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 69
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Isaac Shaw came in from Machias, Cattaraugus county, in 1844, and practiced till his death, March Ist, 1855. Andrew S. Cummings came in from Naples, Ontario county, in 1843, and is still practicing here. He is an allopath. Dr. Seward came in from Schroeppel, Oswego coun- ty, in 1841, and removed in 1842 to Liverpool,
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Onondaga county, where he is now practicing. Daniel Hutchins came in from Fayetteville, On- ondaga county, where he now lives, in 1856, and remained two years. Wm. F. Tapling came in from Geneva in 1865, and left in 1867, for Mich- igan. J. A. Lusk came in from Egypt, Monroe county in 1872, and remained six months, when he removed to Naples. Wm. H. Hartwell came in the fall of 1875, and remained about six months, when he returned to Geneva, whence he came. He is now practicing in Des Moines, Iowa. J. Alaman came in from Waterloo in 1876, and returned there, where he is now prac- ticing, the following spring. J. M. Dickson, a botanic physician, came in from Ohio in the spring of 1878, and is now practicing here.
LAWYERS. - The first lawyer was Elijah Miller, father-in-law of Governor Seward, who practiced here till the court house was located at Auburn, when he removed there. Thomas Mumford came in from Utica in 1795, and practiced till his death about 1830. Reuben S. Morris came in as early as 1800. Wm. Sisson studied with Mumford, and practiced three or four years. Garry V. Sackett also studied with Mumford, and in 1815, soon after his admission to the bar, re- moved to Seneca Falls. William W. McCay, another of Mumford's students, was appointed agent of the Holland Land Company about 1820, when he removed to Bath. L. W. Owen, from Cortland county, practiced here three or four years. Lucius C. Foot came in from Vermont about 1820. He studied with Mum- ford and practiced till 1825. There has not been any lawyer in Cayuga since the death of Mumford.
MANUFACTURES .- The only manufactories in Cayuga are the malt-house and marl works. The malting business is carried on by Kyle, Howell & Co., (George A. Kyle, Thaddeus Howell, George P. Schenck and Mrs. Albert Beardsley,) who also own a ware-house. They commenced business in 1866, in which year their ware-house was erected, the capacity of which is 35,000 bushels, and in which they handle 100,000 bush- els of grain per annum. Their malt-house, which is a brick structure, 40 by 100 feet, was erected in 1868, and has a capacity of 35,000 bushels. The marl works are operated by H. Monroe & Co., of Syracuse, who commenced the business in 1877. The marl is dug in Seneca 60-2
county and boated to Cayuga and New York, where they also have a manufactory.
HOTELS .- There are two good hotels. The Titus House site has been occupied for hotel pur- poses nearly from the time of the first settle- ments. The first tavern on this site was erected by John Harris, the pioneer settler, prior to the beginning of the present century. The property came into the possession of the present proprie- tor, Mr. James A. Bailey, in 1872, in which year he purchased of Deville L. Deathrick, tore down the old building, and erected the present fine structure, whose commodious verandas afford a charming view of the lake. The R. R. Hotel and Dining Room are kept by Captain F. H. Lyon. The dining room, which is connected with the depot, was erected by Roswell G. Ben- edict in 1846, and the hotel, which stands directly opposite, by Bertine DePew, in 1825. In 1840 Benedict built an addition to the hotel. In 1854 Mr. Lyon acquired possession of both, and in 1858 he built another addition. In 1864 he sold to L. A. Pelton, who sold to the Cayuga Lake R. R. Co., by whom the property was transferred to the Lehigh Valley R. R. Co. March 19th, 1878, Mr. Lyon again took possession, leasing of the latter company. From 1842 to 1854 Mr. Lyon was engaged in steamboating on Cayuga Lake.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF CAYUGA. - The Presbyterians were the first religious body to cultivate this field in a spiritual sense. Those of the early settlers who professed that faith were for many years identified with the church of Aurelius, which was organized in 1799, and is perpetuated in the Presbyterian Church of Union Springs, to the history of which town the reader is referred. The first pastor of the church in Aurelius was the Rev. David Higgins, who, as early as 1801, was sent by the Missionary So- ciety of Connecticut on a four months' mission to the new settlements in the State of New York, and extended his tour to the Genesee River. On his return he preached among others, to the set- tlers in Aurelius, which then included all that part of the county lying north of a line in pro- longation east and west of the south line of Flem- ing, and the same year he received and accepted a call from that church, which had hitherto been supplied by missionaries. In July, 1802, he re- moved with his family from Connecticut and es- tablished himself at Cayuga, and continued his
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ministrations in this broad field until 1811, when he became pastor of the First Church in Au- burn, which was organized that year. To ac- commodate the widely scattered settlements, services were held alternately at Hardenbergh's Corners, (Auburn,) the Half Acre, (Aurelius,) Cayuga and Grover's Settlement, in the town of Fleming. Mr. Higgins served the church in Auburn till 1813, when he removed to Bath, Steuben county.
From 1811 to 1819 this people were supplied with monthly missionary preaching, and wor- shiped with the Aurelius society, who then occu- pied the old stone church, which stood opposite the place now owned by Dr. Hamilton. Occa- sionally, however, services were held in the old school-house in Cayuga, by Rev. Joshua Lane. Revs. David Smith and Mr. Sullivan. Home Missionaries from Connecticut, also labored here during that period, the latter about one year. The Presbyterian Church of Cayuga, was organ- ized May 3d, 1819, in the school-house which forms the rear part of Davis' Hall, a preliminary meeting being held for that purpose at the same place April 26th, 1819. The members consti- tuting the society were John Fitch, Gershom B. Gillett, Loring Willard, Jeremiah Hallock, Beza- leel Shaw, Jr., Abbey P. Allen, Percy Shaw, Temperance Beman, Susan Annin, Meliscent Foot, Roxy Ann Foot, Parthenia M. Foot, Philomela Perry, Polly Savage and Tabitha Mc- Intosh, members of the church of Aurelius. Lor- ing Willard, Jonathan Whitney, Uri Foot, Dan- iel McIntosh, Solomon Dewey and Jeremiah Hal- lock were elected trustees. The meeting at which the organization was effected was attended by Revs. Joshua Lane of the Presbytery of Cay- uga, and Wm. Bacon of the Presbytery of Geneva. On the 20th of June following, twelve more were received by letter from the Church of Aure- lius, and Thomas Mumford, Jeremiah Hallock, Elias Thompson and Gershom B. Gillett were elected ruling elders, and Elias Thompson was chosen deacon.
On the 29th of the same month this church united with that at Seneca Falls in settling as their pastor Rev. Wm. Bacon, who served them as such until February 6th, 1821. During his pastorate nine were added to the membership on profession, and nineteen by letter. In July of the latter year this church was transferred from
the Geneva to the Cayuga Presbytery, under whose care it has since remained.
July 23d, 1821, a call was extended to Mr. Pomeroy, who was to officiate half the time in the Aurelius church. He was installed August 8th, 1821. Under his labors a meeting house, a small, plain, wooden structure, 35 by 50 feet, with- out steeple, was built, and dedicated February 26th, 1823. The completion of the house left the Society in debt something more than $1,000.
As soon as the Church was completed Mr. Pomeroy was released from the Aurelius Church, and till January, 1833, ministered to this alone. During his pastorate 128 were added on profes- sion and 50 by letter. Rev. Octavius Fitch, supplied the pulpit in 1833, and sixty-three were added to the Church that year. November 24th, 1833, Luther Cook and Sebastian Chatham, having been duly elected, were ordained ruling elders, and Daniel Cook, deacon.
Rev. Henry Snyder succeeded Mr. Fitch in April, 1834, and remained one year, during which twenty were added to the Church. He was fol- lowed by Rev. Erastus H. Adams, who labored from June, 1835 to February, 1836. October 10th, 1835, Isaac Chamberlain, Daniel Cook, Halsey Bidwell, Watson Whittlesey, Luke Mon- tague, Henry Willard and Henry Powis were elected elders, and were ordained the following Sabbath, (October 17th,) with the exception of Bidwell and Whittlesey, who, not having accept- ed the office, were not ordained until the follow- ing January.
For a short time after Mr. Adams left, the pul- pit was supplied, principally by John Clark, an aged clergyman, and partly by students from the Theological Seminary at Auburn. Among the latter was T. R. Townsend, who began his work with this Church July 9th, 1837, and on the 7th of the following month was invited to become their pastor ; but, not having completed his sem- inary course, he was not installed until 1838. He remained till July, 1840. During his pastorate 42 were added, nearly all on profession.
Soon after Mr. Townsend's dismissal, Mr. Pomeroy returned as stated supply, which re- lation he retained until 1852. During his sec- ond ministry, eighty-four were added to the church. " At this time three additional elders were elected, Abram Staats, Edwin Arnold, and Oliver Bidwell, who were ordained April 20th,
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1850." Between 1852 and 1854, the pulpit was supplied by students from the Auburn Seminary, among whom were Messrs. Lacy, Hamilton, Mc- Dougal and Parsons. In July, 1854, Rev. Timothy M. Hopkins was engaged as stated supply, which relation he sustained until 1860. To his labors here must be credited the organi- zation of the Sabbath School in the North Dis- trict and the repairing and enlarging of the house of worship, at an expense of $3,000, all of which was paid when the work was com- pleted. It was at this time that the bell was hung which still calls to worship. Mr. Hopkins was largely assisted by the devoted and efficient aid of his wife. His successor was Rev. F. W. Roberts, whose labors, commenced in May, 1860, were suddenly cut short in September of that year. He had gone to Waverly, N. Y., to ex- change with a class-mate, Rev. David Johnson. He was struck by a train while crossing the railroad track, so absorbed in thought as not to notice its approach, and so severely injured that he died within a few hours.
Mr. Roberts was followed by Rev. H. H. Allen, who labored as stated supply from May, 1861, to November, 1869, during which time the church was repaired and cushioned, the organ at present in use purchased, and the parsonage bought, though the latter was not entirely paid for until 1870. A revival was enjoyed toward the last of his ministry, in which Mr. Allen was instrumental in adding ninety to the member- ship.
From November, 1869, to May 22d, 1870, the pulpit was supplied partly by exchanges with other pastors and by students from the seminary. The present pastor, Rev. G. P. Sewall, who had previously ministered to the church, commenced his labors with it as stated supply the latter date, and was installed pastor December 28th, 1870.
Four young men from this church have en- tered the ministry, U. T. and Ebenezer Cham- berlain, (who studied at Lane Seminary until the anti-slavery excitement arrested their course,) in 1834; Andrew Harris, (colored,) (who graduated at Middlebury College, preached in Philadelphia, where he died in 1836, the church in which he preached having been afterwards burned by a pro-slavery mob ;) and E. P. Willard, who grad- uated from Auburn Seminary in 1862; and is now preaching in Erie, Michigan.
Two missionaries to foreign lands have also gone from the society. Miss Frances A. Wil- lard, (Mrs. A. C. Hall,) was sent in 1834 with her husband to Ceylon ; her life in that field was, however, short, as in less than one year after her arrival, viz : in January, 1836, she laid down her life.
In 1845, Miss Nancy A. Foot (Mrs. Webb) was sent to the same field, where she and her husband labored several years ; but their health failing, they returned to this country and are both living near Philadelphia.
April 8th, 1874, a " Ladies' Missionary So- ciety " was formed. It now numbers forty mem- bers and makes regular offerings to the treasury of the parent society in New York. The first contribution, so far as known, sent from this sec- tion for foreign missions, was given in 1813, by the " Ladies' Charitable Society" of the First Presbyterian Church of Auburn.
Sunday, January 3d, 1875, James Jenny, James H. Baldwin and Samuel C. Van Sickle, were or- dained elders, and C. W. Travis and Albertus Badgley, deacons .*
This church has, from the first, been self-sus- taining, and although never rich, it has contribu- ted freely and regularly to spread the gospel at home and abroad. The present membership is 160; and the average attendance at Sabbath School, (three different schools, ) about 100.
ST. LUKE'S CHURCH (Episcopal,) was organized July 5th, 1871, by James A. Brown, the first pas- tor, who remained till 1873. The pulpit was sup- plied till June 21st, 1874, when W. S. Hayward entered upon his labors as pastor. He resigned May Ist, 1876. The pulpit was again supplied till March, 1877, when William H. Casey, the present pastor, entered upon the duties of his office. He is also in charge of the church at Aurora, where he lives, and preaches here every alternate Sabbath, lay services being held the in- tervening Sabbaths. Their church edifice was built in 1871, at a cost of $5,500. It was con- secrated June 27th, 1873. The present member- ship consists of twenty families.
Prior to the organization of this society Epis- copal services were held by rectors resident in Seneca Falls, Auburn and neighboring places, and a regular service every other week was insti-
* Compiled from a History of the Church prepared by the pastor, Rev. G. P. Sewall, and delivered July 9th, 1876.
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tuted and continued for a year or more in con- nection with Montezuma. The clergymen who were the first in this field were Amos G. Bald- win, Charles G. Acly, Rufus Murray, Benjamin W. Whichers, Malcolm Douglas and Walter Ayrault, in about the order named. Their work was followed up by visitations of Rt. Rev. Wil- liam Heathcote De Lancey, D. D., LL. D., Bishop of Western New York, resident at Ge- neva. From 1860 to 1866, the church mission work in Cayuga was directly under the super- vision of Rev. John M. Guion, Rector of Trinity Church, Seneca Falls. In the autumn of 1866 a joint mission was instituted between Cayuga and Union Springs, in response to the appeal of Rt. Rev. Arthur Cleveland Coxe, D. D., Bishop of Western New York, by the communicants resident in the two places. Rev. W. W. Ray- mond, ordained a deacon September 23d, 1866, was placed in the field as missionary in charge, and entered upon his duties Sunday, October 14th, 1866. Regular services were held every Sunday thereafter, at Cayuga, in the morning and Union Springs in the evening, till January 3Ist, 1869, when Mr. Raymond was transferred by Bishop Coxe to Rochester. The first Sun- day School was organized November 4th, 1866, with six teachers and twenty-four scholars, and has since continued without interruption. The average attendance thereat is twenty-five. The holy communion was first publicly celebrated in Cayuga December 16th, 1866. The first convo- cational service was held May 6th, 1868, Cayuga being in the Onondaga convocation. After the departure of Mr. Raymond, regular services were suspended for a time.
THE FIRST M. E. CHURCH OF CAYUGA was or- ganized about 1830, by Rev. Mr. Moore, a local preacher, who filled the pulpit about a year. They had no stated supply till about 1838, when Ross Clark became the first pastor, and remained two years. The present pastor is Wm. Reynolds, who commenced his labors with them in the fall of 1875. In 1845 they bought the village school- house, erected in 1804, and rebuilt it to adapt it to their use, nothing but the frame being used. It is now owned by Cyrus H. Davis, and is used as a public hall. Their present house, which is a fine brick structure, was built in 1868, at a cost of $9,000, during the pastorate of I. Har- ris. Their parsonage was built about 1870, at a
cost of $3,000, including land. The present membership is about 100.
ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH, (R. C.,) was organized in 1853, by Rev. John Touhey, the first pastor, with some ninety members. Touhey remained eight years, and was succeeded by Bernard Mc- Cool, who remained a like period, when Eugene Pagani became their pastor and served them six years. Their next pastor was the present one, Thomas Hendricks, of Springport, who has served them three years. Their house of wor- ship, a neat wooden structure, was built in 1870, at a cost of $2,200. The present membership is 175. Occasional meetings were held previous to the organization of the Society.
SOCIETIES .- Salem Town Lodge No. 326, F. & A. M., was instituted September 16th, 1853. The first officers were : John Morse, W. M .; John Barrett, S. W .; and Samuel Townsend, f. W. The present officers are : D. S. Titus, Jr., W. M. ; John H. McIntosh, S. W .; Clar- ence Shank, f. W .; John M. Freese, S. D .; Hiram Titus, f. D. ; James A. Bailey, Secretary; Wallace Shank, Treasurer; Jacob Knorr, Tiler ; John Hungerford, S. M. D. ; Wm. Dumont, f. M. C. They meet every second and fourth Sat- urday in each month. Present membership, forty-two.
FOSTERVILLE.
FOSTERVILLE, named from the Fosters, who were early settlers there, is situated near the north line, and contains a Methodist Episcopal church, a district school, a store, a blacksmith shop, kept by E. R. Crippen, a paint shop, kept by W. R. Fisher, and about seventy-five in- habitants.
MERCHANTS. - The first merchant at Foster- ville was Isaac Foster, who opened a store in 1819, which he kept to within three years of his death, about 1838. Lorenzo and Albert Lom- bard opened a store soon after Foster's was closed, but they kept it only a short time. Orin Foster kept a store some four years and closed it in 1860. D. R. Forest opened a store in 1868. In 1870, he was associated as partner with Joseph M. Watson. They sold after a year to J. M. Cole, who did business two years, and sold to H. A. Chamberlain, who sold to the present pro- prietor, I. T. Farmer, in October, 1876.
POSTMASTERS .- The first postmaster was Isaac Foster, who kept the office till his death, about
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1838. He was succeeded by Jonathan Foster, his brother, who held the office till his removal to Throop, about 1848, when his son, Jonathan, succeeded to the office and held it about three years, when he also removed to Throop. Edgar Saunders was the next postmaster. He kept the office but a short time, and was succeeded in 1855 by Abner Saunders, who held it till his death. Myron Doty, the present incumbent, was appointed in 1865.
PHYSICIANS .- The first physician was Isaac Paddock, who came from Mentz in 1830, and practiced one year. A. Hamilton Cox came in soon after and remained one or two years. Josiah Griggs, from Montezuma, came in shortly after Cox left and practiced about four years. Nathan Abbott, from Mentz, came in soon after Griggs left and practiced two years. Lucian Hammond came in 1854 and practiced about six years. Alanson White, the present physician, is an allopathist, and came in from Seneca Falls, November 1st, 1874.
THE FOSTERVILLE M. E. CHURCH was organ- ized in September, 1855, as a union church, by the Methodists and Presbyterians in that vicinity. Revs. Boyington and Hamilton were the officia- ting clergymen, and the first pastors, the former preaching the dedicatory sermon. Boyington served the Presbyterians three years. For the next two years the pulpit was supplied by students from Auburn Theological Seminary. After that the Presbyterians held no distinctive services. Services were held up to this time by the Presbyterians in the afternoon and the Meth- odists in the evening. Hamilton ministered to the Methodists two years, and had charge at the same time of the churches in Mentz and Monte- zuma. He was succeeded by Revs. Davis, James E. Ensign, Bowen, Eldridge, Guire, I. Harris, Wm. B. Curtis, Elias Hoxie, and Wm. Adams, now dead, each of whom served a two years' pastorate, except Eldridge and Adams, each of whom served but one year. G. W. Reynolds, the present pastor, commenced his labors with this church in the fall of 1875. Their house of worship was erected in 1855, and is still owned jointly by the Methodists and Presby- terians. The Methodists number about forty, which is the attendance at Sabbath school.
AURELIUS.
Aurelius, locally known as the Half Acre, is a
four corners, whose early prominence, when it had three hotels, has been overshadowed by the in- troduction of modern modes of conveyance. It had not a very enviable reputation for morality, as may be implied from the suppressed, but readi- ly inferred prefix to its local cognomen, which, it is but justice to add, is now a misnomer. It is situated a little south-east of the center, two miles east of Aurelius station, and three miles west of Auburn. It contains a church, not now used as such, formerly occupied by a Presbyterian society which is disbanded, a district school, one hotel, owned and kept about twenty years by Mrs. Bet- sey Westover, a blacksmith and wagon shop, kept by Michael Murray, and a population of thirty-three. The present hotel was built by Henry Ramsay. The first hotel was kept by a man named Brockway, where Robert R. West- over now lives.
MERCHANTS .- The first merchant was Solo- mon Dewey, who opened a store in 1810, and kept it some two or three years. It stood on the line between the property of John H. Baker and that of Mrs. Betsey Westover. The second and last merchant was Stephen Lombard, who opened a store in 1834, and kept it till 1837.
POSTMASTERS .- The first postmaster was Emo- ry Ramsay, who was appointed about 1820, and held the office till his death, about 1832. He was succeeded by Samuel Taylor, who held the office till 1836, when Stephen Lombard was appointed and held it eight years. He was succeeded by Cornelius Feak, who held it till 1856, when he removed from the town. James C. Reed was his successor. He held it four years, when Halsey W. Taylor, the present incumbent, was ap- pointed.
PHYSICIANS .- The first physician was Wm. C. Bennett, who came in as early as 1799, and prac- ticed till his death, about 1841 or '42. Dr. Ran- dall came in about 1818, but remained but a short time. He was followed by Drs. Ellis and Bennett, in the order named, neither of whom re- mained but a few years. The latter was called young Dr. Bennett, to distinguish him from the one first named. Dr. Morris came in about 1833 and practiced three or four years. Dr. Pomeroy came in soon after Morris left and remained a year or two. Alpheus Matson came in from the eastern part of the State in 1836 and practiced about two years. H. Shank came from Springport about
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1842, and practiced about a year. Stephen G. Lombard, a native of the town, commenced prac- tice about 1844, and continued two years. Samu- el Gilmore, who is now practicing in Fleming, came here from Auburn, (to which place he re- moved from Fleming, where he had formerly practiced, in 1848,) and took up a farm, which he managed, in connection with his professional du- ties, till 1865. Artemas B. Clapp, from Otisco, commenced practice April Ist, 1867, and con- tinued till 1874. He was the last physician.
AURELIUS STATION is situated about midway between Auburn and Cayuga on the N. Y. C. R. R. There is a post-office there.
CHAPTER XLII.
TOWN OF SPRINGPORT.
S PRINGPORT was formed from Scipio and Aurelius January 30th, 1823, and derives its name from its numerous and copious springs and its lake ports. It lies upon the west border of the County, south of the center, upon the east shore of Cayuga Lake, which forms its west boundary. It is bounded on the north by Aurelius, on the east by Fleming and Scipio, and on the south by Ledyard. The surface rises in gradual slopes from the Lake to the eastern border, where it attains an elevation of 400 to 500 feet.
Its minerals are extensive and valuable, and play an important part in its industrial devel- opment. They consist principally of limestone and gypsum, the latter being by far the most abundant and important. Both blue and gray lime- stone are found, the latter overlying the former, principally in the south part of the town, near Hamburg, on the lake shore, (which was built up by the early development of the limestone interests,) and on the farm of Robert B. Howland, on which also is a mass of sandstone, covering about an acre. Upon the farm of Philip Yawger also is another detached mass of sandstone. The lime- stone strata vary from two inches to two feet in thickness, thus affording a convenient variety for practical uses. The quarries at present most extensively worked, lie upon the shore of the lake, about three-fourths of a mile south of the village
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