USA > New York > Madison County > History of Madison County, state of New York > Part 35
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Mr. E. Stillman had also one of the early cabinet shops of this village. He worked for Erastus Wheeler in his shop on Madison street in 1828, and first went into business in 1833, in a shop which stood where, in 1840, he built his cab- inet warehouse on Lebanon street. His steady prosperity tells us of the soundness of the tradesmen of the past. Mr. Stillman continued in his trade till the time of his death, which is of recent occurrence.
As early as 1831, Warren M. Rice came to this place, and in company with a Mr. Stoddard opened a shop and commenced boot making. They soon extended their busi- ness, keeping as many as fifteen workmen. Mr. Rice is still in the business, and since the war does not employ work- men.
Mr. Thaxter Poole and Mr. Tucker have a shoe store, the former commencing in 1844, the latter joining him in 1846. They are one of the old firms of the village and have a good reputation. The harness making shop of Eli Buell
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was opened by him in 1842, when he commenced on a cap- ital of $15. He prospered remarkably. Since 1844 he has been in the Exchange buildings. Foote & Gaskell, in the hardware business are an old firm. E. W. Foote com- menced in company with John Foote, Esq., and Capt. Steere, as early as 1840. After three years the firm con- sisted of only the Footes, and in three years more E. W. Foote became sole proprietor, and then established the first store, entirely devoted to the hardware trade, in the Chenan- go Valley. Gaskill became one of the firm at a late date.
.In addition to the above named mercantile concerns, Hamilton village has at the present day four dry goods stores besides that of C. M. Mott, viz : Stiles, Wedge & Co., W. A. Boyd, A. G. Slocum and O. L. Woodruff & Co.
The drug store of J. Foote, now belonging to Bonney & Welton, is one of the long known stores of the village. Two other drug stores have been added to the trade, viz : H. P. Hartshorn, established in 1845; and Benedict & Banning, commenced in 1866 .*
The village has also at the present date, the Paterson's boot and shoe store; Foster & Benedict, in the harness making business, also H. H. Nash in the same department ; the hardware store of Royce & Grosvenor ; four grocery stores ; two book stores; two jewelers; a good bakery ; the marble shop of H. P. Case & Co .; Johnson's foundry, where castings and hop stoves are made ; three meat mar- kets ; one saloon ; three artists ; two milliners, viz : Mrs. Swift, and that of F. G. Rice, both on Eaton street ; two clothing stores, viz : Piotrow & Lewis, and I. M. Burnap.
The great business of the canal is waning, robbed of its traffic by the railroad. Of the three large storehouses which were once a source of great revenue, but one is in operation, and this doing but little business. Mr. A. Peck attends to the forwarding, at the large storehouse on Eaton street, which formerly had so large a traffic as to re-
* Now Palmiter & Simmons.
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quire the enterprise of a large firm, of which Mr. Peck was the senior member.
The Hamilton flouring mill long ago established, as the early history of this town tells us, is owned by Mr. James Furman, who purchased the property of Messrs. Oswood & Rogers, about 1849. This mill is a prosperous concern, and a useful institution to community.
The tannery, also an old established concern built by a Mr. Orton, when the country was new, is yet largely useful under the care of the present proprietor, C. J. Johnson. The lumber yard of Mr. A. Z. Kingsley & Co., is another large business concern, in the vicinity of the mill and tannery ; and the Utica, Clinton and Binghamton Rail- road depot, located in this, the southwest part of the corpo- ration, make this part of the village a point of unusual ac- tivity.
The old Town Hall, on Madison street, was originally built for the Free Church, when that body went out from the Congregationalists on account of the slavery agitation. They used this building so long as they remained a sepa- rate organization. Subsequently, the corporation obtained it for a Town Hall. Tripp's Hall, built by Melvin Tripp about 1870, is an elegant structure, suitable for all public meetings. It has recently been enlarged and refitted for use. It is on Lebanon street.
Hamilton Bank was organized Feb. 19, 1853, and was in- corporated under the State laws, March 1, 1853. Its capi- tal stock was $110,000, a majority of which was owned by people residing in this immediate vicinity, or had resided here.
The first Board of Directors was composed of Adon Smith, Alvah Pierce, D. B: West, Lewis Wickwire, John J. Foote, Smith Mott, Wm. Felt, Alonzo Peek, William Cobb, Artemus Osgood, Henry Tower, Delos DeWolf. Adon Smith was first President, and D. B. West, Cashier, who
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have continued in this office to the present day. The du- ties of the Board of Directors, were for a few years, very ar- duous, as several banking experiments had been unsuccess- ful here, and they determined to make this experiment sure. Their plan was fully carried out by the officers, and Hamil- ton Bank became one of the soundest and most prosperous institutions of the State. In 1865, this, in common with other banks of the State, received a change in name, and thereafter became
The National Bank of Hamilton, with the same capital as above. At the election of January, 1872, the same offi- cers were continued, and the Board of Directors the same, with the exception of Wm. Fairchild in place of Lewis Wickwire, deceased ; Linus H. Miller in place of Wm. Felt, deceased ; Wells C. Russell in place of William Cobb, de- ceased ; Sanford Gardner in place of Artemus Osgood, re- moved ; David W. Ingalls in place of Harry Tower, de- ceased ; Heman Howes in place of Delos DeWolf, removed. The place of Heman Howes is made vacant by his recent death.
Hamilton Lodge, No. 120, formerly No. 121, F. & A. M. This Lodge was installed on the 28th day of May, 1805, by Hon. and P. W. Jedediah Sanger of New Hartford, Oneida County, N. Y. First officers installed were Seeley Neal, W. M .; Asa B. Sizer, S. W., and Rufus Eldred, J. W.
There were twenty-seven members present, including the subordinate officers. On the same day the Lodge was duly organized. Thomas Hubbard, Dr. Thomas Greenly and John Shapley, were the first that were made Masons in Hamilton Lodge.
At that day, Hamilton included Madison, and at the or- ganization of the Lodge, it was located in that part of the town now Madison. During the first year there were thir- ty-seven members made. In 1806, the " Sherburne Lodge" was formed from this. In the same year the Lodge was
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removed to Hamilton village. In April, 1807, Alpheus Hitchcock was expelled on the charge of poisoning his wife. In December, 1817, the Lodge was, by a vote, removed to Eaton, where it remained as long as the Lodge continued to work.
Up to this period, 1827, this was a large and flourishing Lodge, and among its early and prominent members, we recognize the familiar and honorable names of Asa B. Sizer, Esq., Levi Love, Hon. Thomas H. Hubbard, William Cur- tis, Samuel Sinclair, Dr. Thomas Greenly, Joseph Enos, Rufus Eldred, Hon. Erastus Cleaveland, Dr. Daniel Barker, Andrew P. Lord, William Berry, jr., Calvin Morse, Curtis Porter, Thos. Wylie, Ellis Morse, Ephraim Gray, Windsor Coman, Joseph Morse, Andrew C. Hull, David Darrow, Hon. Bennett Bicknell, Lyman G. Hatch, and Rev. Nathan- iel Stacy. Of the 123 members of the old Lodge, but twelve are now (May, 1872,) living, viz : Lyman G. Hatch, Wis- consin ; Andrew C. Hull, Angelica, N. Y. ; Orville Eldred, Wisconsin ; Heber Temple, Pratt's Hollow, N. Y. ; Benja- min Choate, Eaton, N. Y. ; Alpha Morse, Angelica, N. Y. , Calvin Morse, Eaton, N. Y. ; James and Henry Cooledge, Madison, N. Y. ; Isaac and Ambrose Phelps, Solsville, N. Y., and Thomas H. Greenly, jr., Hamilton, N. Y.
In 1829, this Lodge, with others, after due deliberation, decided, in consequence of the excitement caused by the abduction of William Morgan, to suspend their meetings for the present at least.
From that period to 1846, the Lodge was closed ; mean- while, the charter was surrendered, and the hall and prop- erty, together with valuable records, was consumed by fire.
In 1846, the Lodge was resuscitated, and commenced its work with a dispensation from Grand Lodge, with the name of
Hamilton Lodge, No. 120. Its first meeting was held the 16th day of December, 1846, at Odd Fellows' Hall. Offi- cers named in the dispensation were Charles G. Otis, Esq.,
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W. M .; Hon. B. F. Skinner, S. W .; Gaius Stebbins, J. W. The following were petitioning members : Thomas H. Greenly, Jeremiah Wilbur, Henry G. Beardsley, Thomas C. Nye, Daniel Younglove, Perez H. Bonney, Thomas Wylie, Curtis Porter, Daniel Barker, Isaac Phelps and Philander P. Barker.
This Lodge has been exceedingly prosperous, and many eminent men are numbered among its ranks.
SAMUEL PAYNE
Was born in the year 1760, in Lebanon, Conn. He was a lineal descendant from one of two brothers named Paine, who came to America from England, and landed at Plymouth in 1621. One of the brothers settled in Conn., the other in Virginia. From these brothers all the American citizens of that name descended.
John Paine, a brother of Samuel and Elisha Payne, con- ceived the idea of changing the orthography of his name, writing it Payne. Samuel and Elisha, subsequently, and before they came to Central New York, adopted the same form.
Samuel Payne married Miss Betsey Stower, and removed from Lebanon, Conn., to Hamilton, Madison County, (then Paris, Herkimer County,) in the year 1794. Mr. Payne took up the farm which is now University Hill. Both Mr. and Mrs. Payne possessed that energy and perseverance which well adapted them to the life of the pioneer. They encountered many novel, and often unpleasant experiences in their life in the woods, which were inhabited with deer, bears and Indians. It was no unusual thing to capture a bear, or shoot a dear upon their own farm, or near their dwelling.
They were devoted christians, and hence it is recorded of Mr. Payne, that in the beginning when he had felled a large tree on his farm near where the University building now stands, he bowed his knee in the solitude of the wil- derness and prayed for food and raiment, and a people where-
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with to serve God, and consecrated himself and all he had to God's service. In 1796, two years after, was organized in the settlement a Baptist Church, which has existed to this day.
Because of their prosperity, which they regarded as from the bounteous hand of Providence, they deemed it incum- bent upon them to return to God of the fruit of their increase. Consequently, in 1827, they gave their farm of 123 acres, then valued at $4,000,-a small sum compared to the present value of such a farm-to the Baptist Education Society to locate thereon their Theological Institution. The whole was made over to the society by a warrantee deed, reserving to themselves the use of nearly one-half of the farm during their lives. They had no children, and therefore placed their affection on this Institution of learn- ing, which they made their pet,-their proiege.
Samuel Payne, in the early days of the settlement, was quite prominent in public matters, and was appointed one of the Judges of the County Court, by which title he was designated all his after life. But he had no ambition for the political arena, his tastes being of a religious character. He delighted in doing good and in spending bis means for the advancement of the right. He was beloved by every- body, for his social, genial disposition. His cheerfulness was contagious. He loved children, and a group of half a dozen boys, (he used to hire boys for the sake of having them with him,) engaged in labor with him, grew so merry as to forget that labor was anything but a pastime. His companion shared the same cheerful and devoted spirit. Never was a couple more happily united than they in all good works. In a literary direction Mrs. Payne's mind was marked. Her proverbial kindness to the students in sick- ness, or in need, gave her the title of "The Students' Mother."
Judge Samuel Payne died in Hamilton, Aug. 19. 1843, aged 83 years,
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Mrs. Betsey Payne, died in Hamilton, January 1, 1850, aged 86 years.
ELISHA PAYNE
Was born in Lebanon, Conn., in the year 1762. He mar- ried Miss Polly Brooks, Jan. 12, 1787, and in 1795, with his wife and four children, removed to Hamilton. His wife died in 1796. He afterwards married (Aug. 17, 1797,) Miss Esther Douglass, of Whitestown, N. Y.
Elisha Payne was one of the few prominent men in the early history of this country, his name appearing in the first courts, when this was a part of Chenango County. He was elected one of the Associate Judges in the first courts of Madison County in 1806, serving in this capacity with ability. He held the office of Justice of the Peace for many years, and was chosen to other municipal offices. He en- gaged his physical energies in clearing up the wilderness on the village plot, and, consequently, served his terms on the bench, and returned to the clearing of his fields. There is an anecdote related which is characteristic. Judge Platt came to Payne's settlement to consult with Judge Payne on some official matters, and seeing several men at work, some of them barefooted, clearing up logs after a " burning," their clothes sooty, and their countenances begrimmed beyond recognition, he thus addressed the eldest man of the party : "Can you tell me where I can find Judge Payne?" He was answered modestly, " I am called by that name, Sir ;" for it was no other than Judge Payne and his sons clearing land. "Is it possible !" said Judge Platt in amazement, and yet with great courtesy, for the Judge was a true gentle- man. Mr. Payne led the way to his house, and after bath- ing and change of apparel, the two sat down to official business, when Judge Platt expressed himself as delighted with the transformation wrought by so easy a process.
With the same ease and ingenuity, Elisha Payne operated all his concerns, from the clearing up of his large farm, and attending to official matters, to the engineering of his plans
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in making a village in this pretty valley. He came to the wilderness to found a village, and succeeded in bringing to- gether the elements which were to accomplish this result. He was not alone, however, in this laudable work, as the history of the village will show ; but it was mostly from his farm, and by his efforts, that village lots were first laid out. He gave the land for the park, for the cemetery in the vil- lage, and from time to time gave other portions from his farm to encourage mechanics to settle here and build.
There was, from a very early period, a strong competition between this village and central and east Hamilton, con- cerning the location of the village of the town. For a time, town meetings were held at the Center, so great was the strength there. But Hamilton village, enjoying better nat- ural advantages, aided by her strong men, so increased, as to bring the balance of power to her side; and at length the central and east part developed into a farming country unsurpassed for its richness, and the village of Hamilton made marked progress.
Judge Elisha Payne, being a man of great public spirit, enlisted heartily in this competition ; and in every enter- prise, from the beginning of the settlement to his death, his name is prominent. He died full of honors, at the ripe age of eighty years, in 1843. The Payne monument, bearing underneath his name, this inscription, " The Founder of Hamilton Village," stands conspicuous in the village ceme- tery.
GEN. KING.
" Nathaniel King was born at Amenia, Dutchess County, N. Y., Dec. 26th, 1767. His father, Samuel King, was a plain, well-to-do farmer, an ardent, christian patriot of the revolution, who sent an older son into the military service. But by the de- preciation in value of the old continental money, and especially in consequence of becoming surety for some friends, he lost most of his estate, and dying, left to his widow and youngest son only a small portion. The mother was a woman of intelligence, ar- dently pious, and possessed of much literary taste and laudable ambition. This mother lived to see her son well educated, and
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admitted to the practice of the law. He graduated at Yale Col- lege in 1792.
We have here passed over a long interval, because we are not writing (Mr. King's life, but merely presenting him in his connection with the history of Hamilton. He came to that hamlet, then called 'Payne's Settlement,' in February, 1797. He found many friends, indeed, many with whom he had been acquainted in the eastern part of the State, such as Samuel and Elisha Payne and their venerable parents, Dr Luther Water- man, Dr. Thomas Greenly, Benjamin, Theophilus and William Pierce, Dr. Rogers, Jonathan Olmstead, Daniel Smith and others in the vicinity north and west of the village. His manners were pleasing, and he readily made acquaintances among the people. He attended to what law business the place afforded, but was emphatically a peace-maker, never fomenting quarrels between neighbors, but advising the arbitration of difficulties rather than 'going to law.' He was soon made an Assistant Assessor, and also was appointed Justice of the Peace, (then an important of- fice,) by the council at Albany. Mr. King had previously made the acquaintance of some of the leading men at Albany, while finishing his law-clerkship there.
Early in the winter of 1798, the people of Hamilton and other towns, became very desirous of a new county. They were then in the large county of Herkimer. So, on the assembling of the Legislature, they sent Mr. King to Albany to negotiate the erection of a new county. It was done, and the county named Chenango. The people of the new county held their election in April, and made Mr. King their first member of As- sembly. The voters were nearly all Federalists, of the good old stamp,-they loved the new United States Constitution and the Union. Governor John Jay called a special session of the Leg- islature to meet August 1, 1798. The belligerents, England and France, had so disturbed our commerce, that he thought it nec- essary to take measures for its protection. In the spring of 1799, Mr. King was re-elected to the Assembly. The next spring, he ran for Senator, but lost his election. There were several candidates, and he came out next to the winner. In the spring of 1801, he was the third time returned to the Assembly. He declined further nomination, for he felt the necessity of at- tending more closely to business at home.
Possessing much military taste, and having been commissioned Colonel of Militia, he conducted his 'trainings' with efficiency and skill. These novel exhibitions of pleasing military evolu- tioos served to enliven the stillness of this wild settlement. Just at the end of 1803, he married Miss Ottillia Mayer, the young siep-daughter of Deacon Olmstead. He had previously purchas- edsof Elisha Payne about five acres of land fronting on Lebanon
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street, from the Payne corner westward, and erected there a large and commodious office, in which he first kept house. This building is still standing on Mill or Millward street, having been removed from its original location on Lebanon street and some- what enlarged and improved. In his early practice, Mr. King was favored with some talented law students, such as Moses Sawyer, Abram Payne, Jonathan Pettit and John G. Stower.
About this time, Thomas H. Hubbard came to Hamilton from Connecticut, a young lawyer and college graduate. His fine residence on the east side of Broad street was afterwards owned by John G. Stower, and later by James B. Eldredge. The intimate association with this family of refined and elegant manners will long be remembered by the children of Mr. King. The village was growing rapidly, for these times ; frame build- ings and some brick ones were everywhere replacing the early log houses. A large school house was the place of public wor- ship. It was also used for Courts and other assemblings. Mr. King applied himself to law business, and was appointed a Master in Chancery. In the meantime he was also attentive to his military duties, and at length was promoted to the rank of Major General. In 1807, he received an important office-he was made a District Attorney. His District embraced five counties, Herkimer, Onondaga, Cayuga, Cortland and Madison. He was obliged to be much from home attending Courts through- out this extensive Circuit ; this office was quite lucrative. Hosts of counterfeit and other felons were efficiently brought to justice. He bought at this time a fine tract of woodland in Lebanon, afterwards sold to the late Curtis Hoppin, Esq. De- signing to build a dwelling, he purchased of Dr. Greenly and Mr. Joseph Colwell about two acres of land on the west side of Broad street, south of the Payne corner. Here he built a com- modious dwelling after his own taste. He was able to com- mand for this purpose the best pine lumber from his own timber lot in North Norwich, Chenango County. The house was fin- ished in 1812. Benjamin F. Bonney now owns this house re- paired and remodeled. In 1812, Gen. King resigned the office of District Attorney, also he joined the Republican party.
In 1814, incensed at the meanness of the British in burning a part of Washington City, Gen. King asked his personal and political friend, Gov. Daniel D. Tompkins, to send him into the service. Of course, the frontier of New York was much men- aced on the north, and Gov. Tompkins had been on the alert, first sending a large body of men drafted from the militia of this State ; then, as matters grew more threatening, ordering the militia, en masse, to Sackett's Harbor. By the Governor's or- der, Gen. King repaired to that place early in October, 1814,
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and organized into a Division, and took command of all the militia at that post and in the neighborhood. A little incident here illustrates his humane disposition. At a place a few miles this side of Sackett's Harbor, he met a young officer, who con- fessed he was deserting. Gen. King persuaded him to go back and do his duty. He went, and was pardoned. The officer whom Gen. King superseded was Brigadier General Collins, who had been in command for some time. He sent a sergeant and file of men to arrest this deserter, while at a hotel. Gen. King being present, pleasantly dismissed the men, saying that he was now commander. The young officer did not abuse this lenity, but performed his duty with fidelity. A great rain set in, and the post was a low, unhealthy marsh. Much sickness prevailed among the troops, and Gen. King readily discharged all the sick who could be removed by their friends. For this merciful con- duct he afterwards received most grateful acknowledgments Gen. Jacob Brown, of the regular army, arrived with a body of United States troops, and took the supreme command, Gen. King under him, retaining his command of all the militia. The place was now so strong that the expected attack of the British was not made. They would have met a repulse like that of New Orleans, had they made the attempt. Peace dawned upon us early in 1815, and Gen. King came home, but remained in the service some months, superintending courts martial, which he ordered in three places to try the militia delinquents and deserters ; these courts, however, were very lenient, and the General approved their course.
In April, 1816, Gen. King was suddenly bereaved of his be- loved wife. She left five children. He afterwards married Miss Mary Bates, of Paris, Oneida County, who died at the end of thirteen months, leaving an infant son. Mr. King resigned the office of Major-General, and was for some years a County Judge. In the winter of 1818, he was much engaged in helping Revolu- tionary soldiers to get pensions under the recent laws. He was also much occupied in mathematical disquisitions and studies, corresponding with Prof. Strong, of Hamilton College, Clinton, Oneida County, and other eminent scholars. The lamented Prof. A. M. Fisher, of Yale College, was one of them. Mr. King's solutions of difficult problems were published in several magazines -also neat and ingenious questions. He also exer- cised his mechanical ingenuity, and among other inventions may be named his Tellurian, for illustrating all the motions of the earth, and especially the precession of the equinoxes. In Novem- ber, 1818, he married his third wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Tefft, of Hamilton, who lived with him thirty years, and ably and ten- derly assisted him to bring up his and her children, and survived him only a few months.
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In the winter of 1819, the first preachers of the Methodist Episcopal Church came to Hamilton village. Some will recol- lect the honored names of Abner Chase, Dan. Barnes and George Gary. S. Wesley Higgins was an interesting young novitiate, who preached some in the village, but more on Bonney Hill. There was a powerful revival of religion amongst the Baptists, Methodists and others, extending through many towns. This winter the first Methodist Society was collected in Hamil- ton. James Higgins was the first class leader, the next was Stephen Stocking. These had been Methodists previously, as also were Jonathan Greig and his wife and daughter Susan, the parents and sister of Mrs. King. Of new members in the village, there were Mr. King, Mrs. Eunice M. Weaver, Reuben Ransom and others. Mr. King was a zealous member, and lent pecuniary aid according to his ability, and labored in the good cause of religion, especially in his own family,-giving his child- ren much instruction in the Holy Scripture. His tender exhortations and prayers in the family and elsewhere are not forgotten.
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