USA > New York > Seneca County > Fayette > Centennial historical sketch of the town of Fayette, Seneca County, New York > Part 5
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
The Mormon removal from Illinois to Utah Territory, took place in 1846-1847, in which last named year, Salt Lake City was founded-the semi centennial of the founding of which was celebrated July 24, 1897.
Utah was admitted as a State of the United States, in January 1896, polygamy having been declared abolished.
It may here be stated, that at the time of its organization in Fayette, and while the members of the Mormon church remained in this county, polygamy was neither avowed, preached nor practiced, nor indeed until about thirteen years afterwards (1843) was it announced by revelation and in 1852, proclaimed as a doctrine of the Mormon church by Brigham Young, then President of that church.
The Whitmer family remained in Missouri and took no part in the Mormon removals to Illinois and Utah. Peter Whitmer, Sr., the head of the family-born near Harrisburg, Pennsyl- vania, July 14, 1773, and removing to Fayette about 1810-was the father of five sons and one daughter, all of whom joined the Mormon church. He died at the house of his son-Hon. David Whitmer in Richmond, Ray Co., Missouri, Aug. 13, 1854. He is spoken of by old Fayette residents, as a worthy and industrious citizen.
50
HISTORICAL SKETCH
David Whitmer, who bore a leading part in the Mormon move- ment, while a resident of Fayette, was, after June, 1838, not in sympathy with Joseph Smith and in a pamphlet published by him in 1887, entitled "An Address to all believers in Christ,". while avowing his belief both in the Holy Bible and in the Book of Mormon, gives a number of reasons for dissenting from the Mormon church of the Salt Lake City organization, as well as from the Re-organized branch of that church. In his pamphlet, Mr. Whitmer strongly denounces certain changes and additions in the Book of "Doctrine and Covenants," including polygamy, and says : "I left the Body in June, 1838, being five years before polygamy was introduced." He says of polygamy : "I wish here to state, that I do not indorse polygamy or spiritual wifeism. It is a great evil; shocking to the moral sense, and the more so, because practised in the name of religion. It is of man and not of God, and is especially forbidden in the Book of Mormon itself."
David Whitmer was born near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Jan. 7, 1805, and removed with his parents to Fayette, N. Y. He was baptized and ordained an Elder of the Mormon faith by Joseph Smith in June, 1829. On Jan. 9, 1831, before removing from Fayette, he married Miss Julia Ann Jolly, daughter of William Jolly of this town. He removed to Kirtland, Ohio, in 1831 and from Ohio to Missouri in 1834, locating at the city of Richmond, in the latter State in 1838, where he continued to reside until his death. He was a substantial and prominent resident of that city, having been elected its mayor in 1866, where he died Jan. 25, 1888.
In his pamphlet of 1887, he divides the Mormon church into three parts-naming his own branch as "The Church of Jesus Christ "-the second division being the Salt Lake City, Utah, branch known as "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints," and the third division with headquarters at Lamoni, Iowa, (known also as the Anti-Polygamy branch) as "The Re- organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints."
The brothers of David Whitmer were Christian, Jacob, John and Peter, Jr., and his sister married Hiram Page of Fayette.
Two of the Whitmer brothers-Christian and Jacob-each
t
f
5I
TOWN OF FAYETTE
married a lady by the name of Schott, descending from a Fayette family of that name-before removing West.
In his pamphlet, David Whitmer says that his brothers, Chris- tian and Peter, died prior to 1838.
John Whitmer became the first historian of the Mormon church. He died at Far West, near Kingston, Caldwell County, Missouri, a few years ago. Nothing has been ascertained as to Jacob Whitmer and Hiram Page, since leaving Fayette.
Oliver Cowdery, a school teacher, came to Fayette and taught a district school in the Yost district before 1830, and he with David Whitmer and Martin Harris, constituted the three witnesses certifying to the Book of Mormon. (Mr. Lee Yost, now of Lenawee County, Michigan, aged eighty five years, attended this term of school.) Mr. Cowdery died at Richmond, Missouri, March 3, 1850.
Martin Harris, of Palmyra, N. Y., an active participant in the early movements of the church in Fayette, one of the three witnesses, and who it is said gave financial assistance in the publication of the Book of Mormon-was born in East-town, Saratoga Co., N. Y., May 18, 1783, and died at Clarkston, Cache Co., Utah, July 10, 1875.
In the year 1899, several missionaries from the Salt Lake City, Utah, branch of Mormons, visited Fayette (and other parts of Seneca County) and devoted considerable time to a personal house-to-house canvass of the localities visited.
Cemeteries-or burial grounds for the dead-were early established in the town, in connection with Christ Church at Bearytown and at Jerusalem Church, also at the Presbyterian Church, West Fayette.
Burial grounds were also established in the early years of this century at South Waterloo, and at the Burgh, also one known as the Markel-Bachman Burying Ground 1 14 miles north of the present West Fayette R. R. Station and another one southeast of Canoga, near Cayuga Lake. Other public and private or family cemeteries were located, one on Capt. Nathan Cook's farm near West Fayette R. R. Station, one in the vicinity of Jacob Hicks' residence near the northwest corner of the town, and
52
HISTORICAL SKETCH
one known as the Dey Cemetery, near the southwest corner of the town.
The incorporated Rural Cemetery Associations of the town which now maintain cemeteries, are the one at the Burgh, and one located three fourths of a mile north of Canoga Village, one located one-half mile north of Bearytown and another at West Fayette Presbyterian Church.
It is extremely difficult now, to give a satisfactory history of the early public schools of the town.
In the year 1795, an act was passed by the Legislature of this State (chapter 75) for the encouragement of schools, to continue in force for a term of five years, under which a small appropri- ation was made and the several towns in the State were author- ized to elect commissioners of schools, at town meeting. In the Town of Romulus, Benajah Boardman, William Brewster and George Bailey, were elected such commissioners, April 5, 1796, and at the town meeting held in Romulus, April 2, 1799, Wilhelmus Mynderse, Benjamin Dey and Daniel Sayre were elected trustees of the Gospel and school lot, set apart by the State, in each township in the Military Tract (Lot No. 50 for the Military Township of Romulus).
The Town of Fayette, upon its organization in 1800, shared with the Town of Romulus in the income arising from the leasing of the Gospel and school lot. The first commissioners of the Gospel and school lot elected in Fayette of which any record remains, were James McClung, Alexander Rorison and Jesse Southwick in 1802.
The lot was sold by the commissioners of Romulus and Fayette, in 1817-the last named town being represented by Benjamin Woodruff, John Watkins and Peter Dey-and the proceeds arising from the sale were equitably divided-the portion set apart to Fayette being over seven thousand dollars. In the town records of 1881, the principal of the town school fund was reported as $7,206-while in 1889, it had fallen off to $6,675 which is understood to be the present capital.
In 1815, the town meeting voted the income from the leasing of the Gospel and school lot for support of the gospel, but in 1817,
53
TOWN OF FAYETTE
it was voted for the use of schools. In 1818 and 1819 however, after the sale of the lot and division of the proceeds therefrom, town meeting voted that the income from the town school fund, be divided among the several school districts, in the same ratio as the state school fund, and to be divided between gospel and school purposes, as each school district may direct. No further direction as to the application of the income from the local school fund appears in the town record, since 1819, and it seems to have been since applied for school purposes exclusively.
In 1812, the Legislature passed an act for the organization and establishment of common schools, providing a small annual appropriation from the State, and making provision for local supervision. Under this act, Hon. Robert S. Rose, John Wat- kins and James Woodruff, were elected school commissioners, at the town meeting in 1813. Great care was given in early years to the selection of town school officers by the people. In 1819, the town meeting selected Hon. Pierre A. Barker, and in 1822 Hon. Michael Hoffman as school inspectors, both of whom after- wards became eminent public men, in other localities.
Prior to 1813, the schools of the town were principally private or select schools supported at a fixed rate per scholar, during each term, payable to the teacher.
The town meeting of 1813 voted, that the supervisor have power to raise by tax upon the town, a sum equal to what shall come to the town, from the school fund, for district school purposes.
After addition of the income from the town school fund from sale of the Gospel and school lot, in subsequent years, the cost of maintaining the public schools of the town was still largely made up by rate bill, apportioned in each school district according to the number of days each parent or guardian sent the children in his charge, to school.
As the compensation of teachers was moderate and a part of this was represented and met by the "Boarding around " of teachers, the cost of supporting public schools was cheerfully borne. Fuel was at an early day voluntarily contributed.
Very little is known of the early schools or school houses maintained in the town.
54
HISTORICAL SKETCH
The earliest school house in the territory of Fayette of which mention is made, is found named in the highway records of the Town of Romulus, which under date of Nov. 10, 1798, gives the record of a road " beginning at a white oak tree near the school house in Boardman's Burgh," to intersect a road leading to Skoiyase. This pioneer log school house was located upon Lot No. 31, West Cayuga Reservation, a short distance south of the residence of the late Jacob Reed, Esq., upon lands now owned by Henry Hoster's Estate, and near the old Indian road or trail leading from Canoga to the Burgh and Skoiyase. -
Other early school houses were located as follows :
One on Military Lot No. 18, and near Joseph Hall's and Rose Hill Village.
One located near the old Genesee road crossing of Big Creek, about two miles east from the northeast corner of Seneca Lake, on Military Lot No. 12.
One in the Markel district, upon Military Lot No. 32, a mile north (and a little west) from the present West Fayette R. R. Station.
One near Jerusalem Church and the Yellow Tavern.
One west from Metzger's Corners.
One in the Col. Sweet district, probably upon Military Lot 34.
One in the Vost district, near the center of the town.
One about a mile northwest of Bearytown, near Capt. Wm. Irland's on Military Lot 41.
One at Kuneytown.
One a mile and a half north of Canoga Village near Cayuga Lake.
One about one and a fourth miles south of Canoga, near the lake.
The school house at South Waterloo, at first located outside of the present first ward, was removed to the village at an early date, and located upon the Public Square and subsequently at its present location.
No school house was located at Canoga Village until about 1830, and none at Bearytown until 1835, when one was erected in the part of the village lying in Varick.
A Gazetteer of the State of New York, edited and published by Horatio G. Spofford in 1813, asserts that at that date, there
W J S t h a h b
55
TOWN OF FAYETTE
were seven school houses in Fayette. In 1822, Roelof Peterson, Jacob Hicks (a patriot soldier of the Revolutionary War), and Stephen Watkins, commissioners of common schools of the town, defined and recorded twelve school districts, having school houses in Fayette, to which six or seven were subsequently added up to 1842. At the present time there are 16 school houses in town, including the large and commodious school building at South Waterloo.
No academy or high school has ever been erected or main- tained in this town.
The State Agricultural College, incorporated by the State Legislature in 1853, and located in the same year, upon the farm (" Oaklands ") of its President, John Delafield, was not fully organized and equipped, when President Delafield died (Oct. 22, 1853), and it thus failed of success, as a public institu- tion of the town. The subsequent history of this college is stated elsewhere.
The youth of Fayette, however, from proximity of residence to the Villages of Waterloo, Seneca Falls, and Geneva (Geneva did not become a city until Jan. 1, 1898), have enjoyed special advantages from the higher institutions of learning there located.
Of private and select schools which have been taught in the town at brief periods, from time to time, after the organization of district schools, mention may be made of a few, as to which information has been obtained, to-wit :
A select school was taught in South Waterloo for a few years, about 1840, by Prof. E. M. Foot and wife. Several other select and private schools, including one exclusively for the education of female students, have been taught in South Waterloo, as to which no definite information can now be obtained.
A select school at Bearytown, taught for several terms by Prof. Benjamin Ludden, in 1846-47, in which instruction was given in the higher English branches and the classics, was well attended
It may be interesting to aged people to recapitulate the names of a few of the old-time teachers in the public schools of the town, among whom were Hozial Baker, Robert Selfridge, Eli Sherman, Archibald Fowler, Peter Cole, Elihu Elwood, Samuel Wolff,
·
56
HISTORICAL SKETCH
John Evans, Harvey Benham, Philo Wheaton, Wareham Barnes, Saron W. Edwards, John Groom, Jacob P. Chamberlain, Henry Feagles, Norman Eddy, Charles P. Woodruff, James A. Sweet, Jacob G. Markel, Oliver Cowdery, Lewis Woodruff, Edgar Town- send, Alexander Rorison, 2d, William Hogan, David P. Yule, Sebastian Chatham, George H. Botsford, I. Warren Sweet, George Pontius, Gurdon Palmer, Charles H. Weed, Godfrey Selmser, John Shiley, John J. Holman and Rufus B. Cole, to which list many other names might be added. Of female teachers, in the early history of our schools, only a few names have been ascertained, which include Sally Woodruff, Mary Catlin, Emeline Betts, Hannah Esterly, Frances P. Hos- kins, Mary J. Barnes, Helen A. Barnes, Sarah Barnes, Sarah Chatham, Lydia Blakeney, Sophia A. Kirby and Mary Ann Russell.
The venerable Prof. William Ross, died in Fayette, April 6, 1893, aged ninety years, after teaching in the public schools of the county, and frequently in this town, during nearly seventy years of his life. He was a graduate of the State Normal School at Albany, N. Y.
A reference to old-time school text-books, and methods of instruction in the schools, as also a description of the pioneer log school houses and their furniture and equipments, would doubtless be of interest to many, but must be omitted as having been often given in other publications.
The history of the schools of the town would be incomplete without a reference to German schools taught therein. A Ger- man school was established in or about 1813 in the log church building at Bearytown, already mentioned, in which instruction was given in the German language, which was continued in the same building and in a new German school house erected upon the church lot there, until after 1830. Among the names of the teachers of this school yet remembered are Henry Mantius, John Pulfrich, George Fink, John Bernheisel, David Singer, William Merkel, John C. Pfeiffer and Ernst Louis Freuden- berger. A private German school was taught at Michael Stuck's, near the center of the town, about 1830 by Peter Litzenberger, Sr. A select school for German pupils was taught for a short
tin res ot ti of a V t ( a
57
TOWN OF FAYETTE
time in or about the year 1835, by Rev. John J. Beilhartz, at his residence near the center of the town, and there were several other private German schools taught for brief terms.
In the year 1854, Sept. 19, a County District School Celebra- tion and Picnic was held at J. Emerick's Grove, a half mile north of Bearytown, at which 1,500 children of school age were in attendance, from the towns of Fayette, Varick, Seneca Falls, Waterloo and Tyre. The children were addressed by Hon. Vic- tor M. Rice, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and others, and the occasion gave great encouragement to teachers and scholars.
There has been no Public Library established in this town, and efforts to revive and re-establish school district libraries in con- nection with the public school system, are deserving of the cooperation and support of citizens of the town.
No newspaper has ever been published in the Town of Fayette, although several editors and publishers of newspapers in other localities have been born in the town, among whom may be men- tioned Charles E. Garnett, the editor of the Ovid Gazette, and the late Prof. Charles Woodruff, for many years editor of the Sentinel, at Ypsilanti, Mich.
The first attempt to open public roads in this town, was doubt- less largely to accommodate travel from the eastern part of the State and Pennsylvania to this locality, Ontario County and the Genesee Country-and these largely followed Indian trails and paths, or the roads traversed by the army of Gen. John Sul- livan, and its detachments in 1779.
In 1789, the State of New York passed an act directing the setting apart of a tract of land (located in the present. Madison County in this State and known as the " Road Township ") the proceeds from the sale of which were to be applied in opening a road from Fort Stanwix (Rome) to Geneva and westward to the Genesee river, and work was soon commenced upon this new road, known as the "Genesee Road."
This road crossed Cayuga Lake at the ferry of James Bennett and John Harris, its terminus on the west side of the lake, being on the present Lot No. 13, West Cayuga Reservation, North Latitude, 42 degrees, 54 minutes, 14 seconds (near the Cobble-
58
HISTORICAL SKETCH
stone house of the late Wm.G. Wayne, in the present town of Sen- eca Falls.) See Simeon DeWitt's State map of New York (1802). Following substantially the Indian trail, this road crossed Sen- eca County, passing a little south of west across Lots No. 12, 16, 15, 19, 18 and 14 of the Cayuga (West) Reservation and entering the Military Township of Romulus near the south end of Lot No. 9 of that Township, also passing across that lot and Lots 8, 7 and 6, and entering the Town of Fayette near the south end of Lot No. 5, Romulus Military Township, and thence fol- lowing about one mile south of Seneca River, across that lot and Nos. 4, 3,2, 12, II and 10 (near the line between the two last named lots), left the Town of Fayette at the Seneca Outlet or River on Lot No. 10, from whence it crossed Leonard Widner's ferry across the outlet and to Geneva and westward. (See Map No. III of Romulus Township in the State Engineer's office at Albany, N. Y.)
French's State Gazetteer, published in 1860, is authority for the statement that this Genesee or State road was constructed ·
from Whitestown village, near the present city of Utica, to Geneva, in the year 1791.
Dr. Alexander Coventry mentions in his journal, this road, as running nearly parallel with the north line of his farm, on Military Lot No. 11, in March, 1792, soon after his purchase of the farm.
The west end of a public highway now terminating on the south side of the Seneca River, near the railroad bridge across the same (a little east of the point where it now emerges from the lake), and running east on the line between Military Lots No. 10 and II, is doubtless a part of this ancient road, which was undoubtedly the earliest road opened for travel in Fayette and perhaps the earliest in this county.
Doctor Coventry mentions, that in 1793 he and his neighbor made some improvement in this road, seven miles east of his farm and three miles from Cayuga Lake.
For a few years there was a large amount of travel upon this road, until a new road was opened from the Harris-Bennett ferry to Seneca Falls, and the opening for travel of a road on the north side of the river from Seneca Falls and Waterloo to Geneva,
9
follo this disu T acti in rec La of Se in ma ro T ab 1 it te ch k
59
TOWN OF FAYETTE
followed soon after by the opening of the Cayuga Bridge, when this road across Fayette, first constructed, gradually fell into disuse and its location is now remembered only by few.
The early records of the Town of Romulus, show much activity on the part of the highway commissioners of that town, in opening new roads. The first highway recorded upon the records of that town, bearing date in June, 1795, extended from Lancaster or Baileytown (now Willard), at the southwest corner of Romulus, along or near the east shore of Seneca Lake, to the Seneca River and on westward to the Ontario County line, cross- ing the Town of Fayette and substantially following the line of march of General John Sullivan's army. The record of this road refers to one laid out by the highway commissioners of the Town of Peru (a town formed by the Legislature in 1792 and abolished in 1794). It is to be regretted that the records of the Townof Peru, cannot now upon diligent inquiry be found, although it is known that in 1793, Hon. John Richardson, living in the territory of the present Town of Aurelius, Cayuga County, was chosen supervisor of Peru and attended the sessions of the Her- kimer County Board of Supervisors at Whitestown, in that year.
Dr. Alexander Coventry in his journal mentions, that on Dec. 9, 1793, two commissioners came to his house to lay out roads. These may have been highway commissioners of the Town of Peru. He says that they began to survey a road at the present new Pre-emption line (at the foot of Seneca Lake and the present county line), and ran one mile and two chains (in the present town of Waterloo), to Leonard Widner's at the original outlet ferry, thence on and passing his (Coventry's) farm and continu- ing south. He went with the commissioners three miles south, passing John Rumsey's clearing on the way.
The record mentions the laying out by the highway commis- sioners of Romulus, Feb. 5, 1796, of a road from James Bennett's Cayuga Lake ferry on the Genesee road, to Dr. Coventry's farm on Seneca Lake.
On March 23, 1796, a road was laid from Lancaster to Board- man's Burgh, and in June, 1797, a road from Reservation Lot No. 25, on Cayuga Lake to James Trotter's bridge on the old Geneva road.
60
HISTORICAL SKETCH
It has been said of the ancient city called the Capital of the World, that "the roads all lead to Rome." So at an early day it might have been said with much truth, that most of the roads laid out led to Skoiyase, the seat of Samuel Bear's mill, or to Boardman's Burgh.
The Romulus records show the laying out in March 1798, of a road commencing on Military Lot No. 18, near John Rumsey's on Seneca Lake, to Boardman's Burgh. On Nov. 10, 1798, a road was laid out from Boardman's Burgh school house to Skoiyase, passing Alexander Rorison's house.
A few records of highways from 1800 to 1803 (before the erec- tion of Junius), have been preserved, which include a road from Samuel Bear's mill seat at Skoiyase, running on the south side of Seneca River toward Seneca Falls, laid out Nov. 19, 1801. The record of this road refers to a road from Bear's mill to Boardman's Burgh.
Another road was recorded April 29, 1802, from the south line of the town, near George Hood's (on Military Lot No. 48), to intersect the road leading to Bear's mill, and on the same date a road is recorded from Canoga Springs to Joseph Haynes' Corners (Bearytown). In descriptions of highway districts recorded in 1802 and 1807, reference is also made to a road from Haynes' Corners to Boardman's Burgh. After February, 1803, when the territorial limits of the town were reduced to the present boundaries, the laying out of roads was gradually continued.
Among the roads best known, thus laid out, was the "Reserva- tion Road," so called, recorded Aug. 25, 1808, on the west line of the Cayuga Reservation from the present Seneca Falls line at the southwest corner of Reservation Lot No. 18 to Joseph Haynes' Corners (Bearytown), 4 miles and 78 rods in length. The same road was again surveyed June 10, 1842, of the width of three rods. The town line road between Fayette and Romulus (now Varick) from Bearytown to Cayuga Lake was recorded April 2, 1813, beginning at the northwest corner of George Schad's land (at northwest corner of Reservation Lot No. 58) running on said line till past the graveyard, then on the line between Fayette and Romulus east to Cayuga Lake, 2 miles and 240 rods. Other
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.