History of Oneida County, New York, 1667-1878, Part 127

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

USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York, 1667-1878 > Part 127

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

"Some of the early settlers on the 6000-aere traet were Charles Ufford and John, his son ; Epraim Pease, and Arvin B., his son ; Elam Pease; Jotham Worden; Jesse Sexton and his sons, William and Amasa ; David Webster; Gideon Perry and his sons, Freeman and Gideon B. ; James Eames and his sons, Simeon N., Lewis, George, and Daniel ; George Cornish with his sons, Hosea and George; Asahel Castle and his sons, John J., and others; Roswell Spinning, the son of Benjamin Spinning; Joseph Park and his son, Joseph, Jr. ; Daniel Park and the sons of Jacob Park, Elisha, Abijah, and William ; Oliver Armstrong, father of Wheeler, Jesse, Enoch, and Earl; Deaeon Sam- uel Wright and his wife Vienna, and his sons, William B., Arnnah, Eben, and Samuel, Jr., and his nine danghters, originally from Con- neetieut, settled on this traet ; James Wood and his sons, Amasa and Nathaniel ; Ephraim J. II. Curtis; Apollos King; William Taft with his sons, Paul and Shays, who first settled near Lnther Miller, on land afterwards owned by Adonijah Barnard, where George Sheldon after- wards resided ; and many others settled on the 6000-acre tract.

"The lease-land proved to be a great cnrse to the town. What is the town of Western, onee embracing Lee, dates back one year before the settlement of the Sheldons. Henry Wager, Asa Beekwith and his sons, Asa, Jr., Lemnel, Renben, and Wolcott, came to the Mohawk country in 1789; and soon after Josiah Church and his sons, George, Brayton, Jonathan, Ivan, Allan, Frazier; Joshua Northrop; Jabez Halleek and his sons, Joseph and Jabez, Jr .; William Cleveland; Daniel Paddock and sons; Otis White and sons; William Olney ; Daniel and Robert Felton ; and other well-known citizens settled on the Mohawk, above Fort Stanwix. In this early settlement the people built the first bridge across that river. It was back of the residence of Dr. Zenas Hutchinson, near Elmer Hill, where John Treadway, Anson Dart, and George Williams afterwards lived. The river here was narrow, with a high bank on the south. The bridge had only one set of stringers, and there was not a stiek of hewn or sawed lumber in it. At this time all this region was in the town of Whitestown, which had been eut off from the town of German Flatts, in 1788. Whitestown was bounded east hy a certain point on the Mohawk River; north hy the St. Lawrence; south by Pennsylvania and a part of New York ;" and west hy the lakes, the State line. First supervisor of Whites- town, Jedediah Sanger. All this vast extent of country, more exten- sive than some of the European kingdoms, contained at the organiza- tion of Whitestown but a few hundred inbahitants; and in 1810 the same territory had a population of over 280,000; and now I suppose exceeds 1,000,000.

# See history of Whitestown.

Photos. by llovey & Brainerd.

Curtis Spinning Euphemia Spinning

CURTIS SPINNING.

Curtis Spinning, the son of Roswell F. Spinning and Lucinda Dewey, was born in the town of West Huron, Lewis Co., N. Y., July 8, 1822. He set- tled with his parents in Lee, Oneida Co., in 1830. He had but limited advantages for an education, still by close observation he has acquired that practical knowledge which places him far ahead of many more favored with knowledge gleaned from books. That such is the case is patent from the fact of his having been district clerk every year save one since 1845, and his holding other positions of trust in his town. He also holds the office of steward and class-leader in the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is a zealous member.

It is a pleasure to turn away from the selfish

world and contemplate one whose life has been spent in acts of charity and mercy. Such a one is Mr. Spinning in every sense of the word. Were it not for him and his mother, Lee Centre, in all proba- bility, would not have its beautiful Methodist Epis- copal Church, the unfortunate would receive much less attention, and public enterprises generally would suffer.

He was married, Jan. 27, 1858, to Euphemia Washburn, daughter of Martin Washburn, whose biography appears in this volume; she was born Feb. 25, 1820. Both joined the Methodist Epis- copal Church in 1870, she having previously been a Baptist. For genealogy, see the biography of Ros- well F. Spinning and Martin Washburn.

Photos, by llovey & Brainerd.

ROSWELL F. SPINNING.

Lucinda Spinning

ROSWELL F. SPINNING

is a lineal descendant of the third generation of Levy Spinning, who emigrated from Seotland in the year 1745, and settled in Guilford, Conn.

Levy Spinning and his wife, Thankful Benton, had six children, viz., John, Polly, Sarah, Betsey, Daniel, and Benjamin, all of whom lived to maturity and had families.

Benjamin, the father of Roswell F., was married five times, but from only one of his wives, Sarah Moulton, did he have children. Their union re- sulted in the birth of seven children, viz., Roswell F., Hannah and Anna (twins), Betsey, Almer and Almira (twins), and Malinda, all of whom lived to raise families, and were residents of the town of Lee.

Roswell F. was born in Lee, Oneida Co., N. Y., Sept. 17, 1794. He was married Nov. 19, 1819, to Lueinda Dewey, who was born in Windham Co.,

Conn., Aug. 17, 1801. By this union three children were born, viz., Curtis, July 8, 1822; Jay, Oet. 20, 1827, and died April 22, 1832; and a son who died in infaney, July 10, 1834.

Mr. Spinning was a sueeessful farmer. He pur- ehased the farm now owned by his son Curtis in 1830, where he resided until his death, whieli oe- eurred Sept. 14, 1870. His father died at Lee, N. Y., Nov. 8, 1848.

His wife, Lueinda, is still living on the old home- stead with her son Curtis. She is a prominent mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and noted for kindness of heart where help is needed. She assisted largely with her means in the ereetion of the beautiful ehureh at Lee Centre. These like- nesses and this personal sketeli were given by her in memory of her husband.

475

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

"One of the first mills huilt on the Mohawk River was erected by Roswell Fellows, Smith and Luther Miller. It stood in the notch or little gulf nearly opposite where John Barnard afterwards huilt a mill. The water was raised by a wing-dam. Subsequently, General William Floyd, who bought a large traet of land at an early day on the upper Mohawk, built a mill on that streamu near what is now Westernville, and erected a saw-will and grist-mill on West Canada Creek,# a few miles below Lee Centre. At the first settlements in what are now Western and Lee, and before the erection of these mills, the carly settlers got their grain ground at Wetmore's on the Sanqnoit, and other distant places. The gigantic William Remington is said to have carried on his shoulders the flour of two bushels of wheat from Wetmore's mill, near Whitestown, to his residence in what is now Lee, without resting. Very few of the roads at this time could be used for wagons, and journeys were therefore made on horseback or on foot. Henry Wager and Asa Beckwith, Jr., walked to German Flatts, and there procured one hushel each of seed-potatoes, which they brought home on their shoulders.

" Great changes have been made in the limits of counties and towns onco embracing what is now Lee. In 1683 there were only twelve counties in the State of New York. Tryon County was cut off from the north part of Albany County in 1772, and the name of Tryon was changed to Montgomery in 1784. Herkimer and other counties were formed from Montgomery in 1791, and Oneida from Herkimer in 1798. . . . In 1792 the town of Steuben, embracing Western and Lee, was formed from Whitestown. The centre of Steuben was Fort Stan- wix, near which, at the house of Seth Ranney, the first town-meeting was held in 1793. Roswell Fellows, one of the earliest pioneers and ahlest magistrates of this county, was elected supervisor, and Jede- diah Phelps, another early settler, town clerk. Both of these officers were citizens of Fort Stanwix. Rome had not then been named.

" Esquire Fellows is worthily represented here to-day in the person of his great-grandson, Benjamin Whitman Williams, of Rome, a grand- son of the late Cyrus Fellows, who came to Fort Stanwix at the first settlement of this county. Roswell Fellows was re-elected supervisor of Steuben in 1794-95, holding the office the three years that Steuhen embraced what was afterwards Rome; that towu and Floyd-named in honor of Gen. Win. Floyd-hcing set off from Steuhen in 1796.

" The town of Lee continued in the town of Steuben, or under its authority, until 1798. An aet dividing Western from Steuben was passed by the Legislature in 1797, and in 1798 tho town of Western completed its organizatiou by eleeting its first board of officers at the house of Esek Sheldon. John Hall was elected (supervisor ) and re- elected in 1798-99-two years. Henry Wager commenced in 1800, and held the office twenty-four years in suecession. Benjamin Rudd succeeded Henry Wager, and held the office for six succeeding years. Arnon Comstock succeeded Col. Rudd, aud he and Hervey Brayton and others have held the office for differcut periods since.

" In 18II and previous the people of Western had discussed the question of dividing the town, and a committee consisting of James Young and Joshua Northrup, both emigrants from Lee, Mass., acted as a committee for getting an enabling act to divide the town. The aet was passed by the Legislature, attended to in the Scuate by Jonas Platt, then a senator, and in the Assembly by George Iluntington, then a member from this district. The name 'Lee' for the new town was inserted at the request of Messrs. Young and Northrup. The question of division was determined at the next town- meeting of Western (1811), at the house of Silas Morse. George Brayton was chosen moderator, and after the election of officers for the ensuing year, the crowd of voters, finding the house too small for their accommodation, retired to the yard, where a division was agreed on with great unanimity. Henry Wager, from Western, John Hall, from Lee, and George Huntington, of Rome, were chosen eoumis- sioners to fix the boundaries, with Beujamin Wright as surveyor. The boundaries were harmoniously agreed on, and Lee remained under Western till the 3d of March, 1812, when the first towu-meet- ing was held in the old West school-house, the only framed one in the town, the first building north of Luther Miller's and about three- fourths of a mile southeast of Lee Centre, at the road-crossing near which the late John Calvin Caprou resided.

" James Young was elected Supervisor and West Waterman Town Clerk ; Jesse Dutton, Earl Fillmore, and Joseph White, Assessors;

# Canada Creek. West Canada Creek is a branch of the Mohawk, further east, and is the stream in which Trenton Falls are located.

John Hall and Dan Taft, Overseers of the Poor; Jotham Worden, Dan Taft, and Thomas E. Lawrence, Commissioners of Highways; George Ilawkins, Samuel Hall, and Zebcdiel Wentworth, Constables; Adonijalı Barnard, Dan Taft, and Asahel Castle, Fence-Viewers. There were then 22 road districts in the town, and overseers were duly ehosen. Justices of the peace were at that time appointed by the State executive for the county, aud there were no inspectors of common schools till 1816, when the Justices of the Peace-Jesse Dutton, James Eames, and Joseph White-appointed Dr. Jonah B. Burton, Eleazer Bushnell, Simeon N. Eames, William B. Wright, George Hawkins, and Samuel Hall such inspectors.

"In 1813, James Young was re-elected Supervisor and West Water- man Town Clerk. The town-meeting was held at the school-house before described, which answered in that day as a school-house and for religious and political meetings. Nearly all the officers elected in 1812 were re-elected except the assessors and collector. Charles Uf. ford, Luther Miller, and Charles Ladd were chosen Assessors, and Simeon N. Ames, Collector.

" The political parties at this time were known as Republican and Federal, though in the election of town officers party was little ob- served, it heing the aim of the voters to seleet the best men for local affairs. At the general election of 1813, Daniel D. Tompkins, Repub- lican, for Governor, received 89 votes; Stephen Van Rensselaer, Fel- eral, for Governor, recived 26 votes - Republican majority, 63. Henry Huntington, Republican, for Assembly, 123; Theolore Sill, Federal, for Assembly, 36-Republican majority, 87.

" In 1814, John Hall was elected Supervisor and James Young Town Clerk. General Election : Nathan Williams, Republican, for Member of Congress, 89 votes ; Thomas R. Gold, Federalist, for Member of Congress, 43-Republican majority, 46. These election returns are certified by James Young, John Hall, Luther Miller, Charles Ladd, and Charles Ufford, Inspeetors of Election.

"In 1815-16, Messrs. Hall and Young were respectively re-elected Supervisor and Town Clerk. After 'Squire Hall's re-election was announced by the moderator at the town-meeting, in 1816,-his third term,-he arose and said, ' Fellow-citizens and neighbors, look around you and select a young man for supervisor in whom you can confide, and give him your suffrage and hearty support. Make up your minds after a trial of two years, and if you find him honest and capable, and deserving of your votes for his fidelity to your interests, keep him in the office year after year. I advise you to do this at the next annual town-meeting.' The next year, 1817, the voters of Lee took 'Squire Hall's adviee, and, with great unanimity, elected William Park as their Supervisor, who is now with us, the President at this anniver- sary ; and they re-elected him 'year after year' till 1833,-fifteen years in succession,-the longest term of any of the supervisors in this town. And I think it but a just tribute to his official fidelity and usefulness, to which the public sentiment would heartily respond, to say that his successful efforts in that position have not been sur- passed."

William Park is now a resident of Lee Centre, and was eighty-nine years old on the 27th of April, 1878. His mother came to the town from Berkshire Co., Mass., with six of her nine children,-two of them grown men,-in 1795. They first located a mile west of what is now Lee Centre, then the " end of the settlement" in that direction. When William Park became of age (1810) he came with his next older brother, Abijah, and purchased the place at the Centre, upon which he has ever since resided. He is the only one of the nine children now living. In 1812 he volunteered and went to Sacket's Harbor, where he stayed three months, and in 1814 went a second time, remaining forty days.

In the days of the carly settlements in Lee it was some- times almost impossible to procure a bushel of grain in the town. It was occasionally purchased in the town of West- moreland, where the farmers managed to spare a little, those fortunate enough to secure it bringing it home on their backs.

476

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

HARMONY LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.

"At a meeting of the citizens of Lee to erect and incorporate a public library in the town of Lee, agrecably to a previous public notiec, according to the laws of this State,-the meeting assembled at the North Meeting-House," iu Lee, on Tuesday, the 7th day of March, 1820. Proceeded to the business in hand by electing Dr. Elijah Ward moderator and president of this association, and James Young clerk. Resolved, That Dr. Elijah Ward, Charles Ufford, William Lany, Thomas E. Lawrence, and James Young serve as trus- tees of Harmony Library the ensuing year.

" Resolved, That the following be a standing rule for said library, viz. : That the Harmony Library shall be kept within one mile of the North Meeting-House, in the town of Lee.

" Resolved, That the annual meeting of this library shall be held on the first Tuesday in October next, at the North Meeting-IIouse, at two o'clock P.M.

" Attest : J. YOUNG, Clerk.t

"LEE, March 7, 1820."

This library was the successor of one which had pre- viously existed at Delta, known as the " Union Library of Lee and Western." The Rudds, Wagers, and others were connected with it. Of the library at Lee Centre James Young was librarian until his death in 1836. Many of the prominent citizens of the town were interested in it, among them Thomas Lawrence, of West Branch, and the Williams' and Powells of the same locality ; the Wilsons, Uffords, Wordens, and Websters, of Fish Creek settlement ; William Lany, West Waterman, C. Brooks, David Byam, Zerah Preston, and others at Lee, in the south part of the town ; and John W. Dopp, Samuel Nisbet and sons, and others in the eastern portion. The Millers, Washburns, Spinnings, Wentworths, and others were also prominent members of the association. The library was kept at the farm-house of James Young, and during the life of the latter was very popular ; after his death, however, it was allowed to run down, and finally became extinet.

SCHOOLS OF LEE.

The school-house in which the first town-meeting was held has already been mentioned as the first framed school- building in the town.

This first school house was located southeast of Lee Cen- tre, and built for the joint use of schools and meetings. School was first taught in it about 1798, by an English- man named Elijah Blake. The children of Mrs. Park attended this school in 1798.

The first school in the neighborhood of Delta was taught by a daughter of Esquire Prosper Rudd, afterward the wife of Gates Peek. The latter kept the first winter school in that locality, on " Elmer Hill," in 1804, and had over 80 pupils. This district includes at present portions of Western, Lee, and Rome, the school-house being in Western. Mr. Peck taught here several seasons, and his daughter, Miss E. A. Peek, now of Delta, was also a sue- cessful teacher.

Rev. Thomas Brainerd, for thirty years pastor of the Old Pine Street Church, Philadelphia, was an early and popular teacher in Lee. Hon. Anson S. Miller writes of him :

" ROCK FORD, ILL., March 26, 1868.

"The late Rev. Dr. Thomas Brainerd kept school in my

native town, Lee, N. Y., more than forty years ago. My first recol- lection of Dr. Brainerd, when a youthful teacher in Lee, reaches back to the winter of 1823-24, when he taught the school in the Dutton district, in Lee, where Albert Barnes had previously taught. My father resided in an adjoining district. In this school Mr. Brainerd, though a mere youth, achieved perfeet success. He kept a model school, and his pupils both feared and loved him. Though familiar with his pupils in their plays out of doors, he preserved his dignity as master in the school-house. So good was his reputation as a teacher that the trustees of an adjoining district ( Lec Centre), with a larger school, secured his services at an carly day for the next winter, 1824-25. In this district he made his home with my uncle, the late James Young, Esq., a prominent eitizen and public man of Lee. My uncle Young and his brother Alvan were great readers. The town library was kept at their house; and Mr. Brainerd, when at uncle's, enjoyed himself with congenial spirits. They all wondered how he could read so rapidly and remember so well. Occasionally, when visiting my cousins, the sons of unele Young, I attended Mr. Brain- erd's school with them. It was a large school, and not the easiest to govern ; but he gave it the regularity of a clock. IIe kept a lire school, because he was a live teacher. He had a wonderful gift for animating his pupils, and inspiring them to emulate excellence; and of their social circle out of school he was the centre and soul.

"Subsequently Mr. Brainerd taught school near Mr. Talcott's, in Rome, and was there, as in the schools in Lee, execcdingly popular."

The following is a list of those who have served in the capacity of school-teachers in the town of Lee, compiled by Hon. Anson S. Miller and David S. Young :

Males .- Joshua Northrup, Richard Smith, Benoni Bar- low, Elijah Blake, Samuel Hall, Elijah Denny, William B. Wright, Gates Peek, Chester Hayden, Asahel Fenner, Stephen Miers, Arunah Wright, Israel Speneer, Alvan Young, Wheeler Armstrong, Freeman Perry, Jesse Arm- strong, Henry Peek, Dr. Elijah Ward, Albert Barnes, Hiram Denio, Gideon B. Perry, Jonathan Whaley, Isaac P. Barritt, John W. Dopp, Gideon Allen, John P. Hart- well, Stephen R. Smith, Jolin Ufford, Jesse Rising, Nathan Yeomans, Daniel Porter, Theophilus Williams, Merrit Brooks, Alpheus I. Story, George White, Chester Martin, Charles M. Dennison, Lewis Eames, Harold H. Pope, Israel S. Parker, Charles Starr, Thomas Brainerd, Noah Ashley, Frederick Traey, Lemuel Barnard, Jared C. Brooks, Israel Smith, A. J. Coburn, Ichabod C. Baker, Orville W. Story, Hiram Riggs, Daniel Eames, Israel White, Alfred Stevens, Samuel Knight, C. B. Hyde, Timothy Tallman, Jonathan Badgley, Franklin Peek, Lorenzo D. Baker, Anson S. Miller, Calvert Comstock, James Morgan, Charles Tuttle, E. Babcock, Adelbert Douglass, Thomas Wright, Ezra Butler, Levi Williams, David S. Young, Henry Hovey, Cyrus F. Miller, John M. Museott, Thomas B. Allison (Allanson ?), Edward Young, Jerome Cheesebrough, Stephen R. S. Ufford, E. S. Bearss, Asher Miller, William Richmond, Jay Capron, Aaron Cornish, George E. Young, William Waid, J. E. Cook, John Ross, Curtis Spinning, -. Tulloh, Wilbur A. Markham, A. G. Markham.

Females .- Hannah Felton, Avis Taft, Alice Goudy, Hettie Stark, Harriet Fillmore, Abbie Salisbury, Lueinda Wright, Polly Stark, Amy Williams, Naney Parmiter, Rhoda Miller, Harriet H. Whipple, Polly King, Chloe Miller, Eliza L. Rudd, Mary Wiggins, Lydia Miller, Maria Elmer, Eunice N. Wiggins, Anna Allen, Mary Miller, Alice Wiggins, Diana Willard, Eliza A. Peek, Phebe

# Ecclesiastical Church at Lce Centre.

+ From old records of library in possession of D. S. Young.

REN

LEWIS EAMES.

Photos, by J. Hovey

MRS. PAMELIA B. EAMES.

LEWIS EAMES.

Among the early settlers of this county was the Eames family ; they are of English origin ; the first family settled in Massachusetts, about 1618. Lewis Eames, son of James Eames, was born in Lee, March 6, 1799. His father, James, came from Hopkinton, Mass., and settled in Lee, in 1794. He had nine children who lived to be more than seventy years of age, namely : Simeon N., Jerusha, James, Mary, George, Lewis, Daniel, Lavina, and Emily.

Lewis was reared on a farm, and attended school winters and worked summers. At an early age he commenced teaching school, and it is said of him that he was a very efficient teacher, and was always able to control his pupils in such a way as to com- mand their respect. Many prominent men of to- day point back to the time when Mr. Eames led them forth to investigate those principles which lie at the foundation of a good education. Mr. Eames followed teaching several terms, and was always successful. He married Miss Betsey Legar, March 5, 1826 ; she was born April 25, 1803, in Annsville, Oneida Co., N. Y. By this union seven children were born, namely : James J., Joseph, Jerusha E.,

Elizabeth, James, Sarah, and Lucy; of whom Eliz- abeth and James are still living. Elizabeth married Wm. G. Cornwell, now of Rome, and has two children. James married Helen M. Spencer, and now resides at Lce Centre; he has two children. Mr. Lewis Eames settled on the farm now owned and occupied by his present wife and family in March, 1828 ; here he continued to reside till his death. His wife died April 17, 1847, and he married his second wife, Miss Pamelia Brainard, daughter of Jephtha and Catherine, June 14, 1848. Mrs. P. Eames was born in Western, Oneida Co., N. Y., June 19, 1814. By this alliance two children were born,-Evelyn B., born Jan. 14, 1850, and Edwin L., Nov. 2, 1854. Mr. Eames was a zealous supporter of the Universalist Church, and gave liberally to its support. In politics he affiliated with the Democratic party until the formation of the Rc- publican party. He was a strong supporter of the temperanec cause, and by word and action ever main- tained its principles. He made all the improvements on the farm now in possession of the family, and they are among the best in the town. He died Feb. 5. 1876.

477

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Miller, Elizabeth Porter, Emily Eames, Chloe Mitchell, Cornelia Putnamn, Lucina Butler, Eliza H. Park, Amanda Spencer, Abbie Pease, Emeline Sheldon, Vienna Miller, Minerva Comstock, C. M. Park, Sarah Tracy, Polly Miller, Mary A. Loveland, Caroline S. Eames, Julia Potter, Eloise C. Peek, Eliza L. Rudd (2d), Rhoda M. Eames, Lucina J. Miller, Hannah Nisbet, Charlotte Cornish, Mary Eames, Susan M. Miller, Eliza N. Eames, Hannalı Cornish, Char- lotte S. Young, Amelia Briggs, Ceraldine Felshaw, Elstine Felshaw, Loretta Eames, Clare Somers, Josephine Mayhew, Alma Holmes, Rhoda Ward, Eliza Ward.

Many of these teachers have achieved distinction in theology, law, medicine and surgery, agriculture, manufae- tures and commerce, surveying and engineering, and as journalists, educational professors, authors, and artists. Three of them, Rev. Drs. Albert Barnes, Gideon B. Perry, and Thomas Brainerd, were at the same time distinguished pastors of churches in the city of Philadelphia. In the law, the names of Hiram Denio, Anson S. Miller, and others stand conspicuous, while others became famous in the various professions and trades.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Oneida County, New York, 1667-1878, Part 127

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

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