USA > New York > Chenango County > Smyrna > Early years in Smyrna and our first Old home week > Part 6
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Early Years in Smyrna and
Many will remember the old stage horn as it used to announce the arrival of the stage and mail, and though the latter was not distributed till 8 o'clock the next morning it was eagerly sought after as it is at the present day. These were the days when a railroad through our town and handsome valley, was but a dream.
THE COLLINS FAMILY-A Quaker family who took an ac- tive part in the maintenance of their church and did their part in building up and carrying out all that was good for our town and community, was the Collins family, who migrated from Hop- kinton, R. I., in 1800, to Rensselaerville, Manor of Rensselaer- wyck, in Albany County. They had with them their two daughters Susan and Mary, known in later years as the Collins Sisters, whose home was a most hospitable gathering place for members of their church and others as well. They were most excellent neighbors and were always ready to minister to the wants of the needy or distressed. The oldest was then four years of age. Remaining there fifteen years, during which time two more daughters and four sons were born to them, they moved to a farm near the Capron Cotton Mills, near the vil- lage of New Hartford, and here Isaac B. Collins was born De- cember 18, 1815. The next year they moved to a farm between New Hartford and Utica, where the youngest son, Henry, was born February 15, 1819. The first summer on that farm, 1816, was terribly cold and it was said there was frost or snow every month of that year. It was declared by the neighbors that the Quaker broad brim hats overshadowed the entire neighborhood, and prevented the sun from shining on the earth to give it its proper heat. The family again moved to a place west of New Hartford, called Middle Settlement, and after three years there, on the first day of April, 1822, came on to a hill farm in the good old town of Smyrna.
Of this Collins family, the father, William, was born in Hopkinton, R. 1., January 10, 1770, and died at Smyrna, Au- gust 6, 1857. His wife whose maiden name was Anna Fish,
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was born at North Providence, R. I., April 17, 1774, and died at Smyrna, April 6, 1868. All the family are now deceased, and all are buried in the old Quaker ground, about one and one-half miles south of this village, excepting William, once a resident of our village, who died in New Jersey; Henry, whose death took place at Klingly Lake, and Isaac B., who died at the home of his son, Charles, at Norwich, March 7, 1905, in his ninetieth year.
Isaac B. Collins was the sole survivor of the family, and honored and esteemed by all who knew him. As a resident of Smyrna, he was one of our influential citizens, holding many offices of trust, and taking a great interest in political affairs whether in the town, county, state or nation. An ardent whig, casting his first vote in 1836, for Henry Clay, the whig candi- date for President, and continuing his affiliations with that party after it merged into the Republican party. He was an excellent school teacher; had a remarkable memory, and was stern and a fine disciplinarian, as many of his old scholars among whom was the writer, can easily testify. He removed to Norwich some thirty years ago but kept up a lively interest in the town in which he had so long resided, and when met upon the Norwich streets where he had become a familiar figure, never failed to ask for matters of interest concerning the old home town. But a few months before his decease he was able to write to the writer, in a plain, legible hand, nearly all the facts connected with this sketch of the Collins family.
SEYMOUR ISBELL and his wife, Lois Nearing, came from New Lisbon, Otsego County, to Smyrna, about the year 1823. Four children, all now deceased, were born to them as follows: Elmer; Nirum, who married Mary Hartwell; Electa, who mar- ried George Matthewson; Abigail, who became the wife of S. C. Hayward; and Lina, who became the second wife of the late Gardner Butts. The latter had one son, our respected friend Daniel G. Butts, who was born here some fifty-four years ago, and has always resided here. He has taught school many terms and has been a successful pedagogue. He married Susan New-
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comb, and they have two children; Wallace, who married Fran- ces Burton, and now resides in Sherburne; and Sarah, who mar- ried Clarence Tennebrook. They have two young sons and make their home in this village.
JONATHAN SHEPARDSON, of Welsh descent, whose parents came from Attleboro, Mass., was born in Plymouth, this county, receiving such education as could be obtained in the common district schools. He married Hannah, the oldest daughter of John and Sally Munson, of Smyrna, and one child was born to them; Andrew, who first saw the light at the Munson home- stead, December 13, 1828. As a youth he was a clerk in the store of Harvey Talcott at Smyrna, and in later years found em- ployment in the Munson Mill. In 1836 he entered into part- nership with Albert Munson, which was successfully continued till his death on the 16th day of May, 1841, in his 36th year.
Andrew, the son, attended the district school until he was fifteen years of age, and then entered the store of Webster Mer- rell, later spending a year at Clinton and Cazenovia. He after- wards engaged in business at Earlville, but returned to Smyrna in 1858. A capable and competent business man, he found no difficulty in securing employment in most any line, holding va- rious offices which he was exceedingly well qualified to fill. More concerning Mr. Shepardson's political career will be found in the toast "Our Public Men" which appears in another part of this volume.
His wife was Emma, a daughter of John and Mary Dalmon, genteel English people, and by her were four children, the young- est Albert L., a young man of brightest promise, who passed away in the spring of 1882, at sixteen years of age. The oldest son, Walter A., is a prominent farmer in the town of Otselic, and at present is the efficient County Clerk of Chenango County. His wife is a daughter of the late Ery W. Stokes, and they have one son, E. Stokes, now fifteen years of age.
Mary E., the only daughter, married Edward P. Lyon of
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Brooklyn, N. Y., and they have an interesting family of four, children and a pleasant home in the City of Churches.
John W., the only representative of the family now in town, was born here forty-six years ago, and ably takes his father's place as a prominent business man. He is our present Super- visor, recently re-elected by a large majority, and like his father, an ardent Republican, standing high in the councils of his party, He retains the agency of the New York, Ontario & Western Railroad Company, succeeding his brother, Walter A., in the spring of 1878. It will thus be seen that the agency has been in that family since the opening of the road, in November, 1869, a continuous succession of thirty-six years. Mr. Shepardson mar- ried Maria B., a daughter of Charles W. PerLee, and they have two children. Alice M., the older, married John T. McGovern, of New York, and Charles A., the younger, is a stenographer and typewriter in the General Offices of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company in New York.
Andrew Shepardson died at his late home in Smyrna village, April 21, 1903, at the age of 75 years, having survived his wife some twenty-five years, she having passed away January 8, 1878, in her 47th year.
THE CALKINS FAMILY in America are descendants of one Hugh Calkins, who was born in Wales, in 1600, and who died in the town of Norwich, Conn., in 1690. The family were said to have been represented in the Indian, Revolutionary, War of 1812, Mexican, Civil and Spanish-American Wars. Its earliest American ancestor was born in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales, in 1600, and was said to have been descended from an ancient and long line of that name, one of whom, William Col- kin (as it was spelled in the very early days), lived in the time of King John, 1200, and was unquestionably one of those who, sword in hand, extorted the great Magna Charta from Revolu- tionary King John, at Runningmede, June 15, 1215. One of his direct descendants, David Calkins, married Sally Wilbur, by whom were three children, Smith Wilbur, Eliza and Mary.
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Smith Wilbur was born in Smyrna, December 25, 1820, and married Fannie E. Willcox, born in Smyrna, March 9, 1825, and there were five children, as follows: Hannah A., who married Hoyt W. Kinney, they having one son, Charles E., who now re- sides at Washington, D. C. Charles L., well known here where he has many friends, who married Della Knapp, and they have two children, Bert and Edward, and their home is at Palmyra, Wis. Sarahette, married Edward M. Dakin, and they have two daughters, Lena A., who married Warner A. Gibbs, and Maud I., who with their mother, reside in Washington, D. C. Ella F., married Samuel, a son of the late Robert H. Willcox, for some sixteen years a successful engineer on the Delaware & Hudson Railroad, residing in the city of Binghamton. Their children were Charles, now deceased; Mary, the wife of B. H. Nelson, a private banker in that city, and Harry, who is now in business in that city.
Edward A. Calkins married Della Munger, and his death took place in 1894. All of the children of the above Smith W. and Fannie E. Calkins were born in Smyrna, where they each grew to maturity. Mr. Calkins died in the winter of 1887, and he is still survived by his wife, who makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Willcox, in Binghamton.
Eliza Willcox married a gentleman named Graves, and Mary Willcox, Nelson Ackley, but there is no further data concerning them or their families.
BENJAMIN CARD was born in Rhode Island in 1803, and moved to Lebanon with his parents at four years of age. When he was twenty-one he came to Smyrna and bought a tract of land on which he cleared a place and built a home, which but a few years since was standing in the lot southwest of the present Card saw mill. He added to these lands from time to time un- til he had nearly four hundred acres. He built a large saw mill on his premises, and built up an extremely large business which he conducted many years. Hale, hearty and ambitious, he was not afraid of work and he had the confidence of all who knew
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BENJAMIN CARD.
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him. Some ten years after he came to Smyrna, he married Polly Dye, of Lebanon, by whom he had one son, Alonzo, who still survives. Mrs. Card lived but five years after their mar- riage, and a few years later he married Ann Enos, of Rensselaer County, and there were born to them seven children, only two of whom remain in town. Clayton G. resides at the old Card homestead. He married Lovisa E. Littlefield, of Grafton, N. Y., and they have one daughter, Mary, now the wife of our towns- man, Charles E. Coy. Enos M., is a resident of Utica, his wife being a daughter of the late Daniel Parker, of Otselic. They have one son, D. Parker, a graduate of Bellevue Medical Hospital, New York, who now holds a fine position in Bellevue Hospital, in that city; and one daughter, Mattie, now the wife of Starr P. Sternberg. Their home is on the former Nearing farm, south of the village.
Benjamin Card finished his earthly course July 31, 1895, at ninety-two years of age, having survived his wife nearly five years, she having passed away February 19, 1890, at the age of seventy-four.
TROWBRIDGE SHEPARD was born in Stockbridge, Mass., February 5, 1805. His parents were born in Scotland in 1783, emigrating to the old Bay State. Trowbridge was married twice, his first wife being Nancy E. Mckay, of Glasgow, Scotland, who died January 28, 1837, leaving five children to mourn her loss, two of whom died in infancy. The remaining were Elnora M., who died at Colfax, Wash., March 22, 1900; Willis, who died in lowa in 1890; and Andrew Jay still living at Stevenson, Wash., to whom we are indebted for this sketch of the family.
His second wife was Nancy E. Moore, of Paris Hill, Oneida County, who died at Carthage, Mo., February 14, 1883. From this union were seven children, among them Elvira E., Alonzo C., Clementina A., Geraldine A., Carlos L., and Ida E. All are de- ceased but the latter, who now lives at Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Mr. Shepard came to Smyrna at twenty years of age, at first following the cooper's trade, then for three years studying med-
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icine, and after that entering the drug business, which he after- wards followed. He was fatally kicked by a horse, which he was trying to extricate from a burning barn at his home in Smyrna village on the night of August 26, 1862, a fire many of our older citizens will remember. Two of his sons, Alonzo C. and Andrew J., enlisted as soldiers in the civil war. The former joined the New York Zouaves, and died at the Soldiers' Home at Dayton, Ohio, in May, 1866, and the latter was a member of the First New York Light Artillery.
The Shepard family left Smyrna in the sixties for a new home, leaving many friends here, where they were well and fa- vorably known and much respected. The old Shepard drug store, which many will remember, was the old Comstock drug store, which was destroyed by the fire of 1900.
PETER MERRITT, of Barkhamsted, Ct., married Sylvia Mer- rell, and they moved to Smyrna in the spring of 1827, becom- ing well and most favorably known in this vicinity. There were born to them eight children, as follows: Aurelia, who be- came the wife of Samuel C. Lawson; Emeline, who married Joseph Rexford; Edwin, who was County Clerk of Cook County, Illinois, when Chicago was but a swamp, and a small settlement; Elizabeth, who married Asa Cash, of Buffalo; Ruth, who married Edwin Jaynes; James and Jeanette, who lived for many years in Buffalo; and Albertus, whose home was at Mil- waukee, Wis.
JOHN PERCIVAL settled on a farm some three miles west of Smyrna, near the present farm house of Hoxie Tefft.
OBADIAH SPENCER bought the farm now owned by Charles Bellinger, the same owned in former years by Smith Calkins, now deceased, and the same year STEPHEN PARKER bought the farm now owned by Deloss Brooks.
In 1803 JESSE HUTCHINSON and APOLLOS ALLEN bought lot number fifteen, comprising the present site of the village of Smyrna, also the west half of lot number sixteen and were prob-
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ably the first settlers on the site of the village. They sold their milling interests to John Munson in the spring of 1809.
BENJAMIN PAUL came from Westminster, Vt., in 1803, and settled on the William Fields farm, now known as the Ball farm.
NOAH COLEMAN a native of Connecticut, settled early on Smyrna Hill, on the farm known for many years as the Cole- man farm, and in a log house a little to the north of the present farm house, rearing a large family of children. Among them were Nathan, Charles, Orrin and Marvin, the latter a member of the 61st Infantry, N. Y. S. V .; and Lucy, who became the wife of the late Abram D. Ferris.
JOHN ENOS was born at Block Island, and in the later years of his life moved to Rensselaer County. He married Mary Mor- rison and to them were born eight children. Charles was once a prosperous citizen of our town. Leonard became an excellent millwright and in his day was not surpassed as a mechanic, doing much of the work in his line for many years at the Mun- son Mill. Ann Enos married the late Benjamin Card. The Enos home was the old Faulkner place in the northwest part of the town, the house having been taken down several years since.
JOHN CRUMB, a son of Daniel and Lucy Crumb, of Rhode Island, came to Smyrna when a young man. He married Hul- dah, a daughter of Elam and Anna Parsons, becoming well-to- do, frugal and industrious, and is well remembered by many of the present day. There were born to them five children, two boys and three girls, as follows: Daniel who enlisted in the war of the Rebellion, was a member of the 61st New York In- fantry, dying in the army in 1862; Henry, still a respected citi- zen of the town, was also a soldier, serving faithfully all through the war, in the 114th Regiment. Maria married Marion Dye, now deceased, and subsequently became the wife of a gentleman named Hibbard. Lucy became the wife of Russel N. Willcox and now resides at the old homestead. Louisa married Jacob
Early Years in Smyrna and
Carncross, who was a member of the 61st New York Infantry, receiving an honorable discharge, and re-enlisted in Bat- tery A., 4th Regiment U. S. Artillery. He is now deceased. The father of Jacob Carncross was Lewis Carncross, who came from the Mohawk Valley, and married Elizabeth Reese, by whom there were five children, and after the death of his wife was re- married to Mrs. Mary Vaine. Mr. Carncross died in 1878, in his 76th year.
SAMUEL WILSON was born at Hancock, Mass., in 1792, the year the settlement of the town began. His father was John Wilson, and his mother, Mary Gardner. He married Sabrina L. Gardner, whose death occurred June 23, 1840, in her 29th year. The husband and one son, Gardner, survived, the latter becoming the husband of Avaline, the oldest daughter of the late John Wilcox. Samuel Wilson afterwards married Annette Clark, of New Lebanon Springs, and to them were born one son, William C., who spent his early days in Smyrna, becoming a young man whose social qualities made him warm friends. He moved in later years, with his mother, to the place of her nativity, and both are now deceased.
Samuel Wilson was a genteel gentleman of the old school and a man most highly esteemed by all who made his acquaint- ance. The Wilson home was a most pleasant and hospitable place for all. The handsome grounds, with their flowers and shrubbery, are pleasant recollections of the older inhabitants, and the removal of the family from our town was a matter of much regret. Mr. Wilson's death came after a long illness, on the 31st of August, 1874, in his 83d year.
BENJAMIN HARTWELL was born at North Norwich, Septem- ber 29, 1804, and was a son of Ebenezer Hartwell. At eighteen years of age he was apprenticed to learn the hatter's trade of Thomas Merrell, of Sherburne Four Corners. Later he moved to Greene and still later to Smyrna, where he married Philura, a daughter of Harvey Talcott, an early resident of Smyrna, and they became respected and honored among the people of the
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town. Their home was always most hospitable. They had two children, a son who lived six years, and a daughter, Mary, a most estimable young woman, beloved by all, who in later years became the wife of Billings Wheeler now of Norwich, and moved to that place in the early sixties, where her death occurred not long after. Mr. Hartwell was one of our best and most respect- ed citizens, a kind hearted neighbor, and a friend to all.
Many will remember with pleasure the large and well stocked trout pond on his premises, a source of pleasure to himself, and which he was very fond of showing to his numerous friends. Feeding time for the trout was always a source of much enjoy- ment for all the young people, as well as old, in the community. In 1870 he gave up farming and moved to Norwich, where he and his most excellent wife spent their remaining days at the home of Mr. Wheeler. Mourned by many, Mr. Hartwell passed away in September, 1884, in his 80th year; and his wife in 1887, in her 74th year. Both rest in Mt. Hope cemetery at Norwich.
JOHN F. PUDNEY was born at Salisbury, Ct., in 1798, and removed with his father to Sherburne in 1810, marrying Polly A. Church, who was born in 1800. They resided in the town of Sherburne the balance of their lives, he dying in Earlville, August 9, 1856, aged 58 years, his wife in Sherburne, January 28, 1872, in her 72d year. There were born to them eight chil- dren. Among them was Deloss W., well and favorably known in this vicinity, who was for a few years a resident of our town, but who spent the remaining years of his life at his home just across Pleasant Brook on the Sherburne road, being always known as a good natured kindly neighbor and an excellent citi- zen. Deloss was born in New Berlin, now a part of Sherburne, March 7, 1819, and married Julia A. Abbott, of Fabius, N. Y, moving to the farm now known as the late Ervin Sprague farm. By her was born, at this farm, one son, Walstene D., none other than the genial, companionable gentleman, who is always much interested in our town and its people, who is always welcome among us, and whose happiest moments are spent in his none too frequent visits to Smyrna, the home of his birth. Mr. Pud-
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ney has risen to distinction and has made for himself a name, having ably represented his district in the Ohio Legislature. He is now a legal representative of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, and his home is at Cleveland, Ohio.
Deloss married for his second wife, Nancy C. Hubbard, a sister of the late Demas Hubbard, Jr., and by her were born three children. George P., now the only one residing in the town, is a successful lawyer with an excellent practice, and has served two terms as District Attorney for Chenango County, in a very acceptable manner. He married Kate M. Gardner, of Sherburne, by whom two children were born; Gardner W., who died in his ninth year, March 3, 1898, and Bessie, now a student at Syracuse University.
THE HUNT FAMILY-Among those who first came to Smyrna was the Hunt family, who came from Connecticut. Two brothers, Joseph and Lymelus settled on Smyrna Hill. Joseph had nine children, as follows: Lester, Laura, Lydia, Lucius, Ed- win, Melinda, Henry, Daniel and Dency; and also forty-six grandchildren. Lester married a Noathout; Edwin married Ade- line Ladd; Daniel married Polly Dutcher; and Dency married John House. These all moved to Illinois. Henry married Ade- line Tisdale and moved to New York city. The rest married and stayed in Smyrna. Lucius remained at the homestead, mar- ried and had a family of nine children. George, many years well known here, married Mary Jane Dixon, and their children are all now living at Norwich; Emily married William V. Brand, (his second wife.) Caroline, remains single, an excellent nurse and a woman with many friends. Melinda married Henry Beekman, her home being at Cazenovia, Madison County. Anna was the first wife of Myron Collins, and a most excellent woman; Dency was the second wife of Wells Sexton. She was a pleasant, social and good natured lady, much esteemed by the many who made her acquaintance. Mary became the wife of Epenetus R. Bassett, a native of Madison County. They were most excellent neighbors, as we can truly testify. They have five grown up sons, among them being Alton, now a resident of
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Oswego; Lucius, a resident of Belknap, Iowa; Ellis A., of Ed- meston, and Charles H., of Moosup Valley, R. I., all with fami- lies of their own. Harvey Hunt married Celia Smith.
Lymelus had six children, two moving to Watertown, an- other to Illinois, two dying when quite young, the other staying on the homestead.
It is related that on one occasion, one of the sons, not as strong as the rest, who was accustomed to do errands for the family and neighbors, was sent to mill with a large grist on his horse's back, the path being marked by blazed trees. He was obliged to wait till night for the grist, and on his return found that the spring freshet had washed away the bridge over Pleas- ant Brook. (This bridge stood in the same place as the one re- cently washed away, and it seems there were bridge troubles in other days.) He made the horse swim the stream, but lost near- ly all the meal, so that all the neighbors had for a number of days, was what was saved and divided up among them. The Hunts were said to be Connecticut Blue Law Presbyterians, lay- ing aside the week's work on Saturday night, to be resumed again on the going down of the sun on Sunday. They were truly excellent citizens, and some of the best people who ever resided here.
THE FERRIS FAMILY-Among the early settlers in the west- ern part of the town, were the four Ferris brothers, Robert, Jo- seph, Benjamin and John. The first named lived on the place now owned by Ziba Tuttle, the house standing some eighty rods south of the present farm house. He had three sons, Jesse, Aaron and Silas, the first of whom married Zeruah Decker, to whom nine children were born. Ann married Aaron L. Ferris, of Bedford, Mich. Nathaniel was a well known and greatly re- spected deacon of the Congregational Church, and took a great interest in the Sunday School. He is survived by his three stal- wart sons, Cleveland N., Cortland L., and Leland L., each with families of their own. The oldest son of the former, is Frank, now a resident of Norwich, a fireman on the Ontario & West-
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ern road, and one of the victims in the recent flood disaster at Wood's Corners, who luckily escaped with his life. Warren, the younger son, is also a resident of Norwich.
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