did  very  much  to  sup- 
port public  school  interests. 

He  was  warmly  attached  to  the  First  Ward  Presbyterian  church 
of  his  city,  was  trustee  of  the  same  for  many  years,  and  a  member, 
together  with  his  wife. 

Mr.  Burton  was  very  considerate  in  his  opinions,  self-reliant, 
first  determined  upon  the  right  course,  and  then  pursued  that  path 
with  unswerving  fidelity.  From  the  time  he  first  came  to  Salina 
until  his  decease,  he  stood  high  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-towns- 
men, and  was  intrusted  by  them  with  places  of  trust  and  responsi 
bllity.  Was  alderman  of  his  ward,  in  which  capacity  he  served 
to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constituents. 

In  an  unexpected  hour,  at  three  o'clock  a.m.,  he  met  his  death 
in  his  own  house  by  the  hands  of  an  assassin.  He  died,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-one  years,  on  May  4,  186.5. 

On  Oct.  29,  1829,  he  married  Miss  Laura  M.,  daughter  of  James 
S.  Brown  and  Fanny  Parkhurst,  both  natives  of  Vermont.  She 
was  next  to  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  five  children,  and  was  born 
in  New  Hampshire,  Nov.  1,  1813.  Her  parents  were  among  the 
early  settlers  of  Salina,  she  being  only  some  thirteen  years  of  age 
when  they  left  Hanover,  N.  H. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burton  have  been  born  ten  children,— Henry 
Delos  (died  young) ;  Olive  Maria  (died  at  the  age  of  four  years 
and  eleven  months) ;  Olive  Louisa  (deceased),  wife  of  Prof.  T.  H. 
Hinton,  of  Syracuse ;  Avis  Amelia  (died  in  infancy);  Wilinot 
Earll,  of  Syracuse  ;  Frances  Amelia,  wife  of  J.  H.  Childs,  of 
Syracuse  ;  Lebbeus  D.,  of  Syracuse  ;  Helen  Augusta,  wife  of  B.  C. 
Frost,  of  Oswego ;  and  Alfred  Myres,  residing  at  home. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


263 


ing  salt.  His  school  was  then  considered  the  best 
in  the  county,  and  was  denominated  "  the  high 
school!'  It  was  patronized  by  the  inhabitants  of 
Salina  and  Onondaga  Hollow, 

Liverpool  was  incorporated  as  a  village  in  1830. 
At  the  first  charter  election  the  following  Board  of 
Trustees  was  elected :  Joseph  Jaqueth,  Harvey 
Kimball,  William  Wintworth,  Sherman  Morehouse, 
John  Paddock,  Samuel  C.  Upson,  and  Caleb  Hub- 
bard. Joseph  Jaqueth  was  chosen  President,  and 
Caleb  Hubbard,  Clerk. 

The  following  have  since  officiated  as  Presidents 
of  the  village  :  Samuel  C.  Upson,  1831  ;  James 
Johnson,  1832;  John  Paddock  1833  and  1834; 
Joseph  Hasbrook,  1835;  John  Paddock,  1836;  J. 
P.  Hicks,  1837  ;  John  Pinney,  1838  ;  E.  Ladanis, 
1839;  Jared  Bassett,  1840  ;  John  Mathews,  1841 
and  1842  ;  Jared  Bassett,  1843  i  Charles  S.  Ster- 
ling, 1844;  James  Johnson,  1845  and  1846;  John 
Mathews,  1847  ^rid  1848;  Jared  Bassett,  1849; 
Isaac  Sharp,  1850;  Edward  T.  Chany,  185 1; 
Henry  Clark,  1852  ;  S.  Jaqueth,  1853  ;  P.  Barnes, 
1854;  Stephen  Van  Alstine,  1855;  Charles  W. 
Cornue,  1856  ;  A.  S.  Tracy,  1857  ;  C.  W.  Cornue, 
1858;  C.  S.  Sterling,  1859;  T.  B.  Anderson, 
i860;  J.  Bassett,  1861  and  1862  ;  T.  B.  Anderson, 
1863;  Joseph  Jaqueth,  1864;  C.  W.  Cornue, 
1865  -,  J.  T.  Crawford,  1866  ;  A.  P.  Burtch,  1867  ; 
David  A.  Brown,  1868  and  1869;  J.  J.  Moscrip, 
1870  ;  O.  C.  Gleason,  1871  ;  Tenant  Hinckley, 
1872  ;  S.  Jaqueth,  1873  ;  R.  R.  Claxton,  1874;  D. 
F.  Gillis,  1875  and    1876;  William   Gleason,  1877. 

Mrs.  Kissiah  Lee,  the  oldest  person  now  living  in 
the  town    of  Salina,  was  born  in  Pompey  in  1803, 
and  settled  at  Liverpool  in  1804. 
Churches. 

Ascension  Church,  Liverpool,  was  organized  in 
1840,  and  the  church  edifice  erected  in  1841.  The 
first  officiating  clergymen  were,  Rev.  George  D. 
Gillespie,  Rev.  S.  G.  Appleton  and  Rev.  Samuel 
Goodale.  Services  by  the  Episcopalians  were  discon- 
tinued in  this  church  after  1842. 

St  Paul's  German  Lutheran  Church  was  organ- 
ized in  1852,  and  in  the  fall  of  1853,  bought  the 
Ascension  Church  property  of  the  Episcopalians. 
The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  T.  W.  Reichenberg,  who 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  P.  Satsmidt  from  185410 
1857.     Present  pastor,  Rev.  T.  Snider. 

The  church  originally  consisted  of  nine  members, 
prominent  among  whom  were  Peter  Smidt,  de- 
ceased ;  John  Bahn,  deceased  ;  and  Martin  Weimar. 
The  present  number  is  48,  with  an  average  attend- 
ance of  80  in  the  Sunday  School.  St.  Paul's  is 
located  on  the  corner  of  Vine  and  Third  streets. 


Salem  Clairch  of  the  Evangelical  Association  of 
North  America,  wzs,  organized  in  1844;  the  same 
year  a  church  edifice  was  erected  costing  about 
$1,000.  Services  had  previously  been  held  in  the 
house  of  Mr.  George  Miller.  The  original  members 
of  the  church  were  24,  among  whom  were  George 
Miller,  Charles  Werner,  Jacob  Eberling,  John 
Backer,  L.  Traester,  P.  Wilbert,  Henry  Wilbert, 
Mr.  Petelon  and  others.     The  pastors  have  been 

Revs.  Jacob  Riegel, Margyuart,  L.  Jacobi, 

D.  Fischer,  Th.  Schneider,  William  Munz  and  A. 
Klein.  The  members  number  65,  with  70  in  the 
Sunday  School. 

The  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Liver- 
pool.— In  1820  or  182 1,  the  first  services  were  held 
in  a  district  school  house.  In  1820  the  church  was 
organized  at  Liverpool,  consisting  of  William  B. 
Harris,  Calvin  Turner,  Mrs.  Bennett,  Mrs.  Hinck- 
ley, Mrs.  Bishop,  Mrs.  Hogan,  Mrs.  Keith,  Seth 
A.  Cary,  Peter  M.  Cameron,  Jesse  Pease  and  M. 
R.  Judd. 

The  first  church  edifice  was  built  in  1826,  and 
cost  about  $1,500. 

Names  of  Pastors — Revs.  Wright  and  McCoon, 
2  years ;  Wright  and    Barnes,  2  years  ;  Ailsworth, 

2  years  ;  Seth  and  John  Youngs,  2  years  ;  Tilton, 

3  years  ;  Sutton  and  Lyon,  2  years ;  Lamb,  2 
years ;  Coop,  I  year  ;  Lyon,  i  year  ;  Downing,  i 
year ;  L.  L.  Adkins,  2  years  ;  Austin,  2  years ;  E. 
W.  R.  Allen,  2  years  ;  Fuller,  i  year  ;  Giles,  i 
year ;  Reuben  Reynolds,  2  years  ;  M.  Thrasher,  i 
year ;  D.  D.  Parker,  i  year ;  Joseph  H.  Lamb,  2 
years  ;  R.  Beadhead,  2  years  ;  P.  H.  Wiles,  2  years; 
P.  H.  Graves,  2  years  ;  Silas  Ball,  2  years  ;  L.  L. 
Palmer,  2  years  ;  F.  H.  Stanton,  3  years  ;  T.  J. 
Bissell,  21-2  years  ;  D.  W.  Rooney,  3  years  ;  J.  F. 
Andrews,  present  Pastor  since  October,  1S76. 

Number  of  members,  112.  Attendance  at  Sab- 
bath School,  about  130. 

Presbyterian  Church. — Rev.  H.  C.  Hazen,  of 
Manlius,  under  date  of  Dec.  17,  1877,  furnishes  the 
following  data  with  regard  to  this  Church  :  The 
first  services  were  held  in  the  second  story  of  the 
building  now  used  as  a  meat  market  and  grocery  by 
W.  F.  Lee.  School  was  held  during  the  week  in 
the  two  rooms  on  the  first  floor.  The  building  then 
stood  in  about  the  center  of  Washington  Park.  In 
this  building  Rev.  Phineas  Camp  preached  two 
years,  beginning  in  the  winter  of  1828-9.  The 
Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  November  9, 
1829,  and  consisted  of  nine  persons,  viz  :  John  Dick- 
son, Martha  Dickson,  Martha  O.  Dickson,  Nancy 
Paddock,  Nancy  Hicks,  Eaton  E.  Griffin,  Lucinda 
Summington,    Rebecca   Morehouse    and    Martha 


264 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Moschelle.  Mrs.  Nancy  Hicks  is  the  only  surviv- 
ing member.  The  two  men  were  immediately 
chosen  elders.  Mr.  Griffin  was  a  very  pious  young 
man,  not  yet  twenty-one  years  of  age.  "  Deacon 
Dickson,"  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  was  a  stern 
man,  very  tenacious  of  his  opinions,  and  not  the 
best  judge  of  human  nature,  but  withal  a  man  of 
such  integrity  and  piety  that  he  was  reelected  to  the 
same  responsible  office  five  times,  and  served  the 
Church  in  that  capacity  35  years.  In  1830  a  pre- 
cious revival  added  21  members  to  the  Church.  In 
1832  the  noted  evangelist  Merrick  (or  Myrick,) 
who  made  such  a  stir  in  Onondaga  County,  held  a 
protracted  meeting  at  Liverpool,  and  16  more  were 
added  to  the  Church. 

The  first  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1 841,  at 
a  cost  of  §3,000.  It  was  a  frame  house,  built  by 
James  Johnson.  Its  dimensions  were  44  by  64 
feet,  with  a  porch  of  10  feet  projection  in  front. 
The  principal  financier  in  the  erection  of  the  church, 
and  its  most  useful  and  efficient  member,  about  that 
time  and  for  years  afterwards,  was  Jonathan  P. 
Hicks.  Kind  hearted,  noble  and  generous,  the 
church  owes  him  a  great  debt  of  gratitude. 

During  the  ministry  of  Rev.  C.  W.  Hawley,  the 
present  church  edifice  was  erected.  It  cost  $1 1,500 
and  was  completed  and  dedicated  March  4,  1863. 
It  is  a  fine  brick  edifice. 

The  present  membership  is  74.  Total  member- 
ship from  the  beginning,  378.  Number  of  revivals 
in  the  history  of  the  church,  1 1.  Number  of  min- 
isters who  have  served  the  church,  18,  viz  : 

Rev.  Phineas  Camp,  Dec.  31st,  1828  ;  Mr.  Fair- 
childs,  1831  ;  Ezckiel  J.  Chapman.  1833  ;  Mr.  Hyde, 
1837;  Mr.  VVordcn,  a  few  weeks;  A.  C.  Tuttle, 
Sept.,  1841  ;  Luther  Conklin,  Dec,  1844;  Elisha 
B.  Sherwood,  July,  1846;  S.  S.  Harmon,  April. 
1851;  Joseph  Myers,  June,  25th,  1853;  Royal  A. 
Avery,  Aug.  12th,  1855  ;  Chester  \V.  Hawley, 
Jan.  6,  1861  ;  T.  E.  Davis,  Sept.,  1S64  ;  J.  V.  Hil- 
ton. June  1st.  18O5  ;  R.  T.  Searle,  Oct.  ist,  1866  ; 
F.  VV.  Spencer,  Jan.,  1869;  H.  C.  Hazen,  March 
13th,  1870;  James  S.  Root,  April,  1S77,  present 
pastor. 

PuDLic  Schools. 

District  No.  19,  of  the  town  of  Salina,  was  laid 
out  in  1839,  and  a  wooden  school  hou.se  erected  in 
1840.  First  Trustees:  Peter  Myer,  Andrew  F. 
Gowdy,  and  John  S.  Forger. 

District  No.  2,  of  the  town  of  Salina,  now  Dis- 
trict No.  I,  laid  out  in  1846,  and  present  brick 
school  house  built  the  same  year,  to  which  an  addi- 
tion was  made  in  1863. 

In  1874,  the  District  was  changed   to  the  Union 


Free  School  of  Liverpool,  according  to  Chapter 
555,  of  the  Laws  of  1864,  and  has  six  departments, 
with  an  attendance  of  250  pupils.  M.  C.  Sharp, 
Principal. 

Manufacturers. 

The  largest  industry,  next  to  the  salt  business,  is 
the  manufacture  of  Willow  Clothes-Baskets,  which 
are  made  by  the  German  families  of  the  village. 
The  annual  product  is  50,000  dozen,  and  they  are 
sold  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States. 

I.  G.  Gleasox  &  Co.  are  manufacturers  of  Burial 
Caskets  and  Coffins.  Capacity.  2,000  per  annum  ; 
seven  hands  employed  ;  established  August  i,  1877. 

G.  H.  DiF.TZ,  Saw  and  Stave  Mill  and  Barrel 
Factory  ;  established.  1854  ;  employ  12  hands  in 
mill,  20  in  cooper  shops  ;  capacity,  60,000  salt  bar- 
rels per  annum. 

Chaki.es  G.  Alvord,  Manufacturer  of  Cigars. 
Business  established  in   1874.     Employs  5  hands. 

George  Bassett,  Cigar  Manufacturer.  Em- 
ploys 6  hands.     Established  in  1872. 

Masonic. 

Charter  members  of  Liverpool  Lodge  No.  525 
F.  and  A.  M.     Instituted  August  26,  1862. 

Names  of  Charter  Members.  —  R.  J.  Chilling- 
worth,  W.  W.  Parker,  C.  S.  Wells,  A.  B.  Wells, 
T.  B.  Anderson,  James  O'Neil,  R.  Piatt,  Thomas 
Drum,  R.  B.  Claxton. 

First  Officers  of  the  Lodge — R.  J  Chilling- 
worth.  W.  M.  ;  W.  W.  Parker,  Senior  W.  ;  C.  S. 
Wells,  Junior  W.  ;  O.  C.  Gleason,  Treasurer  ;  T. 
B.  Anderson,  Secretary  ;  James  O'Neil,  Senior  D.  ; 
T.  Drum,  Junior  D.  ;  M.  Sommers,  Tiler. 

Past  Masters  of  this  Lodge— R.J.  Chillingworth, 
W.  W.  Parker.  O.  C.  Gleason,  George  Baxter,  C. 
A.  Fargo. 

Present  Officers  of  the  Lodge — O.  C.  Gleason, 
W.  M.  ;  W.  H.  Beebe,  Senior  W. ;  A.  W.  Aiken, 
Junior  W.  ;  M.  Latimore.  Treasurer  ;  C.  A.  P'argo. 
Secretary  ;  A.  Lyke,  Senior  D.  ;  J.  Chillingworth. 
Junior  D.  ;  J.  Bordcs,  Tiler  ;  Frank  Benscher, 
Senior  M.  of  C.  ;  Charles  Pease.  Junior  M.  of  C. 

Present  Trustees — Thomas  Hand.  C.  S.  Sterling, 
R.  B.  Claxton. 


BioG[(APHic/L  Sketches. 

MILES   ADAMS. 

Miles  Adams  was  born  at  Nine  Partners,  Dutchess 
county.  N.  Y.,  November  9,  1798,  and  was  the 
youngest  in  the  family  of  fourteen  children  of  John 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


265 


(MILES     ADAMS.) 

and  Hannah  Adams,  who  were  early  settlers  in 
Dutchess  county.  His  parents  moved  to  Washing- 
ton county  when  he  was  five  years  old.  Owing  to 
their  indigent  circumstances  he  was  thrown  on  his 
own  resources  at  the  age  often  years.  In  1822, he 
went  to  Saratoga,  where  he  was  employed  on  the 
canal.  In  1824,  he  came  to  Onondaga  county  with 
his  family  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Onondaga, 
where  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  wild  land.  At 
the  end  of  six  years  he  sold  out  and  bought  a  farm 
in  Otisco,  upon  which  he  remained  nine  years, 
when  he  again  sold  out  and  bought  the  farm  upon 
which  he  now  resides.  In  September,  1821,  he 
married  Isabella,  daughter  of  Nathan  and  Sally 
Tefift,    of    Washington    county.       They   had    two 


(MRS.     MILES     ADAMS.) 

children  born  to  them,  viz  :  Willard  L.  and  Sarah 
L,  both  of  whom  are  deceased.  Mr.  Adams  has 
been  Supervisor  of  the  town  of  Salina  and  has  held 
many  other  town  offices,  which  he  filled  to  the  satis- 
faction of  his  constituents.  For  many  years  he  has 
been  a  leading  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and 
has  the  reputation  of  being  exceedingly  liberal  in 
its  support.  He  has  passed  through  life  thus  far 
without  a  syllable  of  reproach  or  calumny.  In  all 
his  business  transactions  it  has  been  his  aim  to 
follow  the  Golden  Rule,  and  "  do  to  others  as  he 
would  have  others  do  to  him."  Temperate,  generous 
and  conscientious,  his  last  years  are  passing  away 
in  the  sweet  consciousness  of  having  led  an  upright 
life. 


JOHN  PADDOCK. 

John  Paddock  was  born  in  Herkimer  county,  N. 
Y.,  in  February,  1805,  and  was  the  second  child  in 
the  family  of  five  children  of  John  and  Nancy 
[Richardson]  Paddock. 

His  father,  who  was  a  prominent  merchant  of 
Herkimer  county,  moved  to  Watertown,  Jefferson 
county,  when  his  son  John  was  one  year  old.  After 
having  followed  the  mercantile  business  for  several 
years,  he  went  to  Brownville,  where  he  died  in 
1816,  having  been  Sheriff  of  the  county,  and  one 
of  its  most  respected  citizens. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  passed  his  boyhood 
days  in  Brownville  until  eleven  years  old,  when  he 
went  to  Watertown,  where  he  remained  till  twenty- 
36* 


one  years  of  age,  obtaining  in  the  meantime  a  good 
practical  business  education. 

In  1826,  he  came  to  Liverpool,  town  of  Salina, 
and  at  once  commenced  the  manufacture  of  salt  in 
connection  with  farming.  After  a  few  years  he  be- 
came engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  which  he 
followed  successfully  for  many  years.  In  the  year 
1 83 1  he  married  Martha  O.  Dickson,  who  died  in 
the  year  1832.  For  his  second  wife  he  married 
Emeline,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Hasbrouck, 
who  settled  in  Marcellus  in  1809.  The  fruit  of  this 
union  was  five  children,  all  of  whom  are  deceased. 

Upon  the  incorporation  of  the  village  of  Liver- 
pool in  1830,  he  was  one  of  the  Trustees  and  was 
elected  President  in  1833,  and  was  reelected  in  1834 


266 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


and  1836.  In  1859,  he  was  elected  Supervisor  of 
the  town  of  Salina,  being  the  only  Republican 
Supervisor  elected  from  that  town  for  fifteen  years. 
As  a  merchant  he  was  strictly  conscientious  and 
honorable  in  his  transactions.  Possessing  a  natural 
talent  for  trade,  he  was  enabled  at  the  close  of  a 
term  of  18  years,  by  judicious  management,  to  retire 


with  a  sufficient  competence  to  meet  all  the  legit- 
imate wants  of  his  declining  years. 

Mr.  I'addock  has  been  identified  with  Liverpool 
for  more  than  half  a  century,  and  has  been  steadily 
and  earnestly  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  the  place. 
His  whole  life  has  been  characterized  by  remarkable 
energy  and  prudence. 


GEDDES. 


This  town  and  village  derive  their  name  from 
Hon.  James  Geddes,  who  first  visited  Onondaga  in 
1792.  He  returned  and  formed  a  company  in 
Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  for  the  purpose  of  manu- 
facturing salt,  and  in  the  year  1793  came  on  from 
that  place  by  way  of  Seneca  Lake  and  River  to 
fix  upon  a  location  for  his  works.  He  selected  a 
site  at  the  head  of  the  lake  where  a  portion  of  the 
village  of  Geddes  now  stands,  and  took  possession 
of  it  in  April,  1794.  The  other  members  of  the 
company  came  on  in  the  month  of  June  following. 
(Sec  History  of  the  Salt  Interest.) 

At  the  time  Mr.  Geddes  settled  here  the  Salt 
Works  at  Salina  were  accessible  only  by  a  road 
from  Onondaga  Hollow,  passing  through  a  swamp 
which  is  now  Syracuse.  It  became  necessary  for 
the  company  at  Geddes  to  connect  with  this  road, 
and  by  the  aid  of  moneys  from  a  road  fund  in  the 
hands  and  under  the  control  of  three  County  Com- 
missioners, and  by  large  contributions,  Mr.  Geddes 
made  the  road  from  his  village  to  the  road  from 
Onondaga  Hollow  to  Salt  Point,  cutting  a  part  of 
the  timber  with  his  own  hands.  The  owners  of  the 
Salt  Works  at  Salt  Point  were  not  at  all  friendly  to 
their  new  neighbors,  whom  they  considered  in  the 
light  of  rivals,  and  carried  their  resentment  so  far 
as  to  withhold  assistance  in  raising  a  bridge  over 
Onondaga  Creek,  and  to  throw  out  hints  that  it 
could  not  be  raised  without  them,  l^ut  necessity 
became  the  mother  of  invention,  and  made  the  re- 
sources of  the  directors  more  fruitful  than  their 
most  sanguine  friends  had  anticipated.  The  first 
bent  was  put  together  and  shoved  off  the  bank  of 
the  creek,  the  mud-sills  being  placed  at  the  foot  of 
the  bank,  and  by  levers  was  so  managed  that  one 
man  could  e.vercise  the  power  of  many  applied  in 
the  ordinary  manner.  The  bent  was  set  upright, 
the  stringers  from  the  top  of  the  bank  to  the  bent 
placed,  and  so  much  planked  over,  affording  a  foun- 


dation from  which  the  next  bent  was  raised,  and  so 
on  till  the  bridge  was  finished  and  the  road  com- 
pleted. 

Mr.  Geddes  continued  at  his  first  landing  place 
only  about  four  years,  when  he  located  on  the  farm 
now  occupied  by  his  son,  Hon.  George  Geddes, 
Fairmount.  (See  Biography  of  Hon.  James 
Geddes.; 

In  1799,  Mr.  Freeman  Hughs,  from  Westfield, 
Massachusetts,  located  at  Geddes.  He  was  then 
only  eighteen  years  of  age.  The  only  buildings 
then  in  the  place  were  the  Salt  Works,  which  had 
been  abandoned.  Here  Mr.  Hughs  took  up  his 
abode  three  days  and  three  nights,  all  alone,  and 
not  an  individual  nearer  than  Salt  Point— a  lonely 
time  indeed,  considering  the  state  of  the  country, 
the  dark  and  dreary  swamps,  the  wolves,  bears  and 
wild-cats,  by  which  he  was  surrounded.  Hut  Mr. 
Hughs,  young  as  he  was,  had  an  eye  to  business. 
During  his  residence  at  Geddes  he  filled  almost 
every  station  connected  with  the  salt  business.  He 
bored  for  salt,  pumjjed  the  brine,  constructed 
pumps,  made  and  laid  aqueducts,  tubed  wells,  boiled 
salt,  made  barrels,  packed  salt,  inspected  it  for  six 
years,  was  a  receiver  of  duties  for  two  years,  boated 
salt,  and  as  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  tried  those 
who  had  evaded  the  payment  of  duties  The  bal- 
ance of  his  useful  life  was  spent  in  Geddes,  where 
he  died  some  ten  years  since  highly  esteemed  and 
respected  as  a  citizen  and  a  man. 

One  of  the  earliest  and  greatest  improvements 
about  the  village  of  Geddes  was  the  construction  of 
a  road  from  that  place  to  Salina,  across  a  piece  of 
ground  which  was  a  perfect  quagmire,  filled  with 
thick  cedar  timber  and  low  brush-wood.  It  was  so 
miry,  so  thick  with  underbrush,  and  so  much  cov- 
ered with  water,  that  it  was  completely  impassable, 
and  could  not  be  surveyed  by  the  ordinary  methods. 
The  plan  adopted  by  the  surveyor  was  to  set    his 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


267 


compass  at  the  house  of  Samuel  R.  Mathews,  at 
Salina,  and  take  the  bearing  of  Mr.  Hugh's  chim- 
ney above  the  trees  on  the  Geddes  side.  From  this 
observation  the  route  of  the  road  was  commenced, 
by  cutting  brush  and  laying  them  crosswise  on  the 
line  of  the  road,  and  covering  them  with  earth.  The 
process  was  slow,  but  time  and  perseverance  result- 
ed at  last  in  an  excellent  road,  perfectly  straight, 
between  the  two  villages.  The  clearing  of  the 
swamp  lands  ordinarily  cost  about  one  hundred  dol- 
lars an  acre,  the  surface  being  covered  with  logs 
mixed  with  peat  to  the  depth  of  six  feet,  and  stumps 
sometimes  far  below  that. 

James  Lamb  built  the  first  frame  house  in  Ged- 
des in  1803  and  kept  a  tavern. 

At  the  time  of  the  first  settlement  an  old  military 
road  was  traceable  across  the  Onondaga  valley  at 
Geddes.  It  was  cut  through  by  a  party  of  about 
two  hundred  men  sent  from  Fort  Schuyler  to  aid 
General  Sullivan  in  his  Indian  campaign  of  1779. 
The  road  extended  to  the  Seneca  River  below  Mon- 
tezuma, along  which  traces  of  the  march  of  these 
Revolutionary  soldiers  were  plain  to  be  seen,  young 
trees  having  been  cut  close  to  the  ground  and 
bushes  in  many  places  filled  into  the  path.  Mr. 
Clark  refers  to  several  Revolutionary  soldiers  in  at- 
testation of  this  fact,  •'  and  particularly  a  Mr.  Ho- 
bart,  late  of  Salina,  who  was  one  of  the  expedition." 

Harbor  Brook  in  this  town  is  also  associated  with 
Revolutionary  reminiscences.  Sir  John  Johnson, 
in  1779,  with  his  Tories  and  Indian  allies,  made  an 
incursion  into  the  Mohawk  Valley.  The  party 
forming  the  expedition  proceeded  from  Niagara 
along  the  Ontario  Lake  shore  to  Oswego  and  up 
the  river  to  Onondaga  Lake.  For  fear  of  discov- 
ery, if  their  boats  were  left  on  the  lake  shore,  they 
ran  them  up  this  small  stream  among  the  thick 
bushes  and  brakes.  A  party  was  sent  from  Fort 
Schuyler  to  destroy  them,  but  did  not  succeed  in 
ascertaining  where  they  were  concealed  ;  during  the 
search  they  were  surprised  and  taken  prisoners  to 
Canada.  On  the  first  night  of  their  departure,  they 
encamped  at  Three  River  Point,  where  the  prison- 
ers were  bound  and  tied  to  trees  till  morning.  Capt. 
Patrick  McGee  was  one  of  the  prisoners,  and  was 
so  much  pleased  with  the  beauty  of  the  place  at 
this  time  at  the  junction  of  the  rivers,  that  at  the 
close  of  the  war  he  selected  it  for  his  residence, 
spent  the  residue  of  his  life  there,  and  was  buried 
on  the  spot  he  had  selected  under  such  very  pecu- 
liar circumstances. 

Organization  of  the  Town. 
In   1848,  Geddes   was  erected  into   a   town    by 


itself,  including  all  that  part  of  the  town  of  Salina 
west  of  the  lake  not  embraced  in  the  city  of  Syra- 
cuse. The  first  election  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Stephen  W.  Smith,  on  the  fourth  Tuesday  in  March, 
1848.  Elijah  W.  Curtis  was  elected  Supervisor; 
Edgar  Vrooman,  Town  Clerk  ;  George  E.  Teftt, 
Henry  G.  Stiles,  and  James  H.  Luther,  Justices  of 
the  Peace.  (Charles  Carpenter,  Justice  for  the 
village,  had  been  previously  elected.)  Horace  Ellis 
and  George  E.  Tefft  were  elected  Assessors  ; 
Christopher  Kitts,  Collector  ;  Edwin  R,  Smith  and 
Albina  Woolson,  Overseers  of  the  Poor  ;  Ogden  H. 
Osborn  and  Ervin  Hammond,  Superintendents  of 
Schools  ;  Thomas  Owen,  Horace  Bailey,  Guy  Terry, 
and  Richard  Barrett,  Constables:  William  W. 
Tripp,  Matthew  Van  Vleck,  and  Harvey  Stewart, 
Inspectors  of  Election. 

In  1849,  Henry  G.  Stiles  was  elected  Supervisor  ; 
William  Punderson,  Town  Clerk.  Justices — George 
E.  Tefft,  (to  fill  a  vacancy,)  Simeon  Spaulding,  (reg- 
ular term,)  and  Horace  Ellis.  Superintendent  of 
Schools — Thomas  S.  Truair.  Overseers  of  the 
Poor — Edwin  R.  Smith  and  Albina  Woolson.  For 
the  complete  official  list  of  the  town  since  1849, 
the  reader  is  referred  to  the  town  records  in  the 
hands  of  the  present  Town  Clerk,  Mr.  E.  R.  Smith, 
of  the  village  of  Geddes.  These  records  being 
kept  in  a  separate  place,  escaped  the  fire  which 
consumed  the  village  records  in  1850. 

VILLAGE  OF  GEDDES. 

The  village  of  Geddes  appears  to  have  been  par- 
tially laid  out  as  early  as  1807.  In  the  Survej'or- 
General's  office  at  Albany  is  a  map,  No.  407,  en- 
titled a  "  Map  of  the  village  laid  out  at  the  settle- 
ment commonly  called  Geddes  Works,  Onondaga 
county,  with  the  pasture  and  marsh  lot  belonging 
to  the  manufacturers  at  said  village.  Surveyed  for 
William  Kirkpatrick,  Esq.,  Superintendent,  by 
James  Geddes,  December  31,  1807."  Mr.  Kirk- 
patrick was  then  Superintendent  of  the  Salt  Springs, 
and  the  "  manufacturers  "  referred  to  were  those 
making  salt  at  that  time  at  Geddes.  The  lands 
then  belonged  to  the  State  and  were  laid  out  into 
village  lots,  pasture  lots,  marsh  lots,  &c.,  for  the 
convenience  of  the  salt  makers. 

The  first  plot  of  Geddes  laid  out  and  mapped  in 
1807,  contained  some  twenty  lots  along  both  sides 
of  Genesee  street.  The  village  was  resurveyed 
and  mapped  by  Mr.  Geddes  in  1812,  and  enlarged 
in  1 82 1.  (Map  No.  248,  Secretary  of  State's 
Office,  Albany.)  In  1822,  Mr.  John  Randel,*  Jr., 
Deputy  Surveyor- General,  laid  out  the  village  of 

*  So  spelled  on  the  original  maps  in  the  Salt  Office  at  Syracuse 


268 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Geddes  substantially  as  it  is  at  present.  The 
streets  were  laid  out  loo  feet  wide.  Genesee 
street  has  since  been  straightened,  and  some  other 
trifling  changes  made. 

John  Randel,  Jr..  surveyed  the  whole  Salt 
Springs  Reservation,  except  the  "  Walton  Tract." 
and  made  the  first  map  of  it.  He  began  his  sur- 
vey in  1821  and  finished  it  in  1824. 

The  village  was  incorporated  by  act  of  the 
Legislature  passed  April  20.  1832.  (Chapter  185. 1 
The  first  election  of  officers  took  place  on  the  first 
Tuesday  in  June  following,  or  such  at  least  was  the 
time  appointed  by  the  act  of  incorporation.  Un- 
fortunately the  village  records  were  destroyed  by 
fire  on  the  night  of  the  8th  of  February.  1850,  and 
it  is  now  impossible  to  ascertain  who  the  first  vil- 
lage officers  were.  None  of  the  old  citizens  now 
living  in  the  village,  nor  any  one  of  whom  we  can 
hear,  has  any  definite  or  reliable  recollection  on  the 
subject,  and  after  diligent  inquiry,  we  have  been 
obliged  to  abandon  the  hope  of  rescuing  them  from 
oblivion. 

Elijah  W.  Curtis,  Esq.,  a  prominent  citizen,  and 
the  first  lawyer  in  Geddes,  was  member  of  Assembly 
in  1832,  and  drew  up  the  village  charter.  Other 
prominent  names  were  John  Dodge  and  Joel  Dick- 
inson, merchants.  Probably  some  of  these,  if  not 
all.  officiated  at  an  early  time  as  Trustees  of  the 
village.  From  1850  the  records  arc  complete  and 
furnish  the  following  list  of  village  officers  : 
Trustees. 

Simeon  Sp.iulding,  Stephen  W.  Smith,  Isaac  R.  Pha- 
ris,  .■Mbina  Woolson. — 1850. 

Daniel  I).  Smith,  R.  Nelson  Gere.  Edgar  Vrooman, 
Daniel  C'oykendall,  .Mbina  Woolson. — 1851. 

Thomas  Sammons,  Joel  F.  Paige,  Hiram  Slade,  Sul- 
livan H.  Morse,  John  Whiting.— 1852. 

Joel  F.  Paige,  .-Mbina  Woolson,  Joseph  Sheppard,Jr. 
Thomas  Robinson,  William  W.  Tripp. — 1853. 

Klijah  W.  Curtis,  Daniel  Coykendall,  Edgar  Vroo- 
man, Wm.  J.  Sammons,  John  Y.  Phares. — 1854. 

Elijah  W.  Curtis,  Daniel  Coykendall,  Wm.  J.  Sam- 
mons, .Mills  P.  Pharis,  Wm.   Boulian.— 1855. 

Thomas  Sammons,  R.  Nelson  Gere,  Isaac  R.  Pharis, 
Henry  Duncan,  Elijah  W.  Curtis. — 1856. 

James  W.  Patten,  A.  Cadwell  Belden,  Henry  Case. 
John  D.  Stanard,  Henry  Duncan. — 1857. 

B.  F.  Willey,  E.  R.  Smith,  Wm.  J.  Sammons,  Nor- 
man Vrooman,  Wm.  W.   Tripp.— 1858. 

Wm.  H.  Farrar,  Burlingame  Harris,  R.  Nelson  Gere, 
Francis  H.  Nye,  Ferris  Hubbell.— 1859. 

Francis  H.  Nye,  R.  Nelson  Gere,  Gardner  Woolson, 
Harvey  Stewart,  Joel   F.  Paige.— 1860. 

Joel  F.  Paige,  R.  Nelson  Gere,  Francis  H.  Nye, 
Gardner  Woolson,  Harvey  Stewart. — 1861. 

Joel  F.  Paige,  Harvey  Stewart,  P'rancis  H.  Nye,  R. 
Nelson  Gere,  Isaac  R.  Pharis.— 1862. 

Joel  F.  Paige,  Harvey  Stewart,  Stephen  W.  Smith, 
Perry  C.  Rude,  Hiram  Slade.— 1863. 

Thomas  Robinson,  Mills  P.  Pharis,  Richard  G.  Joy, 
Wm.  H.  H.  Gere,  Wm.  D.  Coykendall.— 1864. 


Thomas  Robinson,  Mills  P.  Pharis,  Richard  G.  Joy, 
Wm.  H.  H.  Gere,  W.  D.  Coykendall.— 1865. 

Samuel  E.  Barker,  Harvey  Stewart,  Charles  F.  Gere, 
Gilbert  Sweet,  John  V.  Phares.— 1866. 

1867 — New  Charter. 

R.  Nelson  Gere,  Mead   Belden,   Samuel  E.  Barker. 

—  1S67. 

Samuel  E  Barker,  Mead  Belden,  Charles  E.  Pharis. 

—  1S68. 

Samuel  E.  Barker,  Charles  E.  Pharis,  Mead  Belden. 
—1869. 

Charles  E.  Pharis,  Mead  Belden,  Reuben  C.  Holmes- 

—  1870. 

Mead  Belden,  Reuben  C  Holmes,  Charles  E.  Pharis. 

—  1S71. 

Reuben  C.  Holmes,  Charles  E.  Pharis,  Mead  Belden. 
-1872. 

Charles  E.  Pharis,  Mead  Belden,  Reuben  C.  Holmes. 

—  '873- 

Mead  Belden,  Reuben  C.  Holmes,  Terrence  E.  Ho- 
gan.— 1874. 

Reuben  C.  Holmes,  Terrence  E.  Hogan,  Richard 
Tremain. — 1875. 

Terrence  E.  Hogan,  Richard  Tremain,  George  C. 
Gere.— 1876. 

Richard  Tremain,  George  C.  Gere,  George  A.  Cool. 
-1877. 

Clerks. 

J.*W.  Woodard,  1850;  James  H.  Luther,  1851; 
Ferris  Hubbell,  1852  ;  Edgar  Vrooman,  1853  j  Charles 
E.  Pharis,  1854;  Ferris  Hubbell,  1855  ;  N.  Stanton 
Gere,  1856;  Stephen  Duncan,  1858;  E.  R.  Smith, 
1859,  to  the  present  time,  except  1863,  when  B.  G. 
Lewis  was  Clerk. 

Postmasters. 

The  following  persons,  in  the  order  named,  have  held 
the  office  of  Postmaster  in  the  village  of  Geddes  :  Da- 
vid W.  Hollister  :  Elijah  W.  Curtis  ;  Joel  Dickinson  ; 
Simeon  Spaulding  ;  Thomas  Sammons  ;  Simeon  Spauld- 
ing ;  Fwris  Hubbell;  Simeon  Spaulding;  Hubbard 
Manzer,  present  incumbent,  (1877.) 

JiJSTicES  OF  the  Peace. 

The  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  was  Henry  Lake, 
Esq.  Since  him  the  following  named  gentlemen 
have  filled  that  office  in  the  town  and  village : 
Thomas  Sammons,  Simeon  Spaulding,  four  years; 
William  W.  Tripp,  four  years  ;  Charles  Carpenter, 
four  years  ;  James  H.  Luther,  four  years  ;  Simeon 
Spaulding,  thirty-one  years  in  succession  to  January 
I,  1878. 

The  present  Justices  in  the  town  of  Geddes  are 
James  T.  Hamilton,  Henry  Jerome  and  William  D. 
Coykendall. 

Simeon  Spaulding,  Esq.,  and  William  W.  Tripp, 
Esq.,  are  the  oldest  citizens  now  residing  in  the  vil- 
lage. Both  came  to  Geddes  in  1825.  John  Y. 
Phares,  still  living  here,  is  an  old  and  prominent 
resident.  Ferris  Hubbell  came  here  from  1825  to 
1830,  and  is  still  a  resident  of  the  village.  John  G. 
Dodge,  Charles  L.  Skinner  and  Joel  Dickinson 
were  early  merchants — the  last  named  acting  as 
agent  for  James  Mann. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Paj'ston,  Washington 
Co.,  Vt.,  July  24,  1826. 

He  was  next  to  the  youngest  child,  in  a  family  of  eight  children, 
of  Elliot  Porter  and  Sidney  Ward,  the  former  a  native  of  Hart- 
ford, the  latter  a  native  of  Poultney,  Vt.,  and  a  daughter  of 
Judge  William  Ward,  an  official  in  the  oflSce  of  judge  of  Rut- 
land Co.,  Vt.,  for  some  twenty-two  years. 

His  father  was  limited  pecuniarily,  and  was  unable  to  give  his 
children  anything  more  than  the  advantages  of  the  district  school. 
Wilfred  spent  his  time  until  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age  on  the 
farm,  and  attending  school  winters;  at  which  time  he  commenced 
studying  falls  and  springs,  and  teaching  winters,  attending  the 
academies  at  Montpelier  and  Bakersfleld,  and  working  on  the  farm 
during  the  summer  months  until  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age. 

As  early  as  fifteen  he  had  set  his  mind  upon  the  medical  pro- 
fession for  life,  and  therefore  bent  all  his  energies  in  that 
direction.  Having  studied  medicine  some  time  previously,  he,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two,  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  G.  M.  Brigham,  of 
Waitsileld,  Vt.,  and  began  the  study  of  medicine,  which  he  con- 
tinued summers,  teaching  school  falls  and  winters  for  one  year 
and  a  half,  when  he  entered  the  medical  college  at  Woodstock, 
where  he  remained  one  term,  and  afterwards  at  Castleton,  Vt., 
for  two  terms,  graduating  from  that  college  in  the  fall  of  18")1. 

During  the  same  year  he  came  to  S3'racuse  and  entered  the 
office  of  Dr.  Hiram  Hoyt,  where  he  remained  temporarily  for  a 
short  time,  and  on  May  10,  1852,  entered  the  school  at  Geddes  as 
principal  teacher,  which  position  he  held  for  one  year,  and  May 
16,  1853,  opened  an  office  in  that  place  to  prosecute  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  which  he  has  continued  until  tlie  time  of  the  writing 
of  this  brief  sketch. 

At  the  beginning  of  his  practice  in  Geddes,  as  is  common  with 
young  practitioners,  his  anxiety  was  great  to  be  well  established 
in  the  minds  of  the  people  as  to  his  ability  and  skill  in  medi- 
cine, which  was  overcome  to  a  large  extent  during  the  first  year. 

Dr.  Porter  resolved  to  win  his  way  fairly,  although  often  met 
by  older  and  more  experienced  medical  men.  At  the  close  of  his 
first  year,  the  resident  doctor  of  Geddes  died,  leaving  him  in  full 
possession  of  the  field.     Dr.  Porter  rose  rapidly  in  the  confidence 


of  the  people,  and  by  integrity  of  purpose  and  honest  dealing 
grew  into  a  very  large  and  lucrative  practice,  which  he  carried  on 
lor  fifteen  years,  as  it  were,  alone,  after  which  he  had  partners  in 
the  practice  of  medicine. 

His  practice  gradually  extended  to  the  city  of  Syracuse,  when, 
in  1875,  the  demand  upon  him  for  medical  treatment  from  that  city 
became  so  great  that  he  opened  an  office  there,  which  he  alter- 
nately attends  upon,  with  his  home  office  in  Geddes.  He  has  been 
for  twenty-five  years  a  member  of  the  Onondaga  County  medical 
society,  and  for  one  term  its  president,  and  a  permanent  member 
of  the  New  York  State  medical  society  ;  also  a  member  of  the 
American  medical  association. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  College  of  Medicine  of  Syracuse 
University,  in  1872,  he  was  appointed  clinical  professor  of  obstet- 
rics and  gynaacology.  Having  filled  the  chair  of  professor  during 
the  first  year,  at  the  end  of  that  time  Dr.  Porter  was  appointed 
professor  of  obstetrics  and  gynaecology,  which  position  he  still 
retains. 

His  skill  in  the  treatment  of  diseases  has  won  for  him  a  posi- 
tion in  the  esteem  of  the  people  to  be  envied  by  young  practi- 
tioners, and  his  indomitable  perseverance  and  endurance  of  body 
has  enabled  him  to  gratify,  in  a  great  measure,  the  laudable  am- 
bition of  his  earlier  years — to  be  among  the  first  in  his  profession. 

Dr.  Porter  was  one  of  the  first  movers  in  the  organization  and 
establishment  of  a  university  at  Syracuse,  and  since  its  beginning 
has  been  a  trustee  and  closely  identified  with  all  its  interests. 

He  has  been  largely  identified  with  the  public  schools  of  his 
town  since  his  first  residence  there,  being  superintendent  of  the 
schools  of  the  town  for  some  two  years,  and  trustee  of  the  village 
school  for  some  twenty-five  years,  also  being  president  of  the  board 
of  education. 

Dr.  Porter  and  his  wife  are  warmly  attached  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  are  not  only  liberal  supporters  of  the  same, 
but  of  any  enterprise  looking  to  the  building  up  of  good  society. 

In  the  year  1853,  Nov.  lo,  he  married  Miss  Jane,  daughter  of 
Simeon  Draper  and  Clarissa  Stone,  of  Geddes. 

By  this  union  he  had  five  children,  Clara  A.,  George  D.  (de- 
ceased), Wilfred  W.,  Jr.,  Jane,  and  Louie. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


269 


Dr.  Salmon  Thayer  was  the  first  regular  phy- 
sician, and  came  here  from  Onondaga.  Dr.  David 
M.  Benson  came  afterwards,  and  practiced  here  till 
his  death.     He  died  in  1854. 

Population. 

The  growth  of  the  village  of  Geddes  has  been 
remarkable.  In  1868  it  contained  less  than  one 
thousand  inhabitants.  Now  it  is  the  largest  incor- 
porated village  in  the  county,  and  contains  a  popu- 
lation of  5,408. 

Manufactures. 

Some  of  the  heaviest  manufacturing  establish- 
ments in  this  section  are  located  in  Geddes.  They 
are  the  following  : 

Onondaga  Iron  Company,  north  of  the  canal, 
near  Quince  street.  J.  J.  Belden,  President ; 
R.  Nelson  Gere,  Vice-President ;  W.  H.  H.  Gere, 
Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

Onondaga  Pottery  Company,  Furnace  corner  of 
School  street.     N.  Stanton  Gere,  President  ;  Chas. 

E.  Hubbell,  Vice-President ;  George  Oliver,  Gen- 
eral Manager. 

Sanderson  Bro's  Steel  Company,  south  of  Mag- 
nolia street.  Capital  ^450,000.  Robert  B.  Camp- 
bell, New  York,  President ;  Samuel  Wm.  Johnson, 
New  York,  Secretary  ;  Wm.  A.  Sweet,  Syracuse, 
General  Manager. 

Syracuse  Iron  Works,  Furnace,  north  of  Mag- 
nolia street,  Gedtles.  R.  Nelson  Gere,  President ; 
Charles  E.  Hubbell,  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

Sterling  Iron  Ore  Company,  north  of  the  canal 
near  Quince  street.  J.  J.  Belden,  President ;  A. 
J.  Belden,  Vice-President. 

The  above  works  will  be  found  written  up  fully 
under  the  head  of  Syracuse  Manufactures. 

Geddes  has  also  the  following  Salt  Companies  : 
Western  Coarse  Salt  Company,  Turk's  Island 
Coarse  Salt  Company,  Geddes  Coarse  Salt  Com- 
pany, Union  Coarse  Salt  Company,  Cape  Cod 
Coarse  Salt  Company  ;  W.  &  D.  Kirkpatrick,  No, 
7  Wieting  Block ;  James  M.  Gere  and  others ; 
Draper  &  Porter,  W.  B.  Boyd  ;  Mrs.  S.  O.  Ely,  J. 

F,  Paige. 

Public  Schools. 

The  founders  of  the  village  of  Geddes  showed 
their  appreciation  of  education  by  reserving  a  lot  for 
a  public  school  house  east  of  the  park  or  public 
square,  on  which  a  log  school  house  was  first  built 
among  the  cabins  of  the  primitive  settlers.  This 
was  superceded  by  a  brick  school  house  at  an  early 
day,  but  only  of  sufficient  dimensions  to  answer  a 
temporary  purpose.  The  narrow  street  or  lane 
running  from  the  public  square  east  close  to  the 
37 


residence  of  William  W.  Tripp,  Esq.,  was  opened 
as  a  means  of  access  to  the  school.  Simeon  Spauld- 
ing,  Esq.,  taught  school  in  this  house  in  1825,  and 
again  in  1833  and  in  1836.  In  1846,  it  was  torn 
down  and  the  school  temporarily  kept  in  the  base- 
ment of  the  Episcopal  Church  on  the  square, 
while  the  new  school  house  which  stood  on  the  site 
of  the  present  elegant  Union  Free  School  building 
was  being  got  ready.  This  house  was  finished  and 
occupied  and  was  the  principal  school  building  of 
the  village  till  the  completion  of  the  present  build- 
ing in  1870. 

Up  to  1862,  the  schools  of  the  village  had  been 
conducted  under  the  old  rate  bill  system,  the  dis- 
advantages of  which  were  so  painfully  felt  that  Dr. 
W.  W.  Porter,  then  President  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  resolved,  with  the  concurrence  of  the 
Board  and  the  District,  to  effect  a  reorganization 
under  the  law  providing  for  the  establishment  of 
Union  Free  Schools,  passed  in  1853.  A  meeting 
for  that  purpose  was  accordingly  called,  and  Dr. 
Porter  personally  distributed  the  notices  to  all  the 
electors  of  the  district.  At  the  meeting  it  was 
found  that  one  more  vote  was  wanted  to  constitute 
the  majority  required  by  the  law.  Dr.  Porter  went 
out  and  brought  in  another  elector  from  one  oi 
the  stores,  whose  vote  in  the  affirmative  carried  the 
day  in  favor  of  the  Union  Free  School. 

This  district  is  now  known  as  the  Union  Free 
School  District  No.  3,  town  of  Geddes.  The  law 
under  which  it  has  been  established  is  a  recognition 
of  the  free  school  principle  involved  in  the  old  law 
of  March  26,  1849,  ^^^  which  after  having  been 
twice  ratified  by  the  people  of  the  State,  was  re- 
pealed, and  the  old  rate  bill  system  reestablished, 
in  April,  1851. 

Ebenezer  Butler,  now  of  Whitehall,  Washington 
county,  this  State,  was  Principal  in  1864,  and  was 
succeeded  by  J.  W.  Hooper  in  1865,  who  continued 
to  act  as  the  efficient  Principal  of  the  schools  till 
January  i,  1871,  when  he  resigned  to  take  the 
office  of  School  Commissioner,  to  which  he  had 
been  previously  elected.  He  was  reelected,  and  is 
now  serving  on  his  second  term.  Mr.  Hooper 
took  the  school  in  1865  with  210  pupils  and  4 
teachers,  and  left  it  at  the  close  of  1870  with  960 
pupils  and  19  teachers. 

In  1870,  the  present  school  building  was  erected. 
It  is  of  brick,  three  stories  and  basement,  heated 
throughout  by  steam,  and  cost  $26,000.  It  has 
two  large  seating  rooms  on  each  floor,  with  two 
recitation  rooms  adjoining  each,  and  will  accommo- 
date about  1,000  pupils. 

The  schools  are  graded  in  three  departments— 


270 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


I'rimary,  Junior  and  Senior— occupying  respectively 
the  lower,  middle  and  upper  floors.  A  Winter  De- 
partment has  been  organized  in  the  basement  of 
the  building  for  the  accommodation  of  about  lOO 
boys  who  cannot  attend  school  during  summer. 
This  department  opens  December  i.  In  addition 
to  this  main  building,  there  arc  two  branch  primary 
schools — one  situated  on  Magnolia  street,  with  ac- 
commodations for  200  pupils,  and  the  other  on 
J'razer  street,  with  accommodations  for  i8o  pupils. 

The  corps  of  teachers  now  number  25,  including 
male  principals  of  the  General  and  Winter  Depart- 
ments, the  rest  being  lady  teachers,  23  in  number. 
The  whole  number  of  persons  of  school  age  in  the 
village,  (between  5  and  21  years,)  is  1,641  ;  number 
attending  school,  1.200;  average  daily  attendance, 
836  ;  amount  of  money  raised  and  expended  during 
the  year  ending  Oct.  i,  1877,  $13.1 10. 

N.  D  Hidwell  is  the  efficient  Principal  and  is  as- 
sisted by  an  accomplished  corps  of  teachers. 

Those  holding  State  Certificates  are  the  follow- 
ing: N.  D.  Kidwell,  J.  W.  Hooper,  Miss  A.  M. 
Coit,  Miss  Nellie  Annable,  Mrs.  Sarah  Phelps. 

BoAKD  OF  Education. 

Formid  Under  the  General  Law  in   1865. 

Wilfred  W.  Porter.  President ;  William  B.  No- 
ble. Clerk  ;  Calvin  Picrson,  G.  J.  Griffith,  A.  C. 
Ueldcn. 

The  following  have  been  members  since  :  J.  R. 
Pharis,  R.  Nelson  Gere,  J.  Henry  Clark,  E  B.  Van 
Duscn.  G.  W.  Fernold.  Mead  Beldcn.  Mills  P.  Pha- 
ris, IC.  Laass.  W.  R.  Chamberlain,  E.  M.  Klock, 
J.    Coady,  Samuel  Dempsey. 

Present  Poard — Rev.  J.  P.  Magcc,  President  ;  E. 
M.  Klock.  Clerk;  J.  Coady,  A.  Whedon,  M.  D., 
Samuel  Dempsey. 

Dr.  W.  W.  Porter  has  been  connected  with  the 
schools  of  Geddes  for  the  past  twenty-five  years^ 
and  has  been  an  efficient  and  indefatigable  worker 
in  their  behalf  In  1852  he  was  Principal,  and  was 
elected  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  the  town  of 
Geddes  in  1853.  and  held  the  office  till  it  was  abol- 
ished by  law  in  1856.  He  was  most  efficient  in 
forming  the  Free  School  organization,  and  has  been 
most  of  the  time  since,  till  1877,  President  of  the 
Board  of  Education. 

Chukches  of  Geddes. 

The  town  of  Geddes  contains  but  two  churches 
and  these  are  located  in  the  village,  viz  :  The  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  St.  Patrick's, 
Roman  Catholic. 

A  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  once  e.\isted  here 
under  the  name  and  style  of  "  Apostolic  Church  of 


Geddes" — organized  in  1832.  The  same  year  a 
church  edifice  was  erected  on  the  public  square. 
For  a  while  the  church  enjoyed  some  prospect  of 
permanency,  under  the  labors  of  several  able  and 
devoted  ministers,  among  whom  were  Rev.  Richard 
Salmon  and  Rev.  M.  Whiting.  But  the  Episco- 
pal element  not  being  sufficiently  strong  in  the  vil- 
lage and  vicinity  to  maintain  a  permanent  organiza- 
tion, the  effort  declined  and  was  finally  discontinued. 
After  the  Episcopalians  gave  up  using  the  church, 
it  was  occupied  for  a  time  by  the  Methodists  and 
the  public  school  was  at  one  time  kept  in  the  base- 
ment.    It  was  torn  down  about  the  year  1855. 

FiKST  Methodist  Episcopal  Chu'kch. — Rev. 
Manly  Tooker  and  Rev.  Nathaniel  Salisbury 
preached  in  the  village  of  Geddes  as  early  as  1822. 
In  1840,  Rev.  Ebcnczer  Arnold  began  the  organi- 
zation of  a  pastoral  charge  here,  in  connection  with 
his  charge  at  Salina,  but  not  being  able  to  attend  to 
it,  requested  the  I'residing  Elder,  Rev.  George 
Gary,  to  employ  the  services  of  Rev.  Aaron  Cross, 
a  local  preacher  to  complete  the  organization.  Mr. 
Cross  labored  for  a  while,  and  perhaps  some  others, 
but  with  very  little  success  till  1852,  when  Rev. 
Charles  E.  Bragdon,  of  Auburn,  effected  a  re- 
organization and  also  established  a  Sunday  School, 
of  which  Dr.  Wilfred  W.  Porter,  then  recently 
arrived  in  the  village,  was  elected  Superintendent 
on  the  9th  of  May.  1852.  Dr.  J.  Arnold,  then  a 
druggist  in  Syracuse,  was  called  to  the  pastorate 
and  remained  in  charge  about  one  year,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Reuben  Reynolds,  who 
was  followed  by  Rev.  A.  S.  Wightman  in  1854 

The  church  attained  its  legal  existence,  being  in- 
corporated with  a  Board  of  Trustees,  under  the 
name  and  style  of  the  "First  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  Geddes,"  February  6,  1854.  Services 
were  at  first  held  in  the  school  house.  In  1856,3 
plain  wooden  church  was  built,  costing  about  <}2,- 
0CX3.  which  is  still  standing,  though  removed  from 
its  original  site  and  disused  as  a  place  of  worship. 

Mr.  Wightman  was  followed  in  the  pastorate  by 
Rev.  J.  C.  Vandercook.  for  two  years,  since  whose 
ministry  the  succession  of  pastors  has  been  as  fol- 
lows :  Rev.  J.  D.  Adams,  two  years  ;  Rev.  L  L. 
Adkins.  two  years  ;  Rev.  M.  D.  Kinney,  two 
years;  Rev.  W.  S.  Titus,  one  year;  Rev.  J.  C. 
Vandercook,  one  year  ;  Rev.  W.  D.  Chase,  one 
year  ;  Rev.  G.  M.  Pierce,  three  years  ;  Rev.  W. 
H.  Anable.  two  years  and  a  half;  Rev.  O.  A. 
Houghton,  three  years  ;  Rev.  D.  W.  Beadle,  one 
year ;  Rev.  Loren  Eastwood,  the  i)resent  pastor, 
since  October,  1876,  now  serving  on  his  second 
year. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


271 


The  new  church  edifice,  a  fine  brick  structure, 
was  begun  in  1871  and  finished  in  1872 — cost  J827,- 
000.  The  present  membership  of  the  church  is 
17s,  of  the  Sunday  School,  180.  The  Sunday 
School  is  educating  two  orphans  in  India  at  the 
Orphanage  at  Bariley  and  Shah  Jehanpoor. 

St.  Patrick's  Church,  Geddes. — About  the 
year  1S70,  Rev,  James  S.  M.  Lynch  opened  a  mis- 
sion in  a  hall  in  the  village  of  Geddes,  and  soon 
after  commenced  the  erection  of  St.  Patrick's 
Church.     Before  its   completion   it    was    given  in 


charge  to  Rev.  P.  F.  Smith,  who  finished  it  in  the 
year  1873.  In  1875,  it  was  transferred  to  Rev. 
James  P.  Magee,  the  present  pastor.  The  congre- 
gation has  very  much  increased  under  his  charge, 
and  now  numbers  about  three  thousand.  The 
church  is  a  very  fine  brick  structure,  and  cost  about 
$45,000.  Rev.  Mr.  Magee  is  a  licentiate  of  the 
Provincial  Seminary  at  Troy,  N.  Y.  ;  was  formerly 
assistant  at  the  Cathedral  in  Albany,  and  pastor  at 
Fort  Edward,  Washington  county,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  established  a  church. 


ONONDAGA. 


The  town  of  Onondaga  was  formed  from  Marcel- 
lus,  Pompey  and  Manlius,  March  9,  1798.  A  por- 
tion of  Salina  was  taken  off  in  1809,  and  a  part  of 
Camillus  in  1834.  About  half  of  the  Onondaga 
Indian  Reservation  lies  in  the  southeast  part  of  the 
town. 

The  surface  is  mostly  a  rolling  and  hilly  upland, 
separated  into  two  ridges  by  the  valley  of  the  Onon- 
daga Creek.  The  east  ridge  is  rocky  and  broken, 
and  the  west  is  generally  smooth  and  rolling.  A 
fine  wide  intervale  extends  along  the  creek,  and  is 
bordered  by  steep  hillsides,  the  summits  of  which 
are  from  200  to  400  feet  high.  A  valley,  forming  a 
natural  pass  between  Onondaga  and  Nine  Mile 
Creeks,  extends  northwesterly  through  the  town. 
Along  the  north  line  the  highlands  west  of  the  val- 
ley descend  abruptly  to  the  north,  presenting  in 
some  places  the  face  of  a  nearly  perpendicular 
precipice  from  100  to  150  feet  high.  This  declivity 
is  known  as  Split  Rock.  Upon  these  clifts  is  an 
outcrop  of  Onondaga  limestone,  which  is  extensively 
quarried  for  building  purposes.  In  an  irregular 
crack  or  seam  which  extends  downwards  in  this 
ledge  to  the  depth  of  100  feet,  ice  remains  during 
a  greater  part  of  the  summer.  The  Split  Rock 
stone  quarry  is  near  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
town.  The  stone  was  obtained  here  for  building 
the  locks  upon  the  Erie  Canal,  and  the  aqueduct 
across  the  Genesee  River  at  Rochester,  The  soil 
in  the  valley  is  a  sandy  and  gravelly  loam,  and  on 
the  uplands  a  gravelly  and  clayey  loam.  It  is  rich 
and  productive  throughout  the  town,  which  is  set- 
tled by  an  enterprising  and  independent  class  of 
farmers. 

ONONDAGA  PIONEERS. 

The  first  settlements  were  made  in  what  is  now 


the  town  of  Onondaga,  at  a  time  when  it  was  in- 
cluded in  the  town  of  Manlius  and  Marcellus.  Here 
the  first  settlements  were  made  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  County,  and  from  here  Salina  and  Syra- 
cuse got  their  first  enterprising  business  men,  who 
started  them  in  that  career  of  progress  which  has 
since  marked  their  history.  Some  of  the  men  who 
at  once  took  prominent  places  in  local  and  even  in 
State  and  National  affairs,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
present  century,  had  their  homes,  or  at  least  made 
their  first  settlements  in  the  town  of  Onondaga. 
Here  lived  Gen.  Asa  Danforth,  Col.  Comfort  Tyler, 
Gen.  Thaddeus  M.  Wood,  Judge  Joshua  Forman, 
Judge  Nehemiah  Earll,  William  H.  Sabin,  Jasper 
Hopper  and  others,  whose  names  became  famous  in 
our  early  history. 

It  may  be  said  of  the  pioneers  of  this  county  in 
general,  that  no  country  in  the  early  stages  of  its 
settlement  was  ever  more  fortunate  in  a  class  of  men 
eminently  fitted  to  lead  the  van  of  civilization  into 
the  wilderness,  to  furnish  an  example  of  hardy  en- 
durance, intelligence  and  self-sacrifice,  and  to  lay 
the  foundations  of  society  and  civil  institutions  on 
a  firm  and  lasting  basis,  than  the  early  settlers  of 
Onondaga  County.  This  is  true  of  the  pioneers  as 
a  class,  while  there  are  many  distinguished  names 
among  them  whose  talents  and  character  fitted  them 
to  adorn  any  calling  or  station  in  life.  The  pioneers 
planned  wisely  and  well,  not  alone  for  the  material 
welfare  of  the  country  they  had  adopted  as  their 
future  home,  but  they  were,  almost  without  excep- 
tion, men  capable  of  appreciating  and  providing  for 
the  moral  and  intellectual  wants  of  society  as  well ; 
men  of  high  moral  character  and  of  a  large  degree 
of  culture  and  experience. 

Most  of  the  early  pioneers  were  either  Revolu- 


272 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


tionary  patriots  or  men  who  had  seen  service, 
either  military  or  civil,  in  older  portions  of  the 
country. 

ErnR.\iM  Weiister. — The  first  white  man  who 
made  a  permanent  residence  in  Onondaga  County 
was  Ephraim  Webster.  He  had  been  a  soldier  in 
the  Revolution,  ser\Mng  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
Webster  first  settled  at  Oriskany  in  the  character  of 
a  trader,  and  afterwards  in  1786,  accompanied  by 
another  trader  by  the  name  of  Nukerk,  he  opened 
his  store  on  the  west  bank  of  Onondaga  Creek, 
near  its  mouth,  and  there  e.xposed  for  sale  the  little 
stock  he  had  brought  by  water  from  Schenectady. 
Nukerk  died  the  first  summer  and  was  buried  near 
the  place.  In  the  spring  of  1787,  two  traders, 
Campbell  and  Maibee,  followed  Webster,  and  took 
up  their  residence  at  Onondaga  Hollow.  Ephraim 
Webster  was  a  man  of  adventure,  and  was  pos- 
sessed of  a  courage  that  never  faltered  An  in- 
stance illustrative  of  this  is  related  by  Clark,  as 
follows  : 

"  For  some  real  or  fancied  wrong,  he  was  judged 
worthy  of  death.  He  gave  up  all  for  lost,  and  fully 
made  up  his  mind  that  his  time  had  come.  His 
grave  was  dug  and  he  was  told  to  prepare  for  imme- 
diate death.  A  large  ring  was  formed  around  him  ; 
his  executioners,  four  in  number,  were  appointed, 
and  theirpositions  taken  ;  four  glittering  tomahawks 
gleamed  in  the  sunlight.  A  sturdy  brave  firmly 
held  each  of  his  hands,  stretching  his  arms  to  their 
utmost  extent.  It  was  askeil  of  him  (as  is  the  cus- 
tom) if  he  had  any  request  to  make  before  he  ex- 
pired. He  said  he  only  desired  a  cooling  draught 
of  water.  '  None,  none,  none,'  was  the  reply  ;  he 
appealed  to  them  in  affecting  tones,  not  to  deny  a 
friend  this  simple  request.  The  venerable  war 
chief,  Oudi-ya-ka,  stood  forth,  while  the  ready  weap- 
ons were  poised  over  his  head.  '  Hold  I'  said  he  ; 
'  stay  your  hands,  offend  not  the  Great  Spirit  ;  let 
him  drink  one  cup  of  water  for  the  last  time.'  The 
cup  was  presented,  while  one  hand  was  released  by 
the  Indian  who  held  it.  Webster  took  the  cup, 
gracefully  bowed  his  head,  and  most  cordially  drank 
the  health  of  the  chiefs,  braves  and  warriors  of  the 
Onondaga  nation.  This  maneuver  was  so  unex- 
pected, so  appropriate,  and  done  with  so  much 
grace  and  aboriginal  naivete,  so  respectfully  and 
with  so  much  coolness  and  gravity  of  demeanor, 
that  with  one  voice  they  shouted,  '  He  is  free  !  let 
him  go,  he  is  one  of  us  I'  He  was  free,  and  hence- 
forth safe  among  them.  He  was  too  brave  a  man 
to  be  a  traitor,  and  having  once  fully  gained  the 
Indians'  confidence,  by  conduct  like  this,  nothing 
could  shake  it.  " 

Webster  married  an  Indian  woman,  and  from  him, 
by  right  of  the  female  side,  descended  one  of  the 
Ato-tar-hos,  or  principal  civil  officers  of  the  confed- 
eracy. It  is  said  by  some  of  the  best  informed 
early  settlers  that  Webster's   Indian  wife  became 


enamored  of  "fire- water."  and  was  in  the  habit  of 
getting  intoxicated.  Webster  complained  to  the 
chiefs,  who  were  trying  to  restrain  the  Indians  from 
the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors,  and  they  in  council 
decided  that  if  she  got  drunk  again  that  act  should 
exonerate  Webster  in  dissolving  the  marriage  re- 
lation between  them.  This,  however,  did  not  re- 
strain or  reform  her  ;  she  soon  became  again  intoxi- 
cated, and  knowing  the  penalty  she  had  incurred, 
quietly  left  his  house  the  next  day  and  never  re- 
turned. Webster  afterwards  married  a  white  woman 
and  raised  a  considerable  family,  who  inherited  the 
lands  given  by  the  Indians  to  their  father.  Many 
years  ago  an  interesting  suit  was  tried  in  this  county, 
brought  by  the  half-Indian  son  for  these  lands,  but 
he  failed  to  recover  them. 

Webster  was  employed  by  our  government  from 
1788  to  1794  in  gaining  information  as  to  the  con- 
duct and  purposes  of  the  Western  Indians,  and 
gave  full  satisfaction  to  his  employers  A  grant  of 
land  a  mile  square  was  given  him  by  the  Indians 
and  confirmed  by  the  government.  He  lived  to 
the  age  of  seventy-two,  retaining  the  confidence  of 
the  Indians  and  the  whites,  and  having  filled  the 
offices  of  Supervisor  and  Justice  of  the  I'eace  of 
the  town  of  Onondaga. 

Col.  C0.MF0KT  Tyler. — This  pioneer  settler  of 
Onondaga  county  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ashford, 
Connecticut,  on  the  22d  of  February,  1764.  At 
the  age  of  fourteen  he  entered  the  army,  and  per- 
formed a  short  period  of  service  mostly  on  duty  in 
and  about  the  fortress  at  West  Point.  In  17S3  he 
became  a  surveyor  and  school  teacher  at  Caugh- 
nawaga.  on  the  Mohawk  River.  While  here  he  ac- 
companied the  expedition  of  General  James  Clinton 
for  the  establishment  of  the  boundary  line  between 
New  York  and  Pennsylvania,  and  on  his  return  be- 
came a  member  of  the  famous  "  Lessee  Company" 
which  had  for  its  object  the  purchase  under  a  form 
of  lease  for  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  years  of 
the  Indian  lands  comprising  a  large  portion  of  the 
State  of  New  York.  "  In  the  spring  of  1788.  at 
the  age  of  twenty-three  years,  in  company  with 
Major  Asa  Danforth,  he  pushed  into  the  wilder- 
ness, fifty  miles  beyond  any  white  inhabitant,  and 
commenced  the  permanent  settlement  of  Onondaga 
county."  He  enjoyed  the  distinction  of  having 
felled  the  first  tree,  and  of  constructing  the  first 
piece  of  turnpike  in  the  State,  west  of  Fort  Stan- 
wix,  and  of  assisting  in  the  first  manufacture  of 
salt. 

Colonel  Tyler  was  a  favorite  with  the  Indians 
who  named  him  "To-whau-ta-qua,"  meaning  one 
that  is  double,  or  one  that  is  a  laboring  man  and  a 


Photo,  by  W.  V.  liungei-,  Syracuse. 


Hon.  Abner  Chapman  was  bom  Sept.  30,  1798,  in  the  town 
of  Ashford,  Windham  Co.,  Conn.  His  father's  family  moved 
in  February,  1799,  into  the  town  of  Marcellus,  Onondaga 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  thence  into  the  town  of  Onondaga  in  1803, 
where  he  spent  the  seventy  remaining  years  of  his  life.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  he  commenced  teaching  school ;  taught  six 
winters  in  succession  in  South  Onondaga, — ten  winters  in  all.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-three  he  married  Eliza  Merrick,  with  whom  he 
lived  forty-nine  years,  having  several  children,  but  they  all  died 
at  an  early  age.  On  the  first  day  of  January,  1873,  he  married 
Miss  Mary  Everringham,  of  South  Onondaga,  who  survives  him. 

During  his  long  life  he  was  repeatedly  honored  by  minor  but 
important  official  positions.  He  was  at  an  early  age  elected  in- 
spector, and  then  commissioner,  of  common  schools.  In  1826 
he  was  commissioned  by  Gov.  Throop  captain  of  a  company 
of  riflemen,  and  served  in  that  important  position  several  years. 
In  1828  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  which  responsible 
office  he  held  about  thirty  years  in  various  terms,  and  was  acting 
in  that  capacity  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  twice  elected 
supervisor  of  the  town  of  Onondaga,  and  once  elected  and  once 
appointed  associate  justice  of  the  county  court. 

In  the  fall  of  1860  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  legisla- 
ture of  the  State,  and  served  through  the  session  of  1861  with 
eminent  fidelity  to  the  interests  of  his  constituents,  and  with 
devotion  to  the  welfare  and  honor  of  the  country,  then  confront- 
ing the  grave  problem  of  rebellion. 

In  1824  and  1828  he  voted  for  John  Quincy  Adams;  after 
that  he  became  a  National  Republican  ;  was  then  for  twenty- 
five  years  a  member  of  the  Whig  party  ;  in  1856  he  helped  to 
organize  the  Republican  party,  and  was  ever  afterwards  a  zeal- 
ous working  member  of  that  organization.  Brought  up  in  a 
community  where  the  daily  use  of  whisky  was  almost  universal. 


he  freely  u.sed  it  from  his  father's  distillery;  but  the  agitation 
of  the  temperance  cause  turned  his  thoughts  and  habits  in  a 
better  direction. 

In  1836,  when  he  was  thirty-eight  years  old,  he  joined  the 
temperance  society  at  South  Onondaga,  which  has  been  con- 
tinuously in  existence  from  that  day  to  this.  He  was  an  active, 
zealous  temperance  man  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He 
was  many  years  president  of  the  temperance  society  already 
mentioned,  and  was  vice-president  of  the  New  York  State  Tem- 
perance Alliance.  To  his  zeal  and  labors  is  mainly  attributable 
the  fact  that  no  intoxicating  drinks  are  even  attempted  to  be 
sold  in  this  part  of  the  town  of  Onondaga. 

In  his  religious  sentiments  he  was  a  Universalist,  and  for 
several  years  attended  the  services  of  that  denomination  in 
localities  remote  from  his  home  where  they  were  held.  Latterly 
he  had  been  a  regular  attendant  and  supporter  of  the  only  re- 
maining religious  organization  in  South  Onondaga, — the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church.  As  justice  he  discountenanced  litigation ; 
was  frequently  a  visitor  at  the  bedside  of  the  sick  and  the  homes 
of  the  needy.  He  gave  much  of  his  time  and  labor  to  beautify 
the  village  and  cemetery,  and  was  zealous  and  efficient  in  every 
good  word  and  work. 

Like  the  long,  glorious  summer  day  on  which  he  died,  June 
18,  1873,  we  have  in  Abner  Chapman's  life  a  bright  and  benefi- 
cent example  of  honorable  usefulness,  whose  memory  is  bl&ssed 
and  glorious. 

Mr.  Chapman  left  in  his  will  a  number  of  bequests  to  worthy 
objects,  including  a  sum  for  the  formation  of  a  temperance 
library  in  South  Onondaga,  and  donations  to  the  National  Tem- 
perance Publication  Society,  the  St.  Lawrence  University  at 
Canton,  N.  Y.,  and  a  sum  for  beautifying  the  village  cemetery 
in  South  Onondaga. 


■■Ii<>ua.  I.y  W.  V.  Itani;i!r,  jtjrraeoM. 


^ (7nAi_   w  /yfa^i.  ^^^4Wl2«c  fi^  ^^^cv£ 


Joliii  F.  (,'l;irk  i.s  of  Kii;;lisli  ori;;iii,  and  w;ts  born  in 
AdaiuH,  BcrlcHhire  Co.,  MnMs.,  July  26,  1708.  He  wa.s  the 
noil  of  John,  who  was  the  son  of  Sup])ly,  who  was  the  son  of 
Aaron,  who  was  the  win  of  John,  wlio  wa«  the  son  of  .lolin, 
who  wu«  the  win  of  William,  who  came  from  Kn<;]!in(l,  and 
Hcttlcd  at  Dorehiwter,  Maiw.,  and  thence  removed  to  Nortliamp- 
lon,  MasH.  The  wtihject  of  thi«  .sketch  emij;^it«d  to  Ononda^ 
County  March  0,  IHOl,  and  nettled  at  South  Ilill,  in  company 
with  hJM  parentH  and  family.  lie  wa.s  reared  on  the  farm,  and 
early  learned  those  principlcM  of  success,  namely,  xnihit,try  and 
economy,  which  are  always  to  he  found  in  every  successful 
man's  life.  Mr.  ("lark  Iijlh  Ixvii  one  of  the  most  substantial 
rarmcrs  of  his  town.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Minerva  Reed, 
dau(;htor  of  .lonathan  Keed,  of  Marccllns,  October  25, 
1827.  They  have  had  five  children,  namely, — June  A., 
(iconic  |{.,  Aupi.stus  II.,  Franklin  H.,  who  dii-d  May  22,  l.^.'il, 
and  KImer  J.,  who  an-  amon;;  the  very  besit  eitizen.s  in  thi- 
county. 

As  a  family  they  arc  thoroujrhly  temperance,  not  one  of  the 
male  meuibcrs  ever  having  used,  in  any  form,  tobacco,  npirttuoiu 
or  malt  liqitort.     As  a  family  they  joined  the  First  Universuli.st 


church  of  Synicu.sc  upon  its  orpin iz;it ion,  and  are  to-day 
worthy  and  efficient  members  of  the  same.  In  the  year  1851, 
Mr.  Clark  removed  to  Onondaga  Valley,  and  purchased  hia 
present  beautiful  place,  and  has  ever  since  rcsidi>d  there,  sur- 
roundtnl  with  all  the  comforts  of  a  happy  home. 

In  politics  he  wa.><  formerly  a  Jefferson  Democrat,  but  upon 
the  orgniiizalion  of  the  Republican  |>arty  he  joined  it,  and  has 
ever  since  adhered  to  it  with  unswerving  fidelity.  He  him  held 
all  the  important  offices  of  his  town,  having  bei'n  commissioner 
of  schools,  inspector  of  schools,  justice  of  the  peace,  and  super- 
visor. He  was  electeil  a  member  of  the  board  of  tru8t«cs  of 
Onondaga  academy  in  1 S52 ;  he  succeeded  Deacon  Joseph 
Swan  as  president  of  the  boanl,  which  office  he  filled  in  a  very 
able  and  efficient  manner  until  the  school  was  reorganized  in  1SG7. 
In  the  fall  of  1850  he  was  elected  to  the  State  legislature,  and 
si'rve<l  one  year  to  the  gencrnl  satisfaction  of  all.  His  has  In-en 
a  long  and  u.scful  life.  At  the  early  age  of  fift<>cn  he  made  up  his 
mind  that  he  would  not  indulge  in  anything  which  would  injure 
his  health  or  impair  his  usefulness,  and  he  has  kept  his  vow, 
ond  has  reared  a  family  having  the  same  principles.  Would 
that  we  had  many  such. 


Photo,  by  W.  V.  Ranger,  Syracuse. 


LEONARD   P.    FIELD. 


Lennnrd  P.  Field,  son  of  Silas  and  Hannah  Field,  was  born 
May  31,  1817,  on  the  home  where  he  now  lives  in  South 
Onondaga.  Mr.  Silas  Field  came  from  Cranston,  R.  I. ;  Mrs. 
Hannah  Field  from  Connecticut.  Both  were  of  English 
origin.  Mr.  Silas  Field  immigrated  to  this  county  in  1808, 
and  worked  by  the  month  for  Captain  Fenner,  and  purchased  of 
him  the  farm  occupied  by  the  family  to  this  day.  Mrs.  S. 
Field  came  in  1810.  They  had  one  son,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  Silas  died  January  1,  1840.  His  wife  died  Novem- 
ber 7,  1821,  aged  30  years.  Their  remains  now  lie  in  South 
Onondaga  cemetery.  Mr.  S.  Field  was  for  many  years  a 
bright  Freemason.     In  politics  he  was  a  Whig. 

Mr.  Leonard  P.  Field  had  simply  a  common-school  education. 
He  married  Miss  Chloe  Ann  Ammidon,  of  this  town,  June  13, 
1838.  She  was  born  January  14,  1819.  By  this  union 
twelve  children  were  born,  six  of  whom-  are  living.  She  was 
a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  She 
was  a  faithful  wife  and  affectionate  mother.  She  died  March  3, 
]  863.  Mr.  Field  married,  for  his  second  wife,  Mi.ss  Sarah  Fen- 
ner, of  this  town,  February  17,  1865.     By  this  union  two  chil- 


dren were  born,  both  of  whom  are  living.  She  died  December 
10,  1875,  having  been  for  ten  years  a  devoted  wife  and  mother. 
Mr.  Field  married,  for  his  third  wife,  December  2,  1877,  Mrs. 
Almeda  Williams,  widow  of  Mr.  James  Williams,  with  whom 
he  is  still  living. 

Mr.  Field,  being  the  only  son,  continued  to  live  with  his 
parents  till  their  death.  He  inherited  sixty-three  acres  of 
land,  which,  by  frugality  and  industry,  he  has  increased  to 
nearly  two  hundred  acres.  In  politics  he  was  at  first  a 
Whig,  and  afterwards  a  Republican.  Has  held  some  town 
offices. 

In  religion,  though  not  a  member  of  any  church,  he  is  an  ad- 
vocate of  Christianity.  Has  always  been  interested  in  having 
good  schools. 

One  son,  Charles  Henry,  was  a  soldier  of  the  rebellion,  and 
served  faithfully  three  years.  Mr.  Field  has  one  of  the  best 
fiirms  in  South  Onondaga,  covered  with  fine  buildings  of  his 
own  erection.  He  is  now  in  his  sixty-first  year,  hale  and 
hearty,  and  has  before  him  probably  many  years  of  vigorous 
health  and  comfort. 


MK.^. 


IMillA.M. 


MILS.    ((.     KVKUKIMIIIAM. 


Jorciuinh  Evemtif;hani,  wii  of  Joliii  ami  Nancy  Kvcrriiif,'- 
linni,  was  born  in  Cnzvnovia,  N.  Y.,  Aujj.  2,  1797.  His  parenta 
WLTc  nalivf.s  i.f  Ni>w  .Icrscy.  Tlwy  rraml  U-n  cliildn-n,  five  m>ns 
nnil  live  ilaii'.'lil.Ts.  all  of  wln.in  liv.'d  ti>  adult  ap>,  and  t-ach  one 
the  head  of  u  family.  John  Kv<Trinj:liain  built  the  first  grist- 
mill at  Cnxcnovia;  lie  settled  in  Lafayette,  this  eoiinty,  in  May, 
1801.  Jea-iniah  eanie  with  his  parenls,  and  after  he  hee^iiue 
of  line  worked  by  the  month   for  fifUen  dollars  per  month  in 

HUiumer,  and  twenty  dollars  per  ii th  fiir  self  and  team  in  the 

winter,  and  eontinued  t4>  do  so  for  seven  years.  Jeremiah  jiur- 
chasrd  the  "  Old  Home"  of  fifty  aeres  of  one  of  his  brothers 
for  .-(i-x  hundred  dollars,  and  paid  for  it  by  working  out  by  the 
month.  In  1S50  he  settled  in  this  town,  buyiiij;  some  one 
hundreil  and  ihirly-lwo  aeres.  having  previously  tnuled  his  land 
ill  Lifayelte  Inr  a  farm  of  one  hundred  aeres  in  Fabius,  paying 
a  difference  to  his  first  pun>hiLio  in  this  town  ;  he  has  kept  add- 
ing until  he  owns  .some  three  liiindred  aere.s  of  exeelleiit  land. 
He  took  care  of  his  aged  jmrents  until  their  death  ;  hi.s  father 
died  in  his  eighty-eighth  year,  and  his  mother  at  tho  age  of 
Hi.\ty-thri-e.  Ili.s  house  was  also  the  home  of  his  five  sisters 
till  thiy  were  niarrii'd. 

Mr.  Kverringhams  advantagi-s  for  an  education  wea-  very 
limited,  indeed,  but  by  reading  and  reflection  he  hiLS  ae<|uirt!d  a 
good  practical  ImsiiK'ss  eduuition.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  will, 
great  energy  of  body  and  mind,  bics-sed  with  a  keen  perception 
and  good  judgment,  and  has  been  able  to  aecompli.sh  what  few 


lucn  ever  do  under  similar  cireumstjinces.  lie  Iiilk  Imvii  one  of 
the  most  succcsisful  men  of  the  county  as  a  farmer,  having 
given  to  each  of  his  .si.x  children  more  than  four  thou.-uind 
dollars,  and  having  suflicieut  Ictl  to  make  comfortable  his  de- 
clining years. 

He  married  Mi.-ts  i^ophia  French,  of  Vernon,  Oneida  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Feb.  1."),  1.S21.  Hit  parents  were  of  New  Kiiglaiid  origin. 
Mrs.  Evcrringham  had  seven  children,  six  of  whoui  arc  now 
living.  She  was  a  worthy  incniber  of  the  .Methodist  Kpiscopal 
church.  She  [iius.sed  away  in  Noveinher,  1^05,  and  her  remains 
Test  in  the  cemetery  at  l^fayettc  ;  she  was  a  faithful  wife  and 
a  kind,  affectionate  mother,  and  to-day  her  memory  is  cherished 
by  all  who  knew  her. 

Mr.  Kverringham  marriinl  Miss  Olive  Ncy,  of  Vernon, 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  22,  18(irt,  a  cousin  to  his  first 
wife.  Iler  parents  were  from  New  Kngland.  Mrs.  Kverringham 
is  a  Univcrsalist,  and  Mr.  KverringhaHi.  while  he  does  not 
belong  to  any  church,  ehcrishos  the  faith  of  the  I'liiverHalist. 

In  politii's,  Mr.  Kverringham  was  a  Jacks4in  Denioernt  until 
the  orgiiiiizalion  of  the  Kcpublican  party,  when  he  joined  it. 
He  is  now  an  old  gentleman  of  eighty  years,  hale  and  hearty, 
with  all  his  faculties  still  unimpaired.  His  widowed  daughter, 
Mrs.  .'Miner  Chapman,  is  now  living  with  him  and  his  prc-nnit 
intelligent  wife.  This  simple  story  of  a  sui-ce,s.sful  life  will  be 
road  many  a  time  long  af\cr  ho  has  jKLssed  to  his  reward. 
Would  that  wc  had  vwrc  tuch  nteti. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


273' 


gentleman  at  the  same  time,  or  can  do  two  things 
at  once.  When  the  Military  Tract  was  surveyed, 
he  was  selected  to  render  assistance,  and  surveyed 
one  of  the  townships.  He  subsequently  surveyed 
the  Cayuga  Reservation. 

In  all  the  important  improvements  of  the  country 
he  bore  a  conspicuous  part,  freely  devoting  his  time 
and  means  for  the  promotion  of  these  objects.  He 
was  early  selected  on  account  of  his  sterling  worth 
to  fill  the  highest  offices  of  trust.  He  was  appointed 
a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  the  town  of  Manlius  in 
1794;  the  same  year  he  was  appointed  Coroner  of 
the  County,  with  Gilbert  Tracy.  In  1797,  he  was 
appointed  Sheriff  of  the  County  of  Onondaga,  and 
after  Cayuga  was  set  oiT,  in  1799,  he  was  appointed 
Clerk  of  Onondaga,  and  held  the  office  till  1802. 
He  was  the  first  Supervisor  of  the  town  of  Manlius 
in  1794,  and  represented  Onondaga  County  in  the 
Legislature  in  1798  and  1799.  Mr.  Tyler  was 
always  active  and  ardent  for  opening  roads,  improv- 
ing streams,  establishing  schools  and  erecting 
churches. 

The  connection  of  Mr.  Tyler  with  the  so-called 
conspiracy  of  Aaron  Burr,  greatly  impaired  his 
private  fortune,  and  such  was  the  popular  prejudice 
against  the  participants  in  that  unfortunate  and  un- 
successful enterprise,  that  it  forever  destroyed  his 
prospects  as  a  public  man. 

In  181 1,  Colonel  Tyler  removed  with  his  family 
to  Montezuma,  where  he  took  a  deep  interest  in 
the  Cayuga  Manufacturing  Company,  which  had 
been  formed  for  the  purpose  of  making  salt. 

During  the  war  of  1812  he  served  in  the  capacity 
of  Assistant  Commissary-General,  with  the  rank  of 
Colonel,  to  the  close  of  the  war.  After  the  war  the 
canal  policy  engaged  his  most  earnest  attention. 
From  the  beginning  he  was  among  the  foremost  of 
the  advocates  of  the  work. 

He  died  at  his  residence  in  Montezuma,  on  the 
5th  of  August,  1827,  sincerely  lamented  by  a  large 
circle  of  personal  friends  and  deeply  mourned  by 
numerous  relatives.* 

Gen.  Asa  Danforth,  who  came  to  the  county 
at  the  same  time  as  Col.  Tyler,  and  was  among  its 
most  prominent  early  citizens,  was  born  in  Wor- 
cester, Massachusetts,  July  6,  1746.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Revolution  he  joined  the  regi- 
ment of  Col.  Danforth  Keys,  and  was  engaged  in 
the  battle  of  Lexington.  He  entered  the  service 
at  the  instance  of  General  Putnam,  and  served 
through  the  war  with  the  rank  and  commission  of 
Major.  He  located  in  the  town  of  Mayfield,  Mont- 
gomery county,  where  he   spent   a   few  years,  and 

*  Clark's  Onondaga. 
38* 


where  he  had  his  first  interview  with  Mr.  Webster. 
The  account  of  his  meeting  with  Mr.  Webster  and 
of  his  settlement  in  Onondaga  is  as  follows  : 

In  the  month  of  February,  1788,  Mr.  Webster, 
in  company  with  two  Indians,  proceeded  on  a  hunt- 
ing excursion  into  the  lower  part  of  Montgomery 
county.  Late  one  afternoon  they  came  to  a  small 
clearing  in  the  town  of  Mayfield,  where  they  met  a 
man  whose  residence  was  convenient,  of  whom  they 
asked  a  night's  lodging  in  his  barn.  He  refused, 
but  insisted  that  they  should  spend  the  night  with 
him  in  his  own  house  by  the  fire.  During  the 
evening  conversation,  Webster  remarked  that  he 
lived  at  Onondaga,  a  much  more  fruitful  and  invit- 
ing country  than  the  one  his  host  was  then  occupy- 
ing, and  finally,  so  much  was  said  in  favor  of  On- 
ondaga, that  it  was  agreed  that  Webster  should  so- 
licit permission  from  the  Indians  to  let  him  settle 
there,andifsuccessful,wasto  return  or  send  an  Indian 
to  inform  him  of  the  fact.  The  host  was  Major  Asa 
Danforth,  who  became  the  pioneer  of  Onondaga 
County. 

Mr.  Danforth  settled  a  little  south  of  Onondaga 
Hollow,  May  22,  1788  ;  and  in  December,  Mrs. 
Danforth  proposed  to  visit  her  friends  east.  Ac- 
cordingly, Mr.  and  Mrs.  Danforth,  with  their  baby, 
set  out  on  a  sled,  with  an  ax-man  before  them  to 
clear  the  way.  The  first  night  they  slept  "  on 
board,"  at  Chittenango  ;  the  next  with  Sken-an-do-a, 
at  Oneida  Castle ;  the  third  with  Judge  White, 
their  nearest  white  neighbor,  at  Sadaquate  (Whites- 
boro).  After  a  short  delay,  they  proceeded  to 
Brookfield,  the  home  of  their  early  days,  in  Massa- 
chusetts. In  the  middle  of  March  they  returned, 
after  an  absence  of  about  three  months. 

Early  in  1789,  Tyler  and  Danforth,  Jr.,  thought 
they  would  follow  the  example  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Danforth,  and  visit  the  home  of  their  childhood,  not 
only  to  see  their  old  playmates,  but  to  find  for 
themselves  wives,  and  as  Mr.  Clark  remarks,  after 
the  wording  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
"  in  the  course  of  human  events,"  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Asa  Danforth,  Jr.,  became  the  father  and  mother 
of  the  first  white  child  born  in  Onondaga  county — 
the  late  Mrs.  Amanda  Phillips,  wife  of  the  late 
Colonel  Phillips,  of  Syracuse,  and  mother  of  Mrs. 
Outwater.     She  was  born  on  the  14th  of  October, 

1789. 

In  1791,  Mr.  Danforth  had  become  possessor  of 
lot  No.  81,  township  of  Manlius,  (now  DeWitt,) 
and  had  moved  there  temporarily.  In  the  spring 
of  1792,  he  erected  the  first  saw  mill  in  the  county, 
on  Butternut  Creek,  about  a  mile  north  of  James- 
ville— (now  Dunlop's  Mills).      The  mill  was  first 


274 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


covered  with  bark.  No  boards  were  used  in  the 
county  until  they  were  sawed  in  this  inili,  and 
Major  Danforth  carried  the  saxv  on  his  shoulder  all 
the  way  from  old  Fort  Schuyler  yx\Q\\  Romei.  In 
1793,  he  erected  his  grist  mill  near  his  sawmill. 
In  the  erection  of  these  mills  Mr.  Danforth  was 
assisted  by  all  the  able  bodied  men  in  the  settle- 
ment for  twenty  miles  around,  so  anxious  were  the 
people  to  have  the  means  of  grinding  their  corn, 
and  the  advantages  of  converting  their  timber  into 
boards.  It  was  at  the  raising  of  these  mills,  in  the 
absence  of  sugar  or  articles  used  for  sweetening, 
that  the  first  drink  mixed  with  Indian  corn  was 
introduced." 

For  a  number  of  years  he  was  Judge  of  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas  ;  was  one  term  Senator 
for  the  Western  District  ;  Superintendent  of  the 
Onondaga  Salt  Springs  ;  and  held  numerous  other 
offices  of  less  importance,  in  all  of  which  hee.xhibit- 
ed  a  high  degree  of  capacity  and  manly  bearing. 
For  many  years,  from  the  first  organization  of  the 
militia,  he  was  the  highest  military  officer  of  the 
county,  ascending  through  all  the  several  grades 
from  Major  to  Major  General,  at  a  period,  too,  when 
a  military  commission  implied  worth  and  conferred 
distinction.  He  died  at  his  residence  in  Onondaga 
Hollow,  September  2,  1818,  in  the  73d  year  of  his 
age. 

General  Tiiaddeus  M.  Wood.— The  Bar  of 
Onondaga  County  is  honorably  headed  with  General 
Thaddeus  M.  Wood,  the  first  attorney  who  settled 
and  practiced  in  the  county.  Horn  at  Lenox,  Mass., 
in  1772,  he  graduated  at  Dartmouth  in  the  class  of 
1790,  finished  his  law  studies  with  Joseph  Kirkland, 
Esq.,  of  Utica,  and  opened  a  law  office  in  Onondaga 
Hollow  in  1794.  He  soon  became  distinguished 
for  his  legal  capacity  and  during  his  life  exercised 
a  prominent  influence  throughout  the  county. 

As  a  military  man  he  became  widely  known,  was 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Commandant  in  1809,  in  which 
capacity  he  was  extremely  active  and  useful  during 
the  war  of  1812  ;  was  elevated  to  the  rank  of 
Brigadier-General  in  1818,  and  to  the  rank  of 
Major-General  in  1820. 

General  Wood  was  celebrated  throughout  the 
State  for  the  pungency  of  his  wit  and  the  quick- 
ness and  severity  of  his  retort.  He  was  never  at 
a  loss  for  a  reply,  either  at  the  bar  or  in  private  con- 
versation. 

General  Wood  died  at  his  residence  at  Onondaga 
Hollow,  January  10,  1836,  aged  64  years. 

Other  Pioneers — Samuel,  John  and  William 
Tyler  came  to  Onondaga  between  the  years  1790 

*Cliik'i  Onondjgi. 


and  1795.  Samuel  and  William  settled  in'  Mar- 
cellus,  and  died  in  1825,  within  one  week  of  each 
other.  Job  Tyler  first  settled  in  the  town  of 
Bridgewater,  Oneida  county,  in  1794,  and  removed 
to  Onondaga  county  in  1804.  He  resided  in  the 
county  of  Onondaga,  except  four  or  five  years,  dur- 
ing the  latter  part  of  his  life,  which  were  spent  at 
Montezuma.  He  died  at  Onondaga  in  March, 
1836.  They  were  all  active,  industrious  men,  and 
it  may,  without  ostentation,  be  claimed  for  them 
that  they  deserved  and  left  behind  them  the  reputa- 
tion   of  valuable   citizens  and    upright,  honorable 

men. 

Early  Settlers. 

Following  General  Danforth  and  Comfort  Tyler, 
the  next  settlers  in  Onondaga  were  the  Brown 
family,  the  Pattisons,  Job  Tyler,  Peter  Tenbroeck, 
General  Lewis,  Cornelius  Longstrect,  Peter  Young, 
Joseph  Forman,  John  Adams,  George  Kibbie,  Drs. 
William  and  Gordon  Needham,  Nicholas  Mickles, 
William  H.  Sabin,  Jasper  Hopper,  Aaron  Bel- 
lows, George  Hall,  Joseph  Swan,  and  others,  who 
settled  in  the  Hollow,  or  what  is  now  known  as 
Onondaga  Valley. 

George  Hall,  Esq.,  opened  a  law  office  at  Onon- 
daga Hollow  in  1802.  Hon.  Joshua  Forman  and 
William  H.  Sabin  commenced  the  practice  of  law 
in  partnership  in  1803.  Medad  Curtis  was  a  law 
student  with  Thaddeus  M.  Wood  and  Daniel 
Mosely  with  Forman  &  Sabin.  Dr.  William  Need- 
ham  located  at  the  Hollow  as  a  physician,  in  1793, 
and  his  brother,  Gurdon  Needham,  in  1795.  He 
kept  the  first  school  at  the  Hollow  in  1796. 

Rev.  Samuel  Kirkland  is  believed  to  have  been 
the  first  Protestant  minister  who  ever  preached  in 
the  county  of  Onondaga.  He  frequently  officiated 
at  Onondaga  Hollow,  to  the  white  people  and  to  the 
Indians.  F"or  more  than  twelve  years  Mrs.  Asa 
Danforth  was  the  only  communicant  in  the  county. 
She  was  afterwards  joined  by  the  wife  of  General 
Lewis  and  others.  Rev.  Daniel  Nash  and  Rev. 
Davenport  Phelps,  (Episcopalians,  I  were  the  next 
ministers  who  officiated  here.  Others,  of  the 
Presbyterian  denomination  soon  succeeded.  Rev. 
Messrs.  Wallace  and  Woodruft'  were  missionaries 
who  preached  occasionally. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  the  town  were  the 
following  : 

MosesFowler,  (from  Conn.,)  1797, died  i868;John 
P.  Robinson,  (Mass..)  1800.  died  1870  ;  J.  Hunt. 
(Conn..)  1801  ;  John  Henderson,  1802  ;  Chester 
Fellows,  (Pa.,)  1804,  died  1865  ;  George  Hull,  1805; 
Volney  King.  1805;  Lewis  Amidon.  1805.  died 
1876  ;  John  \'.  Clark  (Mass.),  1804  :  Ralph  Chafee, 


PboloH.  by  W,  V.  Riiiiger,  Syracuse. 


^.  liDi/(>iuLd^^ 


^AriA^^  eJ/  ^'^^^^^^y^ 


Among  the  earliest  settlers  in  the  south  part  of  the  town  of 
Onondaga  were  John  Hitchings  and  wife,  who  cleared  and  cul- 
tivated one  of  our  best  hill  farms,  and  there  reared  and  educated 
a  large  family  of  healthy  and  very  intelligent  children.  Of 
these,  Horace  was  the  most  studious  and  scholarly.  Teaching 
in  winter,  farming  in  summer,  and  loving  the  old  home,  he 
ultimately  assumed  the  care  of  his  parents,  and  became  the 
owner  of  the  homestead.  Here  he  worked  and  studied  many 
years.  The  mysteries  of  nature,  as  unfolded  by  chemistry, 
geology,  and  other  natural  sciences,  were  his  delight,  and  to 
become  proficient  in  these  he  needed  no  other  teachers  than 
books.  The  deeper,  the  more  abstruse  the  mystery,  the  more 
he  detormincd  to  master  it,  UTitil  rock  and  soil  and  vegetable 
growth,  and  the  subtler  workings  of  electricity,  magnetism,  and 
mind  itself,  were  familiar  subjects  of  thought,  and  when  he 
could  find  an  intelligent  listener  he  was  always  ready  with  his 
theories  and  proofs. 

But  this  same  student  could  also  excel  in  practical  affairs. 
He  framed  some  of  his  buildings,  planted  hedges,  laid  over  ten 
miles  of  underdrains,  and  led  his  neighbors  in  the  amount  of 
his  crops.  He  married  Miss  Elvira  M.  Rich,  Jan.  1,  1855. 
She  was  born  June  1,  1829.  When  he  found  his  home  cheered 
and  blessed  with  four  lovely  children,  and  himself  placed  at  the 
remotest  point  of  a  sparsely-settled  school  district,  he  resolved, 
for  their  sakes,  to  leave  the  old  homestead  and  give  his  children 
better  educational  privileges.  Buying  in  another  district  nearer 
school,  probably  the  best  farm  in  this  part  of  the  county,  he 
gave  a  bonus,  besides  his  taxes,  to  have  the  new  school-house  built 
nearer  his  home.  His  barns  were  remodeled  and  enlarged,  and 
this  season  his  venerable  Seeley  mansion  was  modernized; 
enlarged,  and  changed  to  a  beautiful  and  convenient  home. 
Christmas    the  whole  family   went  to  visit  grandparents   and 


relatives,  and  their  own  house  was  nearly  ready  for  a  reunion 
of  neighbors  and  friends,  when  death  stepped  in  to  mar,  for  this 
world,  this  picture  of  prosperity  and  happiness.  A  cold,  that 
was  thought  by  himself  and  his  physician  to  be  easily  under  con- 
trol, suddenly  seated  itself  upon  that  active  brain,  and  in  a  few 
hours  consciousness  and  then  life  itself  had  gone.  Those  stately 
rooms,  where  the  family  reasonably  anticipated  years  of  unbroken 
social  enjoyment,  were  occupied  for  the  first  time  by  the  inani- 
mate body  of  husband  and  father.  His  widow  and  orphans 
and  the  whole  community  felt  that  they  had  suffered  an  ir- 
reparable loss.  From  neighboring  towns  and  the  city  loving 
friends  came  to  his  funeral.     He  died  Jan.  8,  1870. 

As  supervisor  of  the  town,  president  of  the  agricultural 
society,  foreman  of  several  grand  juries,  referee  in  settling  claims, 
speaker  of  several  town  fiiirs,  he  more  than  met  the  responsi- 
bilities of  such  trusts.  But  love  of  home  and  the  cares  of 
business  compelled  him  to  decline  many  offices  of  honor  offered 
by  his  fellow-citizens.  His  equanimity  of  temper  was  remark- 
able. No  amount  of  care  or  loss  could  disturb  him.  Said  one 
of  his  employees,  "  I  have  lived  in  his  family  a  year,  and  have 
never  heard  an  unkind  word  to  his  wife  or  children,  or  hired 
help."  His  parents  and  the  nearest  neighbors  of  his  youth 
were  well-read  Universalists,  and,  while  he  assisted  in  support- 
ing other  churches,  the  love  of  God  and  the  paternal  character 
of  our  Heavenly  Father  had  more  charms  for  him  than  the 
sterner  attributes  of  Deity.  He  was  a  very  obliging  neighbor, 
liberal  to  the  poor,  public-spirited,  sociable,  beloved  by  his 
nearest  friends,  and  respected  by  all.  He  was  an  Onondaga 
farmer  whose  worth  and  abilities  we  must  admire,  whose  memory 
we  will  lovingly  cherish,  whose  history  is  a  bright  example  of 
useful  success.  His  good  name  and  worthy  life  are  better 
leKacies  to  his  children  than  all  his  worldly  estate. 


MOSEd    n>WLF.U. 


ELIZABETU    FOWLGU. 


MUSICS  i'0\vj.i:u. 


Aiiiiiii;;  the  jiioiifcr  ruiiiilk'S  of  Oiioiidiif,'a  County  amy  be 
imiitioiuMl  tin-  Kiiwler  family.  Mases  Fowler,  8on  of  Tlioraas 
uiiJ  Thankful  Fowler,  wiwborn  in  DuU-hcss  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  29, 
nttll ;  he  W1L1  one  of  u  family  of  nix.  The  Fowler  family  is 
of  Sfcitoh  ori};in,  havinjr  cmij^atcd  to  Ameriea  during  it«  early 
hiHtory,  and  dettled  in  the  New  Kn-rland  State.-*.  Moses  came 
into  thin  town  and  eouiity  with  hi.s  parents  when  hut  four  years 
of  n}^  ( 1797).  Hi.s  father  died  in  this  town  when  nhout  forty 
ycara  of  a;;e,  ami  mother  when  she  was  about  eighty  years  of  | 
ago.  Moses  wiw  reared  on  the  farm,  and  eontinued  to  follow  it 
through  life,  ownin;;  about  eighty  acres  when  he  died,  lie 
Diarried  Miss  Klir^ibeth  Pierce,  daughter  of  HIisha  and  .\melia 
I'ieroo,  of  Brattloborough,  Vt.,  about  1H:»1.  Mrs.  Fowler  wa« 
bom  March  :{,  IWOl,  in  BnittlelMtrough,  Vl.  They  rearetl 
to  maturity  four  children,  namely:  Maxwell  T,  Samantha  ('., 
Uideon  1).,  and  Moses,  and  .\nn  Fowler,  an  adopted  daughter. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  s<ildier  in  the  War  of  1  SI 2, 
and  was  statiom-d  at  Sackot's  llarbnr,  N.  Y..  for  which  he 
drew  a  land-wamint  for  one  bundrt-d  and  sixty  acres.  In 
polities  he  was  first  a  ^Vhig  and  then  a  llepubliean. 

Mrs.    Fowler   was  a   member  of   the    Methodi.st    Episcopal 
chureh,  and  wiu<  an   earnest  and  consLstenl  Chri.Htian.     They 


had  ouc  son,  Gideon  D.,  who  was  a  wildier  of  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion,  enlisting  Nov.  29,  IHtJl,  in  the  T.'ith  Regiment  of 
New  York  Volunteers,  lie  w;ts  a  non-commissioned  officer, 
and  was  in  sevt^ral  hard-fought  battles;  but,  though  he  stood 
the  battle,  he  fell  a  victim  to  the  strong  hand  of  fell  disease, 
at  Baton  Rouge,  July  30,  1863.  Fiis  remains  were  brought 
home,  and  now  lie  by  the  side  of  those  of  his  parents,  in  the 
cemetery  at  South  Unoiidagit,  where  a  fine  marble  monument 
marks  their  re.sting-placo,  erected  by  a  brother  and  son.  Max- 
well T.,  in  memory  of  those  he  holds  most  dear.  Maxwell  T. 
and  Moses,  feeling  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  their  country 
during  the  rebellion,  jmid  out  more  than  sixteen  hundred  dollars, 
besides  their  regular  tax.  They  were  ever  found  willing  to 
respond  to  all  the  calls  of  their  town  and  county. 

Moses  di.-d  Jan.  10,  1S6S,  and  his  wife  <lied  Dec.  7,  1«72. 
The  above  i>orlniit«  are  inserted  by  Maxwell  T.,  with  whom 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moses  Fowler  lived  after  1843.  Maxwell  T. 
and  his  sister,  Samantha  C,  are  uimiarried,  and  are  living  on 
the  same  place  where  their  parents  died. 

Moiies,  Jr.,  has  three  children,  namely  :  Gideon  M.,  Maxwell 
T.,  and  Kitty.  Maxwell  T.  was  named  after  his  uncle  Maxwell 
T.,  and  (ii<liiiii  w;is  named  after  his  uncle  Gidetm. 


THEOPHILUS    HALL. 


Photos,  by  W.  V.  Ranger,  Syracuse. 


HELEN    HALL. 


THEOPHILUS    HALL. 


Theophilus  Hall,  son  of  Oren  and  Betsey  Hall,  was  born  at 
Navarino,  Onondaga  County,  New  York,  July  31,  1825.  His 
father  and  grandfather  were  natives  of  Ashford,  Windham 
county,  Connecticut.  His  father  was  born  September  14, 
1786,  and  married  Miss  Betsey  Briggs,  of  this  town  and  county, 
January  6,  1808.  She  was  born  February  18,  1787,  iu  Sara- 
toga county.  New  York. 

Azariah  Hall,  father  of  Oren  and  grandfather  of  Theophilus, 
was  of  English  origin,  his  forefathers  being  among  the  early 
settlers  of  New  England.  Azariah  emigrated  to  Onondaga 
County  and  settled  at  Navarino,  formerly  known  as  Hall's 
Corners,  in  1799.  He  brought  with  him  his  wife  and  a  large 
family,  and  among  them  was  Oren.  He  was  a  farmer,  and  reared 
nearly  all  of  his  children  to  be  farmers  also.  He  died  about 
1832,  and  his  wife,  Hannah,  outlived  him  several  years,  being 
in  her  eighty-ninth  year  when  she  died. 

Oren  was  a  farmer.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812, 
and  was  commissioned  captain.  He  reared  a  family  of  ten 
children,  all  of  whom  lived  to  be  grown  men  and  women.  In 
politics  he  was  a  life-long  Democrat.  He  was  postmaster  several 
years  under  General  Jackson  and  other  Democratic  administra- 
tions.    He  taught  school  several  years. 

His  wife  was  a  Baptist,  and  he  was  of  the  Universalist  faith. 
He  died  AprU  25,  1869,  and  his  wife  died  August  23,  1874, 
and  were  buried  in  the  "  Pine  Grove  Cemetery." 


Theophilus  was  reared  on  the  farm,  and  received  only  a  com- 
mon-school education.  He  married  Miss  Helen  Lyman,  of 
this  town,  November  21,  1850.  She  was  born  in  Otisco,  Feb- 
ruary 11,  1827,  and  settled  in  this  town  in  1837.  Her  father, 
Thomas  Lyman,  was  born  at  Southampton,  Massachusetts,  in 
August,  1786.  His  father,  John,  was  of  Iri.sh  descent  and  an 
early  settler  in  New  England.  He  lived  to  be  about  ninety 
years  old. 

Thomas  Lyman  married  Miss  Betsey  Clapp,  a  native  of 
Southampton,  Massachusetts,  December  1,  1813,  by  whom 
twelve  children  were  born  ;  they  all  lived  to  be  married,  and 
nine  are  still  living.  Mrs.  Thomas  Lyman  was  born  March  2, 
1793,  and  died  January  12,  1876. 

Thomas  Lyman  settled  in  Otisco,  Onondaga  County,  about 
1822.  Was  a  farmer,  a  Whig  and  Republican  in  politics,  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
He  died  October  24,  1850. 

Theophilus  Hall  has  always  followed  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing, and  now  owns  a  fine  farm  at  Hall's  Corners,  or  Navarino. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat.  He  has  served  as  postmaster  at 
Navarino. 

His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Mar- 
cellus.     She  taught  school  for  several  years. 

Mr.  Hall  is  one  of  the  substantial  men  and  farmers  of  South 
Onondaga. 


rb^loo.  \>y  W.  V.  lUitgpr,  Syncufto. 


ELIAS    II.    IIKAOLKV. 


I>II<£UE    BRAM.EY. 


KLTAS   B.    URADLKY. 


Kliiw  H.  Unullcy  wiui  born  in  r<iiiiioftii'nl,  IK'C.  11,  l"!tl. 
While  11  I'liniuT-boy  \\v  wurkitl  hj  tlic  nmntli  in  tliu  Huuiuiur,  and 
rlii>|i|H<d  wchkI  by  ibe  f4)rd  in  wintor.  Wlu-n  ul)out  twoiity- 
fivo  years  nM  bi-  bnu^bt  a  iHHldler'H  covori'd  wapon  and  a  borw, 
iiriii  Inivelwl  Kuutb,  H|K-ndin^  wvcral  years  in  tbo  State  of 
licwrpu  Mvllin);  himmIh,  alwuyit  Nlo«;j>inj»  in  bis  covered  four- 
wliet'ljMl  bou.sr.  Tbus  xccuriii;;  n  conipel<'ncy,  lie  purcbaseil  a 
one  bundn-d  acre  fanii  in  lb<>  tiiwn  of  Onondaga,  where  he 
innrricd  I'bd'bo  llolnirx,  May  IH,  ISSl,  and  ilied  witboiit  isnue, 
l''eb.  S,  1K5K,  rei)|)octed  by  all  its  a  tbritly,  upri^bt  (.-itizon. 

His  wife  waH  Uirn  Aug.  28,  1795,  about  one  mile  wont  of 
Saratoga  Sprinpt,  N.  Y.,  from  whence  8he  often  vi»it«Kl  tbo  then 
thn?c  HpringH  called  High  Uock,  Flat  Rock,  and  the  Congress. 
Her  miilbcr  bleached  the  hoine-mude  linen  cloth  for  the  bcd- 
«bet'lj<  of  the  firnt  board ing-bou.se  at  the  Springs,  in  1802. 

In  ISl  1,  .Mrs.  Bradley  moved  with  ber  widowed  mother  and 


thrw!  brolhere  to  Aurora.  Eric  county,  in  the  Holland  PurebuBo; 
but  the  burning  of  RufTaln.  fiftci'U  mili^s  away,  in  the  winter  of 
1813,  by  the  British  and  Indians,  so  frightened  them  that  the 
family  fled  the  .same  day  towards  the  interior  of  the  Slate.  In 
1818  she  became  a  member  of  the  Methodist  KpUcopal  church 
in  South  Onondaga,  in  which  bhe  has  been  a  zealous  and  con- 
scientious worker  over  sixty  years.  .\  remarkable  swectnetui 
of  cbaraetcr,  good  business  judgment  and  habits,  a  itinscien- 
tiiius  dt"sire  to  live  the  Christian  life  she  j)rofesse<l.  great  liber- 
ality to  ibc  poor,  the  unfortunate,  the  de.s«'rving,  and  to  the 
church,  have  made  her  ]>et  name,  "  Aunt  Phoebe,"  a  synonym 
of  bcnevolenw,  and  of  every  saintly  virtue.  She  gave,  unaided, 
to  the  church  their  {larsttnage,  and  also  lilierally  to  the  Synt- 
cu.s)'  university,  so  that  only  the  smaller  moiety  of  her  estate 
remains  for  her  own  supiM)rt.  Fler  long  life  has  been  an  orna- 
ment III  the  church,  ami  a  benefaction  to  society. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


275 


1803;  William  Metcalfe  Clarke,  (Mass.,)  1805; 
Clark  W.  Kenyon,  i8o6;  Elisha  D.  Sabin,  (Vt.,) 
1806 ;  Samuel  Kingsley,  (Mass.,)  1806  ;  David  Hunt, 
1807,  died  1874;  Nathan  C.Eaton,  1808  ;  Eli  An- 
derson, 1808;  Josiah  T.  Northway,  1808;  David 
Chafee,  1805  ;  George  B.  Cornish,  1810,  died  1867; 
C.  C.  Conklin,  181 1;  William  Rose,  1808;  J.  De 
Witt  Rose,  1812  ;  Augustus  Reed,  1812,  died  1875  ! 
Wm.  Raynor,  1813 ;  Jonathan  Kneeland,  1813  ; 
Orrin  Green,  1813  ;  Geo.  C.  Hopper,  1814;  Rufus 
Cossit,  (Mass.,)  1814;  Marcus  G.  Clark,  1814 ; 
Nathan  Covell,  1815,  died  1876;  Enoch  Kenyon 
(R.  I.),  1816;  Russell  L.  Kenyon  (R.  I.),  1816, 
died  1877;  Augustus  C.  Kenyon  (R.  I.),  1816; 
Reuben  W.  Lincoln,  (Mass.,)  i8i6,died  1875  ;  Wm. 
F.  Mosely,  1815,  died  1876  ;  Joshua  Chaftee,  1817  ; 
•George  Anderson,  1817;  Lemuel  G.  Clark,  (Vt.,) 
1818,  died  1870;  Cicero  Barker,  (Mass.,)  1816,  died 
1870  ;  Chauncey  P.  Cornish,  18 18. 

Finlay  McLaren,  a  prominent  merchant  residing 
at  an  early  time  at  Manlius,  was  attacked  by  a  bear 
and  fatally  injured,  on  the  East  Hill,  while  returning 
home  from  Onondaga  Valley.  Dr.  Holbrook  was 
called  to  dress  his  wounds,  but  he  sank  under  them 
and  soon  died. 

Town    Meetings. 

The  first  Town  Meeting  for  Onondaga  was  held 
at  the  house  of  Gen.  Asa  Danforth  in  April,  1798. 
General  Danforth  presided  ;  Ephraim  Webster  was 
chosen  Supervisor ;  Jabez  Webb,  Town  Clerk ; 
Samuel  Searing,  Daniel  Earll  and  Sier  Curtis,  As- 
sessors ;  and  Elisha  Alvord,  Nehemiah  Earll,  Jr., 
and  Elijah  Lawrence,  Commissioners  of  Roads. 
The  meeting  was  adjourned  to  the  house  of  Dr. 
Allen  Beach. 

At  the  annual  town  meeting  for  1799,  James 
Geddes  was  chosen  Supervisor  ;  Orris  Curtis,  Town 
Clerk  ;  John  Ellis,  Cornelius  Schouten  and  Sier 
Curtis,  Assessors.  The  meeting  adjourned  to  the 
house  of  William  Laird.  At  the  town  meeting  in 
April,  1800,  Sier  Curtis  was  chosen  Supervisor,  and 
Orris  Curtis  Town  Clerk. 

In  the  summer  of  1796,  John  Cantine,  assisted 
by  Gideon  Seeley,  under  the  direction  of  the  Sur- 
veyor-General, surveyed  the  Onondaga  Reservation, 
and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  Gideon  Seeley  and  Com- 
fort Tyler  bid  off  at  the  sales  in  Albany  twenty-one 
lots  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  each,  at  two 
dollars  per  acre — in  all,  $10,500.  Mr.  Seeley  con- 
structed the  road  from  Samuel  A.  Beebe's  to  the 
south  line  of  the  town,  including  a  bridge  across 
■the  west  branch  of  Onondaga  Creek.  The  first 
saw  mill  built  within  the  present  limits  of  the  town 
was  by  Turner  Fenner,  on  the  west  branch  of  Onon- 


daga Creek,  in  1793.  General  Danforth  erected  a 
saw  and  grist  mill  in  1794,  on  what  was  afterwards 
called  the  Kirk  farm. 

Masonic. 
Onondaga  Lodge  No.  98,  of  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  was  established  at  Onondaga  Hollow  in 
the  winter  of  1803.  The  charter  obtained  from  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  the  State  was  dated  January  21, 
A.L.,  5803.  Jasper  Hopper  was  appointed  W.  M.; 
Walter  Colton,  S.  W. ;  and  George  W.  Olmsted. 
J.  W.  "Br.  Jedediah  Sanger,  of  Whitestown, 
having  received  a  dispensation  for  that  purpose, 
summoned  the  said  brethren  to  a  meeting  at  Br. 
Comfort  Tjler's,  in  Onondaga  Hollow,  on  the  fourth 
day  of  June,  5803,  and  in  due  form  constituted  the 
said  Lodge  and  installed  the  said  officers."  The 
old  book  of  records  of  this  Lodge,  now  in  the  pos- 
session of  George  J.  Gardner,  Esq.,  of  Syracuse, 
contains  the  proceedings  of  the  Lodge  till  May  17, 
1826.  About  that  time  the  Lodge  was  discontinued 
on  account  of  the  Anti-Masonic  excitement.  The 
oldest  surviving  member  is  Mr.  Arthur  Pattison,-, 
still  residing  at  Onondaga  Valley.  Lewis  H.  Red- 
field,  Esq.,  was  the  last  Senior  Warden,  in  whose 
possession  were  left  the  jewels  of  the  Lodge. 

First  Postoffice  in  the  County. 

A  Postoffice  was  established  at  Onondaga  Hollow 
in  1794,  and  Comfort  Tyler  was  appointed  Post- 
master. This  was  the  first  postofifice  established 
in  the  county,  but  one  was  established  at  Cayuga, 
then  in  Onondaga  county,  the  same  year.  George 
Kibbie  was  Postmaster  at  the  Hollow  in  1801  ; 
George  Hall  succeeded  him  in  1802,  and  Jasper 
Hopper  in  1803,  the  latter  remaining  in  the  office 
nineteen  years,  under  every  administration  without 
distinction  of  party.  The  office  at  that  time  was 
quite  an  important  one,  being  a  distributing  office 
for  the  county  and  parts  adjacent.  As  late  as  1812, 
letters  were  distributed  from  this  office  to  people 
living  in  the  towns  of  Camillus,  Pompey,  Marcellus, 
Otisco,  Spaftbrd,  Lysander  and  Manlius. 

George  Kibbie,  in  1800,  was  the  first  regular 
merchant  who  sold  goods  in  the  town  of  Onondaga. 
In  1803,  there  were  but  eight  frame  houses  in  the 
Hollow.  In  1809,  a  frame  school  house  was  erected, 
a  log  one  standing  near  the  site  of  the  Academy 
having  previously  been  used. 

In  accordance  with  an  act  of  the  Legislature 
passed  in  1808,  authorizing  the  Governor  to  deposit 
five  hundred  stand  of  arms  and  munition  and  mili- 
tary stores  for  the  defence  of  the  frontier,  at  Onon- 
daga, in  18 1 2  was  built  an  Arsenal  on  the  hill  east 
of  Onondaga  Hollow,  where  for  a  number  of  years 


2/6 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


was  kept  a  large  deposit  of  arms  and  ammunition. 
As  a  military  store  it  has  long  since  been  abandoned, 
and  has  fallen  into  decay. 

Newspapers. 

A  newspaper  was  first  established  at  Onondaga 
Hollow  by  Thomas  Crittenden  Fay,  in  December, 
1811,  entitled  The  Lytix,  having  for  its  motto, 
"  Liberty  and  my  Native  Country."  Published 
every  Wednesday  and  delivered  to  subscribers  in 
the  village  of  Onondaga  Valley  at  two  dollars  per 
annum.  In  closing  his  prospectus  he  says:  "I 
shall  endeavor  to  promote  the  nation's  interest  with 
the  industry  of  the  Pcavcr,  while  I  watch  its 
enemies  with  the  eyes  of  a  Lynx."  It  was  in  the 
office  of  The  Lynx  that  the  subsequent  distinguished 
editor  of  the  Albany  Evening  youmal  made  his 
debut  in  the  art  of  journalism.  Mr.  Weed,  in  the 
short  space  of  about  twelve  months,  became  devil, 
printer,  journeyman,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the 
memorable  Lynx. 

The  Onondaga  Register  made  its  first  appear- 
ance at  Onondaga  Hollow  in  September,  18 14, 
edited  by  Lewis  H.  Redfield,  Esq.,  and  was  con- 
tinued till  May,  1829,  when  it  was  transferred  to 
Syracuse  and  consolidated  with  the  Syracuse  Gazette. 
(See  History  of  the  City  and  County  Press.)  The 
first  iron  press  introduced  into  the  county  was  by 
Mr.  Redfield,  who  also  introduced  the  first  compo- 
sition roller. 

Russell  Webb  and  James  S.  Castle  published  a 
paper  at  Onondaga  Hollow  in  1832,  entitled.  The 
Citizen  s  Press,  which  was  discontinued  after  six 
months. 

'The  Onondaga  Gazette,  by  Evander  Morse,  was 
established  at  Onondaga  Hill  in  1816.  Mr.  Morse 
sold  the  establishment  to  Cephas  S.  McConnell, 
and  in  August,  1821,  its  name  was  changed  to  the 
Onondaga  jFournal.  Mr.  McConnell  sold  out  to 
Vivus  W.  Smith  in  1826,  who  in  1829  removed  it  to 
Syracuse,  and  joined  Mr.  Wyman  in  the  Onondaga 
Standard. 

ONONDAGA  WEST  HILL. 

One  of  the  first  settlers  at  this  point  was 
William  Laird,  in  1795.  He  became  the  first 
purchaser  of  Lot  No.  114,  and  kept  a  log  tavern, 
the  first  on  the  Hill.  He  committed  suicide  by 
hanging  in  October,  1802.  Nehemiah  Earll, 
Daniel  Earll  and  Jabez  Webb  settled  on  the 
Hill  in  1796.  Jabez  Webb  was  killed  by  the 
falling  of  a  tree  in  1806.  He  was  the  first  pur- 
chaser from  the  State  of  Lot  118.  Simeon  and 
Reuben  West  moved  to  the  Hill  in  1805-6;  Judge 
Strong    in    1802,   and    kept   the    first  school  ever 


taught  on  the  Hill,  from  November,  1802,  three 
winter  terms  of  four  or  five  months  each,  in  a  log 
building  which  stood  near  where  the  Court  House 
used  to  stand.  A  frame  school  house  was  erected 
near  the  same  place  in  1807.  Judge  Strong  was  a 
Deputy  under  Col.  Elijah  Phillips,  High  Sheriff, 
four  years,  and  Under  Sheriff  to  Sheriffs  Earll  and 
Rust  during  their  periods  of  office.  Dr.  Salmon 
Thayer  was  the  first  physician  on  the  Hill,  in  1800, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Stewart. 

The  first  Agricultural  Society  of  the  county  was 
organized  at  Onondaga  Hill  in  1819.  For  organi- 
zation, first  fair,  officers,  &c.,  see  Chapter  on  Agri- 
culture. 

St.  jFohn's  Church,  Onondaga  Hill,  was  organized 
by  Rev.  Davenport  Phelps,  November  26.  J  803. 
It  was  succeeded  by  Zion  Church,  which  was  or- 
ganized in  the  summer  of  1816.  The  clergy  were 
Rev.  Messrs.  Ezekiel  G.  Gear,  Milton  Wilcox, 
Thomas  K.  Peck,  Augustus  L.  Converse,  John 
McCarty,  George  L  Hinton,  John  W.  Cloud,  S. 
W.  Beardsley  and  Marshall  Whiting.  Regular 
services  ceased  at  this  church  in  1839.  The  bell 
formerly  used  here  is  now  in  use  in  Trinity  Church, 
Syracuse. 

One  of  the  early  supporters  and  Wardens  of  this 
church  was  Mr.  Reuben  West,  an  early  and  well- 
known  merchant  at  Onondaga  Hill,  at  which  place 
he  settled  in  1805.  He  was  born  in  Hebron,  Con- 
necticut, in   1783,  and  died  at  Onondaga  in  1832. 

Mr.  West's  eldest  daughter  married  Rev.  George 
L.  Hinton,  of  New  York  City,  Rector  of  the  church 
at  Onondaga  in  1827,  and  for  about  two  years  after- 
wards. Another  of  his  daughters,  Mrs.  Thomas 
Underbill,  born  at  Onondaga  Hill,  July  6,  1813,  is 
now  a  resident  af  Syracuse,  where  she  has  resided 
since  June,  1873.  His  youngest  daughter  married 
Mr.  Erastus  Sampson,  of  Ypsilanti,  Michigan. 

James  Mann,  first  landlord  of  the  Syracuse 
House,  was  an  early  merchant  at  Onondaga  West 
Hill.  He  was  the  son  of  Capt.  Benjamin  Mann, 
who  commanded  a  company  in  Col.  Stark's  regi- 
ment at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  June  17,  1775, 
and  continued  as  such  officer  through  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  under  Gen.  Washington. 

James  Mann  was  born  at  Woburn,  Mass  ,  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1767.  From  about  1800  to  1806,  he  was 
the  principal  merchant  at  Keene,  N.  H  ,  and  Presi- 
dent of  the  Cheshire  Bank.  In  1807  he  became 
an  importing  merchant  at  Boston,  at  the  head  of 
the  house  of  Mann,  Adams,  Nazro  &  Co.,  at  No. 
67  Broad  street.  The  trouble  with  England,  soon 
coming  on,  compelled  the  firm  to  give  up  import- 
ing.    About    1 810,    he  removed  to  Troy,  N.   Y., 


Plioto.  by  W.  V,  Ranger,  Syracuse. 


J^. .  iJ.  ?C4i  .A^ 


Levi  Clark,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  the  present  sketch, 
was  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  was  born  March  7,  1788.  He 
came  to  the  southern  part  of  the  town  of  Onondaga  at  the  age 
of  sixteen,  and  when  only  nineteen  married  Martha  Fenner, 
aged  seventeen,  and  who  was  tlie  daughter  of  Capt.  Turner 
Fenner,  one  of  the  earliest  and  most  prominent  settlers  of  the 
town.  The  young  couple  bought  a  forest-crowned  farm  on  the 
old  State  road,  and  there  reared  to  adult  age  all  their  children, 
five  sons  and  four  daughters.  Of  these,  Levi  Thomas  was 
fur  several  years  a  clergyman  of  the  Universalist  church,  and 
is  now  a  resident  of  Kansas.  Five  of  the  other  children 
nioved   into  western   States. 

Levi  Clark  was  not  a  farmer  only  ;  he  was  an  uncommonly 
inventive  mechanic.  He  made  the  first  "grapevine"  grain 
cradle  ever  used,  and  for  many  years  he  and  his  sons  annually 
manufactured  in  a  shop  on  the  farm  hundreds  of  these  then 
leading  American  harvesters  of  grain.  A  member  of  the  Bap- 
tist church,  he  afterwards  became  a  zealous  Universalist  and 
great  Bible  student,  always  ready  with  book,  chapter  and  verse 
to  meet  any  one  who  dared  to  controvert  his  religious  views. 


His  son.  Dr.  George  T.,  was  born  December  20,  1819,  and 
lived  on  the  farm  with  his  parents  till  he  was  of  age.  Being  a 
good  mechanic,  he  made  grain  cradles  several  years ;  but,  in 
1854,  became  a  member  of  the  Eclectic  Medical  College,  then 
in  successful  operation  in  Syracuse.  Spending  two  terms  in 
that  institution,  he  afterwards  graduated  at  the  American  Medi- 
cal College  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Devoting  two  years  to  his  pro- 
fession in  the  village  of  Jordan,  he  returned  to  the  homestead 
on  account  of  his  father's  health,  carrying  on  the  farm  and 
practicing  medicine  in  the  vicinity. 

After  his  father's  death  he  bought  the  old  home ;  but  his 
increasing  practice  induced  him  to  move  into  the  neighboring 
village  of  South  Onondaga  in  1869.  His  ride  has  extended 
through  his  native  and  adjoining  towns  into  the  city  and 
into  adjoining  counties,  and  his  professional  business  is  now 
more  extensive  than  that  of  any  one  in  this  or  any  of  the 
surrounding  villages.  Kind  and  liberal  to  the  poor,  lenient 
to  his  patrons,  yet  prudent  in  his  investments,  he  is  a  worthy 
descendant  and  representative  of  Onondaga's  capable  and  suc- 
cessful pioneers. 


^^^    ^^^^^,^.^^^^.^2^^^-- 


Willintn  Wilson,  the  paternal  prcat-prandfalhcr  of  the  subject 
of  the  prcwnit  skctoli,  wits  an  Aii?;lo-Iri.sli  furniur  in  Cherry 
Valloy,  N.  Y.,  before  the  llevolutioniiry  war.  But  the  entire 
family  was  captured  by  Brandt,  or  his  allies,  during  or  near  his 
Wyoininjr  Valley  expedition  and  niassacn;.  His  daughter  Mary, 
only  nintr  years  old,  was  hurried  thmu^h  the  forest,  with  tlie 
other  prisoners,  to  Detroit,  and  afkcrwards  to  Montreal,  where, 
by  luljor,  the  family  bnufrht  off  one  after  another  of  the  captives, 
and  they  settled  in  Onondapi  and  ncighlMjrinj:  counties.  The 
Indian  prisoner  jrirl  married  Kzekiel  Ncwni:in,  and  on  "  Survey 
Fifty,"  in  the  town  of  Oii.sco,  raised  a  family  of  children.  Of 
these,  Wilson  bcjpin  at  seventeen  and  worked  seven  years  for 
(iideon  Swly,  a  wealthy  pidiieer  settler  in  (lie  soutlieiLstern  part 
of  the  town  of  Onondupi.  and  then  married  Ksther  Conklin, 
the  dnu;;hter  of  a  widow  who  owned  an  adjoining  farm.  In  a 
log  irabin.  on  this  farm,  6ve  soils  and  two  diiu<;hters  were  born 
and  reared  to  ndull  ap\  The  father  had  only  six  months  of 
schooling ;  but,  by  the  aid  of  his  wife,  his  children,  and  books, 
he  U>eanie  a  good  Bible  .seliolar,  and  was  well  ]H)sted  in  the 
current  facts  and  theories  ol'  natural  .science.  He  was  nearly 
forty  years  the  oliuss-leader  of  the  Methodist  Kpi.s<ro|Hd  church 
of  South  Onondaga,  and  his  pastor,  in  his  obituary  sketch,  says : 
"  Brother  Newman  was  no  ordinary  man.  He  was  one  of  those 
choice  spinto  who  arc  suffered  occasionally  lo  ap|H>ar  among  us, 
and  who,  by  the  unwonted  excellence  of  their  I'lirLstiun  character, 
challenge  the  admiration  and  respect  of  all,  both  saint  and  sinner. 
He  was  the  most  active  and  efficient  class-leader  we  have  ever 
known." 

The  parents'  ambition  was  to  give  their  seven  children  a 
good  commoii-.school  cducalion  ;  but,  when  they  had  furnished 
this  Ision,  the  children  thirxted  for  more,  and,  almost  by  their 
own  unaidc-d  efforts,  continued  the  work  paternal  encouragement 
had  begun.  Five  became  t*'aehers.  The  eldi»t,  Ilaehcl  {'.,  a 
graduate  of  the  first  class  of  the  Grst  Normal  .scIicmiI  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  wils  several  years  prec-eptress  at  the  Caxe- 
novia  seminary,  and  K.  liansing  is  now  pastor  of  a  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  in  Kochcster.  N.  Y.  The  oldest  son,  Wm. 
Wilson,  born    Oct.  5,    IH2I,  after  "keeping    buchelor's  hail" 


one  winter  in  tlic  Onondaga  academy,  began  to  teach  when 
a  few  days  over  seventeen,  and  continued  in  that  profcwion, 
without  a  single  exception,  twenty-five  winters,  and,  unlcM 
attending  school,  during  these  entire  twenty-five  years.  One 
summer  wa.s  spent,  with  two  younger  brothers,  in  the  Al- 
bany academy,  studying  only  Latin  and  (Jreek,  under  Dr. 
Peter  Bullions,  with  free  tuition,  and  all  living  in  the  city  of 
Albany,  with  such  economy  of  hLs  hard-earned  wages,  that 
the  entire  expense  for  room  rent,  washing,  and  provisions  wb«, 
on  an  average,  for  each  person  only  seven-eiglillis  <if  a  ilollar  a 
week.  At  the  close  of  the  term  be  received  the  priw;  for 
composition  and  declamation,  from  the  venerable  T.  lUimeyn 
Beck. 

Acting  under  the  advice  of  President  Nott  and  Prof.  Bullions, 
he  continued  his  studies  while  teaching,  and  received  the  hon- 
orary degree  of  A.M.  from  Union  college.  Bi-coming  prinei|ial 
of  I'ublic  School  No.  7,  now  the  Putnam,  in  the  then  village  of 
Syracuse,  then  the  largest  school  in  Onondaga  (."ounty,  he  con- 
tinued to  be  its  j>rincipal  after  the  village  became  u  city,  and,  in 
that  building,  at  a  county  teachers'  institute,  wa.s  married,  April 
2U,  185U,  to  one  of  his  assistant  teachers,  Elizabeth  K.  Williams, 
of  Manlius.  Thence  they  went  to  Public  Schin)l  No.  13,  in  the 
city  of  Buffalo,  where  they  continued  thirteen  years,  till  his 
failing  health  led  them  to  change  their  vocation,  and  return  to 
the  old  honu'stcad  farm  in  18tJ4.  Not  as  teacher  or  farmer 
only,  but  aLso  as  author  and  editor,  as  administrator  and  executor 
of  eslalcs,  accepting  some  minor  politicjil  and  public  jxwitions 
and  refusing  others,  and  as  correspondent  of  Syracuse  and  New 
York  city  journals,  he  continues  in  the  quiet  and  varied  duties 
of  a  retired  but  u.si'ful  life.  On  liLs  homestead  farm,  costing 
from  two  dollars  to  five  dollars  an  acre  in  ITiTj  to  one  hundred 
dollars  in  1875  and  aggregated  by  ten  separate  purchases  and 
deeds,  where  he  and  his  parents  and  grandparentw  have  cleared 
away  forestj*,  erected  buildings,  and  made  tillable  lields,  where 
two  generations  have  passed  away,  and  three  generations  liave 
been  born  and  re;ired,  a  family  representation  remains,  toiling 
amid  the  duties  of  the  jirescnt,  and  treasuring  the  sacred  mem- 
ories of  the  past. 


C^W^^A^  X-   -tc^y-^^^^^i/l^         .^/iji4.Ul2    ^uAfUri.JMr) 


JUDGE   CHARLES    CARPENTEK 

[ONONDAGA    HILL.] 


Among  the  worthy  citizens  and  representative  men  of 
this  town,  none  deserve  a  more  honorable  mention  upon  the 
pages  of  our  county  history  than  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
He  is  the  son  of  William  and  Lois  Carpenter,  and  was 
born  Sept.  4,  1800,  in  Kingsbury,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y. 
His  father  was  born  in  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  176]  ;  his 
grandfather,  William,  was  born  near  New  York,  in  1710  ; 
and  his  forefathers  were  of  English  origin,  having  settled 
in  New  England  among  the  early  pioneers  to  that  country. 

The  judge  had  very  limited  advantages  for  an  education, 
but  by  reading  and  reflection  he  has  acquired  a  more  than 
ordinary  education,  being  able  to  perform  well  whatever 
duties  may  devolve  upon  him.  His  father  settled  in  this 
ttiwn  in  the  spring  of  1816,  and  followed  coopering.  He 
died  in  Herkimer  county,  in  the  fall  of  1821.  His  wife, 
Lois  Carpenter,  died  in  Kingsbury,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
April  30,  1814. 

In  the  fall  of  1816  the  judge  settled  in  the  town  of 
Onondaga,  and  for  a  number  of  years  followed  coopering. 
At  the  age  of  twenty  he  shouldered  his  pack  of  tools  and 
went  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  home, 
into  what  is  now  Orleans  county,  but  then  the  "  far  west," 
and  made  one  hundred  and  fifty  flour  barrels  for  a  man  by 
the  name  of  Morey,  who  was  at  the  time  a  merchant  at 
Onondaga  Hill,  and  who  engaged  young  Charles  to  make 
the  barrels  for  him. 

Returning  to  Onondagu  Hill,  he  continued  his  trade  till 
he  was  twenty-four,  when  he  married  Miss  Nancy  Burgess, 
a  native  of  Montpelier,  Vt.,  April  15,  1824.  She  was 
born  Oct.  8, 1804,  and  settled,  in  company  with  her  parents, 
in  1816,  in  Manlius,  Onondaga  County.  By  this  happy 
union  nine  children  were  born,  namely,  Charles  H.,  Cynthia 
Ann,  Emeline,  Seth  M.,  Edward  W.,  Wm.  H.,  Silas  A., 
Kate  L.,  and  Emma  L.  Cyntliia  Ann  and  Emeline  are 
deceased. 

In  August,  1827,  the  judge  was  appointed  "  deputy  salt 
inspector"  at  Geddes,  holding  the  same  position  for  some 
ten  years,  and  for  the  following  fourteen  years  was  engaged 


in  the  manufacture  of  salt.  He  then  was  appointed  "  prin- 
cipal inspector"  of  salt,  and  held  that  position  until  said 
office  was  abolished. 

In  1852  he  purchased  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Clay, 
having  disposed  of  his  salt  interest.  He  returned  to  Geddes 
in  1854,  and  on  Jan.  20,  1855,  his  wife  died.  Mi-s.  Car- 
penter was  a  worthy  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  ;  was  a  faithful  wife,  and  a  devoted  and  affectionate 
mother.  In  the  spring  of  1855  the  judge  was  reappointed 
"  salt  inspector,"  and  held  the  same  for  two  years.  He 
married  his  present  wife  April  14,  1858.  Her  maiden 
name  was  Abiah  L.  Briggs,  a  native  of  Schenectady,  N.  Y. 
She  was  born  July  6,  1811,  and  married  Mr.  Thomas  Ste- 
venson, of  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  25,  1829,  by  whom 
one  son,  Wm.  B.  Stevenson,  was  bom,  March  27,  1831, 
and  died  July  30,  1874.  Mr.  Stevenson  died  April  30, 
1856,  and  she  married  the  judge  at  the  date  before 
mentioned. 

In  1859  the  judge  went  back  on  his  farm  in  Clay,  occu- 
pying it  seven  years;  selling  it  in  1866,  he  removed  to 
Onondaga  Hill,  where  he  now  resides. 

In  politics,  he  affiliated  at  first  with  the  Democratic  party, 
casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  General  Jackson  ;  but 
in  1838  be  joined  the  Whig  party,  and  remained  in  it  until 
the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  in  1856,  since 
which  time  he  has  acted  with  that  party.  He  has  held  the 
office  of  inspector  of  election,  overseer  of  the  poor,  assessor, 
and  justice  of  the  peace  in  three  different  towns,  serving 
some  twenty  years,  and  was  recently  elected  in  Onondaga  to 
serve  four  years  more.  He  was  elected  in  the  fall  of  1871 
to  serve  as  "justice  of  sessions,"  serving  two  years.  In  all 
these  different  positions  he  has  given  excellent  satisfaction, 
and  is  held  to-day  in  high  esteem  by  his  fellow-townsmen. 

His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church. 
The  judge  is  now  in  his  seventy -eighth  year,  living  in 
retired  life  with  his  esteemed  lady,  and  has  the  satisfaction 
of  reviewing  a  long  and  usefiil  life,  with  no  apprehension 
of  the  future. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


277 


where  he  established  himself  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness, and  also  opened  three  stores  in  Onondaga 
County,  one  in  the  firm  name  of  Mann  &  Johnson  ; 
one  was  at  Onondaga  West  Hill,  one  at  Camillus 
and  one  at  Baldwinsville.  In  1817,  these  stores  re- 
quiring his  attention,  he  closed  his  business  at  Troy 
and  in  March  of  that  year  removed  with  his  family 
to  Onondaga  West  Hill,  or  "  Court  House,"  as  it 
was  sometimes  called. 

In  October,  1820,  the  house  occupied  by  him 
and  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  Joel  Dickinson,  was  burnt  to 
the  ground  ;  soon  after  which,  having  failed  in  busi- 
ness, he  went  into  the  "  Hotel,"  so  called,  at  Onon- 
daga Hill,  and  kept  it  till  the  fall  of  1821,  when  he 
removed  to  Syracuse  and  became  landlord  of  the 
"  Syracuse  Hotel,"  afterwards  changed  to  the  Syra- 
cuse House.  About  1825,  he  left  the  Syracuse 
House  and  the  county  of  Onondaga,  and  finally  died 
September  22,  1835,  at  Aurora,  Cayuga  county,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  had  gone  on  a  visit  to  his  daughter. 

A  postoffice  was  established  here  about  the  year 
1800,  Nehemiah  Earll,  Postmaster.  Daniel  Mosely 
established  himself  here  as  a  lawyer  in  1809. 
Medad  Curtis,  B.  Davis  Noxon,  and  several  other 
members  of  the  Onondaga  Bar  resided  here  pre- 
vious to  the  removal  of  the  Court  House  to  Syra- 
cuse. With  the  completion  of  the  Erie  Canal  and 
the  removal  of  the  public  buildings  the  prospects 
of  the  Hill  began  to  decline,  and  the  business  and 
professional  men  removed  to  a  more  promising 
locality. 

ONONDAGA  SOUTH  HOLLOW, 

now  South  Onondaga,  is  a  small  village  on  the  west 
branch  of  the  creek,  with  a  resident  clergyman  of 
the  M.  E.  Church,  and  the  usual  accompaniments 
of  a  country  village.  This  church  was  organized 
about  the  year  1818,  and  is  now  the  only  one  in  the 
place. 

Some  of  the  first  settlers  in  this  part  of  the  town 
previous  to  1800,  were  Gideon  Seeley,  Phineas 
Sparks,  Ebenezer  Conklin,  Turner  Fenner,  Gilbert 
Pinkney  and  Amasa  Chapman  ;  from  1800  to  1804, 
Obediah  Nichols,  John  Clark,  Henry  Frost,  John 
Carpenter,  Zebulon  Rust,  Joseph  Warner,  Oliver 
Cummings,  Daniel  Chaffee,  Isaac  Parmenter  and 
others. 

Near  this  village  is  a  singular  elevation  of  land 
rising  about  two  hundred  feet  above  the  creek,  with 
sides  steep  and  not  easily  accessible,  except  on  the 
west.  On  the  top  is  a  beautiful  plateau  or  table 
land  perfectly  plain  and  level,  containing  about  a 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  excellent  land  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  There  are  other  similar 
39 


elevations  in  this   branch  of  the  Onondaga  valley, 
but  none  so  deserving  of  notice  as  this. 

Navarino  and  Oakland  Mills,  now  called  Ce- 
darvale  P.  O ,  are  other  small  villages  in  the  west 
part  of  the  town,  with  a  resident  clergyman  of  the 
M.  E.  Church  at  Navarino,  and  at  East  Navarino  is 
the  Baptist  Church  with  a  settled  minister. 

VILLAGE  OF  DANFORTH. 

The  village  of  Danforth  was  incorporated  De- 
cember, 1874.  The  first  officers  were  elected  Jan- 
uary 23,  1875.  Edward  Abeel,  President;  Luke 
Wells,  Enoch  Mann,  Hontoneter  Bowers,  Trustees; 
Hiram  Collins,  Treasurer  ;  Amasa  L.  Pratt,  Col- 
lector ;  James  H.  Hinman,  Clerk  of  the  first  Board 
of  Trustees. 

Present  officers— elected  March  19,  1878:  Tru- 
man K.  Fuller,  President  ;  Charles  P.  Phillips,  Eli 
C.  Brayton,  Frank  Jerome,  Trustees  ;  Daniel  N. 
Lathrop,  Treasurer  ;  William  S.  Brown,  Collector  ; 
John  S.  Markell,  Village  Clerk ;  Enoch  Mann, 
Village  Justice. 

ONONDAGA  ACADEMY. 

At  a  meeting  of  several  of  the  persons  residing 
in  the  village  of  Onondaga  Hollow  held  August  15, 
1812,  a  subscription  paper  was  circulated  having 
for  its  object  the  raising  of  funds  sufficient  to  build 
and  endow  an  academy. 

The  following  were  among  the  principal  subscri- 
bers to  the  building  fund  : 

Joshua  Forman  $500.  ;  Thaddeus  M.  Wood 
300  ;  Nicholas  Mickles  200  ;  John  Adams  150  ;  Jos. 
Forman  150;  Dirck  C.  Lansing  150;  W.  H.  Sa- 
bin  150;  Cornelius  Longstreet  100;  Jasper  Hop- 
per 50  ;  Joseph  Swan  50  ;  Judson  Webb  50. 

And  the  following  to  the  endowment  fund  : 

Joshua  Forman  ^750  ;  Thaddeus  M.  Wood  500  ; 
Nicholas  Mickles  200  ;  John  Adams  250  ;  Joseph 
Forman  250 ;  Dirck  C.  Lansing  250  ;  Jasper  Hop- 
per 200;  Joseph  Swan  125  ;  Judson  Webb  150; 
Cornelius  Longstreet  250 ;  George  Hall  250 ;  Wm. 
H.  Sabin  250. 

Application  was  then  made  to  the  Board  of  Re- 
gents for  a  charter  of  incorporation,  which  was 
granted  April  10,  1813.  The  members  comprising 
the  first  board  of  trustees  were  Rev.  Caleb  Alexan- 
der, President ;  Jasper  Hopper,  Secretary  ;  Joseph 
Forman,  Dirck  C.  Lansing,  Wm.  H.  Sabin,  Joseph 
Swan,  Thaddeus  M.  Wood,  Gordon  Needham,  Ja- 
cobus DePuy,  Cornelius  Longstreet,  Judson  Webb, 
George  Hall,  Dan  Bradley,  Oliver  R.  Strong,  Nicho- 
las Mickles,  John  Adams,  Trustees. 

The  Academy  building  was  erected  in  18 14  and 


278 


HISTORY  OK  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


endowed  by  the  State  with  a  gift  of  a  lot  of  land 
belonging  to  the  Literature  Fund,  viz  :  Lot  9  in  the 
town  of  Lysandcr.  For  many  years  this  Academy 
was  an  important  educational  institution  and  many 
distinguished  men  of  the  country  owe  to  it  obliga- 
tions for  advantages  received  in  its  halls. 

Rev.  Caleb  Alexander  was  the  first  Principal  and 
to  his  exertions  and  influence  the  public  was  largely 
indebted  for  the  establishment  of  the  Academy. 
Through  his  influence  the  Fairfield  Academy  also 
was  established. 

Mr.  Alexander  was  a  man  of  extensive  learning 
and  varied  acquirements,  a  fine  conversationalist, 
and  an  author  of  some  note.  He  was  elected  the 
first  President  of  Hamilton  College,  but  declined 
the  situation.  He  died  at  Onondaga  Hollow  in 
April,  1828.  aged  seventy-two  years. 

By  an  act  passed  April  28,  1866,  entitled  "An 
Act  to  consolidate  Districts  Nos.  seven  and  twenty- 
eight  in  the  town  of  Onondaga,  County  of  Onon- 
daga, and  to  provide  for  the  organization  of  a  school 
and  academy  therein,  and  to  enable  said  district  to 
provide  the  necessary  building  therefor,"  (Vide 
Chap.  839  Session  Laws  of  1866,)  the  present 
Onondaga  F"ree  School  District  was  organized  with 
the  following  named  persons  as  Trustees:  George 
B.  Clark,  M.  Roland  Markham,  James  Longstreet, 
Ralph  Chafce,  Thos.  K.  Clark,  Richard  R.  Slocum, 
Nathaniel  Bostwick,  Cornell  Crysler,  Truman  K. 
Fuller. 

May  15.  1866,  the  "prudential"  board  of  the 
academy  transferred  the  entire  control  of  the  same 
to  the  above  named  Board  of  Trustees,  in  accord- 
ance with  said  act.  The  academy  has  been  under 
the  charge  of  the  present  Principal,  Prof  O.  W. 
Sturdevant,  since  1872.  From  the  last  Regents'  re- 
port we  find  the  value  of  library  and  apparatus  to  be 
$1 ,000,  and  that  of  the  balance  of  the  property  to 
be  J 1 5.100. 

This  academy  is  one  of  the  "  gymnasia  "  con- 
nected with  the  Syracuse  University. 

Churches 

P'lKsr  Pkkshvtekian  Church,  Onondaga  Val- 
ley.— This  church  was  originally  called  the  "  United 
Church  of  Onondaga  and  Salina,"  parties  living  in 
both  places  being  members.  Clark  says,  "  the 
First  Presbyterian  Society  was  established  on  the 
Hill,  but  the  people  finding  it  rather  fatiguing  to 
climb  up  there  every  Sunday,  resolved  to  have  a 
society  and  church  nearer  home.  Accordingly,  in 
November,  1809,  the  '  Onondaga  Hollow  Religious 
Society'  was  organized." 

Speaking  of  the  society  first  formed  on  the  Hill, 
he  says: 


"  The  First  Presbyterian  Society  of  Onondaga 
was  formed  on  the  Hill  at  the  log  tavern  kept  by 
Daniel  Earll ;  present,  Joshua  Forman.  Jasper 
Hopper,  John  Ellis,  Jonah  Ellis,  Jonas  C.  BaUlwin, 
John  Adams  and  Oliver  R.  Strong.  The  ministers 
previous  to  1806,  were  :  Rev.  Messrs.  Higgins  and 
Hely.  Rev.  Dirck  C.  Lansing  was  called  and 
settled  in  i«o6 ;  Rev.  Jabez  Chadwick  in  181 1  ; 
since  succeeded  by  Rev.  Messrs.  Burback,  Prentiss, 
Bacon  and  Machin." 

The  succession  of  ministers  since  we  have  not 
been  able  to  ascertain.  Rev.  O  H.  Seymour,  pastor 
at  the  \'alley,  officiates  also  as  pastor  at  the  Hill. 
The  church  edifice  still  in  use  at  the  Hill  was 
erected  in  18 19. 

The  church  in  the  Hbllow,  1  now  called  the  Valley,) 
which  according  to  Mr.  Clark  was  organized  in 
November,  1809,  was  organized,  according  to  the 
records,  by  the  Presbytery  of  Geneva,  N.  V  ,  on  the 
20lh  of  March,  18 10.  John  Adams,  Aaron  Bellows, 
Nicholas  Mickles,  Thaddeus  M.  Wood  and  Joshua 
Forman  were  chosen  Trustees.  Joseph  Swan  was 
chosen  Secretary.  Rev.  Mr.  Davenport  officiated 
as  the  first  minister,  the  services  being  held  in  the 
school  house.  In  November,  18 10,  Rev.  Dirck  C. 
Lansing,  who  had  previously  been  pastor  at  the 
Hill,  was  called  and  remained  in  charge  of  the 
church  till  May,  1814.  The  records  show  that  the 
present  church  building  was  occupied  in  181 5. 

At  the  organization.  March  20,  1810,  the  follow- 
ing persons  were  chosen  and  ordained  Elders  and 
Deacons  : 

lilders  — Joseph  I'orman,  Joseph  Swan,  Jason 
Wright,  Abel  Cadwell  and  Peter  Bogardus. 

Deacons. — Henry  Bogardus  and  Aaron  Bellows. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Session  was  held  April 
18,  1 8 10,  and  presided  over  by  Rev.  Dirck  C. 
Lansing,  afterwards  the  distinguished  Dr.  Lansing. 

Some  of  the  first  members  were  :  Joseph  For- 
man, Judson  Webb,  (  Elders  and  Deacons  already 
given, I  Charlotte  Hopper,  Sally  Mickles,  Hannah 
Danforth,  Sally  Sabin,  Agnes  Conklin,  William  C. 
Gazley,  William  H.  Sabin,  Joseph  W.  Brewster, 
Richard  Lord,  Deborah  Longstreet,  Sarah  Leaven- 
worth, Polly  Raynor,  Julia  Pattison,  Nicholas 
Mickles  and  John  Ainsley.  William  H.  Sabin, 
Esq.,  gave  the  land  for  the  church  and  the  academy, 
a  beautiful,  large  plot. 

The  full  list  of  pastors  cannot  be  given,  as  the 
records  of  the  church  from  1831  to  1868*9,  have 
been  lost  or  destroyed.  Clark  says  Rev.  Mr.  Lan- 
sing was  succeeded  in  the  following  order,  by  Rev. 
Ebcnezcr  J.  Leavenworth,  Rev.  Samuel  T.  Mills, 
Rev.  James  H.  Mills,  Rev.  Washington  Thatcher, 
Rev.  Elijah  Buck,  Rev.  Moses  Ingalls,  Rev.   Abel 


I 


GEORGE    HAI-L. 


Photo,  by  W.  Y,  Ranger,  Syracuse. 


MRS.    RUTH    R.    HALL. 


GEORGE   HALL, 


son  of  Shubael  and  Sarah  Hall,  was  born  in  South  Onondaga, 
Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  17, 1805.  His  parents  were  natives 
from  near  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  were  married  Dec.  13,  1795. 
His  father  was  born  Sept.  24,  1771,  and  mother,  Feb.  9,  1773. 
Thej  emigrated  to  the  county  of  Onondaga  in  February,  1799, 
being  eighteen  days  on  the  road,  coming  on  an  ox-sled.  They 
settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  their  sons,  Shubael  and 
George,  some  one-half  mile  south  of  what  was  formerly  known 
as  "  Hall's  Corners,"  now  as  "  Navarino.'  They  owned  some 
two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  good  land,  which  they  gave  to 
their  children.  They  had  three  children, — Shubael,  born  in  Con- 
necticut, Nov.  8, 1796,  and  came  here  with  his  parents  in  1799  ; 
Sallie,  born  Sept.  16,  1800,  and  George,  born  Nov.  17,  1805, 
both  of  whom  were  born  in  Onondaga  County,  on  tbe  old  farm. 
Shubael,  Sr.,  died  Feb.  27,  1826,  and  Mrs.  Shubael  Hall  died 
March  27,  1841. 

Mrs.  Hall  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Hall  was  a  life-long  Democrat.  George  Hall,  having  been 
reared  a  farmer,  early  learned  those  principles  so  necessary  to 
success.  He  came  in  possession  of  his  portion  of  his  father's 
estate  when  he  was  twentj^-one  years  of  age,  and  to  this  he  has 
kept  constantly  adding,  until  to-day  he  is  pointed  to  as  one  of 
the  most  substantial  farmers  in  the  town.  I 


He  was  married  to  Miss  Ruth  Rosette  West,  Dec.  25,  1827. 
She  was  born  Aug.  13,  1806,  in  this  State.  They  never  had 
any  children  of  their  own,  but  took  a  boy  by  the  name  of  Wesley 
Chrisler  when  he  was  but  eight  years  of  age ;  he  married  Miss 
Isabel  Kent,  a  native  of  Michigan,  Jan.  19,  1867,  by  whom 
two  children,  Ruth  and  Helen,  were  born  ;  he  died  July  29, 
1874,  in  the  thirty-seventh  year  of  his  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hall  have  been  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
for  a  great  many  years,  doing  all  in  their  power  to  advance  the 
cause  of  Christ  by  word  and  deed.  After  forty  years  of  married 
life,  Mrs.  Hall  died  April  20,  1868. 

The  widow  Chrisler  and  her  two  children  are  the  only  mem- 
bers of  his  family  left  beside  himself.  Mr.  Hall  is  one  of  the 
best  farmers  in  the  county,  and  has  some  very  fine  farm  build- 
ings which  he  has  built,  a  view  of  which  may  be  seen  opposite. 
Mr.  Hall  has  always  been  a  Republican  or  a  Whig  in  politics. 
Although  bereft  of  his  youthful  companion,  he  seems  to  enjoy 
life  well ;  is  hale  and  hearty  as  a  man  of  fifty,  though  he  is  in 
the  seventy-third  year  of  his  age. 

He  is  one  of  the  best  men  we  have  met  in  our  travels  through- 
out the  town.  He  seems  to  be  living  with  the  fact  ever  in 
view  that  soon  his  Master  will  say,  "  It's  enough ;  come  up 
hisiher." 


^ 


^ 


\iil.M.V     IvlNi. 


.Ml;>.    \ul. Sl.\     Kl.Ni 


VOLNEY    KING. 


Viiliu-y  KiiiR,  son  of  Thoiiixs  arid  Kuth  Kiii;{,  was  bom  Nov. 
It,  ISdO,  in  I'itlKtown,  UonsiH-liur  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  is  of 
Kngliiih  orij^in.  His  fiitlicr  w:is  a  native  of  Bratlk-borough, 
Vt,  and  was  born  Oct.  16, 1770,  and  mother  a  native  of  Pitts- 
town,  Rensselaer  Co.,  N.  Y.,and  was  born  May  12,  1777.  They 
Mettled  in  this  county  in  November,  1K05,  in  Marccllus.  They 
came  to  Onondii;^  in  the  spring  of  1813.  They  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  churi-h.  In  iMilitics  was  at  first  a  Jefferson 
DeuuK-nil,  and  tlien  a  Wliig.  Tlionia.-*  Kiiij;  died  July  ;!1, 1845, 
at  Montrose,  Iax  Co.,  Iowu,  and  Mrs.  T.  King  died  at  Palermo, 
this  county,  Marcli  20,  1838.  At  tlio  ago  of  seventeen 
Vohiey  King  commenced  to  barn  the  caqK!nt*-r  and  joiner 
trade,  and  tliis,  together  with  fanning,  lius  been  his  life's  work. 
lie  was  married  to  Miss  Salina  Chapman,  daughter  of  Capt. 
AiniL'^a  Chapman,  of  Mureellu.i,  May  12,  1822.  Mrs.  King 
waii  born  Aug.  21,  1800,  in  Marccllus.  Her  father.  Captain 
Chapman,  wa.s  a  native  of  Ashford,  Conn.,  and  his  wife, 
Hannah  Aiuidon,  also.  They  settled  in  Marccllus  in  1799, 
and  in  1801  removed  to  this  town.  They  reared  six  children, — 
three  sons  and  three  daughters.  Hon.  Abncr  Chapman,  whoso 
portrait  and  biography  graces  the  ]<ai;r.s  of  another  part  uf  this 
work,  is  one  of  their  sons.     Captain  Chapman  was  very  fond 


of  militjiry  tactics,  was  a  school-teacher  for  many  years,  and 
was  one  of  the  best  readers  in  all  this  part  of  the  State,  being 
often  called  upon  to  rood  the  Det'lar.ition  of  Independence  on 
the  fourth  of  July.  He  was  a  robust  man,  and  of  commanding 
appearance. 

Mr.  Volney  King  and  wife  have  been  married  for  more  than 
fifty-six  yeans,  and  for  more  than  fifty  years  have  been  bright 
and  shining  lights  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mr. 
King  has  been  class-leader  for  the  greater  part  of  this  time, 
has  been  steward  for  many  years,  and  has  been  supi'rinttMidenl 
of  the  Sunday-school ;  and,  more  than  all  this,  he  has  led  the 
singing  for  more  than  sixty  years  until  quite  recently.  .Mr. 
King  and  wife  have  reared  four  children,  throe  of  whom  are 
MOW  living,  and  are  following  in  the  footsteps  of  their  aged 
parents.  For  more  than  fifly  years  Mr.  King  has  been  a  strong 
temperance  man,  and  it  is  to  such  men  as  he  and  Hon.  Abner 
Chapman,  and  others  we  might  mention,  that  public  sentiment 
has  been  rightly  controlled.  Of  his  living  children,  two  sons, 
Volney  h.  and  George  Thomas,  are  farmers  in  the  town  of 
Otisco,  and  one  daughter,  Salina  A.,  married  a  Methodist 
Episcopal  preacher  by  the  name  of  Ilev.  Thomas  Harroun,  now 
of  Binghamton,  N.  Y. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


279 


Cutler,  Rev.  Mr.  Howell,  Rev.  George  H.  Hulin 
and  Rev.  William  W.  Collins.  Those  of  recent 
years  have  been  Rev.  Elijah  Bush,  Rev.  E.  S. 
Davis,  Rev.  Joseph  Rosenkrans,  Rev.  Mr.  James, 
Rev.  James  S.  Baker,  and  Rev.  Henry  N.  Payne. 
Rev.  O.  H.  Seymour,  present  pastor,  began  his 
labors  here  in  May,  1S78,  and  is  also  pastor  of  the 
church  on  the  Hill. 

The  present  membership  is  about  100  ;  Sunday 
School  90. 

A  lecture  room  has  been  recently  added  to  the 
rear  of  the  church  building,  two-stories  high,  35  by 
40  feet,  and  paid  for. 

The  rapid  growth  of  Syracuse  absorbed  for  a 
time  the  life  of  the  Valley,  but  new  life  seems  now 
to  be  slowly  flowing  back  again. 

The  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 
Onondaga  Valley. — Methodist  Church  services 
were  first  held  at  the  Valley  in  the  house  of  Mr.  A. 
Pattison  in  18 16,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev. 
George  Densmore.  The  members  of  the  first  so- 
ciety were  Rev.  George  Taylor,  A.  Pattison,  Clark 
W.  Brownell,  Ezra  Hoyt,  Ruth  Hoyt,  Ada  Hoyt, 
Moses  Hoyt,  Keeler  Hoyt,  Caleb  White,  Bishop 
White,  Benjamin  D.  Gardner,  Nelson  Palmer, 
Jonathan  Knott,  Sylvester  Nobb,  Nathaniel  Root, 
Sally  Rich,  Phebe  Vroman  and  Alonzo  Webster. 

The  church  building  was  erected  in  or  near  1825. 
Trustees — Rev.  G.  Taylor,  A.  Pattison  and  Clark  W. 
Brownell.  In  1847  ^  dwelling  house  was  purchased 
adjoining  the  church  lot,  at  a  cost  of  about  $200. 
Among  the  earliest  ministers  were  Manly  Tooker, 
1823  ;  Eben  L.  North,  1825. 

The  membership  of  the  society  is  now  38. 
Valuation  of  church  about  $1,500,  and  parsonage 
about  the  same.     Present  pastor,  J.  J.  Turton. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Society  on  the 
Reservation  Hill,  town  of  Onondaga,  was  founded 
about  1819  or  1820,  by  Aaron  Preston,  a  local 
preacher.  The  church  building  was  not  erected 
till  some  few  years  afterward. 

The  first  members  were  Aaron  Connell  and  wife, 
Thorn  Dubois  and  wife,  Mrs.  Mary  Barnum,  John 
Woodward  and  wife,  Benjamin  Snow  and  wife,  Cor- 
nelius Miller  and  wife. 

The  society  worshiped  in  the  school  house  till 
1847,  when  the  present  church  building  was  erected 
at  a  cost  of  about  g  1,600.  Present  membership 
38.  This  church  has  been  closely  connected  with 
the  society  at  the  Valley.  The  same  preacher 
usually  supplies  both  places.  Present  pastor,  J.  J. 
Turton. 

Onondaga  Baptist  Church. — This  church  is 
located  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town  of  Onon- 


daga. Among  the  early  settlers  of  this  section  of 
the  country  were  a  few  brethren  and  sisters  of  the 
Baptist  faith  from  different  churches  of  the  land. 
They  were  like  sheep  without  a  shepherd  and 
literally  scattered  in  the  wilderness.  Their  love  for 
their  common  Lord  soon  drew  them  together  into 
prayer  and  conference  meetings,  by  which  they  be- 
came better  acquainted  and  encouraged  to  make  an 
effort  to  raise  the  standard  of  the  Lord  in  a  perma- 
nent way. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1811,  a  few  disciples  met  at 
the  log  house  of  James  Redway,  in  Otisco,  and 
there  formed  themselves  into  a  church  conference 
for  the  purpose  of  becoming  organized  into  a 
church  as  soon  as  practicable.  April  11,  1812, 
they  voted  to  call  a  council  on  the  second  Wednes- 
day in  June,  in  order  to  be  recognized  as  a  Baptist 
Church.  The  council  was  composed  as  follows : 
Sempronius,  Elder  Robert  Niles  and  Brother  Enos 
Phillips ;  Owasco,  Elder  Elkanah  Comstock  ; 
Aurelius,  Brother  S.  Tucker ;  Marcellus,  Elder 
Harmon,  Brethren  Skeels,  Hurd,  Fitzgerald,  Ses- 
sions, Kneeland  and  Chapman  ;  First  Church  of 
Onondaga,  (then  at  Howlett  Hill,)  Brethren  War- 
ren and  Richmond. 

The  council  met  in  Ephraim  Hall's  barn  (now 
Austin  G.  Wyckoff's)  at  Navarino,  and  organized 
by  choosing  Elder  Niles,  Moderator,  and  Peter 
Warren,  Clerk.  After  due  deliberation  the  council 
voted  unanimously  to  fellowship  the  conference  as  a 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  number  constituting 
the  church  at  that  time  was  twenty-four,  prominent 
among  whom  were  Sylvester  Olney,  Silas  Church, 
Solomon  Draper,  Mrs.  Sarah  Hall  and  Sally  Red- 
way. 

The  pastors  of  this  church,  in  the  order  named, 
have  been  as  follows :  Rev.  Elkanah  Comstock, 
1812,  served  three  years;  Rev,  Israel  Hodge,  two 
years  ;  Kev.  Solomon  Gardner,  i820-'29,  (a  period 
of  marked  prosperity  for  the  church)  ;  Rev.  D.  D. 
Chittenden,  i829-'32,  (94  added  to  the  church)  ; 
Rev.  E.  P.  Die  preached  a  short  time  in  1833  ; 
Rev.  William  Powers,  1834-37;  Rev.  Mr.  Holt, 
1837  ;  Rev.  Mr.  Pomeroy,  1838;  Rev.  N.  Camp, 
i839-'4i  ;  Rev.  A.  P.  Howell,  1841-43  ;  Rev. 
Barton  Capron,  1843-49;  Rev.  A.  H.  Trow,  1849 
-'50;  Rev.  L.  W.  Nichols,  i850-'S2  ;  Rev.  N. 
Camp,  (second  pastorate)  1853-55  ;  Rev.  H.  A. 
Sizer,  1856-58  ;  Rev.  W.  H.  Delano,  1859-60  ; 
Rev.  Daniel  Reese,  1860-64  ;  Rev.  Samuel  Smith, 
1864-67;  Rev.  Levi  Reynolds,  i867-'69;  Rev. 
Jacob  Smith,  1869-72;  Rev.  L.  Q.  Griffin,  1872 
-■]6.  The  last  named  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Charles  Coon,  the  present  pastor. 


28o 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


The  first  Deacons  were  Sylvester  OIney  and 
Silas  Church  ;  then  followed  Aaron  Case  and  Henry 
Gallaspie  ;  then  S.  Keiiyon  and  James  Kowe,  Sen. 
Deacon  James  Rowe,  Sen.,  was  baptized  and  united 
with  the  church  October  8,  iS^o,  was  chosen  Clerk 
at  the  next  annual  meeting,  and  ser^'ed  nine  years, 
was  elected  Deacon  in  1830  and  filled  the  office  till 
the  time  of  his  death,  January  7,  1873  He  was  an 
efficient  and  faithful  member  for  over  half  a  century. 
Born  in  Stillwater,  Saratoga  County,  October  2, 
1773,  he  came  to  Onondaga  in  1806,  was  a  resident 
of  the  town  si.xty-seven  years,  and  all  that  time 
owned  and  occupied  the  same  farm.  He  died  in 
the  1 00th  year  of  his  age. 

Among  the  old  and  earnest  members  of  the 
church  are  E.  B.  Wright,  Superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  School ;  who  has  been  a  member  for 
twenty-one  years  ;  Lyman  Gardner,  who  united 
with  the  church  in  1822,  and  served  as  Deacon 
twenty  six  years  ;  James  Rowe,  Jr..  who  has  served 
the  church  in  the  capacity  of  Clerk  since  1852,  has 
been  a  member  since  1844. 

The  present  membership  of  the  church  is  73  ; 
attendance  at  the  Sunday  School  about  80. 

The  first  church  edifice  was  erected  in  i822-'23, 
timber  and  shingles  being  obtained  from  the  pine 
woods  of  Dryden,  now  in  Tompkins  county.  The 
Building  Committee  was  David  ChaflTee,  William 
Willett  and  James  Rowe,  Sen  The  church  cost 
$1,300,  and  the  dedicatory  sermon  was  preached  by 
Rev.  Sylvanus  Haynes,  of  Elbridge.  The  first 
stove  used  in  the  house  was  put  upon  the  tops  of 
the  scats.  In  1834  a  parsonage  was  erected;  in 
1858  sheds  were  built  the  whole  length  of  the 
church  lot ;  in  1871  the  church  was  thoroughly  re- 
modeled in  conformity  with  modern  style,  and  was 
rcdedicated  November  2,  Rev.  H.J.  Eddy,  D.  D. , 
of  Syracuse,  preaching  the  sermon  The  cost  of 
repairs  and  refitting  the  church  was  ^2,000. 
Building  Committee— W.  C.  Fish,  E.  B.Wright 
and  David  Hunt. 

FiKST  M.  E.  Church,  Onondaga  Hill. — The 
edifice  of  this  church  was  erected  in  1874  at  a  cost 
(including  parsonage)  of  about  $6,000.  The  Trus- 
tees at  that  time  were  John  McClarencc,  Richard 
Cradock,  Henry  Raynor,  Monroe  Mathewson,  and 
Cicero  Fowler.  All  of  the  above  Trustees  now 
officiate,  except  Cicero  Fowler,  deceased,  his  place 
being  supplied  by  the  election  of  Asa  Strong.  The 
society  was  organized  and  the  church  built  under 
the  administration  of  Rev.  Frederick  DeWitt,  who 
remained  pastor  till  1 876.  and  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  William  Curtis,  who  remained  a  little  over 
one  year,  and  was  compelled  to  resign  on   account 


of  ill  health.  The  present  pastor.  Rev.  Abncr 
Fancher,  commenced  his  ser\ices  in  the  fall  of 
1877.  The  church  numbers  about  80  ;  Sunday 
School  about  lOO. 

Mkthodist  Episcopal  Church,  Cedarvale. 
— This  church  was  built  about  1840,  and  regular 
services  have  ever  since  been  held  in  it.  Among 
the  early  members  were  R  Kcnyon  and  wife.  Vol- 
ney  King,  Ezra  Lownsbury,  John  Evans  and  wife, 
Thomas  C.  Kenyon;  Augustus  C.  Kenyon,  and 
Alexander  Browning.  Among  the  clergymen  who 
have  officiated  are  Revs  Messrs.  Youngman,  Bush, 
Tooke,  Cowles,  and  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  D.  W. 
Sherman.  The  church  is  prosperous  and  has  a 
well-attended  Sunday  School. 

The  Univeksalist  Church  at  Hewlett  Hill  was 
built  by  the  Baptists,  and  was  used  by  them  until 
about  1 849  or  '50.  The  lot  had  been  deeded  to  them 
by  Leonard  Caton  upon  condition  that,  when  they 
abandoned  it,  it  should  revert  to  him  or  his  heirs, 
which  it  did.  Mr.  Caton  then  deeded  it  to  the  Uni- 
versalist  Society  upon  the  same  condition,  and  it  was 
repaired  and  refitted  by  the  latter.  The  first  officiat- 
ing Universalist  clergyman  was  Rev.  Nelson  Brown, 
who  had  preached  for  the  society  a  number  of  years 
previous  in  the  school  house  and  who  remained  a  long 
time  with  the  society.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
James  M.  McMastcr,  Rev.  J.  M.  Austin,  Rev.  E.  C. 
Sweetscr,  and  other  pastors  of  the  Church  in  Syra- 
cuse. Dr.  Green  was  the  first  Universalist  who 
preached  at  this  place,  out  of  whose  efforts  grew  the 
society.  It  was  organized  with  John  T.  Robinson  as 
President,  and  Wheeler  Trucsdell  as  Secretary,  who, 
with  John  Case,  B  H.  Case,  J.  Q.  Robinson,  Chas. 
Land,  Giles  Case,  David  Robinson,  Eliphas  Case 
and  Eusephus  Lawrence,  were  prominent  in  its  or- 
ganization and  maintenance.  The  society  at  pres- 
ent numbers  about  twenty. 

The  church  has  been  occupied  by  the  Episco- 
palians for  about  three  years,  being  supplied  by 
clergymen  from  Marccllus,  who  hold  services  nearly 
every  Sunday  afternoon. 

The  Methouist  Episcopal  Church  of  Sooth 
Onondaga.— This  Church  was  organized  about  the 
year  l8i6.  Among  the  first  prominent  members 
were  Wilson  Newman,  Phebe  Bradley,  Volney 
King,  Salina  King  his  wife.  Joseph  O.  Seeley,  Ros- 
well  Kenyon,  Francis  Hamilton  and  Sterling  Cole. 
The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  school  house  on 
the  "corner." 

The  church  was  supplied  by  itinerant  preachers, 
among  whom  were  Eben  L.  North  (now  postmas- 
ter at  the  village,)  Father  Aylesworth.  Elder  Puffer, 
Rev.  John  P.  Newman,  (now  pastor  of  the  Metro- 


(V 


Mrs  Rebecca  WvoiforF  Ausns  G  Wvcirorr 


ALiSTiN  GWrCK'Orr,  Navarino.  N  y 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


281 


politan  Church  at  Washington,  D.  C.)  In  1827,  a 
church  edifice  was  built  by  the  united  efforts  of  the 
Presbyterian,  Methodist  Episcopal,  and  Universalist 
Societies,  and  was  occupied  alternately  by  them. 
About  the  year  1837,  the  present  Methodist  Epis- 
copal house  of  worship  was  built  at  a  cost  of  ;SS  1,600. 
Rev.  Dr.  Bowen  preached  the  dedication  sermon. 
It  is  a  plain  brick  structure,  of  the  modern  style  of 
architecture,  and  has  a  seating  capacity  of  about 
three  hundred.  The  first  trustees  of  the  new 
church  were  Wilson  Newman,  Volney  King  and 
Leonard  Hodgkins.  The  pulpit  was  supplied  as 
before  by  itinerant  clergymen.  For  the  past  twelve 
years  the  church  has  had  resident  pastors.  The 
present  pastor  is  Rev.  D.  W.  Sherman  ;  present 
membership  80  ;  attendance  at  Sunday  School 
about  100  ;  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School, 
Charles  Quick.  The  present  Trustees  are  Leonard 
Hodgkins,  Moses  M.  Dwelle  and  Wm.  L.  Fisk. 

Several  members  of  this  church  have  gone  forth 
into  the  world  and  occupied  prominent  and  useful 
positions.  Mary  Seeley  went  forth  as  a  missionary 
to  China  ;  Rachel  C.  Newman  is  Preceptress  of 
Cazenovia  Seminary  ;  Rev.  E.  Lansing  Newman  is 
now  pastor  of  the  North  Street  Church  at  Roches- 
ter, New  York.  This  is  the  only  church  organiza- 
tion at  South  Onondaga  and  the  only  church  in 
which  regular  divine  services  have  been  held  for 
several  years  past. 


B!OGi|APHic>L  Sketches. 


JARED  W.  PARSONS, 

Son  of  Jared  and  Electa  Parsons,  was  born  May 
22,  1820,  in  Otisco,  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.  His 
father  was  the  son  of  Noah  and  Sarah  Parsons,  and 
was  born  in  West  Hampton,  Mass.,  April  10,  1783, 
and  settled  in  this  county  at  Otisco,  in  1802.  He 
married  Miss  Electa  Wales,  of  West  Hampton, 
Mass.,  in  the  spring  of  1807,  by  whom  he  had  four 
children.  Miss  E.  Wales,  now  Mrs.  Jared  Parsons, 
Sr.,  was  born  in  1785.  Jared  Parsons,  Sr.,  held 
several  important  offices  in  Otisco,  such  as  Loan 
Com.,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  Supervisor.  In 
1843  he  removed  to  South  Onondaga,  where  he 
continued  to  live  with  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
till  his  death,  which  occurred  May  29.  1866,  in 
the  eighty-third  year  of  his  age.  His  wife  was 
a  worthy  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
at  Otisco.  She  died  March  17,  1863,  •"  the  78th 
year  of  her  age. 


In  politics,  Mr.  Parsons  was  first  a  Whig,  and 
then  a  Republican  upon  the  organization  of  the  lat- 
ter party. 

Jared  W.  Parsons,  is  of  English  origin  ;  his 
forefathers  came  from  England  at  a  very  early 
period  and  settled  at  Windsor,  Conn.,  and  removed 
thence  to  Springfield,  and  from  thence  to  North- 
ampton, Mass.  He  continued  to  live  with  his  pa- 
rents till  their  death,  and  then  came  in  possession 
of  the  "  old  homestead,"  by  paying  the  heirs  their 
proportion.  The  farm  in  the  town  of  Onondaga 
contained  at  first  some  three  hundred  acres,  and  to 
this  he  has  added  one  hundred  more,  making  him 
one  of  the  largest  farmers  in  the  town.  He  has  a 
fine  home  ;  the  buildings  are  all  good  and  his  land 
is  in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation. 

Mr.  Parsons  was  married  to  Miss  Rachel  M. 
Swan,  of  Fabius,  Sept.  29,  1840.  Mrs.  Parsons 
was  born  June  9,  182 1,  and  died  October  8,  1874. 
She  was  a  worthy  and  consistent  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parsons 
were  born  five  children,  viz  :  Almira,  Electa  A., 
Rose  E.,  Jared  Ives  and  Nellie  C.  Parsons.  In 
politics,  Mr  Parsons  has  always  affiliated  with  the 
Republican  party  since  its  organization.  He  has 
been  twice  Supervisor  of  his  town,  and  has  always 
been  in  favor  of  good  schools.  Though  not  a  mem- 
ber of  any  church,  he  contributes  to  the  support  of 
the  one  in  his  neighborhood.  He  is  now  in  very 
poor  health,  and  to  his  only  son,  Jared  Ives,  he  has 
given  the  control  of  the  "old  homestead." 


A.  G.  WYCKOFF. 


Among  the  many  men  whose  names  appear  upon 
the  page  of  local  history,  none  is  more  highly  respec- 
ted by  his  neighbors  than  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
He  is  the  son  of  Jonathan  and  Sarah  Wyckoff  and 
was  born  April  11,  1813,  at  Charleston,  Montgom- 
ery County,  N.  Y.,  and  immigrated  to  this  county,  in 
company  with  his  parents,  in  1815,  and  settled  near 
Skaneateles.    He  was  reared  a  farmer  and  continued 
to  work  for  his  father  till  he  was  thirty-two  years  of 
age,  receiving  ^100  a  year  after  his  majority.     Dur- 
ing this  time  he  was  married  to  Miss  Rebecca  Eg- 
gleston,  of  Skaneateles,  October  9,  1839.     She  was 
born  April   3,    18 18,  in  Skaneateles.     Her  parents 
settled  there  in  1801.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wyckoff  have 
reared  four  children,  namely,  Helen  A.,  Jonathan, 
Austanie  R.,  and  Austin  G.,  Jr.,  all  of  whom  lived 
to  be  men  and  women.     Helen    A.  died  July  18, 
1865.     In  1845,  Mr.  Wyckoff  settled  in  the  town  of 
Onondaga,  on  the  place  he  now  owns.     He  has 


40" 


282 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


made  nearly  all  the  improvements  on  his  fine  farm, 
a  view  of  which  may  be  seen  in  this  work. 

In  politics,  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  then  a  Re- 
publican after  the  formation  of  the  latter  party. 
Mrs.  Wyckofl"  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
Mr.  W.  is  now  in  his  65th  year,  living  respected  by 
all  who  know  him,  surrounded  by  intelligent  chil- 
dren and  all  the  necessary  comforts  of  a  happy 
home. 

THKODORE  EDWARD  CLARKE. 

Theodore  Edward  Clarke  was  born  January  23, 
1806,  in  the  village  of  Pompey  Hill.  Onondaga 
County,  N.  V.  He  was  a  son  of  Hezekiah  and 
Lucy  (  Bliss  I  Clarke.  His  early  educational  advan- 
tages were  excellent.  After  pursuing  a  course  of 
study  at  Pompey  Academy,  he  entered  Oneida 
Institute  at  Whitesboro,  Oneida  County,  N.  V., 
and  was  occasionally  employed  as  an  assistant 
teacher.  Theodore  D.  Weld,  who  was  a  teacher 
and  lecturer  in  the  Institute,  said  of  him  :  "  He 
had  a  happy  faculty  of  illustration,  and  of  convey- 
ing his  ideas  to  his  class."  He  afterwards  entered 
the  office  of  Jchiel  Steams,  M.  D ,  of  Pompey  Hill, 
but  at  the  end  of  six  months  he  was  compelled  on 
account  of  failing  health  to  abandon  his  studies. 
Dr.  Stearns  said  of  him  :  "  He  is  the  most  rapid 
and  thorough  student  I  ever  knew.  The  technical 
names  with  which  these  studies  abound  seemed  to 
be  no  hinderance  to  his  rapid  progress."  Theodore 
D.  Weld  writes  of  him  on  receiving  the  intelligence 
of  his  death  :  "  My  heart  aches  and  bleeds  I  Ecw  I 
how  few  !  have  so  grown  to  it  as  Theodore  E.  Clarke. 
What  loathing  of  all  shams!  What  true  apprecia- 
tion of  the  kernel  of  things."  The  Rev.  Jared  F. 
Ostrander  says  :  "  For  logical  acumen,  for  profound, 
abstract  thought,  for  far-reaching  and  comprehensive 
views,  for  bold  excursions  into  the  unknown,  he  had 
probably  few  equals." 

His  compositions,  both  in  prose  and  verse,  from 
boyhood  up,  shadowed  forth  a  mind  of  no  ordinary 
cast.  He  was  most  deeply  and  heartily  interested 
in  all  the  great  moral  and  religious  questions  of  his 
time.  In  him  total  abstinence  found  a  nevcr-wav- 
cring  advocate.  He  read  with  avidity  the  pro- 
foundest  writings  of  the  schools,  and  discussed  and 
criticised  them  very  familiarly.  He  purchased  a 
residence  in  Baldwinsville  and  lived  there  with  his 
sister  and  aged  mother  imtil  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred at  Syracuse,  October  26,  1853. 


Tolland  county,  Conn.,  Januar)-  3,  1794  He  was 
reared  a  farmer  and  continued  to  follow  that  occu- 
pation throughout  his  active  life.  In  Feb.  1801, 
he  came  to  this  county  in  company  with  his  parents 
and  settled  near  Navarino.  His  father  died  August 
16,  1828.  his  mother  about  1803,  and  were  both 
buried  on  their  own  farm. 

Deacon  J.  Hunt  married  Miss  Lucy  Bliss  of  this 
town,  December  25,  1817,  and  after  forty  years  of 
married  life  she  died  in  November,  1857.  She  was 
a  worthy  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  of  Syra- 
cuse, N.  Y.  On  the  23d  of  September,  1858, 
Deacon  J.  Hunt  married  Miss  Eliza  Clark,  a  native 
of  Wcsterlo,  Albany  county,  N.  Y.  She  was  born 
December  i,  1802  ;  her  parents  were  natives  of 
New  England,  and  were  among  the  earliest  settlers 
in  Albany  county.  Mrs.  Hunt  was  Principal  from 
1829  to  1839,  of  the  "Asylum  for  Orphans  and 
Destitute  Children  "  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  on  the 
27th  of  April,  1 845,  she  became  Principal  of  the"  On- 
ondaga County  Orphan  Asylum,"  located  at  Syra- 
cuse, N.  Y..  and  continued  to  hold  that  responsible 
position  until  the  date  of  her  marriage  with  Deacon 
Hunt.  In  her  official  position  she  was  very  effi- 
cient and  performed  her  duties  exceedingly  well,  and 
has  many  warm  friends  all  over  this  county  and 
State,  and  even  in  other  States,  who  treasure  her 
memory,  and  only  think  of  her  with  the  tenderest 
affection.  Hers  has  been  a  noble  life,  full  of  good 
deeds  and  the  memory  of  them  can  only  be  pleas- 
ant to  her  in  her  declining  years.  She  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church  for  more  than  sixty 
years,  and  Deacon  Hunt  for  more  than  forty  years. 

The  Deacon  is  one  of  the  most  liberal  men  of 
that  great  denomination,  having  aided  in  the  build- 
ing of  several  houses  of  worship.  He  and  his  wor- 
thy companion  are  bright  and  shining  lights  of  the 
church,  and  are  greatly  respected  by  their  neigh- 
bors. He  has  been  a  very  successful  farmer,  but 
whatever  he  has  made  has  been  by  industry  and 
economy  ;  many  a  mid-night  hour  has  witnessed 
him  at  work  in  the  field.  In  politics  he  was  at  first 
a  Whig  and  then  a  Republican.  Deacon  Hunt  is 
the  owner  of  one  of  the  best  homes  in  Onondaga, 
a  view  of  which,  with  portraits  of  himself  and  wife 
appear  in  another  part  of  this  work. 


DAVID  CHAFEE, 


DEACON  JERATHMAEL  HUNT, 
Son  of  John  and  Anna  Hunt,  was  born  in  Union, 


Father  of  Ralph  Chafee,  was  born  in  Ashford, 
Conn,  July  25,  1772.  He  came  to  Onondaga  in 
1799,  and  worked  for  Col.  Comfort  Tyler,  in  haying 
and  harvesting.  Returning  to  Connecticut,  he 
taught  school  one  winter,  and  in   the  spring  came 


1 


UtS   J   yiUHT 


(  moTiu  BY  W.V  HnMCcn.Srinkciist  i 


OCACON  J  J^UNT 


Photcts.  b^' 
\V.  V.  Raugei-. 


DAVID 

Among  the  pioneer  families  of"  this  county  none  are  more 
deserving  of  an  honorable  mention  on  the  pages  of  our  county 
history  than  the  Chafee  family,  and,  as  an  individual  member 
of  it,  David,  perhaps,  is  the  most  prominent  and  successful. 
He  is  the  son  of  David  and  Eunice  Chapman  Chafee,  and  was 
born  in  Onondaga  township,  February  16,  1805.  His  father, 
David,  was  a  native  of  Ashford,  Windham  county,  Connecticut, 
and  was  born  July  25,  1772,  and  married  Miss  Eunice  Chap- 
man, November  27,  1800.  Mrs.  Eunice  C.  Chafee  was  born 
in  Connecticut,  June  2,  1780. 

David  Chafee,  Sr.,  settled  in  Marcellus  before  1799,  and 
soon  afler  removed  into  this  town,  near  Navarino,  where  all  of 
his  eleven  children  were  born,  namely,  Louisa,  Ralph,  David, 
Abner,  Comfort  T.,  Guy,  George,  William  H.,  Eunice,  Joshua, 
and  Polly. 

David  Chafee,  Sr.,  was  a  farmer,  and  carpenter  and  joiner  by 
occupation,  and  reared  his  family  to  industry  and  economy.  In 
polities  a  Whig.  He  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for 
many  years.  He  died  September  18,  1847,  aged  seventy-five 
years.     Eunice  Chafee  died  July  11, 1831. 

David,  Jr.,  had  common-school  advantages  for  an  education, 
going  to  school  a  few  months  in  the  winter,  and  working  on 
the  farm  summers.  He  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
eighteen  acres  in  Marcellus  (Tyler  Hollow)  in  the  flill  of  1833, 
and  married  Miss  Betsey  Kinyon,  February  (5,  1834. 

Miss  Betsey  Kinyon  was  born  January  21,  1811,  in  Otisco. 
Her  father,  Benjamin  Kinyon,  was  a  native  of  Connecticut, 
and  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  to  this  county,  and  settled  in 
Otisco. 

By  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chafee  three  children  were 
born,  namely,  George,  Byron  R,.,  and  Alice.  George  died  while 
young,  aged  two  and  one-half  years  ;    Byron   R.  died  at  the 


CHAFEE. 

I     age    of   twenty-nine    years ;    and   Alice    married    William    M. 
Haines,  and  is  now  living  in  Iowa. 

Mrs.  D.  Chafee  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  at  East 
Navarino,  and  was  a  very  worthy  lady.  She  died  February 
25,  1849,  and  was  buried  at  East  Navarino,  in  "  Pine  Grove 
Cemetery." 

Mr.  Chafee  married  Miss  Mary  Lewis,  July  23,  1851.  She 
is  the  daughter  of  Chauncey  G.  and  Huldah  Tucker  Lewis,  and 
was  born  in  Pompey,  Onondaga  County,  December  21,  1818. 

Chauncey  G.  Lewis  was  born  June  3, 1791,  in  Massachusetts. 
Removed  to  New  Hartford,  Oneida  county.  New  York,  when  a 
small  boy,  and  thence  to  Pompey  Hollow  in  1802.  He  married 
Huldah  Tucker,  a  native  of  Woodbridge,  Windham  county,  Con- 
necticut, March  16,  1815.  She  was  born  September  21,  179G. 
and  died  July  31,  1873,  and  Mr.  Lewis,  July  7,  1874,  in 
Pompey. 

Mr.  Chafee  has  had  two  children  by  his  second  wife,  namely, 
David,  Jr.,  and  Betsey  M.  David,  Jr.,  died  June  10,  1857, 
aged  five  years,  seven  months,  and  ten  days.  Betsey  married 
William  J.  Bassett,  and  is  now  living  in  Liverpool,  Onondaga 
County. 

Mr.  Chafee  was  reared  a  farmer,  and,  in  connection,  has 
worked  at  the  carpenter's  and  joiner's  trade.  Mr.  Chafee 
settled  in  Onondaga  Valley,  April  1,  1872,  on  the  place  where 
he  now  resides.  He  built  his  present  fine  home  in  1872.  In 
politics  he  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party.  Has  held 
nearly  all  the  important  offices  of  his  town,  such  as  school 
commissioner,  justice  of  the  peace,  supervisor  of  the  town,  and 
assessor,  and  in  all  these  several  offices  discharged  the  duties 
imposed  upon  him  to  the  general  satisfaction  of  his  constit- 
uents. He  is  now  an  old  gentleman  of  seventy-three,  hale  and 
liearty,  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  of  a  happy  home. 


RAN8EL   8.   KENTON. 


Photo,  b)  W.  V.  lUligor,  SjrrmciMi. 


ELIZABETH    KENTON. 


RANSEL  S.  KENYON. 


Rjinsel  S.  Kenyon  wns  lx)rn  in  Uliode  Island,  January  5, 
17911.  His  nnctntors  woro  anion).;  the  earliest  settlers  of  that 
State.  During  the  War  of  the  Revolution  they  did  good 
Borvicc  for  their  country,  and  were  over  found  ready  to  assist 
in  the  cause  of  Independence. 

While  yet  a  boy,  RanscI  S.  was  enrolled  in  the  State  militia, 
and  was  a  member  of  a  company  called  "  The  Governor's 
Life  Guard,"'  and  after  that  were  termed  '•  Minute  Men." 
His  regiment  was  ciillod  out  once  during  the  "  War  of  1812." 
He  was  married  to  Miss  Elisuibelh  Card,  a  native  of  the  same 
town  and  State  as  himself,  when  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age. 
In  1816  his  family,  consisting  of  self,  wife,  and  four  children, 
followed  an  elder  brotluT  lo  the  county  of  Onondaga,  N.  Y. 
In  1819  he  united  with  the  Methodi.tt  Episcopal  church,  and 
was  ever  afUTWards  a  consistent  ('hristian,  doing  all  in  his  power 
to  advance  the  vannc  of  {,'hrist  and  build  up  fallen  humanily. 
For  two  years,  known  as  the  "  Cold  Summers,"  he  conducted  the 
business  of  a  grist-mill,  and  many  a  grist  went  away  untolled, 
although  his  own  family  wa«  in  great  need.  Soon  after  he 
removed  to  Otisco,  and  remained  two  years,  and  then  retunied 


to  his  own  home  in  the  town  of  Onondaga,  which  he  purchased 
of  IMiilip  Van  Cortland.  Upon  this  he  lived  until  his  di^th, 
which  occurred  September  10,  1S77. 

Mr.  Kenyon  was  a  hard-working,  indu.strious  farmer.  Hi- 
paid  for  his  farm  by  boiling  salt  at  the  "  Salt  Springs"  in 
winter,  and  working  upon  his  land  in  summer.  Albany  was  the 
nearest  market  in  those  days.  There  were  no  railroads  ami  no 
canals.  Syracuse  was  unknown  as  such,  and  had  only  one  log 
aibin.  He  lived  to  see  "  Old  Onondaga"  ininsfurnicd  from  a 
wilderness  to  one  of  the  bt^t  and  most  flourishing  couiitiiis  in 
the  Stale  ;  Syracuse  to  change  from  a  single  log  cabin  to 
a  mighty  inland  city  of  more  (ban  fifty  thousand  inhabitants; 
he  lived  to  sec  the  greatest  im]irovements  in  science,  art,  and 
agriculture,  etc.,  that  the  world  has  ever  seen.  lie  has  reared 
seven  sons  and  four  daughters  to  be  good,  respected  citizens. 
He  has  also  seen  his  grandchildren  reach  manhood's  years. 
His  was  a  green  old  age.  He  wa.s  able  to  lalHir  till  he  was 
eighty-five.  When  he  passed  away,  Onondaga  lost  a  good 
citiicn  and  his  children  a  kind  father.  Ho  lived  rcspctcd, 
and  died  n^;rettcd  by  all  who  knew  him. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


283 


back  and  selected  a  place  a  little  north  of  Amber, 
on  land  since  owned  by  Jonathan  Davis  ;  after 
chopping  down  an  acre  of  timber  he  left  it  and 
selected  Lot  No.  208  in  the  town  of  Onondaga, 
which  he  purchased  of  the  State  upon  an  article  of 
agreement  at  $2. 00  per  acre,  paying  interest  there- 
on at  six  per  cent.,  for  a  term  of  years.  November 
27,  1800,  he  married  Eunice  Chapman,  daughter  of 
Joseph  Chapman,  of  Manlius,  and  lived  on  the  place 


above  referred  to  till  his  death,  September  18,  1847, 
having  raised  a  family  of  eight  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, all  of  whom  are  living,  except  the  youngest,  who 
died  January  12,  1878,  aged  57years  and  10  months. 
Mr.  Chafee  served  the  town  as  Assessor  in  the 
years  i8o8-'9  and  1816,  andwas  at  that  time  Justice 
of  the  Peace,  and  at  one  time  taught  school. 

Daniel  Chafee  settled  on  the  lot  north  of  Lot  No. 
208,  in  1800. 


MARCELLUS. 


Marcellus,  as  laid  out  in  1794,  was  one  of  the 
eleven  original  towns  of  the  county,  and  comprised 
all  the  townships  of  Marcellus  and  Camillus  and 
all  of  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs  Reservation  west 
of  the  Onondaga  Creek  and  Lake.  A  part  of 
Onondaga  was  taken  off  in  1798  ;  Camillus  in  1799; 
a  part  of  Otisco  in  1806  ;  and  Skaneateles  in  1830. 
A  part  of  Sempronius,  Cayuga  County,  was  annexed 
in  1804,  and  a  part  of  Spafford  in  1840.  The  town 
at  present  contains  but  about  thirty  lots  of  the 
original  township.  No.  9  of  the  Military  Tract,  or 
about  one-tenth  of  the  original  town  as  first  set 
off  upon  the  organization  of  the  county. 

The  surface  of  this  town  is  a  rolling  upland, 
broken  by  the  deep  valley  of  the  Nine  Mile  Creek, 
which  extends  north  and  south  through  the  center. 
The  declivities  bordering  upon  this  creek  are  steep, 
and  rise  from  two  to  five  hundred  feet  in  altitude. 
The  falls,  of  which  there  are  several,  furnish  a  large 
amount  of  water  power.  Lime  and  gypsum  are 
abundant.  The  soil  is  generally  a  deep,  black  loam, 
formed  by  the  decomposition  of  the  Marcellus 
shales,  intermixed  to  some  extent  with  clay,  and  is 
among  the  richest  and  most  valuable  for  agricultural 
purposes. 

Nine  Mile  Creek  is  the  principal  and  only  stream 
of  note  in  the  town.  It  is  the  outlet  of  Otisco 
Lake,  and  passes  through  this  town  from  south  to 
north.  It  received  its  name  from  the  fact  that  it  is 
nine  miles  from  Onondaga  Hollow  which  at  the 
time  the  first  settlements  were  made  at  the  Creek 
was  the  nearest  settlement  on  the  east.  It  was 
also  nine  miles  to  Buck's,  the  nearest  settlement  on 
the  west. 

Early  Settlements. 

William  Cobb  appears  to  have  been  the  first  white 
settler  in  the  town,  on  the  East  Hill,  east  of  Nine 
Mile  Creek,  in  1794.     The  same  year  Cyrus  Hol- 


comb  settled  on  the  West  Hill,  and  Samuel  Tyler  at 
Tyler  Hollow.  The  families  of  Conklins,  Bowens 
and  Codys  became  residents  of  the  town  about  the 
same  time,  and  a  Mr.  Curtis  and  family  settled 
temporarily  on  Nine  Mile  Creek.  The  first  per- 
manent settlers  here  were  Dan  Bradley  and  Samuel 
Rice  in  the  fall  of  1795,  and  Dr.  Elnathan  Beach 
the  following  winter.  The  latter,  in  1796,  erected 
the  first  frame  house  in  the  town,  near  the  dwelling 
house  of  Curtis  Moses,  of  a  later  day.  The  second 
frame  house  was  erected  by  Judge  Bradley,  and  the 
third  by  Deacon  Rice.  In  1806  there  were  nine 
dwellings  in  the  village. 

From  this  time  settlements  grew  rapidly  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  town. 

Among  those  who  settled  on  the  West  Hill  were 
Nathan  Kelsey,  Thomas  Miller,  and  Col.  Bigelow 
Lawrence.  The  latter  had  eight  sons  who  settled 
in  sight  of  one  another  on  the  east  and  west  hills, 
viz  :  Joab,  Peter,  Bigelow,  Rufus,  Calvin,  Jepthah, 
Levi  and  Dorastus  Lawrence.  Martin  Cossit 
settled  in  the  village  in  1798,  and  Samuel  Wheadon 
on  South  Hill  in  iSoo.  He  was  followed,  in  the 
same  neighborhood,  by  Josiah  Frost,  Philo  Goddard, 
Nathan  Healy  and  Enoch  Cowles.  Caleb  Todd, 
Nathaniel  Hillyer,  Richard  May,  Martin  Goddard. 
Terrence  Edson,  Reuben  Dorchester  and  William 
F.  Bangs,  were  early  settlers  on  the  East  Hill  at  a 
later  day. 

James  C.  Miller  and  sons  were  the  first  perma- 
nent settlers  in  the  northeast  portion  of  the  town. 
Mr.  Miller  had  six  sons,  all  except  one  of  whom, 
and  himself,  died  within  a  short  time  after  their 
settlement.  Settlement  at  the  falls  (Union  Village) 
was  begun  in  1806.  A  paper  mill  was  erected 
there  in  1807  and  grist  and  saw  mills  in  1808. 

Most  of  the  early  settlers  of  Marcellus  were  from 
Massachusetts.     Some  were  from  Connecticut  and 


284 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Vermont.  They  paid  a  high  regard  to  religious 
duties  and  great  attention  to  the  training  of  their 
children  in  moral  and  intellectual  pursuits.  The 
establishment  of  schools  was  therefore  early  a 
matter  of  public  attention.  The  first  school  was 
established  in  1796,  and  was  taught  in  a  log  school 
house  (luring  the  summer  by  Miss  Asenath  Law- 
rence, daughter  of  Col.  Bigelow  Lawrence.  During 
the  two  successive  winters  the  school  was  taught  by 
Dan  Bradley,  afterwards  Judge  Bradley,  who,  on 
account  of  his  interest  in  the  education  of  the 
young,  volunteered  his  services  He  was  the  first 
male  teacher  in  the  town.  A  frame  school  house 
was  soon  after  erected  on  nearly  the  same  ground, 
and  was  occupied  till  1807  ;  after  which  school 
houses  were  erected  in  the  village  and  on  the  West 
Hill. 

The  first  mill  of  any  description  erected  in  the 
town  was  a  saw  mill  on  Nine-Mile  Creek.  It  was 
built  by  Samuel  Rice  and  Judge  Bradley  in  the 
fall  and  winter  of  1795-6,  and  stood  a  short  distance 
above  the  stone  mill  of  Mr.  Talbot.  The  inhabi- 
tants were  so  few  at  the  time  that  the  proprietors 
had  to  get  help  from  Camillus  to  assist  in  raising 
their  mill.  Before  the  grist  mill  was  built  in  1800, 
the  inhabitants  had  to  go  to  Manlius,  fifteen  miles, 
or  to  Seneca  Falls,  twenty-five  miles  west,  which 
usually  took  two  or  three  days.  The  first  grist 
mill  was  built  near  the  saw  mill  in  1800  by  Mr. 
May  and  Mr.  Sayles.  For  several  years  it  was  a 
great  relief  to  the  inhabitants,  for  it  did  all  the  cus- 
tom work  for  the  town  and  part  of  Onondaga  and 
Camillas. 

The  records  of  this  town  prior  to  1830,  were 
destroyed  by  fire,  so  that  the  names  of  the  first 
town  officers  cannot  be  obtained.  It  appears,  how- 
ever, by  the  act  of  1794,  that  the  first  town  meet- 
ing was  ordered  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  Moses 
Carpenter,  about  a  mile  east  of  the  present  village 
of  Elbridge,  and  it  was  probably  so  held.  The 
record  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  shows  that 
William  Stevens  was  Supervisor  from  1794  to  1797; 
Samuel  Tyler,  in  1797,  and  Winston  Day  in  1798. 
*  The  voters  of  Marcellus  had  at  first  to  go  down  to 
Camillus  to  poll  their  votes.  This  they  considered 
a  hardship,  and  in  1796  mustered  all  their  forces, 
out-voted  the  Camillus  people,  and  carried  the  next 
town  meeting  up  to  Marcellus  ;  so  that  the  first 
town  meeting  in  Marcellus  proper  was  held  in  1797 
at  the  house  of  Samuel  Rice.  The  log  house  at 
which  this  election  was  held  stood  nearly  opposite 
the  house  afterwards  belonging  to  William  Leonard, 
now  owned  by  the  widow  of  Justice  North. 

Samuel  Bishop  opened  the  first  law  office  in  the 


town,  in    1801,  and  B.  Davis  Noxon,  the  next  in 
1808. 

Hon.  D.an  Bradlf.v. — We  have  already  referred 
to  Hon.  Dan  Bradley  in  our  notes  upon  the  early 
settlers.  He  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
citizens  of  Marcellus.  Born  in  Haddam,  Conn,  on 
the  loth  of  June.  1767,  he  graduated  with  distin- 
guished honors  at  Yale  College  in  September,  1789, 
and  received  the  degree  of  M.  A.,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three.  In  October,  I790,hewas  licensed  as 
a  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  and  was  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Whitestown,  (New  Hartford,*  till  1795, in 
September  of  which  year  he  settled  in  Marcellus. 
His  business  was  that  of  a  farmer,  and  he  reduced 
farming  to  a  science,  both  practically  and  theoreti- 
cally. It  has  been  said  that  the  improvement  of 
agriculture  in  the  County  of  Onondaga  and  in  this 
whole  section  of  the  country,  was  due  more  to  his 
influence  than  to  that  of  any  other  man.  As  a  patron 
and  advocate  of  agricultural  societies  he  was  among 
the  first,  and  to  his  opinions  and  influence  many 
of  the  prominent  advantages  derived  by  the  State 
from  the  law  of  1819  was  unquestionably  owing. 
He  was  elected  President  of  the  first  Onondaga 
County  Agricultural  Society,  in  1819.  His  numer- 
ous articles  published  in  the  volumes  of  the  State 
Agricultural  Reports  and  his  contributions  to  most 
of  the  agricultural  journals  of  the  day,  established 
conclusively  the  interest  he  felt  in  his  favorite  pur- 
suit and  the  zeal  and  intelligence  he  brought  to  its 
support.  He  was  appointed  a  Judge  of  Onondaga 
County  Courts  in  i8ot,  and  first  Judge  of  the 
County  in  1808,  which  oflfice  he  filled  with  great 
credit  till  he  resigned  and  was  succeeded  by  Judge 
Forman  in  1813. 

Judge  Bradley  died  at  his  residence  in  Marcel- 
lus, September  19,  1838,  aged  71   years. 

Mention  ought  here  to  be  made  of  Rachel  Baker, 
whose  experience  in  devotional  somnittm,  so  called, 
in  this  town,  from  1812  to  1816,  furnishes  the  most 
remarkable  case  of  the  kind  on  record.  A  full 
history  of  her  case  may  be  found  in  the  Transac- 
tions of  the  Physico-Medical  Society  of  New  York, 
vol.  i,  page  395.  See  also  Clark's  Onondaga,  vol. 
ii,  page  294.  This  lady  was  subject  to  nightly 
paroxysms  or  trances,  lasting  usually  about  three 
quarters  of  an  hour,  in  which,  with  body  and  limbs 
as  rigid  and  motionless  as  those  of  a  statue,  and  in 
a  state  entirely  unconscious  to  herself,  she  pro- 
nounced sermons  or  religious  discourses  of  a  high 
devotional  character.  These  discourses  were  pre 
ceded  by  prayers,  her  face  turned  upward  to  heaven. 
The  only  motion  the  spectator  could  perceive  was 
that  of  the  organs  of  speech.     "  She  began   with 


Mahcelius  Woolen  Mills.  UKIUS 


PWETOR,    MARCELLUS.NEWYOffK. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


285 


a  text,  and  proceeded  with  an  even  course  to  the 
end,  embellishing  her  discourse  with  fine  meta- 
phors, vivid  descriptions  and  poetical  quotations." 
She  usually  passed  from  her  trance  state  into  that 
of  regular  and  natural  sleep,  and  awoke  in  the 
morning  without  any  knowledge  or  consciousness  of 
what  had  transpired. 

She  was  born  at  Pelham,  Mass.,  May  29,  1794. 
At  the  age  of  nine  her  parents  removed  with  her 
to  Marcellus.  She  was  finally  cured  by  Dr.  Spears, 
in   1816. 

VILLAGE  OF  MARCELLUS. 

The  first  store  in  the  village  was  opened  by  Dr. 
Elnathan  Beach  in  1796.  He  kept  dry  goods,  gro- 
ceries and  medicines,  and  continued  in  business  till 
his  death  in  1801.  Lemuel  Johnson  succeeded  him, 
and  built  a  new  store. 

Deacon  Samuel  Rice  kept  the  first  tavern  ;  then 
General  Humphreys  and  William  Goodwin.  In 
1799  the  first  postoffice  was  established  at  the  vil- 
lage, Dr.  Elnathan  Beach,  Postmaster.  Samuel 
Tyler  was  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace,  appointed 
as  early  as  1798  or  1799. 

Dr.  Elnathan  Beach  came  to  the  town  as  a  prac- 
ticing physician  in  1795.  A  year  or  two  after  he 
erected  the  first  frame  house.  He  came  from 
Cheshire,  Connecticut,  where  he  was  born  and 
educated.  He  was  an  active  and  prominent  citi- 
zen ;  entered  considerably  into  public  life  ;  was 
SheriflT  of  the  county  in  1799  and  held  the  office 
till  his  death,  in   1801. 

Incorporation. 

At  an  election  held  June  4th,  1853,  at  the  house 
of  John  Carpenter,  it  was  decided  by  a  vote  of 
forty-one  to  ten  to  incorporate  the  present  village 
of  Marcellus.  At  the  first  charter  election,  held 
July  23,  1853,  the  following  officers  were  elected  : 
President,  Wm.  J.  Machan  ;  Trustees,  Elijah  Row- 
ley, Isaac  N.  Soules,  Isaac  Bradley,  Daniel  G.  Coon; 
Assessors,  A.  H.  Cowles,  Chester  Moses,  and  J. 
Taylor  ;  Clerk,  H.  T.  Kennedy  ;  Collector,  Joseph 
Taylor  ;  Treasurer,  G.  N.  Kennedy  ;  Pound-Master, 
Avery  Willson.  In  1854,  Edmund  Akin  was 
elected  President,  Isaac  N.  Soules,  Vice-President, 
and  I  Bradley,  J.  G.  B.  White,  Nathan  G.  Hoyt, 
Trustees. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Presidents  of  the 
village  of  Marcellus  from  1855  to  1877:  Luke  I. 
Tefft,  1855;  Stephen  Cobb,  i8s6-'S7;  Daniel  G. 
Coon,  1858;  Cornell  Crysler,  1859;  William  Well- 
ington, i860  ;  Chester  Moses,  1861  ;  John  H. 
Cowles,  1862-63;  E.  R.  Howe,  1864;  Chester 
Moses,  1865-66;  Ira  Bush,  1867  ;  Chester  Moses, 
41 


1868  ;  Thomas  Rhoades,  i869-'7o  ;Oscar  J.  Brown, 
1871-72  ;  Newton  G.  Case,  1873  ;  D.  G.  Coon, 
1874  ;  Isaac  N.  Sherman,  1875-76.  The  officers 
for  1877  are  as  follows:  President,  Isaac  N.  Sher- 
man ;  Trustees,  James  C.  Sayre,  James  Axten,  and 
Albert  Curtis  ;  Treasurer,  William  B.  White  ;  Col- 
lector, James  Johnson  ;  Clerk,  Thomas  Walker. 

Manufactures. 

Eagle  Paper  Mills,  H.  J.  Lawless  &  Co. — 
These  mills  were  erected  in  1844,  by  Messrs.  Reed 
&  Case,  who  sold  the  property  to  John  F.  Jones.  In 
1875,  the  present  firm  was  organized,  and  have  since 
conducted  the  manufacture  of  Rag  Wrapping  Paper 
and  Print  Wrappers.  The  mills  are  located  at  Mar- 
cellus Falls,  and  are  among  the  leading  paper  manu- 
facturing establishments  in  this  section  of  the  State. 

Lucius  Moses,  Woolen  Mills,  Marcellus.  Estab- 
lished by  William  J.  Machan  and  Chester  Moses 
in  1849.  Brick  buildings  erected  in  1849,  1864 
and  1 87 1.  The  mills  are  run  by  waler-power,  and 
have  four  sets  of  cards.  The  capital  is  g6o,ooo, 
and  75  hands  are  employed.  Office  329  and  331 
Broadway,  New  York. 

Marcellus  Stone  Mills,  S.  M.  Bronson,  pro- 
prietor. These  mills  do  both  merchant  and  custom 
work.  The  first  mill  was  built  in  1827.  The  pres- 
ent mills  have  a  capacity  of  about  forty  barrels  per 
day,  besides  custom  grinding,  the  business  of  the 
present  proprietor  dating  from  1875.  The  water- 
power  is  a  fine  one. 

Sherman  Bro's,  Paper  Mills,  established  in 
1865.  Manufacture  Straw  Wrapping  Paper.  The 
mill  is  the  first  on  the  creek  below  Marcellus  vil- 
lage, and  employs  nine  hands. 

Marcellus  Falls  Flouring  Mills,  Rollin  & 
Rathbon,  proprietors.  Built  in  1875,  with  four 
run  of  stones,  on  the  site  of  the  old  mill.  These 
mills  manufacture  merchant  and  custom  flour — 
capacity  fifty  barrels  of  the  former  per  day,  and 
four  hands  employed. 

Phoenix  Paper  Mill,  A.  Robinson,  proprietor. 
Established  in  1873.  Capacity  two  tons  per  day. 
Straw  Wrapping  Paper.  Buildings  erected  in  1872. 
This  paper  mill  employs  twelve  hands. 

Edward  Johnson,  of  Fayetteville,  has  a  Pearl 
Barley  Mill  at  Marcellus  Falls. 

Masonic. 
Morning  Star  Lodge  No.  524,  Marcellus,  N.  Y.,  in- 
stituted in  1862.  Charter  officers,  E.  P.  Howe,  W. 
M. ;  Henry  C.  Sarr,  S.  W.  ;  John  E.  North,  J.  W. 
Officers  for  1878 :  I.  N.  Sherman,  W.  M.  ;  R.  E. 
Dorchester,  S.  W.  ;  Augustus  Austin,  J.  W.  ;  Seth 
D.  Gilbert,  Sec. 


286 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Y.  M.  C.  A— CHURCHES. 

In  the  month  of  June,  1876,  seven  young  men  of 
Marcellus  met  and  started  a  Sunday  afternoon 
prayer  meeting  in  a  room  over  Irving  Moses'  store. 
The  meetings  were  regularly  attended  with  gratify- 
ing success.  The  increase  of  their  numbers  and 
the  good  influences  arising  from  their  holy  work  in- 
duced them  to  organize  themselves  into  a  perma- 
nent body  for  the  purpose  of  accomplishing  greater 
results.  Accordingly,  a  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  was  formed,  on  the  nth  of  February, 
1876,  at  the  Session  Room  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Marcellus,  with  a  membership  of  twenty- 
two  persons.  A  constitution  was  adopted  on  the 
i8th  of  February,  and  a  meeting  appointed  on  the 
2 1  St  of  February  for  the  election  of  ofTicers.  At 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  Association,  February, 
7,   1877,  there  were  forty-three  active  members. 

The  work  of  the  Association  consists  in  holding 
gospel  meetings,  at  difTerent  places  in  the  town, 
and  in  Sunday  School  work.  A  Sunday  morning 
Prayer  Meeting  is  held  at  9:30  a.  m.,  which  is 
doing  noble  work. 

First  Chukch  of  Makcellus. — This  church 
has  been  from  its  organization  Presbyterian  in  its 
ecclesiastical  relations,  and  at  the  same  time  Con- 
gregational in  its  internal  policy  and  arrangement, 
having  for  the  management  of  its  affairs  a  standing 
committee  instead  of  a  regular  church  session.  Its 
membership  has  been  made  up  of  different  denom- 
inations, but  chiefly  of  Presbyterians  and  Congre- 
gationalists,  who  constituted  the  controlling  religious 
element  in  the  early  settlement  of  Marcellus. 
There  were  a  few  Baptists  and  people  of  other 
reli{;ious  proclivities  among  them  ;  but  at  the  time 
of  the  first  settlement,  and  for  twenty  years  after- 
wards, they  were  sufficiently  united  practically  to 
combine  their  strength  and  resources  in  providing 
for  a  common  religious  worship;  and  on  the  13th 
of  October,  1801,  they  formed  a  church  under  the 
simple  yet  comprehensive  title,  "  Church  of  Christ." 
A  society  was  also  formed  under  the  name  and 
style  of  the  "  Trustees  of  the  Eastern  Religious 
Society  of  Marcellus  "  in  May,  1802,  of  which  Dan 
Bradley,  Martin  Cossit,  James  C.  Miller,  Martin 
Goddard,  Thomas  North  and  Nathaniel  Kelsey 
were  Trustees. 

Materials  for  a  house  of  worship  were  set  up  at 
auction,  and  among  the  bidders  were  nearly  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  town  at  that  lime.  The  edifice 
was  completed  in  1803,  and  was  the  first  church 
building  ifi  the  County  of  Onondaga.  "  By  way  of 
renown  it  was  then  remarked  that  it  was  the  only 
meeting    house   between    New    Hartford,   Oneida 


County,  and  the  Pacific  Ocean,  which  was  literally 
the  fact." 

Rev.  Seth  Williston  was  missionary  here  in  1800, 
and  subsequently  Rev.  Caleb  Alexander,  who  offi- 
ciated in  organizing  the  society. 

Among  the  original  members  of  the  church  were 
the  following  named  persons :  Thomas,  Mary, 
Lucy,  Asahel  and  Hannah  North,  Thomas  North, 
Jr.,  Samuel  and  Hannah  Rice,  James  C.  and  Sarah 
Miller,  Martin  and  Olive  Cossit,  Dan  and  Eunice 
Bradley,  Samuel  and  Phebe  Wheadon,  Caleb  Todd, 
and  Thomas  Cathcart. 

Before  the  erection  of  the  church  edifice  services 
were  regularly  held  in  Deacon  Samuel  Rice's 
tavern.  At  whatever  inconvenience  to  themselves 
and  to  the  throng  of  travelers  stopping  with  them. 
Deacon  and  Mrs.  Rice  would  have  their  large  upper 
room  made  ready  every  Sabbath  for  the  worship  of 
God.  And  though  the  good  Deacon  could  not 
write  a  sermon  himself,  he  could  read  one  with 
more  eloquence  of  heart  and  voice  than  many  a 
minister. 

James  C.  Miller  was  the  first  clerk,  and  served 
the  church  for  five  years.  To  show  his  frank  and 
honest  Christian  character,  we  insert  the  following 
passage  entire  from  his  records  : 

"  Whereas,  I  did  sometime  in  the  month  of  April 
last  suffer  a  few  of  the  young  people  of  my  neigh- 
borhood to  dance  a  short  time  at  my  house,  which  I 
now  believe  was,  under  existing  circumstances, 
wrong  and  inconsistent  with  my  engagement  with 
this  church  ;  I  do  therefore  request  my  brethren 
charitably  to  believe  that  the  offense  was  unpre- 
meditated, that  it  took  place  under  circumstances 
not  affording  much  opportunity  for  reflection,  and 
that  I  had  not  the  least  intention  to  wound  the  feel- 
ings of  any  of  my  Christian  friends,  or  to  offend 
against  the  rules  of  the  church.  I  now  sincerely, 
and,  I  hope,  humbly,  confess  that  I  have  done 
wrong,  have  given  occasion  of  offense  to  my  breth- 
ren of  this  church  and  have  dishonored  my  Chris- 
tian profession.  I  ask  the  forgiveness  of  this 
I  church  and  all  my  Christian  friends,  and  for  the 
future  will  endeavor  to  be  more  circumspect  in  my 
walk.  [Signed,]  Jas.  C.  Millkk." 

Mr.  Miller  died  in  March,  1807,  from  an  attack 
of  typhus  fever. 

Of  the  eighteen  original  members  only  three 
ever  removed  their  connection  with  the  church. 
One  of  these  died  under  50  years  of  age,  four  be- 
tween 60  and  70,  and  four  over  80.  Within  the 
last  seven  years  only  ten  members  have  died ;  of 
these,  eight  were  over  80  and  one  73  years  of  age. 

Pastors.  —  Rev.    Levi    Parsons,   the  first    pastor, 

was  born  in  North  Hampton,    Mass,  in   1779,  and 

graduated  at  Williams  College  in  180 1.     He  studied 

I     theology  with  Dr.  Hyde,    of  Lee,  Mass.,  and  was 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


287 


licensed  to  preach  at  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  in  1806. 
As  Missionary  of  tiie  Berkshire  Missionary  Society, 
he  visited  the  new  settlements  westward  as  far  as 
Niagara,  and  settled  at  Marcellus  in  September, 
1806.  He  was  the  second  pastor  in  this  whole 
region  of  country — Pompey  having  one  (Rev.  Mr. 
Wallace)  a  little  earlier.  He  preached  at  Marcel- 
lus thirty-three  years,  except  an  interval  of  two 
years  spent  in  Otisco.  He  died,  widely  known  and 
respected,  November  20,  1864,  aged  85  years. 

While  Father  Parsons  was  preaching  in  Otisco, 
Rev.  Levi  Griswold  supplied  his  place. 

The  second  settled  pastor  was  Rev.  John  Tomp- 
kins, who  served  the  church  twenty-five  years. 
What  was  to  have  been  his  quarter-centennial  an- 
niversary was  suddenly  and  mysteriously  changed 
to  his  funeral  service. 

His  successor,  Rev.  W.  S.  Franklin,  of  Syracuse^ 
was  pastor  during  a  period  of  three  years,  and  was 
succeeded  by  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  D wight 
Scovel,  who  is  now  (1878)  in  the  seventh  year  of 
his  pastorate. 

The  original  church  edifice,  erected  in  1803,  cost 
^1,500,  including,  perhaps,  painting  three  years 
afterwards.  In  1814  another  bent  was  added  and 
a  steeple,  and  the  house  was  newly  painted  at  an  ex- 
pense of  ^4,500,  raised  by  selling  the  pews.  In 
1858,  it  was  frescoed  and  painted  ;  and  immediate- 
ly preceding  the  75th  anniversary,  in  October,  1876, 
it  received  a  tin  roof,  was  painted  without  and  new- 
ly frescoed  which,  with  a  new  pulpit  and  furni- 
ture and  the  liquidation  of  all  debts,  cost  g  1,600. 

In  1845  the  church  numbered  162;  in  1857,  it 
was  reduced  by  deaths  and  removals  to  130;  the 
revivals  of  i858-'59,  increased  the  membership  to 
170,  the  highest  number  ever  attained.  It  fell 
afterwards  to  144,  and  now  (1878)  numbers  149. 

The  Sunday  School  was  organized  June  14,  1818, 
and  soon  numbered  146  scholars.  It  was  among 
the  first  Sunday  Schools  in  the  United  States,  a 
few  only  having  been  previously  formed  in  New 
England.  From  the  first  it  was  carried  on  with 
deep  interest,  especially  in  memorizing  Scripture  ; 
several  scholars  committed  in  one  year  1,000  verses 
each,  and  Dr.  FrankHn' Bangs  3,000.  The  present 
number  of  scholars  is  178  ;  teachers,  19. 

The  church  has  furnished  two  missionaries  to 
foreign  countries,  viz:  Rev.  Dan  Bradley,  Jr.,  for 
many  years  a  missionary  to  Siam,  and  Rev.  Geo. 
Todd,  a  returned  missionary  and  now  pastor  at 
Arkport,  N.  Y.  Also,  as  home  ministers,  Rev. 
Levi  Parsons,  D.  D.,  son  of  the  first  pastor,  settled 
at  Mt.  Morris,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  J.  Edward  Close,  of 
Jordan,  and  Rev.  James  S.  Baker,  of  Onondaga. 


First  Baptist  Religious  Society  of  Marcel- 
lus—Located  at  Thorn  Hill.  At  the  time  the 
church  was  organized  it  was  called  South  Marcellus. 
The  date  of  organization  was  September  i,  1815,  at 
which  loi  members  constituted  the  Society.  John 
Kneeland  and  Nathan  Thompson,  Deacons.  Among 
the  leading  members  were  Samuel  Conklin,  Amasa 
Kneeland,  Daniel  Cody,  Joshua  Chandler,  Amasa 
Sissons,  Luther  Manley,  Salmon  Hunt,  John  Hunt 
and  David  Fitzgerald.  The  first  meeting-house 
was  built  in  18 16,  and  stood  a  few  rods  southwest 
of  the  present  edifice.  The  present  edifice  was 
completed  in  1849— cost  about  ;5i,500.  The  fol- 
lowing have  been  pastors  of  the  church  :  Rev. 
Elias  Harman,  i8o8-'i6;  Rev.  Salmon  Morton, 
i8i6-'i9;  Rev.  J.  B.  Worden,  i8io-'35  ;  Rev.  B. 
W.  Capron,  i835-'40  ;  Rev.  Thos.  Brown,  i840-'48  ; 
Rev.  — Palmer,  i848-'5o;  Rev.  Sylvester  Gard- 
ner, i850-'5i  ;  Rev.  William  Wilkins,  iS5i-'52; 
Rev.  J.  Baldwin,  i853-'54  ;  Rev.  A.  Milen,  i855-'56  ; 
Rev.  Hiram'Powers,  i856-'59  ;  Rev.  Mr.  Bowen, 
one  month  —  died  here,  1859  !  Rev.  J.  Suley, 
i8S9-'6o;  Rev.  Wm.  Roney,  i86o-'64 ;  Rev.  E. 
B.  Hatch,  i864-'69;  Rev.  Wm.  L.  Goodspeed, 
i870-'74  ;  Rev.  Wm.  Haw,  i874-'76  ;  Rev.  P,  Perry, 
1877,  present  pastor. 

Membership,  94  ;  Sunday  School,  112. 

First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Mar- 
cellus.— The  earliest  meetings  were  held  in  a 
school-house  in  Marcellus  ;  afterwards,  in  the  year 
1816,  in  the  house  of  Mr.  David  Holmes.  The 
Society  was  not  organized  into  a  corporate  body  till 
Dec.  8,  1823,  at  the  house  of  Stephen  Cobb.  The 
first  class  was  formed  in  1816  with  sixteen  mem- 
bers. The  following  persons  were  members  of  that 
class  :  David  Holmes  and  wife,  Temperance  Holmes, 
Matilda  Holmes,  Susan  Holmes,  Thomas  Pryor  and 
wife,  Joseph  Gilson,  Isaac  B.  Benham  and  wife, 
Polly  Shepherd,  Silas  Bush  and  wife,  John  Rhoades 
and  wife,  and  a  Mrs.  Hawley.  The  first  church 
was  built  of  stone,  on  the  hill  west  of  the  village, 
the  place  now  occupied  by  the  Catholic  Church  as 
a  cemetery.  The  second  church  was  built  of  stone 
on  the  spot  now  occupied  as  a  residence  by  Dr. 
Richards.  The  third  church  edifice  was  built  of 
brick,  in  the  year  1857,  on  the  site  of  the  present 
church.  This  edifice  was  burned  January  25,  1877, 
and  the  present  new  and  beautiful  church  was  built 
the  same  year  the  former  was  destroyed  by  fire,  at  a 
cost  of  about  $ri,ooo,  the  stone  of  the  old  church 
forming  the  basement.  This  Society  has  been  con- 
tinuously served  by  good  and  devoted  pastors 
From  187s  to  1878,  Rev.  Wm.   Jones  was  pastor. 

The  present  membership  is  about  200.     Sunday 


288 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


School  has  a  membership  of  150.  Several  mem- 
bers of  this  church  have  gone  forth  as  ministers  of 
the  Gospel. 

This  Church  was  organized  in  1823,  under  the 
name  of  "  First  Zion  Society  of  Marcellus,"  while 
its  members  were  Methodists,  and  the  Society  con- 
tinued to  regard  itself — and  was  regarded  by  others 
— as  a  Methodist  Church. 

The  name  of  the  corporation  was  changed  in 
September,  1877,  on  application  to  Judge  Riegel, 
from  "  The  First  Zion  Society  of  Marcellus,"  to 
"  The  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church." 

St.  Francis  Xavier's  Church,  Marcellus. — 
In  the  year  1853,  the  first  services  of  the  Catholic 
Church  in  Marcellus,  were  held  at  the  house  of  John 
McNally.  The  church  was  organized  in  1854,  and 
consisted  of  about  twenty  members,  among  whom 
were  John  McNally,  John  Glover,  Patrick  Mc 
Laughlin,  John  Kerwin,  Michael  Curtin,  John  Mc 
DonncU,  Jeremiah  Curtin  and  James  McNally. 

In  1853,  Rev.  Michael  Haes,  of  Syracuse,  was 
pastor.  The  following  have  since  officiated  :  Rev. 
Wm.  McCallian,  1S54;  Rev.  Father  Hutler,  Syra- 
cuse, 1862  ;  Rev.  F.  J.  Purcell,  Skaneateles,  1873  ; 
Rev.  J.  J.  Hayden,  re.sident  pastor,  1874  ;  Rev.  B. 
J.  McDonough,  present  pastor,  (1878  ) 

The  number  of  families  is  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty,  with  an  attendance  of  one  hundred  at  the 
Sunday  School. 

The  pastoral  residence  was  purchased  in  1873. 
The  church  from  the  first  has  experienced  an  en- 
couraging and  prosperous  growth. 

St.  John's  Church  of  Marcellus. — The  facts 
contained  in  the  following  brief  sketch  of  this 
church,  have  been  kindly  furnished  by  Mr.  John 
H.  Lloyd,  present  assistant  in  charge. 

This  church  was  organized  in  the  year  1824. 
Meetings  were  regularly  held  in  the  school  house 
of  the  village  of  Marcellus  until  1827,  when  Mr. 
White  generously  gave  the  society  the  lot  upon 
which   the  present  church   building  stands.     The 


church  was  unfortunately  burned  down  in  the 
winter  of  1867.  Up  to  the  year  1836.  the  society 
had  no  resident  clergymen,  but  was  in  charge  of  St. 
James  Church  of  Skaneateles. 

The  present  church  edifice  was  built  under  the 
charge  of  Rev.  Robert  M.  Duff,  Rector  of  St.  James 
Church  at  Skaneateles,  at  a  cost  of  $3,300  It  is  a 
plain  wooden  structure  capable  of  seating  comfort- 
ably about  250  persons,  and  has  a  fine  organ  valued 
at  $f<Xi.  The  church  is  under  the  charge  of  St. 
Andrew's  Associate  Mission  of  Syracuse  ;  Rev.  C. 
P.  Jennings,  Dean  of  St.  Andrews,  Rector  ;  Mr. 
John  H.  Lloyd,  assistant  in  charge. 

The  present  church  officers  are,  viz  :  S.  W., 
Newton  G.  Case;  J.  W.,  Lucius  Moses  ;  Vestry- 
men, Orlando  Beach,  Myron  H.  Whiting,  Dan  Moses, 
Storms  M.  Griffin,  Willis  Case,  Thad.  C.  Beach, 
James  C.  Sayre  and  Kdwin  Whitney.  The  church 
numbers  forty  families,  forty  communicants,  Sunday 
School  scholars,  thirty-four  ;  teachers,  six. 

In  connection  with  the  history  of  the  churches 
of  Marcellus,  we  append  the  following  brief  sketch 
of  the  Methodist  Chapel  at  Marcellus  F"alls. 

The  first  Methodist  class  of  the  town  of  Mar- 
cellus was  organized  at  Marcellus  F'alls.  When 
the  subject  of  building  a  church  was  agitated,  the 
members  at  Marcellus  Falls  claimed  that  it  should 
be  located  at  Marcellus  Falls,  but  the  members 
residing  at  the  village  maintained  that  it  ought  to 
be  built  at  Marcellus,  because  of  its  more  central 
location.  For  some  time  there  has  not  been  a 
regular  class.  Services  have,  however,  been  held 
by  the  Methodist  and  Presbyterian  ministers  who 
preached  alternately  at  least  once  a  fortnight.  A 
Sunday  School  and  a  prayer  meeting  have  been 
regularly  held  and  supported  by  the  members  of 
both  Methodist  and  Presbyterian  churches.  A 
ladies  sewing  circle  keeps  in  repair  the  commodious 
chapel  and  furnishes  books  for  the  Sunday  School 
library  and  the  choir,  for  which  they  have  recently 
purchased  a  fine  cabinet  organ. 


SKANEATELES. 


Skaneateles  is  the  southern  town  on  the  west  line 
of  the  county,  and  derives  its  name  from  the  lake 
on  both  banks  of  which  the  southern  portion  of  the 
town  is  situated.  This  lake  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of 
water,  extending  from  the  northwestern  corner  of 
Cortland  county,  along  the  entire  western  boundary 
of  the  town  of  Spaflford,  and  north  to  the  center  of 


the  town  of  Skaneateles.  Its  Indian  name,  according 
to  some,  signified  "  very  long  lake,"  according  to 
others,  "  beautiful  squaw."  The  outlet  was  called 
"  Hananttoo,"  meaning  "  water  running  through 
thick  hemlocks." 

The  town  of  Skaneateles  was  formed  from  Mar- 
cellus February  26,  1830.     The  surface  is  rolling 


rhoto,  by  Wildey,  Skaneatelcs. 


JUDGE   HEZEKIAH   EARLL. 


The  Earll  family  is  of  Welsh  origin.  The  Earlls  emigrated 
from  Wales  to  Nova  Scotia  at  quite  an  early  day ;  from  thence 
were  scattered  in  the  different  parts  of  New  England,  and  in  the 
eastern  part  of  New  York  State,  near  Lake  Champlain. 

Daniel  Earll  came  from  Whitehall,  Washington  county,  and 
settled  at  Onondaga  Hollow  in  the  year  1792.  He  had  eight 
sons,  hardy,  enterprising  men,  who  settled  in  different  parts 
of  the  county,  and  became  a  powerful  family  in  their  many 
branches.  The  Earlls  were  generally  farmers,  owning  consider- 
able land. 

In  the  winter  of  1794-5,  Robert  Earll  and  his  brother,  Abijah, 
came  and  settled  on  Lot  27,  near  Skaneateles.  They  did  a  good 
deal  at  a  very  early  day  for  the  opening  of  this  region. 

Robert  Earll  probably  had  a  school  opened  before  any  in  the 
village.  He  built  at  first  a  log  house,  but  afterwards,  though 
still  at  a  very  early  day,  the  land-mark  long  known  as  the  old 
"  Red  House."  This  was  on  the  old  Genesee  road.  It  was  by 
this  road  that  a  pathway  was  first  opened  to  Skaneateles,  and 
by  it  the  earlier  settlers  came. 

Daniel  Earll,  Sr.,  remained  in  the  town  of  Onondaga  until 
1810,  and  after  that  lived  near  his  sons  Robert  and  Abijah 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1817,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-eight  years.  Robert  Earll  had  six  sons,  one  of  whom, 
Hezekiah,  is  the  subject  of  the  above  sketch. 

Hezekiah  Earll  was  born  about  the  year  1790.  He  has 
identified  himself  with  the  history  of  Onondaga  County  as 
one  of  its  most  successful  business  men.  He  was  universally 
respected  and  beloved  for  his  moral  worth,  manly  virtues,  and 
integrity  of  character.  He  engaged  in  many  business  enter- 
prises, though  his  principal  occupation  was  farming.  The  latter 
years  of  his  life  he  resided  at  the  "  Community  Farm,"  about 
three  miles  from  Skaneateles,  where  he  died  October  30,  1863. 


He  was  for  some  years  connected  with  the  Auburn  Exchange 
bank,  and  was  at  one  time  its  president. 

Judge  Nehemiah  H.  Earll,  eldest  brother  of  Hezekiah  Earll, 
has  occupied  several  important  stations  in  the  official  history  of 
the  county.  Judge  of  Onondaga  County  common  pleas  from 
1823  to  1831,  superintendent  of  Salt  Springs  from  1831  to 
1835,  and  member  of  the  Twenty-sixth  congress,  1841  and  1842. 

Hezekiah  Earll  had  seven  children,  three  of  whom  died  in 
infancy.  His  son,  George  H.  Earll,  at  the  death  of  his  father 
inherited  the  homestead  known  as  the  "  Community  Farm,"  and 
was  an  enterprising  and  successful  farmer.     He  died  in  1873. 

Julius  Earll,  eldest  son  of  Hezekiah  Earll,  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Skaneateles  in  1818.  In  his  youth  he  received  a 
thorough  academic  education,  and  subsequently  studied  law  in 
the  office  of  Sandford  &  Moseley,  and  afterwards  with  Sherwood 
&  Green,  in  Buffalo,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  due  course 
of  time.  Instead  of  pursuing  the  practice  of  law  he  entered 
into  the  manufacturing  business  and  was  prominently  identi- 
fied with  that  and  other  business  interests  which  were  uniformly 
successful.  His  life  was  a  remarkably  busy  one.  Strong 
common  sense  and  unfaltering  energy  were  his  marked  charac- 
teristics. He  was  a  true  and  substantial  friend  to  the  working- 
men  of  Skaneateles  and  vicinity.  Mr.  Earll  was  also  promi- 
nently identified  with  political  affairs  in  Onondaga  County. 
In  politics  he  was  a  pronounced  Democrat.  He  several  times 
represented  his  district  in  State  conventions,  but  never  con- 
sented to  accept  a  political  office.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
was  president  and  principal  stockholder  of  the  Hart  street 
paper  company.  He  died,  July  26,  1876,  while  still  in  middle 
age  and  in  the  midst  of  an  active  and  prosperous  life. 

He  left  a  widow,  a  son,  and  daughter,  who  still  reside  in  Skan- 
eateles, his  sou  being  Julius  H.  Earll,  of  that  place. 


MffS.A  J.f^RLL 


RESIDENCE  Of    A  .  J.  CARLL  .  5«ANt*:u 


A.J.  Earll. 


ONDAGA  County.  Nev*  York. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


289 


or  moderately  hilly,  and  from  the  lake  slopes  beau- 
tifully upwards  to  a  height  from  two  to  five  hundred 
feet,  affording,  on  both  borders,  some  of  the  most 
beautiful  sites  for  residences  in  the  State,  many  of 
which  are  occupied  by  fine  cottages  and  villas. 
The  soil  is  principally  a  clay  loam.  The  only  stream 
in  the  town  is  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  which  has  upon 
it  numerous  falls,  furnishing  an  abundance  of  water- 
power.  In  1840,  a  part  of  Spafford  was  annexed  to 
this  town. 

The  State  has  constructed  a  dam  across  the  out- 
let of  the  Lake  for  the  purpose  of  retaining  the 
water  for  the  Jordan  level  of  the  Erie  Canal.  This 
forms  a  vast  reservoir,  eighteen  miles  long  by  from 
one  to  two  miles  broad  and  four  feet  deep,  from 
which  to  draw  during  the  dry  season.  Formerly, 
before  the  State  improvements  on  the  limestone  bed 
of  the  stream,  some  three  miles  north  of  the  village, 
in  dry  seasons,  fully  one  half  of  the  water  used  to 
disappear  in  the  fissures  of  the  rocks.  In  order  to 
save  the  water  the  State  has  expended  large  sums  of 
money.  The  channel  has  been  turned  and  the 
bottom  chinked  with  small  stone,  clay  and  grout,  so 
that,  since  this  was  done,  there  has  been  but  little 
waste.  The  lake  is  the  highest  in  the  county,  some 
two  hundred  feet  higher  than  Otisco  and  one  hun- 
dred higher  than  Owasco,  on  either  side  of  it.  It 
is  situated  among  the  shale  above  the  limestone 
stratum,  and  is  mainly  fed  by  springs  which  are  not 
impregnated  with  lime :  hence  the  water  is  pure, 
soft  and  limpid,  and  has  been  highly  valued  by  manu- 
facturers for  washing  and  cleansing  wool  and  other 
manufacturing  materials. 

Early  Settlers. 

According  to  Clark's  Onondaga,  the  settlers  in 
this  town  came  in  as  follows  :  John  Thompson,  the 
first  white  man,  with  his  family,  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  town,  in  1793  ;  a  Mr.  Robinson  in 
1794;  from  this  till  1796,  Lovell  Gibbs,  Jonathan 
Hall  and  Winston  Day.  Mr.  Gibbs  kept  the  first 
tavern  in  a  log  house.  In  1797,  and  soon  after, 
came  Warren  Hecox,  James  Porter,  Dr.  Munger, 
Dr.  Samuel  Porter,  Elnathan  Andrews,  John  Legg, 
Moses  Loss,  John  Briggs,  Nathan  Kelsey,  Wm. 
J.  Vredenburg,  Isaac  Sherwood  and  Dr.  Benedict. 
Then  came  the  Kelloggs  and  Earlls,  from  1802  to 
i8io. 

Daniel  Earll,  with  his  brother  Nehemiah,  came 
from  Washington  County  and  settled  at  Onondaga 
Hollow,  in  1792.  Nehemiah,  who  had  one  daugh- 
ter, died  in  1808.  Daniel  Earll  had  the  following 
named  sons,  viz :  Jonas,  Daniel,  Nathaniel,  Robert, 
Benjamin,  Watson,  Nehemiah  and  Abijah.  The 
two  youngest,  Nehemiah  and  Abijah,  came  to  Onon- 


daga with  their  father.  Robert  and  Benjamin 
removed  with  their  families  to  Onondaga  in  the 
winter  of  1794-5,  and  remained  there  about  a  year. 
Afterwards,  Robert,  Benjamin,  Watson  and  Abijah 
removed  to  Marcellus  ;  Robert  and  Abijah  settled 
on  Lot  No.  27,  and  the  other  two  on  Lot  No.  11, 
in  the  same  town. 

In  1802,  Jonas  Earll  came  from  Washington 
County  and  settled  on  Lot  No.  19,  Marcellus.  He 
had  three  sons — Solomon,  Jonas,  Jr.,  and  David. 
Solomon  died  many  years  ago.  Jonas,  Jr.,  died  in 
October,  1846,  and  Jonas,  Sen,,  in  October,  1847, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  96.  Jonas  Earll,  Jr.,  was 
one  of  the  leading  political  men  of  the  county  for 
more  than  twenty  years,  and  held  many  important 
ofifices  of  trust.  He  was  a  member  of  Assembly 
in  1820  and  1821,  and  Senator  from  1822  to  1827, 
a  member  of  the  XXth  and  XXIst  Congresses,  from 
1826  to  1830,  for  several  years  Sheriff  of  the 
County  and  Postmaster  at  Syracuse  from  1837  to 
1841. 

Robert  Earll  had  six  sons,  viz  :  Isaac,  Robert, 
Nehemiah  H.,  Hezekiah,  Hiram  and  Ira.  Robert, 
Sen.,  died  in  1834,  and  his  son  Ira  about  the  same 
time.  The  other  sons  remained  residents  of  the 
county,  except  Robert  Jr,  who  removed  to  Wyom- 
ing county.  Judge  Nehemiah  H.  Earll  occupied 
several  important  stations  in  the  official  history  of 
the  county.  He  was  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas  from  1823  to  1831  ;  Superintendent  of 
the  Salt  Springs  from  1831  to  1835,  and  Member 
of   the  XXVIth  Congress,  in  1841  and  1842. 

Daniel  Earll,  Sen.,  remained  in  the  town  of  On- 
ondaga till  1810,  when  he  removed  to  Marcellus 
(now  Skaneateles)  and  lived  near  his  sons  Robert 
and  Abijah  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1817, 
aged  88.  This  numerous  and  influential  family 
were  of  Massachusetts  origin. 

Charles  Pardee  is  said  to  have  been  the  first 
white  child  born  in  the  town  of  Skaneateles.  He 
died  at  his  residence  in  the  village  of  Skaneateles, 
April  10,  1878,  aged  82  years,  which  would  make 
his  birth  to  have  occurred  in  1796.  He  was  a 
prominent  man,  and  during  his  active  business  life 
was  thoroughly  identified  with  nearly  every  interest 
of  his  native  town. 

One  of  the  most  distinguished  citizens  of  the 
county,  viz  :  Daniel  Kellogg,  Esq.,  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Skaneateles  in  the  spring  of  1803.  He  was 
born  in  Williamstown,  Mass.,  April  19,  1780. 
After  spending  two  years  as  a  student  in  Williams 
College,  he  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Abraham 
Van  Vechten,  Esq ,  of  Albany,  and  was  admitted 
to   the  Bar  in   October,  iSoo.     In    1801,  he  began 


290 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


the  practice  of  law  in  the  village  of  Auburn,  then 
a  hamlet  of  only  a  few  scattering  houses.  In  1802 
he  married  in  that  place  Miss  Laura  Hyde,  and  in 
1803,  removed  to  Skaneateles.  He  soon  became 
famous  both  as  a  lawyer  and  financier.  In  1813 
he  was  appointed  District-Attorney  for  the  counties 
of  Onondaga.  Cayuga,  Chenango  and  Cortland,  and 
discharged  the  duties  of  the  office  with  signal 
ability  for  three  years.  Elected  President  of  the 
Hank  of  Auburn  in  1818.  he  held  that  important 
financial  station  till  his  death,  which  occurred  May 
4,  1836.  Cut  off  in  the  full  vigor  of  his  mental 
powers,  when  many  years  of  active  usefulness 
might  have  reasonably  been  anticipated,  his  death 
was  regarded  as  a  public  calamity,  especially  by 
business  men  who  knew  and  could  appreciate  his 
worth. 

PlONEEK    LiFK. 

The  primitive  settlers  of  Skaneateles  often  found 
the  means  of  subsistence  scanty  and  precarious. 
Provisions  were  obtained  chiefly  from  the  towns  of 
Aurelius  and  Scipio,  which  had  been  settled  some- 
what earlier,  and  were  then  in  Onondaga  county. 
The  following  from  Clark's  Onondaga,  was  related 
by  Warren  Hecox,  one  of  the  oldest  settlers : 

"  In  1799,  there  was  an  uncommon  scarcity  of 
grain,  and  he  had  to  send  to  Scipio.  twenty  miles, 
and  pay  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  for  one  bushel  of 
wheat.  He  could  only  raise  money  enough  to  pur- 
chase a  single  bushel  at  a  time.  He  hired  a  horse  at 
fifty  cents  a  day.  and  sent  a  boy  eighteen  miles  to 
Montville.  in  Sempronius,  to  get  the  bushel  ground, 
which  took  two  days  ;  the  mills  at  Auburn  and 
Camillus  having  stopped  running  on  account  of  the 
great  drought  of  that  season.  Many  of  his  neigh- 
bors were  in  a  worse  predicament,  for  they  could 
get  neither  money  nor  wheat." 

After  the  early  settlers  had  prospered,  so  as  to 
raise  a  surplus,  the  markets  for  produce  were  at 
Albany  and  Utica.  It  took  a  horse  team  in  those 
times  fourteen  days,  and  often  longer,  to  make  a 
journey  to  Albany  and  back  ;  an  o.\  team  about  the 
same  length  of  time  to  go  to  Utica  and  return,  taking 
a  load  of  grain  or  potash,  and  bringing  back  a  load 
of  goods. 

The  lake  and  forests,  however,  were  well  supplied 
with  fish  and  game.  Skaneateles  Lake  has  been 
noted  for  its  abundance  of  excellent  trout,  some  of 
which  have  been  taken  weighing  fifteen  pounds. 
Perch  have  also  been  caught  m  considerable  num- 
bers. Formerly  the  region  around  the  lake  and  the 
river  abounded  with  game.  Deer  were  often  seen 
swimming  across  the  lake  and  canoes  and  skiffs  of 
all  sorts  were  put  in  requisition  to  capture  them  ; 
all  hands  joined  in  the  chase,  and  the  pleasurable 
reminscences  of  the  sport  are  often  recounted  by 


the  early  settlers  and  their  immediate  descendants. 
Hon.  Freeborn  G.  Jewett  was  a  prominent  citizen 
of  Skaneateles— Judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals 
and  of  the  old  Supreme  Court  of  Judicature.  (See 
Civil  List  of  the  County.  >  Judge  Jewett  was  born 
August  4,  1791.  and  died  January  27,  1858. 

VILLAGE  OF  SKANEATELES. 

The  first  frame  house  where  the  village  of  Skan- 
eateles now  stands  was  erected  by  Lovell  Gibbs  in 
1796.  Dr.  Hall  erected  the  second  during  the 
same  year.  In  1797.  James  Porter  erected  a  large 
tavern,  the  first  in  the  place.  The  timber  in  this 
house  is  noted  as  having  been  in  the  first  raft  ever 
afloat  on  Skaneateles  Lake.  The  first  store  was 
kept  by  Wmston  Day,  who,  in  1797,  erected  a  com- 
modeous  building  for  the  purpose,  and  was  set  up 
in  trade  by  Judge  Sanger.  The  Judge  had  invested 
money  in  land  and  mill  sites  at  the  outlet  of 
Skaneateles  Lake,  and  as  one  of  the  Commissioners 
to  lay  out  the  Seneca  Turnpike,  secured  its  passage 
across  the  outlet  where  the  village  is  now  situated. 
It  followed  an  old  Indian  trail,  crossing  at  the 
village,  along  which  the  Oneidas  and  Onondagas 
used  to  pass  in  visiting  their  Cayuga  and  Seneca 
friends.  At  the  time  of  the  first  settlements  this 
was  the  only  road  in  the  town.  The  old  Genesee 
Road  was  first  cut  out  and  traveled  a  mile  and  a 
quarter  north  of  the  village. 

Judge  Jedcdiah  Sanger  erected  the  first  grist  and 
saw  mills  at  the  outlet  of  the  lake  in  1796.  The 
first  bridge  was  built  by  the  Seneca  Road  Company 
in  1800.  It  was  twenty-four  rods  long  by  twenty- 
four  feet  wide,  and  stood  upon  fourteen  posts. 
When  it  was  rebuilt  the  second  time,  in  1842,  its 
length  was  reduced  to  twenty-four  feet.  The  iron 
bridge  spanning  the  outlet  at  present,  was  erected 
by  the  State  in  1871,  by  a  special  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature.     It  is  a  fine  structure,  too  feet  in  width. 

The  first  frame  school  house  in  town  was  erected 
at  Skaneateles  Village  in  1798.  Nicholas  Otis  was 
the  first  teacher.  A  school  had  been  kept  in  a 
private  room  in  the  village  before  the  house  was 
built,  by  Ebenezer  Castle. 

A  postoffice  was  first  established  at  Skaneateles 
in  1804.  William  J.  Vredcnburg,  Postmaster.  His 
successor  was  John  TenEyck;  and  Charles  J.  Bur- 
nett was  Postmaster  from  1817  to  1843. 

A  steamboat  was  first  put  upon  Skaneateles  Lake 
in  1831.  It  failed  to  meet  expectations  and  after  a 
while  was  converted  into  a  sail-boat.  The  experi- 
ment was  again  tried,  (and  has  proved  more  suc- 
cessful) when  the  "  Skaneateles,"  a  neat  and  com- 
modious steamboat,  commanded  by  Captain  Hecox, 


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HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


291 


was  put  on  July  4,  1848.  The  propeller,  "Glen 
Haven,"  Captain  E.  B.  Coe,  now  plies  upon  the 
lake  between  Skaneateles  and  Glen  Haven. 

Scenery. 

The  Village  of  Skaneateles  is  one  of  the  most 
lovely  and  picturesque  in  Central  New  York. 
From  this  village  the  eye  measures  about  half  the 
distance  of  the  lake  to  the  south,  a  mile  and  a 
half  in  width.  On  the  shores  are  no  bogs  or 
marshes  to  disfigure  the  prospect.  The  rich  velvet 
turf  of  the  gradually  sloping  banks  of  the  lake 
seem  to  be  resting  on  the  water's  brink.  Villas 
and  lawns  give  a  charm  enhanced  by  distance;  and 
the  woodlands,  clothed  in  richest  green,  rock  and 
rustle  their  foliage  in  the  wind.  In  autumn  the 
golden  grain  of  the  cultivated  fields  waves  in  the 
breeze  ;  the  flocks  and  herds  graze  in  the  lu.xuriant 
pastures,  and  the  light  bark  glides  gracefully  over 
the  sweet  bosom  of  the  water.  The  rural  scenery 
is  not  more  wholesome  and  inviting  than  the  village 
itself,  which  the  hand  of  man  has  adorned  with 
every  element  of  neatness  and  taste.  Cottages, 
mansions,  gardens,  fences,  business  places,  churches, 
school  houses,  manufactories,  are  all  kept  from 
dilapidation  and  preserved  in  a  fresh  and  healthy 
state  of  repair.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a 
more  desirable  village  to  live  in   than  Skaneateles. 

An  Academy  was  established  at  Skaneateles  in 
1840.  It  seems  never  to  have  been  incorporated, 
and  was  subsequently  merged  in  a  consolidated 
school. 

The  school  established  by  the  Quakeress,  Lydia 
Mott,  on  the  western  shore  of  the  lake,  popularly 
known  as  "  The  Hive"  was  a  very  celebrated  board- 
ing school  for  young  ladies  in  its  day. 

The  village  of  Skaneateles  was  incorporated  by 
special  act  of  the  Legislature  passed  April  19,  1833. 
The  first  election  for  officers  was  held  at  the  "  Indian 
Queen  Hotel,"  kept  by  Isaac  W.  Perry,  on  the 
second  Tuesday  in  May,  1833,  when  the  following 
Board  of  Trustees  was  elected  :  Freeborn  G.  Jewett, 
President ;  Daniel  Tallcot,  Phares  Gould,  William 
Gibbs  and  Lewis  Sandford.  The  following  named 
have  since  served  as  Presidents  of  the  Board  of 
Village  Trustees  : 

Daniel  Kellogg,  1834  ;  Freeborn  G.  Jewett,  1835  ; 
Phares  Gould,  1836;  George  F.  Leitch,  i837-'38; 
James  Hall,  1839;  G.  F.  Leitch,  1840;  Nelson 
Hawley,  1841  ;  James  Hall,  1842  ;  John  C.  Beach, 
1843;  Spencer  Hannum,  1844;  Nelson  Hawley, 
1845-46  ;  Alexander  Horton,  1847 ;  William  H. 
Willets,  1848  ;  Wm.  H.  Jewett,  1849  !  John  Davey, 
Jr.,  1850;  Charles  Pardee,  i85i-'52,-'53  ;  William 


Fuller,  1854;  John  Legg,  1855  ;  John  Barrow, 
1856  ;  Freeborn  G.  Jewett,  1857  ;  Thomas  Snook, 
1858  ;  Spencer  Hannum,  1859  ;  C.  W.  Allis,  i860  ; 
Harrison  B.  Dodge,  1861-62  ;  Charles  Pardee, 
1863;  Joel  Thayer,  1864-65;  Wm.  R.  Gorton, 
1866;  Newell  Turner,  1867;  Jacob  C.  DeWitt, 
1868  ;  C.  Pardee,  1869;  H.  B.  Dodge,  1870;  James 
A.  Root,  1871  ;  C.  Pardee,  1872;  Thomas  Kelley, 
1 873-74-75  ;  William  Marvin,  1876  ;  Thomas 
Kelley,  1877;  Thomas  Kelley,  Wm.  H.  Lawton, 
John  Packwood,  James  Jewell,  John  E.  Waller, 
Simon  L.  Irish,  Russell  B.  Wheeler,  Trustees,  1878. 
Clerk,  James  P.  Wheadon.    Treasurer,  John  Davey. 

Skaneateles  has  three  Banks,  viz  :  The  Bank  of 
Skaneateles,  organized  under  the  banking  law  of 
the  State  in  i86g  ;  capital  $100,000  ;  Joel  Thayer, 
President  ;  H.  T.  Webb,  Cashier ;  the  Skaneateles 
Savings  Bank,  incorporated  April  16,  1866,  with 
the  following  officers,  viz  :  Richard  Tallcot,  Anson 
Lapham,  Charles  Pardee,  Joel  Thayer,  Henry  L. 
Roosevelt,  Caleb  W.  Allis,  John  Barrow,  Josias 
Garlock,  Henry  T.  Webb,  Henry  I.  Hubbard,  Thos. 
Isom,Jr. ,  Leonard  H.  Earll,  Ezekiel  B.  Hoyt,  Geo. 
H.  Earll,  Joab  L.  Clift.  Its  present  officers  are  : 
J.  L.  Clift,  President;  John  M.  Nye,  first  Vice- 
President  ;  John  H.  Smith,  second  Vice-President ; 
Charles  Pardee,  George  T.  Campbell,  George  W. 
Earll,  Willis  Piatt,  J.  C.  DeWitt,  L.  H.  Earll,  I.  S. 
Amerman,  John  H.  Gregory,  A.  R.  Pardee,  W.  B. 
Lawton.  J.  Garlock,  Secretary  and  Treasurer  ; 
and  the  Private  Banking  House  of  C.  Pardee  &  Co. 

The  village  has  two  Hotels — the  Packwood  House 
and  the  Lake  View.  The  Packwood  is  kept  by  T. 
A.  &  E.  A.  Andrews.  Built  by  Mr.  John  Pack- 
wood  in  1872,  at  a  cost,  including  building  and 
furniture,  of  $20,000.  Both  are  good  hotels  and 
well  kept. 

John  P.^ckwood,  Carriage  Manufacturer.  Busi- 
ness established  in  1855.  The  building  occupied 
at  present  was  built  in  1865.  The  especial  feature 
of  the  shops  is  fine  carriages  and  sleighs.  The 
works  are  located  on  Genesee  street,  and  employ 
twenty-five  hands. 

Union  Free   School. 

The  Skaneateles  Union  Free  School,  with  Aca- 
demic Department,  was  organized  in  1866.  The 
building,  occupying  the  old  Academy  site,  was 
erected  in  1855,  and  enlarged  by  an  addition  on  the 
north,  in  1871.  The  present  value  of  the  property 
is  g  1 2,000.  The  school  has  four  departments,  six 
teachers,  and  an  attendance  of  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  pupils.  The  Library  contains  about  1,000 
volumes. 


292 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Principals:  M.   H.   Slee.    i866-'69;  William   C. 
IJowcn,  i86y-'74;  F.    H.  Hodgson,  i874-'75  =  -"^ 
M   Wright,  present  Principal,  since  1875. 

The  Academy,  since  merged  in  the  above  school, 
was  established  in  1S40. 

Farmers'  Clud. 

The  Farmers'  Club  of  Skaneateles  was  organized 
in  1855,  for  the  purpose  of  furthering  the  interests 
of  agriculture,  horticulture.  &c.,  with  forty-five 
members. 

In  1836,  the  prominent  agriculturalists  organized 
a  society  for  the  purpose  of  holding  annual  fairs  for 
the  disposal  of  stock,  &c ,  and  also  for  monthly  mar- 
kets. The  last  Town  Fair  under  their  auspices 
was  held  in  1840,  from  which  time  the  organization 
declined,  and  in  1855  was  merged  in  the  present 
farmers'  club.  The  first  officers  1 1855  >  were  Wm. 
M.  Beauchamp,  Secretary,  and  Peter  Whittlesey, 
Treasurer.  Managers  of  the  first  Annual  Fair — 
Chester  Moses,  President  ;  Lewis  W.  Cleveland, 
Peter  Whittlesey,  Wm.  P.  Giles,  S.  Porter  Rhoades 
and  William  J.  Townsend,  Directors. 

Present  officers  ( 18781:  J.  Horatio  Earil,  Presi- 
dent ;  Frank  E.  Austin,  first  Vice-President ;  E. 
H.  Adams,  second  Vice-President  :  Martin  C.  Dc- 
Witt.  Treasurer  ;  Wills  Ciift,  Secretary. 

M.-VSONIC. 

Charles  H.  Piatt,  Chapter  No.  247.  A.  F.  &  A. 
M. —  First  meeting  under  dispensation,  Decem- 
ber 10,  1869.  Lodge  formed  with  nine  original 
members.  Officers — Henry  J.  Hubbard,  H.  P.; 
George  W.  Barnes,  K.;  John  H.  Gregory,  S.;  E. 
W.  Harvey,  Secretary.  Present  membership,  fifty- 
two.  Officers,  1878— G.  W.  Earll.  H.  P.;  D.  S. 
Dillingham.  K.;  J.  Shallish,  S.;  W.  A.  Dwinwell. 
Secretary. 

Skaneateles  Lodge  No.  522,  F.  &  A.  AL— Pres- 
ent charter  obtained  June  12,  1862.  Officers  of 
that  date  :  John  H.  Gregory,  W.  M.;  Willigm  F. 
Gregory,  S.  W.;  George  H.  Williamson,  J.  W. 
Officers,  1878— George  B.  Harwood,  W.  M.;  Wm. 
F.  Gregory,  S.  W.;  M.  M.  Livingston,  J  W. 
Numbers  at  present  about  ninety. 

Churches. 

St.  James  Church,  Skaneateles.— The  first 
church  families  who  settled  in  Skaneateles  and  the 
immediate  vicinity,  were  Gen.  Robert  Earll,  in  1796, 
Jonathan  Booth,  in  1801.  Wm.  J.  Vredenburg,  in 
1803.  Charles  J.  Burnett,  in  1803.  During  these 
latter  years.  Rev.  Davenport  Phelps,  a  noble 
missionary  of  the  church  visited  Auburn  and  officia 
ted  there.     It  is  also  believed  he  visited  Skaneateles. 


The  first  remembered  services  were  held  in  the  house 
now  occupied  by  Mrs.  Burnett,  in  1803,  and  at  the 
"Red  House,"  residence  of  Gen.  Robert  Earll, 
during  the  same  and  the  following  years.  Afterwards 
also  in  a  small  wooden  building  situated  where  this 
church  now  stands.  One  half  of  this  building  was 
used  for  the  first  postoffice,  and  the  other  half  was 
used  and  fitted  for  church  purposes.  Mr.  Charles  J. 
Burnett,  W.  J.  Vredenburg,  John  S.  Furman  and 
a  Mr.  Letherland,  here  read  the  services.  St. 
Peter's  Church  in  Auburn,  was  organized  in  1808, 
and  the  Rev.  Davenport  Phelps  became  the  rector. 
The  church  building  there  was  consecrated  in  1812, 
on  the  22d  day  of  August,  by  the  saintly  Bishop 
Hobart.  Mr.  Vredenburg  was  one  of  the  wardens 
of  that  church,  and  Jonathan  Booth  a  vestryman. 
The  church  people  here  very  generally  attended 
church  service  in  Auburn.  Rev.  Davenport 
Phelps,  while  rector  of  St.  Peter's,  frequently  came 
here  and  officiated.  His  first  service  was  held  in 
the  upper  hall  of  the  Vredenburg  mansion,  since 
known  as  the  Kellogg  house,  Seats  being  arranged 
for  the  people  who  very  generally  attended  the  ser- 
vices. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burnett  received  their  first 
communion  in  this  house,  from  the  hands  of  the 
Rev.  Davenport  Phelps,  in  1809.  He  also  baptized 
their  first  child.     Mr.  Vredenburg  died  in  [813. 

Services  were  held  more  or  less  regularly  by  lay 
readers,  or  an  occasional  missionary  visitor— among 
the  latter  the  Rev.  W.  A.  Clarke,  who  followed  Mr. 
Phelps  as  rector  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  Auburn — 
until  the  year  1816,  when  the  first  zcritUii  record  of 
the  life  of  this  parish  appears.  This  is  the  act  of 
incorporation  of  St.  James'  Parish,  Skaneateles, 
attested  by  Mr.  John  TenEyck,  one  of  the  Judges 
of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  bearing  date  Jan. 
4,  1816.  At  this  same  meeting  of  the  incorpora- 
tors and  others,  the  Rev.  Wm.  A.  Clarke  presided, 
and  Jonathan  Booth  and  Charles  J.  Ikirnett  were 
elected  wardens,  and  Edward  G.  Ludlow,  John  W. 
Livingston,  Zalmon  Booth,  Stephen  Horton,  John 
Pierson,  John  How,  Samuel  Francis  and  William 
Gibbs  were  chosen  vestrymen.  Rev.  William  A. 
Clarke  was  ordained  in  1812.  He  resigned  St. 
Peter's  Church  in  1814. 

In  1 8 16,  an  attempt  was  made  to  build  a  church, 
a  conditional  subscription  being  raised  for  that  pur- 
pose. But  as  only  51,500  of  the  $2,oco  required, 
was  raised,  the  enterprise  fell  through  and  the 
organization  was  abandoned,  although  lay  reading 
and  occasional  visits  from  clergymen  were  continued 
with  more  or  less  regularity. 

On  the  19th  day  of  April,  1824,  the  parish  was 
reorganized  under  the  same  name,  and  the  organiza- 


k'lnW   or    IHOMAS    MORTONS    MiLLi.*:    VT 


-£.  Onondag,4   County.  New  York. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


293 


tion  was  attested  by  Levi  Mason,  of  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas,  and  R.  L.  Hess,  Clerk  of  the  same 
Court.  At  the  same  time  the  following  gentlemen 
were  elected  officers  of  the  society  :  Wardens, 
Jonathan  Booth  and  C.  J.  Burnett ;  Vestrymen, 
William  Gibbs,  John  Daniels,  Stephen  Horton, 
John  Pierson,  Charles  Pardee,  J.  W.  Livingston, 
Samuel  Francis,  Elijah  P.  Rust.  The  meeting  for 
the  election  of  these  persons  was  presided  over  by 
Rev.  Augustus  L.  Converse,  of  whose  after  history 
we  can  learn  nothing. 

Another  blank  follows  until  the  27th  day  of 
March,  1826,  when  a  meeting  of  the  congregation 
was  held,  at  which  the  Rev.  Amos  Pardee  presided. 
The  same  vestry  was  elected  with  the  exception  of 
John  Daniels,  who  was  replaced  by  Mr.  John  S. 
Furman.  The  following  year,  1827,  the  Rev.  Amos 
Pardee  was  still  officiating,  and  the  name  of  James 
M.  Allen  appears  among  the  Vestrymen. 

Although  there  is  no  mention  made  in  the  pro- 
ceedings of  either  of  the  last  mentioned  meetings, 
of  the  project  of  building  a  church,  yet  we  find  a 
paper  bearing  date  August  3d,  1827,  which  is  a 
contract  between  the  Wardens  and  Vestry  of  St. 
James  Church,  and  Enos  P.  Root,  in  which  Mr. 
Root  agrees  to  build  the  church  and  make  it  ready 
for  occupancy.  Of  the  same  date  there  is  also  a 
a  subscription  paper,  on  which  is  subscribed  the 
sum  of  $2,sgs.  Mr.  Burnett  and  Mr.  Gibbs  were 
this  year  the  Wardens,  and  Mr.  Butler  S.  Wolcott's 
name  appears  among  the  Vestrymen. 

In  the  report  of  the  Rev.  Amos  Pardee  to 
the  Convention  of  the  Diocese,  held  in  Trinity 
Church,  New  York  City,  October  17,  1827,  appears 
the  following : 

"  In  Skaneateles  the  past  year  our  members 
have  increased,  and  our  prospects  are  very  much 
improved.  A  church  was  commenced  in  the  last 
summer,  and  is  now  nearly  or  quite  inclosed." 

On  the  2Sth  day  of  January  of  the  following 
year,  (1828,)  the  Rev.  Algernon  S.  Hollister  was 
called  to  officiate  as  Rector  for  one  year  from  the 
following  Easter,  and  Timothy  Baker  and  Augustus 
Kellogg  were  elected  on  the  Vestry ;  and  the  fol- 
lowing from  Bishop  Hobart's  address  to  the  con- 
vention of  1828,  held  in  Trinity  Church,  New 
York,  October  16th  and  17th,  shows  at  what  date 
the  church  was  consecrated  : 

"  On  Tuesday,  the  23d  of  September  I  conse- 
crated the  church  at  Skaneateles,  where  a  small 
congregation  has  for  several  years  been  kept  to- 
gether, and  at  last  by  extraordinary  exertions  have 
erected  a  neat  edifice  for  worship." 

On  the  26th  of  May,  1834,  the  old  parsonage  and 
grounds  were  purchased  of  Mr.  Lucas  and  an  addi- 

43 


tional  strip  of  land  from  Alanson  Edwards.  Under 
the  same  date  the  thanks  of  the  Vestry  are  ten- 
dered to  the  "  Circle  of  Industry  "  for  the  donation 
of  ;gioo  towards  the  purchase  of  a  parsonage. 

In  August,  1S45,  the  necessity  for  the  enlarge- 
ment of  the  church  was  first  discussed  by  the  Ves- 
try, indicating  very  clearly  the  growth  of  the  parish. 
The  old  parsonage  was  sold  in  March,  1846,  and 
with  the  proceeds,  $100  from  Bishop  DeLancy,  ^300 
from  Trinity  Corporation,  New  York,  and  the  pro- 
ceeds of  a  subscription,  the  building  was  enlarged 
and  improved  in  1847. 

In  May,  1853,  a  lot  and  house  adjoining  the 
church  were  purchased  of  Mr.  Vovvles,  and  in  the 
following  month  the  house  was  improved  and  ar- 
ranged for  a  parochial  school. 

In  February,  1854,  the  Ladies'  Society  saved  the 
School  House  from  sale  under  foreclosure  of  mort- 
gage by  paying  through  the  Treasurer,  Miss  Har- 
riet T.  Gibbs,  the  sum  of  ;$I50,  for  which  the  Ves- 
try returned  a  sincere  vote  of  thanks. 

The  corner  stone  of  the  present  St.  James 
Church,  Skaneateles,  was  laid  by  the  Bishop  on  the 
30th  of  May,  1873,  and  was  consecrated  January 
6th,  1874. 

Clergyme7i — Rev.  Augustus  Converse,  1824; 
Rev.  Amos  Pardee,  i825-'27  ;  Rev.  Algernon  S. 
Hollister,  1828-31  ;  Rev.  Joseph  T.  Clarke,  1832- 
'44,  (died  on  the  Island  of  Jamaica,  July,  1845); 
Rev.  Charles  Seymour,  March  3,  1845  to  June  16, 
185 1  ;  Rev.  A.  C.  Patterson,  July  1851  to  Octo- 
ber, 1858;  Rev.  Mr.  Page,  185810  i860;  Rev.  E. 
Moyses,  October,  i860  to  November,  1866;  Rev. 
R.  M.  Duff,  May,  1867  to  September  i,  1872  ;  Rev. 
Thomas  Smith,  September  i,  1872  to  July  17, 
1874. 

Rev.  John  A.  Staunton,  the  present  Rector,  be- 
gan his  ministry  in  the  parish,  October  i,  1874. 

The  following  have  been  among  the  prominent 
members.  Wardens  and  Vestrymen  of  St.  James 
Parish  : 

Messrs.  Dyer  Brainard,  J.  G.  Porter,  Dr.  E.  H. 
Porter,  Thomas  Yates,  L.  Bartlett,  W.  M.  Beau- 
champ,  J.  Snook,  Jr.,  N.  J.  Roosevelt,  Ransom 
Crosby,  Justin  Redfield,  D.  T.  Mosely,  R.  I.  Baker, 
E.  N.  Leslie,  W.  H.  Jewett,  D.  W.  Hall,  F.  W. 
Stotwell,  H.  Q.  Knight,  John  Humphreys,  E.  B. 
Coe,  C.  W.  "Xbeel,  H.  J.  Hubbard,  and  others, 
Vestrymen.  N.  J.  Roosevelt,  Samuel  Francis,  W. 
M.  Beauchamp,  E.  B.  Marshall,  and  others, 
Wardens.  Present  Wardens— William  Marion,  E. 
Reuel  Smith. 

Statistics— Yz.m\\\&s,  150;  communicants,  191; 
Sunday  School  scholars,  125  ;  contributions  for  all 


294 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


purposes  for  the  year  ending  June  i,  1877,  $3,679- 
99  ;  value  of  church   property,  $30,000  ;   rectory, 

$4,500- 

Pkesbvterian  Church  of  Skaneateles  — 
The  first  settlements  in  the  village  of  Skan- 
eateles were  made  in  March.  1796.  Five  years 
from  its  settlement  it  contained  about  one  hundred 
buildings  of  difTercnt  kinds,  when,  on  the  20th  of 
July,  1801.  the  first  church  in  the  village — bearing 
the  name  of  "  The  First  Congregational  Church  of 
Marcellus  " — was  organized  by  the  Rev.  Aaron 
Hascom.  The  Articles  of  Faith  and  Covenant 
were  subscribed  to  by  Joshua  Cook,  Solomon 
Edwards,  Simeon  Hosmer,  Asa  Harwood,  Daniel 
Cook,  and  Aaron  Cook.  They  were  incorpo- 
rated as  the  First  Church  of  Christ  in  Marcel- 
lus, and  the  same  day  on  which  the  church 
was  organized,  the  following  persons  were  re- 
ceived :  James  Porter.  Mary  Cook.  Elizabeth 
Edwards,  Lucretia  Hosmer,  Electa  Edwards,  Anna 
Clark,  Hannah  Annice,  Martha  Seymour,  and  Re- 
becca Cook.  The  same  day  Aaron  Cook  was 
elected  Clerk  of  the  Church. 

The  first  church  edifice  was  erected  in  1808  and 
was  dedicated  March  i,  1809. 

The  church  having  called  Mr.  Swift,  invited  the 
Presbytery  of  Cayuga  to  ordain  and  install  him, 
which  was  accordingly  done  on  the  14th  day  of 
September,  181 1.     He  resigned  October  27,  1812. 

Mr.  Benjamin  Rice  was  ordained  and  installed 
by  the  Presbytery  of  Cayuga,  July  7th,  1813.  He 
resigned  his  charge  in  August.  1817. 

In  January.  1818.  it  was  unanimously  resolved  to 
adopt  the  Presbyterian  form  of  government,  and 
the  church  was  received  under  the  care  of  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Cayuga.  The  society  had  extended  a 
call  to  the  Rev.  B.  H.  Stocton  to  become  their 
pastor.  The  call  was  accepted,  and  he  was  in- 
stalled March  4th,  1818,  and  resigned  his  charge  in 
April,  1822. 

Rev.  Alexander  M.  Cowan,  from  Virginia,  was 
installed  December  4th,  1S22,  and  resigned  in 
1828. 

Rev.  Samuel  W.  Brace  began  his  labors  with  his 
people  in  November,  1828,  and  was  installed  Febru- 
ary 17th,  1830.  He  resigned  in  November,  1843, 
having  completed  fifteen  years  of  labor. 

The  society  erected  a  new  brick  house  of  worship 
in  the  year  1830.  The  manse  was  purchased  in 
the  year  1832.  Rev.  Samuel  W.  Bush  was  installed 
in  March,  1844,  and  resigned  his  charge  in  March, 
1851.  Rev.  Selden  Haines  was  installed  on  the 
4th  of  December,  1851,  and  resigned  in  September, 
1855.      Rev.  William  B.  Dada  was  ordained  and 


installed  July  i.  1856,  and  resigned  July  1st  1858. 
Rev.  A.  Mandell,  was  installed  February  2nd, 
1859,  and  resigned  January  16.  1861.  On  the  20th 
of  April.  1862.  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  M.  N. 
Preston,  began  laboring  with  this  people.  He  was 
ordained  and  installed  on  October  2d,  1862. 

By  the  new  boundaries  of  presbyteries  established 
by  act  of  General  Assembly  in  1869,  this  church 
was  separated  from  Cayuga  Presbytery  and  became 
a  part  of  the  Presbytery  of  Syracuse. 

In  January,  1852.  the  church,  on  the  recommen- 
dation of  the  session,  adopted  the  plan  of  electing 
Elders  for  the  term  of  three  years — to  be  divided 
into  three  classes,  so  that  the  term  of  one  class 
shall  expire  on  the  first  Monday  of  January  in  each 
year  ;  when  an  election  shall  be  held  to  fill  the 
vacancy.  The  following  persons  constituted  the 
several  classes  in  the  session— July,  1873: 

Luther  Clark  and  James  A.  Root  to  January, 
1874  ;  J.  A.  Edwards,  S.  L.  Benedict  and  Emerson 
Adams  to  January,  1875  ;  H.  D.  Fulton  and 
Newell  Turner  to  January,  1876  ;  N.  Turner,  Clerk 
of  the  Session  and  Treasurer.  Trustees  of  the 
Society  are :  Dr.  George  Campbell,  J.  Augustus 
Edwards,  James  A.  Root,  Newell  Turner,  Sereno 
Field,  Emerson  Adams.  Dr.  George  T.  Campbell 
Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Deacons. — Eli  Clark,  died  1834;  Joshua  Cook, 
dismissed  1807;  Samuel  Bellany,  dismissed  1832; 
James  Porter,  dismissed  1826  ;  Ebenezer  Warner, 
died  1849;  Chester  Moses,  died  1862;  Philip 
Crosbey,  died  1865  ;  Foster  Clark,  Henry  T. 
Hooker,  William  Clark,  Sereno  Field. 

The  present  membership  of  this  church  is  220  ; 
attendance  at  Sunday  School,  160.  Three  mem- 
bers became  missionaries  in  foreign  countries. 

BaI'Tist  Chl'kch. — The  Baptist  Church  of 
Skaneateles  was  a  branch  of  the  church  of  the  same 
denomination  in  Elbridge,  and  began  about  1820. 
The  church  edifice  at  first  occupied  was  built  by 
the  Congregationalists  on  the  hill  east  of  the  village 
in  1807,  and  was  subsequently  bought  by  the 
Baptist  Society,  moved  down  and  refitted.  The 
present  building  was  erected  in  1842,  and  cost 
$5,000.  The  ministers  officiating  have  been  Revs. 
Amasa  Smith,  Nathan  Denison,  Charles  Elliot, 
John  G.  Zeeple,  S.  S.  Relyca,  William  Roncy, 
Henry  Bowen,  E  B.  Palmer,  George  K.  Allen 
and  C.  H  James.  Present  membership,  153; 
average  attendance  in  Sunday  School,  100. 

Friend's  Churches.— The  Society  of  Friends 
of  Skaneateles  was  organized  from  1810  to  1814. 
Joseph  Frost,  Russell  Frost,  Silas  Gaylord,  William 
Willets  and  Abner  Lawton  were  among  the  early 


\ 


««4. 


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f.G.AND    W.  T.   WEEKS  , 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


29s 


members.  Meetings  were  held  in  the  meeting 
house  now  occupied  by  that  branch  of  the  Friends 
known  as  "  Hicksites,"  about  two  and  a  half  miles 
southwest  of  the  village,  near  the  Octagon  School 
House. 

In  1828,  a  division  of  the  society  into  the  two 
branches  of  Orthodox  and  Hicksites  occurred,  the 
latter  being  the  followers  of  Elias  Hicks,  a  distin- 
guished liberal  preacher  among  the  Friends.  Among 
the  most  prominent  members  of  the  Orthodo.x  branch 
were  Joseph  Talcott  and  his  two  sons,  Richard  and 
Daniel.  Of  this  branch  Sarah  Talcott  was  the  first 
minister.  Meetings  were  held  in  the  old  meeting 
house  which  was  built  on  the  farm  of  Richard 
Talcott,  just  within  the  present  corporate  limits, 
and  which  was  torn  down  in  1873,  during  which 
year  the  present  edifice  was  erected.  The  present 
membership  is  about  forty,  and  value  of  church 
property  $3,000.  Present  minister,  Chauncey  B. 
Thorne. 

The  branch  known  as  Hicksites  continued  to 
hold  meetings  at  the  old  meeting  house,  in  which 
they  still  worship.  Their  first  minister  after  the 
separation  was  Adin  Cory.  At  that  time  William 
Willets,  Warren  Giles,  Abner  Lawton  and  Silas 
Gaylord,  were  among  their  prominent  members. 

St.  Mary's  of  the  Lake,  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  Skaneateles. — Earhest  meetings  held  in  the 
village  about  1845.  In  1853,  the  first  church  was 
begun  on  the  site  of  the  present  edifice,  and  was 
dedicated  September  7,  1856.  It  was  a  wooden 
building  and  cost  $2,500.  Rev.  William  McCallian 
officiated  from  the  organization  of  the  church  till 
his  death,  in  1864,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Joseph  Butler,  O.  S.  F.  Rev.  F.  J.  Purcell 
assumed  the  pastoral  charge  in  June,  1865.  The 
first  church  was  destroyed  by  fire  Wednesday,  May 
23d,  1866,  and  the  present  edifice  erected  by  Rev. 
F.  J.  Purcell  and  dedicated  June  30,  1867.  Cost, 
$it,ooo.  Present  membership  six  hundred  ;  Sunday 
School  fifty. 

St.  Bridget's  is  a  Chapel  at  Skaneateles  Falls, 
four  miles  distant  from  St.  Mary's  of  the  Lake, 
built  to  accommodate  parties  too  far  from  the 
church.  It  was  erected  by  Rev.  F.  J.  Purcell  at  a 
cost  of  $5,500,  and  dedicated  September  20,  1874. 
It  belongs  to  the  same  parish  of  St.  Mary's  of  the 
Lake. 

Skaneateles  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
— For  several  years  previous  to  i832-'33,  the  circuit 
preachers  of  this  denomination  held  religious  ser- 
vices in  a  school  house  located  nearly  opposite  the 
present  parsonage  on  West  Genesee  street.  A 
class  was  early  formed  which  was  largely  increased 


in  i832-'33,  through  the  means  of  a  revival  con- 
ducted by  "  Father  "  Bibbins.  Following  this  revival 
was  a  movement  for  the  building  of  a  chapel  to 
better  accommodate  the  needs  of  the  growing 
society,  which  resulted  in  the  purchase  of  a  lot  on 
the  south  side  of  West  Genesee  street,  and  the 
erection  of  a  building  thereon  in  1834,  under  the 
pastorate  of  Rev.  Lyman  R.  Redington. 

In  1853,  this  chapel  was  enlarged  and  beautified 
at  a  cost  of  about  $800.  At  the  completion  of 
these  repairs  the  expense  was  all  provided  for  with 
the  exception  of  $75.  To  meet  this  indebtedness 
the  society  resolved  to  hold  a  reopening  service  at 
which  an  effort  would  be  made  to  liquidate  the  debt. 
Rev.  C.  P.  Bragdon  was  secured  to  manage  the 
financial  part.  Rev.  C.  D.  Burritt,  a  former  pastor, 
preached  morning  and  evening,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Den- 
ison,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  of  the  village, 
in  the  afternoon.  Through  their  united  efforts  the 
necessary  amount  was  raised.  The  society  was 
well  accommodated  in  this  chapel  until  1859,  when 
David  Hall,  Esq.,  built  at  his  own  expense  a  plain 
brick  church  on  Jordan  street,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$5,000,  and  presented  it  to  the  society.  The  Trus- 
tees to  whom  this  conveyance  was  made,  were 
Richard  Huxtable,  David  Hall,  John  Burridge, 
Lorenzo  Driggs,  Jacob  Hoagland,  Forest  G.  Weeks, 
Spencer  A.  Daniels.  In  1868  the  church  edifice 
was  enlarged,  remodeled  and  refurnished,  at  a 
cost  of  about  $9,000.  Rev.  William  C.  Steele 
delivered  the  address  at  the  laying  of  the  corner 
stone  of  the  first  brick  church,  and  Bishop  E.  S. 
Janes  delivered  the  dedicatory  sermon.  At  the 
rededication  of  the  church  after  its  enlargement. 
Dr.  Jesse  L.  Peck,  now  "  Bishop,"  delivered  the 
the  dedicatory  sermon. 

The  following  named  pastors  have  served  the 
church  here,  viz:  "Father"  Bibbins,  1832; 
Lyman  R.  Redington,  1833  ;  Jesse  T.  Peck,  1834; 
Selah  Stocking,  1835  ;  I.  Hutchinson  and  Joseph 
Cress,  1836;  C.  W.  Harris,  1837;  V.M.Coryell, 
1839;  John  E.  Robie,  1840;  Walter  Hare,  1841  ; 
Thos.  H.  Pearne,  1842;  Isaac  Parks,  1843-44; 
John  H.  Mitchel,  1845-46;  Charles  D.  Burritt, 
1847-48  ;  James  Hartwell,  1849  !  Wm.  N.  Cobb, 
1850-51;  O.  Hesler,  1852-53;  S.  H.  Brown, 
1854;  E.  N.  Cuykendall,  1855-56;  W.  H.  Miller, 
1857,  served  but  a  few  months  and  was  succeeded 
by  Isaac  Foster,  1858-59  ;  Wm.  Searles,  1860- 
'61  ;  Wm.  N.  Burr,  1862-63  ;  Wm.  Bi.xby,  1864; 
M.  S.  Wells,  1865-66;  T.  J.Bissell,  i867-'68-'69; 
Wm.  Reddy,  1 870-7 1-72  ;  R.  Redhead;  1873- 
'74-75  :  G.  S.  White,  1876-77.  Present  member- 
ship, one  hundred  and  seventy.     Number  of  Sun- 


296 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


day  School  scholars  one  hundred  and  seventy. 
Ministerial  support,  $1,104.00.  Benevolent  collec- 
tions for  the  year,  $406.00. 

The  Skankateles  Falls  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  is  located  in  the  town  of  Skaneateles 
about  three  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Skaneateles 
village.  The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  house 
of  M.  B.  Bannister,  class  leader,  late  in  1867,  or 
early  in  1868.  Rev.  D.  W.  Beadle,  then  supplying 
the  M.  E.  Church  at  Elbridge,  delivered  the  first 
sermon.  He  was  soon  followed  by  Rev.  T.  J. 
Bissell,  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church  at  Skaneateles 
village.  In  1873  and  1874.  the  school  house  was 
occupied  for  religious  services,  and  from  1875  to 
1877,  inclusive,  a  room  in  tfie  brick  block  provided 
by  Thomas  Martin.  A  legal  organization  was 
effected  November  12,  1877,  A.  G.  Borden  and  H. 
C.  Templar  being  presiding  officers,  and  George 
Atyee,  Joseph  Hunt,  Levi  Starr,  Marquis  Giles 
and  H.  G.  Borden  being  elected  Trustees.  Be- 
sides the  above,  with  the  exception  of  M.  Giles, 
there  were  among  the  original  members  H.  Harris 
and  Mrs.  M.  Giles.  A  very  creditable  church 
building,  24  by  40,  with  basement,  has  been  erected 
at  an  expense  of  $1,500  chiefly  through  the  aid  and 
enterprise  of  F.  G.  Weeks,  a  member  of  the  M. 
E.  Church  at  Skaneateles  village. 

The  dedication  took  place  F"ebruary  6th,  1878. 
Previous  to  the  autumn  of  1872,  the  place  was  sup- 
plied by  Revs.  H.  Woodruff  and  W.  Whitham. 
Rev.  P.  J.  Ball  was  the  regularly  appointed  pastor 
from  October,  1872,  until  October  7th,  1873  ;  Rev. 
O.  N.  Hinman,  from  October  7th,  1873,  until 
October  13th,  1874;  Rev.  Abram  Fancher,  from 
October  13th,  1874.  until  September  25th,  1877; 
and  Rev.  M.J.  Wells,  the  present  pastor, appointed 
September  25th,  1877.  The  present  membership 
is  twenty  ;  the  average  attendance  at  Sunday 
School  about  forty.  The  Protestant  people  within 
reach  are  not  numerous,  but  generally  interested 
and  enterprising  in  their  support  of  the  church. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Mott- 
viLLE,  in  the  town  of  Skaneateles,  is  comparatively 
young  as  a  distinct  society,  though  the  place  had 
been  a  Methodist  appointment  with  more  or  less 
regularity  for  about  twenty-five  years.  Meetings 
were  held  in  private  houses  or  the  school  house 
until  1873,  when  under  the  supervision  of  Rev. 
William  Reddy,  D.  D ,  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church 
at  Skaneateles  village,  the  old  school  house  was 
purchased,  moved  to  its  present  site  and  fitted  up 
for  church  purposes  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,000. 
The  dedication  occurred  January  24, 1873.  Among 
the  original  members  were  O.  Coleman,  Chester 


Benton,  Mrs.  Catharine  Blodgett,  Mrs.  Maria 
Hunsiker,  William  Barber,  Mrs.  Esther  Young  and 
Mrs.  Charlotte  Bradley. 

Rev.  O.  N.  Hinman  was  the  next  pastor  during 
the  year  beginning  October  7,  1873,  and  ending 
October  13.  1874.  Rev.  Abram  Fancher  followed 
as  pastor  from  October  13,  1874  to  September  25, 
1877.  Rev.  M.  J.  Wells,  the  present  incumbent, 
was  appointed  pastor  September  25,  1877.  The 
present  membership  is  forty-three,  the  average 
attendance  at  Sunday  School  about  the  same,  con- 
gregation good,  and  social  meetings  well  attended. 
An  open  temperance  meeting  is  held  every  other 
Sabbath  evening  with  remarkable  interest  and  suc- 
cess. Up  to  January  28,  1878,  one  hundred  and 
sixty-three  have  been  induced  to  sign  a  total 
abstinence  pledge  for  life. 

The  Umveksalist  Church  at  Mottville,  was 
built  in  the  year  of  1831.  The  organization  is  that 
of  a  society  only.  The  ground  for  the  church  and 
for  a  High  School  was  given  by  Ansel  Frost,  and 
the  building  was  erected  by  the  liberal  donations  of 
Col.  Robert  Earll,  Col.  Stephen  Clark,  Ansel  Frost 
and  many  others  whose  names  we  have  not  been 
able  to  obtain,  as  the  church  records  are  not  to  be 
found. 

The  church  was  dedicated  by  Rev.  Dolphus  Skin- 
ner of  Utica  ;  the  first  regular  pastor  was  Rev. 
Jacob  Chase ;  afterwards  Rev.  Stephen  Miles,  Rev. 
Isaac  Whitnall  and  Rev.  Mr.  Root  officiated,  and 
in  later  years  Rev.  J.  M.  Austin  of  Auburn,  Rev. 
Dolphus  Skinner,  Rev.  G.  W.  Montgomery  and 
others.  Within  the  past  eight  years  through  the 
summer  season,  sermons  semi-monthly  by  Rev. 
J.  G.  Bartholomew,  D.  D.,  Rev.  J.  M.  Austin 
Rev.  J.  W.  Keyes  and  others,  and  at  present  by 
the  Rev.  L.  L.  Briggs,  of  Auburn 

Before  the  church  was  built  the  society  held  meet- 
ings in  the  school  house  and  the  Rev.  Isaac  Whit- 
nal  was  the  pastor. 

Manufacturing  Interests  on  the  Outlet. 

Skaneateles  Paper  Company. — The  original 
mill  occupied  by  this  company  was  built  in  i930  by 
Solomon  Earll,  as  a  flouring  mill.  Earll  &  Kellogg 
remodeled  it  into  a  distillery  about  1840.  In  1864, 
it  was  changed  into  a  paper  mill  by  Earll,  Thayer 
&  Co.,  and  is  now  occupied  by  the  Skaneateles 
Paper  Company,  in  the  manufacture  of  print 
paper. 

Willow  Glen  Woolen  Mills. — Built  by  Doras- 
tus  Kellogg  about  1 840,  and  now  owned  by  Alexan- 
der Horton.  (Not  at  present,  Jan.,  1878,  in  opera- 
tion.)    The  mill  is  a  "  five  set"  mill. 


VIIW  or    F.A.SINCLAIR'S    UNION   CH 


4 


^CTORY,  UoTTviLLE,  Onondaga  County,  N .Y. 


-<l^l^ 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


297 


Earll  &  Tallman's  Distillery. — Located  on 
Skaneateles  Outlet,  one  and  a  half  miles  from 
Skaneateles.  It  is  in  the  twenty-fourth  Collection 
District  of  New  York.  The  building  was  erected 
by  Cotton,  Lewis  &Co.,  in  1824,  and  remodeled  at 
the  time  the  present  distillery  was  established  in 
1857.  The  capacity  of  the  distillery  is  three  hun- 
dred bushels  of  grain  per  day.  Four  hands  are 
employed.  Daniel  Earll  has  been  partner  or  sole 
owner  from  the  commencement. 

The  present  firm  are  also  proprietors  of  a  custom 
mill  next  below  the  distillery.  It  is  located  on  the 
site  of  the  old  mil!  built  by  Abijah  Earll  in  1818.  It 
was  burnt  in  1825  and  rebuilt  by  Cotton,  Lewis  & 
Co,  in  1826.  It  has  one  run  of  stones  and  is 
carried  on  in  connection  with  the  distillery.  The 
proprietors  of  the  distillery  manufacture  French 
and  Cologne  spirits  and  alcohol.  In  connection 
with  the  distillery,  they  feed  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-four head  of  cattle. 

Thomas  Morton's  Fine  Woolen  Shawl  Fac- 
tory, Mottville.  Established  in  1862  ;  capacity, 
eight  thousand  pounds  of  wool  per  month ;  fifty 
hands  employed.  The  building  was  erected  about 
1852.  Machinery  run  by  water-power ;  fall  about 
eighteen  feet. 

Mr.  Morton  is  also  proprietor  of  the  Darvel 
Woolen  Mills,  at  Skaneateles  Falls,  established  in 
1867.  These  mills  have  a  capacity  for  ten  thou- 
sand pounds  of  wool  per  month,  and  employ  sixty 
hands,  making  a  specialty  of  finecassimeres. 

Sherman,  Irish  &  Co ,  Proprietors  of  Mottville 
Flouring  Mills,  successors  to  Thayer  &  Irish,  who 
owned  and  occupied  the  same  mills  from  1876  to 
the  establishment  of  the  present  firm  in  1878.  The 
mills  have  eight  run  of  stones,  with  a  capacity  of 
one  hundred  bushels  per  day.  They  manufacture 
both  merchant  and  custom  flour. 

E.  B.  HoYT,  Iron  Founder  and  Machinist,  Mott- 
ville. Established  in  185 1.  The  foundry  occupied 
by  Mr.  Hoyt  was  burnt  in  1S68,  and  the  present 
building  erected  upon  the  same  location  immedi- 
ately after. 

Skaneateles  Iron  Works  and  Rolling  Mills, 
Mottville.  Not  at  present  in  operation.  L.  F. 
Powell,  Syracuse,  proprietor.  Works  established 
in  1870,  at  a  cost  of  ^100,000. 

Skaneateles  Paper  Company,  F.  &  J.  Weeks, 
Marysville.     Manufacturers  of  paper. 

Marysville  Lime  and  Plaster  Works.  E. 
B.  Hoyt  &  Co.,  proprietors.  Established  in  1866. 
Employs  twelve  hands. 

Youngs    &    Benedict,    Cataract    Mills,    Long 
Bridge,  Skaneateles  Outlet.     Established  in  1876; 
44* 


five  run  of  stones ;  capacity  one  hundred  and  fifty 
barrels  per  day  ;  merchant  and  custom  flour.  Build- 
ing erected  in  1869;  owned  by  Wm.  Barnes. 

F.  A.  Sinclair,  Union  Chair  Works,  Mottville. 
Building  erected  in  1870;  business  established  in 
1859;  employs  23  hands. 

Hart  Lot  Paper  Company,  Manufacturers  of 
book  paper,  half  mile  south  of  the  junction.  Capac- 
ity, two  tons  per  day  ;  hands  employed,  forty-seven. 
Incorporated  in  1869.  John  M.  Nye,  President; 
John  H.  Childs,  Secretary  ;  Julius  H.  Earll,  Treas- 
urer ;  W.  E.  Jones,  Superintendent. 


BioGPi^APHic/L  Sketch. 


BENONI  LEE. 

Benoni  Lee  was  born  in  the  State  of  Vermont, 
on  the  7th  day  of  June,  1812.  At  the  tender  age  of 
nine  years  he  was  left  an  orphan.  With  no  kind 
relatives  to  take  him  into  the  bosoms  of  their 
families  and  no  friend  but  God,  he  entered  upon 
his  life  of  toil  and  privation,  which  has  developed 
in  him  those  excellent  habits  and  that  astuteness 
which  distinguish  him  as  a  lawyer  and  as  a  man. 

His  early  recollections  of  Vermont  are  quite 
dim,  having  left  it  when  a  child  and  gone  with  his 
parents  to  the  State  of  New  York,  and  from  there, 
when  seven  years  old  to  Pennsylvania.  In  the 
year  1826  he  came  to  Skaneateles,  Onondaga 
county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  attracted  the  attention  of 
Col.  Warren  Hecox,  who  carried  on  a  large  leather 
and  shoe  business.  Col.  Hecox  saw  in  the  young 
lad  of  fourteen  years  something  that  convinced 
him  that  he  was  worthy  of  being  helped  ;  and,  ac- 
cordingly, offered  him  an  apprenticeship  in  his 
business,  which  offer  Mr.  Lee  readily  accepted. 
He  was  treated  as  a  son  ;  being  taken  into  the 
family,  and  for  three  winter's  enjoying  the  advan- 
tages of  the  school  taught  by  Thomas  W.  Allis,  a 
young  man  of  considerable  note  and  more  merit. 
He  worked  in  the  tan-yard  one  season  ;  nearly  two 
seasons  in  the  shop ;  and  as  foreman,  had  nearly  en- 
tire charge  of  the  business  for  four  years.  All  of 
his  leisure  moments,  before  and  after  working 
hours,  were  spent  in  diligent  study  and  assiduous 
reading.  In  this  he  was  encouraged  by  his  em- 
ployer, whose  reading  covered  a  wide  range  of 
literature. 

In  1833,   determined  to  obtain  a  liberal  educa- 
tion, at  whatever  sacrifice,  he  attended  the  Skan- 


298 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


cateles  Academy,  where  he  made  such  rapid  and 
thorough  progress  that  he  won  the  admiration  of 
his  friends  and  the  Principal,  \Vm.  H.  Green,  now 
a  prominent  lawyer  of  UuflTalo. 

At  the  close  of  the  academic  course,  he  began 
to  read  law  with  Freeborn  G.  Jewitt,  a  thorough 
and  successful  lawyer,  to  whom  he  is  indebted, 
doubtless,  for  many  of  his  excellent  professional 
characteristics.  Winters  he  taught  the  village 
school,  receiving  a  fair  compensation,  until  1840, 
when,  after  having  passed  a  successful  examination 
he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  of  the  State,  as  an  at- 
torney and  solicitor,  and  soon  after  began  the  prac- 
tice of  law  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Jewitt. 

For  thirty-eight  years  he  has  had  a  successful  and 
lucrative  practice,  and  during  that  long  period  not 
a  stain  has  tarnished  his  professional  uprightness. 
As  a  lawyer  he  is  careful  and  pains-taking,  always 


thoroughly  examining  litigated  cases,  on  both  sides 
before  suit.  Not  a  flaw  has  ever  been  found  in  his 
preparation  of  a  case,  and  no  false  step  of  his  oppo- 
nent is  ever  unnoticed.  As  a  pleader,  he  is  per- 
suasive, and  manages,  generally,  to  "  carr)'  his 
point."  His  style  is  clear  and  forcible,  clothed  with 
plain,  Anglo-Saxon  words,  which  express  his 
meaning  with  remarkable  exactness.  As  a  coun- 
sellor, he  has  the  rare  and  unusual  faculty,  especially 
in  a  lawyer,  of  bringing  irritated  parties  to  settle- 
ment before  having  recourse  to  the  law.  Asa  citi- 
zen of  Skaneateles,  he  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  every  interest  which  has  tended  to 
develop  its  growth  and  beauty. 

In  every  sense  of  the  word  he  is  a  self-made 
man.  Few  would  have  had  the  pluck  and  per- 
severance to  have  broken  the  iron  fetters  of  circum- 
stances which  surrounded  his  youth. 


ELBRIDGE. 


Eliiridge  was  formed  from  Camillus  March  26, 
1829.  It  is  the  central  town  upon  the  western 
border  of  the  county.  Its  surface  is  level  in  the 
north  and  rolling  in  the  south.  Seneca  River  and 
Cross  Lake  form  a  portion  of  the  northern  bound- 
ary. Skaneateles  Outlet  flows  northwestwardly 
through  the  western  part  of  the  town.  Upon  the 
banks  of  the  Outlet,  near  the  center  of  the  town, 
are  found  the  peculiar  tunnel-shaped  cavities  in  the 
earth,  characteristic  of  regions  abounding  in  gyp- 
sum. Several  weak  brine  springs  are  found  along 
Seneca  River.  In  the  west  part  of  the  town,  at 
the  time  of  the  first  settlement,  were  found  the  re- 
mains of  three  distinct  fortifications  :  one  square, 
one  quadrangular,  and  one  circular.  (See  Chapter 
on  Antiquities.)  When  first  discovered,  the  em- 
bankments were  three  feet  higlj,  and  upon  one  of 
them  stood  an  oak  tree  four  feet  in  diameter. 
These  works  were  each  situated  near  a  living  spring 
of  water.  The  remains  of  various  articles  found 
here  seem  to  indicate  that  these  fortifications  were 
Jtnown  to  the  French. 

At  Jack's  Reefs,  when  the  whites  first  settled 
this  town,  the  Onondagas  had  a  large  settlement, 
with  an  extensive  clearing  and  a  valuable  orchard. 
They  had  also  cleared  oft'  what  were  called  the  Salt 
Fields  in  the  town  of  Cato,  and  had  a  small  settle- 
ment there.  The  country  north  of  the  Seneca  and 
Oneida  Rivers  was  their  favorite  hunting  ground. 


Eaklv  Skttlement. 
Josiah  Buck  made  the  first  settlement  in  this 
town  in  1793.  In  1791  he  had  surveyed  the  town- 
ship of  Camillus  into  lots,  and  selecting  the  site 
where  he  located,  came  in  1793,  with  his  family,  in 
a  large  wagon.  This  wagon,  under  the  shade  of  a 
large  elm  tree,  which,  we  believe,  is  still  standing, 
was  for  several  weeks  their  only  shelter,  till  a  com- 
fortable cabin  could  be  er.ccted.  The  place  where 
this  settlement  was  made  was  on  the  lot  sub- 
sequently owned  by  Col.  John  Munro,  and  a  large 
oak  log  was  left  here  for  many  years  as  a  memorial 
of  the  spot.  A  little  later  in  1793,  Robert  Fulton 
settled  in  the  town  ;  James  Strong  in  1794:  Col. 
Chandler,  Dr.  Pickard  and  a  Mr.  Porter,  the  first 
blacksmith,  in  1795  ;  James  Weisner  and  Nicholas 
Mickles,  in  1796.  Isaac  Strong  erected  a  saw  mill 
in  1795,  and  a  grist  mill  in  1798.  The  inhabitants 
who  first  settled  in  this  town  had  to  go  to  James- 
ville  to  mill.  William  Stevens  located  herein  1794, 
and  built  a  saw  mill  about  a  mile  west  of  Elbridge. 
He  also  built  the  first  store  in  the  town,  in  1797,  in 
which  he  set  up  Dr.  John  Frisbie.  Mr.  Levi  Clark 
built  the  first  school  house,  in  1801.  Josiah  Buck 
kept  the  first  tavern  in  1793.  Moses  Carpenter 
opened  another  soon  after.  William  Stevens  was 
the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1794. 

The  first  settlers   in  the  vicinity  of  Jordan  were 
Zcnas  Wright  and  Aaron  Wright,  in  1797;  Martin 


Thomas  w.Hul, 


M/?s  Thomas  VV.  Hill. 


(  PHOTOS,  SY   W.V.fANOLR  ) 
Syracuse  h y 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


299 


Tickner,  Reynolds  Corey,  Isaac  Smith,  Jonathan 
Rowley  and  Jonathan  Babcock,  came  soon  after. 

The  first  town  meeting  for  Elbridge  was  held  at 
the  house  of  Horace  Dodge,  April  28,  1829.  Squire 
Munro  was  chosen  Moderator,  Seneca  Hale,  Secre- 
tary. Timothy  Brown  was  elected  Supervisor,  and 
James  McCIure,  Town  Clerk. 

The  channel  of  the  Seneca  River  at  Jack's 
Reefs  has  been  deepened  by  the  State,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  draining  the  Cayuga  marshes.  The  work 
was  commenced  in  1854  and  finished  in  1857,  ^^' 
der  the  superintendence  of  Hon.  George  Geddes. 
More  than  200,000  yards  of  rock-cuttings  were  re- 
moved, and  the  marshes  were  drained  as  far  west 
as  Mosquito  Point.  The  cost  was  g  156,000.  Pre- 
vious to  this  about  $100,000  had  been  expended  for 
deepening  the  channel  near  the  Oswego  River. 

A  feeder  from  the  Skaneateles  Outlet  connects 
with  the  Erie  Canal  at  Jordan. 

In  1 83 1  the  schools  of  the  town  of  Elbridge  are 
reported  as  follows  :  Number  of  children  taught, 
961  ;  number  of  districts,  ten  ;  parts  of  districts, 
six;  text-books  used,  Webster's  Spelling  Book, 
Cobb's  Spelling  Book,  Cumming's  &  Woodbridge's 
Geography,  Murray's  Grammar,  English  Reader 
and  Testament. 

VILLAGE  OF  ELBRIDGE. 

Situated  on  the  Skaneateles  outlet  in  the  south- 
west part  of  the  town.  The  village  was  incorpo- 
rated April  I,  1848.  Its  first  settlers  were  Moses 
Carpenter,  James  Weisner,  Squire  Munro,  Ezra 
and  John  Brackett,  and  Joseph  and  Aaron  Colman, 
1794  and  1795.  Squire  Munro  kept  the  first 
tavern  in  the  place,  soon  after  his  settlement  here. 

Gideon  Wilcoxon  first  established  himself  as  a 
lawyer  in  the  village  in  1813  ;  Hiram  F.  Mather 
in  1818  ;  afterwards  Mr.  Putnam.  Dr.  John  Frisbie 
was  the  first  physician,  in  1797  ;  Dr.  Sweet  in 
1810  ;  then  Dr.  Chichester.  In  1813,  a  postofifice 
was  established,  Gideon  Wilcoxon,  Postmaster.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Hiram  F.  Mather,  Hendrick 
Wood,  Squire  Munro  ;  then  Mr.  Wood  again,  then 
Mr.  Munro. 

At  an  election  held  at  the  house  of  J.  D.  Rhoades, 
March^2t,  1848,  to  determine  whether  "or  not  the 
village  should  be  incorporated,  as  provided  for  in  an 
act  of  December  7,  1847,  one  hundred  and  seven 
votes  were  cast,  of  which  ninety-one  were  in  the 
affirmative  and  sixteen  in  the  negative.  The 
officers  for  1848  were  Lucius  Millen,  President; 
Harvey  Roberts,  Ezekiel  Skinner,  Alonzo  Wood 
and  William  VanVechten,  Trustees  ;  Cyrus  W. 
Upham,  Treasurer ;  and  Charles  McGowan,  Clerk. 


The  following  have  been  Presidents  of  the  village 
in  the  years  named  :  A.  Wood,  1851  ;  W.  P.  Van- 
Vechten, 1852  ;  William  C.  VanVechten,  1853-54  ; 
J.  D.  Rhoades,  i855-'56-'57  ;  Alonzo  Wood,  1858  ; 
J.  D.  Rhoades,  1859;  Squire  M.  Brown,  i860; 
John  Rice,  1861-62  ;  C.  W.  Hilliard,  1863  ;  S.  M. 
Brown,  1864;  Nathan  Munro,  1865;  John  Rice, 
1866  ;  C.  G.  McGowan,  1867  ;  M.  H.  Lamson, 
i868-'69-'7o;  M.  W.  Lyon,  1871-72;  W.  P. 
Smith,  1873  ;  B.  A.Wood,  1874;  John  Rice,  1875  ; 
Charles  O.  Baker,  1876.  Present  officers  (1877)  : 
President,  M.  W.  Lyon  ;  Trustees,  T.  K.  Wright, 
A.  L.  Gere,  D,  M.  Rice ;  Treasurer,  John  T. 
Thomas;  Clerk, John  F.  Thomas. 

MuNRO  Collegiate  Institute. 

The  Munro  Academy,  (now  known  as  the  Munro 
Collegiate  Institute,)  was  founded  by  Nathan 
Munro,  Esq ,  in  1835.  In  the  winter  of  1835-6, 
it  was  opened  in  the  ball  room  of  Ezekiel  Gardner's 
tavern,  where  Mr.  M.  W.  Lyon  now  resides,  and 
the  following  summer  a  wooden  building  was  con- 
structed for  it.  The  Academy  was  incorporated 
April  23,  1839. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  Trustees  under  the 
charter,  July  6,  1839,  it  was  announced  that  Mr. 
Munro  had  died  on  the  5th  instant,  and  that,  in 
addition  to  the  Academic  site  and  buildings,  library 
and  apparatus,  contained  in  the  original  grant  to 
the  Academy,  and  specified  in  the  application  to 
the  Regents  of  the  University,  upon  which  the 
charter  was  granted,  the  deceased  founder  of  the 
Academy,  by  his  last  will  and  testament,  had  made 
a  further  endowment  to  the  same,  by  enlarging  the 
Academic  site,  and  by  a  bequest  of  ^20,000,  as  a 
permanent  fund  for  the  support  of  the  school,  pay- 
able immediately  after  his  decease. 

July  13,  1839,  the  Board  met  pursuant  to  adjourn- 
ment ;  John  Munro,  senior  Trustee,  in  the  Chair. 
On  motion  of  R.  Farnham,  Esq.,  the  Board  pro- 
ceeded to  elect  a  President  and  other  officers. 
John  Munro  was  elected  President ;  James  Munro, 
Secretary  ;  and  Hiram  F.  Mather,  Treasurer. 

In  1854,  the  Trustees  erected  the  building  known 
as  "  The  Munro  Academy."  This  Academy  stands 
in  an  open  landscape,  and  is  surrounded  by  trees, 
which,  with  the  irregularity  of  the  plan  and  outline 
of  the  structure  itself,  contribute  to  its  picturesque 
effect.  Its  general  form  is  an  octagon,  from  which 
project  four  arms,  forming  a  cross.  One  of  the 
arms  at  the  right  is  connected  by  a  hall  with  a  large 
oblong  division,  projecting  at  the  front  and  rear. 
The  material  is  brick  with  stone  dressings. 

From  the  elevations  it  will  be  noticed  that  the 


300 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


external  walls  are  enriched  with  heavy  base  mould- 
ings, buttresses  and  turrets  at  the  corners  of  all  the 
parts — visible  at  the  fronts  and  ends. 

In  1859.  the  Trustees  further  improved  the 
Academy,  by  the  completion  of  the  elegant  chapel 
at  an  expense  of  about  $i,cxx),  and  placed  at  the 
cast  end  a  marble  tablet,  bearing  the  following  in- 
scription : 

To  the  memory  of  Nathan  Munro,  who  was  born 
at  Cheshire.  Mass.,  and  died  at  Elbridge,  New 
York,  July  5th,  1839,  in  the  49th  year  of  his  age. 

In  1835,  he  endowed  the  Academy  which  in 
April,  1839  was  incorporated  and  called  after  his 
name  ;  and  at  his  death  gave  to  it  as  a  perpetual 
fund  $20,000.  From  the  income  of  this  fund  and 
the  sale  of  the  old  academy  property,  the  Trustees 
in  1854  erected  this  edifice. 

There  is  a  Library  of  nearly  1,000  volumes  con- 
nected with  the  institution,  to  which  the  students 
may  have  access  under  the  direction  of  the  Prin- 
cipal. The  Laboratory  is  supplied  with  some  ex- 
cellent apparatus.  There  is  also  a  well  selected  and 
valuable  cabinet  of  minerals. 

The  Course  of  Instruction  includes  an  English 
Course  embracing  five  years,  or  a  Classical  Course 
embracing  three  years. 

The  Classical  Department,  Ancient  and  Modern, 
is  well  sustained,  embracing  more  than  half  of  the 
whole  number  of  pupils  in  attendance.  The 
Academy  is  regarded  in  many  respects  as  one  of  the 
best  fitting  schools  in  the  country. 

The  great  number  of  graduates  who  have  already 
attained  eminence  in  the  pulpit,  at  the  bar,  and  as 
educators,  is  a  proof  that  the  merits  of  the  school 
have  been  well  attested. 

There  have  been  for  many  years  various  Literary 
Societies  connected  with  the  Academy.  The  ex- 
ercises consisting  of  Debates,  Essays  and  Criti- 
cisms. The  Ladies'  Literary  Society  was  for  many 
years  an  attractive  feature  of  the  Academy. 

The  Gentlemen's  M.  C.  I.  Club  continued  in 
successful  operation  until  the  spring  of  1873,  when 
the  present  Lyceum  was  organized  admitting  ladies 
and  gentlemen  upon  precisely  the  same  footing. 
The  e.xercises  of  each  meeting  consisting  of  Music, 
Declamations,  Recitations,  a  Lyceum  Paper  and 
an  Extempore  Debate. 

John  Munro,  the  brother  of  Nathan,  was  the  first 
President  of  the  Hoard  of  Trustees  in  1839,  and 
served  acceptably  till  his  death  in  i860.  He  was  a 
man  universally  esteemed  for  his  benevolence  and 
ready  sympathy  with  the  unfortunate.  He  was 
born  in  Cheshire,  Mass.,  March  26,  1780,  and  died 
in  Elbridge,  March  13,  i860. 


John  Rice,  Esq  ,  the  second  President  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  was  elected  October  6,  i860,  to 
fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Deacon  John 
Munro.  John  Rice  was  born  at  Cheshire,  Mass., 
January  8,  1799,  and  died  at  Elbridge,  June  20, 
1875.  He  came  to  Elbridge  in  1820.  He  was  un- 
tiring in  his  efforts  to  enlist  the  sympathies  of  all  in 
behalf  of  the  Academy. 

Hon.  Luke  Ranney,  now  the  President  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Academy,  was  elected 
October  4,  1875,  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  the 
death  of  John  Rice,  Esq. 

The  following  have  served  as  Secretaries  of  the 
Board  :  James  Munro,  elected  July  13,  1839  ;  Hon. 
Luke  Ranney.  elected  October  27,  1869.  Treas- 
urers: Hiram  F.  Mather,  July  13,  1839;  Squire  M. 
Brown,  April  13,  1842  ;  W.  C.  Van  Vechten,  June 
27,  1849;  Elijah  D.  Williams,  December  28,  1S53; 
L.  B.  Bennett,  October  27,  1869;  John  Munro, 
October  14,  1871. 

Succession  of  Trustees  :  Nathan  Munro,  charter; 
Jared  Wheeler,  July  13,  1839;  Rev.  E.  A.  Hunt- 
ington. July  13.  1867;  Rev.  Washington  Thatcher, 
(resigned  I  charter  ;  Allen  Munroe.  March  30,  1842  : 
J.  B  Evarts,  charter  ;  Daniel  C.  Munro,  (resigned) 
F"ebruary  9,  1842  ;  C.  J.  Merrinian,  (resigned) 
charter  ;  Stephen  W.  Clark,  (resigned)  March 
30,   1842;  Z.    S.    Clark,   April   24,    1848;  Hiram 

F.  Mather,  i resigned!  charter;  David  Wilson, 
(from  neglect  I  November  4,  1844;  John  Burnett, 
July  9,  1858  ;  Rev.  Medad  Pomeroy,  (resigned) 
charter;  Levi  Clark,  March  6,  1845  ;  Wm.  Ran- 
ney, charter;  Luke  Ranney,  June  9,  1858;  John 
Rice,  charter;  Charles  G.  McGowan,  Oct.  4,  1875; 
John  Munro,  charter ;  David  A.  Munro,  July  10, 
1867  ;  James  Munro,  charter  ;  John  Munro,  Jr., 
March  9,  1871  ;  Squire  M.  Brown,  (resigned)  1848, 
charter:  Wm.  C.  Van  Vechten,  (resigned)  (the 
only  charter  member  living  1  1848,  charter;  Charles 
Pardee,  May  13,  1856  ;  Reuben  Farnham,  (resigned) 
1848,  charter;  Abram  Hall,  (resigned)  1848,  char- 
ter; Elijah  D.  Williams,  (^ resigned)  1866,  charter ; 
L.  B.  Bennett,  Oct.  31,  1867  ;  Thomas  W.  Hill, 
Oct.  4,  1875;  Charles  Lombard,  (resigned)  1S48, 
charter  ;  James  M.  Munro,  elected  in  place  of  Mr. 
Hicok,  August  12,  1854;  Allen  Munroe,  elected  in 
place  of  Mr.  Lathrop,  August  12,  1854;  Robert 
Townscnd,  elected  in  place  of  Mr.  Cornell,  August 
12,  1S54  ;  Hervey  Wilbur,  elected  in  place  of  J.  R. 
Townsend,  July  10,  1867. 

Present  Board   of  Trustees. 

Hon.  Luke  Ranney,  Elbridge,  President  ;  Chas. 

G.  McGowan,   Elbridge,  Secretary;  John   Munro, 


HON.  LUKE  RANNEY. 


William  Ranney,  father  of  Luke  Ranney,  was  born  in  Middletown, 
Conn.,  June  30,  1785,  and  died  at  Elbridge,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  9,  1867,  aged 
seventy-two  years.     He  moved  to  Etbridge  in  1835. 

The  Ranneys  were  from  Scotland,  and  first  came  to  Middletown,  Conn, 
They  were  noted  for  their  great  energy  of  character. 

Betsey  Alden,  the  mother  of  Luke  Ranney,  was  born  at  Ashfield,  Mass., 
March  7,  1789,  and  died  at  Elbridge,  May  9,  1870,  aged  eighty-one  years. 

The  Aldens  trace  their  lineage  directly  back  to  John  Alden,  who  landed 
from  the  Mayflower,  on  Plymouth  Rock,  1620, — the  same  John  who  asked 
Miss  Priscilla  Mullens  if  she  would  have  Capt.  Miles  Standish,  and  she 
hinted  to  him  to  ask  for  himself,  and  he  know  enough  to  take  the  hint. 
The  Aldens  have  been  noted  for  their  great  longevity  and  strong  Puri- 
tanic religious  character,  many  of  them  having  been  clergymen. 

Luke  Ranney  was  born  in  Ashfield,  Mass..  Nov.  8,  1815.  Moved  to 
Aurelius,  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1823.  At  the  ago  of  fourteen  or  fifteen 
the  thirst  for  knowledge  came  upon  him  with  almost  irresistible  power. 
The  labor  on  the  farm,  under  his  father's  energy  and  industry,  took  about 
all  of  daylight,  and  the  nights,  until  two  and  three  in  the  morning,  were 
ofteu  used  to  satisfy  this  craving  for  knowledge.  Every  cent  that  could 
be  hud  was  used  in  the  purchase  of  books.  Rollin's  Ancient  History  and 
Plutarch's  Lives  were  obtained  with  the  last  farthing  he  could  get,  and 
devoured  with  an  appetite  which  might  be  compared  to  a  starved  tiger 
feasting  on  a  dainty  morsel.  They  were  read  and  re-read  until  all  the  lead- 
ing facts  of  ancient  history  were  fixed  in  his  memory  for  life,  and  were 
ever  after  at  his  command. 

In  1 834  he  went  to  Shelburne  Falls 
academy,  Massachusetts,  to  school, 
an  uncle,  the  Rev.  John  Alden, 
being  principal.  He  walked  sixty 
miles  from  Albany  to  the  Falls  to 
save  three  dollars,  stage  fure,  to  pur- 
chase books  with.  Was  here  five 
months,  and  was  then  called  home 
by  his  father  to  help  him  on  the  farm. 

In  the  fall  of  1835  his  father 
wished  him  to  go  and  spend  a  year 
helping  his  only  brother  in  Van  Bu- 
renCo.,  Mich.  He  went  up  Lake  Erie 
in  the  last  boat  that  ran  that  fall. 
Walked  and  drove  an  ox-team  from 
Detroit  there,  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles.  Got  there  the  ninth  day  of 
December  ;  found  his  brother  keep- 
ing bachelor's  hall  in  a  log  shanty 
twelve  by  fourteen,  and  dieting  on 
pork  and  potatoes,  and,  as  he  ex- 
pressed it,  had  for  a  change  potatoes 
and  pork.  In  the  winter  his  brother 
had  to  be  awny  two  weeks,  and  he 
remained  in  the  shanty  that  time 
confined  with  a  lame  foot,  without 
seeing  a  human  being,  and  no  com- 
panion but  Shakspeare;  and,  as  he 
said,  he  had  an  intellectual  treat, 
and  gained  a  knowledge  of  the  great 
English  poet  which  was  a  source 
of  great  pleasure  ever  after. 

He  taught  school  in  Throops- 
ville,  Cayuga  Co.,  in  1839  and  1841, 
and  in  Port  Byron  in  1840.  Studied 
law  with  S.  Robinson  and  S.  Good- 
win, and  in  consequence  of  poor 
health  was  compelled  to  abandon 
the  profession  of  law.  Went  to 
Christian  Co.,  Ky.,  in  the  fall  of 
1842,  and  there  taught  school  one 
year,  and  had  a  good  opportunity 

to  see  the  evils  of  slavery.  He  then  wrote  home  to  a  friend,  as  follows  : 
"  When  I  see  the  vast  amount  of  evil  that  originates  out  of  this  system  of 
slavery,  I  shudder  at  future  consequences.  The  day  of  final  judgment 
may  be  far  distant,  but  it  is  sure  to  come  as  a  rock  loosened  from  the  top 
of  a  mountain  is  to  thunder  down  to  the  plain  below,  and  woe,  woe  to  all 
who  are  in  its  path.  I  may  not  live  to  see  it,  but  the  seed  has  beeu  sown, 
the  crop  is  more  than  half  grown,  and  when  the  harvest  comes  it  will  be 
a  harvest  of  death  and  desolation." 

At  this  time  the  great  temperance  reformation  was  sweeping  like  a  tor- 
nado over  the  southwest,  and  he  gave  what  time  and  strength  he  had  to 
spare  to  this  mighty  work.  His  services  were  in  demand  to  speak  at  all 
the  principal  places  in  Christian  county.  At  some  of  these  meetings  as 
many  as  one  hundred  and  fifty  signed  the  pledge  of  temperance. 

He  came  back  to  Elbridge  in  the  fall  of  1843,  and  in  May,  1844,  mar- 
ried Miss  Rebecca  Lyon,  daughter  of  Deacon  Cyrus  Lyon,  of  Weedsport, 
and  lived  five  years  on  a  farm  three  miles  east  of  Weedsport.  While 
there  he  held  the  office  of  town  superintendent.  In  the  spring  of  1852 
he  moved  back  to  Elbridge,  where  he  has  resided  ever  since. 

He  was  elected  supervisor  of  his  town  in  1857,  and  in  the  fall  of  1858 
was  elected  to  represent  the  first  district  in  Onondaga  County  in  the  legis- 
lature. He  was  elected  again  in  the  fall  of  1865,  and  again  in  the  fall  of 
1867,  serving  three  times  in  the  legislature.  While  there  he  served  on  the 
committee  on  claims,  on  the  committee  of  nine  for  advancing  bills,  and  on 
the  select  committee  on  assessments.  The  bill  creating  the  State  assessors 
was  written  by  him,  and  his  influence  contributed  largely  to  its  passage. 

He  was  one  of  the  select  committee  on  a  pro  rata  freight  bill,  a  measure 


more  largely  connected  with  the  interior  interests  of  the  State  than  almost 
any  other,  and  he  has  reason  to  believe  that  it  was  defeated  by  money 
of  the  New  York  Central  railroad,  as  the  agent  employed  by  that  com- 
pany to  do  its  lobbying  in  the  legislature  told  a  prominent  citizen  of  Syra- 
cuse, at  Seneca  Falls  {where  they  met),  that  it  cost  the  company  over  two 
hundred  thousand  dollars  to  defeat  Ranney's  pro  rata  freight  bill. 

His  speech  on  the  personal  liberty  bill  gave  him  a  State  reputation  as 
one  of  the  best  debaters  in  the  assembly.  Mr.  Ranney  says  that  the 
greatest  good  he  ever  accomplished  for  his  country  was  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  opposition  to  the  increase  of  the  way  fare  on  the  New  York 
Central  railroad,  and  continuing  the  contest  until  its  final  defeat  by  the  veto 
of  Gov.  Fcnton.  By  this  defeat  the  way  passengers  are  saved  from  pay- 
ing into  the  treasury  of  that  mammoth  corporation  from  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars  to  one  million  dollars  annually. 

In  a  speech  which  he  made  on  that  occasion,  and  which  was  published, 
he  showed  as  conclusively  as  figures  can  show,  that  the  gains  and  profits 
of  the  company,  over  and  above  an  annual  dividend  of  seven  per  cent., 
had  been  not  less  than  seventeen  millions  of  dollars  since  the  consolida- 
tion in  1853 ;  and,  as  proof  that  he  was  right,  soon  after  Vanderbilt  came 
in  as  president  and  divided  among  the  stockholders  twenty  millions  of 
bonds  to  represent  these  surplus  earnings. 

Mr.  Ranney  says  be  had  no  doubt  at  that  time  they  were  using  the 
money  of  the  corporation  to  buy  votes;  and,  as  further  proof  that  he  was 
right,  Worcester,  treasurer  of  the  company,  under  oath,  before  a  committee 
of  the  constitutional  convention,  in  186S,  said  that  he  paid,  to  influence 

legislation  during  the  pendency  of 
this  bill,  without  any  authority  of 
law,  vouchers,  or  receipts,  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty-five  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  the  account  was  allowed 
by  the  directors. 

To  judge  how  some  members  of  the 
legislature  must  have  been  scorched 
on  that  occasion,  we  make  the  follow- 
ing quotation  from  his  speech  :  "And 
now,  before  I  close,  what  shall  I  say 
to  those,  if  any  such  there  be,  who 
have  received  the  money  of  this  cor- 
poration as  a  reward  for  the  betrayal 
of  their  constituency,  for  the  sur- 
rendering and  yielding  up  of  their 
rights  for  their  personal  gain  ?  Re- 
member, Judas  Iscariot  betrayed  his 
Lord  and  Master  for  thirty  pieces 
of  silver,  and  for  that  act  has  been 
held  up  for  execration,  scorn,  and 
contempt  wherever  the  banner  of 
the  Cross  has  been  unfurled,  even  to 
the  outermost  bounds  of  Christian 
civilization.  Turn  your  minds,  gen- 
tlemen, within,  and  behold  your- 
selves as  in  a  glass,  and  see  a  villain 
whose  company  you  are  compelk-d 
to  keep,  and  from  whose  vile  com- 
panionship there  is  no  escape.  Dis- 
honored, scorned,  and  condemned 
by  yourself,  seeking  through  life  a 
hiding-place  from  the  goadings  of 
conscience,  dying  while  you  are  liv- 
ing, praying  for  the  everlasting  rocks 
and  hills  to  fall  on  you  and  bide 
you  from  the  righteous  indignation 
of  a  constituency  you  have  betiayed, 
from  a  legislature  you  have  de- 
moralized, from  a  State  you  have 
dishonored,  and  a  republic  you  have 
disgraced.  Go,  and  return  your  ill- 
gotten  gold  to  this  soulless  corporation,  which  would  accumulate  wealth  at 
the  expense  of  the  integrity  and  virtue  of  this  legislature,  at  the  expense 
of  liberty,  and  on  the  ruins  of  our  country  !  Go,  and  swear  by  the  ever- 
liviu"  God  that  you  will  live  and  die  honest  men,  that  your  garments  shall 
neve? be  besmeared  with  the  filth  and  slime  of  a  corrupt  and  venal  lobby 
which  swarm  around  you  like  the  carrion  crows  around  a  rotten  carcass." 
He  has  o-iven  his  services  as  a  speaker  without  one  cent's  compensation 
in  every  fmporlant  campaign  since  1855,  often  addressing  his  fellow- 
eitizens  every  night  for  some  time  previous  to  election.  In  his  addresses 
he  has  spent  as  much  or  more  time  on  the  obligations  we  owe  to  our  gov- 
ernment, and  the  proper  discharge  of  those  obligations,  than  on  party 
polities.  Showing  them  if  they  will  be  true  to  our  country,  she  will  be- 
come the  beacon-light  of  all  nations,  leading  them  in  the  path  of  equal 
rights.  Christian  liberty,  and  universal  intelligence.  He  has  always  ad- 
vocated impartial  justice  to  all  men,  without  reference  to  birth,  nationality, 
or  color.  On  party  politics  he  has  always  endeavored  to  show  that  the 
reform  and  purification  of  the  two  great  parties  of  the  day  was  more  im- 
portant than  the  immediate  success  of  either,  believing  that  parties  should 
always  be  governed  by  the  great  principles  of  right,  having  the  highest 
good  of  our  country  as  their  supreme  object. 

He  has  been  extensively  employed  as  a  surveyor,  and  often  on  disputed 
lines  has  harmonized  parties  and  saved  litigation.  He  has  had  many  es- 
tates to  settle,  as  executor,  administrator,  and  assignee,  in  this  county, 
Cayuga  county,  and  in  Michigan.  He  is  president  of  the  board  of  trustees 
of  Munro  Collegiate  Institute,  an  institution  of  learning  hardly  second  to 
any  in  the  county. 


\ 


I'liulo.  t>>  Uru.  l»>K('rl,  JopUii,  N.  V. 


niAl  Nt'KV    B.   LAIKD. 


The  Muhjoct  of  tlii.H  Nkelch,  one  of  the  olili'.-<t  rciiiJeiit.s  of  the 
town  of  KIbridp',  wiu*  born  July  l{(l,  ISdt,  io  tlif  town  of 
CniiiilluM,  two  luilnt  west  of  the  villa)j;e.  He  wu»  the  son  of 
.loliii  Liird  niid  Polly  Iloyd,  who  were  aiiion^  the  firnt  settlers 
of  the  town,  emitfraiin;;  from  Siirotopi  county.  The  elder 
Laird  wils  ii  eaqn-nter  by  occupation,  and  Chiiuneey  f4>llowed 
I  he  xanie  Vocation  for  Momc  time;  but  \m  ta»tea  were  for  ugri- 
eultund  puntuits,  and  he  iiecordinfjly  purehiLs«'d  n  farm  in  the 
town  of  Klbrid};e,  upon  which  he  nettled  in  ls:U»,  and  where 
he  rcxided  until  his  d«ith.  which  occurred  April  0,  1873.  In 
hi.H  choiicn  calliiij;  he  was  eminently  tiucceM.<*ful,  and  was  regarded 


as  one  of  the  mast  thoroujrh  and  systematic  farmers  in  the 
town. 

In  1H27,  .^lr.  liuird  wa.s  married  to  Miss  Sarah  E.,  duuf:hter 
of  John  Adams,  EfM).,  of  Skanejitclcs,  one  of  the  first  settlers  and 
a  very  prominent  citizen.  In  1843,  Mrs.  I..iiird  died,  and  in 
1845  he  was  apiin  married  to  Miss  Lucretia  Mills.  Hy  his 
first  wife  lie  had  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  dau^'hters, 
none  of  whom  are  now  livin<;. 

By  his  seeond  wife  he  had  five  children,  two  of  whom  are 
liviii);, — (."harlcM  W.  Laird,  of  Jordan,  and  Julia,  wife  of  the 
Rev.  J.  C.  Nichols,  of  the  Central  New  York  Conference. 


John  D.  Rhoades. 


HON.  JOHN 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Chesterfield, 
Mass.,  Nov.  11,  1801,  and  was  the  eldest  child  in  the 
family  of  John  and  Hannah  Rhoades,  which  consisted 
of  ten  children.  When  eight  years  of  age,  his  father 
removed  with  his  family  to  Onondaga  County,  settling 
in  the  town  of  Skaneateles.  Here  for  years  the  family 
experienced  the  privations  and  hardships  of  pioneer  life. 

Notwithstanding  the  almost  entire  lack  of  educational 
advantages,  our  subject  acquired  a  good  common  school 
education,  wliich  he  made  practically  useful  to  himself 
and  others  by  teaching.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he 
went  to  New  Jersey,  and  for  several  years  was  engaged 
as  a  traveling  salesman. 

In  1826  he  formed  a  co-partnership  with  a  gentleman 
by  the  name  of  Bartlett,  and  engaged  in  trade  at  Stan- 
hope, N.  J.  In  1827  he  married  Sebiah,  daughter  of 
the  Hon.  Timothy  Brown,  of  Elbridge,  and  in  1829  he 
removed  to  Hancock,  Delaware  county,  where  he  became 
extensively  engaged  in  lumbering. 

In  1833,  meeting  with  some  reverses,  he  sold,  and 
again  returned  to  Elbridge,  where  for  ten  years  he  was 


D.  RHOADES. 

the  proprietor  of  the  Munro  Hotel.  In  1851  he 
purchased  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  which  is 
beautifully   located  in  the  village  of  Elbridge. 

In  politics  Mr.  Rhoades  was  a  Whig  until  the  formation 
of  the  Republican  party.  In  1855  he  was  elected  county 
coroner,  and  in  1856  was  elected  a  member  of  the  legis- 
lature. 

His  childhood  of  indigence,  his  early  manhood  of 
wearisome  toil,  served  as  the  crucibles  wherein  sterling 
qualities  were  refined  and  tested,  as  preparatory  for  public 
service  and  higher  obligation. 

In  all  basiness  relations  he  is  honorable  and  upright, 
ever  the  same  in  private  business  or  official  life.  Sociable, 
benevolent,  and  possessed  of  ennobling  Christian  virtues, 
he  has  won  friends  among  all  classes,  and  by  sound 
judgment  and  prompt  decision  gave  weight  to  his  opinions 
and  strength  to  his  purposes. 

Mr.  Rhoades  has  been  a  valuable  citizen  in  all  relations 
of  life,  and  by  industry  has  accumulated  a  competency, 
and  contributed  largely  to  the  welfare  and  social  improve- 
ment of  his  neighborhood. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


301 


Elbridge,  Treasurer  ;  Hon.  James  M.  Munro, 
Camillus  ;  Hon.  Allen  Munroe,  Syracuse  ;  John  B. 
Burnett,  Syracuse  ;  Charles  Pardee,  Skaneateles  ; 
Dr.  Harvey  B.  Wilbur,  Syracuse  ;  Rev.  E.  A. 
Huntington,  D.D.,  Auburn;  Hon.  Theodore  N.  Pom- 
eroy.  Auburn  ;  David  A.  Munro,  Camillus  ;  Thomas 
W.  Hill,  Elbridge. 

Succession  of  Principal  Teachers. 


Years. 


Preceptress. 


1839 — Lemuels.  Pomeroy.  Julia  A.  Fitch. 
i840-'4 — Stephen  W.  Clark.  Elvira  P.  Cadwell. 
1845 — Stephen  W.  Clark.    Catherine  A.  Coleman. 
1846— J.  W.  Wolcott.  Mary  A.  Ellis. 

1847— J.  W.  Wolcott.  M.  F.  Loring. 

i848-'9— John  H.Wilson.      M.  F.  Loring. 
1850 — John  H.  Wilson.         Mary  A.   Casey. 
185 1— John  H.  Kellom.        Mary  A.  Goddard. 
1852 — John  H.  Kellom.         Louisa  Powers. 
1853 — David  Burbank.  Mary  L.  Powers. 

1854 — David  Burbank.  Mary  L.  Powers. 

1855 — David  Burbank.  Eliza  A.  Boss. 

I  856 — David  Burbank.  Charlotte  A.  Birdseye. 

1857 — John  H.  Wilson,  i  t.  Charlotte  A.   Birdseye. 

Herman  Sanford,  2  terms. 
1858— Truman  K.  Wright.  Amanda  Bunnell. 
i859"'72— T.  K.  Wright.      Martha  B.  Wright. 
i873-'76— T.  K.  Wright.       Laura  M.  Carpenter. 
1876-78— T.  K.  Wright. 

Patrons  of  Husbandry. 
Elbridge  Grange  No.  220.  Instituted  June  22, 
1874,  with  the  following  officers  :  Hiram  D.  Pres- 
ton, M.  ;  William  B.  Rice,  Secretary ;  Newman 
Crossett,  Treasurer.  Present  membership  forty- 
one.  Present  officers :  Alonzo  M.  Curtis,  M.  ; 
M.  W.  Lyon,  Secretary  ;  Charles  E.  Cook,  Treas- 
urer. Meetings  held  every  alternate  Thursday  at 
lodge  rooms  in  Wood  Block. 

I.  O.  O.  F. 

Elbridge  Lodge  No.  275  was  formed  April  19, 
1871,  with  nine  members.  The  following  were  the 
first  officers :  H.  H.  Porter,  N.  G.  ;  James  M. 
Halstead,  V.  G.  ;  R.  M.  Cole,  C.  S. 

They  have  suffered  loss  in  three  successive  fires, 
but  are  at  present  in  a  prosperous  condition,  having 
an  influential  membership  of  forty-four.  The 
present  officers  (1878)  are  as  follows: 

Fred.  S.  Hall,  N.  G.  ;  J.  M.  Halstead,  R.  S.  N. 
G. ;  Alfred  E.  Stacey,  L.  S.  N.  G. ;  A.  L.  Chat- 
field,  V.  G.  ;  W.  S.  Hale,  R  S.  V.  G.  ;  James  F. 
Thomas,  L.  S.  V.  G.  ;  C.  O.  Baker,  M.  D.,  R.  R. 
S. ;  C.  E.  Cook,  L.  S.  S.  ;  C.  C.  Smith,  C.  S. ; 
C.  A.  Smith,  P.  S.  ;  Rev.  Keese  Coburn,  Chaplain ;  i 
David  Bonta,  W.  ;  William  R.  Stevens,  P.  N.  G.  ;  1 
45 


William  C.  Garrison,  Treasurer ;  G.  Z.  Allen,  C.  ; 
E.  Z.  Frazee,  I.  G.  ;  H.  D.  Preston,  W.  S.  Hale 
and  R.  M.  Cole,  Committee  on  Finance. 

The  lodge  has  a  hall  in  Wood's  Block  which  was 
finished  and  furnished  by  the  members  some  two 
years  since,  and  is  also  used  by"the  "  Ancient  Order 
of  United  Workmen,"  the  "  Patrons  of  Husbandry" 
and  the  "  Good  Templars." 

Manufactures  of  Elbridge. 

John  T.  Thomas  &  Sons,  Bedstead  Manufactur- 
ers. Established  1859.  Employ  four  hands;  use 
water  power ;  average  production  about  1,700  per 
annum.  Occupy  the  old  building  erected  in  1826 
by  Jacob  W.  Page. 

Eaton  &  Seeley,  Chair  Manufacturers.  Estab- 
lished 1877.  Employ  six  hands  ;  use  water  power. 
Occupy  building  erected  and  occupied  by  Levi 
Clark  as  a  carding  mill  and  cloth  dressing  factory, 
afterwards  used  as  a  pail  factory. 

BucKMAN  &  Sons,  Chair  Manufacturers.  Estab- 
lished 1877.  Employ  seven  hands;  use  water 
power. 

J.  S.  GowiNG  &  Co.,  proprietors  of  the  "  Elbridge 
Mills,"  formerly  known  as  the  "  Munro  Mills." 
These  mills  contain  four  run  of  stones  ;  capacity, 
100  barrels  per  day  ;  make  a  specialty  of  high  grade 
flour. 

Curtis  &  White,  manufacturers  of  every  descrip- 
tion of  marble  goods.  Established  1877.  Employ 
four  hands. 

Elbridge  Marble  and  Granite  Works,  T.  S. 
Hubbell,  proprietor.  Established  by  Mr.  Hubbell 
in  1841.  Besides  the  usual  granite  and  marble 
monuments,  Mr.  Hubbell  is  agent  for  ornamental 
iron  work  for  cemetery  purposes. 

S.  D.  Paddock,  Jr.,  Proprietor  of  Steam  Dried 
Straw  Board  Mill,  located  just  north  of  the  corpora- 
tion line  of  the  village  of  Elbridge,  commenced 
business  here  in  the  spring  of  1865,  and  made  the 
first  sheet  July  ist,  of  the  same  year.  In  the 
winter  of  1868  and  '69  he  put  in  machinery  for 
drying  by  steam  and  has  run  almost  uninterruptedly 
ever  since.  Present  capacity,  12  to  14  tons  per 
week  ;  employs  about  twelve  hands  ;  Capital  in- 
vested ^20,000  ;  water  power ;  steam  used  for  boil- 
ing and  drying. 

Churches. 

The  First  Congregational  Society  of  El- 
bridge, formerly  known  as  the  "  First  Congrega- 
tional Society  of  the  Town  of  Camillus,"  was  organ- 
ized October  30,  1800.  Among  the  original  mem- 
bers were  Hezekiah  Freeman,  Moses  Fulton  and 
John  Healy,  the  latter  being  chosen  the  first  Clerk. 


302 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


The  first  Deacons  were  Hezekiah  Freeman  and 
John  Healy.  in  1804.  The  first  minister  was  Rev. 
Seth  VVilliston.  For  more  than  twenty  years  the 
meetings  of  the  society  were  held  in  private  houses 
and  school  houses  near  by  and  in  the  present  village 
of  Elbridge.  In  i^io,  Rev.  Benjamin  Bell  began 
to  officiate  as  stated  supply,  and  continued  up  to 
and  including  1818.  There  had  been  received  into 
the  Society  fifty-seven  additions,  and  the  total  mem- 
bership that  year  was  fifty. 

The  Society  was  legally  organized  December  24, 
1822.  At  the  same  time  the  following  subscription 
was  drawn  up  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  house 
of  worship : 

"  We,  the  subscribers,  each  one  for  himself  alone 
severally  and  not  jointly,  do  hereby  promise  and 
agree  to  pay  to  Jacob  Campbell,  Levi  Clark,  Nathan 
Munro,  Jcdcdiah  Richards,  Charles  Lombard  and 
Hiram  F.  Mather,  Trustees  of  the  First  Congrega- 
tional Society  in  the  town  of  Camillus,  in  the  County 
of  Onondaga,  the  sums  set  opposite  to  our  names 
respectively,  to  raise  a  lund  for  the  purpose  of  build- 
ing a  meeting  house  for  public  worship  in  the  village 
of  Elbridge,  in  and  for  the  said  society  ;  which  said 
sums  so  by  us  respectively  subscribed,  shall  be  paid 
at  the  times  and  in  the  manner  following,  that  is  to 
say  :  — 

•'  Two-thirds  part  of  each  subscription  shall  be 
paid  in  merchantable  wheat,  rye.  corn,  oats,  pork, 
beans,  beef,  butter,  cheese  or  lard,  one  half  thereof 
to  be  delivered  within  three  months  from  the  first 
day  of  January  next,  and  one  half  thereof  in  si.\ 
months  from  that  time,  at  cash  price  when  deliv- 
ered, and  in  such  materials  as  shall  be  suitable  for 
said  building,  to  be  delivered  within  four  months 
from  the  aforesaid  date,  at  cash  ])rice  when  deliv- 
ered ;  which  said  articles,  both  of  provisions  and 
materials  for  building,  shall  be  delivered  in  such 
proportion  of  each  as  the  Trustees  of  the  said 
Society  shall  direct— having  reference  to  the  wants 
of  the  builder's  family  or  families  engaged  in  con- 
structing said  house,  and  the  due  proportion  of  each 
kind  of  material  necessary  for  the  same  :  and  shall 
be  deposited  at  such  place  in  Hllbridge  as  the  afore- 
said Nathan  Munro  may  direct. 

"  It  is  understood,  however,  that  any  subscriber 
shall  have  the  privilege  of  paying  one  of  the  afore- 
said two-thirds  part  of  his  subscription  in  neat  cat- 
tle, (bulls  and  stags  excepted;!  to  be  delivered  at 
such  place  in  Elbridge  as  Nathan  Munro  shall 
direct,  on  the  first  of  September  next. 

"  The  remaining  one-third  part  of  each  person's 
subscription  shall  be  paid  in  cash,  one  half  thereof 
in  six  months  from  the  first  of  January  next,  and  the 
other  half  in  one  year  from  the  first  of  April  next. 

"  Witness  our  hands  the  24th  day  of  December, 
A.  D.,  1822." 

Then  follow  the  names  of  the  subscribers  among 
whom  we  find 

Nathan  Munro $500.00 

Gideon  Wilcoxon 200.00 


The  church  edifice  lat  present  occupied,)  was 
erected  during  1823-24,  at  a  cost  of  $3,600.  In 
184$,  it  was  remodeled  at  an  additional  expense  of 
$1,000,  and  was  also  further  repaired  in  1862. 

December  7,  1829,  it  was  voted  that  the  word 
"  Elbridge"  be  substituted  in  the  place  of  '*  Camil- 
lus" in  the  name  of  the  society,  in  consequence 
of  the  erection  of  the  town  of  Elbridge  from 
Camillus. 

The  Parsonage  connected  with  the  Church  was 
erected  in  1834.  at  a  cost  of  $1,600.  The  Church 
site  was  donated  by  Nathan  Gorham. 

The  following  have  been  regular  pastors  of  the 
church:  Rev.  Benjamin  Bell,  1810;  Rev.  J.  Bool, 
1818  ;  Rev.  Jabez  Chadwick,  1821 — large  revival 
under  his  ministry  ;  Rev.  Stephen  Porter,  January, 
1824,  to  March,  1827  ;  Rev.  Timothy  Stow.  Febru- 
ary, 1828,  to  October.  1832 — large  revival,  about 
one  hundred  additions ;  Rev.  Medad  Pomeroy, 
January,  1833,  to  June,  1840 — additions,  thirty- 
four;  Rev.  Sidney  Mills,  August,  1841,  to  May, 
1843  — two  additions  ;  ^^^'-  Lemuel  W.  Hamblin, 
July,  1843.  to  October,  1846 — twenty-six  additions  ; 
Rev.  C.  N.  Mattoon,  October,  1847,  to  December, 
1849 — twenty-two  additions  ;  Rev.  George  D.  Fol- 
som,  April  1850,  to  July,  1852  —  two  additions; 
Rev.  E.  J.  Townsend,  January  1853  to  1859— large 
revival,  75  additions  ;  Rev.  P.  J.  Burnham,  Sep- 
tember, 1859,  ^o  March,  1862:  Rev.  A.  C.  Reed. 
June,  1863  to  i866^eighteen  additions;  Rev.  Al- 
bert S.  True,  May,  1867,  to  October,  1871 — twen- 
ty-five additions  ;  Rev.  N.  B.  Knapp,  1872— three 
additions  by  letter ;  Rev.  James  Robertson,  July, 
1873,  to  November,  1875— nine  additions,  one  by 
letter.  Rev  George  R.  Smith,  the  present  pastor, 
assumed  charge  in  May,  1876. 

The  church  has  had  the  following  noted  supplies: 
Rev.  Dr.  Mills,  of  Auburn,  June  3,  1827  ;  Rev.  Dr. 
Richards,  August  19,  1827  ;  Rev.  Dr.  Nelson, 
student  at  that  time  at  Auburn  :  Rev.  G.  W.  Bas- 
sett,  for  three  months,  1841;  Rev.  Dr.  Condit, 
May  3,  1862,  to  May  11.  1863;  Rev.  Dr.  Hunting- 
ton, January,  1866. 

The  following  named  members  have  served  in 
foreign  missionary  fields:  Mrs.  Betsy  Curtis  Lyons 
and  Mrs.  Bliss,  to  Sandwich  Islands,  and  Mrs.  M. 
F.  True,  in  Japan. 

Among  the  more  prominent  members  may  be 
mentioned  Nathan  Munro,  Esq.,  Judge  Hiram  F. 
Mather,  member  of  the  State  Senate,  1829 — 1832  ; 
Hon.  James  Munroe,  State  Senator,  1851 — 1853; 
Henry  K.  Van  Vliet,  Esq.,  Bradley  Bennet,  Esq., 
Dr.  Wheeler  and  Deacon  Levi  Clark— all  deceased. 

The  Church  at  Sennett,   Cayuga   County,  was 


Phuto.  by  W.  V.  Riinger,  Syracuse. 

JAMES   RODGER. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  of  Scotch  parentage,  his  father, 
William  Rodger,  being  born  in  Greenock,  and  his  mother, 
Elizabeth,  in  Edinburgh.  The  elder  Rodger  was  a  black  and 
white  smith  by  occupation,  and  in  1804  emigrated  to  this 
country,  settling  in  the  city  of  Albany,  where  our  subject  was 
born  April  7,  1805.  The  family  remained  in  Albany  until  the 
year  1818,  when  they  emigrated  to  Madison  county;  here  the 
elder  Rodger  purchased  a  farm  which  he  carried  on  in  connec- 
tion with  his  trade  until  1822,  when  he  sold  and  removed  to 
Elbridge,  and  purchased  a  farm  about  one  and  a  quarter  miles 
north  of  the  village  of  Jordan,  where  he  resided  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  December,  1822.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
energy  and  marked  business  ability,  highly  esteemed  by  all  who 
knew  him  for  his  sterling  worth  and  high  social  qualities.  At 
his  father's  death  James  was  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  the 
cares  of  the  family  and  the  business  devolved  upon  him,  which 
developed  those  qualities  to  which  his  success  in  after-life  is 
largely  attributable. 

In  1832  Mr.  Rodger  went  to  Wayne  county,  where  he  en- 


gaged in  farming  until  1 834,  when  he  returned  to  Jordan ;  at 
this  time  he  was  in  limited  circumstances,  and  for  some  time 
worked  for  Judge  Mason  by  the  month.  In  1840  he  went  into 
the  business  of  storage  and  forwarding,  and  also  bought  grain 
on  commission.  This  business  he  has  carried  on  to  the  present, 
and  also  has  dealt  extensively  in  coal  and  lumber.  In  1829, 
Mr.  Rodger  was  married  to  Miss  Olive  M.  Clark,  daughter  of 
Daniel  Clark,  of  Westminster,  Vt.,  where  she  was  born  March 
15,  1805..  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rodger  have  had  five  children  born 
to  them,  three  of  whom  are  living.  Mr.  Rodger  is  pre-eminently 
a  self-made  man.  Beginning  life  at  seventeen,  with  only  his 
natural  resources  for  his  capital  and  the  limited  education  afforded 
by  the  ordinary  district  school  of  a  new  country,  he  has  worked 
himself  up  step  by  step  to  a  point  attained  by  but  very  few  in 
a  generation.  With  a  grasp  of  perception  that  could  comprehend 
the  details  of  a  large  business,  and  a  masterly  management  over 
all,  he  has  conquered  success  in  every  movement  in  his  life,  and 
stands  forth  to-day  an  illustrious  example  of  the  capabilities  of 
chaiacter  and  manhood. 


I'hotii*.  hy  W.  V.  lUfigor.  Synu-uw. 


TITI'S    MKRIIIMAN.    M.H. 


JIKS.    TITI'S    MKKIIIMAN. 


TITUS   MKUIUMAN,  M.D. 


The  subject  of  thin  Bketcli  wus  a  native  of  Mcriden,  Conn., 
and  wan  bum  Oct.  1),  1786.  When  n  child  \m  parents  removed 
U)  Otiaco,  Ononda^  County.  At  an  early  ope  he  evinced  a 
Htron);  inclinatinn  to  a  professional  life.  lie  .studied  medicine 
with  Dr.  Beach,  of  .^Inrccllu.■<.  As  a  student  he  wa.s  industrious 
and  unremitting;  in  hi.Hdtudiest.  In  IS II  he  removed  to  Klbrid>;e, 
where  for  fifty  years  he  devoted  liiiuself  to  the  practice  of  liis 
prufesiHion,  and  by  tlie  ener);etic  pros«'cution  of  the  plan.s  of  liis 
life  he  earned  an  enviable  reputation  thrcmgliout  the  entire 
county.  In  pursuing;  his  profession  he  never  failed  to  respond 
to  the  calls  of  the  sick.  Whether  in  sunshine,  storms,  la(«  hours, 
or  outside  business,  for  the  p(X)r  without  hope  of  remuneration, 
or  the  Wealthy,  he  was  e<|ually  ready  to  devote  himself  to  the 
relief  of  sufferiiij:  and  disease.  lie  was  assooiatod  in  counsel 
with  the  eminent  physicians  of  his  day,  was  a  meml>er  of  the 
"  Syracuse  Medical  Society,"  and  is  still  remembered  by  the 
elder  members  as  a  useful  and  skillful  physician  and  perfect 
p!ntleman. 

In  1814  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Wilcox.     She  died 


March  21,  1823,  and  in  June,  lH2.'i,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Polly,  daujiliUr  of  I'etcr  and  Zi|>erah  Hacker,  of  Elbridge, 
who  were  amon);  the  early  settlers  of  the  town.  Mrs.  Mcrriman 
was  born  in  .\iii.itcrdam,  Montgomery  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  10, 
1805. 

Dr.  Merrinian's  services  were  not  conBncd  to  his  profe.Hsion. 
He  was  an  earnest  patron  of  education,  and  an  uncompromisinj; 
temperance  man  iMith  by  precept  and  example.  Noted  for  his 
hospitality,  his  hou.sc  was  always  the  home  of  the  educator, 
preacher,  and  temperanoc  worker.  Well  informed,  and  extremely 
social  and  affable,  his  hospitality  was  richly  enjoyed  by  all.  He 
died  May  20,  1864,  havin<j;  seen  his  county  and  town  develop 
from  almost  a  wilderness  to  a  beautiful  and  jnipulous  rcpon,  by 
the  upward  finidalions  of  an  enorp'tic  jKHiple  buildin);  ujxin  the 
solid  fciundutions  laid  by  early  residents  like  Dr.  Merriman. 
He  has  gone;  his  generation  have  mainly  passed  away.  In  his 
life  ho  made  the  beat  of  his  situation,  enlarged  his  comforts 
with  opportunity;  then,  having  seen  the  fulfillment  of  his 
expectations,  was  numbered  with  the  departed. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


303 


formed  chiefly  from  members  of  this  church,  in 
1806.  Seven  of  the  original  members  of  this  society 
were  dismissed  to  the  church  at  Sennett. 

Letters  of  dismissal  were  granted  to  fourteen 
members  in  1829,  to  form  the  present  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Jordan. 

Although  this  is  one  of  the  oldest  churches  in  the 
county,  they  have  never  asked  nor  received  any  aid 
from  missionary  funds.  They  have  at  present  a 
fund  of  ;?3,400. 

The  present  membership  is  loi  ;  total  member- 
ship, about  600  ;  attendance  at  Sunday  School,  100. 

The  seventy-sixth  anniversary  of  the  church  was 
celebrated  October  30th,  1876. 

The  Baptist  Church  in  Elbridge  was  organized 
May  I,  18 1 3,  and  recognized  on  the  20th  of  the 
same  month.  The  following  is  the  manner  of  its 
formation  : 

The  records  of  the  church  open  with  the  minutes 
of  a  meeting  held  in  the  school  house  near  Squire 
Munro's,  by  appointment  of  the  church  in  Brutus, 
at  which  meeting  "  it  was  agreed  that  it  is  expedi- 
ent, and  the  church  gives  full  liberty  to  all  then  liv- 
ing in  (then)  Camillus,  to  form  into  church  order." 

On  the  20th  of  the  same  month  the  body  of 
believers  was  recognized  as  a  regular  Church  of 
Christ,  by  delegates  from  the  First  Church  in  Onon- 
daga, the  First  and  Second  Churches  in  Marcellus, 
the  church  in  Aurelius  and  the  church  in  Brutus. 
Elder  Israel  Craw  was  pastor  of  the  church  at  the 
time  of  its  recognition,  and  in  behalf  of  the  church 
received  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  from  Elder 
Joseph  Cornell,  of  Providence,  R.  I.  Elder  Craw 
continued  to  be  pastor  of  the  church  till  October 
1 8th,  1817,  at  a  salary  of  one  hundred  dollars  per 
year  ;  and  during  a  portion  of  this  period  he 
preached  one-fourth  of  the  time  at  Nine-Mile  Creek. 
His  connection  with  the  church  was  then  dissolved 
by  the  withdrawal  of  the  hand  of  fellowship  from 
him. 

On  the  4th  of  December,  1815,  the  church  and 
society  met  at  the  school  house  near  Squire  Munro's, 
their  usual  place  of  meeting  up  to  this  time,  and 
voted  to  build  a  meeting  house  in  the  village  of 
Elbridge,  and  also  adopted  a  platform  and  constitu- 
tion. 

The  first  edifice  at  Elbridge  was  accordingly 
erected  in  1816.  In  1858,  it  was  superceded  by 
the  substantial  and  commodious  church  edifice  now 
occupied  by  the  society  and  congregation.  Deacon 
John  Munro  was  the  chief  mover  in,  and  contributor 
towards  the  construction  of  this  church,  and  it 
stands  as  a  monument  of  his  liberality  and  Christian 
devotion.     The  cost  of  the  building  was  $14,000. 


In  1875,  church  parlors  were  added  at  an  expense 
of  ;S2,5oo. 

Among  the  original  members  of  the  church  were 
Deacon  Squire  Munro  and  wife,  Ichabod  Tyler  and 
wife,  and  Isaac  Hill  and  wife. 

The  Baptist  Church  in  Skaneateles  was  formed 
by  the  labors  of  this  church  and  its  ministry  from 
1830  to  1832.  David  Bellamy,  a  member  of  this 
church  was  ordained  the  first  pastor  of  the  church 
at  Skaneateles,  December  29,  1832. 

About  1835  this  church  also  sent  off  a  colony  in 
the  opposite  direction,  as  appears  from  its  vote  ap- 
proving the  formation  of  a  separate  church  in 
Jordan. 

Rev.  Jacob  Thomas  was  ordained  by  this  church 
in  1S36  as  a  missionary  to  Burmah,  and  was  killed 
by  the  falling  of  a  tree  just  as  he  had  reached  his 
prospective  field  of  labor. 

The  pastors  of  the  church  have  been  the  follow- 
ing in  the  order  named  :  Revs.  Israel  Craw,  May 
20,  1813  to  October,  1817;  Sylvanus  Haynes, 
January,  18 18,  to  his  death  in  1826;  Cyrus  Fuller, 
June,  1827,  to  December,  1838  ;  Jeremiah  B. 
Evertts,  January,  1839,  to  December,  1841  ; 
Isaac  Butterfield,  January,  1842,  to  December, 
1846  ;  John  Smitzer,  January,  1847,  to  December, 
1848  ;  Z.  O.  Grineli,  May.  1849,  to  March,  1850; 
was   ordained  by   the  church ;  Alonzo  Wheelock, 

D.  D.,  1850-57;  absent  from  his  pastorate  one 
year  ;  A.  Kingsbury,  i857-'58  ;  C.  G.  Carpenter, 
January,  1859  to  April,  i860;  Thomas  Rogers, 
ordained  pastor  January,  1861,  and  continues  in 
that  relation. 

The  present  membership  of  the  church  is  two 
hundred  and  twenty-six ;  attendance  at  Sunday 
School,  two  hundred  and  eighty. 

Elbridge  M.  E.  Church. — At  the  commence- 
ment of  the  Conference  Year  in  185 1,  Elbridge 
became  a  station  and  at  that  time  contained  fifty 
members.  Previous  to  this  time  it  had  sometimes 
been  connected  with  Jordan  and  sometimes  with 
Camillus.  The  church  is  situated  in  the  village  of 
Elbridge  and  the  church  property  is  estimated  to ' 
be  worth  at  present  $2,000.  The  records  are  so 
incomplete  it  is  impossible  to  give  a  connected  his- 
tory. As  far  as  the  record  gives,  the  following  are 
the  pastors  who  have  served  this  charge  : 

1851-52,  E.  S.  Bush  ;   1853,   not    known  ;   1854, 

E.  M.  Cuykendall;  1855,  B.  L.  Nye  ;  1856,  Denton 
Mills;  1857-58,  Wm.  Searles  ;  i8S9-'6o,  William 
C.  Bowen  ;  1861,  Alvin  M.Lake;  1862-65,  not 
known  ;  1866,  Chester  Dingman  ;  1867,  Stephen 
Cobb;  1868,  not  known;  1869,  Selah  Stocking; 
1870,  J.  F.  Brown;  1871,  Moses  Lyon;  1872,  E. 
M.  Mills,  for  six  months;  1873,  P.  J.   Bull  ;   1874, 


304 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


O.  N.  Hinman  ;  1875.  J.  O.  Jarman  ;  1876.  C.  W. 

Lane  ;  1877,    L.  Northway ;   1878,  J.   C.  Nichols, 
present  pastor. 

Number  of  members.  53  :  Sunday  School,  41  ; 
average  attendance,  24. 

VILLAGE  OF  JORDAN. 

Jordan  is  situated  in  the  northwest  part  of  the 
town  of  Elbridge  on  the  Erie  Canal  and  the  Direct 
New  York  Central  Railroad.  It  is  the  most  im- 
portant commercial  village  in  the  town.  The 
impulse  was  given  to  settlement  here  by  the  open- 
ing of  the  Erie  Canal,  although  some  improvements 
had  been  made  prior  to  that  event.  The  first  mill 
(a  saw  mill)  was  built  in  the  year  1800.  The  mill 
known  as  the  "  White  Mill  "  was  erected  in  1812, 
and  the  "Red  Mill"  in  1824.  The  act  incorpora- 
ting the  village  was  passed  May  2,  1835  ;  it  was 
amended  May  3,  1847,  March  2,  1857,  and  January 
25,  1861.  The  village  records  up  to  1845  3''^ 
missing,  but  we  have  been  able  to  obtain  the  names 
of  the  officers  for  the  year  preceding  (1844).  They 
are  as  follows:  Erastus  Baker,  Jr.,  President  ; 
Lyman  II.  Mason,  F.  L.  Sheldon,  H.  W.  Chad- 
wick,  James  McClure,  Jr.,  and  F.  S.  Hover.  Trus- 
tees. 

The  Presidents  of  the  village  from  1846  to  1858, 
were  as  follows:  Lyman  H.  Mason,  i846-'47  • 
M.  T.  Spcrry,  1848;  Alonzo  Case,  1849;  R.  T.' 
I'aine,  1850;  Wni.  H.  Boardman,  1851  ;  Lyman  H. 
Mason,  i852-'54  ;  E.  Wheeler,  1855  ;  James  Rod- 
gers,  1856  ;  R.  S.  Sperry,  1857  ;  John  Dale,  1858. 
From  this  date  till  1874,  there  is  another  break  in 
the  records.  Charles  Kelley  was  President  in  1874; 
Robert  Van  Keuren,  1875  ;  Robert  E.  Greene, 
1876;  A.  D.  Peck,  1877.  The  Trustees  are :  ist 
Ward,  W.  H.  Rodgers  ;  2d  Ward,  D.  A.  Sperry, 
H.  Converse  ;  3d  Ward,  C.  D.  Barnes. 

Banks. 

RoDiiER  &  Co.,  Private  Bankers,  do  business  in 
the  old  office  of  Wcstfall  &  Co.  After  Westfall  & 
Co.  failed,  there  was  no  bank  in  the  place  till  1870, 
when  R.  S.  Sperry  &  Co.,  opened  a  private  bank. 
They  were  succeeded  by  Rodger  &  Co.  in  1874. 
The  capital  stock  of  this  bank  is  $18,000. 

Graded  Schools. 

The  present  school  system  of  Jordan  is  the  ordi- 
nary graded  one,  consisting  of  three  departments  : 
Primary,  Intermediate  and  Academic,  held  in  as 
many  ditferent  buildings.  The  Academic  Depart- 
ment is  conducted  in  the  building  of  the  old  Jordan 
Academy,  which  was  added  to  the  school  in  1875  by 
special  act  of  the  Legislature. 


Manufactures. 

Peck  &  Tracy,  Foundry  and  Machine  Shop. 
Established  in  1876.  Manufacture  hand  sleighs, 
horse  powers,  steam  engines,  etc.  ;  employ  twenty 
workmen  ;  occupy  ground  formerly  used  by  James 
Redfield  as  a  blacksmith  shop,  afterward  sold  to 
Deming  Boardman,  who  used  it  as  a  cooper  shop 
and  stave  factory  until  1866,  when  Mr.  Peck  came 
into  possession  and  converted  it  to  its  present  use. 
The  business  was  first  commenced  in  Jordan  over 
fifty  years  ago  by  Daggett  &  Thatcher.  The  ma- 
chinery was  bought  by  Mr.  Peck  in  1868,  and  moved 
to  its  present  location. 

A.  D.  Peck,  manufacturer  of  wheelbarrows  and 
children's  express  wagons.  Established  in  1872;  em- 
ploys fifteen  men.  Annual  production  about  twenty 
thousand  wheelbarrows  and  ten  thousand  wagons. 

JoRD.\N  White  Mills.  Higgs  &  Co  proprie- 
tors. Employ  four  hands.  Capacity  of  mill  one 
hundred  barrels  per  day  besides  custom  work  ;  four 
run  of  stones.     Mill  was  built  in    18 12. 

Sperry  &  Rockwell,  manufacturers  of  wheel- 
barrows, hand  sleds  and  skates.  Established  about 
1850.  Old  building  burnt  in  1870  and  present 
building  erected  the  same  year.  Employ  forty-five 
hands,  and  produce  about  thirty  thousand  wheel- 
barrows per  annum. 

Garrison  &  Taylor,  Bedstead  Manufacturers; 
were  established  in  1871,  and  give  employment  to 
ten  hands.  The  present  capacity  of  the  works  will 
allow  them  to  manufacture  four  thousand  bedsteads 
per  annum.  The  present  building  is  located  on  the 
site  of  the  old  "  Red  Mill"  that  was  built  in  1824. 

Hakdv  &  Putnam,  Proprietors  Saw  Mill  and 
manufacturers  of  straw  board.  Established  during 
1865.  Employ  twelve  hands.  The  straw  board 
manufactory  is  run  only  during  the  summer  months. 
Production  one  hundred  and  ninety  tons.  Works 
are  located  on  canal  feeder.  Mill  street,  which  gives 
them  an  excellent  water-power. 

I.  O.  O.  F. 

Jordan  Lodge  No.  230  was  instituted  the  30th 
of  June  1846,  with  the  following  officers:  W.  T. 
Graves.  N.  G. ;  C.  W.  Upham,  V.  G. ;  George  W. 
Green,  Secretary  ;  H.  T.  Sheldon,  Treasurer. 
From  about  April  13th,  1859,  until  June  30,  1869, 
the  lodge  was  discontinued.  At  the  latter  date, 
however,  it  was  reorganized  as  Jordan  Lodge  No. 
215,  with  the  following  officers  :  P.  Drake,  N.  G.; 
E.  S.  Drake,  V.  G.  ;  W.  C.  Orcutt,  Secretary ; 
A.  F.  Tracy,  Treasurer.  The  present  officers  are 
A.  F.  Tracy,  N.  G.  ;  L.  B.  Snow,  V.  G.  ;  H.  L. 
Haskins,  Treasurer  ;  W.  Baker,  Secretary. 


I'boto.  Iiy  W.  V.  Ranger,  SjracUBe. 


M^A 


Preserved  Wright,  son  of  Solomon  Wright,  was  born  at  Wil- 
braham,  Mass.,  in  1770.  He  married  Jemima  King  in  1793,  by 
whom  he  liad  seven  sons  and  five  danghtcrs.  One  daughter  died 
in  infaney,  the  others  all  lived  to  mature  age.  Truman  King 
Wright,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  his  twin  brother  Norman, 
were  the  youngest  of  the  twelve  children.  They  were  born  March 
27,  1815,  in  Ruiiert,  Vt.,  to  which  place  their  father  had  removed 
from  Manchester,  Vt.,  in  1805. 

Their  father  died  when  they  were  eight  years  old.  The  mother 
kept  a  home  for  the  family  for  about  four  years.  At  that  time  it 
seemed  best  that  the  two  young  boys  should  go  to  work  on  a  farm  ; 
and  a  life  opened  to  them  which  would  have  ajipalled  less  cour- 
ageous hearts.  But  with  sturdy  bodies  and  determined  wills  they 
performed  hard  labor  on  a  New  England  farm  for  three  years,  at 
a  compensation  of  four,  five,  and  six  dollars  a  month.  Although 
often  weary,  lonely,  and  homesick,  they  toiled  on  without  com- 
plaint, hoping  for  something  better  in  the  future.  At  fifteen,  they 
obtained  a  more  desirable  situation,  which  gave  them  an  oppor- 
tunity of  attending  school  one  term,  at  Washington  academy,' 
Salem,  N.Y. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  their  efforts  for  a  liberal  education. 
Through  the  kindness  of  a  friend,  Truman  K.  obtained  a  chance 
to  work  his  way  for  eight  months,  at  lioyaltmi  academy,  Vt. 

In  1833  he  entered  Burr  seminary,  tlien  a  flourishing  school  at 
Manchester,  Vt.  Here,  alternately  teaching  two  winters  in  his 
old  district  and  once  in  an  adjoining  one,  and  attending  school,  he 
tilted  for  college.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  entered  Middlebury 
college.  The  following  winter  he  taught  at  Rupert,  walking,  for 
the  purpose  of  economy,  from  Middlebury  to  his  school,  the  dis- 
tance of  forty-five  miles,  in  one  day, — something  of  a  feat  in  those 
days,  when  i>rofessional  walkers  were  unknown. 

The  next  winter  he  taught  the  district  school  at  West  Rutland, 
and  during  the  winters  of  his  junior  and  senior  years  he  taught 
the  academy  in  that  place.  His  snmmer  vacations  were  spent  in 
working  on  the  farm.  Throughout  his  college  course,  he  excelled 
in  all  games  and  pastimes  requiring  strength  of  body  and  presence 
of  mind.     He  graduated  in  1839,  among  the  first  in  his  class. 

In  the  following  autumn  a  request  came  to  the  president  of 
Middlebury  college,  from  the  trustees  of  New  London  (N.  H.) 
academy,  an  institution  just  established,  for  a  first-class  teacher. 
The  choice  lay  between  him  and  his  twin  brother,  who  had  grad- 
uated at  the  same  time,  and  was  decided  by  casting  lots.  The  lot 
fell  to  Truman.  He  remained  principal  of  this  academy  four 
years.  He  always  referred  to  his  connection  with  the  academy  as 
a  bright  spot  in  his  life. 

Owing  to  causes  growing  out  of  the  anti-slavery  agitation,  he 
left  New  London,  and  went  to  Durham,  N.  H.,  whose  academy  he 
taught  successfully  for  three  years. 

Among  valued  acquaintances  here  made  was  that  of  Judge  Valen- 
tine Smith,  a  man  whom  he  came  to  love  for  his  many  virtues  and 


admire  for  his  high  moral  principles.  President  of  the  board  of 
trustees,  he  proved  a  valuable  friend  and  adviser.  Although 
numbering  more  than  his  three-score  years  and  ten,  his  words 
were  wise  in  council,  and  his  cheerful  humor  had  the  freshness  of 
youth.  His  facetious  rendering  of  the  legend  of  Scylla  and 
Charybdis,  by  the  terms  Skilla  and  Caribogus,  could  never  be 
forgotten  by  one  who  heard  it. 

in  1846,  T.  K.  Wright  was  married  to  Martha  Bridgman,  of 
Hanover,  N.  H.,  an  associate  teacher  at  Durham,  and  through  the 
influence  of  his  brother.  Dr.  Rial  Wright,  of  Syracuse,  removed 
with  his  wife  to  Pompev  Hill,  and  became  principal  of  the  acad- 
emv  at  that  place.  He  there  remained  six  years,  and,  as  in  all 
other  places  where  he  had  lived,  he  found  warm  friends  and 
hearty  co-operators  among  his  trustees,  among  whom  were  Vic- 
tory Birdseye,  Daniel   Gott,  Horace  Wheaton,  Levi   and  Asa  H. 

Wells.  .      •     ,     r  T      1  A 

In  the  spring  of  1853  he  engaged  as  principal  of  Jordan  acad- 
emy, where  he  taught  five  years,  as  was  sometimes  jokingly  said, 
"  to  the  satisfaction  of  himself  and  the  terror  of  the  surrounding 

COU77  ivXt 

His  success  at  Jordan  led  the  trustees  of  the  Munro  Collegiate 
Institute  to  invite  him  to  come  to  Elhridge  and  take  charge  of 
their  academy,  which  for  some  years  had  been  on  the  wane.  He 
accepted  the  invitation,  and  began  his  work  there  April  1  1858, 
and  succeeded  in  so  establishing  the  reputation  of  the  .school  that, 
in  a  few  terms,  the  number  of  the  students  was  increased  nearly 
four-fold  The  fund,  which  in  1858  was  but  i!;iO,000,  increased  in 
the  next  ten  years  to  $15,000.  The  chapel  also  was  flnished  at  an 
expense  of  $1100,  and  all  things  pertaining  to  the  school  moved 
successfully  forward  until  the  close  of  1865,  when  the  reaction  all 
over  the  country  was  felt  by  this  in  common  with  other  institutions 
of  learning.  The  number' of  pupils  steadily  decreased  for  a  num- 
ber of  veafs.  It  was  also  financially  embarrassed  through  the  loss 
of  a  part  of  its  fund.  But  in  1874  the  tide  turned  once  more,  and 
since  that  time  the  school  has  steadily  advanced. 

If  inheriting  no  wealth  but  an  honest  name;  if  conquering 
rough  fortune  by  sheer  pluck  and  resolute  will;  if  working  ones 
way  through  an  academic  and  collegiate  course  of  study  by  hard 
hand-work  as  well  as  by  hard  head-work,  and  obtaining  promi- 
nence in  a  chosen  profession,  are  marks  of  self-made  men,  then  is 
Truman  K  Wright  such  an  one.  For  nearly  forty  years  he  has 
been  connected  with  prominent  educational  institutions,-over 
thirty  of  them  in  Onondaga  County,  and  twenty  ot  them  in  h.\- 
bridie,  where  he  is  now  teaching.  That  his  work  as  a  teacher  lias 
been  a  success  is  easily  proved  by  the  love  and  high  regard  in 
which  he  is  held  by  all  who  have  ever  been  his  pupils  While  he 
does  not  fear  to  review  his  work  and  meet  its  "-e^sults  he  bears 
willing  and  grateful  testinu.ny  to  the  fact  that  in  Elbridge,  as  in 
all  other  places  where  he  has  taught,  he  attributes  much^of  his 
success  to  an  able,  well-united,  and  reliable  board  of  trustees. 


I'iKilo.  bjf  Geuk  DjfKort,  JonUn,  N.  V. 


.101  IN    A     STKVKNS. 


Tlio  Hubjoct  uf°  tliU  Hki'tc-h  IH  u  <;raiiil.siiii  of  ('apt.  Williain 
SUsvciLS,  wlio  wiiH  ail  officur  in  the  llcviiliiliiinary  war,  and  oiiu 
of  tliat  liiMtoric  jiarly  wlm  tlircw  tlic  lea  ovorhDarii  in  ISoston 
harbor,  lie  sorved  with  marked  ability  ihroujjli  the  war,  and 
at  tlio  close  settled  in  Colcminc,  Miuvs.,  where  ho  en^ij^cd  in 
Iiicreaiitile  pursuits. 

In  IT'.IU  or  M'M  he  emigrated  to  Oiiondapi  County,  the 
government  havin<;  pven  him,  in  eonsidenition  of  hi.s  services  in 
the  Continental  army,  thirty-.six  hiinilri'd  acre.s  of  land.  This 
land  wa.s  divided  into  nix  hiiiidrt'd  aere  lutn,  all  of  whieh  was 
located  in  Unondiipi  County,  excepting  two  lots.  Captain  Stevens 
wa.-<  evidently  a  man  of  cuhure  and  rcGneiin'iit  and  marked  liusi- 
nitss  ability,  lie  l<iok  an  active  pari  in  all  town  ami  county  inat- 
t4.TS,  and,  in  appreeiatiun  of  his  services,  his  feUow-townsinen 
made  him  nia^.strate  of  the  town  the  ywir  succoedinj;  his 
arrival.  From  that  time  on  he  wilm  re<pirdcd  ils  one  of  the  most 
prominent  men  in  the  county,  und  his  mime  is  eonspieuous  in 
the  early  judicial  history  of  the  county,  he  havin;;  been  one  of 
the  first  jud;;es  of  the  court  of  common  pleas. 

lie  ilid  miii-h  towards  developing  the  siilt  interest,  and  was 
the  first  su|)erintendent  of  the  works,  the  pn>|>erty  at  this  time 
boiiig  in  the  pos.-u«)*ion  of  the  State. 

Captain  SteviMis  wa.s  nn  h]ii;.;lishnian  by  birth,  and  came  to  this 
country  in  company  with  his  two  brothers,  the  eldest  of  whom 
ntturned  to  Hnt;land,  and  the  youn^^cst  diL>d  S4M)n  ul\er  their 
arrival. 

Captain  Stevens  died  in  Salina,  Feb.  28,  1801,  leavinj; 
the  followin<;  children, — HelMcy,  William,  Henry,  ll4)bcrt, 
ThomiLs,  and  John,  the  latter  beinj;  the  father  of  our  .subject. 


lie  was  born  in  Coleraine,  Milss.,  and  came  to  Ononda^i  County 
when  thirteen  ycjirs  of  age.  lie  lived  in  KIbridgc  village  nnd 
Was  eiiLT'iged  in  milling.  He  inheritetl  from  his  father  an 
aptitude  lor  military  matters.  He  .served  during  the  war  of 
1H12  as  colonel  of  the  IGth  Regiment  New  York  Infantry. 
At  the  close  of  the  war  be  returned  to  KIbridge,  where  he  re- 
sided until  hi.s  death,  which  occurred  Octolier,  180(5. 

He  married  Miss  Anna  Tyler,  daughter  of  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  the  county.  He  had  four  sons,  nnd  our  .subject  was  the 
third  child  and  was  born  in  KIbridge,  Jan.  lis,  isnj.  He 
Jived  with  hU  father  until  he  was  thirty-one  years  of  ago,  and 
was  a.ssoeiated  in  busiiuvs  with  him.  In  ISO"  he  bought  the 
heirs'  interest  in  the  farm  imw  owned  by  him,  and  upon  which 
he  has  since  lived. 

In  1S:M  he  marrietl  Mi.ss  Catharine  Fornerook,  of  CbarlcMlon, 
Montgomery  Co.,  N.  Y..  where  she  was  born  July  1-1,  1811. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stevens  have  been  blessed  with  ten  children, 
all  of  whom  are  living  but  one,  John  0.,  who.  in  the  sen  ice  of 
his  country,  lost  his  life  in  the  battle  of  Har|)er'8  Ferry. 

Another  son,  Develois,  wxs  a  member  of  the  1  22d  Ui"_'iment 
New  York  Infantry;  William  K.  and  Cyrcnus  F.  are  residents 
of  KIbridge  village,  und  are  the  proprietors  of  the  Munro 
IIoii.se. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stevens  have  pa.s8cd  with  honor  through  all 
the  vicissitudes  of  life,  and  have  lived  to  sec  the  county  of  Onon- 
daga develop  from  almost  a  wildenicss  into  one  of  the  finest 
agricultural  di.striet^  in  the  State.  They  have  been  successful 
in  life,  and  are  enjoying  in  their  old  ago  a  com|)ctcncy,  the  re- 
sult of  a  long  life  of  indii.stry,  economy,  and  honorable  dciiling. 


EZEKIEL   SKINNER. 


This  venerable  pioneer  was  born  in  the  town  of  Marshfield, 
Washington  county,  Vermont,  January  12,  18t)l.  He  was 
the  son  of  Giles  Skinner  and  Sally  Chapman,  and  in  a  family  of 
seven  was  the  fourth  child.  The  elder  Skinner  moved  into 
Washington  county  at  an  early  day,  and  became  one  of  its  prom- 
inent citizens.  The  boyhood  days  of  our  subject  were  spent 
upon  his  father's  farm,  sharing  the  hardships  and  privations  of 
a  pioneer  family,  and  receiving  as  good  an  education  as  the  in- 
ferior schools  of  that  day  afforded.  When  twenty-one  years  of 
age  he  left  his  home,  and  with  his  pack  upon  his  back  came  to 
the  village  of  Elbridge.  He  first  engaged  in  teaching  in  what 
is  now  district  No.  11,  town  of  Elbridge,  at  eight  dollars 
per  month,  and  among  his  pupils  were  James  Rodger,  of 
Jordan,  Calvin  Mclntyre,  and  John  Cory.     Upon  the  termina- 


tion of  his  engagement  he  went  to  work  in  a  pail  factory,  and  he 
afterwards  carried  on  the  business  for  himself,  and,  in  fact,  has 
since  been  engaged  in  some  mechanical  pursuit. 

In  1822,  Mr.  Skinner  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Huldah  Huntington,  daughter  of  Luther  Huntington,  Esq.,  of 
Elbridge,  one  of  the  town's  first  settlers.  The  result  of  this 
union  was  four  children,  three  daughters,  and  one  son  who  died 
in  infancy:  Sarah,  now  Mrs.  Rogers,  of  Syracu.se;  Mary  L.,  wife 
of  E.  M.  Powell,  a  prominent  lumberman  of  Bay  City,  Michi- 
gan ;  and  Julia,  wife  of  James  Lankten,  Esq.,  of  Elbridge. 

In  June,  1857,  Mrs.  Skinner  died,  and,  in  1858,  Mr.  Skinner 
was  again  married  to  Miss  Esther  J.  Case,  of  Fulton,  Oswego 
county,  N.  Y.  She  was  born  in  Bridgeport,  Vt.,  October, 
1803,  and  is  a  worthy  partner  of  her  estimable  husband. 


UKAI'ON    ISAAC    IIII.I.. 


1  UmUm.  by  \V.  V.  ILiiipT,  Sjrnu-UBtf. 


MKS.    MAKV    Mil. 


DEACON   ISAAC    1II1,L. 


The  Bubjcct  of  tliiH  skololi  was  born  in  tlio  lutrth  of  Ireland, 
in  the  county  of  Anna;;li,  Febniary  4,  1781.  Ili.s  fatlicr  wa.s 
a  farnicr,  ami  at  the  ago  of  (burtccn  Isaac  was  a|>prenticed  to 
the  incrcaiitilc  hiwinc^t.  As  he  f;rcw  to  manhood  he  longed  for 
a  larger  freedom,  both  civil  and  rcligioun,  than  was  enjoyed  in 
the  land  of  his  birth.  IliM  thought.s  naturally  turned  to  Anierica. 
Accordingly  he  left  the  city  of  Armagh,  where  ho  resided,  and 
came  to  New  York  in  IWIS,  and  engaged  in  trade.  He  re- 
mained in  New  York  about  one  year,  when  he  came  to  Kl- 
bridgi',  where  nonie  of  hi«  friends  had  already  settled,  and 
puruhaseil  a  sniali  ijuanlity  of  land,  lleturning  to  New  York 
he  eli»H'd  his  busiiKso*.  and  in  the  spring  of  IHlO  came  on  with 
his  family,  lie  lirmiL'hl  witli  him  a  small  ijuantity  of  goods 
and  established  a  .imail  stort>,  which  wim  the  second  in  the  town. 
lie  continued  in  the  busincw  until  1.^25,  when  he  removed  to 
Memphis,  then  calle<l  ('union,  where  he  did  businews  until 
LHSt),  when  he  retired  and  removed  to  Syracuse  to  spend  the 
remainder  of  his  days,  and  where  he  died,  December  12, 
18G8,  a  good  old  man,  and  full  of  years.  As  a  busineia  raao, 
Mr.  Hill  was  eminently  successful.  Socially  genial  and  court«onK, 
winning  and  retaining  the  reganl  of  all  with  wlxmi  he  came  in 
contact. 

In  l.'^i:!,  Mr.  Hill  uniUnl  with  the  Baptist  church  in  KIbridge, 
and  WHS  one  of  it.s  mo.-'t   prominent   memlxTs  for  many  years, 


and  to  all  objeet.s  of  denominational  benevolence  he  was  a  regular 
and  liberal  contributor. 

Before  coming  to  this  country,  Mr.  Hill  wa.s  married  to  Miss 
Mary  Walker.  The  rc-iult  of  this  union  was  nine  children, 
six  of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  and  four  of  whom  are  now  living: 
Mrs.  v..  .M.  .Vusiin,  .Mrs.  Samuel  McClelland,  Mrs.  John  Bat)*, 
and  Thomas  \V. 

Thomas  W.  was  born  on  the  old  homestead,  where  he  now 
resides  (a  view  of  which,  in  connection  with  |Hirtraits  of  him- 
self and  wife,  and  father  and  mother,  may  be  seen  elsewherc  in 
this  work),  September  21,  1810.  He  lived  with  his  father 
until  he  was  twenty-five  years  of  age,  when  he  returned  to  the 
old  place,  upon  which  he  has  since  rc8ide<l.  Mr.  Hill  has  always 
been  engaged  in  farming,  and  in  his  chosen  calling  has  been 
eminently  successful,  and  is  ranked  among  the  prominent  farmers 
and  sucecNsful  business  men  of  the  county.  Mr.  Hill  is  an 
earnest  friend  of  education,  and  hits  made  liberal  donations  to 
varioiLs  eilucational  institutions,  among  which  are  the  Ilochcstcr 
theological  seminary  and  the  Madison  university. 

On  December  24,  1834,  Mr.  Hill  was  married  to  Miss  8a- 
maiitha  Muiiro,  daughter  of  David  Munro,  who  was  a  son  of 
Deacon  S<|uire  Munro,  one  of  the  original  settlers  of  the  town. 
On  September  13,  1S38,  she  died,  and  im  May  15,  1839,  Mr. 
Hill  was  ag;iin  marriixl  to  Mary  A.  Munro. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


305 


F.  &  A.  M. 

'■  Jordan  Lodge  No.  386,  instituted  July  14,  1856. 
John  G.  Webster,  M.  ;  Jas.  McClure,  S.  W. ;  Alonzo 
Case,  J.  W.  Present  membership  142.  Present 
officers :  J.  W.  Dye,  M.  ;  A.  W.  Spinning,  S.  W.  ; 
E.  C  Nicholson,  J.  W.  Meets  first  and  third 
Mondays  in  each  month  in  Rodger  Block. 

Churches. 

Christ  Church,  Jordan. — In  the  years  1838 
and  '39,  an  occasional  service  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  was  held  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Jordan  by  Rev.  Joseph  T.  Clark,  Rector 
of  St.  James  Church,  Skaneateles,  and  Rev.  Dr. 
Baldwin  of  Auburn.  At  this  time  there  were  a 
few  ladies  who  were  communicants  of  the  Episcopal 
Church  residing  in  Jordan  and  vicinity.  In  March, 
1840,  Mr.  Cyrus  Andrews,  a  member  of  St.  John's 
Church,  Marcellus,  removed  to  Jordan,  and  through 
his  efforts  and  those  of  the  ladies  above  referred  to, 
Rev.  Thaddeus  Leavenworth  commenced  services 
in  the  school  house,  where,  on  the  30th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1840,  a  parish  was  organized  under  the  name 
of  "The  Rector,  Wardens  and  Vestry  of  Christ 
Church,  Jordan."  James  Riggs  and  Cyrus  Andrews 
were  elected  Wardens,  and  Lemuel  B.  Raymond, 
William  Porter,  Jr ,  David  Pierson,  Samuel  Tucker, 
Holland  W.  Chadwick,  Daniel  K.  Green,  Alonzo 
Wood  and  George  A.  Mason.  Vestrymen. 

The  next  clergyman  was  Rev.  Isaac  Swart,  in 
1842  ;  under  his  ministry  one  hundred  dollars  were 
raised  towards  a  church,  and  on  his  retirement, 
deposited  with  the  Treasurer  of  the  Diocese  to  the 
credit  of  the  parish.  Occasional  services  were 
held  from  this  time  by  Rev.  Mason  Gallagher  and 
Rev.  O.  P.  Holcomb,  till  the  spring  of  1845,  at 
which  time  Rev,  Beardsley  Northrop,  from  the 
Diocese  of  Ohio,  located  in  Jordan,  and  held  services 
here  and  at  St.  John's,  Marcellus,  on  alternate 
Sundays.  About  this  time  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry 
Daboll,  who  had  recently  settled  in  Van  Buren, 
about  five  miles  from  Jordan,  became  members  of 
the  church,  being  baptized  by  Rev.  Mr.  Northrop, 
July  27,  1845,  the  first  adult  persons  baptized  in 
the  parish. 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  and  fall  of 
that  year,  a  sufficient  sum  was  pledged  to  warrant 
the  Vestry  in  proceeding  to  erect  a  church  edifice  ; 
and  on  the  23d  of  December,  1845,  t^he  contract 
was  let  to  William  Gibson  for  the  sum  of  g  1,1 5  7. 
The  building  was  nearly  enclosed,  when,  on  the 
nth  of  July,  1846,  it  was  blown  down.  However, 
by  the  addition  of  one  hundred  dollars,  Mr.  Gibson 
was  induced  to  go  on,  and  the  building  was  com- 
46* 


pleted  and  consecrated  January  20,  1847,  by  Bishop 
DeLancy. 

Rev.  Mr.  Northrop  resigned  the  rectorship  July 
I,  1847,  and  lay  services  were  held  by  Spencer  M. 
Rice  till  March  19,  1848.  Mr.  Rice,  being  advanced 
to  the  Diaconate,  was  appointed  by  the  Bishop- 
missionary  at  Jordan  and  Marcellus.  He  ministered 
at  Jordan  on  each  alternate  Sunday  till  July  21, 
1850,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Loren  Russ, 
missionary  at  Jordan  and  Port  Byron,  December  i, 
1850,  who  remained  till  Easter,  1853.  His  suc- 
cessor was  Rev.  J.  G.  Webster,  in  January,  1854, 
officiating  also  half  the  time  at  Port  Byron.  Under 
his  ministry  the  parish  increased  in  numbers  and 
pecuniary  strength. 

On  the  3d  day  of  July,  1862,  the  Vestry  took  intO' 
consideration  the  erection  of  a  new  church  ;  and  at 
a  special  meeting,  held  January  1st,  1863,  Harry 
Weed,  A.  H.  Tracy  and  Henry  Daboll  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  procure  plans  for  a  brick 
church,  to  be  located  on  the  south  west  corner  of 
Main  and  Delhi  streets.  The  committee,  to  whom 
Rev.  J.  G.  Webster  was  afterwards  added  and  made 
chairman,  adopted  the  plan  of  H.  N.  White,  archi- 
tect, let  the  job  to  Messrs.  Gibson,  Bruce  and 
Pierce  ;  the  church  was  completed  and  occupied  for 
the  first  time  on  Christmas  eve,  1863,  and  on  the 
29th  of  December  was  consecrated  by  Bishop  De- 
Lancy. 

Rev.  Mr.  Webster  resigned  on  account  of  feeble 
health,  October  8,  1864,  and  was  succeeded,  until 
February  i,  1866,  by  Rev.  Robert  C.  Wall. 
March  4,  1866,  Rev.  Albert  Danker  became  Rector,, 
remainingin  charge  till  Christmas  of  the  same  year. 
Rev.  S.  K.  Miller  assumed  charge  January  13, 
1867,  and  remained  till  March  4th,  1872.  During 
his  ministry  the  free-seat  system  was  adopted  and  a 
small  residence  purchased  for  the  Rector.  Occa- 
sional supplies  were  obtained  till  August  4th,  1872, 
from  which  date  the  rectorship  was  filled  by  Rev. 
S.  H.  Phillips,  till  June  i,  1875.  During  this  sum- 
mer the  church  was  thoroughly  renovated  and  re- 
painted, the  parish  being  meantime  supplied  by 
Rev.  Joel  Davis,  Rev.  J.  M.  Benedict  and  Rev. 
William  A.  Ely,  the  latter  of  whom,  after  fainting 
while  engaged  in  the  service  and  being  carried  from 
the  chancel,  died  at  at  Watertovvn,  N.  Y.,  March 
13,  1877.  Rev.  Joel  Davis,  the  present  Rector, 
entered  upon  his  duties  September  5,  1875. 

The  Rectory  opposite  the  church,  corner  of  Main 
and  Delhi  streets,  was  purchased  December  13, 
1875,  for  the  sum  of  $2,600,  and  occupied  by  the 
Rector  April  i,  1876. 

Since  the  organization  of  the  parish   two  hun- 


306 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


II 


dred  infants  have  been  baptized,  eighty  adults,  and 
one  hundred  and  eighty  persons  confirmed  :  forty- 
four  families  are  identified  with  the  church,  and 
there  are  one  hundred  and  ten  communicants,  ten 
teachers  and  fifty  scholars  in  the  Sunday  school. 

First  Pkesbvterian  Chi;kch  of  Jordan. — 
During  the  years  from  1S24  to  1826,  the  pastors 
of  the  Congregational  society  of  Elbridge,  Rev. 
Stephen  I'orter  and  Rev.  Timothy  Stowe,  preached 
in  Jordan  once  a  Sabbath,  at  intervals  of  three  or 
four  weeks.  From  1826  to  1828,  preaching  was 
had  by  theological  students  from  Auburn^Messrs. 
Crab  and  Kent.  The  first  meeting  to  organize  a 
society  was  held  in  the  brick  school  house  on  the 
south  east  corner  of  the  Academy  lot,  now  occupied 
by  Nicholas  Craner  as  a  dwelling,  June  9,  1829. 
Dr.  Aaron  Pitney  presided  ;  Lemuel  H.  Raymont, 
Secretary.  Five  Trustees  were  elected,  viz : 
Herman  Jenkyns,  Aaron  Pitney,  Fben  More- 
house. James  \V.  Redfickl,  Fdmund  W.  Hotsford, 
and  Sidney  M.  Norton,  Clerk.  They  arc  all 
deceased. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Cayuga  Presbytery  in 
1829,  a  request  was  made  by  the  members  of  the 
Congregational  church  of  Hlbridge,  residing  in  Jor- 
dan, to  be  set  oft' in  a  separate  church  organization. 
The  request  was  granted  and  Rev.  Levi  Parsons, 
Justus  Hough  and  Elder  Smith  of  Brutus,  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  organize  a  church  at  Jor- 
dan. These,  with  Rev.  Mr.  Stowe  and  Rev.  Mr. 
IngersoU,  proceeded  to  organize  a  church,  July  2, 
1829,  consisting  of  eighteen  members,  eight  men 
and  ten  women.  The  members  who  were  trans- 
ferred from  the  Elbridge  Congregational  church  to 
form  this  Presbyterian  church  of  Jordan  were  Ed- 
mund W.  Hotslord,  Alva  D.  I'otsford,  Delana  Uots- 
ford,  Mary  Botsford,  (wife  of  Edmund  W  ,)  Thomas 
L.  Carson,  William  Newell,  Elizabeth,  (wife  of  Her- 
man Jenkyns,)  Delatus  Frary,  Sally,  (wife  of  Elihu 
Frary.i  Sara  Coonley,  (now  Otis,)  William  Nickcr- 
son,  Matilda  Stevens,  (wife  of  Robert  Stevens,) 
Thomas  Stevens,  John  Stevens,  and  Elenor,  (wife 
of  John  Stevens  )  To  these  were  added  from  Jor- 
dan and  vicinity,  Jane  Carson,  (now  Ward,)  Eben- 
e/er  Daggett  and  Mary  P  ,  his  wife,  Salmon  Greene 
and  Amy,  his  wife,  Eliza  Bell,  Nancy  McKissick, 
(now  Blakeslie, )  Ebenezer  Morehouse  and  wife, 
Pomeroy  Tobey  and  wife,  and  others. 

The  first  session,  elected  July  2,  1829.  consisted 
of  six  elders :  Alva  D.  Botsford,  Ebenezer  Dag- 
gett, Salmon  Greene,  Pomeroy  Tobey,  William 
Newell,   and    Ebenezer  Morehouse  ;  all  deceased. 

Rev.  John  IngersoU,  a  Congregationalist  min- 
ister, appointed  by  the  American  Home  Missionary 


Society,  preached  during  the  time  of  the  church 
organization,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  William 
Page,  also  an  appointee  of  the  American  Home 
Missionary  Society,  at  the  end  of  whose  service  in 
1831   missionary  aid  to  the  chuich  ceased. 

The  church  was  received  into  the  Cayuga  Pres- 
bytery, January  20,   1831. 

The  first  church  edifice  was  built  during  the 
years  i830-'3i,  at  a  cost  of  ^4,000,  and  was  dedi- 
cated June  30,  1831,  by  a  .meeting  of  the  Cayuga 
Presbytery,  one  of  the  Professors  of  the  Auburn 
Seminary  preaching  the  sermon.  The  church  was 
altered  and  repaired  in  its  present  form  at  an  addi- 
tional expense  of  $4,000  in   1863. 

The  following  are  the  names  and  terms  of  ser- 
vice of  the  several  ministers  and  pastors: 

Rev.  John  IngersoU,  1829;  Rev.  William  Page, 
8 1 30  ;  Rev.  George  Warner,  1 83 1 ;  Rev  John  Covert, 
1832;  Rev.  Washington  Thatcher,  January,  1833  to 
November,  1841  ;  Rev.  Huntington  Lyman,  Nov- 
ember, 184!,  to  March,  1843;  Rev.  Aaron  Judson, 
October.  1843,10  May,  1848;  Rev.  H.  B.  Hosford. 
November  1848,  to  November,  1849;  Rev.  Calvin 
V\'atcrbury,  November.  1849,  to  May.  1851;  Rev. 
R.  B.  Welch,  June,  1851,  to  May,  1852;  Rev.  Im- 
mer  N.  Crittenden,  October,  1852,  to  October, 
1855  ;  Rev.  William  Wakeman,  July,  1856,  to  July, 
1857  :  Rev.  Judson  Aspinwall,  June.  1857.  to 
June,  1858  ;  Rev.  Richard  Dunning,  May,  1858,  to 
July,  1863;  Rev.  Richard  Proctor,  August,  1863, 
to  September,  1864  ;  Rev.  J.  V.  C.  Nellis.  May, 
1865,  to  October.  1867;  Rev.  Cyrus  M.  Perry, 
February,  1868.  to  May,  1872  ;  Rev.  I.  O.  Fill- 
more, D.  D.,  July,  1873,  to  October,  1874  ;  Rev.  J. 
Edward  Close,  present  pastor,  assumed  charge 
May,   1875. 

Since  its  organization  this  church  has  received 
about  six  hundred  members.  Present  number 
ninety-five.  The  Sunday  School  was  organized  in 
1824,  Alva  D.  Botsford.   Superintendent. 

MhTHODiST  Episcopal  Church  of  Jordan, 
located  on  the  coiner  of  Church  and  Mechanic 
streets.  The  present  edifice  is  of  wood  and  is  the 
only  house  of  worship  ever  erected  by  this  society 
in  Jordan.  It  was  built  in  1832  at  a  cost  of  about 
33,000,  but  improvements  and  additions  from  time 
to  lime  are  supposed  to  have  doubled  the  value  of 
the  property.  There  is  a  comfortable  parsonage 
costing  with  its  furniture,  about  gi,8oo,  on  the  ad- 
joining lot. 

Previous  to  the  erection  of  the  church,  meetings 
were  held  in  school  houses,  in  and  around  the  vil- 
lage and  a  class  is  believed  to  have  been  organized 
as  early  as  1820,  and  was  included  in  one  of  the 
large  circuits.  Services  by  Rev.  Seth  Mattison 
over  half  a  century  ago. 

Father    Purdy  and   Rev.    Herman  Judson,   and 


Photos,  by  W.  V.  Ranger,  Syracuse. 


JACOB    HALSTEU. 


MRS.    J.    HALSTED. 


JACOB   HALSTED. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Newburg,  Orange  Co., 
N.  Y.,  July  22,  1795,  and  is  undoubtedly  the  oldest  living  settler 
in  the  town  of  Elbridge.  His  father,  Abraham  Halsted,  was  also 
a  native  of  Orange  county,  where  he  was  born  in  the  year  1770. 
The  Halsted  family  may  well  be  proud  of  the  many  virtues  of  their 
ancestors,  who  were  noted  for  their  patriotism  and  sterling  qualities 
as  citizens.  Jacob  and  John  Halsted,  the  paternal  uncles  of  our 
subject,  were  soldiers  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  as  were  also  many 
others  from  different  branches  of  the  family.  Abraham  Halsted 
was  a  farmer,  and  in  the  early  part  of  his  life  in  straitened  cir- 
cumstances, and  per  consequence  he  and  bis  family  had  their  full 
share  of  the  trials  and  privations  of  pioneer  life.  In  1806  he  sold 
his  farm  in  Orange  county,  and  removed  with  his  family  to  Elbridge, 
then  known  as  the  town  of  Camillus,  where  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty-three  acres  of  wild  land  of  Judge  Foreman. 
The  land  was  heavily  timbered,  and  the  construction  of  a  farm  was 
the  work  of  years ;  but  by  degrees  field  after  field  was  added,  and 
industry  and  perseverance  were  rewarded.  It  was  on  this  farm 
that  his  children  were  reared,  and  where  our  subject  has  since 
resided.  Among  the  privations  of  those  da^'s  were  lack  of  educa- 
tional advantages.  This  Mr.  Halsted  felt  severely,  as  he  was  deter- 
mined to  have  an  education  ;  and  the  homely  adage,  "  that  where 
there's  a  will  there's  a  way,"  was  exemplitied  in  his  case.  He  at- 
tended school  one  winter  at  Ionia,  boarding  at  home  and  walking 
the  entire  distance  morning  and  night,  breaking  his  road  through 
the  woods.  He  completed  his  education  at  the  Onondaga  academy, 
and  his  energy  and  zeal  is  shown  in  the  fact  that,  for  a  portion  of 
the  time,  he  lived  on  bread  and  sweetened  water,  not  having  the 
means  to  obtain  a  more  liberal  diet.  He  succeeded  in  obtaining  a 
good  English  education,  which  he  made  practically  useful  to  him- 
self and  others  by  teaching.  Mr.  Halsted's  whole  life  has  been 
devoted  to  the  cares  of  his  farm  and  family,  although  in  his  jTiuth 
he  desired  to  lead  ''a  life  on  the  ocean  wave."  He  studied  naviga- 
tion and  made  other  preparations,  which  were  thwarted  by  the  death 
of  his  only  brother,  which  left  him  the  sole  prop  of  his  father's  de- 


clining years,  and  at  his  request  he  abandoned  the  idea  of  going  to 
sea,  settled  down  as  a  farmer,  in  which  occupation  he  has  been 
eminently  successful,  and  his  long  life  has  been  characterized  by 
industry,  integrity,  and  honorable  dealing.  When  starting  out  for 
himself  he  composed  the  following  stanza  as  his  motto,  and  to  those 
who  know  him  it  will  be  unnecessary  to  say  that  it  has  been  the 
rule  of  his  life  : 

"  I'll  get  my  liviug  by  the  sweat  of  my  face. 
Anil  bear  good-will  to  the  human  race, 
I'll  pay  my  debts  as  soon  as  due, 
And  wear  my  old  clothes  till  I  ran  make  new." 

By  economy,  industry,  and  perseverance  he  has  made  life  a  suc- 
cess, and  stands  foremost  among  the  substantial  men  of  his  town. 
He  has  been  called  by  his  fellow-townsmen  to  fill  several  positions 
of  trust, — commissioner  of  deeds,  assessor,  and  justice  of  the  peace, — 
all  of  which  he  filled  with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  entire  satis- 
faction of  his  constituents. 

Mr.  Halsted  has  been  married  three  times.  First,  in  1819,  to  Miss 
Cynthia  Hobart;  the  result  of  this  union  were  five  daughters, 
three  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely,  Mary,  wife  of  Dr  Good- 
hue, of  Iowa  ;  Eliza,  now  Mrs.  Abram  H.  Jones  ;  and  Margaret 
Ann,  wife  of  Wm.  K.  Pickerd,  Esq.,  of  Elbridge. 

May  27,  1841,  Mrs.  Halsted  was  "called  home,"  and  in  1843 
he  was  again  married  to  Miss  Caroline  Symonds.  She  died  May 
21,  1845;  and  Nov.  17,  1850,  he  was  married  to  Mrs.  Catharine 
Parker,  of  Marcellus,  daughter  of  George  and  Rebecca  Crysler, 
who  were  among  the  pioneers  of  that  town.  In  his  political  and 
religious  ideas  he  is  a  Baptist  and  a  stanch  Republican.  Liberal  to 
a  fault,  every  worthy  enterprise  finds  in  him  a  generous  patron 
and  supporter. 

Mr.  Halsted  is  a  self-made  man.  Early  in  life  he  learned  that 
the  way  leading  to  success  was  no  royal  road,  but  was  open  li> 
strong  hands  and  willing  hearts. 

,"  Honor  and  fame  from  no  condition  rise. 
.\ct  well  your  imrt,  there  all  the  honor  lies." 


MARVIN    W.  HARDY. 


The  Mubjcct  of  tliui  sketch  was  born  July  25,  1820,  at  Man- 
lii:iiii,  Hcrkiincr  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  was  the  eldest  child  in  the 
family  of  Juel  and  Ilepsibuh  Ilnrdy,  whu  were  farmore.  lie 
aci|uirc<l  a  pH)d  amiinun-schotii  vducutiun,  and  remained  with 
bin  [inrcnts  until  he  was  twenty-two  yearn  of  aj;e,  when  ovincinj; 
an  ii|>ti(tiile  for  mechanical  puntuitM,  he  went  to  Little  Falls, 
.N.  Y..  where  he  learned  the  trade  ol'  a  carpenter,  which  he 
followed  alxmt  thret>  years.  From  Little  Falls  he  removed  to 
Montgomery  county,  and  cnpigcd  in  the  manufacture  uf  ])aper 
for  C'hauncvy  North  until  his  removal  to  Jordan  in  18(>4,  where 
he  purchased  a  fann  and  cttlablisheil  him.<*elf  in  the  manufacture 
of  |Ni|M!r.  In  February,  1S13,  Mr.  Hardy  was  marrieU  to 
France*,  daugbtt-r  of  riiaunccy  North  and  Abigail  (iri.swold,  of 
Herkimer  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  North  were  originally  from 
I'onnccticut,  and  emigrat<-4l  In  Fondabnsh,  Montgomery  county, 
where  Mrs.  Hiirdy  wiis  Ikihi  Dec.  18,  1815.  Mr.  and  .^lr>. 
Hardy  have  had  eighl  children  Ihihi  t4)  them,  and  iiame<l  in  the 


order  of  their  ages  as  follows:  Abigail,  bom  Nov.  13,  1843; 
Chauncey,  bom  Nov.  6,  1845;  Mary,  bom  Aug.  26,  1847; 
Frances,  bora  Sept.  29,  1849  (deceased);  Adelia  and  Amelia, 
born  July  29,  1852;  Samuel  0.,  born  Oct.  22,  1S54  ;  Kmma 
Ida,  born  Feb.  22,  1858. 

Mr.  Hardy  was  an  ambitious  and  successful  businesH  man. 
Hy  industry,  perseverance,  and  honorable  dealing  he  ac(|uircd  a 
competence,  and  at  Iiis  death  was  considered  to  be  one  of  the 
8ul>!*(untial  business  men  of  Jordan.  Possowcd  of  many  of  the 
virtuct)  and  but  few  of  the  faults  of  mankind,  he  was  highly 
ostccmed  by  all  who  knew  him  for  his  moral  worth.  In  his 
religious  ideas  he  was  a  Methodist,  and  in  the  churt-h  tiMik  a 
prominent  part  as  class-leader.  All  in  all,  Mr.  Hardy  was  a 
man  of  sound  judgment,  high  character,  and  integrity,  and  an 
aid  in  building  up  and  advancing  the  best  interests  of  society, 
—  a  ni:ui  of  liroud  charity,  generous  libcnility,  and  manly 
honor. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


307 


afterward  a  Rev.  Mr.  Barnes  and  Rev.  Mr.  Harris 
— local  preachers — were  among  the  early  laborers 
previous  to  the  erection  of  the  church.  While  the 
church  was  being  erected,  but  before  it  was  dedi- 
cated, Rev.  Roswell  Parker  was  appointed  to  Jordan 
circuit.  Jordan  then  first  appeared  in  the  minutes 
of  the  Oneida  Conference  as  a  separate  charge. 

The  following  is  believed  to  be  a  correct  list  of 
the  pastors  and  their  terms  of  service  since  the 
church  came  to  be  a  regular  appointment  in  this 
conference,  viz  : 

Revs.  Roswell  Parker,  1832  ;  Isaac  S.  Wright, 
1834  ;  Charles  Giles,  1835  '<  Benjamin  Phillips, 
1836;  John  Loveys,  1837  ;  Harvey  Chapin,  1839; 
the  year  1840  was  partially  supplied  by  Rev. 
J.  N.  Murdock;  B.  I.  Diefendorf,  1841  ;  Ebe- 
nezer  Arnold  1842;  P.  D.  Gorrie,  1843;  Royal 
Houghton,  1845  ;  G.  G.  Hapgood,  1847;  Rev. 
Charles  H.  Austin,  1848;  D.  Simons,  1850;  B. 
Holmes,  1852;  O.  C.  Cole,  1853;  Byron  Alden, 
1855  ;  W.  L.  Tisdale  1857  ;  E.  W.  Jones,  1859  ; 
S.  B.  Crozier,  i860;  S.  Dewey,  1861  ;  Hiram 
Church,  1863  ;  W.  Dempster  Chase,  1864;  F.  J. 
Whitney,  1865  ;  A.  Bramley,  1866;  L.  B.  Wells, 
1868  ;  Charles  T.  Moss,  1871;  A.  B.  Gregg,  1873  ; 
O.  L.  Gibson,  1876,  who  is  at  present  in  the  second 
year  of  his  pastorate  here. 

Among  the  earliest  names  in  this  society  were 
those  of  Luther  Huntington,  Father  Rhinus,  Daniel 
Pickard,  Benjamin  Rider,  Mrs.  Barr,  Grandmother 
Graves,  Rev.  Nathaniel  Saulsbury  and  his  sister, 
Mrs.  Eunice  Sands,  Mrs.  Goodrich,  Mr.  Miner, 
Mrs.  Maria  Bates,  Sarah  Holway,  Father  Crysler, 
Benjamin  H.  Brown,  Hollis  Knowlton,  Henry 
Allen,  Simon  Converse,  Michael  Oglesbie,  Jared 
Whiting,  Mrs.  James  Rodgers,  and  their  families. 

Several  ministers  have  been  raised  up  in  this 
church,  among  whom  may  be  named  Rev.  Wm. 
Searles  and  Rev.  P.  H.  Wiles,  of  the  Central  New 
York  Conference  ;  Rev.  L.  D.  White  and  Rev. 
Hiram  Nichols,  of  the  Northern  New  York  Con- 
ference, and  Rev.  A.  F.  Wright,  late  of  the  Illinois 
Conference. 

The  present  membership  of  this  church  is  two 
hundred  and  fifty,  including  probationers.  There 
are  over  one  hundred  and  sixty  Sunday  School 
scholars,  with  an  average  attendance  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty.    The  church  is  united  and  prosperous. 

The  Baptist  Church  of  Jordan  was  constituted 
November  10,  1835,  from  about  thirty-three  mem- 
bers dismissed  from  the  church  at  Elbridge  for  the 
purpose.  The  number  was  very  soon  increased  to 
fifty-four  by  the  addition  of  others,  gathered  by 
the  labors  of  Rev.  D.  D.  Chittenden  at  Cold  Spring. 
The  first  Deacons  were  Tobias  Clements  and  A. 
Case. 


The  labors  of  Rev.  E.  D.  Hubbell  had  already 
been  secured  as  pastor,  and  measures  were  immedi- 
ately taken  to  build  a  house  of  worship.  In  1836,  the 
church  was  received  into  the  Cayuga  Baptist  Asso- 
ciation, and  in  October,  1S37,  the  church  edifice 
was  dedicated. 

The  pastorate  of  Mr.  Hubbell  was  a  successful 
one,  and  many  were  gathered  to  the  church.  After 
a  service  of  three  years  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Henry  Davis,  who  labored  very  successfully  for 
four  years.  In  1842,  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  H. 
J.  Eddy,  who  served  the  church  about  seven  years. 
During  his  pastorate,  the  church  reached  a  mem- 
bership of  about  275.  He  was  succeeded  by  A.  M. 
Beebe,  who  was  ordained  and  served  one  year,  when 
he  resigned  to  assume  the  duties  of  a  professor- 
ship in  Madison  University.  He  was  succeeded 
by  Rev.  W.  R.  Webb,  who  labored  three  years,  or 
until  July  15,  1853. 

From  this  time  the  church  gradually  declined 
under  the  labors  of  three  different  pastors  and 
various  supplies.  Serious  difficulties  divided  and 
scattered  its  members  until  1867  or  '68,  when  Rev. 
F.  D.  Fenner  became  pastor.  His  labors  were  a 
great  blessing  to  the  church,  and  during  his  pas- 
torate the  membership  was  increased  and  encour- 
aged. The  house  of  worship  was  also  repaired  at 
a  cost  of  about  $1,500.  He  was  followed  in  1871 
by  supplies,  among  whom  was  Rev.  Ross  Matthews, 
who  served  one  year,  until  1875,  when  Rev.  D.  B. 
Pope  was  called  to  the  pastorate,  and  still  serves. 

The  present  membership  numbers  eighty.  The 
church  is  nearly  free  of  debt  and  in  fair  working 
condition.  Its  property  is  valued  at  $6,000,  and  a 
salary  of  $700  is  paid  for  the  support  of  preaching. 
During  the  present  pastorate  about  twenty  have 
been  added  to  the  church. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Peru. — The 
society  was  organized  about  1850.  Previous  to 
that  time  there  had  been  preaching  in  the  vicinity 
in  accordance  with  the  Methodist  circuit  system. 
In  1852,  the  present  church  edifice  was  erected  at 
a  cost  of  about  $1,500;  but  since  that  time  improve- 
ments have  been  made  so  that  the  church  property 
is  now  estimated  to  be  worth  $2,000.  It  is  situated 
in  the  village  of  Peru.  The  early  church  records 
have  been  lost  ;  just  where  the  first  organization 
took  place,  and  what  the  number  of  original  mem- 
bers was  cannot  be  definitely  stated.  Doubtless 
the  membership  was  quite  small.  Among  the 
prominent  members  in  its  early  history  were  Wm. 
Prior,  Alanson  Barnes,  George  Stickles,  and  their 
wives.  As  near  as  can  be  told  the  following  named 
persons  have  served  as  pastors  : 


3o8 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Charles  H.  Austin,  1852  ; 


Lewis.  1853 


one  of  the  years  i854-'56  were  served  by  A.  M. 
Fredenburgh;  L.  B.  Wells.  1857;  J.  Smedley. 
1858;  David  Stone,  1859  "60;  Charles  Baldwin, 
1861  ;  I.  Hall.  1863;  the  year  1863  not  known; 
Royal  Houghton,  1864-66:  A.  L.  Smalicy,  1867- 
■69;  E.  D.  Thurston,  1870:  Moses  Lyons,  1871  ; 
E.  M.  Mills,  six  months,  1872;  William  Colden, 
1873-74;  }■  C.  Nichols.  1875  ;  C.  W.  Lane,  1876; 
L.  Northway.  1877  ;  J.  C.  Nichols,  present  pastor. 

Present  membership  forty. 

The  Jack's  Reefs  Cheese  Factorv  was  estab- 
lished in  1872,  by  Dighton  R.  Marvin.  In  1874, 
it  was  rebuilt  1  having  been  destroyed  by  fire  by  the 
Jack's  Reefs  Cheese  Factory  Association,  a  joint 


stock  company  incorporated  in  that  year.  The 
building  is  of  wood,  and  cost,  including  fixtures, 
$1,450.  The  milk  of  about  200  cows  is  here  made 
into  cheese.  The  principal  stock-holders  are  Henry 
Daboll,  Elihu  Parry,  Nathaniel  Somes,  Joseph 
Somes,  Philip  Drake  and  Russell  F'oster.  Philip 
Drake,  President  ;  Edwin  McDowell,  Secretary  ; 
Henry  Daboll,  Treasurer. 

On  Carpenter  Brook,  near  Jack's  Reefs  is  the 
saw-mill  owned  by  Philip  Drake,  built  by  him  in 
1843.  The  first  mill  was  built  here  as  early  as 
1808.  In  i8i5,Zenas  Wright  and  Hollis  Knowlton 
owned  a  mill  on  the  same  site.  Mr.  Knowlton  is 
still  living  at  Jordan,  nearly  90  years  of  age. 


CAMILLUS. 


Camii.lus  was  originally  Township  Number 
Five  of  the  Military  Tract.  At  the  organization 
of  the  county  it  was  included  in  the  town  of  Mar- 
cellus,  from  which  it  was  formed  into  a  separate 
town  March  8,  1799.  A  part  of  Onondaga  was 
annexed  to  it  in  1834. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  directed  by  law  to 
be  held  at  the  house  of  Mcdad  Curtis,  who  was 
elected  Supervisor,  and  Daniel  Vail,  Town  Clerk. 
The  early  records  of  this  town  were  destroyed  by 
fire  some  time  prior  to  1829,  which  is  the  earliest 
date  to  which  any  records  now  extant  reach  back. 
The  first  white  settler  was  Captain  Isaac  Lintlsay, 
about  the  year  1790,  and  directly  after,  his  brothers, 
James,  William  and  Elijah  Lindsay.  Their  land 
was  lot  No.  80,  on  which  the  northern  portion  of 
the  village  of  Camillus  is  situated,  and  which  they 
purchased  for  twcnty-Jhc  cents  an  acre.  Nicholas 
Lamberson  settled  in  the  town  in  1793,  William 
Reed,  Selden  Leonard,  Mordecai  Ellis,  a  family 
named  White,  and  David  Hinsdell  and  others, 
previous  to  1806.  Squire  Munro  settled  on  lot  81, 
now  in  the  town  of  Elbridge,  in  1799.  His  sons, 
John,  David,  Nathan  and  Philip  A.  Munro,  were 
then  young  men,  and  have  since  been  known 
throughout  the  county  for  their  enterprise,  industry, 
intelligence  and  wealth.  Thomas  Corey,  who  was 
killed  by  a  fall  from  a  wagon,  was  an  early  settler 
in  this  town,  as  well  as  Isaac  Brown,  Nathaniel 
Richman,  Jacob  Chandler,  John  Hess,  John  Pad- 
dock, and  two  others  by  the  name  of  McCracken. 
David  Munro  settled  at  Camillus  village,  where  his 
son,  David  A.  Munro,  now  resides,  in  1808.      The 


settlers  at  that  period,  although  engaged  in  the 
hard  work  of  clearing  land,  seem  to  have  had  in 
many  respects  a  "  jolly  time,"  for  the  heavy  labor 
was  principally  performed  by  the  kind  of  cooperation 
known  as  "  bees,"  to  which  a  general  invitation  was 
extended  to  all  the  able-bodied  men  in  town.  Chop- 
ping bees,  logging  bees,  husking  bees,  &c.,  were  the 
"  order  of  the  day  "  among  the  early  settlers,  and 
they  usually  ended  in  a  dance  and  frolic  at  night. 

Isaac  Lindsay  erected  the  first  frame  house  on 
Lot  80,  in  1795.  In  1808,  the  village  of  Camillus 
contained  but  two  frame  houses.  David  Munro 
erected  a  substantial  frame  house  in  1810.  The 
White  family  and  Captain  Kimberly  erected  houses 
about  the  same  time  at  Amboy.  East  and  west, 
no  houses  had  been  erected  at  this  time,  except  at 
Camillus  village,  between  Elbridge  and  Judge 
Geddes',  at  Fairmount.  The  first  school  house,  a 
log  building,  was  erected  in  1808,  and  was  followed 
by  a  frame  building  in  181 3. 

Isaac  Lindsay  kept  the  first  tavern  in  the  village 
in  1793;  Thomas  Corey  in  1801.  John  Tomlin- 
son  opened  the  first  store  in  the  town,  at  the  village, 
in  1808  ;  Munro  &  Benedict  followed  in  1810,  and 
were  followed  by  Gould  &  Hess,  Hoar  &  Wheeler, 
William  A   Cook,  John  C.  Ellis,  and  others. 

James  R.  Lawrence  opened  the  first  law  office  in 
181 5  ;  Grove  Lawrence  another  in  1821.  Other 
early  lawyers  were  Samuel  Hammond,  Daniel 
Pratt,  D.  D.  Hillis  and  others. 

Dr.  Isaac  Magoon  established  himself  as  a  physi- 
cian at  the  village  of  Camillus  in  1808,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Dr.  Richards. 


IMiutu.  by  W.  V.  Riinger,  Syniciise. 


The  Inwnsliip  of  Camillus,  embracing  the  present  towns  of  El- 
bridge  and  Van  Buren,  was  peopled  mostly  with  settlers  from 
New  England. 

Among  these,  in  the  year  1790,  only  nine  years  later  than  the 
first  white  resident  of  the  town,  came  David  Mnnro,  then  a  lad 
fonrteen  years  old,  born  December  8,  1784,  and  fifth  in  the  line 
of  descent  from  John  Munro,  who  emigrated  from  Scotland,  and 
settled  in  Massachusetts  at  an  early  period. 

David  accompanied  his  father,  Squire  Munro,  who  had  been  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  who  then  in  the  prime  of 
life,  being  forty-two  years  of  age,  came  from  New  England, 
bringing  with  him  his  four  sons,  John,  David,  Nathan,  and 
Philip  A.,  all  of  them  since  well  known  throughout  the  county 
and  settled  near  where  the  vilhigc  of  Elbridge  now  stands. 

As  Daniel  grew  up  to  manhood  he  developed  into  a  large  and 
powerful  man,  fully  marked  with  the  characteristic  family  traits 
of  enterprise,  untiring  industry,  economy,  and  self-reliance. 

In  1807  he  was  married  to  Abigail  Carpenter,  of  the  same  town, 
and  in  1808  he  purchased  a  farm  on  lot  number  eighty,  Camillus, 
and  settled  where  Camillus  Village  now  stands,  where  only  two 
frame  houses  were  then  erected. 

The  country  was  then  covered  with  forests,  and  Mr.  Munro 
cleared  up  his  farm,  which  was  heavily  timbered,  doing  much  of 
the  labor  with  his  own  hands. 

Here  he  resided  for  fifty-eight  years,  enlarging  his  farm  by  the 
purchase  of  adjacent  lands  from  time  to  time.  He  died  May  10, 
186fi,  being  over  eighty  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  decease. 
His  wife  wa.s  six  years  younger  than  himself,  having  been  born 
December  3,  1790,  and  she  survived  him  nearly  two  years. 

There  were  eight  children  born  of  the  marriage,  of  whom  six 
still  survive,  viz.  :  John  C.  Munro,  born  October  17,  1809  ;  James 
M.  Munro,  born  November  13,  1813 ;  David  A.  Munro,  born 
August  17,  1818  ;  Mary  A.,  wife  of  Thomas  W.  Hill,  of  Eldridge  ; 


Hannah,  wife  of  Payn  Bigelow,  of  Baldwinsville ;  and  LydiaH., 
wife  of  David  Porter,  of  Lysander. 

Mr.  Munro  carried  on  a  large  and  very  successful  business  in 
farming  all  the  earlier  portion  of  his  life,  but  the  necessity  of  find- 
ing investments  for  the  constantly  increasing  results  of  his  fore- 
sight, energy,  and  economy  occupied  the  most  of  his  attention  in 
later  years.  He  was  the  first  postmaster  in  Camillus  Village, 
holding  the  office  from  1811  to  1824,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
James  R.  Lawrence.  He  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  jteace 
many  years,  and  was  also  one  of  the  associate  judges  of  the  court 
of  common  pleas  for  a  long  time,  becoming  familiarly  known  to 
the  people  of  the  county  as  Judge  Munro,  by  which  title  he  was 
commonly  called.  He  was  a  member  of  the  State  legislature  in 
1818,  1810,  1822,  1830,  1841,  and  again  in  1842. 

He  was  also  a  member  of  the  convention  which  framed  the 
third  constitution  of  the  State  in  1846.  He  was  a  leading  director 
in,  and  for  a  long  time  president  of,  the  old  bank  of  Salina  an 
excellent  portrait  of  him  being  engraved  on  the  bills  issued  by 
that  bank.  He  was  also  an  influential  director  in  the  Salt  Spring 
Bank  from  its  incorporation  to  the  time  of  his  decease.  There 
was  no  business  enterprise  with  which  he  was  connected  which  he 
did  not  inspire  with  the  spirit  of  success.  He  was  constantly  in 
contact  with  the  leading  minds  of  the  county,  and  although  his 
early  education  was  limited,  his  strong  native  sense,  natural  dignity 
of  presence,  and  the  innate  force  of  his  character,  never  failed  to 
make  due  impression  on  every  one  he  met. 

In  person  he  was  tall,  of  full  hahit,  and  corpulent  in  later  life, 
hardy  to  the  last  degree,  riding  or  driving  bare-banded  in  the 
coldest  weather,  and  he  never  postponed  a  business  engagement 
on  account  of  storms  or  railroads. 

Mr.  Munro's  manner  of  address  was  courteous  but  impre-ssive, 
and  his  knowledge  of  the  men  and  events  of  the  day  was  unsur- 


Jul  IN    C.    MUNUO,    KSQ. 


Photij.  1p>  Bool*  k  Curtia,  gjrmcuM. 


Jolin  ('.  Munni,  mm  oC  the  late  Jud-^e  David  Muiiro  and 
Abipiil  ('ar|itnt.r.  wa.s  Wm  in  tlio  town  of  Cainilliid,  Onon- 
dapi  ("iiuiit^',  on  ()cU)btr  17,  1809.  IIo  waa  broufjlit  up  on  n 
farm  and  cducntod  at  the  cnminon  kcIiooIm,  and  at  the  age  of 
manhood  enpifripd  in  rarmin);  for  himxclf,  which  pursuit  he  huH 
fdilowinJ  uiiremitlin^^ly  all  his  life. 

(»n  March  'JL',  1H32,  he  settled  on  a  farm  at  Belle  Fiilc,  in 
the  town  of  ('umilluH,  where  he  huilt  a  larp;  huuiie  and  re- 
sided till  January,  1K53,  when,  on  aceouut  of  the  cnlar);uinent 
of  the  ejinal,  he  removed  to  where  he  now  reaidi-s.  having  pur- 
ehaMMl  the  land  in  183(1.  Thejie  adjoining  farnu*  now  contttitute 
an  eKtatc  of  three  hundred  and  Hcvcnty  acres.  Mr.  Munro  hoK 
taken  great  pride  and  pIcMurc  in  the  pursuit  of  hiji  chosen  oc- 
cupation of  farming,  and  his  taHt«  for  WK-ial  and  nicntnl  culture 
fiiiil.H  ^n°atificAtion  in  hw  comfortable  and  well-furnished  home. 

lie  was  niarrie*].  August   18,  lH.'t2,  to   Miss  Emily  Bennett, 


daughter  of  James  Bennett,  ao  early  settler,  by  whom  he  has 
had  five  children,  viz..  :  David  Bennett,  Ixirn  August  0,  1833 
(accidentally  killed,  August  2'J,  1818);  Henry  Smith,  bom 
Doceniber  29,  1835  ;  Sarah  Saraantha,  born  January  14,  l&JD 
(Mr«.  E.  U.  Hale,  of  Elbridgc) ;  Emily  B.,  bom  November  22, 
1842  (deceased) ;  John  C,  Jr.,  born  May  9, 1849,  and  resiiling 
at  the  home  on  the  farm. 

Mr.  Munro  has  always  been  a  Democrat  in  {Hilitics,  ond  has 
steadily  adhered  to  the  principles  of  that  party.  He  has  served 
hi.'*  town  six  years  as  member  of  the  board  of  supervisors,  and 
for  si.xtoen  years  has  held  the  oflSce  of  justice  of  the  jieace.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Presbytt-rian  church  ut  Amboy,  of  which 
he  has  been  many  years  an  elder. 

Mrs.  Munro  is  also  a  member  of  the  same  church,  and  has 
been  in  fellowship  with  the  church  at  .\mboy,  and  of  that  at 
Camillus,  for  fifty  years. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


309 


A  postoffice  was  first  established  in  Camillus  in 
181 1,  and  David  Munro  was  appointed  Postmaster. 
James  R.  Lawrence  was  postmaster  in  1824,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Grove  Lawrence  and  Robert 
Dickey. 

The  first  surplus  grain  raised  for  market  was  in 
1805,  when  it  was  carried  to  Albany  on  sleighs. 
Thousands  of  bushels  of  wheat  were  annually  trans- 
ported to  Albany  from  this  town  by  sleighs  and 
wagons,  previous  to  the  construction  of  the  Erie 
Canal. 

The  north  branch  of  the  Seneca  Turnpike  was 
incorporated  in  1806.  In  1 807-8,  Squire  Munro 
and  his  sons  built  so  much  of  this  road  as  passed 
through  the  town  of  Camillus,  about  eleven  miles. 

Judge  James  Geddes.  — We  have  already  had 
occasion  to  refer  to  the  eminent  services  and  dis- 
tinguished character  of  Hon.  James  Geddes,  in  his 
connection  with  the  explorations  and  survey  of  that 
great  State  enterprise,  the  Erie  Canal.  His  name 
stands  not  less  conspicuously  before  the  country 
than  that  of  any  other  early  citizen  of  Onondaga 
County.  Mr.  Geddes  was  born  near  Carlisle,  Penn- 
sylvania, on  the  22d  of  July,  1763.  His  father  and 
mother  were  of  Scotch  descent,  and,  like  Robert 
Burns,  Mr.  Geddes,  in  his  youthful  days,  followed  the 
plow,  and  carried  a  book  in  his  pocket  which  he 
perused  every  time  his  team  stopped  to  rest.  Thus 
ardent  was  he  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge.  A  Mr. 
Oliver,  a  thoroughly  educated  teacher,  was  his 
instructor  in  mathematics.  He  studied  languages 
without  a  teacher,  and  became  a  belles  lettres  scholar 
of  the  first  order.  His  knowledge  of  the  English 
language  has  been  rarely  excelled. 

At  an  early  age  Mr.  Geddes  visited  Kentucky, 
and  also  portions  of  Virginia,  as  appears  from  notes 
in  his  journal  made  upon  a  subsequent  visit  in 
1792,  the  year  preceding  the  selection  of  his  salt 
works  at  Geddes.  From  these  notes,  now  in  the  pos- 
session of  his  son,  Hon.  George  Geddes,  it  appears 
that  he  spent  the  entire  summer  of  1792  in  travel, 
looking  for  a  place  of  future  residence.  He  des- 
cribes many  places  of  interest  in  Virginia,  Maryland, 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  interior  regions  of  New  York, 
then  almost  an  entirely  unsettled  wilderness,  and 
gives  dates,  distances,  measurements  of  water- 
falls, &c.,with  the  minuteness  of  a  topographical 
survey. 

In  all  the  observations  made  upon  this  trip,  we 
see  the  indications  of  the  future  engineer.  The 
most  interesting  part  of  his  journey  is  that  where 
he  visits  the  Genesee  Falls,  and  speaks  of  them  as 
"  spoiling  the  navigation"  of  the  river.  He  thought 
that  the  farmers  who  were  just  then  beginning  to 
47 


cultivate  the  Genesee  Valley  would  have  to  export 
their  wheat  "  down  the  Newtown  Creek."  In  sixteen 
years  he  is  again  at  the  Falls  of  the  Genesee,  with 
his  level,  marking  out  the  route  of  the  Canal,  which 
was  to  carry  wheat,  not  via  Newtown  Creek,  as  he 
first  guessed,  but  east  to  the  sea. 

These  notes  of  Mr.  Geddes  show  that  his  mind 
was  occupied  with  the  subject  of  internal  navigation 
during  his  explorations  upon  this  visit  in  1792,  more 
than  a  decade  before  the  Erie  Canal  had  been 
thought  of  Under  the  head  of  "  Particulars  Re- 
specting the  Lake  Country,"  in  the  notes  referred 
to,  bespeaks  of"  such  a  navigation  as  will  bring  much 
European  goods  on  such  terms  as  will  tempt  people 
to  depend  on  them  more  than  they  ought."  And 
again  :  "  such  an  inland  navigation  as  may  bring 
salt,  sugar,  or  whatever  the  country  produces,  to 
people's  doors,  in  a  manner." 

Mr.  Geddes  having  completed  his  examinations 
of  the  country,  returned  home  determined  to  settle 
at  the  Salt  Springs.  The  following  year  he  came 
to  Onondaga  and  selected  his  location  at  the  head 
of  the  lake,  on  ground  now  occupied  by  a  portion 
of  the  village  of  Geddes.  He  returned  and  organ- 
ized a  company  at  Carlisle,  Pa.,  for  the  purpose  of 
manufacturing  salt,  and  in  1794  came  by  the  way 
of  Seneca  Lake  with  the  necessary  equipments  for 
engaging  in  that  business.  The  other  members  of 
the  company  came  on  in  the  month  of  June  follow- 
ing. Mr.  Geddes  lived  at  "  Geddes  Salt  Works  " 
about  four  years.  In  1798,  he  removed  to  lands 
which  he  had  purchased  of  the  State,  at  Fairmount, 
in  the  town  of  Camillus,  where  he  lived  the  remain- 
der of  his  life.  In  May,  1799,  he  married  Miss 
Lucy  Jerome,  daughter  of  Timothy  Jerome,  Esq  ,  of 
Fabius. 

The  services  of  Mr.  Geddes  were  required  immedi- 
ately upon  coming  into  the  county,  to  fill  important 
stations  of  trust  and  responsibility.     He  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  Council  of  Appointment  Justice  of 
the  Peace  in  1800,  and  in  1804  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Legislature.     But  it  was  as  an  engineer 
that  he  became  best  known   to  the  public.     Soon 
after  coming  into  the  country,  he  was  employed  by 
the  Surveyor-General  as  one  of  his  assistants,  and 
he  devoted  himself  to  the  profession  of  surveying 
and  engineering  until  age  disqualified  him  for  the 
fatigue   of  out-door   labor.     His  maps,  plats   and 
field-books,    deposited    in  the    Surveyor-General's 
Office,  show  him  to  have  been  a  man  of  great  accu- 
racy,   and   his   accompanying  remarks  reveal  the 
sagacity  and  penetration  of  his  mind. 

The  project  of  connecting  Lake   Erie  with  the 
Hudson   River   became  an    important   one.      Mr. 


3IO 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


Weston,  a  celebrated  engineer  from  England  had 
examined  the  Oswego  River  and  other  water-courses, 
with  a  view  to  improving  their  navigation,  and 
among  men  of  enlarged  views  the  scheme  became 
an  engrossing  topic.  Mr.  Geddes,  at  an  early 
period,  enlisted  in  the  matter  and  commenced  with 
ardor  the  gathering  of  facts.'  In  1804,  the  Surveyor- 
General  said  to  him  that  Gouvcrncur  Morris  had 
suggested  the  project  of  "tapping  Lake  Erie."  The 
Surveyor-General  considered  this  a  "romantic 
thing,"  but  not  so  the  man  to  whom  he  communi- 
cated the  crude,  undigested  thought.  Mr.  Geddes 
knew  that  Mr  Weston  had  reported  the  Oswego 
River  from  the  Falls  to  Lake  Ontario  as  "  hardly 
susceptible  of  improvement  by  means  of  canal- 
ing,"  and  if  there  was  a  way  that  the  waters 
of  the  upper  lakes  could  be  led  across  the 
country  without  going  down  to  the  level  of  On- 
tario and  then  rising  to  the  summit  again  at 
Rome,  that  vast  results  must  follow  from  it,  and  at 
once  his  untiring  energy  and  industry  were  put  in 
requisition.  Maps  were  examined,  surveyors  were 
en(|uircd  of,  and  every  means  within  his  reach 
resorted  to,  to  ascertain  the  topography  of  the 
country  through  which  has  since  been  constructed 
the  Erie  Canal. 

In  1807,  Judge  Joshua  Fotman  was  elected  to  the 
Legislature  from  this  county  upon  the  express  under- 
standing that  he  would  try  to  provide  the  necessary 
appropriation  of  money  to  make  examinations  of  the 
country.  No  man  could  have  been  better  qualified 
than  was  Judge  Forman  to  succeed.  A  man  of 
eloquence,  ardent  and  peculiarly  fitted  to  make  men 
think  as  he  himself  thought  upon  any  subject,  he 
did  succeed,  and  as  was  understood,  the  Surveyor- 
General,  who  had  the  selection  of  the  man  to  make 
the  surveys,  if  he  did  not  himself  do  it,  appointed 
Mr.  Geddes.  He  "  entered  with  enthusiasm  upon 
the  work  assigned  him  by  the  Surveyor-General," 
and  made  surveys  not  only  of  the  Oneida  and  Os- 
wego Rivers,  and  around  the  l*'alls  of  Niagara,  but 
he  reported  a  route  which,  in  the  language  of  the 
Surveyor-General  in  his  letter  to  Mr.  Darby,  of 
February  25,  1822,  -  was  almost  precisely  in  the  line 
which,  after  repeated  elaborate  and  expensive  exam- 
inations, has  been  finally  adopted." 

The  report  made  by  Mr.  Geddes  made  such  an 
impression  upon  the  Legislature  that,  in  spite  of  the 
prejudice  and  opi)osition  from  different  sources, 
that  body  was  induced,  in  1810,  to  organize  a  Board 
of  Canal  Commissioners,  with  powers  and  means  to 
prosecute  the  work.  His  survey  furnished  the 
necessary  information  to  justify  prudent  men  in 
committing  themselves  in  favor  of  a  canal.     And 


Mr.  Clinton,  grasping  with  his  powerful  intellect  at 
once  the  vast  advantages  of  the  scheme,  embarked 
in  it  with  uncompromising  zeal,  and  by  his  elevated 
position  in  the  State,  was  enabled  to  render  such 
assistance  as  ensured  success. 

In  1816  the  Commissioners  appointed  five  prin- 
cipal engineers,  placing  Mr.  Geddes  at  the  head  of 
the  list,  who.  throughout  the  progress  of  the  work, 
maintained  a  high  standing  as  a  civil  engineer,  and 
whose  labors  and  opinions  the  Commissioners  most 
favorably  estimated,  as  shown  in  various  instances 
in  their  reports. 

In  1822.  the  State  authorities  of  Ohio  applied  to 
Gov  DcWitt  Clinton  toselectaproperpersontomake 
the  necessary  explorations  for  their  canal  from  the 
Ohio  River  to  Lake  Erie,  and  he,  in  the  most  com- 
plimentary manner,  recommended  Mr  Geddes  as 
the  most  competent  man  in  the  service  of  the 
State.  Mr.  Geddes  accepted  the  proposals  from 
Ohio  and  assumed  the  responsibility  of  Chief  En- 
gineer of  the  Ohio  Canal.  This  duty  he  discharged 
to  the  perfect  satisfaction  of  the  authorities  of  the 
State  of  Ohio.  In  1827  Mr.  Geddes  was  employed 
by  the  General  Government  (associated  with  Mr. 
Roberts,!  in  locating  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio 
Canal.  In  1828  he  was  engaged  in  locating  the 
Pennsylvania  Canals,  and  in  the  same  year  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  General  Government  to  examine  the 
country  with  reference  to  the  connection  of  the 
waters  of  the  Tennessee  and  Altamaha  Rivers,  in 
the  States  of  Tennessee,  Alabama  and  Georgia. 
'This  appointment  he  declined,  ,on  account  of  dis- 
tance from  home  and  his  advanced  age. 

In  civil  and  political  aflairs  Mr.  Geddes  also  held 
a  prominent  position.  In  1809  he  was  appointed 
an  Associate  Justice,  and  in  18 12  a  Judge  of  On- 
ondaga County  Common  Pleas.  In  1813  he  was 
elected  a  Member  of  the  Xlllth  Congress,  and  in 
1821,  was  again  elected  a  Member  of  the  State 
Legislature. 

The  infirmities  of  age  crept  upon  him  apace,  and 
during  the  last  year  of  his  life,  his  constitution  gave 
way  rapidly,  and  he  closed  his  earthly  career  at  his 
residence,  in  the  town  of  Camillus  on  the  19th  of 
August,  1838,  being  a  little  over  seventy-five  years 
of  age.  He  was  the  father  of  seven  children,  all  of 
whom  arc  deceased  except  his  son,  Hon.  George 
Geddes,  of  P'airmount.  Says  his  biographer,  Mr. 
Clark  : 

"  Perhaps  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  man  who  had 
been  so  much  in  public  life  and  who  had  come  in 
contact  with  so  great  and  conflicting  interests,  repre- 
sented by  men  so  liiflerent  in  capacity  and  character, 
ever  died  having  fewer  enemies.  His  reputation  for 
integrity  was  probably  never  questioned  by  those 


MRS.    ROBERT    UOPKINS. 


ROBERT   HOPKINS. 


Robert  Hopkins  was  born  in  Salem,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
February  10,  1789.  His  parents,  Samuel  and  Mary  Hopkins, 
came  with  their  family,  in  the  month  of  March,  1807,  to 
Camillas,  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  they  purcha.sed  a  farm, 
and  at  once  began  to  combat  with  the  stern  realities  of  fron- 
tier life.  Of  course,  under  such  circumstances,  the  educational 
and  social  advantages  of  Mr.  Hopkins  were  very  limited.  But, 
notwithstanding,  his  determination  to  get  an  education  over- 
came all  obstacles.  By  faithfully  improving  his  leisure  hours 
at  home,  he  obtained  a  good  practical  business  education,  which 
proved  of  immense  importance  to  him  in  later  life,  when  called 
to  positions  of  trust  requiring  an  accurate  and  thorough 
knowledge.  When  he  attained  his  majority  his  father  kindly 
consented  to  allow  him  to  cultivate  a  portion  of  the  farm.  In 
the  capacity  of  lessee,  he  remained  until  twenty-eight  years  of 
age,  when  he  had  acquired,  by  judicious  management,  a  sum 
large  enough  to  purchase  a  fine  farm  in  Camillus.  To  grace 
and  adorn  his  new  home,  he  married,  January  9,  1816,  Pru- 
dence Wells.  All  of  their  children  living,  viz.,  Harlow  W.,  born 
March  29,  1818,  Emeline,  born  May  1,  1824,  and  Edwin, 
born  December  4, 1833,  have  received  good  educations,  and  are 
pleasantly  domiciled  in  the  old  homestead  where  they  were 
born. 

Mr.  Hopkins  devoted  his  attention  throughout  life  principally 


to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  kept  himselt  well  informed 
on  agricultural  topics,  and  aimed  to  conduct  his  farm  on  the 
latest  scientific  principles.  Like  Cincinnatus,  he  was  frequently 
called  from  the  plough-share  to  enter  the  sanctuary  of  public 
ofiice. 

As  justice  of  the  peace  for  twenty-four  years,  he  proved  one 
of  the  most  equitable  and  rigidly  honest  dispensers  of  public 
justice  that  the  town  of  Camillus  ever  had.  None  ever  dared 
to  taint  his  ermine  with  any  proposal  to  compromise  justice. 
Unlike  many,  he  always  endeavored,  in  a  Christian  spirit,  to 
reconcile  litigants  coming  before  him  before  having  recourse  to 
law,  and  in  this  way  he  remarkably  lessened  that  bad  spirit  in 
many  to  go  to  law  for  every  imagined  injury  or  irritation. 
Also  as  assessor  for  six  years,  one  of  the  most  delicate  and 
unthankful  town  offices,  he  gave  equal  acceptance.  For  over 
thirty  years  he  was  a  prominent  and  influential  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  of  Camillus,  and  endeavored  to  exemplify 
in  every-day  life  the  morals  taught  in  the  Book  of  books. 

Politically,  although  a  Democrat,  yet  he  did  not  allow  party 
feelint^  to  mar  a  pleasant  and  social  intercourse  with  all  men. 
August  7,  1859,  he  died,  leaving  to  his  children  an  irreproach- 
able name  and  life.  His  wife  followed  him  September  27, 
1864.  Few  men  were  more  missed  by  the  town  of  Camillus, 
or  more  highly  respected  than  Mr.  Hopkins. 


KN08   PKCK. 


MR8.    KN08   I'ECK. 


ENOS   PECK. 


All  (.■xiiiiipli'  (if  uiiliriii^'  iiuliiNtn',  ii  piorn-or  of  Onondapi 
Couiitv,  aiij  II  |iri>sont  cilir.('ii  of  must  liniiMrahli-  stiiruliii;;,  Ls 
Kiio«  I'cck,  (if  Ciiinillu.s.  Ho  wils  ln)rii  in  tin-  l.iwii  nC  New 
Haven,  ViTiiKint,  Auj:.  1"),  17tt(l,  and  was  tliu  sixth  child  of 
Kniw  Pivk,  whi)  wiu  a  very  parW  settler  in  Vennont.  In  1795, 
Mr.  Pitk  r«inoVfd  with  lii.s  family  to  the  town  of  I'onipey, 
Uiiondiipi  Coiinty,  when-  ihey  remained  until  the  year  1806, 
when  they  removed  to  (,'ato,  Cayuga  county.  At  the  ajre  of 
iwonty-oiio  yarn  n^^ll  )  our  subject  branclu'd  out  in  life  for 
hini.'H'lf  an  u  fanner,  tjikiu};  hi.s  father's  farm  on  shares  for  a 
l<-nn  of  five  yrars.  and,  with  the  jierHcvcrinf.'  energy  of  the  New 
Kn'_'land  fanner,  sol  to  work  elwiring  away  the  don.se  forest  and 
thii-ki't.  and  hrinirin;:  the  then  inipmvi-d  |H)rti(iMS  to  a  higher 
Klalf  of  ciiltivalioii,  which  I'omiH'iisate*!  hint  well  for  his  labor,  as 
at  the<'X|iimtion  of  his  lease  he  had  savi>d  five  hundretl  dollars. 

At  the  age  of  fweniy-fivc  ho  marrie<l  Annis  Hopkins, 
daughter  of  Nathan  Hopkins,  of  Camillus.  and  t4i  them  were 
Ixirn  four  rliildren.  viz  ,  .V.  H.,  Isaac  M.,  Jane,  now  .Nlrs.  Wm. 
Mack,  of  Koehc.Mter,  N.  Y.,  and  Edwin  Feck.  Soon  after  his 
marriage  he  removed  to  Camillus,  where  he  purchased  ninety-six 
acres  of  land,  and  in  due  time  er<-ct«^I  his  house  in  the  woimIs, 
which  were  so  den.ic  that  one  C4iuld  lixik  out  of  the  chimney 
and  see  the  tree  to{>s.  H<r«'  Mr.  I'cck  has  .spent  his  days,  making 
additional  purchanet.  of  land  to  the  extent  of  some  four  hundred 


ami   twenty  acres,  and  now,  at  the  ;ige  •<(  eighly-.seven,  lives 
with  his  .son.  A.  H..  in  the  hou.sc  crecteil  by  himself 

Puring  the  war  nf  Islii  he  volunteered  with  his  company 
al)out  a  month  previous  to  its  close.  He  has  always  manifested 
a  strong  interest  in  church  and  educational  matters,  and  wils  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  ramillus.  In 
politics  is  a   Republican,  and  has  never  missed  a  fkll  deetioD. 

He  is  one  of  the  old(«t  and  most  highly  esteemed  citiieiis  of 
the  county,  and  has  ulwa3's  Itcen  found  arrayed  on  the  side  of 
justice  and  truth. 

Mrs.  Peck  died  June  'J  I.  l^T-t,  having  atlaini-d  the  ripe  ago 
of  seventy-nine  years.  She  wils  born  in  the  town  of  Salem, 
Wa-shington  Co.,  Vt.,  in  the  year  17!U,  and  with  her  parents 
removed  to  the  town  of  Camillus  at  an  early  day.  For  nioro 
than  fifty-seven  years  she  was  a  faithful  and  loving  companion, 
and  wa.s  a  woman  of  rare  moral  exeellenoc,  and  genuine  Christian 
worth.  She  possessed  much  force  of  character,  clear  and 
conscientious  views  of  truth  and  duly,  and  unswcr\'iiig  loyalty 
to  that  which  she  believed  was  right ;  was  habitually  reserved 
and  undemonstrative  in  manner,  but  excelled  by  none  in  deeds  of 
kindness,  which  she  love<I  .S4)  well  to  perform.  For  many  years 
she  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  in  all  the 
years  of  her  Christian  course  she  "adorned  the  doctrine  of 
•  iod,  our  Saviour,  in  all  things." 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


311 


whose  opinions  differed  from  his  own.  His  name 
will  ever  be  associated  with  the  noblest  work  of  the 
age  and  his  fame  will  descend  with  admiration  to 
those  who  shall  succeed  him." 

VILLAGE  OF  CAMILLUS. 

This  village  is  situated  in  a  picturesque  spot  in 
the  valley  of  Nine-Mile  Creek.  It  is  on  the  "  Old 
Road,"  or  Auburn  branch  of  the  New  York  Cen- 
tral Railroad,  distant  nine  miles  from  the  city  of 
Syracuse.  A  "  side  cut "  or  "  feeder  "  of  the  Erie 
'  Canal  extends  to  the  village,  and  the  Nine-Mile 
Creek  supplies  an  excellent  water  power,  which  at- 
tracted settlers  and  began  to  be  utilized  for  mill 
purposes  at  an  early  period.  In  1 806  the  first  mills  of 
importance  were  erected  in  the  village — grist  and 
saw  mill — by  a  company  of  which  William  Wheeler 
and  Samuel  Powers  were  members.  Abraham 
Drake  built  a  carding  and  cloth-dressing  mill  about 
eighty  rods  up  the  stream  from  the  bridge  in  1812. 
The  year  following  he  removed  from  Aurelius,  Cay- 
uga county,  with  his  family  and  settled  in  the  vil- 
lage, where  he  resided  till  his  death,  December  10, 
1832.  His  son,  Philip  Drake,  now  residing  at 
Jack's  Reefs,  in  the  town  of  Elbridge,  erected  the 
present  flouring  mill  in  1835-36,  and  sold  to  Phares 
Gould  of  Skaneateles,  in  1836.  The  mill  is  now 
owned  by  Munro  &  Patterson,  doing  merchant  and 
custom  flouring. 

The  race  conveying  the  water  to  the  mills,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  two  and  a  half  miles,  was  constructed 
in  1832  by  James  R.  Lawrence,  Grove  Lawrence, 
Philip  Drake  and  others. 

The  Woolen  Factory  of  Walter  F.  Keefer  was 
built  on  the  race  in  1834.  The  business  of  this 
mill  at  the  present  is  the  manufacture  of  cloth  and 
stocking  yarn. 

In  1848,  the  "  Novelty  Mills "  were  completed 
by  Weston  &  Dill,  and  were  driven  by  steam.  Sub- 
sequently there  was  also  a  large  steam  saw- mill  in 
operation,  lath  mills,  turning  lathe,  &c. 

James  G.  Fergus  has  a  saw  mill  at  the  village, 
built  by  James  M.  Munro  in  i860. 

Camillus  village  was  the  earliest  settled  of  any 
portion  of  the  town.  The  northern  part  of  it,  on 
Lot  80,  became  the  home  of  Capt.  Isaac  Lindsay 
in  1790.  In  1793,  Capt.  Lindsay  kept  the  first 
tavern,  and  erected  the  first  frame  house  in  1795. 
The  first  school  house  (of  logs)  was  erected  in 
1808,  and  was  followed  by  a  frame  building  in  18 13. 
Thomas  Corey  kept  a  tavern  here  in  1801. 

Incorporation. 
The  village  of  Camillus  was  incorporated  in  1852, 


with  the  following  Board  of  Trustees  :  Samuel  B. 
Rowe,  David  A.  Munro,  Charles  Land,  Ira  Saffbrd  ; 
Gaylord  N.  Sherwood,  President  ;  Crayton  B. 
Wheeler,  Clerk. 

The  following  have  served  as  Presidents  of  the 
Village  Board  for  the  years  named :  Gaylord  N. 
Sherwood,  1853  ;  William  H.  Lee,  i854-'s7  ;  Hiram 
A.  Mungear,  1858;  Eliakim  E.  Veeder,  1859-61  ; 
Gaylord  N.  Sherwood,  1862  ;  E.  E.  Veeder,  1863  ; 
James  G.  Fergus,  1864;  Samuel  B.  Rowe,  1865  ; 
Theodore  Briggs,  i?,66-'67 )  James  G.  Fergus, 
1868-70;  Charles  J.  Sherwood,  1871  ;  James  G. 
Fergus,  1872;  Henry  W.  Drake,  1873;  J.  O. 
Slocum,  M.  D.,  1874;  J.  H.  Hitchcock,  1875  ;  E- 
W.  Cook,  1^76- 77. 

The  present  officers  of  the  village  (1878)  are, 
Henry  G.  Chapman,  President ;  Edwin  R.  Harmon, 
Vice-President  ;  David  Lyboult,  Julius  Noble, 
William  Jones,  Trustees  ;  J.  Harry  Lyboult,  Clerk  ; 
E.  E.  Veeder,  Police  Justice  ;  Sumner  T.  Darling, 
Constable ;  James  Paltan,  Treasurer ;  John  O. 
Slocum,  Frederick  Loomis,  William  R.  George, 
Assessors  ;  William  B.  Bucklin,  Collector. 

Benjamin  Brown,  present  Postmaster. 

Camillus  contains  four  churches,  viz  :  Presby- 
terian, Baptist,  Methodist  Episcopal,  and  Roman 
Catholic ;  one  store  of  general  merchandise,  E. 
Duane  Sherwood  ;  one  grocery,  provision  and  notion 
store,  Sidney  H.  Cook,  Jr.  ;  one  hotel,  kept  by 
Philo  Bromley  ;  two  groceries  and  meat  markets, 
kept  respectively  by  Abram  Otman  and  Messrs. 
Gee  &  Thompson  ;  two  drug  stores,  James  Pattan's 
and  C.  F.  Safford's  ;  the  former  has  been  in  the 
drug  business  since  1845  ;  harness  and  shoe  shop. 
There  is  one  physician  in  the  village,  John  O. 
Slocum,  M.  D.,  brother  of  Major-General  H.  W. 
Slocum.  He  was  a  surgeon  in  the  army  during  the 
late  war,  and  has  been  many  years  a  resident  of 
the  village. 

Sidney    H.  Cook,  Esq.,  has   held    the   ofUce  of 
Justice  of  the  Peace   over   thirty  years.       E.   E. 
Veeder,   Esq ,  is   also   Justice,  and   has   held    the 
office  about  six  years. 

The  oldest  settlers  now  residing  in  the  village 
are  David  A.  and  James  M.  Munro,  who  were  born 
here  ;  Samuel  B.  Rowe,  who  became  a  resident 
about  1827;  Charles  Land,  1820;  William  R. 
George,  David  Lyboult,  Ambrose  Kelsey,  A.  N. 
Glynn,  G.  C.  Parsons,  James  Pattan,  Sidney  H. 
Cook  and  E.  Duane  Sherwood. 

Chapman  &  Green  have  an  establishment  in  the 
village  for  the  manufacture  of  clay  smoking  pipes. 
It  is  doing  quite  an  extensive  business,  giving 
employment  to  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  persons. 


3>2 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Camillas  Graded  School. 

School  District  No.  3  of  Camillus  furnished  for 
many  years  the  educational  facilities  of  the  village. 
The  progress  was  gradual  from  a  log  school  house, 
in  the  primitive  settlement,  to  a  frame  building, 
which,  in  turn,  was  superceded  by  a  brick  structure, 
and  finally  gave  place  to  the  present  commodious 
brick  graded  school  building  which  occupies  the  old 
site.  The  first  action  for  the  erection  of  the  present 
building  was  taken  at  a  special  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  held  on  the  15th  of  May,  1868. 
J.  O.  Slocum,  E.  K.  Harmon  and  A.  E.  Smith 
were  appointed  a  building  committee.  The  house 
was  completed  in  1869,  at  a  cost  of  $7,304.58.  It 
is  a  handsome  brick  structure,  situated  upon  an 
elevated  and  beautiful  site. 

The  school  is  graded  in  three  departments,  under 
the  efficient  management  of  Prof.  C  E.  White, 
Principal,  and  two  teachers.  Mr.  White  has  been 
Principal  most  of  the  time  for  nine  years  past.  E. 
W.  Cook,  Trustee. 

Masonic. 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1875,  a  few  breth- 
ren of  the  Masonic  Order  interested  themselves  in 
the  formation  of  a  Lodge  of  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons  in  this  village.  After  the  usual  formalities, 
a  dispensation  was  granted  by  Grand  Master,  Elwood 
E.  Thorne,  which  was  delivered  on  December  31, 
1875  ;  a  charter  was  granted  by  the  Grand  Lodge 
on  the  13th  of  June,  1876,  and  Sapphire  Lodge  No. 
768  was  formed  with  twenty-one  charter  members, 
as  follows  : 

C.  S.  Safford,  J.  H.  Lyboult,  W.  B.  Bucklin,  S. 
H.  Cook,  Jr.,  T.  A.  Fish,  J.  H.  Paddock,  E.  R. 
Glynn,  J.  O.  Slocum,  T.  V.  Owens,  Lafayette  Hur- 
dick,  S.  L.  Hopkins,  Merril  Skinner,  A.  L.  Hins- 
dale, A,  R.  Hopkins,  T.  H.  Shocns,  E.  C  Skinner, 
Cyrus  Sweet,  E.  D.  Sherwood,  E.  D.  Larkin,  H.  D. 
Burdick,  J.  Paddock. 

First  officers:  T.  H.  Shoens.  W.  M.;  J.  H. 
Lyboult.  S.  W.;  T.  A.  Fish.  J.  W. :  E.  D.  Sher- 
wood. Treasurer ;  C  S.  SafTbrd,  Secretary  ;  C.  E. 
White,  S.  D.:  W.  B.  Bucklin,  J.  D.;  H.  D.  Corwin, 
Tiler. 

The  Lodge  have  nicely  furnished  rooms  in  the 
third  story  of  the  Harmon  Block,  fitted  up  at  an 
e.xpenscof  nearly  Si.oooand  are  in  a  prosperous  con- 
dition, the  membership  having  increased  from 
twenty-one  in  1876,  to  forty-five  at  the  present 
time. 

Officers  for  1878:  J.  Harvey  Lyboult,  W.  M.; 
C.  E.  White,  S.  W.;  C.  W.  Darling,  J.  W.;  E.  E. 
Veeder,  Treasurer ;  C.  S.  Safford,  Secretary;  W. 
B.  Bucklin.  1.  D.;  H.  Abrams,  J.  D  ;  G.  T.   Dow- 


ner,  S.  M.  C;  L.  Richmond,  Jr.,  J.  M.  C;  H.  T. 
Corwin,  Tiler.  Trustees:  M.  L.  Hay,  E.  D.  Sher- 
wood, J.   O.  Slocum. 

Churches. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  of  Camillus. 
— This  church  is  located  in  Camillus  village.  The 
first  meetings  were  held  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Hewlett  Hill,  at  which  place  the  church  was  organ- 
ized under  the  name  of  the  "  First  Baptist  Church 
of  Onondaga,  in  January.  1804  The  original  mem- 
bers numbered  thirteen,  si.x  males  and  seven 
females.  The  first  house  of  worship,  built  at  How- 
lett  Hill,  was  dedicated  in  1821.  The  present  edi- 
fice at  Camillus  village  was  dedicated  January 
8.  185  I. 

From  1 804- "06,  Rev.  Ebenezer  Harrington  offici- 
ated as  pastor,  after  which  five  years  elapsed  with- 
out any  settled  minister.  Then  the  pastors  served 
in  the  order  following: 

Rev.  Peter  Warren,  (licentiate,)  i8ii-'i4;  Rev. 
Joseph  Moore.  1814  ;  Rev.  Eben  Tucker,  1821*28  ; 
Rev.  S.  Spaulding,  i829-'30;  Rev.  John  P.  Parsons 
(supply  I  from  December,  1830,  pastor  ten  months 
later,  continuing  till  1832;  Rev.  S  M.  Plumb,  1833; 
Rev.  John  Holladay,  (licentiate,)  1835  ;  Rev.  Levi 
Farnsworth.  1S36,  ordained  September,  1836  ;  Rev. 

Graham,   1838;    Rev.    Hall  Taylor,   1840; 

Rev.  Thos.  Fisher,  1S41,  ordained  June.  1841  ;  Rev. 
Henry  Brown,  1844  '47  ;  Rev.  A.  Smith,  1848  '51  ; 
Rev.  Chas.  Elliott,  1852  ;  Rev.  A.  L.  Freeman,  1853, 
ordained  August  23,  1853,  pastor  till  1858;  Rev.  D. 
McFarland,  1859  '62  ;  Rev.  E.  P.  Bingham,  part  of 
i8r)2  ;  Rev.  D.  McFarland,  1862  '65  ;  Rev.  H.  B. 
Burdick.  186C;  Rev.  W.  E.  Lockhart.  1868;  Rev. 
H.  B.  Waring,  1872  '71  ;  Rev.  D.  D.  Brown,  1874  ; 
Rev.  G.  F.  Genung,  1875,  ordained  November  3, 
1875.  present  pastor. 

The  present  membership  is  ninety-three  ;  attend- 
ance at  the  Sunday  School  about  sixty  five.  The 
church  has  taken  measures  for  the  erection  of  a  new 
house  of  worship,  which  will  be  undertaken  in  the 
spring  of  1878. 

The  First  Preshyteria.n  Church  of  Camillus 
was  organized  on  the  4th  day  of  August,  18 17,  in  a 
hotel  on  the  site  of  the  house  where  Mr.  John  Lar- 
kins  now  lives,  corner  of  Green  and  Main  streets, 
and  directly  opposite  where  the  church  now  stands. 
Meetings  had  previously  been  held  in  Nine-Mile 
Creek  School  House,  and  in  an  old  distillery  where 
now  stands  the  carriage  shop  of  James  Fergus. 
The  number  of  original  members  was  fifty-two.  six- 
teen men  and  thirty-si.x  women. 

The  first  church  edifice  was  a  wooden  building 
erected  at  a  cost  of  ^1,200  in  1822.  The  following 
pastors  and  others  have  officiated  and  supplied  the 
pulpit:      Revs.    Jabez    Spicer,    i8i7-'i9;    Jabez 


t^J* 


Q/^C^fyj^     <f^,  ~(c>C>^-tr/Cy 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  the  town  of  Marcellus, 
Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  31,  1806,  and  was  the  eldest  child 
of  Lyman  Cook  (whose  family  consisted  of  fourteen  children), 
who  was  born  in  Wallingford,  Conn.,  in  the  year  1780,  and 
Mary  Norton,  who  was  born  in  Martha's  Vineyard,  in  the  year 
1782.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  Lyman  Cook  came  to  Marcellus, 
and  was  employed  as  a  farm  laborer  during  the  summers,  and 
as  teacher  in  the  winters.  At  the  age  of  twenty-five  he  married, 
and,  having  acquired  some  means,  started  in  the  wool-carding 
and  fulling-mill  business ;  subsequently  became  a  distiller  and 
farmer.  He  died  in  the  town  of  Van  Buren,  June  30,  1837. 
Our  subject  remained  on  the  farm  with  his  father  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  attending  school  winters  until  nineteen,  when 
he  began  teaching,  which  vocation  he  followed  some  seven  or 
eight  winters.  Mr.  Cook  was  married,  Dec.  2,  1827,  to  Lois 
Mansfield,  daughter  of  Josiah  Mansfield.  The  result  of  this 
union  was  ten  children,  viz.,  Dr.  George  W.,  Mary  Eliza,  Morris 
A.,  Emily  H.,  Mansfield  J.,  Orange  L.,  C.  Janette,  Sidney  H., 
Jr.,  present  supervisor  of  Camillus,  and  Samuel  D.,  and  Fran- 


ces A., — seven  of  whom  are  living.  In  the  year  1829  our  sub- 
ject was  elected  constable  in  Marcellus,  and  subsequently  collec- 
tor. He  also  served  with  distinction  in  the  military  line,  was 
elected  corporal  upon  the  organization  of  the  independent  rifle 
company  belonging  to  the  159th  Regiment,  and  was  promoted 
until  he  attained  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel.  In  1841  he 
moved  to  Camillus,  where  he  entered  into  the  storage  and  for- 
warding business;  five  years  later,  at  Camillus  village,  he  com- 
menced purchasing  grain,  which  business  he  followed  until  1866. 
In  1843  was  elected  supervisor,  which  oflBce  he  held  three  terms. 
Was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  in  1846,  and,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  one  year,  has  held  the  office  up  to  the  present  time,  and 
was  recently  elected  for  a  full  term  of  four  years ;  has  also  been 
justice  of  sessions  seven  or  eight  times.  Mr.  Cook,  in  politics, 
is  a  Democrat  of  the  true  type. 

Mr.  Cook's  brothers.  Revs.  William  B.,  Theodore  T.,  and 
James  M.  Cook,  were  talented  ministers  of  the  Universalist 
church.  The  first  and  the  last  named  are  deceased.  Rev.  T.  T. 
Cook  is  still  in  the  ministry,  and  resides  in  Utica. 


ou^^-naZ/y'^'^^^^^^^^ 


Daniel  Bennett  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ridgefield,  Fairfield  Co.,  Cunn., 
Oct.  21,  1786.  His  ancestors  came  from  England  as  early  as  the  sixteenth 
century. 

Nathan  Bennett,  his  father,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  entered  the  Kevolu- 
tionary  army,  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  was  taken  prisoner, 
put  on  board  of  a  prison-ship,  and,  after  severe  and  intense  suftering,  ex- 
changed as  a  prisoner  of  war.  Continuing  in  the  service  of  his  country 
till  the  close  of  the  war,  he  received  a  pension,  which  continued  until  his 
death,  in  1830,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  He  was  a  man  of  good  educa- 
tion, good  memory,  and  in  comfortable  circumstances  as  a  farmer.  During 
his  life  he  held  many  public  offices. 

Huldah  Barlow,  wife  of  Nathan  Bennett,  was  the  mother  of  thirteen 
children,  of  whom  Daniel  Bennett  was  the  fifth.  Two  of  her  brothers 
were  in  the  Revolutionary  army.  One,  Joel  Barlow,  a  graduate  of  Yale 
college  in  1778,  and  a  classmate  of  Noah  Webster,  entered  the  army  as  a 
volunteer,  hut  soon  became  chaplain,  Not  long  jifter  the  close  of  the  war 
he  went  to  Paris,  where,  during  seventeen  years  of  business  life,  he  accu- 
mulated a  fortune,  with  which  he  returned  to  America.  He  went  to 
Washington,  built  a  palace  of  marble  not  far  from  the  city,  and  named  it 
"  Kalarama."  In  1811  he  was  appointed  minister  plenipotentiary  to  the 
French  government.  Besides  being  a  diplomatist,  he  was  a  man  of  literary 
taste,  and  published  several  of  his  productions.  Among  his  most  noted 
writings  is  *' The  Columbiad."  while  of  his  shorter  poems,  and  perhaps 
the  most  popular,  is  one  entitled  "The  Hasty  Pudding."  The  other 
brother  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Quebec.  She  herself  died  at  the  age 
of  forty-nine. 

In  1789,  when  Daniel  Bennett  was  only  three  years  of  age,  his  father 
migrated  to  the  town  of  Malta,  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  which  place  is  only 
seven  miles  distant  from  Saratoga  Springs.  This  migration  proved  to  be 
greatly  to  the  advantage  of  the  family. 

In  1S09,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  was  married  to  Hannah  Crawford, 
of  Saratoga.  Having  spent  four  years  of  married  life  in  Saratoga  county, 
they  resolved  to  leave  their  home  and  try  the  privations  of  a  pioneer's 
life.  They  started  westward  and  came  to  Camillus,  through  forests  which 
nearly  all  the  way  lined  their  journey.  It  was  in  the  winter  of  1813  that 
they  made  the  tedious  journey,  consuming  six  days.  Where  now  stands 
the  city  of  Syracuse  they  found  but  a  few  unattractive  houses.  The 
swampy,  marshy  country  around  them  did  not  look  inviting,  nor  prophetic 
of  a  large  and  busy  city. 

Not  having  the  means  to  purchase  land,  he  waited  for  nearly  a  year  and 
a  half  before  making  any  financial  investment;  and  then  the  investment 
could  hardly  be  called  financial,  inasmuch  as  the  first  payment  upon  a 


farm  of  fifty  acres  was  made  by  means  of  fi  yoke  of  cattle,  which  he  bor- 
roioed  from  a  friend  for  the  occasion.  The  cattle  were  valued  at  only 
thirty-five  dollars.  From  time  to  time  he  enlarged  his  farm  by  adding 
fifty-four  and  twenty-five  and  thirty  acres,  until  he  possessed  nearly  two 
hundred  and  eighty  acres.  But  nearly  all  this  time  he  was  in  debt,  not 
fairly  freeing  himself  from  one  indebtedness  before  assuming  another. 
This  made  perseverance,  industry,  and  economy  necessary.  And  no  one 
can  fully  know,  except  those  who  have  passed  through  the  same  privations, 
the  nature  and  extent  of  the  hardships  of  a  pioneer's  H!e. 

Of  a  large  family  of  ten  children, — six  daughters  and  four  sons, — all 
except  one  lived  to  mature  life. 

Mrs.  Hannah  Bennett  united  with  the  Congregational  church  in  El- 
bridge,  N.  Y.,  in  February,  1821,  and  her  husband,  Daniel  Bennett,  during 
the  following  April.  At  the  request  and  desire  of  Mr.  Bennett,  he  was 
baptized  by  immersion.  In  1850,  June  15,  he  was  elected  a  deacon  of  the 
Congregational  church,  and,  although  now  in  the  ninety-second  year  of 
his  age,  still  holds  this  same  office,  and  continues  to  faithfully  discharge  its 
duties.     For  more  than  fifty  years  he  has  taken  a  religious  newspaper. 

It  has  been  Deacon  Bennett's  custom  and  delight  to  attend  the  meetings 
of  presbytery  and  synod,  and  during  a  period  of  twenty  years  hardly  a 
meeting  was  held  in  which  he  did  not  represent  the  church.  In  18G3  he 
was  elected  to  the  general  assembly,  held  that  year  in  Philadelphia.  At 
that  gathering  he  became  well  acquainted  with  Uev.  Albert  Barnes.  Last 
autumn,  while  in  his  ninety-first  year,  he  represented  the  church  at  the 
meeting  of  synod,  held  in  the  Fourth  Presbyterian  church  of  Syracuse. 
While  Mr.  Bennett  has  always  been  greatly  interested  in  religion  and 
education,  he  has  never  sought  positions  of  public  trust. 

Much  of  his  life's  success  was  no  doubt  due  to  the  assistance  rendered  by 
his  wife,  who  possessed  great  executive  ability.  Persevering,  energetic, 
and  economizing  by  nature,  she  toiled  early  and  late  in  order  to  assist  and 
teach  her  children.  Though  small  of  stature,  yet  she  was  large  hearted. 
Her  province  was  home,  and  her  sceptre  was  love.  When  she  died  in 
1864,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five,  all  but  one  of  her  children  were  living. 

At  the  present  time  Deacon  Daniel  Bennett  is  living  near  the  old  home- 
stead, in  the  town  of  Camillus,  and  possesses,  to  a  remarkable  degree,  his 
powers  of  body  and  mind.  He  is  now  "only  waiting"  for  that  neio  home 
"not  made  with  hands." 

The  following  are  the  names  of  his  children  who  are  living:  Miss 
Huldah  B.  Bennett,  Camillus,  N,  X.;  Mrs.  Rhoa  B.  Hinsdell,  Camillus, 
N.  Y.;  Mrs.  Harriet  Brown,  Geneseo,  111.:  Mrs.  Mary  Jane  Hofll",  Pitts- 
burgh, Pa.;  Mr.  Joel  Barlow  Bennett,  Camillus,  N.  Y.;  Mrs.  Ann  Eliza 
Sweet,  Elbridge,  N.  Y. :  and  Mrs.  Emma  0.  Rice,  Elbridge,  N.  Y. 


Phulo.  by  W.  V.  B>0(*r,  SyracUM. 


JONATHAN   WIIITK. 


Ill  IHOI,  .)i»H,-|ih  Wliite,  II  llevoliititinary  soiKlii-r,  fiiiiu'  witti 
li'iH  fiiinily  fn»iii  Wcjtt  Spriiiiificlil,  Miinh.,  t<i  ('aiii'illu.s,  and 
lMiti);lil  a  fanii  jii.sl  iiorlli  of  tlio  briilj:f  over  Nim-  Mile  crt'ok, 
at  tliu  villn;;i-  of  Aiiiboy.  Tlii'V  wxm  liiiilt  a  Kiiw-iiiill  and 
fulliii;;  and  dyi-ing  wurkii,  wliii-li,  in  (Ikkso  da^H  of  lioiiK'S|iiin, 
did  a  floiiridhiii^  biiMiiu**.  JtJM'pli  Wliito  viof  a  Hurvi-yor, 
and,  wliili-  (i|M'nini;  a  lii;;li\vay,  ri'ccivcd  an  injury  frtnii  a  fallin-^ 
tn-v,  wliicli  partially  ]ianily/AHl  liini  and  niiiGiii'd  liiin  to  tliu 
houM!  for  wvumi  ycnm,  until  lii.s  dcutli  in  IH^itl,  nj^nl  ui);lity- 
oiic  yearn.  His  wife,  I'hebe  C,  died  in  1829,  ajit'd  scvonty- 
wvi-n  yt>ars.  His  h4>iin  filled  (inmiinrnt  |ila<'t's  in  town.  Klijali 
was  u  Mirvi-yiir.  and  Hamld  a  ni:i:;istrali-  and  in('nilH.T  of  !Lss4-m- 
bly.  Ill  the  Wnrof  1812  the  luttt'r  wan  first  lirulenaiit,  and  was 
Ktationed  in  the  fort  at  Oswego.  He  ninrried,  in  IS27,  Marietta 
Morloy,  of  Wi«t  Sprin^zfield,  Ma.ss.,  and  died  in  ls;{2,  aged 
forty -8ix.  Klijali  died  iiiiniarried  in  1K:!<),  ageil  fitly-fcmr. 
Two  of  Harold's  children  grew  uji, — Qcorgo  C,  now  living  in 
I'lattsburgh,  N.  Y.,  and  Harold  M.,  who  graduated  at  Union 
eoUege,  in  1S5G,  was  adiiiilt<-d  to  thi^  bar  in  IH.VJ,  removed 
lu  Iowa  ill  18G(>,  volunteered  in  18lil,aiid  diiti  in  the  army 
in  Duccuibor,  18G2,  aged  thirty  yejirs. 

In  1812,  Aurun  White  followed  his  brother,  Jiis«>ph,  from 
Ma.ssaehii.'<etl.s  with  his  family,  and  Imught  a  part  of  l/it  '.i, 
Onondugii  re.servution,  siiiee  held  by  his  dcKcendant^.      lie  died 


in  18:JM,  aged  eighty-six.  His  widow,  Liiey  Kellogg.  die«l  in 
1818,  agiil  eighty-eight.  Of  their  eliildreii.  only  Jonallian 
loeat4tl  |H-rmaiiently  in  (.'aiuillus.  He  walke<l  from  Ma.ssachu- 
setts  when  eighteen  years  old,  and  heliRil  to  clear  the  farm  on 
which  he  alVerwanls  liveil.  In  18i:j  he  marched  with  the 
militia  to  Sinilli's  Mills  to  defend  the  frontier.  In  182-  he 
joined  the  Presbyterian  church  at  (.'ainillus,  and  in  1845,  with 
others,  liel|)cd  to  or^mizc  the  Pri'sbyterian  church  at  Aniboy. 
He  .Hervi-d  as  an  elder  in  these  churches  nearly  fifty  years. 
lie  wiLs  active  in  siist«iniiig  Sunday-schools  and  neighborh<Nid 
mcelings  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town,  and  kept  o|K-n  house 
for  all  clinicid  or  lay  brethren  who  needed  entertainment.  He 
was  a  man  of  strict  integrity,  and  wji.-*  frii|ueiitly  intrusted 
with  town  officii.  In  politics,  he  was  u  DeiutK-rut  up  to  1848; 
thereafter  a  Frec-soilor  and  Kepubliciin. 

In  18:{8  he  married  Marietta  White,  widow  of  his  cousin 
Harold,  and  hud  one  son,  Jonathan  li.,  now  living  in  Caioillus. 
He  died  in  1874,  aged  eighty,  and  his  wife  in  1855,  oged 
sixty-one  years. 

Jonathan  White  was  a  man  of  many  ]ieeuliaritius ;  his  form 
was  slender  and  stooping ;  his  movements  were  quick  and  ner- 
vous ;  his  disposition  kind ;  his  speech  and  temper  hasty. 
Karnest  in  whatever  he  undertook,  and  with  decidiil  opinions, 
he  cured  little  who  was  for  or  against  hiui. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


313 


Chadwick,  i82i-'25  ;  Hutchins  Taylor,  i826-'28  ; 
E.  H.  Adams,  i829-'3i  ;  B.  B.  Stockton,  i83i-'33; 
Moody  Harrington,  i834-'39;  Josiah  Ward,  1840- 
'46.  Rev.  Mr.  Kingsley  supplied  the  church  dur- 
ing the  year  1847,  and  was  succeeeed  by  Rev. 
William  W.  Williams  from  1 848-' 5 3. 

From  i853-'6o,  the  pulpit  was  supplied  from  the 
Theological  Seminary  at  Auburn.  Rev.  E.  R. 
Davis  was  pastor  from  i86o-'66.  From  i866-'68, 
the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  Messrs.  Grosvenor, 
Hopkins  and  Kneeland.  During  this  period  a  new 
church  was  built,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Muer  occupied  the 
pulpit  two  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  S. 
Root,  who  remained  from  1^7 y' 77 ;  since  his 
departure  the  pulpit  has  been  supplied  mainly  from 
the  Auburn  Theological  Seminary. 

The  present  membership  of  the  church  is  fifty- 
one  ;  Sunday  School,  eighty-eight  ;  teachers,  nine  ; 
infant  class,  sixteen.  Greenville  Gayiord,  Superin- 
tendent. 

Methodist  Episcop.^l  Church  of  Camillus. 
— In  1827  Camillus  was  a  "preaching  place"  in 
the  Marcellus  circuit,  there  being  a  small  society 
organized  there  at  that  time.  Meetings  were  held  in 
private  houses  and  school  houses.  The  Presiding 
Elder  at  that  time  was  Rev.  George  Gary,  and 
Revs  Zenas  Jones,  Orrin  Doolittle  and  Morgan 
Sherman  circuit  preachers.  A  church  was  built  at 
Camillus  in  1830.  Presiding  Elder,  Rev.  John 
Dempster ;  Circuit  Preachers,  Revs.  Isaac  Puffer 
and  G.  W.  Dinsmore.  In  1836,  Camillus  was  made 
a  "  station  "  with  Rev.  Z.  Paddock,  Presiding  Elder  ; 
and  Rev.  Ross  Clark,  Station  Preacher. 

The  society  at  present  numbers  eighty-eight 
members  ;  the  average  attendance  at  Sunday 
School,  forty.  Church  property  is  valued  at  about 
$5,000,  and  the  parsonage  at  $1,500.  Rev.  D.  W. 
Bristol,  D.  D.,  is  Presiding  Elder,  and  Rev.  F.  H. 
Stanton,  who  has  held  this  charge  for  three  years, 
Pastor  at  the  present  time. 

AMBOY, 

On  Nine-Mile  Creek,  three  miles  below  Camillus 
Village,  was  first  settled  by  Joseph  White,  who  built 
a  fulling  mill  here  in  1801,  and  sawmill  in  1806. 
The  place  now  contains  a  saw  and  stave  mill,  flour- 
ing mill  and  cider  mill.  The  large  flouring  mill 
was  erected  by  Nathan  Paddock  in  1826-27,  and  is 
now  owned  by  Lafayette  Burdick,  who  has  been  in 
possession  of  the  property  since  1861. 

There  is  also  a  tannery  here,  conducted  by  D.  B. 
Paddock  ;  a  Presbyterian  church  and  a  Methodist 
class  connected  with  the  charge  at  Belle  Isle. 

Amboy  has  two  physicians — Dr.  L.  C.  Skinner, 


a  graduate  of  Hobart  College  in  1840,  and  a  prac- 
titioner here  since  the  same  year ;  and  his  son, 
Dr.  E.  C.  Skinner,  who  graduated  at  the  Medical 
College  of  the  University  of  New  York  in  1874. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  of  Amboy. — This 
is  the  first  and  only  religious  organization  of  the 
place.  The  records  show  that  a  meeting  was  held 
December  23,  1845,  in  the  new  meeting  house 
erected  the  same  year  at  a  probable  cost  of  $3,000 
and  in  present  use,  at  which  Rev's  Thos.  Castleton, 
J.  J.  Ward,  J.  W.  Adams,  A.  L.  Otis,  J.  E.  Meyers, 
A.  C.  Lathrop  ;  and  Ruling  Elders,  T.  R.  Porter  and 
J.  Skinner,  were  present  as  the  Committee  of  the 
Onondaga  Presbytery  (^since,  with  the  Oswego  and 
Mohawk  Presbyteries,  merged  into  the  Presbytery 
of  Syracuse,)  to  constitute  the  church  ;  which  was 
duly  organized  with  forty-nine  communicants,  all 
received  by  certificate  from  the  Congregational 
church  at  Van  Buren  Center  and  from  the  Presby- 
terian church  at  Camillus. 

The  church  building  was  then  dedicated,  followed 
by  the  election  of  Heman  Warner,  J.  Skinner, 
Jonathan  White,  and  William  Reed,  Elders  ;  Tru- 
man Skinner,  Henry  L.  Warner,  and  Pardee  Ladd, 
Deacons.  Of  these  all,  excepting  Pardee  Ladd, 
had  elsewhere  held  the  same  offices 

The  first  settled  minister  of  the  church  was  Rev. 
Alfred  C.  Lathrop,  1845-47;  Rev.  Norman  B. 
Sherwood,  i848-'49  ;  Rev.  D.  H.  Kingsley,  1849- 
'50  ;  Rev.  R.  J.  Cone,  i850-'52  ;  Rev.  Edward  S. 
Lacy,  1852-53;  Rev.  Hubert  P.  Herrick,  1853; 
Rev.  Richard  Dunning,  i854-'58;  Rev.  Lucius  E. 
Barnard,  i859-'6o  ;  Rev.  John  S.  Bacon,  1862-70; 
Rev.  Frederick  Hebard,  i870-'72  ;  Rev.  A.  J. 
Quick,  1872-75,  and  Rev.  Benjamin  B.  Dayton, 
June  I,  1876,  the  present  pastor. 

Since  the  organization  of  the  church  the  roll  of 
membership  has  included  two  hundred  and  eighty- 
two  names.  Of  this  number  seventy-three  have 
been  dismissed  to  other  churches,  fifty-five  have 
gone  from  earth,  and  eight  have  been  suspended, 
leaving  the  present  membership,  (January,  1878,) 
one  hundred  and  forty-six.  The  membership  of  the 
Sabbath  School  is  one  hundred  and  fifty-three. 

BELLE  ISLE 

Is  a  post-hamlet  on  the  Erie  Canal  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  town  of  Camillus.  Thomas  Machan  has 
been  Postmaster  since  i860,  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace  since  1868.  William  Ecker  was  Justice  of 
the  Peace  from  1864  to  1868.  The  place  contains 
one  store,  wagon  and  blacksmith  shops.  The  store 
is  kept  by  M.  L.  Hay. 

The  M.  E.  Church  at  this  place  was  erected  in 
185 1  ;  Jaben  Armstrong,  Henry  Safford,  John   C. 


3«4 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Hatton,  first  Trustees  and  principal  contributors  to 
the  church  building.  Rev.  Mr.  Coop  was  the  first 
pastor  ;  present  pastor,  C.  VV.  Rowley. 

Robert  Martin  owns  the  present  saw  mill  north 
of  Belle  Isle,  known  as  the  "  Corwin  Mills,"  rebuilt 
at  a  cost  of  5r,200.  with  an  additional  cost  of  $750 
for  cider  press, and  one  run  of  stones  for  grain.  In 
1876,  he  manufactured  two  hundred  barrels  of 
cider,  and  is  now  doing  a  general  business,  working 
his  farm  of  twenty-five  acres  in  connection  with  his 
milling. 


BiOGiiAPHic^L  Sketch 


BKNNETT  BROTHERS. 

Among  the  representative  farmers  of  Onondaga 
county  for  nearly  forty  years,  were  the  Bennett 
Brothers,  of  Camillus.  Their  business  relationship, 
commencing  in  1 836, was  continued  until  the  death  of 
Mr.  Lewis  Bradley  Bennett. in  1874;  and,  remarkable 
as  it  may  seem,  all  transactions  were  planned  and 
carried  out  without  resorting  to  any  written  con- 
tract between  them  They  lived,  toiled  and  labored 
together  as  brothers,  each  trying  to  out-vie  the 
other  in  the  amount  of  work  done.  Yearly  all 
accounts  were  examined  and  adjusted.  In  this,  no 
doubt,  lay  one  clement  of  success. 

These  brothers,  Lewis  Bradley  and  Joel  Barlow, 
in  184c,  purchased  one  hundred  acres  of  land,  and 
during  the  twenty  years  which  followed,  added  to 
that  amount,  until  in  i860,  their  estate  numbered 
nearly  si.\  hundred  acres,  at  an  average  cost  of  si.xty 
dollars  per  acre  During  the  financial  depressions 
of  the  country  they  prosperously,  yet  slowly,  pushed 
forward.  With  energy,  patience  and  industry  they 
improved  their  entire  estate,  with  respect  to  fences 
and  buildini;s  ;  enriched  the  soil  by  means  of  stock, 
plaster  and  clover,  until  a  high  state  of  cultivation 
was  reached.  The  strength  and  fertility  of  the 
soil,  a  sandy  loam  mixed  with  clay,  placed  their 
large  farm  among  the  very  first  in  productiveness 
in  Onondaga  County. 

Tht  kind  of  farming  followed  was  chiefly  grain 
and  stock  raising.  During  ten  successive  years 
the  average  sown  yearly  was  nearly  two  hundred 
acres,  or  one-third  of  the  entire  estate,  while  often 
a  herd  of  eighty  cattle  could  be  seen,  with  flocks  of 
sheep  numbering  eight  hundred.  The  largest 
product  of  grain  in  one  year  was  si.\  thousand 
bushels -of  wheat,  barley,  oats  and  corn — while  in 
1864.  the  highest  price  for  produce  was  obtained. 


fifteen  hundred  bushels  of  wheat  being  marketed 
for  three  dollars  and  a  half  per  bushel.  The  nec- 
essary meadow  land,  yearly,  was  not  far  from  eighty 
to  a  hundred  acres.  The  winter  season  during 
fifteen  years  was  spent  in  clearing  wood  land,  until 
one  hundred  acres  had  been  rendered  arable.  Thus 
their  winter's  harvests  were  nearly  as  profitable  as 
those  of  summer. 

With  a  large  and  productive  farm,  finely  located, 
gently  sloping  to  the  south  ;  with  large  and  well 
arranged  fields  ;  with  barns  of  great  dimensions, 
one  of  which  for  nearly  twenty  years  was  a  model 
for  the  surrounding  country;  with  the  latest  and 
most  improved  machinery,  which  they  took  great 
pleasure  in  introducing  :  with  all  these  something 
else  seemed  necessary  in  order  to  have  contentment. 
Each  wished  for  a  better  house,  and  they  planned 
to  erect  a  dwelling  for  each  which  would  be  satis- 
factory. Mr.  Lewis  Bradley  Bennett  succeeded  in 
finishing  a  structure,  of  beautiful  exterior,  whose 
interior  arrangement  and  finish  can  not  well  be 
surpassed  for  a  farmer's  use.  Containing,  as  it 
does,  large  and  conveniently  arranged  rooms,  with 
the  modern  improvements  of  bath  rooms  and 
furnace,  one  looks  upon  it  with  feelings  of  pleasure 
and  almost  pride.  Soon  after  the  completion  of 
this  beautiful  structure  its  builder  died,  having 
occupied  it  only  a  few  months. 

Not  long  after  his  brother's  death,  Mr.  Joel 
Barlow  Bennett  took  possession  of  this  house,  where 
with  his  wife.  Rosanna  S..  he  now  lives,  carrying 
on  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which 
remains  from  the  original  estate.  Through  the 
taste  and  patience  of  a  nephew,  Mr.  Charles  B. 
Brown,  the  grounds  have  been  tastefully  laid  out, 
and  a  lawn  neatly  and  carefully  made,  and  to-day 
the  landscape  gardening  of  this  residence  attracts 
and  merits  universal  attention. 

Mr.  Joel  Barlow  Bennett  was  born  in  Camillus, 
Onondaga  County.  N.  Y.  July  22d.  1815.  His 
brother.  Lewis  Bradley  Bennett,  was  born  in  Camil- 
lus, September  29th.  1813,  and  married  Mary  War- 
ing, of  Saratoga.  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y..  February 
I5lh.  1842.  He  died  December  22d,  1874.  in  the 
sixty-second  year  of  his  age.  At  the  time  of  his 
death  he  was  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church  in  Elbridge,  and  one  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  the  churth.  and  also  of  the  Munro 
Collegiate  Institute  In  June.  1874,  he  made  a  legacy 
to  the  church  of  which  he  was  a  member  of  ^1,000. 
to  be  used  for  its  support.  At  the  same  time  he 
bequeathed  large  amounts  of  property  to  his  imme- 
diate relatives.  He  lelt  a  widow,  1  ul  i  «i  children. 
He  was  of  mild  disp«ibilion,   yielding,  yet   firm  and 


Rib    or  J   B    BENNETT  ,    Cawiii 


Onondaga    County,   New  York. 


s 


6g 
to 

Ci 


-^ 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


315 


persevering.  While  he  was  energetic  in  business 
affairs,  he  was  peaceable  in  the  community  in  which 
he  lived.  He  did  not  love  public  positions  and  only 
accepted  them  when  urged  upon  him.     The  com- 


munity in  which  he  lived,  his  employes  and  family 
friends  only  knew  his  true  worth.  Among  the 
many  monuments  he  left,  none  are  so  good  as  those 
of  friendship  and  affection. 


LYSANDER 


Lysander  was  formerly  Township  number  one 
of  the  Military  Tract,  and  became  one  of  the  eleven 
original  towns  of  Onondaga  County  at  its  organiza- 
tion in  1794.  It  then  embraced  the  townships  of 
Lysander,  Hannibal  and  Cicero.  The  first  town 
meeting  was  directed  by  law  to  be  held  at  the  house 
of  Ryal  Bingham,  Esq.,  then  residing  at  Three 
River  Point.  Hannibal,  now  in  Oswego  County, 
was  taken  from  it  in  1806  and  Cicero  in  1807.  In 
18 16,  when  the  county  of  Oswego  was  organized, 
thirty-three  lots  of  the  township  of  Lysander  were 
included  in  the  county  of  Oswego  and  town  of 
Granby,  which  leaves  but  sixty-seven  lots  in  the  town 
of  Lysander.  This  town  is  situated  in  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  county.  It  is  of  a  peculiar 
shape,  owing  to  the  crookedness  of  the  Seneca 
River  which  forms  the  boundary  between  this  town 
and  Elbridge,  Van  Buren,  Geddes,  Salina  and  Clay. 
One  little  lake,  viz  :  Mud  or  Beaver  Lake,  exists 
within  its  boundaries.  The  soil  is  good,  and  com- 
pares favorably  with  any  portion  of  the  county  for 
agricultural  purposes. 

Of  the  earliest  settlers  in  this  town  the  following 
is  a  partial  list :  Ryal  Bingham,  near  Three  River 
Point,  in  1793  ;  Jonathan  Palmer,  near  the  center 
of  the  town,  the  same  year  ;  Adam  Emerick,  Elijah 
and  Solomon  Hall,  Col.  Thomas  Farrington,  Elijah 
Mann,  Ebenezer  Wells,  James  Cowan,  Abner  and 
Manly  Vickery,  Job  Loomis  and  John  P.  Schuyler, 
all  came  in  about  the  year  1800,  or  some  of  them  a 
year  or  two  previous.  Jacobus  DePuy  cleared  off 
about  fifty  acres  in  1805  and  1806  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river  at  Baldwinsville  and  put  it  into 
wheat. 

This  town  was  at  first  considered  unhealthy  and 
settlements  were  somewhat  retarded  in  consequence, 
but  the  clearing  of  the  land  and  bringing  it  under 
cultivation  produced  a  great  change,  and  as  im- 
provements extended  its  settlements  increased  with 
great  rapidity.  By  cultivation  and  drainage  the  soil 
has  become  dry  and  free  from  stagnant  surface  wa- 
ter, so  that  the  town  of  Lysander  is  now  as  healthy 


and  productive  a  locality  as  can  be  found  in  this 
portion  of  the  State. 

The  town  of  Lysander  was  not  fully  organized 
till  1798,  when  the  Supervisor,  Mr.  Asa  Rice,  who 
lived  near  Oswego,  reported  for  the  town,  including 
the  townships  of  Lysander,  Hannibal  and  Cicero, 
the  number  of  "  fifteen  inhabitants,"  and  the  valua- 
tion of  taxable  property  for  the  town  was  estimated 
at  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  Mr.  Rice  was  Super- 
visor till  Hannibal  was  formed  into  a  town  by  itself 
The  old  records  of  the  town  are  not  to  be  found, 
those  now  in  the  Clerk's  office  going  no  farther 
back  than  1808,  at  which  time  we  find  some  of  the 
principal  officers  as  follows  :  Elijah  Snow,  Super- 
visor ;  James  Adams,  Town  Clerk  ;  William  Wil- 
son, and  James  Clark,  Assessors.  In  i  809,  Elijah 
Snow  was  Supervisor,  and  Cyrus  Baldwin,  Town 
Clerk. 

BALDWINSVILLE. 

This  important  manufacturing  village  is  situated 
in  the  towns  of  Lysander  and  Van  Buren  on  both 
sides  of  the  Seneca  River,  five  miles  west  of  the 
outlet  of  Onondaga  Lake  and  twelve  miles  north- 
west of  Syracuse.  Its  name  is  derived  from  its 
founder.  Dr.  Jonas  C.  Baldwin,  who  commenced 
improvements  here  in  the  spring  of  1807.  The 
place  was  then  called  "  Columbia"  and  bore  this 
name  till  the  establishment  of  a  postoffice  here 
in  18 17,  when  the  Postmaster  General,  in  conse- 
quence of  there  being  another  Post  Town  of  the 
same  name  in  the  State,  changed  it  to  "Baldwins 
Bridge."  But  the  name  of  Baldwinsville  being  pre- 
ferred by  the  inhabitants,  it  was  substituted  by  the 
Postoffice  Department,  and  has  since  continued  to 
be  the  name  of  the  village. 

Dr.  Baldwin  had  purchased  a  place  at  Ovid, 
Seneca  County,  and  was  moving  there  with  his  fam- 
ily in  1799.  Mrs.  Baldwin  having  left  her  com- 
fortable home  at  Little  Falls  with  regret,  was  assured 
by  her  husband  that  he  would  purchase  the  first 
place  on  their  route  that  she  might  select.    Upon 


3>6 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


their  arrival  at  the  site  of  Baldwinsville,  where  they 
remained  over  night,  Mrs.  Baldwin  was  delighted 
with  the  place  and  remarked  to  her  husband,  "  If 
our  property  lay  here,  remote  from  settlement  and 
lonely  as  it  is,  I  should  be  willing  to  stop  and  take 
up  my  residence  for  life."  The  result  was  that 
both  were  satisfied  with  the  selection  of  this  charm- 
ing spot  for  their  future  home. 

The  following  night  they  lodged  with  John  Mc- 
Harrie  who  had  settled  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
river  some  forty  rods  above  where  the  dam  now 
joins  that  shore.  From  Mr.  McHarrie  Dr.  Bald- 
win learned  who  was  the  owner  of  the  favorite  lot 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  The  following  year 
(1798)  he  went  to  Philadelphia  to  the  owner  and 
purchased  it.  After  residing  a  few  years  at  Ovid 
he  sold  his  property  there  and  came  to  Onondaga. 

In  the  meantime  settlers  had  located  in  different 
parts  of  the  town  of  Lysander  and  the  north  part 
of  Camilhis,  now  Van  Buren,  and  finding  themselves 
in  need  of  mills,  and  knowing  "  McHarrie's  Rifts  " 
to  be  an  excellent  water-power,  these  scattering  set- 
tlers assembled,  drew  up  a  memorial  and  sent  it  on 
by  a  strong  delegation,  in  the  spring  of  1807,  to 
Dr.  Baldwin,  then  residing  at  Onondaga,  urging  him 
in  the  strongest  terms  to  improve  the  water-power 
in  the  erection  of  mills  upon  those  rapids.  He  had 
contemplated  doing  this  at  some  future  period,  but 
not  so  soon  by  five  or  six  years.  Finally,  yielding 
to  entreaty,  he  resolved  forthwith  to  enter  upon  the 
work.  On  account  of  sickness  among  the  work- 
men and  other  hindrances,  it  was  not  till  late  in  the 
autumn  of  the  second  year  that  Dr.  Baldwin  got 
his  mill  in  successful  operation.  Desirable  as  this 
object  was,  it  did  not  compensate  for  the  personal 
sacrifices  already  made. 

Although  but  the  second  year  since  the  first 
blow  had  been  struck,  the  settlement  assumed  the 
appearance  of  a  "  log  town  in  the  wilderness."  For 
many  succeeding  years  the  local  fevers  prevailed, 
vitiating  the  healthfulness  of  this  favorite  spot  and 
bringing  many  to  premature  graves. 

The  Seneca  River  being  a  public  highway,  and 
much  used  as  such,  it  became  immediately  neces- 
sary to  provide  for  the  passage  of  boats  around  the 
dam.  Dr.  Baldwin  therefore  constructed  a  canal 
and  lock  for  that  purpose.  In  1808  he  petitioned 
the  Legislature  for  permission  to  construct  a  dam, 
locks  and  canal  at  that  point.  But  the  State  hav- 
ing previously  transferred  its  title  to  the  "  Inland 
Lock  Navigation  Company,"  could  not  with  pro- 
priety grant  privileges  to  Dr.  Baldwin.  He  there- 
upon purchased  of  said  company  their  right  and 
interest   in   all    the  waters  between  the  outlet   of 


Oneida  River  and  Cayuga  Lake.  In  1809,  the 
Legislature  granted  his  petition  for  such  erections 
and  improvements.  This  right  was  granted  to  Dr. 
Baldwin  and  his  assigns  for  twenty  years.  The 
collection  of  certain  tolls  was  authorized  upon  all 
boats  passing  through  said  canal  and  locks.  At 
first  the  amount  collected  was  small,  but  with  the 
increase  of  business  it  became  considerable,  and  in 
time  would  have  repaid  the  outlay,  had  not  the 
State  changed  its  policy  and  taken  the  entire  sub- 
ject of  internal  navigation  and  improvement  under 
its  own  control.  The  completion  of  the  middle  sec- 
tion of  the  Erie  canal  rendered  nugatory  the  busi- 
ness of  the  original  route,  since  which  this  canal 
and  locks  have  been  of  comparatively  little  import- 
ance. In  1809,  the  dam  across  the  river  was  swept 
away  by  a  heavy  spring  freshet,  and  such  was  the 
nature  of  the  damage  sustained  that  it  became 
necessary  to  erect  a  new  dam,  which  was  not  com- 
pleted till  the  following  year.  He  this  year  erected 
a  toll  bridge  across  the  river  under  provisions 
made  by  law,  upon  the  site  occupied  by  the  pres- 
ent bridge.  At  the  same  time  a  new  mill,  of 
enlarged  dimensions  was  erected  by  Dr.  Baldwin. 
It  was  afterwards  converted  into  a  woolen  factory 
and  subsequently  burnt  down.  He  used  his  efforts 
sucessfully  to  procure  the  laying  out  of  a  State  road 
between  Onondaga  Hill  and  Oswego,  and  also  pro- 
cured the  passage  of  an  act  authorizing  the  con- 
struction of  a  turnpike  from  Westmoreland  to  Sodus 
Bay. 

The  village  continued  prosperous  and  flourishing 
till  1819,  when  the  diversion  of  the  business  usually 
(lone  on  the  Seneca  river  to  the  Erie  canal  seemed 
for  a  time  to  paralyze  every  interest.  The  growth 
of  the  surrounding  country,  however,  in  time  ren- 
dered its  water-power  valuable,  and  new  energies 
and  investments  of  capital  awakened  a  new  spirit  of 
progress.  From  this  era  its  growth  was  steady  and 
rapid. 

"  After  1807,  saw  mills  were  erected  almost  with- 
out number.  In  1808,  Dr.  Baldwin  erected  one  with 
six  saws  and  carriages.  In  1824,  Messrs.  Start  & 
Mott  erected  a  mill  with  two  saws  and  carriages. 
In  1826,  Mr.  James  Johnson  built  a  mill  with  four 
saws  and  carriages,  and  Messrs.  Stephen  and 
Harvey  Baldwin,  a  mill  with  a  gang  of  fifteen  saws. 
Start  &  Mott's  mill  burned  down  in  1834,  and  was 
rebuilt  in  1847  by  Richard  M.  Beach.  In  1839 
Thomas  P.  Campbell  erected  a  mill  with  two  saws 
and  carriages.  In  1848  Howard  &  Cook  built  a 
mill  with  two  saws  and  carriages. 

"Several  grist  mills  were  erected  from  time  to 
time,  and   among  others  the  noted  mill  erected  by 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


317 


Sanford  C.  Parker  in  1836-7.  This  mill  was  60  by 
100  feet  in  dimensions,  four  stories  besides  base- 
ment, and  capable  of  manufacturing  200  barrels  of 
flour  daily,  besides  custom  grinding."*  This  mill 
was  burnt  in  1861,  and  rebuilt  by  Johnson,  Cook  & 
Co.,  in   1862.     (See  Baldwinsville  Manufacturers.) 

Early  Merchants. 

Dr.  Jonas  C.  Baldwin  opened  a  store  at  Baldwins- 
ville in  1807,  and  continued  till  1813.  In  1813, 
Judge  Otis  Bigelow  commenced  selling  goods  in  the 
village  and  continued  till  1863,  a  period  of  fifty 
years.  Judge  Bigelow  was  a  prominent  and  leading 
citizen,  father  of  the  present  Col.  Payne  Bigelow, 
and  was  born  in  Worcester  County,  Mass. ,  February 
I,  1785.     He  died  June  21,  1864,  aged  eighty  years. 

John  Hamill  opened  a  store  in  1816;  Jonas  C. 
Brewster,  in  1821  ;  Luther  Badger,  in  1823  ;  Robins 
&  Wells,  in  1832;  Sanford  C.  Parker,  in  1835; 
John  Tomlinson  &  Co.,  in  1838;  D.  C.  Lusk  & 
Co ,  in  1846. 

Bar  of  Baldwinsville. 
Reuben  S.  Orvis,  Esq.,  was  the  first  lawyer  in 
the  village.  He  commenced  the  practice  of  law 
here  in  1816.  Samuel  H.  Hammond,  Esq.,  began 
as  an  attorney  in  1S26;  and  afterwards  Cornelius 
Pugsley,  Esq.,  and  others  established  themselves 
as  members  of  the  Baldwinsville  bar.  Colonel  I. 
T.  Minard  came  here  in  1833,  and  D.  C.  Green- 
field, Esq.,  in  1848.  Present  attorneys :  DeWitt 
C.  Greenfield,  George  Hall,  N.  M.  White,  Isaac  T. 
Minard,  F.  A.  Marvin,  J.  R.  Shea  and  C.  M.  West. 

Physicians. 

Dr.  Jonas  C.  Baldwin,  on  his  first  arrival  at 
Baldwinsville,  practiced  medicine  when  necessary 
till  other  physicians  arrived.  In  18 14,  Dr.  Cyrus 
Baldwin  established  himself  as  a  regular  physician, 
and  Dr.  Silas  Wallace  in  1816.  Dr.  Phillip  Sharp 
settled  about  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  the  village 
as  early  as  1823.  Later,  Dr.  H.  J.  Shumway,  Dr. 
Farnsworth,  and  Dr.  Lee  settled  as  physicians  in 
the  village,  and  were  followed  by  Dr.  Elijah  Law- 
rence, Dr.  John  Briggs  and  others.  The  present 
physicians  are  Henry  B.  Allen,  J.  V.  Kendall,  J.  C. 
B.  Wallace,  J.  F.  Wells,  A.    H.  Marks  and  L.  V. 

Flint. 

Postmasters. 

A  postoffice  was  first  established  at  Baldwins- 
ville in  1817,  Dr.  Jonas  C.  Baldwin,  Postmaster. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Stephen  W.  Baldwin,  Otis 
Bigelow,  Austin  Baldwin,  Dr.  L.  B.  Hall,  Dr. 
Daniel  T.   Jones,  E.   B.  Wigent,    Irvin  Williams, 

*  Clark's  Onondaga. 
49 


David  S.  Wilkins  and  W.  W.  Perkins,  the  present 
Postmaster  (1878.) 

Prior  to  18 17  mail  matter  was  obtained  from  the 
postoffice  at  Onondaga  Hollow  and  by  boats  from 
Salina.  Any  citizen  who  visited  the  Hollow  would 
go  to  the  postoffice  and  bring  the  mail  for  his  neigh- 
bors. Col.  Payne  Bigelow  relates  that  his  father. 
Judge  Bigelow,  in  18 16,  used  to  get  his  mail  at 
Three  River  Point,  where  it  was  brought  by  boat- 
men from  Salina  and  deposited  with  a  Mr.  Sweet, 
who  kept  a  log  tavern  on  the  Lysander  side  of  the 
river. 

After  the  postoffice  was  established  in  1817,  the 
mails  were  for  some  time  carried  on  horse  back. 
More  than  forty  years  ago,  Walter  D.  Herrick,  who 
kept  a  hotel  in  the  present  American  Hotel  build- 
ing, put  on  a  line  of  stages  running  from  Baldwins- 
ville to  Syracuse,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  the 
mail,  passengers  and  freight.  The  road  usually 
taken  was  through  "  HardscraBle,"  Belle  Isle  and 
Fairmount,  to  Syracuse. 

At  one  time  Col.  Stephen  W.  Baldwin  ran  a 
small  steamboat  to  and  from  Syracuse  by  way  of 
the  river,  outlet  and  Onondaga  Lake,  for  the  ac- 
comodation of  passengers,  and  it  was  not  till  the 
completion  of  the  Oswego  and  Syracuse  Railroad, 
in  October,  1848,  that  Baldwinsville  enjoyed  full  and 
speedy  communication  with  all  other  sections  of 
the  country. 

A  tow-path  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Senecai 
River  extending  from  Mud  Lock  to  Baldwinsville, 
connects  the  village  with  the  Oswego  Canal.  Sen- 
eca River,  with  a  fall  of  eight  feet,  furnishes  one  of 
the  best  sites  for  hydraulic  works  in  this  section  of 
the  State,  and  being  surrounded  by  a  country  of 
great  fertility  and  beauty,  it  must  ever  be  a  village 
of  considerable  activity  and  importance. 

Incorporation. 

The  village  was  incorporated  with  the  name  of 
Baldwinsville  under  the  provisions  of  the  general 
incorporating  act  June  3,  1848.  A  new  charter 
was  obtained  in  1868,  and  a  law  passed  April  21, 
1868,  dividing  the  village  into  three  wards. 

The  following  were  the  first  municipal  officers, 
elected  in  1848  : 

President,  LeRoy  Morgan.  Trustees,  E.  A. 
Baldwin,  Elisha  Hickok,  Irvin  Williams,  Almon 
Farr.     Clerk,  E.   B.  Wigent. 

Presidents  of  the  village  from  1849  to  187S,  in- 
clusive : 

1849-51,  Henry  Case,  Jr.;  1852,  Samuel  Bisdee; 
1853-54,  Sanford  C.  Parker  ;  1855,  E.  B.  Wigent; 
1856,   John    Boley  ;   1857,    D.    D.   Norton  ;   1858, 


3«8 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Sam'l  Avery;  1859,  D.  C.  Greenfield  ;  i860.  Stephen 
\V.  Haldwin  ;  1861,  Jas.  Hamill ;  1862,  J.  O.  Slocum; 
1863,  Eli  Perry  ;  1864-65.  \V.  W.  I'erkins  ;  1866, 
L.  H.  Cheney;  1867.  J.  P.  Shumway  ;  1868-70, 
J.  J.  Kaulback  ;  1871  *7-.  ^^^llace  Tappan ;  1873, 
I.  M.  Haldwin  ;  1874,  J  L.  Voorhccs  ;  1875,  Erwin 
Fairbanks;   1 876-78,  Wm.  F.  Morris. 

The  present  village  officers  (1878)  are  as  follows  : 
Wm  r.  Morris,  President;  Horace  J.  Frazee, 
Clerk  ;  James  R.  Blanchard,  Treasurer  ;  Oliver 
Strong.  Police  Constable  ;  R.  D.  Pettit,  H.  Tappan, 
C  N.  Hliss,  J.  E.  Hilts.  S.  J.  E.  Paul,  C.  M.  West. 
Trustees  ;  Bradford  Chase.  S.  H.  Alden  and  Erwin 
Fairbanks,  Assessors. 

Manufactukes. 

The  leading  manufacturing  interest  of  Baldwins- 
ville  is  the  production  of  flour,  there  being  five 
large  mills  in  constant  o])cration  whose  daily  capac- 
ity aggregates  over  one  thousand  barrels.  We 
shall  pass  each  of  these  mills  in  brief  review  and 
then  notice  some  of  the  minor  manufacturing  in- 
terests. 

James  Fka/ee  &  Co.— This  firm  has  a  mill  fifty 
by  one  hundred  feet,  four  stories,  including  base- 
ment, erected  in  i859-'6o.  The  proprietors  are 
James  Frazee  and  E  P.  Schoonmaker. 

Jacob  Amos  &  Sons  —The  mills  are  under  the 
management  of  Jacob  Amos.  Jr.  They  were  erected 
by  the  head  of  the  firm  in  1868,  the  building  and 
machinery  costing  about  §100.000.  On  this  site 
stood  the  "  Old  Red  Mill,"  erected  by  James  John- 
son in  183s  or  thereabouts,  which  was  burned  with 
the  woolen  factory  in  1842. 

G.  H.  &  A.  T.  HoTAi.iNt;  occupy  the  stone  mill 
erected  by  Sanford  C.  Parker  in  1836,  and  which 
was  rebuilt  by  Johnson,  Cook  &  Co.,  in  1862.  In 
1870  this  firm  commenced  business.  They  have 
changed  the  mill  into  what  is  known  as  a  "  New 
Process"  mill,  and  otherwise  improved  it.  Its 
present  capacity  is  two  hundred  barrels  of  merchant 
flour  per  day.  The  Hotalings  are  natives  of  this 
county,  born  in  the  town  of  Pompey.  and  were  for- 
merly in  the  milling  business  at  Jamesville. 

D.  &  G.  Morris.— The  mill  occupied  by  this 
firm  stands  on  the  "second  privilege,"  and  was 
known  for  a  long  time  as  the  "  Farmer's  Mill  of 
Van  Buren." 

W.  L.  Wii.KiNS,  Flour  and  Feed  Mills,  entirely 
custom  work.  Mr.  Wilkins  built  his  mill  in  1854 
and  has  run  it  constantly  ever  since.  It  has  four 
run  of  stones  and  does  a  prosperous  business.  Mr. 
Wilkins  is  a  native  of  Saratoga  County  and  came 
here  in  1846. 


W.  L.  Frazee  owns  and  operates  the  only  saw 
mill  in  Baldwinsville. 

J.  C.  Miller  &  Co's  Hosiery  Mills  were  estab- 
lished in  1876. 

White,  Clark  &  Co.,  Centrifugal  Pump  Works, 
established  in  June,  1876.  The  building  occupied 
by  this  firm  was  formerly  the  Ax  Factory,  and  has 
been  fitted  up  not  only  as  a  Pump  Factor)',  but  as 
a  machine  shop,  where  work  of  all  kinds  in  that 
line  is  done.  The  shops  have  facilities  for  the  em- 
ployment of  eight  regular  workmen. 

Schoonmaker  &  Co. — Paper  Mill.  Started  in 
December.  1874.  Manufactures  Straw  Wrapping 
Paper,  4,500  pounds  per  day.  The  partners  are 
Andrew  S  Schoonmaker,  Theodore  Haines  and 
Jacob  C.  Kenyon.  The  building  was  formerly 
erected  by  Johnson,  Cook  &  Co ,  in  1862,  and  used 
as  a  distillery  in  connection  with  the  Stone  Mill 
now  owned  by  the  Messrs.  Hotaling — built  by  San- 
ford C.  Parker  in  1836,  burnt  in  1861,  rebuilt  in 
1862. 

Jamks  R.  Blanchard  furnishes  the  village  and 
surrounding  country  with  Granite  and  Marble 
Monuments  of  every  required  description.  This  is 
the  only  shop  of  the  kind  in  the  village,  and  has 
been  in  operation  fifteen  years. 

Fuller  &  Bliss,  Planing  Mill,  Sash,  Door  and 
Blind  Factory.  The  business  of  this  firm  was 
established  by  the  present  proprietors  in  1866,  and 
is  one  of  the  prosperous  enterprises  of  the  village. 
The  proprietors  are  William  L.  Fuller  and  C.  N. 
Bliss.  An  extensive  lumber  yard  is  kept  in  con- 
nection with  the  mill,  and  the  business  gives  em- 
ployment to  about  twenty  men. 

John  M.  Young's  Fork   and    Rake  Factory  is 

an    enterprise    recently   started.     The    works  are 

located  in  a  portion  of  what  was  formerly  the  "  Ax 

Factory." 

Banks  of  Baldwinsville. 

First  National  Bank. — Organized  p-ebruary 
2,  1864. — First  officers — James  Frazee,  President; 
D.  C.  Greenfield,  Vice-President  ;  Irvin  Williams, 
Cashier.  The  bank  commenced  business  in  the 
building  known  as  "  The  Stone  Office,"  on  Canal 
street.  The  present  Bank  Building  was  erected  in 
1866,  at  a  cost  including  fixtures  of  ^S.OOO.  The 
First  National  Bank  has  a  capital  of  ?  140,000  ;  sur- 
plus, $30,000;  loans  and  discounts,  $165,000  ;  cir- 
culation, $126,000. 

Present  officers— James  Frazee,  President;  A. 
K.  Clark,  Vice  President  ;    W.  F.  Morris,  Cashier. 

Succeeding  Mr.  Williams  and  preceding  Mr.  W. 
F.  Morris,  Mr.  P.  L.  Ferine  was  Cashier. 


7^.7^  t:^^^ 


Bciijiiiiiin  Baird  Schenck,  M.D.,  was  bi>rii  in  Cliarlfstoii, 
Montfe'omery  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  20,  1809.  His  father,  UuK.f 
Schenck,  was  of  illustriou.s  German  descent.  He  »ettle<l  in  the 
northwest  cornir  of  this  county,  then  a  wil(lornes.s,  in  1815. 

Henjaniin  wils  the  fifth  child  and  second  son.  Ills  early 
advantafrt^s  for  education  were  limited,  his  hoyhood  days  being 
.•*pcnt  on  a  farm  and  in  clearinj;  land.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
three,  his  health  failing,  ho  CDt«rod  the  private  school  of  T.  W. 
Allis,  at  Skaneateles,  where  he  remained  eighteen  months,  with 
the  exception  of  a  short  jicriod  spent  in  teaching  district  school. 
In  1831  he  attended  one  term  at  Homer  academy,  and  the  fol- 
lowing spring  begun  the  study  of  niedieine,  under  Joseph  H. 
.Skinner,  of  I'luinville,  attending  his  first  course  of  lecturvs  at 
the  medical  college,  Fairfield,  N.  Y.,  in  1835  and  183G.  His 
final  course  was  taken  at  Geneva  college,  where  he  graduated 
Feb.  10,  1838.  The  sjime  year  ho  began  pnictice  in  IMainvillo. 
In  184 1  he  united  with  the  Christian  church  of  that  place,  and 
four  years  subsequently  was  ordiun«Kl  a  minister  by  aconfcn-nee 
of  that  body,  and  continued  to  preach  till  1852.  The  confer- 
ence that  year,  on  account  of  his  lilvnd  interpretation  of  the 
Scrijituros,  det^lared  him  "  out  of  hanuoiiy  with  the  church." 

Meanwhile  he  had  cumuienccd  an  examinatiim  of  honia>o|v 
athy,  by  reading   Hahnemann's  "  Organon,"  and   Hartmanirs 


''  Acute  and  Chronic  Diseases."  Continuing  his  investigations 
patiently  through  1849  and  1850,  he,  early  in  1851,  adopted 
homtjeopathy  as  his  mode  of  practice,  carrying  with  him  into 
the  new  school  all  but  two  of  hLs  former  patrons.  In  1852  he 
took  his  brother-in-law,  who  for  three  years  had  been  his  student, 
into  partnership  with  him,  and  in  two  years  resigned  in  his 
favor. 

Dr.  Schenck  then  entered  into  mercantile  business,  but  the 
crash  of  1857  and  the  war  of  the  rebellion  seriously  embarrassed 
him,  so  that  he  was  induced  to  renew  his  practioo,  which  since 
then  has  steadily  increased. 

In  June,  1838,  he  married  Harriot,  daughter  of  Capt.  R. 
Sullivan,  of  Seneca  county.  He  held  a  lieutenant's  commission 
in  the  State  militia  four  years,  and  a  eaptiiin's  seven  years,  and 
was  hononibly  discharged. 

In  IS(!)  he  was  appointed  p<istnia.stcr  at  Plainville,  held  the 
office  till  1853,  was  rcap|><iint(Hl  in  1863,  and  still  holds  the 
office. 

When  young  the  doctor  was  prominent  in  church  masic,  and 
only  left  the  choir  when  ho  entered  the  pulpit,  in  June,  1846. 
He  has  had  an  unbroken  residence  in  the  school  di.strict 
when!  he  resides  since  1815,  and  was  the  first  to  start  and 
teach  u  select  school  in  the  place. 


'■'■3'!^^''^-}i^-'?^"^r^'-'T^ 


F?£SiDENCE  OF   Dr.  B.B.  SCHENCK,  Flaihvilll, Onondaga  County.  H.Y 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


319 


Baldwinsville  State  Bank. — Organized  at 
Baldwinsville,  N.  Y.,  May,  1875,  with  a  capital  of 
5650,000.  The  Directors  are  George  Hawley,  Payne 
Bigelow,  D.  C.  Greenfield,  S.  S.  Quivey,  G.  A. 
Bigelovv,  John  T.  Skinner  and  Otis  M.  Bigelow. 
George  Hawley,  President  ;  G.  A.  Bigelow,  Vice- 
President  ;  S.  S.  Quivey,  Cashier.  The  following 
is    the    quarterly    statement,    22d    of  September, 

1877: 

Resources. 

Loans  and  Discounts §107,521   21 

Over  Drafts 34  97 

U.  S.  Bonds 5,000  00 

Furniture  and  Fixtures 1,100  00 

Taxes  Paid 371   80 

Premiums  Paid 180  00 

Due  from  State  and  National  Banks..  4,944  83 

Currency  and  Specie 380  96 

Expenses 439  35 

Stocks 2,450  00 

122,423   12 
Liabilities. 

Capital  Stock $  50,000  00 

Undivided  Profits 4,214  62 

Due  Depositors 61,172  50 

Due  State  and  National  Banks 36  00 

Due  Individuals 2,000  00 

Re-Discounts 5,000  00 


122,423  12 
The  Industrial  Association  of  Northwest- 
ern Onondaga,  which  has  for  its  object  the  advance- 
ment of  agriculture,  horticulture,  floriculture,  the 
mechanic  arts  and  household  industry,  was  organ- 
ized April  29,  1873.  The  oflficers  for  1877  were  as 
follows :  Abel  H.  Toll,  President ;  Hiram  Bow- 
man, Vice-President  ;  D.  C.  Greenfield,  Secretary  ; 
W.  F.  Morris,  Treasurer.  Directors — James 
Sears,  A.  Van  Alstine,  D.  C  Toll,  E.  M.  Babcock, 
Russell  Bentley,  W.  W.  Perkins. 

The  Baldwinsville  Gazette. 

This  weekly  newspaper  is  published  at  Baldwins- 
ville and  is  the  successor  of  the  Baldwinsville 
Republican,  founded  in  1844  by  Samuel  B.  West. 
In  October,  1846,  it  became  the  property  of  C.  M. 
Hosmer,  who  changed  the  name  to  the  Onondaga 
Gazette.  Mr.  J.  M.  Clark  succeeded  Mr.  Hosmer 
for  many  years  as  editor  and  proprietor,  and  sold  to 
J.  B.  Davis.  He  afterwards  repurchased  it,  and  in 
1869  sold  to  X.  Haywood,  who  enlarged  the  paper. 
In  1 87 1,  Mr.  George  S.  Clark  purchased  it, 
and  has  since  remained  its  editor  and  proprie- 
tor. On  the  first  of  January,  1878,  Mr.  Clark 
changed  it  to  the  Baldwinsville  Gazette.  It  is  a 
well   conducted    paper,    enjoying  a   reputation   for 


local  matter  unsurpassed  by  any  weekly  publication  ' 
in  the  State. 

Baldwinsville  Union  Free  School, 

By  act  of  the  Legislature,  (Chapter  94,  Laws  of 
1864)  District  No.  2  in  Lysander,  and  District  No. 
18  in  Van  Buren,  were  consolidated  into  one  dis- 
trict under  the  corporate  name  of  the  Baldwinsville 
Union  Free  School  District.  The  act  appointed 
the  first  Board  of  Education  in  the  words  followins : 

"  The  following  named  persons,  to-wit :  James 
Frazee,  John  P.  Shumway,  Abel  H.  Toll,  Henry 
Y.  Allen,  Silas  H.  Nichols,  Payne  Bigelow,  and 
their  successors,  to  be  chosen  as  hereinafter  pro- 
vided, are  hereby  constituted  a  corporation  by  the 
name  of  the  Board  of  Education  for  the  Baldwins- 
ville Academy  and  Union  Free  School." 

The  schools  organized  under  this  charter  are 
three — two  primary  and  one  academic,  the  latter 
the  Baldwinsville  Free  Academy.  It  is  subject 
to  the  visitation  of  the  Regents  of  the  State  Uni- 
versity, and  draws  its  annual  proportion  of  the 
Literature  Fund.  There  are  three  buildings,  two 
of  brick  and  one  of  wood,  the  Academy  building 
being  a  fine  structure,  occupying  sightly  and  well 
ornamented  grounds.  It  was  erected  in  1865,  and 
cost,  including  site,  about  ^25,000.  The  lot  con- 
tains 800  square  rods.  The  lots  of  the  three 
schools  are  valued  at  $10,000,  and  the  buildings  at 
g  2 1,000. 

There  are  eleven  teachers  located  as  follows : 
R.  J.  Round,  A.  M.,  Principal ;  Miss  J.  L.  Wright, 
Miss  Olivia  Bigelow  and  Miss  Sarah  A.  Barber, 
teachers  in  the  Academy  ;  Miss  Mary  Hannan, 
Miss  Mary  Wetherby  and  Miss  Hattie  Peet,  teachers 
on  the  north  side;  Miss  Marian  McClenthen,  Miss 
Ellen  Lusk  and  Miss  Jennie  Frazee,  teachers  on 
the  south  side.  The  aggregate  teachers'  salaries 
for  the  year  ending  October  i,  1877,  were  {85,267; 
the  highest  salary,  $140  per  month  ;  the  lowest, 
$24.  Average  attendance,  444  ;  money  expended 
during  the  school  year,  $8,304.84. 

Board  of  Education  :  S.  C.  Suydam,  President ; 
W.  F.  Morris,  C.  N.  Bliss,  William  L.  Wilkins,  A. 
K.  Clark,  M.  Donovan. 

Churches. 

First  Presbyterian  Church,  Baldwinsville. 
— Religious  meetings  were  first  held  in  the  town  of 
Lysander  under  the  auspices  of  an  Eastern  Asso- 
ciation of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  which  sent  out 
as  a  missionary  Rev.  Ebenezer  Lazelle.  Mr. 
Lazelle  held  his  first  service  in  a  barn  near  Squire 
Munro's  corner,  July  13,  1813.  A  hogshead  was 
made  to  answer  for  a  pulpit,  while  the  hay  and 
roush  boards  served  for  seats.     The  Red  School 


320 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


House  was  built  soon  after,  where  the  gravel  bed 
now  is  on  West  Oneida  street,  and  furnished  the 
only  place  of  worship  for  many  years. 

The  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  Mr.  Lazelle 
July  13,  1813,  and  consisted  of  the  following  four- 
teen members,  most  of  whom  were  from  the  region 
towards  New  Bridge  :  Cyrus  and  Susan  Baldwin  ; 
Thomas  and  Betsey  Farrington  ;  George  and  Mary 
White  ;  Eunice,  Sarah  and  Lucy  Porter ;  Levi 
Manasseh  and  Levi  Manasseh,  Jr.  ;  Mary  Calkins 
and  William  Van  Fleet.  Cyrus  Baldwin,  Thomas 
Farrington  and  George  White  were  elected  Elders, 
November  12,  1813. 

The  first  church  edifice  was  a  wooden  building 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $3,000  in  1830.  In  1865  the 
present  brick  church  on  the  corner  of  Oswego  and 
Elizabeth  streets  was  built,  costing  about  §20,000. 
The   Pastors  of  this  church  have  been  as  follows : 

Rev.  John  Davenport,  first  Moderator  of  Onon- 
daga Presbytery  in  1810,  pastor  five  years — died 
here  in  1821  ;  Rev.  E.  C.  Beach,  afterwards  at 
Lysandcr  Church  ;  Rev  Dr.  Kellogg,  afterwards 
President  of  Kno.\  College  ;  Rev.  Townsend  Walker, 
184- -'5 1  :  Rev.  J.  R.  Young,  i852-'57  ;  Rev.  J.  F. 
Kendall,  D.  D.,  1859  "68  ;  Rev.  E.  B.  Parsons, 
present  pastor  since  1868. 

Rev.  RoUin  Porter,  missionary  to  Africa  ;  Rev. 
Edwin  Adams,  missionary  to  Wisconsin  at  an  early 
day,  and  Rev.  E.  R.  Davis,  city  missionary  in 
Chicago*  were  from  this  church 

Present  membership,  three  hundred  and  thirty- 
five  ;    Sunday  School,    three  hundred  and  fifteen. 

Present  officers  of  the  church  and  society  :  Rev. 
Eben  Burt  Parsons,  Pastor  ;  Hezekiah  R.  Dow, 
Isaac  Harrington,  Warner  D.  Wells,  James  Frazee, 
E.  Kirby  West,  Warren  S.  White,  James  Selleck, 
James  G.  Smith  and  Edwin  E.  Wells,  Elders  ; 
George  M.  Angler,  Hiram  Bowman,  D.  B.  Gid- 
dings  and  John  T.  Skinner,  Deacons;  James  G. 
Smith,  Jonas  M.  Talmagc,  James  L.  Voorhees, 
Payne  Bigclow,  Garrett  H.  Hotaling,  DeW.  C. 
Turner,  Charles  N.  Bliss,  Hiram  Bowman  and  John 
T.  Skinner,  Trustees. 

Balpwinsvillk  Baptist  Ciiurch. — In  1815 
meetings  were  held  by  Rev.  Dudley  Lamb  in  the 
Cold  Spring  settlement,  town  of  Lysander.  As  a 
result  of  his  labors  three  were  baptized  November 
19,  181 5,  and  two  December  17,  181 5.  In  June, 
1818,  si.v  more  were  added,  and  on  the  23d  of  the 
month,  after  the  consent  of  a  neighboring  Baptist 
Church  had  been  obtained,  the  eleven  were  organ- 
ized under  the  name  of  the  "  Second  Baptist  Church 
of  Christ  in  Lysander."  Services  were  held  occa- 
sionally in  a  school  house,  but  little  progress  was 
made  as  a  church  for  several  years.     In  1840  the 


church  was  removed  to  Baldwinsville,  and  on  the 
3d  of  October  of  that  year  its  name  was  changed 
to  "  Baldwinsville  Baptist  Church." 

The  first  church  edifice  was  built  in  Baldwins- 
ville and  dedicated  January  31,  1841.  The  present 
church  is  a  handsome  brick  structure  costing  ^i8,- 
000,  and  was  dedicated  in  December,  1871. 

The  following  have  been  pastors  of  the  church 
for  the  years  named  : 

Dudley  Lamb,  1815;  Peter  Witt,  l823-'33  ; 
Augustus  Warren,  1833  ;  Peter  Witt,  i833-'39;  S. 
Davidson,  i839-'4i  ;  I.  Butterfield,  1841-42  ;  O. 
Beckwith,  1842-43  ;  H.  Stillwell,  1843-44;  Ira 
Bennet.  1845  '48  ;  Ira  Dudley,  1S48  '49  ;  A.  Wells, 
1849  '50;  K-  VVinegar,  i8si-'52;C.  E.  Elliot, 
'8S3-'54;  A.  Hall,  Jr.,  i8s5-'56;  J.  P.  Simmons, 
1857-61 ;  J.  S.  Goodell,  i86i-'64;  S.  P.  Merrill, 
i864-'69:  B.  O.  True,  1870  '72;  J.  N.  Tolman, 
•872-'73;  Charles  Ayer,  i874-'7S  :  J.  F.  Genung, 
1875  78. 

Present  membership  one  hundred  and  six. 

Grace  Church  (Episcopal)  Baldwinsville. 
— Organized  July  27,  1835,  Rev.  Richard  Salmon, 
of  Geddes,  presiding.  James  D.  Wallace  and 
Norman  Kellogg  were  elected  Wardens ;  Stephen 
W.  Baldwin,  Clarence  S.  Bayley,  Nehemiah  B. 
Northrop,  Benjamin  C.  Jeffries,  Isaac  T.  Minard, 
Horace  Baldwin,  E.  Austin  Baldwin  and  Walter 
D.  Hcrrick,  Vestrymen.  The  first  services  were 
held  in  the  latter  part  of  1 S33.  by  Rev.  R.  Salmon,  of 
Geddes,  and  were  continued  by  him  on  the  third 
Sunday  of  each  month  in  the  Union  Church,  now 
Herrick's  Hall.  Mr.  Salmon's  removal  interrupted 
the  services  which  were  almost  given  up  for  three 
years.  Rev.  George  B.  Engle  became  missionary 
in  1838,  holding  services  on  alternate  Sundays. 
There  were  then  but  three  communicants,  one  of 
them  Mrs.  Eliza  M.  Baldwin,  to  whom  the  parish 
afterwards  was  very  much  indebted.  Services 
were  held  in  a  small  school  house  belonging  to  her, 
which  now  forms  part  of  Mr.  Isaac  M.  Baldwin's 
house.  Here  her  five  children,  together  with  three 
of  Morgan  J.  Trowbridge's,  were  baptized  May  19, 
1839.  This  is  the  first  baptism  on  the  parish 
register.  Rev.  Mr.  Engle  removed  to  Indiana  in 
1841  and  there  was  no  more  service  for  five  years. 
Rev.  Samuel  G.  Appleton  officiated  for  a  little  while 
in  1846,  and  then  the  only  services  till  1850  were 
three  visitations  by  Bishop  DeLancy.  That  year 
Rev.  Theodore  M.  Bishop,  of  Fulton,  held  frequent 
Sunday  afternoon  services  in  a  hall  on  the  south 
side  of  the  river  and  continued  them  till  1854. 

The  corner  stone  of  the  present  church  edifice 
was  laid  in  August,  1853,  but  owing  to  the  blowing 
down  of  the  frame  and  other  discouragements,  the 


Vhoto.  by  W.  V.  Ranger,  Syracuse. 


LYMAN    NORTON. 


Lyman  Norton  was  born  in  Hartford,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1 
Dec.  3,  1809.  His  fother  was  Jabez  Norton,  and  his  mother's  j 
maiden  name  Abigail  Buck.  The  Norton  family  came  originally 
from  France,  in  September,  lOOG,  and  settled  in  England  ;  their 
descendants  emigrated  to  America  about  the  year  1630,  and 
settled  on  Martha's  Vineyard,  in  Maine,  and  near  Boston,  Mass. 
His  great-grandfather,  Jabez  Norton,  born  on  Blartha's  Vine- 
yard, was  a  farmer,  and  died  at  Mattapoisett ;  his  wife  was 
Elizabeth  Allen,  of  Salisbury,  a  near  relative  of  Gen.  Ethan 
Allen,  of  Revolutionary  memory.  His  grandfather,  Aaron  Nor- 
ton, of  Martha's  Vineyard,  married  Abigail  Norton  (of  the 
Maine  branch).  Jabez  Norton,  father  of  Lyman  Norton,  was 
born  July  11,  1777,  and  married  Abigail  Buck,  daughter  of 
Col.  John  Buck  and  Abigail  Arnold,  of  New  Haven,  Conn. 
Col.  Buck  was  an  ardent  patriot,  serving  in  the  Revolutionary 
army  from  Bunker  Hill  to  Yorktown. 

The  family  consisted  of  five  children, — three  sons  and  two 
daughters.  Lyman  received  a  common-school  education,  and 
in  1826  entered  the  store  of  Harlow  C.  Wetherell,  at  Hartford, 
as  clerk.  He  engaged  to  go  with  his  uncle,  John  Buck,  at 
Snow's  Bridge,  near  Jack's  Reef;  he  arrived  at  that  place  Oct. 
10,  1826,  and  was  employed  as  clerk  and  assistant,  superintend- 
ing disbursements  attending  the  work  of  excavating  the  State 
drain  at  Jack's  Reef,  then  in  course  of  construction.  In  1830,  in 
company  with  his  uncle,  John  Buck,  he  built  a  store  at  Plain- 
ville,  which  was  occupied  by  them  Nov.  1,  1830,  in  conducting 
a  mercantile  business. 

Jan.  20,  1836,  he  married  Ann  Maria,  daughter  of  Aaron 
F.  Vedder  and  Nancy  Allen,  formerly  of  Schenectady,  N.  Y. 
They  have  a  family  of  three  children,  all  of  whom  are  living, 


viz.,  Jabez  H.,  who  succeeded  to  the  business,  and  is  by  profes- 
sion an  attorney-at-law ;  he  is  now  justice  of  the  peace,  and 
was  chairman  of  the  Democratic  county  committee  in  1876. 
John  v.,  who  resides  at  Memphis,  N.  Y.,  a  graduate  of  Union 
college,  and  a  civil  engineer  by  profession ;  he  has  been  engaged 
on  important  works  in  Peru,  South  America,  and  in  New  York. 
Sarah  Ella,  now  residing  with  her  father. 

In  1830  he  was  elected  school  inspector;  in  1836  justice  of 
the  peace,  and  for  twenty-four  consecutive  years  held  that  po.si- 
tion;  for  several  terms  he  was  supervisor  of  his  town.  In  1851 
he  was  elected  member  of  the  assembly.  For  many  years  he 
was  postmaster,  and  iilled  other  local  offices.  He  was  one  of 
the  first  inspectors  of  the  Onondaga  County  penitentiary,  which 
position  he  held  five  years,  and  organized  the  workings  of  the 
prison.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  of  the  Jefferson  and 
Jackson  school. 

He  was  a  skillful  marksman,  a  keen  hunter,  a  favorite,  and 
held  in  high  estimation  among  the  hardy  backwoodsmen  of  the 
county. 

From  his  early  savings  he  located  land  warrants  in  the  west, 
the  proceeds  of  which  constitute  his  property. 

As  a  merchant  he  w;is  lenient  in  business ;  the  poor  man  was 
never  forced  for  payment,  but  was  often  assisted,  and  his  books 
show  hundreds  of  outlawed  and  unpaid  debts  standing  in  the 
name  of  men  whose  descendants  are  now  flourishing  business 
men  of  the  west. 

As  a  public  officer  he  was  found  never  to  encourage  litigation, 
but  his  efforts  were  directed  to  settle  legal  difliculties.  A  large 
portion  of  his  time  was  devoted  to  settling  up  the  estates  of  his 
neighbors. 


.•i$^ 


PlioUt.  \-y  W.  V.  Hanger,  S>ircum>. 


UK. 


HILTS. 


Dr.  J.  E.  Ililtfl  will*  born  in  Jamasvillo,  Onondopi  County, 
I )i'<?onil)cr  2,  1813,  the  fourth  child  of  .Janu<s  and  Mar^iiri't 
lliltfl.  The  father  died  in  1874;  the  mother  la  still  livliii;.  in 
Hrundon,  Wisconsin.  Their  children  were  as  follows ;  Kniily, 
Hiram  0.,  Caroline  C,  James  Kdward,  subject  of  this  sketch, 
anil  .\d:i  .M.  The  sisters  are  all  married.  Hinini  (J.,  the 
brother,  was  born  December  lil,  IH.'l."),  in  l)c  Widvillo.  Vol- 
unteered 08  a  private  in  Co.  C,  122d  l^>>;iment  New  York  Vol- 
unteers, and  wiLs  killed  in  the  battle  of  (iettysbunr,  July  3,  1863. 

Dr.  Hilts  received  his  early  education  in  the  district  schools 
of  his  native  town.  At  about  eighteen  years  of  age  he  began 
to  learn  the  sash-making  trade,  and  followed  the  business  two 
yisirs  in  Jamesville.  For  the  next  tlire*'  years,  or  thereabouts, 
lie  engaged  in  jobbing  in  gypsum  quarries.  Went  to  Fond  du 
liHC,  Wisconsin,  where  for  two  or  three  years  he  wos  foreman 
in  a  sa-sh  and  blind  factory.     On  the  2-Uli  of  September,  18G8, 


he  eomnienced  the  study  of  dentistry  in  Berlin,  Wisconsin, 
under  the  instructions  of  Dr.  P.  H.  Wightman.  a  celebrated 
dentist  of  that  place,  and  continued  with  him  for  two  years 
up  to  1870.  After  practice  and  study  of  the  profession  for  a 
period  of  five  years,  he  took  a  course  of  study  in  the  Philadel- 
phia dental  college,  from  which  he  took  a  diploma,  February  2H, 
1874.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  loaitcd  in  Baldwins- 
ville,  and  has  since  followed  his  chosen  profcHsion  in  that  place. 
A  thorough  student,  a  skillful  operator,  though  young  compara- 
tively in  years,  few  have  attained  a  higher  standing  in  his  pro- 
fc<ssion  than  htui  Dr.  HilLs. 

He  was  married,  April  2,  1871,  to  Kllen  F.  Weller,  daughter 
of  Thomas  and  Susan  Weller,  of  I^afayctte,  Onondaga  County. 
They  have  one  son.  Hinini  Iv.  born  January  24,  1S72  In 
politics  he  is  a  llepublican.  Is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, being  a  Past  Master  of  Seneca  Uiver  liodge,  Nn.  UW. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


321 


building  was  not  finished  till  iS6o.  It  was  con- 
secrated November  13,  i860.  Till  1864,  services 
were  held  by  Rev.  Henry  Gregory,  D.  D.,  of  Syra- 
cuse. On  the  first  of  July,  1865,  Rev.  W.  M. 
Beauchamp  became  Rector  and  has  continued  such 
up  to  the  present  time.  In  i860,  there  were  twenty- 
three  communicants  ;  the  present  number  is  one 
hundred  and  seventeen.  The  church  lot  was  a 
gift  of  Mrs.  Eliza  M.  Baldwin,  who  died  August  S, 
1 87 1.  Her  worth  and  services  are  commemorated 
by  a  beautiful  memorial  window  in  the  church. 

St.  Mary's  (Catholic)  Church,  Baldwins- 
viLLE. — Prior  to  the  erection  of  St.  Mary's  Church, 
Rev.  Michael  Hackett  and  Rev.  Joseph  Guerdet 
had  labored  as  missionaries  in  Baldwinsville.  But 
chiefly  through  the  indefatigable  efforts  of  Rev. 
Samuel  Mulloy,  the  church  was  built  and  conse- 
crated in  1 85 1.  The  church  property  is  valued  at 
$10,000,  and  about  four  hundred  families  are  con- 
nected with  the  parish. 

The  regular  pastors  here  have  been  as  follows,  in 
the  order  named  : 

Rev.  Samuel  Mulloy,  Rev.  William  McCallian, 
Rev.  James  Smith,  Rev.  P.  F.  Smith,  Rev.  P.  B. 
McNulty,  Rev.  Mr.  O'Keiffe,  Rev.  G.  S.  Lynch, 
and  Rev.  F.  Fransus,  the  present  pastor. 

First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — From 
data  furnished  by  the  late  Rev,  A.  B.  Gregg,  we  trace 
the  history  of  Methodism  in  Baldwinsville  back  to  the 
year  1 821,  when  James  Baldwin,  an  exhorter,  held 
meetings  in  a  log  school  house  nearly  a  mile  out  of 
the  village  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  He  soon 
formed  a  class  of  seven  members,  viz ;  James 
Baldwin,  Eliza  Linsday,  Miriam  Linsday,  Abraham 
Gillett,  Polly  Gillett,  Samuel  Wigent  and  Cynthia 
Wigent.  Through  the  active  labors  of  this  class 
an  extensive  revival  ensued.  The  first  traveling 
preachers  were  Manly  Tooker  and  Nathaniel  Salis- 
bury. 

Baldwinsville  was  then  a  part  of  Marcellus 
Circuit  and  Chenango  District  in  the  Old  Genesee 
Conference.  In  1828,  Baldwinsville  was  transferred 
to  the  old  Cayuga  District  and  included  in  Lysander 
Circuit.  Rev.  George  Gary  was  Presiding  Elder  of 
the  district. 

In  1829  Baldwinsville  and  Lysander  Circuit  were 
transferred  to  Oneida  Conference,  Rev.  John  Demp- 
ster, Presiding  Elder.  In  1836,  Baldwinsville  and 
Lysander  appear  in  the  Oswego  District  of  said 
Conference. 

In  1S38  there  were  twenty-five  members  in   the 

Baldwinsville  class.      In  1839  meetings  were  held 

in  a  school  house  on  the  north  side  of  the  river.     In 

1840  Baldwinsville  was  transferred  from   Lysander 

50* 


to  Clay  Circuit,  and  in  1843  became  a  station  with 
forty-five  members,  but  without  a  dollar  of  church 
property.  Worship  was  then  held  in  the  old  red 
school  house,  now  a   dwelling  house.     August  29, 

1843,  at  a  meeting  called  for  the  purpose,  E.  Hickok, 

A.  Dayton,  B.  Nichols,  T.  Nichols  and  D.  Derby- 
shire were  elected  Trustees  of  the  First  Methodist 
Church.  A  lot  was  bought  of  the  Baldwin  estate 
and  a  neat  wooden  church  edifice  erected,  which  was 
dedicated   by   Rev.  Gardner  Baker   in  December, 

1844.  In  June,  1869,  ^  resolution  was  passed  for 
the  erection  of  a  new  church,  the  society  having 
outgrown  the  capacity  of  the  old  one.  The  new 
building  was  finished  and  dedicated  October  20. 
1870.  It  has  a  seating  capacity  for  about  650,  and 
cost,  including  lot  and  furniture,  $32,500.  It  is  a 
fine  brick  structure  and  occupies  a  very  central  and 
beautiful  site  in  the  village.  The  present  member- 
ship is  three  hundred  and  thirty  and  the  Sunday 
School  about  two  hundred. 

The  pastors  of  this  church  have  served  in  the 
following  order :  Rev.  Ebenezer  Arnold,  two 
years;  Rev.  H.  E.  Chapin,  one  year;  Rev.  R.  M. 
West,  one  year  ;  Rev.  B.  Phillips,  one  year  ;    Rev. 

B.  Alden,  two  years  ;  Rev.  L.  D.  White,  two 
years;  Rev.  A.  S.  Wightman,  one  year;  Rev.  R. 
N.  Barber,  one  year ;  Rev.  E.  W.  Jones,  one  year; 
Rev.  W.  A.  Nichols,  one  year  ;  Rev.  H.  Skeel, 
two  years  ;  Rev.  W.  Jones,  two  years  ;  Rev.  A.  T. 
Copeland,  one  year  ;  Rev.  R.  Redhead,  two  years  ; 
Rev.  D.  W.  Rooney,  two  years  ;  Rev.  H.  M. 
Church,  Rev.  A.  Rowe,  two  years  ;  Rev.  O.  H. 
Warren,  Rev.  William  Manning,  two  years  ;  Rev. 
O.  A.  Houghton,  one  year  ;  Rev.  A.  B.  Gregg, 
(died  March  31,  1878,)  two  years. 

Masonic. 

The  petition  for  a  lodge  at  Lysander,  Onondaga 
Co  ,  by  the  name  of  Pleiades  No.  354,  was  dated 
October  18,  1822,  and  is  signed  by  Silas  Wallace 
and  others.  December  4,  1822  the  prayer  was 
granted  and  warrant  issued  December  7,  1822. 
Zadock  Washburn,  M. ;  Asa  Preston,  S.  W.  ;  and 
James  Wells,  J.  W. 

No  return  of  any  kind  was  ever  subsequently 
made  to  Grand  Lodge,  either  for  payment  of  dues 
or  election  of  officers  ;  nor  was  the  warrant,  subse- 
quently forfeited,  ever  returned  to  the  Grand  Lodge. 

Seneca  River  Lodge,  No.  160,  was  formed  by 
dispensation  February  12,  1850,  on  the  petition  of 
the  following  named  brethren,  viz :  Sanford  C. 
Parker,  M.  ;  Heber  Wetherby,  S.  W.  ;  John  Lakin, 
J.  W. ;  Squire  Munro,  Wm.  A.  Wilson,  Joseph 
Tyler,  Elida  Wilson,  Elisha  Clark,  Wilson  Bates, 
John  Buck,  L.  L.  Worcester,  Zadock  Washburn, 
Asahel  Dolbar,  J.  L.  Fenner,  Horace  J.  Shumway. 
The  warrant  was  issued  June  6,  1850. 


/ 


322 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


The  following  have  been  Masters  of  the  Lodge  : 

Sanford  C.  Parker,  1851  :  Hebcr  VVctherby, 
1852;  Sanford  C.  Parker,  1853;  Payne  Higelow, 
1854;  J.  Barker  Frisbie,  1855,  I.  M.  Baldwin, 
1856;  J.  Barker  Frisbie.  1857-58  ;  Wni.  H.  Slau- 
son,  1859;  John  H.  Morgan,  i860;  Henry  Y. 
Allen,  1861  '66  ;  J.  P.  Shumway.  1867-71  ;  Horace 
J.  Frazee.  i872-'75  ;  H.  B.  Allen,  1876;  J.  E. 
Hilts,  1877. 

Present  membership,  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five. 

On  the  29lh  of  March,  1873,  the  lodge  room  and 
furniture  were  consumed  by  fire,  involving  an  entire 
loss,  except  $600  insurance.  The  lodge  charter 
was  renewed  after  the  fire. 

Hon.  Payne  Bigelow  was  the  first  member  initi- 
ated in  the  Seneca  River  Lodge  in  1850. 

Mr.  George  Hawley  is  the  oldest  mason  in  this 
part  of  the  county,  he  having  been  initiated  in 
Washington  Lodge  in  1820. 

Riverside  Chapter  No.  260  was  organized  in 
February,  1871,  under  a  dispensation  from  the 
Grand  Chapter  of  the  State  of  New  York.  Char- 
ter Members— D.  M.  Rankin,  H.  F.  Hawley,  N. 
H.  Husted,  D.  Gould,  H.  Y.  Allen.  J.  B.  Frisbie, 
John  Harvey,  Lewis  Smith,  John  S.  Kenyon  and 
T.  Chase  A  charter  was  granted  in  February, 
1872.  March  29,  1873,  the  lodge  rooms  were 
burned,  involving  a  complete  loss  of  furniture  and 
fi.xtures.     The  present  membership  is  84. 

High  Priests  since  the  organization  : 

D.  M.  Rankin,  i87i-'72;  H.  F.  Hawley,  1873- 
'75  ;  S.  C.  Suydam.  1876 ;  James  L.  Voorhees, 
1877;  F.  A.  Marvin,  1878. 

After  the  fire  the  Chapter  was  rechartered  at  the 
same  lime  as  Seneca  River  Lodge. 

OnO-FELLOWSlllP. 

In  the  year  1S45,  Hon.  Daniel  T.  Jones,  O.  B. 
Ilerrick,  Charles  11.  Weed,  John  W.  Smith  and 
William  A.  Wilson,  qualified  themselves  to  organize 
Mohegan  Lodge,  No.  129,  I.  O.  O.  F.  The 
lodge  was  organized  with  the  following  officers : 

Daniel  T.  Jones,  N.  G. ;  Charles  H.  Weed.  V.  G 
John  W.   Smith,  Secretary  ;    William   A.  Wilson, 
Treasurer. 

The  first  meetings  were  held  in  a  room  in  the 
old  Seneca  Hotel  ;  afterwards  suitable  rooms  were 
fitted  u|)  in  the  "old  brick  store,"  which  were 
occupied  till  1874,  in  which  year  the  hall  in  the 
Union  Hall  Block  was  fitted  up.  The  new  lodge 
room  was  dedicated  by  the  Rt.  Worthy  Grand 
Master,  John  W.  Stebbins.  assisted  by  Hon. 
Schuyler  Colfa.v. 

In  1S50.  the  Lodge  was  renumbered  33.  Later 
the  Lodge  received  its  present  number.  29.     The 


original  Lodge  consisted  of  six,  who  were  all 
charter  members.  There  have  been  received  by 
initiations  and  otherwise  433  members,  and  its 
present  membership  is  95. 

The  names  of  the  present  officers  are  as  follows  : 
John   McGonegal,  N.  G. ;    Miles  Smith,  V.  G. ; 
R.    Richardson.  Treas.;    John  F.  Genung,  Sec'y  ; 
James  Bolton.  Perm.  Secy. 

Judge  Otis  Bigelow  was  born  in  Worcester, 
Mass  ,  Feb.  i.  1785.  His  father.  Asahel  Bigelow. 
was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution. 

Judge  Bigelow  graduated  at  Balston  Spa  Acad- 
emy, in  Saratoga  County,  at  an  early  age,  and  soon 
after  commenced  the  study  of  law.  At  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  last  war  with  England  in  181 2,  young 
Bigelow  joined  the  volunteer  militia  of  Saratoga 
county  and  vicinity,  and  marched  to  Sackett's  Har- 
bor and  served  one  year.  In  the  spring  of  1813  he 
came  from  there  to  Baldwinsville  and  commenced 
the  business  of  a  merchant,  and  continued  in  that 
business  successfully  until  1863.  At  that  time  and 
for  a  number  of  years  previous,  he  was  the  oldest 
merchant  in  the  county. 

On  the  27th  of  December.  1S13.  he  was  married 
to  Miss  Mary  Payne,  of  Fort  Miller,  by  whom  he 
had  ten  children,  five  of  whom  survive  him.  Judge 
Bigelow  was  appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  in 
March,  1 82 1 ,  and  acted  as  such  for  many  years.  He 
had  a  clear  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  law — as 
a  proof  of  which,  his  opinions  and  advice  were, 
until  within  the  last  ten  years  previous  to  his  death, 
very  often  sought  by  persons  involved,  or  about  to 
be  involved  in  litigation. 

He  was  the  third  Postmaster  at  Baldwinsville, 
appointed  in  1828.  and  remained  such  for  twelve 
successive  years,  under  the  administrations  of  Presi- 
dents Jackson  and  Van  Buren.  In  1828  he  was 
appointed  Judge  of  Onondaga  County,  and  held 
that  oflfice  ten  years.  In  1831,  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Assembly  for  this  county. 

His^cAAv/  xuttfditig  was  duly  celebrated  Decem- 

cr  27,  1863.  His  religious  views  were  those  of 
the  Presbyterian  order,  and  he  was  a  regular  attend- 
ant of  that  church,  although  not  a  member,  from  its 
organization  in  Baldwinsville,  until  disabled  by  his 
final  sickness,  and  died  in  the  faith  of  the  Gospel. 
As  a  merchant  and  man  of  business,  he  was  remark- 
ably shrewd  and  successful,  and  was  at  the  time  of 
his  decease  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  the  county. 
No  man  was  more  energetic,  untiring  and  system- 
atic in  business.  He  was  a  good  financier,  of 
sound  judgment  in  matters  of  business  and  of  strong 
common  sense  ;  true,  he  was  strict  in  exacting  what 
was  his  due,  but  exceedingly  lenient   toward  those 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


323 


who  were  unfortunate  and  unable  to  pay.  His  for-  I 
tune  was  not  acquired  by  speculation,  nor  any  sudden 
investment;  his  gains  were  sure  and  constant.  In 
short,  he  was  an  honorable  man,  and  honored,  re- 
spected and  esteemed  by  those  who  knew  him 
best. 

PLAINVILLE, 

Originally  called  Wilson's  Corners,  is  a  small 
village  in  the  western  part  of  the  town  of  Lysander. 
William  Wilson,  Sen.,  was  the  first  settler  in  1806. 
Around  him  were  settled  A.  B.  Scofield,  Silas  Sco- 
field,  Simon  Town  and  David  Carroll,  in  18 10.  In 
1813,  came  Peter  Voorhees,  who  died  in  1S16,  and 
his  son.  Col.  J.  L.  Voorhees,  who  became  promi- 
nent in  the  neighborhood,  and  noted  as  a  man  of 
large  business  enterprises  in  Baldwinsville  and  Syra- 
cuse. Abram  Daily,  Marvin  Adams,  and  Ruleph 
Schenck,  father  of  Dr.  B.  B.  Schenck,  settled  in  the 
neighborhood  in  1815,  or  near  that  date,  and  John 
Bratt,  in   18 16. 

A  postoffice  was  established  here  in  182 1.  At 
that  time  the  settlers  suggested  the  name  of  "  Farm- 
ersville,"  but  there  being  a  postofifice  already  of 
that  name,  Plainville  was  given  by  the  Department. 
A  weekly  mail  was  received  at  that  time,  passing 
from  the  village  of  Camillus  to  Lysander  and  back. 
The  office  was  at  first  kept  by  Mr.  Stoddard  a  mile 
and  a  half  south  of  Plainville.  Following  him  as 
Postmasters  were  Simon  Town,  John  Buck,  Dr. 
B.  B.  Schenck,  Lyman  Norton,  Esq.,  and  Dr.  B. 
B.  Schenck,  again,  in  1862,  who  is  present  Post- 
master. 

The  first  schools  were  taught  in  log  houses  in  the 
vicinity  ;  the  first  school  house  being  erected  in 
1 8 19,  in  which  Amos  Adams  was  the  first  teacher, 
and  Samuel  Richards  his  successor.  The  school 
is  District  No.  5,  town  of  Lysander.  It  has  now 
two  departments,  employing  one  teacher  in  each, 
and  a  brick  school  house  which  was  erected  in  1874. 
A  second  frame  school  house  was  also  built  for  the 
district  in  1841,  but  gave  place  to  the  new  brick 
building. 

The  Christian  Church,  Plainville,  originated 
in  the  labors  of  Eld.  Obediah  E.  Morrill,  and  was 
organized  in  1820.  Elder  Morrill  continued  about 
twenty  years  to  minister  to  his  flock  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Eld.  E.  J.  Reynolds  for  about  seven  or 
eight  years,  who  was  followed  by  Elders  A.  E  Doty 
and  John  C.  Waggoner;  the  latter  died  in  1852. 
The  church  edifice  (frame)  was  built  in  1831  ; 
burnt  April,  1852  ;  replaced  in  1854  by  present  brick 
structure.  For  the  past  nine  years  services  have 
continued  uninterruptedly.  Present  pastor  Rev. 
Ezra  McAlpine. 


Dr.  B.  B.  Schenck  has  controlled  the  medical 
practice  here  for  thirty-nine  years,  up  to  June,  1876, 
when  he  gave  place  to  Richard  B.  Sullivan,  M.  D., 
a  graduate  of  New  York  Homeopathic  Medical 
College. 

Plainville  has  one  dry  goods  store  (started  in 
1830,)  one  blacksmith  and  wagon  shop  (1833)  and 
one  shoemaker's  shop. 

Memoranda  of  the  Wilson  Family. — The 
present  William  Wilson  belongs  to  the  third  gene- 
ration of  William  Wilsons,  who  have  lived  at 
"  Wilson's  Corners,"  now  Plainville.  William  Wil- 
son, the  grandfather,  who  was  a  Christian  preacher, 
came  here  from  Vermont  in  1806,  when  his  son, 
who  was  known  as  William  Wilson,  Sen.,  was  ten 
years  of  age.  The  latter  was  married  twice — first, 
April  14,  1 8 16,  to  Polly  Shepherd,  by  whom  he  had 
three  children  who  lived  to  maturity,  two  of  whom 
are  still  living.  His  first  wife  died  December, 
1825,  and  he  married  July  4,  1826,  Hannah  Clyne, 
for  his  second  wife,  by  whom  he  had  eight  children, 
his  oldest  son  and  name-sake,  William,  is  his  suc- 
cessor on  the  old  homestead,  where  he  was  born 
July  3,  1828,  and  has  acquired  the  reputation  of  one 
of  the  most  energetic  and  successful  farmers  in  this 
section  of  country. 

Frederick  W.  Fenner. — Born  in  Pompey,  N. 
Y.,  in  181 1  ;  came  to  Lysander  with  his  father's 
family  when  si.x  years  of  age ;  married  June  26, 
1834,  to  Miss  Ellen  S.  Schenck,  of  Lysander, 
daughter  of  Ruleph  and  Elisie  Schenck,  and  sister 
of  B.  B.  Schenck,  M.  D.,  of  Plainville.  The  fruit 
of  this  marriage  was  six  children,  four  of  whom 
survive,  and  two  are  deceased — the  oldest  and  the 
youngest  child.  The  youngest  son  living  remains 
on  the  place  with  his  mother.  One  daughter  is  en- 
gaged in  teaching  in  the  public  schools  in  Carroll- 
ton,  111.  Sarah  E.  Fenner,  another  daughter,  mar- 
ried S.  A.  Vedder,  and  resides  in  the  same  city. 
Mr.  Fenner  died  February  24,  1875,  suddenly  of 
pneumonia  which  was  epidemic  at  that  time.  He 
purchased  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Lysander  where 
he  built  a  fine  residence,  and  added  largely  to  the 
amount  of  land  and  improvements,  leaving  behind 
him  at  his  death  one  of  the  finest  farm  properties 
in  this  region  of  country,  as  a  lasting  monument  to 
his  industry  and  excellent  taste.  He  has  also  left 
evidences  of  his  moral  worth,  having  been  a  promi- 
nent temperance  man,  and  largely  identified  with  the 
educational  interests  of  his  town.  He  was  its  first 
School  Superintendent,  appointed  by  the  Governor, 
and  also  held  the  office  of  Town  Clerk  for  one  term. 
As  a  devoted,  earnest  advocate  of  reform  and 
friend  to  the  poor,  Mr.  Fenner  had  few  superiors, 


3^4 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


and  he   has   left  behind  him   a  record  eminently 
worthy  of  emulation. 

Their  eldest  son,  James  B,  resides  in  Delphi, 
in  this  county,  where  he  is  engaged  in  mercantile 
business 

LYSANDER. 

Lysander,  a  small  unincorporated  village  situated 
on  lots  43  and  44,  eight  miles  northwest  of  Bald- 
winsville,  and  four  and  one-half  miles  west  of  Lam- 
son's  Station  on  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and 
Western  Railroad.  It  was  first  settled  about  the 
year  i8io-'il,  and  went  by  the  name  of  Vickery's 
Settlement,  a  family  or  two  by  that  name  having 
located  here.  About  the  year  1817,  Chauncey 
Betts,  and  his  brother-in  law,  Mr.  Skinner,  located 
here  and  set  up  a  store  and  built  and  carried  on  a 
small  distillery,  and  a  potash  manufactory.  A  few 
years  later  his  brother,  Jared  Betts,  moved  in,  and 
their  father,  Nathan  Butts,  a  Revolutionary  pen- 
sioner, who  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  ninety- 
four  years.  At  this  time  it  began  to  be  called 
Bett's  Corners,  and  went  by  that  name  until  a  post- 
office  was  established  ;  they  then  gave  it  the  name 
of  Lysander,  which  name  it  retains  to  the  present 
day. 

The  village  now  contains  about  seventy  dwell- 
ing houses,  two  churches,  Methodist  and  Congrega- 
tional, two  stores,  general  merchandise,  kept  by  L. 
W.  &  I.  E.  Connell  and  W.  C.  Winchel  &  Co.,  a 
hardware  store  ami  tin  shop  combined,  kept  by 
Britton  &  Wooster,  a  blacksmith  shop,  two  wagon 
shops,  a  hotel  kept  by  Elijah  Lake,  a  shoe  shop, 
harness  shop,  two  millinery  shops,  two  physicians, 
(George  McCarthy,  located  in  1846;  Leslie  Martin, 
located  in  1867  ;)  a  foundry  and  a  churn  factory. 

Among  the  earlier  merchants  was  Chas.  Royce, 
who  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  ;  Dr. 
George  Morley,  who  was  also  a  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
later  was  succeeded  by  John  Haisted ;  also  Jos. 
P.  Hunn.  Clark  Berry  and  Richard  L.  Smith,  who 
was  elected  about  1857,  and  has  continued  in  office  to 
the  present  time.  Cornelius  C.  Hubbard  moved  in 
from  Montgomery  County  at  an  early  day,  set  up  a 
store,  and  held  the  office  of  Postmaster.  Among 
those  that  have  held  the  office  since  were  Chauncey 
Betts,  Willard  P.  liump,  George  A.  Allen,  Barclay 
Wooster,  H.  W.  Andrews,  William  Culun,  Rich- 
ard L.  Smith,  Sara  C.  Winchel,  who  holds  the 
office  at  the  present  time. 

Others  of  the  earlier  settlers  were  Richard  Smith, 
Richard  Lusk,  Grover  Buel,  Abrani  Van  Doren, 
John  Slauson,  George  W.  Brown.  Isaac  and  Alfred 
Smith,  who  were  successful  farmers. 


The  Congregational  Chukch  of  Lysander. 
The  first  church  was  organized  here  on  the  19th 
of  October.  1820,  by  the  Rev.  John  Davenport,  and 
called  "  The  Second  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Lysander."  It  then  consisted  of  nine  members  : 
Wm.  Townscnd,  Aaron  F.  Vedder,  Margaret  Saf- 
ford,  Harvey  Smith,  Altie  Voorhees,  Thos.  Ambler, 
Catherine  Ambler,  Henry  Perine  and  Charlotte 
Smith.  Meetings  were  held  in  the  school  house 
and  at  the  residences  of  individuals  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. The  ministers  that  officiated  at  that  time 
were  Rev.  S.  V.  Barnes,  Rev.  Mr.  Cushman,  Rev. 
Horatio  Lombard,  Rev.  Mr.  Clark,  Rev.  Mr.  Bogue, 
Rev.  Asahel  Bronson  and  Rev.  E.  C.  Beach. 

On  the  first  of  March,  1828,  the  "  First  Protest- 
ant Reformed  Dutch  Church"  was  organized  by 
the  Rev.  James  Stevenson.  Aaron  F.  V'^edderand 
David  L.  Relyea  were  chosen  Elders,  and  Alonzo 
North  and  George  Curtis,  Deacons.  They,  to- 
gether with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  erected  a 
church  for  their  joint  use  and  occupancy,  which 
was  the  first  church  erected  in  this  vicinity.  This 
jointure  did  not  work  smoothly,  and  was  not  produc- 
tive of  the  results  anticipated  by  its  founders,  and  in 
the  year  1833,  the  Presbyterians  erected  a  house  of 
worshipof  their  own,  and  the  Rev.  EbenezerC.  Beach 
was  settled  as  pastor  Jan.  1,  1834.  and  went  at  the 
work  zealously  and  cfi'ectually,  until  the  eleventh  of 
April,, 1858,  when  he  was,  through  infirmity,  com- 
pelled to  resign,  having  become  very  deaf  and  totally 
blind.  The  church  was  very  successful  under  his 
ministrations,  and  reached  during  the  time  a  mem- 
bership of  upwards  of  three  hundred.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  Joshua  B.  Hall,  i859-'64.  Rev. 
Wm.  R.  Powers  settled  in  1865  ;  Rev.  Samuel  L. 
Merrell  1867  '75.  Among  the  prominent  members 
of  the  church  were  Chauncey  Betts,  Wm.  Townsend, 
Justus  Townsend,  Sperry  Bouton,  Asa  Benedict, 
Henry  Perine,  Benjamin  F.  Davis  and  Noadiah 
Hart,  the  latter  two  of  whom  are  still  living. 

During  this  time  the  Prottslant  Reformed  Dutch 
Church  continued  and  was  very  successful.  Rev. 
Aaron  A.  Marcellus,  first  pastor,  i830-'3i  ;  Rev. 
Melancthon  B.  Williams,  i834-'37  ;  Rev.  William  J. 
Bradford,  1849-56;  Rev.  F.  V.  Van  Vranken, 
i86i-'65;  Rev.  J.  Henry  Endus,  i866-'69;  Rev.  J. 
F.  Shaw.  i869-'70;  Rev.Wm.  A.  Wurts,  i872-'76. 
Deaths  and  removals  had  so  reduced  the  member- 
ship of  both  of  these  churches,  and  diflering  only 
in  the  non-essential  particular  of  church  govern- 
ment, on  the  third  of  May,  1877,  His  Honor,  Geo. 
A.  Hardin,  carried  an  order  to  be  entered  uniting 
and  consolidating  the  two  corporations  into  one, 
under  the  name  and  title  of  "The  Congregational 


■^^t^ 


JJt^ 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


325 


Church  and  Society  of  Lysander."  On  the  i8th  of 
December  following,  Henry  T.  Sell,  a  young  man, 
graduate  of  Wesleyan  University,  class  of  1873, 
Yale  Theological  Seminary  1877,  was  ordained  and 
installed  as  pastor,  and  the  new  church  now  num- 
bers about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  families  ; 
one  hundred  and  sixty  communicants,  and  a  mem- 
bership of  two  hundred  and  fifty.  Sunday  School 
upwards  of  three  hundred. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Lysander. 
— In  1830  or  1831,  Rev.  Elijah  Barnes  and  Rev. 
Benjamin  Rider  were  appointed  to  the  Lysander 
circuit  which  at  that  time  embraced  Amboy,  War- 
ner Settlement,  Cold  Spring,  New  Bridge,  Ira,  Hard- 
scrabble  Wellington,  State  Road,  Palmertown, 
Horton  Settlement  and  Oswego  Bitter.  Through 
the  united  labors  of  these  two  men  a  "  class"  was 
organized  at  Betts  Corners,  now  Lysander  P.  O., 
which  has  since  grown  into  the  present  flourishing 
society.  Qbeelicnt  Slauson  and  wife,  John  Slauson 
and  wife,  and  G.  W.  Brown  and  wife  are  thought  to 
be  the  members  of  the  first  class  organized.  In 
later  years  this  circuit  was  reduce.d  to  Lysander, 
Little  Utica,  Hull's  Corners,  Bowen's  Corners  and 
Coday's  School  House,  but  at  present  it  embraces 
only  Lysander  and  Little  Utica.  Previous  to  An- 
son Fuller's  pastorate  in  1844,  the  society  held 
their  religious  services  in  private  houses  and  school 
houses,  but  in  this  year  a  very  comfortable  church 
was  erected  which  was  completed  and  dedicated  the 
following  year.  In  1849,  a  parsonage  was  pur- 
chased. In  1855,  the  church  was  repaired  and  en- 
larged, and  in  1872  was  again  repaired  and  is  now 
an  ornament  to  the  society. 

The  following  named  ministers  have  served  the 
church  at  different  times  : 

Rev.  Elijah  Barnes,  Rev.  Benj.  Rider,  Rev.  Wm. 
Mekoon,  Rev.  Miles  H.  Gaylord,  Rev.  Burrows 
Holmes,  Rev.  J  C  Steward.  Rev.  L.  L.  Adkins, 
Rev.  Turner  Van  Tassel,  Rev.  Allen  H.  Tiloton, 
Rev.  Rowland  Soule,  Rev.  J.  Kilpatrick,  Rev.  Moses 
Lyon,  Rev.  Ebenezer  Arnold,  Rev.  F.  Hancock, 
Rev.  L.  L.  Adkins,  Rev.  Josiah  Arnold,  Rev.  J. 
T.  Alden,  Rev.  Anson  Fuller,  Rev.  Joseph  Lamb, 
Rev.  R.  M.  West,  Rev.  Almon  Chapin,  Rev.  Royal 
Houghton,  Rev.  Harris  Kinsley,  Rev.  John  R. 
Lewis,  Rev.  K.  M.  Roe,  Rev.  David  Stone, 
Rev.  Wm.  Morse.  Rev.  H.  Skeel,  Rev.  I.  Turney, 
Rev.  Joseph  Smidley,  Rev.  S.  B.  Crozier,  Rev.  Geo. 
C.  Wood,  Rev.  G.  W.  Foster,  Rev.  Wm.  C.  Mc- 
Donald, Rev.  P.  H.  Wiles,  Rev.  E  J.  Bush,  Rev. 
J.  Hond,  Rev.  Fred.  Devit  and  Rev.  H.  B.  Smith. 

The  above  seemingly  large  list  of  pastors  is  ac- 
counted for  by  the  fact  that  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Methodist  church,  it  was  customary  for  two  preach- 
ers to  travel  together  as  colleagues,  and  this  plan 
51 


was  continued  in  this  circuit  during  the  first  twelve 
years. 

The  present  membership  of  this  society  is  about 
one  hundred. 

John  Halsted,  Esq.,  son  of  Jonas  Halsted,  was 
born  in  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1800,  He  was 
brought  to  this  county  the  same  year  on  horseback 
in  his  mother's  arms  in  the  dead  of  winter.  His 
father  located  at  Geddes  with  the  design  of  making 
salt  ;  remained  till  spring,  and  moved  to  Aurelius, 
Cayuga  County  ;  thence  in  the  spring  of  180410 
Ohio,  where  he  died,  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
began  living  with  his  grandfather,  in  the  town  of 
Lysander,  whom  he  assisted  in  clearing  up  his 
farm  from  a  wilderness,  and  with  whom  he  remained 
till  his  death,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years. 

Mr  Halsted  then  purchased  a  farm.  Lot  No.  53, 
town  of  Lysander,  where  he  lived  in  a  log  cabin, 
and  began  a  career  which  has  resulted  in  the  most 
eminent  success.  By  industry  and  economy  he  has 
accumulated  a  handsome  property,  and  was  succes- 
sively elected  Town  Assessor  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace.  In  1869  he  sold  his  farm,  and  has  since 
made  his  residence  with  Mrs.  Van  Derveer  in  Ly- 
sander. Although  retired  from  active  business, 
his  mental  faculties  are  still  unimpaired,  and  he  is 
living  in  the  quiet  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his 
industry  and  economy, 

John  Van  Dekveer  was  born  in  Montgomery 
County  in  1803,  and  came  to  this  county  in  1825. 
In  1839  ^^  married  Electa  Cole,  and  took  up  a  new 
farm  where  his  widow,  Mrs.  Electa  Van  Derveer, 
now  resides.  He  died  in  1867,  aged  sixty-three 
years.  Mrs.  Van  Derveer  was  born  in  Cayuga 
County  in  1810,  and  came  to  Lysander  in  1815. 
Since  the  decease  of  her  husband  she  has  conducted 
her  home  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
acres,  on  which  she  has  made  valuable  improve- 
ments, and  has  also  a  farm  in  Cayuga  County. 

Harvey  H.  Russ  was  born  in  the  town  of  Van- 
Buren,  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  April  15,  1833, 
and  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  receiving  a  common 
school  education.  In  1858,  he  married  Miss  Ruth 
Betts,  of  Lysander,  and  has  one  child  living.  In 
1865,  he  purchased  the  place  where  he  now  resides 
— one  hundred  acres  of  rich  alluvial  land,  as  fine  as 
can  be  found  in  the  county — on  which,  in  1 867,  he 
began  experimenting  in  hop  raising  ;  planting  six- 
teen acres.  Under  his  judicious  management  the 
business  has  proved  quite  successful. 

Mr.  Russ,  by  both  his  paternal  and  maternal 
ancestors,  is  a  descendant  of  some  of  the  oldest 
families  of  Pompt^.     His  grandfather  was  one  of 


326 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


the  first  settlers  in  that  town.  Polly  Russ,  his 
aunt,  was  born  in  Pompey  in  1793.  John  Hatch, 
his  maternal  grandfather,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
at  "  Indian  Hill,"  in  the  town  of  Pompey,  and 
moved  there  from  Vermont  in  an  ox  cart. 

Mr.  Russ's  father,  Ralph  Russ,  settled  in  the 
town  of  Van  Buren  in  1827. 

LITTLE   UTICA. 

The  first  settlers  of  this  place  were  Reuben 
Coffin,  John  Hutler,  Henjamin  Rathbun,  Sanford 
Dunham,  John  H.  Lamson.  James  Ends,  who  was 
Justice  of  the  Peace  ;  Elijah  Fairbanks,  who  kept  the 
first  store  in  the  place  ;  Peter  Earll,  Samuel  White, 
Lucius  Gunn,  B.  M.  Ells,  Nicholas  and  Carmi 
Harrington,  Ezra  Baker,  who  was  a  physician  living 
one  mile  from  the  place.  Dunham  &  Baker  built  a 
saw-mill  on  the  outlet  of  Beaver  Lake  in  1825,  and 
a  saw  mill  standing  on  the  same  site  is  now  doing 
business.  A  postoflfice  was  established  in  1832, 
then  called  Paynesville  ;  Noah  Payne,  who  then 
kept  a  store,  was  postmaster.  Some  ten  or  fifteen 
years  after,  the  name  of  the  postoflfice  was  changed 
to  Little  Utica. 

Little  Utica  has  one  store,  two  blacksmith  shops, 
a  hotel,  a  cigar  factory,  saw-mill,  cheese  factory,  and 
some  very  good  dwelling  houses. 

Mltiiodist  Ei-iscoi'AL  CiiLkcn,  Little  Utica. 
— The  first  Methodist  class  of  this  place  originated 
in  the  conversion  of  Mr.  George  Kellogg,  through 
the  instrumentality  of  Rev.  Mr.  Rundall,  of  Fulton, 
who  paid  the  former  a  visit  during  an  attack  of  ill- 
ness, and  preached  several  times  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. Mr.  Kellogg  and  several  others  were  con- 
verted ;  a  great  revival  ensued  at  the  village  of 
Lysander,  in  which  the  people  of  Little  Utica  took 
apart;  a  class  was  formed,  September  24,  1832, 
called  the  "  Palmertown  Class."  of  which  George 
Kellogg  was  appointed  leader.  The  names  of  the 
more  prominent  members  are  as  follows  :  George 
Kellogg  and  wife.  Sally  Coffin.  Ransom  Foster  and 
wife,  Asahel  Fuller  and  wife,  William  Fanchcr  and 
wife.  Jonathan  Palmer  and  wife,  Zenas  Curtiss  and 
wife,  and  John  Bogardus  and  wife.  (For  names  of 
ministers,  see  Lysander  M.  E.  Church. ) 

The  conversion  of  William  Fancher,  about  the 
time  of  the  organization  of  this  class,  was  an  event 
of  no  little  importance  to  the  church.     Mr.  Fancher 


was  a  young  man  of  promise,  the  son  of  a  local 
preacher,  and  began  at  once  to  cvercise  his  gifts  in 
public  services.  He  soon  became  class-leader,  hold- 
ing class  and  prayer  meetings  in  which  many  were 
converted,  and  has  continued  an  earnest  worker 
ever  since. 

The  church  edifice  was  erected  in  1834,  and  was 
repaired  in  1857,  and  again  in  1875.  It  is  now  a 
plain,  neat  and  comfortable  church,  with  large  and 
interested  congregations  and  a  membership  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty.  Present  pastor.  Rev.  H.  B. 
Smith. 

JACKSONVILLE, 

Originally  called  "  Palmertown,"  became  the  seat 
of  a  postoflfice  under  the  administration  of  Jas.  K. 
Polk.  It  was  then  called  •' Polkville  P.  O."  Dur- 
ing the  last  administiation  of  President  Lincoln  the 
postoflice  was  removed  to  Little  Utica.  It  is  a  small 
hamlet  at  the  cross-roads  west  of  Little  Utica,  con- 
taining a  carriage,  joiner  and  undertaker's  estab- 
lishment, conducted  by  Alanson  Fancher  &  Son,  a 
country  store,  Allen  &  Lewis,  proprietors,  a  cider 
mill,  boot  and  shoe  shop  of  W.  A.  Wright,  and  tan- 
nery, by  B.  Hazard. 

Jonathan  Palmer  was  the  first  settler,  and  built 
the  first  house  in  the  place  on  Lot  36,  which  he  drew 
as  a  bounty  for  his  services  in  the  Revolutionary 
war.  He  served  through  the  war  with  six  brothers, 
and  was  a  pioneer  in  Lysander  when  the  country 
was  a  wilderness.  His  brother,  Nathaniel,  now 
settled  on  part  of  his  original  land,  while  stationed 
on  the  Hudson  during  the  Revolution,  assisted  in 
drawing  a  chain  across  that  river  to  intercept  the 
progress  of  the  British. 

White  Chapel  of  hie  M.  E.  Chlkch,  Cold 
Spring. — Mr.  George  White  and  others  were  the 
founders  of  the  society  about  the  time  of  the  first 
settlement  of  the  town  of  Lysander.  Religious 
services  were  held  here  the  earliest  in  the  town,  in 
a  school  house  where  the  church  now  stands. 

The  i)resent  edifice  was  erected  in  1861,  being 
built  by  Silas  Nichols,  of  Baldwinsville,  and  costing 
$1,400.  The  present  membership  is  about  one 
hundred  ;  Sunday  school  in  summer  of  about  fifty 
scholars. 

The  present  pastor.  Rev.  Frank  Andrews, 
resides  in  Liverpool,  with  which  charge  White 
Chapel  is  connected. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


327 


VAN    BUREN 


Van  Buren  was  organized  in  1829,  and  received 
its  name  from  Hon.  Martin  Van  Buren,  then  newly 
elected  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York.  The 
territory  embraced  in  it  was  originally  part  of  the 
township  of  Camillus,  of  the  Military  Tract,  and 
included  in  the  town  of  Marcellus  from  the  organi- 
'zation  of  the  county  in  1794  to  the  organization  of 
the  town  of  Camillus  in  1799.  On  the  26th  of 
March,  1829,  it  was  taken  from  the  northern  part 
of  Camillus  and  organized  into  the  town  of  Van 
Buren.  Gabriel  Tappan  was  one  of  the  Commis- 
sioners appointed  to  effect  the  formation  of  the  new 
town. 

The  surface  of  the  town  is  somewhat  level  com- 
pared with  the  southern  portions  of  the  county,  yet 
it  is  in  many  places  beautifully  undulating,  and  the 
land,  especially  the  valleys  of  the  small  streams, 
rich  and  productive.  Perhaps  there  is  no  section 
of  the  county,  of  an  equal  number  of  square  miles, 
better  adapted  to  agricultural  purposes  or  contain- 
ing less  waste  land.  The  sandy  loam  chiefly  pre- 
vails, alternating  with  clay  loam,  some  muck  and 
beds  of  marl  and  calcarious  tufa,  and  affording  a 
wide  range  of  productions,  among  which  wheat, 
corn,  fruit  and  tobacco  take  the  lead.  The  town 
has  long  been  noted  for  its  excellent  crops  of  wheat 
and  corn.  The  best  land,  perhaps,  for  the  produc- 
tion of  the  latter  crop  is  that  in  the  vicinity  of 
Jack's  Reefs,  while  the  best  wheat  land  is  that 
characterized  by  an  outcrop  of  the  red  clay  shales 
in  the  northwest  part  of  the  town.  The  proportion 
of  clay  soil  as  compared  with  the  sandy  and  gravel- 
ly loam  is  very  small.  In  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
Baldwinsville  the  soil  is  chiefly  sandy,  while  in  the 
more  eastern  portion  it  is  gravelly  loam  intermixed 
with  small  stones  and  boulders. 

A  ride  through  the  town  of  Van  Buren  will  show 
a  finely  improved  country  both  in  respect  to  lands 
and  buildings,  the  houses  being  neat  and  substan- 
tial, and  the  barns  capacious,  well  underpinned  with 
stone,  finished  outside  with  clapboards,  painted,  and 
often  surmounted  with  cupolas  or  towers,  which 
render  them  sightly  and  attractive. 

Early  Settlement. 
The  first  temporary  settlement  was  made  in  the 


town  by  John  Dunn,  who  settled  on  Lot  No.  12, 
about  one  mile  south  of  Baldwinsville  in  1789.  He 
made  a  small  clearing,  and  subsequently,  after  the 
death  of  his  wife,  left  the  country.  John  McHarrie, 
Sen.,  came  from  the  State  of  Maryland  and  settled 
on  the  south  bank  of  the  Seneca  River,  (Lot  No.  7) 
in  the  latter  part  of  17S9.  John  McHarrie,  Jr., 
became  a  resident  of  the  town  (then  included  in 
Camillus)  in  1794,  and  Mary  and  Lydia  McHarrie 
soon  after.  They  all  rest  in  the  Baldwinsville 
Cemetery,  and  were  the  first  persons  buried  in  that 
ground. 

David  Haynes  and  Joseph  Wilson  were  early 
settlers  in  the  town,  probably  as  early  as  1790,  or 
soon  after,  David  Haynes  came  from  Salina.  His 
son.  Col.  Thaddeus  Haynes,  still  lives  on  almost  the 
same  spot  occupied  by  his  father,  and  is  now  (1878) 
one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  Van  Buren. 

Col.  Gabriel  Tappan  settled  in  Van  Buren  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1796.  He  was  a  prominent  citizen  and 
father  of  Wallace  Tappan,  Esq.,  of  Baldwinsville. 
William  Lindsay,  1795  ;  Jacob  and  Chester  Molby, 
the  Delanos  ;  Asher,  John,  Stephen,  Abraham  and 
William  Tappan,  about  1797  ;  Reuben  Smith,  1800  ; 
John  and  William  Lakin,  James  and  John  Williams, 
and  Ira  Barnes,  soon  after  1800  ;  James  Wells, 
1803. 

In  about  1800,  or  soon  after,  Eleazer  Dunham, 
Amos,  Seth  and  Heman  Warner  founded  Warner's 
•Settlement,  and  Benjamin  Bolton  located  at  Jack's 
Reefs.  The  latter  place,  we  are  informed,  took  its 
name  from  a  colored  man  known  as  "  Jack,"  who 
lived  near  the  rapids  at  an  early  day  and  assisted 
boatmen  in  transferring  their  freight.  Gilbert 
Totten  settled  at  Jack's  Reefs,  in  the  town  of  Van- 
Buren,  in  1810.  He  subsequently  owned  consider- 
able land  at  the  Reefs,  and  raised  a  large  family. 

Charles  H.  Toll,  Phineas  Barnes,  Isaac  Earll  and 
Jonathan  Skinner,  also  settled  in  town  about  the 
year  18 10.  and  about  1812  Nicholas  Vader,  Cyrus 
H.  Kingsley  and  Nathaniel  Cornell. 

At  this  period  the  country  was  entirely  new  and 
presented  few  attractions  for  settlers,  most  of  the 
people  preferring  the  higher  grounds  of  the  towns 
of  Camillus  and  Marcellus.      The  farmers  who  had 


328 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


flocks  were  often  obliged  to  fold  them  in  high 
enclosures  during  the  night  for  their  protection 
against  the  wolves  which  prowled  around  in  the 
forests  in  great  numbers,  and  whose  savage  propen- 
sities, whetted  by  hunger,  made  them  very  destruc- 
tive. Bears  were  common  and  deer  very  plenty, 
having  been  driven  from  the  higher  grounds  south 
by  the  clearing  up  of  the  lands. 

The  first  village  or  hamlet  founded  in  the  town 
was  at  the  [)oint  now  called  Ionia,  the  name  being 
given  it  by  the  postoffice  established  here  in  1816 
— the  first  postoffice  in  the  town,  Charles  H.  Toll. 
Postmaster.  I'hineas  Harncs  erected  the  first  frame 
house  here  in  1808,  and  Isaac  Earll  and  Charles  H. 
Toll  soon  after  erected  others.  Oliver  and  Job 
Nichols  were  afterwards  Postmasters.  The  build- 
ing of  the  Erie  Canal  attracted  business  to  Canton 
(now  Memphis)  and  destroyed  the  prospects  of 
Ionia. 

The  first  town  meeting  for  VanBuren  was  held  at 
the  house  of  Eleazcr  Dunham,  March  26,  1829, 
at  which  Gabriel  Tappan  was  elected  Supervisor, 
and  Abel  Tryon,  Town  Clerk. 

The  first  lawyer  was  Theodore  Popell,  in  1818; 
the  second,  Medad  Curtis,  in  1829.  The  first 
physician.  Dr.  Jonathan  S.  liuell,  settled  at  Ionia 
in  1812;  the  second.  Dr.  William  Laughlin,  at 
Canton,  (now  Memphis)  in  1815. 

In  this  town,  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of  the 
river  at  Baldwinsville  and  on  the  left  side  of  the 
road  to  Warner's,  is  the  site  of  an  old  stockade 
fort.  It  is  on  a  low,  oval  hill,  which  rises  on  the 
south  side  of  a  small  stream  flowing  into  Crooked 
Brook.  Col.  Thaddeus  Haynes.  Mr.  J.  Wells,  and 
others,  describe  the  circular  line  of  post-holes,  which 
were  so  close  together  as  almost  to  form  a  ditch, 
until  the  ground  was  cleared  and  plowed.  The 
palisades  had  fallen  outward,  and  the  bark  of  many 
still  remained  The  circle  had  an  opening  on  the 
north,  with  a  path  down  the  steep  bank  to  the 
water.  Charred  corn,  arrow-heads,  stone  and  clay 
pipes,  and  pottery,  were  plowed  up.  In  1S78,  every 
lodge  could  yet  be  traced. 

Generally  the  Indians  frequented  rapids  which 
were  important  as  fords  and  fishing  stations. 
Hence  the  rapids  along  the  Oneida,  Oswego  and 
Seneca  Rivers  are  marked  with  the  remains  of  In- 
dian town  sites.  There  are  several  about  the  vil- 
lage of  Baldwinsville  :  one  at  Float  Bridge  ;  an- 
other on  the  hill  north  of  the  village ;  one  at  the 
lock,  and  another  a  mile  west,  on  the  farm  of 
C.  H.  Emerick,  Lot  No.  78,  in  Lysander.  On 
the  Van  Buren  side,  there  was  one  where  several 
skeletons     have     been    found,    between     Seneca 


and  McHarrie  streets  ;  another  was  far  up  Syra- 
cuse street  towards  the  river ;  and  a  large  village 
may  be  traced  at  the  water's  edge  on  the  southwest 
corporation  line,  exhibiting  a  few  traces  of  Eurojiean 
intercourse. 

On  the  west  side  of  Dead  Creek,  formerly  called 
Camp  Creek,  from  the  Indian's  camps,  was  a  small 
settlement,  and  there  are  evidences  of  a  grave  yard 
near  the  Indian  orchard,  farther  west.  This  orchard 
was  in  a  ravine  near  the  river  on  Lot  No.  3,  Van 
Buren,  and   the  last  trees    were   cut    down  about 

1873- 
Above  the  latter  spot, at  the  foot  of  Bishop's  Reefs 

is  a  curious  pre-historic  work,  which  has  been  over- 
flowed ever  since  the  building  of  the  Baldwinsville 
dam.  It  is  a  stone  fish-weir,  on  the  Van  Buren 
side,  and  opposite  U.  M.  Kelley's,  Lot  No.  75, 
Lysander.  It  runs  down  stream  on  the  south 
shore  two  hundred  and  five  feet,  with  a  depth 
of  two  feet  ;  then  returns  at  a  sharp  angle, 
three  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  up  the  river, 
forming  an  angle  like  the  letter  V.  To  this  must 
be  added  twenty-five  feet  more,  making  an  obtuse 
angle  to  the  south.  North  of  this  begins  another 
wall,  running  down  one  hundred  and  forty-five  feet, 
and  returning  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet.  These 
are  rough  measurements  made  from  a  boat  in  1877. 
The  walls  are  well  laid,  of  large  and  small  stones, 
and  the  south  one  reaches  the  surface  only  in  ex- 
tremely low  water  ;  the  north  one  is  even  then 
a  foot  beneath  the  surface.  The  total  length 
is  about  eight  hundred  and  sixty  feet.  Several 
others,  partly  destroyed,  are  to  be  seen  some  miles 
above. 

The  valley  of  the  Seneca  is  rich  in  relics  of  the 
stone  age.  Many  beautiful  and  characteristic  pipes 
have  been  found,  formed  in  many  ages  and 
of  varying  forms  and  materials.  Many  fine  ar- 
ticles might  be  described  from  the  valuable  col- 
lections of  Messrs.  Bigelow  and  Perkins,  of  Bald- 
winsville, and  those  now  in  the  Connecticut 
Historical  Rooms.  With  a  view  to  fuller  preser- 
vation, about  seven  hundred  articles  have  been 
drawn  and  described  by  Rev.  W.  M.  Beauchamp,  of 
Baldwinsville,  with  their  history  as  far  as  it  could 
be  ascertained. 

We  may  add  to  this  general  enumeration,  stone 
plummets  and  cups,  sinkers,  pestles,  hammers, 
gouges  with  a  cross  groove  on  the  back,  pierced 
tablets  of  many  forms,  stone  clubs,  and  other  mas- 
sive things  as  yet  unnamed.  Two  copper  arrows 
have  been  found  in  the  west  part  of  Lysander,  both 
having  hafts  instead  of  sockets.  The  last,  which 
is  very  fine,  was  hoed  up  in  1S76.  on  Judge  Voorhces' 


I'hoto.  by  W,  V.  Ranger,  Syracuse. 


A.   W.   BINGHAM. 


I'bi>lu.  b;  W.  V.  IUn(<r,  8.T1 


^^^Y  M-ayi^i^^ 


ThiH  ^cntluinun  Ls  a  liiioul  dcscuiidiint  ut'  the  Uuholl  fuiiiily  uf 
Coniiwticiit,  who  liavo  been  iiotod  fnr  over  a  c-ciiliir_v  its  iiiutlio- 
inatic-iuiis  and  scliolars.  All  ol"  us  wlio  have  lived  li>  fi^y  years 
of  age  rcmenilter  Dnboll's  Arithmetic  as  among  the  standard 
8chou1-biH)ks  of  our  Ixiyhood  days.  Natlinn  Dubull,  tlie  author 
of  this  aritlimetic,  was  a  brother  of  the  grandfather  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  reeord.  The  b(W)k  was  revised  and  republished  by 
Nathan  Daboll,  A.M.,  son  of  the  author,  and  is  still  in  u.sc  in 
eastern  Connectieul.  The  descendants  of  Nathan  Daboll  have 
for  more  than  a  century  kept  a  nautieid  academy,  for  in.struetion 
in  navigation  and  kindred  sciences,  at  (iroton.  Conn.,  and  liave 
published  a  serii-s  of  almanacs  for  the  liLst  liundreil  yean-  or  more. 

Henry  l)aboll  is  the  oldest  .son  of  Jonathan  and  Betsey 
(Thomas )  Daboll,  and  was  born  in  Canaan,  Litchfield  Co.,  Conn., 
May  C,  1812.  His  father  and  mother  died  in  Connecticut,  the 
former  .\ug.  "Jl,  IS.'tti,  the  latter  Oct.  IS,  IS.*)."),  and  were  buried 
in  the  town  of  Canaan,  Litchfield  county.  In  e^irly  life  Henry 
was  bred  to  the  occupation  of  a  mechanic,  and  divided  liis  time 
between  that  and  teaching  school  till  thirty  years  of  age.  He 
has  been  from  Iniyhood  of  a  studious  and  ini|uiring  turn  of  mind, 
and  moot  of  his  education  has  been  ac<|uircd  in  the  school  of 
experience  and  self-culture. 

On  Nov.  9,  1841,  he  married  Miss  Charlotte  Goodwin,  of 
•Salisbury,  Conn.,  and  the  following  year  came  to  the  town  of 
Van  IJuren,  ami  settled  on  the  farm  wIutc  he  now  lives.  He 
had  visited  the  place  and  pureha.«<'d  the  farm  prior  to  his  mar- 
riage. The  ent4'rprisc  of  Mr.  Daboll  in  ridding  this  farm  of  the 
pine  stumps  which  covered  it  at  the  time  of  his  settlement  here 
is  well  known  in  the  neighborhood,  which  was  generally  benefited 
by  his  example.  He  led  the  way  to  this  improvement,  being 
the  first  to  inaugurate  the  use  of  the  stumping-machine,  that 
important  benefactor  of  the  farmers  on  the  pine  lands 


In  ISi'iL',  Mr.  Daboll  wiut  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  and 
held  the  office  one  term.  He  was  eonnecteil  with  the  Farmers' 
Joint  .Slock  In^uranee  Company,  of  Meridian,  N.  Y..  in  the 
capacity  of  president  and  director,  during  the  period  of  its 
existence.  It  was  discontinued  in  April.  1877.  He  has  also 
held  the  office  of  notary  public  for  the  liLst  ten  or  twelve 
years,  and  has  been  active  in  educational  and  church  matters, 
having  been  for  thirty  years  a  warden  of  Christ  church,  Jordan, 
and  axsistcd  in  building  two  churches  in  that  parish. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daboll  have  had  a  family  of  five  children, — 
two  sons  and  three  daughters.  The  eldest  son,  Henry  H.  I>aboll, 
is  married,  and  lives  on  a  farm  adjoining  the  homestead;  the 
eldest  daughter,  Mary,  married  Isaac  K.  Burdick,  principal  of 
the  I'rcscott  school,  Syracuse. 

Mk8.  Daholi,  is  of  the  ancient  Goodwin  family,  of  Saxon 
origin,  who  trace  their  lineage  back  to  Harold  (iodwin,  the 
Saxon  king  of  England.  The  family  are  ()uitc  numerous  in  this 
country  and  eon.siderably  Dot«d  for  their  literary  talents.  Mn. 
Daboll  is  a  ]><K't,  a  religious  sentimentalist,  and  at  heart  a  prac- 
tical Christian  philanthropist,  delighting  in  affording  sympathy, 
comfort,  and  aid  to  the  poor  and  sorrowing.  She  writes  much, 
many  of  her  [lieces  having  been  publishi-il  in  magazines  and 
neW8pap«>rs,  and  she  will  probably  yet  be  known  more  widely  by 
her  litcntry  works.  The  writer  of  this,  from  his  knowledge  of 
the  writings  of  Mrs.  Daboll,  is  pleased  to  bear  this  testimony 
to  her  literary  talents  and  Christian  character,  while  at  the  same 
time  she  is  eminently  devoted  to  domestic  duties  and  the  affiiirs 
of  her  hou.sehold. 

For  many  years  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daboll  have  kept  a  record  of 
each  day's  events,  of  things  which  have  transpired  within  their 
knowledge  and  observation,  and  it  has  proven,  in  many  instances, 
to  be  a  collection  of  useful  memoranda. 


^ 


IMuito".  hy  \V.  V.  Rangrr,  Syrocut**. 
IIUKACK    II     IIINcillAM.  K.MKI.INK   J.    KINlillAM. 


HORACE   B.  BINGHAM. 


Hurnuc  B.  Rin^linin  wiis  born  in  North  Coventry,  Tolland  Co., 
Conn.,  Ajirii  10,  \'W.  His  early  life  wsls  K|HMit  in  iilternutely 
attending  .'h-IuxiI  iind  n-ssLitin;;  lii.s  futhcr.  He  niurried,  Miirch 
10,  1821,  Miiw  Kiueline  JonuH,  of  Adrian,  TollunJ  Co.,  Conn. 
In  183(j,  .^lr.  Bin^liiiui  left  his  ejistoni  home  and  moved  wilh 
\m  fumily  to  Van  Huren,  ()niinda-;a  Co.,  N.  V.,  and  in  the 
following'  year  purehaMed  the  farm  ufton  which  he  !>(>ent  the 
thirty  remninin;;  yeum  of  his  life. 

DoHconded  from  New  Kti^land  ancestor?*,  he  |M>ssesscd  in 
a  high  degree  the  industry  and  rigid  mural  elmmeteri.stics  of 
that  |K-o|>le.  I'liriglit  and  eireuiux[)eet  in  all  hix  bn.tine&s  tran:*- 
octiuHH,  he  eanii'd  the  esteem  and  i-oufidenee  of  hix  noiHteiateM. 
He  piLSficd  away  Nov.  IK,  iSlI",  leaving  to  hiH  children  the 
legacy  of  a  spollesH  eharactcr  and  holy  life.  Mrs.  Bingham, 
now  in  her  Reventy-fifth  year,  i.s  living  with  her  only  (ton,  A. 
\V.   Bingham,  the  eldest  of  three  ehildren,  who  reiiidea  ti|K>n 


the  old  homestead.  He  received  the  advanta^  of  a  good 
common-school  education,  and  was  at  an  early  age  culled  into 
public  life. 

He  ha.s  held  a  prominent  po-sition  in  the  Odd  Fellow  and 
Grand  Ixidgca  in  the  districts  of  Onondaga  and  ("ayuga,  and 
has  been  connected  with  the  lodge  at  BaMwinsvillo  fur  twenty- 
five  years. 

December  18,  1877,  he  wa.s  appointed  inspector  of  the 
Onondaga  County  |)cnitontiary  for  a  term  of  three  yean,  and 
in  that  capacity  proves  to  be  one  of  the  ablest  and  most 
conscientious  officials  that  could  have  been  appointed.  He  has 
held  many  other  important  public  positions,  the  duties  of  which 
he  discharged  with  c<{ual  acceptance.  In  all  his  busiDOOS 
transactions  he  endcuvors  to  do  that  which  is  strictly  just,  and 
thas  far  has  had  the  good  fortune  to  pose*  thmugh  life  without 
a  stain  rusting  upon  his  character. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


329 


farm,  lot  74.  The  occasional  polished  slate  arrows 
are  of  great  interest,  and  seem  peculiar  to  this  re- 
gion. Broken  pottery,  highly  ornamented,  is  abund- 
ant, but  perfect  vessels  are  rare.  Some  were  four- 
teen inches  in  diameter,  and  often  very  thin.  Others 
were  of  curious  forms.  The  flint  implements  are 
of  the  usual  types,  mixed  with  some  forms  new  to 
science.  They  comprise  arrows  of  the  finest  and 
coarsest  finish  and  material,  lance-heads,  knives, 
scrapers,  drills,  &c.,  many  of  which  are  made  of  the 
hornstone  so  abundant  in  our  corniferous  lime- 
stone. 

In  1878,  Mr.  Justice  Stephens,  of  Van  Buren,  in 
working  up  a  hemlock  log,  came  to  the  marks  of  a 
cutting  tool,  outside  of  which  were  two  hundred  and 
fifty-four  rings  of  growth.  This  would  date  back 
to  1624,  a  little  over  thirty  years  before  the  Onon- 
dagas  are  known  to  have  received  steel  axes  from 
the  French.  The  wood  is  charred,  according  to  the 
Indian  custom,  and  the  several  marks  correspond 
with  those  of  stone  axes.  This  was  on  Lot  2,  Van 
Buren,  not  far  from  the  old  stone  fish-weir.  About 
the  same  time  a  similar  cut  was  found  in  a  tree  in 
Lysander  overgrown  with  two  hundred  and  forty 
rings.* 

That  part  of  the  village  of  Baldwinsville  which 
lies  on  the  south  side  of  the  Seneca  River,  is  in- 
cluded in  the  town  of  Van  Buren.  It  was  origin- 
ally called  "Macksville"  from  the  McHarries,  the 
first  settlers.  Both  "  Macksville  "  and  "  Colum- 
bia," (the  original  village  on  the  Lysander  side 
of  the  river,)  have  long  since  been  absorbed  in 
the  flourishing  village  of  Baldwinsville.  That  por- 
tion of  the  village  situated  in  Van  Buren  is  well  laid 
out,  occupies  a  beautiful  site,  and  contains  some  of 
the  most  desirable  residence  property  within  the 
corporation. 

MEMPHIS. 

This  village  was  formerly  called  Canton.  It  is 
near  the  southern  line  of  the  town  of  Van  Buren,  on 
the  Erie  Canal  and  the  New  York  Central  Railroad. 
It  has  two  churches,  two  hotels,  one  dry  goods  and 
grocery  store,  one  canal  grocery,  two  wagon  and 
three  blacksmith  shops,  four  millinery  shops  or 
stores,  a  postoffice  and  American  Express  office. 

The  postoffice  was  removed  here  from  Ionia  in 
1828.  The  name  Canton  was  rejected  by  the  de- 
partment on  account  of  there  being  another  Canton 
m  St.  Lawrence  county,  and  gradually  it  was 
dropped  as  the  name  of  the  place,  Memphis  being 
now  generally  substituted  in  its  stead. 

The  Hotels  are :  Headquarters,  by  T.  H.  Wilkes, 
and  Memphis  House,  by  Lindsay  &  Johnson. 

*Noto^by  Rev.  W.  M.  Beauchamp,  Baldwinsville,  N.  V. 


William  Lakin  was  an  old  resident  of  the  villa<^e 
and  resided  here  till  his  death  in  1864.  He  was 
the  father  of  John  Lakin,  one  of  the  first  merchants 
of  the  village,  and  for  many  years  a  prominent  man 
Wflham  Lakin  was  Deputy  Sheriff;  member  of  As- 
sembly, and  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace 
for  a  long  time. 

Others  of  the  early  merchants  were  David  Lytle 
and  Isaac  Hill,  and  of  a  later  date,  John  D.  Norton, 
Joseph  Glass,  Barrett  &  Brown,  and  Toll,  Lusk 
&  Co. 

Baptist  Church    of    Memphis  —This  society 
was    first   organized   at   Warners  in    1815,  with  a 
membership  of  about  twenty,  and  known'  as  the 
Second  Baptist  Church  of  Camillus.     At  that  time 
a  large  territory  was  embraced  under  this  organiza- 
tion, and  from  1815  to  until   1834  meetings  were 
held  at  the  school   houses  and  private  houses  in 
various  places  within  the  boundaries  of  the  church. 
The  earliest  meetings,  however,  were  held  in  the 
Warner   Settlement   school    house.     Among    the 
original  members  may  be  mentioned  the  Warners, 
Bentleys,  Weavers,  Tabors  and  Marshalls.     In  1 834 
a  church  edifice  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $2,500  in 
Canton,  now  Memphis,  and  for  a  long  period  this 
society  enjoyed  a  prosperous  and  flourishing  con- 
dition.    Among  the  most  prominent  and  influential 
members  who  were  added  to  the  society  at  this  time 
were  the  Hills,  Halsteds,  Auyers,  Glasses  and  many 
others  whose  names  we  are  unable  to  ascertain. 

^  The  following  pastors  have  served  this  church  at 
dififerent  times : 

Rev.  B.  Dowsit,  Rev.  J.  P.  Parsons,  Rev.  Ira 
Dudley,  Rev.  T.  Brown,  Rev.  Erastus  Miner,  Rev 
John  Roscoe,  Rev.  L.  C.  Bates,  Rev.  Johns- 
ton, Rev.  J.  J.  Fuller,  Rev.  N.  Camp,  Rev  M  H 
DeWitt,  Rev.  Wm.  A.  Wells,  Rev.  B.  Newton,  Rev. 
J.  Smith.     Present  pastor  Rev.  Wm.  A.  Wells. 

The  present  membership  numbers  twenty-seven  ; 
the  average  attendance  at  Sunday  School,  thirty. 

The  Christian  Church  at  Memphis  was 
organized  in  1818  in  the  town  of  Camillus,  which 
then  embraced  Van  Buren,  Elbridge,  &c.  It  was 
formerly  located  at  "  Ionia,"  but  was  removed  to 
Memphis  in  1868.  The  number  of  original  mem- 
bers was  thirty-five,  among  whom  Elder  Elijah 
Shaw,  Abraham  Wood,  Daniel  Godfrey,  John  Cox 
and  Stephen  Daniels  were  prominent.  The  first 
house  of  worship  was  built  at  "  Ionia,"  a  half  mile 
or  near  that  distance  north  of  Memphis,  in  1829,  at 
a  cost  of  $1,200.  The  second  edifice  was  erected  in 
Memphis  in  1868,  and  cost  $2,500. 

The  following  named  clergymen  have  officiated 
as  pastors : 


^  \  CMg 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


331 


took  various  jobs  of  chopping  cord  wood,  felling 
timber,  &c.,  up  to  about  the  time  of  his  marriage, 
being  married  December  28,  18 17,  to  Martha,  daugh- 
ter of  Elihu  Peck,  of  Van  Buren.  He  has  had  nine 
children,  three  sons  and  six  daughters,  seven  of  whom 
(three  sons  and  four  daughters)  are  now  living. 

The  story  of  Mr.  Cornell's  life  may  be  briefly 
told.  He  has  been  a  hard  working,  industrious, 
persevering  man,  having  begun  life  without  capital, 
supported  and  raised  a  large  and  respectable  family, 
endured  and  overcome  the  privations  and  hardships 
of  pioneer  life,  and  through  all  this  has  maintained 
a  character  for  honesty  and  integrity  eminently 
worthy  of  the  confidence  and  esteem  in  which  he 
is  held  by  all  who  know  him.  He  has  been  for 
many  years  a  prominent  member  of  the  Christian 
Church. 

He  moved  upon  his  farm  in  1820,  having  then 
but  twenty  acres  ;  adding  to  this  from  time  to  time, 
he  had  finally  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres. 
Mrs.  Cornell  died  in  1873.  His  health  becoming 
impaired,  and  being  no  longer  able  to  work  his  farm, 
he  purchased  a  residence  in  the  village  of  Bald- 
winsville,  to  which  he  removed  in  1875,  and  the  year 
following  sold  his  farm,  thus  freeing  himself  from 
the  cares  and  responsibilities  of  active  business. 

RussEL  Foster  was  born  in  the  town  of  Pom- 
pey,  July  24,  1806,  and  remained  in  that  town  about 
three  years,  removing  to  the  town  of  Van  Buren 
(then  Camillus)  with  his  parents,  who  settled  a  little 
east  of  where  he  now  resides.  Here  he  remained 
on  his  father's  farm  till  twenty-one  years  of  age^ 
when  feeling  a  desire  to  procure  a  home  and  enter 
upon  a  career  for  himself,  he  purchased  jointly  with 
his  brother  Heman  220  acres  of  land,  including 
the  present  homestead,  then  a  dense  forest.  He 
and  his  brother  set  to  work  to  clear  the  land,  which 
was  an  undertaking  of  no  small  magnitude,  requir- 
ing energy,  perseverance  and  physical  endurance, 
such  as  marked  in  an  eminent  degree  the  pioneers 
of  the  country.  The  training  which  Mr.  Foster 
had  received  during  his  minority  on  his  father's 
farm,  and  his  natural  energy  and  determination,  ad- 
mirably fitted  him  for  the  work  of  carving  out  of 
the  unimproved  wilderness  the  beautiful  and  com- 
fortable home  which  now  in  his  old  age  rewards 
his  toil  and  industry.  The  two  brothers  worked  to- 
gether with  a  common  purpose  and  interest  for  nine 
years,  when  they  divided  the  farm,  each  taking  one 
hundred  and  ten  acres. 

In  December,  1827,  Mr.  Foster  was  married  to 
Margaret  Hall,  who  lived  only  sixteen  months.  He 
married  Miss  Lucinda  Vanyea,  his  present  wife,  in 
October,  1830. 


Mr.  Foster  has  been  more  successful  than  many, 
for  by  his  industry  and  economy  he  has  added 
largely  to  his  original  purchase  of  lands  and  erected 
fine  buildings,  having  one  of  the  finest  grain-pro- 
ducing farms  in  this  section  of  the  country.  He 
has  held  the  oftice  of  Overseer  of  the  Poor  four 
years  in  his  town,  and  enjoys  in  a  large  degree  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  his  fellow-citizens,  among 
whom  he  has  lived  an  upright  and  exemplary  life 
from  boyhood,  and  is  now  in  the  quiet  enjoyment  of 
a  home  in  which  he  has  spent  fifty-two  years  of  his 
life. 

Col.  Gabriel  Tappan  was  born  in  Morristown, 
New  Jersey,  June  20th,  1783.  He  died  August  4, 
1865.  He  came  into  the  county  February  18,  1796. 
His  life  covered  a  period  verging  on  eighty-three 
years.  He  early  immigrated  to  Onondaga  County 
and  was  one  of  its  first  pioneer  settlers,  hav- 
ing lived  nearly  seventy  years  within  its  limits. 
He  was  the  first  Supervisor  of  the  town  of 
Van  Buren.  In  after  years  he  was  many  times 
reelected  by  his  neighbors  to  fill  that  position.  He 
was  appointed  one  of  the  commissioners  ( 1829)  to 
set  off  the  town  of  Van  Buren  from  the  then  large 
town  of  Camillus.  He  was  appointed  by  the  Legis- 
lature as  commissioner  to  carry  out  many  important 
trusts.  He  acted  as  arbitrator  in  numerous  cases 
to  adjust  difficulties  among  men.  He  did  much  for 
the  improvement  of  Onondaga  County  in  ameliorat- 
ing the  condition  of  its  roads,  building  anew  many 
bridges,  and  urging  on  new  settlements  in  Van- 
Buren,  which  to-day  are  the  gardens  of  the  great 
State  of  New  York.  He  conceived  the  idea  which 
was  most  satisfactorily  carried  out  of  building  the 
bridge  across  "Dead  Creek"  flats  towards  the 
northern  part  of  the  town,  which  in  after  years  be- 
came of  inestimable  value  to  the  farmers  of  the 
western  portion  of  Van  Buren.  He  did  perhaps  as 
much  as  any  other  man  in  building  up  the  interests 
and  improving  the  condition  of  the  now  thriving 
village  of  Baldwinsville.  He  was  foremost  in  secur- 
ing and  putting  to  good  use  the  valuable  water 
privileges  which  Baldwinsville  now  enjoj's,  he  hav- 
ing constructed,  through  the  assistance  of  John  Mc- 
Harrie  and  Dr.  Jonas  C.  Baldwin,  the  dam  across 
the  Seneca  River  at  an  early  day.  With  his  own 
ax  he  opened  nearly  fifty  miles  of  road  through  a 
dense  wilderness,  many  places  through  swamps  and 
over  other  barriers.  In  1833,  he  represented  the 
First  Assembly  District  of  Onondaga  County  in  the 
Assembly ;  and  his  record  as  a  legislator  was 
eminently  satisfactory  to  his  constituents.  He 
took  a  very  active  part  in  the  military  affairs  of  the 
country.      He  was  a  veteran  of  the  war  of  1812. 


332 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Two  hundreii  of  his  fellow-men  called  him  out  to 
serve  as  their  Captain  in  the  war  of  J8l2  and  "13. 
He  served  his  country  faithfully  at  Oswego  and 
elsewhere  as  Captain  of  the  militia.  Subsequently 
he  received  the  title  of  Colonel,  and  for  many  years 
was  the  head  of  a  militia  regiment  in  the  county. 
His  familiarity  with  military  matters  was  most 
creditable,  he  having  received  a  very  good  military 
education  for  the  times.  For  a  period  of  sixty- 
five  years  he  was  an  active  business  man. 

He  married  Lydia  McHarrie  in  about  the  year 
1805,  by  whom  he  had  twelve  children,  seven  of 
whom  are  now  living.  When  he  first  came  to  Van- 
Buren,  he  located  on  "Dead  Creek,  "  and  occupied 
for  his  wilderness  home  a  rude  brush  tent,  and 
his  bed  was  made  of  hemlock  boughs  laid  on  the 
ground.     His  food  was  salted  raw  pork  and  bread. 


His  companion  was  his  a.\.  His  night  visitors  were 
howling  wolves,  varied  by  the  frequent  visitations  of 
panthers,  bears,  &c.  He  lived  to  see  the  close  of  the 
great  rebellion,  and  no  man  was  more  gratified  than 
he  when  Abraham  Lincoln  read  his  famous  Eman- 
cipation Proclamation,  announcing  to  forty  millions 
of  people  that  slavery  was  forever  abolished  in  the 
United  States.  He  was  liberal,  kind  to  the  poor  ; 
and  it  can  be  said  of  him  that  "he  made  the  wilderness 
blossom  as  the  rose,"  and  kept  pace  with  the  fore- 
most men  of  his  time  in  agricultural  improvements, 
valuable  to  himself  and  to  his  neighbors  as  well. 

He  gave  to  the  orphans,  and  his  home  was  always 
thrown  open  to  the  distressed  and  needy.  He 
died  in  Syracuse,  and  his  remains  are  interred  in 
the  Baldwinsville  Cemetery— the  very  ground  he 
had  given  to  the  village  many  years  before. 


C  LAY 


Clay  was  formed  from  Cicero  April  16,  1827, 
and  named  in  honor  of  the  distinguished  statesman, 
Henry  Clay.  It  is  the  central  town  upon  the  northern 
border  of  the  county.  Its  surface  is  quite  flat,  but 
little  elevated  above  the  level  of  Oneida  Lake. 
Oneida  River  forms  the  northern,  and  Seneca  River 
the  western  boundary.  The  soil  is  chiefly  clay  and 
light,  sandy  loam,  with  the  exception  of  the  swampy 
portion,  which  is  covered  with  decayed  vegetable 
matter  and  peat  beds,  the  latter  being  to  a  consider- 
able extent  worked  for  fuel.  (.See  Geology  of  the 
County.  I 

Much  of  the  early  history  of  this  town  is  compre- 
hended in  the  town  of  Cicero.  At  the  time  of  its 
separate  organization  it  contained  less  than  seven 
hundred  inhabitants.  The  first  white  settler  in  the 
town  I  then  included  in  Lysander,  1  was  Patrick  Mc- 
Gee,  at  Three  River  Point,  in  1793.  In  1798 
Adam  Coon  settled  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
town;  Simeon  Baker  on  the  Seneca  River,  in  1799; 
John  Lynn  near  the  center  of  the  town,  in  1808. 
Since  that  the  town  has  settled  somewhat  rapidly. 
Joshua  Kinne  and  family  settled  in  the  town  in 
1807;  Elijah  Pinckney  and  others  the  same  year. 

In  1793,  Patrick  McGee  erected  a  log  cabin,  (the 
first  house  in  town,  1  at  Three  River  Point.  The 
place  had  been  selected  by  him  in  1780,  while  a 
prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  British,  and  on  his  way 
to  Canada.  They  camped  here  all  night,  and  Mr. 
McGee  was  very  much  charmed  by  the  beauty  of  the 
place.     It  is  said  that  he  selected  it  while  tied  to  a 


tree,  for  so  the  British  had  secured  their  prisoners. 
After  the  Revolutionary  war  he  came  here  and 
spent  his  life,  and  was  buried  on  the  spot.  When 
Mr.  McGee  first  visited  this  place  in  1780,  there 
was  a  clearing  without  a  shrub  or  tree,  handsomely 
covered  with  grass,  for  a  distance  of  more  than  a 
mile  along  the  banks  of  the  rivers.  The  spot  had 
often  been  appropriated  to  the  great  councils  of  the 
Iroquois  Confederacy,  and  here  Dekanissora,  Sade- 
kanaghte  and  Garangula  often  addressed  the  braves 
of  the  Hurons,  Adirondacks  and  Abenaquis,  and 
the  French  and  English  met  in  these  distinguished 
chiefs,  orators  and  diplomatists  equal  to  themselves 
in  all  that  pertained  to  sagacity  and  skill. 

Jacob  I.  Young,  Ira  Sheffield  and  his  brother, 
now  respectively  aged  eighty-five  to  eighty-seven 
years,  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  the  town,  in 
1814. 

The  first  settlers,  previous  to  clearing  the  lands, 
procured  their  breadstufls  from  Jackson's  mills,  near 
Jamesville.  After  they  had  been  successful  in  rais- 
ing their  own  grain,  they  went  there  to  mill,  till 
the  mills  were  erected  at  Syracuse.  It  was  cus- 
tomary for  men  to  carry  a  grist  of  a  bushel  or  a 
bushel  and  a  half  on  their  backs  a  distance  of  twelve 
or  fourteen  miles  through  the  woods  to  these  mills, 
guided  only  by  blazed  trees,  and  they  would  occupy 
two  or  three  days  in  the  performance  of  the  journey. 
After  roads  were  cut  through,  a  neighbor  would  take 
the  grists  of  a  whole  neighborhood  upon  an  ox  sled 
or  cart  and  carry  them  to  the  mills.     By  general 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


333 


arrangement  and  common  consent  this  service  was 
performed  by  rotation  throughout  the  whole  settle- 
ment. It  never  required  less  than  two  days  to  go 
to  mill  and  back. 

Onondaga  Hollow  was  then  the  postoffice  at 
which  letters  were  received  and  delivered,  and  per- 
sons visiting  the  postofifice  brought  the  mail  matter 
for  all  the  neighbors. 

The  first  postoffice  was  established  in  the  west 
part  of  the  town  and  was  called  "  West  Cicero," 
about  the  year  1825,  and  Nathan  Teall  was  appoint- 
ed Postmaster.  He  was  suceeded  by  William  Hale 
and  James  Little.  Since  the  organization  of  the 
town  it  has  been  named  "  Clay." 

The  first  and  most  important  article  of  trade  was 
salt  barrels,  which  were  manufactured  in  large 
quantities  and  taken  to  the  salt  works.  They 
brought  a  fair  profit  and  in  many  instances  proved 
a  source  of  individual  wealth.  Of  late  years  Clay 
has  greatly  improved  in  agricultural  and  horticul- 
tural development,  and  may  be  regarded  as  one  of 
the  richest  farming  sections  of  the  county. 

A  log  school  house,  the  first  in  the  town,  was 
built  at  Clay  Corners,  now  Euclid,  about  1808,  and 
a  teacher  named  Hall  taught  the  first  school.  At 
Clay,  near  the  river,  a  log  school  house  was  erected 
in  1809,  and  a  frame  one  in  1812.  Moses  Kinne 
taught  here,  having  previously  kept  a  school  in  his 
own  house. 

The  first  physician  in  town  was  Dr.  Olcott  ;  the 
second.  Dr.  Church  ;  afterwards  Dr.  Sterling  and 
Dr.  Soule. 

The  first  town  meeting  for  Clay  was  held  in 
April,  1827.  Andrew  Johnson  was  chosen  the  first 
Supervisor,  and  Jacob  Terrill,  Town  Clerk. 

The  first  saw  mill  was  erected  in  the  northeast 
part  of  the  town  by  Abraham  Young,  on  a  small 
stream  which  affords  sufficient  water  only  in  spring 
and  fall.  There  are  no  streams  in  the  town  of 
sufficient  capacity  or  fall  to  afford  permanent  water- 
power,  except  on  the  Oneida  river,  which  forms  the 
northern  boundary,  which  has  two  good  water- 
powers — one  at  Caughdenoy  and  one  at  Oak  Orch- 
ard. The  former  of  these  places  has  been  noted 
for  the  fish  taken  there,  especially  eels  in  great 
abundance  and  superior  quality. 

At  Oak  Orchard  Reefs,  near  the  bank  of  the 
Oneida  River,  are  evidences  of  an  extensive  In- 
dian burying  ground.  These  reefs  were  a  common 
fording  place  for  the  Indians  and  formerly  were 
much  resorted  to  by  them  for  fishing.  During  the 
Revolution  or  the  French  War,  there  was  a  mas- 
sacre of  the  Indians  at  this  place.  We  are  informed 
by  a  resident  of  the  town,  that  in  1843  he  had  a 
53 


conversation  with  an  aged  Indian  who  used  to  visit 
this  burial-place  of  his  ancestors  and  sit  long  there 
in  musing  silence,  and  that  this  Indian  related  to 
him  the  tradition  of  the  massacre  of  a  large  num- 
ber of  his  tribe.  The  same  gentleman  has  seen 
scores  of  Indian  skulls  exhumed,  many  of  which 
were  pierced  with  bullet-holes  and  marked  with 
sabrecuts.  The  Indian  graves  here  have  been 
desecrated  and  multitudes  of  relics  found  and  re- 
moved. 

Hosea  Crandall  became  a  resident  of  the  town  of 
Clay  in  1822.  At  a  family  reunion  held  at  his 
house  on  the  fourth  of  September,  1872,  many  old 
settlers  were  present,  and  some  interesting  facts 
were  elicited  which  are  worth  preserving  in  our 
history. 

"  Ezra  Crandall,  of  Sherburne,  Chenango  county, 
N.  Y.,  brother  of  Hosea,  was  the  oldest  of  his  rela- 
tives present,  aged  eighty-four.  The  oldest  invited 
guest,  not  a  member  of  the  family,  was  Jabez  Har- 
rison, aged  eighty-six. 

"  The  following  are  the  names  of  residents  of 
Clay,  with  their  respective  ages,  over  fifty,  and  their 
time  of  residing  in  town  : 

Resident  32  years.  Dr.  Jas.  F.  Johnson,  age  84. 

Jacob  I.  Young, 

Samuel  N.  Burleigh, 

John  Lints, 

Tobias  Shaver, 

William  Verplank, 

A.  J.   Soule, 

Cornelius  Mogg, 

James  Little, 

Hial  Crandall, 

Harlow  Eno, 

"  The  following  are  the  names  of  those  who  were 
not  residents  of  Clay  : 

Judge  John  L.  Stevens, 

Resident  of  Cicero,  N.  Y.,  Wm.  Gregor, 
do  Otsego,  N.  Y.,  C.  C.  Warner, 

do  Onondaga,  Rev.  J.  C.  Seward, 

do  Lysander,  P.  I.  Quackenbush, 

do  Baldwinsville,  Ira  Gilchriss, 

"  George  Crandall,  grandfather  of  Hosea  Cran- 
dall, was  103  years  old  when  he  died.  He  had  two 
sons  that  were  over  100  years  at  the  time  of  their 
death,  and  one  daughter  who  lived  to  be  116  years 
old.  Hosea  Crandall's  mother,  sister  of  the  above, 
was  loi  years  and  six  months  when  she  died.  Laban 
Crandall,  father  of  Hosea,  came  to  this  State  about 
ninety  years  ago,  and  married  Esther  Crandall. 
Their  children  living  are  Ezra,  aged  eighty  years, 
Hosea,  eighty-three  years,  Ira,  eighty-four  years, 
George,  seventy-seven  years,  Olive,  seventy-five 
years,  Tacy,  seventy-one  years,  Sarah,  sixty-nine 
years.  Hosea  Crandall's  posterity  numbered  (all 
told)  at  the  time  of  the  first  death  in  the  family 
fifty-two  persons.  The  first  death  was  about  ten 
years  ago.  Hosea  Crandall  is  the  father  of  eight 
children,  five  daughters  and  three  sons.     Through 


do 

59 

do 

do 

S2 

do 

do 

38 

do 

do 

22 

do 

do 

4 

do 

do 

40 

do 

do 

SI 

do 

do 

44 

do 

do 

.SO 

do 

do 

57 

do 

"0^ 
do 

81. 

do 

80. 

do 

58. 

do 

S2. 

do 

65. 

do 

54- 

do 

SI- 

do 

73- 

do 

57- 

do 

76. 

10  were 

age 

71. 

do 

SI. 

do 

54- 

do 

70. 

do 

63. 

do 

82. 

334 


HISTORY  OK  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


industry  and  economy  he  became  the  owner  of 
three  hundred  acres  of  land,  all  of  which  he  gave  to 
liis  children,  except  the  homestead." 

EUCLID. 

This  village  is  situated  a  little  west  of  the  center 
of  the  town  of  Clay;  distant  from  Syracuse  eleven 
miles,  six  miles  from  Baldwinsvillc,  and  two  and 
a  half  miles  from  Clay  Station,  on  the  Syracuse 
Northern  Railroad.  Among  the  old  settlers  still 
residing  here  are  Hosea  Crandall,  John  Patric,  John 
Ainsley  and  Gideon  Palmer. 

Latin  Soule,  grandfather  of  Harvey  L.  Soule,  of 
thc'l'iatt  House,  in  this  village,  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers.  He  was  the  father  of  Judge  Nathan  Soule, 
who  came  here  from  Montgomery  County  in  1831  and 
was  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  for  many  years. 
Judge  Soule  had  been  Member  of  Congress  from 
the  Montgomery  District,  Judge  of  the  County 
Court,  and  Representative  in  the  Legislature.  He 
represented  this  county  in  the  Legislature  and  was 
Associate  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 
He  died  in  1858 

A  postoffice  was  established  at  Luclid  in  1827. 
Andrew  Thompson  was  Postmaster  till  1S32,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Nathan  Soule.  Jefterson  Free- 
man was  the  first  merchant  in  1S31,  and  did  the 
principal  mercantile  business  till  i860,  when  he 
removed  to  Syracuse,  where  he  died  about  1868. 
He  was  succeeded  by  his  brother,  Levi  Freeman, 
for  years  Supervisor  and  a  leading  man  in  the  town. 
He  removed  to  Syracuse  and  died  about  1870. 
Other  carlv  merchants  were  K.  L.  Soule,  Blossom 
&  Dyckcman,  Stone  &  Daniels. 

The  first  school  at  the  village  was  taught  by 
Jared  Pakcr  in  the  old  school  house  south  of  the 
hotel  It  was  the  only  place  of  worship  at  an  early 
day.  A  Union  School  has  lately  been  organized 
by  the  consolidation  of  Districts  Nos.  4  and  17  of 
Clay ,  Principal,  Mrs.  Potsford.  A  new  building 
is  soon  to  be  erected  on  the  site  of  the  old  school 
house. 

J.  H.  Parrus,  Justice  of  the  Peace  at  liuclid.  has 
held  the  office  for  eight  years.  Cornelius  Mogg. 
Cyrus  C.  Warner.  Andrew  Johnson,  Wm.  Warner. 
Japhcth  Kinne  and  Moses  Kinne,  were  also  Justices, 
the  last  mentioned  one  of  the  first  in  the  town. 

Euclid  contains  two  Churches — Paplist  and 
Methodist  Episcopal  ;  a  cheese  factory,  one  hotel, 
three  blacksmith  shops,  two  stores,  a  steam  mill, 
union  school  and  postofTice. 

J.  W.  Coughtry.  present  Super\'isor  of  the  town, 
resides  at  Cigarville,  or  Clay  Station,  where  he  is 
Postmaster. 


Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Euclid. — The 
church  edifice  was  originally  built  by  the  Chris- 
tians or  Unitarians  about  forty  years  ago.  Dr.  E. 
L.  Soule,  Hosea  Crandall,  Judge  Nathan  Soule, 
Moses  Kinne  and  others  being  the  builders.  The 
church  was  used  as  a  place  of  worship  for  other 
denominations  til!  about  1S50,  when  the  Methodist 
society  purchased  it.  Rev.  William  Morse  was  the 
first  regular  pastor  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Adkins,  Rev.  J.  D.  Adams,  under  whose  preach- 
ing the  church  became  prosperous,  and  has  grown 
into  a  large  and  influential  organization.  Among 
the  prominent  members  were  the  late  Daniel 
Schoolcraft.  Jacob  Siterley.  John  Flagler.  Cornelius 
Cronkhite,  and,  during  the  latter  years  of  his  life, 
Judge  Nathan  Soule. 

Present  pastor,  Rev.  McKendree  Shaw. 

There  is  also  connected  with  the  Euclid  charge  a 
M.  E.  Church  at  Morgan  Settlement,  three  miles 
south  on  the  Liverpool  road.  It  was  founded  about 
1835.  the  princijial  founder  being  Rev.  Abram 
Morgan.  They  have  a  good  church  edifice  and 
regular  services. 

Bai'Tist  CiiL'Kcii  AT  EucLiD.  — Built  in  1868, 
at  a  cost  of  about  $3,000.  The  society  was  or- 
ganized about  1845  by  Rev.  Horatio  Warner,  and 
subsequently  held  service  in  difi'ercnt  school  houses 
and  at  the  Unitarian  Church,  until  they  erected 
their  house  of  worship.  Deacon  Elijah  Carter, 
Francis  Carter.  Hiram  Leonard,  W.  II.  Eckert,  L. 
Patchin,  and  others,  were  among  the  early  mem- 
bers. There  is  a  parsonage  connected  with  the 
church.  Among  the  recent  pastors  have  been 
Rev.  S.  A.  Beman,  Rev.  Mr.  Smith.  Dr.  James 
F.  Johnson  was  a  prominent  member  in  the  early 
organization. 

The  church  at  ]>rc.sent  is  being  supplied  from 
Syracuse  by  Rev.  J.  W.  Taggart. 

BELGIUM. 

The  bridge  across  the  Seneca  Ri-ver  at  this  point 
was  first  built  by  the  Sodus  Bay  and  Westmoreland 
Turnpike  Company,  erected  but  not  completed  in 
1824  The  turn|)ike  was  not  made,  and  Colonel  J. 
L.  Voorhees  obtained  a  charter  in  his  own  name, 
and  finished  the  bridge,  which  was  a  toll  bridge  till 
1843,  when  it  was  rebuilt  as  a  free  bridge.  The 
State  Legislature  appropriated  S850  towards  defray- 
ing the  expense,  and  the  towns  of  Lysandcr  and 
Clay  each  J  1,000,  the  whole  cost  being  $2,850. 

The  village  is  situated  on  both  sides  of  the  Sen- 
eca River.  There  were  only  four  dwelling  houses 
here  in  1827.  In  1848,  there  were  twenty  eight, 
and  one    hundred  and  sixty  inhabitants,  three  dry 


:;  5 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


335 


goods  stores,  four  grocery  and  provision  stores,  two 
hotels,  three  blacksmith  shops,  one  tailor  and  one 
shoe  shop,  and  the  famous  "  Oriental  Balm  Pill " 
manufactor}',  which  employed  a  great  part  of  the 
year  from  thirty  to  fifty  persons.  James  Little's  was 
the  only  family  in  182S  on  the  Lysander  side,  but 
others  settled  there  about  that  time,  viz  ,  Henry  S. 
McMechan,  Oliver  Bigsbee,  Sylvanus  Bigsbee,  Gar- 
nett  C.  Sweet,  Rev.  Wm.  M.  Willett,  a  son  of  Col. 
Marin  us  Willett,  of  Revolutionary  renown,  who 
occupied  a  lot  drawn  by  his  father,  which  was  after- 
wards transferred  to  John  Stevens  and  others.  Dr. 
Adams  had  a  store  here  in  183S,  and  Phillip  Far- 
rington  in  1831.  The  first  frame  building  was  the 
Toll  House  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  erected  in 

1825.  Japheth  Kinne  erected  the  first  dwelling 
house  in  1825  ;  James  Little,  the  second  in  1829. 
The  first  school   kept   here  was  by    Perry  Eno  in 

1827.  The    first  merchant  was  Martin   Luther,  in 

1828.  Sylvanus  Bigsbee  &  Co.,  also  opened  a 
stock  of  goods    in    1828  ;  Jonas    C.    Brewster,  in 

1829.  and  James  Little  in  1830.  The  Wesleyan 
Methodist  Society  erected  their  house  of  worship 
here  in  1832.  The  early  physicians  were  Dr.  A. 
P.  Adams,  Dr.  Hays  McKinley,  Dr.  James  V. 
Kendall,  Dr.  Daniel  W.  Bailey,  Botanic  physician. 
The  village,  we  believe,  has  never  had  a  lawyer. 

It  has  a  Union  Free  School,  formed  in  1849  from 
District,  No.  10,  in  Lysander,  and  No.  11  in  Clay; 
one  dry  goods  and  grocery  store,  two  blacksmith 
shops,  one  wagon  shop,  one  hotel,  one  harness  shop, 
grocery  and  postofifice. 

Hon.  James  Little,  who  represented  this  county 
in  the  Assembly  in  1848-50,  settled  here  in  1830. 
He  was  for  many  years  Justice  of  the  Peace,  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  was  several 
times  elected  Justice  of  Sessions.  He  died  Jan. 
22,  1877. 

The  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  (Eng- 
lish,) is  located  near  the  eastern  center  of  the  town 
of  Clay,  about  one  mile  north  of  Clay  Station,  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  Young  P.  O.  It  is  the  oldest 
church  in  the  town.    It  was  organized  as  early  as 

1826,  in  this  same  neighborhood.  The  following  are 
a  few  of  the  original  members,  viz :  Jacob  I.  Young, 
who  is  still  living,  eighty-seven  years  old  ;  Jacob 
Ottman,  Richard  Hiller,  John  Sammers,  John  Ains- 
lie,  also  still  living  ;  John  Becker,  Henry  Becker 
and  others. 

The  church  was  reorganized  in  1S32,  by  Rev.  Wm. 
Ottman,  and  the  house  of  worship  built  and  dedi- 
cated between  1832  and  '34.  The  present  valua- 
tion of  the  property  is  about  $3,000. 

Pastors — Rev.  William  Ottman,  Rev.  Benjamin 


Diefendorf,    Rev.   William    Ottman,    Rev.    G.    W. 
Hemperly,  Rev.  Levi  Schell,  Rev.  D.  W.  Lawrence. 

The  present  membership  is  ninety-three  ;  attend- 
ance at  Sunday  School  one  hundred  eighteen. 

The  church  was  very  neatly  and  tastefully  re- 
paired, with  modern  internal  improvements,  and  is 
is  now  one  of  the  neatest  and  most  comfortable 
country  churches  in  this  part  of  the  county. 

During  the  last  four  years,  forty-eight  have  been 
added  to  the  membership,  and  the  church  is  now  in 
a  flourishing  condition.  During  two  years,  between 
1866  and  1874,  the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Emmons,  of  Syracuse. 

OENTERVILLE. 

This  village  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  plank 
road  between  Syracuse  and  Cicero.  Part  of  it  is  in 
the  town  of  Cicero  and  part  in  Clay.  The  first 
settler  was  Eli  Myers  about  1826.  The  next  was 
Alfred  Tilley,  in  1827.  John  Slosson,  now  a  resi- 
dent of  the  F"irst  Ward  of  Syracuse,  settled  between 
this  place  and  the  Cicero  Corners,  in  1814. 

James  Millard  settled  on  the  plains  west  of  here 
in  1810,  and  burnt  tar  of  pine  knots  and  roots. 

Asa  H.  Stearns  kept  tho  "old  red  hotel  "  for  ten 
or  twelve  years.  Charles  Cotton  was  also  one  of 
the  earliest  hotel  keepers.  There  are  now  two 
hotels  in  the  place — Centreville  Hotel,  kept  by  J. 
H.  Miles,  and  the  Clarendon  House,  by  D.  Hol- 
lenbeck.  The  place  contains  two  churches,  two 
general  stores,  three  wagon  shops,  two  blacksmith 
shops  and  one  physician — Dr.  C.  H.  Whiting.  Its 
first  physician  was  L.  B.  Skinner,  M.  D.  It  has 
also  a  lodge  of  free  and  accepted  Masons,  a  Union 
Graded  School,  and  a  neatl}'  kept  rural  cemetery. 
The  ground  for  the  cemetery  was  given  by  Peter 
Weaver,  and  a  man  by  the  name  of  Blewe  was  the 
first  buried  there. 

Peter  Weaver  built  the  "old  red  tavern."  The 
postofifice  was  originally  kept  at  the  "  Dean  Tav- 
ern ;"  James  Wallen  was  the  first  Postmaster. 

Rowland  Stafford,  who  died  of  cholera  at  Water- 
town  in  1832,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers. 

Plankroad  Baptist  Church,  Clay. — Meetings 
were  held  at  the  residence  of  Jabez  Grodavent  by 
Elder  William  H.  Delano  as  early  as  1844,  and  for 
three  years  he  continued  holding  meetings  in  resi- 
dences, barns  and  taverns,  until  1847,  when  the 
covenant  was  adopted  and  society  organized  which 
comprised  the  following  named  persons :  Earl  P. 
Salisbury,  James  Pierce,  Mary  C.  Smith,  Nancy 
Slocum,  Clarissa  Delano,  Kilburn  Ives  and  Laura 
Ives. 


336 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


The  church  has  been  under  the  following 
pastors  : 

Rev.  William  H.  Delano,  Rev.  Cyrus  Negus, 
Rev.  Abner  Maynard,  Rev.  Myron  Newell.  Rev  A. 
Graham,  Rev  S.  S.  UidwcU  :  then  for  some  time 
they  were  sujiplicd  by  W.  C.  I'hillips  and  Rev.  I.  H. 
Beman  of  Clay  ;  then  Revs.  H.  A  Sizer  and  J.  W. 
Putnam  supplied  until  1875,  when  the  present  pas- 
tor Rev.  \Villiam  Steiger  was  called. 

The  church  edifice  was  erected  in  1855  at  a  cost 
of  ^1,500,  a  neat  frame  building. 

The  present  membership  is  si.xty.  Sabbath 
School  attendance  one  hundred  si.\teeen.  Superin- 
tendent of  Sabbath  School,  C.  N.  Taylor. 

The  church  was  thoroughly  rebuilt  in  1876,  at 
an  additional  expense  of  S700,  and  now  they  are  the 
occupants  of  a  neat,  commodious  church.  Trus- 
tees, John  Redhead,  C.  N.  Taylor  and  Homer  Dun- 
ham. 

Centkeville  Lodge  No.  648,  F.  &  A.  M. — 
This  lodge  was  first  organized  and  worked  under 
a  dispensation,  from  January,  1S66,  to  July,  1867, 
when  a  charter  was  received.  The  charter  officers 
were  Isaac  Baum,  W.  M.  ;  C.  H.  Carpenter,  S. 
W. ;  Joseph  Palmer.  J.  W.  Regular  meetings  are 
held  in  the  second  story  of  the  building  situated  on 
the  corner  of  Plank  Road  and  Church  street,  every 
Saturday  evening. 

Present  officers :  L.  Harris  Brown,  W.  M. ; 
George  Stevens,  S.  W.  ;  Ambrose  Howard,  J.  W.  ; 
Hiram  W.  Bailey.  S.  D.  ;  Henry  D.  Randall,  J.  D.  ; 
Hermon  Graham,  Secretary  ;  Dr.  M.  H.  BIynn, 
Treasurer ;  Newton  B.  Randall,  Tyler. 

Centkeville  Union  School,  District  No.  12, 
comprising  several  districts  in  Clay  and  part  in  Cicero, 
was  organized  as  a  Union  Graded  School,  in  1869, 
upon  the  completion  of  the  present  school  building, 
a  frame  two-story  building  erected  at  a  cost  of  three 
thousand  dollars.  There  are  two  departments  with 
an  enrollment  of  ninety-five  scholars.  Present 
School  Board  are  A.  H.  Lawrence,  Samuel  Ferge- 
son  and  Stephen  Van  Hcusen — the  latter  has  been 
Trustee  ever  since  the  organization  of  the  Union 
School.     Charles  E.  Jewell  is  Principal. 


BiOGi^APHicjiL  Sketches, 


STEWART  SCOTT. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  Albany, 
N.  Y.,  April  2d,  1800,  of  Scotch-Irish  parentage, 
his  father,   Hugh   Scott,   being   one   of  the  many 


Protestant  exiles  from  the  vicinity  of  Londonderry, 
who  sought  religious  freedom  on  the  soil  of 
America  at  the  close  of  the  last  century.  Stewart 
received  such  educational  advantages  as  the  select 
schools  of  those  days  afforded,  aided  by  his  parents 
who  had  enjoyed  superior  educational  advantages. 
He  early  developed  an  aptitude  for  mathematics 
and  the  sciences,  and  at  the  age  of  si.xteen  com- 
menced practical  engineering  and  surveying.  With 
his  parents  he  removed  to  Westerloo.  Albany  Co., 
where  he  married  Catherine  VanDerwerken.  and 
continued  his  residence  there  until  1830.  whenhc 
removed  to  Clay.  Onondaga  County,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  piece  of  the  wilderness  of  those  days,  and 
by  unremitting  toil  reared  a  home  for  himself  and 
family.  Although  comparatively  poor,  his  home 
was  always  supplied  with  the  best  and  most  useful 
books  and  periodicals  within  his  reach,  and  he  con- 
tinued his  studies  to  the  time  of  his  death.  Meth- 
odical in  business  and  study,  he  was  one  of  the  best 
read  men  of  his  day.  Being  possessed  of  a  strong 
will  and  fine  constitution  he  could  devote  himself 
to  study  during  the  evening  without  visibly  impair- 
ing his  health.  In  politics  he  was  an  earnest  Whig, 
but  never  sought  place  or  office.  In  social  inter- 
course he  was  affable  and  generous,  in  his  religious 
views  he  was  stern  and  uncompromising  ;  in  work 
or  business  he  "  knew  no  such  word  as  fail."  His 
sympathies  were  always  on  the  side  of  right  ;  and 
while  his  hospitable  home  was  open  to  all  who 
sought  it.  none  were  so  welcome  there  as  the 
Ministers  of  the  Gospel  and  others  engaged  in  the 
advancement  of  intelligence  and  morality.  But  no 
one  was  keener  than  he  to  detect  insincerity  or 
ignorance,  and  he  who  mistook  his  calling  always 
found  a  cold  reception.  Incessant  labor  and  study 
caused  an  early  breaking  down  in  health,  and  after 
a  brief  illness  he  died  at  his  home  in  Clay  at  the 
age  of  fifty.  His  widow  continued  her  residence 
upon  their  farm  until  her  death  which  occurred  in 
1877. 


MOSELEV  DUNHAM. 

Deacon  Daniel  Dunham,  the  grandfather  of 
Moseley  Dunham,  emigrated  from  Windham.  Conn., 
in  the  year  1795,  and  established  the  clothiers' 
trade  at  the  red  mills  in  Manlius,  about  a  mile  south 
of  Manlius  Square ;  he  also  bought  a  wild  lot  of 
land  of  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres,  three 
miles  southeast  of  Pompcy  Hill.  Captain  Samuel 
Dunham,  his  son.  was  born  in  Windham.  Conn.,  in 
the  year  1780.  When  he  was  seventeen  years  of 
age,  his  father  sent  him  alone  to  work  and  clear  up 


*yfn.{ry^(ir'  y^d/r^J^^-f^ 


RESIDENCE    c     TRENCH     FA  f 


iiS!^it^:^^f* 


Cla/,  Onondaga   County  n.y 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


337 


his  new  lot  of  land  in  Pompey.  From  where  he 
boarded  he  went  daily  for  two  years  by  marked  trees 
to  his  work,  one  mile  south,  clearing  the  land  and 
putting  up  a  log  house.  Then  his  two  sisters 
came  and  kept  house  for  him  for  five  years  longer. 
He  then  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  married  a  Miss 
Parmarlee  of  Cazenovia  ;  he  continued  to  reside  on 
his  farm  up  to  his  death,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine 
years  ;  his  wife  survived  him,  and  he  left  a  large 
family  of  children. 

His  son  Moseley  Dunham,  was  born  on  the  old 
farm  in  Pompey,  September  17,  1805,  and  lived 
with  his  father  until  he  was  twenty-five  years  of 
age,  working  the  farm  on  shares  after  he  was  of 
age. 

He  then  married  Sarah  Baker  of  Pompey,  by 
whom  they  had  three  children,  viz  :  Daniel  Mose- 
ley, born  November  10,  1831  ;  died  from  being 
scalded,  September  24,  1834.  The  other  two, 
Horace  S. ,  and  Homer  were  twins,  born  June  24, 
1833.  They  were  reared  upon  their  father's  farm, 
and  both  married  at  the  same  time,  March  7,  1855. 
Horace  S.  married  William  Weller's  daughter,  of 
Clay.  She  died  October  6,  1872,  leaving  three 
sons,  born  as  follows:  Walter  M.,  July  8,  1858; 
Spencer  M.,  April  22,  1867  ;  Albert  H.,  March  12, 
1872.  On  March  20,  1873,  he  again  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  Thomas  Weller  of  Lysander.  They 
have  had  one  daughter,  born  November  14,  1874. 
Homer  married  Harriet  Crane  of  Clay.  She  died 
May  4,  1870,  leaving  two  children,  born  as  follows  : 
Cora  E.,  October  25,  1856;  Milton  A.,  December 
13,  1864;  died  in  February,  1865.  On  January  2, 
1871,  he  was  again  married  to  Sarah,  daughter  of 
Asa  Chapman. 

Moseley  Dunham  lived  for  five  years  on  the  farm 
which  was  the  birth-place  of  Grace  Greenwood, 
and  on  March  lo,  1835,  moved  to  the  town  of 
Clay,  about  six  miles  north  of  Syracuse,  where  he 
now  resides  and  owns  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  seventy  acres,  with  residences  for  himself  and 
sons,  a  view  of  which  together  with  the  portraits  of 


himself  and  wife  and  twin  sons,  may  be  seen  else- 
where in  this  work. 

Mr.  Dunham  is  a  thorough  farmer,  a  good  citi- 
zen, and  deservedly  enjoys  the  esteem  of  all  who 
know  him. 


FRENCH  FAIRCHILD 

Was  born  in  Remsen,  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  on 
the  twenty-fourth  of  September,  181 1,  and  was  a 
son  of  French  and  Anna  [Hinckley]  Fairchild. 
When  four  years  old  he  moved  with  his  mother  to 
Herkimer  County  ;  he  received  a  good  common 
school  education, and  remained  at  home  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  On  January  4,  1836,  he  married 
Mary  Tanner,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Mary 
Tanner,  of  the  town  of  Schuyler,  Herkimer  county, 
N.  Y.  She  was  born  April  23,  18 17,  and  has 
proved  one  of  the  best  of  helpmeets.  Mr.  Fair- 
child  attributes  much  of  his  success  to  her  prudent 
and  wise  management.  The  fruit  of  their  marriage 
was  seven  children,  viz  :  William,  Ransom  and  New- 
ton, who  were  born  in  Herkimer  county,  and  Her- 
mon,  George  W.,  Mary  A.,  and  Hiram  G.,  who 
were  born  in  Onondaga  County.  All  of  the  chil- 
dren are  living  and  enjoying  good  health.  After 
his  marriage,  Mr.  Fairchild  purchased  a  small  farm 
in  Herkimer  county.  In  1846  he  sold  it  and  removed 
to  the  town  of  Salina,  Onondaga  Co.,  where  he  settled 
on  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty. acres,  formerly 
owned  by  his  grandfather,  Gorshorn  Hinckley. 

At  the  close  of  seven  years'  residence  upon  this 
farm,  he  sold  it  and  removed  to  the  town  of  Clay 
where  he  bought  the  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty- 
seven  acres  known  as  the  Grover  farm,  upon  which 
he  now  resides. 

Mr.  Fairchild  has  been  a  Republican  since  the 
formation  of  that  party.  In  religious  faith,  he  is  a 
zealous  Methodist,  and  has  been  for  over  forty  j'ears 
a  staunch  and  liberal  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church. 
He  is  a  quiet  and  unostentatious  man,  a  good  hus- 
band and  father,  and  is  respected  by  all  who  know 
him. 


CICERO. 


Cicero  was  originally  Township  number  six  of  the 
Military  Tract,  and  at  the  organization  of  the  county 
was  included  in  the  town  of  Lysander.  In  1807,  it 
was  erected  into  a  town  by  itself,  and  included  the 
present  town  of  Clay  till  the  latter  was  set  off  in 
54* 


1827.  Towards  the  south  part  of  the  town  is  an 
extensive  swamp  containing  about  four  thousand 
acres,  with  but  little  timber,  which  has  been  con- 
sidered, except  in  a  few  spots,  incapable  of  recovery 
to  purposes  of  cultivation.     It  is  a  bog  underneath 


338 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


covered  by  a  thick  moss,  over  which  a  man  can 
walk  in  the  dry  part  of  the  season,  and  into  which 
a  sharp  pole  may  be  thrust  to  the  depth  of  seven  or 
eight  feet.  The  deposit  is  a  black  decayed  vege- 
table matter  resting  upon  a  bed  of  marl.  It  is  not 
at  all  unlikely  that  this  whole  swamp  may  yet  be 
drained  and  become  the  most  valuable  land  in  the 
country,  as  its  elevation  is  twenty-five  feet  above  the 
surface  of  the  lake. 

There  are  no  streams  of  water  of  any  note  in  the 
town,  except  the  Oneida  Lake  and  River  on  its 
northern  boundary,  and  the  Chittcnango  Creek 
lying  along  its  eastern  border.  On  this  Creek  is 
an  excellent  water-power  at  Hridgeport,  part  of 
which  i^  in  Cicero  and  part  in  Madison  county. 
The  surface  of  the  town  is  usually  level,  the  pre- 
vailing soil  being  of  a  rich  sandy  loam,  and  capable 
of  a  great  variety  of  productions.  The  town  was 
originally  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  timber, 
chiefly  pine,  hemlock,  beech  and  sugar-maple,  with 
considerable  cedar  and  tamarack  in  the  swamjiv 
portions. 

Cicero  and  Clay  furnished  for  many  years  a  large 
proportion  of  the  barrels  used  for  packing  salt  at 
Salina,  Geddes,  Liverpool  and  Syracuse.  Such, 
indeed,  was  the  attention  given  to  coopering  that 
for  a  long  time  the  farming  interests  were  in  a 
great  measure  neglected.  At  length,  however,  the 
timber  being  exhausted,  an  impulse  was  given  to 
the  development  of  the  resources  of  the  soil.  This 
has  been  followed  up  with  an  enterprise  and  a  suc- 
cess which  have  made  the  town  one  of  the  first 
farming  sections  of  Onondaga  County.  The  lands 
are  well  improved,  and  the  buildings  show  thrift  and 
prosperity. 

Eaklv  Settlements. 

The  first  white  settler  in  the  town  of  Cicero  was 
a  Mr.  De.xler,  a  blacksmith,  who  settled  opposite 
Fort  Brewerton  in  1790.  Mr.  Oliver  Stevens, 
father  of  the  late  Judge  John  L.  Stevens,  settled  at 
the  fort  in  1789  He  cultivated  a  garden  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  to  which  he  removed  in  a 
few  years,  and  died  there  in  1813.  Mr.  Stevens 
was  an  Indian  trader,  and  was  induced  to  come 
here  through  the  representations  of  his  two  brothers 
who  had  been  soldiers  at  the  garrison  from  1756  to 
1758.  He  carried  on  an  extensive  trade  with  the 
Indians  in  furs,  peltry,  &c,.  Fort  Schuyler  being  at 
that  time  the  great  mart  west  of  Albany.  Mr. 
Stevens  also  kept  a  boatman's  tavern,  furnishing 
supplies  and  other  necessaries  to  those  who  navi- 
gated the  lake  and  rivers.  He  sometimes  spent  his 
winters  at  Salina,  and  there  in  1802  his  son.  Hon. 
John  L.  Stevens,  was  born. 


Ryal  Bingham  settled  at  Fort  Brewerton  in 
1 79 1,  and  subsequently  removed  to  Salma,  where 
he  was  appointed  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

All  the  first  settlements  in  the  town  of  Cicero 
were  made  along  the  Oneida  River  and  Lake. 
John  Leach  settled  at  Cicero  Corners  in  1802,  and 
for  several  years  kept  a  tavern  in  a  small  log  cabin. 

Elijah  Loomis  was  the  first  settler  at  South  Bay, 
on  the  lake  shore,  in  1804,  where  he  purchased  a 
lot  on  which  he  resided. 

He  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  and  received  a 
pension  from  the  Government.  Martin  Woodruff 
settled  near  him  the  same  year.  Their  nearest 
neighbors  were  at  Brewerton,  five  miles  distant. 

Captain  John  Shepard,  who  served  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary war,  drew  Lot  No.  ti,  of  the  township  of 
Cicero,  lying  on  the  lake  shore  east  of  Brewerton. 
At  an  early  day  he  took  possession  of  his  lot,  sold 
part,  cleared  and  cultivated  the  rest,  and  with  his 
family  lived  upon  it  till  his  death,  in  1824.  He  was 
the  only  man  who  occupied  a  lot  in  this  town  for 
which  he  served.  He  was  the  first  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  the  town  in  1804. 

The  first  town  meeting  for  the  town  of  Cicero, 
(then  including  Clay,)  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Patrick  McGee,  at  Three  River  Point,  in  1807. 
Moses  Kinne  was  Moderator  ;  Thomas  Pool  was 
elected  Supervisor,  and  Elijah  Loomis,  Town  Clerk. 

Isaac  Cody  was  the  first  merchant  in  town.  He 
erected  a  store  at  Cicero  Corners  in  181 8,  filled  it 
with  goods,  and  did  quite  an  extensive  business. 
Samuel  Warren  opened  the  next  store  in  1825. 
Daniel  Olcott  was  the  first  regular  physician ; 
located  in  the  town  in  1817,  and  had  an  extensive 
practice.  Alexander  Cook,  Esq ,  settled  in  the 
town  as  the  first  practicing  attorney,  in  1841.  In 
1820  a  postoffice  was  established  at  the  Corners, 
Isaac  Cody.  Postmaster.  The  mail  was  then  carried 
once  a  week  on  horseback. 

BREWERTON. 

The  crossing  of  the  Oneida  River  at  the  foot  of 
the  lake  was  a  famous  fishing  ground  of  the  Onon- 
daga Indians  and  the  crossing  place  of  the  great 
north  and  south  trail  leading  from  the  mouth  of 
Salmon  River  to  the  Onondaga  country.  Here  the 
Indians  had  a  famous  fishing  village  prior  to  the 
erection  of  any  fort  at  this  point,  called  Techiroguen, 
and  the  number  of  remains  found  in  a  mound  near 
the  sand-bank,  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  east 
of  the  plank  road,  show  that  it  must  have  been  a 
settlement  of  considerable  permanence.  LeMoyne 
mentions  it  in  1654  as  on  the  south  side  of  the  river, 
while    Charlevoix,    in    a    map   published  in   1744, 


RESIDENCE  or  Wm.  H.CARTER,  BRtW£RTON  ,/V.y. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


339 


locates  it  on  the  north  side  ;  showing  that  at  some 
time  between  these  dates  its  site  had  been  changed 
to  the  north  side  of  the  river.  Clark  speaking  of 
this  place  says  :  "  It  must  have  been  the  place  of 
sepulchre  for  thousands.  Whether  these  were 
slain  in  battle,  or  whether  it  has  been  a  depository 
for  the  dead  in  time  of  peace,  is  not  easy  to  de- 
termine, but  from  the  fact  that  they  are  the  bones 
of  adult  persons,  and  apparently  all  of  males,  it  is 
highly  probable  that  they  are  the  relics  of  the  vic- 
tims of  war" 

Fort  Brewerton. 

The  foot  of  Oneida  Lake  was  a  station  of  great 
importance  not  only  to  the  Indians  but  also  at  a 
later  period  to  the  French  and  English.  It  was 
the  key  to  the  great  thoroughfare  from  Oswego  to 
the  Mohawk  Valley,  and  during  the  struggles  for 
this  territory  between  the  English  and  the  French 
was  regarded  by  both  nations  as  a  desirable  point  to 
be  occupied  by  a  strong  fortification.  The  French, 
through  their  missionaries,  had  gained  some  in- 
fluence over  the  Iroquois,  and  Frontenac  had  ob- 
tained their  consent  to  build  a  fort  in  the  Onondaga 
country ;  but  there  is  no  evidence  going  to  show 
that  the  French  ever  built  or  occupied  a  fort  at  this 
point. 

The  octagonal  fort  seen  here  by  the  early  settlers, 
and  known  as  "  Fort  Brewerton."  was  built  by  the 
English  during  the  French  War.  In  1758,  General 
Stanwix  had  erected  a  strong  fortress  at  what  is 
now  Rome,  N.  Y.  It  was  at  the  point  where  the 
portage  was  made  from  the  Mohawk  across  to  Wood 
Creek,  connecting  thence  with  Oneida  Lake.  The 
cost  of  this  fort  was  ^266,400.  Also  a  stockade 
enclosure  was  erected  at  the  same  time  as  a  defense 
against  attacks  by  the  Indians  at  the  foot  of  the 
lake.  After  the  reduction  of  Fort  Frontenac  by 
Colonel  Bradstreet  in  1758,  he  retook  possession  of 
the  forts  at  Oswego,  which  were  again  garrisoned. 
At  this  time.  General  Abercrombie  formed  the 
design  of  erecting  a  substantial  fort  to  command 
the  entrance  to  Oneida  Lake  from  the  west,  as  it  was 
already  commanded  on  the  east  by  Fort  Stanwi.x. 
A  detachment  was  accordingly  sent  from  Oswego 
the  following  year  to  cooperate  with  one  from  Fort 
Stanwix ;  and  Fort  Brewerton  was  erected  and 
named  in  honor  of  Captain  Brewerton,  whose  name 
appears  in  the  papers  of  that  day  as  an  active  and 
meritorious  officer.  It  was  garrisoned  during  part 
of  the  summer  of  1759  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  BulL 
and  was  made  a  depot  of  military  stores  with  a 
small  garrison  till  the  close  of  the  French  War,  in 
1762.  During  the  Pontiac  War,  it  was  again  gar- 
risoned by  a  company  under  Captain  Mungo  Camp- 


bell, of  the  5Sth  Highlanders,  and  was  a  place  of 
deposit  for  considerable  military  stores.  In  the 
spring  of  1764,  Capt.  Thomas  Morris  was  stationed 
here  for  a  short  time,  and  during  the  followinp- 
summer  proceeded  to  Niagara  and  Detroit. 

Fort  Brewerton  was  a  favorite  resting  place  for 
the  troops  passing  and  repassing  from  Fort  Stanwix 
to  Oswego  and  Niagara,  and  is  often  mentioned  in 
the  diary  of  Sir  William  Johnson  and  other  English 
oflficers  of  that  period.  When  the  fort  was  built 
by  the  English  it  was  considered  of  great  conse- 
quence to  the  safety  and  protection  of  the  frontier. 

The  fort  was  in  a  good  state  of  preservation  when 
first  seen  by  the  early  settlers.  Its  site  is  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river,  a  short  distance  northwest 
of  the  present  Fort  Brewerton  House. 

A  quarter  of  a  mile  east  of  the  fort  was  built  at 
the  same  time  a  mole  of  huge  rocks  extending  about 
ten  rods  into  the  river,  at  the  end  of  which  was 
placed  a  sentry-box,  where  a  sentinel  was  continu- 
ally posted  to  watch  for  enemies  passing  up  the  river, 
From  this  position  the  eye  of  the  sentinel  could  com- 
mand a  view  of  the  river  for  a  considerable  distance. 

Within  the  enclosure  and  around  the  old  fort 
have  been  found  quite  a  number  of  relics — warlike 
implements,  blacksmith's  forges,  wrought  nails,  the 
remains  of  chimneys  constructed  of  small,  hard,  red 
brick,  &c.  Many  such  relics  were  found  by  the 
early  settlers,  and  have  been  exhumed  from  time  to 
time. 

The  Old  Block-House. 

On  the  s'lte  now  occupied  by  the  Fort  Brewerton 
House,  within  the  memory  of  many  now  living, 
stood  an  old  dilapidated  "  block-house."  This  block- 
house had  no  connection  with  the  old  fort  occupied 
during  the  French  war,  but  was  built  at  a  later 
period  for  defense  against  an  anticipated  attack 
upon  the  settlement  by  the  British  and  Indians  dur- 
ing the  disturbances  upon  the  western  frontiers, 
from  1 790  to  1794.  The  British  at  this  time  held  the 
garrison  at  Oswego.  For  the  purpose  of  defending 
the  settlements  in  Onondaga  county,  block-houses 
were  erected  at  what  were  considered  the  most  ex- 
posed points,  one  at  Salina  and  another  at  Brewer- 
ton. Mr.  Oliver  Stevens,  father  of  the  late  Judge 
J.  L.  Stevens,  under  commission  from  Governor 
Clinton,  erected  the  latter,  and  it  was  made  a  de 
pository  of  arms  and  munitions  of  war  while  the 
trouble  lasted,  and  was  afterwards  used  as  a  dwell- 
ing house  till  181 1,  the  military  stores  having  been 
removed  to  Albany.  The  old  block-house  had  a 
substantial  gateway  on  the  side  next  the  river  and 
was  enclosed  in  pickets  made  of  logs  about  twelve 
feet  high  and  surrounded  by  a  trench. 


340 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Patrick  McGee  settled  at  Brewerton  in  1791  and 
erected  the  first  frame  house,  which  was  occupied 
by  him  as  a  tavern,  and  afterwards  by  Jonathan 
Emmons.  It  stood  near  where  the  Brewerton 
House  was  afterwards  erected  and  was  a  great  place 
of  resort  for  boatmen  and  townspeople. 

The  first  school  was  kept  at  Brewerton  in  1792. 
It  was  taught  by  Deacon  George  Ramsey,  a  Scotch 
Presbyterian.  He  died  at  Brewerton  many  years 
ago. 

In  the  spring  of  1804.  when  there  were  but  few 
huts  on  the  site  of  the  present  village,  Jonathan 
Emmons  settled  on  what  is  known  as  the  Hoskins 
farm,  Lot  No.  9  Here  he  erected  what  has  been 
termed  the  first  "  mill"  in  that  region  of  country 
for  grinding  corn  in  a  somewhat  primitive  style. 
It  consisted  of  a  white-oak  stump  hollowed  out  in 
the  shape  of  a  mortar,  with  a  pestle  made  of  an 
oaken  block,  to  which  a  spring-pole  was  attached. 
The  nearest  mill  on  the  south  side  of  the  lake  was 
at  Onondaga  Hollow,  eighteen  miles  distant.  On 
the  north  side,  at  Rotterdam.  Mr.  Scriba,  from 
Holland,  had  erected  mills  in  1800.  The  grist  mill 
was  sufficient  to  grind  all  the  grain  in  the  country 
for  a  hundred  miles  around. 

In  1812.  Jonathan  Emmons  opened  as  a  tavern 
the  house  formerly  built  and  kept  by  Patrick  Mc- 
Gee. In  181 3  he  was  authorized  by  the  Legisla- 
ture to  establish  a  ferry  across  the  outlet  of  Oneida 
Lake  at  Brewerton,  which  he  kept  for  many  years. 
Mr.  Emmons  was  the  father  of  eighteen  children, 
of  whom  the  sixth,  Samuel  Emmons,  iborn  Feb. 
24,  17941  is  now  residing  at  Brewerton.  In  1824, 
the  first  bridge  was  built  across  the  Oneida  River 
at  Brewerton.  The  ne.xt,  and  present  bridge,  was 
built  in  1847. 

The  village  of  Brewerton  was  laid  out  by  Orsamus 
Johnson,  Daniel  VVardwell,  Miles  W.  Bennet  and 
Harvey  Baldwin,  Esqs ,  in  1836.  Its  position  at 
the  foot  of  the  lake  is  remarkably  beautiful  and 
healthy,  and  being  surrounded  by  a  fertile  and 
thriving  country,  it  has  grown  to  be  a  village  of 
considerable  importance.  Since  1873  it  has  been 
connected  with  Syracuse  by  railroad  communica- 
tion, via  the  Syracuse  Northern  Railroad. 

Brewerton  was  incorporated  in  1872.  the  first 
election  of  officers  occurring  on  the  9th  of  Sep- 
tember, when  the  following  persons  were  chosen : 

Hon.  John  L.  Stevens,  President ;  E.  N.  Em- 
mons, Clerk  ;  William  H.  Carter,  William  H.  Sher- 
wood, D.  H.  Waterbury,  William  H.  Merritt, 
Trustees. 

The  following  have  since  served  as  Presidents  of 
the  village:  John  L.  Stevens.  1873  I  T"-  A.  Strong, 


1874  ;  Wm.  H.  Carter,  1875  ;  B.  M.  Genung.  1876  ; 
A.  N.  Everson,  1877. 

The  officers  for  1878  arc  :  E.  N.  Emmons,  Presi- 
dent;  George  H.  Smith.  Clerk ;  Milton  Miller, 
Charles  E.  Waterbury,  Monroe  Pierce,  Trustees  ; 
Wm.  H.  Merritt,  Collector ;  James  R.  Loomis, 
Treasurer  ;  Thomas  Hughs,  Street  Commissioner. 

Brewerton  has  a  graded  school,  occupying  a  brick 
building,  erected  in  1855,  at  acost  of  gi.cxx).  Two 
teachers  are  employed,  and  the  average  attendance 
is  eighty. 

Brewekton  Lodges. 

Fort  Brewerton  Lodge  No.  256,  F.  &  A.  M. 
Chartered  January  10,  1852.  Charter  officers — 
John  Baum,  W  M.;  H.  V.  Keller,  S.  W.;  James 
J,  Anderson,  J.  W. ;  with  thirteen  charter  mem- 
bers. Regular  communications,  first  and  third 
Wednesday  evenings  in  each  month,  third  story, 
Everson  &  Loomis'  Block,  State  street.  Present 
officers— F".  A.  Strong,  W.  M.;  Wm.  H.  Merritt, 
S.  W.;  M.  Pierce,  J.  W.;  J.  R.  Loomis.  Treas.; 
E.  E.  Binn.  Sec'y  ;  A.  Dickson,  Tyler. 

Brewerton  Lodge  I.  O.  of  G.  T.,  No.  51.  In- 
stituted January  5.  1875,  with  fifteen  charter  mem- 
bers. Among  the  most  active  may  be  named  C. 
D.  Walkup.  Lodge  Deputy  ;  V.  E.  Campbell.  Miss 
Phoebe  Klock  and  Miss  Clara  Van  Warmer.  This 
lodge,  though  young  is  active  and  vigorous,  and  for 
several  years  has  held  the  Silver  Gavel  over  all  the 
lodges  in  the  State.  Officers — V.  E.  Campbell. 
W.  C.  T. ;  Almira  Cummins,  W.  V.  T. ;  Miss 
Aggie  Campbell.  W.  S.  Regular  meetings  every 
Saturday  evening. 

In  1846  a  line  of  steamers,  consisting  of  four 
boats,  named  after  the  four  counties  bordering  on 
the  lake,  viz  :  the  Oneida,  Oswego,  Madison  and 
Onondaga,  was  put  upon  the  lake  and  river  by  a 
company  at  Oswego.  Henry  Guest  was  the  first 
agent,  and  afterwards  William  H.  Carter,  who  with 
Mr.  Gushing  purchased  the  remaining  boats.  The 
Oswego  is  still  run  by  Mr.  Carter. 

The  Plank  Road. 

In  18 12  the  Legislature  passed  an  act  to  cut  a 
road  from  Salina  to  Brewerton  through  the  center  of 
the  town.  The  expense  was  advanced  by  the  State, 
and  a  tax  laid  on  the  lands  contiguous  to  defray  it. 
The  inhabitants  got  a  poor  road  for  what  a  good  one 
should  have  cost.  In  1845.  an  act  was  passed 
authorizing  the  company  to  construct  a  plank,  tim- 
ber, or  hard  surface  road,  from  Salina  to  Central 
Square,  through  Cicero,  from  south  to  north.  In 
1846,  a  plank  road  was  completed,  being  the  first  of 
the  kind  constructed  in  the  United   States.     The 


Pliotos.  by  W.  Y.  Ranger,  Syracuse. 


SAMUEL  EMMONS. 


HANNAU  EMMONS. 


SAMUEL  EMMONS. 


Samuel  Emmons,  the  oldest  settler  in  the  town  of  Cicero 
living  at  the  present  time,  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Nassau,  Rensselaer  county,  N.  Y.,  on 
February  26,  1794,  being  the  son  of  Jonathan  and  Mary  Em- 
mons, who  removed  to  the  town  of  Cicero,  Onondaga  County,  in 
the  year  1804,  taking  his  family  with  him,  where  lie  settled  on 
lot  10,  purchasing  six  hundred  aCres  of  land,  part  of  which  is 
still  in  possession  of  the  family.  His  early  life  was  passed  on 
his  father's  farm,  and  he  obtained  his  education  at  the  district 
school,  the  country  being  at  that  time  a  perfect  wilderness. 
The  only  playmates  he  had  were  the  young  savages  of  the 
forest. 

He  was  married,  January  1,  1818,  to  Hannah,  daughter 
of  Ebenezer  Loomis,  who  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of 
Oswego  county.  Their  union  was  blessed  with  six  children, 
all  of  whom  are  living  at  the  present  time, — Cynthia  M.,  born 
September  5,  1818;  Almeda,  November  IG,  1820;  Lucretia, 
April  28,  1824;  Leonard  Franklin,  February  24,  1827  ;  Han- 
nah C,  August  12,  1833;  Jonathan,  IMay  7,  1836,— all  of 
whom  were  born  in  the  town  of  Cicero. 


Mrs.  Emmons  passed  away  from  earth,  December  9,  1836, 
leaving  a  family  and  a  large  circle  of  friends  to  mourn  her 
loss.  Mr.  Emmons,  not  wishing  to  take  the  responsibility 
solely  on  himself  of  raising  and  educating  his  family  of  chil- 
dren, was  again  married,  October  22,  1837,  to  Harriet  Auringer, 
— she  being  born  August  14,  1818,  in  the  town  of  Cliflon 
Park,  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y., — who  is  the  present  companion 
of  his  declining  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Whig  party 
during  the  existence  of  their  glorious  old  organization,  and,  on 
the  formation  of  the  Republican  party,  allied  himself  with 
that,  and  still  remains  .so  connected.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  and  believes  in  open  communion. 

Mr.  Emmons  in  life  has  been  a  thorough-going  farmer,  and, 
by  industry  and  economy,  has  succeeded  in  saving  enough  of 
this  world's  wealth  to  enable  himself  and  wife  to  live  at  ease. 
Also,  by  strict  regard  to  the  rules  of  health,  he  is  to-day, 
although  in  his  eighty-fourth  year,  as  active  as  a  man  in  the 
prime  of  life,  and  is  looked  up  to  by  friends  and  neighbors 
as  a  worthy  representative  of  a  generation  of  mankind,  the 
majority  of  which  has  long  since  passed  away. 


'H 


^«iv     \^ 


HON.    ASA    KA8TW0OD. 


MRS.    .M.MIV    K.\.-<T\VO0D. 


HON.   ASA    KASTWOOD. 


II. in.  A«ii  Knslwood  wim  Ixirn  nl  Allcntown,  N.  J.,  Fch.  20, 
ITKl,  bcinc  tlio  mii  of  I.,cwiK  Kiuitwnod,  who  wiis  ii  tuiiiu-r  and 
currier  by  Irndo,  nnd  who,  in  puriiiit  »f  work,  removed  lo  various 
locnlitien,  and  in  the  yr«r  17H4  becnino  n  resident  of  the  city  of 
New  York.  A»n  had  few  <ip|iortunitien  of  obUiining  an  educulion, 
the  lack  i>f  wliich,  in  lii.«  Inter  \ear!i,  ho  mucli  rei;rettcd.  In  1800, 
durint:  the  wiir  with  France,  .\>n,  in  company  willi  hi«  brother 
.lohn,  ahipiM-d  on  board  lliu  I'nited  State*  fri);ato  "  ConBti-llBlion;" 
tliey  reliirned  in  tlie  Miuinicr  of  tH()l. 

He  was  niarrii-d,  Sept.  "JP,  IHOl,  to  Mary,  ilau^htcr  of  Hciijaniin 
l)o»ey,  of  KiM-kaway,  Lon^  Ubind,  of  which  place  she  wan  a  native. 
Shu  wna  born  July  :t(),  17H2.  Thoir  union  was  blctiscd  with  eleven 
children,  viz.,  William,  born  in  Ijueen'it  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Au^.  18,  180!J; 
lioiijamin,  July  1",  I »<»."• ;  Mary,  Aug.  29.  180(5  (died  Sept.  17, 
1874);  Klizabeth,  Am;.  14,  18(18  (died  Oct.  24,  184C);  Lewis, 
April  :<0,  1810  (died  Feb.  4,  ISilII);  Lncimla,  July  '.•,  1812  (died 
Jan.  12,  I8.".7);  John,  (Jet.  18,  1814  ;  all  of  whom,  except  William, 
were  lH>rn  in  Now  York  city;  Klisha,  born  in  Itrooklyn,  Nov.  lii, 
IHIli  (waa  murdered  in  I<4iui»iana,  April  26,  1874);  Samuel  Asu, 
b<irn  July  1(1,  18r.i;  Nelson  IVrry,  Feb.  I,  1822;  Kno«,  June  2, 
I82<"i.  The  last  three  named  Were  born  in  Cicero,  Onondaga  Co  , 
N.  Y.  In  1817,  Mr.  Kaittwood  removed  from  New  Y'ork  city  lo 
Onondaga  I'ounty,  where  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade.  Uo 
held  the  ofllco  of  ciinxtablo  for  a  number  of  years,  being  (Irsl  elected 
in  1807. 

On  roini'ving  to  lhi«  county  he  livateil  in  the  town  of  Cicero, 
and  puri'hiucd  a  farm  of  <ini'  hundred  and  i>evcn  aero.-,  which  is 
■till  in  the  |H>tsc^sion  of  the  family.  Not  having  much  bfte  for 
funning,  he  ilevoled  much  of  his  time  to  oulnide  business,  lie  was 
greatly  intorested  in,  and  worked  oncrgclicMlly  for,  the  welfare  of 
the  Agricultural  society  of  this  county,  nnd  was  always  foremost 
in  introducing  improvomentt,  having  brought  the  first  wagon  nnd 
thrn>hing-machine  into  the  town  of  Cii-ero. 

Mr.  Kai'twciod  was  a  Democrat  of  the  Jeflcrson  school.  lie  was 
Bp|Miinted  March  13,  1821,  by  thi"  ijovernor,  to  the  olllce  of  justice 
of  the  ]>eace,  and  in   iho  same  year  wu>  elected  a  delegate  to  the 


Slate  convention  to  revise  the  constitution.  In  I8'_>2  he  removetl 
with  a  part  of  his  family  to  New  Y'urk  city,  and  was  grantc^d  the 
"  frecdoni  of  the  city"  by  Stephen  Allen,  the  mayor  nt  that  tune. 
May  1!1,  I82H,  ho  was  elected  one  of  the  sachems  of  the  Tammany 
society.  In  1825  he  returned  to  Onondaga  County,  and  engaged 
for  a  short  time  in  the  salt  business,  erecting  works  at  Salina.  lie 
wn.*  elected  to  the  assembly  in  Noveml)er,  I8:!2,  which  was  the  last 
office  held  by  him.  lie  co-operated  with  the  Democratic  I>arty 
until  l8'>«j,  when,  being  opposed  to  the  extension  of  slavery,  ho 
joined  the  Kepublicnn  ranks,  and  ever  afterwards  acted  with  that 
party. 

Of  all  the  reverses  in  life  which  had  iH'cn  the  lot  of  Mr.  KastwiKid 
to  meet,  none  wiw  so  hard  to  bear  as  the  loss  of  his  loving  wife,  who 
had  been  his  companion  for  ovor  sixty  years;  she  |iasscd  away 
April  1(5,  18(52.  lie  survived  his  wife  for  a  number  of  years,  but 
wiLs  called  to  his  last  home  Feb.  26,  18711,  having  attained  to  the 
age  of  eighty-nine  years.  And  (as  a  leading  pa|ior  says  of  hinii 
in  all  bis  ollicial  positions,  and  in  every  trust  runlliled  to  him,  he 
discharged  his  duties  in  such  nutnncr  as  lo  win  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  all  n8S<K'iBtod  with  him.  In  private  life  Mr.  K»»lwix)d 
was  above  reproach,  llis  jirinciples  were  high  and  honorable,  hit 
habits  eorrwt  and  exemplary,  nnd  his  intluoncu  in  society  always 
bencllcial  to  good  morals,  ills  long  and  eventful  life,  his  publii 
career,  his  ripo  experience,  and  his  intercourse  with  cultivate<l 
minds,  gave  him  a  retlnemcnt  of  manner,  great  fluency,  and  rich- 
ness in  conversational  "(ualities,  that  made  his  company  v«r> 
attractive  and  interesting.  In  his  last  sickne.ss,  roalirini;  that  hi- 
career  was  finished,  ho  closed  his  business  afl'airs,  sent  invitation' 
for  his  old  n-s.pciat<"s  to  bo  present  at  his  funeral,  and  then,  as  « 
weary  child  in  the  arms  of  its  mother,  ho  fell  asleep  in  death,  I'' 
awaken  in  an  immortal  and  glorious  life.  IIo  was  a  regular  attend 
ant  of  the  Universnlist  church  of  Cicero,  nnd  had  long  chorishwl 
an  uiidoubting  faith  in  Christ  as  the  .Saviour  of  the  world,  and 
passed  many  of  his  last  years  in  its  peaceful  light.  He  was  prom- 
inently connected  with  the  Masonic  order,  which  was  well  repre- 
sented at  his  funeral. 


Puoto.  by  liouta  &  Curtiss,  t^yracusc. 
ORSAMUS   JOHNSON. 


Photo,  by  B.  F.  Howland  &  Co.,  Syracuse. 
DOROTHY   JOHNSON. 


ORSAMUS  JOHNSON. 


The  sons  of  Massachusetts  are  found  in  every  State  in  the 
Union,  hailing  as  they  do  fi-om  a  State  which  early  had  the 
reputation  of  being  foremost  in  producing  men  of  education 
and  culture ;  in  removing  to  other  localities  they  carried  the 
same  characteristics  with  them.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born  among  the  hills  of  Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts,  Sep- 
tember 27,  1800,  being  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Achsah  Johnson, 
whose  family  consisted  of  four  children.  At  the  early  age  of 
three  months  his  father  removed  to  the  town  of  Pompcy,  Onon- 
daga County,  where  he  carried  on  the  business  of  farming  until 
his  death  in  the  year  1812.  Mr.  Johnson's  early  life  was  passed 
on  his  fiither's  farm,  and  teaching  in  the  district  schools  until 
his  marriage,  in  1826,  with  Dorothy,  daughter  of  Erastus  Mark- 
ham,  of  Fabius,  who  was  born  June  18,  1805.  About  three 
years  after  his  marriage  he  removed  to  Central  Square,  Oswego 
county,  where  he  carried  on  the  business  of  keeping  public- 
house  ;  he  resided  there  about  three  years,  when  he  removed  to 
Brewerton,  in  the  town  of  Cicero,  where  he  pursued  the  same 
business  till  184G,  when  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming, 
which  has  been  his  occupation  in  life  up  to  the  present  time. 
By  his  marriage  with  his  first  wife  he  had  three  children  : 
Helen,  who  was  born  December  23,  1827,  and  was  married  to 
Lyman  Barber,  April  10, 1849,  and  who  passed  away,  mourned 
by  all  who  knew  her,  November  23, 1865 ;  she  was  the  mother 


of  one  child.  Mary,  born  February  12,  1832,  and  married  to 
William  Sherwood,  May  14,  1856 ;  two  children  have  blessed 
their  union.  Homer,  born  May  22,  1838.  The  life  of  man  is 
not  only  made  of  prosperities,  but  he  is  forced  to  bear  with 
many  adversities,  and  none  is  so  hard  to  overcome  as  the  loss  of  a 
loving  wife.  Mrs.  Johnson  died  Nov.  28, 1858,  not  only  mourned 
by  husband  and  children,  but  by  a  large  circle  of  sympathizing 
friends.  After  a  few  years,  his  widowed  heart  seeking  consola- 
tion, he  was  married  to  Mrs.  Amos  Sherwood,  of  Jamesville, 
who  lived  but  a  short  time.  After  the  loss  of  his  second  wife, 
Mr.  John.son  passed  his  life  in  the  companionship  of  his  chil- 
dren until  the  year  1869,  when  he  wa.s  married  to  Mrs.  Sarah 
Richard.son,  April  20,  of  that  year,  she  being  the  loving  help- 
mate of  his  declining  years.  Politically,  he  belongs  to  the 
Republican  party,  and  has  taken  for  over  sixty  years  the  Albany 
Journal,  formerly  edited  by  Thurlow  Weed.  He  has  held  nu- 
merous town  oiEces,  having  been  supervisor  and  justice  of  the 
peace  for  several  terms.  He  formerly  belonged  to  the  Metho- 
dist church,  but  of  late  has  been  an  active  worker  in  the 
Presbyterian  ranks.  What  can  be  more  pleasant  for  a  man  who 
has  arrived  at  a  ripe  old  age,  than  to  look  back  on  the  many 
pleasures  and  sorrows  of  life,  and  to  think  he  has  always  been 
held  in  reverence  and  respect  by  friends  and  neighbors,  and  that 
his  memory  will  be  preserved  for  years  to  come? 


a^m^. 


yd  e^  c--^ 


/ 


Isaac  Cooiiley's  great-grnndrailicr.  .Inlin  ("iionlcy,  eaiiic  from 
VVurU'iiibcrj;,  Gcminny,  about  the  year  1750,  and  settled  in  the 
town  of  Clinton,  DuU-hcus  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  his  ),Tandfather, 
Solomon  Coonley,  waH  born  in  1752.  His  father,  Abraliam,  was 
born  in  the  name  town,  June  20,  1775,  and  moved  with  liis 
father  to  the  town  of  Coeyman's,  Albany  county,  in  the  year 
17S().  Mil*  (grandfather  wa.s  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  that 
l.iwii.  Isjiac's  father,  Abraham,  was  married  to  Catharini' 
Craft  in  1808.  Lsaac  was  born  in  the  town  of  Cocyman's,  March 
IG,  1810.  He  worked  on  his  father's  farm  till  lie  was  seven- 
teen years  old;  reecive<l  a  common-seh«Kil  edueation;  at  the  age 
of  seventeen  leameil  the  trade  of  a  weaver,  which  he  followed  for 
several  years,  and  also  tau);ht  school  several  winters,  lie  wxs 
married  to  I'hebc  Tercy,  of  Cocyman's,  in  18;J8,  and  moved  to  the 
village  of  JamcHville,  in  this  county,  where  he  lived  three  years; 
then  moved  to  Syracuse,  and  carried  on  the  business  of  weaving 
and  dyeing.  Bought  a  farm,  and  moved  to  the  town  of  Cicero 
in  the  spring  of  18111,  where  he  lived  till  the  time  of  his  death. 
Died  Nov.  10,  187G,  aged  sixty -six  years  and  eight  months. 
Ijcaves  but  one  child,  Irving  Coimley,  postmaster  at  Ciccn). 


Mr.  Coonley  was  a  careful  observer  of  men  and  things,  and 
pw-sesscd  a  mind  of  more  than  ordinary  calibre.  lie  r«id  ex- 
tensively on  all  subjects,  and  kept  himself  well  informed  uol 
only  in  current  history,  but  in  many  departments  of  science 
It  was  difficult  to  introduce  a  subject  in  which  he  was  not  ;. 
home.  He  was  especially  familiar  with  the  working  of  <>"' 
political  system,  fmni  tin'  iciwii  iiji  to  that  of  the  State  and 
nation. 

His  native  good  sense,  stern  integrity,  and  genial  social 
(jualities  remlered  him  always  an  agreeable  companion  and  a 
warm  and  firm  friend.  These  qualities  made  him  iM)pular  with 
his  townsmen,  and  he  was  frequently  called  to  occupy  rusponsi- 
bio  po-sitions,  which  were  always  filliHl  with  great  credit  to  hin 
self  and  S4ilisfaction  to  his  constituents. 

He  represented  the  town  of  Cicero  in  the  board  of  8up«  i 
visors  four  terms,  viz.,  18G0,  1861,  18G7,  and  18G8.  In 
1865  he  was  appointed  enumenitor,  and  took  the  oensos  of 
the  town.  In  1870  he  was  elecUnl  justice  of  the  peace,  and 
served  for  the  four  succi-eiling  years.  In  187G  he  was  olertcd 
(own  auditor. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


341 


expense  of  grading,  building  and  materials,  was 
about  S  1,500  per  mile.  The  situation  of  the  country 
and  soil  was  such  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
make  a  permanent  road  of  any  other  material.  No 
sooner  was  this  road  opened  than  it  began  to  be 
thronged  with  travel.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  no  other 
road  in  the  interior  of  the  State  has  accommo- 
dated so  great  an  amount  of  travel  as  this  plank 
road. 

On  the  completion  of  the  Syracuse  Northern 
Railroad  in  1873,  the  plank  road  was  abandoned 
from  Central  Square  to  Brewerton,  and  in  1876, 
from  Brewerton  to  Cicero  Corners.  The  enter- 
prising citizens  along  the  road  between  Brewerton 
and  Cicero,  at  once  organized  the  Cicero  Turnpike 
Company,  built  a  gravel  turnpike,  erected  a  gate 
for  the  collection  of  toll,  and  now  have  the  best  road 
in  the  town.  The  officers  of  this  company  are  Jos. 
M.  Moulton,  President  ;  H.  H.  Lawrence,  Secre- 
tary ;  John  Moulton,  Treasurer  ;  W.  D.  Wright, 
Gate  Keeper.      Its  capital  stock  is  $4,600. 

The  plank  road  from  Cicero  to  Syracuse  is  still 
continued. 

Religious. 

The  first  meeting  house  in  town  was  built  of  logs 
for  the  Presbyterian  Society,  at  Cicero  Corners,  in 
1 8 19.  A  frame  edifice  was  erected  in  1830.  The 
first  settled  minister  was  Rev.  Truman  Baldwin, 
Presbyterian,  who  served  several  years,  afterwards 
went  west,  then  returned  and  took  charge  of  his 
former  flock.  The  next  organized  religious  society 
was  of  the  Baptists,  at  Cicero  Corners,  in  1832. 
The  Methodists  next  built  a  church  in  the  east  part 
of  the  town,  and  subsequently  others  in  the  Taft 
Settlement  and  at  Cicero  Corners.  Previous  to  the 
erection  of  churches,  the  different  religious  denomi- 
nations held  their  meetings  in  log  school  houses. 

The  First  Church  of  Disciples,  Brewerton,  is 
an  outgrowth  of  the  religious  principles  promul- 
gated in  this  country  by  the  late  Alexander  Camp- 
bell and  others.  The  views  of  this  distinguished 
scholar  and  theologian  gained  acceptance  in  the  Bap- 
tist Churches  at  Pompey,  Tully  and  Cicero,  as  early 
as  1834,  and  by  some  of  the  leading  members  of 
the  latter  body,  were  soon  after  planted  in  this  vil- 
lage. The  first  series  of  meetings  for  the  public 
advocacy  of  these  views  in  Brewerton,  was  held  by 
Elder  Jasper  J.  Moss,  of  Ohio,  in  1835,  and  the 
present  church  was  organized  under  the  ministry  of 
Elder  Josiah  I.  Lowell,  who  the  year  previous  had 
formed  the  Church  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  at 
Pompey  Hill.  The  Elders  of  the  original  Church 
at  Brewerton  were  George  Walkup  and  Lewis 
55 


Fancher  ;  among  the  leading  members  were  Hon. 
John  L.  Stevens,  James  Spire,  Ephraim  Smedley, 
Mrs.  Ann  Emmons,  Mrs.  George  Walkup  and  Mrs. 
E.  Manville. 

The  present  church  edifice  was  erected  in  the 
year  i85i,at  a  cost  of  $1,500,  and  an  additional 
cost  of  about  ;^700  was  incurred  for  refurnishing  and 
repairs  in  1875.  The  present  membership  is  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five,  with  an  attendance  of 
one  hundred  in  the  Sunday  School.  The  officers 
of  the  Church  are  Jacob  Ottman,  C.  D.  Walkup 
and  E.  N.  Emmons,  Elders  ;  P.  VanWormer,  Jas. 
E.  Livingston  and  Martin  Emmons,  Deacons.  Mr. 
E.  N.  Emmons  has  officiated  as  Superintendent  of 
the  Sunday  School  for  the  past  twenty  years. 

The  Union  Church,  Brewerton,  was  built  in 
1849,  by  the  contributions  of  gentlemen  of  the 
Baptist,  Methodist,  Presbyterian  and  Universalist 
faith.  The  most  liberal  contributors  were  Orsemus 
Johnson,  Wm.  Milton,  Asa  U.  Emmons,  Alexander 
Gushing,  J.  B.  Kathan,  Stephen  Markham  and 
William  Bailey.  The  cost  of  the  building  was 
about  $1,700.  It  was  occupied  in  common  by  the 
different  denominations  till  i86g,  since  which  it  has 
been  used  exclusively  by  the  Methodists,  who  in 
that  year  organized  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev. 
Ebenezer  Arnold,  and  expended  about  $500  in 
repairing  the  church.  Since  Mr  Arnold's  ministry, 
the  following  clergymen  have  officiated  : 

Rev.  E.  C.  Tuttle,  two  years  ;  Rev.  R.  Brewster, 
two  years  ;  Rev.  W.  Witham,  one  year  ;  Rev.  J. 
D.  Phelps,  two  years  ;  Rev.  M.  J.  Wells,  one  year. 
The  present  pastor.  Rev.  E.  Lyon,  took  charge  in 
October,  1877. 

The  membership  of  the  church  is  one  hundred 
and  forty  ;  Sabbath  School,  one  hundred  and  thirty; 
Mrs.  H.  O.  Johnson,  Superintendent.  Trustees : 
William  Telford,  William  H.  Sherwood,  Ira  Shell, 
John  Young  and  William  Wickham. 

CICERO  VILLAGE 

Is  situated  on  the  Plank  Road  ten  miles  north  of 
Syracuse.  It  has  three  churches,  three  stores,  two 
hotels,  two  wagon  shops,  two  blacksmith  shops,  two 
boot  and  shoe  shops,  a  saw  mill,  flouring  mill, 
stave  mill  and  cheese-box  factory.  It  has  two 
physicians,  and  the  general  law  business  is  trans- 
acted by  Benjamin  F.  Sweet,  Esq.,  who  is  an  old 
and  influential  citizen,  and  has  been  for  many  years 
Justice  of  the  Peace. 

Some  of  the  oldest  citizens  now  living  in  the 
village  and  vicinity  are  Noah  Merriam,  B.  F.  Sweet, 
Asahel  Saunders  and  his  oldest  daughter,  Mrs. 
Emily    Crampton,    Daniel    Vanalstine,   Ambrose 


342 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Sadler,  Robert  Lower,  Joseph  Douglass,  John  R. 
Wright,  Barney  Rawlcy,  John  and  Emery  Moulton. 
Addison  J.  and  Henry  H.  Loomis  are  among  the 
prominent  farmers  and  business  men. 

CiCEKO  Mills. 

The  Cicero  Mills  steam,  flour,  saw  and  stave 
mills,)  are  located  at  Cicero  village  and  owned  by  a 
stock  company  known  by  the  corporate  name  of  the 
Cicero  Mill  Company.  Capital  stock,  §25,000. 
The  mills  were  erected  in  1870  at  a  cost  of  $23,000. 
The  flouring  mill  grinds  about  50,000  bushels  per 
annum,  custom  and  merchant  flour.  The  saw  mill 
cuts  about  500.000  feet  of  lumber  annually,  and  the 
stave  mill  about  2,000,000  staves.  They  are  run 
by  steam-power  and  give  employment  to  about 
twenty  hands  the  year  round.  They  are  the  only 
mills  now  in  operation  in  the  town. 

The  officers  of  the  company  are :  Ambrose 
Sadler,  President  ;  A.  J,  Loomis,  Secretary,  and 
Robert  Lower,  Treasurer ;  who  are  ex-officio 
Directors,  with  Daniel  Coonley  and  Emery  Moulton, 
the  other  stockholders  being  Samuel  Cushing  and 
Alonzo  Uaum. 

In  connection  with  these  mills,  I.  S  Auborn  has 
a  cheese  box  factory  which  employs  three  hands 
and  turns  out  about  10,000  cheese-boxes  a  year. 

Cheese  Factokies. 

Of  late  years  the  dairying  business,  especially 
cheese  making,  has  become  an  important  interest 
in  the  town  of  Cicero.  There  are  three  prosperous 
cheese  factories,  as  follows  : 

The  Cheese  Factory  of  A.  J.  Loomis,  situated 
one  mile  south  of  the  village  of  Cicero,  on  the  road 
to  Syracuse  ;  established  in  1855  ;  has  two  vats, 
employs  three  hands,  makes  150,000  pounds  per 
annum  ;  owns  one  hundred  cows  and  uses  the  milk 
of  four  hundred  others.  Mr.  Loomis  has  $40,000 
invested  in  the  business. 

Cicero  Center  Cheese  Factory,  built  in  1867  by 
William  Sternberg,  now  owned  and  conducted  by 
O.  J.  Daniels,  who  manufactures  cheese  for  neigh- 
boring farmers.     Annual  product  50,000  pounds. 

William  Van  Bramer's  Cheese  Factory,  built  in 
1863  ;  manufactures  the  milk  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  cows,  keeping  forty  of  his  own.  The  product 
of  this  factory  is  45,000 pounds  per  annum.  Si 0,000 
capital  invested  and  two  hands  employed.  It  is 
situated  two  miles  south  of  Cicero  village. 

Farmers'  and  Mechanics'  Club. 

The  towns  of  Cicero,  Clay  and  Salina  have  a  Far- 
mers' and  Mechanics'  Club,  of  which  the  following 
are  the  officers,  elected  January  5,  1878  :  President, 


A.  J.  Loomis  ;  First  Vice-President,  E.  F.  Reese  ; 
Second  Vice-President,  R.  Z.  Sadler ;  Corres- 
ponding Secretary.  L.  H.  Brown;  Recording 
Secretary.  J.  W.  Lawrence;  Treasurer.  A.  H. 
Lawrence.  Directors  —  L.  C.  Flowers.  Samuel 
Ferguson,  Clay  ;  Emery  Moulton,  H.  W.  Hanks, 
Cicero;  G.  H.  McHaron,  David  Overacre,  Salina. 

Churches. 

FlR-ST    UsiVEKSALIST    ChURCH    OF    CiCERO. — In 

1859,  Rc^'-  A.  A.  Thayer,  then  residing  in  Syra- 
cuse, began  preaching  the  doctrines  of  Universalism 
in  Cicero,  and  organized  a  society.  At  a  Conference 
held  in  the  I'nion  Church  at  Brewerlon.  in  1S60, 
Rev.  W.  W.  Clayton,  then  of  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  re- 
ceived a  call  to  preach  at  Cicero  and  Brewerton,one 
service  on  Sunday  in  each  place.  Mr.  Clayton 
accepted  and  continued  to  preach  till  the  winter  of 
1862,  holding  the  morning  service  in  the  Union 
Church  at  Brewcrton  The  old  Disciples'  Church 
at  Cicero  was  new-roofed  and  refitted  inside  for  the 
afternoon  meetings,  and  a  prosperous  and  perma- 
nent Sunday  school  was  organized,  Mr.  Warren 
Wright  being  appointed  Superintendent. 

In  1862,  Rev.  Augustus  Tibbits  became  pastor, 
and  with  occasional  preaching  by  Rev.  Dolphus 
Skinner,  D.  D.,  and  others,  the  time  was  filled  till 
1867,  when  Rev.  John  M.  Austin  became  pastor, 
residing  in  Auburn  and  preaching  in  one  or  two 
other  places  at  the  same  time.  Under  Mr.  Austin, 
in  1867,  a  church  organization  was  effected,  some 
of  the  members  joining  at  that  time  being  John  R. 
Wright,  Warren  Wright,  John  McCulloch,  Mrs. 
Robert  Lower,  Mrs.  Ambrose  Sadler  and  Mrs.  J. 
A  Dunham.  Mr.  Austin  continued  to  officiate  as 
pastor  till  1875,  since  which  the  church  has  been 
supplied  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Weeks,  Rev.  Geo.  B.  Stock- 
ing, and  Rev.  R.  Fisk. 

The  church  in  which  the  services  have  been  held 
from  the  first  was  built  in  the  year  1832  by  the  Bap- 
tists, who  disbanded  and  sold  the  building  to  Heze- 
kiah  Joslyn,  John  Leach  and  Hon.  John  L.Stevens. 
In  a  few  years  they  sold  it  to  the  First  Congrega- 
tion of  Disciples,  which  was  an  organization  formed 
mainly  of  former  members  of  the  Baptist  society, 
who  in  1867,  under  a  special  act  of  the  Legislature, 
sold  it  to  the  Universalists,  the  Disciples'  organiza- 
tion having  been  for  some  years  discontinued.  The 
proceeds  of  the  sale  were  appropriated  to  the 
"Church  of  Christ,"  of  Syracuse.  In  1871,  the 
edifice  was  rebuilt  at  a  cost  of  $3,000. 

The  present  church  membership  is  about  sixty, 
with  an  attendance  of  eighty-five  in  the  Sunday 
School. 


R£SiotNC£  Of    CAP'    V.  DUHHAM,  South  Bay   «i»v  ITowk. 


M.  II.  BLYNN,  M.D. 


Among  the  few  men  whom  the 
people  of  C-icoro  regard  worthy  of 
their  higlie.st  confidence  and  esteeiii 
is  numbered  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  lie  was  born  in  Columbia 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  on  the  Oth  of  January, 
1837. 

He  obtained  an  excellent  educa- 
tion, being  graduated  with  distinc- 
tion from  Fort  Edward  institute. 
lie  read  medicine,  under  a  physician 
of  distinction,  two  years  succeeding 
his  graduation,  and  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  Kebellion  entered  the  hospital 
department  of  the  Tenth  New  York 
Volunteer  Cavalry.  His  gallant 
conduct  and  evident  abilities  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  his  .superior 
officers,  and  he  was  accordingly 
appointed  captain  of  his  company 
on  the  3d  of  November,  1863 ; 
major  of  his  regiment  Nov.  21, 
1864  ;  and  brevet  lieutenant-colonel 


I'lmto.  bj-  W.  V.  Ranger. 


.//' 


M  ^ 


before  the  close  of  the  war.  Upon 
his  return  iiome.  he  pursued  a  course 
of  lectures  at  the  Albany  medical 
college,  Bellevue  hospital  college, 
New  York  city,  and  Longstreet 
hospital  college,  Brooklyn,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class 
of  1866. 

He  was  at  once  appointed  a  sur- 
geon in  the  United  States  army, 
and  also  served  as  quarantine  officer 
of  the  port  of  Hilton  Head,  South 
Carolina,  till  Nov.  28,  186G,  when 
he  received  an  honorable  dismissal, 
and  commenced  the  practice  of  his 
profession  at  Cicero,  Onondaga  Co., 
New  York,  where  he  has  built  up 
a  large  and  constantly  increasing 
practice. 

He  was  united  in  marriage,  Dec. 
25,  1866,  to  Miss  Frank  Douglass, 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  Douglass,  and 
a  very  refined  and  talented  lady. 


SAMUEL   CUSHING. 


Photo,  by  .Ionian  Bros.,  Syracuse. 
OLIVE   P.  CUSHINO. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Reformed  Church,  Cicero. — This  church  was 
organized  in  1835,  from  a  congregation  of  Presby- 
terians who  had  for  many  years  previous  occupied 
the  present  edifice.  The  most  prominent  persons 
in  the  formation  of  the  Reformed  Church  were 
Isaac  Coonley,  Lott  Hamilton,  Peter  Collier,  Ezra 
Hart,  Calvin  Hart,  Noah  Merriam  and  Mrs.  P. 
Andrews.  The  two  last  mentioned  are  the  only 
survivors  at  this  writing,  (^878.) 

Among  the  pastors  have  been  Rev.  Wm.  Cranse, 
Rev.  A.  W.  See]ey,Rev.  John  Duboi.s,  Rev.  Samuel 
N.  Robinson,  Rev.  John  Gray,  Rev.  F.  Hibbard, 
Rev.  G.  W.  Hemperly. 

The  church  is  at  present  without  a  settled  pastor. 
Membership  about  fifty  ;  Sunday  School,  seventy- 
five. 

Cicero  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,— For 
many  years  this  was  one  of  the  North  Manlius  Dis- 
trict charges.  At  what  time  it  became  a  regular 
charge  is  not  known,  but  in  the  year  1850,  Rev. 
Browning  Nichols  was  located  at  this  place,  and  for 
a  time  meetings  were,  as  formerly,  held  in  the  school 
house,  but  under  his  auspices  a  deep  religious  feel- 
ing was  aroused,  and  the  society  was  reorganized 
and  in  the  following  year  the  lot  was  purchased  and 
church  building  erected  at  a  cost  of  thirteen  hun- 
dred dollars.  Rev.  Hiram  Nichols  was  the  next 
pastor.  Since  then  Rev.  Nickerson,  Rev.  Munger, 
Rev.  Tattle,  G.  B.  Bush,  D.  D.,  Rev.  J.  C.  Nichols 
and  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  Ebenezer  Arnold,  who 
also  ofificiates  over  Stone  Arabia  charge. 

The  present  membership  is  seventy-six.  Sabbath 
School  attendance  eighty-five,  Mr.  J.  W.  Jewel  is 
the  efficient  and  worthy  Sabbath  School  Superin- 
tendent. The  Trustees  are  J.  Bradford,  Daniel 
Vanalstine  and  Noah  Andrew. 

Stone  Arabia  M.  E.  Church.— Situated  about 
one  mile  west  of  Cicero  Centre,  was  organized 
in  January,  1845,  at  the  school  house.  The  promi- 
nent members  at  that  time  were  William  S.  Fuller, 
Solomon  Wheeler,  Harrison  Hall,  Palmer  Brown,' 
John  Wilcox,  John  Salter,  William  Van  Alstine, 
Daniel  Terpenny,  Simon  Drusbeck,  Seth  Hall, 
Jonathan  Houghtaling,  Mary  Benedict,  Conrad 
Brought,  and  Samuel  Sizer.  In  1847  the  present 
church  building  was  built,  and  rebuilt  in  1869,  at  a 
cost  of  $2,200. 

Present  membership  thirty-seven.  Sabbath 
School  attendance  sixty.  Rev.  Ebenezer  Arnold, 
pastor  of  this  and  Cicero  charge.  This  church 
was  originally  in  the  North  Manlius  Circuit. 
Present  Trustees  are  John  Cranse,  S.  K.  Button 
and  Ashley  Graves. 

Taft  Methodist  Episcopal  Church   was  or- 


343 


ganized  by  the  labors  of  Rev.  Barnard  Peck  in 
1847.  Other  classes  had  been  formed  prior  to  this 
but  had  been  disbanded.  The  present  church 
edifice  was  erected  in  1857  on  ground  donated  by 
David  Tompkins.  Among  the  members  of  the 
class  of  1847,  were  Caleb  Tompkins,  David  Borst, 
John  Richmond,  John  Bennett  and  John  Taft,  from' 
whom  the  church  takes  its  name.  This  was  part 
of  what  was  known  as  the  North  Manlius  District, 
comprising  six  congregations,  and  is  about  a  mile 
southeast  of  Centerville. 

The  present  membership  is  about  forty.  Pastor 
in  charge  Rev.  Joel  Houd,  who  also  ofificiates  at 
Centerville. 

Bridgeport  Saw  Mill  and  Tannery.— This 
mill  stands  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Chittenango 
Creek.  It  was  built  by  Benjamin  French  about 
1825,  who  run  the  mill  until  1854,  when  the  present 
owner,  Oney  Sayles,  purchased  it  and  has  run  it 
ever  since.  This  is  the  oldest  mill  now  standing  in 
the  vicinity  ;  it  is  an  old-fashioned  upright  water- 
power  saw  mill. 

Bridgeport  tannery  was  built  in  1825,  and  was  run 
until  1869.  The  old  building,  vats  and  machinery 
are  still  standing  between  the  mill  race  and  creek, 
but  is  unoccupied. 

In  1874,  Jesse  Daniels  planted  a  hop-yard,  and 
in  1877  increased  it  to  four  acres,  which  is  now  a 
very  thriving  and  profitable  yard— the  only  one  in 
the  town. 


BiOGP|APHic>L  Sketch 


n 


CAPT.  VALENTINE  DUNHAM. 

Captain  Valentine  Dunham  was  born  at  Ham- 
ilton, Madison  County,  N.  Y.,  on  the  15th  of  May, 
1 8 16,  where  he  spent  his  early  life  with  his  parents. 
After  traveling  extensively  through  many  of  the 
States,  he  located  on  Dunham's  Island  in  Oneida 
Lake,  and  since  he  sold  that  property,  has  lived  at 
his  present  residence  at  South  Bay,  in  the  town  of 
Cicero.  He  was  married  in  1858,  and  has  one  son 
sixteen  years  of  age.  He  is  engaged  in  furnishing 
pleasure  boats  to  excursions,  picnic  parties,  &c., 
a  business  which  he  has  followed  for  the  past  twenty- 
five  years. 


DAVID  H.  HOYT. 


The    first   founder   of  the  Hoyt   family  in    this 
country   was   Simon   Hoyt,  who  settled    in   about 


344 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


1628,  at  Charlestown.  Mass..  where  he  remained 
about  ten  years,  when  he  removed  to  what  is  now 
the  State  of  Connecticut.  He  was  the  father  of 
ten  children,  Walter,  the  eldest  son.  being  the  sec- 
ond generation  lof  the  branch  of  the  family  which 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  represents  1  was  the  father 
of  four  children  ;  his  second  son.  Zerubabel.  was 
the  third,  had  si.\  children  ;  Caleb,  his  third  son, 
was  the  fourth,  had  seven  children,  and  his  second 
son,  David,  born  Dec.  3,  17 10,  was  the  fifth  ;  and 
his  family  consisted  of  ten  children.  David,  his 
third  son,  who  was  born  April  2,  1744,  being  the 
grandfather  of  David  H.,  representing  the  sixth 
generation  of  the  family,  emigrated  about  the  year 
1790,  to  Greenfield,  Saratoga  County,  taking  his 
family  with  him,  which  consisted  of  three  children, 
his  eldest  son  Jacob,  having  been  born  in  Connecti- 
cut Dec.  2,  1774.  He  was  married  to  Nancy  Shaw, 
by  whom  he  had  five  children,  David  H.  being  the 
fourth  child  and  the  oldest  son  was  born  April  28, 
1813.  His  father  dying  when  he  was  fourteen 
months  old,  the  responsibility  of  providing  for  and 
educating  the  family,  befell  his  mother,  and  his  after 
success  in  life  must  be  attributed  to  the  good  coun- 


sel and  lessons  received  from  her.  His  early  life 
was  passed  on  his  father's  farm,  till  1836,  when  he 
removed  to  the  town  of  Cicero,  Onondaga  County, 
and  in  connection  with  his  brother  Jacob,  purchased 
one  hundred  and  thirty-si.\  acres  of  land,  being  the 
same  farm  on  which  he  now  resides.  He  was  mar- 
ried October  5,  1843,  to  Caroline,  daughter  of  Bar- 
tholomew Andrews,  she  having  been  born  in  Cicero 
July  13,  1823.  The  result  of  this  happy  marriage 
was  si.\  girls  and  four  boys  ;  Charles  J.,  Josephine 
and  Hattie,  having  passed  away.  Lucy  was  born 
Aprils.  i846;Leroy  G.,  July  30,  1849;  Ella  E., 
January  21,  1851  ;  Manil  C,  April  25,  1853  ;  John 
J.,  March  25,  1855  ;  Alice,  Sept.  10,  1857  ;  Frank 
D.,  November  7,  1863.  Mr.  Hoyt  has  always  been 
an  active  worker  in  the  Democratic  ranks  ;  he  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Reformed  Church,  and  has 
contributed  largely  of  his  means  for  its  support. 
In  looking  back  over  a  life  of  more  than  three- 
score years,  amongst  the  many  reverses  which 
he  has  passed  through,  his  widowed  heart  mourns 
the  loss  of  his  loving  help-meet,  who  passed  away 
March  22,  1877,  mourned  and  beloved  by  all  who 
knew  her. 


SPAFFORD 


Spaffokd  lies  upon  Skaneateles  Lake  and  is  the 
western  town  on  the  south  line  of  the  county.  It 
was  erected  from  portions  of  the  townships  of 
Sempronius.  Marcellus  and  Tully,  April  8,  181 1, 
and  the  boundaries  have  since  been  materially 
altered.  Parts  of  Marcellus  and  Skaneateles  were 
taken  otf  in  1840.  At  present  it  comprises  eight 
lots  lying  east  of  Skaneateles  Lake,  being  part  of 
the  original  township  of  Sempronius  ;  si.xteen  lots 
of  the  northwest  part  of  the  township  of  Tully,  and 
thirteen  lots  of  the  south  part  of  the  township  of 
Marcellus.  It  is  about  ten  miles  long  by  three 
broad,  running  from  northwest  to  southeast,  in  lines 
nearly  parallel  with  the  lakes  between  which  it  lies 
— Otisco  Lake  on  the  northeast,  forming  a  portion 
of  its  central  boundary,  and  Skaneateles,  on  the 
southwest,  along  its  entire  line.  The  lake  front  of 
this  town,  as  well  as  the  scenery  in  the  opposite 
direction,  over-looking  the  Otisco.  is  most  beautiful 
and  picturesque.  The  surface  consists  principally 
of  a  high  ridge  between  the  two  lakes,  somewhat 
abruptly  descending  to  the  valleys  on  each  side  and 
gradually  declining  towards  the  north.     The  highest 


summit,  Ripley  Hill,  is  also  the  highest  point  in  the 
county,  being  1,982  feet  above  tide  water,  and  1,122 
feet  higher  than  Skaneateles  Lake.  The  Otisco 
inlet  is  a  small  stream  flowing  through  the  valley 
which  extends  south  from  Otisco  Lake.  The  soil 
is  chiefly  a  sandy  and  gravelly  loam,  productive, 
and  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 

This  town  received  its  name  from  Horatio  Gates 
Spafford,  LL.  D.,  author  of  a  Gazetteer  of  New 
York.  It  was  first  settled  by  Gilbert  Palmer,  who 
located  on  Lot  76,  township  of  Marcellus,  in  the 
fall  of  1794.  Mr.  Palmer  was  a  Revolutionary 
soldier,  and  served  for  the  lot  on  which  he  settled. 
He  came  from  somewhere  in  Southern  New  York, 
Dutchess  or  Westchester  County,  and  lived  in  Spaf- 
ford  till  his  death,  about  1839. 

Clark,  in  his  Onondaga,  vol.  2d,  page  348,  relates 
the  following  afiecting  experience  of  this  pioneer 
anil  his  son  : 

"In  the  fall  of  the  year  1794,  soon  after  his 
arrival,  Mr.  Palmer  and  his  son,  a  youth  of  some 
sixteen  years  of  age,  went  into  the  woods  to  chop- 
ping, for  the  purpose  of  making  a  clearing.  Some- 
time in  the  afternoon  they  felled  a  tree,  and  as  it 


David  fi.  fiOYT. 


Photos  bt  w  v  JtAxocR,  SrMcusE 


Caroline  j^oyt. 


Residence  or  DAVID  H.  HOVr, C/cero, Onondaga  Co.  N.r. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


345 


struck  the  ground  it  bounded,  swung  around  and 
caught  the  young  man  under  it.  The  father  at 
once  mounted  the  log,  cut  it  ofif,  rolled  it  over  and 
liberated  his  son.  Upon  e.xamination  one  of  his 
lower  limbs  was  found  to  be  badly  crushed  and 
mangled.  He  thereupon  carried  the  youth  to  his 
log  hut,  close  at  hand,  and  with  all  possible  dili- 
gence made  haste  to  his  nearest  neighbors,  some 
three  or  four  miles  distant,  desiring  them  to  go  and 
minister  to  his  son's  necessities,  while  he  should  go 
to  Whitestown  for  Dr.  White.  The  neighbors 
sallied  forth  with  such  comfortable  things  as  they 
thought  might  be  acceptable  in  such  a  case  ;  but 
amidst  the  confusion,  the  dense  forest  and  the  dark- 
ness of  night  which  had  just  set  in,  they  missed 
their  way,  and  after  wandering  about  for  a  long 
time,  gave  over  the  pursuit  and  returned  home, 
leaving  the  poor  sufferer  alone  to  his  fate.  Early 
the  next  morning  all  hands  again  rallied,  and  in  due 
time  found  the  young  man  suffering  the  most 
extreme  anguish  from  his  mangled  limb,  and  greatly 
benumbed  with  cold.  They  built  a  fire,  made  him 
comfortable  with  such  paliatives  as  could  be  pro- 
cured in  the  wilderness,  and  waited  in  patience  the 
return  of  the  parent.  In  the  meantime  he  had  pro- 
ceeded rapidly  on  his  journey  on  foot,  and  found 
Dr.  White  at  Clinton.  Here  he  engaged  an  Oneida 
Indian  to  pilot  them  through  the  woods  by  a  nearer 
route  than  to  follow  the  windings  of  the  old  road. 
Dr.  White  and  Mr.  Palmer  were  at  sundry  times 
fearful  the  Indian  would  lose  the  way  ;  and  upon 
every  expression  of  doubt  on  their  part,  the  Indian 
would  exclaim,  'me  know;'  and  told  them  he 
would  bring  them  out  at  a  certain  log  which 
lay  across  the  outlet  at  the  foot  of  Otisco 
Lake.  The  Indian  took  the  lead,  and  within 
forty-eight  hours  after  the  accident  had  happened, 
the  Indian  had  brought  them  exactly  to  the 
log,  exclaiming  triumphantly  '  nie  knoiv.'  Here  Mr. 
Palmer  arrived  on  familiar  ground,  and  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  the  cabin  where  he  had  left  his  son,  whom 
he  found  greatly  prostrated  and  writhing  under  the 
most  intense  suffering.  No  time  was  lost.  The 
case  was  thought  desperate— the  limb  was  ampu- 
tated at  once,  half  way  from  the  knee  to  the  thigh. 
The  youth  bore  the  pain  with  heroic  fortitude,  re- 
covered and  lived  many  years  afterward,  always 
speaking  in  the  highest  terms  and  praise  of  Dr. 
White." 

In  that  part  of  the  town  taken  from  Tully,  Jona- 
than Berry  was  the  first  settler,  a  short  distance 
south  of  Borodino,  in  March,  1S03,  and  in  April,  of 
the  same  year,  a  settlement  was  made  by  Archibald 
Farr  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Lot  No.  11.  Mr. 
Farr  was  assisted  in  arriving  at  his  place  of  desti- 
nation by  Mr.  Berry,  who  sent  his  team  and  men 
to  open  a  road.  This  is  believed  to  have  been  the 
first  road  of  any  kind  made  within  the  limits  of  the 
present  town.  It  is  the  same  that  now  leads  from 
Spafford  Corners  to  Borodino.  In  1804  Isaac  Hall 
settled  on  the  farm  since  owned  by  Asahel  Roun- 
dy,  Esq.,  near  Spafford  Postoffice.  The  road  was 
56* 


cleared  out  from  Farr's  lot  to  the  Corners,  or  Spaf- 
ford Postoffice,  in  1804,  and  in  1805,  Elisha  Sabins 
and  John  Babcock,  from  Scott,  cleared  out  a  road 
from  that  town  to  the  Corners,  and  moved  in  their 
goods  on  sleds.  In  1806  several  families  scattered 
themselves  over  different  parts  of  the  town.  Peter 
Knapp,  Isaac  Hall,  John  Babcock,  Samuel  Smith, 
Elisha  Sabins,  Otis  Legg,  Moses  Legg,  Archibald 
Farr,  Jethro  Bailey,  Elias  Davis,  Abel  Amadown, 
Job  Lewis,  Daniel  Tinckham,  John  Hullibut,  and 
others,  were  among  the  first  settlers  on  the  road 
from  Borodino  to  the  town  of  Scott.  In  other 
parts  of  the  town  were  Levi  Foster,  Benjamin 
Homer,  James  Williamson,  Cornelius  Williamson, 
Benjamin  Stanton  and  John  Woodward. 

In  September,  1806,  Isaac  Hall  drove  a  wagon 
from  Spafford  Corners  to  Scott  Corners  for  a  load  of 
boards,  which  was  the  first  wagon  that  ever  passed 
over  that  road.  The  Corners  were  first  settled  in 
1807  by  Asahel  Roundy  and  James  Bacon.  Elias 
Davis,  an  old  settler  near  the  center  of  the  town, 
made  his  way  thither  from  Skaneateles  up  the  lake 
in  a  skiff. 

The  following  are  names  of  persons  who  settled 
in  Spafford  previous  to  the  war  of  1812  and  who 
have  died  in  the  town  since  1845  •  Samuel  Prindle, 
a  Revolutionary  soldier;  Hon.  Joseph  Prindle,  Eli- 
jah Knapp,  Peter  Knapp,  Capt.  Asahel  Roundy, 
soldier  of  1812  ;  Cornelius  Williamson,  soldier  of 
1812  ;  Samuel  G.  Seeley,  soldier  of  181 2  ;  Kelly 
Case,  soldier  of  1812  ;  Jabez  Melvin,  soldier  of 
1 81 2;  William  Dedrick,  soldier  of  1812  ;  Russel 
Tinkham,  soldier  of  1812  ;  Silas  Randall,  soldier  of 
1812;  Stephen  Applebee,  soldier  of  1812  ;  Samuel 
Gale,  soldier  of  1812  ;  Samuel  Parker,  soldier  of 
1812  ;  Jonathan  Ripley,  Joseph  Enos,  Elias  Davis, 
Lewis  C.  Davis,  Leonard  Melvin,  Miss  Melinda 
Melvin,  John  Grout,  Ebenezer  Grout. 

The  following  still  living  in  the  town,  became 
residents  from  1 8 12  to  18 18: 

Daniel  Wallace,  Joseph  Enos,  Uriah  Roundy,  W. 
W.  Legg,  Hiram  Seeley,  Rathbun  Barber,  Geo.  W. 
Crane,  Seymour  Grinnell,  J.  L.  Mason,  Harvey 
Barnes,  John  L.  Ripley,  S.  H.  Stanton,  Mrs.  Bridget 
McDaniels,  Mrs.  Clara  Weston,  Mrs.  Maria  Mason, 
Miss  Semantha  Melvin,  Allen  J.  Stanton,  Reuben 
Palmer,  Wm.  Churchill,  A.  M.  Churchill,  Alanson 
E.  Colton  and  Nelson  Berry. 

The  first  frame  dwelling  was  erected  by  Samuel 
Conkling  in  1807,  on  Lot  number  seventy-si.x,  Mar- 
cellus.  The  first  Religious  Society  was  organized 
in  the  Marcellus  portion  of  the  town  in  1800.  The 
first  school  house  was  built  of  logs  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  Lot   number   seventy-six,  Marcellus,  in 


346 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


1803.  Miss  Sally  Packard  was  the  first  teacher. 
The  first  school  at  Spafford  Corners  was  kept  in  a 
log  house  in  1808, by  Miss  Hannah  Weston,  (after- 
wards Mrs.  Roundy,  I  who  used  to  ride  out  on 
horseback  from  Skaneatcles,  and  return  in  the  same 
manner  at  the  close  of  her  school  each  day.  There 
was  no  wagon  road  then  from  the  Corners  to  Skan- 
eateles. 

Dr.  Archibald  Farr,  in  1808,  erected  the  first 
grist  mill  in  town.  The  first  saw  mill  was  built  in 
1810  by  Josiah  Walker  ;  the  next  by  Judge  Walter 
Wood  in  181 1.  These  mills,  if  we  mistake  not, 
were  on  Cold  Hrook,  the  largest  tributary  of  Otisco 
Lake.  Jared  Habcock  and  Lanson  Hotchkiss  were 
the  first  merchants — the  first  in  1809,  and  the  sec- 
ond in  1810.  Dr.  Archibald  Farr  was  the  first 
practicing  physician,  and  kept  the  first  tavern  on 
lot  number  eleven,  Tully,  in  1808.  Other  physi- 
cians were  Jeremiah  B.  Whiting,  Zachariah  Derby, 
John  Collins  and  others. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Elisha  Sabins.  in  1812.  John  Babcock  was  chosen 
Supervisor ;  Sylvester  Wheaton,Town  Clerk  ;  Ben- 
jamin Stanton,  Asahel  Roundy  and  Elijah  Knapp^ 
Assessors  ;  Asahel  Roundy,  Adolphus  French 
and  Jonathan  Berry,  Commissioners  of  Highways. 
The  second  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  same 
place,  April  13,  1813.  Asahel  Roundy,  Supervi- 
sor, and  Asa  Terry,  Town  Clerk. 

A  postoffice  was  established  at  Spafiford  Corners 
in  1814.  Asahel  Roundy,  Postmaster.  He  was 
succeeded  by  James  Knapp,  Joseph  R.  Berry, 
Thomas  B.  Anderson  and  Dr.  Collins,  in  the  order 
named.  The  mail  was  first  carried  through  the 
town  in  a  wagon  in  1827.  James  H.  Fargo  had 
the  contract  for  the  route  from  Jordan  to  Homer, 
Cortland  County.  Previously  the  mails  had  been 
carried  on  horseback. 

SpafTord  is  well  watered  by  springs  and  small 
brooks.  Excellent  blue  limestone,  suitable  for  build- 
ing purposes,  is  quarried  in  the  town,  at  the  highest 
elevation  on  which  building  stone  is  found  in  the 
county. 

BORODINO. 

The  village  of  Borodino  is  situated  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  town  of  Spafiford.  It  contains  forty- 
two  dwelling  houses  and  a  population  of  some  two 
hundred.  It  contains  one  M.  E.  Church,  town 
hall,  postoffice,  two  dry  goods  stores,  proprietors 
Messrs.  Churchill  &  Eadie,  and  Grinnell  &  Howe  ; 
one  hardware  store,  C.  M.  Rich  ;  one  clothing 
store,  Wm.  Quick  &  Son  ;  one  wagon  shop,  Cyrus 
Streeter ;  two  blacksmith  shops,  O.  F.  Eddy  and 


A.  Griflfin  ;  one  cabinet  shop,  E.  Eldrige.  Stephen 
Huffman  is  proprietor  of  the  hotel.  There  is  a 
shoe  shop  kept  by  A.  Manley  &  Son  ;  tin  shop,  C. 
M.  Rich  &  Son  ;  carpenters  and  joiners,  Charles 
Nichols,  Albert  Applebee,  Miles  Brott  and  J.  L. 
Maynard.  W.  W.  Legg  is  Postmaster,  and  Dr. 
Van  Dyke  Tripp,  physician. 

Trce  Reform  Lodge.  No.  664,  I.  O.  of  G.  T., 
at  Borodino,  was  organized  May  29,  1877,  with 
twenty-six  members. 

The  present  officers  are — Albert  Applebee,  W. 
C.  T.;  Mrs.  W.  H.  Bunnell.  W.  V.  T.;  Frank 
Harvey,  W  S;  W.  H.  Bunnell.  W.  C;  Lienor 
Stanton,  W  F.  S.;  Eva  Bass.  W.  T.;  George 
Goodrich,  W.  M.;  Lilian  Milkins,  W.  I.  G  ;  George 
Tripp,  W.  O.  G. ;  S.  A.  Wallace,  W.  A.  S. ;  Eva 
Olmsted.  W.  A.  M.;  Emma  Sweet,  R.  H.  S.; 
Mary  Streeter,  L.  H.  S.;  Otis  Cross,  L.  D. 

M.  E.  Chikcu,  Borodino — The  first  meetings 
of  this  society  were  held  in  the  house  of  John  C. 
Hillibot ;  the  organization  was  efiected  in  1809. 
The  first  church  edifice  was  built  at  Skaneateles 
and  subsequently  removed  to  Borodino.  The 
church  numbers  twenty-five  members.  Sunday 
School  part  of  the  time :  attendance  about  twenty. 

Present  pastor  —  Rev.  William  H.  Bunnell. 
Trustees — A.  Grinnell,  President ;  Otis  Cross,  O. 
K.  Morton,  William  T.  Wilbur,  Isaac  Eglin.  E.  P. 
Grinnell,  \'an  Dyke  Trip|),  William  Bass  and  Geo. 
Crane.     Ansel  Grinnell,  Class-leader. 

SPAFFORD  CORNERS. 

Spaflord  Corners,  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
town,  has  a  population  of  about  two  hundred.  It 
contains  a  postoflfice,  Uriah  Roundy,  Postmaster. 
Roundy  &  McDaniels,  and  James  Churchill,  mer- 
chants ;  C.  B.  Lyon,  shoemaker  ;  George  Hazard 
and  Alex.  Green,  blacksmiths.  The  place  has  one 
church — Methodist  Episcopal,  and  one  practicing 
physician,  H.  D.  Hunt,  M.  D.  The  only  hotel  in 
the  place  is  kept  by  G.  H.  Anthony. 

L.^KE  Vihu  Lodge,  No.  659,  I.  O.  of  G.  T., 
was  instituted  by  John  Lorton,  in  May.  1877.  with 
thirty-one  charter  members.  H.  D.  Hunt,  W.  C. 
T. ;  P.  A.  Norton,  W.  S.  The  lodge  is  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition. 

Union  Church,  Spaltord  Corners.  —  Religious 
services  by  the  Baptists  and  Methodists  were  first 
held  in  this  vicinity  in  school  houses  prior  to  the 
erection  of  the  church  in' 1838.  At  the  latter  date 
the  Union  society  was  formed,  James  Woodworth, 
( class-leader,  I  Samuel  Sceley,  Edwin  S.  Edwards, 
Hiram  Seeley,   Dr.  John  Collins,  Sylvanus  Eddy 


r 


S»MUCL  H  Stanton 


Mrs  SiiMufi/^  Stanton. 


(  PHOTOS  Br   BOxn  <  CUim  IS   } 


nti'L^t.^Lt    *'»     oA^iUtL      H  .  o  *  A  ^*  f  Oil  .  .l^''.M 'jrriy  ,urtijh(;/U»A  t.,'j(/.>  (  T     fy 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


347 


and  wife,  David  Coon  and  wife,  were  among  the 
original  members.  . 

The  church  edifice  cost  about  $1,200  and  is  sup- 
pHed  with  a  bell  and  a  cabinet  organ. 

Present  membership,  thirty-five;  Sunday  School 
sixty-five.  Present  pastor.  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Bunnell, 
who  also  supplies  the  M.  E.  Church  at  Borodino. 

Present  Trustees — Uriah  Roundy,  President  and 
Secretary  ;  Edwin  S.  Edwards,  Millard  Doty, 
Joseph  Cole  and  Seymour  Norton. 

Luke  Miller  came  from  Connecticut  and  built  the 
first  house  on  Cold  Brook,  (a  log  cabin,)  about 
seventy  years  ago,  or  in  1808.  David  Norton  came 
from  Connecticut  in  1814. 

There  is  a  grist  mill  on  Cold  Brook  owned  by  John 
P.  Taft,  with  one  run  of  stones.  A  mill  was  built  here 
in  1830,  by  Dr.  David  Mellen,  from  Hudson,  N.Y. 
It  was  burned  in  1852,  and  rebuilt  by  the  present 
proprietor  in  1863. 

Mr.  Wm.  H.  Lawrence  has  a  saw  mill  on  Cold 
Brook.  The  mill  was  first  built  in  December  1828, 
by  Peter  Picket.  It  was  operated  till  1848  by  B. 
W.  Taft.  The  mill  was  rebuilt  in  1872.  In  con- 
nection with  the  same  mill  Mr.  Lawrence  also 
operates  a  flax  mill.  The  flax  is  broken  into 
what  is  known  as  "green  tow"  and  is  shipped  in 
that  form  to  market. 

Mr.  Lawrence  has  also  the  largest  cider  mill  in 
the  town  on  Cold  Brook,  and  ships  largely  of  its  pro- 
duct to  Syracuse  and  New  York. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Cold  Brook. — 
The  society  was  organized  over  sixty  years  ago. 
Richard  English  and  old  Mr.  Caleb  Haight  were 
among  the  earliest  members.  Rev.  Isaac  Puffer,  a 
celebrated  divine,  was  one  of  its  first  pastors.  The 
early  records  of  the  church  were  lost.  The  present 
edifice  of  the  church  was  built  in  1852  ;  a  fine, 
commodious  structure,  seating  capacity  between 
two  and  three  hundred.  Cost  about  $1,200.  Pres- 
ent pastor,  Rev.  C.  D.  Smith.  Residence,  Scott, 
Cortland  county,  N.  Y.  Present  membership 
twenty-five.  Flourishing  Sunday  School,  J.  N. 
Knapp,  Superintendent.  Scholars  in  attendance, 
about  thirty. 

Trustees^J.  Noxon,  President ;  J.  N.  Knapp, 
Secretary  :  John  P.  Taft,  H.  E.  Underwood,  W. 
A.  Lawrence,  Lyman  Churchill  and  Sylvester 
Churchill. 

Rev.  O.  N.  Cuykendall,  deceased,  was  in  charge 
when  the  church  was  built. 


SAMUEL  H.   STANTON. 
Benjamin  Stanton,  father  of  the  subject  of  this 


sketch,  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  January  14th, 
1780.  When  quite  young  his  father  moved  from 
Rhode  Island  and  settled  in  Bennington  county, 
Vt.  In  1802  Benjamin  removed  to  New  Berlin, 
Chenango  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  married,  August 
iSth,  1802,  Sally  Sheldon,  by  whom  he  had  one 
child,  viz:  Sally  S.,  who  was  brought  up  by  her 
grand-parents  from  the  death  of  her  mother,  which 
occurred  about  one  year  after  marriage.  January 
12,  1806,  Mr.  S.  was  married  to  his  second  wife. 
Amy  Perkins.  In  February  of  the  same  year,  he 
purchased  fifty  acres  of  wood  land  in  the  town  of 
Spafibrd,  upon  which  he  cut  the  first  tree  and 
erected  a  log  house  on  the  same  spot  where  the  fine 
farm  residence  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  now 
stands.  Returning  for  his  wife,  the  two  com- 
menced a  pioneer's  life  in  the  woods.  In  July, 
1806,  he  carried  upon  his  back  one  bushel  of  corn 
to  a  mill  twenty  miles  distant,  situated  on  Onon- 
daga Creek,  within  the  limits  of  what  is  now  the 
city  of  Syracuse.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  a 
mill  was  built,  by  Dr.  Farr,  at  the  head  of  Otisco 
Lake.  They  had  children  as  follows:  Sheldon  P., 
born  July  12,  1807,  living  in  Alleghany  county,  N. 
Y.  ;  Malenda,  born  March  2,  1808;  Sherman  H., 
born  February  15,  1810,  died  April,  1S13  ;  Allen 
J.,  born  February  15,  1812,  a  farmer  living  in  Spaf- 
ford  ;  Juliana,  born  July  21,  1814,  married  to  Syl- 
vanus  Grant,  died  March  9,  1849;  John  S,  born 
February  7,  18 17,  physician,  living  in  Madison,  Wis.; 
Mary,  born  July  26,  1819,  married  to  Samuel  Sher- 
man ;  Samuel  H.,  subject  of  this  sketch,  born  April 
10,  1821  ;  Rhoda,  born  April  26,  1823,  wife  of  Delos 
W.  Billings,  living  in  Alleghany  county,  N.  Y.  Mr. 
Stanton,  besides  working  on  the  farm,  carried  on 
the  blacksmith  trade.  He  was  one  of  the  first  as- 
sessors of  the  town  of  Spafibrd.  He  died  February 
5,  1871.  His  wife  survived  him  a  little  more  than  a 
year.  Her  death  occurred  March  31,  1872.  Both 
are  buried  near  the  spot  where  they  lived,  a  fine 
monument  having  been  erected  over  their  graves 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  has  always  lived  on  the 
same  place  in  SpafFord  where  the  father  first  settled; 
he  coming  into  possession  of  the  homestead. 
Receiving  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
Spafford,  when  seventeen  years  of  age  he  commenced 
teaching  school,  and  taught  three  successive  terms. 
He  was  united  in  marriage,  October  9,  1844,  to 
Sarah  T.  Patterson,  daughter  of  Calvin  and  Sarah 
Patterson,  who  were  among  the  pioneer  settlers  of 
of  Spafford.  Mrs.  S.  was  born  July  15,  1825,  in 
Spafford.  They  have  had  ten  children,  as  follows  : 
j  Calvin  P.,  born  June  12,  1846,  married  to  Emma 
i     Babcock,   living    in    Luddington,    Mason  County, 


% 


34S 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Michigan  ;  Emmett  E.,  born  October  30  1849, 
married  Josephine  Burton,  living  in  Spafford ; 
Annette,  born  July  3,  1S51.  married  F.  VV.  Fair- 
banks, a  farmer  living  in  Mason  County,  Michigan  ; 
Frank,  born  February  15,  1855,  died  March  25. 
1876;  Laura,  born  September  17,  1857,  living  at 
home  ;  Samuel,  born  November  8,  1858,  died  an 
infant  ;  Mark,  born  March  i,  1S59,  living  at  home; 
Elmer  E,  born  August  8,  i860,  living  at  home; 
Alice,  born  May  2^,  1862.  married  to  John  Pur- 
chase, living  in  SpatVord  ;  Henjamin,  born  September 
28,  1 866,  died  an  infant. 


Mr.  Stanton  has  added  to  his  lands  until  at  the 
present  time  he  is  the  owner  of  over  three  hundred 
acres.  In  politics  he  is  Republican.  He  has 
filled  the  offices  of  Inspector  of  Election,  Supervi- 
sor in  1870  and  'yi,  Highway  Commissioner  in 
1869,  '75.  '76  and  '77,  Assessor  and  Notary  Public. 
In  1S76  he  rebuilt  his  house,  which  commands  a 
fine  view  of  the  surrounding  country,  including  the 
whole  of  Otisco  Lake. 

A  view  of  his  home,  together  with  portraits  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  S..  appear  on  another  page  of  this 
work. 


OTISCO. 


Otisco  was  formed  from  I'ompey,  Marcellus  and 
TuUy,  March  21,  1806.  It  is  an  interior  town, 
lying  southwest  of  the  center  of  the  county.  Its 
surface  is  principally  occupied  by  the  high  ridge  be- 
tween the  valleys  of  Onondaga  Creek  and  Otisco 
Lake.  The  declivities  of  the  hills  are  generally 
steep,  and  the  summits  rolling  and  elevated  from 
eight  hundred  to  a  thousand  feet  above  the  valleys, 
and  from  1,600  to  1,700  feet  above  the  ocean. 
Otisco  Lake  is  772  feet  above  tide.  It  lies  upon 
the  west  border  of  the  town,  in  a  valley  1,000  feet 
below  the  summits  of  the  hills.  Hear  Mountain, 
named  from  the  great  number  of  bears  which  in- 
fested it  when  the  country  was  first  settled,  is  one 
of  the  principal  elevations.  It  is  in  the  northeast 
part,  and  overhangs  the  valley  of  the  Onondaga 
Creek.  The  soil  is  generally  a  sandy  and  gravelly 
loam,  mixed  with  clay  and  well  adapted  to  wheat 
and  grazing. 

In  the  year  1798  Oliver  Tuttle  and  his  son 
Daniel,  (and  possibly  his  son  William)  came  on 
horseback  from  Cincinnatus.  in  what  is  now  Cort- 
land county,  and  made  the  first  improvement  by 
underbrushing  for  a  small  clearing  on  Lot  97,  near 
the  head  of  Otisco  Lake.  While  thus  engaged  the 
father  was  taken  very  sick  and  was  taken  care  of 
by  Daniel  till  able  to  sit  on  his  horse  when  they  re- 
turned through  the  woods,  there  being  no  roads,  to 
Cincinnatus,  the  first  house  on  the  route  being  at 
Homer,  fifteen  miles  from  the  lake. 

It  was  four  years  before  they  returned  to  Otisco, 
and  they  then  found  several  families  of  settlers. 
Oliver  Tuttle  built  the  first  frame  house  in  1804. 
Mr.  Tyler  Frisbie,  who  had  the  statement  directly 
from  the  sons  of  Daniel  Tuttle,  and  also  from  the 


sons  of  Mr.  Alpheus  Houttelle,  who  settled  in 
Otisco  in  1S04,  from  the  town  of  Pompey.  has  no 
doubt  but  Mr.  Tuttle  was  the  first  settler  of  the 
town. 

Chauncey  Rust,  said  by  Mr.  Clark  to  have  been 
the  first  settler,  moved  his  family  from  LaF'ayette  in 
April.  1801.  Mr.  Rust  was  from  Northampton,  Mass. 
During  this  year  and  the  following  a  large  number 
of  settlers  arrived,  principally  from  Massachusetts 
and  Connecticut,  and  the  whole  town  filled  up 
rapidly. 

Among  the  first  settlers  were  Jonathan  IJ. 
Nichols,  Charles  and  Benoni  Merriman.  Solomon 
Judd  and  Lemon  Gaylord,  in  1801  ;  Otis  Baker, 
Noah  Parsons.  Nathaniel  Loomis,  Amos  and  Isaac 
Cowles.  in  1802  ;  and  Benjamin  Cowles.  Josiah 
Clark.  Daniel  Bennett.  Elias  and  Jared  Thayer, 
Henry  Elethrop,  Samuel,  Ebenezer  and  Luther 
French,  Jared  and  Noah  P.nrsons,  and  Erastus 
Clapp,  soon  after. 

Lucy  Cowles,  afterwards  wife  of  Rev.  Geo  Colton 
taught  the  first  school  in  1802.  The  first  white  child 
born  in  the  town  was  Timothy  Rust,  son  of  Chauncey 
Rust.  March  22,  1802  ;  and  the  first  death  that  of 
Nathaniel  Dady,  Jr.,  killed  by  the  falling  of  a  tree, 
July,  1802.  Daniel  Bennett  kept  the  first  tavern 
in  1802  ;  Michael  Johnson,  the  first  store  in  1808  ; 
and  Charles  Merriman  built  the  first  grist  mill  in 
1S06.  Jesse  Swan  and  Josiah  Everett  were  also 
among  the  first  merchants,  and  Benoni  Merriman 
kept  a  log  tavern  near  Otisco  Center  in  1804. 

The  first  practicing  physician  who  settled  in 
town  was  Dr.  Jonathan  S.  Judd,  in  1806.  Dr.  Lu- 
ther French,  in  1818.  Thomas  Judd  was  the  first, 
and  it   is  supposed  the  only  lawyer  in  town  ;  he 


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HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


349 


remained  but   a  short  time,  and   removed  to  Cort- 
land.    - 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Daniel  Bennett,  April  i,  1806.  Dan  Bradley,  of 
Marcellus,  was  chairman.  Judah  Hopkins  was 
chosen  Supervisor,  Josephus  Barker,  Town  Clerk, 
and  Noah  Parsons,  Lemon  Gaylord  and  Josephus 
Barker,  Assessors.  An  extra  town  meeting  was 
held  in  the  month  of  August  following,  at  the  school 
house  near  Daniel  Bennett's  tavern,  at  which  a  com- 
mittee of  three  was  chosen  to  ascertain  the  center 
of  the  town,  in  order  to  centrally  locate  the  public 
buildings. 

A  postofifice  was  established  here  in  1S14,  Dr. 
Luther  French,  Postmaster. 

This  town  is  noted  for  being  the  birthplace  and 
residence  of  several  persons  of  distinguished  lite- 
rary reputation.  Willis  Gaylord,  widely  known  as 
the  editor  of  the  Genesee  Farmer  and  Albany  Cul- 
tivator, and  as  a  refined  and  graceful  contributor  to 
the  scientific  aiid  magazine  literature  of  his  day, 
came  into  the  town  with  his  father  from  Bristol, 
Connecticut,  in  1801.  He  was  then  nine  years  of 
age,  and  he  resided  here  until  a  few  years  before 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1S44. 

Willis  and  Lewis  Gaylord  Clark,  twin  brothers, 
were  born  in  this  town  April,  180S.  The  former  is 
known  as  a  poet,  the  author  of  "  Ollipodiana,"  and 
as  the  editor  of  the  Philadelphia  Gazette,  and  the 
latter  has  obtained  a  national  reputation  as  the  edi- 
tor of  the  Knickerbocker  Magazine,  a  position 
which  he  held  for  many  years.  Willis  died  in 
1841.  Their  father  was  Eliakim  Clark,  an  officer 
in  the  Revolution,  and  their  mother  a  sister  to  Wil- 
lis Gaylord.  Rev.  George  Colton,  father  of  Owen 
Colton,  author  of  a  series  of  Greek  te.xt-books,  and 
of  George  H.  Colton,  founder  and  editor  of  the 
American  Review,  was  many  years  a  resident  of 
this  town. 

Maple  Grove  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
Otisco. — As  early  as  1832  a  class  was  organized  at 
the  Seeley  School  House,  consisting  of  twenty- 
eight  members,  by  Percy  Case,  a  class-leader  and 
local  preacher.  This  was  at  that  time  part  of  the 
Cardift'  charge  presided  over  by  three  preachers 
and  consisting  of  six  congregations.  Among  the 
prominent  members  at  that  time  were  Polly  Case, 
Solomon  Robinson,  Nancy  Robinson,  Matilda 
Lewis,  Louisa  Jarvis,  Charlotte  Jarvis,  Nathaniel 
Hudson,  Nancy  Hudson,  Jonathan  Balls,  Abraham 
Hudson,  Hannah  Mervin,  Sophia  Williams,  Jesse 
Leverich.  This  class  continued  to  hold  meetings 
every  Sunday  until  1850  in  the  school  house,  when 
they  erected  the  present  church  at  a  cost  of  $800, 

57 


the  site  being  donated  by  Amos  Abbott.  On  the 
27th  of  February,  1850,  the  society  was  duly  in- 
corporated, Warner  Abbott,  John  Case  and  Lewis 
Beckett,  Trustees. 

The  church  was  erected  under  the  pastorate  of 
Rev.  Z.  D.  Paddock,  who  was  instrumental  in 
awakening  a  deep  religious  feeling  and  adding 
largely  to  its  membership.  About  1S70,  Rev.  B. 
F.  Andrews  came  and  labored  three  years  with 
success.  Rev.  L.  Northway  is  the  present  pastor 
of  this  and  of  the  Cardift'M.  K.  Church.  The  present 
membership  is  fifty  ;  attendance  at  the  Sabbath 
School,  forty. 

The  church  was  rebuilt  and  rededicated  in  1876. 
The  present  Trustees  are  :  Royal  Burt,  Erastus 
Miller  and  V.  L.  King  ;  Class-leaders.  C.  M.  Rob- 
inson and  John  C.  Case.  The  church  is  situated 
in  the  northeast  corner  of  Otisco,  four  miles  west 
of  Cardiff. 

Amber  Religious  Society.— On  the  i8th  of 
August,  1824,  at  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Amber 
at  the  Lake  House,  then  kept  by  David  Moore,  the 
Amber  Religious  Society  was  organized.  And  on 
the  5th  of  September  following  another  meeting 
was  held,  and  the  Building  Committee,  consisting 
of  Miles  Bishop,  Barber  Kenyon  and  Samuel 
Kenyon,  were  empowered  to  select  a  site  and  erect 
a  church.  In  addition  to  the  Building  Committee, 
Robert  Kenyon  and  Isaac  Briggs  were  elected 
Trustees,  and  the  society  was  incorporated.  The 
committee  then  proceeded  to  erect  the  church 
edifice  at  a  cost  of  ^1,300,  and  it  was  dedicated 
"  to  the  true  worship  of  God,"  by  Revs.  Messrs. 
Wilcox,  Selkirk  and  Worden.  The  society  is  com- 
posed of  dift'crent  denominations  and  the  house  is 
open  and  free  to  all  ;  the  Methodists  only  keeping 
up  regular  services.  This  and  the  society  at  Nava- 
rino  form  one  charge.  The  church  was  rebuilt  in 
1866  at  a  cost  of  $1,450.     E.  Jarvis,  pastor. 

St.  Patrick's  Church,  Otisco. — Meetings  were 
held  at  the  residences  of  the  different  parishioners  as 
early  as  1S53  and  holy  mass  celebrated  by  Father 
Hackett  of  Salina.  In  the  year  1870  they  erected 
a  church  in  Otisco  village  under  the  auspices  of 
Rev.  F.  J.  Purcell,  of  Skaneateles,  he  presiding 
over  this  as  a  joint  mission,  and  also  officiating  oc- 
casionally at  Marcellus.  After  him  came  Rev.  J. 
J.  Hayden,  who  was  succeeded  by  the  present  pas- 
tor, Rev.  B.  J.  McDonough,  who  has  this  and  Mar- 
cellus as  one  mission. 

Among  the  original  members  were  John  Flana- 
gan, George  Fitzgerald,  John  Kinney,  William 
Tobin,  William  Gauntley,  John  Leroy,  Michael 
Ryan    and    Thomas    Larkin.     Their   church    is  a 


350 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


beautiful  frame  edifice,  costing  $6,000,  and  the  so- 
<:iety  is  strong  and  healthy  with  over  two  hundred 
communicants. 

Prior  to  the  erection  of  the  church  in  1866,  the 
society  purchased  the  present  site  and  occupied  a 
frame  house  for  four  years  under  the  pastorate  of 
Rev.  William  McCallian,  who  organized  the  Jor- 
dan, Marcellus  and  Skaneatelcs  societies. 

Congregational  Church,  Otisco. — The  first 
religious  meeting  held  in  the  town  of  Otisco  was  in 
September,  1801,  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Chauncey 
Rust,  and  from  thenceforward  meetings  were  regu- 
larly maintained,  and  on  the  9th  of  May,  1808, 
Rev.  Hugh  Wallis  of  Pompey,  presiding,  Charles 
Merriman,  Rachel  Merriman,  Samuel  French, 
lienjamin  Cowles,  Phineas  Sparks,  Oliver  Tuttle, 
Abigail  Tuttle,  Ebenezer  French,  Jr.,  Amos 
Cowles,  Luther  French  and  Solomon  Judd,  organ- 
ized the  Congregational  Church  of  Otisco.  Dur- 
ing the  first  forty-seven  years  of  the  history  of  this 
church  there  were  received  into  its  communion 
seven  hundred  and  forty-one  persons,  and  in  1850 
the  church  membership  was  two  hundred  and  forty- 
three.  In  the  autumn  of  1805  Rev.  George  Col- 
ton,  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  was  called,  but  remained 
only  a  few  months.  December  7, 1807,  Rev.  Wm. 
J.  Wilcox  was  called  and  remained  until  March  15, 
1 82 1,  laboring  very  acceptably,  and  conducting  two 
very  earnest  revivals — one  in  1810,  the  other  in 
18 1 7.  In  July,  1821,  Rev.  Charles  Johnston  was 
called,  who  immediately  entered  upon  a  revival  pro- 
ductive of  much  good  and  many  accessions ;  he  re- 
mained until  September  3,  1823.  November  15, 
1824,  Rev.  Richard  S.  Corning  came,  who  con- 
ducted two  interesting  revivals — one  in  1826,  the 
other  in  1831.  May  1,  1834,  Rev.  Levi  Parsons 
came  and  supplied  the  charge  for  one  year,  who 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Levi  Griswold  as  a  stated 
supply  for  one  year  and  then  he  became  a  resident 
and  remained  two  years  longer. 

April  1st,  1839.  Rev.  Sidney  Mills  was  employed 
as  stated  supply  and  remained  until  May  3,  1841. 
In  December  following  Rev.  Thaddeus  Pomeroy 
was  obtained  as  the  next  minister  for  the  term  of 
two  years.  Then  in  April,  1844,  Rev.  Clement 
Lewis  was  engaged  and  continued  to  supply  the  pul- 
pit until  the  spring  of  1846.  In  June  of  1846,  Rev. 
Addison  K.  Strong  was  invited  to  supply,  and  after- 
wards became  a  regular  resident  pastor. 

In  1858,  Rev.  Medad  Pomeroy  was  called  and 
remained  five  years  ;  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
J.  O.  Betts,  who  remained  until  1872  ;  since  which 
time  there  has  been  no  regular  pastor,  the  pulpit 
being  supplied  by  transient  ministers.     The  pres- 


ent church,  a  large  frame  structure,  was  erected  in 
1820  at  a  cost  of  about  S6,ooo.  The  present  dea- 
cons are  William  N.  Tuttle,  I.  T.  Frisbie,  S.  M. 
Cowles,  B.J.  Cowles.  Trustees — I.  T.  Frisbie,  O. 
W.  Rice,  W.  S.  Hurlburt,  John  N.  Smith,  Lester 
Judson  and  N.  Rice.  The  present  membership  is 
eighty.  Sabbath  School  attendance  one  hundred 
and  twenty  five.  The  membership  has  of  late  years 
been  greatly  depleted  by  deaths  and  removals. 

OTISCO  VILLAGE. 

Otisco  village  is  a  hamlet  of  about  twenty-five 
houses,  containing  one  hotel,  kept  by  Lyman  K. 
Henderson,  two  stores,  and  two  churches.  It  is 
situated  on  a  high  ridge  of  ground  near  the  center 
of  the  town,  about  eight  miles  northwest  of  Tully 
Station,  between  which  places  a  daily  stage  runs  in 
connection  with  the  trains  on  the  S.,  B.  &  N.  V.  R. 
R.  As  early  as  1809,  Jesse  Swan  opened  a  store 
and  tavern  about  one  mile  south  of  the  present  vil- 
lage. About  1820,  Mr.  M.  Johnson  built  and 
kept  a  tavern  in  the  present  village  near  the  site  of 
the  Catholic  Church. 

The  oldest  man  now  living  in  the  county  resides 
a  little  north  of  this  village — Charles  Clark.  He 
came  to  the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives  in  1809, 
being  then  twenty-seven  years  of  age ;  erected  a 
saw  mill,  a  fulling  mill,  and  conducted  his  farm,  all  of 
which  are  under  his  personal  supervision,  although 
he  is  now  ninety-six  years  of  age. 

There  are  two  flouring  mills  in  this  town — the 
Gamble  mill,  located  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
town,  and  the  mills  located  near  the  foot  of  the 
Bucktail  at  the  head  of  Otisco  Lake. 

AMBER. 

This  beautiful  little  hamlet  has  acquired,  because 
of  its  location  and  scenery,  quite  a  reputation  as  a 
resort  for  summer  pleasure-seekers.  The  village 
consists  of  about  forty  dwellings,  a  church,  two 
stores,  one  hotel  and  one  planing  mill.  The  village  is 
situated  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  town  at 
the  fool  of  Oak  Hill,  on  the  bank  of  Otisco  Lake. 
Among  the  most  prominent  citizens  is  Mr.  A.  J. 
Niles,  the  oldest  merchant  and  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers,  who,  by  strict  attention  to  his  business  and 
the  wants  of  his  customers,  has  attained  a  hand- 
some competency.  Mr.  Alexander  Bouttellc,  pro- 
prietor of  the  Lake  House,  is  one  of  the  genial 
hosts  who  know  how  to  add  to  the  attractions  of 
this  romantic  little  hamlet.  A  daily  stage  carries 
the  mails  and  passengers  in  connection  with  the  N. 
Y.  C.  &  H.  R.  R.  R. 


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HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


351 


BioGi]_APHiCjiL  Sketches, 


I.  TYLER  FRISBIE. 

I.  Tyler  Frisbie  was  born  in  the  town  of  Tomp- 
kins, Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  November  30,  1826. 
At  the  age  of  four  years  he  was  adopted  by  his 
uncle,  Orrin  T.  Frisbie,  who  was  a  resident  of  the 
town  of  Spaftbrd,  Onondaga  County,  and  one  year 
later  removed  to  Otisco,  where  he  died  May  26, 
1862,  aged  67  years.  Mr.  I.  Tyler  Frisbie  received 
a  common  school  education  with  the  addition  of 
one  term  at  the  Cortland  Academy.  He  lived  on 
the  farm  where  he  now  resides  with  his  uncle  till 
the  death  of  the  latter,  since  which  he  has  been  m 
the  possession  of  the  place. 

On  the  23d  of  October,  1853,  he  married  Miss 
Mary  Jane,  daughter  of  Benjamin  F.  and  Caroline 
Congdon.  Miss  Congdon  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Marcellus,  December  17,  1831,  and  is  the  sister  of 
Miss  Carrie  M.  Congdon,  the  authoress  of  "  Guar- 
dian Angels  and  other  poems."  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Frisbie  have  had  three  children  of  their  own,  as 
follows:  Walter  C,  born  August  26,  1859,  died 
April  5,  1864;  Miles  T.,  born  April  3,  1865; 
Carrie  A.,  born  October  6,  1871,  died  February  25, 
1872  ;  and  three  adopted  children,  viz  :  Newell 
VanPatten,  born  March  4,  1854,  died  March  28, 
1864  ;  Louisa  VanPatten,  born  May  25,  1S56  ;  and 
Jay  Cotter,  born  November  2,  1859. 

Mr.  Frisbie  united  with  the  Congregational 
Church  of  Otisco  in  May,  i848,of  which  church  he 
has  been  Deacon  since  1866,  and  is  one  of  the 
leading  members  of  the  same. 

In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but  he  has  always 
preferred  the  quiet  life  of  his  farm  to  the  strifes 
and  competitions  of  the  office-seeker. 


WILLIS  C.  FISH. 


Uriah  Fish,  father  of  Willis  C.  Fish,  was  born  in 
Connecticut,  on  the  15th  of  August,  in  the  year 
1780.  When  a  young  man  he  came  to  Otisco, 
Onondaga  county,  where  he  spent  the  remaining 
years  of  his  life.  He  married  Lavina  Carpenter, 
November  3d,  1806.  The  result  of  this  marriage 
was  seven  children,  five  sons  and  two  daughters, 
all  of  whom  are  still  living.  Mr.  Fish  served  in  the 
war  of  1812,  and  received  a  land  warrant  for  his 
services.  He  followed  farming  throughout  his  life. 
In  his  domestic  relations  he  was  a  good  husband 
and  a  kind  father.     He  was  universally  esteemed 


for  his  honesty,  industry  and  good  sense.  He  died 
on  the  28th  of  April,  1863.  The  portrait  below, 
taken  with  the  hat  on,  which  he  wore  on  all  occa- 
sions, the  latter  years  of  his  life,  is  a  likeness  of  him 
which  will  be  readily  recognized  by  all  who  knew 
him.  His  wife  survived  him  ten  years,  and  died 
December  25,  1873. 


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Willis  C.  Fish  was  born  in  the  town  of  Otisco, 
Onondaga  county,  March  3,  1827.  He  inherited 
the  homestead  farm,  one  of  the  most  picturesque 
in  the  town,  upon  which  he  has  since  lived.  A 
marked  feature  of  his  farm  is  two  immense  "  Balm 
of  Gilead  "  trees,  standing  in  front  of  his  residence, 
and  which  always  attract  attention  of  passers-by. 
They  were  set  out  by  his  father,  from  cuttings, 
taken  from  a  tree  on  an  adjoining  farm  in  1809. 
The  circumference  of  the  larger  measures,  five  feet 
above  the  ground,  eighteen  feet;  below  the  first 
limbs,  nineteen  feet.  They  are  twenty-six  feet 
apart,  their  branches  spreading  over  one  hundred 
and  thirty-four  feet  of  ground. 

Mr.  Fish  received  a  good  education,  attending 
two  terms  at  the  Onondaga  Academy.  He  taught 
school  two  terms.  Farming,  however,  has  been  his 
life  work,  and  few  in  the  county  are  better  farmers. 
His  premises  indicate  order,  thoroughness  and 
good  taste.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  united 
with  the  Onondaga  Baptist  Church,  and  has  con- 
sistently lived  up  to  its  doctrines  ever  since.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  movers  for  the  enlargement  and 
improvement  of  the  church  building.  He  has  been 
Deacon  for  about  ten  years,  and  also  Superintend- 
ent of  the  Sabbath  School.     It  may  truly  be  said 


352 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


of  him  he  has  been  a  pillar  of  the  church  and  a 
leader  in  every  good  word  and  work,  always  con- 
tributing his  proportion  of  means  to  every  worthy 
object. 

Mr.  Fish  has  never  been  solicitous  of  public 
office,  although  in  every  way  well  fitted  for  public 
life. 

He  married  May  2d,  1852,  Eliza  Hunter,  a 
daughter  of  David  and  Laura  Hunter,  residents  of 
Victory,  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.  She  was  born 
July  26,  1831.  Mrs.  Fish  united  with  the  Baptist 
Church  of  Victory,  October  26th,  1S51,  but  be- 
came a  member  of  the  Onondaga  Church  after  her 
marriage. 


GEORGE  W.  CARD. 


Mr.  Card  was  born  February  25,  1812,  in  Rhode 
Island,  and  is  the  fifth  child  in  the  family  of  Job 
and  Sally  Card  In  181 5,  his  parents  emigrated 
from  Rhode  Island,  and  settled  upon  the  farm  now 
owned  and  occupied  by  Mr.  Card.  It  has  become 
through  his  energy  and  taste  one  of  the  representa- 
tive farms  of  the  town. 

In  i860,  Mr.  Card  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Charity  A.,  daughter  of  Elijah  and  Adelia 
Crane,  formerly  residents  of  the  town  of  Tuily, 
where  Mrs.  C.  was  born  May  28th,  1841.  Five 
children  have  been  born  to  them,  three  of  whom 
are  deceased.  Mr.  Card's  whole  life  has  been 
devoted  to  the  cares  of  his  farm  and  family,  and  in 
his  chosen  vocation  he  has  been  eminently  success- 
ful. He  occupies  an  honorable  position  among  the 
leading  men  of  his  town  ;  and  by  his  kindness  and 
genial  ways  has  secured  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  his  fellow  citizens.  He  is  now  in  his  sixty-si.xth 
year  and  can  look  back  over  his  past  life  with  the 
satisfaction  of  having  spent  it  in  conformity  with 
moral  and  physical  laws. 

ALFRED  J.   NILES. 

Mr.  Niles  was  born  in  the  village  of  Amber, 
Otisco,  Onondaga  county,  December  4,  1824. 
His  father,  Albert  Niles,  was  a  native  of  Fishkill, 
Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.  His  mother,  Polly  Judson, 
of  Woodbury  .Connecticut.  They  had  born  to  them 
eight  children,  viz:  Charles  E.,  Alfred  J.,  Julia, 
Mary,  Harriet,  Sarah,  James  L.  and  Lorinda,  all  of 
whom  are  living,  except  Charles  E.  and  Julia.  His 
father  moved  from  Dutchess  to  Madison  County,  N. 
Y.,  about  the  year  1810.  In  1S19,  he  came  to 
Otisco,  Onondaga  County,  where,  after  his  marriage, 
he  settled.      He  was  a  blacksmith    by  trade,  and 


was  Postmaster  for  over  twenty  years.  He  died, 
September  11,  1857.  His  wife  survived  him  over 
nine  years,  and  died  December  25,  1866. 

Mr.  Niles,  when  fifteen  years  of  age,  left  home 
and  worked  at  diflferent  places  by  the  month  for  a 
period  of  ten  years,  the  last  five  of  which  he  spent 
in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  visiting  home  but  once  during 
that  time.  In  June,  1849,  he  returned  to  his  native 
town  with  S800,  his  savings.  July  loth  of  the 
same  year  he  married  Diana  C.  Redway,  daughter 
of  James  and  Sally  Redway.  Her  parents  settled 
in  Otisco  in  1804. 

Mr.  Niles  is  the  architect  of  his  own  fortune. 
By  honest  dealing,  prudent  management  and  inde- 
fatigable industry,  he  has  accumulated  a  comfort- 
able property.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Niles  have  had  born 
to  them  five  children,  viz  :  Ava  L,  born  June  13, 
1850,  married  October  20,  1868,  to  Geo.  B.  Davis, 
druggist  at  Seneca  Falls.  They  have  two  children, 
viz:  Alfred  R.  and  George  M.  Frances  Olivia 
born  February  4,  1854;  Mary  Velda,  born  Septem- 
ber 4th,  1859;  Nettie  May,  born  July  24,  l86l. 
After  his  marriage  Mr.  Niles  worked  his  father-in- 
law's  farm  for  five  years  on  shares.  In  1855,  he 
opened  a  small  store  in  Amber  village,  and  has  con- 
tinued in  the  mercantile  business  ever  since,  a 
period  of  twenty-three  years.  Though  he  has 
always  traded  "on  credit,"  Mr.  N.  states  that  $100 
would  cover  all  his  losses  by  poor  store-debts,  and 
in  business  transactions  involving  several  hundred 
thousands,  he  never  had  occasion  to  employ  a  law- 
yer. In  1 86 1  he  built  his  present  store;  in  1867  his 
house.  In  politics  Mr.  N.  has  been  a  life  long 
Democrat. 


JAMES  L.   NILES 

Was  born  in  Amber  village,  town  of  Otisco, 
Onondaga  County,  November  29.  1 831,  and  is  the 
youngest  son  of  Albert  and  Polly  Niles.  An 
account  of  his  father  and  mother,  brothers  and  sis- 
ters, appears  on  another  page  of  this  volume,  in  the 
biography  of  his  brother,  Alfred  J.  Niles.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  has  always  lived  on  the  home- 
stead farm,  which  came  into  his  possession  upon  the 
death  of  his  father.  His  mother  lived  with  him  nine 
years  after  his  father's  death  He  was  married 
December  30,  1858,  to  Cordelia  Griffin,  daughter  of 
Isaac  and  Lydia  Griffin,  both  natives  of  Onondaga 
County,  the  father  born  in  Otisco,  the  mother  in 
Spaflbrd.  They  had  nine  children,  three  sons  and 
six  daughters,  all  deceased  except  I'ranklin  D. 
Griffin,  now  a  merchant  in  Amber,  and  Morton  M., 
a  farmer  living  in  Eaton  county,  Michigan.     Mrs. 


R£SiO£NC£  or   GEOROt.  W.  CAR 


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HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


353 


N.  was  born  in  Otisco  February  25,  1833,  and  has 
always  resided  in  that  town.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  N. 
have  had  two  children,  viz  :  Bertie  Lee,  born  Feb. 
26,  1865  ;  Ava  Bell,  born  Nov,  7,  1868,  died  Sept. 
24,  1869.  Two  years  since  they  took  into  the 
family  Cora  A.  Niles,  an  orphan  daughter  of  his 
brother  Charles  E.,  and  in  every  respect  treat  her 
as  an  own  child. 

Mr.  N.  has  been  a  life-long  Democrat.  Not- 
withstanding the  town  is  Republican,  he  was  chosen 
to  the  responsible  position  of  Supervisor  in  1871 
and  reelected  in  i873-'74-'75j  and  again  for  the 
year  1877.  For  the  last  eight  years  he  has  acted 
as  Notary  Public.  In  1869,  he  built  his  present 
residence,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  village  of  Amber, 
a  sketch  of  which,  with  the  portraits  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Niles,  appears  on  another  page  in  this  work. 
Mr.  Niles  is  a  thorough  and  successful  farmer,  a 
genial  companion,  and  fully  deserves  the  confidence 
and  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  in  the  community 
where  he  has  passed  his  whole  life. 


JAMES  H.  REDWAY. 

James  H.  Redway  was  born  August  3,  18 17,  in 
Otisco,  Onondaga  County,  and  is  the  eldest  son 
of  Thomas  and  Susannah  Redway.  His  father 
was  the  youngest  son  of  James  and  Alithea  Red- 
way.  He  had  two  brothers  and  two  sisters,  viz  : 
Mahitable,  James,  Nancy  and  Benjamin.  The 
family  moved  from  Killingly,  Conn.,  in  1796,  and 
settled  in  Galway,  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.  From 
thence  they  moved  in  1806,  to  Onondaga  County, 
settling  in  Otisco  on  the  place  still  owned  by  Thos. 
Redway,  and  occupied  at  the  present  time  by  Geo. 
D.  Redway.  The  brothers  and  sisters  are  all  de- 
ceased. Thomas  married  Susannah  Gibbs,  Feb. 
10,  181 1  ;  they  had  two  children,  viz :  Wm.  G.  and 
the  subject  of  this  sketch.  William  G.  wasTjorn 
April  13,  1822  ;  died  Nov.  22,  1843.  The  mother 
died  Nov.  8,  1861.  Thomas,  the  father,  is  still 
living  with  his  son,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
si.x,  and  though  he  is  feeble,  having  suffered  a 
stroke  of  paralysis  about  two  years  since,  never 
having  had  a  physician  up  to  that  time  since  his 
marriage,  yet  his  memory  and  hearing  are  still  very 
good. 

When  they  moved  to  Otisco,  Thomas  drove  the  ! 
team  of  steers  and  a  flock  of  fourteen  sheep,  and  i 
the  sheep  now  on  the  farm  are  descendants  of  that  i 
flock.  When  he  came  through  Syracuse,  there  was  [ 
but  one  house  standing,  located  where  the  Empire 
block  now  stands.  His  farm  was  cleared  up  from  ! 
58* 


the  woods,  and  milling  was  done  at  a  mill  situated- 
a  mile  below  Skaneateles  village,  a  distance  of  eleven 
miles.  He  was  called  out  in  the  war  of  1812  and 
drew  a  land  warrant  on  account  of  his  services. 
He  has  followed  farming  throughout  life.  He  was 
Highway  Commissioner  for  thirteen  years  in  suc- 
cession and  has  held  other  town  offices.  He  has 
never  had  a  lawsuit  in  his  life. 

In  politics,  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  then  a  Re- 
publican. From  small  beginnings,  by  untiring  in- 
dustry, enlightened  economy  and  honorable  dealing, 
Mr.  R.  has  accumulated  a  handsome  property,  the 
active  management  of  which  for  the  past  six  or 
seven  years  he  has  yielded  almost  entirely  to  his 
son.  The  life  of  a  farmer  usually  embraces  few 
startling  incidents,  but  Mr.  Redway  has  performed 
its  duties  with  such  industry  and  good  judgment  as 
to  secure  the  respect  of  all  who  have  known  him. 
And  now  as  the  life  of  this  pioneer,  already  length- 
ened more  than  a  decade  beyond  the  allotted  three- 
score years  and  ten,  is  drawing  towards  its  close,  he 
can  look  back  over  its  varied  shadows  and  sunshine, 
its  struggles  and  its  triumphs,  with  the  satisfaction 
coming  from  a  life  well  spent,  and  await  with  com- 
posure the  inevitable  hour  which  comes  to  all  the 
living. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  has  always  lived  with 
his   father,  having  as  before  stated,  the  entire  con- 
trol of  business  for  a  number  of  years.      He  received' 
his  education  in   the  district   schools  of  his  native 
town  except  one  term  in  a  select  school  at   Onon- 
daga.    He  was  married  February  25th,   1846,  to- 
Pamela  Jane  Willsie,  second  daughter  of  Captain. 
John  and  Mary  Willsie.     She  was  born  in  Marcel- 
lus,    September    19,    1824.      They    have   but   one 
child  ;    Alice   Adelle,  born   July  21,  1848,  married 
October  6,  1868,  to  George  D.  Redway,  a  distant 
relative  of  the  family.     They  have  children  as  fol- 
lows :     May   Isabella,   Herbert  Eugene  and  Louis 
Leroy.     They  occupy  the  farm  named  above,  upon 
which  the  family  first  settled.     Mr.  R.    has  held 
various   offices   of    trust    in   his   town  ;    Overseer 
of  the  Poor,  Election  Inspector,  Assessor,  and  for 
the  last  thirteen  years  has  filled  the  office  of  Justice 
of  the  Peace.     As  an  evidence  of  care  and  good 
judgment  exercised  since  he  occupied  that  position, 
it  may  be  stated  that  no  decision  rendered  by  him 
has  ever  been  reversed  by  a  higher  court.     For  the 
last  ten  years  he  has  been  extensively  employed  in 
the  settlement  of  estates  in  his  own  and  neighbor- 
ing towns. 

On  account  of  reliance  upon  his  judgment  and 
good  advice,  he  has  often  been  called  upon  to  settle 
questions  of  difference  among  his  neighbors,  always 


3S4 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


counseling  a  settlement  beween  parties  in  preference 
to  an  appeal  to  the  law.  In  the  management  of  the 
large  property  accumulated  by  his  father  and  him- 
self, he  has  shown  rare  tact  and  good  judgment. 
In  the  loaning  of  moneys  he  has  always  lived  up  to 
the  motto  of  "  live  and  let  live,"  never  exacting  more 
than  the  legal  rate  of  interest,  and  like  his  father 
before  him,  though  his  business  transactions  have 
been  extensive,  he  has  never  had  a  suit  at  law. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  Though  not  a 
member  of  any  church  Mr.  R.  has  always  recog- 
nized the  healthful  influence  of  the  Christian  reli- 
gion, and  has  always  contributed  to  the  support  of 
churches  in  his  neighborhood. 

It  would  but  echo  the  common  sentiment  of  the 
community  in  which  he  has  passed  his  whole  life, 
to  say  that  Mr.  R.  possesses,  in  a  marked  degree, 
those  qualities  which  characterize  the  useful  citizen, 
the  good  neighbor,  the  filial  son,  and  the  kind  and 
indulgent  parent,  and  one  whose  loss  would  be  most 
deeply  felt. 


WARREN  KINNEY. 


Warren  Kinney  was  born  in  Union  Township, 
Tolland  County,  Conn.,  August  14th,  1804,  the  eld- 
est child  of  Alpheus  and  Lucy  Kinney.  They  had 
thirteen  children,  seven  sons  and  six  daughters. 
The  family  moved  to  Madison  County,  N.  Y..  in 
181 5,  where  the  father  died,  February  23,  1848,  the 
mother  January  3d,  1864.  At  the  age  of  fifteen 
Mr.  Kinney  left  home  and  worked  for  five  years  by 
the  month,  for  Col.  John  Ledyard,  in  Cazenovia, 
Madison  County.  For  the  next  five  years  he  en- 
gaged in  peddling  tin-ware,  and,  during  his  travels, 
while  thus  employed,  he  made  the  acquaintance  of 
Harriet  Boultelle,  whom  he  married  March  30th, 
1830.  After  his  marriage  he  took  up  a  forty  acre 
lot  in  Madison  County,  upon  which  a  small  clear-  I 
ing  had  been  made  and  a  log  house  erected.  He  ' 
remained  on  this  place  six  years.  In  1836  he  sold 
out  and  settled  on  a  farm  at  the  head  of  Otisco 
Lake,  town  of  Otisco.  liy  hard  work,  seconded  in 
every  eflfort  by  his  estimable  wife,  Mr.  K.  added 
from  time  to  time  to  his  lands  until  he  had  become 
the  possessor  of  three  hundred  acres  of  land.  In 
185 1,  his  health  having  become  somewhat  im- 
paired he  moved  to  Amber  village,  where  he  has 
ever  since  resided. 

Mrs.  Kinney  was  born  in  Otisco,  September  24, 
18 10,  the  youngest  child  of  Alpheus  and  Hannah 
Bouttelle.  She  had  three  brothers  and  one  sister, 
viz  :  David  B.,  Samuel,  Lorenzo  and  Parmclia  A. 
David  B.  and  Parmclia  A.  are  deceased.     Lorenzo 


and  Samuel  are  still  living  in  Amber,  the  latter  with 
his  son,  A.  J.  Bouttelle,  proprietor  of  the  Lake 
House  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Worcester 
County,  Mass.,  and  were  among  the  first  families 
that  settled  in  Otisco  in  1804.  The  first  Independ- 
ence day  thereafter  all  the  families  (five  in  num- 
ber! of  the  town  sat  down  at  one  table.  Her 
father  opened  the  first  tannery  in  the  southern  part 
of  Onondaga  County.  Mrs.  K.  united  with  the 
M.  E.  Church  in  Otisco  Valley  in  1836,  and  always 
took  a  lively  interest  in  all  matters  which  looked  to 
its  prosperity,  and  was  an  eflficient  coworker  in  the 
Sabbath  School.  She  was  a  leader  in  every  moral, 
social  or  benevolent  enterprise.  The  poor  and 
needy  always  found  in  her  a  sympathizing  friend. 
In  all  her  acts  of  kindness  she  was  unostentatious. 
She  was  truly  a  help-meet  to  her  husband.  She 
died  April  5th,  1876.  Her  loss  will  long  be  felt  in 
the  community  in  which  she  lived,  and  her  mem- 
ory treasured  by  all  who  knew  her. 

Mr.  Kinney,  for  many  years,  has  also  been  a 
member  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  always  doing  his 
part  towards  its  support.  Having  no  children  of 
their  own,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  K.  have  taken  into  their 
home,  at  difterent  times,  five  children  of  their 
neighbors,  whom  they  have  brought  up  and  given  a 
start  in  the  world,  to  whom  they  were  as  an  own 
father  and  mother. 

Of  Mr.  Kinney  it  may  be  truly  said,  he  is  em- 
phatically a  self-made  man.  Denied  the  advan- 
tages of  education,  he  has  literally  cut  his  way 
through  life  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow.  Starting 
with  nothing  but  his  hands  and  an  indomitable 
will,  earnestly  seconded,  in  all  his  undertakings,  by 
the  hearty  cooperation  of  his  wife,  he  has  achieved 
success,  and  secured  an  ample  competence. 

October  29th,  1877,  he  was  married  to  Emma 
Annable,  daughter  of  Otis  and  Rosina  Annable. 


MYRON  HILLYER. 

1  his  gentleman  was  born  in  the  town  of  Marccilus, 
Onondaga  county,  October  28.  1811,  the  third  child 
of  Nathaniel  and  Hannah  Hillyer.  They  had  two 
sons  and  three  daughters,  viz  :  Chester,  Betsey, 
Myron,  Catherine  and  Louisa.  They  were  both 
natives  of  Connecticut,  and  were  among  the  earliest 
settlers  in  the  town  of  Marcellus.  The  father  was 
a  blacksmith  and  also  carried  on  a  farm.  Both  the 
father  and  mother  are  deceased.  The  children  are 
all  living  except  Betsey,  who  was  the  wife  of  Arthur 
Machan.  Chester  is  a  farmer,  owning  and  living 
on  the  homestead.     Catherine,  married   to  Abner 


Mrs  fliminii  Kmniy.  loiutsio) 


Emma  Kinniv. 


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HEa.AHOimmme  Shop  OF   MYRON    HILLYER,AtABEK.ONONDAGA   COUNT-Y.N.Y. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


355 


Wallrod,  and  Louisa,  married  to  Samuel  Rockwell, 
are  both  living  in  Jersey  City,  N.  J. 

Up  to  his  twentieth  year,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  worked  at  home  on  the  farm,  then  com- 
menced to  learn  the  harness-maker's  trade,  which 
he  has  continued  to  follow  without  interruption. 

He  was  married  April  27,  185 1  to  Philinda  Grif- 
fin, daughter  of  Heman  and  Candace  Grififin,  who 
had  four  sons  and  seven  daughters.  Her  parents, 
both  natives  of  Connecticut,  were  among  the  first 
settlers  of  the  town  of  Otisco,  and  are  both 
deceased.  All  but  two  of  the  children  are  still  liv- 
ing, five  in  the  State  of  Michigan  and  the  rest  in 
Otisco.  Mrs.  Hillyer  was  born  in  Otisco,  October 
4,  1822,  on  the  farm  where  her  parents  first  settled 
and  lived  till  their  death,  now  owned  and  occupied 
by  John  Fairchild.  In  1862,  she  united  with  the 
M.  E.  Church  and  has  been  one  of  its  most  active 


and  devoted  members.  In  appreciation  of  her  in- 
terest in  the  American  Missionary  Society,  she  was 
made  a  life  member. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hillyer  have  had  but  one  child,  viz  : 
Horton  N.,  born  October  5,  1856.  He  has  always 
lived  at  home,  learned  the  harness-maker's  trade 
of  his  father  and  is  now  a  partner  with  him  in  the 
business.  After  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hillyer  set- 
tled in  Amber  village,  on  the  place  where  they  reside. 
In  politics  Mr.  Hillyer  was  first  a  Whig,  then  Re- 
publican. He  was  postmaster  in  Amber  village  six 
years.  Left  by  bis  father  but  a  small  property,  by 
close  attention  to  business  and  honorable  dealing, 
seconded  at  all  times  by  the  hearty  cooperation  of 
his  estimable  wife,  Mr.  Hillyer  has  accumulated 
an  ample  competence.  A  sketch  of  his  house,  with 
portraits  of  himself,  wife  and  son  appear  on  another 
page  of  this  volume. 


TULLY. 


TuLLY  was  originally  one  of  the  townships  of  the 
Military  Tract.  Upon  the  organization  of  the 
county  in  1794,  it  was  included  with  Fabius  in  the 
town  of  Pompey.  Fabius,  including  the  present 
town  of  Tully,  was  taken  oft"  March  9,  1798,  and 
Tully  was  erected  into  a  separate  town  April  4,  1803, 
A  part  of  Otisco  was  taken  oft"  in  1806,  and  a  part 
of  Spaft'ord  in  181 1. 

Tully  is  the  center  town  upon  the  south  line  of 
the  county.  Its  surface  is  an  upland,  level  in  the 
center,  but  hilly  upon  the  east  and  west  borders. 
In  the  south  part  of  the  central  valley  are  several 
small  lakes,  known  as  the  Tully  Lakes,  the  principal 
being  Crooked  Lake  and  Big  Lake,  only  a  few  rods 
apart,  yet  dividing  the  waters  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
from  those  of  the  Susquehanna.  Out  of  Crooked 
Lake,  which  is  just  eight  hundred  feet  above  the 
Erie  Canal  at  Syracuse,  flows  the  Onondaga  Creek, 
northward,  while  Big  Lake,  four  feet  lower,  gives 
rise  to  the  Tioughnioga  River,  which  flows  south 
into  the  Susquehanna,  and  thence  into  Chesapeake 
Bay.  The  only  swampy  land  in  the  town  lies  in 
the  vicinity  of  these  lakes.  The  prevailing  soil  is 
a  sandy  and  a  clayey  loam,  productive,  and  well 
adapted  to  grazing  and  agricultural  purposes. 

E.\RLY  Settlers. 

Settlements  were  first  made  in  this  town  by  New 
England  people  when  it  was  included  in  the  town 
of  Pompey,  from    1794  to    1798.     The  first  settler 


was  David  Owen,  in  1795.  He  erected  the  first 
cabin  in  the  town,  and  was  followed  by  James 
Cravath,  William  Trowbridge  and  others.  The  first 
white  child  born  in  the  town  was  Peter  Henderson, 
in  1796.  Timothy  Walker  built  the  first  frame 
house  in  1797,  and  Moses  Nash  the  second  ;  both 
were  built  in  the  village  of  Tully.  Moses  Nash 
also  opened  the  first  store  at  the  village  in  1803. 
Previous  to  this  trading  had  been  done  at  Pompey 
Hill  and  at  Truxton.  John  Meeker  succeeded  Mr. 
Nash  in  the  mercantile  business  in  1805.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  extensive  merchants  in  the  country, 
and  took  the  lead  in  business  and  trade  throughout 
this  whole  region. 

Nicholas  Lewis  opened  the  first  tavern  in  Tully 
Village  in  1802.  In  1807,  he  was  succeeded  by 
Jacob  Johnson,  and  he,  in  turn,  by  William  Trow- 
bridge. 

The  first  school  established  in  the  town  was  kept 
in  Timothy  Walker's  barn,  and  taught  by  Miss  Ruth 
Thorp,  in  1801.  We  see  here  what  is  not  notice- 
able in  every  town,  that  a  school  was  the  first  public 
object  to  which  the  inhabitants  turned  their  atten- 
tion ;  thus  placing  before  their  children  the  means 
of  making  themselves  useful  members  of  society 
and  distinguished  citizens.  A  log  school  house 
was  erected  in  1804  at  Tully  Village,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  a  frame  one  in  1809.  Others  soon  made 
their  appearance  in  difterent  parts  of  the  town,  and 
education  in  the  common  schools  grew  into  an  im- 


356 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


portant  and  well  organized  feature  of  the  intellectual 
life  of  the  people. 

First  Impoktant  Road. 

The  Hamilton  and  Skaneateles  Turnpike  was 
laid  out  in  1806,  from  Richfield  through  Brookfield, 
Hamilton  and  Fabius,  to  the  outlet  of  Olisco  Lake, 
thence  to  the  outlet  of  Skaneateles  Lake.  Samuel 
Fitch,  Samuel  Marsh,  Elisha  Payne,  David  Smith, 
Elijah  St.  John,  Comfort  Tyler.  Samuel  Tyler, 
Thaddeus  Edwards  and  Elnathan  Andrews,  were 
the  principal  movers  in  procuring  the  act  of  in- 
corporation and  obtaining  share-holders,  and  getting 
the  road  laid  out,  worked  and  finished.  This 
enterprise  opened  through  the  town  and  others  in 
its  vicinity,  a  way  of  communication  which  added 
essentially  to  the  business  and  prosperity  of  the 
country  through  which  it  passed.  It  was  not  long 
before  its  advantage  and  effects  were  realized  and 
appreciated.  It  gave  a  spur  to  business,  confidence 
to  the  community,  and  the  results  which  have  flowed 
from  it  have  been  salutary  and  satisfactory. 

In  181 5  the  first  postoffice  was  established  at 
Tully  ;  Nicholas  Howell,  Postmaster ;  \Vm.  Trow- 
bridge was  his  successor.  Previous  to  this,  mail- 
matter  had  been  obtained  from  Preble  Corners. 
The  earliest  settlers  received  their  letters  and  papers 
at  Pompey  Hill.  Vesper  Postoflfice  was  established 
in  1827,  Wm.  Clark,  Postmaster  ;  Tully  Valley 
Postoffice  in  1836,  George  Salisbury,  Postmaster. 

The  first  grist  mill  in  town  was  erected  by  Peter 
Van  Camp,  in  1810;  a  saw-mill  was  built  at  the 
same  time  and  place— about  three  miles  west  of 
Tully  village.  In  1845,  there  were  four  grist  mills, 
five  saw-mills,  two  carding  machines  and  one  woolen 
factory. 

The  first  settlers  of  this  town,  Homer,  Solon, 
Cincinnatus,  Marathon,  and  those  lying  south,  had 
to  come  to  Jackson's,  Ward's  and  Sanford's  mills  to 
get  their  grists  ground.  They  came  with  drays 
loaded  with  wheat  or  corn,  drawn  by  oxen.  These 
drays  were  made  of  the  crotches  of  trees  with 
boards  pinned  across.  Ten  bushels  was  considered 
a  pretty  large  load  to  haul  twenty  or  thirty  miles  on 
such  a  vehicle  with  one  yoke  of  oxen,  over  such 
roads  as  then  existed.  This  method  of  going  to 
mill  was  a  matter  of  necessity  till  mills  were  built 
in  Tully,  and  the  settlements,  at  first  destitute  of 
them,  were  supplied  nearer  home. 

At  the  organization  of  Tully  in  1803,  the  first 
town  meeting  was  held  May  i,  at  the  house  of 
Samuel  Trowbridge.  Phineas  Howell  was  chosen 
Supervisor  ;  Amos  Skeel,  Town  Clerk  ;  Jacob  John- 
son, Samuel  Cravath,  Solomon  Babcock,  Assessors; 


Floyd  Howell,  James  Cravath,  and  Solomon  Bab- 
cock, Commissioners  of  Highways.  At  the  second 
and  third  town  meetings,  the  same  were  reelected 
and  held  their  respective  offices. 

Amos  Skeel  was  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  in 
1S03  ;  Job  L.  Lewis  and  Moses  Nash  were  Justices 
of  the  Peace  from  1808  to  181 2  Mr.  Nash  after- 
wards removed  to  Indiana,  where  he  became  a  dis- 
tinguished man. 

VILLAGE  OF  TULLY. 

The  village  of  Tully  is  situated  on  the  Syracuse, 
Binghamton  and  New  York  Railway,  twenty-two 
miles  from  Syracuse.  It  has  a  population  of  about 
five  hundred  and  is  a  favorite  resort  for  persons  in 
pursuit  of  health  and  pleasure  during  the  summer 
months,  the  princijial  attraction  being  a  number  of 
beautiful  lakes  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  which  are 
well  stocked  with  pickerel,  bass  and  other  choice  fish. 
The  fine  large  hotel,  the  Empire  House,  managed  by 
M.  G.  Bennett,  is  another  feature  of  attraction. 
The  streets  are  ornamented  with  beautiful  shade 
trees,  and  the  residences  present  a  cheerful  and 
comfortable  appearance,  while  the  business  houses 
are  well  stocked  and  seem  to  be  managed  in  a  man- 
ner that  is  creditable  to  the  village  and  profitable 
to  the  proprietors. 

The  village  is  incorporated,  and  the  present 
oflRcers  are  the  following  :  H.  C.  Tallman.  Presi- 
dent ;  H.  V.  B.  Arnold,  Clerk.  The  Trustees  of 
the  corporation  are  George  VV.  Crofoot,  II.  B. 
Scammel  and  Wm.  L.  Earle  ;  Treasurer,  Judson 
Wright  ;  Collector,  Daniel  Vail. 

The  first  settler  in  what  is  now  the  village  of 
Tully  was  David  Owen,  who  built  the  first  log 
house.  Nicholas  Howell,  Timothy  Walker  and 
William  Trowbridge  settled  here  before  1800.  Seth 
Trowbridge  came  here  in  iSoo,  and  his  son  Milo, 
now  living  here,  was  then  five  years  old,  having  been 
born  in  1795.  He  is  now  eighty-three  years  old, 
and  seemingly  hale  and  hearty.  The  oldest  resi- 
dent of  the  village  is  Salem  Baker,  being  now 
ninety-two. 

Henry  F.  King  came  here  in  1818  from  Suffield, 
Conn.  In  the  year  1S28  he  set  out  a  row  of 
sugar-maple  trees  in  front  of  his  residence  and 
grounds,  bringing  the  whole  number  from  the  woods 
on  his  back.  They  are  now  immense  in  size,  and 
beautiful  to  behold,  affording  a  grateful  shade.  Mr. 
King  was  postmaster  here  for  more  than  thirty 
years.     He  died  in  1853. 

Tully  as  a  shipping  point  for  all  kinds  of  produce 
is  not  equalled  by  any  other  place  in  this  part  of  the 


rhoto*.  \<y  UtinU  A  <*nr1lM,  Sjrmctuic. 


UON.   BAMI  KI.    WILLIS. 


MHS.    8.    WILLIS. 


HON.  SAMliKI-    WILMS. 


Saniuol  Willis  wiu  born  in  the  town  of  Lake  IMoisnnt,  lliimilton 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  till-  yi'ar  1818.  Hen'nminpd  in  liis  native  |>luec  until 
•ovontoon  yonm  of  a<;n,  wlicn  a  dc«iro  to  Ijotlor  liis  ciri.-iini>tanci'S 
indiK'rd  liini  to  rcmovo  to  Onondaga  County.  IIu  arrivi'd  in  .Syra- 
ciMu  willi  a  surplus,  over  and  above  ]t\»  travelini;  ex|>cn9ei<,  of  only 
oigbty  cenl».  Tliin  lie  cxjiondcd  for  bomc  small  artiolo  of  clolliing, 
and  went  on  fool  to  Vesper,  in  the  town  of  Tiilly,  wlicro  lie  found 
employment  as  a  farm  laborer  with  Orange  Smith,  working  one 
year  for  one  hundred  and  eight  dollars.  During  the  year  his  father 
vi.nitcd  him,  and  wan  induced  by  young  Samuel  to  rcnuiin  and 
purehaio  a  small  farm,  the  latter  pledging  his  year'd  wages  to 
make  the  first  paymi.nt  upon  the  haine.  The  land  was  purchased 
of  Mr.  Orange  Smith,  and,  after  tlu'  expiraliiMi  of  the  first  year^ 
Samuel  was  engaged  with  hi>  father  in  improving  the  now  farm. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-four  years  he  wa«  united  in  nuirriage  to 
.Mitn  Kachol  Van  Wormor,  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Agnes  Van 
Wiirmer,  who  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  this  county. 

Subsequent  to  his  marriage  bo  purchMtrd.  upon  credit,  eighty 
ncres  of  the  farm  on  which  bo  now  resides.  This  was  no  iiieon- 
sidorablo  undertaking  for  a  young  man  in  bis  circum^tane^s,  but 
the  rii<poni>ihility  ntiniulated  the  exertions  of  both  biuisolf  and 
wife,  and  by  their  united  effort.'*,  diligeneo,  per-i'verance,  and 
economy  they  not  only  succeeded  in  paying  for  their  land,  but  in 
subsc<|uently  ineri'asing  it  lo  a  farm  of  oii<>  hundred  and  twenty 
Kcrei.  For  many  years  .Mr.  Willis  has  carried  on  farming  on  a 
largo  scale,  having  worked  from  throe  hundred  to  five  hundred 
acres  of  land.     He  has  (me  of  the  most  desirable  homes  in   the 


section  of  the  country  where  ho  resides,  •  sketch  of  which  Is 
shown  on  the  opposite  page.  For  bis  success  in  life  be  attributes 
no  small  share  of  credit  to  the  good  judgment  and  skillful  man- 
agement of  his  c»tinuible  wife,  who  has  ever  bei-n  ready,  by  word 
and  dco<l,  to  second  his  etforls  and  at.sist  him  in  all  his  undertakings. 

Mr.  Willis  has  served  his  town  in  various  public  and  official 
capacities,  having  held  the  olHco  of  a.ssessor  f<ir  six  consecutive 
years,  and  that  of  supervisor  for  seven  years,  and  is  now  a  member 
of  assembly  from  his  district,  having  been  olw'lod  in  the  fall  of 
1877. 

Mr.  Willis  is  the  architect  of  his  own  fortune.  Without  the 
aid  of  inherited  wealth  or  social  pre.'ligo,  he  has  made  his  way 
from  poverty  to  aflluence,  and  from  obscurity  lo  a  high  |io>ition 
in  the  gift  and  trust  .if  his  fellow-eiti?.ens,  by  his  own  energy, 
industry,  and  economy.  While  bis  ofHeial  duties  iK-cupy  much  of 
bis  linn',  hi*  highest  pride  and  enjoyment  are  in  his  well-ordered 
farm,  and  the  associations  and  comforls  of  bis  delightful  homo  and 
the  siK'ioty  of  his  many  friends. 

Mr.  Willis  has  ha<l  live  children, — one  son  ond  four  duughlcrs. 
The  oldest,  Ann  Kli/.a,  nnirried  Krastus  Clark,  and  is  living  near 
her  parents;  George  I.  died  at  the  ago  of  twenty-one,  in  I»lf>; 
Sophia  I,,  nnirried  .\drian  Cummings,  and  is  living  aUMit  tbri-e 
miles  from  her  father;  Mary  L.  died  .May  4,  I87«,  ag«l  twenty- 
seven  years;  .luliii  II.  lives  with  her  parenU  at  home;  graduati-d 
at  t-'ortland  Nornuil  school;  afterwar.ls  biramuoneof  iu  tmu-bers, 
which  place  she  ttlbnl  for  two  years ;  has  also  been  a  ti-«<-her  in 
the  academy  at  Winsted,  Conn. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


357 


county,  it  being  in  the  center  of  a  large  dairy 
country,  and  the  towns  of  Spafford,  LaFayette  and 
Otisco  sending  their  products  here  for  shipment. 

The  churches  of  Tully  are  M.  E.  Church,  Bap- 
tist, and  Disciples. 

The  Commercial  and  manufacturing  interests  are 
as  follows  :  Three  dry  goods  stores,  Tallman,  Mil- 
lan  &  Hoxsie,  Bouttelie  Bros,  and  Joseph  Fletcher. 

Two  drug  stores,  J.  W.  Wright  &  Son  and  W. 
F.  Jones  &  Co. 

Two  hardware  stores,  W.  W.  Hayford  &  Son  and 
A.  G.  Dryer ;  one  grocery  store,  L.  Gowing  ;  one 
furniture  and  undertaking  establishment  by  W.  L. 
Earle  ;  one  butcher  shop,  Coughey  Bros.  ;  three 
cooper-shops,  F.  A.  Vail,  George  Watson  and  01- 
ney  &  Smith ;  three  blacksmith  shops,  James 
Williams,  Zepheniah  Mason  and  Andrew  Strail : 
two  carriage  and  repair  shops,  John  B.  Hall  and 
Andrew  Cately  ;  two  harness  shops,  Armenius 
Smith  and  John  C.  Davis. 

There  is  one  steam  and  water-power  grist  mill,  built 
by  Timothy  Walker  about  the  year  1818.  Joel  His- 
cock,  uncle  to  Frank  Hiscock,  member  of  Congress 
from  Syracuse,  had  charge  of  putting  in  the  ma- 
chinery. The  mill  was  rebuilt  and  refitted  for 
steam  power  in  1874,  and  is  owned  and  operated  by 
Ellis  &  Hodges.  It  has  two  run  of  stones.  They 
manufacture  flour  and  do  custom  work.  There  are 
two  tailor  shops,  Henry  Arnold  and  Myron  Brown. 

Two  physicians,  S  M.  Farnham  and  George  W. 
Earle. 

Henry  C.  Tallman  is  an  attorney  here ;  H.  K. 
King,  insurance  agent  and  notary  public. 

The  present  postmaster  is  M.  J.  Bouttelie  ;  he  has 
held  the  office  about  two  years. 

H.  C.  Scammell  and  Son  are  packers  and  heavy 
shippers  of  eggs  at  this  point,  shipping  as  many  as 
one  hundred  thousand  dozen  per  year. 

Religious  History. 

From  the  commencement  of  the  settlement  of 
Tully,  religious  privileges,  as  well  as  schools,  occu- 
pied the  attention  of  the  people,  who  brought  with 
them  their  New  England  predilections.  Meetings 
were  held  in  the  several  neighborhoods  in  barns, 
and,  in  cold,  inclement  weather,  in  private  houses. 
It  was  thought  no  hardship  in  those  days  for  a  whole 
family  to  walk  several  miles  to  meeting,  the  father 
carrying  the  baby  and  the  elder  children  trudging 
along  on  foot,  aided  by  the  mother  in  crossing  the 
small  streams  and  muddy  places.  Rev.  Mr.  Rid- 
dle, a  Presbyterian  Missionary  from  New  England, 
was  the  first  clergyman  who  ofificiated  in  the  town. 
A  large  portion  of  the  new  settlers  were  of  that 
59 


persuasion.  Mr.  Riddle  organized  a  Presbyterian 
society  in  1804,  which  was  reorganized  under  the 
ministry  of  Rev.  Mr.  Parsons.  The  society  was 
kept  up  till  about  1830,  when  it  was  discontinued. 
We  believe  no  Presbyterian  society  has  since  been 
organized  in  the  town. 

First  Baptist  Church  of  Tully. — A  council 
of  ministers  and  delegates  from  the  churches  of 
Pompey,  Fabius,  Homer  and  Truxton,  convened  at 
the  house  of  Uriel  Smith,  in  the  town  of  Tully,  on 
the  28th  of  February,  1816,  and  after  due  consider- 
ation and  examination,  gave  Uriel  Smith,  Ziba 
Palmer,  James  B.  Stroud,  Cibbel  Smith,  Lydia 
Chapman,  John  Brown,  Aaron  Vail,  Sarah  Hugh- 
son,  Eliza  Fuller,  Nancy  Stroud,  Sarah  McCollery, 
Susanna  Brown,  Hannah  Palmer  and  Elizabeth 
Van  Tassel  fellowship  as  a  gospel  church.  Services 
were  held  during  a  few  years  following  at  the  school 
houses  in  Christian  Hollow,  Tully  Flats  and  in 
Vesper  Village.  The  first  regular  pastor  was 
Elder  Squire  Abbott,  who  came  in  1818  and  re- 
mained two  years  ;  after  whom  came  Elder  Salmon 
Morton,  in  1824;  Elder  Frederick  Freeman,  in 
1827;  and  Elder  Randolph  Streeter  ;  after  whom. 
came  Elder  John  D.  Hart,  Elder  R.  Winchell, 
Elder  Jeremiah  Everts,  Elder  Supply  Chase,  Elder 
Pease,  Elder  J.  Dill,  Elder  N.  Camp,  Elder  J.  La 
Grange,  Elder  Herman  Powers,  Elder  B.  Morley, 
Elder  J.  Webster,  Elder  D  D.  Brown,  and  Elder 
S.  A.  Beman.  In  1824,  under  the  pastorate  of 
Elder  F.  Freeman,  a  church  edifice  was  erected 
about  one  mile  northwest  of  Tully  Village,  at  Tully 
Centre.  In  1848  the  church  building  was  removed 
to  Tully  Village  and  rebuilt,  and  $2,500  expended 
upon  the  building.  During  the  early  history  of  the 
church  eight  ministers  were  ordained  and  sent  into 
the  West.  The  present  membership  is  eight}'--five  ; 
attendance  at  the  Sunday  School  one  hundred  and 
twenty-two. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Tully. — 
The  present  church  was  organized  in  the  village 
about  1832,  and  in  1834  they  erected  their  church 
edifice,  incurring  quite  a  heavy  indebtedness,  which, 
through  the  liberality  of  Mr.  H.  F.  King,  in  1837, 
they  were  relieved  of,  and  thenceforward  the  society 
has  prospered.  The  first  class-leader  was  Silas 
Aylsworth.  Among  the  earliest  members  we  find 
Myron  Wheaton,  Mrs.  Giftbrd,  Miss  Markham, 
Esther  Johnson,  David  Bouttelie,  Sarah  Viall,  Mary 
E.  King,  Cynthia  Arnold  and  Mary  Viall.  Most 
of  the  time  until  1840  the  church  was  supplied  by 
itinerant  preachers  ;  since  then  this  church  and 
that  at  Vesper  have  usually  employed  the  same 
minister.     Among  the  most  efficient  were  :     Rev. 


358 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


J.  Atwell,  Rev.  E.  D.  Thurston,  Rev.  Ephraim 
Hoag,  Rev.  Mr.  Fox  and  Rev.  J.  D.  Barnard. 
Under  the  pastorate  of  the  latter  the  church  in  1862 
was  rebuilt  and  rededicatcd.  and  also  in  1877,  under 
the  present  pastor,  Rev.  F.  Devitt.  The  present 
membership  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  ;  Sabbath 
School,  eighty-five.  The  church  received  in  1840, 
from  Mrs.  Sarah  Viall,  a  donation  of  a  parsonage, 
which  was  afterward  exchanged  for  the  present 
parsonage.  The  church  building  cost  $5,000;  par- 
sonage, $3,000.  The  present  Trustees  are  :  Ellis 
V.  King,  Moses  Schoonmaker  and  Samuel  Willis. 

Christian  Ciilkcm  of  Tl'li.v.— The  first  meet- 
ing was  held  one  mile  east  of  Tuliy,  at  the  resi- 
dence of  H.  A.  Chase,  on  the  9th  of  May,  1840, 
and  Russell  Chase,  Mother  Fuller,  H.  A.  Chase, 
Marvin  Haker,  Amasa  Kmmons,  Amos  Hodgeman, 
Kesiah  Wilcox.  Lydia  Chase,  Lydia  Lansing,  Bet- 
sey Fuller.  Mary  Hodgeman,  Lola  Emmons,  or- 
ganized a  church  society.  Elders  Calvin  Thomas 
and  Harry  Knapp  of  Pompey,  officiating. 

In  1845,  this  society,  by  the  liberal  assistance  of 
Russell  Chase  and  H.  A.  Chase,  erected  a  neat  and 
commodious  church  in  the  Village  of  Tully  at  a  cost 
of  $1,500.  The  first  pastor  was  Elder  J.  M.  Bart- 
lett.  Elder  Hamilton  A.  Chase,  for  twenty  years 
labored  with  the  charge  and  has  become  a  very 
prominent  character  in  the  history  of  this  society. 
Elder  J.  D.  Benedict,  J.  I  Lowell,  Elder  Milton 
Shepard.  Elder  Gardner,  W.  J.  Lathrop,  Elder 
Allen,  Elder  J.  C.  Goodrich,  and  Elder  Moore  have 
■officiated.  Elder  O.  C.  Cutts  is  now  laboring  very 
acceptably  for  this  church. 

Baptist  Church  of  Veshfr— In  1848  the  Tully 
Centre  Baptist  Church  deemed  it  advisable  to  divide 
and  establish  themselves  at  Tully  Village,  and  the 
members  residing  in  the  western  part  of  the  town 
withdrew,  and  in  December,  1848,  a  new  Society  was 
organized  at  the  residence  of  Josiah  Smith,  among 
whom  were  Deacon  Uriel  Smith.  Deacon  Joseph 
Daniels.  E.  V.  B.  French.  Harry  Rowland.  Peter 
Henderson.  Allen  Palmer,  E.  J.  Daniels,  Sarah  M. 
King,  Nancy  Darrow,  I'olly  Williams,  Betsey  L. 
Palmer,  Zuriah  Rowland,  Sally  Henderson  and 
thirteen  others.  At  first  this  church  employed  a 
pastor  alone.  Among  those  who  have  officiated 
as  pastors  are  :  Eld.  A.  Galpin,  Elder  Thos.  Brown, 
Elder  William  Jones.     In    i860.  Elder  B.  Morlev! 


of  Tully.  assumed  both  charges,  and  generally  since 
then  both  churches  have  employed  the  same  pas- 
tor. The  church  building,  (a  fine  frame  structure,) 
was  dedicated  January  18,  1849.  It  cost  about 
twelve  hundred  dollars  Present  membership,  24  ; 
Sabbath  School,  forty. 

Methodist  Ei-iscopal  Chu-rch  of  Vesper.— 
Meetings  were  held  as  early  as  1820  in  the  school 
house  under  the  leadership  of  Durin  Ferris,  who 
was  class-leader  and  circuit  preacher.  In  1840  the 
society  numbered  about  thirty-five  ;  on  the  7th  of 
July,  1840,  the  church  was  duly  incorporated.  The 
class-leader  at  that  time  was  Levi  Highley.  Dur- 
ing that  year  a  church  was  erected  in  the  Village 
of  Vesper  at  a  cost  of  about?  1,000.  Among  the 
most  prominent  members  at  that  time  were  Enoch 
Bailey.  Henry  Stewart,  Aaron  Hollenbeck,  Zenas 
Pickett,  Asahel  Nichols.  Sanford  Moon,  Alvah 
Hodge,  Rueben  Aylsworth.  This  church  has  usu- 
ally been  under  the  same  pastorate  as  the  Tully 
church.  Among  those  who  have  ministered  at  this 
place  were  Revs.  Daniel  F.  Holcomb.  D.  Fancher, 
W.  White.  Ephraim  Hoag.  J.  Foster.  L.  Bowdish. 
J.  Stowell.  A.  L.  Torrey,  W.  Fox.  L.  Nickerson. 
R.  Fox.  R.  W.  Clark,  A.  Bowdish,  J.  W.  Barnard 
and  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  Fred.  Devitt. 

The  present  membership  is  forty,  and  a  very  fine 
Sabbath  School  is  now  a  useful  auxiliary  in  the 
church  work. 

Young  People's  Christian  Association.— On 
the  evening  of  June  8.  1877.  an  organization  con- 
sisting of  eleven  members  was  formed,  W.  L. 
Earll,  as  Leader  ;  Joseph  Fletcher,  Secretary,  and 
J.  H.  Hoxsie,  Treasurer.  Their  meetings  were  at 
first  held  in  different  churches,  but  during  the  early 
part  of  the  winter  they  held  a  revival  in  a  stable 
fitted  for  their  meetings  and  now  number  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  two  members,  and  are  at  present  the 
strongest  religious  organization  in  the  town. 

Morning  Star  Lodge  No.  636.  I.  O.  of  G.  T. 
—Lodge  instituted  at  Vesper,  April  30,  1877,  with 
fourteen  charter  members.  Charter  officers— W. 
C.  T..  A.  B.  Daniels  ;  W.  V.  T..  Addie  Carr ;  W. 
S.,  Geo.  King.  Present  membership,  thirty-eight. 
Meetings  every  Friday  evening,  at  their  Hall  in 
Vesper  Village.  Present  officers— W.  C.  T..Geo. 
King  :  W.  V.  T..  Mrs.  M.  Ripley  ;  W.  S..  Charles 
Barber. 


I 


* 


^;%:^ 


■  fffffglM 


« ^*  « ^   .     .1  ■'rt^ii  ^giMin  ■  --■- 


OENCE  o»     MORf?IS     BAKCF?,  I-^ArtTTc.      Ononoac*  Couhiv.  N    / 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


359 


LA  FAYETTE. 


This  town,  named  after  the  Marquis  de  LaFayette, 
was  taken  from  Pompey  and  Onondaga  and  organ- 
ized April    IS,    1825.     That  portion  of  the   town 
taken  from  Onondaga  was   purchased  by  the  State 
of  the  Indians  in   1S17,  and  sold  to  the  white  set- 
tlers in  1822.     The  town   contains  28,200  acres  of 
land,  of  which  6,400  acres,  not  taxable,  belongs  to 
the  Onondaga    Reservation.     The   surface  of  the 
town  is  hilly  and  broken,  the  high   ridge  between 
Butternut  and  Onondaga  Creeks,  the  two  principal 
streams,  having   steep  declivities    and  rising  from 
three  to   six  hundred  feet  in  altitude.     The  valleys 
on  the  east  and  west  of  this  ridge — Sherman  Hol- 
low and  Christian  Hollow — extend  the  entire  length 
of  the   town,  and    present  an  unusually    rich  and 
beautiful  landscape  when  viewed  from  the  summits. 
The  soil  of  the  town  is  generally  a  sandy  and  grav- 
elly loam,  a  portion  of  it  thickly  covered  with  large 
water-worn  pebbles.     It  is  intermixed  with  vege- 
table mold  and  is  rich  and  productive  on  the  highest 
hills.     The  rocks  abound  in  shells  and  other  relics 
of  the  diluvian  age  ;  some  specimens  of  coral  and 
petrifactions  are  also  found.     In  portions  of  the  town 
there  are  deep  chasms  which  appear  to  have  been 
produced  by  an  earthquake,  and  many  springs  emit- 
ting sulphureted    hydrogen  gas.     In  some  places 
this  has  been  collected  in  a  vessel  and  burned  by 
applying  a  torch  or  a  match. 

Early  Settlements. 

The  first  white  settlement  was  made  a  little  east 
of  the  Indian  orchard  on  Haskin's  Hill,  in  1791,  by 
John  Wilcox,  who  boarded  the  surveyors  when  they 
laid  out  the  lots  in  the  townships  of  Pompey,  Tully 
and  Manlius.  Mr.  Wilcox  owned  the  "  Indian  or- 
chard "  and  sold  much  fruit  from  it  to  the  settlers. 
It  occupied  twenty  or  more  acres  of  ground  ;  the 
trees  were  planted  in  regular  rows  and  were  very 
productive.  This  old  orchard  was  a  very  great  help 
in  the  way  of  supplying  the  pioneers  with  fruit  be- 
fore they  had  raised  productive  orchards  of  their 
own. 

The  next  settler  was  Comfort  Rounds,  near  the 
center  of  the  town,  in  1792.  In  the  same  year  came 
William  Haskins,  and  gave  his  name  to  Haskin's 
Hill ;   the  next  year,  Solomon  Owen  and   James 


Sherman.  The  latter  settled  in  Sherman  Hollow, 
which  took  his  name.  John  Houghtaling,  Ama- 
ziah  Branch,  James  Pierce,  Samuel  Hyatt,  Amasa 
Wright  and  Reuben  Bryan,  were  all  settlers  in 
1794,  and  Ebenezer  Hill  in  1795. 

The  first  white  child  born  in  the  town  was  Amy 
Wilcox,  in  1791  ;  the  first  marriage  was  that  of 
Solomon  Owen  and  Lois  Rounds,  in  1793,  and  the 
first  death  that  of  Moses  DeWitt,  in   1794. 

Mr.  Reuben  Bryan  had  a  son  who  became  a  noted 
public  man,  viz  :  Hon.  John  A.  Bryan,  once  a  mem- 
ber of  the  New  York  Legislature,  Assistant  Post- 
master-General under  President  Tyler's  administra- 
tion. Charge  d' Ajfaires  to  Peru,  and  Auditor  of  the 
State  of  Ohio,  to  which  he  removed  and  became  a 
resident  of  Columbus,  in  that  State. 

In  the  north  part  of  the  town,  Samuel  Coleman, 
Clark  Bailey,  Nathan  Park,  Zenas  Northway  and 
Ozias  Northway  were  first  settlers  ;  so  also  were 
John  and  Archibald  Garfield,  Graudius  Cuddeback, 
Wm.  Sniffin,John  Hill  and  Hendrick  Upperhousen. 
John  Hill  and  Hendrick  Upperhousen,  were  Hes- 
sians, who  had  been  captured  from  the  British 
army. 

General  Isaac  Hall,  Wm.  Alexander,  Amos  Pal- 
meter,  Jacob  Johnson,  Jacob  Johnson,  Jr.,  Obadiah 
Johnson,  Elijah  Hall,  Peter  Abbott,  Rufus  Kinney, 
Abn&r  Kinney,  Captain  Joseph  C.  Howe  and  others, 
were  among  the  pioneers  in  the  south  part  of  the 
town. 

Michael  Christian,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  first 
settled  in  Christian  Hollow,  in  1792,  on  Lot  number 
eighteen,  township  of  Tully,  which  gave  to  the 
Hollow  its  name.  Daniel  Danforth  was  the  first 
settler  in  this  Hollow  within  the  present  town  of 
LaFayette,  in  1798. 

In  addition  to  those  already  mentioned  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  town,  was  Asa  Drake,  a  Revo- 
lutionary soldier,  Elkanah  Hine,  Noah  Hoyt,  Eze- 
kiel  Hoyt,  Joel  Canfield,  Job  Andrews,  Minnah 
Hyatt,  Ebenezer  Carr,  Cologius  Vinell  and  Joshua 
Slocum.  Col  Jeremiah  Gould  and  Isaac  Keeler 
lived  towards  Jamesville. 

In  the  vicinity  of  LaFayette  Square,  were  Thomas, 
Seth,  Erastus  and  Sydenham  Baker,  Joseph  Smith, 
Jeremiah  Fuller  and  Dr.  Silas  W.  Park.     The  latter 


36o 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


was  a  practicing  physician  and  had  a  wide  field 
in  which  to  pick  up  his  scattering  patients.  His 
ride  was  from  Liverpool  to  Port  Watson,  Cortland 
County,  and  from  Skaneateles  to  Cazenovia,  Madi- 
son County.  Other  early  settlers  who  lived  in  this 
vicinity,  were  Daniel  Share,  Caleb  Green,  Joseph 
Stevens  Cole,  Paul  and  Orange  King.  Joseph 
Rhoades,  Gershom  Richardson,  Daniel  Cole  and 
John  Carlisle,  were  also  among  the  early  settlers  of 
this  town. 

The  first  frame  house  in  the  town  ithen  town  of 
Pompey,!  was  erected  by  Col.  Jeremiah  Gould,  in 
1800.  In  1801,  Isaac  Hall  built  the  ne.xt.  The 
first  tavern  was  kept  by  Mr.  Cheeney,  the  next  by 
Orange  King,  who  had  his  sign  nailed  to  a  tree, 
"  C^  King  .'"  In  1801,  the  State  Road  from  Caze- 
novia to  Skaneateles  was  laid  out  through  this  town. 
Colonel  Olcott,  the  Surveyor,  was  taken  suddenly 
ill  while  engaged  in  the  survey,  and  died  at  the 
house  of  Erastus  Baker.  About  this  time  the  in- 
habitants of  this  retired  country  were  visited  with 
that  dreadful  scourge,  the  small-po.\,  which  in  many 
instances  proved  fatal. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  LaFayette 
Square  in  March,  1S26.  Charles  Jackson  was 
elected  Supervisor,  and  Johnson  Hall,  Town  Clerk. 

Messrs.  Rice  and  Hill  were  the  first  merchants  at 
LaFayette  Square  in  1802  or  1S03. 

In  1805,  Seth  Baker  made  a  settlement  adjoining 
Erastus  on  the  west,  and  Sydenham  Baker  located 
to  the  north  of  him.  Thomas  Baker,  in  1803,  set- 
tled a  mile  and  a  half  southwest  of  the  Square,  in 
Sherman  Hollow.  The  greater  part  of  these  lands 
remain  in  the  hands  of  the  Baker  family  to  this  day. 
Joseph  and  Lemuel  Baker  came  in  1804,  but  made 
no  permanent  home.  Joseph  moved  to  Otisco  and 
died  there  ;  Lemuel  went  to  the  far  West,  and,  it  is 
said,  was  finally  killed  by  the  Indians  in  Te.xas, 
while  hunting  for  his  cows. 

Previous  to  iScx),  Gen.  Isaac  Hall  came  from 
Great  Barrington,  Mass.,  and  settled  one  mile  south 
of  the  village  upon  a  soldier's  claim.  He  purchased 
ten  or  twelve  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  was  the 
wealthiest  man  in  the  town  of  Pompey,  as  it  then 
was.  It  is  said  he  brought  into  town  with  him  half 
a  bushel  of  silver  dollars.  He  gave  his  attention 
to  the  raising  ofstock.it  being  his  custom  to  let  cows, 
sheep,  colts,  &c.,  to  his  neighbors  and  other  citizens, 
to  double.     He  died  in  1830,  worth  about  $70,000. 

The  first  and  only  licensed  lawyer  at  the  village 
of  LaFayette  was  Samuel  S.  Baldwin,  who  had 
previously  located  at  Pompey  Hill.  He  remained 
several  years  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  and 
afterwards  went   to  Geneva,  N.  V.,  where  he  died. 


Dr.  Silas  W.  Park,  who,  as  we  have  already  said, 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  at  the  village  of  La- 
Fayette, cleared  the  Square  of  forest  trees.  He 
practiced  medicine  here  during  his  life-time.  A 
brother  of  his,  Elijah  Park,  came  in  1817  and 
studied  medicine  with  him,  and  was  afterwards  his 
partner  for  three  years,  when  the  latter  moved  to 
Otisco,  and  after  practicing  there  three  or  four 
years,  removed  to  Adrian,  Mich.,  where  he  died. 
Dr.  Squires  also  resided  at  the  Square  about  two 
years.  After  the  death  of  Dr.  Park,  Dr.  Ward 
Bassett,  of  Salina,  came  and  made  a  stay  of  one  or 
two  years,  and  removed  to  Cazenovia,  Madison 
County.  Dr.  Rial  Wright,  in  1825,  became  a 
physician  in  the  place,  remaining  about  si.\  months. 
At  this  time  Dr.  Elijah  Park,  son  of  Dr.  S.  W. 
Park,  who  had  previously  studied  medicine  with  his 
father  and  uncle,  bought  out  the  ride  of  Dr. 
Wright,  paying  therefor  $150.  Dr.  Wright  then 
went  to  Pompey  Hill,  and  as  a  partner  of  Dr.  Jehiel 
Steam,  practiced  in  that  village  and  vicinity  many 
years.  Dr.  Elijah  Park  remained  in  the  village 
and  practiced  his  profession  for  half  a  century,  till 
his  death  in  1S72  or  1873.  Dr.  Lyman  Rose  was 
also  a  resident  physician  for  many  years  prior  to  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1867. 

Lemuel  Smith,  father  of  Rev.  Marcus  Smith, 
was  the  first  blacksmith  at  the  Square,  settling  here 
in  1800,  and  remaining  till  his  death  in  1S17.  His 
shop  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  church,  the 
pulpit  of  which  is  said  to  be  over  the  exact  spot 
where  stood  his  anvil. 

Nathaniel  Stearling,  a  carpenter  and  joiner, 
settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  and  occupied  by 
Luther  Baker.  He  built  the  Baptist  Church  at 
Pompey  Hill  and  the  church  now  standing  in  La- 
Fayette village.  The  latter  part  of  his  life  was 
spent  on  a  farm.  He  was  a  leading  man  in  religious 
and  educational  matters.  He  died  in  Connecticut. 
Before  his  day,  James,  Asa  and  Joseph  McMillen, 
brothers,  who  were  carpenters  and  joiners,  had 
settled  about  a  mile  northeast  of  the  village.  Joseph 
and  James  built  the  first  frame  hotel,  and  also  the 
one  now  standing  in  the  village.  Stoughton  Morse 
was  landlord.  A  hotel  had  been  built  of  logs  prior 
to  the  first  frame  building  above  referred  to,  and 
was  kept  by  James  Higgins  in  1808.  The  Mc- 
Millens  remained  in  town  many  years,  and  finally 
sold  out  and  moved  to  the  West. 

Dorus  Porter  lived  in  the  village  as  a  cabinet- 
maker from  1820,  and  was  Deacon  in  the  church. 
He  now  resides  in  Michigan.  Asahel  King  was 
for  many  years  a  prominent  man  as  a  mechanic  at 
the  village,  being  a  tanner  and  shoemaker. 


^RS.  F. J  Farrington.  fA^j.F.J   Farringtou. 

(Photos  Br  w  v  HAnoi:f>  SrHtcusc  ) 


Residence  of    MAJ  .  F.  J.  TARRINGTON,  La  FAVfTTE,  Ononoaga    Co.,  N.  V. 


riiutuB.  by  Buiita  &  Cuitias,  Synicuse. 


DR.    ELIJAH    PARK. 


MRS.    BETSEY   PARK. 


DE.   ELIJAH   PARK. 


Elijah  Park,  BI.D.,  the  subject  of  this  brief  memoir,  was 
born  in  the  village  of  Lafayette,  April  1,  1803,  the  eldest  child, 
and  only  son  of  six  children,  of  Dr.  Silas  and  Dolly  (Clark) 
Park.  He  early  manifested  a  strong  desire  for  mental  culture. 
By  close  application  to  his  studies  in  the  village  school  and  in 
his  father's  office,  he  was  fitted  for  college.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-one  ho  graduated  at  the  Pittsficld  (Mass.)  medical 
school.  Almost  immediately  upon  his  return  home  his  father 
died,  leaving  him  an  extensive  practice,  wliich  he  entered  upon 
and  zealously  followed  throughout  his  life,  with  a  success  rarely 
attained.  His  father,  Dr.  Silas  Park,  was  the  first  physician 
in  the  town  of  Lafayette,  and  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of 
the  town,  his  residence  being  the  first  framed  house  erected  in 
the  village. 

Dr.  Elijah  Park  was  married  to  Miss  Catharine  Parent, 
August  25,  1824.  Ten  children  wore  born  to  them,  of  whom 
seven  are  now  living,  viz. :  Silas  W.,  Thomas  C,  Mary  J. 
(wife  of  Alvin  Keller),  Prances  0.  (wife  of  Edwin  Clark), 
Helen  L.  (wife  of  Willis  Alexander),  Ann  E.  (wife  of  Timothy 
Newell),  and  Caroline  F.  (wife  of  Mark  Jolinson).  In  the 
year  1842  (September  20)  Mrs.  Park  died,  and  in  April  of 


the  year  following  he  married  again,  taking  for  his  companion, 
Betsey  Parent.  The  fruits  of  this  union  were  two  children, 
Theodore  H.  and  Catharine  E.,  both  of  whom  died  at  an  early 
age.  On  December  4,  18G7,  Mr.  Park  was  again  bereaved  by 
the  death  of  his  wife.  The  hand  of  the  fell  destroyer  had  fallen 
heavily  on  his  household,  having  taken  from  him  five  of  his 
children,  and  twice  robbed  him  of  his  beloved  companion. 

In  politics  Dr.  Park  was  originally  a  Whig ;  subsequently  a 
Democrat.  Although  in  no  sense  a  politician,  he  was  several 
times  elected  to  the  office  of  supervisor,  fulfilling  the  duties  of 
the  same  with  great  credit  to  himself,  and  to  the  entire  .satisfac- 
tion of  his  constituents. 

He  died  at  his  home  in  Lafiiyette,  June  17,  1873,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  seventy  years. 

Thus  lived  and  died  a  man  eminent  in  his  profession,  and 
benevolent  and  generous  in  his  relations  as  a  citizen.  As  a 
physician  he  never  turned  away  a  poor  patient ;  and  in  tlie 
social  walks  of  life  he  was  known  as  a  friend  to  humanity,  often 
involving  himself  financially  to  assist  his  less  fortunate  neigh- 
bors. In  the  family  circle  he  was  much  loved  and  revered,  and 
his  death  was  deeply  mourned  by  his  children. 


i'h<>t.«.  by  W.  V.  lUnger,  Syniciiac 


ALBERT    BECK EH. 


ChoB.  W.  Iloyt  was  Ixtrn  in  the  town  of  Fompey,  Onondaga 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  IH04.  His  father  came  to  tliis  county  in  1798. 
His  family  consisted  of  eight  children,  viz.,  Kzokiel,  David, 
Polly,  Philander,  Epenctus,  Jane,  Charlotte,  anii  ('.  W.,  the 
only  ono  of  this  family  livin;^.  His  father  was  a  captain  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  and  drew  a  pension  until  his  death.  Chas. 
W.  Hoyt,  (he  suhjeel  of  this  sketch,  was  united  in  marriage, 
in  1H24,  to  Miss  Harriet,  daughter  of  Ezra  and  Mary  Knapp. 
Of  this  marriage  were  born  three  children,  viz.,  Charles,  Austin, 
anil  Harriet.  The  sons  are  now  living,  and  located  near  their 
father.  In  IS  12  he  was  married,  the  second  time,  to  Mi.ss 
Mary  Knapp,  sister  to  his  first  wife.  Of  this  marriage  was 
l>orn  tlirce  children,  viz.,  Lottie,  Julia,  and  Nellie,  two  of 
whom  arc  living.  Among  the  old  men  of  this  county,  few,  if 
any,  ean  look  back  upon  a  life  of  so  much  hard  labor  as  Chan. 
W.  Hoyt,  having  cleared  of  the  original  forest,  aud  caused  to 
be  cleared,  a  great  many  acres  of  land. 

Like  many  other  men  who  were,  aiid  are  now,  the  bone  and 
fnimc-work  of  the  country,  he  now  lives,  in  his  seventy-fourth 
year,  one  of  the  few  old  living  landmarks  of  our  country's 
pioneers,  surrounded  with  kind  children  to  smooth  his  pathway 
as  his  time  of  relea.se  fmm  earth  draws  near,  having  led  a 
life  of  integrity  and  uprightness  of  character,  honored  by  all 
who  know  him,  and  at  the  writing  of  this  brief  sketch  bids 
fair  for  more  yean*  of  usefulness  to  his  friends. 


Albert  Bpckor  wns  born  in  the  town  of  Ilnlf-Moon,  SanitoKa  Co.,  N.  Y., 
in  the  yp»r  1797.  He  rt-t'civcil  n  ronitnon-ffolM»o|  nJucaliun,  and  tn  tbc 
jcur  18?8  moved  tii  linfiiycllr,  OnuiMlngn  Co..  N.  Y.,  whrrp  hi*  bitughl  » 
scvrntvfivc  tu-rv  furm  of  wild  liiiid,  whirli  hr  clrnrrd  with  Win  own  bandu, 
and  built  upon  it  a  l<>^  h<iupu  which  had  only  one  door  and  twu  windowa, 
each  consiflling  4if  four  li){hli<  9<'vi>n  by  niiir.  In  this  hutnblf  home  Uv 
lived  six  yt>nrt>,  whfii  he  built  u  nrw  fnimi'  hou^e.  which  ia  now  owned  br 
Henry  I'rniner.  lu  the  year  If*IS  he  married  Miw  Ciithtirine  (iueway.  of 
Snniloji^a  county.  The  rei>ult  of  tliix  union  wax  three  children,  vii., 
r>iiniel,  Jnnien.  and  Mary.  l>anicl  i9  proprietor  of  a  fine  jewelry  liturc  at 
Syriicuse.  and  JnnieK  i^  living  n  retired  life  in  Lafayetle  village,  and  li 
one  uf  its  ntoiit  prominent  and  rc^ptN^ted  citit<-n^.  For  htii  recnnd  wife 
he  married  .Mi^f  I'urker,  of  Onondugn  County.  Mr.  Becker  wait  ju"lice 
uf  tbc  pence  fur  f<everul  ycaTH.  and  gave  excellent  »i\tii>ftic(ion  by  hi«  clear 
an<t  impartial  dts.MitionM.  He  has  resided  in  Syracuse  city  for  about 
twenty-eight  yenr«.  and  has  been  in  the  Jewelry  busincf>s  until  a  few  ycAri 
("ince.  when  he  went  into  retired  life. 

Ak  a  buHinefs  man.  be  hiui  alwuy.i  been  just  in  his  transactions  with  the 

ftubtic.  I>oing  unto  olheri*  n»  be  would  have  them  do  unto  him  has  l>epn 
lis  grand  guide  throughout  life.  Kind,  genemus,  aud  humane,  he  daily 
Iiraclices  thenc  lovely  Chrif^lian  virtues,  which  create  sunshine  wherever 
le  move!i. 

Allhoiigh  in  hiii  eighty-first  year,  yet  his  step  is  as  firm  and  elastic  iu 
ever,  and  his  mind  us  clear  as  if  he  was  in  the  prime  of  manhood.  His 
path  down  to  the  grave  is  being  strewn  with  the  beautiful  flowers  of 
filial  luve  and  veneration.  With  his  eyes  turned  towards  heaven,  he 
is  prepared  at  a  moment's  notice  to  bo  rt'ceived  to  the  bosom  of  his 
divinity. 

Jaur8  ItKrKRit  was  born  in  Saratoga  Co..  N.  Y..  .\pril  10,  ISIS,  and  was 
the  eldest  in  the  family  uf  three  children  of  Albert  and  Catharine  Becker. 
In  1828  hi«  father  moved  to  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  ami  located  upon  a 
farm  two  miles  north  of  the  village  of  I^afayette,  where  be  remained  eight 
years,  and  then  removed  In  a  farm  a  short  distance  south  of  the  same 
village.  James  Becker  obtained  a  good  cominon-schoul  education,  which 
lai<l  the  foundation  uf  his  future  succesi>ful  bupinc^s  career,  and  lived 
with  his  father  until  Oct.  27,  IS-ll,  when  be  married  Miss  Kolher,  the 
daughter  of  Kli  an<i  Suxan  Bryant.  They  had  burn  to  them  four  chil- 
dren, viz.,  .\lbert,  Florence.  Charles  C,  and  a  daughter  who  died  before 
having  been  christened,  all  of  whoni  except  Albert  are  ilead.  Mr.  Becker, 
soon  after  his  marriage,  bought  bif^  father's  farm,  which  he  cultivated 
very  successfully  until  April  1,  1S53,  when  he  moved  to  Syracuse,  and 
engaged  in  the  jewelry  i>usiness.  which  he  followed  seventeen  years, 
with  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  patrons.  Longing  fur  the  quiet 
rural  life  to  which  he  hml  been  accustomed  in  early  life,  he  retired  to 
I>afnyclte  village  in  1871*,  where  he  now  resides.  His  wife  died  on  the 
2rith  of  March.  1875.  and  in  I87fi  he  marrie4l.  fur  bis  sccoml  wife.  Cordelia 
K..  daughter  uf  Charles  C.  and  Cnily  Andrews.  Mr.  Becker  is  one  of  the 
leading  citiiens  of  the  place  in  which  he  resides :  is  a  Republican,  and 
has  been  an  active  member  of  the  Cungregatiunal  church  for  fi>rty 
years. 

A  out  of  his  residence,  antl  imrtraits  of  himself  and  wives,  can  bo  seen 
by  referring  to  another  pftgc  of  this  work. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


361 


Caleb  Green  and  Erastus  Baker  owned  and  gave 
(each  half  of )  the  lot  now  used  for  the  Public 
Square.  Asahel  Smith,  Charles  Jackson  and  Gen. 
Hall,  were  Justices  of  the  Peace.  The  latter 
served  a  number  of  years  before  LaFayette  was 
erected  into  a  town.  Col.  Johnson  Hall,  son  of 
Gen.  Hall,  was  Sheriff  of  the  county  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Legislature.  As  a  merchant,  he 
carried  on  an  extensive  business  at  the  village. 
Stoughton  Morse  first  opened  a  little  store  in  con- 
nection with  his  hotel  in  1805.  Then  followed 
Asahel  Smith  in  i8i2-'iz}.  He  ran  a  distillery 
during  the  war  of  1812,  and  bought  cattle  and  pro- 
visions for  the  soldiers,  which  he  sent  to  Sackett's 
Harbor  and  Grenadier  Island.  After  the  war 
Judge  Hall  was  the  merchant  of  the  place. 

Amos  Palmeter  settled  one  mile  south  of  La- 
Fayette Square  about  1803. 

Mr.  James  Sherman,  who,  together  with  Solomon 
Owen,  first  settled  in  Sherman  Hollow,  was  the 
father  of  Dr.  J.  De  Blois  and  Joseph  Sherman. 
The  former  was  at  one  time  a  prominent  physician 
at  Pompey  Hill  ;  the  latter,  a  Justice  of  the  Peace 
from  1830  to  1840.  Reuben  Bryan,  Amasa  Wright, 
Samuel  Hyatt,  James  Pierce  and  Amaziah  Branch 
have  been  referred  to  as  old  settlers.  The  last 
named  was  the  first  school  teacher  in  the  Hollow- 
and  at  LaFayette  Village.  He  died  of  nightmare 
at  Dr.  S.  W.  Park's  about  1818.  He  came  from 
Massachusetts,  was  poor  but  well  educated,  and  in 
character  one  of  the  best  of  men. 

Charles  Johnson,  at  Sherman  Hollow,  carried  on 
blacksmithing  for  over  fifty  years,  working  industri- 
ously at  his  anvil  to  a  short  time  prior  to  his  death 
in  1876. 

VILLAGE  OF  LA  FAYETTE. 

This  little  hamlet  lies  about  one  mile  west  of  the 
Syracuse,  Binghamton  and  New  York  Railroad  at 
Onativia,  or  LaFayette  Station.  It  contains  about 
twenty  dwellings,  a  postoffice,  a  church,  a  hotel, 
three  stores  and  two  blacksmith  shops. 

Among  the  oldest  settlers  are  C.  W.  Hoyt,  Caleb 
B.  Jackson,  James  Baker,  Luther  Baker  and  L. 
O.  Hill. 

Mr.  George  W.  Mclntyre,  the  present  Supervisor 
and  Postmaster,  is  also  a  merchant  in  the  village  ; 
so  also  is  Mr.  Timothy  Newell,  who  is  doing  a 
prosperous  business. 

This  village  is  adjacent  to  the  station,  Onativia, 
and  is  very  pleasantly  situated  in  the  midst  of  a 
picturesque  and  productive  country. 

Uncas  Lodge  No.  121,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  char- 
tered July  4,  185 1.  The  charter  members  were  Dr. 
60* 


Elijah  Park,  Anson  A.  Avery,  Ambrose  Sniffin, 
Henry  Pierce,  A.  H.  Share  and  Justin  Rhodes. 
Meetings  held  every  Thursday  evening  in  their 
hall  in  LaFayette.  Present  officers,  N.  G.,  William 
M.  Gage  ;  V.  G.,  Charles  I.  Davis  ;  R.  S.,  John  H. 
Northway. 

Enterprise  Lodge,  K.  of  P.,  organized  March 
9,  1874.  Charter  officers,  C.  C,  E.  J.  Stearns ;  V. 
C,  F.  J.  Farrington  ;  K.  of  Records,  James  H. 
Sniffin  ;  M.  A.,  R.  S.  Park.  Meetings  held  every 
Saturday  evening  in  Pythias  Hall,  Cardiff.  Present 
officers,  Charles  Morgan,  C.  C.  ;  E.  G.  Wright,  V. 
C.  ;  E.  E.  Angel,  K.  of  R.  and  P.  ;  B.  L.  Wright, 
Prelate  ;  S.  W.  Wright,  Post  C.  C. 

Congregational  Church  of  LaFayette. — 
At  an  early  day  meetings  were  held  in  private 
houses  by  Mr.  Amaziah  Branch,  assisted  occasion- 
ally by  missionaries  and  traveling  ministers.  The 
result  of  these  meetings  was  the  organization  of 
the  Congregational  Church  by  Rev.  Benjamin  Bell 
in  October,  1809,  at  the  public  house  kept  by 
Stoughton  Morse.  The  church  comprised  the  fol- 
lowing persons,  viz  :  Deacon  Noah  Hoyt,  Deacon 
Nathan  Abbott,  Apollos  Hewitt,  Esq.,  Ezekiel 
Hoyt,  Philander  Hoyt,  Anna  Baker,  Polly  Hoyt, 
Mary  Hoyt,  Esther  Maxwell,  Sally  Danforth,  Anna 
Hewitt,  Rebecca  Bates,  Sally  Baker,  Corrinna 
Abbott  and  Acsah  Johnson.  Since  that  time  the 
following  preachers  and  pastors  have  served  this 
charge  :    Revs.    E.  J.  Leavenworth,  three    years ; 

Hopkins,  three  years  ;  Martin  Powell,  seven 

years  ;  Rev.  Childs  of  Auburn,  Rev.  A.  H.  Corn- 
ing, four  years;  Rev.  Seth  Smalley,  two  and  a  half 
years  ;  Rev.  Absalom  K.  Barr,  two  years  ;  Rev. 
Parshall  Terry,  three  years  ;  Rev.  George  Delevan, 
Revs.  Moody  Harrington,  H.  Frasier,  M.  M.  Wake- 
man,  R,  C.  Allison,  Charles  Jones,  C.  A.  Ruddock, 
George  A.  Miller,  and  Lewis  Jessup.  In  1819-20 
a  commodious  church  edifice  was  erected  in  the 
Village  of  LaFayette,  which  was  repaired  and 
modernized.  In  1846  a  session  house  was  erected  at 
a  cost  of  $600,  which  was  used  until  1861,  when  the 
building  was  sold  and  the  present  session  house 
erected  at  a  cost  of  ^r.ooo.  This  hall  is  used  for 
lectures  and  as  a  town  hall.  The  church  buildine. 
session  room,  cemetery  and  parsonage  are  the 
property  of  the  Columbian  Society,  which  was  or- 
ganized in  the  year  1804,  composed  of  the  citizens 
of  the  village  and  vicinity,  not  necessarily  members 
of  the  church.  The  property  owned  by  this  society, 
aside  from  the  cemetery,  is  valued  at  six  thousand 
five  hundred  dollars. 

The  officers  of  this  society  are  LeRoy  S.  Baker, 
Luther   Baker  and  Philander  Hoyt,  Trustees,  and 


362 


HISTORY  OK  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


D.  F.  n.  Baker,  Clerk.  The  church  Deacons  are 
Caleb  H.  Jackson,  and  L.  R.  Gaylord ;  Clerk,  G.  L. 
Hoyt.  The  present  membership  of  the  church  is 
seventy  one.  Sabbath  School  attendance  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five. 

C  AUDI  FT. 

The  village  or  hamlet  of  Cardiff  lies  on  the  Syra- 
cuse and  TuUy  turnpike,  in  the  western  part  of  the 
town  of  LaFayette.  It  is  two  and  a  half  or  three 
miles  west  of  the  railroad  station  at  Onativia,  and 
contains  about  thirty  houses,  three  stores,  one 
church,  a  hotel,  a  grist  mill,  a  postoffice  and  two 
wagon  shops.  R.  S.  Park,  merchant  and  postmas- 
ter. Mr.  Park  is  also  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Wil- 
liam H.  Hoyt,  dealer  in  merchandise  and  produce. 
The  Cardiff  Hotel,  (temperance,)  is  kept  by  Ed- 
ward Crownhart.  A  shop  for  the  manufacture  of 
wagons,  carriages  and  sleighs  has  been  carried  on 
here  since  i860  by  Mr.  Volney  A.  Houghton. 

Cardiff  Mills. 

The  Flouring  Mills  were  erected  in  1839,  at  a  cost 
of  $5,000  by  J.  F.  Card,  who  ran  it  for  many  years 
with  water-power.  About  si.xteen  years  ago  it 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Edward  Voigt,  who  erected 
a  saw-mill  and  put  in  gang-saws,  also  added  steam 
power  at  a  cost  of  $4,000.  In  March,  1877,  it  was 
purchased  by  George  Dermon,  and  run  by  him  un- 
til April,  1878,  when  the  entire  property  was  con- 
sumed by  fire. 

EitENEZER  Methodist  Ei'iscopal  Church  of 
Cardiff. — Meetings  were  held  at  the  house  of  Zc- 
nas  Northway  as  early  as  1825,  about  which  time  a 
class  was  organized.  Among  the  prominent  work- 
ers at  that  time  were  John  Spencer,  Uriel  Coleman, 
D.  Sniffin,  Grandus  Cuddeback,  Reuben  Wright, 
Annanias  Wcscott  and  John  Bottle.  In  1825,  the 
first  church,  built  at  Cardiff  on  the  site  of  the  pres- 
ent church  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $  i ,000.  But  in 
1857  the  church  was  burned  and  the  same  season 
the  present  church  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $2,400, 
being  dedicated  in  December,  1857,  under  the  minis- 
tration of  D.  W.  Bristol,?  D.  D.  Rev.  Benjamin 
D.  Sniffin  and  Joseph  Cross,  D.  D.,  began  their 
religious  life  in  this  church.  The  present  mem- 
bership is  one  hundred  and  twenty,  and  Sabbath 
School  attendance,  one  hundred.  The  present  pas- 
tor is  Rev.  L.  Northway,  under  whose  ministration 
large  accessions  to  the  church  have  been  made  and 
deep  religious  feeling  awakened. 

The  Collingwood  Mills,  in  the  town  of  La- 
Fayette, situated  on  Butternut  Creek,  owned  and 
managed   by  J.  D.  Palmer,  consist  of  a  grist  and 


flouring  mill,  built  about  thirty-five  years  since  by 
the  late  Calvin  Cole,  at  a  cost  of  about  $6,000,  and 
a  saw  mill.  The  mill  property  was  purchased  by 
A.  R.  Palmer  in  1862,  and  repaired  in  1874  at  an  ex- 
pense of  $2,700.  In  1875  the  present  proprietor  pur- 
chased the  mills  and  water  power,  and  in  1876  re- 
built the  saw  mill  and  lath  works  at  an  additional 
cost  of  $1,800.  The  capacity  of  the  saw  mill  is, 
(With  three  hands,)  about  1,000  feet  of  lumber  an 
hour,  and  the  grist  mill  has  three  run  of  stones,  and 
the  other  necessary  machinery  for  a  first  class  busi- 
ness.    The  mills  are  driven  by  water-power. 


BioGi\APHicj\L  Sketches. 


LUTHER  BAKER. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  the  town 
of  LaFayette,  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  February 
9,  1 8 14.  His  father,  Seth  Baker,  came  from 
Northampton,  Mass.,  in  1805  and  settled  in  Onon- 
daga County.  Luther  was  brought  up  on  the  farm, 
attending  the  district  school  winters  and  assisting 
his  father  on  the  farm  summers.  He  married  in 
1840,  Miss  Diana  M.,  daughter  of  Eli  and  Susan 
liryant,  of  Hampshire  County,  Mass.  They  had 
one  child.  Flora  D.,  who  was  born  June  7,  1850 
and  died  August  27,  1871,  mourned  by  a  large 
circle  of  friends,  who  esteemed  her  for  many  noble 
qualities  of  mind  and  heart. 

Mr.  Baker  has  always  followed  farmin;;  as  an  oc- 
cupation, and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  farm- 
ers in  his  town.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and 
has  always  earnestly  labored  for  the  success  of 
Republican  principles.  For  many  years  he  has 
been  an  active  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  liberally  subscribing  to  every  benevolent 
object  worthy  of  his  support.  He  is  enjoying  good 
health,  and  is  apparently  surrounded  with  every 
comfort  which  tends  to  brighten  his  declining 
years. 


MORRIS  BAKER. 

Mr.  Baker  was  born  in  Northampton,  Mass ,  Dec. 
22,  1801,  and  is  a  son  of  Seth  Baker.  He  received 
a  good  business  education,  and  began  farming  when 
quite  young.  He  married  Julia  A.,  daughter  of 
Eli  Bryant,  February  11.  1833,  by  whom  he  had 
three  children,  viz :  Nelson  Morris,  born  May  7, 
1836,  graduated  from    Hamilton   College  in   1862, 


I 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Orange  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Jan.  21,  1797.  He  moved,  with  his  father,  Simeon  Thomas, 
into  the  town  of  Lafayette,  which  was  then  a  part  of  Onondaga 
township,  in  the  spring  of  1817,  thiis  being  an  early  settler. 
He  entered  into  the  unbroken  forest,  and  began  to  make  for 
himself  a  home.  He  contended  successfully  against  all  the 
hardships  of  a  pioneer  life,  wild  beasts  included. 

On  Jan.  21, 1819,  he  married  Laura,  daughter  of  Paul  King, 
also  an  early  comer  into  this  county.  By  this  union  there  were 
bom  ten  children,  nine  of  whom  are  now  living.  His  father 
gave  him  fifty  acres  of  good  land,  to  which,  by  industry  and 
economy,  being  also  assisted  by  a  moat  excellent  wife,  he  added 
three  hundred  and  fifty  acres  more.  This  enabled  him  to  give 
to  each  of  his  sons  a  good  farm.  He  planted  the  first  apple- 
orchard  in  his  part  of  the  town.  He  is  remembered  as  being 
forward  in  the  development  of  the  country,  in  town  improve- 
ments, the  establishment  of  schools,  and  the  support  of  religion. 
He  and  his  wife  were  consistent  members  of  the  Congregational 
church.  He  would  not  accept  town  oflSce,  but  being  an  efficient 
and  trustworthy  man  of  business  was  oft«n  employed  to  settle 
estates.  He  was  often  on  the  grand  jury,  but  always  discouraged 
litigation,  and  prevented  many  lawsuits.  He  died,  in  the  midst 
of  his  usefulness,  May  29,  1865.  In  the  words  of  a  fellow- 
townsman,  "  Ho  was  an  honest  man,  a  good  citizen,  and  cannot 
be  too  highly  commended." 

Of  the  two  sons  who  insert  this  sketch,  Harrison  resides 
upon  the  farm  redeemed  from  the  wilderness  by  his  father's 
hands,  and  Albert  upon  a  large  farm  adjoining.  They  are  excel- 
lent farmers,  shrewd,  upright  business  men;  not  aspiring  to 
office,  but  highly  respected  citizens. 


Avery  F.  Palmer,  son  of  Kowland  Pahner,  was  born  Feb. 
2,  1795,  in  Stonington,  Conn.  In  his  youth  he  came  with 
his  parents  to  Otsego  county,  and  from  there,  in  the  spring  of 
1815,  to  Lafayette,  then  a  part  of  Pompey  township.  His 
father  about  that  time  was  drum-major  in  the  American  army. 
He  immediately  engaged  in  farming,  and  followed  that  avoca- 
tion all  his  life ;  but  was  also  widely  known  as  Dr.  Pahner, 
having  become  a  veterinary  surgeon  with  an  extensive  practice. 
He  was  an  officer  of  the  militia,  but  declined  town  office.  By 
his  advice  and  influence  many  a  dispute  tending  to  a  lawsuit 
was  amicably  settled.  He  was  often  called  upon  to  administer 
upon  and  settle  estates.  He  was  married  to  Sarah,  daughter  of 
Richard  Bailey,  of  Pompey,  Feb.  21,  1819.  To  them  were 
born  eight  chDdren,  six  of  whom  are  now  living.  He  and 
his  wife  were  for  many  years  consistent  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist church.  He  died,  after  a  life  of  usefulness,  Dec.  17, 
1873. 

His  sons  insert  this  sketch,  two  of  whom.  Rev.  Avery  R.  and 
Dr.  Stewart  B.,  reside  in  Onondaga  County.  Avery  R.  is  a 
Baptist  clergyman  in  Lafayette.  He  inherit*  his  father's  busi- 
ness talents.  He  is  oft«n  called  upon  to  settle  estates.  For 
years  he  held  the  office  of  supervisor  of  Lafayette ;  was  also 
superintendent  of  the  penitentiary,  and,  as  a  justice  of  the  peaoe, 
settled  disputes  without  issuing  a  single  summons. 

Stewart  B.  is  a  well-known  dentist  in  Syracuse,  and  is  also 
known  as  an  able  writer  upon  subjects  allied  to  his  profession. 


^     -"^l      v       «-    '^1.-\ 


HoMEff  Case. 


Mffs  Homer  Case. 


PHOTOS  er  w  V.  RuNonf.Symcusz. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


363 


read  law  in  Syracuse,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
April  7,  1864,  and  died  March  18,  1872;  Anna 
Minerva  ;  Byron  Watts,  born  Dec.  15,  1842,  gradu- 
ated from  Hamilton  College  in  1866  with  high 
honors,  but  died  soon  after  coming  home. 

Mr.  Baker  strove  as  every  father  should  to  give 
his  children  a  liberal  education,  and  has  always 
taken  a  deep  interest  in  raising  the  educational 
standard  of  his  town.  He  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  Church  for  fifty-four  years,  and 
a  Republican  in  politics  since  the  organization  of 
that  party.  He  is  classed  as  one  of  the  most 
prominent  and  influential  citizens  of  LaFayette. 
Few  men  have  been  more  upright  in  their  business 
transactions  with  the  world. 


HOMER  CASE. 


Homer  Case  was  born  in  the  town   of   Pompey, 
August  5,  1828,  and  is  a  son  of  Norris  and  Olive 


Case.  In  early  life  Mr.  Case  obtained  a  good  busi- 
ness education  at  the  common  schools  ;  and  in  1854 
married  Miss  Louisa  E.,  daughter  of  Benj.  Adams. 
Immediately  after  marriage  he  commenced  farming 
and  continued  that  pursuit  uninterruptedly  until 
Dec,  1861.  At  this  date  he  entered  the  service  of 
his  country  as  a  volunteer  in  the  12th  New  York 
Regiment  of  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  fifteen 
months,  or  until  August  30,  1862,  when  he  was 
wounded  resulting  in  the  loss  of  one  of  his  limbs. 
Upon  his  return  home,  he  was  appointed  station- 
agent  at  LaFayette  Village,  which  position  he  still 
retains,  being  considered  one  of  the  most  courteous 
and  trustworthy  officials  on  the  road. 

His  first  wife  died  June  21,  1856,  and  he  married 
for  his  second  wife,  Miss  Emily  I.,  daughter  of  Jay 
and  Ann  Morgan,  Feb.  5,  1872.  Mr.  Case  is  an 
old  Jeffersonian  Democrat,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
loyal  supporters  of  the  Union  during  its  hour  of 
greatest  peril. 


MANLIUS, 


Manlius,  originally  Township  number  seven  of 
the  Military  Tract,  became  one  of  the  towns  of 
Onondaga  County  upon  its  organization  in  1794. 
It  was  bounded  north  by  the  township  of  Cicero, 
east  by  the  Oneida  Reservation,  south  by  Pompey, 
and  west  by  Onondaga  Creek  and  Lake,  in- 
cluding all  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs  Reserva- 
tion north  of  the  old  Genesee  Road  and  east  of 
Onondaga  Creek,  comprising  all  the  present  towns 
of  Manlius,  DeWitt,  part  of  Onondaga,  and  part  of 
Salina,  as  laid  out  in  1809.  It  was  reduced  to  its 
present  limits  in  1835.  Lot  No.  7  of  the  original 
township  of  Manlius,  containing  six  hundred  acres, 
and  drawn  by  the  Literature  Fund,  was  transferred 
to  the  township  of  Cicero,  and  registered  as  Lot 
100  in  that  township,  there  being  originally,  by  a 
mistake  in  the  survey,  but  ninety-nine  lots  in 
Cicero.  Lot  100  in  Cicero  being  drawn  by  a 
soldier,  it  was  deemed  necessary  to  supply  that  lot 
from  a  portion  of  the  territory  of  Manlius  ;  the 
transferrence  of  Lot  No.  7,  adjoining  Lot  No.  99 
in  Cicero,  was  accordingly  made,  and  thus  the 
soldier's  land  was  secured  to  him,  although  Manlius 
lost  one  lot  of  her  territory. 

The  water-courses  in  the  town  are  Limestone  and 
Butternut  Creeks,  forming  a  junction  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  town  and  emptying  into  Chittenango 


Creek,  which  forms  the  northeastern  boundary  of  the 
town.  The  Limestone  enters  the  town  on  its  south- 
ern boundary  in  two  branches,  the  East  and  West,  the 
eastern  branch  passing  through  Manlius  Village. 

This  town  has  a  surface  of  great  variety,  and  con- 
tains some  of  the  most  picturesque  and  beautiful 
scenery  in  the  county.  South  of  the  Village  of 
Manlius  on  both  branches  of  Limestone  Creek  are 
falls  which  not  only  furnish  excellent  sites  for  mills 
and  machinery,  but  which  have  become  noted  as 
places  of  resort.  The  fall  on  the  East  Branch  is 
the  larger  and  more  important  of  the  two,  the 
channel  at  the  edge  of  the  precipice  being  about 
forty-five  feet  broad,  and  the  width  of  the  rocky 
chasm  below  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet. 
The  fall,  including  about  twenty  feet  descent  of  the 
rapids  above,  is  about  eighty-five  feet  ;  the  banks 
rocky  and  precipitous,  formed  of  different  strata  of 
limestone.  On  the  West  Branch  the  falls  are 
nearly  the  same  height,  though  the  stream  is  nar- 
rower and  there  is  much  less  volume  of  water. 

On  Lot  56,  three  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Man- 
lius Village,  are  the  famous  Green  Lakes  or  Green 
Ponds.  There  are  two  of  these  lakes  or  ponds, 
tied  together  by  a  small  filament  of  water,  which 
has  given  rise  to  the  name  sometimes  applied  to 
them,  "  Siamese  Green  Lakes." 


364 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Distinguished  geologists  think  that  the  deep 
green  color  of  the  water  is  owing  to  the  partial 
decomposition  of  the  sulphurcled  hydrogen  which 
it  holds  in  solution. 

The  famous  Deep  Spring  of  Indian  notoriety  is 
situated  on  the  county  line  about  three  and  a  half 
miles  east  of  Manlius  Village.  It  is  not  only  a 
natural  curiosity,  but  a  place  of  historic  interest. 
Near  it  passed  the  Indian  trail  from  the  Oneidas 
to  the  Onondagas,  before  the  advent  of  the  white 
man,  as  also  the  first  road  laid  out  in  the  county. 
It  was  the  starting  place  of  all  the  old  surveys  of 
the  Oneida  Reservation  and  is  noted  on  all  the  old 
maps  of  the  Surveyor  General.  It  was  a  noted 
watering  place  for  persons  moving  to  the  western 
country,  and  the  trees  forming  a  shade  about  the 
place  were  carved  with  names,  initials  and  dates. 
One  of  the  dates  on  an  ancient  beech  tree  is  1793. 
At  this  spring  during  the  Revolution  a  scouting 
party  of  si.x  white  men  from  Fort  Schuyler  was 
surprised  and  killed  by  the  Indians. 

A  considerable  number  of  Sulphur  Springs  exist 
in  the  town — one  a  short  distance  south  of  Manlius 
Village,  containing  sulphureted  hydrogen,  carbonic 
acid,  sulphate  of  soda,  sulphate  of  magnesia,  car- 
bonate of  iron  and  carbonate  of  lime. 

The  cavern  known  as  the  "  Ice  Hole','  in  this 
town,  is  near  the  northwest  corner  of  Lot  sixty- 
nine,  and  is  a  cavity  some  fifty  or  sixty  feet  in  depth, 
containing  ice  the  whole  year  round. 

Eaklv  Settlement.  ' 

The  first  white  settler  in  the  original  township  of 
Manlius.  was  IJenjamin  Morehouse,  in  1789  ;  in  the 
present  town,  the  first  settlement  was  made  by 
David  Tripp,  who  brought  his  family  here  from 
Ralston,  Saratoga  County,  in  1790,  and  lived  in  a 
log  cabin  about  a  mile  northwest  of  Manlius  Village. 
The  difficulty  of  subsisting  at  that  time  in  a  place 
so  remote  from  settlements  was  painfully  expe- 
rienced by  Mr.  Tripp  and  his  family,  who,  iluring  a 
period  of  three  months,  were  obliged  to  live  on 
roots  and  milk,  with  the  addition  of  a  single  bushel 
of  corn  which  he  procured  at  Herkimer  and  brought 
home  on  his  back.  His  father,  an  old  man, 
who  was  an  inmate  of  the  cabin,  died  in  1792, 
and  his  was  the  first  death  and  burial  of  a  white 
person  in  the  town. 

The  first  neighbor  of  Mr.  Tripp,  in  the  imme- 
diate settlement,  was  Conrad  Lower.  He  erected 
the  first  frame  house  in  the  town  in  1792.  The 
floor-boards  of  his  house  were  brought  from  Pala- 
tine, on  the  Mohawk  ;  the  rest  from  Danforth'smill. 
His  son  made  a  trip  to  Oriskany,  thirty-three  miles 


east,  for  nails,  and  returned  with  forty-six  pounds  on 
his  back. 

Among  other  settlers  prior  to  the  begmning  of 
this  century  may  be  named  Caleb  Pratt  and  William 
Ward,  both  of  the  same  year,  1793.  Mr.  Pratt  suf- 
fered unusual  hardships.  Mr.  Ward  settled  on  Lot 
97,  all  of  which  he  owned  in  1794.  He  was  the 
first  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  the  town  upon  the 
organization  of  the  county.  The  first  grist  and 
saw-mills  in  the  town  of  Manlius  as  now  organized, 
were  built  by  him  on  Limestone  Creek. 

Captain  Joseph  Williams,  from  Connecticut,  came 
in  1795,  and  bou^jht  his  land  at  twenty  shillings  an 
acre.  He  became  a  wealthy  man,  and  lived  long  to 
enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  labors. 

Col.  Elijah  Phillips  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers. 
He  settled  on  the  farm  owned  at  a  later  day  by 
Peter  R.  Reed,  and  held  a  distinguished  position 
among  the  early  settlers  of  the  county. 

Organ'ization  of  the  Town, 

The  first  inhabitants  of  the  town  were  chiefly 
from  New  England. 

Scattering  families  located  in  different  parts  of 
the  town  from  1790  to  1793,  but  it  was  not  till 
1794,  the  date  of  the  organization  of  the  county, 
that  Manlius  had  acquired  much  of  a  name  abroad. 
In  that  year  settlers  began  to  look  towards  it  as  a 
suitable  and  desirable  place  of  residence. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  tavern  of 
Benjamin  Morehouse,  April  1,  1794.  Cyrus  Kinne, 
Esq.,  was  chosen  Chairman,  and  Levi  Jerome 
Secretary.  The  Supervisor  and  Town  Clerk  were 
chosen  by  ballot,  the  remaining  officers  by  the  up- 
lifted hand.  F"orty-two  votes  were  polled,  probably 
all,  or  nearly  all,  the  voters  of  the  town  being  pres- 
ent and  casting  their  votes.  The  following  list  was 
elected  :  Comfort  Tyler,  Supervisor  ;  Levi  Jerome, 
Town  Clerk  ;  David  Williams  and  Benjamin  More- 
house, Overseers  of  the  Poor  ;  Charles  Merriam, 
Elijah  Phillips  and  Kyal  liingham,  Commissioners 
of  Roads :  Reuben  Patterson,  Ichabod  Lathrop, 
Isaac  Van  Vleck,  William  Ward,  and  Timothy 
Teall,  Assessors  ;  Caleb  Pratt  and  David  IJaker, 
Constables  and  Collectors  ;  Libbeus  Foster,  William 
Ward,  Ichabod  Lathrop,  Reuben  Patterson,  Cyrus 
Kinne,  Ryal  Bingham,  Jeremiah  Jackson,  Gershom 
Breed  and  Lemuel  Hall,  Overseers  of  Roads ; 
Aaron  Wood,  Elijah  Phillips,  John  Danforth  and 
Jeremiah  Jackson,  Fence-Viewers. 

At  this  meeting  it  was  resolved,  "That  no  hog 
shall  go  at  large  without  a  stout  ring  in  his  nose, 
and  a  yoke  about  his  neck,  extending  above  the 
depth  of  his  neck  and  half  the  depth  below."     A 


HlSiDLHCi  or  CURTISS    TWirCHELL.A(->'..iu4,0».ot.i)Ao>i  Coonjf.H  Y 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


36s 


bounty  of  four  pounds  was  ordered  to  be  paid  for 
the  scalp  of  a  full-grown  wolf  presented  by  any  per- 
son to  the  Supervisor,  and  thirty  shillings  for  the 
scalp  of  any  one  under  one  year  old. 

Charles  Mosely,  Daniel  Campbell  and  Isaac  Van 
Vleck  were  the  first  School  Commissioners  chosen 
for  the  town,  in  1797.  A  Special  Committee  was 
chosen  to  cooperate  with  the  Commissioners,  and 
directed  to  divide  the  town  into  school  districts. 
The  Committee  was  composed  of  Gershom  Breed, 
Elijah  Phillips,  Jeremiah  Jackson  and  Caleb  Pratt. 
The  records  show  no  regular  proceedings  of  these 
Commissioners  or  Committeemen,  and  the  first 
organization  of  the  school  districts  was  very  im- 
perfectly made  in  1810  and  i8ii,butin  1835,  a 
more  systematic  organization  was  effected. 

Lot  No.  74,  Manlius,  had  been  set  apart  by  the 
Surveyor- General  for  gospel  and  school  purposes, 
and  finally  sold  by  the  town  May  2,  18 14,  for  ^12,- 
114.42.  When  DeWitt  was  set  off  from  Manlius 
the  school  fund  was  divided  and  Manlius  received 
for  its  share  $7,752.42,  the  annual  income  of  which 
was  divided  among  the  school  districts. 

In  1793  Elijah  Phillips  leased  the  property  known 
as  the  "  Old  Mills,"  of  a  Mr.  Hamilton,  of  Albany, 
for  a  term  of  sixty  years  Mr.  Phillips,  David 
Williams,  Aaron  Wood  and  Walter  Worden,  erected 
here  the  first  saw-mill  in  the  town.  David  Wil- 
liams soon  sold  his  share  to  Phineas  Stevens  for 
si.xty  acres  of  land.  In  1796,  Butler  &  Phillips 
built  a  grist  mill  a  little  above  the  bridge.  Cloth- 
ing works  and  an  oil  mill  were  put  in  operation 
afterward  by  Deacon  Dunham,  and  stores  were 
kept  there,  first  by  Mr.  Jones,  and  then  by  William 
Warner  in  181 1. 

MANLIUS  VILLAGE. 

The  first  settler,  John  A.  Shaeffer,  a  German, 
established  his  log  cabin  on  the  site  of  Manlius  Vil- 
lage in  1792.  This  log  house  soon  after  became 
the  first  tavern  in  that  village,  with  Mr.  Shaeffer  as 
"  mine  host,"  and  in  1794,  during  the  sojourn  of 
Baron  Steuben  in  this  house  over  night,  the  first 
white  child  of  the  village,  and  son  of  Mr.  Shaeffer, 
was  born.  In  view  of  this  circumstance,  the  child 
was  named  Steuben  Shaeffer,  and  the  generous 
Baron  gave  him  a  deed  of  two  hundred  acres  of  land 
in  the  town  of  Steuben. 

Charles  Mulholland,  from  Ireland,  was  the  next 
inhabitant.  He  built  his  log  house  near  the  resi- 
dence of  Mr  Pendleton. 

The  first  wedding  in  the  village  was  that  of  Nich- 
olas Phillips  and  Caty  Garlock,  solemnized  by 
61 


Simeon  DeWitt,  January  14,   1793.     She  died  in 
1824,  and  Mr.  Phillips  in  1854. 

The  first  frame  house  was  built  by  Conrad  Lower, 
in  1792.  It  stood,  till  a  few  years  ago,  on  the 
dyke  leading  to  Fayetteville,  and  was  many  years 
occupied  by  Salmon  Sherwood. 

The  first  school  house  was  erected  in  1798.  It 
was  of  logs  and  stood  a  little  north  of  Mr.  Castello's 
mill. 

In  1801,  Manlius  Village  had  six  dwellings,  one 
tavern,  one  store,  a  doctor,  lawyer  and  blacksmith. 
It  also  began  this  century  with  a  postoffice,  estab- 
lished in  the  year  1800,  and  was  named  "Liberty 
Square.  This  name  was  soon  changed  to  Manlius 
Square."  In  1804,  the  village  contained  about  thirty 
houses,  and  continuing  to  grow,  became  by  far  the 
most  prominent  business  place  in  the  county. 

In  1 807,  an  important  accession  was  made  to  it  in 
the  advent  of  Azariah  Smith,  who  became  its  leading 
merchant,  and  was  for  forty  years  intimately  identi- 
fied with  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  place. 
Mr.  Smith  was  born  at  Middlefield,  Mass.,  Decem- 
ber 7,  1784.  In  1807,  he  became  clerk  for  his  uncle 
Calvin  Smith,  at  Onondaga  Hill,  and  opened  June 
3d,  1807,  a  store  in  a  frame  building  on  the  south 
side  of  the  turnpike,  nearly  opposite  the  brick  store 
which  he  afterwards  built  and  occupied.  Here  Mr. 
Smith,  after  a  clerkship  of  only  eight  weeks  with 
his  uncle,  entered  upon  his  successful  and  distin- 
guished mercantile  career.  He  subsequently  en- 
tered extensively  into  the  manufacture  of  cotton. 
At  the  time  of  his  decease  he  was  a  trustee  of  the 
District  School  where  he  resided,  a  trustee  of  Man- 
lius Academy,  a  trustee  of  Hamilton  College,  and  a 
trustee  of  Auburn  Theological  Seminary. 

In  1824,  he  was  elected  one  of  the  Presidential 
Electors  and  cast  his  vote  for  John  Ouincy  Adams. 
In  1838-40  he  was  a  member  of  the  State  Legisla- 
ture, and  was  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Claims, 
and  a  member  of  several  of  the  most  important 
Committees.  Mr.  Smith  closed  his  active  and  use- 
ful career  on  the  12th  of  November,  1846,  in  the 
city  of  New  Haven,  whither  he  had  gone  to  avail 
himself  of  medical  assistance. 

Manlius  Village  was  an  important  business  point 
before  the  building  of  the  Erie  Canal,  as  the  trans- 
portation of  merchandise  and  other  goods  to  and 
from  the  east  and  west,  and  the  travel  both  ways 
centered  here  by  the  meeting  of  the  Seneca  and 
Cherry  Valley  turnpikes.  This  transportation  and 
travel  was  at  one  time  so  immense  that  almost 
every  other  house  along  the  road  was  a  tavern. 
There  were  then  six  or  seven  large  public  houses 
between  this  village  and  Chittenango. 


366 


HISTORY  or  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


Manlius  Village  was  for  more  than  twenty  years 
the  center  of  a  large  trade  from  the  surrounding 
country,  and  was  a  driving  business  place  when 
Syracuse  was  a  dreary  swamp.  There  were  a 
dozen  or  more  stores  in  the  place  in  1815. 

The  Manlius  Hranch  Hible  Society  was  organized 
at  the  Presbyterian  Church,  Manlius  Village,  May 
31,  1821.  The  first  officers  of  the  Society  were 
Rev.  H.  N.  Woodruff,  President  ;  Samuel  L.  Ed- 
wards, Secretary  ;  John  Watson,  Treasurer  ;  Eben 
\\  illi.ims,  William  Eager  and  Allen  Breed,  Vice- 
Presidents,  with  twenty-six  District  Directors. 

The  Auxiliary  Hible  and  Common  Prayer  Hook 
Society  for  the  Western  District  of  the  State  of 
New  York,  was  formed  by  the  Episcopalians  at  a 
meeting  in  this  village  January  18,  1815.  Among 
its  officers  were  Rev.  W.  A.  Clark,  Recording  Sec- 
retary ;  Azariah  Smith,  Treasurer  ;  Jas.  O.  Wattles 
and  Ralph  R.  Phelps,  members  of  the  Board  of 
(ten)  Managers 

Rev.  W.  A.  Clark  was  then  a  clergyman  residing 
in  the  village  ;  the  others,  Messrs.  Wattles  and 
Phelps,  were  prominent  citizens.  Mr.  Wattles  was 
Treasurer  tf  the  village  in  1816,  and  ML.  Granger, 
President.  Both  of  their  names  are  attached  to  an 
interesting  note  or  due-bill  issued  by  the  village, 
and  which  has  been  preserved  by  Henry  C.  \'an 
Schaack,  l-lsq.  It  is  in  size  about  five  by  two  inches, 
printed  from  ordinary  type  on  plain  white  paper, 
now  considerably  discolored.  Across  the  right 
hand  margin  is  a  narrow  black  border  having  on  it 
in  white  letters,  "si.\  and  a  quartek  cents."  and 
across  the  left  margin  is  a  narrow  ornamental  bor- 
der.    The  bill  reads  as  follows  : 

"  The  Corporation  of  the  N'illage  of  Manlius 
promises  to  pay  the  bearer  si.\  and  a  (luartcr  16J1 
cents  in  current  bank  bills,  on  demand. 

Manlius,  May  16,  1816. 
J.  O.  Waitles.  Trcas.      M.  L.  Grangek,  Pres't." 

Hczekiah  L.  Granger,  then  President  of  the  vil- 
lage, was  a  distinguished  physician  and  a  gentleman 
of  eminent  talents.  He  was  a  brother  of  Gen.  Amos 
P.  Granger.  In  1814  he  was  a  member  of  Assembly 
for  the  county,  and  in  1819  was  elected  Sheriff. 

Mr.  \'an  Schaack  has  also  a  twenty-five  cent 
bill  issued  by  the  Village  Corporation  after  the 
date  of  the  one  referred  to  above.  At  the  head 
of  it  is  a  spread  eagle,  over  which  are  the  words 
"  State  of  New  York,"  a  rising  sun  at  one  end  and 
a  lion  rampant  at  the  other.     It  reads  thus  : 

"  The  Corporation  of  the  Village  of  Manlius 
promises  to  pay  the  bearer,  on  demand,  twenty  five 
cents  in  current  bank  bills,  at  the  oflfice  of  their 
treasurer.     August  9th,  1816. 

J.  O.  Wattles,  Treasurer." 


This  bill  is  still  an  unpaid  debt  of  the  Village  of 
Manlius. 

Mr  Wattles  was  a  lawyer  of  some  distinction, 
and  at  one  time  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas.  He  went  to  Indiana  over  fifty  years  ago 
and  was  soon  appointed  a  Circuit  Judge  by  the 
Legislature.  He  died  there  a  highly  respected 
citizen. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  a  receipt  given  April 
4,  1818,  by  Uriah  Palmer  : 

"  Received  of  Azariah  Smith  one  dollar  in  full 
of  all  debts,  dues  and  demands,  whatever  name  and 
nature,  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  to  the  end 
of  eternity." 

Newspapers. 

There  have  been  published  in  the  Village  of  Man- 
lius at  diftercnt  times  seven  or  eight  newspapers. 
The  first  was  the  Deriie  Gazette,  by  Abram  Romeyn, 
in  1806,  at  a  time  when  an  effort  was  made  to  fix 
the  name  "Denie"  upon  the  village.  That  name, 
however,  slightly  modified  in  pronunciation,  got 
fixed  upon  the  paper,  and  it  was  popularly  stigma- 
tized as  the  "  Dar.sed  Gazette"  It  only  lived 
about  a  year.  The  ne.xt  paper  started  here  was  the 
"  Herald  of  the  Times,"  May  24,  1808,  by  Leonard 
Kellogg.  Mr.  Kellogg  commanded  an  independ- 
ent rifle  corps  from  this  village,  which  served  in  the 
war  of  1812.  The  name  of  the  paper  was  changed 
by  Daniel  Clark  to  "  Onondaga  Herald,"  October 
28,  1818.  It  was  afterwards  called  "  The  Times," 
and  continued  about  three  years.  June  27,  1821, 
the  "  Onondaga  County  Republican  "  was  started 
by  the  since  famous  editor,  Thurlow  Weed  The 
"  Onondaga  Republican  "  was  ne.vt  published,  Octo- 
ber 27,  1824,  by  Laurin  Dewey.  The  "Manlius 
Repository"  succeeded  it,  and  reached  its  fifth 
volume  under  the  direction  of  Luman  A  Miller, 
and  for  a  time  under  Mr.  Stillson.  F"inally,  Mr. 
Fonda  published  the  "  Onondaga  Flag  "  for  a  short 
time. 

Azariah  Smith.  Jr.,  became  a  distinguished 
scholar  and  missionary  in  Western  Asia,  whither 
he  embarked  in  November,  1842.  He  devoted 
nearly  seven  years  to  the  most  diligent  and  thor- 
ough preparatory  study,  to  make  sure  his  com- 
petency and  usefulness  in  his  missionary  field.  To 
ensure  his  greater  usefulness  as  a  clergyman,  he  had, 
before  leaving  his  native  country,  by  a  proper  course 
of  study,  made  himself  a  competent  physician  ;  and 
for  the  same  useful  purpose,  on  his  arrival  at  his 
field  of  his  future  labors,  he  studied  and  mastered 
several  foreign  languages — Turkish,  Arabic  and 
Armenian.  After  spending  nine  laborious  years  in 
that  distant  land  he  died  at  the  early  age  of  thirty- 


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HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


367 


five.      The    editor   of  a   standard   review   said  of 
him  : 

"  As  the  author  of  valuable  papers  on  Mineralogy 
and  Syrian  Antiquities,  Azariah  Smith,  Jr.,  took 
rank  with  the  best  scholars  in  the  land." 

Dr,  Willi.^m  Taylor  for  more  than  fifty  years 
was  a  highly  successful  practicing  physician  of  Man- 
ilas, and  honored  throughout  the  State  as  standing 
at  the  head  of  his  profession. 

Incorporation. 

The  village  was  incorporated  in  1842,  the  first 
President  being  Robert  Fleming.  Hiram  Hop- 
kins was  President  in  1843  ;  Jonathan  G.  Rowland, 
1844  ;  J.  V.  H.  Clark,  1845-46  ;  E.  E.  May,  1847  ; 
Edward  Boylston,  1848  ;  Lloyd  Remington,  1849- 
'51  ;  A.  H.  Jerome,  1852-54;  Robert  Gilmore, 
185s  ;  Joseph  Baker,  1856;  E.  P.  Russell,  1857- 
'62,  inclusive  ;  D.  Higley,  1863-64  ;  E.  P.  Russell, 
1865;  A.  H.  Jerome,  1866-67;  A.  A.  Wood, 
1868  ;  R.  Rotenburg,  1869  ;  E.  P.  Russell,  1870- 
'71  ;  Henry  Whitney,  1872  ;  E.  P.  Russell,  1873  ; 
Joseph  Baker,  1874;  E.  U.  Scoville,  1875  ;  George 
J.  Champlin,  i876-'77.  The  other  Trustees  for  1877 
were  J.  W.  Moulter,  W.  L.  Scoville,  John  W.  Boyls- 
ton and  W.  W.  Candee. 

Manlius  Academy. 

In  1834,  decisive  steps  were  taken  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  an  Academy  at  Manlius  Village.  Prom- 
inent among  those  who  zealously  entered  into  this 
project  were  Azariah  Smith,  Nicholas  P.  Randall 
and  Dr.  William  Taylor,  who  were  elected  as  the 
first  temporary  Board  of  Trustees.  Under  an  act 
of  the  Legislature  incorporating  Manlius  Academy, 
passed  April  13,  1835,  Messrs.  Smith,  Randall  and 
Taylor,  together  with  Silas  Williams,  Peter  R. 
Reed  and  the  four  clergymen  of  the  village,  namely, 
Algernon  S.  Hollister,  Carlos  Smith,  David  Bel- 
lamy and  R.  Houghton,  became  the  first  permanent 
Board  of  Trustees. 

Money  was  raised  by  subscription  and  the  ground 
and  building  known  as  the  "Stone  House"  pur- 
chased. This  was  a  two-story  rough-stone  build- 
ing and  in  the  early  days  of  the  village  had  been 
occupied  for  stores,  printing  office,  and  other  pur- 
poses. To  fit  it  for  an  academy  it  was  thoroughly 
overhauled  and  substantially  repaired,  the  rooms 
rearranged  and  a  third  story  added  to  it,  which  was 
surmounted  by  a  belfry  or  cupola.  Thus  changed, 
it  was  a  very  respectable  and  convenient  building. 

The  Academy  was  opened  for  instruction  in  May, 
1835,  with  fifty  scholars  in  the  male,  and  si.xty  in 
the  female,  department.  The  catalogue  at  the  end 
of  the  first  year  showed  a  total  attendance  of  two 


hundred  and  forty-four  ;  males,  one  hundred  and 
thirty-nine ;  females,  one  hundred  and  five.  In 
1840,  there  were  in  attendance  two  hundred  and 
seventy-four  dift'erent  students,  sixty-two  of  whom 
studied  the  languages.  It  had  connected  with  it 
an  interesting  cabinet  of  domestic  and  foreign 
specimens  and  curiosities. 

Graded  School. 

The  village  has  now  an  excellent  Lhiion  Graded 
School,  with  a  building  remodeled  in  1870,  contain- 
ing three  rooms,  with  accommodations  for  two 
hundred  and  fifty  pupils.  Prof  J.  D.  Wilson, 
Principal.  The  school  has  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
one  resident,  and  thirty-one  non-resident  pupils. 

Mr.  Hayden  W,  Wheeler,  a  former  resident  and 
member  of  the  Manlius  Academy,  now  engaged  in 
business  in  the  City  of  New  York,  made  a  generous 
contribution  of  about  g  1,800,  in  1870,  towards  the 
enlargement  and  improvement  of  the  Union  School 
building,  and  more  recently  donated  a  valuable 
philosophical  apparatus. 

Masonic. 

Military  Lodge  No.  93. — We  judge  from  the 
name  and  age  of  this  lodge  that  it  got  its  name 
from  the  Military  Lands  of  this  section.  Probably 
there  were  not  enough  Masons  in  either  of  the 
counties  named  to  organize  a  lodge  at  the  time  this 
one  was  formed.  At  all  events  the  first  meeting 
for  the  organization  of  Lodge  No.  93,  Manlius,  was 
composed  of  Masons  of  Chenango  and  Onondaga 
Counties,  and  was  held  June  30,  1802.  The  first 
officers  elected  were  :  Caleb  B.  Merrill,  W.  M.  ; 
Timothy  Teall,  S.  W.  ;  and  David  Williams,  J.  W. 
The  first  meeting'under  the  charter  was  held  No- 
vember 4,  1802. 

On  the  25th  of  December,  1830,  the  lodge  was 
closed  on  account  of  the  Morgan  excitement,  until 
March  25,  1851,  when  it  was  opened  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers:  Illustrious  Remington,  W.  M.  ; 
Lloyd  Remington,  S.  W.  ;  and  S.  J.  Wilcox,  J. 
W.  The  lodge  was  rechartered  as  Military  Lodge 
No.  215,  June  6,  185 1.  June  26,  1867,  the  old 
Number  "93  "  was  restored. 

The  Masons  have  held  their  meetings  in  Azariah 
Smith's  building  since  its  erection  in  1816,  at  an 
annual  rent  of  one  grain  of  barley,  on  a  perpetual 
lease. 

Present  officers  of  Military  Lodge  No.  93  :  W. 
M.  Scoville,  W.  M.;  Joseph  Fowler,  S.  W. ;  Geo. 
P.  Wells,  Jr.,  J.  W.;  Wallace  Everson,  S.  D.;John 
Ward,  J.  D.;  Chas.  C.  A.  Hale,  Tyler. 

Williams  Chapter  No.  72. — Organized  Feb. 
8,    1854.      First  officers  —  Illustrious   Remington, 


368 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


H.  P.;  Jabez  Lewis.  S.;  Robert  Gilmore,  K.  Pres- 
ent officers— C.  U.  H.  Wood.  H.  P.;  E.  S.  Card, 
K.:  H  Clark.  S.;  Charles  Hart.  T.;  W.  W.  Candee. 
Secretary  ;  J.  P.  I?ailcy,  Chaplain  ;  Geo.  P.  Wells. 
C.  H.;  W.  M.  Scoville.  P.  S.;  A.  S.  Balsley.  R.  A. 
C;  George  J.  Champlin,  ist  V.;  D.  D.  Harnes.  2d 
v.;  Charles  Hart.  3d  V.;  O.  T  Wattles.  Tyler. 
Present  number  of  members,  seventy- four. 

Temperance  Organization. 
Good  Hope  Tent.  N.  O.  of  I.  R..  Manlius.— Or- 
ganized January  2r.  1876.  with  si.vteen  members. 
Present  number,  forty-eight.  James  Eastwood.  C. 
R.;  John  W.  Belknap.  D.  R.;  A.  C.  Haskins.  Jr., 
R.  S. ;  Stephen  Cheney,  Treasurer;  Clinton  Owen, 

P.  C.  S. 

Manlius  Bar. 

Alvan  March  settled  here  as  a  lawyer  in  1798; 
after  him  came  R.  R.  Phelps,  Abijah  Yelverton, 
James  O.  Wattles,  Nicholas  P.  Randall,  S.  L.  Ed- 
wards and  others. 

Mr.  Randall  was  a  graduate  of  Yale  College  in 
the  class  of  1803.  studied  law  at  Clinton.  Oneida 
County,  and  settled  in  Manlius  Village  as  a  lawyer 
in  181 1.  He  soon  became  distinguished  in  his 
profession,  and  till  the  lime  of  his  death,  March  7, 
1836,  occupied  a  commanding  position  among  the 
great  jurists  and  advocates  of  the  State.  Judge  S. 
L.  Edwards  was  also  a  jurist  of  distinction. 

St.  John's  School  for  Bovs. 

This  school  was  founded  in  1869  by  the  Right 
Rev.  F.  D.  Huntington.  S.  T.  D.,  Bishop  of  the 
Diocese  of  Central  New  York.  The  religious  ser- 
vices and  teaching  conform  to  the  order  of  the 
Episcopal  church. 

The  School  Building,  situated  on  a  commanding 
site  near  the  village  of  Manlius,  is  large  and  capa- 
cious and  a  model  in  all  its  appointments. 

The  School  has  aimed  from  the  beginning  to  keep 
up  the  highest  standard  of  scholarship,  to  provide 
generally  for  the  physical  comfort  and  nurture  of  its 
pupils,  and  in  its  discipline  to  look  constantly  to  the 
formation  of  manly  and  self-reliant  habits  ;  and  in 
all  these  respects  it  has  won  an  honored  and  de- 
sen'ed  reputation,  and  stands  among  the  very  high- 
est of  the  schools  of  its  class. 

The  trustees  at  this  date,  1878,  are  : 

Rt.  Rev.  F.  D.  Huntington,  S.  T.  D.,  President  ; 
Hon.  Geo.  F.  Comstock,  LL.  D. ,  Vice-President; 
Chas.  Stebbins,  Esq ,  Secretary  ;  J.  W.  Barker, 
Esq.,  Treasurer  ;  Rev.  T.  Babcock,  D.  D.,  Rector  ; 
Rev.  J.  M.  Clarke,  D.  D.,  Syracuse;  Rev.  A.  B. 
Beach,  D.  D.,  Ithaca  ;  Hon.  Chas.  Andrews.  LL.D., 
Syracuse  ;  Hon.  J.  T.  Miller,  Seneca  P""alls ;  James 
Appleton,   Esq.,  Manlius ;    Geo.   C.    McWhortcr, 


Esq.,  Oswego  ;  Robert  Dunlop,  Esq  ,  Jamesville  ; 
Dennis  \'alentine,  Esq.,  Syracuse  ;  Thos.  D.  Green, 
Esq,  Syracuse;  Levi  VV.  Hall.  Esq..  Syracuse; 
H  O.  Moss.  Esq.,  New  Berlin. 

The  Faculty  and  Officers  are  as  follows  : 

Rev.  Theo.  Babcock,  D.  D.,  Rector  and  Head 
Master;  Rev.  F.  ^L  Hubbard,  D.  D.,  Classical 
Master;  Rev.  Wm.  F.  Hubbard,  M.  A.,  Classics 
and  Mathematics  ;  F.  W.  Burnham,  B.  A ,  Ger- 
man and  Music  ;  Jay  A.  Churchill,  Penmanship  ; 
S.  D.  Jennings,  Librarian  and  Assistant;  H.  N. 
Babcock,  Natural  Science  ;  Julia  E.  Remington, 
Matron. 

The  Alumni  Association. — President.  Jas.  O. 
S.  Huntington  ;  Vice-President.  Chas.  W.  Hogan  : 
Secretary,  Walter  C.  Devereu.v  ;  Treasurer,  Rob't 
G.  Wynkoop  ;  Coresponding  Secretary.  Wm.  C. 
Elsbre. 

The  Manlius  AND  Pompey  Agricultural  and 
Mechanical  Association  was  founded  in  1849, 
and  holds  its  Annual  Fairs  at  the  Fair  Grounds, 
beautifully  situated  adjacent  to  the  village.  It 
has  not  only  been  a  marked  success  as  an  exhibition 
of  the  products  of  the  farm,  orchard  and  garden, 
and  mechanical  skill,  but  has  been  made  the  occa- 
sion of  grand  reunions  of  the  remaining  "  Old  Set- 
tlers "  and  citizens  of  the  town,  together  with  sym- 
pathising thousands  from  the  surrounding  neigh- 
borhoods. The  present  officers  of  the  Association 
are.  Charles  Hart.  President ;  Wm.  J.  Mason  and 
J.  W.  Moulter.  Vice-Presidents  ;  William  Manlius 
Smith,  Secretary  and  Henry  Whitney,  Treasurer. 

Fire  Department. 

Torrent  Company  No.  i,  organized  May  i.  1842  ; 
reorganized  1837,  also  April  6,  1877;  forty  mem- 
bers ;  new  hand  engine.  Button  make.  James 
Jcwitt,  Foreman  ;  Stephen  Cheney,  ist  Assistant ; 
Almon  C.  Haskins,  Jr.,  Secretary  ;  Charles  Hart. 
Treasurer. 

Eagle  Hose — thirteen  members.  Frank  Hale. 
Foreman;  John  Baker.  Jr..  ist  Assistant;  A.  C. 
Haskins.  Secretary  ;  Charles  Hart,  Treasurer. 

Churches. 

Several  Congregational,  Presbyterian  and  Baptist 
Societies  were  organized  in  the  town  of  Manlius 
during  the  years  from  1789  to  1S03,  under  the  labors 
of  Rev.  Hugh  Wallace,  Seth  Williston  and  Elders 
Campbell  and  Breed.  The  citizens  of  Manlius  Vil- 
lage during  those  years,  many  of  them,  attended 
meetings  at  the  "  Old  Mills."  There  are  now  four 
churches  in  the  village  of  Manlius.  of  whose  history 
we  have  obtained  the  following  information  : 

Christ  Chirch,  (Episcopalian)  is  the  oldest 
church  in  Manlius.     Says  Clark's  Onondaga  : 


li 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


369 


"  The  first  knowledge  we  have  of  anything  like  a 
congregation  of  Episcopalians  in  this  vicinity,  is  in 
the  years  1798-99,  &c.,  at  which  time  the  families 
of  Messrs.  David  Green,  John  Roberts,  Jonathan 
Hurd, Ward,  Dodge  and  others,  resi- 
dents of  the  towns  of  Pompey  and  Manlius,  used  to 
assemble  at  each  other's  dwellings  and  conduct 
worship  after  the  Episcopal  manner.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Nash  first  preached  twice  as  an  Episcopalian 
clergyman  at  a  private  house  (David  Hibbard's) 
in  Pompey.  Rev.  Davenport  Phelps  came  on 
directly  after  as  a  Missionary,  and  often  preached 
at  Manlius,  Eagle  Village,  Morehouse's  Flats  and 
Onondaga,  from  1802  to  1806. 

"  In  January,  1 804,  the  Episcopal  Church  was  first 
organized  under  Rev.  Davenport  Phelps,  Mission- 
ary. Rev.  A.  G.  Baldwin,  Missionary,  1809  ;  Rev. 
Parker  Adams,  first  Rector,  iSio;  Rev.  William 
A.  Clark,  1811.  Church  building  erected,  1813  ; 
since  which  the  following  have  had  charge  :  Rev. 
Messrs.  Clark,  Pardee,  Bulkley,  Dyer,  Hickox,  Sel- 
krig,  Hollister,  Pound,  Appleton,  Davis,  Pise,  Gay." 

The  present  Rector  is  Rev.  Fordyce  M.  Hub- 
bard, D.  D. 

Value  of  church  property :  Church,  $6,000 ; 
Rectory,  $1,800  ;  total,  $7,800. 

Number  of  families,  thirty  ;  number  of  communi- 
cants, si.xty  ;  members  of  Sunday  School,  thirty- 
five. 

When  the  church  edifice  was  built  in  1813,  it 
stood  on  the  hill  at  the  east  end  of  the  village.  In 
1832  it  was  moved  down  on  wheels  through  what 
is  now  Mr.  Williams'  orchard  and  garden,  "  and 
placed  in  its  present  eligible  position,  with  its 
steeple  standing,  bell  hanging,  and  organ  ready  to 
play,  without  jarring  it  so  much  as  to  move  a  square 
foot  of  its  plastering."  This  successful  feat  was 
performed  by  the  management  of  the  long-standing 
Vestryman,  Mr.  Robert  Gilmore.  Mr.  Azariah 
Smith  donated  the  lot  where  the  church  now 
stands.  "  The  original  bell  in  this  church  was 
cracked  when  tolled  at  the  funeral  of  Mr.  Stough- 
ton  Morse,  in  1822.  It  was  afterwards  recast  by 
Mr.  Horace  Hills,  at  Auburn."  The  church  since 
its  removal  has  been  very  much  improved  ;  a  new 
chancel  has  been  added,  and  a  memorial  window,  in 
memory  of  that  esteemed  citizen  and  life-long 
Vestryman,  Dr.  William  Taylor — "  the  good  physi- 
cian." 

Trinity  Presbyterian  Church  of  Manlius. — 
August  29,  181 5,  "Trinity  Presbyterian  Society" 
was  formed  at  the  Franklin  School  House,  where 
the  first  meetings  were  held.  The  church  was 
organized  October  24,  1815,  Rev.  Hugh  Wallace, 
Presiding,  and  consisted  of  the  following  eight 
original  members :  William  Gardner,  Mrs.  Sarah 
L.  Pomeroy,  Mrs.  Rebecca  Wood,  Caleb  Reming- 
62* 


ton,  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Jackson,  Horace  Hunt  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Isaac  Hall.  Rev.  Jabez  Chadwick 
preached  on  the  occasion  of  the  organization  from 
Matt.,  vi.  6-8.  The  first  Deacon  was  William 
Gardner.  The  first  Elders,  chosen  May  21,  1817, 
were  Isaac  Hall,  Jacob  L.  Sherwood  and  Horace 
Hunt. 

Services  were  held  a  portion  of  the  time  in  the 
old  "  Stone  House,"  corner  of  Seneca  and  South 
Streets.  The  church  edifice  was  built  in  18 19, 
and  remodeled  and  improved  a  few  years  ago. 

The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Ira  M.  Olds,  who 
officiated  every  alternate  Sabbath  for  about  one 
year,  beginning  December,  1815.  Then  Rev. 
Isaac  Reed  supplied  the  pulpit  for  a  while  ;  since 
which  various  men  have  ministered  to  the  church 
in  order  as  follows  : 

Daniel  C.  Hopkins,  i8i8-'2i  ;  Hezekiah  N. 
Woodruff,  1821-25;  Raiph  Cushman,  1825-30; 
Hiram  H  Kellogg,  a  few  months  ;  John  Ingersoll, 
a   few    months;  Talcott    Bates,    1831-32  ;    Carlos 

Smith,    1832-36;    Tobey,    a    few    months; 

Amzi  Benedict,  1837-39;  John  J.  Slocum,  1839- 
'42  ;  Dennis  Piatt,  1842-45  ;  Parsons  C.  Hastings, 
1845-51  ;  Albert  H.  Gaston,  1851-54;  Addison 
K.  Strong,  1854-55  '■>  Daniel  Waldo, a  few  months  ; 
Tappings.  Reeve,  1856;  N.  Elmer,  1857;  Jacob 
Post,  i858-'6o;  Chas.  Little,  i860;  Joel  Linsley, 
1862-63  ;  Alfred  A.  Graley,  i863-'68  ;  Charles  P. 
Coit,  a  few  months  to  May  1870  ;  Henry  M.  Dodd, 
May,  1870-72;  John  B.  Preston,  1874-76;  H. 
C.  Hazen,  1876  and  yet  pastor. 

Azariah  Smith,  Jr. ,  son  of  the  remarkable  and 
highly  esteemed  Azariah  Smith,  Sr.,  went  as  a 
missionary  to  Turkey  in  1842,  where  he  labored 
nine  years  and  died  suddenly  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
five,  but  not  till  he  had  mastered  three  languages 
and  made  his  mark  as  a  scholar. 

Present  membership,  eighty-three  ;  it  once 
numbered  three  hundred ;  number  in  Sabbath 
School,  fifty. 

First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Man- 
lius.— The  lot  on  which  this  church  was  first  built 
was  deeded  to  Daniel  P.  Williams,  Luther  Buell, 
Samuel  Brown,  Origen  Eaton,  Jedediah  Caswell, 
Ezekiel  Root,  John  Peck,  John  Johnson,  and 
Ebenezer  Conner,  as  Trustees,  it  being  part  of 
Lots  86  and  97.  The  edifice  was  erected  in  1822, 
and  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  street  on  which  it 
now  stands.  It  was  removed  to  its  present  loca- 
tion in  June,  1844,  and  has  been  very  much  im- 
proved from  its  original  condition.  At  first  it  was 
"  ornamented  with  a  spire,"  which  was  subsequently 
superceded  by  "  a  low  tower."  In  the  changes  and 
enlargements  which  afterwards  took  place  a  new 
and  elegant  steeple  was  placed  upon  the  building. 


370 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Among  the  oldest  members  of  this  church  now 
living,  the  following  names  have  been  furnished  us : 
Rowland  Caldwell,  Peter  Wormwood,  Arnold  Rem- 
ington, and  his  wife,  Mary  Remington.  The  early 
meetings  were  held  just  south  of  the  present  loca- 
tion. 

The  pastors  in  regular  succession,  we  have  not 
been  able  to  obtain,  but  these  have  been  furnished 
us  :  Elders  Harmon,  Seager,  Giles,  Snyder  and 
Lanning.     Rev.  M.  S.  Wells,  present  pastor. 

The  church  numbers  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
six  members  ;  Sunday  School,  ninety. 

Baptist  Chukch. — Baptist  Churches  were  among 
the  earliest  in  the  town  of  Manlius,  but  no  edifice 
was  erected  in  the  village  till  1828.  The  structure 
creeled  at  that  time  has  since  been  greatly  changed. 
The  old  church  was  a  square  two-story  building 
with  double  rows  of  old-fashioned,  rectangular  win- 
dows all  around  the  four  sides,  gallery  all  round  the 
interior  and  seats  facing  the  door.  But  now  all  this 
has  been  changed  ;  the  church  is  a  neat  commo- 
dious edifice,  with  a  fine  steeple  and  bell,  and  everj-- 
thing  about  it  in  good  taste  and  modern  style.  ' 

The  following  notes  have  been  furnished  us  re- 
specting the  history  of  the  church  :  The  earliest 
meetings  were  held  in  barns  and  school  houses  in 
the  neighborhoods  of  Manlius,  Watervale,  Oran, 
Eagle  Village,  and  in  the  Academy  building  at 
Manlius.  In  181 3  the  present  organization  was 
formed  under  the  name  of  the  "  Pompey  and  Man- 
lius Baptist  Church,"  although  there  was  a  prior 
organization,  records  of  which  e.vist  as  early  as 
1805.  '         ; 

Some  of  the  original  members  were,  Elder  Na- 
than Baker,  Samuel  Sherman",  Willoughby  Millard. 
Isaac  Kctchum,  Jacob  Cleveland,  Elijah  Weston, 
James  Jobcs,  Samuel  Edwards,  Joseph  Williams, 
Thomas  H.  Gridlcy.  William  Fillmore  and  Jonathan 
Ball. 

Revs.  Nathan  Baker,  Charles  Morton,  David 
Ik'llamy,  John  Smitzer,  George  Brigham,  Abner 
Maynard,  Nathan  Wright  and  J.  W.  Taggart,  have 
been  pastors.     Rev.  C.  E.  Harris  present  pastor. 

The  original  church  edifice  cost  about  $3,000.  It 
was  remodeled  in  1867  at  an  e.xpense  of  $2,500. 
The  present  number  of  members  is  about  seventy, 
with  a  Sunday  School  attendance  of  about  fifty. 

Manufacti;res. 

Candee  &  Wells,  Manlius  Paper  Mills. — 
These  mills  were  erected  about  1830.  a  portion  of 
the  foundation  being  a  part  of  the  old  Cotton  Fac- 
tory, destroyed  by  fire,  which  had  been  erected  in 
1813.     The  paper  mills   were   formerly  owned  by 


Mr.  Tremain.  The  present  proprietors  manufac- 
ture Straw  Wrapping  Pajier.  3,500  pounds  j>er  day. 
and  employ  fifteen  hands. 

K.  H.  C.  PKtsTON.  Manufacturer  of  the  "  Pres- 
ton Harvester  "  Established  in  1873.  M""-  Preston 
commenced  manufacturing  in  1863. 

J.  Hamli.v  &  Sons.  Proprietors  of  the  Stone 
Mills.  Erected  in  1827;  burnt  in  1850;  rebuilt  in 
1853.  These  mills  have  a  superior  water-power, 
four  run  of  stones,  capacity  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  barrels  per  day,  and  employ  three  hands. 

Messrs.  Hamlin  &  Sons  are  also  jiroprietors  of 
Cement  and  Plaster  Mills.  Established  in  1871. 
Three  hands  em|)loyed. 

Manlius  Cement  and  Lime  Works  — Located 
one  mile  below  Manlius  Village  on  the  S.,  C.  & 
N.  Y.  R.  R.  Champlin  &  Co.,  proprietors.  (Geo. 
J.  Champlin  and  Henry  N.  Burhans.  1  Works 
established  in  1S72.  Product,  twenty-five  thousand 
barrels  per  annum. 

Wood  Manufacturing  Companv. — C.  W.  H. 
Wood,  proprietor.  Manufacturerof  Wagon  Maker's 
and  Carpenter's  Tools.  Established  in  Pompey  in 
1844,  and  removed  to  Manlius  in  1876.  Employs 
seven  hands. 

Russell  Morgan,  Empire  Yarn  Mills,  Manlius. 
Manufactures  all  kinds  of  Knitting  Yarns.  Estab- 
lished, 1872.  Water-power.  About  30.000  pounds 
of  yarn  per  annum  manufactured  ;  eight  hands 
employed. 

FAYETTEVILLE. 

In  1 791,  Joshua  Knowlton  and  Origen  Eaton 
made  the  first  clearing  on  the  site  of  Fayetteville. 
Cyrus  Kinne,  who  first  carried  on  the  business  of  a 
blacksmith  in  the  town,  and  became  a  citizen  of 
considerable  distinction,  settled  here  in  1792.  The 
first  tavern  was  kept  by  Carey  Coats  in  a  small  log 
house  in  1801.  John  Delamater  opened  a  store  in 
1802.  Cyrus  Kinne  built  the  first  frame  house  in 
1804  The  settlement  for  many  years  was  called 
"  The  Corners  "  or  "  Manlius  Four  Corners,"  but 
upon  the  establishment  of  a  jjostoflfice  it  was  named 
Fayetteville,  in  honor  of  the  Marquis  dc  LaFayette, 
who  about  that  time  paid  a  visit  to  this  country. 

Incorporation  and  Officers. 
The  Village  of  Fayetteville  was  first  incorporated 
under  a  special  act.  May  6,  1844  It  was  reincor- 
porated under  the  general  law  passed  April  2,  1870, 
and  January  28,  1871.  The  first  Board  of  Trustees 
consisted  of  John  Si)rague,  President  ;  Porter  Trc 
main,  Frederick  Pratt,  Jr.,  George  S.  Taylor  and 
Joseph  F'itch.  For  the  years  following,  till  1877, 
inclusive,  the  following  have  served  as  Presidents 


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HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


371 


of  the  Village  Board  :  Porter  Tremain,  1845  J  John 
Watson,  1846  ;  Caleb  Whitford,  1847-48  ;  Reuben 
H.  Bangs,  iSjO-'si  ;  William  Parker,  Jr..  1852  ; 
James  Mead,  1853;  Jeremiah  Dicker,  1854;  John 
G.  Reilly,  1855:  Hiram  Eaton.  1856:  Nathan 
Seward,  1857  ;  Hiram  Eaton,  1858  :  R.  H.  Bangs, 
1859:  Hiram  Eaton,  i860;  R.  H.  Bangs,  1861- 
'62  ;  Hiram  Eaton,  186^-64-6^  ;  Lewis  H.  Eaton, 
1866-67  ;  Joseph  L.  Mathews,  1868  ;  Daniel  Bur- 
hans,  1869-70  :  Henry  L.  Beard,  1871  ;  Daniel  Bur- 
hans,  1872  :  William  Hurd,  1873  :  F.  M.  Severance, 
1874- 7 $-76:  Edward  Collin,  1877,  with  D.  H. 
Graham,  C.  H.  Jackson  and  William  Hurd, 
Trustees. 

A  Fire  Company  was  organized  August  30, 1845. 
It  was  reorganized  as  Fire  Company  No.  i  and 
Hook  and  Ladder  Company,  January  24,  1854. 
Present  company  (fire  and  hose)  called  "Hydra," 
established  in  i86r — fifty  members. 

There  are  several  quarries  and  manufactories  of 
cement  in  the  vicinity  of  Fayetteville  and  in  the 
town  of  Manlius  The  works  of  Messrs.  Bangs 
&  Gaynor  are  located  at  Fayetteville  on  the  Erie 
Canal.  The  Excelsior  Hydraulic  Cement  is  largely 
manufactured  by  them,  as  well  as  all  the  cooperage 
used  in  its  shipping.  The  works  were  established 
in  1820,  and  their  present  capacity  is  1,000  barrels 
per  day.  About  sixty  hands  are  employed  in  the 
business. 

A  large  quantity  of  this  cement  is  now  being 
used  on  Government  works  in  Canada.  It  is  used 
almost  exclusively  in  constructing  the  Welland 
Canal,  and  the  public  works  at  Ottawa,  and  docks 
at  Montreal.  This  firm  are  also  manufacturers  of 
Gypsum  and  Quicklime. 

The  Onondaga  Gypsum  Company  was  fully  or- 
ganized at  Fayetteville,  in  Februarj',  1878.  They 
manufacture  crude  stone-plaster.  The  company's 
officers  are  as  follows :  President,  Asahel  F. 
Wilcox  :  Vice-President,  Myron  Bangs  :  Secretary 
and  Treasurer,  John  F.  Gaynor  :  Directors,  Wil- 
liam Hurd,  James  J.  Hurd,  Edward  Gaynor,  J. 
Henry  Smith. 

The  magnificent  water  power  of  Fayetteville  is 
obtained  from  what  is  known  as  the  Ledyard  Dyke 
and  from  Bishop  Brook.  The  Ledyard  Dyke  com- 
mences a  little  north  of  the  Village  of  Manlius  on 
Limestone  Creek,  and  runs  thence  to  Fayetteville 
where  it  empties  into  the  creek  again,  giving  a  fall 
in  the  village  of  about  one  hundred  feet.  The 
present  owners  are  David  Collin,  Jr.,  R.  C.  Hatch, 
H.  L.  Beard  &  Son  and  Robert  Grouse.  The 
dyke  was  commenced  in  1847.  In  times  of  drought 
it  draws  from  the  DeRuyter  Reservoir. 


Manufacturers. 

R.  C.  Hatch,  Pearl  Mills. — Manufactures 
Pearl  Barley  and  Merchant  and  Custom  Flour.  Six 
run  of  stones — employ  five  hands.  Capacity  of 
mills,  fifty  barrels  of  flour  and  ten  of  pearl  barley 
per  day.  Business  established  in  1854.  Mills  built 
by  John  McVicker  in  185 1.  Water-power  on  the 
Ledyard  Dyke,  twenty-one  feet  fall. 

Edward  Johnson,  Fayetteville  Mills. — 
Pearl  Barley  and  Merchant  and  Custom  Flour. 
Four  run  of  stones.  Capacity  one  hundred  barrels 
per  day — six  hands  employed.  Business  estab- 
lished in  1863. 

Beard,  Grouse  &  Co.,  Manufacturers  of  Book 
and  News  Paper.  Established  in  1865.  The 
building  has  been  used  as  a  Paper  Mill  for  twenty- 
five  years.  It  is  a  water-power  establishment  and 
employs  forty  hands. 

BuRHANS  &  Blanchard,  Sash,  Blinds,  Doors 
and  Mouldings.  Established  in  1855.  Three 
factories,  thirty  hands.  Annual  amount  of  busi- 
ness, S  100,000.     Water-power. 

Russell  Morgan,  Grain  Cradle  Factory.  Busi- 
ness established  in  1838.  Located  just  north  of  the 
village  of  Fayetteville.  Six  hands  employed  ;  capac- 
ity 15,000. 

Banks. 

The  National  Bank  of  Fayetteville  was  organ- 
ized as  a  State  Bank  in  the  winter  of  1854,  with  a 
capital  of  §115,000.  H.  Edwards,  President; 
Porter  Tremain,  Vice-President,  and  Hiram  Eaton, 
Cashier.  It  was  converted  into  a  National  Bank, 
with  a  capital  of  §140,000  in  1865,  and  occupies  the 
Bank  Building,  corner  Mill  and  Genesee  streets, 
erected  in  1854.  Hiram  Eaton  was  cashier  seven- 
teen years.  The  present  oflScers  are :  Hiram 
Eaton  President ;  B.  C.  Baird,  Vice-President,  and 
R.  W.  Eaton,  Cashier.  The  Bank  Building  is 
provided  with  all  modern  improvements. 

The  Farmer's  Bank  of  Fayetteville,  a  State  Bank, 
was  organized  in  1870.  Capital,  §100,000.  Myron 
Bangs,  President ;  F.  W.  Lawrence,  Cashier. 

Fayetteville  Lodges. 

Fayetteville  Lodge,  No.  578,  F.  and  A.  M. 
Chartered  July  10,  1865,  is  an  offshoot  of  Military 
Lodge,  of  Manlius.  First  oflficers,  Hiram  Wood, 
M.;  Henry  S.  Pratt,  S.W.;  F.  M.  Byington,J.  W. 
Officers,  1877:  A.  J.  Simmons,  M.;  L.  Boyington, 
S.  W.;  A.  Elting,  J.  W.  Membership,  75.  Lodge 
Room  in  Byington  Block. 

Fayetteville  Tent,  N.  O.  of  I.  R.  No.  102. 
Established  February  27,  1877.   H.  W.  Greenland, 


372 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


C.  R.;    Henry  Kcefe.  D.  R.;    William   Dunlap.  S. 
Present  membership,  84. 

The  FaycttciilU  Recorder  was  established  in  1S66 
by  F.  A.  Darling.  In  1874  it  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  Recorder  Printing  Association,  under 
whose  management  it  still  continues. 

School  District  No.  11,  of  Manlius,  was  formed 
November  20,  1857,  by  the  consolidation  of  Dis- 
tricts 10,  II  and  12.  At  a  meeting  held  August 
26,  1872,  it  was  voted  to  organize  a  Union  F"ree 
School  for  Fayetteville,  under  the  provisions  of 
Chapter  555,  Laws  of  1864. 

Favetteville  Churches. 

Favetteville  Baptist  Chirch  and  Society. 
— Cyrus  Kinne  and  Gershom  Breed  were  among 
the  earliest  settlers  at  what  was  then  known  as 
Manlius  Four  Corners,  now  Fayetteville,  coming 
there  in  1792.  They  were  soon  followed  by  Daniel 
Campbell,  who  is  said  to  have  preached  occasionally 
in  the  absence  of  regular  ministers.  These  three, 
in  company  with  Mrs.  Susanna  Ward,  formed 
themselves  into  a  conference  for  religious  worship, 
maintaining  covenant  meetings  and  enjoying  occa- 
sional preaching  In  179S,  three  young  men  were 
added  to  the  conference  which  was  soon  augmented 
still  further  by  other  Christian  families  who  had 
moved  into  the  neighborhood.  Their  first  meet- 
ings were  of  necessity  held  in  private  dwellings, 
but  afterward  for  many  years  were  held  in  the 
"  Wood"  and  "  Stone "  school  houses,  neither  of 
which  arc  now  standing.  A  council  was  called  in 
1804  at  which  Father  Bennett  and  Eider  John 
Peck  were  present,  and  this  company  of  brethren 
and  sisters,  ui  number  about  twenty,  were  recog- 
nized as  a  regular  and  independent  church. 

Among  them  might  be  mentioned,  Gershom 
Breed,  Cyrus  Kinne,  Jabish  York,  Daniel  Camp- 
bell, Lewis  Sweeting,  John  Jones,  Zopher  Knowl- 
ton,  Orris  Hopkins,  William  Breed,  Allen  Breed, 
Palmer  Breed,  Washington  Worden,  Susanna 
Ward,  Mary  Terrill,  Amelia  Breed,  Hannah  Breed, 
Lucrelia  Worden,  Mrs.  Kinne,  Elizabeth  Hopkins 
and  Walter  Worden. 

Brother  Gershom  Breed  was  licensed  as  preacher 
and  assisted  by  Elder  Nathan  Baker,  of  Pompey. 
In  18 1 2  he  was  ordained  and  became  the  first 
pastor  of  the  church.  During  this  year  a  number 
of  members  were  added  to  the  church.  Rev.  Mr. 
Breed  continued  in  charge  until  his  death  which  oc- 
curred during  1815.  His  son,  Allen  Breed,  who 
was  one  of  the  first  three  converts  mentioned,  suc- 
ceeded him,  for  several  years  preaching  as  a  licen- 
tiate.    In  1829,  he  was  ordained  and   became  the 


second  pastor.     During  his  pastorate  of  two  years 
and  a  half,  fifteen  converts  were  baptized. 

At  this  time,  owing  to  removals,  deaths  and 
delinquencies,  the  church  was  in  a  very  low  condi- 
tion and  very  little  interest  manifested  by  members, 
some  of  them  even  refusing  to  be  identified  with 
this  church,  but  joining  instead  the  one  at  Manlius 
Square. 

In  the  fall  of  1830,  a  new  era  commenced  in  the 
welfare  of  the  church.  Harvey  Edwards  had  just 
been  converted  and  through  his  energetic  and 
praiseworthy  efforts  a  new  interest  was  awakened. 
The  services  of  Rev.  Charles  Morton,  Pastor  of  the 
Baptist  Church  at  Manlius,  were  now  secured  for 
half  the  time,  and  during  his  ministrations  the 
church  was  greatly  strengthened.  In  February 
they  began  to  build  a  house  of  worship  which  was 
dedicated  in  July,  1831.  This  building  was  of 
wood  and  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  $3,000.  Dur- 
ing this  year  about  forty-five  were  added  to  the 
church.  In  1832,  Brother  J.  W.  Taggart,  a  student 
at  Hamilton,  supplied  the  church.  At  the  comple- 
tion of  his  studies  he  was  ordained  as  its  third 
pastor.  In  July,  1833,  twenty  four  members  were 
dismissed  to  form  a  new  church  at  Matthew's  Mills 
under  the  charge  of  Elder  Allen  Breed.  Rev. 
William  Hutchinson  was  the  ne.xt  pastor,  coming 
in  the  spring  of  1835,  and  was  succeeded  by  Geo. 
Phippen  in  July,  1837.  In  1838,  Elder  Jacob 
Knapp,  the  Evangelist,  visited  Fayetteville  with 
great  success.  In  1839,  Rev.  John  Smitzer  com- 
menced a  very  successful  pastorate  of  six  years 
duration.  In  1840.  a  branch  church  was  formed 
at  Chittenango.  In  1843,  the  church  was  divided 
owing  to  the  disturbance  created  by  the  Abolition 
question,  and  the  Second  Baptist  Church  of  Fay- 
etteville was  formed  with  Rev.  W.  Kingsley  as 
pastor.  Brother  W.  H.  Douglass  supplied  the 
pulpit  ne.xt  for  a  few  months,  followed  by  Rev. 
Lyman  Wright,  who  remained  eight  years.  Dur- 
ing his  pastorate  the  church  was  reunited.  Rev. 
J.  B.  Vrooman  came  in  1854,  and  was  followed  in 
1856  by  Lyman  Wright,  (a  former  pastor)  and  after- 
wards by  Rev.  J.  B.  Smith.  In  this  year  a  Mission 
School  was  established  at  High  Bridge.  In  1S60, 
Rev.  A.  Clement  Lyon  was  called  and  remained  as 
pastor  over  five  years,  was  compelled  to  resign  on 
account  of  a  severe  bronchial  disease.  During  his 
stay  over  eighty  persons  were  baptized. 

His  successor  was  Rev.  O.  W.  Babcock,  who 
remained  one  year.  In  the  summer  of  1S67,  Hubert 
C.  Wood,  a  student  of  Madison  University,  sup- 
plied the  pulpit  from  time  to  time,  became  their  pas- 
tor  immediately  after  graduating,  and  in  due  time 


M^4'.,  . IMk: 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


373 


was  ordained.  In  1871  he  was  compelled  to  sever 
his  connection  with  the  church  on  account  of  his 
throat  and  lungs  being  seriously  affected,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1872  moved  to  Colorado.  During  his 
pastorate  the  present  church  edifice,  a  fine  brick 
structure,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $30,000  ;  the 
parsonage  rebuilt,  and  a  sexton's  house  put  up,  all 
standing  nearly  opposite  the  old  church  building. 
For  over  a  year  and  a  half  the  church  was  without 
a  regular  pastor,  but  in  November,  1873,  the  pulpit 
was  again  filled,  this  time  by  Rev.  C.  J.  Shrimpton. 
During  the  second  year  of  his  stay  the  church  expe- 
rienced a  revival,  Rev.  Mr.  S.  being  assisted  by 
Rev.  A.  C.  Lyon,  (a  former  pastor,)  Mrs.  Lyon  and 
Mrs.  Alvah  Davis.  Mr.  S.  remained  in  charge  until 
July,  1S77,  when  he  publicly  withdrew  from  the 
church  and  denomination  on  account  of  a  change 
in  his  belief  in  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the 
church.  In  the  November  following.  Rev.  Charles 
N.  Pettingill,  the  present  pastor,  occupied  the 
charge.  This  church  has  had  an  existence  of  over 
eighty-two  years,  and  during  this  period  has  had 
1,171  members;  has  baptized  772  ;  received  by  let- 
ter 399  ;  dismissed  by  letter  412;  excluded  104; 
present  membership  280  ;  in  attendance  at  Sunday 
School,  140. 

Presbyterian  Church  of  Fayetteville. — The 
first  religious  meetings  were  held  in  the  school 
house  in  what  was  commonly  called  the  Upper  Dis- 
trict. In  1829,  the  first  church  in  the  village,  the 
Presbyterian,  was  erected  by  the  combined  efforts 
of  all  denominations,  who  used  the  session  room, 
first  finished  off,  for  common  religious  purposes. 
In  1830,  the  Presbyterian  Church  was  formed,  and 
in  the  winter  of  that  year  the  house  of  worship  was 
dedicated. 

Most  of  the  original  members  came  from  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Manlius,  and  Rev.  Mr. 
Cushman,  of  that  village,  was  untiring  in  his  efforts 
to  build  up  the  Society  at  Fayetteville,  usually  officia- 
ting on  Sunday  evenings.  John  McViccar,  James 
Stewart  and  Phillip  Flint,  were  the  first  Ruling- 
Elders.  All  of  the  original  twenty-three  members 
are  now  deceased,  except  James  C.  Jackson. 

The  first  regular  pastor  was  Rev.  Amos  C.  Tut- 
tle,  installed  June  28,  1837.  During  the  pastorate 
of  Rev.  Lewis  H.  Reid,  the  present  church  edifice 
was  built,  at  a  cost  of  about  g  10,000.  It  was  dedi- 
cated June  22,  1857.  Mr.  Reid  was  pastor  eleven 
years  ;  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  R.  L.  Bachman,  was 
called  in  1874.  The  church  membership  numbers 
about  two  hundred  ;  Sunday  School,  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five. 

Trinity  Church  (Episcopal, )  Fayetteville,  was 
63 


organized  in  the  year  1830;  a  building  erected  in 
1831  and  consecrated  in  1832.  Quite  a  number  of 
the  early  settlers  of  this  and  the  adjoining  towns 
were  Episcopalians,  and  held  service  after  that  form 
in  families  as  early  as  1798.  Father  Nash  and 
others  were  early  missionaries  in  Pompey  and  Man- 
lius from  1802  to  1806,  and  out  of  their  labors  have 
grown  several  strong  and  influential  churches. 
This  church  was  for  several  years  a  missionary 
charge,  the  first  resident  missionary  being  Rev.  J. 

B.  Engle,  in  1837.  Others  of  the  early  clergymen 
were  Rev.  Messrs.  Northrup,  Windsor,  Feisner, 
Bartlett,  Hickox  and  Pise.  The  Rt.  Rev.  Henry 
Neely,  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  Maine,  was  bap- 
tized in  this  parish. 

The  present  church  was  built  in  1870,  and  cost 
$14,000.  It  is  a  stone  building,  unusually  fine  for 
a  village  no  larger  than  Fayetteville — an  ornament, 
indeed,  to  the  place.  Rev.  John  Bayler,  Rector 
when  the  church  was  built ;  subsequently,  Rev. 
Charles  H.  Gardner.     The  present  Rector  is  Rev. 

C.  J.  Shrimpton.  Present  number  of  communicants, 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  ;  average  attendance  at 
Sunday  School,  seventy-five. 

Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception, 
Fayetteville.  —  The  nucleus  of  the  present 
Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  was  formed 
of  several  families  residing  at  Fayetteville  and 
Manlius  Square,  from  1846  to  1855.  Among  these 
may  be  mentioned  John  Farrell,  John  McCarrick, 
John  O'Brien  and  Jeremiah  Bohan,  of  the  former 
place,  and  Edward  Gaynor,  John  Sheedy,  Patrick 
Holland,  Timothy  Holland,  John  Shea,  Patrick 
Tobin,  William  Griffin,  John  Kennelly,  Patrick 
Moloney,  Michael  Foley,  Thomas  Flattery,  and 
others,  residing  at  Manlius  Square.  About  the  year 
185 1  the  first  Catholic  mass  was  said  at  the  resi- 
dence of  John  Murphy,  at  Manlius  Square,  by 
Father  McCallion.  Rev.  Father  Cahill,  of  Cazeno- 
via,  was  the  first  Catholic  clergyman  who  visited 
Fayetteville,  and  held  the  first  service  in  the  house 
of  John  Farrell. 

In  1845  Father  Cahill  purchased  a  lot  and  raised 
by  contributions  a  small  sum  toward  the  erection 
of  a  church.  Upon  his  removal  from  Cazenovia, 
he  deposited  this  with  Bishop  McClosky,  to  the 
credit  of  the  Catholics  of  Fayetteville.  It  amounted 
in  1861  to  $315. 

Father  Rooney  next  attended  the  mission  for  a 
short  time  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Lawrence 
Schneider,  pastor  at  Manlius  Station  in  1856.  In 
1857,  Rev.  James  A.  O'Hara,  then  officiating  at 
St.  Patrick's  Church,  Oneida,  visited  the  mission. 
Rev.    Father  Maurus  being  appointed  to  Manlius 


374 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


Station,  the  Catholics  at  Fayettevillc.  in  1859,  came 
together  and  determined  to  build  a  church.  This 
attempt,  however,  failed,  after  the  foundation  of  the 
edifice  had  been  partly  laid.  Another  attempt 
was  also  made  and  failed,  after  a  new  site  had 
been  purchased  and  part  of  the  brick  delivered 
on  the  ground  in  1861 -'62.  The  materials  were 
afterward  suld  and  the  enterprise  discontinued  till 
the  fall  of  1869,  when  the  present  neat  and  com- 
modious brick  edifice  was  undertaken.  The  corner- 
stone was  laid  on  the  25th  of  November,  1869,  by 
Very  Kev.  Edgar  P.  Wadhams,  then  Vicar-General 
of  the  diocese  of  Albany,  and  now  Bishop  of  the 
new  diocese  of  Ogdcnsburg.  The  sermon  on  the 
occasion  was  preached  by  the  late  Dr.  Keating,  of 
Hudson,  and  twenty  other  clergymen  assisted  at 
the  ceremony  Mass  was  celebrated  for  the  first 
time  in  the  new  church  on  Christmas  day,  1870, 
but  its  interior  decoration  was  not  completed  till 
the  autumn  of  1872.  It  was  dedicated  under  the 
title  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  by  Rt.  Rev. 
Francis  McNcirny.  on  November  26,  1872.  The 
late  Father  Hrady,  of  Cazenovia,  preached  the 
dedicatory  sermon  and  sixteen  other  clergymen 
were  present  on  the  occasion.  After  the  dedica- 
cation,  Hishop  McNeirny  administered  confirma- 
tion to  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  candidates. 
This  was  the  first  time  the  sacrament  of  confirma- 
tion was  administered  in  this  mission.  The  con- 
gregation consists  of  about  120  families,  and  the 
average  attendance  at  the  Sunday  school  is  about 
sixty-five. 

The  history  of  this  church  would  be  incomplete 
if  the  writer  failed  to  record  that  many  non- 
Catholics,  resident  in  Fayettevillc,  contributed 
very  generously  toward  its  erection. 

St.  Makv's  (Catholic I  Chukuh,  situated  in  the 
town  of  Manlius,  on  the  road  from  Manlius  Station 
to  Bridgeport.  The  church  was  organized  in  1833 
in  a  little  district  school  house,  wherein  services 
were  first  held.  The  following  are  the  names  of 
the  original  heads  of  families  connected  with  the 
parish  : 

Matthias  butter,  Felix  lieselmayer,  George 
Konrad,  Anthony  Lambacher,  Joseph  Schneider, 
Henry  Herbener,  John  Kuppclc,  Seb.  Kuppele, 
Joseph  Bioser,  Mark  Sch>)pp,  Ste|)hen  Zion,  Aug. 
Gott,  Fet.  Fieselbrand,  Casper  I-'abing,  John  Kon- 
rad, Nicolaus  Gerhard,  Michael  Rcmblingcr,  Adam 
Uth,  Anthony  Zimmer,  Ignatius  Heifer,  Jos.  Flick. 
Peter  Schneider,  Adam  Bucher.  John  Backcnstrass. 
Jacob  Fries,  Theobald  Schondorf,  Casper  Huliar, 
Peter  Mayer.  The  church  was  built  A.  D,  1834, 
under  the  Rt.  Rev  John  Dubois,  Bishop  of  New 
York.  Pastors — Rev.  Werick,  Rev.  Guth,  Rev. 
Mich.  Heas,  Rev.  Rath,  Rev.  FI.  Scheninger,  Rev. 


Th.  Nothen.  Marshal  ;  Rev.  Sanderl,  Jos.  RafTein- 
er.  Rev.  Col.  Messner.  Rev.  Federmann.  Rev. 
Tappert.  Rev.  Maly,  Rev.  Muller.  F.  C.  Weber, 
Schneider.  Maurus,  Cairus,  Kenig,  Rittcr,  Wibbee, 
Mayers.  Fehlings.  Hcngen.  Weber,  Maurus, — one 
hundred  and  five  families. 

The  attendance  in  the  Sunday  School  is  from 
sixty  to  eighty  boys  and  girls. 

The  old  frame  church  was  erected  in  1834,  in 
dimensions  34  by  40  feet.  Additions  of  twenty  feet 
were  made  to  its  length  in  the  years  1857 and  1870, 
respectively.     Present  pastor.  Rev.  L.  Maurus. 

The  Mkthodist  Episcopal  Chukch  at  Man- 
lius Station,  first  met  for  worship  in  the  school 
house.  In  1862  the  church  and  parsonage  were 
built.  Rev.  Gideon  Jones  was  then  pastor.  The 
church  is  valued  at  S3. 500,  and  parsonage  at  S1.600. 
Present  membershij),  thirty-six.  The  first  mem- 
bers were  Jacob  Karker  and  Jabez  Lewis.  Pres- 
ent pastor,  J.  N.  Sackett. 

KIRKVILLE. 

With  the  building  of  the  FLrie  Canal,  a  settlement 
began  to  be  made  at  this  point,  Mr.  Cunningham 
opening  a  tavern.  In  1S22,  Edward  Kirkland,  a 
son  of  the  late  Joseph  Kirkland  of  Utica,  estab- 
lished himself  on  a  large  farm  half  a  mile  northeast 
of  the  place,  and  in  1824,  was  appointed  Postmaster. 
The  postofiice  and  the  settlement  were  named 
Kirkville  in  honor  of  him.  Mr.  Kirkland  built  the 
Canal  Basin  at  his  own  expense,  put  up  a  large 
store,  and  for  some  time  did  considerable  business 
there.  The  place  has  a  few  stores,  shops  and  two 
churches. 

Union  Church.  Kirkville. — On  the  28th  of 
December,  1848,  the  citizens  met  for  the  purpose  of 
organizing  a  society  to  build  a  house  of  public 
worship.  The  society  was  finally  organized  January 
16,  1849,  with  the  following  Trustees:  David 
Doniiiiick  and  George  W.  Huntly,  three  years; 
William  Gilman  and  Joseph  Hoag,  two  years  ;  Wil- 
liam Cunningham  and  Cortland  Cunningham,  one 
year.  The  church  was  erected  in  1S50,  and  the 
society  arranged  for  services  by  thediflerent  denom- 
inations as  follows  :  Universalists,  every  fourth 
Sunday  ;  Baptists,  every  fourth  Sunday  ;  Presby- 
terians, every  second  Sunday  ;  Methodist  Episcopal, 
every  second  Sunday  ;  Wesleyan  Methodists,  every 
second  Sunday  at  4  p.  m.  The  Universalists,  hav- 
ing repaired  and  refurnished  the  church,  are  the 
only  denomination  occupying  it  at  present. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Chukch,  Kirkville. — 
This  church  originally  formed  part  of  the  North 
Manlius  Circuit  and  worshipped  in  the  Union  Church. 


fftSruiNCt  'ji    ixi    I'   '     hLuoi-N   H.    BANGS,  /*ii; 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


375 


It  was  made  a  station  in  1872,  and  immediately 
after,  the  present  house  of  worship  was  erected. 
The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Joseph  Maxwell.  Original 
membership,  thirty-eight  ;  present  number,  si.xty- 
six  ;  Sunday  School,  forty.  Present  pastor,  D.  W. 
Roney. 

The  EvANGEt,icAL  Association,  Manlius  Sta- 
tion.— Organized  February  1 1,  1855.  The  original 
members  were  John  J.  Jetter,  Frederick  Ebeling, 
Jacob  Taftner,  Carl  Fout,  Frederick  Hecht,  Jacob 
Karker,  Frederick  Horman,  Christian  Gehring, 
George  E.  Fisher  and  Jacob  Salz.  The  church  was 
-dedicated  December  23,  1855.  Cost— about  ^700. 
The  following  have  officiated  as  pastors  :  Frederick 
Scharf,  one  year  ;  E.  D.  Jenny,  two  years  ;  John 
Grenzenbach,  one  year  ;  Michael  Pfitzinger,  two 
years  ;  Jacob  Dereich,  two  years  ;  E.  Thomas,  one 
year  ;  Frederick  Lohmeir,  two  years  ;  Carl  Wiseman, 
two  years  ;  John  Schaaf,  one  year  ;  Levi  Jacoby, 
one  year  ;  Adolf  Loscher,  three  years  ;  Edward 
Weier ;  three  years ;  August  Klein,  two  years. 
Present  membership  35. 

EAGLE  VILLAGE. 

At  this  place  the  first  tavern,  in  the  present  town 
of  Manlius,  was  erected  by  James  Foster,  who  set- 
tled on  Lot  88,  in  1790.  It  was  very  early  resorted 
to  by  others  as  a  desirable  place  of  residence,  and 
■once  contested  for  superiority  with  Manlius  Village. 
Eagle  Village  had  once  four  physicians,  three  mer- 
chants and  four  lawyers.  Mr.  Charles  Mosely 
opened  a  store  here  in  1793,  and  Dr.  Ward,  the  first 
regular  physician  in  the  town  of  Manlius,  settled 
and  practiced  here  ;  Dr.  Moor,  soon  after  ;  and  next 
Dr.  Smith  Weed,  who  had  an  extensive  practice. 
Dr.  Fish  and  Dr.  Washburn,  also  well-known  phy- 
sicians, resided  in  this  village.  Charles  B.  Bristol 
commenced  trading  here  as  a  merchant,  in  1804. 
During  the  war  of  18 12,  he  acted  as  distributing 
commissary;  built  the  Stone  Distillery  in  1809; 
kept  the  finest  garden  in  the  county ;  drove  the 
best  team  of  eight  horses  known  on  the  road,  and 
for  five  or  six  years  was  considered  one  of  the  first 
merchants  of  the  country.  General  Amos  P. 
Granger,  first  commenced  business  here  ;  Mr. 
Walker,  in  1804,  opened  a  law  office,  and  Hon. 
James  R.  Lawrence  was  his  clerk.  A  hotel  opened 
here  by  Libbeus  Foster,  in  1794,  became  one  of  the 
most  celebrated  taverns  in  western  New  York,  con- 
taining a  grand  masonic  hall,  a  grand  dancing  hall 
and  many  other  things  to  correspond. 

In  181 1,  Eagle  Village  had  an  incorporated  library 
of  about  250  volumes  of  valuable  and  standard 
works.     It  was  the  first  circulating  library  in  the 


county.  And  here  the  first  school  in  the  town  of 
Manlius  was  taught,  by  Samuel  Edwards,  in  James 
Foster's  barn.  He  had  eight  shillings  a  quarter  per 
scholar,  and  "  boarded  round."  At  this  place  Billy 
McKee  and  Jenny  Mulholland,  on  a  training  day, 
were  married  in  a  hollozv  square  formed  by  the  com- 
pany on  the  parade  ground,  by  Cyrus  Kinne,  Esq. 


BiOGi[APHic>L  Sketches. 


REUBEN    H.    BANGS. 

Among  the  early  pioneers  of  the  town  of  Man- 
lius, none  is  mentioned  with  greater  veneration 
than  Reuben  H.  Bangs.  He  was  born  July  4th, 
1788,  in  the  town  of  Williamsburg,  Franklin 
county,  Massachusetts.  He  obtained  in  his  youth- 
ful days  a  fair  business  education.  In  the  year 
181 3,  he  immigrated  to  Fayetteville,  and  immedi- 
ately after  his  arrival,  embarked  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  lime. 

By  his  tact  and  business  sagacity  he  soon  estab- 
lished himself  upon  a  firm  business  footing.  Dur- 
ing England's  second  fruitless  attempt  to  trample 
upon  the  liberties  of  our  country,  he  entered  the 
American  army  and  was  stationed  at  Sackett's 
Harbor.  Possessing  a  mind  peculiarly  fitting  him 
for  the  oversight  of  business  enterprises,  he  took 
several  large  contracts  of  the  State,  while  the  Erie 
Canal  was  in  process  of  construction,  from  which  he 
realized  a  handsome  profit.  His  fine  executive  and 
shrewd  business  abilities  were  early  recognized  by 
the  State,  and  he  was  accordingly  appointed  in  1824, 
Superintendent  of  the  division  of  the  Erie  Canal, 
between  Little  Falls  and  Utica,  for  a  period  of  two 
years.  He  then  returned  to  Fayetteville  and 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  hydraulic  cement. 
By  remarkable  foresight  and  management  he  built 
up  this  business  into  one  of  the  most  important 
manufacturing  establishments  in  Central  New 
York,  shipping  to  nearly  every  State  in  the  Union. 

On  January  i,  1S15,  he  married  Clarissa  Teall, 
daughter  of  Dr.  Timothy  Teall,  and  sister  of  Oliver 
Teall.  Her  father  fought,  with  six  brothers,  in  the 
war  of  the  Revolution  six  years.  He  came  to  the 
town  of  Manlius,  Onondaga  County,  in  the  year 
1 79 1,  and  became  one  of  its  most  prominent  and 
respected  citizens. 

Mr.  Bangs  was  blessed  with  five  children,  viz. : 
Anson,  at  present  a  resident  of  the  City  of  Brooklyn, 
and  largely  engaged  in  real  estate  transactions  on 
the   Potomac   River,    about  thirty    miles  south   of 


376 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Washington,  D.  C;  Caroline  L. ,  wife  of  Horace 
L.  Wheeler.  Mrs.  Wheeler  graduated  with  honors 
at  the  Troy  Female  Seminary,  conducted  at  that 
time  by  Mrs.  John  Willard,  the  daughter-in-law  of 
the  celebrated  foundress,  Mrs.  Emma  Willard,  in 
February,  1S49.  From  this  time  till  her  marriage 
she  was  engaged  in  the  profession  of  teaching,  at 
the  South  and  West  and  lastly  at  Fayetteville  ; 
Myron  H  ,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  hydraulic 
cement  works  at  F"ayetteville,  President  of  the 
Farmers'  Bank,  an  extensive  contractor,  and  in 
every  way  one  of  the  most  prominent  business  men 
of  Fayetteville  ;  and  Eli  T.,  a  United  States  con 
tractor  and,  at  present,  engaged  in  deepening  the 
channel  of  Cape  Fear.  Mr.  Bangs  was  one  of  the 
first  directors  of  the  Bank  of  Fayetteville,  (now  the 
National  Bank,)  a  staunch  Democrat,  until  1S40, 
when  he  became  a  Whig  and  later  a  Republican, 
one  of  the  first  trustees  of  the  Village,  and  also  of  the 
Cemetery.  Whatever  he  undertook  to  do,  he  always 
accomplished.  When  his  object  had  been  deter- 
mineil  upon,  after  carefully  weighing  it  pro  and  con, 
he  went  straight  at  it,  with  a  steadfastness  of  purpose 
that  was  truly  remarkable.  During  the  last  twenty 
years  of  his  life  he  made  more  money  than  in  any 
preceding  twenty  years,  which  indicated  in  him  a 
riper  experience  and  a  maturer  judgment.  He 
was  emphatically  the  poor  man's  friend.  Many 
prominent  business  men  throughout  the  county 
gratefully  revere  him  as  their  benefactor  when  first 
starting  out  in  life.  He  died,  November  10,  1872, 
leaving  to  his  children  the  rich  legacy  of  a  pure  life. 


AMBROSE  CLARK. 


The  subject  of  this  brief  memoir  was  born  at 
North  East,  Dutchess  County.  N.  Y.,  on  the  nth 
of  September,  1809.  His  early  life  was  spent  in 
acquiring  the  principles  of  an  English  education, 
and  working  on  his  father's  farm.  He  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Julia  Ann  Collin,  a  resident  of  the 
same  town,  January  17,  1833.  At  the  close  of  two 
years'  residence  of  married  life  at  the  place  of  his 
nativity,  he  immigrated  January  17,  1835,  to  Fay- 
etteville, and  settled  upon  the  farm  which  he  oc- 
cupied till  his  death.  He  was  blessed  with  a  , 
family  of  seven  children,  only  three  of  whom  are  * 
living,  viz  :  Julia  Ambrosia.  Ambrose.  Jr. .  and  Hat- 
tie  Louise,  now  Mrs.  W.  T.  Avery.  Ambrose,  Jr., 
now  occupies  the  homestead,  called  "  Maplewood.'' 

Mr.  Clark  was  a  very  active  and  efficient  busi- 
ness man.  In  all  his  transactions  he  followed  the 
"  Golden  Rule ;"  and  no  man  was  ever  more  truly 
esteemed  for  those  Christian  qualities  which  should     < 


adorn  a  true  and  noble  life.  He  was  kind  to  the 
poor ;  always  sympathizing  with  them  in  their 
afflictions,  and  giving  them  substantial  pecuniary 
aid.  whenever  he  thought  it  was  needed. 

In  politics,  he  was  a  Whig,  until  the  formation  of 
the  Republican  party,  when  he  became  a  most 
ardent  supporter  of  the  latter  organization.  Al- 
though never  solicitous  of  office,  he  was  fre- 
quently entrusted  with  the  discharge  of  the  most 
arduous  and  important  duties  of  his  town.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  promoters  and  founders  of  the 
"  Bank  of  F"ayetteville,"  (now  the  National  Bank.) 
He  remained  a  member  of  its  Board  of  Directors 
from  the  date  of  its  organization  till  his  death, 
which  occurred  December  7,  1875. 

In  his  religious  views  he  was  a  Universalist ;  and 
it  was  the  aim  of  his  life  to  advocate  and  live  up  to 
its  doctrines.  He  was  very  genial  and  fond  of  relat- 
ing anecdotes  and  adventures,  which  he  spiced  with 
more  or  less  wit  and  humor.  He  bore  with  patient 
resignation  the  disease  which  terminated  his  life, 
and  with  unwavering  faith,  he  peacefully  passed 
away  with  the  firm  assurance  of  a  blissful  reunion 
beyond  the  grave. 


DAVID  HIBBAKD. 


Mr.  Hibbard  was  born  in  the  town  of  Pompey, 
March  13,  1803,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Nancy 
[Pitcher]  Hibbard.  His  father  was  born  at  Kin- 
derhook,  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  and  came  to 
Pompey  in  1796,  where  he  devoted  the  remaining 
years  of  his  life  to  farming.  Mr.  Hibbard  obtained 
his  education  at  the  common  schools  in  Pompey, 
with  the  exception  of  one  year's  attendance  at  the 
Chenango  Academy  at  Pitcher  Springs.  He  lived 
at  home  until  he  had  attained  his  23d  year.  The 
summer  of  the  succeeding  year,  he  spent  in  canal- 
ing.  He  was  united  in  marriage,  April  19, 1838,10 
P'arzina,  a  daughter  of  Chauncey  and  Susan  [Briggs] 
Hinsdale.  Her  parents  were  New  England  people 
and  moved  into  the  county  when  they  were  quite 
young.  She  was  born  in  Otisco  in  181 5,  and  has 
proved  an  invaluable  help  meet  to  Mr.  Hibbard. 
He  bought  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides, 
when  a  young  man.  He  is  a  Director  of  the  Far- 
mers' Bank  of  Fayetteville,  and  is  also  connected 
with  the  National  Bank. 

Mr.  Hibbard  is  decidedly  one  of  the  most  public- 
spirited  citizens  of  Manlius.  The  Town  Hall  of 
Manlius  was  built  mainly  through  his  influence,  and 
also  the  buildings  of  the  Agricultural  Societies  of 
the  towns  of  Manlius  and  Pompey.     He  has  always 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


377 


taken  a  lively  interest  in  the  agricultural  develop- 
ment of  his  town. 

During  the  rebellion,  Mr.  Hibbardwasa  staunch 
supporter  of  the  Union  cause,  and  at  the  last  call 
for  troops,  virhen  very  little  interest  was  manifested, 
he  helped  raise  the  Second  New  York  Cavalry. 
Mr.  Hibbard  is  a  staunch  Republican.  He  has 
persistently  declined  public  office,  although  in  every 
way  well  fitted  for  discharging  its  duties. 


SAMUEL  J.   WELLS. 


Among  the  substantial  business  men  of  the  village 
of  Fayetteville,  none  have  a  stronger  claim  to  that 
appellation  than  Samuel  J.  Wells.  Beginning  with 
nothing  but  an  honest  heart  and  the  morals  instilled 
into  his  mind  at  his  father's  fireside,  he  has,  by  de- 
grees, become  one  of  the  best  known  business  men 
and  one  of  the  most  respected  citizens  of  his  village. 
He  was  born  at  New  Hartford,  Oneida  County, 
New  York,  March  22, 1830,  and  is  a  son  of  James 
and  Amelia  [Lewis]  Wells.  The  first  twenty  years 
of  his  life  he  spent  at  home  enjoying  the  advantages 
of  the  best  schools  in  his  county.  He  pursued  a 
course  of  study  at  Homer  Academy,  Cortland  Co., 
which  laid  the  foundation  of  that  business  educa- 
tion which  has  been  so  instrumental  in  his  success. 
When  about  twenty  years  of  age  he  entered  a  hard- 
ware store  as  a  clerk,  in  Albion,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
remained  five  years.  In  the  year  1855,  ^^  came  to 
Fayetteville  and  embarked  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness, which  he  has  continued  ever  since  with  grati- 
fying success. 

He  married  October  12,  1854,  Anna,  a  daughter 
of  David  Collin  of  Fayetteville,  by  whom  he  has 
been  blessed  with  a  fine  family  of  six  children,  viz : 
Samuel  James,  David  Collin,  John  Lewis,  Paul 
Irving,  Dana  Huntington  and  Anna  Sophia. 

David  Collin  is  attending  Yale  College,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  class  of  '80.  John  Lewis  is  attend- 
ing the  celebrated  Phillips  Academy  at  Andover, 
Mass.,  preparatory  to  entering  Yale.  Mr.  Wells 
was  formerly  a  Whig,  but  became  a  member  of  the 
Republican  party  upon  its  organization. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  Farmers'  Bank  of 
Fayetteville,  Mr.  Wells  was  honored  with  its  presi- 
dency, which  was  a  fit  tribute  to  his  merit  and 
capacity.  This  position  he  held  until  1878.  He  is 
at  present  one  of  its  Directors.  Perhaps  no  man 
in  the  village  has  taken  a  deeper  interest  in  religious 
and  educational  matters,  or  devoted  a  greater  share 
of  his  time  to  discharging  their  duties  than  Mr. 
Wells. 
64* 


JUDSON  H.  GRAVES,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Judson  H.  Graves  was  born  in  Bristol,  Onta- 
rio County,  N.  Y. ,  May  22,  1829.  He  was  one  of 
five  brothers,  all  of  whom,  with  this  exception, 
are  now  living  in  Michigan.  His  father  was,  in 
early  life,  a  resident  of  the  town  of  Manlius, 
Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  but  moved  at  the  time 
of  his  marriage,  to  Bristol,  Ontario  County,  N.  Y. 
Although  the  Doctor  had  not  the  advantages  of  a 
classical  education,  he  received  a  good  academic 
education,  and  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  in 
the  office  of  Dr.  Durgan,  in  the  town  of  Bristol,  On- 
tario County,  N.  Y.,  in  the  year  1853.  Having  re- 
ceived a  thorough  medical  education,  he  graduated 
from  the  University  of  Michigan  in  1858.  He  also 
received  the  degree  of  medicine  from  the  Syracuse 
University  in  1876.  He  practiced  medicine  with 
his  preceptor  until  the  year  i860,  when  he  moved 
to  Manlius,  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  and  com- 
menced the  practice  of  medicine  there.  He  was 
married  October  10,  1 861,  to  Miss  Marietta  Wor- 
den  of  Fayetteville,  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.  The 
fruit  of  this  marriage  was  two  children,  Carrie 
Louisa,  and  Frederick  Judson.  The  Doctor  was 
commissioned  Captain  of  Co.  F,  of  the  r49th  Regi- 
ment of  New  York  State  Volunteers,  October  4, 
1862,  and  went  to  the  front  with  the  regiment.  But 
owing  to  a  difficulty  with  the  commanding  officer 
of  the  regiment  he  tendered  his  resignation,  giving 
his  reasons  therefor  as  above.  His  resignation  was 
accepted  by  Gen.  McClellan,  and  he  was  honorably 
discharged  from  the  service.  He  returned  home 
and  resumed  the  practice  of  medicine,  where  he  still 
resides.  In  politics  the  Doctor  is  a  Republican, 
and  has  been  a  firm  supporter  of  the  party  since  its 
organization. 


CHARLES  M.  COLE. 

Mr.  Cole  was  born  in  Manlius,  Onondaga  Coun- 
ty, May  5,  1 82 1.  His  parents  were  Garrett  and 
Catherine  Cole.  He  obtained  a  good  education, 
living  with  his  widowed  mother,  until  he  attained 
his  fourteenth  year,  when  he  apprenticed  himself  to 
his  brother  to  learn  the  stone-mason's  trade.  He 
remained  with  his  brother  until  he  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age;  and  then  kept  a  grocery  store  at  Fay- 
etteville. When  twenty-five  years  of  age,  he  re- 
moved to  "  Poole's  Brook,"  on  the  Erie  Canal, 
where  he  kept  a  grocery  store  about  three  years. 
When  twenty-seven  years  old,  he  married  ;  and  a 
year  later,  bought  with  his  brother- in-law  a  canal 
boat  and    followed   boating  during  that   summer. 


378 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


The  next  year  he  lived  with  his  father-in  law  and 
also  worked  at  his  trade.  He  then  bought  a  house 
and  lot  of  eight  acres,  near  the  "  Brook  Mill,"  which 
he  increased  by  subsequent  purchase  to  thirty  acres. 
At  the  close  of  two  and  a  half  years  residence  upon 
this  place,  he  again  lived  with  his  father-in-law 
three  years  more,  and  then  went  into  the  jobbing 
business,  with  Harvey  E  Tuppcr  He  built  a  steam 
sawmill  in  Clinton  Co  ,  Iowa,  which  he  traded  with 
forty  acres  of  western  land  for  "  the  one  hundred 
acre  farm  on  the  Central,"  near  Kirkvillc  ;  and 
afterwards  bought  the  place  of  twenty-five  acres 
upon  which  he  now  resides,  also  twenty-five  acres 
adjoining,  together  with  a  fine  wood-lot  of  thirteen 
and  a  half  acres,  below  Kirkville 

He  married,  April  20,  1848,  Catherine  Maybee, 
a  daughter  of  David  and  Catherine  Maybee  of  Man- 
lius.  They  have  had  the  following  children  born  to 
them,  viz  :  David  M.,  August  13.  1849;  Ophelia, 
July  13,  1856,  died  August  18,  1867;  Charley  M., 
April  29,  i860,  died  March  8,  1862,  and  Gideon  W., 
September  15,  1862.  The  oldest  son  works  the 
farm.  Mr.  Cole  works  at  his  trade  and  attends  to 
business  matters  which  pertain  to  the  farm.  He  is 
a  strong  Democrat,  and  has  labored  in  his  humble 
way  to  advance  its  principles. 

Mr.  Cole  is  upright  in  all  his  business  transac- 
tions, and  is  well  thought  of  by  the  community  in 
which  he  lives. 

In  religious  sentiment  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cole  are 
Methodists,  having  been  members  in  good  stand- 
ing of  the  M.  E.  Church  at  Kirkville,  the  past  six- 
teen years. 

C.  E   SCOVILLE. 

C.  E.  Scovillc  was  born  April  16,  1832,  at  the 
old  homestead,  near  Oran,  in  the  town  of  Pompey. 
His  grandfather,  James  Scoville,  Jr.,  moved  into  the 
town  of  Pompey  in  1796.  His  father,  Timothy 
Hall  Scovillc  was  born  November  9,  I7<j6,  and  mar- 
ried Esther  Allen  in  1817  ;  spending  his  days  upon 
a  portion  of  the  old  homestead.  Charles  E  Sco- 
villc was  the  youngest  of  five  children.  His  mother 
died  when  he  was  six  months  old.  He  obtained 
by  diligent  study  a  good  education  at  Cazcnovia 
Seminary,  attending  school  winters  and  working 
upon  his  farm  in  the  summer. 

In  1853  he  took  a  contract  of  the  Binghamton 
Railroad  for  building  the  fence  from  Jamesville  to 
the  Summit,  being  obliged  to  take  his  pay  in  sec- 
ond-class bonds,  which  proved  as  worthless  as  the 
Confederate  bonds  at  the  close  of  the  late  war.  He 
was  united   in    marriage,  in  June,  1858,  to  Mary  P. 


Gould,  a  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Gould,  whose 
honorable  connection  with  the  salt  and  other  inter- 
ests of  the  county  is  spoken  o^^  the  general 
history  of  the  county.  Her  gr^^fcther  was  a 
lineal  descendant  of  General  Rufus  Puinam.  After 
leaving  the  railroad  he  went  to  Michigan,  staying 
two  years.  Upon  returning  he  worked  upon 
his  farm  in  Pompey  until  1863,  when  he  sold 
it  and  went  to  Eagle  Village,  where  he  remained 
till  he  bought  lin  1864)  the  farm  which  he  occupied 
till  his  death,  which  occurred  May  16,  1875,  in  his 
forty-third  year,  leaving  at  his  death  four  children, 
named  respectively,  James  E.,  Addison  G.,  Carrie 
A.,  and  Robert  F.  He  was  a  man  universally  es- 
teemed by  all  who  knew  him,  doing  in  all  his  trans- 
actions with  the  world  as  he  would  be  done  by. 
His  widow  and  children  are  occupying  the  home- 
stead. 


ALLEN  H.  AVERY. 

No  citizen  of  the  town  of  Manlius  has  a  stronger 
claim  on  public  confidence,  or  is  more  universally 
esteemed  for  purity  of  motives  and  justness  of  ac- 
tions, than  Allen  H.  Avery.  He  was  born  at  Great 
Barrington,  Mass.,  January  21,  1815,  and  is  a  son 
of  Harry  and  Polly  [Chapman]  Avery.  One  of  his 
ancestors,  Christopher  Avery,  a  weaver,  emigrated 
from  England  about  the  year  1C40,  settling  in  Glou- 
cester, Mass.  His  grandfather.  Miles  Avery,  was  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolution,  and  served  gallantly  dur- 
ing the  seven  years  of  that  memorable  struggle  for 
freedom.  His  parents,  when  he  was  a  year  and  a 
half  old,  immigrated  to  Pompey,  mow  LaFayette,  1 
and  bought  one  hundred  acres  of  heavily  timbered 
land,  at  $io.<X)  peracre.  His  father  closed  his  long 
and  useful  life  December  4,  1872,  in  his  eighty- 
fourth  year. 

Although  Mr.  Avery  did  not  have  the  educa- 
tional advantages  in  his  youth  that  the  present  day 
aflords,  yet  so  faithfully  did  he  improve  his  oppor- 
tunities and  leisure  hours  that  he  obtained  a  thor- 
ough English  education,  and  taught  school  success- 
fully two  winters.  When  he  was  twenty-one  years 
of  age  his  father  gave  him  $1,000,  with  which,  to- 
gether with  his  own  savings,  he  bought  a  farm  of 
fifty-five  and  one-half  acres,  lying  in  the  town  of 
Pompey.  He  soon  after  sold  it  to  his  brother, 
Egbert  I.  Avery,  and  worked  his  father-in-law's 
farm  on"  shares  five  years,  when  he  bought  a  farm 
adjoining  his  brother  Egbert's,  and  after  five  years' 
residence  upon  it  he  sold  it  to  his  brother.  He 
then  purchased  his  father-in-law's  farm,  which  he 
still  owns.     His  present  wife,  Emeline,  isa  daughter 


Photos  BY  Smith,  F/^hucviile 


Seymour  Frait. 


l^lANCY  PrA7T. 


Beach  Beard 


Frances  Beard. 


I  LLusTRious  Remington 


Eunice  Remington, 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


379 


of  Nathaniel  Gillett  of  DeWitt.  His  children  are 
named  respectively,  Mary  J.,  Cora  C.  and  Allen  H., 
Jr.,  who  has  received  a  fine  education,  having  at- 
tended St.  John's  School  at  Manlius,  and  graduated 
from  Poughkeepsie  College. 

Mr.  Avery  is  an  old  Jacksonian  Democrat,  and 
has  taken  a  deep  interest  in  political  affairs  since  at- 
taining his  majority.  He  served  as  Assessor  three 
years,  and  won  the  confidence  and  respect  of  his 
fellow-citizens  by  his  equitable  adjustment  of  the 
assessment  rolls.  Although  his  party  is  in  the 
minority,  he  made  a  gallant  run  when  nominated 
for  Supervisor.  In  the  fall  of  1871,  he  was  per- 
suaded to  run  for  the  Assembly,  but,  on  account 
of  the  large  Republican  majority,  he  was  not 
elected.  His  own  town,  however,  showed  their  ap- 
preciation of  his  worth  by  giving  him  one  hundred 
and  twelve  majority,  when  the  Republican  State 
ticket  received  one  hundred  and  ninety  majority. 

Mr.  Avery  has  always  been  very  actively  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  matters,  having  been  for  several 
years  President  and  Vice-President  of  the  Agri- 
cultural Societies  of  the  towns  of  Manlius  and  Pom- 
pey.  President  of  the  County  Wool  Growers'  Asso- 
ciation and  being,  also,  a  life  member  and  having 
been  Vice-President  of  the  State  Sheep  Breeders' 
and  Wool  Growers'  Association. 

Although  in  his  63d  year,  his  step  is  as  firm  and 
elastic  as  ever  and  his  mind  as  clear  as  in  the 
brightest  days  of  his  youth.  He  is  passing  to  the 
close  of  his  useful  life  surrounded  by  kind  and  lov- 
ing children  and  an  abundance  of  means  to  satisfy 
his  legitimate  desires. 


J.   BEACH    BEARD. 

In  almost  every  town  in  the  State  there  are  a  few 
aged  pioneers,  who  have  undergone  the  hardships 
incident  to  frontier  life,  and  have  founded  large  fami- 
lies who  adorn  nearly  all  the  occupations  and  pro- 
fessions of  life.  Of  these  men  J.  Beach  Beard  is  a 
noble  representative.  He  was  born  at  Harwinton, 
Litchfield  county,  Connecticut.  His  parents  were 
David  and  Mary  [Tomlinson]  Beard.  He  received 
in  early  boyhood  a  fair  common  school  education, 
and  in  the  year  18 12,  came  to  Pompey,  where  he 
attended  the  Pompey  Academy  six  months,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  engaged  in  teaching  in  West- 
moreland, Oneida  County,  New  York,  and  taught 
very  acceptably  two  terms. 

In  April,  18 13,  he  bought  a  fifty-acre  farm,  sit- 
uated in  the  town  of  Pompey,  about  one  mile  north- 
west of  Pompey  Hill. 


In  18 1 5,  he  disposed  of  this  farm  and  bought 
another  consisting  of  seventy-five  acres,  lying  one 
mile  north  of  Pompey  Hill,  on  the  road  to  Manlius. 
By  subsequent  purchases  he  increased  this  estate  to 
500  acres,  which  he  worked  for  a  period  of  thirty- 
five  years.  In  the  spring  of  1S32,  he  conducted  a 
store  at  Pompey  Hill,  working  on  his  farm  during 
the  day,  doing  as  much  hard  work  as  any  farm  hand 
he  had  and  in  the  evening  attending  to  the  affairs 
of  his  store. 

During  the  summer  of  1836,  he  built  a  good  and 
substantial  stone  store  at  Pompey  Hill. 

In  the  spring  of  1839,  he  bought  a  store  at  Fay- 
elteville  ;  his  son,  Beach  C.  Beard,  being  manager 
and  Ira  Beard,  clerk.  His  son,  Henry  L.  Beard, 
conducted  the  store  at  Pompey  Hill,  assisted  by 
Huntington  Beard. 

In  the  Fall  of  1850,  Mr.  Beard  moved  to  Fayette- 
ville.  The  previous  year  he  had  bought  a  good  in- 
terest in  the  famous  Ledyard  purchase. 

In  1851  he  built  the  Spring  Mills,  at  Fayette- 
ville,  which  he  conducted,  with  the  assistance  of  his 
sons,  till  November,  1877,  when  he  retired. 

In  1852  he  built  the  first  paper  mill  in  the  town 
of  Manlius,  which  he  leased  for  the  first  five  years 
and  since  that  time  has  given  the  management  to 
his  son,  Henry  L.  Beard,  and  Robert  Crouse,  the 
husband  of  Ellen  Beard,  his  daughter.  Mr.  Beard 
and  sons  are  owners  of  the  Beard  Block,  which  con- 
tains many  of  the  most  prominent  business  firms  in 
the  village,  which  they  built  in  1852-53.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Beard,  although  in  their  declining  years,  are 
enjoying  tolerably  good  health  and  are  surrounded 
with  every  comfort  which  can  render  their  remain- 
ing years  enjoyable. 


EDWARD  FRENCH. 


Edward  French  was  born  in  the  town  of  Sullivan, 
Madison  County,  N.  Y.,  November  28,  1801.  His 
parents,  Adin  and  Chloe  (Nettleton)  French,  emi- 
grated from  the  town  of  Killingworth,  Connecticut, 
in  the  year  1801,  and  settled  in  Madison  County, 
New  York. 

At  the  age  of  ten  years,  his  father  hired  him  out 
to  a  farmer  for  ten  dollars  per  month  during  the 
summer  months.  In  the  winter  he  was  occasionally 
sent  to  school,  but  not  enough  to  obtain  more  than 
the  rudiments  of  a  common  school  education. 
When  seventeen  years  of  age  he  was  apprenticed 
by  his  father  to  Jonathan  Crampton,  of  East  Guil- 
ford, (now  the  town  of  Madison,)  to  learn  the  shoe- 
maker's and  tanning  trade.     Having  mastered  his 


38o 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


trade  and  feeling  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  the 
want  of  a  good  education,  he  accordingly  attended 
an  academy  for  two  months,  making  such  rapid 
progress  as  to  receive  the  high  compliment  from 
the  principal  that  he  had  never  before  had  a  pupil 
who  "  developed  such  aptness  for  learning."  In  the 
year  1823,  he  ran  a  canal  boat  two  trips,  and  after- 
ward engaged  with  a  shoe  firm  in  Pompcy,  remain- 
ing two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  rented 
a  farm  in  Manlius,  upon  which  he  worked  two  years 
and  then  bought  thirty-four  acres  of  land  near  the 
"  Green  Lakes,"  which  he  increased  by  subsequent 
purchases,  to  140  acres. 

At  the  close  of  seven  years'  residence  upon  this 
farm,  he  sold  it  and  bought  the  place  upon  which 
he  now  lives.  He  married  for  his  first  wife,  March 
20,  1834,  Dora  Ann  Worden,  by  whom  he  had  si.x 
children,  viz:  George,  Julia,  Oliver,  Clarrissa, 
Jonathan  and  Ellen,  of  whom  only  Ellen,  George 
and  Julia  are  living. 

In  politics,  Mr.  French  is  an  Independent,  hav- 
mg  been  for  the  past  fifteen  years  disgusted  with 
the  corruption  of  parties  and  partisans  ;  he  has 
striven  in  his  humble  way  to  put  into  office  the 
best  men,  irrespective  of  party.  His  youth  was 
passed  in  a  constant  struggle  for  existence.  He  is 
now  surrounded  with  every  convenience  that  can 
make  his  home  happy  and  his  mind  contented. 

The  old  adage  that  the  "  gods  help  those  who 
help  themselves,"  has  been  strikingly  illustrated 
in  his  life  His  present  wife,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Tib- 
betts,  is  a  very  estimable  lady,  and  has  been  his 
faithful  companion  for  twenty-five  years. 


ELI  A.  COE. 

Eli  A.  Coe,  was  born  at  Smithfield,  Madison 
County,  N.  Y.,  April  i,  1819.  His  parents  David 
and  Orra  ( Ellen  wood  1  Coe  were  both  natives  of 
Connecticut.  His  father,  when  twelve  years  of  age, 
came  with  his  parents  to  Madison  County,  and 
devoted  himself  throughout  life  to  the  occupation 
of  farming.  Mr.  Coe  obtained  a  fair  business 
education,  by  diligently  improving  his  opportunities 
for  learning. 

When  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  renteil  a  farm 
adjoining  his  father's,  of  seventy-one  acres,  upon 
which  he  lived  as  lessee  five  years  and  as  owner 
two  years.  In  the  year  1849,  renting  his  farm,  he 
removed  to  Oneida  Village,  where  he  built  a 
house  and  a  large  bakery.  At  the  end  of  six 
months  he  sold  the  bakery  and  bought  a  soap  and 
candle   factory,  which    he   conducted   successfully 


for  three  years.  At  the  close  of  eight  years'  resi- 
dence at  Oneida  Village,  longing  for  the  quiet 
rural  life  of  his  earlier  days,  he  purchased  a  dairy 
farm,  consisting  of  128  acres,  lying  in  Smithfield, 
upon  which  he  kept  twenty  cows. 

In  the  spring  of  1865,  he  purchased  and  moved 
upon  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  which  he  has 
increased  from  1 16  to  141  acres. 

He  married  for  his  first  wife,  February  3,  1846, 
Nancy,  a  daughter  of  Ralph  and  Emily  Ellenwood, 
of  Stockbridge,  by  whom  he  had  four  children,  viz  : 
Ralph  E.,  Minnie  A.,  M.  Burton,  and  Milton  F. 
Ralph  is  married  and  lives  on  his  father's  farm  ;  the 
remaining  children  are  at  home. 

For  his  second  wife  he  married,  January  12,  1869, 
Mrs.  Adelia  Wight.  In  politics  Mr.  Coe  is  a  Re- 
publican. In  the  year  1848,  he  united  with  the 
Baptist  Church,  and  has  been  a  constant  and  liber- 
al supporter  of  church  interests  since  that  time. 
In  his  domestic  relations  he  is  a  kind  and  loving 
father  and  afiectionate  husband.  Genial,  hospitable 
and  well-informed,  his  guests  find  a  very  attractive 
and  pleasant  reception  at  his  home. 

There  is  no  man  in  the  town  of  Manlius  who  is 
more  highly  spoken  of  and  esteemed  than  he. 


DAVID  COLLIN,  Sr. 

Among  the  few  early  pioneers  of  Manlius,  still 
living,  is  David  Collin.  He  was  born  at  North  East, 
Dutchess  County,  New  York,  April  23,  1794,  and 
is  a  son  of  David  and  Lucy  [Bingham]  Collin.  His 
great  grandfather  was  a  French  sea-captain.  His 
father  was  born  in  Dutchess  County  and  died  at 
Fayetteville,  June  2d,  1844.  Owing  to  the  new- 
ness of  the  country,  and  the  absence  of  those  insti- 
tutions which  accompany  civilization,  his  early  edu- 
cational advantages  were  quite  limited.  Like  the 
fathers  of  most  young  men  of  those  days,  his  father 
required  his  services  on  the  farm,  until  he  was  twen- 
ty-one years  of  age,  when  he  gave  him  400  acres  of 
wild  land,  situated  within  half  a  mile  of  the  present 
village  of  Fayetteville.  He  commenced  the  her- 
culean task  of  clearing  up  this  immense  tract  of 
land  with  his  own  hands.  The  result  of  his  toil 
can  be  seen  to-day,  in  the  large  beautiful  fields  which 
meet  the  passer's  gaze. 

By  a  rare  combination  of  business  foresight  the 
400  acres  were  increased  to  iScx5  acres,  which  he  has 
with  an  unusually  fatherly  love  distributed  among 
his  large  and  respectable  family.  In  the  year  1817, 
he  married  Anna,  a  daughter  of  Ephraim  and  Mir- 
iam Smith,  of  Dutchess  County,  by  whom  he  had 


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HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


381 


seven  children,  viz  :  Edmund,  Lucy,  David,  Jr.,  Ira, 
Harriette,  Miriam,  and  Anna  Smith. 

In  the  year  18 13,  Mr,  Collin  joined  the  American 
army,  and  served  as  sergeant  for  three  months. 
Although  he  never  cared  for  nor  sought  political  pre- 
ferment, he  has  quite  frequently  been  honored  with 
the  most  important  town  offices.  He  has  been  one 
of  the  most  public-spirited  men  that  the  village  of 
Fayetteville  has  ever  had,  being  one  of  the  first 
movers  in  the  erection  of  the  first  church  and 
academy  in  the  village.  The  Water-works  Com- 
pany is  indebted  to  Mr.  Collin  in  a  great  measure 
for  its  existence. 

Many  men  throughout  the  town  and  county  at- 
tribute their  start  in  life  to  the  generosity  of  Mr. 
Collin.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  although 
his  earlier  political  affiliations  were  Democratic. 
Since  1832  he  has  been  an  active  member  and  sup- 
porter of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Fayetteville. 
Mr.  Collin  is  still  living  at  the  advanced  age  of  84 
years,  enjoying  good  health. 


SILAS  BELL. 


Mr.  Bell  married  for  his  second  wife,  September 
22,  1863,  Henriette,  a  daughter  of  Chauncey  and 
Charlotte  [Huntley]  Arnold,  of  Sullivan  County. 
Their  only  child,  Nettie  Bertha,  aged  thirteen,  is 
now  attending  school.  By  his  first  wife  he  had 
one  child,  Jasper  A.,  who  died  in  his  fiftieth  year, 
the  26th  of  August,  1877. 

In  politics  Mr.  Bell  was  formerly  a  Democrat  but 
at  present  is  a  Republican. 

For  over  forty  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Universalist  Church.  Upon  first  hearing  a  Uni- 
versalist  preacher,  he  became  thoroughly  convinced 
of  the  truth  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Universalist 
church. 

Mr.  Bell  is  classed  as  one  of  the  wealthiest  citi- 
zens of  the  town  of  Manlius. 


Silas  Bell  was  born  at  Glastonbury,  Hartford 
County.  Conn.,  on  the  9th  of  June,  1804.  His 
parents,  Aaron  and  Sally  [Olger]  Bell,  emigrated 
from  Connecticut  in  the  year  of  i8i6,and  settled  in 
Fabius,  Onondaga  County,  New  York. 

His  youth  was  spent  in  obtaining  such  advantages 
of  education  as  the  district  schools  of  those  days 
afforded,  and  in  working  as  a  farm  laborer.  When  j 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  impressed  with  the  feeling 
that  it  was  his  duty  to  have  a  home  of  his  own,  he 
married  Hannah  Smith,  a  daughter  of  Jonathan 
Smith  of  Manlius,  and  bought  a  sixty-five  acre  farm 
in  Truxton,  Cortland  County,  N.  Y.  He  met  the 
first  payment  of  one  hundred  dollars  by  chopping 
cord-wood  at  twenty-five  cents  per  cord.  In  1830, 
he  disposed  of  his  farm,  and  moved  to  Manlius. 
The  succeeding  four  years  he  spent  with  his  broth- 
ers-in-law and  chopped  on  their  farm  during  that 
period  over  a  thousand  cords  of  wood.  He  pur- 
chased seventy-five  acres  of  land,  where  he  now  re- 
sides, in  1834,  which  he  increased  by  subsequent 
purchases  to  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres. 
65 


E.   W.  WOODWARD. 


Mr.  Woodward  was  born  in  Geddes,  April  27, 
1825.  His  parents,  John  W.  and  Sophia  Z.  Wood- 
ward, emmigrated  from  Unadilla,  Otsego  County, 
in  the  year  1797,  and  settled  in  Geddes  ;  there  be- 
ing no  settlement  where  Syracuse  is  now  situated, 
except  in  what  is  now  the  First  Ward.  His  father 
took  up  Government  lands,  which  he  held  until  1852, 
when  he  disposed  of  his  property  and  immigrated 
to  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  settHng  near  Milwaukee. 
He  afterward  moved  to  Appleton,  where  he  died 
in  1868,  leaving  a  large  estate. 

Mr.  Woodward  spent  his  youth  at  home  until  he 
attained  his  23d  year.  In  1853  he  bought  a  tract 
of  land  in  Wisconsin,  but  in  four  months  returned 
to  Syracuse.  The  next  spring  he  went  to  Chicago, 
where  he  kept  a  hotel  two  years.  He  subsequently 
lived  alternately  in  the  East  and  West,  until  1865, 
when  he  bought  the  hotel  property  at  Manlius,  which 
he  still  owns.  He  married  in  1850,  Charlotte  P., 
a  daughter  of  Moses  Chapman,  by  whom  he  has  had 
four  children,  viz.  :  Florence,  Gertrude,  Mabel 
Blanchard,  and  Linden  Dwight  Wesley,  of  whom 
only  Mabel  B.  and  Linden  D.  W.  are  living.  In 
politics  he  is  a  staunch  Democrat.  He  has  never 
been  desirous  of  public  office,  although  often  solic- 
ited by  his  friends  to  run  for  different  town  offices. 


382 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


FABIUS 


Fabius  was  erected  from  Fompey  in  1798.  It 
included  at  that  time  two  military  townships — 
Fabius  and  Tully— embracing  all  the  present  towns 
of  Fabius,  Tully,  Truxton  and  Preble,  with  parts  of 
Spaflbrd  and  Otisco,  being  ten  by  twenty  miles  in 
extent.  Tully  was  taken  from  it  in  1803,  and  in 
1808,  when  the  county  of  Cortland  was  set  off  from 
Onondaga,  the  town  of  Truxton  was  taken  from  the 
southern  part  of  it. 

This  town  has  a  general  elevation  of  from  j.oco 
to  1,200  feet  above  the  Kric  Canal  at  Syracuse. 
The  surface  of  the  south  half  is  broken  by  a  series 
of  ridges  extending  in  a  north  and  south  direction 
and  separated  by  narrow  valleys.  Their  declivities 
are  generally  steep,  their  summits  rising  from  three 
hundred  to  five  hundred  feet,  South  Hill,  in  the 
southwest  corner  being  the  principal  elevation. 
The  streams  from  the  center  riow  south  into  the 
Tioughnioga,  a  branch  of  the  Susquehanna,  and 
those  upon  the  east  and  west  borders  flow  north 
into  the  Limestone  and  Hutternut  Creeks.  At  the 
foot  of  South  Hill  lies  a  small  lake  known  as  Lab- 
rador Pond. 

The  soil  is  generally  a  fine  quality  of  gravelly 
loam  intermixed  in  places  with  clay  and  sand,  well 
watered  and  adapted  to  grass  and  pasturage.  From 
this  fact,  dairying  is  the  principal  occupation  of  the 
people.  In  amount  of  dairy  products,  the  town  is 
the  first  in  the  county  and  among  the  first  in  the 
State. 

F'lRST  Settlers. 

The  first  settlers  of  Fabius  were  Josiah  Moore 
and  Timothy  Jerome,  from  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  in 
1794.  They  erected  their  log  cabins  in  the  dense 
forest,  and  for  the  first  year  were  entirely  without 
neighbors.  The  next  year  was  marked  by  the  arriv- 
al of  Col.  Elijah  St.  John,  also  from  Massachusetts, 
and  soon  others  followed.  The  settlement  was  so 
rapid  that  in  18 10  the  population  of  the  town  was 
1,900,  although  the  immigration  commenced  at  a 
somewhat  later  period  than  that  into  Pompey,  Man- 
lius  and  Onondaga. 

Josiah  Moore  settled  on  the  Chenango  road. 
He  died  April  29,  1802.  His  son,  Charles  Moore, 
was  the  first  white  male  child  born  in  the  town. 
He  was  born  in  1796,  and  died  in  1862. 


The  pioneers  penetrated  into  the  deep  forest ; 
heavy  timber  of  hemlock,  beech,  maple,  basswood, 
elm.  ash,  oak  and  pine,  covered  the  face  of  the 
country.  In  this  unsubdued  wilderness  they  erected 
their  cabins,  with  no  traces  to  guide  them  save  the 
marked  trees  or  the  curling  smoke  ascending  from 
their  rude  chimneys  or  roofs.  In  the  natural 
meadows  along  the  valleys  of  the  streams  the  herds 
were  turned  loose  and  fared  sumptuously,  the  tink- 
ling bell  directing  the  sturdy  woodman  to  the  object 
■  of  his  search,  when  the  obedient  ox  was  needed  as 
I  an  auxiliary  to  labor,  or  the  docile  cow  as  an  in- 
dispensable aid  to  sustenance. 

The  chief  means  of  subsistence  to  last  them 
through  the  first  two  years  were  brought  by  the 
pioneers  from  the  east.  Wild  plums,  blackberries 
and  game  were  plenty,  and  these  with  milk  and 
such  stores  as  they  had  laid  in,  constituted  the  luxu- 
ries of  their  board.  The  first  mills  to  which  they 
had  recourse,  short  of  Herkimer,  were  Danforth's 
on  the  Butternut  Creek. 

Town  Meetings,  &c. 
The  first  town  meeting  for  Fabius  was  held  at 
I     the  house  of  Joseph  Tubbs,  April  3,  1798.      Timo- 
!     thy  Jerome  was  chosen  Supervisor  ;  Josiah  Moore, 
I     Town  Clerk  ;  Benjamin    Brown,  Timothy  Walker. 
I     and  Elijah    St.   John.   Assessors  ;   Joseph  Tubbs, 
James  Cravath  and    William  Blanchard,  Commis- 
sioners of  Highways  :  Ezckiel  Dunham,  Constable. 
The  second  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  same 
place,  April  2,  1799:  Timothy  Jerome  was  chosen 
Supervisor,  and  Benjamin  Brown,  Town  Clerk. 

The  seventy-eighth  annual  town  meeting  was 
held  February  20,  1877,  in  the  house  of  Ira  Smith, 
and  the  following  officers  were  elected  :  Justices, 
James  H.  Wheelock,  Elmore  Wheaton,  Eli  S. 
Howe,  Harance  T.  Jones  ;  Town  Clerk,  Dillie  R. 
Webster  :  Supervisor,  Newel  Rowley  ;  Collector, 
John  H.  Sniffin;  Assessor.  Elijah  Andrews  ;  Over- 
seers of  the  Poor,  Ezra  Goodrich  and  Charles  W. 
Miles  ;  Town  Auditors,  John  C.  Bailey,  Wm.  H.  S. 
Green  and  Wm.  Tibbits  ;  Constables,  John  H. 
Snifllin,  George  W.  Way,  Stephen  Chaffee.  Grant  O. 
Andrews  ;  Game  Constable,  Ransom  Stringham  ; 
Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures.  A.  W.  Salesbury ; 
Excise  Commissioner,  Alvin  House. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


383 


Timothy  Jerome  was  the  first,  and  for  a  long-time 
the  only.  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  this  town,  and  for 
the  surrounding  country. 

The  first  frame  house  was  erected  by  Josiah 
Moore  in  1800.  Others  soon  followed.  The  in- 
habitants were  enterprising,  and  soon  supplied 
themselves  with  all  the  comforts  and  conveniencies 
of  life. 

Josiah  Moore  sowed  the  first  wheat  and  caused 
the  first  farming  implements  to  be  brought  into  the 
town.  The  first  surveys  were  made  by  Hon. 
Moses  DeWitt.  (See  Town  of  DeWitt.)  Major 
Joseph  Strong  built  the  first  barn  in  1799.  It  is 
still  standing. 

Among  the  first  settlers  were  William  Clark  and 
Simon  Keeney.  A  daughter  of  the  latter,  Miss 
Lydia  Keeney,  was  married  to  Mr.  Abel  Webster 
in  1798,  and  this  was  the  first  marriage  in  Fabius. 

With  respect  to  the  first  school  in  town,  authori- 
ties seem  to  differ.  Clark  says  :  "  The  first  school 
taught  in  this  town  was  by  Miss  Jerome,  wife  of 
the  late  Judge  James  Geddes."  He  says  it  was  in 
a  log  school  house,  a  year  or  two  before  there  was 
any  other  in  the  town,  but  gives  no  locality  nor 
date.  Other  local  authorities  say  the  first  school 
was  taught  in  Simon  Keeney's  neighborhood,  by 
Benjamin  Brown,  in  1802,  and  give  the  names  of 
the  surviving  pupils,  as  follows  :  Champion  Keeney, 
Simon  Keeney,  Jr.,  and  Esther  Woodruff.  Miss 
Jerome  may  have  taught  a  school  before  1802,  and 
all  the  rest  of  the  facts  about  the  school  in  Mr. 
Keeney's  neighborhood  inayhQ  correct,  except  that 
it  was  \\\Q  first  school  in  the  town.  We  suggest 
this  merely  as  a  conjectural  mode  of  reconciliation  ; 
local  authorities  must  settle  the  question. 

Joel  Daniels  was  the  first  blacksmith.  The  first 
store  was  opened  by  Morton  &  Cady.  Joseph 
Simons  kept  the  first  tavern  within  the  limits  of 
the  present  town,  though  Josiah  Tubbs,  in  1 797, 
was  the  first  tavern  keeper,  near  Tully,  at  whose 
house  town   meetings  were  first  held. 

The  first  grist  and  saw  mills  erected  in  this  town 
were  by  Thomas  Miles,  on  Butternut  Creek,  west 
of  Apulia. 

The  first  postoffice  was  at  Truxton  village,  (then 
iu  Fabius,)  established  about  1804.  At  a  much 
later  period  postoffices  were  established  at  Apulia 
and  Franklinville. 

Elijah  Miles  was  the  first  State  Senator  from  this 
town.  The  first  Member  of  Assembly  was  Jona- 
than Stanley,  in  18 12. 

The  oldest  native  resident  of  the  town  is  John 
Keeney,  who  is  now  living  ;  he  has  attained  the 
good  old  age  of  81  years. 


The  town  contains  twenty-three  School  Districts. 

A  tannery  was  constructed  by  Lyman  Smith  in 
1805.  It  was  in  the  open  air,  without  any  building 
or  even  shed  to  shelter  it.  The  contrivance  for 
grinding  the  bark  was  that  of  a  large  stone  attached 
to  a  log  or  pole  and  drawn  round  in  a  circle  by  a 
horse.  George  Pettit  afterwards  owned  the  appli- 
ances, which  were  burned  in  1812.  He  immediate- 
ly rebuilt,  and  in  connection  therewith,  put  up  a  shoe 
shop  said  to  have  been  the  first  one  in  town.  Prior 
to  this  it  was  the  custom  for  traveling  cobblers  to 
go  from  house  to  house  repairing  and  making  shoes. 
The  above  tannery  was  built  on  part  of  Mr.  Keeney's 

farm. 

VILLAGE  OF  FABIUS. 

The  Village  of  Fabius  is  pleasantly  situated 
among  the  hills  which  form  the  most  northerly 
spur  of  the  Alleghany  range  of  mountains.  Along 
its  western  extremity  flows  a  branch  of  the 
Tioughnioga,  a  beautiful  stream  whose  waters  flow 
southward  and  mingle  with  those  of  the  Susque- 
hanna. The  surrounding  scenery  is  pleasing  and 
romantic.  It  is  studded  with  beautiful  groves, 
fruitful  orchards  and  the  neat  and  substantial  homes 
of  prosperous  farmers,  and  is  walled  in  upon  every 
side  with  hills  that  swell  softly  in  the  distance  to  a 
clear  cut  outline  against  the  deep  blue  sky.  This 
village  had  its  origin  about  the  year  18 12,  at  which 
time  an  ashery  and  dwelling  house  were  erected 
near  the  east  end.  In  the  year  18 14  a  hotel  was 
built  and  the  same  now  stands,  with  enlarged 
dimensions,  on  the  corner  of  the  road,  and  is  known 
as  the  Old  Cadwell  House.  In  i8i6the  Hamilton 
and  Skaneateles  turnpike  was  constructed  through 
this  town,  and  in  that  year  another  hotel  was 
erected.  Ira  Smith  is  the  present  proprietor. 

The  first  store  was  kept  by  Aaron  Benedict  & 
Co.,  and  erected  on  the  corner  now  occupied  by 
S.  H.  Corbin,  as  a  fruit  yard ;  in  the  same  year 
the  turnpike  was  constructed.  The  first  physician 
was  Dr.  Searles.  The  first  Justice  of  the  Peace 
was  George  Pettit. 

The  Baptist  meeting-house  was  built  in  18 18, 
and  rebuilt  in  1870,  the  present  pastor  being  Rev. 
Ira  Taylor.  The  Methodist  church  was  built  in 
1821,  was  moved  to  its  present  position  in  1835, 
and  rebuilt  in  1 860.  The  Free- Will  Baptist  Church 
was  built  in  1830,  moved  to  the  present  location  in 
1845,  removed  and  a  new  structure  placed  in  its 
stead  in  1868.  The  Universalis!  Church,  now  oc- 
cupied by  the    Roman    Catholics  was   erected    in 

1845- 
The  completion  of  the  turnpike  in  18 16,  was  the 

sio-nal  for  the  systematical  laying  out  and  building 


384 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


in  this  central  part  of  the  town  a  village  upon  this 
thoroughfare,  and  henceforward,  for  forty  years,  it 
sustained  uninterrupted  growth,  prosperity  and 
wealth,  and  was  the  scene  of  stirring  business 
activity.  It  soon  extended  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
along  the  turnpike,  had  one  parallel  side  street  and 
four  cross  streets,  with  a  population  of  600,  with 
numerous  dry-goods,  grocery,  boot  and  shoe,  and 
clothing  stores,  cabinet  and  wagon  shops,  with 
the  usual  minor  branches  of  business  and 
trade.  Prominent  among  the  early  land-holders  and 
founders  of  this  place  may  be  mentioned  Abijah 
Otis,  Mark  and  Lucas  Andrews,  and  Aaron  Bene- 
dict, while  to  Jerry  Benedict  and  John  Wilson  may 
be  ascribed  the  original  conception  of  the  village  and 
plan  of  the  streets.  The  opening  of  the  Syracuse 
and  Binghamton  Railroad  in  1S54  was  a  damag- 
ing blow  to  the  business  enterprise  of  the  place. 
Since  that  date  this  avenue  has  conducted  a  large 
percentage  of  the  most  valuable  trade  to  the  heavy 
stores  and  shops  of  Syracuse.  And  now  the  place 
of  the  business  men  of  a  former  day  is  filled  with 
a  laboring  class,  retired  farmers  and  men  of  leisure. 
Still  the  town  is  not  devoid  of  life.  It  has  a  popu- 
lation of  500.  It  numbers  125  dwelling  houses,  4 
churches,  3  mi.xed  stores,  I  grocery  store,  2  restaur- 
ants, I  tin  and  hardware  store,  i  hotel,  4  shoe  shops, 

2  carriage  shops,  4  blacksmith  shops,  1  large  flour- 
ing mill,  I  undertaking  establishment  and  4  physi- 
cians, together  with  one  graded  school,  employing 

3  teachers  in  charge  of  100  pupils,  in  the  large  and 
commodious  house  formerly  built  for  an  academy 
and  subsequently  converted  to  the  use  of  a  district 
school,  and  was  recently  improved  and  enlarged 
by  the  addition  of  the  edifice  formerly  occupied  by 
the  school  of  district  No.  8,  which,  at  the  time  of 
this  addition  with  three  of  the  other  large  districts 
in  the  central  part  of  the  town,  was  consolidated 
with  the  present  district  No.  9.  One  of  the  pres- 
ent teachers,  Miss  Mary  E  Persons,  has  held  a 
position  in  this  school  for  the  last  three  years. 

The  principal  store  of  the  place  is  conducted  by 
Hotaling  &  Case.  George  H.  Gallinger,  the 
former  partner  of  Mr.  Hotaling  has  recently  retired 
from  the  firm.  Their  sales  amount  to  S35.000  an- 
nually. The  postofficc  is  kept  at  this  store.  O. 
Hulbcrt,  Postmaster. 

The  carriage  manufacturing  and  repair  shop  of 
Ellis  &  Barnes  has  a  conspicuous  position  on  one  of 
the  corners  at  the  west  end  of  the  village. 

Among  the  physicians  is  Dr.  Milford  L.  Pine, 
who  has  recently  established  his  office  in  this  place. 

Rev.  C.  L.  F.  Howe  has  recently  entered 
upon  the  first  year  of  his  services  with  this  people. 


Rev.  I.  H.  Beman  has  charge  of  the  Free  Will 
Baptist  church. 

Fabius  Evergreen  Cemetery  is  an  important  ad- 
junct to  the  vil!ai;c.  The  Association  was  organ- 
ized March  22,  1S64.  The  first  Trustees  were,  O. 
Hills,  H.  F.  Williams,  A.  Bramcr,  J.  E.  Pettit.  S. 
Cad  well,  E.  Andrews,  L.  S.  Thomas,  H.  Adams 
and  D  S.  Sprague.  The  present  Trustees  are  H. 
F.  Williams,  D.  H  Johnson,  D.  S.  Sprague,  S.  H. 
Corbin,  H.  C.  Phillips,  E.  Wheaton,  O.  Pope,  E. 
Peck  and  Lyman  Osborn.  H.  F.  Williams  was  the 
first  President  of  this  Association  and  has  held  the 
position  of  Trustee  since  its  organization.  The 
cemetery  occupies  six  acres  of  land  near  the  east 
end  of  the  village.  Its  great  variety  of  ornamental 
trees  and  shrubs  make  it  a  very  attractive  rural 
cemetery. 

B.\i>TisT  Chukch  of  Fabius. — On  the  24th  of 
August,  1803,  when  there  were  no  roads  through 
this  town  east  and  west,  and  it  was  all  forest  where 
the  village  now  stands,  the  Baptist  Church  of 
Fabius  was  recognized  by  a  council  composed  of 
delegates  sent  from  Hamilton,  Cazenovia,  Pompey, 
and  DeRuyter.  Elder  Ashbel  Hosmer  was  chosen 
Moderator,  and  Dr.  James  Pettit,  Clerk.  This 
council,  composed  of  six  ministers  and  nine  lay- 
brethren,  convened  in  a  barn  three  miles  south  of 
the  village,  owned  by  Samuel  Webster,  and  there 
recognized  this  little  band  of  disciples,  numbering 
less  than  twenty,  as  a  "  true  church  of  Jesus  Christ." 
Some  of  the  original  members  were  Thomas 
Keeney,  Samuel  Stone,  Elijah  Keeney,  Gurden 
WoodrufTand  Samuel  Webster. 

The  house  of  worship  of  this  church  was  erected 
at  Fabius  Village,  in  the.  year  1S18,  and  cost  about 
$5,000.  This  year  was  an  eventful  one  to  the 
church.  They  engaged  Elder  Eliada  Blakcsly  for 
three  years  for  one  thousand  dollars,  and  went  with 
their  teams  to  Connecticut  to  bring  his  family  and 
goods;  they  built  their  meeting  house, and  baptized 
one  hundred  and  twenty-three  converts. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  pastors  : 

Rufus  Freeman,  1S05  ;  Peter  P.  Roots,  1S07; 
John  Upfold,  181 1  ;  Salmon  Morton,  1815  ;  Rufus 
Freeman,  1 8 16;  Eliada  Blakesly,  1818;  Ottis  and 
Bell,  1822;  Horace  Griswold,    1823;    Wheeler  I. 

Cram,    1831;  Brisbin,    1832;  Jirah  D.  Cole, 

1833  ;  Oreb  Montague,  1834  ;  A.  Whcclock,  1836; 
H.  V.  Jones,  1S38;  Enoch  Dye.  1842;  Luke 
Davis,  1843;  Peter  P.  Brown.  1844;  Walter  G. 
Dye.  1847;  Lark  L.    Livermore,  1853;  Elijah  G. 

Blount.   185S;  J.   D.    Webster,  1864;  Olney, 

1S66:  J.  M.  Tolman.  1867  ;  Ira  Clark,  1873  ;  

Grain,  1875  ;  Ira  A.  Taylor,  1877. 

The  church  was  incorporated  August  24,  1819. 
At  that  time  the  following  Board  of  Trustees  was 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


385 


elected  :  Elijah  St.  John,  Stephen  Tripp,  Jonathan 
Stanley,  Simon  Keeney,  Aaron  Benedict,  John 
Phelps,  Benj.  Lewis,  Geo.  Pettit,  Nathaniel  Bacon. 

Present  Trustees,  1877 — Lorenzo  Heffron,  Du- 
portal  S.  Sprague,  Jr.,  Albert  G.  Bacon,  Orlando 
Hulbert,  Elmore  VVheaton,  Dillis  R.  Webster. 

Free-Will  Baptist  Church,  Fabius  Village. — 
The  first  meetings  of  this  denomination  in  the  town 
were  held  in  a  school  house,  near  Stephen  Tripp's, 
in  October,  1826.  In  1827,  the  church  was  organ- 
ized, consisting  of  David  Coats,  Charles  Moore, 
Rolen  Sears,  Joshua  Sanders,  John  Smith,  Eliza- 
beth Coats,  Hannah  Moore,  Experience  Sears, 
Sallie  Sanders,  Polly  Smith,  Polly  Coats,  Celestia 
Annable  and  others. 

The  present  church  edifice  was  erected  in  1869, 
at  a  cost  of  ^5,000. 

Elders  Waldron  and  Bates  preceded  the  present 
Pastor,  Rev.  I.  H.  Beman,  who  settled  over  the 
church  in  the  Spring  of  1877. 

The  church  has  about  75  members  and  a  Sunday 
school  numbering  50. 

First  M.  E.  Church,  of  Fabius. — The  earliest 
meetings  were  held  in  a  school  house.  The  church 
edifice  was  erected  in  1821.  Among  the  original 
members  of  the  church  were  Anson  Cadwell,  David 
Porter,  Daniel  Porter,  Carlson  Hodgson,  Sallie  Cad- 
well and  Catherine  Hubbard.  The  cost  of  the 
church  edifice  was  §6,000.  The  names  of  the  follow- 
ing pastors  have  been  furnished  us  : 

Rev.  Moses  Adams,  Dr.  Luke  Hitchcock,  Rev. 
John  E.  Robie  Dr.  D.  A.  Wheadon,  Rev.  Thomas 
Harrow,  Rev.  P.  H.  Wiles,  Rev.  C.  L.  F.  Howe, 
A.  M.,  Ph.  D.,  present  Pastor. 

Present  membership  105  ;  Sunday  school,  147. 

Bramer  &  Bennett,  Foundry,  Machine  and  Gen- 
eral Repair  Shops,  Fabius  Village.  Established  in 
the  Spring  of  1 877.  Building  of  wood,  three  stories, 
cost  $2,000,  erected  in  1866.  Manufacture  lumber- 
wagons,  sleighs  and  agricultural  implements  ;  busi- 
ness prosperous. 

E.  A.  Fosmer,  Cabinet  and  Undertaking  Rooms, 
Fabius  Village.  Business  established  in  1872. 
Wooden  building — not  costly.  Mr.  Fosmer  has 
made  steady  progress  in  building  up  a  good  business. 
Irving  Smith,  Custom  Mills,  Fabius  Village. 
Mills  started  by  Oregin  &  Griswold  in  1817.  Cost 
of  buildings  $5,000.  Water-power — 14  ft.  breast 
wheel.  Capacity,  20  bushels  per  hour  ;  two  millers 
employed.     Capital,  $10,000. 

Ellis  &  Barnes,  Carriage  and  Sleigh  Factory, 
Fabius.  Wooden  building,  erected  in  1837.  Busi- 
ness established  in  1856. 

C.  S.  Chaffee  &  Bros.,  Saw  and  Shingle  Mill 
and  Cheese-Box  Factory,  Fabius.     Established  in 

66* 


1837.     Water-power  ;  employs  five  hands  and  do  a 
large  business. 

SUMMIT  STATION. 

Summit  Station   is  a  young  but  brisk  and  active 
village.     It  is  located  in  the  western   part  of  the 
town,  five  miles  distant  from  Fabius  Village,  and  on 
the  line  of  the  Syracuse  and  Binghamton  Railroad, 
to  which  it  owes  its  existence.     There  was  not  a 
building  on  its  site  when   the  road   was  built  in 
1854.       Since    then  it  has  become  a   center  for 
marketing  and  shipping  the  produce  from  a  large 
surrounding  territory,  and  at  the  present  time  a 
larger  tonage  of  dairy  products  is  shipped  from  this 
station  than  from  any  other  point  on  the  line  of  the 
road.     It  presents  a  neat  and  attractive  appearance 
to  the  traveler,  its  buildings  being  new  and  reared 
in  the  style  of  modern  architecture.      As  the  old 
village  of  Apulia  is  dying  away,  its  business  and 
population  are  accumulating  about  this  point.     It 
now  has  a  population  of  something  over  one  hun- 
dred ;  and    maintains  one  district  school  with   an 
average  attendance  of  twenty  pupils,  one  church  of 
the  Methodist  denomination.  Rev.  A.  D.  Webster, 
Pastor  ;    two   well   supported,  well  appointed   and 
orderly  conducted  hotels— the  Summit   House  on 
the   western  side  of   the  track   kept  by  John  H. 
Snififin,  the  Colby  House  on  the  east  side  controlled 
by  O.  F.  Gilbert  ;  one  dry  goods  and  grocery  store, 
conducted  by  C.  F.  Gay  &  Co.  ;  one  house  for  the 
sale  of  general  groceries  and  farm  implements,  kept 
by   J-  Jay  Blaney,  who    is   also    Postmaster  ;  one 
extensive     steam      manufacturing     establishment, 
Green  &  Sturdevant,  proprietors.    It  also  contains  a 
cheese  factory,  one  blacksmith  shop,  one  carriage 
factory  and  two  custom  flouring  mills.     It  also  has 
two  dealers  in  farmer's  and  dairymen's  stock  and 
produce.     Each  year  adds  new  industry,  wealth  and 
importance  to  the  place. 

Green  &  Sturdevant's  Saw  Mills,  at  this 
village  were  established  in  1871.  The  manufacture 
of  chairs  was  added  to  the  saw  mill  in  1874. 
employs  twelve  hands  and  $8,000  capital. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Apulia  Station. 
Organized  in  the  fall  of  1869.  The  following  have 
served  the  church  as  pastors  : 

Rev.  Timothy  W.  Owen,  two  years ;  Rev.  J. 
Fletcher  Brown,  two  and  one  half  years  ;  Rev. 
Edmund  M.  Mills,  two  years  ;  Rev.  Anthony  C. 
Smith,  three  years ;  Rev.  Anson  D.  Webster, 
present  pastor. 

The  church  edifice  was  built  in  1869-70,  at  a 
cost  of  §2,200.  The  church  has  now  thirty-nine 
members  and  a  Sunday  School  of  about  thirty. 


386 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


DE   WITT. 


DeWitt  was  taken  from  Manlius  and  erected 
into  a  separate  town  April  12,  1835.  It  was  named 
in  honor  of  "  Moses  DcWitt,  Major  of  Militia  and 
Judge  of  the  County  Courts  ;  one  of  the  first,  most 
active  and  useful  settlers  of  the  county.  He  was 
born  on  the  15th  of  October,  1766,  and  died  on  the 
15th  day  of  August,  1794."  Such  is  the  inscription 
found  upon  a  marble  slab  which  covers  his  remains 
in  a  small  family  burying  ground  about  a  mile  south 
of  Jamesville.  The  same  stone  bears  the  further 
inscription  :  "  Also  of  his  brother,  Egbert  DeWitt, 
born  25th  of  April.  1768;  died  30th  of  May, 
1793."  Moses  DeWitt  was  descended  from  a  dis- 
tinguished family  of  Holland,  which  immigrated  to 
New  York,  and  a  branch  of  which  settled  in  Or- 
ange County.  His  father  was  Jacob  Rutzen  De- 
Witt,  a  brother  of  the  mother  of  DeWitt  Clinton. 
The  family  mansion  in  the  town  of  Deer  Park,  on 
the  banks  of  the  Neversink  River,  in  the  County  of 
Orange,  N.Y.,  had  been  built  as  a  sort  of  a  castle  for 
defense  against  the  Indians,  and  during  the  French 
War  and  the  War  of  the  Revolution  had  been 
strongly  fortified.  The  walls  were  of  stone,  of 
immense  thickness,  and  surrounded  by  a  row  of 
palisades.  It  was  occupied  by  a  garrison  during 
the  Revolution. 

Moses  DeWitt  and  his  distinguished  cousin, 
DeWitt  Clinton,  were  in  early  life  schoolmates,  un- 
der the  tuition  of  Thomas  White,  an  English  gentle- 
man of  liberal  education,  who  formed  a  strong  at- 
tachment to  Mr.  DeWitt,  "  was  with  him  much  of 
his  life,  and  closed  his  eyes  in  death."  Moses  D. 
Burnet  and  Thomas  Rose  of  Syracuse,  were  rela- 
tives of  Moses  DeWitt. 

Moses  DeWitt  was  associated  with  his  uncle, 
Gen.  James  Clinton,  and  David  Rittenhouse,  Esq., 
as  one  of  the  surveyors  of  the  boundary  line  be- 
tween New  York  and  Pennsylvania,  when  the 
former  two  gentlemen  were  Commissioners  ap- 
pointed by  their  respective  States,  to  survey  and 
establish  the  boundary  line — a  work  which  lasted 
about  three  years  ;  and  during  this  time  proved 
himself  a  skillful  surveyor  and  engineer.  When 
the  Military  Tract  was  laid  out,  the  Surveyor- 
General,  his  uncle,  Simeon  DeWitt,  appointed  him 
as  Assistant  Surveyor,  and  with  Abraham  Harden- 


burgh,  he  laid  out  and  surveyed  the  several  town- 
ships, and,  with  the  assistance  of  other  surveyors, 
sub-divided  them  into  lots.  For  this  valuable  ser- 
vice the  Slate  granted  him  several  thousand  acres 
of  land,  scattered  throughout  the  Military  Tract, 
and  along  the  southern  tier  of  counties,  bordering 
on  Pennsylvania.  At  the  organization  of  Herkimer 
County,  in  1791,  he  was  appointed  Surrogate  and 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  was  the  first  man  to  per- 
form the  duties  of  that  office  on  the  Military  Tract. 
In  1793  he  was  appointed  a  Major  of  Militia,  and 
with  Major  (afterward  General  1  Danforth,  had 
charge  of  a  battalion.  At  the  organization  of  On- 
ondaga County,  in  1794,  he  was  appointed  Judge  of 
the  Courts,  Surrogate  and  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and 
was  chosen  the  first  Supervisor  of  Pompey,  in 
April,  1794.  His  residence  was  on  Lot  No.  3, 
Pompey.  mow  northeast  corner  of  LaFayelte^  a  lot 
which  had  been  drawn  by  his  uncle,  General  James 
Clinton.  In  order  to  secure  a  valuable  water- 
power  on  Butternut  Creek,  on  which  he  contem- 
jilaled  making  extensive  improvements,  he  had  pur- 
chased fifty  acres  adjoining  in  the  present  town  of 
DeWitt  But  his  untimely  death  brought  all  his 
labors  and  earthly  prospects  to  a  sudden  termina- 
tion. He  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years, 
August  15,  1794. 

The  town  of  DeWitt  has  a  surface  of  consider- 
able variety,  and  in  many  places  the  scenery  is  un- 
usually beautiful  The  northern  half  is  level,  and 
the  southern  broken  and  hilly.  The  declivities  of 
the  hills  are  usually  steep,  and  their  summits  from 
five  to  seven  hundred  feet  above  the  valleys.  But- 
ternut Creek,  flowing  north,  divides  the  highlands 
into  two  nearly  equal  ridges.  Upon  this  stream  are 
several  fine  mill  sites.  The  falls  below  Jamesville 
are  somewhat  interesting  as  a  curiosity.  The  water 
falls  about  thirty  feet  perpendicularly,  and  the 
breadth  of  the  creek  is  about  forty  feet.  Its  rocky 
chasm  and  sublime  scenery,  connected  with  the 
immense  beds  of  gypsum  and  water-lime,  and  the 
e.xtensive  works  for  their  manufacture,  render  this 
a  very  desirable  place  for  the  rambles  of  the  tourist 
and  the  researches  of  the  geologist.  There  is  a 
tradition,  that  at  the  time  the  French  colony, 
located  a  little  south  of  Jamesville,  were  massacred, 


I'buto,  1<7  \V.  Y.  lUti|[er,  Sjrmruae. 


IIOBKKT    DUNLAl". 


Robert  I>iiiila]>  vma  Ixirii  in  Allmiiy,  N.  Y.,  April  28, 
1810,  aiitl  wuM  n  son  of  Uobort  and  Joaiietto  ( AiidrewH)  Piin- 
liip.  Hi.s  fiitlirr  wa.i  n  iiiitivc  of  Ayrsliire,  Scotland,  and 
fmifrnitod  to  America  in  the  year  1805,  locating;  at  Albany, 
where  he  cupi^ud  in  the  brewing  and  uiiiltin^  businctw,  which 
lie  iMntinui>d  till  the  day  of  Iiik  death,  which  occurred  in  the 
autumn  of  1851,  in  his  wventy-fourth  year,  leaving  a  large 
estate. 

The  subject  of  thitt  Hkctch  rcceivi'd  his  education  at  the 
Albany  academy,  and  livi'd  with  \m  father  until  he  wiLt  twenty- 
three  years  of  age,  when  he  moved  to  the  town  of  I)e  Witt, 


Onondapi  County,  and  engaged  in  the  milling  busincxs,  and 
alik)  in  the  manufacture  of  gypum  and  hydraulic  cement,  which 
he  haM  followed  up  to  the  present  time. 

He  hiw  been  supervisor  of  his  town,  and  was  one  of  the 
original  directors  of  the  Syracuse  and  Binghamton  railroad  ; 
he  has  been  for  several  years,  and  is  at  present,  president  of 
the  Syracuse  and  Jamesville  plank-road  company,  and  is  also 
trustee  of  the  St.  John's  school  at  Manlius. 

Energy,  prudence,  and  remarkable  foresight  arc  his  promi- 
nent characteristics.  A  gixnl  neighbor,  and  a  kind  husband,  he 
is  higlily  riwpectcd  by  all  who  know  him. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


387 


one  escaped  and  was  pursued,  overtaken  and  killed 
near  these  falls. 

The  first  gypsum  was  discovered  northwest  of 
Jamesville,  on  Lot  81,  in  181 1.  The  first  dis- 
•covered  in  the  United  States  was  in  the  town  of 
Camillus,  in  1792.  It  had  previously  been  brought 
from  Nova  Scotia,  and  was  called  Nova  Scotia 
Plaster.  Before  this  it  had  been  brought  to  this 
country  from  France  and  Germany  in  limited 
quantities,  under  the  name  of  plaster  of  paris.  Dr. 
Franklin  first  introduced  it  into  the  United  States 
as  a  vegetable  stimulant.  Robert  Livingston  first 
introduced  it  into  the  eastern  part  of  the  State  of 
New  York  in  1805. 

Water-lime  was  discovered  in  this  town  in  1818 
or  1 8 19,  and  is  now  prepared  for  market  in  large 
quantities  principally  in  the  towns  of  Manlius  and 
DeWitt.     (See  Fayetteville  Manufacturers.) 

Clark,  in  his  Onondaga,  gives  the  following  ac- 
count of  certain  caves  in  the  vicinity  of  Jamesville: 

"  Nathan  Beckvvith,  in  sinking  a  well,  about  a 
mile  east  of  Jamesville,  in  1807,  discovered  a  large 
cavern.  It  has  been  explored  to  some  extent  in 
a  southwesterly  direction  from  the  entrance  at  the 
well.  The  depth  at  the  entrance  of  the  cavern 
may  be  about  twenty  feet  ;  height  of  the  cavern  at 
the  entrance,  about  seven  feet ;  width,  near  five 
feet.  These  dimensions  continue  six  or  eight  rods, 
when  the  space  becomes  contracted  to  a  width  just 
sufficient  for  a  single  person  to  pass  through.  It 
soon  becomes  broader.  The  size  is  very  far  from 
being  uniform,  the  top  in  some  places  being  not 
more  than  three  or  four  feet  from  the  bottom.  Dog- 
tooth spar,  stalactites  and  stalagmites,  are  numer- 
ous. A  small  stream  of  water  runs  along  the 
bottom. 

"  There  is  another  cave,  about  two  miles  west  of 
Jamesville,  on  the  farm  of  the  late  Mr.  Brown, 
which  is  several  hundred  feet  deep  and  which 
has  never  been  thoroughly  explored.  The  open- 
ing from  the  top  is  through  a  fissure  about  three 
feet  broad  by  eight  feet  long.  After  descending 
some  twenty  feet,  there  is  an  extensive  opening  to 
the  great  valley  below.  It  is  supposed  that  this 
cave  extends  all  along  the  great  ledge  of  limestone 
rock,  from  the  western  part  of  DeWitt,  nearly  to 
Jamesville.  The  ledge  is  usually  about  two  hun- 
dred feet  high.  The  cave  itself  is  a  great  singu- 
larity, if  not  curiosity. 

"  At  the  time  this  cave  was  first  made  known  to 
the  settlers,  tools  which  had  been  used  for  mining 
purposes  were  found  at  its  mouth,  and  also  a  bar 
of  solid  silver  two  inches  square  and  eighteen 
inches  long,  having  a  point  of  steel.  It  is  also 
reported  that  a  kettle  of  money  was  found  about 
twenty  rods  from  the  cave,  which  was  supposed 
to  have  been  coined  there." 

In  the  southwest  corner  of  the  town,  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  Jamesville,  is  a  small  lake 
occupying  a  deep  chasm  in  the  rocks.     It  is  nearly 


circular  in  form,  about  eighty  rods  in  diameter,  and 
is  almost  surrounded  by  perpendicular  banks  from 
150  to  200  feet  high.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
singular  bodies  of  water  in  Central  New  York.  It 
has  no  outlet,  but  upon  the  eastern  side  is  a  low 
marsh  through  which  the  water  might  flow,  but 
does  not.  In  several  places  near  the  center  a  lead 
has  been  lowered  three  hundred  feet  without  finding 
bottom,  and  within  fifty  feet  of  the  shore  the  water  is 
over  a  hundred  feet  deep.  The  water  drawn  from 
a  considerable  depth  is  highly  charged  with  sulphur- 
eted  hydrogen.  Another  lake  of  similar  character 
lies  two  miles  east  of  Jamesville. 

Messina  Springs,  three  in  number  and  twenty 
feet  apart,  are  situated  about  three  and  a  half  miles 
east  of  Syracuse.  The  name  was  given  them  in 
1835  by  the  people  in  the  vicinity,  on  account  of 
their  contiguity  to  Syracuse,  as  the  place  of  the 
same  name  is  in  Sicily.  They  emerge  from  a  lime- 
stone rock  on  the  surface  of  which  is  found  speci- 
mens of  calcareous  substances.  The  temperature 
is  uniformly  fifty  degrees  Fahrenheit.  The  water  is 
strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur  and  has  consid- 
erable local  notoriety  for  medicinal  qualities. 

Early  Settlement. 

Benjamin  Morehouse,  from  Fredericksburg, 
Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  was  the  first  settler  in 
the  town  of  DeWitt.  He  arrived  here,  with  his 
wife  and  three  children,  following  the  Indian  trail 
from  Oneida  to  Onondaga,  April  26,  1789.  His 
log  house  was  erected  on  the  flats  a  few  yards  west 
of  the  old  church,  three  and  a  half  miles  west  of 
Manlius  Village,  then  called  by  the  Indian  name, 
Kasoongkta  Flats.  Mr.  Morehouse  here  opened 
the  first  tavern  kept  in  the  county  in  1790,  and  it 
became  a  noted  place,  no  less  than  its  proprietor, 
who,  on  account  of  his  dignified  deportment,  was 
popularly  known  and  addressed  as  "  Governor." 
At  Mr.  Morehouse's  tavern  was  held  many  of  the 
early  meetings, both  of  a  civic  and  military"  character, 
for  this  new  region  of  country.  When  he  first 
settled  here  his  nearest  neighbors  were  Asa  Dan- 
forth  and  Comfort  Tyler,  seven  miles  distant  at 
Onondaga  Hollow.  In  1791,  he  carried  a  plow- 
share on  his  back  to  Westmoreland,  Oneida 
County,  to  get  it  sharpened,  and  while  the  black- 
smith was  doing  the  work  he  proceeded  to  Herki- 
mer, purchased  thirty  pounds  of  flour  and  returned 
on  foot  with  flour  and  plowshare  on  his  back.  This 
was  the  first  wheaten  flour  introduced  into  his  family 
after  their  arrival,  except  a  small  quantity  brought 
along  with  them,  and  it  sufficed  for  their  necessities 
for  nearly  a  year. 


388 


HISTORY  OF  OXOXDAGA  COUXTY.  XEW  YORK. 


The  tirsl  settlers,  (rom  1790  to  iSoo,  111  Janies- 
ville  and  vicinity,  were  Moses  DeWitt,  Daniel 
Keeler,  Dr.  Holbrook,  Jeremiah  Jackson,  William 
Bends,  Stephen  Angel,  Stephen  Hungerford, 
Jeremiah  and  James  Gould,  Roger  Merrill,  Caleb 
Northrup,  Henjamin  Sanford  and  others.  Jeremiah 
Jackson  erected  the  first  frame  dwelling  house  in 
'797  ;  Joseph  Purdy  opened  the  first  blacksmith 
shop  about  the  same  time.  In  179S  Mathew  Dum- 
frie  built  a  distillery,  malt  house  and  brewery,  and 
manufactured  the  first  beer  and  whisky  made  in 
the  county.  Oliver  Owen  erected  a  saw  mill  in 
1795.  Mr.  Trowbridge  kept  the  first  tavern  at 
Jamesvillc,  in  1804;  Daniel  Olmstead  kept  it  in 
1806,  when  it  was  considered  the  best  tavern  west 
of  Utica.  In  1804,  Benjamin  Sanford  built  mills, 
and  Mr.  Hungerford  started  clothing  works  about 
the  same  time.  John  Post,  from  Utica,  opened  a 
store  of  goods,  one  mile  east  of  Jamesville  in  1802  ; 
Robbins  &  Callighan,  in  1S04,  and  Mr.  Keeler,  in 
1805.  Esquire  Edgar  opened  a  law  office  at  More- 
house's Flats  at  an  early  day,  and  had  for  students 
Moses  D.  Rose  and  Luther  Badger.  Dr.  Hol- 
brook, the  first  physician  in  the  town,  located  at 
Jamesville  in  1791.  The  doctor  presided  at  the 
first  public  meeting  held  in  this  section  of  the 
country,  convened  at  Morehouse's  tavern  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  preliminary  measures  for  the  di 
vision  of  Herkimer  County.  John  Youngs  was 
the  first  settler  of  Orville,  in  1791,  and  kept  the 
first  tavern  in  that  part  of  the  town.  The  settle- 
ment, on  this  account,  first  went  by  the  name  of 
Youngsville.  Mr.  Youngs  erected  the  first  frame 
house  and  was  for  many  years  Justice  of  the  Peace 
— the  first  in  the  town  of  Manlius. 

JAMESVILLE. 

Jamesville  is  situated  on  the  Syracuse,  Bingham- 
ton  and  New  York  Railroad,  and  on  Butternut 
Creek,  seven  miles  from  Syracuse.  It  has  a  popu- 
lation of  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants, 
and  is  a  thriving  village,  the  amount  of  business 
transacted  being  larger  by  far  than  is  done  in  most 
places  of  its  size.  The  principal  interests  being 
stone,  lime  and  plaster.  There  are  two  firms  en- 
gaged in  that  business,  viz  :  Robert  Dunlop  and 
Alvord,  Dixon  &  Weston.  Mr.  Dunlop  is  also  en- 
gaged largely  in  milling,  owning  and  operating  two 
grist  mills,  one  saw-mill  and  a  pearl  barley  mill, 
also  extensive  limekilns.  There  are  several  parties 
engaged  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Jamesville, 
quarrying  and  cutting  stone  of  a  very  superior 
quality,  which  is  shipped  to  all  points  in  Central 
New  York,  and  very  largely  to  Syracuse,  where  it 


IS  used  in  building,  many  of  the  handsomest  and 
most  substantial  structures  being  entirely  or  partly 
built  of  it. 

The  commercial  interests  are  somewhat  limited 
at  present,  owing  to  the  great  conflagration  which 
occurred  here  October  14,  1877,  whereby  all  the 
business  portion  of  the  village  was  laid  in  ashes — 
two  hotels,  the  "  Kortright  House,"  and  the  "  Clark 
House."  three  stores,  kept  by  Reed  &  Conkling, 
Connell  &  Co.,  and  Daniel  Quinlan,  Avery's  restau- 
rant and  residence,  a  boot  and  shoe  store  kept  by 
Isaac  L.  Sherwoo<l,  and  four  dwelling  houses,  one 
church  and  five  barns  were  devoured  by  the  raging 
element.  The  loss  by  the  fire  was  estimated  to  be 
about  fifty  thousand  dollars,  an  amount  certainly 
sufficient  to  make  the  hearts  of  the  citizens  of  the 
unfortunate  place  sink  with  despair.  Rebuilding 
has  commenced  with  vigor  and  one  block  is  already 
up  and  ocoupied  by  Daniel  Quinlan,  who  keeps  a 
general  stock  such  as  is  found  in  country  stores. 
The  "  Kortright  House  "  is  being  rebuilt,  and  will 
be  ready  for  occupancy  about  June  i,  1878.  It  is 
to  be  a  large  structure,  two  stories  in  height  with 
Mansard  roof,  and  will  be,  probably,  the  finest  hotel 
in  the  county  outside  of  Syracuse. 

The  industrial  interests  of  Jamesville  are  as  fol- 
lows :  Two  carriage  and  repair  shops  by  Erasmus 
Green  and  Charles  Cable  ;  one  sash  and  blind  fac- 
tory, by  G.  W.  Burhans  &  Co.;  one  harness  shop, 
by  R.  H.  Bristoll,  and  two  shoe  shops. 

Isaac  K.  Reed  is  Postmaster.  Two  physicians, 
E.  E.  Knapp,  M.  D. ,  and  R.  S.  Humphrey,  M.  D. 
B.  S.  Gregory,  who  has  resided  here  for  the  past 
forty-three  years,  is  the  only  attorney  here.  He 
was  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  eight  years,  and  is  now 
also  engaged  in  the  insurance  business. 

The  name  of  Jamesville  was  adopted  at  the  time 
"The  yamesvillc  Iron  and  Woolen  Factory"  was  in- 
corporated in  1809.  The  name  was  given  by  the 
Legislature  in  the  act  of  incorporation,  and  was  first 
published  and  proclaimed  in  a  great  Fourth-of-July 
celebration  held  herein  1810.  In  1809  a  postoflfice 
was  established,  Thomas  Rose,  Postmaster  ;  suc- 
ceeded by  Moses  D.  Rose.  The  first  school  house 
for  Jamesville  was  erected  east  of  the  village  in 
1795.  Polly  Hibbard  was  teacher,  succeeded  by 
Susan  Ward.  The  first  school  in  Jamesville  was 
established  in  1806. 

"St.  Makks"  Episcopal  Church,  Jamesville. — 
As  early  as  June  6th,  1825,  meetings  were  held  in 
the  house  of  Elijah  C.  Rust  although  it  was  not 
until  July  13th,  1831,  that  the  society  was  organ- 
ized. The  organization  was  perfected  at  Mr. 
Rust's,  the  following  named  persons  being  among 


fi;. 


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Ak^ 


RESIOENCE  &TfNEMENT    HOl;SfS*^WARPE^■ 


-va=j*    ""-ftci^. 


RAYTON,  Ot  Wnr,0NONOA&A  Co.N.Y. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


389 


the  original  members  :  John  Millen,  Mrs.  Ives, 
Mrs.  Dibble,  Harriet  Gillespie,  Helen  Post,  Hiram 
P.  Holbrook,  John  Crankshaw,  Mary  Ann  Holbrook, 
Mrs.  Read,  Phebe  Wales,  Catherine  Littlefield, 
Abigail  Salmon,  and  others.  In  the  following  year 
a  church  was  built  on  a  corner  of  the  road  leading 
north  to  Syracuse  and  the  Seneca  Turnpike.  Rev. 
Seth  W.  Beardsley  was  the  first  rector  and  served 
this  parish  from  1831  to  1836.  He  was  followed  by 
Rev.  Marshall  Whiting,  1836  to  1839.  After  this 
came  Revs.  James  SelUrig,  Chas.  W.  Hayes,  Julius 
S.  Townsend,  H.  H.  Loring,  M.  L.  Kern,  J.  L. 
Gay,  J.  E.  Barr,  J.  H.  Bowman,  whose  respective 
terms  of  service  we  are  unable  to  give  owing  to  lack 
of  records.  Rev.  J.  E.  Pratt,  the  present  rector, 
has  been  connected  with  the  church  since  1873. 
The  present  number  of  communicants  is  twenty- 
five. 

The  church  building  was  remodeled  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1874,  at  an  expense  of  about  $2,500. 
Burned,  Oct.  14,  1877.  Another  church  will  in  all 
probability  be  erected  during  1878. 

The  present  officers  are  Robert  Dunlop,  and 
Edwin  A.  Knapp,  Wardens.  J.  G.  Holbrook,  C. 
W.  Avery,  G.  B.  Low,  H.  D.  Weston,  H.  G.  Dixon, 
E.  C.  Conklin,  J.  E.  Van  Vranken,  I.  K.  Reed, 
Vestrymen. 

M.  E.  Chlrch  of  Jamesville. — Most  of  the 
early  records  of  this  society  have  been  lost,  but 
from  what  we  can  find  after  diligent  search,  we  can 
give  the  date  of  its  organization  and  the  names  of 
the  first  Trustees  only,  which  was  in  the  year  1832, 
Hiram  C.  Snow  and  Joseph  C.  Green,  presiding  at 
the  meeting  called  for  that  purpose,  the  following 
named  persons  being  elected  Trustees.  Egbert 
Coleman,  Moses  Chapman,  Abraham  Van  Chaick, 
Darius  Sweet  and  Cornelius  Cool  ;  all  of  whom  it 
is  thought  are  now  dead.  It  was  '•  resolved  that 
the  organization  be  known  as  the  Fourth  Society 
of  theM.  E.  Church  in  Manlius." 

The  present  membership  is  about  one  hundred. 
A  flourishing  Sunday  School  of  about  fifty  scholars, 
D.  E.  Weston,  Superintendent.  A.  H.  Shurtliff, 
pastor,  who  supplies  the  M.  E.  Church  at  DeWitt. 
The  church  is  supplied  with  a  cabinet  organ. 

The  present  Trustees  are  the  following  :  O.  M. 
Watkins,  John  S.  Barker,  A.  A.  Wright,  P.  B. 
Gove,  and  Albert  Boughton. 

First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Jamesville. 
— This  church  was  originally  known  as  the  Union 
Congregational  Society,  and  was  organized  in  Octo- 
ber, 1807.  Soon  after  this  they  built  their  first 
church,  which  was  situated  about  one  mile  east  of 
Jamesville  on  the  farm  of  Daniel  B.  Marsh,  one  of 
67 


the  first  preachers.  Among  the  early  members  of 
this  church  were  Deacons  Ayer,  Messenger,  Bar- 
num,  Levett  and  Hezekiah  Weston.  In  1827  the 
society  began  holding  meetings  in  Jamesville, 
which  was  more  centrally  located,  and  the  following 
year  erected  the  house  now  occupied  by  them,  un- 
der the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Seth  J.  Porter.  Among 
the  prominent  members  of  that  time  were  Isaac 
W.  Brewster,  David  Smith,  Horace  B.  Gates  and 
Amos  Sherwood.  At  this  time  there  were  two 
hundred  and  forty-seven  members  in  the  church. 
In  December,  1843,  the  church  voted  to  adopt  the 
constitution  of  the  Onondaga  County  Conference, 
consisting  of  members  of  the  Presbyterian  and 
Congregational  order,  within  the  bounds  of  the 
Onondaga  Presbytery,  and  in  March,  1870,  the 
Trustees  petitioning  the  Judge  of  the  County,  the 
name  was  changed  to  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Jamesville.  In  1S32  there  was  a  secession  on 
the  part  of  some  of  the  members,  who  organized  a 
Dutch  Reformed  Church,  but  this  society  only  sur- 
vived five  or  six  years,  when  they  disbanded  and  re- 
turned to  the  old  church.  The  present  member- 
ship is  but  forty-five.  The  Sabbath  School  attend- 
ance, fifty.  The  present  officials  are  Rev.  H.  C. 
Hazen,  Pastor  ;  Daniel  Marsh,  Darius  C.  Avery 
and  Benjamin  S.  Gregory,  Trustees.  The  church 
building  cost  about  $3,000. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Youngs'  Society  of 
DeWitt. — This  society  was  organized  in  1811,  in 
the  village  of  Orville,  now  DeWitt,  under  the  min- 
istration of  Rev.  Dan  Barnes,  taking  the  name  and 
title  of  "  The  Youngs'  Society."  The  first  Trus- 
tees were  John  Youngs,  Sr.,  John  Youngs,  Jr., 
Zephaniah  Lathrop,  Benjamin  Booth  and  Peter 
G.  Van  Slyke.  This  was  then  in  the  Pompey 
Circuit,  of  which  William  Case  was  then  Presiding 
Elder,  and  the  pastors  were  Rev.  Dan  Barnes  and- 
James  Kelsey.  The  first  class  consisted  of  the 
Trustees  and  John  Russell,  Freelove  Russell,  Eliza- 
beth Youngs,  Seth  Youngs,  Jonas  Scott,  Mary 
Scott  and  Daniel  Knapp.  Immediately  upon  this 
organization  they  proceeded  to  erect  their  church, 
which  stands  upon  the  Turnpike  leading  to  James- 
ville. The  society  was  reorganized  and  reincorpo- 
rated in  May,  1S26,  as  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Youngs'  Society  of  Orville.  This  society  continued 
occupying  their  church  until  1863,  when  the  Pres- 
byterian Society  disbanded  and  gave  their  church 
building  to  this  society  in  consideration  of  certain 
repairs.  A  special  act  of  the  Legislature  was  pro- 
cured allowing  this  transfer,  also  empowering  the 
Youngs'  Society  to  convey  their  building  to  the 
School    District,    since   which    time    the  Youngs' 


390 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


Church  has  been  used  as  a  school  house.  The 
society  at  an  expense  of  Si, 200,  repaired  the  old 
Presbyterian  Church,  which  the  society  still  occupy. 
The  present  membership  is  fifty.  Sabbath  School 
attendance  seventy-five.  The  present  Trustees  arc 
Emerson  Kinne,  James  Moulter,  D.  C.  Peck,  U'm. 
Adams  and  G.  C.  Ferris.  Rev.  Shurtliff  is  pastor 
of  this  and  Jamesville  charge. 

FiKST  Presiiytekian  Chi/'rch  of  Coliamer. — 
Meetings  were  held  in  what  was  known  as  the 
Britton  Settlement  school  house,  where,  in  Oct.  1842, 
the  church  was  organized  with  a  membership  of 
seventeen,  among  whom  were  John  Furbeck,  Sarah 
Haker,  Deborah  Furbeck,  Prudence  Smith  and  the 
present  elders,  Porter  Baker,  Samuel  Baker,  John 
Powlesland,  and  Orlando  Spencer  ;  also  Deacons 
Dwight  Baker  and  Andrew  Fuller.  In  1843  the 
present  church  edifice  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  S600. 
The  organization  was  etiected  under  the  pastorate 
of  Rev.  Amos  VV.  Seeley  who  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  A.  C.  Lathrop  who  remained  three  years, 
followed  by  Rev.  B.  Ladd,  after  whom  came  Rev. 
Marcus  Smith  who  labored  here  for  twelve  years, 
then  Rev.  J.  M.  Chrysler  was  called  and  remained 
five  years ;  since  then  the  present  pastor,  John  M. 
Perkins.  The  present  membership  is  seventy.  Sab- 
bath school  attendance  fifty. 

First  Presiiytekian  Church,  of  East  Syracuse.- 
This,  the  youngest  church  in  the  county,  was  organ- 
ized in  1S76,  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Chrysler,  who  came  as 
a  missionary  preacher  and  by  his  energy  succeeded 
in  organizing  a  society  and  erecting  a  commodious 
church  on  the  corner  of  Carpenter  and  Ellis  streets. 
The  society  was  organized,  January  27,  1S76,  with 
twenty  members — the  most  active  of  whom  were 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Jones,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  A. 
Henry,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E  S.  Walker  and  Evan  J. 
Crans.  There  have  been  17  accessions  since  the 
organization  and  the  flourishinj;  Sabbath  School  of 
seventy  members  is  a  strong  au.xiliary.  Rev.  J.  M. 
Chrysler  still  continues  in  charge  and  secures  the 
hearty  cooperation  of  his  people. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  Coliamer. — 
This  was  the  first  charge  of  the  North  Manlius 
Circuit  and  in  1828,  when  it  was  organized,  was  so 
designated.  In  1S30  the  society  erected  their  church 
at  what  is  now  Coliamer  Village  then  known  as  the 
Brilton  Settlement,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev. 
Austin  Briggs.  There  were  then  nine  trustees  who 
were,  the  pastor,  Adam  Harrower,  Isaac  Carhart, 
Walter  Wright,  James  Wright,  Erastus  B.  Perkins, 
John  Rowe  and  Abraham  Delamater,  all  members 
of  the  first  class  which  was  organized  several  years 


prior  to  this  time  under  the  ministration  of   Rev. 
Seth  Youngs. 

About  1841,  when  the  Rev.  A.  E.  Munson  came 
to  this  charge,  he  found  the  society  in  a  condi- 
tion that  required  a  reorganization  and  through  his 
eflorts  the  society  was  reincorporated  as  the  First 
M.  E.  Church  of  the  northern  part  of  De  Witt. 
The  church  has  been  several  times  repaired  and  in 
1857  it  was  rededicated  as  the  first  M.  E.  Church 
ol  Coliamer.  It  cost  about  52,500.  The  present 
membership  is  1 12  ;  Sabbath  school  137.  Present 
pastor,  Rev.  M.  A.  Wolcott. 

Flouri.ng  Mills — Lanark  Mills  were  erected 
in  1823,  by  Robert  Richardson,  about  1-2  mile  north 
of  Jamesville.  They  contain  four  run  of  stones  grind- 
ing about  30,000  bushels  of  grain,  merchant  and  cus- 
tom, annually.  They  are  run  by  P.  B.  Gove  &  Son, 
and  owned  by  Robert  Dunlop.  Cost  about  515,000. 
Frame  building,  water-power. 

Feeder  or  New  York  Mills.— Built  by  Robert 
Dunlop  in  1847,  at  a  cost  of  §10,000.  Frame 
building,  stone  basement,  situated  at  the  head  of 
the  canal  feeder,  contain  three  run  of  stones,  leased 
by  James  Doe  who  grinds  about  12,000  bushels 
of  custom  and  merchant  grain  per  annum. 

Barley  Mills  were  erected  on  Butternut  Creek 
about  one  mile  north  of  Jamesville  in  1840,  frame 
building  with  stone  basement.  Contains  three  run 
of  stone  for  pearling  barley.  Capacity  about  10,000 
bushels  per  annum,  run  mostly  by  lessees.  These 
mills  cost  about  57,500.  In  connection  with  these 
there  is  a  Mully  Saw  Mill,  the  only  one  in  the 
town. 

DuNLOp's  Plaster  and  Cement  Mills. — 
There  are  two  located  near  the  Lanark  mills,  one 
erected  in  1836,  the  other  in  1868,  owned  and 
worked  by  Robert  Dunlop.  From  these  mills  he 
manufactures  about  1,000  tons  of  plaster  and  30,- 
000  bushels  of  cement  or  water-lime,  employing 
about  twenty  men.  The  stone  is  taken  from  his 
quarries  in  the  adjacent  hills. 

A.  F.  WiLco.x's  Plaster  Beds. — In  181 2  Asahel 
Wilcox  discovered  a  bed  of  gypsum  two  miles  west 
of  Fayettevillc  which  he  opened  and  which  has 
been  worked  ever  since  by  himself  and  the  present 
proprietor,  A.  F'.  Wilcox.  From  these  beds,  which 
cover  an  area  of  about  eighty  acres,  Mr.  Wilcox 
takes  from  S.ooo  to  15,000  tons  of  gypsum  annually, 
which  he  ships  to  parties  owning  mills.  Most  of  it  is 
shipped  from  Jones's  landing  by  Canal.  During 
the  winter  season  he  employs  from  twenty  to  thirty 
teams  and  hands  hauling  it  to  the  docks  for  summer 
shipment. 


V        \ 


VtitT  C>»i»PcNrcR 


^SS.  VLIir   CABPENTtff 


f^ttS.VUlT  CARnHriHltKCAia) 


►N«T|I  ffT    *  V^ifcCI*     S'WACUSC.WV 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


391 


E.  B.  Alvord  &  Co. — This  firm  is  doing  the 
most  extensive  business  in  cement,  plaster,  lime  and 
stone  done  in  the  town.  They  began  in  1868,  pur- 
chasing the  business  of  Hotaling  &  Co.  Their 
quarry  for  cement  and  lime  is  situated  about  one 
mile  south  of  Jamesville  and  covers  twenty  acres. 
In  this  quarry  are  eight  kilns  for  burning  the  stone, 
from  these  kilns  they  take  125,000  bushels  of  quick- 
lime and  about  the  same  of  cement,  which,  with  the 
plaster,  is  ground  in  their  mill  in  Jamesville.  The 
plaster  comes  from  a  quarry  north  of  the  village. 
They  employ  about  twenty-five  men  ;  shipping 
2,000  tons  of  plaster  annually  as  well  as  a  large 
quantity  of  cut  stone  for  building  and  bridges. 
Capital,  ;$50,ooo. 

DuNLOP's  Lime  Kilns.— Just  north  of  the  village 
of  Jamesville  are  three  large  kilns  seven  feet  in 
diameter  and  forty  feet  deep,  erected  and  worked 
by  Robert  Dunlop,  from  which  he  manufactures 
about  30,000  bushels  of  quick  lime  and  30,000 
bushels  of  hydraulic  cement  annually. 

DE  WITT  CENTER. 

This  village,  though  rather  small,  is  quite  im- 
portant as  a  place  for  shipping  grain  by  the  canal 
and  as  a  station  of  the  Chenango  Valley  Railroad. 
In  1 87 1  a  postoffice  was  located  here  and  Mr. 
Stephen  Headson  appointed  Postmaster.  He 
also  engaged  in  general  mercantile  business  buying 
grain  and  produce,  and  in  1870  erected  a  substantial 
brick  business  block  and  warehouse,  in  which  he 
does  a  business  of  $65,000  per  annum. 

DeWitt  Mills. — In  1821,  Mr.  William  M. 
King  erected  a  grist,  plaster  and  cement  mill  upon 
the  present  site  of  the  DeWitt  Mills,  about  one  and 
a  half  miles  north  of  Jamesville,  on  Butternut 
Creek.  In  1869,  A.  B.  King  became  sole  pro- 
prietor, and  rebuilt  the  mill  which  now  represents 
a  cost  of  about  §10,000.  This  mill  furnished 
considerable  water-lime  used  in  the  construction  of 
the  locks  and  masonry  of  the  Erie  Canal  and  was 
among  the  first  cement  mills  erected. 

EAST  SYRACUSE. 

In  October,  1872,  the  New  York  Central  and 
Hudson  River  Railroad  Company  purchased  one 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land  in  Lots  42  and  43 
for  freight-yards,  round-houses  and  shops,  and 
established  a  half-way  station  between  Roches- 
ter and  Albany.  Since  then  a  very  fine  village 
of  about  three  hundred  houses,  several  hotels,  four 
stores,  a  market  and  one  church  have  sprung  up 
as  if  by  magic,  and  are  growing  very  rapidly.     The 


railroad  company  have  erected  two  substantial  brick 
round-houses  with  room  for  forty-four  locomotives, 
with  turn-tables,  shops,  &c  ;  have  laid  twenty-six 
miles  of  track  in  the  yard,  erected  extensive  coal 
houses  and  chutes,  and  have  graded  and  prepared 
the  site  for  the  building  of  extensive  shops.  This 
promises  to  become  a  very  important  and  populous 
village,  the  surroundings  being  so  favorable  as  to 
make  it  a  very  desirable  place  to  live  in,  and  already 
many  engineers  and  trainmen  are  building  them- 
selves homes  and  bringing  their  families  from 
Rochester  and  Albany. 


BiOGi|APHic>L  Sketches, 


RUFUS  R.  KINNE. 

Zebulon  Kinne,  the  fifth  son  in  the  family  of 
Cyrus  Kinne,  and  father  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  born  in  Voluntown,  Connecticut,  June 
12,  1780.  When  twelve  years  of  age  he  removed 
with  his  father's  family  to  Fayetteville,  Onondaga 
County,  N.  Y.  In  1814  he  married  Lucy  Mark- 
ham,  of  the  town  of  LaFayette,  by  whom  he  had 
eight  children  ;  four  boys  and  four  girls,  six  of 
whom  are  now  living.  In  1815,  he  purchased  a 
farm  in  Manlius,  now  DeWitt,  in  East  Syracuse, 
where  he  resided  until  his  death. 

Rufus  R.  Kinne  was  born  March  28,  1821,  on 
the  old  homestead  where  he  now  resides,  a  view  of 
which,  together  with  the  portraits  of  himself, 
father  and  mother,  may  be  seen  elsewhere  in  this 
work.  Rufus  R.  spent  his  youth  on  his  father's  farm, 
and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Manlius 
and  the  Syracuse  Academy,  at  Syracuse.  On  July 
25,  i860,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Julia 
E.  Clark,  of  Syracuse.  By  this  union  were  born 
two  children,  viz.:  L.  Bell,  born  February  26,  1867, 
and  Nelson  C,  who  died  in  the  second  year  of  his 
age. 

Mr.  Kinne  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  has 
never  been  an  aspirant  for  office.  He  has  led  an 
active  business  life,  and  is  entitled  to  the  respect 
and  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  all  who  know 
him. 


VLIET  CARPENTER 


Was  born  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  July  2, 
1 80 1.  He  is  the  tenth  in  the  family  of  twelve 
children,  of  Nehemiah  and  Ann  [Bookhout]  Car- 
penter, of  whom  none  except  Vliet  are  now  living. 


392 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


His  father,  Nehemiah,  was  born  in  Queens 
County,  N.  Y.,  June  29,  1757.  He  left  Queens 
County  with  Washington's  army  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary war,  and  settled  in  Dutchess  County,  on 
a  farm  of  100  acres.  In  the  spring  of  18 16,  he 
sold  his  farm  and  removed  to  Onondaga  County, 
town  of  Manlius,  and  purchased  420  acres  of  wild 
timbered  land. 

With  the  assistance  of  his  boys  he  cleared  his 
farm.     Here  he  resided  until  his  death. 

Vliet  spent  his  youth  on  his  father's  farm.  His 
education  was  limited  to  the  common  schools  of 
Dutchess  and  Onondaga  Counties,  supplemented 
by  two  terms  at  the  Academy.  He  taught  school 
for  four  terms,  and  summers  worked  for  his  father 
on  the  farm. 

On  September  27.  1826,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Emily  A.  Wilcox,  daughter  of 
John  and  Amelia  Wilco.x.  of  Pompcy,  Onondaga 
County.  By  this  union  three  children  were  born 
to  them,  viz.:  Nehemiah,  born  September  3,  1828  ; 
died  August  27,  1845  ;  Ann  Amelia,  born  June  15, 
I S33,  (married  Paul  Fay,  of  Cicero) ;  died  February 
13,  1869;  Juliette,  born  January  27,  1836;  died 
November  22,  1S41.  Mrs.  Carpenter  died  March 
8,  1851,  and  on  March  24,  1852,  he  married  Mary 
J.  Morley,  daughter  of  Abraham  Northrup,  of 
Pompey  ;  no  children  by  this  union. 

After  his  first  marriage  he  remained  on  the 
homestead  farm  until  after  the  death  of  his  father, 
when  he  became  owner  of  141  acres,  which  he  cul- 
tivated until  1874,  when  he  sold  out  and  moved  to 
Collamcr,  where  he  now  resides.  A  view  of  his 
residence  and  portrait  of  his  wives  may  be  seen 
elsewhere  in  this  work. 

In  politics  he  was  originally  a  Whig,  but  upon  the 
formati'on  of  the  Republican  party  joined  its  ranks. 
Although  he  never  sought  office,  yet  he  has  filled 
most  of  the  minor  positions  in  his  town.  Both  he 
and  his  estimable  wife  are  consistent  members  of 
the  Congregational  Church,  he  having  been  a  mem- 
ber for  about  sixty  years  ;  has  been  Deacon  of  the 
church  for  a  number  of  years.  He  has  also  been 
an  earnest  worker  in  the  Sabbath  School  for  over 
fifty  years  as  teacher  and  superintendent. 

Mr.  Carpenter,  by  a  long  and  active  life,  has  shown 
himself  a  man  of  character  and  a  useful  member  of 
society,  and  at  the  ripe  age  of  seventy-seven  is  still 
hale  and  vigorous. 


DAIRY  FARM  OF  W.  C.  BRAYTON. 

About  three  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Syracuse 
lies  the  dairy  farm  of  W.  C.  Brayton.     It  contains 


about  two  hundred  acres,  and  was  formerly  known 
as  the  "  Orchard  Hill  Farm,"  because  a  portion  of 
it  lies  on  a  gentle  elevation,  and  was  years  ago 
covered  with  an  old-fashioned  apple  orchard  of 
natural  fruit,  some  of  the  trees  of  which  are  still 
standing  and  bearing.  When  Mr.  Brayton  moved 
on  to  the  farm,  eight  years  since,  portions  of  it  were 
covered  with  boulders,  which  occupied  the  soil  and 
rendered  tillage  difficult  and  laborious,  and  other 
portions  were  pronounced  nearly  worthless  because 
of  their  swampy  character.  But  he  had  faith  in 
underdraining  and  the  good  sense  to  see  that  the 
use  of  the  surface  occupied  by  the  boulders  would 
pay  for  their  removal  Little  is  now  found  to 
obstruct  the  free  passage  of  the  plow,  and  the 
swamps  and  swales  have  disappeared.  The  yield 
of  the  crops  has  correspondingly  increased  with 
the  improvements  in  the  appearance  of  the  sur- 
face. 

His  specialty  is  the  production  of  milk  for  the 
market.  In  the  management  of  his  herd,  and  the 
husbanding  of  manures,  coupled  with  his  quick 
perceptions  and  good  judgment,  will  be  found  the 
secret  of  his  not  only  keeping  up,  but  increasing 
the  fertility  of  his  farm.  His  dairy  numbers  fifty 
cows,  and  he  keeps,  in  addition,  the  necessary  young 
stock  from  which  to  replenish  and  improve  his  herd. 
His  cows  are  mostly  crosses  of  the  Dutch  Belted 
breed. 

Some  idea  of  the  luxuriance  of  his  grass  crop 
maybe  inferred  from  the  fact  that  he  has  summered 
fifty  cows,  on  thirty-five  acres  of  grass,  and  four 
of  sowed  corn,  with  the  addition  daily  of  two 
pounds  of  shorts  to  each  cow.  As  he  is  producing 
milk  for  market,  of  course  he  must  have  a  flow  of 
milk  the  year  round.  But  he  avoids  having  the 
cows  come  in  during  the  hot  months.  His  average 
yield  per  cow  is  eight  quarts  daily  during  the  milk- 
ing period.  It  is  all  delivered  at  the  rooms  of  the 
Onondaga  County  Milk  Association,  which  supplies 
the  city  of  Syracuse  with  a'large  portion  of  the  milk 
used  by  its  inhabitants. 

The  larger  of  his  two  dairy  barns  runs  east  and 
west,  and  stands  facing  the  south  and  the  road.  It 
is  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  by  forty  feet  wide. 
Two  rows  of  stanchions,  one  hundred  feet  long, 
running  along  both  sides  of  the  west  end,  accom- 
modate fifty-two  cows.  They  stand  facing  a  center 
alley  about  fifteen  feet  wide. 

In  the  stable  two  iron  rails  runs  the  whole  length 

of  the  alley  between  the  stanchions.      On    these 

rails  the  feed-car  passes  along  the  center  of  the 

alley  and  from  it  the  food  is  shoveled  to  the  cows  on 

I     each  side. 


DAVID   S.  MILLER. 


Photos,  by  \V.  V.  Ranger,  Syracuse. 


JlKij.  DAVID   S.  MILLEK. 


DAVID   S.  MILLER. 


David  S.  Miller  was  born  in  Ulster  county,  April  24,  1796, 
and  was  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Helena  (Schoonmaker)  Miller. 
His  father  was  for  many  years  a  sailor  on  the  ocean  and  the 
North  river,  and  then  settled  on  a  farm.  David  remained  with 
his  father  on  the  farm  for  several  years.  When  a  young  man 
he  removed  to  Schoharie  county,  where  his  father  worked  a 
farm  three  years,  and  then  removed  to  the  town  of  DeWitt, 
near  Messina  Springs,  where  he  purchased  a  farm.  In  the  year 
1841  he  bought  his  farm  of  one  hundred  acres  of  timbered 
land,  built  upon  it  a  log  house,  and  cleared  it  up  with  his  own 
hands. 

After  a  few  years  David  purchased  an  acre  of  land  near 
Merrill's  mill,  and  erected  upon  it  a  hotel,  which  he  kept  for 
nine  years.     At  the  end  of  this  time  he  sold  out  and  moved 


back  to  his  farm.  On  Sept.  20,  1818,  he  married  Leah, 
daughter  of  Peter  and  Anna  Miller,  of  Ulster  county.  She 
died  March  3,  1875,  aged  seventy-four  years.  The  result  of 
this  union  was  eleven  children,  namely, — John,  Clark  S.,  Anna, 
Elizabeth,  Henry  J.,  Alviua,  Mary  J.,  Chandler  S.,  Matilda, 
Esther,  and  Edward  F.,  of  whom  five  are  deceased. 

Although  Mr.  jMiller  never  sought  office,  yet  he  has  been 
often  honored  with  the  most  prominent  offices  in  his  town. 
For  about  forty-one  years  he  and  his  wife  have  been  members 
of  the  Disciples  church,  and  he  has  been  deacon  for  several 
years.  He  is  now  in  his  eighty-second  year,  with  his  mind  as 
clear  as  in  the  days  of  his  youth.  His  path  down  to  the  grave 
is  being  strewn  with  the  beautiful  flowers  of  filial  love  and 
veneration. 


KI.KKirxiK    KINNK 


KMKKSON    KINNE. 


im^^ 

^^m^ 


.llll.tim   O.   KINNK. 


MASON    l>.    KINNK. 


riioUM.  Ii)  W.  V/Baiisi.r,  Syr»ciM». 


Zebulon  Kinne. 


PUFUS   R.  KlNNE. 


Mrs. Zebulon  K/nne. 


PHOTOS  SV  W  V  HAKdEK.  SrRACUS£.H  Y. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


393 


THE  KINNE   FAMILY. 

There  are  few  examples  more  heroic  than  that  of 
the  pioneer  who  resolutely  bids  farewell  to  his  friends 
and  kindred,  and  to  the  comforts  and  enjoyments  of 
a  civilized  home,  to  boldly  face  the  stern  realities  of 
frontier  life.  It  is,  indeed,  a  pleasing  task  for  the 
biographer  to  record  his  hardships  and  triumphs, 
and  to  make  honorable  mention  of  his  descendants. 
Cyrus  Kinne,  the  progenitor  of  the  Kinne  fami- 
ly of  this  county,  was  born  in  Voluntown,  Wind- 
ham County,  Connecticut,  on  the  nth  of  August, 
1746,  and  grew  up  under  the  chaste  Puritanic  in- 
fluences of  a  New  England  home,  a  young  man  of 
excellent  habits,  which  clung  to  him  through  life. 
In  the  year  1779,  having  married  Miss  Comfort 
Palmer,  he  moved  to  Petersburg,  Rensselaer  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.  In  the  city  of  Troy,  in  1791,  at  a  public 
sale  of  State  lands,  now  lying  in  the  County  of  On- 
ondaga, he  bid  off  some  of  the  "survey  fifties." 
His  first  visit  to  his  lands  was  on  horseback  by  In- 
dian trails  west  of  Oneida.  He  was  so  well  pleased 
with  the  general  appearance  of  this  section  of  the 
State,  that  he  immediately  bought  considerable 
land  adjoining  his  first  purchase.  In  the  month  of 
March,  1792,  having  disposed  of  his  property  at 
Petersburg,  he  started  with  an  ox-team,  and  one 
horse  before  a  sled,  with  his  four  oldest  boys,  viz  : 
Ezra,  Zachariah,  Prentice  and  Ethel  for  a  permanent 
residence  upon  his  lands. 

He  experienced  great  difficulties  on  his  journey, 
particularly  west  of  Oneida,  where  he  was  obliged 
to  cut  roads  through  the  dense  forests,  and  cross 
the  streams  on  fallen  trees.  About  the  first  of 
April,  he  arrived  at  where  Fayetteville  now  is,  and 
settled  on  some  of  the  land  which  he  had  bought. 
In  the  following  month  of  June,  he  returned  to 
Petersburg,  to  bring  to  his  wilderness  home  the  re- 
mainder of  his  family.  His  lands  were  soon  cleared 
and  brought  under  cultivation.  At  that  time  Albany 
was  the  nearest  market  for  his  surplus  products. 
He  gave  to  each  one  of  his  sons,  when  they  mar- 
ried, 100  acres  of  land,  lying  in  Manlius  and  adja- 
cent towns.  Being  a  blacksmith  as  well  as  a  farmer, 
he  did  the  first  blacksmithing  in  the  town  of  Man- 
lius ;  and  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  married  the  first 
couple.  Perhaps  no  man  was  more  prominently 
identified  with  the  early  growth  and  development 
of  the  town  of  Manlius  than  he.  Kind,  generous, 
and  humane,  he  proved  one  of  the  most  valuable  of 
neighbors  and  the  staunchest  of  friends.  His  ten 
sons  and  two  daughters,  viz  :  Ezra,  Zachariah,  Pren- 
tice, Ethel,  Zebulon,  Moses,  Joshua,  Cyrus,  Japhet, 
Palmer,  Rachel  and  Comfort, reared  84  children  who 


arrived  at  mature  age.  He  died  Aug.  8,  1808,  in 
his  62d  year,  beloved  and  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him. 

Prentice  Kinne  was  born  October  16,  1773, 
and  passed  his  youthful  days  in  alternately  attend- 
ing school  and  assisting  his  father  on  the  farm.  On 
June  16,  in  the  year  1800,  when  27  years  of  age 
he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Kinne,  of  Plainfield, 
Windham  County,  Conn.,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1801,  he  settled  on  the  farm  in  Manlius,  given  him 
by  his  father,  upon  which  he  resided  till  the  day  of 
his  death.  He  struck  the  first  blow  upon  his  100 
acre  farm,  and  lived  to  see  it  covered  with  beautiful 
fields.  In  his  domestic  relations  he  was  a  kind 
and  loving  father,  teaching  his  children  by  his 
upright  life  the  value  and  importance  of  virtue  and 
inspiring  them  with  the  worthy  ambition  to  be 
men  and  women,  in  the  loftiest  sense  of  the  word. 
His  teachings  were  not  forgotten,  but  were  fully 
exemplified  in  the  lives  of  his  children. 

Julius  C.    Kinne,  the   oldest  son    of  Prentice 
Kinne,  was  born  October  19,  1802,  in  the  town  of 
Manlius,  now   DeWitt.      By  severe   application  he 
obtained     a     good     common     school     education. 
Thoroughness   and    perseverance  were   prominent 
characteristics  which  marked    every  transaction   of 
his  life.       He  was  a  close    observer   of    political 
affairs  and   often   took  an   active  interest  in  them. 
In  the  fall  of    1845,  he  was  elected  to  the  State 
Legislature  for  Onondaga  County,  and  discharged 
his  duties  in  such  an  acceptable  manner  that  he 
was  reelected  the  following  year  by  a  fine  majority. 
While  in  the  Legislature  he  gained  the  confidence 
of  Governor  Silas  Wright,  by  his  honest  and  able 
career  as  a  legislator.      He  left  the  impress  of  his 
pure  character  upon  the  town  of  DeWitt  too  indel- 
ibly to  be  effaced  by  the  rude  band  of  time.     In 
the  year  183 1  he  married  Mrs.  Rachel  Willard,  by 
whom   he  had  four  sons  and  one  daughter  ;  two 
sons  died  in  childhood  ;  Howard,  the  eldest,  is  mar- 
ried and  resides  in  Iowa.    During  the  Rebellion  he 
enlisted  in  an  Iowa  regiment  under  General  Sully, 
of  the  Regular  Army,  and  went  to  Dakota  Terri- 
tory, where  he  did  gallant  service.     At  the  close  of 
the  war  he  received  an  honorable  discharge.     Ed- 
mund  D.  was  born  Feburary  9,  1841,  in  DeWitt, 
Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.     He  attended  the  High 
school  at  Syracuse,  graduated  from  Cazenovia  Sem- 
inary,   Michigan    University    and    Columbia    Law 
School  at  Washington,  D.  C.,and  was  admitted  to 
the  Supreme  Court  of  that  district.     In    1867  he 
moved  to  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan  ;  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  and  commenced  the  practice  of  Law.     In 
1868  he  was  admitted  to   practice   in    the    U.   S. 


394 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NPIW  YORK. 


Court.  He  has  been  Recorder  and  District- 
Attorney,  and  was  Mayor  in  1875  and  reelected  in 
1876  In  the  year  1867  he  married  Mary  C, 
daughter  of  OIney  Hawkins,  and  has  one  son.  Few 
young  men  can  show  a  finer  record  or  have  brighter 
prospects. 

Kmerso.v  Kinne,  the  second  son  of  Prentice 
Kinne,  was  born  Feb.  16,  1804  By  self-improve- 
ment, principally  at  home,  he  obtained  a  good  edu- 
cation. Although  never  seeking  civil  office,  yet  so 
well  known  was  his  integrity  and  ability  that  he  re- 
luctantly accepted  the  most  prominent  offices  of  his 
town,  such  as  Supervisor  three  years,  one  of  which 
was  unanimous  with  the  exception  of  a  single  vote  ; 
Assessor  in  the  town  of  DeWitt  for  several  years ; 
and  Commissioner  of  Highways,  in  the  old  town  of 
Manlius.  ■ 

Always  from  a  boy  up,  he  took  an  intense  in- 
terest in  military  affairs.  In  1828,  he  was  com- 
missioned ensign  of  a  company  of  infantry,  by 
acting  Gov.  Nathaniel  Pitcher  ;  and  was  rapidly  pro- 
moted through  all  the  intermediate  grades  to 
commandant  of  the  regiment  ;  and  was  subse- 
quently appointed  Brigade  Inspector  of  the  27th 
brigade  of  infantry  by  Gov.  William  L.  Marcy.  It 
is  a  very  rare  occurrence  that  men  are  so  rapidly 
promoted.  As  an  officer  he  was  pleasant  and  aft'a- 
ble  to  his  associates  and  rigidly  strict  in  discipline. 
Politically,  he  was  a  Democrat  till  the  close  of  the 
Rebellion,  when  he  joined  the  Republican  party. 
He  married  Miss  Janet  Luddington,  in  the  year 
1833.  Their  children  are  all  deceased.  In  1831, 
he  united  with  the  Baptist  Church  of  Syracuse,  of 
which  he  is  still  a  member.  During  that  long  and 
honorable  period  he  has  labored  incessantly,  in  his 
humble  way,  to  advocate  the  cause  of  Christ. 

Mason  P.  Kinne,  third  son  of  Prentice  Kinne,  was 
born  in  Manlius,  (now  DeWitt,  1  Nov.  30,  1808.  He 
teceived  as  good  a  common  school  education  as  the 
schools  of  those  early  days  afforded,  and  assisted 
his  father  on  the  farm  till  the  death  of  the  latter, 
when  he  received  a  portion  of  the  farm  which  he 
still  occupies.  On  Jan.  ^o,  1840,  he  married  Mary 
J.  Spaulding,  of  Clarkson,  Monroe  County.  There- 
suit  of  this  union  was  five  children.viz  :  Chas.  Mason, 
Mary  E.,  Ansel  L.,  Porter  S.  and  Arthur  B.  Mary 
E.  and  Ansel  L.,  are  deceased.  Chas.  Mason,  was 
born  April  ii,  1841,  graduated  from  the  Syracuse 
High  School  in  Jan.  1859,  and  immediately  sailed 
for  San  Francisco,  Cal  ,  where  he  was  employed  in 
an  agricultural  ware-house,  until  1862,  when  he  en- 
listed in  the '•  California  Hundred,"  which  sailed 
for  Boston,  and  joined  the  2d  Mass.  Cavalry.  For 
his  gallantry  he  was  made  Captain,  and  also  Ass't 


Adj.  Gen.  of  the  Regular  Brigade,  ist  Cav.  Divis- 
ion, under  Gen.  Gibbs,  and  in  July,  1865,  received 
an  honorable  discharge,  with  a  recommend  for  brevet 
Major  for  faithful  services  and  meritorious  conduct. 
He  is  now  Judge  Advocate  on  Gen.  Macomb's 
Stafi" ;  an  honorary  member  of  the  First  Cal.  Guard, 
San  Francisco  ;  and,  also,  a  life  member  of  the 
"  National  Guard,"  Vice-President  of  the  "  Micro- 
scopical Society,"  of  San  Francisco.  Porter  S.,  is 
practicing  medicine  in  Patterson,  N.  J.  Arthur  B. 
is  practicing  in  Syracuse.  Mr.  Kinne  voted  the 
Democratic  ticket  until  1853.  In  1854.  he  joined  the 
Republican  party.  He  is  a  consistent  Christian 
and  endeavors  to  live  in  accordance  with  his  pro- 
fession. 

Elbridge  Kinne,  fourth  son  of  Prentice 
Kinne,  was  born  in  Manlius.  May  26,  18 10  On 
October  17,  1837,  he  married  Sophronia,  daughter 
of  Rev.  Seth  Young,  of  DeWitt.  They  have  had 
si.v  children,  of  whom  Theodore  Y.,  who  was  a 
surgeon  in  the  army,  is  now  practicing  medicine  in 
Patterson,  N.  J.,  and  E.  Olin,  who  graduated  from  the 
Syracuse  University  in  the  class  of  '76,  and  from 
the  Ann  Arbor  Medical  School  in  the  class  of  '7S. 
Mr.  Kinne  is  now  living  on  a  portion  of  the  farm 
formerly  owned  by  his  father.  He  was  a  Democrat 
until  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party  of  which 
he  became  a  member.  He  has  been  Supervisor, 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  Clerk  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  DeWitt,  and  also  class-leader  in  the  M. 
E.  Church  for  over  forty  years. 

Salome  K.,  daughter  of  Prentice  Kinne,  was 
married  to  De  Witt  C.  Peck,  of  DeWitt,  October 
29,  1840,  and  has  had  seven  children.  Herbert  D. 
was  Second  Lieutenant  in  Company  E  of  the 
Twenty-second  N.  Y.  Cavalry,  was  under  General 
Grant  and  was  captured  at  Reams'  Station.  He 
was  paroled  from  Wilmington  Prison  March  i, 
1865.  After  the  surrender  of  Lee,  (the  parole  be- 
coming void)  he  again  joined  his  regiment  and 
received  a  Captain's  commission. 

Emily  Kinne,  second  daughter  of  Prentice 
Kinne,  was  married  to  Mr.  Curren  Elins,  and  has 
had  seven  children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters. 
Their  eldest  son,  George,  served  in  the  civil  war 
until  its  close.  Their  second  son,  Byron,  was  two 
years  in  the  service  and  was  honorably  discharged. 
Fraternity  is  written  in  golden  letters  over  the 
hearts  of  these  brothers.  Their  hearts  beat  in 
unison  with  a  rythm  which  the  passions  cannot 
disturb.  I'rom  childhood  to  manhood,  their 
thoughts,  their  purposes,  their  lives,  have  been 
devoted  to  the  noble  aim  of  keeping  aglow  upon 
the  family   alter    the   embers   of   brotherly   love. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


39S 


Living  near  one  anotlier,  they  keep  up  a  constant, 
pleasant,  social  family  intercourse  which  never  has 
been  marred,  but  is  increasing  in  intensity  as  the 
years  roll  along.  They  have  felt  the  need  of,  and 
placed  before  their  children  the  opportunities  for 


obtaining,  a  liberal  education  ;  and  a  glance  will 
show  that  their  efforts  have  not  been  fruitless. 
Religious,  moral,  temperate  and  humane,  they  are 
endeavoring  to  realize  in  practice  the  grand  truths 
inculcated  by  Christianity. 


POMPEY, 


PoMPEY  was  originally  Township  number  ten  of 
the  Military  Tract,  and  was  named  with  the  other 
townships  by  the  Commissioners  of  the  Land 
Office.  Upon  the  organization  of  Onondaga  Coun- 
ty, in  1794,  it  became  one  of  the  original  eleven 
towns  of  the  county,  comprising  at  that  date  the 
townships  of  Pompey,  Fabius  and  Tully  and  that 
portion  of  the  Onondaga  Reservation  lying  south 
of  the  Genesee  Road  and  east  of  Onondaga  Creek. 
Fabius  and  part  of  Onondaga  were  taken  off  in 
179S,  and  LaFayette  in  1825. 

The  town  of  Pompey  is  located  upon  the  great 
dividing  ridge  from  which  the  waters  flow  north 
into  the  valley  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  south  into 
the  Chesapeake  Bay.  Its  surface  is  principally  oc- 
cupied by  the  high,  rolling  ridge,  or  rather,  series  of 
ridges,  which  lie  between  the  east  branch  of  the 
Limestone  Creek,  on  the  east,  and  the  Butternut 
Creek,  on  the  west.  The  highest  summit  is  in  the 
cemetery  ground  at  Pompey  Hill  :  it  is  nine  hun- 
dred and  six  feet  above  the  Butternut  Creek  at 
LaFayette  Station,  one  thousand  three  hundred 
and  forty-three  feet  above  the  Erie  Canal  at  Syra- 
cuse, and  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  forty- 
three  feet  above  tide  water.  The  general  ridge 
forming  the  surface  of  the  town,  is  sub-divided  into 
three  ridges  by  the  two  west  branches  of  Limestone 
Creek.  These  valleys  are  from  two  to  three  hun- 
dred feet  below  the  summits  and  are  bordered  by 
steep  hillsides.  The  streams  which  drain  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  town  flow  in  a  southerly  direction. 
Pratt's  Falls,  upon  the  west  branch  of  the  Lime- 
stone Creek,  are  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  feet 
in  perpendicular  height  ;  and  within  a  few  rods  of 
them  are  several  other  fine  cascades.  Near  the 
north  line,  upon  the  same  creek,  is  a  cascade  of 
seventy  feet  fall.  Just  east  of  the  county  line,  near 
Delphi,  on  the  east  branch  of  the  Limestone,  are 
two  other  fine  cascades.  Carpenter's  Pond,  in  the 
southeast  part  of  the  town,  covers  an  area  of  about 
thirty  acres. 

The  soil  is  rich  and  productive ;  chiefly  of  a 
clayey   loam.     It    is    generally    underlaid   by    the 


Hamilton  group  of  shales,  with  Genesee  slate  upon 
the  extreme  highest  portions.  Swamps  are  ex- 
tremely small  and  there  are  but  few  gulfs  and 
ravines.  It  has  been  estimated  that  out  of  the 
original  60,000  acres  of  the  township,  not  more 
than  one  thousand  two  hundred  are  unfit  for  culti- 
vation. The  reduced  limits  of  the  present  town, 
together  with  the  improved  methods  of  drainage, 
render  even  that  proportion  too  great  at  the  p(^ent 
time. 

Although  .^e  <^cjimate  is  subject  tn  sudden 
changes,  and  is  characterize^-by  "ftr^h  winds,  which 
in  the  vicinity  of  Pompey  Hill  often  blow  with  ter- 
rific violence,  yet  the  average  temperature  is  three 
and  a  half  degrees  less  than  the  general  average  of 
the  State,  and  the  cool  breezes  of  summer  render 
the  locality  remarkably  pleasant  and  healthy. 

The  natural  scenery  is  rarely  equaled.  The 
vision,  from  one  stand-point  on  Pompey  Hill,  is  un- 
interrupted, being  bounded  by  the  horizon  at  every 
point  of  the  compass,  and  embracing  views  in 
seven  difierent  counties — Onondaga,  Cortland,  Her- 
kimer, Madison,  Oswego,  Oneida  and  Cayuga. 

The  first  settler  in  the  original  town  of  Pompey 
(now  in  LaFayette)  was  John  Wilcox,  in  1789.  He 
employed  an  Indian  chief  at  Oneida  to  guide  him 
into  the  country,  and  settled  at  Indian  Orchard 
about  two  miles  north  of  the  Village  of  LaFayette. 
In  1791,  Ebenezer  Butler,  of  Harwinton,  Conn., 
located  at  Pompey  Hill,  being  the  first  settler  within 
the  limits  of  the  present  town  of  Pompey.  He 
had  settled  at  Clinton,  Oneida  County,  in  1788, 
whence  he  came  to  Pompey  Hill  guided  by  marked 
trees,  and  erected  the  first  cabin  near  the  spring 
which  supplies  the  watering-tub  in  the  present  vil- 
lage. Mr.  Butler  purchased  Lot  No.  65  of  a  sol- 
dier for  a  horse,  saddle  and  bridle,  and  in  the  same 
year  (1791)  moved  his  family,  consisting  of  his  wife, 
four  children,  father  and  maiden  sister. 

In  1792,  Jesse  Butler,  brother  of  Ebenezer, 
erected  the  second  cabin  a  few  rods  north  of  the 
present  M.  E.  Church,  having  purchased  of  his 
brother  one  hundred  acres  on  the  north  half  of  his 


396 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


lot.  He  brought  his  family  from  Connecticut  in 
April,  1793,  on  an  ox  sled,  in  company  with  the 
family  of  Mr.  George  Catlin.  The  latter  opened 
the  first  tavern  at  Pompey  Hill  in  a  house  a  little 
south  of  the  one  lately  occupied  by  Judge  Asa 
Wells. 

The  first  settler  at  "  Log  City,"  north  of  Pompey 
Hill  on  the  Jamesville  road,  was  Jacob  Hoar,  who 
moved  from  Onondaga  in  the  spring  of  1793. 
'■  Log  City  "  and  the  Hill  were  for  a  time  rival  set- 
tlements. It  contained  at  an  early  time  a  school 
house,  tannery,  turning  lathe,  shoe  shop,  and  a 
store  and  ashery,  owned  by  Justice  Fowler,  uncle 
of  O.  S.  Fowler  of  New  York. 

The  first  frame  house  in  the  vicinity  of  Pompey 
Hill  was  erected  by  Judge  Ebenezer  Butler,  Jr.,  on 
the  west  side  of  what  is  now  the  public  square,  in 
'797-  The  second  frame  house  was  erected  by  the 
same  party  for  his  father  in  1798.  It  stood  on  the 
site  of  the  wagon  shop  long  owned  and  occupied  by 
Joseph  Beach.  The  same  year  Jesse  Butler  built  a 
frame  house  on  the  site  of  the  present  M.  E. 
Church. 

Among  the  settlers  in  1793  and  1794,  were  True- 
worthy  and  Selah  Cook,  the  Olcotts,  Holbrooks, 
Jeromes,  Hibbards,  Hinsdells,  Messengers,  West- 
erns, Aliens,  Burrs,  and  others  — settling  in  different 
parts  of  the  town.  Sally  Hoar  was  the  first  white 
child  born  in  Pompey  ;  Orange,  son  of  Jesse  But- 
ler, the  first  male  child. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Pompey,  with  dates  of  settlement :  Asa  Barnes, 
Peter  Benson,  Josiah  Holbrook,  1793  ;  David  Hib- 
bard,  Samuel  Clement,  1794;  Henry  Clarke, 
Hczekiah  Dodge,  1795;  Pundason  Avery,  Joseph 
and  Rhoda  Gold,  David  Green,  David  Hinsdcll, 
Jonas  Hinman,  Lcman  H.  Pitcher,  Manoah  Pratt, 
Sen.,  1796;  Noah  i'almer,  1797;  Joseph  Baker, 
1798;  Paul  Clapp,  father  of  Paul  Clapp,  Jr.,  John 
Chester  and  Carlton  Clapp,  1798;  Stebbins  Ball, 
Hon.  Daniel  Gilbert,  Elijah  Wells,  Deacon  Asa 
Wells,  (then  an  infant  with  his  parents,!  Daniel 
Wright,  1799;  Dr.  Silas  Park,  Willard  Hayden, 
Daniel  Knapp,  (father  of  Harry  Knapp,)  1800; 
Elihu  Barber,  Col.  Ensign  Hill,  1801  ;  Hezekiah 
Hopkins,  1802;  Addy  Anderson.  1803;  John 
Smith,  Esq.,  1804  ;  Rev.  Artemus  Bishop,  iborn  in 
Pompey. I  Dr.  Hczekiah  Clarke.  1S05  ;  Caleb 
Green,  1806  ;  Victory  Birdseye,  1807  ;  William^T 
Fargo,  1 809 ;  Augustus  Whcaton,  1  father  of  Hi2iace, 
Homer,  and  Charles  A.  Wheaton  1,  1810;  Luther 
Marsh,  Millard  Robinson,  181  i  ;  Reuben  Billings, 
1812  ;  Rev.  Joshua  Leonard,  Preceptor  Pompey 
Academy,    1814  ;  Peltiah    Hayden,  1816,  Thomas 


Rice  and  family,  1818  ;  Samuel  Flint,  1819:  Amos 
Rice,  Nicholas  Van  Brocklin,  1821  ;  Rev.  Eleazer 
Storrs  Barrows,  1822. 

Timothy  Sweet,  Jathcr  of  the  Sweet  family,  set- 
tled in  Pompey  in  1704  ;  Edward  Wicks,  in  1816  ; 
Joseph  Shattuck,  with  his  nine  grown-up  sons,  was 
one  of  the  early  pioneers. 

Town  Meetings. 

The  first  town  meeting  for  Pompey  was  held  at 
the  house  of  Ebenezer  Butler,  Jr.,  April  i,  1794. 
Moses  DeWitt  was  chosen  Supervisor,  and  Heze- 
kiah Olcott,  Town  Clerk  ;  Ozias  Burr.  Allen  Beach, 
Wm.  Haskin,  Geo.  Catlin  and  Ebenezer  Butler,  Jr, 
Assessors  ;  Thomas  Olcott,  Jeremiah  Gould  and 
John  Lamb,  Commissioners  of  Highways;  John 
Lamb  and  William  Haskins,  Overseers  of  the 
Poor;  John  Wilcox,  Samuel  Draper,  and  Joseph 
H.  Smith,  Constibles  and  Collectors ; 'Joseph 
Atwell,  Daniel  Allen,  Peter  Messenger,  Joseph 
Bartholomew,  Samuel  Sherman,  William  Rin, 
John  Wilco.x,  Samuel  Jerome.  Trueworthy  Cook, 
Overseers  of  Highways  ;  Timothy  Sweet,  and 
Elisha  Clark,  Fence  Viewers  ;  Elisha  Clark,  Pound 
Keeper. 

At  a  special  town  meeting,  September  20.  1794, 
William  Haskin  was  chosen  Supervisor  xia-  Moses 
DeWitt,  deceased. 

The  present  Supervisor,  Mr.   Marshall  R    Dyer, 
has  held  the  office  since  1873. 
Lawyers. 

The  first  lawyer  who  settled  at  Pompey  Hill  was 
John  Keedar,  about  the  year  1800.  He  located 
near  the  site  of  the  Academy.  He  was  succeeded 
in  1806  by  Daniel  Wood,  Esq.  Mr.  Wood  was  a 
successful  practitioner  and  a  man  of  large  influence, 
till  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1838.  He  was  ap- 
pointed first  Postmaster  at  the  Hill  in  181 1. 

Samuel  Baldwin,  Esq  ,  was  the  next  lawyer,  in 
1806.  and  Victory  Birdseye.  Esq..  in  1807  ;  the 
latter  was  a  partner  of  Mr,  Wood.  Daniel  Gott 
afterwards  came,  taught  school  for  a  while  and  then 
commenced  the  study  of  law  with  Wood  &  Birds- 
eye.  After  these  were  a  host  of  others,  either  as 
law  students  or  practitioners  ;  among  the  latter  may 
be  mentioned  Charles  Baldwin,  Charles  B.  and  H. 
J.  Sedgwick,  Lucius  Birdseye,  LcRoy  Morgan, 
George  H.  Williams  and  R.  H.   Duell,  Esqs. 

William  W.  VanBrocklin,  Esq.,  is  the  only 
lawyer  at  the  present  time  in  Pompey,  and  he  is 
also  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

Physicians. 
Dr.  Holbrook  was  the  first  physician  ;  he  settled 
at  Pompey  Center  in  1793.     At  Pompey  Hill,  Dr. 


DANIEL  GOTT. 


riiutd.  by  Austin,  Syriii-'nse. 


AUhoiigli  his  nume  is  incidentally  mentioned  in  this  volume  in 
several  places,  this  book  would  fail  to  meet  the  expectations  of  the 
public  without  a  biographical  sketch  of  Daniel  Gott.  For  so  many 
years  of  his  brilliant  life  was  he  identified  with  the  history, 
growth,  and  prosperity  of  Pompey,  that  he  and  his  family  occupy 
a  large  place  in  the  memory  and  affections  of  the  jjeople.  He  was 
born  July  10,  1794,  at  Hebron,  Conn.,  and  died  July  6,  1804,  at 
Syracuse.  Within  the  measure  of  tho.se  years  he  acquired  wealth, 
distinction,  and  fame  ;  and  his  memory  will  grow  brighter  as  years 
roll  round  and  the  asperities  of  life's  conflicts  are  forgotten.  His 
early  education  was  limited  only  to  enjoying  the  advantages  which 
the  common  schools  of  his  native  town  afforded.  At  the  age  of 
sixteen  he  commenced  teaching,  which  he  continued  up  to  and  in- 
cluding the  first  years  of  his  residence  in  Pompc}',  having  taught 
in  the  west  room  of  the  old  Pompey  academy.  At  the  age  of  nine- 
teen he  thought  to  learn  the  clothier's  trade,  and  for  that  purpose 
entered  the  service  of  his  uncle,  Ebenezer  Snow.  This  not  being 
congenial  to  his  taste,  he  soon  entered  the  ofBce  of  Lawyer  Gilbert, 
of  Hebron,  Conn.,  and  commenced  the  study  of  law. 

About  the  year  1812  he  visited  his  uncle,  Elihu  Barber,  in 
Pompey.  It  was  probably  then  that  he  resolved  to  make  Pompey 
his  future  home,  and  in  1817  he  located  permanently  on  the  Hill, 
and  continued  his  studies  with  Daniel  Wood,  and  after  his  admis- 
sion to  jiractice,  became  the  law  partner  of  Samuel  Baldwin,  who 
afterwards  located  at  Pompey,  West  Hill,  now  Lafayette.  On  the 
12th  of  September,  1819,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  the  widow 
of  Stephen  Sedgwick,  of  Pompey,  a  brilliant  genius  and  eminent 
lawyer.  Her  maiden  name  was  Ann  Baldwin,  a  sister  of  Samuel 
and  Charles  Baldwin,  a  lady  of  large  scholastic  attainments  and 
fine  literary  taste.  By  this  union  Mr.  Gott  also  became  the  foster- 
father  of  Henry  J.,  John,  and  Charles  B.  Sedgwick,  the  second  of 
whom  died  when  a  youth.  Charles  B.  and  Henry  J.  Sedgwick 
both  lived  to  become  eminent  lawyers,  and  they  both  held  high 
and  responsible  positions  in  the  State  and  nation.  Henry  J.  was 
a  State  senator  from  1844  to  1848,  and  postmaster  at  Syracuse 
under  Buchanan's  administration.  Charles  B.  was  a  member  of 
congress  for  two  terms,  from  1859  to  1863,  and  has  acquired  a 
brilliant  record  as  a  lawyer.  Charles  B.  is  the  only  survivor  of 
three  brothers,  and  his  residence  is  in  Syracuse. 

Thus  we  find  Mr.  Gott  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  with  the  care 
and  responsibilities  of  a  family  devolved  ui)on  him,  and  he  assidu- 
ously applied  his  energies  to  the  practice  of  his  profession.  Being 
both  physically  and  mentally  u  man  of  remarkable  power,  he  soon 
developed  those  qualities  of  indomitable  energy,  untiring  industry, 


and  jiersuasive  eloquence  that  won  for  him  wealth  and  fame,  and 
made  him  the  peer  of  Noxon,  Porbes,  Jewett,  Spencer,  Sibley, 
and  extended  his  practice  through  the  central  counties  of  New 
York.  In  1828  he  became  afflicted  with  sore  eyes,  which  seriously 
impaired  his  usefulness  for  about  twelve  years.  At  times,  so  severe 
was  this  affliction,  he  was  obliged  to  confine  liimsolf  to  a  dark 
room.  It  was  during  this  time  that  his  powerful  and  retentive 
memory  came  to  his  rescue,  and  enabled  him  at  times  to  continue 
in  a  business  that  otherwise  he  must  have  abandoned.  In  1840  he 
became  permanently  cured,  and  his  practice  continued  to  increase 
till  1846,  when  he  was  elected  a  member  of  Congress,  which  office 
he  held  two  consecutive  terms.  When  in  Congress  he  was  the 
author  of  the  famous  "  Gott  Kesolution"  for  the  abolition  of  the 
slave  trade  in  the  District  of  Columbia.  In  1851  he  was  nomi- 
nated by  the  Whigs  for  justice  of  the  supreme  court,  and  was 
defeated  by  Hon.  Daniel  Pratt  by  a  largely  reduced  majority.  In 
1844  ho  was  on  the  electoral  ticket  for  Henry  Clay.  In  1853  he 
removed  to  Syracuse,  where  he  resided  till  his  death,  continuing 
the  practice  of  the  law  in  company  with  his  son,  Daniel  P.  Gott. 
His  office  was  the  law  school  of  Pompey,  and  with  the  solicitude 
of  a  father  he  watched  the  progress  of  the  numerous  students  who 
sought  his  instruction  ;  and  prompted  by  his  kind  and  genial 
nature,  and  remembering  the  obstacles  he  had  encountered  and 
overcome,  he  was  ever  ready  to  counsel,  advise,  and  encourage. 
Among  the  large  number  of  gifted  and  eminent  men  who  entered 
the  legal  profession  from  his  office  were  Seabred  Dodge,  Charles 
Mason,  John  M.  Pettit,  Harvey  Sheldon,  Cliarles  B.  Sedgwick, 
Henry  J.  Sedgwick,  George  H.  Williams,  Le  Roy  Morgan,  L.  H. 
Hiscock,  Charles  Poster  ;  and  these  and  all  others  who  were  students 
in  his  office  bear  concurrent  testimony  to  his  kindness  and  anxious 
solicitude  for  their  welfare  and  honor.  During  his  residence  in 
Pompey  he  was  trustee  of  the  academy  for  many  years,  always 
laboring  for  its  prosperity.  He  was  a  constant  attendant  of  the 
Presbyterian  church. 

His  children  in  the  order  of  their  ages  were  Saekett,  Ann, 
Amelia,  and  Daniel  P.  The  two  eldest  are  dead.  Saekett  has 
never  married.  Ann  married  Hon.  George  H.  Woodruff,  a  grad- 
uate of  Hamilton  college,  and  a  lawyer  and  writer  of  distinction  of 
Joliet,  111.  He  and  one  child  survive.  Daniel  F.  graduated  from 
Hamilton  college  in  the  class  of  1849;  became  the  law  partner  of 
liis  father  in  Syracuse  ;  married  Sarah  Clary,  a  daughter  of  the  late 
Dr.  Lyman  Clary,  of  Syracuse  ;  is  register  in  bankrui)tcy,  to  which 
he  was  apjiointed  in  1867.  Amelia  married  Frank  H.  Hastings, 
a  nurseryman,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.     They  have  three  children. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


397 


Colton  was  the  first  resident  physician.  About  the 
year  iSoo,  came  Dr.  Daniel  Tibbals,  who  remained 
in  practice  many  years,  and  removed  to  Erie,  Pa. 
Dr.  Jehiel  Stearns  settled  at  the  Hill  as  a  physician 
in  1814,  and  is  still  living  there,  and,  to  some  extent, 
continuing  his  practice.  Hezekiah  Clark,  who  had 
been  a  surgeon  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  settled 
east  of  the  village  in  1805,  and  practiced  medicine 
in  that  locality  for  a  great  number  of  years.  Dr. 
Rial  Wright  and  Dr.  Stevens  were  partners  in 
practice  for  a  good  many  years.  Dr.  L.  B.  Wells 
was  the  first  Homeopathic  physician  in  Pompey. 

Dr.  J.  Deblois  Sherman  settled  at  Pompey  Hill 
about  1825,  and  was  a  physician  of  high  rank  and 
extensive  practice. 

Honorable  Mention. 

Among  the  persons  of  note  who  were  either  resi- 
dents or  natives  of  Pompey,  may  be  mentioned  the 
following : 

Hon.  Henry  Seymour,  father  of  ex-Governor 
Horatio  Seymour,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers. 

Hon.  Horatio  Seymour  was  born  at  Pompey 
Hill  in  181 1. 

Hon.  LeRoy  Morgan,  Judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  and  the  Court  of  Appeals,  was  born  in 
Pompey  March  27,  iSio.  He  was  a  graduate  of  the 
old  Pompey  Academy  in  1830.  His  father,  Lyman 
Morgan,  was  one  of  the  pioneers. 

Hon.  Daniel  Gott  located  permanently  at  Pompey 
Hill  in  18 1 7,  and  for  many  years  of  his  brilliant 
life  was  identified  with  the  interests  of  the  place. 
He  finished  his  law  studies  with  Daniel  Wood,  Esq. 

Hon.  Victory  Birdseye,  Member  of  Congress, 
Member  of  Assembly  and  of  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention of  1 82 1,  was  a  lawyer  of  eminent  abilities 
and  an  untiring  friend  and  supporter  of  liberal 
education.  He  settled  at  Pompey  and  began  the 
practice  of  law  in  1807. 

Rev.  Artemus  Bishop,  born  in  Pompey  in  1805, 
was  a  distinguished  missionary  to  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  where  he  spent  more  than  thirty  years 
translating  Pilgrim's  Progress  and  considerable 
portions  of  the  Bible  into  the  language  of  the 
natives.  His  father,  Sylvanus  Bishop,  was  one  of 
six  brothers  who  settled  in  Pompey  in  1 793-' 94. 
He  bought  and  cleared  land  in  the  vicinity  of 
Pompey  Hill,  and  the  following  year  brought  his 
wife  and  eldest  child,  then  six  months  old,  on  horse- 
back from  Kinderhook,  Columbia  County. 

Hon.  Henry  W.  De  Puy,  was  born  in  Pompey, 
in   1820.      He  was  a  lawyer  and  a  writer  of  con- 
siderable note ;  the  author  of    "  Kossuth  and  His 
Generals,  with  a  Brief  History  of  Hungary,"  with 
69 


an  Introduction  by  Henry  J.  Raymond  ;  also 
"  Louis  Napoleon  and  His  Times  with  a  Memoir  of 
the  Bonaparte  Family,"  and  "  Ethan  Allen  and  the 
Green  Mountain  Heroes  of  '^6,  with  the  Early 
History  of  Vermont." 

Mr.  DePuy  was  Consul  to  Carlsruhe  and  Sec- 
retary of  Legation  at  Berlin.  President  Lincoln  ap- 
pointed him  Secretary  of  Nebraska,  in  which 
capacity  he  organized  that  Territory,  and  served  as 
Speaker  of  the  Nebraska  Legislature.  He  died  in 
New  York,  Feb.  2d,  1876. 

Besides  these,  Hon.  C.  B.  Sedgwick,  Hon.  Luther 
Rawson,  Grace  Greenwood  (Sarah  I.  Clarke,)  Hon. 
Charles  Mason,  since  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  Iowa,  Hon.  George  H.  Williams,  United  States 
Senator  from  Oregon,  and  International  Arbitrator 
in  the  Alabama  Claims  Case,  and  Gen.  H.  W. 
Slocum,  Major-General  in  the  late  War  of  the 
Rebellion,  deserve  to  be  mentioned  among  the  citi- 
zens of  Pompey  who  have  attained  to  honorable 
and  distinguished  positions. 

There  are  a  host  of  others,  scattered  through  the 
various  relations  of  life,  equally  worthy  of  mention, 
did  space  permit.  Biographical  sketches,  or  at 
least  some  notice  of  most  of  the  early  and  promi- 
nent citizens  of  the  town,  will  be  found  in  the  "Re- 
union and  History  of  Pompey,"  published  in  1S75, 
from  which  most  of  the  matter  for  our  present  his- 
tory of  the  town  has  been  drawn.  Speaking  of 
Pompey  Hill,  Mr.  Clark  says : 

"  This  village  was,  within  the  memory  of  men  still 
living,  as  prominent  a  place  as  any  in  the  county.  It 
gave  more  tone  to  the  surrounding  country  and  set- 
tlements, on  account  of  its  refinement  and  wealth, 
its  intelligence  and  learning,  than  any  place  in  the 
vicinity.  People  came  here  for  legal  advice  ;  they 
came  here  for  medical  advice ;  to  do  their  trading; 
and  they  came  here  for  fashions  ;  they  came  here 
for  military  parades,  for  political  discussions,  and 
for  general  consultations  of  a  public  nature  ;  they 
came  here  to  engage  in  all  the  events  incident  to 
men  in  public  life." 

Pompey  Academy. 

The  first  movement  for  the  establishment  of 
Pompey  Academy  was  made  in  the  year  1800. 
The  Trustees  named  in  the  original  petition  for  a 
charter  were  the  following  :  Ebenezer  Butler,  Jr., 
Timothy  Jerome,  William  Stevens,  Jeremiah  Gould, 
Phineas  Howell,  Elihu  Lewis,  Dan  Bradley,  Com- 
fort Tyler,  James  Knapp,  John  Lamb,  Elijah  Rust, 
Deodatus  Clark,  Hezekiah  Olcott,  David  Williams, 
Walter  Colton,  Joseph  Smith,  James  Beebe,  John 
Kidder. 

The    petition,   accompanied    by    a   subscription 
amounting  to  $1,315,  was  laid  before  the  Board  of 


398 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


Regents  of  the  University,  at  a  meeting  held  in  the 
Senate  Chamber,  at  Albany,  on  the  17th  of  March, 
1800,  and  was  referred  to  a  Committee  of  the 
Hoard,  consisting  of  Judge  Hcnson  and  Simeon 
DcWitt,  who  reported  at  a  subsequent  meeting  hcTd 
on  the  31st  of  March,  1800.  At  this  meeting  a 
resolution  was  passed  referring  the  question  of  a 
suitable  location  for  the  Academy  to  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  of  the  County  of  Onondaga,  who,  at  a 
meeting  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  October,  1800,  re- 
ported favorably  to  locating  the  Academy  at  Pom- 
pcy  Hill.  At  a  meeting  held  on  the  23d  of  March. 
i8ot,  the  Regents  resolved  to  make  the  granting  of 
a  charter  to  the  Academy  conditional  upon  the 
erection  of  a  suitable  building  for  its  use. 

The  first  building  for  the  Academy  was  com- 
menced in  or  about  1803.  William  Lathrop  was 
the  builder.  On  the  20th  of  July,  1807.  William 
Lathrop  and  George  ^^^  Wood  entered  into  an 
agreement  with  Manoah  Pratt,  Henry  Seymour, 
and  Samuel  S.  Baldwin,  the  Building  Committee,  to 
do  certain  specified  carpenter  work  in  completing 
the  building,  for  the  sum  of  S200,  the  same  to  be 
paid  by  the  assignment  of  subscriptions  which 
should  be  good  and  collectable.  Mr.  Wood  soon 
after  retired  from  the  job,  and  Mr.  Lathrop  pro- 
ceeded with  it  for  a  time  ;  finally,  March  2,  18 10, 
he  relinquished  the  unfinished  part  of  the  job, 
agreeing  to  accept  Si 40,  in  full  of  what  had  been 
done.  In  July,  1810,  a  new  subscription  was 
raised,  and  in  the  same  paper  the  committee  en- 
tered into  an  agreement  to  procure  the  completion 
of  the  Academy  for  the  sum  of  S450.  In  the 
autumn  of  1810  the  building  for  the  Academy  was 
completed  and  paid  for,  and  there  remained  $1,450 
to  serve  as  an  endowment  for  the  yielding  of  the 
net  annual  revenue  of  Si 00,  required  to  warrant  the 
granting  of  a  charter. 

In  February,  181 1,  the  final  steps  for  the  incor- 
poration of  the  school  were  taken.  A  petition 
numerously  signed  was  sent  to  the  Board  of 
Regents.     In  this  document  the  petitioners  say  : 

"  Your  petitioners  have  at  great  expense  pro- 
cured a  suitable  site,  consisting  of  two  acres  of 
land,  near  the  center  of  said  town,  and  erected  a 
large  and  commodious  building,  forty  by  fifty  feet  on 
the  ground,  two  stories  high  and  completely  finished 
and  painted  inside  and  out,  and  paid  for. 

"  Your  petitioners  have  also  procured  a  fund  of 
S  1,450,  to  be  subscribed  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
ducing a  net  annual  income  for  the  support  of  the 
said  institution,  and  that  the  same  is  well  secured 
to  Samuel  S.  Baldwin,  Henry  Seymour  and  Manoah 
Pratt,  as  trustees,  for  the  sole  use  of  said  academy, 
at  an  annual  interest  of  seven  per  cent.     * 

"  Wherefore,  your  petitioners  request  that   the 


said  academy  may  be  incorporated  and  be  subject 
to  the  visitation  of  the  Regents  of  the  University 
of  the  State  of  New  York  ;  and  they  nominate  for 
the  first  trustees  of  the  said  academy,  the  following 
persons,  to  wit :  Henry  Seymour,  Senior  Trustee, 
and  Samuel  S.  B^dwin,  Daniel  Wood,  Manoah 
Pratt.  Ithamar  Coe,  Asa  Wells,  Hezckiah  Clark,  John 
Jerome,  Silas  Park,  Jacobus  DePuv,  Daniel  Allen, 
Chauncey  Jerome,  Daniel  Tibbals.  Joshua  Johnson, 
Dirck  C.  Lansing,  Benj.  Sanford,  Charles  C.  Mosley, 
Wm.  J.  Wilcox,  Jonathan  Stanley,  Jr,  Levi  Parsons, 
William  Cook,  Victory  Birdseye,  Jasper  Hopper, 
James  Geddes  ;  which  persons  we  pray  may  be  in- 
corporated by  the  name,  style  and  description  of 
'  Pompey  Academy,'  with  a  condition  in  the  act  of 
incorporation  that  the  said  principal  sum  of  the 
said  fund  shall  never  be  diminished  or  appropdated, 
and  that  the  income  of  the  said  principal  fund  shall 
be  applied  only  to  the  maintenance  or  salaries  of 
the  professors  or  tutors  of  the  said  Academy.  " 

This  petition  was  signed  and  sealed  by  sixty- 
three  prominent  citizens  of  the  County  ;  it  was 
drawn  up  by  the  late  Victory  Birdseye,  and  sworn 
to  by  Henry  Seymour,  before  Daniel  Wood,  Justice 
of  the  Peace. 

On  the  nth  of  March,  1811,  by  vote  of  the 
Regents,  the  Academy  was  incorporated  by  the 
name  of  "The  Trustees  of  Pompey  Academy." 
The  persons  named  in  the  Petition  were  made 
Trustees  by  the  Charter.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
Trustees,  held  April  4,  181 1,  Henry  Seymour  was 
elected  President,  Victory  Birdseye,  Secretary,  and 
Daniel  Wood,  Treasurer. 

November  3,  181 2,  the  following  officers  were 
chosen  :  Asa  Wells,  President  ;  Victory  Birdseye, 
Secretary  ;  Daniel  Wood,  Treasurer  ;  Asa  Wells, 
S.  S.  Baldwin  and  D.  Wood,  Prudential  Committee. 

October  6,  181 3,  the  following  oflScers  were 
elected  :  Rev.  J.  Leonard,  President ;  V.  Birdseye, 
Secretary  :  H.  Seymour,  Treasurer  ;  D.  Wood,  C. 
Jerome  and  D.  Tibbals,  Prudential  Committee. 

Henry  Seymour  remained  Treasurer  till  January 
10,  1 82 1,  when  his  duties  as  Canal  Commissioner, 
to  which  he  had  been  appointed  March  24,  18 19, 
compelled  him  to  resign.  He  soon  after  removed 
to  Utica,  but  he  continued  to  be  a  Trustee  of  the 
Academy  till  October  30,  1833,  and  upon  the  ac- 
ceptance of  his  resignation,  Mr.  Samuel  Baker  was 
chosen  in  his  place.  Luther  Marsh  was  chosen 
Treasurer  in  1821,  continuing  till  May  15,  1827, 
when  Mr.  V.  Birdseye  was  elected  to  the  office, 
which  he  held  till  his  death,  September  16.  1853. 
Levi  Wells  was  then  elected  to  the  office,  and  held 
it  till  his  death,  March  31,  1872,  when  Dr.  O.  G. 
Dibble  was  chosen  to  succeed  him. 

The  Academy  building,  as  first  erected  was  40 
by   50  feet,  two  stories,  painted  yellow,   with  its 


ABRAHAM  //Of?THRUP. 


f^OTOS   Bt  W,  V  RikitOCm.SvRActJSi 


^/7S. Abraham  Northrup. 

/ffACUSt  ' 


( ta  TavetteJ 


HoMEf?  Cases  Monument,  PoMPEYCEMtTEpy 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


399 


gable  fronting  to  the  south,  and  had  a  hall  ten  feet 
wide  running  through  the  middle  of  the  first  floor. 
In  1834  the  old  building  was  vacated  and  the  new 
one  commenced,  which  was  finished  and  opened  in 
the  fall  of  1835,  the  school,  meantime,  being  taught 
in  the  district  school  house.  The  Preceptor's  house 
was  completed  in  May,  1836.* 

Early  Schools  and  Teachers. 
The  first  school  kept  in  Pompey  was  in  a  log 
house  near  the  present  residence  of  Mr.  Daniel 
Kellogg.  It  was  taught  by  Miss  Lucy  Jerome, 
afterwards  wife  of  Judge  James  Geddes.  The  first 
house  erected  for  school  purposes  was  a  frame 
building  located  in  the  forks  of  the  road  on  the 
village  green  in  1798.  In  the  rear  of  this  was  the 
first  burying  ground.  The  house  was  afterwards 
moved  north  to  near  the  present  site  of  Mr.  Gott's 
office,  and  was  occupied  till  the  Academy  building 
was  erected.  (See  History  of  the  Pompey  Academy.) 
Among  the  early  common  school  teachers  were 
Miss  Hepsabah  Beebe,  Mr.  Lyman  Pitcher  and  Mr. 
James  Robinson.  The  latter  first  taught  English 
Grammar  to  a  few  of  his  most  advanced  pupils. 
The  interest  of  education  has  always  been  felt  to 
be  an  important  one  by  the  people  of  Pompey. 
School  No.  3,  Pompey,  was  taught  by  Levi  Jerome 
from  December  4,  1799,  to  March  4,  1800;  and 
among  his  pupils  were  many  prominent  heads  of 
the  early  families  of  the  town. 

Churches. 

The  First  Congregational  Church  of  Pompey 
was  organized  October  19th,  1796,  by  Rev.  Ammi 
R.  Robins,  pastor  of  the  church  at  Norfolk,  Con- 
necticut. The  church  was  originally  composed  of 
twenty-two  members,  as  follows  : 

Ebenezer  Butler,  Daniel  McKeyes,  Moses  Lilly, 
James  Olcott,  Benjamin  Butler,  Joseph  Shattuck, 
Ichabod  Lathrop,  John  Jerome,  Selah  Cook,  True- 
worthy  Cook,  Levi  Jerome,  Desire  Butler,  Dorathy 
Butler,  Molly  Jerome,  Lucy  Cook,  Truelove  Cook, 
Amarilla  Jerome,  Lucy  Jerome,  Susanna  Carrol, 
Hannah  Griftes,  Zeruiah  Catlin,  Louisa  Butler. 

In  1797  there  is  no  record  of  the  officiating 
minister.  In  July,  1798,  we  have  the  name  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Hallier,  and  in  October,  the  name  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Williston.  July  19,  1799,  Rev.  Joseph 
Gilbert  was  chosen  moderator.  August  14,  x8oi, 
we  have  the  first  record  of  the  labors  of  Rev.  Hugh 
Wallis.  October  15,  1802,  he  received  a  unani- 
mous call  and  was  installed  January  5,  1803.  The 
first  association  of  ministers  and  churches  on  the 

*  For  list  of  Principals  and  Teachers  in  tlie  Academy,  see  Pompey 
Reunion,  pp.  i5i-'53.  - 


Military  Tract,  was  organized  June,   1803.     Rev. 
Mr.  Wallis  resigned  January  10,  1809. 

In  October,  18 10,  the  Presbytery  of  Onondaga 
was  formed  whereby  this  church  became  a  member 
of  Presbytery  on  the  plan  of  Union.  The  first  notice 
of  any  Thanksgiving  service  occurs  as  early  as 
November,  1805.  The  following  April  there  was 
the  observance  of  the  fast  day  so  long  customary 
with  the  churches  of  New  England. 

October  19,  1812,  Rev.  Jabez  Chadwick  entered 
upon  the  duties  of  pastor.  The  year  18 13  was 
signalized  as  the  most  prosperous  year  of  his 
ministry  and  in  some  respects  the  most  prosperous 
year  in  the  whole  history  of  the  church. 

December  3,  1814,  the  church  met  to  consider 
the  question  whether  the  labor  of  collecting  hay 
and  grain  on  the  Sabbath  in  a  catching  season  is  a 
profanation  of  the  day.  The  question  being  dis- 
cussed at  very  considerable  length  was  unanimously 
decided  in  the  affirmative. 

The  church  building  was  erected  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1 8 17,  but  was  not  finished  and  dedicated 
until  January  20,  1819,  at  which  time  Rev.  Jabez 
Chadwick  was  installed  pastor  of  this  church.  For 
about  ten  years  previous  to  the  erection  of  this 
church  the  public  services  were  held  in  the  old  Pom- 
pey Academy. 

March  31,  1822,  the  church  extended  a  call  to 
Mr.  E.  S.  Barrows  to  become  their  pastor  and  he 
was  ordained  and  installed  September  loth,  of  the 
same  year.  Mr.  Barrows  was  an  able  and  success- 
ful pastor  and  accomplished  a  most  blessed  work 
during  his  ministry.  He  was  dismissed  October  6, 
1828. 

March  22,  1829,  Rev.  B.  B.  Stockton  became 
pastor.  During  his  ministry  fifty-eight  persons 
were  added  to  the  church,  forty-six  in   1831. 

Rev.  James  B.  Shaw,  now  Dr.  Shaw,  of  Roch- 
ester, became  pastor  November  6,  1832  ;  for  two 
years  he  served  the  church  with  great  acceptance 
and  ability.  There  were  received  during  his  short 
but  most  popular  ministry  sixty-eight  persons,  fifty 
during  the  memorable  year  of  1833. 

Rev.  Ethan  Smith  commenced  his  labors  some 
time  during  the  latter  part  of  1834,  but  must  have 
remained  less  than  one  year,  for  September  23, 
1835,  Rev.  John  Gridley  commenced  his  ministry, 
and  was  installed  October  25,  1836.  Rev.  Asa 
Rand  commenced  his  ministry  December  29,  1837, 
and  remained  about  four  years.  During  his  minis- 
try thirty-nine  were  received. 

Rev.  Mr.  Wheelock  succeeded  Mr.  Rand  in  the 
spring  of  1842,  and  remained  at  least  two  years. 
February  26,  184S,  Rev.  Clinton  Clark  was  ordained 


400 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


and  installed  pastor,  and  sen-ed  the  church  till 
December  26,  1847. 

November  5.  1848.  Rev.  S.  P.  M.  Hastings  as- 
sumed pastoral  charge.  During  the  si.\  years  and 
ten  months  of  his  ministry  there  were  added  to  the 
church  ninety-eight  members.  He  was  at  his  own 
request  dismissed  November  26,  1855.  Among 
those  who  united  with  the  church  during  his  labors 
and  have  since  entered  the  ministry  were  Rev. 
Hiram  C.  Hayden.  D.  D  ,  pastor  of  the  First  Pres- 
byterian Church,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  Rev.  Delos 
E.  Wells,  of  Aurora,  111.,  one  of  the  promising  and 
rising  men  of  the  West,  and  Rev.  Carlos  Swift,  an 
honored  minister  in  the  Haptist  church.  This  use- 
ful pastor  has  lately  entered  into  rest.  Rev.  E.  P. 
Smith  succeeded  Mr.  Hastings,  but  only  remained 
si.x  months.  He  left  the  reputation  ot  a  godly  and 
earnest  minister.  He  was  for  several  years  Com- 
missioner among  the  Indians  and  afterwards  elected 
President  of  Howard  University,  which  position  he 
held  at  the  time  of  his  recent  death. 

July  6,  1856,  Rev.  A.  A.  Graley  became  pastor  ; 
his  ministry  continued  si.x  years,  and  there  were 
added  "to  the  church  twenty-three  members. 

November  i,  1862,  Rev.  J.  H.  Moran  commenced 
his  labors  for  the  term  of  one  year,  and  was  fol- 
lowed February  21,  1864,  by  Rev.  Nathan  Bos- 
worth.  There  were  added  to  the  church  during  the 
two  years  and  two  months  of  his  ministry,  fifty- 
three.  Mr.  Bosworth  will  long  be  held  in  grateful 
remembrance  for  devotion  to  his  work.  He  closed 
his  labors  April  22.  1866. 

October  i,  1866,  Rev.  R.  S.  Eggleston  com- 
menced his  ministerial  work.  He  was  uniformly 
acceptable  to  the  congregation  and  closed  his  labors 
October  i,  1868. 

April  9,  1870,  Rev.  Alvin  Cooper  commencedhis 
labors  and  continued  until  August  i,  1871. 

February  15,  1872,  Rev.  J.  Petrie,  present  pastor 
commenced  his  labors. 

It  will  be  of  interest  to  know  that  the  whole 
number  of  members  of  this  church  from  the  be- 
ginning is  1/39.  The  deacons  of  the  church  who 
served  the  longest  and  will  be  held  in  most  grate- 
ful remembrance  arc  Levi  Jerome,  Israel  Woodford 
Elijah  Wells  and  Samuel  Baker,  now  called  to  their 
reward,  and  A.  H.  Wells,  who  is  still  among  the 
living.  Deacon  Jerome  was  the  early  clerk  of  the 
church,  and  the  history  of  its  organization  and  its 
records  for  a  number  of  years  are  in  his  handwrit- 
ing. He  was  evidently  an  active  member  of  the 
church  and  was  frequently  its  delegate  to  Presby- 
tery and  Association.  He  united  with  this  church 
at  its  organization,  and  departed  this  life  June  i  ith, 


1838,  and  was  seventy-seven  years  old  on  the  day 
of  his  death.  He  was  a  deacon  of  this  church 
nearly  thirty-nine  years,  though  in  the  closing 
years  of  his  life  not  in  active  service. 

Daniel  Dunham,  the  colleague  of  Levi  Jerome, 
united  with  this  church  July  12th,  1 799,  by  letter, 
from  the  second  church  in  Lebanon,  Conn.  As  he 
is  called  deacon  in  the  record  of  his  admission,  it  is 
fair  to  presume  that  he  held  the  office  previous  to 
his  removal  here.  He  was  elected  deacon  of  this 
church  December  27th,  1799,  and  probably  dis- 
missed sometime  between  1809  and  1812,  as  his 
name  does  not  appear  on  the  records  subsequent  to 
this  date. 

Ithamer  Coe  united  with  this  church  by  letter 
April  1st,  1803,  from  what  was  then  called  the 
church  in  Clinton  settlement,  now  the  beautiful 
Village  of  Clinton.  He  was  dismissed  by  letter  to 
the  church  in  Volney,  March  9,  1816.  Ezra  Hart 
was  received  as  a  member  of  this  church  December 
29th,  1799.  His  first  notice  as  deacon  of  this 
church  occurs  January  13th,  1813.  He  was  dis- 
missed by  letter  December  31st,  i8i8. 

Israel  Woodford  united  with  this  church  by 
letter  from  the  church  in  Farrington,  Conn.,  Sep- 
tember, 18 12  ;  he  was  chosen  deacon  of  this  church 
April  4th,  1818,  and  died  January  ist,  1S52,  eighty- 
three  years  of  age.  Elijah  Wells  united  with  this 
church  on  profession  of  his  faith,  February  2d, 
1 8 14;  was  elected  deacon  April  4th,  181S;  the 
colleague  of  Israel  Woodford,  and  died  1830,  at 
filty-five  years  of  age. 

Pliny  Porter,  united  with  this  church  April  16th, 
1817,  on  profession  of  his  faith  ;  was  elected  deacon 
July  i6th,  1831,  and  died  November  ist,  1840,  at 
fifty-three  years  of  age.  Abraham  Northrup 
united  with  this  church  on  profession  of  his  faith 
January  ist,  1813  ;  was  elected  deacon  December 
22d,  1S34,  and  died  November  7th,  1846,  at  seventy- 
two  years  of  age. 

Asa  H.  Wells  united  with  this  church  November 
30th,  1826;  was  elected  deacon  Dec.  22d,  1834, 
at  the  same  time  with  Abraham  Northrup,  and  was 
acting  deacon  forty  years.  Samuel  Baker  united 
with  this  church  November  22d,  1826  ;  was  elected 
deacon  April  26th,  1840,  and  died  August  8th, 
1874.  The  present  deacons  of  the  church,  George 
Wells  and  I.  L.  Woodford,  were  elected  soon  after 
Deacon  Baker's  death. 

Mrs.  Dcbby  Judd,  united  with  the  church  March 
1 8th,  i802.  She  died  not  long  since  at  the  Sand- 
wich Islands.  Rev.  Artemas  Bishop,  who  was  born 
in  Pompey,  and,  was  to  some  extent  assisted  in  his 
education  for  the  ministry  by  this  church,  was  an 


■,*««»■■ 


\  ^^'i 


^  -  T 


FHOTOS    BY  M.BJsUAU.  SyRACUSK  ■ 


El  UAH  y^ESTON. 


MhsMaranda  Weston, 


Residence  or  JUSTIN    r.  GATES,  Pompev.  Onondaga  County,  N  .  Y. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


401 


honored   missionary  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and 
died  only  a  few  years  since  at  a  ripe  old  age. 

The  Bible  presented  by  Mrs.  Henry  Seymour, 
mother  of  ex-Governor  Horatio  Seymour,  at  the 
dedication  of  the  church,  is  still  in  a  good  state  of 
preservation.  At  a  late  visit  of  Governor  Seymour 
to  his  friends  at  Pompey,  it  was  suggested  that 
this  precious  Bible  should  be  presented  to  him  as  a 
family  relic,  and  the  clerk  of  the  church  was  in- 
structed to  write  accordingly.  Mr.  Seymour  wrote 
a  beautiful  and  characteristic  reply  thanking  the 
church  for  their  kind  offer,  but  said  that  he  had 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  cherished  Bible 
should  remain  in  the  possession  of  the  church  and 
continue  its  mission  of  blessing,  to  be  read  by  the 
successive  pastors  of  the  future  as  it  had  been 
read  by  the  preceding  pastors  of  the  past. 

The  bell  presented  by  Hon.  Henry  Seymour  to 
the  church  and  society  for  their  first  house  of  wor- 
ship has  not  been  so  fortunate  as  to  endure  to  the 
present,  but  was  broken  quite  a  number  of  years 
since,  and  has  been  twice  replaced. 

The  present  membership  of  the  church  is  130  ; 
attendance  at  the  Sunday  school  about  100. 

Church  of  Disciples   of   Christ,  Pompey. — 
This   church  originated  in  a  separation   from    the 
Baptist  Church  of  Pompey  under  the  ministry  of 
Rev.  J.  I.  Lowell,  in  the  year  1834.     Mr.  Lowell, 
at  the  time  of  his  settlement  as  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  was  known  to  hold   views  differing  some- 
what from  that  body,  particularly  with  reference  to 
certain  beliefs  and  usages  of  the  Baptists  which  he 
held  to  be  unscriptural  and  sanctioned  only  by  human 
authority.     Believing  in  the  all-sufficient  authority 
and  guidance  of  the  Bible  in  all  matters  pertaining 
to  religion,  Mr.  Lowell  earnestly  sought  to  conform 
his  teachings  to  that  standard,  irrespective  of*  the 
cry  of  "  heresy  "  that  might  be  raised  against  him. 
He  was,  however,  very  soon  pronounced  a  "  Camp- 
bellite,"  as  similar  views  about  that  time  began  to 
be  promulgated  by  the  late  distinguished  theologian, 
Alexander  Campbell,  of  Virginia.     The  adherents 
to  this  so-called  "  new  doctrine  "   at  Pompey  were 
among    the    most    intelligent   and   estimable    men 
and  women  of  the  Baptist  Church  ;  nevertheless, 
for  the  sole  cause  of  their  honestly  holding  views 
differing  from  the  rest  of  the  church,  quite  a  number, 
in  May,  1834,  were  excluded  from  fellowship.  These, 
together  with  several  converted  under  Mr.  Lowell's 
ministry,  naturally  desiring  religious  affiliation  and  , 
communion,  were   drawn    together   in    a   separate 
body,  and  on  the  3d  of  May,  1834,  as  the  records 

show,   "  The    First  Congregation   of    Disciples  of 

70* 


Christ,  of   Pompey,"   was  organized    with  twenty- 
eight  members,  as  follows : 

Calvin  Peck,  Asa  Wells,  Thomas  M.  King,  Alson 
Nearing,  Charles  Little,  Malcom  Bennett,  A.  H 
Squires,  Uriel  Wilson,  Jr.,  Samuel  Talbot,  Harry 
Knapp,  Willard  Hayden,  Darius  Wilson,  Jacob 
Bush,  Alvin  Talbot,  J.  I.  Lowell,  Mary  P.  Lowell, 
Eliza  Nearing,  Polly  Wilson,  Mary  A.  Bush,  Tem- 
perance Wilson,  Paulina  Talbot,  Mindwell  Thomas, 
Harriet  Pratt,  Catherine  Bennett,  Betsey  Wright, 
Rhoda  Parsons,  Polly  Thomas,  Mary  Knapp. 

The  church  prospered.  By  the  end  of  the  year 
1835  the  membership  had  reached  ninety-three. 

In  1837  the  society  built  the  house  in  which  they 
worshiped  till  1868,  when  a  new  church  was  built, 
the  old  one  having  been  sold  for  the  use  of  the 
district  school,  in  place  of  the  school  house  which 
was  burned  down  on  the  night  of  February  11,  1868. 

The  first  pastor  of  the  church  was  J.  I.  Lowell ; 
the  first  Elders,  Calvin  Peck,  Asa  Wells  and  Thos. 
M.  King  ;  Deacons,  Alson  Nearing  and  Charles 
Little  ;  Treasurer,  Malcom  Bennett ;  Clerk,  A.  H. 
Squires. 

The  following  ministers  have  served  the  church 
as  pastors : 

J.  M.  Bartlett,  M.  H.  Clapp,  M.  H.  Slosson,  H. 
M.  Selmser,  J.  M.  Shepard,  Andrew  J.  Smith,  W. 
T.  Horner,  L.  Southmayd.  J.  B.  Marshall,  J.  C. 
Goodrich,  A.  S.  Hale,  William  Grimes,  and  W.  H. 
Woolery,  the  present  pastor. 

WATERVALE. 

WATERVALE.a  village  situated  on  the  west  branch 
of  Limestone  Creek,  about  four  miles  northeast  of 
Pompey  Hill,  was  settled  by  Col.  James  Carr  about 
the  year  1809.  Mr.  Carr  built  the  first  saw-mill 
erected  on  the  stream  in  this  vicinity.  He  was 
soon  followed,  about  the  same  year,  or  in  1810,  by 
Willoughby  Millard,  who,  almost  simultaneously 
with  Mr.  Carr,  erected  the  second  saw-mill.  The 
place  was  first  called  Carr  Hollow,  then  Hemlock 
Hollow,  also  Slab  Hollow,  on  account  of  the  great 
quantities  of  slabs  made  by  the  mills. 

Ansil  Judd  settled  in  the  Hollow  in  1812,  and 
built  the  first  wool-carding  and  cloth-dressing  estab- 
lishment in  town.  The  postoffice  was  established 
here  in  1820,  Ansil  Judd,  Postmaster.  Selecting 
the  new  name  for  the  place,  Mr.  Judd  announced  it 
poetically  as  follows  : 

"  The  hemlocks  are  gone, 
The  slabs  are  set  sail, 
And  we'll  call  it  Slab  Hollow 
No  more,  but  Watervale." 

Mr.  George  Ostrander,  who  settled  in  the  place 
about  181 5,  built  a  distillery  of  considerable  dimen- 
sions  for    that   early    day.     He    used    about   ten 


402 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


bushels  of  grain  per  day.  For  a  considerable  time 
Benjamin  Wheeler  carried  on  the  business  of  tan- 
ning and  shoemaking.  The  first  store  was  opened 
by  Ira  Curtis,  who  also,  for  many  years  kept  the  first 
hotel.  William  C.  Fargo,  O.  Abbott,  Benjamin 
Patten  and  V.  R.  Taylor,  were  among  the  first 
settlers. 

Anson  Sprague,  in  1818,  settled  on  the  farm  on 
which,  in  1820,  was  found  by  Philo  Cleveland  the 
celebrated  Monumental  Stone.  iSee  Antiquities 
of  the  County.) 

DELPHI. 

This  place,  formerly  called  "  Pompey  Four  Cor- 
ners," was  changed  to  "  Delphi "  by  some  of  the 
early  settlers  familiar  with  the  classic  scenes  of 
Italy.  It  is  situated  in  the  beautiful  valley  of  the 
Limestone  Creek,  about  six  miles  east-bysouth  of 
Pompey  Hill. 

The  Pompey  "  Reunion  "  gives  the  name  of  El- 
nathan  Griffith,  a  gentleman  ninety  years  of  age, 
residing  at  Delphi,  formerly  a  resident  of  the  town  of 
F"abius,  as  authority  on  the  early  settlement.  Sam- 
uel Sherwood,  probably  the  first  settler  in  this  local- 
ity, settled  on  Lot  No.  84,  about  one  mile  north- 
west of  the  present  village,  in  1795.  He  came  from 
Saratoga  county,  and  was  a  Major-General  of  militia. 
Rufus  Sheldon,  father  of  a  very  talented  family, 
among  whom  is  Harvey  Sheldon,  Esq.,  of  New  York, 
settled  near  Gen.  Sherwood's  in  the  year  1800; 
Elijah  Hill,  1798  or  1799;  Col.  Ensign  Hill,  1800; 
James  McClure,  1802  ;  Samuel  Draper,  1803  ; 
Ozias  Burr  and  William  Cook,  1802.  The  former 
was  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Judge  of  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas. 

Capt.  Theophilus  Tracy,  who  settled  a  half  mile 
south-east  of  the  village,  erected  the  first  grist  mill 
on  Limestone  Creek,  or  rather  put  up  the  frame, 
about  1S03.  He  sold  to  Moses  Savage,  who  em- 
ployed Elnathan  GrifTith,  who  was  a  mill-wright,  to 
complete  the  mill.  The  two  run  of  French  Burr 
stones,  which  cost  $100,  and  were  brought  from  Al- 
bany by  teams  sent  thither  with  loads  of  wheat,  are 
still  running  in  the  mill.  In  1825  or  '30  Deacon 
Moses  Savage  built  the  grist  mill  now  owned  by 
Edgar  Pratt. 

The  first  tavern  in  the  place  was  kept  by  Dr. 
Joseph  Ely,  also  a  practicing  physician,  on  the  site 
of  the  present  hotel.  His  frame  house  was  erected 
in  1806.  In  this  year  there  was  a  frame  barn  and 
several  log  houses  in  the  vicinity.  Elisha  Litch- 
field, settled  here  in  18 12.  He  was  a  prominent 
citizen — Major  of  a  regiment.  Member  of  Assembly, 
Speaker  of  the  House  and   Member  of  Congress. 


Reuben  Benton  was  an  early  settler  and  Justice  of 
the  Peace. 

In  1805,  Hubbard  &  Willard  opened  the  first 
general  assortment  of  goods.  His  successor  was 
Esli  Squires,  who  built  a  new  store  in  1810.  Her- 
rick  Allen  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  mer- 
chant in  the  place.  At  an  early  time,  Schuyler 
Van  Rensselaer  was  also  a  merchant  here,  and  sold 
out  to  Matthew  B.  Slocum,  father  of  Major-Gencral 
Henry  W.  Slocum,  U.  S.  A. 

The  following  physicians  have  practiced  their 
profession  at  Delphi :  Dr.  F"resy,  Dr.  Shipman, 
brother  of  A.  B.  Shipman,  recently  of  Syracuse ; 
Dr.  John  L.  King,  Dr.  Pettil,  brother  of  Judge 
Pettit  of  Fabius:  Dr.  Hiram  Adams  ;  Dr.  Goodell, 
and  Drs.  Marsh,  Wiggins,  Cook,  Baker,  Todd  and 
Porter. 

The  Edge  Tool  Factory,  now  owned  by  John 
Salisbury,  one  mile  south-east  of  the  village,  was 
built  by  Clark  Rogers  in  1823.  It  was  afterwards 
owned  and  conducted  by  Holmes  &  Sampson, 
whose  work  attained  a  wide  reputation  for  e.xcel- 
lence,  the  tools  being  known  as  the  best  make  in 
the  country. 

The  village  of  Delphi  is  still  thrifty.  There  are 
two  churches,  an  excellent  school,  in  which  many 
celebrities  have  taught,  among  them  Jesse  T.  Pock, 
one  of  the  Bishops  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  Dr.  Amos 
Westcott,  recently  of  Syracuse,  and  Hon.  D.  G. 
Fort,  of  Oswego  ;  several  stores,  (among  them  a 
drug  store,)  a  good  hotel  and  several  shops.  The 
beauty  of  the  residences  and  tasteful  grounds,  render 
the  village  one  of  the  most  pleasant  and  desirable 
in  the  country. 

Delphi  has  one  cheese  factory  or  creamery.  It 
has  been  run  as  a  cheese  factory  about  eight  years, 
but  is  now  a  creamery,  owned  and  managed  by  M. 
S.  Allen.  The  building  was  erected  in  1872  at  a 
cost  of  $3,800.  Capacity  15,000  pounds  milk  daily. 
Capital,  $4,500  ;  employs  five  hands,  and  is  worked 
by  steam  power. 

ORAN. 

This  portion  of  Pompey  was  first  settled  by  Mr. 
Asa  Barnes,  from  Stockbridgc,  Mass.,  who  pur- 
chased the  farm  on  which  his  son,  Elias  Barnes, 
still  resides,  in  1793.  Elias  Barnes  was  born  on 
this  farm  in  1796,  and  still  lives  upon  it,  a  remark- 
ably well-preserved  old  gentleman,  and  having  a 
clear  and  distinct  recollection  of  the  early  events  of 
.this  vicinity.  Two  brothers  of  Asa  Barnes,  Phineas 
and  Roswell,  came  here  at  the  same  time,  and  in 
1794  they  brought  their  families,  iw  Albany  and 
Utica,  arriving  at  their  new  home  March  5th,  of 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


403 


that  year.  They  settled  upon  Lot  No.  1 1  of  the 
original  township  survey.  Job  Bartholomew,  an 
ancestor  of  the  late  Rev,  J.  G.  Bartholomew,  D.  D., 
settled  upon  the  west  part  of  the  same  lot  in  1793. 
About  the  same  time  Daniel  Thomas  and  Captain 
Peck  settled  on  Lot  No.  22,  and  Thomas  Foster  and 
James  Scoville,  father  of  Joseph  Scoville,  settled  on 
Lot  No.  1 1,  near  the  present  village  of  Oran. 

Joseph  Scoville,  in  1875,  owned  the  original  farm 
upon  which  his  father  settled,  and  probably  owns  it 
still  (1878),  although  his  residence  is  on  Lot  No. 
10.  James  Milder,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and 
grandfather  of  Columbus  C.  Milder,  of  Pompey, 
and  of  Philip  P.  Milder,  of  DeWitt,  came  with  his 
brothers,  Christopher  and  Philip,  about  the  year 
1800,  and  occupied  his  soldier's  claim. 

George  Clark  was  the  teacher  and  the  merchant 
at  Oran.  He  settled  on  the  farm  where  Morgan 
Lewis  now  lives.  Charles  Thomas  settled  on  the 
Sanford  Lewis  place.  Deacon  Hart,  Captain  Pun- 
dason  Avery  and  William  Barnes,  settled  near  the 
present  residence  of  Silas  B.  Safford.  Shubel 
Saftbrd,  father  of  Silas  B.,  settled  on  Lot  No.  10. 
Francis  Hale,  in  1802,  purchased  of  Judge  Butler  a 
farm  on  Lot  12,  on  which  he  settled.  Selah  Good- 
rich settled  the  land  where  Mr.  Bowen  now  lives. 

The  first  hotel  in  Oran  was  built  by  Job  Barthol- 
omew in  1796,  and  kept  by  him  till  1808.  In  1809, 
another  hotel  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  present 
hotel,  and  was  kept  by  William  Scoville.  The  first 
school  house  was  erected  about  1800,  George  Clark, 
teacher.  "  The  Pleasant  Valley  Congregational 
Church"  was  erected  in  1808.  The  first  physician 
was  Dr.  Daniel  D.  Denison,  who  came  about  the 
year  1810,  and  remained  till  his  death,  some  twenty 
years  ago.  He  was  the  father  of  H.  D.  Deni- 
son and  William  Denison,  of  Syracuse,  and  D. 
D.  Denison,  of  Oran. 

Formerly  Oran  was  a  more  thriving  village  than 
at  present.  In  18 10  there  were  two  stores,  two 
hotels,  two  blacksmith  shops,  a  wagon  shop,  two 
tanneries,  a  grist  mill,  a  distillery,  an  ashery,  and  a 
population  greater  than  now. 


BiOG[i_APHic>L  Sketches. 


DR.   HEZEKIAH  CLARKE. 

,  Dr.  Hezekiah  Clarke,  late  of  the  town  of  Pompey, 
was  born  December  19th,  1757,  in  Lebanon,  Conn., 
and  was  the  son  of  Dr.  John  Clarke,  of  the  same 
place  ;  grandson  of  Moses  Clarke  ;  great  grandson 
"     Oaniel  Clarke,  Jr.,  of  Hartford,  Conn.;   great- 


great-grandson  of  Daniel  Clarke,  who  immigrated  to 
America  in    1640,  and   settled  at  Hartford,  Conn. 

His  maternal  grandmother  was  Elizabeth  Ed- 
wards, daughter  of  Rev.  Timothy  Edwards,  and 
sister  of  President  Jonathan  Edwards. 

He  qualified  himself,  under  the  tuition  of  his 
father,  in  the  profession  of  medicine- and  surgery, 
which  he  had  chosen  for  the  business  of  life,  and 
received  his  diploma  before  he  was  out  of  his  mi- 
nority. He  received  the  appointment  of  Surgeon's 
Mate  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  under  Dr. 
John  R.  Watrous,  Surgeon  of  the  Third  Connecti- 
cut Regiment,  in  the  army  of  the  Revolution,  com- 
manded by  Col.  Samuel  Wyllis,  General  Parsons' 
Brigade,  subsequently,  on  the  reorganization  of  the 
army,  denominated  the  First  Connecticut  Regiment. 
The  appointment  was  the  more  flattering,  inasmuch 
as  his  warrant  was  presented  to  him  by  Governor 
Trumbull  in  person,  unexpected  by  him  and  un- 
solicited by  any  one. 

He  was  stationed  with  his  regiment  on  the  Hud- 
son River,  and  while  there,  was  detailed  with  a 
body  of  soldiers,  on  an  expedition  to  Long  Island  ; 
but  on  his  return  to  his  regiment,  he  was  obliged 
to  encamp  on  the  wet  ground,  with  only  his  blanket 
for  a  covering,  and  in  the  morning  found  himself 
enveloped  in  snow  ;  the  result  of  which  was  a  violent 
fever  which  prostrated  him  for  many  weeks,  and 
brought  him  to  the  verge  of  the  grave.  When  able 
to  be  moved,  he  was  conveyed  to  his  father's  resi- 
dence, but  did  not  return  to  the  army,  by  reason  of 
his  protracted  illness.  He  was  in  active  service 
two  years. 

When  Fort  Griswold,  situated  on  Thames  River, 
opposite  New  London,  was  attacked  by  the  British, 
under  the  command  of  the  arch-traitor  Arnold, 
(Fort  Trumbull,  situated  below  the  town,  having 
fallen,)  the  alarm  was  spread  throughout  the  sur- 
rounding country  ;  and  in  obedience  to  the  call,  he 
repaired  to  the  scene  of  devastation,  pillage,  and 
murder,  to  render  his  professional  aid.  The  enemy 
having  destroyed  all  the  craft  on  the  river,  by 
which  aid  could  pass  over  to  the  scene  of  the 
massacre,  he  found,  on  his  arrival,  a  company  of 
men  with  stout  hearts,  who  were  unable  to  cross  ; 
but  after  searching  for  some  time,  he  found  a 
ricketty  skift",  utterly  unseaworthy.  Here  he  found 
himself  in  an  unpleasant  dilemma  ;  for  he  could 
not  cross  in  it  alone,  and  those  standing  there, 
refused  to  accompany  him,  concluding,  in  their  own 
mind,  that  if  it  could  not  carry  one,  tzuo  must  cer- 
tainly go  down  with  it.  After  much  eff"ort  he  pre- 
vailed upon  one  man  to  row  the  skiff,  while  he  him- 
self bailed  the  water  out  of  it  ;  and  thus  by  their 
united  efforts  they  arrived  safely  on  the  opposite 
side.  He  immediately  repaired  to  the  scene  of  woe, 
and  assiduously  devoted  himself  to  the  unfortunate 
victims,  by  dressing  their  wounds  and  rendering 
any  other  assistance  of  which  they  stood  in  need. 

As  a  testimony  of  grateful  remembrance  of  the 
services  rendered  on  that  memorable  night,  and 
subsequent  cheerless  days,  three  of  the  men  whose 
wounds  he  dressed  called  upon  him  thirty  years 
after  to  express  in  person  their  gratitude  for  his 


404 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


timely  and  kindly  aid.     Dr.  Clarke  was  then  a  resi- 
dent of  Pompey. 

One  of  the  men  received  a  gunshot  wound 
through  the  knee,  another  had  received  a  similar 
wound  through  the  elbow,  and  the  third  was 
wounded  in  the  forehead  by  a  blow  from  a  clubbed 
musket  in  the  Jiands  of  an  enemy,  the  cock  of  which 
penetrated  the  brain.  All  were  restored  without 
the  dismemberment  of  a  limb. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  the  war  he  settled  in  Pitts- 
field,  Mass.,  where  he  remained  about  one  year. 
He  then  married  Miss  Lucy  Bliss,  daughter  of 
Hon.  Moses  Bliss,  of  Springfield,  and  grand-daugh- 
ter of  Timothy  Edwards,  and  settled  in  Lanesbor- 
ough,  Berkshire  County,  in  the  same  State.  There 
he  devoted  himself  to  his  profession  for  about  eigh- 
teen years,  and  until  he  moved  with  his  family  to 
Pompey,  Onondaga  County,  where  he  arrived  Nov- 
ember 3,  1805.  He  remained  on  Pompey  Hill  one 
year  and  then  settled  on  a  farm  two  miles  south- 
east from  the  Hill,  and  there  continued  his  profes- 
sional labors. 

Few  physicians  have  had  as  extensive  a  practice  as 
he.  His  reputation  as  a  surgeon  did  not  consist  so 
much  in  the  number  of  limbs  amputated  as  in  pre- 
serving them.  And  frequently,  when  other  sur- 
geons had  given  the  patient  up  as  incurable,  without 
amputation  has  he  restored  the  limb  to  its  wonted 
soundness.  But  when  it  became  necessary  to  re- 
sort to  the  tourniquet  and  knife,  he  knew  how  to 
use  them.     He  was  a  skillful  operator. 

In  the  winter  of  l8i3-'i4,  an  epidemic,  in  com- 
mon parlance,  spotted  fever,  prevailed  to  an  alarm 
ing  e.xtent.  Dr.  C.  had  about  three  hundred 
patients,  who  were  prostrated  by  it,  of  whom  only 
three  died.  His  treatment  of  that  disease  was  his 
own,  and  not  another's.  Under  other  treatment 
many  cases  proved  fatal.  One  cause  of  his  success 
in  his  professional  labors  generally  was  in  some 
measure,  attributable  to  his  untiring  devotion  to 
those  under  his  care.  He  spared  not  himself.  One 
incident,  illustrative  of  that  will  here  be  related. 
During  the  prevalence  of  the  epidemic,  one  stormy 
winter  evening  such  as  is  sometimes  seen  on  Pom- 
pey Hill,  Deacon  Levi  Jerome,  the  father  of  Hon. 
Amasa  Jerome,  came  in  great  haste  for  Dr.  C,  as 
three  of  his  family  were  down  with  that  disease. 
Mr.  Jerome  was  informed  that  the  Doctor  himself 
was  sick,  and  had  been  on  the  bed  most  of  the  day, 
and  that  he  could  not  go.  He  stood  1  for  he  had  de- 
clined a  seat, )  with  tears  trickling  down  his  check, 
and  exclaimed,  "  Must  my  family  lie  there  and  die  ?" 
He  then  asked,  '  Cannot  a  bed  be  put  in  the  sleigh 
for  him,  and  he  be  covered  up  well,  and  taken  to  my 
house.'"  (which  was  five  miles  away.)  "  We  will 
take  good  care  of  him  while  there,  and  he  can  lie 
on  the  bed  and  tell  us  what  to  do."  Thus  he  went, 
and  so  he  returned.  Deacon  Jerome  lost  none  of 
his  family  by  that  disease. 

On  the  train  of  cars,  at  the  formal  opening  of  the 
Syracuse  and  Binghamton  Railroad  to  the  public,  a 
son  of  Dr.  Clark  was  providentially  seated  with  Dr. 
John  Miller,  of  Truxton,  N.  Y.,  then  quite  ad- 
vanced in  life,  and  who  bore  a  high  reputation  as  a 


physician,  and  once  represented  his  district  in  Con- 
gress. In  the  course  of  conversation  Dr.  Miller 
said  that  he  was  a  young  man  when  Dr.  Clark  was 
on  the  flood-tide  of  his  profession,  and  that  he  fre- 
quently called  him  in  counsel  in  critical  cases,  and 
spoke  of  him  in  high  commendation  as  a  physician 
and  surgeon  ;  and  stated  that  he  witnessed  one 
operation  of  his,  which  required  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  human  system,  and  great  skill  to  per- 
form it  successfully.  The  case  was  intussasccption, 
that  is  the  doubling  of  the  intestine  into  itself, 
which  cannot  be  reduced  to  its  normal  state  by  in- 
ternal appliances,  but  requires  the  skillful  hand  of 
the  surgeon.  Dr.  Miller  also  said  that  the  opera- 
tion was  most  skillfully  and  successfully  performed. 

Dr.  Clark  was  a  member  of  the  first  Board  of 
Trustees  of  Pompey  Academy. 

His  children  who  lived  to  adult  age,  were  Henry, 
Harriet,  Charlct,  Lucy,  John  Huntington,  William 
Metcalfe,  Moses  Bliss,  Theodore  Edwards. 


ELIJAH  WESTON. 

Elijah  Weston  was  born  in  the  State  of  Vermont, 
January  23,  1778.  being  the  son  of  Nathaniel  Wes- 
ton. He  removed  with  his  father  to  the  town  of 
Pompey,  Onondaga  County,  in  1795,  and  settled  on 
the  farm  now  owned  and  occupied  by  his  son-in- 
law,  Justin  F.  Gates.  He  was  married  November 
I,  1796,  to  Betsey  Cotton,  who  was  born  March  19, 
1777,  by  whom  he  had  nine  children.  She  passed 
away  September  18,  1816.  He  was  afterwards 
married  to  Miranda  Jobes,  who  was  born  December 
5,  1795,  in  the  town  of  Galway,  Saratoga  County, 
N.  Y.  ;  their  family  consisted  of  six  children.  He 
ended  a  busy  life  May  15,1867.  Jane,  the  fourth 
child  of  the  second  marriage,  was  born  in  Pompey, 
November  2,  182S,  and  was  married  to  Justin  F. 
Gates,  August  24,  1S47,  he  being  born  in  the  town 
of  Cuyler,  Cortland  County,  N.  Y  ,  March  16, 
1825,  and  removed  to  this  county  in  1844.  Their 
union  has  been  blessed  with  five  children,  all  of 
whom  are  still  living.  Politically  he  belongs  to  the 
Republican  party,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  He  is  one  of  the  most  liberal 
and  enterprising  citizens  of  the  town  of  Pompey. 


ABRAHAM  NORTHRUP. 

Abraham  Northrup  was  born  in  Tyringham, 
Mass.,  April  9,  1774.  His  wife  was  born  at  Bark- 
hamstcd,  Conn.,  February  14,  1779.  He  removed 
to  Onondaga  County  in  about  the  year  1800,  and 
settled  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Pompey  where  he 
resided  till  his  death,  November  7,  1846.  She 
survived  him  and  died  January  24,  i860. 

They  reared  seven  children,  three  of  whom  are 
now  living,  viz  :  Lorenzo,  Ashley  and  Mary  Ann. 
Mr.  Northrup  was  a  public  spirited  and  popular 
man  in  his  town.  Captain  Northrup,  as  he  was 
called,  was  a  Deacon  of  the  Congregational  Church 
for  several  years  ;  all  his  family  were  members  of 
the  church. 


Roster  of  Enlisted  Men 


OF 


PETTIT'S  BATTERY,  AND  THE  12TH,  i22ND,  149TH  AND  i85TH 
REGIMENTS  N.  Y.  S.  VOLUNTEERS. 


l^t  f\egmieiit,  I^igllt  SrtiUei'y,  >f.  Y.  0.  Vol^. 

BATTERY  B. 

George  W.  Abbott,    died   in  Hospital;    Jerome  "W    Ayerill,  died  at 
Fort  Monroe,  Va  ,  May  5.  W02;  William  Acker,  John  Archer  Benjamin 
Ambrose,  John  Barclay,  James  H.  Brown.  Ezra  H.  Brown     pischarged 
January  W   1SB3  ;  John  Brown.  George  F.  Barlow,     Wounded  at  Savage 
Station.    Va.,  and  taken    prisoner.     Discharged    Nov    •■.0.    Ibby.    John 
Barry,  killed  at  Gettysburg;  CharlesP.  Borden,  wounded  atFairOaks, 
Va-  DriaP    Blain.   transferred  to   Invalid  Corps:  John   Bailey,   dis- 
chareed  Dec    S'J,  1S63  ;  Thomas  Brosnau;  Johu  Buckley,   wounded  at 
Gpttvsburg-  Timothy  Burns.  William   Broderick,  Walter  Bogan  ;  John 
TCouover 'discharged  October  ST,  ISM;  Lewis  Clark,  died  in  Hospital; 
Philander  H.   Calkins,  Chester  Cooper,  Francis  D.  Chapman;  Charles 
W  Christian  promoted  Corporal  March  1,  ISliS,  wounded  at  thancellors- 
viile     John    Converse,   died   at  Washington,   Oct.  31.   IWi  :  Archibald 
Campbell,  wounded  at  .^ntietamand  Gettysburg;  John  Cowell,  deser- 
ted Sentember  17.  ISM  ;  Warren  Cox.  died  at  Harper  s  Ferry,  \  a.,  Nov. 
17  WW  Elbert  Corbin,  Pro.  Q    M.  Sergent,   returned  to   ranks  by  re- 
mlesf  David  Coey,  Pro.  Sd  Lieut.,  July  30,   lis6:3.   discharged  without 
mustering    Morrill  P.  Childs,  Pro.  Corp^lay  19.  1862,   Pro.    Sergt.  Deo. 
■14   iK(,a  wounded  at  Gettysburg;  Benjamin   Clow,   discharged  January 
•ik'  IHi;-'-  EdWd  Dickey;  Robt.  G.  Donahue,  wounded  at  ChaucellorsviUe, 
report'ed  drowned;  Peter  Denoyer  ;  Theodoi-e   Denoyer,   w-ounded  at 
Gettvsburg;  Wallace  R.    Dunham.   Reuben  H     Doxtator     Wil ham  H. 
Dvkeman   Thomas   Donahue;   Patrick   Davis.  Pro.  Corp  July  33,  1863; 
Thomas  Dair,  Thomas   Duggan;  John   Donovan   arm  D«.ken  at  Chan- 
cellorsville;  James  E    Decker.  Pro.  Corp.- Dec,  10.  1862.  Pit.  Sergt.  Sep. 
fia-V.  Lewis  D.  Darvcau.  Pro.  Corp.    Dec.  1861  ;  Sergt    March  3,  1863, 
killed  at  Gettysburg ;  John  E     Eggleston    discharged  March  4   1863 
losenh  English,  William  Fadling  ;  Joseph  Finn,  prisoner  at  White  Oak 
Swamn     Patrick  Flynn  ;  Peter  Farrell,  wounded  at  Savage  Station, 
mn"fei-redtol    Corps;  Job  G.    Fuller,   discharged  Jan.    17,  186_3;  Pat- 
rick Foy   discharg  d\.ct6ber  35,  1862  ;  James  Fltzpatriok,  Pro.  Bugler, 
TiP.'pmher  :3  1863;  Chas   A-   Gates,  wounded  at  Savage  Station,  Pro. 
r^rn   Tanuarv  15  1863;  Lewis  H.  Gifford,  William  F.   Gillon,   Orson  H. 
Eoo^drich"Hngh  Gavin,  killed   at  Gettysburg;  Darius   Hall,  Edwin  C. 
House-  Nicholas  House,  killed  atAntietam;  William  H     Howard,  dis- 
charged  May  IK,  WHi;  Martin  Henry,  Dennis  Hess;  Michael  Hanoran, 
killed   at   Gettysburg;  Arthur  A.  Hart,   discharged  January   1.,1H63; 
Morgan  Jones,  deserted  August  26,  186-3.  Eugnotlensler;  Edward  Ke- 
hoe  reported  deserted  from  Hospital;  Patrick  Kelley,  killed  at  Gettys- 
bS?g    I?enry  King,   discharged  January  26,1863;  Elisha  Lewis:  Henry 
Leatheiman    Pro    Corp.  July  2:!,  1863;   Peter  Leavcnbrewer  William 
Lk^hlr™  Davis  W.  Linsday.^ro.  Corp.  September  1    186;^;  Charles  E 
Minard  Clerk  at  3d  Corps  Headquarters;  Albert  Magee,  discharged 
October -JS   1803;  Stephen  C   MoCabe.  died   in  Hospital;  Geo.  M.  Moro- 
bouse,   deserted  June  S'J.  1863;  Joseph   Marshall;  Amos   F.  Maynard, 
kil led  at  Gettysburg;  Isaac  Mattison,  Lafayette  Mead;  John  JIcMahon, 
deserted  Sepiembe?16.  1863;  Timothy  McLaughlin,   taken  prisoner  at 
White  Oak  Swamp;  Patrick  Malone,  transferred  to  Invalid  Corps;  Jos. 
Mve  ■»  wounde^at  White  Oak  Swamp,  discharged  May  31,  1863;  Wm. 
McMahou    John  Murphy.   Pro.   Corp.   November  1,  1863;  Richard  Mur- 
nhv    Thoiiias  MuUin,  wounded  at  Chancelloraville,  tTansferrsd  to  Inv 
E-orps   James  Murray,  Michael  McGriel,  Thomas  McKenna;  Patrick 
McCiowan.  wounded  it  Gettysburg,  transferred  to   Invalid  Corps;  Jas 
McVally    ost  an  arm  at  Chancellorsville;  Bernard  McBride.   wounded 
at  Chancellorsville;  John  McDonnell ;  John  MoNally.  discharged  Janu- 
tJy  irisu"   G^eorg^  W.  Morlev,  discharged  March  9,  18.13;  SethC..New- 
comb  James  SooSan;  Peter  Noonan.  deseited  June   ,,1863;  William 
Ofl^ld  James  Ofleld;  Albert  J.  Osborne,  discharged  July  8,  1862;  James 
0-Har'a  Bernard  Oates;  Edwin  S.  Pierce,  discharged  December  2, 1862; 
Jesse  Palmer  discharged  November  26,  1863;  Ambrose  J.   Palmer    dis- 
cha,  Bed  January  13,  1863;  John  B.  Palmer,  William  Price,  Abel  Palmer, 
HeniTKedman;\esUe  P.  Russell,   discharged  February  16,  18r.3;  Au- 
gustus Rodgers    lost  a  leg  at  Gettysburg;  Henry  C.    Rosegrant,  killed 
It  GettTsbur-;  Benjamin  P.  Rathbone  ;  John  Raymond,  deserted  from 
HosmVal    Ha°ryJ.  feobinson ;  Patrick   Ragan.   deserted  February  '.'J 
Isol!^ Charles  W.  Radue,  killed  at  Gettysburg;  Geo.  A  Rabb  wounded 
at.Gettvsburg-  John  Ryan  ;  George  M.  Rogers,  Pro.  Corp.,  discharged 
rebrSa%3,"[|3:  Daniel  Rodgers,1>ro.  Corp.   Oct.  Ill,  1863;  Charles  H 
Stuart  John  L.Sickels;  Francis  D.  Slauson.  died  in  Hospital  Nov.  10, 
IlS-O^ar   L.- States    wounded  at   Gettysburg;    John    Al"    ScoviUe 
funded  at  Gettysburg,  transferred  to  Invalid  Corps;  Michael  Shell, 
dficbaSd     SteXen  R*!  Sherman,  wounded  at  Gettysburg  ;  Julius  H. 
2  del      Ter  ance^  Scanlan,   transferred   to  Invalid  Corps  ;    Joseph  A 
siansburv   discBargerfebruary  16,  1863;  Theodore  CTaggart;  Robert 
F  Thorn   Pro    Coi-S  May  -38.  1862,  wounded  at  Gettysburg  ;  -nilliamH. 
?iiorn     Napoleon  LTwitchell,  wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  killed  at 
Gettysburg    Mauf ice  Temple,  Frederick  Thompson,  James  Tearney, 
J  A   V  Sia  wounded  at  Chancellorsville;  John  Van  Valkenburg.  Wm. 
VanVa^euburg.  H.  Wright,  killed  at  Gettysburg;  Henry  Warner  San- 
tord  Weeks  Jno    S.  WasWrn,   discharged   May  31,  1863;  C.  Wallace, 
•'°'unded  at  Gettysburg;  Edward  Wells,  James  Wheeler,  S.   Warren; 
*o(i  Corporal,  November  1, 180,3. 


12tli  l{egiii-(er)t,  Ii^fkiitfy,  X-  Y,  $.  Vol^. 

COMPANy    A 

r«/'^ni)i— Morris  H.  Church. 

LU'jfenaut—lra  Wood. 

.£>(-v/;//(— Charles  B.  Randall. 

]a?  Ser(/eant— Porter  R.  Alger. 

Serr/ea Ills— Ahiaham  Fredandall,  Abram  Fairnie.  John  Cross. 

Co/-/)ora;.«— William  B.  Patterson,  George  W.  Pratt,  Charles  E.  Fur- 
man.  Jr..  Harrison  Waggoner. 

Zfrxani>ur—Danie\  Relyea. 

P;-;i-.f((!.i— Hiram  A.  Allen,  Lauren  Babcock,  Jarres  N.  Baker,  Willard 
Bixby,ThomasD.  Brown,  James  Case,George  N.  Cheney,Charles  A.  Col. 
well,  George  W.  Dakin,  Hiram  A.  Dunham,  Lockhart  Duff,  John  Edgar, 
Samuel  A.  Edgar,  Samuel  J.  Edwards,  Stephen  A.  Estes,  John  Fergu- 
son, Charles  W.  Foote,  Charles  W.  Ford,  John  W.  Fritcher.  John  P. 
Gardner,  Lerov  Gray,  William  W.  Harrington,  John  H.  Harrison,  Har- 
rison B.  Herriek,  William  S.  Herrick,  Henry  H.  Hitchcock,  Charles  S- 
Hyatt  Joseph  La  Beff,  Joseph  W.  Lipe.  Hiram  McGoncgal.  John  W. 
McMullen.  Jerome  S.  Mosley.  James  S.  Murphy,  Lawrence  W.  Myers, 
James  Nixon,  John  E.  North.  Frederick  Oliver,  Aloiizo  S.  Ostrom, 
Miles  Penfleld,  Alhcrt  W.  Phillips,  Otis  D.  Phillips.  Clark  Pierce,  Root 
Pierce  Ransom  Place.  Eben  G.  Rector,  Edwin  H.  Rector,  Martin  L. 
Rohrabacker,  Charles  B.  Rosegrant,  Schuyler  Seager,  Michael  Shea, 
John  Snyder,  John  T.  Taylor,  Edward  R.  Trull,  Frederick  O.  Waters, 
Jediah  Wells,  Peter  Welch,  George  Williamson,  Anson  G.  Worden, 
George  H.  Wright,  Edward  Younglove,  James  H.  Young. 

COMPANY  B. 

Capfdif'—J^coh  Brand. 

Lieiileniint—Feter  Straus. 

Eifii'jii— John  V.  Spanier. 

Ut  6V/-i/<?<i;i;— Michael  Auer. 

&i-r/«(H(«— Julius  Hintz,  George  Boiteu,  Max  Fix. 

Carporats— Michael  Welter,  Jacob  Simmon,  Albert  Hoftmann,  John 
Dauer. 

lii-umuier—MonU  Schwarz.  „.,,„,        t      •      „  „ 

P(-u-«(e.«— Frank  Baar,  Anthony  Baurus,  Nicholas  Becker,  Lucius  Bell, 
Charles  Bohmann,  John  Briggs.  Pius  Caggey.  Henry  Christ.  Liander 
Darling  John  Durr,  Conrad  Eberhard,  Valentine  Eberling,  Bradley  C. 
Farnham,  Killian  Faulstieg,  Martin  Felsenheimer,  John  Fickeys, 
Joseph  Fuechter,  Fredi-ich  Gies.  Thomas  Gilbert,  George  Gordon, 
Philipp  Greenwald.  John  Greiner.  Simon  Greis,  Anthony  Gross,  Her- 
man Hamilton,  Nicklas  Henui.  Christian  Herpel,  George  Herr,  Her- 
man Hilt  Henry  Hof.  Killian  Hover.  Louis  Huber,  George  Eaufmann, 
Thomas  Kendall.  Charles  Kenyon,  Philipp  Kohles,  John  Kurz,  George 
W  Lampman  Peter  Lang.  William  Lettermann,  George  Looby,  John 
Maurer  Michael  McCue,  John  Melcbior,  William  Michael,  Gebbard 
Moll  William  Muehlhauser,  John  L.  Newman,  Jnmes  Osborn,  George 
Pollmann,  John  Rietmann,  Conrad  Ring,  Peter  Sattler,  Ernest  Fredrich 
Sauter,  John  George  Sauter,  John  Schick,  John  C.  Seliroder,  Martin 
Schroder,  George  Schuder,  Fredrich  Seidel,  John  Warner.  John 
Weber,  Edward  Wolf. 

COMPANY    C. 

C'dplain—Vemns  Driscoll,  Jr. 

Luutenuni—} a.mes  Randall. 

.EVlsiV/ii— John  P    Stanton. 

ls<  &;-!/«!'"'— Michael  Foley.  ,  ,,    ,.        ,, 

&/-»e«n(.<— George  Travis.  John  Lighton.  John  Carroll. 

0)/v<oi-<ife— Richard  J.  Wright,  James  Lewis.    William  Stanton,  John 

Xi)-««i/»c/-s— Hiram  Foote.  Frederick  Kaufman.  ,  „  „ 

Prieates-deovge  W.  Benjamin,  Edward  Blaney,  Floyd  H.  Brougbton, 
Charles  W.  Brown,  George  W.  Button,  William  Caffrey,  Robert  Cle- 
mence,  Francis  M.  Coan,  Michael  Conlan,  William  Davern,  Hugh 
Davison,  Patrick  Dervin,  Timothy  Desmond,  Francis  Doyle,  John 
Dwvre  James  Fceney,  William  Fickland,  Garett  Fitzgerald,  John  Fitz- 
gerald Edmund  Fitzmaurice,  John  Fox,  Francis  Gillespie,  John  Guidar, 
William  Hallem,  Thomas  Hart,  Patrick  Hennesy,  George  Hoose, 
William  Kennedy,  Dennis  Kennedy,  Jeremiah  Killbride^  Lemuel  Ladd, 
JohrL^wirSSell  McCallen,  Samuel  MeCormick  Patrick  McCue, 
John  McDonnell,  James  McGough,  John  McGough,  John  McLoughlin, 
Hm-h  OBrien,  Edward  O'Brien,  Martin  O'Brien,  James  O  Donnell, 
Patnck  Parsons.  Horace  Pratt,  Frederick  Price,  Patrick  Quigley, 
John  W  Randall,  Patrick  Ready.  John  Regan,  John  H  Rnh»rf» 
Michael  Slattery,  George  Slicer,  Charles  A.  btockmg, 
Thatcher.  James  Thompson,  James  Warn. 


Roberts, 
William    K. 


COMPANY   D. 


Caijhii7i—Qeoige  W.  Stone. 
Zieulemuit—hnQius  C.  Storrs. 
^nsi'l/ii-  Cieorgo  Snyder. 


406 


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I 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 

I       Burt.     T,,.,|ti  nntlrr.  Alt  •rt  Diilt  r.    Fl'nii  r.«.-   Wi;iijn.  rtan.i.rl.lii, 
'    Coucb.  D»tlt  Jon»«^  HII 

.OD.  Cbtrlr*  II    D*tI«.  Uanrr  Vli.  I 

Cf  > 

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.  rul..  .  .i,  (  l.ori.  .  F   Ilatlj.  »    AIV.  rt  I.n  :. 


COMPAXT  E. 


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ktiward  \^  lihaiuKuii.  tiiiii«*'ii  Young*. 


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A  ^  Ijb,  Loroy  H. 


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r.ltiM. 
W«t^oD  K.  Hart,  Era»tUH  P.  KIddp. 
At)'iic.  Uioriio  W.  Ulackmaii.  Handlcjr  Lamb. 


n  Rni.(t)w»n, 


rF.(.L\  Kilward  [laker.  Geurfte  liarnfa.  Louis 

.m.-ii  II     Itowff)    rharl<<H  B<^ydoD.  Joseph 

'  '  ..-.-,  |,ipr^  iirlando  Cong- 

II  ItallnutT,  Kcubfti 

...1   HlLlir.    Warrru 

t^--      '     ii._-.i--i.    Jiimt'ii    T     Kittlp, 

Juiiii-a  Main  r.    lii'orgu  I)    Maxi>b, 

r    .i..bii  T    Myrto.   wnilaiii  PcltoD. 

n    Putrifv.  I.tirliin  F    Kaiidolpb. 

'  ■   KCf».  <'liarlf»<  J    HoiiiM-li,  <.'b*?t* 

I     Snillb.   (liarli'H   N     St,.rllii|i, 

■       1  urd   Ward,    WlMlBiii  Wll- 

'  harlo  L    Wray.  Kldrod 


COMPANY   O 


Cail'li"     J I'b  r    Iii-li 

/.  '  -..U 

/  rd. 

!•■  t      ,.,.||„u. 

Si¥^,.ih:~    uluii  1.  Mu),  LovlJ.  Irlub,  Riiab  Parkbiirat 
C(>r/i«i.i(<-lr«lug  Tiiitl»,  J«bn  II  LIgbl.  Kraucln  A.  Darling,  EUaklam 
Win. 1.1 
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llnli.  II     »  1- 
roMPANY  I 


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rl    W    Ktu 

V  I    ii>;.    I 


Jar 

Vl.  . 
WI.Ul 


1- 

bo  H.  Pbllllpa.  Jobn  W    Mercer 

<  _       u,   DclliT    S-Uillh     J.lin  H     !.<■.. nard, 

Aa« 

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Smllh,  .Ifr.  ni.'    P     .-•  \1 

Warn-ii.  Willlani  H  w     .                           '  .. 

Ham  Wbltury,  Lvwia  U.  VVuuti.  lliriun  D.  Wuilucl> 

COMPANY  K 

r.iy.f/i/n— Augustus  J.  Root 
i,>,,/,i,.,.i»_W|lllain  P.  Town. 

r         •         -- 'th 

1--  D    Sudilt-n. 

,-■  I     Rami.  Jainra  F.  Tarlor,  Tbomaa  Tancvr 

I  ri,.i.  .  McClu'iiney.   Wllllain  P.  Jonea.  Jamea  P   Taylor, 

Jo- 

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C.  I. 

Brik'i:-     il-nrj    iv    ...-i.i    .i.  ' ''-'    *         " 

way.  Juiiu'i*  i.  I'rniiH,  I  liai 

Delnii..   l|.iirl..«  Hurail.  W 

B.  I  ■  '  V      r       ■ 

Jo- 

A.  I' 

La'  ;     1  .'M  r   .'11-.  I...; 

H  (  .irn,lhi»   W     1 

Ml.  t.'yati,   Kiauk     S* .. 

Ci,'..r^...    r-ii.m.    iiiriiii.    '»^    Miiltb.  ParnjPDla  >»,iiii 

John  stoni-.   William  Tbooipaou,  Timothy  Tlcmey,  Horace  F.  Tracrj 

William  Whfclrr 


It  A    M.'ad 


(itorgx  W.  Uaara,  John  W.  tlaiili-tt,  John 
Klalitlyii    BllHnK»,  Jant^a   llravl.  r     .loho 


r. 


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I2iid  4{cginieiit.  Infhnti'y,  }i.  Y.  g.  Vol^. 

COMPANY  A. 


1..I...T    \l       llr. 


,'on. 

...  V.    ; Hold. 

or  H    lilaaa. 
.1.  Buck 
-  "■    M-'r..n 


Onl- 

P..pi.l..    : 
All.rri  J 
Hlonc,  All 
II.  Town,  Lu. 


L, 'r.^«ii.    NN  liliaiii   11.   Tij.-ii.    NmLuii  J.  Van  I'allcD. 


Ellaa  Vaoslykr.  Jrrrrolab  Wormulh,  (Irorgn  W.  Wlnchcl 

COMPANY  H 
(>i/.r<j(n-a»orKf<  W.  Col«. 


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n,  Ihomaa  Barllrtt,  Bllaa  Carprntnr. 

iiriia  Coon,  Lcater  C.  Horrick.  Aiiguallno  H.  Wllktna. 

.1     ill  Pbllllpa 

vvton.    Albert  Beecham.   Myron  B*«nrdlcl,  George 
Uoland,  Emory  BrIdgford.  Jake  Bticba.    Qaloo' 


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11.  ..  1'    li.  " J.«a. 


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I. 


^ll• 
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II. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


407 


J.  Trenhara.  Ezriab  Teabroeck.  John  H.  Tallmadge.  Holland  Twinum, 
Hiram  Vosburg,  Edward  WiUiams,  Edward  Wilcox,  Francis  Yosset, 
Mitchell  Zoelner. 

COMPAXY  B. 

Coy/^«in— Webster  R.  Chamberlain. 

Uf  Lieutenant—Charles  G.  Nye. 

2d  Lieutentinf- -Vtilliam  J.  Webb. 

Iiit  Seryeajit—George  H.  Gilbert. 

2*/  Serffeanf— Samuel  D.  CutlifC 

'id  &er(/etit.(—L\xcieQ  Robertson. 

4M  .Sergea7if—Phi]o  E.  Ruggles. 

5th  Serf/eitnf— Charles  H.  Lang. 

Ut  C"r/foni/—Ja.meeF.  Sparldck. 

So?  Ooryyora^— Charles  W.  Steele. 

Zd  Corporal — William  J.  Anderson. 

4th  Corponif—Vrn  lam  H.  Paul. 

5ffi  f'tjrporal — Isaac  B.  Steves. 

Gth  (''orporat— 3 a.mes  J.  McKioley, 

7th  Corporal— Thom&fi  31   Shoens. 

8^/(  Corportil—Hxidson  C.  Marsh. 

3/«*/oi'/H— Rufu3  A.  Hughes. 

JIuAir tan— AM  red  Sole 

TP/;/<>He/— William  FairfieH. 

P//r'/'e«— William  Auburn,  Laristen  Adkins,  Prince  E.  Bethel,  Daniel 
Bowley.  Henry  C.  Brand.  Stephen  Blake.  Jonathan  J.  Brownell.  James 
H.  Bowen,  Josiah  Bradley,  Ethan  A.  Bennet.  Jonathan  J.  Bingham.  Pe- 
ter Bradt.  Charles  F.  Carlisle,  Ezra  Cole,  Michael  Cooney,  John  W. 
Conway.  Andrew  J.  Criss.  John  J.^Conway.  James  Crampton.  Thomas 
Crampton,  Abit  Davis,  Slilton  B.  Evans,  Dempster  Eaton,  Dewitt  C. 
Edwards.  Joseph  Fabings,  Silas  Guernsey.  Eli  W.  Gleason,  Thomas  S. 
Green.  John  Gipsel.  Jerome  Howe.  Oscar  P.  Hughes,  Alexander  H. 
Hubbs,  Walter  W.  Hall.  Charles  H.  Henry.  Chryst  ilenry,  Robert  Hoav- 
land.  William  Herrick.  Joseph  Hollenbeck.  James  H.  Halkings,  John 
H.  Hartwell.  James  G.  Hart.  Joseph  Juthen.  Daniel  Jones,  Wm.  Jones, 
Horatio  Knight.  William  C.  Kennett,  Patrick  Kelly,  James  F.  Lilly.  Ro- 
selle  E.  Luce.  George  R.  Loop.  George  E.  Maxon.  Abraro  Marcellus,  John 
J.  Potter.  Jesse  H.  Prindle.  Semuel  Phillips.  Miron  L.  Reynolds,  Wm. 
E.  Ruggles.  Clarence  A,  Roberison,  Martin  Ryan,  Albert  Randall,  Mar- 
shall F.  Smith.  Lorenzo  Scott.  Allen  31.  Stuben.  James  W.  Smith,  Tho8. 
H.  Scott.  John  Simmons,  Thomas  L.  Scott,  Elias  R.  Sloat.  Daniel  H. 
Smith.  Elisha  A.  Smith.  Jonathan  Trlpij.  James  Trowbridg«,  David 
Thompson.  Daniel  Van  Hoosen,  William  Van  Netta.  Charles  Wooden. 
James  Wilson.  Elias  Wells.  Caius  A,  Weaver,  Gilbert  Welch,  Jeremiah 
Ward,  Eugene  C.  Wiggins. 

COMPANY  C. 

CV//>(«i«— Alfred  Nims. 

Ut  Luufenant— Joseph  E.  Cameron. 

2'f  LieutfJiaiit  —Arthur  .J .  3Iead. 

Ut  Senjfa lit— George  W.  Bowen. 

2<^  6'«/'^*^/n'— William  F.  Will. 

Zd  Serfjeaiit — Colonel  J.  McLyman. 

4th  Sern^'Utt — Tames  B.  Hall. 

5th  .St/v/*an^-Hi^am  G.  Hilts. 

Drumnur—VBXnxer  Worden. 

\nt  ro/yyortf/— William  H.  Remington. 

2c/  6'or//o/-rti— Charles  A,  Eaton, 

Zfi  Cor i-oraf— Thomas  D.  Chapman. 

4th  /V/r/>ora/— William  P.  Abby. 

5th  CorjfOra f—Fr^nk  H.  Eaton. 

bth  Corj'oral—Vi' iUiam  H.  3Ialtby. 

7th  Corporal — David  W.  Clark. 

8M  Corporal — Calvin  S.  Hammond. 

Wagoner- -3 am^s  Hudson. 

PWctf^ex— William  H.  Allen.  Hiram  Agan.  Charles  J.  Bellinger, 
Buel  P.  Buzzell,  George  W.  Bettinger.  Robert  Br^ese.  William 
Breese,  Charles  Brooks.  John  Behan,  Oscar  A.  Barne>>.  William  Bums, 
Amasa  Chase,  Andrew  Casler.  Warren  Colgrove,  Charles  H.  Crane 
Dennis  Curamings.  George  W.  Chase,  George  B.  Chandler.  Philo  Dutch 
«r,  Charles  Evingham,  John  Evingham,  Azeriah  Fargo.  Patrick  Fan 
ning,  James  Gorman.  James  Goodfellow,  Jason  Giftord,  Orville  T, 
Graves.  ShipmanO.  Griffln.  Wesley  Goodfellow,  Stephen  H.  Goodfellow, 
Jacob  Houser.  DelosHotaling.  William  Huntly.  Harlem  A.  Hoag.  Jas, 
D.  Hebbard.  Charles  L.  Hilts.  Alfred  Houser.  Charles  Hotaling,  Chris 
tion  Hilts.  Luther  D.  Hale,  John  Hale.  David  Enapp.  Jo.seph  Kean, 
John  Kennidy.  John  Slyers.  William  H.  Mosier,  Francis  3Ionroe.  Fred 
■erick  Monk.  Patrick  Ma^ahan.  Adolpbln  Moss.  Alanson  ilosier.  Albert 
H.  3Ionroe.  James  Miles.  Ebenezer  Northrop.  Elliott  0.  Page,  James 
Price,  Herman  Poole.  Thomas  Kiley.  Wm.  31.  Reals.  Wm,  K.  Raymond. 
Henry  J.  Russ.  John  Ralph.  Henry  J.  Sanderson,  Calvin  Smith.  John 
Sanderson.  Edwin  Smith.  William  Sheldon.  Philemon  H.  Tuttle.  Joseph 
Totton.  Abrara  Thomas.  Patrick  Thompson.  Stephen  C.  Thompson, 
Thoma.«  Und*frwood.  Charles  V.  Wright.  Byron  A.  Wright.  William  A. 
Walker.  3Iitchell  D.  Walters.  Charles  31.  Williams.  Benjamin  Walker, 
Edwin  L.  Wright,  Isaac  Worden,  Charles  Wright.  Alfred  Worden. 

COMPANY  D. 

Caj/taiu— ComeW  Chrysler. 

1*?  Lieutinaj't — Davis  Cossitt. 

2</  //cu^«'/n?— Edward  P.  Luther.  , 

Ut  .Senjf^finf— John  W.  Taylor. 

2d  .SVr//^'//!'— Gates  D   Parish. 

-V  5*/-i/^'i'<'— Phineas  B.  JIarshall. 

4ih  .S«ry</in^— Francis  E  Whaley. 

.VA  Sergeant—Altred  Crysier. 

]*r  Corporal— Dudley  G.  Shirley. 

2^7  Cor/^>ra I -EMiott  L.  Booth. 

3^/  Corporal— George  G.  Gilaon. 

4th  Corporal— OBc&r  Austin. 

5th  Corpora/— Ch&rles  H.  Field. 

fith  Corporal— Oliver  Nichols 

•7th  Corporal — Lewis  Amidon.  Jr. 

wA  Corporal— \.\xman  Day, 

J/uAi>/<yn— Willis  H.   Look. 

.^ui>cm7.— Charles  Enos. 
Jr*'jy-''»er— Saroael  Williams, 

Pririttr — Henry  F.  .Amidon.  Wm,  H.  Amidon.  George  Amidon.  Dwight 
Annable.  Oscar  Adams.  Andrew  J.  Allen.  William  C.  Barron.  Loren  W, 
Barker.  Theodore  P.  Barker.  Charles  L,  Brown.  James  Butler.  John 
Bartlett.  Samuel  Brown.  Joshua  Carr.  Jr.,  Charles  B  Catee.  3Iichaei 
CarUo,  Nicholas  Cummings,  Uaac  Calbum,  Joseph   Crittendeo.  Joseph 


Coons.  George  W.  Calburn.  Sidney  Case,   David   Crysier,  Enos  O   Dar- 
ling, \alentine  Denick.Van  Bur.  n  Davis,  Stephen  Drury,  Alonzo  Eaton 

i-f ,  «.'^n°  ^''l-'^'^fTK' ^'"".'('^^^^•"j*"''"  ^^-  lillfiworth.  Thomas  A 
Fisk  William  L.  Fisk.  Dwight  Fitzgerald.  Joseph  Grodevant.  Georce 
H.  Houser.  Horatio  Harrington,  George  Hunt,  Jr.,  Giorge  W  Ham- 
mond. Armegal  W.  Hancock.  Hiram  F.  Harroun,  Charies  H  Ives 
Walter  E,  Jenks.  Thomurt  H.  Joyce,  Patrick  Klncle.  Henry  Korb.  Chas* 
G.  Lathrop.  William  Lee.  Edward  Lee.  Rodman  Mc<"amley  William  H 
Morri88.3lichael3Iurphy.WillardH.MoH8,  Joseph  H.  3Iiichell  James 
H.  Noble,  Loren  M,  Norton.  Caesar  Perdue,  Erasius  B  Palmer'  Frank 
E.  Picket.  Francis  Patterson,  George  A.  Patten.  Eli  Perry,  Charles  M 
Quick,  Joel  Reed,  Horac^e  Russel,  James  E  Ross.  Baltzer  Rowe  Ch>is'. 
Shepherd,  John  A.  Shenheni.  George  Sheeley.  Lewis  .Smith:  John  H 
Coudan  Smith.  Orren  W.  Secor.  PeterSegar,  Henry  Sag*?.  John  Uncless 
Jeflferson  Vinten,  Charles  Warker.  Benjamin  Wood,  Andrew  F  West* 
George  Wilkinson.  * 

C03IPANY  E. 

Captain— Horace  H.  Walpole. 

\»t  LUnifjioiit— J Af-oh  Brand. 

2*J  LUtitcvn Ht— Hewry  H.  Hoyt, 

1«;  .Ser;/<;ra*/— Charles  W,  Orttrander. 

2//  Sertifai'*— George  N.  Phetiplace. 

•id  -S>r:/e«^/r'/— Charles  N,  Eldridge. 

5fh  -S'trf/^rtw/— Daniel  F.  Hammell. 

Ut  Corporal — Noah  Gale, 

2d  CorjfOral—FfrgyiB  3Iadden 

'V  (^v>r/>c*/Y//— Edward  McCarthy. 

4th  Cfrj/ontl—Hahuyler  Seager, 

bth  Corporal— "SftlHon  Nichols, 

6th  C'ofjioral — George  Wilson. 

l/h  6V//ywv/'— William  Giinilan. 

Hth  f'nrjiorat—OVwer  P,  Ives. 

Mu/tififtn — Samuel  Osboru. 

Jfuificiati — Dempster  Randall. 

Wa(/oner— Charles  Reynolds. 

/'Wrrt^^-William  Ashfield.  Thomas  Burns.  Charles  Boucher,  Qaraer 
Bentley,  Charles  Baxter.  John  F.  Conner.  Henry  roburn,  Jas  Doran 
Stephen  W.  Daniels.  Joseph  Dunn,  John  H.  EggleMton.  Jacob  Ehorllng, 
David  C.  Fountain,  Julius  Fix.  ZenoT.  Griffin.  Henry  Ghep  Aaron Gr^ 
ham.  Thomas  Gardner.  James  Gallagher,  William  Gilbert  Jackson 
Houghtaling.  Austin  Hodge.  Benjamin  B.  Houghkirk.  Abn*T  Hubbard, 
Thomas  .s.  Hueht-s.  Daniel  L.  Hogeboom.  3Iathia8  Hollenbeck.  Daniel 
Harrington.  Charles  HIcox.  Franklin  House,  Wm.  R,  Johnson  Joan 
Keller.  Robert  B.  Kennedy.  Christian  G.  Koebnieln.  Sylvenus  S.  Lewis 
John  Lewis.  George  Lauterniilk.  Isaac  31anheimer,  Clark  H.  3IcAllister' 
Alexander  A.  C.Martin.  Samuel  McFeeters,  Henry  W.  North  James 
Nolan.  Lorenzo  Newport.  James  Orr.  John  Orr.  John  Oertel  Gerrge  H 
Perry,  James  H  Powell.  John  Pfetfer.  Daniel  Wm.  Pine  Franklin 
Phillips.  Oscar  Penojer.  Eugene  A,  Perry,  Albert  B.  Perry.  Henry  A 
Petrie.  Joseph  R,  Richardson.  Edgar  Rogers,  Wm.  Richard.  Henry 
Stricnltz.  David  Smith,  Charles  F,  Spear,  Christopher  P.  Steadman 
George  V.  Scobey,  Francis  V.  Schafer.  Gotfried  Spitzer,  Gotlieb  Stern- 
ners,  Thomas  Temnleton.  James  D.  Truganza  Wm  K  Teller  Phillip 
Vroman,  James  White.  Hezekiah  Walratb,  Kllis  31.  Williams,  Charles 
H.  Wiesmore.  James  W.Wickham.  Wm.  Henry  Wilson,  Ephraim  Yerdan. 

COMPANY  F, 

Captatn-huciiis  Sloses. 

ut  IJetifeniitit— George  W.  Piatt. 

2d  Lie'itfinent— J  amen  Burton. 

1ft  i«/-{/*^'/«(— Adolph  Wilnian. 

2d  Seii/eant—Otin  L.  Fi»hor. 

■V'V*/-//e</Hr— Robert  H   3Io8eB, 

4th  .'<frfjeant — Stuart  3Iacdonald. 

5th  'Stirg^.ant — Irving  W.  Davy, 

lnt  Corj-oral— Henry  C.  Sennett. 

2'/  Co  r J  >or  a  I— J  am>c&  Burlington. 

Z^i  Cor/ioral^JameaK.  Lawrence. 

4th  Corj,oral — Aaron   C.  Gaylord. 

5t/i  Corporal— Davit}  Donaldson. 

O'/i  Corporal — Stephen  B.  Thorp. 

•jfh  Corporal— Curtis  L.  Rich. 

Hth  Corporal— Henry  Kochenburger, 

J/«*/c///n— Justus  Williams 

Jfimician — Perry  F.  Woodworth, 

M'o(/ori*:r—'W ilHdm  Raymond, 

pr!rati—Vfm.  J.  Atbins.  Will.  Abbott,  George  Axten,  Geo.  H.  Antho- 
ny, Edward  V.  Raker,  Clark  Blanchard.  Benjamin  Burlington,  Silas  W. 
Benton,  David  Broom,  Elian  Bennett.  Joseph  G.  Bennett.  Gf-o  A.  Bar- 
nett.  Joseph  Bessey.  Warren  Eessey.  Edmund  Brown.  Wiu.  L.  Burton, 
Andrew  W.  Beach,  James  Black.  Wright  Christian,  Phillip  L.  Crysier, 
Isaac  N.Clements.  George  W.  Cumrain.i.  H.C.  Chapman  E.  G.  Clements, 
Samuel  B.  Carriers,  himeon  Dunham.  Porter  Davis,  Charles  L.  Dunton, 
Thomas  Edds.  Isaac  Eanton.  Henry  Vry.  Leonard  Gensiver,  Edward  F, 
Glynn,  3Iariin  Graff.  Auguntus  Hughes.  Myron  Hinman.  Robt.  B.  Hum* 

Shreys,  George  H.  Hinklev.  Albert  D.  Hitchcock,  Jenks  Harrington. 
osephJones,  Andrew  H. -Jones,  George  B.  Kenyon.  Anthony  KIne,  Den- 
nis Lowland,  William  Leroy.  Henrj'  Lamb.  Alvah  Lamphere,  Amos  O, 
Lee,  Adln  31.  C.  Lamb.  Harlow  Lamb.  William  3Iay,  George  W.  Max- 
son,  Amos  S.  3Iay,  Uriah  D.  3Ioore.  William  3Iaoumber.  Henry  B.  3Ior- 
ean,  William  3Iohs,  Willjrd  Norlon.  Belas  F.  North.  R.  E.  Prentice, 
George  W,  Ripley.  Anthony  Raymond.  Isaac  Richards,  Pa'rick  Ryan, 
Jdo.  M.  Rust.  Isaiah  V.  Spenks,  John  Salvad^e.  E.  D.  Spaulding.  Sur- 
reno  S.  Smith.  Charles  Snedlker.  Orriu  J.  Smith.  Russell  Sweet.  George 
W.  Turner,  Eugene  H.  Wormwood,  W,  W.  Worlock,  3Ielvin  B.  Walker, 
Joseph  Young, 

COJIPANY  G. 

C'a/'^«/ft  — Harrison  H.  Jilson. 
Ut  L''eute/ajjit— Drayton  Eno. 
2^/  Lie"t€tianf—Veter  A,  Blossom. 
Ijrf  S^rgeauf —y\orr\s  E.  Wright. 
2</  ,S>r:/*'//*'— Robert  J.  Donoghue. 
3d  Sti'j*-jin.t — Czar  Dunning. 
4th  Hf^^i <jf.aiit  —ia\uft%  Wyatt. 
Wi  ,SVri/<'/«*— Alexander  Toms. 
!«/  t.orporal-^antoT'l  Van  Dyke. 
2d  Co/y/o/v//— Lucius  D.  English. 
'4<1  Corporal— y^ai.  Kitter. 
ifh  tS'orporal—Hiram  Woolsey. 


408 


6/' 

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I 

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tlo' 

■Icr 

.Tr 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


M 
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COMPANY  H. 


i««r<». 

II  L.   Starki. 
P  Swift. 
'    'Vllkln*. 


•■\%»t  Mrif  tr. 


.    Henry    Alli-n.    Porter   AukIId.    Henrr 
TMHin    lloirmnn.  Win      Prl.ftn.    Yiil.-  if 


Aiuicr  'iu<  ! 
Ilenrj:  U.  \ 


Oij'l-ilu-  3-hn 
I./  / 
*/  / 
J/.. 

1./  • 


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k-lit 


lOMPANV I 

M     IlwlKht. 

II.  Chiinli. 
A.  iJllliUKltaDi. 


'•iiry. 
\' uii  Wurpier. 
Ni>rthw»y. 

II  ini.y. 

••ok. 


-.iinaii 


111'. 

Kri  .. 

Au(;ui'     h.  I  i.;t*,     I'-I.t,.^    ,^l.^^r■■ 

Tbnniftn    M'-iit^ciiMTV.   Atithi'in- 

Northwnv    ,l..!ii:  H    I'ttinn.lcr    f"  , 

Kevi  • 

H.V 

I.eil 

Meli7i<  ^  ^ii  I  I  .i.H     I, 

wllilcer,    Wllli«ni  Tci 

Jobu  Vill,  '.M  .  lllrair   , 


^-*L'ti,  JftU4f»  T«r- 
Wm    TbiimpsoD, 


149tl)  l\egin»cnt,  Infanti'y.  >'.  Y.  $.  VoM- 


COJIPAXV  A 


r.i;f.i;-i-<!,,i..i„..„  i.ii;i,i 

a/ 
I.'  ■ 

DeiroonO. 

ror;.or,.;»_W«!ter  Dlxon^John  H.  Kuwel,  J.mu  JUo.furt.  J«<.-ob 
Mii.ni..n..  Michael  Lo»let,  TUom«»  W.  D«TI».  Alf.rd  L.  Ho»»t.  WIIUud 
Alur]jby.  ' 


Kruiiti.  i..  lli<.k»,  Nathan  Wyman.  Jamo  Muriij.  Jobu 


/■ 

Bla. 
Can 

Clill  . 
Mik 

llv.  : 

Ktall.  .  r.  t.  1  1  ...I.  'J 

Jai'iib  HviiniK,  Juhn  II> 

.'.,ii.,-»  If.   Hi.oi..-.  (-     .\ 

J.  V.  Kdi.i 

^  L>-)'iiiinii 


■  A    Alger.  Daniel    IlllllnK».    ilathew 
llfti.rll,  Willuni   llowitiiiiii.  M   V. 

■  I'anUii     >i  11,    I  ,1  i.ri.     •!  .     ...    \v 
1  Hilrev.  ni 

III  lirv    II. 
I'um'    .1., 


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i.t  ,' 

Si/  . 
Ur 

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Krev.  Mull 

l..'t.  rl     II 


.11    Uo.iii.lulf,    'n,..ui«a  !)u,^tli,    Iharlm    Miaril«nk. 
II.  Anthony  Weaver,  Edwin  Wklto.  Cbarlro  A  Wrlubt, 

COMPANY   B 

..,  l.r,,M,l.„.h. 


■    Eckel, 
r  Jr..  Jacob 

>>k. 

F    Bepla, 
V  i'"tnier<»r. 


II    li. 


IIIIL-       ll|.> 


i.r;    L:    H    uulilull.l..;.   1 
la.    II    II. .war. I    Wni    II 


>■     111:,     Ail'.lt     |1.      U    lIUllUj!. 


COMPANY  K 


M..>war<l. 
'I    Wuoater. 
!-■  v.ii  li    MIckeU. 


btrauaa,     William   J.    - 
"k   Velter.    Iharlo   « 
,.  ■■■,■     N.    Warner.  Jatob    \\  n.-n, 

t-iiilxri...  Vebllug,  Wllllan)  Zobel,  Frcilerick  Zopf. 

COMPANY    C. 
Cn^'fA^n—Jarura  Lyncb.  Jr 

Itl /.In:;:  <   •    K,|«i,r,tn   Murray 


Edward  While.  Wni.  O'KeilleT,  Jerrmlab 


..  -^''■''•'I  "'Brlen.  Edward  Cunnilnga,  EraatuaC.  Uerrlok, 
'  .irthy.  Michael  Commao.   Wm.   Kelley.   Frederick  Kin(, 

■  Aiken,  Auibnny   Buckley,  Barney  Boyle.  Tbomaa  i 
,■.""■  •'"hn  A   Brooka,  Auauat  BloM,  Marcua  Ballweg, 
i.ii..  1  ,v  < -i.Uii,  Jubn  Cook,  TInioIbyCronfn,  Peter  Colwell.  Jr.,  Daniel 
lain.  Jacob  Clatta,  kinieo  Claffy,  Jatnea  Dunlgan,  Michael  Doyle,  Jaa. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


409 


Drum,  Patrick  Do^'le,  James  Daley.  Roger  Daugherty,  Samuel  G. 
Elwood,  Goorpe  Ehvood.  A<!«)li'hus  Fellows,  Charles  Feeize,  Jas.  Foley, 
Lawren<re  Flood.  Robert  Faulkner,  Daniel  Gere,  James  Gere.  Patrick 
Garvey.  James  Gilbraitb,  Georee  W,  Harger,  William  Hays.  Dennis 
Hogan,  Joseph  Harvey,  Martin  Harrou,  Augustus  King,  Michael 
Kuller,  Thomas  Kenimett.  Maurice  Leahey,  Stephen  Landers.  Cornelius 
Lyons,  Aaron  Latiders.  Patrick  Lannon,  Thomas  McCarty,  Jeremiah 
Murphy,  John  McGraw.  Martin  Meagher.  John  McGra'w,  Patrick 
Murphy.  Thomas  McCormick.  George  Miller.  John  Miller,  Thomas 
O'Shaughnes&y,  Michael  O'Connell,  .Jc»hn  Powers.  Michael  Ridden, 
Jacob  F.  Ran,  John  Row.  Jcjhn  F  Smith,  Frederick  tfchuert,  John  Shea, 
Michael  Sulliv«ri.  Patrick  Sullivan,  John  F,  Sherwood.  Miles  Tobin, 
James  Tallon.  Michael  Tiemnay.  Francis  White. 

COMPANY  U. 

Ctipt'iin — J.  Forman  Wilkinson. 

1*/  Lieutenant— Puvk  Wheeler. 

'2il  Lieutenttiit — William  W.  Moseley. 

lift  Seri/etnif—Ahvata  H,  Spore. 

Serffeiintv-  J aa\es  A.  Scott,  Jonn  F.  Wheeler.  John  Kitter.  Marcus  N. 
Gridley. 

Co/7'(»v(/«— William C  Lillv.  James  H.  Winnie.  James  H.  Burr.  Henry 
L.  Purdy.  John  J.  Walter.  William  S.  Rawson.  Lott  Phillips,  Roswell 
young. 

.)/uMc../«— Thomas  W.  Hunt. 

/-/■nv/^r.-.— Aaron  Abbey.  Henry  A.  Aldridge.  William  Anderson,  Geo. 
W.  Arnold.  Grego  Baker*  Daniel  Becker.  Frank  Blair.  Willard  Brooks, 
James  Burke.  Albert  Carpenter,  Avaudo  Carver,  Tliomas  CassoD, 
Christopher  Cone.  Michael  Conlan,  Heuty  Crouse,  Alonzo  Crusback, 
Joseph  A.  Davis,  .\mos  Day.  Albert  Dolittle.  Stephen  Duell.  Loren 
Eaion,  Hanford  Everett,  Augustus  Fall.  John  W.  Falvey.  Freeman 
Farrer.  Barney  Fister.  William  P.  Foreman.  Robert  Gibson.  Paul 
Goodrider.  John  Govise.  George  B.  Greene,  Thomas  Gulliver,  Benjamin 
Haight,  Calvin  Hai-ht,  Benjamin  Haight.  David  Harrown.  Alvin 
Haynes.  David  Hayue.s.  John  Henhofer.  John  Hixon.  John  Hogeboom, 
Michael  Hoolahan.  William  F.  Hubbiird.  William  Hunter.  Duane  S. 
Hurd.  Jonas  Jarv  is.  Pet'r  Jennings.  Albert  Jones.  Jos,  Kelley.  Walter 
Lawrence.  Kdward  C.  Lewis.  George  G.  Lloyd,  Sylvester  Leroy.  Ferdi- 
nand Lernsh.  George  Martel.  Eli  S.  McAllister.  "Fau«tin  Nasler.  Louis 
Nelty.  William  .Newman.  John  Nolan.  Phllo  S.  Nottingham.  J.  H.  Pat- 
terson. Joseph  Perkins,  George  S.  Rice,  After  Root,  Richard  Sevenoaks, 
Jacob  Sheeley,  PeierSnell.  Heth  K.  Smith.  Wellar  S.  Sperry,  William 
VanSlyke.  Robert  H.  VanValen,  Thomas  VanValen,  George  M'haley, 
Peter  "Wire. 

COMPANY  E. 

Captain — Ira  B.  Seymour. 

Ist  Lieutenant— Orson  Coville. 

2(1  Lieittenant— Edward  F.  Hopkins. 

1«(  .'»>*-(;'f<r/i(~Alexander  McKinstry.  Jr. 

AVrj/t"fii^«— Daniel  E  Hayden,  Norman  F,  Potter,  Edward  C,  Gray, 
John  H.  Brown. 

(.v*»7/"/(/^-Charles  J.  Jeffreys,  Edward  C,  Fay,  Edsin  Fay,  Oliver 
Ormsby,  Oscar  J,  Bailey.  Edward  N.  Morrison,  John  R.  Pallock,  John 
S.  Knapp. 

J/«a7ci</»«— Sylvester  Yoran,  William  Aiken. 

ir</[/ffne/-~Westley  Wright. 

/v;ra^*<(— Henry  C  Allen.  George  P.  Burch.  Miner  D.  Bayley.  John  C. 
Berry.  Patrick  Boland.  Alonzo  Cronk.  Hiram  Coates.  WiUiam'H.  Cham- 
plain,  Jacob  Derrick.  Florence  Donahue.  George  W.  Delong.  Patrick 
Day.  James,  B,  Eustis,  Merrick  D,  Frost  Milton  0.  Frost.  James  P. 
Frost.  James  Furlong.  Adelbert  F.  Gates,  Wj^lis  C.  Griffin.  John  Geary, 
Henry  Graham.  James  F.  Gates.  Peter  Goodrich,  James  Gowdy.  Wcstley 
J.  Hodges.  John  M.  Heath,  Augustus  R.  Holms.  Miles  Hemgrin,  Closes 
Hills.  David  Holleubeck.  Lester  E.  Hotclikiss.  Richard  Heath,  Franklin 
B.  Holbrook.  Archibald  Hamilton.  James  Hines,  John  Hart.  Henry 
Hays.  Nathaniel  Jones.  William  Jones,  John  Keeuan,  Ren.  Kenyon, 
Seymour  Knickerliocker,  John  M,  Losey.  Alexander  Lashnay,  Charles 
Mitchell,  Wm,  H  Mercer.  James  A.  Morrison.  Alonzo  Milieu.  James 
Meben.  Lorenzo  Nichols.  Herrick  Nichols.  Wm.  D.  Orr.  James 
Powderly.  Peter  Parslow,  Clark  Phelps.  Lizadore  Parison.  Nicholas 
Palmer,  *  George  W,  Pierce,  John  Quin,  George  W.  Phillips,  Joel 
Rogers.  William  F.  Smith,  Edwin  R.  Smith,  Jr..  John  Smith,  Jr..  Lanson 
Smith.  Mortimer  Stevens,  Alonzo  Spaulding.  J  Andrew  strong.  Moses 
Tappin,  Wii  iam  Tisdale.  George  W.  Way,  Rofeter  O.  Wright,  George 
R.  Warner,  Henry  H.  Widger,  iSaniel  Hay?. 

COMPANY  F. 

Caj'tain — Judson  H.  Graves. 

Ut  Litntenant—'Henvy  H.  Burhans. 

■Jr?  Lieutenant — Theodore  E.  Stevens. 

l.s/  6'6rf/«(/;(f— Moses  P.  Boynton. 

S(iyeiintH—3uhn  Barrager,  William  P.  Burdick,  William  Eaton,  Jos. 
H.  Kaiker 

r«y. ();■(//»,— Seymour  R.  Lewis,  James  Noakes,  John  H.  rjiham,  Bela 
P.  Hitchcock,  Frederick  M.  Potter,  Welsey  M.  Dewey,  Jefferson  R. 
Kimball,  Asahel  Hitchcox. 

JtfniieianM—Titz  A.  Thatcher,  Orlando  Miles. 

Wa(/oner — Monroe  Carr. 

/•ruri/o— Peter  Adolf.  Wallace  Paisley.  David  Busbnell,  Seth  Baitin. 
George  J.  Clarke.  Stephen  Cook.  Adelbert  C.  Clark.  Lucius  J.  Carey, 
Wm.  Cummings,  Lewis  Cosleman,  James  Commaae.  David  Callison, 
Charles  A.  Ellis.  Charles  Fisher,  George  Felt,  Wm.  Fargo,  John  Gay- 
ing,  Geor;re  W.  Havens.  John  S.  Hews,  Thomas  Hodgson.  Jacob  Hager, 
Jonn  Hutchius,  Wm.  H.  .Tohnson,  Harrison  Johnson,  Jra  Jones.  Edward 
Karker,  Andrew  Karker.  George  W.  Kipley,  Samuel  Lake,  Thomas 
Mosher,  Frank  Miller.  Daniel  Miller.  Lorenzo  Morse.  Horace  A,  .Miller 
Thomas  Moss.  Samuel  C.  Potter.  Henry  D.  Pratt.  Wm.  M.  Pettet,  Law- 
rence Plank,  Fred-  rick  W,  Rice.  Homer  H.  Reed,  Wm.  A.  Robinson. 
Theodore  S.  Root,  Albert  Shaffer.  Win.  Sneveley,  Perry  Stoughtenger', 
Christian  Schwaits,  James  Seibert.  Joseph  Seon.  Adam  Smith.  John 
Stressner,  Seymore  H.  Stearnes.  Michael  Snyder.  James  S,  Shearer, 
Edwin  Smith.  John  Seibert.  Parker  J.  Snow.  Seymour  D.  Torrey,  Wm. 
Teggs,  John  Umbrach.  James  R.  Walter,  Calvin 'H.  Wilson,  Jacob  Wal- 
ing, Nathan  Yerden,  Joseph  Yerden. 

COMPANY  G. 
Captain— E.  G.  Townsend. 
Ut  Litutenant—B^rOB  A.  Wood. 
Sit  Zittitenant— Thomas  A.  Benedict. 

72* 


Ut  Sergeant— O.  L.  F.  Brown. 

Seri/eantt—Ediy  B.  Townsend,  George  G.  Tiuair.  D.  D  N  Marvin 
James  L.  Decker.  ' 

CV/i-//r<r«/«— Miles  B.  Amidon.  William  Crosier,  Charles  H  Nichols 
William  H.  Davis,  Joseph  Jay,  George  Davharsh,  C.  F.  Cook.  E  j' 
Browne. 

Prii-ates— Perry  Adams.  Henry  Aiist,  Robert  B.  Batternv,  Joseph 
Bennett,  Frederick  Bigler.  Philo  E.  Boom,  Daniel  Brokaw;  Seth  H 
Burgess,  Henry  J  Calkins,  Patrick  Carrigan,  Thomas  Chapman  J  H 
Chawgo,  Wm.  Claxton.  Daniel  Cole,  Timothy  Collins.  J.  H  Collins 
Charles  Coss,  James  Cottle.  William  Cross,  James  Craig.  Jos  Culten 
John  Dayharsh,  Edmund  Durbin,  Svlvester  Edwards.  Ruben  Evans 
Isaac  Foster.  George  Frickert,  Z  B.  ftirman.  Wm.  Gamble,  Christopher 
Gbebhard.  John  Ghebhard,  James  Gill,  O.  J  Hand,  Geo.  B  Harwood 
Patrick  Heenan,  Morris  HefEermaii.  Lewis  Huntley.  Frank  M.  Irish 
Conrad  Jehiie.  Martin  Joy,  A.  C.  Lewis,  J.  S.  Little,  James  Mallan, 
Edgar  Marshall,  Thomas  Morrissey.  Daniel  McCord.  Lewis  McLain 
Michael  Mc.Manice.  Wm.  Nesbitt.  Homer  Northrop,  E.  R.  Oliver.  Jas. 
O  fionrk,  John  O'Rourk.  John  O'Riley.  Edwin  S  Potter  Avery 
Res.sctiuie,  Alex.  Sawyer,  Paul  Sherman,  Daniel  Skinner,  J.  M.  Smith, 
John  Snell,  Earn  Spaulding,  J.  G.  Stevens.  Amos  Ward,  J.  C.  Stevens, 
J.  W.  Ward,  Obadiah  Welch,  William  Whitfield,  A.  A.  Whitman.  Levi 
Zeller. 

COMPANY  H. 

Cffy//rtiw— Robert  E.  Hopkins. 

U/  Lieutenant — Ahio  L.  Palmer. 

'i<f  Litntenanf~Thoma.s  Merriam. 

}vt  Herf/eanf—W iUium  PuUen. 

deraeiintK—hevi  D.  Tarbell,  Edward  V.  Carr,  John  II.  Johnson,  Jr., 
James  Loomis. 

Ovv.ori//,.— .Milton  Miller.  Augustus  P.  Brown,  Phillip  Messer,  Chaun- 
cey  J.  Congdon.  Webster  Miller,  Willard  H.  Spear,  John  Heron 
Nathan  G.  Brown. 

iVttiji'tirr — Henry  Bristol. 

Priratfr-Elien  H.  Angell,  Spencer  Boots,  Lorenzo  Bavington, 
Abraham  Becker,  Albert  Button,  Hamilton  D  Borden.  Wm  ■■iurnell, 
Sanford  Button,  Henry  Came,  Wm  Cullings,  John  Cobell,  Nicholas  V. 
Carpenter.  Ephraim  Congdon.  Henry  Coon.  Jr.,  Paul  M.  Dinehart,  Levi 
Dunbar.  John  Dings  Levi  Dyer.  LeRov  A  Emmons.  Jonathan  Emmons, 
Charles  Frank,  Augustus  Flue,  Adolph  J.  Fix.  George  Frank.  Ashley 
Graves.  Gabriel  Houghtaling.  Selah  D.  Hall.  George  Hines.  Casper 
Holsetseazar.  Ezra  Haynes.  Lewis  Kiiine,  Harvey  Kiune.  William  H. 
Ketchum,  Ethel  Kinne.  William  L.  Klock.  Jolin  P.  Kline,  Adam  Lucas, 
Otto  Layer.  Harvey  Loomis.  John  A.  Little,  Supreme  Lewis.  Henry 
Lieber.  Wm.  McKinley.  Francis  L.  Manning.  Calvin  McNeil.  Henry 
Moore.  John  S.  Ostrander,  Marquis  D.  Perkins,  Henrv  Rogers,  Firdinan- 
Riddinger,  Jeremiah  W.  Smiih,  thatles  Sivers,  William  W,  Sotherdon, 
LeRoy  Shute,  Andrew  J.  Springer,  Peter  Sheffer,  George  Shild,  Stanton 
Sugne,  Albert  J.  Snow,  John  L.  Stevens,  Jr.,  Alfred  Shafer.  Alfred 
Shute,  Howard  B  Sloan,  Robert  Telford,  David  Ten  Erok.  William  J. 
Taylor,  William  Tucker,  Joseph  F.  Thomas.  Robert  Vincent.  Henry 
Van  Wormer.  Simon  Vrooman,  Elias  Van  Wormer,  Cornell  Wood,  Jr., 
Charles  P.  Wntson,  Wm.  W.  Ostrander. 

COMPANY  I. 

Caj. fain— Davi(i  J.  Lindsay. 

1«;  Lieutenant— Georgfi  K.  Collins. 

2d  Lieuttnant—iobn  T.  Bon. 

l^t  Senjeant  —ilonimer  B.  Birdseye. 

^eif?"""*— George  W.  Chase,  William  Bridgford,  George  J.  Lager, 
George  H.  Deitz.  " 

to<7«-;<//»— >amuel  B.  Ward,  Elisha  B  George,  James  Gordon.  John 
Waugh.  Thomas  Chase.  Elias  Houghkirk,  William  McCiure,  James  J. 
Burrill. 

J/««/ci<i«,!-Ch(ster  W.  Colton,  George  H.  Quiiin. 

H'*/f/o»(»/-— James  R.  Noble. 

PriniteK-Herrii-iin  Auringer  Rufus  J.  Beckwith.  John  E.  Bell.  James 
V.  Butts.  George  Bean,  Thomas  Cannon.  John  T.  Carmichael.  Ebenezer 
B.  Cogswell,  Henry  W.  Crawford,  Oscar  Derrick.  James  S.  Everingham, 
Peter  Evans.  John  Bustin,  Edgar  A.  Eddy.  John  W.  Fox  Robert 
Goodfellow.  Nelson  Gilbert,  Robert  H.  Glassie.  John  Greer  Francis 
Hamlin,  John  W.  Hoyt,  Asa  Houghtnling,  Samuel  B.  Harrison,  Amos 
Howard,  George  Haight,  James  N.  Huson,  John  Howard,  Samuel 
Ingersoll.  Thomas  Juson,  James  W.  Kelsey.  James  Kennedv,  Thomas 
Kittains,  John  Kampf  Kerne,  John  McGraw,  Benjamin  Mallett,  Harricon 
Miles,  Michael  McEvoy,  James  Mill-.  .Michael  Murray.  Mathew  .Mc- 
Bride,  John  McAlister;  Wm.  Moon,  Perrv  Norton.  Jerome  Patterson, 
George  W.  Philips,  David  Patterson,  Abram  L  Philips,  Warren  Patter- 
son, Jacob  Pollock.  Cavilian  Petty,  Abner  Quimby,  Daniel  Rose,  Michael 
Rohan,  William  Sharp,  Wm.  Sandford,  Thomas  Shanesay.  Joseph 
Turner,  John  Taylor,  Edward  Wells,  Charles  F.  Woodford,  David  G. 
Wheeler,  Albert  Wilcox. 

COMPANY  K. 

Captain— James  E.  Doran. 

1st  Lieutenant — John  Van  Wie. 

2d  Lieutenant— Benjnmia  F.  Breed. 

ist  ^ert/ennt-Cone  Williams. 

iieri/eants— Jacob  M.  Doren,  Thomas  Hamilton,  John  Hopkins,  Revilo 
Smith. 

Cmpnrats— Barman  Carr,  Jewit  Pellett,  Smith  J.  Loveridge,  Jothen 
R.  Williamson,  James  L.  Sanders,  Sherman  Betts,  Jacob  Fink,  Philin 
Pelton.  "^ 

-l/i(«ici«rM— Charles  Miller.  William  W.  Tappen. 

\l'a{/onei— George  B.  Baker. 

/•/■(></?«— Anthony  Brazflle.  Charles  Babcock,  Dorathel  Butten 
AuL'usius  Bailing.  George  H  Carley,  Thomas  Colehan,  Michael  Clary, 
Leonard  Cornell.  Isaiah  Cunningham,  Wm.  Deacons,  Deighton  Dean 
Frederick  Dox.stader,  John  Michael  Dick,  Elliott  Dann.  Chauncy 
Foster,  Vedder  Green,  Charles  C.  Holmes,  Charles  S.  Henderson.  Wm 
H.  Hutchings,  Anthony  Hollenbaek.  James  Houser,  James  Honer, 
Wm.  Havens,  Eli  Evens,  Spencer  C.  Jackson,  Henry  J.  Linman,  John 
LaFilare,  James  Lawrence,  Richard  Lanfare,  Willet  Lunibard,  Horatio 
Morse,  Charles  McQueen,  Joseph  McQueen,  Woolsev  Mage,  ,Tames 
Mackey,  George  W.  Moshier.  Henry  Magee,  George  .McMillan.  Dennis 
Martin.  John  Nelson.  John  Pickard,  George  Pellett.  William  Pellett 
James  Pelton,  Ammi  C.  Pool,  Orry  Rowley.  Mathews  Storr,  Sanford 
Spore.  James  Smith,  George  H.  Sheppard.  Alexander  Sands.  Henry 
Tyler.  Jeheile  Thorn.  George  B.  Toles,  William  R.  Topping,  Frank  V 
van  Atten,  Harman  Widger.  Jr.,  Amos  W.  Warner,  Jas.  M.  Waterman 


4IO 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


i85th  l{cgiinci)t,  Infiiitfy,  >'.  Y.  fs.  \oU. 


COJIPA.NV   A 


fnrr\m  S    BuiUr    Kphralm  F. 


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COMPANY  D. 


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HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


411 


LuuQ.  Albirau  Larkio.  Charles  F.  Lonsbury,  William  Jlackay.  Thomas 
Millay.  James  W.  MoDaniels,  John  McKentJio,  Timet;y  Mangou,  Geoi(;e 
W.  Meigs,  Patrifk  O'Brien.  Cyrus  C.  Phillips.  George  Phippen.  James 
Patterson.  Peter  Parker.  Heiiry  Pratt.  Kussell  Quackenbush.  James 
Quinn,  Amos  Rogers,  Wm.  H.  Rockefeller.  Alexander  Rass.  Isaac 
Kouel,  Orlondo  P.  Rooks.  Selah  Strong.  Andrew  Spencer,  Isaac  Senell, 
Charles  Senell  James  Shear.  Waterman  P.  Shurles.  James  N.  Stokes. 
Dewitt  Smith.  Daniel  Straie,  George  Stormes.  JSepter  Smith.  Pomeroy 
Smun.  Stephen  A.  Tyler,  Wm.  11.  Thomlon.  James  Vranderlurg.  Chas. 
Vanrormer.  John  Yauhusen.  Bray  ton  J.  Wheloek.  Amos  Weller,  JohnR. 
Waiter,  James  Whitmore,  GargeWhitmcre.  William  Whitmore.  Benja- 
min I.  Yark,  Henry  E.  Sturns.  David  Cbrisler.  Stephen  S.  Jordan, 
Stephen  H.  Hitchcock. 

COMPANY  L 

Caplain — Jared  T.  Abbott. 

Ut  Lieutena/if—B..  Wurisworth  Clarke. 

2(1  Lifvtenat't—J&cob  M.  Dnran. 

PrivaU-s—A\he  A.  Abbott.  Trnman  Albro,  Jared  T.  Abbott.  Henry  H. 
Brown.  George  Bond.  Trunian  Bacon,  Ji^hn  Brannon.  Nathaniel  Bean, 
Hiram  Babcock.  Eugene  R.  Bureess.  W'jlliain  A.  Bishop.  Charles  S. 
Cook,  John  Carroll,  Wilbur  F.  Chidester.  George  R.  Clark.  Fernando 
Castle.  Richard  Chaffer,  Janie.<  H.  Coon.  Charles  H  Doolittle.  Oscar  B. 
Dennis.  James  Doran.  Daniel  (*.  Fox.  Frederick  R.  Gurdiuer.  Truraan 
P.  Green,  Warreu  Gilbert.  Stephen  Gilderoy.  Siduev  V.  Gage.  Milo  "W. 
Raskins.  James  Hobart.  Charles  Hudson.  "George  B.  Harvty.  Martin 
Hogan,  George  HoUenback,  Morris  Henneasv.  Daniel  J.  Hartuett.  Chas. 
C.  Hill.  Jacob  Jacobs.  William  Kavanab.  fjavid  Keuyon.  George  Kel- 
ley.  Peter  Lacker,  fclugene  K.  Lansing.  Jas.  D.  Lewis.  Michael  Lannigan, 
Dennis  McGuire.  John  Moshier,  John  McDonald,  Franklin  H.  Marshall, 
Wallace  McWain.  James  Nicholson.  Stephen  R.  Nyo.  Hiram  Neal, 
Simeon  Nea'.  Michael  Neffinaer.  Wesley  Porter.  Eben  A.  Powers,  Wil- 
liam Pencille.  Joseph  I'ilcher.  Christopher  RIckley.  Edward  Red, 
Christian  Renn.  Oiriu  H.  Sisson.  Welcome  Scott.  ZebinaSmith.  John 


Sullivan.  John  Thorndill.  William   S.  Vedder,  William  H.    Van  Cleeck 
Orlando  D.  Wheadon,  Rositor  O.  Wright.  Isaac  N.  Webster,  William  H* 
White.  Pbilo  Wilbur.  John  C.  Whitney,  Charles  Webster.  John  R  Wells' 
John  Walters.  Lemuel  W.  Wood,  Henry  S.  Redfleld,  Cornelius  Hickey 
George  W.  Lansing. 

COMPANY  K. 

Crt;*''*'"— Abram  H.  Spore. 

!.«'  l/u"fenar.f— Cyrus  Ji.  Phillips. 

'2d  L'wUnnht — Lewis  S.  Edgar. 

fri/v^^^.*— Alfred  D.  Ashcralt.  George  Atkins.  Vernon  B.  Ayer.  Charles 
M,  Barber.  Myron  Burns.  Lewi^  G,  Boucher.  Harvev  Bowman.  Urvin 
Bowman,  George  W.  Brown.  Oscar  31.  Bailey.  Charles'Bahcnck.  Edward 
L.  Beebe,  James  Bodiue.  Alexander  Breg,  Timothy  L  'Jarley,  Patrick 
CaUill.  Henry  Coykendall.  Martia  Dwyre.  Francis  .\.  Eaton,  t'humas  H. 
Eden,  Lewis  S.  Edgar.  Edwin  W.  Ftyer.  John  Furman,  John  Jackson, 
John  Fletcher.  Jr..  John  W.  Fitzgerahi.  James  Flood.  Henry  Ferris, 
George  P.  Farra:\  Frank  Fuller.  James  Garvey.  Jerome  C.  Gates.  Nel- 
son Greer,  Mavlon  Goetscbius,  John  P.  Hougbtaling.  Joseph  Hoatland, 
George  W.  Hill.  Nicholas  Hook.  Abner  Jackson.  William  H.  Lawton, 
Martin  Lawler.  David  Lee.  Lawrence  Lynch.  Joah  W.  Mercer.  James 
Miles.  .Mmou  A.  McGili,  William  McDonougb,  Aaron  B.  Neal.  Kufus 
Owen.  Cyrus  A  Phillips.  James  H.  Partridge.  Reuben  R.  Porter.  Bird- 
sey  Phelps,  David  Reese.  Edward  S.  Radway.  Chas.  H.  Rosendale.  Car- 
los E,  Rogers.  Edward  Ryan.  Michael  Ryan.  Abraham  H.  Spore.  James 
A.  Smith.  Andrew  J.  Smith,  Stephen  S.  'Smitb.  John  Smith.  Nelson  T. 
Smith.  George  S.  Stanard.  Daniel  J.  Salisbury.  Charles  Stokes.  Theo- 
dore Stickeis.  Charles Sihler.  William  G.  Stephen-.  Simeon  L.  Stillwell, 
Fredrick  N.  Tehune,  Martin  Thornton.  Charles  Van  Wormer,  Lcdroit 

E.  Washburne.   Benton  H.  Wilson,  William  Welch.  James  Widger.  Cor- 
nelius White.  Ingersoll  White.  John  H.  W*ilson.  John  E.  Whiston,  Chas. 

F.  AVithey.   Edward  W.  Wiley.  John  Wise.  Chauncey  Wyman.  Patrick 
Quigley,  Francis  W.  Brown.  \ViUiam  Ward,  Edward  W.  Manchester.*  • 


NAMES  OF   CITIZENS 

WHO  ASSISTED  AND  COXTIilBUTED  TOWARDS  THE  PUBLICATION  OF  THE  IlISTOEY  OF  ONOKDA(JA  COUNTY. 

WITH  PERSONAL  STATISTICS. 


CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 
ACCOUNTANTS. 

Gardner,  Geo.  J.,  General  Acoouutaut  aud  Private  Banker, 
Onondaga  Savings  Bank  Building;  b.  Boston,  Mass.,  s 
1829. 

Mann,  R.  DeWitt,  2-3  Larned  Block;  b.  Dutchess  Go.,  s  1870, 

AGENTS  (INSUBANCE.) 

Hanohett,    M.    W.,  room  4  Wieting  Block;  b.  SufiBeld,  Conn., 

s 1826. 
Mix,  Jamea    C,  33-2,5   Syracuse  Savings  Bank  Building,  Man- 

asjer  Globe  Life  Ins.  Co.:  b.  Hartford.  Ct.,   1826,  s  186.5. 
Smith,  Silas  F..  Onondaga    Co.    Savings  Bank  Building  ;  b. 

Lanesborough,  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.,  1812  s  1827. 
Truair,  T.S.,  iS}i  S.  Salina  St.;  b.  Chenango  Co.,  s  1819. 

AGENTS  (Real  Estate.) 

Grumbach,  Nicholas.  215Lodi;  b.  Detroit,  Mich.;  s  1838. 
Kirk,  Wm.  B.,  Jr.,  .52  S.  .Salina  St. ;  b.  Onondaga  Co.,  1850. 
Nelson,  John.  9  Lamed  Building;  b.  Sciitland,  1816,  s  1840. 
Rayuor,  J.,  bds.  Empire  House:  b.  Ciuoudaga  Co.,  1816. 
Seager,  S.  A.,  G5  S.  Salina  St. 

AGENTS  iSewin-o  Machines.) 

Ayres,  James  G.,  70  South  Salina  St.,  General  Agent  Wheeler 
&  Wilson  S.  M. ;  b.  Peekskill,  N.  Y.,  s  1846. 

Schieder,  George,  57  North  Salina  St.,  Agent  for  Best  Im- 
proved S.  M. ;  b.  Bavaria,  1830.  a  1S65. 

AGENTS  (Transportation.) 

Beers,  Charles  G.,  60  W.  Washington  St. ;  b.  Cayuga  Co.,  s 
1874,  Agent  International  Fast  Freight  Line. 

AGENTS  (Express.) 

Higgius,  Alfred,   residence  86  Warren  St. ;  b.  Cape  Cod,  Mass., 

s  1837. 

AGRICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS. 

Davis,  Frederick  L.,  (firm  of  Foster  &  Davis)  19  East  Water 
St.;  b.  Loudon,  England,  s  1870. 

*  Compiled  from  Adjutant-Generars  Reports. 


ARCHITECTS. 

Revoir,   Battese,  1.35  E.    Fayette  St.;  b.  Clinton   Co.,    1847,3 

1867,  (also  Builder.) 
White,  Horatio  N.,  12  Wieting  Block;  b.  N.  H.,  8  1840. 

ARTISTS,  (Fresco  and  DECORATn'E.) 

Allewelt,  Henry  C,  278  N.  Salina;  b.  Prussia,  1834,  a  185.5. 

ATTORNEYS. 

Anderson,  Wm.  C.  10  S.  Salina  St. ;  b.  Onondaga  Co.,  1830. 
Andrews,  Charles,  Judge  Court  of  Appeals. 
Beach,  Wm.  A  ,  room  8  Stevens  Block;  b.  Baldwinsville,  1842. 
Bailey,  B.  N.,  10  S.  Salina  St. ;  b.  Onondaga  Co.,  1849. 
Brewster,  Thurston  D.,  room  12  White  Memorial  Building;  b. 

Jefferson  Co.,  s  18.58. 
Byrne,  Thomas,  room  5  Yates  Block;  b.  Ireland,  s  1854. 
Comstock,  George  F. 

Costello,  J.  H.,  (of  Arm  Costello  &  Ide,)  rooms  10  aud  11  Ste- 
vens Block;  b.  Buffalo.  Erie  Co.,  s  1870. 
Evarts,  F.  M.,  room  5  Barton  Block ;  b.  Oswego  Co.,  s  1870. 
Fuller,  T.  K..  (firm  of  Fuller  &  Vann,  I  rooms  1,  2  aud  3  Empire 

Block;  b.  Vesper,  Onondaga  Co.,  1834. 
Gardner.  Rowland;  H.,   room  3  Bastable  Block;  b.   Plainfleld, 

Otsego  Co. ,  s  1843. 
Gilbert,  Wm.,  rooms  1  and  2  Yates  Block;  b.  Columbia.  Her- 
kimer' o.,  8  1840. 
Gott,  D.  F.,  5  Clary  Block. 
Graves,  Nathan  F.,  room  5  Wieting  Block;  b.  Oneida  Co.,  s 

1849. 
Hall,  L.  W.,  (firm  of  Hall  &  Ames.)  4  and  5  Stevens  Block;  b. 

Connecticut,  s  1842. 
Hamilton,  James  T..  4  W.  Fayette  St.;  b.  Pompey,  Onondaga 

Co.,  1829,  (and  Justice.) 
Hey,  George  W..   (firm  of  Sanders  &  Hey.)  12  Clinton  Block; 

Patent  Lawyer:  born  Onondaga  Co..  1849. 
Howard,  Frederick,  29  Syracuse  Savings  Bank  Building  ;  b. 

C^onnecticut,  s  1872. 
Hoyt,  H..  (firm  of  Markham,  Hoyt  &  Smith,)  13-15  White  Me- 

morial   Buildine;    b.   Lafayette,   Onondaga  Co.,    18.37. 
Ide,  Charles  E,  (of  Costello  &  Ide,j  10  aud  11  Stevens  Block; 

b   Ontario  Co  ,  s  1871. 
.Tames.  Wra..  room  6  Clinton  Block,  res.  133  E.  Genesee  St. 
Johnson.  A.  L.,  13  Granger  Block;  b.  New  Haven,  Oswego  Co., 

s  1858. 
Keeler,  Dennis  B.,  10  aud  U  Granger  Block ;  b.  Ireland,  s  1871. 
Leach.  James  S..  22  West  Water  St. ;  b.  Oueida  Co.,  s  1850. 
Ludiugton,  A.   N.,  37-38  Syracuse  Savings  Bank  Building;  b. 

Herkimer  Co.,  a  I860. 


4"- 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


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Ik'-MltlUtOll,     L. 

mcuMi  SariiiKl 


Il'k  UuiMiiit;,  I.  tu>v:i  .^I  Lysauiicr,  ria.  Baldwiutvllle. 
IJAKKIU. 
Hull.  IHrld  il..  30  W.  Qeoeaee. 

HANKER.**. 

BouU.  R.  .v..  re«.  1*.  (irrm  -Jt..  catblcr  N.   V.  Sute  BaDkiog 

Co  ;   b.  - 
Dawtou,  E.  S..  il  E.  Geiietee  Sti. ;  b.  XeUoii, 

.Mn.i.-  >     ••    I  Hi',  .July.  1836.     Treat. 

<  II, 
Elllt.  Ja'iM  -'■     Pretident   Mechanlc't 

Niti    ii.iiiK.Li   <  >ij'>iia:i^.t  mil,  April  13,   IHIO. 
Kltih.  T.  B. 
Glcamu,  I.u  i'l-     i'-    I.iv'ri 1;  Pren't  Third   Nat,   Bank;  b. 

LI- 
Graret,  N  'ret't  X.  V  Sute  ItaukiugCo.. 

Vm-i  1...  I   -.11HU-.    ^.ik'liigt  Bank:  b.  Oneida  Co. 
llowlett.  .\.  A.;  b.  town  of  <  inondnKa,  Keb.  17, 1K.*1. 
Ju.U..n,  K     H 
Lvacb.    I  I  liank,  ret.  :UJ 

N 
I.*aT-'   ■  ""I   .Syracuae 

Leui.  .  National 

HiiiiK  ;   t'    >\  r  u-ii-'-.  I  ••-■•• 
Pbelpt.  Dudley  i'..  >?•>.  UU  Jamea  Si. ;  b.  Preble,  Cortlaud  Co.  • 

I-HJU. 

Il,  E.  R. 

11.  P..  ri<t.  71  JametSt. ;  b.  Ireland,  t  1833. 
'until.  W.  IJrowii.  VIce-Pretldent  Syracuie  Havingt  Bank. 
Wllkliitcii.    Alfred    iflrm   of  Wllklutou   X  Co.)  b.   Syraouie, 

AiiifUit  r.  I'll 

Wllklutou.  .)     I  \   C",i  ret.  lO." 

Janiet  " 
Wood,   D.  P.,  1..        — Uga  Co.  Sarlugt 

Hank  ;  b.  Pompey  iiill,  UnoudagaCo.,  Nor.  5,  1810. 

BARBERS 
Oaunder,  Joaeph  E..   iflrm   of  liauiider  &  Van  Lcogen,)  33  W. 

L'».  ......   t^i         >.      1>I.  i!...I..I,.l,<.,      ..    Ivi.U 

Vai.  'Qiaiiv.  I  ISTT. 

Wil.  ■  \V.    Kayatti'  .si. 

b-  -VuKU'lu.  'jii  .  "I'll 

BOOK  BINDER.S. 

Koebler,  Auguat.  .11,  :i'i.  .'!.'■  Munroe  Block;  b.  Uerinaoy.  1M&, 
t  XhW.     Bank  itatlonory  a  apeclalty. 

BOUT  AND  HHOE  DEALERj^.    (Wiioi.K8AL£  and  Rraiu) 

Barrett,  .lamea  R..  n  St. :  b.  (.'amlllut,  N. 

\\ 

^ini  iii,,i  Water  9u.; 


Y..   IKM.      l\\ 

Gray,  John  !»..  u.f  t 

b.  Herkimer  Co.,  t  IpWt.     (U 
Grar,  H«rrl*r'ii  H  .  'of  linr  Br"" 
Mcfi  


Prn: 


<U'hu;e«alu  uilr. i 


,  t  1860. 

1.    ."•(-ni'ii'Tiaily,  N.  Y.,  • 

t;ton   St.:  b.    Mate.,  1 1868. 


Uuderbli: 

b   ■ 
Wbltelani.   •  iiJiri'-» 

..Mfr.i 


'/IlkCo.jlSS.CniotoQSt; 
iiiii'ju  8t.;  b.  England,  t  ..47. 


BOOKS.  STATBINERY  AND  WALL  PAPER. 

Wvukooi.,  R.  C.  ,*  C  .  19  s    Snlliia  -t 


)0|.,   K.  Ii. 

B.  •;   \V 
J.  s  w 
R.  (i    U 


1810,  t  1848. 


BREWERS  AND  BOTTLERS. 

Crocker,  J.  A.,  «  W.  Faylle  8t. ;  b.  Maaa..  1 1860.    (Bottler  of 

Ale  and  Porter,  i 
Fvlrr  ,.,..-.  lUfr    ood  Dealer  in  Belfatt 


(;ro. 
(;re. 
Hal' 


h    Kuglaud,  t  \6-V. 

..  Bride  8t.;  b.  Gennan/.a 


BROKERS. 

Blalr.  J.H.,r>l  s.  Sbiliui:  ' 
lllnmaii,  .1    H.,  I  liaaemei 

iF'ii         

Morey,  A 

dns     " 


iiiKt  Bank  Building. 


'iion- 
Ml. 


BfTCHERS  AND  MEAT  MARKETS. 


Engttler,  John,  cor.  LodI  and  Butternut  Sti. ;  b.  Auttria,  1817, 

a  IMKl. 
Fox,    L.     ^      ■•'     ■■      (JeiK-.ee  St.;  b.  Buffalo,  N.  Y..  1830,  tl8». 

(S-  LI"  Mfr.l 

Taylor,  Sai  -    Weat  St. ;  b.  England,  a  1843. 

BLACKSMITH   AND  HORSE  SHUER. 


Hlldreth.   ^  ••     - ''      '   •"  '    

ri.'i  ■ 

alble. 

CARRIAGE  AND  WAGON  MANUFACTURERS. 

Atklnaon,  Wui..  cor.  Warren  and  Cburcb  Stt.;  b.  Kngland, 
IMO,  a  Ic.M.  Mr.  .\.  baa  im-ik  .nriM-dtbe  title  bettowed, 
on  blm  of  ■•  I'riiice  of  li 

C*0'.openiti>'e  Cnrrinpe  W*.rk* 

ir„i       ■■  ■    :■       ., 

B 

L.  -     .  ■ 

Prellie,  H.  !•.,  re».  li«i  Gr»p«*  .M..  l>.  .*>\fttcuae,  In'jO. 
Curtlt,  Cbarl.a  W.,    firm  of  lurtit  *  Sanwaldi  13  Walton  8t*; 

b.  *     "         '>.V>. 
Gebm,  W:  .,  (flmi  of  Soblo»ier<fe  Gebin:lb.  GenDany, 

1> 
LInei,  T.  1) I  i.  D.   LInet  &  Co.)  (10  Warren  St  ;  b.  N.  Y.  a 

IhOU. 
Mellua  >t:  Hopper,  °J4  Walton.  iMfr.  Sleigba  and  Carrlagei.) 

Mellna,  Jobn    N..  ret.  TU  W.  (ieneiee  St.;  b.  Columbia 
Co.  UIH,  t  lWi7. 

Ho|i|ier.  lieninrd  C.  rea.   lU   Mulberry  St.:  b>  BerseD 

(II .  X.  .1..  \<r,. « i-xi:,, 

Phelpa,  Charlea,  ;li  Wnlioii  :  b.  i  >aweKi>.  iKjil,  a  1K.T. 
Reldy,  MIobaei,  18-:'U  Mulberry;  b.  Ireland,  i  ISM 

CIVIL  ENtilNEEHS  AND  SURVEYORS. 
Grifnn.  Rheaa  IT  Lamed  Block;  b.  Ooondaga  Co.  1H41. 

1 1.. .  .1 I  > 11.'      ...^     ':i->  M  .,11  ..r..-.       ).     I'.., V     _   1..1I 


-<H. 
.\.Y. 


bUitu  (.  aiiul ,  b-  * 'swtxo  V.  u.,  :?  l-ijj- 

CIVIL  OFFICIALS. 

Bilden.  J.  J.,  Mayor,  rea.  W.  i  t   ;  b.  Fablui. 

Brown,  l-kiward  Hew   !•  il.  ir-  ivette  St. :  b.  N.  Y'.,  « 

1844.     Trt•a^  >iii-l.  Cily  Water  Workt. 

Cbate,  A.  C„  rea.  li  St.;  b.  Whlttleld,  N.  H.,  Nor. 

10,  1834,   a   I'-.Ki      ■  i.:.iiiioater  and  Mfr.  of  Plauot  and 

Organi. 
Dorwin,  Lvmnn  C  ,  rr=.  40  E.   Onondaga  St. ;  b.  Onondaga  Co. 

1-  ■ 
Doolittlc  I'ino  St.;  b.  Onondaga  Co.  183&.  mem- 

l.  l.lerCo.  No.  1;  C.  C.  Fire  l>-i.t. 

Draper.  I  .^  ."^t.;  b.  Tonipkint  Co. 

^  Ward,     Syracute.    and 

>>..  tkt. 

Eattwoi>ii  :  Spring   St.,  Juttice  of  tbe  Peace, 

b  :. 

Hlgglna,  liciij.   L.  •;  b.  Bamttable  Co., 

Matt.  iKr,  ~ 
Hougb,  Timothy,  re,.      .  ^l   nev  Order  Clerk 

P.  o    IJept.;  b.  .\ 
O'Couner,  Jamea.  rea.  Ii  ■    Y.  city,  i  1862. 

Fireman  Steamer  Xu.  a  C.  C.  i-  iru  Ufpt, 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


413 


Rust,  Stiles  M.,  res.  '.12  E.   Genesee  St. ;  b.  Onondaga  Co.  1825. 

City  Treasurer. 
Smiogler,   August,   res.   12    Grace  St. ;    b.   Germany,   s    1854. 

F^remau  Steamer  No.  3.  C.  C  Fire  Dept. 
Smith,  Vivus  W. ;  b.  Laiiesborough.  Berlssliire  Co.,  Mass  ,  Jan. 

27.  1804,  8  1827.     (Canal  Appraiser.) 
Wood,  Ira.  res.  8  Granger  place;  b.  Greeubush,  N.  Y.,  a  1844. 

Chief  Engineer  C.  C.  Fire  Dept. 

CHINA,  GLASS  AND  QUEENS-WARE. 

Jenkins,  .lohn  T..  res.  40  Almond  St. ;  b.  Howard  Co.,  Mary- 
land, s  18C2.    Book-keeper.  S.  P.  Pierce  &  Co. 

Johnson,  Chas.  J..  10.')-107  W.  Fayette  St. ;  b.  Lafayette,  Onon- 
daga Co..  N.  Y.,  1830.    (Wholesale.) 

Lathrop,  Daniel  N..  res.  8  Keniiedr  St..  Danforth;  b,  Mont- 
rose, Pa.,  ISS.'i,  s  1841.    Salesman  S.  P.  Pierce  &  Co. 

Pierce,  S.  P.,  12  S.   Salina  St.;  b.  Oneida  Co.,  s  18-39. 

VanWageuen  &  Brodhead,  C7  S.  Salina.     (Importers.) 
Brodhead,  F.  A.,  res.  43  Towusend  St  .  a  18.')5. 
A'anWagenen,   M.,  res.  82  S.  Salina  St. ;  b.  Onondaga 
Co   18.39. 

CLOTH  SPONGER. 

Dibble,  Moses,  Durstou  Block;  b.  Washington  Co.  1820,  s  1872. 

CLOTHIERS  AND  MERCHANT  TAILORS. 

Hair,  Chester,  47  E.  Genesee;  b.  Belchertown,  Mass.,  9  1837. 

Hall,  H.  F..  cor.  Vanderbilt  Square  and  Saliua  Sts. 

Jacobs,  Moses,  21  N.  Salina  St. ;  b.   Bath.  England,  1817,  s  1848. 

Mfr.  and  Wholesale  and  Retail  Dealer. 
Palmer.  A.  W.,  (firm  of  A.  W.    Palmer  &    Co.)  15-17  S.  Salina 

St.;  b.  Antwerp,  N.   Y.,  s  1842.    Mfr.  and   Wholesale 

and  Retail  Dealer. 
Peck,  Frank   A..   24-20   N.   Salina  St..   'firm  of  W.  S.  Peek  & 

Bro.)  b  Solon.  Cortland  Co.,  s  1860. 
Peck,  W.  S.,  24-20  N.  Salina  St.,  (firm  of  W.  S.  Peck  &  Bro.)  b. 

Solon.   Cortland   Co.,  s  1864.      (Wholesale  Dealer  and 

Manufacturer.) 
Sloan,  C.  H  ,  8  Lamed  Block ;  cheapest  tailor  in  the  State. 
Sloan,  R.  J.,  9  Lamed  Block;  b.  N.  Y.,  s  1870. 
Stinard  &  Edwards,  1'3  Vanderbilt  Square. 

Stinaid,    -Vlfred   F..    res.   12  Gazelle  St. ;  b.   Wolcott, 
Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.  1848,  s  1868. 

Edwards,  Ed.  D..  res.  7  Gazelle  St. ;  b.  Spafford,  Onon- 
daga Co.,  N.  Y.  1842. 

COAL  AND  WOOD  (Dealers  IN.) 

Abbott,  Wm.  E.  OS  W.  Water  St.  and  225  E.  Water  St. ;  b.  Low- 
ville,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  19,  1822,  s  1841,  (firm  of  Hopkins  & 
Abbott.) 

Hamilton,  W.  T.,  1  Syracuse  Savings  Bank  Building;  b.  Onon- 
daga Co.;  Prest.  Morris  Run  Coal  Co. 

Holden,  E.  F.,  122  S.  Clinton  St. ;  b.  Monroe  Co.,  s  1867.  Agent 
Coal  Dept  1).  L.  &  W.  R.  R.  Co, 

Hopkins,  Edwin  P.,  98  W.  Water  St.  and  225  East  Water;  b. 
(luondaga  Hill,  April  26,  1812,  (firm  Hopkins  &  Abbott.) 

Rombach,  John,  122  S  Clinton  St;  b.  Gernianv,  s  1852.  Weigh- 
cnaster  Coal  Dept.  D.  L.  &  W.  R  R.  Co. 

Soule,  .Albert  D.,  122  S.  Clinton  St.:  b.  Syracuse,  1855.  Sales- 
man Coal  Dep't  D.  L.  &  W.  H.  K.  Co. 

Sweet,  J.  H.,  cor.  Bridge  and  N.  Salina  Sts  ;  b.  Lysander, 
1825.     Dealer  in  Wood,  Hay  and  Straw. 

COMMISSION  MERCHANTS. 

Durston,  George  W.,  res.  4  Highland  St;  b.  Syracuse,  1850. 

Fay,  Albert  W.,  E.  Fayette  St.  cor.  Montgomery;  b.  Syracuse, 
1840. 

Fish,  Frank  M.  (firm  of  Duff  &  Fish.)  cor.  Fayette  and  Mont- 
gomery Sts.,  Onondaga  Co.,  1847. 

CIGARS  AND  TOBACCO,     (Manupactubers  and  Whole- 
sale AKD  Retail  Dealers.) 

Aldrich,  B.  S.,  (firm  of  Hier  &  Aldrich,)  31-33  N.  Salina  St. ;  b. 

Cortland  Co.,  6  1865.    (Mfr.  and  Wholesale  Dealer.) 
Auer,  Michael,  (firm  of  Auer  A  Co.)  48  E.  Water  St  ;  b.  Swit- 

zerland,  s  1851.    (Manufacturer.)  ' 
Barton,  Joseph,  (firm  Joseph  Barton,  Jr.,  &  Co.)  70  E.  Genesee 

St. ;  b.  N.  Y.  city,  s  1844. 
Gushing,  Q.  F.,  (firm  of  Carr  4c  Cushing,)  67  W.  Fayette  St 
Demong,  John,  Lodi  cor.  John;  b.  Prussia,  s  1847 
Herrick,  W.  B.,  ,14  W.  Fayette  St. ;  b.  Onondaga  Co.  ia34. 
Hall,  John  U..  res.  36   Baker  .St. ;  b.   Rutland  Co.,  Vt.,  s  1824 

Manufacturer  and  Farmer. 
Ostrander,   C.    W.,  10  E.  Genesee  St.;  b.  Onondaga  Co.  1833. 

(Manufacturer  and  Dealer.) 
Parker,  IJichard  11.,  43-45  W.  Fayelte  St.;  b.  Onondaga  Co. 

Seubert  &  Warner,  58-00  W.  Fayette  St. 

Seubert,  Justin,  res.  Ill  Willow  St.;  b.  Germany, s  1866. 

Warner,  Wm.  H.,  res.  3  Seymour  St. ;  b.  Madison  Co., 
e  1803. 
Tallman,  ChaHes,   Jr.,  44  W.  Fayette  St.;  b.  Syracuse.  I8.53. 

(Leaf  Tobacco.)  ' 

73 


COLLEGE  (Business.) 
Meads,  C.  P.,  res.  31  Hickory  St.,  b.  Chenango  Co..  e  1868. 

CONTRACTORS,  CARPENTERS  AND  BUILDERS. 

Blye,  Benj.  F.,  res.  2  N.  West  St. ;  b.  Cortland  Co.  1821,  8 1844. 

(Stair  Builder.) 
Britcher.  James,  res.  103  W.  Onondaga  St;  b.  Kent,  England,  s 

182H. 
Congdon.  Albert  B.,  res.  town  of  Salina;  b.  Salisbury,  Conn., 

s  180C.    (Carpenter  and  Builder.) 
Grover,  Albert.  1.52  K.  Washington   St.;  b.  Otsego  Co.   1818,  s 

1867.    (Cistern  Builder  and  Carpenter.) 
Jackson,  Thomas,  res.    90  Catherine.  St. ;  b.   England,  1841,  b 

1859.    (Carpenter  and  Builder.) 
Mason,  A.  L.,  res.  90  Court  St. ;  b.  Syracuse,  1824.    (Builder.) 
Moore  &  Dickison,  James  cor.  Pearl.    (Builders.) 

Moore,  John,  res.  W.  Genesee  St.;  b.  Ireland 

Dickison.   Wm.,   res.  94  W.  Onondaga  St.;  b.  Oswego 
Co.,  s  1865. 
Park,  Robert,  res.  123  Warren  St. ;  b.  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.  1807, 

3  1808.    (Retired.) 
Soule,  Alex.   C.  res    75  Hawley;  b.  Albany  Co.  1830,  s  1849. 

(Builder  and  Assessor.) 
Steele.  Samuel  A  ,  (Building  Mover,)  res.  96Geddes;  b.  Carlisle, 

N.  Y.  1818,  8  1828. 
VanVleck,  James,  cor.  Bear  and  Spring  Sts. 

CLERGYMEN. 

Beard,  A.  F.,  res.  2.36  E.  Genesee  St. :  Pastor  Plymouth  Ch. 

Bourke,  Wm.  J.,  res.  cor.  Court  and  Park  Sts.;  b.  Syracuse, 
Onondaga  Co.  (Pastor  St.  John's  the  Baptist  Church.) 

Guerdet.  J.,  Pastor  St.  John's  Roman  Catholic. 

Hoefflin,  Rheinhard,  res.  118  Catherine  St  ;  b .  Germany,  s 
187.5.     Pastor  First  German  Baptist  Church. 

Huntington,  F.  D.,  Rt.  Rev.,  Bishop  of  Central  N.  Y.,  res.  99 
James  St. 

Haven.  E.  O.,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  res.  E.  Genesee  St.;  b.  Boston, 
Mass.,  sl874  ;  Chancellor  Syracuse  University. 

Kennedy,  John  J.,  res.  121  Gifford'St. ;  b.  Ireland,  s  1853;  Pas- 
tor St.  Lucy's  Catholic  Church. 

Mundy,  R.W.,  137  Warren  St.,  Pastor  Independent  Church. 

O'Hara,  James  A.,  res.  39  E.  Onondaga  St  ;  b.  Ireland,  s  July 
4,  18.59;  Pastor  St.  Mary's  Church. 

Oberlander,  Alex.,  87'-.{  Butternut;  Pastor  German  Evangeli- 
cal Zion  Lutheran  Church. 

Pratt,  J.  Edward,  res.  15  Slucuni    .ive. ;  b.  Conn.,  8  1873;  Rec- 
tor Trinity  Church. 
j      Peck,  Jesse  T. 

i      Kobillard.  J.  S.,   res.   140  E.   Genesee  St.:  b.   Canada,  ISil,  s 
1870;  Pastor  St.  Joseph   Catholic  Church. 

Seaver,  Norman,  res.  cor.  Irvine  and  Adams  Sts.;  b.  Boston, 
Mass.,  s  1877;  Pastor  Fourth  Presbyterian  Church. 

Stoller,  P.  Norbert,  res.  Franciscan  Convent,  N.  Saliua  St. ;  b. 
Bavaria.  1832,  s  1861;  Roman  Catholic  Priest. 

Smith,  Charles  E.,  res.  136  E.  Fayette  St.;  b.  Janunry,  1835, 
Fall  River,  Maas.,  s  January,  1870;  Pastor  First  Bap- 
tist Church. 

Thurber,  Edward  G.,  res.  434  Chestnut  St.:  b.  Monroe  Co. 
Mich.,  s  1870:  Pastor  Park  Central  Presbyterian  Ch. 

VanSlyke,  Evart,  res  ;'.  Lodi  Terrace;  b.  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y. 
18.35,  8  1870;  Pastor  Reformed  Church. 

DENTISTS. 

Barnes,  Chirles,  8  Wieting  Block ;  b.  England,  1837,  s  18.53. 
Dayan,  Squire  C,   131>i  East  Genesee  St.;  b.   Jefferson  Cc, 

1847,  8  1871. 
Martin,  Samuel  G.,  14  E.  Jefferson  St. ;  b.  Chenango  Co.,  1830, 

3  1860. 
Marshall,  John  S  ,   1.5-10,   Onondaga  County   Savings  Bank 

Building;  b   England,  1846,  3  1858. 
Matson  A.  Holton,  20  White  Memorial  Building;  b.  Cortland 

Co.,  183.5,  8  1809. 
Nearing  Lucius  A.,  8  and  9  Pike  Block ;  b.  Pompey,  1824. 
Smith,  Daniel  I).,  1  Pike  Block  ;  b.  Schenectady  Co  ,  April  24, 

1817.  s  Oct.  1,  1840,  (dentist  and  niaiiuf.  of  imitation  of 

coral  for  jewelry,  etc. 

DRUGGISTS.    (Wholesale  and  Retail..) 

Covert,  E.  B.,  Temperance  House  Block,  cor.  W.  Fayette  and 

Clinton  Sts. ;  b.  Seneca  Co.,  3  1868.    (Retail.) 
Kenyon,  Potter  &  Co,,  .34-30  S.  Clinton  St..    (Wholesale.) 

Kenyon,  G.  M.,  res.  .52  Hawley  St. ;  b.  Oswego  Co.,  s  '02. 
Potter.  ().  C,  res.  80  W.  Onondaga  St. ;  b.  Madison  Co. ; 

3.  1850. 
Perry.  Geo.  H.,  res.  Globe  Hotel;  b.  Chemung  Co.,  s. 
IS'A. 
Kenyon,  Chas.  H.,  159  E,  Fayette  St. ;  b.  Oswego  Co.,  1838,  s. 

18.55.     (Retail.) 
Moore  &  Hubbard.  73  S.  Salina.    (Wholesale.) 

Moore,  J.  B.,  res.  149  James  St  ;  b.  RensselaeryiUe,  N. 

Y.,  3  186;i. 
Hubbard.  Chas.,  0  Shonnard  St. ;  b.  Brunswick,  N.  Y., 

18.39,  3  18(i2. 
Kingsley,  S.  E.,  res.  10  Madison  St.;  81840.    (Financial 
Manager.) 


4«4 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


MoMOb.  Wm..  944  K    fUllM  St  :   b.  Oennaor.  lUO.  •  1«<«7. 
(Katall.i 


imv  ' 

McC»rthT   r>r,, 

Mc< 

I'rlc 

.liMeCar- 
-lb.  New  Wooditock 

^\f- 

"  :      .     ' 

i)iiondiig><'o.,  K1I 

oi.rl'U  (u.    It^.  i  1(W 

lUi 


»ru<-. 
Del.! 


,  b.  Saratoga  Co..  •  mtH 
KJ»'C!RAVER  ON  WOOD  AND  8TONE1. 

F. .  »  Muoroe   Block;  b.   Ix)cki>ort.   N.  Y., 
.-<v. 

khitors  and  I'LbLisnKits 

ii-.i.f    M       I,    \i..i,..„  Co..  June  :.'l.  1H34.  •  1^.1. 

I'Tbllt.   (Kd.  Aurora  Brazlllera, 

•ia,  «mo. 


kiniiry.  Ii.  .-^  .  hi,  uti,  K.  Ououila^a-    <  Ag(.  VVr«|;»u  M«th.  B<1. 

of    I'lll.i.) 

Ton  I       "  •      '■  '  •    -       ■  "-  •    ^j-racu«»»  L'uloD. 

8kiii  -t. :  b  Otwrtio  I'o. ;  •  t*T5. 

II  I 

Die.  a  isj-.'. 

.„ . .-I.;  b.  Scotland,  •  lies     (Eveu- 

litR  (li*rald.) 
Warreti.  o.   U..  b.  N.  Y,  •  IVTi.    (Ed.   Nortbera  Cbriitlao 

Advocate.) 

FI-OL-R,  FEED.  tiUAIN.  ETC. 

lot  the  llriT)  of  Jacob  Aaiot  k  Sunt);  b.  Syr*- 

lilt  Millen 
mil  f..   •  KVJ. 
riunilge,   Oiiomlaga   I'o. 


Aai' 
A  HI' 


-I-' 

to.  11.  -, 
11     iv<   411 


IM. 


Mill 


Tort.  ■ 
HurUck.  . 

"t-rb^ck.  J. 


'•«<«  St. ;  b.  I  >iiontliiffa  Co.  l^V 
(drm  J.  C.  >V  J.  SurbMk.ib. 

.1  :  b  Swluerland.  IH.'U,  ilMS. 


rURNlTL'KK  DF.M.KKS.  Ul'IIOUSTEKElW.  ETC. 


.■«B. 

GENTS'  FURNlHHINtJ  COdDS  AND  SHIRT  JIANL'KAC- 

TCUKK-*. 

lirtiuirlkmiip.  T.  J  .  b.  Mollmul.    IKIX.  a  Isivi. 

FpIIoki  llroii   tiMui.i        !  ,    Mfr.   and  Wholetalc  Dealers. ) 

I         v  •.  Irrlng  L»  ,  ttt   Ti  Dritcull   Block;  b.  Ouondaga 

i-r.i 
l-rii^.^K.  J.  Porter,  rei.   IIM  E.  Qenenee;  b.  Onondaga 
Co  i»4; 
Goodwill    T     f      r.0  s    Salloa  St.;  b    Scotland   •  l!)74.    (Sblrt 
M 

WanhliiKtoii :  b.  <  luondaga  Co.  IIMO. 


Hood.  W 

T»> 

Wb.i. 


N.  V  .  ilHTI 
iShlrtMfr.l 


tiltm  KKw 


Andrews.  H    l< 

N    Wm 

Brown.  C  c     i 

Cate,  Wli: 

1- 
Cuan,  All 

St 
Crouae.  J  I. 

Ooi 

\\ 
Ererton.    ' 

a>< 
Husted,  I 

W 


lWnotB«AI.E   AND   KrTAIl.  I 

r       \  ...lr..vt  .      Mr..    .  In 


«"    I S[.  ,ud  1 

-t.  Ii  "-ilviT  11.11,  England. 
nil   .\.  r  ■       Iir'  W    Farelte 

:it>.l 


i>f  Stiper  k  Everton,  cor.   N.  Sallna  and 


Miller.  Frr'--'-     ■'- 

r. 
I'alniiT    \ 

Rut. 


Haml""    ^' 


'  -*b«rlue  St.;  b.   Oanndack 
-.   '"„  .  M   w.  Favetle.)  b. 
41  ItTliigSt*. 


I  -ft. 


M-iii.-i.    \\  uirinuini.,  b 

"ichwarr    I  -.li  St.;  b.  Syn 

HI  MAX  HAIR  liiiulis 

Uiftle.  Ilenrr.  T.^TO  S  Saltiia  St.;  b.  Auburn,  N.  Y,.  i  IM2. 
Paine.  RIcbard,  »  F-  Ueueaee  St. 

IlAllDWARF.,  STt'VES  AND   HoCsE   FIRNHHINO 
liiMtDS. 

■r  &  AapcU.I   130  8.  Wett;  b. 
'    "  •   •      :«4fl. 

'MM. 

■  'A  \  (  o. .  iu  .H.  bithua;  b 
lie  and  Retail. 


Aipell 

Jii 

Evtmoii.  1 

Or 

Friend  &  1 

K' 

Grant. 

Al- 

. -S..  re*.  ie»  E.  Washington;  b.  England, 

1. 

1  .1..  ret.  3-*  East   Fayette;  b.  0(W«go  Co. 


.   .      :  .  inrm  of  Grant  k  Dunn,)  'M  E.  Qena 

b     ScotlKlnl.    •  IM',,). 

Keonedv.  SpnnMiiitr  \  I  '<>..  Si  S.  Clinton  St.     Wboleaale. 

K>-  "    I'lfurd.   res    l.T^  E     Genetee;  b.   L7MUI- 


K. 

Spu(ii>li 
Pease.  John  F 
RedOeld.  C.  T..    mn 

b.  Syracuse. 
S.ipcr.  Win   .s..  ido. 


IC.  K   (ieiie«.-.>.  1p    I.vriniiiler.  1830. 
loTWti  -      iT.rd.  18S7. 

I.  h.  Mail 

■■■'■■   ',  i:.-.ii,.-i.i.  .,  -  ,,  W.  \Vat«r; 


rd;  b.  Seneca  Co.  ■  1873. 

HARNF^.S.  SADDLES.  TRUNKS,  &C. 

Itr»-iier.  H.  D..  res.  l.'»  Cedar;  b.  Madison  Co   Hm.  ■  ISSfi. 
II'  ye.  Jobu.  37  Warren;  b.  Ireland,  s  184.V 

HATS.  CAI*S.  FIR-S,  &C 

Hawkins.  Edward  T.,  1  flroi  of  Hawkins  k  (ioodrlob.l  34  Boutb 

.Sallna;  b   Monroe  Co.  lHi.<.  •  imu 
Saber.  Wra    P..  1  linn  of  Win.   P.    Saber  k   Co.)  15  Vanderbllt 

"^    --      '1'  y    ^^  ~  tilnittoii. 

i'   Germany,  «  1*i.U.    (Mfr.) 

.SU'vi-.'.i'..    li.,\ia.  ic'.-t.    114  S    Sallna;  b.  New  Fairfield, 

Conn  .  1 1*74. 
Adams.  Adelmer,  res.  1.'>1  Warren;  b.  Ouon.  Co.  1860. 
Tondeur,   Frank,  'X  Monroe  Bluck;  b.  France,  liMl,  11807. 

HAT  AND  BuNNET  BLEACHER 

Morse.  Albert  M..  .'15  S.  Clinton  St. 

HIDES  AND  LEATHER. 

Van  Buren   11   W      ilrm  of  Van  Uuren  k  Smith,)  15  E.  WaUr. 

HOTELS. 

lar;  b.  Solon,  N.  Y.,  ■  184S.    Supt. 

— ^•-  »  >     ^v  :  b.  Herkimer  Co.,  I 

I. -a  and  West  St«. ;  b. 


Brownell,  <•   1, 
Temper 
Kd.' •     " 


Lino 
Nyp 

Nott,  C  A  ,  cor.  W 

f«'r*'>n  Co  .  • 


,  .  Ui-U.  lli>u>c. 

la  St.:  b.  Onondaga  Co.  1820.     Prop. 

:i  and  S    Frnnklln  Sta  ,  b.  Jef- 
r^"(or  Congress  Hall. 


Mgh' 


.\1 


Mann,  J' 


Olaii  > 


ll.Ul.ii.  ,\ 

i'ol)b,  N» 

w 

K.  .v,'!.    1  itiinl  0"r. 

.V    Mi-Keever,)  cor. 
..  t  1848.    Spe- 

l<->lii.l      1    .,iV  11;, 
lI'llllTl.      .I..ll:l1 

'  Sia. ;  b.  C«yaga  Co., 

IRON  FOUNDERS  AND  MACHINISTS. 
|<  I  Block;  b.   Fabia*.    lUilioad  Iron 

11      ^.,.     ..,..1  IV ^.  .,      1.-...,  VVIji 

!    K. 

I'l 
.;i  1    |-,1I;'U  ,  \).  >.i  i,i.;in'',    1»47. 
■  I  "o. 
;  Prest.  I  luondaira  Iron  W'ks. 
•  I    "f  I  ..(.I.     IliTrIck  *   Co.';  b.   Vt.;  *  1846. 
.1  iiiriinl    ItiiililiiiK;  b    Mass..    IH'.'l     •    1869. 
MiM^ol  iiHiki-r  mill  mfr.  llobert  Portable  Gas  Bnroer. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


415 


Porter,  George  A., res.  Park  cor.  Danforth;  b.   Syracuse,  18U. 

Treas.  Porter  Mfg.  Co.,  .3.54  to  .3.58  N.  Salina  St. 
Sanderson,  \Vm.  J.,  21  Church  St.;  b.  Enfflaiid,   1.«13T,  s  1.8.5G. 
Stearns,   Edward  C.   IIG  Cedar  St..  s  1858.    Mtr.  Mechanic's 

Tools,  (Steam  Yacht  Engine  Works.) 
Sank,  John,  ;firui  of  John  Seuk&Bro. )   27G  Lodi  St.;  b.  Baden, 

Germany.  181-',  s  18.51.     (Brass  Foundry.) 
Senk,  Wm.,  do.  do;  b.  Germany,  1848,  s  1854. 

JEWELERS. 

Ball,  Calvin  S.,  Jr.,    White   Memorial  Building;  b.  Onondaga 

Co.  1,83:.' 
Hawley,  J.  Dean,  21  S.  Salina  St.;  b.  Canastota,  N.  Y.,  s  1845. 

L.\UNDRIES. 

Wilbur,  George  A.,  75  E.  Water  St.;  b.  Dutchess  Co.  1845,  s 
1874.     Prop.  Empire  Steam   Laundrr- 

LIME,  CEMEXT  AND  PLASTER. 

Brltton,  M.  &  Son,  02  North  SalinaSt. 

Britton.  Matthias,  res.  Town  of  Onondaga ;  b.  Colum- 
bia Co.,  s  1825. 
Britton,   Israel  E.,  res.  do.  do;  b.  Onondaga  Co.  1846. 

LIVERY. 

Breed,  Ch.arlesL.,  Durston  Block,  N.  Warren  St. ;  b.  Onondaga 

Co.  18.55. 
Hosmer,  George  S..  10  E.  Jefferson  St. ;  b.  Willimantic,  Conn., 

8  1846.     In  Livery  business  25  years. 
WoodruflP,  Jason,  res.  69  S.  Clinton. 

LUMBER  DEALERS. 

Avery,   Augustus,  Saw  Mill,  res.   106  Turtle  St.;  b.  Conn.,  s 

1848.     Ex-Supervisor. 
Cary,  Bradley,  7  Lock  St. ;  b.  Ulster  Co.,  s  1807. 
Chapman,  E.  E.,  Free  cor.  Carbon  St. ;  b.  .Syracuse,  1837.  Lum- 
ber Yard  and  Planing  Mill. 
Gillett,  Wm.  J.,  94  N,  Salina  St. ;  b.  Oswego,  1840,  s  1865;  also 

Prop.  Planing  Mill,  cor.  Franklin  and  Mechanic  Sts. 
Mann  &  Hunter,  260  S.  Salina  St.    (Dealers.) 

Mann,  Enoch,  res.  360  E.  Castle  St. ;  b.  Onondaga,  1817. 

Hunter,  James,  res.  Onondaga  Valley ;  b.  Scotland,  s 
1848. 
MoChesney,  George  11..  (firm  of  Geo.   H.  McChesney  &  Co.)  55 

James  and  74  West  Sts. ;  b.  Oswego  Co.  1841,  s  1868. 
Warner,  C.  C,  res.  26  Gazelle  St.;  b.  Chenango  Co.,  s  1821;  with 

George  H.  McChesney  &  Co. 
Wynkoop,  J.  G.,  res.  195  James  St.;  b.  Columbia  Co.,  s  1845. 

LIQUOR  (Wholesale.) 

Holmes,  Cyrus  D.,  res.  24  Lemon  St. ;  b  Madison  Co.,  s  186.3. 

MARBLE  WORKS. 

Francis  &  Dufify,  W.  Onondaga  St. 

Francis',  Daniel  .1. ;  b.  Utioa,  N.  Y..  s  1867. 

Duffy.  H.  A.;  b.  Utica.  N.  Y.,  s  1865. 
Linehan,  Cornelius,  167  S,  Salina  St. ;  b.  Ireland,  a  1854. 

MILK. 

Avery,  B.  Austin,  Prest.  Onondaga  Co.  Milk  Association;  b. 
Ledyard,  New  London  Co.,  Conn.,  1814,  s  1837.  (Far- 
mer, Salt  Mfr.,  etc.) 

MILLINERY  AND  FANCY  GOODS. 

Fowler,  C.  S.,  50  S.  Salina;  b.  Tompkins  Co.,  s  1852.  (Firm  of 
Fowler  &  Lyons.) 

MANUFACTURING. 

Banning,  W.  E.,  0}4  Wieting  Block;  b.  Lewis  Co.  18.35,  s  1860. 
Mfr.,  Stencil  Plates,  Steel  Stamps,  Baggage  Checks,  &c. 
Dlr  in  Bank  Stamps,  Seal  Presses,  and  Rubber  Stamps, 

Baumer,  Francis,  Pond  cor.  Carbon;  b  Germany,  1826,  a  1848. 
Bleacher  of  Wax,  and  Mfr.  of  Wax  Candles. 

Barnes,  Geo  res.  160 James;  Manager  Syracuse  Knife  Works; 
b.  England,  s  1844. 

Barnes,  Ralph  G.,  (Arm  of  Wells  &  Barnes,)  res.  102  E.  Fay- 
ette; b.  Oswego  Co.,  s.  1.870.     Mfr.  Rubber  Stamps. 

Benedict.  H.  A.,  3  and  5  Gififord  St.  Mfr.  Billiard  Tables;  b. 
N  Y,  s  1847. 

Blrks,  G.  &  Son,  2:3  and  25  W.  Adams.    Mfr.  Steel  Files. 

Birks,  George,  23  W.  Adams  St. ;  b.  England,  s  1870. 
Birks,  W.   S.,  res.  151  Montgomery  .St.;  b,  Eng.,  s  1870. 

Burns,  Peter,  res.  141  Warren.  Saddlery  and  Coach  Hard- 
ware; b.  Dublin,  Ireland,  s  1836. 

Cross,  Edwin  M.,  48  and  .50  S.  West  St.  Mfr.  Leather  Belt- 
ing and  Hose;  b.  Cayuga  Co.  1841,  s  1874. 

DePuy.  S.  P.,  res.  510  Chestnut  St.  Mfr.  of  House  and  Office 
Furniture:  b.  Onondaga  Co.,  Jan.  1.3,  18:53. 

Duncan,  Wm.,  43  E.  Railroad  St.  Mfr.  of  Gold  Pens  and  Jew- 
elry; b.  Montreal,  s  1844. 

FreeofF,  C,  2:34  N.  Salina  St.  Mfr.  Vinegar  ;  Conveyancer;  b. 
Germany,  1830,  s  1848. 


Green,  Thomas  D.,  71  to  77  N.  Salina  St.    Mfr.  Cider  Vinegar 
and  Pickles;  b.  Oneida  Co..  s  18.54.  *- 

Knollin.  Thos.  H.,  6   W.  Fayette  St.    Mfr.  of  Church  Pipe  Or- 
gans, Tuner  and   Repairer;  b.  Madison  Co.  18.3.3,  s  1870 

Leeret  &  Blasdel,  16.S-170  E.  Water  St.     Box  Mfi-s 

Leeret,  Joseph,  res.  136  E.  FavetteSt.;  b.  Saratoga  Co 

s.  1839.  '' 

Blasdel,  J.  L.,  res.   40  Hawley  St.;  b.  Washington  Co., 

Malcolm,  Wiiliam,  20  S.  Salina  .St..  Mfr.  of  Rifle  Telescopes- 
b.  Madison  Co.,  S1.S23.  ' 

Melotte,.G.  D.,  71-73  S.  Clinton.     Last  Mfr.;  b.  Canada,  s  1876 

McFadden.  George.  67  Clinton  St.;  Band  Instrument  Mfrs.;  b. 
England,  s  1874. 

McChesney,  Thos.  B.,  32  W.  Genesee.  Mfr.  Paper  Flour  Sacks, 
Grocer  Bags  and  Cigar  Boxes;  b.  Rensselaer  Co.,  s  1855. 

Murphy,  Wm.  H.  mfr.  Paper  Barrels. 

Moseley,  Jerome  S.,  3  Gifford  and  .33  W.  Onondaga  Sts.-  b 
\"an  Buren,  s  1.833.  Mfr.  and  Dealer  in  Machinery,' 
specialty   Eureka  Scroll   Sewing  Machines. 

Nichols  l\;  Lefever,  71-73  S.  Clinton  St.^  Mfrs  Sporting  Guns 
Nichols,  John  A.,  res.  Dewitt;  b.  Derry,  N.  H.,  s  1850 
Lefever,  D.  M..  res.  KO  Gifford  ;  b.  Ontario  Co.,  s  1873. 

Smith,  John  Q.,  .55  S.  Clinton  St.  Galvanized  Iron  Cornice  and 
Tin  Mfr.:  b.  Pompey,  1827. 

Spang,  X.,  res.  245  N.  Salina  St..  Organ  Mfr.,  ;.'44  Noxon  •  b 
Germany,  s  1847. 

Strong,  J.  M..  res.  128  East  Genesee  St.  Mfr.  Fire  Brick;  b 
Onondaga  Co.  1834. 

Stanton,  H.  Jr.,  res.  178  E.  Favette.  Match  Mfr. ;  b.  Mass  ,  s  '64. 

Stanton.  H.,  res.  2:.'5  E.  Genesee  St  ;  b  Mass.,  s  1864.  Match 
JIfr.,  Wholesale  and  Retail. 

Walrath,  E.  L.,  3  Granger  Block.  Mfr.  Gold  Pens;  b.  Madison 
Co.,  s  1847. 

Wilson  &  Blye,  114  W.  Fayette  St.  Oil  Tank  and  Zinc  Monu- 
ment Mfrs. 

Wilson,  N.  W.,  res.  21  Holland  St. ;  b.  N.  Y.,  a  1835. 
Blye,  A.  W.,  res.  95  Lodi  St. ;  b.  N.  Y.,  s  1840, 

OCCULIST. 

Brown,  U.  H.,  res.  .52}.<  Warren  St.;  b.  Cortland  Co.,  s  1866. 

PAPER  AND  STATIONERY. 

Culver,  E.  B.,  73  W.  Fayette  St. ;  b.  New  London,  Ct.,  s  1853. 
Ormsbee,  Lucius  J.,  22  W.  Fayette  St. ;  b.  Onondaga  Co.  1834. 

PLUMBING,  STEAM  AND  GAS  FITTING. 

Carroll,  F.  E.,  45  S.  Salina  St. ;  b.  Philadelphia.  Pa.,  s  1849. 
Chase,  George  W.,  47-49  S.  Clinton  St. ;  b.   Ogdensburg,  s  1841. 
Gillroy  &  Nicholson,  33  E.  Fayette  St. 

Gillroy,   Patrick  J.,   res    85  Catherine  St.;  b.   Ireland, 

1844.  s  1870. 

Nicholson,  Michael  B.,  res.   81  Burnett  St.;  b.  Ireland, 

1844,  3  1868. 

PHOTOGRAPHERS. 

Bishop,  J.  Olin,  24  E.  Genesee  St.;  b.  Fayetteville,  Jan.  9, 1853. 
Bouta  &  Curtiss,  16  S.  Salina. 

Bonta,  Daniel;  b.  N.  Y..  a  1820. 

Curtis,  N.S.;  b.  N.  Y.,  s  1857. 
Doust,  Isaac  U.,  10  S.  Salina  St. ;  b.  Syracuse,  1856. 
Mcllroy,  J.  W.,  24  E.  Genesee  St. ;  b.  Scotland,  s  1870. 
Ranger,  W.  V.,  1   Wieting  Block;  b.  Rensselaer  Co.,  s  1868. 
Pernor,  George  H  .  64-66  S.  Salina  St.;  b.  England,  a  186L 
Ryder,  P.  S.,  72  S.  Salina  St. 

PAINTERS. 

Siver,  Edward,  res.  53  N.   Salina;  b.  Albany  Co.  1838,  s  1848. 

(Carriage  and  Sleigh  Painter.) 
Mead,  John,  res.  358  Spring  St.;  b.    Liverpool,    N.   Y.,    1811. 

Paper  Hanger. 

PETROLEUM  AND  REFINED  OILS.    (Wholesale.) 

Potter,  Lvmau  S.,  (of  firm  Morse,  Tuller  &.  Potter,)  103  W. 
Fayette  St. ;  b.  Tioga  Co.  1832,  a  1834. 

PHYSICIANS  AND  SURGEONS. 

Adams,  Henry  F.,  102  S.  Salina  St. ;  b.  N.  Y.,  s  1832. 
Benedict,  M.  D.,  37  Montgomery:  b.  Conn.,  a  1839. 
Bradford,  Theron,  res.  15  Grace  St.;  b.  Chenango  Co.,  s  1861. 
Butterfield,  E.  F.,  res.  Rochester;  21  Warren  St.;  b.  Pompey. 

1826. 
Burt,  J.  Otis,  cor.  Irving  and  Adams  Sts. ;  b.  Syracuse,  1835. 
Dallas,  A.  J.,  61  S.  Salina  St.;  b.  Long  Island,  s  1.8:.'0. 
Didama,  Henry  D  ,  112  S.   Salina  St.;   b.  Madison  Co.,  s  1851; 

Prof,   of  Theory  and  Practice  of  Medicine  Syracuse 

University. 
Doyle,  Gregory,  37  W.  Fayette  St.;  b.  Ireland,  s  1868;  Phya. 

to  House  of  Prov. ;  Surg.  51st  Reg't  N.  G.  S.  N.  Y.,  St. 

Vincent  Orph.  Asy.  and  Police  Surg.,  Citv  of  Syracuse. 
Edwards,  Amos  S.,  367  N.  Salina;  b.  N.  Y.,  s  1843. 
EUsner,  Leopold,  .358  N.  Salina;  b.  Hungary,  s  1849. 
Fairchild,  M.  B..  ;363  N.  Salina;  b.  N.  Y.,  a  18B9. 


4l6 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


cm 

llnv 

Il.,\l.  U'llhuuill.. 

HoVt.  Will.  K..  Wii 

„„■,   ,      u      ..,,,.    .   , 

Ju- 
K. 
K. 
Ml. 

I'la 

Price,  W.  H..  iu  .>•    ' 
I'lsiit.  Wlllinni  T.. 


-   14.10. 


i.aiiT.  •  1800. 


1 


...  1837. 

ai..  B  IrOi. 
...  St.;  b.  Kingiton,  X. 

v..  .!--.-;• 

Wholnii.  liconte  I)..  00  niutou  St. ;  b.  OuoodoRa  Cu. 

R<  lOFKR.    (Slate,  Tin  asd  Obavei..  i 
Xnll.  ."    Til  .!..»«  Jr.,  01  \y    Wntir  St.,  i  1W53. 

ItLDHKR  GOODS, 
tiary,  Ori»iiJ«  Wnrc,  IDS.  SbUiiii;  b.  SjrracufC,  IKE.'. 
Ilh>T.\ll{.\NTS. 

llehui  Jc  Wiiiiiifr,  ','4  W.  Wntfr  St. 

Hrhiii.  Ileiirv.  ri'».  1"  Lock  St  :  b,  Goriunny,  •  IMl. 
Wniuii-r,  Ue<irB<'  E.,  rei.  W  Willow :  b.  Oueldft  to.,  a 

O  C..iiiior."wi" ■•    '     •• ^'      b.  Ououdtgn  Co., 

IMI 
Shattuck,  II.  -":  »>.  PepperlU. 

Ma»»  ,!-».'<..-  1";!-'.      I'l'i'   -hiini.  K  mice.) 
WludhoU,  Luul*.  r.'  V«ii<lerbiltS(iii!irc;  b.  Ueniiaiiv.  •  lt*88. 

srOllTIMi  (jOODS. 

Ilaruuni.  Wllli«  S  ,  ren.  .'l  Kciiiii'.lr  St  ,  Uuiiforih;  18  E.  Gene- 
we;  b.  Jameavllle,  N.  V.,  IKlTi. 

STONE  flTTERS. 

Ilugbo  &  t'mbtree,  (Jifford  near  W.  ( iiiondaini. 

H     '        ' •    1  llimhe*' Block:  b.Symcu8e.l85i. 

(  LoiIiSt.:  b.  KiiKlaiid.  s  1871. 

Kctdall  ^  ""t  ,  Cfir.  Jnck^oii. 

rs'i-J.i;i.  lliMiH-.   rt«.   HW  Mmituoniery :  b.   Irelaud,  b 

TaiiKUar,  Rouiuald,  res.  (H  Jackson  i  b,  Canada.  «  1840. 
8.\I)IjLERY  AXU  coach  hardware.    (Wholesale?) 

Ilurii*,  I'ctcr,  ren.  HI  Warrfii  St.;  b.  Diibliii,  Ireland,  h  1K30. 
DuKiiid.  Ili-iiry  L.,    Uriii  DniiuiJ,  WelU  .V  Co.. I  31  iiud  :tl  W. 
WimrSi  ;  b.  roui|ii?y,  N.  Y.,  l''-'i'-'.     (Wholesale    uifn.) 
OluiMiil.  II    II  .  ::  S   Clinton  St.;  b.  Wolcott,  X.  Y.,  «  1853. 

I  WIlnli'-llltM 

S  A  KKS.      (  KlIlE  AND  llL-IKil^R  PnoOF.) 

Culle,  J.  A.,  ;U  Weit  Railroad  St. 

TOYS.  COXFECTIOXKRY.  &i-. 
Wuod,  Reuben,  71  S.  Salinn  St.,  b    Ureenbunh,  X.  Y..  ■  1851. 

WOOU  AM)  WILLOW  WARE     (Wholesale.) 
Tl.iirwnchler,  L.  L  ,  4-'  W.  Fayette  St. ;  b.  Ueriuauy,  »  InM. 
ALT.    (Mam»»..  Dealers,  i*:c.) 

.vlvirl   TUo».  V    ,  re».  cor.  Turtle  and  SnrhiK  St. ;  b.  Onondaga 

Co..   18li       (Munuf.   Salt,  Member  of  Astembly  aud 

l'".x  Lieut    Jov 
Barker,  J.  W.     I  id.) 

Baldwin,  K.  W.,  I  Co.);  b.  St. 

l.uwrence( 
llarii*,.  Will..  re«.  iUi  I'urk  .M. ,  b.    Cbuuauiio  Co.,  1807.  •.  18?7. 

I  Miiiiofi 

—  -^t.;  b.  UooudaRa  Co.,  1820,  Seo'y 


Klllmurc.  S.  v..  re*.  57  Seyaiour  St.:  b.  SyneuM,  1830.    Salt 
ShllUMT  ,\ni.  Dalrv  Salt  Co. 
,  ikai  KIrkpairlck.  Win..  T  WlviuiK  Block:  b.  SyracuM.  1630.    Solar 

Salt  Mfr. 
I  Kitkpatrick.  Di,nald.  7  Wlrttug Block;  b.  Syracuie.  1830.  Solar 

I,  Salt  .Mfr 

MoUov,  Tlioii   .  oa,  Jan.  1- 

■   1-41. 
Xuttlug.  A.  II  I.    Maouf 

Poller.  T.  R..  rr».  cor.  I'nrk  aud  Court  M«. ;  b.  Ououdaga  C^ 

Ihim      Mniiuf. 
I'owell.   \  .,.,  -it.:  b.  Ontario  Co.,  •.  1845.    Suj 


Clarke   ' 

Clark,  I 

l^;^i,  I'lt'*, 
Comttock,  S.  L . 
Duncan,  J.  M     ■■ 

Am.  I 
EngelhanI,  I  • 

lllCll-f.  1,-  < 
Freeman,  lloyl  II. 
Freeman,  Albert.  re«.  Gl  Turtle  St.;  b. 

•  18:^.    Mnuiif. 

Francbol.  C  rea.  147  LodI  St.:  b.  OtteEO  Co. ,  i  1857.    (Manuf.) 
(illb.rt.  C.   A  ,  ref.  1C5  Turtle  St.;  b.  Oneida  Co..  s  1859.    Salt 

Heceiver. 
UBl■t^lu>rll.  John,  rcg.  cor.  Spring  and  Turtle  St«.;  b  Conn., 

i;ir.'.  •  IKJI).    I  Retired  ManiiM 
HawleT.  Hiram  L.,  r»i<.  :<^  K.  <  inondaga  St.:  SoloD,  Cortland 
'Co.,  ■1807.    I. Manuf. I 


•    H  uisp:   b.  Connecticut,  1807,8 

;i  Co. 

Co.     (Limited.  I 
...  Syracme,  1817,  Supt. 
'  o.     '  Limited,  i 
I'll.  D..  rbeiiiiat  to  the  ««lt  r.>'«  of  Sy. 

I  iiion  St. ;    b.  (i.  1  

r.i.     73  Turtle;    I  il. 


Stacy,  .1  -■-    ;  b.  Belcbertowu.  Ma»»,  18111    . 

1n>.'.     Manuf. 

Sanger,  A.  H..  re*  71  Turtle  St.;  b.  tinelda  Co.,  a  1831.  De- 
puty Eupt.  I  luoudaga  Salt  Spring*. 

fXDERTAKERS. 

MarselluK.  John,   rea.  74  Jnme*  St.:    b.  Schenectady,  X. '^ 

s  1877. 
.McCarthy.  Jiihn.   res.   ^7   E.   (ieueteeSt. :  b.  Boittoii,  Ma**..   . 

^^71.     Invent, 'r. 
Mnvnard.  tieoiye  L  .  0    W.    JefTeraon:  b.  Wettborough,  Ma^ 

(ictoberll.  1»^!,  »  i.>ctober,  1842. 
Rvan,  .M..  rea.  14j  S.  Sallna  St. :  b.  .**yracu«e,  MiM. 
Taylor,  Thoa.  -M..  r.a.  New  York   City,   (Brm  Taylor  \    t 

Mfa.  ('otlliia  and  Caaketa. 
Taylor.  H.  K  \  Co.,  70—81  S.  Clinton.  Imp  ,  Mfra.aiid  Jobb. 

CiiJertakers"  Suiidrlea. 
Taylor,  Henry  K.,  r<-..  .N.  »•  York  City. 
Trnu^'ott.  Wiu.  i'.. 'J"  .>  X.  SalinaSt. ;  b.  Germany,  1833,  »  l"-'. 

Furniture  Dealer. 

WALL  PAPERS.  4C. 

Yale.  J.  W..  k;  S.  Sallna  St. ;  b.  Madlaon  Co  ,  «  1850 

Connel'v.   Frniicla,   J  (Jninci-r  llloek;  b.   Liverpool,  Euglai.  i, 

Is.'O.  a  1M4.      Kiriii  -.f  Cinnelly  Broa.i 
Connellv.  Jaiiien  H.. 'J  <ir«iii;er   Block;  b.  Liveri>ool,    EuRlaud. 

18^7,  «  1M4.    I  Firm  of  Connelly  Bros.  I 

MISCELLAXECnS 

Alien.  E.  F. ;  b.  Xew  York,  §  1875,      Book-keeper  and  ca*b 
Arut*.  JuliuaM.,  re*.  371  .Id   North:  b.  Lltchlleld  Co.,  Conn. 

1811.  s  IsP.V     Gardener.  Farmer.  Teacher. 
Burnet.  J.  B.,  rea.  K_'  Ji>mea  St. ;  b.  <  )ruiiKe  Co.,  ■  18i'i.  Farmer. 
Burton,  Laiirn  M  .  rea.  corner  <  urbon  and  Dnnforth:  b.  Ilau- 

over.  X.  11.  a  IhJl. 
Burt,  Aaron;  b.  X.  H  .  a  1820.    Died  Jacksonville.  Fla.,  1848. 
Barber.  Gay  P..  re*.  147  S.  We*t  St.;  b.  Onondaga  Co.  1817.  Re- 
tired. 
Blair.  Win.   Knox,  rea.  11  Green  St.:  b.  Blandford,   Ma**.,  ■ 

18-*4.     Retired  Saw  Mfr. 
Buhlauer.  John  Chrintiaii.  late   baker;  b.  Wurtemburg.  Ger- 
many. 1x14,  a  IKM;  died  1870. 
Buhlauer.  Mnri;iiivf    I,.,   rea.   'Jt'-i    LodI  St.;   b.  Wurtemburg, 

Geriiinny.  !- '-  ■    '•'•I.     Widow  of  J,  C.  Buhlauer. 
Cate,  Marr  .\iiii.  i-  .  i-at  St.;  b.  Onondaga  Co.    (Wife 

of  Williaii, 
Child*,  John  H..  r.  -  -,-  >,  >»iliia  St  ;  b.  X   Y.,  »  lM.'i. 
Clark,  C.  P. :  b.  Northampton,  Maaa.,  ■  1NI7.   Freight  agent,  X. 

Y.  C.  R   R. 
Clary,  Lvmaii.  Phya.  and  Surg.:  b.  Maaa.    Died  June  1,  l''7ii 
Curt'ia.  E.  C..  rea.  7'.'7  Irving  St. :  b.  Greene  Co.,  a  1^70.  General 

.\gent  SyiBcuae  I'lilveraitv. 
DoplTel,  Win.,  [iiie  .Merchant  ami  Inaurance  Agent;  b.  1828,  • 

Is,'i2.     Dii-il  Jan    111.  l''>. 
Dopffel,  Caroline,  rea.  llu  X.  Sallna;  b.   Germany,  18,12.  a  1852. 
Downer.   Ezra.   Downer    Block:  b.    Erie  Co.,  Pa.,  IHIO,  ■  1831. 

Retired. 
Uickaou,    Wallace,  bda.    Vaiideibllt    Houae;    b.    X.    Y.   City, 

IKli;,  a.  187«.    (  lerk  to  Sup't  of  S,  B.  &  X.  Y.  R.  R. 
Fay,  Dorothy,  rea.  .H.l  t  iirb.ui  St  ;  b.   Albany  Co,,  1804,  a  1828. 

Widow  .\iiBtlii.  W.   Fav. 
Forey,  J.  H.   rea.  .lU    Irving  .><t.;  b.   Beunlugtoo,  A't.,  1844,  • 

18.M      TrnvelliiiK  .'-aleanian. 
Furman,  Robert.  Farmer  and  Real  Eatate  Dealer:  b,  Dutche** 

Co.,  «  1^21.     Died  In  Xew  York,  1H04. 
Funnaii,   Marlu   B.,  rea.  7  FurmauSt,  (DauforthI;  b.  Saratoga 

Co..  a  KVI. 
Gardner,  George,  Supt.Oakwood  Cemetery ;  b.  England,  1825, 

a  IMS. 
Greenwav,  Mra.  France*  A.,  re*.  74  Willow;  b.  England,  a  1851. 
Grave*,  Maurice  A.,  rea.   ir.>   I.odi  St  :  b.  Oneida  Co.,  1840.  i, 

18«*V     Hoiik-k>M-per  for  John  <  rouae  &  Co 
Glaaa,  Joaeph  J.,  'ant;   b.   Elbridge,  Onondaga  Co.. 

Dec.  5,  I^; 
Jackson.  John  G..  :      liii*   cor.  Butternut  St*. ;  b.  Onon- 

daga Co.  182;.     Knrinor. 
Kinney,  Daniel;  b.  Xew  York,  a.  1848.     Patent  Renovator. 
Kelaey,  Lydia  M  ;  b.  Tonipkin*  Co.,  *   1853:  died  1874.     De- 

ceuaed  wife  of  William  Kelaey. 
Longstreet.  C.  T.,  rea    ll.'i  JanieeSt.;  b.  Onondaga  Ce.,  1814. 

Retired. 
LawBon.  Isaac  D..  rea.  08  F^at  Washington   St.;  b.  X.  Y'.  city, 

1807,  a  18.35.    Retired  Copperamitb. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Pompey,  N.  Y.,  1816. 
b.  Ouondaga  Co.  1812. 
(Dauforth);  b.  Laf ay- 
Columbia  Co.,  18.35,  s 
St. ;  b.  Syracuse,  Feb. 


Barnes,  Elizabeth  D.,  res.  324  Park  St.;  b.  Rutland,  Vt.,  1811, 

s  1832. 
Henderson,  Alexander.  Veteriuary  Surgeon,  24  Church  St. 
Hibbard,  Joseph  L.,  190  Wolf  St. 
Lighton.  Mary  Theresa,  res.  61  Canal  St. ;  b.  Switzerland,  1841, 

8  18">G.     Wife  of  John  Lighton. 
Lightou,  Mary.  (Durauj  b.  ivilkenuy,  Ireland.     Wife  of  James 

Lighton. 
Morehouse,  Norman,   res.  cor.  Salina  and  Ridgeway  Sts. ;  b. 

Saudgate,  Vt.,  s  1818.    Retired  Farmer  and  Salt  Mfr. 
Morehouse    Nancy,  res    cor.   Salina  and    Ridgeway    Sts.;  b. 

UuondagaCo.  1816. 
Nichols,   Charles,  res.  73  James  St. ;  b. 

Farmer. 
Northrup,  Lorenzo,  res.  30  Furman  St. 

Produce  Dealer. 
Northrup,  Olive  L..  res.  20  Furman  St 

ette,  N.  Y.,  1812. 
Niver,   W.   K..  res.  1   Burns    Block;  b. 

1876.     Supt  S.  U.  .t  N.  Y.  R.  R. 
O'Blenuis.  George  W.,  res  81  Jefferson 

5,  1SU5.     Retired. 
Pratt,  A.  L.,  res.  4  W.  Castle  St.  (Danforth);  b.   St.  Lawrence 

Co..  s  1843.     Retired. 
Pierce,  David  H  ,  res.   100  Cedar  St. ;  b.  Nantucket,  Mass.,  s 

1869.     Shipper.  A.  V.  Chase  &  Co. 
Park,  Alouzo   F  ,  late  n'holesaie  liquor  dealer;   b.  Cardiff,  s 

July  2,  1833;  died  April  16, 1877. 
Park,  Harriet  Cres.  123  Warren;  b.  LaFayette,  1843.     Widow 

of  A.  F.  Park. 
Raynor,  George,   res.  Salina  cor.  Furman  Sts.  (Danforth)  b. 

Oswego  Co.,  s  1836.     Retired. 
Raynor,  Cordelia  Hall,  res.  Salina   cor.  Furman  St. ;  b.  Ouon- 

dug.i  Co.  1823. 
Redfield.  Lewis  H..  res.  84  James  St.;  b.  Farmiugton,  Conn.,  s 

1814.     Retired. 
Rose,  William  E.,  res.  315   E.  Genesee  St.:  b.  Onondaga  Co., 

1816.     Ex-Supervisor  Eighth  Ward. 
Stickle,  George  A.;  b.  Dutchess  Co.,  s  182.5.  Died  May  20,  1869. 
Stickle,  Nancy  B.,  res.  69J.2'  Warren  St. ;  b.  Dutchess  Co.,  s  182.5. 
Schwarz,  Frederick.   Late  dealer  in  groceries,  &c.;  b.  Germany, 

1823,  s  18.51.     Died  1876. 
Shattuck,  Henry,  res.    114  Warren  St.;  b.  Pompey,  1811.     Ex- 

Shei  iff.  "  Retired  Builder. 
Shermau.  Mrs.   Antoinette  White,  res.  31  Grape  St. ;  b.  Syra- 
cuse, 1842. 
Salisbury,    Albeit    G. :    b.    Woodstock,    N.   Y.,  181.3,   s   1836. 

Teacher   and   Superintendent    Public    Schools;    died 

April  29,  1874. 
Salisbury.  Sarah  T.,  res.  .36  Madison;  b.  Montgomery  Co.,  1818. 

s  1840.     (Widow  of  A.  G.  Salisbury.) 
Sniper,  Gustavus,  res.  69  Union  St. ;  b.  Germany,  1836,  s  1841. 

Clerk  in  County  Clerk's  Office. 
Stewart.  Mary  fi.  (Thomas)  wife  of  Wm.  H.  Stewart;  b  Oneida 

s  1866. 
Stitt,  William,  38-40  S.  Salina  St. ;  b.  Ireland,  1840,  s  1840. 
Spaulding,  James  M.,  res.  13  Russell  St.;  b.  Syracuse,  1835. 

Book-keeper  Onondaga  County  Penitentiary. 
Steele,  Eliza  H.,  res.  96  Geddes  St.;   b  Alleghany  Co.,  1829,  a 

1815. 
VanHeusen.   Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,    res.  6  W.   Castle  St., 

Danforth;  b.  Rensselaer  Co.,  8  1826. 
VanHeusen,  Phebe,  res.  6  W.  Castle  St„  Danforth;  b.  Oneida 

Co.,  s  1825. 
White,  Clara,  res.  57  E.  Fayette  St. ;  b.  Homer,  N.  Y.,  s  1838. 
White.  Howard  G.,  res.  31  Grape  St.;    b.  Syracuse,  1855.    10 

White  Memorial  Building. 
White,  Hamilton  S.,  ree.  31  Grape  St.;    b.  Syracuse,  1853.    3 

White  Memorial  Building. 
Williams.  J.  C.  Onondaga  Co.  Penitentiary;  b.  N.  J.;  Sup't 

Onou.  Co.  Penitentiary. 


TOWNS. 
TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA. 

Ainslee,  Morris  D.,  Farmer.  Lime  and  Plaster  dlr;  b  N.  Y., 
s  1821.    P.  O.  Onondaga  Valley. 

Anderson,  James  H.,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1824.  P.  O.  Ouon- 
daga Valley. 

Amidon,  Alfred  L.,  Farmer  and  Miller;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1820.  P.  O. 
Syracuse. 

Anderson.  George.  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  a  1817.  P.  O.  South 
Ouondaga. 

Anderson,  Geo.  W.,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1842.  P.  O.  South 
C)nondaga. 

Amidon.  Lewis.  Farmer;  b Onondaga  Co.,  1805.     Died  1870. 

Amidon.  .Vmauda,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  8  1837.     P.  O.  Cedarvale. 

Anderson.  Eli,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1808.     P.  O.  Nararino. 

Amidon,  Wm.  H.,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y  ,  s  1833.    P.  O.  Navariii 

Adams,  Norman,  Farmer;  b  X.  Y.       ""^    ^   ^'   " -■-— 

Adams,  Oscar.  Pnr 


1839.  P.  O.  Onondaga. 
I.  Onoudag:'. 


Bronson,  William,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1820.    P.  0.  Oui-ndairi 

Castle. 
Bower,  H.,  Farmer;  b  N.  i'.,  a  1872.    P.  O.  Onondat 
Barker,   John  S.,   Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,   a  1833     P.  O   O.. 

Valley. 
Barker,  Samuel  G.,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1851.    P.  O.  Onoinui'  ' 

Valley. 
Barker,  Granville,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  18.51.    P.  O.  Onoml  •>.■•' 

Valley. 
Barker,  Cicero,  Farmer;  b  N.  H.,  a  1816.    Died  1870. 
Bull,  James.  J.,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1824.    P.  O.  Onondag.i. 

Castle. 
Bartlett,  John,  Farmer;  b  England,  s  1849.    P.  O.  Onondaga. 
Bartlett,  John  J.,  Farmer;  b  England,  s  1849.  P.  O.  Onondaga. 
Brewster,  Brainard  D.,  Farmer  and  Dairyman;  b  N.  Y.,  a  1862, 

P.  O.  Syracuse. 
Briukerhoff,  Isaac  A.,  Farmer;  b  Dutchess  Co.,  a  1841.    Died 

1872. 
Brinkerhoff,  Charles.  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1841.  P.  O.  Marcellus. 
Budlong,  Holden,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1838.     P.  O.  South  Onon- 
daga. 
Budlong,  William  H.,   Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  a  1842.     P.  O.  South 

Onondaga. 
Belding.   Edward,    B'armer;   b   N.   Y.,   s    1825.      P.   O.  South 

Ontjndaga. 
Beak,  Chas.  W.,  Farmer;  b  England,  8  1847.     P.  O.  Otisco. 
Browning,  Welcome,  Farmer;  b  R.  1.,  s  1821.  P.  O.  Onondaga. 
Cossit,  Rufus.  Retired;   b  Mass.  179',  s  1704.     P.  O.  Onondaga. 
Cossitt,   Davis,  Farmer  and  ex-Sheriff;  b  Onondaga  Co.  1827. 

P.  O.  Ouondaga. 
Conklin.  Harry,  Farmer;  b  Conn.     Died  1868. 
Comstock,  Joshua  K.,  Farmer  and  Supervisor  ;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1841. 

P.  O.  Cedarvale. 
Clark,  John  F.,  Retired;  b  Mass.,  s  1804.     P.O.  Onondaga 

Vallev. 
Chafee,  Ralp'h,   Retired;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1803.    P.  O.  Onondaga 

Valley. 
Casselmanu,  D.  L.,  Physician  and  Surgeon;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1874. 

P.  O.  Onondaga 
Chafee,    David,    Retired;   b  N.  Y.,  s  1805.      P.  O.   Onondaga 

Valley. 
Cook,  Marcus  G.,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y..  a  1814.     P.  O.  Onondaga 

Valley. 
Conklin,  John,   Farmer;  b  N.  Y..  a  1822.    P.   O.  Onondaga 

Castle. 
Conklin,   Christopher   C.,   Farmer;    b   N.   Y.,   a  1811.     P.  O. 

Onondaga  Castle. 
Conklin.    Henry,   Farmer  and   Postmaster;    b  N.  Y.,  s   1825. 

P.  O.  Onondaga  Castle. 
C^arr.  Morris,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1832.     P.  O.  Syracuse. 
Clark,  Lemuel  G.,  Farmer;  b  Vt.,  s  1818.     Died  1870. 
Clark,   Benjamin,    Farmer;   b  N.  Y.,  s  1834.     P.  O.  Onondaga 

Valley. 
Clark,   Lemuel,   Farmer;    b  N.  Y.,  s  1830.    P.  O.  Onondaga 

Valley 
Clarke,  William  Metcalf,  Horticulturist;  b  Mass.,  s  1805.  P.  O. 

Syracuse. 
Champlaiu,    William    H.,  Retired;    b  N.  Y.,  a  18.35.    P.   O. 

Syracuse. 
Champlaiu,   Paul,   Farmer  and  Blacksmith;  b  N.  Y.     P.O. 

Syracuse. 
Craddock,  Richard,  Retired  ;  b  England,  s  18.37.     P.  O.  Onon- 
daga. 
Craddock.  John,  Farmer  and  Dairyman;  b  England,  s  1837. 

P.  O.  Onondaga. 
Cornish,  George  B.,  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co.,  1810.  Died  1807. 
Cornish,  Susan  A.,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1820.     P.  O.  Onondaga. 
Cornish,  Chauncev  P.,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1818.  P.  O.  HowletL 
_  Hill. 

Covell,  Nathan,  Farmer;  b  Conn.,  s  1815.     Died  1876. 
Covell,  Sally,  Farmer;  b  Conn.,  a  1814.     P.  O.  -Marcellus. 
Chaffee,  Joshua,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1817.     P.  O.  Navarino. 
Comstock,  Jonathan,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  18.32.    P.  O.  Cedar- 
vale. 
Clark,  George  L.,  Physician  and  Surgeon;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1819. 

P.  O.  South  Onondaga. 
Clemons,  Joshua  M..   Wagon  maker;   b  N.  Y.,  a  1852.    P.O. 

Navarino. 
Crittenden,  Joseph,  Farmer;  b  England,  s  1850.    P.  O.  Onon- 
daga. 
Carpenter,  Charles,  J.  P.  and  Ret'd  Salt  Mfr. ;  b  N.  Y.,  a  1816. 

P.  O.  Onondaga  Hill. 
Dodge,    Eber,   Farmer;    b   Mass.,    s   1842.    P.  O.  Onondaga 

Valley. 
Dick,   Zelotes,   Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1866.     P.  O.   Ouondaga 

Valley. 
Dodge,  John  T.,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  a  1831.     P.  O.  Onondaga. 
Dorwiu,  Thomas  M.,  Farmer;  b  Berkshire  Co.  Mass.,  a  1823. 

Died  1800. 
Dorwiu,  John  A.,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  IS'JO.    P.  O.  Onondaga 

Valley. 
Everingham,  Jeremiah,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y„  s  1800.    P.  O.  South 

Onondaga. 
Eaton,  Nathan  P.,  Retired;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1808.    P.  O.  Onondaga. 
Fyler,  Byron,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1825.    P.  O-  Onondaga. 
Fellows.  Chester.    Farmer;   b    Luzerne*"'"    Pt  .  s  1S''4.      Died 
1  -o5 


HISTORY  OK  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


nil  I.'  .  Karnirr;  k  N.  V..  •  1*11.     1*.  I ).  (  MioiidiiRa. 
-.  ..  K«riii.r:  I)  Cnii  .  •  ITu:      DU-d  1h>< 

ir..    Kuriuer;   l>   N.  Y..  *  l»ao.     1'.  (>.  South 

!■  .  Farnipr;  b  N.  Y..   •  1817.      I'.   <>.   South 

(  MlDlulu^A. 

Klfii'liii:.  Utcbard,  Firmer;  b  Co   Mnvo.  Ireland.  •  IKM.    IHed 

Ih". 

Flenilug.  Marjr,  Farmer;  b  IrcUiid,  ■  1X3;.     I'.O.  South  Ouoo- 

dain. 
n.wler.    Maxw.ll   T,   KnriiitT;  b  N.   Y..»i>*.U      TO.    South 

<  Mii'imIuki> 
Fay,  hVlwnnl  <    .  Hliick-nillb  and  woKon  nhop;  b  N.  \'.,  ■  1M3. 

IV  1  >.  <  tiiiiiiiliiKii  N'ulley. 
Fuller,    FMwiinl    KiiriinT    nnd    Stock    dir;     b    N.   Y.,   •   IS38. 

1>.  ()   lliiondniiu  ValU'V. 
GardiKT.  Arlrl  U..  Kftlred;  b  N.  Y.,  ■  1H17.    V.  O.  Onoudaf[n 

Viilli-v. 
Gardner.  KhmI.  II.  Atly-at-Law  ;  b  N.  Y  ,  »  IWo.     I'.  r».  <  >nou- 

dnjra  A'lillfv 
(iiildrii.  .I..hh  M..  Fanner;  b  N.  Y..  «  IKVl.  I'   i»   OnnndaKa. 
(iiirdniT,  Mnrtlii  I-.,  ren.   Niiviirlno;  dlr  In  koii'I   indm',   I'ulice 

nnd  A-micliilf  Justici-;  b  >  .  Y.,  »  IXUI.     I'.O.  Narurino. 
(irecn.  dri'n'  Fiirnifr;  li  N.  Y..  •  l^iy.    1'.  n,  iiiiundaKn. 
Jloi'I'er.  lii-'TKe  ('.,  Ketlrvd,  b  N.  W,  a  IHU.     I*.  O.  Duundaxa 

Vnlley. 
t!lue>.   Ainbro>o,   Farmer;  b  N.  Y'.,  a  IM:.'.     I*.  ( i.  OnoudiKa 

Vallev. 
Hunt.  J  .  K<-ilied  ;  b  Conn.,  «  IWI.     P.  ft  Syrnruiie. 
IliMidiT»«iii.  .)nhn,  Fnriiu-r;  b  N.  Y.,  s  IWJ.  I".  <  >.  <  inondnK"- 
Hrii(lrr«iiri.  (ifii.  \V..  FarniiT:  b  N    Y..  •  IH-H.  I'.  <>   OtiondaKa. 
Ilunt.  Iiiivlil.  Fiirnicr:  b  OnotiiluKn  To.,  Imi;      Hied  l"'*. 
Ilnnt.  ThuMin-.  FurnuT;  b  N.  Y.,  «  l^t"*      1'.  <  >.  Nnviirlmi. 
Mull.  I>aiiii-is..  FarnKT;  >>  H.  I.,b1n'1T.  I'.O   Snuth  ( >n<>nduKa. 
Mall  (MM.ru'-.  FariniT;  b  N.  Y..  «  IHIKI.     I',  ( >.  Nnrnriiio 
MltcliiMttK.    Mrn.    Miirucf,  Farmer;  it    l^lfll.    1'.  ( i.  SouthOnou- 

daiiu. 
Hull.  Sarah.  I".  <  >.  South  I  inondaiia.  N.  Y. 
Kneeland.  .lonaihan.  I'hVKiclaii  and  Surgeon;*b  N.  Y.,  9  Isi:}. 

IV  ().  South  OMondaga. 
KInK'lev.  Saniuel.    I'hyxlcian    nnd   Surgeon;    b  Maiu.,  a  l^i. 

I*.  ( >.  South  <  iMondniiu. 
Kelly.  John.  Fiirnier  anil  Foreman   at  Indian  Quarry  ;  b    Ire- 

hind.  ^  IKIT.     I'.  <  •   OnondnKn  (HKtle. 
Kenyon  (lark  W  .  Farmer;  I)  N.  Y..  »  IKW.     I'    ( >.  OnondiiKB. 
King.  Volnev.   I  iirpeiiler  and   ,loin>'rana   Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  « 

lf>'>.'i. '   r.  I).  .HMuth  UnondaKa. 
KiiiK.  G'-ont''!'.,  Farmer;  b  NT.,   ■  1832.   H.  t).  South  Ouou- 

dnifa. 
Kenyon.  Thomnn  I'..  Farnirr:  b  N.  Y..  »  1H29.   1".  (».  Cedarvale 
Kenyon.  I'.nocli.  Farmer;  I.  H    I,,  k  I.*Iii      I'.  < '.  Cedarvale. 
Kenyon,  llxiim-l  I,  ,  Farmer;  b  U.  I..  »  l*il(i.     Ilied  IHT? 
Kenyon.  AniruntuH  ('..  F"arnier;  li  K.  I.,  s  IK1«.  I'.  t>.  Cedarvale. 
Kittamx.  William,  Farmer;  b  F.nfcland.  •  IKil.  I*.  O.  Onondaga 

Valley. 
Lownaburv.  Charlea  F..  rea.  Navarhio,  I'hyalcian  and  Surgeon; 

b  N.  Y..  •  IK'X.     I',  o.  Navarino. 
Lowuaburv.  F./.rn  F..  Farmer  and  I'uatmaatcr;  b  N.  Y'.,  a  1820. 

1*.  b.  Cedarvale. 
Longatroet,    Corneliuo     II..     Manufacturer   of     Fruit     Hoxee. 

Ilaaketn.  etc.;  b  N.  Y  .^  Ixil.  I',  O.  Onoiidutia  \'alley. 
Lvncb,  Slichael  KarnuT;  ti  Ireland.  »  l.*<;i'.'.  I*,  t  >.  Onondaga. 
iJiwrence.    I'orter  I),    Farmer;  b   X.  Y..  «  1(*20.     1".  O.  Ouou- 

daga 
I  iiic  "111.  Heutien  W.,  Farmer;  b  Ma»»..  a  IHin.     I)ied  I8T5. 
I    .,      111.  ClarlKBa  C.  b  Mann..  «  !K44.     1".  O.  .Syracuac. 
^1.  ii^iv.   .lohn.    Farmer;  b  Irulnnd,   a   IMH.     I'.  O.  Onondagn 

'  (  ant'e 
Morton,  .lohn  1..  Farmer;  b  Onordaga  Co.,  1KJ4.    Kled  1><T1. 
Muftou,    Ardimona  J.,  Farmer;   b  >.  Y  ,  a  1820      I".  O.  Onon- 
daga Caatle. 
Moaeley,  Wm.  F..  b  Onondaga  Co.,  18I,'>.     Died  InTfl. 
Mirfcley.  Angellir  I,  .  b  N.  Y..  a  I8,',«      I'.  O   Oiiondnga. 
M..iaii,  KraiiclH  II  .  Farmer;  b  Ireland,  k  \KV,.  I',  o.  <  inonilnga. 
MathewKon,  .lumen   .M..   Farmer  and    Cider  Mfr;    b  N.  Y.,  a 

1H21.     r.  ( >.  <  )nondBga. 
Murphy.  Michael.    Farmer;  b  Ireland,  a   18.17.     1'.  O    Howlett 

Miller,  Henry,  Fanner;  b  N.  Y.,  a  1828.      1'.  O.  South  Onon- 

(111  ten. 
MllUr.  l-ewla  W.,   Farmer:  b  N.  Y".,  a   1M.37.    1*.  O  .South  Ou- 

onilaga  ,    ».     ,. 

NicholK.  <;eo.   C.    Farmer  nnd  12  yeara  Aaaeaaor:  b>     ^.a 

IH24.     I'.  I  >.  South  )  innndaga. 
Norria,  Uobert.  Farmer  and  Gardner;  b  England,  a  1K37.  P.  O. 

Syrncune 
Northway.  .loaiah    L...    Funner;  b.  X.  Y..  a  18ns.     I',  o.  Onou- 

diiga  Caatle. 
Newunin.  Mbble   K.  Teacher  and    Farmer;   b  Oiiondnga  Co., 

18.Mt.     1"   O.  .South  Onondaga. 
I'ickltt.    l.ewl.   O.,   Farmer;    b   N.    Y'..   a   1834.     1'.   O.  South 

( Inoiulaun. 
I'araona.   Jiin-1    w      Farmer;  b  X.  Y' ,   a  1820.    I',  o   South 

Handall  .1  .rmer;  b  N.  Y  .  «  1834.    P.  O.  Onondaga. 

"*"°        ■  -,dn,.lrrman- b.   N    Y..  •18'4      I'.O. 


Kee.l    AuguKliK.  Itetired:  b.  Onondaga  Co..  i>  l^T.'.     Died  1875 

U I.  Ann  Kliza.  b.  N    Y..  a  l'«r4      I',  o.  Onondaga  Vallrr. 

|{o»e.  Will  .  Farmer;  b.  X.  Y..  a  ImiH.     P.  ti.  Syracuae. 

lioae.  Joaeph  De^^ltt.  Farmer  and  Lime  DIr. ;  b.  N.  Y.,  *  HI2. 

P.  I '.  Syracuae. 
llaynor.  Wni.    Farmer;  b.  X.  Y  .  a  181,1.     I",  o  Onondaga 
John  I'  .  Farmer,  b.  Man  .  •  W«i      Died  l-In 


.  a  l'>2.'>      P.  o    Howlett 


P.  o    OnoD- 

P.  O.  Onondaga 

.  Ireland,  a  1837. 

P.  o.  Howlett 


P.  0.  South  ()u- 
O  South   Onon- 


l{otiin*Oii.  ,#,.111)    I     .    r  ui  iiif  I  ,     I',    .iin 

Uoblnaoii.  Ileniaon.  Farmer;  b.    X.  ^ 

Hill. 

Strong,  Daniel,  Farmer;  b.  Ct.,  a  18,10.     P.  (>.  Onondaga. 
Strong,  (Jnive  F..  Ketlred;  b   X   Y    a  1M7.     P.  O.  Oiiondafm. 
Stordevnnt.  Oliver   W..  Principal  of  <  hiondaga    Acndemv;  b. 

X.  Y  .  a  ls:2.     P.  O.  ( idaga  Valler. 

Slocum.  Itiitiiircl   It  .  Farmer:   b    N.  Y.,  a  1k12.     P.  O.  tJuon- 

dagu  \'allev. 
Skinner.  <  ban    L.'ltetired  ;  b.  Ct.,  a  KV).     Died  18ai 
Skinner.  Jane  1.  .  b.  X.  \..  a  1812.     P.  O.  Onondaga  Valley. 
Sheldon.  Ijtnaing    Farmer;  b.  X.  Y.,  a  1837.      P.  O.  OiiondaBm 

\Bllev 
Spaldlnv.  <ieo.   \V..  Farmer;    b.  X.  Y.,  a  18,10 

dnga  Valley. 
Sherwood.  Lyman,  Farmer;  b.  N.  Y.,  a  1830 

Cnatle. 
Sbauahnii.  John.  Contractor  and  Farmer;  b. 

Died  lNli7 
Shanahan.  John  K.,  Farmer;  b.  X.  Y.,  a  ISVi. 

Hill. 

Snbin,  KIlKhn  D..  Farmer;  b.  Vt  ,  a  18cfl,    p.  (».  Howlett    Hill 
Slolp.  (ieo   \V.  Farmer:  b.  X.  Y",.  a  1810      P.  O.  Svracuae. 
Shotwell.  (ieo  \V..  Farmer:  b.  N.  Y* ,  IMO. 

ondaga 
Spencer.  Miles  D..  Farmer;  b.  Ct.,  a  1821.     I 

dnga 

.Sbanabnn.  .Mariinrei.  Farmer.     P.  O.  Howlett  Hill. 
Seelv,  Joaeph  Owtii.  Farmer;  b.  Weatcheater  Co.,  1700.  a  1707. 

P.  ( I.  South  Onondaga. 
Tolman.  Harvey  P  .  I'hyn.   and   Surg.;  b.  X'.  Y'.,  a  1823.     P.  O. 

( iiiondnga  Vallev. 
Van  Schoick.  I^nac.  Farmer;  b.  X.  Y..  alS24.  P.  O  Jameavllle. 
Whitford.  .lames.  I'liya.  nnd  Surg. ;    b.  X.  Y..  1808.      P.  O.  Ou- 

ondagii  A'alley. 
Wellcr,  Joaeph.  Farmer;  b    F.nglaud,  a    Isll ;    Poatofflce Uuou- 

dagn  Valley. 
Wilber.  Anion.  Fanner;  b  X  Y,  a  183.1;  P  I  >  Xararlno. 
Wright.  Klijiih  It.  Farmer;  I.  N  V,  a  1828;  P  O  Xnvnrino. 
W\ckotT.  Aii"tiii  a.  rarnier;  b  X  Y.  a  IHI.',;  p  o  Xavarino. 
White.  Sherliurn.  Fanner;  b  X  V,  a  l8lB;   P  O  Onondaga. 
Wordeii.  Samuel  C,  Farmer;  b  Vt,  ■  1820;  Poatofflce  Onondaga 

Caatle. 
Wella.  John.  Farmer;  b  X  Y.  a  1^22;  P  O  Onondagn  Vallev. 
W.-lln.  Irving    Farmer;  b  X  V.a  1H4'.I;  P  O  I  111011. biK-a  \a|iey. 
Wyncoiip  John,  of  .Syrncune;  b  Albany,  a  IMd.     Deceased. 
Wyncoop,  Mnry.  Farmer;  b  X  Y.  a  1h40;    I'oatolllce  Onondaga 

Valley. 
White.  George  -A,  Farmer  ;  b  X  Y,  a  1820,  P  U  Onondaga. 
Wvckoll'.  Joinithnn, 
Wyckofl.  A  ti  Jr. 

TOWN  OF  lAMILLlS. 

Abranii'.  D.  F.    Farmer;  b  N    Y..  a  1844.     P.  ((..  (  amillua. 
Ariiintri  iig.    W.    \   (i.  W.     Farmer;  bX'.  Y.,  a  K17.     1'.  O., 

IWIIe  Inle. 
Bingham,   Calvin  D.     Farmer  ;  b  N.  Y'.,  a  1805.     P.  O.,  Cn- 

nilllua. 
Ileiinett.  J    H.     Farmer ;  b  X.  Y..  a  181.V     P.  o,  Cnmlllua. 
lirown,    Ueniiimin.  ren    (iimillun.     Tailor  nnd    Ponimnater;  b 

X.  v..  a  1*4".     P.  O.,  Cnmillun. 
Bucklln.  Wm    H  .  rea.  Caniil  n«.   Denier  in  Tin.  Hnnlwarc  nnd 

F"arm    Implements;  b  Maes  .  s  1*47      I'.O    Camlllua. 
Burdick.  Lafayette,  res.  .Vinbov.     Flour,  Grist.  Cider  and  Cir- 
cular Saw  Mills;  b  X.  V       P   O.  Helle  Isle. 
Bromley.  Philo.  rea  (  nmlllua  .Camlllua  Hotel ;  b  X.  Y,  a  1831. 

P.  O..  Cnmlllua. 
Brewer,  Orrin.     Farmer;  bN.  Y.,al823      P.  O.,  Memphia. 
t  haimian.  Henrv  (J  .    rea.  Camillus.     Clay   Tobacco  I'ipt-  Mfr. 

Ii  X.  Y.,  a  l^M       P.  O  .  Cnmlllua. 
Conk ly.  .lames.     Farmer;  b  Cnnaila,  a  IM*      I'.  O..  Helle  lale. 
(.'ook,  Jr.,  S.  H..    ri's.    Camillus      Dealer  In  (ieneral  . Merchau- 

diae  and  .Supervisor;  b  (nmillus.  Ixtl .   I',  o..  Cnmlllua. 
Dreaaer,  (Jeorge  F,    Farmer;  b  (iermany,  a  ls%4.     P.  o.,  Fair- 
mount. 
Dnvton,  Kev   B.  B  ,  rea.  Amboy;  Pnaior  Preabylerian  I'hurcb: 

bN    Y.,sls:rt      P.  O  ,  llelle  Isle 
Drake,  li.  W,    res.  Camillus;  .Millwright  nnd    ilvdraulic  Eu- 

glneer;  b  Camlllua.  I82.'i.     P.  O.  Cnmlllua. 
Danlela,  A    F,.,  rea.  Camlllaa:  Architect  and  Hulldor:  b  K.  Y'., 

a  1847      P.  O   (nmillua 
Dow,  John,  Farmer  and  Cnri>euter;  Couii,,  a  1840.  P.  O..  Belle 

Isle. 
Kcker.  I   Jeaae.  Farmer;  b  X.  Y  .  a  1M8.     P.  O.,  Belle  Isle. 
F.iistis  James. 

Fuller.  Lola,  Farmer;  b  Maaa  ,  a  18U0.     P.  O.,  Falrmnuiit. 
Feigus,  Jaiiiea  G..  rea.  Cnmlllua;   Lumber  Mfr.  and   Dealer;  b 

Irelnnd,  a  Ih44.     P.  O..  CaniilUia. 
tiere.  Jnniea  Nl  .  Farmer  and  .Salt  Manufacturer;  b  X.  Y.,  ■ 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK 


419 


Gee,  George,  res.  CamiUus;  Grocer;  b  N.  Y..  s  ISoS.  P.  O.  Cn- 

Dlillu9. 

Graves,  Austiu,  Farmer  and  Postmaster;  b  N.  Y.,  s  183:.'.  P. 
O..  MarcelUis  Falls. 

Geddes,  James.  Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  a  18-31.     P.  O.,  Fairmouat. 

Geddes,  George,  Civil  Engineer  and  Farmer;  b  Camillas, 
18')9.     P   O..  Fairmouiit. 

George,  N.  R.,  res.  Camilluj;  Coal  Dialer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1843,  P. 
O.,  CamiUus. 

Harmon,  Edwir)  P..  Farmer:  b  N.  Y..  s  18«.     P.  O..  CamiUus 

Hay,  M.  L.,  re.s.  Belle  Isle;  General  Merchandise  and  Grocer- 
ies; b  N.  Y.,  8  1828.     P.  O.,  Bene  Isle. 

Hinsdale   A.   L  .    Farmer  and   Fruit  Grower;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1815. 


b  N.  Y..  s  1813,    P.  U.,  Belle 


,  1812.     P.  U.,  Belle  Isle. 


b  N. 


Belle  Isle, 
b.  N.  Y.,  s 

,  s  1845.  P. 


P.  O.,  Belle  Isle. 

Hay,  Miss  L.  E.,  res.  Belle  Isle; 
Isle. 

Hay,  Luther,  Farmer;  b  N.  Y. 

Hitchcock.  J.  H.,  res.  CamiUus;  Architect  and  Builder; 
T:.,  s  18.J7.     P.  O..  CamiUus. 

Hopkins,  Edwin.  Farmer;  b  N   Y..  s  1S:J4.     P.  O.,  Belle  Isle. 

Hopkins.  Harlow,  Farmer;  b  X.  Y.,  s  1815.     P.  O..  Belle  Isle. 

Hubbard.  Mrs.   Hannah  A,   Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1821.    P.O., 
CamiUus. 

Hopkins,   H.  W. 

Kinually,  Daniel,  Farmer;  b.   Ireland.  8  1853    P.  0.,  CamiUus. 

Kellogg,  O.  J..   Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1839.     P.  O.,  CamiUus. 

Kiiine,    Mrs.   Almira,  res.  Amboy;  b.  N.  Y.,  s  1824.     P.  O., 
Belle  Isle. 

Laud,   Charles,  res.  CamiUus;  Saddle  and  Harness  Manufac- 
turer; b  N.  Y.,  s  1817.     P.  t>..  CamiUus. 

Loveless    Charles  K.,  Farmer;  b  N.  V.,  s  1841.    P.  O.,  Belle 
Isle. 

Leddy,   John,    res.  Fairmouat  ;    Farmer  and   Commissiouer 
of  Highways;  b  N.  Y  ,  s  1849.     P.  O.,  Fairmount. 

Loomis,  Frederick.  Farmer;  b  N.  Y., .«  1821.     P.  O.,  CamiUus. 

liawtou,  Howard,  Farmer;  b  X.  Y.,  s  1837     P.  U., 

La  Du  Brinckerhoff,   Tin    and  Sheet  Iron  Worker; 
l.S;W.     P.  U.,  Warners. 

La  Du  Duane,  Tin  and  Sheet  Iron  Worker;  b  N.  Y. 
O.  Warners. 

Munro,  J.  D.  A.    Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1844.    P.  O.  CamiUus. 

Muuro,  James  M.    Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1814.     P.  O  CamiUus. 

Morton,  Robert,  res.  Belle  Isle.     Farmer  and  Miller;  b  N.  Y., 
P.  O.  Belle  Isle. 

Munro.  David  A.     Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1818.     P.  O.  CamiUus. 

Munio,  John  C.     Farmer;  P.  O.  CamiUus. 

Maohau  Thomas,  res.  Belle  Isle.    Carriage  Maker,  J.  P.  &  P. 
M.     b  Ireland,  s  1842.     P.  O.  Belle  Isle. 

0"Sullivan,  Rev   J.  E  ,  res.  Camilus.    Pastor  Ruoiau  Catholic 
Church.     P.  O.  CamiUus. 

Otman,  Abram.  res.  Uamillus.     Prop'r  Grocervand  Meat  Mar- 
ket; b  N.  Y.,  s  1S;31.     P.  O.  CamiUus.  ' 

Patterson,  Loren  L.,   res.   CamiUus.    Merchant  Miller;  b.   N. 
Y.,  s  1841.     P.  O-  CamiUus. 

Parsons,  E.  C.     Farmer;  b  Mass.,  s  1847.     P.  O.  Fairmount. 

Patton,  James,  res  CamiUus.    Dealer  in  Drugs  aud  Medicines ; 
b  N.  Y..  8  180(i.     P.  O.  CamiUus 

Peck,  I.  M.     Farmer;  b  N.  Y.,  s  1817.     P.  O.  Warners. 

Rodees,  T.  F.     Farmer;  b.  N.  Y..  s.  1844.     P.  O.  CaraiMus. 

Reynolds,  G   D     Farmer  aud  Ex-Supervisor;  b  N.  Y.,  a  1836. 
P.  O.  CamiUue. 

Sherwood,  E.  D..  res.  CamiUus.  Merchant  aud  Ex-Supervisor  ; 
b  N.  Y.,  s  1833.     P.  O.  CamiUus. 

Slocum,  J.  O.,  res.  CamiUus.     Phvsiciau  aud  Surgeon;  b.  N. 
Y.,  8  1820.     P.O.  CamiUus. 

Safford,  Ira,  res.  CamiUus.     Manuf.  Cabinet  Ware  and  Under- 
taker; b  N.  Y.,  3  1830.     P.  O.  CamiUus. 

Safiford,  Jr.  C.  S.,  res.    CamiUus.     Dealer  in  Drugs  aud  Medi- 
cines, Gen.  Ins.  Agency;  b.  N.Y..  s  18U.   P.  O.  CamiUus. 

Steves.  Reuben.     Farmer;  b  X.  Y..  s  1836.     P.  O.  Warners. 

Shearer.  Mrs.  A.  M.     Farmer;  P.  O.  CamiUus. 

Sims,  John  S.,  res.  Ambov.    General  Merchaodise  aud  Gro- 
cery ;  b  N.  Y..  s  18.58.    P.  O.  Belle  Isle. 

■",  res.  Ambov.  Physician  and  Surgeon;  b.  N. 
P.  O.  Belle" Isle. 

res.  Ambov.  Physician  and  Surgeon  :  b  N. 
P.  O.  Belle  Isle. 
Farmer:  b  Conn.,  s  1831.     P.  O.  CamiUus. 


Skiauer.  Lewis  C. 

Y..  8  1817. 
Skinner,  Edgar  C., 

Y.,  s  1.8.53. 
.  Thorpe,  Wm.  C. 


Thompson,  .James  L..  res.  CamiUus.  Tin  aud  Sheet  Iron  Wor- 
ker; b  Md  ,  3  1851.     P.  O   CamiUus. 

Twiuem,  Wm.,  res.  Xewport.  General  Merchandise  and  Gro- 
ceries: b  Ireland,  s  1835.     P.  O.  Warners. 

Van  Alstine,  E.  A.     Farmer;  b  N'.  Y.,  3  1840.     P.  O.  Warners. 

Van  Alstine.  Jacob.    Fanner;  b  X.  Y..  s  1840.    P.  O.  Warners. 

Veeder,  E.  E.,  res.  CamiUus.  VA'holesale  and  Retail  B.»rrell 
Mfr.  and  J.  P.;  b  N    Y  .  s  18;4     P.  O.  lU-uUlui. 

White.  J.  B.     Farmer  ;  b  X.  Y..  8  18.39.     P.O.  Balle  Isle. 

Wiuchell.  Henry,  res.  Belle  Isle.  Farmer;  b  Vt.,  s  1817.  P. 
O.  Belle  Isle. 

TOWX  OF  CICERO. 

Blyun,  M.  H.,  res.  Cicero,  Phvsiciaa  and  Surgeou;  b  Columbia 

Co.,  8  1860.     P.  O.  Cicero. 
Button,  Martin  L..  Farmer;  b  Oucida  Co.,  a  1830.  P.  O.  Cicero. 
Clement,  Chaa.  W.,  res.  South  Bay.     Prop.  South  Bay  House. 

b  Delaware  Co.,  3  1842.    P.  O.  Cicero. 


\V  ,T...ll)ii.il   Co.,  Vt.,  S 

aud 

■  '  ■    .■li;i'  uaui;    b 

u;  ni)(1  Coal  Deal'yr, 


Gushing.  Samuel,  res.  Cicero,  Retired;  b 

18.30.    P.  O.  Cicero. 
Crownhart.    Henry,   res    (.'icero,   Prop'r 

Farmer;  b  Madison  Co.,  s  1.S7G. 
Coouley,   Irving,    res.   Cicero,   P<istmast< 

Onondaga  Co..  s  1840.     P.  O.  Cicer 
Carter,  W.  H.,  res.  Brewerton.  Steamboai 

b  R.  I.,  a  1827.     P.  O.  Brewerton. 
Cashing.  F.  C,  res.  Brewerton.  Merchant,  b  Windham  Co  ,  Vt., 

8  1830.     P.  O.  Brewerton. 
Cushing,  Mrs.  C.     P.  O.  Bre.verton. 
Dennis,  Geo.  W.,   Farmer.  (Co.  G.    I3th  Wia.,  entered  Sept., 

1801.  discharged  Nov.  29,  1804);  b  Onondaga  Co.,  1829. 

P.  O.  Cicero. 
Deuuis,  Ucal.  Farmer;  b  Rensselaer  Co.,  s  1802.    P.  O.  Cicero. 
Daniels.  Jesse,  res.  Lot  .59   Farmer  and  Hop  Grower;  b  Scho- 
harie Co..  s  1823.     P.  O    Bridgeport, 
Difflu,  Charles,  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co.,  s  1844.    P.  O.  Cicero. 
Dunham.  Valentine.     P.  O.  Cicero. 
Emmons.  E.  X..  res.  Brewerton,   Postmaster  and  Merchant; 

b  Onondaga  Co  ,  s  1833.    P.  O.  Brewerton. 
Emmons.  S.   Farmer,  soldier  in  1812;  b  Rensselaer  Co.,  a  1805. 

P.  O.  Brewerton. 
Genung,  B.  M.,  res.  Brewerton,  Physician  and  Surgeon;  b  N. 

J.,  s  1848.     P.  O.  Brewerton. 
Henderson,  Robert,  res.  Lot  70.  Farmer,  b.  Scotland,  a  1850. 

P   O.  CoUamer. 
Hughs,    Thomas,    res.    Brewerton,  Speculator  and    Deputy 

Sheriff :  b  St.  Lawrence  Co..  s  1801.      P.  O.  Brewerton. 
Herrick,  L.  C..  res.  Cicero.  Prop'r  of  Herrick  House;  b  Colum- 
bia Co..  s  1840.      P   O.  Cicero. 
Hodge.  Loteu.  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co.,  s  1827.     P.  O.  Cicero. 
Houghtaling,  Gabriel,  res.  Lot  :58,  Farmer,  (Co.  H,  149th  X.  Y. 

S.  v.);  b  Albany  Co..  s  1832.     P.  O.  Cicero. 
Hoyt,  David  H.,  res.  South  Bay,   Farmer;  b  Saratoga  Co.,  s 

1830.     P.  O.  Cicero. 
.Johnson,  Orsamus,  res.  Brewerton,  Retired;  b  Mass.,  8  18X). 

P.  O.  Brewerton. 
Kathau,  J.  B.,  Farmer,  b  Windham  Co.,  Vt.,  a  1814.  P.  O.  Brew- 
erton. 
Keuyon,  M.  A  ,  res  Brewerton,  Prop'r  Hotel;  b  Saratoga  Co., 

s  1876.    P.  O.  Brewerton. 
Klosheim.  John  H.,  res.  Cicero;  Hardware,  etc, ;  b  Onondaga 

Co.,  18.53,     P.  O.  Cicero 
Kerwio,   Richard,  Farmer;  b  Carlow,  Ireland,  a  1847.    P.  O. 

Syracuse. 
Leach,  Emeliue,  res.  Lot  54;  b  Cayuga  Co.,  8  1815.  P.  O.  Cicero. 
Leach,  Allen;  b  Onondaga  Co.,  1810.     Deceased. 
Lillie,  Wm..  Farmer;  b  Cayuga  Co.,  s  1840.     P.  O  Cicero. 
Loomis,   A.    J.,   Cheese    Manufacturer,    Dairv    Farmer   aud 

Miller;  b  Onondaga  Co.,  1830.     P.  O.  Cicero. 
Morgan,  F.  H.,  res.  Cicero,  Merchant;  b  Ouondaga  Co.,  s  1848. 

P.  0.  Cicero. 
Merriam,  Xoah,  res.   Cicero,  Retired;  b  Saratoga  Co.,  s  1820. 

P.  O.  Cicero. 
Moultou.  John,  Farmer;  b  Ouondaga  Co.,  s  1828.  P.  0.  Cicero. 
Moyer,  H.  A.,  res.  Cicero.  Carriage  Manut'r;  b  Oaoudaga  Co., 

s  18.53.     P.  O.  Cicero. 
Miller,  Abram  J.,  res.  Cicero,  Stave  Cutter;  b  Ououda^a  Co., 

1841.    P.  O.  Cicero. 
Newmann,  Charles.   Farmer  aud   Willow  Basket  Maker;    b 

Germany,  s  1818.     P.  O.  Cicero. 
Otman,   George,    Farmer;     b    Ouondaga  Co.,     1832.    P.    0. 

BrewertoH. 
Ottman.   Jacob,   Farmer;    b  Schoharie    Co,,  a  1827.      P.  O. 

Brewerton. 
Rogers.  C.  R  .  res.  Brewerton.   Agent,  R.  W.  &  O.  R.  R.;  b 

Onondaga  Co.,  1849      P.  O.  Brewerton. 
Root,  After.  Farmer.  (Co.  D  149th  X.  Y..  wounded  June  4,  1863, 

at  Gettysburg);  b  Onondaga  Co.,  1847.     P.  O.  Cicero. 
Roller,  Martin,  Fanner  and   Dairymau;  b  Wurtem burg,  Ger- 
many, s  1847.     1',  O,  Cicero. 
Sadler,  Freeman,  Farmer  and  Jobber;  b  Onondaga  Co.,  a  1827. 

P.  O.  Brewerton. 
Sayles,  O.,  Lot  73,  Farmer  aud  Miller;  b  Madisou  Co.,  1854. 

P.  O.  Bridgeport. 
Sayles,  O..  Jr.,  Lot  73,  Farmer  and  Dairyman;  b  Madison  Co., 

8  1854.     P.  O.  Bridgeport. 
Sherwood,  Wm.  H.,  Farmer;  b  Oaoudaga  Co.,  18-30.     P.  O. 

Brewerton. 
Vaualstine.  Daniel,  Farmer;  b  Montgomery  Co.,  s  1838.    P.  O. 

Cicero . 
VauHeusen.  Stephen,  res.  Plank  Road,  Carpenter  and  Builder; 

b  Ranssel.ier  Co..  s  1835.     P.  O.  Plank  Road. 
Waterbury,  D.  H.,  res.  Brewerton.  Druggist  and  Jeweller,  also 
Justice  of  the  Peace;  b  Rensselaer  Co.,  s  1851.    P.  0. 

Brewerton. 
Washburn,  C.  E..rea.  Brewerton,  Prop'r  Washburn  House;  b 

Onondaga  Co..  1849.     P.  O.  Brewerton. 
Wright,   Adolphus,  Farmer,  b   Ouondaga   Co.,    18M.    P.    O. 

Cicero-  „     ,    „ 

Wright,  lohu  R.,  Farmer;  b  Otsego  Co..  s  18  K!.    P.  O.  Cicero. 

TOWX  OF  MAXLIU8. 

Austin,  William.    Farmer;  b  Vt..  8  1847    P.  O.  Fayetteville. 
Avery  Allen  H.     Parmer,  b  Mass.,  8  lilO.    P.  O.  Maulius. 


^ 


,20 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Beard,  Henry  I,.,  r 

d>Ka  Co..  • 

Borban*  '■■' '    •■• 

Baker. 

Banc*. 

l>abc<K 
0. 

B.. 

Ulaiicli.. 

BanK*. 

Burbaii- 

Baiiiri. 

Blaiichii 

Br;'Wii, 

Bart le It    l_i" 

<■   U 
Bender.    '    ' 

1 

roiiiD.  1 

Colliu.   I 
Cbaropl 


l*»l>«r:  b  Otioii- 

M',  .,U    l>oor«, 

'  od:  b 

r  and 

fvlUe. 

l'riuci(Mil  u(  St.  Jobu't 

..•.     iL.'iired  Farmer;  b  C'uiiii.,  •  1834, 

•nn  .  •  1«11.     P.  (>.  KirkTlUe. 

lie.    Mfr.  of  I4a,h.    Blindi, 
aler:  b  OuondaKa  Co.  11419, 

Mlie.    Contraecor;    b.  Oaoudaga 


Mid  Breeder  of  8bort  Homi;  b 

i'.  u.  Mnnliui. 

vllle.    Olacloiuitb;  bUueldaCo., 


Knrett"vHle.     Mfr.  Lumber  and  Farmer; 
tievUle. 
Farmer;  b  Columbia 

it*.    Lir.^cer:    b  Jeffervon  Co.,  • 

I      ....... <r;  b  DutebeM  Co.,  \<<a.     Died 


ITark.  Am..!—.-   -i-.. 

Clark,  Ambrote.  Jr.     Farmer;  b  ()ii<>nd*Ka  Co.,  ■  IM:.*.    P.  U. 

Favet'.evllle. 
Collin.  I>tiVid.  Jr.    Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co.,  ItCU.    P.  O.  Fay- 

pIL.t    ill.. 

Ct**,  H'  irmer;   b  New  Hampthire,  f  l»i4.    P.O. 


CI.- 
Cli : 


irnier;   b   Madlton  Co..  •  li«l.     P.  O. 
,  b  UnoiidKRa.Co.,  IKlfl.   P.  O.MauIlu* 


♦.enter. 
Caawell.  N'eloiu.  rv*.  Manllui.    Hotlred  UunamUh:  b  Ilerkl- 


('.  <i.  Kirkville. 
V.I..   IHM.     r.  U. 

liner  and  Maiou;  b  Ouondaca  Co..1k;1.    P. 


lV>e.  F.I  I 
<ook,     I 

Cole,  Cii 

Crapaer.   Mnitb   \».     Farmer;   b   Madlaou  Co.,  a  18&T.    P.  O. 

Kirkville. 
Eeker.  .1   '  "  lad  Bookk' 


Ersni. 


P.  1 1.  F.i 


Vlliv. 


ETana.  hanlel  tt..  ret.  Faretlevllle.      Pbvticlan  and  start:,    ii 

^      \l  ..  .1.^....    I     ..        .     Ik  tl  I  ■      II       t.'..  .  ...I  ..vil!.. 

Eaton.   I  "  Na- 

.vllle. 
¥.<  ■  Karuj.jr, '.  ijLTmanjr, 

Frt- 1'   Co..  •   \s£i.      P.  O. 

kirKTiiie. 
Fitber,   .l"hii  M  .  r>»- Manllut  8tatlan.    Merchant;  b  Bavaria, 


-ter,  Lime.  &o. ;  b  Ire- 

■>   Hotel;  b 

.  .    , iJled,  1800. 

Farmer;   b   MadltOQ  Co.,  a  1W8.    P.  O. 

Mnnufr;  b  Sc.tlnnd.  •  VtCSt.     P.  O    Klrk- 

Maiiliii..   -[  :if  i.'i,.  l'lM^ii-i:iii  u().l  Sur- 


Gayii"! 

Orove,  i 

Onr  ■■ 
fir 

(it  1 

Ur.i 

HeiidH." 
Hn 

H.. 

Hubbar  !.'«.  .Manllut.   Fpiteopal  ClerRTtn'o  ;  b 

yk..--     ^  .  .V.     :     o.  Manllut. 
HInadell.  L>avid  H.,  Farmer;   b  Onondaga  Co.,  a  UU.     P.O. 

Hart.  C'l  ".-r;  b  Onon- 


Hoag.  .1 
Hoag.  < 


l- 


-tmaater;  b 

1'.  ii.  Kirkville. 
.  Mercbant;  b  Onoudaga  Co..  a 


llr'  in.  Farmer;  b  Onondaga,  a  1M4.    P.  O.  Uanllua 

It. 
Jet  -  I  I!     r'A^Iiti.Iiiit.  r..iwv..r  uimI  Juttlce  of  Peace; 


Ketebl- 

Mnrgau.  Ru>- 

r 
McLrni 

1 
M«t.i.- 
M 
M 

Monlter 

Ml 
Ml. 

Mnne,   Tbon. 

Moue,  I 

M.^n''-. 

N. 
Uj 

Oat.  A'l 
(N.t,  Chi 
0•Kelll^ 


'  the  FarettaTllla 
.».  -  .   .  i       .11.  Faj-ettf  ■.••"- 
and  J   P. :  b  Duteheaa  Co 

..   l-arii.i-r;    b  Ctnondaga,  Co,   IKItt.    I'.   U- 

..r      I.   \l.  ...•.- rr  I   ,.      .  1>1~         I  I....I    1  vlil 


.    Farmer  ;  b  Madiaon  Co.  a  1817.  P.  O.  Fav 

1'    O.  Manllut. 
r   ..f   8f.    Marjrt 
imillut  Station, 
and  .■^urgeon ;  b 

;  .    larun,!  .  U    i.JittiJa   Co..  a   IMS.     P.  O. 

[.%\r..t,.r      h   I  lii.xi   I;.'.'..    :  ^  U;      1*     .1     Mi.,    in.. 


Pleraon 
Peaae,  li 


Died  ima. 

I'  <>  X  Manliua. 
irch  of  tbe 

...-iiii'.i.  b  Onondaga 


lor  Co.,  a  l*«Wi.     P.  O 


-  10.     P.  O 
Fanner; 
(.  uUaiiier. 
Palmer,  Ueo.  \V.,  rea.  Kirkville,  Pbvkician  and  Surgeon  :  Saru 

toga  Co..  a  IMO.     P.  O.  ftlrkvllle. 
Preaton,  K.  H  C.  ret  ManMut,  Mercbant ;  b  X.  T.,  a  1844.  P.  *  > 

MBtlllllli. 

Plattt.    ^  •,       •  J.  P.;  b  Albany 

Palmer,  i  .   a   1(M5.    P.  O. 

Kuvrtli'ville. 
Rotner,  Darld.  Farmer:  b  Scbobarle  Co,  a  1816.  P.  O.  Farette- 

vlUe 
Richman,  Fmnkllii  \V.,  Farmer:  b  Onondaga  Co.,  1 1834.  P.  O. 

.Munliut  Outer. 
Remington.  Arm. Id.   n't.   Uaiiliue.    Retired:  b   R.   I.,  a  \SZ: 

P.  (I.  .Mniilliifi. 
Ranaler,  Harmoii    B.,  K"--"""-  ""■!  Teacber:  b  Onondaga  Co., 

i  1*«1.      P.  < ' 
Richardson  J  c.  r<»  Mn-  utoraud  Mfr  of  Machinery. 

Smith,  Willi:.  Manllut.  Chytlcian  and  Surgeon; 

l>  f.  'J.  Manliua. 

Smith,  Anaoi.  i>d  Superriaor  ;  b  X.  Y.,  a  1831.    P.O. 

M  re. 

Smith,  John  I  <f....;..   Merchant;  b  Onondaga  Co., 

t  i  - 

Scovlll.  .  ch.  ilaita  Co..  a  ISC'.    Died  1875. 

.aut:tt  l  .J.,  a  ISK.     P.  O.  Manliua. 

-I  r;  b  Onondaga  Co.,  18.11.     P.  O.  Pay- 

I . . .. 
Sanborn,   NVilinuKbby.   Farmer;  b  Oneida  Co.,  •  ISOK.    P,  d 

'  'mil 

Seward     '  b  Oneida   Co.,  a  1844.     Died  at 


Seward    ' 


tOTllle,  bOUegoCo.,al8&e.  P.  O 


Shoemaker.  >  -   Manliua  Station.  Retired;  b  Onon- 

dnKii   <  i-.i.    P.  O.  .Manliua  Station. 
Snyder,   Peter.    Farmer;    b   Prance,  a  lUtU.      P.   O.  Manliua 

Station. 
Snrder.   Peter.    J  i 

b  OiH.i 
Smith   HIrani     •• ^..  ■■..,.   .... 

V 
SooTlII,  \\  lir>  Lumber  dlr;  b  N  H.  a  1847;  Po«t- 

iiii 
Sheedy,  John 

b  1 
Sheedy,  Th<. 

Sharer..'  i ,  »  im.  :  r  ■  ■  iMrKvni... 

TalTner.  r,  b  Kinga  Co,  a  184;];  Pott- 


,    Mfr  VVntor  and  Ouick  Lime. 


Mfr  \>Btor  and  Oi 

i-t.-m.-..     K;iV.   II..vill. 


'  .tun,  a  IS  ■ 
r;  b  On>M 

Weila.   !»8miitl  J. 
N  Y.  . 
W. 

'8  Merchant;    ti 
1 ;    l>  Saratoga  Co,   a 

Wti 

.  ^n   Co,  lsl9;   I'uttofflce 

Wilcox, 

-  ille.  Retired ,  b  Motgomery  Co,  a  181:.' 

rv  u  K  \  ui'' 


».rkville. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


421 


Wilcox,  Noble  E.  Farmer;  b  Onondaga,  9  1^2-.';  P  U  Kirkville. 
Vaiifchaack,   Henry  r,   res  Manliua,  Lawyer;  b  Colurabia  Co, 
Ifi'.'T;  Postcffice  Manlius. 

TOWN  OF  OTI9CO. 

Bouttelle,  Alexander  J.,   res.  Amber,  Prop'r  Lake  House:  b 

Otisco    slK:il;   P.O.,  Amber. 
Bouttelle.  Jennie  .M  .  1  wife  of  .\.  J.  Bouttelle.)  b  Preble, si 8,36; 

P.  (>..  Amber. 
Bishop.  John  J.,  Lot  78.  Farmer;  b  Otisco.  8  1837;  P.  O.,  Amber. 
Bishop.  Maggie   E,   Lot   Ti*;  1  wife  of  John  J.  Bishop,  1  b  Mar- 

cellus.  8  1M2;   P.  O..  Amber. 
Card.  (J.  W.,  Lot  so.  Farmer;  b  R.  L  9  1817;  P.  O.,  .\niber. 
Card.  Mrs.  G.  W.;  b  Tully.  s  1^41;  P.  o.  Amber. 
Cummings.  Michael,  Lot  ',VJ,  Farmer,  (.inoudaga  Co.,  s  \f^>):  P. 

O..  Oti.-ico. 
Case,  J.  C.  Lot  S5.  Farmer;  b  Yate8  Co.,  s  1828;  P.  O..  Otisco. 
Clark,  Charles.  Lot  in  '.  Farmer  and   Fuller  of  Cloth  ;  b  Mass., 

8  isuy:  P.  ( ).,  otisco. 
Edinger,  .Tacob.  Farmer:  b  IJermauy,  186;t,  3  1854;  P.O.,  Otisco. 
Edinger,  Susan,  iwife  of  .lacob  Edinger;  b  Otisco,  1849;  P.  O., 

Otisco,  N.  Y. 
Frisbie,  L  Tvler.  Lot  -i.  Farmer  and   Dairyman ;  b  Delaware 

Co.,  s  ls.il:  P.  (>..  Litisco  Valley. 
Fish,  Willis  C.   Lot  7!l,  Farmer:  b  Onondaga,  Co.  1827;  P.  O.. 

Navarino. 
Fitzgerald.  Ijeoree,  Lot  9s.   Farmer;  b.  Ireland,  3  18.iO;  P.  O., 

Amber. 
Goodwin.  E.  L..  Lot  >'-'.  Farmer;  Postmaster  ten  years;  Super- 
visor fi)r  Istiil;  b  lsn4.  Saratoga  Co..  9  181.',:  P.  1 1.  ( Itisco. 
Beuderson.  Lyman  K..  res.  Otisco,    Prop'r  Central  House;  b 

Otisco".  »  1S3T;  P.  O.,  Otisco. 
Hale.  F.  H.,  Lot  8:i.  Farmer:  b  Conn..  8  lf*04;  P.  O.,  Oti8co. 
Hoxsie.   Clifford,  res.   .Vmber,  S^alesnian;  b  Michigan,  1857,  9 

ls.-,T:   P.  (>.,  Amber. 
Hale,  L.  M  ;  P.  ( >..  otisco,  N.  Y. 

Kiugsley.  o.  H..  Lot  9.').  Farmer;  b  Mass.,  slsOC:  P.  O..  Otisco. 
Kiuuev.  Warren,  res.  Aoiber;  retired  Farmer;   b  Conn.,  8  18.3.j; 

'  P.  l>..  Amber. 
Miller,  (ieorge  P.,  Lm  99.  Farmer;  bOtisco.  1847;  P.O.,  Otiaco. 
Meara  M..  Lot  14.  Farmer;  b  Ireland,  s  18.')7;  P.  o..  Otisco. 
Rice,  O.  W..  Lot  4,  Dairy  Farmer;  b  Otisco.  1S42;  P.O..  Otisco. 
RedwaT,  James  H.,   Lot  72,  Farmer  and  Justice  of  the  Peace; 

"b  Otisco.  s  1*17;  P.  O..  .Vmber. 
Redway.  Tbos.  retired  Farmer:  bConn.,  s  18()6:  P.  O.,  Amber. 
Shau!,  A.,  Lot  94,  Farmer:  b  Herkimer  Co.,  8 182,');  P.(».,  Otisco. 
Tuttle,  Wm.  N..  Lot  l.'i.  Farmer:  b  otisco.  s  ls28;  P.O. .Vesper. 
Tuttle.  Daniel,  Fanner;  died  December.  1<V4:  b.  N.  H..  9  179S. 
Van  Uenthuysen,  John,  Farmer:  botisco,  1K.J4;  P.  O.,  Amber. 
Van  Beiithuvsen,  Sarah  Jane,  iwife  of  J.  Van  Benthuysen,;  b 

Marcellus,  1S3(J;  P.  o..  .\mber.  N.  Y. 
Van  Benthuyseu.  Au'ander.  Farmer,  deceased. 
Van  Beiithuysen.  Harriet.  1  widow  of  Amander  Van  Benthuy'n. 
Williams.  .Samuel.    Lot  97.  Fanner  and  Blacksmith;  b  Onon- 
daga, Co.  184;!;   I'.  (>..  otisco  Vallev. 
Wright.  William,  Lot  94.  Farmer;  b  Onondaga,  Co.  1820;  P.  O., 

Otisco. 

T(JWN  OF  GEDDES. 

Andrews.  Thos..    Farmer  and  Dairyman;  b  England,  s   ls41; 

P.  <  I,  Svracuse. 
Abell,  L.  H..    Farmer;  b  Conn..  9  18:30;  P.  O.  Geddes. 
Babcock.  Silas  1!..    Farmer  and  Dairyman:  b  N.  Y.,  s  184-3:  P. 

O.  Fairni"unt. 
Bronson.  -Mrs.  Sarah  C:  b  N.  Y..  8  1828;  P.  O.  Geddes. 
Belden.  .Mrs.  (iertrude  W.:  b  N.  Y.,  9  1844;  P.  O.  Ceddes. 
Corey,  Silas.     Farmer  and  Dairyman  :   b  N.  Y.,   9  1818;  P.  O. 

Syracuse. 
Cowa'n.  John.    Farmer:  b  N.  Y.  18;i7;  P.  O.  Geddes. 
Cowau.  I'hillip  H..    Farmer;  b  N.  Y..  81847;  P.  o.  Geddes. 
Cody,  John,    School  Trustee  :  b  Ireland,  s  18(U:  P.  o.  (Jeddes. 
Cool,   <jeo.  A,    Wholesale  and  Retail  (Jrocer,  270  and  27s  W. 

(ieuesee  St.     Dealer  in  Flour.  Feed  and  Fresh  .Meats, 

Salt  Receiver.  Geddes;  b  Onondiiga  Co.,  Dec.   12,  1841. 
Chaffee,    Burritt,    Farmer;  b  town  of  Onondaga,  l»oO;  P.  O. 

Fairmount. 
Chaffee.  L.  C.  iTerry  i;  b  Geddes,  1848.   P.  O.  Fairmount.  (wife 

of  Burritt  Chaffee.) 
Draper,  (i  W,  Physician  ;  b  N  Y,  9  ls;52  :  Postoffice  Geddes. 
Fay.  Merritt.  Farmer  ,  b  N  Y,  3  l8'.'."i :  Postoffice  Fairmount. 
Frazer.  Mrs.  Julia  A  ;  bN  Y.  9  1829:  Postoffice  lieddes. 
Gere.  R  N.  Syracuse  Iron  Works;  b  N   Y,  9  18;J0;  PostofiBee 

(■edde9. 
Gere.  N  S,  Supervisor;  b  N  Y.  s  18:12  :  Postoffice  Geddes. 
Gere.    George  C.    Fanner  and  Salt  Manufacturer;  b  NY.   a 

IKIO  ;  Po:.tortice  (ieddes. 
Hooper.  J  W:  b  N  Y;  Postoffice  Geddes. 
Jerome.  Henrv.  Farmer  and   Dairyman,  b  N  Y.  8  1820;  Post- 

otlice  f'airniount. 
Lathrop.  .Mr9  A,  Farmer  and  Dairy;  b  N  Y,  9  l8.1,j;  Po9toffice 

Fairmount. 
Magee.  James  P,   Pastor  St.   I'atrieks  Church,  res.  Chestnut 

and  -Id  South ;  b  New  Brunswick  IMl.  8  18.j8. 
Oliver.  <ieo.   W.  res.  .'jO  Cnivcrsity  Ave,  Syracuse.  Gen'l  and 

Financial  Manager  Onondaga  Co.  Pottery  Co  :   b  N  H 

18^17 ;  8  1?7:J. 
75 


Pool.  David   Farmer:  b  N  \    s  1870  ;  Postoffice  Geddes. 
Porter.  W   W.  Physician  :  b  Vt,  9  18.-,l ;  Postoffice  Geddes. 
Paige,  Joel  S.  Salt  Manuf :  b  Mass,  3  1844;  Postoffice  Geddes. 
Plumb,  V\m,  Farmer:  b  Conn,  s  1822;  Postoffice  Fairmount. 
Poole,  Theodore  L.  ihrm  Poole  it  North.)  General  Merchan- 
dise. 118-120  Furnace  St;  b  Onondaga  Co.  1840. 
Pharis,  Miles  P.  Salt  iu9pector  and  Manuf    Flower  Pots,  res 

School  St.  cor  Chestnut;  b  Geddes.  182.'). 
Pharis,   Chas.   E.   Late  Salt  Inspector  and  Manuf;  b  Geddee 

1819  :  Died  Sept  1.3.  1877. 
Pharis,  Mrs  Caroline  F,  widow  of  the  above,  res.  21  Orchard 

St.;  b  Cayuga  Co,  18:!0,  s  18,5.3. 
Stevea,  Chas.  W,  Farmer;  h  N  Y.  s  18.'?.'>;  Postoffice  Geddes. 
Steves.  Chas.  R.  Farmer;  b  N  Y.  9  1841 ;  Postoffice  Geddes. 
Shumway.  J.  P.  Physician:  b  N  Y,  s  18.36;  Postoffice  (ieddes. 
Stewart     Harvey,   Salt   Manufr:   b   N   Y,   s   l,s;jO;     Postoffice 

Geddes. 
Spaulding.  Simeon,  res.  Geddes.  J  P.  Grocer  and  Druggist:  b 

Conn.  1802.  s  182.i;  Postoffice  Geddee. 
Terry,  Guy.  Farmer  and  Dairyman:  b  N  Y,  9  1823;  Po9toffice 

Fairmount. 
Van  Dnseii.  E  B.  Contractor:  b  N  Y.  8  1829;  Postoffice  Geddes. 
Woolson.  Mrs  Louisa;  b  Canada,  s  1840;  Postoffice  (ieddes. 
Wnolson.  .Mrs  A;  b  N  Y,  s  1842  :  I'ostoffice  (ieddes. 
White.  Thomas  (i.  Inventor,  .\holitio11i3t.  Prohibitionist  and 

Swedeiiborgian;  b  Onondaga  Co.  1810.  res.  7  Pear  St; 

Postoffice  (ieddes. 
Westfall.  James.  Geddes;    Cooper  and  Barrel  Mfr;  b  Albany 

l.OO.  s  18.59;  Postoffice  Geddes. 
Whedon.  .Albert  L.  Physician  and  Surgeon  ;  b  CamlUus,  N  Y. 

1836 ;  Postoffice.  Geddes. 

TOWN  OF  SALINA. 

Avery,  M  R,  Lot  .«6.  Farmer,  b  Conn,  s  18-36;  P  O  Liverpool. 
Avery.  Julia  E.  wife  of  M  R  Avery,  b  Penn,  1829,  s  ISW;   Post- 
office  Liverpool. 
Alvord.  Charles  (i.    res   Liverpool,   Prop'r  Cigar  Factory,  b 

Liverpool.  18.12;  Postoffice  Liverpool. 
Bassett.  H'  J.  res  Liverpool,  Merchant,  b  Liverpool:  Postoffice 

Liverpool. 
Beiischer.  Frank,  res  Liverpool.  Blacksmith;  b  Prussia,  1835, 

sl8.'>4;  I'ostoffice  Liverpool. 
Brand.  Charles,  res  Liverpool,  Barber;  bLiverpooI,  1852;  Post- 
office  Liverpool. 
Baker,  Truman,  res  Phoenix,  Farmer;  b  Lysander,  1820  ;  Post- 
office  Phoenix, 
Baxter,  (ienrcr,  res  Liverpool.  Salt  Manufr;  b  Spafford.   18.39; 

Po.stoffice  Liverpool. 
Baxter,  CL.  res  Liverpool,  Salt  Inspector;  b  Phoenix.  1847.  s 

1801;  Postoffice  Liverpool. 
Baum.  B  W.  Lot  3.  Farmer;  h  N  Y,  9  18.32;  P  O  Syracuse. 
Buuzey.   Oscar,    res   Liverpool.     Prop'r    American    Hotel:    b 

Albany.  18:i3.  s  18:54;   Postoffice  Liverpool. 
Bassett,  George,  res  Liverpool,  (  igar  Manufr  and  Supervisor; 

b  Wayne  Co,  1x17.  s  18;!;{:  Postoffice  Liverpool. 
Clark,  John  A,  res  Liverpool,  Fruit  and  Confectionery;  b  Eng- 
land, ls.'!8.  9  18.J1 ,  I'ostoffice  Liverpool. 
Chilliugworth,  R  J.  Lot  (18,  Farmer  and   Assessor;  b  England, 

ls.3:t,  s  1843;  Postoffice  Liverpool. 
Cockings,  Phillipp,  Lot  112,   Farmer;    b  England,  18.30,  s  1816; 

Postoffice  Syracuse. 
Cockings.  Alniira,   wife  of  Phillipp  Cockings  :  b   Montgomery 

Co,  l.s;W,  s  18.'J.j;  Postoffice  Syracuse. 
Chase.  Nathan,  res   Liverpool,  (was  .shoemaker  for  Army  of 

1812i;  b  R  1,  1782.  s  1.8:!2:  I'ostoffice  Liverpool. 
Chapiii.  William  A.  res   Liverpool,  Physician  and  Surgeon;  b 

Salem,  N  Y,  1820,  9  1870;  Postoffice  Liverpool. 
Cockings,  (ieorge.  res  Liverpool,  Harness  and  Shoemaker;  b 

England,  1820,  9  184S;  Postoffice  Liverpool. 
Chilliugworth.  Charles  G  ;   b  England.  1796,  s  1843;  Died,  May 

2.'),  isoi 
Dingman.  Luke,  Lot  6.3.   Farmer;  b  Montgomerj-   Co.  1821,  9 

1870;  I'ostoffice  Liverpool. 
Danforth,   Polly,  (First   White   Female  Born  and  Raised    in 

Salinai;  b  Saliiia.  i:9.3.  died,  April  5,  18(W. 
Duell,    Silas,    res     Liverpool.     Carpenter    and     Engineer;     b 

Dutchess  Co.  1840,  s1m)2;  ['ostoffice  Liverpool. 
Forger,   John   S,   res    Liverpool,   Salt   and    Brick    Manufr ;  b 

Liverpool,  lsI2;  Postoffice  Liverpool. 
Gale,  Henrj-  F.  Lot  1'.'8,  Sup't  Coarse   Salt   Fields,  b  Volney, 

1K49.  9  li»60;  Postoffice  Syracuse, 
(iale.  Thomas,  Lot  127,  I'r<,p'r  Coarse  Salt   Fields;  Postoffice 

Svracuse. 
Gale,  Mrs  Thomas,  wife  of  Thomas  Gale;  Postoffice  .Syracuse. 
Gleason.  O  C,  Farmer;  b  Liverpool.  1828;  P  O  Liverpool. 
Gleason.  William,  res  Liverpool.  Merchant;  bLiverpooI.  1828; 

Postoffice  Liverpool. 
Hand  Tbonias.   res   Liverpool,   Merchant:  b  Ireland,  9  182o; 

Postoffice  Liverpool.  rx     j    .. 

Hand.  Pollv  Hacheldor.  res  Liverpool,  wife  of  Thos  Hand;  b 

Liverpool.  1x26;  Postoffice  Liverpool. 
Hawley.  Lewis  T.  Lot  122,  Mfr  Dairy  Salt;  b  Solon,  1807  8l84«; 
■  Post<iffice  Syracu.se.  ,     „  „      ,         w 

Hawlev.  Arabella.    (Iraham)  Lot  122.  wife  of  L.  T.  Hawley;  b 

"  Deertield.  1.S24.  s  1847;  Postoffice  Svracuse. 
Hibbard.  Joseph  L,  Farmer  and  J    P.  res  Syracuse;   b  Otsego 

Co   1812.9  1827;  Po9toffice,  196  Wolf  Street,  Syracuse 


422 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Iluiiilt-r  Harmb.  r««   I.lverrMio'- Milliner:   b  llrrklmer  (  ■>,  l"*l. 

•  IBTO.  PmIoIBw  l-ITrrpuol. 
UuutlDKtna.    (■   S.  rr«    I.Hrrp.-.!.    PbTtlelBU   »na    Sutij.'i.li    b 

Watrrtiiwn.  lO.  •  l<'.;  I'  »•  l.ivi-n««'l  ^,     ^  ,  , 

Juuetb.  Alfr-J  J.  rr.  I.lvrrj-"-!.  T.-..  I.,  r  .i.d  Store  dlr;  b  Llv- 

,ri«-.l   t\<A:  |-...t..m.-.-  I  n-n      i  „   .  ,      ,. 

InrT...ll.    «;    I',    rr.    I  >«    »«"«'':    »> 

ir..iK     iV»i.     1     •■  1"  I  •  Llvrniool. 

L*aib,  j'lml-'l!  "T   ..f  Kutir.  ou   «.lt 

I.i.in.T  -i:     r<'l,iv.-r!»-.l. 

L,n...  WH... I  ll.rrrlMrr,bri.Tl<K 

r...l..Uli'    l.iiir|H...I 
l*nib,   ll«iiili'->-    rr'    l.i\rri>""l.    B<mtm»ii.  b    LlrerpiMil    It'.'l. 

V..,l..tUcr  l.i».Ti«.<>l  .         .,    , 

I  rkr    *iidrrw     rr«  l,l«rr|»">l.    Julrirr   »iid    <  «»ln-l    MBkrr,  b 

<  ..liinibi*  I".  IMI.  •  l»«l;  I'l-.t-fllcc  I.iren—'l 
l,>iiii    M«rru«.  rrn    l,lrrrp<«>l.    ttuiilniitii :  b  I'oiiii.  I"l".  •  1<I1 . 

I'oMi'flIrr  l.l»«TtMKil. 
(.atiiiiorf.    M'-<-».   rr-    l,lTrrp<Mi1.    I'r"|i'r    l.«tlinore  lluute:  b 

rimii'l'UiK  1*4:1.  •  \<4>.  r..«i..l11cr  l.inTpiHjI. 
Mrdllrc.tl.   .l"-«-i.h     l^.t    17.  K«iiiier:    b    KuKlaiid.  IMl.  •  IxOt, 

i'o.titllcr  Syrmruir.  ... 

MriTlmm.  K  <;.  I.-1  1.  K»nniT:  b<)tlK:.>  l-ll;    I'O  I,i»,-n><".l 
M*tbr»>  l>iiiii>-l    r^-   l,l»rrr<.ol.  (  .,«l  dlr.   b  Jnhinlowii  K.lt 

•  l«;u;    I'li.ti.nirr  l,lvrriM..il 
Dlnntrd    Mr*    M  .)    rr.    !.<>  rri»H.I.  Rrllrrd :  b  KligUud  l-.M.  • 

IKVI:  l'i>.|i.nirr  l.ivrrjHMil. 
I'Bddork.  Ji>bii.  rv  I.ivrrp4...1,  Ki>rn»-r  Bixl  MiTcbant :  !•  Ilrr- 

k)nicr<  ••    I""-'>.  'I"'."!!.   T'ol-'ltlrr  l.ivpr|N><>l. 
I'arkiT  <    H.  l.-l  til.  i.r..rrr.  b  l.l>eri>"..l  l«i-l.   I'o  l.ivrrp<...l 
IVtil,  KuKcii''    r>-»  l.ivrri"!"!.  s»lt    liinwcl-.r.    b  Knmcr  |i*0.  • 

1M:  .  ro^lolBx-  l.i\rr|""'l 
I'Imlrr.  .I'-bn  J.  I."i  "<'.    Kariiu-r.  b  t'ulunibla  Co.  l>*r.'.  •    IMfl. 

'I'o.I.  nicr  I.IHTIXM.I 

Hciubard    •iiiii.ii.l.    Lot    •!•.  K»rnnT:    b  t.rrniinr  Ix-K.  i  IsM; 

|'...|Mni.p  l.lviT|Hi.i| 
Sailtb    lVi.-r   >•••    l.i»«Ti 1     Mrrcbjiii  mnd   ?'«ll  Mfr.   b  lier- 

iii»i>v.  KW.  »  l«l".   ri..i-Htc.-  I.lvrri~~.l 
Muillb,   Jur.il..    rr.    I.l\rr|i....l.   M.rcbmil ;    l>   (Jprnimy  WK  • 

i«j(i-  r.i.t<>ntc<-  i,iviTi"Mii. 

Hcboolcmfl   «  mhnrliip   .\.   rr»  I.lvpriMM.l.   Ki-lirrd.  b  Albany 

)»iii.  •  ivr.'.  r>i.ionicc.  i.i\pr(">'ii 

Trrrv    KrBi.k  M.  I.<'l  ".'7  K >t  .  I>»ir)  ii.«ii  ai'd    lli>i.  limwiT; 

I,  Madi '••.    l**l.  •  •*»'■''•;  l'"»t"in'-'-  l.i\^ri~"'l 

Turner    T    ft   l.ivrr|Hii,l.  I'f  !■  r  ll..irl.  ,r„r|».raH  o  F  l.'.th 

N  Y  I'avalrji:   bliiTiuan}.    IMi.  •  K" .  ri«it"fllcf 

Wllw.M    UrrurViirii..  r:   ••  <  ..mi  IMU.  .  X-iA.  I'n  I.lrrri»...l. 
Weioiar.    J.^hii    M.    re.    l.ixrri"...!.    <',M.per:  b  I.lv.Tp..ci  IM-' 

['..•li'lBri-  l.nrr(Mi..l 
Younc    J..bi.    U.    <e»   l.lvrr|H...I.    I'bv.iclan   and   surueon;    b 

Scbr.«p|»l  l*ll  •  I"''.  I'..«t..fflce  I,tvpr|».<ol. 

TuW.N  uF  I.VSAXKKK. 

Ad.U    J».  I..  V'aruier.bN  Y..  Wtl.  r...i..fflr.- IUM«li.t»  111.- 
Au»u»*  S..I1..  .lac.b    rr.  lUldw  nm  lllr  mid  >.v™cu..-;  nifr.  uf 

Kl..ur    Krrd.  Ar.  I'".t"nir.-  >»  mcu..- 
Allrii     Wriu'  \.  rr.   HaMwu.-'ill'-.   I».i«l.r  in    I- af  T..b*ccu. 
^  \V  M    •       .vc     I.  .\  Y   .   I'...t..nirt-  l«ald»lii.vllle. 

j^^rrr.  y  <  .i,d.:r.  (  arrlaije  Mfr.  b  N  Y,.  IMl;  I'ort- 

Alien  k  'l--»-,  .M.-rchai.l  Miller.,  b  N   Y.  .  IM.':  l'o.tofflce 

Aldeu.^ll     !■      '  ■    '"  ■"*"1'':  retired.  bX    Y.  .  KO;  i'«»«l- 

Burr   M-r-  A  Kalillrld  Co.  Coiiu,  IMT,  .Ik.'I  ;  I'o»l. 

,.|1|.  .•  I...-..'    !•  ' 
Baldwili'Tillr    \.«.l.in>  ,..,.,  , 

lluell   "111 K»rii..r.  I.  i  »>uuat  ...  .  lH.t:  .  Tii,  l,.».ai.d.T 

Ulaurbanl  J  U.  r.  •  ItuM*  li.»*  illr:  .Marl.lr  mul  t.rutili.-  IValer; 

I.  K.lbrt.li:<-.  J»i.'i»r>  1.  IM;.   I'...l..mi-.-  lii.l.l«M..Mlle 
Butler.*:  II.  Kuriiirr.  furiK-utiT  and  Ji.liirr.  >  l<*<:  rua(<.aice 

La  niton.. 
Il„»rn   «.  <•.  r.rmer:  b  X  Y.  .  Ki: :  |-...|..nirr  l.iiilr  I  tlra. 
lUkrr   IrMii.  Karmer:  I.  X  Y.  .  l-V;  I' .-t..nio   H.ld*  In.viil,.. 
I  ,".;.    iVXi.t-.  Karmer.  b  X  Y.  .  1-lt     f  .  i  1.,  ..,..|.  r 

nil..   <  b.rl..  X.rr.  llald-ULVlllr   Mfr  >4.h  I r.  hii.I  Hlindv 

""•         I  J rKralrr;  I.  X  Y..l-<li..   I' U  ll.l,:»  in.Till.- 

Il.«urhaiiil'   ^Vi„  M.  n-.  Hald*  •»•«  ill.-     Il.rl..r..f  <;«..-<  li .   I. 

Il.,llli.ir.-r   Jaiiir.  K.  <  ari-n  .r   and  J..li..-r.  (Iiee..-  Mali.T  aii.l 
•'*"'''''Vi.lr,".an,  «ira.n|(r..w,.r;  .I'M.   »•  < .  H,ld«u..»  ill.- 
IU.d.-e    >aii.url     rr«  Baldwln.vllle.   retired  Farmer,   b    Kiiu- 

lai.d.  1-Ul.  •  I-"  ,„       ..  ..         .,       ,  .    „. 

Hlwlee.  Margaret  .\.  Ilaldwin.ville.  >>.  ^  -    "•'•  ""- 

dee"bl .laical...  lO'.   r-I.-rric. 

Uuek   &  Witfbi.re.   Haidwiii.ville:  Mfr  .(  '   "  -     'nh*. 

I'latf-rn.  \Va«..n..  &r  :  b  N  Y.  .  K  1.  l-< '  li-M-... 

Bid»ill.  A.  rr.  I.vMiider;  F..undr).  Thre.hinn.  b  N  \  .  .  Mr.'. 

l"  ( I  l.iMii.Irr  .  ......  .    ». 

Bruwu.  "O   rr-   l,T«ii.l.-r.  I'r"l>   l.rtander  StarChurn.  b  X 

Y    »  1-.11;  I'o.l.'Wce  l.\«aiider. 
Urlttuli.  Mrkllii,  re.  l.j.ai..lrr.   Hardware.   Tinware.  bX    V, 

•  l«-jr..  l'.i»tofllce  Lyiauder. 


llBird.  Abraham.  Farmer:  b  X  Y.a  liCM:  P.MloSee  I.yModer. 
liakrr.  Mr*  l.arliii.  re*  l.litlr    I'llra.   I.ltlle  I'tlca  Hotel,  b  X 

Y.  •  KT.  ri.»t.lTirr  l.inle  liica 
Ujer.  T.  rr.  Liltlr  I  Ilea.  Mrrebaiil .  bX  Y.il»Ti..  i'o.l.ifDre 

i.llllr  rura. 
Hjer.  J  s   re.  I.iitle  ('lira.  Merchant .  b  X  Y.t  K6:  I'oalofflcr 

I. Kile  I'llra. 
Iii|{r|c.w.  I.  .\. 

Bolton.  Jan.r.  11.  rn  HaldwliKi  lllr.  Stationer,  rrinter.  Itralrr 
III    Faiiry    (LmhI.  and    I'lrturr  Frame*,  b  X  Y.(1m:. 
Ho.t.'ITIrr  Ital.lwiii.vtllr. 
liellrn  Hr<».  rr.  lial.lKin.villr :  l»ealpr«  In    (;mcerle»,  Pr<>ti.- 
liiii..   I  'infi-rti-'iirrv.   i  igar*  an<l  Tubarcu  :    b  N    Y.  • 
IK.M:   r<»l<-nicr  Hal>J«in.t  lllr. 
lliKrlxw.  <  III.  M 
Hriillrv.  K.  rr.  I.Utlr  t'tira:    Farmer  and  Si>erulatur.  b  X  Y. 

'«  KTSi;  l'.>.t..lllre  I.llllr  I'llra 
Uerry.  LUrk,  rr.  I.«.an.lrr    Wa«..n  Mfr.  b  X   Y.  •  l«l«.  I'...l- 

.•IBcr  I.VMiii.Irr 
llp'tbrr..  J    I..  Fariiirr  and    \Krnl    Mirbimn  I  hllletl  I'low. ,  b 

X  Y.  •  K"i-';   r...|"IIii.r  llnl.l«  111. \  lllr 
(  laM  .  .\ndreo.  rr.  llaldo  in.^  ill.-.  Ilarrrl  Maiiuf  r.  b  Ireland.  • 

Kill,  r.'.l'-nir.-  Kal.lw  III. t  lllr 
Crandoii.  Alfrr.l  K.  rr.  Ital.lv> in.tillr.  I'r..|.'r  itailroad  llxlel. 

I)  Knclaiid.  .  t>.'>.'.     I'.i.l-nirr  llaldwin.villr. 
Cmiidoii.  J  It.  rr.  Ilalilwiii.villr.  rr..|.  r  liilliard   Hall,  b  F.uic- 

lati.l.  .  I-XL*.   I'.i.t'iRlcr  lialdoiuiit  lllr 
i;,x.  Ml.  I'liarl.'llr.  Farmer;  b  X  V.  •    \<ti:   I'oatolBrr  Bald- 

oiii-villr 
C.-.k.  K  I",  ilop  i;ri.»rr.  b  X  Y.  »  1«'.*«     I'  ">  l.lllle  t'llca 
I  ..Itiii.  Mr-  l.xlia  .\.  Farinrr.  I>  X  Y.  -  KUi;  I'll  l.lllle  I'llra. 
I'uddrbai-k.   I.  F     rr.  llaldn  lii.villr.   Kariiirr.  b  X   Y.  .  1"'JS, 

I'lLlMntrr  Italdwiii.ville. 
I'lark.   lirorKr   >.   rr.   lialdwiii.vlllp,  I'uhlUbrr   HaldwiiKTllla 

liii.illi  :  li  X  Y.  .   l«:i.  I'...|..nic.-  Iljldwiii.vllle 
lurnell.  H  K.  rr.  Mal.lxiin  illr.  Tirkri  AKrnl.  I)  I.  .S  W  K  H : 

b  \'l.  .  I"!'):   I'.i.l'.lilcr  lialdo  in.t  lllr 
ronnell.  W  It 

lander.  I.  I...  Farmer:  b  Yidnev.  iH'kl:  I'll  rhociili. 
I'alklii-.  l.r»l.  K.  Farnirr;  •  \<*'M:  I'  <•  Haldwimrllle. 
Ibil.l..  H  W    h'urnirr:  b  X  Y.  .  I'M"  .   I'...l.'nirr  llav. 
lluiibaiii.  N  I'.  r<-»    l.iitir    I'lira.  Farnirr   and  J    I';  b  X  Y.  • 

1"!'.'.  l'...tMmcr  l.illlr  I  lira 
l>eliruff.  I'rter  F.  Furiiirr;  l>  X  Y.  .  K-i.  I'  i  •  l.lllle  llira. 
Dunbar.  S  M.  rr.  Ualdwin.villr.  UriiitKl.l.  Dunbar  Blork:  b  X 

Y.  .  l-r.l:  l'...|..ni.-r  ll.il<lniii.vit|p. 
Iiix.iii.    l-aac     to   |i.ildMiii>\  ill.-.    Ilrv   li.i.nl..  linirerle.  and 

WiHHl.-n  Ware  .    b  X  Y.  .  1x14 ':   I'  l>  Haldwin.x  lUr. 
I>eni»,  Mr.  A  ('.   rr.  Ualdoln.ville.    b    X  Y.  r...tonirr  Uald- 

wln.villr. 
Donovan    M.  ir.  Kal.lwIn.Mllp.  riolbink' and  Uriil.    Furul.h- 

liiic  (•'•I'd.  .  b  Ireland    •  IM7  ;   l'  <  •  lial.lHin.rillr. 
Dutibaiii.  I.".,  rr.  l.lllle  I'llra    Kurinrr.  Pntdure   Buvrr  and  I' 

.M.  b  X  Y.  »  I'lT.  l'...|.-ltior  I.Utlr  I'lK-a. 
I>ini:niaii.  I'.i.-r.  Farmrr:  b  X  Y.  •  1M»     I'  <  i  l.lver|ioul 
Kii...  A  ?^.  H..irl;  b  X  Y.  .  1<H:  l'...i..ra.-r  ITar. 
Kn..    A  II.  Il.>aiiiian.  bX  Y.  •  IMii;  l'.>.l..mcr  Clar. 
F.uirru'k.  I    F.  rr.  lUldKiu.villr.  Farmer:  b  .N'  Y.  •  \KH;  I'oit- 

..(Brr  HalilKln-villr 
Feniutuii    \V  J.  Wmi.iii  Makrr:  •  !».>:  I'll  Ijiniwiun. 
Fra/rr.  J  r.  F.rnirr:  b  X  Y.l'.JH.   I' li  Baldwin. vlllr 
Fia/ee.  .Ir..r.  Farmrr  nii.l  .MillKriitbt .  b   X    Y.  •    ImOI.  I'o.l- 

i.nir.-  lial.lw  iii.m1I.- 
Fi.brr.  Im-.i  1-.    ir.   I.llllr   llira.   lilni  k-mitbiiix  and  JobbiiiK : 

b  X  II    .  K'.;  :  l'M.t..|Urp  l.illl.-  I'llra 
Frnnrr   Mr-  F  W.  Furiiirr.  b  X  Y.  .  I"l.'i.  I'u  l.lllle  I'llra. 
Faiirbrr.  .A.  I  nrriuifr  .Manuf  rand  I'ndrrlakrr.  b  X  Y.  •  lf», 

l'i..t..|Iic.-  I. ml.-  Iiicu 
Fanrbrr.  J'.bn  i '  l  nrriuk'r  MniiiiCr  uiul  I'liilrrlakrr  .  b  X  Y,  • 

l"."J     l'...li.nicr  I.llllr  I  lira. 
Falrbank..  Krwin.  rr-  Hiildwin.t  lllr.  Huildiiik:  MuTrrand  ('(«l 

llralrr:  b  X  Y.  -  Mi: .  r...i..mcr  llnl.lwln.vlllr. 
Fuller,    K.   .V    l'  I',   'e.    Hal.lwin.rllle.  Drr  IhmhU.  lir.icerle., 
t  r.>rk>'r>    and  Wall  l'B|.er  .  b  N  V.   •   ItCt;   I'o.lulIIre 
llal<l.«ii>>villr. 
Fancbrr.  It  I.  r.-.  MaldKin.TiUr.  Carrlaicn  Mfr:  b  X  Y.  •  IMT ; 

r...lMlllrr  KiildMin-villr 
Fni/.«'r.    Il..rac.-  J.  rr.  lluMHin.villr :   ll.xik-kerper:  b  N  Y.  • 

l-ili.  ri..|.inirr   liiil.lwiii. vlllr 
Fancbrr.  .\laii.oii.  r.--  hal.luin.Mllr ;  |lru|Ei;i.t:  b  X  Y,  •  IM'i; 

P.-l-.ttlc-  llablwin.xill.-. 
Frun.u.  F    Ta-lur  M  .\Ur> '.  I  hurrh.  Haldwin.vlllp 
Fancbrr  I.  I.,  rr.  llal.luiii.i  lllr ,   I'rop  Seiiera  Hotel:  b  llald 

will. Vlllr.  «  1«7I  fr-m  It-K-lir.trr 
Fil<K.-rald.  .Viidr.-w.  rr.  Halilwin.villr .   Hoot  and  .Sb.«  Maker; 

l>  Irrland.  •  l■^'•':  r.>.li>ltlrr  Italdwiu.vllle. 
Fiill.r.  .I..bn  M.    rr.   I'lainvillr.  Tearhcr.  b  X  Y.    •  1«>.  1"  i' 

rilliiivillr. 
i;n>enllrld.  DrWlii  C.  ir.  Ilalilwliiivill.-:  Altc.riiejr-Bl.|.aw  :  b 

CaviiKa  I...  I"!-.  •  K'V4:  I'loLitllrr  lialdwln.i  illr. 
liriiiiiili.  •■    F.  rr.  Ilulilwiii. Vlllr.   Tailor  Ba|>ll.l  i'burrb.  b  X 

Y..  1-7.'..   I'...l-.|licr  Ualdwiii. vlllr 
I  i. 1.1.1  win.  Ilri.rv.  Farmrr.  b  i  i.wpgo  C...  IMl.  •  1«70:  I'll,  Hay. 
lirabam.  Th.  '.  rr.  lialdwln.vllle:  b  Ireland,  •  IM'J.  rudofllro 

llald»iii.vllle. 
liuiiU-f.    Ilrnnau.  rr.  Baldwiiitvllle.  b  X  Y.  f  l-^ii:  I'u.tofllro 
Baldwln.vllle. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


423 


Hay  den,  Mrs  P  W:  Postoffice  Phoeuix,  X  Y. 

Halsted,  John.  Magistrate  and  Faruier;  b  N  Y.  8l?00;  Post- 
office  Lysauder. 

HuQtiiigtoii.  Heury  L,,  Farmer:  b  X  Y,  s  1870;  Postoffice  Lit- 
tle I'tica. 

Herrick.  Hiram,  res  Baldwinsville;  Contractor  and  Builder;  b 
X  Y.8  1'4.!;  Hostc.ffice  Baldwinsville. 

Hartop.  A  F,  res  Baldwinsville;  Marble  Cutter;  b  England,  s 
1S.VJ;  Postdtlice  Baldwinsville. 

Hax,  Jobn.  res  Baldwinsville.  Merchant.  Farmer  ami  Baker; 
b  (Jermany.  ISXJ.  s  l.M'.l;  1'  i)  Baldwinsville. 

Hax,  Harriet,  res  Baldwinsville;  b  England,  (wife  of  John 
Hax.  I 

Hamill,  Alex,  res  Baldwinsville;  Druggist  and  Supt  ( >8Wego 
Canal;  bXY.  slxW;  I'ustoHice  Baldwinsville. 

Hotaling.  (i  H.  res  Baldwinsville;  .Merchant  Miller.  "Stone 
Mills;"  b  X  Y.  slH-,'ti:  Postoffice  Baldwinsville. 

Haines,  Theodore,  res  Baldwinsville;  (ieneral  Wrapping  Paper 
Manufactory  of  Baldwinsville;  b  N  Y.  s  1874  ;  P  O 
Baldwinsville. 

Hotaling,  .\  T.  res  Baldwinsville;  Merchant  Miller,  "Stone 
Mill;"  b  X  Y,  s  IK41:  Postoffice  Baldwinsville. 

Howard,  11,  res  Baldwinsville;  Jeweler.  Book  and  Music  D'lr; 
b  X  Y,  s  18<>9;  Postoffice  Baldwinsville. 

Herriugton,  C  B. 

Harmon,  James. 

Hickok,  Jr,  E,  res  Baldwinsville;  IJeputy  Postmaster;  b  X' Y, 
si-*!'.':  Postoffice  Baldwinsville. 

Hilts,  J  E,  Surgeon  Dentist:  b  X  Y,  1^4.{;  P  <•    Baldwinsville, 

Hakes,  Alanson.  Farmer;  b  X  Y.  s  ls-,'4;  Pcistoffice  Clay. 

Haoiill,  A  P.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  1»<1.'>:  Postoffice  Baldwinsville. 

Johnson,  W  J.  Farmer  and  Com'r  of  Highways;  b  >'  Y,  s  1*40. 

Jaycox.  O  R.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  sls44:  Posti'tlice  Plainville. 

Jessup,  B  1),  res  Baldwinsville;  Harness  and  Saddle  Mfr;  b  X' 
Y.  s  lS(i.'i;  Postoffice  Jlaldwinsville. 

Kendall.  J  V,  res  Baldwinsville;  I'hys and  Surgeon  and  Super- 
visor; b  X  Y,  s  1>^40:  I'ustoHice    Baldwinsville. 

Kelley,  W  \V,  Tanner  and  Shoemaker;  b  X  Y,  s  1H40;  P  O  Lit- 
tle I'tica. 

Kee'er.  H  X,  Farmer;  b  N  Y:  s  1S1;{;   Postoffice  Lysander. 

Kerwin,  Tom,  Farmer;  b  Ireland,  s  Ig,")!;    Postoffice  Phoeuix. 

Kenyon.  J  C,  res.  Baldwinsville,  Postoffice  Baldwiusville. 

Lake,  Elijah. 

Little  James  H,  Farmer  ami  Speculator;  b  X  Y,  s  liS^tn,  Post- 
office  Baldwinsville. 

Lariuer,  Jos,  res.  Baldwinsville,  Blacksmith,  Carriage  Ironer 
and  DeaK'r  in  Agr.  Imp.;  b  Canada,  s  187^!:  Postoffice 
Baldwinsville, 

Loveless,  John,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  IS'.'fl;  Postoffice  Baldwins- 
ville. 

Lewis  &  Son,  George  \V.  res.  Baldwinsville.  Farmers  and  Milk- 
men ;  b  X  Y.  s  lg.).i;  IV.stoffice  Baldwinsville. 

Lackey,  <i  X,  res.  Ilaldwinsville,  Watches,  Jewelry  and  Silver 
Ware:  bXY.  slSW);  Postoffice  Baldwinsville. 

McHuron.  Lewis  L,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  1844;  Post  Office  Bald- 
winsville, 

McHuron,  Lyman,  Farmer;  b  Vt.,  s  181C;  Postoffice  Bald- 
winsville. 

McCarthy,  Edward,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  I^IG  ;    P.  <  >.  Phfvnix. 

Mastiii.  W  E,  res.  Baldwinsville.  merchant,  b  Plainville,  June 
■Jil,  \<>'^:  Postoffice  Baldwinsville. 

McCarty,  (ieorge.  res.  Lysander.  I'hysician  and  Surgeon;  b 
X'  Y,  s  1H4G;  I'ostoffice  Lysander. 

Martin,  L,  res.  Lvsander,  Homeopathic  Physician  and  Sur- 
geon :  b  X'  Y.  s  ls42;  Postiitlice  Lysander. 

Marks,  A  H,  res.  Bald»insville,  I'hvsiciim  and  Surgeon;  bX 
Y.  8  18(;.'<;  Postoffice  Baldwin-ville. 

Monnier.  Frank  E.  res.  Baldwinsville,  firocor  and  Provision 
Dealer;  b  X  Y,  s  l.-i)."!;  Postidlice  Baldwinsville. 

McOuigaii  Bros.,  res.  Baldwinsville.  Miinufs.  of  Fine  Cigars 
and  Tobacco;  b  Canada,  s  1-74;  Postnffice  Bald- 
winsville 

Mount,  H  B,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  1857;  Postoffice  Lysander. 

Martin,  Abram.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  sl840;  Postoffice  Lysander. 

Murphy.  Dennis,  res.  Baldwiusville;  b  Ireland,*  1847;  Post- 
'  office  Baldwinsville. 

Murphv,  I'atrick,  res.  UaMwinsville.  Paper  Maker,  b  Ireland, 
'S1.H47;  Piistoltice  Baldwinsville. 

Murphy,  T  J,  res.  Baldwiusville;  b  X  Y,  s  l.'<71 ;  Postoffice 
Baldwinsville. 

Martin.  B,  Farmer;  bXY,  8  18.18;  Postoffice  Lysander. 

Martin,  Robert.  Farmer:  b  X  Y.  s  ix:!'* :   Postoffice   Lysander, 

McMechan.  I  V  Y,  Farmer  :  b  X  Y,  s  18.11 ;  l',>sl<pfficc  Clay. 

Xorthrnp,  •!  .\.  res.  Lvsander,  (Ieneral  Insurance  Agt,  b  X  Y, 
s  ls:>T  :  Postoffice  Lvsander. 

Northrup.  Mrs  J  A,  res.  Lysander;  b  X  Y.  s  lX-!7;  Postoffice 
Lv,sander. 

Norton,  .labtz  H.  res.  Plainville,  Attorney  at  Law;  b  X  \,s 
IK.J.'S  ;   Postotlice  Plainviile. 

Norton.  Lyman,  les  Plainville,  Retired  Merchant;  b  X  Y,  a 
ls-.'(i;   I'osti'llice  Plainville. 

Newcomb,  Mrs  E  F;  Postoffice  Baldwinsville. 

Ouderkirk,  Clareuee,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  a  18.">1 ;  Postoffice  Bald- 
winsville. 

Perry  Clark,  res.  Lysander,  \Vagou  Maker;  b  >  1.3  1810; 
Postoffice  Lysander.  „       , 

Patterson,  G  B.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  HO;  Postoffice  Lysander, 


Perkins,  WW,  res  Baldwinsville,   Dentist,   Postmaster  and 
\V  ool  dlr:  b  N  -i  ,  s  18.'-,2;  Postoffice  Baidwinsville. 

Parsons,  E  B.  res  Baldwinsville.  Pastor  Presbvterian  Church- 
bMass.  sl8GH;   Postoffice  Baldwinsville. 

Pendergast,  Jr,  Stephen.  Farmer:  s  Ik.-,:.>:  Pustoffice  Ph.enix 

Park,  Curtis.  Farmer;  b  Ireland.  3  ls(^i:  P  o  Baldwinsville' 

Park,  Jennie  A,  Postoffice  7!C.'  Broadwav,  .\lbanv,  X  Y. 

Patterson,  John  W. 

Porter,  Mrs  David,  res  Lv.sander;  b  Camillus,  Onondaga  Co. 
18L'G;  Postoffice  Clay. 

Peltsr.  H  K,  Postoffice  Clay.  N  Y. 

Powell,  Orsamus,  Merchant   and   Farmer;   b  Rensselaer  Co, 
I8l.f,  8  1K40:  Post.itlice  Clay,  X  Y. 

Porter,  David,  Farmer;  b  X  Y.  s  iHlS;  Postoffice  Clay. 

Russell,  Joseph,  res  Baldwinsville,  Blacksmitbing  and  Horse- 
shoeing; b  Canada,  s  18.V) :    P  O  Baldwinsville. 

Rice,  A  M.  Farmer:  b  X  Y,  s  1K48;  P  O  Baldwinsville. 

Rice,  D  P.  Shoemaker  and  Tauner;  b  N  Y,  sl844:  Postoffice 
Little  I'tica. 

Russ,  H  H.  Hop  (irower :  b  X  Y.  s  ls.%1;  P  O  Little  L'tica. 

Smith,  P.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  1X40:  P  t  >  Baldwinsville. 

Smith.  R  L,  res   Lvsander.  .Merchant  and  J  P;  b  X  Y,  s  182S; 
Postoffice  Lvsander. 

Schermerhorn,  Catharine.  P  o  Lvsander,  X  Y. 

Slater,  Rogers,  Farmer  and  Cider  Mfr:b  XY,  sl»7G;   Post- 
office  I'hti'nix. 

Start,  Mary.  Farmer  ;  \<  X  Y.  s  ls.-d  ;  P  o   Baldwinsville. 

Slau.son,  S  D,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  IX-'l ;  P  O  Baldwinsville. 

Snyder,  Charles,  Farmer;  b  Germany,  8  18.'w;  Postoffice  Bald- 
winsville. 

Scoville,  J   M.   res  Baldwinsvil'e.  Cigar  Mfr ;  b  X  Y,  1840,  g 
l*.'.'.l;   PO.    Baldwinsville. 

Schenck.  R.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  1H27;  P  O  Plainville. 

Schenck,  Catharine  .M.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  18J.');  P  O  Plainville. 

Schenck,  John,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  IHl.");  P  O  Plainville. 

Smith.  L  E.  Postnffice  Baldwinsville.  S'  Y. 

Skinner.  D  T.  Postoffice  Baldwinsville,  X  Y. 

Schenck,  B  B.  res  Plainville,  Homeopathic  Physician  and  Sur- 
geon; b  X  Y.  8  iKl.'):  P  ( I  I'lainville. 

Sullivan,   R   B.   res   Plainville.    Homeopathic  Pbysiciaa  and 
Surgeon  b  X  Y,  s  I'^TO;  P()  Plainville. 

Shenp.  Mrs  A,  res  Little  L'tica,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  1847; 

Smith,  Judson  A.  Farmer:  b  X  Y.  s  1S.V>;  1*  I  >  Lysander. 

Slauson,  J  H,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  IKV:  Lysander. 

Snyder,   R   C,    Farmer;  Formrrly   Merchant ;  b  X  Y,  a   18.5.3; 
Postoffice  B:ildwinsville. 

Strahl  S:  Bisdee.  res  Baldwinsville,  Dealers  in   .Meat,  Hides, 
Pelts,  etc.:  h  (Jermany.  8  18,V1;  P  O  Baldwinsville. 

Suydam,  S  C,  res  Baldwinsville,  Jeweler  and  Druggist ;  b  X"  Y, 
Po.-toffiCf  Baldwinsville. 

Schepler,  William.  Post^iffice    Baldwinsville. 

Tucker  &  Crippen,  res  Baldwinsville,  Dealers  in  Leaf  Tobacco; 
b  X  Y,  s  ll*47;  Postoffice  Baldwinsville. 

Tillotson,  C  H,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  1S4U:  P  o  Lysander. 

Teall,  Charles  H,res  Lysander.  Farmerand  Caipenter;  b  X"  Y, 
s  IS4n;  Postoffice  Lysander. 

Thompson,  M  S.  res  Lamsons,  Ticket  and  Express  Agent,  P  M, 
Merchant,  Coal  and  I'roduce  Dealer:  b  X  Y,  s  1842; 
Postoffice  Lamsiins. 

Toll,  D  C,  res  Baldwinsville,  Deputy  Sheriff;  b  X  Y,  s  1819; 
Postotlice  B:ildwinsville. 

Tappan,  Wall;ice.  res  Baldwinsville.  Merchant ;  b  YanBuren, 
ISL'rt;   Postoffice  Baldwinsville. 

VaiiLiew,  J  P.  Farmer ;  b  X  J,  3  1SJ2  :  P  O  Lysauder. 

Yincent,  William.  Farnjer,  Carpenter  and  Joiner;  s  1868; 
Postoffice  Baldwinsville. 

VanDerveer.  Henry,  Fanner;  b  X  Y,  s  ls-i,">;  P  O  Plainville. 

YauDerveer.  Polly  S,  res  Baldwinsville;  b  X  Y:  Postoffice 
Baldwinsville. 

YanDerveer,  I)  S,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  KU;  P  (»  Lysander. 

White,  Xathaniel.  res  Baldwinsville,  Lawyer,  Xo  1.")  Syracuse 
.><aviiigs  Bank.  Syracuse,  llirm  Morgan  iV:  While,i;  b 
Town  of  Lvsander;  Postotlice  Baldwinsville. 

Wormuth.  Ezra,  re's  Baldwinsville,  Livery  and  Sale  Stable;  b 
X  Y,  s  18:!!);  I'ostoflic     Baldwinsville. 

Wilkins.  William  L,  res  Baldwinsville.  Piopr  Seneca  Flouring 
and  t  ustom  Mills;  b  X  Y,  s  1^4(1;  P  O  Baldwinsville, 

Wooster,  Barclav,  res  Lvsander.  Hardware  and  Tiuware;  b 
b  X  Y,  s  isj.i;   Postoffice  Lvsander. 

Winchel.  W  C,  res  Lysander,  .Merchant:  b  X  Y,  8  18'.'7;  Post- 
otlice Lvsander.  .    XT  -.r       ,00, 

Winchel,  Mrs  S  C,  res  Lysander,  Postmistress;  b  X  1,  8  I8.«; 
I'ostoffice  Lvsander. 

Wright,  M  M  :  I'ostoffice  Baldwinsville. 

Wormoth,  Levi  T,  Farmer:  b  X  Y.  8  lx.V);  Postoffice  Bald- 
winsville. „  ,  ,    ■        .,, 

Wormoth.  S.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  8  IH.",!);  P  O  Baldwinsville. 

White    J  F    Farmer  :  s  IS.VI;  Postoffice  Baldwinsville. 

Wagner   u'a    Farmer:  b  X  Y,  s  1>>.')0;   P  O  Baldwinsville. 

Wood.  Fred  E,  Farmer;  b  N  Y.  s  IsiiO:  P  ( »  Baldwinsville. 

Wagner    \ndriw.  Fanmr;  b  X  \.  s  1841;  P  O  Baldwinsville. 

Wagner.  K,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  lsr,7 ;  Pi )  Baldwiusville. 

Ward,  Win  C,  Toliacco  Dealer;  res  Plainville,  >  \  ;  b  X  \  , 
s  \K>2  :  Postoffice  Plainville,  X  Y. 

Wever,  Chas  A.  res  Baldwinsville,  Wagon  Manuf'r.  Machine 
"and  BlacKsmith  Shop;  b  X  Y,  s  1840;  Postoffice  Bald- 
winsville. 


434 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK. 


Wood*,  r  K.  F»rin»r  aud  Bo«l  (.•rpcolfr,  «  IMS.  1'  l>  t1«r- 
Woods.   t°b».  Farmer  kod    Bust  Aulldrr;  b  F.neUnd,  •  IKW: 
Pu«tofflc«  C'laj. 

TOWN  OF  FLBRIlKiK. 

Aru<ild.  Mr»  H  H.  I'"it.>fljfe  Jordiin    N  Y. 

Bakrr.  < '  <  i.  |'i»t<>arp  f-lbridir*-    N  V 

Botlrrflrld.  Alfr«lJ.  rr»  F-Ibrwlgr    rhT.icim  »iid  Hunsfii:  b 

TortUiid  I  •>.  JiilT  <1.  1»4!>.  •  March  l.'l.  ICTrt;    I'oit.iBlce 

Klbridue. 
Bmod.  I>.  I'...t..fflre  i.l.lr.  ••  li'' W.rrrii  nrpet-STracui*. 
(  urtu.  .Arthur    r<-»    I- Hn  li---     Mnrt>lc   and  (iraiiitr  Ilpaler;  b 

KllTi.li:.-.  l-^'i*'.   r  :    i.ri.Im-. 

(Imrk.  <;c"rv  <  .  Furoier  .••.  IMi.  1'  l»  Elbrid((<*. 

Cuaiptoii.  William  K.  r^i.  I  .^   ,  Mfr<'halr»,  b  New    York. 

■  \<:  :   INMliirtlcr  ^.ll.rl.ll^e. 
Clroieiit*.  Mrn  A  M.  I'Mdntllrr  addmm  Jordau. 
IiTK^rt.  lifi>  H.  rfi<t<i(nc<<  addrrfi  .InnJaii. 

MViiiui-II.  Wni  II.  r*«  J'.rdaii.  Tracbtr,  b  New  Y'ork.  •  IrVM.  P<» 

Jordan. 
F.lliot.  1.  H.  Karinrr:  b  I.Tnander.  \<i\ :  I'otufllce  Jordan, 
tflllot.  John  K.  Farmer;  b  I.Tuiidrr.  KM.   I'ustiifflce  Jordan. 
(;arri«)n.  lie"  H    r««  Jonlaii.  Mfr  He<i«tra.l«  ;    b  Schuvler  Co. 

July  7.  K*'.  •I'v.Vi:  I'i'-iofflce  Jc.nlaii 
Har\tn.  F.  <":  r^iotofncr  llalf-Wnr.  i  )iioiida|ta  < 'o.  N  Y. 
llanlT.  Mr«  M  W,   rontoffirr  Jordan.  N  Y. 
Mill.  'rhonm«  W,    Pottoffire  Klbrldxe.  N  Y. 
Hill    l>.M.   l'o«tomrr  F.lbrldice 
lialttrd.  Jacob    harmrr.  I.  <  tranife  fo.  N  Y.  ITttS.  •  I»'HI:  I'ott- 

offlce  Jack  •  Krrfu 
llopkliii  T  J  ;  l'o«lonicr  F.lliridue.  N  Y. 
Hubbell.  Theron  s.  rei  F.lbridite.  .Marble  and  timnlte  Dealer; 

b  Uoxbrrrv    Kflawari- i...  1«Iti.  nWH;   i>  O  Klbildge. 
Hall.  Fred  S.  re*  'F.'briiluc.  .M>-rrbaiit  and   lirui»i>t;    b  Skan- 

patelen  Vlllaifi-.  l-v'iO.   I'  <  •  Klbrulge.  N  Y. 
Ilarwoud.  A  W.  ret  Jor<iaii.  liidrrlaker  uiid  Furniture  I»ealer; 

b  New  York.  IM4:  J'.ttofflre  Jordan. 
Inger^on.  K.  I>:  I'onlofflc.-  KIbriilue.  N  Y.    iKellred.i 
jniie*.  Alexander.  Farmer:   b  tt  illiam»Iowii.  (  Uwego  ( 'o.  N  Y. 

I*'.'!.  «  l^l.'i:   •'■■•torttce  Jordan. 
Jackton.  A.  retJordan.  Dealer  In  I'oal.  Lumber  and  (inin;  b 

New  York.  •  Kl'i;   I'o.lotllce  J>irdaii. 
Keller.  t'ha«  •'.  re»  F.U'ridifi-.  Ilurdwan"  .Merchant;  b  Srracuse, 

JulT  .T.  IM7:   I'o.ionir^  F.lhriilite    .\  Y 
Lewit.  A  I».  re- Jordan.  Mfr  »  i|{»r.;  b  New  York,>IM4;  I'oit- 

offlci-  Jorilun 
Lalhrop.  I.ouia  It.  I'ublUher:  i'ottoince  Jordan.  N  Y. 
Ijtlrd.  f  W.  Farmer:  b  Jordnn.  Mav  lo.  |iO>l;  |'  o  Jordan 
Marlettr  <iroriia  M.  ro<l>>nir>-  M>--ii[ibl>. 
Muuro.  Xalhaii.  PoUonir.-   Klhn.lite. 

Munr<i.  .lobti.  Farmer:  l«  Klliridire    l*-.'!:    I'littofllre    K-lbridge. 
Merriman    I'ollv,  re«  F.UiridKe;  b    .\in«trrduui,  N    Y.    *   1^17: 

Poatofflie  KlbrnUe 
Martin  F,  «'.   r.ittonice  llalfwar. 
Mctsowaii.  .Mr.  •'  <i.  ro-toBlce  K.lhridice. 
MrColluni.  .\lr»Bntl«-r.  r...|.'l11ce  Klbridgiv 
.Mcintvre.  Almeda.  ro^toHicr  Jack.  Uerfu 
Ma>on.  I.  H.  Farmer:  b  Nrw  York.  •  lMi>.'>.  I'onioltlce  Jordan. 
Nlrbol«on.    F.noch    <  .    Fanner.    llop-llaUer   and    .\aoeaaor;  b 

F.Uiridne.  JulT  1:1,  IvJ'i;  I 'ottofflre  Jordan. 
Nllei,  Uichanl.  re*  Jordan.   Proprietor  *  Union   Hnuke,  I'oit- 

oHlce  Ji.rdan 
( (tin.  Uaac  «'.  Farmer;  b  New  York.  «  loXi.  P  IJ  Jordan. 
Peck,    A   l>.    re«   Jordan.   .Mfr   wheelbarrows;  b   New  Y'ork,  • 

1«:H     I'l  •tolll.f  .lordan. 
I'a.M..,  u   1  l».  r  1 1  n.ltlf-«  IM.'  ilarrlxin  itreet.  Sjracuae. 
I'rrrK  1  k.  P. ..Ionic.-  Iliil(w:i\. 
1'ler.oii.  I>«>i.l    F.irmrr;  b(  ajuKnCo,  N  Y.  iJHtl.  •  IM";  l'o»t- 

ofii  •   .!•  rlaii 
Kudfer,  Jamm.  n'«  Jorilan.  IValer  In  Coal,  liraln  and   Lum- 
ber, b  Ni  »  Y.'tK    >  l-V.',   I'.ototTlce  Jonlau. 
Kodicer  &  t-o.  p...t..f1lce  .L.r.UM. 
Kockaell.  !*  U  re«  Jor.laii.  .Mfr  Wheel  '.arrow*  ;  b  New  York, 

.  iNt.';   |'o«t..(tlce  J..rdan. 
Klre.  H  K.  l'o«tofBre  J..rdan. 
Kanner    l.uke.  F.lkrldiie  \'illaire:  Fanner  and  :4urf  eon  .  b  A>b- 

■  il.M.  Franklin  i  ...  .Ma.».  l«l."..  •  IKB,  Pit  Klbridge. 
llenimel.  J  M.  I'...t'.l1lce  .lordan. 

t^perrv.  I{  ^.  re*  Jordan.  Wholesale  Dry  ImmlIu  and  Notloni.  nt 

' '•vTrariix':  bCl.»l»l<!.   I"  n  Jordan  and  >jracute. 
Smith.  Vtw.  l.»vir>     P.. «t'. filer  Jordan 
SlocklnK.  >'.lon  (  .  re.  J..rdHn.  Tobacco  and  (  ii:ar« ;  b  Aurellu>, 

CaTuga  Co.  N  Y.  •  Kill:   I'lXtofBce  Jordan. _ 
Steveua. 'r'homa«.    Farnii-r:  b    Wa»hlnKlon   Co.    N     Y.   mil.  • 

IHIT.   l'o«t.. nice  Jordan 
!<i.reii«  Hro«.  re«   l-.lbruUe.   Proprietor*    MunroHou»e;  Po«l- 

..lUce  Klbriilge. 
«kininT    l-/.'klel.  re.  FIbridge.  Cabinet  Maker  and  MacbluUt; 

b  .Mar.htleld.  Wai.bingt..n  Co.  Vt.  .  IK.'I  .  P  i  >  Klbridgr. 
Hteven*.  John  A.  Farmer:  b  FIbridge,  IMW.   P  I »  FIbridge 
Smith.  i..-..rgr  It.  re.  FIbridge.  Clergyman,  burleaiu  (-o.  1M7. 

.  Mnv.  l";!.;   Pl>  FIbridge. 
Trmcy.  A  F.  rr.  .(..rdan.  Watcbcn  and  Jewelry,  b  X  Y.  altCH; 

P  1 1  Jor.laii 
Tboma*.  J'.hii  'I',    re.    FIbridge.  Farmer  and    Furniture  Mfr; 

b  Newbunth.  I  "range  to,  lull.  •  I*"--:  PoKlbridKc 


Tiin.  O  A  :  P  <  •  Mempbla. 

Tracy.  J  I.,  rea  Jordan.  .Mfr  AgT  Implement*:  b  N  Y,  «  IU7  :  I* 

1 1  Jordan 
Teler  J  W    Partner     b  Marcellu*.  IfUG;  P  O  Jordaa. 
Voorheet.  Jame.  I,.  Fanner,  b  N  Y.  *  IMT;  P  It  Jordan 
Voorhee*.  Mr.  S  A  .   P  i  •  Jordan. 
VauVleck.  .Alexander,  re.  Jordan.  I>ealer  In  Lumber  aod  Cokl; 

b  N  Y.  •  1<>7.  Pi  I  Jonlan. 
VanVecbteii  C  H;  PottolBce  F.lbrldge. 
Wlutor.  H  P.  ret  Jordan.  PublUber  Jordan  TrButerlpt ;  b  R  I, 

•  KB;  Pl> Jordan. 
Wood.  ."<niith.  Farmer,  b  N  Y.  •  Id.'i;  P  O  Jordan. 
Wright.  T  K.  re.  FIbridge.  Teacher;  b  Vermont.    •   1M«:  P  <• 

FIbridge 
Welch.  A  :   PO  Jordan. 

Whiting.  II  c.  Farmer:  b  i  inondaca  Co.  linSS;  POJurdan. 
Warner.  C  .M.  rr.  Jordan.  Dealer  in  t  oaf.   Lumber  and  lirain, 

In.iiranc*' ttii'l  1'o.tma.ter:  t>  N  Y.  .  KW*;  Pu  Jordan 
Zeevalk.  Ileiirr.  Farmer:  b  Fllbrldge.  IMO;  P  i  •  FIbridge 
Xevalk.  Adoli.hu..  Farmer:  b   Holland.  \x2i,  *  lt4.%:  Puatofflee 

FIbridge. 

TiiWN  l>F  SKANEATELF.S 

Allif,  (    W.  ret  SkaneatelM.  Merchant ;  b  N  Y,  •  1m18:  Po*tnfflc« 

Skaneatele.. 
Allen.  Jacob  H.  Farmer;  b  N  Y.  •  IXtt;  P  O  Skaneatele*. 
Auttln.  Warren,    re.    Skaneatelet.  retired    Farmer;  b  N  Y.  t 

\•<J^~,  V  I  iSkaiii-atelea. 
Au.tln.  .\nthonT.  Farmer;  b  N   Y.  .  l^-'l :   P  il  Mandana. 
A.hpole.   Wm.  Farmer:  b  England,  t  KlU;   P  i )  Mkaneatele*. 
Andrew*.  F.\.re*  !>kaneatele..  Propr  Packwoinl  Huute  .  b  Ct, 

■  1«J7.  I'll  Skaneatele. 
Anilrew*.  F  .\.    ret  Sknncalfle*.  Propr    I'ackwoud    Houte;  b 

N  Y.  •  l'<r7  ,   P  I  I  •ikaneatelet. 
Albln  FP;  Hook-kee|H-r  .  b  Ct.  *.  1"<7.*.;  P  1 1  Skaneatele*. 
Abererombr.  H.  Merchant  and  Decorative  Painter. 
Ilarmw.  lie'.irwe.  re.  Skaneatelet.  .\tturuer-at-l,«w ;  b  N  Y,  ■ 

IKW.  P  1 1  Skaneatele.. 
Hrowu.  J  C.  Farmer;  b  N  V.  «  KVl;  P  1 1  Skaneatele*. 
Itrik'g..  Daniel.  Fanner,  b  It  I.  «  ITJU.     i  Decra.ed  i 
Krigga.  W.  S.  Farmer,  b  X  V.  t  IwW;  P  1 1  Skaneatele*. 
Clark.  Win  H.  Farmer:  b  England,  a  1H.VI.   P  1 1  SkaneateUi. 
Cornell.  II.    re.   Skaiieateli-s.   Propr    Lirery   Stable:  b  N  Y,  t 

IXif.  P  1 1  Skani'atele*. 
Cleveland.  I.«wi*  W.  rea  Skaneatele*. retired  Farmer:  b  Maat, 

a  \W\.  P  I  I  Skaneatele*. 
Cleveland.    Lucinda  S.   rea   Skaneatelet.  b.N  IL  a  1H»;  P(l 

Sknneatt'U'a. 
Coe.   Cant    F.    B.    rea   Sk»iie*tele«.    .Ma.ter   Steamboat  "  Ulen 

Haven."  b  N  Y.a  Klfi;  P  <  iSkaneatelet 
Cook,  liuy  P.  Farmer:  b  .Marcellut.  IKl'l;  pii  Mareellut. 
D'Klge.  II  V.  re.  Skaneatele*.   Editor  and   Proprietor    '  Demo- 
crat ;'■  b  .Maaa,  a  \<M.  P  •  I  Skaneatele*. 
Dando.  Ilenrv    F.    Farmer   and    Fruit  (irower;  b    F'.uglaad.  • 

iN'kl:  P  1 1  Skaneatele*. 
Dillingham.  D  s.  re«  Skaneatele*.  Pnipr  Llrery  Stable;  b  N  Y, 

a  IMKI;   PtI  Skaiiealelet. 
F.llerv.    W   li.    re*  skam-Kielea.  .\tt'y-at-law.    Notarv    Public 

and  In.  ,\gent .  b  .N  V.  .  iKt.';  P  1 1  Skaneatelet 
Fjirll.  li  W.  re*  Skaneatrle..  Pby.ician  and  (turiceuu;  b  N  Y.  t 

KUi:  Po.tonicf  >katieateli<. 
Fggletton.  Theod..rf.  Farmer:  b  N  Y,  a  |i<:Jl;  P  1 1  Skaneatelet. 
Fjirll.  .Viidrt'w  J,   Farmer  and  .Supervltor;  b  N  Y,t  InTi*;  I'ott- 

oHlce  Skaiiealf  let. 
Eckelt.  Edward,  re.  Skaneatele*.  Baker  and  Confectioner;  b 

Englniid.  .  I'MRI;   Poatoflice  Skaneatelet. 
F.lphlck.  .I.ihn  J.  re.  Skaneatele..  Klackamith:   b  N  Y.  •  Iii4.>: 

I'o.loflice  skoiifBli'le.. 
F.arll.  Jiillu..  ri-a  >kaii<-ati-lca.  Propr  Paper  Mill*:    b  N  Y.  * 

IxlH;  Poatiilllci'  Skaneatelfa. 
F*rll.  Col  Daniel.  Farmer:  b  N  Y.  «  IHftl;  I'll  Skaneatele*. 
Fjirll.  Sarah  S.  I'o.tofflce  skaneatele*. 

Fi.ber.  Thuniaa.  Farmer,  b  England,  a  IMh;  P  I  i  Skane«tele«. 
Fi-her.  .lacob.  Farmer:  b  N  V  :  I'natofllce  Skaneatle*. 
Fl.her.  John.  Farmrr.  PoaLifflce  Skaneatelea. 
Fait*.  Henry.  Fanner,   b  N  V.  a  |..>:  P  1 1  Skaneatele*. 
Fall..  Ilorvi'v.  Farmer:  b  N  Y,  *  Ix>.  Poaiottlce  .Skaneatele*. 
FuUi.n.  II  D.'  Fiinni-r.  b  N  Y.  t  lK£!;  PotKilIice  Skaneatelet 
Fooie.  I'erry.  Farmer.  IaiI  'JC. 
Foote.  I.  H.  Farmer.  l.ol  '.'x 
lire^ory,  J  11,  re.  skaneatelet,  Teatel   dlr:  b  England.  •  IK12; 

I'lialofflce  Skaneatele* 
liamble.  John,  rea  Mottville,  Pmp'rUamble  Qouae;  b  Ireland. 
*  IM!».  Poalotlice  Mottville,  —^  _. 

i;ile*.  William  P.  FHrmtr  .  b  N  Y.  *  IkII  ;  P  O  Skaneatele*. 
lilover.  c   II.   re*  Skaneatele*.    Painter:  b  N  Y.  •  l'>7.':  Pott- 

ottice  Skaneatele* 
liorham.  li  E.  ret   .Moitville.  II  K  Conductor;   b  N  Y,;  .  1M4; 

PoatolTlce  Mottville, 
Ilurri*.  i;eo  I.,  re.  skaneatelet.  Dentitt:  b  NY.  tiNil:   Poat- 

..fllce  skaneatele* 
lluii.iWer.  E.  Farmer  ,  b  N  Y.  t  \KW.  Pottolflce  Skaneatele*. 
Man.  I.rael.  Farmer;  b  N  Y.  a  !Mie;   PoitofHce  Skanratele., 
ilanlwicb.  Jame*.  Farmer;  b  England,  a  IM.I.  Pi  I  .skaneatele* 
IL.xie.  Rowland  H.  Famier:  b  N  Y.  a  IMli.  P  n  Skaneatele.. 
Ileii.lnrk*.  Peler.  rea  Skaneatele*.  lilack.mith  :  h  N,Y..i  IH9; 
Poatoflice  Skaneatele.. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


425 


Knox,  J  K.  res  Skaiieateles.  Merchant;   b  New  York.  9  1874; 

I'ostoffice  Skaneatele?. 
Krebs.  Karl,  res  Skaneatelea,   ••  Propr  Lake  View  House;"   b 

Germany,  3  iH.'iJ;  I'ostoffice  Skaiieateles. 
Lnpbani.  A  A.  res  Skaiieateles;  Postoffice  Skaiieateles. 
Leslie,  E  Norman,  res  Skaiieateles,  Retired  Merchant;    b  N  J, 

s  IB.'jl ;  Postoffice  Skaiieateles. 
Lee,  Beiioni,  res  Skaiieateles,  Attorney  at  Law  ;    b  Vt,  3  1820. 

Postoffice  Skaneatel?s. 
Lawrence,  A  \V,  Farmer;  b  N  Y,  »  181T.     P  O  Skaiieateles. 
Loveless.  Solomon,  Retired  Farmer;  b  N  Y,  s  18(M).    Postoffice 

Skaiieateles. 
McLaughlin  l^;  Sons'.  J.  Teasel  Dealers. 
Marvin.  Win,  res  Skaiieateles,  Attorney  at   Law,  ex  U  8  Diet 

.Judge;  b  N  Y.  s  180G.     P  U  Skaneatele3. 
Marshall.  John  B.  res  Skaneateles.  Postmaster:    b  Eneland,  3 

184G.     P  0  Skaneateles. 
Mort  n,  Thos,   res  Mottville.  Prop  Woolen   Mills,  Mfr  Shawls, 

Broadcloths  and  Fancy  Cassimeres;  b  Scotland,  3  1840. 

P  O  Mottville. 
Nurse.  Wm,  res  Skaneateles,  Painter;  b  Englimd,  s  1857;    P  O 

Skaneateles. 
Nurse,  Wm  H.  res  Skaneateles.   Blacksmith;  b  New  York,  s 

18.19;  Postoffice  .Skaneateles. 
Pardee,  (',  res  Skaneateles,  Banker;  b    Skaneateles,    K97,  P  () 

Skaneateles.     (Deceased.  1 
Packwoiid.  John,  res  Skaneateles,  I'arriage  Mfr;  b  England,  3 

18.'54;   PostnfBce  Skaneateles. 
Parsons.    .Moses.    Farmer;    b    Skaneateles,    3    ISl.'i ;    PostofQce 

Skaneateles. 
Purcell,  FJ,  res  Skaneateles,    Pastor  of  'St   Mary'3  of   the 

Lake,'' Rom.  Cath.  t'h.;  b  Ireland,  s  181)0;   Postofflce 

Skaiieate'es. 
Pardee.    .\mos,  Retired   Farmer;  b  Conn.   3  1804;  Postofflce 

."Skaneateles. 
Pardee,  .\n103  R,  Farmer;  b  N  Y,  3  1828:  P  O  Skaneateles. 
Piatt.   Willis.  Farmer;  b  (_'t.  3  182'! ;    P  O  Skaneateles. 
Potter,  (ieo  F,  res  Willow  (ilen.  Paper  .Maker   and  Town  Col- 
lector; b  N  Y.  3  184.");  Postoffice  Skaneateles. 
Root,  Jas  .\.  res  Skaneateles.  Farmer  and    Nurseryman;  bN 

Y,  3  l8.-it ;  Postoffice  Skaneateles. 
Read,  Joseph.  Fanner;  b  N  Y.  s  IslO;  p  O  Skaneateles. 
Stephenson,  J  V.   res  Skaneateles,  Editor  and   Prop'r  '"  Free 

Press;  '  b  N  Y,  s  l.<)8;   Postoffice  Skaneateles. 
Smith,  E  Ueuel,  res  Skaneateles,  Capitalist :  b  N  Y.  s   1852  ;  P 

O  Skaneateles. 
Sweeting.   C'has,  Farmer;  b  Canada,  8  18.57 ;  P  O  Skaneateles 

Falls. 
Smith.  <  has.  Farmer;  b  England,  s  18.5;$;  P  (^»  Skaneateles. 
Shepard,  Jciliii.  Fiuiner;  b  >  oiin.  s  1704.     (Deceased.! 
.Shepard,  Edward.  Farmer:  b  N  Y.  s  1808:  P  O  Marcellus. 
Sweet,  L  A.  Farmer;  li  X  Y.  s  l.'i4(i;  P  ( I  .'Skaiieateles. 
Sweet,  Mrs  C  L:  b  N  Y,  s  I>2'i;   P  l>  Skaneateles. 
Skahan.  J.  Farmer;  b  Ireland;   P  ( 1  Skaneateles. 
Skahan.  Win.  Farmer;  b  N  Y.  s  1X51;  P  V  Skaneateles. 
Sherman.  Alfred.  Farmer;  b  N  Y.  s  lsi2;   P  ()  Skaneateles. 
Sa.tton,  Win,  Farmer;  b  N  Y,  s  1877:   P  ()  Skaneateles. 
Stacey.     R    M.    res    Skaneateles,    Prop'r    (Irocery    and    Meat 

Market;  b  N  Y,  s  18.'i:i ;  P  ()  Skaneateles. 
Smith.  Frank.  Farmer;  b  N  Y.  s  183;i;  P  1  >  Skaneateles. 
Sinclair,  F  A,  Chair  .Mfr;  P  ( •  .Mnttville. 
Thayer,  J.  res  Skaneateles,  President  Bank  of  Skaneateles;  b 

N  Y,  3  18.'!5;   Postoffice  .'Skaneateles. 
Thurlow,  H.  re-  .'Skaneateles,  Teasel  Dealer  and  Proprietor  Res- 
taurant; b  Eiiiiland;  Postoffice  ."Skaneateles. 
Thornton.  Uewitt  C.  Farmer;  b  N  Y,  s  IK51;  P  O  Skaneateles. 
Thornton.  Stephen.   Farmer;  bN  Y.  3  1K27;   P  U  Skaneateles. 
Thome.  Obadi.ih.  Farmer  and  Teasel  Dealer:  b  N  Y.  3  1844: 

Postoffice  Skaneateles. 
Thome.  W.  ii..   Fnrmer  and   Teasel  Dealer;    b  N  Y,  3  1844; 

Postoffice  ."Skaneateles. 
Varv,  Henry  II.  Farmer;  b  N  Y.  s  1841 ;  P  ()  Skaneateles. 
WyckofT.  C  C.  Farmer;  b  N  Y.  s  IS2:i;   P  I)  Skaneateles. 
Weeks,  F<i,  res  Skaneateles,  Fanner,  Paper  .Manufacturer  and 

Teasel  Dealer;  b  England,  3  18;!4;  P  U  Skaneateles. 
Wilkin3oii,  Alfred   Fanner.    .Deceased.^ 
Wilkinson.  .Mrs  ST;  b  N  Y.  s  l.s'.'.5.     Postoffice  Skaneateles. 
Wright.  A  M.  res  Skaneateles;  Principal  Lnioii  Free  School; 

0  N  Y,  s  1S75;  Postoffice  Skaneateles. 

TOWN  UF  SPAFFURD. 

Anthony,  Lieorge  H,  res  Spaflford  Corners,  Proprietor  Spafford 

House;  b  Cortland  Co,  IKl'J,  3  lMi,s;  I'ostoffice  Spafford 

Corners. 
Davis,  Richaid  H.   res  Borodino,  itirm  Davis  ic   Hawtiu);  b 

England,  3  1k50;  Posl(!ffice  Borodino. 
Doolittle.  Warren,  res  Lot  70,  Retired  Fanner;  b  Conn,  1812,  s 

1x42;  Piistiiffico  Borodino. 
Doolittle,  Ruth  Stacy,  wife  of  W   Doolittle;  b  Conn,  181.5,  s 

1842  ;  Postofflce  Borodino  • 

Enos,  J'lseph  H.  Farmer;  b  Spafford.  1814;  P  O  Skaneateles. 
Euos,  Hannah,  wife  of  J  H  Enos:  b  Spafford,  IxlU;  Postoffice 

Skaneateles. 
Enos,  Joseph,  father  of  J  H  Enos:  b  Mass,  1779,  a  1805;  died 

ls.52. 
Edos,  Chloe,  wife  of  Joseph  Enos:  b  Mass,  1777,  9  1805:  died 

1848. 
76* 


Gay,  Robert  Martin,  Farmer;  b  Cortland  Co.,  s  1840;  Post- 
office  Borodino. 

Gay,  Calista  Owen,  wife  of  R  M  Gay;  b  Rensselaer  Co.,  1815. 
3  IK40;  I'ostoffice  Borodino.  ■lu,.oi.,, 

Gilford,  Henry  A,  Lot  08,  Farmer;  b  Dutchess  Co.  1809  a 
1844;  Postoffice  Thorn  Hill. 

Gilford,  Betsey,  wife  of  H  X  Gifford;  b  Dutchess  Co.,  1812 
S1H44:  Postoffice  Thorn  Hill. 

Gifford,  Garrison  A,  Lot  CH,  Farmer;  b  ClintouviUe,  3  1853; 
Postoffice  Thorn  Hill. 

Gifford.  Fannie  M.  wife  of  G  A  Gifford;  b  Spafford,  1854; 
Postoffice  Thorn  Hill. 

Harvey,  Mark,  Farmer  and  Blooded-stock  Raiser;  b  Spafford. 
s  18.'52:  Postoffice  Thorn  Hill. 

Harvey,  Paul,  Farmer;  b  Vermout,  1794,  3  179G;  died  1852. 

Harvey,  Sally,  wife  of  Paul  Harvey;  b  N  Y,  179C,  8  1811. 

Harvey,  Adaliiie.  daughter  of  E'aul  and  Sally  Harvey,  b  Spaf- 
ford, IHlH;  Postoffice  Th.irn  Hill. 

Hill,  Wm,  Lot  75,  Farmer  ;  b  Cayuga  Co,  1811,  s  1846;  died  May 
■i.  1877. 

Hill,  Mary  Jane,  widow  of  Wm  Hill;  b  .Saratoga  Co,  18J2,  g 
1K40:   Postc.ffice  Borodino. 

Haaker.  Richard.  Farmer  and  Butcher;  b  England,  1817,  » 
1S05;  Postoffice  Bcirodino. 

Haaker.  Frederick.  Farmer  and  Butcher;  b  Cayuga  Co,  18.52,  • 
18a5. 

Hawtiii,  George,  Machinist  and  Prop'r  .Saw  Mill;  'firm  Davis 
S;  Hawtiin  b  England,  s  IH.',U;  i'()  Borodino. 

Haight,  Titus.  Farmer;  b  Dutchess  Co,  1797;  3  18'28  ;  died 
January  IH.  Isi'H. 

Haight.  Hannah,  wife  of  Titus  Haight;  b  Dutchess  Co,  1801.  g 
1X2X;  died  September  4.  187.'! 

Haight.  Henry  J.  Lots  09  and  74.  Farmer;  b Spafford,  s  1841; 
I'ostoffice  Borodino. 

Haight  Dora,  wife  of  Henry  Haight;  b  Spafford,  18.50 ;  Post- 
office  Borodino. 

Legg,  W  W.  res  Borodino,  Postmaster,  b  Spafford,  s  1815; 
Postoffice  Borodino. 

Lcgg.  Mimrva  A.  wife  of  W  W  Legg;    b  Spafford,  1819;    Post- 
office  liorndiiif). 

Lewis.  John  ./.  Farmer;  b  England,  1827,  s  1846;  Postoffice 
Skaneateles. 

Lewis.  Lucy,  wife  of  John  J  Lewis;  b  England,  9  1864;  Post- 
office  Skaneateles 

Lewis,  Rosa  M,  daughter  John  J  and  Lucy  L'wis;  b  Spafford, 
1K08:  l^l^tofficL•  Skaneateles. 

Lawrence.  W  H.  Po>tc'ffioe  Spatfurd  Corners, 

Lyon,  C  li.  l'o>toffic('  Spiiffurd  I'oriiers 

Moule,  Moses  P.  Lot  74.  Farmer.  Patentee  and  Manufacturer 
of  Moule's  Celebrated  Bag-Holder  "(iood  Help;"  b 
I'Uter  tci.  1H21.  3  ls."in;  Posti.ffice  Skaneateles. 

Moule,  Cordelia  liiKliam.  wife  of  Moses  P  Moule;  b  Dutchess 
Co,  1K12,  s  lK).s;  Pdstc.ffict  Skaneateles. 

Moule,  Pbilij)  I,  son  of  M  '.'  Moule;  b  Monroe  Co,  1851,  s  1851; 
Postoffice  Syracuse. 

Moule  C.iiiger  A,  son  of  M  P  Moule;  b  Spaffoi-d,  18.VJ;  Post- 
office  Skaneateles. 

Mason,  Mortimer.  Lot  74,  Farmer  and  School  Teacher;  b  Mass, 
1825,  a  18;il;  Postoffice  Borodino. 

Mason,  Esther  P  Vail,  wife  of  .Mortiaier  Mason ;  b  Skaneateles, 
3  I8'2X;  Postoffice  Borodino. 

Morton.  ( lr^oll  B.  Lot  74,  Farmer,  Inventor  and  Manufacturer 
of  Morton's  Snikey  Harrow;  h.  LaFuyette;  3  1835; 
I'ostoffice  Borodino. 

Morton,  Susan  \  Bass,  wife  of  Orson  B  Morton;  b  Hamiltoa 
to,  1810,  s  lh7.'{;  Postoffice  Borodino. 

Morton.  Ambrose,  father  of  O  B  Morton;  Farmer;  b  Mass,  g 
HNS;  die<l  IWi.'i. 

Morion,  Sabiina.  wife  of  .Vmbrose  Morton  ;  b  Vermout,  1790,  a 
Iwil ;   P(rsto!)ice  Sk;iiieateles. 

Mason,  I  L.  Farmer,  b  N  Y,  s  1S20:  Postoffice  Skaneateles. 

Newvill,  Ale.x  C,  Farmer;  b  (.Itisco,  1817;  Postoffice  Borodino. 

Newvill,  (  linieiia  J,  b  otisco,  s  IslO;  Postoffice  Borodino. 

Norton.  Seymour;  I'ostoffice  Spafford  Corners. 

Olmsted,  Jeremiah,  Farmer;  b  Montgomery  Co,  18.35,  3  1835; 
Postoffice  Borodino. 

Olmsted,  LavMia,  wife  of  J  Olmsted;  b  Marcellus,  18.;i9;  Post- 
office  Borodino. 

Purchase, Samuel,  Farmer;  b  Sk,nneateles;  Postoffice  Borodiuo. 

Purchase,  Harriet,  wife  of  Samuel  Purchase;  bCaniillus;  Post- 
office  Borodino. 
Stanton.  Samuel  H;  I'ostoffice  Borodino. 
Smith,  .Myron  K,  Farmer;  b  Spafford;  3  1847;  P  O  Borodino 
Smith,  Jennie  Becker,  wife  of  Myrou  R  Smith;  b  Spafford,  s 

1X51  ;  Postoffice  Borodino. 
Tripp,  Van    Dvke.  res   Borodino,    Physician   and  Surgeon;  b 

Madison  Co,  1>.'V;.  s  IXCO;  Postoffice  Borodino. 
Taft,  John  P;  Po.-toffice  Sphfford  Corners. 

Weston,  lleiiiy.  Farmer  and  Supervisor;  b  Spafford,  18.30; 
Postoffice  Borodino. 

Weston,  Sarah  K.  wife  of  Henry  Wcstou ;  b  Marcellus,  18.30; 
l'o^toffice  Borodino. 

TOWN  OF  MARCELLL'S. 

Alvord.  Richard  W,  res  .Marcellus,  Prop'r  Alvord  House  ;  b 
Saratoga  Co,  lx'20,  s  1800;  P  O  Marcellus. 


426 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 


AlT->r.l.  Kllta  irbalOvM.  >  m  Mkrertlut   wife  of  It  W  AlronJ; 

b  I'lTuica  Co.  I<M.'>.  •  1*00,  l>  I  >  M*rrrllu> 
BroiiMio.  SrUb    M.  !»•    Marcrllut.    MIll.T.  b    Navsriuo.    Itta; 

l>  <  I  Marr<-llua. 
lUkrr.  M.  ri->  Marrrllu*.  Sb"'  Mmiiiracturrr. 
Corulib   J'H-1.  Kariiirr.  b   llartf'>rJ    •    •    i     i.n    I^r.'.  «    l-T. ;  1' 

U  Martrllu.. 
Cohb    B  S.  rr«  Marcrllu«    I'hi.Uinn 

«-..nii»«-ll.  Woar.l  A.  Kar..  '  l".Marcrllu» 

(i.wlf.    Kt  .  Kar.iirr.   t.  N  ■"'.''"..       . 

Cue.  Mn    K   I'.  Kartu.-r  -  ■  -•  l'<>H"Wlrlt 

Dmvla.  Will  T   r-t  Mnrtftta.    I'bytirlaii  ■nil  tanner,  b>  1,  • 

l^l-     ■■ .     ■■         ••  I 
r>nnlan  J  '     I' Marcellua,  •  I'.U :  I' <t  Marrellua. 

Ih!"  h.  ;.  : r .  I.  X  Y  .  I'  « .  Marc-llu.. 

(  „,,,    K.I.1..I.  I.  Marirlu^.  l-r..   I' 1 1  Tboni  Mill. 

J  I  It.  r.--  Marietta.  I'rop'r  Murirtta    Hnu«<;  U  X  V.  • 

-  .1  .   I"  '  I  Mariftta 
f'rll'iMa.   Mr»    .Mar.v.    KaniiiT^  b  Marcrllua.    •   Im".  I'otlnlDcF 

Marrellu* 
(•ariirtt.  Will.  rf»  Marrrlliu   (arriaii)-  ami  \Vag"ii  Mfr;    li  Irc- 

laii.l.  l«-i«.  »  If^T  .  r  u  MarrrllUf. 
Ilickok.  Win  C.  KarniiT^  b  X  Y.  I'  <i  Marcrlliii. 
ilarilacrr    l.aac.  Kariin-r.  I>  KnitlaiKi.   •  IwH.   I' <  >  Thnrn  Hill. 
||lcl(<    Alai>»"i-.  KaninTKiid  .lu»ticf<>f  tIn-IVacr.  t>  |)ulcbe«t 

(  ...  X  V.  •  Kt".   I'i>»t'inic.'  Marietta. 
Jull'i.  W  II.  rf«    Marc^llu..  W,,..!   Morttr.    I.  X  Y.  1">.  »  l**?: 

I'li.t'illli  >•  Marcrllut. 
Lnulbri'lur   II"I'<ti.   K*rni«T:   b   Marccllua.  •  !>*•> ;    I'lutofflcr 

Marrrllu*. 
lAwleo    MirbiH'l   J.rf«   Marrrllu.    Kail-.     Ilriii   M.J    I,awlri» 
i  to.  Mfr  .  !•  Irflttinl  KIT,  >  K">.';  I'  ''  .Murirlln.  KalU. 
Tkriii'T.  I»f  mil".  \'m\--T  Mfr  .  b  In-laciil .  I'  '  >  .Marcrllu«  KuIN 
M"»«^.  I.urlii-.   rf«  Marci-llu«.  I'mi.  r  .Marcvllu*  \V..i,leu  MilU; 

b  Marrrllu.  l'<-ll :   I'o.tirtli-r  MarcrlluK 
MIIIf   «;  <  .  Kari.rr:  U  X  Y.  •  111.   I' .•.L.ttlcr  Thorn  Hill 
Mill.   Tluit.lb*.  Kariiirr.  b  X  Y.  «  I-*'!     I'.-t.  Hi..-  Skniiratrlr. 
McMonciunb.  "U''i  H   J.  1'Hi.tor  St     h'mnriii    Xavirr  <  burcU.    b 

.Albaiiv    •l>ili.   r  1 1  MnicrlluK. 
Marcrllu«  I'nwilrr  I  ..iniHiiiv.  Mnrr<*llui>  Mfr  of  I'tiwder. 
Nrwioii.  ,A.l...pbu«.  Kariiirr:  t,  MurrrlliK  l»Hl  ,1' (iMarcellut. 
XlghliiiKalr.  Will.  Mfr  iif  I.iiiiilirr:  b  X  Y.  »  \<A. 
Xnrlb.  •  .  Kariiirr. 
Xiirtb.    Hi.l*il    K.  rm  Marcrlluj.  Urlln-d;  bX  \  :  I'odoOlcu 

M.tr<i-llu». 
Nrwrll.  W   C.  rr.  Miirirttn.   I'mp'r  Marirtt  i  Mill*,   b  UiFay- 

cltr,  •   Wtl.   I'i>.l<nirr  MHrirtlu 
Xcwell.    I.».lia.  rr.    Marirttii.  wifr  ..f  W  f  Xrwrll;  b  LaKaf- 

rttr  l"4tl.   I'li-t^'WIrr  .Marirlta 
l>an»ii».  Urm-l   rr»  Miircrllii« :  I'h.T.lcian  and  Suriteon ;  b  M«r- 

crllu.;   ['■••li'ltlrr   .Mur.rllu. 
Rpcd     K^iiiiii'il    rra    Marci'Uii*.   Mfr   >hi|>|>liiii  \  MrrrbaiidlM* 

T»|I«  "»i"l  I'riiiirr  .   b  Marirllu..  l-.Vl;   I' u  Marcrllu* 
KIrhanI-.  <  >  M    Maiiufuclurrr  <.f  l.uinbrr. 
U.ickwrll.  Alfrrd.  Karnirr .  !•  tiuiii.  •  KM:  I"  <»  Marcrllui.. 
Illce  A  MiNnll\.  Karnirr»   ami    «llr«    In    Farm   liii|)lrnirfita:  b 

Marrrllii.  KIJ;   l'i.»li.ftlcr  Marcellun 
Srvniiiur.  A  M.  I'lr  iii  tJri.crrlr*. 
MliickT.  tiriintr.  rrn  Mairrllu".   Karnirr  and  dlr  in  rb<»phatr; 

h  Kngland.  •  IMI ;  1'.. uti. filer  Murcrllun 
Taylor.  A  "wrt.  rr.  Mnrlrtta   .Millrr.  b  I'urtland  I'l  KW.  <  KHi; 

*  |'i..t..niir  M  irirtta. 
Wulkrr   Tboina".  rr.  Matcrllu*  Villairr.  Ho..t  nnd  Sbo*  dlr  and 

j  r.  b  Kniclaiid.  .  1<K>.   I'lLtofflrr  .Miircrllu.. 
WrIU,  llarvry.  rt .  Marcrllu..  Millrr.  U  X  Y.  I<IT.  l'.«»t<ilBcr 

Marrr'Ui.. 
Wbitr  Willinni  U.  rri  M»rcellu«.  Hardwair  Mrrcbniil  :  b  X  Y: 
I'.'.l'.nici'  MurrrlUii. 

TllWX  t>K  II.  \Y 

Adklu>    Urv.  I^irrii  U  l^'l  I'i.    M    K.  *°lrii;yniaii  and   Farmrr; 
b  tK.rg..  In.  1»1-'.  •  •••••••  I'—I-  "l   r  K.irlirl 

Allen.  John  II.  I."t  IV  Karni.  r.    .  .  Urgt    IhO.'; 

I.  iinridat  ...  IMJ.  .  I"*;".':  I 

\lii.lir  I. ihn.  Karnirr;  b  Kniilai..!  ::.  r  Kucll.l 

MrrrJ    lindlrr    rr<.  U'l  •-'.  Flit r.  ItiicK  and  TlleManuf;b 

Vi    1*11   .Ki:'.   l'o.t..mrrn.y. 
Burlri|!li   Snniiirl  X.    I^.t  H.  Farmrr  iind  •*<  h"..l  Trarbrr.  b  X 

II.  X'.'.n.  •  l-l'';   I'o.lofllrr  rh'iiil* 

Uariir.   .1  II.  K«r r  nnd  Juatlce  i.f  Ihr  I'racr  •  b  .\  Y.  .  I-?.'. 

|-...t<>ltl<r  K  u^lid 
llauDi.  I»  W.  Fur r  an.l  oil  Xp^cu'ator;  b  X  Y.  .  iKti,  I'u.t. 

i.fflr.-  I'laiik  l("U<l. 

Harm..!    M    K»r r     b  X  Y.  .  1-MI .   I'...l..m.e  1,1..  M»-.l 

Hrttiugrr    M  J    Karnirr  and   llalryoian     b  X  \.  .  \<i\ :  I...I- 

otnce  Kurlld- 
llnrdirW.  l..-.r«r  K.  A.aeMor;  b  R  I.  .  IM'>.  f  1 1  I'Unk  U.a.l 
t..nghtr>    J  W.  Karnirr  and  nifar.Maiiufacturrr.  «  ImW;  l'...i- 

.  m.-r  t  lirarvillr.  .  ,         . 

rhe.l'i.  .    Jamr.    II  .  l.'it    I'l.   Knrnirr  an.l  l.unil.ernian  ;  b  <  in- 

l»ri. ■(■!•.  l»l".  •  l»Jtl     l'...t..ltlcr  I'lttiik  lload. 

<  baffrr.  Xrwiiiiii.  .1.  I.i.t  U.  Karnier     b  >rhr.i  |.|»-1.  l-vlH.  •  IlHi'.; 

i>.,.i..ni'  •'  I'll.,  lix. 

<  ouper.    «.    K;.niir   and   llmlryoian  .  b  X  J.  .  KH;  l'..it..fflce 

LlTerpi...! 


Iliefetidnrf.  Kufu».  Tbre#   River  Pulni.  limre  for  Ricaralon 

I'arilr*:  b  Fort   I'laiu.  lv>,  *  1h.'{,',:  l'<»|otnre  rbirnix. 
I>«idi:r.  F.  Supl    Hyracu'r  IVat  W..ik»;  b  i  >blo.  •  l»:.l .  I'.Mtuf- 

flcr  I   iKarvlllr 
Uiefend.irf    It  II     l...t    .'.'.    Farmrr  ami    < '..ninirrrlal  (Kent,  b 

t  nj  UKa  t  ...  IM'.l.  »  KM  ;  r..«|..l!lrr  I  lay. 
I>eckrr.  Jamr.  I,.  I...t  II.  Farmrr  and  Trarbrr;  b  Van   Hurrn 

K»n     I'.i.L.inrr  I  liiy 
Drwry.    I.    VV.    Farmrr   and    Ualrymau  ;  b  Mu».  •  IM'.' .   I'otl- 

iiUlrr  l.il'rrixnil. 
l>unbaoi.   .M>..rlrr.  Farmer;  b  NY.  •  ISTi  :    l'<»t<>inre    I'laiik 

It.. ad 
Itrl.iiiit.  .Al.ram.  Kurii.rr  .  b  X  Y.  •  I'.'l  ;  l'..»l..fBrr  K.urliu. 
Kble.Meyin.iur  .V.  I...t  »>.  Karn.rr.  il.'.ih  X  YCavalry.:  b  Liver- 

p«Mil.  IMI  ;   Poatolttf  e  Srracu.e. 
Kiiu.  Myron,  Farmer;  b  t  lav,  KL'.  I'o.l'.fflrr  t'laj. 
Kuo.  .^ddi S.  re».  Xew  hild»r.  l'ro|ir  lintel  :  b  fUr;  I'oat- 

. .filer  I'lav 
Fav.  I'aul,  I...I  «■>.  Formrr.  Bntt   F   lil  X  Y  Artillrm :  b  flcem 

K>     l'...t..l11rr  I'laiik  lt..i..l 
Fugrit,  J   M.  HIarkdiiitli    an.l  Waicmirr.  b  Trim.  •  ISL'i,  I'uat- 

ofBcr  t'lav. 
Field,  t'  K.  Kariirr:  b  X  Y.  »  K'»l ;   r..»t.il1tce  i.irrr|>><.|. 
Kllkiii..  II.   Karnirr;  b  X  Y.  •  Kkl;  J>o.to|1lcr  l.ivrr|»>.il. 
lirliin.  W.  |....t  K>.  Karnier;    b  lirrmany  K'J'.'.  •  IrOU;  I'ualofflc* 

l.ivrrpo'.l. 
(iray.  William    K.  Lot.  -'I  ami  T.'i.   I'ropr  of  twoCherw  Fac- 

t..rlr.  :    |.  KriitlK'kt    l».\l.  .  Kd;    r.'.t.. filer  Kmlld 
tiilbert.'.ii.    h    II.    l•ll^t  and  r^aw    Mill.;  bX  ^.  .l>:n;  iVat- 

•  liter  (  auKh.lriioy 
llibbar.l.  Naar  \'  \'.  L..t'<I.  Fnrnirr  .  b  .Harato)ca  Co.  I7<l.  •  KM 

Dir.l  JuiM-  14.  l.>;i. 
Mibbar.l.    Summl    M.    Lot    HI.   Farmrr:  b    l'ou<|>ey.  IKS!:  I'  t» 

.Hvr  eu.r 
Kitlrl.  riiil.i  I.    L'tlll.  Farmer:   h  (lav.  KIT;   I"  <>  I.iverpo..! 
Lamb.  Ilonirr  S.  I...t  Hi    Knrn.rr.  b  «  lav.  KM;   I' <  I  Llvrrp.iol 
Lvun.  H  A.  I>.l.  .•u'-:'>-.tU  Ul.  Karmer;  bt  lav,  IM^,  1*0  I'lauk 

ItoHd 

Lvnn.  J.  l'o.t.>inre  I'laiik  Itoad. 

.Ndllrr.  .Mary  C.  Lot  I.V  Firmrr.  b  Oulrbe..  Co,  IM-Jl.t  |.Mu     1* 

1 1  Livi'r|M...l. 
M..Trr.  Jiie..b  II.  Karn.rrand  Halrv;  bX  Y.  •  mil;  I'tl  K.uclld. 
Mrlviii.  C.  •*rh....l  Tracbrr.  b  .V  Y;   I'M   W  ....dard 
Xa.b.  11  .V.  KHriner  and  hairy,  b  X  Y.  •  KIT;  I' 1 1  ClganlUe. 
.Nanh.  i;  W    Kiirmrriiii.l  Dairy,  bX  Y.alKC.  I'HCIcem 

I'ir.ti  r.  .U I>    l."t  T'..  Kariiirr:  b  Coluoibla  Co,  KK,  •  IMO, 

I'  ( t  l.l\rll>.M,l 
Prior.  i;enrKrl'.  Uit  Ml.  Farmrr:  b    KuKland,  KiM.  •  IMti;  I'O 
Livrr|.....l 

rnliiirr.  lii.l .M.  Furinrr.  b  .V.  Y.  .  KIO;  I"  U  Kuclld 

rinnimrr.  J  W.  Karinrr;  l>  .Ma...  •  Kll.    I'lil'luy. 

iti)!):..  Jaiiii'..  I.'.t  I'l.  Karmer  nnd   Scbool   Tracher.  b  Jordan, 

IM.'i.  I'  I  >  Kurlid. 
Ilowlrv.  A    L.  Karnirr.  b  Conn,  •  1*410:  I'll  I'lank  Koad. 
lluorfl.   Ilriiry.    lilack.mitb  and  Wag.'nrr.  b  N  Y,   •   liCiX  ;  I* 

<  Mliiy. 
Scidmorr.  J..'hn  S.   rr.  L.it  M,   Kiirnier.  b  JrlTer.uii  Co.  IflH,  • 

IMI  .   I'  (I  F.urlid. 
Sailtb.  Fjirl.  tea  Lot   lui.  Farmer,  b  LIverpncd,  liC".';  |'<iLlv> 

rr^Nn.l. 
Sbaver.  T..bia..  t^ifSt  :   Farmrr  and  Klack.inllb  :  b  i^cbobarir 

Co.  K-.U  •  KV..   I'  i»  Kurlid. 
Sc.-tt.  Th..inii.  M.  t  ..iiiil>  I  Irrk      b  .X  \       I'd  Kurlid. 
Soulr.  1 1  S.  rr.  Kuclid.  IV^.r  I'latt  H.iu.r     b  .X  V    I'  « I  Kuclld. 
Sumiirr.  It  T.  Karnirr     l>  X  Y.  »  I'll'.     I*  •  >  Hrewertoii. 
>..iiirr..  .\  I..  Knrnirr  .  b  X  Y.  .  KM      I'  i  •  •  la^ 
r*..inrr..  J...  Ii.  Kiirnirr  .  i.  X  V.  »  Kt.' .   I' •  i  Clav 
Strrn..  I  barlr.  L.  Karnirr     I.  X  Y. .  Kr.'  .  I'  1 1  Plank  Itoad 
Soulr.  .\  J.  Kuriiirr  ami  liair\  man  ;  b  X  V.  •  Kll.  i'  1 1  K.urlld. 
Trail.  W  X.  Kruit  Itai.rr  and  (iardrner  .  b  X  Y,  »  KIT  .  I'o.l- 

oftlre  '  lar 
Vroman,  W    J  .  Lot  111.  I'r..pr  Clarendon  Hotel  :  b  IjiFayette, 

.  Ktl.   y  liSymru.r. 
Walter.  Martin  A.  Farmrr:   b  X  Y.  .  KJB  .  I*  tt  Cicero. 
Wili.>rn.  Its    l.i.t  >.  Farmer,  b   LIviiiK.loa  «.'o.  IttlO.  •  Injfl;  I* 

1 1  WiMMlur.l 
Warnrr.  I'.,rk  i  .  Furnirr .  bClar.  »KV»:  I' 1 1  Kuclld. 
Wormutb.   Iliifu..  Lot  •-'.'.  Farmrr:  b  K..rt  Plain.  KCi.  .  KW; 

pill  lav. 
Wood.,    Cliarlr..   Iloat    Uuilder   ami  Turner.   KiiKlninl,  l^LV  • 

Kl-'>     I"  I  'Clav 
Wall,  C  U;  l'...l..mcr  l'b.«-nlx.  X"  \'. 

TiiWX  i.K  \   VX  111  IIKX. 

Iliiiitliam.  .A  W.  Karnirr  nnd  >upervi.or:   I' •  i  Vanlluren 
Itai.litiiii.  Putrirk.  Karmrr.   I'  Irrland,  .  IMT.   P  <•  Hrllr  l.lr. 
Ilr.'r.l.  K.iiiirnr.  Kiirmrr.  b  X  Y.  •  IM.':  P<>  Mrmpbi.. 
Ilriiilry.  Itu..rl   l».  I  armrr:  b  K  I.  .  Kll;   P  i>  Wari.rr. 
Hario".  I  >r« Karmer.  Mrrrbant   and  R  it  Conirarlor.  b  i  in- 

..i..li>i{a  t....  .K"':  dir.l  K'.'. 
Ilnriie..  Kli/n.  b  Conn.  .  I«l'>.   P' '  Palter«o|i.  X  J. 
Kownian.  Iliruin.   Karnirr  ami  Ciril   K.iiKineer;  b  X  Y.  »  K'JI; 

P<..t..t1i.r  llaMoin.viUr 
llrer.l.  Itarnrt  M.  Karmer.  b  X  Y.  •   KH;   P  i>  Mal.lwln.vllle. 

Hr I    llnrvev  II.  Karmer.  bX  Y.  »   K»l».  I'll  lialdaluivllle. 

liebliiiK.  Henry. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


427 


Clark,  A  K,  res  Baldwiusville.  Farmer.  Justice  Peace  and  Mfr 
Pumps;  b  N  Y,  s  18;«;  P  ()  Haldwiiisville. 

Crego,  Ira  L.  Fiiriiier;  b  Ouoiidaga  Co.  ixi') :  died  IHC.'). 

Crego.  Charlotte,  Farmer;  b   X  Y.  s  \n2>>:  P()  Baldwiusville. 

Crum,  A  B.  Farmer;  b  X  V.  s  1854;  V  0  HaldwiiiBville. 

Crum.  A.  Parmer;  b  X  Y.  s  IHIG;  PO  Halilwliisville. 

Cornell.  Elijah,  Farmer:  b  X  Y.  s  IS.'.';  P  ()  VanBureii. 

Cornell,  Abuer;  Farmer;  1)  N  Y.  s  IXJT:  P  ()  Baldwiusville. 

Coruell,  \Vm  P.  Farmer;  h  X  Y.  s  lM4.'i;  P  ()  Baldwiusville. 

Coruell.  Leouard,  Farmer:  b  X  Y,  s  IS'.'T;  P  ()  Meuiphis. 

Cliftou,  VVm,  Farmer;    b  Eui;land,  s  1H.')2;  P  ()  Baldwiusville. 

Clark.  Joshua  W,  Farmer;  b  X  Y.  s  1S2U;  P  O  Baldwiusville. 

Campbell.  Kthan.  Farmer  ami  J  P  ;  I)  X  Y,  s  IHiT;    Poetoffice 
.Memphis. 

Campbell.  \Vm  B,  Uetired;  b  X  Y.  s  1k14;  P  o  Memphis. 

Daboll,  Henry,  Fanner;  b  Coun.  s  184-_';  HO  Memphis. 

Diugmau,  Lewis,  Faruier;  b  X  Y;  died  IHOII 

Diugman,  Eliza  M,  Farmer;  b  X  Y.  s  lK;.'(i;  p  ( )  .Memphis. 

Davis,  Warren.  Farmer;  b  Mas<,  s  1K54;  P  ()  Warners. 

Ecker,  Geo,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  1H.J9;  P  U  Belle  Isle. 

Fellows,  David  G.  Farmer:  b  X  Y.  s  1847;  died  187H. 

Fellows.  Mary.  Farmer;  b  X  Y.  s  1847;  P  0  Baldwiusville. 

Foster.  Husseil.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  180(i:  P  ()  Memphis. 

Foster,  Leouard.  Farmer;  b  X'  Y.  s  I81.i;   P  o  Warners. 

Filkius.  Chas.  Farmer;  b  X'  Y,  s  18.14;   I'  0  Memphis. 

Gridlev,  John.  Farmer;  1)  Conn,  s  IW':! ;  P  ()  Memphis. 

Hall.  Horace  (i.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  18.J1;  i'  ()  Baldwiusville. 

Hayues.  Col  Thaddeus,  Farmer;  b  X  Y.  s  1808;  i'O  Baldwius- 
ville. 

Hayiies,  .lohu.  Farmer:  b  OnondaKa  Co,  18111.     (Died  1870.) 

Hayues.  David.  Farmer;  b  X  Y.  s  18i.");   P  u  Baldwiusville. 

Hayues.  Wm.  Farmer;  b  X  Y.  s  18.J8;  P  (»  Baldwiusville. 

HbV,  Luther,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  18:J1;   Po  Baldwiusville. 

Harrington.    Martin.    Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  1840;  P  {)   Baldwius- 
ville. 

Hall,  (ieo  W.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  ISiO;  P  O  Memphis. 

Harringtou.  Isaac.  Farmer:  b  X  Y.  s  18il;  P  ()  Baldwiusville. 

Howe,  Albert.  Farmer:  b  X  Y,  s  1849;  P  O  Baldwiusville. 

HigglDs.   Seabnry    M.    Phys   and  Surg;  b   Mass,   s   l.><.')7;    P  O 
Memphis. 

Harper.  Wm  Henry,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  e  18G7:  P  ()  Warners. 

Huugerford,  Samuel  H,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  18:.'2;  P  U  -Memphis. 

Hungerford.  ()  H.  Farmer;  b  X  Y.  8  1849;  P  ()  Memphis. 

lugoldsby.  .Mayuard,  Farmer  ;  b  X  Y,  s  18:.'H;  P  ()  Warners. 

Kenvou.  .lacob  C,  res  Baldwiusville.  (ieneral  Wrapping    Paper 
-Mfr'y ;  b  X  Y.  s  !«(«:   P  ()  Baldwiusville. 

Kratzer,  Thomas,  Farmer;  b  (iermauy,  3  l8(i7;  P  •>  Baldwius- 
ville. 

Liusday.    Daniel  S.   Farmer;  b   Onondaga  Co.  s  1801.    (Died 
'1877.) 

Llnsday,  Oliver,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  1809;  p  o  Baldwiusville 

Loveless,  Dauiel,    Faraier :  b    Onondaga   Co,    s    1803.     (Died 
1877. 1 

Loveless.  Robert,  Farmer;  b  N  Y.  s  1844;  P  O  Baldwiusville. 

Laufare.  II  E.  Farmer;  b  X^  Y.  e  1844:   P  O  .Memphis. 

Miller.  Henry,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  1802;  P  U  Balilwiusville. 

Maroney,  Wm,  Farmer;  b  Ireland,  s  1854;  PO  Baldwiusville. 

Maltby.  Lyman.  Farmer;  b  N  Y,  s  1819:  P  O  Baldwiusville. 

Maltby,  Jacob,  Farmer  ;  b  Middlese.x.  Mass.     (Deceased.) 

Molby,   John,     Farmer;  b  Onondaga   Co,  s  1817.     iDied  18,">9.) 

Molby.  Clarissa,  Farmer  ;  b  X  Y.  s  IKlS;  p  o  Memphis. 

Meigs.  Ruel,  Fanrer;  b  X  Y.  s  18:i3;  P  <»  Bahlwinsville. 

Marvin,  (ieo  W,  Retired;  b  Conn,  s  1^11;   Postnirioe  Warners. 

Marvin,  lieo  W  Jr.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  \sli;  PostofBee  Warners. 

X'ewport.  Richard  P.  Farmei   and  Blacksmith;  b  England,  s 
ix.i9;  Postofflce  Memphis. 

Nichols.  Francis  R.  Farmer  and  Dealer  in  (jeueral  Mdse;  b 
(  Uiiiudaga  Co.  s  l.<(ll ;  died  lHi.'i. 

X'ichols,  Erwiu  F.  Farmer:  s  l"*!!;  Postollice  Warners. 

Nostraut,  John.  Farmer;  bX'Y.  slsl5;  Postollice  Memphis. 

O'Brien.  Thomas,  Farmer;  b  Ireland,  s  18.W;  Postollice  Bald- 
wiusville. 

O'Brieu.  Daniel.  Farmer:  b  Ireland,  s  IS.V);  Postollice  Bald- 
wiusville. 

Ouderkirk,  Horace,  Faruier:  b  X'  Y,  s  IV,':.';  PostoQice  Bald- 
wiusville. 

Parry,  Elisha  R.  Farmer;  b  England  :  Postoffice  Memphis. 

Parrv.  Joseph  E,  Farmer:  b  X  Y,  s  1K51 :  Postollice  .Memphis. 

Peltou.  Phillip.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  ls:is;  P  o  Baldwiusville. 

Peck.  Homer.  Farmer;  Postollice  Yan  Bun-u. 

Reese.  Jacob.  Farmer:  b  X  Y,  s  I8.>5:   1'  O  Baldwiusville. 

Reed.  Wm.  Farmer:   b  X  Y,  s  1815;  Postollice  H;ildwiusville. 

Resseguie  X'oab.  Farmer:  b  X  Y.  s  ix'!'' ;  PostolHce  Memphis 

Scheplei'.  Wm.  Dealer  in  Cattle  and  Butcher:  b  (iermauy,  s 
1^")1  :   I'ostotlice  Sliles. 

Smith,  .\ugustus.  F'armer:  bConu,slNl4;  Po  Baldwiusville. 

Sears.  lUifus.  Farmer,  b  Onondaga  Co.  s  1>19;  dieil  ls7(t 

Sears,  Jane  E.  Farmer,  b  X  Y.  s  I^UM;  I'listollice  ( luoudaga. 

Sears,  Jam.s.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  1^--;  Postollice  Onondaga. 

Sullivan.  John.  Farmer:  b  Ireland,  .^  l».'i:i:     Po..,tollice  Stiles. 

Spore.  .Abraham.  Farmer,  h  Moiitgomcry  Co,  s  1^15;  died  1*73. 

Spore.  Iletsev.  Farmer:  b  X  Y.  s  181".;  P(l  Baldwiusville. 

Sullivan.  Xai)olcou  B.  Physician  and  Surgeon  :  b  X'  Y.  s  182!); 
Postollice  .Memphis. 

Spaulding,  Cbauncey  B.  Farmer;  b  X  Y.  3  1837  ;  P  O  Memphis. 

Smith.  Mavuard.  Farmer.  Saw    Mill.  Ice   and    Cider;  b  X  Y.  s 
l^^il;  Postollice  Baldwiusville. 


ille. 


Schuyler,  (  has  M   Farmer:  b  X  Y.  s  1841 :  P  o  Baldwiusville. 

Ta  uiage.  Lewis.  Farmer:  b  X  Y.  9  18»:  P  O  Baldwiusville 

Ta  mage.  Liios  L.  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  1817;  P  ( 1  Baldwiusvi 

Talmadge.  Isaac,  Farmer;  b  X  Y.  s  1817;  died  \s::, 

Talmadge.  Jonas  M.  Farmer;  bX  Y.s  lx:)7 :  Po  Baldwiusville 

Turner,  I  luih,  Farmer:  b  X  Y.  s  18.19:  P  U  Baldwiusville. 

Yoorhees,  David,  Farmer:  b  X  Y,  s  1824 :  P  o  Baldwiusville 

A'anYolkenburgh,  Henry,  Farmer;  b  Ououdaga  Co,  \KH;  died 
187G. 

VanYolkenburgh.  Mary.  Farmer:  h  X  Y,  s  18:12:  P  O  Memphis. 

White.  W  S.  Farmer  and  Pump  Manuf  r;  b  X  Y.  s  1M22;  Post- 
ollice Baldwiusville. 

Williams,  Xathan,   F'armer;  b  Ououdaga  Co,  1797;   died  187.3. 

Williams.  Louisa.  Farmer;  b  X  Y.    s  1804;  PO  Baldwiusville. 

Weaver,  Martin  L,  Faruier:  b  X  Y.  s  1814;   P  (J  Baldwiusville. 

Wright,  John.  Fanner;  b  X  Y,  s  1H.12;  P  o  Baldwiusville. 

Wormuth.  Moses.  Farmer;  b  Montgomery  Co,  8  IS-V;  died 
1875. 

Wormuth.  .Mary  F,  Faruier:  b  X  Y,  s  18.37;  I'Q  Stiles. 

Warner.  Leonard,  Farmer:  b  X  'i  .  s  1X21 ;  P  O  Baldwiusville. 

White.  Trueman.  Faruier:  b  X  Y.s  1807:    PO  Baldwiusville. 

White,  Jonas  T,  Farmer:  b  X  Y,s  1M8;  P  (j  Haldwiusville, 

Widger,  Erwin,  Farmer;  b  X  Y,  s  \x:is:  P  O  Baldwiusville. 

Weaver,  Abel,  Retired;  Postoffice  Warners. 

Weaver,  Trueuiau,  Farmer;  b  N  Y.  s  18^4:  P  U  Warners. 

TOWX  OF  DE  WITT. 

Adcook.  Geo,  F'armer:  b  Ououdaga  Co,  18:^;  P  O  Fayetteville. 
Burner.    John     P.   Lot  21,   Farmer;    b  Ououdaga  Co,    1841; 

Postollice  Syracuse. 
Bates.  John  W,  Farmer  and  Dairvman,  Overseer  Poor;  b  Oa- 

oiidaua  Co,  l.s:H;  P  ( >  DeWitt  Center, 
liosse,  J   Fred,   Gardener  and  Carpenter;   b  Germany.  8  1848- 

PostoBice  DeWitt. 
Bogardus,  Eugene,  Farmer;   b  (Jno:idaga  Co,  is.37;  Postoffice 

Syracuse. 
Brayton,    Warren   C,    Farmer  and   Breeder  of  Flue  Stock;  b 
Washiiiglou  Co,  sl8.'»7;  Postoffice  Syracuse. 

Brooks,  (ieorge.  Farmer;  b  Albany  Co,  s  1820;   P  O  DeWitt. 

Breer,  Henry,  Central  ('ity  Phosphate  Works,  btjermaiiy; 
Postollice  S3  racuse. 

Black,  Abrani  M,  res  DeWitt,  Retired  Farmer;  b  Ououdaga 
Co,  1«1.J:  PostolKce  DeWitt. 

Blancbard,  Frank  J.  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co,  18->i:  Postoffice 
Fayettc\ille. 

Cobb,  K  D,  Farmer:  b  Ououdaga  Co,  s  ls(l<):  p  O  DeWitt. 

Clark,  Elijah,  res  East  Syracuse,  Retired  Farmer;  b  OnoQ- 
daga  Co,  s  1S04;  Postollice  East  Svracuse. 

Campbell  A  B,  Farmer:  b  Ououdaga  Co,'l811;  Postoffice  Fay- 
etteville. 

Campbell,  Harriet  M,  b  (tnoiidaga  Co  1821. 

Colviii.  B  F.  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co,  8  18.38;  P  ()  Syracuse. 

Cadogaii  Asa,  Fanner;  b  Herkimer  Cc,  s  1827;  'Postoffice 
Janiesville. 

(^bapuian.  Carlton  E.  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co.  e  182*.  Post- 
office  Janiesville. 

Carpenter,  Yliet.  Farmer;  Dutchess  Co.  s  IxKi:  P  (»  Collaoier. 

Doe,  James,  Miller:  Propr  Xew  York  .Mills;  b  England,  s 
1h;15;  Postollice  De  Witt. 

Duiilop.  Robert,  Piaster  and  Lime  Mfr;  b  Albany  Co,  s  1833; 
Postoffice  Janiesville. 

Edwards,  H  K.  I'uder-Sheriff;  b  Ououdaga  Co,  s  1828;  Post- 
ollice Di-Witt. 

Furbeck.  J  I,  Farmer  and  J  P,  b  Albany  Co,  3  18:14  ;  Post- 
ollice CoUamer. 

Ferris,  (i  C,  Faruier:  b  Coun,  s  1855;  Postofflce  DeWitt 

(jove.  Perry  B,  res  Janiesville,  Miller:  b  X'  H,  1831;  Post- 
ollice Janiesville. 

Gregory.  Benjamin  S,  res  Janiesville,  Att'yaud  Ins  Ageut :  b 
Orange  Co.  s  I8:i5:  Postofflce  Janiesville. 

Getnian.  (ieo  H.  Lot  'to.  Faruier  and  Dairyman;  b  Jefferson 
Co.  s  18(a);   I'ostoflice  Syracuse. 

Hill,  ,1  L,  Farmer:  b  Poni|iey,  s  1x20;  P  O  Syracuse 

Holbrouk,  J  G,  Blacksmith;  b  Pumpey,  8  1S!7;  P  O  Janies- 
ville. 

Headson.  Stephen,  res  DeWitt  Centre,  Merchant:  b  France,  8 
1S.J2:  Postofflce  DeWitt  Centre. 

narrower,  P  W,  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co,  s  1x16;  P  O  Syra- 
eu.se. 

Hotchkin,  Jerome,  Farmer;  bOnondaga  Co,  8  18:j8  ;  P  O  Syra- 
cuse. 

Hotchkiii.  Wm.  Faruier  :  b  Conn,  3  1819.    (Died  1867.1 

Jones.  .lobn.  Lot  ;!1 ;  b  Knuland,  s  1845  :  P  O  East  .Syracuse. 

Jones,  Marv.  Lot  31 :  b  England,  s  1845;  P  O  East  Syracuse. 

Kiuue.  Prentice,  Carpenter:  b  Sullirau  Co,  s  18:19,  I' O  De 
Witt. 

Kimber.  .lames.  Fanner;  b  England.  1817,  s  1851 :  PO  DeWitt. 

Kinne.  Rnfus  U.  re>  East  Syracuse,  Farmer:  b  Ououdaga  Co, 
s  1>2I:  Postofflce  East  ,>*yracuse. 

Kiniie.  Euierso,i,  Karuier  :  b  O'laiudaga  Co,  8  1804  ;  P  O  De 
Witt  Centre. 

Kinne,  Mason  P,  Farmer;  b  OiumdagaCo,  s  18 J8;  P  U  DeWitt 
Centre, 

Knapp,  Edwin  A.  res  Janiesville,  Physician  :  b  Oneida  Co,  8 
1x57:  Postoffice  Jamesville. 

Kiuue,  Ira,  Farmer;  b  DeWitt,  s  1819;  P  o  DeWitt  Centre. 


428 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Kilt:.   \tuu>  B.  Karuirr  .  Milhi>(  Bad  I'luter  .  b  Cuuu.  K-'l  .  P 

It  I»»Wln 
Lewi*,  .'^KlnrT.  Fannrr  and  iMlrrmaii ;  bReoM^laer  Co.  •  IIMD; 

l'<i>tofflr«  SyrBfutr. 
LuddiDKtoii    I.urlaii.   Karoier  ;  b   <>n<>iid»iCB    Co,   •  1M7  ;  I'  <J 

STniru»r 
Miller,  l»BTid  ."*.  I^t  II'.  F»mi<T«inl  MairToiBu  .  b   I  Uier  Co. 

t  1H04  .   P'.^t-.fflf.-  I    ■  i.iirr. 
Manb     Ihiiilrl     KaniK-r     n     i    Hrrkfrpr- .      b   i  limadacs   to, 

1X--T:  I'm.'    ' 
McKlnlrr.  R  ^V  l.-rrhanl  ami  School  I'onimit- 

n,t..i..T,.r  ^        •■.  •  l-^Kl-   •■'•  (••llaiiicr. 

Martb.  Janir. ;  h  Hrrajint-r  i.  ■■.  W*.  «  l"l".     iDeceawd. ' 
(>cb«ii«r.  Mu-ti.i.  I  M.  ImI   JV.  Krult   «Jrowrr:  b  M»itx«Tland,  • 

l».'.>     (•  1  p  >vnii"U". 
Orerarr.-    ^ila«  J  Karmrr:  b  JpffrrwiD  Co,  «  1*40.  P  t)   DeWitt 

I  tiitrr 
PBliDiirr,  >><-tb  li.  Lot  .1),  Fanner:  b  MadUoii  Co,  §  1i*&>:  r  i  • 

Srrarii««. 
rowl«'«lai  ■!.  ^V  M,  Farmer;  b  Onnndana  Co,  •  iml ;  Pof(olBr<> 

<  •'ilninrr 

r.iwlf.lBiul.  Mra     Hrleii.  iwlfe  of  W.  H     Powlealaiid.' b  .-^jra- 

ciiM-.  •  I'M-t:  r  <  >  CoHamrr. 
Howlealand.   lieonie.    Faruirr:  b  Oiiondam  f.'o.   •   IKIn;  P  n 

('ollanifr 
PowIpbIbiiU.  Mn.^^.  iwlfe  of  (jiforcr  Powletlaiid  :i  b  OaondaKA 

l...  •  IMT.  P<i  lolUnier 
Vutmby.  Mark.  Farnirr  and   Ihiirrman  .  b  Madlnuti  Co,  «  IHUtl: 

V  (>  IVwnt  I  Viitrp 
K<-lchrr(.  .VIrxaiidrr    rr*  i>it   '",  Kaniifr.  •)  (ieraiauy,  «  ItMM; 

I'  1 1 1  iillanirr 
t*eel)r,  (iportte  II.  Frutt  lirower;  biiiioiidaea  Vo,   t  KJi;  P  (> 

SrmruM'. 
t^mllb.  J    Hpiirr.   Fariiicr  and  Nraler  in  Platter;  b  Dutcbeu 

<  I..  .  l-jl.   P  I  >  Fajmrvilr. 

i^brphard.  lU-i burl.  Farmer .  b  P<iniix>T.  •  li*ll.  I' <)  JaiiiixTille 
!*Diitb.  Mriir}'   J.    Farni>T  and    Carpviilrr,  b   •  iiioiidaKa  Co,  • 

l'«:i5;  I'  •  •  Mtriicine 
}4iultb.  Hrleii  W  ;  1>  Nrw  Matrpuhire.  •  1«'.1»;   P  O  .STnicuie. 
r^priirrr.  <'bB«.  Farmer,  b  KiiKiand.  •  Kilt.  P  O  Dewlti Outre. 
»*taii(oii.    li   F.    I'ropr    Mrwiit    FluurliiK  Mlllt;    b  Porapey.   • 

K.".»;  P  I '  FavrH<-vllli«. 

Sherwood.  A  II.  Farnirr:  bn idan  Co.  •    lt<°.M  :   Pll  l>owltt. 

Talloiaii.   Thomas    K,   Farmi-r:  b    l*ewiit.   •   IfSi;    portoffire 

Cullaiiier 
Webti,  I^oiinrd  B,  Farnier;   b  OiiuDdaxa  Co.  iKVi;  P<Mto0ce 

Itrwitl. 
Wrtluii.  Ilciirr  l>.  rr*.  Janipuvllli*.  Oiiieiit.  I.iiii<<aiid  Planter. 

U  I  iiioiidniiB  Cfi    I'stT  ;    rontofTlc**  .l>iii>t'f<%  illr 
Ward.  K"l..Tt.   |{«-liri-d   Fariiiir;    li  Albany  Co.  >  IKJI;    |.'o«t- 

i.nici'  ?*Tracu«e. 
Wilcox.  \  y.  rarmrr  aud  Dealer  In  Planter:  b  <  hiondan  Co. 

•  1"'.''>;  P'i»i,.nio»*  Fi«\i-in-ville. 
Wrlln,  Murlow   I),  rr.    KjikI  -vrmu.f.  I'rop  r  WrlU  llouie:    b 

I  itiioidsKa  <  o.  lNl«:  Po.t.plBce  F.a-t  frracupi-. 
Wonleii    M  P  Farnirr;  b  <  >uelda  Co.  «  1n|0:    Poatoffice   Fay- 

rtlevlUr. 
Wilcox.  «ir<irKe  W.  Farnirr:  b  ( )noudai{B  Co.  li^l.T;    Ponttifflco 

llrwill. 
YarrtuKton.  Iloratlu  N.  Farmrr  aud   iMirynian;  b  <  lunndaRa 

Co.  ln'J5.   PoBlolllce  Syracuse.     i4th  WlBCnntln  Ileftt.  i 

TOWN  (»F  I..\  F.WKITE. 

Abbott.  John  M.  Farmer:  b  IjiFayettr.  •  I'K'O ;  Pottofllce  La- 

Farrtlr. 
AblH.tt    Sarnli  .1.  wKr  of  J  H  Abbott:  b  Cortland  Co.  i  1><H>: 

|,,      .     .1.         I    iKmiMIr 

balK-r.  !.•'»  '  iiiid  Shi-p|i  Kaiiwr.  b  Ma««   •  lMi.'i      l*o>t- 

..lli  \  tr 

Bakrr  .\lt'\.>ua<  i.  1  annrr.  (on  nf  Lpwls  Makpr;  b  (.AFavrttr, 

Ke.   l'o«l.lllr.-  l,aFn«<'lt.' 

Baker.  >iorTl»,  FariioT  .  t.  \l  < '■     (•■..tofflce  IjiFayetlr. 

UbKit.  I.utbrr.  Farmrr     i  '.    1' i  i  l.nFayrtlr. 

■  Irrkrr.  Janip*.    rr«      ljih>>  I .  '>    ".iratoi-n  Co.,  ■ 

|fJT:  Po»tot11ce  l,iil-av!u-. 
llnttB.  Wariirr.  Farnirr;  I.  .Mit.«.  •  IHii'..   l'.,iitonicr  LaFayette. 
|i ,      ..    .,..,,,£,.  H,  Farmrr.  i>  .V  Y.  •  i'<.i;    I' i  i  .lamr«villr. 
•  r    Furmrr.  b  Poniiwy.  »  1.    -      I'  ■  i   IjiKayrtlr. 
...  m».  Furmrr.  bl"mp<'».  -    -   -     I' ..toillcr  i'oni- 

■f  \  llill. 
CB»r,  II. .nor.  rr.    Ijkfnyrtte,  StatMii  Aurni  S  II  and  .N  Y  UK; 
Crandall.  .I"lii.     Farmer,    b    Dulcbrai   Co.    ■    WX,.  roaioillce 

I  jiFairttr 
Crowiibart.  K.<lwBrd  \.  re*.  CafdllT:  Pnip'r  Cardiff   ll.itel;   b 

Madi'oii  I  ..   •  I":".   Po«tomceCar.lHr. 
Colrninn.  ■•  U  pHrmrr  ,   !•  Pompry.  I"U     r...tolBcr  C  ar.litl 
Couklin.  J  M.  KnoudmraC...  I-.':.   I' I  >  roni|irr. 
Itoruian,  lirorge  A.  rr>  t  ardiff.  Miller,  b  Curllaiirt  Co,  •  iN'i; 

ri.atoflicp  Cardiff. 
Itorniaii.  Am. a  I',  wifr  of  (ieorfte  A   I»omiaD  ;  b  Tully,  •  InVi  . 

l'...i  .llirr  Cardiff. 
l»B«i«.  Churl..  I.  Farnirr:  b  Poni|>ry,  •  IK-T  .   P  t>  I*  Fayette. 
Daufortli.  Ttit.ma>.  Farnier;  bl  hatauiiuaco,  •IXM;  Potti.fBcr 

La  t-BV-itr. 
Itantortb.  Lnrv  H.  wife  of  Ttonia*  Oanfonh:  b  Iji  Fayettr. 

Iflll;  pottofllce  La  Fayeite 


KterriuKham.  Win.  Farmer .    b   Iji   Farette.    I«J»:    Puttufflce 

I.A  Farelte. 
FarriiiRloii.  V  J.  Fanner,  b  l.a  Farpiie.  •  liCU  .   |>  1 1  Cardiff. 
Fuller.  Andrew.  Farmer,  b  Iji  FaTette.  •  1>0.   Pll  La  Fayette. 
Fu'ler.  Julia  C.  wife  of  .\mlrew  l^uller  :  b  Con'aiid  Co.  i'liCS; 

i'o>t..fllrr  l,a  Fajrile. 
(illbert.  Hiram.  Farmer.  bConn.*  l^l.S;  Po*tofnce  JanieiTllle. 
Hine.  I^Biider.  Farmer .   b  Conn.  •  I*<I4  ;   P'Mtotnce  Jamp«rllle. 
Ilrndrn-.n.  W  T.  Farnirr     b  TuIIt.  •  Kli':   PoMofllcr  Cardiff 
Hill.  I..WI.  II.  Farairr  .  b  I'oniper.  •  ITUri;  P  O  Ij»  Farelte. 
Hotaliiiic.  Jud>..n  .  b  I  Inondaita  Co.  KU:   ('  ()  I.jiFare(te. 
Hotalinit.  Siephrn.  Farnier:  b  Pomprr.  •  ItrJ:  I' 1 1  |ji  Farette. 
H.'tBlini;.  Pollr  F..  wife  of  S  HuUlluK.  b  Poinpey.  •  IHUO;  died 

April.  \*:i 
HouKht'.ii.  Voliirr  .\.  rea  Cardiff.  Carrlafce  and  Wacon  Manu- 

faclurrr:  b  Herkimer  Co.  •  KU.   I'oalofBce  Canliff. 
Hoyt.  (  baa  W.  re.  Ijt  Fatrtle.   Iletirnl  Farnier. 
Hurt.  William  ll.rr.i  ardiff.  Merchant .  b  (iene^ee Co,  •  1(117  ; 

roalolllrr  CcrdlfT. 

H'.yt.  Aii\diiir  H.  wifr  ..f  W  H  Hoyt:  b  Fablu*.  *  IfCU :  Po*t- 

offlcr  (  ardiff 
Hoyt.  Philander    Farnier:    b   La    Fayette.   •   \KX:    l*o*toffle« 

La  Fayeite. 
Hoyt.  LucrriiB.  wife  of  Thllander  Hoy t :  b  N iagara  Co.  *  1(C!0 ; 

Poatoffice  1^  Fa}elte. 
Joue..  William  .  b  Waien.  •  Ih.17;  died  l«7fi. 
Jouea.  .Mrii   F.lirjibeth.  widow   of  Williaai  Jooe*.  b  Tnmpkln* 

(  o.  .  I«i:  I'o.tofflcr  Cardiff. 
Jncktoii.  Caleb  II.  Farmer:  b  I  •.nii.  a  I*>I4 :  P  O  I.ji  Fayette. 
Jobntoii.  Murk    F.iriiirr.  b  La  Favrlte,  a  1K14;  P(l  CoIIIukwimmI. 
JubiKon.  Caroline  T.  wife  of  Niark  Jobiiton;  b   La  Fayette, 

IMIl:   I'oalofBce  t  oIlliiuw.Hid. 
KInif.  R  <;.  Farmer:  •  Klfl:  Po.tofflcr  Ij»  Faynie. 
Mcintyrr.  lir'.rvr  W.   rr.   Ijt   FaM'tle     .Mrrrhniit.   i'oataiatter 

and  .'.'lipfrri.or:  ■  IMii,  Po.toffirr  Iji  Faynie. 
Nonhwat.  M  li.  Farmrr  ;  '•  Pompey.  .  1^17;   I'd  Canliff. 
Newell.   Yinioihy.   rr«    IjiFavrtte.    Mrrrhanl.b  LaFayrtte.  * 

l».i;     r<.i^tMfi1cr  IjiFavrtte. 
Newell.    Ann  P.  wife  of  Tiini.tby  Newell:  b  IjiFayette  li«!5  ; 

I'oatofbcr  Liifnyeltr. 
I'alnier.    Avrrv    U.   ex-."*uprrvi»or :   b  OiiondaKa    Co.  *   133T; 

Poat.'fftcr  IjtFnTrttr. 
Park  R.ibrrt  S.  re>  Cardiff.    Mrrchaiii.  I'M  and  J  P;  b  UtFay- 

ritr.  a  Kki:  ro,t..ftlr.- Cardiff 
Park,  Mrs  H  (     rra  i  ardiff.  wifr  of  K  .s  I'ark ;   b  Con  land  Co. 

•  IVd;   Poatofdce  Canliff. 
Bvdrr.  v..  rra  Canliff.  i  .Miper  ;  b  Conn,  *  ItOl;  P  O  CkrdiS. 
Siinchrr.  Wni  H.  Poatofilcr  Tully  Valley.  N  Y. 
Shaw.  John 

Smith.  ;.orrii.  I..  Farmer.  !•  Vi.  h  IkV).   P  <  •  Jameavlll* 
Smith.  Harriet  li.  wife  of  l^ireii  LSnilih;   IjiFayette  \<A. 
Thonia..  Ilarri.on.  Farnirr.  b  L^fayrlte.  s  KU,  Poatofflce  La- 
Fay  et  I  r. 
Thnaiaa.  I'barles   M.  Farmer:  idled    AuK  iMCTi;  b  Lafayette.  • 

ix-'l. 
Thunia*   Helen   S.   widow  of  Cbarle*  S  Thonia*.  b  .Manila*,  a 

l-.ll;   P.i.toftlcr  l-afayettr. 
Van  HeWhlkrr.  Martin.  Farnirr.  I>  Sch-iharie  Co.  •  IMiH;  Po*l- 

..fllre  I  ar.hff 
Van    DrWhlker.    Naiicv.    wifr  of  Martin    Van    l>e  Walker:  b 

Tully.  .  IMHI;  I'oatofllcr  Cardiff. 

TiiWN  iiF  TCLLY. 

Abbott.  H  II.  Stock  Pralrr;  b  Conlaiid  Co;  ilird  l''7il. 
Abt...tt.  Mr.  Su.iiii.  wid.iw  of  H  II  Abbott;  I.Tullr.  1«4:  Poat- 

onur  Tull\. 
BIrnev.  Joarph.  Farnier:  b  Fablun.  •  Ii^.'i;  Pii  Tully 
HIriiry.  Janir.  li.  Farnirr:  b  Fal.iu*.  •  IM7  ;  P  1 1  TuIIt. 
Habc'ick.  .Mr.    Pollr.  widow  of    Hiram    Kabcock  :  b  .Mnnliui,  • 

iwrj;  !'...(. .fflir  Tul'y. 
Uaker,  Stilrm.  Farmer;  b  Vt  .  I>ec.    I.'i,    K"*!!,  •  I"!:.';  Pixtofllce 

Tully. 
Camp.    NeUon.  rr<  Tully.   Baptitt   MInUter;  b  Conn,*  IKM: 

I'oatofflrrTnllr. 
Chii.r.  Itua.ell  F.  Farmer:  b  Tullv.  IKIS;  1' n  TullT. 
CuniniinK*.  Wni.  Famn-r.  b  Cortland  Co.  •  I^Kl;  r  ii  Tully. 
Fjirle.  W'   L   re.  1ullr.    I'ndertaker  and   Furnilure   l>paler:b 

CorllaiidCo.  ;  Kl;  1'  1 1  Tullv 
i>aiiiel«.  Alfred  II.  Carpenlri  .  b  Tully.  «  lK-.Ti :  P  O  Vr.nrr. 
Fuller.  Frank.  Farmrr;   b  Svracnar.  »  IMI .   I'...t..nicr  1  ully. 
hullrr.  Mnriiii  li.  Farmer:  ii  Tully,  .  KfiC   p...t..Hlcr  TuIIt. 
Fariiham.  Snmiiel  M.  re*  Tully.  I'hyaiciaii;   b  ronipey,  •  |N|0: 

I'oatofflce  Tullv. 
French    Alpboimo.  rra  Vraper.  J    P  and  P  .M  :  b  (UUco.  *  IKEI. 

r...|..HIcr  Vr.|M'r. 
Frilowr.  Iliiiiirl.  Farnier.  b  Otiaco.  a  ImOU;  died  Nor.,  \MA. 
liardner,  I  ha.  A.  Farmer;  b  Tuliy,  IMx;  Foalofflce Tully. 
lianliirr.  t  iniiila.  widi.w  of  Wni  C  liardner;  b  I'onipry.  .  IHOH; 

Poatolllce  Tullr. 
liardner.  Wm  C.  Merchant  and  Faniier;   b  Reu**elarr  Co.  * 

IH-.M. 
Ilollrnbrrk.  I«aac.  Farnier:  b  Tullv.  a  ICI.'i.     Jtied  Ih74  i 
ILillenbrck.  I.vdia  M.  aidow  of  l.aac    H..lleiih.-ck  :  b  Tullr,* 

1-17.  I'll  Tullv. 
Mare..  Robert.  Farnief;  b  Albany  Co.  *  1K.T:  Po  Tully  Valley. 


HISTORY  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


429 


PO 
PO 
PO 


Hayes,  Thomas,  Farmer.    (Died  1S65.) 

Kellogg,  Clarissa,  widow  of  Cyrus    Kellogg;  b   Hamilton  Co, 

s  1835  ;  Postof Bee  Vesper. 
Kellogg,  Cyrus,  Farmer;  b  Albany  Co,  s  1827.    (I>!ed  18C4.) 
King,  Ueorge,  Farmer  and  Teacher;  b   Cortland    Co,  8  1817  ;  P 

O  Vesper. 
King,  E  V,  Farmer  and  Breeder  ol  Fine  Stocl<;  b  TuUy.   3 

18;iU;   Postoffice  Tally. 
King,  H  F,  res  Tully,  Merchant  and  Postmaster  ;    b  Conn,  s 

1820.     (Died  1856.) 
King,   Mary   E,  widow  of  H   F   King;  b   Conn,  s  1820;   P  O 

Tully. 
King,  H  K,  "res  Tully,  Insurance  and   Loan   Agent  ;  b  Tully,  a 

1829;   Postofflee  Tully. 
Lake,  Wilmot,  Retired;  b  Conn,  s  1807  ;  P  O  Tully. 
Lake,  Cynthia,  widow  of   A  VV  Lake;  b   Manlius,  s  179G; 

Tully. 
Miles,  Chas  VV,  Farmer  and  Dairyman;  b  Fabius,  s  1839; 

Fabius. 
Nichols,  A  N,  Lot  2G,  Farmer ;  b  Delaware  Co,   s  1838; 

Vesper. 
Ousby,  John,  Farmer  and  Dairymau;   b  England,  s  1840;  P  O 

Tully. 
Ousby,  J  F,  Parmer;  b  Tully,  s  1853 ;   P  O  Tully. 
Pearsall,  Isaac,  Parmer;  b  Dutchess  Co,  s  1829;  P  O  Vesper. 
Peters,  Richard  J,  Farmer,  Delaware  Co,  s  1829;  P  O  Tully. 
Stauton,  George,  Farmer;  b  Schoharie  Co,  sl849;  P  O  Tully 
Seely,  John,  s  1829. 
Smith,  Thomas,  Landscape   Painter;  b  Scotland,  s  18C6.     P  O 

Vesper. 
Smith,  Dolly,  (widow  of  A.  Smith,)  b  Mass,  s  1821;  P  O  Tully. 
Strail,  Richard,  Farmer;  b  Schoharie  Co,  s  1823;  P  U Tully. 
Sanchez.  W  H,  Farmer;  b  Florida,  s  1875;  P  O  Tully  Valley. 
Smith,  Armenius,  res  Tully,  Harness  Maker;  b  Mass,  s  1813;  P 

O  Tully. 
Seeley,  Gideou,  Farmer;  s  1818. 
Seeley,  Henry,  s  1787. 

VanBergen,  Henry,  Parmer;  died  185G;  b  Greene  Co,  s  1823. 
VanBergen,  A.  H.,  Farmer  and  Breeder  of  PineStock;  b.  Tul- 
ly, 1839;  P  O  Tully. 
VauCamp,  Wm..  Parmer;   b  Cortland  Co,  s  18,35;  P  O  Tully. 
Vau  Bergen,  Robert  L.,    Farmer;  b  Greene   Co,   s  1823;  Poet- 
office  Tully. 
Warner,  L.  L.  Parmer;  died  Nov.  3,   1867;  b   Onondaga  Co.,  s 

1844. 
Warner,  Almeda,    (widow  of  L.  L.  Warner,)  b  Onondaga  Co., 

8  1837 ;  P  O  Tully. 
Willis,  Samuel,  Supervisor;  b  Hamilton  Co.  s  1840;  PO  Tully. 
Willis,  L.  resTuUy.M.E.  Minister;  b  Hamilton  Co.  POTully. 
Willis,  Lewis,  Farmer;  Died  1873;  b  Hamilton  Co,  s  1842. 
Willis,  Ellen,  (widow  of  L.    Willis;)  b    Washington  Co,  s  1828; 

P  O  Tully. 
Wiuchell,  James,  Parmer;  died  1850;  b  Vt.  1801. 
Wiuchell,  E,  Parmer;  b  Greene  Co.  s  1812;  P  O  Tully  Va"  y. 
Woodmansee,  Harriet,  (widow    of  Jerry   M    Woodmansee,)  u 

Onondaga  Co,  s  1835;  P  O  Vesper. 
Woodmansee,  Jerry  M,  Farmer;  Died  August  4,  1874;  b  Onon- 
daga Co,  s  1828. 
Wooster,  Muray,  res  Tully;  b  Conn,  s  1833;  P  O  Tully. 

TOWN  OP  FABIUS. 

Radfish,  Benjamin,  res  Fabius,  Miller;  bMass,  a  1867;  Postoffice 
Fabius. 

Beamer,  Lewis,  res  Fabius,  Prop'r  Machine  Shopand  Foundry; 
b  Onondaga  Co,  s  1840;  Postoffice  Fabius. 

Barnes.  Oscar  A.  res  Fabius,  Carriage  Repositorv ;  b  Onondaga 
Co,  1843 ;  Postoffice  Fabius. 

Beman,  I  H,  res  Fabius,  Pastor  Free  Will  Baptist  Church  ;  b 
Steuben  Co,  s  1877;  Postoffice  Fabius. 

Benson,  Warren;  b  Pompey,  1817;  deceased. 

Benson,  Katherine,  wife  of  late  Warren  Benson ;  b  Fabius, 
1815;  Postoffice  Fabius. 

Chaffee,  Lyman,  res  Fabius,  Retired ;  b  Conn,  s  1856;  Postoffice 
Fabius. 

Chaffee,  C  S,  Prop'r  Saw  Mill,  &c ;  b  Oswego  Co,  s  18.56 ;  Post- 
office  Fabius. 

Cadwell,  Anson,  Parmer;  b  Cortland  Co,  1806,  s  1850 ;  Post- 
office  Fabius. 

Case,  Isaac,  Farmer;  b  Pompey,  s  1819;  P  O  Fabius. 

Dygert,  Asa  B,  Traveling  Agent;  b  Onondaga  Co,  1828;  PO 
Fabius. 

Ellis,  Mrs  A,  res  Fabius,  Millinery;  b  Onondaga  Co;  Postoffice 
Fabius. 

Ellis,  Ansel,  res  Fabius,  Carriage  Repository ;  b  Onondaga  Go, 
18:32;  Postoffice  Fabius. 

Elmore,  C,  Farmer;  b  Wyoming  Co,  1860;  P  O  Summit  Station. 

Fowler,  Hubbard  I,  Retired  Farmer,  b  Dutchess  Co,  s  1843; 
Postoffice  Fabius. 

Fosmer,  E  A,  res  Fabius,  Cabinet  Maker  and  Undertaker;  b 
Onondaga  Co,  1851 ;  Postoffice  Fabius. 

French,  D  W,  Farmer  and  School  Teacher;  b  Tully,  1847;  Post- 
office  Summit  Station. 

Gallinger,  George  H,  Parmer;  bCanada  1839,  s  185:3  P  O  Fabius. 

Green,  Wm,  res  Summit  Station,  Mfr  of  Cheese,  etc  ;  Post- 
ofii'-e  Summit  Station. 


Gay, 


G   F  &   Co,  res  Summit  Station,  Gen  1  Mdse  ;  b  Onon- 
daga, 8  1852;  Postoffice  Summit  Station. 
Gilbert,   Oscar  F,    Prop'r  Hotel;  b  Onondaga  Co,  1835  ;  Post- 
office  .Summit  Station. 
Howe,   C  L  P,  res  Fabius,  Pastor  First  Methodist  Church ; 

Postoffice  Fabius. 
Hotaling,  William,  res    Fabius,   General   Mdse;    b  ('olumbla 

Co,  s  18G0;  Postoffice  Fabius. 
Johnson,  Myron  C,  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co,  1841;  P  O  Fabius. 
Jerome  John,  Farmer  ;  b  Onondaga  Co,  1816;  P  O  Fabius. 
Miles,  Smith,   Farmer;    b  Onondaga  Co,  a  1808;   Postoffice 

Summit  Station. 
Osborn,  James,  Farmer  ;  b  Onondaga  ;  s  1845;  P  O  Fabius. 
Osboru,  Lyman,  P;irmer  ;  b  Mass,  s  1811 ;  Postoffice  Fabius. 
Pine,    Milford   L,  Physician  and  Surgeon;    b  Madison   Co,  s 

1877 ;  Postoffice  Fabius. 
Pope,  Oril,  Farmer;  Parmer,  b  Oswego,  s  1822;  P  O  Fabius. 
Porter,  Polly,  Farmer;  b  Chenango  Co,  s  1865;  P  O  Fabius. 
Persooe,   Miss   Mary  E,  res  Fabius,   School   Teacher,  District 

No.  9.-  b  Cortland  Co,  s  1835  ;  P  O  Fabius. 
Porter,  Mrs   Daniel,  Farming  ;  b  Pitcher,  Chenango   ( -o,  1828  s 

1805  ;  Postoffice  Keeney  Settlement. 
Rowley,  Newell,  Parmer  ;  b  Otsego  Co  1814,  s  1823  ;  Postoffice 

Fabius. 
Sprague,  D  S,   Parmer  and  Land  Surveyor;  b  Onondaga  Co. 

1823;  PO  Fabius. 
Sturdevant,  Andrew,  Manufr.  of  Chairs  and  Prop'r  Saw  Mill; 

b  Fabius,  1842.     P  O  Summit  Station, 
Sharp,  John  E,  Parmer;  b  Onondaga  Co.  1834;  P  O  Fabius. 
Snlffin,  John  H.   res.  Summit  Station,  Prop'r  Hotel;  bOnou- 

cagal83G;  P  O  Summit  Station. 
Smith,  Irving,  res.   Fabius,   Prop'r  Custom   Mill;  b   Mass.   8 

1835.     P  O  Fabius. 
Webster,  Isaac  N,   Farmer;  b  Cortland  Co.  1821,  3  1828;  P  O 

Summit  Station. 
Williams,  Horace  F,  Farmer;  b  Ht      '     —  r'n    1814,  s  1820;  P 

O  Fabius 
Webster,  Elmore  C,  Farmer;  b  Wy 

mit  Station. 

TOWN  OF  1 

Avery,  Egbert  I,  Farmer  ;  b  Oc^ 

Billings,  Homer  A,  Farmer;  b  Ou--ndaga  t_o,  1,^-.., 

Babcock.   Timothy  P,  Parmer  and   Hop  uiower;   i,  C-rtiauu 

Co,  sl8G2;  Fabius. 
Brown,   Charles   D,   Parmer;   b  Onondaga  Co  1845;  Postoffice 

Watervale. 
Berry,  Mathias,  Lots,  6.5-GG;  Postoffice  Pompey. 
Benson,  A  P,  Lot  69;  Postoffice  Delphi. 
Bowen,  L  B   Lot  33;  Postoffice  Oran. 
Birdseye,  A  F,  Lot  64 ;  Postoffice  Pompey  Hill. 
Craln,  C  S,  Lot  85;  Postoffice  Delphi. 

Clark,  Bronson,  Parmer;  b  Onondaga  Co,  s  1830;  P  O  Oran. 
Carpenter,  Major,  Farmer  and  (.'arpenter,  b  Oswego  Co,  s  1S2C; 

Postoffice  Delphi. 
.Candee.    Honry,    Farmer;   Onondaga   Co,   1823;  P  O   Pompey 

Center. - 
Corwln,  Phlneas  P,  Parmer;  b  Madison  Co,  s  1839;   ir  O  Oran. 
Coleman,  Timothy  S,  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co  1839;   Postoffice 

Janiesvllle. 
Dyei\  M  R,  Lot  G5;  Postoffice  Pompey. 

Ellis,  Stephen.  Farmer;   b  Onondaga  Co,  1819;  P  O  Pompey. 
Pitch,  Edgar  O,  Parmer;  b  Onondaga  Co,  1840;  PO  Watervale. 
Gardlnler,  John,  Carpenter;  b  Schoharie  Co,  s  18GG;  Postoffice 

Pompey. 
Gates,  J  P.  Lots  4  and  5;  Postoffice  Jamesville. 
Hall,  Stephen,  Postoffice  Pompey. 

Hayden,  Carmi,  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co;  P  O  Pompey. 
Hall,  Upson,  Parmer;  b  Onondaga  Co,  1822;  P  O  Pompey. 
Hoag,  Wm  M,  Parmer;  b  Onondaga  Co,  1848;  P  O  Watervale. 
Hill,  Chas  R,  Lot  33;  Postoffice  Delphi. 
Hill,  C  R  K,  Lot  100;  Postoffice  Delphi. 
Jerome,  S  W,  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co,  1827;  P  O  Pompey. 
Jerome,  Ira,  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co,  1845;  P  O  Fabius. 
Kelsey,  D  W,  Mechanic;  b  Chenango  Co,  s  1856;  P  O  Manlius. 
Kenyon,  J.  Lot  49;  Postoffice  Pompey  Hill. 
Lowrie,  Edward,  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co;  P  O  Manlius. 
Loomis,  Isaac  A  Jr,  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co,  1818;.l*o8toffii:- 

Manlius. 
Larrabee.  C  M,  Lot  100;  Postoffice  Delphi. 
Newman.    O.,   Parmer;  b  Onondaga  Co.  1800;  P   O  Pompey 

Center. 
Newman,  P.  L;  P  O  Address,  Delphi. 
O'Reilly,  M.,  Lot  65;  Postoffice  Pompey  Hill. 
Pelrle,  J.,   Pastor  Presbyterian  Church;    b  Herkimer  Co.   s 

1872;  P  O  Pompey. 
Ru33,  Henry  J.,  Carpenter;  b  Onondaga  Co.  1830;  Postoffice 

Watervale. 
Safford,  Silas  15  ,  Parmer;  b  Onondaga  Co.  1801;  PO  Oian. 
Shaltuck,  Milo,  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co.  1848;  P  O  Jamesville. 
Stearns,  Jehlel,  Physician  and  Surg,  b  Vt.  1810;  P  O  PDmpey. 
Sutherland.   Elijah   G.,   Parmer;  b   Onondaga  Co.   1820;  P  O 

Manlius. 
Swift,  A.  P.,  Lot  93;  P  O  Pompey  Hill. 

Tolmau,  Josiah  H.  Farmer;  b  Onondaga  Co.  1832;  P  O  Pompey. 
Vau  Brocklin,  Wm.  W.,  Lot  64;  P  O  Pompey. 


430 


HISTORY  01-  ONONDAGA  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Itet:.;  POl'ompey. 
.  I  'i>.  ItO*;  I'tiatoilloa 


Walk  Ilia.  WktaoD,  Kaniicr:  bOn 
WliiH?liick,  Luthar  J.,  Kuniier;  L 

Watrrvale. 
White,  John  W..  Kartuor  mnd  Meebanle;  b  Oiiuiidxtm  Co.  1KJ4; 

iMtOraii. 
Wyaiit,  Daniel   I'..    Kariiiir  and   C»rp«-uter;  b  Dnoiidaxa  lo. 

MIX,;   P  <)  Watcrrnlr. 
Woodf      '     t      ■  liio  1'..   Fartner;    b  UoondBca  Co;    I'oitofflM 

Woodf  i   h.,   Karraor;    b   Ououdacm   Co;    roitoffloe 

Wright.  Jcmiulah.  Lot  85;  I'  O  Delphi. 


MISCKU.ANKOUM. 

Brc«d.  I  •liver,  re«  Ph.      -    v   -  '    •  •  -     ■  Miller  (Atlaa  MIIU) 

b  Veriiioiit.  I'i  ix. 

niefeudurf.Jobu  II.  t.  ■      ,.  Kurt  I'lalu.  •  1H8&  ; 

i'  (I  I'hiiiilx. 
Baker,  Tninmn.  re*  t'bcsnix,  farmer  :    b  Lytauder.  •  ISiO  ;    F 

()  rb<i'uix. 
Roblofou,  Ixireiir-o  W,  re«  I'hueuix.  Attorney  and  Couucillnr- 

at-ljiw  ,  b  l)U«iro  Co.  IKIO.  II  imi  ;  I'  O  I'houuU. 
Revuold*.  Avery,  re*  I'hoenlx.  Mfr  <'a«kel«  and  Furniture;  b 

Cazeuovia,  IKTs  ■  ltu.'> :  1'  ()  I'boeulx. 


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