History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 97

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 97

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Col. Samuel Drake came in 1793 and settled on lot 15, on the lands now owned by Geo. Jack- son and Christopher Mulligan. A Mr. Dimmick, who came with him, went back and brought his own and Col. Drake's family in 1794. Col. Drake died that fall, September Ist, 1794, and the stone which marks his grave in the cemetery at Northville bears the earliest record of death therein. John Bowman, his grandson, a resi- dent of Clarkson, Monroe county, was at one time prominent in the political history of the

State. He represented that county in the As- sembly in 1823, and the 8th District in the State Senate in 1824, '5 and '6. He was appointed Canal Commissioner January 9th, 1836, and held that office till his removal by the Legislature February 22d, 1840. Thorne and James Milli- ken, the former of whom owned the north half of lot 14, were here in 1793, and boarded with Colonel Drake, whose daughter, Rebecca, James married in 1795 or '6. Thorne did not remain long, but went to Camillus. James built on the hill, where Brainard Lyon lives. He had two sons worthy of notice, Samuel, a physician, who built the house where Theron E. Stark lives, and died there August 2d, 1834, in his 34th year; and Andrew, who lived on the homestead, and who died July 23d, 1836, aged 36. Nature had endowed him richly with physical and mental powers which would have made him a leading man

Alek Bothwell came from Salem, Washington county, in 1793, and settled one mile east of East Genoa, where DeWitt Bothwell, his grand- son, now lives, and died there June 9th, 1843, and his wife, in April, 1864, aged nearly 93 years. He came in company with James Wilson, on foot, and afterwards married the latter's sister, Martha, daughter of Samuel Wilson, by whom he had eight children, four of whom are living, viz : Robert, in Groton, and Lewis, Mary, widow of Kirby Sharpsteen, and Alexander, in Genoa. Alek went further west and labored the season of 1794 for the means with which to pay for his place on lot 30, for which he paid, and on which he settled in 1795. In 1797, two years after her marriage, James Wilson's wife chased with a shovelful of hot coals, and treed, a bear which had robbed their pig pen and was retreating with the prize.

William Willison settled on lot 29, one-half mile east of Genoa village, in 1793. Lear Had- ley, a blacksmith, settled in 1793 or '4, on the John L. King farm, which was subsequently oc- cupied by Joseph Southworth.

Deacon Wm. Bradley, then a young, unmar- ried man, came from Lee, Mass., in 1794, and lived that summer with his kinsman, Jabez Brad- ley, returning in the fall. Thus he continued to spend his summers here, and winters in teaching in Massachusetts, until 1798, when he married and moved here in the spring. He boarded a

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few weeks with James Milliken, and then moved into his own log house, which stood where Ar- thur E. Slocum lives. His first purchase was fifty acres, which he bought of Gen. John Tillot- son, paying therefor $3.50 per acre, on condition that the General should give one week's help in logging. He was elected deacon of the Presby- terian church of Northville, in 1800, and held that office till his death, February Ist, 1851. He was a noble man, a pure, consistent, devoted Christian. He left a record which his family, the church, and the community may remember with pride. A remark made by his wife to a friend in her old age is eloquent with the happy simplicity which characterized the lives of these pioneers. She said, in referring to the early days of their set- tlement, " We had a hole cut through the logs, without sash or glass, for a window, a blanket hung up in the place of a door. My husband worked hard, clearing in the woods. I cooked my dinner, and taking that with my child, would go where he was, and seated together by the side of a log we would eat it. I came when this country was all a wilderness, and have lived to see it a flower-garden, but those were the hap- piest days of my life."

James Moe came from Greenwich, Conn., in 1794, and settled on 66 acres on lot 15, where he died. His house stood where Alfred Lanter- man lives. None of his family are living here.

Elihu Halladay came from Washington county in 1794 or '5, with his wife, Nancy, and her sister, Martha, afterwards wife of Alek Bothwell, (daugh- ters of Samuel Wilson,) and his mother. He came with an ox team, and settled at East Genoa, where Horace Leavenworth lives. He kept a small store some years previous to 1808, buying his goods at Aurora. The first school-house in this part of the town was built of logs and stood on the corner of Halladay's land. Wm. Tru- man is the first teacher of whom we have any in- formation. Halladay afterwards removed with his family to Groton and died there.

William Armstrong came in from Goshen in 1795, accompanied by his mother, Margaret, wife of Benoni Armstrong, who was one of the party who threw overboard the tea in Boston Harbor, and died soon after. He settled on lot 39, which was bought jointly by his mother and David Armstrong. He died from injuries re- ceived at Sacketts Harbor during the war of

1812. Thomas Hollister came this same year, (1795,) and lived with John Tillotson. He sub- sequently married and moved to Groton, but re- turned in 1800. He lived many years in Little Hollow, at the foot of the hill long known as Hollister's Hill.

Noah Lyon came in from Connecticut before 1796,* and bought 400 acres on the south side of lot 24, and lived where Daniel M. Bacon resides. He died September 23d, 1820, aged sixty-four. None of his family are living.

Amos, his brother, came prior to 1797, and lived opposite the parsonage at Five Corners. The first church was organized at his house. Their brother Caleb came in 1798 and settled where Esbon Lyon lives. He and Wm. Bradley were elected deacons of the first church at the same time. Caleb was the father of Moses, Mar- tin, Caleb, Jr , and nine other children. Several of them lived near him, and for a long time that section was numerously settled by Lyons.

Major Samuel Adams came from Landisfield, Mass., in February, 1796, and lived a short time on a farm owned by Joshua Sears, a little north- west of Charles Tupper's Corners in Venice. He and his brother-in-law, Morris Bosworth, bought 400 acres on lot 6 in Genoa and moved on it. In March, 1802, Major Adams moved to North- ville and lived in a double log house, south-west of S. C. Fessenden's, and went into business with Niram Wildman, Stephen Bassett and Medad Bradley, the firm being Adams, Wildman & Co. They rented part of the Jabez Bradley farm, dealt largely in stock, and carried on a store and ash- ery. They built the frame store which stood on the site of the steam-mill building. In 1806 the firm dissolved. Messrs. Adams and Wildman went to Genoa village, built a store nearly oppo- site the Howe mill and engaged in mercantile business. They were also interested in a mill, brick yard and ashery. Mr. Adams subsequent- ly sold out at Genoa village, and erected a store at Little Creek, which is still standing. He con- tinued business there till the embargo of 1812 ruined him. He then sold his farm to Andrew Hawkins and lived for a time at the Forks of the Creek. In 1817, he went to Geauga county, Ohio, on a visit and died there. He had a good reputation as a business man. He and Wildman

* Statement of D. W. Adams, of Northville. His grandson, Amzi M. Lyon, who is station agent at Milan, in Locke, to which town he removed from Genoa in 1859, says he came in 1802.

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TOWN OF GENOA.

are said to have been the first merchants at Genoa. Darius, elder son of Samuel Adams, was eight years old when his father moved in from Massachusetts. In 1802, at the age of fifteen, he attended school a few months at Aurora, and earned his board by clerical duties in the office of Glen Cuyler. He was engaged in clerking most of the time till IS15, when he went into business for himself, and continued till his retire- ment in 1846. He represented this County in the Assembly in 1841, but declined a rënomina- tion for that office. He died in September, 1869, aged eighty-two. He was widely and favorably known in this section of country. His business life of over half a century as principal, (for, although he retired from the store in 1846, he was interested and more or less actively engaged in business enterprises till his death,) covered the period of Northville's greatest growth and prosperity, and to his energy, liberality and public enterprise is due in no small degree its present business and social status. He was succeeded in the mercantile business by his sons Samuel and Darius W., the latter of whom still perpetu- ates the name in that connection. Thus the business experience of this family covers a period of over seventy-six years, and is unparalleled, we believe, in the whole County, except in the case of the Morgans, of Aurora.

Israel Mead and Elnathan Close came from Greenwich, Conn., in 1796 or '7, having previous- ly been here and secured their titles, and settled at Pine Hollow, on lot 21, three miles east of Genoa, Mead, where his son Israel now lives, and Close, on a farm adjoining his on the north, on a part of which the widow of Stephen Mead lives. Mead was a shoemaker. He died there in March, 1851. Close also died on the place of his settle- ment. They carried their grists to Ludlowville by means of a drag, and attended church at Owasco Flats, (Moravia,) and sometimes at Bradleys Corners, (Northville.) Charles Dennison came from Stonington, Conn., in 1796 or '7, and lived a short time with his father-in-law, Charles Hen- derson, who settled a little south of East Genoa, near the Wilsons, and died there. In 1799 he settled on lot 38. He was a clothier, but aban- doned the trade and went on a farm. Four of his children are living, Roxana and Sarah, wife of Wilson Divine, at Venice, and Martha, wife of James B. Royal, and Prudence, wife of Joseph Bowers, in Lansing.

James, Nathaniel, Uriah and Solomon Knapp came from Greenwich, Conn., about 1797. James settled about a mile north of Northville, where he died ; Nathaniel, on lot 21, near Israel Mead, where he died ; Uriah, on 100 acres bought of Thorne Milliken ; and Solomon, on the farm now occupied by his grandson, S. K. Bradt. Four of Nathaniel's children are living, Nathaniel and Israel, in Genoa, Sarah, wife of Stephen Main, in Moravia, and Mary, wife of Jonah Knapp, in Con- necticut.

Captain David Ogden, Sr., came in about the same time from Nanticoke, Broome county, to which place he removed from Elizabeth, N. J., in 1791. He lived first in a block house a little south of where Alanson Brown resides. In IS05 the large frame house now occupied by Netus Jump was finished and he moved into it. He died there July 11th, 1835, in his sixty-sixth year. He was a carpenter by trade, and built the houses of Roswell Franklin, Jabez Bradley and many others in this locality. For almost forty years he was the " middle man " of this section and dealt largely in stock, grain, beef and pork. He was for many years extensively engaged in merchan- dising and was interested in boating. He owned about 300 acres, and was therefore a large farmer. He also kept a public house, and was postmaster for many years. Many branches of this business were conducted under unfavorable circumstances. The country was new, the channels of trade were unformed, the main markets, Quebec, New York and Baltimore, were not only far away, but difficult of access. Railroads were unknown, and the Erie Canal not finished till 1825. Postal communication was slow and uncertain, and there was no telegraph then. Journeys required much time, and were often attended with much danger. Under these circumstances a business so exten- sive and varied as his required executive ability and indomitable energy. He possessed both in a remarkable degree. Genoa owes much to the active life and public spirit of Captain David Og- den. Captain David Ogden, Jr., is a resident of Northville, and though in his seventy-seventh year is hale and hearty. Jonathan Ogden came in 1798 and worked with his brother David as a carpenter. In 1805 he returned to Binghamton, and died there. Ezekiel Ogden came in 1799 or 1800, and. his brother David sold him ninety acres, on which he lived till his death. Captain

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EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

Thomas Ogden came in from Elizabeth, N. J., in 1798, and settled on lot 1 in Genoa, which he drew for services as an officer in the Revolution. His house stood where Mrs. Elihu Slocum lives. He was father-in-law of David Ogden, Sr. Two of his daughters present remarkable instances of fecundity. Rachel, who married John Gilmore, had twenty-one children, and Phebe, who mar- ried John St. Clair, twenty-two.

John and Caleb Atwater came from Hamden, Conn., in 1798, and settled, the former on the Joseph Fenner farm, and the latter where Deacon Mead resides. John G. Atwater, son of Caleb, came about the same time, and lived first on the Thos. Goodyear farm, and subsequently on the south-east corner of lot 23. The Atwaters had large families and many of their children settled here. For about eighty years they have been a numerous, prominent and worthy family. Gabriel Studwell and his sons Abram, William and Peter, came the same year, (1798,) from Fairfield, Conn., and settled on lot 10. Henry Studwell came with them and settled two miles south-east of Genoa, where Andrew Stickles lives and died there. Benoni Armstrong, nephew of David Armstrong, came from Goshen in 1798, and settled a little east of David's place, a little west of where Wm. Green lives. He removed to Sem- pronius in 1805, and after two or three years to East Venice, where he died September 20th, 1811. He was a blacksmith, and followed that vocation till his death. He made nearly all the axes used in clearing up this section of the coun- try. His children were Margaret, afterwards wife of Elisha Hopkins, Melinda, afterwards wife of Lyman Halliday, Sarah, afterwards wife of Thos. Hamilton, Emily, after wards wife of Isaac Sovers, Isaac and John ; of whom Isaac, who was born in Genoa in 1801, is the only one living.

Wm. Miner, who was born in Stonington, Conn., February 14th, 1774, came to Genoa in 1799, and settled at Genoa village, where he died May 12th, 1840, aged 66, and Polly, his wife, April 4th, 1817, aged 33. He was the father of Orlando Miner, a former merchant at Genoa. Emeline, widow of Ashbel Avery, who resides in Iowa, is the only one of his children living.

Nathan Raymond, from Fairfield, Conn., and Ebenezer Howe and Elliott Palmer, also settled in 1799, the former on lot 20, and the latter two on lot II.

Numerous other settlements were made prior to 1800, among others by Wm. Jessup, who settled at Pine Hollow, on the farm now occupied by Jas. Stevens, where he died, and two of whose children are living, John, in Genoa, and Mrs. Jackson Holden, in Locke; John Barnes, who settled a half mile west of Genoa, on the Indian Fields road, where Chauncey Hand lives, and who sold in 1813, to Ebenezer Hewitt ; Increase Barnes, who settled in the same locality ; Thad- deus Spencer, who settled a half mile north-east of Genoa, where Willard Avery lives, and died there August 19th, 1856, aged 82, whose daugh- ters married and moved west many years ago, and whose son Ansel moved to Missouri about 1855 ; Aaron Lyon, who settled on fifty acres about two and one-half miles north-east of Genoa, where Jno. Tifft lives, and removed to Michigan about 1850, and died there ; Alex. Palmer, who settled three and one-half miles east of Genoa, where Geo. Holden, Henry Palmer, a grandson, and a man named Niles live, and died there, and whose daughter Polly is living north of Auburn ; a family named Tidd, from Orange county, who left at an early day ; Sherman Brown, who settled where James McGuire lives ; Jonathan Palmer, who settled near Five Corners ; Ahasuerus Fer- ris, who resided a few years on the east side of lot 4, and subsequently on lot 30; Oliver Reynolds, who lived where Dennis Doyle resides ; Noah and Wrestcome Barton, who settled on lot 29 ; Cornelius Bashford, on lot 40 ; Arthur Hewitt, on lot 19; Ichabod Lockwood and Wheeler Thorp, on lot 20; James Pixley, on lot 30; Isaac Barnum, on lot 28; Daniel Haight, on lot 18; Chas. Lester, who had lived some years previous just north of the town line, on lot 10; Timothy Stephens, father of Nelson T. Stephens, who was formerly a lawyer of some prominence at Locke, and afterwards at Moravia and Auburn, and is now Judge of the Supreme Court of Kansas, on lot 28 ; and Samuel Hicks, who settled on lot 29, at the forks of the road, where S. Wilson lives. He kept the first store in the east part of the town. He also kept a tavern, and boiled potash about twenty rods west of the four corners. Lot 29 was owned by one Vanmarter or Vandewater, in 1791. Abram Starks owned and sold in 1795 to Elihu Halladay, the place on which the latter settled.

James Ferris, son of Ahasuerus Ferris, came

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TOWN OF GENOA.

from Fairfield, Conn., in 1800, and settled at Five Corners, where the Presbyterian parsonage stands. He stopped a year or two a little north- west of the Corners, but did not take up land there. He bought of Joseph and Jesse Chitten- den, who came in from Massachusetts at an early day, fifty acres, on which he resided till his death, September 11th, 1864, aged 86. Four of his children are living, Lewis and Caliste, widow of Joseph Goodyear, in Genoa, Edmond, in Spring- port, Mich., and Augustus, in Pennsylvania. Matthias and Edward Mead, and Frederick Sco- field also settled here in 1800, the former two on lot 21, and the latter on lot 30, where Philip Shafer lives. Moses Reminton, Archelaus Chad- wick, Amos Hurlburt (in i798) and Stodart Niles settled about this time, Reminton, on the farm now occupied by Geo. A. Whiteman, one and one- half miles east of Genoa, where he died February 24th, 1836, aged 67 ; Hurlburt on lot 11, where he died November 10th, 1832, aged 62; and Niles on lot 2, where he died October 19th, 1849, aged 69. Reminton was a Quaker, and came in from Connecticut, from whence his father came about the same time, the latter settling two miles east of Genoa, on the farm now occupied by Jno. Tifft and Delos Niles, where he died. Milton and William, sons of Moses Reminton, are living, the former in Trumansburg, and the latter in Connecticut. Chadwick came from Lee, Mass. His sons, Thomas, Samuel, Jabez and Ansel were prominent and active citizens. In addition to their other gifts the Chadwicks possessed musical talents in a remarkable degree.

Joseph Goodyear came from Hamden, Conn., in 1801. He bought 200 acres of Perez Brownell, and then exchanged with Gilbert Brownell. His brothers William and Timothy came a year or two later. The Goodyears, Atwaters and Bradleys were originally from the same section. They intermarried more or less before and after coming here. Joseph Shaw came from Little Compton, R. I., in 1802, and his brother Peleg, a few years afterwards.

John Leavenworth, originally from Water- town, Connecticut, came from Canaan, Columbia county, in 1802. He lived one year west of Beardsley's, in Lansing, but soon settled and built a house on lot 40, which he bought of Wil- liam I. Vredenburg, in 1804. In 1809, he made his residence on lot 29. From that time he kept

a tavern in his log-house, built and run a distil- lery, and had also a small store in a part of the building. He was commissioned a Lieutenant by Gov. Daniel D. Tompkins, in Col. John Har- ris' regiment, and went with his company to the frontier at Lewiston in the war of 1812. He was afterwards commissioned a Captain, under Lieu- tenant-Colonel Matthew N. Tillotson, and was honored with several town offices. Many soldiers were drafted in front of the old log tavern, which stood about twenty-five rods north of his last resi- dence, and some on the green north of the old log school-house. Only two of his children are liv- ing, Horace, on the homestead, at East Genoa, and Olivia, wife of Jackson Ferris, in Springport, Michigan. Hiram went to Auburn to learn the printer's trade with H. J. Pace, and attended a grammar school. In October, 1817, he was edi- tor of the Waterloo Gazette, which he published one year. He was associated one year with Wil- liam Ray in the publication of the Miscellaneous Register. In 1820, he removed to Queenstown, Canada, and printed a paper for Wm. L. McKen- zie, the leader of the Patriot War. From thence, in 1825, he went to St. Catharines and established The Farmers' Fournal and Welland Canal Intelli- gencer, afterwards changed to the St. Catharines Fournal, which he continued until 1843. He died February 7th, 1857, in his 60th year.

Wm. Miller Clark came from Connecticut, in 1803, and settled on the Indian Fields, about a mile south-west of Genoa, on the farm now occu- pied by Chauncey Hand. He afterwards re- moved with his family to Ohio. Moses Arm- strong, brother of Benoni, came from Goshen in 1803, and settled on the farm adjoining Benoni's on the west. He removed to Groton about 1820, and died there. His family are all dead. Reu- ben Pomeroy came from Broome county, in the fall of 1803 and taught school that winter. In 1805, he married Esther, daughter of Jabez Brad- ley, and in 1806, succeeded Adams, Wildman & Co., in the mercantile business. His store stood on the site of the steam mill. He was a success- ful merchant and left a good record as an honest and trustworthy man. Seneca G. Pomeroy of Northville, is the only member of his family liv- ing. Paul Barger came from Peekskill in 1803 or '4.

Joseph Crocker, Sr., came from Lee, in 1804, and bought the James Howell farm of Oliver

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EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

Hatch. His sons Asa and Joseph, who lived and died here, were noble men, and are kindly remembered. Isaac Mitchell settled the same year on the north-east corner of lot 3." In 1819 he sold his farm to Jesse Underhill. Captain Henry Chase came from Little Compton, R. I., in 1805 ; and Samuel and Philander Lawrence, from Stamford, Connecticut, about that year. John Seymour came from the latter place three or four years afterwards. His sons, John, Phi- lander, Lewis and Theron, were once well known in this town. John Tilton came from New Jersey in 1808. He was honest, industrious, and very fond of fishing. The Howells and Tiltons came from the same place about the same time. Peter Latourette, who was ninety-four years old in 1876, and Col. Daniel Thorp, a Welshman, came about 1808. The latter settled on the Indian Fields, about a mile south-west of Genoa, where Hiram Hand lives, and died there March 15th, 1837, aged nearly sixty. Harrict, widow of Orson Welsh, residing in Cortland county, is the only one of his children living. Seth Nye came from Connecticut about 1810, and settled two and one-half miles north-east of Genoa, where Delos Niles now lives. He afterwards removed to East Venice and died there January 19th, 1840, aged 84. His children were Caleb, Joshua, Freeman, Jared and four daughters, all of whom are dead. William Green, a native of Galway, Saratoga county, came from Delaware in March, 1812, and settled on lot 40, which he bought of the State, in the south-east corner of the town, on the farm now owned by his son-in-law, David Cogswell, where he died in 1874. His children who are living are James, in Moravia, and Margaret, wife of David Cogswell, and Burr, in Groton. David Price came from Elizabeth, N. J., in 1812, and bought of Edmund Wright the place where Matthias Hutchinson lives. He subsequently lived south of Bells Corners. A man named Heaton settled at an early day a mile north-cast of Genoa, and died there. His son James, who resides in Venice, is the only one of his children living. Jacob Hagaman was an early settler on lot 30, of which he was probably the first owner.

EARLY MILLS .- The first conveniences for grinding were the mortar and pestle until 1798, when a mill was built at Ludlowville, Tompkins . county, by Henry Ludlow. Another was built at Black Rock by a_Mr. Anway, about 1800 ;

and in 1808 Abel White erected one near the falls, near N. B. Atwater's. David King built one on his farm about the same time. The last two were called " thunder shower " mills, because in summer they depended on showers for their supply of water. Mr. Durell built a mill near the site of Mr. Townsend's in 1810.

EARLY TAVERNS .- Taverns were numerous at an early day, and many of the present quiet dwel- lings were once used for public houses. Among the early tavern keepers were Peter Latourette, where Alanson Brown resides, David Ogden, one mile west of Northville, Elihu Tillotson, at the landing, John King, where Glen W. King lives, Timothy Goodyear, at Goodyears Corners, Caleb Atwater, in the Deacon Mead house, John At- water, where Joseph Fenner resides, Reuben Pomeroy, where the present hotel stands, Jabez Bradley, in the S. C. Fessenden house, W. Ham- lin, at Little Hollow, Ebenezer Hewitt, on the Indian Fields, Thaddeus Spencer, at Genoa vil- lage, Wm. Hewitt, where Phineas B. Young lives, Ebenezer Howe, at Pine Hollow, and John Car- ver, at East Genoa.

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History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 97

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