USA > New York > Broome County > Gazetteer and business directory of Broome and Tioga Counties, N. Y. for 1872-3 > Part 10
USA > New York > Tioga County > Gazetteer and business directory of Broome and Tioga Counties, N. Y. for 1872-3 > Part 10
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* The Syracuse, Binghamton & N. Y. R. R. was originally formed July 2, 1851, as the Syracuse and Binghamton R. R. The road was opened through, Oct. 23, 1854. It was sold Oct. 13, 1856, on foreclosure of mortgage, and the name changed to Syracuse & Southern R. R. Its present name was assumed under act of March 31, 1857. In 1858 the company were authorized to purchase the Union R. R. to the canal at Geddes. The Dela- ware, Lackawanna & Western R. R. company obtained a controling influence in the road about the first of March, 1869, and still maintain it. It is 79.33 miles in length. It enters the county on the north line of Lisle, and following the west bank of the Tioughnioga to Chenango Forks, it then follows the general course of the Chenango, making a slight detour to avoid the bend in that river between the towns of Chenango and Fenton, passing in its course through Lisle, across the south-west corner of Tri- angle, through the towns of Barker and Chenango and the north part of Binghamton to the city of Binghamton. It makes the great salt depot at Syracuse and, by its connection with Oswego & Syracuse R. R. at the last named city, the lake and lake ports easily accessible.
¿ The Albany & Susquehanna R. R. was organized April 2, 1851, and opened to Harpersville, in the town of Colesville, Dec. 26, 1867, and to Binghamton, Jan. 14, 1869. With its varied connections it brings Bingham- ton within easy communication with the northern and eastern parts of the State, and the capital at Albany. Its length is 142 miles. It enters the county at Nineveh and runs in a circuitons course through Colesville, diverging slightly into the east part of Fenton a short distance, through the south part of Fenton and the north part of Binghamton, connecting with the Erie R. R. at the city of Binghamton. It is leased to and operated by the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company.
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the Utica, Chenango & Susquehanna Valley R. R .* ; the Dela- ware & Hudson Canal Co.'s R. R. t; and the Delaware, Lacka- wanna & Western R. R. t These routes, which traverse the County in various directions, afford ample facilities for travel- ing and commercial purposes, and bring the agricultural lands within easy reach of the great eastern markets, and the business and manufacturing centers in close proximity to the coal mines of eastern Pennsylvania. The increasing agricultural and com- mercial importance of the County may warrant the opening of new avenues in those parts of the County furthest removed from any of the great thoroughfares. The several plank roads which were built at an early day are now mostly abandoned.
There are ten newspapers published in the County; two dailies, one semi-weekly and seven weeklies.
The BINGHAMTON DAILY REPUBLICAN was started as The Daily Iris, in 1849, by Wm. Stuart and E. T. Evans. It was soon after changed to its present name and was published by Wm. Stuart alone, until 1864, when he leased it to Messrs. Carl Bros. and J. W. Taylor for five years. They, after publishing it about three years, sold their lease to Malette & Reid, the present publishers, who bought it of Wm. Stuart, April 1, 1867.
THE BROOME REPUBLICAN was established at Binghamton, by Major Augustus Morgan, in 1822. It was published by him until 1824, by Morgan & Canoll until 1828, by Evans & Canoll, until 1835, by Canoll & Cooke until 1839, when it passed into
* The Utica, Chenango ;& Susquehanna Valley R. R. enters the county in the south-east corner of Barker, having its southern terminus at Chen- ango Forks. It was commenced in 1867, and twelve miles were completed that year.
+ The Delaware & Hudson Canal Co.'s R. R., which was recently com- pleted through the County, enters it at Nineveh, and follows the general course of the Susquehanna, which it crosses at Center Village, through the town of Colesville, to the south line of that town, when it deflects from the river and avoids the bend which commences at this point, and again touches the river a little north of Windsor, extending along its valley to the south line of the town of Windsor, where it leaves the County. Large quantities of coal are already shipped over this road from the coal mines in Penn., to which it leads.
* The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western R. R. was completed to Bing- hamton in January or February, 1871. It enters the County in the south- east corner of the town of Conklin and runs along the west bank of the Susquehanna to Binghamton, where it connects with the Syracuse, Bing- hamton & New York R. R., and at Syracuse with the Oswego & Syracuse R. R., which road is leased to it. This is an important link in the chain of railroads centering at Binghamton, as it brings that city in direct commu- nication with the valuable mines of this company in Penn .; and with its connections with the S. B. & N. Y., and O. & S. railroads, which are under its control, this company are enabled to ship direct to their depot in Oswego, and from that point to the northern part of the State, the lake ports and Canada. Vast quantities of coal are shipped over this road, no inconsiderable amount of which is deposited at Syracuse.
E
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the hands of Davis & Cooke. It was continued by Benj. T. Cooke until 1848, and by E. R. Colston until 1849. It subse- quently became the property of Wm. Stuart, who published it until 1864, when he leased it for five years to Messrs. Carl Bros. and J. W. Taylor, who, after about three years, sold their lease to Malette & Reid, the present publishers, by whom the paper was purchased of Wm. Stuart, April 1, 1867, and by whom, in January, 1869, it was consolidated with The Binghamton Stand- ard, and printed in connection with that paper as the Republican & Standard. July 4th, 1870, the two papers were disconnected and the original title, The Broome Republican, was resumed. It is published as a weekly.
THE BINGHAMTON STANDARD & SEMI-WEEKLY REPUBLICAN was started as The Binghamton Standard in Nov. 1853, by J. R. Van Valkenburg, by whom it was sold to G. W. Reynolds, and by the latter to F. N. Chase. It was afterwards successively purchased by Alvin Sturtevant, M. L. Hawley & P. D. Van Vra- denburg and, in Jan. 1869, by Malette & Reid, who consolidated it with The Broome Republican, and adopted a name embracing that of both papers, the Republican & Standard. July 4, 1870, it, was renewed as a separate paper, under its present name .*
The BINGHAMTON DEMOCRAT was started at Binghamton, as the Broome County Courier, in 1831, by J. R. Orton, who continued it until 1837, after which it passed successively into the hands of Sheldon & Marble, I. C. Sheldon, E. P. Marble, E. P. & J. W. Marble, and Marble & Johnson. In 1842 or '3, its name was changed to The Binghamton Courier & Broome Co. Democrat and was published by J. & C. Orton. It passed into the hands of Dr. N. S. Davis, in 1846, into those of J. L. Bur- tis in 1847, and its name was by him changed to the Bingham- ton Courier. Mr. Burtis sold it J. T. Brodt, who published it until 1849, when it passed into the hands of Hon. J. R. Dickin- son, who changed its name to The Binghamton Democrat and published it until 1855, when he took W. S. Lawyer as a part- ner. This firm continued its publication until 1857, when Mr. Dickinson sold his interest. It was published by Messrs. Adams & Lawyer until the death of Mr. Adams in 1861, when it was continued by Mr. Lawyer alone until 1866, at which time his brother, G. L. Lawyer, was admitted to an interest. It is still published as a weekly by the Lawyer Bros.
The BINGHAMTON DAILY DEMOCRAT was commenced in 1869, by W. S. & G. L. Lawyer, and is still published by them.
*The Binghamton Daily Republican, The Broome Republican and The Binghamton Standard & Semi-Weekly Republican are issued from the same office by Malette & Reid.
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BROOME COUNTY.
THE BINGHAMTON TIMES, weekly, was started by The Bing- hamton Times Association, April 6, 1871, and published by them until April 27, 1872, when it was purchased by A. L. Watson, who, on the first of August of the same year, took as partner Mr. E. H. Purdy and enlarged the paper from a quarto to a folio. It is now published by the firm of Purdy & Watson.
THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER, weekly, was started at Bingham- ton by A. W. Carl and E. H. Freeman, Sept. 10, 1869. Mr. Carl purchased Mr. Freeman's interest July 1, 1871, and still continues its publication.
THE UNION WEEKLY NEWS was started as The Union News, in June 1851, by A. J. Quinlan, who published it until his death, in 1854, when it was purchased of the heirs by R. Bost- wick, who continued it a short time and sold it to Cephas Benedict and E. M. Betts, by whom it was published about two years, when Mr. Benedict purchased Mr. Betts' interest and controlled it alone until 1866, at which time he sold it to E. C. & G. W. Mersereau, but continued its editor. Mr. Benedict re- purchased it in 1867 and again sold it May 15, 1868, to M. B. Robbins, the present proprietor, who changed its name to that it now bears. It is an independent journal. .
THE DEPOSIT COURIER, weekly, was started in the spring of 1848, by M. R. Hulse, who published it five years, when it passed into the hands of his brother, S. D. Hulse, by whom its name was changed to The Deposit Union Democrat, and pub- lished seven years. In 1860 it passed into the hands of Lucius P. Allen, who changed its name to The Delaware Courier and its character to the advocacy of the principles of Republican- ism. Mr. Allen published it seven years, when he sold it to Ambrose Blunt and Joshua Smith, who changed the name to that it originally bore, and now bears, and, after about two years, sold it to J. B. Stow. It was subsequently published by Charles N. Stow (son of J. B. Stow) and Adrian L. Watson. In March 1872, Mr. Watson retired and Mr. Stow continues its publication alone.
THE LISLE GLEANER was commenced at Lisle, May 24, 1871, by Gilbert A. Dodge, who sold it, March 7, 1872, to Eugene Davis, the present publisher, by whom it was enlarged from a twenty to a twenty-four column paper. It is a weekly and is independent in politics .*
* The following is a list of obsolete papers published in the County : The American Constellation was started at Union, Nov. 23, 1800, by D. Cruger, as is shown by a copy of this paper now in the possession of Mr. Beebe of Owego, which is dated "Union, N. Y., Sept. 12, 1801," and marked " Vol. I, No. 43." It is generally supposed and admitted that this
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BROOME COUNTY.
The first step looking to the settlement of the country adja- cent to and partially included within the limits of this County, seems to have been taken in 1785, on the 28th of June of which year a treaty was held at Fort Herkimer between the Governor
paper was printed at "old Chenango," then located on the west bank of Chenango River, about one mile above Binghamton, as is asserted in the Annals of Binghamton, and, says Dr. Charles J. Seymour, in a letter dated Binghamton, Aug. 9, 1872, it was probably dated to correspond with the postoffice at Union, which, says Dr. Seymour, on the authority of a war- rant issued by Postmaster General Habershaw, was established June 23, 1798, (Joshua Whitney being appointed postmaster,) at Binghamton, the station at which place was for several years called Union. French says this paper was published at Union Village, in 1800, but the assertion, as re- gards location, is believed to be unwarranted. How long this paper was published we have been unable to learn definitely, but there are indica- tions that it was removed to Owego, and its name changed to The Ameri- can Farmer, under which name alone, it is proper to say, Wilkinson re- fers to it. He says, after referring to The Broome County Patriot, which, he asserts, was the first paper printed in Broome County, "There had a paper circulated here, which was first printed in old Chenango, and afterward in Owego, called 'The American Farmer.' While issuing from the former place, it was conducted by Daniel Crugar; and while from the latter, it was conducted by Stephen Mack, afterward Judge of the Coun- ty," who, it will be seen by referring to the history of The American Farmer, in the history of Tioga County, started that paper in Owego, though Stephen B. Leonard, the founder of The Owego Gazette, is of the opinion that The American Farmer was established and always published in Owego.
The Broome County Patriot was commenced in Binghamton in 1812, by Chauncey Morgan. In 1813 it was transferred to Dr. Elihu Ely and its name changed to
The Olio, under which title it was published one year, when it passed into the hands of Dr. Tracy Robinson, who changed its name to the
Binghamton Phoenix. In 1815 Augustus Morgan became partner with Mr. Robinson and it was published by Morgan & Robinson until 1817, when Mr. Robinson's interest was purchased by Anson Howard. The firm then became Morgan & Howard and they published the paper one year, when Mr. Howard purchased Mr. Morgan's interest and continued it until 1819, when it was discontinued.
The Republican Herald was commenced in 1818, and successively pub- lished by Morgan & Howard and Abraham Bnnell and Dorephus Abbey, until 1822.
The Evening Express, daily, was issued from the Republican office in 1848, by E. R. Colston, and was, after a short time, merged in the Repub- lican.
The Iris, semi-monthly, was started in July, 1839, by C. P. Cooke. In July, 1841, it was purchased by Edwin T. Evans, who enlarged it and pub- lished it weekly until 1853, when it was merged in the Binghamton Re- publican.
The Binghamton Mercury was published a short time by Chester De- hart, as a semi-monthly.
The Susquehanna Journal was started in Oct., 1852, at Binghamton, by Rev. Wm. H. Pearne, and was merged in the Broome Republican in 1855.
The Broome County American was started at Binghamton in May, 1855, by Ransom Bostwick, in advocacy of the Know-Nothing principles, and lived but a short time.
The Binghamton Daily Times was published by J. R. Gould, about 1865 or '6.
The Binghamton Journal was started about 1870, by John E. Williams who published it abont six months, when it was discontinued.
The Broome County Gazette was commenced at Whitney's Point in July, 1858, by G. A. Dodge, by whom it was published several years.
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and Commissioners of Indian Affairs in behalf of the State, and the Oneida and Tuscarora Indians, by which the latter for $11,500 ceded all their lands, bounded north by an east and west line from the Chenango to the Unadilla, ten miles above the mouth of the latter, east by the east line of the County,* south by Pennsylvania and west by the Chenango and Susque- hanna. At the Hartford convention, in 1786, a tract of 230,400 acres, bounded by the Chenangot and Tioughnioga rivers on the east, Owego Creekt on the west, by the north line of the tract previously granted to Daniel Cox and Robert Lettice Hooper on the south, and extending as far north as to include the number of acres specified, was ceded to Massachusetts.§ This tract was sold by the State of Massachusetts to Samuel Brown and fifty-nine others, principally from Berkshire county, in that State, Nov. 7, 1787, for $1,500, and was designated the Boston Ten Townships. These persons were induced by the favorable representations of individuals who had viewed this country while connected with the expedition against the In- dians under Gen. Sullivan, in 1779, to make the purchase. The tract, according to the grant made to the company, was to be bounded on the south by the Susquehanna, but when the agents of the company arrived they found that previous grants embraced the valley of that river, consequently its southern boundary was determined by the north line of these grants. The company appointed as commissioners to treat with the In- dians, Elijah Brown, Gen. Oringh Stoddard, Gen. Moses Ashley, Capt. Raymond and Col. David Pixley. These gentle- men met the Indians in treaty on the east side of the Chenango, two or three miles above Binghamton, in the forepart of winter, but did not fully complete negotiations, and adjourned to meet at the forks of the Chenango. The second treaty resulted satisfac- torily. || " The nominal sum paid for this tract is not now known,
* This line was agreed upon at Fort Stanwix, in 1768, and was surveyed by Simon Metcalf the next year. It is designated the " Property Line."
+ The Tioughnioga was then termed the west branch of the Chenango and was treated by the surveyors as the main stream.
This creek was then termed the "Owego River" and was identical with what is now generally called the " West Owego Creek," that being treated as the main stream.
§ When this tract was surveyed it was found that its northern limits en- croached upon the Military Tract by 17,264 acres, and an amount equiva- lent to this was granted to the claimants in Junius, Seneca County.
il " At this and the former treaty, it is said, the Indians, who were fur- nished with provisions and liquor at the expense of the company, would get drunk almost to a man, by night, but be sober through the day. While the subjects of the treaty were under discussion from day to day, they would sit in circles upon the ground, and listen with the utmost decorum. Their chiefs, when they spoke, would speak in substance, if not in form, in accordance with parliamentary rule. Captain Dean was their interpreter
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but the payment was made, one-half in money, and the other moiety in goods, consisting of rifles, hatchets, ammunition, blankets and woolen cloths. The last, it is said, the savages, in perfect character with their taste, immediately tore into strings for ornament." The total cost of the land, including the purchase price, the expense of the treaties and the survey, was about one shilling per acre. The first sales were uniformly made at twenty-five cents per acre, but after a little they rose to one dollar and even more .* The deeds of partition were executed in 1789, and were legalized March 3d, of that year, in an act reciting the names of the sixty associates. The several owners commenced selling and settling their respective allotments. Grants were made in the south and east parts of the County to Hooper, Wilson, Bingham, Cox and others, several of whom resided in Philadelphia.t
The first settlements in the County were made in the valleys of the Susquehanna and Chenango, in 1785, by persons who had traversed the region during the Revolution. They located while the country was still threatened with Indian hostilities, and before Phelps and Gorham opened the fertile lands of Western New York to immigration. The early settlement was
and did their business. The land upon the shores of the two rivers, and for some distance back was, even at the time of the purchase, partially cleared, so far as the Indians have their lands cleared. The under-brush was cleared, having been kept down by burning, and grass growing on the flats. The Indians uniformly keep down the shrubbery part of their hunting grounds, that they may, with the more facility, dis- cover and pursue their game. Col. Rose says that he could see deer upon the mountains immediately back of him for a half mile, so free were they from under-brush. He observes also, that the woods exhibited a sombre appearance, from their annual burnings. The large island opposite Judge Stoddard's, was, when the first settlers came, covered with grass and the anacum weed, a tall kind of weed, the roots of which they were in the habit of digging and drying, and then grinding or pounding for bread stuff; or rather its apology, perhaps, when their corn failed them."-Annals of Binghamton, p. 50 and 51.
* The Indians, in their treaty, reserved to themselves the right to hunt upon the lands sold, for the term of seven years; and also made a reserve of one-half mile square, near the mouth of Castle Creek, in the town of Chenango, as their own possession. This reserve was known as the "castle farm" and upon it those Indians, who did not remove to New Stockbridge, or Oneida, resided.
The means through which they lost possession of this reserve will be detailed in the history of the town of Chenango.
The remaining Indian titles within the County were extinguished by the treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1788.
+ A tract of land containing 49,710 acres, known as "Chenango Town- ship," was granted to A. Hammond and others ; another, containing 61,440 acres, known as "Warren Township," to Robert Harper and others; aud another, containing 1,000 acres, on both sides of the Susquehanna, was sold to Jacob and John Springstead, Josiah, David and Daniel Stow, David Hotchkiss and Joseph Beebe. Other tracts were sold to Wm. Allison, Jas. Clinton, Isaac Melcher and others. The islands in the Susquehanna were sold to James Clinton, at four shillings per acre.
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BROOME COUNTY.
retarded by a remarkable ice freshet in 1787-88, which destroyed most of the property of the settlers upon the river intervales. Scarcely less calamitous to life and property was the scarcity that followed in 1789. Oquaga was a noted rendezvous of Tories and Indians during the Revolution .* Most of the invasions into the Schoharie and Mohawk settlements, as well as those upon the frontiers of Ulster and Orange counties were made by way of the Tioga and Susquehanna rivers from Nia- gara ; and this war-path, with its sufferings and cruelties, has been often described in the narratives of returned captives.t
We extract from the Annals of Binghamton, by J. B. Wilkin- son, the following interesting and amusing particulars relative to the extent to which the early settlers engaged in fishing and hunting, which are illustrative not only of the hardihood and daring of the early settlers, but also of the struggles which many of them so heroically encountered in their efforts to obtain a subsistence.
"In early times, when the country was first settled, and for a long time since, shad ran up the Susquehanna in great numbers as far as Bingham- ton, and even some to the source of the river. Thousands of them were caught from year to year, in this vicinity, especially at the three great fish- ing places, at Union, opposite Judge Mersereau's ; at Binghamton, opposite the dry bridge, and upon the point of an island at Oquaga. There were two other places of less note ; one on the Chenango, opposite Mr Bevier's; the other at the mouth of Snake Creek. [The shad arrived here, and began to be caught generally about the last of April, and the fishing con- tinued through the month of May. ] It was made quite a business by some, and after the country was sufficiently filled with inhabitants to create a demand for all that could be caught, the business became a source of con- siderable profit. * * Several hundred [were] sometimes caught at * one draught. Herring also ran up at the same time with the shad ; but as it was no object to catch them while a plenty of shad could be caught, their nets were so constructed as to admit then through the meshes.
"The nets employed were from sixteen to thirty rods long ; [and each employed from six to eight men to manage it.] Their time for sweeping was generally in the night, as the shallowness of the water would not allow them to fish in the day time. Again the shad, in the night, [ran] up on the riffles to sport, which gave to the fishermen another advantage. They [made] their hauls the darkest nights, without lights, either in their boats or on shore. They had their cabins or tents to lodge in ; and [were] notified when it was time to haul, by the noise the shoal of fish [made] in sporting at the shallow places.
" The shad seemed never to find either a place or time at which to turn and go back. Even after depositing their eggs, they [continued] to urge their way up stream, until they had exhausted their entire strength ; which would, being out of their salt-water element, after a while fail them. The shores, in consequence, [were] strewed with their dead bodies, through the summer, upon which the wild animals [came] down and [fed.] Their
* Further mention will be made of this place in the history of the town of Windsor.
+ French's State Gazetteer.
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BROOME COUNTY.
young fry [passed] down the stream in the fall, having grown to the length of three or four inches, in such numbers as to choke up the eel-weirs.
" They have discontinued running up so far as this, for twelve or fif- teen years [from 1840, when the Annals were published] ; consequently none within that time have been caught. The numerous mill-dams and mills on the streams, together with the number of rafts that pass down in the spring, undoubtedly deter them from coming.
" As we have spoken of fishing in early days, which was so different from what it is at present, so will we speak of the hunting of early times.
" It is allowed by the old hunters that wild animals were uncommonly plenty here when the country was first settled. Martins were plenty, and caught in dead-falls for their fur. Panthers were frequently met with and shot by hunters. Bears were numerous and large. Wild cats were also found. But deer, which may be considered the staple commodity with hunters in a new country, were decidedly numerous. They would be seen sometimes twenty and thirty in a flock. Of this species of game great numbers were yearly killed. There appear to have been no wild turkies found here when the country was first settled. A solitary flock, some twenty-five or thirty years ago appears to have wandered from its native forests, and was observed in the neighborhood of Oquaga by Dea- con Stow, who was at that day a distinguished hunter. He dropped his work in the field, and obtaining a gun from the nearest neighbor, he man- aged to kill one, before the flock got entirely out of his way. It remained in the neighborhood forest, until the turkies were all shot, except the last one, which was caught in a trap.
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