USA > New York > Livingston County > Nunda > Centennial history of the town of Nunda : with a preliminary recital of the winning of western New York, from the fort builders age to the last conquest by our Revolutionary forefathers > Part 13
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1811. Reuben Collar, from Sparta, moved across the line, and probably took up the Isaac Whitenack farm. for Isaac bought his farm years after of his brother John, whose wife was a Collar. Collar was appointed pathmaster, and it is to be hoped he collared the big trees and made the highway, after having warned out all the other heads of families to assist. In 1812 he is again pathmaster, and this time he is not alone. The town clerk has given us for the first time all the names of the men in District No. 3, evidently all there were in Nunda and Portage at the time. Those in Nunda and Portage were Phineas Bates, Bela (this time called Poles). Elderkim 3, Ephraim Kingsley, Josiah Austen, Reuben Collar and Reuben Collar, Jr., Lori Huntington, all from Nunda, except No. 3, Ephraim Kingsley, who had moved to Portage.
This first year of the war has thinned our settlement of three Austens, who either went back east for safety or west to Buffalo with the Sparta volun- teers. We are told some pioneers were as timid as others were bold, and our meager population greatly changed during these two years.
1813. This year we have again these families, and the road district is divided : the Nunda part, being the farthest south, gets to be No. 1. Phineas Bates is pathmaster, with six days' work ; Abela Elderkim, six days; Daniel Austen, two; Thomas Austen (returned), two; Alexander McNutt, four ; David McNutt, three ; Thomas Kennedy, two.
JAMES BENNET
James Bennet, wife and seven children settled in Nunda in 1813. The children were : James, Jr., Chester, who married and soon after moved to Oak- land. Three daughters were born to them-one moved west, Susan married Cor- nelius Van Riper-the Miller at Oakland ; Mary married Simeon Hall, and lived at Oakland. She was an editor of the Sunday Department of the Buffalo Even- ing News and a poetess of some merit. She published a book of poems entitled
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PIONEER ROAD BUILDERS
Reading from left to right : Noah Warren, George W. Merrick, Nathaniel Clough, Silas Warren, Jonas Warren
"Live Coals." She died at Oakland in 1908. 3, Gaylord Bennet, lived in Nun- da twenty years; 4. Vincent: 5. Truman; 6. Levi. The daughter, Lovina, was thrice married. I, Barak Tozer; 2, Richard Bowen: 3, Hiram Bishop. Her children were Barak Tozer, Jr., an artist; James R. Bowen, a veteran, clergyman and author. He married Elizabeth Pratt. and an estimable lady in the west, who survives him. Chester Bowen, veteran, married Josephine Colby ; moved to Texas and died there in 1907. John J. Bowen, a veteran, is still living.
Mrs. Bowen is authority for there being two camps of Indians in Nunda village ; one south of the High School, and one west of Buffalo Street, in 1813.
1812. Thomas Kennedy, wife and minor sons (J. Kennedy became of age in 1814, S. Kennedy in 1816). Daniel Roy. Levi and Asahel Herrington (a daughter of one of these married Robert Gifford ; L. D. Gifford, of Hunt, is a grandson).
1813. Mr. Treat. (Sons, Seymore and Francis.)
1814. Samuel Utterley ( probably Utter). D. Corey and Daniel Corey; I. Austen and J. Austen returned this year. They had probably been soldiers from 1812 to 1814 but as they lived to return, mention is made of it. The John Austen family, living in Nunda at the time of the Civil War, sent four sons into the service-good, patriotic blood can be transmitted.
1815. Abner Tuttle. an uncle to Mrs. Silas Roberts, came this year and located on the Keshequa trail, (Mill house, Cooperville). Two brothers, Stephen and Henry, two years later, north of him, also on the trail, but moved to Grove later. A daughter, Amy, of Abner Tuttle, 19 years of age, died and was the first person buried in the cemetery at Nunda. Mrs. R. was living in the family at the time. Previous to this all burials had been at Oak Hill or at Wilcox Corners. James Campbell was a settler in 1815.
John McSweeney, first land agent in Nunda for Luke Tierney, of Baltimore, (an honorary creditor of Robert Morris) took up his residence in Nunda on what was for many years the large farm of Russell Barnes. This farm ex- tended from Mill Street to Massachusetts Street, along Church Street, and included a good share of the Elmwood and the Jellerson lands to the Keshequa, lot 29. The land agent was intending to have a fine estate of his own when he grew rich selling farms to others. One small log house had an occupant on the site of the Livingston Block, and, anxious to make sales a little away from his coveted domain. he notified this tenant if he desired to stay he must pay. Mr. B. Bada could not pay, so he ejected him after the fashion of the English landlords with their Irish tenants in Ireland. So Bada was driven out, but the squatters were in the majority, and led by a sharp Portage petti- fogger, named Dickson, they won all their cases against McSweeney and about 1819 or so they forced him to flee to Canada, as a "House of Refuge" from the settlers and from his superior. Luke Tierney. His wife, who was a high-bred Irish dame, was left in possession to pass her first winter in the wilderness of Nunda, not far from the Keshequa, somewhere on the present Barnes-Jellerson farm.
And this story of Mrs. McSweeney was long after told to the guests around the hospitable table of Deacon Russell Messenger, at Oakland :
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MRS. McSWEENEY'S DILEMMA
It appears that Mrs. McSweeney, reared in Ireland near the western shore, had never seen any large amount of snow. Spending her winter alone, with no trading place nearer than Oakland, and few friendly to her husband, who had carried away with him their first payments for their farms, her life was extremely solitary and distressing. To add to her tribulation, a heavy snow storm piled up the snow around her log habitation and placed its two- foot depth of "the beautiful" between her domicile and the spring, much nearer to the Keshequa. She had food, plenty, but was out of water and expected to perish with thirst. A humane neighbor, though perhaps he lived a mile away, fearing she might be out of fuel, light or food, went to her house and offered his services. She had everything needed but water, and was suffering from thirst. To his surprising inquiry, why she did not melt the snow, she replied that she did not know she could do it.
She spent the winter there in comfort after this, but next spring sold to the Messengers and Fitches her silverware. The younger Messengers and Fitches were cousins, but the Messengers and Mrs. Bowhall were still nearer related, for Mrs. Bowhall was a sister Baptist. MIrs. B. has seen the spoons and heard the story of the woman, who, like the perishing sailor, might have said, "Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink."
1816
In 1816 Noah Warren came through Nunda village with his brother-in- law, Schuyler Thompson, in search of a western home. Most of those who came now had friends somewhere near and always found the latch-string out even to a stranger. He has said he stopped the first night at the home of George Patterson, Sr., one of the funniest of all the pioneers in this section. The little hut, not over twelve feet square, and not much over six feet between joints, served as an abode for the night. Mr. Warren selected a home on the Norton tract, and went back to his eastern home, attracted by a magnet by the name of Ursula, and did not return until 1819. Schuyler Thompson found a home a little south of that in the town of Portage.
1815. Reuben Sweet, wife and children.
Peleg Sweet, a brother. These men settled on the road south of Walnut Street, and Reuben remained there for a decade or two. Peleg moved on to the south and settled in Grove-Nunda about 1823.
. In 1816 we find these additional names on the highway lists; probably they came the summer or autumn before :
Samuel Wilsey, Jeremiah Broach, Michael Rhine.
Michael Rhine had a family.
Note-A daughter of Michael Rhine died only a few years ago, an elderly married lady, the ancestress of one of the many families near the Ossian town line. I think she was the mother of Michael Reichard.
1816. Eleazer Barnhard, located on the hill southeast of the village, and, it is said, with the assistance of four men, put up a log house in one day -- Sunday at that-one log higher than the second floor. A Sunday's toil: "A Sunday well spent brings a week of content." This got into print at Utica, and led to the settlement in 1817 of George W. Merrick. Barnhard seems to have been a facetious chap, for he is reported as having said, when he finally
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settled on the hill, a little bird used to cry, "Work or die!" Before he left, the bird had changed his motto to "Cheat and Lie." That bird must have come from some earlier settlement than Nunda. McSweeney, so far, was the only "cheat" in the town-there have been a few others since.
Recapitulation : We have mentioned previous to 1816, forty-two men, and, assuming that the heads of families were married men and some had children, there must have been a population at that time of at least eighty- probably one hundred-in this part of the big town.
SOME TRANSIENTS AND PERMANENTS
THE PASSAGES.
I. Jacobus or Jacob Passage, m. Catharine Shoemaker. (Children, II; grandchildren, III, signifying second and third generation; b., born ; m., mar- ried ; d., died.)
II. I. George, m. --- Fletcher.
II. 2. Margaret, m. W'm. Chilson.
III. Daniel Chilson, a Nunda soldier, died in the service.
Hannah Chilson, m. - Travis.
II. 3. John Passage 2nd, m. Elizabeth House.
II. 4. Lany, m. Andrew Bratt.
II. 5. . Christopher, m. Fanny Long.
II. 6. David, b. 1807, m. Orpha Havens.
II. 7. Elizabeth, b. 1812, m. * John S. Culver; also his brother, Hamden Culver ; d. 1875.
III. Mary A. Culver, b. 1834: single ; resided in Dalton. Martha A., b. 1836: d.
Lydia, m. Ist, Leander Sabin of Nunda ; 2nd, John Kelly of Nunda.
Stella, died (young lady).
II. 8. Rachael Passage, m. John Van Sickle.
II. 9. Sophia, b. 1817, in Nunda ; m. Marcellus Andress.
II. 10. Daniel Passage, m. Nancy White ; b. in Grove Nunda, Aug., 1820. Mrs. Daniel Passage is still living. She was the second child born of white people in Grove. Daniel Passage moved back to Nunda half a century ago and built the Sanitarium that only awaits the right manager to make the min- eral springs of Nunda famous, and a modern Bethseda.
III. Martha, m. Daniel Price. There are two more generations of this family living in modern Nunda in R. S. Dana's family.
I. John Passage (brother to Jacob), a pioneer local Methodist preacher, who sometimes preached with his hat on, m. a widow, Mrs. Bratt.
II. (Children.) Gideon.
Andrew, m. Harriet Hungerford (sister to Virgil Hungerford). Wesley, m .; had a large family.
A grandson of Wesley Passage, lived in Portage, --- - Moses became a merchant of the Department Store type.
Children of David and Orpha Havens Passage
III. Mary Jane Passage. m. * Gardner Milliman. Gardner Milliman was a Nunda soldier, 22nd New York ; died in the service.
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IV. Mark Milliman.
III. 2. Hannah Passage, m. Martin Donahue. Martin Donahue m. 2 Wescott of Nunda.
Mrs. -
IV. Lillie Donahue, m.
III. 3. Henry Passage.
II. Peter Passage (son of James ; nephew of Jacob, John), m. Harriet Ward ; 2. Pena Groce. Second marriage after 85 years of age.
III. I. George Passage, m. Charlotte Lyon, daughter of J. S. Lyon.
2. Ward Passage.
3. Roxana, m. Harrison Colton.
Deceased.
The Passage family, had they all remained in Nunda, would have added greatly to the population of the town. They moved to Grove and helped out there. Peter Passage. always young, though born about 1810, married, a few years before his death, one of his former sweethearts. She was nearly an octogenarian, and he was several years older. All this goes to prove that in Nunda the hearts of the people never grow old. He died in 1904, aged 94.
SCHUYLER THOMPSON FAMILY
Deacon Schuyler Thompson came to Nunda in 1816 with Noah Warren and remained, locating in Portage-Nunda.
THE JAMES BREWER FAMILY
A Story of Longevity, and a Three Life Lease
About 1815 or 1816. James Wadsworth. the pioneer, the first of the illus- trious four that have honored that name, leased to James Brewer, who was born perhaps 140 years ago. a farm at Minden, with a rental of one peck of wheat an acre, as long as James Brewer. or his eldest daughter. Asenath, b. December 14, 1807, or his eldest son. Daniel, b. August 10, 1809, should live. Brewer selected lands similar to those here in the village, slightly wooded, and for the reason that these lands did not produce well at first. too sour or too exhausted from squaw culture, the first crop was a failure, so Brewer sold out his claim to a second party. subject to the three-life lease, and came to live in Nunda. This time he chose the hillside and located on the farm afterwards owned by Hiram Merrick, grandfather of Prof. Merrick Whitcomb. When the family came in 1818, his family consisted of himself, and his wife. (Grimes ) Brewer; Asenath, b. 1807: Daniel, 1809: Amy, 1811 ; James, 1813, and Eliza- beth, 1815. Melissa, the baby, was born January 26, 1818. He lived on his farm, cleared a spot, and sowed it to turnips, and this was his entire crop for the first year. He lived here until 1820. Amy and Melissa died, and there being no cemetery in Nunda they were buried on the farm. About this time Mrs. Brewer's brothers. Alvin and Richard Grimes, settled on East Hill, and the heartsick mother, wanting to be near her brothers, the family moved to their neighborhood. Here our venerable townsman, the late Jesse Brewer, was born, January 4, 1820, and was next to the Paine twins, being the third child born, so far as known, in the town. The family lived here about three years and another son. Joel. was born, December 28, 1822. The family, un- able to cope with the big pine stumps, whose roots spread out over at least a
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rod of land, moved to Grove-Nunda, and Brewer's Corners marks their place of settlement. Here the beech and maple stumps were less troublesome and here on June 1, 1825, our young townsman, Nelson Brewer, was born, and two years later. Clark Brewer, the youngest of the large household. Here they paid for the farm, and wishing to raise winter wheat, returned to Portage and Nunda. To return to the lease. when it had run half a century, investiga- tion was made to see if any of the "three" were living. All were living, and the farm was worth now SI00 an acre. Only thirty years ago the Minden farmer came to Nunda, to see if any of the precious lives (to him they were precious ) existed, and found that the son and daughter were both living; the daughter. Mrs. Asenath Chase. of Lakeville, lived near him ; ten years more pass, and both were still alive: but nearly ninety years after the lease was given. Mrs. Asenath Chase died. in the year 1905, in the 99th year of her long. active life. This story is not as good as when told me by Nelson Brewer, of Mill Street (Stilson House ), for then she was still alive. Her sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Kingman, now only 92. when last heard from was doing the house- work for her son-in-law, and still writes family letters to her young brother. Nelson, who is only 82. Jesse Brewer lived to a great old age also, and claimed that he was the first white child born in the town of Nunda. Mrs. Effie Brewer Chidsey is the granddaughter of Daniel Brewer, the youngest party of the three, of the Three Life Lease. Homer Brewer, a son of Daniel, no longer young, is still an active man. and lives in the town. Joel Brewer at one time kept the Eagle Hotel, and afterward boarded students. Joseph Mosher, son of William, an early pioneer. died at the Brewer boarding house. Mrs. Joel Brewer, now the widow of Wm. C. Fuller, lives with her son in Rochester. James Brewer died while comparatively young. The widow of his son, Henry, is still a citizen of Nunda. Mrs. Kingman and Nelson Brewer are the only ones living of the James Brewer family who came to Nunda when the village was principally noted for its berry bushes, where the older children of the family came to pick berries.
OTHER BREWERS
Clark and Havillah Brewer were cousins to Daniel, James, Joel, Nelson and Clark.
Havilla married a Gifford, and afterward the widow of Barnard Wagor, the father of Walter Wagor.
Clark Brewer, 2nd, was then the only son. He died in Colorado a few years ago.
Clark (brother to Havilla), married Chase, sister to Sheriff Chase of Livingston County. Their daughter Mary, a beautiful young lady, mar- ried and soon after died.
This branch of the Brewer family is extinct.
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CHAPTER V.
OUR PERMANENT SETTLERS-IMPORTANT LOCAL HISTORY.
O NE thought I would burn into the soul of every young American; our Republic is great, not because of the amount of dirt we possess, or the size of our census roll, but because of the genius of the race of pioneer white freemen, who settled this continent. dared the might of Kings, and blazed the way through the wilderness for the trembling feet of liberty."
Thomas Dickson, Jr., Author of the Leopard Spots.
Nothing in the past is dead to a man who would learn how the present comes to be what it is, and with retrospective glance seeks the source of present conditions.
THE PAINE FAMILY-WHO THEY WERE AND WHAT THEY DID
James Paine, the first permanent settler of Nunda, was born in Litchfield County, Conn., January 27, 1783. at the close of the Revolutionary War. He moved to Herkimer County in 1800 and a few years later married Polly (Mary ) Dana. He moved with his wife and two sons to Nunda, March 15, 1817. (Though not the first pioneer of our present township, he may be called the first permanent settler.) Two of his sisters with their families soon followed, Mrs. Zervia Merrick, wife of George W. Merrick, the same year, and his sis- ter Betsey, Mrs. William P. Wilcox, in 1820 or 22. Mr. Paine arrived in the huge town of Nunda, in time for the town election and walked to the place of voting (in Pike), it took one day to go, he voted (second day) and returned (third day). He was a large, vigorous man, and it is said that he carried a bag of wheat, the first he raised, or bought, to Dansville, on his back, had it ground into flour and returned with it the next day. . Recently a descendant of George W. Merrick, tells the same story of George W. Merrick. This does not hurt the story at all-possibly they went together on their fifteen mile jaunt, and to use an Irish witticism, for they may have reasoned the same way: "Sure mon there's two of us, it is only siven miles and a half a piece." Certainly in good company the distance did not seem so great. We may be tempted to ask, why did they not use a horse? Because the blazed path was too narrow and they were both young and strong.
The Paines were pioneers by nature and lineage, the Paine family were said to be pioneers also in the State of Connecticut. The sons who came to Nunda were Earl Judson, who was born at Paine's Hollow, Herkimer County, (the naine indicates they were pioneers there also), March 24, 1807, and his brother Lucius F., born 1809. These boys 10 and 8 years of age lived in Nunda until they were the last of those pioneers that were here in 1817. Mr. Earl J. Paine was an authority concerning events of these early times, and among many other things records that Mary Jemison from Gardeau was frequently a visitor at the early home of the family. As the Indians took their families with them on their annual Autumnal hunt for winter supplies of meat, no doubt this white In- dian came and was a welcome caller at many a settlers cabin. Earl was a farmer and lumberman and owned a fine farm that he carved out of a primitive wil- derness. All such were benefactors.
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The whole family in Nunda has consisted of four generations :
I. James, Paine, died April 8, 1866. Aged 83. Married Polly Dana, September 27, 1850. Born November 10, 1803. Died, aged 69.
II. I. Earl Judson, born March 24. 1807. Married in 1827 to Catherine. Grimes, daughter of Richard Grimes. Died February 25, 1879.
III. 1. Ann M., born 1828, married Prof. Buck, Vincennes, Ind. 2. Wells, born 1830, married 1832. ( 1) Emily B. Phillips, Wyoming County. Died 1870. (2) Celia MI. Doolittle, born Otsego County, 1844, married 1871, who survives him.
IV. I. * Carrie A., married Frank B. Chittenden.
V. I. Two living children, Harry and Ada. IV. 2. May C., married Platt C. Halstead. 3. Earl D. 4. Fred E.
II. 2. * Lucius F. Paine, born 1809. Mechanic, ( machinist) and manu- facturer. Died February 12, 1883. Married Emmaline Hopkins, daughter of Charles and Emma H. Died 1889.
III. 1. * Mary, died in infancy. 2. Mary Hovey (adopted) married *Stephen Barrett. teacher. ( Have a family oi children.) 3. John (adopted) a tailor-went away and never returned.
( First births among permanent settlers.)
II. 3 and 4. * James Almiron and Mary Almira, born November 12, 1819. who (M. A.) married Rev. Lyman Stilson. Died March 30, 1857. 3. James Almiron, married (1) *Lucretia Putnam; (2) *Esther Greenwood. No chil- dren by first marriage.
Adopted Sarah Hovey. Married John D. Grimes. See Grimes-Hover family.
Adopted Alfred Paine (a relative), married a Miss Coxe.
Children of J. A. and Esther (G.) Paine. Born in Nunda.
III. 1. Grace, a professional Normal Teacher. 2. Allison James, born in Nunda. Married Minnie Rockfellow, daughter of Charles and Sophia ( Walker) R.
Their children
IV. 1. Adeline and John.
*J. A. Paine for many years carried the U. S. Mail between Dalton and Nunda, and had a stage line between these places. He died at the age of 80.
*Deceased.
Nephews of James Paine, Pioneer.
Other giants of a Gigantic Race.
I. 1832-William D. Paine and Carlos Grant Paine. These brothers built the Nunda House in 1836. William D. Paine, millwright, built many saw-mills. Married Samantha Rice, daughter of E. Rice.
II. William H. Paine married Ella Hitchcock, daughter of M. and S. Hitchcock. See picture Civil List.
II. Laura Paine unmarried.
III. William, a schoolboy, son of William and Ella ( H) Paine.
1832-Carlos Grant, farmer ( 100.\) and lumberman, Born in Herki- I. mer County, February 20, 1811. Died. Married 1, Jerusha Swift. Born 1871. married 1835 ; died 1853.
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II. I. Delos S., born in Nunda, 1840. 3. Fannie H., born in Nunda, 1838. She was a teacher in Nunda. Married Rev. Arba Town, who died at Spencerport, 1908. 2. ( Harriet G., born in Nunda. 1836.)
Second marriage 1854. Mrs. Nancy Sweet Burdick. Born Delaware County, 1817.
Son of C. G. and N. S. B. Paine.
4. Nathan A., born in Nunda. 1861.
I. Abraham Burdick, born 1801. Married Nancy Sweet. Died 1850.
II. Ezra Burdick (veteran ), born 1845. Married Stonebrook. Mary Jane Burdick, born 1841. 1. Mrs. Goodemont. 2. Mrs. J. W. Smith. *Abram Burdick, Vet. Cav. Died in the service. Benjamin Range (lived in this family), veteran Civil War.
* Deceased.
Lucius F. Paine, (a boy Pioneer of Nunda ), tells his story of Pioneer days. He was eight years of age when he came to Nunda in 1817.
"The early settlers lived a life of roughness and severity compared to the lives of their descendants. Living in houses built from logs hewed from the forests which surrounded them: subsisting from the meager patches of land hurriedly cleared, or on the scant surplus of products produced by some earlier settler, often many miles away, toiling early and toiling late, and dressing in homespun from their own family looms : theirs was a rugged life and demanded more than ordinary perseverance and self-denial to procure a living for them- selves and families. Shingle making and lumbering was at first a source of gain, the former being made at the rate of fifty cents a thousand, and the best lumber selling for two dollars per thousand feet. (And here comes in the com- pensation in a boy's life from incessant daily toil). In those days deer were abundant. There were also some bears and elk, but not so many. Wolves were so plentiful that the settlers could keep but few sheep, and a reward of sev- eral dollars was paid by the town for the killing of each wolf. Wheat drawn to Rochester, a three days' journey, brought three shillings and sixpence a bushel It cost twelve dollars a year to get delivered a small paper published in Geneseo.'"
This record of pioneer life. with its evidences of light pocketbooks and heavy toil, coming from the home experiences of this once boy pioneer, furnishes a glance of James Paine and his sons, making their best pine lumber into shin- gles to be sold for a little cash or for groceries, while the patient Polly and her daughter Almira spin and weave the wools, so much needed for winter clothing.
"Say sons and grandsons of the pioneers
Is not your life a happier one than theirs?"
1817
Reuben Bates who came with James Paine to Nunda, if he settled at all in Nunda, must have been a transient.
John Eisamon did the same but a year or so later, he followed or preceded some of his neighbors to the Dutch Settlement in Grove. Good titles to lands could there be obtained.
Alexander Bailey, it is said by his grandchildren, tarried a year or two in Nunda before coming to Grove to reside. if so, he may have been one of the Baileys on Lot I who were here in very early days.
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