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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01125 9188
GC 974.701 M26HA
Digitized by the Internet Archive , in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historyofmadison00hamm
HISTORY
OF
MADISON COUNTY,
STATE OF NEW YORK.
BY MRS. L. M. HAMMOND, WIT- ยท
SYRACUSE : N. Y. TRUAIR, SMITH & CO., BOOK AND JOB PRINTERS.
1872.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, by MRS. L. M. HAMMOND, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
1127786
TO THE
MEMORY OF THE PIONEERS,
TO THE
REMNANT OF THOSE SURVIVING,-
Those courageous men and women who suffered the privations, endured the hardships and toil, that we might enjoy the fruit thereof.
TO THOSE
Who have reared our beautiful villages ; dotted the valleys with a multitude of hamlets ; covered the hills with peaceful homes ; who have planted Schools and Churches, established manufactures, pro- moted agriculture ; who have bound our country to the commercial world with many iron bands, and have drawn hither the electric channels of the world's utterances,
With filial and fraternal affection,
THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.
PREFACE.
No apology need be offered for such a work as this. It is time that the recollections of the pioneers were gathered together, before the last of them shall have passed away ; before the eyes that have seen the wonderful changes wrought in the domain of our own county, shall be forever closed, and the lips, which alone can describe them as they were, are forever silent. One by one the landmarks are falling, and the records of memory are fast fading away. Little enough can be gleaned at the present time. A few years hence nothing further than has been written of the earliest days, can be obtained, except by uncertain tradition.
In 1863 the writer began her work, by visiting and conversing with aged people, taking notes from their memories, of the long ago past. The sketches so obtained were properly labeled and laid in their appropriate places, each town by itself, for future use. They were gathered, not so much with a view to publica- tion, as to preserve them, knowing they would, in time, be useful to some one. The material accumulated year by year, but slowly, as only time not devoted to household duties, was used in the pursuit.
In 1867, a brother of the writer, J. M. Chase, joined her in the work, and the two for a season were engaged in connection, collecting historical matter. But, as it interfered with his other labors, required time which he had not to spare, careful thought, and much comparison and sifting, which one whose thoughts were busy with the cares of this work-day world, could not employ, he relinquished the object, and the author went on alone, devoting her energies almost entirely to the work the last years.
6
PREFACE.
From 1867 to 1871 a series of sketches from this history were published in the Oneida Dispatch, the object of which was to awaken public sentiment, elicit information, and thus add to the increasing fund of material. It had the desired effect, and by the means, a more complete, and by far more correct history is obtained, as the imperfections of the sketches were thus eradi- cated.
In the aim to furnish a history of this region, reaching back to the remotest period, thousands of pages have been intently perused and digested. No work has been oftener consulted and more largely drawn from, than the " Documentary History of New York State." Valentine's "History of New York City," Campbell's "Annals of Tryon," and "Schoolcraft's Notes on the Iroquois," have contributed most useful material for the following pages. In a great measure the different State Gazet- teers have served most excellent purpose. Smith's "History of New York," the New York State Census of several dates, the Civil List, the Red Book of various dates, several reports of the New York State Agricultural Society, the " New Encyclopedia," have been daily references. Barber's "Historical Collections," the " Life of De Witt Clinton," the Memoirs of Dr. Nathaniel Kendrick," the "Life of Mrs. Judson," and others have been consulted, and in some instances drawn from for biographical sketches.
Local historians have materially aided the progress of the work. Jones's "Annals of Oneida County," Clark's "Onondaga," Turner's " History of the Holland Purchase," Hatch's "History of the Town of Sherburne,"-have afforded useful helps, and the author asks forbearance for having so freely used in extract.
In all sections of the county, old families have been visited, family records perused, and time-yellowed documents examined. Statements have been taken from the lips of many aged men and women who lived through the days when toil and privation was the heritage of all, several of whom are now resting from their labors, and from them no farther record can be gained.
To E. Norton, Esq., publisher of the Madison Observer, E. H. Purdy and D. A. Jackson, publishers of the Oneida Dispatch, J. B. Guilford, former editor of that paper ; and to E. D. Van Slyck, of the Hamilton Republican, especial obligations are due ; to the
7
PREFACE.
Cazenovia Republican, the Democratic Volunteer, the Oneida Un- ion, the DeRuyter New Era, and to the entire Newspaper Press of Madison County the author is indebted.
For valued assistance and the use of interesting manuscripts, she is under deep obligations to Gen. J. D. Ledyard and L. W. Led- yard, of Cazenovia ; A. V. Bentley, Esq., of De Ruyter ; Judge Barlow, of Canastota ; Hon. Wm. K. Fuller, of Schenectady ; Rev. Wm. M. Pratt, of Louisville, Ky .; W. O. Spencer, Esq., of Lakeport ; Hon. John J. Foot, of Hamilton ; and would here express her sincere thanks for the helping hand they gave.
Also to Col. E. D. Jencks, of De Ruyter ; I. N. Smith, Esq., of De Ruyter ; J. W. Northrup, Esq., of Georgetown ; Rev. W. B. Downer, of Cazenovia ; A. A. Raymond, Peterboro; Rev. John Smitzer, of Oneida ; Rev. J. H. Enders, of Chittenango ; Mrs. Brinckerhoof, Chittenango ; Samuel French, Esq., Chitte- nango ; H. H. Hall, Esq., of Lenox ; Niles Higinbotham, of Oneida ; Jas. B. Jenkins, Attorney and Counselor at Law, of Oneida ; Mr. S. Watrous, of East Avon ; A. M. Holmes, M. D., Morrisville ; Lyman Armour, Siloam ; James Cooledge, Madison ; Calvin Morse, Esq., Eaton ; Ezra Leland, Eaton ; Charles De Ferriere, Wampsville ; Wait Clark and Luke Hoxie, Esqrs., of Brookfield, and L. H. Warren, Esq., of Oneida Co., for valuable material and useful and timely help, and to our County Clerk, A. D. Kennedy, Esq., for generous assistance in searching records at the Clerk's office.
In addition to these, there are a host of men and women throughout the county, who have . in every way aided the researches of the author, by furnishing answers to inquiries, by looking up long forgotten documents, by assisting in searching records of churches and other societies, and to all she would tender the most grateful acknowledgments for those generous efforts in behalf of the work.
It has been a labor of great care. To make the work as correct and reliable as possible, no pains have been spared in examining and sifting every item of information, reconciling statements, and leaving out all that was wanting corroboration. Each town has been separately reviewed by different individuals, men whose knowledge and acquaintance with the growth and changes of their own localities, and whose judgment in the
8
PREFACE.
premises gives general confidence in their statements as to its correctness. And yet, notwithstanding all this care, many errors have undoubtedly crept in, unobserved, to be eradicated by the future historian.
This has also been a labor of love, since it has been impossi- ble for the author to listen to the narratives that fell from aged lips, recitals of their own youthful days, of the trials and hard- ships, of the joys and pleasures peculiar to the days that are no more, without entering into the spirit of the scenes described, and without feeling a tender veneration, a peculiar filial regard for those honored relics of the past.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
INDIANS.
Discovery of the Indians of New York. Personal characteristics. Dress and habits of living. Religious customs. Statements of early travelers. Origin of the Iroquois Nation. Formation of the Confederacy. Forms of government. Hieroglyphics and symbols. Sketch of their history. History of the Oneidas.
CHAPTER II.
MADISON COUNTY.
Territorial changes. County of Tryon, Montgomery and Herki- mer. Formation of towns. Formation of Chenango County and of Madison. Geology. Roads. Canals. Railroads. County Societies and Associations. County proceedings to 1810. County Courts. Civil List. Capital trials and convic- tions.
CHAPTER III.
BROOKFIELD.
Formation and geography of the town. History of the Clinton Purchase of Chenango Twenty Towns. Incidents. The Carr farm of Edmeston. Operations of Joseph Brant in the days of the Revolution. Stephen Hoxie and Daniel Brown the pio- neers. Incidents. Company of settlers in 1792. First mills.
IO
CONTENTS.
Purchase of Michael Myers, Jedediah Sanger and John I. Morgan. Anecdote of encounter with a bear. Button's mill creek. The falls. Romantic scenery. Old family burial grounds. First improvements. Early hamlets in the hill dis- trict. Home farm of John I. Morgan. Babcock's mills. Una- dilla Forks. Early religious societies. Quakers, Seventh Day Baptists, First Day Baptists, Methodists. Humorous anec- dote. Hunter's anecdote. Obituaries and sketches of pio- neers. Leonardsville ; its enterprises. Clarkville. North Brookfield.
CHAPTER IV.
CAZENOVIA.
Formation of the town. Boundaries. Geographical features. Treaties of 1788. The Road Township Purchase of the Indians. Indian occupation of this land. The Holland Com- pany. John Lincklaen's explorations. Discovery of lake Owahgena. The Holland Purchase. The pioneer's journey. Names of pioneers. Rapid settlement. Division of Road Township into four towns. Laying out and naming of the village of Cazenovia. Adventures with bears. Early settlers. First town officers. Division of the town in 1798. Cazenovia village in 1803. Prominent men. Cherry Valley Turnpike. Incorporation of Cazenovia Village. Enterprise and progress. Manufactories and business firms. Newspapers. C. N. Y. Seminary. Churches. Biographical sketch of Col. John Linck- laen. Notices of prominent men. New Woodstock. Lucy Dutton.
CHAPTER V.
DE RUYTER.
Boundaries. Lincklaen's purchase. Original division of towns and their names, with naming of De Ruyter. Party of pioneers. Opening of Roads. Historical incident. Joseph Messenger. Squire Samuel Thompson. Names of pioneers. First death. First birth. First school. De Ruyter village in 1805. First improvements at Shedd's corners and early settlers in that vicinity. Quaker Basin. De Ruyter in 1809. Cold season of 1816. Affecting incident. Inconveniences and privations. Customary amusements. Incidents. Schools and their teach-
II
CONTENTS.
ers. Distinguished sons of De Ruyter. The village in 1832. S. D. B. Institute. Churches. Newspapers. Biographical Sketches. Brief notices.
CHAPTER VI.
EATON.
Boundaries. Face of the country. Lakes and streams. Town- ship No. 2. Incidents in the first settlement. Sketches of pioneer families. Indians. Mills, roads and other improve- ments. Log City, now Eaton. First houses, tavern, manufac- tures. Incidents. Masonic Lodge. Morrisville. That vil- lage before 1817. Location of the County Seat. Newspa- pers. Churches. Bennett Bicknell. Sketches of other prom- inent men. Leeville, now West Eaton. This village before 1840. Manufactures. Churches. Enterprise and rapid pro- gress. Alderbrook. Fanny Forester. Pierceville. Pratt's Hollow.
CHAPTER VII.
FENNER.
Boundaries. Geography. Perryville Falls. Productions. An- cient route of armies. New Petersburgh Tract. Mile Strip. Early settlement. Names of settlers. Experience of pioneers. Indians. First improvements. Early schools and meetings. Incidents of first town meeting of Smithfield. Town officers. Organization and naming of town of Fenner. Curious names of localities. Fenner Corners. Baptist Church of Fenner. Perryville, its rise and progress. Oren S. Avery. Churches of Perryville. Chittenango Falls village. Notices of early settlers. Influential men. Prominent families.
CHAPTER VIII.
GEORGETOWN.
Boundaries. Geography. Township No. 6. Face of the coun- try. First settler. Sketch of the homes of other pioneers. Louis Anathe Muller. Muller Hill and its village and enter- prises. Strange oblivion over the family of Muller. History
I2
CONTENTS.
of the estate to the present time. Georgetown village and its enterprises. Early church in the north part. Churches of the village. Prominent men of Georgetown. First officers. Dr. Whitmore.
CHAPTER IX.
HAMILTON.
Boundaries. Geography. 4th Township. Indians. Curious Relics. Mary Antone. Pioneer Settlers and their Experi- ence. Payne's Settlement. Early Courts. Customs of the times. Hamilton Centre. 'Poolville. East Hamilton. Hub- bardsville. Hamilton Village at different periods. Hamilton Academy ; Female Seminary ; Union School. Mercantile and Mechanical Industries of the Village ; Hamilton Bank ; Hamilton Lodge F. & A. M. Newspapers. Churches. Bi- ographical Sketches of Samuel and Elisha Payne. Gen. King and others. Madison University. Rev. Daniel Hascall. Dr. Kendrick. Earlville.
CHAPTER X.
LENOX.
Boundaries. Climate. Geography. Ancient occupation of the town by Indians. Jesuit missions of the 17th century. Eng- lish travelers. Vaudreuil's expedition against Oneida Castle. Ancient forts. Sir William Johnson's reports. Rev. Samuel Kirkland at Oneida Castle. Traversing armies. Travelers' statements. First white settlers. The Klocks. Myndert Wemple. Angel De Ferriere. Wampsville. Quality Hill. Biographical. Palmer Hill. Churches at Clockville. Oneida Castle and Skenandoah's home. Lenox Furnace. Canastota Village, with biographical sketches. Oneida Village. Oneida Community. Biographical sketch of Angel De Ferriere.
CHAPTER XI.
LEBANON.
Boundaries. Geography. Township No. 5. Pioneer settlement.
13
CONTENTS.
William S. and Justus B. Smith. Naming of Lebanon. Improvements. Proposed Village at Smith's Valley. Kib- bie tavern. The Felts and others at Earlville. Death of Daniel Wheeler in 1806. Primitive roads. Wolf hunt. Land Clearing. Schools, teachers. Lebanon Center. Lebanon village. Prominent citizens. Churches.
CHAPTER XII.
MADISON.
Boundaries. Notices of topography. Evidences of Indian occupation. Sir William Pultney's purchase. Agents. Sale of lands to companies and settlers. Names of pioneers and their places of location. Incidents of primitive journeyings and pioneer life. First improvements. First taverns, mills, &c. "Indian Opening." First "4th of July " celebration. Cherry Valley Turnpike. Madison village. Bouckville. Solsville. Chenango Canal. Noted events of early days. Churches. Prominent men.
CHAPTER XIII.
NELSON.
Boundaries. Geography. Township No. I. Large company of pioneers in 1793. Settlement of North East Quarter. Inci- dents. Richardsons and other pioneers of the south part. First tavern, store, saw mill and grist-mill. Incidents. Early churches. Customs of the day. Deaths by accident. En- counter with a bear. Nelson Flats. Erieville. Prominent citizens and families.
CHAPTER XIV.
SULLIVAN.
Boundaries. Geography. Ancient home of the Oneidas. Home assigned the Tuscaroras. The great Trail. Traversing armies. Vrooman's adventure and its disastrous results. The nine pioneer families of Sullivan. Destruction of their homes. Relics of the Vrooman expedition. Louis Dennie. First road through. State Road and Seneca Turnpike. Various land
14
CONTENTS.
tracts. Early settlers. Sketches of their pioneer experience. Discovery of Gypsum beds. Canaseraga village ; its progress. Chittenango ; its early enterprises. Discovery of water lime. Building,up of manufactories. The Polytechny. First "4th of July " celebration in Chittenango. Prominent men. Early Railroad projects. Chittenango Springs. Bridgeport. Inci- dents. Northern Sullivan. Churches. Biographical sketch of Hon. John B. Yates. Obituaries.
CHAPTER XV.
SMITHFIELD.
Boundaries. Geography and Geology. New Petersburgh Tract. Adventures with Indians. Original town of Smithfield. Pio- neer families and early settlers. First enterprises. Peterboro in 1806. Execution of Mary Antone. Panther incident. Siloam. Churches. Peterboro Academy. Orphan Asylum. Biographical sketches ; Judge Peter Smith. ; Hon. Gerrit Smith ; Wm. Evans. Other public men.
CHAPTER XVI.
STOCKBRIDGE.
Boundaries. Geography. Home of the Oneidas. The Tusca- roras. Oneida Reservation. Indian trail. Peter Smith Tract. Early settlers. Incidents. Indian neighbors. Indian relics The Oneida Stone. Cook's Corners. Munnsville. Stock- bridge. Stockbridge Academy. Churches. Prominent cit- izens. Present home of the Oneidas.
INDIANS.
CHAPTER I.
INDIANS.
Discovery of the Indians of New York. Personal characteristics. Dress and habits of living. Religious customs. Statements of early travelers. Origin of the Iroquois Nation. Formation of the Confederacy. Forms of Government. Hieroglyphics and Symbols. Sketch of their History. History of the Oneidas.
When the Europeans, impelled by the spirit of discovery, pressed their course into New York State, they found it to be inhabited by a distinct and peculiar race of people. Their appearance and customs were a matter of great curiosity, and many of their usages evinced such wild and lawless habits, that they were at first regarded as a race possessing no redeeming attributes. This supposition, acted upon, has been the parent of much injustice done the race. On a nearer and more friendly acquaintance, a different opinion has been formed, and it has been found, that under the advantages of intellectual and religious culture, they possess noble qualities of mind, such as distin- guish their white brethren.
In their physical proportions they were described as being tall and straight, small and lithe-waisted, having black or dark-brown eyes, snow white teeth, straight black hair, cinnamon colored complexion, and were active and sprightly.
They were fond of display in dress, and indulged this taste to an extravagant degree. It is said by the early Dutch
.
16
MADISON COUNTY.
settlers that some of the highly ornamented petticoats of the Indian women were worth eighty dollars in the currency of the present day. That garment was made of dressed deer skin and was highly ornamented with sewant, or wampum ; this was made of beads, which were manu- factured of various kinds of shells, gay colored, and wrought into curious and artistic designs. Sewant was used for Indian money, hence its value as dress trimming. From a gayly ornamented belt or waist girdle this skirt was sus- pended. A mantle of skins was sometimes worn over the shoulders. The hair of the women was long and they often wore it plaited and rolled up behind, secured by ornamented bands of sewant. Curiously formed jewelry of various materials adorned their shapely arms, hands and necks, and pendants secured by bands, hung over their foreheads. Their feet were encased in handsomely embroidered moc- casins.
The men wore upon their shoulders a mantle of deer skin, with the fur next their bodies, the opposite side of the garment displaying a variety of designs in paint. The edges of the mantle were trimmed with swinging points of fine material. Their heads were variously ornamented, some wearing feathers, others different articles of a showy character. Their hair was sometimes shaven close, except at the top of the head. They, as well as the women, adorned their necks and arms with ornaments of elaborate work- manship. They were accustomed to paint themselves in many colors and fashions, according to each individual taste. Their appearance, when in full dress and paint, struck the eyes of the Europeans as grotesque and frightful.
They dwelt in villages, containing from thirty to several hundred souls. Their wigwams were made by placing in the ground two rows of upright saplings about twenty feet apart, when their tops were brought together and secured. Upon this framework was fastened a lathing of boughs, covered on the inside with strips of bark with such nicety
.
17
INDIANS.
as to make a good defense against the weather. The interior of the wigwam was without flooring, the winter fires being built upon the ground in the center, the smoke escap- ing through an opening in the roof. Sometimes the wigwams were made large to accommodate two families. Around the village, to secure them from enemies, was a stockade of palisades, from ten to fifteen feet high.
The Indians most honorable calling, was to follow the war-path and bravely defend his tribe, and to sit in the great councils of the nation. But in times of peace they were employed in hunting and fishing, and the men were so trained that they were enabled, in a hunting expedition, to undergo great exertions, and prolonged fastings, with wonderful endurance. While the men secured the fish and game for winter, the women raised and secured the corn, and looked to the laying by of other stores, such as gather- ing and drying wild fruits and roots.
The earliest travelers among them, found corn and beans, quite extensively cultivated, the women performing the labor with a simple wooden hoe. A variety of dishes were formed from these products, not the least savory of which was "succotash" made from corn and beans, green, boiled together ; a sort of mush, made from pounded parched corn, mixed with the juice of wild apples, was highly regarded. Sometimes the corn was beaten up with pestles, and boiled with water ; again it was roasted on the ear when green ; a variety of cakes were made from pound- ed corn, all of which were said to be palatable, even to the Europeans. As they ate they sat upon the ground, using no table ware, unless their wooden spoons might be named as such.
In their religious belief they profoundly revered the Great Spirit, the Manitou, the one God their Father, and they paid devout attention to all the mysterious voices of nature. It was the audible voice of the Great Spirit B
18
MADISON COUNTY.
heard in thunder; His mighty hand hurled the shaft of lightning; from His breath burst the destructive hurricane ; His direct power veiled the sun or moon in eclipse ; all the varied phenomena of nature, they believed had some direct meaning to themselves, and they endeavored, in religous forms and ceremonies, to propitiate the terrible and great Manitou.
They believed that the spirits of their dead visited their neighborhood during the hours of night, and that they could distinguish their voices in the sighing of the wind through the forest, or in the cry of wild animals which ap- proached their wigwams in search of food. When a panther's shriek was heard, they recognized the voice of some depart- ed relative, full of warning and weird omens ; when the summer birds came with their gladsome music, through them, the happy voices of their cherished dead told them not to weep for those who rested amid the flowery fields of the Spirit Land.
When an Indian died, they placed the body in its grave, defending it from contact with the earth by a siding of boughs. By the side of the deceased they placed various articles, viz : a kettle, platter and spoon, food and some money, his pipe and tobacco-pouch, hatchet and other weap- ons of defence, to serve the traveler on his journey to the land of spirits. All his costly garments of skins, are wrapped about him in his grave.
The resting place of their dead was guarded with rever- ential awe ; the graves of their fathers were held as sacred soil, and the burial grounds of their nation were fought for with religious zeal.
To die the death of a stoic, without weakness or fear, was regarded as one of the heroic virtues, which was early instilled into the minds of the children. To utter a cry under severe torture would degrade the Indian warrior.
19
INDIANS.
The earliest writers state that the Indians " have a religion of their own, handed down from ancestor to ancestor. They say that mention was made by their forefathers for many thousand moons, of good and evil spirits, to whose honor it is supposed they burn fires and sacrifices. They wish to stand well with the good spirits ; they like exhortations about them. They are very much afraid of the dead, but when they perceive that one must die, they appear more ferocious than beasts. One of the Indians is elevated to the office similar to that of priest, who visits the sick, sits by him and bawls, roars and cries, like one possessed. The priest has no house of his own, but lodges where he pleases. He must eat no food cooked by a married woman; it must be prepared by a maiden or old woman. When a child arrives at the age of twelve it is decided whether he can have this office or not, and if it is so ruled, he is elevated to that office. Becoming of suitable age and understanding, he undertakes the exercise of it."
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