USA > New York > Broome County > Gazetteer and business directory of Broome and Tioga Counties, N. Y. for 1872-3 > Part 26
USA > New York > Tioga County > Gazetteer and business directory of Broome and Tioga Counties, N. Y. for 1872-3 > Part 26
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The First Wesleyan Methodist Church, at Apalachin, was organized with thirteen members, by Rev. Matthew Dearstine, the first pastor, Feb. 25, 1850. Their house of worship was erected in 1871, at a cost of about $1,500, and was dedicated Dec. 11th of that year. It will seat 200 persons. The Society numbers forty-eight members. The pulpit is vacant in conse- quence of the death of their pastor in February, 1872. The Church property is valued at $2,000.
The Presbyterian Church, at Apalachin, was organized with five members in 1855, through the efforts of Mrs. Margaret Camp and Rev. O. N. Benton,* its first pastor. The church edifice was erected in the spring of 1856, at a cost of $2,600, and will seat 250 persons. There are twenty-five members ;. but the pulpit is vacant at present. The Church property is valued at $3,000.
The M. E. Church of South Owego, was organized May 20, 1856, though a class was formed in 1830. Their house of wor- ship was erected in 1856, at a cost of $1,200, and will seat 200 persons. Rev. Joseph Whitham was the first pastor after the erection of the church edifice, though Rev. John Griffin was the first to preach to them prior to that time. The pulpit is
* Mr. Benton was chaplain of the 51st Regt. N. Y. Vol. Infty. during the war of the Rebellion, and was killed at the battle of Newbern, N. C., March 14, 1864. His remains are interred at Owego.
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now supplied by Rev. W. Keatley, of Little Meadows, Penn. The number of members is about thirty-five. The Church property is valued at $3,000 .*
The Free Will Baptist Church of Apalachin was organized in 1869, by Rev. H. S. Ball, its first pastor. The church edifice is now in process of erection and will cost $3,000 and seat 250 persons. The Society numbers thirty-six. Rev. John Swank is the pastor.
The M. E. Church of Owego erected its first house of worship in 1822, and the present one, which is located in the village of Owego, in 1871-2, at a cost of $42,000. It will seat 1,100 per- sons. The date of its organization and the name of its first pastor are unknown, the record being lost. The church was dedicated by Revs. Jesse T. Peck (now Bishop Peck) and B. I. Ives. Its 384 members are under the pastoral care of Rev. William Bixby. The Church property is valued at $50,000.
RICHFORD was formed from Berkshire, as Arlington, April 18, 1831, and its name changed April 9, 1832.+ It lies in the extreme north-east corner of the County, and is bounded on the north by Cortland and Tompkins counties, on the east by Broome county, on the west by Tompkins county, and on the south by the town of Berkshire. It covers an area of 18,4574 acres, of which, in 1865, according to the census of that year, 10,462, were improved. The surface is broken and very hilly. Its hills are the highest in the County, being estimated at 1,400 to 1,600 feet above tide. The roads, where practicable, follow the valleys. It is watered by the east and west branches of Owego Creek (both of which flow south, the former through the center of the town, and the latter separates it from Tomp-
* The first trustees were Ezra Tallmadge, Caleb Lamb, Clark Beecher, Russel D. Gifford, Smith Gould, H. B. Gifford and Wm. G. Knights.
Rural Cemetery Association of South Owego, was organized in 1864. The grounds are located about one-fourth mile south of the church and contain ninety square rods. They are regularly laid out and beautifully shaded with spruce and maple trees. The first officers of the Association were Ezra Tallmadge, President; Chester Graves, Treasurer; and Milton Slawson, Clerk.
+ The first town meeting was held at the house of Simeon M. Crandall, Tuesday, March 6, 1832, and the following named officers were elected :- Wm. Dunham, Supervisor; John C. Stedman, Town Clerk; Wm. Belden. George P. Simmons and Jesse Moore, Assessors; Lorrain Curtis, Hubbard F. Wells and Heman Daniels, Commissioners of Highways; Jacob Bur- gett, Elijah Powell and Tower Whiton, Commissioners of Common Schools; Simeon R. Griffin, Israel Wells and Edward W. Surdam, School Inspectors; Nathaniel Johnson and Wm. G. Raymond, Overseers of the Poor; Obediah L. Livermore, Collector; Hiram N. Tyler and Henry Tal- mage. Constables; Seth B. Torrey, Sealer of Weights and Measures ; Platt F. Grow, Eri Osborn and David C. Garrison, Justices of the Peacc.
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kins county,) and several small tributaries to them. The soil in the valleys is generally fertile and the hills are susceptible of cultivation to their summits. The town is covered to a con- siderable extent with forests and lumbering is carried on to a limited extent.
The old Catskill turnpike extends through the town in a westerly direction. This road is much traveled.
The Southern Central R. R. extends through the town along the valley of the east branch of Owego Creek .*
In 1870 the town had a population of 1,434. Of this num- ber 1,403 were natives and 31, foreigners; 1,415, white and 19, colored.
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1871, the town contained nine school districts and employed ten teachers. The number of children of school age was 51€; the number attending school, 433; the average attendance, 225; the amount ex- pended for school purposes, $3,324; and the value of school houses and sites, $6,004.
RICHFORD (p. o.) is located south of the Center on the east branch of Owego Creek and on the S. C. R. R., and contains one church, (Congregational,) a school house, a hotel, store, grocery, drug store, billiard saloon, cigar manufactory,t tin shop, shoe shop, two blacksmith shops, one harness shop, a wagon repair shop, a saw mill,¿ an express office, (U. S.) and 150 inhabitants. This is the only postoffice in the town.
Valley Lodge No. 463, I. O. of G. T. located here was insti- tuted Dec. 11, 1867, with 23 members. The present (June 1, 1872,) number of members is 78.
EAST RICHFORD is a hamlet east of the Center. There is a Free Will Baptist Church here.
* The town gave bonds to the amount of $45,000 in aid of this road. The bonds are issued in denominations of $100 and $500 and bear 7 per cent an- nual interest. They are exempt from taxation ten years from date of issue. They mature at the times and in the amounts specified below.
Bonds due in 1875, $3,000; in '76, $3,000; in '77, $4,500; in '78, $5,000; in "79, $5,000; in '80, $6,000; in '81, $6,000; in '82, $6,000; in '83, $6,500.
+ The cigar manufactory of Bayette Bros. was established in 1847, by their father, who commenced business on a small scale, employing but few outside of his own family. The business now requires $25,000 capital and gives employment to twenty-five persons, who manufacture annually about one and one-half million cigars. The Bayette Bros. have purchased a building in Owego with a view to removing their establishment to that village. See page 196-D.
#The Richford Steam Mills, located here, (H. S. & C. W. Finch, proprie- tors,) have a circular saw five feet in diameter, which is operated by a fifty horse power engine, give employment to about fifteen persons, and are cap- able of sawing 3,000,000 feet of lumber annually. A large quantity of lath is also made.
RICHIFORD.
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WEST RICHFORD is a hamlet in the north-west part, near the west branch of Owego Creek. There is a Christian Church here.
At the point where the Catskill turnpike intersects the west branch of Owego Creek is the neighborhood known for miles around, since the early settlement of the country, as " Padlock," for the reason that the early settlers in that locality were so sus- picious of each other that they secured all their buildings with padlocks .*
In the north-west corner of the town is a neighborhood known as " De Maraudeville Hollow," named from the first set- tlers, from which the inhabitants can reach the center by public highway only by passing into Tompkins or Cortland coun- ties.
The date of the first settlement is unknown, but it is believed to be about the beginning of the present century. Among those who settled at an early day were Evan Harris, who located at the village of Richford, on the lot upon which the Congregational church stands ; Samuel Smith, Samuel Gleason, Nathaniel Johnson, - Stevens, Jeremiah Campbell, Caleb and Jesse Gleason, Ezekiel Rich and William Dunham, many of whom came from the adjoining town of Berkshire. Samuel Smith and Samuel Gleason are said to have been the first settlers.
"One of the communications from the Susquehanna to the 'council fire' of the Iroquois at Onondaga, was located upon the east branch of Owego Creek * The trail followed the bank of the creek to a point not far from its source, where it divided into two branches, one passing over by a short cut to a tributary of the Tioughnioga, and up the latter to its head- waters in Onondaga ; the other crossed to the headwaters of what is now called Fall Creek, and thence to the head of Cayuga Lake. These trails were observable to the early surveyors of the 'military tract,' and explorers for several years."+
The first marriage was contracted by Ezekiel Dewey and Lucy Johnson, in 1817.
This town took a noble part in aiding to suppress the Rebel- lion. She furnished 118 men, who enlisted from and were cred- ited to the town; and fourteen, who went from other towns. Of the enlisted men 11 went with Capt. Catlin ; 31 with Capt. Powell, who was the only commissioned officer from the town and who raised a company in the early part of the war; 19, with Capt. Hyde ; 20, with Capt. Williams of Newark Valley ;
* Statement of S. M. Allen, a resident in the town for fifty years.
+ The Saint Nicholas.
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RICHIFORD.
and 36 with other companies. In the draft of 1863, thirty-three were drawn. Three of these entered the army as drafted men ; thirteen paid $300 commutation; one sent a substitute ; and one enlisted, but subsequently deserted and went to Canada. The town raised $2,800 for bounties. Her quotas were always promptly filled, and although her representatives passed through some of the hardest fought battles of the war, the loss was light compared with other localities .*
It is a fact worthy of honorable mention, and one, perhaps, without parallel in the history of the war, that from the family of a widow lady named Lacy, (who subsequently became Mrs. Deacon Hart of Richford,) consisting of nine sons and one son-in-law, the latter and seven of the former enlisted, (the remaining two were not old enough.) Three joined the 3d, and two 137th Infantry, and two, in company with the three who joined the 3d Infantry and subsequently re-enlisted, the 50th Engineers. The son-in-law entered the 109th Infantry. All served their time faithfully and returned home without having sustained the least injury from the weapons of war.t
The First Congregational Church of Richford, at Richford vil- lage, was organized with forty-one members, Jan. 14, 1823, by Rev. Seth Burt, its first pastor, as a Presbyterian church, and was changed to Congregational in 1827, though it retained its connection with the Presbytery until 1868. Their first church edifice was erected in 1823, mostly by contributions of labor by the people living in the neighborhood. The present house was erected in 1854, and will seat 300 persons. There are seventy- eight members. Their pastor is Rev. A. L. Green. The Church property is valued at $2,500. Mrs. Rich is the only one of the original members now living.
The Christian Church of West Richford was organized with thirty members, in 1851, by Elder Wm. Grimes, its first pastor ; and until the erection of the house of worship in 1861, meet- ings were held in the school house, the woods and barns. It was first organized as a branch of the South Harford (Cortland county) church. The church edifice cost $1,000, and will seat 300 persons. There has been no regular pastor since 1867; and, owing to the death and removal of some of the leading members the Society has gradually become disorganized.
The First Free Will Baptist Church, at East Richford, was or- ganized as a branch of the Dryden Free Will Baptist Church by Simeon P. Willsey and others, in 1863, and as a separate church, with seven members, by Rev. J. N. Hills, in 1864.
* From statement of J. H. Deming, Supervisor.
+ From statement of Grant W. Barnes of Richford.
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Their house of worship, which was erected in 1868, at a cost of $1,000, will seat 300 persons. There are thirty members. The first pastor was Rev. S. B. Culver; the present one is Rev. Oscar D. Moore. The Church property is valued at $1,500.
SPENCER was formed from Owego, Feb. 28, 1806 .* Can- dor in this county and Caroline, Danby and Newfield in Tomp- kins county were erected from it Feb. 22, 1811. Cayuta in Schny- ler county was erected from it March 20, 1824. It lies in the north-west corner of the county, and covers an area of 29,1364 acres, of which, in 1865, according to the census of that year, 16,3134, were improved. The surface is an upland, broken by the valleys of several small streams. The ridges extend in a gen- eral north and south direction. Their declivities are generally steep and their summits broad and broken. The north-west portion forms the watershed between Susquehanna River and Cayuga Lake. Catatunk, or Catetant Creek, as it was called at an early day, flows east through the center of the town and cuts these ridges at nearly right angles, forming a deep and narrow valley. This is the principal stream, though it is supplemented by numerous small tributaries. The soil in the valleys is a gravelly loam, and upon the hills it is a hard shaly loam.
The Ithaca & Athens R. R. enters the town on the north line, near the north-west corner, and extends through the north- west part to a point a little west of Spencer village, where it turns to the west and leaves the town ou the west line, a little south of the center.
In 1870 the town had a population of 1,863, of whom 1,819 were natives and 44, foreigners ; 1,832, white and 31, colored.
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1871, the town contained thirteen school districts and employed the same number of teachers. The number of children of school age was 627; the number attending school, 536; the average attendance, 279 ; the amount expended for school purposes, $3,539 ; and the value of school houses and sites, $2,972.
SPENCER, (p. v.) located west of the center, on Catatunk Creek, is a station on the I. & A. R. R., and is on the line of
*The first town meeting was held at the house of Jacobus Shenichs, Tuesday, April 1, 1806, and the following named officers were elected :- Joel Smith, Supervisor ; Jacobus Ferris, Town Clerk; Edmund Hobart, Daniel H. Bacon and Levi Slater, Assessors; Moses Read, Benjamin Jen- nings and Joseph Barker, Commissioners of Highways; Lewis Beers and Samuel Westbrook, Overseers of the Poor ; Isaiah Chambers, Collector; John Shoemaker, Nathan Beers, Wm. Cunan, John Murphy and Isaiah Chambers, Constables; John F. Bacon, John McQuigg, John Mulks and Jacob Swartwood, Pound Masters ; John I. Speed, John English, Joseph L. Horton, Jacob Herrington, Alex. Ennis and Lewis Beardsley, Fence Viewers.
in Bread visited Radia Der 29. 1812
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the U. & E. R. R." It contains three churches, (Baptist, Con- gregational and M. E.,) one Union school, one steam saw and grist mill, one sash and blind factory, eight stores, four black- smith shops, two wagon shops, two cabinet shops, one hotel, a livery stable, two milliner shops, one dental and two doctor's offices, an undertaking establishment, photographing establish- ment, three shoe shops, two tailor shops, a meat market, a paint shop, a water-power saw mill,t two harness shops and about 100 dwellings and 500 inhabitants. It was named from Judge Spencer of New York.
Spencer Camp Ground is located in a very pleasant grove, near the village, and but a few rods from the depot on the I. & A. R. R. It has been used for this purpose several years, and the accommodations are ample and good.
SPENCER SPRINGS, (p. o.) located in the north-east part, is named from and noted for the springs located here, which make it a popular place of resort during the summer months. The water is impregnated with iron and sulphur and possesses val- uable medicinal properties. There is a hotel here with ample accommodations for visitors, and surrounded by picturesque scenery. It is three and one-half miles north-east of Spencer village.
NORTH SPENCER, (p. o.) located in the north-west part, on the I. & A. R. R., about three and one-half miles north of Spencer, contains one church, (Union) a school house, a store and about fifteen dwellings and seventy-five inhabitants.
COWELLS CORNERS (named from Joshua Cowell, an early settler,) is a hamlet located on Catatunk Creek, about one and one-fourth miles east of Spencer, and contains a school house, a shoe shop, two cooper shops, nine dwellings and about thirty- three inhabitants.
There are several industrial and mechanical enterprises in various parts of the town, removed from the business centers.}
* The Utica & Elmira R. R., now in process of construction, will pass through this town, near the center, from east to west, following the valley of Catatunk Creek. Grading for it was recently commenced in this town.
+ The water-power by which this mill is operated is said to be the best in the town. The mill is located in the north part of the village and saws about 100,000 feet of lumber per annum. John Hallock is the proprietor.
¿ John A. Nichols' steam saw mill, located one mile south-west of Spencer village, is operated by a forty-horse-power engine, gives employ- ment to twelve persons and is capable of sawing 1,000 feet of lumber per hour. Connected with it is a lath mill, which manufactures large quanti- ties of lath and pickets.
A. Seeley & Bro.'s steam saw, lath and shingle mill, is operated by a forty-horse-power engine, gives employment to ten persons, and saws about 9,000 feet of lumber, a large quantity of lath and some shingles per
TO .
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SPENCER.
The first settlement was made in 1795, by the families of Benj. Drake and John Barker. Mr. Drake settled on the site of the village of Spencer, which he owned. He erected the first frame building there, which was afterwards known as the "Purdy house." He commenced in this wilderness in a very primitive way. It is interestingly stated by Gen. George Fisher that Mr. Drake "dug out a trough," one end of which he occupied as a sleeping apartment and the other as a kitchen. One day while he was working some distance off his rude habitation caught fire and was entirely consumed-a loss he doubtless mourned* sin- cerely. Phineas Spaulding,* Joseph Barker and Edmund Ho-
day. This company contemplate erecting a grist mill the present year (1872) which will contain three or four runs of stones.
Bangs & Bro.'s saw mill, planer and lath and cider mill, located on Catatunk Creek, gives employment to four persons and manufactures an- nually one million feet of lumber, one-half million feet of lath, 500 cords of wood and about 1,500 barrels of cider, and planes 300,000 feet of Inmber.
The Dean saw mill, owned by John D. Vannatta, and located on Dean Creek, in the south-west part of the town, is a small water-power mill and manufactures about 15,000 feet of lumber annually.
Sabin's saw mill, in the north part, on a branch of Catatunk Creek, is a small water-power mill. The water-power is not constant; hence the quantity manufactured varies with the varying supply of water.
Signer's saw mill, in the north part, on a branch of Catatunk Creek, con- tains an upright and a circular saw, which are operated by water- power, and manufactures about 300,000 feet of pine and hemlock lum- ber and a considerable quantity of lath per annum.
The saw mill owned by J. VanMarter and J. S. Smith, located on the south branch of Catatunk Creek, about five miles south-east of Spencer village, contains three circular saws which are operated by water, and saws about 400,000 feet of lumber per annum. The proprietors intend convert- ing it into a steam mill this season.
Hug & Mowers' saw mill, located in the north-west part, gives employ- ment to fifteen men and annually manufactures about one million feet of lumber and a large quantity of stove wood from the slabs. The lumber is shipped principally to Ithaca.
Dodge's grist and saw mill, located at the foot of "Huggtown Pond," con- tains three runs of stones, does a large amount of custom grinding and is capable of sawing one million feet of lumber per annum. It is now ope- rated by water-power, but the proprietors intend to convert it into a steam power mill this season.
Hulburt's saw mill, located at Dry Brook, in the north-west part, is cap- able of sawing a large quantity of lumber, though it is in operation but a small portion of the time.
The Cook saw mill, located on the Catatunk Creek, is operated by water and is capable of doing a large amount of business, but is not run to its fullest capacity. It saws from 50,000 to 100,000 feet of lumber per annum.
James C. Emery's saw mill, located near Spencer Springs, saws about 300,000 feet of lumber annually.
*While hunting one day Mr. Spaulding shot a panther in a tree and broke its under jaw. When it reached the ground it was attacked by his dog, but was not so much disabled as to be unable to defend itself from its at- tack. Seeing that his dog was likely to come to grief Mr. Spaulding went to its assistance and was in turn attacked by the panther. He jammed the butt end of his gun into its mouth and before the panther could disen- gage itself he cut its throat.
At another time during the early settlement of the town, Mr. Spaulding, in company with Levi English, another early settler, followed a bear track L3
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bart, it is believed settled the same year, soon after Mr. Drake. Spaulding was from New Hampshire and located in the north part of the town. Joseph Barker came from Wyoming, Penn., and settled on the site of Spencer village. He taught the first school in his own house. He filled the office of Justice of the Peace for twenty-eight years. He raised a large family of child- ren, most of whom are now dead. Edmund Hobart located a short distance north of Spencer village where Benj. Hull now lives. Rodney Hobart emigrated from Conn. and took up his residence at Spencer village in 1796.
John and George K. Hall, brothers, came from Westchester county in 1798, and settled where John McQuigg now lives. They moved their families here in 1806. John McQuigg,* McLane and - Case settled in the town previous to 1800, and those named are believed to be all who settled previous to the present century.
made in the snow which fell the previous night. The course pursued by the bear lay across the site of the village of Spencer, and they followed it about three miles, when they treed the bear. Mr. Spaulding shot at it five times but failed to bring it down, and as he had but one ball left they con- cluded to cut down the tree, which they did. When the tree fell the boar was attacked by three dogs the hunters had with them. One of the dogs was killed and the other two driven off, when Mr. English went to their assistance with an ax. He in turn became the object of attack and was pressed so closely that he jumped over the fallen tree, and was immediate- ly followed by the bear. Whichever side of the log English felt constrained to occupy temporarily the unpleasant proximity of the bear on the same soon rendered the opposite side most inviting; and the bear, doubtless relying upon the superior judgment of English, invariably manifested the same partiality as was apparent in the latter, for he changed his position to op- posite sides of the log as often as did English, and exhibited his prefer- ence with so much alacrity that the latter found it impossible to apprise it of his evident antipathy for its companionship in the way he wished. Eng- lish jumped over the log and back again several times all the while im- ploring Spaulding to fire which the latter had been preparing to do with all possible haste. The former, however, was in too imminent peril, or was too solicitous for the welfare of the bear, to accurately note the lapse of time, and the length necessary to load a gun seemed to him exceeding- ly great. In due time Mr. Spaulding put an end to his intense anxiety by delivering a well directed shot through the head of the bear, which killed it.
* The following, copied from a paper printed at the time the incident oc- curred, in 1803, explains itself.
" LOST CHILD."
" DISTRESSING EVENT,-On Saturday last the eldest son of John M. McQuigg of the town of Owego, [which then included the town of Spencer,] a boy about seven years old, went into the woods to hunt the cows and has not been heard of since, notwith- standing the vigilance and exertione of the inhabitants generally throughont the coun- try, who have been collected together in parties, and who have been in continual pur- snit of him. It is supposed that a dog belonging to Mr. McQuigg followed the boy and still remains with him. What a heart-rending thought I a little infant only seven years old wandering through the wilderness to be devonred by beasts of prey or perish of hunger ! Wennderstand that not less than 400 people are this day in pursuit of him. From their exertions we hope he may yet be found to console his afflicted parents and relations.
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