USA > New York > Tioga County > Owego > Early Owego, N.Y.; some account of the early settlement of the village in Tioga County, N.Y., called Ah-wa-ga by the Indians, which name was corrupted by gradual evolution into Owago, Owego, Owegy and finally Owego > Part 23
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41
Previous to the completion of the New York and Eric railroad to Owego, in 1849, John R. Drake owned a large amount of land on both sides of the railroad extending from east of North avenue to the Owego creek. He had previously had a map made and litho- graphed, which was called, " A Map of Drake's Reservation in the Village .. of Owego." On this map his entire property was laid out into squares and streets. It was his intention to build up the village on what is known as "the flats," but his design was frustrated by a -stroke of paralysis, which rendered him incapable of carrying his intentions into execution. To all these streets except one he gave the names respectively of his son, his daughters, and a granddaugh- ter. The streets on this map extend. . ing north and south were Arianna, Theodore, and Charlotte ' streets. Those running east and west were
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Adaline and Delphine streets and West avenue. All of these streets ex. copt Harriet, Arianna, and Theodor streets were subsequently accepted and laid out by the village trustees. Adaline and Charlotte streets Were released to the village by judge Drake's heirs May, 12, :1864. . West avenue was accepted July 11 of the sanie year, and Harriet. street July 31, 1876
A quic claim deed of Delphine street (named in honor of Mrs. Harmon Pumpelly) was made by Theodore Drake to the village in August, 1863. The street was regularly laid out in May, 1x72.
This. street, as, surveyed began at North avenue a little south of the United States hotel and crossed the 'D., 1: & W. railroad track. In June of the same year a petition, signed by 22 taxpayers, was presented to the board of trustees, praying that that" part of the street between McMaster street and North avenue might be opened to travel. The trustees, ac- cordingly passed a resolution authoriz- ing the opening of the street across . the railroad track. To prevent the carrying into effect of this resolution and in order to retain possession of the land, the railroad company ob- tained an injunction prohibiting such extension until the matter might be legally settled. Soon afterward the. company caused an engine house. large enough to contain a locomotive, to be built in the centre of the pro posed extension of the street. The. street from North avenue to McMas. ter street was, consequently, not regu. larly opened as a public street, bu! several years later the engine house
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was removed, and the street is now open for public use.
East Temple street was orighially known as Patch street, so called on account of Timothy P. . Patch, an Owego merchant.owning land in that street. Later its name was changed to Bell street, in honor of Joseph C. Bell, who lived on the northeast cor- ner of that street and Paige street and who was a member of the board of village trustees in 1840. It was regularly laid out as a street'as far as Green street in August, 1843, Green street was laid out at the same , time. In February, 1853, Bell street was extended from Green street east forty fect, and thence across the Erie railroad tracks to Erie street in April, Isso. The name of the street was changed to East Temple street . in 1884, a majority of the residents of that street having presented. a peti- tion to the trustees asking for , such change.
Erie street was laid out in January, 1859, and - South . Depot and North Depot streets in May. 1851. Little John street named in honor of judge Drake and so called to distinguish it · from John street-was also laid out in : May, 1851. It has been for many years "generally known as John R. street.
Central avenue occupies the ground where the old Ithaca and Owego rail: road ran previous to 1850. . It was widened, surveyed, and laid out 'as a street in May, 1862.
Talcott street, so named in honor of George Talcott, who lived on its north side, near North avenue, and who owned the land through which it was opened, was laid out in August, 1862.
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Hill street takes : its name from James Hill, the owner of the land through which it was opened in May. 1870.
East avenue was known as ."the mountain road.". In 1840 it was laid out as a highway by the commission- ers of highways of the town of Owego. The road was cut in. the side of the hill by Patrick Geary. All that por- tion of this road lying within the vil- lage limits was recorded as a 'street in february, 1872, and named East ave: nue.
The land through which Franklin street extends was owned by Gurdon Hewitt the elder, who sold to Hiram A. Beebe the first building lot on the east side of the street. when it 'was ' opened. Mr. Hewitt asked Mr. Beche to give the street à name, and as Mr. Beebe was editor of the Owego Ga .. zetta and 'a printer, he named the street Franklin street, in honor of that illustrious member of the craft, Ben- jamin Franklin.
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The Military History of the Village . for Sixty Years from the Organiza- tion of Tioga County in 1791 to. 1850, with Some Account of the Commanding Officers from Col. Samuel Tubbs to Col. Nathaniel W. Davis, together with Notes of the Days of the Old General Trainings.
The first act creating a state militia in the state of New York was entitled an act "for the better regulating the militia of the colony of New York" and was passed by the legislature and became a law April 1, 1775. This act required all able bodied male citizens between the ages of 16 and 50 years to be enrolled from and after the first day of the following Max under pon- alty of five shillings for any. person who should not be so enrolled and three shillings additional for every month such person should remain un- listed
A New England shilling was equiva- leut in value to iwelve and one-half ernits: In Owego business men gener- ally kept their accounts in shillings and sixpences and marked the selling prices of their goods in this currency. This continued until the breaking out of the civil war in 1861, when the great amount of paper currency in de- nominations of from five to seventy- five cents issued by the government placed a premium on silver causing it to be withdrawn entirely from trade and most of it went into the melting pot. In those days half dimes, dimes, and quarters were few in comparison with the sixpences, shillings, and two shilling pieces, which by continuous use had become worn so thin that the lettering, ete., on them had been ob-
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literated and they resembled ' small dises of white metal more than money.
The act of 1775 provided that militia companies should be ordered out for exercise once in each year, 'and that the number of troops to each company should be fifty. At that time much of this state had not been settled by white people and there were only. sixteen counties in the state.
From. 1777 until 1822 nearly every civil, military, and judicial officer . of . the commonwealth in this state was appointed by a body of four men, known as the Council of Appointment. This council was composed of one sen- ator from each of four distriets; known, respectively, as the southern. middle, eastern, and western district The senator from each district was openly nominated and appointed each svar by the assembly, no senator be- ing eligible two years successively. The governor was a member of this council and authorized to act as gene- ral and commander-in-chief of all the militia- and also as admiral of the nayy .. Tinmense power was wielded by: this body and it became an irrespon- sible, powerful, and offensive political Amachine. It finally became so unpop: ular with the people that it was abolished in 1821 by the constitutional convention without a dissenting voice.
The rank of colonel was abolished in Tisz by act of the legislature and provision made that each regiment should be commanded by three field officers, a lieutenant-colonel com- mandant and two majors. The lieu- tenant-colonel commandant continued as the ranking officer all through the war of 1812 and until 1816, when a new law was passed specifying that
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each regiment should be commanded by a colonel a lieutenant colonel, and one major. Under the new law the lieutenant-colonels becanie ' colonels, and the first majors. became Henten- ant-colonels.
The next act, passed in 1786, "to regulate the militia" provided. that every able-bodied white male citizen between 16 and 10 years, with certain exceptions, should be enrolled for mili- tary duty within three months and must provide himself at his own ex- mouse with "a good musket and fire- lock, a sufficient bayonet and belt, a pouch with a box therein to contain not less than twenty-four cartridges, two spare Hints, a blanket, and knap. . sack and shall appear so armed, ac- coutred . when called out to exercise or duty, except when called out to ex- ercise only, he may appear without blanket and knapsack." Commissioned officers were required to be armed with "a sword or hanger .and an espontoon."
The militia was required to rendez- 'vous . four times a year for training and discipline, iwice by . companies, unge by regiments and once by bri- gades. For non-appearance at a gen- (ral training a non-commissioned offi- cir or private was fined twenty shil- lings for each day of neglect to appear at the brigade rendezvous, and eight shillings at a. regimental or company parade, and if not armed and equipped according to law, one shilling for every deficiency, and for appearing without a mmisket four shillings. Quakers were exempt from military duty on payment of forty shillings a year.
The uniforms of general officers were dark blue coats with buff fac-
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ings, linings, collars, and cuffs; yel low buttons, and buff underclothes.
Regimental officers wore dark blue coals with white linings and white buttons.
Non commissioned officers .and 'pri: vates wore dark blue coats with white linings, and staff officers dark blue coats with buff collars and linings and yellow buttons.
Tioga county was erected in .1791 from Montgomery ; county. May 8, 1792, congress passed an act establish- ing a uniform militia throughout the United States for the national defence. The law provided that within one year . after His passage every free able- bodied white male citizen of the sev- eral states and resident therein of the age of eighteen years and under the age of forty-five years, must be en- rolled by the commandant of the company in whose company district he might reside. The law also made it the duty of the commanding officer that every muster, whether by bat- talion, regiment, or single company, to cause the militia to be exercised and trained agreeable to the rules and dis- cipline approved and established by congress. All subsequent state militia legislation was for many years based on this act of 1792.
Soon after the passage of this act Gov. George Clinton formed the mi- litia of Tioga county into one regiment and two battalions and appointed Sam- uel Tubbs lieutenant-colonel com- mandant. Col. Tubbs had in 1789 been major of three companies of mi- litia in the town of Chemung, then in Montgomery county and in 1791 in Tioga county.
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Oringh Broddard, of the town of Union, Broome county, was appointed major commandant of one of the bat- talions and Benjamin Hovey of the other. In major Stoddard's battalion one of the companies was composed of Owego men under captain Luke Bates and another of residents of the town of Tioga under captain Samuel Ransom.
In 1793 . major Hovey's battalion was formed into a regiment, compris- ing the militia residing casterly of the Chenango river and the Tioughnioga branch thereof north of the town of Chenango. Major Hovey . was pro- moted to lieutenant-colonel command- ant of the new regiment.
In 1797 che militia of Tioga county was formed into a brigade, of which Col. Oringh Stoddard was appointed brigadier-general. David Pixley, of the town of Tioga, succeeded Col. Stod- dard as Hentenantcolonel command -. ant of Stoddard's regimeut.
In 1802 Col. Pixley resigned his com- mission and ;Samuel Seymour was ap- pointed lieutenant colonel command- ant in his place.
In 1807 Col. Seymour resigned and was succeeded by Asa Camp, of Camp- ville. In 1809 Col. Camp resigned and Jacob Swartwood was appointed his successor.
This regiinent was in 1812 known as the 95th regiment. Col. Swartwood was promoted. to brigadier-general of the 18th brigade of infantry in 1819 to succeed Matthew Carpenter, who had been promoted to major general of the 20th division, composed of the 50th and 18th brigades. George Fisher, of Spencer, succeeded Col.
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Swartwood as colonel of the 95th regi
Col. Asa Camp, in whose . honor Campville was named, was born in Rhode Island and came from Columbia county, N. Y., in 1789 to the town of Vestal, Broome county, and' in 1792 removed to Apalachin. Thence he went to Campville, where he built the first tavern in 1800. He was :a ser- geant in the revolutionary war, and is said to have been a witness to Andre's execution and to have assisted in dig- ging his grave. Wilkinson's "Annals of Binghamton," published in 1840 mentions Col. Camp as one of the first settlers between Union and Owego. It says:
"Asa Camp is still living, where; it is believed, he first settled; now very aged. He served in the revolutionary war, in the capacity of sergeant, four years; commanded at Fort Frederick, on the Mohawk; aud with fifteen men in the fort effectually repelled two hundred Indians and tories. When a flag was sent in for them to surrender, sergeant Camp sent: word back, that Yankees lived there, and if they got the fort they must get it by the hard- est." He was in the battle at . White Plains; was in one battle on the sea, hear the banks of Newfoundland, and was also at Valley Forge."
In. "New York in the Revolution," . Asa Camp's name appears in the list of. men in Col. Philip VanCortland's 2d régiment and also in Col. James Holmés's 4th regiment.
Col. Camp was supervisor of the town of Owego in 1817 and 1818 and held the office of justice of the peace and other town offices. He died at Campville July 17, 1848.
In 1821 a new regiment was organ- ized from the 95th regiment. In March, 1810, Oliver . Huntington; of
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Owego, who had been quartermaster and afterward second major in Col. Asa Camp's regiment, was appointed lieutenant-colonel commandant of a new regiment. This regiment was known as the .53d regiment and .was commanded by Tioga county men du- ring its existence .. It was a part of the Ist brigade in the 19th division, state infantry.
In 1812 Col Huntington was . pro- moted to brigadier general of this bri- gade, and lieutenant-colonel. Ansel Goodrich, of Owego, was promoted to succeed him as colonel. In 1816 Gen. Huntington was appointed sheriff of Tioga county and resigned his com- mission, and Col Goodrich was ap pointed to succeed him as brigadier- general of the 41st: brigade. Gen. Goodrich was in ISIS promoted to ma- jor' general of the 19th division, which was composed of the 36th and 41st bri- gades, and served until his death in 1820.
John Lamine, of Owego, succeeded Gen. Goodrich as colonel of the 53d regiment, and Ausen Camp, also of Owego, was appointed . lieutenant- colonel. In 1819 Col. Laning was . pro- moted to brigadier-general of the 41st brigade, to succeed Gen. Goodrich, and Elijah Shoemaker, of Nichols, became colonel of the 53d regiment. When Gen. Laning died, in 1820, Col. Camp was appointed to succeed him as brigadier-general.
Extended mention has already been made of Gens. Huntington, Goodrich, Laning, and Camp in the biographical part of these papers.
Elijah Shoemaker was a son of Dan- iel Shoemaker, an early settler of the town of Nichols in 1797, and was born
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July 28, 1789. He was a farmer. He. became a man of some importance in his town, and when he was appointed colonel he held the offices of justice of the peace and commissioner of deeds. He was sheriff of Tioga county in 1825-8, and in January, 1832, he be- came a judge of the Tioga county. court. In 1844 he sold his farm and removed to Illinois, where he died the next year.
In January, 1828, a new militia law was passed by the legislature. The age for military duty was fixed at from 18 to 45 years, as before. The uniforms prescribed by the law were the same as United States uniforms, but round hats with feathers and the American cockade were deemed a part of the full uniform for a captain or a subaltern, and blue pantaloons at all seasons of the year were consid- ered a part of the full uniformi.
The time for "training; discipline and improving in martial exercise" was fixed for companies on the first Monday in September at 9. a. m. and for regiments or separate battalions between Sept. 1 and Oct. 15. The fine for non-appearance on a company parade was $2 for non-commissioned officers, musicians, and privates, and for a regimental or battalion parade not less than $2 nor more than $5. For failure to appear when called into actual service the penalty was not more than twelve months' pay nor less than one month's pay.
Joseph Belcher, of Berkshire, was appointed to succeed judge Shoe- maker as colonel of the 53d regiment in January, 1832. In August, 1833, Samuel Rockwood, of Owego, who had been lieutenant-colonel of the regi-
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ment, was promoted to colonel. Col. Rockwood commanded the regiment until July; 1837, when he was suc- ceeded by Elijah Belcher.
Joseph and Elijah Belcher were brothers, sons of Joseph Belcher, and were born at New Preston, Conn., Joseph in 1794 and . Elijah in 1800. The family removed from Connecticut to Berkshire in 1805. In early life Elijah Belcher was a wool-carder and cloth-dresser and when 21 years of age owned one-half of a mill in Berk- shire: He afterward engaged in lum- bering and built and operated a tan- nery and sawmill. In 1834 he began a general mercantile business at New- ark Valley. Later he manufactured friction matches, and still later he made barrels, butter tubs, etc. He served three terms as a justice of the peace. His first military appointment was received from Gen. DeWitt Clin- ton, who appointed him cornet of cavalry in 1827. He rose by promo- tion to captain in 1829, to lieutenant- colonel in 1833, and to colonel in 1837. In September, 1840, he became briga- dier-general of the 41st brigade of in- fantry. He died at Newark Valley Dec. 11, 1879. His brother, Joseph Belcher, was supervisor of Berkshire. in 1831.
Col. Samuel Rockwood came from Glastonbury, Conn. He owned and conducted the red mills, north of this village. He sold the property to Jonathan Platt some time previous to 1850 and removed to Belvidere, Ill., where he engaged in farming. His first wife was Augusta Goodrich, a daughter of Jeremiah Goodrich. She was one of the organizers of St. Paul's
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Episcopal church. She died Sept. 17, 1839.
May 24, 1840, while Elijah Belcher was still colonel of the 53d regiment, a new militia law went into effect. By this act the fine upon conviction for non-appearance on general training day was fixed at not to exceed $1 and at a regimental or battalion parade at not more than $2.
. Benoni B. , Curry, 'lieutenant-colonel of the 53d regiment, succeeded. Gen. Belcher as colonel in March, 1841. Nathaniel W. Davis was lieutenant- colonel under Col. Curry, Samuel A. Archibald was major, Hammon . D). Pinney adjutant, Dr. Cornelius H. Cole quartermaster, and Dr. Horatio. N. Eastman surgeon.
Dr. Cole was an army surgeon. in the civil war. in Gen. Howard's , 11th corps. He afterward lived. at She- shequin, Pa.
. Col. Curry was a tailor. He was born in Orange county in 1799 and came to Owego in 1824. In 1854 he removed to Manitowoc, Wis., and thence in 1866, to Pleasant Valley, N. J., where he died Jan. 19, 1875.
Dr. Hiram N. Eastman was born in Herkimer county, N. Y., Aug. 17, 1810. He graduated in 1838 from Fairfield medical college and began the prac- tice of medicine at Candor. In Jan- uary, 1840, he removed to Owego. He lived here until December, 1861, when he went to Geneva, N. Y., to, become professor of Materia Medica at Ge- neva college. In August, 1870, he was appointed lecturer on Materia Medica and Hygiene at the University of Buf- falo. In Oct., 1874, he returned to Owego where he lived until his death on Oct. 7, 1879. .
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Nathaniel W. Davis succeeded Col. Curry. as colonel of the 53d regiment in July, 1842, and commanded the regiment during the rest of its ex- istence as a military body.
Another militia law was passed by the state legislature May 13, 1846, dividing the state into eight military divisions districts, according to popu- lation, and providing that the major general highest in rank residing with- in the bounds of any such division should divide the division into two brigade districts, according to popula- tion, and each brigade district into four regimental districts, each regi- mental district to be divided by the colonel highest in rank into eight co na pany districts. Officers then in com- mission were to be commanding of- fieers and when there was any equality in rank lots were to be drawn to decide who should remain in com- mand. Every officer and private was required to provide himself with a complete uniform.
One. parade was established in every . year for six consecutive days, by bat- talion, regiment, or brigade; and all other company and regimental pa- rades required by the previous law were by this act abolished. The pa- rades were to be held between Aug. 15 and Nov. 1 in each year, on any Monday therein. The penalty for neglect to appear was the forfeiture of annual pay and also the payment of $2 for every day for such neglect.
The number of men for each com; pany was fixed at not more than 65, including all officers, musicians, and privates. Commanding officers were authorized to prohibit the sale of liquor within one mile of the parade
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and also hucksters, auction sales, and gambling.
The act provided that every person who should pay 75 cents to the col- lector of taxes on or before the day of the annual parade should be exempt from military duty during the year for which the aniount was paid. The pay, when engaged in full uniform, was fixed as follows: Non-commis- sioned officers, musicians, and pri- vates. $1 each day; commissioned of- Acers below the rank of captain $1.25; commanding officers of companies $1.50; field officers below colonels $1.75, and commanders of' regi- ments $2.
In 1847 the 20th brigade in the 5th . division, was commanded by brigadier- general Ephraim Robbins, Jr. The 43d regiment in that brigade was commanded by Col. J. C. Robie, of Union, and the 44th regiment by Col. Nathaniel W. Davis, of Owego.
In August of that year Gen: Rob- bin's established the following bounds of the 44th regimental district: "The county of Tioga and all that portion of the county of Broome south of the Susquehanna river and west of the Chenango, and all that portion of the town of Greene in the county of Che- nango west of the Chenango river."
In September, 1848, Col. Davis divided his regimental district. into eight company districts, according to population, as follows:
Co. A. The town of Owego, except that portion of the town stiuated east of the Apalachin creek and south of the Susquehanna river. George May- hew, of Apalachin, captain.
Co. B. The towns of Tioga and
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Nichols. . Stephen Hollister, of Tioga, captain.
Co. C. The towns of Barton' and Spencer. . . John L. Sawyer, of Barton, Captain.
Co. D. The towns of Candor and Newark Valley. . Lewis Strong, of Candor, captain.
Co. E. The town of Union and that part of the town of Chenango situated west of the Chenango river and north of the Susquehanna river. . Marshall ; Delano, of Maine, captain.
Co. F. The town of Vestal and : that part of the town of Conklin west of and south of the Susquehanna river, and all that part of the town of Chenango situated south of the Sus- quehanna river and all that part of the town of Owego situated east of the Apalachin creek and on the south side of the Susquehanna river. John Rounds, of Vestal, captain.
Co. G. The towns of Richford, , Berkshire, Lisle, and. Nanticoke. Ezekiel D. Smith, of Berkshire, cap- tain.
Co. H. The towns of Triangle, Barker, and all that part of the town of Greene situated west of the Che- nango river. Myron A. Hollister, of Chenango Forks, captain.
This regiment continued in exis- tence until 1854. The disbandment of the militia at this time was largely due to the provision of the act of May 13, 1847, which exempted from mili- tary duty every man who should pay on or before August first in each year to the town collector . seventy-five cents. The escape from military duty was so cheaply purchased that nearly every one availed himself of the op- portunity to shirk what had become a
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disagrecable task and the days of the general trainings were soon at an end. .
An ineffectual attempt to organize a company of militia at Owego was made in 1858. A meeting was held at the Ahwaga house for the purpose of organization .. Gilbert C. Walker, who after the civil war became governor of Virginia, was president, James C. Wright secretary, and Gurdon G. Man- ning treasurer. Col. Chas. W. Warren was appointed drillmaster and Dr. John B. Stanbrough assistant drillmas- ter. The- Owego Gazette of July 22, 1858, mentions this revival of the mili- tary spirit as follows :. . "A military company has already been formed and will soon appear in their beautiful equipage, property officered and ready for martial glory. : A roll list for an artillery company is about full and will soon organize and become a per- manent institution among the military forces of the state." . These companies progressed no further than the for- mative period.
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