USA > New York > Oneida County > Annals and recollections of Oneida County > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64
261
MARSHALL.
xv.]
presented the order, when the Yankee and his beast were most accurately described. "Oh! now I know it all," says the Judge, "it is nothing but that ' Yankee Pass."" As the signature was genuine, and as no proof could be made of the fraud, the draft had to be duly honored ; but for the remain- der of his official term it is presumed the Judge never gave another " Yankee Pass."
The following is related by Mr. Tracy :- "One day, an unfortunate debtor applied to the Judge to obtain the relief afforded by the statute, and having prepared and duly exe- cuted his assignment, waited the signature of the Judge to perfect his discharge. 'Well,' said he, 'have you got all things ready?' 'Yes,' replied the debtor, 'every thing is prepared ; all you have to do is to sign my discharge.' ' Very well,' said the Judge, 'have you paid all your debts?' 'Oh! no,' said the debtor, 'if I had I should not apply for the benefit of the statute.' 'But,' replied the Judge, 'I can't sign the paper till you have paid all your debts : you must pay your debts first.' Upon this point he was inexorable, and the applicant was forced to seek elsewhere the relief desired."
VILLAGES. - Deansville is the most important point in the town of Marshall. It is located on the Chenango Canal, in the north-easterly part of the town. The plank roads leading from Waterville and from Madison, to Utica, unite here. This place has the Methodist Church, Deansville Post Office, two store houses, two mercantile houses, two taverns, a grocery and provision store, with a number of mechanic shops, etc., and but a few rods easterly is the grist mill erected by Asa Dick. Esq., on the west branch of the Oriskany Creek. Here was the mansion of the late Thomas
26:2
ANNALS OF ONEIDA COUNTY.
[CHAP.
Dean, Esq., so long and favorably known as the agent of the Brothertown Indians.
Dickville .- Since the construction of the Chenango Canal, and the building up of Deansville, this place has nearly lost the characteristics of a village. It received its name from Asa Dick, Esq., before-mentioned, who lived and died here. He was a man of enterprise, lived in good style, had a good two story dwelling, painted white ; but in the latter part of his life, he extended his business beyond his means, and after his death his estate was found to be insolvent. Formerly the place had its merchant and mechanies, but is at this time little more than a neighborhood of farmers, located on very choice land, with its two saw mills on the east branch of the Oriskany.
Forge Hollow. - As its name indicates, its inhabitants are engaged in the manufacture of iron. The first forge was erected here in 1801, by Daniel Hanchet, John Winslow, Thomas Winslow, and Ward White. It manufactured iron from ore. It has now three smaller establishments of the kind, which work only serap iron. Billy Titus has for quite a number of years been engaged in furnace castings. formerly quite extensively, but at this time the infirmities of age have compelled him to materially abridge his business. The place has the Universalist Church, a merchant, and a number of mechanics. It is located on the east branch of the Oriskany, the hills on each side of its narrow valley rising abruptly, and to a considerable height. The Waterville plank road passes through Dickville and Forge Hollow. A man by the name of Putnam was probably the earliest settler in this place ; Elder Tremain and Timothy Burr were also among the carly settlers.
263
MARSHALL.
xv.]
Marshall (formerly called Hanover). - This place is located on the plank road leading from Waterville to Paris Hill, New Hartford, and Utica. It has the Congregational Church, the Marshall Post Office, a store, public house, various me- chanics' shops, and a small collection of dwelling houses. The farms in this vicinity are of the first quality, there being no better upland in the county.
A. protracted effort has been made to procure from his family the facts, dates, and incidents, for a biography of the late Thomas Dean, Esq., but without success.
ADDEND.1.
After the copy of the foregoing notices of Marshall was in the hands of the printer, and a part of it in type, the author accidentally discovered, at the house of George W. Bass, in that town, the ".Book of Brothertown Records," from 1796 to 1843. In penmanship, and in next, orderly arrangement, it excels many of the books of town records in the county. On the first page each Town Clerk has entered his name in the order in which they were elected. To revive the recollection of the names of some of the more prominent members of this amalgamated tribe of Indians, the list is inscribed : -
Elijah Wampy, David Fowler, jun., William Coyhis, Christopher Scheesuck, Thomas Crosley, Jacob Dick, Wm. Dick, jun., James Fowler, jun., Daniel Dick, David Toucec, R. Fowler, James Kiness, Simon Hart, James Wiggins, Alexander Fowler.
These were all the clerks from 1795 to 1843, several of them holding the office for a number of years.
264
ANNALS OF ONEIDA COUNTY. [CHAP.
James Kiness, who served longer than any other individ- ual, wrote a most beautiful engrossing hand, which few clerks of the present day can equal, and which still fewer can excel. His orthography is very correct, indeed the whole book in this respect fully comes up to the generality of town records. There is a paper copied into said book, dated September 26th, 1795, signed by Samuel Jones, Ezra L'Hommedieu and Zina Hitchcock. "Commissioners appointed by an Act of the Leg- islature of the State of New York, 'An act relative to lands in Brothertown,' have appropriated to the following Indians, the following lots of land, as the same have been laid out and delineated upon the map of the land, set off by the said Com- missioners. for the use of the Indians."
Then follow the names of forty-five persons, several of whom were widows, and the number of the lot or lots assign- ed to each. In this list is found the name of George Peters, who was afterwards executed for the murder of his wife Eunice. To him and his family was assigned two lots, which lay a little east of MeMillen's. The wife that he murdered was a daughter of the celebrated Wampy before noticed.
June 13th. 1796, William Floyd for himself and in behalf of the other Superintendents, set lots to eight families.
July 3, 1797, Thomas Eddy, Superintendent, assigned lands to eight families ; by the proceedings it appears that a part of the lots assigned to these families, had been previous- ly assigned to others, and by them forfeited, but does not state in what the forfeiture consisted.
At a meeting of the Superintendents of the Brothertown Indians, held in the school house in said town, January 8th. 1812. Present-Uri Doolittle and Asahel Curtis. Super- intendents, and William Hotchkiss, Attorney. At this meeting lands were assigned to ten persons and families. A part of these lands had been previously assigned and forfeited,
265
MARSHALL.
xv.]
and it is stated that the forfeiture was worked by the persons dying without issue. After these assignments the records show that individuals selected such unoccupied or forfeited lot as they chose; then the Peacemakers gave a certificate to the superintendents of such choice, which seems to have given a right to possession.
By an act of the Legislature the people of Brothertown were to meet on the first Tuesday in April of each year, to elect their town officers. At these meetings the Peacema- kers presided, and were also authorized to notify special meetings. The elective officers were a Clerk, two Overseers of the Poor, two Marshals, three Fence Viewers, a Pound Master, and Overseers of Highways. The office of Peace- maker, answering in most respects to that of a Justice of the Peace, and which entitled the possessor to the affixture of Esquire to his name, was not elective, but seems to have been appointed by the Governor and Senate. They had Tithing-men, but none of the minutes of the town meetings show that they were elected. Probably they brought from New England the idea of such an officer, but as the office was not known to the laws of New York, they selected suclı a person to do the duties, only as an individual.
The book contains many by-laws, quite a portion of which are for the suppression of vice and immorality. The by-law for the observanee of the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, is quite similar to the statute of this State, in the characteristics of the offence and the amount of the fine, seventy-five cents, but with this difference " and in case no property ean be found to answer said fine, and it is not answered in thirty days, then every such offender shall by a warrant under the hand and seal of any one of the Peace- makers of said town, be set publicly in the stocks, for the space of two hours, then, and in every such ease, the cost for
.
266
ANNALS OF ONEIDA COUNTY.
[CHAP.
executing said precepts, shall be paid the Marshal out of the treasury of said town."
By another section the like punishment was to be inflicted for card playing and frolicking on Sunday, and on Saturday or Sunday evenings.
In another section a fine of thirty-seven and a half cents is imposed for any one offence in profanely cursing or swear- ing, and in default of paying the same in thirty days, or giv- ing such security as shall be accepted by the Peacemakers, then to be set publicly in the stocks for one hour, and for any number of offences, whereof any such offender may be convicted at the same time, two hours. Drunkenness is pun- ished by the same penalties and pains as cursing and swear- ing. Extra penalties are inflicted for intoxication at town meetings. There is a section for the punishment of accesso- ries to stealing.
Arbitration is provided for as a court of reference by a rule from the Peacemakers. There are a number of sec- tions defining the duties of town officers, and one to prevent females from attending town meetings.
In common with most Indian nations, they deprecated any mixture with the African race, the following is the forty- fourth by-law :- " Negro Micture Women. As they are not proprietors of the tract of land called Brothertown, notwith- standing their marrying to any of the inhabitants of said town. Therefore, they henceforth shall have no right or title to any of the annuity of the said Brothertown Indians." In all, there are sixty-seven sections of the by-laws, and this notice of them will be concluded by transcribing that in rela- tion to " Fugitive Slaves."
" If any of the inhabitants of Brothertown, at any time hereafter shall indulge, harbor or conceal any child or chil- dren, servants or apprentices, that has run away or absconded
267
MARSHALL.
xv.]
from his, her or their master, guardian or parent, and be thereof convicted, shall forfeit and pay to the person ag- grieved, the sum of one dollar for every twenty-four hours thus indulging, harboring or concealing any child, apprentice or servant, without the consent of the master, guardian or parent as aforesaid, to be recovered with cost of suit in any court of the Peacemakers of Brothertown."
By the records it appears that the following named persons held the office of Superintendent of the Brothertown In- dians :- Samuel Jones, Ezra L'Hommedieu, Zina Hitchcock, William Floyd, Thomas Eddy, Bill Smith, Thomas Hart, Henry MeNiel, Uri Doolittle; Asahel Curtis, Joseph Stebbins, William Root, Nathan Davis, Austin Mygatt, Samuel L. Hubbard, Elijah Wilson, Samuel Comstock.
The Peacemakers were appointed from among the Indians. It would seem that they were usually made from a few of the more prominent and educated families, the senior and junior members of which sometimes held the appointment at the same time. Prominent among the Peacemakers from 1796 to 1843, were the Fowlers, Johnsons, Scheesucks, Tuhis, and the Dicks.
In 1809, the Brothertowns sent John Tuhi, sen., John Scheesuck, sen., Jacob Fowler and Henry Cuchip, delegates to treat with the western Indians. Their proceedings were ordered to be recorded.
Speech of the said delegates, July 3, 1809, to the Dela- wares, and the rest of the Wawponohkies, as follows :
" Brothers :- We sent our salutation to you last year, with a promise that we would pay you a visit, we are very glad that the Good Spirit has enabled us to sit with you at this council-fire to-day.
268
ANNALS OF ONEIDA COUNTY., [CHAP.
"Brothers :- Our ancestors and your forefathers were in friendship with each other, but the covenant which they have made with your forefathers has been forgotten by us. Nev- ertheless. when we heard you were in trouble, we were sorry, and when you were promoting peace among yourselves and your neighbors, we rejoiced.
" Brothers :- Our forefathers have had the same fate your ancestors have met with, they have had a long war with the white people. Our people were then numerous, but after many years of storm or war, they made peace, then they found their numbers much lessened, and the white people possessed of their native country, as they have done to your forefathers, and for that reason we have had to move from place to place, as you have also done.
"Brothers : - Although we live a great distance from you, and in among the white people, ever since we were in being, still we feel our minds drawn towards people of our own color.
". Brothers :- We now take hold of your hand, to renew that friendship which subsisted between our ancestors and yours, which has been forgotten for a great length of time, this friendship is extended to the whole of the confederacy, on our part we shall teach our children how to maintain this friendship, that it may last to the latest of our generations.
" Brothers :- We take your council-fire to be the front door at which we should enter at first, and here we put down our talk and request you to communicate the same to the whole of the confederacy.
[One belt of wampum delivered.]
" Brothers :- As you have a sad experience for many years past, you understand well what poverty is, therefore, we now lay our ease before you, as we have not land enough
269
MARSHALL.
xv.]
to contain all our people in the east, we should feel happy if you would consider us: May the Great Good Spirit enable us to keep this friendship always bright."
[Delivered a white belt of wampum, with three black streaks on it, containing ten rows of wampum.]
Answer to the above :-
" WHITE RIVER, July 3, 1809.
" At a General Council held by the Wawponohkies (to wit) :- Delawares, Mohiconick, Monssy, Wescoopsey, and Nanticoke Nations, at which time Working Pomseon, a prin- cipal chief of the Delaware Nation, delivered a speech to the deputies of the four towns which stand on the banks of the Grand River and River De Trench, also to the Mohekons, and the remnant of the seven tribes of Indians who reside at Brothertown, in the State of New York, as follows :-
" Grand-children, Brothers, and Friends :- I am happy to see you. I salute you all. It is a happy thing that we are met together so many of us, the remnant of the Wawpo- nohkies, to deliberate upon the welfare of our respective tribes.
"Grand-children :- While we were sitting by the side of this river, in a dismal situation, about twelve months ago, our grand-children, the chiefs and head warriors of the Miamies, arrived and sat where you now sit, and we were sitting where we now are, our business with them was to settle the difficulties which did arise on account of this land.
" Grand-children :- With great satisfaction I now men- tion to you that last fall the Miamies and ourselves have removed all cause of uneasiness, and we have had a confirma- tion by the President of the United States, whereby we are assured we may live on these lands without molestation.
270
ANNALS OF ONEIDA COUNTY. [CHAR.
" Grand-children, Brothers, and Friends :- Be it known to you that you have the same privilege as we have to this land. we can not point out a particular spot for you to live on, but you may take your own choice wherever you should be suited on undivided land along this river, there you may build your fire-place.
"Grand-children, Brothers, and Friends : -- All our chiefs, head warriors, and young men send their salutations to your chiefs, heroes, and young men : Be it known then that our union is full and complete, and established to-day ; therefore, let your eyes be fixed on this place, that your minds may not be fluctuating as heretofore, but easy and settled. This speech is to you all, as we have become one people."
[ Different strings of wampum delivered. Two strings of white wampum to the Brothertown people. ]
It will be perceived that the Brothertown Indians are spoken of as remnants of seven tribes: In other parts of their records they term themselves emigrants from the seven tribes, but no where give the names of all of them. No doubt but what there were seven principal tribes from which they were derived, but it is a fact well known to a person acquainted with the history of the New England Indians that a tribe was frequently divided into villages, bearing sep- arate names, still members of the same tribe or stock.
There was another book of records, containing the minutes of the courts held by the Peacemakers. Some time in the year 1850, the tribe now at Green Bay sent by a messenger for both books, but for some reason the messenger did not obtain the book containing their town records, but did that containing their judicial proceedings, which he took to Green Bay
xv.]
MARSHALL. 271
A few of the Brothertown Indians obtained marble slabs. and placed them at the graves of their friends. Two only "of their inseriptions have been obtained.
"JOIN TUMI, Esq., Died December 14, 1811, Aged 65 years."
This monument is now broken down, and is in three pieces.
"' ESTHER POUQUINAL, A Member of the Mohegan Tribe of Indians, A Practical and Exemplary Christian. Aged 96 years."
272
ANNALS OF ONEIDA COUNTY.
ECHIAT.
CHAPTER XVI.
NEW HARTFORD.
This town embraces territory which was among the carly settled sections of the county. Although the village of New Hartford received its name at an early period, yet until 1827 the present territory of the town was included in Whitestown.
The settlement of this town was commenced by Colonel (afterwards Judge) Jedediah Sanger, who arrived at the site of the village, and commenced making improvements, in March, 1788. He bought 1,000 acres of land lying upon, and about equally divided by, the Sauquoit Creek, and which includes the whole of the present village. He con- tracted to pay fifty cents per acre, and within the first year of his residence he sold one half of his purchase, including all on the east side of the creek, to Josephi Higbee, for one dollar per acre, thus clearing one half of his purchase, in- cluding the site of most of the village. Higbee's half of the entire traet was found, upon a re-survey, to contain six hundred acres.
Under the auspices of its enterprising founder. New Hartford had a rapid growth, and the evidences of the energy of its master-spirit were every where witnessed, and . a large clearing made in the course of the first season. In March, 1789, Col. Sanger removed his family to New Hart- ford, and in that year he erected a saw mill, and in the
273
NEW HARTFORD.
XVI.]
following year a grist mill. In the first three years of its settlement, this town contained a band of pioncer settlers, who compared favorably with those of any seetion of the county.
Those who settled west of the village, and in the vicinity of the present plank road, were Ashbel Beach, Amos Ives, Solomon Blodget, Salmon Butler, Joel Blair (the three last named at Middle Settlement), Agift Hill (on the farm for many years owned by Oliver Sandford, Esq.), a Mr. Wyman (on the farm now owned by Linus Parsons), and Stephen Bushnell (who settled upon the farm now occupied by his son of the same name), and Oliver Collins and Joseph Jen- nings (upon the road from Middle Settlement to Whites- boro). Those who settled east of New Hartford village, were Joseph Higbee, Nathan Seward, and John French ; and south of the village, three families of Kelloggs, two of Risleys, two of Olmsteads, and Messrs. Seymour, Butler, Hurlburt, Kilborn, and Montague. In the early settlement of Chautauque County, a branch of the Risley family emi- grated thither, and a member of the family-Hon. Elijah Risley-has been Sheriff of the county, and a Representa- tive in Congress.
The village and territory now embraced within the town of New Hartford, for a considerable number of years made a healthy and rapid progress in population and wealth. The construction of the Seneca turnpike road, in 1800, gave the village great advantages, and its business soon out- stripped that of many of its cotemporaries. For the loca- tion of the road through this place, the town was indebted to the same master-spirit. Located as the village was, out of the direet route, yet Judge Sanger, by taking a large amount of stoek, exerting his potent influence, and putting in full exereise his industry and perseverance, when a valuable
18
274
ANNALS OF ONEIDA COUNTY. [CHAP.
object was to be attained, could scarcely fail, and success. crowned his efforts. The immense water power of the creek was then just being developed, and from that time to the present, its use in propelling machinery has rapidly in- creased.
For a considerable portion of the time after the construc- tion of the turnpike, and before the completion of the middle section of the Erie Canal, a much larger amount of business was done in New Hartford village than in Utica ; and to its extensive water power-the lack of which has ever been severely felt in the latter place-was this extent of business attributable. Even her merchants, at the head of whom stood the heavy firm of Wilbor & Stanton, at one time traded more extensively than those of its neighbor on the Mohawk. But the construction of the Erie Canal dried up many of the sources of the prosperity of New Hartford. in common with other villages situated upon the turnpike. The carrying business for the mighty west at once left the Great Western turnpikes for the canal. and Utica soon grew to be a city, and the New Hartford merchants were obliged to yield the palm. The canal did not, however, cut off one most important source of prosperity. for the Sauquoit continued to flow on, and with this advantage New Hartford must ever continue a village of considerable business.
The village contains at this time four dry goods stores, one druggist and one grocery, two tin shops. one cabinet and one paint shop, one blacksmith and wheelwright, and two shoe shops, two taverns, two large and three small cotton factories, one grist and one saw mill. and a tannery, at which more than $30,000 worth of leather is manufactured an- nually. The village also contains five houses for public worship, viz .:- one each for the Presbyterians, Episcopal- ians. Methodists, Friends. and Universalists : and also five
XVI.]
NEW HARTFORD. 275
· ministers of the Gospel, four physicians, no lawyer, and about 1,000 inhabitants.
The first child born in New Hartford, was the late Dr. Uriel H. Kellogg. He died some four or five years since
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
The oldest religious society in New Hartford, is the Presbyterian Church, which was organized, with thirteen members, August 27, 1791, by the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, D. D., of New Haven, Conn. It was organized in the same month, and by the same clergyman, as was the Congrega- tional Church in Clinton. This was also formed as a Con- gregational Church, and so remained until 1802, but since which its discipline has been in strict accordance with the standards of the Presbyterian Church. Its first pastor was Dan Bradley, who was ordained in February, 1792, and was dismissed in December, 1794. On the 6th of September following, Mr. Bradley removed to Marcellus, Onondaga County, and it appears that he did not again preach the Gospel, but entered on the business of farming, and in after- life became one of the most skilful and scientific agricultur- ists of Onondaga County. He was appointed a County Judge in 1801, and First Judge in 1808, and was appointed President of the first Onondaga County Agricultural Society in 1819. He died at his residence, at Marcellus, September 19, 1838, aged 71 years. He wrote much for the different agricultural periodicals of his day.
The next pastor was the Rev. Joshua Johnson, who was installed October 26, 1795. It is said that the young people, to do due honor to the occasion, held in the evening an " Ordination Ball," but some persons living at the present
276
ANNALS OF ONEIDA COUNTY.
[CHAP.
day entertain doubts as to the correctness of this statement. The balance of testimony is, however, in favor of the asser- tion that a "ball" was actually got up for the occasion. Loth as the writer is to believe that so solemn an occasion should have been desecrated by the mirth and levity usually found in the ball room, still he finds the " Ordination Ball" noticed by two respectable authors,* who have published histories of the times, and it is believed neither would have so done had not the evidence been to him entirely satisfactory.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.