USA > New York > Oneida County > Gazetteer and business directory of Oneida County, N.Y. for 1869 > Part 10
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ONEIDA COUNTY.
which aided so essentially in mitigating the sufferings of the wounded and diseased while in the hospitals. Many of the best and bravest of Oneida's sons sealed with their blood their devotion to their country. and it remains for the survivors to see that the liberties established by the bayonet shall not be lost through neg- lect of the ballot.
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GAZETTEER OF TOWNS.
GAZETTEER OF TOWNS.
ANNSVILLE, named in honor of the wife of J. W. Bloom- field, the first settler, was formed from Lee, Florence, Camden and Vienna, April 12, 1823. It lies upon the north border of the County, west of the center. Its general surface is somewhat broken by ridges or swells running east and west, and gradually increas- ing in height towards the north. There are indications that at some period a part of this town was covered by three small lakes, the beds of which are now among the most fertile portions of the town. The east branch of Fish Creek forms a part of the eastern boundary and flows through the south-east part; the west branch of the same stream forms a part of the south boundary. Furnace and Fall Creeks are the principal tributaries of the east branch. On the latter, near its mouth, are three falls, of fourteen, twenty and sixty feet respectively. The streams are all very rapid, affording a more extensive water-power than any other town in the County. There is a great variety of soil, clayey in the south with small sections of sand and gravel, while in other parts it is mostly sandy, gravelly and stony.
Glenmore, (p. v.) near the center of the town, contains a tavern, a store, a grist mill, two saw mills, a school and about a dozen houses.
Taberg, (p. v.) named from an iron-mining town in Sweden, is situated on the east branch of Fish Creek, in the south part of the town, and contains three churches, viz., Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian; three hotels, six stores, two grist mills, a large saw mill, including the manufacture of lath and shingles, a bag factory, several blacksmith and edge tool shops, two wagon shops and sev- eral other mechanic shops of various kinds. The population num- bers about 350. In 1809 the Oneida Iron and Glass Company
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GAZETTEER OF TOWNS.
commenced operations, and during the war of 1812-15, were en- gaged in the manufacture of shot and shell for the United States. After the close of the war the Company engaged in the manufacture of hollow ware, until 1865, when the business was discontinued. A large tannery is now located near the site of the old furnace.
Taberg Station, (p. c.) on the Rome, Watertown & Ogdens- burgh Railroad, eleven miles north-east .of Rome, is a hamlet.
Connellsville Station is in the south-west part of the town. Blossvale is a post-office.
The Annsville and Lee Industrial Association have a Fair Ground of fourteen acres, including a trotting course one mile in length, near the village of Taberg. About three miles westerly from Taberg is "The Pond," a sheet of water covering about ten acres, surrounded by high banks and dry, and having no visible outlet or inlet. No fish were found in the pond when first discov- ered, but it is now well stocked with bull-heads and trout. The surrounding country, known as Pond Hill, is the highest land in the town.
The first settlement was made in 1793, by John W. Bloomfield, of New Jersey. He purchased a large tract of land and soon built a saw mill and a grist mill. Among other early settlers were Elias Brewster, Adam P. Campbell, Nicholas Armstrong and Squire Fairservice. Mr. Brewster was originally from Connecti- cut. He came to the County in 1789 or 1790, but did not settle in this town till 1806. His cabin was of the rudest kind ; not being able to afford the luxury of glass for his windows, oiled paper was used as a substitute. His nearest neighbors were about two miles distant, in the town of Lee. Wild beasts prowled about the forests, and the flocks and herds of the settlers were protected at night by strong pens and watch-fires. Bears frequently made great depreda- tions upon the growing corn of the settlers. As late as 1827 or 1828 they made their appearance in the town and did great dam- age.
Dr. Samuel Beach has been a resident of the town for fifty years. The population of the town in 1865 was 2,685, and its area 36,- 190 acres.
AUGUSTA was formed from Whitestown, March 15, 1798. A part of Vernon was taken off in 1802, and a part of Stockbridge ( Madison Co.) in 1836. This town is included in the south part of the tract leased from the Oneidas in 1794, to Peter Smith, father of Hon. Gerrit Smith, and called the "New Petersburgh Tract." Authorities respecting this tract are somewhat conflicting. It is said by some that this tract was presented to Peter Smith by the Oneidas; by others that it was leased for 999 years, which is about equivalent, and by others that the lease was for only twenty- one years. The tract was divided into four allotments, the first of
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which lies wholly within this town. The lease was assumed by the State in 1795-97 and patents were granted to settlers, Smith retaining six lots in the town in part payment for his lease. The first settlers took their lands as tenants under Smith. Part of the Oneida Reservation, purchased in 1795 and sold at auction in 1797, is included in the north part of the town. The town lies upon the west border of the County, south of the center. Its surface is a rolling upland, lying upon two ranges of hills that run north and south through the town on opposite sides of Skanandoa Creek. On these hills are inexhaustible beds of limestone, which have been extensively quarried for fences and building purposes. Oriskany Creek flows through the south-east corner and Skanandoa Creek flows north through near the center of the town. The soil is gener- ally very fertile, varying from a clayey to a sandy loam.
Augusta, (p. v.) situated near the center of the town, contains one church, a store, several mills and mechanic shops, and about fifty houses.
Knox Corners, (p. v.) situated a little north-west of the center, contains one church, a store and about sixty houses.
Oriskany Falls, (p. v.) in the south-east corner of the town, con- tains two churches, a hotel, two stores, two woolen mills, a flouring mill, a saw mill, a machine shop and about 800 inhabitants.
The first settlement was made by a man named Gunn, in 1793. Benjamin Warren built the second habitation for white people within the limits of the town. On the 17th of August of the same year, Ichabod Stafford, Joseph and Abraham Forbes, and their families, settled upon the East Hill. Some of them slept in their cart the first night they lodged in Augusta. Isaac and Benjamin Allen settled here in 1791. Among other early settlers were Da- vid Morton, John Alden, Amos Parker, Thomas Cassaty, Ozias and Lemuel Hart, James Reynolds, Abel Prior, Thomas Spafford, Ezra Saxton, Abiel Lindsey and Francis O'Toole. Mr. Parker was a soldier of the Revolution and did gallant service for his coun- try. At one time he saved the life of La Fayette by disobeying or- ders. In 1824, when LaFayette was the " Nation's Guest," Parker called at his room in Utica and reminded him of the circumstance, when they both " wept, lik- Joseph and Benjamin, upon each other's neck." Mr. Parker was present at the surrender of Cornwallis.
Francis O'Toole was an educated Irishman, impressed into the service of England while on his way to France to complete his edu- cation. He was engaged in a number of battles, and after three years landed in Boston without money or friends. The following incident is copied from Jones's Oneida, and said to have been re- lated to a friend by O'Toole himself: " After he had landed in Bos. ton he went to Hartford, Conn., where he hired to Col. Thomas Seymour, with whom he lived two years. Frank had the fortune
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soon to ingratiate himself into the favor of the Colonel and his lady. For the first year he passed as a wild, unlettered Irishman. Upon one occasion Mrs. Seymour kindly proffered her services to teach him to read. Frank, with the greatest possible nonchalance de- picted upon his countenance, gravely told her he thought himself too old to commence an education. His benevolent employers were not undeceived as to his knowledge of letters, until his second year's service, and he was then detected as follows: Col. Seymour had a son by the name of Richard, pursuing his studies at Yale Col- lege. Being at home during his vacation, he wished to excite some wonder among the servants in the kitchen by a display of his learn- ing by 'spouting' a sentence in Latin. His pedantry threw poor Frank off his guard, and Richard was retorted upon severely in the same language. This was overheard by Mrs. S. in an adjoining room, who soon made her appearance and told her son she thought he would be very much improved by a further acquaintance in the kitchen. The news soon spread that Col. Seymour's wild Irish- man was liberally educated, and he who had been only greeted with the epithets of Pat and Paddy was now addressed as Mr. O'Toole." He located in this town in 1794, and remained till his death, in 1842.
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In the spring of 1797 five families from Litchfield County, Conn., settled on the road leading south from the center of the town. At the organization of the town in 1798, Gen. Augustus Van Horn promised Col. Thomas Cassaty a new military hat if he would have the town named in honor of him (Gen. V. H.); the name was so near that of the General's that he gave Col. C. the hat.
The first town meeting was held at the house of Timothy Pond. Jr. ; Thomas Cassaty was chosen Supervisor, and Joseph Durkee, Town Clerk. Mr. Durkee held the office twenty-four consecutive years. Col. Cassaty was a Justice of the Peace, and administered the oath of' office as Supervisor to himself, and certified that the oath was taken before himself. He built the first saw mill. in 1795, at Oriskany Falls, and the next year a grist mill was built. A grist mill was built at Fishville, in ISOS, by .Charles Fish and Benjamin Gregg, and in 1809 one was erected at the cen- ter by Josiah Bartholomew and Eleazar Metcalf. The first birth was that of' Peter Smith Gunn; the first marriage that of Daniel Hart and Catharine Putnam, and the first death that of Eleazer Putnam, in 1795. The first merchant was a Mr. Adams, who kept his goods in the house of Ichabod Stafford, in 1798. The first re- ligious services were held in the house of Mr. Fairbanks, in 1794. In 1797 a Congregational Church was formed with nine members, whose names were Isaiah Gilbert, Experience Gilbert, Benjamin Durkee, Susanna Durkee, Thomas Stafford, Lucy Stafford, Ezra Saxton, Abiel Linsley and Anna Linsley. After the formation of
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the society, they held services on the Sabbath in school houses, barns, private dwellings, and sometimes in the open air.
The population in 1865 was 2,061, and its area 16,903 acres.
There are twelve school districts. employing thirteen teachers. The whole number of children of school age is 783; the number at- tending school, 647 ; the average attendance, 265 ; and the amount expended for school purposes during the year ending September 30th, 1863, was $3,099.04.
AVA, named from a city in Burmah, was formed from Boonville, May 12, 1846. It is the central town on the north border of the County. Its surface is an uneven upland. from 700 to 1000 feet above the Rome level. It is drained by Fish Creek, the east and west branches of the Mohawk, Point Rock and Blue Brooks,- Several small sulphur springs have been found in the town. The soil is a gravelly loam, much better adapted to grazing than to tillage. "The Lake," in the southwest part of the town, is a beau- tiful sheet of water covering about twenty-five acres, without any visible inlet or outlet. It abounds in fish, chiefly bullheads.
Ava Corners. (Avap. o .. ) situated a little west of the center, con- tains a hotel, a store, several mechanic shops, a school house and about a dozen houses.
The first settlement was made by Ebenezer Harger in 1798, up- on the east branch of the Mohawk. about three-fourths of a mile east of Ava Corners. Zephanish and Abner Wood settled soon after Mr. Harger. Philo Harger, Benj. Jones, Lemuel Wood and Justus Beardsley, moved into the town soon after. The first saw mill was built in 1801, by Philo Harger and Benj. Jones, on the east branch of the Mohawk. At this time the few settlers were nine miles from any other inhabitants. For the first few years these pioneer settlers endured great hardships and privations. The old " French Road," leading from Fort Stanwix to Carthage, passed through this town, some portions of which can still be traced. Several tributaries of Black River take their rise in the swamps in the north-east part of the town.
Mr. Luke Harger, son of Ebenezer Harger, the first settler, came into the town with his father and still resides there, having been a resident for seventy years. Solomon Bates settled here in 1800; he was from New Lebanon, N. Y. The first birth was that of Chauncey Harger, in March, 1500. Eli Mitchell has been s resident of the town sixty-one years, and of the County sixty-five years.
The population in 1865 was 1,121, and its area 23,053 acres.
BOONVILLE, named from Gerrit Boon, agent of the " Holland Land Company." who made the first settlement, was formed from Leyden (Lewis Co.), March 28, 1805. Ava was
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taken off in 1846. It lies on the north border of the County, east of the center. Its surface is a hilly, broken upland, from 800 to 1,000 feet above the canal at Rome. Black River flows through the north-east part, and Lansing Kil rises near the center and flows south to the Mohawk. Its soil is a clayey loam, in many places covered with howlders, and often inclining to sand, much better adapted to grazing than to tillage. Near the village are large de- posits of drift. In the south part of the town is a section which has received the name of Egypt and is well adapted to grain. There is a gas spring about a mile and a half west of the village, and a sulphur spring about the same distance south. The latter has acquired some local celebrity. The Black River Canal Feeder extends from the river at Williamsville, nine miles, to Boonville village, at which is the summit level; it extends thence along the level two miles, in a south-westerly course, to the ravine of Lansing Kil Creek ; following this ravine a number of miles it reaches the valley of the Mohawk at Western.
Boonville, (p. v.) in the north-west part, on the Black River & Utica Railroad, was incorporated in 1855, and contains four churches, viz., Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian : an academy, a bank, a printing office, four hotels, a flouring mill, a tannery, a chair factory, a wash-board factory, several stores and mechanic shops, and about 1,800 inhabitants.
Hawkinsville, (p. v.) situated on Black River, north-east of the center, contains two churches, viz., German Lutheran and Catholic, a tannery, a carding mill, a grist mill, a chair factory, and about 300 inhabitants.
Alder Creek, (p. v.) in the south-east part, contains two churches, viz., Presbyterian and Baptist, two hotels, a tannery and about twenty houses.
Forest Port, (p. v.) in the south-east part, on the line of Remsen, is partly in this town.
The first settlement was commenced in 1795, by Andrew Ed- munds, agent of the Holland Land Company. During the season a saw mill was erected and other preparations made for the com- mencement of a settlement. The next year a grist mill was erect- ed. In the spring of 1796 large accessions were made to the settle- ment, among them were Luke Fisher and son, Phineas, Silas and Martin Southwell, Asahel and Ezekiel Porter, Aaron Willard, Ja- cob Springer, Jeptha King, Hezekiah Jones and son, a Mr. Stock- well, and three young men by the name of King. Lemuel Hough and Daniel Pitcher were also early settlers. Many of the settlers were in the employment of the Land Company. The Company erected a store in the spring of 1796, and in the fall a building for a tavern.
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The first birth was that of a daughter of Jacob Springer, and the first marriage that of Henry Evans and Elizabeth Edmunds. The first church (Congregational) was formed in 1805, and Rev. Daniel Smith was the first minister. There were nine members, five males and four females. The first town meeting was held at the house of Joseph Denning, and Jacob Rogers was the first Supervisor.
The population in 1865 was 4,228, and its area 43,378 acres.
BRIDGEWATER was formed from Sangerfield, March 24, 1797. It lies in the south-east corner of the County. The sur- face is uneven, consisting of the valley of the west branch of the Unadilla, which runs through it from north to south, and the adja- cent hills. This valley is known as "Bridgewater Flats" and is about one mile wide at the north border of the town, but decreases to about half that distance at the south. These Flats are celebrated for their fertility and are highly cultivated. The hills rise on the east and west borders, from 300 to 500 feet above the valley, their declivities being often very steep. The soil in the east is a gravel- ly loam, and in the west clavey. In the north-east part is a quarry of excellent limestone, for building purposes. The quarry extends over some 300 or 400 acres, and lies about thirty feet higher than the flats opposite. The excavation which forms the valley of the west branch of the Unadilla, has been filled to a great depth with drift, and no rock is found within a great depth from the surface. Cedar swamps extend along many of the streams.
Bridgewater (p. v.) is situated in the south part of the town, and contains two churches and about 300 inhabitants.
North Bridgewater, (p. v.) in the north part, contains about twenty houses.
Babcock's Hill (p. o.) is a hamlet in the north-east part.
There are several mills in various parts of the town. At the center of the town is a saw mill and a grist mill, on the west branch of the Unadilla. There is also a horse-rake factory in connection with the saw mill.
The first settlement was commenced in 1788, by Joseph Farwell, at a place known as " Farwell's Hill." In March, 1789, Mr. Far- well, in company with Ephraim and Nathan Waldo, removed their families from Mansfield, Conn., to Farwell Hill. They came via Albany and the Mohawk Valley to Whitesboro, thence to Paris Hill. From Paris Hill they were obliged to make their own road, following a li. e of marked trees. Their team consisted of two yoke of oxen and a horse, and their vehicle an ox sled. On their arrival, March 4, the snow was about one and a half feet deep, but soon increased to four feet. Their team, with their two cows, sub- sisted on browse until the spring opened. Their house consisted of four crotches set in the ground, with a roof of split slabs and
ONEIDA COUNTY BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
Court Street Foundry! N. H. GALUSHA,
MANUFACTURER AND DEALER IN
OF EVERY DESCRIPTION.
Ground Hollow Ware, SCOTCH BOWLS,
CALDION KETTLES!
MISCELLANEOUS
CASTINGS. &C. SCOTCH & No. 1
AMERICAN IRON. The first-class ( OAL and WOOD Cooking store
During the past two years ha- fully established a reiscation not rxcalled by any Book Store made. Also, the way Coal Base burning PARLOR STOVE
ATNA! Waresulted in every particular. None superior. . No. 20 Court mt .. Near south st. Paul street. ROCHESTER, N. Y.
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ONEIDA COUNTY BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
MRS, M. SERVEY,
MANUFACTURER OF ALL KINDS OF
Urnamental Hair Work
No. 2 Broad Street,
UTICA. Y.
The Ladies of Oneida and adjoining countine are respectfully jaformed that all work on sale at this establishment i- mathfactit on the premises from the best
IMPORTED HUMAN HAIR.
Having had an experience of many voar- in the mainmactare of all kinds of Of ia- mental Hair Work for LADIES' WEAR. I Do I conddent in recommending my sounds to be at least as Good as de, now de finden. I am prepared to wait all customers. and con tene to only en ron shat mehr at stadig in on line desired, which I may ot have on hand. and will warrant ad good- well and nonestly made.
I think an examination of my good will satisfy any one who may favor me with a call. that good goods may be perchvend bery
Cheap as the Quality will Allow. 1
IAM ALSO DEALING IN
Perfumeries, Fancy soaps, & other Articles Connected with cholo -- Toilei.
& Ladies' Head- Shampooed and Dressou, and Children's Hair Cut and Carted. Remember the place.
Mrs. M. Server, No. 2 Broad St., Ulica, N. Y.
0
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hemlock boughs, and siding of blankets. These families lived in this shanty till midsummer. About three years after this Mr. Far- well built the first frame house in the town. Ezra Parker settled in the north part of the town in 1789, erected a log house and kept the first tavern. A Mr. Lyman, Jesse, Joel and Abner Ives. were among other early settlers. For the first two years the settlers were obliged to go to Whitestown to mill, a distance of twenty miles. Mr. Farwell built the first saw mill, in 1790, and Mr. Thomas the first grist mill, in 1792, on land now occupied by George L. Foot. In 1792 Ephraim Waldo built the first store and blacksmith's shop in the town. Soon after the settlement of the town, a son of Ephraim Waldo, eight years of age, discovered a young bear asleep in the woods by the side of a log. Eager to se- cure so valuable a prize, he retreated a short distance to a small elm tree, from which he peeled a piece of bark with which he made & noose, and, creeping softly up, slipped it over the head of the young sleeper and started for home. He had taken the precaution to draw his noose so tight that the cub could make no noise. and though soon followed by the mother of the cub, reached home in safety, the old bear being shot by Jesse Waldo as she approached their residence.
The population in 1865 was 1,252. and its area 14,702 acres.
There are eight school districts, employing eight teachers. The whole number of children of school age is 425; the number attend- ing school, 312; the average attendance, 142, and the amount ex- pended for school purposes, $1,937.69.
CAMDEN was formed from Mexico (Oswego Co.), March 15, 1779. Florence was taken off in 1805, Vienna in 1807. and a part of Annsville in 1823. It lies upon the west border of the County, near the north-west corner. Its surface is rolling, gradually rising towards the north, where it is broken by hills whose summits rise several hundred feet above Oneida Lake. The west branch of Fish Creek flows towards the south-east. diagonally through the town. Mad River, from the north, unites with it near Camden vil- lage; and Little River, a tributary of Fish Creek, forms part of the south boundary. There is quite a variety of soil, as well as of surface, in Camden. On the border of Mad River it is a sandy loam and very fertile, while in some other parts of the town it is gravelly and stony, but well adapted to grazing.
Camden, (p. v.) situated between Mad River and a branch of Fish Creek, contains five churches, viz., Methodist, Congregational- ist, Presbyterian, Episcopal and Catholic, a union school, six ho- tels, about a dozen stores of all kinds, two foundries, two flouring and custom mills, two sash and blind factories, one woolen mill, two saw mills, a tannery, four blacksmith shops, two carriage shops,
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a chair factory, a distillery, a harness shop, a corset factory and about 1,800 inhabitants.
West Camden, (p. v.) in the north-west part, on Fish Creek, con- tains a church, a hotel, a tannery, a saw mill and about twenty houses. It is a station on the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad.
Henry Williams was the first permanent settler of this town. Jesse Curtis had previously erected a saw mill, but his family did not arrive until afterwards. Other early settlers were Levi Mat- thews, Daniel Parke, Seth Dunbar, Joel Dunbar, Aaron Matthews, Thomas Comstock, Jesse Curtis, Elihu Curtis, Samuel Royce, Noah Tuttle, Andrew Tuttle, Benjamin Barnes, Sen. and Jr., Phil- lip Barnes, Israel Stoddard and Mr. Carrier.
The first birth was that of a daughter of Henry Williams; the first marriage that of Elihu Curtis and Anna Northrup, and the first deaths were those of Mrs. Bacon and child, drowned while crossing the river in a canoe. Elihu Curtis kept the first inn, in 1799, and Timothy W. Wood the first store, about the same time. The first religious society (Congregational) was formed February 19, 1798, by Rev. Eliphalet Steele, pastor of the Congregational Church at Paris Hill. It consisted of eight members, four males and four females. The following are the names of the members of the church at the time of its organization: Benjamin Barnes and his wife Jemima. Noah Tuttle and his wife Thankful, Philip Barnes and wife Laura, Ruth Barnes and Benjamin Barnes, Jr. At an early period the society received a donation of land from the heirs of John Murray, the avails of which bring an annual income of $112.00. The first frame house was erected in 1797 or 1798, by Jesse Curtis, grandfather of A. Curtis, the banker of Camden vil- lage. It was located on the corner of Main and Mexico streets, where F. Snow's store now stands. There were not men enough to raise it, and Miss Margaret Dunbar assisted in the operation. The first male child born in the town was Noah P. Tuttle, now liv- ing in Ohio. The first mills were erected by Jesse Curtis in 1797, on the site of the present Camden Mills. Previous to this their milling was done at Paris.
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