USA > New York > Seneca County > Fayette > Centennial historical sketch of the town of Fayette, Seneca County, New York > Part 6
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
0
S a
por Jut rec as 57
H G sh
61
TOWN OF FAYETTE
portions of the south town line road were recorded Dec.26, 1806, June 16 and 23, 1842, and Feb. 6, 1843. The early town records show the number of Road Districts in the town in 1803, as eleven, which was increased to 38 in 1823, to 54 in 1843, to 57 in 1863 and to 66 in 1899.
In the early survey of highways and subdivision of farms, Hugh McAllister, Joseph Bachman, Archibald Fowler and Jacob G. Markel were frequently employed as surveyors, as the records show.
In connection with the opening of the early State road (Gene- see road), from Rome to Cayuga Ferry and Geneva, or earlier, a ferry was maintained across Seneca outlet, at first by dug- out canoe, afterwards as early as 1790, by a primitive scow ferry, by Leonard Widner (a resident in the present territory of Water- loo) and his son John Widner,* near the place where the outlet emerged from Seneca Lake. Dr. Alexander Coventry crossed this ferry July 6, 1791, and paid one shilling ferriage. He says the outlet at this point was four rods wide and the water about eight feet deepin some places. This ferry was maintained by Mr. Widner until in the early years of this century, when for a time the outlet was forded, until a bridge was constructed across the same.
A ferry franchise was granted by Legislative act of Jan. 21, 1826 to Jacob Carr and Jacob Carr, Jr., to maintain and operate a ferry from Union Springs on the east side of Cayuga Lake to Lot No. 40 West Cayuga Reservation near Canoga on the west side. This ferry franchise has been several times renewed and extended and a ferry has been since operated there with very little interruption up to last fall, except when navigation has been interrupted by ice in winter. The ferry landing near Canoga has also sometimes been utilized as a landing place for small boats plying on Cayuga Lake.
In a deed from John Rumsey to James McClung of the east part of Military Lot No. 23, Feb. 10, 1796, he conveyed to the
* John Widner, born Oct. 25, 1779 in New Jersey, died in Rochester, N. Y., April 27, 1880, in his IoIst year. In the census of Fayette in 1801, he is set down as a voter of 21 years and upwards, and was chosen overseer of highways in Fayette in 1805.
62
HISTORICAL SKETCH
latter, a right of way across said Lot to "Rumsey's Landing " on Seneca Lake, where doubtless a landing existed for a time, for the convenience of early settlers, but which has long since been abandoned.
In the year 1810, the Ithaca and Geneva Turnpike was incorporated by the Legislature, and soon afterwards a stage line carrying the U. S. mail was opened thereon. This turnpike road crossing Fayette along Seneca Lake, it is understood, followed substantially the Sullivan route and the highway laid out in 1795, by the Town of Romulus, from Lancaster (Willard) to the Ontario County line. The Turnpike Company however, straightened the road somewhat in its windings and turnings along Seneca Lake. This turnpike did not prove to be a financial success, and its charter was repealed already in 1823, before its final completion.
About 1825, the mail route was changed to leave Seneca Lake at John Johnston's Corners on Military Lot No. 17, and running one mile southeast to Rogers' tavern, thence two miles south to Metzger's Corners, thence one mile east, and thence again south to the south line of Fayette and on to Romulus Village and Ovid, passing the present West Fayette R. R. Station of the Lehigh Valley Railway.
Old residents relate that during the palmy days of stage travel, from Utica and Auburn to Geneva and westward, passing through Waterloo, that during summer the stages frequently traversed the distance from Waterloo to Geneva upon the south or Fayette side of the river, to avoid the deep sand upon the turnpike road from Waterloo westward, on the north side.
Under a general law of the State, passed May 7, 1847, for the incorporation of companies to construct plank roads and turn- pike roads-much zeal was manifested in the construction of plank roads leading from this town to the principal railroad centers and villages at the north.
The Seneca and Wayne Plank Road Company, incorporated June 1, 1849, constructed a plank road south from Seneca Falls Village, crossing Fayette to Bearytown, a distance of six and a half miles.
The Waterloo and Fayette Plank Road Company, incorporated
a S
Fe sol Ga fo ro
M
63
TOWN OF FAYETTE
Feb. 4, 1850, constructed a plank road from Waterloo Village south across Fayette to the Varick line, at the residence of John Garnet, on Military Lot No. 40, a distance of six and three- fourths miles-the route adopted being known as the Central road from Waterloo to Romulus village and Ovid.
The Ontario and Seneca Plank Road Company, incorporated March II, 1850, constructed a plank road, commencing at Geneva, and passing around the foot of Seneca Lake, across a corner of the Town of Waterloo, to the Fayette line, and thence south to John Johnston's Corner, thence southeast to James D. Rogers' tavern, thence south passing Martin Metzger's Corners, to a point nearly one-half mile north of the Varick line. It was originally projected to make the Varick town line the south terminus, but the road was not fully completed there. The length of this road as completed, was about nine and one-half miles of which about seven and one-half miles, were located in the Town of Fayette.
It was soon found, upon trial, that a road constructed with plank, upon which there was much travel and heavy teaming, must necessarily be short lived, and some of the companies named, shortened and abandoned parts of their plank road or replaced the plank with a stone turnpike, at a very heavy expense. The capital stock invested brought very little return to the stockholders, and active hostility to these roads, and their toll gates, gradually led to their abandonment, the last to be abandoned of the three roads named, occurring in 1879.
In these days, when there is a strong outcry for "good roads," it is to be regretted, that the promise of better roads, made by those who precipitated the abandonment of these stone turnpikes, has not been fulfilled and they are now emphatically "a hard road to travel."
In September, 1873, the first railroad across this town, was opened to the public. It was organized June 7, 1870, under the name of the Geneva and Ithaca Railroad Company, and the name was changed upon consolidation, to the Geneva, Ithaca and Sayre Railroad Company, Oct. 2, 1876. It was leased soon after completion and is managed by the Lehigh Valley Railway Company. There is only one station of this railway, in town,
64
HISTORICAL SKETCH
known as West Fayette (MacDougall post office) near the south line of the town, three miles east of Seneca Lake.
Another line of railroad, was constructed by the Lehigh Valley R. R. Company from Buffalo to New York City, crossing Fayette, a short distance east of Seneca Lake and opened to the public for traffic and travel in September, 1892, and is known as the "Main Line" of the Lehigh Valley Railway. A station has been established, called Varick Station, which, with the railroad buildings and post office (Yale post office) is however located on the north side of the town line road, and in the Town of Fayette about three-fourths of a mile east from Seneca Lake, upon Military lot No. 37.
A third railroad incorporated as The Seneca County Railway and operated by the Lehigh Valley Railway Company from Geneva to Waterloo, and eastward, crosses the Town of Fayette on the south side of Seneca River, commencing near Seneca Lake at the northwest corner of the town. A railroad station has been located at South Waterloo, in Fayette, and the railway was opened there for travel and traffic in October, 1897, and later on to Seneca Falls in June, 1898.
Telegraph lines and Express offices have been established in connection with the several lines of railroad mentioned.
A telephone line from Seneca Falls to Ovid, known as the Empire State Telephone Company, crosses the Town of Fayette with a branch to Bearytown, from the main line one mile west- ward of that village. It was opened to the public in September, 1896.
On May 24, 1870, the Pennsylvania and Sodus Bay Rail Road Company was incorporated, to construct a line of railroad from Waverly near the Pennsylvania State line to Sodus Bay-crossing the Town of Fayette to Seneca Falls and passing through the Village of Bearytown. The right of way for this railroad, was soon secured, and the same was laid out, graded and fenced, but the ties and iron rails were not laid, and the road was never completed. The road bed has now nearly all been sold to, or possession of same resumed by farmers owning lands along its route. Truly has it been said :
" Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these, -' It might have been.'"'
n H B t
of B ea S
To aft mo 1
65
TOWN OF FAYETTE
In the early history of the town, and while yet a part of the Town of Romulus, a number of inns or houses of entertainment afterward called taverns and later hotels were opened to accom- modate the great amount of overland travel.
The earliest of these known were the inns of John Rumsey and of James Reynolds along or near Seneca Lake, and of Benajah Boardman and of Vincent Runyan at Boardman's Burgh. Other early taverns were those of William Penoyer and of William and Stephen Watkins at South Waterloo ; of Benajah Boardman and of Charles Bachman at Canoga Springs ; of Capt. Nathan Cook near the present West Fayette R. R. Station, and of Tunis Henion on the town line road a mile westward therefrom ; of Bartholomew Hittel near Kuneytown ; of Jonathan Burroughs on the Reservation Road near the north line of the town ; of Philip Jolly at the south end of Military Lot No. 20 known as the "Yellow Tavern"; of Jacob Hendricks at the north end of Military Lot No. 27 ; of Benjamin Stuck at the north-west corner of Military Lot No. 28-the taverns of Jolly, Hendricks and Stuck, at all of which elections were frequently held, being located near the centre of the town. Still other taverns were those of Jeremiah Opdyke, Christian Keim, and one at John Johnson's corner (on Military Lot No. 17) all on the Seneca Lake road : the taverns of Isaac Jolly and of James D. Rogers near the south-east corner of Military Lot No. 18, the taverns of William Hackett, David Rumsey and Martin Metzger about two miles south from Rogers', and of Samuel Conklin nearly a mile west of Rogers.
The well known inn of Henry Beary, at Bearytown was opened to the public in 1819, and here for many years at the centre of the county, political county conventions were held-the delegates being attracted as well by the location and geniality of its pro- prietor, as by his generous fare of roast pig, poultry and game with draughts of cider royal, metheglin and peach brandy. Occasionally a barbecue of roast ox, was served at this hostelry, at political gatherings,
At the present date, there are in town three taverns in South Waterloo ; one in the Fayette part of Bearytown ; one at West Fayette R. R. station, and one at Canoga.
1 1
1
,
e
-
66
HISTORICAL SKETCH
The early inhabitants of Fayette included a number of Revolutionary veterans and soldiers of the War of 1812, and no locality in the county took a greater interest and pride in the organization and efficiency of its military forces. The 102d Regiment of State militia, included the ununiformed military forces of the town. Much attention was also given to the formation and drill of uniformed companies of artillery, riflemen and cavalry. Military trainings were held at Boardman's Burgh, South Waterloo, Bearytown, Canoga and elsewhere in town. "General training"' day, wasindeed a gala day and always called out a crowd of spectators, who took great interest in watching the military drill and manœuvres of the soldiers.
The Fayette Rifle Company, commanded by the veteran Captain William Irland, volunteered to serve for a time in the War of 1812, upon the Niagara River frontier of Canada, and the officers and a number of the private soldiers of this company, were captured by the British in the memorable battle of Queens- ton, Canada, October 13, 1812. A copy of the muster roll of this company in this service, made by James Rorison, is given elsewhere.
The town was also represented by other military forces in the War of 1812, but no other muster rolls have been obtained, after diligent effort.
It should be mentioned here, that the Fayette Rifle Company, was selected to perform guard duty at the execution of George Chapman in May, 1829, at Waterloo.
Among the officers of military regiments and brigades who resided in Fayette, in the first half of this century, whose names are still remembered, are those of Col. Daniel Rhoad, Col. James Sweet, Col. James Hicks, Col. and Gen. Daniel Holman, Col. Joseph D. Alleman, Col. and Gen. Jacob G. Markel, Col. Edwin Schott and Col. Andrew Rogers. It is a matter of regret, that it has not been possible to ascertain and classify the arm of ser- vice, to which the commands of each of these officers belonged, and the period of service of each. An attempt to secure this information from the State Adjutant General's office at Albany, and in part from the War Department at Washington, D. C., proved unsuccessful.
At the present time, there are no organized military companies or organizations in the town.
E SO to t1 W t e
67
TOWN OF FAYETTE
The History of Seneca County, published in 1876 (by Everts, Ensign & Everts, Philadelphia, Pa.), gives an extended list of soldiers credited to Fayette, in the Civil War 1861-1865, but the town record office, gives very little data as to the same.
The Town of Fayette, was represented by several of its sons in the war with Spain (1898-99) although no organized company was raised for this military service in this county. Several of the officers and soldiers of a Geneva military company, who enlisted in this service, were born in Fayette.
One of the public buildings of the county, is located in this town, the county poor house, on Military Lot No. 16. The principal portion of the poor house farm (100 acres from the Silvers farm), is located in Fayette and 263 acres upon Military Lot No.7, contiguous thereto in Seneca Falls ; 101} acres of the entire farm were purchased pursuant to a resolution of the board of supervisors adopted at a meeting held Jan. 12, 1830, at which an expenditure of $3,500 was authorized for the purchase of a farm and fitting up buildings thereon, for a county poor house. A board of five superintendents of the poor was then also appointed, including William Hoskins of Fayette, in that number.
The first report of the superintendents to Oct. 1, 1830, as published in the newspapers of that period, may be of interest, to wit :
Disbursements for Property and Equipment.
Paid for IOI I-5 acres of land.
$2,720.00
Paid for additions and repairs. 1,130.57
Paid for stock and farm utensils. 117.44
Paid for house furniture. 245.85
$4,213.86
Outlays on Account of Paupers.
Expenditures for paupers from Jan. 12, outside of poor house. $1,045.26
Food and raiment for paupers in poor house from April I 191.69
Transportation of paupers. 41.50
Paid to physicians. 42.00
Miscellaneous expenditures. 78.28
Paid for male labor. 6.00
Paid for female labor
22.50
Keeper for his services and services of his family, six months (including the use of a team of farm horses and a cow fur- nished by keeper)
162.50
$1,589.73
Admitted 56 paupers since April 1, 1830.
2 paupers born since April 1, 1830. 58
68
HISTORICAL SKETCH
Oct. 1, 1830, fifteen paupers remained in the poor house. Twenty-five acres of land were added to the farm in 1832,at a cost of $750.00. The first building for the care of paupers was located and maintained upon that part of the farm situate in the town of Seneca Falls, to 1853. The first keeper of the poor house was Zephaniah Lewis of Seneca Falls, appointed in 1830.
The board of supervisors at its annual session in 1850, recog- nizing the necessity of better accommodations for the care of the poor, appointed a committee of three to procure plans for a new poor house. Another committee was appointed by said board in 1851, and at a meeting of the board of supervisors held Feb. 3, 1852, it was resolved to erect a building of Fayette limestone, on that part of the farm lying in Fayette, and on March 3, of the same year, a proposition of O. B. Latham and F. B. Latham of Seneca Falls, to erect the building, was accepted, for $7, 174. The board voted to raise $8,500 for completing and furnishing . the building and appointed Jacob Reed and James Rorison of Fayette and Richard P. Hunt of Waterloo, as building committee. The building was completed in the year 1853, to the satisfaction of the board of supervisors, as expressed at a meeting held in November of that year. While some changes, additions and improvements have been made in outside buildings, no material changes have been made in the main administration building.
The location of the poor house in this town, has tended to excite especial interest in its administration on the'part of its citizens, of whom a number have served as superintendents and keepers. The number of superintendents of the poor, first fixed at five, was soon reduced to three, and that number con- tinued to be appointed up to 1848, in which year the office became elective, and three superintendents continued to be elected, until the number was reduced to one, in 1881-which number con- tinued to be elected up to the close of 1893.
Under an act of the Legislature, the board of supervisors by a resolution adopted in December, 1892, provided that the super- intendent to be elected in November, 1893, and every three years thereafter, should serve both as superintendent and keeper of the poor house-and should be required to reside for his term at the poor house. This system still prevails. It will not be
0 I
ne an su h F y
69
TOWN OF FAYETTE
necessary at this time to give any further statistics, as these are annually published in the pamphlet proceedings of the board of supervisors. One of the present inmates of the county poor house, Mrs. Louisa Chauncey, widow of Joseph, of Canadian- French ancestry, and long a resident of Fayette, is ninety-nine years of age.
Early settlers, prospectors and travelers from the eastern part of the State, utilized water communication by way of the Mohawk River, Wood Creek, Oneida Lake and River, up to the Seneca River and the lakes adjoining this county. Travel around the falls and rapids of the Mohawk River at Little Falls, etc., and across the portage at Rome, was improved by primitive locks and short canals, by the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company, as early as 1796, but rates of toll, for the use thereof, were very high.
The Seneca Lock Navigation Company was incorporated April 6, 1813, for the purpose of improving the navigation of the Seneca river between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes. The work upon this improvement progressed favorably and on June 14, 1818, the first loaded canal boat was locked through at Seneca Falls.
The construction of the Cayuga and Seneca Canal was author- ized by the Legislature by act of April 20, 1825, to extend from Geneva to Montezuma, on the Erie Canal, a distance of twenty- one miles (principally in Seneca County)-the State purchasing the interest and improvements of the Lock Navigation Company.
The State began work upon the canal in 1826 and it was com- pleted and opened to the public Nov. 15, 1828.
General statistics as to the cost of this canal, would not interest the reader, so long as the details as to the particular portion thereof here referred to, have not been ascertained. Since 1828, there have been large outlays for enlargement and improvement of the canal.
From the point where the canal coming east around the foot of the lake, first strikes the Fayette line (near Teal's bridge) at the place where the original outlet emerged from Seneca Lake, to the east line of Military Lot No. 5, on the river, a distance of fully six miles, the Seneca River has been prin- cipally utilized for canal navigation, and forms the channel of
70
HISTORICAL SKETCH
the canal (except for a short distance in Waterloo village, where the canal runs in the Town of Waterloo). The center of Seneca River forming the boundary line between the Towns of Fayette and Waterloo, the Cayuga and Seneca Canal is therefore an important public work in the Town of Fayette, recognized by the Constitution of this State.
The State Legislature, in the year 1888, authorized the improvement of the "Bear Race," in South Waterloo, in con- nection with the Cayuga and Seneca Canal, and the work of improving the same, was completed in February, 1896, more than one hundred years after its original construction by Maj. Sam- uel Bear.
When it is remembered, that prior to the completion of the the Erie Canal through Montezuma, in 1825 (followed by the completion of the Cayuga and Seneca Canal in 1828 to that point of intersection) that the farm products of this county, were largely drawn to Albany by wagons (or by sleighs in winter), and mer- chandise from the east was returned by the same slow and expensive method of conveyance-the importance of the opening of the State Canal system to this locality, will be appreciated.
This narration should include some mention of the villages of this town, as to which, data has been obtained with much effort.
Mention has already been made of the Indian villages destroyed by several detachments from Gen. John Sullivan's army in 1779.
There are at this time, no incorporated villages in this town, except that the first ward of Waterloo Village is constituted from territory of the Town of Fayette, formerly called South Waterloo.
The earliest village in the town located and settled by white men, was that at the rapids of the Seneca River, on the south side of, and opposite to the Indian village of Skoiyase-by which name, the village on the south side was also locally known for many years. Its settlement dates back to 1792-93, and for fully twenty years, nearly all business at this point (now Waterloo village) was transacted on the south side of the river.
Major Samuel Bear, who first visited South Waterloo in 1792 and permanently located there in 1793, was its first settler and kept the first store in town and operated the first grist mill there,
th
a I
as ea by Ji S ISI3 A n wit the Co sh al of
7I
TOWN OF FAYETTE
as early as 1794. Mercantile business was also carried on there, by Judge John Watkins, as early as 1805.
Spafford's Gazetteer of the State of New York published in 1813, gives the name of the village as Skoiyase or Jefferson. A map of the lower island in Seneca River at this place, filed with the Secretary of State at Albany, N. Y., in 1806, names the village Beartown. A map of the village made by David Cook, a civil engineer and surveyor of Geneva, N. Y., in 1806, shows a reservation there for a Public Square. A cemetery was also established in the early years of this century in which one of the earliest interments made, was that of the founder of the village, Major Samuel Bear, who died Sept. 25, 1807, aged thirty-seven years.
In later years this village has been known as South Waterloo, and in 1863 was constituted a special road district by the Legislature.
By act, chapter 345, Laws of 1865, that portion of Fayette known as South Waterloo, was included in the incorporated Village of Waterloo and forins the first ward of the village. The population of the first ward thus included, by the U. S. census of 1880, was 584, and in January, 1899, by a special census, reached 600. The number of votes cast in said ward at a village charter election, is sometimes as high as 180.
The valuable water power at South Waterloo, has made it the location for many mills and manufactories-some of which no longer exist. At one time, there were here located an extensive paper mill, a tannery, a fulling mill, a pottery, sev- eral saw mills, distilleries and oil mills, and three or four flour- ing and custom grist mills-also several large general stores.
At the present time, the business pursuits of the first ward, include an extensive organ and piano forte manufactory, two flouring mills, tile works, a large cooperage establishment, an electric light and power plant, known as the "Seneca-Edison Company," a distillery of large capacity, owned by "The Columbia Distilling Company," also a number of shops in which mechanical pursuits are carried on and several grocery stores. The opening of the Seneca County Railway in 1897, has already given a decided impetus to the first ward.
e a
e 1
72
HISTORICAL SKETCH
A little to the south and west of the village, extensive quarrie: of Seneca limestone are worked, and the stone therefrom is first shipped largely, for building and other purposes.
The commodious brick first ward schoolhouse, erected about 1850, has several departments. No church is now maintained in the first ward-several congregations which formerly had grist places of worship there, have either become extinct or removed to the north side of the river.
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.