USA > New York > Madison County > History of Madison County, state of New York > Part 10
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Rev. John Sergeant was buried in the burial ground near his last residence. The following epitaph was placed upon the headstone that marks his grave :
" In Memory of REV. JOHN SERGEANT, Missionary to the Stockbridge Indians, During 36 years. He departed this life Sept. 7th, 1824, Aged 76 years. Blessed is that servant who his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing."
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CHAPTER II.
MADISON COUNTY.
Territorial Changes .- County of Tryon .- Montgomery and Her- kimer .- Formation of Towns .- Formation of Chenango County and of Madison .- Roads .- Canals .- Rail Roads. -County Societies and Associations .- County proceed- ings to 1810 .- County Courts .- Civil List .- Capital trials and convictions, with a sketch of the life of Abram Antone ; history of the murder committed by Lewis Wilber, and by John Hadcock.
The State of New York was called by the Dutch, New Netherlands, and as late as 1638, that portion of it lying west of Fort Orange (Albany), was termed " Terra Incog- nita," or Unknown Land.
For many years the territory of New Netherlands had been a source of contention between the English and Dutch, and in the year 1664, Charles II, King of England, regardless of the rights of Holland, granted to his brother James, Duke of Albany and York, the whole of New Nether- lands, and then proceeded to conquer it by force of arms. This was easily accomplished, as the inhabitants had wearied of the stern military government of Peter Stuyvesant.
The name of the colony and city was then changed from New Netherlands to New York, and Fort Orange changed to Albany.
The Dutch again reclaimed the territory in 1673, and held it till the next year, when they finally surrendered it to the English.
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There were some doubts as to the validity of the patent giving the Duke of York, and he accordingly obtained another from the King.
Peace being restored with the Dutch, a rapid internal growth soon commenced, and in the year 1683, the colony was divided into twelve counties, one of which was Albany, which embraced an indefinite portion of this " Terra Incog- nita." Nearly a century elapsed before this county was divided, though many changes had taken place in the more southeastern part of the state.
In the year 1772, from the territory of Albany County, Tryon was formed, which embraced all that part of the State, west of a line running nearly north and south through the present County of Scoharie, and was named from William Tryon, Colonial Governor. In the Revolu- tionary struggle, Tryon exhibited such unmistakable hos- tility to the Americans, that the inhabitants of this county were desirous of dispensing with a name thus rendered obnoxious. Accordingly on the 2d of April, 1784, Legis- lature changed the name of Tryon County to Montgomery, in honor of the American General, Richard Montgomery, who gallantly fell at Quebec.
By the same act, Montgomery County was divided into five districts, named Mohawk, Canajoharrie, Palatine, Ger- man Flats, and Kingsland.
By an act passed March 7, 1788, defining the bound- aries of the several counties of the State, the County of Montgomery was declared to contain all that part of the State bounded easterly by the counties of Ulster, Albany, Washington and Clinton ; southerly by the State of Penn- sylvania; and westerly and northerly by the west and north bounds of the State. An act passed at the same date, the German Flats District was divided, and the town of Whites Town was formed from it. This town embraced all that part of the State of New York, lying west of a line drawn north and south across the State, crossing the
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Mohawk River at " Old Fort Schuyler," (Utica) and which line was the western boundary of the towns of Herkimer, German Flats and Otsego.
By an act passed March 22, 1788, the town of Chemung was formed in and from a part of Montgomery County, lying on the Owego and Tioga Rivers.
In 1789, the County of Montgomery was divided, and all that part west of a line drawn north and south across the State, through the Seneca Lake two miles east of Geneva, was called Ontario County, and was extensively known abroad as the " Genesee Country."
Feb. 16, 1791, Montgomery County was divided, and the Counties of Tioga, Otsego and Herkimer formed from its territory, and the bounds of the County of Ontario changed.
The County of Herkimer, was bounded as follows :- " All that tract of land bounded westerly by the County of Ontario, northerly by the north bounds of this State, east- erly by the Counties of Clinton, Washington and Saratoga, and southerly by the Counties of Montgomery, Otsego and Tioga." Within its domain lay our own county of Madison.
By an act passed April 10, 1792, the towns of Westmore- land, Steuben, Paris, Mexico and Peru, were formed from Whitestown. The west line of this town extended to the west line of Madison County. The two towns, Paris and Whitestown, embraced within their borders all of the pres- ent County of Madison.
In the year 1795, Cazenovia was formed from Whitestown and Paris ; it embraced the present towns of Lenox, Sulli- van, a part of Stockbridge, Smithfield, Fenner, Cazenovia, Nelson, Georgetown and DeRuyter of this County, and Lincklaen, Pitcher, Otselic and German of Chenango County.
At the same time, Hamilton and Brookfield were formed from Paris. Hamilton then embraced the present towns of
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Hamilton, Lebanon, Eaton and Madison. Brookfield in- cluded the present towns of Brookfield and Columbus, (ex- cept a portion annexed to Columbus in 1807,) Chenango County .*
In the year 1794, the County of Onondaga was formed from Herkimer, and in the year 1798, the County of Oneida was also formed from its territory. An act of the same date, March 15, 1798, the County of Chenango was set apart from the southern part of Herkimer and northern part of Tioga Counties. Chenango County then embraced all the territory now occupied by the town of Sangerfield, Oneida County, all of Madison County (except that part of Stockbridge east of Oneida Creek), besides the towns of its present territory. Sangerfield was annexed to Oneida in 1804.
By an act passed March 21, 1806, Madison County was formed from Chenango. It was named in honor of Presi- dent Madison.
Madison County, situated in central New York, is bound- ed north by Oneida Lake and Oneida County ; east by Oneida and Otsego Counties ; south by Chenango County, and west by Cortland and Onondaga Counties. It contains an area of six hundred and seventy square miles.
The surface is diversified and generally hilly, except in the north part which is low, level and swampy. The high ridge which divides the waters which flow north and south, crosses this county. This water-shed gives a series of ridges and valleys, with a general course north and south. The hills generally have rounded outlines and steep de- clivities, their highest summits being five hundred to eight hundred feet above the valleys, and nine hundred to twelve hundred feet above tide. The principal streams upon the north slope are Chittenango Creek, forming a part of the west boundary of the county, Oneida Creek, forming a part of the east boundary, and the Canaseraga, Canastota
* For further accounts of the formation of towns, see chapters on the towns.
I
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and Cowaselon Creeks; and the principal ones flowing south, are the Unadilla River upon the east border, Beaver Creek, Chenango River and its branches, Otselic Creek and the Tioughneoga River. The principal bodies of water are Oneida Lake, forming the north boundary, and Owahgena, or Cazenovia Lake, near the center of the west border. The latter is four miles long and nine hundred feet above tide.
ROADS.
The opening of various thoroughfares have exerted a powerful influence upon the interests of this county. The pioneer followed Indian trails, and branched off from these into courses designated by marked trees. No path is better remembered than the Great Trail which entered Madison County at Oneida Castle, passed through Lenox by the way of Wampsville and Quality Hill, through Sullivan by Canaseraga and Chittenango, leaving the county at Deep Spring.
The first road of the county was opened on this trail by William and James Wadsworth, in the year 1790, on their way to the Genesee country, where they planted a colony. William Wadsworth, the leader of this company, left his home in June, 1790, with an ox team and cart, two or three hired men, and a favorite colored woman, Jenny, who was for a long time the only one of her race in that region. West of Whitesboro, Mr. Wadsworth was obliged to cut away logs, build causeways through the sloughs, ford streams, and when arriving at Cayuga Lake construct a pontoon of two Indian canoes, lashed together and covered with poles.
The State afterwards, in the years 1794 and 1795, made an appropriation for the improvement of the road opened by Mr. Wadsworth, and it was thereafter known as the Great South Genesee Road, or State Road. In 1797, the State passed a law authorizing the raising of forty-five thousand dollars by lotteries, to be expended in improving various
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roads in the State, thirteen thousand nine hundred dollars of which was appropriated for opening and improving the Great Genesee Road, in all its extent, from Fort Schuyler (Utica) to Geneva. In the Whitestown Gazette and Cato's Patrol, of August 27, 1798, published at Utica, appears the following advertisement :
" New York State Road Lottery, No. I. Tickets sold by John Post."
There was yet great need of improvement in this road, and in the year 1800, the SENECA TURNPIKE COMPANY was chartered for the purpose of improving it. The capital stock was one hundred and ten thousand dollars ; shares fifty dollars each. Jedediah Sanger, Benjamin Walker, Charles Williamson and Israel Chapin were appointed com- missioners. The charter was amended in 1801, and the commissioners were privileged to deviate from the old road. They had resolved to straighten it and avoid the monstrous Canaseraga Hill, as it was then called, which lay southwest from Chittenango, and also the Onondaga Hill. They found little opposition to the changes made from Westmoreland to Chittenango, as there were but few white inhabitants on the way, but at the latter place they were met by a large delegation from Manlius and Onondaga, who feared the com- missioners would select a more northern route. The settlers on the northern route had not sufficient interest in the road to send on their advocates, and consequently, by the aid of a pretty fair ruse, those in favor of the southern, had it all their own way. Being well acquainted with the country, they proposed to pilot the commissioners over the most suitable ground for the road. They first led them up the ravine northwest of Chittenango, a mile and a half, when they found themselves hemmed in on three sides by a per- pendicular ledge of rocks more than a hundred feet high, with no way of getting out but by backing out. With well feigned sincerity, the guides explained this as a mistake, and the commissioners were led over the next best supposable
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MADISON COUNTY.
route, across this ravine along the great hill toward Harts- ville and into one of the most dismal of all places, then dig- nified by the very significant name of Gulf of Mexico, now called the Basin, a place where the mountainous hights per- mits the sun to make only short diurnal visits.
The forbidding aspect of the country all about them com- pelled them to return to Chittenango the way they had come. The weary commissioners resigned themselves to the sophistry of those interested advocates; the northern route was declared impracticable, and the Seneca Turnpike was laid out over the hill passing the county line a short distance above Deep Spring, where William Sayles kept tavern in 1793, on through Manlius Square, Jamesville and Onondaga Hollow. Not long afterwards the company learned they had not availed themselves of the most favor- able route. They solicited an amendment to the charter which was granted in 1806. They were now enabled to build a new road from Chittenango, through the Onondaga Reservation near the Salt Springs, to Cayuga Bridge, and fifty thousand dollars was added to the capital stock.
This was now the " Great Genesee Turnpike," a name as familiar as household words to the dwellers of Madison County and the famous Holland Purchase, then the " Great West" of this State.
The first United States Mail through this county was carried by a Mr. Langdon, from Whitestown to Genesee, on horseback, in 1797 or '98, who distributed papers and un- sealed letters by the way, before intermediate offices were established. Mr. Lucas succeeded Mr. Langdon in trans- porting the mail, which, in 1800, had become so heavy as to require a wagon to carry it. Mr. Lucas established a sort of two horse passenger hack, and did a brisk and profit- able business. The first four horse mail coach was sent through once a week, by Jason Parker, in 1803, and in 1804 commenced running regularly, twice a week, from Utica to Canandaigua, carrying the United States mail and passen- I
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gers. In 1804, an act was passed, granting to Jason Parker and Levi Stephens, the exclusive right for seven years, of running a line of stages for the conveyance of passengers at least twice a week, along the Genesee Road or Seneca Turnpike, between the villages of Utica and Canandaigua. They were bound to furnish four good and substantial cov- ered wagons or sleighs, and sufficient horses to run the same; the fare not to exceed five cents per mile for each passenger, with fourteen pounds of baggage. They were, by law, bound to run through in forty-eight hours, acci- dents excepted, and not more than seven passengers were allowed in any one carriage, except by the unanimous con- sent of the said seven passengers ; and, if four passengers above the seven, applied for passage, they were bound to im- mediately fit out and start an extra for their accommoda- tion ; or any number less than four should be accommodated by paying the fare of four.
In 1808, a daily line was established, and afterwards sev- eral others, which were continued until the completion of the Syracuse and Utica Railroad.
Before 1804, the PETERBORO TURNPIKE, which extended from Vernon through Peterboro to Cazenovia, was con- structed. This opened facilities for travel and marketing for the second tier of towns. In 1803, the Cherry Valley Turnpike Company was chartered, and the "Third Great Western Turnpike " was constructed. It extended from Cherry Valley to Manlius, passing through the towns of Madison, Eaton, Nelson and Cazenovia. It has been of incalculable value, in opening a way whereby the exports of a wide and cultivated region of country have found trans- portation. The HAMILTON and SKANEATELES TURNPIKE, built a few years later, formed another in the series of roads, which have been sources of wealth to the towns through which they passed. This Turnpike was commenced in 1811, running from Plainfield, Otsego county, through
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Brookfield, Hamilton, Eaton, Erieville and New Woodstock to Skaneateles.
Joseph Morse, of Eaton, took more interest in this road than any other one man. He had at one time thirty thous- and dollars of stock in the road, and but for him it would never have been built. His son Ellis Morse, was also largely concerned in the enterprise. It was a source of benefit to the town but not to the stockholders.
THE ERIE CANAL.
The project of uniting the Western Lakes with the Hud- son River, thus forming a chain of internal navigation, was a subject of much agitation as early as 1812. Years before, the idea was cherished by individuals. Governeur Morris broached the subject as early as 1812, but it was considered a chimerical idea. In 1804, Simeon De Witt, in a conver- sation with Mr. Geddes, mentioned Mr. Morris' plan as one of the impracticable schemes. Mr. Geddes, who was a land surveyor in Onondaga county, viewed the matter in a different light, and counseled with Jesse Hawley upon the subject. The latter wrote a series of papers published in the Genesee Messenger, from October, 1807, to March, 1808. These essays were signed "Hercules," and were the first ever printed in favor of the Erie Canal.
In 1808, Joshua Foreman, an intimate associate of Mr. Geddes, then a Member of Assembly, introduced a resolu- tion for the survey of the canal route, to the end that Con- gress might be led to grant moneys for the construction of a canal. The sum of six hundred dollars was granted for surveys, under the direction of the Surveyor General. James Geddes was intrusted with this service, which em- braced the surveying of several routes. He performed his work, and made a report which excited general attention, and secured the influence of De Witt Clinton, then a mem- ber of the Senate, and many other prominent men.
In 1810, commissioners, at the head of whom was De
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Witt Clinton, were appointed to explore a canal route through the centre of the State.
The report of the commissioners induced the Govern- ment to authorize appropriations, when the war of 1812 suspended all active operations. The project, however, con- tinued to be discussed, and an Act was passed the 17th of April, 1816, providing for a definite survey.
The canal was begun at Rome, July 4th, 1817, and in the autumn of 1825, was completed. Its completion was cele- brated with great ceremony at New York City, and at many points throughout the State, on the 4th day of November, 1825. As the first boat, with Governor Clinton on board, entered the canal at Buffalo, October 26, at ten o'clock in the morning, a line of cannon, previously arranged a few miles apart, passed a signal along to Albany and down the Hudson to Sandy Hook, from whence it was returned in like manner. The signal was heard at New York at eleven o'clock twenty minutes. The flotilla, with the Governor, was everywhere greeted with enthusiasm. Upon reaching New York the boat passed down to Sandy Hook, and the waters of the lake were mingled with those of the ocean with im- posing ceremonies.
The canal commissioners, under whom the Erie and also the Champlain canals were constructed, were Stephen Van Renssellaer, De Witt Clinton, Joseph Ellicott, Samuel Young, and Myron Holley. Henry Seymour was appoint- ed in place of Ellicott in March, 1819, and William C. Bouck was added to the number in March, 1821. The chief engineers were James Geddes, of Onondaga County, and Benjamin Wright, of Rome. Among the assistant engi- neers were David Thomas, Nathan S. Roberts, David S. Bates, Canvass White, Davis Hurd, Noah Dennis, Charles T. Whippo, William Jerome, Henry G. Sargent, Frederic C. Mills, Isaac J. Thomas, Henry Farnham, Alfred Barrett, John Bates, William H. Price, John Hopkins, and Seymour Skiff. The original cost of the canal was $7,143.789.89.
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MADISON COUNTY.
The first packet on the canal was run when but the sec- tion from Utica to Montezuma was completed. It was the " Oneida Chief," George Perry, Captain. Perry was a Sullivan citizen. In 1820, a line of packets was established between Utica and Montezuma, and large amounts of mer- chandise found its way east by this line. A new era com- menced for northern Madison County, for new resorces were developed and new enterprises sprung into life with the opening of the canal. The old form of transportation with long lines of heavily loaded teams, to Albany, ceased to be. For years, a transportation line owned by H. H. Cobb of Chittenango, was plying between Albany and Fayetteville, Onondaga County. . The boats on this line were the Andrew Jackson, George Washington, Victory, Yates, Cazenovia, Commerce and Chittenango. H. H. Cobb also dealt largely in forwarding, owned several warehouses, and employed a large number of workmen.
An enlargement of the Erie Canal was ordered in 1835, and for many years was under operation. In many places its route was changed ; at one point in the town of Sulli- van north of Chittenango, a considerable alteration is notice- able. These changes are calculated to shorten the route and reduce the number of locks. Its section gives a breadth of seventy feet at the surface of the water, and fifty-two and one-half feet at the bottom, and a depth of seven feet. The banks are protected from washing by slope walls, consisting of stone firmly packed upon the sloping sides. Boats of two hundred and two hundred and fifty tons burden can traverse this canal. It is fed from the south by the seven reservoirs of the Chenango canal, (that canal being the feeder,) by Cazenovia Lake, Erieville Res- ervoir and De Ruyter Reservoir, all in Madison County ; and Skaneateles Lake of Onondaga County.
THE CHENANGO CANAL, connecting the Erie canal at Utica with the Susquehanna River at Binghamton, was chartered Feb. 3, 1833. The project of building this canal had been
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discussed since 1826. Governor Bouck was an uncompro- mising friend of the measure. Henry Seymour, Rufus Bacon, James B. Eldridge, John G. Stower, Sands Hig- inbothan, Moses Maynard, Lot Clark, Julius Pond and Thomas Wylie, men who were widely known and influen- tial throughout Central New York, were advocates of the Chenango Canal. The work was begun in 1833 and finished in 1836, at an aggregate cost of $1,737,703. The canal is supplied by Chenango River, and seven Res- ervoirs which lie in the south and east part of Madison County, viz :- Madison Brook Reservoir, Woodman's Lake, Leland's Pond, Bradley's Brook Reservoir, Hatch's Lake, Eaton Brook and Lebanon Reservoirs. It extends to, and up the valley of the Oriskany Creek to the summit level in the town of Madison, and down the valley of the Chenango River. From Utica to the summit, it rises seven hundred and six feet by seventy-six locks, and from thence it descends three hundred and three feet by thirty- eight locks to the Susquehanna. It is ninty-seven miles long. Of its one hundred and fourteen locks, two are stone and the remainder composite .*
THE SYRACUSE AND UTICA RAILROAD superseded the old Seneca Turnpike, and robbed it of its passenger travel, as the Erie Canal had of its freight, years before. Neverthe- less, the improvement was ardently desired and advanced by men of influence in the northern part of the county. A company was formed May II, 1836, with a capital of $ 100,000. Work commenced immediately, and the road was completed and cpened in 1839; it then made connections with the Utica and Schenectady road on the east, and with the Syracuse and Auburn road on the west. This was an independent road till 1853, when the New York Central Rail Road Company was formed, by consolidating the several roads in operation along the line.
* N. Y. S. Gazetteer of 1860, p. 60.
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The stations of the Central in this county, are Oneida, Wampsville, Canastota, Canaseraga, and Chittenango.
PLANK ROADS.
Facilities for the increase of travel were demanded as the county increased its exports, and consequently plank roads found great favor with the people. Between the years 1848 and '52, the enterprise had crossed and recrossed the county with a net work of plank highways. Around and over hills and rough places, transportation was made easy by level- ing, and grading, and laying of plank. In 1848, a plank road was constructed from Hamilton to Utica ; another connect- ed Hamilton, Madison and Oriskany in 1850; in the same year Georgetown and Pecksport were united by a road pass- ing through West Eaton and Eaton. During the year 1851, a plank road was laid from Morrisville to Canastota, and another from Peterboro to Clarksville was in progress. A very principal plank road extended from DeRuyter to Oneida Lake, through New Woodstock, Cazenovia, Chit- tenango and its depots, a distance of thirty-one miles. It was completed at great cost, as a portion of it passed the difficult descent at Chittenango Falls, which required ex- pensive grading. The hill of eight hundred feet in hight was made an easy grade of no more than six feet rise to the hundred.
Although plank roads seemed to be but temporary bless- ings, yet an unlooked for benefit has resulted therefrom. The people could not content themselves to travel on any- thing so bad as the old roads, and as fast as the planks disap- peared, they continued to improve them in various ways, which results in fairer roads than even those of plank. The mac- adamized, or stone road from Morrisville through Peterboro to Canastota, is one of superior excellence. That which superseded the plank road from Cazenovia to Lakeport, is a grand improvement, having a better route, and a broad, handsome road bed of stone, extending to Lakeport through the marshy "Vly" where the plank so speedily rotted away.
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MADISON COUNTY.
RAILROADS.
THE MIDLAND .- A grand Midland Railway to extend from Oswego to New York City, crossing the central coun- ties of the State, was projected in 1867. Its line was laid through Madison County, crossing the towns of Lenox, Stockbridge, Eaton, Lebanon and Hamilton. These towns bonded heavily to help build the road. The road was car- ried through some of the most inaccessible portions of this county. The first Board of Directors were : Hon. D. C. Littlejohn of Oswego, President; Wm. Foster of Cleaveland, Oswego county, De Witt C. Stephens of Onei- da, J. W. Merchant of De Ruyter, John A. Rundell and Edward T. Hayes of Norwich, Dr. H. E. Bartlett of Wal- ton, A. C. Edgarton of Delhi, Delaware county, Edward Palen of Fallsburgh, Hon. H. R. Low of Monticello, E. P. Wheeler of Middletown, Waldo Hutchins of New York City. Walter M. Conkey of Norwich, Treasurer ; B. Gage Berry of Norwich, Secretary ; Wm. B. Gilbert, Chief Engineer.
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