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GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIDMAAT 3 1833 01066 0162
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/landmarksoftompk00hewe
LANDMARKS e
OF
TOMPKINS COUNTY,
NEW YORK
Including a History of Cornell University BY PROF. W. T. HEWITT
EDITED BY JOHN H. SELKREG
Illustrated
SYRACUSE, N. Y. D. MASON & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS
1894
1233558
PREFACE
With each passing year the task of preparing a history of any local- ity becomes more and more difficult. Those from whom historical facts can only be obtained, pass away ; manuscripts and memoranda are lost or destroyed, and their disappearance involves unusual labor in ob- taining necessary data from other sources. It is the aim of the author of this volume to arrange and present in comprehensive form such in- formation as could be secured through diligent effort, to the end that an authentic History of Tompkins County might be presented to the public. A residence of fifty-three years in Ithaca furnishes the writer with much in the line of personal knowledge, and his acquaintance in the past with men prominent in public affairs here, leads him to hope that this work may reach a fair degree of accuracy, and add something to former publications.
In preparation of this history the author desires to acknowledge the great assistance rendered him by others-too many in number to name here; and he feels that whatever measure of success has been reached, credit therefor belongs to many compilers and writers who have asso- ciated with him in the work, rather than to himself alone.
Ithaca, 1894.
J. H. SELKREG.
-
CONTENTS.
PART I.
CHAPTER I.
The Local Tribe and their Absorption by the Cayugas-Route of Sullivan's Army on both Sides of Cayuga Lake-Indian Villages Destroyed-Their Location- Flight of Indians to Niagara-Their Destination after Sullivan's Victory -Cession of their Lands to the State.
1
CHAPTER II.
Original Civil Divisions-Erection of Counties-Dates of the Creation of Coun- ties in Western New York-Formation of Tompkins County-Original Towns and when Formed-Present Towns and Dates of Organization-Geographical Location of the County-Its Area and Population-Soil and Original Forest -Its Water Courses, Scenery and Water Falls thereon-Climate-Ab- sence of Excessive Snow Fall-Absence of Fogs on Waters Flowing North ward.
3
CHAPTER III.
The First White Men in what is now Tompkins County-The Last of the Local Indians-The March of Civilization-Arrival of the First Permanent Settlers -Trials and Perils of their Journey-The Route Taken-Locality of First Settlement-The Pioneers of Ithaca-Dates of Settlement in the Various Towns.
10
CHAPTER IV.
The Work of the Pioneers-What was Accomplished prior to County Organiza- tion-Beginning of the New County Government-The Financial Panic of 1837-8-Its Effects in this County-Recuperation-The War Period-Prompt Action in Ithaca-Filling the Various Quotas of the County.
14
CHAPTER V.
The Panics of 1857 and 1873-The University and its History and Influence on the Growth of Ithaca-Official List of Officers before and since Organization of County-Senators-Members of Assembly-County Clerks-Superintendents of Schools.
22
vi
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VI.
Tompkins County Political Notes-Reminiscences of Important Campaigns- Vote of the County on prominent Officials from 1817 to the Present Time- Political Officials of the County, Past and Present.
26
CHAPTER VII.
The First Roads-How the Pioneers First Reached their Settlements-The Early Stages-Early Stage Drivers-The Cayuga Steamboat Company-Its Various Boats-Busy Scenes on the Lake-The Celebrated "Smoke Boat"-Modern Steamers and Yachts-The Sodus Canal-Other Canal Projects-The First Railroad-Some of its Peculiarities-Other Railroads.
32
CHAPTER VIII.
The First Newspaper in the County-Its Very Early Publication-Its History down to its Present Successor, the Ithaca Journal-Opening of the Telegraph Line to Ithaca-The Ithaca Chronicle-The Democrat and its Predecessors -The Weekly Ithacan-Newspapers of Trumansburgh-Other Publications 42
CHAPTER IX.
History of Tompkins Agricultural Society-Its First Officers-Insignificance of Early Premiums Offered-Sales and Purchases of Property-History of the County Poor House-Statistics of its Presest Condition-Masonic Societies in the County-Other Societies and Institutions.
48
CHAPTER X.
Comparison of State Law with the Common Law-Evolution of the Courts-The Court of Appeals-The Court of Chancery-The County Court-The Surro- gate's Court-Justice's Court-District Attorneys-Sheriffs-Court House- Judicial Officers-Personal Notes-Important Trials, 53
CHAPTER XI.
Early Methods of Medical Study-Medical Societies Authorized by Statute- Tompkins County Medical Society-Dr. E. J. Morgan, sr .- The "Registra- tion Law"-List of Registered Physicians.
CHAPTER XII.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN AND VILLAGE OF ITHACA.
93
CHAPTER XIII. 205
TOWN OF ULYSSES.
CONTENTS, vii
CHAPTER XIV.
TOWN OF DRYDEN. 244
CHAPTER XV.
TOWN OF CAROLINE.
267
CHAPTER XVI.
TOWN OF DANBY.
295
CHAPTER XVII.
TOWN OF NEWFIELD.
- - - - 803
CHAPTER XVIII.
TOWN OF GROTON.
310
CHAPTER XIX.
TOWN OF LANSING.
- - --- 329
CHAPTER XX.
TOWN OF ENFIELD. 349
- -
HISTORY OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY
I .- Introduction
359
II .- The National Government and Higher Education .- The Land Grant Act, Establishing Colleges of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts. 360
III .- Preliminary History: 1. The People's College .- 2. The New York State Agricultural College. 384
IV .- The Charter of the University. 398
V .- The Management of the Land Grant .- Mr. Cornell's Services. 413
VI .- Constitution of the University: 1. Plan of Organization .- 2. The Military Department .- 3. Manual Labor .- 4. Coeducation .- 5. The Non-Resident Lecture System .- 6. The University Senate .- 7. Alumni Representation in in the Board of Trustecs. 423
VII .- The Relation of the University to the State: 1. Scholarships .- 2. The Church 463
VIII .- The Opening of the University. 474
IX .- The University as Established. 504
viii
CONTENTS.
X .- Student Life. 512
XI .- Languages: 1. The Classical and Oriental Languages .- 2. The Germanic and Romance Languages. 540
XII .- Department of Philosophy. 557
XIII .- Department of History and Political Science. 564
XIV .- Mathematics and Physics. 578
XV .- Natural Science. 583 I
XVI .- Department of Agriculture. 621 I
XVII .- Department of Architecture. 1 1 I
637
XVIII .- Department of Civil Engineering 639 1 I 1
XIX .- Department of Mechanic Arts. 642
XX .- Professional Schools. 659
XXI .- The Quarter-Centennial.
6697
BIOGRAPHICAL:
Ezra Cornell 672
Andrew D. White
677
Henry W. Sage
681
1 1 John McGraw 686 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
I 1 I Goldwin Smith 687 1 1 1
William D. Wilson
688
Charles C. Shackford 690
Brief Personal Sketches 691
PART II
BIOGRAPHICAL 1-72
PART III.
FAMILY SKETCHES
1-256
INDEXES.
PART I
257-271
PART II
271
PART III
271-275
PORTRAITS 275
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I
LANDMARKS
OF
TOMPKINS COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
The Local Tribe and their Absorption by the Cayugas-Route of Sullivan's Army on both Sides of Cayuga Lake-Indian Villages Destroyed-Their Location-Flight of Indians to Niagara-Their Destitution after Sullivan's Victory-Cession of their Lands to the State.
THE present territory of Tompkins county was, at the date of Sulli- van's expedition in 1779, inhabited by a local tribe of Indians known as the "Todarighroones." In 1753 Sir William Johnson mentions that the Cayugas holding the country around the lake were "about to strengthen their castle by taking in the Todarighrooners." In the same year they are mentioned as attending a conference at Mount Johnson, and are described as one of the "nine confederate nations." The town is indicated at the head of Cayuga Lake on the Guy Johnson map of 1771 in the same position where it was found by Colonel Dear- born in 1779, under the name of "Todarighrono," the name of the people. The Indian village known as "Coreorgonel," called " De-ho- riss-kanadia " by George Grant, was located on the west side of Cayuga Inlet, about three miles from the head of Cayuga Lake, and about two miles southwest of Ithaca city, on high ground south of the present school house on the farm of Joseph Allen, and just beyond Buttermilk Falls on the Inlet-Newfield road. Several skeletons have been ex-
1
2
LANDMARKS OF TOMPKINS COUNTY.
humed here at various times within a few years past, and the usual va- riety of relics found, such as hatchets, wampum, beads, etc. The town at the time of its destruction by a detachment of Sullivan's army, un- der command of Col. Henry Dearborn, on the 24th of September, 1779, contained twenty-five houses, besides ten or twelve scattered between the main village and the lake. The detachment of the army came up the west side of the lake, reaching Goodwin's (or Taughannock) Point, on the 22d of September, 1779, then marched to the Indian village on the Inlet on the 23d, and burned the houses, corn and vegetables on the 24th. This detachment united with that from the east side of the lake on the 25th and marched thence to meet the main army at New- town (Elmira). The notes of Gen. John S. Clark, of Auburn, found in the "Journals of the Military Expedition of Major-General John Sulli- van, against the Six Nations of Indians in 1779," published under au- thority of chapter 361, laws of 1885, passed by the Legislature, seem to furnish by far the most authentic as well as the most detailed infor- mation in reference to the Indian history of this locality.
The detachment of Sullivan's army which destroyed the towns on the east side of Cayuga Lake, joining the detachment from the west side at Ithaca, marched down the east side of Seneca Lake, crossed the out- let where it leaves the lake, and very near the present Lehigh Valley Railroad track; thence the route lay north of the outlet through the swamp, to what is now known as Mud Lock, three miles north of the present railroad depot at Cayuga. Here the Seneca River was again crossed and a trail followed to Union Springs, where East Cayuga, Cayuga Castle, and Upper Cayuga Indian villages were situated; thence to Chonodote, or Peachtown, the site of the present village of Aurora, and thence to Ithaca, which was reached on the 25th of September, 1779, the day after the village on the Inlet had been burned by the soldiers under Dearborn, as above stated.
On map 103 C, of the Simeon De Witt collection in the archives of the New York Historical Society, being the manuscript maps and sur- veys of Robert Erskine, who was geographer to the American army, the distance is fixed at thirty-eight miles from Cayuga to Ithaca. On this map a fall of 120 feet perpendicular is indicated on the Fall Creek stream.
In Clark's History of Onondaga County it is stated that on the Jesuit's map, Cayuga Lakc is called "Tichero-lac." Charlevoix calls it " Ge- jugouen," while Thurber's map designates it as "Gwangweh." The
3
EXTINCTION OF THE CAYUGAS.
Indian designation of Ithaca was " Ne-o-dak-he-at"; its signification, " At the End of the Lake."
The Cayugas retreated to Niagara before the march of Sullivan's army after the battle of Newtown, and few ever returned to their old hunting grounds; neglected and badly treated by their English allies, and insufficiently provided with food, sickness and death made fearful ravages among them during the cold winter following Sullivan's cam- paign. In 1789 a treaty was concluded with the Six Nations whereby the Indians acknowledged allegiance to the general government and ceded to the State of New York the lands lying east of Seneca Lake. This cession and treaty opened up the country to the immigration of white settlers from the Eastern States, and new characters appear up- on the scene.
Father Carbeil was a missionary among the Cayugas and probably his labors reached into the territory now included in Tompkins county. In a letter dated June 24, 1672, he speaks in glowing terms of the beauty of the country, of the great quantity of fish in Lake Tiohero (Cayuga), and immense clouds of game on its waters and in the forest bordering its shores. He found the Cayugas more tractable and less haughty than the Onondagas or Oneidas. He mentions also a battle between the Andastes and the Cayugas while the latter were on their way to the Susquehanna River from the head of Cayuga Lake, the Cayugas losing twenty-four warriors slain or taken prisoners.
CHAPTER II.
Original Civil Divisions-Erection of Counties-Dates of the Creation of Counties in Western New York-Formation of Tompkins County-Original Towns and when Formed-Present Towns and Dates of Organization-Geographical Location of the County-Its Area and Population-Soil and Original Forest-Its Water Courses, Scen- ery and Water Falls thereon-Climate-Absence of Excessive Snow Fall-Absence of Fogs on Waters Flowing Northward.
IN compiling the history of any locality, reference must of necessity be had to every source of information possible. These sources are to be examined and their accuracy determined; this involves the perusal of old records, of scattered memoranda, and the separation of fact from
4
LANDMARKS OF TOMPKINS COUNTY.
fiction and errors, which, by reiteration at times grow into accepted truth, subsequently found to be without foundation. It is subject of regret that the pioneers of Tompkins county did not appreciate the im- portance of events in which they were actors and preserve in tangible form a detailed record of occurrences which were of little apparent in- terest to them, but which in the lapse of a century have become very material, possess absorbing interest, and yet require great labor and re- search on the part of the eager historian to obtain the facts regarding them. While this condition is to be deplored, it does not lessen the sense of duty on the part of those who may cssay to preserve and per- petuate incidents connected with the original settlement of this part of the State, which has been transformed from a dense forest into broad acres of cultivated fields; from a region where the woodman's clearing was the only evidence of occupation, to a beautiful country where are now to be found villages and cities teeming with population and filled with every evidence of refinement and wealth; where the hum of busy industry and successful trade is heard, and where educational institu- tions of the most advanced type have been created, which are the glory of the inhabitants and the wonder of the world.
In a preceding chapter the history of Indian occupation of this local- ity, so far as known and can be ascertained, is given. The settlement of the white race followed closely upon the closc of the Sullivan cam- paign in 1779, which resulted in the practical extinction of the Cayu- gas, who were driven westward, their families- scattered, their villages destroyed, and the field left open for peaceful possession by the white pioneers at least a dozen years before the beginning of the present century.
In order to tracc properly the history of the State of New York and the counties composing it at the present time, reference to original civil divisions is made. Under the Dutch the only divisions were the cities and towns. In 1665, a district, or sheriffalty, called Yorkshire, was erected. It comprised Long Island, Staten Island, and part of the present county of Westchester. For judicial purposes it was divided into three "Ridings." The East Riding comprised the present county of Suffolk; the West Riding, Staten Island, the present Kings County, Newtown and part of Westchester; the North Riding, all of the present county of Queens excepting Newtown.
Counties were erected for the first time by the act of 1683, and were twelve in number, as follows: Albany, Cornwall, Dukes, Dutchess,
5
CIVIL DIVISIONS.
Kings, New York, Orange, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, Ulster, and Westchester. The county of Cornwall consisted of what was known as the District of Pemaquid (now in Maine), and Dukes county consisted of the several islands on the coast of Massachusetts. These counties were included in the patent to the Duke of York. They were detached on the rcorganization of the government in 1691. Cumberland county in 1766, Gloucester in 1770, and Charlotte in 1772, were formed out of Albany county. The first two and part of the last are now in the State of Vermont.
Tryon county was erected in 1772, also from Albany, and comprised the country west of a north and south line extending from St Regis to the west bounds of the township of Schenectady, thence running irreg- ularly southwest to the head of the Mohawk branch of the Delaware, and along the same to the southeast bounds of the present county of Broome; thence in a northwesterly direction to Fort Bull, on Wood creek, near the present city of Rome-all west of the last mentioned line being then Indian territory. Thus the province consisted at the Revolution of fourteen counties.
On April 2, 1784, the name of Tryon county was changed to Mont- gomery. On the 16th of February, 1791, Herkimer county was erected from Montgomery; on March 5, 1794, Onondaga county was created, its territory having been a part of Herkimer. Cayuga county was taken from Onondaga on the 8th of March, 1799. Seneca county was erected from Cayuga March 29, 1794; and Tompkins county was erected from Cayuga and Seneca on the 17th of April, 1817.
As originally organized Tompkins county embraced the towns of Hector, Ulysses, and Dryden (from Seneca county), and portions of Locke and Genoa (from Cayuga county). The towns afterwards erected from Locke and Genoa were called Division (now Groton) and Lansing. The original dimensions of Tompkins county . were enlarged March 22, 1822, by adding thereto the towns of Caroline, Danby, and Cayuta (now Newfield) from Tioga county. In 1853 a strip from the west side of Newfield was annexed to Chemung county; and on April 17, 1854, Hector was made a part of the then newly-erected county of Schuyler. Tompkins therefore now consists of nine towns, viz:
Caroline, organized February 22, 1811, and taken from Tioga and annexed to Tompkins March 22, 1822.
6
LANDMARKS OF TOMPKINS COUNTY.
Danby, organized on the same date as Caroline and also transferred to Tompkins from Tioga at the same time.
Dryden, taken from the original town of Ulysses (then in Seneca county), February 22, 1803.
Enfield, taken from Ulysses March 11, 1821.
Groton (as Division), taken from Locke April 7, 1817.
Ithaca, taken from Ulysses March 16, 1821.
Lansing, taken from Genoa April 7, 1817.
Newfield, taken from Spencer February 22, 1811.
Ulysses, organized March 5, 1794, the date of organization of Onon- daga county. 1 2
In 1794 the Board of Supervisors of Onondaga county fixed the val- uation of the town of Ulysses, then comprising in addition to its present boundaries, the present towns of Dryden, Enfield, and Ithaca, at £100 and the total taxes at £12 10 0. In 1797 the board gave the census of Ulysses at 52 and the valuation at $4,777. In 1798 the inhabitants had increased to 60 and the valuation to $5,000.
A glance at the map of the State of New York shows Tompkins coun- ty situated in the western part, nearly central between Lake Ontario and Pennsylvania, practically square in form, and bounded on the north by Cayuga and Seneca counties, east by Cortland and Tioga counties, south by Tioga and Chemung, and west by Schuyler. The territory embraced in its borders is divided into nine towns, with an aggregate area of 292, 724 acres, and a population of 32,923 according to the United States census of 1890, which is the latest national enu- meration. The State enumeration of 1892 gives the population at 35,055, an increase of 2,132
The town of Ulysses borders on Cayuga Lake on the east, and is the northwest division; Enfield lies centrally west, south of Ulysses; New- field in the southwest; Danby centrally south; Caroline southeast; Dry- den centrally east; Groton northeast; Lansing between Groton, Dry- den and Cayuga Lake on the north, with Ithaca, the county seat, in the
1 Although for convenient reference the towns are given in alphabetical order, in the subsequent pages of this work they will be treated in the order of the dates of their formation.
2 A township on the Military Tract was a particular parcel of land laid out, con- taining certain one hundred lots. Thus in the Military Tract which covered part of Tompkins county, Ulysses was numbered 22, and Dryden 23 .- Clark's Onondaga, p. 360.
7
WATER COURSES.
center. Cayuga Lake, about forty miles long, and from one to three and a half miles wide, extends into Ithaca from the north, separating Ulysses and Lansing.
The soil in the northern half of the county is generally a gravelly or clay loam, created by drift deposits, while the larger portion of the southern half is a slaty loam, created by disintegration of the softer rock, which, dipping slightly to the south, appears on the surface of the hillsides where they fall away to the north.
Excepting small parts of the county, the original forests consisted of a magnificent growth of white pine of the highest quality. The more elevated parts of some of the southern towns produced hemlock, beech, maple, oak and other varieties of valuable woods.
The south half of the county is high and rolling, with elevations of from 400 to 700 feet, forming the watershed from which streams flow into the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay on the south, and the Seneca-Oswego River into Lake Ontario on the north. This watershed reaches on the southwest into Schuyler and Chemung counties, and on the east and northeast into Cortland and Onondaga counties. In their passage from the upland the streams have worn deep gullies or gorges in the soil, and there is no other portion of the State containing water- falls in either number, height or beauty, at all approaching the locality embraced within the county of Tompkins adjoining the head of Cayuga Lake.
Salmon Creek reaches the lake in the town of Lansing, rising in Cay- uga county and flowing generally in a southerly direction. It is noted for some picturesque falls and beautiful gorges.
Fall Creek has its source, for one of its branches, in Dryden Lake, a small body of water situated close to the Cortland county line just south of the center of the town of Dryden. The other and larger branch rises in Cayuga county in the town of Summer Hill, flows southerly across the town of Groton and unites with the south branch in Dryden, and thence through the city limits of Ithaca and into Cayuga Lake. This stream, the largest in the county, has upon it within the city of Ithaca five falls ranging in height from 40 to 140 feet, and overhanging banks equal to these distances above the water, which tumbles and foams as it flows downward through the gorge below.
Cascadilla Creek rises in Dryden and flows nearly west through the northern part of Ithaca, joining a branch of Fall Creek and the Inlet at the steamboat landing. This is the smallest of the streams reaching
8
LANDMARKS OF TOMPKINS COUNTY.
Cayuga Lake through the city. In its descent from the table lands above there are may picturesque gorges and beautiful cascades.
Six Mile Creek rises in Dryden, flows southwest through Slaterville and Brookton, thence northwest through Ithaca, uniting with the Inlet at the foot of State street. The only considerable waterfall upon it is known as Wells Falls, situated inside the city limits, but the valley of the stream above abounds with deep gorges and wild, impressive scen- ery.
Buttermilk Creek rises in Danby, flows nearly north, and reaches the Inlet just outside of and south of the city line. There is a magnificent cascade upon this stream in full view of passing railroad trains, which is an object of attraction to every traveler upon both the D., L. and W. and the Lehigh Valley Railroads. It is from this stream that the wa- ter supply of Ithaca is taken, and as the creek is fed wholly by springs at its sources, the supply is remarkably pure and free from contamina- tion.
Less than a mile south of Buttermilk Creek a streamlet known as Lick Brook affords a beautiful waterfall over 125 feet in height, while along the length of the stream are several remarkable scenic gorges.
Ithaca Inlet rises in Spencer, Tioga county, flows through Danby, Newfield and Ithaca, into Cayuga Lake. It follows a deep valley, flanked by hills on either side hundreds of feet in height.
Five Mile, or Enfield Creek, rises in the town from which it is named, flows south and southeast, joining the Inlet on the border town lines of Newfield and Ithaca. Enfield Falls upon this stream, near nine miles southwest of Ithaca, is a point of great resort, and has been made the subject of many sketches by artists, attracted by the natural beauties of the scenery.
The head waters of Taughannock Creek are in Hector, just over the county line, and the stream reaches Cayuga Lake nine miles north of Ithaca. The swiftly flowing waters have worn a very deep. gorge for the distance of a mile back from the lake, where the recession was ar- rested by a surface strata of hard rock, over which the water is precip- itated in an unbroken sheet 215 feet, the highest waterfall in this State. Precipitous banks tower 150 feet above the stream, and below the fall show a sheer unbroken wall of 365 feet. Taughannock Falls have an extended reputation and are visited by thousands of admiring sight- seers yearly.
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