USA > New York > Livingston County > A history of Livingston County, New York : from its earliest traditions, to its part in the war for our Union : with an account of the Seneca nation of Indians, and biographical sketches of earliest settlers and prominent public men > Part 44
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* Mary Smith married Justin Dutton who died at Moscow in 1815. She now resides with her son-in-law, Dr. D. P. Bissell in Utica.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
shouldering several pieces of its water-soaked sides, returned to his domicil. From this rough material he constructed a cradle that yet remains in the family after doing duty for three generations. In June, 1790, Capt. Jones and family started for the Genesee flats. His household consisted of himself, his wife, three sons, -William W., George and Hiram, and a young girl, Sally Griffith, who subsequently married Benjamin Squire of Geneseo. On crossing the river near Flint creek, by fording, they found ready for their occupancy a log hut, located near the wheatfield that had belonged to the Indians. Here in May, 1791, was born James Jones, the first birth in Leicester .* Mrs. Jones died in June, 1792, and hers was the first death that occurred in the town. Many of the Indian huts were yet standing and settlers were coming in and putting up log structures. As yet, however, there was no frame building of any kind in the town, but in the fall of 1796, Horatio Jones erected a frame barn, a little to the west of Jones's Bridge, where it still stands, and soon after he built a frame distillery at the Fort farm, as it is called, being the same farm that was occupied by Colonel Jones.
Settlement clustered about the site of the future hamlet of Old Leicester, as it is yet familiarly called. The natural beauty of the spot drew the pioneers thitherward, and roads began to radiate therefrom. One ran in the direction of Batavia and thence to Lewiston ; another directly west to the town of Shel- don, twenty-five miles distant. And still another in a southwesterly direction to the Alleghany river ; all quite primitive but still passable in ordinary seasons. A highway was also opened to the eastward, and in
* James Jones entered the war of 1812, and with his brother George was taken prisoner in 1813. Both were tomahawked by their captors, a band of Indians, in a dispute about a division of prisoners.
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1804 Daniel Curtis established a ferry across the Gen- esee at the place now spanned by Jones' bridge. The road continued thence to Geneseo.
The free habits of the first settlers called for a num- ber of taverns. The supply, it should seem, must have been quite equal to the demand, although the Indians, both those still residing here and the roving bands which periodically visited this section, soon became among the most reliable of patrons. The whites drank too, and observed the Sabbath with a respect quite equaled by the red men. "Whiskey and Sabbath desecration were then and there notori- ously prevalent," says Elder Hudson. Leonard Stimpson appears to have been the pioneer inn-keeper. In 1797 he established a public house near the river bank, sixty or eighty rods north of the present site of Jones' Bridge. Six years later he built a frame tavern house on the site of Charles Jones' residence, which became incorporated into the latter, in reconstructing the house some years later. Soon after Stimpson opened the first tavern, one Joseph Simonds opened a less pretentious house, a "Shanty for the sale of cakes and beer on the spot afterward occupied by the Pine Tavern." Francis Richardson about the same time opened a public house in a little log building which stood near the roadside, on the farm now owned by Hiram Crosby. James Forbes soon after opened one on the Moscow and Geneseo road, near the ferry, and a Mr. Whitmore opened one at Jones' Bridge.
None of these houses, however, appear to have been licensed. Indeed, the local records preserve no min- ute of any regular license until one that was granted to Leonard Stimpson in May, 1803.
Many stories are told of the mischievous propensi- ties of the loungers about Old Leicester. Stimpson's tavern was their favorite resort. Here they met nightly
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to raffle, drink, and often to fight. Few travellers stopped at the place without having a horseshoe pulled off, harness cut, a linch-pin drawn or some article taken.
Old Leicester village grew apace, and by 1812 there was quite a little settlement there. Samuel Miles Hopkins, though residing in Geneseo, had purchased property at this place, and was aiding in the growth of the hamlet. He had prepared a plan and collected materials for a large public house there, indeed he had actually begun the work. But taking some offence, he sent for Captain John Smith of Groveland, a sur- veyor of some note, and set to work at once to lay out the rival village of Moscow, the land at that point already belonging to him.
A spacious square in the centre of the plot, since essentially encroached upon, was first staked off, and then the extensive limits of the prospective rural metropolis were run, and the lots laid off. The first building reared within the bounds of Moscow was a barn for Jessie Wadams, and in 1814, the latter gentle- man opened the first public house in the village. Gid- eon T. Jenkins, afterwards the first Sheriff of the county, soon after succeeded to the stand which has since been converted into a dwelling house and is now occupied by Horatio Jones. Soon after Mr. Jenkins became proprietor, Joseph White opened a second pub- lic house, and not long afterward Homer Sherwood erected a third, which soon passed into the hands of Jerediah Horsford. Several residents of Old Lei- cester removed to Moscow, and in half a dozen years the latter place had reached about the present population. The site of Moscow when first laid out was covered with scattering pines, interspersed with a short growth of white oak and an undergrowth of bear-berry and whortle-berry bushes.
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Public houses now abounded, and distilleries were to be found at almost every crossroad. Churches, too, began to be erected, but as yet no educational institu- tion beyond the log school house, and even the latter were few and far between, until in 1815 the Moscow Academy was projected and its construction pressed to early completion. The edifice was a frame building forty feet by twenty-four, and three stories high, front- ing on the square. An engraving of the building ap- pears on this page.
MOSCOW ACADEMY.
The Academy opened under flattering auspices. It was almost the first school of academic grade in west- ern New York, and drew scholars from Buffalo, Can- andaigua, and other distant places, as well as receiving good encouragement from its immediate region. Og- den M. Willey was the first principal, assisted by Miss Abby and her sister. The character of the members of the professions associated with Moscow has always been highly honorable. Samuel Miles Hopkins, Felix Tracy, John Baldwin, H. D. Marvin and Frederic Wicker were among its lawyers, and William C. Dwight, Asa R. Palmer, D. H. Bissell, D. P. Bissell and W. II. Sel- lew were among the physicians. John Baldwin was the first to establish a law office at the village. He
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came there from East Bloomfield in 1814, and Dr. Asa R. Palmer was the first physician. In June, 1817, a Presbyterian Society was organized at Moscow, and the Reverend Abraham Forman of Geneseo, sup- plied the pulpit. The services were held in the lec- ture room of the Academy building, and although the eccentricities of the pastor were often the talk of the town, yet his ability and zeal crowded the room, and it soon became necessary to fit up the whole of the lower floor of the Academy for the purposes of worship .* Mr. Forman was called to the pastorate of the Geneseo church and the society was for a year or two without stated preaching.
In June, 1820, Samuel T. Mills was installed over the society and remained until October, 1826. Six months later the Rev. Amos P. Brown assumed pas- toral relations and continued until the fall of 1829. Several changes of pastors followed, the society mean- time increasing in numbers, and in 1832 a church edifice of wood was erected at a cost of $3,000. A half dozen years after its completion a portion of the so- ciety seceded and built another church. In 1844 the divided society was reunited under the Rev. John W. McDonald, who was unanimously called to minister to the united church in the old edifice. Since that period the Presbyterian church of Moscow has had a liberal support and has been prosperous.
In 1829, the Methodist Society, which had previ- ously held its meetings in private houses and school houses, built a frame church.
* Ashael Munger, Abijah C. Warren and Asa R. Palmer, were the first elders of the society. In addition to these three men, the following persons composed the society, as first organized : Ashel Munger, Jr., Hinman A Boland, Eunice Munger, Amanda Munger and Bethsheba Warren. Felix Tracy and Samuel M. Hopkins soon after united with the church and became active as members.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
The Baptist church edifice was erected in 1844, and had for its first pastor Elder Taylor. In 1815 Nicholas Ayrault opened a store at Moscow, the first established there. His stock consisted of a general assortment of merchandise and groceries. Soon afterwards William Robb opened another store in a building that had been moved to Moscow, from the present farm of George Lane, where it had been occupied as a public house by Dennison Foster. Allen Ayrault, who had removed to Moscow from Mt. Morris, succeeded to the business of Mr. Robb, and remained as the suc- cessful proprietor of the store for two or three years, when he removed to Geneseo. William Lyman, an- other early merchant of this place, came to Geneseo from East Haddam, Connecticut, in Sept., 1814, and went into the office of Jas. Wadsworth, where he re- mained a few months. He then clerked for Spencer & Co., until August, 1816, when he bought some goods of his employers and went to Sparta, and there remained until Nov. 1818, and on the sixth day of that month received his first stock of goods at Moscow from Albany by teams. A wool-carding and cloth- dressing establishment was quite early opened by Peter Roberts and Samuel Crossman, on the branch of Beard's creek north of the present residence of Lewis Newman. The first upland farm cleared and cultivated in the town was that of Josiah Risden, now occupied by David Bailey, lying a little to the north of Cuylerville. In September, 1825, an Indian treaty was held at Moscow in the Academy. It was a quiet affair, and the place selected probably on account of its freedom from excitement or interruption. Not more than one hundred persons were present at any time. Major Carroll of Groveland, Judge Howell of Canandaigua, and Nathaniel Gorham, attended on the part of the United States. Jasper Parrish and Horatio
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Jones acted as official interpreters. A large number of Seneca chiefs were present, and took part. Mary Jemison was also there, and formally sold her Gar- deau reservation to Henry B. Gibson, Micah Brooks and Jellis Clute.
The first saw mill in the town was built by Ebenezer Allen, at Gibsonville in 1792. The first grist mill was built on the south branch of Beard's creek, at Rice's Falls, in 1797, by Phelps and Gorham, and was burned down in 1817. It was rebuilt, and stood some years thereafter, but was finally taken down. The first newspaper published in the town (and it was also the first that was published in the county) was started at Moscow in 1817 by Hezekiah Ripley.
Gibsonville lies in the south-western part of the town, on the outlet of Silver Lake. It was named for Henry B. Gibson of Canandaigua, and was first set- settled by Ebenezer Allen in 1792, but after remaining a short time he parted with his interest there, and re- moved to Rochester. Its water power is used for a paper mill and a saw mill, and it contains about a score of houses. Cuylerville lies on the canal in the eastern part of the town and takes its name from Colonel Cuyler. It sprung into existence on the com- pletion of the Genesee Valley Canal, and soon became a favorite market for wheat and other agricultural products, and was incorporated in 1848 as a village. The construction of railroads has seriously interfered with the business of the canal and Cuylerville has suffered from this cause. It occupies a part of the site of the most important of all the Seneca villages, Little Beardstown. It has one church, Associated Reformed. built in 1845, a large grist mill and a dis- tillery. To the west of Cuylerville, some half a mile, stood the first residence of Colonel Cuyler, known as Woodville, erected by Samuel Miles Hopkins, in
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
1814. In the beautiful grove contiguous to the house was held the celebration in 1843, over the remains of Boyd and Parker and their compatriots. The house was burned in February, 1860. The changes in the channel of the Genesee river are notable. It was within the memory of Little Beard that the bed of the river was at one time within a few rods of Charles Jones's old farmhouse, a half mile distant from its present bed. In 1820-22, the channel was so near the store-house then standing north of Jeff. Wetherfield's house that wheat could be sponted into boats lying in the river, now distant thirty rods. Jones's Bridge was the first bridge built over the river south of Avon. It was built of wood in 1816, was carried away in the spring of 1831, and was rebuilt in 1832-3. The Mount Morris bridge was built in 1830, was carried away in 1832, and rebuilt in 1834. The Cuylerville bridge was erected in 1852.
HORATIO JONES.
Captain Horatio Jones was born December 17th, 1763, near Downingtown, Chester county, Pa. His grandfather, an Episcopal clergyman named Charles Jones, emigrated from the city of London while yet a young man and settled in Philadelphia. When the subject of this sketch was about six years of age, his father, William Jones, removed to Baltimore Co., Md., where John H. Jones was born. His father was an armorer, and designed to bring him up to the same employment, but the Revolutionary war was in pro- gress when he reached an age at which the stirring events of that period had stronger attractions than the forge and hammer for one of his adventurous spirit, and before his size would permit his enlistment he became attached to a company of Rangers or " minute men." Like all frontier boys of that day he was a skilled marksman, a qualification, added to a hardy
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
frame, which even at so early an age, enabled him to count the privations of the colonial service as of small moment, and made him a welcome addition to the slowly wasting battalions at that period of the strug- gle, and in May, 1780, at seventeen, he enlisted in the Bedford Rangers, commanded by Captain Dunlap. The company was ordered to a neighboring fort, there to be reinforced, for duty along the western frontier. The garrison, however, was found so weak that it- could spare no soldiers, and Capt. Dunlap, prompted by his men who were eager for active work, concluded to follow out the original purpose by marching his small force at once into the Indian country. He had reached the wilderness at the head of the Juniata and was crossing the stream early one morning when he was surrounded and surprised by a body of Indians, who fired upon the company, killing nine men and taking eight prisoners. Among the latter were the Captain and Jones. At the first alarm, Jones took to the bank and entered the woods at the top of his speed. Two Indians followed. Though his gun had been wet while fording the stream and could not be fired, the natives were ignorant of the fact, and when they approached too closely he would turn, point it at them, and they would drop on their knees. He would then start on again, and the race would be re- sumed. After running some two miles, his foot caught. in some undergrowth and he fell. The Indians were at his side in a moment, and he surrendered. Return- ing to the place of ambuscade, the prisoners were placed together, the Indians divided, a part before, and a part taking position behind the captives, and started rapidly northward through the vast stretch of unbroken forest toward the country of the Senecas. For the first two days they were without food. On the third, the entrails of a bear were apportioned to
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
Jones. Captain Dunlap, showing exhaustion, was silently despatched from behind with a tomahawk, and as he fell his face was carefully turned skyward that his spirit might ascend to the white man's happy hunting grounds, as the other prisoners were given to understand. On the fourth day a hunting party brought in a fine deer. The Indians pointed toward it. Mistaking their gestures for an invitation to help himself to the venison, Jones ran to the spot with the alacrity of a hungry man. The Indians suspecting that he was trying to escape and unwilling to lose one who had already gained their favor, made after him. Stopping when he reached the game, the natives came up, laid him on his back, tied arms and legs each to a tree, and further secured his limbs by driving pronged sticks over them, and in this condition, with his face upturned to a pelting rain, kept him all night. He endured the punishment without complaint, a fact which pleased the Indians so much that that day he was relieved of the luggage that had previously been committed to his shoulders. In turn, however, he divided the burthen of an overloaded fellow captive, older and feebler than himself. Arriving at the Indian village of Caneadea, he was informed that at a coun- cil held to decide his case, the Great Spirit had inter- posed in his behalf, and his life was to be spared on condition of his reaching a certain wigwam, located about eighty rods distant, and which was pointed out to him from a height near the village. The old and young Indians, the squaws and children of the vil- lage and neighborhood, lined the way thither. Jack Berry, as he was afterwards called was present and motioned to him to start without a moment's delay. He saw the wisdom of the friendly advice and set out at once. Hatchets, arrows, clubs, knives, and every conceivable native weapon, was hurled at him by the
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
shouting and yelling Indians, as he made for the house of refuge. With no little address he managed to dodge the more dangerous missiles and reached the goal with few bruises, amid the hearty cheers of the excited crowd, and was at once adopted into a family, one of whose sons was killed in an expedition shortly previous, under the name of Ta-e da-ogua. While running the gauntlet, one tomahawk whistled past. him, just grazing his head. It had been thrown by one of the warriors that took him prisoner, as he afterwards learned. Readily adapting himself to the situation, he assumed their dress, acquired their lan- guage, and set about repairing their implements of war and the chase. His stout arm won respect at once. Although surrounded by savages, he never allowed an insult to go unresented. If hatchets were thrown at him by the mischief-loving, he returned them with usury. At dinner one day, a young brave, fond of amusing himself at the expense of others, offended him in some way. Jones stepped to a suc- cotash kettle, seized a boiling squash, gave chase, and overtaking the festive Indian, thrust the hot vegetable between his hunting-shirt and bare back, then resumed his meal. At another time a party had dug up some saplings, and as they passed him bearing them on their shoulders, one of the Indians purposely stuck a mass of roots into Jones' face. As quick as thought his right hand was brought across the native's nose, breaking in the bridge and giving him a disfigured nasal organ the rest of his days. Possessed of un- common mental vigor, and of more than ordinary penetration, he was cool, fearless and ready of re- sources, traits which the natives esteemed. To this may be added that he was strong of body and fleet of limb, and was always ready to try speed or strength with the best of them. Their implicit confidence in.
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him, acquired during the years of his captivity, was retained through life, and proved valuable to the gov- ernment in the treaties with the northern and western tribes in which he participated, and his residence down to the period of his death, continued a favorite stop- ping place for the natives who visited him almost daily. His judgment was so much respected by the Senecas that he was often chosen as arbiter to settle disputes among them ; and his knowledge of the Seneca tongue was so accurate that he became their principal inter- preter. Red Jacket preferred him as translator of his speeches, on important occasions, as his style, which was chaste, graphic and energetic, suited the qualities so marked in that great orator's efforts, ac- curately preserving not only the substance but the most felicitous expressions. He was commis- sioned by President Washington as official inter- preter, and was employed on several occasions to ac- company delegations of sachems and warriors to and from the seat of Government. In a notable speech of Farmer's Brother, at a council in November, 1798, the Indians asked the legislature of this State to permit them to grant Captain Jones and Jasper Parrish a tract of two miles square of land, lying on Niagara river, three miles below Black Rock, as a substantial mark of their regard .* The speech referred to was : " As the whirlwind was so directed as to throw into our arms two of your children, we adopted them into our families and made them our children. We loved them and nourished them. They lived with us many years. They then left us. We wished them to return and promised to give each of them a tract of land, and now we wish to fulfill the promise we made them
* By the laws of the State no transfers of Indian lands could be made to private individuals without permission of the Legislature.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
and reward them for their services." Subsequently he acquired a large body of land on the Genesee flats. At one period of his captivity he became dissatisfied, and resolved to return home. Leaving his adopted father's wigwam before daylight one morning, he travelled for hours southward. Night came on and he began to reflect that his youthful associates, and perhaps his relatives too, would be scattered and gone, and the first streak of light the next morning witnessed him retracing his steps. He resumed his abode with the Senecas, who never suspected him of having attempted escape, where he remained until peace brought about a general ex- change, a period of five years. Soon after the close of the war he removed to Seneca Lake, where his brother John joined him in October, 1788. He was married in the year 1784, to Sarah Whitmore, herself a prisoner from the valley of the Wyoming, by whom he had four children. He was twice married, his last wife dying in 1844. In the spring of 1790 Captain Jones removed to the Genesee country. Here he died on the 18th of August, 1836, retaining his well-pre- served faculties to the last. He lies buried in the Geneseo cemetery. In person he was strong and com- pactly built. His height was under, rather than over, the ordinary size. In early life his weight did not ex- ceed 180, but in his latter years, he became quite cor- pulent. His eyes were grey and his hair light inclin- ing to auburn. ' Major Van Campen often visited Capt. Jones. On such occasions their experience dur- ing the Revolution, often formed the interesting sub- ject of conversation. The Major had twice been made a prisoner by the Indians.
Before the country was settled Capt. Jones was chosen as the agent of the Government to carry the money to be paid to the Indians at Buffalo through
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
the woods. It was a large amount, and in specie. Armed with a tomahawk and scalping-knife, he put the money on the back of a powerful mare, a favorite, fast traveler, and mounted, leaving these directions, "If I am murdered at my camp you will find the money twenty rods north-west of where I sleep.". He traveled by the Indian trail till night compelled him to camp in a bark hut on a branch of Tonawanda creek. After securing his treasure, he built a fire, ate his supper, turned his mare loose, and adjusting his saddle for a pillow, lay down to sleep. He had slept a few hours when he was awakened by dreaming that
a little Indian had come to him, and told him in In- dian, that if he remained where he was, his bones would lie in a pile. So vivid was the impression that he got up and looked about on every side. His mare seemed frightened, and was disposed to hover about the fire rather than to seek food. He laid down, and soon fell asleep, but before long the same Indian seemed to come to him on the same errand. He arose the second time, looked around, and observed the same uneasines on the part of his mare, but neither seeing nor hearing anything uncommon, he lay down and slept. Again the Indian came with the same errand. Horses accustomed to running in the woods, when alarmed will whistle very shrilly, unlike anything that is observed in our educated animals. As he awoke the third time, his mare gave him that somewhat start- ling monition, and he was thoroughly awake ina mo- ment. He knew that his journey and the object of it was well understood. So looking to his arms, he dressed and caught his horse, placed his money on horse-back and mounted, just as the first streaks of daylight began to appear. He had accomplished about a quarter of a mile when he heard a rustling in the bushes close by the side of the path. He gave the mare a touch, and
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