USA > New York > Onondaga County > Past and present of Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : from prehistoric times to the beginning of 1908 > Part 1
USA > New York > Onondaga County > Syracuse > Past and present of Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : from prehistoric times to the beginning of 1908 > Part 1
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Gc 974.701 On6b v. 1 1628701
M. L
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01178 3229
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WILLIAM M. BEAUCHAMP.
a
Ah
PAST AND PRESENT
OF Syracuse and Onondaga County NEW YORK
From Prehistoric Times to the Beginning of 1908
By The REV. WILLIAM M. BEAUCHAMP, S. T. D. Author of Archeological Bulletins of the New York State Museum, Etc., President of the Clerical Club of Syracuse and Director of the Onondaga Historical Society.
ILLUSTRATED
Also Biographical Sketches of some Prominent Citizens of Syracuse and Onondaga County
VOL. I
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New York and Chicago: THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING CO. 1908
1628701
PAST AND PRESENT OF
Syracuse and Onondaga County
CHAPTER I.
ONONDAGA COUNTY
The county of Onondaga, as it now exists is nearly an irregular square, be- ing thirty miles in general from east to west. and thirty-four miles in extreme length from north to south. The average length is but little more than the width. Skaneateles lake cuts off what would be a southwest angle, and Cross lake varies the western line. On the north and northeast Oswego and Oneida rivers, Oneida lake and Chittenango creek form an irregular boundary. There now remain six hundred and seventy-five military lots and the Onondaga and Salt Springs reservations were large enough for a hundred more.
The history of the county. its natural resources and physical features, its fauna and flora, antiquities, military history, cemeteries, towns and villages, Indian habits and legends, will appear under distinctive heads.
Few parts of New York have proved so interesting. The rivers on its north- ern line were thoroughfares in prehistorie and colonial times, and many are the rare and beautiful relies found near their banks. Aboriginal camp sites abound, revealing visitors from many parts. They were traversed by the French missionaries, traders, colonists and armies at an early day. At a later period came English traders and armies, and the Revolution was not without its stirring seenes. For pioneers they formed an easy road.
For nearly two centuries the bark village of the Onondagas was one of the most important places east of the Mississippi, and the "Court of Onondaga" was not a misnomer. Old fort sites vet show where the Onondagas successively lived, and reveal something of their history.
Naturally this territory had early visitors of note, missionaries and ambas- sadors, naturalists and soldiers. It seems well to take special note of their visits and observations, and to have their experience in their own words as far as possible. These form two groups; those who were here in the colonial period; those who came in the days of early settlement. It is to be regretted
6
PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
that so much has to be summarized. The Jesuits for a thne kept ample jour- nals; so did the Moravians and others; but it would require many volumes to give their every day experience.
In fact in a growing country, making history all the time, there is a neces- sity for condensation in modern things, and for this reason it may be well to give a table of some dates and events, many of which cannot be considered in detail.
There was an early period when the aborigines were merely visitors or in- habitants for brief periods. Some time after 1500_1. D. some of the Onondagas arrived in the northern part of the county. About 1570, more or less, came the true People of the Hill, settling in Pompey. A little before 1600 the Iroquois League was formed, and soon after we obtain exact dates.
Champlain passed through part of Onondaga to attack Oneidas 1615
Onondagas first mentioned by French and Dutch 1634-35
Jogues meets Onondagas among the Mohawks 1646
Annenraes taken and released by Hurons 1647
Onondaga location first described. 1643
Scandawati, ambassador to Hurons, kills himself 1648
Onondagas destroy Huron towns 1649-50
Radisson, first Frenchman at Onondaga 1652
Onondagas go to Montreal proposing peace. 1653
Le Moyne goes to Onondaga and discovers salt springs 1654
Erie war begins and Onondaga leader is baptized 1654
Chaumonot and Dablon come to Onondaga 1655
Treaty ratitied with the French November 11, 1655
First chapel built in present town of Pompey November 18, 1655
French colony enters Onondaga lake. July 11. 1656
First burial of French at Onondaga lake. . 165€
French colony evacuates fort March 20. 1655
Le Moyne's second visit to Onondaga 1661
Garnier and Milet resume mission there 1668
The great Chief Garakontie baptized. 1670
La Salle at Onondaga 1673
Father Hennepin there. 1675-76
Wentworth Greenhalgh there.
1677
Onondaga removed to Butternut creek. 1681
Council with De la Barre at Salmon river 16-4
English traders reach Oswego falls 1686
De Nonville seizes Onondaga chiefs. 1687
Father Lamberville safely sent away 1657 War fully resumed. 1659
Arnold Viele at "Court of Onondaga" 1690
Frontenac's invasion and burning of Onondaga 1696
Colone! Romer at Onondaga, selecting fort site. 1700
French attempt to build fort there. 1711
English contract to build Onondaga fort and chapel 1711
Tuscaroras settle between Onondaga and Oneida. 1714
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
Oswego trading post built. 1727
Conrad Weiser's first visit to Onondaga 1737
John Bartram there with Lewis Evans and Weiser 1743
Bishop Spangenberg and Zeisberger there 1745
Zeisberger and Cammerhoff there 1750
Sir William Johnson buys Onondaga lake and shores 1751
Johnson builds fort for the Onondagas. 1756
Oswego destroyed by Montealm
1756
Fort Brewerton and others built.
1759
Fort Niagara taken by Johnson.
1759
Amherst assembles his army at Oswego 1760
Pontiae eonfers with Johnson there.
1766
Line of property established at Fort Stanwix
176S
Onondaga villages burned.
April 21. 1779
Colonel Gansevoort eneamps there September 22, 1779
Brant eneamps there. March 1781
Colonel Willett's unsuccessful expedition against Oswego. February, 1783
Captain Thompson goes there to announce peace April, 1783
Fort Stanwix treaty with the Six Nations.
1784
Ephraim Webster comes to Onondaga.
1786
Asa Danforth and Comfort Tyler come there 1788
Fort Stanwix treaty with the Onondagas 1788
Military townships are named. 1790
Military lots are drawn 1791
Onondaga connty formed. March 5, 1794
First court held at Onondaga July 21, 1794
First post office at Onondaga Hollow 1794
State takes possession of salt springs
1797
First town meeting at Onondaga Hollow
April, 1798
First Masonic lodge in Skaneateles. January 8, 1799
Judge Joshna Forman arrived 1800
First Masonic sermon at Skaneateles June 24, 1802
Mail route established between Onondaga and Oswego 1806
First newspaper published at Onondaga
December, 1811
"The Cold Year"
.1816
Syracuse seetion of Erie canal completed. October 22, 1819
First newspaper established in Syracuse April, 1823
Great canal celebration. 1825
Village of Syraeuse incorporated April 13, 1825
La Fayette passes through the county
June, 1825
Anti-Masonie party appears. .1829
First political State Convention in Syracuse
August 25, 1830
Onondaga County Bank incorporated. April 15, 1830
Trial trip of steamboat Independence at Skaneateles July 22, 1831
Cholera in Syracuse. July 17. 1833
First great fire in Syraeuse. March 16, 1834
S
PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
Auburn and Syracuse railroad incorporated. May 1, 1834
Cobble stone pavement in Syracuse. .1835
First great fire in Skaneateles September 28, 1835
"The Deep Suow". .1836
Anburn and Syracuse railroad opened January, 1838
Onondaga Hunters at Windmill Point November, 1838
Syracuse and Utica railroad opened July 4. 1839
Great Whig mass meeting at Syracuse.
.1840
Skaneateles railroad opened September 30, 1840
Syracuse powder explosion. August 20, 1841
Onondaga made a Senatorial district 1842
Washingtonian temperance movement
1842
Coffee House riot in Syracuse January 1. 1843
Silas Wright addresses Democratic convention at Skaneateles. . August 24, 1844 Salina annexed to Syracuse, which becomes a city December 13. 1847
Oswego and Syracuse railroad opened. October 8, 1848
State Fair in Syracuse (Henry Clay was present) 1849
American Anti-Slavery convention in Syracuse. May. 1851
Daniel Webster speaks in Syracuse on Fugitive Slave law June 9, 1851
Jenny Lind sings at the National Theater July 16, 1851
Jerry Rescue and Anti-Slavery convention. October 1, 1851
General Winfield Scott received at Syracuse
.1852
Great freshet in Onondaga creek.
March 14, 1852
Louis Kossuth visited Syracuse .. May 31. 1852
Know Nothing party suddenly powerful 1853
Syracuse and Binghamton road opened. October 23, 1854
First Republican State convention in Syracuse October 18. 1855
John Brown speaks at National Theater .1856
Burning of Wieting Block.
January 7. 1856
Stephen A. Douglass visits Syracuse .1860 Social evil riot. November 6, 1860
Lincoln passes through Syracuse February 18, 1861
Departure of Butler's Zouaves for the war .April, 1861
Departure of Jenney's battery.
Departure of the Old Twelfth May 2, 1861
Departure of Pettit's battery
Angust, 1861
Freshet in Onondaga creek. March 14, 1862
Departure of the 122d regiment August 31, 1862
Departure of the 149th regiment September 23. 1:62
Funeral of General E. V. Sumner March, 1863
Return of the Old Twelfth. August 21, 1862
Departure of the 1s5th regiment. September 23, 1864
General freshet of great proportions .1865
Old depot destroyed. February 18, 1867
Charles Dickens reads at Wieting Hall March 15, 1868
Diseovery of Cardiff Giant October 16, 1869
April, 1861
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
Greenway Barbecue in Syracuse. January 1, 1870
Christine Nilsson sings at Wieting Hall December 9, 1870
Corner stone of Syracuse University laid. . August 31, 1871
Conkling-Fenton feud in Republican State Convention September 27, 1871
Opening of Syracuse Northern railroad. November 9, 1871
Opening of Chenango Valley railroad. February 12, 1872
Samuel J. Tilden nominated for Governor September 17, 1874 Smallpox epidemie in Syracuse. July to October, 1875
Week's snow, blockade of railroads . February, 1877
General U. S. Grant visits Syracuse
.September 9, 1880
Sarah Bernhardt at Wieting Opera House
. March 23, 1881
Grover Cleveland nominated Governor
September 21, 1882
Opening of West Shore railroad
. October 1, 1883.
James G. Blaine visits Syracuse.
September 24, 1884
State Fair permanently located at Syracuse
.1888
Skaneateles water act becomes a law
May 15, 1889
"Wet spring of 1894"
May 19 to June 5, 1894
Celebration of Onondaga's centennial June 6-7, 1894
Natural gas found at Baldwinsville 1897
Syracuse semi-centennial celebration.
October 12, 1897
Opening of Syracuse and Baldwinsville electric road. September 25, 1899
Barrow art gallery presented to Skaneateles Library . October, 1900
Destructive floods. December 15, 1901
President Roosevelt at Syracuse September 7, 1903
First Kanoono Karnival September, 1905
CHAPTER II.
SOURCES OF ONONDAGA HISTORY AND PUBLIC ARCHIVES
The sources of our local history are many and often hard to find. For this reason it may help some to mention a few whose details have to be summarized here. First of all are the works of Samuel de Champlain, the first white man to enter this county in his memorable invasion of 1615. This particular journal is accessible in the original and several translations, and the Magazine of American History had several good articles on the subject. Then come the voyages of Peter Esprit Radisson, published by the Prince Society, and the Jesuit Relations, which Clark quoted freely, but not always correctly, in his much prized history. They may now be read in an excellent translation or in the original, in the fine Burrows' edition, recently completed. Charlevoix's history of New France may be studied in J. G. Spea's fine translation, and it is well to read any thing of Shea's that is accessible. His Catholic Missions is
March 11, 1892
New Syracuse City Hall opened
Snow blockade of railroads. April 30, 1892
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
good, and has but few errors. The New York Documentary History has much from French, English and Dutch sources, while the New York Colonial Doen- ments afford a rich field. Pouchot's Memoirs, translated by Hough, is another good French work, and Baron Labontan may be read with moderate caution.
Some gazetteers are valuable, especially those of French and Hough. Spaf- ford's is earlier and abounds in quaint conceits and information. Barber and Howe's Historieal Collections of New York has interesting notes, with early views engraved on wood. This feature gives it present value. A brother of Mr. Barber lived in Skaneateles. Dunlap's history of New York has the first sketch of the Onondaga legend of Hiawatha. Clark's Onondaga marked an era in historic writing, and was a marvel of solid work and extended research. To him belongs the credit of first giving the Hiawatha legend in full, as well as the connected history of the French missions here in a popular form. Perhaps no county history in New York has been oftener quoted or more highly esteemed. Clayton's history came much later and supplied full and valuable accounts of the various companies and regiments which took part in the war for the Union, then a popular theme. Its histories of religious organizations are also meritorious. and it embodies much desirable information. To this succeeded Onondaga's Centennial, with fuller information on early times. In this will be found a valuable list of revolutionary soldiers who once lived here, which is now considerably increased. About the same time was issued Gurney S. Strong's Early Landmarks of Syracuse. This valuable volume has many illustrations of antique buildings in that city. as well as some rare historie material. In 1889 Mr. M. C. Hand issued a little volume of considerable interest, entitled "From a Forest to a City," embodying personal reminiseences. This has the earliest view of the old Syracuse House.
Hon. George Geddes was one of the foremost agricultural writers of his day and in 1859 contributed an excellent account of Onondaga County to the State Agricultural Report for that year. It should be better known. Beside many illustrations it had a large folding geologieal map of the county, prepared expressly for it. The geological part of this report was reproduced verbatim in Clayton's History. Mr. Geddes also wrote an article on Champlain's ex- pedition in 1615, for the Magazine of American History, and Orsamus H. Marshall of Buffalo did the same. General John S. Clark's identification of the fort besieged by the French and Indians prevailed. On the latter the late L. W. Ledyard of Cazenovia addressed the Oneida Historical Society, and this address was issued in pamphlet form. John Gilmary Shea took the same side.
Timothy C. Cheney's Reminiscences of Syracuse, compiled by Parish B. Johnson and issued as a pamphlet in 1857, were reproduced in Mr. Strong's book and are unique and invaluable. What he learned by tradition may be set aside, but his personal recollections are of the most substantial kind. Of a somewhat similar character was "A History of Manlius Village," by Henry C. Van Schaack, from a series of lectures delivered by him in 1866. Mr. Van Sehaack had a remarkable collection of autographs, described by the Rev. W. M. Beauchamp in the Magazine of American History for 1887. It was divided between his three daughters. The Pompey Reunion of 1871 furnished a
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
. memorial volume of interest and value. The late Dr. Israel Parsons, of Mar- cellus, published a history of that village and town, written in 1876. In the Skaneateles Democrat of 1876 appeared a series of papers by the Rev. W. M. Beauchamp, entitled "Notes of Other Days," and followed by "Notes Left Ont." These embodied his own and his father's recollections of Skaneateles from 1829 to 1876. Mr. John D. Barrow wrote various papers on the history of that place and lake, a pamphlet of 1902 being entitled "Skaneateles Lake." A collection of his local poems has just been issued, selected by him just before his death. Mr. E. Norman Leslie's finely illustrated and unique history of Skaneateles is well known. A history of Spafford by George K. Collins exists only in three type written copies, one of them in the Syracuse Central Library. One volume deals in general matters; the other in mortuary and family records, including inscriptions from various cemeteries. Captain Collins' unique and valuable volumes furnish an example well worth following by others.
The Syracuse Herald had a series of highly interesting papers on the eeu- tennial of Ephraim Webster's coming here. under date of 1886. Unfortunately they now only exist in serap-books and in files of that paper. The County Centennial of 1894 filled every city and village paper with reminiscences.
In 1904 the Catholic Sun had a full account of the celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Father LeMoyne's first visit here. This was held at Pompey ITill, and the addresses were given in full. The Baldwinsville Gazette celebrated its jubilee with an illustrated memorial of great local value, and Mayor McGuire marked the close of his office by an illustrated exhibit of the progress of Syracuse under his rule.
Of works relating solely to Syracuse, Dwight H. Bruce's Memorial History stands first in importance. It is both full and concise, as well as accurate in most points, but naturally repeats some trifling early errors. Carroll E. Smith's Pioneer Times in the Onondaga Country is a series of interesting sketches by that able editor. first published in the Syracuse Herald. The History of the Schools of Syracuse, by Edward Smith. is another important book. Syraeuse and Its Surroundings, by H. Perry Smith, is in the form of an agreeable story, well illustrated with stereoscopie pictures. Several illustrated manuals were issued by Mr. Smith. One treats of Oakwood cemetery, and another of successful business men in the city. One writer gave biographical sketches of one thousand prominent Syracusans in 1897. and did not exhaust the list either. Several Blue Books are devoted to persons of bine blood, a much smaller elass. An illustrated manual of the Protestant churches of the eity will be found useful, and many manuals and memorial volumes have been issued. most of which may be found in the Publie Library. Picturesque Oak- wood is another notable volume by Mrs. Annie C. Maltbie. with fine illus- trations. A. E. Costello has published a book on the police department and commercial history of Syracuse, and in 1906 there was issued an illustrated history relating to the trades and labor unions. It is needless to mention other small works.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
South Onondaga found a chronicler in 1904, in the person of W. W. New- man, a venerable writer and resident. About the same time an illustrated history of the Baptist Church in Fayetteville was edited by the Rev. J. Byington Smith. There are but few town histories. but many interesting memorials of the town of Onondaga have appeared from the pens of John T. Roberts and Richard R. Slocum. A history of Oran, in Pompey, has also appeared.
Going back to early times, the visit of John Bartram, the great naturalist, may be reealled. He was here in 1743, and what he saw and did may be read in his journal. Conrad Weiser, the interpreter, left several ample accounts of his visits, the first of these being in 1737. This may be found in Schoolcraft's Aboriginal Archives, volume 4. Those of 1743-45-50-51 are in the Minutes of the Provincial Couneil of Pennsylvania. Bishop Spangenberg and David Zeis- berger accompanied him in 1745, and Spangenberg's journal was published in the Pennsylvania Magazine of History, 1879, with notes by John W. Jordan.
These Moravian journals are of great local interest. The second and fullest was that of Bishop Cammerhoff and Zeisberger, written in 1750. They came by way of Cayuga to Onondaga. The journal has been translated but never published. The third was in 1752, and part of this has been printed in the Moravian, the Pennsylvania Magazine for 1905, and in the third series of (American) Notes and Queries, volume 2. The remaining, and most important part locally, has been translated but not published. This is the case with that of 1754-55, and with the two of 1766. In the Magazine of American History for 1907 will be found briefer accounts of these Moravian visits to Onondaga. Interesting items occur in Loskiel's Moravian Missions, but especially in De Schweinitz's Life of David Zeisberger, for this missionary appears in all the journals mentioned.
Zeisberger's Indian dictionary, comprising English, German, Onondaga and Delaware words, was published for Professor E. N. Horsford in 1887, but is more Iroquois than Onondaga. This is the Harvard University copy. Zeisher- ger's Essay of an Onondaga Grammar was printed in the Pennsylvania Maga- zine for 1888. His other unpublished works of local interest, now in Philadel- phia, are Deutsch und Onondagaisches Worterbuch, seven volumes and Onondaga and German Vocabulary, a shorter work of the same character. J. Gilmary Shea published an early French-Onondaga vocabulary in 1860. but it is rather Iroquois than Onondaga. In Schoolcraft's Notes on the Iroquois is a short but useful list of Onondaga words. The Rev. W. M. Beauchamp has col- leeted about two thousand Onondaga words and over seven hundred names of Onondagas, early and late, many with biographical notes. These are unpub- lished, as well as the ten thousand Onondaga words which Mrs. Helen F. Troy. of Auburn, reports that she has obtained. J. N. B. Hewitt has published the Onondaga ereation myth in the Report of the Bureau of Ethnology for 1900, with an interlinear translation. Various Onondaga customs and stories have been contributed to the Journal of American Folk-lore by the Rev. Dr. Beaut- champ and De Cost Smith.
The Onondaga Historieal Association has issued a number of leaflets. One of the most painstaking and valuable of these is Franklin II. Chase's account of
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ONONDAGA COUNTY
Revolutionary soldiers who have died here. The Rev. Dr. Spalding's paper ou Ephraim Webster has a narrower field, but shows the same care and success. Other meritorious papers have appeared.
The journals of those who took part in the raid on Onondaga in 1779 will be found in Sullivan's Campaign, published for the State of New York. In the Public Papers of Governor George Clinton is also an account of this expedition. taken from the New Jersey Gazette of May 12, 1779, and closely resembling the journal of Captain Thomas Machier. Another diary of great interest has also lately appeared in the Pennsylvania Magazine for 1903, being the journal of Lieutenant Robert Parker, who passed eastward through Onondaga county in 1779 with Gansevoort's men. Little was known of this march before. Some faets may be gathered from Sir John Johnson's orderly book of 1777.
The Reports on the Canadian Archives at Ottawa have made much local material available, but we need fuller accounts of much of this.
In pioneer days we have interesting items in the journals of Elkanah Watson and Francis A. Vanderkemp. with De Tocqueville's visit to Frenchman's Island. The travels of Due de Rochefoucauld Liancourt will not be overlooked. and the letters of Colonel Stone, Buckingham and others are full of interest. In Stone's Tales and Sketches is the Grave of the Indian King, a legend of Skaneateles.
The missionary journal of the Rev. Thomas Robbins, who officiated in Mar- eellus and Skaneateles for a few weeks in 1802, has interesting incidents, while botanists revel in the diary of Frederick Pursh, who discovered the hart's tongue fern here in 1807. Professor L. M. Underwood's Native Ferns has much to do with Onondaga. Mr. Philip N. Schneider has published a good deal about his remarkable geological discoveries in and about Syracuse. One is entitled "Limestones of Central New York." Dr. Beauchamp long ago issued a catalogue of our local mollusks. and Morgan K. Barnum a list of the birds of the county. The list of plants prepared by the efficient Syracuse Botanical Club has not yet appeared, but its collections are accessible. Other valuable scientific papers have been given in the publie press.
The early contact with the aborigines has been mentioned. Beside J V. II. Clark's valuable notes in his history, he published a volume entitled "Lights and Lines of Indian Character," in which some stories have their fuller forms. Horatio Hale's Iroquois Book of Rites should not be overlooked, nor L. H. Morgan's League of the Iroquois, one of our most valuable works. Both illustrate life among the Onondagas, while not confined to it. The Rev. W. MI. Beauchamp's illustrated bulletins on New York archeology, issued by the State Museum, will help some, while his eoneise history of the Iroquois in that series will be of use to others. Nor is Colden's Five Nations to be overlooked. This standard work has been recently reprinted. The Life of Sir William Johnson and Mrs. Grant's Letters are of interest also.
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