History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 70

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 762

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 70

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of Union Springs. The stone is used extensive- ly for canal and railroad purposes.

The gypsum lies principally along the lake shore, to the north of Union Springs, though it exists in the interior, near the center of the north line, where it presents slightly more of the ter- minal associates of the group. The masses are incomparably larger and of better quality than those to the north and east. They have all been denuded, for they are surrounded and covered to the depth of nine to twelve feet, by the most modern of the upper alluvium of the Chittenango group. They present none of their terminal as- sociates, if we except a portion of the mass in which they are enveloped, whose layers cover portions of the gypsum. This is blackish in color, earthy in aspect, often variegated like the gyp- sum, contains sometimes lamellae gypsum, and, though more rarely, a little pure sulphur. It has the appearance of an impure gypsum, and is con- sidered by the quarrymen to be an incipient plas- ter, requiring time only to make it perfect. The gypseous masses are all in a low position, some of them several feet below the surface of the lake. They show a thickness of fifteen to thirty feet. Beautiful specimens of selenite are abundant, and yield, by analysis, 99.20 per cent. of pure gyp- sum. The gypseous stone effervesces feebly with acids and presents the following constitu- ents : *

Sulphate of lime, bi-hydrate, (pure gypsum) 80.78

Carbonate of lime. 1.76

Carbonate of magnesia 3.03

Phosphate of lime. .43

Sand 3.32

Organic matter, (azotic) .18

Chlorine, potash and clay. 10.50

The original deposit covers an area of a square mile on the east shore of the lake, a mile north of Union Springs, and first developed a com- mercial importance during the war of 1812, when the Nova Scotia plaster was excluded from the markets of this country. The annual product of the Springport quarries, which is regulated by the demand, is from 20,000 to 40,000 tons.

The numerous springs in the town possess fea- tures of interest to the geologist. The most important of these are the two in the village of Union Springs, which are about ten rods apart, and discharge their waters into ponds covering

* From an analysis of J. A. Barral, agricultural chemist of Paris, France.

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GEOLOGICAL FORMATION.

respectively five and three acres, thus furnishing a valuable water power. The rise of water in the larger one has been observed to vary from three-fourths to two and one-fourth inches per hour.

These springs, from their copiousness and re- markable situation, have given rise to various theories respecting their source. " While some," says Edward A. Thomas, " have surmised that they came from Owasco Lake, which is several hundred feet higher than Cayuga, others have assigned their origin to still stranger causes. Skillful geologists assert that the formation of rocks is such as to render it utterly impossible for a stream to pass underground from Owasco to Cayuga Lake. But from several places, from two to four miles east of Cayuga Lake, and about forty-five feet underground, large streams have been discovered, which were running from east to west." To the east of the principal plaster quarries are sinks, some of them covering an acre in area, and some apparently very old. The surface of some of them has been observed to subside several feet within a period of twenty- five years, while others have originated within twenty years. The original field notes of the survey of the Cayuga Reservation, state that a stream in the locality, but to the east of these sinks, disappeared in the rocks. No stream ex- ists in the locality at present, but the presence of water-worn limestone rocks indicate its previous existence. The disappearance of this stream is made to account theoretically for these surface depressions, by the wearing away of salt rock underlying the plaster formation. Saline, sul- phur and chalybeate springs also exist. There is a salt spring on the old Hope place, in Union Springs. Three or four wells have been sunk and a good brine obtained, but not of sufficient strength to compete with the salines at Syracuse. On the place of Alex. Howland, a little south of the salt spring, is an unfailing sulphur spring of considerable strength, the water of which has been used quite extensively for its supposed cura- tive properties. A little south of the railroad depot in Union Springs is another sulphur spring of great strength. All the water come in con- tact with in the plaster quarries is strongly im- pregnated with sulphur, and many wells sunk in the village have been abandoned in consequence of the presence of sulphur and brine. Usually,

however, no difficulty is experienced in obtaining water free from these elements from the shore, though all the water is strongly charged with lime. In the basement of Spencer's foundry is a chalybeate spring of considerable strength.

Upon the lake, between Yawger's Point and the main land, is a marsh covering some five acres, covered with a growth of hibiscus, (HI. Mos- cheutos) whose large reddish blossoms present a gorgeous sight from midsummer to early fall. Though not confined to, it is often very abund- ant in brackish marshes and the vicinity of salt springs, and its presence there may be consider- ed an indication of saline properties in that lo- cality.

The soil of this town is a superior quality of sandy and gravelly loam, intermixed in places with clay, and this and the climate, whose severi- ty in winter is modified by the warmth imparted by the waters of the lake, which rarely freezes, admirably adapt it to fruit culture, to which con- siderable attention is paid.

The Cayuga Lake Shore Railroad extends through the town, along the shore of the lake, and this, together with its facilities for lake trans- portation, render it easily accessible, and open up ready markets for its manufactures and farm products.

The area of the town in 1875, was 13,107 acres; of which 11,885 were improved, and 1,222 woodland. Its population was 2,179; of whom 1,908 were native ; 271 foreign ; 2,160 white ; and 19 colored.

This town lies wholly within the reservation made by the Cayugas in 1789, when they ceded to the State their lands within its limits ; and on lot 85, about one and one-half miles north of Union Springs, is the site of their principal vil- lage, variously named in the different dialects of the Iroquois, Goi-o-goucu, On-ne-io-te, and Gwa- u-gwah, from the original Huron word Oyngoua, signifying tobacco, and the seat of the mission of St. Joseph, established by Father Etienne de Carheil, a French Jesuit, November 6th, 1668. " The mural remains in the vicinity indicate," says John S. Clark, "that the village extended a mile back from the lake, and as far north as the stream north of the Richardson house; the relics indicating the most ancient residences are found on both sides of the railroad south of the Backus plaster mill, where there was an exten-

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TOWN OF SPRINGPORT.

sive burial place, and where stone and bone im- plements abound in connection with articles of European origin. Their totem was a calumet or great tobacco pipe, and their chief sachem bore the hereditary title of Sanuu-aweau-towa.

Father Rafeix, who occupied this mission one year during the absence of Father de Carheil, thus describes this locality in his Relation of June 24th, 1672 : Goi-o-gouen is the most beau- tiful country I have ever seen in America. It is situated in latitude 42 I-2 degrees, and the nee- dle scarcely dips more than ten degrees. It lies between two lakes, and is no more than four leagues wide, with almost continual plains, bor- dered by fine forests. * * More than a * thousand deer are annually killed in the neigh- borhood of Goi-o-gouen. Fishing, as well the salmon as the eel, and other fisheries are as abundant as at Onondaga."

Here their councils were held, and here was the residence of the chief of the nation. Here, also, says Clark, " we find a tract containing sev- eral acres, known as the Indian burying ground," in the vicinity of which have been found "the usual implements and weapons of stone, beads evidently one in use as a rosary, by some convert to the teachings of these Jesuit Fathers. A well preserved skull, with an iron tomahawk and rusty musket, were found in the same grave." " Every foot turned up by the plow revealed fragments of skulls, and the soil was literally black and fat with the dust of the mouldering dead. On dig- ging a few inches below, where the soil had been undisturbed by the plow, a perfect net-work was found of almost perfect skeletons. Tens of thou- sands of those sons of the dark forest had here been buried. Abundant evidence appears that a large town once existed here and long continued use of those grounds for burial purposes.

" On an adjoining eminence their council fires had glared for centuries on brave warriors and wise counselors. Here had been their seat of authority and these hills had reechoed with the eloquence of their orators. Here untold genera- tions had lived, died and were buried. Here lived a feeble remnant of the race when Sullivan, un- der the stern necessities of war, gave their orch- ards to the ax, their homes and castles to the devouring torch, and their sacred burial places to desecration."

The first settlement by the whites was made

soon after the extinction of the Indian title, Feb. 23d, 1789, and many, unfortunately, who were attracted to the springs and to localities in this town adjacent to them, suffered ejectment, on complaint of the Indians, by the State authorities. In consequence of its reservation by the Indians this town was not as numerously settled at as early a day, as other localities in the County. The earliest settlement of which we have authen- tic record was made in 1790, by Frederick Gear- hart and Thomas Thompson, and possibly by Edward Richardson, who, about that · time, dammed up the north spring and became the first proprietor of the mill property thereon. Gear- hart, who was a blacksmith, came from Pennsyl- vania, and settled two and one-half miles east of Union Springs, where Thomas Alverson now lives. He died here at a very early day, previous to 1805. Thompson's home was the Juniata, in Western Pennsylvania. He came in October, 1790, and settled a little south of Union Springs. He soon after bought a soldier's claim in Scipio, to which the title proved defective, and he sub- sequently removed to the north-west corner of this town, to the farm now owned by Clinton T. Backus, where he died. Four sons and five daughters came with him, viz : John, Alexander, James, Maxwell, Elizabeth, afterwards wife of William Richardson, Sarah, afterwards wife of Samuel Richardson, Mary, afterwards wife of Jesse Davis, Nancy, afterwards wife of George McFarland, and Isabella, who died at the age of fourteen. They came with their household goods across the mountains on horseback, and drove their sheep, hogs and cows, the journey occupy- ing some two weeks. Thompson's sons and daughters all settled in that locality on adjoining farms.

William Richardson came in from Chester Co., Pa., in 1791, and settled on the shore of the lake, two miles north of Union Springs. He after- wards removed to Levanna, and died there in 1823, aged ninety-two years. There he took up a tract of four hundred acres, a portion of which was cleared, fenced and sown to wheat the first year, under the direction of his son John, assisted by his brother Samuel, the crop of which yielded forty bushels to the acre. He was tall, well pro- portioned, and possessed high social and intellec- tual qualities, while he was passionately fond of sports, such as the chase, fishing, fowling, &c.

361

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

At this time, (1791,) there were some 600 In- dians living on their reservation, who rapidly re- moved, however, after the sale of their reserva- tion in 1794, except a part called " their residence reservation," a tract some two miles square, lying on the lake, a little south of Union Springs, and another tract, one mile square, lying three or four miles north-east of that village, to which their title was not relinquished till 1799. Among the last remaining in the County, were a body of about thirty Tuscaroras, who occupied the tongue of land running out into the lake, about a mile and a half south of Union Springs. Of this little band Steel Trap, whose Indian name was Kanistagia, was king, and Esther, queen. Both were kind and neighborly, and Steel Trap was a fine fellow, worthy of his name. He was poisoned by a villain who lived near him ; and soon after this the queen and her little band re- moved west.

In the year 1794, James Crane came in from New Jersey, on foot, and settled two miles north east of Union Springs, on the farm occu- pied mainly by Horace Schenck, where he died November 8th, 1823. His family consisted of his wife, Abigail, and one son, Henry, who did not come to the new settlement till January 7th, 1804. Crane spent the winters with his family in New Jersey till then, making the journeys on foot. Henry came in with his mother, wife, Mary, and one child, the latter of whom, Joseph H. Crane, is now living in Union Springs, aged seventy-seven. They came with an ox team, the journey occupying seventeen days. Henry settled on his father's farm, and died there Jan- uary 19th, 1844.

Jesse Davis, a young man, came in from Ches- ter county, Pa., in 1799, and built a grist-mill that year on Yawger's Creek, about a half mile above the grist and plaster-mill of Lafayette Yawger. It was a log mill, with one run of stones. The bed stone was obtained from the Big Gully, and is now in use in L. Yawger's plaster-mill. He brought the irons for the mill from Philadelphia, and the millwrights from Chester county, Pa. After about three years he removed to another farm, and about 1805, to the farm now occupied by his son-in-law, Aaron Mersereau, where he and his wife died, the form- er in March, 1842, and the latter in December, 1840. George McFarland, a young man, who

afterwards married a daughter of Thomas Thomp- son, came in with Jesse Davis. He was a mill- wright and was engaged in building the mill. He took up land two and one-half miles north of Union Springs, which is now included in the Backus farm, and died there in 1830.

Settlements were made in 1800 by James Carr, from Johnstown, Wm. S. Burling, from New York City, Dr. John Mosher, from White Creek, Washington county, John Earl, from New- port, R. I .; and about that time by James Barker, from Hoosick, Rensselaer county, and Gilbert Weed, from Saratoga county. Carr settled one and one-half miles south of Union Springs, on the farm now owned by John Deshong, where he died May 8th, 1839, aged seventy-four. He served as a soldier during the French and Indian, and Revolutionary wars. Only one of his chil- dren is living, viz : Deborah, widow of Eri Ben- nett, at Cayuga. Hartman Carr, son of James Carr, who was born in Johnstown the year pre- vious to his father's settlement here, and lived in close proximity to the old homestead, died here September 23d, 1876. His wife survives him, aged seventy-five. Burling was a Quaker preach- er. He settled in Union Springs, on the corner of Cayuga and Chapel streets. After some ten or fifteen years, he removed to Canandaigua. Mosher settled at Union Springs, where he was the first postmaster. He married here a daugh- ter of Joel Coe, and removed about 1840 to Michigan. Earl was a brother-in-law of Bur- ling's, and bought, in company with him, the mill property at the north spring. He removed some fifteen years after to New York.

James Barker, son of William, was interested with Messrs. Burling and Earl in the mill proper- ty, which then included both springs, the south spring not having been used for hydraulic pur- poses for several years after the other. They subsequently separated ; Burling & Earl retaining the north spring property, and Mr. Barker, the south, or smaller spring, where he built a fulling- mill. He sold in 1816 to Philip Winegar, and took up a farm one and one-half miles south of Union Springs. He removed to Canada a short time after. Mr. Weed came in company with his sons, Lansing, Gilbert, James, John D. and Alexander, all of whom settled in Springport, ex- cept Alexander, who settled near Fitch's Cor- ners, in Scipio. The elder Gilbert died in the

362

TOWN OF SPRINGPORT.

town. Lansing moved out of the town in 1805. Gilbert and John D. moved to Canadice, and died there. James moved out of the town about 1816 or'17.

John Nutt came in from Vermont soon after 1800, and settled two miles east of Union Springs, where his son, Harvey H., now lives, and where he died.

Philip Yawger came in from New Jersey with ten children, six sons and four daughters, in 1801, and settled one mile north of Union Springs, where his grandson John C. Yawger now lives. He came by means of Jersey wagons. He died on the homestead September 3d, 1830, aged 77. None of his children are living. One son, Peter, was Member of Assembly in 1827 and 1831. A small stream in the north part of the town per- petuates his name. Numerous grand-children are living in the County; among whom are Philip O., a merchant in Union Springs, and Lafayette, proprietor of a grist and plaster-mill on Yawger Creek, which was built about twenty-six years ago, and in which 500 to 600 tons of plaster are ground per year. Peter took up 260 acres, which are now owned by John O. and Henry, sons of Henry Yawger, and grandsons of Philip. Philip took up a section on the site of Owego, where he stopped one season ; but disliking the location he came on to Springport. His grand- son, Philip O. Yawger, says the Indians destroy- ed his first year's crops, which was the cause of much suffering. Upon Philip's farm was dis- covered the first plaster bed in Springport, about 1809. A portion of the plaster rock was brought to the surface by the plow, and having been pay- ing a high price for Nova Scotia plaster, the hope of finding here a cheaper substitute for that ar- ticle led him to give it a trial upon a fall crop. The rock was pulverized by means of pounding, and the result was so satisfactory as to lead to further investigation, and the discovery of the plaster bed as before stated. The embargo of 1812, which excluded Nova Scotia plaster, favor- ed the rapid development of Cayuga plaster.

Humphrey Hunt came in from Orange county, Vt., in 1805, and settled one mile south of Union Springs, where Peter B. Wood now lives. He was a Revolutionary soldier, serving the whole seven years, first, on account of his youthfulness, as captain's waiter. He accompanied Sullivan's expedition against the Iroquois in 1779, and was

one of the party detached to destroy the villages of the Cayugas on the east shore of Cayuga Lake. He was twice wounded, once in the hand and again in the hip. In 1828, he removed to Mt. Morris, Livingston county, and died there a little over a year after.

Ichabod Clark came in about 1805 or '7, and settled about three miles east of Union Springs. His wife was a daughter of Gilbert Weed.

Amos Howland came in from Galway, Saratoga county, about 1806, and settled on Big Gully Creek, two and one-half miles south-east of Union Springs, where he started a woolen-mill, in com- pany with a man named Allen, which he conduct . ed two or three years. He afterwards found em- ployment in the woolen-mill erected by Philip Winegar, at the south spring. He resided here till his death, July 18th, 1850.

Thomas Collins, the first inn-keeper, located about 1807, in Union Springs, where his daugh- ter, Sarah, widow of Thomas Van Sickle, now lives. William Cozzens came in from R. I., in 1810, and settled in Union Springs, where James Arnold now lives. He was an old sea-captain. He was engaged in agricultural, and for a short time, in mercantile, pursuits. He died here in 1842, aged 63. William Cozzens, his son, was a merchant here some thirty-five years and till his death April 3d, 1860. His children are all dead. Elisha Eldredge came from White Creek, Wash- ington county, in 1810, and settled on 100 acres in the north part of the village of Union Springs, where James Arnold now lives. He sold to Wil- liam Cozzens in 1815, and removed one mile east, to the next tier of lots, where he died November 2d, 1874, aged 97. Three children are living, viz: Joseph and Edward, in Springport, and Isaac, in Chicago.

William Taver came in from Rensselaer county, about 1813, and settled in the south-west cor- ner of the lot on which the brick residence of Clinton Backus now stands. He moved to Wil- liamson, Wayne county, in 1825, and subsequent- ly to the west part of the State, where both he and his wife died.

Elam Anthony, came in front White Creek, Washington county, in 1815, and settled in Union Springs, where he has followed the business of carpenter and joiner. He is now living in that village, aged 88 years, October 5th, 1878. In 1818, he married Nancy, daughter of Humphrey

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UNION SPRINGS.

Hunt, who is still living with him aged eighty. He has nine children living, only three in this State, Lydia, wife of Peter Howell, Cordelia, wife of Edward Curry, and Mary, all in Union Springs.

Philip Winegar, who took a prominent part in developing the business of the village, came in from Dutchess county, in 1815, on foot, and bought an interest with Esick Mosher, his father- in-law, in the mill property at the south spring, which consisted of a log grist-mill, with one run of stones, a small saw-mill driven by a " flutter" wheel, and a clothing establishment. The latter with the building erected for its accommodation by Mr. Winegar, in 1830, was burned in the win- ter of 1834-'5, and rebuilt in 1836. The follow- ing year he moved his family here, and settled at Union Springs, where he continued to reside till his death, August 21st, 1862, aged 77. He soon after bought Mosher's interest in the mill prop- erty, and he and his sons Esick M., Z. S., and G. W., owned it till 1854, when it came into the possession of the Beardsley Bros.

James S. Allen came in from Greenfield, Sara- toga county, in the winter of 1818, and settled on the Big Gully, two miles east of Union Springs, where he took up forty acres, selected for its water privilege, the fall being about twenty feet, and erected a carding and fulling-mill, and manufac- tory of woolen machinery, which business he carried on till 1830, when he removed to the vil- lage and engaged in the manufacture of thrash- ing machines. He was succeeded in 1842 by his son A. W. Allen, who carried on the business nine years, and who then engaged in other undertak- ings. The farm on which Allen first settled, now belongs to the Seneca Allen estate. He died here March 28th, 1868.

TOWN OFFICERS .- The first town meeting was held at the house of John Yawger, inn-keeper, the first Tuesday in April, 1823, and the follow- ing named officers were elected : Wm. Cozzens, Supervisor ; Wm. G. Harkness, Clerk; Giles Robinson, Henry Crane and Gilbert Goodrich, Assessors ; Thomas A. Buddington, Giles Robin- son and Samuel Wisner, Commissioners of High- ways ; John S. Toan and Moses Wisner, Poor- masters ; Asa N. Burnham, Jonathan Carr and Alexander Thompson, Commissioners of Com- mon Schools ; Stephen Mosher, Hiram Hunt and Asa N. Burnham, Inspectors of Common Schools ; Wm. Sherd and Peter Flinn, Commis-

sioners of Public Lands ; Samuel Marsh, Collec- tor; Samuel Marsh and Ephraim Sharp, Con- stables.

The present officers (1878) are :

Supervisor-James L. Hammond.

Clerk-Oscar E. Shank.

Fustices-Ashbel W. Carr, Levi Collins and Solomon R. Myers.

Assessors -- John F. Courtney, Samuel Jenney and Llewellyn Davis.

Commissioner of Highways-Amos M. Haley. Overseer of the Poor -- John D. Weed.

Inspectors of Election-Jesse D. Thompson,

P. Henry Byrne and Horace C. Carr.

Collector-Leonard H. Carr.

Constables-Leonard H. Carr, Walter Garri- son, George Bowen, Asa Shank and John T. Stout.

Excise Commissioners-John Quigley, Samuel Jenney and David Everett.

Game Constable-Nathan S. Jennings.

UNION SPRINGS.

UNION SPRINGS is beautifully situated on the shore of the lake, six miles south of Cayuga by railroad, and derives its name from the springs before referred to. Its regularly laid out and handsomely shaded streets, with its tasty cot- tages and ornate dwellings just visible through the luxuriant foliage, present a pleasing picture as viewed from the lake, which, with the little island of Frontenac, that solitary gem of the western lakes, three-fourths of a mile distant, presents an equally picturesque spectacle.

It contains eight churches, (Baptist, Catholic, Christian, Episcopal, Hicksite Friends, Metho- dist Episcopal, Orthodox Friends and Presby- terian,) the Howland Institute, the Friends' Academy, a Kindergarten school, a Union school, one newspaper office, (the Union Springs Adver- tiser,) one bank, (the First National of Union Springs,) the New York Central Insurance Com- pany, one hotel, (kept by George E. Ashby,) seventeen stores of various kinds, two meat mar- kets, (kept by S. S. Bliss and Shank & An- thony,) two harness shops, (kept by Wm. Graves and James Reynolds,) two carriage shops, (kept by N. C. Dean and J. R. Ely,) two grist-mills, a saw-mill, plaster-mill, planing-mill and hub- factory, foundry and machine shop, brick and tile works, limestone quarry and kiln, (owned by La-

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History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 70

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 762

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 762