USA > New York > Madison County > History of Madison County, state of New York > Part 24
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After the Skaneateles turnpike went through, there was need of better tavern accommodations; Mr. Samuel Stow, therefore, built and kept a tavern on the corner opposite the lower hotel. Samuel Chubbuck, living opposite to him,
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carried on a blacksmith shop. These two men had by some disagreement become violently opposed to each other. In a spirit of competition, Mr. Chubbuck erected another tav- ern opposite Stow's. Chubbuck was a staunch Democrat, and this was a time soon after the war of 1812 ; so upon one side of his attractive sign board was displayed the dying words of Commodore Lawrence, as a motto,-" Don't give up the Ship !"-and on the other, " Free Trade and Sailor's Rights !" Mr. Stow immediately erected another black- smith shop to match Chubbuck's, which stood very near where Coman's store is, and swung out his sign directly op- posite to Chubbuck bearing these words: "Don't give up the Shop !" and on the reverse side, " Free Trade and Me- chanic's Rights !"-alluding to his neighbor's giving up blacksmithing for tavern keeping. Those unique signs hung out for many a year. The Chubbuck hotel is the present lower house.
The first school house in Log City was located on the ground which is now the cemetery. This building was burned. The next school was held in a house farther east on the Hamilton road. The late Rev. Charles Finney, of Oberlin College and revivalist fame, was a pupil at this school, and as a leader in all school boy sport, he is well re- membered. He was a nephew of Dea. Finney, with whom he lived in his boyhood. The old brick school house was built in 1808, and it stood on the site of the house of Ellis Coman. This was one of the first brick buildings erected in Madison County ; it was a well built two story house and was also used as a " town house." There was not a hand- somer building in any of the villages about, and it was con- sidered by many a great mistake when it was removed. Some of the brick are in the blacksmith shop of Mr. Win- chester.
Squire Rufus Eldred, who lived at Eaton village several years, was one of the men of the times of whom the town was justly proud. There is an incident related, which,
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while it illustrates an old time custom, gives us an insight into his character and an idea of his influence: Major Elijah Hayden, one of the early settlers, for some slight mis- demeanor, was once arrested by an aspiring young officer, who put him in the stocks, the only instance in which this then legal punishment was ever inflicted in this region. Squire Eldred happening to pass by at the time discovered Maj. Hayden thus confined, and demanded of the young officer what authority he had for punishing a soldier of the revolution in that degrading manner. The officer produced perfectly legal authority for so doing, but' Squire Eldred commanded his immediate release, legal or not legal. Suffice it to say that the Major was released forthwith, and this barbarous penalty was never afterwards enforced in this community.
Dr. James Pratt was succeeded in the medical profession here by Dr. Charles W. Hull, who was a prominent physi- cian in this locality many years. Dr. Pratt, Joseph Enos, Rufus and Zenas Eldred, Dr. Charles and Andrew Hull, the Comans, the Morses (note g,) and a few others, were the lead- ing spirits here of the first quarter century. They encouraged and assisted every enterprise and enlisted themselves in very many. Some of these men belonged to the old Ma- sonic Lodge, No. 121, which was removed from Hamilton to Eaton in 1817. The Masons owned a superbly fitted up hall adjoining Samuel Stow's tavern ; they built this at their own expense at the time of the tavern addition. The lodge continued its regular meetings here up to the period of its dissolution in 1827.
One individual, whose name is associated largely with the enterprises of Eaton village, in the half century past, was Ellis Morse, whose death transpired October 28, 1869. The " Madison Observer " thus speaks of him :-
" DEATH OF ELLIS MORSE, EsQ .- We record to-day the de- cease of this well-known and highly-esteemed citizen, almost the last survivor of the early settlers of this town. In 1796, when a lad of seven years, he emigrated to this town from
-
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Sherburne, Mass., with his father, the late Joseph Morse, Esq., locating on the place known as the Burchard farm, at pre- sent owned by Charles Payne, and built one of the first frame houses in this region, a part of which is yet standing at the foot of the hill, on the right of the road leading from Eaton to Ham- ilton. Near this house ran the Indian trail from the Susque- hanna to Stockbridge, and the Indians were frequent guests. In 1802, four years before the town of Eaton was set off from Hamilton, his father removed to the present location of the family homestead at Eaton village, where he erected one of the first grist mills this side of Whitestown. Here Mr. Morse began his long and active career, laying the foundation of his after suc- cess in life ; beside the hopper by day, and the firelight by night, with brief intervals of school tuition in winter season, he diligently studied the only books of the times within his reach, such as Dilworth's Spelling-Book, Daboll's Arithmetic, the Columbian Orator and the Bible. At this time the only school in the town was kept by the late Dr. James Pratt, and held suc- cesssive months at different places in the town, one of which was his father's residence, the scholars boarding meantime at the place where the school was kept During his long and active life the deceased was widely and honorably known in business circles, where his correct and methodical habits and strict integrity gave him deservedly great influence. He was early engaged with his father in buying and selling cattle, thus furnished the early settlers with money at a time when it was remarkably scarce and greatly needed. Subsequently he was largely engaged in the building of roads for the new country, one of which was the Hamilton and Skaneateles Turnpike. Mr. Morse was a person of modest and retiring disposition, yet his sterling qualities frequently placed him in important public stations. For several years he was an influential member of the Board of Supervisors, and part of the time it's Chairman. It is a singular coincidence that his father, in 1817, was one of the commissioners appointed to superintend the erection of the first Court House built here ; that thirty years afterwards the deceased was chosen to superintend the building of the second Court House ; and that nearly twenty years subse- quently his son (George E.) was also appointed to superintend the erection of the third and present Court House.
" During the past few years, Mr. Morse had, to a great extent, withdrawn from business activities, passing the evening of his days among those who knew and appreciated his blameless life and high character. It is permitted to but few men to witness the wonderful changes which have occurred in the lifetime of the deceased. The dense forest, over which the curling smoke of the Indian wigwam was to his youthful eyes a familiar scene,
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has given place to well-cultivated fields and a prosperous popu- lation, along whose hills and valleys the trailing smoke of the first locomotive is to-day the harbinger of far greater changes than were witnessed even in the eventful lifetime of our departed townsman."
The "Eaton Woolen Manufacturing Company " was formed about 1816. Joseph Morse, Hezekiah Morse, James Cooledge, sen., Benjamin Brown, Samuel Stow, Cur- tis Hoppin and Dr. James Pratt, were members of this company. They built a factory east of Eaton village, on the Chenango, in 1816 or '17. After being run by the com- pany for a time, it was leased to Gilbert Jones for a term of years, who manufactured woolen goods. He failed when it was leased to David Rogers, and for a time manufactured cotton goods. At one time both cotton and woolen goods were made at this factory. Homer Pratt, son of Dr. James Pratt, run the establishment a few years, but, about 1828, failed. For a time after this it was idle; then was pur- chased by Pettis & Hoppin. This firm added to its capa- cities, and built on the premises quite extensively, intend- ing to go heavily into the manufacture of woolen goods. They had but just completed these preparations, when, by an unlucky accident, the establishment took fire, and burned to the ground. This disaster occurred in the autumn of 1845. The proprietors lost heavily, and did not rebuild. The ruins may be seen about half a mile east of the village. There was a fine boarding-house and a store kept by the company. The excellent farm house belonging to Mr. Joseph Holton, was the residence of Mr. Pettis.
Earlier than the building of the factory just mentioned, was the construction of the old powder mill, which was sit- uated farther south, on the Chenango. If the curious wish to find its site, they can take the road which crosses the flat eastward from Giles Clark's ; it stood on this road, on land now owned by John Graham ; when built, the land was owned by Squire Simeon Gillett. The mill was the prop- T
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erty of James McConnell, and was built by him probably as early as 1806. It was finally destroyed by an explosion and fire, after it had been in disuse some time, from some powder left in the mill, in which disaster two young men, Samuel Washburne and Eleazer Goodrich, came near losing their lives. Very near here, Squire Gillett put up the grist mill, removed from Lelands in 1802. The mill went down years ago.
About 1817, Richard Ward built a tannery on the Eaton brook, in the village. Otis Hunt purchased it and for some number of years did a good business in that line. He sold to Collins & Tillinghast, after which it passed through several hands, then was burned, then rebuilt by Ellis Morse, and is now owned by Charles Fry.
The wagon shop now owned by Charles Gilbert, was built by Samuel Parker. The wagon shop now owned by Robert Gilbert was erected for a school-house, and origi- nally stood east of the Baptist meeting house. As a school institution, this was the enterprise of a few individuals, prominent among whom were Alpheus Morse, Lyman Gardner, Calvin Morse and John M. Rockwell. The first teachers were Miss Gorton and Miss Terry-the latter now Mrs. Bacon. The school usually had three teachers ; it was conducted on the academic plan, and is said to have been the best school ever instituted in Eaton. It continued some five or six years. When the families to which the enterprise belonged, passed beyond their school days, the school declined and was finally given up. It was removed to the present location and converted into a cabinet ware shop, and a few years since it was changed to a wagon shop. The wagon shop and smithery of Mr. Booth, was built many years ago by Rogers & Parker.
The Portable Steam Engine Works of Wood, Tabor & Morse .- Allen and Enos D. Wood, brothers, erected build- ings in Eaton village, for the prosecution of their business, in 1848. All kinds of castings, as well as fine machinery
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for factories, were made at their foundry. For a time, the establishment was managed by the Woods. Subsequently, E. D. Wood removed to Utica, where he became one of the proprietors of similar works on an extensive scale, under the firm name of " Wood & Mann." The firm at Eaton, as now organized, has steadily extended their facilities and increased their business, greatly to the prosperity of the village. They employ about fifty men, and manufacture three engines per week, at an average cost of about $800 each. Portable steam engines being their specialty of late years, their work has grown widely popular ; their engines are now distributed throughout the Union.
Though all departments of business have contributed to the prosperity of Eaton village, the mercantile has been pre- eminent in that respect. Old residents remember the firm of Leach & Morse as prominent for many years ; as men, active in their business, and extensive in their oper- ations. They built the " Felton block," afterwards pur- chased by David Felton, where he kept store for several years-now the cabinet ware store of O. A. Medbury. The drug store, now owned by Henry Allen, was built in 1816, by Dr. Charles W. and Andrew C. Hull. This is another of the old, substantial brick buildings of this village. In 1831, the store now conducted by the Morse Brothers, was built by Ellis and Alpheus Morse; here Alpheus Morse was formerly a merchant. Not far from the last date, Coman's store was built by Sylvester Thayer, another of Eaton's old merchants. In 1836, the "Exchange Hotel" was built by Ellis and Alpheus Morse. The architect, Jacob Bishop, built many of the best houses of the village, about this time. The first landlord of the "Exchange" was Cyrus Allen. The Baptist church, on Main street, was erected in 1820; the Presbyterian, on Church street, in 1833 ; the Methodist, not till 1856. The Union school house, a fine looking building, with spacious lawn and shade trees in front, situated on Church street, is also of
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recent build. The store now occupied by H. C. Palmer, on Main street, was built by Mrs. Maydole in 1870.
Madison County Poor House, situated a short distance south of Eaton village, was built in 1828. Attached to it is a farm of 159 acres, which is well improved and furnished with good farm buildings ; it is a source of considerable revenue toward the support of the poor at the institution. The accommodations here for this class of unfortunates, have been from time to time added to and improved ; there are now three two-story stone buildings devoted to their use and care ;- the Poor House proper, a lunatic asylum,
and a hospital. Within three years past the county authorities have greatly improved the sanitary condition of the insane asylum, have added facilities for the greater comfort of those in the hospital, and have bettered the condition of things for all other inmates. The removal of the children to the "Orphan's Home," in Peterboro, during the year 1871, has proved another beneficial measure. The first keeper or overseer of the Poor House was Ichabod Amidon, who continued several years.
About half a mile west of Eaton village is the unused building and premises of the old scythe factory, which was started about 1830. It was for a time conducted by Gard- ner & Abbot. It was a substantial stone structure, having an excellent water power. It was a thrifty, paying concern for many years. Subsequently, it was converted into an ax factory, where the "Winchester ax" so often seen twenty and more years ago, was made by Samuel B. Winchester. Gardner Morse now owns the property.
On the eastern outskirts of Eaton village, about half a mile from the business center, is located the Eaton Depot of the Midland Railroad. It is conveniently reached by freight teams from Eaton, Pierceville and West Eaton villages, over smooth roads, and by hacks for passengers from each of these places at all train hours.
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We append the following obituary list, the items of which have been omitted in their more appropriate places ; all of them old residents of Eaton :
"Levi Bonney, whose location was the old Bonney Farm near the Depot, died in 1855, aged 80 years. Miles Standish died in 1819, aged 71 years ; Caleb Dunbar in 1811, aged 51 years, and his wife in 1801 ; David Hatch in 1836, aged 64 years ; David Moreton in 1842, aged 69 years ; Samuel Chub- buck in 1835, aged 67 years ; John Hubbard in 1817, aged 51 years ; Capt. Joseph Gardner in 1829, aged 62 years ; Dr. Huil in 1833, aged 51 years ; Dea. Cyrus Finney in 1846, aged 68 years ; Elisha Willis in 1835, aged 58 years ; Loren Pierce in 1851, aged 77 years ; Col. Rockwell was killed in 1847, aged 56 years."
Also, we add the following note of two of the Comans, not given elsewhere ; Samuel Coman was father to the wife of Rev. William Dean, many years ago the noted mis- sionary to China. The wife became an active missionary also, with her husband. Winsor Coman, another of the family, was a noble man and stood high in the esteem of his townsmen. This was a family of remarkably robust, active men.
David McCrellis settled where the brick house is situated on the road from Eaton village to Morrisville. Benjamin White located north of Log City, having a family who were conspicuous. One son, Rev. Ward White, was a noted min- ister in the Methodist denomination.
Abiather Gates was the first settler and original owner of the farm on the hill, east of Morrisville, afterwards owned successively by Uriah Leland and Henry Runkle. Mr. Gates built the present dwelling house and kept it as a tav- ern many years, where, also, all the public meetings in that part of the town were held, previous to the settlement of Morrisville. The farm is now owned by Mr. Jones.
MORRISVILLE.
When Thomas Morris reached the town of Eaton in 1796, he chose for his location the heavily timbered land
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bordering the Chenango, and there afterwards founded the village which bore his name. He was a man of wealth, and encouraged all classes of mechanics ; he thus gathered about him the elements which go far toward establishing a village. It was, however, but a small, pleasantly located hamlet, having a church, a postoffice, two taverns, a store, and the usual number of mechanics, up to the period when the County Seat was located here, in 1817. The Cherry Valley Turnpike was then in its glory and the tide of travel made lively business for the inns. But there were active men in Morrisville whose influence went far towards fixing the permanent location of the County Seat here. John Farwell, Amariah Williams, Dr. Isaac Hovey, Dr. Wm. Pitt Cleveland, Judge Gaston and Bennett Bicknell, were chief in all matters that pertained to the public interest. The Williams, the Farwells and Tidds were early settlers, all of them we believe emigrants from Connecticut. The status of the village in 1816, was nearly what it had been since its rapid progress immediately after the Cherry Valley Turnpike went through ; Major Bennett Bicknell kept store in the building now occupied by Wm. P. Chambers ; John Farwell kept a hotel on the spot now occupied by the resi- dence of his son Thomas ; Thomas Morris lived in a small house where Otis P. Granger now resides, at the northeast corner of the road leading to Peterboro.
In 1817, the long discussed question having been settled, the County Seat was removed to Morrisville. The object sought by Madison County in removing the Court House from Cazenovia which was then a most progressive village, was a central point. As between Smithfield and Eaton, both of which sought it, the decision was made in favor of the latter. Joseph Morse, Capt. Jackson and Squire Elisha Carrington, were appointed to superintend the erection of the new Court House, and the first court was held here Oct. 7th, 1817.
Thenceforward Morrisville became the central point for
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all county organizations. From published sources, pre- vious to 1830, we gather statements concerning several of these societies. The Madison County Medical Society was then an organization nearly a quarter century old.
The County Temperance Society also frequently met in this village.
The Madison Colonization Society, formed about that period, met here frequently, and from the large hearts, the contagious zeal and the wise deliberations of the best men of the county, the public mind was moulded to receive the great principles of human freedom, preparing the rising gen- eration to decide without hesitation as to the right, when the crisis should arrive.
A County Bible Society and Sunday School Union held their periodical meetings here.
An organized Musical Society often convened in this village.
These and other societies sprung up during the period fol- lowing the second decade of this century, when it seemed that Madison County had suddenly sprung into new life. Being the seat of the courts of justice, we can form but an imperfect idea of the scenes enacted at this secondary thea- tre, of a nature oftentimes wildly tragic, and again serio- comic, and frequently unraveling the characteristics of the farce.
The execution of Abram Antone in the year 1823, was the last of those tragic performances, a public execution, given in Morrisville.
The name of Abram Antone had become a synonym of all that was barbarous and terrible, and when the news spread abroad that he had been captured and taken to Mor- risville jail, the whole population of this region breathed more freely, for he was feared as well as hated, and when it was decreed that he was to be publicly executed, the people far and near determined to witness the horrible scene. It is said that " the pioneer laid down his ax, the good wife put
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by her spinning and packed up their rations of gingerbread and doughnuts, saddled their horses and journeyed forty and fifty miles through wilderness paths, to witness the tragic close of a mysterious, eventful life. Hunters shoul- dered their rifles and marched to the public execution, ex- pecting they and their rifles would be of " service," for the tribes had threatened to rescue him at the latest hour. " Farmers left their autumn harvesting, yoked their oxen to the cart and with their numerous families proceeded to the exciting scene. Tawny forms, with their moccasins, wampum belts and heavy blankets, moved sombrely about, many of whom shrank fearfully from them." And yet An- tone went to his death like the stoical warrior that he was. He objected to the degradation of hanging and being pub- licly exhibited. "No good way," says he, putting his hands around his neck, then pointing to his heart signified that he chose to die a nobler death. He begged to be let loose and give the militia an opportunity to bring him down like a hunted deer. Finding his appeals unheeded, he marched upon the scaffold with a calm and dignified tread, not a muscle quivering till the final pangs of death told that the deed was done which ushered into another state of existence the soul of Abram Antone. Friday, Sept. 12th, 1823, closed the record of public executions in Madison County. The gallows which closed the career of this notorious Indian, was erected in the open field, north of the arsenal, on the west side of the Peterboro road.
Lewis Wilbur was executed in the jail at Morrisville, in the year 1839, for the murder of Robert Barber, in the town of Sullivan. In the year 1853, John Hadcock was tried here for the murder of Mrs Gregg, in Stockbridge, and on Feb- ruary 23, 1854, was executed in the jail yard .*
Here many a poor man has been confined on the jail limits for debt. We are given an instance of one man, who, coming into the new country with small means, soon ex-
* See Criminal trials, &c., elsewhere.
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hausted his supply of cash, and was compelled to get in debt for various necessaries at a store. The debt coming due, there was no means wherewith to cancel it. The cred- itor levied upon and took his household furniture and his only cow, notwithstanding there was a sick wife and five little ones who had chiefly subsisted on this cow's milk ; and then, the debt not being all paid, and both the law and the creditor inexorable, the poor man was hurried off to the jail at Morrisville. Kind neighbors, scarcely able to sustain themselves, looked after the wants of the suffering family. Like a true Yankee, however, this husband and father, “ in durance vile," being allowed " the freedom of the limits," contrived to improve the days of his term in making bas- kets, the sale of which relieved some of the pressing neces- sities at home. This law, so rigorous, had received the condemnation of wise, reflecting men, long before it was ex- punged from the statute books. At last a formidable cru- sade was made against it ; petition after petition from all parts of the State flowed in upon the Legislature-several from this county-but not until the year 1832, was the in- cubus lifted from the unfortunate poor of this common- wealth.
This village was the central point for great political meetings, and here congregated, during each exciting cam- paign, deputations of wide-awake political men from all parts of the county. Exciting political battles have been fought on this ground. In the remembrance of many, there has been no contest more fierce than that during the anti- Masonic excitement, in which the Masons, under the ban- ner of the " Observer and Recorder," of Morrisville, and the anti-Masons, under that of the " Republican Monitor," of Cazenovia, waged war throughout the contest.
We are told, that in the days of a half century past, the people of this country prided themselves exceedingly on their military displays ; that " general training" was a time of great interest to all. On these occasions, Morrisville was
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