USA > New York > Oneida County > Steuben > A narrative history of Remsen, New York, including parts of the adjoining townships of Steuben and Trenton, 1789-1898 > Part 13
USA > New York > Oneida County > Remsen > A narrative history of Remsen, New York, including parts of the adjoining townships of Steuben and Trenton, 1789-1898 > Part 13
USA > New York > Oneida County > Trenton > A narrative history of Remsen, New York, including parts of the adjoining townships of Steuben and Trenton, 1789-1898 > Part 13
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Simon Didama, a resident of Trenton village, buried
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a young daughter, and upon visiting the grave within a day or two after, discovered it had been disturbed; and suspecting robbery at once proceeded to have it reopened in order to verify his suspicions. His neigh- bors endeavored to dissuade him from his purpose, believing there was slight chance to recover the body were it proved to have been stolen. However, the grave was opened, and as suspected, the body was gone. As may be imagined, the discovery created great excitement, and the feeling of resentment against the institution at Fairfield ran high. The whole country was roused, and a band of men armed with muskets and clubs marched to Fairfield, their number being largely augmented by indignant citi- zens along the way until they arrived before the doors of the institution about four hundred strong. Here they announced the purpose of their coming, demand- ing the body that had been stolen. The college faculty denied all knowledge of the affair, and seemed indig- nant that the institution should be accused or even suspected of such an outrage against public decency. But when the determined men announced their pur- pose of setting fire to the college buildings if the body were not returned to them at once, it was finally agreed that it should be delivered to a committee, at a point near Trenton, on the following night, which was done, and the citizens exacted an assurance of immunity from any further depredations of the sort, threaten- ing the utter destruction of the college should their dead ever again be disturbed by them.
The stern uprising had a most wholesome effect, for in the records of the college under date of January 19, 1819, we find a resolution passed by the board of trustees to, "dismiss any student who shall be concerned directly or indirectly in digging up any
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dead human body, for the purpose of dissection in the College."
There was a cemetery at the first location of Capel Coch, in Steuben, south of the stone house of Wil- liam Evans, near the foot of Ty Coch hill; and at the location of Capel Bont, which stood on the northeast corner of the road from Pen-y-caerau to Fairchild, where it intersects the road leading east from what was formerly known as the Phelps mill on the turn- pike.
Through the munificent benefactions of individuals, Prospect Cemetery, located at Prospect village, two miles east of Remsen, is justly considered one of the most beautiful rural cemeteries in this section of the state. The first burial was made here in 1824. In recent years the late Thomas C. Jenkins, of Pitts- burgh, Pa., a native of Prospect, presented the Ceme- tery Association with fifteen acres of land adjacent to the old cemetery lot, and through annual gifts while he lived, continued by his heirs since his death, substantial and beautiful improvements have been made to the grounds.
CHAPTER IX
SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS
The early school-houses were built of logs, and had- only the most primitive and restricted accommoda- tions. The first in Remsen township stood a little east of the old part of Fairchild Cemetery, built on land donated for the purpose by Gershom Hinckley; and the second was in the Dayton district and known as the "North School House," these for several years being the only places for public worship in the town- ship. The one at Fairchild was destroyed by fire, and between 1820 and 1830 a new school-house was built, half a mile west of the Corners. In Steuben township a log school-house was early built at the Corners, and another near the Captain Fuller farm, while somewhat later there was one at Starr's Hill. The latter was first presided over by Dr. Earl Bill, who at that time was a young physician having but little practice in the sparsely settled forest country, and who taught school winters. Heman Ferry, a young man possessing much ability and very little money, also taught this school. It is told of him that before entering upon his duties as teacher, he bor- rowed sixpence from one of the trustees with which to buy a pen-knife to use in making and mending the children's pens. In after life he became one of the most successful business men of Remsen.
The first school-meeting of the Remsen village district, known then as "District No. 1," was held September 4, 1813. Joseph Halstead was moderator,
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and Heman Ferry was clerk. The trustees chosen were John Platt, Lemuel Hough and Ezra Green. This district embraced portions of the townships of Steuben and Trenton contiguous to the village. The first school-building here was that known as the "District School," which stood at the north end of the village, where is now the residence of George Williams. When first built it was a framed wood structure twenty-four by twenty-eight feet, its side facing the road. The door was in the northwest corner, and in the north end was a huge fire-place, with a great hearth like those found in most of the dwellings of those days. The writing desks were broad boards, placed in a slightly slanting position against the sides of the room. When the pupils wished to write, they sat with their backs to the teacher -and those boards in later years still displayed the genius, in- dustry and perseverance of the rising generations, much labor having been spent in carving curious images, gouging great holes, and cutting notches from a half to four inches in depth along the edges. Two rows of primitive benches ranged round the room; a water- pail and tin dipper, in a convenient place on a block of wood; a splint-broom, hanging by a tow string near the door; an old style splint-bottom chair, and a long wooden poker for the fire, constituted the equipment, and presents a picture of this "nursery of learning," as given to us by one who was an attendant there in early days. This old school-house was the educa- tional, religious and social center of the community for a number of years, or until the Academy was built.
One winter morning a Mr. Dart, who lived north of the village, early on his way to work in the shoe- factory of Col. Mather Beecher, discovered a light in the school-house, and investigating, found it on
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fire, but by throwing snow upon the blaze succeeded in extinguishing it. Still the fire had so damaged the north end of the building that the trustees de- cided to remove the chimney and fire-place, and in- stall a box-stove to heat the room, while a pulpit was placed where the old chimney stood. As there was no church building, the pulpit was provided for the accommodation of itinerant preachers, and on week-days was utilized as a receptacle for the hats, overcoats, hoods, shawls and lunch-baskets of the pupils. Later on the building was remodeled,in order to accommodate the pupils from the Academy which in the meantime had been established and discontinued. Some thirty-odd feet were added to the north end, mak- ing the total length of the building about sixty-six feet, with the door in the center, facing the road. There was a bell-dome or cupola on the center of the roof, in which was hung the bell taken from the Academy. This bell was later used on the Union School build- ing, erected near the stone church after the District School building was abandoned in 1868 or 1869.
The new addition to the old school-house was more modern in its arrangement, having seats with backs to them, and desks at which two pupils could sit. Like all country school-houses of its day that were honored in this respect at all, it was painted red. Folding doors separated the new structure from the old, the latter being used for the primary department.
The requirements of teachers were in keeping with the surroundings described. One qualification was highly necessary, the ability to make and mend a pen, which was always fashioned from a goose quill. No particular time was assigned for writing practice, and the teacher was likely to be called upon at any time to mend a pen or set a copy. The atlas, now
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considered indispensable in the study of geography, was unknown in the first schools; neither was the blackboard in use, nor any other school apparatus for the better illustration of studies, nor was there any uniformity in the text-books in use. Each child brought such school books as the family possessed- those their older brothers and sisters had studied, or the books their parents had used before them. Often- times there would be in the same class a variety of text-books, by as many as six or more different au- thors; but always among the standards were "The English Reader," "Murray's Grammar," "Daboll's Arithmetic," and "Webster's Spelling Book." The expression "beyond the pictures," once in common use to note a child's progress in the art of reading, is said to have had reference to the last named text- book-the easy lessons were illustrated, and "beyond the pictures" came the more difficult reading.
The athletic training which now forms so impor- tant a part of the curriculum in many schools would have been superfluous in those days, unless such train- ing could have been bestowed upon the teacher; for in employing one for the winter term when a greater number of strapping, husky youths were in at- tendance, it was particularly essential to select such a one as could "handle the boys." In the school, as in the home, the maxim "spare the rod and spoil the child" was given the greatest credence, and was re- ligiously observed. Physical as well as mental disci- pline was considered indispensable to the proper training of youth, and the teacher was not only ex- pected, but required, to perform his part.
Teachers were given board in addition to the small salaries received for their services, necessitating their conformity to the then universal custom of "board-
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ing 'round;" that is, the teacher lived in the families of the various patrons of the school, the time he should spend in each family as a boarder being determined by the number of children the household had in at- tendance at the school. This method of apportion- ing the expense for school privileges was considered an equitable one, and usually was welcomed by most patrons, who could furnish the required accommoda- tions better than they could part with currency, very little of which came to their purses in those times. From the following receipt dated April 19, 1819, given one of the trustees of the Fairchild district by a farmer of the neighborhood, we find that the expense of laundering the teacher's clothes also was sometimes provided by the school board, for it reads: "Rec'd Four Dollars in full for Washing the School Teacher's clothes for ten months."
The Academy at Steuben Corners was incorporated by the State Legislature April 17, 1826, and admitted by the Regents January 29, 1828. The first trustees were John Phillips, Daniel M. Crowel, Russel Fuller, Henry Storm, Abram Brooks, Thomas H. Hamilton, Chester Porter, Alfred Gillet, Joseph Ingham, Oba- diah Platt, Luther Guiteau, Elijah F. Willy, Samuel Sizer, Jotham Mitchell and George Brayton.
About this time or a little later, anticipating the advantages that would be derived from an advanced school in the village, some of the more enterprising citizens of the community began to agitate the ques- tion of building an Academy. The nearest institu- tion of the kind was that at Steuben, where some of the young people were sent after completing their studies in the common branches here. But the dis- tance, coupled with the difficulties encountered in going to and from that school over the Steuben hills
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during the winter months, were serious objections, and Steuben Corners being a mere hamlet, the facil- ities for accommodating students there were extremely meager.
Accordingly an Academy at Remsen village was built, prior to 1829, occupying the site of the present residence of Augustus Owens. The hill against which the building stood was excavated to some distance, and a wall of limestone built at the rear and at either side, one story high, upon which a framed story was added, while the entire front of both stories was of wood. The upper part was designed to accommodate "Rising Sun Lodge" of Free Masons as a lodge room, they having contributed liberally toward the cost of the building. This part, however, though used by them was not completed, the interior walls not having been plastered at the time Free Masonry fell into disrepute on account of the alleged murder of William Morgan, and when "Mason and Anti-Mason" became a political issue, these lodge-rooms suffered from the virulent attacks made upon them by the Anti-Mason faction in the early '30s.
While the Academy was never incorporated, and consequently not under the supervision of the State Board of Regents, it nevertheless gained much dis- tinction as an institution of learning. Students came from distant parts of the county, and also from Herki- mer and Lewis counties. It was discontinued as an Academy in the early '50s, though during succeeding years several terms of private or "select school" were taught here. Services of the English Congregational church were held here after 1829, and the English Methodists and others used the upper part for church services after the Masons had abandoned it. In the early years of the building's existence, in a belfry
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that lent dignity to the structure there was hung a steel triangle, used to summon the pupils, and also the congregations to religious services. Later the triangle was replaced by a bell, which is still doing duty, calling the children of to-day from youthful pastimes to more serious pursuits, as it called their parents and grandparents in years gone by. For three generations its clarion tone has sounded through the valley and over the hills; and to-day it awakens in the "old home comer" memories of the long ago, as no other sound can awaken, bringing to mind the many scenes made joyous by associations with youth- ful friends and companions who now are scattered over the broad land, or gone forever beyond the sound of all earthly calls.
The first teacher in the township of Remsen was Ezekiel Fairchild, who taught in the log school-house at Fairchild. Rev. John Taylor informs us in his Journal that at the time of his visit here in 1802, a man "who called himself Alexander obtained a school and set up preaching;" and then adds, "who and what he is I know not, but that he is some notorious villain I have no doubt." He leaves us in darkness, how- ever, as to the ground for his suspicions and harsh criticism of the man. The vicinity of Fairchild was the most thickly settled portion of the township at the time of Mr. Taylor's visit, while the location of the village of Remsen and contiguous territory con- tained not more than four or five families.
The first school teacher in the township of Steuben was Moses Adams, who taught at Steuben Corners before 1800 and was succeeded in later years by his son, Aaron Adams. Moses Adams was teaching here in 1802, and had a class of thirty-five pupils. Broughton White, who had been a member of Baron
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Steuben's household, also taught a school of about twenty pupils near the Fuller farm. Among the latter's pupils were the late Moses Jones and his sis- ter Nancy (Mrs. William Owens), they coming from what is now Remsen village, as this was then their nearest school. A little later, but prior to 1805, some one whom we are unable to name taught in the old log church, Capel Ucha'. Among his pupils were John and Owen Jones (Pen-yr-allt), and Robert M. Jones.
Broughton White, the first teacher in Remsen vil- lage district, was chosen by the trustees for the win- ter of 1813-1814. Austin Ward, also a teacher of singing, and in later years several times a candidate for governor on the Anti-slavery ticket, was a teacher in this district.
We can not designate all the teachers in the Remsen district, nor even the order of their terms of service, though prominent among them were the following: Broughton White; Eleazer Green; Albert White, son of Broughton White; Baldwin Tuthil, brother of Vincent Tuttle, of Holland Patent, but who spelled his name T-u-t-t-l-e; Catherine Bogue, daughter of Rev. Publius V. Bogue, of Paris Hill, and sister of the second wife of Sylvester Burchard; Susan Johnson, afterward the wife of Dr. Earl Bill; Thomas Z. R. Jones, who later went as a missionary to the Terri- tory of Michigan; the Misses Pardee, of Trenton Falls; and Margaret Stebbins, later Mrs. Henry Thomp- son, all of whom taught here previous to 1825. Sub- sequently there were Aaron Adams; Thomas Hawley; Alfred Hough; a Mr. Fish, of Holland Patent; Lester Fowler; Mary Fowler; Amy C. Phelps; Evan Owens, of Fairchild, who also taught in other districts, and for some years was town superintendent of schools; William White; a Miss Hall; a Mr. Fox; a Mr. Gurney,
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who lived on Steuben creek above Trenton village; Broughton W. Green; Eveline Allen, later Mrs. Na- thaniel Rockwood, Jr .; John D. Tefft; George Graves; John McClusky, who afterward held the office of postmaster at Alder Creek for nearly fifty years; a Mr. Hamlin, of Holland Patent; Emily Underhill; S. Amelia Griffiths; a Mrs. Joy; Mary A. Griffiths, who became Mrs. William P. Owens; a Miss Hughes, of South Trenton; David J. Evans; the Misses Mar- garet and Phoebe Nichols; the Misses Mary and Annie Roberts; and George Bennett, of Hinckley, who was the last to teach in the old district school-house.
An advanced school was taught for a time in a part of the Colonel Beecher residence, before the Academy was built. The first principal of the Acad- emy, a Mr. Williams, held the position for several years, and was succeeded by George Guiteau, son of Dr. Luther Guiteau, Sr., of Trenton, a very success- ful teacher; a Mr. Meigs, who married a Miss Hamlin, of Holland Patent, and who removed to Watertown, where he died; a Mr. Verry; a Mr. Ames; Daniel Morgan, of Trenton; and John A. Ryerson. When the Academy had ceased to rank as such, private schools were taught by different ones in that build- ing and elsewhere in the village, among whom was a Mr. Zwerkferger; John A. Ryerson; Herbert Morris, son of Daniel Morris, of Prospect, who later became a distinguished Presbyterian minister, of Rochester, N. Y .; the Misses Everett, daughters of Rev. Dr. Everett; Emily Phillips (Mrs.Fowler); Dean M. Jen- kins, son of 'Squire Jenks Jenkins, of Prospect, who was assisted by a Mr. Zollar, who subsequently be- came head master on the retirement of Mr. Jenkins. The latter school flourished in the early '60s, and was the largest private school ever conducted in
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Remsen, embracing all grades from the primary to advanced commercial branches. Among the earli- est private schools taught in Remsen was that of Louisa Platt, daughter of John Platt, who in a very early day taught a class in the house which stands on the south corner of Main and Steuben streets, and later in the Deacon Hugh J. Hughes house, in the south part of the village, the latter house then being owned by Sylvester Burchard. Abbie Platt taught in the John Platt house, which was later the home of Owen S. Evans; and Maria Smith had a private school in what was known as the Johnson house, later and for many years the home of Rev. Morris Roberts. A Miss Colburn was governess in the family of Maj. Andrew Billings, where a few select pupils were per- mitted to attend.
CHAPTER X
INCIDENTS AND REMINISCENCES
After the revolution there rankled in the breast of many a pioneer in the frontier settlements a deep- seated prejudice against the Indian, and among our own pioneers there were a few who never could tol- erate their presence. They had little fondness for any of the savage race whose dexterous skill with tomahawk and scalping-knife had wiped out many a family in earlier border communities, and that too at a period not so remote as to be effaced from the memory of some of those who had come from the near-by Mohawk country, where such outrages re- peatedly had been committed. There still lingered in the minds of all a latent fear, enhanced by occa- sional rumors that savage hordes in Canada were preparing themselves and might descend upon them at any time, like wolves upon a fold.
Nor was this fear without a reasonable foundation; for after the revolution some of the Indian tribes that had allied themselves with the British located in Canada, where also numerous Tories took refuge, having been driven from their homes by the wrath and scorn of indignant neighbors on account of their disloyalty to the colonies, and by the confiscation of their lands by the state. These Tories, the settlers argued, were not above instigating marauding bands of Indians to fall upon the settlements and repeat some of the fiendish acts they had proved themselves so capable of committing. But it chanced that the
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Indians seemingly had satisfied their desire for carnage, or perhaps still were cowed by the remembered sting of General Sullivan's correcting rod, for they certainly never molested the settlers here; and hence we are thankfully spared the painful necessity of recounting in our annals of Remsen so blood curdling an atrocity as an Indian massacre.
However, for many years after the first settlements were made here, Indians from Canada and the va- rious State reservations continued to pass through these townships, and oftentimes came in quite large numbers establishing camps near the streams, where they fished, trapped, hunted and plied their various avocations, remaining for weeks at a time on their favorite camping sites. One of these was near the John G. Jones woolen-mill, just south of Remsen vil- lage; another about a mile south, near the large boulder on the "lime-kiln farm;" while frequently some of them camped on the banks of the Cincinnati, near the Tinman place, north of Remsen. Their tepees were made of poles set upon end in the ground, con- verging to a center at the top, and this framework then covered with hemlock bark and browse; the several tepees being so arranged as to form a circle twenty feet or more in diameter. In the center of this circle a fire was kept burning, over which the occupants did their cooking.
Among the industries they busied themselves about was the manufacture of splint-brooms, which they made from small birch saplings, cut into lengths of about five feet; then, by shaving the pole for a foot or more from one end, and permitting the shavings to adhere to the stick until a sufficient bunch had thus been pared to form a brush five or six inches in di- ameter, it was turned downward and bound about
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with deer thongs; after which the remaining portion of the stick was smoothed for a handle. The squaws made baskets, bead-work, and fancy articles from birch bark, ornamented with highly colored porcu- pine quills, all of which, including the brooms, were sold or bartered among the whites for food. Those who were sent on hunting expeditions often returned with game, perhaps a deer or a bear, portions of which were also exchanged with the settlers for salt pork and other products of the farm.
An Indian, whose name and tribal connection are now forgotten, was wont to make periodical journeys through Remsen on his way to and from the Adi- rondacks, when he frequently stopped at the home of Rev. Richard Jones, about half a mile south of the village at the foot of Pen-yr-allt hill. Here he was ever provided with food, also with robes and skins to make for himself a comfortable bed in the barn. One winter evening he appeared, asking permission to spend the night. After supper, when given the robes for his bed in the barn, he remonstrated, saying he must be permitted to sleep before the fire-place in the house. As the weather was not severe, Mr. Jones was at a loss to understand why he made this demand, and why his general bearing was so unusual. It indeed created no little alarm in the minds of the involuntary host and hostess, who feared that harm was intended; but being alone, and unable to cope by argument or otherwise with their master- ful and insistent guest, they yielded to his wishes. Upon their retiring, the Indian rolled himself in the robes upon the floor, lying with his head toward the fire.
As may be supposed, the circumstance was not of a kind to promote ease and tranquillity in the minds
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of the good dominie and his wife, nor conducive to sound sleep on their part. Their room opened off the living-room or kitchen where the Indian had stretched himself, and sometime during the night they discerned his moving shadow upon the wall, though hearing not the slightest sound. Presently, however, they were startled by the report of a gun discharged within the house. Hastily rising, Mr. Jones discovered that the Indian had passed from the fire-lighted room to a dark hall or corridor extending through the house, and was now standing at the outer door, which he had opened the length of the bolt-chain, and where he stood with his musket in hand. Upon their startled inquiry, the Indian motioned Mr. Jones to silence and made his exit through another door, creeping stealthily around the outside of the house. After a time, apparently satisfied that there were no intruders to be found, he re-entered, explaining to his mystified host and hostess why he had come there at this time and why he had insisted on sleeping in the house in- stead of in the barn as on former occasions.
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