History of Monroe county, New York with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, Palatial residences, Part 101

Author: McIntosh, W. H. cn; Everts, Ensign, and Everts, Philadelphia, pub
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Ensign and Everts
Number of Pages: 976

USA > New York > Monroe County > History of Monroe county, New York with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, Palatial residences > Part 101

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Presbyterian, yet, with Mr. Treat, the subject of meetings way diseu-sedl ; but church members were so few in that locality that no miretings were held till January 1, 1809, when four families met at Mr. Treat's hou-e. The ex- ercises consisted of singing, praying, and the reading of a sermon by Dr. Wads- worth. From this time on, meetings were held on each Sabbath for some months. At the fifth meeting a difference of opinion as to what sermon should be read offended Dracon Ewer, who Left and dul not return. Culver, Treat, and Wadsworth continued their meetings. The doctor was an eloquent speaker, a fine singer, and a gifted man. Ilis death, soun after these meet- ings had been started, was a serious loss to this little band of Christians. Elder Solunion Goodale preached the funeral serum. Elder Goodale returned occasionally and preached to small assemblies,-large for that day,-conversions took place, and a number were baptized. Ou December 21, 1809, a society W.Ls formed, and on December 18, 1811, a council of ministers and brethren from different churches convened at the house of Mr. Treat and gave fellowship to these brethren as a Baptist church in gospel order. At a meeting of the Cayuga association at l'almyra, held" September. 1812, this church received admission. During 1813-1-4 interest was suffered to flag, and all but four, who had been , members, lett to join the Methodists. These four were Mrs. Parks, Mr. I'reat, . and Mr. and Mrs. Gates, who held occasional meetings. A man named Phillips remained for a time and preached in the neighborhood, and then departed sud- ; denly, for reasons nuknowu, and his congregation united with the " four" and em- ployed Elder Jesse Bramian, of P'alinyra, who preached several years. Elder .Weaver succeeded, and ministered eleven years. There are few back woods : preachers who have left a better record than did he, and his character is depicted in terms of praise by pioneers. When he first came the society numbered twenty- one. Meetings were held in the school-house known as the " Boiling Spring," significant of powerful effort and fervid manifestation. Seven of eleven years i were a continuous revival; people came from Rochester and other points to hear this singular man who stood in the desk with coat of and labored in spirit as one who reaps in harvest.

. Other pastors have been Elders Pickett, Stone, Fuller, Annon, Frazer, Burlin- game, Cormick, Parrish, Houd. Crowley. MI. T. Ferguson, P. Shedds. and Wru. : T. Delano. Mr. Holt is the present supply. No record can be found prior to 1825, but the following were of the first members : C. Treat, Phube Burt. Sophia Foote, Ethan Davis. Calvin and Cornelius Mansfield. Abner Munn, Susannah Woodbury, Samuel Westentt, Reuben Case, and Wealthy Barrett. In 1859 there bad been seven hundred and ninety-six persons baptized, and three hundred added to the church by letter, making a total of ten hundred and ninety-six. This was the fiftieth anniversary of the church, and was an occasion of appropriate services held December 21, 1859, the sermon being by Hiram K. Stimson, Dow . of Kansas. The trustees elected by the church in 1825 were Eli Lyons, Reuben : Earls, D. Benjamin, Win. Allen, Wm. Roberts, and Moses Angevine. In 1826 a house of worship was erected, which is yet in good repair, and in use. The membership during the season of highest prosperity was three bundred and eighty- eight; it now enrolls but fifty.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

dates origin from a meeting held at the house of Ezra Sheldon, Jr., in the town of Mendon, Ontario county, January 5, 1815. Ezra Sheldon and Thomas Ewer presided, and a Congregational society was organized, with the following-named trustees : Marvin Stuith, M. Barrett. Jonas Allen, Timothy Barnard, Ezra Shel- don, and Thomas Ewer. On December 26, 1816, a meeting was held to fill a vacancy in the board of trustees, and it was then voted " that when we build a meeting-house it shall stand as bear the centre of the town as the situation of the ground will admit." A committee of five was appointed to find the town centre and establish a building-site. Those on this committee were Wm. Gibson, T. Barnard, Jr., Jolin Hayes, M. Smith, and Stephen Porter. On January 19, 1819, the vote on location was reconsidered, and the site fixed on the land of Solomon Miller, near the blacksmith-shop. Meetings had been held at the house of Mr. Sheldon. On January 3, 1820, a schism occurred : part went with their pastor, John Taylor, into a church near the school-house on Taylor street, and for some years were known as the " Central organization ;" the others continued in the school-house. From March 5, 1821, Rev. Pierson was engaged alternately to preach at No. 2 and at No. 10. Hisstay was brief, as on November 221 Elijah Wol- lager was employed. On March 4, 1822, the " Central Congregational Society" made overtures tn reunite, but without snece-8. At a meeting held September 13, 1824, the initiatory movement for building was taken. and a house erected on land obtained from II. Bryant. It was fifty by thirty-right feet, and cost twelve hundred and thirty dollars,-a small sim now, a large amount to the members then. The corner-stone was laid July 13. 1-25, by the Masonic fraternity, in presence of a large concourse of people. The church numbered but a score of members, and

opened a Sabbath-school in April, with twenty scholars, and by June had increased the number to one hundred and ten. The first meeting in the new church was held June 26, 1826, and the sermon of dedication was preached by Kev. A. D. EAlly, of Canandaigua. In 1839 the church was moved from the hill to where it stands in the valley. During the spring of 1526 the school-house standing opposite the church was purchased, and utilized as a parsonage. The roll of ministers. with dates, is as follows : George G. Sill, June, 1825, to February, 1829; W. Jones, March, 1828 ; Elisha D. Andrews began January, 1830 ; Ezra Scovil, Decem- ber, 1831 ; John Thalheimer, June, 1833, to August, 1835 ; E. D. Wells, Octo- ber, 1836, to October, 1837 ; Rev. Suyder, June, 1838; J. M. Sherwood, An- gust, 1840; Rev. Rankin, July, 1815; Robert W. ITill, October, 1848; J. W. Billington, May, 1853 ; Rev. Overhizer, Angust, 1857 ; Nathaniel Hurd, Au- gust, 1860; E. B. Van Auken, May, 1665 ; Dwight Scovil, June, 1867 ; Alex. Douglass, 1868; and II. H. Morgan came in 1872.

THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCIE

was formed in Mendon July 4, 1822, by Aaron C. Collins, of East Bloomfield, and Rev. Rouben Parmele, of Victor. The following-natued members of the original Congregationalist church were constituted the Presbyterian society : Elder Ezra Sheldon and Eunice his wife, Elder Thomas Ewer. Ilartuanus Courter and June his wife, Mrs. M. Wilson, Mrs. C. De Garno, Mrs. Phoebe and Miss Harriet Barnard, Mrs. Libbie Spear, Mrs. Charlotte Beers, Elder Asa Robbins, and Mrs. Jane Doyen. The church was received under care of the presbytery of Roch- ester July 2, 1823. Among preachers were George G. Sill, Mr. Parmele, and Elijah Wollager.

THE FRIENDS' SOCIETY.

In 1828-29, Martin Davis, Daniel Russell, Isaac Ewer, Nathaniel Russell, George West, John Allen, and James Whipple. and their wives, organized them- selves into a meeting, holding assembly in a log house on the farm now owned by H. T. Lord. They met here for two years, and in 1832 built the present house of worship, then thirty by forty feet, since enlarged to thirty by sixty feet. Joseph Albertson was the first speaker. Isaac G. Ewer and Lydia Ann Powell were the first parties married in this house belonging to che society. The first death was of Dinah Wood, and the second of James Whipple, who gave the ground for the meeting-honse and cemetery. While the house was building, there came in Joseph Powell, John Smith, Walter White, aud their wives, Jesse Weeks, and William Cornell.

Daniel Quimby was the second speaker. The first preparative meetings were held at Henrietta; but about 1834 a preparative meeting was appointed here, which has continued to the present. The early monthly meetings were held alter- nately at Rochester, Wheatland, and Henrietta. Alternately meetings are held here and at Rochester. There are now fourteen families. Surviving original tuembers are Isaac Ewer, aged ninety, and Judith P. Ford, aged seventy-seven.

GENERAL AND STATISTICAL.

The citizens are patriotic, temperate, and enterprising, as was the generation preceding them. During the rebell on, many went to the front, and not all came baek; yet the sacrifice was willingly made. En 1869, the Good Templars com- menced work, by organizing a society in the east part of the town. Soon a second was organized at Hloucoye Falls, and at one time the two societies numbered over three hundred members. Then ca' e a decline. A prosperous lodge at East Mendon numbers seventy-five members The Patrous of Husbaudry organized the first grange in town, July, 1873. There are now two granges in the towo, with a micinbership of one hundred and sixty. The inhabitants have gone on improving till Mendon is not behind its sister towns in fertility, productiveness, enterprise, and wealth. The acreage of the town is 23,353. The population in 1875 was 2988; in 1870 it was 2900,-an increase of 88 during five years. In 1850 it was 3350; and once it was 3400, or 412 above the present enumera- tion. The equalized value of real and personal estate, in 1875, was $2,370,730. The tax raised was $151,056.81. The number of votes polled in 1975, fall elee- tion, was 508; in 1874, for governor, 335; and the whole number of legal voters in the town is 615. The number of school districts, including joint dis- tricts, parts of which are in other towtis, is 19; number of teachers, 23; quiuber of children between nine and twenty-one, 998; amount of money appropriated to the payment of teachers' wages, including library funds, was $2337.97. Advance- ment by some is questivued, for in 1538 and IS10 there were three debating clubs in the town, and the large public library in the East village way in full free uso. In the spring of 1876 the people, aroused by the evils of intoxication, combined without regard to party and both nominated and elected anti-license excise com- missioners. These officers have stood firm by their trust, ford since the organiza- tion of this board no licenses have been granted in town.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

HARRISON OLNEY.

JOSEPH OLNEY.

HARRISON OLNEY.

In 1802, Joseph Olney, then fifteen years of age, removed with his father, Emer Olney, from North Scituate, R. I., where they had lived many years, aod settled in Columbus, Chenango county, N. Y. In 1813 ho married Mercy Noble, : a native of Blandford, Massachusetts, and in 1819 removed with his family to Victor, Ontario county, where he resided until 1923, when he purchased a farm 266

MERCY OLNEY.

in the adjoining town of Mendon, Monroe County, upon which he moved :. l remained until his death in 1968. For forty-five years he was an active an -! prominent citizen of the town, to the improvement and growth of which he largely contributed. Ilis wife died six years earlier, in 1862. Five sons an.l two daughters were born to them, all of whom survived him. Harrison Olory, the fourth son, owns and resides on the old homestead, which for fifty four year" has been in possession of the family.

PLATE CXXVII.

"} .

RES. OF HARRISON OLNEY, MENDON, MONROE COUNTY, NEW YORK. FROM THE SOUTH WEST.

RES OF E. H. BARNARD, MENDON, MONROE Co ., N. Y.

......

RES OF HARRISON OLNEY, MENDON, MONROE CO., N. Y.

... .

PLATE CXXVIII.

PLATE CXXIX.

JOSEPH B. TOWNSEND.

MRS CATHARINE TOWNSEND.

JOSEPH B. TOWNSEND was born in the town of Hunter, Greene county, in this State, November 12, 1798, and came with his father, Zebulon Town- send, to Monroe County in May, 1811. In the fall of 1821 be married Catharine Moore, and immediately settled upon the farm occupied by him until his death, and where his widow, who sur- vived him over ten years, lived the remainder of her life. Although modest and unassuming, his sound judgment and stern integrity caused him to be esteemed and respected by all his friends, who showed their high appreciation of his good qualities by giving into bis control various towa offices requiring an honest man to fill Although for many years an in-

valid, he bore his sufferings with patience, and lost none of his io- terest in the welfare of his town. his county, or his nation. In his religion he was a Universalist. showing in every act his belief in the Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man. He died the 7th of April, 1865, learing behind him a widow, one son, Augustus C. Townsend, a daugh- ter, and three grandchildren. IFis descendants are still residents of the town of Mendon. His daugh- ter, Rachel A. Harris, now a widow with ono soo, Erastus T .. occupies the farm so long owned by her father. Augustus C Townsend has one sou, Vinton J., and a daughter (married), Florence E. Robinson.

RES. OF RACHEL A. HARRIS, MENCON, MUNROE CO. N Y.

İN

BUILT IN 1876.

RESIDENCE & NOAH COLE, MENDON, MONROE CO, NEW YORK.

PLATE CXXX.

ABRAM COLE.

The subject of this sketch was born December 11, 1793. im Pietstown, Rensselaer onunty, New York. to which place his parents had some time previunsly removed from Rhode Island. Three years later they removed to Springfiel.l. Ottego county, where ther raided until Abram was shout rizhteen years of age; when, after collecting together all the tools they could carry, they started with their horses and sleigh« for their new home io Menduo, Monroe County. But the snow going off they were weeks making the journey, and did ont get through until Marob 14, 1811, when they settled on the farm op which Abrem Cole oow resi les. It was then a vast wilderness, sol not a house near. On the creood day after their arrival they filled trees and built a leg enbim, in which they liveil many years. Industry and economy marked the carly life of Abram. and bis decided opinions of right would never permit him to do or Buhtait to a wrong. Ilis judgment was so marked in rarly youth that it was sought in matters of business by those many years his senior. When bat a buy be held pomitioos of trust and honor. Is 1912 he was sergeant through the war, when he passed through scenes calculated to make a heart asterally bold impervious to tear, and an iron con- etitation double insensible to fatigue. When scarcely twenty-one ha was chosen assessor, to which he ob- jected em account of bis youth. Still, he was duly elected, and styled hy bis opponeot. Major Rowet, the " boy assessor." This office he beld for a long term of years. He married. December 30. 1819, Poliv Benjamin, daughter of Nahum and Jerusha Benja- mia, of Phelps, New York, & young lady of high

ABRAM COLE.

character aod deep religious convictions. She wee born September 7, 1998, at Hartford, Connecticut Mr. Cole was subsequently chosen supervisor, which he bald six years, besides other offices. The fallut- bos in those early days was a hat, beld hy a young lady while the votes were being cast. which certainly seems to have given the fair sex a greater influence at the polle than in modern times. For the wunt of market facilities, Mr. Cole hauled bis grain nome. times to Albany with oven and sleighs. On one occasion, in 1913, he took a load of wheat there which he sold at ons dollar per bushel, and brought back s lorge potash kettle for Mr. Hart, of Rochester, at that time a swamp, for which he was to rrerive three dollars per hundredweight as freight. There being on scales be weighed it by using two pair of steciyar is, ono un tach sule, marking it over six hun- dred pounds. His family consists of four sons and two daughters, all married sare on+ son, and living but a short distance from their old bome. Mortimer. unmarried, lives on the homestead with his aged father. Two sons have died. Mr. Cole is now in bis eighty-fourth ycor, and retning bi- faculties to a remarkable degree. Sickness, by exposure three years since, has nearly incapacitated him for husi- Dess. He lost his wife in 1842, and for the last few years his sister hos been living with bim, who, with Mrs. Winans, of Chili, are his only remaining sisters. He has two brothers living, one in Allegheny and another in Irupdequoit. In the summer of 1813 bu mother rode horschack to Oteego and hack after money, one hundred and fifty miles, going fifty miles a day. Mr. Cole bas been a valuable citizen in all relations of life, and hy industry has socumulated s bandsome estate, and contributed largely to the wel- fare and social improvement of his neighborhood.

RES OF ABRAM COLE , MENDON, MONROE CO, N Y.

PLATE CXXXII.

RES OF JUDSON HOWARD, MENDON, MONROE CO , N Y.

SEE

267

HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

TRUMAN SMITH.

Truman Smith was born in Rutland county. Vermont, in December, 1800. His father, Joseph Smith, was a Revolutionary sollier, and a native of Converti- cut, and his mother, Lydia Farnham, a native of Manachusetta. The former died in 1835, and the latter in 1840. In 1805 the elder Swith moved with his family, then consisting of seven children, one having died, to what was then called Bloomfield, Outario county, and Attled on one hundred acres, one mile west of the present village of East Mendon, where he built a log house and barn. After resid- · ing here five or six years, he sold out and removed to Mendon L'entre, on a farm af one hundred and thirty acres, which he had purchased. fruto which, after a short residence, he apain Dinved to another. a short distance north. Nine children lived to reach matority, two having been born after leaving Vermunt, only two of whom are now Living .- Truman and a sister, Sylvia In 1812 the subject of this sketch left his father's, and went to live with a married sister at East Mendon, which be made his bome until 1523. Schools at that early day were few, but. improv- ing every opportunity, he attended nearly every winter until twenty-one years ald, when he commenced teaching. This he followed eight wintery, at ten to foarteca dollars per mouth. In 1828 he married Sarah E. Wagoner, of Madison county, fortuerly from Saratoga county, and settled at EList Mendon. where he resided until 1836, when he bought and settled on thirty acres one and one-half miles north of the C'entre. upon which he still resides. In 1844 his barns, stacks, and implements were all burned. a very heavy loss, as he had just bought ninety meres, which, with his first purchase, comprises his present farm. His family now consists of himself, wife. four soos, and four daughters, all married bat one son, and living within easy journey of the homestead. His two Idest sons, Truman F. aod William II., enlisted at the beginning of the war of the rebellion, and served to its close, receiving no bounty, as they entered the service before any was paid. The latter lost his health in the service, and in consequence was for a time assigned to the Invalid Corps. The former was in the Red River expedition, under General Banks. He has had, besides his present children, one soo and three daughters who have died. Mr. Smith has always been a careful and successful farmer, and by a long and active life has shown himself a man of character and a useful member of society. In politics a Republican, though not a rigid par- tisan, he has been called to many positions of trust by his fellow-men, which were : faithfully executed. In religious views he is a Presbyterian. with which he has been consistent in all relations of life, and at the ripe age of seventy-six is still hale and vigorous.

BENJAMIN ECKLER.

The subject of this sketch was born in Otsego county, near the Herkimer line, May 26, 1790. He was the youngest son of Henry Eckler, who was commis- sioned captaio by the Provisional Congress May 18, 1776, aod served through the Revolutionary war. Jacob, the eldest brother of Benjamin, and seventeen years his scaior, was kidnapped during the war by the Oneida Indians, when a child, and kept six years, or until recovered by presents given in exchange for him ; and a sister, four years of age, was pierced through with a bayonet, and her body thrown in an apple-tree, by the same Indians. Captain Henry Eckler died March 3, 1820, near eighty-one years of' age, and his wife -January 21, 1841, aver ninety-four years old. About 1810, Benjamin Eckler married Mary Cole, of Herkimer county, and in 1812 moved to Mendon, Monroe County, and settled on the farm where he died, January 15. 1877. Only four acres had been chopped aff, and a rude log cabin was the only dwelling, into which he moved. Seven sons and five daughters were born to him, of whom four of the fortier and three of the latter are yet living,-David, Mason, and Benjamin, Jr., in Mendon, the latter on the homestead ; John, tho second son, Mrs Sally Barker, and Mrs. Ma- tilda Lusk in Pittsford, and Mrs. Esther C'ate in Chili. Mr. Eckler had living forty-one grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren, all of a hardy, long-lived race, be having reached nearly the age of eighty-seven. His wife died July 19, 1864, at the age of seventy-three. In politics Mr. Eckler was Republican and a staunch patriot. He lived through the centennial year, and to vote for l'resident one hundred years after his father received his commission in the war that gave birth to the republic.

DENTON G. SHUART,

the second son of Abraham Shuart, was born in the town of Platt-Lill. U'lster county, New York, on the 9th day of February. 1903. In 1906 he removed with his parents into the western part of the State, to a place theo known as Clurle-ton, Ontario county, now Lima, Livingston county ; theace, some years after, to a place known as Shuart's Corners, about a mile northwest from the present village of Honeoye Falls, in the town of Mendon, Montew County. Here he resided with his father, who was a farmer, working on the farm, attending and teaching school until the spring of 1925, when, having acquired a good academic education. he returned to his native place and commenced the study of law with John Cole, Esq., in whose office he remained until May, 1929, He then went to the city of New York, where he continued his study until May. 1832, when he was admitted to the bar as attorney-at-law and solicitor in chancery, under the old practic". During the latter year he returned to the then village of West Mendon, now Honcoye Falls, and comuneneed the practice of law, where he has continued with a good degree of success to the present time. He is now one of the senior metu- bers of the bar of' Motirve County.

On the 13th day of September, 1837, he was married to Mary Elizabeth Barrett, bis present wife, daughter of Captain Stephen Barrett, of Honeye Falls. Ifas had four sons. One is deceased ; the three others, viz., William Her. bert, Clarence A., and J. Irving Shuart, are all living. [le has always taken a lively interest and active part in church and public affairs, having held the offire of trustee of Genesce Wesleyan Seminary and Genesee College for over twenty- five years, and, aside from other public ntficea, in 1851 he was honored with an election to the office of surrogate of Monroe County, which he held with great acceptability for four years.

In October, 1866, he purchased and removed upon the farm then lately owned aod occupied by his late father-in-law, Captain Barrett, in the village of Iluneoye Falls, where he now resides, He has for the last ten years divided his time be- tween his profession and looking after the interest of his farm.

His portrait and a view of his residence may be seen in this work, on plate exxiv.

JACOB ECKLER.

Jacob Eckler was born April 18, 1902, in the town of Warren. Herkimer county, New York. He had three brothers and five sisters. He came to Monroe County about the year 1810, and settled in the town of Mendon. After three or four years' residence he returned to the place of his nativity, sojourning there for three years ; he then returned to Monroe County, to Pittsford, where his parents bad located. Ile married Sarah Gardner, of Pittsford, February 27, 1822. She was born October 19, 1803. His wife's parents were early settlers in that town, her father having helped to chop the trees and upen the road from Auburn to Canandaigua, when there were but two white families in Ontario county. Jacob Eckler remained in Pittsford about one year after his marriage; then male a year's visit to Herkimer county and returned to Pittsford. Three years later he was drawn again to the place of his birth, remaining three years; after which he emigrated for good to Mendion, his place of residence ever since. He then pur- chased sixty acres of Lind. and by industry soon had it entirely paid for. In 1942 he exchanged this farm with hi's brother for a farm of one hundred and forty acres, where he now resides. ile has raised a family of three sous and tien daughtery. His wife died June 8, 1874. The funily record shows the following:

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History of Monroe county, New York with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, Palatial residences, Part 101

Author: McIntosh, W. H. cn; Everts, Ensign, and Everts, Philadelphia, pub Publication date: 1877 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Ensign and Everts Number of Pages: 976

Author: McIntosh, W. H. cn; Everts, Ensign, and Everts, Philadelphia, pub
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Ensign and Everts
Number of Pages: 976