History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 88

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 88

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KELLOGGSVILLE.

and admitted Daniel R. Rooks, whose interest he bought after a year, in the spring of 1827, and did business alone till 1873, when his son, Feni- more Cooper Slade, became his partner. They discontinued business in 1875, when his son went to Floresville, Texas, where he now resides.

Luther Newland Fuller, son of Capt. Luther Fuller, opened a store in company with Aaron Brinkerhoff, under the name of Fuller & Brin- kerhoff, about 1842 or '3, and continued till about 1848, when they sold to Daniel Westfall and Ken- yon Wicks, who sold in turn, about 1854, to Ben- jamin Everson, who continued about a year and sold an interest to Kenyon Wicks, and the two did business till about 1860. L. D. Sayles and Timothy Edmonds opened a store in 1861. Sayles sold to Manville E. Kenyon about 1862, and the business was conducted by Kenyon & Edmonds three or four years, when they dis- solved. Dwight Lee bought their goods in 1865 or'6 and failed in 1876. D. K. Austin, who had been associated in the hardware business with S. W. Church since March, 1875, and did business with him nearly two years, bought the store prop- erty then recently vacated by Lee and opened a general store, which he still conducts. S. W. Church, who is a native of Moravia, where his father was an early settler, commenced the hard- ware business in Kelloggsville in 1861, in which year he bought out James Gould, who came in from Northville and did business about a year. Church still carries on the business. A. J. Bo- land, from Owasco, opened a general store in the spring of 1877, which he still continues.

POSTMASTERS. - The first postmaster at Kel- loggsville was Judge Chas. Kellogg, who was Member of Assembly in 1808, '9 and '10, and in 1820 and '21, and represented the 24th District in Congress in 1825-'8. He held the office of postmaster from about 1816-'25, when Calvin Whitwood was appointed and held it till 1829, when he was succeeded by Wm. Slade. Lu- ther N. Fuller was postmaster in 1842, but how long he held the office we are not advised. Wm. Slade again succeeded to the office and held it till 1849, when Dwight Lee was appointed. Wm. F. Cooper succeeded him in 1853, and Daniel J. VanAuken, in 1857, the latter of whom held it till May, 1861, when Wm. F. Cooper was ap- pointed and has held it continuously since.

PHYSICIANS .- The first physician at Kelloggs-

ville was Isaac Dunning, who was licensed to practice by a County Judge in February, 1803. He joined the County Medical Society Au- gust 7th, 1806, about which time probably he located at Kelloggsville, though we could not definitely determine that fact. He practiced till about 1820, when he went west. Abel Baker practiced from 1821 to'28, the latter year in com- pany with Wm. F. Cooper. He returned to Owasco, whence he came. Henry R. Lord joined the County Medical Society February 2d, 1826, while a resident of Kelloggsville, but how long he practiced here, or whether he practiced here at all, we have been unable to ascertain.

The next physician to practice here was Wm. F. Cooper, who is still practicing here. He was born in Corydon, New Hampshire, September 20th, 1805, and graduated at Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine, in 1826. He practiced one year in Newport, Maine, and removed thence to Kelloggsville in June, 1827.

Dr. Doolittle practiced here from 1843 to '48. Dr. Lewis was associated with Dr. Cooper from 1848 to '50. Dr. Marsh came in about 1848, after Doolittle left, and practiced some two years. Wm. M. Smith was associated with Dr. Cooper a little over a year, about 1852.

James Harvey Horton was born in Burlingame, New York, June 20th, 1821. He studied medi- cine with Dr. Wm. F. Robinson, of Seneca Falls, and graduated at the Central Medical College of Syracuse, Feb. 21st, 1850. He commenced prac- tice in Seneca Falls, and after a year removed to Port Byron, to which place his father removed in 1828. He came to Kelloggsville about 1853, and has practiced here continuously since. Dr. Horton joined the County Medical Society November 9th, 1874. He ranks high as a surgeon. Frank B. Ryan, who is a native of the town, commenced practice in 1875, and still continues.

The FIRST UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY OF THE TOWN OF NILES .- February 16th, 1842, is the date of a subscription list for the building of a Universalist meeting-house in Kelloggsville, to be located on the south-west corner of the land owned by Wm. F. Cooper, the site for which was to be given by Mr. Cooper, provided the house, whose dimensions were to be about 36 by 46 feet, was finished by June Ist, 1843. The subscriptions amounted to $1,301. One of them -that of John Bentley -- was for 300 feet of goo

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hewed timber, delivered at Kelloggsville, at $5 per hundred. The following condition is an- nexed to the subscriptions : " It is understood and agreed that when it shall not come in con- flict with a regular stated appointment made by the Universalists, then said house is to be free to all other religious denominations to be used for public worship and to be open at all times on funeral occasions."

A meeting was held pursuant to public notice at the house of Wm. Slade, in Kelloggsville, March 14th, 1842, for the purpose of organizing a Universalist Society. At that meeting the name of the First Universalist Society in the town of Niles was adopted, and John Rooks and Samuel Odell were elected trustees for one year, Luther Fuller and Kenyon Wicks, for two years, and D. J. Van Auken, Warren Powers and Samuel Lock- wood, for three years. The trustees were then au- thorized to build such house in regard to size as they thought proper and the amount subscribed warranted. April 11th, 1845, an additional $379.50 was subscribed to apply on a deficiency of $550 for building the house of worship. This organ- ization appears to have died out, for on the 14th of June, 1846, a meeting was held at the Univer- salist meeting-house for the purpose of organiz- ing a Universalist Society, and the following named officers were chosen : Asahel Wood, moderator; Samuel Lockwood, clerk; John Rooks, treasurer; and Thomas Belding, Charles Burgess, Cooper Snider, Luther Fuller and Wm. Hooper, a standing committee. The name first given was then adopted.

Following are the names of the members at the organization : Males, Luther Fuller, Asahel Wood, Samuel Lockwood, John Rooks, Charles Burgess, Wm. Hooper, Stephen M. Slade, Thos. R. Belding, Wm. Moseman, Luther N. Fuller, Daniel J. VanAuken, David W. Kellogg, Charles Hoyt, Cooper Snider, J. B. Doolittle, Lemuel A. Sayles, Ezekiel Smith, Hiram C. Smith and J. M. Peebles ; Females, Phila Rooks, Olive Ful- ler, Althea Wood, Cynthia Howard, Maria Wicks, Rhoda Richardson, Eleanor Kenyon, Eunice York, Lucinda Lockwood, Maria L. Goodridge, Martha P. Standish, Hannah Belding, Perses Sherman, Loisa Smith, Hannah Snider and Elizabeth Goodridge.

The pastors of this church have been Alfred Peck, who served them one year, James M.

Peebles, two to three years, J. H. Harter, who, though not a settled pastor, served them two or three years, Nelson Snell, two years, S. Crane, about a year, in 1860, Nelson Brown, of Howlett Hill, and - Hobbs, about a year. Mr. Hobbs, who was their last pastor, was preceded by Rev. Mr. Clark, of McLean, Tompkins Co., who preach- ed to them once in two weeks. They have not had any pastor for the last sixteen years ; and meetings have been held only occasionally by preachers who were here casually.

THE KELLOGGSVILLE M. E. CHURCH was or- ganized May 25th, 1861, by about thirty persons, former members of the church at New Hope, prominent among whom were Hozial Howland and wife, Lloyd Slade and wife, Jonathan Beyea and wife, Elizabeth Rooks, Mary and Hannah Beyea, Jeanette Rooks, deceased, Warren Baker and wife, and Emeline Mott. The first trustees were Wm. F. Cooper, Mason B. Slade, Chris- topher Foster, Lloyd Slade and Hozial How- land.

May 25th, 1861, Freegift Tuthill, Wm. Slade Daniel R. Rooks, Gardner Mason and Barton Slade, trustees of the First Baptist Church and Society of Sempronius, whose house of worship was located in Kelloggsville, deeded to the trus- tees of this (the Kelloggsville Methodist Episco- pal) church, for $250, the church edifice belong- ing to the former Society, the sale having been authorized by the County Court April 25th, 1861.

The Methodist Episcopal Society obligated themselves by the conditions of the deed " to keep the house and premises in good repair, hold religious worship and maintain preaching in said house as is customary in the Methodist Episcopal church ;" and to keep said house " free at all times on funeral occasions for any one to preach that the friends of the deceased may desire." It is further provided that the house shall " be free for all Evangelical denom- inations to occupy when not occupied by the Methodist Episcopal church during their religious appointments, and if the said Methodist Episco- pal church fail to keep the above agreement, that the said house and premises shall revert to the said Baptist church and Society. It is to be further understood that no Evangelical denom- inations except the Methodist Episcopal church shall have any right to hold meetings from day

LEMUEL A. NEWLAND.

LEMUEL A. NEWLAND was born in Stillwater, Saratoga county, N.Y., October 17th, 1798, and came to Kelloggsville, Cayuga County, with his parents in 1803. He continued to reside at Kelloggsville till his death, February 8th, 1878.

Mr. Newland was a shoemaker by trade. He also had a partnership interest in the tanning and curry- ing business. Subsequently he was engaged in farming. The latter years of his life were spent in retirement from business.

In politics Mr. Newland was not an active partici- pant. He cared little for the honors or emoluments of public office. Though not a strong partisan he endeavored conscientiously to perform the duties de- volved upon him by citizenship in a great republic. He was formerly a Whig, but after the organization of the Republican party he affiliated with it. Though not a member of any church he embodied

MRS. FLORA B. NEWLAND.

in his every-day life, the fundamental principles of a practical christianity. He was strictly honest and upright in all his dealings with his fellow-men and won by his consistent and exemplary life the respect of all who knew him.

October 28th, 1864, Mr. Newland was united in marriage with Mrs. Flora B. Snider, widow of Ed- ward R. Snider, who died October 5th, 1844, and to whom she was married, at the age of twenty-two, February 20th, 1831.

Mrs. Flora B. Newland, who still survives her hus- band, and is residing in Kelloggsville, is a daughter of Pettit and Huldah Smith, natives of Westchester county in this State, and was born in the town of Galway, Saratoga county, N. Y., October 22d, 1808. At the age of nine years she removed thence with her parents to the town of Sempronius, now Moravia, Cayuga County.

LATE RESIDENCE OF L.A.NEWLAND. KELLOGGSVILLE, CAYUGA Co. N. Y.

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NEW HOPE.

to day, from week to week, or from month to month in said house without the consent of the trustees of said Methodist Episcopal church, and further that the authorities of the said Methodist Episcopal church shall have no right to interfere with the religious services of other Evangelical denominations by counter appointments in said house when due notice of such services has been given."

The present number of members is twelve. The pastors of this church have been the same as officiated in the church at New Hope, which is on the same charge.

NEW HOPE.

NEW HOPE is situated in the east part of the town, two miles north-east of Kelloggsville, on Bear Swamp Creek, which furnishes an excellent water privilege. It contains a Methodist Episcopal church, a district school house, two general stores, one hotel, kept by John C. Odell, a grist-mill, two saw-mills, a wagon shop and un- dertaking establishment, a shoe shop, kept by William C. Hakes, a blacksmith shop, kept by John Mclaughlin and Dwight Smith, and a pop- ulation of about 100.

MERCHANTS .-- The first store at New Hope was opened by Darius Titus and Wm. Hough- taling, about 1820. After two or three years they sold to Luther Fuller, who kept it some ten years, the latter part of the time in company with Kenyon Wicks and Vincent Kenyon, his sons- in-law. They sold to Samuel Helms, from Rock- land county, who, after two or three years, sold to John Foster, who did business four or five years, and mysteriously disappeared. He started out with a gun upon his shoulder to see a party with whom he had some business, and no one in this locality knows what became of him. D. J. Van- Auken and Freegift Tuthill opened a store about 1850, and kept it a little more than a year. Peter H. VanSchoick opened one about 1853, and kept it a little more than two years, when he removed his goods to Sempronius. He was succeeded by Warren S. Clark, a native of Sempronius, whence he came in 1858, and commenced the business he still continues. Chas. Lee opened a second store in 1870, which he kept some five years. B. F. Lester succeeded him in 1875, and staid two years. William Pidge, a native of Niles, commenced business in April, 1877, and still continues it.

POSTMASTERS .- The post-office at New Hope was established February 5th, 1862, when War- ren S. Clark was appointed postmaster and has held the office continuously since.

MANUFACTURES. -- The grist-mill at New Hope was built by Judge Chas. Kellogg in 1823. There was previously a mill a little north of this site. Horace Rounds bought the mill in 1851, and run it till 1865, when he sold to his son Eu- gene B. Rounds, the present proprietor. It con- tains three run of stones, with a capacity of about 200 bushels per day. The motive power is furnished by the creek, which has a fall of 24 feet. Mr. Rounds is about to introduce machin- ery for making flour by the new process. It has been ordered and will be put in this fall (1878.) Mr. Rounds also owns, in connection with Mark DeWitt, a saw mill at this place.

Warren S. Clark's saw and cider-mill, a half mile below the village, contains one muley saw, a planing-mill, shingle mill, lath saw and heading turner. The works are propelled by water from Bear Swamp Creek, with a thirty feet head. Mr. Clark has this fall introduced machinery for the manufacture of butter firkins.

George McGee, wagon maker and undertaker, commenced business in 1858, having been asso- ciated in partnership during the time with vari- ous individuals. He employs one person besides himself.

THE NEW HOPE M. E. SOCIETY was organ- ized and incorporated November 10th, 1851, and John D. Hake, Thaddeus Dunbar, Isaac Wood, Eliab Parker and Wm. C. Hake, (all of whom, except the two Hakes, are dead,) were elected trustees. Their house of worship was erected in 1854, their meetings having previously been held in the school-house. Rev. Ward White was the first pastor. He served them two years, and was succeeded by Asa B. Benham, who re- mained one year. During his pastorate the church edifice was erected, and Benham cut the first stick of timber for its construction.

The successive pastors have been Egbert Palmer, who stayed less than a year; E. P. El- dridge and Timothy Willis, each two years ; D. D. Davis, three years ; F. M. Warner, two years; D. D. Davis, one year; J. V. Benham, J. Gaut- sell and C. House, each three years ; Hiram Woodruff, one year; O. N. Hinman, three years; E. Compton, J. K. Underhill and Henry Guller,

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each one year ; and E. House, the present pastor, who commenced his labors with this church in 1875. During the pastorate of F. M. Warner, in 1860, a revival was enjoyed and seventy added to the membership. The present number of members is seventy.

NILES.

NILES, situated in the north part of the town, in the valley of Dutch Hollow Creek, is five miles north of Kelloggsville, and contains a dis- trict school, store, hotel, grist-mill, a grist, saw and cider-mill, a blacksmith and wagon shop, both kept by D. J. Forbes, and a population of 73. The place is locally known as “ Dutch Hol- low."

MERCHANTS .- The first store at Niles was a community store, which was opened in 1845, attended by Seth Morgan, and run about four years, when Wm. Helmer, from Herkimer county, opened a store in the same building and kept it about two years. The community folks, who built the store, sold it to John Elsworth, who con- verted it into a dwelling and used it as such till 1871, when Silas S. Robinson, who came into possession, rëconverted it into a store. He rented it to Byron G. and Daniel D. Gere, who bought it February 14th, 1872, and have since kept it.

POSTMASTERS. - The post-office was estab- lished at Niles in 1846. It was moved here from Twelve Corners, where it was kept by Mrs. Sim- kin Snow, mother of Mr. B. B. Snow, superintend- ent of public schools in Auburn. Cornelius C. De Witt was the first postmaster. He was suc- ceeded by Daniel Cole, who kept the office in the mill, and was followed by Lewis Washburn, Daniel W. Mead and Mrs. Lurinda Owens. Z. Harrison Campbell was appointed November 14th, 1870, and was succeeded by George W. Robinson and Elias Ackerman, the latter of whom held it but four or five months, till the spring of 1873, when D. D. Gere was appointed and has since held the office.

PHYSICIANS. - The only physician who has been located at Niles is Dr. Fonda, who came here in 1856 and remained about two years, when he re- moved to Owasco, where he remained but a short time.

MANUFACTURES .- Daniel W. Mead bought the grist-mill at Niles of Cornelius and Stephen

E. DeWitt and Elton, in 1862. It occu- pies the site of the first mill at this place, which was built in 1818, and destroyed by fire. It con- tains three run of stones, which are propelled by water from Dutch Hollow Brook, which has a fall of twenty-two feet.

George W. Baker is proprietor of the grist, saw and cider-mill at Niles. The mill was built at a very early day by Payne Phillips, and was owned for forty years by Leonard Covert.

TWELVE CORNERS.

TWELVE CORNERS, situated about three miles north-west of Kelloggsville, contains a church, (Methodist Episcopal,) a school-house, and thirty inhabitants.

This church was organized about 1825, and the meeting-house erected in 1840. They have not had a pastor for some ten years. The Society is practically disbanded.

NINE CORNERS.

NINE CORNERS and West Niles or " Penny- ville" are hamlets, the former in the west part of the town, and the latter near the south line.

MANUFACTURES .- On Bear Swamp Creek, one mile below New Hope, at what is known as Car- penters Falls, is an important industry for one so much isolated, consisting of a saw-mill, planing- mill, shingle-mill and cheese box factory, owned by James Carpenter.

In 1834, John H. Carpenter, who came to this County with his father, James Carpenter, from Rhode Island, about 1820, bought, in company with Kenyon Wicks, the property at this place, which then consisted of a still, built by a man named Townsend, which forms the foundation of the present building. The partnership continued some ten years, when Carpenter bought Wicks' interest. In 1845 or '6, he built a grist-mill, which has since been converted into a saw-mill ; and soon after, a saw-mill, which stands at the upper falls in a dilapidated condition, the ma- chinery having been removed to the grist-mill, when that was changed to a saw-mill. Carpenter died in August, 1865, having three or four years previously transferred the business to his sons, Charles and James, the latter of whom bought his brother's interest some ten years since, and has since carried on the business alone.

.. MRS.CLARA.J.VANETTEN.

HENRY N. VAN ETTEN.

ABRAHAM, VAN ETTEN.

RESIDENCE OF ABRAHAM. VAN ETTEN. TOWN OF NILES, CAYUGA CO. N. Y.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

The entire falls at this point, including the rapids below, is nearly a hundred feet, The works are propelled by a Jones water wheel, which is said to be only six or eight inches in diameter.

On Hemlock Brook, one mile north of Twelve Corners, is a saw-mill owned by John C. Derby. It contains an upright and a circular saw.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

JOHN ROOKS.

JOHN ROOKS, who was one of the oldest as well as one of the earliest settlers in the town of Niles, was born in Cheshire county, New Hamp- shire, in 1790, and at the age of two years, in 1792, removed with his father's family to the State of New York. In 1802 he came with his father to Cayuga County, and settled on 140 acres bought by the latter of General Courtlandt, on lot 29, about a mile north of Kelloggsville, in the town of Niles, where he and his father died, the former in the winter of 1878-'9. Both he and his father lived on the farm on which they located on coming to Cayuga County till their death, John, during the almost unexampled period of seventy-six years.

ABRAHAM VAN ETTEN.

ABRAHAM VANETTEN, son of Henry and Mary VanEtten, was born in Orange county, N. Y., May 30th, 1800. He served an apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade from November, 1815, until 1819, when he removed with his father's family to the town of Niles in Cayuga County, since which time he has pursued the occupation of a farmer.

Mr. VanEtten was enrolled in the militia in 1819, and in 1820 was elected corporal. He was successively promoted to the office of captain, major and lieutenant-colonel, and was never absent from any parade, but present and equipped as the law directed. He served twice as Judge Advocate in courts martial, and in dif- ferent stations during a period of fifteen years, when he was honorably discharged. He has been honored by his townsmen with the offices of road commissioner, assessor and supervisor several terms, having served in each capacity with efficiency and credit.

Mr. VanEtten united with the Reformed Dutch Church about 1832 and has held the of- fice of deacon and elder for twenty-five years in succession. During that long time he has not been absent from a consistory meeting, and has made an enviable church record.

Mr. VanEtten is still living on the old home- stead, a view of which may be seen in this work, enjoying in his old age the fruits of his labors.

CHAPTER XLIX.

TOWN OF MORAVIA.

M ORAVIA derives its name from a relig- ious sect called United Brethren. It was formed from Sempronius March 20th, 1833. It lies at the head of Owasco Lake, in the south- east part of the County, and is bounded on the north by Niles, on the east by Sempronius, on the south by Locke, and on the west by Owasco Lake and the town of Venice.

The surface is mainly a rolling upland, broken by the deep and narrow valleys of the Owasco Inlet and its tributaries, which are bounded by steep, and occasionally, almost perpendicular ac- · clivities, rising to a height of 300 to 400 feet above them. The numerous small streams have plowed deep, narrow gorges through the shaly super-stratum of rocks and, plunging over the limestone formation, form numerous and beauti- ful cascades and furnish an abundant water-pow- er. Mill Brook, at Montville, just below its junction with Trout Brook, plunges over a pre- cipice eighty feet high. Dry Creek, another tributary of the Inlet from the east, so named be- cause in dry seasons its flow ceases, forms sev- eral cascades, the principal of which is the last, which falls about twenty feet.

At this fall is a circular recess worn in the face of a perpendicular precipice, having the general appearance of a section of an inverted cone, and locally known as the " Cow-shed." The roof is formed by a limestone ledge, varying in thickness from fifteen inches at its outer edge, to seven and and one-half feet at its base, and supporting a lofty hill covered with primitive forest trees. This cavity, which is due to the wearing away of the slaty sub-stratum, extends back some twenty-

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five feet from the face of the rock. Its greatest width is about fifty feet, and its height, from the foot of the fall, about thirty-five feet. This creek, so interesting in other respects, is liable to sud- den and destructive freshets during continuous and excessive rains. A notable instance of this kind occurred July 21st, 1863, when the vast vol- ume of water occasioned by the heavy rains of the previous day and night, transformed it into a foaming torrent, filled with trees and logs, sweep- ing with irresistible force in its course of de- struction. The main current of the stream swept against the western bank of the cemetery and, washing away the lower stratum of gravel and quick-sand, undermined and carried away a por- tion of the grounds containing thirty-five to forty graves. The bed of the stream below the falls, strewn with huge masses of limestone rock, de- tached by the washing away of the intervening shales, and piled in disorder, gives abundant evi- dence of the force which displaced them. The generally narrow valley of the Inlet broadens at its northern terminus and forms an extensive plain, known as the Owasco Flats, which extends some five miles from the head of the lake, when it becomes more contracted.

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History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 88

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