USA > New York > Madison County > History of Madison County, state of New York > Part 22
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Among others of DeRuyter's native born citizens, whose talents and positions in the arena of public life have given credit to the influences and early training of their native town, and consequent pride to this, their foster-mother, may be named Darwin E. Smith, one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, a
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son of Dr. Hubbard Smith, the pioneer physician of De- Ruyter, and who was himself one of the Associate Judges of Madison County for a time ; Hon. John F. Benjamin, Member of Congress from Missouri, of the pioneer Benja- min family of DeRuyter ; Hon. James W. Nye, U. S. Sen- ator from Nevada, son of James Nye, the pioneer, also born in DeRuyter, and Ezra Cornell, founder of the Cornell Uni- versity at Ithaca, whose boyhood was spent in DeRuyter, where, amid poverty and labor he learned the principles of true greatness, and gathered wisdom and strength for a life of usefulness to his fellowmen.
The subjoined obituary of Hon. Benjamin Enos is alto- gether too brief a notice of one of DeRuyter's first men in the days past. We are compelled, however, to offer only this, it being all the data we have at hand.
"OBITUARY .- Hon. Benjamin Enos died at his residence in De- Ruyter on Tuesday evening, Feb. 4th, 1868. He was born in Richmond, Washington County, R. I., Feb. 13, 1788, making his age eighty years, lacking nine days. Mr. Enos has been a resident of DeRuyter for many years, and was one of the most active politicians of the Democratic party until incapacitated from age and infirmity from taking part in the active duties of life. He filled several town offices, and was member of Assem- bly from Madison County in 1834, 1839 and 1840 ; Canal Com- missioner from Feb. 8, 1842, to Jan. 1, 1845, and State Treas- urer from Feb. 18, 1845, to Feb., 1846-all of which offices he filled with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of his con- stituents. For several years past Mr. Enos has been nearly crippled by disease, and has suffered a good deal of pain. He has resided with his son-in-law, Charles H. Maxson, Esq., for many years, where he found not only a comfortable home, but the kind hands of affection to soothe and comfort his declining years."
CHURCHES.
The Seventh Day Baptist Church of DeRuyter, was or- ganized in 1816. John Green, licensed to preach by this society, was the first pastor in 1818. The S. D. B. Church of Lincklaen was formed from this. The edifice was erect- ed in 1834, at a cost of about $2,200.
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The Presbyterian Church of DeRuyter village, was organ- ized about 1830. First settled pastor, Rev. Mr. Adams. Their house of worship was built in 1835, by the " DeRuy- ter Religious Society," composed of Presbyterians, Univer- salists and Methodists, and called the Union Meeting House.
The Methodist Church. A class was formed about 1830 in DeRuyter village, holding meetings first in the school house and afterwards in the Union Meeting House. Rev. Orrin Torry, pastor in 1861, carried forward the project of building a church, and in 1863 it was completed.
The Society of Friends commenced their meetings about 1804, holding them in the school house in the village. They built their meeting house at the "Basin " in 1816, in which ancient building they still continue to hold their meetings.
The Baptist Church of DeRuyter village was first formed in 1797. In 1816, the society was revived. About 1820 the first church was built. They have again built on a large and improved plan.
The Methodist Society has a church at Sheds Corners, and a Universalist Church is also located there.
NEWSPAPERS OF DE RUYTER.
The DeRuyter Herald was published in 1835, by C. W. Mason.
The Protestant Sentinel was moved from Schenectady to DeRuyter in Nov., 1836. It was published by J. & C. H. Maxon until the fall of 1837. It then passed into the hands of Wm. D. Cochrane, by whom it was issued as
The Protestant Sentinel and Seventh Day Baptist Fournal. In February, 1840, Joel Greene became its publisher, and changed it to the
Seventh Day Baptist Register. In 1841, it passed into the hands of James Bailey, by whom it was continued until 1845.
The National Banner was commenced at DeRuyter in October, 1847, by A. C. Hill, and continued two years.
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The Central New Yorker was published at DeRuyter by E. F. & C. B. Gould, from September, 1848, to May, 1851.
The Banner of the Times was started in DeRuyter by Walker & Hill, and continued until 1855.
The DeRuyter Weekly News was established in 1862, by J. E. N. Backus, and was discontinued in 1864.
The Sabbath School Gem, monthly, was published in 1863 and '64, by J. E. N. Backus.
The DeRuyter New Era. was commenced Sept. 29th, 1870, John R. Beden publisher, by whom it is still con- tinued.
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CHAPTER VI.
EATON.
Boundaries .- Face of the Country .- Lakes and Streams .- Township No. 2 .- Incidents in the first Settlement .- Sketches of the Pioneer Families .- Indians .- Mills, Roads and other Improvements .- Log City, now Eaton .- First Houses, Tavern, Manufactures .- Incidents .- Masonic Lodge .- Mor- risville .- The Village.before 1817 .- Location of the County Seat .- Enterprises .- Bennett Bicknell .- Sketches of other Prominent Men .- Leeville, now West Eaton .- This Village before 1840 .- Manufactures .- Enterprise and Progress .- Alderbrook .- Fanny Forester .- Pierceville .- Pratts Hollow ; its Manufactures .- Churches .- Newspapers.
The town of Eaton is situated near the center of the County. It is bounded north by Smithfield and Stock- bridge, east by Madison, south by Lebanon, and west by Nelson.
The explorers of this town found it to be a goodly land, lying fairly to the sun, rich in its soil, and in every way a desirable location. The rolling upland rises higher to the northward, where the water-shed, the upheaval of some long ago convulsion, passes across in an easterly and west- erly direction. Along the length of this elevation, at many points in Madison County, arise fountains closely approxi- mating each other, whose waters diverging, eventually lose themselves, the one through the southern channels in the Chesepeake Bay, the other mingling with the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In one locality, from opposite eaves of buildings, the showers descending find northern and
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southern courses to the ocean ; and at another point where two springs arise, a person standing between might, cast in each a divided cup of water, the atoms of which would reach the Atlantic, a distance of at least ten geographical degrees apart. The valley of the Chenango river, which passes through the center of the town, is one of the most beautiful of the country, very fertile, and some of the finest farms are here spread out. That the wealth of the hill- sides has come down, by washing, in process of time, to enrich the valley, is evident ; and though the farms of these slopes are impoverished thereby, their thrifty and enterpris- ing owners, do not suffer them to so remain. By good husbandry the uplands are steadily increasing in produc- tiveness.
The Chenango Canal traverses the east border of the town. The Eaton Reservoir lies on the west border and covers an area of 284 acres of land. Its elevation above the Canal is 60 feet. From this reservoir flows Eaton brook, (or "Alder brook" as the people chose to call it,) through a deep and narrow valley, with considerable fall, affording numerous valuable mill sites along its entire route, a distance of about five miles to its junction with the Chenango at Eaton village. Hatch's Lake is a charming natural body of water, situated near the southwest corner of the town. It was once the head waters of one branch of the Otselic, its outlet being at the west end, near the house of Harrison Hatch ; but on the construction of the Chenango Canal in 1836, that outlet was closed, and its waters directed through Bradley Brook Reservoir to the canal. The lake covers an area of 136 acres. Having no inlet it is sustained by springs in its bed, some of which are doubtless impreg- nated with strong mineral properties. As an evidence of this, in the winter of 1843 and '44, the water assumed a reddish hue, caused probably by a greater flow than usual of coloring matter from the springs. The report went out, at the time that " Hatch's lake had turned to blood !'
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Occurring so soon after the period of time arrived at by the "Miller theory," for the final consummation of all things, it created no little excitement among the supersti- tiously inclined, and thousands went to see it. A short distance east of the lake, on the south border of the town, is Bradley Brook Reservoir, constructed also in 1835 and'36, covering an area of 134 acres. Both of these bodies of water are well stored with fish and are favorite points of resort in the fishing season.
From the northwest corner of the town, flows the Chenango, which, before reaching the valley bed, affords several mill sites. Leland's Ponds and Woodman's Lake, lie in picturesque locations at the divergance of the Oris- kany and Chenango valleys, and are the head waters of one of the Chenango branches. They have been converted into feeders for the canal. Leland's Ponds, which are respectively the " upper" and the "middle" lakes, cover together an area of 176 acres, the upper being 40 feet deep, the other 50 feet. Woodman's Lake, being the lower or most southern of the three, covers 148 acres. When the country was sparsely settled and dams for mills had not yet obstructed the river, an ocean fish called "alewives," used to come up to these ponds in schools, and furnished much enjoyment in fishing as well as in good eating.
Leland's Ponds and Woodman's Lake anciently belonged to the fisheries of the Oneidas, when their home and village was but a short distance away. According to the tradition given by David Cusick, the Tuscarora historian, which reaches back more than 300 years, when the "Holder of the Heavens " planted the different families of the Six Na- tions, he led the Oneidas to the head of a creek, which was a branch of the Susquehanna, having its head in a lake which he called " Col. Allen's Lake." This creek was called "Kaw-na-taw-ta-ruh, i. e. Pine Woods." This family was directed to take up their residence near that creek, and they were named "Ne-haw-ve-tah-go, i. e. Big Tree," (Oneidas.)
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The inference is readily drawn, that the vicinity of Pine Woods and the lakes, was the home assigned them in the tradition, temporary though it may have been; for the wonderful charmed stone in resting upon the hights of Stockbridge, bade them build their village within the circle of its influence. And yet this place was all their home. Their trail to the Susquehanna passed these lakes, and there were many nooks and well-trodden paths around their shores, which were as familiar to the Indian as the sight of his own cabin. At a late period, one of the most notorious of their fast decaying race, Abram Antone, made this place his rendezvous. He sometimes dwelt here for months in succession, living in a wigwam he built near by, and for years he spent most of his time around these lakes, quietly or moodily fishing, or stealthily pursuing game among the tangled foliage, sloping back from their wooded shores.
From its elevation and the peculiar situation of hills and valleys, Eaton furnishes more basins to retain supplies of water for the canal than any other town along its route ; and we may further add, that Madison County furnishes, with but one exception, (Skaneateles Lake,) the entire sup- ply from the south for the long level of the Erie Canal.
The soil upon the hills is a clayey and gravelly loam, best adapted to pasturage; and in the valleys a gravelly loam and alluvium. Occasionally beds of blue clay are found. In the south part of the town are many quarries of slate stone, which are largely made use of for road pur- poses. By being merely thrown upon the traveled path, or with but little preparation beyond leveling, the action of rains and the friction of vehicles, soon converts this stone into a smooth, hard, dry road bed. Limestone boulders are found upon and near the surface in many places. Thirty years ago and more, these were collected and burned into lime. Mineral springs also are found in this vicinity. One sulphur spring is situated in the meadow south of the Pierceville factory, on the premises of the Company ; and
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another, of considerable strength, bubbles up from its bed in a diminutive swamp, on the premises of Amos Hammond, in Pierceville, not far distant from the other. When this sec- tion was a forest, herds of deer resorted to these springs, having a fondness for sulphur water, equal, it was said, to their fondness for salt water; hence the earliest settlers called this resort " the deer lick."
Township No. 2, of "Chenango Twenty Towns," was originally set off in the town of Hamilton, from which it was taken in 1807, and named in honor of Gen. Wm. Eaton, commander of the United States forces at Tripoli.
This township was included in the purchase of the Eng- lish Company acting for Sir Wm. Pultney. Charles Wil- liamson was the principal agent in New York. William Smith was constituted agent in the purchase of this, to- gether with several other towns, hence it is recorded that the Government grant for township No. 2, was patented April 16th, 1794, William S. Smith, patentee. It is said the Company paid about thirty cents per acre. The survey gave the town 28,245 acres.
Subsequently William S. Smith resigned his agency in favor of Robert Troup. In the arrangement thus effected, there was reserved for Smith the tier of lots west of the center, and having also considerable possessions in like man- ner set off to him in the adjoining town, Lebanon, he es- tablished his brother, Justus B. Smith, at Smith's Valley, as agent ; hence in the name of the latter, transfers of these lands were made.
The autumn of 1792 brought to the town of Eaton the advance skirmishers of civilization. John and James Salis- bury, from Vermont, in company with Bates and Stowell, the pioneers of Lebanon, became the pioneers of this town, in the matter of making the first clearing and opening the way for the pioneer settler. They located on lot No. 94. Their energy, perseverance and endurance, in pushing their way through the wilderness, in subsisting on simple fare, and
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in accomplishing the gratifying results of opening a fine clearing to the light of the sun before the winter set in, is described in the story of the Lebanon pioneers, in the his- tory of that town. The Salisbury brothers, however, went away for the winter and did not return to their farm.
In 1793, Joshua Leland, and John H. and Benjamin Morris, entered town and commenced settlement. Mr. Le- land and John H. Morris had been here the year before and selected their location, and this year Mr. Leland re- moved his family from Sherburne, Mass., his native place. He built his house on Lot No. 94, near where Thaxter Dunbar's residence now stands. Mrs. Leland was the first white woman who crossed the Chenango, and was for several months the only white woman of this region. Her husband frequently boasted of having the fairest woman in town. As there were many comers and goers of people, looking lands, Mr. Leland opened his house for the public accommodation ; hence, his was, in fact, the first tavern kept in town. His house served a most useful purpose, particularly as a stopping-place for the incoming families in the early spring of the next year.
In 1795, Benjamin Morse, Daniel Alby, Simeon Gillett and Levi Bonney, came in and settled in various localities. Benjamin Morse settled on the old Morse farm, Lot No. 91, on the north side of the road leading to Hamilton. It was a very pleasant location, a rich valley farm, and was near to the Hamilton settlement. The first birth in town was that of Sawen Morse, son of Benjamin and Deborah Morse, which occurred the first year of their residence here-1795. Mr. Morse and Joshua Leland purchased the south-east quarter, and Benjamin Morris and Calvin Sanger the north- east quarter of the town. This year Mr. Leland moved to his location at the small lakes. Daniel Alby settled on land east of the Eaton hill, in the neighborhood of Mr. Morse. His son, Silas Alby, now (1871,) owns the farm. Simeon Gillett located on Lot No. 93, on the flat east of the river. Mr.
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Gillett died in the year 1796, his being the first death which occurred in town. His loss was deeply felt, as the new settlers were strongly attached to each other. His family remained here. One son, Squire Simeon Gillett, jr., lived here many years. Levi Bonney located on the farm east of Eaton depot, and resided there till he died, in 1855, aged eighty years. His son owns the homestead yet.
Col. Leland (as he was always called,) built the first grist mill of the town in 1795. It was situated at the foot of the upper lake, or between "Leland's. Lakes," as they were designated at that day. He also built a saw mill at the same place. To increase the water power of these mills it became necessary to raise the dam. This caused an over- flow of many additional acres of the adjacent low, swampy land, on which the water was so shallow as to produce an impure atmosphere, seriously affecting the health of the people now rapidly settling in. It was finally deemed a wiser plan to forego the benefit of the mills, than suffer dis- ease and death to devastate the vicinity. The neighbors therefore purchased the mills, removed them, and drained the pond basin, thus effecting a remedy for the evil and re- covering much valuable land. The Colonel commenced tavern keeping immediately on his removal to the lakes. After the discontinuance of the mills, he built a potash manufactory on the north shore of the middle lake, from which he received a considerable income for those days, it being an article which brought cash in market. He followed the business till his death, in 1810, which occurred by acci- dent while on a journey to Albany with a load of salts. His remains were brought home and buried in a small burial ground on his own farm, where others also have been in- terred, and where a few white slabs may be seen at this day, in a quiet, lovely nook, by the charming lakes.
Joshua Leland was an original character, well calculated to win his way and establish himself successfully in the new country. Mrs. Leland was an excellent woman, possessing
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great energy and ambition, full of good humor, and not wanting in tact. She was beloved by everybody-by the Indians as well as by her white neighbors,-and was in all respects adapted to pioneer life. She reared a large family of children. In the naming of their sons, the Colonel illus- trated a humorous and peculiar vein in his composition ; he resolved that the vowels should constitute the initial letters of their names, consequently six sons were honored as fol- lows :- Amasa, Ezra, Isaac, Orrison, Uriah and Yale. Having the seventh son, he was christened Joshua, after himself. There were three daughters, whose names were Phebe, Sylvia and Juliette. For years, several of this family lived in town. Numbers of them have died, and at present but one of the once large household is living here-Ezra, who is the oldest surviving pioneer of the town of Eaton, he being five years of age when his father came into town. His home is a mile and a half east of Morrisville. (Note e.)
In the year 1796, Joseph Morse, Samuel Sinclair, Lewis Willson, Humphrey Palmer, and Dea. McCrellis came in. Joseph Morse located at the foot of the hill on the right of the road leading from Eaton to Hamilton, on the farm known as the "Burchard farm," at present (1871,) owned by Charles Payne. Here he built one of the first frame houses of the neighborhood, a part of which is yet standing on its original site. Its first clapboards were rived from logs, and its timbers were all hewn even to the rafters. Near this house ran the Indian trail from the Susquehanna to Stockbridge, and the Indians were frequent guests of the Morse family. Here he lived until 1802, when he removed to the present location of the family homestead in Eaton village.
Samuel Sinclair purchased the farm that Col. Leland first took up, on lot No. 94. Here Sinclair kept tavern, as his predecessor had done. As a landlord, Sinclair had his own way of dealing with a certain class of customers who were then quite frequent. These were wont to drive under
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Sinclair's open shed and feed their horses upon their own hay and grain, which they had brought along, and sit by his cozy fires to eat the lunch they carried in their own wallets. As a consequence, Mr. Sinclair did not keep his shed in good repair. One day a traveler of this class com- plained of the uncomfortable shed and of the poor fire, and had the impudence to do this when he had not expended one penny for the benefit of the house. Sinclair very cooly responded by saying, "Sir, you furnished your own feed for your horse, and your own dinner ; the next time you come this way I advise you to bring your own fires and horse- shed !" Sinclair lived in this town many years, and was widely known and popular as a landlord in this and other towns. Lewis Wilson located in the vicinity of Eaton village. The marriage of Lewis Wilson and Dorcas Gillett, which took place in 1796, was the first marriage in town. Hum- phrey Palmer located at the Center, making the first inroads upon the wilderness in that section. His son, John Palmer, who came with his father, remained on the homestead to the close of his life in 1867. He was aged 90 years.
In 1797, came Rawson Harmon, Rufus Eldred, Cyrus Finney, Thomas Morris, Dr. James Pratt, and soon after, Benjamin Coman, William Mills, John Pratt, Lorin Pearse, Caleb Dunbar, Isaac Sage, William Hopkins, Seth Snow, Elijah Hayden, Daniel Hatch, David Gaston, and Con- standt, Robert and Cyrus Avery. Hezekiah Morse, Joseph French, Abiather Gates and a Mr. Patterson, also came early. Rawson Harmon, Rufus Eldred and Cyrus Finney, settled near Eaton village. Thomas Morris (brother of J. Hall Morris and Benjamin Morris,) located in Morrisville. He purchased the present village site, and being a man of enterprise and the possessor of wealth, soon had the forest cleared away and a fine wheat field growing about him. He invited settlement, and in due time a village grew up, which, in honor of him as its founder, was named "Morris- ville."
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Dr. James Pratt was the first physician of the town. Also, in the winter of 1797 and '98, he taught the first school kept in the town of Eaton-the first month at the house of Joseph Morse, on the Hamilton road ; the second at the house of Joshua Leland, at the lakes ; and the third at the house of Thomas Morris, at "Morris Flats," as the place was then called. The scholars boarded at the places where school was kept. Dr. Pratt was prominent as a phy- sician and was an influential citizen. Dr. Jonathan Pratt, an early . physician of Madison, and Dr. Daniel Pratt, of Perryville, were his brothers ; the latter was a student with him at Eaton.
Benjamin Coman located on the road laid out from Eaton village to Morrisville. Samuel, Winsor and Ziba Coman, his brothers, came and settled near him at a little later date. Winsor Coman was for some years a Justice of the Peace, in which capacity he was highly popular, being eminently a peace maker. He was also Supervisor several years, and was member of the Legislature for 1814 and '15. It has been remarked that "Squire Coman had no enemies."*
John and Matthew Pratt located at "Pratt's Hollow." Further mention is made of these men, elsewhere. Loren Pearse and Caleb Dunbar located at the northeast of Eaton village. These men spent the remainder of their years in town, living to a good old age; they were substantial farmers and good citizens. Thaxter Dunbar is a son of Caleb Dunbar. Mr. Pearse left a large family. Alvin Pearse (or " Pierce ") lives on the homestead.
William Hopkins settled in the west part of the town, on the old State road (the earliest laid out through this sec- tion,) near the old burying ground. He cleared away the wilderness, and with the aid of his sons, converted the land
*The following, on the death of Stephen Coman, one of this family, is from the Madison Observer: "Dea. Stephen Coman, who died at his residence one mile south of Morrisville, (in Jan. 7, 1870,) was one of the oldest native born citizens of this town, having resided for nearly seventy years on or near the premises where he died. He was one of the most substantial and respected of our townsmen, en- joying during a long life the confidence and esteem of the entire community."
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into an excellent farm, upon which he resided until his death at an extremely advanced age. Several of his large family are yet living. Anthony, Isaac, Palmer and Harlow Hopkins, his sons, residents of West Eaton and vicinity, are men of business and of good standing in that section. We also name Daniel Hopkins, a cousin of William, in this connection, although he was a settler of Nelson, his farm being just over the town line west of the reservoir. His sons, Benjamin, Alonzo and Lucius are well known and re- spected citizens of this town. Harvey Hopkins, another son, went to Louisiana. On the breaking out of the war of the rebellion, being loyal to the old flag, though a slave- holder, he was obliged to leave the rebellious States. He returned there after the close of the war and is since de- ceased. One of the daughters of Daniel Hopkins, Mrs. William Parker, remains a resident of Pierceville. Harvey Hopkins of Morrisville, lawyer and inventor,* is a grandson of Daniel and son of Benjamin.
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