USA > New York > Delaware County > Delaware County, New York, history of the century, 1797-1897, centennial celebration, June 9 and 10, 1897 > Part 13
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A CENTENNIAL MEETING. On consultation with some of our people re- garding the County Centennial it is thought proper to hold a meeting of our citizens and others who may be in town next Tuesday evening, March 9, at Village Hall at right o'clock. to consider the advisability of celebrating the event. Come and express your opinion.
When the appointed Tuesday evening came just thirteen patri- otic citizens gathered together in the Village Hall. Whatever
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misfortune is commonly associated with the fateful number thirteen or whatever ill luck comes from a thirteen club, it must hence and hereafter hold its peace in Delaware county. The meeting started on a business basis: from this evening a Centennial Celebration was assured. Mr. William Clark was elected chairman of the meeting, and Mr. R. P. McIntosh, secretary. The practical outcome of the evening was the appointment of a committee to consult with the people at the county seat and to report at a later meeting some final determination. The committee appointed was J. K. Hood, C. S. Woodruff, W. I. Mason, M. T. Menzie and J. J. Burke. The pub- lication of the appointment of this committee stirred up an immediate interest in other towns and the county press gave every encouragement and called upon the citizens to support the move-
ment. As one paper said: "That the anniversary of so important an event should be fittingly celebrated finds an almost unanimous affirmative response from the citizens of old Delaware. Delhi has taken the initiative toward this end by temporarily organizing and now let the action of the county seat be ratified by every town in the county and at no distant date." This seemed to be the senti- ment of the entire county.
The committee began an active campaign at once. It advised with the leaders of different organizations which it thought could aid, notably the various fire departments of the county. In two weeks time nearly all of the fire organizations had agreed to come to the celebration, which the Committee had set for the 9th and 10th of June. So general was the interest and widespread the en- thusiasm that no doubt of the Centennial's success was possible at the second public meeting held March 23, just two weeks after the real inception of the movement.
Sub-committees were at once appointed, correspondence was begun with available men in every town in the county. the fire de- partments were enthused, athletic clubs were stirred up, men versed in the antiquities of their towns were selected as historians and relies of the past were engaged for exhibition. The make-up of
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the various committees represented the business and professional men of Delhi. In addition to the General Committee the follow- ing were selected:
On Finance : M. T. Menzie, S. F. Adee, Jas. E. Harper.
On History : William Clark, Robert P. MeIntosh, S. E. Smith.
On Speakers : Hon. A. C. Crosby.
On Relies : Dr. Wm. Ormiston, Chartes W. Graham.
Firemen's Committee : The Firemen's Board, J. J. Burke, Chief; W. A. McIntosh, Secretary.
Bicycle Committee : R. P. M.Intosh. F. M. Farrington, C. R. Stion, Jas. E. Harper.
Arrangements for the Centennial Parade were made early. Mr. Frank L. Norton of Delhi was made Grand Marshal and the Assist- ant Marshals chosen from different parts of the county were: George M. Burgin, Walton; George O. Leonard, Stamford; Wm. Brinkman, Franklin; A. B. Evans. Deposit; Arthur S. Meeker. Delhi, Grand Marshal's Aid.
Every arrangement was well planned and executed with thor- oughness. When the calendar marked the opening of the festal day, June 9, nothing seemed lacking either in general plan or proper consideration of details. Delhi decked herself in holiday finery as never before. Flags and bunting floated from house and business block, fine arches spanned the streets welcoming the citi- zens of the county to the capital town, special electric lights illumined the public buildings. Men, women and children were decorators and decorated. Never before had such a gorgeous display been shown in the county. Favorable comment was uni- versal. Although the committees had thus carefully arranged and earnestly labored, one point was forgotten in the mass of detail that had fallen upon them: the clerk of the weather had been overlooked. Old Jupiter Pluvius drew up the flood gates of the heavens and from Tuesday morning the " drops that water the earth" were continually falling.
But so great was the patriotism and enthusiasm of the people of Delaware county that it could not be dampened by the heavy rains. The stuff that won the Delaware hills from wilderness to cultivated
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and fertile fields could celebrate her birthday under a canopy of uncheckered blue. It seemed that the people had all planned to attend the celebration, promising by far the largest convocation in the annals of the noble history of the county. Interest in the event had entered almost every home, and it was the assemblage was very large.
The Delaware Express in reporting the celebration said: "We are confident that those who could not come were present in spirit. The thoughts crowding about the occasion have brought our people closer together and inspired new feelings of patriotism. Doubtless there is also a newborn purpose in many hearts to labor more earn- estly that the new century shall be brighter and better than the one that has passed. If this be one result it is glory enough for two rainy days celebration of the Centennial of the best county of the best state in the grandest country on the face of the earth."
The story of this inspiring and very successful event can only be briefly told in these pages. The program for the first day, June 9, included the town histories, addresses and papers prepared for the occasion. These exercises were held in the court room of the court house, which was beautifully ornamented for the occasion. It was a fitting place in which to recount the events of a century, with the portraits of such prime actors hanging upon the wall as Erastus Root, Samuel Sherwood, Amasa J. Parker, Jonas A. Hughston, Colonel Amasa Parker, and Samuel Gordon.
Hon. Abram C. Crosby, the president of the day, called the assembly to order and an earnest, appropriate prayer was offered by Rev. L. Willard Minch, the chaplain. Vocal and instrumental music was interspersed with the historical productions giving zest to the exercises. At five o'clock of this day a service of thanks- giving to Almighty God was held in the Second Presbyterian Church, conducted by Rev. F. H. Seeley and Rev. Dr. Robinson of Delhi.
The addresses, papers and letters follow while the town histories constitute Part III.
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Address of Welcome. by Hon. Abram C. Crosby.
OF DELHI, N. Y.
FELLOW CITIZENS: We meet to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the county of Delaware. To the young a century seems a long period of time; to the middle-aged, who realize they have lived nearly half the century the period appears extremely short. Delaware county was organized on the tenth day of March, 1797, only six days after George Washington retired from the duties and responsibilities of the office of President of the United States. Our history commences in the early days of the government when the Revolu- tionary heroes were actively participating in and directing the affairs of the sung republic.
During the one hundred years since the organization of this county the politieal map of Europe has been greatly altered. A century ago Napoleon wa- planning his first military movements. He had not won an important battle. His great European wars, greater than the battles of the Roman or Grecian conquests, were subsequently fought. Then all the ports of China were closed to the whole civilized workl; then JJapan had not learned the ad- vantages of our civilization, or secured the services of one of the honored sons of Delaware county (David Murray, LL. D.) to establish and take charge of her educational institutions and stimulate an intellectual activity which has made her one of the strongest eastern nations in intellect, political economy and military and naval prowess. Then our own country embraced only a narrow helt along the Atlantic coast, scarcely extending beyond the Alleghe- nles, with a population of less than four millions of people ; Michigan and the whole northwestern territory were inhabited by warlike savages; Florida, all the vast territory between the Mississippi river and the Pacific Ocean, Mexico, Central America and nearly the whole of South America were under the control of the Government of Spain.
Now since the acquisition of all that valuable territory and also rich and undeveloped Alaska, like old England. we can boast that the sun never sets upon our possessions.
Fifty years, after the formation of our county. had elapsed before the discovery of the gold producing mines of California-so rich in their resources that they have reduced the value of the precious metal and materially aided in revolutionizing the financial system of the world ; ten years after the county was formed the first steamboat was built and plowed its way through the waters of the Hudson river, making our state the pioneer in steam naviga- tien; during the last half century petroleum has been discovered, the use of which has revolutionized illuminating, heating and propelling ; twenty-five years after the formation of our county the first steam railroad was built and a New York capitalist is entitled to the credit of applying and adapting steam power to railroad transportation : sixty years ago railroad construction was in its infancy: there was no banking institution except the United States bank ; no stork exchange : no telegraph or telephone lines ; no mining stocks ; ho organ- ized money corporation- ; and the mail facilities were so limited at the time
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of the organization of our county that Benjamin Franklin, the Postmaster General, rode over the country in his old sulkey and personally inspected every mail route in the United States.
At the time of the organization of this county the representatives of the people were engaged in bitter dissensions in the national legislature, charges of plots to overthrow the new government were freely made, the treasury was bankrupt, no satisfactory financial system had been developed or put in opera- tion, national debt had been contracted with no means of payment ; and citi- zens of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts were in open rebellion to prevent the collection of the revenues necessary for the ordinary expenses of government.
Surrounded by such embarrassing circumstances and confronted by reas- onable doubt regarding the ultimate success of popular government, the patriots who by their wisdom and patriotism had solved the complicated questions that had arisen during the struggle for independence and by the for- mation and ratification of the constitution of the United States had firmly laid the foundation of American institutions, were successfully enacting laws and adopting policies of government that have developed and made us the greatest nation of the earth.
Then the county of Delaware was almost a primeval forest. The axe had hardly disturbed the solitude. A few inhabitants were living in scattered log huts in the small clearings along the valleys of the streams and upon the slopes of the hills and mountains; but nearly the whole county, in territorial extent almost as large as the state of Rhode Island, was in the simplicity and grandeur of nature. General Root, Samuel Sherwood and a few other grand and able men had established their homes at or near the county seat and wore developing the local interests of the new county, while others at the Capital of the nation were maturing plans for the government of the whole. people.
Many of the sons and daughters of old Delaware have settled in other lo- calities and, by their industry, energy and ability, have made their names and transactions a part of the history of nearly every state of the union. We re- call with pride the records of our ancestors who were prominent in the early history of our county and point with satisfaction to the work of their descend- ants who have developed its resources and contributed to its present pros- perity.
The mixture of races, the intermarriage of inhabitants of different countries and nationalities, especially of the European states, have developed stronger individualities and made better citizens physically and intellectually. Such has been the result among the inhabitants of the county of Delaware. Prior to the Revolution a few of the sons and daughters of Scotland had settled in and become inhabitants of a portion of our county. The descendants of the- Puritans of New England had crossed to the eastern portion of the county, in Roxbury. Stamford and Harpersfield, and had also gone into Franklin and down the Susquehanna into Sidney and formed centers of population, whose. citizens loved their homes, liberally supported the church and promoted edu- cation under the many disadvantages surrounding them. They have left their good influences behind and a large portion of the county of Delaware has hoon
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Americamized and educated by the teachings and examples of the pioneers from New England and their descendants. The Dutch, slow and conservative in their ways, came up from Esopus, traveled across Pine Hill, drifted down the East branch of the Delaware and up the stream into the town of Roxbury and there met and located with the pioneers from New England: the New Englander had his little home and farm to till and in many places had built hi- factories where the manufactured products needed for the comfort of the people were successfully made. Many of the Dutch were weavers and skilled in other trades and they were all peacefully inclined and lived and worked happily with the Yankees. Many Scotchmen with their families and Bibles mano over soon after and located in the interior towns of the county. Their firmly established religious beliefs, home influences, deep interest in educa- tional affairs and love of and obedience to the government of their adopted country has left an impress upon the people of the county of Delaware that will not be effieed for generations hence. The establishment of the church and the school, the hardy industry, pluck, determination and obstinaey of the Scotchmen and their families have contributed largely to the development of the intellectual and material interests of our county.
There is not a nation in Europe from Scandinavia on the north to sunny France and Italy on the south that has not contributed to the population of old Delaware. The habits of the inhabitants, the church, the school, the pure air and water, the mountain scenery and all the surroundings of nature and civilization have tended to develop the manhood of every European who has made this his adopted home; and instead of helping to fill the prisons und reformatories or drifting down among the criminal classes of the cities he has become a good citizen of our county, adopted our customs and aided in the development of our resources.
During the last century our country has passed through trying ordeals. in which many of the citizens of Delaware county have participated. By the war of 1-12 our government asserted its power and authority on the high seas; protected American citizens in their person and property against the arrogant demands of the mother country and, by the bravery of her soldiers and sailors on fand and on sea, demonstrated to the nations of the earth that we were one nation and people, under a common flag, and that wherever the starry banner Boated the rights and interests of American citizens must be recognized and protected.
One hundred years ago our nation was disgraced and humiliated by the accursed institution of human slavery : upon the platform, in the public press mmel the halls of legislation long and bitter discussions were had between the representatives of free labor and slave labor, regarding the rights of the own- er's of human chattels in free territory ; the pernicious doctrine that the right- of the individual state were paramount to the authority of the national gov- "rmment and that there was no power under the constitution to correr a state and preserve the unity of the nation was strenuously advocated until the slave holder- attempted by armed forces to disrupt the union, by open rebellion against the general government, and establish an independent confederacy based upon slavery as the foundation and corner stone.
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At the call of the chief executive many brave sons of Delaware county promptly enlisted, and went forth to battle for their country, uphold its ffag, preserve the government and maintain the principles of liberty so dear to the heart of every friend of humanit,. They fought the battles of the union and established beyond question that henceforth there will be but one country, nation and people united and happy under a common flag and marching on to a higher destiny.
In every part of our county are evidences of the great struggle in which they were engaged : the empty sleeve, the wooden limb, the broken constitu- tion of many of the old veterans show unmistakably that they gave the best years of their early manhood on the southern battle fields, and in the swamps and morasses, and prisons of the south ; the thousands of sokliers' graves in the national cemeteries and scattered throughout the land silently testify to their deeds of heroism and great sacrifices made upon the altar of human liberty. When the old soldiers march through our streets to-morrow they should be greeted with uncovered heads showing that we fully recognize the services they have rendered and the sacrifices they have made, and but for the great expenditure of life and treasure and their loyalty and heroism instead of en- joving the great advantages of a united government under the glorious flag of liberty, with a population of over seventy millions of happy and prosperous people, our country would now he broken into forty-five separate and inde- pondent states, disputing with and warring against each other like the repub- lies of Central and South America.
Human slavery, existing in our country, protected by law, contradicted the assertion that our government was a haven for the down trodden and op- pressed from every country of the earth and its abolition was among the most glorious and important results of the great civil war. Over four millions of enslaved human beings were released from bondage, liberty ceased to be a theory and became an accomplished fact, and now wherever the banner of liberty and freedom floats over American soil every citizen, whatever his race, color or former condition, if obedient to the law, can proudly say I am a free American citizen.
A century ago education was a luxury, enjoyed only by a limited number. About that time Governor George Clinton by his messages to the legislature recommended the establishment of common schools and a board of Regents of the University and, following his suggestions, laws were enacted resulting in the organization of our publie school system which, by subsequent legislation, has been developed into the grandest and most liberal educational system in the union. Our school houses, dotting every hill side and nestling in every valley throughout the entire state, are nurseries of liberty and afford to the children of every citizen the facilities for a good common school training, while in the cities and enterprising villages of the state every opportunity is offered for the procurement of a higher and more liberal education. Inventive genius has facilitated and lessened the expense of publication of books, peri- odioals and newspapers so that the poorest and humblest citizen bas within his reach excellent reading matter for himself and his family and the negleet or refusal to furnish intellectual food for their use is absolutely inexcusable.
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For the price of a cigar or a drink of whiskey a monthly magazine can be pur- chased replete with information and the best literary productions of modern writers. The money that many of our people daily expend for useless luxuries would soon cover the family tables and fill the shelves of home libraries with the best books of ancient and modern history and literature.
There is no community of people, remote from the cities, on the face of the earth, better housed, clothed and fed and possessing greater educational advantages of instruction by the school, pulpit, platform, looks and nowspa- pers than the inhabitants of the county of Delaware.
Throughout the civilized world the higher countries have furnished to the lowlands a constant and unfailing supply of recruits possessed of great physi- cal and mental strength and vigor. The inhabitants of the colder regions are compelled. by the rigorous demands of nature, by industry and frugality. to provide for their physical wants, while the children of the warmer climates rely upon the lavish productions of nature to furnish to them their physical necessities. Located among the spurs of the noble Catskills near the metrop- olis of the western hemisphere, with rugged soil, bracing atmosphere, long winters and clear streams of sparkling water running along the beautiful valleys toward the sea. Delaware county naturally produces men and women who are well fitted mentally and physically to enter a broader sphere of activ- ity and successfully battle in the struggle of life. From her borders noble, ambitions and promising young men have continually gone forth to engage in the peaceful battles of education, legislation and business and aid in the development of other states throughout the union. There is hardly a consti- tutional or statutory law of a western state which has been framed without the participation of some son of Delaware county. There is scarcely a great business enterprise in any of the leading cities of the union without a son of Delaware county connected with it in some capacity. They go out to win, and inquire wherever you will you find that where one native born citizen of our county fails in whatever business he undertakes ninety-nine others sue- cord. We are justly proud of the success they have attained within and without their native state and like the Roman mother, we point exultingly to them and exclaim, " These are our jewels."
I heartily extend to you the sincere welcome of the entire county of Dela- ware and partienlarly of the village of Delhi. This celebration is not local in its character : it is a gathering of the people from the entire county, in which all classes have shown a great interest and for which they have furnished numerous and valuable contributions. The public property here belongs to the whole people of the county. The citizens of Delhi are only stockholders in it.
I sincerely hope that these anniversary exercises will develop a general feel- ing of harmony and unity among the people of the whole county. We have a common interest and pride in our local government and institutions, and we should labor together without prejudices to promote the best interests of the whole community.
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Letter from Rev. John L. Scott, D. D., OF PHILADELPHIA, PA.
Allow me to assure you of my keenest regrets at not being able to attend. the coming Centennial of Delaware county. I had hoped the pleasure, but fato seems to have ordered otherwise, so I how to the inevitable. This Cen- tennial. from its very nature, ought to be not only the source of personal pleasure, but also productive of lasting good. Delaware county was a gener- ous mother, and there are many things her sons cannot afford to forget. If I wore to be born over again, I would ask the good Angel to let me off in Bovina, on the banks of the Little Delaware, and near the old mill which my grandfather built just ninety-six years ago. It was a good place to be born in, and an equally good place to leave so soon as one was able to toddle away. As two streams unite to form the Delaware river, so two civilizations entered into the early formation of the county, The Puritan and the Scotch. The Puritan was English, and halted long enough in New England to take breath before attempting the ascent of the Catskills, He scattered his marks all along the way. Roxbury, Stamford, Hamden, Meredith and Colchester, were the god-sons of New England sponsors. The Scotch on the contrary, were a direct importation. They came straight from old Scotia with their heathery brogue still fresh upon their lips. Andes, Kortright, and Bovina especially were but patches, cut from the map of Scotland and pasted on the face of Delaware county, I saw the last of those centennial pioneers as they were passing into the West now forty years ago. They were a race of honest men. With axe in hand they fought their way to the mountain summit, and but for. them many a rich, fertile farm had remained the forest of a century ago. These were the Highlanders of Delaware county, and formed a distinctive force in its developement. In my boyhood the anti-rent war was still fireside history. The line of battle stretched like a stone-wall through the towns of Andes and Bovina. The philosophy of this fact few have thought to inquire. It was simply a Scotch sense of injustice, manifesting itself in a strange rounty. My grandfather spent some money and more time in the log jail at Delhi, because somebody had been shot in an adjoining town, Not long since I learned the reason why he became a part of that hopeless struggle. lis father had been a laird or factor, and quarreled with the Earl whom he repre- sented, So he came to America, and took sweet vengeare on the Overings. the Livingstons, and the Kortrights, for what the Earl of Traquair had done at home. They were good haters and true friends, There is a tradition that when the old gentleman was rusticating at Delhi, an officer came and said : " Mr. Scott, we know you did not kill Steele, but think you can name the man who did, tell us and go home!" The old man, sweeping his hand across his throat, and with an expletive which I hope the Recording Angel did not hear, replied ; " take my head, sir, take my head. " Liberty at the price of dishonor- had no quotation in their markets. Those men at the other end of the century were religions after a fashion peculiar to themselves. They generally attended church and those who did not, were always ready with a reason,
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