USA > New York > Madison County > History of Madison County, state of New York > Part 44
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Mr. Cole took the condemned ax in his hands, looked it over, ejected a monstrous mouthful of tobacco juice, and said very quietly : " No wonder the ax don't hold an edge ; it's made of iron !" then added : " I'll take it back and make you a good one." He then told Mr. Stowell that when he made the iron ax he had no steel to make a better one, but with the money he received for that, he had been to Utica and purchased sufficient steel to make a large number of good ones.
Stephen Stowell, now living in Georgetown, was the first of his family born on the farm. The father of Enoch Sto- well came to this county. He was formerly a preacher, and in the Revolutionary war was a Captain. He died in New Woodstock, Madison County, at the house of one of his sons, at the advanced age of ninety-two. Enoch Stowell also lived to be ninety-two years old, dying June 3, 1859, at the family mansion. His son, Horace Stowell, succeeded to the homestead.
Samuel Felt settled on the west side of the Chenango river in the vicinity of Earlville, in the spring of 1794. He had been in the year before, selected his land and built a cabin. His brother, David Felt, came also in 1794. They were from Summerstown, Tolland County, Connect- icut. David Felt located his first domicil north of the brick house built by William Felt a few years since. Sam- uel Felt had his place where Whitman Clark now lives. The barn he built is yet standing, moved across the road. Their land cost three dollars per acre. The location is superb.
During the first year of their settlement, they experienced great privations, particularly during the winter months. They were obliged to go to Whitestown, by marked
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trees, to mill, but when the path was blocked by winter snows, the journey was made with difficulty in the best of weather, at other times made imposssible by the storms. As a consequence, necessity suggested many inventions. Boiled wheat and hulled corn were common articles of food, and when tired of this monotonous diet, Samuel Felt in- vented a novel method of obtaining meal. He sawed a sec- tion from a tough elm log, bored one end full of auger holes to the required depth, having no other tools serviceable for the work. From the fire-place he took live coals, dropping them into the augur holes, and succeeded by fanning and blowing, in burning out the inside of the log, which made a fair wooden mortar. From a tough limb of the same tree he made a huge wooden pestle. With this improvised mill the neighborhood was furnished with meal, samp and wheat flour, which was then a luxury. The old mortar and pestle saved many a perilous journey, and was of service even after mills had been built, in pounding rock salt, the only kind of salt in use for years.
There was a large family of the Felts. The sons of Sam- uel were Jehiel, Samuel, Elam, John, Jabin, Sylvester and David. For a time these men were all settled about here, but later they became scattered. Elam was a strong pillar of the Methodist Church, and his name is prominent in the history of that church in Earlville, from its early beginnings till his death. His home was the home of the ministers, and of his wealth he gave abundantly for the prosperity of the cause.
David Felt had a large family. His son Horace, was the first one of this family born in Lebanon. His birth was August 18th, 1795. Asa Felt who was seven years old when his father moved, yet lives in Earlville ; he is in his eighty- sixth year, and is probably the oldest pioneer of Lebanon living.
William Felt, a grandson of one of the pioneers, was one of the prominent business men of Earlville. He accumu-
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lated a large property, chiefly in cattle dealing and drover- ing. He was a man of great judgment and tact in business, and was at the same time generous and public spirited. He built the present grist mill, about thirty-five years ago, and about twelve years ago built the Brick Block, the finest building in Earlville. His late residence, a fine brick house on the west of the river, is pointed out as the earthly home of one whom all Earlville remember with respect. On his death, having no children, he bequeathed $75,000 of his es- tate to the town of Lebanon for her poor. Through the litigation of contesting parties, only about $5,000, was re- ceived.
From 1794, onward, the tide of emigration setting toward the "Chenango Twenty Towns," poured in. No. 5 had been surveyed, and Robert Troup, agent for Pultney, was selling out the hill lands, while Justice Smith had little difficulty in selling the valley. The interminable forest, which had waved like a vast sea over the valleys and hills of Lebanon, became dotted here and there, for miles apart, with clearings. The spirit of aggression, of the war of civ- ilization with untamed nature, manifested itself in those veteran pioneers, who should no more be forgotten in our country's history, than should the names of those veteran soldiers in another and different war, who battled for our rights and our homes also, be consigned to oblivion. Both deserve far more than can be given in meagre records.
The list we have obtained, gives us, on the river road, be- sides those already mentioned, Malachiah Hatch, Dea. King, Dea. Tinney, David Shapley, Benjamin Hatch, Mr. Crocker, the Wheelers and many others. The fine old family mansions along the whole length of the river road to Earlville, attest to the thrift and progressive spirit of the pioneers.
For a time the Smiths planned for a village at their place. The fine table land on the Masters farm now owned by J. D. F. Smith, was the location chosen. The village plot
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was already marked out, and the stakes stuck, when Judge Elisha Payne came down from Hamilton to disarrange the matter. He had decided that the village of the Chenango Valley should be at Payne's settlement. Between Justus B. Smith and Judge Payne there came near being a battle fiercer than words, in which Smith lost his self-command and muscular force took possession. Although in the quar- rel Smith might have got the better of Payne, yet in the long run Payne got the better of his opponent, for the vil- lage of Payne's Settlement was certainly built, and the streets of the proposed village at Smith's Valley were never opened. At a late day, some of the charred bottoms of the stakes then stuck, were found on Smith's village site.
The first necessities of the times were grist mills and saw mills. The grist mill built by the Wheelers was the first in town, its location being on the site of Mr. Armstrong's mill, near the feeder, in the east part of the town. [This mill is mentioned more fully in the chapter of Hamilton.]
Daniel and $Elisha Wheeler were enterprising men, as their first works in Lebanon show. They were carpenters and mechanics, the best the new country produced, and were engaged in every large enterprise of the first twenty- five years.
The first house which Daniel Wheeler built, on moving into Lebanon, was a log tenement, which, like those of all the pioneers, for a time boasted of only the opening for a door and windows, which were protected by blankets and sheets. However, immediately after the erection of a saw mill, a door was made, and though not finely carved or pan- eled, it was nice and strong, and for a number of years its friendly latch-string hung out. All the settlers then used sliding boards for windows.
Mrs. Wheeler's milk pantry in this house consisted of some fine stone shelves, whose surfaces were as smooth as a bottle, and which proved to be most excellent coolers for milk in the hot days of summer.
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About 1800, Mr. Wheeler erected a plank building for a wagon shop. After it was finished, Mrs. Wheeler entered it one day to view its fine proportions, when she remarked to her husband that she should be glad to change houses with him. To this he readily agreed, and so the log house was used for a wagon shop, and the plank one for a dwelling. This house is yet standing and occupied, near the mill now owned by Mr. Armstrong.
The shocking accident causing Daniel Wheeler's death, which, though occurring in Earlville, may be appropriately mentioned here, as his life previously had so identified him with the inhabitants of this section, that he had become, as it were, a part of their fraternity.
He had sold his mill property here and purchased one at Earlville, and though at work in his newly acquired proper- ty there, he had not yet removed his family thither. It was in the month of December, and a severe cold night had frozen the water in the mill wheel. Entering the wheel-pit in the morning, Mr. Wheeler proceeded to cut away the ice, which proved to be not so firm as he had supposed. The moment the ice yielded, the water rushed in (the gate be- ing up,) and set the wheel revolving before he could extri- cate himself, when he was thrown round and round the wheel. A man above as quickly as possible closed the gate, and hastening below, found Mr. Wheeler standing, clinging with one arm to a post. In his excitement the man caught him in his arms and ran up the ladder as swiftly as he would had he only been bearing a child in his arms. The suffering man was still alive, his body seriously bruised, his ribs broken, and one arm literally crushed in fragments. His wife was sent for, and eminent physicians immediately brought, one from New Hartford, (his name is forgotten,) who amputated his arm. The utmost efforts were put forth to save his life, which, however, availed nothing, and after a week of suffering, he died on Christmas morning, 1806. His remains were carried to his house in Lebanon, where
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the funeral was held, and he was buried in the grave yard near by. Thus perished, at the age of thirty-five, one of the best of husbands and kindest of fathers-one of the most worthy and useful men of the country. His loss was
deeply deplored by the whole community. The grave yard where his remains lie, was once a portion of his own farm, having been donated by him and Mr. Shapley to the public for a burial ground. It is a pleasant spot, and is sacred to the memory of many of the pioneer settlers of Hamilton and Lebanon.
The first store of Lebanon was kept by Joshua Smith in the basement of a house built by himself at Smith's Valley. Afterwards Clark, Dorrance & Smith kept the store and a tavern together in the same place.
Jonathan Thayer settled at Lebanon village and set up potash manufacturing ; he afterwards went into the hattery business, and then opened trade. He also built the first store of Lebanon and was in fact the first who established the mercantile business in Lebanon. His store yet stands in Lebanon village, being the present postoffice.
The travel directed toward the routes of the various State roads which were opened at an early day, demanded the es- tablishment of inns. This demand in Lebanon was first supplied by Philip Kibbie, who kept for years what was known far and near as the " Old Kibbie Tavern," north of Earlville, on the road between there and Smith's Valley. After the first opening settlement, there followed a few years of arduous struggles in subduing the wilderness-struggles in which the forester laid away in his brain material for many a tall yarn to be spun out of evenings at the tavern of " Old Jolly Kibbie," as he was familiarly called. Mr. B. B. Wilcox owns the place upon which the Kibbie House stood, and some two years since lived in it. He then built a new house and removed the old tavern.
The second hotel was built at Smith's Valley and about forty years ago was burned. The present one is built upon the site.
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Many of the pioneers located on the tops of the highest hills, thereby securing a pure atmosphere, and avoiding the noxious miasmas of heavily-wooded, damp valleys. As the forest gradually receded from these oases, many planted by their humble doors the lofty-growing poplar, which, in the course of a decade or so of years, became magnificent trees, rendering the home of the farmer comely and conspicuous.
Capt. Gaylord Stevens settled in the northwestern part of the town and took up considerable land. In that day the farmers were obliged to let their cattle roam at large in the woods, having no pastures or fences, and the flock were allowed to take their choice between the green leaves and weeds of the woods, or the moist but coarse grasses of the swamps. The leader of the flock always wore the bell to warn the herdsman, as he sought them at night, of their whereabouts. Often in the spring of the year, when the swamps were full, has the settler found a cow missing, per- haps his best, when he gathered them at the close of day, and on search being made has found her mired in the yield- ing morass, exhausted, or perhaps dead from over exertion trying to extricate herself, or drowned by sinking into the water. Near Capt. Stevens' farm was a large marsh, con- taining a body of water, small in circumference, but very deep. "Cranberry Marsh " it was named, from the abund- ance of cranberries growing there, and among whose de- ceitful morasses many accidents to stock have occurred. For rods from the water's edge the turf of this marsh lies loosely, like an apron, over fathoms of water beneath, and when once mired, and the turf broken through, the poor creature had little chance for its life. Losses of this nature were often suffered, and were grievously felt by those living where there were no cattle to be purchased to replenish their herds.
Roads were then what would now scarcely be called by the name. They crossed over the highest hill tops to in- sure the dryest route, and in every hollow was a swamp or
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mire, which was bridged by logs transversely laid in the track, so that between the tedious hills and those jolting causeways, a journey of a dozen miles was a laborious af- fair. As the forest was cleared away and the sunlight let in, these quagmires dried up, and with them many a rush- ing rivulet which made music by the settler's door, and supplied his house with pure, soft water. Only the beds which marked the course of some of these streams are now to be seen, while many more have been completely erased by the progress of cultivation.
Wild animals were exceedingly bold. An instance is re- lated of a bear attacking a calf in the day time, close by the house of Elihu Bosworth. Mrs. Bosworth was alone with her young children, when she heard the distressed bleating of the calf. Going to the door to ascertain the cause, she beheld it dying, terribly mangled and torn by a huge bear which she saw in full view of her door.
Wolves were often troublesome. As late as 1815, in the month of February, an exciting wolf hunt took place in the eastern part of this town. The circumstances are related as follows :-
A hunter had started up a large wolf in the vicinity of Leland's Pond, in Eaton, but failing to kill him, he notified the inhabitants along the route the wolf had taken. The men of Hamilton and eastern Lebanon turned out en masse to assist in the capture of this formidable enemy to their flocks. They were formed into a company, and sta- tioned at proper distances along the route. , He came along the stream from Leland's Pond into Hamilton, and then struck off over the hill, in a southwesterly direction into the edge of Lebanon. An outpost of men were pre- pared to cut off his passage, while a party pressed hard in the rear. Being driven by the hunters to the limits of this, the wolf made a bold push and pressed some of the sentinels, who closed in with the pursuers, but yet who did not get near enough to make a good shot at him in his desperate
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leaps. He was making bold moves for liberty, though nearly tired out; the outposts were all passed but one, which was guarded by two men, who happened to be armed only with clubs. The underbrush was thick, the snow breast deep, but the intense excitement at this point made the chase a stirring one. The wolf strove to redouble his failing speed, but in his blind haste in passing this last out- post he rushed between two saplings not a foot apart, which caught and held him, though from which he, no doubt, soon would have released himself, had not the two un- armed sentinels dispatched him. One of them (Jeremiah Lillibridge by name,) caught him by the tail and held him from escaping, while his comrade beat the head of the im- prisoned brute till life was extinct.
It is remarkable with what facility and rapidity the land in Lebanon was settled. We have before us a map drawn by Silas Seymour, surveyor, in 1815, which locates the lots, and every farmer then living on them. The following names will be recognized as being a large percentage of the inhabitants of that period :
In the northeast quarter, in the east part, were Benjamin Church, Jonathan Bates, Enoch Stowell, John Groves, Da- vid Shapley, Jabin Armstrong, Benjamin Hatch, Amos Crocker, Samuel Sherrill, John Powell, Jacob Hartshorn, Henry Palmer ; the Campbells on Lot 26; Jeremiah, John and Jonathan Tift, large landholders near the center of the quarter ; Ann Masters, owning a farm of 265 acres on Lots 31 and 50; David Hartshorn, Amos Kingsley and Walter Allen on Lot 49 ; Elisha Wheeler on Lot 32, and Daniel Briggs on Lot 48. The Eddys near the south line of the quarter, and A. Mosely near the west line, besides Wm. Smith on the Smith estate.
In the northwest quarter, Curtis Hoppin and Joseph Tayntor were located on the northwest corner Lot, being No. I. M. Merritt, N. Crary, on Lot. No. 2. There were Lent, Joel, John and William Bradley in different sections. On the
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road leading from Eaton to Lebanon village, lived, besides Mr. Hoppin, G. Morey, E. G. Grosvenor, Richard Taylor, Aaron Gates, Marrs Blair, Abram Webster and A. Norton. There were Josiah Lasell, Peter Wylie, Moses Wylie, the farm of Samuel Lewis and that of Silas Seymour, which was on the east line of this quarter and west of the Campbell settlement. Northwest of the center of the town was Ezra Gates, Ira Lamb, Thomas Jerrels, E. Sabins; also Brown Blair, John Blair and C. C. Huston. In the northwest part of the quarter was Elihu Bosworth, Timothy W. Lull, Mat- thias Cazier, Gaylord Stevens and John Fisk. On the road leading in from Georgetown,-Samuel Stetson, Benjamin Hewes, Julius Hitchcock, V. B. Gilbert, John Blair and Is- rael Thayer.
In the southwest quarter were the Benedicts, near the center of the town. In the north tier of lots in this quarter were Ephriam Gray, Orsamus Gilbert, Jonathan Thayer, Constant Merrick, Dane Ballard, William Taggart and others. In various parts were Joseph Patridge, Sheldon Swan, Gilead Knapp, Samuel Ballard, Sanford Head, Asahel Sexton, Giles Collins, Jabez Billings, John Sheldon, Gaius Stebbins, John Stone, Joseph Mack and Thomas Ward. In the south border of the quarter and of the town, were Joseph and Reuben Bisby, Jesse Leonard, Comfort Johnson, Eleazur Fellows, Oran Seward and others. Niles Settlement, included a large tract on the west border of this quarter, being also the west border of the town.
In the southeast quarter on the east side of the river, near Earlville, were Robert Cormick, Margaret De St. Vil- iers, Belinda Clarkson, Sarah Adams, E. Daniels and others. In the southeast corner near Earlville were the Felts ; Ru- fus, William and John Henry, Thomas Kershaw, Stephen Jones and Daniel Clark. Up the river road to the north was John Polish, Christopher Babcock, Harry Waters, Jo- seph Clark, John Douglass, J. W. Bulkley, Jas. Sheffield and Allen Wood, being here at the last named, the north
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line of the quarter. From Earlville on the road north- westerly, was the large farm of Thomas Buell ; there were Joel and Oran Stebbins, Solomon Baker, David Baker, Hezekiah Willis, the Ostroms and others. In different parts were Peleg Wilcox, Zerah Lillibridge, Otis Follett, John Persons, and a large farm toward the center of the quarter owned by Leverett Rexford. On the old State Road were Joseph Card, Palmer Sherman, James Dye, Isaac Wil- cox, Abijah Snow, Perry Lillibridge. Thomas Murphy, James Muir and Benjamin Willis.
Some of the settlements were made by large families taking up farms adjacent to each other. One of the earliest and one of the largest families who thus settled, were the Campbells .* They consisted of nine separate households, viz : Allen, Daniel, Charles, Archibald, Stuart, John, James, Littlejohn and Isaac Campbell. These were not all broth- ers, but were, however, kindred. Widow Nancy and Widow Patience Campbell were among the emigrants, being moth- ers of some of these men. Mrs. Nancy Campbell taught the first school of the town, when she was seventy years of
age.
Campbell's Settlement comprised several hundred
acres of land, situated east of the center line in the north- east quarter. Of this numerous family, but few are left ; A. B. Campbell and N. M. Campbell, grandsons of Archi- bald Campbell, still represent the race in Lebanon.
The Billings, located south of the center of the town- Capt. Truman and Jabez Billings, pioneers, who with John Sheldon and Giles Collins, settled Billing's Hill. These , men made their settlement one of the most active, progress- ive and prominent localities of the town. It is related of John Sheldon, that when he came to the new country he was very poor, and carried all he possessed in a small pack slung over his shoulder on his ax helve. He located, and eventu- ally cleared and paid for, a noble farm of three hundred acres, and became a useful and an influential citizen.
*Native place of some of the Campbells, was Sterling, Conn.
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Perhaps the largest settlement of one family was that of Niles. The pioneer, John Niles, was from Chesterfield, Massachusetts. When nineteen years of age, he left his parental home, with nothing in his pocket but a York shil- ling his father gave him when he started. With this he purchased a loaf of bread, which lasted him the entire journey of 150 miles,-a journey he performed on foot. Doubtless he found many on his way who generously ex- tended hospitality to a youth so enterprising. He reached the home of Rev. Samuel Kirkland in Clinton, safely, hired to him, and there remained till he married. In 1792, he, with a few others, went into Madison, and there took up his farm, for which he paid twelve shillings per acre. Himself and wife, ambitious and hopeful, entered their new home, labored hard, and were abundantly prospered. In the course of a dozen years Mr. Niles had a good deal of cleared land, had built two thirty and forty foot frame barns and a sixty foot shed between, to shelter his accumulated stock and crops. He had also built a good frame house, "which had glass windows, was painted vermillion red, with white trimmings," the handsomest house of its day, in that vicini- ty, (Bouckville.) Among several children born there, the eldest, Luther C. Niles, born July 2, 1795, is now living in Lebanon.
Mr. Niles sold his farm in Madison* to James Cooledge, and next located in Lebanon. He had previously sent for his father, mother, brothers and sisters, offering them homes in the new country. They came on, and after stay- ing a brief time in Madison they joined him in Lebanon. The tract he took up was located in the western part of the south-west quarter, and it contained 3,000 acres, for which he paid three dollars per acre. Upon this tract settled the Niles family, and from them it was named Niles' settlement. The patriarch was Nahum Niles. His sons were : Nathan,
*This afterwards became the "banner farm " of Madison County. It is now owned by C. Z. Brockett. (See Chapter of Madison.)
J2
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John, Isaac, Samuel, Ephraim and Calvin. The Niles were farmers of the substantial and progressive sort. The first and second generations have gone the way of the earth, and but few of the third generation, which was once very nu- merous, are to be found in Lebanon. Luther Niles is one of three, left of John Niles' family of eighteen children, and the only one in this town .* Descendants of other branches of this race may be found in various parts of the county.
Thomas Buell, from New Hampshire, took up a large farm in the south east quarter, and settled upon it, locating his large family around him. Himself and family were prominent in public matters and in society. He died here. One of his sons Chauncey Buell, and his son Philander C. Buell, have in succession owned the family homestead, and both also died here. The farm is now owned by Joseph E. Morgan. The Buells, as a family, were distinguished for musical talents of the first order. Eli Buell, formerly well known in musical circles as a superior vocalist, was grand- son of Thomas Buell.
Sanford Head was born in Rhode Island, in 1788, and came with his father, Joseph Head, to the town of Madi- son, when but a lad, he being the oldest of a family of six sons. In his early youth he commenced teaching, and be- fore he was eighteen years of age, had taught several terms, in Brookfield, Madison, Lebanon, and Augusta. He mar- ried then, and afterwards, at the age of nineteen, located his farm of 300 acres in Lebanon, about one mile south of the present village. Becoming a citizen of this town, and be- ing greatly interested in schools, he exerted his influence to promote education." The same spirit was implanted in, and characterized his large family, all of whom, sons and daugh- ters, except one, we believe, became teachers. School offices, for the town of Lebanon, from the least to
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