USA > New York > Delaware County > Delaware County, New York, history of the century, 1797-1897, centennial celebration, June 9 and 10, 1897 > Part 31
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
These pioneers were nearly all Scotch and Irish Protestants, and as no land was a home in its true sense to them without a place of worship, they soon organized themselves into a religious society, and as early as the following year petitioned the Associate Reformed Church of New York and Pennsylvania for a preacher. This request was shortly after granted by the Presbytery, and as one of its " vacancies " was supplied and cared for until the settlers
466
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
were driven out and scattered by the storm of the Revolutionary war. Many, and indeed most of these settlers never returned. Among the few, however, were the families of Mills, Leal and MeGillivrae, and with them and following soon after came the names of Harper, Riggs, MeClanghry, Sloan, Stewart, Goodrich, McKenzie and others, all staunch Presbyters, who soon succeeded in reorganizing their society. A preaching place was provided and after a season of supplies, with Rev. William McAuley as their pastor became the Associate Reformed Church of Kortright, for years one of the largest and most prosperous in the Synod of New York, and of which I have before made mention. After half a century of active work the venerable McAuley, having entirely lost his sight, laid aside his life work and Rev. Clark Irving was installed as junior or "collegiate " pastor, Mr. McAuley remaining as senior until his death in 1851. Rev. Irving was of superior scholarship and an able and successful preacher. In the year 1849 the church edifice was burned and out of its ashes grew three churches, one at North Kortright, one at West Kortright, and one on the old site at Kortright Centre. These churches have since for forty-five years each been doing earnest and successful work, the parent organization under the pastorate of Rev. Irving for twenty years, Rev. A. M. Smeallie for seventeen years, and Rev. N. E. Wade, the present incumbent, for eight years; all men of ripe attainments and earnest purpose.
The one at West Kortright under Rev. J. B. MeNulty, Rev. John Rippey, and last though not least, Rev. R. T. Doig, has also been highly favored on account of the high rank of the men who have been called to minister to them in sacred things. And the one at North Kortright under that of Revs. John Erskine, James Smealie, R. B. Taggart, R. C. Monteith and A. M. Smealie, all men eminently fitted to fill the high office to which they were chosen.
The present church edifice at Bloomville was begun and en- closed in the year 1800. A man by the name of Every fell from the highest peak to the ground on the day of its raising without
467
TOWN OF KORTRIGHT.
sustaining further permanent injury than the entire loss of one of his senses, that of smelling. For nearly thirty years it remained unfinished, the seats being composed of boards supported by logs or timbers. It was completed about the year 1830, was rebuilt in 1857, and again rebuilt and modernized in the year 1889. Among those who have done most active work as preachers may be men- tioned J. B. Wakely, Ira Ferris, A. C. Morehouse, Chas. Palmer, Geo. W. Martin, E. White. O. P. Dales, S. J. MeCutcheon and J. P. Race. Among these the pastorate of Rev. A. C. Morehouse stands perhaps most prominent in the recollection of the older citizens. His labors began in the spring of the year 1856; he was at the time a comparatively young man, possessed of a reasonably sound head and an agreeable presence; he was an acceptable preacher and was particularly well adapted to pastoral work. Dur- ing his three years stay at Bloomville and Rose's Brook he con- ducted successful revival meetings and built or rebuilt fine churches at both stations. There were at Bloomville about 100 accessions to the membership as the result of his first effort, among these were many of the first and most influential citizens of the town and village. On one occasion soon after his first arrival at Bloom- ville he set out on a day to make pastoral calls in the village; his attention had been called to the fact that one family, con- sisting of some four or five members, were all communicants of the church except the man of the house, who was somewhat skeptical and sometimes was disposed to resent any allusion made to him by the minister about his future. The new minister de- termined to make this one of his first visiting places, which he accordingly did, selecting an hour when the head of the house would be likely to be present. He failed to find him in and after a brief call proposed a season of prayer. He had only knelt with the family and begun his petition when he was accosted in a deep bass voice with the command, "Here, d -- n you, quit that! Quit that !! Get out! Get out! ! " whereupon he hastily arose to his feet, and in a half dazed condition undertook to offer a pro-
468
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
test or an apology. In his confusion it was some minutes before the good woman of the house could sufficiently compose the young minister to get him to understand that his traducer was no other than an erring pet parrot which had been a favorite in the family and neighborhood for years.
A prominent figure in Bloomville sixty years ago was that of Asher Merwin, father-in-law of Judge William Murray of Delhi and of Hon. Stephen H. Keeler of Bloomville. In company with Silas Knapp he built the old hotel in Bloomville about the year 1800. One end of the same was used by him as a store, and the rest by Knapp as a hotel. Colonel Merwin was a genial old gentleman and a pleasant companion of old or young. In his younger manhood he served for a time as clerk in the Bloomville hotel, kept at that time by Silas Knapp, who later became his father-in-law. One evening while a young friend who had rode in on horseback from a neighboring town was calling on one of the young ladies of the house his visit, which had been somewhat prolonged, was rather rudely interrupted by young Merwin who informed him that his horse had got loose and had started for home, at the same time giving his friend the grateful intelligence that he had caused the boys to bring a horse, with which he could readily overtake his own if he made good use of whip and spur. The visitor mounted with a bound and was soon out of sight, but soon returned, saying: " Boys, I have a little business with you in doors; I thought before I reached the bridge that this horse rode strangely like my own."
Other early prominent citizens of Bloomville and its vicinity were Jacob Every, who at different periods built two grist mills; Silas Knapp, Thomas Fitch and Rufus Bunnell, who under the firm name of Fitch & Bunnell conducted a mercantile business and erected several important buildings, among which were the large house now owned by Mr. J. A. Hill, long known as the Bathrick house, the red store on the opposite side of the street recently removed from the corner of the S. Forman lot, and the Dr. Forman house now standing; Jehiel Gregory, father of Horace Gregory,
Village of Almeda.
Bloomville Street.
171
TOWN OF KORTRIGHT.
who was a lifelong resident, a merchant, cattle dealer and an active business man: Aaron, John and William Gregory, Moses Lyon, Sr., John Bathriek and his two sons, Daniel and Noah, Hiram Every, as. merchant and farmer; Colonel Adam Jaques, as hotel heeper, mer- chant and farmer; John Peters, who as farmer and dealer in general merchandise, wool, butter, hops, cattle and real estate spent fifty years of a busy life in the village and upward of ninety within the present post-office limits; Virgil Bunnell and son, George, the latter being a man of particularly fine presence and at successful merchant, doing business in the store now occupied by M. F. Allison; Henry and Isaac Drake, furniture dealers; James R. White and Andrew More, merchants; Samuel Barlow, also a mer- chant, -- the last three being in their day not only wide-awake business men but each possessed of a love of innocent fun which kept a whole village from a condition of ennui: George Dales, hotel keeper, justice of the peace and manufacturer of proprietary medi- rines; Charles W. Duren, furniture dealer; Harvey Davis, merchant, farmer and liveryman, was for many years supervisor of the town; Joseph W. Brownell, cooper, justice of the peace and merchant; Abijah Fields Cooper and Aaron Champion Miller, were among our most exemplary citizens. Doctors Wadby, H. K. Willard, Stephen Forman, O. L. Butts, and J. R. Mathews each in their turn served their day in ministering to the sick and suffering and are remem- bered by many for their kindly offices.
These represent a portion of the business men of Bloomville village and only such as have passed into history. Many more who are still among the living, and whose life work seems not yet to have been completed, have done and are doing much among us, but their names can hardly be mentioned within the space of this article.
A somewhat noted character who lived in another town across the Delaware, but who was almost a daily visitor and was counted one of our citizens, was William Youmans, or "Unele Bill," as he was familiarly called. A chief peculiarity about the man, and one
472
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
that attracted people for miles to see him, was a most unnatural condition of his features, known as a liver face. It consisted of an almost blood red growth extending down from the chin the length of a medium sized potato, and which also bung pendant from each ear and a corresponding discoloring and slight growth of the same firey red color that covered the entire lower part of the face. With this peculiarity of feature he was also the victim .of a shaking palsy, which kept these elongations in a constant tremor as though they had been formed of a jelly. His speech was also affected, and he talked in a kind of jerky manner that made him altogether a most remarkable personage. He was a man of much more than ordinary wit and intelligence, and very few met him if but for a few moments without going away with some sally of wit which would be as indellible as the sight of his features. On one occasion after having an animated scriptural discussion with the minister on the story of the creation, on starting for home with a new pair of boots on his arm he was met by the good man who asked him where he got his boots: "I created them." "What do you mean by that ?" "Why, I said let them be made, and they were made!"
Prominent among the older residents of the town was the name of Alexander Leal, the father of Alexander Leal who now lives east of Kortright Centre. Mr. Leal was at one time the most extensive dealer in butter in the state, and as incredulous as it may seem, is said to have practically controlled or "cornered " the entire butter market of the country on different occasions. His residence at the time was on the farm lying east of that of his son Alexander. Lewis Mills was also an active business man living at North Kortright. He owned and traveled with a circus for several years, which was not, perhaps, the greatest even then on earth, but was the best owned in Kortright, and furnished a very creditable entertainment. Several members of the Mills family be- came eminent on account of their business ability, and accumulated -elsewhere innnense wealth.
473
TOWN OF KORTRIGHT.
Elisha Osborn, Thomas Shiland and Peter Fisher, Sr., living on the mountain south of Bloomville, were citizens of sterling in- tegrity. Samuel Osborn and Peter Fisher, sons, continued in pos- session of the Osborn and Fisher farms up to the time of their death.
Among the prosperous farmers of former years living along the Delaware were Joseph Clark, for several years supervisor of the town. a most active and reliable citizen, who succeeded his father, William Clark, on the M. N. Frisbie farm, Wheeler, Barlow, Peter, James, and Andrew Kiff, brothers, all of whom raised large and respectable families at Kiffville. Andrew kept a hotel in the house where De Witt Kiff spent his last days, on the east side of the high- way, Henry Sackrider, who was succeeded by James, his son, on the E. J. Wheeler farm, Duncan and John MeDonald, both of whom held different offices of trust and honor. A son of the latter, Grant McDonald, became a successful business man in New York and possessed great wealth. John Andrews, who occupied for many years the farm owned by William Nesbitt, belonged to a large and somewhat distinguished family who were sons of Samuel Wake- man Andrews, who spent his life on the Daniel Andrews, or Sharp farm, on the east side of the river. John Andrews was father of S. W. Andrews, Sr., who for many years was proprietor of an impor- tant line of stages in New York, from which he realized a handsome competence. He was the father of S. W. Andrews, the present owner of the palatial residence on the spot where Judge Martin Keeler formerly lived at South Kortright. Judge Keeler was a prominent business man of the town seventy-five years ago; held the office of County Judge and Sheriff, and was extensively engaged in mercantile pursuits. He was the father of Hon. Stephen H. Keeler of Bloomville, Hon. Martin Keeler, Kortright Centre, Ed- mund Keeler, North Kortright, and Charles Keeler of South Kort- right. all of whom were in their day active and influential mer- chants and business men, doing business at the above named places, the two tirst named having held varions offices of trust and honor.
474
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
Thomas Clark owned the farm which is now the delightful home of J. J. Andrews. He was a dignified gentleman of English birth, and in connection with the farm kept a hotel. A daughter of his was the accomplished wife of the late James A. Thomas, who spent their lives near Bloomville in the town of Stamford. The names of Sanford, Griffin, Simmons, Mc Murdy, Hillis, Hanford, White, are synonyms of business prosperity and integrity.
Back of fifty to seventy years ago a large proportion of the woolen garments worn by both sexes were home made. Sheep were kept on every farm, the wool was combed or carded into rolls; these rolls of wool were two or three feet long and a little larger around than an ordinary lead pencil, they were then spun or twist- ed into threads, each roll being stretched out as the twisting process was going on until it was as fine in the thread or yarn as the spinner was pleased to make it. This thread or yarn was then colored or dyed and some "doubled and twisted" and knit into socks or mittens, or left single and woven into cloth; this cloth when taken from the loom would be possibly five feet wide and was rough, thin and slazy. It could be held up to the light and objects seen through it. It was then sent to the "fulling mill" where it was placed in a shallow trough and with soap and cold water abundantly supplied it was pounded or squeezed by simple ma- chinery constantly for about three or four days, and when taken from this bath was found to be " full cloth," thick, heavy and firm, and about two and one-half feet in width or half as wide as when it left the loom; if four yards long when put in there would be possibly three when taken from the vat. These fulling mills were a necessity and were common; one was in operation in Bloomville at the head of N. Moak's mill pond, nearly opposite the residence of L. H. Every, another at the river crossing just above the small bridge on lands of W. H. Forman, another at Kiffville, and many others were scattered throughout the town. Oat mills and oat kilns were also quite common. These were used in the preparation of oat meal. The oats were first spread in the kiln on an iron screen with a fire underneath and heated until the hard, dry hull or covering was charred and brittle, then they were run or rolled loosely between two light mill stones which broke and loosened the hull, leaving the berry white and clean, then after the separating process the oat berry was ground into oat meal. One of these mills was also sitnated at Kiffville.
175
TOWN OF KORTRIGHT.
A gristmill was also situated a short distance above the Hogs- back on lands of E. J. Wheeler, and was run by a man by the name of John Toldlitch, but who was somewhat appropriately called for short, by old and young, and in fact only known by many as " Johnny Tolldish."
Saw mills and grist mills were scattered at different points throughout all parts of the town. Whiskey stills and potasheries were also abundant throughout the town.
Among the early teachers of schools we have often heard men- tion of one named Patterson, an eccentric character but a man of more than common educational ability. He enjoyed the reputation of being able to solve nearly any or all mathematical problems, and also to distort his features so as to frighten the most incorrigible scholar into a meek obedience. A story is told of an occasion when a most exasperating violation of the rules had been committed within the temple of learning, and the boys were promptly called into the entry way and solemnly warned that the guilty hoy must come forward, confess his crime, remove the obstruction and throw himself on the mercy of the court. The faithful pedagogue waited and worked his face for all he was worth, but it failed for the first time to start the unknown criminal. The situation was becoming awkward, when the teacher fell back and supplied himself with a very large slate and pencil and quietly told the class that if that boy held off and put him to the further labor and trouble of figuring out which one was the guilty one, the trouble with that boy in that school would only have just commenced. This was counted a most serious turn in affairs by the youngsters and the unfortunate victim at once walked up, confessed his guilt, and took his medicine like a little man.
Andrew Gilchrist, for many years a prominent citizens and office holder in the town, was a son of Thomas Gilchrist, who came from Ireland about the year 1810. Andrew Gilchrist was the father of Dr. William Gilchrist late of New York, now deceased, a gentleman of great wealth and whose benevolences throughout our town and county, both public and private, have been princely. He was a brother of Mrs. B. M. Banks and Mrs. Smith of Bloomville.
Alanson Banks came from Westchester county about the year 1800. He was the father of John Banks, who for many years was an esteemed citizen and who left a large family, of whom the fol- lowing were long or are still residents of our town: Alanson Banks.
476
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
who recently died in Cortland county, Henry M. Banks, Benjamin 3. Banks, both residents of the town, Mrs. John O. Thompson, Mrs. Thomas Robertson, Mrs. Leland Kenyon, and Mrs. William G. Stoutenburgh.
Moses Sackrider came from Westchester county about the year 1796. He was the father of Timothy, Henry, Daniel and Solomon, Polly, and Hannah Wetmore, wife of James Wetmore, Esq., late of Stamford, and mother of S. S. D. Wetmore and Thomas H. Wet- more, both substantial citizens and life long residents of the town. Henry Sackrider married a sister of James Wetmore, senior, and was the father of James and Solomon Sackrider, who were long prominent residents of the town.
Thomas MeClaughry was a native of Ireland, and came to Kort- right from Westchester county in 1784. Two brothers also settled in the town, Richard and Andrew. Thomas reared a large family, among whom known to the writer was Matthew and Edward. Mat- thew was the father of the late Mrs. James McGillivrae, of Walter T. MeLaury of North Kortright and of Doctors James and William MeLaury, who were long and successfully engaged as medical praeticioners in and about the city of New York. Edward was the father of the late E. T. MeLaury and grandfather of Judson Me- Laury, now engaged in the mercantile business at Kortright Centre. A McClaughry (MeLaury) lineage of the town of Kortright would till a book.
Johu Blakely came to Kortright from Schenectady in 1798. He had five sous, William, James, John, George, and David, and sev- eral daughters. William Blakely married Nancy McDonald, a sister of Duncan and John MeDonakl, and was one of the prosper- ous and influential citizens of the town. He was father of John D. Blakeley who married a sister of John Peters of Bloomville and spent his early life in Kortright, of James (. Blakely who married a daughter of Rev. McAuley, and whose wife and family still reside in Kortright, and of Goldsborough Banyer Blakely who married a daughter of the late Pierce Mitchell of Meredith, and whose wife, one son and daughter reside at Oneonta, N. Y. Many members of this and other branches of the Blakely family have become scattered and are no longer residents of the town.
William Rowland, accompanied by his son Ebenezer, moved to Kortright and settled on a farm at the foot of Kenyon Hill about 1800. Ebenezer Rowland became one of the wealthiest men of his
477
TOWN OF KORTRIGHT.
day residing in the town. He was father of William Rowland Esq ... James Rowland, Ebenezer Rowland and George Rowland, all of whom became substantial and wealthy citizens of the town and are well known. The home of Ebenezer Rowland who married a daughter of Robert Mellwain, Esq., and resides in the extreme western part of the town, is one fit for a prince. In fact the visitor to our town of Kortright who fails to take in that region occupied by the residences of William Mcclintock, James Rowland, John Moredock, Merritt S. and Joseph Roberts, William H. Brownell,. William Blakely and James Kelso, will miss a locality which on account of fine farm houses, barns and outbuildings and nent, productive, well fenced and well kept farms is difficult to exceed.
The veteran editor of the Stamford Mirror, S. B. Champion, established his printing business in Bloomville in the year 1851, and continued the publication of the Bloomville Mirror in that village for about twenty years when he moved his plant to Stam- ford, giving his publication its present name.
Benjamin Gerowe, manufacturer of grain eradles, resided for many years at Kiffville. He was the father of William Gerowe of Walton, and Harvey B. Gerowe, who with his son Lucius W. resides also near Kiffville, where they are extensively engaged in the dairy- ing business. Benjamin Gerowe is still living. in the state of Delaware, having reached very nearly the century mark.
Orson J. Butts, R. W. and John W. MeArthur, Cornelius W. Every, William Shaw, John O. Thompson, Augustus Dunn, Geo. E. Scott and James Gibson are all prosperous and intelligent farmers living in the central portion of the town. Other substantial citi- zens who were prominent in their various vorations were John and Hugh Kinmouth, farmers, who came from Scotland about the year 1830. The former was the father of J. A. Kinmouth, who still res- ides on the old homestead, and W. Rollo Kimmouth, a physician in New Jersey. Hugh Kinmouth was the father of two sons, both of whom are physicians of note living in New Jersey. The elder,. Sutherland, having by means of well conducted transactions in real estate become possessed of great wealth.
Simon MeIntosh was an early resident, came from Dutchess county in the year 1800; his wife's name was Bates, also from Dutchess. They were blessed with seven sons, Jonathan, Henry, William, Matthias, Alexander, George and Simon. Of these Henry had two children, William and Emeline; William McIntosh
478
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
is now living in Washington, D. C., the father of James H., a former school commissioner of our county, and A. W. McIntosh of Delhi, N. Y. Emeline MeIntosh, daughter of Henry, was the wife of the late Frances Fuller and mother of Mrs. J. E. Powell. George McIntosh, a younger son of Simon and brother of Henry, lived for many years on Federal Hill, town of Delhi, and was the father of Theophilus, the senior editor of the Delaware Republican. Other members of the family drifted to other parts of the county.
John McArthur was a native of Ireland, came to Kortright and settled on the farm now owned by John W. McArthur about the year 1813; there was born to them one son, Robert, the father of John W. and Robert W. McArthur. The fact that the fond parents journeyed the entire distance to New York in those slow and troublous times for the sole purpose of having their boy properly christened, is an incident which John W. should pin in his hat.
Still others certainly no less deserving of mention, who by devoted lives and generous impulses have imprinted their names on the hearts of our people are the families of Roberts, Kerr, Orr, Mc- Murdy, Galloup, Donnelly, Donaldson, Kilpatrick, Longhren, Hus- ted, Forman, Smith, Burdick, Mitchell, Kenyon, Harkness, Harper, Parker, Jones, Douglass, Humphrey, MeIlwain, Cummings, Stouten- burg, Beken, Davis, C'eas, Hill, Every, Brown, Rowlands, MeNeeley, Sexsmith, Tait, Bolles, MeAushin.
I am warned that I must not trespass further on your time with this record to-day, but I cannot close without making mention of the honored dead-if I cannot of those still living-who were our defenders in the late civil war. A soldiers' monument crected at Kortright Centre records the names of Joseph R. McCraeken, Levi Decker, John S. Burdick, Joseph Rowland, James T. Mc- Laury, Walter T. Mead, John M. MeCully, James Murphy, George Ceas, Richard Young, Horace S. Hanford, Chauncey D. Hanford, John B. Mc Williams, Charles H. Barker, Frederick Ames, Sanmel Tate, Andrew Tate, J. Newton MeLaury, Hugh Black, and Wil- liam Davis. In the midst of our rejoicing on this occasion, and the things of beauty and the national emblems which gladden our eyes and surround us on every side, let us stop to-day and in our minds wreath a garland and plant a flag over the resting place of those and all those who nobly served and nobly died for us and the country which we land and love so well.
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.