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RE
HISTORY Town of Spafford
Onondaga Historical Association
Spafford Onondaga County, New York
BY
Captain George Knapp Collins
1902
PUBLISHED BY
Onondaga Historical Association
DEHLER PRESS 1917
F129 S142 672 copy2
This work is dedicated in fiilial respect to the memory of Dr. John Collins, the father of the Author, who practiced his profession among the people whose names are recorded in this record, for nearly twenty-five years, and whose living descendants still hold his memory in grateful recollection, after a lapse of forty-nine years since he ceased his labors and went to rest among those who were his companions and patrons in life.
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1
CAPTAIN GEORGE K. COLLINS
INTRODUCTION
The town of Spafford, one of the most picturesque in the County of Onondaga, is about ten miles in length from north to south. and about four miles in width from east to west. Its surface consists of high ridge land bounded on the west by Skaneateles Lake, and on the east by Otisco Lake and Valley, descending abruptly on either side to these lakes and valley, and gradually declining northerly from the summit at Ripley Hill, situate near the southern boundary of the town between this and the town of Scott, Cortland County.
Ripley Hill is 1,122 feet above Skaneateles Lake, and 1,982 feet above tide water; and from it can be seen in fair weather, not only lands in the towns of Skaneateles and Marcellus, which bound the town on the north, but the sur- rounding country for twenty to thirty miles distant.
Cold Brook, which flows to the south through a beautiful valley bearing its name, and the Inlet to Otisco Lake, are the principal streams; but beyond the fact of their per- ennial character, and that they mark the course of two deep and beautiful valleys, they are not worthy of mention.
The soil is a sandy gravelly loam, and in early times was covered by a dense growth of maple, beech and linden trees on the uplands, interspersed with hickory, chestnut, pine and hemlock trees in the deep valleys, and especially along the eastern border of Skaneateles Lake.
Spafford boasts of no valuable mineral products within its borders, yet there is a weak spring of salt water, and indications of the presence of natural gas along the western shore of Otisco Lake. A spring of sulphur water exists near Borodino on the eastern shore of Skaneateles Lake, and an outcropping of the Hamilton group of limestone appears at different places in the southern portion of the town. None of these natural products, however, have been developed or turned into practical use.
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ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
No earthworks or other marked indications of aboriginal occupation of the lands in this town have been discovered, yet tradition says that at one time there was an Indian Encampment or settlement near Borodino, and different Indian implements found in that vicinity, and burnt and blackened soil discovered near that village indicates Indian occupation at some remote period at that place. The dis- tance between the two lakes is not very great, and an early Indian trail from lake to lake ran through this locality, rendering more than probable the truth of this tradition, and that in aboriginal times these early peoples not only had knowledge of these two beautiful lakes, but made abun- dant use of the excellent fish with which they were so bountifully supplied.
Town and County Organizations
The first white settler within the present limits of the town of Spafford was Gilbert Palmer, who has been credited with taking up his abode in the southwest part of lot 76, Marcellus, in the Spring of 1794, but in the absence of this statement made by Clark, in his history of the County of Onondaga published in 1849, which we assume was based upon substantial grounds, we would put his occupation at least one year earlier, as his deed from Thomas Ostrander, the original soldier who drew this lot for services performed by him in the Revolution, is dated September 21st, 1792. To our mind it is more than probable that his occupation was earlier than the date given by Clark.
With the settlement of Gilbert Palmer begins the true history of this town, yet we trust that a brief statement of the early transactions affecting the town and county organization will be interesting.
The first division of the Province of New York into dependencies or shires was by a law passed by the " Chief Commander, Council and Representatives " November 1, 1683, ratified by the " Board of Trade," October 17, 1684, by which the present State of New York was divided into twelve Counties: New York, Westchester, Ulster, Albany, Dutchess, Orange, Richmond, Kings, Queens, Suffolk, Dukes and Cornwall. The boundaries of the County of Albany are described as follows: "The County of Albany to con- teyne the town of Albany, the Manor of Renslaerwyck, Schonechteda, and all the villages, neighborhoods and Christian Plantacons on the east side of Hudson's River from Roeloffe Jansens Creek; and on the west side from Sawyers Creek to the utmost end of Sarraghtoga."
Owing to a change made in the government of the Prov- ince of New York following the usurpation of Jacob Leister as Colonial Governor, commonly called the Revolution of 1690, a law was passed by the " Governor, Council and
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ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
Assembly," October 1, 1691, in effect re-enacting the former law of 1683, and at least so far as the County of Albany was concerned the boundaries of that shire remained the same. The boundaries of that county were not very definite in either act, but subsequent statutes treated them as covering a much larger area than a casual perusal of the wording of these enactments would seem to warrant.
By an act passed March 12, 1772, by the " Governor, Council and General Assembly " the County of Albany was divided into three ocunties: Albany, Tryon and Charlotte. The County of Tryon in substance is described as including within its bounds all that part of the Province of New York lying west of a line drawn north and south just west of the Schoharie Patent.
By a separate act passed March 24, 1772, at the same session by the "Colonial Governor, Council and General Assembly " the county of Tryon was divided into five towns or districts : Mohawk, Stone Arabia, Canajoxharie, German Flatts and Kingsland. The latter was bounded in substance as follows: On the north by the Mohawk River - on the east by a north and south line drawn through Little Falls, - and on the south and west by the south and west colony lines.
By an act of the Colonial Legislature passed March 8, 1773, the names of three of the towns or districts named in the act of March 24, 1772, were changed as follows: Stone Arabia district was changed to Palatine district; German Flatts district was changed to Kingsland; and Kingsland was changed to German Flatts district ; the latter only affecting the territory included within the present boundaries of the County of Onondaga. These are all the enactments under the Colonial period making division of the Province of New York affecting lands in the present County of Onondaga.
The first Constitution of the State of New York, adopted at Kingston, N. Y., April 20, 1777, during the progress of the War of the American Revolution, recognized the exist- ing counties of the State as follows: New York, Albany, Dutchess, Westchester, Ulster, Suffolk, Queens, Orange, Kings, Richmond, Tryon, Charlotte, Cumberland and Glou- cester, fourteen in all; the two latter are now a part of the present State of Vermont.
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SPAFFORD, ONONDAGA COUNTY, NEW YORK
By an act of the New York Legislature passed April 2, 1784, the name of the County of Tryon, a name that had become odious by acts of the Tory Colonial Governor of that name, was changed to Montgomery; and by a sub- sequent act passed March 7, 1788, the boundaries of that county were described as follows: "And the County of Montgomery to contain all that part of the State bounded easterly by the Counties of Ulster, Albany, Washington (formerly Charlotte) and Clinton-southerly by the State of Pennsylvaina-and westerly and northerly by the west and north bounds of the State."
By an act of the same date the State was re-divided into towns, and the town of Whitestown created, which con- tained within its limits the whole of the Military Tract and certain lands east thereof extending below Utica, and was named in honor of Judge White, the first white settler in the present village bearing his name, four miles west of the City of Utica.
On February 16, 1791, an act was passed dividing the County of Montgomery into four counties: Tioga, Otsego, Montgomery and Herkimer; the western part of the State having been previously taken from Montgomery and created into a separate county called Ontario. The County of Herkimer in this division was briefly described as follows: On the east by the Counties of Clinton, Washington and Saratoga-on the south by Montgomery and Tioga-on the west by Ontario-and on the north by the north bounds of the State.
The next year, April 10, 1792, Whitestown was divided and a new town created called Mexico, which included within its limits all of the Military Tract lying east of the west bounds of the townships of Homer, Tully, Marcellus, Camillus and Hannibal.
On the 5th day of March, 1794, an act of the Legislature was passed creating the County of Onondaga from the County of Herkimer. It was made co-extensive with the Military Tract, and was divided into eleven civil towns: Homer, Pompey, Manlius, Lysander, Marcellus, Ulysses, Milton, Scipio, Aurelius, Ovid and Romulus. The town of Pompey was described as follows: "All that part of said County comprehending the townships of Pompey, Tully and Fabius, together with that part of the lands called the
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ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
Onondaga Reservation bounded northerly by the road called the Genesee Road, and westerly by the Onondaga Creek "; and the town of Marcellus was described as: "All that part of said county comprehending the townships of Camillus and Marcellus, together with all the residue of the Onon- daga Reservation, and the residue of the several lands lying south west of the said Salt Lake."
From time to time thereafter, by several acts of the Legislature, the County of Onondaga as then created was subdivided, and other counties taken therefrom until it was finally cut down to its present limits, but without change of the county organization so far as its present territory is concerned.
On the 7th day of April, 1801, the County of Onondaga, as then diminished in size, was re-divided into eight civil towns : Solon, Homer, Fabius, Onondaga, Pompey, Manlius, Lysander, Camillus and Marcellus. The town of Fabius contained within its limits the townships of Fabius and Tully, and all that part of the township of Semphronius lying east of Skaneateles Lake; and the town of Marcellus was reduced in size to the limits of the township of that name.
On the 4th day of April, 1803, the civil town of Fabius, and all that part of the township of Tully within the County of Onondaga, and all that part of Semphronius east of Skaneateles Lake, was created a civil town called Tully.
By an act of the Legislature passed April 8, 1811, a new town was created as follows: "That from and after the first Tuesday in April next all that part of the town of Tully lying west of a line beginning at the north west corner of Lot No. 25, and running south to the south line of said town, be and hereby is erected into a separate town by the name of Spafford." The name of this town was given in honor of Hon. Horatio Gates Spafford, the author of the first Gazetteer of the State of New York. At this point it seems proper to state that Mr. Spafford, in return for the compliment paid him, donated to the town its first blank book for the preservation of its records, and also a fair sized library for the use of its inhabitants ; the record book is still preserved in the custody of the Town Clerk, but the library has long since been scattered and lost.
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SPAFFORD, ONONDAGA COUNTY, NEW YORK
The town of Otisco was created prior to the town of Spafford and in part was taken from Tully.
Since 1811 several changes have been made in the northern boundary of the town of Spafford, by adding to and taking from the town territory originally from the township of Marcellus. These changes occurred from 1830 to 1842 inclusive, and during that period the people of this and the adjoining towns of Marcellus and Skaneateles, were greatly exercised and excited over the territorial question.
In the year 1830 the town of Skaneateles was formed from the western part of the town of Marcellus, and in the same act, "All that part of the town of Marcellus lying south and east of a line beginning on the north line of Lot No. 71 at the north west corner of the town of Otisco and running down the center of the Outlet of Otisco Lake to the north line of Lot No. 62; thence west on the north line of Lots Nos. 61, 62 and 60; thence in a straight line west across Lot No. 59 to the center of Skaneateles Lake; thence southerly along the center of said lake to the south line of Marcellus, shall be annexed to and form a part of the town of Spafford."
This act engendered much bitter feeling among certain influential citizens residing within the limits of that part of the town of Marcellus, thus summarily set off to the town of Spafford; and the various town meetings there- after were flooded with resolutions to be offered for pas- sage in the different sessions of the Legislature; and the latter body was importuned and petitioned from time to time by the discontents to be restored to the town of Mar- cellus or set off to the town of Skaneateles.
The town books show a continuous and apparently acrimonious strife which resulted in the passage of the act of March 18th, 1840, setting off to the towns of Mar- cellus and Skaneateles all that part of the town of Spafford lying north of the south lines of Lots Nos. 69, 70 and 71, Marcellus.
This act, if anything, created more dissatisfaction than the prior one; so on March 30th, 1842, the Legislature passed an act compromising the matter by which Lots 70, 71, 68 and 69, Marcellus, were re-annexed to the town of Spafford. This seemed to give full satisfaction, and the
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ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
bounds of the town have remained the same ever since, and from that time forward there has been no change in town or county organization affecting the town of Spafford.
It will be noticed that the act of 1830, above referred to, fixes the western boundary of that portion of the town taken from Marcellus as the center of Skaneateles Lake, a fact which would have been the case by law in the absence of anything said on the subject; but the reader's attention is also called to the notable exception to this rule of law and custom make by the Revised Statutes of the State of New York as to the other portion of the town.
By these statutes the western boundary of this portion of the County of Onondaga, and by operation of the law the western boundary of the Tully end of the town of Spafford, is along the westerly shore of Skaneateles Lake. The Revised Statutes on this subject reads as follows: " from a point in the south bounds of the township of Marcellus southward along the westerly shore of Skanea- teles Lake until it strikes the west boundary of the county of Cortland, and thence northerly and easterly along the latter county lines, &c." These are facts not only of in- terest to the general reader, but of great importance as affecting jurisdiction in civil and criminal proceedings.
MILITARY TRACT.
During the period of the American Revolution the mili- tary forces of the Colony of New York were divided into four classes: The Militia, Minute Men, The Levies, and The Line.
The Militia, included all able bodied men residing within the Colony who were between the ages of sixteen and sixty, not specifically exempt by law.
Minute Men, were taken from the Militia by allotment or volunteering, and were specially drilled, equipped and kept in readiness for any emergency. This organization, formed under a resolution of the Provincial Congress of this Colony August 22, 1775, was discontinued about a year afterwards by a like resolution adopted June 5, 1776.
The Levies, were drafts from the Militia, called into service on special occasions, and could be required to per-
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SPAFFORD, ONONDAGA COUNTY, NEW YORK
form duty during the entire period of their enlistment outside the Colony.
The Line, consisted of four regiments of Infantry, to which were sometimes attached a company of cavalry, a regiment of Artillery, and a corps of Sappers and Miners. These were turned over to the General Government as a part of the Continental Establishment, and were subject to the orders of General George Washington.
Every member of these several forces was by law re- quired to keep himself fully armed and equipped, and as the people of this Colony had always been surrounded by wild beasts, and the still more treacherous and sometimes hostile bands of American Indians, most of the men com- posing these forces were accustomed to handling fire arms and were expert marksmen in the use of the same. What was most needed to fit these men for efficient soldiers was military training and such discipline as would render them obedient to orders of their superior officers; this took much time and instruction to accomplish.
The Line was organized by enlistment from the Militia in 1775 and turned over to the Continental Establishment, and as the term of service of these men was at first so short, sometimes for only a few months and never to exceed a year, the efficiency of this branch of service was poor in comparison with the trained soldiers employed in the British Army, against whom they were to contend.
The superiority of their marksmanship was not always an offset for the superior discipline of the enemy. This early became apparent, and on September 30th, 1776, a letter was received by the Provincial Congress of this Colony from John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, enclosing resolutions of that body. In that letter he says: "You will perceive by the enclosed resolutions, that Congress has come to the determination to augment our Army and to engage troops to serve during the con- tinuance of the war. The many ill consequences arising from a short and limited enlistment of troops are too obvious to be mentioned. In general, give me leave to observe, that to make men acquainted with the duties of a soldier requires time, and to bring them under proper subordination and discipline not only requires time, but has always been a work of much difficulty."
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ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
"As the troops now in service belong to the several States they will be considered as a part of their quota in the American Army. You will please take such steps as you judge necessary to ascertain what number of troops, as well as what officers, will engage to serve during the war." * * *
The following are a part of the resolutions referred to, viz :
"Congress, Sept. 16, 1776," Resolved, That eighty eight battalions be enlisted as soon as possible to serve during the present war, and that each state furnish their respec- tive quotas in the following proportions, viz .:
New Hampshire
3 Battalions
Massachusetts Bay
15 Battalions
Rhode Island
2 Battalions
Connecticut
8 Battalions
New York
4 Battalions
New Jersey
4 Battalions
Pennsylvania
12 Battalions
Delaware
1 Battalion
Maryland
8 Battalions
Virginia
15 Battalions
North Carolina
9 Battalions
South Carolina
6 Battalions
Georgia
1 Battalion
" That twenty dollars be given as a bounty to each-non- commissioned officer and private soldier who shall enlist to serve during the present war, unless sooner discharged by Congress.
" That Congress make provision for granting lands in the following proportions, to the officers and soldiers who shall engage in the service and continue therein to the close of the war, or until discharged by Congress, and representatives of such officers and soldiers as shall be slain by the enemy. Such lands to be provided by the United States, and whatever expense shall be necessary to provide such lands, the said expense shall be paid and borne by the States in the same proportion as other expenses of the war, viz:
To a Colonel
500 acres.
To a Lieut. Colonel 450 acres.
To a Major
400 acres.
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SPAFFORD, ONONDAGA COUNTY, NEW YORK
To a Captain
300 acres.
To a Lieutenant
200 acres.
To an Ensign
150 acres.
To each Non Commissioned Officer and Soldier 100 acres."
By a subsequent act of Congress passed August 12th, 1780, there was given " To a Major General 1100 acres, and to a Brig. General 850 Acres."
In pursuance of this generous offer of the General Gov- ernment many officers and men then in the Line from this Colony re-enlisted, and some of those entering this service afterwards enlisted for the war; so when peace was de- clared there were many who had been members of the Continental Army for periods ranging from four to seven years. The First and Second Infantry, under Colonels Goose Van Schaick and Philip Van Cortland, Col. John Lamb's Artillery regiment and the Corps of Sappers and Miners, had a more continuous service than other Con- tinental organizations from this Colony, and eventually had within their ranks a large proportion of these long term service men, and even some of those who had originally entered the service in other Continental organizations. By reason of this fact, and the expressed intention of these organizations to remain on frontier duty for the further period of three years, in pursuance of the resolutions of the Provincial Congress adopted March 20, 1871, the Legislature of the State of New York March 27, 1783, enacted, after reciting the resolutions of the Continental Congress above quoted from, as follows :
" Whereas the Legislature of the State are willing not only to take upon themselves to discharge the said engage- ments of Congress so far as it relates to the Line of this State, but likewise as a gratuity to the said Line and to evince the just sense this Legislature entertains of the patriotism and virtue of the troops of this State serving in the army of the United States :
" Resolved, Therefore that besides the bounty of land as promised as aforesaid, this legislature will by law pro- vide that Major Generals and Brigadier Generals now serving in the Line of the Army of the United States and being citizens of this State, and officers and non-commis- sioned officers and privates of the two regiments of in-
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