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 65
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The gatherings on Old Home Week and our Centennial will tell the per- . manence of the charm, for what they "admired and loved" a score of years ago, they now "love and admire" with a cumulative devotion. But men are more than landscapes, hills and plains, and I must say with regret that there is no space left to tell of the very ones, nearest and dearest, because of past associa- tions, who have in the last half century done so much to beantify and adorn what nature smiled upon and deemed ideal. Friends of my youth, old friends I knew in Keshequa's delightful vale,' had the writer supposed he was to become so inter-
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ested in your ancestry as to have no words left for you, bearing the imprint of friendship and appreciation, it is doubtful if he had undertaken to name one thousand pioneers first. Some future historians will tell of those they already regard as the old fellows they knew, and we may be fortunate if they do not brand us with the name, Methuselah. I doubt if Heaven itself will be quite ideal in the future
"Unless we can meet on the golden street The folks we used to know."
A GLIMPSE AT NUNDA IN 1842
A school paper. printed in 1842, gives us Nunda Village as it then existed. We have often heard that Nunda was greatest at the time when the canal was build- ing. The canal stopped operations for nearly ten years, and the following esti- mate printed at the office of the Genesee Valley Recorder will give us some idea of the village at that time.
One hundred and fifty dwellings, 1.CCO buildings, three churches, First Pres- byterian, First Baptist and First Universalist. The Baptist church had 464 mem- bers, the Presbyterian 340 members, the Universalist just formed. its charter members were 30. One academy. 30 scholars, the Nunda Academy ( Session House building ), S. A. Clemons, principal ; one woolen factory. 23 x 90, four stories high, four loomis and 216 spindles ; two carriage shops where coaches and carriages are made : one steam furnace : one steam engine factory : three flouring mills (within three miles) ; two cabinet and chair shops ; one printing press : nine dry goods stores : one hardware ; one drug store ; three groceries: two tav- erns ; two saddle and harness shops : one large tannery, owned by Daniel Ashley, Esq. ; a shoe shop, Vancourt & Gardner, employing eight hands.
The Methodist Society worship above a store.
There were other shops, blacksmith for example, not mentioned, but the esti- mate was a fair one.
The population of the town was larger than in 1840, and that it had ever been or ever has been since, but the thousand buildings, probably an exagger- ation, were mostly very humble in size and architecture. This included all out buildings. Some of the barns are still in existence and show what the houses might have been had they not been greatly enlarged and beautified.
The Samuel Swain house ( Whithead House, Portage Street), the Ashley house (VanDusen, 39 East Street), Carlos Ashley house ( Mrs. Campbell, Mill Street), and Samuel Swain, Sr., house, below the mill, were then the largest in the village. Only one of those first three churches are used for church purposes now. The Methodists purchased the First Presbyterian, the First Baptist be- came the Nunda Literary Institute and was burned by an incendiary. The Universalist is used as a public hall, while three newer churches on a more mod- ern and somewhat magnificent scale have taken their places.
UTLEY SPENCER, ESQ.
Stephen Spencer. Sr., came to Nunda from New Bedford, Conn., in 1818. His children were Laura, Stephen, Mable. Chester, Chauncey, Ralph and the subject of this sketch, Utley.
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Utley Spencer was born in 1806 and was therefore about 12 years old when he came to Nunda. The family made the long journey from the east with an ox team, settling on a farm in Portage, then Nunda.
He received a good education for those days, and as a young man was con- sidered a fine teacher. He followed this occupation for a time, returning from a successful school in Mount Morris to be employed by Colonel Wilcox in his store at Wilcox's Corners. He married Laura Lake at Hunt's Hollow, in 1832. She died in 1844. Five children were born to them, Charles L., Julia Augusta, Julia Cynthia, Mary Elizabeth, Laura Althea. Of these, at the present writing, there are living Charles L., at Riverside, Ill., Mary E. McDonald at Geneva, N. Y., and Laura Althea at Chicago, Il1. In 1845 Mr. Spencer married Sarah Lake, a sister of his first wife. Three children were born to them. Sarah Ellen who died in May, 1897, Emma and George Frank, who are now living at Dans- ville, N. Y.
Mr. Spencer's first business in Nunda was a general store, situated opposite the present Nunda House. A Mr. Waite Joslyn was associated with him in this store. He lived over the store (the W. B. Whitcomb store) at this time, and afterward in the double house now standing on State Street, north of the site of the old Gibb's foundry. He soon built what was known as the Whipple House on Mill Street, the house now occupied by Mrs. A. C. Dodge, another further down the same street, followed by the building of the large house adjoining Mr. Alfred Bell's house on Massachusetts Street. He became interested in a contract business and was associated.for a time with Suranus Britton. One of their early large contracts was a railroad at Keene, N. H. He was one of the contractors who finished up the job on the Deep Cut. In 1849 he nearly yielded to a strong desire to go to California, but contracts then existing prevented. Soon after this, with Mr. Britton. he became interested in the lumber business, Alfred Bell buying out Mr. Britton's interest later. With Britton he took a large railroad contract at Cleveland. This proved financially disastrous and swept away the competency he had amassed.
Of his personal characteristics, we quote from the Nunda News at the time of his death, September, 1878.
"It was during his clerkship here that he was first elected to office, that of constable and during all the remaining years of his life he almost continuously held some public office. He was a life long Democrat, and yet he was elected year after year with the popular majority against him. He held the office of con- stable, deputy sheriff. town collector. justice of the peace, and was postmaster for many years. He was one of the session's justice at the time of his death. He was always an active worker both in his official pursuits and physical labor. He was no drone in the busy hive of industry, and was always ready to take hold of anything that he could find to do. He was kind an 1 obliging to all, often dis- commoding himself to favor others. He was a devoted father and a firm friend, and in his good will to the hosts of friends he made, exemplified the very acme of hospitality and loyalty."
THE KENDALLS
Of the Kendall family who have been residents of the town of Nunda, the family of Dean Kendall who married Johanna Howell. Their children were Allethe, Dillah and Frances. Dillah was one of the finest musicians the town
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THE LATE BRETT DEPUY
I. J. DEPUY
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has produced and had more scholars in voice culture than any other teacher of music. Allethe married J. Bradley Willett ; their daughter, Sophia, married John A. Dake, the youngest son of Jonathan Dake. Hazel married Glen Mc- Master, Walter (school boy). * Dillah married (first ) B. F. Rollah, (second) George Greig. D. D. S. * Frances Rollah married Oscar J. Willard, 1; Leon ; 2. Kenneth. Frances married George H. Gibbs, has a son.
The family of Dean Kendall came from Brooksgrove to Nunda over sixty years ago. Mrs. Kendall was before her marriage Johanna Howell. Their chil- dren were: Allethe married J. B. Willett, druggist. Dillah or Adelia married B. F. Rollah, 2. George Greig. Frances married George H. Gibbs (see Gibbs family). Sophia, daughter of Allethe Willett, married John A. Dake, and lives in Nunda. Frances Rollah married O. J. Willard and lived here until her deatlı. Oliver and Abram Kendall attended school in Nunda. They all died many years ago. John Willard, Frank and Clara Ingersoll Kendall, children of E. W. and Frances Creveling Kendall have all lived in Nunda. Clara died some years ago. Willard and Frank are successful farmers. John Willard and B. Frank Kendall, sons of Emory and Fanny Creveling Kendall of Mount Morris, have lived most of their lives in Nunda ; both are successful farmers. The sons of Willard and Georgia ( Barrett) Kendall are Frank and Bert, who are also farmers.
OUR FIRST STAGE ROUTES, PROPRIETORS AND STAGE DRIVERS
The very first stage route through from Leicester to Angelica previous to the completion of the State Road, must have passed over the River Road.
After 1827, it may have come through Nunda, but it is doubtful if it came before then, as the settlement was too small to warrant it, and the postoffice was in Portage till then.
Our first stage driver that has been mentioned was Matt Jackson an older brother of Leonard Jackson of this place. This must have been after the first postoffice came to "Nunda Valley." He was not the first driver, but possibly the first stage driver from Nunda. William Martin was the best known of the early stage drivers, his four horse establishment would attract more attention to-day than a dozen automobiles. His route was from Mt. Morris to Angelica and Belvedere. Another route was from Nunda to Pike. In his youth Robert Wright drove stage for Britton & Co. to Pike, this was probably sixty years ago.
Strange and almost incredible is the fact that there was a stage line from Hornell, then Hornellsville, to Attica passing through Nunda Valley, until the railroad between those places was built in 1852 and the proprietors lived in Nunda, and sent out their stages in both directions, and from Mt. Morris to Angelica. They had the whole job in every direction, Seranus Button and his brothers-in-law, William Martin, Charles and William Russell, and, I believe, Hiram Grover, constituted this firm. The Jacksons, Wright, and William G. Russell and probably Joseph Britton were the drivers.
After railroad days the stage business from Hornell to Attica stopped, but not until our own railroad was completed was it discontinued to Mt. Morris. William H. Smith, now of Rochester, was the driver. Almiron Paine had the route to Nunda station or Dalton, nearly as long as he lived, his son Allie was
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RESIDENCE OF I. J. DEPUY
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his successor. John Hughes had it for a time, the Whites until the present year and Frank Carter and son Allen are now carrying the mail, passengers and freight between Nunda and Dalton.
The transfer route to West Nunda has been chiefly conducted by Mrs. Mattie Herrick, and is now conducted by William Niew.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES CONCERNING WILLIAM NATHAN ALWARD-COMPILED BY JACKSON W. ALWARD
Mr. William Nathaniel Alward was the eldest son of Nathaniel and Betsey Freeman Alward and sixth in descent from Henry Alward, who came from England about 1675 and settled in Woodbridge, N. J. He was also the eighth in descent from Edmund Freeman. his maternal ancestor, who came from Eng- land in 1635, settled in Sandwich, Mass., and was assistant Governor of Plymouth Colony from 1643 to 1647. Mr. Alward was born December 20, 1820 in Scipio- ville, Cayuga County, N. Y .. died February 18, 1883 in Rochester. N. Y., and was buried in the family lot in Oakwood Cemetery, Nunda, N. Y. He was sur- vived by a widow and two children, Anna, who devoted her life to musical and literary pursuits and died unmarried January 27,1905, and Jackson W., who is an Investigator in Patent Causes and resides in New York City. Two younger children died in infancy.
Mr. Alward was educated at the academies at Homer, Moravia and Aurora. and at the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary at Lima, N. Y. In September, 1843, he married Hannah A. Downs, eldest daughter of Austin and Mary Durkee Downs of Scipio, N. Y. and seventh in descent from John Downs, who settled in New Haven, Conn., in 1654. She was also the sixth in descent from William Dur- kee her maternal ancestor. who settled in Ipswich, Mass., in 1663. Mrs. Alvard was born August 16. 1823. in Scipio, died May 30, 1883, in Rochester and was also buried in the family lot in Oakwood Cemetery.
In 1845 Mr. and Mrs. Alward. after residing in the town of Ledyard, Cay- uga County, N. Y., for a short period, came to Livingston County to reside on a farm purchased in December of that year from Israel Herrick, situated on the east side of the River Road Forks in the town of Mount Morris only a few miles from Oak Hill, where his father had some years previously invested in lands which were subsequently acquired by the late John F. Barber and where his widow and daughter now reside.
In 1847 the family removed to a farm purchased from David Howell in April of that year, situated on the west side of the State Road, north of Brooks- grove in the town of Mount Morris, where their son Jackson was born.
In 1848 the family came to the village of Nunda to reside in a house pur- chased from Charles Dake in November of that year, situated on the east side of Church Street between Massachusetts and East Streets. This house was subsequently remodelled, another story added and it is now the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram V. Rowell.
In 1850 the family removed to a farm purchased from Lyman Herrick in October of that year, situated on Walnut Street and the Creek Road, where Her- rick & Colby had some years previously established a nursery. On these prem- ises at the foot of East Street Mr. Alward erected a handsome house and other buildings, improved the grounds, planted elm, walnut and other shade trees and
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named the place Elmwood. The family resided there for about six years when it was sold to Hiram Ashley, who sold it to Henry Martin and subsequently the late Michael Dowling purchased the property, and it is now the home of his widow and daughters.
While the buildings were being completed at Elmwood the family resided in two other houses in the village, one of which was purchased in April, 1851, from Jerome B. Stillson, situated on the south side of Mill Street between State and Church Streets. The late Dr. William B. Alley subsequently purchased this property and it is now the home of his widow.
In October, 1857, Mr. Alward purchased from Rev. Whitman Metcalf and Prof. A. Judson Barrett, the residence formerly occupied by Elder Spoor, situated on the southwest corner of East and Church Streets, the house which formerly faced Church Street was moved, reconstructed and enlarged. the grounds graded and trees planted, and the family resided here until they removed to Rochester in December, 1865. This property was subsequently purchased by the late Allen Hinds and is still the home of his family.
During the years that Mr. Alward first resided in Nunda he was an active. enterprising man of affairs, trustee of the village and of the Presbyterian Churchi, owned and operated a number of farms, shipped many valuable horses to the New York market and carried on the business of a country merchant at different periods, in five different stores located as follows: On the northeast corner of State and Mill Streets, on the west side of State Street, third door south of First Street, on the northwest corner of State and Second Streets in the Holmes Hall Building, long since replaced by the Union Block; on the east side of State Street, second door north of Mill Street, known as the City Drug Store; and lastly on the southeast corner of State and East Streets, known as the New York Store, which he purchased from E. O. Dickinson in November, 1862.
On the 26th day of December, 1863, Mr. Alward was commissioned by Gov- ernor Seymour, Lieut. Colonel of the 58th Regiment. 30th Brigade, 8th Division, National Guard State of New York, organized under authority granted on June 19, 1863. He was ordered to report with his regiment at Elmira, N. Y., on the 9th day of August, 1864, where two days later the regiment was enrolled as volunteers to serve the United States for one hundred days and stationed at El- mira, where during that period the regiment aided other troops in guarding about eleven thousand prisoners encamped there. At the expiration of this term of service ending December 2, 1864, Lieut. Col. Alward and his regiment were mustered out of the United States service, when they resumed their service to the state as a National Guard regiment, which was continued until the regiment was disbanded February 18, 1867.
In July, 1875, Mr. Alward returned to Nunda and leased the Nunda House for one year and afterward resided temporarily at the Livingston House for about two years when he returned to Rochester. .
DENNIS ROBINSON ALWARD
Dennis Robinson Alward was a son of Nathaniel and Betsey Freeman Al- ward, his lineage is the same as his brother's. Mr. Alward was born December 18, 1830, in Scipioville, Cayuga County, N. Y., and died September 3, 1892, in Auburn, N. Y., and was buried in the Alward family lot in the cemetery at Scipio-
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ville. He was survived by a widow and three children, Mary and Charles Fran- cis, who reside in Buffalo, N. Y., and Henry Stuart. who resides in New York City.
Mr. Alward attended the Nunda Academy, afterward known as the Presby- terian Session House, located on Church Street, and subsequently he was edu- cated in schools elsewhere. In 1853 he located in Auburn where he engaged in the book trade in partnership with James Seymour, Jr., until 1857, when he sold out and went abroad for the purpose of travel and study, visiting nearly all of the interesting places in Europe. including a trip through the Holy Land; six months of the time he was Secretary of Legation at Constantinople, returning home at the close of the Buchanan administration. During the Civil War he was appointed Assistant Secretary of Legation at the Court of St. James, London, under Charles Francis Adams, Minister to England, where he remained until 1868, when he returned and engaged in the insurance business in Auburn, where he continued to reside until his death.
In October, 1865. in London, England, he married Emily Wythe Babcock. daughter of George R. and Mary Potter Babcock of Buffalo, N. Y. She was born August 21, 1836, in Buffalo, where she now resides.
They had three children only ; Mary, born in London, England, Henry Stuart born in Buffalo, and Charles Francis, born in Auburn.
THE AUSTIN DOWNS FAMILY
Austin Downs was the son of Truman and Sarah Porter Downs and fifth in descent from John Downs, who settled in New Haven, Conn., in 1654. He was born January 10, 1793, in Southbury, New Haven County, Conn., and died February 17, 1855, at his farm residence at the junction of the State and River Roads, town of Mount Morris, N. Y., and was buried in the Downs family lot in Oakwood Cemetery, Nunda, N. Y.
He came with his parents to the town of Scipio, Cayuga County, N. Y., in 1799, and in March, 1815, he married Mary Durkee, daughter of Wilkes and Hannah Fuller Durkee of Scipio, and fifth in descent from William Durkee, who came to Ipswich, Mass., in 1663. She was born August 8. 1793, in the town of Scipio and died February 25, 1862, at the home of her son in law and daugh- ter, Hannah, in Nunda. Her grave is also in the Downs family lot in Oakwood Cemetery.
After their marriage they resided on a farm on the shore of Cayuga Lake near Lavanna in the town of Ledyard, Cayuga County, where all their children were born and where all, except two of them, died young.
About the year 1848 they removed with their daughter Helen to the village of Nunda, and resided for a short period in a house situated on the east side of Church Street between Massachusetts and East Streets near the residence of her son-in-law and daughter, Hannah Alward. From there they removed to the farm located on the State Road mentioned above.
Shortly after Mr. Downs' death the widow and daughter Helen returned to Nunda and resided in a house purchased by the widow, situated on the north- west corner of East and Fair Streets, where they resided until the daughter married in 1858, when they removed to Grand Rapids, Mich., where the widow re- sided with her son in law and daughter Helen until a few months previous to her death.
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They had six children, Orill, Enford, Edward R., Jerome. Hannah Ann. who married William N. Alward, and Helen Mary, who married Warren P. Mills, and subsequently married Richard G. Mathews and still resides in Grand Rapids.
I. The William Dunn family, (wife Mary J. Sheppey). settled in 1832. William Dunn b. in England. September, 1802, d. October, 1874. Mrs. Dunn b. 1805, d. March, 1886.
II. 1. x Harriet G. b. in England, 1830, d. February, 1903, m. x Edwin MI. Hamilton, b. in Nunda, Vet. 136th Regt. d. at Dalton, sons Thomas and Arthur 2. Charles, b. in England, 1831, farmer. d. December 17, 1898, m. 1, Adaline M. Alger, d. February, 1867, m. 2. Retta M. Decker, daughter Mrs. Belle Baker : 3. Thomas, b. in Nunda, September. 1833, enlisted in an Iowa Regt., was a lieu- tenant and recruiting officer, died at Sidney, Iowa, in 1864, buried at Dalton ; 4. Abina, b. 1835, m. Dan'l Wade, a soldier. 136th N. Y., killed February 27, 1864. m. 2, Henry J. Douglas in 1866, reside at Dalton : 5. Euphemia. b. 1837. m. Gil- bert Bentley, had five children : 6, Caroline Emelia, b. 1839. m. William Elwood. 136th N. Y., died in the service, m. 2, Sylvester Upthegrove. She died January 20, 1870; 7, Alfred b. 1856, d. February, 1902.
THE FOWLERS AND WARNERS-1847
David Fowler and wife came from Fowlerville to Covingston now in Wyom- ing County, where DeEben Warner, then a young man was practicing medicine. The young physician soon after met. wooed and won their daughter Hannah. and in 1830 they were married. In 1847 Dr. Warner and family came to reside in Nunda, purchased the cobblestone house on East Street and immediately won recognition as a scholar and as a skillful and successful physician and surgeon. He was chosen town superintendent of public schools, and discharged his duties with efficiency. Mr. and Mrs. Fowler soon followed them. Dr. Warner had a class of young medical students including his son Charles F., called the "young doctor."
The people of Nunda were intensely interested in the building of the rail- road from Hornellsville to Attica that would connect with railroads already built New York City and Buffalo. Many Nunda men were share holders and though the original survey, which was much nearer the village, had been rejected, and the new one pushed two miles farther south. still the railroad was the first to pass through the town and it was regarded as the most progressive movement of the time. The great wooden bridge that crossed the 850 feet chasm at Portage station was now completed and a celebration of unusual magnitude was to sig- nalize this architectural triumph of the age. The great chasm had been bridged by the highest bridge in the world. New York City and Buffalo were to co- operate with Attica and Portage, Hornellsville and Nunda, in a "great barbacue and picnic." Among the many unusual things for the occasion, New York City was to furnish an ox roasted whole. Dr. Eben Warner and his aged and some- what feeble father in law. Mr. Fowler. were in attendance. The roasted ox had been prepared a day or two in advance and all were desirous of a piece of this huge roast. Those unaccustomed to eating rare beef ate sparingly, if at all of it. and by so doing saved their lives, others found it edible. That night there were not physicians enough in the state, living along the line of this new railroad, to care for the sick. Nunda had its share of cases. Mr. Fowler was the first to de
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velop a case of cholera. Dr. Warner and his students and Dr. Turner, did all they could for him, but there was a midnight burial and the doctors were the bear- ers. Dr. Warner gave instructions to his young men what to do, prescribed for himself, but told them he did not expect to survive. He was buried next day.
The breaking out of the Civil War and the eager enlistments from this pa- triotic town furnished a rare opportunity for surgeons to render great aid and perfect themselves in surgery. Dr. B. T. Kneeland had gone to the front with the Dragoons, and two weeks later, when the 136th Regt. was formed, the peo- ple of the town virtually named the surgeons, and their assistants. They de- manded that the best that could be found were the men to go. Dansville named Dr. B. L. Hovey, Dr. Charles F. Warner was satisfactory to Portage, Nunda and Grove, and Dr. Edwin Amsden, son of a famous Wyoming doctor. was also secured for the 136th Regt. Dr. Warner found his position different from ex- pectation and tendered his resignation. If he could not befriend "the boys" he would not remain. He came home and resumed his home practice.
He, however, later became, in 1864, surgeon of the 58th N. Y. N. G. with two of his students as assistants, and found this absence of "red tape" more to his taste. He married Esther Town, and after having fitted several more young men, Dr. Sabin and Dr. W. Q. Huggins and Dr. Mover, for Medical Colleges. went west where he is still an authority in his profession. Personally. the writer. as one of his boys, is under many obligations for favors conferred.
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