History of Oneida County, New York, 1667-1878, Part 119

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 932

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Another early settler in this neighborhood was Job Dawley, who located previous to the war of 1812, on the farm now owued by Robert MeFern, near the present resi- denee of Mr. Dawley's son, Calvin. The latter person was twiee at Saeket's Harbor during the war above mentioned, and is now eighty-two years of age. Other early comers to the town were Anthony Empey, Hiram Fellows, John Crop- per, Elijah Blake (the first surveyor), and Abel Smith.

When Nathan Thomson carue to Florence there was but one house between that of John W. Bloomfield, Esq., at Taberg, in the town of Annsville, and the one oeeupied by

John Spinning, two miles east of Florence village, a dis- tanee by the route then traveled of about twenty-two miles. The settler who lived in this lone dwelling was named John Rogers. For animal food the pioneer of that day was obliged to depend exclusively on his rifle to seeure it from the herds of deer which roamed through the dense forests which surrounded his " log cabin home." Yet even that being the ease, he so far humored his taste as to select the smoothest and fattest of the lot, for the hardy settler was still somewhat of an epieure.

Mr. Thomson very nearly lost his life on the 11th day of July, 1809, while engaged in drawing wood to his door. When about to fasten the chain to a load, the horse started and eaught the hook of the chain through the fleshy part of Mr. Thomson's left leg, tearing the tendons loose from the heel to the knee. The horse dragged him about twenty-five rods, but Mr. Thomson finally disengaged him- self as the animal was preparing to leap a fenee, when he must have almost certainly been killed. He finally recov- ered, but was badly searred.

It has been impossible to ascertain anything reliable con- cerning the early schools of this town, from the fact that in the neighborhoods where they were likely to have been kept the population has almost entirely changed. But in this, as in other towns, it could not have been long after the settlements were made before means were provided, as best they could be, for the education of the children. There are at present seventeen districts in the town, three of them being joint distriets. The attendanee is consider- able, and the schools are iu very good condition.

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

" The first church organization in the town of Florence was a Con- gregational Church, on Florence Hill, organized December 16, 1816. At the time of its formation it consisted of 10 members,-3 muales and 7 females. When constituted, it was on the Congregational plan of government, but early joined the Presbytery on the accommodation system. It had so increased that it reported to the Presbytery, Jan- uary 1, 1829, 68 communicants; iu 1832 and in 1834, 72 iu each year. From this time it declined in uumbers until 1845, when it re- ported but 40 members. From the time of its formation up to 1825 the church had no pastor, but was supplied with preaching quite a portion of the time by clergymen employed for different lengths of time. October 7, 1825, they gave the Rev. Samuel Sweczy a call to settle with them. A society in councetion with the church was formed January 26, 1826, and forthwith became incorporated under the statute. Mr. Sweczy, having accepted the call, was installed March 8, 1826. At a society-meeting, held February 6, 1826, a vote of thanks to Gerrit Smith was passed, 'for furnishing part of tho glass, a site for the meeting-house, a liberal lot for a burying-place, thirty acres of laud for the benefit of tho society, fifty acres to tho Rev. Samuel Sweczy, and a subscription of $10 a year for the sup- port of tho Gospel.' In 1825 tho meeting-house on the hill was com- menced, but was not completod under two or three years. The Rev. Mr. Swcozy afterwards removed to Camden, and the church lost its visibility."¡

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

The first class of this denomination was organized about 1815, on Florenee Hill, where a society is still in existence, with a small membership. Another class was formed about three miles below Florence village, on Mad River, about 1820, which flourished for a number of years. At the vil- lage a elass was formed at about the same time, which

* Joncs.

t.Jones.

448

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

erected a house of worship in 1833. This society has a large membership, and is under the pastoral eare of Rev. R. O. Beebc, who holds services also in Redfield, Oswego Co.

BAPTIST CHURCH, FLORENCE VILLAGE.

This organization was formed previous to 1828, in which latter year it belonged to the Oneida Baptist Association, and had a membership of twenty-four, with Roger Maddock, a licentiate, as pastor. Mr. Maddock labored here until 1831, when he was ordained as a preacher. In 1835 there were 64 members, in charge of James B. Olcott. Among the preachers were Denison Alcott, Benjamin Fuller, and others. The society built a very respectable house of wor- ship in the village, and in 1833 opened a school for the education of young men, on the plan of combining mental and manual labor. A large three-story stone building, for the use of the school, was erected in 1834, but finally both church and school lost their visibility. The church is now occupied by a small Congregational society, in charge of Rev. Mr. Watkins, of Osceola, Lewis Co .; and the school- building was purchased by the Catholics about 1845-46, and converted into a church. The latter congregation is the largest in town, and is in charge of Rev. Father Ludden.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, EMPEYVILLE.

Owing to some disagreement, two churches were built at this place originally,-one where the school-house now stands, and the other in its present location in the western part of the village. One or both these churches received the name "Union Church" at first. Both were frame buildings ; the upper one was converted into a school-house, and finally burned. The present church was dedicated by the Methodist Episcopal society within the past five or six years. Owing to a recent revival, its membership has con- siderably increased, and now numbers about 40. The pastor is Rev. . R. O. Beebe, of Florence village. A Sabbath-school is sustained, and the society is in a flourish- ing condition.

ORGANIZATION.

The town of Florence was formed from a part of Cam- den, Feb. 16, 1805. A portion of Annsville was taken off in 1823, leaving it with its present dimensions. By the provisions of the act creating the town, the first town- meeting was held at the tavern of John Spinning, two miles southeast of Florence village, on the State road, on the first Tuesday in April, 1805 .* The following were the officers elected, viz. : Supervisor, Asa Jenkins; Town Clerk, David Young; Assessors, Benoni Barlow, Eliakim Simons, Daniel Dye; Collector, Joseph Olcott; Poormas- ters, Ephraim Wright, Abraham Morton ; Commissioners of Highways, Samuel Town, John Spinning, Ephraim Wright ; Constables, Joseph Olcott, James Angell ; Fence- Viewers, Ansel Lovejoy, Imri Case, Lemuel Spinning, Jonathan Morton; Pathmasters, Azariah Orton, Jared Olcott, Norton Waugh, David Kellogg, Amos Willcox, Salem Town, Asa Jenkins, Daniel Dye.

The following are the Supervisors of Florence from 1806 to 1877, inclusive: 1806-7, Asa Jenkins ; 1808, Samuel

Stanford ; 1809-13, Asa Jenkins ; 1813 (special election), Samuel Stanford; 1814-23, Benoni Barlow ; 1824-28, Calvin Dawley; 1829-32, Amos Woodworth ; 1833-34, Simon Davis ; 1835-36, Charles Curtiss ; 1837-38, Safford S. Delano; 1839-40, Amos Woodworth; 1841, Nathan Thomson ; 1842, Varnum Dunton; 1843-44, Anthony Empey, Jr. ; 1845-46, Daniel G. Dorrance; 1847, Watson Sammon ; 1848-50, Aaron H. Thomson ; 1851-52, John Downer, Jr. ; 1853-54, Rensselaer Lament ; 1855, Junius A. Cowles; 1856, Lewis Rider; 1857-58, Cornelius Simpkins; 1859, Aaron H. Thomson; 1860-61, Lewis Rider; 1862-63, Michael McLaughlin ; 1864-66, A. H. Thomson ; 1867-68, A. L. Rider; 1869-70, Stoddard Loveland ; 1871-77, Edward Fitzgerald.

For 1878 the officers of Florence are as follows, viz. : Supervisor, Joseph McFern ; Town Clerk, Michael Donohoe; Justice of the Peace, John Moor ; Commissioner of High- ways, Michael Smith ; Collector, William Cavanah; Assessor, James Fox ; Overseer of the Poor, Patrick Roach ; Town Auditors, John Hoolihan, Joseph Finegan, Ira B. Griffin ; Constables, Daniel O'Mara, Thomas Smith, John Hawks, Elson Moses, Ambrose Osborn ; Inspectors of Election, Dis- trict No. 1, Edward Williams, Stephen Loveland, Robert Johnson ; District No. 2, Michael Malone, David Simpkins, C. G. Vandewalker ; Excise Commissioner, Daniel Courtany.

FLORENCE VILLAGE

is the most considerable place of business in the town, and is centrally located on Little River, a branch of Mad River. It contained in March, 1878, six stores, beside several estab- lishments keeping liquors and notions, two tin-shops, one hotel (another large hotel was burned in February, 1878), four blacksmith-shops, three wagon-shops, one harness-shop, a post-office, three churches, a tannery, a grist-mill, etc. The hotel which was burned was a large building, owned by J. K. Curry, erected in 1825 by James Cleveland, the founder of the village of Cleveland, in Oswego County.

Florence post-office was established at an early date, and in 1823 was located at the tavern of Asa Barnes, two miles above the village. Mr. Barnes was then postmaster, although undoubtedly others had held it before. About 1829-30 the office was removed to the village. The pres- ent postmaster is Horatio J. Evans.

Thomas Evans, the father of the above gentleman, for- merly of Peterboro', Madison Co., came here in 1823, at the solicitation of Gerrit Smith, to aid in founding a vil- lage for the latter. Mr. Evans was a blacksmith by trade, and, on arriving here, began work in a shop which Smith had built the previous year (1822). Mr. Smith induced mechanics and men of various classes to locate here, and at one time great hopes were indulged in for the future of the village. His agent was Roger Maddock, a merchant of Peterboro', who came to Florence and bought out a small store kept by one Norton, and established himself in the same business.

Smith also owned a grist-mill at the village, which had been built but a short time previous. It is yet in operation, the property of Wilmot & Graves.

Previous to the year 1828 a tannery was put in operation by Ezra Graves, who left the place in 1828 or 1829, and is

* Town records have it March 5, 1805.

LITH. BY L.H EVERTS, PHILADELPHIA,

RESIDENCE & TANNERY of W. W. GRAVES, FLORENCE, ONEIDA COUNTY, N. Y.

Photos. by Hovey & Brainerd.

Juba Graves

WILLIAM W. GRAVES.

William W. Graves, son of Elijah and Alice Graves, was born in Cheshire Co., N. H., Sept. 5, 1809. He was the eldest of a family of four children. When he was ten years of age his father died, leaving his family in limited circumstances. William being the oldest, it was essential that he should earn something to help to support the family, which he did by picking up odd jobs here and there in the neighborhood. The first money that was earned by this industrious boy was used to purchase a cow for his mother. His advantages for obtaining an education were very mcagre; but being a practical man, he has adopted a system of book- keeping that is both simple and accurate. When he was twenty-one years of age he learned the carpenter's and joiner's trade, which he has followed, more or less, from that time until the present. In the year 1837 he came to the town of Florence, after traveling over a considerable portion of the State in the employ of James Willson, introducing the spiral vent water-wheel. In the same year he built a grist-mill at Florence, and a few years later added a saw-mill. Sinee then he has ereeted many other buildings, doing much more in this line than

any other man in the town. His last enterprise in building was the erection of a tannery for his nephew, who was a practical tanner. Misfortune overtaking them, the nephew abandoned the enter- prise, leaving Mr. Graves to make the most of a bad investment, which he did by applying himself diligently to learn the trade.

June 20, 1841, he married Seba Page, a native of the same county as himself, and daughter of Elias and Olive Page. They were married in the mill at Florence, and used it for a habitation until their financial affairs warranted them in crecting a more suitable dwelling. Together they have labored for thirty-seven years, and have succeeded in accumulating a fine property, and now they are apparently enjoying the fruits of a busy life. The writer found them affable and entertaining, and hospitable to a fault. Not having been blessed with children of their own blood, they have adopted a loving daughter on whom they lavish paternal affec- tion. Mr. Graves has erected a fine monument on an eminenee overlooking the village, a picture of which can be seen on another page, in connection with a view of their home and surroundings.

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IHISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

now a judge in Herkimer County. His father was sheriff of the latter county, and had established him in business. The son was first judge of Herkimer County for fifteen years; also held the positions of surrogate, State prison inspector, and others.

Another tannery was put in operation at the village, in 1832, by James S. T. Stranahan, through the efforts of Gerrit Smith. Mr. Stranahan has since become a wealthy citizen of Brooklyn, Long Island. This tannery was de- stroyed by fire; and a second one was built by Lewis Rider, who did a very heavy business. The property now belongs to the Terrill Brothers, of Boston, and this building has also been burned within the past three or four years. W. W. Graves is carrying on at present a considerable business in the manufacture of upper-leather. There was also another tannery in the village, owned by John Sliter, the frame of which is yet standing.

EMPEYVILLE (EAST FLORENCE POST-OFFICE).

This place was named from Anthony Empey, Jr., whose father, Anthony Empey, Sr., eame to the town about 1811-13, and settled first where Calvin Dawley now lives. Anthony Empey, Jr., laid out the village, and a saw-mill was built here by the same family. Boardwine Dyer after- wards built a grist-mill, the latter being at present out of use.

The post-office at this place is called " East Florence," and was originally located at the corners near the Thomson place. Charles B. Thomson, a brother of Aaron H. Thomson, was probably the first postmaster. The office was changed to its present location at the village of Empeyville April 14, 1863, during President Lincoln's first term. The present postmaster is Garret Dyer. Mail was carried through this region on the old route between Rome and Sacket's Harbor, first on horseback and afterwards by a line of stages, which was put on in opposition to another, over what was known as the Black River route.

Empeyville contains two stores, two blacksmith-shops, a saw-mill, two cooper-shops, a basket-factory, a church, a frame school-house, a post-office, and about 150 inhabitants. It is located in an elevated position in the northeast part of town. The hills in this neighborhood rise probably 300 to 350 feet above the Rome level, and the streams have a rapid current. Numerous springs abound in this town, and, with good water and pure air, its location is excellent for the health of its inhabitants, even though the prospect for gaining a profitable livelihood by the cultivation of the soil is not flattering.

The first marriage in town was that of Benjamin Wilcox and Betsey Waugh, in 1803, and the first birth that of a child of Charles Crawford.

Thanks are due to those of the citizens of Florence who have assisted in the work of preparing its history. This task, at the present day, is attended with great labor and few satis- factory results, as so few of the descendants of the original settlers are at present living within its boundaries. We are indebted to the family of A. H. Thomson, to Garret Dyer, and others, in Empeyville and vicinity ; to Thomas Evans, of Florence village, and numerous others in the town for information obtained.

CHAPTER XXX. FLOYD.

THE town of Floyd is located east of the centre of the county, and has an area of 20,650 acres. The largest part of this town is included in the southeast corner of Fonda's Patent, while in the southern part the Oriskany Patent eovers a considerable area. The eastern portion is in the Holland Patent, and the southeast corner on the Sumner Tract. The town extends to the Mohawk River on the south, its southern extremity being at the junction of that stream and Nine-Mile Creek. Tributaries of both flow through the town, or, more properly speaking, have their sourees within it.

The southern part of Floyd is included in the level inter- vale along the Mohawk, while farther north extends for some distanee a sandy plateau, reaching back to the foot of the range of hills to the northward. This range has received the name of " Floyd Hill," and rises to the height of several hundred feet above the valley of the Mohawk. From its summit the eye covers a vast expanse of territory. The soil in a large portion of the town is excellent, and many fine farms are seen ; but in other localities it is eold and poor and much better adapted to pasturage than grain- growing. The inhabitants have in recent years engaged to some extent in the dairy business, which yields ample re- turns for their trouble. The Utiea shale underlies the hilly portion of the town, and in a wet season the roads in such localities are well nigh impassable. The northern part of the town has been settled by a considerable number of Welsh, who are in the main an industrious and thrifty class of people.

The town was named in honor of General William Floyd, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independ- enee, and a large landholder in this town and Western, in which latter he resided from 1803 until his death. He is buried in the cemetery at Westernville. The town of Floyd was formed from Steuben, March 4, 1796. The first town-meeting was held the same spring at the house of Samuel J. Curtiss, at which time Stephen Moulton, Sr., was elected supervisor, and Moses Coffeen town clerk. The records for 1797 are missing. Abel French held the office of supervisor in 1798-99 ; Jarvis Pike from 1800 to 1811 ; Nathan Townsend, Sr., in 1812; Ephraim Robbins from 1813 to 1819; Nathan Townsend again in 1820-21; Ephraim Robbins again from 1822 to 1824; Salmon Pel- ton from 1825 to 1832; David Moulton from 1833 to 1837; Samuel C. Brooker, 1838-39; David Moulton, 1840-42; Hosea Clark, 1843-44; David Moulton again from 1845 to 1851 .*

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The first settler in this town was probably Captain Ben- jamin Pike, who, it is supposed, located in 1790. Very soon after Stephen Moulton, Jr., settled, and following him eame William and Nathaniel Allen and James Chase. At

Jones' Annals. Two calls at the office of the town clerk, while gathering notes in this town, failed to find him at home, consequently we are unable to give a full list of supervisors, etc.

450

IIISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

the time the Allens came Benjamin Pike, Elisha Lake, and a man named Howard were living below the place after- wards occupied by Linus Moulton. Two brothers named Howard resided at an early date half a mile east of the corners, and Hope Smith settled shortly after. The latter was the father of Stephen R. Smith, one of the earliest and most popular Universalist preachers in the county. David Byam, James Bartlett, and a Mr. Putney were the earliest settlers in the north part of the town. Captain Pike's son, Jarvis Pike, located in town very early, for the lease of a lot north of Floyd Corners was granted him by General William Floyd, Oct. 26, 1793.

The following account of the Moulton family is taken from Judge Jones' " Annals of Oneida County" :

" As carly as February, 1795, the different members of the Moulton family, from Stafford, Conn., had settled in this town, As before mentioned, Stephen Moulton, the younger, was among the earliest set- tlers. Within five years after his arrival, his father, Stephen Moulton, and four other sons, Salmon, Joseph, Benjamin, and Ebenezer, had moved into the town. The Moulton family were among the stauneh- est Whigs of the Revolution in the land of ' steady habits,' and sae- rifieed mueh in the cause of their country. Sahnon was taken pris- oner on Long Island, and suffered all the horrors of a confinement in the 'Sugar House,' a place more noted for the suffering of its inmates than the ' Black Hole' of Caleutta, because more protraeted. Mr. Moulton was kept so short of provisions that he and his eompatriots used to chew pieces of the oak staves of the sugar casks left in their prison, for the little nutriment they contained. His father, Col. Ste- phen Moulton, was afterward taken prisoner (as is understood) at Fort Washington, and there confined. After a tedious confinement in the ' Sugar House,' Salmon was paroled to leave for Fort Washing- ton, and soon after, both father and son were paroled to go to their homes."

Stephen Moulton, Jr., lived to the age of ninety-one years, and died Feb. 1, 1851. He was a member of the celebrated band of musicians of the Revolutionary army, under Timothy Olmstead. He was very active until his last days, and always walked to Rome when wishing to visit that plaee, notably on the occasions of executing his pension papers, March and September 4. He was never sick until the final attaek which carried him away.

William Allen, who is mentioned as one of the early set- tlers, died Aug. 4, 1843, aged seventy-three years, and his wife, Doreas, answered to the summons of the death angel Feb. 11, 1855, having reached the age of nearly eighty- three. Ezra Wilcox died April 4, 1823, aged seventy, and his wife, July 27, 1830, aged seventy-two. These persons, with several of their children, are buried in the small cem- etery east of Floyd Corners.

One of the early settlers of this town was Samuel Dyer, who after a number of years' residence sold his farm, and removed to what is now the town of Marcy. Mr. Dyer was a man much respected for his sterling good sense and pleasing manners, yet in one thing he was lacking. To his ear the strains of delicious music, which might be brought forth by skillful fingers from the keys of the piano or the strings of the harp, were as naught. By his own statement, there was as much melody in the sound of " half a dozen men whetting their seythes in his meadow before breakfast" as in the rich notes of a grand piano.

Captain Nathan Townsend settled in the southeast part of town, in 1801, on a farm situated in Sumner's Patent, which had been purchased by Governor George Clinton.

A man named Turner Ellis had previously occupied this farm as a " squatter." Thomas Bacon and Samuel Cum- mings were early settlers upon Floyd Hill, the locality going for some time by the name of " Baeon's Hill," after the family which loeated upon it.

Samuel Denison located in the town of Floyd in the year 1800, and among those who came at nearly the same time were James Chase, Latham Denison, and others. Mr. Chase died not many years afterwards, Latham Denison about 1844-45, and Samuel Denison in 1849.

The first death in the town was that of a Mr. Foster, who died of disease, and the second that of Nathan Thomp- son, who was killed by a falling tree. In the latter part of the summer of 1796 several persons died of dysentery ; among them were the wife of Colonel Stephen Moulton, and three children of his son James, all within the same week.

Asa Clark, from the State of Massachusetts, settled in Floyd Hill about 1805. During the war of 1812 he served as a teamster in the American army. He and his wife both lived to the age of eighty-seven years. His son, A. S. Clark, now resides a short distance south of Floyd Cor- ners, and is postmaster at that place.

David Nutt came to this town from Massachusetts or Connecticut some years previous to 1800, and settled on the farm now owned by George Clark. His father, Robert Nutt, was a Revolutionary soldier, and located about the same time. Both died in the town. David Nutt's son, Austin A. Nutt, is living southwest of Floyd Corners, and was born in this town in 1800. He has vivid recollections of this region when its appearance was little changed from that of an unpeopled wilderness.

Benjamin H. Gardner, from Rhode Island, moved to this town about 1804, with his father, Amos Gardner, and settled on the place now oceupied by the widow of the former. This estimable lady has reached the age of eighty- eight years, yet her memory is still bright, and her faeul- ties are remarkably preserved. Her husband served in the war of 1812; his father, Amos Gardner, returned to Rhode Island, and died there.

Mrs. Gardner's father, Eli Kent, came to the county when the daughter was but five years old, or in 1795, when the small cluster of buildings which stood on the site of Utica were known as " Old Fort Schuyler." He settled in the edge of Rome, and lies buried near his old farmn. He volunteered and served for some time during the war of 1812.

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History of Oneida County, New York, 1667-1878, Part 119

Author: Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Fariss Number of Pages: 932

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 932