USA > New York > Tioga County > Historical gazetter of Tioga County, New York, 1785-1888. Pt. 1 > Part 20
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WILLSEYVILLE, a post village, is situated on what was known as the Big Flat or Cantine location, and is on the north branch of the Catatonk creek, in the northwest part of the town. A map of the lands about 1817 shows that Christian Hart had settled fifty acres on the south side, Jack Chambers on one hundred acres next north, Jacobus Shenich two hundred acres, where the depot now is, and on this place he kept tavern as early as 1798. November I, 18og, he sold to Ezra Smith, who kept the tavern until 1812 or 1813. when it burned down.
WELTONVILLE is a small post village, located on the east line of the town, on West Owego creek. It contains a postoffice, backsmith-shop, wagon-shop, and school-house. It was named in honor of Rev. A. J. Welton. Jasper Taylor, Cornelius Cort- wright, and others came in here at an early day. They built their first houses at the base of the hill, fearful that the flats would be covered with water.
WEST CANDOR, a post village, was commenced by Israel Mead, in 1796. Selah Gridley and Captain Ira Woodford were carly settlers, and their descendants are yet living here. It is a station on the Utica, Ithaca and Elmira Railroad, and contains a depot post office, hotel, school-house, steam and water-power saw-mill, and is about three and a half miles west of Candor village.
CATATONK, a post village, is situated on Catatonk creek, near the south line of the town, and is a station on the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, and contains a depot, post- office, church, blacksmith shop, two saw-mills, and tannery. The latter was built by Sackett & Forman, in 1852, purchased by G. Truman & Co., in 1864, and bought by E. S. Esty & Co., May 24, 1875, and is now known as Catatonk Humboldt Tannery.
The First National Bank of Candor, was incorporated March 3, 1864, with a cash capital of $50,000.00 and began business right after The officers were Norman L. Carpenter, president ; Jerome Thompson, vice-president ; and J. J. Bush, cashier. Mr. Carpenter died in the spring of 1865, and Mr. Booth, the present
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incumbent, succeeded him as president. In January, 1865, John W. McCarty succeeded Mr. Thompsom as vice-president, and the following month Mr. Bush resigned as cashier and was succeeded by Jerome Thompson. In 1868, the bank was robbed of a large amount of money, the details of which may be seen from the following entry in the bank's books under date of December 18, 1868, viz .:
" Last night this bank was entered by burglars and robbed of about $13,000.00 in currency and $5,000.00 in 5 per cent. U. S. bonds, besides about $1,200.00 in bonds belonging to other parties, left here for safe keeping. The above named property was in a burglar-proof safe, purchased of Herring & Co. in the year 1864. The burglars after tearing down the vault door laid the safe down on the bottom of the vault, door-side up, and sprung the sides with steel wedges sufficiently to admit powder, and blew the door open, abstracted the contents and made their escape."
None of the property was ever recovered, and no trace of the burglars obtained. The bank now has, however, a Herring's six-step, burglar-proof safe, with an additional burglar-proof chest inside.
Candor Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, was organized June 18, 1856, under a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of the State of New York, by the following members, who were its first officers, viz .: Jonathan B. Hart, worshipful master ; Samuel Barager, senior warden; Stephen Dyer, junior warden ; James L. Thomas, sec- retary ; . Solomon Mead, treasurer; William Van Vleck, senior deacon; Walter Hunt, junior deacon ; and Morris W. Holley, tyler. Only one of these survives, Jonathan B. Hart, who is in his eighty-seventh year, and although unable to participate in the active duties of the lodge, his interest in and his zeal for the in- stitution is as great as ever. Brother Hart was initiated in Fed- eral Lodge, No. 17, Watertown, Conn., in 1822, and is therefore one of the oldest masons now living, having been a mason sixty- five years. The first seeker after masonic light under the dispen- sation was M. B. Weaver, who was initiated July 16, and made a master mason September 13, 1856. At a meeting of the Grand Lodge, held in June, 1857, a charter was granted, and at a meet- ing of the lodge held July 22, Candor Lodge, No. 411, Free and Accepted Masons was duly instituted, and the following named brethren installed as its officers, by representatives of the grand officers of the Grand Lodge of the State of New York, viz .: Jon- athan B. Hart, worshipful master; Morris W. Holley, senior
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warden ; Edward C. Coryell, junior warden ; James L. Thomas, secretary ; Jerome Thompson, treasurer ; John W. McCarty, sen- ior deacon ; M. B. Weaver, junior deacon : and Solomon Mead, tyler. The first application for membership under the charter was H. Frank Booth, under date of August 5, 1857, who was raised to the sublime degree of master mason, September 16, 1857. Since the organization of the lodge to the present time, July 1, 1887, 199 members have been received by initiation, and thirty- six by affiliation, of whom forty-seven have withdrawn, thirty-nine have died, and fifty-eight have allowed themselves to be dropped from the roll. The following named brethren have served the lodge as worshipful master for one or more terms, viz .: Jonathan B. Hart, four terms : Jerome Thompson, three terms; Thomas B. Little, five terms; Thomas Eighmey, five terms; H. Frank Booth, seven terms ; George H. Hart, three terms; W. L. Little, one term ; and Charles F. Baylor, two terms. Lodge meetings from its organization until January 1, 1875, were held in a room located in the attic of what was then known as the Candor Cen- ter Hotel, which was fitted up and furnished by Brothers James L. Thomas and Jonathan B. Hart, whose zeal for the institution induced them to advance. several hundred dollars for that pur- pose. In January, 1875, large and commodious rooms more cen- trally located were secured, in the Youngs block, and fitted up and furnished by the fraternity in modern style, and with all the paraphernalia usual to the order. Ten members of the lodge have been exalted to the Royal Arch degree, and became mem- bers of New Jerusalem Chapter, No. 47, of Royal Arch Masons, Owego, N. Y., one of whom, H. F. Booth, was elected and served as High Priest of the Chapter for one term. Six have received the degree of Knighthood, and became members of St. Augustine Commandary, No. 38, Ithaca, N. Y., and two, H. F. Booth and J. F. Booth, are thirty-second degree members of Corning Consis- tory, Ancient and Accepted Scotish Rite, Corning, N. Y. The lodge also enjoys the distinction given it by the appointment of one of its members, H. F. Booth, to the position of District Dep- uty Grand Master of the Twentieth Masonic District. Candor lodge is in a prosperous condition, and is said to be one of the best posted and most correct working lodges in the state.
Candor Woolen Mills, owned by Hon. Charles F. Barager, have already been mentioned. Mr. Barager began the manufacture of horse-blankets here in 1879. He employs fifty hands and turns out 50,000 blankets per year.
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The Humboldt tannery was built by Cyrenus Elmendorf and John J. Sackett, in 1859, and the business was conducted by them and by Mr. Elmendorf and others for several years. In 1365, the establishment passed into the hands of Messrs. E. S. Estey & Sons, who are the present proprietors. It is built on Catatonk creek, and has a capacity for tanning 40.000 sides, and employs twenty five men. It is under the supervision of J. W. Henderson, who has been in charge since October, 1871. The buildings were de- stroyed by fire in June, 1868, and immediately rebuilt by the Messrs. Estey.
The Candor grist-mill, Abram Beebe, prop., was built at an carly date in the history of the town, by Jesse and Ogden Smith, brothers, who were prominent in the early enterprises of the town. It is operated by both steam and water-power, has four runs of stones, and the usual equipment of modern machinery, grinding about 400 bushels of grain per week. The property is owned by the Foster Hixon estate, of Ithaca, and leased by Mr. Beebe.
Lewis R. Hoff's grist-mill, on Main street, was purchased of the Sackett estate by his father, Lewis Hoff, in 1875. Lewis R. bacame part owner in December, 1886, and has run it alone since the Ist of"April. It has four runs of stones, is operated by both steam and water-power, and grinds about 400 bushels of grain per week.
S. E: Gridley's Planing Mill, on Mill street, was built by George H. Hart, about 1879, and has been owned by Mr. Gridley since March, 1885. The mill has a planer and matcher, jig-saw, rip- saw, lathe, moulder, etc., and is operated by both steam and water-power.
White Brothers Chair Factory, located at Willseyville, was established in February, 1886, for the manufacture of White's patent bent chairs and folding tables. They have an extensive factory three stories high, eighty-five feet long, thirty-five feet wide. It is operated by a sixty horse-power engine, and employs thirty hands, and manufactures 30,000 chairs and 10,000 tables annually.
Barrott's Saw- Mill, located on West Owego creek, was built by - Schoonover. It is operated by water-power. has lumber saw, lath saws, planer and matcher, turning lathes, shingle machine, etc. The mill employs four men and cuts 300,000 feet of lumber and a large quantity of lath, shingles, etc. annually. In ISSO Mr. Barrott built a grist-mill to run in connection with
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the saw-mill. It was two runs of stones, and grinds annually 10,000 bushels of grain.
William A. and John F. Hubbard's Saw. Mill, on road 96, was originally built by Jesse Smith, about ISIS. It was rebuilt by John A. Chidsey, and in 1862 was purchased by the present pro- prietors, who in 1875 added a custom grist-mill. The mill cuts about 500,000 feet of lumber per year.
George B. Pumpelly's Saw and Feed-Mill, near Gridleyville was built by him in 1884, upon the site of one destroyed by fire. It is operated by steam-power, has a circular-saw, feed-mill and shingle machine, and turns out about 35,000 feet of lumber per week, and 60,000 shingles.
H. and M. Van Deuser's Saw-Mill, located at Catatonk, is operated by water-power. It was built by R. H. Sackett, in 1831, and in 1884 sold it to the present proprietors. It employs four hands and cuts annually 1,000,000 feet of lumber.
CHURCHES.
Congregational Church of Candor .- Religious meetings were held in Candor, then a part of Owego, as early as 1796. These were continued, being held sometimes in the dwelling of Captain Abel Hart, sometimes in his " weave house," and sometimes in a barn belonging to Sylvester Woodford. At a meeting held in the latter place June 29, 1808, having invited Reverends Seth Willis- ton and Jeremiah Osborn to assist in the organization, Ebenezer Sanford, Rhoda Sanford, Asa North, Laura North, Eli Bacon, Sarah Bacon, Job Judd, Ozias Woodford and Theda Woodford agreed to walk together as a church of Christ: thus forming the first church organization in Candor. Following the tradition of the Pilgrim Fathers they organized it after the polity called Congre- gational, and having emigrated from Farmington, Conn., they incorporated the ecclesiastical society as " The Farmington Society." Rev. Daniel Loring was the first pastor. Previous to 1811 the church was designated as "The Second Congrega- tional Church of Spencer ;" as the town of Spencer was formed from Owego in 1806, and the town of Candor from Spencer in ISII. From 1833 to 1850 the church was connected with the Presbytery of Geneva, then, by vote of the church, returning to Congregational usage. In 1852 it became connected with the Susquehanna Conference of Congregational churches, called Susquehanna Association since 1865. The church and society
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built a small house of worship in 1818, on ground adjacent to the store now owned by McCarty & Thompson. A second and more commodious house of worship was built in 1825 on the north side of the creek on the site of the house now owned by Spencer McCapes. In 1837 the first parsonage was built, west of the church, and is now owned by Lewis Griffin. The present brick church edifice was dedicated August 25, 1868, without debt or collection. The parsonage adjacent to the church was built in IS70.
St. Marks Protestant Episcopal Church of Candor was organized April 23, 1832, and Rev. Lucius Carter was the first rector. In January, 1835, the society decided to purchase the lot they now occupy, and build a church, which they did, and were occupy- ing the building in December, 1837. The cost was $5,000.00. The building was generally repaired in 1868.
Methodist Episcopal Church of Candor .- Rev. John Griffin, Geo. Densmore, and others of the circuit preachers, held services several years before the little gathering met in the house of Jared Smith, in 1827, to worship according to their doctrinal views, and to organize a Methodist Episcopal church. They were fifteen in number,-Judge Samuel Barager and wife, Mr. and Mrs. James Smith, Mrs. Hannah Gilbert, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hewett, Mr. and Mrs. George Hubbard, Mr. and Mrs. A. Hubbard, Mrs. Asaph Colburn, and Mr. and Mrs. Jared Smith forming a class, with Thomas Hewett as leader. The first public services were held at a school-house. The first meeting-house was erected on the site of the present church, at a cost of about $2,000.00. In 1865 the present church was built, costing about $10,000.00.
Baptist Church of Candor .- A meeting of members of different Baptist churches met at the house of Hiram Allen, March II, 1852, to take into consideration the propriety of forming a Bap- tist church to be known as the Candor Village Baptist Church. A council was invited from the sister churches of Owego, Mont- rose, Tioga Center. Owego Creek, Willseyville, Spencer, West Danby, Caroline, and Barton. Delegates responded to the invi- tation, and services were held in the school-house. Elder E. Kimball was called to the chair, and H. D. Pinney chosen clerk.
The council, after hearing a statement from the committee of the Candor Baptist brethren. unanimously " Resolved, that the council fellowship these brethren, and that public services be held at the Methodist chapel in the afternoon." Hiram Allen was elected deacon, and B. H. Mills, clerk. J. W. Emery was called 14*
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to be the first pastor. The house of worship was built in 1855, at a cost of $5.000.00, and was generally repaired a few years ago.
Baptist Church of West Owego Creek .- This church was the second Baptist church, as the Tioga and Barton Baptist Church was the first one. Fifteen persons met together on the first day of May, 1802, and entered into a covenant, which was signed by Louis Mead, Lovina Mead, Jasper Taylor, Catharine Taylor, John Bunnell, Hannah Bunnell, George Lane, Sarah Lane, Peter Gorbet, Sarah Gorbet, Abram Everett, Deborah Everett, Samuel Steward, Alvin Steward, and Elizabeth Jacobs. Services were held in dwelling-houses and school-houses for some years. Rev. Levi Baldwin was the first pastor. A church edifice was built in 1844.
Fairfield Baptist Church was built in 1871, its members with- drawing from the mother church, on Owego Creek.
Willseyville Baptist Church .- This church was organized in 1839, with fifteen members, among whom were Jacob Willsey and wife, William and Martin Willsey, and Warren Willsey and wife. The first pastor was Elder E. Kimball. The meeting-house was built in 1840.
The Baptist Church of Pipe Creek was organized in 1842, with thirty-eight members. Their first pastor was Rev. Mark Dear- born.
The Methodist Church at Anderson Hill was organized in 1860, with twenty members. Rev. Thomas Burgess was first pastor.
Union Church at East Candor was organized in 1858, with eighty members, composed mostly of Methodists, under the charge of the Caroline Church, Rev. - Van Valkenburg, first pastor.
Union Church at Catatonk was organized 1861.
Methodist Episcopal Church of Pipe Creek was organized in 1830. Rev. Gaylord Judd was the first pastor.
A Free-Will Baptist Church was organized about 1816. Their meetings were held in the school-house near Jared Smith's, and the one near Daniel Bacon's. Rev. John Gould was the first pastor, and about 1830 went West and joined the Mormons. This church was disorganized about 1831. A Free-Will Baptist church was organized on West Owego creek about 1820, but soon disbanded.
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N EWARK VALLEY* lies in the eastern part of the county, and is bounded north by Berkshire, east by the county line, south by Owego and a small part of the county line, and west by Candor.
The territory within this town has changed its name so often as to perplex the person who attempts to write its history. From 16 Feb., 1791, till 14 March, 1800, a part of the town of Union, in the county of Tioga, and bearing the local name of Brown's Settlement during that time. From 14 March, 1800, till 12 Feb., 1808, a part of the town of Tioga, at first in the county of Tioga, but after 28 March, 1806, a part of the county of Broome, taking also, during that time, as its ecclesiastical name, "the Society of Western." From 12 Feb., 1808, till 12 April, 1823, a part of the town of Berkshire, remaining in Broome county till 21 March, 1822, then restored to Tioga county. Separately organ- ized, as Westville, 12 April, 1823 ; becoming Newark by change of name, 24 March, 1824 ; and again Newark Valley, 17 April, 1862 ; but retaining till 5 July, 1833, an ecclesiastical connection with Berkshire.
Always a quiet farming community, remote from the bustle and enterprise of cities, with little chance for acquiring mental culture from great schools and libraries; with no great manu- facturing interests in her borders, her history has little of inter- est beyond the personal history of those who have dwelt in the town ; and that for the first third of the time since the settlement was made, is also a part of the history of other towns.
Brown's Settlement was begun on the first day of April, 1791, by five men who left Stockbridge, Mass., on the twenty-third day of February, and spent thirty-seven days on the way, bring- ing their tools and provisions on two sleds, drawn by ox-teams. These pioneers were Isaac Brown and Abraham Brown, brothers, Daniel Ball, Elisha Wilson, and John Carpenter, who came as the hired man of the Browns. Two other men, ---- Dean, and - Norton, came in their company as far as Choconut, now Union, where they remained.
The valley of the East Owego creek, with its natural beauty, and its advantages for the immediate support of human life, made it seem an earthly paradise in the estimation of the natives of the rocky hills of New England ; and as the venerable and honorable David Williams, of Berkshire, feelingly said, on the ninetieth
* Prepared by D. Williams Patterson.
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anniversary of his birth : "Every blow that has been struck b. man in the valley has diminished its beauty, and every farm in the town, if restored to its primitive state, would be worth more to-day than with all the improvements that man has made here." Through the valley, from the south line of Newark Valley to the north line of Berkshire, the timber was mostly hard wood, as beech, birch and maple, with white pines of great size scattered singly and in groups, with so little undergrowth that very little preparation was needed to enable a team and sled or cart to pass from one end to the other, with a moderate load.
Pioneer Items .--- The very first work done by Elisha Wilson, while his pioneer comrades went back to bring on the remainder of their goods, was to make a stock of maple sugar for their use during the summer ; and though he had to cut his wood, make his troughs, tap the trees, and gather the sap by hand and boil it down without help, he had made one hundred and fifty pounds during their absence of eleven days.
Every pioneer was a hunter, and deer were so plenty that no one felt a lack of meat, while the streams were so full of trout and other fish that enough could be taken for a meal in a few min- utes. Even shad were abundant in the Susquehanna river in May and June, till about 1830 (when the dams built by the State of Pennsylvania, at Shamokin and Nanticoke, barred their further passage and destroyed the fisheries), the only drawback to taking them being the clearness of the water, which enabled the fish to see and avoid the nets, unless the fishing were done in the night. Often a bear would be found and killed, so that the settlers could enjoy a change in their bill of fare.
Almost every early settler understood and practiced the art of tanning deer-skins, from which they made their own gloves, mit- tens and leather breeches, and for more than sixty year the manu- facture was continued in a small way for export to other towns, and every woman became expert in the art of sewing leather goods.
Wolves were the great enemy of the settlers, who had hard work to protect their sheep and lambs, and a lady who has but lately died, incidentaly mentioned the fact that she remembered when the wolves came into the barn-vard of Enoch Slosson, on the present village green, and killed his lambs; and persons are yet living who remember seeing wolves brought into the valley by hunters who had shot them on the hills.
Many of the early settlers here had been the neighbors and
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friends of the Stockbridge Indians, some of whom, as well as the Oneidas and Onondagas, occasionally visited the settlement, but no trouble ever arose between them, as the settlers knew the character and feelings of the Indians, and having in good faith bought and paid for their lands, and made with them a treaty of friendship; they knew that they could implicitly trust them, and confide in them, unless the whites should first break the compact ; and they never hesitated to admit the roving natives to the hos- pitalities of their log houses whenever they passed the settlement. One instance is remembered and told, where two Indians called ·at the house of Asa Bement, and asked for a meal which Mrs. Bement provided for them. One being satisfied, rose from the table saying : " Me tank you," while the other said : " Me no tank yet," meaning that he had not yet finished his meal.
Every house was a work shop, or domestic manufactory ; every chimney corner held a blue dye tub ; a delightful generator of ammonia, which did not prevent its use as a warm seat for one of the younger children, whose position was often admirably adapted for star gazingthrough the top of the broad chimney. In this tub wasdyed the wool or woolen yarn to be used for the winter stock- ings of the family, and for the filling of the linsey woolsey cloth, the favorite material for the every day gowns, petticoats, and aprons of the wives and daughters of that day, and the linen yarn to be used in making the striped or checked linen cloth for handker- chiefs and aprons. Every girl was taught to spin wool and tow on the great weeel during the warm weather of summer; and liner on the little wheel, in the winter ; and nearly every woman knew how to weave plain cloth ; while the fine linen goods for table cloths, and the woolen blankets or coverlets for beds, which were to be nicely figured, had to go into the hands of the pro- fessional weaver. Some very nice articles of this domestic spin- ing and weaving are yet to be seen in the valley.
The tow cloth was used for working-clothes for the men, as trousers, shirts, and frocks, and the linen for finer wear for men and women, and for summer sheets, as well as towels, strainers, etc. When the fulling mills were built so that every girl could have a nice pressed flannel dress every winter, she had little more to ask in the way of dress; and when the women could have the wool carded by machines, and avoid the task of carding by hand, it was considered a great help in the labor of the summer.
When cotton cloth began to be brought in from the eastern factories, it was not known, as now, by its various grades or uses,
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as sheeting, shirting, etc., but by the name " factory," which dis- tinguished it from the domestic, or home-made cloth. The women were careful not to wear out their good gowns, with their long, narrow, gored skirts, when about their domestic work, but thought a good petticoat and short gown sufficient to meet all the requirements of fashion and good taste.
Among the household industries which flourished in Berkshire and Newark Valley for many years, was the braiding and sewing of grass bonnets, commonly called Leghorn bonnets. This began soon after the war of 1812 ended, but whether it grew out of the economy which was then necessary, or was the result of the new meeting-house, which was dedicated 4 July, 1817, would be hard to decide. Some families became so noted for this work that young women came to them from other towns to learn the art. Miss Ruby Leach, of Corbettsville, in Conklin, N. Y., and Miss Roxania Trowbridge, daughter of Noble Trowbridge, of Great Bend, Pa., came about 1825 to the family of Joseph Belcher, on Berkshire Hill, and spent several months, during which Miss Leach made a quantity of braid of such unusual fineness and beauty that Miss Betsey Belcher made from it a bonnet for exhi- bition at a fair in Albany, and received the first premium, a set of silver spoons, and the bonnet was sold for sixty dollars. This in- dustry declined with the change of fashions, but as late as 1850, many mens' fine hats were made in the two towns.
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