USA > New York > Delaware County > Delaware County, New York, history of the century, 1797-1897, centennial celebration, June 9 and 10, 1897 > Part 15
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I was born in Delaware county, have always lived here, and no man has greater reason to cherish feelings of love and gratitude toward this county than myself.
The early settlers of this part of the county were many of them from New England. They cut loose from civilization ; they brought their all with them ; they burned their bridges behind them. These brave hardy men with their faithful devoted wives, their strong stalwart sons, their firm-hearted daugh- ters and the little children " homeless except for the mother's arms and couch- less except for the mother's breast," plunged into this wilderness and enlisted in a life struggle for its conquest.
Instead of being surrounded by the comforts, conveniences and enjoyments of civilized life, " Bleak nature's desolation wrapped them round, eternal for- ests and unyielding earth." Instead of the sound of the steam whistle and the church hell they heard the howl of the wolf, the scream of the panther and the war whoop of the Indian.
In those days when a man got up in the morning he had to feel of his scalp to See if, like his country's flag, it was " still there."
This was no " camping out " party, this was no holiday excursion ; it meant business. The savage beast and the still more savage man had to be driven unt, the forest had to be ent down and subdued, and all the hardships, priva- tions and dangers necessarily incident to the conversion of a wilderness had to Je enentered and endured. And yet in spite of all these hindrances and obstacles such was the energy and industry of these pioneers that we find by the census of 1825 that they had changed this wilderness into a thriving com- munity with a population of nearly thirty thousand.
Delaware county has always discharged her duties, public and private, faithfully and well-has borne her full share of the burdens in war and in jwire. In the war of 1812 she furnished her full quota of sokliers, and in the war of the Rebellion no county of its size in this state or any other sent to the front more or better or braver men than Delaware county. Scarely a battle Hold of the war which was not moistened by the blood of Delaware county's
Delaware county being an inland county with no cities, no great commer. mial or railroad centers, no extensive manufacturing towns or establishments. thousands of our most active, energetic and ambitions young men have gone
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out from us to build up other localities or to engage in business where quicker and greater returns were promised. The West is full of them, and when you find a Delaware county boy you find a leader.
But in spite of this drain upon our population Delaware county has always had and still has as successful teachers, as eloquent preachers, as skilful phy- sicians, as able lawyers, as up-to-date farmers and mechanies as any similar locality in the State.
Delaware county has reason to be proud of her history, her record, her able men, her noble women, and never more so than to-day.
Remarks of Mr. Thomas G. Smith, OF SIDNEY, N. Y.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN : I have been delighted in what I have seen and heard this afternoon at this Centennial celebration of old Delaware county. I have heard a great many things this afternoon that take me back to the days of my boyhood. I can recolleet in old Delaware county when there was no such thing as a mile of railroad known, no telegraph, nothing but the old stage coach for a means of convoyance; when it was quite a circumstance to make a journey of a hundred miles ; when it took four or five days to get a letter a hundred and fifty miles at a cost of eighteen cents postage. In looking over some of the old relies down in the jury room I was reminded of things in my boyhood days. I well remember when my father used to raise flax, when my mother used to spin it on a little wheel, weave eloth, make the summer gar- ments for the family out of the tow cloth, and the winter garments out of woolen cloth ; she would spin the wool and dye it and make the cloth. * *
Many of these things remind us that we are getting along in years in the history of Delaware county. We call it "old " Delaware. I think ninety-seven times this afternoon I have heard the expression "old Delaware." But, in another sense of the word, what is "old?" " Old" is not always represented by years. We get a better idea by comparison sometimes. If a man is a hun- dred years old we call him okdl. If a country or a government was a hundred years old we might not call it old. I think I heard one speaker this afternoon say that there was a building in Roxbury a hundred and four years old. A few years ago, in that marvelous city in the Adriatic sea, I stood inside of a church building that was built in the sixth century, over thirteen hundred years old. It looked as though it was made for another thousand years. We would call that old in Delaware county. * *
For all that I am willing to admit that old Delaware, I am ready to allow that term, I am proud of it. I am glad to hear the term applied to it, "old Delaware." I am proud of being a citizen of old Delaware. Delaware does not possess some things that other countries do, I will admit that. She does not have any wonderful Niagara Falls ; she does not have such a grand fissure in the earth as the canon of the Yosemite; she don't have any range of snow capped mountains piereing into the clouds; don't have any sunny climes where the frost king never is known. On the other hand she don't have any
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miasta, don't have any earthquakes, don't have any tornadoes, don't have any blasting sirocco, But she does have these grand green hills, these beauti- ful valleys, these pretty villages dotted all over, this pretty Delhi backed by its beautiful green hills. All over the hills of Delaware gushes the sparkling water that is drink for man and beast and rivals the fabled nectar of the gods. All hail, old Delaware! And when the second century of its estaldishment is celebrated may it have grown better and better with the years in the century.
Remarks of Hon. T. E. Hancoch, OF SYRACUSE, N. Y.
MIR. CHAIRMAN, FELLOW CITIZENS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN : I am proud and pleased to be the salutatorian this evening. Under that arrangement yon will soon be out of trouble and so will I.
I congratulate you upon being one hundred years okl to-day. as a county ; certainly not as individuals, especially the ladies. Judging from what I heard here this afternoon, if one person should attempt to tell all the good things that could be said concerning this county and its sons and daughters he woukl speak from now until the dawn of the next centennial day.
I have not armed myself with those deadly weapons, the cyclopaedia and the gazetteor, if you have one, but I remember reading in a New York paper the other day that Delaware county was celebrated for many things : among others that it was distinguished for its hops. I understand you claim not to ruise hops here, but it must be so, if it says so in the paper. Yon are also noted for your maple sugar, for your tanneries and your temperance Demo- erats. That is certainly glory enough for one county. I have been in a great many counties that were not distinguished in that way, especially in the latter
One of your fellow citizens who is dead and gone and who has been referred to by your speakers, called Delaware county the Switzerland of America : and with its hills and valleys, its healthful clime and fertile soil, it seems to me that it combines the beauties of Switzerland and of the country about the Rhine.
This same veracious newspaper that I was speaking about devoted some remarks to myself in an adjoining column, of course complimentary, in which it called me, if I remember correctly, a statesman from the Onondago Reser- vation. If that he true, I must be related in some way to the tribe of Dela- wares. I certainly ought to be interested here because, if I remember reading currently, in Hits one of my progenitors, a chief by the name of Segarer-era joined in a deed of conveyance whereby he sold all his right, title and interest in and to Delaware county and the surrounding country to King George the Third for tifty thousand dollars. Land was high in Delaware county at that time, comparatively speaking, because I remember before that Manhattan Island was sold for twenty four dollars. A few years after that King George the Third transferred to a free and independent people all his title to the whole country for a much smaller consideration.
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
Ialso am interested in this county because I believe I formerly lived iu Delaware county, by proxy, at least. I think that Onondaga county, in fact, all the counties between Oswego and Delaware once belonged to Tryon county, and you could travel all the way from Delhi to the Onondaga valley without going out of the county, and if a man wanted to visit his neighbor, all he had to do was to get upon his horse, put his wife on behind him, travel three or four weeks and he would find himself in his neighbor's back yard. Those were the days of stage coaches. These are the days of chain lightning. If you desire to visit with a man in London to-day, in half an hour you can shake hands across the sea. If you want to talk with a man in Chicago, in five minutes you hear him at the other end of the wire.
We do well to celebrate the deeds of our ancestors. I have been pleased to hear these venerable men speak about the sires of '76, how the good old men of Delaware county fought for their liberty, lought to achieve independ- ence for this nation, to build up this garden of the gods where you are living to-day. And I was pleased to hear them tell of the patriots of ISI2. who fought to maintain the dignity and self respeet of the youngest of the family of nations ; and then still later, how the sons of Delaware left their homes and their firesides, kissed their wives and children good-bye, said farewell to father and mother and went down into the valley of the shadow of death to fight in behalf of home and native land. We do well to praise such deeds and to remember gratefully those who have preceded us.
I have been told since I have been here that Delaware county is sur- rounded by seven other counties and one State. I would not undertake to tell what those counties are, I never was good in geography. I believe that Sulli- van is one, and Greene and Ulster, Schoharie, Broome, Otsego and Chenango; and Pennsylvania. Is that right? That is the best recitation I have made in geography in a long time. But, judging from the patriotism I have seen man- ifested here, you are not willing to be bounded by any such narrow confines as that. Sometimes the further a man gets away from home the more patriotic he is, and some of you seem to be feeling about like a man from the wild and woolly West who was celebrating the Fourth of July in Paris. In fact there were three of them; one was from Boston, the other from the South and the other from the West. They were having a Fourth of July celebration all by themselves. And the gentleman from Boston proposed a toast to the United States. With true Bostonian precision, he says : " Here's to the United States; bounded on the North by British America, bounded on the South by the Gulf of Mexico, bounded on the East by the Atlantic Ocean and bounded on the West by the Pacific Ocean." The reconstructed gentleman from the South was not satisfied. He says. "I think that hardly expresses the idea. I will pro- pose a toast to our native land. Here's to the United States ; bounded on the North by the North Pole, bounded on the South by the South Pole, bounded on the East by the rising sun, bounded on the West by the setting sun." The gentleman from the West was not satisfied with that. He says, "I think I can express the idea more clearly; I will propose a toast. Here's to the United States; bounded on the North by the North Star, bounded on the South by the Southern Cross, bounded on the East by chaos, bounded on the
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West by eternity." And I suppose that is about the size of Delaware county today. We outsiders, Gentiles, so to speak, are willing to concede that Dela- ware county is about all there is of it. It was not our fault that we were not born here : we were not consulted, we didn't have our choice.
I am expecting to hear that gavel strike and I do not intend to talk much longer. I have heard some very fine things alment Delaware county. I have heen told that for sixteen years after you built your first jail the county judge and district attorney and the committing magistrates Wore discouraged be- cause no one ventured to break the law, and finally they turned the jail into a hotel. And then for about twenty or thirty years after that when a man com- mitted a misdemeanor he walked into the jail and locked himself in: this was way back in '29. I suppose that explains the temperance Democrats. Fam reminded that some of my fellow members of the bar (I am supposed to be the titular head of the members of the bar) felt aggrieved at some remarks that were made here this afternoon by a physician concerning the boy who sat on the Bible with the orange in his mouth and the dollar in his pocket. He. claimed that the boy became a lawyer. Now, we can all say that, as far as the dollar in his pocket is concerned it is a mistake; but I would call the gentle- man's attention to that passage of scripture which reads as follows: " And Asa was sick, and they sent for a physician, and Asa died."
Now, fellow citizens, I am somewhat embarrassed. Ihave had to arrange my speech as I went along. I don't know but what Iam trespassing upon the. time of some one else who is to follow. But I find it difficult to stop. The. theme is fruitful, the occasion suggestive, and your faces an inspiration. You have my good wishes. I congratulate you again. I congratulate you over the fart that you are citizens of the United States, where every man is a king and every woman a queen. I congratulate yon over the fact that you are citizens of the great imperial State of New York, first in wealth, first in strength and tirst in material resources. I congratulate you that you belong to the good oll county of Delaware, and hope that you live long and prosper.
Extracts from a Letter.
In 1774 my great-grandfather, Alexander Leal, with his wife and sis sons, came from Paisley, Scotland, and settled near the centre of Kortright. Last stimmer, 1896, I had a white rose from a bush on the place which has blos- somedl for over one hundred years. In writing advice to his children Mr. Leal said : " I reproved myself for bringing a family into the wilderness where there was no preaching of the gospel." They soon found ways to have a minister. A Mr. Annan, from New Jersey, came over one hundred miles, and he preached for them and baptized a child. Very soon the way opened for a graduate of Edinburg University, William MeCauley, to come among them. There was a desire among the Standford people ( now South Kortright ) to have him. Kort- right Conter prevailed. A church was organized, and for a time Mr. Mccauley and the elders walked Sabbath afternoons over to Stamford, a distance of six miles and had service. After a while Mr. Forrest was settled in Stamford ..
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
He was much respected by his people. Both ministers were considered men of ability. I think Mr. Mccauley was thought to be the stronger of the two as to intellect, but Mr. Forrest wore the broadeloth and bad the more polished manner. One time the Associate Reformed body met at Newburg. Those in- terested in that assembly felt disheartened when the man who was to preach for them appeared, dressed in a homespun suit, but when Mr. McCauley offered his prayer, all fears vanished ; they felt sure they had the right man, and ever afterwards it was a favor to have Mr. MeCauley come among them. * * *
In those days the people came from all directions, eight or ten miles, to . church. At communion seasons there would be services beginning with Friday and lasting until Monday afternoon. The different churches came together, the houses nearby opened their doors and welcomed all who came. Many a friend stayed over and made a visit of weeks. In reading the story of Chan- cellor Livingston, I was reminded of those days. It was stated of bim that he would have friends visiting him, and when they were too much at home, he would send money to another friend and ask him to send for them to visit ; after awhile they would return improved. The money was not so plenty, but the interchange of friends was quite common. * *
The Sabbath was sacred ; no work that was not absolutely necessary to life was done; the dishes would he left until Monday morning, the wood was brought in Saturday night. If the choice were given to me to have an Aca- demic course without a religious education or a common school education with the old time religious training I would say every time give me the latter, for They who have that, do the clearest thinking and have the strongest will power to overcome difficulties. I am reminded of a time when Dr. Agnew asked me if I knew two ladies who had called on him from Betty's Brook. they appeared very refined and cultured he said ; so they were ; a family of daughters and two sons, but with a stirring father and a capable quiet mother the Scotch-Irish element was well developed, there was no backwoods people with such train- ing. The mothers of those days were not elamorous for place, but they hold the rudder all the same, behind the scenes.
Early in this century the father of the Leals went down below Delhi and bought land for his four sons on the east side of the Delaware, his own farm. theing now called the Meeker farm,) the poor-house lot and the one below; there being no church in the town then, he used to walk to Kortright Center. fourteen miles, every Sabbath. Mrs. Gould told me that she had often seen Grandfather Leal on horseback with Grandmother behind him going to Stam- ford to church. Judge Bostwick told me that no one dared to fish or hunt until the old gentleman was off; they were sure to be fined if he saw them. It was not long before he had a church near by; it stood on the flat a little he- low the Little Delaware bridge. Mrs. Thurber told me that he stood on the bridge and saw the last rafter go up; he leaning on his long staff said, " Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace. for mine eyes have seen thy salva- tion ;" thus he had seen three churches organized, and his exhortation to his children was, "he always ready to support the Gospel : he mindful of Mr. Mh- Cauley for he has been a faithful minister to ye all."
Mr. Maxwell was settled over the Delhi church, he preaching occasionally in the Court-house and also at Cabin Hill over the Scotch mountain. A few of
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the village people went down to the church, but they were not a church-going community; they were mon of affairs, able lawyers; the first bar in the State outside of the city of New York it was said ; there was a true aristocracy : the daughters were sent away to school; in those days Catskill had a superior school, case of manners and quiet department were taught. Mrs. Maxwell (Judge Foote's daughter) was an example of a refined, delicate lady, and a kind, gentle woman, always attentive to everyone, but never condescending : the young ladies of that time were not street girls, they were protected by their homes.
The Judges of that time seemed to be distributed around the country at a distance of three or four miles apart. Judge Law at Meredith Square ; he had hopes of having the county town np there. Why not ? The only State road passed over the hills, three stage coaches a day passed that way, it being the most direct road from Western New York to Catskill en route to New York. But down hill the judges came: Judge Frisbee at the foot of Elk Creek, ( the Arst court was held there.) Judge Keeler farther up the river; Judge Leal be- low the village; Judge Foote two miles further on ; later on Judge Bostwick across the river.
Probably the law business would not support them, or perhaps it was proper to be a land holder. Mr. Sherwood, a well known lawyer lived below the village. * * *
In the thirties there enme a great change in the religions feeling all over the country, there were what were called protracted meetings held in many places. The old churches were holding their places and keeping their children mostly, but the multitude were living careless lives, they cared for none of these things. Then came an evangelist, Mr. Orton, a refined Christian gentle- man and with all very zealons, who had a great influence among the people ; meetings were held in the Court-house and in the District school-house at Sherwood's bridge. The leading village people began to be interested, many of them came out decided Christians, among them Mr. and Mrs. Gould. Mr. Gould gave largely of his means and was active in working. He used to have a school Sabbath afternoons in our school-house, and meetings during the werk. The young people of the Scotch families were interested ; I remember hearing my Grandfather say to my Grandmother, "I think I will go over and hear what our young people are getting ;" he came back finding no fault. I was too young to go generally, but one evening was there; I was much inter- ested in hearing Deacon Knapp sing alone,
" The year of jubilee has come, Return ye wandering sinners home."
He was a devout old man ; he used to have a prayer meeting in the village ; his family thought him foolish to go. When asked who was there he would say. " I was there and the Saviour was there." Who knows but like Cornelius, als prayers were heard and answered? Certainly he lived to see the school house crowded. In a short time a church was organized and a building put up where the Second Presbyterian church now stands.
Mr. Kodzie, Unele Robert Leal and James Leal (my grandfather), with their families left the Scotch Church and united with the village church. The
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTE.
Episcopal church must have been organized very soon. There was a great change in the village; those who were not church-goers were the exceptions. The old Presbyterian churches looked upon the "new lights," as they were. called, as not quite orthodox; they sang hymns, they had many isms, there was danger of depending upon good works. Time has straightened out these lifferences so that they are now of one mind, holding the same views essen- tially, only keeping the different names to help those who are anxious to keep their own individuality. By this time there were churches in all the towns : at Meredith Square a large Congregationalist church ; 1 remember going there when it looked doubtful about getting a seat. The southern towns were all well sustained religiously-among the best known names were Wheeler, Ogden, Mead, Eells and St. John. Delaware county has had many men that she may well be proud of.
Delaware Academy must have been started in the early part of this cen- tury; the first teacher was a Mr. Savage, probably from Washington conniy, New York. I remember my grandmother speaking very respectfully of Unele and Aunt Savage from that section. General Root was a loyal citizen. Mr. Samuel Sherwood lent his influence for the good of the place. I think we all feel as my brother wrote fifty years ago,
Land of my own green home forever ! Of rugged glen, and cloud-capped hill ; Land of the lake and rolling river- My childhood's home, I love thee still ! Land where the Catskills rear their heads Aloft, to mock the storms of Heaven. Of fairy dell and weird cell,
And mighty oaks by lightning riven :
Home of my youth, though Time and Fate That alter things, may change thee ; Yoi Time nor Fate shall ever drive Thine image, Delaware, from ne.
Stern land of mountain, rock and flood, Of barren heath and stormy sky. Thy sons are freemen and thy cliffs The fortresses of Liberty !
Forever rest that Goddess bright Thy firm embedded rocks among ; While Freedom hath a home on earth, Or Freedom's chorus shall be sung !
A rugged band are they- those men Who cleave thy iron rocks for food ; Stern zealots of the olden time, " Who live not but in the fear o' God." Mon of the old Douglass line, Who ne'er was hearded in his den Who like their fathers for their rights Would firmly draw the sword again.
Forever be among them there, The blood they from old Scotia draw ; The firm resolve, the Christian walk, And meek obedience to the law.
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Poem, "1997." by Arther More, Esq., OF DEPOSIT, N. Y.
One day, sitting in my sanctum. ( The word is quite a good one.) I somehow got to thinking, Or, it may be, half-way dreaming,
Over days that long were passed, Over which the shadows passed,
A very queer illusion, Or, possibly, delusion, I chanced upon an old-time book, It had a mildewed, ancient look, It's date was 1897.
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