USA > New York > Seneca County > Romulus > Centennial celebration of the official organization of the town of Romulus, Seneca county, New York > Part 2
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Bitt alas we cannot. Inexorable time, which permits us to celebrate this day, has claimed them for its own. They sleep in yonder cemetery or elsewhere, all of blessed memory. What they did here, what they endured of hardship; what they achieved of success, what they wrought for this town, in their day and gene- ration, for themselves and for us, has passed into history, and will be told to you to-day, by others in song and story.
And now Mr. President, again thanking you for your kindly welcome, and congratulating you all on the evident success of this, your first effort in this direction, so happily conceived and inaugurated, may I not venture the wishi, that we may all be present again at your second centennial celebration, in the spirit if not in the fleshlı.
Music by the Band followed, when the President introduced Col. James P. Sanford of Wheaton, Illinois, a native of Romulus, who delivered the oration of the day.
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Col. Sanford's address was extemporaneous and delivered wholly without notes.
The Executive Committee sincerely regrets, that upon appli- cation to him, for a copy of his address, he expressed inability to furnish the same, and no stenographer having been in attendance: the same cannot therefore be published herewith. Those persons who had the pleasure of listening to Colonel Sanford, will long remember his pleasing and interesting address, delivered in his happy and inimitable style of oratory.
Singing followed, by the Farmer Village Male Quartette, consisting of J. M. Blauvelt, C. A. Smith, Thomas P. Hause, and Louis M. Rappleye.
Hon. Albert L. Childs, of Waterloo, then appeared and recited the following original poem :
The century chimes that mark the hundred years,
Are wafting music sweet to willing ears ;
Their anthem brings a message to the free,
And nature sings: "My Country 'tis of thee !" Historic scenes, of years long passed away, Illumined are, by this centennial day ! And now time halts, to grant us a review, Of Auld Lang Syne, and Romulus the new ! And Romulus the old, in beauty grand ! Between the lakes, our modern Beulah land .! Where meadows green, and fields of golden grain, Mark well the progress of this rich domain !
What care the happy people of to-day, About Mythology, grown old and grey ! Like mummies buried in the ages gone, That turn to ashes at the early dawn ! Old Romulus, the primal sovereign king, Of ancient Rome, that history doth bring ; Full forty times the century chimes have rung, Since praises of old Romulus were sung !
"The King is dead ! Long live the king, " we say ? And Romulus is sovereign still, to-day ! Not he who suckled by the wolf, was fierce, His own twin brother, with a spear to pierce ! To glory over brother who was slain, And wear upon his brow the mark of Cain ! Not so. Not so. The Romulus we praise, The daughter fair, with smiling, winning ways,
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Hath milk of human kindness in hier veins ; In peace and love and happiness she reigns ! She holds her sceptre in her lily hand, O'er loyal subjects in this favored land !
No mark of sin upon her brow is seen, She is our glorious Romulus, our Queen ! Yea, Men of Tyre, travel here to-day, Their tribute of respect, and love to pay, And join the throng who gather round the shrine, Of this centennial time, of Auld Lang Syne !' And Junius too lays down historic pen, To interchange the worldly thought of men, Of husbandry, and wives and daughters fair, The glory of this festive day to share ! And Ovid, named from ancient poet great, Who sang of heroes driven by their fate, Impelled by strong desire to lend a hand In making this centennial day more grand, Sends delegations from her bounteous store, Of sons and handsome daughters by the score ; With men of dignity and earned renown To pay respect to worthy sister town ! And on this cheerful bright centennial day, From Covert places near and far away, Come sons and sires, and wives and daughters sweet Their loving sister Romulus to greet !
The Old Guard comes from peaceful Waterloo, With steady step to join this grand review ! Surrendered now, they stand, drawn up in line, And gracefully salute our Auld Lang Syne ! Prophetic words have come, that strife shall cease ; And enemies in war shall meet in peace ! The sword to plow-share beat; and battle spear To pruning hook is turned, we witness here ! Oh glorious dawn of peace, with radiance bright ; Onr eyes are brought to see the wondrous sight !
Queen Romulus, thy charming hills and vales, No longer bear the marks of Indian trails ! Queen Romulus, no longer thy ravines, Will echo savage yells mid scalping scenes! The century chimes to-day, are chimes of Peace ! The grand "Old Hundred" hymn sounds man's release From shedding brother's blood ; while centuries go,
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They sing "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow "! Old Hector, warrior of the ancient past : Victorious Trojan chief, from first to last, With sweet Andromache, his chosen bride, Fought Ajax when Jove's lightning he defied ! While Homer, Grecian poet, in his rhymes, Portrayed the bloody battles of those times : And deified with chosen words the best, Achilles, Ajax, Hector and the rest ! And closed the chapter with a sad refrain, When hero Hector, battle scarred, was slain ! Our modern Hector, happy now, is seen, With incense brought for Romulus the Queen ! AAnd places on her brow a wreath to-day, Of peace and love, that never fades away ! From all the sister towns, on every side ; From Old Caynga's waters, long and wide : From Seneca's waves, and her surrounding hills ; From deep ravines, cascades and rocks and rills ; From Old Tanghannock gorge, and Watkins glen, Where rainbows play with sunshine now and then,
Ontario's waters too, where Northern light, Illumes the distant horizon at night ;
From Seneca Falls, where Skoi-yase waters roar, And speed along to Old Cayuga's shore ; From quiet sister Varick in repose, Where peace and plenty blossom like the rose ; From Fayette's thrifty fields where sunbeams dance, From lake to lake across her broad expanse ; These kindred spirits, now their greeting send To Romulus, their sister, queen and friend !
Queen Romulus, Old Seneca's daughter fair ; These loving sister towns, thy glory share ! By rich inheritance they bore thy name ; And in thy royal stock still hold a claim! And while the chimes ring out, with music sweet, They place the wreaths of roses at thy feet ! And with a sister's love and warm embrace, Upon thy brow, this crown of peace they place !
Queen Romulus, Old Seneca's daughter fair ; This crown of peace, forever thou shalt wear ! From distant Wayne, whose heavy laden trees Of fruit are kissed by gentle northern breeze, From Old Ontario County, with her show,
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Of vine clad slopes, lit up by sunset glow ; From Tompkins, Yates and Schuyler's sunny glades, From Old Cayuga County's palisades ; A grand salute is wafted through the air, To Romulus, Old Seneca's daughter fair !
A hundred times the month of roses, June, Has waved her hand good-bye, to winter's reign !
A hundred times, the glorious harvest moon Hatlı shed her beans o'er fields of golden grain !
A hundred times, the birds have flown away ! And left their nests, for region mild and warm !
A hundred times, the meadow, turning grey, Foretold the coming of the Winter stormn !
A hundred times was laid aside the plow ! A hundred times, the yellow corn in sight !
A hundred times, the apples on the bough, Turned rosy cheeks for kiss of morning light !
A hundred times, the leaves were painted red ! A hundred times, the flowers went to seed !
A hundred times, the bees had gone to bed ! A hundred times was Winter's reign decreed !
A hundred times did Autumn come and go ; And Spring returned, received with open arms !
A hundred times, was Nature's robe of snow Wrapped round her form, to hide her summer charms.
A hundred years, since Romulus was named ! Since first indeed, the christening robe she wore ! With century chimes, her glory is proclaimed . The queen of peace, and love forevermore !
Within the seven-hilled city, Ancient Rome, Amid the splendors of a monarch's home : Upon their banners "Romulus" inscribed ; A name the Roman warriors deified ! " The roads all lead to Rome, " in words of gold, Are blazoned on the walls of temples old ! For Rome's first king, hath issued the decree, That Rome, Eternal City, thus should be ; That all the power and glory of this world. Should bow before the banners Rome unfurled ! The Roman Eagle soared to dizzy heights, Unmindful of the prayer for human rights !
CENTENNIAL OF ROMULUS.
Beneath the shadow of those outspread wings, His talons fastened on all earthly things ! The citizen was slave; the State supreme, And Liberty was but a fairy dream ! In vain the preacher Paul, from old Mars Ilill, The words of truth and wisdom would instill ! That mighty Roman Empire gives no heed, That it should fall, as prophesy decreed ! And pomp and power and revelry held sway, And Christians bled on Roman holiday ! From Romulus to Nero's bloody reign, Was Rome the Mistress of the world's domain ! Her templed hills; her emperors so great ! Defied the coming of relentless fate ! And drunken Nero tunes his harp to praise, With Romie, eternal city in a blaze ! Eternal city that would always stand, 'The proudest, greatest power in all the land ! But times are changed, and Rome is changed, and men Oppressed : restored to manhood once again, Assert the rights of common brotherhood, And show that nothing lives except the good !
Does history repeat ? She does indeed ! The world moves on, and bids us all God-speed ! Yea many times, have rung the century chimes ! Since Ancient Rome, went down beneath her crimes And still they ring, to usher in the dawn, Of Freedom's day, when tyrant's sway is gone ! When man shall know, to triumph over man, Is courting woe, and swift destruction's plan ! Those spreading wings, no longer hide the things, That tyrants love, while Freedom's anthem rings ! Those talons strong, that once upheld the wrong. Now hold the right with Freedom's holy song ! Those soaring wings, to dizzy heights we see A nation's pride ; thie emblem of the free ! Our banner bears, the same old Roman name ; An houored badge, of glory, not of shame ! And all roads lead, to our beloved home ; That home of peace, from which we ne'er shall roam ! Our banquet halls, no trophies bear of strife, And peace prevails, with calm, contented life ! The songs we sing, are not of heroes bold ! The gifts we bring are not of gems and gold ! Our Romulus is not the one of old !
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The world moves on, for better, not for worse ; And history repeats without the curse ! Queen Romulus, another century chimes, Will find us gone, far back in olden times! But thou shalt live, and blossom like the rose, While rivers run, and Spring-time comes and goes ! And each centennial year, thy song shall be, Sweet Freedom's song, "My Country 'tis of thee !"
Music by the Band followed-when the President at 12:30 P. M. announced a recess of one hour for dinner.
The speakers, officers of the day, clergy, representatives of the press, and invited guests, were then escorted to a handsomely decked table, spread in a well shaded part of the Grove, where a bountiful collation wa's served by the ladies, under the auspices of the Committee on Reception and Entertainment-which was heartily enjoyed by all who partook thereof.
Family groups might be seen in all parts of the Grove, enjoying in true Picnic style the generous fare which farmer's wives know so well how to provide.
During the "110011 recess" and at other intervals during the day, the opportunity was well improved in renewing old ac- quaintance and friendships and the reviving of memories of by- gone days.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Promptly at 1:30 o'clock P. M. the President called the meeting to order, and the Band rendered an appropriate selection of music.
The President announced the presence of Diedrich Willers, of Varick, who delivered the Historical Address as follows:
"I wish this task had fallen into some better hands, that might have performed it to the life. I shall only draw the curtain and open my little casement, that so others of larger abilities, may let in a brighter light."
CAPT. JOHN MASON, in "Pequot War."
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CENTENNIAL, OF ROMULUS.
MR. PRESIDENT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN :
It is characteristic of the American people to pause at inter- vals in the progress of time, and review the events of the past.
A little more than a year ago, (May ist, 1893), there opened in the city of Chicago, Illinois, a grand Exposition or World's fair, in commemoration of the four hundredth anniversary of the dis. covery of America by Christopher Columbus.
The Columbian fair was visited and patronized during a pe- riod of six months, not alone by the American people, but by repre- sentatives as well, of nearly all the civilized and enlightened nations of the world, and even some from half civilized and bar- barous countries-all vied with each other, in bestowing honors upon the great discoverer-who, while living, had not always received his merited reward and due recognition from the sover- eignis under whose auspices he served.
An eminent English historian, speaking of the commemora- tion of a prominent event, occurring centuries ago, remarked : "That a people which take no pride in the noble achievements of their ancestors, will never achieve anything worthy to be remem- bered with pride by their descendants."
It has been well said-that "it is the province of history, to rescue virtuous deeds from the oblivion, to which a want of records would consign them."
The people of the present town of Romulus, and of the town of Varick, the yougest child of old Romulus, have to-day assem- bled, to commemorate an important historical epoch in the history of the town-which one hundred years ago was organized by act of the Legislature of this State, at the same time, when the county of Onondaga was formed-the centennial of which was last week fittingly observed in the city of Syracuse.
In my remarks, I will in the main, include what I have to say of Varick, with the town of Romulus.
It is not my purpose in reviewing the past, to attempt to produce the unwritten history of the period prior to occupation by the white man.
At the time of General John Sullivan's campaign against the
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Indians in New York, during the Revolutionary conflict, the terri- tory between Cayuga and Seneca lakes was inhabited chiefly by the Cayuga Tribe of Indians-the line of division between the Cayugas and Senecas, being as believed, the east shore of Seneca lake and northward from the lake to Ontario lake, following sub- stantially the locality of the new Pre-emption line.
'These two tribes, with the Mohawks, the Oneidas, the Onon- (lagas and Tuscaroras, formed the confederacy known as the Six Nations or Iroquois Indians -- of which it has been said-that their organization and form of government, have been the wonder and admiration of scholars and statesmen of all nations.
It is an interesting and creditable fact, and worthy of notice, that the earliest white visitors in this locality, were prompted in making their visitations, not by hope of gain, but to christianize and ameliorate the condition of the Red man of the forest. I re- fer to the Jesuit missionaries who visited the Cayuga Indians as early as 1656, and established a mission near Savannah (now in Wayne county) in the territory of old Romulus, about 1670.
The Moravian missionaries, Cammerhoff and Zeisberger, in June, 1750, also visited the Cayugas and passed through our terri- tory in going westward to meet the Senecas, on a mission of peace and bearing the gospel message to them.
Rev. Samuel Kirkland, the self-denying missionary to the In- dians, who visited Geneva in 1765, and resided there with the Senecas more than a year, also officiated during that period within our bounds.
During the dark days of Indian warfare in the Wyoming Val- ley, Pa., preceding the Sullivan expedition, Luke Swetland was captured by the Indians, August 24th, 1778, and taken in captiv- ity to the Indian village of Kendaia, in the bounds of the town of Romulus, where he remained until released by General John Sullivan's army, September 5th, 1779. His interesting Narrative of his captivity and residence of one year and two days at Kendaia, published a number of years ago, forms an entertaining chapter in the history of Romulus.
In this Narrative, Mr. Swetland alludes to the fact that late in the fall of 1778, he sowed one quart of wheat-the first wheat
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CENTENNIAL, OF ROMULUS.
doubtless sowed by a white man in this county. The spirit of resignation to his fate, and the trust in Divine protection which pervades his narration, as also the mention made of days specially set apart by him for private meditation and prayer, are indeed very pathetic. Mr. Swetland returned with the army to Pennsylvania, where he died at Wyoming Village, January 30, 1823, aged 93 years
The army of General Sullivan upon its march northwest to the Genesee river, reached our town, on Sunday, September 5th, 1779 A halt of one day was made at Kendaia village, situated one half mile east from Seneca lake, about two miles south of the present railway station and modern village called Kendaia, upon lands now owned by Edward Van Vleet, upon Military Lot, number seventy-nine, called also by the army, Appletown. The village at that time, consisted of twenty or more houses of hewn logs, with roofs thatched with the bark of trees, and some of the houses were painted. Kendaia was evidently an old and import- ant town, as the superior style and condition of its houses indicated, and here, too, were found tombs of Indian warriors. At this village, the army found an apple orchard of about sixty trees, with peach trees and other fruit.
When the army marched from Kendaia on the following day, (September 6th), the village was left in ashes. A march of only three miles northward was made that day, to a ravine sometimes called Indian Hollow, at or near the present Varick line. Leaving this camp early on the morning of September 7th, a march of eight miles northward, along or near the lake shore, to the outlet of Seneca lake, was made, and Kanadesaga (Geneva) .being reached, the army again halted.
On the return of the army from the Genesee river, the main army returned through the territory of Romulus, September 20th, 2Ist and 22d, over the same route as taken in the outward march, encamping on the night of September 21st, two miles south, of Appletown.
While the main army was at Geneva, several detachments were sent out to destroy Indian villages-Skoiyase having already been destroyed September 8th. One of these detachments under
.
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command of Colonel Henry Dearborn, marched southward upon the west side of Cayuga lake, starting on September 21st, and on September 22d, 1779, destroyed the Indian village of Swalı-ya- wa-nah, on Military Lot number 71, (on the farm now owned by Edward R. Dean), in Romulus. This detachment encamped on the nights of September 21st and 22d, in the territory of Romulus and rejoined the main army near Newtown, (now Elmira), September 26th. All the journals of the Sullivan expedition, speak in the strongest possible terins, of the rich fields of corn, the abundance of fruit trees, melons, and vegetables, which were found and either used or destroyed, as a punishment for the barbarities inflicted upon the white settlements by the Indians.
A number of the early settlers of Romulus, suffered Indian captivity, during or after the Revolutionary war, among whom may be mentioned Joseph Wyckoff and Kezia Foree, the lady who afterward became his wife ; also Andrew McKnight and Mrs. Mary Swarthout, wife of John Swarthout.
It is not, however, necessary to follow further, the army of General Sullivan, which so severely punished the Indians, - the management of which campaign was accorded the approval of General George Washington and the Continental Congress.
The war of the Revolution terminated in 1783, and the sol- . diers of the army returning to their homes-some of them, who had accompanied General Sullivan, with pleasant recollections of the picturesque lakes and fertile soil of western New York.
Soon after the close of the war, the State of New York, by treaties with the Onondaga and Cayuga Indian tribes, acquired title in 1788 and 1789, (February 25th) to a large area of land lying east of Seneca lake and extending north to Lake Ontario, which was laid out into 28 townships of 100 lots of 600 acres each-known as the "Military townships," which were set apart as bounty lands to New York soldiers of the Revolutionary war, to fulfill promises made to them for their patriotic services. After many delays, the military townships were surveyed in 1790, under direction of Surveyor General Simeon De Witt, who became a resident of Ithaca afterwards-the-township of Romulus, (No. 11) having been surveyed, by Benjamin Dey and others- and patents
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CENTENNIAL OF ROMULUS.
were issued by the State, to soldiers, for the same, in July, 1790.
Many of the brave soldiers had, however, become wearied with long waiting for action by the State, and had sold or trans- ferred their titles, for a mere song, so to speak, and much con- fusion in titles afterwards occurring, the same were passed upon and settled by a State commission, appointed under Chapter 51, Laws of 1797, known as the " Onondaga Commissioners." Com- paratively few of the old soldiers became actual settlers upon the Military tract, which was on March 5th, 1794, organized as the county of Onondaga, (by Chap. 18, laws of that year) with Ronl- ulus, Ovid and Ulysses, (all afterwards towns of Seneca county) among the towns thereof.
The names of the Military townships given them by the State Commissioners of the Land Office, July 3, 1790, are chiefly drawn from Grecian and Roman history, and our town of Romulus, bears the name of the founder of ancient Rome, of whom we are in- formed by legend, that with his brother, he was in early childhood, for a time, nourished by a mother wolf .*
The Military township of Romulus, as mapped, contained 100 lots of 600 acres each, beginning at the northeast corner of Seneca lake and bounded north by Seneca river, west by the county line on the west shore of Seneca lake, south by Ovid, and east by the county line in Cayuga lake and the West Cayuga Reservation; of which Military lots, a part-Nos. 6, 7, 8 and 9, are now in the town of Seneca Falls-lots 1 to 5 and 10 to 42, in the town of Fayette-lots 43 to 63 and the north part of lot 69, in the town of Varick, and the rest of the lots, from 64 to 100, including the south part of Lot 69, in the town of Romulus.
The chain of settlement of this locality by civil jurisdiction westward from Albany county, being by erection of new counties, first Montgomery (1772), then Herkimer (Feb. 16, 1791), then Onondaga, then Cayuga, and at last Seneca county, March 24th, 1804. The town of Romulus comes by succession from the old town of Whitestown, once embracing the greater part of central
* A photograph of statuary in the capitol of ancient Rome, represent- ing the wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, hung upon the platform on the day of the centennial celebration.
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and western New York and the town of Peru, incorporated in 1792, and abolished in 1794, when Onondaga county was erected.
When the town of Romulus was incorporated by the Legis- lature in 1794, its boundaries were described by the Onondaga county act; as follows; "All that part of said county, comprehend- ing the Townships of Romulus, Junius and Galen, together with the lands lying west of the townships of Hannibal and Cato, north of the said township of Galen and south of Lake Ontario, as also all that part of the lands reserved to the Cayuga nation of Indians, lying on the west side of Cayuga lake-shall be and is erected into a town by the name of Romulus."
The area of the town of Romulus it will be seen, comprised the three Military townships of Romulus, Junius and Galen of 60,000 acres of land each, a considerable portion of the Military township of Sterling, the Williamson Compensation Patent, etc., comprehended within the territory lying north of Galen township, and between the same and lake Ontario, about 80,000 acres-and also the West Cayuga Indian Reservation now in Varick, Fayette and Seneca Falls, laid out into 84 lots aggregating 19,566 acres, which by treaty with the Cayugas at Cayuga Ferry, July 27th, 1795, became the property of the State, and the Canoga and Skoiyase Reservations of 600 acres each. The total area of Rom- ulus from March 5th, 1794, to March 14th, 1800-when the town of Fayette (Washington) was erected-covered fully 280,000 acres, of which 140,000 acres are now in Seneca county, and the other one half in Wayne county-a stretch of magnificent country with rich and fertile soil, extending at least forty-five miles from Ovid at the south to Lake Ontario at the north, with a width of from ten to fifteen miles. The west boundary, from Seneca lake north- ward to Ontario lake, followed the new Pre-emption line. The area of the original Romulus, as here given, does not include any part of the waters of Lake Ontario. The north bounds of old Romulus were the north bounds of this State, formed by the line between Canada and the United States.
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