USA > New York > Herkimer County > History of Herkimer county, New York > Part 16
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PERSONAL SKETCHES.
Dr. Westel Willoughby was a native of Connecticut, and one of the most eminent of the early physicians of Herkimer county. While still a young man he settled in Norway, where he began his practice at about the time of the first settlement of the Royal Grant. He subse- quently removed to the valley of the West Canada Creek, where he made for himself a beautiful home near the village of Newport ; this he
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continued to own and beautify throughout his life. He was for about twenty years professor of midwifery and of the diseases of women and children in the Fairfield Medical College, and for a portion of that time was president of the institution. Outside of his profession he was pub- lic-spirited, benevolent, and active in the affairs of the county. He was twice chosen member of Assembly, 1807-08. He was appointed one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas in March, 1805, and so continued until 1821. He belonged to the medical staff of the mili- tia during the war of 1812, and spent some time on the frontier. He was elected to Congress from his district in 1814. Dr. Willoughby died at Newport in 1844, aged seventy- five years.
Dr. Rufus Crain was one of the original members of the County Medical Society and a native of Worcester county, Mass. He settled in the town of Warren in 1790, having already studied for his pro. fession. His zeal and success was such that in a few years he found himself in the enjoyment of an extensive practice. He was one of the early and earnest patrons of the Fairfield Medical College Dr. Crain was not an active politician, but his personal qualifications were such that his fellow- citizens called him to several positions of trust. He was appointed one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas in Feb- ruary, 1817, and continued such until 1820; was reappointed in 1821, 1823, and 1828, and held the office until 1833. He was chosen presi- dential elector in 1828. He was a sociable and hospitable man, and his character and life were worthy of esteem. He died in Warren Sep- tember 18, 1846, leaving a son and a daughter and a large estate.
Dr. William Mather was born in Fairfield April 28, 1802, and was a son of the pioneer Moses Mather. Dr. Mather was graduated from Fairfield College in 1826, andbecame a member of the County Medical Society in 1831. Early in his professional career he became deeply in- terested in chemistry, and from 1828 to 1868 was a very popular lect- urer upon that subject. In 1838 he was appointed instructor of chem- istry in Hamilton Literary and Theological Seminary, and in 1841 was chosen professor of chemistry and pharmacy in Castleton Medical Col- lege, Vt. From 1852 to 1868 he was professor of chemistry, geology and mineralogy in Madison University. Dr. Mather's residence was in Fairfield, where he was one of the most honored citizens. He died June 26, 1890.
Maleb & Southworth
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PERSONAL SKETCHES.
Dr. Stephen Todd was born in Wallingford, Conn., December 23, 1773 His father removed to Salisbury in 1792, and there the young man aided his father in clearing a home. Having studied his profession, he began practice in Salisbury in 1800, and became a member of the County Medical Society in 1819. He was captain of a company of militia in the war of 1812 and served on the frontier. In 1821 he was nominated for the Assembly and received a majority of the popular vote, but failed to obtain his certificate of election from the county clerk. Dr. Todd attained a fair degree of eminence in his profession and was justly esteemed by the community. He died in Salisbury in the same month and on the same day of the month of his birth, in 1827, aged fifty-four.
Dr. Abijah Tombling was one of the original members of the County Medical Society and a cotemporary of Dr. Willoughby. He settled in the town of Norway near the close of the last century. Later in life he removed to Herkimer village. He was appointed surrogate of the county in 1816 and held the office until 1821. From that time he par- tially or wholly gave up his profession. He died in Herkimer, leaving a family.
Dr. William Petry was the earliest physician of prominence in Her- kimer county. He was born near Oppenheim, in Germany, December 7, 1733, and came to this country in 1763 ; he married Salome Wolf, daughter of John Wolf, of Cosby's Manor, in 1766. He had served as surgeon in the Prussian army before coming to America. Previous to the Revolution he was interested in a store at the site of Herkimer village. He was a member of the Tryon County Committee of Safety in 1775, and acted as justice of the peace during the Revolution. From 1776 to 1779 he was employed as surgeon at Fort Dayton and was General Herkimer's medical adviser ; was appointed surgeon of Colonel Willett's regiment in April, 1781. He participated in the battle of Oriskany and was wounded in the leg ; was with Colonel Willett in the pursuit after Ross and Butler ; also accompanied his reg- iment in February, 1783, in the expedition to capture the Oswego fortress.
After the Revolution Dr. Petry was actively engaged in his profession throughout the Mohawk valley for many years and to near the close of
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HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
his life. He was also interested in mercantile business at Herkimer after the war and continued in it until near his death. Dr. Petry died at Herkimer August 6, 1806, leaving several sons and daughters. One of the latter was the mother of Samuel Earl and Judge Robert Earl.
Dr. H. W. Doolittle, died in the year 1853. We have no data from which to write a sketch of his life, but a resolution adopted by the Med - ical Society speaks of his high professional attainments as well as his personal qualities, which rendered him a most useful and estimable mem- ber of the community. He died December 7, 1853.
Dr. Nathan S. Willard (father of X. A. Willard), an early physician of Herkimer county, was born at Saybrook, Conn., March 29, 1788. He was graduated from Fairfield Medical College July 14, 1810, and at once began the practice of his profession at Eatonville. At that period there were but few physicians in the county, and Dr. Willard's practice extended over a wide territory, embracing in part the towns of Fairfield, Newport, Herkimer and Little Falls. He was skilled in his profession, liberal and progressive in mind and energetic and conscientious in the performance of his duty as a physician and citizen. In 1813 he married Mary Wharry, eldest daughter of Judge Evans Wharry ; a sketch of Judge Wharry's life appears in this work under the Bench and Bar. Dr. Willard died September 29, 1827.
Dr. Daniel Belknap came to Herkimer county in 1823, and entered the office of Dr. N. S. Willard, then a prominent physican at Eatonville. He was graduated in 1828 at Fairfield and took up Dr. Willard's practice. In 1832 he settled in Little Falls and practiced here until his death. It was written of him that his close observation, keen perception, and clear discrimination rendered his judgment almost infallible. He was fearless in defense of the right and possessed many good qualities as a man and a citizen.
Dr. Lester Green commenced the study of medicine under Dr. Luther Giteau of Trenton, Oneida county, in 1803. In 1821 he was gradu- ated from Fairfield Medical College, and began practice at Little Falls, where he was actively engaged in his profession for thirty years. He was elected a permanent member of the New York State Medical Society in 1843, and for two terms was president of that society. In 1849 he was chosen a delegate to the United States Medical Society.
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FAIRFIELD MEDICAL COLLEGE.
Dr. Green was for many years a leading physician of the county, and has left a record for being sound in judgment, skillful, devoted to his profession and public spirited as a citizen. He died at Little Falls Feb- ruary 6, 1849.
Dr. S. A. Ingham was born in Rensselaer county April 3, 1817, and in the following year removed with his father to what is now Ingham's Mills. He studied medicine with Dr. Nolton and was graduated from the Medical College in January, 1840. From that time until 1844 he was associated with Dr. Booth, of Russia, after which he located in Ing- ham's Mills. In 1849 he removed to Little Falls where he was in practice more than thirty years. He served over two years as surgeon of the 152d New York Regiment in the Civil War.
Dr. P. Pryne, was an early physician in Frankfort where he was born in 1820. He studied medicine with Dr. H. W. Doolittle and be- gan practice in Herkimer in 1844. His grandfather, Peter Pryne, served at the battle of Oriskany, where he was wounded, and his father, Francis Pryne, served in the war of 1812.
Griffin Sweet, M. D., was born in March, 1814, in Norway, Herkimer county. He was graduated at Fairfield Medical College and located in Fairfield where he practiced his profession until near his death. He held the office of supervisor, was superintendent of the schools, and a member of Assembly from his district in 1863. He was an able man intellectually and stood high in his profession.
Dr. Hamblin B. Maben was born in Greene county, N. Y., March 27, 1833. After receiving a classical education he studied medicine and was graduated at the Albany Medical College at the age of twenty four. Locating in Ilion in 1860 he soon gained a large practice and long oc- cupied a foremost place in the profession. He was honored with many positions of trust in local offices and was twice the Democratic nominee for the Assembly. He also became largely interested in build- ing and other real estate operations in Ilion.
James Hemstreet was born in the town of Ohio, Herkimer county, in 1826. He studied medicine with his father, Richard I. Hemstreet, practiced in Trenton, Gray and Newport, finally settling in Poland vil- lage in 1865.
Fairfield Medical College .- The College of Physicians and Surgeons of the western district of New York, located at Fairfield, Herkimer
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HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
county, had its origin in the medical school established by the trustees of Fairfield Academy, in 1809. This school had acquired some reputa- tion while attached to the academy. It was such even in the second year of its existence as to induce the Legislature of the State to endow it with $5,000, and when it received the rank of college, they generous- ly added to its funds the further sum of $10,000
The charter of the college bears date June 12, 1812, to which is ap- pended the seal of the University of the State, and signed by Daniel D. Tompkins, Chancellor of the University of the State of New York ; H. Bloodgood, secretary.
In the charter the following persons are named as constituting the first board of trustees, viz. :
Westel Willoughby, Jun., Jonathan Sherwood, Luther Giteau, Solomon Wolcot, Isaac Sears, Abijalı Tombling, Amos Hale, Simeon Ford, Clark Smith, Joseph White, Alexander G. Fonda, Oliver C. Comstock, John Miller, Isaac Sargeant, Reuben Hart, Atnasa Trowbridge, Francis A. Bloodgood, William D. Ford, James Kennedy, Oliver Ellis, Andrew A. Bartow, William Smith, John Stearns and James Hale; they and their successors were to have perpetual succession.
At a meeting of the board of trustees, held December 1, 1812, the following individuals were appointed officers of the college, viz. :
Lyman Spalding, professor of anatomy and surgery ; Westel Will- oughby, jr , professor of obstetrics ; James Hadley, professor of chem- istry ; John Stearns, professor of the theory and practice of physic.
The class of 1812-13, as appears by the records, consisted of eight- een medical students. During the session of 1813-14 it numbered twenty- four.
At a meeting of the board, March 23, 1815, T. Romeyn Beck was recommended to the honorable regents to fill the office of professor of the institutes of medicine.
January 30, 1816, the degree of doctor of medicine was conferred on two individuals, viz .: Horatio Orvis and Sylvester Miller. Dr. Beck gave his first course on medical jurisprudence. Number of students, 28; 4 graduates.
At a meeting of the board, May 20, 1817, Dr. Joseph White, of Cherry Valley, was appointed president and professor of anatomy and surgery in the college in place of Dr. Spalding. At the same meeting
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FAIRFIELD MEDICAL COLLEGE.
it was resolved that President White have leave to substitute his son, Delos White, M. D., to deliver lectures on anatomy in his stead.
January 20, 1818, the class consisted of 41 students, of whom 7 were considered worthy of the degree of doctor of medicine.
January 19, 1819, a resolution was passed by the board of trustees dismissing any student who should be concerned, directly or indirectly, in digging up any dead human body for the purpose of dissection in the college.
January 20, 1820, the Legislature was petitioned for a law for giving the dead bodies of unclaimed convicts of the State prison at Auburn to the college, for the purposes of dissection.
January 23, 1821, Dr. Delos White resigned his professorship of an- atomy, in conseqence of the difficulty of procuring subjects for dissec- tion. The same year it was resolved to extend the course of lectures from twelve to sixteen weeks.
January 22, 1822, James McNaughton, M. D., was made professor of anatomy and physiology. Sixty-two students; 14 graduates.
For several years subsequent to this period the affairs of the college continued to prosper and the number of students to increase. At the close of the session ending in January, 1827, Joseph White, M. D., in consequence of age and infirmities, resigned his professorship, and was succeeded in the chair of surgery by John Delamater, M. D. Number of students in attendance this session, 144; graduates, 25. In conse- quence of the increase of students an additional college edifice was erected containing thirty-two lodging rooms, and the lecture rooms of the old college edifice were enlarged and rendered more commodious.
In 1828 the number of students was 171 ; graduates, 33.
In 1832 the number of students had increased to 205 ; graduates, 39.
The largest class ever assembled at the college was during the session ending in January, 1834, when the number reached 217, of whom 55 received the degree of doctor of medicine. The following year the number was 198.
The organization of the medical department of Geneva College, and subsequently the incorporation of a medical college in the city of Al- bany, together with other causes, had the effect to diminish the number of students in attendance at the Fairfield college from the year 1834
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HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
until the final suspension of lectures in the latter institution by the faculty ; yet the numbers continued to be respectable, and probably would have been until the present time had the proper efforts been con- tinued to sustain it. During the year 1336 the regents confirmed the following alterations, by which the professorships stood as follows :
Westel Willoughby, M. D., emeritus professor of midwifery.
James Hadley, M. D., professor of chemistry and pharmacy.
T. Romeyn Beck, M. D., professor of materia medica and medical jurisprudence. James McNaughton, M. D., professor of anatomy and physiology.
John Delamater, M. D., professor of practice of physic and diseases of women and children.
Reuben D. Mussey, M. D., professor of surgery and midwifery.
Subsequently, Frank H. Hamilton, M. D., succeeded Professor Mus- sey in the chair of surgery, and with this exception the faculty remained as above during the operation of the institution. The last course of lectures was given during the winter of 1839-40. The number of stu- dents in attendance was 105, of whom 26 received the degree of doctor of medicine. After the cessation of medical lectures the college build- ings were changed to adapt them for the extension of Fairfield Acad- emy. (See history of that institution.) Lyman Spaulding, M. D., was the first president of the college, and was succeeded in office by Joseph White, M. D., in 1817, who resigned in 1827. The venerable Professor Willoughby succeeded Dr. White and held the office until his decease.
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TOWN OF GERMAN FLATS.
CHAPTER X.
THE TOWN OF GERMAN FLATS !
T HE town of German Flats lies in the southern central part of Herki- mer county, and is bounded on the north by the Mohawk River ; on the east by Little Falls ; southerly by the towns of Warren and Co- lumbia, and westerly by Frankfort. A broad and fertile intervale lies along the river, from which the surface rises gradually to a height of 300 to 400 feet and stretches away in a hilly upland. Fulmer's Creek di- vides the upland into two nearly equal parts. Steele's Creek flows through the western part.
This town was originally formed as the " fifth, or German Flats dis- trict " of Tryon county, March 24, 1772, and was recognized as a town on the 7th of March, 1788. In 1796 the towns of Frankfort, Litchfield and Warren were taken off, and in 1829 a part of Little Falls. When the town was erected (1788) it comprised all that portion of Mont- gomery county south of the Mohawk River, bounded easterly by Cana- joharie (the western bounds of that town being the Susquehanna River, Otsego Lake, and a line from the head waters of the lake to the Little Falls) ; south by the north line of the town of Otsego, running from the head waters of Otsego Lake, in the patent granted to George Croghan and others, along the northerly bounds of that patent to the north- west corner of it and extending westerly to the river, and along the northerly line of the Edminston patent; westerly by the west line of the town of Herkimer continued south to the town of Otsego, or in other words nearly by the present eastern bounds of Oneida county. Besides the towns before mentioned these boundaries included a part of Otsego county. The present area of the town is nearly 20,000 acres, and comprises a large portion of the Burnetsfield patent ; nearly all of
! In arrangement of the following town histories it was deemed advisable to take the older and more historically important towns first, rather than to follow the chronological order of their formation. The reader should also bear in mind that the personal history of each town is largely augmented by the sketches in the last department of the volume,
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HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
Staley's first tract ; the whole of Frank's patent, and a part of the Guy Johnson tract.
To this town and in the vicinity of the " old stone church " came some of the early Palatine settlers. Near the site of the church the first settlers built a school-house of logs before the year 1730, which was probably used by the God fearing Germans for worship until their first church was erected, the predecessor of the stone church. The ground on which the school house was built had been assigned to Nicholas Wollaber, grandfather of the Nicholas who died at a venerable age in 1861. On the little creek just east of the stone church the Germans also built a grist-mill before the year 1730 (probably in 1725), and "it was without doubt the first mill erected within the present limits of the
county. Both the school- house and the mill are referred to in the deed of Nicholas Wollaber given for the site of the present stone church, which is dated September 24, 1730.1 In the first church erected on this site were pews, or seats, to which the people held title, as seen by the will of Nicholas Feller, who gave to his grandson, John Nicholas Christman, son of John Christman, his pew in the church which he called his " seat or place in our church."
Here those early German settlers, descendants of some of whom are still residents in this county, and in a few instances on the same lands on which their remote ancestors dwelt, enjoyed a period of repose and prosperity of thirty years, to be rudely disturbed by the incursion of the French and Indians in 1757, who destroyed crops, cattle and carried away many of the people as prisoners. Among these was John Jost Petri, probably the foremost man in the settlement at that time. Saw- mills and grist-mills were burned, the sites of some of which are known. A grist- mill on Steele's Creek, where is now the village of Ilion, was destroyed, as shown in the following descriptive language in a French record of a journey through the valley, from which we have quoted in an earlier chapter :
Continuing along the high road which is on the right bank of the river Mohawk, 10 go to Fort Konari [Herkimer] a creek is met [Steele's] that must be forded. Here was a grist-mill that has been burnt. One league before reaching Fort Konari another small stream is encountered [ Fulmer's ('reek ] over which there is a bridge. This stream
| Samuel Earl's papers.
9
Dosah Shull
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TOWN OF GERMAN FLATS.
is fordable almost at all seasons. There was also a saw-mill on this creek which had been burnt.
Another grist-mill burned was on lands of the late Frederick P. Bel- linger, on the north side of the river. (See history of Herkimer.)
Among the German families who settled in German Flats, and mainly in the eastern part, were those of Woolaber, Stelly, Wolever, Erghemar, Bellinger, Fox, Edich, Staring, Shoemaker, and others ; many of these names have since been changed in orthography to conform to English pronunciation.
The stone church at Fort Herkimer was erected in 1751-53, the pre- cise time not being known, and formed a part of the stockaded defense built under the administration of Sir William Johnson in 1756. After using the log church at first erected for about a quarter of a century, the thrifty Germans began to feel the need of more commodious quar- ters, and in pursuance of their object issued the following petition :
To his Excellency, the Honourable George Clinton, Captain-General and Governor-in- Chief of the province of New York and Territories thereon depending in America, Vice-Admiral of the same, and Admiral of the White Squadron of his Majesty's Fleet :
The humble petition of Johan Joost Herchheimer, of Burnet's Field, in the County of Albany, yeoman, in behalf of himself and the rest of the inhabitants, High Ger- mans living here, humbly sheweth :
That your petitioner and sundry other High Germans to the number of one hundred families and upwards, at present resident at Burnet's Field, in this province, propose, with your Excellency's permission, to erect a Stone Church on the South side of the River, upon a convenient spot of ground already purchased by the Inhabitants, for the Worship of Almighty God, according to the discipline of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church. But finding themselves unable alone to finish and complete the same, your petitioner therefore, in behalf of the said Inhabitants, humbly prays your Excel- lency will be favorably pleased to grant a Brief or Lycense to crave the voluntary as- sistance and contribution of all well disposed persons within this province, for com- pleting the said structure altogether intended for Divine Worship.
And your petitioner, as in duty bound, shall ever pray, etc.
JOHAN JOOST HERCHEJMER.
Fort George, in New York, October 6, 175I. Be it so. G. CLINTON.
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HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
George Clinton wasted no words in giving his permission, and the paper was circulated for subscriptions. The building of the church was begun about the date of the petition, but it was not finished when the French and Indian invasion of 1757 occurred. After that dis- astrous event, which brought poverty upon the people, they applied for, and received from, Sir Henry Moore, then governor of the colony, a license to solicit subscriptions to complete the church. The subscrip- tion paper read as follows :
TO ALL Christian People to whom this shall come. Whereas, the Inhabitants on the South side of the River of Burnet's Field, on the German Flatts, whereas, we are about to erect a Church wherein the High Dutch Language in the Prodestant way should be preached. Before the late war, and when the war begun, we was obliged to leave of building, and in the war everything was discharged, and as we where desirous to have a place of worship, we have begun to build a Church, but we find ourselfs not abel to finish the same, occasioned by the troubles we had in the war, that is to say, all our Houses and Barns, with all we had in them, where burnt, and our Horses and Cattles where killed and takeing away, and a great many of our People takeing Pris- oners by the Enemy, which has unabled us to finish the Church. For them Reasons we have desired two of our members, that is to say, Johan Jost Herkemer and Hen- drick Bell, to try to collect some money of all good people to enable us to have our Church finished, and we hope all good people will take our cause in consideration, as we have no place of Worship now but a small Log House.
We are, in behalf of the Congregation and ourselfs, Gentlemen,
Your Most Humble Servants,
AUGUSTENIS HESS, RODOLF SCHOMAKER, PETER VOLS.
N. B .- I, being old and unable, I therefore send Peter Vols to do the business of collecting for me. JONANN JOST HERCHEIMER, Just.
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