USA > New York > Cayuga County > History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 68
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Hugh Buckley settled about 1796, at the head of the old bridge, where he kept the gate, a tav- ern, and the first jail in Cayuga County. The latter was a log structure, and was built against the bank of the lake, the top being on a level with the embankment. The prisoners were let down through a trap door in the top. Its use as
a jail was authorized March 25th, 1800. The following year (1797,) Buckley added to his al- ready numerous vocations, that of teaching, he being the first school teacher in the town. He subsequently kept a tavern where Mrs. Gilliland now lives, and died of the epidemic in 1813. His family are all dead.
Dr. Jonathan Whitney, who was born Septem- ber 14th, 1768, came in from Stockbridge, Mass., in 1798, and settled at Cayuga, on the lake road, where Mrs. Charles Lalliette now lives. He re- moved to Big Tree, ( now Geneseo, ) in 1802, and the same year to Batavia, where he remained about a year, and returned to Cayuga. In 1805, he removed to Pompey Hill, but returned to Cay- uga at the expiration of a year, and continued the practice of medicine till his death July 26th, 1851. He is recollected by the early settlers as a great satirist, and the author of many mirth- provoking caricatures. In August, 1800, he married Dolly Smith, a daughter of Captain Hez- ekiah Smith, an old sea captain, who settled in 1798, two miles east of Cayuga, where Wm. Tavner now lives, and where he died in 1814. Dr. Whitney's wife died December 26th, 1846. They had nine children, seven of whom are liv- ing. Edwin H., who was born October 7th, 1806, is living at Cayuga, where he holds the of- fice of Justice of the Peace, an office he has filled over forty years. He was Supervisor several years, Postmaster twelve years, and Canal Col- lector at Montezuma in 1852 and '53.
Joseph Davis came in from Washington Coun- ty in 1799, and settled two and one-half miles north-west of Aurelius, where Ira Olmsted now lives. He died in the town in 1804. His daugh- ter, Elizabeth, is the only survivor of a large family. She is the widow of Samuel Taylor, who came from Saratoga County in 1809, and settled in Auburn, and in 1854 removed to Throop, where he died in 1863. She is eighty- six years of age, and is living at Aurelius with her son Halsey W. Taylor, who was born in Au- burn in 1813. A man named Chandler settled in 1799, about a mile south of Fosterville, where Luther Van Giesen now lives. He afterwards married one of Wm. Guy's daughters, and re- moved to Nunda, Livingston County, about 1827.
In this year, (1799,) the County was erected and the Court of Common Pleas was held at Cay- uga. In 1804 the court was removed to Aurora,
John McIntech.
HON. JOHN McINTOSH.
JOHN MCINTOSH was the second child of Daniel and Tabitha McIntosh, and was born in Cayuga, Cayuga County, N. Y., May 22d, 1809.
His father was born in Strathban, Parish of Dunkeld, Shire of Perth, Scotland, in 1765, and emigrated to this country with his parents in 1795. He spent two years in the city of Albany, and in 1798 came to Cayuga, where he engaged in the mercantile business, which he continued thirty-two years. He did an extensive business, and was for many years the merchant of this locality, taking in a circuit of twenty or thirty miles, his customers coming from Auburn and Geneva to do their trading. He was accustomed to go to New York twice a year, in the spring and fall, to buy goods, which were then trans- ported in wagons, the journey occupying several weeks. By close application to business, and be- ing just and upright in all his dealings, he both won and merited an enviable business reputation.
Daniel McIntosh was one of the original stock- holders in the Cayuga Bridge Company, which obtained a State charter covering a period of seventy years. This enterprise, which was at once the wonder and admiration of the age, en- listed the attention and cooperation of some of the ablest minds in this State, and its great use-
fulness, for it soon became the great highway for western travel and emigration, evinced the sagacity of its projectors. This company built three bridges. The first fell in the night. The second was built on the same site; and the third, near the second, before that became impassable. With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 and the consequent diversion of travel and transpor- tation, the bridge lapsed gradually into compara- tive disuse and was abandoned before the expira- tion of half the period covered by the charter of the company. The bridge in its palmy days was a good investment, and yielded to the stockhold- ers a handsome revenue.
In 1806 Daniel McIntosh married Tabitha Harris, granddaughter of John Harris, the founder of Harrisburg, Pa. Tabitha was born in Sunbury, Pa., August 25th, 1784, and came to Cayuga with her parents in 1789, at the age of five years. She died at her home in Cayuga August 11th, 1859, aged nearly seventy-five years, having been preceded by her husband, who died in Cayuga April 9th, 1850, aged nearly eighty-five years.
John McIntosh, at the age of twenty-one years, succeeded his father in the mercantile business, and was an energetic and successful merchant for
HON. JOHN McINTOSH.
thirty years. His keen, natural talents had been amplified by a generous education obtained in the best schools of the surrounding country, and had ripened into a noble, useful culture. In business matters he was a careful, prudent manager, never taking uncertain ventures, but with a clear pre- science looking rather to future results than pres- ent gratification. He was intimately connected with the interests of The National Bank of Au- burn, having been for more than twenty years a director in that institution.
Mr. McIntosh ranked among the first men in Cayuga County in wealth and social standing. In 1839, while quite young, being then only thirty years of age, he represented Cayuga County in the Assembly, serving one term.
In 1857, he was united in marriage with Miss
H. C. Esterley, of Seneca county, by whom he had four children, one son, the eldest, who was fourteen at the time of his father's death, and three daughters. Mr. McIntosh was very domestic in his tastes and retiring in his manner. He was an affectionate husband, a devoted father, and a kind friend and neighbor, and was much loved and respected by all classes. He died January 5th, 1873, in the sixty-third year of his age. His family still reside at the homestead in Cayuga.
Mr. McIntosh was never a member of any re- ligious society, but his preference was for the Protestant Episcopal form of worship. He gave his influence and support to that Church and was at the time of his death a warden of St. Luke's Church of Cayuga.
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EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
and in 1809 to Auburn, where, in that year, the court-house, which was authorized March 6th, 1805, was completed.
Previous to this, in 1796, a State road was opened from Whitestown to Geneva, through Au- burn, and although, in 1797, it is said to have been little better than an Indian trail, it had a marked influence upon the subsequent settle- ment of this section of country. In 1800 it was made a turnpike ; and on the 4th of September in this year the celebrated Cayuga bridge, which was begun in 1799, was finished, and speedily be- came the great highway of western emigration. This bridge was just about a mile long, twenty- two feet wide, and twenty-two feet between the trestles. Eighteen months were consumed, and $150,000 expended in its construction. It was built by the Cayuga Bridge Company, which was incorporated in 1797, and consisted of John Har- ris, Thomas Morris, Wilhemus Mynders, Chas. Williamson and Joseph Annin. It was for many years looked upon as one of the greatest public improvements in the State, and was considered the dividing line between the east and the west. It was destroyed in 1808, rebuilt in 1812-'13, and finally abandoned in 1857. It was a prolonga- tion of the main street running east and west through near the center of the village. Nothing is now left of it but the spiles and timbers, which are mostly hidden by the waters of the lake. The lake is now crossed by means of a ferry in the summer and usually upon the ice in winter. Further up, towards the head, Cayuga Lake seldom freezes.
David Hulin, the pioneer blacksmith, was among the first settlers, but in what year we could not determine. He located on the shore of the lake, just west of where the Titus House now stands. He made a latch for the first frame school-house, built in 1804, and stamped thereon his name and the date of its erection. This building is still standing on the south-east corner of Center street. It has been added to, and is used as a public hall.
Hezekiah Goodwin, from Connecticut, settled soon after 1800, about four miles east of Cayuga, where Lockwood Hunt's family now live. He took up about 400 acres, and carried on an ex- tensive business in buying and selling cattle, dis- tilling, and making black salts. He sold out about 1833, to the Hunts, and removed to Seneca
Falls, where he died about 1840. Wm. Guy moved in from Scipio in 1801, and bought the west half of lot 34. He settled about a mile south of Fosterville, where Ralph DeCamp now lives. In 1823 be sold seventy-five acres to De- Camp, and then or subsequently removed to Liv- ingston county. DeCamp came in from New Jersey in 1816 and settled at Auburn, where he was engaged in the construction of the State prison, which was begun the following year. He is now in his eighty-ninth year. The orchards on this farm were planted by Guy, the one on the north side of the house in 1801, and that on the south side in 1802.
Loring and Emory Willard, brothers, came in from Chenango county, about 1801, and settled at Cayuga ; Loring, where John McIntosh now lives. He subsequently removed to the house now occupied by Edwin Hall, near the malt- house. Loring was commissary for the army during the war of 1812-'14. He died here in 1845. Both he and Emory were young, single men when they came in, but they afterwards married and had families. About 1807 they built a distillery, north of where the malt-house now stands, which they sold after about a year to Daniel McIntosh, who soon after converted it into a tannery and run it as such a good many years. Three of Loring's children are living.
During the war of 1812, Loring Willard was engaged in purchasing supplies for the army and forwarding them to Oswego and other points where wanted; and when an attack upon Kings- ton was in contemplation, under orders he pur- chased all the boats that could be obtained for transportation, took them to Oswego, and thence, under cover of night, sailed out of Oswego and delivered them, some forty or fifty in number, to Commodore Chauncey, at Sacketts Harbor. They were " Durham boats," and would carry 30 to 50 tons ; but the expedition was abandoned, and the boats were never used.
Bezaleel Shaw came in from Massachusetts about 1802, and settled at Cayuga. He kept a blacksmith shop, on the north shore of the lake, west of the Titus house, and about 1816 he moved up on the hill, the place being included in the property now owned by Catharine, daughter of Daniel McIntosh. About 1825 he removed to Portage, with his family, except his son Abner, who remained and carried on blacksmithing here
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TOWN OF AURELIUS.
till about 1835, when he removed to Michigan and died there. Stephen Mott settled in 1804, about two miles north-east of Cayuga. He af- terwards removed to the place where his son Sanford now lives, and died there in 1876, at an advanced age.
Jeremiah Hallock, from Long Island, came about this time, and settled one and one-half miles east of Cayuga, where his grand-son Frank now lives, and where he died some thirty years ago.
The first settlement at Fosterville was made about 1805, by Captain Abner, Wheaton and Ja- cob Saunders. Abner settled one-half mile east, where William Ball now lives, the place being owned by his son John; Wheaton, where his son Edgar now lives; and Jacob, one-fourth mile east of Fosterville. All died in the town. Abner's wife, Harriet, and daughter, Nancy, are living on the old homestead. His son, Andrew Jackson, a former sheriff of the County, is living in Sen- nett. Wheaton's wife, Aurelia T., is living in Auburn, aged ninety-two years.
A family named Perry came in about 1806, and kept a tavern opposite to and to the north of where the Titus House now stands. He died here about 1812. A man named Savage, brother of Chief Justice John Savage, and a son-in-law of Perry's, came in with him. He also died here.
David Dodge came in from Vermont about 1808, and settled at Cayuga, where Samuel Por- ter now lives. He taught school several years, at different periods, commencing in 1810, and from him many of the early settlers now living received the rudiments of their education. They have a painful recollection that he did not disre- gard the injunction of the wise man, but used the rod most unsparingly. He moved about 1825 to Throop, and died in Montezuma about 1857. Ossian G. Dodge, the noted mimic and comic singer of twenty-five or thirty years ago, was a son of his. Charles Lalliette, a highly accom- plished French gentleman, came in from Brook- lyn in 1810, with his wife, who still survives him, and is living where they then settled. This was his summer residence, his winters being spent abroad in teaching dancing school, a vocation he followed till within about ten years of his death, in 1836.
Jesse and Amos Reed, brothers, from Dutchess county, came in as early as 1810, and settled on
lot 54, a soldier's grant, Jesse, where Halsey W. Taylor now lives, and where he and his wife died, and Amos, where John Shoemaker now lives, each taking up one-half of the lot. They were probably the first settlers in the locality of Aurelius. Joseph Foster came in from Massa. chusetts about 1810, and settled at Fosterville, where Wm. Mullin now lives. He died near the old homestead about 1825. He has two sons living, Orrin, in Montezuma, and Ira, in Albion, Michigan.
John Moffitt, a Scotchman, started a brewery just south of the present store-house prior to 1813, in which year he sold to Loren Willard, who enlarged it and kept it four or five years. James Porter came in from Pennsylvania in 1814, and settled three-fourths of a mile south of Cay- uga, where Cyrus H. Davis now lives. He re- moved to Ohio in 1839, and died there in 1862.
During the war of 1812 an extensive business was done at Cayuga, in connection with the com- missary department of the army. It involved a large carrying trade, and the slaughter of an im- mense number of cattle. Cayuga never devel- oped so much business activity at any other time.
Israel Harris came in at an early day and kept a tavern across the road north from the Titus House, which was then (in 1812) the stage house. He lived there some five or six years and removed to Geneva, where he also kept a tavern. Stephen Lombard came in from New Hampshire in 1816, and settled at Aurelius, al- most directly opposite to where John Shoemaker now lives, where he kept a blacksmith shop. He subsequently moved nearer the corners, and died there in March, 1862. Four of his children sur- vive him, viz : Lorenzo, who is living in Auburn; Cyrus, in Wisconsin ; Anna A., now Mrs. Wm. S. Goodrich ; and Louisa, now Mrs. Halsey W. Taylor, at Aurelius.
Isaac and Jonathan Foster, brothers of Joseph Foster, came from Massachusetts in 1817, and settled, Jonathan where Elliott F. Tyler, and Isaac where Ezra Crippen now lives. Isaac opened the first store there in 1819. He also kept an ashery. He held the office of Justice of the Peace eleven years. Jonathan opened the first tavern there about 1828, in the house in which Elliott F. Tyler, his son-in-law, lives. He moved to Throopsville about 1848, and died there four or
RESIDENCE OF J. FITCH. TOWN OF AURELIUS, CAYUGA Co. N. Y.
. T.
JEREMIAH FITCH.
JEREMIAH FITCH was born in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, October 2d, 1817, and re- moved with his parents to Cayuga County in May, 1823, settling upon Lot 66, in the town of Aurelius, where he now resides.
His father purchased the farm at that time for the price of twenty-three dollars per acre, and here he resided until the time of his death, which occurred September 24th, 1857, having survived his estimable wife only one year.
Mr. Fitch thus came into possession of the property in 1858, and since that time has greatly improved and beautified the place.
In 1872, among many other improvements, he built the large commodious barns which now adorn his place, and which are said by competent judges to be among the finest in the County.
Mr. Fitch was one of a family of four boys and four girls, one of whom, Mary Catherine, who was born April 3d, 1815, resides with him.
He has devoted himself to farming and to the adornment of his tasteful and comfortable home, and has been eminently successful in all the en- terprises he has undertaken, as may be seen from the evidences of thrift and prosperity which sur- round his place.
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CAYUGA VILLAGE.
five years ago. Isaac died on the old homestead about 1838. Of his family, his widow Cynthia, in her eighty-second year, and daughter Cynthia, widow of Philemon R. Fairchild, are living on the old homestead, and Celia, now Mrs. Lewis Moore, in Michigan.
Uri Foot came from Vermont in 1818, and settled on the site of the Titus House, where he kept a tavern. Bradley Benedict, who moved from Connecticut to Onondaga county in 1796, came from the latter place in company with Richard Vernam in 1819, and settled at Cayuga, on lot 49. He died at Cayuga in 1853, aged seventy-two years.
The town officers elected (1879) are,
Supervisor-Elliott F. Tyler.
Town Clerk-Robert R. Westover.
Fustices of the Peace-Halsey W. Taylor, (full term,) Edwin H. Whitney, (vacancy, 3 years,) John M. Freese, (vacancy, 2 years.)
Assessors-George B. VanEtten.
Commissioner of Highways-Hiram Titus.
Overseers of the Poor-Robert E. Lee, William Lont.
Inspectors of Election-1st District-Michael S. Goss, James M Mullen.
Inspectors of Election-2d District - Romeyn R Candee, William Mersereau, Jr.
Collector-Charles H. Westover.
Constables -- George H. Steenbergh, David Coapman, Jacob Knorr, Romain Fisher, Charles H. Westover.
CAYUGA VILLAGE.
Cayuga is situated on a beautiful eminence, which commands a magnificent and highly pic- turesque view of the waters and finely sloping shores of the lake whose name it bears. It lies two miles above the Outlet, at the junction of the Auburn branch of the N. Y. C. R. R. and the Cayuga Lake Shore R. R., the latter of which is leased by the Lehigh Valley R. R. Co. It is at the southern terminus of the Cayuga and Seneca Lake Canal, which connects it with the Erie Ca- nal at Montezuma ; and is connected by a daily line of steamers with Union Springs, six miles distant, Aurora, twelve miles distant, and Ithaca, at the head of the Lake, a trip which discloses some most delightful scenery. Surrounded as it is by a farming country of unusual fertility and productiveness, and being thus so easily accessi- ble to valuable markets in all directions, it would
seem to possess very superior commercial advan- tages. It is one of the earliest settled villages in the County, as will be seen by a glance at the preceding pages, and from a very early period possessed extraordinary mercantile and commer- cial advantages, from its location on the great thoroughfare of travel and emigration from the east to the west, and the seat of one of the most magnificent local enterprises of its time-the Cayuga bridge. But the want of mill sites, of which it is utterly destitute, has been a serious hindrance to its growth ; and thus we find that to day its business is practically confined to the natural requirements of its immediate population. A more delightful residence one could scarcely desire.
It was incorporated December 23d, 1857, and reincorporated under the general law, February 16th, 1874. The following named officers were chosen at the first election held February 15th, 1858; F. H. Lyon, Wm. G. Wayne, John Mc- Intosh, Henry Willard and Wm. Mersercau, Trus- tees ; Rauson Olds, Jno. Barrett and Rensselaer Warrick, Assessors ; Samuel B. Porter, Collec- tor; David A. Kyle, Treas. ; and J. W. Shank, Clerk. The present officers (1878) are, Jno. M. Freese, President ; Frederick X. Youngs, Clerk; A. A. Quigley, Treasurer ; and James A. Bailey, Jonathan Warrick and Wm. Mersereau, Trus- tees and Assessors.
It contains four churches, (Presb., Episc., M. E., and Roman Catholic, ) a union school, two hotels, two general stores, three groceries, one drug store, two blacksmith shops, (kept by Patrick Hoye and James Lawler,) one wagon shop, (kept by John M. Freese, who is also President of the village, justice of the peace and police justice,) a malt-house, store-house, marl manufactory, and about 500 inhabitants.
MERCHANTS .- The first merchant was John Harris, who opened a store in 1789 and kept it till 1814. His store stood on the lot next south of the Presbyterian church, near the house now occupied by James Sutfin. . He sold his stock to Elisha Hills, from Auburn, and removed to the west side of the lake. Hills kept store about ten years and sold out. Dr. Wm. Harrison opened a store about 1806, and kept it some ten years, when he returned to Whitestown, whence he came. Daniel McIntosh, a Scotchman, from Albany county, opened a store about 1800, and
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TOWN OF AURELIUS.
kept it till about 1836, when he sold to his son John, who continued till about 1860. Dean Mumford opened a store about 1800 and kept it some eight or ten years, when he removed to Seneca Falls. Dr. DeMun kept a drug store at a very early day, and was the first man to ex- periment with gypsum in Cayuga. He pulver- ized it in a mortar. Emory Willard opened a store about 1812-'14, and kept it till his removal to Auburn, about 1819. He was associated a part of the time with Amos Oliver. In 1799 and 1800, Willard carried the mail from Cooperstown to Aurora, on horseback, every alternate week, receiving therefor $2.50 per week. Loren Wil- lard kept a store a short time, about 1816 or '17. Erastus Partridge opened a store about 1821. About 1840 he admitted E. H. Waldo to part- nership, and removed with his family to Seneca Falls, where he engaged in the banking business, retaining his interest in the business here till its close in 1850. About 1847 Waldo sold his in- terest to Albert C. Cook, Partridge's son-in-law, who continued till 1850. Samuel Fitch and Jotham W. Shank bought out Partridge & Cook, and kept store some three years. John L. De- Camp opened a store in 1843 and failed in 1846. Dr. John A. Thompson opened a store about 1847 and kept it four or five years. He came in from Springport and carried on general mer- chandising and dealt in plaster. Pomeroy & Mersereau opened a store in 1848, and after about two years Pomeroy sold out to Mersereau, who continued the business alone two or three years.
The merchants at present doing business are R. Castner, who commenced March 12th, 1862; Romeyn R. Candee, a native of the village, who keeps a canal grocery, which he commenced in 1869; Frank E. L. Cummings, a native of the town, who commenced business in March, 1873, and in the spring of 1878 removed his stock of drugs to a branch store and added dry goods to his former stock ; A. A. Quigley, from Union Springs, who, in the spring of 1874, bought out Isaac Freer, who did business here some thirty years, and in the spring of 1875 started a branch store, which is conducted in his name by his son, Louis Quigley ; and R. Olds & Co., (J. R. Van Sickle,) both of whom formerly resided in Cay- uga, and who commenced business in the spring of 1875.
POSTMASTERS .- The first postmaster was Reu- ben S. Morris, who was appointed during Jeffer- son's administration, and held the office three or four years. He was succeeded by Thos. Mum- ford, who held the office till 1830, in which year Loren Willard was appointed. He held it about four years, and was succeeded by David S. Titus. A. H. Higham held the office about four months in 1841, and was succeeded by Edwin H. Whitney, who held the office till 1850, when Samuel Fitch was appointed and held it three years. His successor was John Barrett, who was appointed in July, 1853, and superseded in Sep- tember, 1855, by A. S. Cummings, who held the office till July Ist, 1861, when Lyman H. Carr succeeded him. John H. McIntosh succeeded Carr, and held the office till March, 1873, when Frank E. L. Cummings, the present incumbent, was appointed.
PHYSICIANS .- The first physician was Wm. Franklin, who came from Washington county in the fall of 1797, and practiced till his death in 1804. The next was Jonathan Whitney, who came in 1798, and practiced till his death, July 25th, 1851, with the exception of a few years spent out of the town. Nathaniel Kellogg came in about 1813, and practiced a few years. He died at Mount Morris a good many years after. Dr. Voght practiced here a few years, and re- moved about 1816 to New York. Noyes Palmer, from Cazenovia, practiced a few years and made a few removals in this vicinity, first to Seneca Falls, and died in Springport about ten years ago. Dr. Cox practiced here a short time and re- moved to Genesee county in 1837. John E. Todd succeeded Palmer in 1836, and practiced till 1841, when he returned to Baldwinsville, where he died. Wm. S. Hoffman, from Scipio, succeeded Todd, and practiced from 1842 to 1844, when he removed to Port Byron. For- dyce Rhodes, from Onondaga county, came in 1842, and practiced a year and a half, when he re turned to Onondaga county. He is now living in Castleton, Ontario county.
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