History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 87

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 87

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MERCHANTS .- The first merchant is supposed to have been Jethro Wood, who opened a store

on the site of the one now occupied by Sidney Mosher, about 1800. The timbers used in its construction form a part of the present one. Wood sold about 1815, to Dr. Barnabas Smith, who put his sons Thomas and Sidney into the store, which was conducted by them until about 1820, when it came into the hands of William Mosher, who continued it till his death in 1833. He took in as partner in the spring of that year, John Hart, who, in the spring of 1834, admitted George Mosher. In 1835, Mosher sold to D. & H. Wanzer, the latter of whom retired after about two years, and A. Ward came in. About 1839, Amasa Day bought Ward's interest. Wan- zer died about 1840, and in 1841 Wm. Sprague bought out Day. In the spring of 1848 Sprague admitted Joseph D. Otis, who, in the spring of 1849, sold to Sidney Mosher. In the spring of 1851, Mosher sold his interest to Wm. Sprague ; in the spring of 1859 he bought out Sprague, and has since continued the business. In 1835, George Mosher built a second store, which he opened in company with John Aug. Dodge, the latter of whom, after three or four years, sold to Aug. Mosher, who, after two or three years, sold to Allen Mosher. About 1849 G. Mosher sold to Thomas E. Doughty, Jr., who, after about two years, also sold to Allen Mosher. After a year or two Allen Mosher sold to G. Mosher, who admitted F. A. Raymond about 1859. They did business together three years, when Ray- mond sold to John Hart, whose interest Mosher bought after about three years. Three years later Mosher sold to George H. Mills and Henry A. Mosher, who continued the business until about 1872. Charles H. Lyon opened a store in 1874, and continued two years. W. T. Mosher, hardware merchant, bought out Austin G. Fos- ter in 1868. He was associated as partner with Arthur Parsons in 1872 and '3, and with Henry Mosher in 1875. Arthur Parsons bought out W. O. Cory's hardware business in April, 1875, and in April, 1877, he admitted James R. Howland to partnership. The business has since been con- ducted under the name of Parsons & Howland.

POSTMASTERS. - The post-office at Poplar Ridge was established through the influence of Dr. Barnabas Smith, while a Member of Assem- bly in 1814-'16. Jethro Wood was probably the first postmaster. He was the first of whom we have any authentic record-January Ist, 1823-

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TOWN OF VENICE.

and held it as late as 1825. He kept the office at his house, about a mile west of the village, near where William Hazard now lives. Elipha- let Sawyer held the office two or three years, but whether as postmaster or deputy is not certain. Wm. Mosher held the office as early as 1831 and until his death in 1833. He was succeeded by John Hart, who held the office about two years, when George Mosher was appointed and held it from 1836-'40. Asa Shourds next held it one year, and resigned. He was succeeded by Dan- iel H. Wanzer, who held it in 1842, but how much longer we are not advised. S. William Sprague held the office as early as 1846 and as late as 1849. Allen Mosher was then appointed, and held it until 1853, when William Sprague was again appointed and continued in office until 1861. He was succeeded by Frank A. Raymond, who held it till about 1863, when he resigned, and John Hart was appointed and held the office till about 1868, when George H. Mills received the appointment. He was suc- ceeded about 1873 by Dexter Wheeler, the pres- ent incumbent.

PHYSICIANS .- The first physician at Poplar Ridge was probably Barnabas Smith, who came in from Washington county, in 1803, was one of the original members of the County Medical Society, August 7th, 1806, and practiced here till about 1845. He died here in 1855. Two of his children are living, viz : Catharine, wife of Wm. Sprague, and Wm. B. Smith, in Warsaw, Wy- oming county. Rufus K. Slosson, a native of Venice, studied with Dr. Phineas Hurd, and joined the County Medical Society January 5th, 1843, in which year he commenced practice here, continuing six or seven years, when he went to Michigan. There was no regular physician after that until 1876, when D. E. Mason, also a native of Venice, an eclectic, who is now attending a course of lectures in New York, commenced practice. G. M. Silvers, an allopath, from New York, commenced practice here in November, 1878.

EAST VENICE.

EAST VENICE is situated in the south-east part of the town, about three miles south-east of Ven- ice, and four south-west of Moravia. It contains a store, paint shop, (kept by Alphonzo Cannon,)

a blacksmith shop, (kept by Henry L. Lester, Jr.,) a carpenter shop, (kept by George Easson,) twelve houses and thirty-nine inhabitants.

MERCHANTS. - The first merchants at East Venice were Henry and Charles Hewitt, sons of Henry Hewitt, an early settler, who opened a store shortly before 1812, which they continued till about 1833, when the building burned. It stood just back of the house of Henry L. Lester. The next merchant was David Raynor, who, in 1850, opened a store in a dwelling house changed into a store, which occupied the site of Henry L. Lester's house. In the spring of 1851, he sold to Leonard Noyes, who, in the spring of 1852, sold to Benjamin F. Snyder, who kept it a short time, and sold in the spring of 1853 to Samuel Close. In the fall of 1853, Close sold to Lewis Seymour, who sold in the fall of 1855 to Fulton Goodyear, who kept it till December, 1857, when he sold to Stephen D. Weyant, who kept it till the spring of 1858, when the store was burned and he discontinued business. The present store was built in the fall of 1858, and leased to Lewis V. Smith and Wm. E. Austin, who com- menced business April Ist, 1859, and continued until 1865, when Smith sold his interest to John Tifft, who continued, in company with Austin, till March Ist, 1869, when George Smith Young bought Austin's interest, which he transferred to his son, Delmar T. Young, January Ist, 1872. Tifft & Young continued till March 4th, 1873, when George Smith Young bought Tifft's inter- est, and the business was conducted under the name of Young & Co. until May Ist, 1877, after which the store was closed until January Ist, 1878, when it was rented to Isaac Kimball and Lewis V. Smith, the present merchants.

POSTMASTERS .- The post-office at East Venice was established in the summer of 1854, and Lewis Seymour, through whose instrumentality it was established, was appointed postmaster. He held it until he left the store, and was followed by the successive occupants of the store until 1858, who each held the office during the period he kept the store. George W. Young was ap- pointed in 1858, and held the office till the spring of 1869, when John Tifft was appointed. He held it till the spring of 1873, and was succeeded by George Smith Young, who held it till July Ist, 1877, when George W. Young was reap- pointed and held it till his death, October 9th,

CASCADE HOUSE. HEAD OF OWASCO LAKE. CAYUGA Co. N.Y.

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RESIDENCE OF NAOMI. RICHARDSON. UNION SPRINGS, N.Y.

443

TOWN OF NILES.

1878, since which time no appointment has been made.

There have been no physicians at East Venice.

CASCADE.

CASCADE is a post-station on the Southern Central Railroad, in the north-east corner of the town, about four miles north of Moravia. Here originated the remarkable phenomena, attributed by the believers in spiritualism to spirit agency, which afterwards, a few years since, gave Mo- ravia such notoriety. There is a hotel known there as the Cascade House, kept by Malcolm Taylor. A small stream, which rises on the margin of the bluffs bordering the lake, forms a beautiful little cascade at this point.

About one and one-half miles east of Ledyard, on the west line of the town, is a cheese factory, owned by a stock company, which was organized about 1873.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

TOWN OF NILES.

N ILES was formed from Sempronius March 20th, 1833, and derives its name from Elder Robert Niles, a former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Sempronius. It lies upon the east border of the County south of the cen- ter, between Owasco and Skaneateles Lakes, the former of which forms the west, and the latter the east boundary. It is bounded on the north by the towns of Owasco and Skaneateles, and on the south by those of Moravia and Sempronius.

The surface consists mainly of a hilly and roll- ing upland, whose highest summits are 700 feet above Owasco Lake. Toward the Owasco the declivities are gradual, but toward the Skaneate- les they are more abrupt. Dutch Hollow Brook, rising near the center, and flowing north through a hollow bordered by high, steep hills, and Bear Swamp Creek, flowing north through the east part into Skaneateles Lake, are the only consid- erable streams.

Limestone of good quality crosses the town in a generally east and west direction, and is ex- posed on the Drake farm in the east part, on the Chauncey Abbott, Jacob Cuykendall and Abram

VanEtten farms in the central part, and on the Levi Cuykendall farm in the west part, in each of which cases it comes to the surface and is quarried for building stone. That on the Ab- bott farm has been burned for lime. South of the limestone ledge, and in about the same direc- tion, is a ledge of slate rock, which crops out upon the farm of Patrick and Thomas Fitzpatrick, near the center of the town, where it has been quarried for flagging stone, and formerly in such quantities as to give constant employment to a large number of men.

A clay soil predominates in the west part along the lake. Elsewhere it is a clayey loam, with clay sub-soil. Muck exists in the east part along Skaneateles Lake. Its agriculture consists largely in dairying ; indeed the value of its dairy products exceeds that of any other town in the County. From the Census of 1875, it appears that the number of pounds of butter made in families was 234,973, and of cheese, 2,040, and that the number of milch cows was 1,686.

The first settlements were made in 1792. A family named VanGilder, who located about one and one-half miles west of Niles, are believed to have been the first settlers. Axie VanGilder, one of the family, but born after their settlement here, is still living in that locality, aged about 80. James and George Brinkerhoff, the latter a min- ister of the Reformed Dutch Church, came the same year from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in com- pany with their brothers, Jacob and Roeliff, who settled in Owasco. James, who was a young man, settled on lot 12, just north of Nine Corners, where his grandson James now lives, and George, on lot 5, a little west of the Creek. Both died there. None of their children are living. Gar- rett Conover and his sons John and Aaron, Isaac Selover and Wm. Bowen came the following year. The Conovers settled about a half mile west of Niles, on the David Pratt farm, where George Bodine now lives ; Selover, in the west part of the town, where numerous of his descendants now live ; and Bowen, who was from R. I., a little cast of the lake road, where M. Duryee now lives. He afterwards returned to Rhode Island and married, but his son brought him back here shortly before his death.

John Abbott, Jr., came from Vermont, and set -. tled first on the Indian Fields in Genoa. He re- moved thence to Niles in 1794, and settled a lit-

75-2

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TOWN OF NILES.

tle north-east of Twelve Corners, where the widow of his son Milton now lives. He brought on his back from Genoa five apple trees, which he planted on the farm upon which he settled. He was a Revolutionary soldier. He was also a noted hunter, and the whole of his numerous family were dressed in buckskin. He died on the homestead about 1820-'5. His family are all dead. His son Chauncey M. was a Member of Assembly in 1858 and '9, and a State Senator from the 25th District in 1862 and '3. His father joined the settlement about 1813.

Edward and John Ellis, brothers, came in from Ashfield, Mass., in the winter of 1795, with an ox-sled. Edward took up 300 acres upon which his son Cyrus now lives. Cyrus is the eldest of his father's children. He was born in Niles, February 2d, 1799, and was the second white child and first white male child born in this town. His cradle was a sap trough. He has lived on the place ever since his birth. Anthony Ellis, a son of John Ellis, is still living in Niles. George Parker, a Green Mountain Boy, came in from Saratoga county about 1793 and settled first at Sand Beach, at the foot of Owasco Lake, in Fleming, whence he removed on account of de- fective title to Niles, about 1795, and settled near Twelve Corners, where D. C. Persoll now lives. He lived there many years, and died in Moravia some thirty years ago. Four sons are living, viz : William and Henry, in Montville, the former being the father of Otis G. Parker, proprietor of the grist-mill in Montville, and Riall and Nelson, in Ohio. Most of his descend- ants are living in the Western States. George Bodine's grandfather also came in about 1795. The ax he brought with him was his only capi- tal. Henry Oakley, who kept a tavern a mile west of New Hope, came in about 1797, and died here. Charles, his son, is living in Montville. Jacob T. C. DeWitt came in this or the pre- ceding year from Sullivan county, and settled on lot 2, in the north part of the town. He removed with his family to Springport many years ago, and both he and his wife were drowned in Cay- uga Lake.

Cornelius and John DeWitt, brothers, came in from Sullivan county in the spring of 1798. Cor- nelius was a Revolutionary soldier. He settled on 129 acres on lot 2, his farm joining that of Jacob T.C.DeWitt's on the south, where he died in 1844.

The place is now owned and occupied by Wm. H. Harter. He had eleven children, five of whom are living, viz : Andrus, in Ohio; Matthew, in Seneca county ; Cornelius D., in Owasco ; Jacob C., in Skaneateles ; and Lucy Ann, widow of Kenyon Wickham, in Orleans county. Ste- phen DeWitt, son of John DeWitt, who was born in Neversink, Sullivan county, March 5th, 1799, is living on lot 19.

A man named Stryker, father of Abraham Stry- ker, settled in the north part of the town, where Abel W. Baker now lives, before 1800. Briggs Sherman, - Banker, Jonathan Odell, John Dean, - Hubbell, and Henry Persoll were very early settlers, but we could not determine the year in which they came. Hubbell's family were probably the first settlers on the site of New Hope. His house stood on the corner just east of Wm. Pidge's store. Persoll was from Sarato- ga county, and settled at Twelve Corners, where he died. He had several children, all of whom are dead.

William Greenfield settled in 1800, a mile north of New Hope, on the place now owned by John Hoyt. He removed with his family to Ohio in 1823.

Daniel Brown, from Fairfield, Herkimer county, settled first at Twelve Corners, and re- moved thence in 1804 to Kelloggsville. He came with his family, consisting of Sally, after- wards wife of Samuel J. Olney ; Cynthia, after- wards wife of Thomas Pinkerton ; Eunice and David L., and Polly, all of whom died in 1819; Jonathan, who moved to Sennett in 1851, and died there in the spring of 1878; Hannah, who died single in 1821 ; Daniel, Jr., now living in Sempronius, aged 74 years ; John, who died when fifteen months old ; John Calvin, now living in Skaneateles ; and Oliver, who died in Indiana, about 1839. He and his wife died at the resi- dence of their son Daniel, in Sempronius, the former in 1856, and the latter in 1861.

Settlements were made in 1802, by David John- son, Hugh McDowell, John Rooks and Joseph Carr. Johnson, who was five years a Revolutionary soldier,being present at the surrender of Burgoyne and the evacuation of New York by the British, came in from Buckland county, Massachusetts,and settled near West Niles or Pennyville, on the farm now occupied by James Duryee. About 1817 he removed to Twelve Corners, to the place now

MRS. E. A.BENSON.

JOHN, ROOKS.

"ROOKS NEST." RES. OF THE LATE J. ROOKS. NILES, CAYUGA Co. N.Y.

CLARISSA, ELLIS.

CYRUS. ELLIS.

RESIDENCE OF CYRUS ELLIS. TOWN OF NILES, CAYUGA CO. N.Y.

445

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

occupied by his son Roswell, where he died June 22d, 1840. He married Prudence Coburn, who was born in Boston, November 13th, 1765, and died February 12th, 1849, by whom he had nine children, only two of whom are living, viz : Clara, wife of Abraham Van Etten, and Roswell, both in Niles, the latter on the homestead at Twelve Corners. McDowell came in from New Jersey, and lived here, with the exception of one year, till his death in 1875. He married Sally Amer- man, who was born in 1798, and was the first white child born in the town of Niles. One son, P. A. McDowell, is living in the town. Rooks was born in Cheshire county, New Hampshire, in 1790, and came in with his father, who settled and died where the former now lives, on 140 acres he bought of General Courtlandt, on lot 29, about a mile north of Kelloggsville. Carr, who was a native of Rhode Island, came in from Hartford, Washington county, with his wife, Nancy, and six children, and settled about a mile south of Twelve Corners. He took up 200 acres. He removed in 1808, with his family, to the town of Ira, where he and his wife died, the former in 1838, aged 88, and the latter in 1843, aged 92. His children were Nathaniel, who removed to Michigan in 1832, and died there in 1866; Peggy, who mar- ried Benjamin Conger, of Ira, and died there in 1866; Caty, who married Alson Green, with whom she removed, in 1847, to Indiana, where she died about 1868 ; Bennajah, who removed to Michigan in 1847, and died there about fourteen years since; Jay W., who, in 1842, removed to Martville, in the town of Sterling, where he now lives, aged 81 years, having held in Ira the offices of assessor three years, justice four years, and supervisor in 1837 and 'S, and the latter office in Sterling in 1840, '50 and '52 ; and George H., who died in Auburn in 1867, having filled the office of sheriff in this county from November, 1841-'4, an office he had filled by appointment from March 30th to November, 1838, having also held the office of justice several years in the town of Ira, and that of supervisor two terms.

David Derby, from Vermont, settled on lot 17 previous to 1808, in which year his son, J. C. Derby, who is living on the old homestead, was born. David Bradt came from Albany county about 1808, and settled on the north line. of the town, where George Bodine now lives, his farm joining the lines of Owasco and

Skaneateles. He died there August 16th, 1860. Charity, wife of James A. Brinkerhoff, who was born in 1808, and is living in Owasco village, is the only one of his children living. George Bo- dine married a daughter of James A. Brinker- hoff.

Col. Elijah Austin came from Sheffield, Massa- chusetts, in 1809 or '10, and settled on lot 37, one mile north-west of Kelloggsville, on the farm, on a portion of which his son Joab was born and now lives, where he died in April, 1846. One other child, Jared, is living in Moravia.

Asaph Stow came from Newport, New Hamp- shire, in 1811, and settled on lot 28, a little south of the center of the town, where James Forbes now lives. He went shortly before his death to live with his daughter, Mrs. Stephen Richardson, in Sempronius, where he died. His only child living is Ann, wife of George W. Southwick, in Homer. She was born January 1st, 1807.

Jesse Hall, from Rockland county, came in 1812 and settled on the lake road, where Abram Darrow lives. He took up 412 acres, and after five or six years removed a half mile south, to the farm occupied by Charles Dennis. He subse- quently removed to the David Reynolds farm, about two miles south of New Hope, in the pres- ent town of Sempronius, where he died in 1835. Six children are living, viz : Jesse, in Borodino, Barney and Leah, wife of Silas S. Robinson, in Niles, Sally Ann, widow of Cornelius C. Harin, and Elizabeth, wife of William Stage, in Auburn, and Patty, wife of Nathan Cuddeback, in Butler.

C. D. Phelps, born August 23d, 1796, father of Silas Phelps, settled on lot 34, in 1813, and is still living in the town. Jonas Baker, who was born in Connecticut in 1791, also came in 1813. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and is now living on lot 40, a little east of New Hope.

Bradford Shirley came from New Salem, Mass- achusetts, in the winter of 1813, and settled on lot 36, on the farm now owned by Joseph Hel- mer. He removed to Broome county and died there. His children living are Bradford Shirley, in Kelloggsville, by his first wife, and John in Cortland, and Betsey, wife of Datus Ensign, in Broome county, by his second wife.

Philander White, who was born in Connecticut in 1790, settled in 1814, in the east part of the town, where he is now living. Wm. Hooper came in from Massachusetts in 1814, and settled

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TOWN OF NILES.

three miles south of Twelve Corners, in Moravia, and about 1855 removed to Kelloggsville, where his widow, Fanny, who was born in Massachu- setts in 1790, is now living. Ezra Moseman was born in Westchester county in 1798, and settled in Niles, where he is now living, in 1816. He has held the office of assessor in Niles ten years. Jonah Huff came in from Rockland county in 1816, and settled on lot 40, where John Dennis now lives. He died here in 1820. Of his chil- dren, Jonah, who was born in Rockland county July 31st, 1805, is living in Niles, Cornelius, in Illinois, and Mary Ann, wife of Daniel Brown, and Matilda, in Sempronius. Henry VanEtten came from Orange county in 1819, and settled at Twelve Corners, on the farm now owned by George Odell, and died there. Four children are living, viz: Abraham, in Niles, Anthony, in Owasco, Anna, widow of Peter Brinkerhoff, in Wolcott, Wayne county, and Levi W., in Moravia.

TOWN OFFICERS .- The first officers of the town of Niles were : Isaac Odell, Supervisor; Wm. T. Stow, Clerk; Chauncey Abbott and Joseph Lazell, Fustices ; Samuel Odell, Hugh McDowell and John Conger, Assessors ; Joshua VanAuken and Levi Westfall, Overseers of the Poor ; Benjamin B. Roseboom, Abraham Van Etten and Everett Cortright, Commissioners of Highways ; Samuel B. Noyes, William F. Cooper and Garrett C. Parsell, School Commis- sioners ; Daniel J. Van Auken, Charles Moseman and Vincent Kenyon, Inspectors of Schools ; Samuel B. Noyes, Abram B. Westfall, Daniel J. VanAuken and Charles Moseman, Constables ; Abram B. Westfall, Collector ; Vincent Kenyon, Sealer of Weights and Measures ; Asaph Stow, Chauncey Abbott and John Rooks, Commission- ers of Public Lots.

The present officers (1878) are :

Supervisor-Eugene B. Rounds.

Town Clerk-Byron M. Gere.

Fustice-Anson P. Jayne.

Assessors-J. H. Cuykendall, Chas. Odell and John Brinkerhoff.

Commissioner of Highways-George W. Harter.

Overscers of the Poor-Gilbert Bradford and P. A. McDowell.

Inspectors of Elections-Dorr Dewitt, Conklin Bodine, B. F. Lester and George Selover.

Collector-Patrick Fitzpatrick.

Constables-Henry C. Odell, George McGee, George Peet and Jacob Davis.

Game Constable-Simeon Morris.

Excise Commissioners-Jas. Carpenter, James Brinkerhoff and H. D. Chamberlain.

Fustices-E. C. Ackerman, John O. Hoyt and Watson Selover.

The population of the town in 1875 was 1,874; of whom 1,716 were native ; 158 foreign ; 1,873 white ; and I colored. Its area was 23,217 acres ; of which 18,152 were improved ; 3,863 woodland ; and 1,202 otherwise unimproved.

KELLOGGSVILLE.

KELLOGGSVILLE is situated near the south line of the town, a little east of the center, and is distant from Auburn sixteen miles and from Moravia seven. It contains two churches, (Meth- odist Episcopal and Universalist,) one district school, one hotel, kept the past three years by F. A. Partello, three stores, a blacksmith shop, kept by A. H. Cutler, a wagon shop, kept by By- ron Church, a harness shop, kept by Edward Defendorf, a milliner shop, kept by Mrs. Almira Howland, and a population of about 100.

MERCHANTS. - The first merchant was Judge Chas. Kellogg, from whom the village is named. He opened a store about 1804, in a small frame building, which stood near the road and a little north of the house in which Hozial Howland now lives. He afterwards built and occupied the store now occupied by Dwight K. Austin. About 1812 or '13 he formed a partnership with John Fuller, which continued till 1816, when they dis- solved, and Fuller opened a store on the lot on which the house of Wm. Slade now stands, in company with his brother Luther. Judge Kel- logg, who came in here from Owasco, continued business till 1839, when he removed to Michigan. He was associated from about 1825 with his son- in-law, Calvin Whitwood. In 1819, Serah Mow- ry became a partner of the Fullers, and remained with them about two years, when John Fuller bought his interest. In 1823, the Fullers built the store on the south side of the creek, recently occupied by Wm. Slade, and moved their goods into it in June following. John Fuller died in 1825, and. Luther formed a partnership with Wm. Slade and Wm. Titus, which continued one year, when Slade bought the interest of his partners

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History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 87

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