USA > New York > Cortland County > Virgil > Festal gathering of the early settlers! and present inhabitants of the town of Virgil, Cortland County, N.Y., 1853 > Part 1
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Gc 974.702 v8lb
Go 974.702 V81b 1151699
M. L.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02222 4148
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/festalgatheringo00bout_0
ERSA
FESTAL GATHERING
- OF THE -
EARLY SETTLERS !
- AND -
PRESENT INHABITANTS
OF THE TOWN OF VIRGIL, CORTLAND - 11 COUNTY, N. Y.,
HELD AT VIRGIL VILLAGE, ON THURSDAY, THE 25TH OF AUGUST, 1853,
Embracing a Historic Sketch of the Town, Supplemented with a brief Historical Account of Events from that time to 1878,
BY NATHAN BOUTON.
DRYDEN, NEW YORK : A. M. FORD, FINE BOOK AND JOB PRINTER. 1878.
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Southern Book Co. - 16.00
COMMITTEES.
1151699
Committee of Arrangements :
NATHAN BOUTON,
JOHN W. MORSE,
RUFUS EDWARDS, JOEL HANCOCK,
MARTIN LUCE, THOMAS MOTT,
ALONZO SNIDER, EDWIN P. SLAFTER,
HORACE BRONSON.
Committee of Invitation :
FREDERICK HYDE, R. O. REYNOLDS, NATHAN BOUTON.
Committee on Music :
E. P. SLAFTER, HARVEY M. SHEERAR.
Committee on Dinner :
HORACE BRONSON, S. M. ROE, ALONZO SNIDER.
Officers of the festival.
President : SYLVESTER M. ROE.
Vice-Presidents :
RUFUS EDWARDS, JOEL HANCOCK, JOHN W. MORSE.
HORACE BRONSON,
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Festal Bathering.
A T the suggestion of some of the former inhabitants of the Town of Virgil, who had simultaneously proposed visiting the place of their nativity, it was deemed appropriate to extend a general invitation to such as had formerly been residents of the Town, to unite with the present inhabitants, in such exercises as would be suitable to the occasion promising so much of interest and gratification. The invitations thus extended were responded to cor- dially, and at the time designated, a large number of people came together, including representatives from many of the oldest and most respected families of the Town, whose course in life has led them to remote parts of our land.
In accordance with the arrangements of the Committee, when the guests had arrived on the morning of the 25th of August, they were escorted to the Presbyterian Church, where they were respectively introduced to the people, by the President, Dea. S. M. Roe. R. O. Reynolds, Esq., in behalf of the people of the Town, then arose and welcomed the guests as follows :*
FRIENDS AND GUESTS :- We are assembled here, after a separation of some years, to renew acquaintance, to brighten the golden chain of friendship, by genial interchange of hearts, of giving and receiv- ing mutual pleasure. Many of you have been absent from us long and weary years. * Some of you, ere you left us, had left the valley of youth and had begun the rough and rugged road that winds up «the hill of active life. Then how much did the future seem to prom- ise. Alas how little has been accomplished! The experiences of
*It has been thought that, inasmuch as the scene cannot be reproduced, and that a book of moderate dimensions would be more likely to be read than a large one, it would be best to abridge some of the addresses contained in the previous publication and merely present some of the outlines.
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FESTAL GATHERING.
life are that disappointment is the common lot of all men. With this view of the case how soothing the thought that we may return to the scenes of childhood and mingle our sympathies with former friends of like experience. Of friendships broken, of faith betrayed, of wrong inflicted and hearts crushed in the miserable conflict for the honors and distinctions of this life, and even for avaracious, miserly gain, we never heard or deemed them but as a horrid and distorted romance of fiends instead of men.
He continued in this strain, expressing the utmost cordiality and courtesy, for nearly a half hour to the great satisfaction of those addressed, who were welcomed in the most hearty manner to the festivities of the day.
Dr. F. Hyde responded in a few remarks, and introduced to the audience M. Frank, Esq., who said:
He did not come expecting to make an address and was not pre- pared to do so. He had written to an individual in the county, when apprised of this meeting, that no public address must be ex- pected from him. He would, however, make a few remarks. When he came in sight of the place, the scenes of his early years came up before him, and he felt himself young again. But when he came and looked upon the people assembled, he was reminded of his mor- . tality-time had made its impress upon many a once familiar coun- tenance. He recognized a portion of the assemblage, but they were mostly of a new generation, who had risen up to take the place of their fathers. He had been absent from the county many years; had resided in the west fourteen years. He said he had become westernized; he was, in fact, a western man-his feelings, sympathies and interests were identified with the west. The west was, however, not that far off country it once was; the facilities of travel and com- munication had brought it to the very doors of the east. Manners, habits and tastes which once characterized the west from the east, now scarcely had any distinguished traits, but were fast assimulating to one great uniformity. But power was tending westward-soon the destinies of the nation would be controlled by the population west of the Alleghany mountains. All good men in the west felt that the future welfare of the republic depended not upon political platforms, or the measures of political men. The moral and intel- lectual elevation of the people, especially of the rising generation,
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FESTAL GATHERING.
was regarded as the only safe and sure guarantee to the perpetuation of our free institutions.
This meeting, he said, would be cherished in memory, as one of the most important events of his life. The recollections of the past and the scenes of the present awaken sensations and inspire emotions that can never be effaced from the mind. The past and the present, they pass in review before us, with a strange and yet indescribable interest. Voices once familiar here are now hushed in that myste- rious silence to which all the living haste; friends we once loved to greet have passed from our sight forever. Those who seemingly but yesterday were young, appear to have been strangely hurried along the pathway of age. The responsibilities of manhood and active life, have, in part, passed to another generation. The destiny of the future of this Town is committed to the men now here upon the stage of action-that future will be elevated and glorious, in proportion as the moral and educational interests of the people arc cared and provided for.
In behalf of the visitors from abroad, Mr. F. said he could not command language adequate to express a sense of obligation for the generous welcome and hospitality which had been extended. The · expressions of kindness and friendship were overpowering, and he dare not trust himself with what the impulse of feeling might lead him to say. He concluded by thanking the assembly for its indul- gence for the manifestations of kind regard.
At the conclusion of Mr. Frank's remarks the choir sang the following ode:
HOME AGAIN.
WORDS BY MARSHALL S. PIKE.
Home again --- home again- From a foreign shore,
And, oh, it fills my soul with joy, To meet my friends once more.
Here I dropped the parting tear, To cross the ocean's foam,
But now I'm once again with those Who kindly greet me home; Home again-home again-
From a foreign shore, And, oh, it fills my soul with joy, To meet my friends once more.
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FESTAL GATHERING.
Happy hearts-happy hearts, With mine have laughed in glee; But, oh! the friends I loved in youth, Seem happier to me ; And if my guide should be the fate, Which bids me longer roam, But death alone can break the tie That binds my heart to home. Home again, &c.
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Music sweet-music soft- Lingers round the place, And, oh! I feel the childhood charm, That time cannot efface. Then give me but my homestead roof, I'll ask no palace dome; For I can live a happy life, With these I love at home. Home again, &c. .
Rev. Mr. Ercanbrack then offered a fervent and appropriate prayer, when the choir sang the following:
LAND OF OUR FATHERS.
Land of our fathers, wheresoever we roam, Land of our birth, to us thou still art home; Peace and prosperity on thy sons attend, Down to posterity, their influence descend. All then inviting hearts and voices joining, Sing we in harmony, our native land, Our native land-our native land-our native land.
Though our climes may brighter hopes fulfill, Land of our birth, we ever love thee still. Heaven shield our happy homes, from each hostile band; Freedom and plenty, ever crown our native land. All then, &c.
The president then introduced to the audience, Dea. Nathan Bouton, who gave the following incidents of the ‘
Curly History of the Torn of Virgil.
FELLOW CITIZENS :- The duty assigned me by the committee, on this occasion, is one involving much labor and responsibility. The
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FESTAL GATHERING.
collection of the facts and statistics to be embraced in the brief out- · line of the history of this Town, which I propose to give, has been attended, not only with considerable labor, but much obscurity has rested on some important points, owing to the fact that most of the carly settlers have gone "the way of all the earth." By diligent inquiry, however, I have been able to arrive at a good degree of certainty, respecting all the particulars set forth in these remarks, and the hearer may rely upon them as substantially true. I have availed myself of the various sources of information within my reach, and am especially indebted for the introduction to " HOTCH- KISS' HISTORY OF WESTERN NEW YORK." I am to deal with primi- tive times, and if the language used should not be as elegant or * modern as that of some of the speakers on this occasion, I hope the effort may be acceptable.
Previous to 1789, the county of Montgomery embraced all the western part of the State. In that year the county of Ontario was set off, comprehending that part of the State west of what was called the " preemption line. " In 1791, the counties of Herkimer and Tioga were set off from Montgomery. The county of Onondaga, includ- ing the whole Military Tract, was set off from Herkimer in 1794. From Onondaga, Cayuga was detached in 1799, and Cortland in 1808. The Military Tract was so called, from the fact that it was set apart for the payment of military bounties to the soldiers of the State who had served in the army for a certain period during the war of the Revolution. This tract embraces the present counties of Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Cortland, the greater part of Tompkins, with small parts of Oswego and Wayne.
The Indian title being at length extinguished, an act was passed by the Legislature of the State, February 28, 1789, for surveying the land and appropriating it to the use of the soldiers. The Tract was surveyed into twenty-eight townships, each containing one hun- dred lots of a square mile each. Every soldier and non-commis- sioned officer of the State troops had one lot assigned him. The officers received larger portions in proportion to rank. Many of the soldiers, by reason of the long period which elapsed previous to the issuing of the patents and the many uncertainties connected with the subject, had sold their rights for a mere pittance, some, it is said, as low as eight dollars, so that they derived very little benefit from
.
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FESTAL GATHERING.
the arrangement, and the way opened for much speculation and ul- timately much litigation to settle titles. Many, however, lived to settle upon their lots, and thus secured to themselves a: competence in old age, with an inheritance to descend after them to their children. The patents were issued in 1790, and preparations were soon made by those interested, to effect settlements on their lands.
The Township of Virgil is in the county of Cortland, and is one of the southern towns on the Military Tract. The whole of this Town does not belong to the Military Tract, as the tract. called the " Massachusetts Ten Townships," comprehends about one and one- half mile in width across the south side, leaving, however, the Town nearly ten miles square. It is situated on the height of land be- tween the St. Lawrence and Susquehanna rivers. The waters part here in less than a mile from where we are now assembled, and mingle with those of the broad Atlantic through the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Chesapeake Bay. The surface is variegated with hills and valleys, watered by numerous springs and smaller streams of water. The timber is rather heavy, consisting of maple, beech, elm, basswood, pine, hemlock and cherry. Some of the hills have con- siderable chestnut and oak, and interspersed through the whole is some white ash and birch. The soil is rather uniform-a medium between the best and poorest-and better adapted to grazing than tillage. The water is good, and most parts are remarkably well sup- plied for common purposes; but there are no large permanent streams adapted to the propelling of mills and machinery. The Tioughnioga runs through the northeast part of the Town, remote from the principal part of the population, and is not adapted to the objects to which allusion has been made. To facilitate the settle- ment of this section of the country, a road was projected, connecting Oxford with the Cayuga Lake, to pass through this Town. Joseph Chaplin, the first inhabitant, was entrusted with this work. The instrument by which he was authorized to engage in it was authen- ticated on the 5th of May, 1792. He spent that season in exploring and surveying the route, the length of which is about sixty miles. He came to lot No. 50, which he owned, and afterwards settled, erected a house and prosecuted his work, having a woman to keep the house and cook for workmen. The work of cutting and clearing the road was done in 1793-4; so that he moved his family from
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FESTAL GATHERING.
Oxford over it in the winter 1794-5, employing six or seven sleighs freighted with family, furniture, provisions, &c.
In 1794, John M. Frank, who had a patent for lot No. 43, came to ascertain its location and condition. He came along lines of lots by marked trees, taking the present south line of the Town, upon which his lot was bounded, made his discoveries and returned. The next year he came, made a beginning in the forest, erected a house, re- turned to his family and made preparations to move on. He came from Montgomery to Cooperstown, then down the Susquehanna to Chenango Point, thence up the Chenango and Tioughnioga rivers to Chaplin's, thence on the State road to a point near where the village now is, thence southerly, passing near where Murdock's Tannery stands, and so on over the hill to near where Mr. Hotchkiss now lives, and then to the building he had erected. They arrived in November, 1795, after a journey of six weeks. And from that time till spring saw none but their own family. The man whom he had employed to move them in brought the family, and Mr. Frank came out on foot and drove seven head of cattle and six sheep. The sheep went away a little from the house a few days after their arrival, got out of sight and were never heard of after, and it was supposed that the wolves took them. The cattle were wintered on browse, and all lived except one yearling. Samuel Marvin, who moved the family, agreed further, that he would clear two acres and furnish the family with provisions for one year for three hundred acres off the east side of the lot, which agreements were mutually fulfilled. It is well to understand, that, though the patents were for the whole square mile, yet the State reserved to itself the right to retain one hundred acres in the southeast corner of each lot, and give an equal amount in Ohio, unless the person to receive the patent should give notice of his wish to have his land together, also charged the patentee eight dollars for surveying, and, in default of payment, reserved fifty acres in one corner, called the "Survey of fifty acres." Mr. Frank gave notice and saved the one hundred acres, but could not raise the eight dollars to save the fifty, though he offered a cow for the 'money, and also proposed to mortgage the whole lot in security; consequently the fifty acres were alienated, constituting part of the farm now owned by D. L. Bronson.
The next inhabitant was John Gee, also a soldier of the Revolution.
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He drew lot No. 21, bounded west by the town of Dryden, on which some of his descendants now live. He came in 1795, and two others with him, bringing their provisions with them on foot from Chenango Point, guided by marked trees. They cut down the trees on a little spot, and built such a house as three men could, with only an axe, without a board, a nail or a pane of glass, and returned. He moved his family the next year from Wyoming, arriving on the 17th of June. The family consisted of his father and mother, his wife and six children, to live in a building about sixteen feet by twelve. And it may perhaps as well be said here as anywhere, that all the struct- ures for inhabitants were made rude. Generally they were small, built up of logs, with a floor of plank split from basswood logs, door of the same, hung with wooden hinges, and the roof of bark peeled from elm or basswood, without chimney or glass window. This was the case with nearly all constructed previous to 1801, when the first Saw Mill was built. And I may also proceed to say in this place, that the farming utensils, household furniture, and all such necessa- ries and conveniences of life, were rude and clumsy. The bedsteads were not French, but American, consisting of four posts of round timber, with holes bored to receive the end and side rails, and bark drawn across instead of cords. The young children, of which the number was considerable in proportion to the population, were soothed to rest in sap-troughs and hollow logs for cradles. It was the lot of your speaker to enjoy the latter, vibrating on the plank floor before described. Trenchers or wooden plates were, in many instances used instead of earthen, &c. Other points of correspondence might be traced, but we will leave that to the imagination of our hearers. With Mr. Gee the neighbors were: J. Chaplin, at the river, about twelve miles by the road, J. M. Frank, four miles without road, and Ebenezer Brown, twelve miles west in Milton, now Lansing. The nearest grist mill was at Chenango Point, now Binghamton, and no store even there. His flour was brought up in a canoe to Chaplin's, and generally from there on foot. In 1798, Ludlow's mill was built at Ludlowville, which was a convenience to him and the very few others who had then settled in Town. It would not, however, "quit cost," or as we have it, " would not pay" to carry corn that distance to be ground, so they would burn a hollow place in the top of a stump . and pound it in that with a pestle hung to a spring sweep.
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In the Spring of 1797, John E. Roe came on from Ulster county, and made a beginning on his lot, the same occupied till recently by himself and family, boarding with Mr. Frank. He cleared a spot, put up the body of a log house, split plank and laid a floor, peeled bark for a roof and agreed with a man in Homer to put it on. He also cut and cured some of the wild grass growing in the swamp, for hay, and returned. Preparations were then made for moving on, which was done in the winter following. He and his wife came in a sleigh with a young cow following them. When they came to the river opposite Mr. Chaplin's they found the water high and the ca- noe that had been used in crossing, carried away. Mr. Chaplin's hog trough was procured and Mrs. Roe was safely carried over in it. She then stood upon the bank to await the crossing of what remained. The horses being urged in, swam across with the sleigh, the cow fol- lowed, and came near being carried away by the current, but after a hard struggle made the shore in safety. They put up for the night, the horses being fastened to the sleigh, as no accommodations could be procured; and they ate out the bottoms of the chairs, to allay the keen demands of appetite. The snow was two feet, with no track, and the whole day was consumed in coming from the river to their new home. When they arrived they were surprised to find their house without covering, consequently the snow as deep in it as out of it. Persons of less perseverance would have been disheart- ened. But no time was to be lost. The snow was cleared away from a portion of the floor, a fire built against the logs, some blankets drawn across the beams for a covering, the horses tied in one corner with some of the coarse hay before them, and thus their first and several successive nights were passed.
Thus in February, 1798, we find four families in the Town, sep- arated by long distances from each other, almost without roads, suf- fering in many respects for the necessaries of life, exposed in their property and persons to the ravages of wild beasts, and far from sympathizing friends. But the dark, howling wilderness must be changed to fruitful fields, and these were the pioneers to lead on in this great work. Wild beasts were very numerous, especially deer. Mr. Roe has sat in his house and seen twenty-five pass in a drove, . and Jonathan Gec has seen from six to eight browsing with the cat- tle at once. There were also many wolves and bears, and Mr. Roc
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FESTAL GATHERING.
and Capt. Knapp caught and killed fifteen wolves in one year; and during the time when they were prevalent, Mr. Roe lost by them fifteen head of cattle and a large number of sheep. Their ravages were general, and subjected the inhabitants to the necessity of fold- ing their sheep every night for about fifteen years. For a series of years the settlers suffered great hardships and privations, but they gradually diminished, so that in 1809 or '10 most of the necessaries of life were accessible to the mass of the people. Though I shall notice the progress of the settlements, I shall not be so minute in reference to particular families. To this number there was added in 1798, James Wright where Thomas Stanbro now lives, James Knapp where M. B. Mynard lives, James Glenny and John Glenny, near the residences of H. P. Jones and Thomas Hammond, Joseph Bailey where William Givens lives, and Wait Ball where J. C. Hutchings lives. In February, 1799, Enos Bouton settled where he remained while he lived; Dana Miles and others not now known, came in, so that in the year twenty-three men were taxed with highway labor. In 1800, we find James Sherwood, who settled on the ridge east from A. J. Brown's residence, James Wright, who settled near where . Mrs. Byram lives, John Calvert, near where N. Chamberlain owns, Seth Larabee, near where Abram Oak lives, John Ellis where L. V. Terpenning lives, Moses Rice where Cephas Gleason lives, Abial Brown where Abijah Haight lives, Moses Stevens where Barnabas Tyler lives, Jason Crawford, on the river, and Primus Gaunt (colored) in that part now embraced in Lapeer. In 1801, Daniel Edwards settled where William Glenny lives, Nathaniel Bouton on the farm occupied by him during his life, and now by his son, Prince Freeman where Samuel N. Rounds lives, and James Clark and son where Joseph Colwell lives. In 1802, Jonathan Edwards settled where he lived the most of the rest of his life, Samuel Carson, near where Joseph Bouton lives, Alexander Hunter took the place of Joseph Bailey, George Wigant in a house near where J. Hancock's garden is, Abner and Ezra Bruce near the residence of L. V. Terpenning, and William Lincoln, a single man, came and has remained ever since, and is with us to-day. . Peter Gray settled the same year on lot No. 70, (now Lapeer) and Robert K. Wheeler and Thomas Kingsbury in 1802 or '3; both in the same part. In 1803, Moses Olmstead settled where Josephus Gee lives, and Peter Powers and
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FESTAL GATHERING.
John I. Gee settled also, in the west part, and Andrew Van Buskirk in the east part of the Town, and Dorastus Dewolf in the south part, (now Harford) on the hill west from the present village of that name. Seth Jennings and Timothy Robertson also settled in the part now Lapeer, in 1803 or '4. In 1804, Silas Lincoln settled where Salmon Curtis lives, and Alexander McNitt on lot No. 3, taking the place of James Wright, Obadiah Glazier near where Newman Barton lives; Lemuel Barnes, Peter Tanner and Thomas Nichols also settled the same year in the part now Harford, and Jeremiah Shevalier in the east part, near where his son John now lives.
In 1805, Simeon Luce settled on the hill that bears his name; Isaac Barton on land owned by Isaac B. Raymond; Jotham Glazier where Frederick Benton resides; Zophar Moore in this village; Oli- ver Ball at the present residence of M. B. Mynard; Isaac Elwell near where John Bouton lives. And at some time previous, of which we have not the date, Comfort Bruce, Shubel S. Marsh and James Roe came and took up their residence here. In 1806, John Hill settled where he lived afterwards, and where his family now live; John Green in the part now Harford; Zachariah Squires on lot No .. 70, and Robert Smith bought the farm of Peter Gray, and lived there in that year; John Snider settled on the hill that bears his name, June 10th, 1807. Time will not, however, admit of our pur- suing this course further. Inhabitants continued to come in from different parts, till, at the present time, there is very little non-resi- dent land in the town. The early inhabitants did not settle on prairie, where they could raise their provisions the first year, but the heavy forest must be cleared away, which was a work of time, before the laborer could be fed from the soil he cultivated ; and must wait a year or two more before he had grass for his cows, and they must run in the woods, and much time be spent in finding and bringing them home. And frequently they could not be found, especially if the search were commenced late, when they would have lain down and the tinkling of the bell could no more be heard. The milk was also of inferior quality, owing to the leeks and other weeds upon which they fed. Money was very scarce through the country, and particularly in the new parts where was little to be sold and much to be bought. It would be impossible to express to the understand-
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