USA > New York > Livingston County > History of Livingston County, New York, from its earliest traditions to the present together with early town sketches > Part 73
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was strengthened by the fact that in the course of the day a man by the name of Street, who had been out with a load of cattle, had sold them and was supposed to be returning with the money in his pocket, and when near that place was accosted by two men who asked him to get off and take a drink. When he stooped down to take a drink at the spring they brained him and the creek carried the name of Murder creek for a long time. Red Jacket's fondness for sweetening in his tea was notorious and the subject of jokes. As we gathered around the table some lumps of salt had been carelessly left where he could reach them. lle tasted his tea and discovered that it was not sea- soned to his taste, when he reached out and took two or three lumps of the salt which he put into his tea and stirred all up preparatory to a good suck. He drew heavily upon the beverage, but as the taste had penetrated to the cuticle of the mouth bab! he could not stand it and he greeted it with, 'You've got me.' Some important transac- tion was to be consummated between the United States government and the Indians. Some commissioners were sent by the government to conclude the business. They were prevented because Red Jacket, one of the chief head men, was drunk After waiting for several days for him to sober off, they applied to Jones to get him sober enough to do business. He found him drunk on the floor of the bar-room and when the bar-keeper came to shut up for the night he seized Red Jacket to throw him out. Jones interfered and told the man he would take care of him: when the man built up a good fire and went to bed. About one or two o'clock Red Jacket, having slept off the effects of the liquor. woke up and inquired for the man who dealt out the liquor. The Captain interfered and said, 'Cousin, this won't do. Our father wishes to confer with his children and close up our agreements and has sent his officers here to complete the transaction. They have been waiting day after day, but cannot proceed because the chief man was drunk. Our father would be very angry that his officers were treated with such disrespect. You must abstain until the business is completed.' Red Jacket had a very prominent under lip, which he dropped with his head, and after a long interval he raised his head and said, 'I guess it will all blow over in a few days.' But Jones stuck to him until the business was completed and the commissioners left. On one occasion when the captain visited Buffalo, there was a militia training, and as was the custom in those days, a good many men in-
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toxicated. As Jones's business was principally with the Indians, their consultations were held in public in the Indian language on the open stoop, the floor of which was two or three feet above the surrounding earth. One man, half drunk, was particularly obtrusive, and would obtrude himself with, 'What are these old men talking about?' He was repeatedly told that it was none of his business and he had better keep away. He insisted that it was a free country and he would go where he liked. Captain Jones was lame in both legs, but backing up against the house he found a firm support, he extended his arm as the intruder pressed upon him and altered the direction of the man and sent him off the stoop. In his progress he spread out both his arms and carried off several others, among them the District Attorney. As soon as they could pick themselves up, the District Attorney limped up and asked the captain if he knocked that man off. Jones said the man was in the way and pushed him aside. The injured man had recuperated sufficiently to get within hearing distance, and re- marked, 'If you call that pushing, I'd like to know what you call knocking.' The question was left to the crowd and it was decided that it was a case of forcible ejectment. As soon as it was reduced to legal parlance the lawyer was satisfied, and the crowd dispersed.
"An Indian that had the under cord of his toe separated and the toe turned up which was very troublesome in his moccasin and operated as a hook and caught the grass, applied to Jones to cut it off. But as he was an adept in surgery, he told him he could do it himself. It would be but a stroke and he would help him. So he prepared a block, procured a sharpened chisel and a mallet and fixed him all right. The Indian gave the blow and leaped into the air with 'you told me to.' But the toe was off. James and George Jones, the sons of the captain, joined a company that was going out on the lines in 1813 or '14 in the war of 1812, and were taken prisoners by the In- dians, but as there was a dispute as to which tribe of the Indians the prisoners belonged, and to settle the dispute they were all toma- hawked. This was a heavy stroke and it was for a long time a ques- tion how they were disposed of. The Indians are the wards of the nation. They are migratory and as they pass from place to place, there are always necessary expenses that they cannot pay for, but they call upon those to whom they look for assistance, and it was frequently inconvenient to accommodate twenty or thirty with necessaries, such
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
as food, lodging, horse feed, etc. Now for these necessaries you could not make out a bill with the necessary vouchers. The agent selected the Indian goods and when they were opened if a piece of beaver cloth was found too fine for Indian's rough wear, it was selected with, 'that's for the chief on the Genesee river; and that is for the chief at Canandaigua.' So if there was a brass kettle that was too bulky for an Indian to transport, a white chief would be found to utilize it and consider it a compensation for the many perplexities that they were called upon to settle between families and neighborhoods. I was knowing to a case where there were legitimate charges that should have been paid without a word, but were rejected. It amounted to $66 or $70. On inquiry of one of the auditors, he said it was too small. It was immediately revised and corrected, and charges of forage for twenty Indians, carriage and horses, driver, tavern expenses, at $10 a day, amounting to $400 or $500, which was audited at once and the cash paid."
LEICESTER CHURCHES.
The inception of the movement which resulted in the organization of the UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF CUYLER- VILLE, New York is set forth in the following sketch : .
In September, 1840, the canal between Rochester and Mount Morris was completed. During the same year Cuylerville was surveyed and named by Colonel William T. Cuyler, who owned the land upon which the village stands and much of the country around it. The place be- came an important shipping point and a flourishing village.
The first effort towards the organization of a religous society was made by the Baptists in 1843, a society was organized but the house of worship was built in Moscow.
In the village and surrounding country were many families of Scotch Presbyterians who desired a church more convenient than York or Covington.
In 1844 application was made to the Presbytery of Caledonia, under the care of the Associate Reformed Synod of New York, for an or- ganization. Steps were also taken towards the erection of a house of worship.
The request was granted and the Rev. D. C. McLaren, Rev. Alex- ander Blaikie and Mr. Hugh Mcveigh were appointed a committee to
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
organize a congregation in Cuylerville. This was effected in due time and a building completed.
The following is a copy of a part of the first minutes of the organization:
"At a meeting of the male members of the Associate Reformed Congregation of Cuylerville held in the church in said village on Mon- day, January 20, 1845 pursuant to a published notice for the same- the Rev. Alexander Blaikie was appointed moderator, Hugh Dale assistant moderator agreeable to the statute for such cases provided, and James Niven was chosen clerk.
On motion it was unanimously resolved that the society be known by the name and title of the Associate Reformed Church of Cuylerville in the town of Leicester, county of Livingston, state of New York, adhering to the Associate Reformed Synod of New York, and that the trustees hereafter to be elected and their successors shall be known by the name and title of "The Trustees of the Associate Reformed Church of Cuylerville."
Five trustees were then chosen, and their terms of service decided by lot. Henry VanVechton for one year, James Niven and Lyman Odell for two years, Hugh Dale and Jacob N. Clute for three years. A certificate of organization was executed and being duly attested be- fore William Finley a judge of Livingston county, was placed on file in the clerk's office.
On the 14th of November, 1846, Rev. D. C. McLaren moderated a call to Rev. James B. Schevler of Philadelphia, who was installed as pastor April 7, 1847. At the same time Hugh Rippey, Matthew Crawford, and John Kennedy were elected to the office of "Ruling Elder," and they were installed on the 9th of May.
Rev. Schevler demitted his charge January 28, 1852, and was suc- ceeded by Rev. W. C. Somers, January 1, 1853-November 10, 1856. Rev. F. M. Proctor, January 1, 1859-April 17, 1866. Rev. John Rip- pey December 26, 1866-May 4, 1894. Rev. R. B. Stewart, April 1st, 1895.
The Presbyterian Church of Moscow, New York, was organized by Rev. Abraham Forman of Geneseo in the month of June 1817, and was connected with the Presbytery of Ontario. There were nine original members, three of these were chosen elders and composed the first session, namely, Asahel ¿Munger, Abijah C. Warren, Asa R.
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Palmer. Elihu Mason was the first minister, serving from July 1817 to 1820.
At the time of its organization the church worshiped in the chapel of the Moscow Female Academy, a then flourishing institution, located on the south side of the village park, and a little east of the present church building. Here the church continued to worship till the pres- ent edifice was finished in the fall of 1832.
The contract for building was first given to a young man, who lack- ing sufficient means to continue and complete the work, it was after- ward given to Mr. Howe who finished it at a cost of 83,300. This building was again thoroughly repaired and refurnished in 1868, Rev. M. N. McLaren of Caledonia preached the dedicatory sermon.
Following Rev. Mr. Mason in the ministry were Rev. S. T. Mills, Rev. Amos P. Brown, Rev. J. Walker, Rev. Mr. Schaffer, and Rer. Samuel Porter, each serving from two to five years. The first settled pastor was Rev. John H. Redington, a man of more than ordinary ability, who began his labors in 1835. It was during his pastorate that the division of the Presbyterian church into the new and old school occurred. And the pastor being very decided in his opinions, adhering to the old school and carrying a number of the membership with him, these went out and built a small church on the east side of the village park, while those adhering to the new school party maintained their right to the original church edifice and continued to worship there. Rev. Mr. Redington continued his pastorate up to his death, which occurred in September, 1841, and his remains were deposited in the village cemetery where they still rest. Following Mr. Redington in the Old School church was Rev. J. W. McDonald, and officiating in the other church was the Rev. E. H. Stratton, under whose influence in 1845 the two churches were again reunited under the Presbytery of Wyoming.
Following in the pastorates were Rev. L. Leonard, Rev. Walter C. Cauch for three months, Rev. J. M. Harlow, Rev. G. R. Howell, Rev. W. D. Mckinley. The present pastor, Rev. Fisher Gutelius began his labors on the first Sabbath of July, 1874, and is now in the thirtieth year of his pastorate with this people. The membership of the church has never exceeded about one hundred-which number is still main- tained. During the pastorate of Mr. Gutelius a fine new pipe organ was placed in the church in 1876, cost $2700, and beautiful parlors
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were added to the church in 1903 by the Ladies Aid Society at a cost of over $1000. Originally the church was connected with the Pres- bytery of Ontario, and in 1837 with the Presbytery of Newton Synod of New Jersey, and later it was transferred to the Presbytery of Sus- quehanna and afterward to the Presbytery of Wyoming, and upon the union of Wyoming and Steuben, it became connected with the Pres- bytery of Genesee River. By the union of the two General Assem- blies in 1870 and the subsequent reconstruction of Synod and Presby- teries the church became allied with the Presbytery of Rochester, of which body it is still a member.
The following is a list of Elders who have officiated in the session : June 1817 Asahel Munger, Abijah C. Warren, Asa R. Palmer.
1819 Sam'l M. Hopkins, Felix Tracy.
1822 Jerediah Horsford.
1829 Ezra Walker.
1831 Benjamin Ferry, Daniel T. Barnum.
1837 Stephen D. Alverson, Alanson Holbrook.
1841 William H. Holbrook, Samuel C. Wilder.
1859 Wilder Silver, James R. Dales.
1868 Jacob K. Smith.
And the present session are Newton H. Crosby, F. Stuart Gray, Henry B. Higgins and George F. Hudson.
The total number of membership from the organization up to the present time has been about 500.
Two persons born in this town and in early life attendants of this church became missionaries in foreign lands, Rev. Herman N. Barnum, D. D., son of Daniel T. Barnum, a graduate of Amherst College and of Andover Theol. Seminary, who has labored at Harpoot, Turkey under the American Board for a number of years and is still laboring there, also Saralı Dales, a daughter of Rev. John B. Dales, D. D., once a member of this church, who went out under the auspices of the United Presbyteries to Egypt and subsequently married Rev. Dr. Lansing.
There were Methodists in the town of Leicester at a very early day. They soon increased to such a number that a class was formed and in a few years the number was sufficient to warrant the formation of a church. No early records are in existence. The time when the first class was organized ; the names of those who composed it; the name
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of the class leader-all are gone. This class existed at least as early as 1820, for at the Conference of 1821 it was reported that Rochester, Moscow and Geneseo were made new charges. This presupposes the existence of those preliminary steps to the organization of a Methodist church-the development of the class.
Lewis B. White came from Rochester, New York, to Moscow in 1825. There was a local preacher by the name of Lock residing here, a class leader, and there was another leader by the name of Bealcy Ensign. In this year (1825) Peter Palmer and wife, Charles P. Conoley and wife, Gamaliel Jeckett and wife and others were con- nected with these classes. The old brick school house was used as a preaching place. Here their Sunday school was held. This society was organized May 3rd, 1829, with the title "THE FIRST SOCIETY OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH in the Village of Moscow, New York." The trustees elected were Lewis B. White, Gamaliel Jeckett, Peter Palmer, Charles P. Conoley, William Lyman.
The contract for the present church building was immediately let to John Atwood and Peter Palmer and it was to be finished by January 1st, 1830. The Rev. Loren Grant drew the plan for the church edifice. This society was connected with the Dansville circuit at first, and was then made a part of the Perry circuit. Afterwards, and as early as 1839, it was connected with the old Covington circuit. The Confer- ence preachers sent during 1839 were the Revs. Richard L. Wait, E. J. Selleck and a Mr. Richman. In 1843 occurred the great division when the Wesleyan secession divided this society. The two sections were about equal numerically and financially. Those who separated organized a society and worshiped in the old academy for a little more than a year.
The rebuilding of the old society and establishing it on a firm basis and its subsequent success were largley due to the wise counsel and good management of the Rev. Richard Wright, so that in August 1845 the report made by the Rev. David Fellows, preacher in charge of the Covington circuit gave Moscow a membership of eighty-one. The church has been thoroughly repaired twice. The first was in 1848 and the second in 1873. At the latter over $1,300 was ex- pended.
THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH of Moscow was organized in 1843, and its first pastor was Elder O. D. Taylor. A house of worship
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was erected the succeeding year. The church struggled along because of its lack of membership and financial strength for many years and the pulpit and pastorate were irregularly supplied. It was easier to get an occasional preacher than one to attend to the work outside of the church services although for long intervals these pulpit supplies were very infrequent. Intermittent services were kept up until about 1874 or 1875. Since then they have been suspended and the old church building was sold to the Catholic church upon the organization of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in 1897.
The history of the formation of St. Thomas Aquinas Church of Moscow is given in the following communication :
On the 12th of June, 1897, Rt. Rev. B. J. McQuaid informed the pastor of St. Patrick's Church of Mount Morris that the Catholics of Moscow, who for years had been yearning for a church of their own, must now be gratified. Previous to this time they had formed a part of the parish of Mount Morris. Father Day announced to his con- gregation on Sunday, the 13th of June, the Bishop's decision and re- quested the members from Moscow to appoint a committee to confer with him that week. The committee was accordingly appointed and met at St. Patrick's Rectory. The question of buying land on which to build a church was dismissed, when it was learned that the former Baptist Church property of Moscow, owned by Sarah C. Wemple, was for sale and could be purchased for a reasonable sun. Bishop McQuaid's assent to this proposition was obtained, and Father Day, John McMahon, and B. E. Brophel were appointed trustees with power to purchase. The property was purchased for $1200, and deeded on the 16th of July to the congregation under the corporate title of Thomas Aquinas Church. A sanctuary was built and an altar, con- fessional, organ, vestments and the necessary furniture were supplied. The pews were taken up and replaced so as to leave a center and two side aisles. The interior was papered and painted. Fifteen feet were added to the tower, a steel roof put on and the exterior painted.
The church was dedicated on the 19th of September of that year by Rt. Rev. B. J. McQuaid who also preached. Rev. E. Gefell sang the Mass and the choir of St. Patrick's Church of Mount Morris furnished music. Rev. James H. Day, who is still the pastor, was assisted from July, 1898 until November, 1899 by Rev. E. A. Rawlinson. B. E. Brophel is still one of the trustees, but John McMahon having moved
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to Mount Morris in 1901, resigned as trustee and has been succeeded by Charles Welch. James McMahon has been and is still the faithful sexton.
LIVONIA.
The town of Livonia, on the eastern side of Livingston county, was formed from Pittstown, now Richmond, Ontario county, in 1808, and reduced to its present size in 1819, for the formation of Conesus. It is bounded north by Lima, east by Richmond, Ontario county, south by Conesus, and west by Geneseo. Its area is 22,811 acres, and its population in 1900 was 2,788.
The northern part is undulating and the southern part somewhat hilly. The soil along the streams is a clayey loam, on the uplands a sandy and gravelly loam, and nearly all of a quality to produce good grain crops. A part of the town is underlaid with salt deposits.
The outlet of Conesus lake runs along its northwestern section, the outlets of Hemlock and Canadice lakes its eastern section, and Kin- ney's creek is in the southern section. Hemlock lake enters the southern part of the town for about a mile, and Conesus lake lies along its western border.
There are five villages and hamlets-Livonia, Livonia Centre, South Livonia, Hemlock Lake (formerly called Slab City) and Lake- ville. The largest of these is Livonia which had a population of 865 in 1900.
Jacksonville, at one time a promising hamlet, located on the outlet of Hemlock lake, a mile or so north of Slab City, has gone to decay. It contained at one time a grist-mill, distillery, cloth-dressing works, one store and several dwelling houses. The place was regularly laid out and the village lots duly numbered.
The most of the early settlers were from New England, industrious and energetic.
Solomon Woodruff, one of the first settlers, was born in South Farms, Connecticut, and came to Livonia in 1792, and settled on a farm one mile south of the Centre. His nearest neighbor at that time was Mr. Pitts, at the foot of Honeoye Lake. He purchased his farm of one hundred and fifty acres of General Fellows, a large land owner,
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at four shillings per acre. The first year he cut the timber on one and a half acres, and burnt the brush, and without removing the logs planted it to potatoes, and with the avails of this crop paid for his farm. With the help of a neighbor named Farnam he put up a log cabin on the clearing and returned to Connecticut in the fall. In February, 1793, with his wife and two children, and his household effects on a sled drawn by a pair of three-year-old steers, he started back to his home in Livonia, and was twenty-six days on the journey to the house of George Goodwin, in what is now the town of Bristol, Ontario county, where his youngest child died, after which event he and his family pursued their journey to Livonia only to find that his house had been burned in his absence by the Indians. He found a temporary home for his wife and child with Gideon Pitts while he proceeded to put up another cabin. The nearest grist mill was six miles east of Canandaigua, and to this Mr. Woodruff often went with his oxen and the grist on the yoke between them, as he had no wagon, and there was hardly a road for one. At this time the Indians were quite troublesome, and on one occasion when Mr. Woodruff was absent they came, to the number of thirty, and demanded the bark which covered the corncrib to make a covering for their huts, and upon being refused by Mrs. Woodruff, they came into the house, in- toxicated, and remained the entire night, threatening the lives of her- self and child, Austin. The next year, in the fall, a party of Indians came by Mr. Woodruff's, and one of them snatched up this same child and started off at full speed, but fortunately his course lay up a steep hill which somewhat arrested his flight. Luckily, a man who worked for Mr. Woodruff met him and relieved the child from its perilous situation. The next summer there was a great treaty held some place west of his house and eleven hundred Indians passed his place in Indian file and the train was over one mile in length. About the same time an Indian runner was sent out from Buffalo to go to Can- andaigua, and reached Mr. Woodruff's house at three o'clock in the afternoon, seventy-five miles distant from Buffalo. He halted a few moments, took a drink of water, and started again, and reached Can- andaigua before sunset, a total distance of one hundred miles. When Sullivan's army passed near the foot of Hemlock Lake, they cut down an orchard of apple trees. They afterwards sprouted up, and Mr. Woodruff cut some and stuck them into a potato and planted them ;
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one of these trees was standing until recently, a venerable relic of his labor, bearing the best of native winter fruit.
Another son was born to Mr. Woodruff in 1794, and named Philip -the first white child born in the town; he became a lawyer of repute, and was twice elected assemblyman of the district. The year of his birth Mr. Woodruff opened his log house for a tavern, and this was the first tavern kept within the limits of Livonia. Among the guests whom he entertained there in those pioneer days was the future king of France, Louis Philippe.
Peter Briggs and a Mr. Higby settled in Livonia in 1794; Philip Short, David Benton and John Wolcott in 1796 and 1798: Ruel and Jesse Blake, George Smith, Smith Henry, Nathan Woodruff and Thomas Grant about 1800. Nearly all of these were from Connecticut.
Oliver Woodruff, brother of Solomon, followed him from Connecticut in 1803, locating on the site of Livonia Centre. A number of families had then settled in the town, and finding that no religious services had been held in the locality, he invited them to come to the log schoolhouse on Sunday, and there read and expounded the Bible to them. Oliver Woodruff had served in the war of the Revolution, participated in the fighting at Ticonderoga, Long Island and Harlem Heights, and was taken prisoner by the British when they captured Fort Washington. They almost starved him, and when he was ex- changed at the end of three months he was emaciated and sick.
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