USA > New York > Madison County > History of Madison County, state of New York > Part 14
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The site of the grist mill was a short distance above But- ton's Falls, a very pretty cataract some seventy feet in hight. In a few years Mr. Button moved on lot 82, where he owned two hundred acres, some of his sons continuing in possession of the mill farm. This mill farm is now the property of Hosea Welch.
The high elevation of the land upon which John Button settled, gave it the name of " Button's Hill." When the forest was cleared away it afforded a fine prospect of the surrounding country ; and there is truly much varied and beautiful scenery in this section of Brookfield. The pretty stream of Mill Creek, which at that day was much larger than now-indeed, really a torrent in times of freshets- came hurrying down the slope from Button's Hill, in some places wearing its path through the solid rock, seeming to be drawn on with increased impetus as it nears the narrow gorge at the falls. A few yards above the brink, the water, in descending from a rocky shelf, has worn cavities, some of them quite deep, more perfect and handsome we may imagine than if hewn out by the hand of the artisan. Through the narrow gateway worn by the stream, the water rushes over the rocks into a broad basin seventy feet be- low. Looking up from the bottom of this basin, we are
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charmed with the view of over-hanging rocks, bordered and flanked with birch, beech, maple and hemlock, their extreme edges overhung with woodland vines and evergreen shrub- bery, and by the beautiful, ever-changing lights and shades of the waterfall, the dancing spray, the whirling eddies ; and we realize the beauty and feel the enchantment, with- out being oppressed with the awe that a large body of wa- ter, with its terrible rush and roar, and ominous thunder- ings, could inspire. There was a time, however, when the volume of water here was of sufficient magnitude to produce terror, while its ravages appalled the stoutest heart. It was at the time of a heavy freshet about 1805, which swept away the dam of Capt. Brown's saw mill, and rushing onward demol- ished that belonging to Jabez Brown; then, gathering im- petus, the torrent pressed its way forward, removing every obstacle till it reached Button's grist mill, when this too, with the ruins of the saw mills, was swept down stream and over the falls, a terrifying spectacle indeed, to the beholders. This was a public, as well as an individual calamity, and was se- . verely felt as such for a time, in those yet primitive days.
Easterly from the falls is one of those ancient family burial grounds, which were once to be found on very many homesteads in our country, now only seen occasionally as relics of the past, their silent occupants having been re- moved to modern cemeteries. Among the hills of Brook- field, however, these places of home sepulture are more fre- quently to be met with than in any other town of Madison County. This one, belonging to the Welch family who set- tled here previous to 1800, is neatly kept, as they most gen- erally are here, by the descendants. In some places, where no descendants remain to cherish and care for the spot sa- cred to the dust of their forefathers, may be seen the broken tombstone, and the sweet wild rose struggling for existence ; emblems of the love which would fain mark the spot after the generations that planted them had utterly passed away, or were scattered abroad on the earth.
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Near here commences the rocky base of the uplard, like an extensive battlement, reaching nearly the two miles be- tween this point and Leonardsville. This upland, or ridge, undoubtedly once formed the bold shore of a lake spread over the valley contiguous, beneath the soil of which have been found many curious shells, whose owners could have had their homes only in the depths of an inland sea. Spread out between eastern and western hill base, lies the sunny, peaceful valley, with fields waving in luxurious har- vests, dotted with comfortable and beautiful farm houses, and a village busy with the hum of industry ; while the Una- dilla, which at the time the pioneer settlers found it, was locked in the embrace of a gigantic forest, now placidly trails its course along through it like a ribbon of silver in the sunshine.
The first birth in the town of Brookfield was that of Law- ton Palmer, son of Lawton Palmer, sen., on the homestead purchased by him on lot 77, 18th township, and which is now in possession of members of the family.
Lawton Palmer, sen., brought a large farm under cultiva- tion, and early built a large and substantial farm house, which is still standing, a memorial of ancient architecture. His son, Elias, was born, reared, and lived all his life upon this farm, and died here in March, 1866, aged sixty-five. Lawton Palmer, jr., raised from the seed the orchard south of this house. It was never grafted, but has been an excel- lent bearer of pretty good fruit.
The first frame building on lot 96, Stephen Hoxie erected in 1793 ; its size was sixteen by twenty-four feet. It is still a very good building, used by his descendants as a shop and store house for farming utensils. The first house in which Mr. Hoxie's family dwelt, built in 1791, was of logs, and stood a few rods from where he built his frame house in 1800. This frame house is the fine farm house now owned by the Hoxie brothers.
The first school house in town was built on lot 96,
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on land now owned by John Hoxie, jr. Asa Carrier taught the first school here in the winter of 1796-7.
The first town meeting was held at the house of Capt. Daniel Brown, April 7th, 1795, at which Stephen Hoxie was chosen Supervisor ; Elisha Burdick, Town Clerk ; Clark Maxon, Joshua Whitford and John Stanton, As- sessors.
The first store was kept by a Mr. Waterman, on the road laid out westward from the "Five Corners." The first Baptist church of the town also was built here, on a corner of Lawton Palmer's farm, he giving the ground for the site. Five Corners is a pleasant location, but conspicuous now only for its ancient school house, the cheese factory, and the handsome, well cultivated farms of the Browns, descend- ants of the pioneers of that name who took up these same farms.
The first school kept in this district was taught by a Miss Berry, a forsaken log house being used for the pur- pose. The following is related by an aged friend who was one of Miss Berry's pupils :- " The roof of this house was so well ventilated, that, in several heavy rain storms, the teacher was obliged to protect herself and the little girls with a spread umbrella, while the large boys were content to take a summer shower-bath. The children all loved Miss Berry, she was so kind to the little ones ; when they fell asleep in their seats she would make them a little bed upon the old cross-legged table, and lay them on it; but with all her kindness and tenderness some people would find fault with her, because she had imported some new ex- travagances in pronunciation, and in teaching the alphabet. She spoke the word 'girls' instead of 'gals ;' she said ' chest' instead of 'chist ;' 'chair' instead of 'cheer,' &c. Previously, the alphabet had been taught to the little ones thus :- ' A beside of a, B beside of b, C beside of c,' and so on ; which they received into their minds as it sounded from the teacher's lips, abbreviated somewhat like this :-
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' A bis'fa, B bis o'b, C bis o'c,' &c., having not the remotest idea of what the mongrel mess signified. The letter 'Z' was called 'ezzard ;' the character '&,' 'amphersand ;' and the name of ' John ' was spelled 'Iohn,'-no letter ' J' being in the alphabet they used. Miss Berry corrected all this."
There were no pictorial primers in those days for the advantage and amusement of the little ones ; indeed, books with pictures in were not allowed in school, it being the prevalent notion that pictures took the pupil's attention from his lesson. Spelling-book, Geography and the Reader afforded ample studies, it was thought, for the capacity of a majority of the children, while a few of the eldest were taught writing in addition. Daboll's Arithmetic was held a great work, in which the older boys might become pro- ficient ; but very rarely indeed did a young lady tamper with the half-forbidden lore of its pages. There was a pro- cess by which a grown-up girl could add together the num- ber of skeins of linen she had spun in a week, but she might not have the remotest idea that it had any relation to the simplest rule of arithmetic that she saw her brother " figuring out" on the slate. So much for education and its facilities in the rural towns, in the beginning of the nineteenth century.
Particularly in passing through this vicinity of the Five Corners, is one reminded of the changes that have taken place.
Beaver creek, a fine stream of water, received its name from the noted Beaver Dam, which these ingenious little workers had thrown across the stream, and which was found in perfect order by the first settlers in this vicinity. The same dam was used for several years to retain the water-power of White's Mills.
At the foot of the western hills, bordering Beaver creek, on an elevation about a quarter of a mile from the western tank, is situated the Camenga farm, formerly the property of John I. Morgan. It was laid out and improved into a
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comfortable home by him, at a time when his business transactions in this town were so extensive as to need his personal attention. Later, it became the summer resort of himself and family. The residence is a pretty farm cottage, located in a most romantic spot ; the green and park in which it is situated give it a picturesque appearance. From John I. Morgan it passed, together with his immense estate, into the hands of John A. Dix,* one of New York's ablest generals and statesmen, and one of her most honored men.
Babcock's Mills, farther south, on Beaver creek, was very early built up. This hamlet now contains a saw mill, grist mill, a manufactory of horse-rakes, a cabinet shop and a meeting house.
It will be seen that most of the earliest settlers located on the hills; they held the opinion that hill farms were more exempt from frosts than valley land. It is remarked that the farm of Dr. Hackley, a valley farm on the Plainfield side of the Unadilla, at the Forks, was once offered by the doctor in a trade, acre for acre, for a hill farm that is not at the present day considered of great value ; while the Hack- ley farm is now worth $200 per acre.
The population being greater at first in the hilly sections, embryo villages were earliest planted there. It is said that the old time Billings tavern, at Five Corners, was the first tavern opened in town.
Unadilla Forks was a prominent business point before the building up of Leonardsville, and therefore had a bear- ing upon the interests of this section of the town. Caleb Brown was the chief mover in the first building movement at the Forks. In 1805, he built the first grist mill, which was in fact the first grist mill in the town of Plainfield. He afterwards put up an oil mill and clothing works within the forks, on the eastern Unadilla branch. He also erected a building for a woolen factory on what was called the "Island," perhaps three-fourths of a mile south of the
* Elected Governor of New York State, Nov. 5, 1872.
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Forks. He was preparing to set up machinery,-had already employed workmen and commenced spinning on "Jenneys" set up in the chamber of his spacious dwelling, when his active career was cut short by sickness and death, leaving his business in an unfinished, unsettled state. Mr. Brown had also been largely engaged in farming, being the owner of considerable land in Plainfield, as well as Brookfield, on which, in each town, he employed workmen. Upon his death, this, with his manufacturing operations, ceased. The woolen factory was abandoned. At the pres- ent date (1870), there is only the grist mill and carding works in operation, the buildings of the other mechanical interests having disappeared.
This location, however, was too convenient to be unim- proved, hence, after the sad and seriously felt ending of Mr. Brown's enterprises, others were set afoot, and pressed forward during the subsequent years. At the present date the place has two churches, a hoe factory, a flouring-mill, a saw mill, a machine shop, and has a population of two hundred and fifty-three inhabitants.
In the west part of the town a number of Quakers set- tled. Prominent among them were: Joseph Collins Ist, Solomon and Hezekiah Collins, a Mr. Sheffield, Gideon Kenyon, Thomas Kenyon and James Larkin. The three sons of Joseph Collins,-Job, Peter and Joshua,-and Albert Button, built up a place called Moscow, now Delancy. The Collins brothers were saddle and harness makers. Peter Collins built a tavern, Albert Button built a store, and Job and Joshua Collins had a number of shops for the several trades of harness and saddle making, wagon making and blacksmithing. For about ten years a considerable business was done in Moscow; but near the year 1830, these proprietors, desiring a location where better facilities in the form of water-power, and easier access to large business centers were offered, sold out, moved away, and the abandoned village soon decayed. Some of the best of
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those deserted buildings have been converted into farm houses upon the very good farms in the neighborhood.
The Quakers had a large society ; they were connected with that of the town of Madison. For many years their meetings were held at the house of Thomas Kenyon. About 1820, their house of worship was built, which was well filled with devout worshipers at all their meetings, for about twenty-five years, when death began to decimate the aged and faithful, the children married "out of the meeting," or moved away, the leaders became so few that the meet- ings grew fewer and farther between, and finally the house was closed. To-day, the dilapidated building upon Quaker Hill, once the center of attraction to a large number of devoted, faithful hearts, where the sunlight of the bright Sabbath mornings once beamed through lattice and doorway upon an exquisitely neat and orderly interior, presents naught to the eye, exteriorly and interiorly, but broken windows, rotting casements, decaying walls, and gathering dust and cobwebs. The atmosphere of the whole location seems pregnant with loneliness. The hill is one of the highest in this hilly region ; far around are to be seen broad grazing farms, dotted with herds of cattle, and now and then an isolated barn, but with very few farm houses in view ; between the church ruin and highway is the grave yard,- not all neglected, but quiet and silent as, it seems, suited the undemonstrative habits, when in life, of those whose forms are reposing beneath the unostentatious marble headstones.
The large farms in this vicinity are owned by Messrs Brand, Collins, Hoxie, and the Stanbros. Three of the original Quaker families, namely : Hoxie, Collins, Joseph Collins, jr., and Brier Collins, still reside in the town.
From the limited means we have of ascertaining the names and origin of other and prominent families, especially of Clarkville and vicinity, and the more northern part of Brookfield, we can only add such as have been obtained
!
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from published sources, and from other reliable authority. From these we infer that the different families of Clarks were conspicuous.
John Clark, and his wife Mary Wait Clark, moved from Exeter, Rhode Island, in the fall of 1810, and located on lot No. 16, of the 19th township. Mr. Clark had a family of eight children. Of the four sons, three resided in town many years. At the present writing (1870,) only one resides here-Mr. Wait Clark, of Clarkville.
Capt. Samuel Clark was from Westerly, Rhode Island. He came to Brookfield in 1810, and located on lot No. 35, of the 18th township. He had a family of six sons and three daughters, all of the sons but one locating in town. Judge Joseph Clark is one of these sons.
Joshua Whitford, located on lot No. 76. He reared a large family of sons and daughters, who settled in this town and Plainfield, Otsego Co. They are mostly ' farmers, of the enterprising, progressive sort. Several of the descendants of Joshua Whitford are residents of Brook- field. This pioneer was one of the first assessors of the town-chosen in 1795-and was afterwards for several years Town Clerk, as was also his son William. He was an active man in his day in all public affairs.
Patten Fitch, from Massachusetts, came before 1810, and located two miles north of Clarkville. His father, Dr. Lemuel Fitch, came with him. Patten Fitch was one of the surveyors of the town. He also taught one of the earliest schools, in his own house. He was afterwards a teacher twenty-seven years in this and the adjoining towns. Members of his family still reside in town, among whom are three sons, namely : Patten Fitch, jr., of Clarkville, harness maker and farmer; Julius O. Fitch, of Leonardsville, wagon maker; and Elliot G. Fitch, of North Brookfield, car- riage maker.
The Livermores, from Vermont, settled in the north part of Brookfield at an early day. Their location was at the
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head of the swamp, near Gorton's Lake. They were an en- terprising family.
From a recent letter we have the following statement, which will be of especial interest to the descendants of the pioneers named : Asa Frink, jr., with his brother George, left Stonington, Conn., in 1796,-month of March-with their axes for pioneering, and journeyed to where Clark- ville now nestles among the hills. George cleared the ground where the Cemetery is laid out. In the memory of the writer, the first death in the valley and vicinity of Clark- ville, was a sister of Asa Frink. She rests in the burying ground on the flat, or meadow. From Mr. Frink's house could be seen four family burying grounds.
Resolved Healey settled where North Brookfield is lo- cated. He died during the early days of the settlement, from the effects of the "Camp fever" generated at Valley Forge with Washington's army. Mrs. Asa Frink, the daughter of Mr. Healey, when eighteen years old, had the courage to take the fire brand torch and go from one to two miles, alone, by marked trees, to care for the sick, while " wolves, grey foxes and owls gave her a concert," as she expressed it.
As a people the earliest settlers were patriotic and re- ligious, yet many of them exhibited much of the humorous in their composition. There are few in our day who relish a good joke keener than did our ancestors. An apt pun, a witty repartee, or an amusing anecdote served to flavor the daily routine of their laborious life. In one way or another there must be a little " fun, " and often in those times it came in the form of a practical joke; if there was a little well merited revenge inflicted, not too severe for the provoca- tion, it was all the more relished. In illustration we give the following, which is related of those early settlers : Mr. C. was a man who cherished his own peculiar ways, and did not defer to other people's tastes and manners .. He had, moreover, an unfortunate deformity of his mouth, which
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gave a nasal sound to his rather inarticulate speech. The wedding of his son, Joe C., was about to transpire, an event which had been kept "shady " from the old gentlemen in order to prevent his attendance, as his peculiarities would certainly be displayed, were he present, to the offense of the good taste of the company. A cousin of Joe's, a wicked wag, had also been overlooked in the distribution of invitations, and being chagrined by it determined to perpetrate a joke at the bridegroom's expense. Accordingly on the day of the wedding, which was to take place at the residence of one of Brookfield's pioneer ministers, this cousin rode to old Mr. C.'s in great haste, and in well-assumed excitement, called out, "Mr. C-, hurry ! get on to your horse as quick as you can !- Elder Cottrell's mule has kicked Joe's brains out !- Be quick, for he's dead by this time !" The great, brawny old man leaped upon his horse, and thrusting his heels into the animal's flanks, pushed ahead with all possible speed. The astonished neighbors noticed, as he flew past, that at intervals of a few seconds he leaned forward and groaned, " Joe's dead !- Joe's dead !" Arrived at the Elder's, he threw himself from his horse and rushed wildly into the house, just in time to witness the half-completed marriage ceremony. The old man stood aghast. "My G-d! Joe haint dead !" he exclaimed, in his moderate nasal articula- tion ; " h-11 ! I wouldn't been so disappinted fer twenty- five dollars !"
ADDITIONAL ITEMS.
It is stated that at the time of the great eclipse in 1806, the people in Brookfield, not having been supplied with almanacs, were unforewarned of its approach, and conse- quently, when it came on, many were frightened, fearing the consummation of all things was approaching.
" Uncle Paine Wait," as he was familiarly called, was a Revolutionary soldier, who lived to the advanced age of one hundred and four years. He was a well-known resident of
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Brookfield from the "early days." His famous peculiarity was, that he would never go to mill with a horse, always carrying his grist on his back. He was the father of ten children. He was remarkably robust till within a few weeks of his death, when he undertook a long walk, exhausted his strength, and was taken ill in the house of Mrs. John Brown of Clarkville, and died in a few weeks.
In 1813, a terrible epidemic prevailed, which considerably decimated the population, and removed hence many of the first settlers.
OBITUARIES.
"Died in Brookfield, March 31st, 1831, Rev. Henry Clark, aged 74 years. He was among the first settlers, and organized the first Seventh Day Baptist Church in that town, of which he had the pastoral care until within a few years of his death, when his age and infirmities obliged him to resign it. He left, of lineal descendants, nine children, fifty-one grand-children, and twenty great-grand children." [Madison Observer & Recorder. ]
" Died in Brookfield, on the morning of Feb. 13th, 1830. Capt. Samuel Clarke, aged 75 years. In an early part of the Revolution he entered the service of his country as an officer in the army, and served the term of his enlistment (one year), which for several of the last years of his life entitled him to a pension, which he received with gratitude. He was afterwards several times called into the service of his country in his native State (Rhode Island), and always discharged his duties with signal bravery and faithfulness. At different periods during the war, he accumulated a handsome property by industry, and invested nearly the whole of it in a valuable sloop and cargo, which, with himself and several other men, was unfortunately captured by a band of marauders known as "Refugees." The ill-treatment he then received, had the effect of causing him to look with a jealous eye upon the conduct of the armies of his country. He early embraced the religion of Jesus, and in his last severe sick- ness its effects upon him were most comforting and supporting, and to his friends a source of great consolation."
" Died, in January, 1866, Lawton Palmer, jr., aged 73 years. He was the first one born in the town of Brookfield, and lived his whole life and died on his farm about four miles from his birth- place."
" Died in Brookfield, February 18th, 1810, Abigail, wife of
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Capt. Daniel Brown, aged 76 years ; also, in Brookfield, Decem- ber 25th, 1814, Capt. Daniel Brown, in the 90th year of his age."
Aged Pioneers .- John Button and his wife, Anna, lived to advanced ages. Anna died in 1840, aged ninety-three years ; John Button died in 1841, aged nine-two years. In the last years of his life, the chief desire of Mr. Button's heart was, to live to behold his descendant of the fifth generation ; and his wish was gratified. In the year 1840, his great-grand- daughter, Amy Lodema Jaquay, to his great delight visited him, bringing with her a great-great-grand-daughter. This member of the fifth generation was Hannah Jaquay, now the wife of Garner Crandall of Brookfield.
Elias Button died about the year 1828, at the age of one hundred and five years. For sixty years of his life he was a school teacher, laying down his duties only when the in- firmities of eighty years compelled him to yield. His ac- count books, which have been preserved by his relatives, ex- hibit beautiful specimens of penmanship, and bear unmis- takable evidences of practical scholarship, order, brevity and good taste. The thick, coarse paper belongs to the period of the Colonial days, and bears the royal stamp of the Eng- lish crown.
STEPHEN HOXIE came from Charlestown, Washington County, R. I. His ancestor, Ludowick Hoxie, came from England. Four sons, named Joseph, John, Gideon and Presbury, and one daughter, Anna, were born to Ludowick Hoxie. From the line of John our pioneer descended, one of the latter's sons, named Stephen, being the one through whom the line is traced. . Among the eleven children of this Stephen, was Stephen, jr., our Brookfield pioneer. He removed here with a wife and three sons, Luke, John and Solomon, and two daughters, Mary and Ruth. His oldest son, Ludowick, never lived here. Luke, John and Solo- mon, cleared large farms near their father's, and their de- scendants, or many of them, are now residing in the town. John Hoxie located at the foot of the hill, on the corners
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