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 32
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67
283
Joseph White made silk hats for many years, he was also a veteran of the Civil War. He married Mrs. Faxon ; children were: Marcia, Ella, Sarah.
The Prescotts ( 1835) cousins of the Swains. I. I. Josiah Prescott, born 1780, died 1855, age 75. Mrs. Betsy Prescott Swain, wife of Samuel Swain, Sr., was a sister. Il. Albert H. Prescott, born 1801, a shoemaker, died 1872, married Eliza Brown, born 1808, died 1893, aged 87. III. Abbie A. Prescott. born in Nunda 1842, married Jerry W. Chandler, born 1839, died 1905. Chil- dren : Walter H., Blanch E., Grace M., Ruth A., Susan J. and Arthur W.
Mr. Cutting was the sexton of the Presbyterian Church when the bell was placed there in 1836. His daughters were Jane and Cyrena.
Zadock Lee ( 1837) and family came from Brockfield, N. Y. The Lees were Presbyterians, and the young men sang in the choir of that church. They went away fron: Nunda in 1854 selling their farm to Henry Brinkerhoof. Zadock Lee was born in New Lebanon, in 1796, and died at Baraboo, Wis., February 6, 1873. Esther, his wife, died December 14, 1872. Their children: Lathrop Livingston, born Hamilton, N. Y., 1823, married Harriet N. Gardiner of Nunda, who lives at Baraboo, Wis. ; * Byron Butler Lee, born at Brookfield. N. Y., 1825, married Lucinda Warner, 1847. He was a veteran from Wiscon- sin and died recently, at South Wayne, Wis. Henry Hurdington, born 1828, died at New York City, 1870; David Dyer Lee, born Brookfield, N. Y., 1833, married Julia Ellen Longley, Wisconsin ; Mercy Elizabeth Lee, born Nunda January 8, 1838, married Henry Cowles, Baraboo, Wis .; Herbert A. Lee, clergy- man and veteran soldier, of the 6th Wis., born in Nunda June 23, 1842, married in 1870 at New York City, Emma Tilden Bradley. This excellent boy, though born at Coopersville, has proved to be an excellent man, and is doing good work in home missions, he resides in Weiner, Idaho.
The Genesee Valley Canal was to be a reality, and people poured into the village and built houses. Massachusetts Street was laid out and settled by peo- ple from the Old Bay State. It was first called Union Street. Even the for- ests of the town were bought up, for lumber was to be king in that community. Our first foreign: population came that year. but most of them settled nearer the "Deep Cut" where a mile or more of hill was to be changed into a valley to form part of the well known "Nine Mile Level," this was a vast task, for the steam shovel did not then exist.
New families came to Nunda and remained some years. The Marshes. William and Sanger Marsh, merchants, Wood Estabrook and Laflin, were also merchants, Roswell Bennett from Portage started a bakery: and the McNair Brothers, John C., Hugh and Charles McNair came about this time.
THE TRUMBELL SISTERS
I. Louisa : 2. Sophia; 3. Sylvia: 4. Almira. I. I. Lousia, married Mark Keith, their children: Sarah Keith, married Frances H. Gibbs; Sylvia, married Eri Satterlee; Lavina, married Henry Baker; Lavisa, married Ephraim Page : Lincoln, married Eliza Dickenson.
I. 2. Sophia, married Israel Greenleaf, her daughter Almira Greenleaf, married John Lamb, their children: Adelia Lamb, married Isaac Burgess ; Charles ; Harry ; John : Louise : * Florence ; Nellie : Georgia. Mr. John Lamb worked at blacksmithing, and afterward kept a grocery and saloon ; he died in 1902.
284
1. 3. Sylvia Trumbell, married Storrs Barrows. Their daughter, Emily Barrows, preceptress Nunda Literary Institute for three years, married A. Jud- son Barrett, A. M., Principal Nunda Literary Institute from 1854 to May, 1859. when the building was burned-( see sketch ). Their children : Storrs Barrett, A. B., Rochester University: Helen Barrett, married W. B. Montgomery, of Rochester ; Annie Barrett, died 1906.
I. 4. Almira Trumbell, married A. B. Lovejoy; * Corydon a soldier died in the service : Elijah: Laura, became fourth wife of Capt. James Lemen ; Me- linda ; Sarah ; Alonzo: Lucina.
Children of Ephraim and Lavisa Page. Dr. Nelson Page: children of Lin- coln and Eliza Keith, Mark Jr .. and a sister.
THE JENNINGS FAMILY
The second wife of Frances H. Gibbs, was Helen Jennings, daughter of Lewis Jennings of Nunda, her sister married F. Marion Satterlee.
THE GIBBS FAMILY
Children of Francis H. and Sarah Keith Gibbs: * George H. Gibbs, mar- ried Frances Kendall : Emma Gibbs, married Capt. John J. Carter; Harriet Gibbs, married Dr. George Henry Fox of New York City ; their children : How- ard Fox, born in London, but with genuine American patriotism, celebrated his first birthday on July 4, he is still a good specimen of a young American ; Ade- line, married January 22. 1908: Henry Rulande Russel : Helen.
Charles, married Kitty Vick of Rochester. Children of Eri and Sylvia Satterlee : Julia, married -- Chambers ; Louis is an M. D .; Bert. Chil- dren of Henry and Lavina Baker: Nellie, married Fred Hunt ; George; Lotta, married Spencer Rhinevault.
THE FRANCIS H. GIBBS POSTERITY-PREPARED BY REQUEST OF L. B. CARTER
Child, George Gibbs: grandchild, G. Harry Gibbs ; conjugis, Helen Buch- heit; great grandchild, Emma Gibbs.
Child, Emma Gibbs : grandchildren. Charles Gibbs Carter, Luke Berne Car- ter, Emma Carter, Alice Carter : conjugis. Mary Elizabeth McBride, Anne Curry, Alexander B. Sharp. Hugh Herndon: great grandchildren, Mary Car- ter, Hugh Herndon. Jr .. John J. Carter Herndon.
Child, Harriet Gibbs : grandchildren. George Howard Fox. Adaline Fox, Alanson Gibbs Fox, Helen Fox: conjugis, Henry Russell.
Child. Charles L. Gibbs: grandchild. Katherine Gibbs adopted ; conjugis, John Dillon ; great grandchild, Katherine Dillon.
THE McNAIRS
John C. McNair a veteran of 1812-14. who had enlisted from Sparta, proved "A Spartan" indeed and always remained a patriot. He was born in Penn. 1794 and settled in Sparta in 1796. came to Nunda in 1836. He was a strict Scotch Presbyterian, a good farmer and had a good sized family of scholarly children who became teachers. The parents lived until after the Civil War.
285
If the bestowal of great names serves as an inspiration it were an eas; highway to greatness. It worked fairly well in the Mc Nair family. The fam- ily names were, John Hancock. George Washington, Jefferson, James Monroe. Isabella, Victoria and Martha. all good teachers. Isabel and Martha have taught for many years. Victoria graduated from the Nunda Literary Institute : taught a few years, and was married to a McNair and resides in Mt Morris. Belle taught twenty years, became Mrs. Townsend. then became a widow and resumed teaching. Martha is still following her profession.
James Monroe was graduated from Nunda and from Rochester Univer- sity, became a soldier at the beginning of the Civil War, served as Capt of Co. F. 33rd Regiment, married Emily Gilmore of Nunda, held the position of clerk in Quarter Master Department at Washington six years; then returned to the farm, where both himself and his lovely wife shortened their days by too much toil of an uncongenial nature, not adapted to their culture or constitu- tion. Capt. McNair served his town as Supervisor. He died at the age of 55. Mrs. McNair a few years afterward. They left a family of girls and one son. The son who disliked farm work and liked to travel found his way into almost every state in the Union. and it is said his name is cut on the walls of one of the dungeons of Moro Castle, Cuba. Poor Frank, the family patriotism made a martyr of this youthful cosmopolitan. Two of the daughters afterward proved their superiority as scholars and teachers. Emily. Lulu and Mary perished from lack of constitutional vigor, and the others sought health in California's health- ful climate, where Emily and Anna are still living.
The parents of Mrs. McNair, Dr. and Mrs. James Gilmore, spent their last days in the home of their daughter. and after her death, with the children. They also have passed away, highly esteemed by all who knew them.
Jefferson McNair, enlisted in the west, where he was living and became a captain of the company in which he served.
Hugh McNair ( a brother of John C.) lived near the village and shared in building up its industries. His son Clement succeeded him on the farm and tried various forms of experimental farming.
Charles McNair ( another brother ) lived at Oakwood became very aged, and was at the time of his death the oldest person in the town. Mrs. Miles Moffatt. Mrs. Mathews and Miss Henrietta McNair were the daughters. A son went to California and after meeting with financial success, suddenly dis- appeared. Mrs. Mathews sought for him there in vain: and wrote and pub- lished a book concerning her years of unavailing but persistent search. Mrs. E. L. Cook at Edgerly Place, a daughter of Mrs. Moffatt. is the only member of the family in this vicinity.
.
Van Court (saddle and harness maker). Children: 1. Thomas: 2. Benj- amin : 3. William ; 4. Marshall: 5. Sarah : 6. Caroline: 7. Hannah Maria: 8. Catharine : 9. Marion.
WIDOW BRADFORD FAMILY
I. Mrs. Bradford. a sister of Suranus Britton. II. Emily, married Thomas Chynoworth. saddle and harness maker ; Belle : Ann Bradford, mar- ried Edward Chandler.
286
A CANAL CELEBRATION, JUNE 27, 1838
Has a committee that gives us an opinion as to who were leaders at that time, Silas Grover. Benedict Bagley, Walter Whitcomb, Q. H. Barron, A. Clin- ton Chipman (our first lawyer) Samuel Swain, Jr., Hiram Grover, Calvin B. Lawrence, George W. Merrick, Supervisor Utley Spencer, Eliphaz Tyler, R. G. Bennett. B. P. Richmond, Granville Sherwood, John H. Townsend, Dr. David M. Dake, Eliazer Rowley, Suranus Britton, of Nunda ; Orletan Messen- ger, Agel Fitch, Daniel Edgerly, of Oakland; Gen. Micha Brooks, Dr. Will- iam B. Munson of Brooksgrove; Samuel C. Jones, Reuben Weed of Grove (Granger was still in Grove) : Horace Hunt and Philip Burroughs of Portage.
PETTYS FAMILY
Hepsebeth Satterlee, daughter of Sylvester Satterlee of East Hill and widow of Jacob Pettys, came to her father's to live on East Hill in 1837 ; she married for her second husband Elder Jacob Seager. Children: First mar- riage : Edwin J. Pettys, born September 27, 1827, enlisted in Co. F., 4th N. Y. Heavy Artillery, married 1, *S. Hill, 2, *Mary Crowel ; he died February 2, 1907; Mary J. Pettys, married Ellis Thompson, died April 8. 1908; Recta Pettys, married James Allen of Nunda; Edgar S. Pettys, married Mary Ann Day, children Cora A. and Will E.
SAMUEL RECKARD AND CREE FAMILIES
Mr. Reckard was an early pioneer of Birdsall and came to Portage-Nunda about 1835 and to Nunda village about 1837. He was a carpenter and grocer. and for many years sexton of the Oakwood Cemetery. Samuel Reckard and wife Sabrina, were two of the eight first members of a Methodist class that be- came the first Methodist Church of Nunda. His family were musical and after the first decade were choir singers for many years. Elizabeth sang for over fifty years.
Samuel Reckard was born in 1807 and died in 1889. age 82. Sabrina, born 1807, died 1885. age 78. Elizabeth, married Robert Cree, a mechanic who came to Nunda about 1852. For many years he was the principal undertaker in the village and kept a large stock of furniture, he died in Nunda. Children : Frank Cree, married Effie Frayer, both died while only middelaged; Charles Cree, Nunda.
The Cree Brothers were the successors of their father until the death of the oldest son. The Duryee Brothers are the successors of Charles Cree.
John Reckard died at the age of 15 or 17: * Orman Reckard was a veteran of the Civil War, 33rd Regiment, married *- Carroll ; * Jane Reckard : *Rose Reckard, a fine contralto and organist, married #Byron Seelye; Lydia. married (elsewhere).
Mrs. Cree has the distinction of having lived longest continuously in the village of Nunda, she came here, at the age of three, and has lived here since 1837. She can still sing a good alto, and was for a quarter of a century a good choir soprano.
RUSSELL FAMILY
Joseph Russell of New Hampshire, a relative of the Angier family came to Oakland about 1825, and to Nunda about 1838. Ile was married three
287
£
times, his first wife was an Angier, the second Harriet Robinson, daughter of Elisha Robinson, and the third Mary Lobbell. His children by first wife were: Priscilla, married Syranus Britton : Almira, married Jacob Osgoodby; Charles P., married Mary Robinson, sister to her stepmother : William G., married Ma- tilda Sherwood, daughter of Granville Sherwood; Louisa, married William H. Martin; Jane, married Cyrus Rose. Children by second marriage : Andrew, (writing teacher, artist and veteran), married Delia Duryee; * George, mar- ried Martha DeCamp: * Ezra, died single; * Harriet. Third marriage, *War- ren, grew to manhood and died.
Suranus Britton and his noble wife are well known by those who lived in Nunda, from 1838 to 1865. As a canal contractor, livery and stage route manager, he was famous. He went west and died there. Mrs. Britton was one of the best workers in the Baptist society in the time of its greatest pros- perity. As one of the patriotic workers. during the Civil War she held first place, ably seconded by Mrs. F. J. M. Whitcomb and a large circle of faithful assistants. Her son Russell became a soldier, and her brother Andrew ren- dered efficient aid to the government in his capacity of artist and sketch maker. Their children were: Joseph Britton; Lucy, who married James Camp the druggist ; Charles P .: Russell who is still living, a major of the First New York Dragoons, and Fred, all born before 1840.
The Osgoodby family came to Nunda in the thirties and built a small house on East Street, now owned by Mrs. Keyes. Mr. O. was a builder. He was thrice married ; his first wife was the mother of his sons, George M., a law- yer, and Willianı W., a court stenographer, who married Electa Irwin; George M., married Mary Turrill, he practiced law at Nunda, Buffalo and New York City. He was a very tall man, six feet and 6 inches in height, and most of his sons, and his one daughter, inherit this family characteristic. Melvin H. Osgoodby, is the only one of his sons living in Nunda. He has been a hard- ware merchant and is now manager of the Nunda Telephone Company. He resides on Seward Street ; he married Miss Abbott. They have one daughter, Leta, who is receiving a musical education at Syracuse University. Charles P. Russell's children: Juliett, Elizabeth, Mary E., Frank Charles, George O .. Fred Horatio. Ella Linda. Children of William G. and Matilda Russell: *Frederick G., born in Nunda, never married, died recently ; Lucy Maria, born in Nunda, married Peter M. Travers; Will C., Jr., married Mary Smith ; Emily Matilda and Eliza Jane, died in childhood : Emma Sherwood, married Willard S. Martindale : Jennie Eliza, never married; Alleine May, married Frank E. Warner.
*Jane, married Cyrus Rose, canal contractor and farmer, who died recently. aged 91. their children: Arabella ( Mrs. Jacobs) ; Frances drowned in the Genesee River. while Mr. R. was fording the stream in winter. age 16; James, still in Missouri ; * Henry J., married Carrie Willard; he died on a ranch in Colo- rado. His widow returned to Nunda. Their daughter, Fanny Rose. a musician. married Dr. John Nelson, they reside in Ohio. Laura sister to Henry, married *Frank DePuy, son of Philip DePuy, he died 1807.
Andrew G. Russell, married - - Duryee. daughter of William R. Dur- vee. They had two dangliters. Andrew Russell was one of the few pioneer artists of Nunda. Some of his panoramas. especially that of Niagara Falls, were excellent. He was given a Captain's commission during the Civil
288
War, and employed in sketching the enemy's works, camps, etc. He was also an expert penman and taught classes in penmanship. John W. Hand and Cornelius Kiley were among his most proficient scholars.
George Russell. married Martha DeCamp. They had two sons, Walter and Wallace ; Ezra and Harriet died young.
The family of William and S. E. Martin were Emily, George D. (a vet- eran of the 33rd New York ). Susie (Mrs. Nye, of Castile), Lucy, Hattie, Clara, who lives with Mrs. Nye : Ezra. Nellie and Frank. W. H. Martin died June 30, 1869. and Mrs. Martin. September 26, 1896: George D. died October 24, 1900; Susie and Clara alone are living. The widow of George D. Martin, Anna Ellen Martin, resides at Davenport, Iowa.
The late B. S. Coffin. in an article on the rural post offices of Mt. Morris, says: "An early stage route was owned and run by William Martin of Nunda. the large four-horse stage making daily trips between Mt. Morris and An- gelica was this or like this."
Bücher
THE SPRAGUE BROTHERS-A SHIPWRECK
Three Sprague brothers lived for a time in Nunda village, during the "thirties." Joseph was a married man and his brothers lived with him. One of them was a doctor and practiced medicine while here. Horatio, the other brother, was a skilled musician, the cornet being his specialty. He held a position in a Buffalo city band that played on a passenger boat on Lake Erie. A disastrous storm occurred and the vessel went to the bottom. Only Sprague and one other member of the band reached shore and safety.
The two Cody brothers lived in the village in its early days. Paschal married Miranda Jackson, an older sister of Leonard Jackson, who will com- plete his four score years this year. Rufus Cody was a blacksmith and located at Hunts Hollow, and, having some guests who wished to visit "the tunnel" that was in process of construction, he went with them to the middle falls. which was near by, and by some accident fell over the bank. He lodged, how- ever, against some small trees and his body was secured and brought to the surface, but he had been fatally injured, and died then and there, adding one more to the catastrophies of that locality. He left a wife, two sons and two daughters.
289
A HIGHLY "COLORED" TRAGEDY
In 1849 occurred the only tragedy in Nunda that ended in a fatality. A negro barber, named B., had a white wife and a mulatto child. An- other negro, named Brad, living on the hill, enticed this fair but false one away from her lieged lord and lawful husband. The knight of the razor secured Bill Dunn, a constable, to go to the woodland bower and secure the pledge of their former mutual love. He, however, accompanied this official with the lingering hope that he might induce the fickle one to return with her pickaninny. Not finding the ebony Lothario in the bower, he went to the rear of the house where the disturber of his love's first dream was perched upon a pile of wood, whittling a shingle. The enraged husband struck a blow that sent the guilty paramour spinning around. and the open knife entered the abdomen of the now "doubly-injured man." The constable. renowned as the swiftest runner in the town, sought medical aid, which arrived after the tragedy was completed. and the innocent man, though not pallid, was a corpse. The man with the knife gave himself up, and declared himself innocent of any intention of murder. He was, however, sent to Geneseo to await trial, and the murdered man was duly buried. Here was an opportunity for the surgeons. A certain young physician-one of the very best who ever made Nunda a scene of his skill-soon assisted in a speedy "resurrection of the body." (Doc- tors have always had decided views on that subject.) This doctor "wanted more than a limb for anatomization so he finished the job"-by lamp light in the cellar of a certain well known corner store.
But what a commotion existed in the here-to-fore quiet village of Nunda : "murder and body-snatching" within twenty-four hours! All the horrible stories of negro barbarity so flippant but yesterday were relegated into obliv- ion, and those worse than barbarians, the doctors, who could not let a poor, wronged man sleep in his flesh .- and who knows but this will be but the be- ginning and renewal of the Dr. Chaffee days, when the dead-except consump- tives and smallpox cases-walked in their sleep from their graves, straight to the dissecting tables, in the interest of scientific anatomy. The story of the negro's desecrated grave reached even to the wiles of the Cooperville school. and the seat mate of the writer. twelve-years-old Terry Carroll, told me in hoarse whispers that the negro barber had been dug up. and that Deacon Thayer, or some of those soap makers, wanted his fat for soap, that negro fat made the best kind of eastile soap. Poor Terry! Some of the irrepressible village wags had loaded his credulity with information not strictly scientific.
In the interests of scientific knowledge, and the desire to add a fine skele- ton to the cabinet of the brightest young physician in the village without injuring the tender sensibilities of white people. this sequel to the ebony trag- edy, like the tragedy itself. was soon forgotten. It is very certain no arrests were made, no investigations inaugurated and certainly Deacon Thayer's soap factory, under the old castle, produced no special brand of castile soap.
Nunda's negro population was never very great-not more than a dozen families at most. The writer remembers one lusty negro by the name of Norris who was a sort of roust-a-bout, doing odd jobs for any who employed him. On one Fourth of July when Nunda celebrated, as she generally did. years ago, in the interest of the patriotism of the boys-and of trade-Norris
290
was passing along the street with a basket of shavings. Some one lighted the shavings with a blazing match, and soon the blazing basket was more orna- mental than useful. The negro did not enjoy being a subject for hilarity, and threw the basket into the street, doubled his fist and faced the crowd, ex- claiming: "Who set dem shavins af-fire, who set dem shavins af-fire ; I'll give any man five dollars just to tell me who set dem shavins af-fire." All laugh- ing stopped. no one could tell, there was abundant chance for a knock-down, the fun and the shavings died out together, and the darky moved on and no one dared to'repeat till he was well down the street, "Who set dem shavins af-fire."
I did not tell then, and there's no five dollars to be won by telling now. but the most innocent looking young scamp in the crowd was the very fellow who did it.
OUR PIONEER EDITOR AND HIS NEWSPAPER
This year marks progress for the town and village in having for the first time a newspaper published here. Ira G. Wisner published the first copy of the Genesee Valley Recorder, September 17, 1840. He married Miss H. Ade- laide Merrill, daughter of Riley Merrill of Nunda.
A hymenial poem was written for the occasion. A daughter of this pioneer editor was married to Thomas Gamble, Esq., and their daughter to Frank Wakeman of Nunda. Ira Wisner was a brother of Col. Reuben P. Wisner. a Colonel of the valiant but bloodless 58th N. Y. N. G.
Col. J. L. Johnson, married Abigail Nash, sister to Alfred Nash of Portage. Mrs. Johnson was one of the early milliners, and the Colonel, in 1840. kept the "Eagle Tavern."
A LOST INDUSTRY
The Camp family-Albert Camp and sons-lived on the corner of Seward and Holms Street ( the Davidson place), and manufactured pipe organs. The shop was south of the house. It was sold by Mr. Davidson to Michael Creed. and is now a dwelling house on Church Street. The pipe organs in the Bap- tist, and the first one in the Presbyterian Church, were made by this firm. The sons were Albert Camp. Jr., and James Camp. druggist, who married 1.ney Britton : Maria Camp, married Herman L. Page, merchant. The organ shop was moved in the winter across the canal. near the foot bridge (Portage Street ), on the ice. This canal level was left full of water and furnished a water supply in case of fire, and. incidently. the best skating rink the village has ever had. The Camps came from Oakland to Nunda about 1840. There was an exodus from Oakland to Nunda from 1828 to 1841. Oakland has sur- vived it all and kept her houses tenanted but has had no occasion to build new ones.
1839-INCORPORATION OF VILLAGE
Nunda village was incorporated April 26, 1839, seventeen years before Henry C. Jones laid out the small hamlet. In 1824 Charles H. Carroll planned a village in anticipation of what has now become a reality.
June 11, 1839. was a proud day for the embryo metropolis of the Keshequa valley, for a new set of officials were to be selected and elected. A list of their
291
£
-
names is proof of the wisdom of their selection. The trustees were the leading men of the town: Benedict Bagley, "the most prominent lawyer;" Russell Barnes (the largest land owner in the corporation), Walter Whitcomb (the leading merchant ) : Calvin B. Lawrence ( the leading lumberman ), and David Holmes (the principal manufacturer ). Holmes Street, then a quarter of a mile long, bisected longitudinally his large farm. The village assessors were Calvin B. Lawrence and Samuel Swain, Jr. The trustees held a meeting at the office of Benedict Bagley ( Mrs. Bowhall's cottage, thien on East Street), June 13th, and made the following appointments : Benedict Bagley, president ; Nathaniel Coe, clerk ; William D. Hammond, collector ; Albert H. Preston, poundkeeper. The fire wardens : Dr. Clifford Chafee. D. P. Richmond, W. M. Chipman (den- tist), Henry C. Jones. Members of Hook and Ladder Company : Addison M. Crane, Hiram C. Grover, Thomas Raines, Frances H. Gibbs, Joseph White, James Swain. Jehiel Reed. Henry Ashley. Doctor D. Morse (not an M. D.). Henry Chalker (lawyer). In this fire company we have the leading young men of that time. All but Reed and Raines were permanent settlers. If any of these young men were living now he would be from ninety to one hundred years of age. Walter Whitcomb was born 1808, Hiram Grover 1812. Only one of the young ladies of that time has survived. She was born in 1813, and most of those mentioned attended her wedding. It is needless to say who she is; you will find her picture in the book as the oldest person living in Nunda at this time. The village, as then incorporated, was very unlike the one of to- day in respect to dwelling houses. Prominent men of that time lived in very small cottages, and while there were as many citizens as to-day there were not as many families. There were few fine houses then ; all were plain ; just a few looked as well as they do to-day, and only a few, that have been neglected, then looked better. Every yard was fenced in, and the poundmaster was kept busy looking after the commoners, i. e., the cattle that pastured along the street.
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.