USA > New York > Livingston County > History of Livingston County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 47
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JOHN WEIDMAN.
John Weidman, the sketch of whose place, with portrait of himself and estimable wife, appears in this work, was the son of Jacob Weidman, who moved from Northampton county, Penn., in 1823, and settled in Sparta, and whose father was a soklier in the Revolution, he himself having fought in the war of 1812.
John, the subject of this sketch, in 1849 was married to Mary Ann Hartman. They had ten chiklren, six of whom are now living. In 1856 he moved on the place where he now lives, and occu- pied the log house (a sketch of which appears in the sky margin) until 1872, when he built the fine residence which now attracts the attention of the passer-by. His farm, which is situated about three miles from Springwater and two from the Erie depot, is now in splendid condition, and no stronger evidence of the industry and energy of Mr. Weid- man than a walk over his large and productive fields, with good fences, and barns well stocked with every requisite of a first-class farm, will give. Through close application to his business, he has made for himself a magnificent home out of what was but a few years ago a wilderness.
CHAPTER XVIII.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SPARTA.
THE town of Sparta lies southeast of the center of Livingston county. It is bounded on the north by Conesus and Groveland, on the east by Springwater, on the west by West Sparta and on the south by North Dansville.
The surface of the town is exceedingly hilly. some of the highest points rising one thousand feet above the level of the valleys.
The soil is a mixture of gravelly loan on the high lands, and in the valleys an admixture of gravelly loam and clay. The town has an area of 16,625 acres, and a population of 1, 133.
The town of Sparta was formed in 1789, and originally embraced the towns of Groveland, West Sparta, and North Dansville, with also a small por- tion of Springwater. In 1816 a part of Spring- water was taken from Sparta. Groveland was formed in 1812. In the year 1846 the town of Sparta was by legislative enactment divided, and from it was formed what is now known as the towns of Sparta, West Sparta and Dansville. A portion of Groveland was annexed to Sparta in 1856. When Dansville was erected all the remain- ing portion of the town of Sparta lying east of
IN THE YEAR 1856.
JOHN WEIDMAN
RESIDENCE OF JOHN WEIDMAN, SPRINGWATER, LIVINGSTON CO. N.Y.
.
225
SPARTA-EARLY SETTLERS.
Canaseraga creek was formed into a separate town and retained the original name of Sparta. The remaining part lying west of the creek was declared a separate township and named West Sparta.
The settlement of the town began in 1794, near the present village of Scottsburgh. Jesse Collar is supposed to have been the first settler here in that year. He was a native of Pennsylvania, as were most of the early settlers. For a number of years Scottsburgh was called Collartown, in honor of Jesse Collar.
Among other pioneers in this region of hills and forests were Darling Havens, John Niblack, Asa Simons, Robert Wilson, Thomas Hovey and Alex- ander Fullerton,* who came from Chester county, Pennsylvania.
Darling Havens kept the first tavern in the town in the year 1800, at a place since known as Havens' Corners. He afterward kept hotel in Scottsburgh in the house built and occupied by William Scott, in 1819. He had two sons, Isaac and Thomas, who inherited his property. They are now all dead.
The first grist-mill was built by W. D. McNair in IS10. The first religious society established for the worship of God was that of the Methodists, presided over by Rev. John B. Hudson, circuit preacher, in 1805. No records exist to throw any light whatever on this society. It probably became extinct, as no permanent society of that denomina- tion was organized in the town until thirty-five years later.
The first school teacher was Thomas Maclem, about 1796. Among the first physicians was Dr. Scholl, who came from Northampton county, Pennsylvania.
In 1795 James McCurdy came here and pur- chased a farm. The price of land then was three dollars per acre, which was considered very high, and was brought to that sum through the specula- tive spirit of the owners. The price for twenty years after ruled lower, from one dollar and fifty cents to two dollars and fifty cents per acre. The country then had a wild, yet attractive appearance, and the soil was very productive for the various kinds of grain and vegetables now extensively grown there. Mr. McCurdy for some years sold the most of his grain and stock to the new settlers, but occasion- ally going elsewhere for a market. The second year after his arrival he went to Bath with a load of oats, and as he could get no money was obliged to sell them to Dugald Cameron for thirty-seven
and one-half cents per bushel and take his pay in trade. In those days the settlers were obliged to go to the Onondaga salt works with teams for sup- plies of salt. It usually cost them two dollars per barrel, and when transported to Sparta often sold for ten dollars per barrel.
At Bath the principal settlers then were Captain Charles Williamson, Andrew Smith, Dugald Cam- eron and Daniel Cruger, Sen., who kept a tavern there. The Indians, whose encampments were located in that vicinity, or who roamed here and there through the forests, were exceedingly friendly and but for their rude friendship and kindly acts many of the pioneers could hardly have lived dur- ing the first few years of their settlement. One Indian named "Yankee John" frequently made his camp in this locality, and he and others of his tribe often stayed with the settlers during the night. This poor fellow was afterward made lame for life from wounds received in an encounter with a bear.
The year in which Mr. McCurdy came, the town was in Ontario county; the next it was set off into Steuben, and again in 1821 into Livingston county.
In the year 1804, a man and woman on horse- back left the State of Pennsylvania, and after five days' ride reached the forests and scantily cleared lands of Sparta. Here, after making a satisfactory survey, they located a home on lands since owned by Peter Swick, and then departed as they came, returning to their home in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania. This man and woman were James Scott and his wife, whose family were destined to play an important part in the history of Sparta. James Scott was born in the county Antrim, Ire- land, of Scotch parents. His family came to America in October, 1773, and settled at Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania, where James continued to live until 1794. In that year he went to Northuni- berland county where he lived until his removal to Sparta, as a permanent resident, in 1806.
Coming to America at the time the colonies were trembling on the verge of a revolution, which three years later worked the beginning of the greatest epoch in the nation's history, he became imbued with the patriotic spirit of that age, and when the revolution broke out he joined the American forces under the command of Colonel Stroud, and with his regiment was sent to the fron- tier to protect the border inhabitants from the scalping knife of the Indians.
James Scott brought to the new region of Sparta a family of ten children. The distance from Penn.
* Father to General William S Fullerton.
226
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
sylvania to Sparta was considered great in those days, and the journey was attended with severe labor, much of the distance being over rough roads or no roads at all, which in such cases necessitated the cutting of a thoroughfare through the forests. In the fall of the same year in which Mr. Scott and his wife made their prospective trip to Sparta, two of his sons came here and made a small clear- ing on the land which he had located, on which they built a log cabin, returning the next summer to Pennsylvania. In this cabin the family located in 1806, and commenced their new life in the Genesee country, with all the attendant labor and privations of pioneer existence. After a residence of thirty-four years in the town in which he was respected as an honest, energetic and useful citi- zen, James Scott died in 1840, aged eighty-four. His wife died in 1851.
Upon William Scott fell the mantle of his fa- ther's usefulness and influence. For him the vil- lage of Scottsburgh was named, which for years was known as Collartown. William Scott was born July 18, 1790,* in Mount Bethel, Northamp- ton county, Pa., coming with his father to Sparta, as before stated, in 1806. The year after his ar- rival here, then sixteen years old, he entered the wool-carding and cloth-dressing establishment of Samuel Culbertson, in Dansville, where he re- mained nearly three years. At the expiration of his services with Mr. Culbertson, he went to Li- vonia where he engaged with Russell & Holden at the carding business for eighteen dollars per month. His engagement with the firm lasted until winter only, when he engaged his services to the Norton Mills, now Mendan, and at that time owned by Elder Weeks.
In the spring of 1811, he went into partnership with Carson Rochester in the carding business at Dansville, in which connection he pursued the business three years until Mr. Rochester, selling his property here, severed the partnership. In 1813 he was drafted, but hired a substitute, Peter Roberts, for fifty dollars. He also volunteered on three occasions of public alarm, one of which was the burning of Buffalo, when he marched under General Wadsworth as far as Batavia. In that same year he built a grist-mill in Scottsburgh in company with his brother.
In 1814, he became foreman in the cloth dress- ing establishment of Benjamin Hungerford, in what is now West Sparta, where he remained three
years. At this place began his acquaintance with Millard Fillmore, afterward president of the United States, who had come here to learn the wool carding business. The friendship thus formed lasted through life, a regular correspondence being kept up between them, and Mr. Scott often visiting Mr. Fillmore at his private residence and at the White House. Mr. Scott, after his three years' ser- vice here, went to Arkport, Steuben county, where for one season he carried on the carding works of Judge Hurlburt, receiving as compensation thirty- five dollars per month and in the succeeding year tak- ing the business on shares. Remaining in Arkport two years, Mr. Scott returned to Sparta in the early part of 1819, and built a house in Scottsburgh which, two years later, he opened as a hotel, continuing in that business until 1826. In 1835 he was elected justice of the peace, holding that office twelve years. In 1836 he was elected member of Assembly and again the succeeding year was returned to that office. He also held in 18.47 the position of Justice of Sessions. His associate was John H. Jones of Leicester, Judge Lord occupying the bench as County Judge.
In 1820 Mr. Scott married Phebe Woodruff of Livonia, the result of this union being one child, a son, who died in 1840 at Canandaigua while a student in the academy there. Mrs. Scott died in 1856. Mr. Scott's career of usefulness in this town and county extended over a period of seventy years, and his energy, honesty and manliness formed a character that commanded the respect and esteem of all with whom he came in contact. His death which occurred in Rochester in the spring of 1876, was widely lamented. He died at St. Mary's hospital in that city, his remains being brought to Scotts- burgh for burial. Mr. Scott was eighty-six years old. His brother, Samuel Scott, a highly esteemed citizen, still resides in Sparta, a short distance east of Scottsburgh.
Among other early settlers in Sparta were Hector McKay, Morgan Hammond, and among the set- tlers from the old country were Archibald MeFet- ridge, Edward Logan, Robert Ross, William Carney, Squire Magee, Henry Havens and Hugh Magee.
Morgan Hammond had six sons, two of whom are dead, and only one son, Lester, is now living in Sparta.
Hector Mckay was a great friend to the Indians of those early days, and by them was highly esteemed. Two of his sons, Robert and Mordecai, are living in the town; another son, James, who used
* From Mr. Scott's personal reminiscences given at a meeting of pioneers of Livingston county, in 1873.
-
MR. & MRS. HENRY PRIESBACH, SR. HENRY DRIESBACH, SR.
Henry Driesbach, Sr., was one of the pioneers and one of the advance guard of those emigrants who, turning their backs to the home of their youth and the comforts and lux- uries of the older States, moved to a country covered with forests, to make it the home of civilization, and to dis- place the wigwam of the Indian for the school-house, the church, and the comfortable dwelling. They were con- querors, not by the sword and musket, but by proper and rugged tools moved by stalwart arms, strong native intelligence and by the immutable truths of the Bible and that religion which teaches an intelligent and heartfelt devotion to the God of their fathers. No one among their number is more worthy a place in this History of Living- ston county than Henry Driesbach, Sr., for he was one whose strong arm, brave heart, and unwearied industry aided in making her foremost among the agricultural counties of the State. It is with peculiar pleasure that we record the name of such men on the pages of this History. He was born in Lehigh township, Northum- berland county, Pennsylvania, April 3, 1790. In the year 1806 he removed to Sparta with his father's family.
When old enough he purchased a piece of land contain- ing seventy acres. One day a land agent called at his father's and proposed to sell to Henry this piece of land. He replied that he had no money with which to purchase it. The agent informed him that he would trust him for it and give him all the time needed in which to pay, pro- vided he would pay the cost of making out the contracts which was $1,50. This was another poser to the young man for he saw no means by which to raise the required sum. But his mother came to the rescue and said, "Henry, if you really wish to take up that land I'll pay for the contract." Accordingly she paid the agent the money, the papers were made out and Henry became the posses- sor of the seventy acres of land. At this time the land was valued at ten shillings per acre, and here was a debt of $87,50 for Henry to pay. Soon the sound of his ax began to resound through the forest. In a short time he made a small clearing and then commenced building him a house, working at it at odd times until he enclosed it and finished off one room.
This done, like Jacob of old, he looked around for a wife, a companion who would share with him the comforts of his home. He soon found one in the person of Lydia, daughter of Harmon Hart- man, of Dansville, whom he married in 1819. She was in every sense of the word worthy of her husband, and their life was a happy one.
The husbaud, after successfully fighting the battle of life for over seventy years, has gone to his final rest, but
his widow still lives in the very house to which her hus- band took her when a bride.
He used to relate in a pleasing manner how ardently he struggled to pay for his first seventy acres of land. The land office from which he purchased was at Geneva, fifty or more miles distant from his home, and nothing but a foot path marked by blazed trees to guide him there. He says, "I remember on one occasion when there was ten dollars due the office, by the hardest kind of scraping I got the money together and with my gunon my shoulder, I started on foot for Geneva. In due time reaching there, I paid my money and started for home."
"In those days deer and hears were plenty in the country and often, too, a panther was to be seen prowling about. I saw but little game until nearly home and then espied a noble deer some rods from me. I raised my gun, fired, and the deer giving one jump dropped dead. With my bunting knife I skinned it, ent out the hind quarters, strung them over my shoulders and marched home with my venison." This took place very near what is now called Reeds Corners.
Another time, when on his way home, as he reached a dense part of the forest, he heard a strange noise which came from a large tree. Looking up he saw a huge panther glaring down at him. Bringing his gun to bear on the frightful beast he fired. The bullet entered its throat just under its mouth, inflicting a fatal wound. The panther fell to the ground, snapping his teeth at him in the most ferocious manner. He fired again and this time the ball entered his brain, causing instant death. Mr. D. sold the skin of this large animal for eight dollars, thereby receiving nearly enough to pay the next install- ment on his contract.
At length having paid for his seventy acres he gradu- ally took up land and paid for it till many years before his death he owned six hundred and sixty acres of land, the most valuable in the county.
Mr. Driesbach was the father of eight children, four of whom died in childhood. Henry lived till forty-five years of age, and Elias is still living. Mrs. Hartman, wife of Wm. Hartman of Dansville, and Mrs. Galbraith, widow of John Galbraith, of Sparta, are children of his.
Mr. Driesbach was successful as a mechanic as well as an excellent farmer. At an early age he united with the Lutheran Reformed Church at Dansville, and during the remainder of his life was a devoted and prayerful member of that church. He was always a Democrat but never troubled others with his politics. He died at the advanced age of eighty-two, honored and respected by all who knew him.
٨
RESIDENCE OF ELIAS DRIESBA
OLD DRIESBACH HOMESTEAD BUILT 1819, REBUILT 1834
SPARTA, LIVINGSTON Co. N. Y.
227
SPARTA-TOWN OFFICERS.
to act in the capacity of a lawyer, went West many years ago.
Archibald McFetridge, father to Edward Mc- Fetridge, the supervisor of the town in 18So, still lives in Sparta at the advanced age of ninety years.
Edward Logan died several years ago. His sons, John, James and Andrew, are residents in Sparta ; the oldest son, Edward, lives in Groveland.
Robert Ross died some six years ago; only one son, Robert, survives him.
William Carney, still living, has two sons, Hugh and William, Jr.
Squire Magee died ten years ago. None of his sons live here. Hugh Magee, his brother, still lives in the town.
Henry Havens died two years ago. Four sons, William, Henry, Isaac and Willard survive him.
Rev. Andrew Gray, the first settled minister in the town, had two sons, James and William, who are now dead. Mrs. Perrine is the only survivor of his family in Sparta.
There has been no resident lawyer in Sparta in forty years. Col. Woodruff, now dead, William Scott, and James McKay used to act in that ca- pacity, but not as regular practitioners.
Of the physicians who have practiced in Sparta, Doctor A. Campbell, who resided in Scottsburgh, and who was highly esteemed, moved to Mount Morris where he died some years ago.
Doctor E. Patchin moved to Dansville where he died.
Doctor Jocelyn removed to Mount Morris where he still lives.
Doctor Coe left Sparta several years ago.
The present physicians are Drs. J. B. Purchase, D. H. Foster,* and -- Harrison, located at Scottsburgh.
TOWN OFFICERS .- The first town meeting held in Sparta, when it embraced its original territory, was held at the house of William Lemens in Williams- burgh, on the first Tuesday in April, 1796.
The officers elected at that meeting were as fol- lows: Supervisor, William Harris; Town Clerk, William Lemens ; Assessors, John McNair, James Rosebrugh, Henry Magee ; Commissioners of Highways, Matthias Lemen, Alexander McDonald; Commissioners of Schools, Samuel Mills, James Henderson, Robert Erwin ; Pathinasters, William McCartney, Hector Mckay; Pound Keeper, Asahel Simons ; Fence Viewers, Nathan Fowler,
Jeremiah Gregory ; Constable and Collector, John Ewert.
Thereafter, as near as can be learned from the records, the succession of Supervisors and Town Clerks was as follows :-
Supervisors.
Town Clerks.
1797. William Harris.
William Lemens.
1798-99.
66
William McCartney.
1 Soo. James Henderson. William Lemens.
1801. John Smith.
1802. Hugh McNair.
William McCartney.
1 805
David McNair.
1806-10. William McCartney.
1811-12. David McNair. James Rosebrugh.
1813-15. William McCartney. Benj. Wilcox.
1816. James Scott. Samuel Stillwell.
1817. William McCartney. James Scott.
1818-19.
Wm. D. McNair.
1820. 1+ 1821. 5
1822-25. William McCartney. Phillip Woodruff.
1826.
6.
66 Samuel Shannon.
1827-29.Ť
1830-31¥
1832.8 Isaac Wendell.
1833.
Isaac Wendell.
1835.
Isaac I .. Endress.
1836.
H. T. Taggart.
1837. 1838.
D. McNair.
1839.
Isaac L. Endress.
18.40.
Samuel M. Welch.
1841.
E. Faulkner. J. B. Smith.
The first recorded vote for governors and repre- sentatives was in 1801. George Clinton received twenty-nine and Stephen Van Rensselaer ten votes on the gubernatorial ticket. For Lieutenant-Gov- ernor Jeremiah VanRensselaer received twenty- seven, James Watson, ten, and William Harris, one. Lemuel Shipman, for Senator, received thirty-eight votes, Isaac Foote the same, and Judge Meyer, thir- ty-seven.
In May, 1801, the first recorded license was granted by John Smith, H. W. McNair and Wil- liam Wadsworth, commissioners of excise, to Thomas Hammer, of Sparta, for tavern keeping and for the sale of spirituous liquors.
The first town meeting after the division of the town was held on the first Tuesday in April, 1847,
# Lives across the line in Groveland.
* There are no records of the Supervisors or Town Clerks for 1820-21 ; though it is supposed that McCartney was Supervisor and W. D. McNair Town Clerk.
t From 1827 to 1830 the Supervisor is believed to have been William McCartney. He filled that office twenty-six years in all.
# No records as to either Supervisor or Town Clerk, but it would ap- pear that Shannon was Clerk, as his name is appended to road surveys, etc., in those years.
§ No records as to Supervisor.
Isaac L. Endress.
1 8.42.
Robert Mckay. 66
1803-04. 66
228
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
at the house of Darling Havens. The chief offi- cers elected at that meeting, and the succession from then to 1880, are as follows :-
Supervisors.
Town Clerks.
1847-48. P. Woodruff,
1849-51. John Gilman,
Harvey G. Baker. John Shepard.
1 852. David D. McNair,
1853. John Shepard,
Timothy Hopkins.
1854. Hugh McCartney,
1855
David D. McNair.
1856.
David D. McNair, Harvey G. Baker.
1857.
John Shepard.
1 858. Harvey G. Baker,
1859.
George Shafer,
1860.
Harvey G. Baker, F. P. Harrison.
1861. David D. McNair,
1862. Alonzo T. Slaight,
66
1 863. John Shepard,
1 864-65. 66
Edwin E. Shutt.
1 866-67.
Jesse Smith.
1868-70.
66
Freeman P. Harrison.
1871.
66 Samuel L. Shutt.
1872.
George Tillotson.
1873-74.
D. H. Foster.
1876-77. John Galbraith,
James M. Newton.
1878. E. L. McFetridge,
1879-80.
Edwin E. Shutt. John N. Foster.
The following is a list of the names of the re- maining officers of the town of Sparta for the year 1880 :- Justices, Jesse Smith, James Newton, J. M. Campbell, Wm. W. Sutton ; Assessors, Jesse Roberts, Benjamin Kiehle, Wm. Driesbach ; High- way Commissioner, Philip Hilts; Overseers of Poor, G. H. Johns, W. P. Barnes ; Inspectors of Election, Thomas Dodd, John Gilman, Rensselaer Cranmer ; Collector, D. D. Dunn ; Constables, D. D. Dunn, Jotham McGregor, Wm. Henry, H. K. Needham, Harmon Gilman; Game Constable, Samuel Roberts ; Excise Commissioners, Wm. H. Kieble, Henry Thompson.
The war record of Sparta is manifestly incom- plete, although the town furnished a considerable number of volunteers in the late rebellion. There has been kept no complete record of the enlist- ments either as to men or regiments, and what is here given is mostly from the personal recollections of soldiers who survived the vicissitudes of the war, and of citizens of the town.
The town clerk's records contain but the actions of a special meeting of the citizens, called by the Supervisor for the 25th day of August, 1864, at which the following resolutions were passed :-
Resolved, That the town of Sparta pay to volun- teers who shall be credited to the town, under the late call of the President for five hundred thousand men, a bounty of $800, in addition to the amount
raised by the county for one year men; the same amount to be paid to any person furnishing a sub- stitute under said call, who shall be credited to said town, up to the amount of our quota, and payable in five equal annual payments with interest thereon, and the same to be levied and collected from the taxable property of the town of Sparta.
Resolved, That every drafted man from said town of Sparta receive the same amount as volun- teers, and
Resolved, That each elector in said town of Sparta shall pay ten dollars per capita tax, to apply on the tax levied on said town to pay volunteers.
The following number received a bounty of $300: George F. McGregor, Charles F. McGregor, Peter S. Ort, Jacob Moose, George Krisher, Ezra Sturdevant, George A. Miller, James B. Cratser, 2Ist New York Cavalry; George W. Loveland, James Emo, Henry Bovee, Joseph Hersh, Joseph Doty, Solomon Freed, Jesse B. Lasey, Captain O. F. Wisner, 22d New York Cavalry; R. Alfred Allen, hospital steward, 22d New York Cavalry; Patrick McSheane, assistant surgeon, 22d New York Cavalry.
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